South Africa: New Cabinet ready to crack the whip

One by one, the countrys newly appointed 28 Ministers and 34 Deputy Ministers vowed to respectfully serve the country as the sixth administration was sworn into office.

Having announced the Cabinet on Wednesday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa watched on as the new members of the executive took their oaths of office in a ceremony presided by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng on Thursday afternoon.

The incoming Ministers and Deputy Ministers are part of a new Cabinet that for the first time features a 50/50 gender representation and youthful faces.

The President on Wednesday announced that following a reconfiguration process, the number of ministries would be reduced as government sought to curtail excess expenditure.

The reconfigured national government is expected to help the sixth administration achieve the desires of South Africans.

Beginning proceedings at the swearing in ceremony, President Ramaphosa said he was appointing Deputy President David Mabuza and the rest of the Cabinet in terms of the powers vested in him by the countrys Constitution.

Among the new Ministers are Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia De Lille and Small Business Development Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu and Barbra Creecy were also among those sworn into office for the first time.

Speaking after her swearing-in, De Lille said she could not wait to start her new role, adding that she would do her best.

I will put in my everything like Ive done in all my tasks before. When the President called me and asked me to do this task, I felt I must say yes because he is inspiring the nation with hope and if you are called upon to do your contribution, you must do so, she said, adding that she is itching to start in the Ministry.

Lamola said he was humbled by the responsibility given to him by President Ramaphosa, saying he was ready to contribute to the creation of a non-racial, non-sexist and a just justice system.

Lamola, who has 10 years experience in the legal field, said the entities in the ministry have a responsibility that is clearly defined in the Constitution, which includes investigating without fear or favour, prosecuting without fear or favour.

Incoming Finance Deputy Minister David Masondo said the priority for government is to make sure that the countrys economy grows.

Paramount to this, he said, is to make sure that investment is attracted. He said he would contribute towards achieving this goal.

As government, well be working to attract investment, locally and internationally. Investment is important because through investment, we will be in a better position to create jobs to lay a basis for a tax revenue. We can only get a tax revenue from corporate tax and income tax, and you can only do that when people are investing in the economy, he said. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Ancient DNA tells the story of the first herders and farmers in east Africa

ST. LOUIS, MO (May 30, 2019) - A collaborative study led by archaeologists, geneticists and museum curators is providing answers to previously unsolved questions about life in sub-Saharan Africa thousands of years ago. The results were published online in the journal Science Thursday, May 30.

Researchers from North American, European and African institutions analyzed ancient DNA from 41 human skeletons curated in the National Museums of Kenya and Tanzania, and the Livingstone Museum in Zambia.

"The origins of food producers in East Africa have remained elusive because of gaps in the archaeological record," said co-first author Mary Prendergast, Ph.D., professor of anthropology and chair of humanities at Saint Louis University's campus in Madrid, Spain.

"This study uses DNA to answer previously unresolvable questions about how people were moving and interacting," added Prendergast.

The research provides a look at the origins and movements of early African food producers.

The first form of food production to spread through most of Africa was the herding of cattle, sheep and goats. This way of life continues to support millions of people living on the arid grasslands that cover much of sub-Saharan Africa.

"Today, East Africa is one of the most genetically, linguistically, and culturally diverse places in the world," explains Elizabeth Sawchuk, Ph.D., a bioarchaeologist at Stony Brook University and co-first author of the study. "Our findings trace the roots of this mosaic back several millennia. Distinct peoples have coexisted in the Rift Valley for a very long time."

Previous archaeological research shows that the Great Rift Valley of Kenya and Tanzania was a key site for the transition from foraging to herding. Herders of livestock first appeared in northern Kenya around 5000 years ago, associated with elaborate monumental cemeteries, and then spread south into the Rift Valley, where Pastoral Neolithic cultures developed.

The new genetic results reveal that this spread of herding into Kenya and Tanzania involved groups with ancestry derived from northeast Africa, who appeared in East Africa and mixed with local foragers there between about 4500-3500 years ago. Previously, the origins and timing of these population shifts were unclear, and some archaeologists hypothesized that domestic animals spread through exchange networks, rather than by movement of people.

After around 3500 years ago, herders and foragers became genetically isolated in East Africa, even though they continued to live side by side. Archaeologists have hypothesized substantial interaction among foraging and herding groups, but the new results reveal that there were strong and persistent social barriers that lasted long after the initial encounters.

Another major genetic shift occurred during the Iron Age around 1200 years ago, with movement into the region of additional peoples from both northeastern and western Africa. These groups contributed to ancient ancestry profiles similar to those of many East Africans today. This genetic shift parallels two major cultural changes: farming and iron-working.

The study provided insight into the history of East Africa as an independent center of evolution of lactase persistence, which enables people to digest milk into adulthood. This genetic adaptation is found in high proportions among Kenyan and Tanzanian herders today.

###

The study was supported by funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, with additional funding from the US. National Institutes of Health (5R01GM100233), Allen Discovery Center, and John Templeton Foundation, NSF Archaeometry Program, and Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Mary Prendergast, Saint Louis University; Mark Lipson, Harvard Medical School; and Elizabeth Sawchuk, Stony Brook University; are study co-first authors and David Reich, Harvard Medical School is senior author.

Other authors are: Inigo Olalde (Harvard Medical School), Christine Ogola (National Museum of Kenya), Nadin Rohland (Harvard Medical School), Kendra Sirak (Harvard Medical School), Nicole Adamski (Harvard Medical School), Rebecca Bernardos (Harvard Medical School), Nasreen Broomandkhoshbacht (Harvard Medical School), Kimberly Callan (Harvard Medical School), Brendan Culleton (Pennsylvania State University), Laurie Eccles (Pennsylvania State University), Thomas Harper (Pennsylvania State University), Ann Marie Lawson (Harvard Medical School), Matthew Mah (Harvard Medical School), Jonas Oppenheimer (Harvard Medical School), Kristin Stewardson (Harvard Medical School), Fatma Zalzala (Harvard Medical School), Stanley Ambrose (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), George Ayodo (Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology), Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Harvard University), Agness Gidna (National Museum of Tanzania), Maggie Katongo (Livingstone Museum), Amandus Kwekason (National Museum of Tanzania), Audax Mabulla (National Museum of Tanzania), George Mudenda (Livingstone Museum), Emmanuel Ndiema (National Museum of Kenya), Charles Nelson (Western Washington University), Peter Robertshaw (California State University San Bernardino), Douglas Kennett (University of California Santa Barbara), and Fredrick Manthi (National Museum of Kenya)

Prendergast and Sawchuk published a companion piece on their work in The Conversation.

Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers nearly 13,000 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University's diverse community of scholars is SLU's service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place. For more information, visit slu.edu.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The meeting came on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting for the 14th Islamic Summit Conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), scheduled to be held 31 May in Mecca

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry underlined Egypt's keenness on promoting political cooperation with Senegal during a meeting with his Senegalese counterpart Amado Ba on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by Egypt's foreign ministry.

The meeting came on the sidelines of the preparatory meeting for the 14th Islamic Summit Conference of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), scheduled to be held 31 May in Mecca.

According to foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez, Shoukry praised the role played by Senegalese President Macky Sall, chairperson of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Heads of States and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC), in running NEPAD during his presidency.

Shoukry highlighted the historical and brotherly ties with Senegal, especially at the political, cultural and religious levels.

Hafez said that Shoukry also noted that the two countries' convergence comes from the convergence of their visions towards regional and international issues.

Moreover, Shoukry also stressed the importance of continued coordination between the two countries within the framework of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, given that Senegal is one of the most important Islamic countries in Africa.

He expressed Egypt's appreciation for the results of President El-Sisi's visit to Dakar in April 2019, emphasising the importance of putting into effect the agreements reached during the visit, especially the convocation of a joint committee and boosting trade exchange.

For his part, the Senegalese foreign minister affirmed his country's keenness on beefing up bilateral ties, underlining the key role played by Egypt as the current chair of the African Union.

He highlighted the importance of coordination between the two countries in international and regional forums.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Stock Market News

EURGBP - China data disappoints while Trump announces new tariffs on Mexico 31-05-2019 01:44



Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.uk
Style / Fashion

May 20, 2019 | By Leon Ngiam

Inside the grand sanctum of the Hermes boutique, I felt like a royalty, surrounded by unforetold opulence. Even the air was oozing with luxuriancethe scent was an intricate concoction of high-quality leather wares, citrusy-woodsy notes of the Hermessences perfume collection edged by the immaculate wooden interior. I was then ushered upstairs to explore the Hermes Part Three: In-Motion exhibition series. Awe-struck was an understatement.

The exhibition teleported me into the 19th century when Thierry Hermes carved out his niche as a saddler and harness maker for the European elites in 1837. At the largess of the Emile Hermes museum, which houses 15,000 articles in its repository atop the brands flagship store in Paris, the exhibition featured some of its most cherished archives from Emile Herme travels in the Singapore boutique. Throughout the exhibition, the curator of the exhibition, Bruno Gaudichon, a matronly French lady, conscientiously emphasised that Hermes is a house that constantly reevaluates itself to anchor and reinvent the House in line with its rich equestrian heritage and values; a house whose authenticity prevailed over 182 years of operation across 6 generations.

The exhibits speak for themselves. Across an eclectic mix of contemporary and archival items, the piece de resistance must be Hermes first silk scarf, The Jeu des omnibus et dames blanches scar, which was designed in 1937, depicting a scene of horse-drawn omnibuses which were Frances primal mode of transport. As Hermes repositions itself with the passing of time, the house does not abandon its seemingly obsolete equestrian heritage, but harnesses the spirit of the time into its modern creations.

The secret lies in The Atelier Hermes in Pantin, France, where skilled artisans dedicate their virtuosity to every merchandisebelt, watches, bags, purse et ceterafrom start to finish. As Hermes ex-CEO, Jean-Louis Dumas, puts it, We dont have a policy of image, we have a policy of product. The Hermes 90cm X 90 cm Carre (scarf), which is often seen strapped Birkin bags or tied around necks of celebrities, is conceptualised by a team of veteran global designers and made of 450km of silk from 300 cocoons of the Bombyx Mori silk moth. And that is just the Carre. The iconic Birkin bags will take artisans more than 48 hours depending on the complexity.

Throughout the years, Hermes has steadfastly abided by their conviction of quality French handiwork, resisting the strong impetus to raise profit margins. Perhaps a common phenomenon in the luxury market todayrivals like LVMH outsourced the production of shoes to Romania before shipping them back to Italy for finishing, to scarcely qualify for the made in Italy label as stipulated by EU law. Concerning this fanatic devotion to details, Hermes Creative Director Pierre-Alexis Dumas said, I think Hermes objects are desirable because they reconnect people to their humanity Our customer feels the presence of the person who crafted the object, while at the same time the object brings him back to his own sensitivity, because it gives him pleasure through his senses.

Timelessly fastidious to its cultural patrimony, it remains under the close guardianship of the Hermes family (holding 50.2% of the shares) and is currently helmed by Axel Dumas, the great-great-great-great-grandson of Thierry Hermes. More than just the physical qualification of Hermes, it is this elusive, closed-door nature of Hermes that tantalises its fans.

Unlike its rival, LVMH, which invested 42.9% of its $12.9 billion worth of sales revenue in 2017, Hermes expended merely 5% of its $6 billion worth of sales revenue on advertising. It could be that LVMH, with its impressive 70 luxury brands under its belt, requires a higher marketing expenditure, but the point still standsHermes pursues a subtle, yet finessed marketing strategy, meant for the refined lot who possesses the saviour-faire.

In fact, maybe unconventionally as well, Hermes rejects celebrity endorsements and restricts access of its merchandises. Core Hermes wares, like the Birkins and Kellys, are only available in their flagship boutiques, even then, dont be surprised if you are put on the waitlist of one to two years. But before qualifying for the waitlist, you will need to rack up shopping bills with Hermes over several months (bulk purchase discounts are not a thing with Hermes). Further mystifying the already enigmatic brand, each Hermes flagship store features different off-the-shelf items that their store representatives gathered from the flagship Paris boutique at Rue du Faubourg. The result is a heightened sense of exclusivity which intensifies the demand for its merchandise and sets Hemes apart from its competitors.

Having finished the exhibition, I left the boutique. I looked up at lartificier, the valiant knight waving Hermes scarves atop a horse, poignant but enlightenedit was clear to me that Hermes has never the intention to be widely owned, it is meant for a deserving subset within the subset.

The acquisition of any Hermes ware is thus a timeless journey that connects the owner to the artisan, and more widely so, the brands ardour for superior craftsmanship; each product is reminiscent of Hermes equestrian beginnings and the reflection of their unabated dedication to their craft.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Thursday that the security of the Arabian Gulf is closely linked to Egypts national security and that the attack on Saudi and Emirati interests in the Gulf was an attack of terror.



Addressing the emergency Arab summit in Al-Safa Palace in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the Egyptian President said that this extraordinary Arab get-together is being convened amid unprecedented serious threats that are facing Arab national security, most particularly the security of the strategic Gulf region.



"Any threat to Gulf security, and subsequently Arab national security, requires all Arab nations to take a firm, wise and decisive stand to confront it," the president said.



"Firmness is a must to deliver home a message to everyone in the world far or near; that Arabs will never accept any threat to their national security," he added saying that the Arabs will never tolerate any encroachment on any of their rights.

During his speech El-Sisi presented a four-point Egyptian vision on the way to handle the threats to Arab national security, saying that the Houthi attacks that have recently targeted Saudi oil installations, the repeated rocket-firing targeting Saudi cities and the acts of aggression targeting navigation in the UAE territorial waters are plain and clear acts of terror that should be vehemently condemned by the world community.



He stressed that these acts of terror require the world community to take action to punish their perpetrators and make sure that they are never repeated, so as to avoid putting Arab national security and international peace and security at any risk.



The president also demanded the world community shoulder its responsibilities and urged Arab nations to reactivate their counter-terrorism mechanisms and consolidate their own terror-combat capabilities.



He said tas well that these latest terrorist threats to Arab national security require the Arab nations to take quick and solid measures to develop their capabilities to be able to respond to any attempt to harm their interests.

He noted that the second point of the Egyptian vision lies in the need to address the root causes of regional instability and adopt sound crisis-management strategies while supporting Saudi Arabia and the UAE in face of any threat to their national security.

The third point is connected with the major sources of threat to regional security, El-Sisi said, noting that stability can never be achieved in the region without realising a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian problem that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, including those of having independence, ending occupation and establishing their own sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.



In addition to this, he added, clear-cut solutions must be envisaged to the crises in Syria, Libya and Yemen to enable these Arab countries to restore their unity and sovereignty and fulfill their peoples hopes to live in freedom and enjoy a decent stable life away from wars and sectarianism and from foreign interferences and harmful ambitions and hegemony and domination attempts by outside powers.



The fourth point of the vision is the need to take a firm stand against any attempts by regional and foreign powers to interfere in Arab internal affairs.



El-Sisi called for being candid and resolute in standing up to any regional or Arab party that tries to interfere in the internal affairs of any Arab country.



Our meeting here today is meant in the first place at sending a clear message that we stand by side of our brothers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE and emphasise our determination to adopt a comprehensive Arab national security strategy, he said.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Gold, Silver, Oil, Cryptos - Audio Analysis

UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY: First, we typically see stocks sell-off and as the old saying goes, Sell in May and Go Away! which is what has been happening.

So what does this mean? It means we should start to see money flow into the safe-haven assets like the Utility sector, bonds, and most importantly precious metals. I anticipated this and our XLU utilities ETF taken with members has already hit our first profit target, and our VIX ETF trade also hit out 15% profit target and we the balance of it is still up 25% as of yesterday.

Second, my birthday was this month, and I think its time I open the doors for a once a year opportunity for everyone to get a gift that could have some considerable value in the future.

For May I am going to give away and ship out silver rounds to anyone who buys a 1-year, or 2-year subscription to my Wealth Trading Newsletter. You can upgrade to this longer-term subscription or if you are new, join one of these two plans listed below, and you will receive:

1-Year Subscription Gets One 1oz Silver Round FREE (Could be worth hundreds of dollars)

2-Year Subscription Gets TWO 1oz Silver Rounds FREE (Could be worth a lot in the future)

I only have few silver rounds Im giving away so upgrade or join now before its too late!

SUBSCRIBE TO MY TRADE ALERTS AND GET YOUR FREE SILVER ROUNDS!

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.




Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia to discuss boosting bilateral cooperation between Cairo and Islamabad in all fields, especially those related to trade, El-Sisis spokesman said.

On Thursday, President El-Sisi took part in the emergency Arab summit at the Al-Safa Palace in Mecca, Saudi Arabia to discuss Arab and regional security.

During his meeting with Prime Minister Khan, El- Sisi hailed the firm and historic ties binding Egypt and Pakistan, and asserted his keenness on boosting bilateral cooperation, according to a statement by the Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady.

He also affirmed Egypts keenness on promoting coordination and consultation with Pakistan on various regional issues and files of mutual concern, above all combating terrorism and extremist ideology.

According to the statement, Khan expressed Pakistan's appreciation of the role Egypt plays in supporting security in the Middle East and the Islamic world.

The Pakistani prime minister also praised the recent achievements accomplished by Egypt in all fields, especially in confronting terrorism, implementing economic reform and projects towards comprehensive development.

Khan extended an invitation to El-Sisi to visit Pakistan in order to continue boosting relations between the two countries, according to Rady.

Addressing the emergency summit on Thursday, the Egyptian president said that any threat to Gulf security, and subsequently Arab national security, requires all Arab nations to take a firm, wise and decisive stance to confront it, saying that Arabs will never tolerate any encroachment on any of their rights.

The president presented a four-point Egyptian vision on the way to handle the threats to Arab national security.

El-Sisi will hold a number of other bilateral meetings with Arab and Islamic leaders on the sidelines of the Arab and Islamic gatherings in Saudi Arabia.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


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.
Gulf Arab states voiced support for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to take any action required to defend their security following recent attacks on their oil assets.

A statement published by Saudi state news agency SPA said the six nations had discussed at an emergency meeting in the kingdom a joint defense mechanism under the Gulf Cooperation Council alliance. They called on Iran to stop funding militias and terrorist organizations.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Bucks County Recorder of Deeds reflects on her time in office
By By:

Dr. Francis R. Souder, 85, formerly of Telford, died Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007 in the skilled nursing unit of Peter Becker Community, Franconia Township. He and his wife Marion R. (Parker) Souder celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary in July.

Born in Souderton, he was a son of the late Elvin B. and Mary (Rittenhouse) Souder.

A 1938 graduate of Souderton High School, he received his undergraduate degree in 1941 from the University of Pennsylvania where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Souder went on to receive his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College in 1944 and completed his internship at Hahnemann Hospital from Oct. 1944  July, 1945.

He served with the U.S. Navy Medical Corps for 30 months in San Diego and Long Beach, Calif. during WW II and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant prior to his discharge. He entered his second tour of duty during the Korean War where he served in Panama City, Fla. as the medical officer for the Panama City Naval Air Station and the Tyndal Air Force Base.

Dr. Souder owned and operated his family practice on Main Street in Telford from 1947-1989. He served on the staff of Grand View Hospital, and as its president, and taught at the Grand View Hospital Nursing School. He was a member of the Pa. Medical Society, the Bucks County Medical Society, Diplomat American Academy of Family Practices, and served on the board of trustees at Grand View Hospital, Sellersville.

He was a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Telford, where he sang in the church choir. He was also a member of the MacCalla Lodge #596 in Souderton, the Raja Shrine, and Lehigh Consistory.

In addition to his widow, he is survived by a son, Dr. Ronald L. Souder, and his wife Susan L. of Green Lane; a daughter, Susan J. Souder, and her husband Stephan Russo of New York, N.Y.; five grandchildren: Jennifer A. Souder of Philadelphia; Emily E. Souder of Philadelphia; Kathryn A. Souder of Washington, D.C.; Noah Russo of New York, N.Y., and Rebekah Russo of New York, N.Y., and two brothers: Attorney Elvin B. Souder of Souderton and Dr. Lawrence Souder of Souderton.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 12 p.m. in Trinity United Church of Christ, 101 S. Main St., Telford, with calling hours following the service.

Interment will be private in Trinity UCC Cemetery Telford.

Memorial contributions may be made to Grand View Hospital, 700 Lawn Ave., Sellersville, Pa. 18960.

Arrangements are by Sadler-Suess Funeral Home, Telford.
Tens of thousands of Sudanese demonstrators converged on central Khartoum on Thursday night demanding civilian rule amid increasing tensions with the countrys Transitional Military Council (TMC) who accused a protest encampment of threatening stability.

The protest, which followed a two-day strike organized by demonstrators and opposition groups frustrated by a deadlock in talks on a transition to democracy, underscores the volatility of the situation in Sudan nearly two months after the military overthrew President Omar al-Bashir amid mass protests against his rule.

The head of the central Khartoum military region accused unruly elements of attacking a vehicle used by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and seizing it near the protest site.

The protest site has become unsafe and represents a danger to the revolution and the revolutionaries and threatens the coherence of the state and its national security, General Bahar Ahmed al-Bahar, head of the central region in Khartoum said in a statement he read on television.

Tens of thousands of protesters had converged on an encampment heeding a call by protest leaders to step up pressure on the TMC to hand over power to civilians, following a two-day strike observed earlier this week.

Protesters have accused the RSF of trying to undermine a transition to democracy, a charge the force denies.

Sudanese security forces on Thursday delivered an order by the TMC to close down the offices of Qatar-based Al Jazeera Television without giving a reason, the head of the office said.

TMC officials could not immediately be reached for a comment on the report.

A Reuters witness said that the protesters who had converged on the protest site chanted slogans against the RSF, a paramilitary force led by the deputy head of the Transitional Military Council, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Support get out, the crowds chanted, referring to the RSF. Some stood in front of military trucks used by the force which controls the capital.

Dagalo, who goes by the name Hemedti, has accused protesters of receiving support from abroad and said they were not entitled to claim they speak for all Sudanese.

Talks between the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), a coalition of demonstrators and opposition groups, and the TMC have stalled amid differences over whether the military would control a proposed sovereign body that would lead Sudan during a three-year transitional period.

The DFCF had previously said that the military council has demanded a two-thirds majority, of eight to three, on the sovereign council that will lead the country of 40 million.

The coalition had called for a two-day strike of public and private enterprises from Tuesday, and threatened to call for general civil disobedience if the military council does not heed their demands.

Sadiq al-Mahdi, head of Sudans largest political party, proposed on Thursday that a government of technocrats be established to govern while the two sides negotiated an agreement on the composition of the sovereign council.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Toll Brothers, Others, Turn to Build-to-Rent

Toll Brothers is embarking on a new business model that may, depending on your outlook, increase the rental stock, provide new opportunities for home builders, or further diminish new home sale inventories. The company has committed to invest $60 million in a $400 million venture that will build homes for rent in seven major U.S. cities.

And it isn't just Toll Brothers and its partner in the venture, BB Living that see a build-to-rent market. According to John McManus, writing in Builder, a number of companies are already producing some of their new homes specifically for rent although most are doing so to supply stock to single-family property management companies. These companies provide services to the big private asset management companies that bought up thousands of foreclosed single-family houses during the financial crisis. Recently Clayton Homes revealed it is piloting build-for-rent home communities within its huge market area. Clayton is the nation's 15th largest site-builder and its largest producer of manufactured homes.

During the recovery the high-end apartment market took off, showing a demand from those who could afford to buy but preferred to rent. McManus says, "Renting by choice, one of the past decade's "stealth" macro consumer and housing preference trends, has shown the kind of staying power and scalability that's got all the big single-family for-sale home builders abuzz about the strategic opportunities ahead."

Toll chairman and CEO Doug Yearley told McManus that his company and BB Living would expand their model from BB's current base in Phoenix to Las Vegas, Denver, Jacksonville, Florida; Dallas, Houston, and Boise. The project will be branded with the BB Living name.

The current plan is to build primarily in masterplanned communities that have a wide variety of price points and products and to build new single-families and townhomes that look much the same as what other builders have constructed for sale.

McManus points out that masterplanned communities have increasingly been allocating community tracts specifically for single-family rentals, and some actually integrate for-sale and for-rent new properties in the same neighborhoods. Even though finished vacant lots are scarce and land prices are high and regulation-laden everywhere, suburban masterplanned communities offer a lower-cost alternative to urban and infill land expense.

Toll is targeting primarily younger families that fall into two categories; those that face economic hurdles that have put homeownership beyond their means, at least temporarily and those who could buy but opt for the flexibility and "less strings attached" lifestyle of renting.
The Kremlin said on Friday it was Turkeys responsibility to stop rebels in Syrias Idlib province from firing on civilian and Russian targets, signaling it would continue to back a Syrian government offensive there despite Ankaras protests.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin late on Thursday that he wanted a ceasefire in Idlib to prevent more civilian deaths and a refugee influx to Turkey.

Erdogan also told Putin by phone that Syria needed a political solution, Erdogans office said in a statement.

The Turkish leader has repeatedly complained to Moscow about a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in the rebel-held northwest, the most serious escalation of the war between President Bashar al-Assad and his enemies since last summer.

The fighting has uprooted around 250,000 people in the territory, the last significant rebel stronghold, and one which borders Turkey.

The Kremlin made clear on Friday however that it was for now unmoved by Erdogans calls for a ceasefire, saying the rebels were the ones who had to implement a ceasefire in the first instance.

We really do need a ceasefire in Idlib and what needs to be achieved is for the terrorists to stop firing on civilian targets and on certain facilities where our troops are located, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Erdogans request for a ceasefire.

...This is the responsibility of the Turkish side.

Russia has complained of rocket and drone attacks against its main Hmeymim air base being launched from Idlib, something Peskov described as a highly dangerous tendency.

He made no mention of the idea that Syrian government troops, backed by Russian air power, should stop fighting however, but denied Moscow and Ankara disagreed over Idlib.

The fate of the province has strained relations between Russia and Turkey, which is keen to retain a degree of influence there given its geographical proximity.

Moscow, one of the Syrian governments staunchest allies, and Turkey brokered a deal in September to create a demilitarized zone in Idlib that would be free of all heavy weapons and jihadist fighters.

But Moscow, which is keen to help Assad retake territory, has since complained about escalating violence in the area and said that militants who used to belong to the Nusra Front group are in control of large swaths of territory.

It has blamed Turkey for not doing enough to hold its side of the bargain, while Ankara, which is worried about refugees crossing from Idlib into Turkey, has repeatedly urged restraint.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


NORTH HAVEN  On Thursday, workers at XPO Logistics walked out of the warehouse and onto a picket line to protest the companys labor practices.

The striking workers are seeking to end the illegal abuses and manipulation from XPO, according to a statement released by the Teamsters union.

XPO continues to treat my coworkers and me with complete disrespect and thats led us to walk out, raise our voices and say enough is enough,  said John Tullock, an XPO striker from North Haven, in the statement. We will continue to stand up to XPO until our concerns are addressed and company executives stop abusing our rights.

The strike did not continue on Friday.

The XPO warehouse, 1 North Frontage Road, mostly serves Sikorsky Aircraft. Workers at hundreds of other XPO facilities also walked out on Thursday.

In a statement Friday, an XPO Logistics spokesman said the company respects the unions right to demonstrate, but added our U.S. employees have overwhelmingly rejected unions. In the very few locations where employees have opted for representation, were engaged in good-faith negotiations.

In the past two years, North Haven workers wages have increased an average of 30 percent. And ten people there have been promoted to supervisory or management positions since last year, the spokesperson added.

The company has about 49,000 employees in the United States.

The striking workers in North Haven are part of Teamsters Local 443, which organized in 2016.

According to the National Labor Review Board, Teamsters Local 443 filed charges in January alleging coercive actions, including surveillance, coercive statements.

The North Haven strikers were visited Thursday by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3rd.

Do not let these naysayers get in your way and deter you from what your tasks are, read a statement from DeLauro in the Teamsters press release. You have a right to be part of the decisions that affect your life and the lives of your families. You have the right to affordable health care, the right to retirement security, and most of all, the right to get respect for what you do.

The Teamsters, founded in 1903, represents 1.4 million people in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada.

bwright@record-journal.com

203-317-2316

Twitter: @baileyfaywright
Sixteen hours after one bipartisan deal to expand post traumatic stress disorder benefits to first responders bogged down, Democratic and Republican senators confirmed a new agreement Thursday afternoon to revive it.

The latest compromise again would expand workers compensation benefits for police, firefighters and certain medical responders with PTSD.

But the new version of the bill, which was scheduled to be debated later Thursday, also would mandate a study of a second expansion to all medical responders as well as Department of Correction officers.

There is a bipartisan agreement, said Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, who said it was negotiated Wednesday night, shortly after the original deal broke down. I think my entire caucus is on it. And I assume their entire caucus is on it.

Republicans, who hold 14 out of 36 seats in the Senate, surprised the majority late Wednesday near the end of a five-hour debate when they tried unsuccessfully to amend a bill that reflected a difficult compromise  not only between political parties and the House and Senate, but also between police and firefighter unions and municipalities.

The GOP objected to expanding benefits for police, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who are members of a local fire departments, but not other medical personnel.

There was no real reason to leave that group out, Fasano said.

The new compromise maintains this limit, but orders the legislatures Labor and Public Employees Committee to study a second expansion and report back to the full legislature next year.

I am optimistic. I believe there is bipartisan agreement to amend the bill to include a study, said Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, co-chairwoman of the labor committee.

This is a good thing, Kushner said. But its unfortunate the way it unrolled because I think were all in agreement that we would like to see this expanded to cover those who really suffer from PTSD. Clearly our goal is to cover everyone who is in that situation.

Still, many legislators said the bill had to be handled carefully.

The General Assembly has been trying to resolve this question since the December 2012 shooting deaths of 26 children and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. And legislators have had to navigate a minefield of competing concerns from unions representing first responders and from the municipalities that must pay the benefits.

Critics of the current workers compensation system have argued it largely provides mental health benefits to emergency personnel who are the direct victims of violence, and not necessarily to those who witness it in gory detail.

At the same time, municipal leaders expressed fears that if modifications werent crafted properly, it could become a huge fiscal burden on local property taxpayers.

Kushner added that she believes most Democrats never have opposed a study, and that there was no reason for Republicans to jeopardize the measure late Wednesday with a last-minute expansion of coverage.

Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, a former correction officer supervisor who retired in 2010, has spearheaded the push to expand benefits over the past six years.

Osten said shes lost about 20 of her former colleagues to suicide and agreed with Kushner that had Republicans called earlier for a study of potential benefits for all medical personnel and for correction officers, Democrats gladly would have included it in the original bill.

Ive always considered post-traumatic stress to be an issue for DOC and for the emergency medical folks, she said.
Minimizing Longterm Work Absences

When an injury, illness or chronic health condition impacts a workers ability to perform his or her regular job functions, stay-at-work/return-to-work policies help minimize extended work absences and keep the worker connected to the workforce. If an injury or illness necessitates an absence from work, it is imperative that the worker return to work promptlybeing mindful of the workers safety and health. Keeping injured and ill employees in the workforce, when medically appropriate, provides continued financial security, independence and a better quality of life for the worker. Employers maintain optimal productivity and retain valued employees. Governments also benefit, since extended work absences result in reduced tax revenue and increased demand for public services. In 2017, nearly 20 million American workers received medical treatment for an off-the-job non-fatal injury or illness. An additional 4 million people suffer work-related injuries or illnesses each year. The likelihood that a worker ever returns to full employment is closely tied to the length of their absence from work. The chances of returning to full employment after a six-month absence due to injury or illness is 55.4%, according to a report by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. The chance of returning drops to 32.2% after one year, and after two years away from work the chance of ever returning to employment falls to 4.9%. The study determined that the point at which an injury or illness becomes a chronic disability most likely occurs from three to six months into an absence. When workers experience a medical condition preventing them from being able to work, they may turn to federal disability benefits and Medicaid coverage for financial support. Once enrolled in these programs, many factors make it difficult for a person to leave them. While federal disability benefits and Medicaid provide important protections for people unable to work or lacking health insurance coverage, built-in income caps for these programs may discourage a return to work. Certain environmental barriers can also make finding stable and gainful work challenging for a person with a significant disability. The critical importance of timely and effective care, treatment, services and support following an injury or illness underlies efforts by state and federal policymakers seeking to reduce the number of unemployed workers with disabilities. The Council of State Governments recently published a Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work Toolkit exploring in detail the costs that extended work absences because of injuries and illnesses have on workers, businesses and the community. The toolkit serves as a starting place for states wishing to implement stay-at-work and return-to-work policies. It describes best practices and strategies to improve stay-at-work and return-to-work outcomes.

Disability Benefits

Of the 46 states that provide temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits, the majority require workers compensation insurance to replace a portion of lost wages when employees return to work under a reduced or part-time schedule while the employee recovers. TPD benefits are commonly calculated as two-thirds of a workers gross income at the time of the injury. The benefits generally last until employees return to full employment at their previous wage, or until the treating physician determines they have reached their maximum medical improvement (MMI). If the physician determines a permanent impairment limits an injured employees ability to work, the worker may be eligible to receive either permanent partial, or permanent total disability benefits. Permanent partial disability benefits are typically calculated based on the type of impairment. States often have a schedule of injuries that assigns specific benefit awards for various types of injuries. A benefit amount can also be assigned by a judge in a workers compensation proceeding. Workers often have a choice of receiving the benefit as a lump sum or in installments. It is presumed that someone with a permanent partial disability is still capable of working in some form, even if at a lesser income. Once the permanent partial disability benefit is paid out, the case is considered closed. If the treating physician determines that the employee is incapable of performing even basic work functions, that worker can be classified as having a permanent total disability and receive a recurring lifetime benefitsometimes referred to as a workers compensation pension. The pension is typically equal to the temporary wage replacement benefit amount. The workers compensation insurer will pay this benefit for the rest of the workers life. Workers with permanent total disability status, or who otherwise cannot work in any capacity, can apply for federal disability benefits such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). They can receive both workers compensation benefits and federal disabilities benefits if they qualify for both benefits and the combined award is less than 80% of their income at the time of injury. Once classified as having a permanent disability, either total or partial, an injured or ill worker may qualify for state vocational rehabilitation services, where they can receive assistance in training for a new job or finding employment with their existing skillset.

Transitioning Back to Work

As a strategy to reduce work absences and the likelihood of permanent disability status, states can employ strategies to aid in the transition back to work. Operating within a workers medical restrictions, a transition plan may include reduced working hours, alternative or adjusted work responsibilities, and workplace modifications. North Carolina and Massachusetts allow trial periodsnine months and 28 days, respectivelyto ensure that workers who want to try returning to work will not lose their workers compensation benefits. In these circumstances, if the attempt to return to work is unsuccessful, the workers are still eligible for the same benefits received before the work trial. This incentive encourages workers to try to return to work without fear of losing benefits if they are unsuccessful. Maryland operates the Managed Return-to-Work Program for its state employees, which offers short-term transitional duty assignments to state employees recovering from a work-related injury. Under the program, transitional duty assignments may be part-time or full-time, but cannot exceed 75 calendar days per injury. Oregons Employer-at-Injury Program (EAIP) enables employers to receive consulting and financial support from their insurer while providing transitional work. The insurer receives reports from the workers medical provider and helps the employer develop an appropriate work transition plan. The employers insurer can request reimbursement from the state for certain related costs including wage subsidies, workplace modifications and retraining.

Employer Incentives

States can offer incentives for employers to keep injured and ill workers in the workforce or return them to work promptly. These incentives often come in the form of a discount or subsidy on an employers workers compensation insurance premium. In Ohio, where the state is the sole workers compensation insurer, qualifying employers can apply for a discounted premium on their workers compensation insurance coverage when they implement an approved transitional work plan for an employee receiving treatment under a workers compensation claim. Sometimes returning an injured or ill worker to his or her previous position or employer is not viable. States can offer incentives for other employers to hire these workers. Under North Dakotas Preferred Worker Program, qualifying employers can be exempt from paying premiums on salaries for preferred workersemployees certified as having permanent medical restrictionsfor up to three years. The program offers other incentives including wage replacement and reimbursement for necessary workplace modifications to accommodate the worker. North Dakota is also the states sole workers compensation insurer.

Mental Health Coverage

Mental Health Cases in California California compensates workers for psychiatric injuries but sets a higher threshold for these claims than for a physical injury. A worker must: Be diagnosed with a mental disorder by a licensed psychologist.

Demonstrate actual events of employment were predominant as to all causes combined of the psychiatric injury.

Have been working for the employer for at least six months. Mental health conditions remain one of the biggest health care challenges in the country. Often invisible, a mental health condition can significantly affect ones ability to work a his or her full potential. Most state workers compensation laws allow coverage for some mental health conditions under a workers compensation claim. A worker must be able to prove the condition is directly work-related. The burden of proof varies from state to state. In practice, this is very difficult to demonstrate. Psychological conditions, such as work-induced stress, are rarely covered. In fact, some states specifically prohibit mental health claims in workers compensation statutes unless it can be directly tied to a physical workplace injury that caused the mental injury. At least 13 states have considered stronger coverage for first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from their work duties. Minnesota enacted HF 3873 in 2018, granting a presumption that a PTSD diagnosis in a first responder is work-related if there is no history of the condition prior to employment. Florida passed a similar law that same year. Other states like Kentucky and West Virginia introduced similar legislation in recent years, but the bills did not pass. New Hampshire, Texas and Utah have established working groups to explore the feasibility of covering PTSD in first responders with workers compensation.

Coordinating Services Across Stage Agencies

Coordinating services across key stakeholders is an effective approach to treating injured and ill workers that minimizes or eliminates work absences. When the worker, medical provider, employer, workers compensation insurance provider and relevant state agencies are working toward the same goal, the injured or ill worker fares much better. One example of this coordination can be found in Washington state. There, state-run regional Centers for Occupational Health and Education (COHEs) provide guidance and training to health care professionals in treating and rehabilitating injured workers. The training addresses occupational health best practices of: Efficiently managing workers compensation insurance claims.

Creating treatment plans that outline an injured workers abilities and work restrictions.

Developing plans to overcome any barriers that stand in the way of an injured worker returning to work. Washingtons COHEs also employ health service coordinators (HSCs) who coordinate with the worker, his or her employer, medical treatment provider, insurance claim manager and other stakeholders identified in the workers treatment plan. HSCs ensure that these stakeholders work together with the goal of the worker returning to the workforce.

Federal RETAIN Demonstration Projects

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) launched the RETAIN Demonstration Projects in 2018 for states interested in improving policies and programs focused on keeping injured or ill workers on the job. Historically, state policies have largely separated injuries that occur at workand are covered by workers compensationfrom those that occur outside of work. RETAIN encourages states to look at all injuries and illnesses impacting a persons ability to work, regardless of where they occur, in a more holistic way. DOL awarded eight states a total $18.8 million in RETAIN grant funds under phase one of the program, which lasts 18 months. During the first phase, states will develop and implement pilot programs focused on improving stay-at-work/return-to-work outcomes for workers by improving retraining and rehabilitation, job modification and accommodations, and increasing communication among workers, employers, health care providers and state agencies. A subset of phase one grantees will be competitively selected to fully implement their programs in phase two. Successful RETAIN Demonstration Projects can serve as effective models for other states.

What's Ahead for States
Gilford Steamer GHS seniors get ready for graduation

by Erin Plummer Gilford High School's Class of 2019 will soon be collecting their diplomas in the next few weeks with scholarship and graduation exercises coming soon.



The senior class will graduate on Sunday, June 16 at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion after a week of different awards and activities.



Seniors who meet the graduation requirements will have their first graduation rehearsal on Monday, June 10 in the GHS auditorium starting at 11 a.m., where they will also receive their caps and gowns.



Also on June 10, members of Gilford Elementary School's third grade class and their teachers will join the seniors and GES students will present seniors with the time capsule each senior created in third grade. The seniors will have a moment to meet with the elementary school students and open their time capsules with them. They will get a chance to see and share what they were like when they were that age and what their hopes for the future were.



Rehearsal will take place at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on June 12 from 9:30 a.m.-noon. There will be one last rehearsal in the GHS auditorium on Thursday, June 14 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.



The Senior Yearbook Dinner will take place on Wednesday, June 12 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the GES cafeteria. At the end of the dinner each senior will receive a free yearbook.



Scholarship awards night will take place Thursday, June 13 at 6 p.m. in the GHS Auditorium. Thousands of dollars in scholarships from all over the community will be handed out to winning seniors. Seniors will also receive other awards and recognition, including recognition for National Honor Society members and recognition of the top five seniors.



The in house award ceremony is scheduled for the next morning, Friday, June 14 at 8 a.m., where seniors will receive other school awards.



The Class of 2019 will formally graduate on June 16 at 10 a.m. at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. The class photo will be taken at 9:15 a.m. before the ceremony starts. Gilford High School's Class of 2019 will soon be collecting their diplomas in the next few weeks with scholarship and graduation exercises coming soon.The senior class will graduate on Sunday, June 16 at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion after a week of different awards and activities.Seniors who meet the graduation requirements will have their first graduation rehearsal on Monday, June 10 in the GHS auditorium starting at 11 a.m., where they will also receive their caps and gowns.Also on June 10, members of Gilford Elementary School's third grade class and their teachers will join the seniors and GES students will present seniors with the time capsule each senior created in third grade. The seniors will have a moment to meet with the elementary school students and open their time capsules with them. They will get a chance to see and share what they were like when they were that age and what their hopes for the future were.Rehearsal will take place at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on June 12 from 9:30 a.m.-noon. There will be one last rehearsal in the GHS auditorium on Thursday, June 14 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.The Senior Yearbook Dinner will take place on Wednesday, June 12 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the GES cafeteria. At the end of the dinner each senior will receive a free yearbook.Scholarship awards night will take place Thursday, June 13 at 6 p.m. in the GHS Auditorium. Thousands of dollars in scholarships from all over the community will be handed out to winning seniors. Seniors will also receive other awards and recognition, including recognition for National Honor Society members and recognition of the top five seniors.The in house award ceremony is scheduled for the next morning, Friday, June 14 at 8 a.m., where seniors will receive other school awards.The Class of 2019 will formally graduate on June 16 at 10 a.m. at Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. The class photo will be taken at 9:15 a.m. before the ceremony starts.

Gilford Steamer Additional terrain, lodging in proposed plan for Gunstock SantaLand brings out families for holiday fun Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Home Salmon Press Coverage Map Print Advertising Rate Card

About Us

Advertisers Info Pay My Advertising Bill

Subscribe Your Account Single Paper Multi-paper Buy Log out

Archives Meredith News Winnisquam Echo Gilford Steamer Record Enterprise Granite State News The Baysider Carroll County Independent Coos County Democrat Littleton Courier Berlin Reporter Mountain Ear Newfound Landing

Photo Reprints

Facebook Coos County Democrat Salmon Sports (Wolfeboro) NH Front Page

Meredith News First Rotary Ice Fishing Derby chairs share memories from its early days

by Erin Plummer

John Sherman and Bruce Sanderson share stories from the early years of the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby at a meeting of the Meredith Rotary. (Photo by Erin Plummer) (click for larger version) MEREDITH  It was an idea that started with another Rotary chapter in Vermont, started on Meredith Bay with a little tent on the ice, and over a few years blew up to a massive event. After 40 years, two of the co-founders and the first chairmen of the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby shared the story of the derby's early days.



John Sherman and Bruce Sanderson, who chaired the derby for its first three years, told stories from their experience to the Meredith Rotary Club during its meeting on Wednesday at Hart's Turkey Farm.



The derby is open to fresh water bodies across the state and is an especially big tradition on Lake Winnipesaukee. In its 40 years it has raised more than $2 million for community causes. It all started in 1979 after just a few months of planning following some big inspiration.



Sanderson said in the spring of 1978, he, Rotary president John Breault, John Sherman, and Chuck Burns represented the Meredith Rotary at the Rotary District Convention in Waterville Valley. During the convention clubs were invited to share their programs. Jack Helm from the Fair Haven, Vt., chapter shared about an ice fishing derby they held on a part of Lake Champlain.



"We looked at one another and said, 'Wow, why can't we make this work in Meredith Bay?'" Sanderson said.



Sanderson said Helm later agreed to speak with the Meredith Rotary and he gave a presentation on the Fair Haven tournament. Around June or July of 1978, the Meredith Rotary started planning for the first ever ice fishing tournament.



"That didn't give us an awful lot of time to get a derby together for February 1979," Sanderson said.



Sanderson said he and Sherman became the co-chairs of the first derby after Breault "pulled a fast one" on both of them.



"He came to me (and said) 'Sherman's in if you're in,'" Sanderson said.



He later met up with Sherman, who said Breault told him the same thing about himself.



The two took the position of co-chairs, which used their respective talents. Sanderson said Sherman is more of an outdoor guy while he is more comfortable doing the quieter paperwork, especially with his position at the bank.



The first ever derby was headquartered across from the former Gulf Station (now the Meredith Mobil Station). They operated out of a big tent on the ice, which also offered licenses, bait and tackle, and food.



"Our goal at that point was to break even, but we ended up making money," Sanderson said.



He said they ended up making between $500-$600 and were "ecstatic" to do that much.



For the next year's derby they did more planning, including developing a three-part registration form that's still used today.



Within a few years the derby became a massive success



Leo Kershaw, who owned the Meredith News, had the derby listed with the New England Sportswriter's Association, which drew press coverage from all over New England. Eventually Pepsi sponsored the derby and paid for all of the derby's paper supplies. The event also drew some notable people such as Curt Gowdy, the "Voice of the Red Sox."



Success did come with its own problems including nightmare traffic and concerns about robbery and fraud.



They announced they had the option of doing a lie detector test. One time there was one person who caught a fish that was considered suspicious and members of the Rotary spoke to the man in their meeting room.



"I threatened him with a lie detector test and he said, 'My fish is no good," Sherman said.



He said the man admitted to getting the fish in August frozen.



After a while their success gained the scrutiny of the state. Sherman said on two occasions the Governor and Council were going to vote to not allow Fish and Game to accept the Rotary's donation. The Meredith Rotary came before the Governor and Council to argue in their favor, one time the vote to approve receiving the donation was 3-2.



Sanderson said during the third derby he was in the tent on the ice and there was a torrential downpour. he said he "remembered the ice was going away from the shore." From then on headquarters went to Hesky Park.



At one point, someone from the New England Sportswriter's Association said they should have a tournament in the spring/summer season. They said no, but eventually the Lakes Region Rotary took on a tournament like that called the Winni Derby in May.



The derby got a lot of donations, including the trailer and the services from the town.



Over the years each chair would make different changes, some that stuck and some that didn't. Sherman said the basic format has stayed the same.



"It's always been great, that's what kept this thing going," Sherman said.



Sanderson and Sherman recognized the many people who have been instrumental in the success of the derby.



"This would have been successful no matter what Rotarians were running it," Sherman said.



He also gave credit to the Rotary wives for their work. Another credit was given to Fish and Game.



"I have so much respect for everyone involved in Fish and Game," Sherman said.



They also thanked the judges involved. MEREDITH  It was an idea that started with another Rotary chapter in Vermont, started on Meredith Bay with a little tent on the ice, and over a few years blew up to a massive event. After 40 years, two of the co-founders and the first chairmen of the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby shared the story of the derby's early days.John Sherman and Bruce Sanderson, who chaired the derby for its first three years, told stories from their experience to the Meredith Rotary Club during its meeting on Wednesday at Hart's Turkey Farm.The derby is open to fresh water bodies across the state and is an especially big tradition on Lake Winnipesaukee. In its 40 years it has raised more than $2 million for community causes. It all started in 1979 after just a few months of planning following some big inspiration.Sanderson said in the spring of 1978, he, Rotary president John Breault, John Sherman, and Chuck Burns represented the Meredith Rotary at the Rotary District Convention in Waterville Valley. During the convention clubs were invited to share their programs. Jack Helm from the Fair Haven, Vt., chapter shared about an ice fishing derby they held on a part of Lake Champlain."We looked at one another and said, 'Wow, why can't we make this work in Meredith Bay?'" Sanderson said.Sanderson said Helm later agreed to speak with the Meredith Rotary and he gave a presentation on the Fair Haven tournament. Around June or July of 1978, the Meredith Rotary started planning for the first ever ice fishing tournament."That didn't give us an awful lot of time to get a derby together for February 1979," Sanderson said.Sanderson said he and Sherman became the co-chairs of the first derby after Breault "pulled a fast one" on both of them."He came to me (and said) 'Sherman's in if you're in,'" Sanderson said.He later met up with Sherman, who said Breault told him the same thing about himself.The two took the position of co-chairs, which used their respective talents. Sanderson said Sherman is more of an outdoor guy while he is more comfortable doing the quieter paperwork, especially with his position at the bank.The first ever derby was headquartered across from the former Gulf Station (now the Meredith Mobil Station). They operated out of a big tent on the ice, which also offered licenses, bait and tackle, and food."Our goal at that point was to break even, but we ended up making money," Sanderson said.He said they ended up making between $500-$600 and were "ecstatic" to do that much.For the next year's derby they did more planning, including developing a three-part registration form that's still used today.Within a few years the derby became a massive successLeo Kershaw, who owned the Meredith News, had the derby listed with the New England Sportswriter's Association, which drew press coverage from all over New England. Eventually Pepsi sponsored the derby and paid for all of the derby's paper supplies. The event also drew some notable people such as Curt Gowdy, the "Voice of the Red Sox."Success did come with its own problems including nightmare traffic and concerns about robbery and fraud.They announced they had the option of doing a lie detector test. One time there was one person who caught a fish that was considered suspicious and members of the Rotary spoke to the man in their meeting room."I threatened him with a lie detector test and he said, 'My fish is no good," Sherman said.He said the man admitted to getting the fish in August frozen.After a while their success gained the scrutiny of the state. Sherman said on two occasions the Governor and Council were going to vote to not allow Fish and Game to accept the Rotary's donation. The Meredith Rotary came before the Governor and Council to argue in their favor, one time the vote to approve receiving the donation was 3-2.Sanderson said during the third derby he was in the tent on the ice and there was a torrential downpour. he said he "remembered the ice was going away from the shore." From then on headquarters went to Hesky Park.At one point, someone from the New England Sportswriter's Association said they should have a tournament in the spring/summer season. They said no, but eventually the Lakes Region Rotary took on a tournament like that called the Winni Derby in May.The derby got a lot of donations, including the trailer and the services from the town.Over the years each chair would make different changes, some that stuck and some that didn't. Sherman said the basic format has stayed the same."It's always been great, that's what kept this thing going," Sherman said.Sanderson and Sherman recognized the many people who have been instrumental in the success of the derby."This would have been successful no matter what Rotarians were running it," Sherman said.He also gave credit to the Rotary wives for their work. Another credit was given to Fish and Game."I have so much respect for everyone involved in Fish and Game," Sherman said.They also thanked the judges involved.

Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Meredith News Wrath taking leave of absence as ILES principal, won't return next year

by Erin Plummer MEREDITH  Inter-Lakes Elementary School Principal Jenn Wrath is on a leave of absence due to health reasons and will not return to her position next year.



Superintendent Mary Moriarty sent a letter to parents dated May 10 announcing that Wrath experienced a health concern and will take a leave of absence for the rest of the year.



"Mrs. Wrath certainly finds it difficult not to be available to students, their families and staff at this time, but knows that all will work together to ensure a successful and positive end to the school year," Moriarty wrote in the letter. "I know that the wonderful Inter-Lakes Elementary School community wishes her well during this period."



Moriarty wrote that Wrath has said she wants to work more directly with students in a teacher role and will not be returning as ILES principal next year.



According to the letter teachers announced this to students on the following Monday, May 13.



For the remainder of the school year Assistant Principal Barbara Pope and Curriculum Coordinator Kathleen Hill will take over the day to day operations of the school.



Moriarty said later an advertisement will go out seeking a new principal. She said she will update the Inter-Lakes School Board on this matter during its meeting on May 28 (after the publication deadline for this paper).



"We want to thank Mrs. Wrath for her care and service for the students and the greater school community," Moriarty said.



Wrath has served as ILES principal for three years.



"I am sure that many would like to share a note to thank Mrs. Wrath for her leadership and care over the past three years along with well wishes," Moriarty wrote. "If you send them to the school we will be sure that she receives them."







MEREDITH  Inter-Lakes Elementary School Principal Jenn Wrath is on a leave of absence due to health reasons and will not return to her position next year.Superintendent Mary Moriarty sent a letter to parents dated May 10 announcing that Wrath experienced a health concern and will take a leave of absence for the rest of the year."Mrs. Wrath certainly finds it difficult not to be available to students, their families and staff at this time, but knows that all will work together to ensure a successful and positive end to the school year," Moriarty wrote in the letter. "I know that the wonderful Inter-Lakes Elementary School community wishes her well during this period."Moriarty wrote that Wrath has said she wants to work more directly with students in a teacher role and will not be returning as ILES principal next year.According to the letter teachers announced this to students on the following Monday, May 13.For the remainder of the school year Assistant Principal Barbara Pope and Curriculum Coordinator Kathleen Hill will take over the day to day operations of the school.Moriarty said later an advertisement will go out seeking a new principal. She said she will update the Inter-Lakes School Board on this matter during its meeting on May 28 (after the publication deadline for this paper)."We want to thank Mrs. Wrath for her care and service for the students and the greater school community," Moriarty said.Wrath has served as ILES principal for three years."I am sure that many would like to share a note to thank Mrs. Wrath for her leadership and care over the past three years along with well wishes," Moriarty wrote. "If you send them to the school we will be sure that she receives them."

Thanks for visiting SalmonPress.com
Newfound Landing Hebron EMTs treated to dinner in recognition of EMS Week

by Donna Rhodes write the author

Several members of the Hebron Fire Department gathered beside their ambulance last Wednesday for a group photo in recognition of National EMS week. Featured in the center of the photo are Chief John Fischer and EMT Chief Linda Fischer. To Linda's left is Hebron's EMT Training Officer Patti Oakley. (Photo by Donna Rhodes) (click for larger version) HEBRON  May 19-25 was National EMS week, honoring the emergency medical personnel and Hebron Fire Department treated their staff of EMTs to a dinner last Wednesday to personally thank them for their dedication to the community.



Patti Oakley is the EMS Training Officer for HFD, and said their department has 26 members in all, 14 of whom are not just trained to fight fires but are EMTs or AEMTs also. Two other members are also in the midst of getting their EMT certification, which means more than half the department is available to respond to emergency medical calls.



As they celebrated their week of well-deserved recognition, Oakley said they are in the midst of testing an instructional Crisis Manikin that can be used for training and refresher courses on how to properly take blood pressure, perform CPR, begin IV procedures, and much more.



"We raised the money to buy a Manikin through donations and our snowmobile Poker Run this winter. Now we're trying one out to see if it's the model we want," Oakley said.



Hebron is a quiet community on the shores of Newfound Lake but in the summer months medical calls can come in more frequently when nearby summer camps open and seasonal residents return to the town. Chief John Fischer said that last year the department fielded a total of 220 calls for service with well over half of them medical calls.



"We typically get somewhere around 150 medical calls a year," he said. "The camps up the road can keep us pretty busy at times."



Oakley and the department's EMT Chief Linda Fischer work hard to make sure everyone on their staff is up-to-date on certifications and training, and they are always on the lookout for technology that can help them help others more efficiently. Oakley demonstrated "Fast ED" last week, a new phone application that helps detect a possible large vessel stroke. By swiftly responding to prompts on the ap, it not only determines whether or not the patient is having a stroke, it can also direct an ambulance to the nearest medical that facility best equipped to handle their condition.



"They're constantly coming up with new ways to make our jobs easier, providing us with better field diagnosis tools," Oakley said, "and we are constantly undergoing training. EMTs have to have 40 or more hours of training every two years."



As one other "Thank you" for all the hard work done by the EMTs in his department, Chief Fischer presented them with a $100 check at their dinner last week for the purchase of a special brick that will be part of a soon-to-be constructed EMS memorial. The memorial will be located beside the N.H. Fire Academy and Emergency Services training facility in Concord, honoring those whose lives were lost in the line of duty. Hebron is one of the first departments in the state to purchase a commemorative brick and it will be inscribed with the words, "Hebron Fire Department Serving Past and Present." HEBRON  May 19-25 was National EMS week, honoring the emergency medical personnel and Hebron Fire Department treated their staff of EMTs to a dinner last Wednesday to personally thank them for their dedication to the community.Patti Oakley is the EMS Training Officer for HFD, and said their department has 26 members in all, 14 of whom are not just trained to fight fires but are EMTs or AEMTs also. Two other members are also in the midst of getting their EMT certification, which means more than half the department is available to respond to emergency medical calls.As they celebrated their week of well-deserved recognition, Oakley said they are in the midst of testing an instructional Crisis Manikin that can be used for training and refresher courses on how to properly take blood pressure, perform CPR, begin IV procedures, and much more."We raised the money to buy a Manikin through donations and our snowmobile Poker Run this winter. Now we're trying one out to see if it's the model we want," Oakley said.Hebron is a quiet community on the shores of Newfound Lake but in the summer months medical calls can come in more frequently when nearby summer camps open and seasonal residents return to the town. Chief John Fischer said that last year the department fielded a total of 220 calls for service with well over half of them medical calls."We typically get somewhere around 150 medical calls a year," he said. "The camps up the road can keep us pretty busy at times."Oakley and the department's EMT Chief Linda Fischer work hard to make sure everyone on their staff is up-to-date on certifications and training, and they are always on the lookout for technology that can help them help others more efficiently. Oakley demonstrated "Fast ED" last week, a new phone application that helps detect a possible large vessel stroke. By swiftly responding to prompts on the ap, it not only determines whether or not the patient is having a stroke, it can also direct an ambulance to the nearest medical that facility best equipped to handle their condition."They're constantly coming up with new ways to make our jobs easier, providing us with better field diagnosis tools," Oakley said, "and we are constantly undergoing training. EMTs have to have 40 or more hours of training every two years."As one other "Thank you" for all the hard work done by the EMTs in his department, Chief Fischer presented them with a $100 check at their dinner last week for the purchase of a special brick that will be part of a soon-to-be constructed EMS memorial. The memorial will be located beside the N.H. Fire Academy and Emergency Services training facility in Concord, honoring those whose lives were lost in the line of duty. Hebron is one of the first departments in the state to purchase a commemorative brick and it will be inscribed with the words, "Hebron Fire Department Serving Past and Present."


Israeli occupation forces shot and killed a Palestinian teenager who was trying to climb a security fence and cross into Jerusalem from the West Bank on Friday.

Palestinian witnesses told Reuters the 16-year-old had tried to climb the border fence near Bethlehem in the West Bank to visit Jerusalem on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Palestinian health officials said the teenager died from a gunshot and a 21-year-old was also shot and wounded.

A spokesman for Israeli police said that troops had shot a Palestinian who tried to "infiltrate into Israel" by scaling the fence and the incident was being investigated.

The boys father, Louai Ghaith, said his son had been trying to enter Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque for the holy day.

Ghaiths body was brought to a Bethlehem hospital, where his distraught family identified him.

He was going to fulfill his religious duty, he was going to worship, Ghaith said. They killed him ... with a bullet to his heart, like a game, and 16 years Ive been raising him.

Separately, Israeli police said they shot dead a 19-year-old Palestinian suspected of carrying out two stabbings near Damascus Gate, a bustling main entrance to the predominantly Palestinian part of the occupied Old City.

Police said one Israeli was in critical condition, while the second was in moderate condition.

The suspect, police added, was shot by security forces while running through the Old Citys Muslim quarter.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the teen as Yousef Wajih, from a village near the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The stabbings happened just hours before busloads of Muslim worshippers were to arrive from both Israel and the West Bank for Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Israeli police said that over 150,000 people gathered for midday prayers, which passed without further incident. At nightfall, adherents will return to the golden-topped Dome of the Rock for intense prayer observance of Laylat al-Qadr or the Night of Destiny.

*This story was compiled and edited by Ahram Online

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Winnisquam Echo Local celebrations reflect on the meaning of Memorial Day

by Donna Rhodes write the author REGION  On Monday, many residents of the Winnisquam Region took time off from their cookouts and other holiday activities to attend Memorial Day parades and ceremonies, honoring those who gave their lives to protect the freedom in not just this nation but in countries around the world as well.



In Tilton, members of Whiteman-Davidson American Legion Post 49 were joined by a group of residents from the New Hampshire Veterans Home, local Boy Scout, Cub Scout and Girl Scout troops, fire and police representatives, and the Winnisquam Regional High School marching band in a solemn parade. The contingency made its way along Main Street, pausing along the way at each of the many war monuments, including Park Cemetery, where Post 49's Chaplain Tom Robert placed wreaths. In honor of those lost at sea, Post 48's new commander, Cori Partridge, also tossed flowers into the Winnipesauke River.



Later that afternoon, the Town of Belmont held their parade and ceremonies under the direction of Charles C. Kilborn American Legion Post 58. Legion members there were also accompanied by scout troops as well as the Belmont High School marching band and Belmont Police Department's honor guard. After their march along Main Street, a crowd gathered at Veterans Monument on Church Street where both Commander Rich Stanley, followed by Woody Fogg, offered remarks about the meaning of the day and the brave men and women who gave their lives for their country.



Former commander Bob Stevens also read a poem written by a Korean War veteran, that ended with the phrase, "Thank a vet for what they've done. These colors do not run."



"Taps with Echo" was performed by BHS band members Cody York and Michael Marrone. During the ceremony, representatives of the Boy Scouts placed a wreath at Veterans Monument and the Girl Scouts tossed flowers into the Tioga River.



Stanley also read the names of past Belmont residents whose names are engraved on the monument that was erected in 1915. Beginning with those who died in the Civil War, he continued on with the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War and Viet Nam. As each name was read, a bell was rung in their honor. He then concluded with the reading of eight Belmont veterans who died over the past year.



"We thank them all for their service," he said.



A pictoral look at some of the day's remembrances can be found on pages A2 & A3. REGION  On Monday, many residents of the Winnisquam Region took time off from their cookouts and other holiday activities to attend Memorial Day parades and ceremonies, honoring those who gave their lives to protect the freedom in not just this nation but in countries around the world as well.In Tilton, members of Whiteman-Davidson American Legion Post 49 were joined by a group of residents from the New Hampshire Veterans Home, local Boy Scout, Cub Scout and Girl Scout troops, fire and police representatives, and the Winnisquam Regional High School marching band in a solemn parade. The contingency made its way along Main Street, pausing along the way at each of the many war monuments, including Park Cemetery, where Post 49's Chaplain Tom Robert placed wreaths. In honor of those lost at sea, Post 48's new commander, Cori Partridge, also tossed flowers into the Winnipesauke River.Later that afternoon, the Town of Belmont held their parade and ceremonies under the direction of Charles C. Kilborn American Legion Post 58. Legion members there were also accompanied by scout troops as well as the Belmont High School marching band and Belmont Police Department's honor guard. After their march along Main Street, a crowd gathered at Veterans Monument on Church Street where both Commander Rich Stanley, followed by Woody Fogg, offered remarks about the meaning of the day and the brave men and women who gave their lives for their country.Former commander Bob Stevens also read a poem written by a Korean War veteran, that ended with the phrase, "Thank a vet for what they've done. These colors do not run.""Taps with Echo" was performed by BHS band members Cody York and Michael Marrone. During the ceremony, representatives of the Boy Scouts placed a wreath at Veterans Monument and the Girl Scouts tossed flowers into the Tioga River.Stanley also read the names of past Belmont residents whose names are engraved on the monument that was erected in 1915. Beginning with those who died in the Civil War, he continued on with the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War and Viet Nam. As each name was read, a bell was rung in their honor. He then concluded with the reading of eight Belmont veterans who died over the past year."We thank them all for their service," he said.A pictoral look at some of the day's remembrances can be found on pages A2 & A3.


By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: As a new Cabinet with some old faces and a few new take oath to be part of the NDA 2.0 government, the bureaucracy is readying a list of tasks ahead for most of the economic ministries. These are likely to feed into a larger plan for India till 2022, a milestone year when the country will celebrate its 75th Independence Day. Though the crucial finance ministrys main task will be to ready a growth-oriented budget, which would also aim at fiscal consolidation, it will also be working on stepping up work on a larger plan for PSU bank mergers as well as a merger of three insurance companies  National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance.

ALSO READ | BJP chief strategist Amit Shah no novice in market intelligence

Besides creating new avenues for raising funds for infrastructure to meet a target of spending Rs 1 lakh crore over the next five years, the government will also fast forward disinvestment including strategic divestments like in Air India which were stalled last year. Other key priorities will include solving the banking crisis which broke out after Indias largest non-banking financial company IL&FS defaulted on payments last year. This will include a combination of addressing liquidity issues along with an asset quality review of NBFCs.

The Modi government is also expected to roll out a New Industrial Policy, with a focus on jobs creation through a package for MSME sector while encouraging a new wave of industries using AI and internet of things through policy initiatives. A separate Commerce ministry paper proposes WTO-compliant export promotion scheme which would ensure refund of all central and state levies taxes paid on raw material used for exports.

Increasingly, powerful trade partners like the US, the EU and Japan have been taking India to task for subsidising its exports, which are non-compliant with WTO rules. At the same time, the government will work to encourage import substitution in the telecom and ICT manufacturing sectors. It will also auction 5G spectrum for which trials are currently on. Auction of coal and iron ore mines are part of the agenda being drawn up.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Since the inflow of drugs via the Indo-Nepal border to Kochi is escalating, the Excise Department has alerted Central agencies. According to the officers, the smugglers mainly operate single-handedly, avoiding middlemen, considering the lapses in enforcement in the region.

It was during the interrogation of Varghese Judson - a native of Puthuvype in Kochi - who was arrested with 6.5 kg of Charas worth Rs 10 crore and an international drug carrier, the Excise sleuths came to know about this fact.

As many as 19 people, including Judson, were arrested so far this year in connection with smuggling through this route. In order to escape from the prying eyes of enforcement agencies, the peddlers used to operate single-handedly. Judson had stated that a huge quantity of drugs is being smuggled to the country from Nepal, said officers.

We have alerted the Central Intelligence Bureau about this drug peddling from Nepal. The smugglers take the land route via UP, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to reach Kerala, said an officer. The sleuths are also looking into the links of certain accused with drug operatives in UP. During the probe, the team got clues about the rackets in UP helping the carriers of Kerala-based narcotics rackets to smuggle the contraband.
By PTI

MUMBAI: From building the party's organisation in northern Maharashtra's Dhule to wresting the high-profile Mumbai South seat, it has been a long journey for Shiv Sena lawmaker Arvind Sawant who has got a berth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet.

Known as a leader accessible to party workers and people, Sawant made a mark during his first term in the Lok Sabha in 2014 with his speeches which reflected a detailed analysis of the issues concerned and suggestions on policy decisions.

The 68-year-old leader, who retained his Mumbai-South seat this time by defeating Congress's Milind Deora by over 1 lakh votes, has been associated with the Shiv Sena since the party's early years.

Sawant, who is now deputy leader of the party and its spokesman, started in 1968 as a 'gat pramukh', the lowest rung of hierarchy, rendering his services in poll duties and participating in various agitations organised by the Sena.

He was also associated with the party's Stanik Lokadhikar Samiti, whose primary demand was jobs for "bhoomi putra" or sons of the soil.

READ| Modi 2.0 is here, 24 Cabinet ministers take oath

Described as a grassroot organisation man, Sawant helped the Uddhav Thackeray-led party make inroads in north Maharashtra and Marathwada.

The Sena extended its base in north Maharashtra when he was its coordinator for the region, where it won the Dhule Municipal Corporation for the first time in 1995 and later five of its MLAs were elected in Nashik district.

Sawant also handled the party work in Pune, Nashik and Ahmednagar districts and ensured its success in Jalgaon, Nanded, Hingoli and Kalyan-Dombivali as 'sampark pramukh'.

He was an engineer at the Mahanagar Telephone Network Ltd (MTNL) till 1995 and took voluntary retirement after he was nominated to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from governor's quota after Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power.

He is currently the president of the MTNL trade union. He was later elected as MLC from the Mumbai Local Bodies constituency.

He was earlier also general secretary of the State Transport Kamgar Sena where he helped set up unions in 30 districts. He also served as a member of the standing committee on petroleum and natural gas, Parliament estimate committee and consulting committee on IT.
By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is taking part in a sit-in demonstration organised by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) outside the Naihati municipality to protest against the violence on party workers after the Lok Sabha poll results.

The decision comes a day after Banerjee said she would not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister, citing "untrue" claims made by the BJP that 54 of its workers were killed in political violence in Bengal.

The TMC supremo had on Tuesday said she would attend the ceremony to be held in New Delhi on Thursday.

Incidentally, the Naihati municipality is located in the Barrackpore area of North 24 Parganas district, which has witnessed violent clashes between TMC and BJP workers since the results of the Lok Sabha polls were announced on May 23.

The BJP won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, only four less than the TMC's 22. The remaining two seats were bagged by the Congress, while the Left Front drew a blank.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The Army said it cannot meddle in the case of honourary lieutenant (retired) Md. Sanaullah, who was recently declared a foreigner by the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam and sent to a detention centre for illegal immigrants.

Sanaullahs wife Samina Begum met senior Army officers at the Narengi cantonment in Guwahati on Thursday. The meeting triggered speculations the Army is helping the family in the case.

READ | Kargil war veteran foreigner, sent to detention camp; family moves court

However, defence spokesman Lt. Col P Khongsai told Express that the case is not being taken up by the Army as it is purely a legal matter.

As she lives in a locality close to our establishment, she was called and we shared her grief. We have a tribunal and it would have certainly helped him (Sanaullah) if he had an issue related to pension or post-retirement benefits, the spokesman said.

He said if any help could be given to Sanaullah from the defence side during the course of future proceedings, it would be extended. He clarified that Sanaullah is a retired honourary captain and not a retired honourary lieutenant.

In a tweet two days ago, Brig (retired) V Mahalingam had said the Army should investigate the case and save Sanaullah from harassment.

Samina appealed to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a prayer for early release of her husband from detention.

Meanwhile, the All Assam Minority Students Union has demanded Sanaullahs unconditional release. It burnt the effigies of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds the Home portfolio, in various parts of the state on Friday as many genuine Indian citizens, belonging to religious and linguistic minority communities, were unjustly being declared foreigners and confined to the detention centres.

Sanaullah was summoned by the Border Police in Guwahati on Tuesday. When he showed up, he was immediately arrested and taken to the detention centre for illegal immigrants in Goalpara.

Ironically, post-retirement, he was serving as an assistant sub-inspector in the Border Police which is tasked to identify doubtful citizens as well as illegal immigrants. The cases of such individuals are heard and disposed of by the various Foreigners Tribunals.


By PTI

NEW DELHI: As India's new defence minister, Rajnath Singh's most crucial challenge will be to speed up the long-delayed modernisation of the three services besides ensuring overall coherence in their combat readiness.

His other challenge will be to ensure peace and tranquillity along the frontier with China while developing required military infrastructure to deal with any possible Chinese hostility.

As he takes charge of the ministry just three months after India carried out air strikes on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, it is expected that he will continue with the policy of hot pursuit in dealing with cross border terrorism. Containing infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan will be another key focus area.

READ| There is a need to review Article 370 and 35-A in Jammu and Kashmir: Rajnath Singh

As the Defence Minister, Singh will face the challenge of strengthening the combat capabilities of the Army, Navy and the Air Force due to changing regional security matrix and geo-political dynamics.

The forces have been pressing for equipping them to deal with hybrid warfare and Singh will have to attend to this crucial demand.

The government has been focusing on domestic defence production and Singh will have to carry forward a number of big-ticket reform initiatives, including implementing the ambitious "strategic partnership" model.

Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors.

Singh also faces the challenge of modernising the defence research organisations and various other defence public sector undertakings so that they can produce state-of-the art military hardware to match requirement of the forces.

He is expected to focus on simplification of the acquisition process as majority of the military modernisation programmes are delayed due to administrative hurdles.

Singh, who was Home Minister in the previous government, will also have to oversee carrying out of major reforms in the 12-lakh strong Army. The Army has already finalised a blueprint for its reform including right-sizing of the force.

His predecessor Nirmala Sitharaman had taken on the opposition head-on with her fiery defence of the Rafale fighter jet deal and it will be interesting to see how Singh deals with the issue.

Officials said Singh will take charge as defence minister on Saturday.
By PTI

HYDERABAD: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Friday said the country's Muslims should not worry about the BJP's return to power as the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion to every citizen.

The Hyderabad MP also hit out at the perpetrators of the April 21 Easter Sunday serial bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, which left more than 250 people dead.

The Bharatiya Janata Party capped a massive mandate by winning a total of 303 seats while the NDA has 353 MPs in the recently elected 17th Lok Sabha.

READ| Should we call Nathuram Godse a great man, asks Asaduddin Owaisi

"India's law, Constitution gives us this permission that we follow our religion," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief said in his address to a gathering at the Makkah Masjid here.

"When India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi can go to a temple, you can proudly visit a mosque," he told the gathering. Slamming those behind the terror attacks on churches and luxury hotels in the island nation, Owaisi said there was no place for violence in Islam.

The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Carrying out bomb blasts at a place of worship of someone else and killing more than 200 people, including 40 innocent children. What Islam are you talking about," Owaisi said.

The perpetrators were "following the teachings of the devil and not Islam", Owaisi added.
By Online Desk

The rise of 60-year-old Nirmala Sitharaman continues.

BJP's go-to woman for new challenges is now in charge of the key portfolio of Finance (and Corporate Affairs). She takes up the role after Arun Jaitley opted out of the role citing health issues.

The announcement makes Sitharaman the first woman to be named Finance Minister. That is if you don't count Indira Gandhi, who held additional charge of the all-important portfolio from 1970-71 when she was Prime Minister.

Sitharaman is used to these records. She, as we all remember, was the first woman to be named full-time Union Defence Minister in September 2017. Indira again had also held the charge as Prime Minister in 70s.

The new Finance Minister boasts the credentials required for the job. A graduate in Economics from the Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College in Tiruchirapalli, she also holds a Masters in Economics from the highly-esteemed Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Sitharaman has worked as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) with Price Waterhouse, London, and was associated with the BBC World Service.

On her return to India, she served as Deputy Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad.

Her appointment comes at a time when there is a lot of anxiety over the jobs data. Some critics have been citing government statistical reports to point out that job creation is at a 45-year low.

There is also the agrarian crisis that deserves immediate attention.

The US-China trade wars and a likely imposition of tariffs on Indian goods by a hawkish US President Donald Trump looms too.

Sitharaman was born on August 18, 1959 in the temple town of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2008, and was made a member of the National Executive.

She was nominated as party spokesperson in March 2010 and has been a full-time party worker since then.

She was first inducted in the Union Cabinet on May 26, 2014 as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry. Her rise since has been meteoric.

(With PTI inputs)
Debdutta Mitra By

Online Desk

PM Modi's new Cabinet doesn't just have new ministers, it also has an entire new ministry. Spotted the Ministry of Jal Shakti, did you?

The ministry, which was promised by PM Modi at an election rally in Tamil Nadu, primarily aims to ensure supply of clean water for each household and irrigation water for farmers. As of now, several ministries control the implementation of water policies which results in conflicts between them.

The inter-linking of major rivers, a big dream of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is also set to get a big boost.

The ministry should also be keeping in mind the BJP's promise of piped water connection for all, a key element of the Swachh Bharat mission too. Jodhpur MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is the minister at the helm and the task before him is enormous.

A dire NITI Aayog report had warned that nearly half of the Indian population faces severe water shortfall, with 75 per cent of the households having no access to drinking water. The report found that 70 per cent of water in the country is contaminated, with 21 cities including Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad set to run out of groundwater by 2020. The countrys water needs are likely to double by 2030.
Kumar Vikram By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Thundering applause and chants of Har Har Mahadev welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, as he took oath for his second stint as the head of the government. The two-hour swearing-in ceremony was the largest event to be held in Rashtrapati Bhavan, which witnessed the presence of around 8,000 people from all across the country. The ceremony started at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7 pm as the sun shied away. Even the scorching summer could not deter the crowd as they looked pepped up when the ministers were taking oath one by one.

Smriti Irani, who received much flak during her first stint as a minister in the Modi government, was the centre of attraction on Thursday. She took oath amid applause from the crowd. The crowd was abuzz with tales of her heroic victory in Amethi where she wrested the bastion from Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. Rahul, who is adamant on his decision to quit office after his partys debacle at the polls, had not been seen for some days. A chain of whispers broke out as Rahul walked in with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

NDA ally Janata Dal-United chief Nitish Kumar was there too, making an entry shortly after his party announced it would not be part of the government. Among those present were former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former president Pratibha Patil, veteran BJP leader L K Advani and even spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev.

While ministers were taking the oath, the President acted as the strict teacher correcting some of them when they slipped up. Among big industrialists, Reliance Industrys Mukesh Ambani with wife Nita and younger son Anant, veteran industry leader Ratan Tata, steel baron L N Mittal and Adani Group head Gautam Adani were present on the occasion.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, Essar Director Prashant Ruia, Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran, Vedanta Chairman Anil Aggarwal and HDFCs Deepak Parekh were there as well. Making a starry splash were showbiz stars who were voted into power like Hema Malini and her stepson Sunny Deol. Others like cine star Rajinikanth, filmmaker Karan Johar, Shahid Kapoor, Boney Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut added a touch of glamour. Sidharth Roy Kapur, Vivek Oberoi, Anupam Kher, and Madhur Bhandarkar were also a part of the event.
By PTI

JAIPUR: After banning the sale and advertisement of e-cigarettes, the Rajasthan government has decided to take strong action against restaurants serving hookah to customers, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Friday.

Addressing a workshop on the 'World No Tobacco Day', Gehlot said addiction of tobacco among youth is a matter of serious concern.

He said he has asked the state health minister to take strong action against restaurants and cafes serving hookah.

Steps should be taken at the central government level to make the young generation of the country free from addiction of tobacco, he said.

"Acting on the lines, we have banned e-cigarette in the state. In the previous Congress government, we banned smoking at public places in the state and good results were seen.

"Several tobacco companies had tried creating unnecessary pressure but the decision could be implemented due to our strong will power," Gehlot said.

He said a state-level de-addiction campaign was launched on Sarvodaya Diwas on January 30 where 1.14 crore people pledged to not consume tobacco products.

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma said the state government will soon bring a law for Right to Health and Food Adulteration.
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

PATNA: The Narendra Modi-led governments second innings at the Centre may have begun on a sour note, with alliance partner Janata Dal (United) deciding not to be part of the Narendra Modi Cabinet. Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) was offered one ministerial berth but the party turned it down saying it is not interested in having a symbolic presence in the new government. Announcing the partys decision a few hours before the swearing-in ceremony, party leader and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said, It is not necessary to be in the Cabinet. The JD(U) will continue to be in the NDA and the alliance is united.

According to party sources, the JD(U) had demanded three berths for Munger MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Purnia MP Santosh Kushwaha and RCP Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP and a close political aide of Nitish Kumar. However, the PMO invited only RCP Singh though party sources claim the BJP had in principle agreed to the demand for three berths.

Calls were expected till the last moment for Singh and Kushwaha, which didnt happen. Finally, RCP Singh, who had left for the PMs residence, was called back, a source said. Meanwhile, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi told a TV channel that the developments might adversely impact the next Assembly elections in the state. Nitish Kumar has a strong face value in Bihar politics. His unhappiness should not be taken lightly. On many occasions in the recent past, Nitish has expressed his displeasure over controversial issues including Article 370. It shows all is not well in the NDA camp, said a Patna-based political analyst.

Third largest partner

The JD(U) is the third major partner in the NDA after the BJP and the Shiv Sena, having won 16 of the 17 LS seats it contested in Bihar. The JD(U) was not a part of the first Modi government as well. It had allied with the saffron party in 2017 but had not joined the government. The Shiv Sena, which has 18 MPs, has also got only one berth  Arvind Sawant.
By ANI

SHOPIAN(JAMMU AND KASHMIR): Two terrorists were neutralised by security forces in Dragad Sugan area of Shopian district, police said on Friday. The identities of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained. The encounter, which broke out in the early hours of Friday, is still underway.

This comes a day after two terrorists were killed in an encounter in Dangerpora area of Sopore district of the state. Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Unemployment rate in the country is 6.1%, the statistics ministry said on Friday reiterating the leaked figure in the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2017-18.

The National Sample Survey Office was rocked by controversy after one of its statisticians PC Mohanan quit citing the governments reluctance to release the report compiled by him and his team.

The unemployment rate of 6.1% is the highest in the country for the past four and a half decades. The last time India saw such high unemployment rate was in 1972-73. The assessment period for the data was between July 2017 and June 2018.

The release of the report comes a day after Narendra Modi was sworn in as prime minister for the second time. Unemployment was one of the biggest issues that resonated through the campaign going into the elections in which the BJP swept to power securing a majority on its own.

Throughout the election campaign, the Congress had accused the BJP government of deliberately withholding the report fearing dents in their electoral prospects.

After the leak of the data, Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar had said that the report was not released as it was in its draft stage, a claim that was refuted by Mohanan.

The government, however, refused to provide comparative data for the joblessness.

It is a new design, new metric (with which figures were calculated)... It would be unfair to compare it with the past, chief statistician Pravin Srivastava said.

The report also said that female labour participation rate in urban areas for the December-ending quarter was 19.5% while for males it was 73.6%.

The report showed that 7.8% of all employable youth in urban areas was unemployed while the rural figure was 5.3%.

The unemployment rate among men across the country was 6.2%, while for women, it stood at 5.7%.
Naushad Bijapur By

Express News Service

BELAGAVI: It has been a huge upset for close associates of BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa as none of them made it to the newly-sowrn-in Modi cabinet. Some of the popular MPs, including Shobha Karandlaje, BY Raghavendra and Shivakumar Udasi, failed to make it even as many supporters of Yeddyurappa expected that some of his associates will find a place in the Union Cabinet.

Many leaders from Mumbai-Karnataka, however, have welcomed the inclusion of Suresh Angadi into the Cabinet.Either Karandlaje, Udasi or Raghavendra should have been included to make Yeddyurappa happy, said a BJP Lingayat leader in Belagavi.

G S Basavaraj, G M Siddeshwar, P C Gaddigoudar and Pratap Simha, who also are in the close circles of Yeddyurppa, have also been snubbed by BJP top leadership Although, supporters and some leaders of Lingayats are happy that Angadi made it at last, they wanted Modi to make him a cabinet minister or a minister with independent charge. Sadanandagowda and Pralhad Joshi, a Vokkaliga and a Brahmin respectively, have been given the cabinet minister grade ... but Angadi, a Lingayat had to be content with a minister of state rank. In the last cabinet of Modi too, Siddeshwar, a Lingayat, was given minister of state grade, another Lingayat leader said.

Besides ignoring all associates of Yeddyurappa, the party also has kept the controversial leaders from Karnataka out of the cabinet, a party leader said adding that the party would always consider Yeddyurappa as partys top-most leader in the state.
By PTI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 39-year-old nursing assistant was attacked by an alleged stalker, who chopped off her right ear, after she rejected his marriage proposal Friday.

The woman was walking to the medical college hospital here for work when the accused Nithin (35) with whom she was reportedly close earlier took out a knife and attacked her, the police said.

A police team, which was nearby, took the accused into custody and rushed the woman to the hospital, where emergency surgery was performed and her condition was stable.

The accused, a former ambulance driver, was now working as an autorickshaw driver, police said.

A case under various sections of the IPC, including attempt to murder and punishment for wrongful restraint, was registered against the accused, they said.

In March this year, an 18-year-old radiology student from Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta district was set ablaze by her former classmate after she rejected his marriage proposal. She died later.

In another incident, a man had barged into the house of a young woman, stabbed her and poured kerosene before setting her afire.

Her charred body was found in the bathroom later by her relatives.
By PTI

CHENNAI/THENI: After waiting for days and nurturing hopes, supporters of P Raveendranath Kumar, AIADMK's lone Lok Sabha MP and son of Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, are a dejected lot since he did not find a place in the Cabinet.

Also, reported differences between Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Panneerselvam on choosing a nominee for the Council of Ministers was said to have shut the window of opportunity for the AIADMK.

ALSO READ | After decades, not a single Tamil Nadu minister at Centre

That the expectation was quite strong could be seen from wall posters put up in Theni district that hailed Kumar as a "Central Minister" before he was officially named and well ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

Supporters were also preparing to accord a grand reception for Kumar in Theni.

"We had even bought firecrackers and ordered sweets and planned a big reception," his supporters in Theni said, adding "time will ripen soon."

"It is not only the party workers, even those in other levels were expecting him, a young man and another senior leader to find a place in the Cabinet.

It was naturally a disappointment," a AIADMK senior functionary said.

The Cabinet is expected to be expanded in the near future and the AIADMK will get a berth, he hoped.

Kumar's name, along with that of senior leader V Vaithilingam was doing the rounds for a berth in the Council of Ministers for nearly a week.

On reports that there was no agreement between Palaniswami and his deputy on whom should be named for the "single ministerial slot offered," by the BJP, (whether Kumar or Vaithilingam), he said agreements and disagreements were common in any party.

"Wait for the official word and don't draw your own inferences," he added.

The divergent stands of the top two leaders reportedly put paid to AIADMK's chances of finding a place in the Union Ministry.

Asked about the reported disagreement between Palaniswami and Panneerselvam, a former state minister and a senior AIADMK leader, told PTI "these are all perceptions built by the media."

He, however, did not clarify as to why a ministerial berth eluded the AIADMK.

"It will happen (berth for AIADMK). There are no differences (on choosing nominees for ministership)," he said.

Other AIADMK sources pointed out that during the run-up to the polls, Palaniswami had repeatedly attacked the DMK for being a "family-centric," party.

ALSO READ | DMK gives PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony a miss

Palaniswami had time and again said while an ordinary worker could climb up the party ladder in AIADMK, only a member belonging to late M Karunanidhi's family could aspire for positions in the DMK.

The chief minister had even said after Karunanidhi, his son Stalin was anointed as party chief and now his son Udayanidhi was being groomed to lead the party in future.

After having taken such a tough stand against grooming heirs for political roles, Palaniswami could not have been comfortable in propping up Kumar's name for a slot in the Union Cabinet, they said.

Another functionary wondered if the "AIADMK was offered a slot at all when the JD(U) itself was offered just a single berth after a superb show in Bihar."
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: DMK MPs were not part of Prime Minister Narendra Modis swearing-in ceremony as the BJP did not invite MK Stalin, president of the DMK, for the ceremony. Though a total of 8,000 VVIPs and VIPs had been invited across from the country for the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi, that was held on Thursday evening at New Delhi, MK Stalin, the president of the third largest party of the present parliament, in terms of elected members, was not invited.

RS Bharathi, Rajyasabha MP and organising secretary of DMK, spoke to Express, on this issue: DMK MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were given an invitation for the swearing-in ceremony as per protocol. But, our party president MK Stalin has not been invited by the new Union government.
By AFP

PARIS: Global efforts to impose a unified tax policy on Google, Facebook and other internet giants have cleared a major hurdle ahead of a G20 summit in Japan, officials said Friday.

The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said that 129 countries had signed off on a roadmap to grab a fairer tax share of the companies' booming sales.

"Important progress has been made through the adoption of this new programme of work, but there is still a tremendous amount of work to do as we seek to reach, by the end of 2020, a unified long-term solution to the tax challenges posed by digitalisation of the economy," OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria said in a statement.

The OECD said Gurria would seek the blessing of G20 finance ministers for the roadmap when they meet in the Japanese city of Fukuoka on June 8-9.

That meeting is in preparation for a full G20 summit involving US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and their peers in Osaka at the end of June.

The summit will be an important staging post on the way to the OECD's goal of agreeing the new tax policy by the end of next year.

The research body has been tasked by the G20 to find a technical fix to the problem of internet heavyweights taking advantage of low-tax jurisdictions such as Ireland to pay a pittance on their profits and revenues in other countries.

Japan's Nikkei business daily said the G20 countries were planning a new tax policy based on the amount of business a company does in a country, not where it is headquartered.

The OECD's roadmap is based on two main pathways: one to determine where taxes should be paid, the other to ensure a minimum level of tax is levied.

The existing setup has cost governments up to $240 billion in lost tax revenues, the OECD estimated in 2015.

The figure today would be much higher.

But rival proposals are in the mix to address the problem.

The United States is notably pushing for a much wider approach which could ensnare European and Asian multinationals involved in other sectors beyond technology.
A Dutch photographer held hostage by Islamic State-linked militants in the Philippines since 2012 was killed on Friday by his captors when he tried to escape during a firefight on a remote southern island, the military said.

Ewold Horn, a wildlife photographer, was shot by his guards from the Abu Sayyaf group when he tried to flee during a clash between government troops and the militants, said Brigadier General Divino Rey Pabayo, commander of a Joint Task Force on Sulu island.

Horn and a fellow photographer, Lorenzo Vinciguerra from Switzerland, were taken captive as they were sailing off an island called Tawi Tawi on a bird-watching trip more than seven years ago and later taken to Sulu. Vinciguerra escaped in 2014.

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said the Netherlands had informed Horns family.

I am shocked by this terrible outcome, Blok said, I have been in contact with the family. I will ask my counterpart in the Philippines for further clarification.

Six militants were also killed in the firefight in the town of town of Patikul on Sulu, Pabayo said. The circumstances of the firefight were not immediately clear.

Also killed during the clash on Friday was Mingayan Sahiron, the wife of Radullan Sahiron, a senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf, the military said.

Radullan Sahiron is on a U.S. State Department wanted list with a $1 million reward for his capture since his involvement in the kidnapping of U.S. tourists in 2001.

He was believed to have escaped the clash, another military spokesman said.

The Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent group in the Muslim south of the largely Catholic Philippines, has been known for extortion, kidnappings, beheadings and bombings, and has pledged allegiance to Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

It earlier pledged allegiance to the al Qaeda militant group.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


By Associated Press

BEIJING: China warned Canada on Friday that it needs to be aware of the consequences of aiding the US in an extradition case involving Chinese tech giant Huawei that is believed to have sparked the detentions of two Canadians in China.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang's comments came after US Vice President Mike Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Both were arrested on Dec. 10 after Canada detained a Huawei executive wanted by the United States on fraud charges. While China has denied they were taken in retaliation, it has repeatedly implied that there is a strong connection between the cases.

Korvig, a former diplomat and Asia expert at the International Crisis Group, and Spavor, a businessman, have been accused of colluding to steal state secrets. Canada has repeatedly urged their immediate release, calling their detentions arbitrary. Neither has been permitted access to lawyers or family members.

"We hope that the Canadian side can have a clear understanding of the consequences of endangering itself for the gains of theUS and take immediate actions to correct its mistakes so as to spare itself the suffering from growing damage," Geng said at a daily news briefing.

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of the company's founder, is accused of lying to banks about the company's dealings with Iran in violation of US trade sanctions. Her attorney has argued that comments by President Donald Trump suggest the case against her is politically motivated.

Washington has pressured other countries to limit the use of Huawei's technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information.

China and the US are currently embroiled in a trade dispute that is weighing heavily on global financial markets.

Another Canadian held in China, Robert Schellenberg, was re-sentenced to death in a drug case following Meng's detention. His case is currently under appeal.
By PTI

THIMPHU: Former Bhutan premier Tshering Tobgay has criticised some Indian TV channels for "insulting" his country by using the wrong photographs of current Prime Minister Lotay Tshering in their coverage of his arrival to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Covering his arrival, a news channel displayed the picture of Tshering Wangchuk, chief advisor of Bhutan's interim government, with Tshering's name, while another channel telecast Tobgay's image, addressing him as the current Bhutanese premier.

Taking to Twitter to express his anguish, Tobgay on Thursday shared two screenshots where Tshering was identified wrongly and said, "India's media would be up in arms if any other country got the picture of their PM wrong. Yet they continue to embarrass themselves and insult us when it comes to identifying our PM."

"Bhutan may be small, but she is India's close neighbour and a very close friend," he tweeted.

Indias media would be up in arms if any other country got the picture of their PM wrong. Yet they continue to embarrass themselves and insult us when it comes to identifying our PM. Bhutan may be small, but she is Indias close neighbour and a very close friend. pic.twitter.com/AwBHF6WKqQ  Tshering Tobgay (@tsheringtobgay) May 30, 2019

Following Tobgay's tweet, Indian social media users apologised to him for the gaffe.

Subsequently, Tobgay posted a picture of the prime minister on Twitter and said, "My thanks to the many Indians for the outpouring of support and understanding. Attached is a photo of Prime Minister Lotay Tshering for the media's ready reference. The pictures used are of former Prime Minister (yours truly) and Chief Advisor of interim government (Chief Justice Tshering Wangchuk)".
By AFP

WASHINGTON: The US will impose a five per cent tariff on all goods from Mexico -- increasing to as much as 25 per cent -- until "illegal migrants" stop coming through the country into the US, President Donald Trump said on Thursday.

"On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP," Trump tweeted.

"The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied, at which time the Tariffs will be removed," he wrote.

According to a White House statement, the tariff will rise to 10 per cent on July 1, then increase by five per cent increments each month until topping out at 25 per cent on October 1.

"Tariffs will permanently remain at the 25 per cent level unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory," the statement said.

"If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the Tariffs will be removed," it said.

The announcement came the same day that Trump kick-started the process of ratifying the new North American trade pact with Mexico and Canada -- an agreement that now may be under threat.

Mexico responds

The tariffs would have severe consequences on Mexico, which sends 80 per cent of its exports to the United States.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador struck a conciliatory tone in a letter to Trump on Thursday following the tariff announcement.

"I express to you that I don't want confrontation," he wrote. "I propose deepening our dialogue, to look for other alternatives to the migration problem."

Earlier, Mexico's top diplomat for North America had harsher words on the move, describing it as "disastrous" and vowing to respond "vigorously" if it is implemented.

Trump's announcement came a day after border agents in El Paso, Texas detained the largest single group of migrants they had ever encountered -- 1,036 people.

The group crossed the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, illustrating the mounting problem that Trump's administration has been unable to get under control.

The El Paso group comprised entire families, 39 single adults and 63 unaccompanied minors, all from Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

"The apprehension of 1,036 individuals in a single group -- the largest group ever encountered by Border Patrol agents -- demonstrates the severity of the border security and humanitarian crisis at our Southwest border," said Customs and Border Protection Deputy Commissioner Robert Perez.

The number of migrants apprehended has topped 100,000 a month in recent months.

They are mostly people fleeing poverty and violence in Central America to ask for asylum once they arrive on US soil.

Trump has consistently demonized the migrants as criminals and gang members and warned that illegal drugs are flowing across the border.

"Mexico's passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States," the White House said.

"Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries. Additionally, Mexico could quickly and easily stop illegal aliens from coming through its southern border with Guatemala."

White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney would not specify what sort of decrease in migrant crossings would lead to the tariffs being lifted, saying only, "We are going to judge success here by the number of people crossing the border and that number needs to start coming down immediately in a significant and substantial number."

Migrant crossings soar

A senior Republican senator said Trump's move to slap tariffs on Mexico would threaten the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, an update to the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, now awaiting ratification by lawmakers in the three countries.

"Trade policy and border security are separate issues," Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in comments reported by The Washington Post.

"This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent. Following through on this threat would seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA, a central campaign pledge of President Trump's and what could be a big victory for the country."

Trump pledged in his 2016 election campaign to halt illegal immigration, but the numbers of migrants have steadily climbed throughout his 28 months in office.

The CBP said more than 530,000 migrants have been apprehended entering the country since the beginning of the fiscal year in October 2018.

Congress has been unable to pass proposed measures to take action on the immigration issue, and Trump has been stymied by courts on some of the measures his administration has attempted.

Tapping his executive powers against a resistant Congress, Trump has also taken money from the military budget to construct sections of wall along the lengthy frontier, despite his campaign pledge that Mexico would pay for the barrier.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Occasional rain tapering to a few showers late. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 32F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Occasional rain tapering to a few showers late. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 32F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
The Saudi net investments in Egypt grew by 44.1 percent to reach $125.5 million in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2018/19, up from $87.1 million in the same period of the previous year.



In a statement, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) said that the Egyptian exports to Saudi Arabia rose by 14.4 percent to hit $276.7 million in January and February 2019, up from $241.9 million during the same two months in 2018.



In the meantime, Egyptian imports from Saudi Arabia decreased by 9.5 percent, in January and February 2019, down from $1 billion during the same period in 2018.



The report also stated that the Egyptian-Saudi trade exchange dropped 7.7 percent to $1.2 billion in January and February 2019, compared to $1.3 billion in the same period in 2018.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Chief Executive Carrie Lam

I know something about work and women, having begun my public service career in the Hong Kong Government since 1980. Come July 1, I will have served as Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for two years. Two of my Government's Principal Officials are women, the Secretary for Justice and the Secretary for Food & Health. Last year, we had the first woman chairman in the long history of our stock exchange - the Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Limited. The exchange, by the way, is the world's sixth largest by market capitalisation.

Last year also for the first time, two female eminent judges, one from Canada, the other from the United Kingdom, were appointed as non-permanent judges to the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. As the first female Chief Executive of the HKSAR, I can tell you I was thrilled to witness these historic moments.

Are we doing enough? Am I doing enough? Certainly not, but I can tell you that we are moving in the right direction. And we are doing so with speed and certainty and across different sectors in society.

Empowering women

General societal trends, of course, have been moving in the right direction for quite some time now. Access to education and training are essential to empowering women to fully participate, and at the highest levels, in business and society. In that regard, we are doing remarkably well. Women now represent 54% of students enrolled in Hong Kong undergraduate programmes funded by our University Grants Committee.

The percentage of female students studying in traditionally male-dominated disciplines is also increasing. Take medicine, for example. Some 20 years ago, about 37% of Hong Kong medical students were female. Today, nearly 52% are. And among our engineering and technology majors, the percentage of female students has risen from 14% two decades ago to some 30% today.

In the professions, women now make up nearly half of Hong Kong's solicitors and public accountants, compared to about one-third in each case 20 years ago. As for managerial positions, women hold about 35% of them today, compared with only 20% over the same period. Those percentages are much the same in the HKSAR Government. More than one-third of Hong Kong civil servants at the directorate level, that is the most senior level, are women. Just over 15% were 20 years ago.

Women in Hong Kong enjoy equal employment opportunities and are protected under the same labour legislation as men. That said, the female labour participation rate in Hong Kong was just under 51% last year, compared to 68.5% for men. This figure of 51% female labour participation rate is lower than that of Israel, Singapore and the Mainland, which stands at about 60%. So yes, there is considerable room for improvement. And we are, rest assured, working assiduously to expand labour force participation among the women of Hong Kong.

Promoting gender equality, creating an enabling environment for women, is critical to the sustainable development of our economy. I am sure we have a lot of female talent in Hong Kong, and we do need all the talent we have in order to seize the vast opportunities ahead of us.

It is true that the global economy is now facing considerable uncertainty amid the trade conflict and escalated tension between China and the United States, and we just saw Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development adjust the global economic growth forecast downward to 3.2% last week. Being a highly externally oriented economy, Hong Kong will inevitably be hit, especially in the short term. But if we look further ahead, I am very confident about Hong Kong's future.

Economic strengths

It is because Hong Kong's success is built on a very solid foundation. Possessing unique strengths under "one country, two systems", we have been named the world's freest economy by the Washington-based Heritage Foundation for 25 years in a row. Earlier this month, Hong Kong was also named the world's most open economy in the inaugural Global Index of Economic Openness. The report, produced by the London-based Legatum Institute, analysed nearly 160 countries and economies, measuring how well each enables trade, competition and productivity.

That Hong Kong came out on top is no surprise to the more than 8,700 overseas and Mainland companies that maintain an office here in Hong Kong, of course including Israeli companies. They are here because they take confidence in Hong Kong's level playing field for business, in our independent judiciary and rule of law that buttresses it.

The rule of law and judicial independence are Hong Kong's core values. They are guaranteed under the Basic Law and are fully practised in Hong Kong. In rule of law, Hong Kong ranked 14th globally according to World Bank's Governance Indicators. In judicial independence, we ranked eighth globally according to the World Economic Forum, that is fourth among common law jurisdictions and number one in Asia. Earlier, I mentioned the two female judges added last year to our Court of Final Appeal. Well, there are actually a total of 14 eminent judges from other common law jurisdictions including Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom serving on our Court of Final Appeal as non-permanent judges. Their presence itself is a testimony to Hong Kong's judicial independence.

International business also places a premium on Hong Kong's financial and investment services. In the latest Global Financial Centres Index, Hong Kong was ranked the world's third-most competitive economy, just behind New York and London. Global business also counts on our world-class communications and logistics infrastructure, as well as our deep and diversified pool of talent.

National strategies

Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" framework makes a decided difference. It gives Hong Kong advantages that no other economy can claim unless, of course, they partner with Hong Kong or set up a business here. Those advantages include access to two national strategies of global significance - the Belt & Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Our financial services strengths make Hong Kong a vital link for the Belt & Road Initiative. But there is more to our participation than capital raising. Down the road, we will also play a key role in resolving disputes among Belt & Road partners. Given that some 180 co-operation agreements and memorandum of understandings have already been signed under the Belt & Road, there will, from time to time, be disagreements among project partners and participants. These disputes will sometimes require legal intervention. Hong Kong's rigorous legal system and internationally respected arbitration and mediation laws and practice will help address the Belt & Road's dispute avoidance and resolution needs.

Then there is the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a fast-emerging city cluster integrating Hong Kong, Macau and nine prosperous cities in southern China. The numbers are as outsized as its long-term promise. Together, this emerging city cluster embraces more than 56,000 sq km, takes in a population of 71 million people, and presents a collective gross domestic product of US$1.6 trillion.

The Greater Bay Area's outline development plan, released in February this year, emphasises co-operation rather than competition among the 11 cities, giving full play to the strengths and expertise of each. The plan calls for Hong Kong to drive, among other things, international finance, trade and transport for the Greater Bay Area. But to me, the most exciting part in the outline development plan is the significant role Hong Kong is going to play in the Greater Bay Area's ambition and rise as an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub. With Hong Kong's strong research and development (R&D) capability and financial prowess, as well as the world-beating manufacturing and services production in the Mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area, the potential is obviously there for all to see.

Ideal partner

This is where we can look to Israel for some good lessons and inspiration, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Which is why our Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, led the first high-level mission from Hong Kong to Israel last September. Accompanying him were corporate investors and venture capitalists, companies focused on financial technology, biotechnology, smart city development and more. Also there were senior players from Hong Kong Science Park and Cyberport, the two flagship institutions driving innovation and technology development in Hong Kong.

Science Park, let me add, has organised three Israeli Business Matching sessions over the past several years. They have brought 32 Israeli and 115 Hong Kong companies together to explore business co-operation. And we are beginning to see that co-operation materialising. Last year, The Floor, a fintech innovation firm from Israel, set up here in Hong Kong. An Israeli startup, Dr Gene, is working on genetic research in Cyberport. And a Cyberport incubatee, AT Services Ltd, also from Israel, is using blockchain technology to build financial decision-making systems.

We look to Israel because we are committed to Hong Kong's rise as an innovation and technology leader and because Israel is an international leader in I&T development, a high-tech role model for Hong Kong and for the world. We share your spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, and I am confident we can be an ideal partner for Israeli companies looking to expand their presence in the Mainland - especially the Greater Bay Area - and throughout Asia.

I&T development

Allow me, for just a minute or two, to give you a bit of a background on where we are right now when it comes to innovation and technology. Our commitment is perhaps best illustrated by the resources we're putting into I&T development. Since I became Chief Executive 23 months ago, the HKSAR Government has invested some US$13 billion in I&T programmes and initiatives. They include two world-class research clusters, one focused on healthcare technologies, the other on artificial intelligence and robotics. In each case, we are committed to attracting prominent institutions from around the world to establish research centres and laboratories in these two clusters.

The response to date has been more than encouraging. We have received over 40 applications, involving such top institutions as MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and Institut Pasteur, just to name a few. We expect the first batch of research institutions to set up labs in the two new clusters at the Science Park before the end of this year. We welcome Israeli technology companies, especially those with healthcare, AI and robotics expertise, to join them in building the future.

To incentivise private enterprises to invest in R&D alongside Government commitment, we are providing from this year onwards tax deductions for qualifying R&D expenditure incurred in Hong Kong. Specifically, the first HK$2 million - that is about US$255,000 - in R&D expenditure will enjoy a 300% tax deduction - plus a 200% deduction on the remainder. And there's no ceiling on the amount of deduction possible.

Hong Kong startups, by the way, are thriving. At last count, there were more than 2,600 startups here. That is up 18%, year-on-year. And the venture capital investment in our startups has also soared - from about US$163 million in 2014 to US$2.3 billion last year. It is worth noting that the startup community is also highly international, with 35% of founders coming from outside Hong Kong. And for technology companies including biotech firms seeking to raise funds through IPOs (initial public offerings), the Hong Kong exchange has introduced new listing rules to meet their special needs last April. The results are encouraging but more are welcome. Actually, the HKEx hosted a second Biotech Summit two days ago to promote what Hong Kong can offer. We naturally welcome technology business in Israel to seek listing in Hong Kong.

In short, ladies and gentlemen, whether you are a global technology leader or a brand new startup, Hong Kong has pretty much everything you want and will ever need to grow. We welcome our Israeli friends, men and women, to join us. Together, Hong Kong and Israel will excel.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam gave these remarks at the Israel-Hong Kong: Women-to-Women Bridge forum jointly held by the Consulate General of Israel in Hong Kong and the Asia Society Hong Kong Center on May 31.
We have seen all sorts of stories on social media and a lot of irresponsible behaviour by people, where we have seen pictures on WhatsApp of fuel said to be sold at $7,89 per litre and because of this, the public has panicked and rushed to buy fuel, thus creating shortages.




The US embassy in Zimbabwe openly pinned its mast on the anti-Government movement in Harare yesterday after it made a desperate call for the opposition to demonstrate against President Mnangagwas administration.





The MDC-Alliance and its civil society flotilla had sold yesterday as a day for a national shutdown, a codeword for violent demonstrations predicated on bringing business to a halt in the country.





For its part, the US Embassy, long-linked to subversive activities in the country to effect illegal regime change tweeted: All citizens and their civic leaders, political parties, or civil society organisations have the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and association. All important roles to play in contributing to Zimbabwes future and must be given the space and freedom to do so.





However, the shutdown failed yesterday.





It was business as usual as Zimbabweans ignored calls on social media by rogue elements within opposition parties and civil society to stay away from work as a way of pushing President Mnangagwa out of power.





Social media was awash with calls from opposition parties, civil organisations and even the United States Embassy in Harare inciting people to demonstrate, albeit hiding behind democratic rights to demonstrate as enshrined in the Constitution.





The messages inciting people to engage in violent behaviour come immediately after MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has repeatedly called on his party supporters to effect illegal regime change.





The Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance is known to have been clandestinely organising violent protests to push for regime change.





The demonstration turned out to be a big yawn as people continued with their businesses as usual despite spirited calls for disturbances.





This proved true what President Mnangagwa said in Gweru during a graduation parade for Zimbabwe National Army Cadet Officers that Zimbabweans are peace loving people.





President Mnangagwa had said that all efforts to disturb the peace enjoyed in the country were bound to fail as Zimbabweans by nature shun violence.





Truly, the efforts by regime change agenda to cause despondency failed yesterday as Zimbabweans shunned calls for stay away and continued with their errands.





Police were on high alert to check on unscrupulous elements that threatened the peoples peace.





Sensing that the stay away had flopped, rogue elements in opposition parties and civil society tried in vain to threaten people with violence but they never heeded the call to leave town. Sensing that the stay away had flopped,rogue elements in opposition parties and civil society tried in vain to threaten people with violence but they never heeded the call to leave town.





In a statement that circulated on social media, it threatened people with violence for turning a deaf ear on their calls to demonstrate.





Everyone who is in town right now risks losing their lives, and belongings. Everyone who sent their children to school please risks losing their beloved and innocent children.





Every company or individuals vane mota dziri pa road risks losing their vehicles, kombis, taxis, buses and trucks.





by 12:00 munhu wese ngaabude mu town nhasi, munhu wese budai mu town (Everyone must leave the central business district) be it Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru Masvingo, Mutare, torai vana vamaendesa kuzvikoro (pick up your children from school) before 12:00 today we are going to close all the roads, burning mota dzese dzichafamba after 12:00pm nhasi, reads the statement. We dont want to repeat the same as what happened in January, please dont force us to be violent we have sent you a clear message which circulated in the previous two days about todays stay away and it seems as if you are relying on ZRP propaganda by 12:00 please please tapotaby 12:00 munhu wese ngaabude mu town nhasi, munhu wese budai mu town (Everyone must leave the central business district) be it Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru Masvingo, Mutare, torai vana vamaendesa kuzvikoro (pick up your children from school) before 12:00 today we are going to close all the roads, burning mota dzese dzichafamba after 12:00pm nhasi, reads the statement.





However, people were not moved by the threats and continued with their business as usual.





Demonstrations have proved that they are not good for the country as they disrupt business and can be used by unscrupulous elements to loot.





Zimbabwe Retailers Associations Denford Mutashu told Zimpapers owned radio station Star FM that negotiation between Government and business was the only way to solve the economic situation and not demonstrations.





Police yesterday said they were ready to deal with anyone who engages in any form of violence following social media reports by some rogue elements calling for a so-called national shutdown.





They are threatening to punish people conducting their business or going to work, burn vehicles, destroy shops and stopping children from going to school, among other illegal activities.





The ZRP which is now on high alert to thwart any disturbances countrywide has since started conducting investigations on the source of this alarming message.




New research paves the way for safer leukemia treatments

An international team of researchers has discovered a new and much safer way to treat a type of leukaemia that mainly affects children: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).

Published this week in Science Translational Medicine, the research is a joint effort of Children's Cancer Institute (Australia), VIB-KU Leuven (Belgium) and UK Dementia Research Institute (England), and is an important breakthrough in the effort to find safer ways to treat T-ALL

"Children with T-ALL are at high-risk of a poor outcome and so are given very intensive chemotherapy,' said Dr Charles de Bock, Team Leader at Children's Cancer Institute. 'Many of these children suffer long-term effects of this aggressive treatment. There is therefore a great need for new therapies that can minimise these effects."

The breakthrough involves drugs called gamma-secretase inhibitors, which work by inhibiting the action of the enzyme 'gamma-secretase', an important driver in many cases of T-ALL. Previously, gamma-secretase inhibitors were found to be unsuitable as a treatment for children because of their toxicity. However, this latest research appears to have found a way around the problem.

In an interesting twist, Alzheimer's disease researchers have been studying the same enzyme, as it is known to be involved in the processing of amyloid-beta which is strongly linked to neurodegeneration. Professor Bart De Strooper, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research and UK Dementia Research Institute, and a collaborator on the T-ALL research, explains: "Gamma-secretase is a complex that exists in very different versions. Clinical trials have been performed using non-selective inhibitors that target all versions of the complex equally. We wanted to explore whether inhibiting specific versions could fine-tune the treatment and reduce side-effects."

Dr de Bock and fellow cancer researcher, Dr Roger Habets, VIB-KU Leuven, looked closely at gamma-secretase in cells, finding that the relative abundance of different versions of the complex was strikingly different in leukemia cells compared with healthy cells. This led to a range of laboratory experiments which showed that targeting just one version of the complex stopped T-ALL from growing, without causing the toxicity previously associated with this class of drugs.

Dr de Bock is optimistic about the rapid translation of this research into the clinic. "Historically, these types of drugs have had very limited success due to their toxicity. Now, for the first time, we have provided proof that selectively targeting a specific version of the gamma-secretase complex is both effective and safe."

"In the future, it may even prove possible to use this approach for other types of cancer, and potentially some other diseases" he added.

Originally trained in Australia, de Bock spent several years at VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology before joining Children's Cancer Institute in January 2019 to establish his own research team. In his new role, he hopes to significantly improve understanding of how T-ALL develops, as well as continue working on new therapies.

"I'm passionate about seeing our research translate into better outcomes for people with cancer," said de Bock. "There's not a day in the lab that I don't feel excited about what we are going to find out next."

###

Habets et al (2019). Safe targeting of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia by pathology-specific NOTCH inhibition. Science Translational Medicine

Media Contact:

Children's Cancer Institute:

Ashleigh Addison

ash@uptowncomms.com

Phone: 0418 274 428

About Children's Cancer Institute

Originally founded by two fathers of children with cancer in 1976, Children's Cancer Institute is the only independent medical research institute in Australia wholly dedicated to research into the causes, prevention and cure of childhood cancer. Forty years on, our vision remains unchanged - to save the lives of all children with cancer and to eliminate their suffering.

The Institute has grown to now employ nearly 300 researchers, operational staff and students, and has established a national and international reputation for scientific excellence. Our focus is on translational research, and we have an integrated team of laboratory researchers and clinician scientists who work together in partnership to discover new treatments which can be progressed from the lab bench to the beds of children on wards in our hospitals as quickly as possible.

These new treatments are specifically targeting childhood cancers, so we can develop safer and more effective drugs and drug combinations that will minimize side-effects and ultimately give children with cancer the best chance of a cure with the highest possible quality of life.

More at http://www. ccia. org. au

About VIB

Basic research in life sciences is VIB's raison d'etre. VIB is an independent research institute where some 1,500 top scientists from Belgium and abroad conduct pioneering basic research. As such, they are pushing the boundaries of what we know about molecular mechanisms and how they rule living organisms such as human beings, animals, plants and microorganisms. Based on a close partnership with five Flemish universities - Ghent University, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Hasselt University - and supported by a solid funding program, VIB unites the expertise of all its collaborators and research groups in a single institute. VIB's technology transfer activities translate research results into concrete benefits for society such as new diagnostics and therapies and agricultural innovations. These applications are often developed by young start-ups from VIB or through collaborations with other companies. This also leads to additional employment and bridges the gap between scientific research and entrepreneurship. VIB also engages actively in the public debate on biotechnology by developing and disseminating a wide range of science-based information. More info can be found on http://www. vib. be

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Egypt's Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat signed a memorandum of understanding with her Bulgarian counterpart minister Nikolina Angelkova on Thursday on cooperation between the two ministries.

According to a statement issued by the Egyptian tourism ministry, the agreement includes articles on developing joint tourism products in the fields of cultural tourism, beach tourism, culinary tourism and other types of tourism.

Following the signing of the MoU in Burgas in Bulgaria, Al-Mashat and Angelkova discussed the possibility of organising trips between the two countries to promote tourism to Egypt.

Al-Mashat said she hoped the MoU will increase cooperation between the two countries.

Angelkova also announced that she would visit Egypt in October, heading a delegation from the Bulgarian tourism sector.

She said the possibility of declaring a twin-cities agreement between Alexandria in Egypt and Burgas in Bulgaria is being discussed.

Angelkova said she is looking to learn more about the current structural reform programme launched by the Egyptian ministry of tourism to upgrade the sector.

The ambassador of Egypt to Bulgaria attended the signing of the MoU.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Variably cloudy with snow showers. High 23F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening becoming more scattered later. Low 4F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 50%. Snowfall around one inch.
The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.

Community Perspective

Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer.

Letters to the editor

Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer.
Director Amir El-Shenawy will be hosted by Amr Salama at the Ewart Hall to discuss his latest film 'Kilo 64'

The Tahrir Cultural Center of the American University in Cairo (AUC) is hosting the screening of film 'Kilo 64' at the Ewart Hall on Wednesday 12 June.

The screening will be followed by with the film director Amir El -Shenawy, hosted by director Amr Salama.

'Kilo 64' is about the journey of an ambitious pharmacy graduate who shifts his career and starts a farming business at Kilo 64 off Cairo-Alexandria desert road. Moved by the spirit of the January 25th Revolution, Wael El-Shenawy, 24, starts an agriculture startup with the aim to make a social impact, but not everything goes as planned.

AS the filmmakers describes, 'Kilo 64', filmed over two years, is a tale of two generations as it follows the journey of the young entrepreneur who's trying to revive his fathers dream, who made the same attempt 20 years ago. A simple personal story that tells a lot about what happened in Egypt for decades.

Programme:

Wednesday 12 June at 7pm

Ewart Hall, Tahrir Cultural Center, AUC, Tahrir

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:


S hehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, says as minister of petroleum resources, President Muhammadu Buhari should have address...

hehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central, says as minister of petroleum resources, President Muhammadu Buhari should have addressed fuel subsidy by now.





Sani said this while speaking on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Thursday.





The senator was contributing to a debate on a report for the payment of subsidy arrears to some oil marketers.





The lawmakers eventually approved a sum of N129 billion as payment for the arrears.

The legislator said if Ghana could refine its crude, Nigeria could do the same.





According to him, until Nigeria starts refining its crude, the circle of exploitation would continue.





The issues of subsidy has been lingering. Until we start refining our crude oil this circle of exploitation will be ongoing, he said.





The president is the minister of petroleum resources, we thought by now he should have been able to address these issues.





Refineries built more than three, four decades ago are still lying fallow and we are waiting for Dangote to finish his refinery.





Refining [crude] is not rocket science rocket science, if Ghana is refining its product why are we still not. A government that opposes subsidy is still paying [for it], when will this end?




Ex-governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has encouraged the immediate past governors of Ogun and Imo states, Ibikunle Amosun and Rocha...

Just reading that Okorocha was arrested by EFCC. True or not, we knew this day will come.

However, I welcome him to the EFCC Alumni & enjoin the commission not to look away from Amosun too.

While I encourage them to surrender themselves as I did,I welcome Mr Okorocha to the club.  Peter Ayodele Fayose (@GovAyoFayose) May 30, 2019

Ex-governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has encouraged the immediate past governors of Ogun and Imo states, Ibikunle Amosun and Rochas Okorocha, respectively, to surrender themselves to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.Fayose did not state why he singled out the two ex-governors for the advice.Fayose gave this advice in the wake of the rumours about the alleged arrest of Okorocha and his wife, Nkechi, by the anti-graft agency.Taking to his verified Twitter handle @GovAyoFayose, Fayose noted that regardless of whether the Okorochas arrest was true or not, he knew that the day would come when EFCC would be going after the former governors.He went on to welcome Okorocha to what he termed the EFCC Alumni Club and enjoined the government agency not to look away from Amosun.His words, Just reading that Okorocha was arrested by EFCC. True or not, we knew this day will come. However, I welcome him to the EFCC Alumni & enjoin the commission not to look away from Amosun too. While I encourage them to surrender themselves as I did, I welcome Mr Okorocha to the club.Read his Tweet below:
Following the spate of violence across Ibadan, the Oyo State capital in recent times, Governor Seyi Makinde has proscribed the activiti...

Following the spate of violence across Ibadan, the Oyo State capital in recent times, Governor Seyi Makinde has proscribed the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state.





The government who declared the activities of the Union illegal with immediate effect also announced the taking over of all parks and garages in the state.





A statement signed by the Governor and read by his Chief of Staff, Bisi Ilaka enjoined the people of the state to go about their lawful duties without fear of molestation, adding that combined security task force in every community of the state have been charged to take control and maintain peace and order.





Ilaka who revealed the disclosure at the Executive Chamber of the Governors office said the decision was reached after a meeting with security stakeholders including the security chiefs in the state and government officials.





He said While appreciating the good people of Oyo State for your steadfastness overtime and support for our administration, I want to reiterate our stand on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity in our state in order to engender commercial and human development.





After todays deliberation with Security stakeholders meeting involving security chiefs and Government, we have resolved to proscribe the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) until further notice.





All activities of the Union remain illegal henceforth and we urge the people of the state to go about their lawful duties without fear of molestation, as combined security task force in every community of the state, have been charged to take control and maintain peace and order.





To this end, all parks in the state have been taken over by the state government with immediate effect.





Recall that rival faction of the union has been in leadership battle since the electoral victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Government in the last Governorship and House of Assembly elections, with a group who claimed to be loyal to the new government has been threatening to take over power as soon as a new government is sworn in at the state government levels.





Pockets of violence skirmishes have been reported in different parts of the capital city including Iwo Road, Challenge, Beere, Ojoo among others with sporadic gunshots heard.





The fear of a return to reign of violence has engulfed the state since the victory of the PDP.




Throughout the past five or even six decades, Egyptian youth have suffered from severe negligence and underestimation. They have been regarded as a headache that can be cured by painkillers every now and then. But their wellbeing was not a priority, and their education and thus future prospects were never at the top of the list. Their social and even mental wellbeing were never taken seriously.

For decades, they have been seen as often empty-headed creatures with no aims, aspirations or targets to fulfil. Egypts youth also suffered a lot under former president Hosni Mubarak. According to a 2009 survey carried out by the Population Council, 30 per cent of young men aged between 15 and 29 years old said they were looking to emigrate, mostly to an oil-rich Gulf state and largely because they did not expect to find work at home.

Seventy per cent of unemployed youth said they were jobless because there was no work available. More than 40 per cent of young people thought personal connections were more important than personal skills in securing a job.

With an educational system that has kept deteriorating due to different reasons, ranging from a lack of interest on the part of the state to the mixture of religion and education and the uncontrolled storm of Islamist education that did not offer education as much as strife to a population bomb that has kept exploding at a rate of a million newborn babies every year, Egypts youth have been left on their own for too long.

Having been one of the staunchest believers in youth empowerment as the only way out of decades of corruption and stagnation, I find myself today in need of reforming my definition of empowerment. This is the process by which young people are encouraged and supported to take charge of their lives. This is done by enabling and constantly improving their access to decent living conditions, physical and mental health services, and last but not least, proper education. It is education that shapes, transforms and maintains their consciousness through beliefs, values and attitudes.

However, the beliefs, values and attitudes maintained by many Egyptians of varying age groups makes one think when it comes to policies to rebuild our deteriorating educational system. Having had the chance to deal directly with the major partners and stakeholders in the system, I have had a lot of rethinking and re-evaluating to do.

Making a real difference to Egypts stagnant educational system will not happen through repainting a school, redesigning the covers of textbooks or changing the school uniform (if the notion of a uniform is still there). Making a real difference needs a different attitude. We have gone past the stage of sending out teachers to be trained for a few days in the UK or the US. We are also far beyond the policing approach of closing the private tutoring centres that have outgrown the role of schools and overshadowed them.

The vision presented by minister of education and technical education Tarek Shawki to reform education based on the notion of presenting real education to students rather than simply model answers to be studied by heart is based on changing the educational culture, which is the toughest task to be taken on by any individual, institution or government. As far as I know, changing the obsolete culture of education in Egypt, as well as offering the countrys youngsters a real education, though it has been adopted by the government, it has not been adopted by the people.

People in Egypt have been moaning over the past five decades that their children are not getting a proper education and sometimes are not getting an education at all. The public schools have been turned into buildings that offer students the right to take the final exams, but not the education that will enable them to pass those exams and move on to the following year and the years to come with an accumulation of knowledge.

In fact, knowledge has long ceased to be a factor in Egypts educational system.

DISFIGURED: Judging by my own experience, I can honestly say that Egypts educational system has been disfigured.

We have been pretending that we have an educational system, when we actually do not. Those with the financial ability to enrol their children in private schools will get their children a certificate, probably with varying degrees of information, not knowledge, in accordance with how much they pay.

As for the public schools, speaking of knowledge is unthought of and contemplating education is improbable, but traces of information can be found in extreme cases. Yet, we still insist that our only hope for the future is education and healthcare, meaning that Egypts only hope of making a comeback lies in reforming these things.

But when a minister comes along with a vision to change, reform and rebuild education, while having the total support of the president, guess what he finds? An aggressive and sometimes bullying environment that refuses to cooperate, let alone accept to go through the reform experience, despite the fact that everybody who is or was involved in Egypts educational system knows that we have already touched rock bottom and nothing could be worse than what already is.

The past few months, with all the uproar that has been going on with tablets, electronic exams, and exam questions, have been extremely enlightening. Leaving aside connection problems, the allocated time for the exams, and the heat waves, and also the few points here and there needed to review and adjust the system, it is no exaggeration to say that this past academic year has been worth a lot of reflection in the hope of finding conclusions and insights.

First of all, there is huge resistance to any sort of reform from the teachers. I dont have percentages, but I would argue that the majority is not ready to listen to what reform means and what to expect out of it as long as it does not revolve around raises in salaries. This is not to say that teachers do not deserve better living conditions, but educational reform is not on the list of many of them. The other point has to do with private tutoring, a sacred arena that sometimes entails indecent rules of engagement.

Asking a teacher to switch from private tutoring to the normal school education which they have long ignored means asking them to give up the thousands of pounds (with no taxes) that they secure away from their salaries. It means asking them to update and improve their teaching skills, which are very far from being perfect.

As for parents, some of them have dedicated their time and energy to Whatsapp mothers groups that have turned from discussing their childrens performance at school, problems with teachers, the prices of private lessons, and so on, to forums for experts in education and e-learning among other fields of expertise.

Parents and students who have fallen victims to their parents expertise care only for high grades, which mean to them good academic achievement, and as far as our obsolete educational culture goes also means enrolling at a top university. However, they rarely look beyond that stage to employment and job demands that are obviously not compatible with the educational culture.

The notion of capacity building is simply not there. The attempts made to modernise and update the system have been strongly and intentionally blurred due to such noise. This noise has been made by private tutors, formerly teachers, Whatsapp experts, formerly mothers, and some public figures who have ambitions of holding public posts in roaring, growling and grumbling.

A friend recently noted that parents, some of whom are teachers, always speak with pride about their children using tablets, computers and mobile phones. But when the state makes tablets available, yesterdays boasting becomes an attempt by the Ministry of Education to destroy our children and spoil their future.

Our unique ability for self-destruction, the refusal to listen, and to judge every single detail without having basic knowledge deserves some rethinking. Why are parents staunch supporters of private lessons? Why have teachers managed to ignore their original roles? Why are some of us encouraging a few students heading to the Ministry of Education calling for the ministers resignation because the exams were too difficult, the connection was interrupted or the open book style was not their piece of cake?

The delusional conviction of unquestionable power that took control of some of us after the hype of the January Revolution has led to a social mess. Everybody thinks they know everything. Everybody has become an expert in fields they have never even touched upon. Everybody thinks that the only way out of problems is by throwing stones at others and calling for their resignation. The truth is that everybody is afraid of change, even though they have nothing to lose.

The new educational system needs revision? Definitely. The 2018-19 academic year for first secondary requires evaluation? For sure. The future of education requires more planning and keeping parents and students well informed and teachers well trained. Moving from rock bottom upwards will not happen via mothers groups on Whatsapp alone, or through students calling for the ministers resignation, or teachers resisting change and protecting their private lessons.

Change, reform and development happen in societies that lend an ear to wisdom and reason, rather than the lack of them.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 30 May, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Reform and resistance in education

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Ademola Adeleke, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun, says he has been vindicated by the judgemen...





Ademola Adeleke, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun, says he has been vindicated by the judgement of the appeal court.





In a judgement delivered on Thursday, the court set aside the ruling of a federal high court that nullified Adelekes candidacy over alleged falsification of his secondary school credentials submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).





Reacting to the judgment in a statement by Olawale Rasheed, his media aide, Adeleke expressed his happiness, saying his image and credibility have been saved from the calculated smear campaign.





He alleged that he was a victim of power mongers who wanted to tarnish his image.

I am happy to read the judgement which confirmed and established the truth. I forged no certificate or testimonial, he said.





I fulfil the constitutional requirements to contest elections. I am a law abiding honest politician who is a victim of power mongers who think the way to retain the stolen mandate is to tarnish my image.





I thank the judiciary for rescuing me and good people of Osun State. The goal of my detractors was to paint me in the worst of the image. Today, I am vindicated.





INEC had announced Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the governorship election in Osun however, Adeleke and his party had filed an appeal at the state election petition tribunal and won.





In May, the appeal court dismissed the verdict of the tribunal which favoured Adeleke and declared Oyetola as the duly elected governor of the state.





Subsequently, Adeleke filed a notice of appeal at the supreme court over the verdict of the appellate court.




Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has reacted to his reported arrest, alongside his wife on Thursday. Report went viral on Thu...





Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has reacted to his reported arrest, alongside his wife on Thursday.





Report went viral on Thursday that the Governor and his wife were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.





The EFCC has, however, denied arresting the Governor.





In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha denied the arrest, describing it as propaganda by the present government.

The statement read, We have read on-line including some print media on-line platforms that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has arrested the former Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the wife, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, and one of the brothers, Okey Okorocha, today, being Thursday, May 30, 2019.





We wont delay to State that the story of their arrest is not true. It is totally false. It has no iota or atom of truth. Simply put, former Governor Rochas Okorocha, the wife Nneoma and brother Okey, have not been arrested by the Crime Commission. This is the truth of the matter.





The fact is that the new PDP government in the State has decided not to toe the path of honour but has decided to continue the old way of the party, by trading on lies or falsehood. They call it propaganda.





The new government is behind the false story. They even called some media editors to make the story headline.





We only want to ask them to leave responsible institutions or establishments like EFCC out of their dirty tracks especially in dishing out their lies.





The PDP in the State had written and sponsored a lot of petitions to agencies and Commissions against the former governor. They had told their supporters that the former governor would be whisked away by the EFCC hours after the inauguration on May 29, 2019 and that is the reason behind this falsehood.





We Contend that EFCC is a National Institution and established by the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If they invite the former governor or the wife or any member of his family for interrogation in the course of their investigation, arising from the PDPs Petitions they would honour such invitations. And if the Commission decides to also come for any reason, they are also on the right path since it is on a national assignment.





So, the PDP or any other group or persons should not give the EFCC the image of an enemy to the people. They should not be dragging EFCC into their dirty politics. The Commission is not at war with anybody and they PDP should not create that impression about the Commission.





We want to also use this opportunity to inform the general public that 24hrs after inauguration, the new PDP government in the State carried out its first assignment on Thursday, May 30, 2019 (today) by demolishing Akachi (the symbolic hand of God) erected by the former governor. This is suspicious. They have also changed the Imo Trade and Investment Centre to Ahiajoku. The former governor had taken certain steps to bring Imo people more closer to God. We have also heard that they want to close the Government House Chapel. In all these we only want to say Time will Tell.




Nigerias Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has finally lost appointment as Ambassador-at-large of the International Human Rights Com...





Nigerias Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has finally lost appointment as Ambassador-at-large of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) for not meeting up with the necessary protocols demanded of the office.





In a letter issued and signed by head of the Nigerian Office, Dr. Friday Sani which was made available in Abuja on Thursday, Dr Saraki was not forthcoming despite several meetings with officials of the International agency.





The letter further indicated that the lawmaker had been put on prior notice by the Nigerian Central Office and Africa of IHRC in which he was properly briefed, regretting that the withdrawal of nomination became necessary in line with the protocols of the agency.





Part of the letter reads: In view of recent event towards perfection of the intended decoration and the overall interest of the organization in Africa and the world, we hereby withdraw your nomination as Ambassador-at-large.

The letter added that the International Human Rights Commissions World Secretary-General, Mr. Rafal Marcin Wasik has been informed of the development.





Recall that web reported last week that Dr. Bukola Saraki was on the verge of losing the international appointment as Ambassador-at-large.





To lead a diplomatic mission as Ambassador-at-large of the IHRC, Saraki would have to be officially decorated by the Secretary-General of the agency, a development that has been elusive since the appointment in March, 2019.








Hong Kong: Govt invested in youths

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung

Founded in the year 1926, Munsang College began with the operation of just one class at each junior secondary level. Expansion followed with the setting up of the primary and kindergarten sections in the year 1927 and the senior secondary section in 1928. With the strong professionalism, dedication and visionary leadership of the management, the schools have become one of the leading education bodies in Hong Kong, currently accommodating a total of about 3,500 students.

Guided by the mottoes of "Light and Life" and "All For One, One For All", the Munsang schools have earned an enviable reputation of offering a high quality, rigorous academic programme in a caring environment. Since their establishment nearly a century ago, the schools have nurtured generations of prominent leaders who serve the community with remarkable achievements across all sectors of the community.

Our young people are the pillar of Hong Kong's future, they are our hopes as well. Education therefore plays a crucial role in unleashing and realising their potential. The current-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is totally committed to investing in education. In its first year after inauguration in the year 2017, the Government increased by $3.6 billion recurrent resources to introduce a package of measures to increase additional manpower, funding and hardware to improve our quality of education. Last year, another $2 billion of recurrent funding was allocated to further enhance teacher development, kindergarten, and integrated as well as life-wide learning. In tandem, the Quality Education Fund also set aside $3 billion for school-based curriculum development, student support measures and other improvement initiatives.

This year, the total expenditure on education will increase remarkably to $124 billion, representing a surge of 12% growth over last year. Of this, the recurrent expenditure on education will increase to $90.6 billion, representing a 6%. Over the past 10 years, recurrent expenditure on education has increased by 77%, with an average growth rate of 6.6% per year. This massive investment in education fully demonstrates the Hong Kong Governments commitment in nurturing talent for the long-term development of Hong Kong.

I always give this example in my speeches: for every $100 we spend every day, roughly $21 goes to education, $19.70 goes to social welfare, and $17.50 goes to medical services. So in other words, education, welfare and medical services in that order - and this has been almost number one, the lion's share of government spending all along. This is very simple. Hong Kong has no resources, except our people. Investing in human capital is the only way we keep Hong Kong going. If we do not invest in our own young people, Hong Kong has absolutely no future at all. So education is a very, very important policy area. It is an important investment for Hong Kong in the future. While the Government plays an active role in promoting quality education, success in education requires the collaborative efforts of all who care about our next generation. Munsang College, and Munsang School as well, have all along been our close partners in promoting whole-person education for our next generation, with the aim of nurturing them into quality citizens who are socially responsible and equipped with a love for Hong Kong, a sense of national identity, and of course an international outlook.

Ladies and gentlemen, the completion of this seven-storey new teaching complex ties in well with the Government's latest new initiative in enhancing the support to schools in widening students' learning experiences. Indeed, education is founded on dedication, passion and commitment. The Munsang schools have been a shining example in cultivating our future generations for Hong Kong and neighbouring regions.

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung gave these remarks at the Munsang College Topping-out Ceremony for its newly developed teaching complex on May 31.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Las Vegas is on track to receive upwards of 40 million visitors this year, and its cultural cache only keeps growing. A slew of extremely high profile names in music that not only encapsulate the icon status required for performers to obtain residencies there but are also unusually young have helped the cause. This year alone, Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Drake, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Mariah Carey will perform in addition to classic shows put on by the likes of Celine Dion, Janet Jackson and Jennifer Lopez. If there was ever a time to visit Las Vegas as a young person, this is it.

Related | Introducing Our Special Edition Las Vegas Issue

Enter JusCollege, the largest operator of collegiate travel tours in North America. Owned by Verve, the company is responsible for the kind of all-in-one trips that coeds dream of, including classic Spring Break trips to Cabo and Cancun, big game day weekends (think UGA vs. LSU) and musical festivals like Electric Zoo and Bonnaroo. Now a new generation of 18-23 year olds are poised to descend upon Las Vegas for a number of holiday weekends, thanks to JusCollege who chose the city in no small part because of the city's thriving music scene. Over Memorial Day Weekend, students paid $300 for a weekend that included accommodations at the MGM Grand and guaranteed entry to a range of A list performances, including a set by DJ Tiesto and performances by Lil Wayne, Rae Sremmurd, Tyga and 2Chainz.

"We have taken over as the leader in the student travel space and we're introducing new and exciting elements with every program," Verve CMO Orlando Baeza said. "At MDW, we gave our travelers the luxury of choice like never before. We curated programming for the entire weekend for both hip-hop and EDM enthusiasts and gave people the chance to 'choose your own adventure."

"We believe in curating an experience that will become an unforgettable memory in their life," Baeza said. "And we give them the opportunity to talk to us about what they want and we listen. The feedback we take from them will impact which music artists we'll be booking as talent for our Spring Break 2020 programs."

So is Vegas prepared for such an influx? Its history as the ultimate party weekend means it's ripe for hoards of young people to spend their money, and college students who belong to closely connected networks (aka Greek Life) are exactly the kind of demographic whose vacation habits will only beget more trips and more revenue for the city. And as for the students? The opportunity to party like a rockstar and see a new city for the weekend is what American collegiate dreams are made of, these days. It's a match made in heaven.

Photos courtesy


Two of the foremost LGBTQ+ rights activists of the century, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, are finally being honored for their work in the community and their participation in the 1969 Stonewall Riots. A monument will be erected in New York City's Greenwich Village, near the site of the Stonewall Inn itself, dedicated to the pair's perseverance and unrelenting spirits.

The activists, who together co-founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) advocacy network to help homeless queer and transgender youth in New York City, are long overdue for a monument of their own.

Johnson and Rivera were two of the gay liberation movement's most active supporters, but for many years were erased from stories and accounts about the movement by largely cisgender and white spaces and narratives. Only recently have the two pillars of the community been named in some mainstream accounts of the Stonewall Riots or the gay liberation movement. Still, far too few accounts or conversations include the activists or address their immense contributions to the community.

Rivera was outspoken about the erasure of her jailed "gay brothers and sisters," whom which she was fighting for, by a white middle class for years. An especially poignant 1973 speech by Rivera shows her resisting against a crowd of gay people trying to silence her advocacy of jailed community members. She does not back down from boos and calls for her to get off the microphone, she pushes forward against the screams and calls for "revolution, now." She also mentions the East Village-located STAR House where herself and Johnson housed homeless LGBTQ+ youth.

Both Johnson and Rivera are now deceased, having passed away in 1992 at age 46 and 2002 at age 50, respectively. The announcement of the monuments, which have yet to be commissioned, comes at the beginning of Pride Month, as well as the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. In a world where Pride has become a rather monotonous performance of outdated values, and oftentimes trans erasure, it is important that Johnson and Rivera, as well as their causes, are brought to the forefront.

Below, you can find a list of activist organizations that honor Johnson and Rivera's mission and work fervently to keep their voices and visions alive.
Do you remember the monster that used to live under your bed? What did it look like? What did it hunger for? Did it invade your dreams and turn them into nightmares? Have you ever stopped to consider the significance of this manifestation of your childhood fears? How you gave it shape, breathed life into your abstract emotions, and manifested it into a physical form? What does the monster under our bed ultimately reveal about ourselves?

At the premiere party for Brooklyn-based artist and musician, QUALIATIK's, video for "Mother Tongue" these are some of the things that pop into my head. Co-directed by QUALIATIK and Kathleen Dycaico, the self-produced music video is a terrifying marvel to behold. Full of nightmarish creatures, abstract blobs of flesh, pregnant vein-y bellies, cybernetic nails, and coated in lick layer of slime, the video feels like it crawled out of the collective minds of H.R. Giger, David Cronenberg, and Guillermo Del Toro channeled through a vengeful Bjork. It's creepy and disturbing, but at the same time has a strange allure to it that makes it impossible to turn away from.

Inspired by a hallucination they had, "Mother Tongue" at its core is the abstracted tale of an artist whose creations take on a life of their own. Centered on creatures referred to by QUALIATIK as "Anima," the video sees the grotesquely maternal entities cross over into reality, transforming the artist into one of their own creations. In a very meta sense, the video mirrors the process QUALIATIK took to bring their drawings to life, sublimating a part of their imaginative subconscious into physical form.

For the video, QUALIATIK joined forces with former Secret Project Robot coworker Dycaico to bring the feverish fantasy to life. Enlisting the help of models Brooks Ginnan, Tomasyn Hayes, styling by Griffin Hall, makeup by Toshi Salvino, and nails by Juan Alvear (aka NailsByJuan), the video came together within the span of a couple of weeks on virtually no budget. Sitting down with QUALIATIK afterwards, they go into detail about the thousands of hours they devoted to editing, colorizing, and generating the CGI for the film since last December. A labor of love made possible by an entire village, "Mother Tongue" is is the culmination of an artistic practice and community cultivated by QUALIATIK over the past few years. It is a triumphant achievement and by far their strongest work to date.

PAPER caught up with QUALIATIK ahead of the release of their debut EP, Discarnate, to dive further into the inspiration behind "Mother Tongue" and the wild, arduous road they took to get there.

Let's start at the beginning with "Mother Tongue. What kicked it all off? "Mother Tongue" is the single off of my debut EP which is called Discarnate. I wrote the EP when I was living in this basement because I had just come from this crazy SXSW experience after my first year of making music, everything was so insane. All of this crazy shit happened and everything just disappeared, I ended up living in a shipping container in Austin, Texas for five months. Really depressed. Then I came back to New York, was subletting my friend's basement, I didn't sleep for like three weeks and ended up getting this chronic sinus infection, then the basement caught on fire because the dryer exploded, so I needed to find somewhere else to live. I ended up living in this windowless basement, my walls were a blanket hanging from the ceiling, a mattress on the ground, a suitcase and a broken desk. They put rat poison in the walls and for eight months it was just rats piling up and decaying in the walls.

Jesus. After the rat basement, I moved into the house I still live in now to finish the record. In that house I went into this state of extreme isolation for two and a half months or so. I didn't leave my room. I built a blanket fort in my room and put brown paper up on my walls because I like to journal really obsessively, but I wanted to have it in a place where I could just jump up and write it. I wasn't sleeping at all. I was only eating cereal in the morning and a can of soup at night. And I wasn't socializing with anyone at all, I couldn't even leave my room until I was certain that none of my roommates were around because I had such severe social anxiety that I couldn't interact with anyone. So I was just in a state. Just as I was figuring out all of this anima stuff, I started entering this really bizarre, lucid, somewhat hallucinatory experience that basically changed everything. As I was drawing this anima on the wall, she came out of the wall, and got on top of me on my bed. She grew this vine penis and started penetrating me. It felt really invasive at first, like I was being assaulted in some way, but then I completely submitted to the penetration of this character, because I was basically submitting myself to having found this entity. And then I got on top, started sucking in air and I imagined that I sucked the entirety of her being inside of my lungs. I held her in my stomach and I said, 'You are a part of me now'.

How did this then become the video? The idea is actually what happened, in a meta ass way, the process of making the video and the anima coming to life. It opens with this artist manically drawing and drawing, before the lines become blurred between the artist's creation and reality. So it's like in my life, the lines have become blurred for me between that hallucination type thing. And then in the video, you see the anima start to take shape, they come to life, they gain life force. I basically submit to them. The final scene is really powerful because I have emerged from this and I'm a combination of what I was previously and the anima now. I was looking at the concept art and looking at the thing right in front of me, and it looked exactly the same.

Emotionally, what kind of state were you in during all of this? I was working this job taking care of this extremely ill 9-year-old girl every weekend. At seven AM on the weekends I would go to the Upper West Side and take care of this girl who had a feeding tube. I would wipe her diarrhea and have to pump gas out of her stomach, she would scream in agony from her gas pains because her intestines just didn't work right. I would have to go to the bathroom and cry because she was just so sweet and pure and she just had such a miserable life. It was a really morbid time but it also was a time of tremendous, leaning into empathy. The emotion of that time was morbidly sad, dark and intense, but also extremely tender and vulnerable and emotionally raw, nurturing and empathetic and I was working through a lot of personal things at that time too. I was in this crazy super introspective state for an entire year.

How did that end up translating into the music? There's this one quote from this poem by this person, I think her name is Emery Allen, and it says, "to be tender, one must endure their own suffering". That was basically the mantra that I kept, in the face of suffering you become so extremely gentle, loving, understanding and compassionate. The closer relationship you have to that in yourself and the healthier relationship you have with your own traumas and the abstract parts of yourself that you can't really work through extensively because they aren't clear. That was kind of the emotion leading into when I wrote the song.

What was that like seeing these things that you drew come to life? There's this kind of this ouroboros of, we're both kind of feeding each other against each other, the line of dominance actually becomes blurred. I was laying covered in freezing cold slime with these creatures crawling on top of me that were actual physical forms of my drawings, crawling on top of me. I couldn't see anything and I was just laying there in such a state of submission and confusion. I was like 'my babies, but I'm baby?' Like a mommy but I'm also [a] baby and it was so weird. So fucking bizarre.

What was the process of conceptually putting Discarnate together? The process of putting the record together was basically finding commonalities between these drawings and poetry I had written on my wall. "Discarnate" means non-corporeal or not having a body, not having a form. My background is in neuroscience and the reason I got into it in the first place is because I am fascinated by the subconscious, by intuition, identity formation, and how our brain functions. I was starting to just lean into that, when I draw, I don't think at all about what I'm drawing. I just draw and let the lines reveal themselves to me. I always end up with these characters that I feel extremely connected to, that are actually embodiments of my own Discarnate, a subconscious abstract or traumatized parts of myself that I don't have any other way of accessing.

Could you explain what an "anima" is exactly? As I was doing it, randomly the word 'anima' came to my mind. I was like, 'What is that about?' went over to my computer and I googled it. It's a Jungian concept that basically means the internal feminine in like a male form, but I just view it as the internal feminine. Then there was a whole list of traits that the internal feminine has; access to reality beyond physical reality, the ability to self-soothe, heal, and nurture, and compassion. It was all of the things that I had been exploring the record. And I was like, 'that is literally what these creatures are.' These creatures are representations of the inner self that understands and feels and holds the subconscious. They have a lot of pain in them when you look at them but when I look at them they seem to me like the most tender, compassionate, loving, and understanding forms. The idea was that the anima are the middleman or the middle women or middle creatures in you accessing your discarnate.

How long have you been drawing? I know it wasn't always a part of your musical practice, what was the catalyst for folding that in? Well, it's always been my go to form of comfort. I have really bad anxiety and the only thing that gets me centered is drawing. It's a channeling process for me. I've always journaled very intensely and very visually, and journaling has been a part of my creative process, because it's how I work through ideas, since the beginning. It became really integrated when I was using my walls in that room. When I started taking the pictures from my journals and putting them on the walls, and I realized there was this repeating character. This is when I realized what it meant, the anima thing clicked. The drawings meant the same thing that the music means, they're inseparable.

A common theme I've noticed through your work is this organic fleshy-ness but somehow simultaneously synthetic? Yeah, there's definitely supposed to be a cybernetic element to it. Because I think a lot about the brain in the future with integration of brain chips and stuff. I already work with AI a bit and have a history of working with Arduino and EEG and literally doing brain surgery on rodents. I've worked with flesh, I've done open heart surgery, I've done brain surgery. I've done some really morbid science things, but also in the context of a sterile lab setting and with computational brain models. The biggest research I did was on schizophrenia, studying how THC is the biggest trigger for people who are predisposed. Its really intense but also a very beautiful. These things are very emotional for me, I can't quite make sense of it, but it's basically how I feel internally.

How did you end up coming together with Kathleen Dycaico for the piece? We both worked at Secret Project Robot. She bartended and I was engineering and we became friends, we had a lot of mutual friends. We really vibed with each other and she had me come DJ one of her bartending nights. It was cute. I always thought that she was very talented, a very strong presence, but I had no idea how amazing she is! We got coffee to talk about her doing a performance for the Halloween Unseelie show and ended up talking about this video instead. I had been writing this 30 page treatment about it and making all this art and she had a lot of really beautiful ideas. There was this really compelling thing about the pregnancies and what it represented.

And how did you two go about making that a reality? She met with me, at some weird cafe in FiDi after one of my acupuncture sessions for my tailbone, and we started talking and got into it. She actually never agreed to do it, it just kind of happened. She brought together all the people on the production end the set designer, the Director of Photography. I had already reached out to all of the people on the creative end, all the people for prosthetics, [Brooks Ginnan], Griffin [Hall], all my friends who worked for free, basically, and everybody came together. In two weeks Kathleen and I conceived of everything, and I set up this prosthetic station in my house. She basically helped me feel okay with telling the hallucination story when explaining the video and just embodying that fully. It was just the most perfect, collaborative dynamic I could have imagined.

You can catch QUALIATIK alongside Eartheater, Swan Meat, Deli Girls, and more at H0l0 in Brooklyn for the EP's release party May 31st.

Photos and Stills Courtesy of QUALIATIK




Honourable Madam Jean Mensa, I admit youre not one of my students in the American Government/Political Science class in order to subject you to these long and boring lectures before going straight to whatever advice I have under my sleeve. Hopefully, you will come to accept that a sizable number of college-level lecturers are given to providing serpentine contexts in many of their presentations; often the main purpose is for contextual clarity. Its against this backdrop that this one must be understood.



By the way, events happened in political space, workplaces, schools, churches, mosques and indeed in our lives all the time. These occurrences help humanize our interactions and other endeavours. Also, there are certain developments that play out in our midst every day that are so bizarre and petty that finding the head and tail of those events/problems is nearly impossible or it becomes wild goose chase. The classic example here is the political pettiness and the false construct of moral equivalence the Mahama-NDC faction is putting up in its incessant demonization of the current Electoral Commissioner, Madam Jean Mensa.



In a normal political atmosphere in which reasonable and relatively selfless debate of national issues by a viable opposition party that genuinely has the countrys supreme interest at heart, this unrequested advice wouldnt have been relevant. But, as Ms. Jean Mensa knows by now, the current NDC brand that is advertised by ex-President John D. Mahama is not ones typical opposition party with a conventional aspirant for the presidency.



This is because its the first time in Ghanas political history a defeated-incumbent-former president is fiercely contesting again the seat of the presidency he lost by the widest margin to his main challenger. On that basis alone, Mr. Mahama appears to see everything through the prism of dog eat dog world political campaign of a lifetime!



As many of us have written over and over again, a sober reflection of the NDCs 2020 flag bearers public and/or behind-the-scene pronouncements/demeanours depict a leader super nervous, paranoid, vindictive, and mad as hell as Americans would say. Obviously, JDM cannot wrap his head around the reality that he lost the 2016 presidential elections fairly.



And to add insult into injury, one of his gold standard legacies in the form of Ghanas electoral institution represented by his specially-chosen former EC Ms. Charlotte Osei has been lawfully disentangled under the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government. So it is as if the current president has unleashed a merciless bodily blow onto the face of the ex-president and right after the harmful blow the Kyebi Tough Guy tells the Bole Show Boy to make sure he doesnt cry loud.



Based on the humiliating scenario above, its surprising on some occasions Mr. Mahama forgets he is no longer president, so he acts/talks as if Ghana has a co-president and that persons name is Mr. John D. Mahama. Then again, this makes him presumably behave he is not like any other presidential contestant running for the highest office of this nation.



For some reasons, JDM and his deep-dyed supporters seem to believe the EC through some foul means can make one win an election and become president of Ghana in this age of prying social media at the election collation centres. Other than that what else could have been the driving force behind all these insults, disrespect, and accusations Mr. Mahama, Asiedu Nketia, and many others within the NDC see in Ms. Jean Mensa that poses threat to them or for that matter creates a stumbling block against any partys equal chance of winning the 2020 general elections? If todays EC can easily rig presidential election for a particular candidate, none of us will be having this conversation in that ex-President Mahamas hand-picked then EC Charlotte Osei would have definitely made it possible for her golden boy JDM to win re-election in 2016.



Any clear-thinking Ghanaian knows the current EC Ms. Jean Mensa has absolutely nothing to do with the self-defeatist behaviour of Ms. Charlotte Osei that conspired to ferment her sacking as the EC. Thus, the argument that from day one the NPP top brass has never liked Ms. Osei as then EC and that the party wanted her to go long time ago while in opposition and in power is childishly laughable.



Ms. Charlotte Osei created her own miserable circumstances leading to her shameful firing from the EC position. She gave her so-called detractors in the NPP a solid legal/constitutional basis to initiate her removal. Its worth mentioning that the countrys constitution is very clear regarding the right steps to remove the EC in the event of dishonest behaviour. The occupant of that office cannot be dismissed in any arbitrary manner by anyone, not even the all-powerful executive president of the republic.



Yet, the NDC spearheaded by its General Secretary Asiedu Nketia backed by the partys flag bearer Mr. Mahama are trying hard to create moral equivalence with fallacious underpinnings because Ms. Jean Mensa and her predecessor Ms. Charlotte Osei have management pathways that are poles apart, unrelated, and incomparable in terms of class and competence levels. But this variant NDC group does not care about the falsehoods they put in the air to mislead Ghanaiansincluding some of the clueless mediafor power.



In fact, one of the prominent members of the NDC, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, is reported to have observed that his party lost in the last general elections in part because they lacked good intellectual base capable of framing national debate anchored in coherent policy issues to win the hearts and minds of millions of Ghanaians.



Its why my unrequested advice to Ms. Jean Mensa is that she must stop (if she is doing it) taking the bait fromespeciallyMr. Asiedu Nketia and his political idol ex-President Mahama whose campaign flourishes on propaganda, insinuations, and conspiracy theories. The EC must not give any party the chance to drag her independent office into a baseless back and forth accusations of unfairness. Do not allow the ideas-bereft campaign machine of the ex-president to turn you into the P.R.O of the Electoral Commission.



If any party honestly has serious issues relating to the commission, the law court is there to resolve it. The NDC will never stop cynically pushing your buttons to get under your skin in an insulting manner. Its one of the partys grand schemes for 2020 elections and it was hatched by Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo with the full approval of Mr. John D. Mahama. Rise above the pettiness of Mr. Asiedu Nketia and co. Many of us know your quality, Maam.



Bernard Asubonteng is US-based writer







Source: Bernard Asubonteng/Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
A 31-YEAR-OLD self-styled spiritualist has been incarcerated to 12 years imprisonment by the Tema Circuit Court B for defiling a 14-year-old Junior High School (JHS) pupil in his shrine.



The convict, David Narteh, who doubles as a herbalist was charged with abduction, assault, defilement and threat of death by court presided over by Ms. Mariama Sambo.



He pleaded not guilty to the four charges levelled against him but after a long trail he was found guilty and sentenced on each count after pleading for mitigation.



According to the fact read to the court by the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Samuel Dadzie said, on February 2, 2019 at about 9:00pm, the mother of the victim closed from church with her and decided to leave her behind for an errand. The victim who felt hungry at night, 11:30pm, decided to go out for food. She was returning home after buying the food when she was approached by the accused that he was a neighbour watch committee volunteer and wanted to escort her home.



He told the victim an announcement had been made that nobody should be seen outside at that odd hour and as such he was taking her to the police station instead. On reaching the police station the accused did not stop which caused the victim to be scared.



After a hot chase by the accused, he dragged her to his room and locked her up. In her attempts to escape, she tried using a screw driver to open the window but failed. On his return, he threatened the victim to kill her with a cutlass if she did not remove her dress.



The victim who was afraid obliged and the accused forcibly had sexual intercourse with her. He kept the victim in his room overnight and later sent her to his shrine attached to his room and made her swear that she would not voice out to anybody about the ordeal and if she dared disclosed it, she would die.



Immediately after swearing, he had another round of sex with her at the shrine and attempted to give the victim an amount of GH5 for transport which she rejected, after he bought the victim gentian violet for her wounds.



The victim who was helpless and traumatized returned home the following morning at about 5:00am and narrated her ordeal to her mother. Without wasting time, the mother lodged compliant with the Prampram Police and a medical form was issued to the victim to attend hospital for examination and treatment.



The accused was later arrested and the case referred to Tema Regional office of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service for further investigation.

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
Madam Tina Mensah, a Deputy Minister of Health, has urged Ghanaians to be conscious of their health conditions at all times to maintain high standards of wellness.



She underscored the need for regular medical check-ups to help identify any strange illness and to seek timely treatment to avoid sudden deaths which were becoming common in the Ghanaian society.



Madam Mensah made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on the sideline of a medical outreach programme, organised by the Gold Coast Medical Foundation in collaboration with Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly and POS Foundation.



The health screening exercise, which registered over 350 beneficiaries, was aimed at providing free medical care for residents within the Weija-Gbawe Municipality and its environs.



Madam Mensah, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Weija-Gbawe Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, said the health screening was also to assist some people who could not afford to go to the hospitals for regularly checkups.



She noted that it was therefore, important for initiatives such as medical outreach programmes to be organised to enable people, particularly the less privilege in society, to have access to these screening exercises, thereby knowing their status.



The Deputy Minister commended Gold Coast Medical Foundation, an American based Organisation, for their gesture to provide healthcare to various communities across the country.



Dr Kwabena Boakye, Co-Founder of Gold Coast Medical Association, said beneficiaries of the exercise were screened for hypertension, kidney diseases, hepatitis B, diabetes, prostate cancer and blood pressure and as well breast cancer examination.



He said the medical team observed that lots of people had high blood pressure and though they were taking their medication, they take it for like a month and when they run out they fail to go back to the health centres for refill.



He said another challenge was that majority of the beneficiaries did not have funds for the medication.



He said as part of the outreach programme they offered free medication and also educated the constituents on the importance of living healthy.



Dr Boakye, who noted that the Foundation would be in Ghana till June 13, added that we are offering free screening and medication; however, those with severe cases will be referred to the closest hospital for further checkups.



Mr Patrick Kwesi Brako Kumor, Municipal Chief Executive of Weija-Gbawe Municipality, said issues concerning health were a priority, thus, ensuring that people had access to healthcare and making sure constituents were fit to go about their duties and businesses.



He said with regards to malaria prevention measures, the Assembly had taken steps to ensure that the drains were desilted, and would soon provide dustbins in the various homes to make sure people did not litter around.



But at the end of the day for us to achieve this, our people have to be reminded that the health of the citizenry rely on us, we need to make sure we do the right thing; is all about attitudinal change, he added.



Mr Michael Nti Mensah, a former Secretary at Weija SCC Taxi Rank, lauded the Gold Coast Medical Association for coming to their aide.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Former President, Jerry John Rawlings in collaboration with Zoomlion Ghana Limited and the Forestry Commision have begun a one week tree planting exercise in parts of Accra to commemorate this year's June 4 Anniversary.



Flt. Lt. J. J Rawlings led junior officers on June 4th in a revolution in a violent uprising in Ghana in 1979 that arose out of a combination of corruption, bad governance, lack of discipline, frustration among the general public and lack of discipline within the Ghanaian army and society.



Planting the first tree, Mr. Rawlings urged the Ghanaian media to use their platforms to educate the Ghanaian populace on the need for them to protect the environment and plant more trees in order to live long.



He called on civil society organizations and government agencies to inculcate the culture of tree planting to mitigate global warming and avert environmental degradation.



He is also entreating government and especially the law enforcement agencies to ensure that the environmental sanitation laws are enforced rigidly.



President Rawlings believes community policing is the best strategy to hold unpatriotic Ghanaians to abide by the laws of Ghana.



On his part, the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies and Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong thanked President Rawlings for inviting Zoomlion to join in the tree planting exercise. He recounted how Zoomlion since 2007 has been partnering with different stakeholders in tree planting and clean up exercises.



He appealed to the media to continue to sensitize the people against tree felling and littering among others to have an enhanced environment in Ghana saying if the city of Dubai is the way it is today on a desert, Ghana can do better but not without the conscientious efforts of the citizenry to keep a cleaned and beautiful environment.



Dr. Agyepong asked every Ghanaian to be a watch dog to ensure that trees are not fell for construction purposes unless the necessary precautionary measures are taken with the state agencies.



He gave the assurance that his outfit will continue to plant as many trees as it can and support all others who will seek it's collaboration in the environmental and sanitation space.



The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Samuel Ofusu Ampofo said the party was build on the tenets of discipline of which environmental care is one and considering the fact that the environment is being degraded on daily basis it was appropriate for the party to encourage tree planting towards it's anniversary.



Over three hundred trees were planted along the Shiashie - Legon Street and more to be added across the city of Accra.









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
HEADLINE: Accra Floods: 27 years of democracy, 7 General Elections den 5 Presidents but still Ghana dey flood every year



After 55 minutes of rainfall on Wednesday, most parts of Ghana flood, dis dey include areas wey before-before dem no dey experience flood.



De situation make mandems dey wonder what go happen if rain fall for like 2 hours as e happen on June 3, 2015 when flood den fire disaster kill some 150 Ghanaians.



One of de challenges wey Ghanaians dey face annually be floods but after 27 years of democratic governance which produce 5 Presidents out of 7 general elections, people dey wonder why all these political leaders no resolve de flooding situation.



See how floods trouble Ghanaians since 1992 when de country start dey practice democratic governance.



Flooding profile for Ghana under de fourth republic



1995: Accra & Axim floods



De first major floods Ghana record under de Fourth Republic happen around 1995 for de capital Accra den Axim, Western Region.



De floods wey hit de capital, Accra destroy chaw properties like shops, people dema homes den stuff. Around de time vehicles even float for water top wey de areas wey suffer de most include Odorna, Alajo, Nima, Adabraka all of dem dey close to de Kwame Nkrumah circle which dem now transform into interchange.



Same year, floods also hit parts of Western Region, particularly, Axim which record de highest amount of rainfall.









1997: Accra floods



Around June, 1997 de rains fall small-small for two days which cause another flood again.



Major roads for de capital make full plus water so drivers lock for de roads top.



Major rivers like Odaw and Onyasia almost break dema banks, sake of de threat some residents run from dema houses go higher grounds.



1999: 5 Regions floods



Around 1999, floods hit 5 regions for Ghana which displace close to 300,000 people according to reports.



De floods displace people for Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Brong Ahafo and de Volta region all dat year wey e destroy chaw properties.







2001: Accra Floods



De 2001 floods wey hit Accra be de worst since de 1995 floods. Dis one de rains come one early morning wey e bury parts of de city liken Madina, Achimota, Dzorwulu, Avenor, Santa Maria den Adabraka Official Town.



State broadcaster, Daily Graphic, report sey residents for those areas climb trees, some enter dema rooftop den stuff until sey dem rescue dem.



2007: Over 300,000 Ghanaians affected



Around 2007, floods once again hit three regions, Upper West, Upper East den Northern Region which affect three hundred and seven thousand, one hundred and twenty-seven people according to Daily Graphic reports.



2010: Accra & Eastern Region



Parts of Accra den Begoro, which dey Eastern region flood after some two hours of rainfall.



De rains destroy homes, people dema private properties den stuff in dis year.







2010: Floods kill 35



In 2010, de death toll from floods start dey shoot up big time, for de first time dem retrieve thirty-five bodies from flood waters across the country by volunteers and rescue workers.



In that same year, floods cut off Swedru from other communities. Three bridges which dey connecti Agona Swedru municipality to dema neighbouring communities all collapse.



De National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) record at least 3,000 people as victims for de Agona West municipality which dey inside de Central Region.



Dat same year, combination of floods den Bagre Dam spillage for Burkina Faso displace 161,000 people across de country nationwide.



2011: Accra & Atiwa floods



Officials for de Ghana Meteorological Services Agency, reveal sey around July that year dem record measured 71.5mm of rainfall which destroy people dema homes for Accra.



Residents for Adabraka, Kisseman, Alajo Junction, A-Lang for Santa Maria, Oyarifa, Haatso, Adenta and de Tema Timber Market according to Daily Graphic all submerge under water.



Also, floods kill 5 people, wey e affect some 105 farmers for Atiwa District which dey Eastern Region make stranded for 3 days after about 10 hours of massive rains.



By November, 2011 NADMO reveal sey de floods displace 43,000 people wey de death toll increase catch 14.



The death toll in Accra rose to 14, while 43,087 people were said to have been affected by the downpour, officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) said.







2013: Accra floods



Once again around May, 2011 morning rains which start like 4.30am flood areas like Nkrumah Circle, Darkuman Kokompe Obetsebi Lamptey roundabout, parts of de Graphic Road, Santa Maria den Dansoman Roundabout areas.



2014: 10 hours of rain



National newspaper report sey around June 6, 2014 after 10 hours of rainfall, massive floods hit Accra places like Adabraka, Awoshie, the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Mallam, North Kaneshie, Abeka, Dansoman den Odorkor.



2015: Flood & Fire disaster kill 150



On 3 June 2015, Ghana record de worst flood disaster after combination of floods den fire kill some 154 people around de Kwame Nkrumah circle.



After dis crisis, then John Mahama government promise sey dem go resolve de flood problem for Accra.







2016: Another flood hit same June 3 disaster spot



One year after June 3 disaster wey happen for 2015, Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) make claims sey dem finish 70 percent of de work required to resolve de flood situation for Accra.



But on June 9, 2016 another flood happen again for Accra wey e affect desame Adabraka, Nkrumah Circle areas where de flood and fire disaster happen de previous year.



2017: Flood kill 59 year old woman who dey drive



Social media videos around 2017 capture very sad moment where flood dey carry one 59-year-old woman who dey drive for road top around Gariba Lodge, Northern Region.



Reports be sey de woman dey go pick en child for school but de storm drain for de area full up, wey drag am inside.







2018: Teshie Bush road flood kill doctor



One 32-year-old medical doctor for Ridge Hospital den six other people die for floods inside after heavy rains fall for Accra.



De medical doctor drown for Teshie Bush road, near Demo bridge after de rain carry she den en car as she dey try go house.



Around September, 2018 NADMO officials reveal sey at least 34 people die for northern sake of floods den also de spillage of Bagre Dam from neighbouring Burkina Faso.



2019: Accra floods kill 5



In April dis year, 5 people die for Accra after de rains cause floods for parts of de capital. Out of de five, military couple who dey go house drift from de road top enter storm drain along de motorway.



After dema death, menerz charge on Prez Akufo-Addo sake of he no talk about dema deaths but he go tweet about France Notre Dame fire disaster.



Since that flood, de latest happen just yeste for 55 minutes wey floods happen again.



De worry be say dis time around de few minutes of rainfall cause places wey dem never flood before saf to flood.



So since 1992 wey Ghana become a democracy, dis be de major flooding issues wey hit de country over de past 27 years.



One important thing be sey while people dey blame de problem on government who no try tackle de flooding issue once and for all, some too sey de citizens dema attitudes like waste disposal, building in waterways be de main cause of flooding.





Source: bbc.com/pidgin









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
Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, the National President of the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee and Sheanut Farmers Association (COCOSHE), has expressed profound gratitude to the Chief Executive of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, for his intelligent handling of matters relating to the welfare of cocoa farmers in the country.



According to him, he was very much grateful for the new measures the COCOBOD Boss had put in place to ensure easy access to him, and for the concerns of farmers to be addressed promptly.



Your handling of farmers is exceptional, he said, adding that you are the only Chief Executive who has come to visit us. You recognise that without cocoa farmers, there is no COCOBOD. So, we thank you very much.



Mr. Bukari, who was also a member of the Board of Directors of COCOBOD under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, was speaking as the leader of a delegation of regional chief farmers who met with Mr. Boahen Aidoo, on Thursday, 30th May 2019.



You are unique, Mr. Bukari told the COCOBOD Chief Executive, noting that Keep doing what you are doing. What we ask for you is that, the president and the Agriculture Minister, will continue to give you the chance to keep doing a great job for them.



After we came to visit you the first time, you came to meet us all again in Kumasi and listened to our views and for that, we are very grateful.



The COCOSHE National President said the country would benefit immensely if it had more people like the COCOBOD Boss, who has devoted his knowledge and wisdom to help his country.

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
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said he will investigate reports of shoddy works on dams being constructed under the One-village, One-dam government initiative.



According to the President, he was aware of claims by a section of the media that some residents of beneficiary communities were not satisfied with the quality of work on the dams being constructed in their respective areas.



President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance when a delegation from the Navrongo Traditional Area in the Upper East Region, led by the Paramount Chief (Navro Pio), Pe Asagepaare Dennis Aniakwao Belinia Adda II, paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House in Accra last Wednesday.



Delegation



The delegation included some members of the Royal Family and eight senior divisional chiefs and their elders.



They were at the seat of government to express gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for standing by them during the funeral of the late Paramount Chief of the area, Dr A. B. Adda, and the processes leading to the enskinment of the present paramount chief as the successor.



Touching on the development of the Navrongo Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS), President Akufo-Addo said the decision to make the Navrongo Campus of the UDS autonomous was irreversible.



He said the government had put processes in place to realise that objective and that very soon it would materialise.



He was grateful to the chiefs for readily offering land for the expansion of the university and commended the chiefs and the people of Navrongo for ensuring a peaceful succession to the skin and urged other ethnic groups to emulate that exemplary attitude of the people.



Unity



While stressing the need for a united Ghana for a smooth development process, President Akufo-Addo said: Yes, we will have differences in opinions and views, as it should be in any free and open society, but we do not want monolithic thinking in Ghana that everybody should follow what I say. No.



He said he was not interested in that kind of Ghana because I want a Ghana where people are using their minds to make contributions to the general welfare and the understanding that even though there are differences among us, we are bound together in one common enterprise of building a great future for our country.



I, therefore, hope that your reign will be equally peaceful, productive and prosperous to the people of Navrongo, he told the Navro Pio.



The President indicated that the possibility to achieve that united country for enhanced development is available and so there is the need to work together to make that happen.



Appreciation



In a speech read on his behalf, Pe Adda II expressed appreciation to President Akufo-Addo for his unwavering support and love for the people of Navrongo, as well as his unrelenting efforts at ensuring lasting peace in northern Ghana.



He was happy with the rehabilitation of the Tono Irrigation project and the governments Planting for Food and Jobs programme, which he said would provide economic opportunities for the people of the area.



The chief also welcomed the decision of the government to turn the Navrongo Campus of the UDS into an autonomous university of Technology and Applied Sciences.



Pe Adda said plans were underway to institutionalise traditional governance to insulate the institution against associated tensions and conflicts in the area.



According to him, the Navrongo Traditional Council would be rehabilitated and the secretariat located in the precincts of his palace to provide space for a new secretariat to position the paramountcy on a proper pedestal for effective traditional governance, while a museum and a base for documentation on the tradition and culture of the people would also be established to promote tourism.

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
Elder Bismark Amoah, founder and leader of Bohye Prayer Camp Ministry located in Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital would be awarded with doctorate degree from Ternopil National Economic University in Ukraine come July 13, 2019 at the Great Hall of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.



The man of God would be given the award for his gross resistance against false prophets, prophecies and the enormous leadership achievements demonstrated in the inistry of Christ.



In a citation presented by Mr. Isaac Rockson, communications strategist of Confederation of Governance Assessment Institute (COGAI) and Bureau of Research on Governance, Commerce and Administration (BORGCA) on behalf of Ternopil National Economic University, Ukraine last Wednesday ahead of the main event slated for July.



The citation of honour for Elder Bismark Amoah read In recognition of your gross resistance against falsehood and the enormous leadership achievements demonstrated in the Ministry of Christ.



Elder Bismark Amoahs boundless vision as a great man of God has transformed many lives, giving hope, fulfilling purposes and gratifying his ministry with signs and wonders.



Again, his commitment and dedication by bringing the most renowned and powerful ministers of GOD to fight against false prophets and prophesies is unmatched, leading to the fortification of churches, today.



Mr. Isaac Rockson announced that, after assessing his achievements in Ghana and beyond, the "TERNOPIL NATIOANAL ECONOMIC UNIVERSITY" will confer upon him a "Doctorate of Philosophy" (Honorary Degree) under the auspices of the "CONFEDERATION OF GOVERNANCE ASSESSMENT INSTITUTE"  COGAI.

'TERNOPIL NATIONAL ECONOMIC UNIVERSITY'.



Rockson told the congregation after the presentation that, the research team, thus, Bureau of Research on Governance, Commerce and Administration(BORGA) had monitored the activities of Bohye Prayer Camp for the past four years.



According to him, they sent the sick, mentally derailed persons and other persons with health related issues to his camp to really know if elder Bismark Amoah is a true man of God.



But after monitoring and assessing his works, it was concluded that the man of God deserves to be honoured.



It was revealed during the monitoring by BORGCA that, the man of God is against the selling of anointing oils, apples and other items in churches, he is strongly against pastors selling Lotto numbers to church members, and the deprived.



The pastor does not take credit for himself when he is able to heal the sick or performs miracles. He always give God the credit.



Mr Rockson said The citation was given to the man of God on merit. COGAI also gave a trophy to the two ministers of the gospel as a result of the impact this minister of God is making.



He added COGAI and BORGCA on behalf of Ternopil National Economic University presenting the citation after over four years of monitoring his work, how he conducts his service, he doesnt use dubious means.



We dont have the right to give anybody doctorate, but it us the university which have the accreditation through their Ministry of Education that has the mandate for the honorary doctorate.



Receiving the citation, Elder Bismark Amoah was humbled and dedicated the award to the most high God.



He used the occasion to call on colleague prophets to preach the true gospel of Christ and to desist from duping church members in the name of God.



He lambasted pastors who bath peopleswives in the name of God, selling Lotto numbers and doing business for their selfish gains in the name of God.











Source: Ayisah Foster/thebroadcasteronline









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
Some former board members of the National Communications Authority (NCA), who are facing trial for allegedly causing financial loss to the state, have once again filed applications praying an Accra High Court to halt its proceedings.



Lawyers for three of the five accused persons, Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, William Mathew Tetteh-Tevie and Dr Nana Owusu Ensaw, filed the separate applications to stay the proceedings before the court to challenge a ruling of the presiding judge, Justice Eric Kyei Baffuor.



Thaddeus Sory, lawyer for Baffoe-Bonnie, has filed two separate applications for stay of proceeding; one challenging the ruling of the judge in a mini trial to determine the admissibility of his clients caution statement in which he claimed the accused persons benefited financially from the purchase of the Pegasus equipment.



The other application is challenging the decision of the judge to dismiss an application for submission of no case filed on behalf of his client.



Two lawyers, Godwin Tamakloe, representing Tetteh-Tevie and Johnson Normesinu, who held brief for Samuel Codjoe, counsel for Nana Ensaw, are also challenging the ruling of the trial judge in respect of the applications for submission of no case.



The lawyers, therefore, prayed the court to halt the trial until the final determination of the appeals by the Court of Appeal.



Appearing before the court yesterday, Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora-Obuobisa, told the court that they have not been served with any of the applications.



Justice Kyei Baffuor adjourned the matter to June 4, 2019.



Trial



Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie, together with other ex-board members- William Mathew Tetteh Tevie, a former Director-General of the NCA; Nana Owusu Ensaw, Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman, a former National Security Coordinator, as well as private businessman George Derek Oppong, Director of Infraloks Development Limited, have been accused of conspiracy and causing financial loss to the state.



The five accused persons are also facing 16 other charges, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, using public office for profit, money laundering, among others.



Prosecutions Case



The prosecution closed its case before an Accra High Court on April 18, 2019 after calling six witnesses.



The witnesses included Abena Asarfo Adjei, Director of Legal Affairs at NCA; Dr. Isaac Yaw Ani, Deputy Director General in-charge of management and Operations; Colonel Michael Kwadwo Poku, Director of Operations at National Security Secretariat; Duncan Opare, Deputy National Security Coordinator and Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah, the investigator of the case.



No Case



Immediately the prosecution closed its case, the defence lawyers informed the court that they would exercise their rights per Section 173 of Act 30 to file a submission of no case.



The presiding judge, in his ruling, dismissed the applications and ordered the accused persons to open their defence on May 30, 2019.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced that it will hold consultations with stakeholders as a means of enhancing transparency in its work.



Those penciled for the consultations include members of the clergy, Imams, traditional rulers, civil society organizations (CSOs) and former presidents, among others.



The novelty in the history of the commission is titled: High Level Stakeholder Consultations by the Electoral Commission.



Jean Mensa, Chairperson of the EC, said in a press release that it seeks to hear firsthand what the concerns and issues of key stakeholders are regarding the commission and its operations. Additionally, the engagements will provide the Electoral Commission the opportunity to inform stakeholders about its current activities and outlook for the future.



The programme is intended to demystify EC operations, among others, and bring the EC closer to the citizenry, it added.



The leadership of the EC, led by Jean Mensa, has already met a number of media houses, including DAILY GUIDE, Graphic Communications Group and Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).



Ultimately, its expected that at the end of these consultations, the commission would have not only opened its doors and operations, but would also have gained tremendously from the insights and experiences of stakeholders, according to the release.

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
President Akufo-Addo is billed to commission the biggest blending fertiliser plant under governments One District, One Factory initiative by the end of June this year at Asuboi in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region.



Rev Foster Mawuli Benson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Glofert Limited, said the company, which has capacity to produce 2,400 tons of fertiliser daily, has started receiving orders from state institutions for onward supply to farmers across the country.



Rev Benson disclosed this when 70 officials from IFDC International visited the blending plant at Asuboi to learn about its operations.



According to him, poor agronomic practices and improper application of fertilizers affect crop yields in the country.



We are in to offer tailor-made fertilizers or nutrients solutions to the various farmers where we blend specific and that is the reason why you see this huge edifice here. By far this is currently the biggest fertilizer blending plant in Ghana. It blends 24,000 metric tonnes a day. We are investing because we believe that is the best way to go, he said.



Asked why they chose Asuboi, he said they wanted to provide farmers with more suitable fertilizers for their crops.



He indicated that for the first time in Ghana, farmers are going to use different types of fertilizers depending on the crops that would be cultivated and the type of soil chosen for cultivation.



Patrice Annequin, leader of the IFDC delegation, said the team was satisfied with the operations of Glofert Limited and expressed the hope that the company would assist farmers to enjoy the fruits of their labour for a long time.



The 70 delegates were selected from 25 countries across the world.

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
Former Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), ACP K.K. Amoah and two other persons have been cleared of a contempt of court against them before an Accra High Court.



Gideon Delali Deklu, a disgruntled former employee of EOCO, who was dismissed for insubordination in 2018, filed the suit against his former boss and the Managing Director of GCB Bank Limited, Anselm Ray Sowah, as well as the High Street Branch Manager of the bank, Francis Nyarku.



The suit followed the dismissal of the employee on the recommendation of a disciplinary committee of EOCO and a further order on his bankers GCB to freeze his account and transfer the accrued funds in the account to the Controller and Accountant Generals Department (CAGD).



The applicant filed an application for judicial review, challenging the decision of EOCO to direct the bank to place an embargo on his bank account.



Delali Deklu, in his application, contended that while the application was pending before the court, he was issued with a dismissal letter and a further instruction to GCB Bank to return the withheld funds to the Controller and Accountant Generals Department.



That, he averred, was willfully done by EOCO to bring the administration of justice into disrepute and make nonsense of the outcome of his application for judicial review.



EOCO, in its reaction to the affidavit, argued that Deklu was dismissed following the report of a duly constituted disciplinary committee, which he appeared before in the company of his lawyer.



EOCO argued that the fact that the applicant had filed the application did not prevent it from dismissing him based on the recommendation.



It added that the decision to transfer the accumulated funds to the Controller and Accountant General was to protect the public purse and that the dismissed applicant had not filed any process against his dismissal.



Lawyers for GCB Bank also contended that despite the directive from EOCO to transfer the funds to CAGD, it transferred the funds into a suspense account pending the determination of the suit.



This, according to the bank, was because it had noticed that the dismissed employee was still making withdrawals from the account, which was the subject matter of the suit before the court.



The court, presided over by Justice Novisi Afua Aryene, at the end of the hearing, dismissed the application, saying it lacked merit and awarded a cost of GH500 against the applicant.

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
Contrary to a widespread objection that has greeted governments One-Village One-Dam initiative in the Northern part of the country, the Ministry of Special Initiatives says it is impressed with the work done so far on some dams under the initiative.



Government has come under heavy criticism over the construction of the dams which have been described as shoddily done.



But Public Relations Officer(PRO) of the Ministry of Special Initiatives Awudu Moro Kabore insists the works done so far have met the specifications as prescribed by the ministry.



Responding to some questions on Bolgatanga based Yem Radio Mr. Moro said the responses from some residents of beneficiary communities in the Upper East on the state of the newly constructed dams do not reflect the actual situation.



We have also spoken to community members and the responses are different from the impression created. They are happy about the work done except the one dam in the Kasena area that had its bank washed away



There are specifications for these dams that were set by technical people. And so far most of the dams have met our specifications he said.



According to him, none of the dams constructed in the Upper East region has been fully completed adding You know how our financial processes work, the contractors have raised certificates and yet to receive some payment. So you will see them back there to finish the work. What you see is not the final work.



When asked whether the ministry is impressed with the work done so far, he said once our specifications of the dams have been met we are impressed.



Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has pledged to investigate allegations of shoddy work in the construction of dams under the governments One Village One Dam project in northern Ghana.



According to the President, media reports about the poor quality of work on the dams will not be overlooked.

Source: mynews









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
Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the Volta and Oti regions owe the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) a total of GH 27.6 million in debts.



Though MDAs constitute only 1.5 percent of customers, which translates to 478 out of an active customer population of 31,597 in the two regions, they owed collectively 80 per cent of all outstanding debts to the company.



Mr David Seshie, Regional Commercial Manager of the Company, who told the Ghana News Agency in an interview, said the MDAs and other private costumers in the two regions collectively owe a colossal GH34 million cedis in debts.



He mentioned the 66 Artillery Regiment (Volta Barracks) and the Ho Teaching Hospital formerly, Volta Regional Hospital as among the highest defaulters, accumulating GH3.95 million and GH2.08 million, respectively, covering 102 and 125 months.



Mr Seshie said apart from dealing with recalcitrant members of the public for illegal connections.



He disclosed that the company had begun massive disconnection exercise to redeem its investments.

Mr John Eric Kwofie, Regional Production Manager of GWCL said about two decades ago, Ho was the only regional capital with treated water outstripping the population but the situation has sharply change.



He said the minimum demand for Ho now stood at 7.5 million gallons a day, but production currently was 2.5 million gallons a day, resulting in forced rationing of the resource bi- weekly as he appealed to clients to store water.



Mr Kwofi said the Company was re-activating the mechanization of two boreholes on the Kabakaba Hill to shore up supplies.



He said plans were underway to expand the Kpeve Head works plant to produce 20 million gallons per day capacity from the current four million gallons production.



Mr Kwofi said feasibility studies had been completed with proposals received from two Chinese companies in respect of the expansion works designed to last two decades.



He said the Company was considering extension of water to Tanyigbe, Adaklu, Kpetoe, Abutia, Taviefe, Kpedze, Tsito, Dzolokpuita and Anyirawase after the expansion works.



Mr Kwofi said River Dayi in Hohoe had been dredged to increase intake to meet the demand of 7.5 million per gallon, where current supply stood at 0.4 million gallons for Hohoe.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Member of Parliament for Kumbungu, Ras Mubarak wants members of the Ghana Beyond Aid Committee to resign en-bloc over the cover page gaffe in the Ghana Beyond Aid Strategy Document.



The lawmaker moments after the Committee released a statement apologizing for the error on the cover page of the document, took to his Facebook wall and wrote: They have apologized for Photoshop in Ghana Beyond Aid document. The committee members should be resigning instead of apologizing. Such incompetence!



The Ghana Beyond Aid Committee has apologized for wrongly splashing Kenyas skyline as cover page for the Ghana Beyond Aid Charter.



A statement by the Committee signed by its Secretary, Dr. Eric Yeboah said the commissioned photograph on the cover page of the Ghana Beyond Aid Strategy Document outdoored by the President was an error



The Committee apologises unreservedly to the President and the nation for this error and takes full responsibility for it. said the statement.



The document put together by a committee headed by the Senior Minister showcased high rise buildings over a green landscape. One of the buildings in the image has however turned out to be the headquarters of Dawit Insurance in Nairobi.



The development triggered public outrage, including Kumbungu MP, Ras Mubarak who has described the blunder as embarrassing to the nation.



I feel so embarrassed and government minions should spare us. You see a spirited defence of this very embarrassing spectacle. They are telling Ghanaians that we shouldnt worry about the cover of the document; we should focus on the substance. But if you were to go inside the substance you will even realize that there a bundle of contradictions.



But the committee said it will ensure that the cover page of the charter will be replaced before it is printed on a large scale for distribution to stakeholders.

Source: kasapafmonline









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 document put together by a committee headed by a senior minister in Ghana depicted high rise buildings over green landscape and one of the buildings turned out to be headquarters of Dawit Insurance in Nairobi.



Reports according to ghanaweb revealed that the image that was on the cover of Ghana Beyond Aid Charter was launched during the May celebration by Ghanian President Nana Akufo-Addo.



The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Kumbungu Ras Mubarak described the use of an image of Kenyan skyline as embarrassing.



A picture comparing Ghana Beyond Aid Charter and Strategy document's cover page and Nairobi's Dawit Insurance center.

The angered MP who spoke to Starr news lamented, As if the issue of the President plagiarizing peoples speeches wasnt bad enough, they have once again photoshopped a skyline from Nairobi and thats what you see when you open the Ghana Beyond Aid document.



I was really shocked to see that, if we are trying to aspire to greatness as a country, there are equally exciting countries that we could aspire to become. To say that futuristically we are looking to become what Kenya is today is most embarrassing, expressed Ras Mubarak.



However, attempts by other government officials to downplay the matter have resulted in them urging Ghanian nationals not to worry about the contents of the document but instead focus on the contents of the substance.



Ras Mubarak added there were other more beautiful buildings in Ghana that could have been projected on the document which seeks to reduce the countrys dependence on aid.



He complained that Our country, Im confident to say that our country looks good. The skyline of Accra is great and there is absolutely nothing wrong with using the skyline.



He further lashed out at the current Ghanian government for ignoring their skyscrapers and instead opting for Kenyan high rise buildings in Nairobi.



They had to go to Kenya, to Nairobi, to photoshop and to give an indication of the future Ghana aspires to become through the eyes of Nairobi. This is most ridiculous, simply embarrassing, to say the least, he complained.



The Ghana Beyond Aid Charter and Strategy Document has 61 pages and 7 chapters spelling out the role of government and citizens to wean the country off the dependence of donors.

Source: kenyans.co.ke









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 Chairperson of Ghanas Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Jean Mensa, must know that she is standing on the fair and just shoulders of her predecessors Mrs Charlotte Osei and Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan and, thus, must do her job without fear or favour, a former Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, has said.



She does not have any choice [but to deliver free and fair elections], Oye Lithur said on Class FM on Thursday, 30 May 2019, stressing: The Electoral Commission Chairperson Mrs Jean Mensa does not have any choice. She is a Ghanaian and she has sworn an oath, shes supposed to uphold the law, the Constitution of Ghana and the electoral laws. She has to apply those laws without fear or favour.



The human rights lawyer, who accused Mrs Mensa of bias against the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in carrying out her duties as EC Chairperson, said: She has to ensure that she delivers free, fair elections for the people and the Republic of Ghana, adding: She is standing on the shoulders of Mrs Charlotte Osei, and Dr Afari Gyan, who have done that, so, it behoves her [to do same]. Her integrity is at stake, her values are at stake, and were expecting her to deliver free and fair elections because Ghana is peaceful, and we do not want to be plunged into war, or we dont want instability and war, so, she doesnt have a choice. If she applies the law, nobody has a problem with her.



Asked by the host if the NDC is not merely repeating exactly what the New Patriotic Party (NPP), then in opposition, did to the now-impeached Chairperson Mrs Charlotte Osei, Nana Oye Lithur said: I do not believe that it is the same thing, explaining that: There are clear biases that Jean Mensa has demonstrated.



Adducing evidence to back her charge of bias against Mrs Mensa, Nana Oye Lithur, who wants to run for the Adentan parliamentary seat on the NDCs ticket, said: If you heard the recording, the altercation between her and General Mosquito, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, its very clear that there were issues, together with her deputy, I think is he Dr Bossman? They have made audible statements; they have written statements and they have said stuff that call their neutrality as umpires as far as our electoral process is concerned, into question and I believe thats why the NDC, as a party, is questioning, is raising questions [about their neutrality].



Oye Lithur continued: What I would personally say, I know Jean Mensa personally, very personally. What I would say is that the stability, the progress and peace of Ghana rest on her head as Electoral Commission Chairperson. And she owes that onerous responsibility to be a transparent umpire, to be an umpire and referee with integrity, to be an umpire that ensures that our electoral processes are followed through to the letter



So, it is not just words that are flying in the air. Theres concrete evidence and there are instances where Jean Mensa has not conducted herself in a way that we would say that she is an umpire and that she would dispense and implement our electoral laws without fear or favour, and these are the warning signals that the NDC is raising.



Oye Lithurs concerns dovetail into similar ones expressed by former President John Mahama, who is the flag bearer of the NDC for the 2020 general elections.



Mr Mahama said a few weeks ago that the posturing of Mrs Mensa does not indicate that she will be neutral in the 2020 polls.



According to him, Mrs Mensa has acted in ways that suggest that representatives of the political parties are a disturbance to the elections management body, a situation Mr Mahama said was unfortunate.



They need to prove us wrong. We have our doubts that they can be neutral and fair  The current posture and the way they are conducting things makes us doubt that they will be neutral and fair in 2020, Mr Mahama told Accra-based Citi FM on Monday, 20 May 2019.



He added: The EC is not a secret society. It is not somebodys private closet that needs to be shut, and, [we], not know what is going on there They should open all the process.



When the EC starts behaving like the representatives of political parties are a nuisance  then this affects the trust and confidence the people have in the EC  a neutral arbiter.



Touching on the chair of the Commission, Mr Mahama said: Her posture doesnt give confidence that she is going to be neutral in this matter, he stated.









Source: Class FM









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 lead speaker at the third June 4 revolutionary lecture, Professor John Bright Kobla Aheto, says for Ghana to achieve good public governance it needs a dynamic and broad-minded leader who is an upright steward and possesses a flawless vision to pioneer the countrys transformation.



He described the current political dispensation as a big joke and said the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress had completely failed the nation.



Professor Aheto said in view of the gross retrogression of our nation, the only viable thing to do is to resort to sustainable good governance as a national agenda.



The keynote speaker said though there is a deliberate assault on institutions of state, the civil service now an order-taking institution, the bench packed to the limit and things falling apart, we are pretending everything is okay.



Professor Aheto said ingredients needed to achieve good public governance included the independence and integrity of all national administrative institutions and arms of government, holistic, integrated, critical and creative thinking as well as a conscious effort to protect the rights of the citizenry.



Delivering the lecture at the R.S. Amegashie Hall of the University of Ghana Business School on Wednesday, Professor Aheto who is a management expert, said the pillars of public governance included integrity, accountability, fairness and equity, transparency and independence.



Public governance implies that the leaders, politicians, directors, civil servants and public servants are accountable to the nation and citizenry, Professor Aheto said.The lecture which was under the theme, Developing a national character for sustainable good governance was part of activities marking the 40th anniversary of the June 4 uprising.



Professor Aheto said June 4 was an unstoppable and easily predictable insurrection which was borne out of a rare combination of devastating and endemic corruption, bad governance, lack of discipline, impunity by leaders in the face of deep-rooted frustration of the masses and the bankruptcy of political governance.



Other speakers at the event were General Nunoo Mensah, Prof Joshua Alabi, Professor John Gatsi and Goosie Tanoh.







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
LIBERIA HAS gone to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a possible bailout to savage its broken economy dominated by alleged cases of corruption and mismanagement.



President George Weah made the announcement about his country going to the IMF on May 29, 2019, while addressing Liberians from Liberias capital, Monrovia, about the poor state of the countrys economy.



According to him, soon, we will welcome a team from the International Monetary Fund, coming to create an IMF program tailored for Liberia.



He noted that such a program will help us to take the needed steps to stabilize our economy, restore confidence in our currency, and offer technical assistance to continue social services.



Requirement



Mr. Weah said an IMF program requires greater discipline across government budgets.



He revealed that we will be introducing salary caps for government workers, and asking our legislators to share the burden as well.



The President announced that we will review performance and revenues from our State-owned enterprises, ensuring that leakages or inefficiencies do not undercut the ability of government to support its people.



Justification



He sought to have justified his administrations IMF move on grounds that other African nations including Ghana, Rwanda, and Senegal, have benefited from IMF bailouts.



He said we have seen other African countries, including Ghana, Rwanda, and Senegal, benefit from IMF programs, and I believe Liberia can do so as well.



Ghanas last IMF bailout was a three-year which came in 2015 under the former President John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) which had been accused of corruption, gross incompetence and mismanagement.



The total amount Ghana benefited under the program was about $920.58 million. That came with stringent conditions, including restrictions on recruitment, and borrowing.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The impasse between the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Electoral Commission seems far from over as the former says it has no confidence in the latter.



Member of Parliament for Odododiodio constituency, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye says certain actions by the EC are enough indicators that the electoral body is not going to be neutral in the 2020 elections.



The EC, up till now, has not given us the confidence that they will be neutral arbiters in next year's elections. We will continue talking about this until Jean Mensa and her brother (Bossman Asare) do the right thing, he opined.



Nii Lante, who was contributing to a panel discussion on Fridays edition of Peace FM's Kokrokoo, said the ECs actions are becoming so loud, so profound that it is making it difficult to believe them.



He further indicated that since the EC is not paying heed to their comments, they will do whatever it takes to protect our ballot . . . we will make sure every ballot is counted, adding this is not about NDC; it is about Ghana . . 





Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/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
NPP National Youth Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B says it is misplaced for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to use the Institute of Economic Affairs Ghana (IEA) as a basis for alleging that Madam Jean Mensa is a member of New Patriotic Party (NPP).



According to him, it will be wrong for the NDC to complain of unfair treatment from the IEA because "if anybody has suffered in the hands of the IEA, it is Akufo-Addo; not the NDC, but he never complained. So its sad whenever they make that statement and the worst is they have not even provided any evidence".



Nana B who was speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Fridays edition of Peace FM's morning show kokrokoo, also condemned the NDC for attacking Dr. Bossman Asare, a Deputy Commissioner.



Watch videos below













Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/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 Member of Parliament for the Odododiodoo constituency has chastised the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa for not visiting every media house during their familiarisation tour.



The EC boss and her two deputies; Dr. Eric Bossman Asare and Director of Electoral Services, Samuel Tettey toured some media houses including; Despite Media, Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), the Multimedia Group of Companies, Daily Guide Network (DGN) and Citi FM.



However, Nii Lante Vanderpuye speaking to the issue on Peace FM's morning show 'kokrokoo' programme says the Commissioners should have visited all the media houses in Accra to drum home the point that they are 'not selective'.



"Their actions are becoming too loud; too profound . . . you either avoid all or visit all," he indicated.



Watch his submission below





Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/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
Ghanaian actress and philanthropist, Yvonne Okoro has supported Black Queens, the national senior female team with a whooping amount of $10,000 cash.



The actress deed comes after she promised to extend a grant to the Black Queens after they came third in the recent tournament held in Abidjan.



Yvonne Okoro promised to gift the team 10,000 dollars upon their victory.



Finally she has fulfilled that promise. In an event held at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, she handed over a cheque of the said amount.



According to her, she is totally for women empowerment, and she believes her deed will go a long way to help the Black Queens and invites others to help the team.



She as well thanked bloggers for their support and cautioned them against false publications.















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
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form


Signs reading "comply with police orders" have been placed near the Shangri-La Hotel Thursday, one day before the annucal Shangri-La Dialogue starts. Photo: Li Aixin/GT



The Chinese delegation at this year's Shangri-La Dialogue arrived in Singapore on Thursday for the highly anticipated three-day event, which gathers defense ministers, military chiefs and top-ranking military officials from 38 countries.

The delegation includes China's State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe, officers from the ministry and scholars affiliated with the People's Liberation Army (PLA), such as Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission Shao Yuanming and PLA Southern Theater Command Navy Commander Wang Hai.

No police officers have been seen on Thursday around the Shangri-La Hotel where the dialogue will take place from Friday to Sunday. A taxi driver told the Global Times that most police forces in the country are wearing plain clothing and surveillance cameras are everywhere.

Signs reading "police checks ahead" and "comply with police orders" can been seen near the hotel. Security scanners were being set up inside the hotel Thursday evening.

Organized and convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), this year's dialogue will see Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong deliver the opening address on "the importance of stable US-China relations to the region and the role smaller states can play in bolstering the multilateral world order" Friday evening, according to IISS press release.

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will deliver a speech with the theme, "The US vision for Indo-Pacific security" in the first plenary session Saturday morning. On Sunday morning, Wei will make a speech about "China and international security cooperation."

Wei's attendance at the dialogue has grabbed worldwide attention since this is the first time in eight years that such a high-ranking Chinese official will represent the country at the conference.

"The decision stems from China's and the world's needs," Zhou Bo, director of the Security Cooperation Center of the Office for International Military Cooperation at China's Ministry of National Defense, told Global Times.

The Chinese defense minister's attendance is always highly anticipated, Zhou said. According to the agenda, only defense ministers from China and the US enjoy an entire session individually to deliver their speeches. Such arrangement mirrors the significance to hear the two countries' voices.

"As China's military and comprehensive strength rises, some countries are getting increasingly suspicious and concerned about it. It is much more necessary to tell the Chinese stories well," Zhou said.

Wei and Shanahan is expected to meet at the summit.
Giving a Great Presentation

When youve determined where and when youll give your presentation, the next thing to do is practice, practice, practice!

Make sure that you familiarize yourself with the content of the presentation really well so that you dont have to read your notes while you present. You dont have to memorize the exact words, but you should know the main points to cover for each slide. If there are aspects of a slides content that you dont fully understand, do some additional online research until you are confident that youve got it. Once you know the content well enough, youll be able to speak about it in a natural way, in your own words, emphasizing what you think are the most interesting points. If its your style to do so, you might also add your own commentary or humor to the presentation, personalizing it and making it more engaging to your audience.

If you don't do much public speaking, record yourself giving the talk on your phone, and then watch your talk. Listen to it without watching it to catch verbal habits you may have. Watch it without sound to see if you have distracting physical habits. Watch out for talking too fast. Allow yourself to finish one sentence before going on to the next. Enunciate!

Answer questions if you can, but dont be afraid to admit that you dont have all the answers. It's never a bad thing to say "I don't know," and you can always follow that up with "here is how I would find out the answer." You can also direct people to plantary.org to learn more about the topic. This is also a great way to encourage people to go out and learn more about a topic themselves.


Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian introduces the torch for the 7th Military World Games, which is scheduled to be held in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province in October, at a routine press conference on Thursday. Photo: website of the ministry



Foreign media accusation of Chinese fishing boats firing laser beams at Australian helicopters in the South China Sea is not consistent with the facts, said Wu Qian, spokesperson of Chinese Ministry of National Defense, on Thursday.

The Australian side should reflect before accusing others, Wu said at a routine press conference.

Chinese fishermen have the right to operate in Chinese territorial waters and to sail through open seas, Wu noted.

Wu's remarks came after Australian media reports on Wednesday claimed that Chinese fishing vessels shot laser beams at Australian navy helicopter pilots when they were conducting exercises in the South China Sea, forcing them to land as a precaution.

However, the reports did not provide evidence of the alleged attack. Australian news website abc.net.au reported that it has not yet been confirmed if the vessels were Chinese-flagged.

A Chinese military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times that China's fishing vessels are not advanced enough to have laser beams.

Another anonymous military expert told the Global Times that a laser beam would require vast amounts of electricity to power, and it is impossible for a fishing boat to provide such power.

Even if something was shot at the helicopters, it was probably only flashlights, as the aircraft flew too low and too close to ships, the anonymous expert said.
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:
Prosecutors seek compulsory treatment for Russian cadet accused of plotting terror attack

 RAPSI

10:49 31/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI)  Prosecutors have demanded compulsory psychiatric care for cadet Vadim Osipov as sentence in a case over preparing a terror attack in the A.F. Mozhaisky's Military-Space Academy, attorney Vitaly Cherkasov has told RAPSI.

In January, the Moscow District Military Court ordered Osipov to undergo repeated mental evaluation. Judges threw the results of the first exam conducted during investigation and ruled that the defendants mental health should be reexamined. In April, the court ordered A.F. Mozhaysky's Military-Space Academys cadet Vadim Osipov to undergo mental treatment. The ruling was made based on the results of the repeated mental examination of Osipov, which revealed signs of schizophrenia.

Osipov stands charged with inducing to terrorism and preparing a terrorist attack.

Investigators believe that the cadet was involved in inducing and recruiting his course mates for terrorist activities and/or provided financial aid to terrorists. A book banned as extremist has been uploaded to his smartphone, according to investigators. Moreover, a copy book paper containing the barracks scheme and capture plan have been seized from him.

Osipov pleaded not guilty claiming that he discussed the St. Petersburg metro terror attack that occurred on April 3, 2017, and actions of security services with his course mates. The cadet stated that he had drawn the barracks scheme in order to think the safety system through and discuss shortcomings for self-education.

The A.F. Mozhaisky Military Space Academy is a military educational institution providing training for specialists of the Aerospace Forces and other types of the Armed Forces in 40 different military specialties.




Russian cadet charged with plotting terror attack to undergo forced mental treatment

 RIA Novosti, Ruslan Krivobok

12:52 31/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI)  The Moscow District Military Court on Friday ruled to forcibly confine cadet Vadim Osipov charged with inducing to terrorism and preparing a terror attack in the A.F. Mozhaisky's Military-Space Academy in a psychiatric hospital, his lawyer Vitaly Cherkasov told RAPSI.

Earlier, several psychiatric examinations brought out signs of schizophrenia in the cadet. Prosecutors insisted on compulsory treatment for the defendant.

Investigators claimed that Osipov was involved in inducing and recruiting his course mates for terrorist activities and/or provided financial aid to terrorists. A book banned as extremist has been uploaded to his smartphone, according to

The cadet pleaded not guilty claiming that he discussed the St. Petersburg metro terror attack that occurred on April 3, 2017, and actions of security services with his course mates. Osipov stated that he had drawn the barracks scheme in order to think the safety system through and discuss shortcomings for self-education.

The A.F. Mozhaisky Military Space Academy is a military educational institution providing training for specialists of the Aerospace Forces and other types of the Armed Forces in 40 different military specialties.




Putin signs order naming Russian airports after prominent figures

 RIA Novosti, Vladimir Vyatkin

14:08 31/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI)  President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed an order naming more than 40 Russian airports after persons deserving well of the country, according to the statement published on the official website of legal information.

Thus, Moscows Vnukovo was named after aircraft designer Andrey Tupolev; the name of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin was given to Sheremetyevo; and Domodedovo airport received the name of Russian polymath, scientist and writer Mikhail Lomonosov.

Naming of certain geographic divisions including airports, railway stations and seaports, after outstanding Russian persons was affirmed by the presidential decree of November 28, 2018. The first round of the public naming initiative finished in December. Over 6 million people took part in it.




Wu Qian, a spokesperson with China's Ministry of National Defense, Thursday thanked all peacekeepers in UN missions for their contribution.

Wu made the remarks at a press conference while displaying a letter from a Syrian refugee in Lebanon who praises and thanks the medical and linguistic staff of a Chinese peace-keeping force for curing him of a serious wolf bite.

"I would like to present this letter and his goodwill to all the peacekeepers, and thank you for your selfless devotion to world peace," Wu said.

The 18th group of Chinese peacekeepers for Lebanon left for a UN peace-keeping mission earlier this month.

Peacekeepers of the 17th group swept over 7,000 square meters of a minefield and cleared over 1,400 mines, completed over 70 engineering projects and provided medical services in over 10,000 cases. All 410 members were awarded UN medals for their contribution, according to Wu.

Besides, two Chinese military officers working at the UN Department of Peace Operations, together with 28 of their colleagues from 18 countries, were awarded medals for their contributions to the UN peacekeeping effort, Wu said, offering his "heartfelt congratulations."
The world's two biggest economies are engaged in a bitter trade war. And the widening divide between Washington and Beijing goes beyond trade.

Military tensions on the rise

On May 19, a U.S. Navy warship sailed within 12 nautical miles off China's Huangyan Island, also known as Scarborough Shoal. It's the second so-called "freedom of navigation" operation by the U.S. Navy in the South China Sea in a single month.

Huangyan was the site of a major standoff between China and the Philippines in 2012. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Defense released its annual report on Chinese military capabilities, criticizing China's activities in the Nansha, or Spratly Islands, as militarization. Beijing strongly opposed those moves.

The Chinese Navy unveils the upgraded version of the Type 055 destroyer off Qingdao, eastern China during a fleet review marking the 70th anniversary of the Navy's founding, April 23, 2019./VCG Photo

"The Chinese side has made resolute responses to the provocations by the U.S. side. We hope that the U.S. can meet with us on halfway, to expand mutual cooperation on the basis of mutual benefits, properly handle differences on the basis of mutual respect," said Wu Qian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense.

'PLA won't tolerate interference in Taiwan'

The Chinese military is also strongly opposed to a meeting between U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton and one of Taiwan's top officials. It slammed Washington for engaging with the island.

Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives backed legislation supporting Taiwan, as lawmakers pushed for a sharper approach to relations with Beijing. The Pentagon said Washington has sold Taiwan more than 15 billion dollars of arms since 2010.

Chinese navy personnel perform at an event celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in Qingdao, China, April 22, 2019./VCG Photo

Chinese military analysts said the traditional foundations of economic ties and military dialogue mechanisms are breaking down. If the Trump administration hits China with more sanctions and provocative military actions, the Chinese military has to come up with tougher countermeasures.

"Recently, the U.S. side frequently plays the Taiwan card in an attempt to contain China, which is only wishful thinking. If the U.S. side is playing with fire, it seriously hurt the advancement of China-U.S. ties, and seriously undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," said Wu.

Shangri-la Dialogue

At the Shangri-la Dialogue which opens Friday in Singapore, Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe, and U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan will both deliver major speeches. It will be a chance for the two militaries to open a discussion on their differences and deal with the worsening ties.
An exciting LJ in tough conditions, Thobias Montler reminded the field that Sweden has produced some strong jumpers. Here is how Stuart Weir viewed the competition and the

One of the highlights of the 2018 Bauhaus-galan IAAF Diamond League was the men's long jump. Juan Miguel Echevarria from Cuba won with 8.83 (wind 2.1) and jumped so far that he was almost out of the pit. Well, he is back this year and the pit has been lengthened - apparently it was easier to lengthen the pit than move the board back.

And to add to the intrigue, at the pre-event press conference, Mike Powell who has held the world record of 8.95 since 1991, announced to the world that Juan Miguel had the talent and technique to break the world record. Powell joked that he had been giving him advice on technique - but not too much advice.

Juan Echevarrria, photo by PhotoRun.net

In the event, the men's long jump was an anti-climax with Echevarria not managing 8 meters until his final jump, a leap of 8:12. Reigning world champion, Luvo Manyonga was over 8 meters with his four legal jumps but his of the best of 8.07 was only good enough for fourth place. This opened the door for the local boy, Thobias Montler, to win. Going into the competition his PR was 8.10, a distance which he exceeded three times this evening including his winning jump of 8.22.

On paper it was a disappointing competition with Echevarria and Manyonga, both 8.60+ jumpers and world lead, Jeff Henderson, all falling short of the best. But the Swedish crowd could not have cared less about any of that is they cheered a Swede to victory.

Thobias Montler, photo by PhotoRun.net

The weather conditions were tough with a temperature of 53 (12 Celsius) and a strong wind which registered from +4 to -0.4 during the course of the competition.

A delighted Montler said, "It was pretty cold but a fantastic competition for me with 8.22, a PR. It is also the standard for the Olympics so I am super happy. I did a 8.43 jump a week ago in the wind but it gave me confidence for today. My family and friends were here and the home crowd made it very special for me. Of course I am surprised to come out on top with the big names - I know Luvo and Echevarria can jump really far but maybe I am more used to the cold! It was a great competition for me so I am so happy".

There really is nothing like a home win.
Korea ranked 26th out of 137 countries in the 2017 global competitiveness rankings announced by the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.

The WEF said Korea is one of a few industrialized countries whose rankings actually fell over the last decade, citing political instability and an inflexible labor market as Korea's biggest weaknesses.

It said one area "in which Korea consistently underperforms is labor market efficiency, in which it ranks 73rd, hiding deeper challenges with regard to labor market flexibility -- in which it ranks 106th -- caused notably by conflictual labor-employer relations and high redundancy costs."

The bastion of neoliberal economic doctrine ranked Korea 112th in redundancy costs, 88th in terms of hiring and firing practices, and 62nd in flexibility of wage determination.

Korea rose to 13th place in 2008 but fell to 24th in 2011, only to stage a brief comeback at 19th place in 2012.

But it performed highly in macroeconomic environment (second) and infrastructure (eighth). The WEF said the Korean government must continue to strive for labor market reforms.
Maharashtra, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services Market



Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services Market are distinct types of care which are both provided in a home setting, but most people aren't aware of the differences and use these terms interchangeably. The key difference is that "home care" is non-clinical care and "home health" is clinical care. In 2018, the global Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.



To get holistic SAMPLE of the report, please click:

https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/269583



The Major Players Covered in this Report: Brookdale Senior Living, Sunrise Senior Living, Emeritus Corporation, Atria Senior Living Group, Extendicare, Gentiva Health Services, Senior Care Centers of America, Kindred Healthcare, Genesis Healthcare Corp., Home Instead Senior Care & More.



Market segment by Type, the product can be split into

Home Health Care Services

Residential Nursing Care Services



Market segment by Application, split into

Female

Male



Global Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services Market: Regional Segmentation

For further clarification, analysts have also segmented the market on the basis of geography. This type of segmentation allows the readers to understand the volatile political scenario in varying geographies and their impact on the global Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market. On the basis of geography, the global market for Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services has been segmented into:



North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)

Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)



Grab Your Report at an Impressive Discount ! Please click Here@

https://www.reportsmonitor.com/check_discount/269583



Reasons to buy:



1. To gain insightful analyses of the market and have comprehensive understanding of the global Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market and its commercial landscape.

Assess the Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.

2. To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market and its impact in the global market.

Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.

3. To understand the future outlook and prospects for Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market.



The report gives highly importance to following aspects of Global Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services Market:



Dominant company/manufacturers profiles including business data, product description, and market share.

Market analysis for past, recent years as well as forecast up to 2025.

Qualitative and quantitative segment-wise evaluation of Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market.

Global market share, sales volume, and CAGR of Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market.

In-depth study of the market in terms of applications, types, and regions.

Market driving factors, contemporary trends, investment opportunities, limitations, strength, challenges of the Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market.

Insightful counsels which helps investors, organisations, and novices to plan their business stratagem and making critical business decisions.

Some of the key questions answered in this report:



Detailed Overview of Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market will help deliver clients and businesses making strategies.

Influencing factors that thriving demand and latest trend running in the market.

What is the market concentration? Is it fragmented or highly concentrated?

What trends, challenges and barriers will impact the development and sizing of Global Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market?

SWOT Analysis of each defined key players along with its profile and Porter's five forces tool mechanism to compliment the same.

What growth momentum or acceleration market carries during the forecast period?

Which region may tap highest market share in coming era?

Which application/end-user category or Product Type may seek incremental growth prospects?

What focused approach and constraints are holding the Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market tight?



For More Details On this Report:

https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/269583/Home-Health-Care-And-Residential-Nursing-Care-Services-Market



2019-2025 Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market report explains detailed information about market growth trend, analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and existing market dynamics is carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Home Health Care And Residential Nursing Care Services market before evaluating its possibility.



About Reports Monitor

Reports Monitor is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. With an intrinsic understanding of many business environments, Reports Monitor provides strategic objective insights.
Rockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- FactMR has published a new study titled "Automotive Tire Market Forecast, Trend Analysis & Competition Tracking: Global Market insights 2017 to 2022", which drops light on the overall market scenario prevailing in the automotive tire sector. Based on this assessment, the automotive tire market is likely to register steady growth during the forecast period until 2022. Interestingly, it is projected that the target market will acquire nearly US$ 300 billion in 2019. Some of the prime facets motivating revenue growth in the global automotive tire market includes enhanced tire performance, launch of innovative products and surging tire production.



According to this FactMR study, the automotive tire market is likely to showcase burgeoning growth at 5.1% CAGR through 2022. This report accentuates the primary consequences associated to the automotive tire market together with a comprehensive research methodology to educate the readers. Further, the involvement of primary and secondary researches to acquire actionable insights about the automotive tire market works to make this assessment a well-heeled data source.



Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=12



Technological Innovations to Steer Market Propagation



Looking at the global automotive tire market, technological progressions are expected to aid manufacturers to update their production process and thereby adapt with the changing consumer demands. In addition, the implementation of sophisticated technology is helping to elevate the mechanism for manufacturers for heightening the supply chain and receive maximum profitability.



APEJ Region to Register Impressive Growth during Forecast Period



Talking about the regional revenue status, APEJ is likely to retain a significant share in the global automotive market during the forecast period. The marked region is anticipated to account for nearly 50% of the market revenue share in 2019. In addition, the APEJ region is even projected to record fastest growth in the automotive tire market as a result of rapid industrialization in the manufacturing industry. The advent of newly developed economies such as Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, is estimated to indorse heavily towards the growth of the automotive tire market.



Browse Full Report on Automotive Tire Market with TOC- https://www.factmr.com/report/12/automotive-tire-market



Inclination towards Smart Tires Host Fresh Avenues for Manufacturers



According to this intelligent FactMR study, exploration towards the development of smart tires is likely to introduce new opportunities across the automotive tire market. Several automotive tire manufacturers have started to embed sensors into tires with a purpose to monitor the prevalent driving conditions and thereby manufacture tires which can suitably adapt autonomously to the researched conditions. For example, quite recently Continental AG issued a launch news for its ContiAdapt and ContiSense technologies that are stated to provide efficient resolutions towards autonomous driving in the near future.



Sustainable Manufacturing Methods Expected to Impact Tire Production



It has been observed that rising environmental concerns fused with extended governmental support towards sustainable manufacturing is likely to influence tire production. The concentrated investments from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) into research and development for sustainable materials and production techniques is gaining pace, which thereby tends to support the overall automotive tire market.



The final segment of the report is dedicated to discourse information about the competitive landscape. This portion talks about the leading market players like Bridgestone Corporation, Madras Rubber Factory Limited, The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., Apollo Tyres Ltd., Pirelli & C. S.p.A, and Cheng Shin Rubber Industry Co., based on their company overview, key financials and product overview.



Request Methodology of this Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=RM&rep_id=12



About FactMR

FactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.



Contact Us

FactMR

11140 Rockville Pike

Suite 400

Rockville, MD 20852

United States

Email: sales@factmr.com

Web: https://www.factmr.com/
East Quogue, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- Bruce Dean Nagel, Managing Partner at Bruce Nagel + Partners Architects was just recently selected as Top Architect of the Year for 2019 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the profession.



While inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals is an honor in itself, only a few members in each discipline are chosen for this distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, longevity in the field, other affiliations and contributions to their communities. All honorees are invited to attend the IAOTP's annual award gala at the end of this year for a night to honor their achievements.



With having over four decades of professional experience as an Architect, Mr. Nagel has certainly proven himself as an extraordinary professional, and expert in the field. Mr. Nagel is a dynamic, results-driven leader who has demonstrated success not only as an Architect and Entrepreneur but also as an Educator and an inspiration to his community. His impressive repertoire of roles and celebrated projects, have included: Faneuil Hall Marketplace project at Benjamin Thompson and Associates in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has worked as project architect for several residential and institutional projects with Richard Meier & Partners, Senior Associate at Gwathmey Siegel and Associates, where he worked on numerous public and private award-winning projects. Mr. Nagel taught Architecture at the Boston Architectural Center and has served as guest critic and juror at the architecture schools of several leading universities including Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Pennsylvania and Virginia.



The office of Bruce D. Nagel, Architect was opened in 1984 and this year marks 35 years of architectural service in the Hamptons. In 2004, the office relocated to Southampton and in 2011 located to Mr. Nagel's studio in East Quogue. In 2016, Mr. Nagel opened up his acclaimed Architect's Gallery located at 69 Main Street Westhampton Beach, NY.



Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Nagel has received many awards, accolades and has been recognized worldwide for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the profession. For 2019, he is being considered to be featured in TIP (Top Industry Professionals Magazine), and is also being considered for IAOTP's Lifetime Achievement Award. He will be honored at IAOTP's Annual Awards Gala, being held at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas for his selection as Top Architect of the Year for 2019. From 2001-2009, Mr. Nagel was selected as the Best Architect in Hamptons Magazine's list of "The Best of the Hamptons." Mr. Nagel was selected 12 times by Dan's Papers as the Best Architect in Dan's List of "The Best of the Best." In 1993 Mr. Nagel was honored by the Long Island Chapter of the AIA with its newly initiated ARCHI Award-Young Firm Award, as well as an ARCHI Award for Residential and Institutional Architecture.



Mr. Nagel received his Bachelor's of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin and his Master's of Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Stephanie Cirami, President of IAOTP stated, "Choosing Mr. Nagel for this honor was an easy decision for our panel to make. Mr. Nagel's awards, accolades and accomplishments are extremely impressive. He has tremendous foresight, extensive knowledge, is brilliant at what he does and was exactly what we were looking for. We are truly honored to have him as our Top Architect of the Year and we are looking forward to meeting him at the gala."



Looking back, Mr. Nagel attributes his success to his education, mentors he had along the way and the love and support he receives from his family every day. Bruce says he has been blessed. He loves doing what he is doing and feels this is just the beginning. When not working, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. For the future, he hopes to continue making a difference in people's lives any way that he can.



For more information on Mr. Nagel please visit: https://www.brucenagel.com/



About IAOTP

The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization who handpicks the world's finest, most prestigious top professionals from different industries. These top professionals are given an opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, be keynote speakers and to help influence others in their fields. This organization is not a membership that anyone can join. You have to be asked by the President or be nominated by a distinguished honorary member after a brief interview.



IAOTP's experts have given thousands of top prestigious professionals around the world, the recognition and credibility that they deserve and have helped in building their branding empires. IAOTP prides itself to be a one of a kind boutique networking organization that hand picks only the best of the best and creates a networking platform that connects and brings these top professionals to one place.



For more information on IAOTP please visit: www.iaotp.com
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- Natural Cosmetic Color Market- Introduction



Growth in the natural products industry has led to the increasing consumer interest towards natural ingredients in food, cosmetic, and personal care products. Natural cosmetic colors are usually made using pigments found in plants, vegetables, and fruits. Products such as beet, red cabbage, beta carotene, grape juice, hibiscus fruit extract are some of the sources used for natural cosmetic color.



The natural and organic colors are available in liquid, powder, paste, and powder blend formats with option for customization. Colorant from natural sources such as insects, plants, and algae are also finding wide application in natural cosmetic products. Manufacturers in the natural cosmetic color market are also focusing on including natural colorant listed and approved by regulatory body in a particular country.



Natural Cosmetic Color Market- Notable Highlights



Leading players in the natural cosmetic color market are Loreal S.A, HARBOR S.p.A, NUXE LABORATORY, Avon Products, Inc., Oriflame Cosmetics AG, Conatural, 100% PURE, Weleda, LVMH Group, Henkel AG & Company, KGaA, Estee Lauder, Beiersdorf AG (Florena Cosmetic GmbH), and AVEDA CORP. Notable developments in competitive landscape of natural cosmetic color market include,



South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has issued draft amendments to regulation on natural and organic cosmetic standards. The draft notice changes name of regulation to 'Regulation of natural cosmetics standard'. The draft also includes new standards on raw materials to be used in natural cosmetic products along with standards for labeling and advertising.



Oliveda International has announced its entrance in the US market with the launch of US Oliveda Online, featuring variety of top-selling products by the company. The company is also providing promotional offers and discounts on various products.



Get Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-9440



Natural Cosmetic Color Market Dynamics



Increasing Demand for Natural and Organic Cosmetic Products Driving Natural Cosmetic Color Market Growth



Increasing awareness among consumers regarding the benefits of natural cosmetics is driving the demand for natural beauty products. In response to growing customer demand for natural cosmetics, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on using colorants derived from natural sources such as plants, fruits, and vegetables. Growing interest in chemical-free cosmetic products, and rising standard of living, especially in developing economies are fueling demand for natural cosmetic products. Moreover, the trend of green cosmetics is also leading to the development of new cosmetic products using natural ingredients.



With lipstick as most widely used cosmetic product, manufacturers are focusing on producing natural lipstick using natural colorant and pigments derived from fruits, roots, seeds, and leaves, thereby, providing range of colors. Plum, beetroot, grapes, blueberry are some of the common sources used for natural cosmetic color in lipstick. In recent years, fruit pigments have gained traction as natural cosmetic color in addition to the antioxidants and vitamins found in fruit pigments.



Manufacturers Focusing on Extraction and Preservation of Active ingredients in Natural Cosmetic Colors



Manufacturers offering natural cosmetic products are increasingly focusing on extraction, and handling of natural colors using novel techniques such as microwave assisted extraction and ultrasonic assisted extraction. Along with adding natural color in cosmetic product, using technology to preserve active ingredients suitable for skincare in colorants is also one of the focus areas of manufacturers in natural cosmetic color market.



Improvement in the texture of the cosmetics using natural pigments and colors without using toxic substance and chemicals is also gaining traction in the natural cosmetic product market. Moreover, incorporation of modern technologies to cope with the safety concerns of natural colorants is also being focused on by manufacturers and researchers.



Regulations on Natural Color Additives in Cosmetics to Hamper Natural Cosmetic Color Market



Regulations on use of natural colors and pigments in the cosmetic products are challenging the growth of natural cosmetic color market. Regulatory bodies worldwide have approved list of natural and organic colors that can be used in cosmetics and personal care products. For instance, the FDA has the list of approved natural colorants for use in the cosmetics and personal care products. The natural colors are also restricted on basis of quantity and way in which these colors can be used in various natural cosmetic products.



Moreover, significant risk of adulteration of natural colors, ranging from misuse of term natural on product label to cases of chemical and microbial contamination from sources of raw materials. This is also leading to some stringent regulations and safety standards to address issues in all stages including extracting, processing, and application of colors in natural cosmetics derived from natural sources.



Request to Browse Full Table of Content, figure and Tables @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-9440



Natural Cosmetic Color Market Segmentation



Based on the application, the natural cosmetic color market is segmented into

Female

Male

Unisex



Based on the sales channel, the natural cosmetic color market is segmented into

Online Stores

Hypermarket/Supermarket

Specialty Store

Club Store

Wholesaler/Distributors
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- A fresh report has been added to the wide database of Market Research Report Search Engine (MRRSE). The research study is titled "Desktop Calculators Market - Valuable Growth Prospects and Insights on Future Scenario (2018-2028)" which encloses important data about the production, consumption, revenue and market share, merged with information related to the market scope and product overview.



A direct market overview provides the growth scenarios and market potential with maximum precision, and adjudged with suitable assumptions. The report features unique and relevant factors that may have a huge impact on the desktop calculators market during the forecasted period. This report includes a detailed and considerable amount of inclusion, which would help new manufacturers with the most comprehensive way for better understanding



The report commences with the executive summary of the desktop calculators market report, which includes a summary of the key findings and key statistics of the market. It includes the market value share for leading segments in the desktop calculators market. Also it includes supply side trends, demand side trends and recommendation for the desktop calculators market.



Readers can find a detailed market structure and definition of desktop calculators market and product types, in this chapter, which helps in understanding the basic information such as market dynamics, key players, and regulation policies included in the report about the desktop calculators market. The definition section considers the factors included and excluded for the purpose of this report.



To Get Sample Copy of Report, Click here @ https://www.mrrse.com/sample/19512



Key pointers and factor which impact the market and product innovation/ development trends are also included in this desktop calculators market report.



Readers can find the outlook of the global desktop calculators market, considering various factors associated with the growth, which would help in tracking the market's current scenario, with key inferences drawn from historical data, current trends, and future prospects. Macro-economic factors influencing the market are also discussed in this segment.



This chapter highlights the key market dynamics, including drivers, restraints, opportunities, and trends. In this chapter, readers can understand factors that are propelling the growth of the market, along with factors that may deter the growth of the market. Also, readers will understand the key trends followed by leading manufacturers in the desktop calculators market



Based on region, the desktop calculators market has been segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania and Middle East & Africa. Readers can find detailed information regarding market key trends, developments and market attractive analysis in the desktop calculators market based on region type.



This chapter summarizes the information regarding, market key trends, attractiveness analysis for the desktop calculators market based on system. The desktop calculators market has been segmented on the basis basic functional calculators, scientific calculators, financial calculators, graphical calculators and other type of calculators.



This chapter summarizes the information regarding, market key trends, attractive analysis for the desktop calculators market based on the end-user. The desktop calculators market has been segmented on the basis of household, retail, consumer and others.



This chapter includes detailed analysis of the growth being observed in the North American desktop calculators market, along with country-wise assessment for the United States and Canada. Readers can also find information on regional trends, regulations and market growth based on system, application and countries in North America.



This chapter includes detailed analysis of the growth of the Latin America desktop calculators market, along with a country-wise assessment, including Brazil, Mexico and Rest of Latin America. Market attractiveness based on various segments is provided for the Latin American region.



Important growth prospects of the desktop calculators market can be found with market attractiveness based on type and end-use. European countries such as the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Russia and rest of Western Europe are included in this chapter for industry analysis.



Browse Complete Report with TOC @ https://www.mrrse.com/global-market-study-on-desktop-calculators-demand-from-finance-retail-professional-services-domains-to-sustain-adoption



China, Japan and South Korea are the leading countries/regions in the East Asia that are assessed to obtain the growth prospects of the East Asia desktop calculators market in this chapter. Readers can find thorough information about the growth parameters. Market attractiveness based system, and application for desktop calculators market in the East Asia region is also provided in this section.



India, Thailand & Indonesia, Malaysia and rest of South Asia are the leading countries/regions in the South Asia that are assessed to obtain the growth prospects of the South Asia desktop calculators market in this chapter. Readers can find thorough information about the growth parameters. Market attractiveness based system, and application for Desktop calculators market in the South Asia region is also provided in this section.



Australia and New Zealand are the leading countries/regions in the Oceania that are assessed to obtain the growth prospects of the Oceania desktop calculators market in this chapter. Readers can find thorough information about the growth parameters. Market attractiveness based, system and application, for desktop calculators market in the Oceania region is also provided in this section.



This chapter provides information on how the desktop calculators market will grow in major countries of the MEA region, such as South Africa, GCC Countries, and Rest of MEA, during the period 2018-2028.



This chapter provides information on how the desktop calculators market will grow in emerging countries including India, China and Mexico during the period 2018-2028.



The competition section includes market analysis by tier of companies, market concentration and market share analysis of the key player of the desktop calculators market.



This chapter includes a comprehensive list of all the leading manufacturers in the desktop calculators market, along with detailed information about each company, including company overview, revenue share, strategic overview, and recent company developments. Market players featured in the report include Canon USA Incorporated, Texas Instruments, Casio Computers, Hewlett Packard, Lyreco, Sunway Electronics Company, Sharp Electronics Corporation, Citizen Systems, Flair Writing Industries Limited and Hamilton Writing Industries Limited.



The last section consists of a glossary of the assumptions and acronyms used in the desktop calculator's market report, followed by the research methodology. This chapter helps readers understand the research methodology that is followed to obtain various conclusions, important qualitative information, and quantitative information about the desktop calculators market.



Enquire about this Report @ https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/19512



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. MRRSE's 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 Us



State Tower

90, State Street

Suite 700

Albany, NY - 12207

United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559

Email: sales@mrrse.com
Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- The Europe mobile virtual network operator market is expected to hold the majority share of around 45% by 2024 due to the presence of a large number of players in the region. The industry in the region is characterized by regulations such as Roam Like At Home that is strengthening the industry growth in the region and attracting foreign investments. Technological advancements, such as virtualization, digitization, and eSIM technology, are allowing the companies to provide innovative products and services.



Mobile virtual network operator market has been gaining extensive recognition in recent times, in sync with the evolving business models in a hyper connected digital realm. The progressive pathway carved by MVNO market is vividly evident from the recorded share of USD 55 billion in 2017. Even nearly half a decade back, MVNOs were mostly associated with B2C (business-to consumer) services, and the marketplace has experienced many ups and downs with economic forces and consumer preferences.



Request for Sample Copy of This Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/160



The light mobile virtual network operator market is anticipated to witness growth at over 12.5% due to the increasing adoption and consumer focus on low-cost services. The business model requires low investment, allowing a large number of players with low budgets to enter the industry. Also, the players with this business model can focus on niche customer segments that are difficult for an MNO to address. Increasing demand for customized offerings will provide growth opportunities to the light mobile virtual network operator market.



Growing trend of M2M connectivity and IoT is expected to drive the mobile virtual network operator market with a number of IoT devices in use projected to reach about 20.5 billion by 2020. These devices require connectivity to leverage their full potential, creating opportunities for the players in the industry. High degree of agility and high innovation capabilities of these players make them an attractive option in the IoT connectivity space. Due to this, the players have a tremendous growth potential, particularly in the connected cars and smart cities applications.



Make an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/160



Companies such as PodM2M, a player in the industry catering to the mission-critical connectivity solutions, are collaborating with industries and institutes to provide customized services. PodM2M provides IoT connectivity to the Trans-African Hydro-Meteorological Observatory (TAHMO) to connect 20,000 weather monitoring stations across the African sub-continent.



Some of the key players in the mobile virtual network operator market include Dataxoom, BT Mobile, FreedomPop, Exetel, GiffGaff, Freenet AG, Red Pocket Mobile, Tracfone Wireless, and VoiceWorks GmbH. These players in the industry are shifting their focus to the B2B customers from the B2C ones as the enterprises and businesses increasingly seek real-time connectivity via an array of devices.



Mobile virtual network operator market has been gaining extensive recognition in recent times, in sync with the evolving business models in a hyper connected digital realm. The progressive pathway carved by mobile virtual network operator market is vividly evident from the recorded share of USD 55 billion in 2017. Even nearly half a decade back, MVNOs were mostly associated with B2C (business-to consumer) services, and the marketplace has experienced many ups and downs with economic forces and consumer preferences.



Browse Complete Report Summary @ https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/mobile-virtual-network-operator-mvno-market-report



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.
Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- Global Hook Toggle Clamps 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/1029216/global-hook-toggle-clamps-market



Global Hook Toggle Clamps Market: Regional Segmentation

For a deeper understanding, the research report includes geographical segmentation of the global Hook Toggle Clamps 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 Hook Toggle Clamps 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 Hook Toggle Clamps 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 Hook Toggle Clamps market, analysts have bottom-up and top-down approaches.



Global Hook Toggle Clamps Market: Competitive Rivalry

The research report includes an analysis of the competitive landscape present in the global Hook Toggle Clamps 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 Hook Toggle Clamps Market Research Report:

AMF Andreas Maier

Kukamet

Steel Smith

DE-STA-CO

Ganter

Clamp Metal

DS Component Parts

Goebel

Clamptek Enterprise



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 Hook Toggle Clamps market

Chapter 2: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the global Hook Toggle Clamps 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 Hook Toggle Clamps 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
Maharashtra, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- Residential Gateway Market



The Residential Gateway market Report provide in-depth analysis and the best research of the various market. In telecommunications networking, a residential gateway (more commonly known as a home router or home gateway) is a device that allows a local area network (LAN) to connect to a wide area network(WAN) via a modem. In 2018, the global Residential Gateway market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach xx million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of xx% during 2019-2025.



To get holistic SAMPLE of the report, please click:

https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/269752



The Major Players Covered in this Report: Cisco Systems, Comtrend, Huawei Technologies, Pace, ZTE, Actiontec Electronics, Advanced Digital Broadcast, Alcatel-Lucent, Arris Enterprises, Audio Codes, AVM, Calix, Humax, Sagemcom, Technicolor, Zhone Technologies, ZyXEL Communications & More.



Market segment by Type, the product can be split into

Modem

Router

Network switch

Othe



Market segment by Application, split into

Internet

STB

DVR

Others



Global Residential Gateway Market: Regional Segmentation

For further clarification, analysts have also segmented the market on the basis of geography. This type of segmentation allows the readers to understand the volatile political scenario in varying geographies and their impact on the global Residential Gateway market. On the basis of geography, the global market for Residential Gateway has been segmented into:



North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, and Italy)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, etc.)

Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, and South Africa)



Grab Your Report at an Impressive Discount ! Please click Here@

https://www.reportsmonitor.com/check_discount/269752



Reasons to buy:



1. To gain insightful analyses of the market and have comprehensive understanding of the global Residential Gateway market and its commercial landscape.

Assess the Residential Gateway production processes, major issues, and solutions to mitigate the development risk.

2. To understand the most affecting driving and restraining forces in the Residential Gateway market and its impact in the global market.

Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by leading respective organizations.

3. To understand the future outlook and prospects for Residential Gateway market.



The report gives highly importance to following aspects of Global Residential Gateway Market:



Dominant company/manufacturers profiles including business data, product description, and market share.

Market analysis for past, recent years as well as forecast up to 2025.

Qualitative and quantitative segment-wise evaluation of Residential Gateway market.

Global market share, sales volume, and CAGR of Residential Gateway market.

In-depth study of the market in terms of applications, types, and regions.

Market driving factors, contemporary trends, investment opportunities, limitations, strength, challenges of the Residential Gateway market.

Insightful counsels which helps investors, organisations, and novices to plan their business stratagem and making critical business decisions.

Some of the key questions answered in this report:



Detailed Overview of Residential Gateway market will help deliver clients and businesses making strategies.

Influencing factors that thriving demand and latest trend running in the market.

What is the market concentration? Is it fragmented or highly concentrated?

What trends, challenges and barriers will impact the development and sizing of Global Residential Gateway market?

SWOT Analysis of each defined key players along with its profile and Porter's five forces tool mechanism to compliment the same.

What growth momentum or acceleration market carries during the forecast period?

Which region may tap highest market share in coming era?

Which application/end-user category or Product Type may seek incremental growth prospects?

What focused approach and constraints are holding the Residential Gateway market tight?



For More Details On this Report:

https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/269752/Residential-Gateway-Market



2019-2025 Residential Gateway market report explains detailed information about market growth trend, analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and existing market dynamics is carried out. In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Residential Gateway market before evaluating its possibility.



About Reports Monitor

Reports Monitor is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. With an intrinsic understanding of many business environments, Reports Monitor provides strategic objective insights.
Hong Kong: Suspect rights safeguarded

Secretary for Security John Lee said today provisions can be added to the arrangement agreement to put extra restrictions on the surrender of fugitive offenders.

The Legislative Council Panel on Security held a special meeting to discuss the Fugitive Offenders & Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 today.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Lee said further safeguards will be provided to ensure the rights of suspects.

There is a provision which says in the case-by-case arrangements, we can put in provisions in the arrangement agreement itself, which then can put extra restrictions on the actual handing over of the surrendered person.

That will be a document tendered to the court for examination, so it has effect for court to examine.

Mr Lee reiterated the policy intent of the law change is to remove the geographical restrictions so that the Government can handle surrender requests with case-by-case arrangements with any jurisdictions around the world.

While the process will be started by a certificate issued by the Chief Executive, the whole regime and process of examining surrender matters by both the Government and the court remain the same, he added.

It will be doing such an examination in exactly the same way, the same format, and the same system as has happened in these 22 years.

I believe that it is an effective system because it is not just gate-keeping by the Government, we actually have a case in court which is eventually thrown out where the defendant or the suspect was immediately released.

We have been seeing all these cases to be operating smoothly.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hungarian police have arrested the captain of the cruise ship that collided with a smaller tour boat on the Danube River late Wednesday, causing the boat to sink in just seconds.

Seven people are confirmed dead and 21 others missing. All but two people on the boat were Korean tourists. Police arrested the Ukrainian captain of the Viking cruise ship, identifying him as Yuriy C.

Police say he is suspected of "endangering waterborne traffic resulting in multiple deaths."




New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- Marketing mix optimisation or marketing mix modeling is a method that is used for the statistical analysis of the various advertising and marketing efforts done on a products performance in the market. The key elements of marketing mix modeling are product, promotion, distribution and the pricing, each of these elements are analyzed closely before finalizing the suitable model for marketing a particular product. The marketing mix modeling allows quantifying the sales and revenue generated by the marketing done on a particular product. It also allows planning the strategies for marketing of particular product or marketing service in an optimized manner. The shift of global markets to the emerging regions such as, China, India, Brazil and Russia and the established markets being on the threshold of saturation, manufacturers are looking forward to establish markets in the emerging regions with low investments and high return on investment. With various big organizations adapting the marketing mix modeling for optimized marketing of their products, the global market for marketing mix modeling will register a healthy growth rate by the end of forecast period.



Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1626



The global marketing mix modeling market is primarily driven by the demand for efficient marketing strategies by organizations including the fortune 500 companies, which will help minimizing the lump sum investments in marketing of a particular product and give high return of investment to the companies in terms of marketing costs by increasing the sales for that particular product. The implementation of marketing mix modeling helps in achieving the targeted goals of the company and benefits the organization as a whole. Somehow, there are some challenges related to the marketing mix modeling which might restrain the growth of the market. Some of the challenges includes, unstandardized measurement of the market, lack of transparency in the modeling methods among others, which makes difficult to narrow down actual predictions.



The global marketing mix modeling market is segmented based on approach for marketing mix modeling and region. Based on the approach used for marketing mix modeling, the marketing mix modeling market can be segmented into OLS (Ordinary Least Square) regression approach and Constraint regression approach.



Based on the geographic regions, global automotive seating systems marketing market is segmented into seven key market segments namely North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. The marketing mix modeling being a new concept it is being adapted globally in the established as well as the emerging markets. The global trend of big manufacturers and markets shifting the business to Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe markets to tap the growth opportunities in these markets are fostering the growth of marketing mix modeling market in the aforementioned regions as well as in the established markets of North American and Western Europe.



Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1626



Some of the major players identified in the global marketing mix modeling market includes, Wipro Limited, Polaris Research, Decision Analyst, Inc., The Nielsen Company, Analytic Partners, Inc., Ninah and ThinkVine.com among others.
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- The report on the Micro Server IC market gives an in-depth statistical analysis to examine the fastest growing sectors in the market while speculating the demand and supply, consumption power, spending capacity and distribution channel globally. The report identifies the overall growth in the import and export and derives the future trends that the industry might witness.



The study also applies primary and secondary research methods to assess the annual and financial performance of the top vendors and insights from market leaders. The researcher also discusses 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 Micro Server IC market for the forecast period from 2018 to 2025. The report will empower companies to understand the opportunities, adapt to their consumer demands, needs, and concentrate on their best end-users.



Researchers eyeing the business landscape aim at uncovering vital statistics about the actual composition of the target market and where the new opportunities lie. Data on the ever-changing trends and gaps in the market forms an important part of the study. The environment research further covers facts associated with government regulations, demographics, market trends and size as well as different marketing channels.



The major manufacturers covered in this report:

Intel Corporation, ARM Holdings PLC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Quanta Computer Inc., Applied Micro Circuits Corporation, Marvell Technology Group Ltd., Cavium Inc., Dell Technologies, Penguin Computing, Ambedded Technology



To get Free Sample Report Copy click here @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/19649



The Micro Server IC market research is carried out at the different stages of the business lifecycle from the production of a product, cost, launch, application, consumption volume and sale. The research offers valuable insights into the marketplace from the beginning including some sound business plans chalked out by prominent market leaders to establish a strong foothold and expand their products into one that's better than others.



Most important types of Micro Server IC products covered in this report are:

- Intel Based

- ARM Based



Most widely used downstream fields of Micro Server IC market covered in this report are:

- Media Storage

- Data Centers

- Analytics

- Cloud Computing

- Others



To Purchase this Report click here @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/19649



For those who want to learn how certain drivers are influencing the overall objectives of business owners will have plenty of data to scan through in the Micro Server IC market report. A quick run over the external factor influencing the business worldwide will help product owners to know their customers better. The research not only monitors the effectiveness of the product sales but also talks about the quality of services offered by the competitors. Besides, there is a section on the distribution channels and growth strategies adopted by the prominent leaders operating in the Micro Server IC market.



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.)



The study objectives of this report are:

- To analyse and study the global Micro Server IC capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);

- Focuses on the key Micro Server IC manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, value, market share and development plans in future.

- Focuses on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyse the market competition landscape, SWOT analysis.

- To define, describe and forecast the market by type, application and region.

- To analyse the global and key regions market potential and advantage, opportunity and challenge, restraints and risks.

- To analyse the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high growth segments.

- To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyse their growth strategies.



Key Points from TOC:

Chapter 1 Micro Server IC Market Overview

1.1 Micro Server IC Definition

1.2 Global Micro Server IC Market Size Status and Outlook (2013-2025)

1.3 Global Micro Server IC Market Size Comparison by Region (2013-2025)

1.4 Global Micro Server IC Market Size Comparison by Type (2013-2025)

1.5 Global Micro Server IC Market Size Comparison by Application (2013-2025)

1.6 Global Micro Server IC Market Size Comparison by Sales Channel (2013-2025)

1.7 Micro Server IC Market Dynamics

1.7.1 Market Drivers/Opportunities

1.7.2 Market Challenges/Risks

1.7.3 Market News (Mergers/Acquisitions/ Expansion)

Continue



Read more @ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/micro-server-ic-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) -- 05/31/2019 -- The natural cotton extract included in the various cosmetic products does not contain any synthetic ingredients and are extracted from eco-friendly extraction methods that preserve its properties. Natural cotton extracts include various ingredients such as proteins, minerals and variety of essential oils that protect the skin against irritation and dehydration. Natural cotton extract is primarily used to nourish the skin and provides protection from oversensitive skin. The natural cotton extract is also used in various skincare products in order to protect sensitive skin and helps aids softness and suppleness.



Request For Report Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1869



Natural Cotton Extract Market Segmentation



Global natural cotton Extract Market is segmented on the basis of source, application and region. Based on the source from which natural cotton extract is extracted the natural cotton extract segmentation includes seed and flower. Of which, seed source sub-segment is expected to be the dominating segment over the forecast period followed by the flower natural cotton extract source owing to the high usage of cotton seed as a cotton extract source. On the basis of application natural cotton extract market is segmented into skincare and haircare sub segments. Of which skin care sub-segment is expected to be the leading segment in the coming five to six years due to the wide application of natural cotton extracts in the skincare products as it one of the active ingredient for the moisturizing function.Global natural cotton extract market is segmented on the basis of region into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Middle East and Africa and Japan.



Natural Cotton Extract Market: Region-wise Outlook



The global natural cotton extract market is anticipated to witness significant growth over the forecast period due to the wide application of natural cotton extract in the cosmetic products including haircare products and skincare products. Cosmetic products that include natural cotton extract are used for soothing and moisturizing the skin .Globally, among all regions, North America is expected to contribute highest market share, followed by Europe during the forecasted period. In North America, U.S. is the most dominating region that contributes the maximum revenue to the total natural cotton extract market. However other region including Asia Pacific is expected to show significant growth owing to rising health awareness among consumers related to the consumption of natural cotton extract.



Natural Cotton Extract Market: Drivers



Major factors that are expected to fuel market growth of the natural cotton extract market is various benefits associated with application of cosmetics containing natural cotton extract as it is the major ingredient for moisturizing and soothing skin. Major factor expected to restraint the market growth of the natural cotton extract is lack of awareness among consumers related to the benefits of use of cosmetics containing natural cotton extract.



Request For Report Table of Content (TOC): https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1869



Natural Cotton Extract Market: Key Players



Major companies that operates in the natural cotton extract market are bioten, Centerchem Inc., ZIAJA Ltd. And others. Companies operating in natural cotton extract product market are primarily launching new varieties of natural Cotton extract based products in order to specific requirements of the consumers
Brandon, MB -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- An often too common reason why a QuickBooks condense is necessary is when a data file does not operate or respond the way it should. T he absence of the condense feature in QuickBooks Canada has left users scrambling for solutions, when it comes to sluggish QuickBooks performance.



According to E-Tech's Technical Services Manager, John Rocha, manually condensing files can be quite baffling. "Manually condensing files can be quite tricky if you're not accustomed to the way it works. The only way to do a manual condense would be to run financial reports in the data file and then manually delete all transactions in the data file prior to the cut-off date. Alternatively, a tool to mass delete all transactions prior to the cut-off date could be used. You would then need to add back journal entries based on the financial reports that were run on the cut-off date to enter opening balances in to the data file."



In cases like these, Rocha recommends a guaranteed professional QuickBooks condense service for Canadian users to help reduce the file size and number of transactions in the data file. The QuickBooks Condense for Canadian files provided by E-Tech will shrink the size of your data file to almost 50-80% of the original file size, reaping in manifold benefits such as boosted performance, smaller files, faster generating reports and upgrades.



The QuickBooks Condense for Canadian files by E-Tech removes closed transactions from the data file prior to a cut-off date and replaces it with summarized journal entries. The condense service can also delete Accounts, Customers, Vendors, and Items in the data file that are not linked to transactions after the cut-off date.



For more information, visit https://e-tech.ca/Quickbooks-Condense-for-Canadian-Files.aspx



E-Tech's in-house engineers are committed to assisting with your QuickBooks Migration and Data Recovery needs in a professional, timely and affordable manner, working with all international versions of QuickBooks including US, Canada, UK and Australia.



About E-Tech

Founded in 2001, E-Tech is a leading file repair, data recovery, and data conversion services provider in the United States and Canada. The company works to stay up to date on the latest technology news, reviews, and more for their customers.



For media inquiries regarding E-Tech, individuals are encouraged to contact Media Relations Director,



Melanie Ann via email at Melanie@e-tech.ca.



To learn more about the company, visit www.e-tech.ca



Media Contact

Melanie Ann

E-Tech

136 11 th St

Brandon, MB R7A 4J4

Melanie@e-tech.ca

www.e-tech.ca
Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- The offshore wind market has been rapidly growing, especially in Europe as it contributed to the European Union (EU) to meet its renewable energy targets for 2020. The market in Europe was estimated to be the largest market for offshore wind, followed by Asia-Pacific in 2016. This trend is expected to continue till 2022. The growth of the offshore wind market is driven by an increasing share of renewable energy in power generation, energy efficiency mandates demanding carbon emission reduction, and government incentives supporting renewable energy deployment. The global demand for electric power is increasing due to various factors such as urbanization, increased industrialization, and economic development among others. Rising energy demand and energy efficiency mandates drive the demand for the offshore wind market.



Offshore Wind Market is projected to grow from an estimated USD 27.02 Billion in 2017 to USD 55.11 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 15.32% from 2017 to 2022.



Browse 65 market data tables and 64 figures spread through 147 pages and in-depth TOC on "Offshore Wind Market"

View detailed Table of Content here - https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/offshore-wind-market-253452593.html



The North America market is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2017 to 2022. North America is estimated to be the fastest growing market for the offshore wind market from 2017 to 2022. The U.S. is the only country that had commercial offshore wind operations in this region as of 2016. This region is in the early phase of implementing offshore wind farms. They are partnering with other European countries to develop advanced technologies in order to efficiently install offshore wind turbines. According to the Department of Energy, the U.S. has the potential to produce 7,200 terawatt-hours of electricity per year through offshore wind. North America is looking at renewable energy generation in a way to meet its energy needs at affordable costs and minimum environmental damage, thus, driving the market for offshore wind.



Scope of the Offshore Wind Market Report:

By Component

- Turbine

? Nacelle

? Tower

? Rotor & Blades

- Substructure

? Monopile

? Gravity based and Jacket

? Other substructure (Suction Bucket, Tripods, Tripiles, and Floating)

- Electrical Infrastructure

- Others (Logistics and transportation, and Installation and assembly)

By Location

- Shallow water (< 30 m depth)

- Transitional water (30 m60 m depth)

- Deep water (> 60 m depth)

By Region

- North America

- Europe

- Asia-Pacific



Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=253452593



Offshore Wind Market Ecosystem:

The market ecosystem comprises of turbine manufacturers, electrical infrastructure manufacturers, installation providers, substructure providers, and logistics, transportation and assembly providers. Leading players in the market include Siemens AG (Germany), ABB, Ltd. (Switzerland), A2Sea (Denmark), Nexans (France), EEW Group (Germany), and General Electric (U.S.) among others.



The report segments the offshore wind market by location into three categories, namely, shallow water, transitional water, and deep water. Deep water location is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period. As the offshore wind market is progressing over the years, the offshore wind farms are getting built further from the coast and in deeper waters. The offshore wind sector is developing larger turbines as the trend is moving towards deep water where the wind speed is high. This would help in the optimization of wind connections and generate power efficiently. Although, the market for offshore wind in deep water location accounts less share compared to shallow water and transitional water. It is still expected to grow at a faster rate from 2017 to 2022. Companies like MHI Vestas (Denmark), A2Sea (Denmark), and Siemens AG (Germany), among others supply turbine and related components that can operate in a depth of 60 meters.



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
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- Furthermore, application of Porters Five Forces Analysis to determine the status of various aspects such as the capability of both the suppliers and customers, threats posed by different substitutes, the intensity of competition and promising new vendors makes the study a valuable resource. The researchers behind the market intelligence report examine the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities, and restraints expected to shape the progress of the Plasma Etch System market for the forecast period, 2018 to 2025. The market intelligence report includes detailed statistics on market segmentation based on product value, application, classification, and sale.



You can download free sample PDF copy of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Substrates market@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/sample-enquiry-form/15559



Major Players in Silicon Nitride Ceramic Substrates market are:

Oxford Instruments, ULVAC, Lam Research, AMEC, PlasmaTherm, SAMCO Inc., Applied Materials, Inc., Sentech, SPTS Technologies (an Orbotech , Company), GigaLane, Trion Technology, NAURA, Plasma Etch, Inc., Tokyo Electron Limited



For complete companies list, please ask for sample pages.



Competitive landscape:

The latest report on the Plasma Etch System market closely surveys, examines and offers vital statistics on the Plasma Etch System market for the forecast period 2018 - 2025. This market intelligence assessment report weighs up on the potential region that reserves greater opportunities for this industry. Importantly, subject matter experts have taken into account every critical aspect right from the market size, share, and growth to the dramatic shift in the consumer behaviour and their growing spending capacity. The industry assessment study depicts a perfectly clear picture of both the past and the future trends to offer the stakeholders, business owners, and marketing executives an opportunity to zero in on an effective marketing strategy and boost sales.



Market segment by Type, the product can be split into

- Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)

- Reactive Ion Etching (RIE)

- Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)

- Others



Market segment by Application, Plasma Etch System can be split into

- Semiconductor Industry

- Medical Industry

- Electronics & Microelectronics

- 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.)



Scope of the report:

To help gain the business owner further gain business intelligence the study on the Silicon Nitride Ceramic Substrates market for the forecast period 2018 - 2025 brings to light data on production capability, consumption capacity, spending power, investment feasibility, and technology innovation. A thorough assessment of market performance across different regions is presented through self-explanatory graphic images, charts, and tables that add weight to corporate presentations and marketing materials. The study offers regional profiles of major vendors and extensive country-level break down to empower companies to make a wise investment decision when exploring new regions.



In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Substrates are as follows:

History Year: 2014-2018

Base Year: 2017

Estimated Year: 2018

Forecast Year 2018 to 2025



Buy Silicon Nitride Ceramic Substrates market report and avail 15% free customization on the report at https://www.marketexpertz.com/checkout-form/15559



The key insights of the report:

- The report provides key statistics on the market status of the Silicon Nitride Ceramic Substrates manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the industry.

- The report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, applications and manufacturing technology.

- The report presents the company profile, product specifications, capacity, production value, and 2013-2018 market shares for key vendors.

- The total market is further divided by company, by country, and by application/type for the competitive landscape analysis.

- The report estimates 2018-2025 market development trends of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Substrates industry.

- Analysis of upstream raw materials, downstream demand, and current market dynamics is also carried out

- The report makes some important proposals for a new project of Silicon Nitride Ceramic Substrates Industry before evaluating its feasibility.



Reasons to Purchase this Report:

- Analyzing the outlook of the market with the recent trends and SWOT analysis

- Market dynamics scenario, along with growth opportunities of the market in the years to come

- Market segmentation analysis including qualitative and quantitative research incorporating the impact of economic and non-economic aspects

- Regional and country level analysis integrating the demand and supply forces that are influencing the growth of the market.

- Market value (USD Million) and volume (Units Million) data for each segment and sub-segment

- Competitive landscape involving the market share of major players, along with the new projects and strategies adopted by players in the past five years

- Comprehensive company profiles covering the product offerings, key financial information, recent developments, SWOT analysis, and strategies employed by the major market players

- 1-year analyst support, along with the data support in excel format.



Browse complete report description and visit our website@ https://www.marketexpertz.com/industry-overview/plasma-etch-system-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
Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- Global Market Insights added a new report on global Risk-based Authentication Market to its research database. The report focuses on global major leading players with information such as company profiles, growth, product segment, technology segment, end user segment and region.



Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @

https://www.gminsights.com/request-toc/upcoming/2983



The BFSI sector dominates the risk-based authentication market ensuring compliance with regulatory mandates, strengthening security, and delivering enhanced digital services to its customers. In 2015, the worldwide credit card frauds amounted to USD 16 billion, which increased the adoption rate of risk-based authentication solutions in this sector. The healthcare sector is growing at a fast pace as risk-based authentication solutions assist healthcare providers in managing and validating their users' identity.



The solution segment of risk-based authentication market is projected to grow at a higher CAGR as it assists enterprises to augment identity security, thereby safeguarding the users' data from potential threats. These solutions combine strong risk-based authentication solutions to avoid data theft and frauds. Enterprises are also witnessing a rapid increase in the adoption of mobility-enabling partners, employees, and other stakeholders to access sensitive corporate data from any device. This has made the adoption of risk-based authentication solutions more critical from a business perspective.



The multi-factor authorization technology is anticipated to dominate the risk-based authentication market. It uses multiple authentication methods including biometrics, one-time password, security tokens, and Personal Identification Number (PIN), assisting organizations in preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information, thereby maintaining business security. As per the industry analysts, around 93% of the organizations are using multi-factor authorization technology. In December 2017, IBM Security integrated with four leading authentication providers to deliver more advanced multi-factor authentication capabilities to its customers through the IBM Security Access Manager (ISAM).



Asia Pacific is considered the strongest region of growth in the risk-based authentication market due to an increase in the adoption of cloud-based solutions. Countries including India, China, Singapore, and Japan are rapidly adopting multi-factor authentication solutions to meet with the increasing regulatory compliances, which also augments the market growth. Furthermore, various companies operating in this region are spending huge funds on enterprise security to safeguard their business-critical information, driving the market.



Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @

https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2983



Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis:



1. IBM

2. Micro Focus

3. CA Technologies

4. RSA Security

5. ForgeRock

6. SecureAuth

7. OneSpan

8. Gemalto

9. Okta

10. Oracle

11. Centrify

12. EZMCOM

13. Equifax

14. Lexisnexis

15. Gurucul

16. Ping Identity

17. Crossmatch

18. Silverfort

19. Iovation

20. Biocatch



Browse Full Report: https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/risk-based-authentication-market



The major players operating in the risk-based authentication market include IBM, Micro Focus, CA Technologies, RSA Security, ForgeRock, SecureAuth, OneSpan, Gemalto, Okta, Oracle, Centrify, EZMCOM, Equifax, Lexisnexis, Gurucul, Ping Identity, Crossmatch, Silverfort, Iovation, and Biocatch. These players are entering into strategic partnerships to develop more advanced risk-based authentication solutions introducing enhanced security, thereby avoiding password fatigue and reuse. For instance, in May 2018, Nclose, a cybersecurity and managed detection & response provider entered into a partnership with Duo Security, a leading provider of two-factor authentication. This partnership will enable Nclose to deliver multiple factor authentications to its customers.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/30/2019 -- Sodium oleate is a yellowish powder, white or light brown yellow granular powder or lump with unusual characteristic taste and odor. It is the sodium salt of oleic acid, a common unsaturated fatty acid, which is found in many animals and plants. Sodium oleate is not found freely in nature; however, it occurs as a part of complex naturally occurring lipids. Sodium oleate have a tallow-like scent in its isolated form and is white crystalline solid at a room temperature. This unsaturated fatty acid resembles a long-chain hydrocarbon tail due to a double bond.



Read Report Overview @

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sodium-oleate-market.html



The global sodium oleate market is driven by the rise in demand from plastic and rubber processing industries. Additionally, rise in use of sodium oleate as an ingredient for soap manufacturing is expected to propel the global market. However, stringent regulation imposed by governments across the globe is likely to restrain the sodium oleate market.



Sodium Oleate Market: Key Segments



Based on product, the sodium oleate market can be segmented into paste, liquid, and powder. Sodium oleate paste is used in construction chemicals for manufacturing cement mixtures. The powder form is used as a binder and polishing compound, while the liquid sodium oleate is used in as an emulsifier and anticaking agent.



In terms of application, the sodium oleate market can be segregated into lubricants, preservatives, surface cleaning agents, flotation agents, emulsifiers, waterproofing agents, thickening agents, gelling agents, and others. Sodium oleate is used as an industrial lubricant. It is utilized as a thickening agent in cosmetics or as a gelling agent in beauty products. Sodium oleate is employed as an emulsifier in soaps. It is also used in medicines for the treatment of cholelithiasis. Sodium oleate is used as a cleaning agent, surfactant, viscosity controlling agent and emulsifier in various oil-based cosmetics. Sodium oleate is employed in the production of metallic acids. It is utilized in the textile industry as a waterproofing agent. It is used as a floating agent in the mining industry. Sodium oleate is employed as a laboratory reagent in the chemical industry.



Request to view Sample Report:

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=63831



Based on region, the global sodium oleate market can be divided into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the market due to high demand for sodium oleate from cosmetics and chemical industries. The sodium oleate market in countries such as China, India, and Japan is estimated to expand at significant pace in the near future. China is expected to be a key producer of sodium oleate due to the rise in its demand from construction, pharmaceutical, textile, and personal care industries. The market in the North America is estimated to expand due to high demand for sodium oleate from end-use industries such as pharmaceutical and personal care in the U.S. and Canada. The market in Europe is projected to expand at a substantial pace due to high demand for sodium oleate from the pharmaceutical industry. The sodium oleate market in Latin America and Middle East & Africa is anticipated to expand at a sluggish pace during the forecast period.



Request For Custom Research @

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=63831



Key players operating in the global sodium oleate market include Sigma-Aldrich, Inc., Acme Synthetic Chemicals, Viva Corporation, Lainghu Xinwang Chemical, Pengxin Chemical, Jiayu Chemical, Dexu New Material, Triveni chemicals, Zhenghao New Material, Muby Chemicals, and Libang Healthcare.
Sellbyville, DE -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- The SSK submarine segment will showcase significant growth in submarine combat system market owing to submarine modernization plan of several countries. SSK are compact, agile, and less noisy as compared to their counterparts. Additionally, industry players are securing contracts from governments to equip their submarines with latest weapons. For instance, in June 2018, Leonardo secured contract from Italian navy to equip their U212A class of SSKs with Black Shark Advanced (BSA) torpedoes. These torpedoes are guided with fiber optic wires and integrates an energy production section for training or operational purposes.



Europe holds a significant revenue share in the submarine combat system market owing to the presence of multiple manufacturers across the region. Industry players are engaged in strategic partnerships and joint ventures for improving their market share. For instance, in October 2017, Thyssenkrupp Marine System and Kongsberg established a joint venture named Kta Naval Systems for developing and maintaining next generation combat systems for the Norwegian Defense.



Request for sample copy of this Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/3054



Technological advancements of combat system include usage of artificial intelligence (AI) and computed automation that enhances remote supervision and monitoring of submarines. The countries including Russia are developing advanced super-cavitating torpedoes. These torpedoes are propelled by rocket engines and attain high speeds of 200 knots an hour. These technical developments will further support penetration of submarine combat system market over the study timeframe.



The governments across the globe are focusing to enhance and enlarge maritime warfare capabilities in their naval fleet. The rising political disputes among countries, development of advanced submarine system, and growing requirement to modernize the weapon systems will drive the submarine combat system market.

Additionally, growing usage of fast attack submarines coupled with advantages offered by this system such as stealth capabilities and faster operations will support the market growth.



Make an inquiry of report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/3054



The industry participants are investing in R&D to introduce new technologically advanced software solutions including integrated ship control management and monitoring system (ISCMMS). Multiple countries are upgrading these systems to enhance the performance of submarines. For instance, in March 2018, Saab signed USD 17.21 million contract with Australia to provide ISCMMS for Australia's Collins class submarines. All these will further support submarine combat system market growth. However, the high upgradation and maintenance costs of combat systems may hinder the market growth over study timeframe.

Rising deployment of new submarines offering longer range and multi mission capabilities are positively influencing the submarine combat system market expansion over the projected timeframe. Incorporation of AI and computed automation technologies along with improvements in infrared sensors are prominently supporting the remote monitoring and supervision of naval vessels. For instance, in 2018, China initiated working on its AI powered autonomous submarines, that are suitable for reconnaissance missions.



Browse Complete Report @ https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/submarine-combat-system-market



Higher cost associated with upgrading conventional submarines with advanced modular combat technologies may restrict the submarine combat system market over the forecast timeframe. Additionally, higher maintenance cost incurred for maintaining efficient performance may further limit the market reach. However, industry players are continuously investing in R&D for introducing cost effective defense technologies, along with advanced and efficient combat systems for boosting the industry share.



The submarine combat system market is highly competitive owing to the presence of major manufacturers including Atlas Elektronik, Thales Group, Saab, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, BAE Systems PLC, Naval Group and Northrop Grumman. Industry players are emphasizing on offering innovative stealth technologies and customized solutions by establishing long term contracts with government organizations. For instance, in September 2016, Australian Defense Ministry awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin for incorporating combat systems in its 12 submarines.



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 Hegde

Corporate Sales, USA

Global Market Insights, Inc.

Phone:1-302-846-7766

Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688

Email: sales@gminsights.com

Web: https://www.gminsights.com
Rockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2019 -- Battlefield communication has come a long way from in the past hundred yearsadvancing from hand signals and shouts; basis radios and human messengers, through to highly sophisticated networks there is in place today. Secure communications have become indispensable in all military operations, government and commercial entities are painstakingly working to enhance the available solutions.



If information-age technologies are to revolutionize land warfare, the tactical communication architecture need to be an integral part of armies' ability to prosecute war. Even though the success of a commander is measured by the provision of reliable information systems and communications, the success of a modern commander counts on supremacy of the electromagnetic spectrum. The smart phones made by Apple and android brands provide everything army leaders vie to have in their future tactical communications architecture versatility, mobility, simplicity, reliability.



For More Details - A sample of this report is available upon request here -



https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=401



With technology continuing to propel, Defense is gearing to keep pace in both capability requirements and procurement processes. The new network is set to use a family of radios supplied by the tactical communication technology that will comprise of new portable radios for soldiers.



The robust growth in sensor and weapon systems allude communications planners are grappling to provide systems with adequate capacity. Pertinent players look to provide voice communications and high-speed data networks within a headquarters to expedite the decision functions and information processing.



If the idea of network-centric warfare is to be implemented on the future battlefield, the communication architecture need to count on seamless connectivity between any point in the battlespace between any two points in the battlespace, and any point in the strategic communications system.



Quantum leap and ground breaking solutions have always evolved. For instance, the U.S. Army and the Israel Army have invested heavily in research for highly-secure and reliable communications options, while scholars and universities globally relentlessly test what is possible within science spectrum.



Browse Full Report with ToC Here:



https://www.factmr.com/report/401/tactical-communication-market



Tactical Communication Market: Overview



Qualitative and quantitative analysis substantiate the intelligence report on the tactical communication market. The report thoroughly delineates the facets in the market that are expected to have the bearing on the development of the tactical communication market, including drivers, restraints, trends, and opportunities. In addition, the report also sheds light on segregation of the market that aims at providing an exhaustive analysis on tactical communication.



Furthermore, the report offers deep-dive analysis on executive summary and overview section, which elucidate assessment on the tactical communication market. Besides, the overview section sheds light on pricing analysis, value chain analysis, supply chain analysis and PESTLE analysis to limn tactical communication market exhaustively.



On the other hand, the report delves into benchmarking to analyze the performance of the products and business processes and shed light on the performances of competitor companies both inside and outside the industry in quest for superior performance.



The report on tactical communication market hinges upon primary sources and secondary sources, which offer in-depth insights and assessments. Furthermore, the report is rest upon authentic and unbiased sources. The report relies upon primary research propelled by veracious and honest analysis from experts, telephonic interview and deep-dive analysis from seasoned analyst, and surveys. Meanwhile, the secondary research includes Factiva, EC filing, press release, governmental websites, resourceful database, and trade journals.



Have Any Query?? Ask Our Industry Expert



https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=401



About Fact.MR

Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.



Contact Us



Fact.MR



11140 Rockville Pike



Suite 400



Rockville, MD 20852



United States



sales@factmr.com



www.factmr.com
The defense chiefs of Korea and the U.S. will meet in Seoul next Monday.

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan are expected to touch on issues like joint military drills and the eventual transfer of full operational control of Korean troops to Seoul.

Just before the meeting, Jeong visits Singapore to attend Asia's biggest annual security forum, the Shangri-La Dialogue, over the weekend. There he will call for close cooperation in the region to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/29/2019 -- Thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) are part of the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) family of polymers, but are closest in elastomeric properties to EPDM thermoset rubber, combining the characteristics of vulcanized rubber with the processing properties of thermoplastics. TPV is a dynamically vulcanized alloy consisting mostly of fully cured EPDM rubber particles encapsulated in a polypropylene (PP) matrix. ExxonMobil Chemical, Teknor Apex and Mitsui Chemicals are major players in the U.S. market. ExxonMobil Chemical is the market leader in the United States which hold about 74% market share.



In the past five years, the U.S. auto industry has shown a rapid growth rate. The automotive industry has greatly boosted the development of TPV industry. The market share of U.S. domestic manufacturers is declining. However, the share of Japanese and South Korean manufacturers is on the rise. In addition, manufacturers are shifting production bases. Much of this is due to regional competition (South Korea and China in the case of Japan and Eastern Europe in the case of Germany), by which manufacturers relocate to the lowest-cost location within a regional market.



On this count, it is significant that Mexicowhich has had access to the US market for more than 20 years via NAFTAhas seen its share of global production increase by just one percentage point over that period. This situation will change in the future. Companies such as Ford and Toyota will commit to building a new car plant in the US that will drive the development of the TPV. The U.S. auto industry is mainly focused on Midwest and south. In 2016, Midwest holds 61% of the consumption share. At the same time, the automotive industry, industrial, home appliance industry is the main consumption applications of TPV.



The automotive industry, industrial is the main driver of the TPV industry. In 2016, the automotive industry holds 62% of TPV consumption. The global Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPV) market was xx million US$ in 2018 and is expected to xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% between 2019 and 2025.



Ask for PDF Copy of this Report at https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1089621/global-thermoplastic-vulcanizates-tpv-market



This report studies the Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPV) 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.



Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Thermoplastic Vulcanizates (TPV) 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



ExxonMobil Chemical



Teknor Apex



Mitsui Chemicals



Dow Corning



RTP Company



Mitsubishi Chemical



Zeon



By the product type, the market is primarily split into



EPDM/PP Blends



NR/PP Blends



By the end users/application, this report covers the following segments



Automobile Industry



Industrial



Electronic Appliances



Building & Construction



Get Customized Report at https://www.qyresearch.com/customize-request/form/1089621/global-thermoplastic-vulcanizates-tpv-market



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.
North Korea's top negotiator ahead of the failed summit with the U.S. in February was executed a month later, while leader Kim Jong-un's erstwhile right-hand man Kim Yong-chol was sent to a labor and reeducation camp, a source said Thursday. Kim Hyok-chol, who was the counterpart of U.S. Special Representative Stephen Biegun in the runup to the summit, was shot at Mirim Airport in March with four other senior officials on charges of spying for America, the source said.

Kim Yong-chol (left) and Kim Hyok-chol

Kim Jong-un is believed to have ordered the purge, which also swept up other officials in the negotiations, to contain internal unrest and mounting public dissatisfaction over the failed summit. The source said Kim Yong-chol was sent to hard labor in Jagang Province, while Kim Song-hye of the United Front Department was sent to a political prison camp. Kim Jong-un's interpreter at the summit, Shin Hye-yong, was accused of "tarnishing the authority" of the leader for an interpreting error and is also believed to have been sent to a prison camp. The North Korean leader's younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, was told to lie low. "Kim Yo-jong has not been spotted in public since the Hanoi summit," a government official here said.

From left, Kim Yo-jong, Kim Song-hye, and Shin Hye-yong

The official Rodong Sinmun daily, meanwhile, took aim at "anti-party, anti-revolutionary acts" against the leader. "Acting like one is revering the leader in front but dreaming of something else when one turns around is an anti-party, anti-revolutionary act that has thrown away the moral fidelity toward the leader, and such people will not avoid the stern judgment of the revolution," it thundered. "There are traitors and turncoats who only memorize words of loyalty toward the leader and even change according to the trend of the time." The last time expressions like "anti-party," "anti-revolutionary" and "stern judgment" appeared in the official party paper was when Kim Jong-un executed his uncle Jang Song-taek in 2013.

Read this article in Korean
In service since 2007, operating on the Civitavecchia-Porto Torres (Sardinia)-Barcelona route, "Cruise Roma" was stretched by the insertion of a 29 metre midsection at Fincantieri's Palermo, Sicily, shipyard, extending the vessel to a length of 254 m and 63,000gt.

Of more basic, longer-term importance, the vessel's diesel auxiliary powerplants were replaced by sets of lithium batteries with a capacity of more than five MWh. This new installation provides power for the ferry during its port calls, thus reducing to zero its emissions while docked.

Four exhaust gas purifiers were also added, reducing particulate emissions while under way by 80%. According to Barcelona Port Authority chairwoman Merce Conesa, the lithiium batteries will prevent the emission of 106 tonnes of NOx annually.

Cruise Roma's sistership, Cruise Barcelona, will go into the Fincantieri yard later in June for the same transformation. The changes add 20 cabins with 80 beds, as well as four seating area with a total of 450 seats and a 270-seat cafeteria.

Total capacity for each stretched vessel will be 3,500 passengers, 271 motor cars and 3,700 linear metres for heavy goods vehicles in a 3,000 square metre car deck.

The two vessels will contribute significantly to the port of Barcelona's Plan to Improve Air Quality. A parallel component is the deployment of LNG for vessel bunkering and use by the port's shoreside vehicles. The cruise vessel AIDANova was the first ship to use the new fueling facility when it called in April.

Among the other officials gathered for the event were the Italian Consul General in Barcelona, Gaia Danese; Francesco Maria di Majo, chairman of the Port of Civitavecchia; and Leandro Melgar, director of operations for the national Spanish Puertos del Estado.
Press Release

May 31, 2019 'Bikoy' expose reminds De Lima of fabricated charges vs her Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has found a silver lining in the so-called expose propelled by Peter Joemel Advincula a.k.a 'Bikoy' in relation to her own ordeal because it proved how sinister forces can easily concoct lies to vilify an innocent person like her. De Lima, the first political prisoner under the Duterte regime, however, clarified that she does need a criminal character like Advincula to attest to her innocence over trumped-up illegal drug trading charges filed against her by the Duterte administration. "As one grievously wronged by fake charges, I see a silver lining in this whole 'Bikoy' issue vis-a-vis my own ordeal. Ipinapakita nito na sadya ngang madaling mag-imbento ng mga akusasyon, at sadya ngang may mga taong sobrang galing magsinungaling," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 526. "The recent surfacing of a Dec. 2016 affidavit of ['B]ikoy', as disclosed by Sotto, purporting to implicate me, PNoy and some other PNoy cabinet officials in the illegal drug trade, which 'Bikoy' in his presscon the other day branded as another 'gawa-gawa,' simply confirms what I already know: That [i]n 2016, there was a concerted effort by pro-Duterte forces to forcely link me to the illegal drug trade," she added. Advincula, the man behind the series of controversial videos "Ang Totoong Narcolist," previously claimed that the President, his immediate family, and close allies have links to the continued proliferation of illegal drug trade in the country. He later recanted his accusation against Duterte's family members and allies and claimed that he was only lured by the united opposition to lie and implicate Mr. Duterte to discredit his administration. Advincula also admitted that his drug allegations against De Lima and then President Benigno Aquino in 2016 were also fabricated and directed by people in the Bureau of Corrections who have personal grudges against the lady senator from Bicol. "'Bikoy''s claim that he or his testimony was meant to be the "finale" in the circus of lies assembled against me may or may not be true. One definite truth, however, came from 'Bikoy's mouth during his recent PNP presscon: that essentially, certain forces were at work in 2016 fabricating charges against me," said the former justice secretary. Recently, Senate President Vicente Sotto III disclosed that Advincula was the same person who tagged De Lima and other officials from the Aquino administration to illegal drug activities in 2016. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, on his part, revealed that around five to six ranking police officials served as Advincula's handlers during that time. De Lima said the information disclosed by her colleagues about Advincula only affirmed her innocence over bogus drug charges, noting that their disclosures have "lent credence to the scenario of 'Bikoy''s potential use then as another perjured witness against me." "Examining closely the contents of this purported Dec. 2016 affidavit, I was obviously the main target. Yes, PNoy and 3 of my former colleagues in the Cabinet were also mentioned, but it was my name that prominently figured in that elaborate web of lies," she said. "There you have it. There are more factual information, mostly from credible sources, that demonstrate beyond cavil that the 3 criminal cases, "People vs. de Lima, et al.," for Conspiracy to Commit Illegal Drug Trading, are a product of a grand conspiracy of lies in order to fulfil Duterte's 'Destroy de Lima' edict. These cases are an absolute sham," she added. De Lima, the staunchest critic of the administration's murderous war on drugs, has been illegally detained since Feb. 24, 2017 on bizarre charges that were all based primarily on perjured testimonies of convicted criminals and manufactured evidence.
WEL Networks more than doubled its full-year profit as expansion of its fibre business boosted revenue and growth in the Waikato region increased residential connections and commercial volumes.

Net income rose to $31.5 million in the year ended March 31, from $13.4 million a year earlier. Revenue increased by $35 million to $210.6 million  with electricity network revenue $13.4 million higher at $134 million, fibre revenue $14 million higher at $67 million, and other revenue  mostly from the Opunake Hydro business it acquired a controlling stake in  $7.7 million higher at $9.6 million.

Operating expenses were $1.7 million higher at $95.6 million.

Chair Rob Campbell attributed the improved result to higher commercial lines consumption, customer growth across the fibre network and continued strong urban development in the Waikato region.

Third-party contributions to the power networks development climbed to $9.9 million from $8 million the year before.

Hamilton-based WEL is the countrys sixth-largest power distributor, supplying about 92,800 homes and businesses. It is benefiting from strong growth across its region and the on-going roll-out of fibre broadband services across the central North Island.

WEL added almost 1,400 new power connections in the year through March, making it the fifth-fastest growing network after Vector, Powerco, Orion, and Wellington Electricity, according to Electricity Authority data.

The firm partnered with neighbouring Waipa Networks to participate in the Crowns ultrafast broadband roll-out in 2012 and the venture was subsequently awarded additional contracts to connect more communities in Taranaki, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. In 2016, WEL bought out the Crowns interest in the partnership.

Last June, the Ultrafast Fibre business installed its 100,000th connection.

Today the firm noted that net debt increased by about $65 million to $542 million at the end of March, with the increased borrowings due to the UFB2 build and the subsequent UFB extension programme. Total assets stood at $1.2 billion, a $91 million increase in the past year.

WELs accounts show earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation from the electricity network increased to $71.06 million, from $57.3 million a year earlier. Fibre earnings rose to $39.6 million, from $28 million, and other earnings climbed to $4.4 million  from a $3.6 million loss the year before.

In August, WEL-controlled Opunake Hydro sold its retail customer book to Trustpower to concentrate on its generation business. At the time, Opunake said tough competition in the commercial market and volatile wholesale prices had proven too much for the business.

WEL has $150 million of bonds listed on the NZX's debt market. The notes mature in 2023 and pay annual interest of 4.9 percent. They last traded at a yield of 3.55 percent.

(BusinessDesk)

Comments from our readers

No comments yet

Add your comment:

Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process.

Related News:

Harmoney Corp Limited (NZX: HMY) HMY Signs A$20m Corporate Debt Facility

24th December 2021 Morning Report

Goodman Property Trust (NZX: GMT) GMT to develop North Shore facility for NZ Post

23rd December 2021 Morning Report

SkyCity Entertainment Group Limited (NZX: SKC) EXPANDS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH GIG

Spark New Zealand Limited (NZX: SPK) Spark to take full ownership of Connect 8

22nd December 2021 Morning Report

Precinct Properties New Zealand Limited (NZX: PCT) Wynyard Quarter Stage 3 Commenced

AMP Limited (NZX: AMP) Announces Delisting from the NZX Main Board

21st December 2021 Morning Report


Director Bong Joon-ho's latest film "Parasite" hit more than 1,700 screens across Korea on Thursday amid huge hype in the wake of receiving the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival last week. Many moviegoers lined up early in the morning to catch the first showing of the film.

Choi shared his memories of shooting the film in an interview in Seoul on opening day. "I was so afraid thinking that I may become a fly in the ointment," Choi recalled. The fable-like comedy, which revolves around two families whose lives become intertwined when the son, played by Choi, from a poor family scams his way into a tutoring job with a wealthy family.

"'Parasite' was sometimes like a school and sometimes like a playground for me," Choi said. "It is definitely one of the most meaningful works to me because it is the first of my works that my parents have complimented, which they don't often do," he said.

Choi made his acting debut as an extra in 2010 and first came to prominence in the TV series "The Duo" in 2011. Since then, the actor has played diverse roles in TV series and films. In 2014, he starred in his first leading role in the indie film "Set Me Free," which won him several awards. He was later cast in internationally recognized films such as "Train to Busan" (2016), "Okja" (2017) -- his first project with Bong -- and "The Witch: The Subversion" (2018).

"Bong said he feels, bizarrely, a sense of sympathy when he sees me sitting still quietly," Choi said. "I think he spotted an anxious and uneasy side of me in my previous works and liked it," he added.

Choi said he was impressed by the festival audience at Cannes. "They really seemed to enjoy the film in pure joy, not trying to rate it," he said.
Speaking at a New York analyst conference on Wednesday, Muilenburg said the company was laser-focused on getting the globally grounded 737 MAX fleet back in the air, although he did not give a timeline for when he thought that could happen, CNN reported.

New York: The Boeing 737 MAX crisis has become a "defining moment" for the company, CEO Dennis Muilenburg said, but added that he was confident it hasn't hurt the company's long-term growth prospects.

The 737 Max was grounded worldwide after a fatal crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet this March, which took place within a span of five months of a fatal crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia in October 2018.

Crash investigators have focused on an automatic safety feature on the jet as a possible contributor to the crashes that killed a total of 346 people.

The CEO also did not comment on the overall cost to the company, but said he was convinced the aircraft will be safe once it returns to service.

"Public confidence has been hurt, and we have work to do to earn and re-earn the trust of the flying public," he said. "We're going to do everything we can to make sure... the MAX is safe to fly."

Muilenburg said Boeing will work with airlines on different forms of compensation for the grounding and the halt in new deliveries. He said some of that compensation could be in supplying services or future purchases at reduced cost.

"There are a number of different ways we can address this issue," he said. "In some cases cash may be part of the solution."

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently reviewing a software fix Boeing has completed for the aircraft.

Muilenburg said he hopes that aviation authorities around the world will follow the FAA's lead, once it certifies the aircraft was safe to fly.

Both Boeing and the FAA have come under intense scrutiny over the certification process for the 737 MAX since the March crash, CNN reported.

Muilenburg maintained on Wednesday the certification was done properly. He said he was confident the FAA's process, which allows manufactures such as Boeing to self-certify parts of new aircrafts, is the best system.

But he said Boeing is open to any changes in that process suggested by the various ongoing reviews.

Later on Wednesday, the Boeing CEO also appeared on CBS News, where he publicly apologized to the victims of the 737 MAX crashes.
Hopes were fading on Wednesday night that any of 19 Koreans who went missing in a pleasure boat accident on the Danube in Budapest might still be found alive as heavy rains hampered rescue efforts. Of 35 people aboard the boat, seven were rescued, but seven have been found dead and 21 including the Hungarian captain and one crewmember remain unaccounted for.

Hungarian authorities mobilized nearly 100 fire fighters as well as military divers to search for survivors all night long, but heavy rainfall and river currents hampered their search as visibility in the choppy waters was clouded by soil and debris. "Our goal is to salvage the boat as soon as possible, but there is no telling when that will happen," a police officer said.



People look at rescue efforts near the Margret Bridge in Budapest, Hungary on Thursday. /Yonhap

When the accident happened, the Korean tourists, who were mostly friends and coworkers with their families, were wrapping up the fifth day of a nine-day package tour of Eastern Europe. The trip took them from Germany to Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary and was to have continued into Austria and the Czech Republic. The Hableany, which means "mermaid," set off on the fast-flowing river that had been swollen by heavy rains at 8 p.m. on Wednesday despite a thunderstorm lashing the city. According to the Foreign Ministry here, the accident occurred at around 9:05 p.m. as the Hableany was returning to the landing stage when the Viking Sigyn, a Swiss-registered cruise ship five times larger than the Hableany, rammed into the stern just a few hundred meters from the landing stage. Police told reporters that the Hableany sank in a mere seven seconds as the hull twisted on impact.

The cruise ship Viking Sigyn (back) rams into the stern of the pleasure boat Hableany on the Danube in Budapest on Wednesday, in this video grab from Hungarian Police.

Three generations of one family, a husband and wife, and siblings were killed in the accident. Police and firefighters in Budapest launched a rescue attempt 10 minutes after the accident but found only seven survivors and seven bodies shortly after the tragedy. Among the missing are a six-year-old girl from Incheon west of Seoul, her mother and grandparents. The father of the girl, identified only by his surname Kim, said, "The trip was a present for my mother-in-law, who looked after my daughter." The father stayed behind in Korea because he had to work. The wreck of the Hableany was found under a nearby bridge at around 2 a.m. Thursday, but there appeared to be no passengers inside.

Cho Sung-yoon (37) was touring Budapest with 25 other Koreans aboard another sightseeing boat that cruised just behind the Hableany. The crew told Cho and the other Korean passengers to get off the boat immediately because of the accident that happened in front of them. Survivors said they were totally unprepared. Around 20 tourists were standing on the upper deck of the Hableany taking photos or preparing to disembark when the accident occurred. The rest were gathered on the lower deck. The passengers on the upper deck were thrown into the water when their boat was rammed. Some tourists claimed that the sightseeing boats did not enforce safety rules. One tourist who went on the boat ride in Budapest in the past recalled, "No staff explained safety rules to us and the cruises were never canceled despite bad weather." Another problem was heavy traffic along the Danube. "Hundreds of boats ply the Danube in and around Budapest each day, from small sightseeing boats to larger river cruises which dock in the city before continuing along the river," the Guardian daily reported. Hungarian news outlet 444 reported that 60 to 70 vessels operate on the Danube every night. President Moon Jae-in told officials Thursday to use "all means possible" to ensure that Korean rescue workers can arrive at the scene of the accident. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa will oversee the efforts. The families of victims and survivors were flown to Budapest by the travel agency that organized the tour. Meanwhile, Hungarian police have arrested the Ukrainian captain of the Viking Sigyn.
North Korean officials rarely show up at regular Friday meetings in the new inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, and amid a sweeping purge of senior diplomatic officials in Pyongyang, hopes are fading that better discipline can be imposed any time soon.

A senior South Korean official told reporters on Thursday, "The two sides agreed to meet on Fridays, but we sometimes find ourselves alone in the conference room because no North Korean officials show up."

In fact the North Korean side has not shown up for 13 weeks in a row. "I think it would be better to make an appointment in future because each side has its own circumstances, rather than traveling to the liaison office every week," he added.

He said a lot of the work could be done from Seoul.
A sweeping purge of senior North Korean negotiators since the failed Hanoi summit with the U.S. in February has brought talks with the regime to a grinding halt.

An intelligence source said Thursday that the purge is probably the reason the North has been so quiet in talks with South Korea. It has severely thinned out the ranks of the departments tasked with negotiating with the U.S. and South Korea.

That means denuclearization talks between the U.S. and the North will probably be put on hold for some time until halfway competent replacements for the purged officials have been found.

Several key officials appear to have been punished. Among them is Kim Yong-chol, Kim Jong-un's erstwhile right-hand man who oversaw preparations for the summit and has been sent to a labor camp. A worse fate befell Kim Hyok-chol, the top negotiator who was reportedly executed by firing squad.

Kim Song-hye from the United Front Department was also sent to a prison camp. Ri Son-gwon, the chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, who had been the main contact point with South Korea since last year, is also rumored to have been purged. Although Ri was not involved in the failed Hanoi summit, he had been a close aide to Kim Yong-chol for years.

One North Korean defector who used to be a senior official in the North said, "The purges targeting high-ranking officials are likely to result in changes in the regime's South Korea policy. There'll be no significant inter-Korean dialogue until we see an outline of the changes."

The South Korean government has been pushing for another cross-border summit, but there has been no response from the North. No meetings have taken place at the new liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong since the Hanoi summit.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in a speech last month that he expects talks with the U.S. to resume at the end of this year. Pundits believe that means he wants to give himself time to put another negotiating team together.


Hong has gone to ground, but Ahn was arrested on an international warrant from Spain.

Christopher Ahn and fellow Free Joseon leader Adrian Hong Chang were behind a daredevil raid on the North Korean Embassy in Madrid in February but have since got on the wrong side of U.S. authorities after an apparent falling-out with the FBI.

The shadowy anti-North Korean guerrilla group Free Joseon on Thursday called for one of its leaders to be freed from U.S. custody.

"We call for Christopher Ahn to be freed and the pursuit of Adrian Hong to end!" Free Joseon wrote on its website alongside a picture of Ahn with Kim Han-sol, the nephew of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Free Joseon spirited Han-sol to safety with the aid of the U.S., Chinese and Dutch authorities after his father, the North Korean leader's half-brother Kim Jong-nam, was assassinated by North Korean agents in Kuala Lumpur.

This photo was earlier published in the international press, but there were questions about its authenticity. "In February of 2017, the Provisional Government of Free Joseon (formerly Cheollima Civil Defense) received an emergency request by Kim Han-sol immediately after the assassination of his father, Kim Jong-nam," the group says on its website.

"The Provisional Government of Free Joseon successfully completed a mission to rescue Kim Han-sol, his mother and his sister from immediate and critical danger to safety."

It calls Hong and Ahn "true heroes who took great risks and have made many other personal sacrifices for many years to help and rescue those not blessed with freedom." It claims the group has never received any funding from foreign governments.

Kim Han-sol is "not and never was a leader in our government," it adds. Although he is "a fine and good young man... we do not believe in hereditary leadership based on bloodline. Anyone with good intentions is welcome as a member of the Provisional Government of Free Joseon."


LG on Wednesday officially opened its first home appliances plant in the U.S., the world's largest market, to take on local giant Whirlpool. LG dodged the threat of punitive U.S. tariffs on Korean washing machines by building the plant there.

With an annual production capacity of 1.2 million washing machines, the plant in Clarksville, Tennessee can roll out a washing machine every 10 seconds thanks to advanced robotics deployed at every stage of the process. Song Dae-hyun, the head of LG's home appliance division, said, "Our goal this year is two-digit growth for the washing machine business."

The plant has actually been in operation since December after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed safeguard duties of up to 50 percent on foreign washing machines in February 2018.
President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will not sit down together on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka in June.

Abe's schedule has already been whittled down to minutes, a source in Tokyo said on Thursday, and there is no slot in it for Moon. The two countries are divided by a welter of spats over historical and other issues.

According to Kyodo News, participants in a meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday urged Abe not to meet with Moon.

Kenji Kanasugi of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau told participants, "Leaders of 37 countries and international organizations are attending the G20 summit. Abe will prioritize bilateral meetings with foreign leaders."

Hirofumi Nakasone, a former Japanese foreign minister, also opposed a summit with Moon, saying, "Japan is being ignored by Korea. We should behave in a dignified manner during the G20 summit."

Instead Abe is meeting with leaders of the EU, U.S., China and Russia, while Moon faces the threat of being left out in the cold.

A bilateral defense ministers meeting on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this weekend is also unlikely. A Defense Ministry spokesman on Thursday failed to answer questions whether Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo will sit down with his Japanese counterpart.


Hong Kong: Bill concerns addressed: CS

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung today said the new measures relating to the fugitive bill have fully addressed public concerns.

Speaking to the media after attending an event, Mr Cheung said the measures respond to the views of various sectors of the community.

He also expressed hope that when the Legislative Council debates the Fugitive Offenders & Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019, it will be conducted in a rational and pragmatic manner.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Doctor draws diagrams before carrying out surgery

From:ChinaDaily | 2019-05-31 13:31

Cheng Zhaoyun, 55, vice-president of Central China Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital in Zhengzhou, Henan province, has a habit of drawing schematic diagrams before carrying out surgeries on patients with heart disease.

The habit started since he returned to China after studying in Australia in the second half of 2000.

Up to now, more than 4,000 hand-drawn patients' schematic diagrams are housed in his office, recording the surgeries of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the past 18 years.

The colorful schematic diagrams show the detailed information of different patients, Cheng said.
Home  Just In  I want to see Yamaha become Nepals number one two-wheeler: Shitara

Motofumi Shitara is the Chairman and Managing Director of Yamaha Motor India Group of Companies. He was recently in Nepal to assess the operation of Yamaha Motors and suggest the Nepal office on how ways to improve the business. Shitara spoke to Onlinekhabar on Yamahas Asian market and how he plans to make Yamaha the number one two-wheeler brand in Nepal. Experts:

What is Yamahas position in the global market?

Yamaha is doing quite well globally. We have around 30 per cent market share globally. Our sport bikes are quite popular throughout the world and this has put us in a good position. However, in the subcontinent, it isnt as strong. That is why our focus now is to improve our market share in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. We see a lot of opportunities here and are planning to bring different bikes and scooters so that we can compete with other brands that are already here.

How do you plan to improve your market share in Nepal?

Here in Nepal, we want to focus on the sport model. If you see the kind of models we have introduced in Nepal (such as FZ v3, FZ with a double disk model, R15 V3 and XTZ ) they all have been a success in Nepal. All these bikes are sporty, stylish and perform well. And we feel that in a short period of time we will be number one when it comes to premium bikes in Nepal. We aspire to be number one by next year.

What similarities do you find in the Asian market?

Its almost similar. But there are small differences when it comes to each country. The difference is in the numbers. Nepal will have smaller numbers compared to India and Bangladesh, but I feel the growth is the same.

What has the response been for the new MT15?

The bike will probably be launched next month, and as now Ive heard that it is getting some good reaction here in Nepal and in other places as well. The look has been appreciated by many along with its new features like variable valve actuation (VVA) and anti-breaking system (ABS). It will probably be released in the next two months in Nepal.

Nepali bikers have long been fond of Japanese bikes. Is your R&D directed towards this?

Research and Development is different for each country where we sell our bikes in. When it comes to R&D, we look at both safety and performances. I dont think we give much attention to Japanese style. First of all, we want our bikes to be safe, and we are concerned more about quality control than we about the style. We are now focused on using more technology on the bikes because we know in the future our riders will want to connect their mobile phones on their bikes.

Strategies to become the number one brand in Nepal?

We want to focus on branding. It is quite important. I dont think customers buy bikes because of the make. They buy bikes which are branded well. Our other plan is to sell good performance bikes which is important. We also want to offer Yamaha uniqueness to our customers. We believe that is what makes us different from other competitors and that is how we have done well in the market and intend to well in the future.

Any plans on having an assembling plant in Nepal?

Currently, the demand isnt as huge. Dont think we need to open one now, but opening an assembling plant is on the back of our mind. But we need to have favourable policies if we want to open a plant. I cant say that we will open one but we are looking at possibilities.

Do you intend to sell electric bikes and scooters in Nepal?

We havent thought about that really. We need to assess the market first. We know that the scooter market in Nepal is huge but currently we are aware that electric vehicles havent really taken off in Nepal yet. We might launch a few EVs maybe in a few years time.

Which is your favorite market in South Asia?

It is quite difficult to define the best market. In most European countries biking is a hobby. But here in South Asia, people see it as a necessity. Here in Asia, the weather is favourable which is why I think the best market is South Asia.
Home  Just In  Nepal opens Brain Gain Centre for partnership with nonresident Nepali experts

Kathmandu, May 31

The government of Nepal on Friday opened a new unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aiming at fostering partnership with Nepali experts and professionals living overseas.

Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali inaugurated the Brain Gain Centre under the Policy, Planning, Development Diplomacy and Overseas Nepali Affairs Division of the Ministry today.

It particularly aims at recognising, promoting, connecting, mobilising and rewarding such experts work to complement to Nepals socioeconomic development, the Ministry informs, The database of the BGC can be accessed at www.mofa.gov.np/bgc.

The Ministry states that it is the first step towards establishing more systematic connections and networks between local and diaspora experts.

Earlier on May 7, Minister Gyawali had invited Nepali professionals living abroad to register with the Centres database. Accordingly, more than 450 Nepalis have been registered.

The Ministry says various Nepali diaspora communities including the Non-Resident Nepali Association will support the government for the units operation.
Page Content

From May 27th to May 31st Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin lead a Sint Maarten delegation to Barbados, to attend the Understanding Risk (UR) Caribbean Conference organized by the World Banks Latin America and Caribbean Region Disaster Risk Management team, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the European Union (EU).



The Understanding Risk (UR) Caribbean Conference is aimed at sharing the most current information related to identifying, assessing and reducing disaster risk in the Caribbean region. The conference is hosted by the Government of Barbados and will be held at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus Errol Barrow Center for Creative Imagination.



In her keynote address at the conference Prime Minister Romeo Marlin said, I have spent my first 18 months in office working tirelessly to rebuild our island and to look for ways to better prepare the country for future storms and the financial consequences that will come with them. In doing so, I have strived to follow the examples of other disaster-prone countries in the Caribbean region and to implement existing best practices.



In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Sint Maarten has taken two important steps to better manage the financial risk of natural disasters. Firstly, as of September 1st 2018, the Government of Sint Maarten has joined the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, CCRIF, purchasing coverage for tropical cyclones, earthquakes and excess rainfall (CCRIF renewed on June 1st 2019). A second step that we are taking is the establishment of a Disaster Risk Management Fund, which will be financed through our national budget. In creating this self-insurance mechanism, we are following the example of other countries in the region such as St. Kitts and Nevis, and Dominica.



Prime Minister Romeo Marlin explained that a key component of such a strategy is to find ways to increase the practice of purchasing private insurance. On Sint Maarten, as in many other Caribbean regions, low and middle-income households as well as small-business are not insured or severely underinsured. One of the main reasons for this are the extremely high premiums. Addressing the inadequate insurance of the private sector should be a fundamental part of our national strategy, but also of regional and international attempts to build resilience to disasters and climate change in the Caribbean.



We can only address the challenges that we are facing by working together as Caribbean nations. Our region is one of the least in greenhouse gas emission but we are confronted with some of the most severe effects of climate change. Meanwhile, access to international funding for mitigation and adaptation measures remains difficult.



As Caribbean nations, we are forever tied to each other for better or for worse. A great level of commitment and support is therefore essential for the growth of a resilient nation in particular in the area of finance. It is our vision to develop St. Maarten, into a SMART and Resilient country, but in order to accomplish this goal we must first be willing and able to extend our support where needed to each of our sister countries and partners in resiliency. Together we are stronger, United we are a force. Therefore, we must speak with one voice.



Let us continue to work together, by instituting benchmarks towards excellence, establishing best practices to achieve effective Sustainable Development Goals and embark on innovations that foster a more financial/ economic resilient future for our people and build an integrated and empowered region as a whole. As the Prime Minister of St. Maarten, and your partner in the journey towards resiliency and the various fundamentals that it encompasses, I would like to close by encouraging everyone to believe in the ability to grow stronger by working together. It will not be easy but it definitely will be worth it. The road to resiliency is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Every step will count, so let us take the step in securing financial aspects of resiliency in order to save and protect our respective citizens to assure a united Caribbean said Prime Minister Romeo Marlin at the conference.



The Understanding Risk (UR) Caribbean Conference offered a platform for Caribbean countries and regional organizations, for both public and private sectors, regional disaster risk management agencies, non-governmental organizations, multilateral development banks, international donors and practitioners across the Caribbean to collaborate, build capacity and discuss innovations in risk assessment.



In Photo L-R  Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin addressing the Understanding Risk (UR) Caribbean Conference audience


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
Sri Lankan Parliamentarian Ven Athuraliye Rathana Thera commenced a fast-unto-death campaign outside the Sri Dalada Maligawa temple in Kandy today (May 31) calling for the resignation of certain politicians.









The Thero had urged that Minister Rishad Bathiudeen must be removed from his position along with Governors M.L.A.M. Hizbullah and Azath Salley.





Earlier this week, Rathana Thero had granted a 24-hour period for Rishad Bathiudeen to resign from his ministerial portfolio. He had commenced a fast-unto-death campaign today since the said time period had lapsed yesterday.




Democracies spy on us all, yet they persist in punishing, to the ends of the earth, those who dare to shine a light upon them. Tyrannies do the same.





by Andrew Napolitano





"Congress shall make no law...

abridging the freedom of speech,

or of the press..."

 First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution





When James Madison agreed be the scrivener at the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787, he could not have known that just three years later he'd be the chair of the House of Representatives committee whose task it was to draft the Bill of Rights.









In doing so, he insisted that the word "the" precede the phrase "freedom of speech" in what was to become the First Amendment, so as to reflect its preexistence; meaning, the freedom of speech preexisted the United States. Madison believed that the pre-political rights, which he enumerated in the Bill of Rights are natural to our humanity, and he articulated as much in the Ninth Amendment, and in his speeches in support of the ratification of what would become the first 10 amendments.





Madison knew that when he wrote, "Congress shall make no law abridging ... the freedom of speech, or of the press" he and the ratifiers meant no law. As direct and unambiguous as those words are  the Constitution as amended is the supreme law of the land  Congress and the courts have not always been faithful to them.





Thus, at the height of the anti-immigrant hysteria whipped up by President Woodrow Wilson and his supporters, Congress enacted the Espionage Act of 1917, which punished speech deemed harmful to America's war efforts. Wilson was determined to win the First World War at the price of the suppression of ideas that he hated or feared.





The Espionage Act was used aggressively and successfully (from Wilson's vantage point) during the war and in the immediate years following. Then, a series of Supreme Court decisions instructed that the Act is probably unconstitutional as its sole purpose and effect is to suppress speech. These opinions harkened back to Madison, who believed that the only moral and constitutional remedy for hateful or harmful or even seditious speech was not suppression and punishment but rather more speech.





That attitude prevailed generally in the legal and judicial communities and at the Department of Justice for a few generations  even during World War II  until now. Now, the Trump DOJ has indicted a non-American whose alleged crimes took place in Europe for numerous violations of the Espionage Act, and it has done so in direct defiance of a Supreme Court decision that ruled against this during the Nixon years.





The non-American is Julian Assange, a radical and unorthodox publisher of truthful information that often exposes the hypocrisy of government. His entity for exposure is WikiLeaks  the website known for receiving stolen data and for posting true and accurate copies of them.





It was Assange and WikiLeaks that published the infamous Democratic National Committee emails in October 2016, which contained the "dirt" on Hillary Clinton once offered by Russian agents to Trump campaign officials, and for which then-candidate Trump lavished public praise on WikiLeaks.





Yet, back in 2010, Assange arranged to receive and publish stolen copies of top secret military materials that revealed American military personnel in Afghanistan at their worst. It showed them knowingly killing innocent civilians  and doing so gleefully. The data that Assange revealed had been stolen for him by an Army private then named Bradley Manning. Manning was tried and convicted of the theft and was sentenced to 35 years in a military prison, much of it in solitary confinement. In January 2017, President Barack Obama commuted Manning's sentence to time served.





If this sounds a bit like history repeating itself from the Nixon years, it is. In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a civilian employee of the Nixon Department of Defense, revealed that he had stolen thousands of pages of top secret materials showing that former President Lyndon B. Johnson and some of his generals had serially lied to the American public and to Congress about the Vietnam War.





When he delivered the stolen materials to The New York Times and to The Washington Post for publication, and the Nixon DOJ got wind of the delivery, it persuaded two federal judges to enjoin the publication of the documents.





In a landmark decision, known as the Pentagon Papers case, the Supreme Court ruled that a publisher may reveal whatever materials come into the publisher's possession, no matter how they got there, so long as the materials are themselves material to the public interest.





Stated differently, the thief  Ellsberg then, Manning today  can be tried for theft, but the publisher is absolutely protected by the "no law" language of the First Amendment. Ellsberg was indicted and prosecuted, but the charges were dismissed by a federal judge whose conscience was shocked when he learned that FBI agents broke into the office of Ellsberg's psychiatrist to get "dirt" on him.





Assange is also protected by the values underlining that "no law" language. The whole purpose of the First Amendment, numerous courts have written, is to promote and provoke open, wide, robust political debate about the policies of the government. That simply cannot be done when government operates in secret. Even when publishers tell the possessors of state secrets how to deliver them  as Times and Post reporters surely did to Ellsberg  they cannot be silenced or punished.





Why was Assange indicted? Government killers are a mob, and mobs love anonymity. Assange assaulted their love by ending that anonymity. When the government kills and rejoices and lies about it in our names, we have a right to know of its behavior. Democracies spy on us all, yet they persist in punishing, to the ends of the earth, those who dare to shine a light upon them. Tyrannies do the same.




System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3ff424cae0)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff10e3878)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3ff424cae0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff10e3878)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3ff242d598)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff10e3878)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ff10e3878)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3feeea79a8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff10769b0)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff10769b0)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fef6c9e98)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fef8a9c68)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fef6c9e98)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fef8a9c68)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3fef810330)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fef8a9c68)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3fef8a9c68)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3feeea79a8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fef6d63f8)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3fef6d63f8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951

/var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17

/usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149



Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 129 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 160 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3ffe11b670)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 951 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ffd4642b8)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3ffe11b670)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1305 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 958 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ffd4642b8)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 138 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x7f3ff4a586b8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1303 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1295 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 484 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 436 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ffd4642b8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3ffd4642b8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x7f3feeea46e8)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff2bdf118)') called at (eval 487) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x7f3ff2bdf118)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
Tradition meets tech as Kenya's herders adapt to climate change



Merille, Kenya, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



For generations, Kaltuma Hassan's clan would study the sky over Kenya's arid north for any sign of rain -- some wind here, a wisp of cloud there -- to guide their parched livestock to water.

But such divination has been rendered hopeless by intensifying droughts. Days on foot can reveal nothing more than bone-dry riverbeds and grazing land baked to dust, sounding the death knell for their herd.

"You might go a long distance, and they die on the way... It is a very hard life," Hassan told AFP in Marsabit, a sparse and drought-prone expanse where millions of pastoral families depend entirely on livestock to survive.

Today, she leaves less to chance.

The 42-year-old relies on detailed rainfall forecasts received via text message from a Kenyan tech firm to plan her migrations, a simple but life-changing resource for an ancient community learning to adapt to increasing weather extremes.

Nomadic livestock herders in East Africa's drylands have endured climate variability for millennia, driving their relentless search for water and pasture in some of the world's most inhospitable terrain.

But their resilience is being severely tested by climate change, forcing a rethink to traditional wisdom passed down for generations.

Kenya endures a severe drought every three to five years, the World Bank says, but they are increasing in frequency and intensity, and temperatures are rising too.

With conditions ever-more unreliable, Hassan no longer relies on warriors she once dispatched to scout for suitable grazing land for her cattle.

"They wake up very early in the morning and they look at the clouds, they look at the moon, to predict. I use this now," she said, scrolling through customised weather updates on her phone, sent via SMS in Rendille, a local language.

The service uses advanced weather data from US agricultural intelligence firm aWhere to provide subscribers with rain and forage conditions for the week ahead in their locality.

The forecasts are sent as text messages, so they are compatible with basic phones often used by pastoralists in remote areas.

Kenyan IT firm Amfratech, which launched the SMS service earlier this year, has also rolled out a more advanced app-based version. They hope to eventually sign up tens of thousands of pastoralists.



- Dry skies -



Rainfall -- the difference between feast and famine in East Africa and the Horn -- is more erratic than ever, arriving late or not at all.

A long dry spell can set a pastoral family back years and erode their capacity to handle future shocks, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said in a 2018 report.

A second blow in quick succession can leave them teetering on starvation.

Such a crisis is already brewing in Kenya's pastoral country to the north and over its borders in neighbouring arid regions.

This year's so-called long rains failed to arrive, putting millions at risk. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network has warned that hunger in pastoral areas will worsen in coming months.

"It doesn't rain like it once did," said Nandura Pokodo, at a dusty livestock market in Merille, an outpost in Kenya's northern pastoralist heartland. Nobody wants his drought-weary animals, so he will return home empty-handed.

"It's harder to find pasture... year after year."

As the rains failed, Pokodo, 55, wandered for days between March and April in search of grazing land but found nothing. He lost 20 goats and sheep -- a ruinous outcome for nomads whose fortunes are intertwined with their beasts.

"Even if you have a million shillings but have no goats or sheep or camel, they consider you very poor," said Daniel Kapana, the head of Merille market, and an intergenerational herder himself.



- Turn to technology -



The text messages have also helped Samuel Lkiangis Lekorima protect not just his livestock, but the safety of his community.

Longer, harsher droughts have stoked intense competition between pastoralists for ever-scarcer water and pasture. A feud between two groups over a watering hole near Ethiopia left 11 dead in May, local media reported.

Lekorima, a 22-year-old herder from Marsabit, said advance knowledge of rainfall helped keep his people wandering far, and avoid any potential tensions with distant clans.

"When I get that message, I phone people (and) tell them... don't go far away, because there is rain soon," he told AFP.

Other modern interventions are also playing a part, helping protect not just pastoralists but a sector that contributes more than 12 percent to Kenya's GDP, according to the World Bank.

The Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute uses satellite imagery to determine when pasture levels are critically low -- a portent of livestock death.

Some insurance products are linked to this index and issue payments before drought hits, so pastoralists can buy enough fodder for lean times ahead. Tens of thousands of herders have signed up, industry groups say.

"A drought should no longer be an emergency," said Thomas Were, of CTA, an EU-funded institution that is driving a pastoralist-resilience project in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Helima Osman Bidu, a traditional herder and mother-of-three, has joined a women's collective that invests in non-livestock related enterprises, another approach to drought-proofing the family finances.

"It is good to have something on the side," she told AFP, nodding to a padlocked metal box nearby containing the group's seed money.

np/fb/dcr
Philippines' Duterte warns over South China Sea 'flashpoint'



Tokyo, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte voiced rare frustration with China Friday, urging progress on a code of conduct for the contested South China Sea, which he warned was becoming a "flashpoint".

Duterte was delivering a speech at an economic forum in Tokyo, but veered off script with remarks about the resource-rich sea, over most of which China claims sovereignty despite competing claims from the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and Vietnam.

"I love China... but it behooves upon us to ask, 'is it right for a country to claim the whole ocean?" he said.

Beijing and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have for years tried to hammer out a code of conduct to govern the disputed waters, but the process has been slow.

"I am sad and bewildered -- not angry, because I cannot do anything," Duterte said. "I just hope China will come up with this 'conduct' soon.

"The longer it takes," he said, the greater the chance the sea would be a "flashpoint of troubles", adding that France, Britain, and the United States are already "testing the waters".

Duterte, aiming to attract trade and investment from the Asian superpower, has mostly withheld his early criticism of Beijing's expansive claims to the sea -- a point of regional contention because trillions of dollars of goods pass through it.

But in April he warned Beijing to back off from a disputed island in the sea, suggesting the possibility of military action if China touched it.

In a major victory for Manila, an international maritime tribunal ruled early in Duterte's presidency that China's claims to the area have no legal basis.

However, he has largely set aside that ruling and backed off on their once tense territorial dispute over the sea, prompting criticism at home that he has been soft on China

"China says, 'this is our land, this is our sea. Anyone who goes in there will just have to contend with us. Maybe with arms'," Duterte told the Future of Asia forum.

"My country is very small. I cannot afford to go to war with anybody, not only with China."

Duterte also voiced worries about the escalating trade war between Beijing and Washington, saying it could only harm the world economy.

"It is creating uncertainty and tension," he said.
G20 digital tax takes step closer



Paris, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



Global efforts to impose a unified tax policy on Google, Facebook and other internet giants have cleared a major hurdle ahead of a G20 summit in Japan, officials said Friday.

The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said that 129 countries had signed off on a roadmap to grab a fairer tax share of the companies' booming sales.

"Important progress has been made through the adoption of this new programme of work, but there is still a tremendous amount of work to do as we seek to reach, by the end of 2020, a unified long-term solution to the tax challenges posed by digitalisation of the economy," OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria said in a statement.

The OECD said Gurria would seek the blessing of G20 finance ministers for the roadmap when they meet in the Japanese city of Fukuoka on June 8-9.

That meeting is in preparation for a full G20 summit involving US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and their peers in Osaka at the end of June.

The summit will be an important staging post on the way to the OECD's goal of agreeing the new tax policy by the end of next year.

The research body has been tasked by the G20 to find a technical fix to the problem of internet heavyweights taking advantage of low-tax jurisdictions such as Ireland to pay a pittance on their profits and revenues in other countries.

Japan's Nikkei business daily said the G20 countries were planning a new tax policy based on the amount of business a company does in a country, not where it is headquartered.

The OECD's roadmap is based on two main pathways: one to determine where taxes should be paid, the other to ensure a minimum level of tax is levied.

The existing setup has cost governments up to $240 billion in lost tax revenues, the OECD estimated in 2015. The figure today would be much higher.

But rival proposals are in the mix to address the problem. The United States is notably pushing for a much wider approach which could ensnare European and Asian multinationals involved in other sectors beyond technology.

So the OECD and G20 must find a consensus around a single proposal to achieve their timeline. In the absence of that, several European nations including Britain and France have started going their own way, drawing US ire.

"Today's broad agreement on the technical roadmap must be followed by strong political support toward a solution that maintains, reinforces and improves the international tax system," Gurria said.

"The health of all our economies depends on it."

jit-arz/rl

Facebook

BAIDU

Tencent

Alibaba

Uber
Syria regime strikes kill 7 in latest Idlib bloodshed



Maaret al-Numan, Syria, May 30 (AFP) May 30, 2019



Regime air strikes on a jihadist enclave in northwest Syria killed seven civilians on Thursday, a monitor said, the latest deaths in a bloody wave of government attacks.

Damascus and its ally Russia have pummelled Idlib province and surroundings over the past month despite a truce deal aimed at staving off a humanitarian catastrophe.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring organisation says over 285 civilians have been killed since late April in the enclave, home to almost three million people.

"The pace of air strikes decreased relatively on Thursday compared to previous days," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

But bombings still killed seven civilians, including five in the town of Maaret al-Numan on the western edge of the jihadist-held territory, he said.

An AFP photographer reported the strikes hit a residential area, collapsing a building and killing some of those inside.

The body of a victim could be seen still in bed as rescue workers struggled to reach survivors trapped under the rubble.

Idlib province and some surrounding areas are mostly controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group dominated by former members of Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate.

The United Nations says roughly 270,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since late April and that aid agencies have been forced to halt work in some areas.

Some 30 health facilities and schools have been hit, the UN says.

Despite the surge in attacks, the government has not announced an all-out offensive to retake the entire jihadist enclave.

Russia and rebel supporter Turkey brokered a ceasefire deal in September to avert a government assault it was feared could spark the worst humanitarian disaster of the eight-year war.

Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday spoke by telephone to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, calling for the ceasefire to be respected, the Turkish presidency said.

Erdogan told Putin it was important to "apply the ceasefire without delay in order to focus once again on finding a political solution" to the Syrian conflict, a statement said.

He also "stressed the need to prevent more lives being lost in regime attacks mainly targeting civilians" and to eliminate the "growing risk" of a wave of migrants heading for Turkey's border.

The conflict in Syria has killed more than 370,000 people since it started in 2011.
Pentagon calls Turkey plan to buy Russian missiles 'devastating'



Washington, May 30 (AFP) May 30, 2019



A top Pentagon official said on Thursday the consequences would be "devastating" for Turkey's joint F-35 fighter program and its cooperation with NATO if the country bought a Russian missile defense system.

Kathryn Wheelbarger, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, said that Ankara's planned purchase of the S-400 system would damage Turkey's ability to work together with the Western alliance, and force Washington to hit the country with sanctions.

"Completion of this transaction would be devastating, not only to the F-35 program, on which the West has placed its modernized integrated air capability, but it would potentially rupture Turkish interoperability with NATO, a key aspect of the defense of the alliance," Wheelbarger told an audience at the Atlantic Council in Washington.

"Let's be clear. The S-400 is a Russian system designed to shoot down an aircraft like the F-35, and it is inconceivable to imagine Russia not taking advantage of that collection opportunity."

Wheelbarger said the US believes Turkey is pursuing the deal to get Russia's support against Kurdish rebels along its border with Syria.

But she warned Ankara that Russia is not a reliable partner over the long term, doesn't back its military sales with maintenance and other support, and is simply trying to undermine NATO cohesion.

"Once you introduce Russian systems, it really undermines our ability to continue helping them to defend themselves," she said.

She said that the Trump administration, even if it does not want to punish Turkey for the purchase, could be forced to do so by a Congress unsympathetic to Ankara.

"If we don't do the sanctions, they said, they'll just pass another law and make us do it," she said, referring to the US legislature.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected US pressure, calling the purchase a "done deal."

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said last week that Turkey had already sent personnel to Russia for training.

On Wednesday US President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Erdogan, in which they discussed the S-400 purchase, Erdogan's office said.

The office said they discussed Erdogan's previous offer to form a "joint working group" on the missile system.
UN to stay away from Mideast conference in Bahrain



United Nations, United States, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



The United Nations will not be taking part in a conference in Bahrain to present the economic aspects of a US peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians, a spokesman said Thursday.

The UN's Middle East coordinator, Nickolay Mladenov, was invited to the June 25-26 conference in Manama, but he will not attending.

"At this stage, I'm not aware that we will have anyone present," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq when asked about UN attendance at the conference.

President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drafting the long-awaited peace plan that has already been rejected by the Palestinians, who expect the proposals to heavily favor Israel.

The plan is aimed at providing economic opportunities for the Palestinians, but Kushner has hinted that it will not endorse international calls for the creation of a Palestinian state.

Several UN resolutions have enshrined the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the path to a peace settlement.

The Palestinian Authority has already said it will boycott the Bahrain conference after it cut ties with the US administration over Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

UN diplomats say they expect the Kushner plan to fail, but it remains unclear what other course of action could be taken to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace.
At least four dead as car bomb targets foreign forces in Kabul



Kabul, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



At least four Afghans were killed when a car bomber attacked a foreign military convoy in Kabul on Friday, an official said.

The blast occurred around 8:40 am (0410 GMT) when an explosives-laden vehicle drove into the convoy that was travelling in eastern Kabul, according to interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi.

"Unfortunately in the attack, four of our countrymen were martyred and three others wounded -- they were passers-by", Rahimi said.

"This is our initial information and the figures will likely change."

There was no immediate word on foreign casualties.

Resolute Support, the US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan, did not immediately comment.

The attack came one day after an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up outside an Afghan army military academy, killing at least six people.

It also followed a meeting between the Taliban and Afghan opposition figures in Moscow this week that yielded no tangible results.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of the holy month of Ramadan, but the Taliban rejected the offer and violence continues apace across the country.
HRW condemns France 'outsourcing' of IS trials to Iraq



Baghdad, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



Human Rights Watch on Friday condemned France's "outsourcing" of trials of Islamic State group suspects held in Iraq where seven of its nationals have this week been sentenced to death.

Two of them have "alleged that they were tortured or coerced to confess", the New York-based watchdog said in a statement.

"France and other countries should not be outsourcing management of their terrorism suspects to abusive justice systems," said HRW's acting Middle East director, Lama Fakih.

"These countries should not be sitting idly by while their citizens are transferred to a country where their right to a fair trial and protection from torture are undermined."

A Baghdad court sentenced a Frenchman to death on Wednesday for joining IS, bringing to seven the number of French jihadists on death row in Iraq.

Yassin Sakkam was among 12 French citizens handed over to Iraqi authorities in January by a US-backed force which expelled the jihadist group from its last bastion in Syria.

Sakkam's sentence came despite France reiterating its opposition to capital punishment this week.

Iraq has taken custody of thousands of jihadists in recent months after they were captured in neighbouring Syria.

They include hundreds of foreigners suspected of IS membership, raising the question of whether they should be tried in the region or repatriated.

France has long insisted its adult citizens captured in Iraq or Syria must face trial before local courts, while stressing its opposition to capital punishment.

Iraqi law provides for the death penalty for anyone joining a "terrorist group" -- even those who did not take up arms.

HRW said it had documented cases of Iraqi interrogators "using a range of torture techniques, including beating suspects on the soles of their feet, internationally known as 'falaka', and waterboarding, which would not leave lasting marks on the person's body".

It also condemned "the routine failure of the Iraqi justice system to credibly investigate torture allegations".

In all but one case observed by HRW since 2016, trials had consisted of "a judge briefly interviewing the defendant, usually relying solely on a confession, often coerced, with no effective legal representation".

A group representing the families of French jihadists has asked the government in Paris to "do everything possible to stop this fatal chain of death sentences" and to try them "on our soil".

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France was stepping up efforts to stop Iraq executing those convicted.

Baghdad declared victory over IS in Iraq in 2017 but the group's cross-border "caliphate" was only eliminated when US-backed fighters conquered its last scrap of territory in Syria in March.
South Sudan says renewing arms embargo is 'anti-peace'



Juba, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



The UN Security Council's decision to renew an arms embargo on South Sudan was "anti-peace" and will weaken the government's fight against rebels, a senior minister told AFP on Friday.

The Security Council voted Thursday in favour of extending sanctions against South Sudan until May 31 2020.

It includes an arms embargo, asset freezes and travel bans on some officials over their role in the country's civil war, now heading towards its sixth anniversary.

Information Minister Michael Makuei said the arms blockade only benefited rebels who had refused to sign a peace deal last September aimed at ending a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

"Any arms embargo at the moment is an anti-peace measure," Makuei told AFP.

"There are people who do not want peace in South Sudan... All this is done in order to weaken the government so that it can be overthrown by the opposition."

Makuei referred in particular to the rebel group of former South Sudanese General Thomas Cirillo Swaka, who has been leading the National Salvation Front since 2017, fighting the government army in the country's south.

The US-drafted Security Council resolution was adopted by a vote of 10 in favour with five abstentions.

Resolutions in the 15-member council require a minimum of nine votes for adoption.

The three African countries on the council -- Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast and South Africa -- refused to support continued sanctions, arguing it would not push the country's rivals closer to peace.

The US criticised the three, saying they had shown "an unwillingness to stop the flow of weapons to one of the continent's deadliest civil conflicts."

Under the September peace agreement, President Salva Kiir agreed to set up a unity government with longtime rival Riek Machar, who is to return from exile.

The accord -- which was not signed by Cirillo or former army chief Paul Malong -- provided for the formation of a power-sharing transitional government by May 12, but that provision has been delayed by six months.
Iran's stocks of nuclear materials still within limits: IAEA



Vienna, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



Iran's stocks of key nuclear materials have increased but are still within the limits set by a 2015 deal with world powers, the latest International Atomic Energy Agency report on the matter said Friday.

Despite an announcement from Iran earlier this month that it no longer considered itself bound by the agreed restrictions on stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water, stocks of both did not exceed the ceilings set in the 2015 agreement, the report said.

As of May 26, Iran had 125.2 metric tonnes of heavy water, an increase of 0.4 tonnes on February but stil under the 130-tonne limit.

As of 20 May, Iran had 174.1 kg of enriched uranium, up from 163.8kg in February but again well within the relevant of limit 300kg.

Earlier this month Iran announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The move came a year after US President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal. His administration has also reinforced economic sanctions against the Islamic republic.
Beijing warns US not to underestimate Chinese military



Singapore, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



Beijing warned Friday that the US should not underestimate China's military as the top defence officials from both countries met on the sidelines of a security forum.

As Beijing and Washington vie for influence in a region hosting potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait, acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan met Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe for 20 minutes Friday.

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said they "reached some consensus" on issues of common concern, adding that Wei "particularly emphasised the Taiwan issue".

China sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides having being ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949.

Beijing is regularly angered by US warships transiting through the Taiwan Strait, which it considers its territorial waters.

"He (Defence minister Wei) pointed out that the US has recently had a series of negative words and actions on this issue", Wu said, adding that Beijing was "firmly opposed" to this.

"On the issue of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the US should not underestimate the determination, will and ability of the Chinese military."

Shanahan spokesman Joe Buccino told reporters the meeting was "constructive and productive".



-Risk of misunderstanding -



"The two leaders discussed ways to build military-to-military relations that reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation between our nations," he said.

Washington has been pushing back against Beijing's militarisation of the South China Sea, and ahead of Friday's meeting Shanahan told reporters that facilities China was building on reclaimed land in the South China Sea appeared to be an "overkill" if they were purely defensive.

"I mean surface-to-air missiles, long runways... Seems excessive," Shanahan said.

A top US top general said earlier this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping had reneged on promises by building "10,000-foot runways, ammunition storage facilities, routine deployment of missile defense capabilities, aviation capabilities" on reclaimed land.

Wei's attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue -- an annual gathering of global defence officials organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank -- is being taken as a sign that China is not backing away from the dispute.

"The Chinese want to be here to say their side of the story," Shawn Ho, associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore told AFP.

"Definitively, we are seeing more competition between the US and China... not just traditional fields, but also in technology... and I think this is something that we have to watch very carefully," Ho said

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a keynote speech to the gathering Friday evening the US-China bilateral relationship "is the most important in the world today", urging them to work together.

"Even short of outright conflict, a prolonged period of tension and uncertainty will be extremely damaging," he warned, adding that serious international problems would not be addressed without the full participation of both powers.

Shanahan is expected to flesh out Washington's strategy in the Pacific region, where both the US and China are vying for influence, during a talk on Saturday.

Wei will address the conference on Sunday, with a source from his delegation saying the speech will outline China's role in global security and US-China ties -- as well as addressing the territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

"The 'China threat' is a non-existent issue. We are here to correct that misconception," added the source, who did not want to be named.
Italian navy takes rescued migrants to Genoa



Rome, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



The Italian navy were transporting 100 migrants to the northern port of Genoa Friday, a day after rescuing them, but officials there say they will not be able to stay.

The patrol vessel Cigala Fulgosi came to the migrants' aid Thursday after the engine on their inflatable boat failed in worsening weather. Only a few of them had lifejackets.

It is the first time a marine vessel has been forced to take migrants it rescued in the southern Mediterranean, off the Italian island of Lampedusa, further north to land them there.

The decision came from the far-right, anti-migrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini who had regularly expressed his frustration at the actions of Defence Minister Elisabetta Trenta.

Trenta, a member of coalition partners the Five Star Movement does not share Salvini's hard line on migrants.

While they will land in Genoa, Salvini said Friday: "No foreigner will stay in Liguria (the Genoa region) or at the expense of Italian tax-payers."

Since he came to power a year ago, Salvini has often blocked the work of rescue boats in the Mediterranean and scaled back Italian navy patrols in the region.

The Cigala Fulgosi was at sea to provide security for oil platforms and fishing vessels off the coast of Libya.
IS widow helped CIA in hunt for Baghdadi: report



London, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



The captured widow of an Islamic State group leader helped the CIA in its hunt for the organisation's elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a British daily said Friday.

In an interview with The Guardian, Nisrine Assad Ibrahim also claimed not to have played a willing part in the detention of US hostage Kayla Mueller at her home.

She has been accused of helping to forcibly hold Mueller and other captives at the home, where the American woman was sexually assaulted by Baghdadi.

But when she herself was detained by the US military, the 29-year-old helped the CIA and Kurdish intelligence gain a detailed overview of the extremist supremo's hideouts and networks, investigators told the daily.

In February 2016, Ibrahim identified a house in the Iraqi city of Mosul in which Baghdadi was believed to have been staying, but the United States did not call in an air strike.

"I told them where the house was," she told The Guardian at a jail in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil.

"I knew he'd been there because it was one of the houses that was provided for him, and one of the places he liked the most."

Baghdadi declared a self-styled "caliphate" across large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014.

But he kept a low profile as the group steadily lost territory to multiple offences. Last month he made his first appearance in five years, surfacing to acknowledge the group's territorial defeat a month earlier.

Ibrahim was captured in May 2015 from the Al-Omar oil field in eastern Syria, The Guardian said, in a US military raid that also killed her husband, a top IS official known as Abu Sayyaf.

She has been sentenced to death by a court in Erbil, the paper added.

Ibrahim said US aid worker Mueller was brought to her home in the eastern Syrian town of Shadadi in September 2014, around the same time girls from the Yazidi minority abducted to be used as sex slaves arrived.

"She was treated differently from the Yazidis," Ibrahim said of Mueller.

"There was a budget for her, pocket money to buy things from the shop."

"She was a lovely girl and I liked her. She was very respectful and I respected her," she claimed.

"One thing I would say is she was very good at hiding her sadness and pain."

Ibrahim said she last saw Mueller in late 2014, when Baghdadi arrived from Iraq.

"He took her with him in a simple car, a Kia. He was driving, and they went to Raqa."

Three months later, she saw a news report about Mueller's death.

IS fighters claimed that Mueller, who was kidnapped in the Syrian city of Aleppo in August 2013, was killed in a February 2015 coalition air strike that buried her in rubble.

US officials say the circumstances of her death remain unclear. She was 26.
IS widow helped CIA in hunt for Baghdadi: report



London, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2019



The captured widow of an Islamic State group leader helped the CIA in its hunt for the organisation's elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a British daily said Friday.

In an interview with The Guardian, Nisrine Assad Ibrahim -- also known as Umm Sayyaf -- claimed not to have played a willing part in the detention of US hostage Kayla Mueller at her home.

She has been accused of helping to forcibly hold Mueller and other captives at the home, where the American woman was sexually assaulted by Baghdadi.

But when she herself was detained by the US military, the 29-year-old helped the CIA and Kurdish intelligence gain a detailed overview of the extremist supremo's hideouts and networks, investigators told the daily.

In February 2016, Ibrahim identified a house in the Iraqi city of Mosul in which Baghdadi was believed to have been staying, but the United States did not call in an air strike.

"I told them where the house was," she told The Guardian at a jail in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Arbil.

"I knew he'd been there because it was one of the houses that was provided for him, and one of the places he liked the most."

Baghdadi declared a self-styled "caliphate" across large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014.

But he kept a low profile as the group steadily lost territory to multiple offences. Last month he made his first appearance in five years, surfacing to acknowledge the group's territorial defeat a month earlier.

Ibrahim was captured in May 2015 from the Al-Omar oil field in eastern Syria, The Guardian said, in a US military raid that also killed her husband, a top IS official known as Abu Sayyaf.

She has been sentenced to death by an Arbil court, said the paper, which reported her nationality as Iraqi.

Ibrahim said US aid worker Mueller was brought to her home in the eastern Syrian town of Shadadi in September 2014, around the same time girls from the Yazidi minority abducted to be used as sex slaves arrived.

"She was treated differently from the Yazidis," Ibrahim said of Mueller.

"There was a budget for her, pocket money to buy things from the shop."

"She was a lovely girl and I liked her. She was very respectful and I respected her," she claimed.

"One thing I would say is she was very good at hiding her sadness and pain."

Ibrahim said she last saw Mueller in late 2014, when Baghdadi arrived from Iraq.

"He took her with him in a simple car, a Kia. He was driving, and they went to Raqa."

Three months later, she saw a news report about Mueller's death.

IS fighters claimed that Mueller, who was kidnapped in the Syrian city of Aleppo in August 2013, was killed in a February 2015 coalition air strike that buried her in rubble.

US officials say the circumstances of her death remain unclear. She was 26.
.              .    ,        .       ,           ,           250 -  .        ...
Bir-Lahlou, May 25, 2019 (SPS)  Coordinator with UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Foreign Relations Officer at the National Secretariat of the POLISARIO Front, Emhamed Khaddad, confirmed that other factors besides the health situation had an impact on the decision of the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, Horst Koehler, to resign from mediation two years after he assumed the mission in August 2017.



The Sahrawi official, in an interview with the Russian Sputnik news agency, praised the UN envoy for having the qualities and skills needed to succeed in his mission, including his diplomatic experience and knowledge of the African continent and its problems, reflected in his insistence on involving the African Union and the European Union in conflict resolution In Western Sahara "through his visits to Addis Ababa, Kigali, and Brussels on two or three occasions."



The Sahrawi Official added, "The UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy has faced many obstacles in his mission, both at the UN and EU levels, France has always been behind the obstruction of Mr. Kohler's efforts, evidenced during the meetings of the Security Council on the mandate of the MINURSO, or exerting great pressure on the European Union to sign new agreements between the EU and Morocco in the field of "agriculture and fishing" and the violation of the decisions of the European Court of Justice of 2016 and 2018, which had already recognized that Morocco had no sovereignty over Western Sahara.



The Sahrawi Coordinator with MINURSO explained that Mr. Kohler, after two years of work, found himself without the unanimous support of the Security Council or the European Union, as well as systematic undermining by Morocco to prevent the African Union from playing its part in resolving this long-running conflict.

He concluded by paying tribute to Mr. Koehler's efforts, which he exerted under considerable pressure from some members of the Security Council, refusing to manipulate him against the legitimate rights of the Sahrawi people, especially those relating to self-determination and independence.



It is worth mentioning that former German President Horst Koehler, 76, was appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterich as his personal envoy for Western Sahara in August 2017. He succeeded US Ambassador Christopher Ross, who had resigned after serving 8 years on the UN mediation mission. (SPS)



062/SPS/TRA




Madrid (Spain), May 30, 2019, (SPS) - The representative of the Frente POLISARIO to Spain, Jira Bulahi Bad, met with the General Director for the Maghreb, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, Eva Martinez Sanchez, to address the latest developments in Western Sahara and the peace process led by the UN.

The parties regretted the recent resignation of the envoy of the Secretary General for Western Sahara, Horst Kohler, highlighting his effort to end the situation of blockade and the commitment to continue negotiations between the parties, Frente POLISARIO and Morocco, to reach to a definitive solution based on self-determination and independence.

The Saharawi representative reiterated the willingness of the POLISARIO to continue supporting the efforts of the UN in the search for a just and definitive solution to the conflict. dubbing as unacceptable the Moroccan obstacles to the process and the lack of will to enforce international legality.

For her part, Eva Martinez Sanchez, has ratified the full support of Spain to the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the appointment of a new envoy capable of continuing the dynamics promoted by the former president of Germany , Kohler.

At the meeting, which took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, cooperation was also addressed with the Saharawi people in the humanitarian field and support for international organizations working in the refugee camps.

Finally, the parties discussed the work plan for Vacations in Peace 2019 and the processing of collective visas for children and Saharawi monitors.SPS

125/090/TRA
Secularism does not mean that the state enforces the secularisation of society by removing religion from the public sphere entirely, such as by banning religious dress





by Anwar A Khan





Secularism grants freedom of religion to all citizens, and therefore, citizens following different religions have equal right to profess and propagate their respective faiths. The state is duty bound to protect the religious rights of all the citizens alike. It does not mean that it rejects the reality of an unseen spirit or the relevance of religion to life, or that it teaches faithlessness. It also does not mean that secularism itself becomes a religion. It only means that no religion gets any preferential treatment of any kind at the hands of the State. The essence is that all religions, with respect to the State, stand on equal footing.









Manuel Valls wrote, Secularism must be applied everywhere, because that is how everyone will be able to live in peace with each other. Secularism is a stance regarding religion that is restricted to the polity, and appeals to values that promote certain moral and political goods over corresponding harms. First, this means that secularism is a political doctrine and not a personal attitude. Not only should a secular state promote neutrality toward and equidistance from all religions in a religiously plural society, it should be able to defend the shared values of a polity, such as freedom of speech, that are formed independently of religion when those values conflict with particular religious laws, such as blasphemy.





Secularism does not mean that the state enforces the secularisation of society by removing religion from the public sphere entirely, such as by banning religious dress. Instead, it seeks to build a secular polity by appealing to modes of reasoning that are internal to each community in that society.





These societies were wracked by religious warfare and political strife, culminating in the devastation of the wars after wars. Moreover, the infamous and lasting form of political sovereignty predicated on the discovery and extermination of an enemy withinminorities of religion, language, ethnicity, and so forth. Secularism as a political doctrine was formulated as a necessary counterbalance to the violent wreckage that internecine religious conflict, majoritarian politics, and nationalist sentiment had left on the world.





A commitment to secularism  namely, that the state would not be aligned with any one religion  is an important first step. But it is not enough. In a society where religion is, and remains, an important anchor of personal identity, deeply valued by individuals and closely tied to notions of self-worth and dignity, the state has to make space for plurality of religious observances and cultural practices.





For members of different communities to have a sense of equality, the state needed to create a public culture that is hospitable to religious differences  one that allows individuals to enter and participate in public life despite their religious beliefs.





To create a comfortable and non-alienating public culture, the countrys constitution should give each individual the right to observe their religious practices, and give minorities the right to set up their own religious and educational institutions.





Minority educational institutions could receive funds from the state, if they so desired. Although no firm obligation was placed on the state, this allowed subsequent governments to support minority schools.The government put together a list of public holidays that gives due consideration to different religious communities. At least one holiday is given for a major festival or event of religious importance, for each community.





The lesson is the importance of creating a diverse public sphere that is inclusive and welcoming to all. And, most of all, one where cultural choices  in dress codes, food habits, and modes of address in social interaction are not shaped entirely by the culture of the majority. This is the opposite to what we see in modern-day France, for instance.





Bangladeshs founding framework went far beyond the idea of liberal secularism; it made a deliberate effort to give minorities the space to continue with their distinct religious and cultural practices and to pass them on. Culture and religion-related anxieties can be exploited to nurture resentment, and this has to be avoided. But after Bangabandhus brutal murder in 1975, amoral military dictators  rulers have ravaged our secular constitution, the spirit which we achieved through our glorious Liberation War in 1971.





This is an important starting point but it has to be supplemented by government policies that ensure equal opportunity and security for people of all religions. Governments at the political centre and in different states failed to perform these tasks. Repeated incidents of inter-community violence occurred in the past in the country and the failure to punish the perpetrators of such violence have pushed vulnerable minorities into the arms of their community for solace.





These could have been avoided. The state could have given a stern message that such forms of violence and community targeting would not be tolerated. But in case after case, governments let their citizens down. Political parties were divided, choosing to stand with different communities at different times but always with an eye on electoral gains.





In an effort to curb such communitarian politics, the Election Commission should aims to force parties to think of all citizens, and not merely one community, it does not address all concerns.





The point is that, in a democracy, it is not religion per se but efforts to stigmatise and intimidate people or groups that is a matter of concern. This is what Bangladesh has yet to tackle effectively. When political parties can reach out to religious communities, take up their concerns and show that they give representation to candidates from different religions, they give a voice to minorities. These stem the sense of alienation and neglect that radicalisation so often taps into.





The most serious challenge today is to make space for individual dissent and autonomy and protect a person from those who wish to enforce the diktats of the community or the nation. Bangladesh has focused so heavily on equality between groups that it has neglected to protect individual liberty  something that is pursued more effectively in Europe.





Anxieties about religion and the lack of respect for it can be tapped to create a rigid and more closed identity along with a politics of resentment. The focus must, therefore, be on creating a stake in democratic politics, involving different communities at different levels of institution functioning and extending avenues for equal opportunity. So, we need to open up to solutions that not to go beyond secularism, from places like Bangladesh and from elsewhere. We need to embrace differences with policies for integrating minorities into education, the labour market and overall public life.





The view of secular organisations that people should have freedom from religion is a noble one based on compassion and a deep sense of justice. In the present time of violence, killing of innocent people by terrorist attacks in the name religion, we need solidarity and a unified sense of purpose to pursue secularism to end the endless terrorist acts and all sorts of violence.





Secularism means complete and absolute freedom to practice any religious. After Independence, our Constitution declared Bangladesh to be a Secular State, guaranteeing full respect to all the religions prevailing in the country. That was reversed with religion as I have said earlier which has to be retrieved in full in its place in the greater interest of people of all religions to live together in peace and in harmony.





During the Muslim rule, there had been certain rulers, like Akbar and Sher Shah Suri, who maintained an absolute form of secularism in the Indian sub-continent. Akbars religious policy of toleration was a noble specimen of secularism. ChaitanyaMahaprabhu, by preaching his cult of Bhakti and Love, preached equality of all the religions of the world. Nanak, Kabir, Chishti and many other sages of India advocated the cause of religious toleration. Guru Nanak and Baba Farid, the two apostles of love and piety, worked for the unification of the finest and sublimest essences of all religions and creeds.





The religion, which is preached in our scriptures, is quite compatible with the idea of Secularism. To every man belonging to any religious faith, let thy prayer float. It has always been the main stress in our theological commands to extend toleration to the followers of all other religions. Bangladesh, throughout her glorious past had maintained the sacred name of her secular character. In India, Akbars Golden Age is also an evidence of this fact. Sher shahs meteoric rule is yet another illustration of Indias faith in secularism. Although Shivaji was constantly at war with the Mughals, yet under his sway Hindus and Muslims lived like brothers.





There are many advantages of secularism in the present age of globalisation. Ours is an age of internationalism and cosmopolitanism. We are marching fairly rapidly to the goal of universal brotherhood. Time is not very far when the entire world will be one single unit  an international state  in which we all are to live as members of the same one family. In this age of universal fraternity the narrow concept of theocracy has absolutely no place.





So, Secularism is a celebrated ideal and we should quest after it to maintain a peaceful society in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world. To conclude, I wish to quote from Mahatma Gandhiji, If I were a dictator, religion and state would be separate. I swear by my religion. I will die for it. But it is my personal affair. The state has nothing to do with it. The state would look after your secular welfare, health, communications, foreign relations, currency and so on, but not your or my religion. That is everybody's personal concern!





-The End 





The writer is a senior citizen of Bangladesh, writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs.
Luis and Andrew Palau to Share the Gospel with Thousands of People Through Festival in Madrid, Spain

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Luis Palau Association

May 31, 2019



PORTLAND, Ore., May 31, 2019 /Standard Newswire/ --At the invitation of hundreds of churches and thousands of Christians in Spain, the Luis Palau Association will share the Good News of Jesus Christ in Madrid, June 15-23, 2019, through numerous outreach events and a 2-day family festival in the heart of the city.



Working with, through, and for the local Church, this unified, area-wide campaign will proclaim the life-changing message of Jesus Christ on a nationwide scale and introduce a new model for long-term community change. The campaign will unite believers in Madrid as well as local pastors and leaders, encouraging them in the Word, focusing on continuing in unity, and inspiring them to keep evangelism a top priority.



For years God has used the Palau team in a special way to bless Spain. The 2005 Madrid festival sparked a powerful new season of outreach and evangelism for evangelical churches in the city and surrounding area and helped ignite a significant church planting movement that is bearing much fruit. Evangelical leaders are eager to have Palau partner on another festival to grow the Gospel's impact even further.



Through Palau's unique partnership among churches, as well as corporate and civic leaders, the Madrid Festival will include:

A powerful family-fun evangelistic festival. The 2-day event will put local training into action and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ on a grand scale. It will include live Christian musical performances, special outreaches for children, and clear proclamations of the Gospel from Luis and Andrew Palau.



Affinity events reaching key sectors of society. Taking every opportunity to share the Gospel with the entire region, the Palau team will also host special evangelistic gatherings for key sectors of society, including prison outreaches, a gathering for women, and a dinner for business and civic leaders.



Bold community impact. Thousands of volunteers will commit hundreds of volunteer hours to the local community leading up to the festival through united, long-term efforts focused on the region's greatest needs.

Initially it wasn't certain Luis Palau would join his son Andrew and the team for the Madrid festival, due to Luis' ongoing battle with Stage IV lung cancer. But after much prayer and consideration, Luis has chosen to join the team, making it his first international trip since he was diagnosed in January 2018.



In June, Luis Palau is also releasing his latest book, Palau: A Life on Fire. Having started this book in the weeks after his cancer diagnosis, this is a very personal, intimate look at Luis' life and ministry. Less about himself and more about the unsung heroes in his life, Luis takes a unique approach in this book and shows a vulnerability seldom seen in leaders. Learn more at www.PalautheBook.org.



To learn more about the Madrid festival with Luis and Andrew Palau, visit www.palau.org/madrid.



ABOUT LUIS PALAU:

Luis Palau and his ministry have shared the Gospel with hundreds of millions of people through evangelistic events and media around the world. He has spoken in person to more than 30 million people in 75 countries, with more than 1 million registered decisions for Jesus Christ. Luis Palau festivals have produced massive audiences in cities from south Florida to South America. His radio broadcasts in both English and Spanish are heard by millions on 5,000 radio outlets in 48 countries. Luis currently hosts Luis Palau Responde, an international Q&A program in Spanish, and Reaching Your World, a devotional-style program emphasizing biblical wisdom. He has authored close to 50 books, contributed articles on issues of faith to countless publications, and counseled business leaders, political leaders, and heads of state around the world.



ABOUT ANDREW PALAU:

For more than 24 years Andrew Palau has played a key role in the ministry of the Luis Palau Association. He has been instrumental in building the LPA model for citywide outreach as an evangelist, director, and key team leader. He has guided campaigns, led church relations efforts, trained thousands of believers in friendship evangelism, and proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ in person to hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world through evangelistic campaigns. Andrew's festivals have brought him and the Palau Association in partnership with thousands of churches in cities throughout Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, the Caribbean, and the United States of America. In addition to his father, evangelist Luis Palau, Andrew's own weekly radio broadcasts are heard by millions of people on thousands of radio outlets around the world. He is also the author of multiple books, including Secret Life of a Fool, a retelling of his personal journey to faith in Christ, and What is Christmas?, a groundbreaking evangelistic book published in China in 2012.



SOURCE Luis Palau Association



CONTACT: Jay Fordice, 503-614-1500



Related Links



www.palau.org


Published: 31 May 2019

Signs of weakening in municipalities finances in 2018

Preliminary data of financial statements collected by Statistics Finland indicate that municipalities finances weakened in 2018. The weakening was mainly caused by the increased operating expenses and lower tax revenue and central government transfers in tax funding compared to the actual financial statement data from 2017. Particularly due to these, the annual contribution margin weakened by EUR 1.2 billion and was EUR 2.1 billion. These data appear from the preliminary financial statement data of the statistics on local government finances, for which data were collected from all 311 municipalities and 140 joint municipal authorities in Finland.

Finances of municipalities and municipal groups in 2018, EUR million 1)

Municipalities Municipal groups 2018 Change, % 2018 Change, % Operating revenue, total 7 534 4,8 25 998 5,5 Operating expenses, total 37 086 3,4 53 045 4,5 Annual contribution margin +/- 2 075 -36,8 4 753 -19,9 Net investments 2) 2 798 17,2 6 249 7,1 Loan stock 31st Dec 16 771 3,7 36 071 3,9

Finances of municipalities

1) Preliminary data. Changes are calculated compared to the previous year.2) Net investments = investment expenses - financing contributions for investment expenses - proceeds from transfers of non-current assets

According to the preliminary financial statement data, the local government operating margin amounted to EUR -29.2 billion in 2018. The operating margin weakened by EUR 985 million or 3.5 per cent compared with the actual financial statement data of the previous year. The weaker operating margin is explained by a higher growth in operating expenses measured in euros than in operating revenue. Operating expenses and revenue increased to some extent as a result of accounting procedures directed at some service purchases between municipalities and joint municipal authorities, which did not have a net effect on the operating margin. 1)

Based on preliminary financial statements, municipalities operating expenses went up by EUR 1.2 billion or 3.4 per cent. They totalled EUR 37.1 billion. The increase in operating expenses was particularly affected by purchases of services growing by EUR 1.0 billion. Personnel expenses went up by EUR 134 million from the previous year. Operating revenue grew by EUR 345 million and amounted to EUR 7.5 billion, which was 4.8 per cent higher than one year before. The increase was particularly affected by growing sales revenue and other operating revenue.

According to preliminary data, municipalities tax revenues decreased by EUR 118 million or 0.5 per cent from the year before. The drop in tax revenues was mostly due to the share of income taxes decreasing by EUR 166 million. Municipalities' share of corporation taxes decreased by EUR 23 million, but municipalities still received more other tax revenue than in 2017. In all, EUR 45 million less central government transfers to local government were directed at municipalities, which was equivalent to a 0.5 per cent drop in the income item. Tax funding formed of tax revenue and central government transfers to local government was EUR 30.9 billion. Calculated per capita, municipalities received a total of EUR 5,604 in tax funding. 2)

The lower tax funding and weaker operating margin mainly explained the EUR 1.2 billion weaker annual contribution margin than in 2017. Based on preliminary data, the annual contribution margin was negative in 45 municipalities in 2018, while there were four municipalities with a negative margin the year before. The annual contribution margin covered 94.2 per cent of municipalities depreciations. The index was weaker than in the previous year, when the annual contribution margin covered 149.0 per cent of depreciations.

Municipalities total net investments amounted to EUR 2.8 billion in 2018. The increase from the previous year was EUR 411 million or 17.2 per cent. Municipalities' loan stock grew from the previous year by EUR 601 million, totalling EUR 16.8 billion. The loan stock was 3.7 per cent higher than in the year before. Calculated per inhabitant, the loans of municipalities were EUR 3,039. 3) Municipalities' equity ratio, which describes the ratio of equity to total capital, was 59.6 per cent. The ratio fell from the previous years 60.8 per cent.

Finances of joint municipal authorities

According to preliminary financial statement data, joint municipal authorities combined operating expenses amounted to EUR 14.8 billion and operating revenue to EUR 15.4 billion in 2018. Compared with the actual financial statement data of the previous year, operating expenses went up by EUR 1.2 billion or 8.6 per cent. Operating revenue increased by EUR 1.1 billion, which meant a growth of 7.6 per cent from the previous year.

The annual contribution margin of joint municipal authorities weakened from the previous year by EUR 83 million and totalled EUR 591 million. Thus, the annual contribution margin was 12.3 per cent lower compared with the previous year. The annual contribution margin covered 95.9 per cent of joint municipal authorities depreciations.

Net investments fell by EUR 15.5 million from 2017 and amounted to EUR 1.0 billion. The loan stock of joint municipal authorities increased to EUR 3.9 billion during 2018, which translates to a 12.0 per cent growth from 2017.

Finances of municipal groups

According to preliminary financial statement data for 2018, the operating margin of municipal groups totalled EUR -27.0 billion. The operating margin was EUR 2.3 billion stronger than the operating margin of municipalities. The annual contribution margin of municipal groups weakened by EUR 1.2 million from the previous year and totalled EUR 4.8 billion. Municipal groups annual contribution margin was EUR 2.7 billion better than that of municipalities. In 2018, there were 13 municipal groups with negative annual contribution margins, while there were none in the year before.

The net investments of municipal groups amounted to EUR 6.2 billion, which was EUR 413 million more than in the year before. Municipal groups loan stock grew by EUR 1.4 billion from the previous year and totalled EUR 36.1 billion. The loan stock grew by 3.9 per cent during 2018. The loans of municipal groups per inhabitant were EUR 6,537. 4)

The statistics on local government finances comprise financial statement data on 298 municipal groups. 5)

Information on the statistics

Financial statement data are collected annually from all Finnish municipalities and joint municipal authorities and their enterprises and groups for compiling statistics on municipalities preliminary financial statement data. Data are released as preliminary in the spring following each statistical year and as final in autumn together with other financial data.

The data reported to Statistics Finland for the statistics are released as is at unit level in Statistics Finlands Data on finances reported by municipalities and joint municipal authorities database.

1) A number of municipalities transferred the responsibility for the organisation of healthcare and social welfare services to the joint municipal authority they had set up, but municipalities were still responsible for producing the services. The municipalities applied the gross principle to record sales revenue and service purchases from joint municipal authorities, in addition to the expenses and revenue from their own service production. This recording procedure increased municipalities external operating revenue and expenses, but it did not have a net effect on the operating margin. On the level of the whole country, this procedure caused around one-third of the growth in municipalities external operating expenses and approximately at least the entire growth in operating revenue. The effect does not extend to the time prior to the year 2018.2) The population data used were the population of Finland on 31 December 2018.3) The population data used were the population of Finland on 31 December 2018.4) The population data used were the population of Finland on 31 December 2018.5) All municipalities do not compile consolidated financial statements.

Source: Local government finances 2018, preliminary data. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Karen Asplund 029 551 3611, Jens Melfsen 029 551 2578, kuntatalous@stat.fi

Director in charge: Ville Vertanen

Publication in pdf-format (250.5 kB)

Updated 31.5.2019

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Local government finances [e-publication].

ISSN=2343-4163. 2018. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 30.12.2021].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/kta/2018/kta_2018_2019-05-31_tie_001_en.html
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.
Hong Kong: 2nd swine fever case reported

Secretary for Food & Health Prof Sophia Chan today said all pigs at the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse will be culled after a dead pig there tested positive for the African swine fever (ASF) virus.

This is the second ASF case reported in Hong Kong.

Prof Chan said all 4,700 pigs at the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse will be culled so that thorough cleansing and disinfection could be conducted.

She added that the slaughterhouse will be closed until completion of the disinfection work, which is expected to take four days.

As the Tsuen Wan Slaughterhouse is not affected, there will still be a limited supply of live pigs available for markets tomorrow, Prof Chan added.

She noted that the dead pig was imported from a Guangdong farm, and that the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department is checking when it arrived.

The health chief added that surveillance at the boundary has been enhanced since the city reported its first ASF case in early May.

For example, at the Man Kam To boundary, we have vets that actually check all the pigs before coming in.

And also, when the pig trucks arrive at the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse, again our vets have also checked all the pigs before going into the slaughterhouse.

She added that the virus has an incubation period of four to 19 days, so there is a possibility that some of the symptoms may not have exhibited upon checking.

Prof Chan reiterated that ASF poses no food safety risk as it will not be transmitted to humans, and well-cooked pork is safe for consumption.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
In Malaga province there were 660 consumer goods stores (selling food, perfumes, drug store items) in 2018, managed by different operators or distribution chains, some of which work under several names. These stores cover a total area of 482,551 square metres. The sector, which is facing a major transformation due to the need to adapt to online shopping, is clearly led in Malaga province by Mercadona, Carrefour, Dia, Supersol and MasKom, which account for 67 per cent of FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), according to a study carried out by the Retail Data consultancy.

Retail Data is a portal which generates commercial, sociodemographic and economic data for the retail sector, with information in real time. It is run by Raquel Segura, who points out that the retailer MasKom, in fifth place with 49 stores, accounts for nearly eight per cent of the existing sales of FMCG in Malaga province. "This operator grew by about 8.5 per cent last year, thanks to the opening of two big supermarkets," he says.

The leader of the supermarket sector in the province, as well as nationally, is Mercadona, owned by entrepreneur Juan Roig. It grew by 1.7 per cant in 2018 compared with the previous year, despite maintaining the same number of stores (88). This is because it has reformed and expanded some of its stores. In fact, its overall shopping space has gone from 117,586 square metres in 2017 to 119,617 last year, so it accounts for 24.79 per cent of the total supermarket shopping space in the province, placing it at the top of the Retail Data list. Mercadona, which has 4,970 employees in the province, ended 2018 at a national level with a six per cent increase in turnover to 24.3 billion and 1,636 stores.

Mercadona is the leader of the supermarket sector, locally and nationally

Second place is held by Carrefour, with 41 stores in the province, three more than in 2017, and a shopping space of 58,454 square metres, which is 12.11 per cent of the total. In Malaga, the company Costasol Hipermercados, which is managed by Aurelio Martin, has been working with the French brand since 1997. The CEO of Carrefour Espana is Eric Uzan.

It is followed on the list by Dia, which is currently undergoing a restructuring process. Its executive in Spain is Borja de la Cierva. It is owned by different shareholders, including LetterOne, whose VTO for the chain has been accepted by 57.41 per cent of the shares. Via this route, the company is controlled by Russian investor Mikhail Fridman, who now has 69.76 per cent of its capital. Dia has 107 stores in Malaga province and a shopping space of 57,177 square metres. According to Retail Data, it ended 2017 with one store less, but still maintained a share of 11.85 per cent.

Fourth place is held by Supersol, owned by the Lithuanian Maxima -the CEO is Vygintas Sapokas. It has 59 stores, one less than the previous year, and a shopping space of 49,837 square metres (10.33 per cent). As mentioned above Maskom, owned by Sergio Cuberos, is in fifth place.

Raquel Segura points out that the market in Malaga is highly fragmented, because some of the chains work under several different names.
The Guardia Civil are investigating the deaths of two people, a 26 year-old woman and a 36 year-old man, both of Finnish origin, whose bodies were found in a flat in the Mijas area on Thursday afternoon.

It is thought that the bodies could have been there for at least three or four days, before being found at 1.15pm in an apartment block on calle Rio Retortillo, in Las Lagunas, Mijas.

Neighbours alerted the police after being concerned by a strong smell coming from the property.

Police initially considered the possibility that the woman had been murdered because of the stains of blood found in the flat. However, after removing the bodies, investigators believe that the deaths could be drug-related.

Interviews with neighbours have provided more information about the pair. Primarily, it was thought that the two individuals were a couple, but neighbours' testimonies state that the woman lived in the property, not with the man, but with her boyfriend, who is of a similar age to the woman.

According to one neighbour, the younger man was seen entering the property on Wednesday. However given the stage of decomposition, the victims must have already been dead when he entered the building. The man has still not been located.

An autopsy was due to be carried out Friday in Malaga, which should make clearer the events that caused the deaths of the two victims.
During a visit to Malaga last weekend the German ambassador to Spain, Wolfgang Dold, laid a wreath at the English cemetery as a tribute to the victims of the shipwrecked vessel, the Gneisenau. The ship sank off the coast of Malaga in 1900 and numerous sailors were killed while others were rescued and taken in by local people.

With the visit coinciding with the European elections, the ambassador spoke of the solidarity between Spain and Germany and the importance of close European relationships in ensuring a peaceful future on the continent.

Dold also attended an event on the German Navy corvette 'Ludwigshafen am Rhein' that was docked in Malaga before beginning a Unifil mission off the Lebanese coastline.
A local Irish priest who organised the recent International Celtic Festival has decided to make the event a regular feature on Benalmadena's cultural agenda. Father Gerald Daly has been conducting a weekly English-language mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Arroyo de la Miel since 2014, and he has since played an active role during the town's St Patrick's Day and Burn's Night celebrations.

The new, three-day Celtic festival will coincide with the feast of St Patrick and will include an English-language mass, a pageant dedicated to the history of St Patrick, educational activities and a Celtic music gala night performed by musicians and dancers from Northern Ireland and Spain, along with local Irish, Scottish and Welsh performers.

"We held our first International Celtic Festival earlier this year and it was very successful. We are reaching out to the Celtic communities by highlighting traditional music and dance, while emphasising the religious side of the Celtic tradition," the Catholic priest explained to SUR in English.

"The idea came about because I thought we were not bringing out our traditional Irish culture"

Father Daly arranged for several young musicians and dancers from Northern Ireland to come to the Costa del Sol to perform at the first edition of the festival and he intends to bring even more children from Ireland to participate next year. He hopes that the trip will act as an educational journey to help youngsters to integrate and learn about the longstanding history of the Celts.

"The idea came about because I thought we were not bringing out our traditional Irish culture. We have a wonderful history and we want to bring this to the fore. We are aiming to help children mix better in Northern Ireland. We have had many problems there and this has sometimes overshadowed our true identity: this is an opportunity to help them understand their own culture and traditions," he declared.

The popular clergyman also intends to use the festival to bring the Andalusian and Irish cultures together and he already has plans to invite Celtic musicians from the Basque Country to perform at next year's show.

"We hope to make next year's festival even more interesting as this will bring out the whole culture of St Patrick, who worked with the Celts in Scotland, Ireland, and all over Europe, where there were many Celtic tribes. There is a large Irish population here on the Costa del Sol, but our festival is open to all the different nationalities. We have attracted Welsh, English, Irish and Scottish nationals, and from that point of view, it has been very important to bring together people from Benalmadena and beyond," he declared.

In order to fund the next edition of the festival, a series of events has been organised, the first of which will take place in the Immaculate Conception Church in Arroyo de la Miel on Saturday 1 June (tomorrow).

Local amateur-theatre group A Touch of Class will perform a new show called 'All Aboard', which is set on a cruise liner: the production will include comedy, music and dance and a variety of amusing sketches based around the antics of the Donald Trump type character acting as the captain.

Tickets for the show, which starts at 7.30pm, cost 10 euros and are available from touchofclasstickets@gmail.com or at the door on the night of the show.
Owners of the estimated 22,000 homes built illegally on land not zoned for construction in the Axarquia and elsewhere in the Malaga area are calling on the Junta de Andalucia to be "braver" about dealing with the situation.

Many are foreigners and members of SOHA (Save Our Homes in Axarquia) and other action groups.

They want a definitive solution so that their properties can be legalised as well as connected to basic services where necessary.

The SOHA statement comes after the Junta de Andalucia announced this week that it will be working harder to solve the problem of 300,000 homes in Andalucia.

The regional government will draw up special custom plans that don't rely on the harder-to-change PGOU master town plans in order to regularise the status of homes.

The Junta also wants to extend the range of the so-called AFO assimilated special status to more homes that will allow them to connect up their water and gas.

A spokesperson explained it wasn't a case of "wiping the slate clean, rather analysing each case" individually.

But SOHA spokesman and acting mayor of Alcaucin, Mario Blancke, says the measures don't go far enough, at least in La Axarquia, and what is needed is "brave" legalisation not just regularisation, to enable owners who bought in good faith to move with their lives

Other groups, such as AVR Mijas, point out that although some houses have no licence, their owners have been paying taxes for years and benefiting from services, so that the Junta's new initiatives aren't particularly helpful for many who just want to be told they are finally legal.
In an amazing case of being in the right place at the right time, two National Police officers saved the life of a kitesurfer who was suffering from exhaustion in the sea near Estepona last Friday.

Long-time work colleagues, Javier Sanchez and Jose Miguel Mellado, were on duty in their usual Z-car, as National Police patrol vehicles are known, when they received a call to go to Benamara beach, near the border of Estepona with Marbella. There was a report of a fire in undergrowth although it was a false alarm as they found nothing when they got there.

However, the owner of a nearby beach bar, who had spotted their vehicle by coincidence, ran up to them saying that she was concerned about a kitesurfer out at sea. She explained that the person had been trying to get up in the water for half an hour and appeared to be in trouble.

The owner of a beach bar, by coincidence spotting the vehicle, said that she was concerned about a kitesurfer out at sea

The kitesurfer was some 400 metres out to sea. Using their binoculars, the officers soon realised that the woman was right to be concerned.

"He was signalling with his hands, and all the time the westerly wind and the current were pushing him from one side to the other, with no chance of reaching the shore," explained Javier.

The two officers lost no time. They have been working together for eight years and think "like a married couple", looking out for each other and trusting each one's next move.

While Jose Miguel called for urgent back up, Javier, who is a former competitive swimmer, was already taking off his uniform on the beach ready to jump in. Jose Miguel played a key part in the rescue. "I had to guide [Javier] as the sea was rough and it was hard to spot where the man was."

When he got to the kitesurfer, the 50-year-old man from Poland, could barely speak. "He told me that he couldn't get out of the water," Javier recalled. The officer put him on the surfboard and used a footstrap to tow him to shore. Javier also took the kite, with no intention of leaving anything behind.

Hypothermia

Javier's workmate was waiting for them anxiously on the shore. The man was tired but all right although the same couldn't be said for Javier. The cold water had hit him hard and he had signs of hypothermia. Jose Miguel put his colleague inside their Z-car with the heating turned on, waiting for medical assistance to arrive.

Javier was taken to the Costa del Sol hospital and doctors kept the officer under observation for a few hours while his body temperature was stabilised. While there, he asked after the Polish kitesurfer, and was told that he was fine and not to worry.

The next evening Javier was back putting on his uniform ready for the night shift with Jose Miguel. While both officers were getting dressed, they went over what had happened the night before. Both reached the same conclusion; that it had been just another routine day on duty in their Z-car.
The British Ambassador to Spain and representatives from the UK Consulate met with the head of the Andalusian regional government, Juanma Moreno, in Seville on Tuesday.

Simon Manley, accompanied by the consul for Andalucia, Charmaine Arbouin, discussed issues affecting relations with the UK, including in the run up to Brexit.

Among subjects that the British government representatives raised was the difficulty currently faced by UK residents in Andalucia who are not entitled to free healthcare in applying for the special public health insurance scheme in the region, the Convenio Especial. Moreno committed the Junta de Andalucia to resolving the issue.

Moreno, who was accompanied by regional vice-president Juan Marin, also explained recently announced plans for improving the legal status of homes built illegally in rural areas of the Andalucia region.
On 2 June 2014 King Juan Carlos I of Spain announced that he would be abdicating in favour of his son, who is now King Felipe VI. Almost exactly five years on, he has just made a further announcement: he is retiring from public life altogether.

The abdication announcement had come as a relief to the defenders of a monarchy which was surrounded by scandals and a growing social aversion which threatened to put the continuity of the institution in Spain at risk.

In 2014 the king was under huge pressure due to health problems and the judicial investigation into his daughter, the Infanta Cristina, who had been accused of tax fraud and money laundering as a partner in companies owned by her husband, Inaki Urdangarin. The 'Noos case', which ended with Urdangarin in jail, confirmed that the Crown was no longer untouchable, although the king had discovered that for himself on 13 April 2012, when he broke his hip during an elephant-hunting trip in Botswana while in Brussels the EU was discussing a possible intervention in Spain. To make matters even worse, he was accompanied on that trip by his soulmate, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. The ensuing scandal was so great that Juan Carlos was forced to make a public apology.

After the abdication, neither the government nor the royal family really knew what to do with a retired monarch, but he has been kept fairly busy. He attended the inauguration of the president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, and a number of events, mostly sporting, mainly on his own. However, it was several months before he and his son, Felipe VI, both attended an official occasion.

The two men were reluctant to be seen together very often. The ghost of Corinna pursued Juan Carlos in the form of the Panama Papers and a paternity suit which was rejected by the Supreme Court. Above all this, however, hovered the Noos case, which in January 2016 saw his daughter Cristina in court. It was sensible for him to keep a low profile; in 2015 he only took part in 20 institutional acts, and was only seen once with Felipe VI.

In 2016, however, his professional diary began to fill up. That year he attended Fidel Castro's funeral in Cuba, the investitures of the presidents of Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Peru, the inauguration of the new Panama canal and the signing of the peace agreement between the government of Colombia and the FARC. He had found a niche for himself in retirement. Or, at least, so it seemed.

In 2017 Juan Carlos started to take an even more active role in the agenda of the Royal Family, and the image of the monarchy began to improve. However, he soon discovered that those in the background run the risk of being forgotten.

In June last year, he was not invited to the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of democracy. Official sources say he wanted his son to preside over the event alone, but other versions say he refused to attend because nobody was sure where he should be placed. Those who know him say he was absolutely furious.

In fact, in 2018 Juan Carlos only appeared at 22 official events, many of them minor. The 80-year-old retired monarch's role was obviously being reduced, but at least he was able to step down in a blaze of glory.

Constitution Day, 6 December last year, took the form of an emotional tribute to the former king, and in the letter announcing his full retirement, he said it had been "unforgettable". It was the last time the king who no longer wears a crown would be the centre of attention. On Sunday, Don Juan Carlos will officially retire from public life. He will be attending the reinauguration of the bullring in Aranjuez, his final public duty. After that, he will be stepping out of the limelight once and for all.
Until last weekend Josep Borrell, currently Spain's acting foreign minister, had been the last person to head a Socialist party list in European elections when the party had won the biggest share of the vote. That was back in 2004 and last Sunday history repeated itself.

The PSOE, with Borrell once again heading the electoral list, won the 2019 European elections in Spain with 20 MEPs and 32 per cent of the vote. The Partido Popular (PP), winners last time, managed to hold on to second place with 12 seats in Brussels (20 per cent). They avoided being overtaken by Ciudadanos, who won seven seats and 12 per cent of the vote, as the PP had feared.

Behind them came Unidas Podemos with six MEPs (10 per cent) and hard-right Vox who won three seats and 6 per cent of the vote.

A coalition of left-wing regional parties from across Spain headed by Catalonia's Oriol Junqueras won three seats, and self-exiled former Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, won two seats for Junts per Catalunya.

There was one seat for the alliance of the PNV (Basque National Party) and Coalicion Canaria.

In European elections, Spain counts the whole country as one constituency under proportional representation. Turnout was up on last time at 64.25 per cent.

The Spanish result was one of the few bright spots in Europe for social-democratic parties on the night.
Carles Puigdemont won a seat in the European parliament last weekend. The former regional president of Catalonia is in self-imposed exile in Brussels to avoid arrest in Spain over charges including rebellion and abuse of public office. This wasn't a hindrance to standing as a MEP however, and Puigdemont secured enough votes to be one of the two representatives to be sent to the European Parliament by Junts per Catalunya - Lliures per Europa.

Ex-regional minister in Catalonia, Toni Comin, also wanted in Spain, became the second representative. What happens next in the process of Puigdemont and Comin taking up their seats has been cause for debate this week. Although both are out of Spain and need to go to work in Brussels, experts said that they need to travel to Spain first to collect their MEP credentials. Doing so would mean arrest.

Oriol Junqueras of the Catalan ERC also won a MEP seat. He is currently in jail without bail while on trial in Madrid.
The four recently elected Catalan MPs and one Senator who are on trial on charges of rebellion have been banned from sitting in the Spanish parliament after winning seats in April's general election.

The five took up their posts last week after a court allowed them to be escorted out of prison for the day. They are currently part of the large trial judging the role of separatist leaders in the illegal declaration of independence in 2017. While the law doesn't stop them being in parliament while still on trial, parliament is entitled to tell them not to attend.

These MPs now have to decide whether to keep the seats, meaning their votes cannot be counted in the upcoming vote on next prime minister, or give them up to others lower down their parties' electoral lists.

Oriol Junqueras, leader of the left-wing of the ERC party is expected to give in his seat and pass it to the next person on the electoral list. Jun queras also won a MEP seat in last Sunday's Euro elections. Jordi Sanchez, Jordi Turull and Josep Rull, three of the MPs of the Junts Per Catalunya party are expected to keep their seats in Congreso.

Raul Romeva of the ERC has a seat in the separate Senate where votes are less crucial.

In Congreso, the absence of any separatist MPs may make it easier for acting PM, Pedro Sanchez, to secure a majority of MPs' support without having to rely on pro-Catalan independence parties.

The king is expected to formally meet with party leaders from next week as the process to choose a new PM begins following the 28 April vote. The decision has been delayed while politicians fought last Sunday's regional, European and municipal elections.
Despite the PP not doing as badly as expected, the Socialist PSOE were the overall winners on a national level once all votes in the over 8,000 town hall elections in the country were added up.

The PSOE saw its share of vote rise from 19.82 per cent in 2015 to 29.26 per cent this time round. The increase was largely at the expense of other left-wing parties. The PP held ground, falling from 23.67 per cent in 2015 to 22.23 per cent this time. But it was at a local level that the real stories were emerging, not least in the country's two biggest cities.

In the vote for Madrid city council, the 31 per cent (19 seats) for current mayor, left-leaning Manuela Carmena, wasn't enough to combine with the 8 seats of the PSOE to give a majority of 29 seats. On Sunday night, with the results still fresh, Carmena accepted that she would not be next mayor; the sum of right-leaning PP, Ciudadanos (Cs) and Vox is more than the left and the door was open to the PP returning to the mayor's office after four years. However, during the week efforts have been made to persuade more centrist Cs to abstain, to allow Carmena to stay, and to prevent Vox having a say in the new town hall make up.

Barcelona

In Catalonia, the former French prime minister, Manuel Valls, who was born in Barcelona, did not do as well as he had hoped, winning just six seats on the 41 seat city council with his Ciudadanos-linked candidacy. However on Wednesday he offered his councillors' votes to either the last mayor Ada Colau, who won 10 seats, or the PSOE party in Catalonia, with eight seats.

The move was designed to prevent separatist ERC, with 10 seats, taking over the council in their own pact with parties.

By June, 15 all pacts need to be complete as mayors are sworn in.
Hunter Group suffers profit fall - appoints OSM as VLCC manager

VLCC player Hunter Group has announced a fall in net profit from continuing operations to $331,000 for the first quarter of this year, compared to $1.308 mill in 1Q18.

The first quarter net profit was primarily made up of a combination of financial income and advisory fees, the company explained. Total operating expenses fell from $1 3 mill in 1Q18 to $288,000 in 1Q19. On 1st January this year, the Hunter Group changed its presentation currency from Norwegian kroner to US dollars. As a result, the main transactions going forward for the Hunter Group and Hunter Tankers will be in US dollars. Subsequently, the company reported that $420 mill of bank financing was secured from a syndicate of international shipping banks. The loan will finance about 60% of the construction cost with available draw at the delivery of each vessel. New delivery dates for the first four VLCCs are Hull No 5455-16/9/2019; No 5456-27/9 /2019; No 5457 - 31/10/2019 and Hull No 5460 -31/10/2019. In addition, Hunter has appointed OSM Ship Management as the technical manager for all the companys newbuildings upon their delivery. Hunter also said that it had received a bid from a third party buyer for two of its VLCC newbuldings at an en bloc price of $196 mill ($98 mill per vessel) and advanced discussion to finalise the sale are underway Hunter has successfully completed a private placement, raising gross proceeds of around NOK695 mill through the allocation of 190,454,000 shares at a subscription price of NOK3 65 per share.




Markets - Abundance of VLCCs keep rates flat

MEGs VLCC programme for June is well under way with some 70 deals concluded so far this week.

However, the awaited flurry of activity did not occur, as activity was measured, Fearnleys said in the weekly report. There were an increasing number of deals being concluded well under the radar at rates presumably and last done levels. Open tonnage remained in abundance. The Atlantic also lacked steam both ex West Africa and Americas, although some activity was seen ex US Gulf. Some US Gulf fixing activity and then failing created some uncertainty, and rates flattened out after a marginal rise last week. Thus far there is insufficient activity to change the present sentiment, Fearnleys said. Suezmaxes saw a week of healthy activity in all areas. Activity in the Americas has picked up again after being static for a few weeks - a much needed addition for Suezmaxes trading in the Atlantic. Despite a good level of fixing activity, rates moved sideways, at best, with owners struggling to clear out the tonnage overhang in the Western Mediterranean and West Africa, following a busy period with VLCCs. With rates for Atlantic round voyages barely covering opex, there is limited downside to owners waiting rather than fixing at raters on offer. Despite expectations that the Aframax market would firm this week, it did not happen. The market moved sideways, due to a lack of activity in the North Sea and that some Aframax stems were fixed on Suezmaxes. Some vessels are still finding employment elsewhere offering better returns, but still this was not sufficient to push the rates in an upward direction. Aframaxes in the Mediterranean and Black Sea were also trading more or less sideways. Although we have seen rates improve slightly on recent Black Sea stems, straight cross- Med voyages saw a slight dip in returns, as we have also seen charterers finding attractive alternatives in Suezmaxes. TD19 currently stands at WS110 (Wednesday). In the week to come, Fearnleys predicted a flat/soft market in the natural fixing window  supported by a healthy supply of available Aframax tonnage, especially if the Suezmaxes keep picking off smaller stems. As for period business, Alibra Shipping reported that period crude rates were firm this week as substantial premiums were seen over spot market levels. In the clean segment, the focus was again on MRs, as a number of short period business was reported. Oil prices remained under pressure due to the US/China trade spat. Brazils Petrobras is scheduled to deliver a VLCC crude cargo to bonded storage facilities it has leased at Qingdao by end-June, according to a port source and ship tracking data, analysed by S&P Global Platts. This will be the first cargo delivered by Petrobras into its bonded storage facilities in Shandong Province after signing the lease in December. This was in line with the companys plans to increase crude supplies to China by leasing bonded storage in the independent refining hub and offering a new grade of crude. The VLCC Maran Cleo left Angra dos Reis on 17th May and will arrive at Qingdao around 24th June, according to S&P Global Platts vessel tracking software cFlow. She is currently believed to be chartered to Petrobras. Petrobras also started to export a new grade of crude- Buzios - this year to independent refineries, with a total of around 330,000 tonnes having arrived in the January-April period. Buzios is similar in quality to Lula, with an API gravity of around 28.4 deg, and sulfur content of around 0.31%. In 2018, about 66% of Petrobras crude exports went to China, and this is expected to increase further in line with production expansion this year, Platts said. Maersk Product Tankers has confirmed the order for the remaining four out of 10 LR2 newbuildings from Dalian Shipyard. This order is part of an ongoing fleet renewal programme in the LR2 segment, Maersk explained. We are building the LR2s to ensure we have a portfolio of vessels that best fits our customers demands. The newbuildings will help us sustain a competitive fleet in a segment that is attractive to customers and owners alike, and to retain a strong market position, said Sren Meyer, Maersk Tankers Chief Asset Officer. In May, 2018, the company confirmed the order of the first six vessels. The plan is to deliver the 10 LR2s from 2020 - 2022. They will come under Maersk Tankers commercial, technical and corporate management, the company said. Brokers reported that Maersk Tankers had recently sold the 2011-built LR2s Maersk Jamnagar and Maersk Jeddah to Greek interests for $30.3 mill each and had bought the 2011-built MR Fidelity II for $18.25 mill. Elsewhere, private Greek shipowner Nikolaos Vafias has made a significant investment in additional tonnage  purchasing three vessels in a week in deals worth in excess of $65 mill, sources said. Vafias has bought a single Capesize from a compatriot in a swoop that has clear parallels with his last counter-cyclical venture in the same segment in 2016. He has also entered two LPG niches for the first time, with the purchase of a secondhand medium sized gas carrier of 38,000 cu m from a major Japanese owner and the acquisition of a resale newbulding of 11,000 cu m under construction in Japan, market sources said. Vafias took five years away from shipping around the turn of the last decade after handing the running of Brave Maritime over to his son, Harry, in 2008. He returned in 2013 with new vehicle Eco Dry Ventures, initially in the handysize sector. Vafias senior was believed to be connected with the purchase of the 38,400 cu m Viking River (built 2007) at a price of between $20 mill and $21 mill. Another 11,000 cu m LPG carrier, set for delivery from a Japanese yard in 2021 costing about $30 mill, is said to complete his flurry of activity. While Harry Vafias is best known for LPG and tanker investments, his father has historically targeted the drycargo market, where he was first active in the 1970s. These recent deals pushed the groups fleet to 82 ships, consisting of LPG carriers, product tankers, crude tankers, capes and smaller-sized bulkers. In the charter market, Tankerska Next Generation [TNG] has signed an additional six-month charter for one of its ECO MRs with a leading US charterer for $17,100 per day. The charterer has the opportunity to extend the lease agreement for up to 12 months, TNG said in a Zagreb Stock Exchange filing. TNG is majority-owned by Zadar-based peer Tankerska Plovidba. Nordic American Tankers (NAT) has confirmed that the Suezmax Nordic Zenith, has been period chartered to Equinor for around 12 to 15 months. The contract is valued is between $9 mill and $11 mill, depending upon the scheduling of the vessel, NAT said. Brokers reported that Koch had taken the 2015-built Vukovar for six months at $17,000 per day and the Pag for six to 12 months at $17,100 per day. Koch was also believed to have fixed the Nord Swift for 12 months at $19,750 per day. Trafigura was said to have fixed the Suezmax George, a 2011-built Suezmax for 12 months at $22,500 per day and the 2006-built Aframax Oklahoma for 12 months at $18,250 per day. Oklahoma had been reported as sold to Indonesian-based PT Trans. Clearlake reportedly fixed the 2016-built Ionic Althea for three years at $25,000 per day, while ST Shipping was thought to have fixed the 2018-built LR2 Salamina for six months at $20,000 per day. In the S&P sector, Delta Tankers was said to have purchased at auction the VLCC Brightoil Glory built 2012 for $58 mill, while Andromeda was believed to have bought the 2000-built Suezmax for $13.2 mill. Nordic Shipholding said that it entered into an S&P Memorandum of Agreement on 30th May to sell the 2000-built Handysize Nordic Ruth for a gross sale price of $5.8 mill. A few more newbuildings have been reported recently, mainly concerning options being declared. For example, Navios was said to have firmed up a third VLCC at Imabari, Evalend took a third VLCC at Hyundai and Kyklades declared two more Suezmaxes at Hyundai Samho. Samos was also said to have ordered a Suezmax at JMU for $62.5 mill, including the fitting of a scrubber. Reports were coming in at the time of writing that John Fredriksens Seatankers had ordered four LR2s and two VLCCs at SWS in Shanghai in a deal worth around $500 mill.




OPECs significant impact on crude tankers

Most of OPECs membership and oil production, resides in the Middle East (75% in March, 2019) and most of the demand for its product comes from Asia.

The infrastructure on both sides of this trade is highly efficient and due to their economies of scale, VLCCs dominate the Middle East/Asia trade, Gibson Shipbrokers said in a report. In the first quarter of this year, 85% of the seaborne crude oil trade on this route was handled by VLCCs, with only 11% shipped on Suezmaxes and 4% on Aframaxes. Unfortunately, the Middle East is not only the largest crude oil producing region in the world, it is also the dominant source of geopolitical tension, as well as the self-appointed market arbiter that is responsible for keeping the global crude oil markets balanced. The combined result of all this is that the oil markets in general and OPECs production in particular have become rather unpredictable. This is having a large impact on the tanker market, Gibson said. OPECs crude oil production (excluding NGLs) was at a multi-year low of 31.64 mill barrels per day in April, 2018 and in May of that year, President Trump decided that the US was withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal. Following this announcement, OPEC producers started to increase output in anticipation of the re-instatement of US sanctions on Iran. When waivers were issued, the oil market became oversupplied and OPEC cut back again. Since crude oil production and tanker employment are clearly correlated, all these changes in OPEC production had a direct impact on VLCC rates in the second half of 2018 and into 2019. The sanctions on Iran were not the only sources of market uncertainty and volatility. Venezuela and to a lesser extent Libya contributed as well. Venezuelas crude oil output and exports have been declining for years, primarily as a result of under-investment, poor maintenance, parts shortages and general mismanagement of the oil industry by the Venezuelan regime. Political turmoil and tough new US sanctions have cut Venezuelas output to less than 800,000 barrels per day, according to the latest figures available. Since a significant portion of Venezuelas production was exported to long-haul destinations such as China and India, the rapid decline in output had a detrimental impact on the VLCC market. Unlike the situation in Iran, Venezuelas problems are more structural, so even if the political crisis is resolved and sanctions are lifted, it will take many years for Venezuela to turn its oil industry around and increase output and exports. The Libyan problems also seem to be far from being resolved and oil production and exports are quite volatile and unpredictable. Over the last 12 months, Libyan production has ranged from a low of 670,000 in July, 2018 to a high of 1.15 mill barrels per day in October, 2018. Where exports will go in the coming months is anybodys guess as it appears that the country is again on the verge of a civil war. Libyan developments will have the biggest direct impact on the Aframax market in the Mediterranean, Gibson said.




Red Production Company has optioned Everywoman: One Womans Truth About Speaking the Truth by Jess Phillips MP, to be developed into a TV drama.



The book, written by Labour MP Jess Phillips, is a collection of stories from her own life and was shortlisted for the Parliamentary Book Awards in 2017.



The drama will be a co-production, and co-developed, between RED and executive producer Lucy Dyke, whose credits include Abi Morgans The Split, Black Mirror and Ripper Street.

Jess Phillips MP said; Im utterly thrilled to be working with RED, a company based outside of London led by Nicola Shindler, and with Lucy Dyke co-producing. They make the kind of television that truly represents people and events as they are and that was deeply important to me. The story of women in politics is complex and nuanced and intriguing, and its a story that needs telling.



Executive Producer and Chief Executive of RED Production Company Nicola Shindler said; Jess is an inspirational woman who fights for what she believes in and isnt afraid to be honest and outspoken. Using her book as a source were excited to create a drama that explores how an engaged woman can make a difference in todays very complicated world.



RED Production Company secured the book through a deal brokered by Yasmin McDonald and Laura Macdougall of United Agents. EVERYWOMAN: One Womans Truths About Speaking the Truth is published by Random House.

Share this story
Is there someone i can't love Bts? The members of the South Korean band are charming and are a role model of teamwork. Although we sometimes see them as a very close family, sometimes they need their time separated from
It didnt take long for members of the Downriver Genealogical Society to settle into their new home in Flat Rock.

Less than six months ago the society was told it had to move its library from a room at the Taylor Public Library, forcing its members to scramble to find a new place.

Things were looking dicey there for awhile, as the society is a nonprofit organization and the few options that surfaced cost more than they could afford.

Leslie Gilliland Harkai, of the Flat Rock Historical Society, suggested that the society should consider approaching the Flat Rock school district to check on the availability of space.

Harkai told Huntington that Flat Rock is a community that values local history and was confident a deal could be worked out.

It turns out she was right.

Huntington contacted Andrew Brodie, superintendent of Flat Rock Community Schools, who was open to the idea. Brodie was pleased to tell her he thought the school district had a place for them in the Administration Building at 28639 Division St., the old Flat Rock High School.

Norman Haase, Board of Education president, brought the matter before the board, which agreed to allow the society to move its library to a large room within the building.

The Downriver Genealogical Society collects documents, newspapers, yearbooks, cemetery compilations and books regarding local history from 18 communities in southeastern Michigan, most of which are defined as being part of the Downriver area.

Specifically, those communities are Allen Park, Brownstown Township, Ecorse, Flat Rock, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Huron Township, Lincoln Park, Melvindale, River Rouge, Riverview, Rockwood, South Rockwood, Southgate, Taylor, Trenton, Woodhaven and Wyandotte.

Its been wonderful, Huntington said. Everyone has been so welcoming to us.

The societys books, photos, maps, reference materials and other items that make up its library were moved to the new location in March. A grand opening and public reception took place April 30.

In 2012, the society was given decades of old News-Herald newspapers, as well as files of clipped articles, that the society is now in the process of digitizing.

The society hoped to purchase a large format scanner to expedite the process of digitizing the old newspapers, but the project was put on hold until a new location could be found for the library.

Now that society members have completed the move to a new location and have recently acquired a large format scanner, the hope is that its newspaper digitization project will pick up steam.

Volunteers aim to put over a million pages of Downriver news and obituaries  dating back to 1943  online.

Huntington said the goal is to make the scanned documents searchable online for free, rather than sharing them with a service that would charge for access.

We dont believe our history should be sold, she said. We want it left for everyone to use.
MBABANE - Siyembili Motors Swaziland trading as Leites Toyota has won the first round in its matter against Eswatini Competition Commission over the sale of land.



This comes after Judge Nkosinathi Maseko issued an order directing that the proceedings to the demand of a merger of Siyembili Motors Swaziland and MA Props (PTY) Limited relating to Portions 1079 and 1080 of Farm No.2 be stayed.

This is until the finalisation of the legal proceedings pending at the High Court under case No.220/2019.



The pieces of land which are now a subject of legal proceedings were purchased from Siyembili Motors Swaziland by MA Props (PTY) Limited.

Siyembili Motors decided to seek legal recourse after the commission wrote them a demand for notification of a merger and acquisition.



The commission was of the view that the parties should have notified it about the transaction as it was one that was notifiable as per the law.

It (commission) claimed that MA Props acquired a controlling interest in an asset which was or might be utilised for business purposes and therefore the transaction fell under the ambit of a merger as defined in the Competition Act.



In the demand for notification, the commissions then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Thabisile Langa stated that the commission had reasons to believe that Siyembili and MA Props engaged in a transaction or conduct as described in Section 35 of the Competition Act No.8 of 2007, involving the sale/transfer of the properties, Portions 1079 and 1080 of Farm 2, both located in Mbabane.



In terms of Section 35 (1) of the Act, a person who, in the absence of authority from the Commission whether as principal or agent and whether himself/herself or his/her agent, participates in effecting- (a)  a merger between two or more independent enterprises engaged in manufacturing or distributing substantially similar goods or providing substantially similar services, commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding E250 000 or to imprisonment to a term not exceeding five years or both.



The CEO further alleged that in terms of Section 35(1) of the Competition Commission Regulations, the commission may impose an administrative penalty of up to 10 per cent of the enterprises annual turnover to ensure compliance with the Act.



Call



The Commission hereby calls upon Siyembili Motors (PTY) Limited to submit within 30 days to the Commission all and/or any relevant documentation concerning the transaction as envisaged by Section 35 of the Act, reads part of the demand for notification.



She pointed out that in terms of Section 35(1) of the Act, a merger or takeover made in contravention of subsection 35(1) of the Act shall not have any legal effect and no rights or obligations imposed on the participating parties, by any agreement in respect of the merger or takeover, shall be legally enforceable unless an application for condonation has been made to and granted by the Commission.



Siyembili Motors now wants the High Court to set aside and declare as incorrect the decision of the Commission to the effect that the sale of the vacant portions of land from it and MA Props were a notifiable transaction.



Meanwhile, the issue of notification fee usually demanded by the commission in a merger is a subject of litigation in the matter where the commission is appealing the order of the High Court where it was ordered to refund MTN Eswatini a sum of E600 000.



Through its attorneys from CJ Littler, the commission recently filed a notice of appeal in the Supreme Court where it raised six grounds why it felt that the High Court erred in its findings.
MBABANE - Amazing. Local artist Symphony is set to be featured on BBC Television. The BBC news team has confirmed their trip to the country from May 31 to June 9.



They will be doing a series of interviews exposing local talent and they have selected Symphony as one of the fortunate artists to be interviewed.

The BBC news is creating content through covering some of the most celebrated artists on a programme that will be aired on the international TV Channel.



Buyie Cele, who is Symphonys manager, has described this as a very rare and humbling opportunity seeing that Eswatini barely makes it into the international media for positive news, let alone music or anything in the arts industry.

We have put in a lot of work to market Symphonys music over the years and this rare occasion will put Eswatini on the map for the right reasons in the international media, she narrated.



Probed



When further probed, Cele explained the challenges that Swati artists face in breaking into the international market.

The arts industry is a numbers game, if your audience is small, your growth will be stifled and the return on the cost of making music and preparing for performances is thus not returned, she said.



We really praise God for such opportunities that expand our territory and increase the opportunity of reward because it is generally only big countries with large populations that are able to support their artists adequately, she further elaborated.

The Eswatini, Arts and Music Association (SWAMA) President Melusi Zox Dlamini, said they wished her the best and knew that she would represent the country well.



Best



She is on another level, we wish her all the best and I am still urging the nation to support her and buy her music, he said.

The country music queen Cleopatra Matsebula, who also got an opportunity to be featured on one of BBC programmes also expressed her enormous excitement and how proud she was as this meant that local music was being recognised internationally.



Congratulations to her, she is amazing and she deserves it.

This is not just an achievement for her but also for upcoming artist that look up to her, she said.

In 2016/17 BBC had the largest audience of any channel with an estimated 121 million viewers weekly.



Largest



The department is the worlds largest news broadcast organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output per day as well as online coverage.



Symphony, real name Zanele Cele, released her first album Sengikhona in 2018 just after being awarded as the winner of MTN Bushfires Firefly Sound Storm in 2017.



Symphony is a Swati-born Urban Soul artist who has been raised in the church where she has served with her talent to sing.
Antibiotics that dentists prescribe are unnecessary 81% of the time, research shows

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Antibiotics prescribed by dentists as a preemptive strike against infection are unnecessary 81% of the time, according to a study published today in JAMA Network Open.

The findings are important because dentists are responsible for 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions written in the United States.

Antibiotics prescribed when not warranted expose patients to the risk of side effects unnecessarily and also contribute to the problem of antibiotic resistance - bacteria evolving to make the drugs ineffective.

Antibiotics are recommended as a prophylactic prior to some dental procedures for patients with certain types of heart conditions.

Researchers including Jessina McGregor of Oregon State University used a national health care claims database to examine nearly 170,000 dentist-written antibiotic prescriptions from 2011 to 2015.

The prescriptions involved more than 90,000 patients, 57 percent female, with a median age of 63.

Greater than 90 percent of the patients underwent a procedure that possibly warranted taking an antibiotic ahead of time. However, less than 21 percent of those people had a cardiac condition that made an antibiotic prescription recommended under medical guidelines.

"Preventive antibiotics in these patients gave them risks that outweighed the benefits," said McGregor, an associate professor in the OSU College of Pharmacy.

Led by corresponding author Katie Suda of the University of Illinois-Chicago, the researchers also looked at the prescriptions regionally and found unnecessary prescriptions to be most prevalent, on a percentage basis, in the West; 11,601 of the 13,735 prescriptions written, or 85%, were out of sync with the guidelines.

The other regional percentages were 78% for the Northeast, 83% for the Midwest, and 80% for the South.

Eighty-two percent of the unnecessary prescriptions were written in urban population centers, 79% in rural areas.

Among patients who filled prescriptions for unnecessary antibiotics, clindamycin was the most common drug, and joint implants were the most typical reason they were prescribed.

"Dental providers are very thoughtful when they develop care plans for their patients and there are many factors that inform dentists' recommendations, but this study shows that there is an opportunity for dentists to reevaluate if necessary," said Susan Rowan of the Illinois-Chicago College of Dentistry. "I think dental providers should view this study, which is the first to look at preventive antibiotic prescribing for dental procedures, as a powerful call to action, not a rebuke."

The study was limited to patients with commercial dental insurance and the analysis used a broad definition of high-risk cardiac patients, suggesting the findings may underestimate the unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics.

###

Five other researchers from Illinois-Chicago and one from Northwestern University also collaborated on the study, which was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Titusville Area School Districts outgoing Superintendent Karen Jez holds up a framed piece of art presented to her at a reception held Tuesday. Jez will retire on June 30, ending a 13-year run as the leader of Titusville schools.
By Trend





Azerbaijan is a priority market for increasing the presence of VISA, introducing innovations and developing the e-payments market, Cristina Doros, Senior Director and Head of Products for CIS & South-Eastern Europe at VISA, told Trend.

"Azerbaijan demonstrates very good rates on the development of non-cash payments," she said. "The market is growing dynamically. According to the information of VISA for 2018, the market grew by 42 percent in terms of non-cash payments and by 33 percent in terms of the number of non-cash transactions."

Further, she noted that the strategic objectives of VISA in Azerbaijan remain unchanged and meet the key priorities of Visa.

"The main areas include partnership relations, the introduction of digital payments, expansion of access, and security of payment systems," she said. "The priority development direction for us is the introduction of tokenization technology Visa Token Service (VTS), as well as the development of e-commerce and the expansion of supply of a line of premium products and loyalty programs."

In September 2018, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev approved a state program to expand digital payments in 2018-2020, according to which in 2021 the annual volume of non-cash payments in Azerbaijan will reach approximately 17 billion manats.

In order to speed up the implementation of the state program, three fundamental conditions and specific goals for each of them were defined. Creating more favorable environment involves not only prohibiting regulation norms, but also the application of special incentive mechanisms.
Niger repels attack on most dangerous prison

Niamey, Niger, May 14 (UNI) A terror attack on a prison which holds former Boko Haram fighters and drug traffickers has been foiled, Niger's interior minister said.

Security sources told BBC Afrique about 15 attackers drove up in three vehicles marked with the logo of medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and opened fire on Monday on the national guard officers on duty at Koutoukale prison, killing one of them.

The prison 50 kms (30 miles) outside the capital, Niamey, is Niger's highest-security prison hosting some of the country's most dangerous prisoners.
United Nations, May 31 (UNI) The UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, has issued a statement strongly condemning a gang rape of a nine-year-old girl on Wednesday, in the central Somali town of Bulo-Burde, some 425 km west of the capital, Mogadishu.

UNFPA said that it stands with the girls family and called for a speedy investigation into the grave crime.

Calling the violation a gruesome act, the agency reaffirmed its commitment to the Government and people of Somalia to ensure that sexual and gender-based violence is eliminated.
Punjab: 25000 litres of illegally smuggled ENA seized in Mohali 30 Dec 2021 | 1:35 AM Sas Nagar, Dec 29 (UNI) In a joint operation of Punjab Excise department and Mohali district police, an organized module involved in smuggling of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) into Punjab was busted in district Mohali. see more..

HP CM wants Shimla-Dharmshala heli taxi rates to be slashed 30 Dec 2021 | 1:28 AM Hamirpur (HP), Dec 30(UNI) HP Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has asked the Pawan Hans authorities to slash the rates of Shimla-Dharamshala heli taxi services to promote tourism in the state of Himachal Pradesh. see more..

2021 Alumni Gathering of Dronacharya PG college of Education hosted 30 Dec 2021 | 1:20 AM Dharamshala, Dec 29 (UNI) Alumni Meet 'Fir Ek Mulakat-Chapter 5' was held on Wednesday at Dronacharya PG College of Education, Rait. 'Let go of the Years, Pick up Memories' was the event's theme. see more..

JK reports 104 fresh COVID cases, no death 30 Dec 2021 | 1:19 AM Srinagar, Dec 29 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday reported 104 fresh cases of novel Coronavirus while no death was reported during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said. see more..
Four UW Students to Participate in Internship Program at Idaho National Laboratory

Interns at Idaho National Laboratory's (INL) Human Systems Simulation Laboratory work to modernize and improve operator interaction at commercial nuclear power plant control rooms. Four UW students will work with and research secure embedded intelligence during this summers Research Frontiers internship program at INL. (Chris Morgan Photo)

Midstream oil and gas operations are increasingly faced with costly, highly scrutinized events that stem from aging (leaks and explosions), natural occurrences (floods, seismic activity and extreme weather), and cyber intrusion and attack. One approach to address these issues involves the use of integrated, intelligent monitoring and control systems -- or secure embedded intelligence (SEI).

Four University of Wyoming students will work with and research this embedded intelligence during this summers Research Frontiers internship program at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The program is part of a cross-disciplinary program between UW and INL, which is broadly titled Secure Embedded Intelligence in Energy Production Systems. SEI encompasses the secure use of advanced sensing and actuation technologies, as well as their secure integration with emergent computational intelligence.

Maxon Lube, a Big Horn senior majoring in chemical engineering; Joseph Klebba, a Sheridan senior majoring in mechanical engineering; Shaya Wolf, a Buffalo Ph.D. candidate in computer science; and Rafer Cooley, a Cheyenne Ph.D. candidate in computer science, will intern at INL from June 3-Aug. 9. Students will be mentored by INL staff in conjunction with UW faculty in areas related to the topic and including cybersecurity-related aspects. The internships include a competitive stipend, a housing allowance and travel expenses.

The experience of working for INL will be of great importance to me and my career path, Lube says. It will give me hands-on experience and allow me to use my school knowledge in a real-world setting.

Receiving the opportunity to work with and be mentored by some of the nation's finest minds at INL is a great privilege and an invaluable experience, Klebba adds.

For Wolf and Cooley, INL is a somewhat familiar location. Interest in this internship experience was planted during the Department of Energy CyberForce Defenders Competition, which took place at INL last summer. During the competition, hundreds of students, including Wolf and Cooley, were given a vulnerable system to defend against expert attackers from national labs across the country. In the scenario, students had to defend a simulated oil transportation network, power delivery system and high-performance computing system.

These interactive, scenario-based competitions are critical in the development of future cybersecurity professionals, Wolf says. Rafer and I cant wait to compete again, and this internship allows us to further this hands-on experience.

Wolf and Cooley are graduate Ph.D. researchers in UWs Cybersecurity Education and Research Center (CEDAR) lab, which is housed within the Department of Computer Science.

UW, INL Have Collaborative History

INL is one of the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOEs strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and the environment. INL is the nations leading center for nuclear energy research and development.

We have collaborated in several of the INL-UW Research Frontiers meetings and sessions, discussing capabilities, current trends and potential research collaborations, says Mike Borowczak, a UW assistant professor of computer science. Additionally, CEDAR has been involved in developing a joint nuclear security certificate with INL and several Idaho universities.

Theres a significant historical relationship between the institutions, says Steven Aumeier, senior adviser of INLs nuclear energy programs and strategy. We have staff who are UW graduates. Weve had several UW students, just in my experience. We typically have had research professor relationships with UW.

The INL project is at the frontier of innovation in the energy sector and is of tremendous importance to the private sector, says Don Roth, a UW professor emeritus who has been working with INL to facilitate collaborations with UW. For the last couple of years, he served as the associate director of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies, a collaboration among INL, UW, Idaho State University, the University of Idaho and Boise State University. Roth stepped down from that post in January.

The emerging collaboration has implications for bolstering student achievement and career programs; expanding research and development prospects of UW faculty; positioning UW for large-scale federal grant awards; and expanding Wyomings long-term, sustainable economic development, Roth says.

As INL has a tremendous expertise and foundation for nuclear systems, especially small modular and microreactors, and UW is most interested in oil/gas applications, these are the two focus areas at this stage, Roth says.

I want to emphasize that industry is jumping on this area in order to optimize production, safety, risk management and economic considerations, Roth continues. The Department of Energy, as a result, is focusing strongly on this area and should be a great source of funding going forward. It is our goal to position the INL/UW collaboration for national dominance in this area. The impact for Wyoming is clear, not only in production phases but especially in an immediate time frame, for midstream pipeline applications.

Internship Experience Will be Multidisciplinary

Aumeier stresses INL wants to take a multidisciplinary approach, much like that which is used in industry today, with the Research Frontiers internship program looking strategically at cyberattack problems.

We want to help students gain experience from each other so they learn from each other. They will participate in a way you do in industry now, he says. These four students will have five or six mentors who have very different backgrounds. The students will gain perspectives on cybersecurity, nuclear engineering, control systems, systems engineering and artificial intelligence.

Students will work with INL staff and UW faculty to design, model/simulate and test secure embedded intelligence systems for target energy production systems, Roth adds.

This research opportunity will help us transfer theory to practice and shift from classrooms to workplaces, Wolf says. This type of research proves invaluable, especially in cybersecurity where new threats develop frequently.

Aumeier says opportunities exist for the four UW students to finish their internship work while they are back in classes this fall. He wants to see the group provide him with a report at the end of the year.

Hopefully, there will be good enough nuggets in there that they can write a paper and present it at a conference, he says. Wed like to see them get published.

The four UW students, while focused on their Research Frontiers project, also will have the opportunity to participate in INLs broader summer internship program, which boasts more than 400 students this year. The broader program includes opportunities to tour facilities, attend seminars and look at other projects across the lab, Aumeier says.

These students will be doing some strategic analysis in an area that is really hot, he says.
University of Wyoming Calendar for June 3-9

These are among the activities scheduled June 3-9 at the University of Wyoming:

Tuesday, June 4, 7 p.m. -- UW Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium show, This Months Sky. Tickets cost $3 for students and $4 for non-students, Physical Sciences Building basement. Advance tickets are available in the Physical Sciences Building, Room 204, or by going online at www.uwyo.edu/physics and clicking on Planetarium Schedule.

Wednesday, June 5, 10 a.m. -- The Wyoming Center on Agings Dementia Support Center, based at UW, will host Janet Lewis, executive director of the Wyoming Chapter of the Alzheimers Association. She will present information about Alzheimers disease and other types of dementia. Her talk will take place in Coe Library, Room 121. Free.

Wednesday, June 5, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. -- The Lonesome Heroes, an indie rock and country band, will perform for the UW Summer Concert Series on Simpson Plaza. Free.

Friday, June 7, 8:30 p.m. -- The UW Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium will host a special stargazing event at the Albany County Public Library, located at 310 S. Eighth St. in Laramie. Light refreshments will be served. Free.

Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m. -- Western Explorations: The Wyoming Arts Council Biennial Fellowship Exhibition 2018 and 2019 opens at the UW Art Museum. The exhibition features artwork created by the Wyoming artists who were selected as Visual Arts Fellowship recipients. Free.

Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m.-noon -- The UW Art Museum will host Family Saturday Workshop, an open studio, maker space-inspired workshop. Free.

Saturday, June 8, 11 a.m. -- The UW Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium will host a childrens show. Tickets cost $3 for students and $4 for non-students, Physical Sciences Building basement. Advance tickets are available in the Physical Sciences Building, Room 204, or by going online at www.uwyo.edu/physics and clicking on Planetarium Schedule.

Dinosaur skeletons, ancient mammal fossils and other exhibits are on display in the UW Geological Museum. The museum is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

The UW Department of Botanys Williams Conservatory is open to the public Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.
UW-Casper Social Work Grads Make Earning a Bachelors Degree a Family Affair

From left, Traci Keating; Valerie Thompson-Ebanks, associate professor in UWs Division of Social Work; and Whitney Henrichsmeyer pose for a photo during the recent Division of Social Work commencement ceremony at UW-Casper. (UW Photo)

Traci Keating and her daughter, Whitney Henrichsmeyer, have something unique in common besides being members of a close-knit family consisting of Keating, her husband of 25 years and their seven children.

Both Keating and Henrichsmeyer began and completed the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program at the University of Wyoming at Casper at the same time, celebrating their graduation together at the recent Division of Social Work commencement ceremony at UW-Casper.

Keating, who is originally from Wisconsin, now calls Casper home. Her interest in a career in social work began while studying to become an occupational therapist.

Through the educational exploration of other professions, the social work profession spoke to my heart, she says. Through my role as a mother to seven unique children, I found my voice for advocacy.

Henrichsmeyer also lives in Casper and was married last October.

I began working toward my BSW in the fall of 2017. I had heavily explored the medical field prior to social work because I knew I wanted to help others, she says. What really drew me to this field was the variety of career options the degree offered.

According to the College of Health Sciences Division of Social Work website, career opportunities are available to social workers with a BSW in a wide variety of state, federal and other public agencies, as well as private nonprofit organizations and private for-profit organizations. These include hospitals, mental health centers, schools, adolescent treatment facilities, child care centers, nursing homes, substance abuse treatment centers, public assistance agencies, probation and parole offices, correctional centers, community action agencies and research facilities.

The social work program through UW-Casper takes 25 students each fall into the BSW cohort.

What attracted me to the program was my ability to receive my education and remain in Wyoming, coupled with the fact that I could even receive my masters and stay close to family, Keating says. She also began working toward her BSW in the fall of 2017.

The benefits of earning their BSW degrees at the same time and at the same location have proved invaluable to both mother and daughter.

Having my mom in the program was truly an amazing benefit and gift, Henrichsmeyer says. My mom has a certain wisdom and calm about her when she presents herself, and this helped me be able to keep my goals in mind and to keep the motivation going these past two years.

She adds, There was a good handful of times where all I wanted to do was throw in the towel, because the demands seemed too difficult for me in the moment. Because I had my mom telling me to get back up and work, I was able to finish and graduate. I don't think I would have been able to complete the social work program without her by my side.

Supporting a family and pursuing a college degree are both challenging. Mother and daughter credit faculty members at UW-Casper for supporting them during the course of their studies. Keating and Henrichsmeyer are both grateful to Jenadene Jen Gray and Greta Maxfield, adjunct faculty members with the Division of Social Work, who helped create environments for thought-provoking conversations that encouraged diversity and inclusion.

They provided me the opportunity to learn critical thinking that has resulted in my ability to utilize my education and put that into action, Keating says.

They are both strength-based and cared about our success, and that helped us succeed, adds Henrichsmeyer.

For Keating, the next step will be applying to the Master of Social Work program.

I want to continue to learn and grow so that I can best meet the needs of those I serve, she says. I want to speak for those whose voices go unheard.

Henrichsmeyer plans to take some time to care for her family, including a new baby.

Having my bachelors degree, I have the ability to enter the workforce in a more meaningful way in the future when the time is right, she says.

Both mother and daughter say they would highly recommend the UW-Casper BSW program. Keating says, The cohort style (of classes) allows you to have a group of individuals all working toward a common goal and provides immense support. The instructors in this program have vast amounts of knowledge that they bring from real-life practice.

Henrichsmeyer adds, I think the social work program is great for anyone looking for a career helping others. It meets the needs of each individual and creates growth on a personal and professional level for each student.
Holidays mean entertaining. Here are two picks for your festive table. Pick A Pair Of Wines Everyone is looking for a bit of magic this holi...


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.
Robert F. Smith not only wiped out college debt for Morehouse graduates, he impacted lives
Groups delivering newspapers or distributing flyers in Marine City will have to take more care with where they leave their materials under a newly-passed handbill ordinance that is aimed at preventing the litter created by careless delivery.

The ordinance establishes minimum standards for where newspapers, flyers and other printed matter may be placed when delivered directly to homes or other private property within the city. New rules require that such material be delivered to a porch, placed near or attached to the front door, passed through a mail slot, tucked in between exterior and interior doors or placed in a box designated for non-postal items.

For Marine City residents frustrated by the sight of free newspapers left lying in the street or tossed carelessly into front lawns, the ordinance is a long-awaited change.

Resident complaints about the delivery of the Blue Water Shopper, a free newspaper packaged with store flyers, began more than a year ago. Some residents shared pictures on social media of the paper laying in the street in front of multiple homes, while others expressed their concerns directly to the city commission at meetings.

Commissioner Lisa Hendrick said that she personally observed the delivery driver simply dropping papers near the curb without leaving the vehicle.

The one day I was standing there, they drove right up in front of my house, didnt even get out of the car and dropped it right at the curb, Hendrick said. It isnt really what theyre supposed to be doing.

In January of last year, the city added the number to opt out of Blue Water Shopper delivery to the citys website. Opting out did not address the issue of vacant homes, however, and some residents reported that their attempts to opt out were unsuccessful.

In response, the city began considering whether an ordinance could be written to address the issue of newspaper blight that would not violate any free expression laws.

Working with the attorney, we were able to come up with an ordinance that could address this in a manner that isnt in conflict with any state or federal law, City Manager Elaine Leven said.

While the free paper was the inspiration for the ordinance, it applies to anyone distributing printed materials within the city. Violation of the ordinance is punishable by a fine of up to $500 per occurrence.

Complaints about the Shopper are not unique to Marine City. If the ordinance is successful in changing delivery practices and preventing free papers and printed matter from becoming litter, other communities may follow Marine Citys lead in imposing restrictions on delivery.

There are a lot of other communities that are anxious to see how this goes for us, Leven said.

Colleen Kowalewski is a staff writer for The Voice. She can be contacted at 586-273-6197 or ckowalewski@medianewsgroup.com.
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.
Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 30, 2019 | FRANKFORT

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 30, 2019 | 10:07 AM | FRANKFORT

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) has made changes to the state's food code to improve safety and health standards for food storage, preparation and serving.



To prepare for changes, which take effect in July, the department conducted regional training sessions to educate food inspectors at local health departments. They also worked with groups such as the Kentucky Restaurant Association, the Kentucky Retail Federation, Kentucky Association of Milk, Food and Environmental Sanitarians, to make sure industry officials and employees are prepared to implement the changes.



The new code requires businesses and facilities employ at least one certified food protection manager, who must obtain certification. The new code also adds nontyphoidal salmonella to the existing list of reportable illnesses.



Other changes include updates to the definition of hazardous foods. The term "potentially hazardous food" was changed to "Time/Temperature Control for Safety Foods" or "TCS" to better reflect the nature of the food. In addition, cut melons and cut leafy greens have been added to the list of foods requiring TCS.



The state food code is a model for safeguarding public health and ensuring food is sanitary and honestly presented when offered to the consumer. It represents DPH's guidelines for best practices and follows national standards designed by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA).



The DPH Food Safety Branch provides training and information to industry and consumers and issues permits to establishments that meet minimum compliance standards. Local health departments carry out the food safety program in the counties they serve.



Business owners are advised to familiarize themselves with the code to assure they will be in compliance.



For more information, the amended Kentucky food code can be found at https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/902/045/005.pdf. The 2013 FDA Retail Food Code can be found at https://www.fda.gov/food/fda-food-code/food-code-2013.



Additional information is available at http://chfs.ky.gov/.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 28, 2019 | 11:30 PM | PADUCAH

The event known as "Coffee with a Cop", will take place from 7:00 to 10:00 on Friday morning at Mary's Family Restaurant, 3424 Wayne Sullivan Drive, in Paducah.





Coffee with a Cop provides a unique opportunity for community members to ask questions and learn more about the departments work in Paducahs neighborhoods.





We hope that community members will feel comfortable to ask questions, bring concerns, or simply get to know our officers, said Chief Brian Laird. These interactions are the foundation of community partnerships.





The program aims to advance the practice of community policing through improving relationships between police officers and community members, one cup of coffee at a time.



For more information about this event, contact Officer Gretchen Morgan at 270-444-8534, or by e-mail at gmorgan@paducahky.gov.



Officers from the Paducah Police Department and community members will come together in an informal, neutral space to discuss community issues, build relationships, and drink coffee, on Friday.
Hundreds of new Illinois laws go into effect this weekend
Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

May. 30, 2019 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 30, 2019 | 04:48 PM | PADUCAH

A two-vehicle collision Thursday resulted in injuries for both drivers.



Deputies were dispatched to 8800 Old Mayfield road, where the accident took place. Upon arrival, McCracken County Sheriff's Deputies determined that 30-year-old Jasmaine Theobald, from Boaz, was traveling south in her SUV. Theobald told deputies she crossed the center line as she approached the crest of a hill. At that time, 76-year-old Martha Fielding from Boaz, was northbound in a pickup truck. The two vehicles sideswiped each other, then came to rest blocking both lanes of Old Mayfield Road.



Fielding had to be extricated from her vehicle. She and Theobald were taken to local hospitals by Mercy Regional ambulance for treatment of non-incapacitating injuries.



Also on scene was the Hendron Fire Department. The highway was closed for approximately 45 minutes to facilitate clean up and the crash investigation.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 31, 2019 | 07:23 AM | FANCY FARM

When the political world arrives in Fancy Farm on Aug. 3, one of Kentuckys best-known journalists will moderate the political speaking event, a must-attend stop for Kentucky politicians.

Bill Goodman, founding host of Kentucky Tonight, has been selected to serve as the emcee for the 139th annual St. Jerome Catholic Church Picnics political speaking.

We are extremely pleased to have Bill emcee the 2019 St. Jerome Picnic at Fancy Farm, said Mark Wilson, chair of the political speaking at the picnic. Having someone with Bills keen interest and experience covering Kentucky politics seems fitting with our statewide constitutional officers on the ballot this year. For so many years, Bill has been a fixture at Fancy Farm, but now hell get to experience from an entirely new perspective.

This years picnic will feature candidates for Kentuckys constitutional offices with a full list of speakers to come this summer.

I am excited to emcee this iconic Kentucky event that I adore and have attended for decades, said Bill Goodman. Fancy Farm is the single most important political event in Kentucky, and I am deeply flattered that St. Jeromes Parish would invite me to have this honor. I look forward to joining friends from across the commonwealth for some fun, delicious food, and some good ole fashion stump speaking.

After more than 20 years at Kentucky Educational Television, Goodman chose to become the executive director of the Kentucky Humanities Council, succeeding Ben Chandler. Goodman is a native of Glasgow where he and his father sold candy to local groceries and roadside country stores.

In 1996 he joined KET where later on he would serve as host and managing editor for KETs weekly public affairs discussion program. He also hosted bookclub @KET and the interview program One to One. He is perhaps most well-known across Kentucky for leading KETs election night coverage, candidate forums, and of course, Fancy Farm broadcasts.

Three things everyone who attends the political speaking at St. Jeromes picnic loves: politics, BBQ, and of course, Bill Goodman, Wilson added. This picnic is built around families, in particular those of us who grew up in this community. Bill has long been part of our extended Fancy Farm family, and we are excited to welcome him back home.'

The St. Jerome Picnic at Fancy Farm, which serves as a charitable fundraiser for the St. Jerome Catholic Church, has quickly transformed into Kentucky's inaugural event for the statewide fall political season. Some of the nation's most prominent politicians have addressed the crowds from the speakers' stand, including U.S. Vice-President Alben W. Barkley, former Governor and U.S. Senator A.B. Happy Chandler, Presidential Candidate George C. Wallace, U.S. Senator Wendell H. Ford, Vice-President Al Gore and Vice-Presidential candidate Lloyd Bentson, and current U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

The picnic, also known as the worlds largest one day barbeque, annually attracts over 10,000 visitors each year.
By West Kentucky Star Staff May. 31, 2019 | 06:39 AM | GRAVES COUNTY

Two fugitives were arrested in Graves County Thursday night.

The Graves County Sheriff's Office says deputies received information that 36-year-old Brandy Sheron was at a home in Wingo with warrants out of Daviess and Boyle counties. Sheron was found inside the home and was arrested.

During the arrest, deputies said Sheron tried to swallow a baggie with a substance inside that field tested positive for methamphetamine.

Later that same night, deputies learned that 34-year-old Danielle Shearer, who also had a warrant out of Boyle County, was at a home in Mayfield. Deputies arrived at the home and arrested Shearer with assistance from the Mayfield Police Department.

Sheron and Shearer were both lodged at the Graves County Jail.

Sheron was charged with possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and tampering with physical evidence. She was served warrants out of Daviess County for failure to appear, and for theft by unlawful taking-auto. She was also served a warrant out of Boyle County for three counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument.

Shearer was served a warrant out of Boyle County for two counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument.
Deeper research is needed to prevent fatal mining disasters

Wits geotechnical engineer and his colleagues commented on the reasons on why fatal mine disasters occur in an article published in Science.

Deeper research and improved management is required to prevent disastrous failures in coal ash and tailings dams.

This is the view of Wits geotechnical engineer, Dr Luis Alberto Torres-Cruz, who, along with Prof J. Carlos Santamarina (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia) and Dr Robert C. Bachus (Geosyntec Consultants, USA) commented on the reasons for these failures in an article published in Science in May.

Commenting on recent failures in tailings dams and coal ash ponds, the authors note that these failures underscore the need for new performance-monitoring instrumentation, better technologies for characterising existing impoundments, and appropriate retrofitting strategies.

The authors comments were sparked by the failure of a tailings dam in Brumadinho, Brazil on 25 January. In this incident, the structure damming a pond filled with iron ore mining wastes (tailings) burst, causing a massive mudslide that killed at least 232 people.

Similar accidents have occurred in South Africa. In 1973 the failure of a platinum tailings dam in Bafokeng killed 12 people and in 1994 the failure of a gold tailings dam in Merriespruit resulted in the death of 17 people. No major tailings dam failures have occurred in South Africa since the Merriespruit disaster.

The tailings dam that failed in Brumadinho, Brazil was built using the so-called upstream construction method. Following the failure, Brazilian authorities banned upstream tailings dams, which are also built in South Africa.

However, the authors note that most upstream dams have performed well, and storage dams built using (alternative) methods have also failed. The paper thus highlights that the path to preventing these accidents may not be as simple as a ban on a specific construction method.

Read the full article in Science here.
Please understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: website@womenofchina.cn. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
A student is holding a "no smoking" sign. [ Quanjing ]

More than 670,000 students in China have joined a national union to become tobacco control volunteers tasked with helping to curtail use among the young, the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control said on Wednesday.

The students, from 343 schools across China ranging from universities to primary schools, will help launch a national campaign on tobacco control aimed at the young, together with other organizations, said Zeng Xiaopeng, director for the association's adolescent tobacco control committee.

"Tobacco control should start young, and schools are the key place," he said.

Promoting tobacco-free schools is essential to protecting students from the harmful effects of tobacco, and it's an important part of the overall tobacco control effort, said Li Quanle, a tobacco control official at the National Health Commission.

"The bodies and minds of young children and adolescents are not fully developed, so they suffer more serious damage from smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke," Li said. "They are at a key stage for forming healthy behaviors and lifestyles that will last throughout their whole life."

World No Tobacco Day falls on Friday.

The students will provide suggestions and technical support for volunteer activities across China, along with training on tobacco control for schools and assistance in conducting various tobacco control activities, the association's Zeng said.

The association launched the student program for tobacco control in 2016, and nearly 672,000 students had joined the union as of Wednesday, he said.

In China, a person dies every 30 seconds, on average, because of tobacco use, and another 100,000 people die each year as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke, according to World Health Organization's China office. Globally 8 million people die each year from diseases caused by tobacco, it said.

In China, about 7 percent of adolescents are smokers, but about 20 percent of them have tried smoking at some point, health official Li said, adding that 180 million children are exposed to secondhand smoke, which deserves public attention.

"We have started a new round of national surveys on smoking among adolescents," he said. "The results will serve as a basis for the government to formulate related tobacco control policies."

Li Changning, director of the China Health Education Center under the National Health Commission, said more research is needed to improve the tobacco control education for adolescents so that the information is more easily accepted by them for the best effect. In addition, more efforts should be made to build a tobacco-free environment for adolescents, he said.

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
China will take more steps to boost community-based elderly care, childcare and household services, including greater policy incentives in taxes and fee cuts, as decided at the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday.

"Elderly care, childcare and housekeeping services are crucial to improving people's wellbeing, addressing the aging of the population and boosting employment. There is huge demand in this regard. The inadequacy of the childcare service, in particular, has become a bottleneck issue with the implementation of the two-child policy," Li said. "Faster development of such services can serve multiple purposes, including boosting consumption, promoting a better division of labor and facilitating economic transformation."

The Wednesday meeting decided on measures to boost community-based elderly care. Efforts will be made to increase the supply of community facilities for such services, and reduce costs. Elderly care facilities installed as required in new residential communities will be offered to the local residents for free or with low-cost. The government will make up for the shortage of such facilities in old residential areas through repurchasing or renting.

Thresholds will be lowered for private actors to provide community-based elderly care services. The government encourages community institutions to develop comprehensive functions including boarding services, day care and home-visit services. The Internet Plus model will be used in offering tailored neighborhood services for senior citizens.

The government will provide greater fiscal support. Training programs for elderly care workers will be supported by government subsidies and other measures.

"We must accelerate the development of community-based elderly care in light of China's realities to boost the services sector. The government needs to provide support in terms of fiscal input, taxation, finance, venues, electricity and water supply," Li said.

Attendees at the meeting adopted an array of measures in promoting higher quality and an expansion of capacity in the household service sector.

Undergraduate colleges and vocational schools will be encouraged to launch majors of household services. Eligible training bases will receive funding support on a priority basis under the central government budget. Household service workers who are flexibly employed will be covered by the professional upskilling subsidies.

Community-based household services companies will not be restricted by the nature of the real estate when renting the service venues. Companies that hire people with difficulty in finding jobs or current-year college graduates will enjoy social insurance subsidies. Commercial banks will be encouraged to explore ways to provide small scale collateral- and guarantee-free loans to household services companies with good credit.

The government will work to improve the standards and credit system, and set up systems for service provider certification and third-party accreditation. All service workers will be required to have rigorous health checks. The government will follow an accommodative and prudential approach in regulating the household services sector.

"We must vigorously develop elderly care and child care," Li said. "Our labor productivity cannot improve without a sound division of labor. The government needs to step up in widening market access and exercising impartial regulation. This will boost the growth of relevant industries and deliver satisfying services to our people." He also stressed the need to scale up vocational training to enhance the reputation and performance of the related industries.

The meeting identified a number of tax incentives for community-based elderly care, childcare and household services.

Between June 1 this year and the end of 2025, earnings of the above-mentioned services will be exempted from value-added tax (VAT), and enjoy a 10 percent deduction in taxable income. Those providing real estate or land for the relevant services will be exempted from deed tax, property tax, urban land use tax and six types of fees including registration fee for real estate.

The scope of VAT exemption for household services companies with contract-based employment will be expanded.



(Source: Xinhua)
With joint efforts from both sides, Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia will be a great success and push bilateral relations into a new era, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui said Thursday.

At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Xi will pay a state visit to Russia and attend the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum from June 5 to 7.

President Xi and President Putin will comprehensively sum up the experience on the development of bilateral relations in the past 70 years, chart the course for their future development, and upgrade and elevate the ties, Zhang said.

At present, the international situation is witnessing unprecedented changes in a century, and the basic norms governing international relations have been seriously impacted by rising unilateralism. Regional hotspot issues are fermenting, and the common threats and challenges facing human society are on the rise, said Zhang at a press briefing on the visit.

Under current circumstances, China-Russia relations have become increasingly mature, stable and strong, said Zhang, adding that "the political mutual trust between the two countries is solid and the two sides firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns."

According to Zhang, trade between China and Russia hit a record of over 100 billion U.S. dollars last year. Strategic projects in fields of energy, aerospace and interconnectivity have been solidly promoted. Besides, cooperation in emerging fields such as agriculture, finance, science and technology, and e-commerce has developed rapidly.

The cooperation between the two countries has demonstrated strong endogenous driving forces and broad development prospects, Zhang added.

The two sides jointly held the year of bilateral cooperation and exchanges at local levels in 2018 and 2019, with local exchanges continuing to expand and people-to-people and cultural exchanges continuing to heat up, Zhang said.

China and Russia have carried out close and effective coordination in international affairs, firmly upholding an international system with the United Nations as its core and an international order based on the international law, and staunchly safeguarding world peace, stability and international fairness and justice, Zhang said. "The two countries advocate multilateralism and an open world economy, and have played a role as a ballast stone and stabilizer in the changing international situation."

"This is Xi's first state visit to Russia since his re-election as Chinese president, which will be of milestone significance in the development of bilateral relations and will surely promote greater development of bilateral ties under the new situation," Zhang said.

Noting this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, Zhang said that during his visit, Xi will hold a series of activities with President Putin, jointly attend events such as a gathering celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ties, and sign or witness the signing of some important cooperation documents.

On Xi's attendance of the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Zhang said the Chinese president will deliver a speech at the plenary session of the forum, expounding China's ideas on sustainable development, and working with all parties to advocate multilateralism and improve global governance for the common development and prosperity of the global village.

"This visit will consolidate the political foundation of Sino-Russian relations, reaffirm their mutual support to each other on issues involving respective core and major concerns, and ensure the ties will not be affected by any change in the international situation," said Zhang, adding that the visit will also open up new prospects for pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and help translate the advantages in high-level political relations into more tangible results.

It is believed that with the joint efforts of China and Russia, Xi's visit to Russia will be a complete success, as it will promote bilateral relations to enter a new era and contribute more to the two countries' development, and world peace and stability, Zhang said.
The Chinese Academic Conference on Maternal and Child Health, was held by the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, the George Institute for Global Health and the United Nations Population Fund, in Beijing, on May 18-19.

Wang Longde, President of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association and academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said that maternal and child health was the premise and foundation of humanity's sustainable development, and the Chinese Government has given priority to it over the years, which has remarkably improved the health of women and children.

The Chinese Preventive Medicine Association has been active in women and children's health care, reproductive health, birth defects and vaccinations and immunity, and it has made fruitful contributions to policy formulation, academic exchange, popularization of scientific knowledge and commercialization of scientific research achievements in the field of maternal and child health, Wang added.

Zhang Li, Deputy Director of the Office of the National Working Committee on Women and Children under the State Council, urged that the quality of the new-born population should be improved and be synchronized with the nation's economic and social development.

The United Nations Population Fund spares no effort to improve the lives of women and children in China and other countries in the world. In the future, it will strengthen cooperation with China to further improve their health and well-being, according to Babatunde Ahonsi, representative of the United Nations Population Fund in China.

The theme of the conference was focusing on safeguarding the health of women and children throughout their full life cycle. Song Li, Deputy Director of the Department of Maternal and Child Health under the National Health Commission, delivered a keynote speech entitled Progress and Prospects of Maternal and Child Health in China, elaborating on the achievements and challenges of the maternal and child health industry over the past 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

To further discuss maternal and child related topics, the conference also invited professionals to take part in-depth exchanges in policy guarantees, operation mechanisms, maternal and child health, prevention and control of birth defects and national planning.

The conference was the first national academic event held by the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, which gathered domestic and overseas experts to share cutting-edge information and ideas. It played a positive role in promoting the academic development of maternal and child health.

More than 100 domestic and overseas experts in the fields of reproductive health, maternal and child health care, and vaccination and immunity lectured at the conference. About 1,700 representatives, from institutions of maternal and child health care, medical and physical examination institutions, community-level health care centers, disease control institutions, medical universities and scientific research institutes, also attended the conference.
Children attend the opening ceremony of the art exhibition. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun] The World in Children's Eyes, an art exhibition featuring paintings created by children from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), opened in the China National Museum of Women and Children in Beijing on May 29. The exhibition was sponsored by the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF). Shen Yueyue, Vice-Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee and President of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), and Vladimir Norov, Secretary-General of the SCO, attended its opening ceremony.

Shen Yueyue, Vice-Chairperson of the NPC Standing Committee and President of the All-China Women's Federation, spoke at the opening ceremony. [China Women's News]

Huang Xiaowei, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, presides over the opening ceremony. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun] Shen sent her best wishes to the children from the SCO member states and the students attending the ceremony ahead of International Children's Day. She pointed out that efforts should be made to further tighten cultural ties and cooperation and promote steady exchanges in various fields among member states of the SCO. She said she was pleased to see the children expressing their love for nature, family and homeland and yearning for friendship, world peace and bright futures with their paintings. The exhibition not only helped them improve their painting skills, but also enabled them to better understand the culture of different countries and friendly cooperation between the members, she added.

Vladimir Norov, Secretary-General of the SCO, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun] Norov noted tha the SCO has been committed to consolidating good-neighborliness and friendship among countries since its establishment and the SCO would continue to support women, youth and children's exchange and cooperation between its members. Before the ceremony, Shen and Norov met for discussing on further exchanges and cooperation within the framework of the SCO.

Shen (L) appreciates the artworks created by children from the SCO member states. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

Students get a closer look at the paintings. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

Huang Xiaowei, Vice-President and First Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, chaired the opening ceremony. Xia Jie, Vice-President and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, Deng Li, Member of the Leading Party Members' Group of the ACWF and Curator of the China National Museum of Women and Children, as well as diplomats from SCO member states also attended the opening ceremony.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-30 06:25:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BAGHDAD, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday arrived in Baghdad on an official visit to hold talks with Iraqi leaders over means to develop bilateral relations and development in the Middle East, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said.

A statement by the ministry said that the Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim received his Turkish counterpart and the two held a meeting, in which they discussed bilateral ties and means to continue cooperation and coordination.

The two sides also discussed "regional and international issues of mutual interest and the importance of concerted efforts towards calm in the region and support of peace tracks in this delicate situation," according to the statement.

Cavusoglu's visit came hours after the Iraqi President Barham Salih arrived in Istanbul on Tuesday afternoon and returned to Baghdad at dawn on Wednesday, as he held a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The meeting of Erdogan and Salih "focused on regional and international developments," according to a statement issued earlier in the day by the media office of the Iraqi presidency.

The meetings of the Iraqi and Turkish leaders came amid escalation of tension between the United States and Iran, which has borders with both Iraq and Turkey.

The United States has also increased its military buildup in the region recently by deploying an aircraft carrier, bombers and anti-missile systems, citing a threat of Iranian attack.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-30 20:39:27|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (R) meets with Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe in Singapore, May 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)

SINGAPORE, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong met with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe here on Thursday, with both sides expressing willingness to strengthen pragmatic cooperation and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the region.

In recent years, high-level exchanges have been frequent between the two countries, and bilateral ties have been developing smoothly, Lee said. The communication and cooperation in various fields, including military, between the two sides have yielded substantial results. In particular the jointly-promoted Belt and Road construction has been facilitating regional interconnectivity and economic development, he said.

The development of China is beneficial to the world, Lee said. Under the new circumstances, countries should enhance communication, and promote understanding and trust, so as to achieve common development, he added.

For his part, Wei said the China-Singapore all-round cooperative partnership progressing with the times has been developing under the guidance of the leaders of the two countries.

"China and Singapore are partners of reform and opening-up, partners of mutual benefits and win-win, partners of jointly building the Belt and Road," he said.

The Chinese military is willing to work with its Singaporean counterpart to enhance strategic mutual trust, strengthen pragmatic cooperation, and contribute to the development of China-Singapore relations as well as peace and stability in the region, the Chinese defense chief added.

Wei is here to for an official visit to Singapore and the upcoming Shangri-La Dialogue, officially known as the Asia Security Summit slated for May 31-June 2. He held talks with his Singaporean counterpart Ng Eng Hen on Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-30 22:10:30|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

Photo taken on May 30, 2019 shows the groundbreaking ceremony of construction on the new campus of New York University Shanghai (NYU Shanghai) in Shanghai, east China. Shanghai began construction Thursday on the new campus of NYU Shanghai, the first Sino-U.S. higher education institute in China. Located in the New Bund of Pudong District (Qiantan Area), the construction covers more than 110,000 square meters and is expected to be completed by 2022. The new campus can accommodate up to 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

SHANGHAI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai began construction Thursday on the new campus of New York University Shanghai (NYU Shanghai), the first Sino-U.S. higher education institute in China.

Located in the New Bund of Pudong District (Qiantan Area), the construction covers more than 110,000 square meters and is expected to be completed by 2022. The new campus can accommodate up to 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

"This construction marks an important step forward not just for NYU Shanghai, but also for Shanghai's ongoing efforts to advance education reform and its growth as an international metropolis," said Yu Lizhong, chancellor of NYU Shanghai.

A 5,000 square meter library as well as laboratories and researching areas covering 7,000 square meters will be built, according to the university.

The campus is designed in both Chinese and Western styles, "which brilliantly expresses our school's unique devotion to uniting China and the rest of the world in a shared commitment to transformative education and research," said Jeffrey S. Lehman, vice chancellor of NYU Shanghai.

The new campus is about twice as large as the current one in Lujiazui Financial and Trade Zone, which is to meet the needs of the growing number of students and more diverse lessons.

"It has been designed to express the value of international cooperation. It's designed to show that borders between intellectual disciplines are artificial and greatest innovation happens when borders are crossed," Jeffrey said.

Founded in 2012, NYU Shanghai is regarded as a pilot program in China-U.S. educational cooperation.

NYU Shanghai now has more than 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students from over 80 countries and regions, about half of whom are international students. Among them, about 60 percent are American students. Students from countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative also account for a large proportion.

According to the administration office, the number of applications to NYU Shanghai jumped 25 percent this year to a record high of 16,750 and applicants competed for 450 spots in Fall 2019's freshman class.

"I am confident that the new Qiantan campus will play a crucial role in the district, embody the spirit of Shanghai and give back to the city through talent, motivation and research output," said William R. Berkey, chairman of the NYU board.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-30 22:25:49|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind (L) greets Narendra Modi during a swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, May 30, 2019. Narendra Modi was sworn in for a second term as the country's prime minister on Thursday. (Xinhua)

NEW DELHI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- President of India Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Narendra Modi as the country's prime minister on Thursday.

This is Modi's second consecutive term as the country's premier.

The swearing-in ceremony of Modi and his new Council of Ministers is being held at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House) situated at the Raisina Hill in the Indian capital.

Modi's first term of the prime minister began in 2014.

The key highlights of the swearing-in ceremony were the inclusion of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah and former Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar in the cabinet, and the exclusion of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Health Minister J.P. Nadda in Modi's new government.

Over 45 ministers, including cabinet and junior ministers, are likely to be sworn in at the ceremony which began at 19:00 local time with Modi being the first to take the oath.

The oath-taking ceremony is expected to last around two hours.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-30 23:37:20|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

An Israeli soldier stands at the entrance of a Hezbollah tunnel on the border between Israel and Lebanon in northern Israel on May 29, 2019. Israeli military said on Thursday its forces have destroyed the "flagship attack tunnel," which was constructed by the Hezbollah militia and crossed from southern Lebanon into Israeli territory. (Xinhua/JINI/Ayal Margolin)

JERUSALEM, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Israeli military said on Thursday its forces have destroyed the "flagship attack tunnel," which was constructed by the Hezbollah militia and crossed from southern Lebanon into Israeli territory.

A military spokesperson said in a statement that the tunnel was "neutralized" by pumping sealants into it. "The portion of the tunnel in Lebanese territory was destroyed and the whole structure was rendered useless," said the spokesperson.

The beginning of the tunnel was traced to the Shi'ite village of Ramiyeh. It was exposed by Israel last January as part of its "Operation Northern Shield" and was "thoroughly investigated" by the Israeli forces.

"This tunnel was the flagship tunnel of Hezbollah's tunneling effort, in which Hezbollah invested the most resources and efforts," said the spokesperson. The infrastructure installed inside it allowed for a prolonged stay of militants inside, efficient excavation capabilities, and mobility of operatives, the spokesperson said.

During "Operation Northern Shield" earlier in 2019, Israel uncovered what it said was a network of "attack tunnels," through which the Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese military, planned to infiltrate into Israel.

Hezbollah has not commented on the Israeli operation and allegations.

Israel and Hezbollah last fought a full-fledged war in 2006.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 00:08:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists demonstrated in a study that carbon dioxide could be a better fluid used in extracting resources like shale gas within rocks than water.

The study published on Thursday in the journal Joule showed that the replacement technique could pave way for a more effective and eco-friendly form of fracking while storing captured atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Fracking is a technique used to extract resources from the rock by injecting water mixed with sand and chemicals. But about 30 percent to 50 percent of fluid injected remains in the rock formation, consuming a large amount of water and posing potential ecological risks.

Carbon dioxide fracturing can save a hefty water supply, making fracking viable in arid areas and reduce the risk of damage to reservoirs as aqueous solutions often create blockages in the rock formation, according to the study.

Also, it can provide an underground repository for captured carbon dioxide, according to Sun Nannan, an associate research fellow from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Sun's team collected shale outcrops from Chongqing and fractured them with both fluids. They found that carbon dioxide outperformed water, creating complex networks of fractures with significantly higher stimulated volumes.

Carbon dioxide has higher mobility than water, so the injection pressure can be better delivered into the natural porosity of the formation, according to Sun.

But the researchers admitted that the cost of carbon dioxide captured from emissions is still too expensive to make it an industry-wide fracking fluid replacement. Also, the carbon dioxide's viscosity is not enough to transport sand into the fractures in order to prop open the fractures.

The researchers are planning to conduct further investigations to make the technology practical.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 01:03:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

KAMPALA, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan and French troops have completed a 10-day joint military training in mountain warfare, a military statement said here on Thursday.

The Ugandan military in a statement said the training was held on Mountain Rwenzori in the western part of the country neighboring the volatile eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lt. Gen. Wilson Mbadi, deputy Chief of Defense Forces of the Ugandan military said such exercises are aimed at keeping the country's soldiers physically fit as well as preparing for future assignments.

"The best welfare for a soldier is first class training, because it gives you confidence and enough skills," Gen. Mbadi said.

Lt. Col. Fabien Miclot, French Defense Attache to Uganda, hailed Uganda's efforts in fighting terrorism especially in Somalia.

"Fighting terrorism is a common cause and that's why we are engaged in joint operations to create no room for terrorists," Lt. Col. Fabien said.

The Ugandan and French militaries have previously held joint training in mountain warfare on Mountain Rwenzori.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 02:49:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BEIRUT, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian exchanged on Thursday ideas with Lebanese lawmakers on ways to promote cooperation between China and Lebanon in various fields, said a statement by the Chinese Embassy in Lebanon.

"We have discussed with Lebanese lawmakers ways of boosting cooperation between the two countries in areas of economy, trade, infrastructure, construction and culture," Wang said.

The Chinese ambassador introduced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the historical development of bilateral relations between China and Lebanon.

He added that China supports Lebanon's sovereignty and independence, and it is willing to strengthen and support policies adopted by the Lebanese government while encouraging Chinese companies to come to Lebanon and explore mutually beneficial cooperation.

Meanwhile, Lebanese lawmakers expressed their wishes to see more achievements in the framework of cooperation between Lebanon and China under the BRI.

Proposed by China in 2013, the BRI refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa through the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 05:25:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

MINSK, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko granted the authorities of vice premier to his ambassador to Russia Vladimir Semashko in charge of Belarus' activities in the Union State and relations with Russia.

Lukashenko signed the corresponding decree on Thursday, the presidential press service said.

Acting as vice premier, Semashko will represent Belarus in contacts concerning bilateral cooperation with designated officials and public bodies of Russia and agencies of the Union State; submit proposals regarding trade, economic and investment cooperation with Russia to the government, state administration bodies, oblast executive committees, the Minsk City Hall, and other public agencies and organizations, the press service said.

The official will be personally responsible for promoting the national interests of Belarus in the Union State and relations with Russia.

Semashko served as Belarusian vice premier in 2003-2018. In November 2018, Lukashenko appointed Semashko as Belarusian ambassador to Russia.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 05:56:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

RIYADH, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud warned on Thursday that Iran's development of nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities would threaten regional and global security.

He made the remarks at an emergency summit of Gulf Cooperation Council in Mecca on Thursday night that Tehran's actions threatened international maritime trade and global oil supplies in a "violation of UN treaties," Al Arabiya TV reported.

"We will work together to face all challenges. The Iranian regime has been interfering in other countries' affairs, developing their nuclear programs and threatening international navigation," the king told the summit in an opening speech.

He added that Saudi Arabia is keen on the security and stability of the region, calling for Gulf, Arab and Islamic summits in Mecca to discuss global coordination for the best solutions to the regional tensions.
People protest during a rally calling for abortion rights outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 21, 2019. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- John Bel Edwards, the Democratic governor in southern U.S. state of Louisiana, on Thursday signed into law a bill banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur at about six weeks of pregnancy.

With his signature, the governor broke from his party's ideology and makes Louisiana the sixth state to pass the so-called heartbeat abortion ban, joining Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio and Missouri. He is the first Democratic governor to sign such a ban.

"In 2015, I ran for governor as a pro-life candidate after serving as a pro-life legislator for eight years," said Edwards. "As governor, I have been true to my word and my beliefs on this issue."

Louisiana's ban won't take effect unless a similar bill in Mississippi is upheld in a federal appeals court, according local media reports.

Currently some three-quarters of Democrats believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, a figure that has increased by more than 10 points since the mid-1990s, according to the Pew Research Center.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 07:41:56|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

XINING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in northwest China's Qinghai Province have banned the releasing of exotic species at a major river source area.

According to a regulation passed Thursday by the provincial authorities, releasing of exotic species, artificially bred species or genetically modified species is strictly prohibited in public water resources in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

Yushu is located in the southern part of Qinghai, where the three-river-source Sanjiangyuan lies. The area is home to the headwaters of three major rivers -- the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang.

In recent years, there were several cases of local herdsmen and visitors to the area releasing carps and crucians into the water, threatening the water quality and the local eco-system.

The regulation is effective on July 1. Anyone that violates the regulation will be punished accordingly.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 08:51:23|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu party, attends a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, May 30, 2019. The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, approved Wednesday night a law for its dissolution, less than two months after the general elections took place on April 9. The next elections are now expected to be held on Sept. 17, 2019. The bill was passed with 74 votes in favor and 45 against after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a new government in the 42 days given to him until Wednesday midnight. The Likud party, headed by Netanyahu, and other right-wing parties won a majority of 65 seats out of 120 in the Knesset, but one of them, Yisrael Beiteinu with five seats, headed by Avigdor Lieberman, refused to join the coalition. (Xinhua/JINI/Gideon Markowicz)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 08:02:00|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

LOS ANGELES, May 30 (Xinhua) -- NASA's Curiosity rover has found the highest amounts of clay minerals since its landing on Mars in August of 2012, according to a release of NASA on Wednesday.

Two samples the rover recently drilled at rock targets called "Aberlady" and "Kilmarie" have revealed the highest amounts of clay minerals ever found during the mission, said the release.

Both drill targets appear in a new selfie taken by the rover on May 12, the 2,405th Martian day of the mission.

This clay-enriched region, located on the side of lower Mount Sharp, stood out to NASA orbiters before Curiosity landed in 2012.

Clay often forms in water, which is essential for life. Curiosity is exploring Mount Sharp to see if it had the conditions to support life billions of years ago, according to the mission team.

The rover's mineralogy instrument, called CheMin (Chemistry and Mineralogy), provided the first analysis of rock samples drilled in the clay-bearing unit. CheMin also found very little hematite, an iron oxide mineral that was abundant just to the north, on Vera Rubin Ridge, according to NASA.

It is likely that the rocks in the area formed as layers of mud in ancient lakes, something Curiosity also found lower on Mount Sharp. Water interacted with sediment over time, leaving an abundance of clay in the rocks there, said NASA.

Amid this new drilling and analyzing, Curiosity used its black-and-white Navigation Cameras to snap images of drifting clouds on May 7 and May 12, which are likely water-ice clouds about 31 kilometers above the surface, according to NASA.

The mission team has been trying to coordinate cloud observations with NASA's InSight lander, which is located about 600 kilometers away. Capturing the same clouds from two vantage points can help scientists calculate their altitude, said NASA.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 09:02:31|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

KUNMING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A pangolin was set free back to the wild in a nature reserve after being rescued in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said.

Police in Mengla County in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture rushed to the rescue after receiving a report on May 21 that a pangolin was found in a refrigerator at Guanlei Port, according to the public security bureau of natural resources in the prefecture.

The pangolin was found when workers were moving some logs in the refrigerator.

A physical check showed that the pangolin measures about 55 cm long and weighs 3.8 kg. It did not sustain any injuries.

It was identified as a Malayan pangolin which is under second-class state protection in China and is listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

The China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation dispatched personnel to the county to send food to the pangolin and install a field tracking monitor on it.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 09:58:09|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

Chinese Ambassador to Germany Wu Ken speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Berlin, Germany, May 28, 2019. The relations between China and Germany are beyond bilateral ties and their cooperation has achieved "a whole greater than the sum of the parts," Chinese Ambassador to Germany Wu Ken has said. (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

BERLIN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The relations between China and Germany are beyond bilateral ties and their cooperation has achieved "a whole greater than the sum of the parts," Chinese Ambassador to Germany Wu Ken has said.

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan is visiting Germany from May 30 to June 2 at the invitation of German Federal Government. During the visit, China and Germany will have an in-depth exchange of ideas on bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields, Wu noted in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Wu said the two countries will enhance the global and strategic significance of bilateral cooperation in light of the developments and changes in the international situation, hoping to put positive energy and stabilizing force into the region and the world through promoting pragmatic cooperation and mutual trust.

Wu noted that 2019 marks the 5th anniversary of the establishment of an all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany. He said the Sino-German ties have been developing continuously at a high level, reaching an unprecedented depth and breadth, bringing tangible benefits to the two countries and peoples.

Wu pointed out the high-level bilateral contacts have played a leading role in bilateral ties.

"The leaders of the two countries have exchanged visits frequently," said Wu. "There are more than 70 wide-ranging and multi-level dialogue mechanisms, including government consultations, between the two countries, which will strengthen political mutual trust and further understanding and support for both sides."

In 2018, bilateral trade volume amounted to nearly 200 billion euros. Germany has been China's biggest trade partner in Europe for 43 consecutive years, while China has been Germany's biggest trade partner for three years, said Wu, noting that trade between the two countries has realized mutual benefits with "great openness."

"There is great potential in such new areas as digitalization, new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence and autonomous driving," said Wu. "Innovation has become the engine of Sino-German cooperation."

As to people-to-people exchanges, the diplomat said there is an "unprecedented closeness" between Germans and Chinese.

"Currently, more than 60,000 Chinese students are studying in Germany and more than 8,000 German students in China. In 2018, about 1.5 million Chinese tourists visited Germany, and there are about 100 direct flights between the two countries on a weekly basis," Wu said.

Wu called on Germany and China to build "model relations" that transcend ideological differences, as instability and uncertainty are increasing globally.

China and Germany should enhance collaboration at China-EU level and under the multilateral framework of the United Nations, G20 and other international organizations, said Wu, adding that the two countries should jointly safeguard the rule-based multilateral trade system, clearly oppose protectionism and unilateralism, maintain trade and investment liberalization and facilitation and maintain the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

On the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the diplomat said Germany "participated in it early, cooperated firmly and enjoys a bright future."

"Germany is the founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the largest extraterritorial investor. Siemens recently signed a memorandum to strengthen cooperation under the framework of the BRI. Over 14,000 trains have been operated through China Railway Express, and nearly half of the goods transported on the line were between Germany and China," Wu noted.

Wu added that German cities such as Duisburg and Hamburg have benefited a lot from the BRI initiative, and their stories have spurred the enthusiasm of all levels of government, economic circles and especially small enterprises in Germany to join the BRI.

Wu said China will actively promote Sino-German cooperation in third-party markets along the BRI routes and combine the complementary advantages of the two countries with local development needs in a bid to benefit each other.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 10:03:15|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

MEXICO CITY, May 30 (Xinhua) -- There are no initial reports of significant damage after a Magnitude-6.8 earthquake struck off the coast of El Salvador on early Thursday, authorities said.

A "monitoring of the entire country reflects that there has not been serious or generalized damage," El Salvador's civil protection authorities said on Twitter, adding that they would conduct a revision of the affected areas. Firefighters said they were monitoring various areas as well.

Some buildings and roads suffered minor damage, and there were power interruptions in several cities, but until 7:00 a.m. local time (1300 GMT) the authorities had not reported any serious damage or injuries.

The quake was recorded at 03:03 a.m. local time (0903 GMT) and its epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of the department of La Libertad, according to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of El Salvador.

Within three hours after the quake, 16 aftershocks of between magnitude 3.4 and 4.9 were recorded, according to the ministry.

Salvadorian Vice President Oscar Ortiz called on the population to remain calm and keep informed through official channels.

After the earthquake, local authorities issued a tsunami warning. However, the Ministry of Environment later reported that the tide gauges did not register variations in the sea level.

Nevertheless, the ministry urged the population to remain alert and to comply with the recommendations issued by the country's civil protection authorities.

Some coastal areas were evacuated and classes were cancelled for 24 hours in coastal areas as a precaution, according to the Ministry of Education.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 10:23:38|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would impose a new 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods beginning June 10 so as to pressure the country to halt undocumented migrants crossing the border.

"On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied....at which time the Tariffs will be removed," Trump said on Twitter.

In a statement released on Thursday evening, White House said if the situation on the U.S.-Mexico border is not improved, the tariffs will be raised to 10 percent on July 1, 2019.

"Similarly, if Mexico still has not taken action to dramatically reduce or eliminate the number of illegal aliens crossing its territory into the United States, Tariffs will be increased to 15 percent on August 1, 2019, to 20 percent on September 1, 2019, and to 25 percent on October 1, 2019," the statement said.

"Tariffs will permanently remain at the 25 percent level unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory," the statement said. "If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the Tariffs will be removed."

Immigration has been at the center of the political battle between Trump and the Democrats since the beginning of his tenure. The president has repeatedly threatened Mexico with tariffs in recent years over the issue. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection turned away or apprehended more than 103,000 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in March, the highest in the past six years.

If Trump makes good on a tariff threat against Mexico, it is not clear how that would affect the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal, which White House is pushing the Congress to ratify.

Mexico was the United States' second largest goods export market in 2018, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 10:38:54|Editor: ZX

Video Player Close

Aerial photo taken on May 30, 2019 shows the full view of the renovated Lewi Pethrus Primary School in the Ka-Tembe district of Maputo city in Mozambique. Chinese liquor giant Maotai Group on Thursday delivered a primary school here, on whose renovation and expansion it spent nearly 500,000 U.S. dollars. (Xinhua/Nie Zuguo)

MAPUTO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese liquor giant Maotai Group on Thursday delivered a primary school here, on whose renovation and expansion it spent nearly 500,000 U.S. dollars.

The group funded the construction of eight additional classrooms, an office, a lavatory and other facilities, and purchase about 200 sets of desks and chairs for Lewi Pethrus Primary School in the Ka-Tembe district of Maputo city in Mozambique. Currently the school has 489 students and 11 teachers.

The delivery is the best gift for the children on the eve of the International Children's Day, school director Adelina Cossa said at the ceremony. "We can only thank the great gesture of the Maotai group. We thank on behalf of all the children of the whole country for this gift."

Permanent Secretary of Mozambique's Ministry of Education and Human Development Jose Seiuane Junior said the government pays close attention to the education sector, which "is reflected in the government's effort to seek and allocate financial resources through state budget and strong support from the cooperation partners as we can witness today."

Municipal Education Councilor of Maputo Celso Fulano said that the added classrooms and facilities will improve the school's educational conditions, help increase enrollment and thus contribute to the national education system.

Chinese ambassador to Mozambique Su Jian said the renovated school reflects the friendship between China and Mozambique and embodies the social responsibility of the Chinese enterprise.

"It's also a school of seeds, as it will function as the cradle for the talents that the country needs, with the seeds of bilateral friendship being sowed," Su said.

As part of the cooperation between the two countries, China has long provided aid for the construction of vocational schools, primary and secondary schools and educational facilities in Mozambique, Su said.

"Each year, there are more than 400 Mozambicans going to China for short-term training programs and another dozens studying there with government scholarships," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 11:04:05|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

MANILA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The cargo ship commissioned by the Canadian government to repatriate truckloads of garbage that Canada transported to the Philippines in batches from 2013 pulled away from the country on Friday morning, a port official said.

"Finally, the containers of garbage transported from Canada and stored at the Subic Bay Freeport for several years have been pulled out as of today, May 31, 2019," Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma Eisma said in a statement.

"A total of 69 garbage-laden containers -- 67 of which stored in Subic since 2013, and two brought in from Manila, were loaded onto MV Bavaria, a Liberian-flagged container ship commissioned to ship the containers back to Canada," she added.

The loading of the 69 of the 103 shipping containers, which were mis-declared as recyclable plastics, was completed shortly after 3 a.m. local time on Friday, according to Philippine Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda.

The Canadian government assumed the costs associated with the preparation, transfer, shipment, and disposal of the waste which has been rotting for up to six years in ports in Manila and Subic Bay Freeport in Olongapo City.

In last April, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at Canada for its inaction to remove the tons of garbage that a Canadian company exported in batches to two Philippine importers in 2013 and 2014.

The 103 containers contained a mixture of household waste, including plastic bottles, metals, paper, and used adult diapers.

Manila has demanded Canada to remove the trash by May 15 but Ottawa failed to comply.

A few hours after the deadline lapsed, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin recalled the Philippine ambassador and consuls general, saying that Manila will maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada until the North American country collects the garbage.

After the cargo ship sailed away on Friday morning, Locsin took to Twitter to say that the recalled diplomats can now go back to Canada.

As a result of the diplomatic row over the garbage, Duterte ordered a total ban of waste materials from any foreign countries, instructing the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) not to accept any garbage shipment in the future.

A few hours before the loading of garbage containers onto a cargo ship on Thursday, dozens of environmental activists held a rally inside the Subic Bay Freeport to demand strict implementation of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes, a 27-year-old international treaty designed to reduce and control the movement of hazardous wastes between countries.

The convention specifically prohibits the export of hazardous wastes from rich to developing countries. The Philippines and Canada are parties to the Basel Convention.

After Duterte's order to ban the importation of hazardous waste, the BOC discovered that South Korea also exported trash to the Philippines. The BOC reported that some 5,176 metric tons (MT) of waste was dumped in the southern Philippine Misamis Oriental in July and October last year.

The South Korean government said it will help ship back the containers full of waste materials, consisting of plastic synthetic flakes.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 11:29:20|Editor: Lu Hui

Video Player Close

SEOUL, May 31 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial output rose for two straight months through April on the recovery of manufacturing production, a government report showed Friday.

Production in all industries grew 0.7 percent in April from a month earlier, after gaining 1.5 percent in the previous month, according to Statistics Korea.

The continued growth was attributable to the recovery in the manufacturing sector, especially among chipmakers.

Weak global demand for semiconductor had led to the fall in export for five straight months through April, resulting in a slump in the overall industrial output.

The production among manufacturers increased 1.7 percent in April from a month earlier. The chip output advanced 6.5 percent, with the figure for oil refiners jumping 11.2 percent.

Output in the mining and manufacturing industries expanded 1.6 percent in the month.

The chip output expansion came as the launch of new flagship smartphones such as Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S10 led to higher demand for semiconductors.

Inventory among manufacturers gained 2.5 percent last month, but the manufacturing shipment shed 0.8 percent.

Manufacturers posted an average capacity ratio of 72.6 percent in April, up 1 percentage point from the previous month.

Despite the industrial output growth, concerns remained over the continued fall in export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, amid the global trade dispute.

The government submitted a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to bolster the economy, but it had yet to be approved by the parliament amid the political wrangling.

Output in the services sector added 0.3 percent in the cited period on lackluster activity in the wholesale and retail industry. Production in the transport and warehousing sectors grew 0.3 percent last month.

Helped by the recovering output of manufacturers, facility investment went up 4.6 percent in April, after advancing 10.1 percent in the previous month.

The capital spending in the machinery sector expanded 8.1 percent on demand from the semiconductor equipment companies, offsetting a reduction in the transport equipment industry.

Retail sale, which reflects private consumption, declined 1.2 percent in April from a month earlier, after growing 3.5 percent in the prior month.

The durable goods sale slumped 4.2 percent last month, marking the biggest monthly slide in seven months. Those for non-durable and semi-durable goods slipped 0.2 percent in the month.

Completed construction fell 2.8 percent in April from a month ago, but the construction orders jumped 23.8 percent compared with a year earlier, the fastest expansion in 13 months.

The cyclical factor for leading indicators, which gauge outlook for future economic conditions, stood unchanged at 98.2 in April, halting the downward trend that had lasted for 10 months from June last year.

The figure for coincident indicators was also unchanged at 98.5 last month.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 11:29:25|Editor: Lu Hui

Video Player Close

CANBERRA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The new leader of the opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) has denied that his predecessor poses a threat to his leadership.

Anthony Albanese on Friday dismissed Fairfax Media reports that Bill Shorten, who stepped down as leader of the ALP after losing the general election on May 18, harbor ambitions of once again leading the party.

"We will be a united team. I've been elected unanimously by the Labor Party to lead," he said in an appearance on nine network television.

Responding to the reports on social media, Shorten said that they were "wrong."

"I have and will work hard every day to keep our party united and make the case for Labor under Albo's leadership at the next election."

Albanese, a member of Labor's left-wing faction from New South Wales (NSW), was on Monday elected unopposed to lead the ALP after his fellow contenders all dropped out of the race.

He convened a meeting of Labor's Members of Parliament (MPs) on Thursday. Addressing the meeting, Shorten blamed the loss on "vested interests" and on opponents lying about his policies.

Albanese on Friday agreed with his predecessor's assessment but also shifted some of the blame to the policies Labor took to the election.

"There is no doubt that vested interests did play a role," he said.

"But we also have to accept our responsibility that some of the policies that we put forward clearly didn't connect with enough people."

The incumbent Liberal-National party coalition (LNP) won a third term in government in the election despite opinion polls predicting a Labor victory.

While the LNP has celebrated the unlikely victory, the ALP has been left to contemplate where it went wrong.

Albanese on Thursday promised to re-engage with rural Australia after the party suffered major swings against it outside of major cities.

Labor's new leadership team was also confirmed at the meeting. Richard Marles, a Labor right member from Victoria, was elected unopposed as deputy leader.

Penny Wong, a Malaysian-born Labor left member, will continue to serve as the party's leader in the Senate with Kristina Keneally, a former premier of NSW, as the deputy.

Albanese will announce his full frontbench of shadow ministers in recent time and hold his first shadow ministry meeting later.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 13:05:09|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

HAMBURG, Germany, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Besides existing strong ties with China, Germany's second largest city of Hamburg is searching for new cooperation opportunities with Chinese companies in the smart industry, said Director of Hamburg Invest Stefan Matz.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Matz referred to Hamburg as "China's gateway to Europe," saying China plays a vital role in boosting Hamburg's port business.

The container handling capacity of the Hamburg port in 2017/2018 remained strong at 8.7 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), around 30 percent of which was China-related, according to statistics provided by Matz.

China is Germany's biggest trade partner, and about half of the cargos between China and Germany go through Hamburg, Matz added.

Matz also noted that the value of land transport increased by 4.7 percent with 2.44 million TEUs in 2018, partially due to more transportation by China Railway Express, an artery of international trade which links China and Europe, and links Hamburg with 27 China's cities.

"If you compare the figures between sea cargos and land cargos, what the trains have carried are still a small share of the total cargos," Matz said. "But if you see the increase rate of sea cargos and land cargos, the land cargos, namely carried by trains, have a huge potential."

All these numbers are constantly increasing, thus making China a really important partner of the Hamburg port, Matz said.

Talking about the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Matz said Hamburg has been a connecting point for logistics, which has been enhancing interconnectivity, a key goal of the BRI.

Matz added that there are numerous opportunities between China and Hamburg in the near future, as Hamburg has a plan to build a more innovative city and is promoting state-of-the-art technologies to make the city "safer, more efficient, and more eco-friendly."

"We are trying to make a smart city and a smart port and smart everything. So I think it is the strength of Chinese companies, strong, fast, and talented in doing this," Matz said, calling on more Chinese companies' participation in this endeavor.

He said some Chinese enterprises, like XCharge, Spearhead, and Wise Road Capital, have already taken part in the cause, providing charging piles, information technology or artificial intelligence solutions for Hamburg.

"I have to say that logistics is the traditional strong part, but in Hamburg we also do aviation, we do a lot of life science, as well as renewable energy and trading, banking, and so on. The Chinese companies have relations in most of those fields," said Matz.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 13:10:15|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

NANJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Customs authorities in Nanjing, capital of eastern China's Jiangsu Province, have busted an ivory smuggling ring, arresting three suspects and seizing more than 300 kg of ivory and ivory products.

Nanjing customs received information at the end of last year that a gang was smuggling ivory into the city of Changzhou in Jiangsu for carving and processing.

On Feb. 24, the customs police busted three suspects who were trading ivory and seized 34 pieces of ivory and 39 ivory products on the spot with a total weight of more than 300 kg, valued at 11.3 million yuan (about 1.6 million U.S. dollars).

A suspect surnamed Dai said he had colluded with a gang on China's southwest border to smuggle ivory into China. An initial police investigation showed Dai had smuggled more than 560 kg of ivory.

China banned all domestic ivory trade at the end of 2017 as part of its commitment to protecting wild animals.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 13:15:21|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

HANOI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnam Bank Card Association, in collaboration with the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam and seven commercial banks, launched the first ATM domestic chip cards to help reduce risks of card-related crimes and enhance payment safety for customers, local media reported on Friday.

The seven banks, namely Vietcombank, Vietinbank, BIDV, Agribank, Sacombank, TPBank and ABBank, have a large number of bank cards, accounting for 70 percent of Vietnam's total ATM cards, daily newspaper Vietnam News reported. The country currently has about 76 million cards issued by 48 banks.

The State Bank of Vietnam, the central bank, plans to have at least 30 percent of active chip cards in the country by the end of 2020. The number will rise to 60 percent by the end of 2021, and 100 percent by the end of 2022.

According to banking experts, chip cards, which contain an electronic chip on the surface with a miniature processor like an independent computer, strongly accelerate transactions, and the application of chip card technology standards can limit the copying of information by installing theft-reading devices at ATMs, which will prevent money stealing at ATMs.

However, costs to make a chip card are 2-3 U.S. dollars each, which is seven to eight times higher than the current strip card.

It is estimated that banks in Vietnam need to invest over 1,000 billion Vietnamese dong (nearly 43.5 million U.S. dollars) for the replacement, not to mention the expenditures on ATMs and Points of Sale (POS) upgrading.

Vietnam's interbank e-payment system handled over 37.3 million transactions worth nearly 20.7 quadrillion Vietnamese dong (some 900 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of this year, posting year-on-year increases of 23 percent and 17.8 percent, respectively, according to the central bank. Meanwhile, domestic payment via bank cards reached 65 million transactions totaling 171 trillion Vietnamese dong (7.4 billion U.S. dollar).

Vietnam is setting to make the rate of cash payment to be below 10 percent among all means of payment by 2020 and 8 percent by 2025, according to the country's national plan on non-cash payment market development.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 13:25:24|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

CARACAS, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro received on Thursday a report from the government delegation to Norway, saying that there was "good news" in the second round of talks with the opposition this week.

"Norway, good news. Let's move forward," the president said in a video posted on Twitter after receiving the report from Minister of Communication and Information Jorge Rodriguez, who led the delegation.

"We are optimists, we believe in peace, we believe in dialogue, we believe in national harmony. That is the way," he added.

The Norwegian government published on Wednesday a statement in which it said that the Venezuelan government and the opposition "have demonstrated their willingness to move forward in the search for an agreed-upon and constitutional solution for the country."

The Venezuelan government and the opposition travelled to the Norwegian capital Oslo for talks to ease the political standoff in the South American country. The two sides' initial round of meetings took place earlier this month.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 13:45:43|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

KABUL, May 31 (Xinhua) -- At least four people, all civilians, were killed and three others injured as a car bomb rocked Afghan capital city Kabul on Friday, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasratullah Rahimi said.

According to Rahimi, the car bomb, obviously targeted a convoy of foreign forces in Qala-e-Wazir area, a neighborhood in Police District 9 at 8:40 a.m. local time, on Kabul-Jalalabad road in the eastern edge of Kabul city.

However, he added that investigation is under way and the figure of casualties may go up.

This is the second deadly blast in Kabul over the past two days.

In the previous blast that targeted a military college on Thursday, seven people lost their lives and six others sustained injuries.

Although no group has claimed responsibility, the officials do not rule out the involvement of Taliban outfit in the bombings.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 14:00:53|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

SANTIAGO, May 30 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chilean economic official said on Thursday that 95 percent of the country's exports in 2018 went to markets of its free trade partners.

The figure shows that exporters in the South American country have greater access to the world, Rodrigo Yanez, head of the General Directorate of International Economic Relations of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, told reporters here.

Nearly half of the 8,080 Chilean exporters last year were micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, according to Yanez.

As South America's richest country in terms of GDP per capita, Chile has signed 28 free trade deals with 64 countries, which account for around 86 percent of the global economy and cover almost two thirds of the world's population.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 14:31:12|Editor: Li Xia

Video Player Close

MEXICO CITY, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday proposed deepening dialogue with the United States to solve the migrant issue on the U.S.-Mexico border.

In a letter to his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, Lopez Obrador said that social problems "are not resolved with taxes or coercive measures."

Lopez Obrador sent the letter after Trump said on Twitter on Thursday that the United States will impose a new 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods beginning June 10 so as to pressure the country to halt undocumented migrants crossing the border.

In a statement released on Thursday evening, the White House said if the situation on the U.S.-Mexico border is not improved, the tariff will be raised to 10 percent on July 1, 2019.

Trump has repeatedly threatened Mexico with tariffs over the issue. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection turned away or apprehended more than 103,000 migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in March, the highest in the past six years.
Chiaravalloti receives grant to study cognition and hemodynamics after spinal cord injury

East Hanover, N.J., MAY 31, 2019. -- Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, director of the Centers for Neuropsychology, Neuroscience and Traumatic Brain Injury Research at Kessler Foundation, was awarded a $598,000 grant by the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research to conduct a study entitled, "Longitudinal Changes in Cognition and Hemodynamics in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury."

In April 2019, the Commission announced $3.4 million in grants to successful applicants from qualified research organizations in New Jersey. This grant is one of three individual research grants awarded to the Foundation, totaling $1.74 million.

For the population with spinal cord injury, aging carries increased risks for age-associated diseases as compared with the non-injured aging population. This grant will enable Dr. Chiaravalloti's group to extend their research into the relationship between cardiovascular and cerebrovascular dysfunction and poorer cognitive performance in persons with spinal cord injury.

"Our research shows that deficits in learning and memory are prevalent in this persons with spinal cord injury," noted Dr. Chiaravalloti. "Understanding how cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and cognitive function change over time in this population will help us develop ways to prevent or minimize the impact of these functional deficits."

Researchers will compare the longitudinal changes in individuals with SCI with those in age-matched healthy controls at 3 to 5 years and 6 to 8 years following their initial cognitive evaluation. They will look at the relationships between cognitive dysfunction and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular dysfunction, and compare the regional patterns of cerebral activation in groups using functional MRI.

Dr. Chiaravalloti's group will also assess the incidence of dementia. "Few studies have addressed this issue," she added, "and this longitudinal study presents a good opportunity. It is particularly important to understand this population's relative risk for dementia given the prevalence of cognitive deficits, compounded by the potential effects of aging."

"We anticipate that our findings will ultimately lead to the development of effective interventions that will promote greater independence, increased social integration, and improved overall quality of life for people living with spinal cord injury," Dr. Chiaravalloti concluded.

###

Funded by New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research grant CSGR19IRG019

About the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Injury Research

The New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research, whose members are appointed by the Governor, was established on September 13, 1999, with the passage of the "Spinal Cord Research Act" by the New Jersey State Legislature. The Commission's mission is to ensure that the people of New Jersey receive the utmost attention and benefit in our nation's fight against spinal cord injury and disease through its promotion of research into the treatment and cure. The Commission was created to encourage and promote significant, original research projects in New Jersey through the funding of approved research projects at qualifying research institutions in the State. In addition, the Commission maintains, in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Health, a central registry of all persons who sustain spinal cord injuries.

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities.

For more information on Kessler Foundation's research, visit KesslerFoundation.org.

Facebook |http://www. facebook. com/ KesslerFoundation

Twitter | http://twitter. com/ KesslerFdn

Instagram | https:/ / www. instagram. com/ kesslerfdn

YouTube | http://www. youtube. com/ user/ KesslerFoundation

iTunes & SoundCloud | http://www. soundcloud. com/ kesslerfoundation

Press Contacts

Carolann Murphy, PA

Senior Staff Writer

973.324.8382

CMurphy@KesslerFoundation.org

Rob Gerth

Director, Communications

973.323.3675

Rgerth@KesslerFoundation.org

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 15:01:31|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

An Afghan man carries the debris of a damaged car at the site of an attack in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, May 31, 2019. At least four people were killed and three others injured, all of whom are civilians, as a car bomb rocked Afghan capital city Kabul on Friday, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasratullah Rahimi said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, May 31 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and three others injured, all of whom are civilians, as a car bomb rocked Afghan capital city Kabul on Friday, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasratullah Rahimi said.

According to Rahimi, the car bomb obviously targeted a convoy of foreign forces in Qala-e-Wazir area, a neighborhood in Police District 9 at 8:40 a.m. local time, on Kabul-Jalalabad road in the eastern edge of Kabul city.

He said investigation is under way and the figure of casualties may go up.

When asked about the possibilities of the foreign forces casualties, the official said no detail was available and he could not make a comment.

Taliban outfit has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Zabihullah Majahid who claims to speak for the Taliban group, in contact with media claimed that the a Taliban suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden car next to the U.S.-led foreign forces in Kabul on Friday morning, killing "10 occupying soldiers" on the spot and also destroying two vehicles of the foreign forces.

The NATO-led Resolute Support mission has yet to make comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 15:06:35|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

HARBIN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Two sides of the first highway bridge connecting China and Russia across the Heilongjiang River were joined together on Friday.

Measuring 1,284 meters long and 14.5 meters wide, the bridge across the Heilongjiang River, known in Russia as the Amur River, stretches from Heihe, a border city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, to the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk.

It is a key part of a 19.9 km-long highway project that starts from Jilin-Heilongjiang expressway and ends at a highway in Blagoveshchensk. An estimated 2.47 billion yuan (about 358 million U.S. dollars) will be spent on the whole project, with 566 million yuan from China and 1.9 billion yuan from Russia.

To ensure project quality, steel girders that withstand as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius were used by Chinese and Russian builders in the frigid region, together with 60,000 sets of steel bolts with high weatherability for connection.

Green ideas have been practiced in designing and construction of the bridge to minimize the impact on the river water ecosystem.

Huang Yunyong, general manager of a China-Russia joint venture for the project, said that they had purchased fish fry and released them into the upper river. Environmental protection authorities will strictly monitor the water quality and the survival of fish stocks during spawning season.

Heihe and Blagoveshchensk face each other across the Heilongjiang River. As China opens its door wider to the world, the two cities see more vibrant people-to-people exchange and trade ties.

However, the construction of cross-border infrastructure between China and Russia has long lagged behind, a bottleneck obstructing the accelerated growth of bilateral trade.

The highway bridge was first proposed by China and Russia in 1988. Construction of the bridge began in December 2016, and is expected to complete in October.

With the help of the bridge, the passenger flow between the two cities is expected to reach 1.4 million by 2020, triple the current figure. Cargo volume will see a 10-fold increase to 3 million tonnes.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 15:06:36|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

TIANJIN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Li Guowen, former member of the standing committee of Tianjin municipal people's congress, was put under investigation over suspected serious law violations, the local discipline watchdog said Friday.

Li, born in 1955, successively held many leading posts in Tianjin's Jinnan District before retirement in March 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 15:21:41|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

ULAN BATOR, May 31 (Xinhua) -- As a three-day Chinese culture and tourism festival concluded in central Mongolia, local officials have expressed hopes of boosting bilateral ties.

"Our province attaches great importance to boosting its ties and cooperation with China. It has been a priority in our province's foreign relations," Ishdorj Dorjsuren, vice-governor of Uvurkhangai province, told Xinhua during the closing ceremony of the festival in the province's Kharkhorin soum.

Uvurkhangai has been cooperating with southwest China's Guizhou Province and northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Dorjsuren said, expressing willingness to establish cooperation with more Chinese provinces to promote development of his province.

"The Chinese culture and tourism festival was very successful in our provincial capital of Arvaikheer, and Khujirt and Kharkhorin soums. I am confident that the event provided residents of our province with a deeper understanding of China," Dorjsuren said.

Thanks to the event, collaboration between the Mongolian province and China will expand in various sectors, especially in animal husbandry and tourism, he said, noting that Uvurkhangai is one of the three Mongolian provinces with the largest number of livestock.

Uvurkhangai boasts beautiful scenery, with about 23 percent of its territory covered by forests, 28.2 percent by steppe, and 48.8 percent by Gobi desert, as well as many springs that can be used for medical treatment.

Besides, it is rich in cultural heritage, including the country's ancient capital Kharkhorin, and Orkhon Valley, a world heritage site of UNESCO.

"Our province has been paying special attention to developing heritage tourism and medical tourism among other types of tourism. We hope that the number of the Chinese tourists visiting our province will increase in coming years," Tumurbat Ariunbold, head of the province's tourism department, told Xinhua.

As part of the festival, China donated about 360 books on Chinese literature, history, and culture to a children's library in Arvaikheer.

"I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Chinese side. I am very happy that our students can learn more about Chinese culture and history by reading the books," said Dash Sumiya, a teacher at a secondary school in the province, at the handover ceremony of the books.

The festival, which was held from Monday to Wednesday, was dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Mongolia.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 15:51:50|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

HANGZHOU, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The city of Jiaxing in east China's Zhejiang Province has exported the first batch of its famous sticky rice dumplings (zongzi) to Japan, local authorities said Thursday.

About five tonnes of sticky rice dumplings produced in Jiaxing, worth more than 14,000 U.S. dollars, have been exported to Japan's Yokohama, according to Jiaxing customs.

Data from the Jiaxing customs showed that by Thursday the city had exported 193 tonnes of sticky rice dumplings with a total worth of about 659,000 U.S. dollars to countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea.

Sticky rice dumpling, made of glutinous rice with various fillings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, is a traditional Chinese specialty for the Dragon Boat Festival.

The festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the year according to the Chinese lunar calendar and will fall on June 7 this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 15:51:55|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China will hold a series of events to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the discovery of oracle bone inscriptions, the Ministry of Education announced Friday.

Tian Lixin, head of the department for language application and information management under the ministry, said the ministry would host the events jointly with the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, National Cultural Heritage Administration, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the People's Government of Henan Province.

The events will include a workshop in Beijing, a themed exhibition at the National Museum of China as well as an international symposium in Anyang, Henan Province, mostly in September and October, he said.

Jiaguwen, or oracle bone inscriptions, are an ancient Chinese language named for their inscriptions on tortoise shells and animal bones. They are a primitive form of Chinese characters and the oldest fully-developed characters 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.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 16:02:03|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

An emergency summit of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is held in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on May 30, 2019. The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday called on Iran to reconsider its role in the region, Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday. In a press statement after the Gulf and Arab summits held in the Saudi city of Mecca, Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf voiced the support from the Gulf and Arab countries for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against the recent attacks they have witnessed. (Xinhua/SPA)

RIYADH, May 31 (Xinhua) -- An emergency Arab League summit called for by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has commenced on Thursday evening in Mecca amid rising tensions in this region, Al Arabiya TV reported.

The Arab emergency summit was held due to "exceptional challenges" that the region is facing, said King Salman, noting that his country would like to cooperate with the countries of the region to promote development.

Earlier this month, four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, was attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and a key oil installation was damaged in a drone strike in Saudi Arabia.

Also in this month, Yemen's Houthi rebels said they launched a drone attack on an arms depot at Najran airport in Saudi Arabia's border city of Najran.

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi said recent regional developments require joint coordination among Arab states, and the latest attacks threaten the security of the region and global trade.

"Arabs do not turn others into enemies, but they also do not accept injustice," said the Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, adding that "Houthi militias have crossed the red line".

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi linked the security of the Gulf to his country's national security. "All means should be used to deter the perpetrators of the attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf," he said.

King Abdullah II of Jordan reaffirmed that the security of the Gulf states is a fundamental pillar of the region's stability.

Iraqi President Barham Salih said that the region is witnessing a crisis that foretells a war that will "destroy everything," and that the principle of non-interference in internal affairs needs to be respected.

Echoing Salih's remarks, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah expressed his concern that the escalation facing the region could add to "previous wounds."

Leaders from members of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Gulf Cooperation Council are gathering in Mecca this week in response to the intensifying situation in this region after a spike of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 16:07:07|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

HAVANA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Cuba's tourism industry has been rapidly expanding with the goal of receiving 5.1 million foreign visitors this year and consolidating its position as the island's top economic sector, which in 2018 contributed 3.3 billion U.S. dollars to the economy.

To complete this ambitious goal, HostelCuba, the only professional tourism fair on the island, has kicked off. Created three years ago, the fair is an official platform for providers from all over the world to enter the Cuban market, specifically those which are related to hotels, restaurants and tourist services.

"This is the first time we participate in this event and we've successfully contacted different Cuban importing companies. We will begin the procedures to register as a supplier for different hotel chains on the island," Fernando Vainberg, president of Argentine company Volf, told Xinhua.

Volf was founded in 1927 by Vainberg's grandfather and is in charge of supplying to hotels and restaurants tableware, porcelain, cutlery, glassware and other necessary elements for dining.

Although a few years ago, he established business contacts with Cuban counterparts, the target of the Argentine firm is to make business deals in the medium and long term with Cuban companies that give preference to Volf.

"We provide a different offer from the companies in the Cuban market, we will compete with big brands and companies from all over the world, but we have confidence in the quality of our products and the success we've achieved in other countries," said Vainberg.

One of those brands established for almost three decades in the Caribbean nation is Spain's Joenfa, manufacturer of different types of furniture that has attended HostelCuba every year since 2016.

Ramiro Camarasa, Joenfa's exports manager, said the company's goal is to take advantage of the fair to present new catalogs and collections to its users in Cuba.

His company has achieved great success, Camarasa said, signing over 50 contacts on the very first day of the fair.

"We show our Cuban counterparts and joint ventures the technological evolution of the furniture we're now making and how it could adapt to the particular needs of clients," he said.

Currently, Joenfa has commercial links with large hotel chains in Cuba like Melia and Iberostar, to which it sells finished products. It also exports raw materials such as rattan to the island country.

Another goal of HostelCuba 2019 is to promote productive and commercial alliances between local companies and foreign counterparts in order to increase the quality of the nation's tourism industry.

According to Yaimara Trista, logistics director of Cuba's Ministry of Tourism, the previous editions of the commercial fair aimed to introduce new products to the Cuban market, which have an edge over local ones in terms of technology, innovation and comfort.

"It is an unique opportunity for the entire hotel and tourism sector to have new offers and even to link them with the national industry itself, which is another goal that we envision," she told Xinhua.

Trista said that in 2016, when the first edition of HostelCuba took place, 50 companies from 9 countries participated and only three years later the number rose to 120 exhibitors from 17 nations.

"It shows the fair's rapid growth and wide acceptance. Nearly 80 percent of the companies repeat in each edition, which confirms the enormous potential the industry has," she said.

Another purpose of the fair is to develop the island into a destination for holding events, meetings and other activities, Trista added.

"It would be an opportunity to provide another type of product, in addition to the sun and the beach, Cuba could become a business and event hub in the Caribbean," she said.

At the HostelCuba 2019, 90 percent of the exhibitors are international manufacturers or distributors of hotel and tourism services.

The event, which concluded Thursday, included an investment forum, training workshops and conferences, where Cuban officials presented major government policies in the sector, as well as foreign investment opportunities.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 16:22:16|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

LONDON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- A British seaside resort, which started life as a fishing village, won official recognition on Thursday for its famous cultural gems.

The town of Ramsgate on the English south coast, 135 km from London, has gained nine new Grade II listings for its heritage sites, as well as one upgrade and several relistings, which were granted by Britain's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England, a governmental statutory adviser on the historic environment.

The newly listed heritage assets include a 1950s Festival of Britain fountain, an octagonal seafront newspaper kiosk and a former 19th century wine merchants.

The official listings mean the buildings and structures must be preserved, given their historic, architectural and cultural importance.

Duncan Wilson, Historic England's CEO said: "Ramsgate, once a small fishing village, has a wonderfully rich and interesting maritime and seaside resort history that is woven into its buildings, streets and squares. We're delighted to have been able to uncover and shine a light on these places."

Historic England has upgraded the existing official listed status of a grand Edwardian villa, once the home of Dame Janet Stancomb-Wills, the first female mayor of Ramsgate.

A number of places in Ramsgate have also been 'relisted' in light of their newly-recognised significance, including Ramsgate Fire Station, the Royal Victoria Pavilion, and five Pulhamite structures -- a series of artificial large-scale rock formations designed to beautify the seafront, and built in several stages by the council between 1893 and 1936.

"The town was one of the first places in the country to be given Heritage Action Zone status, a scheme led by Historic England that is breathing new life into old places that are rich in heritage, unlocking their potential and making them more attractive to residents, businesses, visitors and investors," Historic England said in a statement on its website.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 16:32:25|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

KAMPALA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has urged Uganda to increase investment in education if the country is to develop human capital and sustain strong economic growth.

In its latest edition of the Uganda Economic Update released here on Thursday, the Bank said that the east African country needs about 2 billion U.S. dollars of additional public funds till 2025 to ensure that all children complete primary schools and acquire basic literacy, numeracy and skills.

This financial need might be halved if solid education system improvement measures are implemented in line with best international experience, it said.

"Such measures include providing better pre-primary learning opportunities for poor children, eliminating repetition and dropouts, reducing the number of subjects taught at secondary schools, optimizing teacher workload," the report said.

Compared with other countries in the east African country, Uganda spends only 2.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product on education, lower than 3.2 percent to 5.2 percent spent by Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, the bank said.

It recommended that Uganda increase public spending on education from current 10 percent of the national budget to the regional average of 16 percent by 2025.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 16:37:32|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

Israeli police officers stand guard near the scene of a stabbing attack in Jerusalem's Old City, May 31, 2019. A Palestinian man stabbed two Israelis here on Friday morning before being shot dead by the police, local authorities said. (Xinhua/JINI)

JERUSALEM, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian man stabbed two Israelis here on Friday morning before being shot dead by the police, local authorities said.

A police spokesman said in a statement sent to Xinhua that the suspect arrived at the Damascus Gate in east Jerusalem's Old City and stabbed a man. He then continued by foot to the nearby Hurva Synagogue in the Old City and stabbed a teenager before being shot by the police.

Israel's emergency medical service identified the injured as a man in his fifties, who was taken to hospital in a critical condition, and a 16-year-old boy, who sustained light stabbing injuries to his back.

The incident came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Jerusalem with U.S. President Donald Trump's senior advisor Jared Kushner, to discuss Trump's peace plan.

The Palestinians reject the unpublished plan as it will not meet their demand for a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 16:57:59|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

NANJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A new Belarus research center has been established at the Nanjing University of Science and Technology in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The research center, which was unveiled Tuesday, will pool research talent and resources from China and Belarus to develop into a high-end policy think tank, focusing on science and technology studies, and culture and communication.

Sergei Khakhomov, rector of Francisk Skorina Gomel State University of Belarus, said the center is of great importance to continue the close ties between Belarus and China and it is a big step based on results of previous cooperation between the two universities.

Jiangsu Province and Gomel Region of Belarus forged friendly ties in 2016, yet cooperation between the two universities began much earlier. In addition to the newly established research center, the two universities jointly set up an international laboratory and a Confucius Institute since they signed an agreement of comprehensive cooperation in 2005, according to Fu Mengyin, president of Nanjing University of Science and Technology.

Education is the basis for bilateral relations and mutual trust between the two countries, said Valeriy M. Matsel, consul general of Belarus in Shanghai, who hoped the new research center would become a window to help students in Nanjing learn about the history and literature of Belarus.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 16:58:04|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

SHANGHAI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Argentina has launched a pavilion at one of the permanent exhibition areas of China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai where the Argentine firms can demonstrate their products all year round and seek trade opportunities.

Covering 164 square meters, the Argentine Pavilion, which opened Thursday, serves more than 30 companies not only bringing already well-known Agentine products such as beef, seafood and wine, but also jams and snacks to debut in the Chinese market.

With some of its chocolates already popular in China, Argentine food company Arcor, which showcases its products at the pavilion, hopes to bring more of its snack line to the Chinese market.

"We have adjusted the formula of the chocolates sold in China, as consumers here prefer less sweet and more cocoa," said Angela Wang, sales manager of the company.

China is now Argentina's second largest trade partner and its largest export market for agricultural goods. The South American country exports more than half of its exported beef, chicken and peanuts, and over 85 percent of its exported soybeans to China.

China's demand for Argentine products continues to grow. For example, Argentine red shrimp, one of the most appreciated kinds for high-end consumers, is favored by far more Chinese food lovers, said Diego Ramiro Guelar, Argentine ambassador to China.

At the pavilion, Guelar's opinion is echoed by Mauricio Boullaude, CEO of Argentina's Barbarians Wine Group, who believes that "China will soon become the world's largest wine market."

Boullaude brought his products to the first CIIE last year and found that wines produced from Malbec grapes from Argentina are popular among the Chinese consumers.

"The Chinese market is very important to us because the demand of the major wine consumption markets globally is basically stable, while (that in) China is growing," he said.

Boullaude looks forward to participating in the second CIIE this November when Argentina will have a larger pavilion to serve more companies.

Many Argentine firms have deeper understanding of this import-themed event through last year's expo, and the enthusiasm for the second CIIE is rising, according to Guelar.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 17:13:15|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

RAMALLAH, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Friday that a young Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces' gunfire in the West Bank.

In a press statement, the ministry that the 16-year-old victim is identified as Abdallah Louai Gheith, who died near Bethlehem city after being shot in the heart and lungs by Israeli army.

The ministry said that another Palestinian, 21 years old, was rushed to surgery after he was injured by a bullet in the abdomen.

According to local sources, Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint east of Bethlehem opened fire towards the Palestinians who were trying to access Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan for Muslims.

Israeli public radio said that Gheith was killed "while attempting to sneak" into East Jerusalem.

Furthermore, the radio reported that Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian at Qalandia checkpoint earlier for "having a knife."

Palestinians accuse Israel of imposing tight restrictions on their access from the West Bank and Gaza Strip into East Jerusalem for prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 17:28:23|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

MANILA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A Dutch man held hostage by Abu Sayyaf militants since 2012 was shot dead on Friday while trying to escape during a rescue operation launched by Philippine security forces in the jungles of Patikul town in the southern Sulu province.

Army Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo, commander of the Task Force Sulu, said Dutch bird watcher Ewold Horn was shot during a clash that broke out at 7:41 a.m. local time in the remote village of Pansul, Patikul.

Pabayo said six Abu Sayyaf terrorists were killed while 12 others wounded in the crossfire, and eight soldiers were also wounded in the clash.

"Military troops established blockade and encountered (Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan) Sahiron's group, composed of 30 fighters, at 7:41 a.m. today, leading to more than an hour of a gunfight that killed six bandits and wounded 12 more," Pabayo said.

"After an hour and thirty minutes of the gun battle, troops recovered the remains of Horn and that of Mingayan Sahiron, the second wife of the Abu Sayyaf top leader," he added.

Abu Sayyaf terrorists abducted Horn in Panglima Sugala in Tawi-Tawi in February 2012.

"Horn was shot by one of his guards when he tried to escape from the Abu Sayyaf during this morning's gunfight," Pabayo said, adding that the body of Horn was found near a river.

Col. Gerry Besana, spokesperson for the military's Western Mindanao Command, said additional troops were sent to the area to conduct pursuit operations against the fleeing militants.

Besana said the militants are still holding a Vietnamese and three Filipino kidnap victims in Sulu, but the military is not sure if these people are still alive.

In April, an Indonesian hostage managed to escape from the Abu Sayyaf captors during a rescue operation launched by Philippine marines. Another Indonesian hostage drowned, while a Malaysian was shot in the back while escaping.

Abu Sayyaf militants are a collection of armed criminals operating mainly in the southernmost island provinces of Basilan and Sulu.

The group gained notice in the southern Philippines in the early 1990s. It acquired worldwide notoriety with a series of kidnappings and beheadings.

Philippine authorities referred to the Abu Sayyaf group as nothing more than a collection of bandits.

The Duterte government has formed an entire army division to hunt down the militants blamed for a series of kidnapping and bombings in the southern region, including the Jan. 27 twin bombings in a church in Jolo, Sulu that killed 26 and injured more than 100.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 17:33:26|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

NAIROBI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The UN on Thursday pledged to support African governments in developing proposals for potential financing of innovative and sustainable urban transport.

Andre Dzikus, coordinator, urban basic services at UN-Habitat, told delegates attending a forum in Nairobi on innovative urban mobility for sustainable cities in Africa that the UN agency has the capacity to help countries change their urban transport system to modern ones.

"We are committed to supporting the efforts of member states in achieving their goals to improve urban mobility, reduce road crashes, reduce congestion and air pollution," Dzikus told delegates attending the first UN Habitat Assembly.

The official observed that the UN agency will work in collaboration with the World Bank's Africa Transport Policy Program.

"We welcome other partners who wish to join us in this effort that is aimed at improving transport system to the better," he added.

He noted that the program will focus on building capacities of urban officials through sharing knowledge and experiences of good practice.

Dzikus noted that the current status of urban transport in most African countries is deplorable as they contribute lots of pollution hence causing diseases to unsuspecting populations.

Widespread congestion and traffic jam have now become the norm in many cities, impacting urban life through negative externalities such as pollution, noise stress and accidents.

Dzikus noted that mobility should not only be a matter of developing transport infrastructure and services but has to be placed in a systemic context including city planning as a whole, to overcome the social, economic, political and physical constraints of movement.

He called for strong strategic planning and coordination from national and local governments.

"Authorities also need to allocate sufficient time and funds to improve their transport infrastructure over the long-term and to accommodate future travel demands," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 18:08:43|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

TOKYO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Japanese and Russian foreign ministers on Friday held talks in Tokyo over a protracted territorial row that has prevented both sides from concluding a post-World War II peace treaty.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov found some common ground during the talks regarding bringing previous plans to conduct joint economic activities on the disputed islands through to fruition, although some differences on the long-standing spat still remain.

At a joint press briefing held at the conclusion of their talks, Kono said that some progress had been made in ways both countries could provisionally move forward.

"We confirmed that we will go forward in a flexible and constructive manner," Kono said.

Lavrov, for his part, highlighted the fact that differences still remain between both countries on the territorial issue, and restated Moscow's position that starting visa-free travel between Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and Sakhalin in Russia's Far East could be a step forward for both sides.

He added that in the future the program could be expanded to cover all of Russia and Japan.

As far as signing a peace treaty is concerned, however, Lavrov said that the differences between both countries on how to achieve this are "not insignificant."

The dispute pertains to both countries' rival claims to four Pacific islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.

The four islands used to belong to Japan, but were seized by the Soviet Union after World War II and were incorporated into Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Tokyo, however, maintains that Moscow illegally occupied those islands.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has resolved to settle the dispute and sign a peace treaty with Russia.

But experts on the matter believe the immediacy of such a deal may be overly optimistic. Abe himself has backed away from pushing to secure the return of two of the smaller islands, in place of pursuing joint economic activities, to bolster bilateral ties while the fundamental dispute rumbles on.

In their previous talks held in Moscow on May 10, the two foreign ministers agreed to expedite talks on carrying out joint economic activities on the islands.

Such activities span defense, search and rescue operations, medical areas, industry promotion and energy development, in line with a previously proposed plan, which also covers aquaculture and tourism.

The multi-faceted cooperation plan was proposed by Abe in 2016, and was purportedly to become an important foundation for future ties.

Both foreign ministers also announced during their talks on Friday that Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet for talks on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit to be held in Osaka next month.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 18:08:45|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

WELLINGTON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's rail revitalization plan is a massive forward step for regional development and economic growth, especially for Northland, New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said on Friday.

New Zealand's first Wellbeing Budget released on Thursday will invest 1 billion New Zealand dollars (652 million U.S. dollars) in new trains, ferries and regional lines of KiwiRail.

Peters confirmed that the geotechnical and engineering investigation into the Marsden Point spur line is fully complete, and KiwiRail is making progress with plans to revitalize rail in Northland.

Thursday's budget is "a milestone moment towards rebuilding the rail system New Zealanders deserve," Peters said in a statement.

Through Budget 2019, the government is investing 742 million New Zealand dollars (483.50 million U.S. dollars) over two years and has earmarked a further 300 million New Zealand dollars (195.49 million U.S. dollars) for regional rail initiatives through the Provincial Growth Fund.

"This is about setting up KiwiRail to deliver effective rail services. It's about addressing the appalling history of under-investment in our rail system over the last three decades, and enabling growth that will ensure rail is sustainable," he said.

The plan will lay out the vision for rail over the next decade and the level of investment needed to get there, he said, adding it will look at how rail fits into national and regional transport planning, and how rail infrastructure can be funded sustainably.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 18:13:51|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Iranians held nationwide rallies in support of Palestinians to mark the al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day on Friday.

In the capital Tehran, the Iranians carried banners and chanted "Death to Israel" and "Death to America."

They also pronounced their solidarity with Palestinians and urged the international organizations to stop Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and its "atrocities" against the Palestinians.

Besides, the ralliers slammed the so-called U.S. peace plan of the "Deal of the Century" concerning Israel-Palestine disputes, which will be revealed in June.

The U.S. peace plan only "secures the interests of Israel," they said.

Senior Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani and the Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, joined the rallies.

In the past days, Iranian authorities urged Muslims worldwide to hold massive rallies on Friday to mark the al-Quds Day in support of the Palestinians.

Al-Quds Day is an annual event observed on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Iran and several Arab countries to support the Palestinian cause.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 18:19:03|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

YANGON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities seized a total of 145,000 stimulants worth over 290 million kyats (193,333 U.S. dollars) in Rakhine state, according to the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Friday.

On Thursday afternoon, a joint police force confiscated 97,500 stimulant tablets worth over 195 million kyats (130,000 U.S. dollars) from a house in Maungtaw township.

On the same day, 47,500 stimulant tablets worth 95 million kyats (63,333 U.S. dollars) were also seized from a motorbike which was intercepted by the police personnel of the Border Guard Police Force in the same township.

The cases were filed by the township police for further investigation under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 18:24:06|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

HARBIN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Two sides of the first highway bridge connecting China and Russia across the Heilongjiang River were joined together on Friday.

Measuring 1,284 meters long and 14.5 meters wide, the bridge across the Heilongjiang River, known in Russia as the Amur River, stretches from Heihe, a border city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, to the Russian city of Blagoveshchensk.

It is a key part of a 19.9 km-long highway project that links Jilin-Heilongjiang expressway in China and a highway in Blagoveshchensk. An estimated 2.47 billion yuan (about 358 million U.S. dollars) will be spent on the whole project, with 566 million yuan from China and 1.9 billion yuan from Russia.

To ensure project quality, steel girders that withstand as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius were used by Chinese and Russian builders in the frigid region, together with 60,000 sets of steel bolts with high weatherability.

Green ideas have been practiced in designing and construction of the bridge to minimize the impact on the river's ecosystem.

Huang Yunyong, general manager of a China-Russia joint venture for the project, said that they had purchased fish fry and released them into the upper river. Environmental protection authorities will strictly monitor the water quality and the survival of fish stocks during spawning season.

The joint venture takes charge of construction management, operation and maintenance of the bridge, and tolling to return loans.

Heihe and Blagoveshchensk face each other across the Heilongjiang River. As China opens its door wider to the world, the two cities see more vibrant people-to-people exchange and trade ties.

However, the construction of cross-border infrastructure between China and Russia has long lagged behind, a bottleneck obstructing the accelerated growth of bilateral trade.

The highway bridge was first proposed by China and Russia in 1988. Construction of the bridge began in December 2016, and is expected to complete in October.

With the help of the bridge, the passenger flow between the two cities is expected to reach 1.4 million by 2020, triple the current figure. Cargo volume will see a 10-fold increase to 3 million tonnes.

Shunxing economic and trade Co. Ltd. in Heihe is engaged in vegetable and fruit exports to Russia. Its goods are transported by ferry in summer and via a floating bridge in winter.

The company's general manager Shi Liwen said there were always a few months in a year that their cargo could not be transported due to bad weather. When the bridge opens, their business will not be affected by seasons and the goods going through the customs clearance will increase.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic ties.

Sergey V. Chernenko, Russian consul general in Shenyang, said the bridge would serve as a new international highway corridor, which can increase the connectivity of Chinese and Russian cities and promote cultural and economic exchanges.

Trade volume between China and Russia exceeded 100 billion U.S. dollars by mid-December 2018, a record high, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Song Kui, president of the Contemporary China-Russia Regional Economy Research Institute in Heilongjiang, said the bridge would further strengthen economic and trade cooperation between Russian Far East and China's northeastern provinces, boost China's investment in Russia, and inject new vitality to China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.

A cross-border economic cooperation zone will be established to meet the growing needs of trade between China and Russia, and form a new pattern of all-round opening up for both sides, according to Qin Enting, Communist Party chief of Heihe city.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 18:24:09|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- As China faces a huge challenge in caring for its increasing aging population, the government is ratcheting up policy support to the underdeveloped elderly service industry, hoping the rise of the silver economy will help boost employment and stimulate consumption.

The State Council executive meeting on Wednesday decided to increase the supply of community-based elderly care services, expand market access and guide social forces to widely participate, provide fiscal subsidies for personnel training, and optimize the fiscal expenditure structure in the industry.

Starting from June 1 this year to the end of 2025, earnings of community-based elderly care providers will be exempt from value-added tax, and enjoy a 10-percent deduction in taxable income.

"Community-based elderly care will be the main battlefield for China's elderly service system in a long time to come," said Guan Bo, an analyst with the Academy of Macro-economic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission.

The latest policy came on the heels of a regulation released by the State Council General Office last month, which stressed the need to establish a supervision system for elderly care services, deepen reform of public-funded elderly care organs, and improve the precise investment by the government.

Reforming the current elderly care service system is an urgent task for the Chinese government as it struggles to cope with pressures from an aging population.

Official data showed as of the end of 2018, China had a population of 249 million aged 60 or above, accounting for 17.9 percent of the total.

In east China's Shandong Province, the number of people over 60 accounted for 22 percent of its population and is expanding by 1 million per year.

While China had 163,800 elderly care institutions and facilities offering 7.46 million beds for senior citizens by the end of 2018, such services are far from enough to meet the diverse needs of the elderly, which means huge market potential is untapped.

According to data from iMedia Research, the market scale of China's silver economy exceeded 3.7 trillion yuan (about 536.3 billion U.S. dollars) last year and will reach 5.7 trillion yuan by 2021.

But in spite of the market potential and supporting policies, the industry still faces multiple obstacles including lack of effective demand due to high charges, low profitability and financing difficulties.

"A decent nursing home costs over 2,000 yuan per month and I would rather live at home than live in a poor nursing center," said retired worker Yang Jieming, a 77-year-old man from Shandong Province with a pension of less than 3,000 yuan per month.

That is why the government is pinning hopes on community-based services and cutting taxes on service providers.

"The tax break policies will help reduce finance burdens on service providers...while guiding and encouraging the input of more social capital to expand market supply," Guan said.

Apart from the traditional channels, China is also seeking innovative practices, including the "Internet plus nursing program," to offer diverse services to the elderly.

Under the program, approved medical institutions can send nurses who have at least five years of clinical nursing experience to communities or homes to serve patients who are too old or restricted to move.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 18:34:12|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Abortion has vaulted to the forefront of issues in the lead up to the 2020 U.S. presidential elections, and experts said the issue may well become the Gordian knot in the race, dragging out the imminent fight between Democrats and Republicans.

"The abortion issue will be major during 2020," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

"(The issue) helps each side mobilize its voters. Pro-life voters feel there is no respect for the sanctity of life, while pro-choice voters feel their hard-earned rights are under attack," West said.

"There likely will be a big turnout from each side of that issue. Its importance shows how far apart the two parties have become and the way in which each has very different approaches to the issue," West said, noting the widening ideological gulf between each side, as well as their constituents.

Earlier this month, Kay Ivey, governor of the U.S. state of Alabama, signed a new law that would ban all abortions, except in cases in which the mother's life is in danger, in the latest challenge to the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade case that ruled that women have a right to have an abortion.

The Alabama law would make it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion, with the possibility of 99 years of imprisonment. Even victims of rape and incest would not be permitted to terminate their pregnancies.

The ban is the latest in a trend toward more restrictive abortion policies, with the U.S. states of Kentucky, Ohio, Georgia and Mississippi recently creating similar bans. Experts say all this is part of a GOP concerted effort to push the issue up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where anti-abortion supporters hope the court will strike down Roe v. Wade.

For their part, conservatives say the trend toward restricting abortions is a reaction to recent moves in states such as New York and Virginia to relax restrictions on late-term abortions.

BATTLE LINES BEING DRAWN

Democrats' national leadership has already weighed in on the Alabama law, signaling that the issue will be a national one in the 2020 elections.

House Leader Nancy Pelosi said earlier this month that the law cannot "be allowed to stand." Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted the "abortion bans in Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Mississippi are appalling attacks on women's lives and fundamental freedoms."

Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders tweeted that abortion is a "constitutional right," saying "the attack on women's rights is happening in Alabama, Georgia and across the country, and we must fight it everywhere."

West said "both sides will use that issue to mobilize their base voters, especially evangelical people," referring to the many deeply religious people that comprise U.S. President Donald Trump's base.

"Much of the opposition and resistance to Trump has been among women, and particularly older women," Christopher Galdieri, assistant professor at Saint Anselm College, told Xinhua, explaining why the abortion issue has the potential to impact the 2020 elections.

With Democrats seeing many gains among suburban women in the 2018 Congressional elections, there could be more movement in that direction if more states enact seriously restrictive access to abortion, Galdieri said.

Democrats say the abortion issue will galvanize voters in the U.S. states of Colorado and Maine -- states that Trump lost in the 2016 elections. But in states such as Alabama, Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina, Democrats will need to walk a fine line -- motivate their base without offending more moderate voters they need to clinch the Senate.

LEGAL CHALLENGES COINCIDE WITH POLITICAL FIGHT AHEAD

TV news personality and Republican strategist Ford O'Connell told Xinhua that the new law in Alabama, as well as similar laws in other states, are a test-case, signed into law so they'll get pushed up to the Supreme Court in hopes that Roe v. Wade will be overturned.

O'Connell added that the spate of anti-abortion laws being passed in several states is a reaction to what many conservatives view as radical and immoral laws being pushed in states such as New York and Virginia. Such legislation seeks to make abortion legal even in the third trimester. Social conservatives, particularly evangelicals, which represent a large chunk of Trump's base, have strong views against such laws.

West said legal challenges will find their way through the courts and will likely end up before the Supreme Court in 2020, "just in time for the presidential election."

Galdieri said conservatives are seeing an opportunity, as the balance of the U.S. Supreme Court has recently changed. Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy has been replaced by the right-leaning Brett Kavanaugh. Moreover, President Trump has appointed a number of more conservative judges in the lower courts.

Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, told Xinhua that state-level GOP leaders think the new balance in the Supreme Court represents the best opportunity to challenge Roe v Wade, as well as drive turnout among religious voters.

However, the move could backfire, Mahaffee added.

"At the same time, it further alienates women voters that have turned against Republicans in increasing numbers," Mahaffee said.

A May 2018 Gallup poll found that 60 percent of Americans believe abortion should be legal during the first trimester, and merely 13 percent believed women should be allowed to terminate their pregnancy during the third trimester.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 18:39:14|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on Friday exchanged congratulations on the 45th anniversary of their countries' diplomatic relations.

China and Malaysia are friendly neighbors and important cooperation partners, said Xi in a congratulatory message.

Over the past 45 years, bilateral relations have been constantly strengthened and their practical cooperation has reaped bumper harvests, which has brought concrete benefits to the two peoples and made positive contributions to regional stability and development, Xi said.

Currently, both China and Malaysia are at a very important stage of development, and their cooperation enjoys broad prospects, said Xi.

"I attach great importance to China-Malaysia relations," he said, voicing hope that the two sides will take the joint construction of the Belt and Road as an opportunity to better synergize their development strategies so as to to further enrich their comprehensive strategic partnership and add fresh impetus to the regional development.

In his message, Sultan Abdullah said the Malaysian side is pleased to see that bilateral relations have been bearing fruits and the friendship between the two peoples has been deepening over the past 45 years.

Malaysia earnestly hopes that bilateral relations will continue to advance so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples, he said.

Also on Friday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Mohamad, also exchanged congratulations.

In his message, Li said China would like to work with the Malaysian side and seize the opportunity of the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic relations to push for greater progress in their comprehensive strategic partnership and score more achievements in bilateral practical cooperation in various fields, so as to bring benefits to the two countries and peoples.

Lauding China's sustainable growth and peaceful development, Mahathir said China-Malaysia relations are close and friendly and Malaysia hopes to continuously expand cooperation with China.

China and Malaysia established diplomatic relations on May 31, 1974.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 18:49:23|Editor: Xiaoxia

Video Player Close

HANGZHOU, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The government of Hangzhou has released a special plan to build the eastern Chinese city into a comprehensive international fintech center by 2030.

According to the plan, Hangzhou will nurture at least 10 internationally known fintech firms by 2022 and support eligible companies to go public.

In the meantime, Hangzhou will concentrate on developing research and application of big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, blockchain as well as information safety technologies, building fintech infrastructure, and creating a fintech innovation ecology.

The city aims to achieve the fintech industrial added value of over 120 billion yuan (17.4 billion U.S. dollars) by 2022.

Hangzhou is home to a group of leading fintech companies, including Ant Financial, and leads the country in technological innovation and application of mobile payments, financial big data, wealth management and finance information security.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 19:04:29|Editor: Yamei

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China had reported a total of 1,217 child welfare institutions by the end of March this year, compared with less than 300 in 2008, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Friday.

About 68,000 orphans, or 22.8 percent of the country's total, were placed at the institutions, which offer over 100,000 beds, the ministry's child welfare department said in a statement ahead of the International Children's Day that falls on Saturday.

An official of the department said China had continuously strengthened social security for orphans and abandoned children in recent years.

The ministry has channeled 1.46 billion yuan (about 212 million U.S. dollars) of welfare lottery funds to help 163,000 orphans with disabilities receive surgery and rehabilitation services, the official said.

Starting this year, the basic living allowances given by the central government to orphans from China's eastern, central and less developed western areas were raised by 50 percent, to 300 yuan, 450 yuan and 600 yuan respectively per person each month, the official said.

Currently, China reports about 298,000 orphans.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 19:09:34|Editor: ZX

Video Player Close

SHENZHEN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China's southern boomtown Shenzhen plans to achieve sales of 200 billion yuan (about 29 billion U.S. dollars) from its integrated circuit (IC) industry by 2023, according to a recent industry plan.

The sales of IC design are expected to exceed 160 billion yuan while that of IC manufacturing is expected to reach 40 billion yuan, according to the plan released by the Shenzhen Municipal government.

Shenzhen has been an important base for China's IC industry. In 2018, the city raked in 89.8 billion yuan from its IC industry, with IC design contributing 75.9 billion yuan, ranking top in the country, according to the China Semiconductor Industry Association.

The plan also noted that the city will improve the IC manufacturing and packaging sectors, accelerate the breakthrough on core technologies, and cultivate leading IC companies and industry clutters.

China's IC industry sales reached 653.2 billion yuan in 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 19:30:07|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

LOS ANGELES, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Business and economic leaders of U.S. state of Arizona, reacted on Thursday to U.S. President Donald Trump's new Mexico tariff plan with harsh words, saying it is "a horrible policy."

"I thought you were a businessman," U.S. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick from Arizona tweeted in a message directed at Trump, "This is a horrible policy and will have devastating impacts on our local economy. Why are you hurting our Southern Arizona small businesses? Our border is an asset not only in (my district) but the entire state of Arizona."

The Democratic congresswoman came from Tuscon, a district spans much of the Grand Canyon State's border with Mexico.

Sharing about 600 km border with Arizona, Mexico is the state's largest export market, buying an average of 8.3 billion U.S. dollars of the state's exports annually, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration.

Dennis Hoffman, an economics professor at Arizona State University, was quoted by the local news website Azcentral.com as saying that the White House's policy would put the state in jeopardy for job losses and other fallout if Mexico imposed retaliation or if the higher prices slow international commerce.

"We're highly dependent on trade with Mexico here in Arizona, trade wars are wars and (other countries) retaliate," he said.

Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, described the tariffs as a "terrible idea" and a "prescription for a self-induced economic slowdown" that will harm American consumers.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Tariffs are taxes; and they're taxes paid by hardworking American families. This is a terrible idea. It completely contradicts the spirit of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), not to mention the USMCA (the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) that we're attempting to ratify," Hamer said in a statement post on the trade group's official website Thursday night.

"Mexico is our friend and neighbour, a partner in trade and security. The president's announcement is baffling and, if carried out, will be terribly damaging," the statement concluded.

Hamer also retweeted U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley's tweeter, in which the Republican head of the key Senate committee said Trump's move "is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent."

Citing authority granted to him under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Trump said Thursday he will impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico and vowed to increase the duties to as high as 25 percent if Mexico doesn't act dramatically to reduce the number of migrants crossing the border.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 19:50:16|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

MOGADISHU, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The UN refugee agency said Friday it has repatriated about 4,300 Somali refugees from Yemen since the roll-out in 2017 of an assisted spontaneous return (ASR) program.

The exercise which is being facilitated by UNHCR in cooperation with humanitarian partners and authorities in Yemen and Somalia saw a boat carrying 125 Somali refugees depart Aden on Wednesday for Somalia in the latest departure.

"Those who returned home this week include Somalis who had been born in Yemen to refugee parents, and others who were born in Somalia and who fled to Yemen hoping to escape conflict and insecurity," said the UN refugee agency.

It said the vessel arrived at the Port of Berbera in Somalia on Thursday morning.

UNHCR said the situation for refugees and asylum seekers and migrants has deteriorated significantly in Yemen which is one of the world's largest humanitarian crises and civilians facing life-threatening conditions,

According to UNHCR, Somali refugees comprise 90 per cent of Yemen's refugee and asylum seeker population, or some 250,000 people, adding that refugee movements from Somalia to Yemen have been taking place since the 1980s.

UNHCR said an increasing number of refugees have been approaching UNHCR for help in returning home, citing safety and security concerns and limited access to services.

"Thirty-three organized departures have now taken place from Yemen to Somalia since the commencement of the ASR program in 2017," UNHCR said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 20:05:29|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

ULAN BATOR, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has launched a national campaign to prevent road traffic accidents involving children, the country's Traffic Police Authority said Friday.

The month-long campaign aims to make streets and roads safe for children and raise public awareness of traffic safety education, the authority said in a statement.

During the campaign starting on Thursday, relevant officials in the country will carry out special inspection of traffic violations and generate actions to increase parental supervision and attention to their kids, according to the statement.

A total of 45 children were killed and 1,189 others injured in road accidents in Mongolia last year, the Traffic Police Authority said, noting that over-speeding and lack of parental supervision were the main causes of this kind of accident.

In addition, 11 children were killed and 56 others seriously injured in the 219 road accidents reported in the country in the first four months of this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 20:10:35|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

Chuan Leekpai, speaker of the House of Representatives, attends a press conference in Bangkok, Thailand, May 31, 2019. Thailand is scheduled to pick a new prime minister on June 5, Chuan Leekpai said on Friday. All MPs and senators will convene in a joint House of Representatives & Senate meeting to vote for the prime minister, Chuan said at a press conference. The voting will be openly conducted on a roll call basis. (Xinhua/Thailand's House of Representatives)

BANGKOK, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Thailand is scheduled to pick a new prime minister on June 5, Chuan Leekpai, speaker of the House of Representatives, said on Friday.

All MPs and senators will convene in a joint House of Representatives & Senate meeting to vote for the prime minister, Chuan said at a press conference. The voting will be openly conducted on a roll call basis.

Earlier, Thailand's Royal Gazette website issued two Royal Announcements, saying King Maha Vajiralongkorn has formally approved the naming of a House speaker, two deputy House speakers, a Senate speaker and two deputy Senate speakers. Both houses held ceremony to accept the announcements.

Given royal approval, former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai of the Democrat Party has been named House speaker while Suchart Tancharoen of the Palang Pracharath Party and Supachai Phosu of the Bhumjaithai Party have been named first and second deputy House speakers respectively.

In his capacity as House speaker, Chuan concurrently assumes the post of parliament president.

Former National Legislative Assembly President Pornpetch Wichitcholchai has been appointed under royal approval as Senate speaker while Singsuek Singphrai and Supachai Somcharoen have been appointed first and second deputy Senate speakers respectively.

In his capacity as Senate speaker, Pornpetch concurrently assumes the post of deputy parliament president.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 20:20:38|Editor: Xiaoxia

Video Player Close

A Palestinian vendor sells clothes at a market ahead of the Eid al-Fitr in Gaza City, May 30, 2019. The residents in Gaza Strip begin their tradition preparing to welcome the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, the end of Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Gazans used to go shopping in the last days of Ramadan to buy their own clothes, accessories and sweets. But this year is different from previous years because of the difficult economic conditions. (Xinhua/Stringer)

GAZA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The residents in Gaza Strip begin their tradition preparing to welcome the upcoming Eid al-Fitr, the end of Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Gazans used to go shopping in the last days of Ramadan to buy their own clothes, accessories and sweets. But this year is different from previous years because of the difficult economic conditions.

Customers usually flock to Fahmi Bik Street in central Gaza City, which connects al-Zawya, Omar Al Mukhtar and Shejaiya markets, considered as the largest ones in the Gaza Strip. However, a large number of citizens only do window shopping without buying anything.

The 27-year-old Ehab Abed Alal came to Zawia market to repair his old clothes in order to wear them in the Eid al-Fitr, because he cannot afford to buy the newest ones.

He has been unemployed since he graduated from the Islamic University. He said that Israel, the Islamic Hamas movement and the Fatah party are responsible for the deteriorating economic and living conditions in the Gaza Strip.

Suhaila Abed, 38 years old, avoids to enter the shops. She prefers to buy the new clothes for her five children from the street stands, which are cheaper than the shops.

She said that she does not have enough money, but her children do not accept to welcome the Eid al-Fitr without wearing new clothes. "They are still young to know the meaning of tough conditions," she told Xinhua.

Shop owners complain of a 25-percent drop in purchasing power this year compared to previous years.

The population of the Gaza Strip suffers from extreme poverty due to the political and economic crises.

Israel imposed a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip right after Hamas violently seized the enclave in 2007. Since then, the economy in the Gaza Strip has been deteriorating with a hard living situation for its people.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority (PA) led by the President Mahmoud Abbas imposed sanctions on the Gaza Strip after the failure of Palestinian reconciliation efforts.

About 50 percent of the salaries of PA's employees were deducted, which led the rise in the poverty rates, economic experts told Xinhua.

Mazen al-Ejla, an economic expert based in Gaza city, said that the high rates of poverty and unemployed, prevent the residents in Gaza to follow their traditions in these days.

The purchasing power in the Eid al-Fitr holidays is supposed to be recovered, but this year, the economic recession is dominating overall the markets in the Gaza Strip, he added.

In February, a report released by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics showed that the unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip reached 52 percent in 2018 compared with 44 percent in 2017.

The report also revealed that about 85 percent of the people in the Gaza Strip live under the poverty line, most of them live on food aids provided by the international donor institutions.

In this economic recession, Chinese goods are the guaranteed salvation for traders because of its "high quality and cheap price," which suit the majority of the population of the Gaza Strip, Salim Ajour, a trader, told Xinhua.

The 62-year-old Ajour, who owns a huge shop selling household items, said that "most of my clients prefer to buy Chinese goods, but the business is very small this year because people here are poor because of the political situation that adversely affected on the economic and living situation."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 20:25:40|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

HONG KONG, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Friday that it deplored the attempts by relevant countries to continuously interfere in the normal legislative process of the HKSAR.

A spokesperson said the commissioner's office was "gravely concerned about" a joint statement issued Thursday by British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland about the HKSAR government's amendments of Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance.

"We deplore and firmly oppose the attempts by the relevant countries to continuously interfere in the normal legislative process of the HKSAR," the spokesperson said.

As the HKSAR government has repeatedly emphasized, the amendments of the two ordinances are aimed to plug legal loopholes and uphold social justice, the spokesperson said, adding that the amendments will only improve instead of undermining the rule of law in the HKSAR, and better safeguard the rights and freedoms that Hong Kong residents enjoy in accordance with law.

The HKSAR government has widely solicited opinions and suggestions from various sectors of society on the amendments, and made authoritative and detailed responses to their questions, the spokesperson pointed out.

"We urge the relevant countries to respect international law and basic norms governing international relations, respect facts and the rule of law, reject double standards, and get rid of biases," the spokesperson said.

The relevant countries "are advised not to alarm themselves with groundless fears, and still less should they intimidate others out of ulterior motives," the spokesperson said, adding that "we urge them to refrain from disrupting the law-based governance of the HKSAR government and stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's domestic affairs, under any pretext."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 20:40:47|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

KABUL, May 31 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people have been confirmed dead and about two dozen of others sustained injuries in two suicide bombings that rocked Afghanistan's capital city Kabul on Thursday and Friday, officials confirmed.

In Friday's suicide car bombing for which the Taliban group has claimed responsibility, four people were killed and three others injured, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasratullah Rahimi said.

All the victims, according to Rahimi were innocent civilians.

The bloody blast happened in the morning rush hour in Qala-e-Wazir area in the eastern edge of Kabul city where a convoy of the U.S.-led foreign troops was passing.

However, Zabihullah Majahid who claims to speak for the Taliban group, in contact with media claimed responsibility and asserted that a Taliban suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden car next to a convoy of foreign forces in Kabul at 08:40 a.m. local time killing "10 occupying soldiers" on the spot and destroying two vehicles of the foreign forces.

The NATO-led Resolute Support mission has yet to make comment on the Taliban claim.

Friday's bloody blast is the second of its kind in Kabul over the past two days.

On Thursday, a suicide bomber blew himself up next to the gate of Marshal Fahim National Defense University killing eight people and injuring six others, mostly the cadets who were going home for weekend to spend time with their families.

The hardliner Islamic State (IS) outfit has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.

Anti-government militants have increased activities as the Taliban offensive on security checkpoints in Obe district of western Herat province on Thursday night killed 10 people including six police and four civilians, while government forces crackdown on a Taliban hideout in Aqtash district of the northern Kunduz province Friday morning killing six insurgent and injuring six others.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 20:55:56|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

NAIROBI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Pan-African housing financier, Shelter Afrique, on Friday urged African governments to prioritize investments in affordable housing.

Andrew Chimphondah, chief executive officer of Shelter Afrique, said that the continent is facing a rapid urbanization rate which is increasing the demand for housing units.

"The matter of affordable housing is personal to us all; decent and affordable housing is a human right and we must see it as that," Chimphondah said on the sidelines of the 2019 UN Habitat Assembly which ends in Nairobi on Friday.

Shelter Afrique is owned by 44 African governments, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Africa Reinsurance Company.

Chimphondah added that Shelter Afrique was keen on inviting new member countries to join as shareholders and current target countries include Egypt, Angola, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 20:55:57|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

JUBA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Friday slammed the United Nations Security Council decision to extend an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on the conflict-torn country for another year.

Foreign ministry spokesman Mawien Makol Arik said the extension of the sanctions was "unfortunate," given that the east African nation is implementing a peace deal signed in September 2018.

The sanctions would not deter the parties to the peace agreement from moving forward because the government is committed to the attainment of lasting peace in South Sudan, Arik said.

"It is unfortunate that the United Nations has extended the sanctions and arms embargo at a time that we are implementing peace, but this sanction will not deter us from implementing the peace agreement," the spokesman told Xinhua over the phone.

The UN Security Council on Thursday extended the arms embargo and sanctions until May 31, 2020.

Resolution 2471 was adopted by a vote of 10 in favor with five abstentions, from three African countries in the 15-member council and from Russia and China.

The arms embargo was first imposed in July 2018 after violence escalated in the world's youngest nation following the collapse of the August 2015 peace deal.

The sanctions also included a travel ban and asset freeze on eight high-ranking government officials and senior rebel leaders accused of undermining peace efforts in South Sudan.

South Sudan descended into civil war in late 2013, and the conflict has created one of the fastest growing refugee crises in the world.

The UN estimates that about 4 million South Sudanese have been displaced internally and externally.

The peace deal signed in August 2015 collapsed following renewed violence in the capital, Juba, in July 2016.

Under the latest peace deal, opposition leader Riek Machar, along with four others, will once again be reinstated as Kiir's deputy.

Signatories to the fragile peace agreement agreed on May 3 to extend the formation of a transitional government by six months, following delays in the implementation of the pact over unresolved security issues.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 21:01:00|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian security forces have arrested 69 people for their roles in recent ethnic violence in western Ethiopia, state media outlet Amhara Mass Media Agency (AMMA) reported on Friday.

AMMA reported among the 69 suspects arrested are eight government officials, with investigations continuing to identify other government officials suspected of involvement in recent ethnic violence.

AMMA further reported the Ethiopia Ministry of Peace (MoP) is working with officials from Benishangul and Amhara regional states to arrest other remaining suspects in the recent ethnic violence.

Ethnic violence along the border areas of Ethiopia's Benishangul Gumuz and Amhara regional state which started in April and continued to early May left dozens of people dead and tens of thousands displaced.

The ethnic violence which centered in Dangur locality, Metekel zone of Benishangul Gumuz regional state and neighboring Jawi zone of Amhara regional state involved members of the Gumuz and the Amhara ethnic groups.

Ethiopia follows an ethnic federalism model, which has been credited with giving self-governance rights to the more than 80 ethnic groups that make Ethiopia's estimated 105 million plus population.

However, critics claim that the ethnic federalism model magnifies ethnic diversity at the expense of national unity, leading to occasional deadly ethnic clashes.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 21:06:07|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

TOKYO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chen Deming, former minister of commerce of China, said here Friday that the economic structures of China and Japan are highly complementary, and that the two countries, by joining hands and combining strengths, will boost their own development and at the same time, play an even bigger role in building a more stable and prosperous Asia.

The development of Asia closely connects to and profoundly influences the trend of the world, Chen said here at the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia.

Asian countries have participated in and deepened value chains, and have been advancing regional economic integration. Growing into the region with most development potentials, Asia has also become an important constructive force to global economic governance, Chen said.

As the second and the third largest economies in the world, China and Japan, both Asian economical powerhouses, are bound by a historical duty to jointly work for the future prosperity of Asia, the former official said.

Chen said that China and Japan cooperation should go beyond the bilateral limits and be put under the regional or even the global perspective. As economic globalization suffers setbacks amid rising unilateralism and protectionism, it is the duty of China and Japan to cooperate in a mutually beneficial way to plan for the long-term prosperity and stability of the region and the world.

From the regional prospective, Chen said that it is urgent to complete as early as possible the negotiations over the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the trilateral free trade agreement among China, Japan and South Korea.

The two sides should also strengthen cooperations and coordinations at important multilateral occasions such as WTO, G20 and APEC, he said.

Chen said that China-Japan relations are back to the normal track of stable growth in political, economic and cultural exchanges and need continuous "updates."

"We need to find new areas and ways of cooperation while continuing our traditional cooperation," he said.

He said that China will stay firm in reform and opening-up, actively expand import of goods and services, open the market wider, foster a more enabling business environment and broaden development space for fellow Asian countries.

Organized by Nikkei Inc., the International Conference on the Future of Asia is held annually since 1995. The theme of the conference this year is "Seeking a new global order -- Overcoming the chaos."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 21:16:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn here Friday, calling for closer bilateral ties and cooperation under regional frameworks.

Hailing the profound traditional friendship, Li said China supports Cambodia in choosing a development path in accordance with its national situation.

China stands ready to enhance the synergy of development strategies with Cambodia, promote cooperation in key areas and jointly build a China-Cambodia community with a shared future, said Li.

He said China is willing to intensify coordination and collaboration with Cambodia under the frameworks of China-ASEAN and Lancang-Mekong cooperation and forge ahead with negotiations for the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, so as to safeguard a stable environment for the development in the region.

China backs Cambodia to host the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in 2020, Li added.

Prak Sokhonn, who is paying an official visit to China from May 30 to June 1, said Cambodia appreciates China's long-term assistance and is willing to further strengthen high-level exchanges and mutual support on regional and international issues and promote the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 21:16:16|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

DAR ES SALAAM, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Anti-tobacco campaigners on Friday urged the government of Tanzania to enact stern laws aimed at protecting citizens and the environment against the hazards of smoking.

Speaking at an event to commemorate the World No Tobacco Day, Lutgard Kagaruki, the Executive Director of the Tanzania Tobacco Control Forum, said the day was aimed at encouraging adoption and implementation of stern and comprehensive tobacco control measures.

The theme in this year's commemoration is "Tobacco and Lung Health."

Kagaruki said this year's commemoration of the day called for African regional coordinated actions for a full implementation of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), which she said was the only way to improve the health and well-being of people and save lives.

Kagaruki said while Africa has made progress in implementing the WHO FCTC, especially in creating smoke-free environments, Tanzania continued to lag behind its peers.

"Tanzania remains the only east African country without a comprehensive tobacco control law in line with the WHO FCTC," she said.

She said the 2012 Tanzania Steps Survey Report compiled by the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Medical Research and WHO showed that 4.1 percent of people in Tanzania smoked tobacco.

"Tobacco smoke is known to be a major pollutant containing more than 7,000 chemicals, 70 of them is known to cause cancer," she quoted the report's findings.

She said tobacco was responsible for 17,400 deaths annually in Tanzania with both smokers and non-smokers affected.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 21:36:26|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Haregwoyn Abera, a cheerful 21-year-old Chinese language student at Mekelle University, has a particular reason to feel happy currently.

Abera, the winner of the 18th Chinese Bridge Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign college students, Ethiopian preliminary rounds, held on Friday in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and organized by the Confucius Institute in Ethiopia, wowed judges with her speaking and poetic skills.

The competition featured students who showed their skills in signing, dancing, poetry, drama as well performance skills in Tai Chi.

Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art known for its slow and graceful movements. It is practiced by millions of people around the world.

"I first made a speech in Chinese language for three minutes, then proceeded to answer questions in Chinese language and finished my round by speaking poetry in Chinese language," Abera told Xinhua.

Abera said learning Chinese language initially was tough for her.

However, she said her childhood fascination with Chinese culture and the relentless encouragement of her Chinese teachers has helped her manage speaking and writing Chinese.

"Writing the Chinese characters was a challenge initially, but I gave my time and efforts to learn the language and I succeeded," Abera told Xinhua.

Abera also learned for one year in Sichuan Normal University in China to help her better practice her Chinese language skills and learn more about Chinese culture.

Abera who is set to graduate from her Chinese language studies later this year is optimistic she will have a good prospect in the job market in Ethiopia, where the large presence of Chinese companies has given rise to an increasing Chinese language translation sector.

"After I graduate from my Chinese language studies, I plan to either become a Chinese language translator or Chinese language teacher," Abera told Xinhua.

Fu Wei, a confucius studies program coordinator at Mekelle University and one of Abera's favorite teachers, is similarly optimistic about the rising number of Ethiopians eager to learn Chinese language and culture.

"I started teaching Chinese language in Mekelle University in 2016, and since then I have seen a steady rise in the number of Ethiopians learning in my classes," Fu told Xinhua.

Acknowledging learning Chinese initially was a hard task to Ethiopian students, Fu devised a number of strategies to make the learning an enjoyable experience.

"Mastering the Chinese characters and pronunciation was initially a challenge to our students. To help them master the studies I give my students various Chinese language and culture themed activities."

Tan Jian, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, said, "We believe that with more and more Ethiopians learning Chinese our relations with Ethiopia will be much closer."

"These kinds of language program can serve as a bond and platform to enhance our cooperation," said Tan.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 21:41:28|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A senior African Union (AU) official on Friday called for deepening Africa-China collaboration to contribute to the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, which took effect on Thursday.

"Africa is more ready than ever" to further strengthen cooperation with China, with particular emphasis given to infrastructure connectivity in Africa, which is "highly important" for trade facilitation under the continental free trade agreement, AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry Albert Muchanga told Xinhua.

"Under the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, we have an action plan toward boosting intra-Africa trade," Muchanga said. "The action plan has a cluster on trade-related infrastructure development in Africa, which aspires infrastructure connectivity in all corners of Africa."

Noting that infrastructure development "is part and parcel" of the free trade pact," the AU commissioner stressed that the African continent "needs large scale infrastructure projects in order to allow AU member countries to reach out to the market that the AfCFTA aspires to create."

According to Muchanga, China and Africa, which are currently cooperating in various sectors, including in the development of infrastructure projects across the continent, are expected to further expedite their engagements in a bid to realize the promises of AfCFTA.

"We are now working with the government of China to ensure that we connect the whole of Africa to facilitate trade on continental, regional, and sub-regional levels," he said.

Muchanga also reiterated that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a catalyst to spur China-Africa cooperation to accelerate the AU's ambitious infrastructure connectivity drive.

The AfCFTA Agreement was approved by 22 countries last month, meeting the threshold for it to take effect. It has laid the foundation for what could be the world's largest free trade zone by the number of participating countries, covering more than 1.2 billion people with a combined gross domestic product of 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars.

On Thursday, Liu Yuxi, head of the Chinese Mission to the AU, told Xinhua that the African free trade pact will help forge closer economic and trade ties with China.

China welcomes progress in building the free trade area, support Africa to advance interconnectivity and is ready to work with Africa to promote the free trade regime, Liu said.

"Unimpeded trade and facilities connectivity are the core content of the joint construction of the Belt and Road by China and Africa," Liu said. "The two sides are expected to build closer economic and trade ties by developing the free trade area and promoting the Belt and Road cooperation."

China has been Africa's biggest trading partner for 10 consecutive years, with an accumulated investment of over 110 billion dollars in the continent.

China has signed memorandums of understanding with 39 African countries and the AU Commission on cooperation under the BRI framework.

Also on Thursday, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy Amani Abou-Zeid also stressed the positive prospects of deepening partnership between Africa and China.

"Africa and China believe that Africa is an important partner in the Belt and Road cooperation," Abou-Zeid told the Belt and Road Dialogue for China-Africa Cooperation, which was jointly organized by the AU and the Chinese Mission to the AU, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

"We look forward to working closely and diligently with China under the Belt and Road Initiative to enhance the envisaged infrastructure connectivity as well as people to people connectivity for the good of our two peoples and the world at large," she said.

Once operational, the African free trade accord is projected to boost the level of intra-Africa trade by more than 52 percent by the year 2020, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 22:01:39|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

PRAGUE, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Preliminary audit result of the European Commission (EC) shows that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis faces a conflict of interest over links to his former firms in the Agrofert group, local media reported on Friday.

Brussels demands that all European Union (EU) subsidies Agrofert received since February 2017 be returned, Czech business paper Hospodarske noviny (HN) writes on its website.

The Czech Finance Ministry confirmed it had received an English version of the EC audit on Babis's suspected conflict of interest, but the report was supposed to be confidential at current stage.

"The audit report draft has 71 pages. It includes a disclaimer at the beginning, saying those are just preliminary findings, conclusions and recommendations of EC auditors that may be changed based on further information from national bodies. This is why the draft should be considered confidential till the process is confirmed and final findings issued," Finance Ministry spokesman Michal Zurovec was quoted as saying by the Czech News Agency (CTK).

Reacting to the reports, Babis said he was violating neither Czech nor European laws and the Czech Republic would not have to return any EU subsidies.

Babis owned the Agrofert giant, which has more than 250 firms operating in the chemical, food, farming, forestry, technology, transport, renewable sources (biofuels) and media fields until 2017, when he transferred it to trust funds to comply with the Czech conflict of interest law.

Transparency International warned of Babis's conflict of interest last year, saying Babis may still influence Agrofert and is its beneficiary, which goes counter to the EU conflict of interest directive. Moreover, as the head of government, he has an influence on the talks about the EU budget and the distribution of EU subsidies in the Czech Republic.

Last December, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the EC to look into the case of Babis's possible conflict of interest.

The audit was completed before the European elections, but the Czech Republic only received it this week, according to the website Neovlivni.cz.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 22:01:41|Editor: ZX

Video Player Close

PARIS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- No. 2 seed Karolina Pliskova became the latest potential title contender to be knocked out of the French Open, losing 6-3, 6-3 to Petra Martic in the third round here on Friday.

"The key [to victory] was to focus on my game and try to dictate instead of letting her dictate," 31st seed Martic told a news conference.

Having won the 2019 Italian Open, Pliskova came to Paris as one of title favorites. Her exit means that Naomi Osaka is set to maintain her world No.1 status after the tournament.

Prior to Pliskova, other challengers to Osaka's throne have fallen by the wayside, as fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber was eliminated in the first round, fourth seed Kiki Bertens was laid low with an illness, and No. 6 seed Petra Kvitova withdrew through injury.

Pliskova conceded 28 unforced errors, double that of her Croatian opponent, and also lagged behind in points won on first and second serves.

"I had to try to take it away from her, and at times it was difficult, especially when she broke me and got a few winners. I'm just happy that I managed in the end to hold my nerves and to finish it off," Martic noted.

"The court is pretty slow, so you just have to play some extra shots. She has this kind of game which you don't feel good about, and she played well," Pliskova explained.

Martic will face either Veronika Kudermetova or Kaia Kanepi next, as she attempts to reach her first career Grand Slam quarterfinals.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 22:11:49|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Vera Songwe on Friday urged concerted efforts among UN agencies in supporting Africa's endeavors towards stability and development.

The ECA chief made the urgent call during her recent meeting with heads of key United Nations agencies at the ECA headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa to discuss how the UN platform can coordinate better and deliver as one to Africa's needs, the ECA said in a statement on Friday.

Songwe and other UN chiefs, among other things, discussed "how they can work better together in light of ongoing UN reforms as they seek to fully support the African Union's quest for peace and sustainable development on the continent," an ECA statement read.

"We need to do our best in supporting the African Union, especially as we implement the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the AU's Agenda 2063," the statement quoted Songwe as saying.

The ECA Executive Secretary also emphasized the importance of coordination and cooperation in issues connected to climate change, women empowerment, education, agriculture, technology, capacity development, the peace-security-development nexus, energy, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), among others.

Heads of various UN agencies also during the meeting underscored the importance of better coordination and collaboration, with particular emphasis given to supporting the AU Commission in its critical areas of engagement.

Among the UN agencies represented include the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s Liaison Office to the AU, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), as well as UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa, it was noted.

The meeting came weeks after the third AU-UN annual conference convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat earlier this month at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

According to the ECA, the UN Secretary-General and the AU Commission Chairperson had reiterated the need for strong cooperation and collaboration between the two organizations

They also expressed their commitment to continue to deepen the strategic partnership between the AU and the UN in addressing peace and security issues and achieving sustainable development issues in Africa through a more integrated approach.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 22:21:59|Editor: zh

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China made solid steps in 2018 toward the goals of ecology and environment under the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), according to a recent communique.

The country's ecological and environmental quality improved continuously last year, with pollutant discharge and carbon dioxide emissions being further reduced, said the communique issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE).

County-level areas with good air quality accounted for 44.7 percent of the country's total land size, up 2.7 percent year on year, while carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP dropped about 4 percent, 0.1 percentage points higher than the annual target.

Some 338 cities enjoyed more good air in 2018, with average number of good air quality days up 1.3 percentage points and the density of PM2.5 declining 9.3 percent from the previous year.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region reported good air quality on 50.5 percent of days, up 1.2 percentage points from one year earlier, while the share of good air quality days in the Yangtze-River Delta increased 2.5 percentage points to 74.1 percent.

Water quality also improved last year, seeing an increase of 3.1 percentage points in surface water cross sections categorized as good-quality.

The MEE also reported a notable improvement in the marine ecosystem and environment. Inshore waters of good quality accounted for 74.6 percent, up 6.7 percentage points from 2017.

Sea areas with the highest level of water quality expanded by about 20,000 sq km last summer, MEE data showed.

Bai Qiuyong, an official with the ministry, attributed such improvement to the country's effective measures on protecting marine ecosystem and environment.

According to the 13th Five-Year Plan, China aims to see a more than 80-percent annual average share of good quality days by 2020, and improve the share of surface water of the third quality level or higher to at least 70 percent.

To achieve such ecological and environmental targets, the central government provided fiscal support worth 255.5 billion yuan (about 37.03 billion U.S. dollars) in 2018.

China should continue its tough battle against pollution and seek further improvement of ecological and environment quality, Bai said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 22:27:01|Editor: Wu Qin

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- India's unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent in the 2017-18 fiscal year, officials said Friday.

The figure was released by by India's federal ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

The figure is the same leaked to a newspaper earlier this year which said India's unemployment rate stood at a 45-year-high of 6.1 percent in 2017-18.

The data was released a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for the second consecutive term.

The unemployment number comes at a time when another set of data released by government on Friday showed country's economic growth rate known as gross domestic product (GDP) slowed to 5.8 percent during the period from January to March quarter.

According to the media report, the unemployment rate was at its highest level since 1972-73. The report quoted survey saying unemployment among youth in urban areas was higher than in rural areas - 18.7 percent for men and 27.2 percent for women in 2017-18.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:02:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

GUANGZHOU, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have arrested 27 drug suspects and seized about 251 kg of drugs in a major bust, Guangdong provincial public security department said Friday.

In August 2018, police in Guangdong received a tip about a gang trafficking drugs from Cambodia to the southwestern border province of Yunnan and selling them in Guangdong.

On May 10, police from Guangdong, Yunnan and Hunan launched a joint raid that led to the arrest of the gang. They also seized two guns and nine vehicles used for transporting drugs.

From January to May, police in Guangdong have cracked 3,400 drug-related cases and arrested 4,300 suspects.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:07:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

ULAN BATOR, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia on Friday formally commissioned a China-aided development center for disabled children here on the occasion of International Children's Day, which falls on June 1 every year.

"We are so delighted that the China-assisted medical center for disabled children was officially put into operation. The comprehensive medical center is the first of its kind in our country," Sanjaa Mungunchimeg, vice minister of labor and social protection of Mongolia, told Xinhua during the opening ceremony of the center.

Compared with other parents, parents of children with disabilities experience more psychiatric and financial problems, she said, noting that the center will help the parents solve their problems by offering consultations and health services to their children free of charge.

The vice minister described the medical center as a symbol of the long-standing traditional friendship between Mongolia and China.

Equipped with 250 beds and advanced medical devices, the development center can provide medical treatments for 250 outpatients a day.

"Today is a very happy day for me and other parents with disabled kids in the country," Munkhbat Munkhjargal, the father of a 10-year-old-boy with muscle weakness, told Xinhua.

"I would like to thank the Chinese government and people for giving the valuable gift to Mongolian children with disabilities," he added.

There are about 130,000 people with disabilities in Mongolia, 11 percent of whom are children, according to the Mongolian Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:07:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

LILONGWE, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The leader of Malawi's opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on Friday rejected the results of the May 21 presidential election as rigged.

According to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), MCP leader Lazarus Chakwera, got 35 percent of votes cast, second after incumbent president Peter Mutharika's 38 percent.

Chakwera told a press briefing in the capital, Lilongwe, that he is petitioning the country's high court to nullify the results, which he described as "daylight robbery."

Chakwera said he had considered applying to the court to stop Mutharika's swearing-in and inauguration ceremonies but later decided not to.

He said he realized that the move would not be in the best interest of the country as the protracted absence of a president and cabinet would disturb the state's service provision and cause millions of innocent Malawians to suffer.

Chakwera described Malawi police's alleged attacks on MCP supporters at the parties headquarters in the capital as "lawless acts of a mafia state" aimed at discouraging the opposition from seeking justice.

Mutharika, who was sworn in the country's commercial hub of Blantyre, accused the opposition of perpetrating violence in the country following the May 21 elections, warning that he would not tolerate any acts of violence that might lead to bloodshed.

"Whether you voted for us or not, I'm your president; let us all unite to move forward together," Mutharika said in his inaugural address. "We cannot build this country with violence and terror."

There have been acts of violence reported in the capital, Lilongwe, Chakwera's strongest base, amid protests against the election results.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:17:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BERLIN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The German supermarket chain Aldi will open its first stores in China in the city of Shanghai, Aldi confirmed earlier media reports to Xinhua on Friday.

A company spokesperson told Xinhua that Aldi China was preparing to open its first two pilot stores in Shanghai on June 7.

The German Lebensmittelzeitung and Manager Magazin first reported that Aldi is planning to open at least 10 stores in China, with 50 to 100 further outlets to follow in the coming years.

According to the Lebensmittelzeitung, the German supermarket chain will present itself in China with a much higher quality range of products than in its home market Germany, where Aldi stirred up the supermarket business with its discount model.

For the Chinese market, Aldi would rely heavily on imported goods that were highly valued in China. According to German media reports, the Shanghai stores will offer Aldi's traditional range of products imported from Europe, and will also feature large fresh fish counters.

Aldi China launched its flagship digital store on the Tmall.com platform in 2017 and has successively expanded its range of products and services since then.

According to trade expert Matthias Queck of LZ Retailytics, Aldi is already the undisputed leader against its German rival Lidl with its global expansion, especially in the U.S. and Australia.

"This is a further step in the race between Aldi and Lidl worldwide," trade expert Queck told the German press agency dpa.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:22:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

RIGA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Latvian capital city's ruling coalition of the left-wing Harmony and Honor to Serve Riga (GKR) has split up and lost majority after four Harmony members were kicked out of the party during the city council's overnight meeting, local media reported Friday.

Riga vice mayor Vadims Baranniks, as well as three other councilors were expelled from Harmony after they refused to support the election of their fellow party member Sandris Bergmanis as the city's second vice mayor while GKR member Dainis Turlais was elected the new mayor on Thursday night.

Harmony leader and former Riga mayor Nils Usakovs said on public television that the four rebel councilors had "grossly violated party discipline". They will be expelled from the city council's Harmony faction and Baranniks will be removed from the office of vice mayor, Usalovs said.

Newly-elected Riga mayor Turlais said the decision to expel the four dissenting Harmony members was right.

Until now, Harmony and GKR together had 32 of the 60 votes on the Riga city council, but now the coalition has been left with only 28 votes.

The situation has significantly increased the possibility of a snap municipal elections in Riga, especially since the city's center-right opposition has ruled out a partnership with Harmony, GKR or the four councilors expelled from Harmony.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:27:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

ABUJA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian authorities confirmed Friday that the death toll of the latest Lassa fever outbreak in the country has risen to 129.

The tally was collated from 21 states so far affected by the outbreak in the west African country since the beginning of the year.

As of April, a total of 121 deaths were recorded since the onset of the outbreak on Jan. 13.

A total of 578 cases were confirmed as of May 26, said Chikwe Ihekweazu, head of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), in a statement reaching Xinhua in Abuja.

On Jan. 22, Nigeria declared a fresh outbreak of the disease; 17 health workers in seven states were among victims of the outbreak.

Recent epidemiological data show that Lassa fever usually occurs in Nigeria during the dry season, between January and April.

Humans become infected with the Lassa virus from exposure to urine or feces of infected mastomys rats. Other than common preventive measures such as washing hands regularly, the World Health Organization has also recommended keeping cats.

In 2018, the NCDC reported at least 143 Lassa fever deaths across the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:33:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Despite ongoing China-U.S. trade tensions, Morgan Stanley is upbeat about the potential of the Chinese economy in the long term, and sees increasing global investor interest in the country.

"China has a massive population and its GDP per capita is still relatively small. So there's tremendous potential to continue to improve the lifestyle of Chinese citizens," said James Gorman, chairman and CEO of the New York-based investment bank, in an interview with Xinhua.

The Chinese economy posted better-than-expected growth of 6.4 percent in the first quarter of this year, showing positive signs of stabilization.

Gorman said it remains to be seen how much the trade talks will affect China's economy, but in the long term, the country's economic growth will remain strong.

He said that China had achieved tremendous success in terms of its economic progress over the last several decades and that its transformation will not stop.

Moreover, he noted that global investors continued to see attractive opportunities in the Chinese market.

According to the bank, the number of investors attending Morgan Stanley's China Summit, the bank's annual event for promoting investment between investors and corporates, hit a record high this year with some 1,900 participants including over 1,000 global investors and 600 senior leaders from leading companies both public and private.

Gorman said that investors will continue to view China "through the lens of two or three decades rather than seeing it just in the context of the next couple of months around the negotiation table." Therefore, the Chinese market remains attractive for global investors due to its scale and the level of economic progress.

Morgan Stanley has completed over 200 IPOs for Chinese companies in the international stock markets, raised over 330 billion U.S. dollars of equity financing and advised on 560 billion U.S. dollars of China-related mergers and acquisitions (M&As) transactions since it entered China in 1994.

The bank is celebrating its 25th anniversary in China this year and it remains committed to the country, said Gorman.

Gorman said the bank takes "a very long term view" of its operations in the country. The bank will continue to play a critical role in helping China attract investment and helping Chinese companies go global.

He also said Morgan Stanley will continue to increase its shareholdings in its joint ventures in China as the Chinese government has allowed foreign companies to take majority control of securities and asset management entities to further open up the financial sector.

However, he did warn that factors including the ongoing trade frictions were causing a high level of uncertainties which resulted in a "fragile" market sentiment that could accelerate a global slowdown.

Given the size and interdependency of the world's two largest economies, it is very important for China and the United States to find rules of engagement and get the trade disputes resolved without triggering a global trade war, Gorman said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:33:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

ROME, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Italian economy grew less than expected in the first quarter of 2019, official data by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) showed on Friday.

Between January and March, the gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.1 percent compared to the previous quarter, which was lower than a previous 0.2 percent forecast by the institute in April.

With respect to the same quarter in 2018, the GDP in the first three months dropped by -0.1 percent, instead of rising by 0.1 percent as previously expected.

This marked the first year-on-year quarterly decrease since the last three months of 2013, according to ISTAT.

The quarterly statistics also showed final consumption expenditure in Q1 2019 increased by 0.2 percent compared to the previous quarter, while gross fixed capital formation by 0.6 percent, and exports by 0.2 percent.

On the contrary, imports showed a 1.5 percent drop.

On an annual basis, Q1 final consumption expenditure rose by 0.2 percent, gross fixed capital formation by 2.6 percent, imports by 1.8 percent, and exports by 3.5 percent.

"The carry-over annual GDP growth for 2019 is null," ISTAT wrote in its bulletin.

Although limited, the 0.1 percent GDP rise in the January-March period confirmed Italy has exited its technical recession -- characterized by two consecutive quarters of negative growth in the second half of 2018.

At the same time, the latest figures provided no good signals for the country's economy, at a time in which the Italian cabinet was about to discuss with the European Commission the deterioration of the country's public finances.

Earlier this week, the Commission delivered a formal letter to Italy, warning about the soaring public debt, and lamenting the efforts exerted to lower it were neither consistent with commitments made, nor sufficient.

"Based on notified data for 2018, Italy is confirmed not to have made sufficient progress towards compliance with the debt criterion in 2018," the Commission wrote in the letter, which was published by Italian major media outlets.

It gave the Italian government until May 31 to provide an explanation for the lack of improvements, and the rightwing government was expected to deliver such answer timely.

Also on Friday, addressing the ongoing Festival of Economy in northern Trento city, the central bank's governor warned Italy could not develop further without the European Union (EU).

"Italy is deeply integrated in the European economy," Ignazio Visco said in his address.

"Some 60 percent of our imports come from EU countries, which in turn receive 56 percent of our exports. In the last 20 years, partly as result of the Union's enlargement, exports to EU countries as a share of GDP have increased by almost 5 percentage points to 18 percent."

The official also explained two thirds of direct foreign and portfolio investment in Italy came from EU countries, which were in turn recipients of 60 percent of comparable Italian investments.

"We would have been poorer without Europe, and we would become poorer if we make an enemy of the European Union," Visco said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:38:08|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

MOSCOW, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday decided to expand the list of citizens and entities of the European Union (EU) banned from entering Russia in retaliation for a similar list of Russian individuals and institutions sanctioned by the EU.

The measure was adopted in response to EU decisions to apply restrictive measures against some Russian citizens, it said in a statement.

The decision was based on unsubstantiated and sometimes absurd accusations against Russian compatriots, the ministry said.

In March, the EU imposed sanctions on eight Russian nationals believed to be involved in an incident last November, in which more than 20 Ukrainian sailors attempting to sail through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov were seized by Russian forces for allegedly violating the Russian border.

Before that, EU sanctions involved a visa ban and an asset freeze of 170 Russian people and 44 entities.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:43:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

GABORONE, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Botswana has appointed a local consultancy, Minchin & Kelly, to guide the privatization of Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) in a move expected to end the parastatal's monopoly as the country's sole beef exporter.

Obakeng Moumakwa, chief executive officer of the Public Enterprises Evaluation and Privatization Agency (PEEPA), told reporters in Gaborone on Friday that the consultancy will develop a strategy and transaction plan to guide the parastatal's privatization.

"Their responsibilities will include carrying out a business, financial and human resource assessment of BMC, valuation of BMC and submitting a comprehensive project completion report at the end of the project," Moumakwa said, adding that the project is expected to be completed by the end of August.

The government decided to privatize BMC in February 2018 and directed PEEPA to lead the privatization process, Moumakwa said.

"It has been a long but very informative process that involved consultations with all key stakeholders, particularly farmers, as the privatization of BMC has a direct impact on their livelihoods," he said.

"Their concerns and suggestions were duly noted and taken on-board because it is the government's commitment to ensuring that privatization is fair, transparent and in the best interests of Batswana," Moumakwa said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:43:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

GENEVA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A UN expert who visited WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange in a London prison recently said Friday he fears his human rights could be seriously violated if he is extradited to the United States.

Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, in a statement here "condemned the deliberate and concerted abuse inflicted for years" on Assange.

"My most urgent concern is that, in the United States, Mr. Assange would be exposed to a real risk of serious violations of his human rights, including his freedom of expression, his right to a fair trial and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," said Melzer.

He was "particularly alarmed" at a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice of 17 new charges against Assange under the Espionage Act, which currently carry up to 175 years in prison.

"This may well result in a life sentence without parole, or possibly even the death penalty if further charges were to be added in the future," said Melzer, who was also following up on earlier concerns for Assange's health.

Although Assange is not in solitary confinement, the Special Rapporteur said he is "gravely concerned" about the limited frequency and duration of lawyers' visits and his lack of access to case files.

Melzer said this makes it impossible for Assange to adequately prepare his defense in the complex legal proceedings against him.

"Since 2010, when Wikileaks started publishing evidence of war crimes and torture committed by US forces, we have seen a sustained and concerted effort by several States towards getting Mr. Assange extradited to the United States for prosecution," said the UN Special Rapporteur.

This effort has raised "serious concern over the criminalization of investigative journalism in violation of both the US Constitution and international human rights law".

Melzer said that for his May 9 prison visit, two medical experts specialized in examining potential victims of torture and other ill-treatment accompanied him.

Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks in jail on May 1 for breaching his bail by entering the Ecuadorian embassy in London seven years ago.

He has denied sexual assault allegations against him and does not consent to extradition to the United States over charges related to leaking government secrets.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:58:21|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The China-Africa Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership platform has provided Africa a multi-directional model of cooperation, said former Ethiopian foreign minister Seyoum Mesfin.

"China's model of engagement, which is different from the western framework or cooperation, brings new dynamics, enabling African states to have choices between the two or even to craft a strategy combining both," said Seyoum, who is Chairman of the Centre for Dialogue, Research and Cooperation (CDRC), an independent Ethiopia-based nonprofit think tank.

Seyoum, who was also Ethiopia's former minister of foreign affairs, made the remarks during the Belt and Road Dialogue for China-Africa Cooperation, which was jointly organized by the African Union (AU) and the Chinese Mission to the AU in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa late Thursday.

"Only a comparative analysis of the situation before the China-Africa cooperation began, in contrast with the new trend, suffices to show how much the cooperation matters," Seyoum said

"We should constantly remind ourselves that the colonial escapade left the African continent with meager infrastructure, developed largely to facilitate the desire to appropriate resources and ascertain extended rule," he said.

"This centuries-old exploitation not only left Africans impoverished and ignorant, but Africa was also pegged politically and economically as dependent on these unfairly organized asymmetric relations," he added.

"If one analyses the Africa-China cooperation and what this relationship has delivered, it provides a different perspective," Seyoum said, adding that China's role has to be viewed first from the perspective of the choices that the new relationship provides for Africa and the opportunities it offers to China.

Seyoum, also Ethiopia's former ambassador to China, stressed that the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, since its inception some six years ago, "has been a constant point of discussion, capturing the imagination and interest of the global community. It is correctly dubbed as project of the century."

The Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road which are designed to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond.

According to Seyoum, the BRI "not only revives ancient trade routes between Asia and Europe, but also builds new links interconnecting the Middle East, South America and Africa."

Seyoum further emphasized the BRI's importance to Africa and the rest of the world due to its "geo-political implications and, more importantly, the cooperation framework the initiative presents to the developing world."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 23:58:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. ignorance of world trade norms and sticking to unilateralism will bring huge losses to the world, said foreign officials visiting China when commenting on U.S. moves to escalate trade frictions with China.

They expressed hope that the United States would change its attitude and hold dialogues with China to resolve differences.

Countries from all over the world have been dedicated to building and protecting the multilateral trade system for a long time, and have benefitted a lot from it, said Kalla Ankourao, Niger's minister of foreign affairs.

If a leading world power adopts unilateralism and objects to free trade, the global economy will suffer uncontrollable results, Ankourao said.

Alvaro Garcia, director of the Uruguayan Office for Planning and Budget, said the Chinese government has expressed readiness to continue consultations on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. "I appreciate China's attitude," he said.

Garcia said the United States has been accusing Chinese tech companies without evidence. He said he fears that the restrictions on Chinese enterprises would hinder the development of science and technology and eventually harm all humanity.

"What the world needs is cooperation and opening-up, not restriction and confrontation," Garcia said.

The U.S. moves aim to keep Chinese companies away from the forefront of 5G network building and keep Chinese technology away from the global market, said Artem Semenov, an official with the United Russia party.

He added that with the deepening economic globalization, it is impossible for any country to play a domineering role. Countries should strive to build a new type of international relations of mutual respect, equality, justice, and win-win cooperation.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said the United States is taking unjustified measures to restrain China from growing.

Voicing support for China, Rodriguez said Cuba is firmly opposed to the unilateral restrictive and discriminatory measures taken by the United States.

Uruguay believes that an open mindset is what current international relations need, Garcia said. "We hope the United States will look to the future rather than the past."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 00:03:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

NAIROBI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- More than 3 million passengers have travelled between the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa using the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) commuter train, officials said on Friday.

James Macharia, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, said at an event to mark the second anniversary since the launch of SGR passenger service dubbed Madaraka Express that it has impacted positively on livelihoods.

"The service has presented new opportunities for Kenyans through job creation and technology transfer while helping in navigating transport challenges which had partly hindered Kenya from fully realizing its domestic potential," said Macharia.

He said that Madaraka Express has injected vitality into strategic sectors of the Kenyan economy like tourism, agriculture and manufacturing.

"According to Kenya Tourism Board, bed occupancy has increased to more than 90 percent up from 50 percent in previous years, a factor largely attributable to the Madaraka Express," said Macharia.

Guo Ce, economic and commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said the SGR which is a critical component of the Belt and Road Initiative, has promoted bilateral cooperation between Beijing and east Africa's largest economy.

The SGR train service that was recently listed among 13 best rail tours in the world was launched on May 31, 2017 by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Li Jiuping, general manager of SGR Operator, said it has for the last two years offered seamless, affordable and secure mode of transporting passengers and goods.

"Currently, two pairs of passenger trains are in daily operation, with average seat occupancy at above 90 percent," said Li.

He said the SGR Operator has prioritized technical transfer and recruitment of local personnel to run key departments.

Philip Mainga, acting managing director of Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), said that the SGR commuter train has in the last two years evolved its mode of operation to boost safety, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 00:03:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks at a key meeting to launch a campaign themed "staying true to our founding mission" among all Party members in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Friday reiterated the Party's original aspiration and mission, which is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech at a key meeting to launch a campaign themed "staying true to our founding mission" among all Party members, especially officials at or above the county and director level.

Seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation is the fundamental driving force behind the heroic fight of generations of CPC members, Xi said.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng attended the meeting.

Wang Huning, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the leading group of the campaign, delivered closing remarks.

The launch of the campaign is an urgent need for arming the whole Party with the thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, advancing Party building in the new era, maintaining the Party's close ties with the people, as well as achieving the goals and accomplishing the tasks put forward at the 19th CPC National Congress, according to Xi.

The Party's fundamental purpose of whole-heartedly serving the people, and its historic mission of realizing national rejuvenation should be kept firmly in mind, he said.

Xi said the campaign should adhere to high standards and strict demands, push Party members to rectify and adjust themselves with a clear purpose, avoid the practice of formalities for formalities' sake and bureaucratism, and help solve major problems that the people are strongly concerned about.

The campaign will educate and guide all Party members and officials to deepen their understanding of the thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era and the major policies of the CPC Central Committee, as well as to strengthen their beliefs of Marxism and socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

Through the campaign, CPC members should foster perseverance, think what the people are thinking and work together with the people, he said, adding that the campaign also aims to resolutely prevent and crack down on corruption.

Xi called on the Party members and officials to better arm themselves with theory and have the courage to reform themselves.

All areas, departments and organizations should list the prominent problems that need to be addressed and make efforts to solve them, Xi said.

Noting the campaign is under the leadership of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Xi asked Party committees and leading Party members groups at all levels to enhance supervision and guidance over the campaign.

The passion of Party members and officials unleashed by the campaign should be converted to achievements in their work, Xi said.

Xi's speech will be a guideline for strengthening the Party building in the new era, Wang Huning said in the closing remarks, urging all Party members to unify their thinking with the spirit of Xi's speech.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 00:03:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education has launched inspections in several provinces to check their safety and anti-leak work before the national college entrance examination.

Based on local self-checks, the ministry inspected how the provinces would print, transport, store and grade exam papers, as well as how they would organize the exam. The inspections checked their safety measures against exam paper leaks during the processes, the ministry said on its website Friday.

The inspections also checked local implementation of a "high pressure" crackdown on cheating and maintenance of testing centers.

The ministry also reviewed local transportation and health support measures, precautions against noises and heatstroke, as well as contingency plans.

The national college entrance examination, the gaokao, will run from June 7 to 9.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 00:03:38|Editor: mingmei

Video Player Close

Guo Shengkun (R), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, meets with Thailand Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2019. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China and Thailand will enhance law enforcement and security cooperation to ensure the safety of the people and their property, according to senior Chinese and Thai officials on Friday.

Guo Shengkun, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam in Beijing.

Guo said China will work with Thailand to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and advance their comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation.

He called on the two countries' law enforcement and security departments to deepen cooperation to jointly combat various kinds of cross-border crimes.

State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi held talks with Wissanu on Friday.

Zhao said the bilateral law enforcement cooperation should focus on asset recovery, apprehending fugitives, anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism and ensuring the security of the Belt and Road construction.

Wissanu said Thailand is willing to promote cooperation in law enforcement and security with China and in-depth development of the bilateral ties.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 00:08:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BANGKOK, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Thai Minister of Public Health Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn on Friday warned all smokers that tobacco will burn lungs.

The warning was part of the global campaign to mark World No Tobacco Day, which falls on May 31.

Piyasakol also presented to individuals and organizations in recognition of their contributions to anti-smoking campaigns and tobacco control.

As chair of the event, The health minister said consistent anti-smoking efforts had helped reduce the number of smokers to about 10 million in Thailand.

Nonetheless, the proportion of young smokers is still alarming, he said.

The official vowed to continue proactive actions against smoking raising awareness on health hazard caused by smoking, particularly cardiovascular diseases.

On June 5, the Ministry of Public Health and the Excise Department will meet to discuss measures to raise excise tax on cigarettes, said Piyasakol, we need to do our utmost to reduce the number of smokers, as recommended by the World Health Organization.

The Department of Disease Control Director General, Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai also has pointed out that harm is caused by all kinds of tobacco products which affect the lungs of smokers and others nearby.

About a hundred types of toxin from tobacco smoke immediately irritate and destroy functioning lungs, said Suwannachai, even after just a single inhalation, causing coughs, and breathing difficulties, as well as raising the possibility of infections and other health impairments.

Piayasakol said smoking can cause serious illnesses such as cancer, emphysema, tuberculosis, and allergies. Smokers are urged to quit smoking to benefit their own health, and the health of others.

Across Thailand, anti-smoking groups and school held campaigns marking the World No Tobacco Day. High school students joined a march on the streets, sending out message to the public about the threats of smoking.

Meanwhile in the far south in Yala Province, over 1,200 students wearing white took part in a morning exercise as a symbolic anti-smoking campaign.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 00:18:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BAGHDAD, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim on Friday confirmed his country's clear stance to oppose war and escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran.

The position of Iraq is clear on the current crisis between the United States and Iran, which is calmness and prevention of war in our region, al-Hakim said in a statement.

The Iraqi chief of diplomacy also said Iraq's position is consistent with the recent remarks made by the U.S. President Donald Trump about the "lack of intention to launch any war," the statement said.

On Thursday, Trump was quoted by the U.S. ABC news as saying that the Iranian economy suffers from U.S. sanctions and that Iran has become a weak state, adding "we are ready to negotiate with Iran if it wants to."

Al-Hakim's statement welcomed Trump's recent comments saying "Iraq considers the recent statements by President Trump an important and a step in the right direction to calm the situation in the region," according to the statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 00:18:54|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians held nationwide rallies in support of the Palestinians to mark the al-Quds Day on Friday.

The participants chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and carried banners reading "al-Quds is the eternal capital of Palestine" and "No to the (U.S.-devised) Deal of the Century."

They burned Israeli flags and an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump.

At the end of rallies in Iran, the participants issued a statement in solidarity with Palestinians and urged the international organizations to stop Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and its "atrocities" against the Palestinians.

"Liberation of the al-Quds and all other Palestinian territories from the Zionist (Israel) occupation is the main goal of the Islamic world," the statement said.

"The only way to settle the issue of Palestine is to press ahead with resistance, to allow for the return of all displaced Palestinians from around the world to their motherland, and to hold a free referendum to decide the fate of their country," it said.

Besides, the so-called U.S. peace plan of the "Deal of the Century" concerning Israel-Palestine disputes was slammed in the statement.

The U.S. peace plan only "secures the interests of Israel," it said.

On Friday, senior Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani and the Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, joined the rallies.

"Palestinians will definitely emerge victorious in confrontation with the Zionist aggressors," Rouhani said on Friday.

"The issue of Deal of the Century will undoubtedly turn into the bankruptcy of the century and will certainly not yield results," Rouhani told reporters as he attended the al-Quds Day rallies in Tehran.

"The plots that the global arrogance and aggressors have hatched against Palestine and al-Quds will get nowhere," he said, adding that "we have no doubts that ultimate victory will be for justice and for Palestine."

Rouhani also said that the U.S. move to recognize the city of al-Quds as the capital of Israel has not won support from the international community.

In the past days, Iranian authorities urged Muslims worldwide to hold massive rallies on Friday to mark the al-Quds Day in support of the Palestinians.

Al-Quds Day is an annual event observed on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Iran and several Arab countries to support the Palestinian cause.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 00:29:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

SINGAPORE, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held talks here with U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan prior to the opening of the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue on Friday, and the atmosphere was "positive and constructive", said Wu Qian, spokesperson of the Chinese defense ministry.

This was the Chinese minister's first talks with Shanahan as U.S. acting defense secretary, and the two discussed Sino-U.S. military relationship, the Korean Peninsula issue and other affairs of joint concern "in a frank and friendly manner," and they have reached some consensus, Wu said.

"Both sides agreed that it's very important to maintain a stable Sino-U.S. military relationship," Wu said. "The two militaries should implement the consensus reached between the two heads of states, deepen exchanges and cooperation, contain divergence and risks, so as to make the relationship the stabilizer of bilateral relations," he elaborated.

On Taiwan-related issues, the Chinese minister pointed out that the United States has recently taken a series of negative actions, and the Chinese side strongly objects them. "On the matter of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the U.S. side should never underestimate the resolve, determination and capability of the Chinese military," Wu quoted the minister as saying.

Both sides agreed to jointly push forward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and safeguard the peace and stability of the region, he added.

Wei and Shanahan are here to attend the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue, also called the Asia Security Summit, and they will each deliver a speech at the plenary sessions on Saturday and Sunday.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 01:54:31|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

ADEN, Yemen, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to Yemen's government launched heavy artillery attacks against several Houthi-controlled sites in the southern province of Dhalea on Friday, a military official told Xinhua.

The military official who preferred to be unnamed said that the government forces supported by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition stepped up their bombardment against several positions controlled by the Houthi rebels in the northwestern parts of Dhalea province.

He confirmed that significant military gains were made by the government forces on ground after recapturing three villages from the Houthis' control during earlier battles.

"The government forces advanced on-ground and now positioned in key border areas linking Dhalea with the Houthi-controlled province of Ibb in the country's center," he said.

Other military sources said that the advance came after a series of airstrikes launched by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition against the Houthi-controlled sites in Dhalea.

Houthis suffered heavy losses as a result of the intensified aerial bombardment carried out by Saudi-led warplanes, according to the local sources.

On Thursday, a senior commander of Yemen's pro-government forces along with two other officers were killed during armed confrontations with the Houthi rebels in Dhalea.

The Houthis fired mortar shells which landed on a military position and resulted in the killing of Saif Suqra, commander of the first pro-government army brigade on the province and two of his assistant officers, local sources said.

Both warring sides continued to mobilize large numbers of fighters to the frontlines in Dhalea amid armed confrontations which have lasted for weeks in the government-controlled province.

The areas in the north and west of Dhalea have witnessed continuous fighting between government forces and Houthi fighters for four years.

Yemen has been plagued by a civil war since late 2014 after Houthi rebels revolted and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 02:19:46|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

OSLO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Norway's Mowi, the world's largest producer of Atlantic salmon, will sell salmon to the Chinese market through China's e-commerce giant JD.com, online newspaper E24 reported Friday.

Mowi, formerly known as Marine Harvest, will sell four different salmon products via the website from their newly established factory in Shanghai, the first in Chinese mainland, the company said in a press release.

"As we now increase our presence in the promising Chinese market, we are confident that JD's understanding of Chinese consumers and good logistics networks will make them the perfect partner for us," Emily Zhang from Mowi China was quoted as saying.

According to JD, salmon is the most popular fish that is sold on its website and sales of salmon doubled in 2018.

The Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries has expected that Norway's seafood exports to China will have much higher growth in the coming years, E24 reported.

So far this year, Norway's seafood export to China has reached 1.3 billion Norwegian kroner (148 million U.S. dollars), up 41 percent from the same period last year, according to the Norwegian ministry.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 02:34:55|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BERLIN, May 31 (Xinhua) -- In the latest U.S. threat to Germany over use of Huawei 5G technology, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a warning on Friday, saying that it was risky to allow the Chinese telecom firm to build infrastructure for 5G high-speed data networks.

Pompeo also repeated a veiled threat that the U.S. might decline to share intelligence with countries that are potentially compromised due to their use of networks based on Chinese technology, German news agency DPA reported.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, however, expressed different views, saying that Germany had "high security standards".

Any company found not to comply with these standards would be excluded from bidding to build Germany's 5G network, Maas said, without naming Huawei.

Over the months, the United States had fabricated a series of topics to influence the public to believe Huawei has security problems, in order to suppress Huawei.

Though accusing Huawei of being able to use its network equipment to spy on foreign nations for the Chinese government, the U.S. government has not produced any hard evidence to support its accusation.

However, innocent victims in the global chains of the telecom industry would bear the consequences.

The German and U.S. top diplomats also showed different views on the landmark Iran nuclear deal, in another sign of escalating trans-Atlantic tensions over trade and security.

Maas said that Germany had "the same goals" but "different approaches" from the U.S., DPA reported. Both wanted to deter Iran from the acquisition of nuclear weapons and expect Tehran to answer questions about its ballistic missile program.

"We agree that we must prevent Iran from seizing nuclear weapons. It is also no secret that we have different views on how to get there," Maas said.

Germany is trying to rescue the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal -- which aimed to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons -- while the U.S., no longer a party to the agreement, is putting pressure on Tehran through economic sanctions.

Pompeo also met German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said the United States "is and remains our closest partner".

Relations between Germany and the U.S. have not been free of tensions lately. On Thursday evening at the U.S. elite university Harvard in Cambridge, Merkel had sharply distinguished herself from nationalist and protectionist policies.

"More than ever we have to think and act multilaterally instead of unilaterally," Merkel said. She received standing ovations for demanding that people should not "describe lies as truth and truth as lies".
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 02:44:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said Friday that the number of people who have fled their homes because of the fighting in Libya's capital Tripoli over the past two months has surpassed 90,000.

This week alone saw 8,000 people displaced, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, citing the UN Migration Agency. Half of them were believed to be children, Haq added.

"Aid workers continue to provide assistance to the internally displaced and to other vulnerable people impacted by the hostilities, with more than 47,000 people in Tripoli and surrounding areas having received help to date," Haq told a briefing.

Food, water and other essential items are being supplied to newly displaced families while psycho-social support is being provided to conflict-affected children, he said.

The conflict began when the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army began its advance on the UN-recognized government in Tripoli on April 4.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 03:25:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

KUWAIT CITY, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait will chair on Saturday the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the third time in its history during its 2018-19 non-permanent seat term, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said on Friday.

It is an honor for Kuwait to preside over the UNSC proceedings, which reflects the important status of Kuwaiti diplomacy, KUNA quoted Kuwait's Permanent Representative to the UN Mansour Al Otaibi as saying.

Kuwait based its foreign policy on balance and moderation in support of the UNSC mission to maintain peace and security, KUNA said.

With regard to the June meetings, Al Otaibi revealed that the schedule for the UNSC would be packed with important issues concerning the international community.

In 1979, Kuwait chaired the UNSC for the first time in its history during its first tenure as a non-permanent member in 1978-79.

On June 2, 2018 the UN General Assembly elected Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Kuwait, Poland and Peru as non-permanent members of the UNSC to serve a two-year term starting Jan. 1, 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 03:30:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

by Xinhua writers Tan Jingjing, Gao Shan

LOS ANGELES, May 31 (Xinhua) -- "In a dark theater called the Cineramadome in late 1976, my late mom, brother and myself looked up at the movie screen and were immediately mesmerized by the music and the ominous scope of this black outer space image freckled with stars... For us, it was more than spectacular," a "Star Wars" fan first-named Randall tweeted.

Now, almost 43 years later, Randall is thrilled to experience, together with his family, being inside the world of this remarkable movie franchise at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

"Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge", the largest and most technologically advanced single-themed land expansion ever in a Disney park, is officially open to the public on Friday.

Spanning more than 14 acres (56,656 square meters), the new land is not only the park's hottest new attraction, but also a wildly immersive experience, an extension of the iconic Star Wars franchise.

Another Star Wars land at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will be launched on Aug. 29.

"Now, for the first time, fans will be able to immerse themselves in the iconic stories that have captured audiences' imaginations for decades and live their own Star Wars adventures in the most creative, innovative and ambitious land we've ever built," said Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

In an epic ceremony to unveil the land on Wednesday night, Iger was joined by Star Wars icons including George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams in front of the Millennium Falcon, a fictional starship in the Star Wars franchise.

Lucas created the Star Wars movie franchise in 1977. Since then, it has attracted legions of fans with 10 live-action movies and three animated TV series.

Development of the Star Wars land started in 2014. It features the anchor attraction, Millennium Falcon, a fictional starship in the Star Wars franchise, as well as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which is scheduled to open by the end of this year.

The land offers visitors the chance to step into the Millennium Falcon's cockpit and control a simulated flight.

Visitors could also drink blue milk, eat space meat roasted by a spare pod-racing engine, and have a drink at an outer-space cantina.

Expectations ran high from generations of fans, many of whom have waited 40 years since the original film to visit a real-world version of the galaxy far, far away.

"It is an amazing experience. It is all about open, joy, optimism and all that could happen," said Paul Kenline, who is visiting from Colorado together with his whole family.

"Star Wars is the first movie my father took me to when I was a little boy. Now I'm so glad to share with my kids for years," he told Xinhua.

The new land offers unique opportunity to interact with all the characters and settings in the movie, he added.

"Thank you for making the galaxy not so distant anymore for all of us to share and enjoy! Batuu, here we come...," tweeted a fan at Disney Parks blog.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 03:45:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BAGHDAD, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi government agreed with the U.S. Exxon Mobil oil company to return its foreign staff to Iraq's southern West Qurna 1 oilfield, an Iraqi oil official said on Friday.

A statement by Ihsan Abdul Jabbar, director general of Basra Oil Company, said that "after a meeting between the Iraqi Oil Minister Thamir al-Ghadhban and the administration of Exxon Mobil company, the company will start the return of its staff to their offices in Basra on next Sunday."

The agreement between the two sides came after the U.S. Exxon Mobil oil company on May 17 evacuated all its foreign workers out of West Qurna 1 oilfield in Iraq's southern province of Basra.

The company's staff were moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and some to the company's main headquarters in Basra.

Later, al-Ghadhban said the Exxon Mobil's evacuation "is unacceptable and unjustified because other international companies are working freely and safely in developing the oilfields."

However, the oil production of West Qurna 1 oilfield was not affected by the evacuation as the work was continued by the Iraqi engineers, according to media reports.

The evacuation came amid the tense situation in the region after U.S. President Donald Trump decided not to re-issue the sanctions waivers for major importers to continue buying Iran's oil when they expired in early May.

The United States has also increased its military activities in the region recently, citing a threat of Iranian "attack."
Millennium Falcon, Smugglers Run ride, is seen in the new "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, the United States, on May 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

by Xinhua writers Tan Jingjing, Gao Shan

LOS ANGELES, May 31 (Xinhua) -- "In a dark theater called the Cineramadome in late 1976, my late mom, brother and myself looked up at the movie screen and were immediately mesmerized by the music and the ominous scope of this black outer space image freckled with stars... For us, it was more than spectacular," a "Star Wars" fan first-named Randall tweeted.

Now, almost 43 years later, Randall is thrilled to experience, together with his family, being inside the world of this remarkable movie franchise at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

"Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge", the largest and most technologically advanced single-themed land expansion ever in a Disney park, is officially open to the public on Friday.

Photo taken on May 28, 2019 shows a view of "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, the United States. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

Spanning more than 14 acres (56,656 square meters), the new land is not only the park's hottest new attraction, but also a wildly immersive experience, an extension of the iconic Star Wars franchise.

Another Star Wars land at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will be launched on Aug. 29.

"Now, for the first time, fans will be able to immerse themselves in the iconic stories that have captured audiences' imaginations for decades and live their own Star Wars adventures in the most creative, innovative and ambitious land we've ever built," said Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride, is seen in the new "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, the United States, on May 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

In an epic ceremony to unveil the land on Wednesday night, Iger was joined by Star Wars icons including George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams in front of the Millennium Falcon, a fictional starship in the Star Wars franchise.

Lucas created the Star Wars movie franchise in 1977. Since then, it has attracted legions of fans with 10 live-action movies and three animated TV series.

Development of the Star Wars land started in 2014. It features the anchor attraction, Millennium Falcon, a fictional starship in the Star Wars franchise, as well as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which is scheduled to open by the end of this year.

The land offers visitors the chance to step into the Millennium Falcon's cockpit and control a simulated flight.

Visitors could also drink blue milk, eat space meat roasted by a spare pod-racing engine, and have a drink at an outer-space cantina.

Expectations ran high from generations of fans, many of whom have waited 40 years since the original film to visit a real-world version of the galaxy far, far away.

"It is an amazing experience. It is all about open, joy, optimism and all that could happen," said Paul Kenline, who is visiting from Colorado together with his whole family.

Photo taken on May 28, 2019 shows a view of "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, the United States. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

"Star Wars is the first movie my father took me to when I was a little boy. Now I'm so glad to share with my kids for years," he told Xinhua.

The new land offers unique opportunity to interact with all the characters and settings in the movie, he added.

"Thank you for making the galaxy not so distant anymore for all of us to share and enjoy! Batuu, here we come...," tweeted a fan at Disney Parks blog.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump visits the U.S.-Mexico border in Calexico California, U.S., April 5, 2019. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer opposed President Donald Trump's plan to impose additional tariffs on Mexican goods, U.S. media reported Friday.

The surprise decision, which was not supported by the two senior officials, was spearheaded by the president's senior adviser Stephen Miller, known for his hardline immigration stance, the CNBC reported, citing a source close to the White House.

Trump said on Thursday he would impose a 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods beginning June 10 so as to pressure the country to halt undocumented migrants crossing the border, and will gradually increase tariffs until the problem is remedied, a move that worries many.

Lighthizer argued that the announced tariffs on Mexico could jeopardize the ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a proposed replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that is already facing a bumpy road in the Democrat-controlled House, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited people familiar with the situation as saying.

"Lighthizer is not happy," an administration official told the WSJ.

"Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move. These tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border," said Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"Instead, Congress and the president need to work together to address the serious problems at the border," Bradley said in a statement Thursday following the president's announcement.

Republican senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, also blasted the president's decision. "Trade policy and border security are separate issues. This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent," Grassley said.

"Following through on this threat would seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA, a central campaign pledge of President Trump's and what could be a big victory for the country," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, the White House sent a draft of "Statement of Administrative Action" to Congress, clearing the way for the administration to submit an enforcement bill to Congress after 30 days, which in turn starts a 90-day clock for an up-or-down vote on the trade deal.

If the tariff comes to pass, Mexico "should respond in a forceful way," said Jesus Seade, the trade negotiator for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on Thursday.

Despite wide-ranging objections, President Trump continued to defend his plan. "Mexico makes a fortune from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!" the president said in a tweet Friday.

"The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!" he said in another tweet.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 05:21:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Multiple people were injured in a shooting on Friday at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center in the eastern U.S. state of Virginia, authorities said.

Virginia Beach police tweeted that it is believed there's only one shooter, and the suspect has been taken into custody.

There's no detail on the extent of the victims' injuries at this time. The police warned the public to avoid the municipal center area.

An employee who works in the building told local media WAVY that he and several other people were able to safely leave the building after reports of an active shooter. He said he found a woman inside a stairwell covered in blood.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 06:11:37|Editor: Shi Yinglun

Video Player Close

NEW YORK, May 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to slap sweeping tariffs on Mexican imports has drawn wide opposition and criticism, even from his close aides, as many fear the new tariffs, instead of a silver bullet to immigration problems, will end up with higher commodity prices for U.S. consumers and jeopardize the passage of a trade deal between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Trump said on Thursday he would impose a 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods beginning June 10 so as to pressure the country to halt undocumented migrants crossing the border, and will gradually increase tariffs until the problem is remedied.

WRONG CONFLATION OF TRADE AND BORDER

Objections to Trump's use of tariffs are swift and wide-ranging.

"Trade policy and border security are separate issues. This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent," said Republican senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

"Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move. These tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border," said Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Trump's surprise decision is said to have unnerved his close aides. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer did not support the levy of tariffs on Mexico, according to CNBC, which also disclosed that the move is spearheaded by the president's senior adviser Stephen Miller, known for his hardline immigration stance.

"Lighthizer is not happy," an administration official told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Filemon Vela, U.S. Congressman from southern Texas, called Trump's tariff plan "erratic and nonsensical," saying in a statement that the decision is to "turn one problem into another."

Among U.S. states, Texas has the longest stretch of the border with Mexico. Sharing about 2,000-km border with Texas, Mexico is the state's largest trading partner. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Texas imported around 107 billion U.S. dollars of goods from Mexico last year, representing 35 percent of the state's total import.

Experts believed Trump's surprise plan to levy tariffs on all goods imported to the United States from Mexico would strike a hammer blow to Texas, threatening the state's economy and causing financial pain for the state's businesses and consumers.

Stephanie Leutert, director of Mexico Security Initiative at University of Texas at Austin, tweeted "Beyond this being terrible policy, it's ridiculous to think that Mexico could stop migration."

She also warned American consumers of rising prices of commodities, retweeting that "Dear America, get ready to pay more for pretty much everything until Mexico solves a problem that no country in the world has ever been able to fix."

USMCA TRADE DEAL IN QUESTION

At a time when the Trump administration is pushing for congressional approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a proposed replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), such a tariff threat is believed to hamper the ratification of the new trade deal as it needs to pass in the three nations' respective legislatures.

Lighthizer argued that the announced tariffs on Mexico could jeopardize the ratification of the USMCA which is already facing a bumpy road in the Democrat-controlled House, The WSJ cited people familiar with the situation as saying.

"Following through on this threat would seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA, a central campaign pledge of President Trump's and what could be a big victory for the country," senator Grassley said.

Earlier on Thursday, the White House sent a draft of "Statement of Administrative Action" to Congress, clearing the way for the administration to submit an enforcement bill to Congress after 30 days, which in turn starts a 90-day clock for an up-or-down vote on the trade deal.

If the tariff comes to pass, Mexico "should respond in a forceful way," said Jesus Seade, the trade negotiator for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, on Thursday.

In an opinion piece carried by the Forbes magazine's website on Friday, author Phil Levy argued Trump's latest tariffs against Mexico violated the recently-negotiated USMCA, and showed that "President Trump is unwilling to honor trade agreements and will repeatedly turn to tariffs to resolve an unending list of grievances."

Levy said that there is "astonishingly little policy coordination within the administration, leading to incoherent actions." He added that the tariff threat against Mexico "demonstrates that the (USMCA) deal does nothing to limit protection between the countries and kills the possibility of cooperation with Mexico."

The newly announced tariffs are also expected to particularly harm the U.S. automobile sector, one of the major concerns in USMCA. The American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC), a Washington-based group representing U.S. automakers such as Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, said the USMCA "relies on duty free access to be successful."

The imposition of tariffs against Mexico, the AAPC said, will undermine the USMCA's "positive impact and would impose significant cost on the U.S. auto industry."

Automobiles worth a total of 52.6 billion U.S. dollars were shipped to the United States from Mexico in 2018, and another 32.5 billion dollars in auto parts entered the U.S. market from Mexico during the same period, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

"Instead, Congress and the president need to work together to address the serious problems at the border," Bradley from U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in a statement Thursday following the president's announcement.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 06:36:45|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory message on the opening of the 14th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in the Saudi city of Mecca.

Xi said in his message that the OIC is a symbol of unity for the Islamic countries and he highly appreciates the contributions the OIC has made to promoting cooperation among the Islamic countries since its establishment 50 years ago.

China and the Islamic countries have enjoyed traditionally friendly ties, profound friendship as well as mutual support and sincere cooperation, Xi said.

China attaches great importance to the friendly relations with Islamic countries and looks to the OIC as an important bridge for cooperation between China and the Islamic world, he said.

Xi also said that China stands ready to work with the Islamic countries to enhance political mutual trust and promote practical cooperation and dialogue among civilizations, to jointly create a better future for the friendly ties between China and the Islamic world and contribute to advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 06:41:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

NEW YORK, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Oil prices plunged on Friday as U.S. administration's latest tariff threat on Mexico intensified concerns over energy trade and economic outlook.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for July delivery dipped 3.09 U.S. dollars to settle at 53.50 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude for July delivery was down 2.38 dollars to close at 64.49 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

The U.S. oil benchmark lost nearly 8.75 percent for the week and the Brent crude prices decreased more than 6 percent.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would impose a 5-percent tariff on all imported Mexican goods beginning June 10 so as to pressure the country to halt undocumented migrants crossing the border, and will gradually increase tariffs until the problem is remedied, a move that worries many.

Mexico is one of the largest U.S. trade partners and major supplier of crude oil.

Experts said the move could hit the longstanding lucrative cross-border energy trade, especially hitting U.S. refiners that use Mexican oil.

U.S. refiners import roughly 680,000 barrels per day of Mexican crude and the 5 percent tariff could add an extra 2 million dollars to the cost of their daily purchases, according to analysts at PVM Oil Associates.

The escalation of U.S.-Mexico trade tensions also heightened investors' fears of global economic slowdown, which may weaken demand for energy.

On the U.S. equities market, the S&P 500 energy sector fell 1.62 percent at the close, among the worst-performing groups in the index.

The oil prices have been pressured recently with global trade tensions and signs of slowing economy among the major headwinds.

Meanwhile, the market gained some support from the ongoing efforts of supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies.

OPEC and other major oil producers, including Russia, pledged in December to cut production by 1.2 million barrels per day in order to prop up prices, effective from this January.

Traders were also looking ahead to the next meeting by those countries to see whether their production pact will be extended, experts noted.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-01 06:51:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Video Player Close

BRATISLAVA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Slovak police on Friday had to shoot at a man who attacked a Financial Administration security guard with a knife and then endangered pedestrians on Obchodna shopping street, according to TASR's report.

The number of the injured in the shooting in the Bratislava Old Town reported by authorities rose to three, including a 15-year-old schoolgirl, the report said.
Petrolul, la putere si la Busteni

Ca la fiecare final de an, unul dintre iubitorii si sustinatorii sportului prahovean  Emanoil Savin  a organizat un meci al prieteniei, la Busteni, invitatii de anul acesta fiind reprezentantii echipei Petrolul Ploiesti, liderul esalonului secund. Claudiu Tudor, Laurentiu Marinescu, Mario Bratu si Valentin Ticu au jucat in echipa [citeste mai departe]
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-31 00:23:27|Editor: Liangyu

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Huajian, a Chinese shoe producing company signed an agreement on Thursday to manage and operate Ethiopia's Jimma Industrial Park (JIP).

The agreement signed between Zhang Huarong, President of Huajian Group and Lelise Neme, CEO of Ethiopia Industry Park Development Corporation will see Huajian invest up to 100 million U.S. dollars to construct shoe manufacturing plants and coffee processing plants.

Jimma city and its surroundings, which are known as the major source of Ethiopia's major export commodity coffee, are considered as an integral part of Ethiopia's recently improved export sector, in which the now-operational high-quality road infrastructure is expected to spur the chain of coffee trading in Ethiopia.

Zhang said Huajian has been investing in Ethiopia's budding manufacturing sector for the last eight years and the latest agreement aims to further boost the firm's business presence in Ethiopia.

"Huajian plans to persuade fellow Chinese firms to set up plant in Jimma Industrial Park, in addition to its own anticipated investment in the industrial park," he said.

"Huajian also plans to set up coffee processing plant in collaboration with other firms within the perimeters of JIP, with a view to eventually exporting coffee products to China," he said.

Zhang said the industrial and agricultural products produced in JIP won't be restricted to being sold in foreign markets, with the local consumer market also eyed as an additional market.

"Huajian has invested in Ethiopia for the long term, abiding by local rules and regulation, engaging in transparent business practices and is committed to helping Ethiopia achieve its export ambitions," he said.

Huajian entered Ethiopia's manufacturing industry in 2011, when Ethiopia's first 40-hectare Eastern Industrial Zone went operational with Chinese investment.

Huajian in August 2016 opened another factory in Ethiopia in its own industrial park on the outskirts of the capital. Its two factories jointly provide direct jobs to more than 7,000 Ethiopians.

Every year in the two factories, about 5 million pairs of shoes labeled "Made in Ethiopia" are shipped to the United States and European markets, fetching some 31 million U.S. dollars for the East African nation in foreign exchange earnings in 2017.

Neme said the agreement with Huajian Group to manage and operate JIP, is expected to create up to 15,000 jobs for the locals.

"The beginning of operations of JIP in general is expected to boost economic activities in western Ethiopia, significantly boosting Ethiopia's already growing economy," said Neme.

The Ethiopia Industry Park Development Corporation currently manages 12 industrial parks, out of which seven including Jimma Industrial Park are currently operational.

Jimma Industrial Park, built by China Communications Construction Company was inaugurated in December 2018 by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Stretched on 75 hectares of land, with an ambition to attract foreign investors in Ethiopia's agro-processing sector, the industry park hosts nine manufacturing sheds.

The construction of industrial parks are part of the Ethiopian government's grand plan to transform the country's largely agrarian economy into an industrialized one by 2025.
The court requested that the Bank provide documents on refinancing loans for 17 years

The Economic Court of Kyiv rescheduled the hearing of the case on the lawsuit of former shareholder of the PrivatBank Ihor Kolomoysky against the National Bank of Ukraine and PrivatBank on June 7, as the UNN reported.

Today, the court decided to postpone the hearing until June 7. Earlier, the court requested that the National Bank provide documents on refinancing loans from 2000 to 2017 - for 17 years. Since the documents with this information require more time, the court session has now been postponed for 7 days, the National Bank reported.

According to the report, the court was supposed to consider a claim for the invalidation of five loan refinancing agreements and five personal guarantee agreements with the National Bank for these loan agreements at the hearing.

The workers of the National Bank of Ukraine are working on gathering the required documents by the court.

Earlier, nationalized PrivatBank filed a lawsuit against its ex-owner Ihor Kolomoysky; it will be considered by the Court of Chancery of Denver in the U.S.

As it was reported earlier, the court merged five Kolomoyskys lawsuits against Ukraine's National Bank.

The Prosecutor General Office launched an investigation on alleged pressure put by President Poroshenko on judges of PrivatBank case.

On April 18, Kyiv-based court ruled that the nationalization of Privatbank in late 2017 was 'conducted with multiple law breaches.' The court, thus, granted the motion by Ihor Kolomoysky, the oligarch who appealed against the nationalization of the bank he had owned.

District Administrative Court of Kyiv granted the claim of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoysky against the National Bank of Ukraine and Ukraines Government on nationalization of PrivatBank.
On May 30, an agreement on the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) came into effect

On May 30, an agreement on the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) came into effect.

Analysts say that this is the world largest FTZ after the creation of the WTO in 1995! In all, AfCFTA covers 52 African countries out of 55 member states of the African Union. It was this continental integration organization that mediated in the negotiation process, which ended with the signing on March 21, 2018, of the agreement in Kigali (Rwanda).

The document provides for the abolition of 90% of customs tariffs and will ensure the free movement of goods on the continent. Procedurally, the agreement enters into force 30 days after its ratification by 22 signatory states. The initiative to create an AfCFTA as a concept appeared in 2012, and work on the text of the agreement was started in 2015. The creation clause of AfCFTA is a fundamental point of the Agenda 2063 strategy developed by the African Union.

On April 29, 2019, the Sahara Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) became the 22nd country that ratified the AfCFTA, having transferred its instruments of ratification (accordingly, when the 30 days expired, the document entered into force). The next step will be the operational phase of the implementation of the agreement, which will begin on July 7, 2019 - after the first semi-annual coordination meeting of the African Union and regional economic communities are held in Niamey (Republic of Niger).

The African Union aims to create a continental-wide market with 1.2 billion consumers and a turnover of 2.5 trillion dollars. According to estimates by the African Export-Import Bank, inter-African trade as of 2019 represents only 15% of the total trade volume of African countries.

For comparison: this indicator in Latin America reaches 20%, and in the Asian region - 52%. If AfCFTA works, inter-African trade from 20202030. will double, by 30%. AfCFTA is the first step on this path. The participants still need to agree on a number of issues for the transaction to work fully. Firstly, these are procedural issues: the mechanisms of arbitration, confirmation of the origin of products, anti-corruption measures, improvement of the existing infrastructure (combating the idleness of goods in ports). Second, Benin, Nigeria, and Eritrea remain outside the AfCFTA.

If, however, Nigeria joins the pan-African FTA, then, according to UN experts, the volume of inter-African trade in 5 years after that will increase by 50%. The re-elected President of Nigeria, Muhammad Bukhari, is actively exploring the arguments for revising the Nigerian policy on AfCFTA.

Against the background of Brexit, the US-China trade war, tensions in trade relations in the US-EU-Japan triangle, African countries have a unique chance to become successful in their mega-trading project. Accordingly, Ukraine must finally pay more attention to this issue and prepare to expand its presence in African markets.

A step in this direction should be not only dialogue at the bilateral level, but also the intensification of Ukraines relations with the African Union and sub-regional African economic blocs, such as ECOWAS, EAC, IGAD, SADC, and ECCAS.

Read the original text at 112.ua.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or 112.International and its owners.
On May 25, the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ordered Russia to release and repatriate to Ukraine all 24 sailors and three naval vessels, seized through military force off Crimeas coast exactly six months earlier

Kerch Strait Unian

On May 25, the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ordered Russia to release and repatriate to Ukraine all 24 sailors and three naval vessels, seized through military force off Crimeas coast exactly six months earlier (see EDM, November 26, 2018), in the Kerch incident with world-wide reverberations. The ITLOS decision (Itlos.org, May 25, 2019) represents a significant success for Ukraine and for international law. But it is only an initial step in a litigation that Russia has the power to drag out indefinitely or (less likely) to block outright.

Russia does not recognize any jurisdiction other than its own in the Kerch Strait, nor in nearby areas of the Black Sea that are legally Ukrainian but taken over by Russia following its seizure of Crimea. In a show of defiance, the Moscow City Court promptly ruled to prolong the detention of the 24 Ukrainian sailors by another two months, pending further investigation and trial (TASS, May 27), although ITLOS had prescribed that the trial be suspended and the sailors allowed to return to Ukraine immediately. The sailors are charged, under Russias criminal code, with aggravated illegal crossing of Russias maritime state border, although no country but Russia recognizes such a border.

Moscow based its actions, at sea and in court, on two purely unilateral constructions of the legal status of the Kerch Strait. First, that this Strait is no longer a shared waterway of Ukraine and Russia (as per their 2003 bilateral treaty) but has become a Russian internal waterway since 2014 as a result of Russias seizure of Crimea. And second, that the Kerch Strait was and is excluded from the purview of international maritime laws and regulations (see EDM, December 3, 5, 10 [1][2], 2018).

Kyiv is litigating this case on the basis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Ukraines government seeks, in the short term, to free the Ukrainian sailors from unlawful detention and, in the longer term, to establish a legal title to free passage through the Kerch Strait for commercial and naval vessels (Ukrainian and international). Accordingly, Kyiv has framed the case as a dispute between Ukraine and Russia over the interpretation and application of UNCLOS articles that accord full immunity to warships and their crews conducting innocent passage. Ukraine has not raised the issue of Russias unlawful use of military force. Instead, Ukraine is disputing Russias unlawful exercise of jurisdiction.

Ukraine launched this litigation on March 31, 2019, by instituting arbitral proceedings within that Conventions framework. Kyiv argued that Russia had violated several UNCLOS articles that obligate Russia to accord foreign naval vessels and crews (Ukrainian in the case at hand) complete immunity for innocent passage. Accordingly, Ukraine demanded the release and return of its sailors and vessels from Russia, sought pledges of non-repetition by Russia of such incidents at sea, and claimed full reparation of the damages caused in this incident.

Instituting arbitral proceedings under UNCLOS is a move that should normally lead to an arbitral tribunal being constituted for this specific case. Pending the tribunals empaneling (which might take time or be disputed), UNCLOS allows the claimant to request the Hamburg-based ITLOS to prescribe certain provisional measures, so as to protect the claimant from incurring further damage to its rights and interests during that interim period. Indeed, Russia contended that an arbitral tribunal would not have jurisdiction to rule on Ukraines claim. Ukraine, therefore, applied, on April 16, to ITLOS to consider and prescribe provisional measures for Russia to carry out, namely: to suspend the criminal proceedings against the 24 Ukrainian sailors, allow them to return to Ukraine, and return the three vessels to Ukraine. The remaining elements of Ukraines claim (see above)namely, pledges of non-repetition of incidents at sea (which seems to be the core of Ukraines claim) and the reparationwould subsequently be referred to the arbitral tribunal for adjudication (Itlos.org, May 25).

Russia challenged the tribunals jurisdiction and did not attend the court proceedings in Hamburg. Nevertheless, Russia did submit detailed information and arguments in written form, duly commented upon by the tribunal. The latter defined Russias status in this case as a non-appearing party to the proceedings.

ITLOS issued a set of four decisions (prescriptions) on May 25, each of them being adopted by a vote of 19 to 1 on the panel of 20 judges. The dissenting vote came each time from the Russian judge. Pending a decision by the arbitral tribunal that should be constituted for definitive adjudication of Ukraines comprehensive claim (see above), ITLOS has prescribed for Russia to immediately release the 24 detained Ukrainian sailors and allow them to return to Ukraine, and to immediately release the three naval vessels and return them to Ukraine. Further, it has prescribed to both Russia and Ukraine to refrain from any action that might aggravate or extend the dispute, until the arbitral tribunal is constituted for final adjudication, as well as to report on compliance with these prescriptions (a point, however, that basically concerns Russia releasing the sailors and vessels) (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Case Concerning the Detention of Three Ukrainian Vessels; Ukraine v. Russian Federation, May 25).

These decisions do not meet two secondary requests from Ukraine: that Russia suspend the criminal proceedings against the Ukrainian sailors and that it refrain from initiating new proceedings against them. These items would matter little if Russia releases the sailors; but Russia is not about to do so.

On the diplomatic front, meanwhile, German-led attempts to introduce some kind of an international civilian presence in the Kerch Strait have foundered on Russias rejection. Berlins attempts were serious but short-lived in December 2018January 2019. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Affairs Minister Heiko Maas proposed, first, expanding the mandate of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (OSCE SMM) to cover the Kerch Strait and Azov Sea as well. Next they proposed a joint German-French observer mission. After that, they proposed sporadic German-French inspections (rather than a presence), this time without covering the Azov Sea. And they also proposed discussing a mandate for such a mission in the Normandy format (Russia, Germany, France, Ukraine). Every one of these proposals would have conceded veto powers to Russia in terms of the missions mandate and operation. Yet, Moscow turned all these proposals down, and Berlin soon abandoned that approach (see EDM, December 13, 2018; January 21, 2019; January, 22, 2019).

Read the original text at The Jamestown Foundation.
DPRK leader Kim Jong-un ordered to shoot the officials at Mirim Airport, to the south of Pyongyang

Open source

The diplomats from Northern Korea were executed due to failure of the second summit between DPRK leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump on February 2019, as the Chosun Ilbo reports.

According to the report, DPRK Special Representative for the USA Kim Hyok-chol and four more senior diplomats were sentenced to execution.

Kim Yong-chol was sent to hard labor, while Kim Song-hye of the United Front Department was sent to a political prison camp. Kim Jong-un's interpreter at the summit, Shin Hye-yong, was accused of "tarnishing the authority" of the leader for an interpreting error and is also believed to have been sent to a prison camp, the report said.

According to the report, DPRK leader Kim Jong-un ordered to shoot diplomats on charges of spying for America at Mirim Airport at the south of Pyongyang in March.



Trump and Kim have met twice, in Hanoi in February and Singapore in June, building goodwill but failing to agree on a deal to lift sanctions in exchange for North Korea abandoning its nuclear and missile programs.

Trump later issued a statement on Twitter that underscored the strength of his personal relationship with Kim and pointed to what he called North Koreas tremendous potential for economic success, once the issue of Pyongyangs weapons programs has been resolved.

In his speech, the North Korean leader said the outcome in Hanoi led him to question the strategy he embraced last year of international engagement and talks with the United States.
Ex-president of Georgia expressed hope that the representatives of the team of the previous president will be held accountable before the law

Former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili Open source

Ex-president of Georgia and ex-Head of Odesa Regional State Administration Mikheil Saakashvili stated that he returned not to revenge but to help new President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky as 1+1 TV channel reported.

My plan is to help team of Zelensky with everything - my advice and experience, because the success of this president is the success of the whole country, Saakashvili noted.

He also expressed hope that the representatives of the team of the previous president will be held accountable before the law.

The people, who lied, stole stuff during all this time and made the country lose five years straight... they should be responsible and I will be very pleased when they response the way people in Brazil and South Korea, the politician said.

He emphasized that revenge and punishment are not his functions, and his best skill was 'building'.

On May 28, Mikheil Saakashvili got his Ukrainian citizenship - again. This is mentioned in the decree of President Volodymyr Zelensky who reinstated the citizenship of the former Georgian president.

On May 29, Saakashvili returned to Ukraine.

On July 26, 2017, President Petro Poroshenko, by his decree, ceased Ukrainian citizenship of Saakashvili. On January 29, the Supreme Court began to consider the legality of this decision. On February 12, 2018, the border guards expelled the ex-president of Georgia from Ukraine to Poland as part of the readmission procedure.
Over 7.5 million Euros were allocated for the renewal of the cultural heritage as well as theater and music programs of the highest level

Hungarian government allocated over 7.5 million Euros for the program of the support of the Hungarian culture in Zakarpattia region as Mukachevo.net reported citing Istvan Grezsa, the Minister for Cooperation Development between Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg County and Zakarpattia region.

Grezsa called this program Hungarian cultural expansion. It is about the renewal of the building of the cultural heritage ,as well as theater and music programs of the highest level.

We plan to bring big events and plays to Zakarpattia but only of high artistic standard and it is impossible very often at not-equipped and forgotten large houses of culture, Grezsa noted.

The first stage of this program is the reconstruction of the Hungarian national theater in Beregovo, where the culture center named after Sari Fedak will be located in the autumn. The support of the culture establishments all over Zakarpattia is planned next.

The reconstruction of the culture houses in Shalanky and Pyiterfolvo is planned. The main part of the program will begin in 2020 and it will last for two years.

Director-General of the National Theater of Hungary Attila Vidnyansky said that his organization wants to play a leading role in this initiative.

Artistic Director of Hungarian State Folk Dancers Istvan Pal Szalonna, Director-Generl of Operetta Theatre of Budapest Attila Kisz and Director of the Hungarian Philharmonic Sabolc Samoshi.

Istvan Grezsa noted that all people of Zakarpattia will be able to show the versatility of their culture to the Hungarians. He added: If this model in Zakarpattia works; it will be spread to other abroad Hungarian communities.

According to him, the Hungarian government is ready to support not only Hungarians of Zakarpattia but also representatives of all nationalities in Zakarpattia in accordance with their offers approved by the government.

As we reported Hungarys MFA informed that they hope President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky will resolve the problematic issues.

Earlier Hungary called the law on the Ukrainian language adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on April 25 unacceptable.
There were 35 people in the passenger ship; seven of them were rescued, seven deceased; another 21 people are missing

Viking boat sank in Danube River Hungarian police

A 64-year-old citizen of Ukraine from Odesa who was a captain of the ship that sank in Danube River, was detained by Hungarian authorities over suspicion in negligence, which caused the deaths of people. This was reported on the website of the National Police of Hungary.

"The Mermaid boat with the tourists sunk in the evening on May 29 as a result of a collision with another motor cruiser. The catastrophe occurred near Margaret Bridge, near the Hungarian Parliament building," the report said.

Hungarian police Viking boat sank in Danube River Hungarian police Viking boat sank in Danube River

According to the passenger list available to the authorities, 35 persons travelled on the sunken boat, 2 Hungarian citizens (being the crew of the boat) and 33 South Korean citizens. Following the accident, 7 persons were rescued from the river and 7 persons were found dead by the rescue forces, all being citizens of the Republic of Korea.

To investigate circumstances of the accident, a maritime specialist was called to the headquarters of the Budapest police. The investigators conducted a check, having collected the evidence. A 64-year-old resident of Odesa named Yuriy was arrested and questioned.

Hungarian police Viking boat sank in Danube River Hungarian police Viking boat sank in Danube River

The investigators continue searching for 21 people in the Danube River and its banks.

As it was reported earlier, a helicopter crew died in the crash in Rivne region on May 29. Flights have been banned in Rivne region, northern Ukraine; the reason is the tragedy that occurred there earlier on late May 29.
Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef.

One of the perennial debates among military historians and armchair generals revolves around Adolf Hitler's decision to directly control the disposition of the Panzer units in northern France in the period immediately preceding the Normandy landings.

The basic elements of the debate are well known. The question is, would a different deployment of the Panzer units have affected the outcome of D-Day? Specifically, had Hitler followed Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's plan to station the Panzer units forward along the coast, would the Germans have successfully repulsed the Allied landings in Normandy?

By the autumn of 1943, it was clear that the Allies were planning to invade Western Europe. The precise location, however, was still being debated. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had suggested southern France or Greece as possible landing sites. The U.S. was urging a landing in northern France, as that would offer the shortest route to Nazi Germany and the Ruhr, its industrial heartland. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, anxious for a second front, concurred. Eventually, Churchill agreed to support a landing in northern France.

In October, Hitler transferred Rommel and the staff of Army Group B from northern Italy to France. Rommel was put in charge of strengthening the Atlantic Wall, a series of fortifications that ran from Norway to the Pyrenees. Initially, Army Group B (15th Army and 7th Army) reported directly to Hitler. In January 1944, however, it was placed under the command of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, who was Commander in Chief West. Rundstedt also had Army Group G (1st and 19th Army), which was responsible for the defense of France south of the Loire.

RELATED: A Bodyguard of Lies: How the Allies Deceived Germany about D-Day

All of the armored forces in the west, however, were separate from Rundstedt's command. They were organized into Panzer Group West, under the command of Gen. Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg, and reported directly to Hitler. Panzer Group West consisted of the 2nd, 21st, 116th, 1st SS, 12th SS, 17th SS, 2nd SS, 9th and 11th Panzer Divisions. In reality, von Schweppenburg also reported to von Rundstedt, but any operational deployment of the Panzer divisions had to be confirmed by Hitler himself.

Rommel believed that the Allied landings would come somewhere between Dunkirk and the mouth of the Somme River, with the most likely area being between Calais and Boulogne-sur-Mer. This area was well to the north of the Normandy beaches. Moreover, the Seine River separated this zone from Normandy.

The delta at the mouth of the Seine was large, and the entire length of the river from Rouen to Le Havre, at the river's mouth, was marshy. Moving vehicles between the two zones would often require backtracking some 50 miles inland and going through Rouen. Moreover, some of the bridges across the Seine could not handle the weight of the Panzers or their transport vehicles, further complicating the transfer of equipment between the two zones.

Germany military doctrine called for a threefold approach to the Normandy landings: a mobile defense in depth, augmented by significant local striking power to hold the allied invaders in check until a mobile strategic reserve could be brought to bear for a decisive counterattack and a battle of annihilation. The mobile reserve would be positioned well to the rear of the front line to prevent it from being committed prematurely and allowing it to be directed in a rapid thrust against the main force's weak points.

This doctrine had worked spectacularly well on the Eastern Front in 1941, allowing German Panzer divisions, and their supporting mechanized infantry, to break through weak points in the Soviet lines and then execute giant pincer movements to envelop the opposing forces. In this way, entire Russian armies had been surrounded and decimated during the initial German thrust into the Soviet Union during the summer of 1941.

Rommel took issue with this approach. First, based on his experience against Allied forces in North Africa, he believed that Allied control of the air would hamper the movement of the Panzer divisions from rear areas to the front lines. Tanks would have to move under cover of darkness or when weather conditions made flight operations impossible. In Rommel's view, a strategic reserve would come under attack from Allied air and naval forces long before it could be brought to bear for a counterattack against Allied troops holding the beachheads.

Moreover, Rommel argued that the French coast was completely different from the flat terrain on the Eastern Front that had allowed the rapid movement of massed armored columns. The coastal areas consisted of a combination of marshy ground, broken up by hills and heavily wooded terrain. The flatter pasture areas, where tanks could have operated well, were bisected by hedgerows, fence lines formed by closely spaced lines of ancient trees and shrubs, and heavily wooded copses. In this terrain, Rommel believed it would be difficult to mass armored units to deliver a killing blow to Allied forces.

Instead, Rommel argued that the invasion force had to be destroyed in the water and on the beaches, where they would have little cover or fire support. His proposed strategy consisted of static defense along the coasts, backed by concrete pillboxes and overwhelming firepower. Rommel wanted to deploy the Panzer units to support the infantry as a local tactical force that could strike against weak points in the Allied line, and could be deployed to seal any breaches in the German lines. He believed, correctly, that it would take the Allies some time to build up their tank strength on the beaches and that, in the first 48 hours of the landings, the Germans would have an overwhelming advantage in armor.

Rommel asked that the 12th SS Panzer Division, for example, be stationed at Isigny rather than at Evreux. That would have placed it less than 10 miles from Omaha Beach rather than roughly 110 miles to the east. Both von Rundstedt and von Schweppenburg disagreed. So did Heinz Guderian, the Inspector General of Armored Troops and an architect of the Blitzkrieg concept of using massed tank formations to deliver a decisive blow to an opposing force.

Rommel appealed over their heads directly to Hitler. Rather than siding with Rommel or von Rundstedt, Hitler chose to accommodate both requests, satisfying neither. The 2nd, 21st and 116th Panzer Divisions were assigned to Army Group B and put under Rommel's direct command. Panzer Group West retained the 1st SS, 12th SS, 17th SS and Lehr Panzer Divisions, while 2nd SS, 9th SS and 11th Panzer Divisions were transferred to Army Group G.

In the end, the only Panzer division that saw any significant action during D-Day was the 21st Panzer Division near Caen. It played a critical role in thwarting the Anglo-Canadian attack on the town, and allowed German reinforcements enough time to secure it. The battle for Caen, originally expected to take only one or two days, would last instead for two months. The town would not fall to the allies until Aug. 6, 1944.

When news of the Allied landings reached Hitler, he was at the Berghof, his private home near Berchtesgaden, in the Bavarian alps. He did not receive news of the Allied landings until after he had woken up around noon. His staff had been unwilling to disturb him. Initially, Hitler dismissed the landings as a feint. Eventually, at 4 p.m. that afternoon, Hitler released two divisions of Panzer Group West, the 12th SS and Panzer Lehr, for deployment to the coast.

By June 7, they were at Caen, where they participated in the defense of the town. Germany had roughly 1,400 tanks in theater at the beginning of the Normandy invasion. Roughly 400 were south of the Loire with Army Group G. Of the balance remaining in northern France, less than 400 saw any action within the first 48 hours of the Allied invasion.

Excluding the three Panzer divisions transferred to Army Group G, Rommel could have ended up controlling seven Panzer divisions instead of three. Would that have made a difference in the outcome of the D-Day landings? That depends on how Rommel would have deployed them.

Of the three that he did control, only one was deployed in Normandy; the other two were farther north toward Calais. It took several days before any armor units from those divisions made their way to Normandy. Despite his insistence on controlling the Panzer divisions, most of the tanks that engaged Allied forces in the first 48 hours of the D-Day landings were ones that had been part of the reserve force of Panzer Group West.

Rommel expected that the Allied landings would take place north of the Seine delta, and presumably would have deployed most of the Panzers there. We'll never know how Rommel might have employed the additional Panzer units, but it's likely that only one, at most two, would have ended up near the Normandy landings. The balance would have been further north, where Rommel expected the landings to occur.

Rommel remains highly admired as a brilliant tactician and commander. He redeemed himself, in part, for his role in Valkyrie, the failed plot to kill Hitler.

Adolf Hitler, on the other hand, is typically dismissed as militarily incompetent and whose involvement in military operations hampered the German war effort.

Rommel was right in arguing that Allied air power would hinder the movement of the Panzer divisions, and that concentrating the armored divisions for a lethal counterattack wouldn't work in the terrain of Normandy and Brittany. On the other hand, by deploying the Panzer units before the location of the landings was known, Rommel effectively took them out of contention in the critical 48 hours after the landings started.

In retrospect, holding the Panzer divisions in reserve and then rushing them to support individual infantry units, rather than massing them for a counterattack, would have been the best strategy, even if Allied air power would have taken its toll on the tanks. That could have been a logical compromise between Rommel and von Rundstedt but, when Rommel went around the chain of command, he made such a compromise impossible. What he ended up with, fortunately for the Allies, was the worst of both worlds.

Rommel's mistake in deploying his Panzer units was the result of an elaborate British subterfuge -- Operation Fortitude. That's the topic of my next column.

-- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
Thank's for the fish. -- Douglas Adams

Come back again sometime. Thank you for visiting.
Andrei Stanescu/iStock (FILE photo)(ST. LOUIS) -- Hours remain for a judge to make a decision on the fate of Missouri's last abortion clinic.



If Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer does not approve Planned Parenthood's request for a temporary restraining order, the clinic's license will lapse and it will be forced to close Friday night at midnight, making Missouri the first state in the nation without an abortion provider.



With the fate of Missouri's lone Planned Parenthood clinic, its last remaining abortion provider hanging in the balance, demonstrators marched at the St. Louis Gateway Arch and at state government offices in an ongoing fight for abortion rights in the state.



"What do we do? Stand up, fight back!" they chanted Thursday.



State health officials have refused to renew the St. Louis clinic's license until doctors agree to interviews about what Gov. Mike Parson is calling "a series of deficiencies."



The license for the Planned Parenthood clinic, issued by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, is set to expire on Friday, and if it is not renewed, the clinic will have to cease operations. On Thursday night, a judge was deciding on whether or not the clinic could stay open.



"It's shame on Missouri politicians and government for weaponizing the licensing and regulatory process to end safe and legal abortion in Missouri," said M'Evie Mead, director of Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri. "People should have access to safe, legal abortion in this state."



Planned Parenthood officials announced Tuesday that they were filing a lawsuit for a restraining order to stop the state from closing the clinic, which is located in St. Louis.



The state had asked to interview all seven of the clinic's physicians, Planned Parenthood said Tuesday, but the state would not provide any guidance on what the doctors would be asked during the interviews. Those interviews could lead to the doctors losing their medical licenses or possible criminal prosecution, Planned Parenthood said.



Missouri is one of several states that have passed abortion bans in recent months. Last week, Gov. Parsons signed an abortion ban after 8-weeks of pregnancy, though it has not yet taken effect, and was met with immediate legal challenges.



Less than 24 hours ago, lawmakers in Louisiana passed new abortion restrictions that outlaw the procedure as early as 6 weeks into a pregnancy. On Thursday, the state's governor -- a Democrat -- signed the bill into law. It has not yet gone into effect, and will be challenged in court.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Blog Archive Dec 2021 (101) Nov 2021 (84) Oct 2021 (58) Sep 2021 (67) Aug 2021 (62) Jul 2021 (54) Jun 2021 (50) May 2021 (58) Apr 2021 (44) Mar 2021 (57) Feb 2021 (64) Jan 2021 (93) Dec 2020 (82) Nov 2020 (62) Oct 2020 (50) Sep 2020 (45) Aug 2020 (51) Jul 2020 (56) Jun 2020 (53) May 2020 (70) Apr 2020 (66) Mar 2020 (169) Feb 2020 (211) Jan 2020 (184) Dec 2019 (54) Nov 2019 (56) Oct 2019 (55) Sep 2019 (63) Aug 2019 (54) Jul 2019 (69) Jun 2019 (56) May 2019 (65) Apr 2019 (68) Mar 2019 (72) Feb 2019 (76) Jan 2019 (62) Dec 2018 (55) Nov 2018 (69) Oct 2018 (90) Sep 2018 (82) Aug 2018 (58) Jul 2018 (36) Jun 2018 (47) May 2018 (44) Apr 2018 (64) Mar 2018 (63) Feb 2018 (68) Jan 2018 (92) Dec 2017 (85) Nov 2017 (64) Oct 2017 (82) Sep 2017 (54) Aug 2017 (89) Jul 2017 (60) Jun 2017 (86) May 2017 (84) Apr 2017 (62) Mar 2017 (86) Feb 2017 (91) Jan 2017 (113) Dec 2016 (109) Nov 2016 (100) Oct 2016 (82) Sep 2016 (95) Aug 2016 (84) Jul 2016 (84) Jun 2016 (99) May 2016 (93) Apr 2016 (106) Mar 2016 (145) Feb 2016 (125) Jan 2016 (103) Dec 2015 (83) Nov 2015 (80) Oct 2015 (100) Sep 2015 (111) Aug 2015 (94) Jul 2015 (98) Jun 2015 (151) May 2015 (125) Apr 2015 (109) Mar 2015 (122) Feb 2015 (113) Jan 2015 (135) Dec 2014 (131) Nov 2014 (115) Oct 2014 (146) Sep 2014 (112) Aug 2014 (128) Jul 2014 (94) Jun 2014 (104) May 2014 (140) Apr 2014 (132) Mar 2014 (81) Feb 2014 (89) Jan 2014 (141) Dec 2013 (100) Nov 2013 (96) Oct 2013 (99) Sep 2013 (94) Aug 2013 (95) Jul 2013 (95) Jun 2013 (91) May 2013 (139) Apr 2013 (179) Mar 2013 (73) Feb 2013 (76) Jan 2013 (85) Dec 2012 (59) Nov 2012 (71) Oct 2012 (85) Sep 2012 (70) Aug 2012 (71) Jul 2012 (53) Jun 2012 (51) May 2012 (52) Apr 2012 (52) Mar 2012 (69) Feb 2012 (76) Jan 2012 (70) Dec 2011 (60) Nov 2011 (54) Oct 2011 (57) Sep 2011 (75) Aug 2011 (72) Jul 2011 (64) Jun 2011 (76) May 2011 (56) Apr 2011 (73) Mar 2011 (114) Feb 2011 (71) Jan 2011 (80) Dec 2010 (92) Nov 2010 (82) Oct 2010 (73) Sep 2010 (95) Aug 2010 (86) Jul 2010 (81) Jun 2010 (76) May 2010 (71) Apr 2010 (74) Mar 2010 (74) Feb 2010 (82) Jan 2010 (101) Dec 2009 (108) Nov 2009 (182) Oct 2009 (136) Sep 2009 (102) Aug 2009 (120) Jul 2009 (151) Jun 2009 (136) May 2009 (180) Apr 2009 (145) Mar 2009 (113) Feb 2009 (113) Jan 2009 (124) Dec 2008 (108) Nov 2008 (69) Oct 2008 (89) Sep 2008 (76) Aug 2008 (75) Jul 2008 (87) Jun 2008 (80) May 2008 (99) Apr 2008 (93) Mar 2008 (115) Feb 2008 (147) Jan 2008 (162) Dec 2007 (124) Nov 2007 (95) Oct 2007 (67) Sep 2007 (42) Aug 2007 (78) Jul 2007 (75) Jun 2007 (123) May 2007 (110) Apr 2007 (108) Mar 2007 (92) Feb 2007 (136) Jan 2007 (119) Dec 2006 (41) Nov 2006 (34) Oct 2006 (12) Sep 2006 (13) Aug 2006 (13) Jul 2006 (16) Jun 2006 (12) May 2006 (21) Apr 2006 (38) Mar 2006 (27) Feb 2006 (25) Jan 2006 (18)
Three years after Mayor Bill de Blasio first proposed building a $2 billion-plus streetcar along the Brooklyn-Queens waterfront  a project initially cooked up by Two Trees developer Jed Walentas and other waterfront landholders  the Brooklyn-Queens Connector, a.k.a. BQX, got its first city council hearing Thursday morning when the council's BQX Task Force met to hear testimony from city officials and an update on the battered project's status.

As is de rigueur at council hearings, the morning began with testimony from city officials. New York City Economic Development Corporation executive vice president Seth Myers cited the streetcar's projected "$30 billion in economic benefits over 40 years" (up from $25 billion in EDC's original 2016 internal estimate), and how waterfront light rail would join ferries in helping "stitch together the gaps left by the subway system."

Department of Transportation director of strategic initiatives Christopher Hrones added that his agency was excited to work on "new designs that make walking, biking, and using transit safer and more efficient" and using such 21st-century innovations as sidewalk extensions and traffic calming to ensure that streetcars can coexist with other street users. (Helpful game for making it through your next council hearing: Whenever a city official says "innovative," drink. But only play at home, as eating and drinking are forbidden in the council chambers.)

The most notable figure dropped in the city officials' testimony was $2.7 billion, the latest cost estimate for the entire project. That's a full billion dollars more than the original projected price tag, and a $200 million hike from the city's 2016 cost number  even after cutting the BQX route short to eliminate Sunset Park.

Though the BQX was originally sold as paying for itself via "value capture" of increased property taxes along the streetcar route, by last year the estimated new tax revenue had been lowered to $1.3-1.4 billion, with the other half of the cost awaiting unspecified federal funding.

These numbers were raised repeatedly by Carlos Menchaca, the BQX Task Force chair and Sunset Park and Red Hook councilmember who drew attention last December for comparing de Blasio and his streetcar to an emperor without any clothes. (The task force was organized last year by the five councilmembers whose districts the streetcar would run through: Menchaca, Antonio Reynoso, Costa Constantinides, Jimmy Van Bramer, and Stephen Levin.) Menchaca set the tone for the morning by declaring that he wanted to "start with the origin and cost" of BQX: Who came up with this plan, and how did it reach $2.7 billion?

Neither question was exactly answered in the back-and-forth that followed. Myers said the initial BQX idea came from a group of "community and local owners and residents along the alignment," and called both the latest $2.7 billion cost estimate and the $1.4 billion tax benefit "conservative"; as for financing, he said that "we plan to seek additional funds" from the federal government.

Eventually, Menchaca switched gears, displaying a slide that he said showed bus rapid transit  the limited-stop express bus system that New York has rebranded as Select Bus Service  has comparatively high ridership and low costs. "How does the BQX become #1 on your analysis sheets?"

The answer, according to Myers, is that "studies have shown [Select Bus Service] generates a smaller transit premium"  the resulting rise in property values along a transit light  while providing only a 30 percent savings in capital costs.

If buses are indeed cheaper, but streetcars are so damn cool that they generate more in additional new property taxes than you'd save on the added costs, that is clearly a valid argument for building streetcars as opposed to buses, or maybe building neither, at least not in a flood zone. (Other cities' comparative cost estimates for the two transit methods are all over the place, varying even more when comparing cost per-passenger vs. per-mile.) Myers didn't provide details of how EDC estimated these comparative costs and revenues, and Menchaca didn't ask. Gothamist has reached out to EDC for more information, and we will update this report once we hear back.

The main takeaway from the hearing was less about any hard data, though, than about political side-taking: Menchaca and the other four task force members peppered city officials with questions about cost, about alternative transit options such as SBS, about the gentrification that would be spawned to generate all that new property tax revenue, about traffic along the proposed route (Councilmember Constantinides noted that 21st Street in Astoria currently "functions more like a highway than a street"). EDC mostly replied, in essence, yeah, those are important questions, and everyone went home without changing their positions or understanding in any way.

It's clear, though, that the council remains at best extremely skeptical of the BQX  several councilmembers asked for more studies of an express bus alternative, something EDC has promised to do  which will likely make it a challenge for de Blasio (or his successor) to get the streetcar through the city land use process, let alone win approval to skim off property taxes for his value capture funding plan.



Queens Borough President Melinda Katz rallies BQX supporters outside City Hall before Thursday's hearing (Neil deMause / Gothamist)

If there's a silver lining for BQX enthusiasts, it's that the project's supporters made clear that they have no intention of going away no matter how many times the streetcar is declared nearly dead. Led by Jessica Schumer, Friends of the BQX executive director and senatorial daughter, BQX advocates, including Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, leaders of the construction trade unions and the Brooklyn and Queens chambers of commerce, and residents of Astoria public housing, rallied on the City Hall steps before the hearing. (Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was scheduled but was a no-show.) Amid the rhetoric  Katz repeatedly hammered on the phrase "think outside the box"  if there was one clear message it was We need more transit, duh!

"The time is right to bring back streetcars," said Toba Potosky, a Brooklyn Heights resident and president of the Cadman Park Conservancy. "They're safer than buses, [which] weave in and out of traffic." He acknowledged that the G train closely parallels the planned route of the BQX, but said he'd still prefer a streetcar: "If they get started now, it'll be done in ten years. I'll be 66 years old, and maybe my access to the subway will not be so great."

"If you look at the map, the subway in Queens and Brooklyn is kind of a horseshoe shape  you've got the 7 in the north, you've got the L and the M in the south, and then nothing connects in between," said Luigi Rivas, a Ridgewood resident who attended the rally with members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bayside. "There's the G, but what about on the eastern side? There's nothing there." The BQX would run at the far west edge of Brooklyn and Queens, but Rivas says that's no reason not to start there: "I'm hoping this is one of many."

All of which will mean nothing until that missing $1.3 billion is found, of which even the EDC's Myers noted in the hearing, "Obviously, there are challenges there." Those challenges could conceivably become become easier to breach starting in 2021 if a Democrat takes the White House (and potentially takes de Blasio too); it's worth noting that the environmental impact report commissioned by City Hall is due to arrive in September 2020, making the timing right for an appeal for Washington funds early the following year.

"There's that stereotype that the wheels of government run slowly," admitted Rivas. But "look at the skyline  they're making that building into a U. If we can make a building into a U, there's no doubt in my mind we can make a trolley system for the outer boroughs."

We the Commuters is a weekly newsletter about transportation from WNYC and Gothamist. Sign up below for essential commuting coverage delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

Loading...
Local and state police are investigating a hate crime at the Brooklyn Jewish Children's Museum, after a message reading "Hitler is coming" was found on an interactive display outside the Crown Heights religious institution.

The anti-Semitic vandalism, discovered at around 5 p.m. on Thursday, was scrawled on a billboard designed for passersby to leave comments about how they would "transform the world." A suspect has not yet been identified.

Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday directed state police to assist in the investigation, which is being handled by the NYPD's Hate Crime Unit. "I have visited this great museum, built in honor of Ari Halberstam who was tragically killed in an anti-Semitic terror attack on the Brooklyn Bridge, after it received threats in the past," the governor said in a statement. "It's all more distressing for this institution built to bring together children of all faiths and backgrounds to foster tolerance to be targeted."

Back in 2017, the Jewish Children's Museum had to be evacuated after receiving a bomb threat, which turned out to be a hoax.

Speaking with News 12 Brooklyn, Devorah Halberstam, the museum's co-founder and mother of Ari, said, "personally it's like a stab in my heart and murdering my son again and it's also a bone in my throat because I can't imagine how anybody would want to target children, a place for children."

Earlier this week, the NYPD disclosed that reports of hate crimes have increased 83 percent since this time last year. A majority of those attacks have been anti-Semitic in nature, police said. A recent Anti-Defamation League report also found that the number of anti-Semitic assaults is surging in New York and across the country.



With Jen Chung.


Emergency personnel are responding to reports of an explosivebelieved to be a fireworkthat went off on an F train in Manhattan on Friday morning, sparking a "full stampede" and a "chain reaction of fear," according to commuters.

A spokesperson for the FDNY said they were treating at least one person for a non-life-threatening injury after receiving reports of the chaotic scene between 14th Street and 23rd Street at about 9:30 a.m. The MTA is informing frightened customers that "someone lit a firecracker on that train which caused everyone to run."

.@NYCTSubway SOMEONE THREW A LIT, EXPLOSIVE FITECRACKER INTO NORTHBOUND F TRAIN AT 14 ST APPROXIMATELY 3 MIN AGO CAR 9342. VERY BACK OF TRAIN NEAR L TRAIN STAIRS. ADDRESS THIS IMMEDIATELY @NYPDnews  Amelia Vogler (@Amelia_Vogler) May 31, 2019

HI, Leslie. We are aware of this and I'm sure it was a very scary situation. Someone lit a firecracker on that train which caused everyone to run. We hope you and everyone are ok. NYPD and EMS are on the scene. ^JP  NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) May 31, 2019

Holy shit. Someone set off a firecracker on the F train this morning. My car filled with smoke and everyone stampeded to the next car while the train was still going. Stay safe everyone.  Randall Lotowycz (@RandallLotowycz) May 31, 2019

An NYPD spokesperson confirmed that an unidentified type of firework caused the incident.

Passenger Randall Lotowycz told Gothamist: "There was a small explosion on the other end of the subway car I was on. It felt like everyone still for a moment as we processed what happened. There were smoke and everyone ran toward my end of the train. A few people were knocked down and I felt awful for a service dog who was caught up in the stampede. I jumped onto a seat just to get out of the way of everyone. As we pulled into 23rd, someone said they thought it was a firecracker."

On Twitter, one user reported that "people came flooding in from the next carriage screaming," and that it appeared someone had broken an ankle. He added that he'd "never seen such fear."

More from scene of #Ftrain attack, everyone disembarked from 23 St. people were running through train cars trying to escape. One woman lost a shoe, carnage of spilled coffees, groceries, etc. pic.twitter.com/MU5RXKPkY5  Amelia Vogler (@Amelia_Vogler) May 31, 2019

Just got caught up in a terrifying stampede on the NY subway. People came flooding in from the next carriage screaming and set off a chain reaction of fear. Apparently someone let off a firecracker or something. Shoes, bags, screaming.Seems most people ok. Someone broke an ankle.  Dave Calhoun (@davecalhoun) May 31, 2019

According to the MTA, there are service changes and delays on the F and M trains due to NYPD activity on 23rd Street.

A spokesperson for the transit authority could not immediately provide additional details. We'll update as more information becomes available.

Nothing makes you contemplate your own mortality on a Summer Friday commute more than an explosive device being thrown mere inches from you in a subway car  #Ftrain  Amelia Vogler (@Amelia_Vogler) May 31, 2019

Additional reporting by John Del Signore and Jen Chung

.

UPDATE: In a statement, NYC Transit President Andy Byford said, "This is criminal, dangerous and abhorrent behavior, and we are working with the NYPD to ensure whoever did this is brought to justice." Transit personnel are at the scene assisting customers, as police and firefighters investigate the felony crime, according to an MTA spokesperson. There are no suspects at this time.

At a later (unrelated) press conference, Byford described the perpetrator(s) as "some mindless idiots" who set off a "large firecracker... which caused a lot of consternation amongst riders." He also pointed out that this offense was felony reckless endangerment. "I'm very confident in the NYPD's abilities. If we can find out who did thissame as I said about another person the other daywe're going to nail them. Because that is stupid, reckless, mindless, moronic behavior it has no place on the New York subway system. It caused unnecessary consternation to people, so we're on their case."

We the Commuters is a weekly newsletter about transportation from WNYC and Gothamist. Sign up below for essential commuting coverage delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

Loading...
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill on Thursday to decriminalize gravity knives, following years of pressure from criminal justice advocates and a recent federal court ruling that found the existing law to be overly vague.

The legislation will end the criminal prohibition on certain folding pocket knives, which are commonly sold in stores across New York, but have been illegal to possess in the state since 1958. Progressive activists, public defenders and some elected officials have long argued that the ban unfairly targets blue-collar service employeesincluding construction workers, chefs, and day laborerswho use folding knives for work.

Evidence also suggests the law has been disproportionately enforced against people of color: analyses from both the Legal Aid Society and the Village Voice found that the vast majority of people charged with gravity knife possession in New York are black and Hispanic.

In recent years, the state legislature has twice passed legislation to decriminalize the knives, which Cuomo has vetoed on both occasions. Efforts to lift the ban were strongly opposed by the NYPD and police unions, as well as prosecutors such as Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance. In a statement on Thursday, the governor said that "uniform opposition of the State's law enforcement entities and mayors" had left him "constrained to veto similar bills."

So, what's changed? The legal landscape, according to Cuomo. Specifically, the governor cited a federal court ruling this past March that found the law to be unconstitutionally vague. In that decision, Manhattan U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty harshly criticized the unreliable wrist-flick test"an imprecise standard used by both the NYPD and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance to see whether the folding knives require force to open.

"While I remain aware of the cautious community voices, I cannot veto a bill passed by the Legislature to address a decided constitutional infirmity in existing law, as recently affirmed by a federal court," Cuomo said.

Advocates and elected officials celebrated the reversal, while at the same time wondering why the governor spent so long upholding a ban that he now deems "absurd."

As someone who was arrested and spent time in jail for carrying a knife I used as a construction worker, I think this law should have been repealed long ago," said Mark Moses, a community leader with VOCAL-NY, in a statement. "That said, Im glad the Governor finally signed this law so that others coming up behind me dont need to go through what happened to me."

Added Assemblyman Dan Quart, who sponsored the bill, "The third time really is the charm. After 7 years, we have finally managed to overhaul New Yorks outdated and discriminatory pocket knife ban."
Last week, the New York State Democratic Party voted unanimously to make one crucial change to the states archaic election law. In a nod to the partys emboldened progressive wing, state committee members backed changing the party enrollment date for the 2020 presidential primary, potentially allowing many more non-Democrats to register into the party much closer to election time.

The state party supported shifting the party switch deadline to 60 days before the primary and allowing voters unaffiliated with a partythe many independents who make up voting rollsto register as Democrats 25 days before the April 28th, 2020 primary.

In past election cycles, unaffiliated voters have been locked out of primaries if they didnt register into a party nearly a year from election day, a lag time that is worse than just about every state in America.

But the long-anticipated date change to New York law may run into one major snag: the State Board of Elections does not believe it can be enforced.

The consensus at the State Board is that there still must be legislation to implement the deadline for enrollment in a political party, Cheryl Couser, the deputy director of public information at the State BOE, said in a statement.

Elections law experts consulted by Gothamist agreed with the BOEs interpretation of the law, though they were sympathetic with the aims of the state party.

All enrollment days, party changeseverything is set by state statute, said Ali Najmi, a New York City election lawyer. Thats an act of the legislature and the governor [to change the law].

Election law reformers and progressives have long fought to alter state law, only to run up against a Republican-controlled State Senate uninterested in election reforms and a Democratic governor in Andrew Cuomo, who has not exactly made good government issues his top priority. After Democrats took control of the State Senate and a wave of new lawmakers entered Albany, Democrats moved quickly to pass new laws, enacting early voting, same day registration, and consolidating federal and state primaries into a single day.

Missing in that flurry of early legislation was any change to the party enrollment deadline. Longer-tenured lawmakers have been leery of passing any laws that could threaten incumbents: a rash of new primary voters presents an element of unpredictability. Some Democrats and third parties also fret about party raiding, the practice of voters ideologically unaligned with a particular political party simply enrolling to make mischief in a primary. (As New York grows more Democratic and the number of registered Republicans shrinks, this is less of a challenge for the Democratic Party.)

In lieu of legislation, the State Democratic Partymore energized by rank-and-file progressives than it has been in the pastmoved in late May to alter an election law they believed they had power over, since the change would only apply to the Democratic presidential primary.

This is a crucial pointand could potentially confuse voters currently unaffiliated with a political party and looking to switch to the Democratic Party.

After the April presidential primary, voters will again head to the polls in June to vote in federal and state primaries. Were the State Partys rule change to go into effect, it would not impact the June elections. An unaffiliated voter who registered as a Democrat in March to vote in the April 2020 primary would be out of luck in June, locked out of state and federal primaries.

Ben Yee, a state committee member from Manhattan and a former candidate for public advocate, said the state partys resolution only covered the presidential primary because committee members believed they did not have legal authority over state and federal primaries set for June 2020. Presidential primary rules are governed by the Democratic National Committee in consultation with state party organizations.

The BOE will hopefully do what the state party wants because I do think its possible for them to enact it before the presidential primary, Yee said. The core precedent implies that the party should control its own registration deadline in a presidential election scenario.

But if the BOE believes only legislation can force a change in the party enrollment deadline, workers there are unlikely to comply with the state partys resolution and voters could be left in limbo.

Another issue with last weeks resolution, election law experts argue, is that there is no effective and practical way for the BOE to track whether a voter has enrolled as a Democrat to just vote in the presidential primary and not in any others.

Democrats in the Assembly and State Senate have broadly agreed that the party enrollment deadline should be changed. The question remains when that date should be. Zellnor Myrie, the chair of the Senates elections committee, previously told Gothamist he supported moving the party switch deadline. He declined to comment on the state partys resolution.

In the meantime, Democrats have focused on trying to implement other reforms, like automatically registering voters when they interact with state government agencies.

Assemblymember Charles Lavine, the chair of the Assemblys elections committee, said his chamber had yet to meet to discuss the state partys resolution. He agreed any change would have to go through the legislature.

While the proposal represents a constructive concept, this is a legislative matter that must be considered in our Assembly conference in order to reach a consensus that will benefit all New Yorkers, Lavine said.

[UPDATE] On Saturday evening, after this story was published, Kelleigh McKenzie, a member of the NYS Democratic Committee and executive committee, sent us this statement:
At 12:15 p.m. on Friday, the MTA activated OMNY, its long-awaited tap payment system for subways and buses that will one day replace the MetroCard. The readers have been installed at sixteen 4, 5, and 6 train stations between Grand Central and Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center, as well as on all Staten Island buses as part of a pilot program.

Riders can use OMNYwhich stands for One Metro New Yorkby using a contactless credit card (it will have the WiFi symbol on the card) or using a credit/debit card hooked up to a smartphone. Eventually, riders will also be able to buy an OMNY card. More subway stations and bus lines will be getting OMNY readers this and next year, with total OMNY-fication at all stations and on all bus routes by the end of 2020.

Here it is folksthe first official OMNY tap in NYC history. #wethecommuters pic.twitter.com/C0q8ai9XkW  Just your friendly neighborhood transit reporter (@s_nessen) May 31, 2019

Right now, each ride via OMNY costs the full $2.75 fare, but the MTA says it will add time-based, reduced fare, and student fares to OMNY once it's available throughout the system. The MTA hopes to phase out the MetroCard by 2023.

MTA CEO Patrick Foye noted in a press conference at the Bowling Green station that the project had been "years" in the making, with transit officials and their partners at Cubic (the company behind the technolog; they are also involved with MetroCard), working over the past few months to get the pilot ready. Foye, NYC Transit President Andy Byford, and NYC Transit Chief Revenue Office Al Putre all emphasized that it would make commutes much easier, especially on buses. Putre said 30 people per minute will be able to tap through, which is about the same number of MetroCard swipes turnstiles can handleassuming every swipe goes perfectly.

Were proud to be the first to launch with the flexibility of an open loop system, meaning you can use the card or device you already carry with you. No need to buy anything in advance (though in the future, an OMNY Card will be an option, too). pic.twitter.com/9D4uVvFMCh  MTA (@MTA) May 31, 2019

"It's the quickest, easiest way to pay," Byford said. Referring to how having OMNY connected to credit cards would eliminate the need to refill MetroCards, he added, "You don't have to line up to top up the card."

One man tried to use his American Express card with an OMNY reader, but it took him much longer than the estimated 2 seconds.

While MTA is doing a press conference on future of OMNY it took this regular rider 20 seconds to get in with his credit card. pic.twitter.com/4ZnFvvHRi5  Just your friendly neighborhood transit reporter (@s_nessen) May 31, 2019

"There is an education campaign that we've conducted, we'll continue to update," Foye said. "There are people, including me, who have to do multiple swipes with their MetroCard, so I'm in need of education. And we're prepared for that education campaign, we've rolled it out and we'll be continuing and increasing it going forward."

Putre said that there are hundreds of different credit cards from around the world, and each credit card has its own "computer," so this pilot will give MTA and Cubic to opportunity to adapt and add cards to its software. Another thing to consider: All the credit card companies needing to reconcile their own systems with smartphones, etc.

Byford was also proud that the MTA jumped into using an open payment systemas in not being tied to having some kind of a cardand said that New York City was able to learn from what London, Sydney, and Toronto have found out from their forays with contactless payment. "It's transformative," he rhapsodized.

The MTA awarded a $573 million contract to Cubic Transportation Systems to implement the technology in 2017. Once fully rolled-out, the MTA expects the contactless system to save "tens of millions," according to Foye, because the MTA will no longer have to pay for various MetroCard upkeep costs.

Chairman Foye gives a shoutout to the 25-year old MetroCard, but says its time to retire it.  Just your friendly neighborhood transit reporter (@s_nessen) May 31, 2019

Executives brushed aside worries about data privacy, saying that data was encrypted from the point of purchase and that information was stored with the credit companies. Foye said the MTA would not sell its customers' data either.

Albert Cahn Fox, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, reviewed OMNY's privacy policy and terms of service and told Gothamist he had "a lot of unanswered questions. For example, the law enforcement section allows information sharing with authorities, even without a warrant or subpoena, when agencies simply request data. Furthermore, it was unclear what access the MTA police would have to the data. Lastly, while end users will have travel history for up to 90 days, its unclear if theres any limit on how long the MTA itself can retain such data, opening up concerns about indefinite retention."

Monqiue Sanchez, 33, who lives on Staten Island, doesn't like to connect her credit card to her phone, but is very excited to start using her credit card to tap on the bus for rides.

"I feel like it might be easier," Sanchez said. "Honestly, now that the Express buses aren't taking coins, I feel like if you have a card, you just go."

"It'll be one less thing to carry around in the wallet, and less trash," Ray McConville, 36, who lives in Hell's Kitchen, said. He's ready to use it when OMNY is ready for unlimited MetroCards. But he wonders why the MTA didn't do more to modernize the turnstiles. "It would've been good to see if they took the time to redesign the turnstiles while in their in the midst of retrofitting all of them, but it is kinda cool seeing the old token slots, the MetroCard slots and then OMNY tap to pay all in one, it's like a little time capsule."

Additional reporting by Stephen Nessen

We the Commuters is a weekly newsletter about transportation from WNYC and Gothamist. Sign up below for essential commuting coverage delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

Loading...
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lent her star power to the New York state campaign for rent reform at a Bronx Town Hall Thursday night, speaking to an enthralled crowd in the pivotal waning weeks before the state legislature is expected to vote on a series of tenant protection proposals that housing activists have fought to pass for two decades.

Our access and our guarantee to having a home comes before someones privilege to own a property, Ocasio-Cortez told a group of more than 200 housing activists and tenants who packed into a small banquet hall on Allerton Avenue during a soggy evening. We all have a right to dignified housing.

At one point, the Congresswoman, whose district includes sections of the Bronx, spoke of her own experience of renting a so-called luxury doorman apartment in Washington D.C., which was in part necessitated by security concerns. Its efficient, clean. It has public space, she said about her building.

But she said she recently toured an affordable housing development in Queens that had the same luxury features.

What that shows me is that what we have been taught is a luxury should not be a luxury, she said. We dont have to be price-gouged to live in a building with cockroaches and dirty air."

Ocasio-Cortez, who headlined the event, was joined by New York state Senators Jamaal Bailey and Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez. Throughout the evening, housing activists used the forum to pressure the three state lawmakers to commit to reform legislation.

At stake are a package of nine bills around a platform known as universal rent control. Tenant organizers are aggressively lobbying for the passage of all nine proposals, including the end of vacancy decontrol, which allows landlords to deregulate apartments once they become vacant and monthly rents surpass $2,733, and the elimination of renovation incentive policies known as major capital improvements (MCIs) and individual apartment upgrades (IAIs).

But with only 15 days to go before the current rent laws expire, the Assembly has embraced eight of the proposals, while the Senate has not publicly specified which of the bills they favor.

Were two weeks out and there are not enough clear signals, Ava Farkas, executive director of the Metropolitan Council on Housing, a tenant advocacy group, told Gothamist.

Adding to the anxiety by housing activists, on Thursday NY1 reported an unnamed source as saying that only three of the bills had sufficient support from Senate Democrats.

State senators Biaggi and Bailey, whose districts includes portions of the Bronx, have both come out in favor of all nine bills. But they defended their Democratic colleagues in the Senate, saying there were still having conversations. One of the obstacles, they said, was that many of senators represent districts that don't have the same affordable housing issues as New York City.

Not everyone is going to agree on every single thing, Biaggi said. Thats just the reality.

She later added: There is not a person in [the Democratic conference] that has said water down this bill. That is not the sentiment in that room at all.

The fervor for reform among housing activists was almost equally matched by their scorn for Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has over the years cultivated a long list of real estate donors and drawn suspicion that he will cater to those interests.

Do not trust Governor Cuomo, Farkas told the state lawmakers. In past years, he didnt do anything for us.

In what may be a game of brinksmanship, a coalition of about 30 progressive advocacy groups last week signed a letter urging Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to cut the governor out of negotiations and force his hand by delivering a package approved by the legislature.

According to activists, a refusal by Cuomo to sign the bills would amount to political suicide.

However, when asked about the activists demands during The Brian Lehrer Show on Tuesday, Cuomo snapped, Then I wont sign the package and you wont have any rent reform laws.

State senator Bailey said the reality was that the governor needed to sign the legislation, but when asked how Democrats would prevent him from weakening the bills, he replied, I am not in the executive branch.

Despite concerns about New York Citys powerful real estate industry, which in recent months has been scrambling to shape the legislation, Ocasio-Cortez tried to buoy the crowd.

Citing her own upset primary election victory last year in which she was vastly outspent by her Democratic opponent, she said, Our organizing can beat big money."
I've never before considered moving to New Jersey, no matter how many NY Times trend pieces encouraged me to do sountil today. And that's because the legendary Sopranos Housea.k.a. the home Tony Soprano and his family lived in for all 86 episodes of the show's run, give or take the occasional coma or marital spatis up for sale.

The NY Times reports today that the 5,600-square-foot, four bedroom, four bathroom house (it also has a two-car garage and guest house) has been listed for sale with a "starting price" of $3.4 million. Located at 14 Aspen Drive in North Caldwell, NJ (on the show, the address was 633 Stag Trail Road), the house was used for exterior shots on The Sopranos (think back to all those scenes of Tony in his bathrobe getting the paper at the end of the driveway), and was also used as inspiration for the interiors for the Soprano abode.

In fact, if you look at the photos the Times haveor at the video tour below of ityou'll swear it is the exact same as the show; that's because the interiors of the home were meticulously replicated at Silvercup Studios in Queens.

In case you did a double take at the video above, the owners of the home are Patti and Victor Recchia, whove lived there for 32 yearsnot Tony and Carmela, despite certain physical similarities. They noted that the home is still a very popular spot for fans to come bythere's a whole Facebook page devoted to people snapping pics there, as well as tours of notable Sopranos locations in NJ. The couple told the Times:

I was pulling out of the driveway and I noticed a few fellas on their motorcycles coming down the cul-de-sac, said Ms. Recchia, about a recent interaction. So I open my car window just to acknowledge them, and they say, Hi, Mrs. Soprano! Were not going to mess anything up, just want to take a couple photos. Theyll pull up in like a limo or something, get out in a robe, and pick up a newspaper, said Mr. Recchia, who encountered a father and son who said the photo op was part of a Fathers Day present.

Altogether, the TV crew used the property somewhere between 30 and 50 times over the course of the series. If you're interested and/or are filled with more questions about the property, Recchia is asking qualified bidders to submit offers and proof of funds by June 21st to the email address: sopranoshouseforsale@gmail.com. It's unclear whether any ducks are included with the purchase, but we can almost guarantee that you may get a visit from a bear (probably Pedals, The Upright Walking Bear). And watch out, we hear there may be a Russian gangster who roams the area.
Sunset Park has been roiled in recent months by protests against a plan to rezone Industry City, an industrial waterfront complex in Brooklyn. Following concerns from city lawmakers and community members that the rezoning would spur gentrification and undermine the neighborhoods 40-year commitment to bring manufacturing jobs back to the waterfront, officials at Industry City agreed to delay the initiative.

However, while activists have been focused on Industry City, the same tensions are emerging over a neighboring retail and manufacturing center called Liberty View Industrial Plaza. For the past year, Salmar Properties has been trying to back out of an agreement with the city that requires the company to dedicate most of its 1.1 million square-foot property at 850 Third Avenue to manufacturing tenants. The company is seeking to be released from a deed restriction that demands that 85% of the building  or 935,000 square feet  be set aside for manufacturing uses.

In a letter last year to the city's Economic Development Corporation, Marvin Schein, the managing member of Salmar Properties, cited both a difficulty in attracting tenants and an analysis from lender Goldman Sachs that determined that the projected financial return was not generating enough revenue for Salmar to repay its debt.

The company added that along with competition from Industry City and Brooklyn Army Terminal, another nearby manufacturing hub, the building's layout  low ceiling heights and smaller column spacing  have made it difficult for them to attract tenants.

Along with the backlash over the proposed rezoning of Industry City, the controversy surrounding Liberty View speaks to the challenges New York City faces in trying to preserve manufacturing in a gentrifying neighborhood. In 2011, the city sold the building, which had been largely abandoned for 30 years, to Salmar for $9 million and kicked in $37 million in tax benefits to make a business model predicated on manufacturing more feasible.

Now the question is: how does the city ensure property owners like Salmar keep up their end of the deal?

So far, Liberty View's main tenant is Amazon, which in 2015 inked a seven-year-lease deal for a distribution center. Salmar later joined Industry City in a bid to lure Amazon to Sunset Park for its plan to build a second headquarters in New York City.

But even with Amazon, more than half of the building is still empty, and only roughly 20% or 200,000 square feet of space is being used for manufacturing, according to documents obtained through a recent Freedom of Information request. Meanwhile, about 167,000 square feet has been leased to retailers as part of a separate deal Salmar struck with the city to help use higher retail rents to subsidize the manufacturing space.

The huge vacancy along with the effort to land Amazon has generated suspicions that Salmar is really out to lease the building to a corporate tenant.

"I think they are sitting on it to find the right tenant who can pay the premium rent," said CUNY Professor of Urban Studies Tarry Hum in an interview last October.

Dan Murphy, a lifelong Sunset Park resident and Community Board 7 member, said he wanted to know that Salmar Properties is acting in good faith, and not purely motivated by profit. Who cares what Goldman Sachs has to say about the equity investment? he said.

Has Liberty View worked hard enough? he added. Or are they just chasing the bottom line?"

In response to our request for an interview, Council Member Menchaca said in a statement, Requiring that the vast majority of the building be reserved for manufacturing businesses is an important protection for the Industrial Business Zone and the future of our neighborhood.

He added: Liberty View committed to being part of that growth. They should be held to that commitment.

A spokesperson for Salmar did not respond to a request for comment.

For Sunset Park's working class residents, the push to retain manufacturing, even amid its structural decline, makes sense. Manufacturing jobs tend to be higher paying than retail jobs and lead to more opportunities for promotion. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average hourly salary for someone working in manufacturing is $27 as compared to $11 an hour in retail. In a community like Sunset Park, the quality of employment matters. Despite a 5% unemployment rate, one in three residents live in poverty.

But while manufacturing businesses bring jobs, they pay less in rent. Manufacturing space in Sunset Park typically leases for between $14 and $30 per square foot, while retail businesses pay three times that amount.

It was a pretty radical deal that got done, said Jesse Solomon, deputy director of the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corp, in an interview last fall. Its not normal for a large building like that to have the kind of deed restrictions that it does,

Still, while Solomon acknowledges the limitations of the buildings floor plan, she said that neither the nearby Brooklyn Army Terminal nor Industry City have had difficulty finding tenants. We believe there is sufficient demand to fill all of the industrial space in Liberty View Plaza, she said.

The Brooklyn Army Terminal is 90% occupied, according to the most recent EDC report.

A spokesperson for Industry City said that more than 1 million square feet of space is leased to manufacturers, the highest level to date. The entire complex has roughly 6 million square feet and includes a mix of commercial office and retail tenants as well as restaurants.

In addition to tax incentives, Salmar Properties requested and was granted a zoning exemption that allowed them to rent space to big box retailers such as Bed, Bath and Beyond. Billed as a mega complex, the retail center opened in 2017.

We're doing everything we can to attract industrial tenants here, we're still committed to that, said Ian Siegel, the Project Manager for Liberty View Industrial Plaza. He added that Salmar Properties installed 17 freight elevators that cannot be used for passengers and have dedicated 70,000 square feet on the first floor to shipping and receiving. Siegel declined to share the cost of rent in the building, and that information was redacted from government documents.

When asked if they were in danger of going under, Siegel said that they are managing the money from existing rents carefully and are financially stable.

In response to questions about the building, the Economic Development Corporation released the following statement: NYCEDC remains committed to providing space for companies to flourish and to support the Citys industrial sector. In that spirit, were currently working in good faith with the developer to evaluate options to ensure the projects viability.
David Dee Delgado/Getty Images Cardi B appeared in criminal court in New York City Friday on the first day of her trial on misdemeanor assault charges, and there is a possibility the charges could be upgraded.

She told the judge she would not testify, and prosecutors announced that her case is now before a grand jury.

The I Like It rapper was arrested for allegedly throwing bottles and chairs at two female bartenders last August in the Angels strip club in Queens, New York. The altercation is believed to have started after the Grammy-winning artist accused the two women of having sex with her husband, Offset.

She previously rejected an offer to plead guilty to third-degree assault and receive a conditional discharge.

Before appearing in court, Cardi dropped her single Press.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Whenever President Donald Trump visits New York City, it costs the NYPD and other city agencies around $308,000 each day to ensure his protection. Usually when the president is here he is doing some form of his job, like speaking to the United Nations, and he has avoided staying here in the past, ostensibly to spare us the hassle and expense. But on May 16th, Trump came to his hometown for one purpose: raising money.

That night, the president reaped more than $5 million at the Upper East Side home of a financial industry tycoon. The next morning he was on his way back to the White House. Police barricades and Sanitation trucks filled with sand lined his route.

New Yorkers should not have to foot the bill for that expenditure. His campaign should reimburse New York City and the taxpayers, civil rights attorney Norman Siegel said.

Federal funding has helped reimburse cities who host the president, but that money comes from taxpayers.

Siegel has filed four state Freedom of Information Law requests on behalf of four New Yorkers with the City Council, the NYPD, the Sanitation Department, and the Comptroller, to determine just how much money Trumps campaign visit cost the city.

The same day Trump swooped into New York City to raise cash, Mayor Bill de Blasio landed in Iowa to kick off his own 2020 campaign. The mayor travels with an NYPD detail, who will be working overtime to ensure his safety.

Siegel said he intends to file similar FOIL requests seeking the mayors security expenses while hes campaigning.

There is at least a threshold question similarly [with President Trump] of whether or not Mayor de Blasio's police security team in Iowa, or South Carolina, where he's exclusively engaged in political campaigning for his presidential campaign, whether or not we the taxpayers should be paying for that cost, Siegel said.



Mayor de Blasio on the campaign trail in Iowa last month (Charlie Neibergall/AP/Shutterstock)

Attorneys who specialize in election law say that while public servants must reimburse travel costs incurred on the campaign trail when they are using government resources, that does not include the costs of their security details.

Security, including secret service, is not considered [a] campaign related expense, attorney Jan Witold Baran, whose clients have included Republican lawmakers like Newt Gingrich, wrote in an email.

Jerry Goldfeder, a former special counsel to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, said that the municipal expenses incurred when a president is campaigning just goes with the territory of being president.

Whether its a president you like or a president you dont like, hes the president no matter what hes doing, and he needs to be protected, Goldfeder said.

As for Mayor de Blasios NYPD detail, Goldfeder notes that he is still the mayor, no matter where he is.

Even when hes campaigning for president hes being the mayor. And as long as hes being the mayor, whether hes in Iowa or South Carolina or the Bronx or wherever, and the NYPD feels that they need to protect him like they would protect any other mayor, then so be it.

Still, Goldfeder said the question of what the law requires is different from the question of fairness.

Despite the fact that it might be required to have security detail paid for by the taxpayers of the City of New York, it might also be a good idea to reimburse if youre only doing campaigning, he said.

Asked about New Yorkers footing the bill for his campaign security on WNYCs Brian Lehrer Show last week, de Blasio insisted that we are trying to keep things economical and smart, but referred further questions to the NYPD.

It's a very, very small amount of money, the mayor said.  But, again, anything about how security is provided should go to the NYPD.

The NYPD has not responded to our request for comment, nor has de Blasios 2020 campaign. The White House referred our questions to Trumps reelection campaign; they have not responded to our message.

The Mayors Office says that the city received $63 million in federal reimbursement for Trumps travel in 2017, and around $20 million for 2018; the city intends to keep applying for reimbursements.

Siegel said that the idea that the public must may for public officials campaign security needs to be reviewed and discussed.

It further creates the cynicism and the alienation that exists between regular New Yorkers and regular Americans within the political system now, Siegel said. Because the question becomes, why should we be paying for these security details when they're engaged in private political activity?

After de Blasio appears on Brian Lehrer Friday morning, the mayor and the first lady are set to travel to South Carolina. They're scheduled to return to New York City on Saturday.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
given last year [Merpel says: "it is never too late to inform IPKat readers"] by the UK High Court in Sprint Electric Ltd v Buyers Dream Ltd [2018] EWHC 1924 (Ch). There, the court addressed who owned what copyright in computer software developed by a service provider, but where the express contractual provisions left a lacuna as to IPR ownership. IPKat focuses its lens on a decision given last year [Merpel says: "it is never too late to inform IPKat readers"] by the UK High Court in Sprint Electric Ltd v Buyers Dream Ltd [2018] EWHC 1924 (Ch). There, the court addressed who owned what copyright in computer software developed by a service provider, but where the express contractual provisions left a lacuna as to IPR ownership.





Factual background





The dispute arose between Sprint Electric Ltd (SEL), the claimant in this case, and Dr Aristides Potamianos, a former director of SEL and the author of the source code of the software used by SEL in digital direct current motor controllers, which SEL was in the business of designing, developing and selling. Dr Potamianos had been working on digital drives long before his engagement with SEL, starting with his work for the PhD thesis.





Buyers Dream Ltd (BDL), Dr Potamianoss service company, entered into three written agreements with SEL for the provision of programming services. In effect, the defendant was solely responsible for the development of all digital aspects of SELs products.





BDL controlled access to the source code, providing to SEL only compiled object code sufficient so as to enable SEL to load and execute the firmware on the motor controllers. However, in order to enhance, modify or fix bugs in the program, it is essential to have access to and the right to edit the source code. When Dr Potamianos ceased debugging and development work, lack of access to source code became an existential threat to SELs product viability and indeed to the survival of the company itself. SEL sued Dr Potamianos and BDL, claiming breach of contract and SELs right to an order for delivery up of all the source code and associated documentation.





The question before the court was whether Dr Potamianos and BDL were obliged to provide SEL with access to the source code for the computer software and related documents. If so, who held the copyright to such software (both source and object code) in light of relationship between the parties and the contracts entered into between them.





Employee or independent contractor?





nature of this relationship is critical to the issue of IPR ownership, because should Dr Potamianos be regarded as an employee of SEL, under section 11(2) of the that he wrote during the course of his employment would be deemed to belong to SEL. Presumably for tax purposes, the parties used a service company model rather than a direct employment between SEL and Dr Potamianos. The precisenature of this relationshipis criticalto the issue of IPR ownership, because shouldDr Potamianosberegarded as an employee of SEL, under section 11(2) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA), the copyright of codethat he wrote during the course of his employment would be deemed to belong to SEL.





Dr Potamianos contended that in the absence of an employment agreement, he had never been an employee of SEL. The court took issue with this formulation, noting that

whether he was an employee depends on the true relationship between the parties, and not the label which they chose to use to describe that relationship.

Here, there were a multiple terms indicative of an employment relationship, such as the payment and bonus structure; termination provisions that were not inconsistent with a contract of employment for a senior employee whose services are of a fundamental importance; and the exclusivity of the relationship (BDL had no other personnel and Dr Potamianos worked solely for SEL full time using SELs office space and resources). Further, the court pointed out that it was unsurprising that the agreement between the parties did not provide for the degree of control to be exercised by SEL-- nobody else at SEL had any or any significant skill and knowledge in his area of expertise".





The court concluded that the true relationship between the parties under the contract was that of an employer and employee and, on that basis, SEL was the owner of copyright in accordance with 11(2) CDPA. If that ruling were wrong, the court then would agree with BDL and Dr Potamianos that the contract did not confer on SEL any entitlement, such as access, to be provided with the source code and documents, let alone assign any copyright to SEL.





Implication of an assignment





reasoning of Mr Prescott QC in that case: The parties had entered into three different agreements but none of them contained an express assignment of copyright. SEL relied on the High Court judgment in Griggs v Evans and argued that such an assignment should be implied, relying on thereasoningof Mr Prescott QC in that case:

Because the designer is not an employee of the company the legal title to the copyright belongs to him, because the Copyright Act says so; but the equitable title belongs to the company. This means that the designer can be called upon to assign the legal title to the copyright to the company; and, if he refuses, the law will compel him to do so  It seems to me that when a freelance designer is commissioned to create a logo for a client, the designer will have an uphill task if he wishes to contend that he is free to assign the copyright to a competitor. This is because, in order to give business efficacy to the contract, it will rarely be enough to imply a term that the client shall enjoy a mere licence to use the logo, and nothing more. In most cases it will be obvious, it will go without saying, that the client will need further rights. He will surely need some right to prevent others from reproducing the logo.





Officious bystander says "No"

Griggs case, considered an alternative to the assignment, namely a limited licence. He focused on the intent of the parties through the perspective of an officious bystander at the time of contract and concluded that if such bystander were to think that the copyright of a commissioned work was to belong to the provider, his/her answer would surely have been of course not. Jacob LJ, on appeal, in thecase, considered an alternative to the assignment, namely a limited licence. He focused on the intent of the parties through the perspective of an officious bystander at the time of contract and concluded that if such bystander were to think that the copyright of a commissioned work was to belong to the provider, his/her answer would surely have been of course not.





Further, SEL submitted that at the time of the execution of each contract, it was obvious that SEL would need access to, and the right to edit, use and compile, the source code as well as access to any associated documents. Otherwise, SEL would be unable to develop or enhance its products or to fix bugs or implement features which have been advertised but which do not work as described or, if the current version of hardware became obsolete, significant additional programming, while perhaps needed, would be well-nigh impossible. If Dr Potamianos became unable or unavailable, or if decided to leave SEL and work for another company, potentially a competitor of SEL, serious business continuity risks would arise for SEL.





In other words, access to source code (and not only to object code) was a necessity rather than merely an additional source of potential income for SEL (as had been submitted by the defendants). The court reasoned that while Dr Potamianos continued working at SEL, the need to access and exploit the source code was satisfied by directing requests to him. Hence, SELs contractual rights were fully observed and preserved.





The defendants sought to rely on Robin Ray v Classic FM (summarised BDL and Dr Potamianos argued that consideration of implied terms only arises where there is no express term dealing with copyright ownership, but in the present case there were no such lacunae that allowed for such judicial implication.The defendants sought to rely on(summarised here by The IPKat).





Griggs v Evans applied to the present case: The court considered that the reasoning inapplied to the present case:

A contract under which SEL agreed not only that it should pay for the creation of the Source Code and Related Documents but also that it should be denied ownership of, or even any right of access to, those materials, and be confined instead to a right to exploit the Object Code, is one which no reasonable persons in the position of SEL and Dr Potamianos would have made, and which lacks commercial and practical coherence.

The court rejected defendants assertion that section 90(3) of the CDPA required an assignment of copyright to be executed in writing and signed by the assignor in order to be effective. It stated that this provision refers to the legal ownership of copyright: it does not affect the equitable ownership, or the right to call for an assignment of the legal title.





For these reasons, the court held that the implied term satisfied the conditions that: (1) it was reasonable and equitable; (2) it was necessary to give business efficacy to the contract; (3) it was so obvious that it goes without saying; (4) it was capable of clear expression; and (5) it did not contradict any express term of the contract. Hence, BDL and Dr Potamianos were obliged to provide SEL with the source code to the extent that the same code had been created by Dr Potamianos during the existence of the contract between them.





Not for the first time, this judgement underscores why it the transfer of copyright ownership in consulting or contractor arrangements is best achieved through an express assignment clause.
Anil Giri is a reporter covering diplomacy, international relations and national politics for The Kathmandu Post. Giri has been working as a journalist for a decade-and-a-half, contributing to numerous national and international media outlets.
After last months Tarai windstorm, weather forecast upgrade now on states priority list

Weather radar in Surkhet will come into operation next fiscal year while preparations are under way to install two more radars.
Authorities consider barring weak climbers from Everest after a spate of deaths

Government may make it mandatory for climbers to take an advanced climbing course before joining an Everest expedition.

This season saw the highest numbers of climbers attempt to reach Everest, creating a heavy traffic jam. Photo: Nirmal Purja for Project Possible
Binod Ghimire covers parliamentary affairs and human rights for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2010, he has reported primarily on social issues, focusing on education and transitional justice.
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Number of Chinese tourists visiting Armenia is significantly growing: in 2018 the number of Chinese tourists visiting Armenia increased 59.9% compared to 2017. The growth dynamics also exists in the first quarter of 2019. In January-March 2019, compared to the same period of 2018, the number of Chinese tourists increased 40%.

Spokesperson of the Armenian ministry of economic development and investments Anna Ohanyan told ARMENPRESS that China is a targeted market for Armenia.

In this regard the elimination of visa regime between the two countries can boost tourism and the cooperation between Armenia and China in this sector. We attach great attention to China in digital marketing planning works aimed at forming special digital campaigns in this direction. We use all opportunities, both the digital platform, the screening of movies about Armenia and exhibitions. These days Armenia is taking part in an exhibition organized by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization which is dedicated to wine tourism. The Armenian production and tourism opportunities created great interest among the Chinese visitors, she said.

According to Chairman of the Armenian Tourism Federation Mekhak Apresyan, considering China as a targeted market is not a coincidence. He says China is the first country in the world in terms of number of tourists in the field of outgoing tourism. Apresyan states that Armenia already has a simple visa regime with China. Citizens can obtain visa on the border or online. Currently the elimination of visa requirements between the two countries, according to Apresyan, is a new level.

The important is that it is mutual. In other words, the citizens of Armenia can visit China with the same conditions. In recent years Armenias interest towards China is increasing: the visits from China to Armenia have increased by nearly 40% in the first quarter of this year. Although the figure is not so big, the growth rates are more promising. Only direct flights are lacking, Apresyan added.

As for the actions to be taken by the state structures and the private sector, Mekhak Apresyan said consistent works have been carried out in the direction of China for several years and currently they are also at an active stage. According to him, more targeted and effective marketing policy is needed, and also actions must be taken to launch direct flights.

The private sector also should take actions, by presenting tour packages not only related to Armenia, but also the region, covering both Armenia, Georgia and Iran, he added.

The Chinese tourists are interested in regional tour packages, deputy director of TATEV-T.T.T. tour agency Sevak Davudyan told ARMENPRESS, adding that the agency has started actively working with the Chinese tourists since 2018.

The visits from China are mainly in groups, choosing regional packages which also include Armenia. They usually stay in Armenia for two or three days. The tourists mainly prefer visiting historical-cultural sites, such as Garni, Geghard, Sevan, Etchmiadzin, Khor Virap, Dilijan, Haghpat and etc. The program depends on the number of days staying in Armenia, Sevak Davudyan said, adding that currently there is concrete activeness in the visits from China to Armenia.

The two countries are going to eliminate the visa regime which is very important. It will contribute to boosting tourist visits not only with groups, but individuals as well will visit. And this process can be organized without online registrations or filling in other forms, he said.

Armenia and China on May 26 signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption for ordinary passport holders. The agreement will enter into force after completion of its ratification procedures by the two states.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan had a working breakfast with the members of the Council of Europes high-ranking mission led by Christos Giakoumopoulos, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law at the CoE, the Armenian PMs Office told Armenpress.

The CoE delegations visit is taking place with regards to the rooted reforms of judiciary in Armenia aimed at assisting the judicial reforms based on the May 22 agreement reached between the Armenian PM and CoE Secretary General Thorbjrn Jagland.

PM Pashinyan attached importance to the delegations visit to Armenia and the bilateral cooperation for implementing the judicial reforms in the country. The PM said the rooted changes in the judiciary are a priority process and agenda for the government which should guarantee the existence of fully independent judiciary in Armenia. He said as a result of the recent democratic elections of Armenia the government and Parliament have received the citizens complete trust and mandate. From political perspective, especially after the revolution, a simple question arises: who is representing the judicial power in Armenia, whose power the judicial power is exercising in Armenia. I say this because the Article 2 of the Constitution of Armenia, which is not subject to change, says that the power in Armenia belongs to the people, the people exercise their power through free elections, referenda, as well as through state and local self-government bodies and officials provided for by the Constitution. And here in this list courts are state bodies enshrined by the Constitution. And the problem is that in fact, due to the recent political events, the courts, compared to the government and the Parliament, do not enjoy the peoples trust. This is the reason that court decisions constantly create concerns among the public, people just do not trust our judicial system, and this can become a source of constant crisis, Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that its time for the judiciary as well to enjoy the peoples trust. He expressed confidence that the government will manage to form a reliable judicial system in close cooperation with the international partners.

In his turn Christos Giakoumopoulos reaffirmed the CoEs full support to Armenias judicial reforms agenda. He said the CoE welcomes the Armenian governments steps aimed at making rooted changes in the judiciary and informed that they arrived in Armenia to discuss the future cooperation steps and actions for the implementation of these reforms. Christos Giakoumopoulos added that the Council of Europe is ready to closely cooperate with the Armenian government by investing its entire expert potential in the process of reforms.

Highlighting the fact that Armenia is a member of the Council of Europe, the PM proposed the CoE not to assist, but to be engaged in the process of judicial reforms.

Both sides stated that the fight against corruption and judicial reforms in Armenia should be in accordance with the Constitution of Armenia, international standards and Armenias commitments as a CoE member state.

After the meeting the Armenian PM left for a brief vacation which he will spend in Armenia.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. The next meeting of the CIS Heads of Government will take place in October in Moscow, Russia, the Organizations Executive Committee President-Executive Secretary Sergey Lebedev said.

He said they decided to hold the meeting on October 25 in Moscow at the recommendation of Russia.

Turkmenistan will chair the meeting as it holds the 2019 presidency at the CIS.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian nominated Vahe Grigoryans candidacy for the position of judge of the Constitutional Court, the Presidential Office said in a statement.

Its at least a year the President of the Republic is engaged in the process of nominating a candidate for the judge of the Constitutional Court to the Parliament aimed at filling that vacant position within the frames of his powers granted by the Constitution.

The President has carried out this responsible process through public and democratic working style, committed to his constitutional powers, preserving the constitutional norms and taking into consideration the principles of impartiality and objectivity. In order to get proposals on the possible candidates and opinions on the nominees, the Armenian President has initiated a series of procedures which are in line with the law, met with numerous specialists of the law field, leading representatives of the law community, including scientific and attorney circles.

Within a year, although several announcements were made on accepting the candidates applications, the number of possible candidates has been very limited. This means that the selection of the candidate for the CC judge is limited to the circle of just several individual lawyers who meet this position.

Highlighting the effectiveness of the legal system and also the activity of the Constitutional Court, taking into account the fact that the selection of the candidate of the CC judge cannot turn into an endless process, become a subject of political bargaining or speculations, based on the results of the recent discussions held with the representatives of the law community and the possible candidates for the judge of the Constitutional Court, the President proposes Vahe Grigoryans candidacy.

The President of the Republic hopes that if elected as judge of the Constitutional Court Vahe Grigoryan will bring his contribution to raising the effectiveness of the activity of the Court, implementing constitutional justice and etc, the statement says.

On October 19, 2018, President Armen Sarkissian has already nominated Vahe Grigoryans candidacy for the position of judge of the Constitutional Court, however, he failed to be confirmed as CC judge during a hearing in parliament. 30 MPs voted in favor of his candidacy, while 23 voted against. At that time the Republican Party of Armenia was the ruling political force in the Parliament.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
South Africa: President Ramaphosa committed to serve SA

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed his commitment to serve the 57 million South Africans by addressing the triple challenges of inequality, poverty, and unemployment.

I see myself as a servant; as being in this position to serve our people and to make sure that the challenges and the difficulties that our people are living through are eliminated. We address them, and we make their lives a lot easier, President Ramaphosa said.

Addressing young girls at the Union Buildings on Thursday, the President said he takes his position to serve the people of the country seriously.

Weve got 57 million South Africans and many of them are still poor. So we've got to lift our people out of poverty and make sure that they lead a better life.

My task is to get all the 57 million people in our country to share a common vision about where our country should go; to share a common future so that all of us can work together to achieve our vision, he said.

The President hosted 70 Girl-learners of Grade 10-12 from various schools around Gauteng and Western Cape as part of the Take a Girl Child to Work programme.

One of the things that we want to do is to increase the number of entrepreneurs in our country. We want to support them and want them to succeed.

It is entrepreneurs that employ the most people. When we have more entrepreneurs, they will create jobs and once jobs are created, we begin to eliminate poverty. Poverty and unemployment are our biggest enemies. We are seeking to address poverty, inequality and unemployment, he said.

He called on South Africans to be innovative and technologically advanced entrepreneurs who can create the much needed jobs.

The President also encouraged young girls to work hard in school.

Nothing ever comes easy in life. You will never get your Grade 12 certificate on a silver platter. Its going to come out of tears, hard work and sweating, sleepless nights and continued practice. It is hard and because it is hard, its got to be done, President Ramaphosa said.

Take-A-Girl-Child to Work initiative

Hosted by the Presidency Employee Health and Wellness Unit, Take-A-Girl-Child to Work is a national initiative by Cell C that seeks to expose girl children to a work environment, positive role models and offer them an opportunity to make informed career decisions based on real work experience.

The annual event is also aimed at inspiring girl children across the country to pursue their goals and ambitions without hindrance, as well as to reach their full potential, especially in relation to careers that were previously perceived as being male-orientated.

The Presidency exposed the girl-learners to various activities such as touring the Union Buildings precinct; presentation on the overview of the Presidency and work opportunities; bursary opportunities by Funza Lushaka; Department of Higher Education and Training presentation on Scare and Critical Skills; NSFAS fund and motivational talks.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockThomas Rhett starts the day Friday playing the Today show's concert series. You can tune in to watch starting at 7 a.m. on NBC. Meanwhile, Eli Young Band does the All-American Summer Concert Series on Fox & Friends.

Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Daniels recently donated $25,000 to The Shepherd's Men through his non-profit The Journey Home Project. Every year, The Shepherd's Men stage a week-long run from Groton, Connecticut to Atlanta, Georgia to raise awareness about suicide among returning servicemen and women. They also run the SHARE Military Initiative at The Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a 12-week rehab program to help with traumatic brain disorders and post-traumatic stress.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named Nashville's Music Row as one of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America.

You can check out Chris Lane's new video for the Laps Around the Sun album track "Fishin'" on YouTube now.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Rajesh Khanal is a business reporter for The Kathmandu Post covering insurance, the capital market, trade and macroeconomic issues. Khanal has also taught economics at a number of colleges in Kathmandu.
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. A group of Armenian de-miners, who are in Syria on a humanitarian mission, have cleared 33.400 square meters of territory during the technical exploration and clearing operations from February 19 to May 30, the Center for Humanitarian Demining and Expertise said on Facebook.

The Armenian doctors have provided surgical care to 394 patients in Syria. There are many children among the citizens who received medical care.

The Syrian residents regularly thank the Armenian specialists for this important mission, calling it as a brotherly support. The humanitarian mission continues, the statement said.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. The delegation of Bouches-du-Rhone Department of France, headed by Department Council President Mrs. Martine Vassal was hosted by Nicolas Aznavour, co-founder of the Aznavour Foundation and Kristina Sarkisyan, CEO of the Foundation on May 30, the Aznavour Foundation told Armenpress.

The meeting took place in Yerevan, in the future Aznavour Centre, where this unique project was presented to the guests. The Aznavour Centre will open its doors in 2021, following a complete renovation of the building. The monument will house an interactive tech museum focused on the life and career of Charles Aznavour, as well as a cultural and educational centre for youth, where programs will be implemented in three areas: cinema, music, and French language. The Aznavour Center will also host a French Institute that will be a real cultural platform for French culture with a large media library and certified language courses.

During the meeting, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between Aznavour Foundation, the Bouches-du-Rhone department and the Buzine Castle (Chateau de la Buzine) located in Marseille. The sides expressed readiness to contribute to the further development of French-Armenian cultural ties through the implementation of joint projects.

The first project being implemented in the framework of cooperation is the Aznavour exhibition opened at Buzine Castle. The unique collection presented at the castle includes precious materials - memorabilia, documents, manuscripts, correspondence, objects, photographs, videos, records, posters, outfits and various accessories that the legendary artist kept in his Mouries house. The Aznavour family wished that the royalty fee is directed to the Aznavour Foundation, so a donation was made by the Castle to the Foundation. The Castle is also committed to use its experience and knowledge to develop cultural programs for the future Aznavour Center.

Thanks to the efforts of the Departmental Council of Bouches-du-Rhone, notably with the support of Didier Parakian, Deputy Mayor of Marseille, a tribute concert to Charles Aznavour was also organized in Marseille on April 30, 2019. Other local partners also contributed to the organization of this concert, the proceeds of which will be directed to the Aznavour Foundation for the implementation of cultural projects.

***

The Aznavour Foundation thanks its partners and all dedicated persons around the world who share the values of Charles Aznavour and contribute to the mission of the Foundation.
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Around three weeks after the inauguration of a new park in downtown Yerevan, locals were angered to learn that one of the bronze statues in the venue has been damaged in what initially appeared to be an act of vandalism.

A nameless bronze statue of a little boy playing with a paper boat had its arm broken. This was publicized to an extent that the news made its way up to the highest level  the Cabinet meeting.

On May 30th, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan himself spoke about the incident, calling upon law enforcement agencies to find out the circumstances of how the brand new statue got damaged.

But turns out there is nothing Ill-intentioned in how the statues arm got broken.

The Yerevan Police Department today said in a statement that theyve investigated the incident and found out that the bronze statue was damaged unintentionally.

It said theyve examined CCTV footage from the area and revealed that many children were regularly playing in the area and one of them accidentally caused the damage.

Vardanyan Family Charitable Foundation, the organization which built and donated the park to Yerevan, in turn had earlier said that the statue was broken accidentally by a visitor. The statue is currently under restoration.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Ahead of Childrens Day, the Armenian military organized a celebration at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Yerevan on May 31st.

Children of soldiers, family members of fallen troops and many others had were invited to the Ministry of Defense for the event.

Minister Davit Tonoyan was personally hosting the children.

The most memorable part of the day was the inauguration of a symbolic monument called Family. The monument comprised of three crosses  symbolizing parents and a child  was inaugurated by very special guests: Hamest Nersisyan, the mother of the legendary captain Armenak Urfanyan, who died during fierce battles in the April 2016 Four-Day War when he sacrificed himself to stop an enemy offensive, Hovhannes - the grandson of legendary military commander Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, and the sculptor himself  Varazdat Hambardzumyan.

Armenia celebrates June 1st as The Day of Protection of Children Rights.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian parliament is debating proposed restrictions on bookmaking activities in the country.

A bill co-authored by Vice Speaker Alen Simonyan and MP Sipan Pashinyan from the ruling My Step Alliance and opposition MP Naira Zohrabyan from Prosperous Armenia party suggests amending the current law on gambling and allowing bookmakers to operate only in four cities  Tsakhkadzor, Jermuk, Sevan and Meghri.

According to Simonyan, the purpose is to minimize possible gambling addiction.

He said the proposed locations have been chosen in terms of tourism and leisure: Tsakhkadzor, Sevam and Jermuk are the most popular tourism destinations in Armenia, while Meghri was chosen as a border town.

The bill also provisions age restrictions, as well as minimization of the possibility of cash transcations.

SImonyan said the government has approved the bill and damages to the budget will be insignificant.

If passed, the law will be effective from 2020 November.

The law, however, will not cover the automated bookmaking devices that are located at gas stations.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, 31 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 31 May, USD exchange rate down by 0.17 drams to 480.10 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.25 drams to 535.41 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.07 drams to 7.33 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 2.85 drams to 603.92 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 17.81 drams to 19772.2 drams. Silver price up by 0.31 drams to 222.27 drams. Platinum price down by 81.53 drams to 12209.54 drams.
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan participated in the regular session of the CIS Council of Heads of Government in Turkmenistans capital Ashgabat on May 31.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, the future development of the CIS as well as the improvement of the legal base of the organization were on the agenda of the session. The delegations of the member countries discussed the cooperation opportunities in the sphere of innovations and the partnership between the customs bodies.

Based on the discussions, a dozen of documents were signed.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. An investigative committee has been set up in the National Assembly of Armenia to examine the circumstances of April 4-day war that took place in 2016, ARMENPRESS reports President of the National Assembly Ararat Mirzoyan said.

Mirzoyan informed that 47 MPs have requested to set up the committee.

The President of the National Assembly also informed that another committee will be set up by the request of 1/4th of the total number of the MPs that will delve into the issue of water recourses.

During the May 20 consultation PM Pashinyan had announced that its already time to set up a parliamentary investigative committee into the April war details to find the answers of a range of issues of public interest.

The war between Artsakh and Azerbaijan named April war or the 4-day war took place in 2016 when the Azerbaijani troops made a sudden large-scale attack against Artsakh. The war lasted 4 days and ended on April 5, when the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a ceasefire agreement in Moscow. The borderline between Artsakh and Azerbaijan remained nearly unchanged following the war, but the Azerbaijani troops suffered at least 5-fold more casualties than the Armenian side, estimated at 558.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received on May 31 the high-ranking delegation of the Council of Europe, comprised of Council of Europe Director General of the Human Rights and Rule of Law Christos Giakoumopoulos, Venice Commission Secretary Thomas Markert, Head of the Department of Justice and Legal Cooperation Hanne Juncker, Executive Secretary of the Group of States against Corruption(GRECO) Gianluca Esposito, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Yerevan Natalia Voutova and political consultant Maxim Longang.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, greeting the guests, the head of the legislative presented in detail the developments following the velvet revolution in Armenia, spoke about the reforms in various spheres, including electoral, judicial, taxation and the steps aimed at fighting corruption, future development of democracy and future strengthening of civil society. Ararat Mirzoyan also told the guests about his visions on transitional justice.

For us its important that the reforms be institutional, which will ensure the continuity of the adopted policy, Mirzoyan said.

Thanking for the warm reception, Christos Giakoumopoulos said that the goal of their visit is to discuss with the authorities and different partners issues such as the independence of the judicial system, right to a fair trial, fight against corruption, and protection of human rights. According to him, based on the assessment of the situation, the different bodies of the CoE will offer short and medium term support and the future directions for cooperation will be outlined.

The sides highlighted ensuring inclusiveness during the reform process with the participation of different political forces and the civil society,

The President of the National Assembly of Armenia expressed gratitude to the bodies of the Council of Europe for their support in different spheres, as well as their readiness for partnership in the future.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
"I have every right to tweak and turn resource laws for my country," he said. "We will look into maximising gain from what God has given this country from all natural resources."

"Who says one conglomerate from outside will come and tell me I can change the law for my country?" he asked.

Hours after being elected, Marape told parliamentarians he does "not intend to chase away our investors" but insisted "our resource laws are outdated," a clear reference to the huge LNG project.

Marape threatened foreign logging companies and vowed to tweak resource laws that underpin a recently inked $13 billion gas deal with Total and ExxonMobil.

PORT MORESBY - Former Papua New Guinea finance minister James Marape, elected as prime minister on Thursday, has immediately issued a nationalistic address that puts foreign resource companies on notice.

James Marape being sworn in as new prime minister on Thursday (AFP/Vanessa Kerton)

One of Asia's most impoverished nations, Papua New Guinea is rich in natural resources, which include large gas fields.

The ExxonMobil and Total Papua LNG project, signed in April, would almost double its gas exports and make the country a significant global player.

Marape -- who comes from energy-rich Hela province -- had resigned from the government in April, saying that the spoils of the contract were not equitably distributed.

He also said Papua New Guineans don't need foreign companies operating in the country's lucrative timber export sector.

Tighter global logging rules and widespread deforestation in Indonesia have seen loggers - predominantly from China - turn their attention to PNG's extensive forests.

Marape won the landslide backing of members of parliament that forced eight-year prime minister Peter O'Neill to resign.

ONeills tenure was marked by endemic corruption and chronic underdevelopment in a country that has increasingly become a venue for US-China rivalry.

The government's purchase last year of 40 Maseratis to ferry foreign dignitaries around Port Moresby's few fully paved roads during an APEC summit became emblematic of his time in office.

Marape, 48, said his victory represented power shifting to a new generation and away from O'Neill's top-down approach to one more suited to the country's complex tribal, regional and ethnic politics.

Likening himself to a choirmaster, Marape urged members of both parties who backed him in a 101-8 vote to unify.

"Every one of you can sing your part. Some of you will sing the bass parts; some of you will sing the soprano, the alto, the melody."

"Together, we can make the song that our children truly deserve."

Marape's tenure could also spell a rocky patch for PNG-Australia relations.

He had previously demanded an investigation into "corrupt contracts" with Australia to settle asylum seekers on tropical island camps, which he said had sullied the country's image.

It remains to be seen if his premiership brings substantive reforms or tinkering around the edges.

Many Papua New Guineans - only 13% of whom have access to reliable electricity - will be suspicious Marape's appointment is little more than musical chairs among the country's distant elite.

Much may hinge on who Marape appoints to his cabinet and how much delay the policy rethink takes.

"Papua New Guineans are suffering," former prime minister Mekere Morauta warned Marape in an address to parliament. "You will need to address corruption and abuse, mismanagement of finances and mounting debt."

"The people of Papua New Guinea want change."
Kathmandu to host first Asian Resilience Summit today

Speakers from all over the world will attend the one-day event.
Big Little Lies' Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley are all returning for season two. Photo: HBO

It was the blockbuster female-led series which was originally slated to air for just one season.

But Big Little Lies is back for round two, and will return to Australian screens on Foxtel from June 10 for seven more episodes.

Season ones star-studded cast - including Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley - have all signed on to reprise their roles.

The eight-time Emmy-winning show is based on Aussie author Liane Moriartys book of the same name and its return is aimed to keep Foxtel users subscribed to the service following Games of Thrones recent finale.

Adding to season twos allure is Meryl Streep taking on the role of Mary Louise Wright who comes to Monterey - where the show is set - to seek answers after the untimely death of her son.

Megastar Meryl Streep is joining the cast of Big Little Lies in season two. Photo: HBO

Both Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman will return as executive producers for the series, which was originally pitched to the pair as a film before HBO came onboard.

The shows first season received near-universal acclaim following its release in 2017 and saw it receive 16 Emmy nominations, six Golden Globe nods and a SAG Award for Kidman win a SAG award for her lead role.

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.
Jack Vidgen had a brain tumour removed in 2011. Photo: Channel Nine (L) and Facebook/Jack Vidgen (R)

Former child star Jack Vidgen is set to make his big television return on Sunday night when he auditions on The Voice.

And while hes recently been speaking about the time he took out from the spotlight after winning Australias Got Talent in 2011, some fans may not know the health issues he faced during that time.

The now 22-year-old had a brain tumour removed back in 2014 after it was found behind his eye.

I have been trying to decide whether to go public with this. But you guys have been a big part of the last 3 years of my life so here it is, Jack wrote on his Facebook page at the time, informing fans of his condition.

"First off I had to have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging scan) on Monday - it showed there was a mass lesion (tumour) behind my eye. I then saw an ocular plastic surgeon who said it had to come out urgently.

After his first surgery, he informed fans that hed have to go back again as the tumour potentially wasnt completely removed.

If it is not then the possibility of what's left inside turning nasty is high, he wrote.

So it looks like I'll have to go back in for surgery again.

The entertainer recovered well, and fast forward five years and hes back in the limelight.

Jack is set to appear on The Voice this weekend after saying he took time out from showbiz to focus on growing up as a normal teenager.

Jack Vidgen pictured in 2011 (L) and in 2019 (R). Photo: Getty (L) and Instagram/jack.vidgen (R)

Earlier this week he admitted hed gone through a period of feeling lost and trying to find myself again after winning Australias Got Talent back in 2011 at the age of 14.

He said this compelled him to change his appearance and try lip fillers.

Thats the thing with me over the years Ive been looking for my identity, he told Who magazine.

Ive been trying to find myself again and Ive definitely experimented with filler... theres no denying that.

To me, lip filler is like makeup, its like doing your hair... its not permanent, he said.

Story continues

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.
Priyanka Chopra, pictured in Cannes, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex with baby Archie [Photos: Getty]

Priyanka Chopra is the latest of the Duchess of Sussexs high-profile friends to visit her and baby Archie at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, according to reports.

The actress, 36, and her husband Nick Jonas, 26, also bought the royal tot some very generous gifts.

Priyanka and Nick are said to have picked out keepsakes from Tiffany & Co. While its not known what they actually chose, the cheapest item listed under gifts for baby on their website is a $219 earthenware money box in the shape of a bunny.

The most expensive is a wool and cashmere baby blanket for $776.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are said to have met the royal baby at Frogmore Cottage. Photo: Getty Images

A pal told The Sun: "They thought baby Archie was just adorable and Meg is loving her new life.

"She looked fantastic and has taken to life as a mum swimmingly."

Following her and Nicks attendance at Cannes Film Festival, Priyanka has been in the UK and even went to one of Mariah Careys concerts at Royal Albert Hall during her stay.

Priyanka is seen here at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding last year. Photo: Getty Images

There were rumours that Meghan and Priyanka had fallen out, after having both missed a significant event in each others lives.

The duchess was absent from Priyanka and Nicks opulent wedding in India just before Christmas. Priyanka then didnt attend Meghans baby shower in New York in February.

But the Baywatch star put the feud rumours to bed herself during an interview on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in March.

When Priyanka was asked if she was upset about Meghan skipping her wedding, she replied: Oh my god, no, its not true.

The Duchess of Sussex gave birth to son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6 and is currently on maternity leave from her royal duties.

Meghans stylist and friend Jessica Mulroney is also said to have paid a visit to see her and the baby last week, during a trip to the UK.

Words 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.
South Korean relatives of victims of the Budapest boat tragedy on Friday visited the scene of the accident which left seven dead and 21 missing after a sightseeing boat sank. The ill-fated Mermaid carrying mainly South Korean tourists overturned and capsized in pouring rain late Wednesday, seconds after colliding with a much larger cruise ship on the Danube river. Rescuers looking for the missing are battling strong currents with Seoul requesting that the search be extended further south along the Danube. "We have firmly decided that we won't give up our hopes about the possibility of finding survivors," South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told a news conference in Budapest. Kyung-wha arrived in the city with an emergency task force and on Friday visited the site of the crash along with her Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto. Later in the day, officials escorted the relatives of victims, who had also arrived on Friday, to the riverbank. - Prospects for survivors slim - The prospects of finding any more survivors are seen as very slim. Only seven people are known to have survived so far. Those missing include a six-year-old girl and the boat's Hungarian captain and a crew member, while seven South Korean tourists are known to have died. Police said Thursday they had detained the 64-year-old Ukrainian captain of the larger ship, the Viking Sigyn, for questioning "in relation to 'endangering waterborne traffic resulting in multiple deaths'". The captain's lawyer, Balazs Toth, told Hungarian news agency MTI that his client, who had 44 years of experience "denied having committed a crime or not having respected all the rules". "He has never caused an accident. He regrets he did not have the means to avoid the accident," he said. The Viking Sigyn itself left Budapest with a new captain on Friday and reached the Hungarian city of Esztergom, according to local media. - Risky operation - Some survivors have described their terrifying ordeal as the Mermaid sank almost immediately and they were pitched into the dark waters. Some were able to grab on to rescue buoys and watched in horror as fellow passengers struggled to stay afloat. "The current was so fast and people were floating away but the rescue team did not come," 31-year-old woman, identified only by her surname Jung, told the Korean news agency Yonhap. The Mermaid is still completely submerged in the Danube, which has been swollen by weeks of rain. A floating crane was erected near the accident site, as well as a small pier for use by divers. But the strong current has made diving attempts very risky and complicated plans to lift the wreck. Grainy images taken with sonar equipment showed the vessel on the bottom of the Danube, tilted to its side with its highest point two metres (6.6 feet) under the surface and its lowest 7.5 metres underneath, according to Hungarian news site index.hu. Szijjarto said that "several hundred" members of the emergency service and the armed forces remained active in the search and rescue operation on Friday but admitted: "We have to say that circumstances are working against us." About 20 South Korean divers have also arrived. But the water level is not expected to start receding before Tuesday. Police have said the strong current swept one of the victims around 11 kilometres (seven miles) downstream of the accident site. - Youngest passenger - A candlelit vigil for the victims is expected at the South Korean embassy in Budapest on Friday evening. Lee Sang-moo, chief operating officer of Very Good Tour which organised the trip for the South Koreans, said most of the Mermaid's passengers were in their 50s and 60s. The youngest was the missing six-year-old girl who was travelling with her mother and grandparents and the oldest was a man in his early 70s. The collision happened on a popular part of the Danube river for pleasure trips, from where sightseers can view the city and parliament illuminated at night. Larger river cruise boats travelling on the Danube between Germany and the Black Sea typically spend several days moored in the capital. The tragedy comes five years after the Sewol ferry sinking in South Korea which killed more than 300 people in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in the country. Seven South Korean tourists are known to have been killed and 21 people remain missing The accident took place near the parliament building in Budapest Rescuers looking for the missing are battling strong currents with Seoul requesting that the search be extended south along the Danube South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has arrived in Hungary Hungarian police have launched a criminal investigation into one of the country's worst boat accidents
Donald Trumps upcoming state visit to the UK will involve a major police operation - but the Queen is set to have it relatively easy.

According to royal biographer Robert Hardman, Trumps arrival will not prove to be too taxing for Her Majesty.

Mr Hardman told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: "I think Donald Trump is going to be one of the easiest state visitors the Queen has ever had in a very long time because firstly hes not staying overnight at the palace because of the building works.

Large chunks of the palace are currently under dust sheets and are being rewired, so the Trumps will stay with the US ambassador.

Donald Trump's state visit to the UK is set to be 'one of the easiest ever' (Getty)

As well as not being able to sleep in Buckingham Palace, the President will not be having a procession through the streets of London - unlike Chinese PM Xi Jinping, who was given the honour despite mass protests.

However, the decision is not a slight against the Trumps but was made by US security, according to Mr Hardman.

He added: "Also because of security, theres been a lot of talk about carriage processions, Trump wanting a carriage procession and not getting one.

Read more from Yahoo News UK:

Malawi presidential bodyguard dubbed world's scariest

Horrifying moment man sets fire to himself outside White House

Jeremy Corbyn moves closer to second referendum

It was US security who said we cant have our President riding through a foreign capital in a vehicle made out of leather and wood and built in the 19th century.

A huge security operation will be in place as President Trump arrives in the UK in June.

The Metropolitan Police said it had "a very experienced command team" leading the operation as the force geared up to deal with the visit itself and expected protests.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was given a carriage ride in the UK despite protests (Getty)

Last year, almost 10,000 officers were deployed for Trump's trip to the UK, with nearly every force in the country providing staff to support the operation.

During the state visit, which begins on June 3, protesters are again hoping to fly the Donald Trump blimp, which depicts the American leader as a baby.

Story continues

A 16ft talking robot of Mr Trump sitting on a gold toilet is also expected to make an appearance.

It depicts the American leader with his trousers round his ankles while tweeting and says some of his well-known phrases such as "stable genius" and "no collusion", as well as breaking wind.

President Trump will not be staying overnight at Buckingham Palace during his visit (Getty)

The Met said officers have met organisers of the Together Against Trump protest, who plan to gather in Trafalgar Square on June 4.

The force is in discussions to agree a route with the demonstrators, who wish to pass down Whitehall.

A section of the road will be closed off as part of the security operation around the president's visit.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "A very experienced command team is preparing the multi-faceted policing and security operation for the president's visit and whilst the Met has a responsibility to ensure the right to lawful protest this needs to be balanced with the complex requirements of this policing plan."
Lethal traffic jam

The rising death toll of climbers has exposed previously unthought-of dangers on the highest peak on earth.
Roger Federer on Friday became the first player to contest 400 Grand Slam matches, marking the occasion in style with a straight-sets victory over Casper Ruud to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros. The 37-year-old downed a battling Ruud, whose father Christian was in the draw when Federer made his Paris debut 20 years ago, 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (10/8). Federer, the champion in Paris in 2009, has now made the fourth round at the French Open for the 14th time where he will face either fellow 37-year-old Nicolas Mahut of France or Argentina's Leonardo Mayer. "It was hard to find weaknesses in his game, so I'm relieved, I'm now going to have a good shower and it's going to be great," said Federer who fired 11 aces and 52 winners but also committed 36 unforced errors. "It was a nice match to play in." Federer, playing the French Open for the first time since 2015, eased through the first two sets against world number 63 Ruud on Court Suzanne Lenglen. But the 20-year-old Norwegian made a match of it in the third set, saving three match points in the tiebreaker and carving out a set point of his own before Federer delivered the knockout blow. On the move: Roger Federer returns the ball to Norway's Casper Ruud
Nearly two decades after Dora Bakoyannis became the first female mayor of Athens, ahead of the 2004 Olympics in the Greek capital, her son Costas has a clear shot at succeeding her in the prestigious post. But Greece's top family dynasty has its sights on an even bigger prize, with Dora's brother Kyriakos Mitsotakis in pole position to become prime minister in early elections expected in July. A decade apart in age, uncle and nephew therefore stand a good chance of making Greek political history by simultaneously holding two of the country's leading political posts. Leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will next month call for early elections after his Syriza party was beaten by over nine points by Mitsotakis' conservative New Democracy party in Sunday's European parliament ballot. "Citizens have demanded political change. This change...has already begun," Mitsotakis, who has led the party since 2016, said in a victory speech. Mitsotakis' father and Bakoyannis' grandfather Constantine Mitsotakis, the family patriarch who died in 2017 at the age of 98, held a succession of ministerial posts from the 1950s onwards and was prime minister in a New Democracy administration from 1990 to 1993. In addition to being Athens mayor, Constantine Mitsotakis' daughter Dora also served as minister of culture in his administration and later as foreign minister. - 'Tax cuts, jobs, safety' - Her brother Kyriakos on Monday pledged "tax cuts, lots of good jobs, safety for all, and a different style of governing." "We will remain modest...we will not fall to the temptation of making electoral promises," the 51-year-old economist aiming to unseat Tsipras said. Originally scheduled in autumn, early national elections are likely to be held on July 7 according to news reports. With a second potential prime minister and Athens mayor, the Crete-based Mitsotakis family has now taken the reins from Greece's former leading political clan of Papandreou, which elected three prime ministers between 1944 and 2009. As Mitsotakis led a near-sweep on Sunday in regional elections with New Democracy securing outright, or in a commanding position of the bulk of Greece's 13 regions, his nephew charged into the second round of local elections on June 2 with a score of over 42 percent, more than 25 points clear of his nearest rivals. In his first comments on Sunday, 41-year-old Costas Bakoyannis said he felt "shock and awe" at an election result "that exceeds all expectations." "We want all Athenians to feel part of the change we want to bring to the city," he said. Both Bakoyannis and Mitsotakis are big on public safety, seeking to capitalise on Tsipras' perceived inaction against anarchist vandalism and lawlessness. After vandals smeared paint on one of his electoral kiosks ahead of the first electoral round on May 26, Bakoyannis let loose. "They should cross themselves, if they believe in God, that I don't become mayor," he said. Costas was just 11 years old when his father Pavlos Bakoyannis, a conservative lawmaker with New Democracy, was gunned down in 1989 by the far-left November 17 organisation. Earlier this month Costas Bakoyannis said it "drove him nuts" that the Tsipras administration had repeatedly granted prison leave to his father's killer, November 17's main hitman Dimitris Koufodinas. Describing himself as a workaholic and educated as a political scientist at Brown University and Harvard, Bakoyannis was first elected mayor of the small mountainous town of Karpenissi in 2010 at the age of 33. As mayor of Karpenissi he is credited with bringing additional tourism to the area. Four years later, he was elected to the post of regional governor for central Greece. Twice-married Bakoyannis has four children with three women. Mitsotakis, who studied at Harvard and Stanford, is a married father of three. New Democracy party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis is in pole position to become Greek prime minister Dora Bakoyannis towards the end of her 2006-2009 tenure as Greek foreign minister Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine. The family dynasy patriarch, became Greece's longest-serving parliamentarian before quitting politics in 2004 Costas Bakoyannis is a candidate to become Athens mayor, a job once held by his mother who was the first woman in the post
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his historic second term at a solemn ceremony in front of cheering supporters Thursday ahead of unveiling a revamped Hindu nationalist government. Modi was the first of more than 50 cabinet ministers and deputy ministers to be sworn in at the presidential palace in front of 8,000 people including South Asian leaders, Bollywood stars and leading political figures. Presidents and prime ministers from neighbouring Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives were present, but arch-rival Pakistan was not among those invited. Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made history by increasing their majority in a second straight landslide election win. The 68-year-old prime minister walked up to take his oath of office to a standing ovation, with supporters in the crowd chanting "Modi, Modi". "Honoured to serve India!" he said on Twitter soon after. "This team is a blend of youthful energy and administrative experience," he added. "Together, we will work for India's progress." - Cabinet prizes - Modi was expected to announce his new cabinet in the hours after the ceremony. A new finance minister was guaranteed after the influential outgoing minister, Arun Jaitley, 66, announced Wednesday that he would not serve again because of poor health. Some media reports said Modi's trusted enforcer, BJP president Amit Shah, would take the finance portfolio even though he has no experience as a minister in the national government. Shah was among 24 people to take an oath as a full cabinet member. Outgoing foreign minister Sushma Swaraj was not among the group to take the oath, meaning she would also be replaced. S. Jaishankar, a career diplomat and specialist on China and the United States, was a surprise inclusion in the cabinet list. Analysts said that if he becomes foreign minister, it could indicate Modi will give more emphasis to ties with the leading global powers. The Indian leader is expected to host China's President Xi Jinping for a summit in October. - 'New India' - Modi won the election after portraying himself through the campaign as a nationalist strongman who would protect the country's security. He was aided by a military showdown on the border of divided Kashmir when Indian and Pakistani fighter jets staged tit-for-tat raids. Modi said he needed a new term to further his promise of a "new India" taking its place as a rising economic power in the world. Smriti Irani, who pulled off one of the biggest victories of the election by beating opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi in his own family bastion, was expected to get a promotion after being demoted in Modi's first term. Gandhi, whose party suffered a second straight humiliating defeat, was among the crowd with his mother Sonia, the former Congress leader. Media reports said Gandhi -- the son, grandson, and great-grandson of Nehru-Gandhi dynasty prime ministers -- has told party leaders he wants to stand down. But party supporters have staged demonstrations outside his home calling on him to stay. - Nationalist agenda - India is expected to overtake Britain as the world's fifth-biggest economy in 2020. Modi's government is expected to push a strong Hindu agenda, including the construction of a new Hindu temple on the site of a Muslim mosque razed during riots in 1992 in the holy city of Ayodhya. Many Hindus believe a spot in the city marks the birthplace of Lord Ram and that the medieval Babri mosque that stood there for 460 years was only built after the destruction of an earlier temple. India's Supreme Court has named a three-man panel including a famous guru to resolve the seemingly intractable and highly emotive dispute. But the temple was promised in the BJP's election manifesto. "Nationalism is our inspiration ... good governance is our mantra," Modi said at the launch of the manifesto that also vowed to spend more than $1.4 trillion on new infrastructure over five years to create much-needed jobs. While India's economy grew at about seven percent each year during Modi's first five-year term, it did not produce the jobs needed to find work for the estimated 1.2 million job seekers entering the labour market each month. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signs documents after taking the oath of office for a historic second term Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (R) will not serve in the new government, leaving room for Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) to possibly name Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah (C) to the influential job Graphic on India's PM Narendra Modi Opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi (C) -- who lost in his own family bastion -- attended the ceremony, but media reports say he wants to stand down Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena was among a number of world leaders who attended the swearing-in ceremony
Roger Federer on Friday became the first player to contest 400 Grand Slam matches, marking the occasion in style with a straight-sets victory over Casper Ruud to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros and admitted it was an "impressive" landmark in a career full of iconic moments. The 37-year-old downed a battling Ruud, whose father Christian was in the draw when Federer made his Paris debut 20 years ago, 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (10/8). Federer, the champion in Paris in 2009, has now made the fourth round at the French Open for the 14th time where he will face Argentina's Leonardo Mayer. He is the oldest man to reach the last 16 in Paris since Nicola Pietrangeli 47 years ago. "Well, it is impressive," said the 20-time major winner who has already passed the 100 title mark in his career as well the $100 million prize money barrier. "It's even more pleasant to do this at Roland Garros, because I have a lot of records, milestones from Wimbledon and the US Open. "But doing anything at Roland Garros is very special, because I played a lot here. It was my first Grand Slam where I was in the main draw. "It's the closest one to Basel (his home town), and this counts, as well." Federer fired 11 aces and 52 winners past Ruud who was just five months old when the Swiss made his main draw debut in Paris in 1999. Federer, playing the French Open for the first time since 2015, eased through the first two sets against world number 63 Ruud on Court Suzanne Lenglen. But the 20-year-old Norwegian made a match of it in the third set, saving three match points in the tiebreaker and carving out a set point of his own before Federer delivered the knockout blow. Should Federer go on and win the title a week on Sunday he would become the oldest men's Grand Slam champion of all time. It's that possibility as well as the knowledge that his career is winding down which has him admitting he's feeling a touch nostalgic on his return to Paris. "I feel that my 20 years on the tour went too fast," he explained. "When you play against people like Casper Ruud, you ask, How was it at the time? When I started on the tour he was hardly born. "I guess it's mainly due to the fact that I didn't come here for many years." Federer has already admitted that he is nowhere near being the favourite for the title in Paris despite his third seeding. World number one Novak Djokovic, bidding to become only the second man to hold all four Slams at the same time twice, and 11-time champion Rafael Nadal are expected to contest the final a week on Sunday. "A few months ago I didn't know what to expect with anything," said Federer. "Now I know where my level's at. I still don't know exactly where my absolute best is, but I feel like it could be there. "So I'm happy I'm putting myself in a position like this in a fourth round of the French Open after not having played so many years here." On the move: Roger Federer returns the ball to Norway's Casper Ruud Eye on the ball: Roger Federer on his way to victory against Norway's Casper Ruud
Pope Francis embarks on a three-day trip Friday to Romania, with a planned open-air weekend mass likely to draw tens of thousands to a predominantly ethnic-Hungarian part of the picturesque Transylvania region. The Argentine pontiff's visit is keenly awaited for both faith and national identity reasons in a majority Orthodox country where believers suffered under the post-war decades of Communist rule. For Catholics in the "Szeklerland" area near the Carpathian mountains where some 600,000 ethnic-Hungarians comprise a majority of the population, the pope's visit is seen as welcome recognition of their separate identity. "It's a unique moment in our history, the first time the Holy Father visits us," priest and mass co-organiser Ede Csont told AFP. - 'Spiritual centre' - The visit comes 20 years after Polish Pope Jean Paul II made the first papal visit to Romania, almost a millennium after the 1054 schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Around 200,000 visitors, mostly ethnic Hungarian Catholics, are expected to journey to a holy site on a verdant hillside near Miercurea Ciuc, 215 kilometres north of Bucharest, where the pope will celebrate mass on Saturday. "It is the most important Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in southeastern Europe," Csont said as workers applied finishing touches to the altar. He called the pilgrimage site "the spiritual centre of the Szekler people". Most pilgrims will be Romania-based ethnic-Hungarians, but organisers say some 25,000 will also travel from Hungary itself, as well as from Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine, all countries with sizeable Hungarian communities. After the dismantling of the defeated Austro-Hungarian empire at the end of World War I some two million ethnic-Hungarians, Magyars, were left stranded in neighbouring countries. - Separate identity - Romanian is rarely heard in the Szeklerland ("Szekelyfold" in Hungarian, "Tinutul Secuiesc" in Romanian), where even the voicemail at the town hall in Miercurea Ciuc, which has a population of 39,000, speaks first in Hungarian, second in Romanian. The tranquil area is usually disturbed only when marchers carry the blue Szekler flag through streets and call for the region's autonomy, a demand that irks the authorities in Bucharest and riles Romanian nationalists. A former prime minister said in 2018 that anyone flying the Szekler flag from public buildings should be "hung". Given the acrimony, the pope's slogan for the Romania trip of "Going Forward Together" is ambitious, according to Miercurea Ciuc mayor Robert Kalman Raduly. "It's not an easy message," he told AFP. An advocate of Szekler autonomy, Raduly was sanctioned by the Romanian authorities in March over his insistence that all town hall staff should know Hungarian. "There is a perception among Romanians that Szeklers may be physically present in Romania but psychologically they are completely linked to Hungary," Nandor Bardi, a minorities expert at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest, told AFP. An annual Pentecost pilgrimage to the holy site that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, many carrying Hungarian flags, also usually includes top politicians from Budapest among the throng. Hungary's nationalist premier Viktor Orban is not going to Saturday's mass, but his deputy Zsolt Semjen and President Janos Ader -- both Catholics unlike Orban -? will attend. - 'Not interference' - Orban has been building ties with the diaspora since he returned to power in 2010 as part of a so-called "national policy" that is seen warily in Romania as an effort to extend Budapest's reach. In 2018 alone Hungary spent an estimated 250 million euros ($280 million) on churches, schools, cultural and sporting centres and groups outside its borders, mostly in the Transylvania region. A 2011 law also offered dual citizenship to Magyars abroad, that according to Orban, "makes Hungarians officially part of the Hungarian nation again". Voting rights in Hungary were later granted to the new citizens, who have almost all cast their ballots ever since for Orban. Budapest has also allocated around half a million euros ($560,000) to help cover the costs of the Pope's visit. Not "interference" in another country, but rather "help for the local organisers," insisted a government official in Budapest earlier this month. The Romanian authorities have still not confirmed which officials will attend the mass. A source close to the government told AFP: "We are wary of provocations from the Hungarians". But the visit of Pope Francis, who has encouraged a welcoming attitude toward refugees, is also awkward for Orban's government whose trademark policy is its tough approach to migrants. "Many locals feel conflicted," said Boroka Paraszka, an ethnic-Hungarian journalist in Targu Mures, the largest city in the Szeklerland. "Those who have absorbed Budapest's anti-refugee narrative are experiencing cognitive dissonance, and asking why this 'migrant-hugging Pope' is coming to a national pilgrimage place," she told AFP. "But most have been waiting for decades that one day the Pope would visit, so there is a lot of excitement". The Pope's slogan for his three-day trip in Romania is "Going Forward Together" The Marian Shrine of Sumuleu Ciuc, where Pope Francis will hold mass on a visit to Romania
Beijing warned Friday that the US should not underestimate China's military as the top defence officials from both countries met on the sidelines of a security forum. As Beijing and Washington vie for influence in a region hosting potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait, acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan met Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe for 20 minutes Friday. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said they "reached some consensus" on issues of common concern, adding that Wei "particularly emphasised the Taiwan issue". China sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides having being ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949. Beijing is regularly angered by US warships transiting through the Taiwan Strait, which it considers its territorial waters. "He (Defence minister Wei) pointed out that the US has recently had a series of negative words and actions on this issue", Wu said, adding that Beijing was "firmly opposed" to this. "On the issue of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the US should not underestimate the determination, will and ability of the Chinese military." Shanahan spokesman Joe Buccino told reporters the meeting was "constructive and productive". -Risk of misunderstanding - "The two leaders discussed ways to build military-to-military relations that reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation between our nations," he said. Washington has been pushing back against Beijing?s militarisation of the South China Sea, and ahead of Friday's meeting Shanahan told reporters that facilities China was building on reclaimed land in the South China Sea appeared to be an "overkill" if they were purely defensive. "I mean surface-to-air missiles, long runways... Seems excessive," Shanahan said. A top US top general said earlier this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping had reneged on promises by building "10,000-foot runways, ammunition storage facilities, routine deployment of missile defense capabilities, aviation capabilities" on reclaimed land. Wei?s attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue -- an annual gathering of global defence officials organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank -- is being taken as a sign that China is not backing away from the dispute. "The Chinese want to be here to say their side of the story," Shawn Ho, associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore told AFP. "Definitively, we are seeing more competition between the US and China... not just traditional fields, but also in technology... and I think this is something that we have to watch very carefully," Ho said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a keynote speech to the gathering Friday evening the US-China bilateral relationship "is the most important in the world today", urging them to work together. "Even short of outright conflict, a prolonged period of tension and uncertainty will be extremely damaging," he warned, adding that serious international problems would not be addressed without the full participation of both powers. Shanahan is expected to flesh out Washington's strategy in the Pacific region, where both the US and China are vying for influence, during a talk on Saturday. Wei will address the conference on Sunday, with a source from his delegation saying the speech will outline China's role in global security and US-China ties -- as well as addressing the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. "The 'China threat' is a non-existent issue. We are here to correct that misconception," added the source, who did not want to be named. China's Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Singapore for the annual Shangri-La dialogue, an international security forum Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks during the opening of the Shangri-La Dialogue summit
Prahlad Rijal is a business reporter at The Kathmandu Post, focusing on the energy sector. Before joining the Post, Rijal was an online reporter at The Himalayan Times.
The UN Security Council's decision to renew an arms embargo on South Sudan was "anti-peace" and will weaken the government's fight against rebels, a senior minister told AFP on Friday. The Security Council voted Thursday in favour of extending sanctions against South Sudan until May 31 2020. It includes an arms embargo, asset freezes and travel bans on some officials over their role in the country's civil war, now heading towards its sixth anniversary. Information Minister Michael Makuei said the arms blockade only benefited rebels who had refused to sign a peace deal last September aimed at ending a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. "Any arms embargo at the moment is an anti-peace measure," Makuei told AFP. "There are people who do not want peace in South Sudan... All this is done in order to weaken the government so that it can be overthrown by the opposition." Makuei referred in particular to the rebel group of former South Sudanese General Thomas Cirillo Swaka, who has been leading the National Salvation Front since 2017, fighting the government army in the country's south. The US-drafted Security Council resolution was adopted by a vote of 10 in favour with five abstentions. Resolutions in the 15-member council require a minimum of nine votes for adoption. The three African countries on the council -- Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast and South Africa -- refused to support continued sanctions, arguing it would not push the country's rivals closer to peace. The US criticised the three, saying they had shown "an unwillingness to stop the flow of weapons to one of the continent's deadliest civil conflicts." Under the September peace agreement, President Salva Kiir agreed to set up a unity government with longtime rival Riek Machar, who is to return from exile. The accord -- which was not signed by Cirillo or former army chief Paul Malong -- provided for the formation of a power-sharing transitional government by May 12, but that provision has been delayed by six months. Semi-automatic weapons have played a major part in the South Sudan's brutal civil war. The conflict, now five and a half years old, has left hundreds of thousands of dead
Three militants were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Indian Kashmir on Friday amid widespread protests across the divided Himalayan region, police said. Police said all the dead from the shootout in Shopian district were militants, but villagers insisted one was a local youth, Jasim Shah. They said the teenager's body was found in an orchard near the site of the battle. "Jasim was with the militants for the last three days, so he too was a militant. What else we can call him," Kashmir police official Munir Khan told AFP. Dozens of rallies involving hundreds of people were held across Kashmir calling for action over the conflict in the region divided between India and Pakistan. Holding placards and banners, protesters appealed to the world community to resolve the long pending disputes of Kashmir and also Palestine. Protesters also gathered in the main Kashmir city of Srinagar and chanted anti-US and anti-Israeli slogans. The protests were in response to calls from local separatist leaders to observe the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as "Palestine and Kashmir Day". A statement released by separatist groups renewed demands for "self-determination" in Kashmir, where an uprising against the Indian rule over the last three decades has left tens of thousands dead, mainly civilians. "Oppressive measures cannot deter this nation from pursuing the right to self determination," they said in the statement. Kashmiri Muslims pray during the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan at Kashmir's grand mosque in Srinagar
US President Donald Trump announced punitive trade tariffs on Mexico, hoping to pressure the country to stop the rising flow of migrants from Central America into the Untied States. Trump called the problem a "national emergency" and demanded Congress take action to deal with it. - What is the "national emergency" at the border? Undocumented migrants are flowing across the US border with Mexico at the highest levels in over a decade. In recent years, most have come from the "Northern Triangle" countries of Central America: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. And rather than sneaking into the United States, most turn themselves in to US authorities after arriving on US soil, requesting asylum. That makes it impossible for US authorities to summarily deport them. - How many people are we talking about? In the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2017, US Customs and Border Protection apprehended and blocked from entry 415,517 individuals. One year later, the figure was 521,090. That number was already topped in the first seven months of fiscal 2019, with the monthly total in April hitting 109,144. In the area of El Paso, Texas, on Monday alone more than 2,200 migrants were apprehended, according to CBP. A decade ago, most of the arriving migrants were adults, largely single Mexican men seeking jobs. Today they are predominantly families with children, as well as many unaccompanied children from the Northern Triangle. The number has overwhelmed the ability of the authorities to temporarily shelter and process them. - Who are the migrants? The largest numbers are from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, with the latter three countries accounting for most of the growth in the past three years. By and large they are refugees from poverty and daily violence in their home countries. Many in the three countries send their children northward to escape being pulled into criminal gangs prevalent in many communities. But the migrants also include a sprinkling of people from around the world -- more than 1,000 each from Bangladesh, Brazil, India, China, Ecuador and Nicaragua last year, and smaller numbers from dozens of other countries. - Why can't they just be returned home? Mexican border crossers, if caught, are often sent back. But the United States cannot push migrants from third countries back into Mexico without the Mexican government's cooperation, which it has not given except in limited cases. Most of the migrants from the Northern Triangle countries request asylum, knowing that under US and international laws, they cannot be immediately deported. They undergo initial asylum reviews for "credible" claims that they face persecution in their countries, which most pass. Then they are released to await court hearings on their claims. With a backlog of nearly one million such cases, the wait can easily top one year. Most, according to the government, disappear into the US hinterland and never show up. Fewer than one-fifth are awarded asylum in the hearings. - What does Trump want? - Trump's efforts have so far proven unsuccessful in deterring migrants. He has begun building a wall along the border, taking funds from the Pentagon's budget when Congress would not allocate the billions of dollars Trump wanted for that. The building of the wall will take a long time, and in some ares of the frontier is impractical. Last year his administration began separating migrant children from their families, a tactic apparently meant to frighten them. But courts ruled that illegal. The Trump administration also launched a program in which asylum seekers would have to wait in Mexico for their hearings. But Mexico has resisted and many asylum seekers have rejected the program, preferring to stay inside the US. Trump wants Congress to change laws to make it harder for the migrants to claim asylum. According to news reports, he could soon order that migrants who transit third countries -- meaning all those from the Northern Triangle -- cannot qualify for asylum. Experts expect that will be challenged in court. And, in the most drastic action to date, on Thursday he announced he would begin placing tariffs on imports from Mexico to force the Mexican government to stop the northward flow of migrants at its own southern border. Central American migrants are detained by US Customs and Border Patrol agents at the border wall in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on May 7, 2019 US President Donald Trump says the border situation is a 'national emergency' US Customs and Border Protection say that on Wednesday, May 29, the largest-ever single group of migrants, 1,036 men, women and children from Central America, crossed the border near El Paso, Texas After a month trekking to the United States from Guatemala Jos, 27, with his son Jos Daniel, 6, is searched by a US Border Patrol agent in El Paso, Texas on May 16, 2019 A section of the US-Mexico border fence in the Rio Grande Valley sector near McAllen, Texas
A woman has posted a chilling recount of the moment she was almost killed while on holiday at a popular tourist resort.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley, from the US state of Delaware, took a vacation to the Dominican Republic in January with her husband and best friends.

They checked into the resort and had an early night before spending the next day at the beach. They met up with friends later that night as they relaxed into the holiday.

But the trip took a nightmare turn when Ms Lawrence-Daley went to order room service after getting home.

I received a busy message so I tried again. At that time I got a message that they were no longer serving, she wrote in a Facebook post.

I told my husband I was going to run downstairs to the lounge in our building for a snack and Id be back in five minutes.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley says she was bashed at the Majestic Elegance resort in the Dominican Republic. Source: Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley

I ended up bypassing the lounge in our building, and opted to go to the lounge in the next building, which was on the beach.

This almost ended up being a fatal decision for Ms Lawrence-Daley. As she moved to the next building she noticed it was eerily quiet.

I took about 10 or so steps just swinging my wristlet back and fourth, not a care in the world. Thats when I heard it, she said.

Heavy footsteps .... one, two, three, four, then they sped up, and then before I could react I was plowed into from behind and immediately immobilised.

I fought with everything I had in that moment

Ms Lawrence-Daley said she felt arms wrap around her and pull her towards an unlocked maintenance room.

Im not going to go into the gory details of everything, however, please know that I fought with everything I had in that moment, she wrote.

The woman was the victim of a savage attack that lasted eight hours. She was strangled multiple times until her unconscious body was dragged down concrete stairs into a waste area.

I was kicked in the head, I was beaten with a club. And then strangled again for the kill; at which time he disposed of my body into an area I refer to as the hole, she said.

Story continues

I was unconscious multiple times during this savage attack, so I have no idea what else was done to me during that time. Somehow I survived.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley returned from her holiday battered an bruised. Source: Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley

The man thought he killed me, but he failed

After the attack Ms Lawrence-Daley spent five days in hospital and had surgery.

She wrote in her post she was still dealing with nerve damage and medical expenses.

She was staying at the Majestic Elegance resort in the Dominican Republic and claims she was attacked by a man wearing a uniform with the resort logo.

However the resort has not claimed responsibility as Ms Lawrence-Daley cannot identify her attacker.

Police did find evidence of the blood-smeared mop handle and a maintenance hat in the area I was found, but this means nothing in these countries, she said.

There are no cameras, no bright lighting, etc.

My husband and friends went to the front desk at least three times throughout the night before security even agreed to look for me.

The woman is still suffering from her injuries, four months after the attack. Source: Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley

The woman claims resort security thought she just went missing because she was drunk.

The man thought he killed me, but he failed. He is still out there, a predator, waiting for his next victim. Only the next woman may not be so fortunate, she said.

Please, please do not walk alone.

Ms Lawrence-Daley said the attacks were happening too frequently and offenders were getting away with it.

Majestic Elegance didnt offer to reimburse us for our vacation, let alone my current medical bills, she said.

When you are in unfamiliar places, or even in familiar places, please remember ... be smart, be safe.

A US State Department spokesman told the New York Post the agency was aware of the incident.

The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State, the agency said.

Yahoo News Australia has contacted the Majestic Elegance resort for comment.

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.
Onondaga County will have six, not eight, early voting locations this year.

The county's election commissioners, Dustin Czarny and Michele Sardo, agreed in early May to have six early voting sites for the general election in November. But Czarny, the Democratic elections commissioner, urged Sardo, the Republican elections commissioner, to add two more polling locations: Cicero Town Hall and Onondaga Community College.

The commissioners had until Wednesday to submit any changes to its early voting plan to the state Board of Elections. Since they didn't agree to add more early voting sites, the county will have six locations for the 2019 election.

Sardo said in an interview Wednesday she is complying with the state law "that the Democrats had written." The law signed in January by Gov. Andrew Cuomo establishes a nine-day early voting period and requires counties to have at least one early voting site for every 50,000 registered voters.

Onondaga County has more than 300,000 registered voters, so it must have a minimum of six early voting sites.

Future funding for the early voting locations was a concern for Sardo. In the 2019-20 budget, the state provided nearly $25 million to help counties implement early voting. Each early voting site is eligible to receive up to $30,000 in state aid.

"There is no funding for next year," Sardo said, "so I don't want county taxpayers to have to pay for more because $30,000 really isn't a lot of money compared to what we're going to have to use in these polling places."

Czarny views the failure to add other early voting sites as a missed opportunity for the county, especially with state funding available this year.

He pledged to make the six early voting sites  Clay Town Hall, DeWitt Town Hall, Lafayette Fire Station No. 1, Armond Magnarelli Community Center at McChesney Park, Southwest Community Center and Van Buren Town Hall  "be the best they can be to serve all of the citizens of Onondaga County."

"It's just a shame that we're going to throw away $60,000 in New York state funding to not serve our citizens as properly as we can," he added.

Czarny, with the backing of state and local Democratic officials, wanted Cicero Town Hall and Onondaga Community College added to serve residents of the northeastern and southwestern portions of the county. Residents of Skaneateles, for example, will have to drive at least 20 minutes if they wish to cast an early ballot.

Sardo acknowledged that Democrats "have valid points" about the need for more early voting sites, but she reiterated her stance that the county can't commit any more funds for poll sites.

She also responded to accusations from some Democrats that she's engaged in voter suppression by refusing to add two more early voting sites. She noted that with early voting in place this year, there will be nine additional days  60 more hours  to vote in Onondaga County. And she reminded voters that during the early voting period they can cast a ballot at any of the six locations.

"I don't know how I'm suppressing the vote," Sardo said.

While the early voting plan is set for 2019, there could be changes in 2020 and future elections.

After the election this year, Czarny said they will reevaluate the early voting plan to determine if any changes should be made.

"I fought 10 years to make early voting a reality," he said in a statement. "I am prepared to fight just as hard to make sure every voter in Onondaga County has access to this vital reform."

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1

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.
Any day now, Lake Ontario water levels will reach a record high.

As of Wednesday, the lake was at 248.94 feet  just shy of the previous high of 248.95 feet set in 2017. Some communities along the lake reported levels higher than what was measured two years ago.

Fair Haven Mayor Jim Basile said Thursday that the water levels near the village were two inches above the 2017 mark. While many residents prepared for rising water, he said some had to add more sandbags to protect their properties.

"Most people, I think, are in good shape," Basile said, adding that there have been more residents picking up sandbags from the village pavilion over the last two weeks. The National Guard has personnel in the village to assist with the deployment of sandbags.

Rising water levels are threatening other communities along the lake, including Sodus Point in Wayne County. Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency and counties have taken action to respond to flooding.

New York's U.S. senators, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be ready to assist New York if the state requests a major disaster declaration.

President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration after flooding along Lake Ontario in 2017.

"FEMA should be prepared to work with New York state and be as flexible as possible should the state submit an expedited request for disaster assistance for the communities impacted by the Lake Ontario flooding," the senators wrote.

Basile believes there needs to be action taken to prevent future flooding. There was a meeting with the new U.S. members of the International Joint Commission this week in the Rochester area. While Basile didn't attend, Fair Haven had two representatives at the meeting.

The commission, Basile said, is "blaming the weather." When the IJC announced that the lake levels would reach or exceed the 2017 record, the panel said the rising water is due to rainfall and high inflows from Lake Erie.

Basile and other officials argue that the real culprit is Plan 2014, a water regulatory structure adopted by the commission in 2016.

"People keep saying this is the new norm," he said. "Then the plan needs to be adjusted for the new norm."

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1

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.
Three regions could benefit from a new state competition to attract agriculture and food businesses to upstate New York.

The state announced Friday that the application window is open for the Grow-NY competition. The three-round contest will award $3 million to food- and agriculture-focused start-ups.

There is a $1 million top prize for the winner, two $500,000 prizes and four $250,000 prizes. The winners will be required to operate in central New York, the Finger Lakes or Southern Tier regions for at least one year.

Start-up companies from across the world are invited to apply. Applications will be accepted through July 15.

The goal of the competition is to boost the agriculture and food sector in central New York, the Finger Lakes region and Southern Tier. It will be funded by the Upstate Revitalization Initiative, a 2015 competition that awarded $500 million each to the three regions.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed the creation of the Grow-NY program in his State of the State address in January. It's based on other state-backed business competitions, including the GENIUS NY program in the Syracuse area.

"We are committed to fostering innovative ideas, boosting job growth and promoting our farms and agricultural products that will further strengthen the economy," said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who announced the application period is open.

The competition will be administered Cornell University at the Center for Regional Economic Advancement in Ithaca and the Cornell AgriTech campus in Geneva.

As many as 20 semifinalists will be chosen for the business development and mentoring phase of the competition. That phase will begin in August and run through November. Applicants will then pitch their business ideas to judges at the Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Summit scheduled for Nov. 12-13 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

The plans will be judged based on the qualify of the team, regional job creation, innovation, customer value and viability of commercialization.

"This initiative will help boost our upstate economy and spread the word that New York state is producing some of the best, freshest and most nutritious food in the nation," state Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0

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.
AUBURN  An Auburn man who had previously tried to minimize his involvement in methamphetamine production at his home last year, took responsibility before being sentenced Thursday in Cayuga County Court.

Thomas Hutton Sr., 54, of 54 Orchard St., was one of several people found to be involved in cooking methamphetamine when police raided the residence in November 2018. Hutton was sentenced by Judge Thomas Leone Thursday to five years in prison and five years post-release supervision for second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, which he pleaded guilty to in April. That sentence had been agreed upon as a part of the plea.

Though he admitted possessing around 4 ounces of meth oil at the time of his plea, Cayuga County Assistant District Attorney Joshua Bennett said Thursday that Hutton downplayed his involvement while speaking with probation officers afterward. Bennett said he had previously offered the agreed-upon sentence in the hoped intention that Hutton would accept responsibility but recommended an upward departure of seven years in prison and five years post-release supervision after feeling Hutton had walked his involvement back. Bennett said Hutton's actions "could have ended up killing a lot of people," including friends and family.

Bennett said that when Hutton spoke with probation officers, "he basically said that he pleaded just to plea, and he was just taking the fall for everyone else while everyone else was walking the streets."

Hutton said Thursday that he was remorseful for downplaying his involvement.

"I do take full responsibility for my actions," he said.

Two others who had also been arrested in connection to the bust were sentenced Thursday. Raymond Cox, 37, of 68 Orchard St., was sentenced to three years in prison with two years of post-release supervision with a shock camp parole order for fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class C felony.

Shaun Cronin, 40, who is of 8545 Denman Road, Port Byron, and had an American Sign Language interpreter with him in court, was sentenced to a shock camp probation consisting of a weekend in jail and three years of probation supervision for fifth-degree conspiracy and second-degree criminal possession of methamphetamine manufacturing materials, both class A misdemeanors.

Also in court

 A man was sentenced in connection with an attack that lead to the death of another inmate at Auburn Correctional Facility.

Ashton Bellamy, 33, and co-defendant Rupert Alberga, 37, attacked fellow inmate Daniel Wingate after Wingate called Bellamy a racial slur in 2017.

Bellamy, who has been incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility on a previous first-degree attempted assault conviction, pleaded guilty in February to second-degree assault while in a correctional facility, a class D felony, which satisfied a first-degree manslaughter charge, a class B felony. After denying a dead body existed in the case, Alberga pleaded guilty earlier in May to second-degree murder.

Bellamy's attorney, Rome Canzano, said Thursday that Bellamy cooperated with law enforcement. Bellamy also apologized while in court.

Leone sentenced Bellamy to an indeterminate sentence of 12 years to life in prison for the assault offense, consecutive to his previous conviction.

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 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.
Sarlahi locals stage sit-in demanding re-evaluation of land compensation

The protesting locals claimed that the Compensation Fixation Committee fixed the lands valuation based on the going rate 40 years ago
SCIPIO CENTER  George J. Powers, 68, of Scipio Center, passed away Tuesday, May 28, 2019.

George was born Nov. 20, 1950 in Auburn. He was a graduate of Southern Cayuga Central School, where he was an active member of the FFA. George worked for local farmers his entire life, most recently with Dugan Farms. He was a U.S. Army veteran, a member of Union Springs American Legion Post #1107, and was a former member of the Scipio Volunteer Fire Department.

He is survived by his mother, Agnes (Neville) Powers; four sisters, Mary (Steven) Napier, Teresa (Karl) Radcliffe, Ellen (Lee) Hargett, and Florence (Dan) Clark; two aunts, Patricia Ellis and Nancy Chase (Robert); and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

George was predeceased by his father, Thomas M. Powers; brother, Thomas Doc Powers, and sister, Marie Clark.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 4, in St. Patricks Church, Moravia. Interment, with military honors, will follow in St. Bernards Cemetery, Scipio Center. There are no calling hours.

Contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to St. Bernards Cemetery, P.O. Box 296, Aurora, NY 13026.

Arrangements are with the Shurtleff Funeral Home, Genoa.
CYBERSPACEIn a viral social media post, a user on the Chinese platform Weibo claims that he has been able to use facial recognition algorithms to identify women who appear in online porn videosfor the purpose of determining whether wives or girlfriends have ever done porn, according to a new report by the site Vice.com.

The Chinese social media users post went viral thanks to a translation posted by a Stanford University Ph.D. student on his Twitter account. According to the posts, the Chinese programmer has created a database of the 100,000 women, which he may soon open for access by curious men who want to check out the porn pasts of their significant others.

A Germany-based Chinese programmer said he and some friends have identified 100k porn actresses from around the world, cross-referencing faces in porn videos with social media profile pictures. The goal is to help others check whether their girlfriends ever acted in those films, wrote Stanford doctoral candidate Yiqin Fu.

Vice reporter Samantha Cole wrote that the Chinese programmer had offered no evidence for his claims, but contacted through his Weibo account said that he would soon provide database schema and technical details.

Feminist author Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger took to her own Twitter account, condemning the claim as an example of how technological advances target women.

This is horrendous and a pitch-perfect example of how these systems, globally, enable male dominance, she wrote. Surveillance, impersonation, extortion, misinformation all happen to women first and then move to the public sphere, where, once men are affected, it starts to get attention.

One commenter on the programmers Weibo posts, according to the Yiqin Fu translation, asked whether there was any legal liability involved in creating the database of women who have appeared in online porn.

He said everything he did was legal because 1) he hasn't shared any data, 2) he hasn't opened up the database to outside queries, and 3) sex work is legal in Germany, where he's based, Yiqin Fu explained.

This is a painfully bad ideasurveillance and control of womens bodies taken to new low, wrote University of Maryland law professor Danielle Citron, who has studied the legal implications of deepfakes technology on her Twitter account.

The programmer had not yet provided his promised evidence that he had actually accomplished the facial recognition feat that he claimed, according to the Vice report.

Photo By Transportation Security Administration / Wikimedia Commons Public Domain
SAN FRANCISCOReps from Falcon Studios Group and NakedSword Network were in Chicago this past weekend for the 20th Annual Grabby Awards and walked away big winners.

We are grateful for the recognition from the Grabbys, said Falcon Studios Group and NakedSword Network President Tim Valenti. A special thank you to Mark Nagel, who we miss dearly, and Stacy Bridges. They always deliver a fun and eventful gathering of the industry. Im honored and thankful to work with the most dedicated and creative team in the business. From the performers to the productions staff and the directors to the staff at our offices, everyone gives their all, and thats why we consistently release high-quality, award-worthy content. Im especially proud of our Wall of Fame inductees and Jessie Garcia, who wholeheartedly deserved the Best Editing award for this project and the years of amazing work hes done for our companies!

Among the honors was the induction of mr. Pama decorated director, videographer and photographerinto the Grabby Wall of Fame. Also added to the Wall of Fame were two performers whove spent the majority of their careers as Falcon Exclusives: Ryan Rose and Johnny V.

The studios also took home both acting Grabbys with Wesley Woods winning Best Actor for Falcons Zack & Jack Make a Porno and Bruce Beckham scoring the Best Supporting Actor award for NakedSword Originals The Slutty Professor.

Alam Wernik, who was introduced to the industry as a Falcon exclusive, won for Best Newcomer.

NakedSword Originals won big in scene categories taking home Best Threeway for the fun and steamy threesome featuring Ace Era, Tyler Roberts and Dave Slick from The Slutty Professor. Hottest Flip was awarded to Jessie Colter, Max Duro and Adam Killian for their scene from NakedSword Originals Nob Hill.

In production categories, NakedSword landed two more Grabbys with the wildly talented Jessie Garcia winning for Best Editing for The Slutty Professor. mr. Pam and Leo Forte scored the Best Videography Grabby for The Last Rose.

The Grabbys, owned by Grab Magazine, have been honoring the best in gay porn for two decades. Hosted by ChiChi LaRue and Honey West, the highly regarded awards have historically been presented in a live ceremony during Memorial Day weekend.

The full List of Grabby Awards won by NakedSword Originals and Falcon Studios Group is as follows:

Best Actor: Wesley Woods, Zack & Jack Make a Porno (Falcon Studios)

Best Supporting Actor: Bruce Beckham, The Slutty Professor (NakedSword Originals)

Best Newcomer: Alam Wernik (Falcon Studios)'

Best in Editing: Jessie Garcia, The Slutty Professor (NakedSword Originals)

Best Threeway: Ace Era, Tyler Woods and Dave Slick, The Slutty Professor (NakedSword Originals)

Best Videography: Wesley Woods, Zack & Jack Make a Porno (Falcon Studios)

Hottest Flip: Jessie Colter, Max Duro & Adam Killian, Nob Hill (NakedSword Originals)

Wall of Fame: Johnny V, Ryan Rose and mr. Pam
At 13 years old, Ryan Green had his first brush with fame. He won a video game competition at his local Blockbuster store and was awarded a special privilege.

By winning, you got a card that gave you a year of free video game rentals, he recalls. It said Blockbuster Video Game Champion or something on it.

But, come the fateful day to claim his accolades, Green found his celebrity woefully under-recognized.

I remember going to use it, thinking I was so cool. Going up to the counter there was this cute girl employee, he says. I go to rent my game, and I hand over my Blockbuster Champion card and she looks at it and goes, What is this?

Centuries of human grief know no devastation like that endured by Green, humbled before a crush at the video rental store. He collapsed into a stammer, and his attempts to convey his importance to her were to no avail. His moment in the sun dimmed before it began.

She had to go get a manager, he admits. I was expecting it to be my big glory moment, showing my VIP card, but generally nobody who worked there had any clue that this card existed. I was just an annoyance of a customer; I wasnt the hero of the store.

It would hardly be a hazard to guess that 13-year-old Green could not have predicted what glory the future might hold. Now, as one half of the nationally touring, critically acclaimed duo Ryanhood, Green has seen stages much brighter than video game rental counters.

Named Best Group/Duo in the 2014 International Acoustic Music Awards, Ryanhood has gone on to collect a number of impressive titles, including Best Folk Band and Best Rock Band awards from their native Tucson. The name itself, Ryanhood, combines the names of Green and his musical partner, Cameron Hood.

The Arizona Daily Star called their partnership a match made in radio heaven. More accurately, it was made at the University of Arizona. Green and Hood became acquainted as students and, soon after graduating, they relocated to Boston where they joined the ranks of street performers at Quincy Market.

Through the rigors of street performing, Ryanhood honed its performance by wooing unexpectant audiences.

Youre playing a show for people who are not even there for a show at all, Green says of singing on street corners. You have to turn it into a show and convert people into fans.

Challenging as that may be most anywhere, at Bostons Quincy Market, stiff competition placed Ryanhood on a fast track to developing its set.

Thats where we began to view ourselves almost as more than musicians, as entertainers, Green says. Before we street performed, we used to perform seated on stools, and it was a more mellow thing. As we began street performing, we were literally in competition with the other street performers there who were acrobats and magiciansso we had to add more theater to our show to compete with that.

The duo quickly put more tricks up its sleeve.

Wed play standing, mostly upbeat material, Green says of Ryanhoods developing act. A lot of theatrics, a lot of humor, a lot of fiery guitar workbig guitar solos to get peoples attention, harmonies. Once you get that ring of people around you, youre sort of set. The momentum carries on and it grows and grows.

Grow and grow it did. At the famed Boston market, Ryanhood caught the attention of promoters who swept the band into the college-touring circuit. Soon, Campus Activities Magazine would hail the duo as one of the most requested acts by college buyers all across the country, ensuring ample bookings to come. Sharing stages with Train, Jason Mraz, Lifehouse, Five For Fighting and countless others, Ryanhood toured relentlessly through the college-concentrated Northeast for years.

In an instant, Ryanhood was introduced to a litany of different stages.

Its a wide range of shows, Green says. Sometimes youre playing in their theater for parents weekend, and its a big event. Sometimes youre playing in the outdoor mall, and people are coming and going. You might be playing a lunchtime set in a cafeteria, and its not as glamorous. Still, Ryanhood was always up to the challenge of captivating audiences, no matter the setting. Coming from street performing, its not that different.

It could, however, be exhausting.

Weve at times done 140 dates a year, and if youre doing long stretches it does get hard to find the spark during a show, Green concedes. Off the college circuit, Ryanhood has found a more comfortable groove. Were doing about 75 shows a year now, and thats a great pace because were generally not hitting that burnout ever.

Built around high-energy performances and enthusiasm, avoiding burnout is key to preserving the quality of Ryanhoods act. Also intrinsic is the creative dynamic brought by the varied artistic dispositions of Green and Hood. Recently, they have put a lot of emphasis on collaborative co-writing.

Over our 15 years playing together, the songs that have tended to rise to the top are the ones that weve worked very hard to write collaboratively, Green says. He ascribes this trend to a sort of balance made between their differences.

Cameron and I are pretty different, Green elaborates. At heart, hes a lyricistthats his priority. For me, I tend to be very interested in the music itself. Im less concerned with lyrics.

Green believes that individual creativity exposes their own weaknesses.

Left to my own devices, I may come up with stuff thats a little too left field for peoples ears, he may have lyrics that are a little too heady, he says. We both pull each other a little to the center. When were both contributing, the result is going to be something more unique but also more palatable.

Regardless of what happens on the page, when its time to take the stage, the two operate seamlessly as one. Watch any of their online footage, and youll immediately perceive the effortless, telepathic presence. Its a force earned through practicelots of practice.

Weve played over a thousand shows together, Green says. The benefit of having been through so much together is that we have a lot of confidence. We both feel very confident having each other at our sides, that well both be able to rise above whatever mishap might happen.

As an example, Green shares a story from a tour they did with Jason Mraz.

They were by far the biggest shows wed ever done, and it was the second of these shows, he says. A few songs in, I broke a string in the middle of the song.

Fortunately, Green has had some experience with broken strings.

The instinct mightve been to panic. But when I was in my college band playing electric, I broke strings a lot, and I got really good at changing strings fast on stage while the band kept playing.

Of course, those performances had much lower stakes than those with thousands of onlooking eyes during an opening set for Mraz. This time around, though, Green had Hood.

I broke my string, and Cameron let the audience know, and we turned it into almost a race, he says. Without missing a beat, Hood was getting the audience on my side, saying, Lets see if he can get this in before we get to the guitar solo.

Green took the chance and played along, racing to get the string on as the audience cheered for him. He got the new string on his guitar just in time to rip into the solo. This small example of skillful showmanship left no shortage of impressions.

It was sort of the thing that everyone was talking about after the show. It went so well, became such a highlight, that people started asking if we had planned it, he says with a laugh.

To Green, crises are opportunities.

If you handle something the right way, those tend to be the best moments, he says. The moment that the power goes out or your gear malfunctions  you just rip the cord out of your guitar and step off stage into the crowd and play unplugged with a circle of people around you, that can actually be the best part of the show.

Having come a long way since his Blockbuster days, one wonders how Green mightve staved off embarrassment had he had Hoods company in the face of the cute counter girl. Hell, she may have become their first diehard fan.

Ryanhood will be coming through Flagstaff this weekend to kick off Heritage Squares Summer Concert Series. Its certain to be a good show, but, if were lucky, something will go wrong and turn it into a great show.

See Ryanhood perform Friday, May 31, at Heritage Square. The free show begins at 6 p.m. Visit www.ryanhood.com for more information.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
ONGOING

WORTH THE NOTING

As the adage recounts, after three days, something stinksand it surely isnt the fish. Shakespeares comedic masterpiece Much Ado About Nothing places Don Pedro in the house of Leonato for a freakin month and, in that time, all those involved watch their house flip upside down (metaphorically speaking, of course). Beatrice and Benedick are caught in a love-hate battle of wits as they pick at each others most ridiculous traits much as that schoolyard bully pushed you in the sand because they liked you. Claudio and Hero, though, have it a bit worse as they totally dig each other, but Claudio is tricked into thinking his lady is running around on him. Natch, tis not the case in this merry game of cat and mouse which mixes gossip, rumor and an incredible amount of miscommunication. As part of its 2019 season, Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival presents whats been considered the Bards warmest, funniest comedy to Flag audiences for select dates beginning Friday and running through Sunday, June 16. Under direction of Jesse James Kamps, professional actors bring the story to life in all its glory complete with a bumbling detective, a prince in disguise and scheming villains. Performances will be held at the Museum of Northern Arizona, 3101 N. Fort Valley Rd., outside under the festival tent. However, if our lovely spring weather (a fickle fiend if we ever knew one) refuses to cooperate, have no fearthe performance will be moved to an indoor stage. Visit www.flagshakes.org for the full list of dates and to buy tickets. Prices range from $15 to $25.

FRIDAY | 5.31

TWINKLE, TWINKLE

As the worlds very first International Dark Sky City, it might be safe to say Flagstaff is a little obsessed with the night skyjust visit the Coconino Center for the Arts to view a little bit of that pride on display at NightVisions VII. Then theres Lights Out Flagstaff, a celebration of the citys breathtaking night sky and its commitment to responsible energy consumption. For one night, homes, businesses and city buildings will flick off their lights (thats rightall of them! Maybe leave a nightlight if you have clumsy folks or little kids in the home) and enjoy free public astronomy programs provided by local community organizations like Lowell Observatory. This Friday, go behind the scenes during a tour of the observatory before taking a free bus ride to Buffalo Park where telescopes will offer views peering way off into the stars burning billions of miles away. The bus leaves the observatory at 8 p.m. and availability is on a first-come first-serve basis. www.lowell.edu

SAT-SUN | 6.1-2

SHORN ENOUGH, ITS BACK

Humans have long relied on the natural commodities that animals have to offer, wool being a major one. In Ireland, the tradition of sheep shearing for sweaters, socks and other cold-hearty items dates back hundreds of years, and sheep have long played an integral role in food and clothing on the Navajo Nation. These modes of existence continuously face the precipice that is extinction as the world speeds by and life gets too busy. But Flagstaff will slow down and take the time to harken back to fiber crafts this weekend with the annual Flag Wool and Fiber Fest. There will be sheep shearing demonstrations, artisan vendors, workshops, lectures and lots of animals, food, beer, wine and mead. This years keynote speaker is Vickie Howell, who, in addition to having published many knit and crochet books, hosts Knitty Gritty on HGTV as well as her own award-winning web series. The two-day event will be held at the Arizona Historical Society Pioneer Museum, 2340 N. Fort Valley Rd. It is free and open to the public. www.flagwool.com

SAT-SUN | 6.1-2

HOW DO YOU HULLABALOO?

Since 2010, Flagstaffs own Hullabaloo has been celebrating all things Flagstaff, raising more than $80,000 for local non-profits and sharing all the art, beer, food, parades and puppets you can handle. This year is no different, featuring performances across two stages from Flagstaff-born groups such as Circus Bacchus, Tha Yoties, Muskellunge, F-Town Sound and The Naughty Bits!, as well as Onus B Johnson and Sambatuque. Hullabaloo organizers aim to throw the party of the year, offering something for everyone. It all starts Saturday morning with the famous bike parade at 9:30 a.m. Wear your Flag bestthe stranger the fit the better and, lets face it, its probably not your first time dousing yourself in glitter while wearing a tutu. The parade is free, and general entry to the festival is $8 in advance, $10 day-of, or $90 in advance for a two-day VIP ticket. ($65 for Saturday only or $50 for Sunday only.) If you do desire the red carpet treatment, the pass will get you four complimentary drinks, free re-entry, free massage, private bathrooms, snacks and more. Either way, join your fellow Flagstaffians and out-of-towners alike for the 10th annual Hullabaloo Festival happening this Saturday and Sunday at Wheeler Park, 212 W. Aspen Ave. Tickets and more information at www.flaghullabaloo.com

WEDNESDAY | 6.5

NOT YOUR AVERAGE CARNIVOROUS PLANT

Its scary, its campy, its catchy and its main character is a giant, murderous plant. Really, theres nothing more you could ask for from Frank Ozs vanguard rock n roll horror film, Little Shop of Horrors. And what better way to fundraise for a classic Flagstaff thespian venue such as Theatrikos Doris Harper-White Community Playhouse than by showing a movie that is just as fun and unusual as the theater company itself. Want a little taste (pun intended) for the film before you commit to attending? The plot goes a little something like this: Meek and unassuming floral shop owner Seymour Krelborn discovers a strange plant who he names Audrey II. He cant draw from his typical experience of caring for plants, though, as it turns out she hankers exclusively after human flesh. The plant singlehandedly brings business back to the until-then fledgling store, but her hunger for people is impossible keep up with so Seymour is forced to meet her insatiable demands. The famous 1986 movie featuring Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, Jim Belushi and Bill Murray will be shown at Flagstaffs Orpheum Theater, 15 W. Aspen Ave., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $20. Following The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Little Shop of Horrors is the next production planned for Theatrikos' Main Stage. All proceeds will go to Theatrikos to help rebuild its theater, which was damaged by severe flooding in late April. So, gather your dead flies, tune up those rusty singing pipes and Feed me, Seymour.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Rebecca Wallace and her husband Joshua Wallace call themselves the last responders.

Through their company Bio-One, the Wallaces respond to scenes of crime and trauma with hazmat suits, respirators and boxes of shammies to clean up contaminated areas. The co-owners said they get calls around the clock to respond to hoarding, unattended deaths, killings, mold, feces and urine smells.

Rebecca said they are the only cleanup company in northern Arizona that is licensed to transport blood, decomposing matter, bodily fluids and anything deemed biomedical to a disposal site in Apache County. They are currently making the trip about once a week.

We dont just leave the bags on the front door waiting for the transportation company to come and take them. We do it all, so people arent having to wait to get their lives back in order, Rebecca said.

In their white box truck they have saws for cutting up walls and floorboards when blood or decomposition seeps through. They have a machine that cleans the smell left over from mold or excrement out of the air, which can be toxic and requires proper care.

The two described an interaction they had where a person called them to clean up animal urine on their carpet. After arriving, the person told them that they had spent weeks cleaning out a hoarding situation before calling Bio-One. The Wallaces said they could have gotten the project done in a matter of days.

In the event of death or homicide, they have even been told by some customers that cleaning up after the death of a friend or family member adds even more trauma to their loss.

Losing someone is absolutely difficult, but then think about piling on top of it a big scene that you have to clean up yourself, Rebecca said. You dont know how to do it. Youre not doing it properly. You think you have, but then the smell comes later. You didnt know you had to pull flooring up. I mean, theres so many aspects where it lingers with them for a long time.

In order to become better prepared, Rebecca has even taken the step to become trained on mental health first aid to better respond to and interact with people at trauma scenes. She has begun to teach Joshua and the two of them say they immediately saw benefits.

We see people who say they want to kill themselves after they have seen someone die. They yell at us. They want to hug us. Or theyre clenching their fists, Rebecca said. Its how do we get them to a calm spot where we can have a conversation and move through that.

The Wallaces began their business in November after working in completely different industries for most of their adult life. Rebecca worked in food service and had worked in animal care, while Joshua worked behind a desk for a small business.

What they both said they were missing in their jobs was the ability to help others in their communities.

I just did my job and went home and didnt really get any satisfaction on a level of being involved and helping and being a part of the community, Joshua said.

Bio-One is a franchise company that began in Scottsdale. When they began considering the possibility of starting the business in Flagstaff, the challenging work conditions made the possibility more appealing because they felt the work was needed.

Scott Buffon can be reached at sbuffon@azdailysun.com, on Twitter @scottbuffon or by phone at (928) 556-2250.

Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 2 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.
Flagstaff City Council appears to be moving forward with a number of new regulations on cyclists and those riding both traditional and electric bikes within the city.

In a contentious decision, Council directed staff that electric bikes should not be allowed on unpaved sections of the Flagstaff Urban Trail System and moved to implement laws making biking while intoxicated illegal on both electric and traditional bikes.

As drafted currently, if the council decides to pass the law, someone caught riding while intoxicated could see five days behind bars and a $250 fine.

A judge could decide to reduce that sentence to only 24 hours in jail as long as the person agrees to complete an education or treatment program on intoxicating substances.

In the past nine years, intoxicated cyclists have been involved in accidents with cars 17 times. In that same span, sober cyclists have been involved in accidents with vehicles 512 times.

Both the pedestrians and bicycle advisory committees voted against implementing such a law unless the penalty was reduced.

Council also moved to require riders stopped by a police officer for riding an e-bike on the urban trail system or those riding under the influence to be required to provide the officer with a true name, age and address.

E-bikes on FUTS

When it came to the added regulations on cyclists, vice-mayor Adam Shimoni was more hesitant than other members of Council, but was primarily opposed to banning e-bikes on gravel sections of the urban trail system.

I think that the debate about these e-bikes being separate from bicycles is wrong. I think that theyre really the same thing, Shimoni said I have serious, serious concerns about banning e-bikes from FUTS trails.

Shimoni said until the city has more complete bicycle infrastructure, including more bike lanes and even separated bike paths, he believes it is far safer for e-bike riders to be on urban trails than on roads. Shimoni added Councils decision to force e-bike riders off of trails could lead to an increased number of deaths among cyclists.

Mayor Coral Evans disagreed with Shimoni and said she believed the vice-mayor was inciting fear.

Depending the type of electric bike, the motor can allow the rider to reach speeds of anywhere from 20 to 28 miles per hour before cutting out.

A number of councilmembers said they had done test rides on e-bikes before making the decision and both the mayor and councilmember Jim McCarthy said they felt the e-bikes were closer to motorcycles than regular bikes.

I have done a lot of regular peddle biking in my life; I used to do fairly routinely 50 mile rides when I lived down in Phoenix, McCarthy said. I have to say that the e-bike felt more like a motorbike than it did a bicycle to me.

As far as going 20 miles an hour on the FUTS trails, thats inappropriate, McCarthy added.

Because e-bikes can reach such speeds, McCarthy and much of Council said the devices could be dangerous for pedestrians using the urban trail system.

And Evans pointed out that there have been deaths in other parts of the world where e-bikes are popular, when pedestrians have been struck by e-bike riders.

Anthony Quintile, the manager of Absolute Bikes and a board member of Flagstaff Biking Organization, said he was disappointed with the councils decision, having told the council he regularly reaches speeds faster than those of an e-bike when riding on his traditional bicycles.

Quintile added that the majority of people who buy e-bikes at Absolute are older and just looking for a way to keep riding as they age.

Mostly folks that are a little older, a lot of retired folks, this is whos using these bikes primarily. We do get people who are just wanting a faster or easier way to commute longer distances and use their cars less too, Quintile said. These [e-bikes are] outwardly designed to emulate other regular peddle bicycles. They're not faster, theyre not scarier, theyre not more dangerous, they're very similar to regular bicycles.

The city is developing a bicycle master plan and one of the goals of that plan is to achieve a gold tier status as a bike friendly community. The citys bike friendly status is determined by the League of American Bicyclists, but it is not known whether the added regulations will further the goal of achieving a gold status. The organization does ask if cities place restrictions on cyclists and e-bikes.

When it comes to e-bike laws in other cities that have achieved the more prestigious platinum status as a bike friendly community, regulations vary.

In Fort Collins, Colorado, electric bikes are allowed on paved multi-use trails but not allowed on unpaved trails, similar to what Council is considering. Those regulations began on May 1 and are set to last just one year as a trial period.

In Boulder, Colorado, e-bikes are allowed on only some sections of the multi-use paths, but a City of Boulder transportation planner couldnt speak to if those were only paved sections.

Updated for correction at 10:18 a.m. on May 31.

Adrian Skabelund can be reached at the office at askabelund@azdailysun.com, by phone at (928) 556-2261 or on Twitter @AdrianSkabelund.

Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 19

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.
Though Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy students have the opportunity to study the arts more comprehensively in school, their goals after completing 12th grade extend far beyond these subjects.

For students like 18-year-old FALA graduates Cate Cole and Johanna Weiss, who were named this years FALA Outstanding Seniors, life after college is shaped by a desire to help bring lives into the world and improve those already here.

Cole said she has always known exactly what she wanted to do with her life.

Since I was old enough to speak, Ive told everybody that I wanted to be a baby doctor  not a pediatrician, which is what I would have to specify. I want to deliver the babies. Ive always loved baby dolls and babies and I love to babysit in general, but particularly babies, she said.

Cole will be attending the University of Arizona in the fall to start her pre-med classes as she works to become either a midwife or obstetrician. She said the final choice between the two will depend on whether she wants a more natural, home-based environment or the structure of working in a hospital.

It will definitely be a third year of college decision, she said.

To get a head start, Cole became a certified nursing assistant through a class at Coconino Community College in the fall and is currently providing private care for a local family.

Her experiences at both FALA and CCC, when she was surrounded by people with similar interests, helped her confirm that she has chosen the right career path.

Every science class I take, I am more sure this is what I want to do. There are some gross parts of the job, but thats what comes with human life, she said.

In her free time, Cole also likes to cook and bake, but she considers science her biggest extracurricular.

Although still years away, Cole is looking forward to the many possibilities she will have after college and medical school.

She said she is considering joining Doctors Without Borders before opening her own clinic in a small town like Flagstaff and having children of her own.

I know that, in the end, regardless of what path I take and what I end up doing specifically, I will end up helping people and thats the bottom line. In the end, someone will be helped and I will be happy, she said.

In contrast, Weiss goals take her far beyond a small-town lifestyle. In just a few weeks, she will be moving to the Netherlands, where she will study international relations and organization at the University of Groningen.

Im very big on social justice and activism and Ive always wanted to take it to a global level because I think its really important to learn about other cultures to understand your own reality better, she said.

Weiss has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Germany, where her mother was born and where her family still lives, which qualified her for resident tuition. She also speaks German.

Last fall, while volunteering for the Coconino County Democratic Party, Weiss realized that politics could be one career path she would enjoy.

Although collecting voter data through phone calls and door-to-door surveys was demanding, she discovered that she enjoyed working with other young people and speaking with community members about their views.

I realized how influential you can be even if youre not high up on the power hierarchy. It did solidify me knowing that I wanted to maybe make changes through politics sometime in my future, she said.

Though Weiss said she would like to enter politics, running for office is not a priority. Instead, she said she could see herself working as a lawyer for immigration or sexual assault cases, as a professor or as a leader of a nonprofit organization for people in need.

No matter what job I have, I want to be in a place where I can lift other people up and create positive change. I could see myself as an elected official, but I think it would have to be at a point in my life where I would have to really feel that I could do it, be ready for it and commit my life to it, Weiss said.

Like many other high school seniors, Weiss said she will spend the summer soaking up Flagstaff, which has been her home for the last nine years, before she leaves in pursuit of her future career.

Kaitlin Olson can be reached at the office at kolson@azdailysun.com or by phone at (928) 556-2253.

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.
The Rogers Lake Natural Area ten miles southeast of Flagstaff will be expanded by 80 acres, the Trust for Public Land and Coconino County announced this week.

The County first purchased the wetland area in 2010 and has since created a 6-mile non-motorized trail system, two trailheads and a wildlife viewing platform. The area protects habitats for wildlife including the Mexican spotted owl, migratory waterfowl and elk.

Rogers Lake is a crown jewel of the Countys Parks & Recreation system and offers an amazing place for people to hike and bike in a beautiful landscape just outside of Flagstaff, Michael Patrick, Senior Project Manager for The Trust for Public Land, said.

Beverly Miller, whose family has owned the land for almost 70 years, recently sold the acreage to the Trust for Public Land, which then sold it to the County. The land will be managed by County Parks and Recreation, which will work to increase hiking areas and add an outdoor environmental education classroom.

This land will meet the recommendations of the Joint Land Use Study and previous area plans. It will also be protected for generations to come for activities like hiking, environmental education, biking and other outdoor opportunities, Matt Ryan, Coconino County District 3 supervisor, said.

The U.S. Navy and National Guard, which have purchased easements for nearby County properties, contributed to the funding for this purchase.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
1. Yes. The economy is strong and unemployment low. Thats a good basis for a solid year.

2. Yes. Health experts are getting a handle on COVID. 2022 should be a better year.

3. No. If any large-scale COV ID-related shutdowns take place, it will hit the nation hard.

4. No. Inflation is still too much of a wild card. It could really cause a drag on the economy.

5. Unsure. There are too many variables at play to predict with any degree of certainty.

Vote

View Results
First, it was the familiar weight of my body armor. Then, as I approached the helicopter the feeling grew.

The growl of the engine, the smell of hydraulic fluid and JP-8 fuel, the communication traffic in my headset  it was as if I were no longer in 2019 but was back with my crew in 2004, in the thick of the war.

It had been 14 years, five months and 10 days since Id last been in Iraq, since the afternoon when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded in the Black Hawk helicopter I was piloting, costing me my legs and nearly my life.

But for a split second those years were gone, and all I wanted was to climb into the cockpit, strap the bird to my back and lift up above the Baghdad skyline.

Reality seeped back in. It was late April, and I was returning to Iraq  to the very battlefield where I almost bled to death  no longer as a soldier but as a senator, leading a congressional delegation to receive operational and intelligence updates.

As the helicopter reached its flight profile, I reminded myself that even though I was no longer in the pilots seat, it didnt mean the mission I began all those years ago was over.

I remember lying in my hospital bed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the months after I was shot down and seeing pictures of the first free elections in Iraq, in January 2005. I remember looking at photo after photo of men and women whod stood in line for countless hours holding up their purple ink-stained fingers to prove theyd finally been allowed to make their voices heard.

They were strangers to me. Yet I took one look at them and tears filled my eyes  proud that Id played even the smallest part in making that milestone possible. Right then, I promised myself that Id find a way to keep serving however I could, vowing to repay the troops who had risked their lives to save me.

Thats the memory I thought about as we lifted off in Baghdad and circled the dusty field where Id lost my legs, and where we met with Iraqi leadership, Kurdish allies, American diplomats and our service members.

What I learned during that trip convinced me that the mission to keep Iraq independent is as urgent as ever  and that Americas continued engagement is key.

Its key because, even while news of Iraq has fallen off of the front pages, Iraqs position remains precarious:

Its economy is flagging while its dependence on Iranian oil grows.

Its younger generation is struggling, with too few jobs for the 800,000 young people trying to enter its workforce every year.

Its military appears ill-equipped to sustain itself whenever the U.S. stops writing checks.

It remains dangerously vulnerable to a resurgent Islamic State, or ISIS, a group thats as insidious as ever.

ISIS may no longer control territory, but that doesnt make the group less lethal. It just means members are regrouping underground, rather than in the open.

Meanwhile, Iraq seems to lack a long-term plan to stop the groups rebirth. Case in point: Iraqi government officials told me theyre considering isolating 30,000 ISIS-affiliated women and children in a camp in the middle of the desert.

How could that do anything but guarantee an ISIS resurgence? These are some of the groups most ardent supporters, and theyd be given the time and space to regroup, to let their grievances calcify and their dreams of a new caliphate grow  and to train todays children to become tomorrows army.

I do not want a forever war. I dont want even one more American to have to shed a drop of blood on Iraqi soil.

But our nations fates are entangled, and with the Trump administration now relentlessly, recklessly trying to bait Iran, the need to keep Iraq standing has become dire. A destabilized Iraq would be felt throughout the region and beyond, bolstering our adversaries in Tehran while threatening our allies and even our own homeland.

So we cannot afford to disengage from Baghdad, or abandon Fallujah, or forget about our Kurdish allies in Irbil.

We cannot conduct diplomacy via tweet or come to military decisions by virtue of temper tantrum, deciding to shuttle troops into war zones or pull personnel out of embassies just to appease the hawkish ideology of some in the Trump administration.

If we want to prevent ISIS from reclaiming its caliphate, if we want the fledgling democracy that thousands of us lost limbs or lives for to survive, if we want to ensure that we have one more partner in a region where enemies abound, then we need to stay engaged in a holistic, thoughtful way: diplomatically, militarily, economically and culturally.

That sensory overload I felt my first day back in Baghdad  hearing the snarl of the helicopter engine, seeing the whirl of sand in our aircrafts wake  just reminded me of the importance of what were fighting for: our own nations security.

All those sights, sounds and scents made me recommit to the promise I made myself in that hospital bed 14 years ago, vowing once again to do whatever I can to keep the U.S. the strongest it can be.

In this case, that means working with our allies and the Iraqi people to ensure Iraq remains independent and democratic. Its only by guaranteeing that future generations of Iraqis will also be able to walk out of voting booths, proudly holding up their ink-stained index fingers, that we can best protect Americas interests in the Middle East and beyond.

Tammy Duckworth is a U.S. senator from Illinois.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A Gage County veteran was honored with a Quilt of Valor on Wednesday for his military service.

James Jim Hays was honored with a Quilt of Valor. Hays has been a member of the Beatrice Veterans of Foreign Wars for 72 years.

After graduating from Beatrice High School he enlisted in the U.S. Navy on Nov. 13, 1943. He received amphibious training in California before being deployed to Manilla in the Philippines.

He served with the unit ACORN 45, which is Aviation Construction Ordinance and Repair Navy. As a radio man, he was first to receive the Victory Message that World War II was over. He still has this message and document.

Jim was honorably discharged at San Pedro California on May 5, 1945.

On July 7, 2005 he was inducted into the Great Navy of Nebraska by Gov. Dave Heineman.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation began in 2003 by Catherine Roberts, whose son was deployed in Iraq. She felt a panic for the dangers her son faced and dreamed of wrapping soldiers in a quilt. The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans that are touched by war with comfort and healing Quilts of Valor. Over 193,000 Quilts of Valor have been awarded nationally.

The Freedom Quilters of Nebraska was started in January, 2018 in Beatrice, Nebraska. It is a volunteer group that cuts, constructs, machine quilts and binds the quilts for the veterans in this area. All the supplies used to make these quilts is either donated or purchased with donated funds. The group started out small, but continually grows with volunteers that are happy to give their time, their hearts and their financial resource to make a difference to men and women who have served this country.

Hays quilt was This quilt was pieced by Wendy Hoins of Lincoln and quilted by Marilyn Keilig of Beatrice.

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 promise of higher education has become a trap for tens of millions of Americans. The promise: Every one of us and our children could go to college, earn a degree, and set off on a good career, secure in the knowledge that we had gained the tools necessary for a productive life.The trap: Years (usually more than the advertised four) of indoctrination in the classroom and, more harshly, the dormitories, followed by decades of crushing debt, all made far worse by the realization that our degrees have qualified us for very little.It wasn't always like this. Supporters of the current system may argue that early colleges were mere playgrounds for the rich, but they were in fact set up for a variety of reasons-most of them having to do with training ministers and teachers. Few could afford college, and few needed to attend college to pursue a useful profession.Still, many men of talent (Alexander Hamilton, for example) were helped by generous friends and neighbors to pursue higher education. For much of American history, college was an opportunity for privileged young people to gain an understanding of their traditions and of the great works of their civilization, as well as for significant numbers of talented but not privileged young people to gain that same understanding as they worked their way into the learned professions.Historically, higher education was an extremely costly enterprise. As a frame of reference, worldwide GDP per capita remained remarkably constant at about $500 (in 1990 dollars) for well over two thousand years. Scarcity was the rule everywhere. Thus higher education in any society before the nineteenth century had to focus primarily on its most essential purpose: preserving knowledge, art, and, in sum, inherited culture.While universities always have been places where scholars pursue new knowledge, their first task has been to preserve civilization by passing down cultural and intellectual resources to the few who will hold positions of sufficient power for them to preserve and enrich it, or destroy it.New possibilities for a university emerge when a society can devote more money and release people from productive labor (particularly the production of food and essentials) for more years. American higher education emerged in tandem with three powerful trends: 1) previously unknown and widely distributed wealth; 2) the rise of democratic impulses for equality of opportunity; and 3) the modern acceleration of technological change, with its demand for ever new and increased technological skills.In response to these circumstances, American higher education took on new purposes. At first continuing its civilizational purpose, universities began to stress the acquisition of new knowledge. In addition, higher education was expanded in scope and availability out of a desire both to prepare people to make a living and to educate them for citizenship. In a democracy, of course, every person is supposed to be informed and knowledgeable about the world because each person is involved in a deliberative political life. As the world became more complex, access to more education seemed appropriate to maintain the quality of American self-rule.The new focus on higher education during the nineteenth century was undertaken in a spirit of community voluntarism. Improvement-minded communities founded hundreds of small colleges. Unlike higher education today, the result was not an integrated system. Politicized accrediting agencies didn't dictate what could be taught and how. Instead, a stunning variety of institutions and methods grew up to meet the needs of various communities. From teachers' colleges to divinity schools, to liberal arts colleges and the first law schools, institutions were fashioned to meet the emerging needs of their communities. Each local and usually private institution was both a repository of Western civilization and a preparatory ground for a useful life in a politically and economically dynamic world.Public universities were an increasingly important part of the mix, especially after the Civil War, when the federal government encouraged the founding of land-grant colleges aimed at improving agricultural techniques. Some public schools mimicked pre-existing private universities in their attempts to expand knowledge in a wide variety of endeavors. But most saw their purpose, as with so many of the smaller private colleges, as preparing their own people to help their communities.Higher education in the twenty-first century bears little resemblance to this American way of educating.In the space of a short chapter, we cannot offer even a rudimentary account of this complex transformation. We must note, however, the importance of the federal government's decision to subsidize universities during World War II and the Cold War to secure technological and military advances. In addition, changes in the sorts of knowledge necessary for economic success during the second half of the twentieth century changed incentives to attend college, along with university curricula.Motivated by a deep presentism, American universities soon de-emphasized or dropped higher education's first, civilizational purpose in favor of empowering individuals with knowledge necessary to meet their needs of the moment.Over the last half-century, the dominant trends in American universities have been in two directions. The first has been to advance the quality, reach, and applicability of expert knowledge. Increasingly, a degree was supposed to signify deep competence in some narrow field of knowledge rather than the sort of knowledge once considered necessary for a free and self-governing society. The second trend has been to liberate the individual from institutions, traditions, and even norms or expectations that might hamper the self-creation and self-expression now deemed everyone's birthright. Rather than inhabiting and participating in a long civilizational story, the liberated student of today is expected to make his or her own story.Higher education now aims to produce highly trained idiots (in the original Greek, the word meant a private person) who function in an economic system they cannot comprehend, defer to a government that protects their radical individualism, and, as deracinated global citizens, define their moral universe through abstract notions of equality and justice.Few who are not themselves part of the problem need to be told that our current university system is in shambles. Free inquiry has been replaced by "safe spaces" and the shouting down of anyone who speaks out against anti-Western ideologies and the cult of victimization. Bureaucracies that smack of the old Soviet Union enforce a code of political correctness infusing every aspect of university life with suspicion and resentment. Having banished all but a tiny remnant of conservatives and even most liberals from the professoriate, universities become ever more determined to undermine all aspects of American culture and higher learning.Culturally and intellectually, the moral objective of American universities is transformational rather than formative-they seek not to preserve, improve, and pass down but to destroy and build anew. Even the sciences have become targets of an irrational hostility toward reality; as students in some engineering education courses are told, for example, the skills necessary to, say, build bridges that will not collapse are tainted by racism, sexism, and homophobia.Much has been written on the depth and breadth of the disaster that is American higher education today. We are less concerned with rehearsing the damning evidence than with suggesting a response in keeping with conservative principles. Most relevant, here, is the duty of all associations-including those engaged in higher education-to seek the public good. Educational institutions must aim to improve their communities by preparing their young people to become full, productive members-to be better citizens, better neighbors, better spouses, and better parents. These institutions must be an expression of their communities while offering the special cosmopolitanism of a liberal education, in the breadth and depth of tradition and history.Because our primary and secondary education has declined so far in its ability to prepare young people for productive lives, many of them look to college to complete what is basically vocational training. It is crucial that our communities do a better job training young people to become good carpenters, welders, or clerks. To do well in skilled trades and many other jobs does not require, and should not be made to require, the investment of four or more years and tens of thousands of dollars in university degrees, especially when those degrees are drenched in left-wing ideologies.The problem is not simply that our universities have been taken over by bad actors. The problem is that it is impossible fornational university system to serve the common good.To reclaim higher education for our culture, and for its own proper ends, it must again be the product of local communities serving local needs. We are not saying that the large research university should be abolished. But it is long past time for American taxpayers to stop supporting its maintenance, let alone its expansion. We currently spend billions of dollars subsidizing a system that rewards ideological malpractice, seeking to undermine our way of life as it enriches a few top administrators, enables self-indulgence among all too many professors, allows educrats to hector and indoctrinate our young people, and fails to serve our common interests.Obviously enough, reform must take at least two paths, one dealing with private universities, the other with public ones.First, where private universities are concerned, we often are told that what they do is a matter of purely private concern. Being privately funded, the argument goes, these universities have a right to teach whatever they want to whomever they want, charging as much as they want. In a sense this is true; but, as with much else, national political structures have brought a concentration of power into the wrong, politicized hands. Federal subsidies in the form of accrediting agencies that keep out genuine competition, grants, loans, special tax treatment, and government research funds all enable powerful universities to ignore their duties to their students while working to undermine the society that supports them.Private universities have loaded up on administrative positions, launched tendentious, anti-intellectual academic programs, and engaged in counterproductive agitation in large part because they need not worry about the costs. However large the tuition hikes, students and their parents are lured into taking on massive, subsidized debt in the belief that college is "worth it," provided the school has a high-enough ranking.Competing only with one another, and only in the eyes of accrediting agencies and other gatekeeping institutions that share their own ideological views, colleges can stock their curriculum with classes in various forms of postmodern ideology and identity politics, seldom worrying about whether graduates will be able to find meaningful employment, let alone flourish as full members of their communities. Indeed, universities increasingly ignore altogether their duty to teach students because government contracts and research grants provide them with so much prestige and money. Most students, then, are coddled but not educated, trained in resentment not critical thinking, taught to despise their traditions rather than to enrich them.The good news regarding private universities is that the prudent, reasonable solution to our problem is rather simple: stop the subsidies. We are not, and should not be, in a position to force sudden change on private universities-and certainly not through national political action.That said, we can and should stop funding a model of education that is financially profligate and culturally destructive. How can this be accomplished? Ending federal grants and loans, or at least capping at a level well below current tuition charges, will encourage a return to fiscal discipline. Eliminating subsidies for research, or at least instituting that it be done in independent facilities, will refocus universities' attention on teaching. Ending remaining exemptions on our huge university endowments, or at least requiring that the monies be spent regularly on university activities, will reconnect administrators with the students they are supposed to serve.Taken by themselves, these reforms will not return private universities as a class to cultural sanity. They will, however, provide much more room for conservative principles to be heard on college campuses and for conservatives, in combination with open-minded liberals, to restore an openness to honest inquiry and exchange of ideas capable of enlivening university life.Where public universities are concerned, it is long past time for state legislatures to reassert public educational institutions' duty to serve their particular communities and the public good, not the desires of accreditors, administrators, and faculty. Nor should public universities gear their mission to students' whims as expressed in short-sighted surveys or protests.We are advocating not overt politicization of public universities but the opposite: these schools for too long have been allowed to become dens of radical politics precisely because they have lost sight of their intrinsic purpose-to help young people become ready for lives and careers within their communities.Public universities are specifically set up, using public funds, for the good of the people of their state. The huge public research university, mimicking Ivy League colleges in every way possible while ignoring the needs of its state and local communities, is a travesty. These enormous institutions have hijacked public funds and the very idea of a public trust to serve their own financial interests, in large measure by claiming to serve a "public" that is global, ahistorical, and bereft of substantive interest or identity. Even smaller public colleges today seek freedom from public duty by claiming to serve everyone and every good thing.Public colleges and universities must be reoriented locally. How is this to be done? To begin with, most public colleges have enforceable charters that are poorly drafted and often ignored; these could be rewritten and enforced by boards of trustees and, more likely, state legislatures.State legislators bow too easily to the charge of philistinism when they seek to fulfill the duty to oversee the institutions they fund.If there is to be public funding, there must be a determination that such funding support institutions that focus on the people of their own state in hiring, admissions, and curriculum. This last means that it is the duty especially of regional institutions to provide the kinds of vocational training that currently falls through the cracks, picked up neither by community nor regional colleges.Budget discipline also can be used to slash the number of administrators currently pushing programs of political and cultural transformation on campus as well as the tuition students must pay.The solution to the breakdown of university education is not further control from Washington. Improvement in education, as in most things, is to be found through decentralization and rethinking at the more local level. As universities have claimed to be all things to all people, they have become, intellectually and culturally speaking, less than nothing. Meanwhile, our children increasingly are told that their choices are lifetimes of debt or lifetimes of ignorance and unskilled labor.We can and must eliminate this false choice by freeing higher education from the grips of a national establishment concerned with its own material and ideological interests so that the real interests of persons and communities can be recognized and served.
[U]nder longstanding department policy, a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that, too, is prohibited. A special counsel's office is part of the Department of Justice, and by regulation, it was bound by that department policy. Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider.

On Wednesday, Special Counsel Robert Mueller finally emerged from the shadows to make a declaration: he's leaving, and he's taking the dog. According to Mueller, his job here is finished, since his 448-page report on Russian election interference and Trump administration obstruction has concluded. What's more, according to Mueller, the country is better off for the Mueller investigation having taken place, despite two years, billions of dollars in media coverage, and no actual conclusion.Well, then.Therea few key messages in Mueller's valedictory.Mueller began his statement by recognizing that his original brief was to investigateHe proceeded to outline the fact that this interference was highly damaging to the political process:All of this is fine and dandy; there's little controversy over any of it.Mueller then moved on to his explanation of his investigation of obstruction. Unlike the election interference investigation, which began as a counterintelligence investigation inside the FBI, the obstruction investigation began as a- and a criminal investigation that Mueller admits he never had the authority to conclude. Mueller stated regarding Russian interference,That would be true of Trump's associates. That would not be true of Trump himself - Mueller recognizes that he never had the authority to indict a sitting president. He explained:Yet Mueller proceeded to write two hundred pages about Trump himself, and his conduct. This means that Mueller spent tens of millions of dollars and years of time investigating. So what the hell was he doing? Mueller provided two separate explanations for the investigation of Trump's conduct: first, he said, the investigation was permitted because it isEvidence of what, though? A crime? But Mueller. So evidence of something - something that wasn't prosecutable right now, and that Mueller refused to suggest amounted to a crime for the future. Mueller himself said the investigation was justified because perhaps it would have resulted in evidence thatBut Mueller didn't charge co-conspirators in obstruction. This is bizarre, at least.Mueller's second justification is more obvious: he essentially said he was doing Congress' impeachment groundwork for them.Mueller stated. This is an invitation to impeachment.But that's not Mueller's job. He is a member of the executive branch. He is not an independent counsel. He is not a legislative investigator. A criminal investigation that cannot possibly result in charges is a conflict in terms. Mueller never should have agreed to such an investigation under the law, and Mueller's own standard makes that clear.Mueller infamously stated that there wasSo far, so good. That's a prosecutorial statement in prosecutorial language. But then Mueller wildly exceeded his brief. In fact, he pulled a James Comey: he effectively indicted Trump for supposed non-crimes publicly, the same way Comey did Hillary Clinton. Of course, he said he would never do that:That's pretty rich, coming just paragraphs after Mueller accused Trump of a non-crime without the possibility of resolution of the actual charge:If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime....we concluded that we would not reach a determination one way or the other about whether the president committed a crime.Trump's opponents have hung their hats on this statement to show that Trump only escaped prosecution because he was the president, and because of the Department of Justice regulations. But that's not quite right. In actuality, Mueller said that the DOJ regulations created a threshold barrier to a decision: he had no right to make a decision, he said, because no prosecution was available. Thus, he made no decision. Instead, he decided to publicly say he could not exonerate Trump. Now, presumably that remark was directed toward Trump's false statements that he had been totally exonerated. But it was partisan and inappropriate for a man of Mueller's stature: the comments effectively shifted the burden of proof from Mueller to Trump himself.It's not Mueller's job to exonerate anyone. It's his job to prosecute or not prosecute. Instead, he told everyone that Trump might be prosecutable, but he couldn't really say, but still, there might be impeachment available. The proper language here would have been the same as the language surrounding collusion: "insufficient evidence." But instead, Mueller refused to say even that.Was any of this supposed to be in the purview of Mueller's activity?Barr stated in public testimony that Mueller told himHere, Mueller stated that he could not prosecute, and that he would not say whether Trump had committed a crime. These two statements are not actually in conflict. Mueller may well have told Barr that he had not reached a determination on obstruction, and that he saw no reason to do so. That's what he told the public, after all. Furthermore, Mueller explained that he didn't question Barr'sSo much for Barr's supposed obstruction.Then, Mueller said that he was out. Done. Finito. He explained that, having created a political Rorschach test, he would now act likeRorshach:Mueller stated,Did Mueller clarify anything today? Only that he exceeded his original mandate - that after conducting a thorough investigation, he was willing to inject himself into the political process rather than sticking to his role. That's damning not just for Trump - who will now have to face down Democrats calling for his political head - but for a career prosecutor who decided that the business of criminal prosecution was too difficult, and that he'd prefer to serve as a roadbuilder for impeachment.
The days of late spring, continue to come and go in the most delightful fashion. It is a bit warmer, now, but in the absence of humidity, it is a pleasant thing to be outside. Right now, the rabbitpatch territory is tidy and full of blooms. It is highly likely, to see the wild rabbits now, scampering about in the evening. . .and the birds sing nonstop. Foxglove blooms in odd places and I am glad of it. The elderberry joins the ranks of the foxglove, claiming any available spot on the territory.I love neat lawns that look tended, for they look loved, but too much tending and then the place looks too controlled, to suit me. As much as I can, I let "nature take its' course" - of course, this does not apply to the greedy thorned vines nor poison ivy, that I do battle with regularly. Yet I also love rambling roses, that spill carelessly on the lawn and flowering bushes with flowing tendrils, left to their own devices.I left right after school on Friday, for Elizabeth City. I had not been there for a several weeks. First one thing and then another had come up. It was a beautiful day to drive and the highway traffic was light for a holiday weekend.I drove past the sprawling fields , now a tender shade of green. "Queen Annes' Lace" was blooming all along the roadside and so were the wild day lilies. I love an arrangement of the two. When paired, neither look like mere, roadside flowers. The three rivers I cross sparkled enough, to rival a large cluster of diamonds. The highway, now familiar, offered all sorts of beautiful tokens.Of course, there was a sweet reunion, when I walked in the back door, of Jennys' home. No one is ever as glad to see me, as Lyla. She ran down the stairs calling out "Honeybee!" Little Brynn did wave and smile sweetly, tucked safe in her mothers' arms. What a beautiful baby she is. The old fashion word "bonnie" comes to mind and just suits her.That night, agendas were made. Projects for Jenny and I, like cleaning out the pantry. Lyla and I would make a strawberry cake, and visit with Miss Thelma, besides stories and "lessons", for I always have a few "up my sleeve". Lyla especially loves poetry.On Saturday, Lyla and I went to the grocery, for she was especially anxious to make the cake. When Lyla and I shop for groceries, I do not rush hastily as is my usual practice. Instead, we gather each of the produce items, and I always have Lyla find them. Next, is the bakery section. We look at all the decorated cakes, leisurely. Then, the fresh cut bouquets, which Lyla always checks for sleepy fairies and on we go, til at last we have completed the list. Lyla is always very concerned if we buy anything that is not on her mamas' list.We made the cake that very day and made strawberry whipped creme, too. While we worked in the kitchen, I played, Duettino Sull ' Aria, which I declare is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written. Lyla loved it, and so did little Brynn, in her high chair.We carried some of the cake, to Miss Thelma, who was sitting on her porch, watching birds.At ninety three, Miss Thelma remains "sharp as a tack". She taught school for over thirty years and I am certain, that her students were "happy little larks", for Miss Thelma is a gentle and loving soul. Lyla loves to recite her poetry, for Miss Thelma for Miss Thelma showers her with praise and declares her "bright".Sunday was Tres' birthday. It is always odd to me, when one of my children have a birthday, and I am not with them. It matters little to me, that they are all grown. I always remember their birth and the details surrounding it, on their birthdays. I suppose all mothers do. I did get to talk to Tres. He had spent the day doing school work and had at least, scored 100 on a calculus exam. . .and yes -I am bragging, without shame, for I am a fan! I always have been.One day, Jenny and I did get the pantry cleaned out and reorganized. That was a huge mess. On that same day, Will and Jenny both wanted a banana pudding. We had a special supper planned as well. We ended up inviting Brooks and Mandy, and daughter Riley, to join us. Mandy is the one who started a florist business called "Pansy & Ivy", which ended up being a sweet success. I still remember her first arrangement. It was lovely and a far cry above the usual. Mandy seemed to be a natural and her face nearly glowed. When she left, I told Jenny, "There is someone who has found her passion." . . .and I was right.Another day, and I say that for I lost track of the days, Jenny and I organized the nursery and made plans to go through Brynns' clothes, again. It will not be the grand effort it was, a few months ago. I can scarce believe that "Baby Brynn" is now crawling, waving and standing! But she proved it this week end by getting out of her cradle, on her own! What a shock it was for all of us! I suspect that cradle will be passed along to Brant and Sydney, shortly, for their little son, due in September.There were many bright moments, during my visit, but one I hold especially dear. Early one morning, Lyla and I were sitting on the front porch swing. It was a beautiful morning with a slight breeze that made the willow dance gracefully. Lyla awakes full of chatter and this day, she wanted me to tell a story about "Gypsy", a naughty doll in our saga. I somehow, convinced Lyla, that surely Gypsy was still sleeping, for I'd had but a bit of coffee. I also said how good it was for us, to just sit quietly sometimes. So, she did.A few minutes later, she slipped her little hand in mine, though she sat as still as a mouse, and saidShe meant, that she wanted me to pray . . .and so I did. We prayed in thanksgiving for robins and willow trees and Lyla chimed in with. Next she saidand then- She next addedI know for certain, that I was.
Jenna A. Robinson, President

Important shared values ( "a love of learning along with commitments to open inquiry, freedom of thought, willingness to question, openness to criticism, eagerness to dialogue, providing sanctuary for the impertinently curious, cosmopolitanism, and a certain willing generosity that reflects these values outward, not merely inward" ) as well as

) as well as Shared virtues ("curiosity, intellectual honesty and humility, forbearance of constructive criticism, studiousness, collegiality, separating the idea from the person, and a certain protectiveness, not of the fruits of one's intellectual labors, but of the means of knowledge production themselves").

Jay Schalin, Director of Policy Analysis

George Leef, Director of Editorial Content

Anthony Hennen, Writer/Editor

Shannon Watkins, Policy Associate

The fight against entropy is never over. Our way of life is never more than one generation away from the precipice. We have already begun to see a huge number of citizens lose faith in free speech, in democracy, in economic freedom, in the idea of a shared morality or cause. That turn away from our values began when we lost faith in the path that brought us here in the first place.

In March, Helen Pluckrose and James A. Lindsay penned "A Principled Defense of the University" for. Coming from two of the authors of the "Sokal Squared" publishing scandal, it's an important disclaimer: Grievance studies are not representative of the whole university.In the essay, the authors explain why they believe the modern university isIt's because, they say, the university exists specifically to carry out noble goals-to produce and share knowledge, to act as the center of culture, and to generate opportunities for citizens and nations.They attribute universities' success at these endeavors to:Those are indeed values and virtues worth cultivating. And a few exemplary universities and programs do so.But I am not convinced that a significant majority of universities fulfill the promise of those high ideals. Examples are easy to find of universities that fail in their commitment to freedom of expression, for example. Pluckrose and Lindsay are sympathetic to those criticisms and charge that instances of illiberalismIn universities' defense, they claim thatThey spend a majority of the article parsing what they call "legitimate criticism" of the flawed but still admirable academic endeavor from "illegitimate attack" that is becoming more common. Their arguments are nuanced and thorough. The article is well worth reading in its entirety. (It takes about 20 minutes.) Smart administrators will heed their advice: Respond to criticism now before too many people lose faith in academia entirely.But Pluckrose and Lindsay fail to mention another important problem-that too many people at too many universities do not share the very first of their listed values: a love of learning. This, in the end, may be more dangerous than (contained) illiberalism to the continued success of the university. Most students today admit that they attend universities to improve their employment prospects. And many administrators devote their time to building the brand or engaging in economic development-a far cry from the university's original, essential mission. Reformers of their caliber would do well to address this issue as well as the creeping problem of illiberalism on campus.I recently read, by Robert A. Scott. The book is a wonderfully detailed and often insightful manual for the operation of a university board. That is, if you wish to perpetuate the academia that exists today. If you wish to address higher education's most serious problems, something more is required.It's not that he is unaware that higher education has problems, but too often Scott dismisses or ignores the worst ones. Certainly, he is highly qualified to write about higher education governance, having served both as president of a private school, Adelphi University, and a public one, Ramapo College of New Jersey. But something crucial is missing-while Scott acknowledges that boards should define their institutions' missions and directions, in other ways, his recommendations undermine their influence.The dominance by well-qualified former college presidents is a problem in the literature of university governance; it seems like all the other books on the same topic propose much the same continuation of the current situation. Like Scott, these writers are steeped in the norms of post-World War II higher education and cannot see beyond a certain established horizon.But there are indeed big worries beyond that horizon. Academia today desperately needs a major change of direction, without which it will continue moving in the path of increased politicization, excessive costs, and lowered quality. Scott's book, and others of the same genre, do not empower university boards for change, but constrain them within prescribed limits so that administrators and faculty can maintain the world they have built.I am currently readingby Jason Brennan and Phil Magness. The book's subtitle isa subject that has been very little explored by scholars. Most people assume that the professors and administrators who inhabit the world of higher education are driven by deep concerns for the quality of the learning experience for students. That's a mistaken assumption, the authors argue. What they show is that the decisions made by professors and administrators are mostly driven by self-interest rather than ethical concerns.The dust jacket on the book rebukes the people who run our higher education system:That statement rings true. While professor posture as though their only concern is the purity of the academic world, they usually if not always make decisions that put the most resources in their departments. Administrators do likewise. The result is higher spending than is necessary in pursuit of prestige-which must be paid for by others, of course.One target the authors blast is the pretentious advertising claims that an education at College X will be "transformative." Almost all schools say something like that, but there simply isn't any evidence that it's true. Brennan and Magness call out the dishonesty of making sweeping assertions about the value of college that can't be verified.will no doubt raise the ire of many academic insiders, but they will have a hard time refuting the arguments the authors make.Sometimes, the little absurdities of higher education cannot be expressed through journalism or academic articles. What's needed is satire. Lately, I've read two works:by Randy Boyagoda and "Harrison Bergeron," a short story by Kurt Vonnegut. One shows the decline of the university and its ideals, and the other shows the degradation that occurs when an obsession for equality takes over.In, the titular character is an English professor in Toronto (an expert on) whose small Catholic college is on the verge of financial ruin. To save the college, its leaders have two choices: Turn it over to Chinese condo developers and make the school an assisted-living facility with professors teaching classes to residents, or partner with a fictional Middle Eastern country forin exchange for an online degree program.Boyagoda captures the small shifts that add up: Referring to scholarly work as "content," identifying faculty concerns that the Catholic schooland obsessing over branding and tech fads. Boyagoda's quick writing style is as enjoyable as his blase observations about higher ed today.Ifis more light-hearted in its critique of higher ed, "Harrison Bergeron" shows the popular rhetoric of faculty, administrators, and students taken to its conclusion. Set in 2081, whenthanks to constitutional amendments that handicapped the smart, the strong, and the attractive, the Handicapper General reduced humankind to mediocrity under threat of death. Some individuals had radios in their ears to prevent themand weighed down the strong with weights around their necks and arms. The goal was restraint over empowerment.Vonnegut, were he alive today, would have a field day with higher ed's obsession with equality and diversity. From "adversity scores" and freshman orientation sessions that teach students to feel guilty for their privilege to colleges that brag of their "diverse individuals," higher ed has moved away from the pursuit of truth and expanding opportunity for bright students to a project for political change. All too often, the academic mission of colleges takes a backseat to political goals. "Harrison Bergeron" is a useful warning that the zeal for equality in higher ed doesn't mean we'll like the methods or results used to achieve it.It's no secret that colleges and universities have become the front lines of a raging culture war. Indeed, the level of political and social disintegration is the highest it's been in decades. What's less certain isAmerican society is being torn apart at its seams.In his new book, podcast host and author Ben Shapiro offers his diagnosis of the culture's ills, as well as a way to set it back on course.Shapiro's book is in large part a response to the insanity he witnessed first-hand on college campuses. He was the guest speaker at the University of Missouri when professor Melissa Click infamously asked for "some muscle" to remove a student reporter from covering a student protest. When he came to speak at California State University at Los Angeles, Shapiro needed a full security team and had to sneak through kitchens to safely exit the campus that was overrun with student rioters.In his book, Shapiro attributes the current cultural dysfunction to a sort of historical amnesia. Americans haven't just forgotten their history, they have abandoned their Western heritage-along with the defining ideas and values that made it "great:"Naturally, Shapiro argues that the remedy lies in re-learning the great ideas that built the West-a task that must be taken up in the college classroom. That includes familiarizing students with the intellectual traditions that stem from Judeo-Christianity and Ancient Greece. The common vision students gain by grappling with thinkers such as Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, and Dostoevsky is crucial, Shapiro argues, if the American social and political fabric is to stay intact.
Jeff Ferguson wants local veterans to be proactive in seeking help for themselves and for future generations whose lives could be affected by exposure to Agent Orange and burn pits.

That's why he's hosting a town hall meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Petro Hall at Montana State University Billings. Other organizations involved with the town hall event include Vietnam Veterans of America and the MSUB Military and Veterans Success Center.

"There's a lot of medical problems going on from generation to generation, so we're encouraging all the dependents and veterans to come on out and hear all the effects that are happening," Ferguson said. "There's a lot of stuff out there that was totally unsafe for soldiers and it's affecting more than just the soldiers. It's being carried down the line."

Ferguson is the chapter commander for the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 46-3. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, military operations that were part of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that began in 2003 and 2001.

Those wars remain ongoing today.
The Montana CASA/GAL Association, which advocates for children in foster care throughout the state, recently named April Sommers, of Missoula, as its executive director. The Montana CASA/GAL Association state office will be moved from Billings to Missoula in response to Sommers residence, according to a press release from the organization.

The Montana CASA/GAL Association was formed in 2017 to raise awareness of local CASA/GAL programs, attract new volunteers, supporters and champions to help the organization reach its goal of a volunteer advocate for every foster child in Montana. Today, CASA volunteers advocate for approximately 2/3 of children in foster care. The association works to build the capacity of Montanas local programs and provide support to establish programs in new areas of the state.

As executive director, Sommers will work to ensure consistent, high quality advocacy for the over 3,000 Montana children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse and neglect.

The executive director is responsible for supporting and coordinating the work of 15 local Court Appointed Special Advocates programs in 41 counties supporting 668 CASA volunteers who give a voice to the 1,740 abused and neglected children throughout Montana.
Most congressional Republicans today display a similar versatility of conviction. They were for free trade until Donald Trump informed them that they were not. They were defenders of the U.S. intelligence community until Trump announced in Helsinki that he believed Vladimir Putin rather than this community regarding Russian support for his election. They excoriated wishful thinking regarding North Korea until Trump spent a few hours with Kim Jong Un and, smitten, tweeted, "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea." Republicans have moved from stressing presidential dignity to cowed silence when, to take only the most recent example, Trump endorsed a North Korean state media outlet's ridicule of "low IQ" Joe Biden (a taunt Trump falsely ascribed to Kim). Republicans railed against Barack Obama's executive overreaching but are eloquently mute when Obama's successor promiscuously declares "emergencies" in order to "repurpose" funds Congress appropriated for other purposes, and to truncate the process of congressional approval of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and its allies.
Political parties in the United States are built on the big tent idea. Our political system at all levels evolved early on to one of majority rule. The rule is simple: 50% plus one gives control. In America and Montana that has produced electoral battles between two major political parties. While minor and third parties do exist, they are just that: minor.

We differ greatly from parliamentary systems around the world, where it takes multiple political parties coalescing to achieve the 50% level. Here, presidents and governors come from one of two major parties, not a coalition of smaller parties.

And legislative control is also based on who has 50% plus one of the elected members. For a political party to gain that level of control their philosophy has to accommodate a broad spectrum of ideas. In political parlance, parties try to bring related but differing points of view together under one big tent. The old political expression politics make strange bedfellows arises from that. Fifty percent plus one requires a big tent party.
Wildlife consultant and ethnobotanist John Mionczynski is the featured speaker at the next Draper Natural History Museum Lunchtime Expedition lecture at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.

The free presentation, titled "Some Interesting Plants of the Ancient People of the Yellowstone," takes place on Thursday, June 6, at 12:15 p.m. in the Coe Auditorium.

Mionczynskis talk is informed by his role as ethnobotanist and cameraman for the Native Memory Project, based in Dubois, Wyoming. The project captures professional video footage of tribal elders as they recount stories and share knowledge from the past.

The pre-reservation uses of plant medicines and foods, as well as ancient storytelling, are captured on these archival videos before they are lost forever, said Mionczynski.

Through his long career, Mionczynski has worked for several wildlife management agencies as a consultant. He has conducted field studies on grizzly bears, mountain goats, pronghorn, elk, pika, and bighorn sheep. Often during his time in the field he collected as his food and medicine native plants used by tribes. In his travels through the Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Black Hills, it was difficult to find a place that did not show evidence of Native cultures living on the land, he said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
North Dakota's Health Department is now offering an electronic card option for medical marijuana patients, accessible through mobile devices.

The electronic cards are being implemented in conjunction with BioTrackTHC, which was hired last year to implement a medical marijuana tracking system for the state.

Newly registered patients for now will continue to receive a printed card, but in the future, qualifying patients will be able to select only an electronic card, according to Jason Wahl, director of the Division of Medical Marijuana. The Health Department will monitor usage of the electronic cards and might eventually eliminate printed cards, he said.

To access the card, patients must use their account that was created during the application process. Further instructions are on the Medical Marijuana Division website, ndhealth.gov/mm.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
According to a Gallup poll conducted a few years back, the level of trust in state government is higher in North Dakota than any other state. Seventy-seven percent of North Dakotans trust their state government a great deal or a fair amount.

The last legislative session should make people rethink their trust in our state government. The Legislature repeatedly acted to limit the amount of information available to the public, showing a clear preference for secrecy over transparency.

Lawmakers passed a bill to exempt themselves and other government officials from our open records law. Prior to the new law, records of legislative communications were exempted from the open records law only if they were private in nature, such as a personal email from a legislator to a family member or friend. The new law deletes the word private from the statute, shielding all communications between legislators and any other person from public view. The exemption also was expanded to cover records in the possession of legislators or any state government official or employee. The public will no longer know who legislators are talking to and what is being discussed.

Not content with merely shielding their email and other correspondence from public view, a certain legislative subcommittee met behind closed doors in an obvious attempt to avoid a public hearing. Instead of using the subcommittees normal meeting room, they met in a locked room elsewhere in the Capitol. Doing so is a clear violation of the state constitution, which requires that all legislative committee meetings be open to the public.

The secretive meeting was only discovered when reporters knocked on the door. Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Rugby, chairman of the subcommittee, said he and his fellow legislators didnt want to be bothered. Nelson and his colleagues are either shockingly ignorant about how representative government is supposed to work, or theyve got something to hide. Given the Legislatures general aversion to transparency, it likely was not an isolated incident. They just happened to get caught this particular time.

The Legislature also protected the executive branch from public scrutiny. The Senate rejected a bill that would have made public the costs of protecting and transporting state government officials. After a state audit last year revealed an inappropriate use of state aircraft by the governors office, it makes sense for the public to know more about security and transportation spending for the governor and other public officials. Instead, the Legislature opted for secrecy, relying on the Orwellian argument that providing reports on security spending would somehow compromise security.

The Legislature saved the worst for last. In the final, chaotic days of the session, lawmakers limited the powers of the state auditor by requiring that the auditor get permission from the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee before undertaking performance audits of public agencies and officials. Because the state auditor has been doing his job  to the embarrassment of the governors office and a former lawmaker  the Legislature decided to limit the auditors power and make him beholden to their will.

Taken together, these legislative actions establish a pattern of secrecy and raise serious questions about our elected leaders. Exactly what are they trying to hide? Why are they so afraid of public scrutiny?

The default rule in a representative democracy should be that government information is open to the public, absent a compelling reason for its secrecy.

A Legislature that repeatedly favors secrecy over transparency is more reminiscent of a Soviet-style politburo than a democratically elected body, and it no longer deserves the trust of the people.

Tory Jackson is an attorney and writer. His legal practice involves real estate and business matters, with a particular focus on historic rehabilitation projects. He holds degrees from Bismarck State College, the University of Virginia and Harvard Law School. He lives in Bismarck, where he was born and raised.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1
On the rejection of the sacred and divine nature of the state I write:

There is always a temptation to divinize the state, to create a new Tower of Babel. This is a recurring motif, from the ancient kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria and Rome, in modern times with the French Revolution and its ideological descendants, the 20th century totalitarians, and contemporary technocratic state.

Christians have not been immune to the temptation to lift the state beyond its proper place. The temptation for Christians is not to divinize the state, but to politicize religion and look to the state to implement doctrine and other tenets of their faith as policyor even go so far as to compel belief. But this is a departure from the original vision of Christianity and its intrinsically voluntary character. This does not imply secularism or that there is no place for the church to guide and influence the moral character of the state. But the attempt to compel belief turns Christianity into a political ideology which undermines the very nature of Christianity and ultimately leads to unbelief. As Joseph Ratzinger has noted, there have been periods where the church and state blended into one another in a way that falsified the faiths claim to truth and turned it into a compulsion so that it became a caricature of what was really intended. Nevertheless, despite these failures the distinction between the claims of God and Caesar, remain. The nature of Christianity cannot accept a totalitarian state that tries to pull every aspect of life under itself.
This week, a UK government office launched an investigation into the Labour Party over charges the party unlawfully discriminated against, harassed, or victimised people because they are Jewish. Allegations of anti-Semitism are nothing new against the Labour Party (which, ironically, founded the investigating body, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a dozen years ago), but the charges  and their lack of resolution  reveal two important truths about socialism.

Reports of harassment of Jewish members peaked under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, who was once considered too radical to lead a party that Tony Blair rebranded as center-Left. The concerns are both personal and institutional.

Some tie Labours spike in anti-Semitism to its takeover by Corbyn and Momentum. Corbyn has a history of associating with extremist or terrorist organizations:

Corbyn participated in a 2014 wreath-laying ceremony honoring the terrorists who murdered 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics;

In 2009, he invited our friends from Hezbollah and our friends from Hamas to an event inside Parliament. Although he later expressed regret over his word choice, he did not apologize for describing the two organizations as dedicated to bringing about peace and social justice in the Middle East

Corbyn hosted an event at the House of Commons, on Holocaust Remembrance Day 2010 titled, The Misuse of the Holocaust for Political Purposes, at which speaker Hajo Meyer likened Israelis to Nazis;

Corbyn opposed the removal of a mural featuring classical anti-Semitic imagery of rapacious Jewish bankers consuming the globe. Corbyn personally messaged graffiti artist Mear One: You are in good company. Rockerfeller [sic] destroyed Diego Vieras [sic] mural because it includes a picture of Lenin;

He made numerous paid appearances on Irans state-run Press TV, which is now banned from broadcasting in the UK; and

He led the Labour Party in refusing to accept the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliances guidelines on anti-Semitism, for fear they would stifle criticism of Israels founding or current policies. The guidelines the party adopted would allow members to accuse Jews of dual loyalty to Israel. Former Labour MP Luciana Berger said she is regularly accused of having two masters, of being Tel Avivs servant and a paid-up Israeli operative.

Last July three Jewish newspapers ran the same editorial as their lead story, warning of the existential threat to Jewish life in this country that would be posed by a Jeremy Corbyn-led government.

A 2016 party-led investigation found an occasionally toxic atmosphere of anti-Semitism in its ranks. That aroma, in part, led nine Labour MPs to quit the party this winter and found a new party, Change UK (which floundered during its first test at the polls last Thursday).

Those who have stayed have also faced backlash. Louise Ellman, a Labour MP who is Jewish, said she has received anti-Semitic attacks from Corbyns most hardcore supporters since his ascension to power. There are some individuals engaging in traditional anti-Semitism, such as making references to Jews financing slavery, and others who are anti-Zionist to the degree that they become associated with people who denigrate Jews as a whole, she said. (You can read an in-depth account of Labours anti-Semitism under Corbyn here.)

However, others point out that allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party long ante-date Corbyns tenure as leader. Instead, they say, the problem is embedded deeply in the ideology of the Left. Its an institutional thing, said Harry Fletcher, who once advised Corbyn. Its mixed up with the Left of the party, which has complete antipathy to State of Israel and many would say that it shouldnt exist.

Anti-Semitism can be found in people of any political, or religious persuasion, and none. However, it has seen a resurgence on the Left. There are two lessons to draw from this row.

First, the content of anti-Semitic and anti-capitalist conspiracies overlaps. Both hold that the world is ruled by a hereditary caste that hordes ill-gotten wealth. This hermetically sealed elite exploits the masses for profit and, literally or figuratively, lives off their blood. It has rigged the system through its monopoly of industry (especially financial speculation) and its financial control of politicians and the media. It is so entrenched that citizens can only disgorge this alien class through concerted state power.

Anti-capitalism and anti-Semitism agree on methods and results; they merely disagree on the actors. Yet to the untrained viewer, their worldviews have enough overlay to blur into one amorphous entity. Corbyn has denounced property speculators and warned that the EU would establish a bankers Europe. While no one believes Corbyn holds anti-Semitic views, those who do hold such views will find his words resonate. Add in the Lefts Chomskyite view of Israel as a colonialist outpost, and the large influx of new voters who hold the anti-Semitic views prevalent in the lands of their birth, and the resultant powder keg awaits only a spark.

Second, concentrated state power allows the selective enforcement of justice. Consolidated power allows politicians to divide the world into secular angels and demons  and to legislate accordingly. Labour MP Jess Phillips has noted that Corbyn expelled former party press secretary Alastair Campbell within 24 hours of admitting he voted for the Liberal Democrats in last weeks European elections, yet it took months to suspend a member who shared articles denying the Holocaust.

That dichotomy is the key to understanding statism. Campbells actions cost the party votes, while some seem to believe that tolerating anti-Semites gains the party votes. So, one is rigidly punished, while the other is delayed for months, or years on end. In this universe, the arc of history bends, not toward justice, but toward expediency.

Consolidating power in the hands of the state allows for these two sides of the same coin: prejudice and favoritism, envy and vengeance. Anti-Semitic prejudice targets the Jewish people; socialist envy targets the successful. The gears forged to grind down one scapegoat can as easily be used on another.

(Photo credit: Bablu Miah. This photo has been cropped and modified. CC BY 2.0.)
President Trump announced yesterday that beginning in early June he will increase taxes paid by Americans until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. If Mexico does not stop the inflow then Trump says he will increase the tax paid by Americans to 10 percent on July 1, 2019, 15 percent on August 1, 2019, to 20 percent on September 1, 2019, and to 25 percent on October 1, 2019. Americans will be required to pay the new tax until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory.

Why is the president raising taxes on Americans in order to put pressure on Mexico? The short answer is because President Trump is economically illiterate. I dont mean that as an insult; I mean it literally. The president simply doesnt understand who pays tariffs, and has shown an unwillingness to learn the most basic truth about this form of taxation. Compounding the problem is that no one in his administration appears to have the courage or ability to prevent the president from harming the American economy.

The president also doesnt seem to understand that the power of taxation is supposed to rest with the Congress. But his ignorance on that point can be blamed on Congress.

In 1977 Congress passed the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which permits tariffs to be levied by the executive in the event of a national emergency originating from a foreign source. Trump said he was invoking the powers in the law and would use his sole discretion to determine whether Mexico had taken sufficient action. This was not, of course, how the law was intended to be used. As Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said yesterday, Trade policy and border security are separate issues. This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent.

Congress could quickly clarify their intent of the law, but they wont. Aside from Grassley, most of the Republicans in Congressespecially in the Senateare too craven to challenge the president on this issue. They would rather see America become poorer than stand up to Trump.

A prime example of how corrupt theyve become is South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham. Two years ago, Graham wrote on Twitter, Border security yes, tariffs no. Mexico is 3rd largest trading partner. Any tariff we can levy they can levy. Huge barrier to econ growth. But that was when Graham was still a conservative. Yesterday he showed he has fully converted into a progressive-populists and now supports tariffs on Mexico. I support President Trumps decision to impose tariffs on Mexico until they up their game to help us with our border disaster, Graham wrote on Twitter.

Unfortunately, Graham wont be the only one to side with the forces of progressivism. Currently, there are almost no Republican members of Congress that are willing to fight for economic liberty. Even the so-called Freedom Caucus, a group that previously tried to get Trump to avoid tariffs, has shown no willingness to rein in our economically liberal president. One of their founding members, Mick Mulvaney, is now serving as Trumps acting chief of staff and is helping to roll out the new taxes. In the past wed expect someone like Mulvaney to resign his position rather than betray his principles. But there are few Republicans in Congress or the executive branch who have any principles they wont betray, much less any who remain committed to liberty. As the GOP has repeatedly shown over the past two years, their only concern is to hold on to power and appease the progressive-minded populist-nationalists within the party.

It would be easy to simply throw up our hands in disgust at our new liberal establishment. But their cowardice comes at too high a cost, both here and abroad. Domestically, Trumps policies of increased taxes threaten to harm the poor and speed our economy toward a recession. Internationally, Trumps lack of integrity has made foreign powers hesitant to negotiate with him. Why should they trust a man who cannot be trusted to keep his word? How can any country (including America) expect a man completely lacking in honor to honor his trade deals?

I dont believe this is representative of who we are as a nation. There are still many Christians in American who support conservative policies because they lead to human flourishing. In the past, that has often lead us to support Republican leaders who also claim to share our principles. But if the GOP is unwilling or unable to do what is right, why should we continue to support them? If they wont stand against this imposition of unjust taxes on Americans, why should we stand with them?
When you see the greed and the concentration of power, did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism and whether greed is a good idea to run on?

That question was famously asked by Phil Donahue to economist Milton Friedman in a popular exchange from 1979 . If youre a defender of free markets, its a question youve surely wrestled with.

Friedmans response is characteristically insightful and straightforward, and was recently captured in a short animated film from PolicyEd:

Tell me: Is there some society you know that doesnt run on greed? You think Russia doesnt run on greed? You think China doesnt run on greed? The great achievements of civilization have not come from government bureaus. The world runs on individuals pursuing their separate interests. Einstein didnt construct his theory under order from a bureaucrat. Henry Ford didnt revolutionize the automobile industry that way If you want to know where the masses are worst off, its exactly in the kinds of societies that depart from that. The record of history is absolutely crystal clear: there is no alternative wayso far discoveredof improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by capitalism and largely free trade.

Friedman does a fine job in dismantling the common conflation between greed and self-interest, making a distinction that goes back to Adam Smiths arguments in both The Wealth of Nations and A Theory of Moral Sentiments .

According to Smith, enlightened self-interest can actually serve to unite us with the broader family of humankind, given a proper framework for voluntary trade and exchange. Smiths notion of the invisible hand is, in so many ways, a symbol of how one individuals self-interest can find common cause with another persons self-interest to produce communal and civilizational fruit. In turn, it also shows how blind and blatant selfishness and greedwith no respect to neighborwill struggle to find sustainable public expression in a free economy.

But that doesnt mean greed and selfishness wont exist and persist. Friedman also reminds us that virtues and vices can and do manifest quite separately from our economic or political systems. In capitalism, we may have a mechanism for constraining such greed or channeling it toward the common good, but this is a foundationa starting point.

Unfortunately, it is here where many free-marketers stop, deferring to the enlightened self-interest of the spontaneously evolving invisible hand, with little thought or concern as for how and whether our economic order is occupied by anything more than a series of mutually agreeable transactional contracts. As human persons created in the image of God, we were made for more.

In Working for Our Neighbor , Gene Veiths primer on faith, work, and economics, he affirms Friedmans argument, while also adding this next layer of Christian perspective. Economics in light of vocation may follow the same laws of supply and demand, competition and markets, Veith writes. But, for the Christian, economic productivity is not only a matter of self-interest; rather, it is also a way of loving and serving others.

According to Veith, it is only through a proper view of calling and vocation that we can truly understand our place in the economy, and in turn, how to orient our hearts and hands beyond mere contractual exchange:

Yes, in our economic activities, we are working for our self-interests. But, if we are honest and attentive to our deepest motivations, we have to recognize that we are also working for love. We work as hard as we do, taking on unpleasant tasks and pushing ourselves to the point of exhaustion sometimes, because we love our families, whom we are trying to provide for. We often love the people we work with, and so take on responsibilities in the work-place that go beyond our selfish aggrandizement. We sometimes feel a love for our customers and want to give them our best. And there is also love for the work itself, the satisfaction that comes from exercising our skills, from making something, from having an effect on the world outside ourselves. All of these examples of love manifest themselves in acts of self-sacrifice, of saying no to our selfish pleasures and personal preferences out of love. And ultimately, all of these loves come from God. Certainly, the iron laws of economics keep grinding on, with all of the players following their rational self-interests in the vast interplay of supply and demand, wages and productivity. But even while the players are, in one sense, turned in upon themselves, they also, in the work of their vocations, are turned outward to others. That is, though they are motivated by self-interest, they are also motivated by love. More than that, the whole economic system, when it is working rightly, has the effect of love.

In answering Donahues enduring question, then, we can begin as Friedman did: reminding others of the core distinction between greed and enlightened self-interest, and demonstrating the unique ability of capitalism to constrain human behavior and channel it toward serving our neighbors.

But we can also affirm that, no, greed is not a good idea to run on. As the iron laws of economics keep grinding on, we also embrace the importance and compatibility of virtue and vocation therein and throughout. Further, in our own economic lives, we can demonstrate how self-interest and service can also be paired with a genuine love for humanity that transcends human systems and wields transformative, redemptive power over whatever vices we continue to encounter.
We knew Dustin was smart, but we knew something wasnt right. Thats how Arkansas dad Scott Gann describes his sons early years in elementary school. Dustin was struggling, and Gann said teachers kept telling him that his son just needed to grow up, boys will outgrow this.

Dustin, now 15 and in high school, remembers that he would just sit there and stare at a piece of paper for like five minutes, trying to understand. He worried he wasnt trying hard enough, and he tried not to draw attention to himself. I just kind of laid low for most of my school days, he said.

Finally, in 3rd grade during state-mandated assessment testing in the spring, Dustin told his teacher, You know, I cant read. Gann says they all knew Dustin had been struggling, hed even received some extra help at school. But he calls that moment an awakeningfor both the teacher and Dustins parents.

That summer his parents paid to have Dustin tested, and he was diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disability that makes it difficult to read and spell. Gann said he was surprised at the schools reaction. The school was real standoffish about using the word dyslexia. It was almost like it was a naughty word.

Thus began an uphill battle to get Dustin the help he needed, according to Gann. Ultimately the family hired a private tutor and moved Dustin to a private school to receive specialized instruction. Gann said the changes in Dustin were as different as night and day, not just in his reading but in his self-confidence as well.

Gann knows in many ways his family was lucky; they had the resources to help Dustin. We are in a place where we can provide helpand its not fair for those parents who cant provide that, said Gann, who has turned all the pain and lessons we learned over the years into advocacy. He joined other Arkansas parents to push successfully for changes in state laws around reading instruction and dyslexia.

Arkansas has passed at least eight of these laws over the past seven years, including legislation that defines dyslexia and establishes requirements for screening and intervention.

Every kid deserves this, said Gann, thats why I advocate so hard.

As for Dustin, hes doing well in high school and last summer he even passed the written portion of his test for a drivers permit. He did that without any reading accommodations.

Related Reading:
Researchers report that a number of white supremacist/white nationalist/violent racist crackpot groups like the 'Proud Boys' and 'Soldiers of Odin' (gag) are doing just fine and being very active on Facebook  all they had to do is ever so slightly modify their names.

Facebook's not-very-effective ban was a kludgy response to the mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, the prelude to which was live-streamed on Facebook by the killer.

"Over a month after Facebook announced a ban of a number of white nationalist, white supremacist, and other hate groups, they are still on the platform and continue to use it for recruitment," reports Buzzfeed News:

"Facebook likes to make a PR move and say that they're doing something but they don't always follow up on that," Megan Squire, an Elon University computer science professor who researches online extremism, told a joint BuzzFeed NewsToronto Star investigation. Kevin Chan, one of Facebook's global policy directors, said while they proactively removed some hate groups, the company also relies on users, journalists, and other sources to report when banned personalities make it back on the platform. Chan said that sometimes it may feel like whack-a-mole, but he considers it more of an arms race  with Facebook trying to get better at keeping listed hate groups off its platform, and those banned users figuring out new ways to find their way back online. "Every time we are learning. Now, we presume they're also learning  I think it's really more of an arms race," Chan said. "But the trend line is that it is going to get really hard for people to do this, so hard to the point where  there's going to be so much friction in the system that they're probably going to go somewhere else," he said. Squire has been researching extremism on Facebook for years and said the ban didn't capture most of the groups she has been monitoring. Squire provided BuzzFeed News and Toronto Star a list of groups that have made a comeback on the platform, including those that participated in the deadly Charlottesville Unite the Right rally. Facebook removed all examples of the groups BuzzFeed News and the Toronto Star sent to the company. "Individuals and organizations who spread hate, attack, or call for the exclusion of others on the basis of who they are have no place on our services," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement. "We proactively look for bad actors, and investigate concerns when they are raised."

Also detailed in the Buzzfeed report, testimony by one researcher that they flagged an Indiana-based Ku Klux Klan group that used Facebook to organize events and rallies.

That 2018 report of a KKK rally that was being promoted on Facebook was never followed up on by Facebook.

When she learned the group was holding a rally in Ohio last weekend, Squire checked her Facebook support inbox and said her report from last year was still under review. "This is literally the Klan we're talking about," she said.

Read more: White Nationalist Groups Banned By Facebook Are Still On The Platform

[PHOTO: "Three Ku Klux Klan members standing beside automobile driven by Klan members at a Ku Klux Klan parade through counties in Northern Virginia bordering on the District of Columbia. 18 March 1922." Ku Klux Klan Virginia 1922 Parade  Wikimedia Commons]
(PHOTO: Kim Hyok Chol, left, and Kim Yong Chol at Beijing airport on Jan. 17, 2019, KYODO NEWS)

Donald Trump appears to believe it is fun to yuk around with North Korea, but North Korea does not yuk around.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is believed to be carrying out a massive purge to divert attention away from internal turmoil and discontent, reports Korean paper Chosun.

"Kim Hyok Chol was investigated and executed at Mirim Airport with four foreign ministry officials in March," the paper reports.

The reportedly deceased Kim Hyok Chol was the nation's special envoy to the United States. He would have been killed, then, very shortly after that February Trump-Kim summit that fell apart to the embarrassment of all concerned.

The executed men were responsible for negotiations that led to that second U.S.-North Korea summit in February.

Kim Jong Un's regime also held these people responsible for the collapse of talks with Trump.

Shinhye Kang reporting for Bloomberg:

Kim Hyok Chol, who led working-level negotiations for the summit in Hanoi between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in February, was executed with four other North Korean foreign ministry officials in March, Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, citing an unidentified source. Kim Jong Un's top aide Kim Yong Chol is reportedly undergoing hard labor, according to the South Korean newspaper report.

JUST IN: North Korea envoy executed over failed Trump-Kim summit (Chosun)  David Ingles (@DavidInglesTV) May 30, 2019
The inimitable Patti Smith will release a new memoir, Year of the Monkey, on September 24. A blend of reality and dreams, illustrated with Smith's Polaroids, the book captures her experience of a single year, 2016. From the publisher:



Following a run of New Year's concerts at San Francisco's legendary Fillmore, Patti Smith finds herself tramping the coast of Santa Cruz, about to embark on a year of solitary wandering. Unfettered by logic or time, she draws us into her private wonderland with no design, yet heeding signsincluding a talking sign that looms above her, prodding and sparring like the Cheshire Cat. In February, a surreal lunar year begins, bringing with it unexpected turns, heightened mischief, and inescapable sorrow. In a stranger's words, "Anything is possible: after all, it's the Year of the Monkey." For Smith  inveterately curious, always exploring, tracking thoughts, writing  the year evolves as one of reckoning with the changes in life's gyre: with loss, aging, and a dramatic shift in the political landscape of America.





Smith melds the western landscape with her own dreamscape. Taking us from California to the Arizona desert; to a Kentucky farm as the amanuensis of a friend in crisis; to the hospital room of a valued mentor; and by turns to remembered and imagined places, this haunting memoir blends fact and fiction with poetic mastery. The unexpected happens; grief and disillusionment set in. But as Smith heads toward a new decade in her own life, she offers this balm to the reader: her wisdom, wit, gimlet eye, and above all, a rugged hope for a better world.
You can't trust tech companies' word that the privacy controls they say they're implementing will protect you and your children.

A Wall Street Journal study of 80 apps in Apple's App Store shows that most apps, including ones selected and featured by Apple editors, are tracking you in ways you would not expect, and cannot avoid.

The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern found apps that track kids, including *her* kid, and send their data to companies including Facebook and Google.

Excerpt:

Uhhh, Curious George? You got a little too curious this time. There's a kids' iOS app called Curious World that, not surprisingly, stars the cute little pants-less monkey. Turns out, the app was collecting my son's age, name and every book he tapped, and sending that data to Facebook Inc. The company's response? Whoopsies!

Apple is reported to be planning to limit third-party tracking in kids' apps beginning next week.

The company hasn't announced the change, but an unnamed source who knows told the WSJ it's happening:

In fact, Apple will limit third-party tracking in apps in the Kids category of the App Store, according to a person familiar with the matter. Apple declined to comment on this, but a spokeswoman provided a statement: "For privacy and security reasons, Apple does not see what data users choose to share with developers and we can't see what developers do on their servers."

More: iPhone Privacy Is Brokenand Apps Are to Blame

You know those "Apps We Love" in the App Store? They're littered with trackers sending your info to tons of third-parties. My column based on weeks of testing over 80 iOS apps with @marksecadahttps://t.co/8ua2pdTI4b  Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) May 31, 2019

One of those apps was a children's app that was sending my son's name and age to Facebook.  Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) May 31, 2019

The company is fixing its code and according to my sources Apple is going to limit third-party tracking in Kids apps starting next week. More info in my column: https://t.co/8ua2pdTI4b  Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) May 31, 2019

You know what? Our privacy isn't LIKE a game of Whac-A-Mole, IT IS a game of Whac-A-Mole. My video on why privacy settings and controls are a game we'll never win: https://t.co/8ua2pdTI4b pic.twitter.com/YvW51UQMEr  Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) May 31, 2019

[IMAGE: Shutterstock]
In terms of germs, the summer gave us a little more leeway than the winter to be relaxed and protected from catching a case of COVID. Now that new strains are upon us, we might have to go back into recluse mode for a while. If history has taught us anything, it's that another lockdown READ THE REST
Chernobyl, the five-part HBO/Sky dramatization of the 1986 nuclear disaster, is filled with more dread, tension and horror than any Hollywood movie I've seen in years. The most unsettling part of it is knowing that it adheres closely to the truth, right down to the details. Yet I'm still startled to see just how exacting the production design is, as demonstrated by this footage from one of the plant roofs where "liquidators" struggled to remove irradiated debris by hurling it back into the open core of the reactor. Jump to about 7:45 for the roof work.

Compare to the "roof" scene from the show, which integrates the true footage so cleverly you wouldn't know it if you hadn't seen it for yourself:

If you still need convincing that you should check out this amazing show, here's the scene from Ep. 1 where three young plant workers inspect the reactor hall after the explosion. They know what they're afraid of finding, but they don't know that it's going to be well, you watch it and see for yourself.

Embedded below, a hapless engineer is ordered onto the roof so that managers can debunk claims that the reactor is exposed to the open air. He knows he's dead as soon as he sees the satanic cloud of smoke billowing from the ruin. He knows the guard escorting him up there is dead, tooand that guy doesn't even have to go up to the edge and look down into it. The guard doesn't have to go back to the managers and get yelled at again, either.


Texas governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law "relating to the criminal consequences of engaging in certain conduct with respect certain instruments designed, made, or adapted for use in striking a person with a fist." The law strikes "knuckles" from a list of prohibited weapons that a person can't "intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells."





The Texas Penal Code defines "knuckles" in this context as "any instrument that consists of finger rings or guards made of a hard substance and that is designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by striking a person with a fist enclosed in the knuckles."





From CNN:



Rep. Joe Moody, a Democratic legislator from El Paso who sponsored the bill told the Texas Standard "A young woman who has a keychain for self defense, certainly fits the statute of knuckles. And she was arrested for that."



Supporters of the bill argued "knuckles are primarily a defensive tool," the summary says, and shouldn't be associated with "explosive weapons, machine guns, and other prohibited weapons."

The law comes after lawmakers previously removed switchblades from that same banned list in 2013.

"Law abiding Texans who carry knuckles, perhaps as part of a novelty key chain, should not be vulnerable to jail time for possessing a legitimate self defense tool," the summary says.



"It's now legal to carry brass knuckles in Texas. Because, 'self-defense'" (CNN)


On May 21, the American Law Institute  a kind of star chamber of 4,000 judges, law professors, and lawyers  was scheduled to pass a "restatement" of the law of consumer contracts, with the plan being to codify case-law to ensure that terms of service would be treated as enforceable obligations by US courts.



This would have led to a virtual ban on class action suits, and would have severely curtailed the role of courts in hearing legal complaints brought by members of the public who had been harmed or lied to by corporations, replacing them with binding arbitration kangaroo courts where the "judge" is working for the company that wronged you.





The normally obscure workings of the ALI drew unprecedented attention over the move, with a bipartisan coalition of 23 states' Attorneys General publicly denouncing the plan, along with consumer rights groups and other campaigners.





The pressure worked! When the ALI sat down to finalize it at their meeting on the 21st, virtually the entire four-hour debate slot was taken up with a debate over the first of nine sections; debate began on the second section but time ran out before it could come to a vote.





A year from now, the ALI will sit again and could take up the matter once more.

Although the meeting agenda had assigned a four-hour session for consideration of the Restatement, only the first of the Restatement's nine sections reached a vote. Section One contains the Restatement's definitions and describes its scope. ALI's members voted to approve an amendment to Section One to clarify that to the extent the Uniform Commercial Code applies to a transaction and provides a rule, the Restatement does not apply. While not objectionable, the amendment seems unnecessary since to the extent the Restatement sets forth the common law, common law cannot override statutory law such as the UCC. The remainder of the session was devoted to debate on Section Two, which deals with how a consumer manifests consent to a transaction. No vote was taken on Section Two. A motion to convert the Restatement into a "principles project" was deferred until the 2020 annual meeting. While the Restatement technically remains alive, its future is unclear. Instead of becoming a principles project, the Restatement could continue as such but with redrafting. Possible next steps could include a meeting of ALI's Council or a meeting of the Restatement's Advisers (of which I am one) and/or ALI's Members Consultative Group.



ALI annual meeting ends with uncertain future for Restatement of the Law, Consumer Contracts [Alan S. Kaplinsky/Consumer Finance Monitor]





Consumer Contracts Restatement Delayed: Consumers WinFor Now [Jerri-Lynn Scofield/Naked Capitalism]
Ken Cuccinelli is probably going to be confirmed soon as Donald Trump's new head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. He once praised and amplified a racist rant attacking Muslims by Brigitte Tudor, aka Brigitte Gabriel, a prominent anti-Muslim organizer based in the United States.

That's not good.

Cuccinelli was a former Attorney General in my home state of Virginia. Progressive voters in Virginia know all about him.

Brigitte Tudor  aka Brigitte Gabriel  is the founder of ACT for America, the largest grassroots anti-Muslim group in the country.

Cuccinelli's a big fan.

From MMFA:

Cuccinelli is a right-wing commentator and former Virginia attorney general who will reportedly be appointed as the new director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of DHS. Cuccinelli has a history of anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant rhetoric and positions.

Gabriel is the head of the anti-Muslim group ACT for America. Media outlets have called her "the most influential leader in America's increasingly influential anti-Islam lobby" and "America's most prominent anti-Muslim activist." Gabriel has a long history of anti-Muslim statements, including claiming that "a practicing Muslim  cannot be a loyal citizen to the United States," and saying that Muslims in Europe "started multiplying" after World War II and did not assimilate and that Europe is now "paying the price" because it "ignored the cancer growing within its body when it was at Stage Two."

The Heritage Foundation hosted a June 16, 2014, panel event about the 2012 Benghazi attacks featuring Gabriel and fellow anti-Muslim commentators Frank Gaffney and Clare Lopez. During that event, Gabriel attacked a Muslim questioner for noting that there are many peaceful Muslims, stating that while the "majority of them are peaceful people," the "peaceful majority" is irrelevant because "radicals are estimated to be between 15 to 25%" and "it is the radicals that kill.  When you look throughout history, when you look at all the lessons of history, most Germans were peaceful. Yet the Nazis drove the agenda and as a result, 60 million people died." From the event:

BRIGITTE GABRIEL: There are 1.2 billion Muslims in the world today. Of course, not all of them are radicals. The majority of them are peaceful people. The radicals are estimated to be between 15 to 25% according to all intelligence services around the world. That leaves 75% of them peaceful people. But when you look at 15 to 25% of the world Muslim population, you're looking at 180 million to 300 million people dedicated to the destruction of Western civilization. That is as big of the United States. So why should we worry about the radical 15 to 25%? Because it is the radicals that kill. Because it is the radicals that behead and massacre. When you look throughout history, when you look at all the lessons of history, most Germans were peaceful. Yet the Nazis drove the agenda and as a result, 60 million people died. Almost 14 million in concentration camps. Six million were Jews. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. When you look at Russia, most Russians were peaceful as well. Yet, the Russians were able to kill 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. When you look at China, for example, most Chinese were peaceful as well. Yet the Chinese were able to kill 70 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. When you look at Japan prior to World War II, most Japanese were peaceful as well. Yet Japan was able to butcher its way across Southeast Asia, killing 12 million people, mostly killed with bayonets and shovels. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. On September 11 in the United States, we had 2.3 million Arab Muslims living in the United States. It took 19 hijackers, 19 radicals, to bring America down to its knees, destroy the World Trade Center, attack the Pentagon, and kill almost 3,000 Americans that day. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. So for all our powers of reasons and us talking about moderate and peaceful Muslims, I'm glad you're here. But where are the others speaking out?

In July 2014 Facebook post, Cuccinelli responded to video of Gabriel's diatribe by writing that "this panelist's point about irrelevance of the peaceful  BUT UNENGAGED  majority is extremely important and powerful. I.e., if the 'agenda' is driven by the radical minority, then the peaceful majority doesn't affect the course of history."

Right-wing media figures have frequently demanded that Muslims speak out against or atone for terrorist attacks  a rigged and disingenuous game that ignores that Muslim groups and leaders do roundly condemn them.

Cuccinelli has also associated with Gabriel in other settings. He has signed letters with her and numerous other right-wing leaders supporting funding for the southern border wall, expressing concern about the supposed social media censorship of conservatives, and opposing the House Democrats' bill "to expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and for other purposes." He also attended an August 2018 Media Research Center cruise with Gabriel, according to promotional information.
Intended as a discussion group, the blog has evolved to be more of a reading list of current issues affecting our county, its government and people. All reasonable comments and submissions welcomed. Email us at: bill.pysson@gmail.com REMEMBER: To view our sister blog for education issues: www.district100watchdog.blogspot.com
News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

The United States of America Embassy in Harare has called upon the government of Emmerson Mnangagwa to desist from its brutal crackdown on Human Rights Defenders.The Embassy was responding to the recent arrest of seven human rights defenders who are accused of undertaking training to come and unleash a fresh wave of violent protests to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagwa."Harassment and targeted arrests of civil society leaders damages Zimbabwe's reputation and economic future. We call on the Zimbabwean government to uphold its constitution, respect rule of law, and foster an environment where all can contribute to the nation's progress," The Embassy said in a statement.On Wednesday the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum held a press briefing in Harare where they condemned the articles written by The Herald and The Chronicle alleging that NGOs were working to incite public uprising in the country to subvert a constitutionally elected government."The forum dismisses falsehoods by publications like the Herald that some NGO organizations were working to topple the government," ZHNGOForum said. "The work of fiction is not without consequence, timing of articles and arrests of some civil society actors is a cause for concern."The Spokesperson of the Forum Justina Mukoko warned editors of the said papers that if they do not retract the false articles the Forum will take other measures.The forum called on government to stop the crackdown on human rights defenders and focus on fixing the economy.On Tuesday evening the youngest MDC MP Joana Mamombe was arrested by the police and appeared at the Magistrate courts on Wednesday.Mamombe is the MP for Harare West.
News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

Health scare has hit Harare after the City Council revealed that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has stopped supplying them with the much needed foreign currency to purchase water cleaning chemicals from suppliers.Said the Council on Thursday, "Harare City Council is no longer accessing foreign currency from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe for the procurement of water treatment chemicals. Suppliers have to source their own forex at the interbank rate on a willing seller willing buyer basis."Last week Harare had a shutdown if water supply for three days.Business tycoon Mutumwa Mawere lamented the development saying the suppliers will now have to go out of their way to get foreign currency."Can someone decode what this means? To me, it means if you are a foreign-based supplier, it is no longer possible to invoice in the currency of the supplier but the currency of Zimbabwe implying that the supplier will be paid in RTGS and then will have to secure the forex separately." Mawere said.One social media user however accused the suppliers of misrepresenting themselves to the council tender board if they fail to deliver the cleaning chemicals because of foreign currency."The contracted independent chemical suppliers are private companies that were not even supposed to be considered for foreign currency allocation, there is nowhere in this world where such a practice is done, if they do not have the capacity they should have never tendered to the municipality for such services, this was a loophole for abuse and corruption. They indeed should use their bankers to source the forex...there is a lot of corruption at the municipalities and government departments."
News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

National Railways of Zimbabwe has joined the list of government departments which are now charging clients in United States Dollars.In a statement the parastatal said due to the fluctuation in the RTGS dollar, the US Dollar will now be used as a currency for invoicing.Clients will be requested to pay either in Forex or RTGS$ at the interbank rate.On Wednesday the Ministry of lands announced that it is charging in forex for all its goods and services.
Opinion / Columnist

Zimbabwe needs a Major reshuffle as soon as now to get it moving again. In the inauguration speech the previous year ED had pledged to hit the ground running. The team has been assembled for the running but their legs are not reaching the ground. The ground is available the running has started but unfortunately you can not see the speed and the direction. At least for now. very few ministers can justify their existence. A major reshuffle is needed in order to get our economic woes sorted.Reshuffles are a chance to revive the fortunes of a President-by changing the faces of his Cabinet and Government. It is again a chance to get the policies implemented and to put people at a level they have long expected. Zimbabwe's cabinet offered much but delivered less; the occupants of key Cabinet positions may have remained in place after all but they are struggling to hit the ground. Government's big beasts may stand their ground, seemingly immovable. But with way government has performed in these nine months the most prominent and strong ministers may exit the Cabinet. They will do better as advisors and not clogging the positions. Most ministers have done so well in downing gallons of wine but no relevance to the task at hand. The optics of reshuffle must not become at this point, about increasing diversity. It must not tell the real diversity story of the reshuffle, nor make an adequate case for diversity in the executive. Increasing diversity in the Cabinet appears to be of increasing importance to leaders and has been shown to have beneficial impacts on both policy outcomes and political participation. However, The President must not miss the chance to make a lasting impact on diversity at the highest echelons of Zimbabwe government. Diversity must not be above efficiency. The current ministers have not started to run even though they have hit the ground. There are some ministry's who have performed so well that they should be allowed to finish what they have started and we have those who only talk about their proximity to the president and nothing else. There are off course few professional cadres who have shown an impact since they were appointed ministers.ED must overtly frame his reshuffle around the appeal for increasing economic growth in his refreshed administration. He must create a war cabinet which is ready to pull this country out of the doll drums it finds itself in. The image that must capture this most explicitly should be the courage and a bold move to remove friends and relatives and replace them with a wide and national representative cabinet. The president must be surrounded by an all hardworking group of government whips. Zimbabwe needs a government that "looks more like the country it serves". It must not be tilting on one region or province. It must not be a provincial affair but a national issue.The president must show a repeated imagery which again will show how gender  i.e. women  is now a salient representational criterion in choosing Cabinets; descriptively in terms of the numbers of women; and symbolically, for what it 'says' about the President the Government, and the party of government. It suggests that increasing the number of women in Cabinets is regarded as beneficial by political leaders. And rightly so. There is a strong and positive symbolic impact of having more women, at least in the initial post-election Cabinet. It can 'stand for' a feminist, modern, and 'in touch' President. A higher proportion of women in Cabinet will also increase women's conventional political participation  and this effect is stronger than the effect of more women in Parliament.That said, increasing the numbers of women in government (as in the parliament) does not go uncontested. Positive optics around diversity can lead to a backlash. This should be a positive image, but it must not be abmassacre of the middle-aged men.Of course we must have more women in government but they must be there on merit alone not as 'token women' promoted simply because of their sex nor at the cost of 'more talented' men. This is a familiar trope against any equality measures designed to increase the representation of women in politics. There is little evidence of any qualification gap between quota and non-quota men and women  less qualified women are not being promoted at the expense of more talented candidates. Moreover, women elected by quotas are as effective as men once in office. In fact, there is some evidence that quotas can enhance merit as more qualified candidates are selected.If the merit argument has little basis for understanding Cabinet appointments, the 'demise of the middle-aged man' is also massively overstated. The optics around diversity do not translate into reality, nor would we end up with a government that "looks more like the country it serves." After reshuffle, the face of the Cabinet ministers must not remain the same.If we broaden out to the government overall, there should be some evidence of positive change:ED should instigate a change in Zimbabwean politics snd economic page.To avoid criticism, the president must match or surpass the number of hard workers appointed by his successor thus creating a 'concrete floor' of a minimum number of those who know what they are doing in Cabinet.And these floors are not always set by leftist parties. So, if ED follows through on his promise and appoints a more purposeful Cabinet he might be able to effect change beyond his own administration. The times we are in as a country are desperate and they need desperate measures. We cannot manage any further suffering. The party must play a very important role in the country. It must control the direction of things.The reshuffle must show that the party still has people at heart and as a party we can still be able to direct our economy to our advantage.The appointment of young ministers will suggest the potential to have some 'floor' effect. But this will require a certain steadfastness in the face of the expected backlash from the vampires in Zimbabwe's politics and the media.We have already seen the exit of Dr Gumbo and the entrance of Fortune Chasi. There was almost a sharp reaction to Chasis appointment as he was sabotaged as soon as he enters the arena. The big oil dealers were determined to have him fail in the tracks. However within few days fuel situation changed. Chasi needs the support of all stake holders and even those in the opposition must pull together in order to get out of this mess.This reshuffle will be under the microscope and will show the seriousness of the party in these appointments.The ministry of Finance is a thorny issue. With our economy now it is not healthy for the Reserve bank governor and minister to be at each other's throat. It shows we are going nowhere as far as our economic situation is concerned.The reshuffle must be a turning point for Zimbabwe. We are past the time of politicking. We need action.Ministers who have been reported for corruption must not be anywhere near the cabinet. This reshuffle must be a new start. ED must rise beyond the problems we are facing now and come up with a war cabinet to term the runaway economy.The reshuffle must be reshuffle not a mere rotationWhile the country waits anxiously there is one sector where business is booming. This is the witch doctors. Prophets and fortune tellers. Prospective ministers are now tripping each other rushing to prophets in order to boost their chances of being appointed ministers. The country must not be governed on spiritual superstitions but on reality.The future of the nation is cemented to this reshuffle. If as a party we get this right then the opposition becomes history.All the rumors of revolt will be squashed in a one blow called reshuffle.It is not fully right to play the same team which is failing. The president has a big pull of patriots who are willing to move the country to better heights. Zimbabwe is the only country we can call ours in the whole world.The hope of the nation is vested in the decision the president makes today.We must say goodbye to those who are not putting their country first. Zimbabwe needs dedicated cabinet.Most of the efforts of the president are not complimented by those who are paid to do so. A number of ministers are strangers in their posts. It is high time that they need to be retired for the sake of the nation. The vision of the president is beamed with darkness if there is no implementation in the structures.This is the time ZANU PF must direct the government. It must live up to its moto as a party of excellency and cover its people with the blanket of protection.Zimbabwe is in capable hands and these hands must be complemented.Vazet2000@yahoo.co.uk
Opinion / Columnist

We were pleased to host President John Magufuli of Tanzania these past two days and he was kind enough to Cde Crocodile to speak the Zanu-PF party line and call for an end to sanctions on Zimbabwe, saying they hindered development and progress. I was very surprised that someone of Mr. Magufuli's stature would make such an uninformed statement. Why is it that so many of our neighbors side with such a corrupt lot, that is our President and governing party, when the truth of the matter is that the sanctions are only really impacting those in the Zanu-PF who would otherwise plunder our wealth and abscond.The bottom line is that the sanctions currently imposed under the Zimbabwean Democracy and Economic Recovery Act or ZIDERA, are almost exclusively only targeted towards a select group of Zanu-PF party members, who for decades have stolen or murdered their way towards riches while the rest of our citizens suffer. It's an interesting exercise to actually take a look at those persons on the list, and you will be hard pressed to find one name for whom we should have any trust or respect.These are the people behind the Gukurahundi genocides; those who plundered our State treasury; who stole the farms of the Whites and then left these farms to falter under mismanagement, incompetence and neglect; those who have stolen elections for more than a generation; have reduced our once proud nation to beggar status of Southern Africa; and those who continue still to deprive us of democracy and economic recovery. Sanctions are a convenient scapegoat for the Zanu-PF government to cover their failings. There are very few examples -- if any -- of foreign investors not investing in Zimbabwe due to sanctions. Foreign investors refuse to invest in Zimbabwe for the simple fact that the current government is CORRUPT as is the political party who supports them. There is no rule of law in Zimbabwe beyond "What's best for the Zanu-PF?".The fact of the matter is, these sanctions do not hurt us, they protect us. If these sanctions were removed, those Zanu-PF members currently under sanction would simply move their money outside of Zimbabwe and as the country spirals into the final stages of total economic collapse, they would flee.These sanctions prevent the Zanu-PF members who have our money, from externalizing it and then self-exiling to a life of foreign luxury.The Army should not only remove the current government immediately, as I have written about in my previous articles, but also commit to seeking out and repatriating the wealth that has been stolen over the years. VP Chiwenga and General Philip Sibanda must investigate and prosecute any Zanu-PF member currently under sanction, and once they have been found guilty, these thieves must be punished.How much money, our money, would be returned to the State Treasury if the Army were to seize this ill-gotten wealth. I will say it again, the wealth that has been stolen by members of the Zanu-PF is money that belongs to the people of Zimbabwe. If the Army can't stomach prosecutions here in Zimbabwe, maybe they should consider turning some of these thugs over to the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide?!?The longer the Army waits, the more complicit they become in the current government's misdeeds. In just the past week,- Fortune Chasi, Minister of Energy and Power Development told Zimbabweans to consider using bicycles and motorbikes because he is incapable of managing our fuel and energy needs.- Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa's son Neville, was allegedly determined to be profiting off of the misery of Zimbabweans as a black market forex manipulator. They arrested him with $200,000 in American dollars. His father, Chris Mutsvangwa, is a former presidential adviser.- Central Bank governor John Mangudya, doesn't seem to have a clue what's going on.- Mthuli Ncube, Minister of Finance apparently lives at the Meikles hotel and doesn't even trust our currency and is paid in United States dollars -- this being the man upon whom our future economic well-being is dependent.- Didymus Mutasa, a former Minister and Zanu-PF is getting his debts paid with State funds -- our money!- Tongai Matutu, some mid-level Zanu-PF wannabe, who might also actually be an imbecile, has lashed at out the United States of America embassy in Harare.- And, our esteemed President, Cde. Crocodile can't seem to get from here to there without sending for a plane from the United Arab Emirates at a cost of hundreds of thousands of United States dollars each time.This is our money! The Zanu-PF have it and it's time that we demand it back! It's time that we tell the Army that it is their duty to get it back! And we want action NOW!
- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."
BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 31: German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Photo by Thomas Koehler/Photothek via Getty Images)

Huawei and Iran are two of the key issues on the table as US secretary of state Mike Pompeo made a half-day stop in Germany on Friday.

The secretary of state first met with German foreign minister Heiko Mass and then held a 45-minute meeting with chancellor Angela Merkel. It is Pompeos first visit to Berlin since taking office over a year ago.

The world is in a state of great unrest, Merkel said in her brief joint appearance with Pompeo before their meeting, listing Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Ukraine. The USA is and remains Germanys most important partner outside of Europe.

Maas, speaking at his earlier press conference with Pompeo Friday morning, said the two countries are currently going in different ways" on Iran. The German foreign minister added that the US and Germany "ultimately have the same goals," which include Iran not acquiring nuclear weapons.

Germany is keen to mediate in the Middle East as tensions between Iran and the US ratchet up. The US recently sent a carrier strike group and will deploy about 1,500 troops to the region. Berlin sent an envoy to Iran last week in an attempt to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which Trump pulled out of in May 2018.

Iran told envoy Jens Plotner that it had run out of patience with the US, and said that France, Germany, and the UK should still honour their commitment to the deal by trading with the country, according to Reuters.

Pompeo and Maas also tackled the thorny topic of Huawei. The US has been pressuring allies to ban equipment from the Chinese company from their telecoms networks over what it says are spying concerns.

Pompeo said in Berlin that Germany would make its own decisions about Huawei, but warned that the US may withhold national security data if it lacked confidence in the security of German networks.

Trump will also tell the UK during his upcoming visit that Washington may refuse to share intel if Huawei is not banned from its 5G networks, according to a Financial Times report.

Story continues

Germany said in April that the Chinese tech giant would be allowed to compete in the auction to build its 5G technology network. Jochen Homann from Germanys Federal Network Agency told the Financial Times that no equipment supplier, including Huawei, should or may be specifically excluded.

Germanys NATO spending  Trumps ongoing gripe with Berlin  will also be discussed on Friday. Before leaving on the trip, Pompeo told journalists that the president is not satisfied with Germanys financial contributions to NATO, something that has been a bone of contention between the two countries since Trump took office.

Theyre an important, big economy inside of the EU, and we need them fully engaged and devoting adequate resources to the protection of Europe, Pompeo said.

While Merkel avoided mentioning the US president by name during her Harvard University commencement speech on Thursday, her address was regarded as an outspoken criticism of Trumps policies and world view. She urged students to stand up against protectionism and nationalism, tear down walls of ignorance, and to never describe lies as truth and truth as lies.
Arsenal fans wearing Henrikh Mkhitaryan shirts have been filmed being stopped by Azerbaijan police in Baku ahead of the Europa League final.

Supporters have also been subject to spot checks by the country's security forces to ensure they do not have the name of the Armenian forward on their tops.

Azerbaijan's regime claims fans have been stopped for their own safety.

The police force in the Azerbaijani capital have been criticised for their treatment of some supporters in the build-up to Arsenal's Europa League final against Chelsea tonight.

Mkhitaryan chose not to travel to Baku for personal reasons because of the unresolved dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, which has previously descended into war claiming tens of thousands of lives.

Tensions remain high between Azerbaijan, in which the landlocked mountainous region lies, and its ethnic Armenian majority, backed by neighbouring Armenia.

Despite a Russian-brokered ceasefire being signed in 1994, there have been a number of serious violations leading to deadly violence in recent years.

Arsenal manager Unai Emery said he respected Mkhitaryan's decision not to travel to Baku.

Relatively few English fans have travelled to Azerbaijan for the final because of high travel costs, and neither Arsenal nor Chelsea sold out their allocations of 6,000 tickets each.

However, many fans of both clubs have flown in from Russia and South East Asia, and both Arsenal and Chelsea have local supporters in Azerbaijan.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said the organisation will not reconsider Baku as a host for next year's Euro 2020, despite the problems faced by fans in travelling to the Europa League final.

Baku is one of 12 host cities for next year's international tournament, and will feature four games including a quarterfinal.

Chelsea fans were left waiting for their flights at Luton Airport this morning after two planes had fuel-supply problems.

Story continues

One supporter wrote on Twitter: "@ChelseaFC please sort this shambles of a trip to Baku out.

"I know Thomas Cook may be skint but no fuel for the plane? Really?"

Another supporter posted an image of a plane on the runway and wrote: "Baku bound - when the charter plane sources some fuel... already 1.5 hours delayed.

"Time on this day trip is at a premium!"

Thomas Cook Sport has said the planes left after two hours and the fans will make it to Baku in time for kick-off.

The company added in a statement: "More than a thousand Chelsea and Arsenal fans are on their way to Baku with Thomas Cook Sport to watch the Europa League Final.

"Two flights from Luton departed nearly two hours later than scheduled due to a delay in getting fuel to the aircraft and air traffic control congestion.

"Supporters will arrive in time to soak up the atmosphere and head to the stadium."
Despite promises of jobs and economic prosperity, a member of one of Nova Scotia's most prominent business families and a major land conservation donor is adamantly opposed to a proposed open pit mine in Guysborough County.

Atlantic Gold is hoping to dig the mine near the St. Mary's River, north of Sherbrooke. The Nova Scotia Nature Trust owns 600 hectares of land in the area, part of which  93 hectares  was donated by Paul and Marsha Sobey, and David and Faye Sobey.

If the Cochrane Hill Gold Mine goes ahead, the company plans to build a paved road over part of one parcel of the Nature Trust's land  and none of that sits well with Paul Sobey.

"It'll definitely, in my opinion, destroy one of the most pristine areas in our province," he said, citing concerns about the impact of blasting and contamination on the land and river system.

"It will impact all the Eastern Shore all the way up to Sheet Harbour. And it's mind boggling."

Scott Leslie

Sobey, who retired as president and CEO of Empire Co. in 2013, says he doesn't believe Atlantic Gold will have enough economic impact in the area to justify the open pit mine.

Atlantic Gold spokesman Dustin O'Leary says the company's Moose River Mine employs over 280 Nova Scotians and another 200 indirect jobs have been created as a result of the operation.

He said the Cochrane Hill mine will provide local residents and the community "with hundreds of high-paying skilled and unskilled jobs."

CBC

The company said in a statement it can build the road and install the mine without causing damage to the surrounding area.

"Atlantic Gold recognizes that the St. Mary's River watershed is an ecologically significant area. The protection of the river is top-of-mind for Atlantic Gold. We have retained world class scientists and engineers to conduct studies on valued components of the ecosystem in and around Cochrane Hill," reads the statement.

Story continues

"Atlantic Gold can point to its Touquoy Mine, which has been successfully operating in an environmentally sensitive area near Middle Musquodoboit since 2017 and has an excellent record regarding environmental protection."

Submitted by Nova Scotia Nature Trust

Bonnie Sutherland, executive director of the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, said there's a lot at stake, calling the St. Mary's River an "ecologically significant place."

"There's sort of a whole range of of exciting biodiversity features that are all found on the St. Mary's River and so what some of these protected areas provide are some of the last old-growth forests in Nova Scotia and some of the very last intact Acadian floodplain forests in Nova Scotia," she said.

Submitted by Nova Scotia Nature Trust

"And together they protect habitat for some of Canada's most endangered species: endangered wood turtles and a whole range of bird species that are at risk of extinction, and Atlantic salmon. "

She said the proposed mine directly impacts the nature trust property, as does the proposed road.

"[That] means chopping down trees and paving the nature trust-protected lands."

MORE TOP STORIES
Hundreds of copies of a North Carolina high schools yearbook will be reprinted after a student noticed a photo of the Confederate flag on the cover and alerted school administration.

The 2018-2019 yearbook at Thomasville High School had a theme  A Blast to the Past  and used archived photos from the Thomasville, N.C., school dating back to the early 1900s.

A photo from the class of 1968 with the words Go Dogs, featuring a Confederate flag in the background, was one of the photos printed on the yearbook cover.

In a Facebook Live video published on Wednesday, Thomasville High School student body president JacQuez Johnson said that he was one of the select few to receive the yearbook early. He didnt notice the Confederate flag at first, but when he did, he let school administration know on Tuesday. In response, they recalled the few books that had been handed out to students and decided to reprint the others.

Johnson clarified that the photo was simply something that was overlooked and was not intended to hurt or offend anyone.

I truly believe that this was an honest mistake and we shouldnt let this take away from all the hard work my fellow peers put into making our yearbook spectacular, Johnson said in a statement provided to Yahoo Lifestyle. We should see this as a learning opportunity to have an open discussion about our history and ways that we can move forward together as a community.

In the video, Johnson urged the public to accept that the photo was nothing more than an error that is being dealt with.

Lets not create a narrative thats not true, he said. The Confederate flag has no place inside our community and has no place inside of our school, and we understand that and we recognize that.

Celia Hooper, who was the yearbook editor at Thomasville High School in 1969 posted a comment on Johnsons Facebook video, expressing her shock when she heard about the image but making it clear that she sees the reactions as progress and positive change.

Story continues

We were products of our time and we have changed. The class of 1969 went through school desegregation very successfully, her comment read.

I wish a yearbook advisor or yearbook staff member had caught the mistake before such an expense, but I understand the reasoning behind reprinting, Hooper added in a statement provided to Yahoo Lifestyle. I think this could be an opportunity to have a conversation about what this picture means to students and society at large, not unlike the conversations we are having on our college campuses around confederate soldier monuments.

In a statement provided to Yahoo Lifestyle, Thomasville City School officials apologize for such an egregious error and vow to have a system in place to prevent such mistakes from happening again.

Thomasville City Schools Superintendent, Dr. Catherine Gentry told FOX8 that the image is hurtful and harmful and it's not representative of the community we are trying to build in schools.

"Regardless of your feelings or affiliations, there is a place for things. School is not the place for some things," she told the news outlet. "We need to make sure our students and our teachers are educated about cultural sensitivities around that symbol."

Thomasville High School will reprint the yearbooks, at no additional cost to students and will distribute the new books before the school year ends on Friday, according to FOX8.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
The bodyguard for the president of Malawi has turned heads due to his extreme gear. (GETTY)

A bodyguard at the swearing in ceremony for President Peter Mutharika of Malawi has been described as the worlds scariest due to his heavy body armour.

When the president was sworn in for his five-year term on Monday, May 27, the security man was on guard and prepared for anything with his spiked helmet, gas mask, assault rifle and shoulder pads.

The military officer, identified as Sub Inspector Ndenguma, also wore his battle camouflage, two pairs of sunglasses and four torches strapped to his spiked headgear.

The bodyguard was at the swearing-in ceremony for the president this week. (GETTY)

The president won re-election in Malawi with 38% of the votes last week.

The 78-year-old Mutharika began his acceptance speech by declaring I am not dead!  a nod to rumours of his death that swirled ahead of the vote.

He added that it is time to move on and develop the country.

The election was the closest ever in Malawi and ended up in court after the opposition claimed there had been voting manipulation.

Malawi Congress Partys Lazarus Chakwera came second with 1.8 million votes, representing 35.41%.

Read More on Yahoo News

Malawi president wins new term in closely-contested election

Malawi's Mutharika re-elected to 2nd term in tight race

Malawi has been independent since 1964. This was the sixth presidential election held since single-party rule ended in 1994.

Malawi is one of the least developed and most impoverished countries in the world and nearly 53 percent of its 15 million inhabitants live below the poverty line.
30 May Catch Up

What happened?

Donald Trump heaped praise on Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson today, telling reporters in the US he might meet the two men during his state visit to the UK next week. The President said: "Nigel Farage is a friend of mine, Boris is a friend of mine. They are two very good guys, very interesting people. Nigel has picked up 32% of the vote starting from nothing and I think they are big powers over there, they have done a good job. Mr Trump arrives in the UK on Monday 3 June for a three-day visit..

Why is the controversial?

Mr Trump's encouraging words for two of Theresa May's fiercest rivals ahead of his visit risk considerable embarrassment for the Government. The decision to meet the two figures - particularly Mr Farage - would be read as an indication of support for an outspoken critic of the current PM. The President has previously criticised Mrs May's handling of Brexit and spoken out in favour of Mr Johnson.

In an awkward moment during his 2018 visit to the UK, Mr Trump praised the former foreign secretary while standing beside a stoney-faced Mrs May, saying he would make a good Prime Minister. The President insisted today he was not 'supporting' the Farage or Johnson, but an off-script meeting with either would be interpreted as a slight. Mr Farage and Trump have been long term allies and the former UKIP leader visited him in New York following the presidential elections of 2016.

The President's official timetable for his state visit includes talks with Theresa May and business leaders, and the visit is viewed as an opportunity to butter up the US ahead of Brexit.

Read more:

Donald Trump could meet 'good guys' Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson during UK trip (Sky News)

Boris Johnson labelled a 'preacher of division' (The Independent)

Donald Trump's state visit used as 'weapon to keep the US on side after Brexit'(Yahoo News UK)

Jeremy Corbyn has moved closer to backing a second referendum, saying it is the only way out of the Brexit crisis. He added that going "back to the people" was now the only option when faced with the prospect of a no-deal Brexit and an incoming Tory prime minister "with no mandate. How would you feel about a second referendum? Read the full story and have your say below:

Story continues

Hopes fade for missing tourists after Budapest river boat disaster

The chances of finding more survivors from a river boat disaster in the Hungarian capital Budapest were fading late on Thursday as rescue workers searched for 21 South Korean tourists who are still missing. Seven people, also South Korean, have already been confirmed dead after the accident which occurred on Wednesday night when the Mermaid, a sightseeing boat which can hold up to 60 people, was struck from behind by a larger cruise ship and capsized almost instantly. South Koreas foreign minister is expected in Hungary today, arriving with a team of divers who will join local search efforts. Read the full story (Sky News)

Six-year-old hospitalised after falling from rollercoaster

A six-year-old boy was airlifted from a theme park in North Yorkshire on Thursday after he reportedly fell from a rollercoaster. An eyewitness said that he saw a child fall face down from the Twister rollercoaster. The incident took place at Lightwater Valley around midday. Other witnesses said that people screamed at the operator of the ride to get them to stop it. Mark Charnley, 46, said the boy was hanging out of the ride before falling 12 or 15ft to the ground. He was hanging outside of the actual carriage  two seconds after that he fell out of the carriage to the floor, he told Sky News. The child was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where his injuries were not considered to be life-threatening. Read the full story (The Guardian)

Disneyland has offered a first glimpse of its newest attraction, the Star Wars: Galaxys Edge theme park in Orlando, Florida. The park features a lifesize replica of the Millenium Falcon and an opportunity to building your own lightsaber.

7,500

Graduates will have to repay their student loans over 40 years under plans for university funding reforms. A report commissioned by Theresa May to look at high student debt also proposed capping tuition fees and restoring maintenance grants to poorer university students. An independent panel led by Philip Augar suggested that the tuition fee cap should be cut from 9,250 a year. (PA News) (The Guardian)
Brenda Alvarez-Lagunas holds a basket of strawberries up as she gives her Valedictorian speech. (Credit: Mulberry High School)

A students valedictorian speech is going viral for honoring her immigrant parents with a sentimental prop.

Dressed in a blue and white cap and gown adorned with cords, sashes and medals signifying her myriad accomplishments, Mulberry High Schools Brenda Alvarez-Lagunas approached the podium with a basket of strawberries.

These are not ordinary strawberries, theyre jewels, the Florida teen said as she picked up pieces of fruit. This one represents sweat, this one represents dirt ... Oh, and these are aches and pains. In other words, they are my motivators.

Alvarez-Lagunass parents immigrated from Mexico and settled down in Florida. With only a fourth-grade education, they supported Brenda and her three siblings by picking strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers and sweet potatoes in the Southern heat that would leave them glazed in sweat, and their clothes dripping wet as if it had just rained on them. When her father was deported when she was in the seventh grade, her mother served as the sole provider.

Despite the beaming sun, and the body aches and pains, their smiles shone with every bucket of produce they carried, she said, adding that shed join her parents in the scorching fields to pick crops after school and on the weekends. And yes, my motivation has been rooted in my migrant culture.

Its because of this that she chose to focus on exactly that in her address.

A lot of students used to be ashamed of their upbringing but today, we are proud of what makes us, us. I wanted to acknowledge [my parents] hard work that cultivated our mind and shaped us into driven individuals, Alvarez-Lagunas tells Yahoo Lifestyle. We were given the will to succeed and today, students recognize the importance of their story.

Watching my parents working under the sun from morning to dusk ignited a passion within me,Alvarez-Lagunas tells Yahoo Lifestyle. I was going to succeed because it hurt to watch my parents work in such hard labor every single day. I was and am going to succeed because my parents sacrificed so much for my education.

Story continues

Because of her efforts, shes now a QuestBridge Scholar matched to Stanford University where she plans to major in bioengineering to pursue a career as a medic or medical researcher.

Alvarez-Lagunas raw and emotional story moved many in the crowd to tears. Mulberry High School Principal Michael Young, who was formally Alvarez-Lagunas middle school principal as well, was one audience member getting emotional.

Her speech were very powerful she really painted a good picture of the physical sacrifice her parents made, Young tells Yahoo Lifestyle. As a principal, when you have such a leader as she was, that does influence other students to aspire and do better also shes really left that kind of legacy for us.

But from the messages of support that Alvarez-Lagunashas received online after watching her speech, her legacy has reached much further than Mulberry High School.

Alvarez-Lagunas says she dedicated her speech to students like her with uphill battles. I wanted them to realize that their success has so much sacrifice and meaning behind it. Graduating high school isnt a standard for us, its an accomplishment, a big one, Alvarez-Lagunas says, adding that she plans to advocate for migrant communities, farmworker families, education equity and low-income families in the future. I hope to have inspired students who come from similar backgrounds and hope they know that my speech was about us, not me.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

 High school graduate reunites with deported dad at U.S.-Mexico border in emotional video

 High school holds early graduation, prom for teen diagnosed with cancer: Were gonna give her everything that we can

 Senior prank could prevent approximately 140 Florida students from walking at graduation

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
A Delaware woman was expecting her most recent vacation to be filled with relaxation and fun, but it soon turned into a nightmare when she was brutally attacked and left to die in the resorts basement.

Months after the traumatic incident, Tammy Lawrence-Daley finally feels comfortable to share her story and come to terms with what happened during her trip to the Dominican Republic.

I had to take some time to heal before I could put it out there, Lawrence-Daley, 51, tells PEOPLE. Im in a place in my healing that I felt strong enough to be able to share it without breaking down and without worrying [about] what others are going to judge me.

Im at the point where I feel strong enough that I want to get this information out there because women need to understand they cant walk around by themselves, she adds. I hate to say that, but its the truth. What I went through, I would never wish on anyone.

As well as speaking to PEOPLE, Lawrence-Daley also told her story to friends in a powerful Facebook post she shared Wednesday entitled My Story.

How do you explain to your kids you were almost killed by some random stranger and that Mommy is coming home, but I dont look like myself? How do you look into your parents eyes as they gaze upon your battered face telling them, Im okay, Ill be okay. Seeing friends break down in tears as they look at you. Everyone asking, why?, how? You tell them a story. You recount every detail very matter of fact so that you dont break down, that you stay strong so they dont see how you are crumbling inside with fear, disappointment, and weakness.

Tammy Lawrence

RELATED: New York Attorney Murdered While on Girls Trip at Club Med in Turks and Caicos

Lawrence-Daleys story began back in January when she went on vacation with her husband and their best friends Diane and James Doering.

Story continues

The couples, who had arrived on a Monday, were staying at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana called Majestic Elegance and looked forward to their week-long trip of sunshine and beach-time.

On the second day of their vacation, the friends spent the day at the beach before meeting up later on for a theater show and dancing. Around 10:30 p.m., Lawrence-Daley said they headed back to their rooms but she started to get hungry.

After attempting to get room service and learning that the resort was allegedly no longer delivering food, Lawrence-Daley said she decided to go downstairs to their resorts lounge and grab a snack. I told my husband Id be back in 5 minutes, she wrote.

As it would turn out, Lawrence-Daley never returned. Instead, the mom of two, who had gone to the beach-side lounge in the building over, was suddenly attacked while walking back to her room alone in the rotunda between buildings.

Thats when I heard it. Heavy footsteps one, two, three, four, then they sped up, and then before I could react I was plowed into from behind and immediately immobilized, she continued. His arms wrapped around me and he started pulling me immediately into an unlocked maintenance room.

WARNING: Photo below may be distressing to some readers.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley after the attack | Tammy Lawrence

RELATED: Natalee Holloway Vanishes, Newlyweds Slain on Honeymoon and Other Notorious Vacation Nightmares

According to Lawrence-Daley, she was then dragged down concrete stairs, around a corner, and into the crawlspace of an underground piped area filled with 2 to 4 inches of wastewater  an area Daley referred to as a hole  where she lay in horrific pain for the next eight hours.

I call it a hole because thats what it felt like when I was in it, she explains to PEOPLE. I couldnt go anywhere. I couldnt stand up and I couldnt find my way out I had no clue where I was. All I knew was I was in this hole basically buried alive.

It was in this hole that the attacker, who she says was wearing a resort uniform, strangled her multiple times, kicked her in the head, and beat her with a club.

It is possible he also sexually assaulted due to damage down there, but she is not entirely sure, as the beating was so vicious her eyes were swollen shut and she was going in and out of consciousness from a concussion. An external rape kit was administered days after the incident which was too late to determine anything definitively.

I couldnt sit up without dry heaves because my face was battered so badly, Lawrence-Daley recalls. When I finally could sit up, all I could think of was, Im never going to get out of here, Im going to die here, they will never find me.'

Her husband and friends, meanwhile, spent the evening searching for Lawrence-Daley. The resort staff allegedly insisted to them that Lawrence-Daley was just drunk and likely passed out somewhere  something that her husband knew was uncharacteristic of his wife.

RELATED: Georgia Woman on Vacation in Grenada Killed on Beach by Sword-Wielding Man

At some point in time, Lawrence-Daley says a calmness eventually came over her and her survival instincts began to kick in. Despite not being able to see from her swollen eyes and fearing she may drown, Lawrence-Daley attempted to use her other senses to escape.

I thought, Im gonna get out of here. I just have to figure out how,' she says, noting that the attacker left everything on her, including her bag with her phone, but she was unable to successfully use Siri to call someone because there was no service.

There was a point I sat there picking up stones seeing if I could hit something metal like a door, trying to gauge how big the space was [or] if there was a door somewhere nearby I could get out of, she recalls.

Its a crazy thing when youre in that mindset. Its the survival mechanism kicks in and says, Im not going down without a fight,' Lawrence-Daley adds.

WARNING: Photo below may be distressing to some readers.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley | Tammy Lawrence

 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.

Lawrence-Daley was finally discovered early the next morning, nearly eight hours later, when she heard voices on the floor above her and began to desperately call for help.

After several people arrived to help her, the mom of two was transported to a local medical clinic, where she spent five days being treated for her injuries, which included the inside of her mouth being ripped apart, a broken nose, a fractured hand, and a partial loss of hearing in her left ear.

Though most of her injuries were internal and depend on the scar tissue healing with time, Lawrence-Daley says theres one thing shes particularly upset about.

I always said the one thing I loved about myself was my smile, she shares. I always have a smile for everybody, I love my sense of humor and thats the one thing that guy stole from me. He stole my smile and that just kills me.

In the time since that day, Lawrence-Daley says she has slowly returned to work as a finance manager (she works 2-3 days in the office and the rest from home) but has a daily hypervigilance when it comes to anyone approaching her.

I do have issues today reacting to men and them coming at me, even in a friendly manner My head is on a swivel. Im looking out the corner of my eye, Im turning around, Lawrence-Daley tells PEOPLE. I cant walk down corridors without having panic attacks.

The anxiety has proven so debilitating that Lawrence-Daley now has a personal office at work so she never has her back to anyone and can see everyone who walks toward her.

RELATED VIDEO: Four Female U.S. Tourists Attacked With Acid In France

The mom of two also says she has been pressing the matter with local police and Majestic Elegance resort in hopes they will continue their investigation.

However, due to lack of evidence, the different crime procedures in the Dominican Republic, and the fact she may have to return to the Carribean country to testify  something she does not want to do  Lawrence-Daley has been told nothing will likely come of it.

One lawyer told us the only choice you have is to go home and forget about it, she explains. Thats not something that you want to hear This isnt how it should happen.

Everybody has told us, it doesnt matter, theyre corrupt. The evidence will get lost, youre not going to win anything, she adds. [I feel] anger. Why cant they do this? Why dont they have the proper things to find fingerprints or to find the person who did this?

According to her Facebook post, Majestic Elegance claims no responsibility for the attack since I couldnt identify the attacker (even though he was wearing a uniform WITH the resort logo and hit me directly in front of the unlocked maintenance room and dragged me down concrete stairs to a basement so that no one could hear or find me.)

Representatives at Majestic Elegance Resort and the Dominican Republic Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

Still, Lawrence-Daley hopes that by sharing this story, it will encourage both men and women to keep their guard up while walking alone.

This man thought he killed me, but he failed. He is still out there, a predator, waiting for his next victim, she said in her post.

She also stresses the importance of not blaming oneself for such an awful incident, though she struggles with this at times.

I internalize this. This is my fault, I got myself into this situation,' she tells PEOPLE. I feel horrendous that I put my husband and my friends through this situation. Their lives are changed forever, as well as mine.

Because I internalize everything and blame myself for the situation, I want to make sure that others who have gone through similar situations dont blame themselves, Lawrence-Daley adds. That they realize that we didnt ask for this, we didnt cause this. This was somebody else deciding to do this and we have to find ourselves blameless in this whole situation.
The Polytechnic Summit is returning to its roots 10 years after it began at University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Scheduled Monday through Wednesday, June 3-5, the summit will host more than 100 academic and business leaders. The academic attendees represent 16 polytechnic universities, including from six foreign countries.

The summit was founded in 2009 by the late Chancellor Charles W. Sorensen, two years after UW-Stout was designated as Wisconsins Polytechnic University. UW-Stout also hosted the summit in 2010. Since then, universities in Georgia, Massachusetts, Indiana and Peru have held the event.

The goal of the summit is for polytechnic schools to discuss the latest applied research and trends pertinent to polytechnic education and to explore opportunities to collaborate, partner and share best practices.

Polytechnic universities combine a liberal arts education with applied learning. About 3% of universities in the U.S. are polytechnic.

Glendali Rodriguez, associate provost, and Tiffani Taggart, Outreach program manager with UW-Stouts Professional Education Programs and Services, are the summit coordinators.

Emeritus Chancellor Sorensen had the foresight to start this forum 10 years ago, and its exciting that participation has grown to represent 10 domestic and six international institutional partners, Rodriguez said.

Countries with universities represented will be Germany, Ireland, Nigeria, Russia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

U.S. universities with attendees include Cal Poly, Clemson, Florida Polytechnic, Kansas State Polytechnic, Oregon Institute of Technology, Purdue, Minnesota State-Mankato and Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Business representatives from 3M, Great Northern and Prent also will be attending, along with the Menomonie school district.

The diversity of participants is echoed by the range of topics that will be discussed and shared. Im excited to share best practices regarding topics that are critical to remaining relevant as polytechnics, Rodriguez said.

Those topics include institutional plans toward gender equity; sustainable development goals; and industry and higher education collaborations.

Menomonie and the UW-Stout campus provide a fantastic venue for this event, and I look forward to expanding our partnerships across the globe, Rodriguez said.

The summit kicks off at 6 p.m. June 3 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Student Center with a keynote address by Chancellor Bob Meyer and alumnus Craig Yolitz, vice president of Customer Operations and Account Management for Thomson Reuters  FindLaw of the Twin Cities. They will discuss industry and higher education collaboration. UW-Stout and Thomson Reuters partnered to start a digital marketing technology undergraduate program in 2015.

The keynote speaker June 4 will be Denise Anderson, an associate dean at Clemson University, discussing gender equity.

Keynotes June 5 will feature the 2020 summit hosts from Technological University in Dublin, Ireland; and Steve Hellen, of Catholic Relief Services in Baltimore, discussing using digital technology for humanitarian aid and international development.

A postconference workshop, Design and Fabrication of Functional Parts with a Desktop 3D Printer, will be led by Vladimir Kuznetsov, fab lab director at National University of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia. It will be at UW-Stouts Discovery Center Fab Lab, which recently moved to room 120 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Building.

A research poster showcase by UW-Stout faculty and students will be from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. June 4 outside Harvey Hall Theatre.

In addition to the Memorial Student Center and Harvey Hall, summit events will be held at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts on Main Street.

Along with UW-Stout, the conference is sponsored by the Smart Automation Certification Alliance, of Kentucky, and by Amatrol, an interactive technical learning company from Indiana.

Learn more at the summit website.

First summit

Universities from eight states were represented at the inaugural summit in 2009.

Sorensen opened the forum by calling for polytechnic universities to become the national model for collaborative research. We are different. Polytechnic universities should lead higher education change, said Sorensen, who was chancellor at UW-Stout until 2014 and died in 2018.

Inaugural summit keynote speaker Gerald Jakubowski, former president of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and then provost and vice president of academic affairs of California Maritime Academy, recommended that polytechnic universities cultivate innovation.

This should be the role of polytechnics, Jakubowski said. Innovation can be taught to our undergraduates. This should not be left to the private sector exclusively.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Shareif Ziyadat/Getty ImagesThe Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas reportedly plans to apologize to Meek Mill after barring him over the Memorial Day Weekend, and the Philly rapper will accept their apology.

The hotel will issue a "significant public apology," according to TMZ.

Mills attorney, Joe Tacopina, was planning to file a lawsuit against the hotel for "racial discrimination and defamation, however it appears that he will not sue, pending the apology.

As previously reported, Mill was stopped from entering the hotel to attend a DJ Mustard concert on May 25 and threatened with arrest. He posted a video of his confrontation with security and commented, Some of these casinos have a bunch of tactics to keep the level of blacks down but love to take our money!!!!

Meek continued, This happens to a lot of black entertainers not just me either!! I felt crazy being put out by these white men for no reason!

50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Swae Lee and Yo Gotti are among the rappers who have offered support to Mill.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Years ago  were talking decades here  there were studies that supposedly showed Type A personalities were more likely to have heart disease. The studies singled out people who were outgoing, ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status-conscious, sensitive, impatient, anxious, proactive and concerned with time management.

Numerous studies have since disproven that hypothesis and, in fact, have shown the opposite to be true. Type A folks are more likely to change their lifestyles and take medications if necessary to stay well. Theyre usually ahead of the pack when it comes to wellness. Nonetheless, this folklore about Type A people is still simmering in the background.

But stress is different. I can remember my mother saying, That person is going to kill themselves because theyre so stressed. New research published in the British Medical Journal just might show that she was right. Too much stress can lead to heart disease.

Lets walk through the study, which took place in Sweden. They have lots of heart disease, so its a good place to research it. In Sweden, a largely government-funded health care system means they have great medical record-keeping. They know how many people have seen a doctor and for what conditions, what has caused people to be hospitalized and who has died from what. Its all in one database.

They analyzed 136,000 records from 1987 to 2013 for people who had diagnoses characterized as stressful events. Thats stress with a capital S  things such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress reactions and adjustment disorders, death of a loved one, natural disasters, rape, physical violence  a whole list of things we would all agree are very stressful.

Then they compared these health records to those of the patients siblings, if they had any, and to a million age-matched Swedes who did not go to see their doctor for stress-related issues.

What they found was monumental. After controlling for weight, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and a whole list of other things, big-time stress popped out as a major risk factor for a heart attack, heart failure and cardiac arrest within a one-year period following the stressful event.

The question at hand is: What shall we do about this? Having data is fine, but if we dont do something about it, then its worthless.

If you know someone who has just gone through a traumatic event, talk to them. Friendship always helps. Knowing someone has your back can offer comfort. Giving feedback and advice can be so very important.

Counseling, anti-depressants and similar medications can make a huge difference in recovery if youve recently been through an event. Just recognizing you have something to recover from can help you move on so you dont push that stress inside to your heart.

And finally, consider mindfulness meditation. Its becoming more and more available through classes, apps and other web-based methods that can teach you how to calm your mind.

My spin: The mind-body connection has always been there. Recognizing it and taking preemptive action for someone whos had stress might mean the difference between life and death. Stay well.

This column provides general health information. Always consult your personal health care provider about concerns. No ongoing relationship of any sort is implied or offered by Dr. Paster to people submitting questions. Any opinions expressed by Dr. Paster in his columns are personal and are not meant to represent or reflect the views of SSM Health.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The 11-year-old girl accused of stomping on the head of six-month-old Jaxon Hunter on Oct. 30, causing his death two days later, appeared in Chippewa County Court on Thursday, where attorneys discussed if the girl understands the meaning of a preliminary hearing and how that affects the future of the case.

Defense attorney Laurie Osberg explained that she believes a preliminary hearing needs to be waived for the case to move forward. A preliminary hearing is where a judge reviews the charges and determines if a crime has been committed and the defendant is the likely person who committed the crime.

We believe this case will eventually return to juvenile court, Osberg told Dunn County Judge James Peterson. In chambers, we were wondering if someone is competent enough to waive a preliminary hearing, but not competent enough to stand trial.

Osberg added: We think the law has enough flexibility.

The girl was given a mental evaluation earlier this month. The psychologist determined the girl is still not competent to proceed on a homicide charge at this time, but she is expected to be competent by next March, said prosecuting attorney Richard Dufour.

Dufour objected to the idea of allowing the girl to waive the preliminary hearing.

Our position is you can be either competent or incompetent, Dufour said after the hearing. You cant be somewhat competent.

A competency hearing slated for July 3 will be the next court date in the matter.

The girl was brought over from Winnebago Mental Health Institute, located in Oshkosh, for the hearing. She sat quietly, dressed in a grey sweatshirt and bluejeans.

Osberg said the girl should be moved closer to home. She is currently in a female-only adult unit.

They are not equipped to provide her with all the services she needs, Osberg said. She is getting some schooling, but shes not getting therapy or counseling. The adult court cant serve her.

Osberg said she is still hopeful that Peterson will order the case into juvenile court. So far, Peterson has allowed the murder charge to be heard in adult court.

He hasnt said it will stay in adult court, Osberg said.

Because the girl is considered incompetent at this time, the homicide case has been suspended indefinitely. She will continue to be reviewed quarterly to see if she becomes competent.

Jaxon was born April 6. He was at a daycare, which also serves as a foster home, in the town of Tilden on Oct. 30 when the 10-year-old girl  who lived there as a foster child  was alone inside the house while everyone else was playing outside. The girl told authorities she panicked after dropping the baby, and then she stomped on his head when he began to cry.

Jaxon was transferred to a hospital in Minnesota, where he died Nov. 1  two days after the attack.

The girl appeared in Chippewa Countys adult court Nov. 5 on a charge of first-degree intentional homicide by someone age 10 or older. She was ordered to be held on a $50,000 cash bond and be placed in a secure detention center.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 0
A New Auburn man was convicted Wednesday of sexually assaulting a woman at her home in Chippewa Falls in May 2017.

Douglas J. Lewis, 35, 17055 290th Ave., pleaded no contest to fourth-degree sexual assault, criminal damage to property and criminal trespass to a dwell.

According to the criminal complaint, a 29-year-old woman said that Lewis sexually assaulted her on May 12, 2017, at a home in Chippewa Falls. She said Lewis forced her to have sexual intercourse with him against her will.

Lewis was released from jail with an order to avoid alcohol and have no contact with the victim.

Judge James Isaacson ordered a pre-sentence investigation, and he set sentencing for Sept. 13.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A history-laden Chippewa Falls destination is now under new ownership and is reshaping the property for the better.

The Pine Harbor Campground has been a destination for travelers coming through the Chippewa Valley for many years. The location includes 45 camping sites, 20 of which are seasonal, 16 suitable for RVS and nine available for tents without water or electric. Thursday afternoon a ribbon cutting was held at the location to celebrate the two new co-owners, Brett and Suman Bullock.

Brett Bullock said he and his family (including their 6-week-old newborn daughter) are happy to be starting this new business adventure in the Chippewa Valley.

We are very excited to be a part of a community like Chippewa Falls thats growing and reinvesting in the future, Bullock said. Were glad to be a part of it and hope locals and the community will come and be a part of this place.

Bullock said the plan for Pine Harbor Campground is to help bolster the positive aspects of the existing campground in addition to making it a multi-use venue.

Planned improvements to the grounds  other than the already updated on-site store  include adding cabins, adding as many seasonal sites as theyre permitted and relocating some of the tent sites to a soon-to-be-cleared wooded area. As for the event space, Bullock said the plan is to host weddings, parties, private events, food trucks and more to help bring the location to its fullest potential.

This upcoming construction on a playground is set to commence on the grounds, which Bullock said is one of the few additions to the property the new ownership is making in order to make the location a fun experience for the entire family.

We want to involve the community as much as possible, Bullock said. We want to be family-friendly. We get a lot of older guests here and not too many kids. We are building a playground and some other features to help make the campground appealing to as many people and families as possible.

Brett and Suman Bullocks venture together into the business began when they met in Colorado. Brett was working in event operations and Suman was working in event sales when they originally met. Flash forward years later and the two made their way to Wisconsin to be closer to family and find a location where they could continue on their dream of running a campground/event space. After spending some time in Madison, the two found Pine Harbor Campground and the future of the site holds many possibilities for the couple.

Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Ben Lane said it is a pleasure to have the new owners operating the location and looks forward to seeing where they take the campground.

We want to thank them for investing in this location and continuing with the campground, Lane said. We appreciate everything they are doing out here, and for tourism in Chippewa County, so we want to wish them good luck and success with their investment.

There is an open house scheduled for Pine Harbor Campground on Saturday, June 15. Members of the community are invited to join the Bullocks as they show what the new Pine Harbor Campground is  and will be  capable of.

For more information on Pine Harbor Campground and the upcoming open house, you can visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PineHarborCampground.

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 Legislature ended Friday  adjourned sine die  on day 84 of the 90-day session.

And while senators are usually eager to end the long session and get back to their districts, nine of them said: Heck, no, we don't want to go. Most of those were rural and conservative senators, but not all.

Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, who asked for a roll call vote on sine die, said the Legislature hadn't accomplished what it needed to accomplish, especially cutting spending and giving property tax relief.

"I don't think our work was complete and I thought we should have used the last six days to do what we should have done earlier," Erdman said.

The Legislature did not meet as originally scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday and adjourned ahead of next week's four scheduled dates.

On the last day of this session, senators and observers had similar messages about how the Legislature had functioned, or not functioned, as a whole. Most mentioned distrust and missed opportunities.

"There were no winners, and there will be no sportsmanship awards," said longtime lobbyist and legislative observer Walt Radcliffe. "It's a very divided and Balkanized body."

The only issue of statewide consequence that passed was the budget, Radcliffe said.

Speaker Jim Scheer highlighted a few more bills of consequence in his sine die speech to senators.

"It was certainly an ambitious session, to say the least," Scheer said.

Senators introduced 739 bills, passing 294 into law. But several major issues, the biggest being tax incentives and significant property tax cuts, were left to hope for a brighter day in the 2020 session.

And for the third session in a row, Scheer said, budget uncertainties clouded the state's economic picture.

Still, the next two years will see $550 million go to property tax cuts through the Property Tax Credit Fund, and more than $2 billion will go to K-12 education. The budget also set aside funding for Medicaid expansion, and senators increased Medicaid provider rates that had been held flat in recent years.

Scheer acknowledged the session was not all "blue skies."

"This body has been at loggerheads our fair share of times," he said.

Senators can disagree philosophically, but what should not happen are personal attacks and vilification, he said. "That is what creates distrust."

He suggested senators get to know each other better over the interim and build real relationships that will hold up next session.

Of the bills that passed, Gov. Pete Ricketts vetoed three: LB472 to allow Gage County to create a sales tax to help pay the Beatrice 6 judgment without a vote of the people; LB492 to give property tax authority to the Omaha-area Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority; and LB533 that changed language on marriage applications and documents.

Senators voted to override the Gage County and metropolitan transit bills, while the override motion on LB533 was withdrawn.

LB533 sponsor Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh said her bill was an appropriate cleanup mechanism to bring state law into compliance with the legal rights of same-sex couples.

Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt wanted a vote on the override.

"What I got out of the governor's ... veto letter, was that Nebraska is legally obligated to tolerate same-sex couples, but we're going to make life as hard and as unwelcoming as possible for those people while they're here in this state, because that's what we believe in this state," Hunt said.

This session, she was disappointed in the tension evident in senators' relationships and their mistrust of each other, she said.

"I think there were a lot of common sense simple policies that should have been easy for us to pass but were made difficult for political reasons," she said. "When we do that, I don't think we're representing people well."

Lincoln Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks said a number of senators took positions this session that demanded "my way or the highway."

"I would hope that instead of leaner and meaner, we become more kind and compassionate, that we listen to each other more," she said of her hope for the future.

Omaha Sen. Steve Lathrop is serving his ninth year in the Legislature after sitting out four years because of term limits. In his previous terms, he said, senators understood the priorities they needed to address, in addition to the budget.

"And it doesn't feel like those issues are getting done," he said.

There's now a bloc of senators opposed to anything that isn't within their personal priorities.

"And then when their stuff comes up, they have no good will, they have no functioning center to get things done," Lathrop said. "And you leave without having accomplished what it takes to move the state forward, what we need to do to answer the concerns of the people in Nebraska."

There are senators not exercising their own judgment, he said, but rather voting the way someone else has suggested they vote.

Lathrop gave the Legislature a grade of C minus.

Lincoln Sen. Mike Hilgers is in his third year, and said he saw a number of bills passed this session that he cared about, and he was able to deepen relationships.

He'd give the Legislature a grade of "Incomplete." Those bills that weren't passed this year will carry over until next year.

Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart characterizes the session as "opportunities missed," because senators were not working as a team.

"I don't think we've built the level of trust necessary to see progress," Wishart said. "My new favorite quote is 'progress happens at the speed of trust.'"

Senators shouldn't wait until a bill is on the floor to negotiate it. That doesn't work, she said, and leads to bad deals and mistakes. And they can't wait until the last days of the session to address priority issues.

"We are all exhausted. We are spent. Our relationships are strained. And that's when we're going to talk about property taxes?" she asked.

If she was giving out grades, she would give the session a B, she said.

But, she added, "I would have been devastated in school if I had gotten a B. Devastated."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSLegislature.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Sue Mares looked at the large piles of non-perishable food items scattered about the Platte County Food Pantry on Thursday afternoon and felt satisfied.

A group of five to six volunteers was tasked with sorting the different items that will ultimately benefit numerous families and individuals in the upcoming weeks and months. The food varieties were provided through Thursdays Business and Industrial Drive that had approximately 30 area businesses contribute items to the county nonprofit.

Now with that Industrial Drive, there is just a mountain of food that needs organizing, Mares said while working at the food pantry, 3020 18th St. Suite No. 13. And the same thing will happen next Thursday, which is just wonderful.

The Thursday, June 6, event Mares referenced is the 32nd annual 10/11 KOLN/KGIN Can Care-A-Van that makes its way around various Nebraska communities picking up food items and donations and transporting them to local food pantries. This years campaign is set to run from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the parking lot of Pizza Ranch, 2266 33rd Ave. in Columbus.

This is an opportunity for all community members to lend a helping hand to aid those in need living throughout the greater Columbus area, food pantry Director Donna Epley said. Non-perishable food items in high demand are: Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, macaroni & cheese, soups, spaghetti sauce, Jell-O, canned vegetables, cereal, Ramen Noodles, pancake mixes, applesauce, canned pasta, diced tomatoes, dry pasta, canned fruit, tomato sauce, pudding, Saltine crackers, jelly, peanut butter and pancake syrup.

This is the 32nd year of the Can Care-A-Van and there are many towns across Nebraska that participate, Epley said. And consistently, Columbus has led as far as total poundage. Our goal is to raise 50,000 (pounds) this year.

Epley, who took over as food pantry director in October 2018, is no stranger to the role the organization plays in the community. For several months in 2016, Epley served in the same capacity before stepping away for personal reasons.

The director previously served as a pre-school teacher at St. Lukes Rainbow and Immanuel Lutheran preschools. Working as an educator, Epley said she was acutely aware that some families in the area struggled to always put enough food on the table. This is why she said she felt drawn to helping the community through the Platte County Food Pantry.

She said that there's a surge in food pantry use during the holiday season and also during the summer months as kids who were having meals provided by their schools are now home during the day.

Each client is given food according to the size of his or her family, in addition to $10 vouchers for each qualified family member. Each family can receive donations once every 90 days and up to five times during a two-year period. Food is distributed to clients from 10-11:30 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as from 2-4 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday.

One thing I like to share is that all the food is pre-sacked, Epley said. Sometimes people ask questions like, do they come in and shop? No, we pre-sack the food where we think that it is going to give them about two weeks of meals.

Those benefiting from the food pantrys services are also required to provide photo identification, a Social Security card and proof of residency within the past 30 days to ensure they are Platte County residents.

Next Thursday, a handful of the organizations 27 volunteers will be busy throughout the day placing food items in the pantry, much like they were earlier this week. Epley said that the pantry normally looks pretty full, but noted that looks are certainly deceiving at times.

The Can Care-A-Van is one of the  if not the  largest collection undertakings of the year. Its something that speaks volumes about Columbus and Platte County residents because they always come to bat for the food pantry, she said.

Although she knows 50,000 pounds of collected non-perishables is a lofty goal, Epley said she remains optimistic heading into next week.

I dont know if we will meet it, but I sure hope so, Epley said of the goal weight, which also takes into account collected poundage from the Industrial Drive. And I know that Columbus (residents) will do their best to step up. And you know, a community that comes together and cares for each other is just a better community. Its just been proven over and over.

Sam Pimper is the news editor of The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at sam.pimper@lee.net.

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.
Gene Steffy Ford will be hosting the Cars n Heroes Car Show Saturday to benefit Sammys Superheroes.

The show, which is in its second year, will host a wide variety of cars and special events. All proceeds will go to the organization, which raises money for childhood cancer research. The organizers promise plenty of food and fun will be on display, not to mention plenty of good-looking cars.

Its fun for a lot of people, said Milan Levos, a used vehicle manager at Gene Steffy Ford. Its neat to see some of the vehicles. There will be a wide variety of stuff.

A bounce house has been donated and a DJ will blast the latest music while people look and judge the wide-ranging selection of vehicles that will be on display at the event. Vehicles will be judged in seven different categories, including a mayors choice (in which Mayor Jim Bulkley will decide what his top car is) and a Superheroes choice (where area children affected by childhood cancer will make their top choice).

This is a peoples choice, said Ron Luellen, who works in the service department at Gene Steffy Ford. When you sign in, people will take your information and tell you where to park. You get a sheet that says Top 10 and the people that are entered (in) the car show walk in and pick out their top 10 cars.

Luellen got involved with the event this year to assist Sammys Superheroes in its promotion of the event. He takes part in plenty of car shows, displaying his 1965 Mustang in places like Omaha and Iowa.

Ive had my 65 for nine years now, Luellen said. The first year I had it, I did every car show you could think of. Ive met people from as far away as Iowa. They go to Omaha and I go to Omaha and we meet them all over.

The cars will be a big attraction, but the most important aspect of the event is the involvement of Sammys Superheroes. The journey of Sammy Nahorny is one that is well-tread, but one that is always worth revisiting.

At age 4, Sammy was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. His parents, looking for help, decided to form their own foundation to raise money for other children seeking a cure for childhood cancer. Sammy's disease has continued to remain stable, but the foundation continues to make an impact in the community with events like Cars n Heroes.

Were always open to volunteers who want to raise money for childhood cancer research, said Erin Nahorny, Sammys mother and member of Sammys Superheroes board. Its just great to see community members and community business leaders want to get involved and really try to help us make a difference by funding as much research as we can to help these kids.

She is looking forward to seeing all of the cars, enjoying the music and food and helping out with the judging, which will include plenty of car enthusiasts with a vast knowledge of automobiles and those who are just there to have some fun with some nice cars.

Both the mayor and our Superheroes actually have no real idea (about cars), Nahorny said. Jim Bulkley told me the other day that he doesnt know anything about cars and I told him, Well, thats the point of making it fun. There are going to be some people who really know what theyre doing, and some of us who are just looking for the prettiest car on the lot.

Nahorny said that she is grateful for the support of the community, especially places like Gene Steffy Ford, who provided their lot for last years event and will do so again this year. She said she hopes that events like the Cars n Heroes car show bring new awareness to their cause and provide an avenue to eliminate childhood cancer for future generations.

I just want people to realize just how big an issue childhood cancer is in our community and in Nebraska, Nahorny said. Nebraska ranks third nationally in incidents of pediatric cancer and the research is not there to tell us why thats true. We just know its a really big issue here in Nebraska. There are a lot of different ways (that) we have raised awareness. (We feel) with the increased donations will come the increased awareness. Every time we raise a little bit of awareness, the more we will be able to really impact this disease.

Zach Roth is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at zach.roth@lee.net.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



New York, May 31, 2019The Ansar Allah group, known as the Houthis, should immediately release all journalists in its custody and stop its campaign of detentions and intimidation against journalists working in areas under its control, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The Houthis are expected to begin what they have described as trial proceedings in June or July for at least 10 journalists who have been detained for nearly four years, according to Abdullah al-Mansouri, the brother of one of the journalists, and a statement from the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate sent to CPJ by syndicate co-chair Nabil Alosaidi.

Al-Mansouri told CPJ that Houthi guards in the Political Security Prison in Sanaa, Yemens capital, allegedly tortured and mistreated his brother, Tawfiq al-Mansouri, by beating him with sticks, cables, iron bars, rifle butts, and their fists, as well as by forcing him to hold cinder blocks for several hours and preventing him from drinking water for up to a day. Al-Mansouri sent CPJ a document detailing the alleged torture and mistreatment of the other journalists in Houthi detention, which included beatings, verbal abuse, and denial of medical care. CPJ could not independently verify the allegations of torture and mistreatment.

Houthi forces control most of Yemens north and west, as well as Sanaa, and for the past four years have been at war with the internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The Houthis have effectively taken over government institutions in Sanaa formerly run by the internationally recognized authorities, including intelligence agencies and the judiciary.

The Houthis have demonstrated their brutality by holding at least 10 journalists in what by all accounts are deplorable conditions for nearly four years, CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour said in Washington, D.C. Journalists are not combatants and they must not pay the price for Yemens conflict. The Houthis should immediately release all journalists in their custody.

A Houthi-controlled prosecutorial body recently concluded investigations into a case it is bringing against the 10 journalists, and will hold trial proceedings for them after Ramadan concludes in early June, the journalists lawyer, Abdel Majeed Farea Sabra, told CPJ. The journalists are Abdulkhaleq Amran, Hesham Tarmoum, Hareth Hameed, Akram al-Waleedi, Essam Balghaith, Hisham al-Yousifi, Haitham al-Shihab, Hassan Anaab, Tawfiq al-Mansouri, and Salah al-Qaedy. In December 2017, CPJ documented the detention and abuse of all 10 journalists, alongside several others.

Sabra told CPJ that the Houthis accuse the journalists of aiding the coalition against Yemen, referring to the Saudi-led military coalition supporting the internationally recognized government, and spreading news and rumors in aiding them against the Houthis. Sabra told CPJ that part of the reason the Houthis were just now initiating what they describe as a trial is because the Houthi leaders were trying to have them released as part of a prisoner exchange deal with the Yemeni government.

CPJ was not able to verify this claim; however, CPJ has previously reported on journalists detained by the Houthis who were released during prisoner exchanges. Journalists have told CPJ that Houthi authorities consider them to be indistinguishable from armed combatants. Sabra noted that Yemeni law and the constitution require authorities to either release detained suspects or refer them to the judicial system within 24 hours, and told CPJ that he had sent the Houthis a petition demanding the journalists release.

Mohammad Abdulsalam, a spokesman for Ansar Allah, did not immediately respond to CPJs email concerning any upcoming proceedings involving the journalists, reports that they would be released as part of a prisoner exchange, or allegations of torture during their detention.

Abdullah al-Mansouri, the brother of Tawfiq al-Mansouri, told CPJ via messaging app that he has not been allowed to visit his brother for long stretches of time, and that male family members are often barred from visiting the detainees. Other family members are permitted more frequent, albeit brief, visits. Al-Mansouri added that he and the other relatives have not been allowed to visit his brother at all during Ramadan, and that Houthi authorities refused to allow them to deliver food, clothing, or medicine. Al-Mansouri said he fears the journalists will be executed as a result of the proceedings.

In an undated written document detailing the conditions of journalists sent to CPJ, al-Mansouri said that at certain points the Houthis only permit female relatives to visit the detained journalists, and that the visits are always conducted with a Houthi gunman present.

Al-Mansouri wrote in the document that the Houthi captors allowed his brother to make one phone call to the family since he was detained, and that his brother is currently suffering from a heart ailment and shortness of breath. Al-Mansouri also wrote that the nine journalists detained along with his brother in the same cell suffer from ailments including chronic headaches, hearing loss, dizziness, and severe stomach pain as a result of malnutrition and abuse in Houthi custody.

Sabra told CPJ that he has only been able to meet with the journalists twice, in September 2018 and November 2018, and is unable to communicate freely with them. According to Sabra, the Houthis forbid lawyers from being present during interrogations, and since November 2018 he has received news of their ill-treatment from the relatives who are allowed to visit them.

The Houthis have detained additional journalists, according to CPJ reporting. Journalists and media outlets have also suffered from airstrikes, arson attacks, arbitrary detentions, and other press freedom violations by both sides in the Yemeni conflict.
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



EDITORS NOTE: Immediately after publishing this article, CPJ learned that Ali Adan Mumin has been released from jail. The journalist was released on the condition that he could be summoned by police for questioning at any time, according to Somali Journalists Syndicate cofounder Abdalle Ahmed Mumin and Goobjoog Media Director Hassan Mohamud Mohamed.

Nairobi, May 31, 2019  Authorities in Somalia should immediately release broadcast reporter Ali Adan Mumin, who remains detained even though a court ordered his release, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

On May 28, police in Mogadishu arrested Ali, who reports for the TV and radio channels of the privately owned news organization Goobjoog Media Group, and accused him of insulting public officials, disrupting government work, and spreading propaganda, according to Hassan Mohamud Mohamed, the director of Goobjoog Media, who spoke to CPJ by phone, and statements from the nongovernmental legal aid group Somali Journalists Syndicate and the government-recognized National Union of Somali Journalists, a trade organization.

On May 29, a Banadir regional court judge dismissed the police case against Ali and ordered authorities to release him after the conclusion of the countrys national exams, which ended today at noon, Hassan and Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, a Kenya-based journalist and cofounder of the Somali Journalists Syndicate, who has been working on the case, told CPJ via phone.

However, Ali remains in jail as of this evening, according to Abdalle and the journalists syndicate.

It is an injustice that police continue to hold Ali Adan Mumin in prison, in defiance of an order to release him, said CPJs Sub-Saharan Africa representative, Muthoki Mumo. Somalias police should not be above the law, and they should release him immediately.

During the May 29 hearing, police cited several of Alis Facebook posts as the reason for his arrest: officers said that his posts insulted the president, brought the nation into contempt, spread anti-national propaganda, and disrupted the work of a public officer, according to Hassan and statements from the Somali Journalists Syndicate and the National Union of Somali Journalists.

If charged and found guilty, Ali could have faced a prison sentence of one to five years, according to the Somali penal code.

In one of the posts cited by police, which Ali has since deleted, the journalist claimed to possess leaked copies of Somalias national examinations, although he said he would not share them, according to Hassan and a screenshot of the post that CPJ reviewed.

The judge dismissed the allegations but cited that post as justification for Ali to remain in detention until today at noon, when the exams concluded, according to Hassan and a written release order dated May 29, which CPJ reviewed. The order cited judicial discretion relating to security measures against persons considered dangerous to society as the justification to delaying Alis release until the exams conclusion.

The order, which was sent to the Criminal Investigation Department, the department that arrested Ali, also stated that police did not follow proper procedure when arresting Ali, and did not have a warrant for his arrest.

At a press conference this evening, the Somali Journalists Syndicate accused police of having illegally interrogated Ali, and the journalists lawyer, Abdirahman Osman, said that Criminal Investigation Department officers told him they did not recognize the courts order and would only accept an order from the chief of police, according to a series of tweets from the syndicate.

CPJ called Somali Police Commissioner Bashir Abdi Mohamed for comment, but could not reach him, and he did not respond to text messages.

Deputy Police Commissioner Zakia Hussein Ahmed declined to answer questions about the case, saying via text message that she could not comment on an ongoing investigation.
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



Washington, D.C., May 31, 2019Sudans military rulers yesterday ordered the Khartoum bureau of Al-Jazeera to be shut down and banned its staff from working in the country, the Qatari-broadcaster said today. Forces yesterday raided the outlet without providing a reason and confiscated work permits for staff and broadcasting equipment, Hassan Saeed Elmogummer Taha, an Al-Jazeera news producer based in Qatar, told CPJ.

The raid came hours after Major General Othman Hamed, who heads the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, threatened to disperse a sit-in that helped oust former President Omar al-Bashir, calling the continued demonstration a threat to the revolution and a hub for criminals, according to news reports. Since Bashirs ouster last month, a transitional military council has ruled Sudan, while protesters continue to call for a civilian government.

The raid and closure of Al-Jazeeras Khartoum bureau is a worrying sign that Sudans military rulers intend to suppress coverage of pro-democracy events, said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Coordinator Sherif Mansour. This action belies military leaders statements that they intend to serve and protect the public; they should immediately reverse course and allow Al-Jazeera to operate freely.

In January, Sudanese security officials revoked the credentials of international journalists who covered protests against Bashir, including correspondents for Al-Jazeera and Al Arabiya, the outlets reported.
Share this: Twitter

Facebook

WhatsApp

LinkedIn

Email

Telegram



More journalists beaten in Turkey

On May 25, three men beat Selahattin Onkibar, a columnist for the ultranationalist opposition news website Odatv, near his house in Ankara, the leftist daily Evrensel reported. Onkibar is the fifth journalist to be attacked in Turkey this month, in apparent retaliation for their work, CPJ has found.

Shop owners intervened when Onkibar was on the ground and being attacked, according to the report. The assailants escaped in a car and the journalist was taken to a hospital. Onkibar said he believes he was attacked because of his criticism of Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist Movement Party and a political ally of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Evrensel reported.

Police detained four suspects on May 26, who were released on probation by a court, the report said.

At least four other journalists have been attacked in Turkey this month, CPJ has found: Yavuz Selim Demirag was attacked in Ankara, and Idris Ozyol in Antalya on May 15; Ergin Cevik was beaten in Antalya on May 20; and Hakan Denizli was attacked in Adana on May 24.

Sezgin Tanrkulu, from the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), asked for a parliamentary investigation into the attacks on journalists during a session on May 27, but the proposal was rejected on May 28 by AKP votes, despite support from the opposition The Good Party and The Peoples Democratic Party, according to reports.

Newspaper distributor says Istanbul police beat him

Hasan Ceyhan, a distributor for the pro-Kurdish daily Yeni Yasam, said that police and subway security officials in Istanbul beat and threatened him, his employer reported.

Ceyhan, who has epilepsy, is cited in his paper as saying that he lost consciousness while in the Gayrettepe subway station on May 28. He said that paramedics helped him, and police also attended. The newspaper distributor said that the police checked his bag, found a copy of the newspaper, and took him to a security booth at the station. They made me sit there. Later, a cop came [and] he slapped me in the face without saying anything. I reacted back with a quick reflex due to my condition. After that, the subway security guard and two cops beat me for more than an hour, Ceyhan is cited as saying in the report.

Ceyhan said that during the attack he was insulted, threatened with death, and called a traitor because he had a copy of Yeni Yasam. The distributor said his eardrum was shattered during the beating and that despite being threatened, he planned to file a criminal complaint.

Istanbul police did not immediately respond to CPJs email requesting comment.

Cumhuriyets Kadri Gursel briefly returns to prison

Kadri Gursel, a former columnist for Cumhuriyet, and Turkey chair of the International Press Institute, returned to prison on May 29, the independent news website Bianet reported in English.

Gursel was among the Cumhuriyet trial defendants who lost the chance to delay the execution of their sentences despite the Supreme Court of Appeals waiting to rule on the sentencing of several of their co-defendants. Six of the co-defendants turned themselves in to authorities in April but Gursel did not immediately go back to prison due to time already served, Cumhuriyet and Reuters reported at the time.

Gursel tweeted on May 29 that he was called by a prosecutors office on May 20 and told to turn himself in within 10 days for the execution of the sentence. Images taken by The Associated Press showed him being taken in handcuffs to Metris Prison in Istanbul. He was released later that day under judicial control.

Court rules on case of Azadiya Wela employee

On May 30, a court in the southeastern city of Mardin sentenced Cetin Kursun, a former employee for the shuttered Kurdish-language daily Azadiya Welat, to three years in prison, but released him for time served, the daily Yeni Yasam reported.Kursun was originally charged with being a member of a [terrorist] organization (PKK) but the court dismissed that charge and instead convicted him of making continuous propaganda for a [terrorist] organization, the report said.

According to reports from January, a 12-page indictment against Kursun and his brother, who has been acquitted, accused Kursan and his brother of founding and running a PKK website called Ciwannews.

Kursun pleaded not guilty in a hearing on February 7, the leftist Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reported. It did not specify if Kursun denied or confirmed having any connection to Ciwannews.

Kursun was first detained in February 2018, CPJ documented. Allegations of his arrest being connected to journalism were not made public until earlier this year.

Pro-Kurdish reporter denied access to government building

Police on May 27 blocked Ahmet Kanbal, a reporter for the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya News Agency, from entering the municipality building of the southeastern province of Mardin, according to the reporters tweets and his employers report. Police told Kanbal they were acting on an order from above and when he asked for a written version of that order he was told to come back the following day, according to report. The journalist returned on May 28 and was not allowed in the building and was not given any document. Kanbal said he believes he was denied access because of his reporting on alleged corruption by the trustee management of the municipality, according to the report. He said that he planned to file a criminal complaint.

Worker jailed after sharing cartoons of president

Deniz Avc, a construction worker from the western province of Balkesir, was sentenced to two years and two months in prison on May 24 for insulting the president by sharing two cartoons on social media, Evrensel reported. The cartoons were originally published by Cumhuriyet and Evrensel in 2017. One of the cartoons is by former Cumhuriyet cartoonist Musa Kart and the other is by Sefer Selvi, a resident cartoonist with Evrensel. Kart is currently in prison as one of the defendants in the Cumhuriyet trial.

Avc pleaded not guilty and said he shared the cartoons as criticism, not insult. He said he was not remorseful because he did not believe he had committed a crime, according to the report. Avc is free pending appeal. Neither cartoon had been banned or been previously part of a legal case, according to the report.
Carlisle High Schools class of 2019 graduated Thursday, entering the world of work and post-secondary education with a certain cautious confidence.

Due to the commencement ceremony being moved indoors for fear of rain, students lined up inside Dickinson Colleges Kline Center before receiving their diplomas, where most seemed to have a positive outlook for their generation.

Im pretty confident that itll all work out, said Lanie Lissner, who will attend West Chester University next year with the goal of becoming an elementary school teacher.

Like many students, Lissner said broader issues, such as the environment, social strife and others, were on the radar of her graduating class in a way they may not have been for previous generations.

I think were going to have to fix the problems that generations before us created or didnt address, Lissner said.

The environment is a huge one down the line, said Meg Lebo, who will attend the University of South Carolina next year for exercise science.

Also sexism, racism, pretty much all those isms have come back and are at the front of peoples minds, Lebo said.

Like many graduates, Lebo said shell finance her college education with student loans, a common topic of concern, especially in Pennsylvania.

The states average student debt load is one of the highest in the nation, according to the Institute for College Access and Success: $36,854 for Pennsylvanias class of 2017.

Students said they know its a problem, but they are confident that their finances will shake out.

I worry about it, but I have a plan, said Lebo, who plans to become a physical therapist with Veterans Affairs, which would qualify her for student debt relief after 10 years of public service.

For many students, staying local is one way to cut some of the risk. Christian Kuhn is planning to commute to Shippensburg University to study communications. He initially wanted to become a pastor, but plans to take business classes as well.

I feel like our generation already has to deal with a lot, Kuhn said, particularly since his age bracket has never lived outside the age of social media.

Theres so much pressure to be connected, sometimes we get disconnected from the people who are actually around us, which is ironic, said Caleb Kennedy, who plans to attend Texas A&Ms Army ROTC program.

But Kennedy said most of his classmates were optimistic about their career choices, despite the often-cited danger of increasingly adverse underemployment among graduates who dont end up in jobs where they use their degree.

I think most people I know are pretty confident in what they want to do, Cameron Keebaugh said.

Keebaugh, however, doesnt have to worry about jumping into an uncertain career. Hes already made one for himself in the increasingly lucrative world of specialized blue-collar jobs.

An auto repair technician at Bobby Rahal, Keebaugh said he plans to keep working as a mechanic after graduation and take welding courses to expand his skills.

Its different for me in the sense that I think Ill actually have more freedom than if I was going to college, Keebaugh said.

Those students who dont know what career path they want to take said they worried about not exploring their options.

I feel like there isnt enough time to explore and figure out all of whats available in life, said Azjanae Mountz, who plans to take a gap year to save up money and apply to colleges later.

Statistically, there is a certain disconnect between students and parents over how big of a concern college costs, and the uncertainty of career choices, really is.

A study done last year by the Leadership Cumberland program and the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corp., which surveyed thousands of parents, students and teachers in the Carlisle, Cumberland Valley and West Shore school districts, found that 59 percent of parents believe their children do not know what career they want to pursue. But only 31 percent of students said they were uncertain.

Similarly, 53 percent of parents in the Leadership Cumberland/CAEDC study were concerned about the cost of higher education, but only 36 percent of students said they were worried about it.

I think things will work out, said Genia Purdy, who will go to Ohio State to study marketing. Our generation can adapt. Weve learned to be resilient.

Email Zack at zhoopes@cumberlink.com.

Love 0 Funny 1 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.
Hundreds of Fords will roll into downtown Carlisle Saturday night for the annual Ford parade hosted by the Downtown Carlisle Association.

"There is no other place in the northeast where you can see and experience so many different, American-made cars. The cars, along with downtown dining, and shopping, and live music, really makes this an event for everyone, DCA executive director Glenn White said.

The parade begins at 6:45 p.m. at the Carlisle Fairgrounds, and will be downtown at 7 p.m. The cars will park along Hanover and High streets to allow people to see them up close. The event ends at 9 p.m.

The parade will lead to the closure of some downtown streets from 6:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Those streets are:

I Street south to Carlisle Springs Road

Carlisle Springs Road from I Street to North Hanover Street

Hanover Street from Carlisle Springs Road to South Street

High Street from Bedford Street to West Street

Pitt Street from Louther Street to Pomfret Street

East Pomfret Street to Eagles lot

Parking will not be allowed on the streets that are closed beginning at 6 p.m.

The Ford Parade started in 2011 when Carlisle Events asked DCA if it could provide a similar event to the Corvette Parade. White said the organization saw it as a great opportunity to draw people downtown.

Many people still have not explored downtown and everything we have. We see this as a great chance for visitors to explore downtown, grab dinner, check out some shopping and hopefully they see things they like and will visit again, he said.

White said almost 200 cars have registered for the parade, and he expects close to 400 to make the drive downtown. Though based on the Corvette Parade that fills downtown Carlisle every August, the Ford Parade differs because there are so many makes and models of Fords.

Yes, there will be a lot of Mustangs, but also Fairlanes to Focuses, Taurus to Thunderbirds, White said.

The parade will be led by a group of Ford officials showing off their products. One of those guests will be Chuck Cantwell, an original GT500 engineer from the 1960s, who will join Ford Performance in the first-ever produced modern Shelby GT350R.

Volunteers are still needed to help park the cars at the event. Volunteers are rewarded with a T-shirt and a wings and beer/soda event afterward, White said.

To volunteer, visit the DCA website at lovecarlisle.com.

The parade comes on the second day of the Carlisle Ford Nationals event at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. The event runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 a.m. to noon on Sunday.

Billed as the largest all-Ford Show in the world, Carlisle Ford Nationals features Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Euro Fords. Ford Motor Co. and Ford Performance will be onsite to offer new car test drives, installations and special displays.

As with all Carlisle Events show, the flea market at Carlisle Ford Nationals will feature cars, parts, tools, memorabilia, collectibles and more.

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.
Hope Stations executive director, Safronia Perry, is transparent about the Carlisle nonprofits situation coming into 2019.

Hope Station had been struggling financially even before the 2017 death of its founder, Jim Washington. The struggle continued through Perrys transition into the role of executive director, changes in the board of directors, additions in programming and bringing Jason Diggs to the staff as program director.

Perry and board member Christina Spielbauer mentioned Hope Stations problems to Dickinson College president Margee Ensign at a holiday get together before Christmas. They told her it was possible the nonprofit would close by June if a funding solution couldnt be found.

She said, Oh, no, no, no. We cant let that happen, Perry said.

That conversation was followed by a meeting in which Perry and Spielbauer told Ensign about the funding issues facing the nonprofit organization, what Hope Station is and how it affects the community, said Jennifer Love, assistant chief of staff and assistant secretary of the college.

From there, Ensign brought Penn State Dickinson School of Law and Giant Foods into the discussion that resulted in planning the groups first fundraising effort, a Juneteenth luncheon.

The Hands Together For Hope Station Juneteenth Celebration Luncheon will be held at Dickinson Colleges Holland Union Building Social Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 15.

Tickets for the event are $20 per person or $150 per table of 8 seats, and are available at Eventbrite.com. All proceeds benefit Hope Station.

Reservations are requested by June 3.

Love, who brought her experience in event planning to the table, said the brunch will include a presentation from professor Matthew Pinsker, director of House Divided and Brian C. Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History, on the Dickinson in Slavery project that examines the colleges ties to the rise and fall of slavery.

Its a great parallel with the Juneteenth celebration, so hes going to give a presentation on his research and work, Love said.

The brunch will also feature remarks from Hope Station officials and a promotion video that Dickinson College produced for them through its marketing and communications team, Love said.

It fits in with our mission to be citizen leaders, to have our students be involved. This is an organization that we think would be a great connection to our student body, Love said.

At the end of the program, brunch attendees will walk to Hope Station just as the annual Juneteenth celebration is getting underway.

Juneteenth, or June 19, is the day in 1865 when Texas slaves were freed by a Union general, two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. It has been celebrated in Carlisle since 1993 when William Palmer brought the idea to town. At some point, Hope Station became involved and has hosted the celebration ever since.

Perry said the luncheon will give people who may not normally come to the Juneteenth event a chance to come over and see what Hope Station is doing.

When we walk down here, there will already be vendors set up. The cooking will be getting started. There will already be people here, Perry said.

Brunch attendees will stay at least long enough for the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, but Perry hopes they will stay for more.

The Juneteenth celebration will be held at Hope Station from 1 to 4 p.m. In addition to food and music, Perry said there is some talk about doing an informal parade around the neighborhood for anyone who wants to join.

Itll just be us literally just walking around the block, she said.

The organization Race for Peace will be there to introduce themselves to the community by hosting a talent show with local children. The organization has worked with police and political figures in Philadelphia to keep the peace.

Reach! is also scheduled to perform as will Emmanual Nsingani, who also performed at Februarys Black History Month festival.

This years essay contest winners will read their works on the theme of Shiloh Baptist Church at the event, and organizers are looking at having the winners read their essay in the historically black church, Perry said.

The work of the Hands Together for Hope Station committee doesnt end with the Juneteenth luncheon and celebration.

Love said discussions have focused on how to support Hope Station by assisting with structural changes to ensure long-term success and with working through the financial challenges the organization faced in the short term. The committee will continue to work with the Hope Station board to revitalize it and help it focus on its fundraising capacity.

Obviously, its an important organization that serves north Carlisle and we wanted to make sure we were able to support them, she said.

Perry said there is no way show how much appreciation Hope Station has for the work the committee has done.

Its just been something awesome to have these entities come together to help this organization stay here and stay open for the community, Perry said.

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.
The borough council Thursday voted unanimously to appoint Leroy Cork Shildt the new mayor of Mount Holly Springs.

A past council member for eight years, Shildt was one of four borough residents who submitted letters of interest to fill the unexpired term of former mayor P. Scott Boise, who resigned on May 13.

Mount Holly Springs debates how to replace its mayor Mount Holly Springs borough residents have until 4:30 p.m. Monday to submit letters of interest to fill the unexpired term of P. Scott Boise, 

One resident withdrew from the selection process prior to the meeting Thursday, said Deborah Halpin-Brophy, who chairs the administrative, finance and budget committee.

This left Shildt, council member Lois Stoner and local resident Jason Kennedy as the three remaining candidates for the vacancy going into meeting. Stoner withdrew from consideration during the meeting.

I worked with Cork for four years on council and watched him on public works, Stoner said. Ive watched his ideas, fairness, diplomacy and mediation skills. I really feel that is important.

Stoner then nominated Shildt as mayor. Her motion was approved and Shildt was sworn into office by Sara Jarrett, borough secretary/treasurer.

Regional AME Zion office investigates a question of ownership of Mount Holly Springs church The mid-Atlantic regional office of the AME Zion Church is investigating the ownership of the long-abandoned Mount Tabor church in the borough

I want to make sure the community keeps moving forward, not backwards, said Shildt, a borough resident since 1976. I would like this to be a better place to live. Anything I can do to help in that regard, I want to do.

Email Joseph Cress at jcress@cumberlink.com.

Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 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.
The Mechanicsburg Area School District put two schools on lockdown Friday afternoon as school officials and Mechanicsburg police investigated a suspicious person on school grounds.

Mechanicsburg Police said they were called to the area of Broad Street Elementary and Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School around 2:35 p.m. on Broad Street in the borough.

A report had been filed for someone acting in a suspicious manner behind Broad Street Elementary, police said. Police investigated but found no suspicious person.

The Mechanicsburg Area School District offered the following message on their website Friday afternoon:

"Around dismissal time today police were investigating a suspicious individual in proximity of Broad Street Elementary and the high school. As a result we placed Broad Street Elementary and the high school in secure in place. The Mechanicsburg police department has investigated the situation and have deemed the situation as no threat to students or staff.

"Due to this happening at the time of dismissal Broad Street Elementary students and buses will be delayed by approximately 15-20 minutes."
Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
Sentinel reporter Joseph Cress offers a daily digital glimpse back in Cumberland County history with help from our Newspapers.com archives:

10 Years Ago

Lower Mifflin Township supervisors mull over proposed changes to the municipal zoning map. Specifically, they discussed rezoning land near Route 233 and Center Road to increase commercial space. There was also talk of changing agricultural land near Mohawk Road to low-density residential. The supervisors were unable to agree on anything concrete.

In other news, Karl Moll, 18, a Carlisle High School senior, was accepted to perform for the Rochester City Ballet in New York City. Moll had spent the last 10 years balancing a busy school schedule with classes at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. His career goal was to perform ballet for as long as possible before getting into politics.

Email Joseph Cress at jcress@cumberlink.com.

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.
According to NBC News, a growing number of school districts (especially in rural areas) are experimenting with a four-day week.

In many cases, school boards cant raise the funds for competitive salaries and improvise by using the nontraditional schedule as a perk to attract and retain high-quality teachers. Applicants who would otherwise go for the biggest bucks appreciate having an extra day each week for preparing lesson plans, grading tests, taking Meth-Head Parent As A Second Language courses, etc.

(Other perks that were considered but ultimately put on the back burner included Flunk a jock: well get you off with temporary insanity, No more paying for school supplies out of your own pocket; our band geeks make a great distraction for snatch-and-run operations at Costco, Whatever extracurricular club youre stuck with sponsoring, feel free to improvise! Did somebody say, mixed martial arts chess? and Background check? Do you IDENTIFY as needing a background check?)

Students and teachers seem to respond enthusiastically to the new schedules, but parents who work Monday-Friday lose sleep worrying over (a) affordable daycare for their younger children and (b) unsupervised mischief by their older offspring. (This is Mrs. Brown on Second Avenue. Id like to report a kitten in the top of the big oak tree. But it IS a matter for 9-1-1! The kitten is on the hood of a police car!)

Of course, states still require a certain number of classroom hours per school year, so the remaining four days must be lengthened. With students already running a sleep deficit, this could really change the nature of the forbidden public displays of affection. (Awww...shes tucking him into his locker for a nap. Arent they the cutest couple?)

Yes, longer days and final period can be a real recipe for disaster. (No, thats not an example of a dangling participle. Looks more like a dangling thumb! Did you just come from dissecting frogs, Ethan?)

At least the real estate market will benefit from a four-day schedule. (You say your 16-year-old will be spending the extra day off studying hard and feeding the homeless? Ive got a real deal on oceanfront property in Arizona...)

And our carbon footprint will decrease as more homeowners turn out the lights and hide from students who have an extra day for selling fundraiser magazines, cookie dough, detergent...

NBC didnt say anything about how chopping off one day of work a week will affect cafeteria staff, custodians, student resource officers and bus drivers. (We board members need to reach out to these valued employees. I wonder at which marina they dock their yachts?)

The network was also silent about school bullies. Can you imagine the stress level of trying to squeeze five days worth of lunch money out of four measly days?

Studies on the overall effects of a four-day school week are still inconclusive. But it may be a moot point, anyway. If a four-day week gets taken for granted as the new normal, school districts will have to compete even more ferociously.

(School week? Who, us? We like to think of the academic year as a series of teachable moments. Pass out the fortune cookies, require two chin-ups, let the traffic cameras snap the class photos and reserve singing the Alma Mater for the shower. Someday, your students will tell their Japanese bosses all about it.)

Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol.com and visits to his Facebook fan page Tyrees Tyrades. His weekly column is distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. newspaper syndicate.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Dear Editor:

I am the mother of three elementary aged children who attend Commonwealth Charter Academy, a public cyber charter school. When my children attended our local elementary school, they had 7-hour school days with only two short (and often revoked) recess breaks, and a short lunch break in which students were not always permitted to socialize. Following that, they often had 30-90 minutes of homework. My oldest began to develop headaches and anxiety from the stress, so we decided to embark on our cyber school journey. We loved it so much, that I opted to enroll my other two children!

CCA offers us personal relationships with teachers, unique educational experiences and opportunities, field trips, and social activities as well as an education which is far more personalized than possible in a traditional classroom setting. Public cyber charter schools have been around for over 17 years. They are publicly funded, and are still able to offer a top-notch educational experience on an average of 25% less than the funding received by brick and mortar schools per student.

Over 35,000 Pennsylvania students attend public cyber charter schools. As taxpayers funding public education on a federal, state, and local level, families should have, and keep, the right to choose the best educational path for our children. Thanks to CCA, our family now has time to travel, participate in activities, and spend quality time together while still getting a quality education.

Nicole Lillich

Mechanicsburg

Love 8 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
In a recent announcement by United States, it has removed India and Switzerland from the currency monitoring lists. The US has retained other countries like China, Japan and Germany in the list.

Key Highlights

Background : It was in May 2018 when for the first time India was placed by US in its currency monitoring list of countries with potentially questionable foreign exchange policies, and because India had a bilateral trade surplus with US, which crossed countrys maximum limit of $20 billion. Other five other countries along with India included Japan, China, Switzerland, Germany and South Korea.

: It was in May 2018 when for the first time India was placed by US in its currency monitoring list of countries with potentially questionable foreign exchange policies, and because India had a bilateral trade surplus with US, which crossed countrys maximum limit of $20 billion. Other five other countries along with India included Japan, China, Switzerland, Germany and South Korea. Objective: The list basically consists of major trading partners of US who are to be closely monitored for potentially questionable foreign exchange policies. The move is taken amid escalating trade tensions between the two countries.

The list basically consists of major trading partners of US who are to be closely monitored for potentially questionable foreign exchange policies. The move is taken amid escalating trade tensions between the two countries. About: In the latest semi-annual report on macroeconomic and foreign exchange (Forex) policies of major trading partners of the US, the country has removed India and Switzerland from the monitoring list. The list now includes other countries like Italy, Japan, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Ireland, Vietnam, Germany and Korea.

In the latest semi-annual report on macroeconomic and foreign exchange (Forex) policies of major trading partners of the US, the country has removed India and Switzerland from the monitoring list. The list now includes other countries like Italy, Japan, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Ireland, Vietnam, Germany and Korea. Reasons: US President Donald Trumps administration cited reason for removal that India has taken certain steps and developments which address some of its major concerns over its currency practices and macroeconomic policies. According to analysis, in year 2018 both India and Switzerland saw a notable decline in the scale and frequency of foreign exchange purchases.

US President Donald Trumps administration cited reason for removal that India has taken certain steps and developments which address some of its major concerns over its currency practices and macroeconomic policies. According to analysis, in year 2018 both India and Switzerland saw a notable decline in the scale and frequency of foreign exchange purchases. Criteria: The US includes major trading partners in its monitoring Currency List if they meet at least two of three criteria-

If partner country has either a significant bilateral trade surplus with the US. If partner country has a material current account surplus. If partner country is engaged in persistent one-sided intervention in foreign exchange (Forex) market.

India-US Recent Trade Relation
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leader Narendra Modi (68) was sworn in as 15th Prime Minister for a second consecutive five-year term.

Key Highlights

Oath: The oath of Office and Secrecy was administered by President Ram Nath Kovind to Narendra Modi and his team of 57 Union council of ministers.

The oath of Office and Secrecy was administered by President Ram Nath Kovind to Narendra Modi and his team of 57 Union council of ministers. Ceremony : The oath-taking ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, which was attended by more than 6000 invitees including leaders from Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries and foreign envoys.

: The oath-taking ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, which was attended by more than 6000 invitees including leaders from Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries and foreign envoys. Minister : The portfolios allocation of Union Council of Minister includes 24 Cabinet ministers, 9 Minister of State with Independent charge and 24 Minister of State. One-third of total ministers in Cabinet are first-timers, which includes BJP president Amit Shah and former Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The portfolios for new ministers are yet to be announced.

: The portfolios allocation of Union Council of Minister includes 24 Cabinet ministers, 9 Minister of State with Independent charge and 24 Minister of State. One-third of total ministers in Cabinet are first-timers, which includes BJP president Amit Shah and former Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The portfolios for new ministers are yet to be announced. Background: The election for 17th Lok Sabha was held in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019. Over 90 crore people were eligible to vote and the general election saw a turnout of more than 67% voters which is highest ever recorded and also the highest participation by women voters. The election was held for total 542 seats.

Key Highlights of 17th Lok Sabha Election
The Rajasthan government recently announced its decision to ban production, distribution, advertisement and sale of e-cigarette in the state.

Key Highlights
A rural Bonne Terre man and former police officer who had been charged with statutory sodomy and possession of child pornography resulting from an Oregon investigation has had additional charges filed against him.

On Friday, Assistant Prosecutor Benjamin Campbell filed additional charges of 12 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor against Andrew Hotchkiss. Campbell said more charges could be filed.

According to a probable cause statement by St. Francois County Det. Ken Wakefield, in May of 2019 he was contacted by Oregon State Police in reference to child pornography.

Since the investigation, Oregon State Police sent 12 videos of child pornography that depict Hotchkiss performing sexual acts on a child. According to the court document, the child in the videos was under the age of 8 and the acts occurred in St. Francois County.

Hotchkiss had initially been charged with two counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree and felony possession of child pornography. His bond for those offenses was set at $200,000 cash only. If he bonds out, he is ordered to have a GPS monitor and have no contact with the victim.

Roseann Nickles, 28, of rural Bonne Terre, has been charged with felony endangering the welfare of a child. Her bond is set at $25,000 and she is to have a GPS monitor and no contact with the victim.

According to the initial probable cause statement by Wakefield, Oregon police found photographs showing child pornography that had been taken with a cellular phone.

Wakefields report stated that the images contain metadata, which can be used to determine where the photographs were taken using global positioning coordinates (GPS). The coordinates revealed that the photos had been taken at a Quiet Lane address north of Bonne Terre.

A deputy in the sheriffs department who was familiar with Hotchkiss because Hotchkiss had previously been a Leadwood police officer, viewed the photographs of a male and was able to identify the man depicted in the photographs as Hotchkiss.

On May 17 a warrant was issued for the Quiet Lane residence. Investigators were able to determine that 12 separate photographs showing child pornography were taken in a bedroom of the residence.

The report states the photographs contain images of Hotchkiss performing sexual acts on a child less than 12 years of age. Nickles was seen in one of the photos lying in bed next to the child while Hotchkiss performed sex acts on the child.

Both Hotchkiss and Nickles were taken into custody then and are still being held at the St. Francois County Jail. Hotchkiss bond for the new charges is also $200,000 cash only, making it a $400,000 cash only bond.

Hotchkiss has a bond reduction hearing set for June 25 in front of Associate Circuit Judge Joseph Goff Jr.

Matt McFarland is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3616, or at mmcfarland@dailyjournalonline.com.

Love 11 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 4 Angry 42

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.
Most educators know that learning is a lifelong experience and it is no different for law enforcement officers. In the field of law enforcement, learning lasts an entire career.

St. Francois County law enforcement officers, as well as other agencies, participated in a training last week at the Mineral Area College Law Enforcement Academy building. The training was organized by St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Gilliam.

The course, Missouri Search and Seizure Law, was designed by Assistant Federal Prosecuting Attorney H. Morley Swingle.

Swingle served as the prosecuting attorney for Cape Girardeau County from 1987-2012. Swingle is currently an attorney in the Armed Offender Unit of the Circuit Attorneys Office in St. Louis. In his work, Swingle has prosecuted more than 145 trials and more than 80 homicides.

Swingle has been featured on several television shows including Oprah, Dateline, and Forensic Files and is the author or books including Scoundrels to the Hoosegow, The Prosecution Rests, and The Gold of Cape Girardeau.

I like to do these trainings because we as prosecutors have the luxury of sitting in an office looking up the law, said Swingle. These men and women out on the front lines dont have that luxury, so its up to us to keep them apprised of the ever-changing law.

Officers from Park Hills Police Department, St. Francois County Sheriffs Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Terre Du Lac Police Department, and even Bollinger County Sheriffs Department attended the training.

The training was designed by Swingle to ensure that officers follow the proper steps when going from a simple traffic stop to searching a person or vehicle and then seizing evidence. Breaking procedures, even unintentionally, in these cases can cause a serious breakdown in prosecution.

Gilliam said her goal for the class is to make sure local law enforcement officers are knowledgeable and abreast of the legality of situations they encounter on the streets involving searching property or persons and the intake of evidence.

Police officers licensed prior to Jan. 1, 2019, are required to have at least 24 hours (22 of which can be completed online) of Continuing Law Enforcement Education by Dec. 31, 2019. Officers who are unable to show compliance with this training by March 15, 2020, may, at the discretion of the director of public safety, have their license made inactive. This would make an officer ineligible to hold a commission until the required training is completed.

Matt McFarland is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3616, or at mmcfarland@dailyjournalonline.com.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 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.
Thank you for reading!

To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99.
Telangana: Villagers loot Rs 25 lakh worth fish from Kandibanda pond

May 31,2019 | Source: The Hans India

Tension prevailed in Kandibanda village of Mellacheruvu mandal in Huzurnagar constituency in the district on Thursday when the villagers in and around Kandibanda entered the village pond to catch the fish. Soon, the Committee members of the waterbody expressed their objection to villagers fishing. This led to clashes between the two groups, with the members pelting stones at each other and attacking with sticks after heated arguments turned violent.



Advertise With Us Expressing his angst over the villagers act, the respective contractor of the pond burnt 14 bikes belongs to villagers during the quarrel. The contractor of the waterbody later informed the police that the villagers had looted Rs 25 lakh worth fish from the pond, and submitted videos and photos to corroborate his claims. Based on the complaint of pond contractor, the local police filed cases against several villagers for entering the water body illegally for fishing and attacking the caretakers of the said pond.
Maharashtra: Annual ban on fishing off Maharashtra coast from June 1

May 31,2019 | Source: The Times of India

Seafood lovers will have to make do with frozen fish or inland varieties once the annual ban on fishing off Maharashtra's 652km coastline comes into effect from June 1 to July 31. Fishermen across Mumbai and Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) have begun anchoring boats and those on the high sea are expected to return in a day or two.



"The ban is in keeping with a government order which stipulates that fishing along the western coast be halted during this period," said Rajendra Jadhav, joint commissioner fisheries (marine).



"The monsoon is imminent, causing strong wind and rough seas. Boats are prone to accidents. June-July is the breeding season for fish, so fishing activity must be halted to allow babies to hatch and to protect juveniles. How else do we maintain the balance in nature?" he said.



The ban on mechanized boats applies up to 12 nautical miles. Traditional boats can carry out fishing in shallow water near the coast if weather permits. Traditional boats have also been advised by their associations to restrain from over-fishing, which is a great cause of concern, with familiar species scarcely found these days. The catch off Mumbai's coast has dropped alarmingly. Kolis in Versova pulled their boats to anchor last week.
Karnataka: Fish production dips by 18%

May 31,2019 | Source: The New Indian Express

As the fishing season comes to a halt on May 31 midnight, Karnatakas fish production has dropped by 18 per cent during 2018 - 19. Reduced fishing days, inclement weather and sudden changes in fish shoal pattern are said to be major reasons for the production to come down. According to the statistics collected by Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute at Mangaluru, Karnatakas marine fish production was 5,47,784 tonnes in 2017 - 18, which fell to 4,45,213 tonnes in 2018 - 19. CMFRI officials said that the state lost a lot of fishing days due to bad weather in the beginning of monsoon. But good number of days were lost when the fishing community went on a strike over light fishing row.



In the month of December last year, purse-seine boat owners approached Karnataka High Court and got an order, allowing them to take out light fishing. All hell broke lose along the coast, as the trawl boat fishermen opposed the high court order permitting light fishing. As the traditional fishermen also joined, the fishing harbours starting from Karwar to Mangaluru went on strike. The strike was eventually withdrawn after state government went on an appeal and the high court banned the light fishing again along the Karnataka coast.



Sardines go missing from the platter



Boothai (Indian Oil Sardines) is one of the most wanted fish on foodies platter at Dakshina Kannada. But the tasty fish evaded the fishing community almost entire fishing season. CMFRI Mangaluru estimated that fall in sardine catch directly contributed to the decreased fish landing of Karnataka in this fishing season 2018 - 19. Prathibha Rohit, Head of CMFRI Mangaluru said that their research suggested that after the onset el-nino, Indian Oil Sardines will be lesser. The change in climate conditions following El-nino has resulted in the movement of sardines away from the coast. Even the ones caught were stunted in growth and the adults were not spawning, so there were no sardines in the sea, she added.
Odisha: Choked dam cries for renovation

May 31,2019 | Source: Orissa Post

The Parsala dam in this block of Keonjhar district, which used to help farmers irrigate their lands, is now going to lose its existence. Farmers have accused the government of doing nothing for the dams renovation to make it usable for irrigation. Over the years, the dam has been receiving water flowing down from uphill areas. As a result, it has been bunged up with deposits of silt, stones and soil.



We fail to get water from the dam. Our crops now solely depend on the rain god, some farmers said. Surprisingly, the panchayat has been auctioning the dam for fish farming every year, but it has never thought about its renovation, they added. The dam has not been renovated for the last 30 years. The vastly sprawling dam was dug up in Parsala panchayat years ago. Acres of land around it used to get water, helping farmers to grow crops. People of Mankadiasahi, Parsala, Sijukala, Gumura and Sarupatala depend on the dam for their water needs.



Recently, some people illegally cut the dam to drain out water for fishing. The panchayat has never done anything for its renovation, but has been using it for fishing, locals alleged. In the monsoon, the dam will help conserve water if it is renovated properly, locals said. The administration was requested for its renovation. Officials concerned told us that the dams renovation will be carried out under the Ama Gaon, Ama Bikash Yojana, the local sarpanch said.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea has executed its special envoy to the United States on spying charges, as its leader, Kim Jong-un, has engineered a sweeping purge of the countrys top nuclear negotiators after the breakdown of his second summit meeting with President Trump, a major South Korean daily reported on Friday.





Kim Hyok-chol, the envoy, was executed by firing squad in March at the Mirim airfield in a suburb of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, Chosun Ilbo, South Koreas largest daily, reported on Friday, citing an anonymous source. Mr. Kim faced the charge that he was won over by the American imperialists to betray the supreme leader, the newspaper said.





Four officials of the North Korean Foreign Ministry were also executed, the South Korean daily reported, without providing any hint of who its source might be or how it obtained the information.





South Korean officials could not confirm the Chosun Ilbo report. North Korea has not reported any execution or purge of top officials in recent months. The country remains the worlds most isolated, and outside intelligence agencies have sometimes failed to figure out or have misinterpreted what was going on in the closely guarded inner circles of the countrys leader, Kim Jong-un.





Asked at a news conference in Berlin on Friday about the Chosun Ilbo report, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said American officials were looking into it.





The rumors of North Korean negotiators being executed at the orders of Mr. Kim have been floating around Washington for weeks, and Mr. Pompeo has been asked about them before. Each time, he has said the United States is looking into the reports.





No American officials have spoken publicly of any intelligence they might have seen that would confirm or refute the rumors. Diplomats in Washington from other countries have also acknowledged hearing the rumors, but have said they have no confirmation.





But some signs in recent weeks have led analysts in South Korea to speculate that Mr. Kim may be engineering a reshuffle or a purge of his negotiating team in the wake of the summit meeting, held in February in Hanoi, Vietnam. The meeting was widely seen as a huge embarrassment for Mr. Kim, who is supposedly seen as infallible in his totalitarian state.





On Thursday, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Norths ruling Workers Party, carried a commentary warning against anti-party, anti-revolutionary acts of officials who pretend to work for the supreme leader in his presence but secretly harbor other dreams behind his back.





Such characters wont escape the stern judgment from the revolution, the North Korean newspaper said. North Korean state media has issued such warnings when it needed to engineer a political purge or warn against possible lagging loyalty among the elites, South Korean analysts said.





Chosun Ilbo, the South Korean newspaper, reported Friday that Kim Yong-chol, a senior Workers Party vice chairman who visited the White House as the main point man for diplomacy with the United States, had also been purged, sentenced to forced labor in a remote northern province.





Also sent to a prison camp was Kim Song-hye, a senior female nuclear negotiator who teamed up with Kim Hyok-chol in working-level negotiations ahead of the Kim-Trump summit, the South Korean newspaper said. North Korea even sent a summit translator to a prison camp for committing a translation mistake, it said.





During the Hanoi summit meeting, Mr. Kim demanded that Mr. Trump lift the most painful international sanctions against his country in return for partially dismantling his countrys nuclear weapons facilities. The meeting collapsed when Mr. Trump rejected the proposal, insisting on a quick and comprehensive rollback of the Norths entire weapons of mass destruction program before lifting sanctions.





Mr. Kim took a long train ride to Hanoi to meet Mr. Trump, and North Korean state media reported high expectations for the summit meeting. But Mr. Kim had to return home empty-handed, without the sanctions relief that he badly needed to help ease his countrys deepening economic isolation.





Outside analysts have since wondered whether Mr. Kims negotiating team had failed to prepare him for such a breakdown in the talks or considered how Mr. Kim might react.





Kim Hyok-chol was appointed as North Koreas special envoy only weeks before the Hanoi summit meeting and had led pre-summit working-level negotiations with Stephen Biegun, Mr. Trumps special envoy on North Korea.





Their negotiations could not narrow wide differences between their governments over the terms under which North Korea would give up its nuclear arsenal. As a consequence, Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump met without a draft agreement, as the negotiators from both sides left it to their leaders to sort out the thorniest problems that have bedeviled negotiations for decades.





Kim Yong-chol, the Workers Party leader, has seemed to disappear from state news media in recent weeks. Although he retained some of his top posts during a parliamentary meeting in April, he was replaced as head of the United Front Department, a key party agency in charge of relations with South Korea and the Norths intelligence affairs.





Both Kim Hyok-chol and Kim Yong-chol were absent from the North Korean delegation when Kim Jong-un met last month with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. In their places were senior officials from North Koreas Foreign Ministry, like Minister Lee Yong-ho and First Vice Minister Choe Son-hui, who have emerged as the new faces of North Korean diplomacy.





Mr. Kim has said he will give Washington until the end of the year to make a new denuclearization proposal he can accept, or he may abandon his diplomacy with Mr. Trump. As if to press the point, North Korea has recently resumed tests of short-range missiles.





Even Kim Jong-ils sister and adviser, Kim Yo-jong, did not accompany Mr. Kim to the meeting with Mr. Putin, although she has been a fixture in high-profile summit meetings with American, Chinese and South Korean leaders.





Chosun Ilbo said the sister may have been reprimanded by Mr. Kim or may be sick with pneumonia.





Jung Chang-hyun, head of the Korean Peace and Economy Institute, a research group affiliated with South Koreas Moneytoday news media group, said he had heard that four North Korean Foreign Ministry officials were executed by firing squad around March, not because of the breakdown of the Hanoi summit meeting, but rather for a separate corruption scandal.





It remained unclear whether the four officials included Kim Hyok-chol, said Mr. Jung, an expert on the North Korean regime and author of books on the North. But Mr. Jung said that officials under Kim Jong-uns sister were also involved in the corruption scandal and that as a consequence, Ms. Kim was put on probation by her brother. Mr. Jung said he acquired the information from third-country sources who meet or communicate with North Korean officials through China.





Since taking power seven years ago, Kim Jong-un has engineered a series of bloody political purges to remove or execute many of the top officials who had served under his late father, Kim Jong-il, and consolidate his own leadership. The most prominent victim has been Jang Song-thaek, Mr. Kims uncle, who was executed in the Mirim airfield in 2013 on charges of corruption and plotting a military coup against Mr. Kim.

Kim Yong-chol: 'Purged' N Korean diplomat appears with Kim

A North Korean official who was reported to be in a labour camp attended a weekend concert alongside Kim Jong-un, state media said.





Last Friday, Kim Yong-chol was widely reported to have been sent to a re-education camp as punishment.





North Korean media showed him apparently at a musical performance with other officials.





A list of attendees identified him as present, though in footage his face is partly obscured by his hands.





Kim Yong-chol, a former spymaster, has been described as the North Korean leader's right-hand man.





He travelled to the US in January to prepare for the second summit meeting between Mr Kim and President Trump, which was held in Vietnam.





Kim Yong-chol's reported attendance at Sunday's concert does not guarantee that he was never sent to a labour camp.





Reports of purges or the executions of high-ranking North Koreans who have fallen from favour are difficult to verify, and often prove inaccurate.





The reports on Friday - which began with an anonymous source quoted in a South Korean newspaper - also said that Kim Hyok-chol, a former North Korean envoy to the US, had been executed at an airport in Pyongyang.





He was another key figure in talks ahead of the US-North Korea summit held in February.





Kim Hyok-chol was not among the attendees listed for Sunday's event, but state media have not yet reported any execution or punishment so his whereabouts remain unclear.





South Korean media and the government in Seoul have alleged purges in the past, but in several cases the individuals have later turned up alive and still alongside Kim Jong-un.





A prominent example of a North Korean falsely presumed executed is singer Hyon Song-wol, who in 2013 was alleged to have been shot in a "hail of machine gun fire while members of her orchestra looked on".





In 2018 though, the singer appeared in Seoul leading a visiting North Korean delegation ahead of the Winter Olympics.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!





"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
LEBANON  An Albany man was arrested Wednesday afternoon after allegedly attempting to elude Lebanon police officers.

According to police, a Lebanon motorcycle officer was conducting a routine traffic stop at the corner of McKinney Lane and Russell Drive. When a green 1992 Honda driven by 34-year-old Christopher Wayne Gray came to a stop, a female passenger got out and fled on foot.

Gray reportedly gave the officer a false name, and as backup officers arrived on scene, drove off.

Gray stopped the car on McKinney Lane off Russell Drive, which is a dead-end street. He got out and attempted to run into a wooded area. Officers found him hiding in the bushes and took him into custody.

Officers learned that the vehicle Gray was driving was reported stolen in Albany and had switched license plates.

Gray was taken to the Lebanon Municipal Jail and then to the Linn County Jail.

He had multiple outstanding warrants, plus new charges for attempt to elude in a vehicle, attempt to elude on foot, unlawful use of a vehicle, providing false information to a police officer, first-degree criminal trespass and possession of methamphetamine.

In April, Gray was charged after leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase that started in Corvallis.

He reportedly took similar action in that case after a Corvallis police officer pulled over his vehicle. Gray provided a false name and then sped away, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph before crashing into a fence at a construction site on Southwest Washington Avenue.

Gray reportedly backed up, sped away again and crashed at Southeast Lilly Avenue. He took off on foot and was caught by a Benton County deputy.

Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2

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.
An Albany man was sentenced to more than six years in the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections last week after being convicted of six sex crimes in Linn County Circuit Court.

Marshal Jefferson Gosnell, 19, pleaded no contest to charges of attempt to commit first-degree sex abuse, luring a minor, and four counts of third-degree rape on May 24.

Four girls under the age of 16 were listed as victims on court paperwork.

The crimes occurred between January 2016 and November, and the Albany Police Department investigated the case. Gosnell was arraigned in the case in January.

Gosnell was initially charged with 12 sex crimes, but a new charging instrument was filed, with only six crimes, on May 23.

Two other cases where Gosnell is accused of third-degree rape also are set to be dismissed as part of the plea deal, according to court staff.

Gosnell 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 3 Wow 2 Sad 4 Angry 10
September 28, 1935  May 24, 2019

Charles Chuck Reynolds was born in Hillsboro, Oregon, to Bessie and Harold Reynolds. Six years later they moved to Albany where Harold was Maintenance Chief at M & M Plywood and Bessie became Chief X-ray Technician at Albany General Hospital. Brother, Neil was born in 1940 and became a dentist practicing in Corvallis.

During high school, two students were chosen each year to go to Boys State and put on a Mock Oregon Legislature. Chuck was chosen and went to Willamette University. Debate, honor society and orchestra were his principal activities. He played as first chair violin in the state of Oregon high school honor orchestra, and as the first chair, he was the concertmaster. Chuck graduated as valedictorian at Albany High in 1953.

Then on to Stanford University, which brought an international politics focus, and chairmanship of the 60 college Model United Nations of 1957. After his B.A. in History, he was awarded a Rotary International Fellowship to spend a year in Geneva, Switzerland.

In 1963, he married Judy White of Portland.

In 1965, Chuck became a Foreign Service Officer (diplomat) in the U.S. Department of State, a career divided between staffing embassies around the world and technical and country offices back home. Judy shared this love of cultures, and together they lived in Quito, Ecuador; David, Panama; and Kabul, Afghanistan. Chuck worked on economic and trade issues. His last job for the State Department was directing the Voice of Americas Afghan (Dari) language broadcasts. Then came a time of change including retirement and divorce from Judy.

Chuck then settled into the Marin area of California. He worked for a time for the Presbyterian Church of Novato and married Janet Hansen in 1999. After a separation in 2002, Chuck moved back home to Oregon and settled in Corvallis. There, hiking, canoeing, playing the violin and choral singing have been pastimes. He served as deacon at the First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis, assisting seniors and the disabled in meeting their special needs.

Chuck is survived by his brother, Neil Reynolds in Albany; and his daughters, Lisa Lawson, Holly Gallant and Julie Huffman.

A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 20, 2019, at the First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis.

Memorial contributions can be made to the First Presbyterian Church, Corvallis: http://1stpres.org/give/; Senior Living Foundation: http://slfoundation.org/support.cfm; or the Mercy Corp: https://www.mercycorps.org/donate.

Condolences may be posted online at www.fisherfuneralhome.com.
May 23, 1946  2019

Jerry Duerksen was born May 23, 1946, and raised in Valsetz, Oregon, a timber company town in Polk County that no longer exists. After graduating from Valsetz High School, he went to college in Monmouth, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy.

After his service he returned to Oregon to start his degree in fish and wildlife management at Oregon State. Jerry was 12 credits away from completing his degree when an opportunity came along in 1978 to get involved in real estate. Jerry formed Duerksen and Associates, Inc. in 1984, a family-owned business that provides property management for rental homes and apartments.

His company allowed him to serve and support the community that he loved. His company values were Jerrys values; accountability, integrity, kindness, leadership, professionalism, positivity and optimism, philanthropy and the value of the gift of time.

Jerry was an avid outdoorsman, and loved to fish. Jerry was instrumental in forming the Corvallis Rental Property Management Group that brought together property owners, the university and the City to address livability issues that were once a major community concern. His influence and his positive impact are his legacy for a life that he said had no regrets.

Jerry is survived by his beloved mother, Jo Sheffield of Salem; his wife of 46 years, Beckie; son, Steve, daughter in-law, Dawn; and his brothers, Tom and Dick Duerksen, also of Salem. Jerry had three grandchildren.

His son, Michael preceded Jerry in death.

A community celebration of his life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, at CH2M Hill alumni center at OSU.

Jerry was passionate about saying yes to supporting youth in our community and the family has requested that in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis or Old Mill Center for children and families.
LINN COUNTY SHERIFF

Stolen Honda  8:32 a.m. Wednesday, 900 block Wassom St., Lebanon. A caller reported the theft of a teal 1994 Honda Accord during the night. The vehicle has damage on its left front.

Missing laptops  2 p.m. Wednesday, 800 block Cascade Drive, Lebanon. A woman reported that sometime Saturday someone broke a window in her RV and took two laptops valued at $275.

Oops!  4:57 p.m. Wednesday, 37000 block Scravel Hill Road, Albany. Deputies were dispatched to a report of a naked person bound and hanging from a tree. They located the person, who was the subject of a photo shoot. All parents were consenting and had permission to be on the property. They were advised to find a more secluded location.

Missing motorcycles  8:07 p.m. Wednesday, 34000 block Orleans Road, Albany. A caller reported that a Kawasaki dirt bike and Suzuki dirt bike, both valued at $2,000, were taken from their driveway.

LINN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

From Wednesday afternoon

Vehicle theft  Justin Lee Denherder, 32, was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, first-degree theft, possession of methamphetamine and possession of heroin. The crimes allegedly occurred on Sunday, and the Albany Police Department investigated the case.

Burglary  James Jonathan Scott Georgelis, 36, was charged with second-degree burglary, second-degree theft, third-degree theft and second-degree criminal trespass. The crimes allegedly occurred on May 23 and the Lebanon Police Department investigated the case.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Comte de Grasse who own 44N Gin, will be opening a new distillery visitor centre in Grasse, the perfume region of France.

The Lab Distillery is in the former ancestral home of Roure, a supplier of raw material to the perfume industry dating to the 1820s.

Unlike conventional distilleries with copper stills, Comte De Grasse has been inspired by the perfume industry to create a process that handles raw materials with less energy.

CEO and founder, Bhagath Reddy, said: Our shared ambition to work together in creating methods of production that best serve our local environment, both social and physical, has been a real success of Comte de Grasse.

Utilising practices from the perfume industry for producing our gin has resulted in a flavour like nothing else weve tasted.

The new distillery visitor centre that will open next year is in an original perfume factory and will allow visitors to experience every part of the distillery process, including ultrasonic maceration, vacuum distillation and CO2 extraction.

The transfer of technology from perfume to the spirits industry have been supported by a grant from the government-backed French Tech.

A partnership with the University of Nice has also been agreed, enabling Comte De Grasse to access research facilities and technical understanding.

The project is led by master scientist and innovator Marie-Anne Contamin who joined the team bringing her 20-plus years experience of creating fragrances and spirits.
A cargo ship of Vinalines, Vietnams largest shipping firm and port operator, is anchored at a port in HCMC. Photo by Reuters/Stringer

State-owned shipping firm Vinalines has bought back its stake in a central port after illegally selling it to a private firm.

Vinalines has paid VND415 billion ($17.7 million) to acquire a 75 stake in Quy Nhon Port and will take over the port starting next month, its communication head Tran Tuan Hai said Thursday.

The biggest Vietnamese shipping firm has appointed a representative to the Quy Nhon Ports management board.

Following a 2013 equitization of the port, Vinalines had a 75 percent stake in it. But the shipping giant later sold its stake to private minerals company Hop Thanh, which had no prior experience in operating a port.

The Government Inspectorate last year found that Vinalines, under the Ministry of Transport, had illegally sold its stake to Hop Thanh without the governments approval. The inspectors demanded that Vinalines buy back its stake.

Quy Nhon Port is a major port in the central coast with almost 21,000 warehouses and a 48,000 square meter area for containers. In 2017, 7.1 million tons of goods passed through the port.

Vinalines, formally Vietnam National Shipping Lines, made its initial public offering (IPO) on the Hanoi Stock Exchange last year, but only sold one percent of the shares offered.

It earned revenues of VND14 billion ($597 million) last year, 2.6 percent higher than the annual target.
Vietnam distributor VinFast has recalled 7,584 Chevrolet cars with faulty airbags as part of a global recall campaign.

The recall of the Cruze and Orlando cars is part of the global recall of U.S. carmaker General Motors (GM), said a communication representative of VinFast, which is the sole distributor of Chevrolet cars in Vietnam.

Although there has not been any report of the fault in Vietnam, GM said that Chevrolet Cruze cars manufactured between April 2010 and December 2013, and Chevrolet Orlando cars made between October 2011 and December 2013, are affected.

VinFast, also an automaker, will examine each car and replace the air bags if needed. The campaign will last until the end of May 2022.

The airbags for these cars came from Japanese automotive parts maker Takata, which declared bankruptcy in 2017 because of the defective products.

It is estimated that 47 million vehicles from major brands in the U.S. alone have been recalled as of January because of this fault, Reuters reported.

VinFast is a subsidiary of Vingroup, Vietnam's biggest private conglomerate, which has been expanding rapidly from real estate into retail, logistics, agriculture, education, healthcare, automobile and electronics sectors.
Vietnam's domestic bank cards will be converted to chip cards to increase security and function. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Tu.

The National Payment Corporation of Vietnam says many banks would this year convert their magnetic cards to chip cards for greater security.

The firm (NAPAS) recently released Vietnams first chip card of EMV standard with more security features and less vulnerable to fraud. NAPAS is Vietnam's leading payment technology company with the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), the biggest shareholder, holding 49 percent of its charter capital.

EMV (originally Europay, Mastercard and Visa) is a jointly developed global standard that allows interoperability between various cards with computer chips and terminals used by the major financial services companies.

NAPAS said the first seven banks that have started issuing chip cards from early this week are Vietcombank, BIDV, Vietinbank, Agribank, TPBank, Sacombank, and ABBank. Together they account for 70 percent of the 76 million cards used in the country.

The lenders told VnExpress that in the first phase the replacement of the old magnetic cards would be done free of charge.

"The application of chip cards would help Vietnam get out of the pit of card crimes," SBV Deputy Governor Nguyen Kim Anh said.

Pham Tien Dung, head of the central banks payment department, said besides reducing the risk of theft and fraud, chip cards can store large amounts of information and be used to pay for transport and public services like in developed countries.

According to NAPAS, because magnetic cards are easy to copy and lack security features, it is easy to steal information from them. In recent years card skimming has become a big problem in Vietnam.

As information theft became rife, international card issuers urged Vietnamese banks to switch to chip cards meeting EMV standards.

Security experts warned that Vietnams delayed transition to chip technology could put the country at risk of becoming a haven for card criminals around the world since it was among the few remaining countries still using magnetic cards.

But some banks are worried about the cost of the transition. Besides $1-2 for each chip card, they also have to ensure their ATMs and core banking systems are upgraded to adapt to the change.

According to the SBV, Vietnam has more than 18,600 ATMs, nearly 261,000 points of sale (POS) and around 76 million cards with magnetic strips. Since most POS have complied with EMV standards conversion to chip cards will not affect payment transactions.

Earlier this month the SBV unveiled a plan to convert 30 percent of all cards to chip cards this year. Banks have to increase the ratio to at least 60 per cent by next year.

The plan is to completely switch to chip cards make all ATMs and POS compatible by the end of 2021.
The number of vacancies in e-commerce in Vietnam rose by 20 percent in the 12 months ending May. Photo by Shutterstock/Kostenko Maxim

There is rising demand for talent in Vietnams rapidly growing e-commerce and fintech sectors, says recruitment firm Michael Page.

The number of vacancies in e-commerce rose by 20 percent in the 12 months ending May, Michael Page said in a report. Vietnams rapid digital penetration has fueled the industrys hiring of digital professionals, especially data engineers and development managers.

The e-commerce sector has seen double-digit growth in recent years as smartphones become increasingly popular among the tech-savvy population. Some 98 percent of internet users in Vietnam made purchases online last year, according to market research firm Nielsen.

Ministry of Industry and Trade data shows e-commerce revenues rose by 30 percent last year to $8 billion. It expects the figure to rise to $10-13 billion next year.

Michael Page said since local talent is limited and there is intense competition to attract the best candidates in this industry, employers should look to Southeast Asia or Vietnamese living abroad who are open to returning home.

Financial services and fintech is another industry with increasing demand for talent, with the number of jobs up 10 percent. The roles most in demand are chief marketing officers, heads of risk and compliance, and chief operating officers.

Last year fintech was the most invested category among Vietnamese startups, with eight major deals worth $117 million, according to Topica Founder Institute, a startup accelerator program in Vietnam and Thailand which is organized by Topica Edtech Group and Founder Institute.

Other industries looking to hire are FMCG and retail, manufacturing and industrial, services, and transport and distribution.

Paul Cooper, managing director of Michael Page Vietnam, said as Vietnam sees increasing foreign investment, there is growing demand for hiring. "A lot of factories are being built now, meaning that in the coming year heightened demand for operation managers and engineers is in particular expected."

The report said Vietnamese professionals with international experience and mindsets are highly sought after as they "have the ability to challenge the status quo."
Many rivers and streams along the Vietnam-China border are being polluted by China's development activities, a senior military officer warned.

Major General Sung Thin Co, deputy commander of the 2nd Military Region, which covers the northwestern provinces that includes those bordering China such as Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, called for more attention to environmental issues in the border area.

Since China is at a higher altitude than Vietnam, most rivers and streams that cross the border between the two countries flow from that country into Vietnam, he said at a session with the legislative National Assembly in Hanoi on Thursday.

China has been investing in numerous economic and industrial zones and natural resource exploitation and processing operations, and establishing residential centers with high urbanization rates near the border, he said.

These developmental activities have resulted in consequences such as toxic waste and wastewater being dumped in rivers and streams which then flow into Vietnam, affecting its environment and people's health, he said.

He called on the government to study the problem and soon negotiate and sign with China an agreement on cross-border environment management and protection.

"The border is the nation's green lung and protects the environment and health of the Vietnamese."

He also raised the issue of the many hydropower dams that China has built upstream. While the United Nations' Water Convention says upstream countries must be responsible for coordinating water for downstream countries, China has often failed to do this and at times even discharged water from the dams without warning, he said.

"[I] request that the government and border provinces issue diplomatic notes asking China to compensate Vietnam if they cause damage, ensure compliance with the Water Convention and bilateral agreements."

Last Sunday floods in the Ka Long River, which flows from China into Quang Ninh Province, swept away a 21-year-old man while he was rowing a boat on the river.

The flooding also destroyed dozens of cargo boats and submerged many streets in Mong Cai.

According to local residents, besides heavy rain since the previous day, an unannounced dam discharge in China was also a cause of the floods.
The Ministry of Health has expressed support for Hanois proposed ban on recreational use of laughing gas because of its mental impacts.

Nitrous oxide, or N2O, should only be allowed to be traded and produced for industrial production and not to be licensed for human use, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The ministry said N2O was not included in the list of banned and restricted chemicals for medical use. At the same time, it was yet to receive any registration for drug or medical equipment that required this gas.

Nitrous oxide is capable of inducing feelings of euphoria due to its impact on the neurological system, and so can be used as a recreational stimulant. But overuse may lead to memory or sleep disorders and a tingly sensation at the extremities, among other effects.

At the moment, nitrous oxide is still listed as a chemical regulated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade with practical applications as an anesthesia in medicine among its uses. Violating regulations relating to its production or sale could result in fines of VND12-25 million ($515-1,070).

Last year seven people died of an overdose at a Hanoi electronic music festival, prompting authorities to suspend all music festivals in the capital until further notice. The police confirmed that balloons containing nitrous oxide were present at the scene.

The incident prompted Hanoi government to send a request to health ministry last October asking for tightened control on the trade and use of laughing gas.

The center for poison control at Hanoi's leading hospital Bach Mai has reported a surge of gas poisoning cases from inhaling balloons containing nitrous oxide recently. Patients have been hospitalized with symptoms of sensory disorders, decreased mobility, numbness of limbs and unsteady gait. Several patients have also suffered spinal cord injuries, loss of marrow, and nerve damage due to N2O abuse.

Earlier this month, Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security said it was considering adding laughing gas to banned narcotic list.

After identifying the extent to which laughing gas is used recreationally and considering existing international regulations, the ministry would seek to add nitrous oxide to the list of known narcotics and precursors to suitably punish the illegal sale, transport and production of the substance, it said.
By Ritah Kemigisa.

The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has instructed the minister of internal affairs to explain to Ugandans the long procedure in obtaining national IDs in the first sitting of the 4th session of the 10th parliament.

This after several MPs said the exercise is becoming difficult for the citizens and that some people are allegedly paying money to get these IDs.

The Isingiro South MP Alex Byarugaba alleged that some people have failed to obtain their IDs because they have to travel from upcountry to Kololo the headquarters of NIRA.

He proposed that ID registration and distribution be taken to the sub country level so that it can become easy for people to at least get National Identification Numbers.
South Korean driver's license training vehicles are traveling on the road in Seoul, May 9, 2018. Photo by Shutterstocks/Ki Young

A group of five people have been detained for faking Vietnamese driving licenses to get Korean ones, the Korea Times reported Wednesday.

One person has been detained, while four others were booked without physical detention for "interfering with public duty" and "private document forgery," the paper said, citing the Busan Police Agency. All five were unnamed.

26 other Vietnamese have also been booked for illegally obtaining Korean driving licenses through the group.

The group advertised on social media that they could get Vietnamese residents in South Korea driving licenses without having an actual Vietnamese drivers license. South Korea allows the exchange of driving licenses issued in Vietnam for a Korean one without additional tests or procedures, per an agreement between the two nations.

The 26 Vietnamese sent their passports, alien registration information and identification pictures to the group, along with money ranging from KRW700,000 ($58.6) to KRW1 million ($840.3).

The group then made fake Vietnamese driving licenses and sent to their clients, who exchanged them for Korean ones.

South Korean police have requested the Interpol to investigate if this racket has more accomplices in Vietnam. They have also advised the Road Traffic Safety department to adjust flaws in the foreign license exchange program.

South Korea is one of the largest labor export markets for Vietnam. There were over 45,398 Vietnamese migrant workers in South Korea by the end of June 2018, the majority of them registered under the Employment Permit System, according to official labor reports.

Phan Anh
A pair of endangered king cobras that were found by workers clearing land for a solar farm will live in a conservation area.

They will be taken to the Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve in Dong Nai Province near Ho Chi Minh City.

The snakes were discovered two months ago by the workers at the foot of Cam (Forbidden) Mountain in An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta, 300 kilometers (190 miles) to the west.

They captured the snakes, which measure four meters (13 feet) long and weigh 18 kilograms (40 pounds) each.

A caretaker said the snakes have got thinner after not eating for many days, but they are still very strong. They were put in a net by experts from a nearby snake farm, before being transported to Dong Nai.

The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with the largest known individual measuring nearly six meters, and endemic to forests from India through Southeast Asia.

Local authorities had planned to release the snakes back in Cam Mountain in unspoiled habitats far away from human habitation.

Bu they later decided to put them in a conservation area with microchips implanted in them. The chips will have a life span of 20 years and allow experts to keep track of the snakes and monitor their health.

Lu Cam Khuong, deputy director of An Giang's agriculture department, said the plan changed because the environment in the mountain, the tallest in the Mekong Delta, was not secluded enough. The place, which was once home to a wide range of wild animals like deer, tigers, leopards, and king cobras, now gets many visitors. Khuong said putting the snakes on the mountain would threaten the well-being of both snakes and humans.

The king cobra is threatened by habitat destruction and listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 2010.

In Vietnam, it is classified as an animal with a high extinction risk and their exploitation for commercial purposes is prohibited.
Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich will deliver a speech on how to prevent conflicts at competitive fields at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Lich will also have bilateral meetings with other participating defense ministers on the sidelines of the three-day summit that ends June 2.

The annual Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia's premier defense summit where ministers debate the regions most pressing security challenges and come up with solutions together.

This years dialogue includes six plenary sessions to discuss the U.S.s vision for Indo-Pacific security, Korean security, Asias evolving security order and its challenges, China and international security cooperation, preventing conflict in contested domains, and ensuring a resilient and stable region.

The event also features six simultaneous special sessions covering maritime security, defense industrial development, and defense cooperation.

Observers expect that the China - U.S.'s tensed relationship will take center stage, with the defense leaders of both countries scheduled to speak.

Patrick Shanahan, Acting Secretary of Defense of the U.S, will deliver a speech over Washington's Indo-Pacific strategies, while Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe is scheduled to speak of China's position in the region, marking the first time a Chinese defense minister attends the dialogue in eight years.

The two biggest economies are locked in an escalating trade war and also at odds over several strategic issues, including the disputed South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea.
Vietnams level of influence in the Asia-Pacific region remained unchanged from last year, ahead of several Southeast Asian peers.

The country stood 13th in terms of their capability to influence regional events, according to the 2019 Asia Power Index, released on Tuesday by Australian think tank Lowy Institute.

The ranking measured 25 countries and territories in the Asia Pacific region and scored them on their distribution of power, based on eight main categories, including defense networks, cultural influence, diplomatic influence, economic resources, economic relationships, military capability, resilience and future trends.

Vietnam, classed in the group of "middle powers," scored an overall 18 points out of 100, up 1.5 from last year, thanks to improvements in military capability, diplomatic influence, multilateral power and foreign policy.

The report said Vietnam has made the most of multilateral arrangements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to boost its economic diplomacy and regional trade ties.

Last November, Vietnam became the seventh country to ratify the CPTPP, a major trade pact between 11 countries including major economies like Australia, Canada, Japan and Singapore that seeks to boost trade by reducing tariffs.

Vietnam's capital Hanoi drew global attention last February when it hosted the second summit between North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump. Analysts said the event significantly furthered Hanoi's diplomacy agenda, showing Vietnam as a neutral and trustworthy partner. Yet it did not lead to any deal as both sides disagreed on the process of denuclearization and lifting of sanctions over North Korea.

Lowy Institute ranking showed the U.S. remained the most powerful country in the Asia Pacific region with an overall score of 84.5, followed by China at 75.9.

The two "superpowers" were followed by Japan and India, which were classed in the group of "major powers."

Besides Vietnam, the middle powers included Russia, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Pakistan, North Korea and the Philippines.

Malaysia and Thailand rounded out the top ten most powerful Asian countries in the region, while Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Nepal sat at the bottom end of the ranking.
May 31, 2019

State ERA Friday noon! Rights for Illegals, Tax-funded Abortions,

lose Religious Liberty, lose privacy for school children

Nevada Families for Freedom

State Affiliate national Eagle Forum

Please PRAY for the Legislature and the Governor.

Room 2144 Carson

We are at an extreme disadvantage. If you can come please come to the hearing, but most of all please pray for Divine intervention.

Just posted at 10:27 pm Thursday Night

Under cover of darkness and at the last minute

4 days before the Legislature ends.

SJR8: Nevada State Equal Right Amendment will mean tax-funded abortions, rights for illegal aliens, loss of Religious liberty, taking away privacy from our children in school.

HEARING: May 31, Friday , Upon First Recess of the Senate Floor session which starts at 11:00 am, so we believe not before 12-noon. Senate Legislative Operations and Elections Room 2144 Videoconferenced to Room 4412E of the Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 E. Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV

MESSAGE: Vote No on SJR8 a so-called State ERA, which will mean Taxpayer-funded abortions, loss of religious liberty, taking away the right to privacy for our children in school and rights for illegal aliens to vote and for welfare. It is wrong to bring this up at the last minute with no opportunity for citizens to respond! (or write your own message)

SJR8: RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF 17 NEVADA, JOINTLY, That a new section, designated Section 24, be 18 added to Article 1 of the Nevada Constitution to read as follows: Sec. 24. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this State or any of its political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin.

SJR8 entire bill: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/80th2019/Bills/SJR/SJR8.pdf

What does this mean that Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of?

Sex? New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously agreed that their states ERA language mandates Taxpayer-funded Abortions. https://www.nrlc.org/federal/era/eraoped/

Sexual Orientation? Does this mean that those whose religion does not accept homosexuality and lesbianism will lose their Religious Liberty to practice their religion in their everyday lives, in their churches, businesses, jobs, and homes in teaching their children? Notice there is no protection of Religious Freedom.

Gender Identity or expression? Does this mean your child will lose their right to privacy and be forced to share bathrooms, showers, motel rooms on trips with persons who claim particular gender identity or expression which is not that of their birth?

National Origin? Does this mean Equal Rights for Illegal Aliens? The right to vote, for welfare benefits?

CONTACT: Democrats: Chair [email protected], [email protected],

Especially: [email protected]

Be sure to contact the Republicans: [email protected], [email protected]

This will go to the entire Senate immediately upon passage out of the committee

CONTACT: All Senate Democrats:

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

All Senate Republicans:

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Share your opinion on Legislative Bills:

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/Opinions/80th2019/
According to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, carbon emissions from the U.S. power sector have dropped 30 percent since 2005 (www.emissionsindex.org), because of a combination of natural gas and renewable power replacing retiring coal-fired power plants. MHPS has been instrumental in this transition and last year became the global market share leader for heavy duty gas turbines. As a next step in decarbonization, MHPS has developed gas turbine technology that enables a mixture of renewable hydrogen and natural gas to produce power with even lower carbon emissions. The MHPS technology roadmap aims to use 100 percent renewable hydrogen as a fuel source, which will allow gas turbines to produce electricity with zero carbon emissions.

Magnum Development owns and controls the only known "Gulf Coast" style domal-quality salt formation in the western United States. With five salt caverns already in operation for liquid fuels storage, Magnum is continuing to develop Compressed Air Energy Storage and renewable hydrogen storage options. Strategically located adjacent to the Intermountain Power Project, the Magnum site is positioned to integrate seamlessly with the western U.S. power grid utilizing existing infrastructure.

In many parts of the western United States, there are times of day when demand for electricity is lower than the production of renewable power. This leads to curtailment of renewable generation and negative electricity pricing. Continued deployment of renewables will require that excess power be stored for later use. To serve the needs of the entire western United States, many gigawatt-hours of storage capacity are required.

Initially developing enough energy storage to completely serve the needs of 150,000 households for an entire year, the ACES initiative will deploy four types of clean energy storage at utility scale. These energy storage technologies include:

Renewable hydrogen

Compressed Air Energy Storage

Large scale flow batteries

Solid oxide fuel cells

"For 20 years, we've been reducing carbon emissions of the U.S. power grid using natural gas in combination with renewable power to replace retiring coal-fired power generation. In California and other states in the western United States, which will soon have retired all of their coal-fired power generation, we need the next step in decarbonization. Mixing natural gas and storage, and eventually using 100 percent renewable storage, is that next step. The technologies we are deploying will store electricity on time scales from seconds to seasons of the year," said Paul Browning, President and CEO of MHPS Americas. "For example, when we add gas turbines powered with renewable hydrogen to a hydrogen storage salt-dome, we have a solution that stores and generates electricity with zero carbon emissions."

"Central Utah is the ideal location for this project, and Utah is a business friendly state for projects like this. Magnum's site adjacent to the Intermountain Power Project is positioned to take full advantage of existing regional electricity grid connections, fully developed transportation infrastructure, ample solar and wind development capacity, a skilled workforce currently transitioning away from coal, and, of course, the unique salt dome opportunity," said Craig Broussard, CEO of Magnum. "Magnum and MHPS are great partners. Magnum has the below-ground technologies necessary to store energy at utility scale, while MHPS has the above-ground technologies such as hydrogen-fired gas turbines, compressed air storage, solid oxide fuel cells and battery storage technology, to supply electricity at grid scale. With the ACES initiative, we will dramatically accelerate the vision of a western renewable energy hub that we launched over a decade ago."

"The unmatched investment and innovation brought forward by MHPS and Magnum Development to rural Utah again demonstrates the power of the forward-looking energy policy I have advanced throughout my administration. Utah continues to set the standard among states for driving next generation solutions to market," said Gov. Herbert. "I'm proud that Millard County's skilled workforce, strategic energy infrastructure and unique geological salt domes have put Utah on the map as the epicenter of utility-scale storage for the Western United States."

"The Governor's Office of Energy Development is committed to creating and building the strategic partnerships that provide local, regional and global leadership for powering a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy economy," said Laura Nelson, the Governor's energy advisor and executive director of the Governor's Office of Energy Development. "Governor Herbert's strategic energy plan continues to accelerate unprecedented investment, innovation and workforce opportunities for Utah's diverse energy landscape and provide the energy future that delivers global solutions to meet ever-evolving market demands."

The ACES project will engineer, finance, construct, own, and operate facilities to be located in Millard County, Utah. Over the coming weeks and months, additional strategic and financial partners will be invited to participate

About Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas, Inc.

Headquartered in Lake Mary, FL, MHPS Americas employs more than 2,000 people who design, manufacture, install, monitor and service natural gas, steam and geothermal power generation products, environmental control systems solutions, distributed renewable power projects and energy storage systems throughout North and South America. MHPS is the reigning annual global market share leader for Heavy Duty Gas Turbines, and is leading the development of the digital power plant of the future through its digital solutions, MHPS-TOMONI . MHPS Americas is a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Hitachi, Ltd. integrating their operations in power generation systems.

Learn more about MHPS renewable hydrogen by visiting www.changeinpower.com/acgt.

About Magnum Development

Magnum Development, LLC owns and controls the only known "Gulf Coast" style domal-quality salt formation in the western United States. Magnum was originally funded by Haddington Energy Partners III, LP in 2008 to support a variety of projects centered around a large salt body near Delta, Utah. Site viability and profitability has been proven with one business, Magnum NGLs, LLC, which was successfully developed, brought to commercialization, and sold in 2015. In March 2018, Magnum entered into a joint venture with Sawtooth by contributing its refined products business for an 8% ownership interest in the Sawtooth JV. Magnum is focused on developing multiple portfolio companies, which are in various stages of development: natural gas, Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), refined products, and industrial gases (hydrogen and helium).

Learn more about Magnum by visiting www.magnumdev.com.
ELKO  The exterior of the Wanamaker Wing at Northeastern Nevada Museum is decorated with five vertical panels that serve as visual representations of what the museum has inside. On May 29 the old, weathered images were replaced with new, vibrant wraps.

For quite some time they have been fading, said director Lauren Roovaart. We decided it was time to revamp and we got assistance from the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority.

The panels highlight the railroad, Bing Crosby, wildlife in the Wanamaker Wing, mining and cowboy culture.

Crosby was named honorary mayor of Elko in 1948 because of his residence in the county and his assistance with community events.

We tried to think about what people are really interested in when they come in here, Roovaart said. Nevada Advertising found them [the photos] for us. We discussed what would best represent the museum and they did the design.

Roovaart did not have the cost estimate on hand or the amount that ECVA donated toward the project.

According to Roovaart, this transformation has been in the works for about a year. The recent surge in rainy weather hindered the installation process. Finally, there was a break in the storm systems that have been rolling in, and Nevada Advertising Sign Co. was able to bring out their rigs and complete the work.

The rain has held us back on so many jobs, said employee Andrew Tenney.

Tenney explained that outdoor installations can be dangerous. The installers have to make sure the wind wont whip the wrap out of their hands and carry it into the street. He mentioned that lightning is also a factor.

According to Roovaart, Yesco installed the original frames and images more than five years ago. The frames were designed so that the images could easily be changed.

The direction they face gets a lot of sun, she said. This time we went for really bright and eye-catching colors. This reflects the colorful aspect of our [cowboy] boot.

Roovaart said the museum has numerous events and activities planned for the summer.

A major exhibit highlights wildlife photographer Mark Hayward. The show is focused on bird photography. There will be a reception from 6-8 p.m. June 27.

He is really excited, Roovaart said. Southwind will be playing and he has Lucianos catering. He is going to discuss his photography.

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.
ELKO  A 28-year-old Elko man was jailed on a quarter-million dollars bail Wednesday after allegedly posing as a 17-year-old on Snapchat and paying an underage girl to send him nude photos.

An Elko police officer said he was called to a church on North Fifth Street Tuesday evening after the mother of two girls reported that one of her daughters would be meeting a man there for sex.

A man later identified as Juan J. Zuniga de la Riva was seen by the mother and police pulled him over at Fifth and Copper streets.

The mother told police her daughters had been talking to a Freddy on Snapchat for about a month. One of the girls sent Freddy a nude photo and he responded by offering her $50 and some marijuana to send more. She did, and sent her sister to meet Freddy for the money, but he only gave her $33, according to the officers declaration of probable cause.

Police were shown text messages and Snapchat conversations regarding the photos.

Zuniga reportedly acknowledged receiving photos but denied they were nude. He was arrested for promotion of a sexual performance by a minor, and unlawful contact with a child.

His bail was listed at $252,500.

Love 1 Funny 18 Wow 5 Sad 4 Angry 30
Editor:

The sky-rocketing price of prescription drugs is unacceptable, and we need to find ways to help keep pharmaceuticals affordable especially for our vulnerable senior population participating in Medicare Part D. After all, the second part of the word healthcare is care!

However, the proposed Rebate Rule to Medicare Part D is the wrong approach. Under this rule, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) would be prohibited from negotiating with drug makers for rebates that are passed down to consumers in the form of lower out-of-pocket costs. This would leave Big Pharma with complete monopolistic control over the drug pricing supply chain since PBMs are the only check to the current system. With nothing to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable, theres absolutely no guarantee that the rule would lower prices.

Even worse, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) analysts predict that this proposal would raise premiums on seniors and the disabled by 25 percent, while handing Big Pharma a $137 billion bailout. But greed should never get in the way of delivering healthcare.

Without competition and accountability, drug prices will continue to skyrocket.

The only way to resolve this crisis is by increasing transparency and competition in the market. I hope Senator Cortez Masto will reject this rule and fight for Nevadas most vulnerable.

Andy Bath

Pharmacist

Economy Drug

Ely

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
After months of political campaigning, which have seen the divisions between the two main blocs on the right and left of Spanish politics deepen, two unexpected moves  from former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who was running for mayor of Barcelona, and from the leftist candidate for Madrid regional premier, Inigo Errejon  have shaken up the stalemate that has been left behind in many areas by the April 28 general election and the May 26 regional and municipal polls. Two weeks of frenetic negotiations between Spains political parties now await.

After decades of a two-party system, Spain is coming to terms with a new reality: gone are the days when the conservative Popular Party (PP) and the Socialist Party (PSOE) would take turns in office. Now there are a wealth of mainstream groups: left-wing Podemos, center-right Ciudadanos (Citizens), far-right Vox, left-wing Mas Madrid and pro-Catalan independence groups such as the Catalan Republican Left (ERC).

This Italian-style situation has been brewing for years now

This Italian-style situation has been brewing for years now, but it has been consolidated with the recent election results. It is also putting a spotlight on those who are offering Italian-style solutions, such as the Spanish-born Valls, the Ciudadanos candidate for Barcelona City Hall. He is offering his votes to the incumbent mayor, former campaigner Ada Colau, in a bid to keep control of the council out of the hands of pro-independence candidate Ernest Maragall. In the case of Inigo Errejon, formerly of Podemos but who ran for the Madrid regional government with the Mas Madrid party, he is offering to do a deal with Ciudadanos and the PSOE in order to keep the PP and Ciudadanos from relying on the support of far-right Vox to form a government both in the regional assembly and city council.

While the PSOE are very pleased about these two potential moves, Ciudadanos is increasingly uncomfortable with the way events are shaping up. The PP is also concerned about potentially losing Madrid, one of the jewels in the crown of Spanish politics, and the place from which party chief Pablo Casado is hoping to strengthen his position  he led the party to a disastrous result at the April 28 general election after shifting to the right  and launch a strong opposition to acting PSOE Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Ciudadanos chief Albert Rivera and his top negotiator, Jose Manuel Villegas, have left no doubt that they want to remain in the right-wing bloc. Ahead of the recent polls, Rivera had vowed never to do a deal with the PSOE, and showed particular animosity toward Sanchez. He feels that he has been vindicated with that strategy, having taken 57 of the 350 seats in Congress at the general elections. Speaking on Thursday on state broadcaster TVE, Villegas explained that the partys strategy is the same as the one it adopted after the inconclusive regional elections in Andalusia in December of last year: force Vox to support the formation of a Ciudadanos-PP government, without granting any concessions to the far-right party.

Ciudadanos is increasingly uncomfortable with the way events are shaping up

But this time around Vox has greater demands, and at least wants to appear in a photo with Ciudadanos, a party that was born in Catalonia out of opposition to the pro-independence drive, but which has since made the leap to the national stage. For Ciudadanos, any such meeting with Vox would not be to negotiate a deal to form a government, but rather to present them with the deal previously reached with the PP. The clear red line for Ciudadanos is that Vox cannot actually enter into municipal or regional governments. This appears feasible given that the party, which is led by former PP politician Santiago Abascal, has not made this one of its demands.

The Socialists are very happy with the move made by Errejon because it is forcing Ciudadanos to clarify its position given that it now has a clear alternative to getting into bed with Vox. Meanwhile, the PSOE is suffering its own internal tensions, given that the Unidas-Podemos group in Congress wants a coalition government and ministries for itself, rather than simply signing up to supporting Sanchez with its votes. As such, any movement that opens up the possibility of Ciudadanos lifting its self-imposed cordon sanitaire against the PSOE is welcome.

Since the outcome of the April 28 general election, which saw the PSOE take the most seats but fall well short of a majority, the party has been concerned that its only option to form a national government and pass legislation is to rely on the 42 votes from Unidas-Podemos, which is led by Pablo Iglesias. Sanchez would be much more comfortable if he could approve some reforms with the support of Podemos, and others with Ciudadanos.

This time around Vox has greater demands to make

But for now, Rivera still appears unwilling to support the acting prime minister in Spains lower house of parliament, and seems determined to continue to focus on his battle with the PP for the center-right. Ciudadanos is under pressure from rivals and the conservative media alike to refuse a deal to make PSOE candidate Angel Gabilondo the regional premier in Madrid, in exchange for their own candidate, Begona Villacis, being voted in as mayor in the Spanish capital.

If Rivera refuses to play ball, as the current situation suggests, the PSOE and Podemos will end up back where they started: with Podemos demanding a coalition government and ministries in exchange for its support for the PSOE. But a number of Socialist leaders point to a problem. While Sanchez is more or less guaranteed to be voted back in as prime minister at an investiture vote, given that Iglesias is not in a position to force new elections, there will be dozens of votes in Congress every week, at which the 42 seats held by Unidas-Podemos will be of vital importance.

If Sanchez cant count on the support of Ciudadanos, he cant begin the term in a situation of confrontation with Iglesias, and as such a solution will have to be found that spares the left-wing party humiliation. Politics is the art of what you dont see, one of the negotiators summed up. In the coming weeks, little will be seen but there will be plenty of movement behind the scenes. The solutions will begin to take shape on June 15, when the mayors are voted in. Until then, anything could happen.

English version by Simon Hunter.
By Ritah Kemigisa.

A total of 3,263 foreign nationals were involved in crime in 2018 throughout the country.

This is according to the police annual crime report of the year 2018.

According to the director Criminal investigations Grace Akullo, 2,069 were accused while a total of 1,194 were victims of crime for a period covering January to December 2018.

The report shows that majority of the foreigners were involved in immigration acts with Rwandans topping the list at 1085 registered cases followed by Congolese at 185.

Meanwhile 92 Congolese, 65 Sudanese and 109 Rwandans were involved in both defilement and Theft crimes.

Over 300 Asian nations were victims of crime followed by 207 Congolese nationals, 204 South Sudanese nationals and 141 Rwandan nationals among others.
A man suspected by the Spanish police of sharing a sexually explicit video of a woman who later committed suicide walked into a police station on Thursday at 4pm.

The suspect was taken to central headquarters in Madrid, where he was questioned about the case and denied having sent out the video that triggered the suicide of V. R., a 32-year-old mother of two who worked at an auto factory.

The woman was found dead inside her home on Saturday after allegedly enduring weeks of humiliation at work, where numerous colleagues had apparently shared the video through messaging apps such as WhatsApp.

Police sources said the suspects statements did not justify his arrest, and he was let go. A judge will now examine his deposition and decide whether to summon him to a hearing in court.

On Thursday, a court in Alcala de Henares, the victims place of residence, launched an investigation into discovery and revelation of secrets, considered a crime under section 197.7 of the Criminal Code. Prosecutors are also investigating the case, as is the Spanish Data Protection Agency.

There were five files containing sexually explicit videos, according to sources familiar with the case, who said the woman had been enduring pressure and anguish for many weeks.

People will tell you what they know, what they dont know but believe, or else what theyve heard

Iveco employee

The videos were made five years ago with a former partner, and V. R. had since married and had a four-year-old child and a months-old baby.

These images ended up on the cellphones of work colleagues at Iveco, a multinational manufacturer of industrial vehicles. V. R. worked at the companys San Blas-Canillejas factory in Madrid.

Her sister-in-law, who also works at the factory, eventually found out about the videos. So did her husband, reportedly one day before the suicide.

At the company, which employs around 2,500 workers, there were different versions of what happened. People will tell you what they know, what they dont know but believe, or else what theyve heard, said one employee. The only truth is that [the video] was making the rounds on several cellphones, who knows how many, and that last week there were little groups talking about it and the story spread.

The Iveco plant in Madrid. Uly Martin

Another worker said it is impossible for everyone to have been aware of the situation. There are a great many of us, and this place is huge. Many found out on Monday, when everything had already happened.

V. R. was one of 500 female workers on staff at a plant where women represent 23% of all employees. She started out driving forklifts, and was later transferred to the axles department, where shed been working for several years.

Since Monday, Iveco employees have been expressing their grief and saying that everyone is responsible to some degree for what happened.

Olvido Hormigos and the Criminal Code On September 5, 2012, the town of Los Yebenes (Toledo) was overrun with reporters attending the plenary session of the local council. The reason: a Socialist lawmaker, Olvido Hormigos, was expected to resign over a private video that somebody shared. In two hours the whole town had seen it, she explained. But Hormigos did not step down. There are much worse things in politics, and after all, I didnt commit any crime. How have I hurt anyone? I am a victim, she said. Her case triggered a change to the Criminal Code, which now punishes those who disseminate intimate material without authorization, even if the images were originally obtained with consent.

English version by Susana Urra.
The acting Spanish government on Friday filed an official complaint over a report from a United Nations working group that has concluded that the detention of three of the Catalan independence leaders ahead of their trial for their role in the secessionist drive of 2017 was arbitrary.

The former deputy premier of the northeastern Spanish region, Oriol Junqueras of the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), and the former leaders of two civil pro-independence associations, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, were among a number of defendants ordered to be held in custody in the wake of the illegal referendum on secession from Spain held in October 2017 and the subsequent unilateral declaration of independence passed by the regional parliament. It is the pre-trial custody of these three men that the UN report focuses on.

The Foreign Ministry went as far as to say that the timing of the publication of the report was seeking to influence the ongoing trial

Five of the other politicians involved in the secessionist drive  including then-premier Carles Puigdemont  fled Spain in the wake of the events of 2017 and are still wanted for arrest by the Spanish authorities. Flight risk and the possibility of reoffending were among the reasons that prompted the Spanish Supreme Court to order that nine defendants in total be held behind bars until the trial concludes.

Earlier in the week, the acting Spanish government of Socialist Party (PSOE) Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reacted harshly to the UN working groups findings, stating that by calling for the three men to be released from jail while their Supreme Court trial is still in progress, the authors were not respecting the separation of powers in Spain. The Foreign Ministry also went as far as to say that the timing of the publication of the report was seeking to influence the ongoing trial, and voiced its doubts over the independence and impartiality of the authors.

It is particularly serious that this working group has released its report shortly before the Supreme Court case against the defendants is about to pass judgment, a statement from the ministry read. These are deplorable circumstances that could be interpreted as interference in an ongoing criminal process. The three men in question are facing charges including sedition, rebellion and misuse of funds and could face up to 25 years in jail for their role in the secessionist drive.

The Catalan regional premier, Quim Torra, called the opinion of the experts, who do not speak in the name of the UN, devastating

The ministry went on to call on the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to reinforce the rigor, independence and equanimity of its work and stay alert to manipulation attempts.

The Spanish government pointed out that practically at the same time as the non-binding opinion was published, the European Court of Human Rights had rejected a case filed by pro-independence leaders covering an alleged breach of their human rights  a conclusion that was the opposite to the findings of the UN working group. These procedures, which are hugely important, cannot be perverted by actions such as this one, the secretary of state for global Spain, Irene Lozano, told EL PAIS. They are being manipulated.

The Catalan regional premier, Quim Torra, called the opinion of the experts, who do not speak in the name of the UN, devastating, saying that he would be requesting that the public prosecutor call on the Supreme Court to drop all of the accusations and immediately free the politicians being held in custody.

The 19-page report was passed on to Spain on May 27, despite having been approved on April 25

The UN working group that produced the opinion examines cases of possible breaches of rights in detentions. The lawyers of the three men in question took their clients case to the group, which concluded that the jailing of Junqueras and the Jordis, as the two men are known, had more to do with their pro-independence views than real offenses. The text omits the fact that the October 1 referendum was declared unconstitutional by Spains top courts, and goes as far as to suggest that such a plebiscite is permitted under Spanish law, which is not the case.

The 19-page report was passed on to Spain on May 27, despite having been approved on April 25, according to the date on the last page of the document. The text echoes many of the arguments used by supporters of Catalan independence, including claims that the three men were accused of sedition in relation to a peaceful protest on September 20 and 21, 2017, in reference to the altercations that took place outside the Catalan economy ministry while the Civil Guard tried to carry out a search there.

The report dedicates nearly six pages to the pro-independence side of events, compared to barely three covering the central governments views.

On Friday, it emerged that the Spanish government had sent three notes verbales  a communication used for a diplomatic complaint from one country to another institution or state  over the irregularities it had observed in the procedure, according to sources from the Foreign Ministry. The ministry is calling for two of the three UN working group members to be recused.

Acting Foreign Minister Josep Borrell is due today to send a protest letter to the UN's high commissioner for human rights

Conflict of interest

The first note alludes to the fact that the document was leaked to the lawyers of the pro-independence leaders at the same time as it was delivered to the Spanish government  normally there should be a delay of 48 hours before this is done. The other two notes call for the opinion from the working group to be revised. The Spanish government is basing this on a conflict of interest between the members of the group and the lawyer Ben Emmerson, who is representing Junqueras and the Jordis. At least two members of the working group  the Mexican Jose Guevara, who signed the text, and the South Korean Seong-Phil Hong  had worked previously with Emmerson.

Spain is calling for the pair to be recused. Acting government spokesperson Isabel Celaa said on Friday that if the relationship between the lawyer and the working group had been known, their abstention would have been demanded. Acting Foreign Minister Josep Borrell is due today to send a protest letter to the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to express his unease over the situation.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Pharmaceuticals market in Ukraine has grown by 11 percent a year on average in the last three years, reads the infographic guide Pharmaceutics of Ukraine 2019, made by the company Top Lead with support of pharmaceutical firm Darnitsa, law firm Aequo and Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce.

For the fourth year in a row we observe the growth of a pharmacy segment, expressed in physical terms and in money, the authors of the study claim.

In 2014 Ukrainian pharmacies sold 973 million medical agents, in 2016  1.115 billion, and in 2018  1.44 billion worth $2.5 billion, $2 billion and $2.7 billion respectfully.

Pharmacy sector is a basis for the pharmaceuticals market in Ukraine, the guide reads, with 87 percent of all medical agents being sold through it.

The hospitals market of medical agents in Ukraine has been growing by 7 percent on average a year during the last three years.

In 2014 hospitals bought 132 million medical agents worth $ 400 million, in 2016  5o million worth $300 and in 2018  134 million medical agents worth $ 400 million.

The authors of the guide point out that pharmaceuticals sales growth is the world trend. If 10 years ago the global sales of pharmaceuticals were growing approximately by 15 percent a year, today that growth index doubled.

In 2016 the worlds pharmaceuticals sales volume made $804 billion, and in 2019 it is expected to grow to$911 billion.

Annual global pharmaceuticals sales volume will grow from todays $ 911 billion to $ 1.25 trillion by 2024 if to believe the forecasts. Ukraine will become a part of this growth, said Dmytro Shymkiv, the chairman of the executive board of the PRJSC Pharmaceutical firm Darnitsa ruling company.
The Economic Court of Kyiv on May 31, 2019 will consider the case on the lawsuit of businessman Ihor Kolomoisky against the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and PrivatBank to invalidate five credit refinancing agreements and five personal guarantee agreements of Kolomoisky under these credit agreements, the NBU's website reports.

"The National Bank of Ukraine draws attention that such a claim and the stated claims are Kolomoisky's attempt to stop and further make it impossible to consider the cases initiated by the NBU in Switzerland, which indicates Kolomoisky's unwillingness to fulfill his obligations under surety agreements," the report says.

In December 2018, the NBU applied to the first instance of the court of the Republic and the Canton of Geneva at the place of residence of Kolomoisky with the aim of recovering the debt from him as a financial guarantor to the NBU.

In 2016, Kolomoisky, who at that time was a co-owner of a significant stake in PrivatBank, concluded surety agreements with the National Bank and, of his own free will, pledged himself to fulfill the requirements of the NBU for the return of refinancing loans received by PrivatBank in 2008-2014. Both in fact and legally Kolomoisky remains a debtor to the NBU on these loans of PrivatBank, the debt on which today reaches UAH 9.2 billion, the report says.
Supreme Court decides not to freeze assets of Ukrainian subsidiaries of banks with Russian public capital

The Supreme Court has dismissed a claim of the private law enforcer and left rulings of Kyiv's court of appeals, which lifted the order to freeze movable and immovable property of Sberbank, VTB Bank and Prominvestbank (all based in Kyiv), unchanged.

The rulings of the Supreme Court were published in the unified register of court rulings.

Kyiv's court of appeals froze property of these banks to secure a claim filed by companies of businessman Ihor Kolomoisky to execute awards of Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague to collect t$130.5 million and interest from the Russian Federation in the person of the Justice Ministry of Russia as compensation for immovable property seized in Crimea after the annexation of the peninsula.

As reported, 18 legal entities and ex-board chairman of PrivatBank Oleksandr Dubilet in June 2015 filed a lawsuit with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague against the Russian Federation in connection with the seizure of their property in Crimea based on the Ukraine-Russia bilateral investment treaty signed in 1998.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on May 2, 2018 said that the Tribunal issued its unanimous Award on the Merits, addressing issues pertaining to liability and damages.

In July 2018, all 18 legal entities and Dubilet appealed to the Kyiv Court of Appeals seeking to declare valid the award of Permanent Court of Arbitration and collect sums from the debtor  Russia as compensation for real estate.

New law in the Code of Civil Procedure of Ukraine was applied to confirm pro-arbitration and in pursuance to Part 3 of Article 152 of the Code of Civil Procedure in August 2018 the claimants filed a petition to secure the claim to the Kyiv Court of Appeals. They claimants sought to seize the shares of Prominvestbank, Sberbank and VTB Bank and ban any actions aimed at selling property.

By the ruling dated September 5, 2018, Kyiv's court of appeals, acting as the court of lower instance, granted the application for securing the claim, and by the ruling dated September 25 of the same year - the application for recognition and the granting of permission to enforce the award of the Hague arbitration.

The Supreme Court, by its decision dated January 25, 2019, rejected the appeals against the ruling of Kyiv's court of appeals dated September 25, 2018, by which the court recognized and allowed to execute the decision of the Hague arbitration court.

The Supreme Court also partially granted appeals against another ruling of Kyiv's court of appeals dated September 5, 2018, about securing a lawsuit freezing shares of Ukrainian subsidiaries of Russian banks with state participation: VTB, Prominvestbank and Sberbank.

In November 2018, the freeze of the property was lifted.
At a meeting with French Foreign Ministers Jean-Yves Le Drian and Heiko Maas, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky declared his readiness to visit these countries at the invitation of their leaders.

"Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed willingness to visit France and Germany at the invitation of the leaders of these countries," the presidential press service of Ukraine said following the meeting with the ministers in Kyiv on Thursday.

Zelensky noted the special role of France and Germany in resolving the situation in east of Ukraine, in particular in the framework of the Normandy format.

"I would like to once again express gratitude to President of France Emmanuel Macron for congratulations on winning the elections and for the meeting before I became President of Ukraine. Also, I would like to express gratitude to the German side for having a very substantive conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the priority tasks in east Ukraine, the end of the war, the implementation of the Minsk agreements," the president said.

The parties exchanged views on the preconditions and further steps aimed to intensify the negotiations on Donbas. Zelensky also emphasized that his priority was to return all Ukrainian captives.

For their part, the leaders of the foreign policy departments of France and Germany noted the progress of Ukraine in developing cooperation with the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance, and confirmed their willingness to further promote the European and Euro-Atlantic policy of our country, as well as the reforms.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Danyliuk notes that President Volodymyr Zelensky currently does not have direct contacts with the authorities of the Russian Federation, and Ukraine is developing its position in the negotiations on a settlement in Donbas, and then it will be discussed in the Normandy format.

"Volodymyr Zelensky does not conduct such talks. We adhere to our position that a bargaining position must first be formed, and then it will be discussed in the Normandy format. This is the rule we will follow," he said in the program Pravo na Vladu aired by the television channel 1+1 on Thursday.

"We may like it or not, but this format has existed for several years and a lot of political processes and decisions are connected with this format, in particular, decisions about sanctions, from which the Russian economy is now seriously suffering and this is a very serious factor in the negotiations," the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine specified.
There are a number of "creative" ideas for invigorating the Minsk peace process, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential executive office Vadym Prystaiko said.

"We agreed that the Minsk [process] will be used and that its activity, which was stopped, should start anew now. There are already certain creative ideas, which we discussed. We will be able to share them, when our experts will work on them and reach some specific decisions," Prystaiko told reporters following the meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the French and German foreign ministers on Thursday.

For a meeting between the Normandy Four leaders they should have "something specific on the table" they will discuss, Prystaiko said.

"This is preceded by major work at all levels. We are going to renovate the work of the Trilateral Contact Group soon, and these decisions will be made in one or two days," he said.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Danyliuk has said that the meeting of the leaders of the participating countries of the Normandy format to resolve the situation in Donbas could take place in mid-July.

"Today the meeting of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Foreign Ministers of France and Germany took place, where 90% of the time was devoted for discussion of the Minsk process. We will continue such an active dialogue and will be getting ready for a meeting in the Normandy format. This could happen somewhere in mid-July, there is such a plan," he said on the Pravo na Vladu (Righ to Power) program on 1 + 1 TV channel on Thursday.

Danyliuk also noted that a composition of representatives from Ukraine in the Trilateral Contact Group will be appointed in the near future.
Co-owner of Kvartal-95 group Borys Shefir has said that if there is a strong desire it is possible to agree with Russian officials to end the war in Donbas.

"It is necessary to end it [the war]  If we really want to, then we can agree [with the Russians]," he said in an interview published by the Kyiv-based Detektor-Media ezine.

Shefir said it is not possible "in any case" to end the war on the enemy's terms.

"It's written in our election program that if people who are materially interested in a war are removed, it's over. In this case, the former president and his entourage were interested in continuing the war. We've removed them, and I'm sure it [the war] will die down," he said.

"Yes, he [Russian President Vladimir Putin] has imperial ambitions. But we can agree with him. And if not, we will declare a real war. What is this fighting with one hand and selling with the other hand?" he said.

Shefir added that he thinks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky does not intend remain in his position for long.

"Our president is an unusual president. He is not going to earn money in this position. He won't stay there for long.  Our president says, 'I will bring order and I will return to my business.' I don't know if he will succeed, but he is going to try," Shefir said.

Speaking about the language quotas on television and radio, Shefir said all bans are bad.

"Quotas and bans are bad. All of them. They contradict the Constitution of Ukraine. Article 10 dealing with the state language is never fully quoted.  [Introducing language] quotas is not development, but language suppression. Of course, the Ukrainian language needs to be supported and developed, but not by using quotas," he said.

Borys Shefir is responsible for television production at the Kvartal 95 group. Among his priorities is the expansion of cooperation with other television channels, in addition with dealing with the 1+1 media group.
Zerkal to head Ukrainian delegation at hearings of UN Tribunal on dispute with Russia on violation of rights in Black, Azov Seas and Kerch Strait

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has created a delegation of Ukraine to participate in the hearings of the UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on the dispute between Ukraine and Russia on the rights of the coastal state in the Black and Azov Seas and in the Kerch Strait.

Corresponding presidential decree of Zelensky No. 339/2019 of May 30, 2019 was published on the website of the head of state.

According to the document, the hearings will be held in the city of The Hague (Kingdom of the Netherlands) on June 10-14.

The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for European integration Olena Zerkal (agent of Ukraine).

The delegation will also include Ambassador of Ukraine to the Netherlands Vsevolod Chentsov (deputy head of the delegation), director general of the State Joint-Stock Chornomornaftogaz Svitlana Nezhnova, first deputy director general of the State Joint-Stock Company Chornomornaftogaz Andriy Kondratov, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine and the State Border Service.

The president instructed the head of the delegation to carry out, with the involvement of representatives of state bodies, the preparation and submission of procedural documents, positional, evidential and other materials determined by the UN arbitration tribunal.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is instructed to provide funding for the costs associated with the participation of the delegation of Ukraine in the hearings of the arbitral tribunal.
Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars leader Refat Chubarov has said he and Crimean leaders are ready to share information with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to help secure the release the Ukrainian citizens held in Russia and in Russia-occupied Crimea, the Krym.Realii ezine said.

"We are ready to share as much as possible of our ideas about what has been done before, what is being done and, most importantly, what needs to be done," Chubarov said.

"The president, who will set himself the goal of restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine, the president, whose actions will be aimed at ensuring rights in Russia-occupied Crimea, cannot avoid Crimea and the Crimean Tatar problem," he said.

Also, the head of the Mejlis added that the new presidential administration "seems to be exploring where to start."
Radical Party leader Oleh Liashko has said the transcript of the May 21 meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and parliament faction leaders is incomplete and demands releasing the full version of the discussion.

"I declare the transcript was released in censored form," Liashko said during a plenary parliament session on Friday.

Liashko said the transcript does not contain his words saying that if the president does not follow the Constitution of Ukraine then he will wind up like Pinochet and "be persecuted for his entire life."

Liashko said he reminded the president about Pinochet but this is not included in the transcript of the discussion.

"In this transcript, which was made public yesterday, this excerpt from my conversation with President Zelensky is missing. ... I demand Zelensky publish the video recording of the meeting ... and make public the complete transcript, without censorship," he said.

The leader of the faction added that he remembers what the other participants in the meeting, including Parliament Chairman Andriy Parubiy, were talking about. He said some of their statements were omitted.

"Why is President Zelensky practicing censorship? Let Ukrainians draw their own conclusions," he said.

Parubiy agreed with Liashko, noting that the transcript was published with changes.

"Colleagues, I want to confirm that there are indeed some text twists in the transcript, some sentences have been left out," he said.

As reported, a transcript of Zelensky's meeting with Rada leaders on May 21, 2019 was published on the website of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine on May 30 during the evening.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he hopes for the continuation of sanctions against Russia until the return of all Russia-occupied territories to Ukraine, the website of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine has said.

"I thank you for the support of the sanctions policy against Russia and I hope that it will be continued until all Ukrainian territories are returned," Zelensky said at a meeting with Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz in Kyiv on Friday.

Zelensky thanked the foreign ministers for their support in defending Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for their efforts to secure the release of Ukrainian prisoners. The president also said the war on corruption, poverty and economic stagnation is "the second front" of Ukraine.

The Polish and Swedish foreign ministers confirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine's efforts to defend its territorial integrity, return Ukrainian prisoners illegally captured by Russia, as well as on issues involving Ukraine's integration with the European Union.

In the context of the 10th anniversary of the EU's Eastern Partnership initiative this year, Zelensky said it is of critical importance for Ukraine to preserve positive achievements made in recent years and accelerate the fulfillment of the Association Agreement and other systemic changes. Zelensky also assured Ukraine's European partners that the country would continue deepening integration with the European Union and NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pointed out the need to demonopolize Ukrainian energy markets, but warned of possible risks linked to the introduction of the new model of the electricity market from July 1, 2019.

According to the press service of the president of Ukraine, Zelensky held a meeting on Friday with the participation of members of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) devoted to energy security.

During the meeting, the president recalled that one of the obligations of Ukraine to the European Union is to reform the energy sector, and the key thing here is the demonopolization of energy markets. The next stage of the electricity market is to be launched from July 1.

"However, in the conditions of complete monopolization, risks may arise for producers, consumers, and the economy of Ukraine as a whole. International partners warn us of this," Zelensky said.

Today, the energy issues were discussed in a meeting format, and "appropriate decisions will be made in two weeks."

During the meeting, Zelensky said that in 2014-2018, coal mining by state-run enterprises of Ukraine decreased 47%. And the Ukrainian economy is critically dependent on energy imports, and very little has been done to obtain them from various sources.

"Despite encouraging words, gas production is not growing. Tomorrow is summer, but winter is close. And we should prepare for the heating season," Zelensky said.

The head of state also recalled that on Wednesday, May 29, he visited the Lisova mine in Lviv region, where two miners were killed, and expressed condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

"Two years ago, eight miners died at the Stepoya mine of state-owned enterprise Lvivvuhillia. Recently, 17 miners died at the Skhidkarbon mine near Luhansk. These are all our people. Problems in the coal industry have common roots, no matter where they arise," the president said.

Zelensky said that over the past week he has been in two places, where Ukrainians are dying.

"If bullets and shells are killing in the frontline, then in the rear there is irresponsibility, mismanagement and corruption," Zelensky said.
KYIV. May 31 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Civil activists and Members of Parliament of Ukraine have called on political parties in Ukraine to adhere to the 30% gender quota in party lists in early parliamentary elections.

"Today we want to appeal to the heads of all political parties, to draw their attention to the existence of the law On Political Parties of Ukraine. Please follow the norms of the law on political parties in Ukraine and introduce gender quotas on a completely voluntary basis," MP and Chairwoman of the Rada's subcommittee on gender equality and non-discrimination Iryna Suslova said during a press conference at the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Wednesday.

Suslova said women are currently represented at the level of 11.8% in Ukrainian politics.
Hosting a reception for the Cambodian guest, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Tran Thanh Man said the relations have been cemented over the recent past through the regular exchange of visits by leaders of the two countries in the spirit of friendship and high trust.

Man asked the parliament and front of Cambodia to continue supporting the border demarcation and border post planting, as well as the Vietnamese front in successfully holding the conference on building the Vietnam-Cambodia border of peace, friendship and cooperation for joint development in 2020 in Vietnam.

The Cambodian official and front should table proposals for local administrations to facilitate the life and work of the people of the Vietnamese origin in Cambodia, he said.

For his part, the top Cambodian legislator expressed his joy at the unceasing development in all fields of the bilateral relations. He also spoke highly of the major achievements Vietnam has recorded in various spheres.

He also emphasised that the exchange of delegations and the participation at conferences of the two countries fronts have brought about fine outcomes in the coordination of work between the two organisations, thus creating a firm foundation for them to continue strengthening their relations of traditional and comprehensive cooperation and friendship.
A diver prepares to dive to the wreckage under Margaret Bridge in Budapest, Hungary, Friday. Seven people are confirmed dead and seven have been rescued, while 21 people remain missing in the waters. AP-Yonhap



Korea seeks collaboration with countries along river



By Lee Min-hyung



Korea joined Hungary in search and rescue operations, Friday, for Korean tourists missing from the capsized sightseeing boat Hableany on the Danube River in Budapest, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



This comes two days after the boat carrying 33 Koreans sank after a collision with a larger sightseeing vessel. However, little progress has so far been made due to harsh weather conditions.



"I asked for an early raising of the sunken boat, and the expansion of the scope of search operations to neighboring countries along the river," Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said during a press conference with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto after arriving at the site.



Kang headed for Budapest to coordinate with the Hungarian authorities' search and rescue efforts there, and seek collaboration with neighboring countries through which the river flows.



Inclement weather conditions, the fast flow of the river and low visibility in the water are blocking operations. Kang asked the Hungarian government to set up nets around the wreckage to prevent bodies from being carried away.



Twenty-one people, including 19 Koreans and two Hungarian crew members, are still missing following the tragedy on the Danube in the Hungarian capital, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. As of 10 p.m., Friday, seven Koreans have been confirmed to have died while seven survived out of the 35 people on board the Hableany (Mermaid in English).



Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho said the ministry has requested Hungary's neighboring countries, Serbia, Romania, Croatia and the Ukraine, to cooperate in the search for the missing people.



The ministry views search operations need to be extended downstream into these countries as the missing tourists may have been swept along by the fast-flowing river.




At the meeting with Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Minh congratulated the Japanese people on the coronation of Emperor Naruhito, which marked the beginning of the Reiwa era.



He expressed his delight at the two countries extensive strategic partnership, which is developing comprehensively and substantively with high political trust.



Deputy PM Minh affirmed that Vietnam always sees Japan as a leading and long-term partner.



For his part, PM Abe applauded the outcomes of the 11th meeting of the bilateral Cooperation Committee, noting his country also views Vietnam as an important partner in the region and will continue supporting its development.



He also spoke highly of Vietnams contributions to the organisation of the second summit between the US and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea in Hanoi last February.



The PM added that the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), to which both sides are parties, will encourage more Japanese firms to invest in Vietnam.



Both host and guest agreed to coordinate closely for the success of the G20 Summit scheduled to take place in Osaka this June.



Meeting with Speaker of the House of Representatives Tadamori Oshima and Speaker of the House of Councillors Chuichi Date of Japan, the Vietnamese Deputy PM and Foreign Minister asked the two leaders to continue helping to promote cooperation between the countries parliaments, especially between young legislators.

Deputy PM Minh (left) and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tadamori Oshima (Photo: VNA)

He asked the Japanese parliament to support the Japanese government to enhance ties with Vietnam, encourage their countrys enterprises to boost investment and business activities in the Southeast Asian nation, and create more favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community there.



Speaker Tadamori Oshima highlighted the growth of bilateral relations while highly valuing Vietnams stature and recent diplomatic achievements. He promised to step up exchanges and cooperation between the two parliaments and create optimal conditions for Vietnamese people to work and study in Japan.

Minister Minh and Speaker of the House of Councillors Chuichi Date (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

Meanwhile, Speaker Chuichi Date noted with satisfaction that Japan has been the top investor in Vietnam for two straight years. He also affirmed that he will help bolster ties between the two legislatures, especially between young lawmakers, and encourage more Japanese firms to invest and do business in Vietnam.



Talking to President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Shinichi Kitaoka, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Minh appreciated Japans official development assistance (ODA), which has greatly contributed to Vietnams socio-economic development.



He asked Japan to continue the practical provision of ODA for the fields Vietnam has demand for.



The JICA leader affirmed that Vietnam is a leading partner of his agency, which hopes to continue cooperation to carry out ODA projects effectively in the country.

Deputy PM Minh and Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith (Photo: VNA)



At the meeting with Lao PM Thongloun Sisoulith, the Vietnamese official hailed the strong development of the two countries traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation.



PM Thongloun Sisoulith congratulated Vietnam on its diplomatic and socio-economic attainments, voicing his hope that ministries and sectors of their countries will increase experience sharing.



During the event, the two sides also informed each other on the current affairs in their respective nations and discussed ways to reinforce collaboration in many areas.
Iran today announced its exit from certain obligations under the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement and gave a 60-day deadline to world powers to protect Irans interests against U.S. sanctions, or it will restart high-level uranium enrichment.

At the same time, Iran President Hassan Rouhani in a speech declared that Irans current policy is not war, but diplomacy. Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced that his country is not exiting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA), or the nuclear agreement with world powers.

Iran announced its decisions first by a National Security Council official statement, followed by Rouhanis televised speech.

Irans move falls on the exact day to a year of the U.S. decision to withdraw from JCPOA, on May 8 2018. The U.S. decision was followed by imposing stringent economic sanctions on Iran that have crippled the countrys economy, by choking off its banking relations and oil exports.

In a speech broadcast on national television, Rouhani said the remaining signatories - Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia - had 60 days to make good on their promises to protect Iran's oil and banking sectors.

Rouhani has also written to the leaders of those countries, saying it will start rolling back some of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal on Wednesday, and will no longer sell enriched uranium and heavy water to other nations. "If the five countries came to the negotiating table and we reached an agreement, and if they could protect our interests in oil and banking sectors, we will go back to square one (and will resume our commitments)," Rouhani said.

Rouhani warned of a firm response if Iran's nuclear case is referred again to the United Nations Security Council, but said Tehran was ready for negotiations over its nuclear programme. "The Iranian people and the world should know that today is not the end of the JCPOA," Rouhani said, using the acronym for the nuclear deal. "These are actions in line with the JCPOA."

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also tweeted "After a year of patience, Iran stops measures that US has made impossible to continue."

Sources at the French presidency said on Tuesday that international sanctions could be reimposed on Iran if it reneges on commitments under its nuclear deal.

Irans national security council statement called President Donald Trumps decisions to withdraw from JCPOA and impose sanctions illegal and to defend its interests, Iran will resort to articles 26 and 36 of the agreement.

The two articles are about partial or total suspension of JCPOAs implementation, and informing the United Nations organization of the other parties' lack of commitment to the agreement.

In his speech Rouhani told other signatories which are still committed to the deal that if within 60 days they do not give the necessary commitments, Iran will take two additional steps.

At the same time when Irans statement was released and Rouhani delivered his speech, ambassadors of United Kingdom, France, Germany, China and Russia were called to the foreign ministry to receive a letter from Rouhani, laying out Irans position.

The first week of May was marked by rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Washington citing warnings of planned Iranian provocations hastened the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and B-52 bombers to the region. On May 7, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo unexpectedly flew to Iraq to receive guarantees from Irans neighbor to protect U.S. interests.

With reporting by Reuters, IRNA
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that his country will not surrender to U.S. pressure even if it is bombed, amid growing tensions between Tehran and Washington.



Rouhani made the comments on May 23, as Iran's top military chief warned that any enemy "adventurism" would meet a crushing response.



Relations between Tehran and Washington have plummeted since President Donald Trump a year ago pulled the United States out of a 2015 nuclear accord between world powers and Iran that curbed the countrys nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions.



Since then, Washington has stepped up its rhetoric and reimposed sanctions.



Earlier this month, the United States beefed up its military presence in the Middle East and Persian Gulf, citing "imminent threats" from Tehran, prompting growing concerns of a possible military conflict with Iran.



Tehran denied the allegations.



Addressing a ceremony commemorating the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, Rouhani said that the Iranians have not bowed to pressures despite facing difficulties in their lives, according to the official IRNA news agency.



He told a group of veterans that Iran will not "withdraw from independence and dignity even if our land is bombed."



Earlier in the day, the semiofficial Fars news agency quoted the Iranian Army's chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, as saying that the U.S.-Iran standoff was a "clash of wills."



Baqeri warned that Iran would have a "hard, crushing and obliterating response" for any enemy "adventurism."



European backers of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal -- Britain, France, Germany -- have been trying to salvage the agreement, but Tehran has complained that the process is too slow. The other signatories are Russia and China.



Earlier this month, Iran said it was suspending several commitments under the deal, and threatened to step up uranium enrichment if European countries did not act to protect it from the effects of the U.S. sanctions.

'Aggressive Rhetoric'



Kayvan Khosravi, a spokesman for the Supreme National Security Council, on May 23 reiterated that Iran will not hold talks with the United States "under any circumstances," IRNA reported.



Khosravi also urged the other signatories to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal to fulfill their commitments as its patience was running thin.



"As long as the rights of our nation are not satisfied, as long as words don't change into action, our path will stay the same as now," he said.



In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Washington of trying to provoke Iran into a direct confrontation by "imposing sanctions, piling on such military pressure, and using aggressive rhetoric."



Zakharova made the comments as Reuters reported that the Pentagon is analyzing a U.S. military request to send 5,000 more troops to the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he doubted the United States needs to send more troops to the Middle East to counter Iran, but that he was willing to consider such plans.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan earlier confirmed that the Pentagon was considering sending additional U.S. troops to the region, but he denied that specific numbers of troops were being considered at this point.

"What we're looking at is: Are there things that we can do to enhance force protection in the Middle East?" Shanahan said. "It may involve sending additional troops."



Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has arrived in Islamabad to hold talks with Pakistani officials on May 24.

Upon arriving in the Pakistani capital, Zarif called on the international community to take steps to counter the United States' "aggressive" and "bullying approach" against Iran, according to Fars.



"Currently our region is in a very critical situation and dangerous measures are being formed in the region, so we need consultations with all our neighbors," Zarif said.



In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said that "the situation in the region is serious and needs to be addressed through dialogue by all parties."



"We expect all sides to show restraint, as any miscalculated move, can transmute into a large-scale conflict," the ministry added.

With reporting by Reuters, TASS, AFP, AP, and RFE/RLs Radio Mashaal
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for what he called "decisive" action by Pakistan in the wake of a deadly suicide attack in a border area.

During a telephone call on March 9, Rouhani told Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan that inaction by Islamabad could jeopardize relations between the countries, Irans state news agency IRNA reported.

Twenty-seven members of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) were killed in in a suicide car bombing near the border with Pakistan on February 13.

The Sunni Muslim extremist group Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for the attack in southeastern Iran. The group claims it is seeking better conditions for Iran's ethnic Baluchi minority.

In his telephone call with Rouhani on March 9, Khan said Pakistani forces had come close to the terrorists' hideout and there would soon be "good news" for Iran, IRNA reported.

Based on reporting by AP and IRNA
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said he is seeking expanded, wartime executive powers to deal with an economic war being waged against the country by the United States.

Relations between Tehran and Washington have plummeted since last year when U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the 2015 nuclear deal which curbed Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions.

Since then, Washington has stepped up its rhetoric and reimposed sanctions.

There have been growing concerns of a possible military conflict with the United States, which has warned of "imminent threats" from Tehran, a claim Iran has denied.

Rouhani cited the devastating war with Iraq from 1980-88, when a Supreme Council of War was able to bypass other branches to make decisions regarding the economy and the war effort.

"We need such powers today," Rouhani said late May 20, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

The president also said that he favors talks and diplomacy to deescalate tensions with Washington but not under current conditions.

"Today's situation is not suitable for talks and our choice is resistance only," IRNA quoted Rouhani as saying.

Based on reporting by IRNA and AP
Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi has announced that his country will send delegations to Washington and Tehran to help ease tensions between the United States and Iran.

Iraq is one of the few countries in the world that has close relations with both the U.S. and Iran.

Abdul Mahdi also said that both countries have told Iraq they have no desire in fighting a war. He added that there are no groups in Iraq who would want to push for a war.

Teo days earlier, a rocket fired at Baghdads Green Zone landed less than a kilometer from the U.S. embassy, prompting President Donald Trump to tweet a stern warning to Tehran. Iran controls several militias in Iraq and the U.S. is concerned that they could be used in proxy attacks against its interests.

Abdul-Mahdi said Iraq is "playing a role to calm the situation but it is not a mediation." He said he will visit Kuwait on Wednesday to discuss regional issues.

Some Iraqi influential politicians voiced concern on May 20 that any conflict between the U.S. and Iran will have direct adverse implications for Iraq. Prominent Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and several other Iraqi politicians warned against dragging Baghdad into a conflict between Iran and the United States.
Iran's partners in the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran had mixed reactions to Iran's partial withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with Russia and China supporting Tehran, while European powers sending warnings to Iran. One of them, France, has warned that Iran's violation of its commitment to JCPOA may lead to further European sanctions against Tehran.

EU leaders are going to meet on Thursday May 9 to discuss the implications of Tehran's move. However, French Defense Minister Florence Parly warned that further sanctions may be under way in case Iran does not remain committed to the terms of the JCPOA.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in Tehran on Wednesday that his country will stop selling its heavy water and enriched Uranium effective immediately. However, he added: "We shall return to where we were if within 60 days Russia, China, Germany, France and the UK come to the negotiating table to ensure our interests particularly in the area of oil exports and international banking."

He was referring to the hardest-hitting parts of US sanctions against Iran following America's pull-out from the JCPOA.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who met with UK foreign secretary said Iran is blackmailing Europe by its recent move concerning JCPOA. Pompeo added Irans decision today was a return to weapons grade enrichment. He said Irans letter was vague, but the U.S. will wait and see.

In another reaction from Europe Germany called on Iran to uphold the nuclear pact. Berlin wants to keep alive the agreement, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert, adding that "We as Europeans, and as Germans, will play our part and we expect full implementation from Iran as well".

The United Kingdom has called on Tehran not to take escalatory steps. Britain is extremely concerned about Irans announcement that it is scaling back curbs to its nuclear program, Prime Minister Theresa Mays spokesman said on Wednesday.

Britains Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said at a joint news conference with his U.S. counterpart Mike Pompeo that UK supports the JCPOA, but is concerned about Irans recent move and calls on Tehran to fulfil its commitment.

We are extremely concerned about this announcement and urge Iran to continue to meet its commitments under the deal and not to take escalatory steps, the spokesman for Mrs. May told reporters in London, adding, This deal is a crucial agreement which makes the world safer and we will ensure it remains in place for as long as Iran upholds these commitments.



Meanwhile, both China and Russia blamed Washington's withdrawal from the deal for the current situation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that Russia expects the European signatories to JCPOA to fulfill their obligations under the pact.

Speaking after talks in Moscow with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Lavrov told reporters the situation around the nuclear deal was making it hard for Tehran to fulfill its obligations according to the JCPOA.

Lavrov characterized the United States' stance about the JCPOA as "irresponsible" and "unacceptable."

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China appreciated Iran's "strict implementation" of its 2015 nuclear deal, which U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a year ago. "We regret that the U.S. has further aggravated the tension on the Iranian nuclear issue," Geng said.

According to AP, China's expression of support came despite a threat from Iran on Wednesday to resume higher enrichment of uranium in 60 days if world powers fail to negotiate new terms for the 2015 deal. The AP report noted that Geng's comments follow moves by Washington to deploy an aircraft carrier and a bomber wing to confront unspecified threats from Tehran.

One of the strongest reaction's to Iran's suspension of some key provisions of its nuclear deal with major powers came from Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, one of the leading critics of the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers.

Netanyahu said once again on Wednesday, "We will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons."

Speaking on the occasion of the memorial day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, Netanyahu said Israel will continue to fight its enemies and "will imbed our roots even deeper into our homeland."

"That is what our heroes did at the dawn of the nation's rebirth, and we are marching in their path," he added.

The U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal in May 2018 and the ensuing sanctions imposed on Tehran halted promised international business deals and dealt a heavy blow to Iran's troubled economy.

Following the declaration of Iran's new positions about the nuclear deal, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said "Only Russia and China have supported Iran," and accused the other signatories to the JCPOA of "not fulfilling their commitment."

As Iran's move on Wednesday was anticipated to further destabilize the economy, Iran's Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati says the bank has taken some preparatory measures. Nevertheless, the rate of exchange for every US dollar in the Tehran market rose to 155,000, nearly 10,000 rials higher than a few days ago.
Oman's Foreign Ministry says it's working to "ease the tensions" between Iran and the U.S.

The ministry in a series of tweets on Friday morning attributed the comments to Yusuf bin Alawi, the sultanate's minister of state for foreign affairs. They were published in Asharq Al-Wasat, the London-based newspaper owned by a Saudi media group long associated with the Al Saud royal family.

Bin Alawi warns war "could harm the entire world if it breaks out." He doesn't confirm any current Omani mediation but says both the U.S. and Iran realize the gravity of the situation.

Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said spoke last week by telephone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Oman long has been an interlocutor of the West with Iran. The U.S. held secret talks in Oman with the Iranians that gave birth to the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf region, Saudi Arabia has called on tens of Arab and Muslim states represented in three summits in Mecca to confront Iran's interventions in the region, while a senior Saudi official says Riyadh does not want a war with Iran.

In the meantime, Iran has ruled out accusations about intervention in the affairs of regional counties.

On the same day, after Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's defiant rejection of negotiations with America on Wednesday, President Donald Trump told reporters in the White House Iran wants an agreement with America. He added that Iran has become weaker because of sanctions.

Mecca hosts an emergency meeting of ,"the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), an Arab League summit, both on Thursday May 30, and an Islamic Cooperation Council (ICC) summit on Friday.

Iran is represented in the GCC and ICC meetings, and it was the head of the Iranian delegation, Reza Najafi, a Foreign Ministry director-general who responded to the accusations when Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf said Wednesday night at a meeting of ICC foreign ministers that "Tehran's support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen is an example of Iran's intervention in other regional countries," and called on Islamic countries to denounce Tehran's behavior.

Previously, Riyadh accused Tehran of ordering the Houthi drone strikes on the Saudi oil assets, but Tehran has denied involvement in the attacks.

Meanwhile, as the Saudi king is hosting emergency summits of Gulf and Arab leaders in the holy city of Mecca to discuss growing tensions, his Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, has told the BBC that his country does not want war with Iran, but will not tolerate what it considers hostile Iranian activity in the Middle East.

The French news agency AFP says amid rising concerns about the stability of the region, Saudi Arabia has been trying to encourage the participants at the three meetings, including 57 ICC member states to push Iran into further isolation. Arab League has 22 members and the GCC members include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.

Saudi officials have accused Iran of being involved in the attacks on shipping in the Sea of Oman including two Saudi vessels in recent weeks. U.S. officials have also said that the attacks are likely to have been carried out by Iran.

Abbas Mousavi, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry has rejected the accusations calling them "laughable."

New accusations against Iran came shortly after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rejected the idea of negotiations with the United States on Wednesday.

While the United States and some other world powers as well as regional countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE want Tehran to stop intervention in the affairs of regional countries and limit its ballistic missile program, as well as updating the international agreement about Iran's nuclear activities, Khamenei said he was prepared only to discuss the nuclear issue, but categorically rejected any talks on Tehran's nuclear ambitions and missile program.

After Khamenei's response, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday May 30 that Iran wants an agreement with America, while his hawkish National Security Adviser, who is known for his tough statements against the Islamic Republic, said on the same day that Washington does not want a regime change in Iran.

Trump also added that America is prepared for talks with Iran if Iran is ready for negotiations, adding that U.S. sanctions have weakened Iran.

Khamenei may be willing to delay his final decision about discussing these issues at the expense of ruining Iran's economy and its people's livelihood. Currently, U.S. pressures and sanctions against Tehran have led to aa fourfold devaluation of the Iranian currency and an 80 percent reduction in Iran's oil exports in May.
As tensions between Iran and the United Sates seemed to be contained in the past two days, U.S. diplomats relayed a warning of being misidentified to commercial aviation in the Persian Gulf region.

The warning which originated from the Federal Aviation Administration underlined the risks the current tensions pose to a region crucial to global air travel. It also came as Lloyd's of London warned of increasing risks to maritime shipping in the region.

The order relayed Saturday by U.S. diplomats in Kuwait and the UAE came from an FAA Notice to Airmen published late Thursday in the U.S. It said that all commercial aircraft flying over the waters of Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman needed to be aware of "heightened military activities and increased political tension."

This presents "an increasing inadvertent risk to U.S. civil aviation operations due to the potential for miscalculation or misidentification," the warning said. It also said aircraft could experience interference with its navigation instruments and communications jamming "with little to no warning."

The Persian Gulf has become a major gateway for East-West travel in the aviation industry. Flights from East Asia, Australia and India cross the region or make stopovers in the Gulf. Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates, home to Emirates, is the world's busiest for international travel, while long-haul carriers Etihad and Qatar Airways also operate here.

So far there have been no reactions from regional airlines and their hubs.

Iranian airlines also extensively fly in the Persian Gulf airspace although U.S. sanctions have reduced Iranian flights in general.

The warning appeared rooted in what happened 30 years ago after Operation Praying Mantis, a daylong naval battle in the Persian Gulf between American forces and Iran during the country's long 1980s war with Iraq. On July 3, 1988, the USS Vincennes chased Iranian speedboats that allegedly opened fire on a helicopter into Iranian territorial waters, then mistook an Iran Air heading to Dubai for an Iranian F-14. The Vincennes fired two missiles at the airplane, killing all aboard the flight.

Meanwhile, Lloyd's Market Association Joint War Committee added the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the United Arab Emirates on Friday to its list of areas posing higher risk to insurers. It also expanded its list to include the Saudi coast as a risk area.

Reporting by AP




By Oh Young-jin







A former foreign minister once told me of an incident that I think captures the nature of power: one who has power wants to use it.







The incident concerned a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Then Foreign Minister Yoon Yong-hwan berated deputy chief of the National Security Council secretariat Lee Jong-seok. "You could hear a pin drop between bursts of Yoon's criticisms."







A "not-so-anonymous" letter was sent, accusing some Foreign Ministry officials of calling President Roh's aides, the famous bunch from the "386 generation," "Taliban." Back in the early 2000s, the 386 generation represented those aged in their 30s who attended colleges in the 1980s and were born in the 1960s, the rebels who saw the downfall of the Park Chung-hee dictatorship and forced his general-turned-successor Chun Doo-hwan to hold a popular presidential election.







Yoon stepped down. Lee rose further. The letter sender is now an ambassador to Vietnam. Wi Sung-rak, a brilliant diplomat, was relieved of his post. My source told me that it was Lee's sweet revenge against Yoon. Yoon led Roh's presidential transition team responsible for foreign affairs and North Korea policy, with Lee a junior member.







My source told me that Yoon didn't understand the nature of power that is often not so much based on title as on proximity to power. A deeper peek would show a Tolkien temptation to use power just like as in "The Lord of Rings."







Why do I bring up the old story? Because I believe there is a ring to the ongoing "leakage-gate" (still in the early stages, with the chance of being covered up without going the full distance).







It is about a diplomat caught for leaking the contents of conversations between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump to an opposition lawmaker. The highlights include Moon's rejection of a visit by John Bolton, the U.S. national security adviser, who is at the top of North Korea's list of personae non grata, and Moon's request for the Trump visit. But these supposed nuggets look less important than the circumstances.







Cheong Wa Dae opted to take a tougher line on the incident, triggering a chain reaction  a probe started to catch the leaker and the leaker called home for questioning, with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha vowing to have him severely punished. This action was taken when Trump was visiting Japan, as if it was intended for him.







This represents the government's subtle change of direction toward the U.S. and Trump.







The Moon team has been "patronizing" Trump, praising the ego-driven leader because he has a decisive say in dealing with the North but with plenty of derision hidden about him.







Its handling of leakage-gate indicates Seoul has put more heart into its approach toward Washington.







If this is true, there could be a couple of explanations. One may show a higher level of desperation to get the North's denuclearization process moving again at a time when it appears stuck after the no-deal Hanoi summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.







But it is hard to readily believe that those dyed-in-the-wool people behind the facade of the national security establishment  National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Suh Hoon, National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong and, by extension, non-standing presidential adviser Moon Chung-in  have changed.







One "foreign" element is Kim Hyun-chong, NSO second deputy, who was transferred from trade minister after the revision of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA).







Kim, a U.S. lawyer from Colombia University, served in the same post when the two countries worked out the FTA during the Roh administration. President Moon served as chief of staff for Roh. Kim went on to serve as ambassador to the United Nations. Then, he led Samsung Group's legal department.







Now, Kim is known for acting like an American, "kicking a chair when he came back from negotiations with the U.S.," according to one source who worked with him during the FTA settlement in April 2007.







He also thinks like an American  proof of it being his leading role in the wrapping up of trade talks with the U.S. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean he is sympathetic to causes the U.S. represents or U.S. leaders, particularly Trump. But he sat next to former U.S. President George W. Bush when he recently participated in the 10th memorial service for President Roh.







Of course, his new position is more related to economic affairs, with the first NSO deputy being a former Army general. But Kim's role could be much greater and his influence much bigger than its job description. First of all, senior presidential aides don't always abide by their given jurisdiction, because important decisions are discussed and decided by a meeting of principals. Also, Kim has proved his expertise in dealing with Americans and has a bigger network among American influencers than anybody in the Moon government  and most importantly he knows the way Americans think.







These strengths can give Kim a leading role and make him the first among equals or over some seniors in policymaking about the Trump administration, when Moon's North Korea initiative faces headwinds from Washington. And he knows it.







Then, wouldn't he feel tempted to use the power derived from them, just like the seeker of One Ring  Gollum  or the bearer like Frodo?







Perhaps he is already using it, with the leak scandal being a manifestation. This is a different kind of power struggle  one against himself. Just because he has the power, he wants to use it and he uses it to see how strong it is.







) is digital managing editor of The Korea Times.



Oh Young-jin ( foolsdie5@koreatimes.co.kr
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 31

Trend:

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Novruz Mammadov, Trend reports referring to local Altyn Asyr TV channel.

The head of state noted that today the relations between the two countries are developing quite successfully due to the presence of enormous potential and readiness to expand mutually beneficial partnership.

As he emphasized, this cooperation is based on the long-standing traditions of friendship and fraternity of the Turkmen and Azerbaijani peoples, common spiritual and cultural values, and adherence to the principles of peace and humanism in international issues.

An exchange of views took place on the issues on the agenda of the current meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of Government.

The parties discussed various areas of bilateral relations, noting the existence of great opportunities and prospects for effective partnership in trade, economic, energy and other areas. It was noted that Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have significant reserves of oil and gas, which creates optimal conditions for organizing long-term energy supplies to the countries of the Eurasian continent.

The geographical position of the two countries, linked by the Great Silk Road since ancient times, is also a favorable factor for the successful multiplication of efforts in the implementation of projects on the formation of transcontinental transit-transport corridors of North-South and East-West, the news report says.

With modern transport and logistics infrastructure including seaports in the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan can provide efficient and cost-effective transportation of goods by the shortest routes.
Details added (first version posted on 11:17)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend:

To date, 483 million tons of oil and 157 billion cubic meters of gas have been extracted from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field (ACG), Khoshbakht Yusifzade, first vice-president of the Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR, said.

Yusifzade made the remarks at the 26th International Caspian Oil & Gas Conference in Baku on May 31, Trend reports.

He stressed that 280.4 million tons of the extracted oil accounted for Azerbaijani profitable oil, which make up 58 percent of the total volume.

Until 2050, 500 more million tons of oil are planned to be extracted from the field, Yusifzade said.

While speaking about the importance of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, he stressed that out of 508 million tons of Azerbaijani oil, which were supplied to the foreign markets so far, 383 million tons accounted for BTC.

The Caspian Oil and Gas conference, which kicked off on May 30, is underway at the Bilgah Beach Hotel.

The heads of the companies involved in the energy sector, who discuss the key oil and gas projects of the Caspian region and energy security, are participating in the conference.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Sara Israfilbayova  Trend:

SOCAR and KazMunaiGas, the state-owned companies of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, are planning to conduct a joint geological exploration, said Kurmangazy Iskaziyev, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board for Exploration, Production and Oilfield Services at Kazakhstans state company KazMunaiGas, Trend reports.

Iskaziyev made the remarks at the 26th International Caspian Oil & Gas Conference in Baku on May 31.

"First we will conduct a study, and then we will select the areas where we will work together and carry out geological exploration," he said.

Azerbaijans SOCAR and KazMunaiGas signed a memorandum of cooperation in January 2019, on the basis of which the joint geological exploration will be carried out. The memorandum was signed in Baku by the heads of both companies, namely SOCARs Rovnag Abdullayev and KazMunaiGas Alik Aydarbayev.

The memorandum provides for the study of potential projects for joint geological and geophysical work and oil and gas exploration, as well as the exploration of the possibilities of cooperation in the fields of transportation, trade, and geological work in the Caspian Sea, among others.

The two-day 26th International Caspian Oil & Gas Conference, held at Bilgah Beach Hotel, started on May 30 and continues today. It involves top-level executives of companies from the energy sector, who discuss key oil and gas projects of the Caspian region and energy security.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Azerbaijani startups will be entered into the database of SEP (Cross-Industry Pan-European Open Innovation Platform), Tofig Babayev, Director of Azerbaijans Regional Information Technologies Academy (RITA), coordinator of EUs Harmonization of the Digital Markets (HDM) in the Eastern Partnership program for Azerbaijan, told Trend.

According to him, the process will be completed within the next 2 weeks.

Our task is to bring our start-ups to the European level. The EU has a platform for registering start-ups. Unfortunately, we could not register there before, Babayev said.

He added that it became clear at the two-day seminar of the EU Eastern Partnership countries held in Baku that this was only a technical issue.

"We informed the European Commission. In the next 2 weeks, Azerbaijani start-ups will be entered into the database of the European platform," Babayev said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Aiming to support the development of young specialists on the local communication market, Nar organized face-to-face training in the sphere of mobile communication network for masters degree students of Azerbaijan Technical University (AzTU). After the training on mobile networks, under the leadership of the technical staff of Nar, the students visited the base and transmission stations located in different parts of the city as well as the network control room.

In frames of the lectures, students learned extensively how to monitor the sustainability of the mobile network across the country, how to apply technological innovations and meet customers growing demands. The students learned about the base and transmission stations of Nar on-site and were informed about the network equipments, device operation principles and the safety control mechanism.

The students have also visited Nars network monitoring room, which controls the operation of more than 7500 mobile communication stations, 1800 of which are 4G and 2670 of which are 3G stations. Thanks to monitoring implemented 24/7, Nar subscribers are using uninterrupted high quality call and internet service.

Students, who spent one working day together with Nar, got acquainted with conditions provided to employees of the local communication company, and received detailed information about future professional opportunities and nuances of work in the sphere of communication. During unofficial meeting, the students were able to ask their questions directly to managers of Nar network.

Face-to-face acquaintance with mobile communication network is another project organized within the framework of cooperation agreement signed between Nar and AzTu. Previously, communication professionals of Nar held testing communication center and mobile communication trainings at Technical University. The main purpose of cooperation with the University is to foster local professionals in the sphere of communication and ensure that Azerbaijani students are preferred to expatriates as employees on the communication market after they graduate.

Azerfon LLC (Nar brand) has started its operations on March 21, 2007, and within a short period of time became one of the leading companies of the telecommunications and mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan. The Nar brand name was selected as the symbol that resembles the cohesion of the rich cultural and historical heritage of Azerbaijan with the modern life. Being the first operator in the country to introduce the 3G technology, Nar provides the customers with a wide 4G network coverage. According to mobile network benchmarking tests, held in the year 2017, Nar network has demonstrated the highest results in the country, in terms of provision of mobile voice services. Testing was conducted by an independent international P3 Communications company, and methodology was based on customer experience in using various services.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 22 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on May 31, 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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated President-elect of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service.

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of your victory in the presidential elections in the Republic of Lithuania, President Aliyev said.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Lithuania are on the path of dynamic and consistent development, the president said. I hope that we will make joint efforts to strengthen our friendly relations even further and deepen our cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats to the benefit of our nations.

I wish you the best of health, happiness and success in your future responsible activities, he added.

President Aliyev has also congratulated President-elect of the Republic of Latvia Egils Levits.

I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of your election as president of the Republic of Latvia, President Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan-Latvia relations have good traditions, he said. I hope that we will make joint efforts to further strengthen our friendly ties and ensure successful continuation of our cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats.

I wish you the best of health, happiness, and success in your future endeavours, he added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

The live-fire tactical exercises "Indestructible Brotherhood - 2019" will be held in the territory of Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on the basis of an agreement on military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey on June 7-11, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on May 31.

The state flag exchange ceremony of the two fraternal countries was held within preparation for the exercises.

The platoon of Separate Combined Arms Army headed from Nakhchivan city in the direction of the Umud bridge across the Araz River at the Sadarak checkpoint to participate in the ceremony.

At the same time, the Turkish platoon headed from Kars city to the designated place.

The flag exchange ceremony was held on the Umud bridge after the performance of the national anthems of the two fraternal countries.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The Azerbaijani parliament will continue to hold a plenary session on May 31, Trend reports.

The agenda of the two-day meeting contains 26 issues.

At the meeting, the bill on the Execution of the Azerbaijani state budget for 2018 will be discussed at the meeting.

The MPs have recently considered the issue of amending the constitutional laws "On the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)" and "On Normative Legal Acts".

They also discussed the issues on making changes to the laws "On the status of the member of the Azerbaijani parliament", "On administrative control of activity of municipalities", "On execution", "On state registration of legal entities and state register", "On banks", "On insurance activity", "On investment funds", and "On securities market".
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

An official welcome ceremony has been held for President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, who is on an official visit in Azerbaijan, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service.

A guard of honor was arranged for the Polish President Andrzej Duda in the square decorated with the national flags of the two countries.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev welcomed Polish President Andrzej Duda.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to the Polish president.

President Aliyev and President Duda reviewed the guard of honor.

The Polish president saluted the Azerbaijani soldiers.

The state anthems of Poland and Azerbaijan were played.

State and government officials of Azerbaijan were introduced to President Duda, and members of the Polish delegation were introduced to President Aliyev.

The guard of honor marched in front of the presidents to the accompaniment of a military march.

The presidents posed for official photos.
iStock(NEW YORK) -- The spate of abortion restrictions that have passed in various states in recent months have some abortion advocates fearful, but Friday marks a different emotional low point.



May 31, 2019, is the 10th anniversary of the assassination of one of the countrys best-known abortion doctors, who specialized in performing later abortions.



Dr. George Tiller was fatally shot while serving as an usher at church in his hometown of Wichita, Kansas.



The shooting was widely condemned, including by then-President Barack Obama, who released a statement saying he was "shocked and outraged" by the shooting.



"However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence," Obama said in his statement at the time.



Tiller's attacker, Scott Roeder, was caught hours after the shooting and, in 2010, convicted and sentenced to life in prison.



For those who knew Tiller, the legacy of the controversial doctor, who was known to some as "Saint George," lives on.



Carole Joffe, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at University of California-San Francisco, knew him because she said "the community of abortion providers is quite small."



Joffe told ABC News how there was an email listserv among abortion providers, and when a doctor had a troubling case or asked for advice of their peers, the answer for some of the most difficult cases would be to send a patient "to St. George."



"That is how he was referred to," Joffe said, "because he was so generous, because he would accept these patients, because people [doctors] who referred [patients] to him knew that he would treat them with extraordinary kindness and compassion."



"A really important part of his legacy is he pioneered techniques of how women coming for abortions in the third trimester needed to be treated, not only medically, but also emotionally," Joffe said.



One person who saw that up close was Julie Burkhart, who worked with Tiller for eight years, most of which she served as the doctors spokesperson.



Tiller was a controversial figure and had been subject to threats for years before his murder. In 1986, his clinic, Womens Health Care Services, was firebombed, and seven years later, Tiller was shot in another assassination attempt by a different anti-abortion extremist.



Burkhart said that after the 1993 shooting, Tiller was "laser focused" on his work.



"He did a really good job of not letting the outside noise and all this static take up rent in his head, or at least he did not express that," she said.



Burkhart also remembers something of a defiant stance that Tiller took against his critics and those threatening him.



"He did have a sign that he put up at one point in the parking lot, that you could see from the street, that said 'Women need abortions. Im going to do them, George R. Tiller, M.D.,'" Burkhart said.



She said that while the protests and threats could be disturbing and distracting for some, she knew that Tiller believed his work was necessary.



"I know he expressed this to me personally at one time, that providing abortion care for him -- and especially in the middle of the country -- it was a matter of principle," she said.



"He was one of the countrys abortion providers of last resort. If you were a person with a maternal health indication or if you were carrying a baby that had a fetal abnormality, he was one of the very few people that you could come to from across the country ... and around the globe," Burkhart said.



And in one way, he is helping to still do that. The National Network of Abortion Funds, which coordinates groups and maintains funds that give grants to women who call in asking for help paying for a procedure, named one fund after Tiller shortly after his murder.



Lindsay Rodriguez, communications director for the NNAF, said the George R. Tiller Fund has been "very impactful" and they try to focus on the patients that Tiller would have treated while he was alive.



"What the Tiller fund has done is really prioritize those patients who are seeking later abortions, because they can be incredibly expensive. Its not unusual to have an abortion for $10,000 if it is later [in the pregnancy]," Rodriguez told ABC News.



"Dr. Tiller was an incredibly important person in our movement, and his compassion and importance is still felt every day," Rodriguez said.



Tiller was "one of the few people who was providing later abortions, and as we see the wave of legislative bans that are happening that are putting these incredibly cruel limits on how early people need to get abortions, we think that his legacy is more important than ever," she said.



Tiller's clinic closed immediately after his death, first out of respect for his murder and then as a somewhat permanent decision. After the deadly shooting, Burkhart founded Trust Women, a nonprofit that provides reproductive health care services, including abortions to under-served communities. She bought the building that previously housed Women's Health Care Services from Tiller's widow and reopened the facility under her new group's name in 2013.



Burkhart said that while the recent passage of various abortion bans is like a legislative "firestorm," Burkhart said there is a "different feel and a different dynamic" today.



"We didnt see that fever pitch [of legislative actions] 10 years ago, but we saw the direct targeting of one man, one person who was looked at as Enemy No. 1 to the anti-choice movement," she said.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Following the official welcome ceremony, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Poland Andrzej Duda have held a one-on-one meeting.

The successful development of bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields was hailed at the meeting. Good opportunities for further expanding bilateral ties were also emphasized.

It was noted that the Polish President Andrzej Dudas official visit to Azerbaijan will contribute to the expansion of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The sides exchanged views on bilateral ties and the issues of mutual interest.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Following the one-on-one meeting, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda were joined by their delegations for a meeting in an expanded format, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service.

The presidents made speeches at the meeting.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

Representatives of Azerbaijan in international organizations have been instructed to raise the issue regarding officer Agil Omarov, who became a martyr as a result of the violation of the ceasefire regime by an Armenian sniper, Ogtay Asadov, speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, said at today's parliamentary meeting, Trend reports.

Asadov stressed that the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated its position on the issue to the OSCE Minsk Group.

On the morning of May 30, during the OSCE Minsk Group's visit to Azerbaijan, Armenian Armed Forces once again violated the ceasefire regime. An officer of Azerbaijani army, Agil Omarov was killed by an Armenian sniper on the same day.

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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Samir Ali  Trend:

The new approaches are being applied as part of the reforms being carried out under the leadership of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Vusal Isayev, head of the department for work with law enforcement bodies and military issues of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, said.

Isayev made the remarks at the conference entitled A Lawyer's Look at Legal and Legal Reforms in Baku on May 31, Trend reports.

Favorable conditions will be created for the development of the bar institution thanks to these approaches, he added. The memorandum signed by the ASAN Service with the Bar Association creates conditions for rendering better legal services.

"As a result, both Baku and the countrys districts will be more covered with legal assistance, Isayev said. According to the Azerbaijani presidents decree dated April 3, 2019, the instructions were given to humanize the policy of punishment. The projects will be developed in this sphere.

Such instructions were not made for the first time, he said. This is another act of the humanistic policy. The order was signed by the president in connection with humanization in February 2017 and up to 300 changes were made to the legislation."

In general, a comprehensive assessment was made and reforms were carried out, Isayev said. Today the results are obvious. These changes were applied to about 14,000 people. About 9,000 peoples charges were dropped during the investigation or trial, 800 of them avoided imprisonment. I think that it is necessary to continue to carry out the reforms.

He stressed that there is a new vision of the punishment policy, and, as a result, the number of people sentenced to imprisonment in Azerbaijan is at the lowest level.

The decree on civil proceedings contains a number of instructions and recommendations, Isayev said. They include both the training of specialized lawyers and the revision of civil procedural legislation.

The Civil Procedure Code was adopted 20 years ago and it should be improved, he said. The individuals using the code in their daily activity notice gaps and points which should be improved. It will be good if lawyers voice their recommendations. We are waiting for that."

Isayev also stressed that according to the decree, special attention is paid to extrajudicial measures and operational methods.

"The important steps have been recently taken in this sphere, he said. The establishment of the Board of Appeals in 2016 can be cited as an example. As a result of appeals to the Board in 2018, both its activity and the results of the consideration of appeals have greatly improved. This is an important indicator."
Details added (first version posted on 12:23)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Following the official welcome ceremony, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Poland Andrzej Duda have held a one-on-one meeting.

The successful development of bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields was hailed at the meeting. Good opportunities for further expanding bilateral ties were also emphasized.

It was noted that the Polish President Andrzej Dudas official visit to Azerbaijan will contribute to the expansion of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The sides exchanged views on bilateral ties and the issues of mutual interest.
Details added (first version posted on 13:35)

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Following the expanded meeting, a ceremony of signing Azerbaijan-Poland documents has been held with participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda.

Chairman of the Azerbaijan Food Security Agency Goshgar Tahmazli and Main Inspector of State Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service of Poland Andrzej Chodkowski signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of phytosanitary between the Food Security Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Main Inspectorate of Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service of the Republic of Poland.

Azerbaijans Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov and Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Krzysztof Ardanowski signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Poland.

Chairman of Azerbaijan State Security Service Madat Guliyev and Deputy Head of the Internal Security Agency of Poland Krzysztof Waclawek signed the Agreement on the exchange and mutual protection of confidential information between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Poland.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger hosted an Iftar dinner for a community of Internally Displaced Persons in the Yeni Ramana settlement of Baku, Trend reports citing Embassy.

Attendees included the families of children who participate in an Embassy-supported English language program at Shusha District Malibeyli Village School.

Gunduz Ismayilov, Deputy Chairman of State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, Fuad Huseynov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons and Fuad Nurullayev, Deputy Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims' Office made remarks at the Iftar dinner.

In his remarks, Ambassador Litzenberger said Since my arrival in March, I have learned a lot about Azerbaijan and its tradition of religious tolerance. Tolerance is important year-round, but during the time of Ramadan its especially important to reflect on how we incorporate this and other values into our lives, and the lives of our children.

Ramadan has been observed in the United States for over 200 years, beginning with President Thomas Jeffersons Iftar dinner in honor of Tunisian Ambassador to the United States, Sidi Soliman Mellimelli. Today, more than three million American Muslims come together during Ramadan to reflect on our common values of peace, charity and forgiveness.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Russias Gazprombank and International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) have signed a cooperation agreement during the Caspian Oil and Gas exhibition in Baku, Trend reports referring to the Bank.

Chairman of the IBA board Abbas Ibrahimov and Deputy Chairman of Gazprombank board Alexey Belous signed the document.

The agreement envisages the interaction of the sides for the potential financing of investment and other commercial projects in Azerbaijan.

Among the priority spheres of cooperation, the sides named the petrochemical industry, oil and gas industry, agriculture, transport and communication sectors.

Moreover, the banks showed interest in developing cooperation in the field of contract banking, financial consulting and activity in the capital markets. The banks expressed their intention to render mutual support and assistance in the development and promotion of the settlement system in the Russian and Azerbaijani national currencies.

IBA-Moscow Bank, a subsidiary of IBA in Russia, is expected to take part in a number of joint projects with Gazprombank.

Chairman of IBA board Abbas Ibrahimov stressed that the bank attaches great importance to the development of relations with foreign financial institutions.

"We are constantly expanding our relations with international partners and always try to assess new opportunities for cooperation, he added. Azerbaijan and Russia have broad economic and trade relations. We hope that partnership and joint projects between IBA and Gazprombank will contribute to their further development."

Azerbaijan is one of the most dynamically developing CIS countries with which Gazprombank has long-term business and friendly relations, Deputy Chairman of Gazprombank board Alexey Belous said. "The implementation of large-scale projects on financing jointly with IBA will allow for exchanging experience and giving a new impetus to the countrys development."
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Kheyraddin Nasirzade  Trend:

Capitalization of the banking sector of Azerbaijan amounted to 4.41 billion manats in April 2019, which is 14.16 percent more than in the same period last year, Trend reports referring to a report by Azerbaijans Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FIMSA).

According to the report, the total assets of banks (as of April 30 of the current year) increased by 7.66 percent, compared to the same period last year, reaching 29.77 billion manats.

During the reporting period, the volume of cash at the disposal of banks amounted to nearly 1.37 billion manats, correspondent accounts with the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) contained 1.52 billion manats, and funds on nostro accounts (correspondent accounts with other banks) amounted to almost 2.605 billion manats. Meanwhile, bank investments in securities reached 4.194 billion manats (an increase of almost 1.5 times compared to April last year).

Banks increased lending by 15.4 percent, and the total loan portfolio of banks amounted to 11.26 billion manats by the end of April of this year. Reserves worth 1.413 billion manats were created for these loans.

The total liabilities of the country's banking sector increased by 6.6 percent to 25.349 billion manats. Deposits had the largest share of liabilities at 74.2 percent, or 18.801 billion manats (an increase of 10.9 percent). The volume of deposits of individuals amounted to 8.63 billion manats, while that of legal entities amounted to 10.18 billion manats.

The liabilities of banks to the CBA dropped 1.8 times to 248.2 million manats.

The net profit of the banking sector (as of April 30 of the current year) amounted to 347.9 million manats. Losses of banks amounted to 57.1 million manats in April of last year. Profit was formed with interest income of 644 million manats (including interest income from loans at 457.1 million manats) and non-interest income of by 250.3 million manats. The interest expenses of banks amounted to 187.7 million manats, including the payment of interest on deposits at 125.3 million manats, and non-interest expenses at 344.3 million manats.

As a result, operating profit amounted to 288.4 million manats. During the reporting period, banks also allocated 65.3 million manats to cover potential losses on assets and paid 27.5 million manats as tax on profits. Other revenues amounted to 21.7 million manats.

There are 30 banks in Azerbaijan, including two with state participation.

Follow the author on Twitter: @1nasirzade
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Fakhri Vakilov Trend:

International Civil Aviation Organization of the UN recognized the Bukhara air harbor in Uzbekistan as the best airport in the CIS countries in 2018, Trend reports with reference to Uzbekistan's State Committee on Tourism.

Moreover, Director of Bukhara Airport Takhir Bakhronov was elected as the president of the International Civil Aviation Organization of the CIS countries.

Earlier it became known that a duty free jewelry shop would be opened in the arrival area of Bukhara International Airport.

Bukhara airport received international status in 1999, according to Uzbekistan Airways. In 2011, it earned a new terminal complex with a capacity of up to 400 passengers per hour.

Over 120,000 passengers use the airports services annually; more than 15,000 among them are foreign tourists.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a UN specialized agency, established by Member States in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).

ICAO works with the Conventions 193 Member States and industry groups to reach consensus on international civil aviation Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and policies in support of safe, efficient, secure, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible civil aviation sector.

These SARPs and policies are used by ICAO Member States to ensure that their local civil aviation operations and regulations comply with international norms, which in turn permits more than 100,000 daily flights in aviations global network to operate safely and reliably in every region of the world.

---

Follow the author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Fakhri Vakilov - Trend:

In 2019, Uzbekistan intends to absorb investments and loans in the amount of $6.8 billion, which is 1.2 times more than in 2018 and, thus bringing their volume per capita to $206, Trend reports referring to Uzbek media.

At a joint meeting of the committees of the Parliament of Uzbekistan, the report of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade on the work done in the first quarter of this year was heard.

For the current year, the development plan for 345 sectoral investment projects amounted to $7.8 billion. At the same time, all sources of financing provide for the development of capital investments in the amount of 137.7 trillion soums.

According to the information presented, within the framework of the Investment Program for the current year, 112.2 trillion soums are targeted investments, including centralized ones - 41.6 trillion soums, and non-centralized - 70.6 trillion soums.

In turn, as of April 1, 2019, the total volume of utilized investments amounted to 34.3 trillion soums.

It is noted that operational measures are being taken to identify and solve problems related to the implementation of investment projects.

In particular, in the first quarter of this year, 96 projects have a lag in the use of investments.

Currently, there are no foreign investments attracted by Uzbekipaksanoati Association, Uzbekhydroenergo JSC, Uzbekistan Airways, Uzbekistan Million Electr Tarmoclari, Hududy Electr Tarmoclari, as well as the Housing &Communal Services, and Transport Ministries, and the State Committees for the Development of Tourism, and of Ecology & Environment.

Moreover, the level of foreign direct investments remains low in the associations such as Uzeltehsanoat, Issiklik Electr stanlari JSC, Uzagrotehsanoat Holding, and Uzavtosanoat as well as in Uzbekistan Railways, the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Committee on Geology and Mineral Resources.

Senators criticized the shortcomings of the Ministry. In particular, in their opinion, the work to advance the country's position in the Global Competitiveness Index and in the classification of credit risks is not fully organized.

In conclusion, a joint decision was adopted by the Committees on Issues of International Relations, Foreign Economic Relations, Foreign Investments and Tourism, and on the Budget and Economic reforms.

($1- 8,486 soums on May 31)

---

Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

Japan and Kazakhstan will consider the possibility of agreeing on veterinary certificates on horse meat export from Kazakhstan, Trend reports via the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan.

During the General Assembly of International Episootic Bureau the delegation under the leadership of Gulmira Isaeva, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan held a meeting with the representatives of Japanese delegation.

The Japanese delegation was led by Norio Kumagai, Director-General, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Previously, representative of Kazakh and Japanese business contacted the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan on the behalf of holding negotiations with Japan veterinary service on horse meat export to Japan. Kazakhstan veterinary service prepared the necessary documents and submitted them to Japanese colleagues, the press office said.

In turn, Japanese party confirmed that they received surveys on assessment of standard effectiveness and the project of veterinary certificate on horse meat to export to Japan. The veterinary service also reported on the preliminary agreement on veterinary certificate project.

Furthermore, in accordance with Japanese law, the information from Kazakhstan is also being reviewed by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan.

Following the positive conclusion of this ministry the Japanese party is ready to agree on the veterinary certificates.

(1USD = 380.78 KTZ on May 31)

---

Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Matanat Nasibova  Trend:

Azerbaijani producer of dairy products and fruit juices Goychay-Sud LLC intends to arrange stable export supplies to the post-Soviet countries, the company told Trend.

Presently, the biggest volume of supplies accounts for Belarus, the company said. Fruit juices worth 36,500 manats were supplied to Belarus within four months of this year. At the same time, two more shipments consisting of 35,000 packages of fruit juices worth 55,000 manats are expected to be supplied till late 2019.

In general, since early 2019 up till now, the companys export volumes exceeded 125,000 manats, the company said. "We receive the offers related to the export of products from a number of the CIS and European countries. As we are interested in entering the foreign markets, we try not to miss any opportunity."

The company exports only fruit juices, while the dairy products produced by the company are sold only in the domestic market.

The company is using Swiss and Italian equipment.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Italy has reached 6 billion euros over the past year, Italian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Augusto Massari said in Baku at an event on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the proclamation of the Italian Republic, Trend reports.

He said that Italy remains the main trade partner of Azerbaijan.

Speaking about economic cooperation between the two countries, he emphasized the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) project.

The implementation of the TAP project is on schedule, he said. The construction of the micro tunnel within the project was completed in April. Azerbaijans gas along this pipeline will be transported to Europe from 2020.

The ambassador also noted that numerous high-level visits between the two countries were made last year.

In addition, the ambassador said that the meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation will be held Sept.18 this year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Italian companies have invested $596 million in Azerbaijan's oil and gas sector, the Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov said at an event on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the proclamation of the Italian Republic, Trend reports.

The minister noted that Italy is the main trade partner of Azerbaijan.

"Italy is an important country for Azerbaijan due to its support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as its role in the development of relations between the EU and Azerbaijan," he said.

Shahbazov noted that the volume of mutual trade between the two countries, as well as exports from Azerbaijan to Italy increased over the last year.

"Investments of Italian companies in the Azerbaijani economy to this day amounted to $767 million. Meanwhile, investments of Azerbaijani companies in Italy amounted to $135 million," Shahbazov said.

The minister noted that the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP) project, which brings the two countries together, has now been completed by over 87 percent. He expressed confidence that the year 2020, when the project will be launched, will be a historic year in the cooperation of the two countries.

TAP worth 4.5 billion euros is a part of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is one of the priority energy projects for the European Union. The project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz Stage 2 to the EU countries.

TAP will be 878 kilometers in length (Greece 550 kilometers, Albania 215 kilometers, Adriatic Sea 105 kilometers, and Italy 8 kilometers).

TAPs shareholding is comprised of BP (20 percent), SOCAR (20 percent), Snam S.p.A. (20 percent), Fluxys (19 percent), Enagas (16 percent) and Axpo (5 percent).

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Sara Israfilbayova - Trend:

Azerbaijan is a priority market for increasing the presence of VISA, introducing innovations and developing the e-payments market, Cristina Doros, Senior Director and Head of Products for CIS & South-Eastern Europe at VISA, told Trend.

"Azerbaijan demonstrates very good rates on the development of non-cash payments," she said. "The market is growing dynamically. According to the information of VISA for 2018, the market grew by 42 percent in terms of non-cash payments and by 33 percent in terms of the number of non-cash transactions."

Further, she noted that the strategic objectives of VISA in Azerbaijan remain unchanged and meet the key priorities of Visa.

"The main areas include partnership relations, the introduction of digital payments, expansion of access, and security of payment systems," she said. "The priority development direction for us is the introduction of tokenization technology Visa Token Service (VTS), as well as the development of e-commerce and the expansion of supply of a line of premium products and loyalty programs."

In September 2018, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev approved a state program to expand digital payments in 2018-2020, according to which in 2021 the annual volume of non-cash payments in Azerbaijan will reach approximately 17 billion manats.

In order to speed up the implementation of the state program, three fundamental conditions and specific goals for each of them were defined. Creating more favorable environment involves not only prohibiting regulation norms, but also the application of special incentive mechanisms.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

During four months of 2019, the net investment income of Kazakhstans Unified Accumulative Pension Fund amounted to 172,4 billion tenge, which is 4.8 percent less than in the same period last year (181.1 billion tenge), Trend reports via Finprom.

The major part of income accounts for securities remuneration, including deposits and reverse repo transactions (241.3 billion tenge).

In turn, income from external management equaled to 5.4 billion tenge (3.1 percent of the net income), whereas the rest of the income stood at three billion tenge.

Furthermore, in January-April 2019, the loss from market re-evaluation of securities (-29.5 billion tenge) and re-evaluation of foreign currencies (-20.8 billion tenge) amounted to 50.3 billion tenge in total.

As of the end of April, the total value of pension assets amounted to 9.9 trillion tenge, which is 21.2 percent more than in 2018.

In the structure of pension assets, 42.2 percent (4.2 trillion tenge) account for Kazakhstan government securities, 28.9 percent (2.9 trillion tenge) account for securities of countrys entities, and 15.1 percent (1.5 trillion tenge) account for government securities of other countries.

Furthermore, deposits in the investment portfolio of Unified Accumulative Pension Fund amount to 6.8 percent (717.9 billion tenge) and assets of the external management equal to 0.9 percent (88.2 billion tenge).

(1USD = 380.78 KTZ on May 31)

---

Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 31

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

In Turkmenistan, 764 people will be freed of further serving their main sentence of imprisonment, as well as of additional punishment in the form of residence in a specific area, Trend reports referring to president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedovs decree.

The document was signed in honor of Gadyr gijesi, more commonly known by its Arabic name Laylat al-Qadr - the Night of Power, sacred to the Islamic world, which takes place on the days of the holy month of Ramadan.

The Prosecutor Generals Office and law enforcement agencies have been instructed to take measures so that all those pardoned would soon leave prison and be able to return to their families.

By holding pardon actions, we give people who have repented of their deed to start a new life, work with honesty to atone for their misdeeds and contribute to the development of the country, the Altyn Asyr TV channel quoted the words of the head of state said during a government meeting.

Berdimuhamedov also instructed the local administration to take all necessary measures for the employment of pardoned citizens.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Sara Israfilbayova  Trend:

LUKOIL, Russias 2-nd largest oil company, will add another project in Kazakhstan to its portfolio, said Kurmangazy Iskaziyev, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board for Exploration, Production and Oilfield Services at Kazakhstans state company KazMunaiGas, Trend reports.

Iskaziyev made the remarks at the 26th International Caspian Oil & Gas Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan on May 31.

According to him, the company will sign an agreement with KazMunaiGas on a new offshore unit on the Kazakh shelf of the Caspian Sea next week.

He stated that the agreement on the I-P-2 sea unit will be signed on June 5-6 during the forum in St. Petersburg.

Iskaziyev noted that this is an agreed model contract that is to be signed with the government.

"We have now passed the general stage and agreed on all commercial issues. All that remains is to sign the agreement," he said.

The companies will have equal shares in the project. The initial investment is estimated at $70 million, which will be spent on seismic works and drilling one exploration well.

In April, LUKOIL signed a contract for the exploration and development of the Zhenis block adjacent to I-P-2 in the Caspian Sea.

The company has been present in the Kazakh market since 1995 and participates in the Kumkol, Karachaganak and Tengiz projects, as well as in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 31

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

Together with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan is actively working to effectively connect the regions of Central Asia, the Caspian and Black seas, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said in Ashgabat at a meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmenistan State News Agency.

In essence, an extensive, integrated transport network is being formed, covering huge continental space, the Turkmen president said.

He noted that participation of the CIS countries in this configuration is natural and beneficial.

It also fits into the logic of ensuring the legitimate interests of the CIS states that dont have direct access to the sea, Berdimuhamedov noted, emphasizing that the construction of a new port and modernization of the existing port in Turkmenbashi city was completed in May last year.

Today it is a powerful, multi-functional terminal equipped with the latest technology, focused on transport links between Asia and Europe, he said. In this capacity, the port of Turkmenbashi, without exaggeration, is intended to become one of the biggest transport hubs of continental significance. The benefits of the full use of its capabilities for the CIS countries are obvious.

Noting in general the key role of the Caspian Sea in the context of Eurasian economic cooperation, the Turkmen president stressed that the Caspian Sea is intended to become a strategic hub for combining business interests not only of the coastal countries, but also other states, including the CIS participants.

This caused the Turkmen side to initiate convening the first Caspian Economic Forum, which will be held in Turkmenbashi city Aug. 12, 2019.

Ashgabat and Baku are closely cooperating in the implementation of the transport and transit project Lapis Lazuli, which runs along the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey route.

According to the project of Lapis Lazuli, railway lines and highways will connect the city of Turgundi (Afghan province of Herat) with Ashgabat first and then with the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi.

The corridor will continue to Baku, then through Tbilisi to Ankara with branches in Poti and Batumi, and then from Ankara to Istanbul. The project budget, which aims to facilitate transit logistics and simplify customs procedures in the region, is estimated at $2 billion.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 31

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

A meeting of the Council of the CIS Heads of Government was held in Ashgabat under the chairmanship of Turkmenistan on May 31, Trend reports referring to the CIS Executive Committee.

A number of protocols aimed at introducing changes to previously adopted documents were signed during the meeting, which will expand and deepen the interaction of the CIS countries in the areas of trade, customs clearance and control of goods, as well as their transit through the territories of the CIS countries, the report said.

In addition, a report was read during the meeting by Alexander Shumilin, Interstate Council for Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation.

Following his report, the heads of government decided to prepare a draft of the Interstate Program of Innovative Cooperation of CIS Member States for the period until 2030.

Furthermore, the agreement on interaction of customs authorities of CIS member states in the field of protection of intellectual property rights was approved. Information on this issue was given by Vladimir Bulavin, head of the Federal Customs Service of Russia.

In addition, the agreement on the coordination of interstate relations in the field of basic research of the CIS member states and the agreement on cooperation in the field of museum affairs were signed, the report says.

The Council of CIS Heads of Government also made a decision on the appointment of Colonel Zhanat Saypoldayev (Kazakhstan) as the first deputy head of the Anti-Terrorism Center of the CIS Member States.

On the proposal of the Russian side, the next meeting of the council will be held on October 25, 2019 in Moscow.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 31

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

The Embassy of Turkmenistan in Georgia held a round table meeting dedicated to the first Caspian Economic Forum, which will be held Aug. 12, 2019 in the Avaza tourist zone, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

During the event, it was emphasized that one of the important tasks of the forum is to use the unifying factor of the Caspian Sea in consolidating efforts to expand mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation, including developing mechanisms for the efficient use of natural resources, the report said.

The website of the forums Organizing Committee says that the agenda includes creating conditions for major projects, discussion about the role of the economy of the Caspian region in a global context, investment attractiveness in the oil and gas, electricity, transport, trade, agro-industrial, tourism and other economy sectors of the Caspian states of mutual interest.

The event participants will discuss the prospects of joint investment projects and programs. In anticipation of the forum, a meeting of ministers of the competent authorities of the parties responsible for the implementation of agreements between the governments of the Caspian states on trade and economic cooperation and on interaction in the field of transport will be convened.

In parallel, the draft Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Business Council of the Caspian states will be discussed.

In addition to the delegations of the Caspian states, representatives of interested states close to the Caspian region, leaders and representatives of international economic, financial, transport, environmental and other organizations are invited to the forum. The forum consists of three parts - an international conference, an exhibition of innovative technologies and a legal part (the signing of contracts and agreements).
Mexico will provide an energetic response to the new planned trade duties, announced by US President Donald Trump, Deputy Foreign Minister Jesus Seade said, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

"It would be catastrophic if Trump lived up to his threat of introducing tariffs over migration. That is why Mexico will not sit on its hands until June 10. If it happens, we will have to provide an energetic response," Seade told reporters on Thursday.

The diplomat called Trumps decision on new tariffs an "ice cold shower."

Trump said Washington would impose a five percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico beginning on June 10 that will go up to 25 percent by October unless Washingtons southern neighbour alleviates the illegal immigration crisis.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

Trend:

Amnesty International is to lose most of its senior leadership team after a report said it had a "toxic" workplace, Trend reports via BBC.

The human rights organisation's secretary-general, Kumi Naidoo, ordered an independent review after two employees killed themselves last year.

In the review one staff member described Amnesty as having "a toxic culture of secrecy and mistrust".

Amnesty said the senior leadership team accepted responsibility and all seven had offered to resign.

Five of the seven senior leaders, based mainly in London and Geneva, are now believed to have left or are in the process of leaving the organisation.

The Times reported that they were to receive "generous" redundancy payments - but an Amnesty spokeswoman told the BBC the redundancy packages were "less favourable than those on offer to other staff".

In May 2018, Gaetan Mootoo, 65, killed himself in Amnesty's Paris offices. He left a note talking of stress and overwork.

A subsequent inquiry found he was unhappy over a "justified sense of having been abandoned and neglected".

Six weeks later, Rosalind McGregor, 28, a British intern working at Amnesty's Geneva office, killed herself at her family home in Surrey.

While an inquiry into her death noted "personal reasons" as being involved, her family said they felt Amnesty could have done more to address her mental health.

Around 475 members of staff were surveyed for the independent review, which was published in February.

Many staff gave specific examples of experiencing or witnessing bullying by managers.

There were reports of managers belittling staff in meetings and making demeaning and menacing comments, for example: "You should quit. If you stay in this position, your life will be a misery."

There were multiple accounts of discrimination on the basis of race and gender, and in which women, staff of colour, and LGBT employees were allegedly targeted or treated unfairly.

The report also pointed to an "us versus them" dynamic between employees and management.

"Across many interviews the word 'toxic' was used to describe the Amnesty work culture as far back as the 1990's. So were the phrases 'adversarial', 'lack of trust', and 'bullying'," the report said.

Unite, which represents hundreds of Amnesty staff in offices around the world, revealed that one in three employees recently surveyed by the union felt "badly treated or bullied at work since 2017".

An Amnesty International spokeswoman told the BBC: "The former Senior Leadership Team, which comprised of seven directors, has been dissolved and a new transitional team is in place until all of the positions in the new four-person Coalition Leadership Team are filled.

"This is expected to be completed by the end of 2019."

Amnesty is not the only human rights organisation to come under fire for its treatment of employees.
The UN Higher Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) said that 149 refugees were evacuated from Libya to Italy, in cooperation with Libyan and Italian authorities, Trend reported citing Xinhua.

"Amid violent clashes and a deteriorating security situation in Tripoli, 149 vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers were evacuated to safety in Rome," UNHCR said in a statement.

The evacuated refugees are of different African nationalities, including 65 children, the UN agency said.

The statement added that "62 urban refugees from Syria, Sudan and Somalia were also evacuated from Tripoli to UNHCR's emergency transit center in Timisoara, Romania, before traveling to their final destination in Norway."

The evacuation was carried out as the capital Tripoli is witnessing violent clashes between the east-based army and the UN-backed government's forces since early April for control of the city.
Shares of major Asian automakers and suppliers tumbled on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to slap tariffs on imports from Mexico from next month, potentially upending a decades-old business model of global manufacturers, reports Trend citing to Reuters

Railing against a surge of illegal immigrants across the United States southern border, Trump said he would hit all goods coming from Mexico with a 5% tariff, and would increase that each month until reaching 25% on Oct. 1, unless Mexico takes immediate action.

The move could hit a number of global companies - including American and Asian firms - with the auto industry looking particularly vulnerable. For years carmakers have built vehicles in Mexico, taking advantage of its cheap labor, trade deals and proximity to the United States, the worlds largest auto market after China.

It also looks also likely to backfire on U.S. consumers, driving up the prices of goods as varied as cars, refrigerators and television sets.

Margins are so thin in the U.S. market right now that theres no way that any automaker is not going to pass on these tariffs to their customers, said Janet Lewis, an analyst at Macquarie Securities.

The unknown factor is the impact on suppliers, as components can move back and forth between Mexico, the United States and Canada up to 20 times before they make their way into assembled cars.

In Japan, shares in Toyota Motor Corp fell 2% while Nissan Motor Co dropped 5% and Honda Motor Co nearly 4%. Mazda Motor Co took a bigger hit, tumbling nearly 7%. All four operate vehicle assembly plants in Mexico, producing roughly one-third of the vehicles made there.

AUTOS, NUCLEAR REACTORS

Vehicles and parts were the biggest imports from Mexico to the United States, totaling $93.3 billion in 2018, followed by electric machines, nuclear reactors, minerals and oil, and optical equipment, according to U.S. government data.

In South Korea, Hyundai Motor Co and affiliate Kia Motors Corp fell 0.7% and 4.2% respectively. Hyundai Wia Corp, which supplies auto components to the duo, tumbled 6.2%.

Although we have to wait and see whether the U.S. tariffs plan will be really implemented, this is negatively affecting investor sentiment, said Chang Moon-su, an analyst at Hyundai Motor Securities in Seoul.

Another South Korean manufacturer, LG Electronics Inc, said nearly all of its television sets made in Mexico are shipped to the United States, and about a third of its refrigerators.

As the United States is a crucial market for us, we are closely monitoring this tariff issue, a company representative told Reuters.

Japans top automakers and their suppliers, including Denso Corp and Aisin Seiki Co, have been building vehicles in Mexico for decades, both for the domestic market and for export to the United States, taking advantage of the North American free-trade agreement, which includes Canada.

Among them Nissan produces the most vehicles in Mexico, with its U.S. exports accounting for roughly one-quarter of its total vehicle sales there, industry experts say. Its Sentra and Versa models are made in Mexico for the U.S. market.

Smaller rival Mazda exports about 30% of its Mexico-produced cars to the United States. Toyota, which has been expanding U.S. production of pick-up trucks, exports less than 10% percent, as does Honda.

Japanese automakers together produced about 1.25 million vehicles in Mexico in 2018.

But production in Mexico is dwarfed by the number of cars they produce in the United States, their single largest market, where Japans top three manufacturers alone produce roughly 4 million vehicles each year.
Malaysias exports in April are likely to have eased for the third successive month, declining at a faster annual pace than in March, reports Trend citing to Reuters

The median forecast among the 11 economists surveyed was for exports to fall 1% in April from a year earlier, quicker than the 0.5% decline recorded in March.

Individual estimates, however, ranged widely between an annual decline of 9% and a rise of 1.9%.

Imports were also seen falling 0.2% year-on-year in April, marginally faster than the 0.1% decline in the previous month, the poll showed.

Malaysia reports trade data in ringgit.

The countrys trade surplus is expected to narrow to 12.6 billion ringgit ($3.01 billion) in April, from 14.4 billion ringgit in March.
China hopes Canada understands the consequences of siding with the United States and doing its bidding, Chinas foreign ministry said on Friday, after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called for the release of two Canadians detained in China, reports Trend referring to Reuters

Chinese authorities detained Canadian businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig in December, shortly after Canada arrested China-based Huawei Technologies Co Ltds Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, on a U.S. warrant.

She faces extradition to the United States on charges she conspired to defraud global banks about Huaweis relationship with a company operating in Iran. She and the company have denied the charges and China has called for her release.

Asked about Pence comments that U.S. President Donald Trump would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about the detained Canadians at a G20 meeting in Japan in June, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang implied Canada was to blame for its problems in China.

We hope that the Canadian side will come to understand the full consequences of pulling chestnuts from the fire on behalf of the United States, and not inflict more harm on themselves, Geng told reporters, without elaborating.

Pence, who has taken a hard line on China, discussed the detained Canadians with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa on Thursday, where they also talked about Huawei and China trade issues.

Kovrig and Spavor were formally charged with espionage this month. China has also cut off imports of key Canadian commodities in an effort to press it.

Canada has called the arrests arbitrary.

During his visit, Pence thanked Canada for standing up for the rule of law in detaining Meng.

While Canada says China has made no specific link between the detentions of the two men and Mengs arrest, experts and former diplomats say they have no doubt it is using their cases to pressure Canada.
The United States may no longer share sensitive security information with nations that install next-generation networks, like those made by Chinas Huawei, that it regards as insecure, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday, reports Trend citing to Reuters

Pompeo issued the warning after meeting his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Berlin, which has so far stood with European partners in resisting U.S. calls to ban the state-owned manufacturer from 5G mobile networks now being built.

While he said all countries would take their own sovereign decisions on which manufacturers to use, the United States would continue to warn them of the risks, including the possibility that Washington would have to withold information.

(There is) a risk we will have to change our behavior in light of the fact that we cant permit data on private citizens or data on national security to go across networks in that we dont have confidence (in), he told a news conference.

Pompeo is expected to continue pressing the issue in a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel on his delayed trip to Berlin, the first stop in a five-day European trip that will also take him to Switzerland, the Netherlands and Britain.

Pompeo urged close ally Britain this month not to use Huaweis technology to build new 5G networks because of concerns it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying.

The United States is at odds with its German allies on a host of issues, from trade to military spending and nuclear non-proliferation.

Pompeos visit had been scheduled earlier this month, but was called off at the last minute as tensions rose over Iran, on whose nuclear program Berlin and Washington do not see eye to eye.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, responding to similar comments on Huawei made by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Canada on Thursday, said the United States had yet to prove that Huaweis products presented a security risk.

We hope that the United States can stop these mistaken actions which are not at all commensurate with their status and position as a big country, said spokesman Geng Shuang.

Pompeo also urged Germany to follow Britain in proscribing Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah group and boost military spending.

He also said that the United States was attempting to verify reports that a senior North Korean official involved in Pyongyangs non-proliferation talks with Washington had been executed.
The board of Renault will meet on Tuesday to discuss Fiat Chryslers merger offer, the French carmaker said, as Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire reiterated the governments conditional support for the tie-up, reports Trend citing to Reuters

Renault directors will decide whether to open formal talks with FCA when they reconvene after informal work sessions being held this week, Reuters earlier reported. The meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, a company spokesman said.

Italian-American FCA on Monday pitched a $35 billion merger with Renault to create the worlds third-biggest carmaker, joining forces to tackle mounting industry challenges including investment-heavy emissions regulation, vehicle electrification, connectivity and driving autonomy.

Doubts about the bids valuation and 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in claimed cost and investment savings have been voiced by former Renault executives including Carlos Tavares, who now leads domestic rival PSA Group, and Patrick Pelata, who served as chief operating officer until 2011.

Questions have also arisen over the deals impact on Renaults partnership with 43.4 percent-owned Nissan, already strained in the wake of the arrest and ouster of their former alliance chairman Carlos Ghosn, now awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges he denies.

But the French government, Renaults biggest shareholder with a 15 percent stake, reiterated its support for the combination on Friday - on condition that it preserve French industrial jobs and sites, safeguard the alliance with Nissan and sign up to a nascent European battery manufacturing project.

FCAs bid presents a real opportunity for Renault and the French automotive industry, Finance Minister Le Maire told domestic news agency Agence France-Presse.
Unidentified armed men ambushed a cargo truck that also carried passengers, killing 16 people, on Tuesday in Macomia district in Mozambique's northern province of Cabo Delgado, local media reported Friday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

Witnesses told the press that the attack occurred during the day when armed men came up from the woods and started firing at the vehicle.

According to the report, the attackers burned down the vehicle in which eight people died, including three soldiers.

Another seven passengers, who were rescued by the nearby community, died eventually from gunshot wounds, and the body of another passenger was found nearby, showing gunshot wounds.

Still in May, several deadly attacks by armed men were reported in the province of Cabo Delgado, with more than 30 people reportedly killed.

The armed attacks in Cabo Delgado, the province that has mega gas projects in the country, started from 2017 October, and more that 200 people have been killed in sporadic attacks since then.

Earlier this week, the Chief Commander of the Police of Mozambique, Bernardino Rafael, said the attacks are financed by illegal miners (locally known as garimpeiros).

"They are garimpeiros that we fought in the past for their illegal activities. They attack us back as reprisal," said the commander.
The summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be held in late June in the Japanese city of Osaka, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

Lavrov and his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono are holding bilateral talks in Tokyo on Friday. Before being joined by their delegations, the two ministers spent more than half an hour talking tete-a-tete.

"I am sure  and hope that today's talks will confirm this  we have something to report to the president and the prime minister when they meet in late June in Osaka," Lavrov said at the beginning of the talks with his Japanese counterpart.
Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Turkey has not postponed the purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system at the US request, Trend reports referring to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on May 31.

According to the Ministry, the information that after the US required Turkey not to purchase the Russian S-400 air defense system, Turkey has allegedly postponed the purchase, is false.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that specialists from the US and NATO could visit Turkey to make sure that 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," Cavusoglu said.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated that the US believes that Turkey would not be able to have both US F-35 fighter-bombers and Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems at the same time, as this is technically impossible.

According to Pentagon sources, it is impossible to launch the F-35 in the space where the S-400 is operated, he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey may receive the S-400 missile systems earlier than scheduled.

Turkey expects to receive the first supplies of S-400 missile systems in July 2019, the president added.

He stressed that despite appeals from the US, Turkey will not abandon the purchase of the S-400.

Initial reports of negotiations between Russia and Turkey on the supply of S-400 appeared in November 2016.

The signing of a contract was confirmed by the Russian side on September 12, 2017.

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the S-400 air defense systems would be deployed from October 2019.

The supply of the S-400 air defense systems to Ankara cost $2.5 billion, head of the Rostec state corporation Sergey Chemezov said in December 2017.

Turkey is the first country, a NATO member to receive the S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday blamed Iran for attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, saying it was an effort by Tehran to raise the global price of oil, Trend reported citing Reuters.

These were efforts by the Iranians to raise the price of crude oil throughout the world, Pompeo told reporters shortly before leaving on a trip to Europe.

He suggested he had seen evidence of Irans involvement cited earlier on Thursday by White House National Security Adviser John Bolton.

Speaking in London, Bolton said evidence that Iran was behind the attacks would be presented to the United Nations Security Council next week.

Asked if he had seen the evidence, Pompeo said: Oh yes. Ambassador Bolton got it right.

Arab leaders are meeting in the Saudi city of Mecca to discuss drone strikes on oil installations in Saudi Arabia and attacks on four vessels, including two Saudi tankers, off the UAE coast earlier this month.

Tehran has denied involvement.

U.S. envoy to Iran Brian Hook on Thursday warned that the United States will respond with military force if its interests are attacked by Iran.
KYODO NEWS - May 30, 2019 - 20:13 | World

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan met with Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu on Thursday, with the latter expressing hope that the Indonesian army's special forces unit can be trained again in the United States in the near future.

(Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan (R) and Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu)

[Anadolu Agency/Getty/Kyodo]

"The Ministry of Defense has sent a letter to the U.S. Congress, wishing that KOPASSUS can attend trainings again in the United States, hopefully in the near future," Ryamizard told a joint press conference with visiting Shanahan in Jakarta.

The United States suspended cooperation with the Indonesian military, including the army's special forces unit, popularly known as KOPASSUS, in 1998 following reports of beatings, kidnappings and other abuses committed by it.

The so-called 1997 Leahy Law, named after Sen. Patrick Leahy who wrote it, prohibits U.S. military assistance to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country that commits gross violations of human rights with impunity.

In 2005, the United States lifted the ban on cooperation with Indonesian military units except KOPASSUS.

But in 2010, the United States announced it would resume military cooperation with KOPASSUS step-by-step, following continued implementation of reforms within the unit.

International human rights organizations have accused KOPASSUS of involvement in many human rights abuses, including the kidnappings of antigovernment students and activists in the late 1990s, anti-Chinese rioting and student protests in 1998 that led to the fall of former President Suharto, as well as the widespread violence in East Timor in 1999 around the time of its referendum on independence.

Thirteen activists kidnapped in the late 1990s remain missing.

During the press conference, Ryamizard said the United States has agreed to help Indonesia counter terrorism and radicalism.

According to the minister, the Islamic State-affiliated new generation of terrorists has been growing after foreign terrorist fighters in Iraq and Syria return home to countries like Indonesia.

Both ministers also discussed the Rohingya refugee crisis, Ryamizard said, adding, "If this issue is not managed well, terrorists have been waiting to recruit them."

Indonesia was the first country visited by Shanahan in his four-nation tour. He left for Singapore in the afternoon to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, a defense forum to be held Friday through Sunday. He will then travel to Japan and South Korea.
KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2019 - 23:00 | World, All

Chinese and U.S. defense chiefs were at odds over the Taiwan issue on Friday, China's Defense Ministry suggested, as tensions between the world's major powers have already intensified following an escalating tit-for-tat tariff trade war.

Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe was quoted by his ministry as telling acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan at their meeting in Singapore that Beijing "decisively opposes" to recent U.S. moves relating to Taiwan.

(Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe (L) and acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan (2nd from R))

It was the first time for Chinese and U.S. defense chiefs to hold direct talks since November 2018, when former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Wei met in Washington.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has forged close relations with self-ruled, democratic Taiwan, which Chinese President Xi Jinping's leadership considers a renegade province awaiting reunification.

U.S. warships have recently sailed through the Taiwan Strait and China has urged Washington to abide by the "one-China principle."

Wei and Shanahan, meanwhile, agreed the two countries will work to achieve denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled in the wake of the rupture of their second summit in Hanoi in late February.

As for China's military infrastructure in the South China Sea, where Beijing and several Southeast Asian nations have overlapping territorial claims, the Chinese Defense Ministry did not elaborate the details of what Wei and Shanahan discussed.

The two defense chiefs are visiting Singapore to attend the three-day Asia Security Summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, which started on Friday.
By Anna Watanabe, KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2019 - 10:43 | World, Feature, All

As more governments around the world move to legalize cannabis -- either for medical or recreational purposes -- an image of a 21st-century "cannabusiness" is emerging: lush green plants growing in sleek, temperature-controlled rooms with workers in lab coats funded by venture capital.

And one small New Zealand medicinal cannabis business is looking to secure its slice of the pie, all while empowering a marginalized community and allowing it to create wealth from within.

Based in the regional community of Ruatoria on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island, Hikurangi Cannabis is working to ensure Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, are included in -- and benefit from -- the country's growing cannabis industry.

"We've got a lot of people who grow illicit cannabis for their incomes. They don't grow it to be millionaires or to put Ferraris in the garage -- they grow it to put food on the table and shoes on their kids' feet," explains co-founder Panapa Ehau as he drives along the narrow and winding road to Ruatoria, two hours north of the company's humble offices in the coastal city of Gisborne.

(Panapa Ehau)[Photo courtesy of Rebecca Grunwell, Gisborne Herald]

"If we're not at the leading edge of this industry, other people will be, and our people, whose incomes come from the illicit market, their incomes will decrease, and therefore their wellbeing will decrease."

In December, the New Zealand government enacted a law to make medicinal cannabis more widely available and began the process of creating a regulatory body to allow homegrown products to be manufactured and sold.

In 2020, the country will hold a referendum on whether recreational cannabis should be legalized, potentially opening New Zealand up to an industry that is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars worldwide.

Ruatoria -- with a resident population of just 750 people -- is one of the most disadvantaged communities in New Zealand and would benefit greatly from involving itself in the growth industry.

Unemployment in the town stands at around 15 percent -- three times the national average -- and the median annual income is just NZ$17,100 (US$12,000) compared to NZ$52,000 nationally.

Almost 94 percent of the population identify as Maori, one of the highest proportions anywhere in the country.

Ehau says the "intergenerational trauma from colonization" has seen generations of Maori grow up relying on social welfare benefits and missing out on the socio-economic advances experienced by others in New Zealand.

"There's a whole section of our community, what they see is to go to the income office and get a benefit, and that becomes normal. And there hasn't been a whole lot of innovation in our region," Ehau said.

The 39-year-old hopes that by bringing a new industry to the area, people will be able to return to their ancestral homelands to work and reconnect with their cultural roots.

And the community, it appears, is hopeful for change too.

In 2018, Hikurangi Cannabis allowed locals to become stakeholders with a minimum investment of NZ$50 for 50 shares.

"We raised NZ$1.5 million from arguably the lowest socio-economic area of the country," Ehau said.

To reach a target of NZ$2 million, the company raised the last half-million dollars through a crowdfunding website. The capital-raising drive crashed the site, and shares sold out in seven minutes.

"When we went out to give our people the first opportunity to invest in the company, they didn't invest in making money out of a cannabis company, they invested in the hope for the increase of the wellbeing of our people," Ehau said.

As the first company in New Zealand to receive a medical cannabis cultivation license, Hikurangi Cannabis has been active in lobbying government to give input on what a regulated industry should look like.

"Getting the regulations right is absolutely critical to the industry," says Tony Robinson, the company's regulatory and legal advisor.

Robinson describes regulations in Australia and the United States -- two countries where medical cannabis has been legalized within certain jurisdictions -- as critically flawed but is hopeful that New Zealand can learn from where other countries got it wrong.

(Panapa Ehau (L) and Tony Robinson in a former sheep shearing shed in Ruatoria where some of the company's cannabis crop was grown)

One area of the regulatory framework Hikurangi Cannabis is particularly passionate about is allowing individuals with past drug offenses to be able to be part of the legal cannabis industry.

"In America, you cannot be involved in the industry if you've got a conviction, so you've just taken out a whole lot of people," Robinson, 48, says, referring to predominantly African American and Latino American communities who, like Maori, are arrested for drug offenses at a disproportionately high rate.

People who identify as Maori make up roughly 15 percent of New Zealand's total population, but over half of the prison population. Of those who are incarcerated, 40 percent are convicted on drug charges, according to the NZ Drug Foundation.

"We've been to the States and Canada...(and cannabis) is a very white, corporate industry and we don't want that in New Zealand," Robinson said.

And, arguably, it's just bad for business.

With locals supplementing their income with illegally grown cannabis for so many years, Ehau says Ruatoria is home to "some of the best growers in the country," making the skills and knowledge in the community a valuable resource for the budding company.

Although a broader recreational cannabis market could be introduced in New Zealand in the not-too-distant future, Hikurangi Cannabis remains primarily focused on developing products for the medicinal market.

In his December statement on broadening the availability of medicinal cannabis, the New Zealand health minister specifically referred to the drug's use in pain management.

Other studies have pointed to CBD, an active ingredient in cannabis, successfully treating symptoms of childhood epilepsy, anxiety and lowering pain and inflammation due to arthritis.

Robinson, who lived in Japan for several years, says although cannabis remains highly illegal there, the medical benefits are particularly suited to the country's aging population.

"The Japanese population is going to be 40 percent over 65 by 2050. It's amazing what CBD can do."

"If they wanted, this is something that Japan could be a world leader on," he says, referring to Japan's history of leading advancements in science, medicine and technology.

But for the time being, Ehau says Hikurangi Cannabis is working close to home, with high hopes.

"What we want to be able to do is show our younger generations and the ones that aren't born yet, that we have the ability to be world-class in whatever we do...We can be awesome, and we can be the change."
Northern and Central Asia have been neglected in studies of early human migration, with deserts and mountains being considered uncompromising barriers. However, a new study by an international team argues that humans may have moved through these extreme settings in the past under wetter conditions. We must now reconsider where we look for the earliest traces of our species in northern Asia, as well as the zones of potential interaction with other hominins such as Neanderthals and Denisovans.

Archaeologists and palaeoanthropologists are increasingly interested in discovering the environments facing the earliest members of our species, Homo sapiens, as it moved into new parts of Eurasia in the Late Pleistocene (125,000-12,000 years ago). Much attention has focused on a 'southern' route around the Indian Ocean, with Northern and Central Asia being somewhat neglected. However, in a paper published in PLOS ONE, scientists of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Human Science in Jena, Germany, and colleagues at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, China, argue that climate change may have made this a particularly dynamic region of hominin dispersal, interaction, and adaptation, and a crucial corridor for movement.

'Heading North' Out of Africa and into Asia

"Archaeological discussions of the migration routes of Pleistocene Homo sapiens have often focused on a 'coastal' route from Africa to Australia, skirting around India and Southeast Asia," says Professor Michael Petraglia of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, a co-author of the new study. "In the context of northern Asia, a route into Siberia has been preferred, avoiding deserts such as the Gobi." Yet over the past ten years, a variety of evidence has emerged that has suggested that areas considered inhospitable today might not have always been so in the past.

"Our previous work in Saudi Arabia, and work in the Thar Desert of India, has been key in highlighting that survey work in previously neglected regions can yield new insights into human routes and adaptations," says Petraglia. Indeed, if Homo sapiens could cross what is now the Arabian Deserts then what would have stopped it crossing other currently arid regions such as the Gobi Desert, the Junggar Basin, and the Taklamakan Desert at different points in the past? Similarly, the Altai Mountains, the Tien Shan and the Tibetan Plateau represent a potentially new high altitude window into human evolution, especially given the recent Denisovan findings from Denisova Cave in Russia and at the Baishiya Karst Cave in China.

Nevertheless, traditional research areas, a density of archaeological sites, and assumptions about the persistence of environmental 'extremes' in the past has led to a focus on Siberia, rather than the potential for interior routes of human movement across northern Asia.

A "Green Gobi"?

Indeed, palaeoclimatic research in Central Asia has increasingly accumulated evidence of past lake extents, past records of changing precipitation amounts, and changing glacial extents in mountain regions, which suggest that environments could have varied dramatically in this part of the world over the course of the Pleistocene. However, the dating of many of these environmental transitions has remained broad in scale, and these records have not yet been incorporated into archaeological discussions of human arrival in northern and Central Asia.

"We factored in climate records and geographical features into GIS models for glacials (periods during which the polar ice caps were at their greatest extent) and interstadials (periods during the retreat of these ice caps) to test whether the direction of past human movement would vary, based on the presence of these environmental barriers," says Nils Vanwezer, PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and a joint lead-author of the study.

"We found that while during 'glacial' conditions humans would indeed likely have been forced to travel via a northern arc through southern Siberia, during wetter conditions a number of alternative pathways would have been possible, including across a 'green' Gobi Desert," he continues. Comparisons with the available palaeoenvironmental records confirm that local and regional conditions would have been very different in these parts of Asia in the past, making these 'route' models a definite possibility for human movement.

Where did you come from, where did you go?

"We should emphasize that these routes are not 'real', definite pathways of Pleistocene human movement. However, they do suggest that we should look for human presence, migration, and interaction with other hominins in new parts of Asia that have been neglected as static voids of archaeology," says Dr. Patrick Roberts also of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, co-author of the study. "Given what we are increasingly discovering about the flexibility of our species, it would be of no surprise if we were to find early Homo sapiens in the middle of modern deserts or mountainous glacial sheets."

"These models will stimulate new survey and fieldwork in previously forgotten regions of northern and Central Asia," says Professor Nicole Boivin, Director of the Department of Archaeology at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, and co-author of the study. "Our next task is to undertake this work, which we will be doing in the next few years with an aim to test these new potential models of human arrival in these parts of Asia."

###
A collaborative study between McGill University and the University of Antwerp allows PET scanning on animals without the use of anesthesia.

Have you ever spent half an hour trying to take the best photo of your pets but they won't stay still in the perfect angle? This is also true for small animal imaging research using positron emission tomography (PET). Because of this, the use of anesthesia is a widespread practice in animal imaging. It's one of the biggest limitations to imaging studies because anesthesia alters the animal's normal physiological state, blurring the answers to the questions that many researchers have been asking.

Thanks to a collaborative effort between McGill University, Montreal Canada and the University of Antwerp, Belgium this no longer needs to be the case. A new study, published in NeuroImage by researchers from the Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA) and the Douglas Mental Health University Institute of McGill University, describes a new PET imaging platform capable of simultaneously scanning multiple animals while they are awake.

The platform uses an insert developed by Min Su (Peter) Kang and Reda Bouhachi (Pedro Rosa-Neto's Team, McGill University) and an algorithm developed by MICA researchers Alan Miranda and Professor Jeroen Verhaeghe, that tracks a single animal's head movements. This collaborative effort enabled the Douglas researchers adapted the algorithm to track two animals' movements simultaneously in a PET scanner, with the help of imaging experts from The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital).

"We think our breakthrough will open a new era of small animal PET imaging research and unprecedented experimental designs that many researchers have been anxious to test for a long time," says Pedro Rosa-Neto, Associate Professor in McGill's departments of Neurology & Neurosurgery and Psychiatry and a researcher at McGill's Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory.

Previous methods developed to avoid using anesthesia required external tracking or surgical implantation of devices to scan the brain of moving animals. The new method developed through this collaboration thus offers a less invasive means of conducting imaging studies and allow animals to interact in a "natural" manner during scans.

"From the start of this project our goal was to develop a practical approach to imaging awake animals. After more than 3 years of development, we delivered an approach that can be easily implemented so scientists can focus on new exciting biology questions that can be answered rather than on technical issues," says Jeroen Verhaeghe, Professor at the Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp (MICA), part of the University of Antwerp and the University Hospital Antwerp.

Thanks to this innovative platform, TNL and MICA will continue their collaboration in the hopes to answer questions that have long eluded scientists, for example, the extent to which brain cells use glucose as the main energy source. The new scanning method could also help understand the neurochemical basis of sympathy, fear, learning and memory in real time in awake animals, questions that could not previously be answered because of the use of anesthesia.

###

To a video of the scanning procedure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oncBRBnqRQQ

For more information on the study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811919301600
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) disappointed investors in its first-quarter results, but CEO Fran Horowitz told CNBC the company has a game plan moving forward.

What Happened

Abercombie said in conjunction with its earnings report it will close three more flagship stores, including Abercrombie stores in Japan and Italy, and a Hollister store in New York. The reason for doing so is simple: consumers are "not responding" to large store formats, Horowitz told CNBC.

Instead, consumers are "really enjoying" smaller stores that boast a "more intimate feel" and a more personalized one-on-one interaction, the CEO said.

Why It's Important

Aside from large flagship stores in global cities, the company will also close big stores in malls and move to a smaller location nearby that takes up less square footage. This could also be seen as a function of lowering exposure to mall traffic in the U.S., which has been "declining for several years."

Abercrombie is on track to end 2019 with more stores than it had in 2018 but total square footage will decline, Horowitz said. Encouragingly, smaller stores are expected to bring in the same amount of sales if not more than larger stores. As such, the company's game plan will likely prove to be a "positive profitability move" over time.

After falling in Wednesday's session, Abercrombie & Fitch traded lower by another 7 percent to $17.06 per share at time of pubcaltion Thursday.

Related Links:

Abercrombie & Fitch Plummets 20% Following Q1 Earnings

Is Abercrombie & Fitch Back In Fashion With The Street?

Photo courtesy of Abercrombie & Fitch.

See more from Benzinga

 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
LAKE FOREST, Ill., May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Akorn, Inc. (AKRX), a leading specialty generic pharmaceutical company, today announced that management will present at the Jefferies 2019 Global Healthcare Conference on Friday, June 7, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. EDT in New York, NY.



A live webcast of the presentation can be accessed in the investor relations portion of Akorn's website at http://investors.akorn.com/events-and-presentations. A replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days following the conference. To access the webcast replay, please go to http://investors.akorn.com/events-and-presentations.



Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The webcast may include forward-looking statements about, among other things, the Companys business plans and initiatives, the Companys commitments to the FDA and remediation efforts, disruptions during the Standstill Period, the Companys anticipated future operating and financial performance, business plans and prospects, product pipeline, including filings, approvals and launches, capital allocation, debt refinancing, and potential dispositions, that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risk factors include, but are not limited to: (i) the effect of the Delaware courts recent decision against the Company on the Companys ability to retain and hire key personnel, its ability to maintain relationships with its customers, suppliers and others with whom it does business, or its operating results and business generally, (ii) the risk that ongoing or future litigation related to the courts decision may result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and/or liability, (iii) the outcome of the investigation conducted by the Company with the assistance of outside consultants, into alleged breaches of FDA data integrity requirements relating to product development at the Company and any actions taken by the Company, third parties or the FDA as a result of such investigations, (iv) the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of product development efforts, including FDA and other regulatory agency approvals and actions, if any, (v) the timing and success of product launches, (vi) difficulties or delays in manufacturing, (vii) the Companys increased indebtedness and compliance with certain covenants and other obligations under the Standstill Agreement, which create material uncertainties and risks to its growth and business outlook, (viii) the Companys obligation under the Standstill Agreement to enter into a Comprehensive Amendment that is satisfactory in form and substance to the Lenders, (ix) the Companys obligation under the Standstill Agreement to pay certain fees and expenses and increased interest margin, (x) such other risks and uncertainties outlined in the risk factors detailed in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 (as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 1, 2019), to be detailed in Part II, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2019 (filed with the SEC on May 7, 2019) and other risk factors identified from time to time in the Companys subsequent reports on Form 8-K and in other Company filings with the SEC. Readers should carefully review these risk factors, and should not place undue reliance on the Companys forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information, plans and estimates at the date of this report. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, future events or other changes.



The forward-looking statements in the webcast speak only as of the original date of the webcast. Akorn assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in the webcast as the result of new information or future events or developments.



About Akorn

Akorn, Inc. is a specialty generic pharmaceutical company engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of multisource and branded pharmaceuticals. Akorn has manufacturing facilities located in Decatur, Illinois; Somerset, New Jersey; Amityville, New York; Hettlingen, Switzerland and Paonta Sahib, India that manufacture ophthalmic, injectable and specialty sterile and non-sterile pharmaceuticals. Additional information is available on Akorns website at www.akorn.com.



Investors/Media:

(847) 279-6162

Investor.relations@akorn.com
UFC light heavyweight contenders Alexander Gustafsson (18-5) and Anthony Smith (31-14) will fight on Saturday in Sweden. (Getty Images)

On Thursday, UFC light heavyweight contenders Alexander Gustafsson (18-5) and Anthony Smith (31-14) faced off on stage for photographers in attendance to capture the close-quarters tension. The two men delivered, until they both broke out in smiles and chuckles and turned away from one another.

Both men are among the divisions most aggressive inside the cage, but leading up to their main event in Gustafssons home town of Stockholm, Sweden, the lack of personal animosity towards one another made any pretense of anger unnatural. Their aggression is controlled, professional, especially since both men clearly like one another personally.

Hes a great guy, Gustafsson told reporters before the stare down.

Hes just doing his thing, Im doing my thing, and were both professionals  on Saturday, we have work to do but theres no bad blood.

There is, however, eagerness to engage in battle, despite the lack of animosity. I cant wait to fight him, Gustafsson continued.

Hes a force to be counted with here in our division. Hes a tough guy  Im ready for him.

Gustafsson also expects for Smith to be the version of himself that won three-straight UFC fights by finish in 2018, and not the one who lost a decision to Jon Jones in March. Anthony wasnt really himself in the fight against Jones, Gustafsson reasoned.

We all saw that. This guy comes to fight. He comes with a lot of power, a lot of force. He  starts hard, every time so Im ready for it.

Gustafsson doesnt promise to match Smith in aggression, per se, but the Swede does plan to control the storm he expects to develop on fight night. I expect it to be wild, he said.

Its going to be entertaining, for sure  Anthonys going to come in, hard, hard and fast. Im just going to have to control him.

More from Yahoo Sports:
As the regulatory review of Sprint and T-Mobiles controversial merger nears its end, the wireless market may be experiencing some fevered dreams. But its still possible that consumers will come out the winners.

While a majority of the Federal Communications Commission was ready to allow the two smallest major wireless carriers to combine, staff in the Justice Departments antitrust division still had concerns. They feared that reducing the wireless market to just three big players would mean less competition and higher prices. Those were the same concerns that waylaid AT&Ts t 2011 attempt to buy T-Mobile tmus and quashed Sprint s and T-Mobiles chances of merging in 2014.

So this time around, T-Mobile CEO John Legere and his team have been meeting with regulators in Washington, D.C., to try and hash out arrangements to address the staff concerns and protect consumers interests. Legere has promised not to raise prices for three years, to build out a nationwide 5G network quickly, and to spin off Sprints Boost prepaid wireless unit.

Those moves convinced the FCCbut not the Justice Departmentto assent to the merger.

Then in the past 24 hours, reports have surfaced that Amazon amzn might want to buy Sprints Boost prepaid wireless unit, creating a potentially potent new competitor in the market. And other news indicated that cable giants Comcast cmcsa and Charter Communications chtr , which entered the wireless market on their own last year, might want to buy Boost themselves or acquire some of Sprints airwave licenses.

The reports drove analysts a little bit crazy. Every once in a while, a news item comes along that is so batshit crazysorry for the profanity, but your author is at a loss for a better word herethat one is simply brought up short, 30-year cable industry analyst Craig Moffett wrote in a report on Friday. None of those deals made much sense to Moffett, leading him to conclude: The conspiracy theorist in us wonders whether these stories are but a diversion.

Story continues

Stocks of all of the involved companies dropped on the news, as Wall Street investors saw the prospects of new, powerful players in wireless as likely good for consumers but bad for the various companies profits. They were also concerned about the costly prospect of Amazon or the cable companies needing to build out large, new wireless networks for the next few years. AT&T and Verizon vz fell as much as 5% in morning trading on Friday, while Amazon, Comcast, and Charter each dropped as much as 2%. For the merger partners, Sprint lost as much as 5% and T-Mobile was down 4%.

That was before Comcast issued a midday statement saying that it had no interest in buying spectrum from Sprint and T-Mobile. The cable giant, which has attracted 1.4 million wireless phone subscribers while running a network on leased airwaves from Verizon, didnt think the merger partners would be selling enough spectrum to make the deal worthwhile and saw little value in acquiring in Boost, according to sources in the industry. Charter and Amazon declined to comment.

If Amazon buys Boost or some of Sprints airwave licenses, it could quickly become even larger by buying more spectrum from Dish Network dish or the prepaid wireless services owned by American Movil, TracFone and Straight Talk, adds analyst Walt Piecyk at BTIG Research. An Amazon deal could be a disaster for the wireless industry, Piecyk notes. If Amazon came away with some hard assets it would cast a long shadow over the wireless industry, and possibly jump start movement by Amazon after the years of discussions and testing they have done in wireless.

That leaves two most likely outcomes, at this point, former top FCC staffer and now analyst Blair Levin at New Street Research noted. Either one of the reluctant giants signs on to become a major wireless competitor or the Justice Department is likely to block the merger.

It appears the DOJ thinks the deal hurts competition by reducing the number of competitors from four to three and that it should only move forward if the number essentially stays at four, Levin wrote.

If thats the case, wireless consumers should feel pretty good. Either youll soon be able to get wireless from the same company that you order everything else online from. Or youll benefit from the continued competition of the four current players in the market that have brought wireless prices down 28% in the past 10 years.

Maybe it really is a win-win.

(Update: This story was updated on June 1 with an additional analyst comment.)
'Don't say we didn't warn you': A phrase from China signals the trade war could get even worse

"We advise the U.S. side not to underestimate the Chinese side's ability to safeguard its development rights and interests. Don't say we didn't warn you!" the People's Daily said in a commentary titled "United States, don't underestimate China's ability to strike back."

The phrase "Don't say we didn't warn you" was only used two other times in history by the People's Daily  in 1962 before China's border war with India and ahead of the 1979 China-Vietnam War.

China threatened it would cut off rare earth minerals as a countermeasure in the escalated trade battle. The materials are crucial to the production of iPhones, electric vehicles and advanced precision weapons

The biggest Chinese newspaper explicitly warned the U.S. on Wednesday that China would cut off rare earth minerals as a countermeasure in the escalated trade battle, using an expression the publication has only used twice in history, both of which involved full-on wars.

"We advise the U.S. side not to underestimate the Chinese side's ability to safeguard its development rights and interests. Don't say we didn't warn you!" the People's Daily said in a commentary titled "United States, don't underestimate China's ability to strike back." The publication is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China.

The phrase "Don't say we didn't warn you" was only used two other times in history by the People's Daily  in 1962 before China's border war with India and ahead of the 1979 China-Vietnam War.

"Will rare earths become a counter weapon for China to hit back against the pressure the United States has put on for no reason at all? The answer is no mystery," the paper said.

The trade conflict between the world's two largest economies escalated quickly this month with both sides slapping tariffs on billions of dollars worth of each other's goods. China's threat to restrict rare earth mineral sales to the U.S. came after President Donald Trump blacklisted Chinese telecom giant Huawei, which led to many chipmakers and internet companies cutting ties with the company .

Story continues

The speculation about China's payback first surfaced when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited rare earth mining and processing facilities in Jiangxi province during a domestic tour last week. A Chinese official warned Tuesday that products made from the materials should not be used against China's development, which was seen as a veiled threat aimed at the U.S. and its technology industry.

China's rare earth materials are crucial to the production of iPhones, electric vehicles and advanced precision weapons, although the imports are a relatively small part of the $420 billion U.S. goods deficit with China.

The Chinese tabloid Global Times also said Tuesday that China can play the "rare earths card" and that it's "seriously considering" the move.

The stock market took a big hit amid the tit-for-tat strategies between the U.S. and China, with stocks poised to post their first negative month of the year. The S&P 500 has lost nearly 6% this month.

Correction: China's border war with India was in 1962 and the China-Vietnam War was in 1979. An earlier version misstated the years.





More From CNBC


Trump said the duties would "gradually increase" until "illegal migrants" stop coming into the US through Mexico (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

Investors fled stocks for safe-haven assets Friday after being spooked by the latest salvos fired in the global trade war.

With US President Donald Trump announcing tariffs on all Mexican imports and China warning it would create a list of "unreliable" foreign companies, investors piled into low-risk assets, sending the yield on 10-year German government bonds to a record low.

The rate of return for investors on 10-year German government bonds, or Bunds, hit minus 0.213 percent in the secondary market, breaking the previous record of minus 0.205 percent set in July 2016.

The yen, another safe-haven investment, shot higher. Because this makes Japanese exports more expensive, Tokyo's main stocks index tumbled 1.6 percent.

In European trading, the biggest faller was Frankfurt, dropping 1.5 percent.

On Wall Street, the Dow was down 0.8 percent in midday trading.

The dollar hit a six-month high against the Mexican peso at 19.8279 pesos to the dollar.

Oil prices dived to their lowest levels since early March on Trump's move against Mexico and also owing to a smaller-than-expected drop in US crude supplies, traders said.

"Showing up Thursday's rebound as a display of investor naivety, the markets sank on Friday as a new front opened up in Trump's trade war on the world," noted Connor Campbell, analyst at Spreadex trading group.

Trump's Twitter announcement late Thursday of a five percent tariff on all goods from Mexico starting June 10 was aimed at forcing the country to stem a flow of "illegal migrants" crossing the border into the US. On Friday, he linked to stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the US.

Trump had only recently kick-started the process of ratifying a new North American trade pact by removing all tariffs on aluminium and steel, but he has now put the accord at risk, according to experts.

Trump had also recently put off hiking tariffs against European and Japanese cars, which had reassured markets.

Story continues

The announcement of the new tariffs against Mexico "throws open to question the integrity of any trade deal that is signed off in the future with China, and or the European Union," said CMC Markets UK analyst Michael Hewson.

Carmakers were among the hardest hit by Trump's announcement, with shares in Mazda plummeting 7.1 percent, Nissan tumbling 5.3 percent, Renault shedding 4.3 percent and Volkswagen losing 2.8 percent.

Trump's action comes amid a protracted trade war between the United States and China.

The president's tariff hike on $200 billion in Chinese goods earlier this month "may already be undermining foreign demand", analyst Julian Evans-Pritchard of consultancy Capital Economics wrote in a research note.

China is retaliating by raising tariffs on $60 billion worth of US goods on Saturday, while official data Friday showed that the Asian nation's manufacturing activity contracted more than expected in May.

And on Friday China announced it would release a list of "unreliable" foreign companies and individuals, striking back after the United States targeted telecom giant Huawei in their escalating trade war.

- Key figures around 1530 GMT -

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.8 percent at 7,161.71 points (close)

Frankfurt - DAX 30: DOWN 1.5 percent at 11,726.84 (close)

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.8 percent at 5,207.63 (close)

EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 1.1 percent at 3,280.20

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.8 percent at 24,977.39

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.6 percent at 20,601.19 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: DOWN 0.8 percent at 26,901.09 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 2,898.70 (close)

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1146 from $1.1130 at 2100 GMT

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2620 from $1.2613

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 108.68 yen from 109.61 yen

Oil - Brent Crude: DOWN $2.23 at $64.64 per barrel

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN $1.71 at $54.88 per barrel

burs-rl/cw
Buffalo Bills rookie LB Tyrel Dodson was arrested last weekend and arraigned on charges including domestic violence. (AP)

Tyrel Dodson, an undrafted rookie linebacker for the Buffalo Bills, was arrested last weekend in Scottsdale, Ariz. and arraigned on several charges, including assault/domestic violence.

TMZ first reported the story.

Dodson allegedly shoved girlfriend to the floor, stole money

Via the incident report posted on Twitter by ESPN Bills reporter Mike Rodak, that Dodson, who played at Texas A&M, and his girlfriend got into an argument on Saturday while she was getting ready for work; he allegedly vomited on the carpet inside her bedroom and apologized, saying he had been drinking too much.

She told him to leave her alone and go into the living room; thats when she alleges he began acting violently toward her, allegedly grabbing her forcefully and shoving her against the wall.

The girlfriend said she was scared and slapped Dodson in the face; he slapped her back, then began apologizing for hitting her, and she said he threatened to kill himself.

The girlfriend left the apartment, but said that when she returned Dodson was still there, so she locked herself in a bathroom and told him to leave. Dodson allegedly busted the door open, and it smacked the woman in the head, leaving a small welt.

Things escalated in the kitchen, where Dodson allegedly shoved the woman to the floor in a scuffle over her cell phone.

They got so loud that a neighbor knocked on the door to check on the girlfriend.

The woman left the apartment again, but when she returned she claimed Dodson had stolen her car keys, $500 from her purse and several thousand dollars from a safe under her bed.

Dodson denies allegations

When police reached Dodson by phone, he denied assaulting his girlfriend, admitting to a verbal argument and taking $1,000 from her because it was money they both shared.

But police found probable cause to make an arrest, and did so at Mint Nightclub. As he was being removed from the club, he again denied attacking his girlfriend and showed police a red mark on his face, but Dodson never made an assault accusation.

He was arraigned on three misdemeanor charges: one count of domestic violence, one count of disorderly conduct and one count of damage to property.

Story continues

He is due in court next month.

Bills: We are aware of the incident

The Bills released a boilerplate statement on Thursday evening:

We are aware of the incident involving Tyrel Dodson last weekend. We have been looking further into the matter and will continue to gather information as the legal process continues.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, Dodson played in 36 games over three years with the Aggies. He signed with Buffalo on May 9, and has been practicing with the team this week, after his arrest and arraignment.

More from Yahoo Sports:
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, May 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BIOXYTRAN, INC. (BIXT), a developmental stage biotechnology company with a pipeline of anti-necrosis drugs designed to treat hypoxia by delivering a small molecule carrying oxygen to the brain of stroke victims announced today that a new investor presentation will be available on the Company website as of 9:00 a.m. today, May 29.

To view this presentation please visit bioxytraninc.com

Bioxytran CEO David Platt stated, It is important to keep our investor presentation fresh and updated with the latest developments for our new BXT-25 drug compound and its expanding drug indications. The current presentation was reworked to give an added understanding to investors just how serious the problem of stroke is. We also attempted to show how we think the drug would be positioned in the marketplace. If approved, we think first responders will want to use BXT-25 in the field as an oxygen bridge providing tissue oxygenation while the patient is traveling to the hospital and waiting for an imaging diagnosis of an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke.

About Bioxytran, Inc.

Bioxytran Inc. is a developmental stage biotechnology company. The company is working towards a first-in-class oxygen treatment platform for victims of brain stroke trauma. The first product to proceed to testing is BXT-25, which will be evaluated as a resuscitative agent to treat strokes, especially during the all-critical first hour following a stroke. The product will also be evaluated for its efficacy in treating other brain trauma issues. BXT-25 is based on a new molecule designed to reverse hypoxia in the brain. Hypoxic brain injuries such as ischemic strokes, could be treated with BXT-25 via an intravenous injection that quickly allows the drug molecule to travel to the lungs and bind with the oxygen molecules. From the lungs the molecule mimics a red blood cell traveling to the brain. Since the molecule is 5,000 times smaller than red blood cells it can penetrate the clot and deliver the oxygen to the critical areas in the brain blocked by the clot. The MDX Viewer will be used in evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the BXT-25. To learn more, visit our website: http://www.Bioxytraninc.com

Investor Relations

Resources Unlimited NW LLC

860.908.4133

info@resourcesunlimitedllc.com


Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine 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
(Adds delay in Supreme Court decision)

By Ricardo Brito

BRASILIA, May 30 (Reuters) - Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras and sectors of the government are mobilizing in the lead-up to a Supreme Court session next week that could have a profound effect on privatizations in the country.

In recent days, lawyers for Petroleo Brasileiro SA , as well as Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy and the federal solicitor-general's office, known as the AGU, have been lobbying the top court to overturn injunctions suspending divestitures by Petrobras, according to several sources with knowledge of the matter.

Brazil's Supreme Court, the STF, was initially scheduled to rule at 2 p.m. Brasilia time (1700 GMT) on whether the sale of state-run companies and their subsidiaries needs the approval of Congress and whether they need to be sold in an auction format.

However, at the beginning of the hearing, STF President Dias Toffoli delayed a ruling until Wednesday next week, saying the court would dedicate the Thursday session to testimony from interested parties.

Brazil-listed preferred shares in Petrobras turned negative after the STF delayed its decision, and were down 0.5% in afternoon trade.

The hearing follows a decision by a single justice on Tuesday to suspend the $8.6 billion sale of Petrobras' TAG pipeline unit to France's Engie SA, and stems ultimately from a similar decision made by a different judge last year.

A ruling upholding the injunctions would be a blow to Petrobras, which is counting on asset sales to reduce its hefty net debt load of roughly 372 billion reais ($93 billion). Among the asset divestitures that would likely be affected by the ruling is the sale of eight refineries that the company has said could fetch some $15 billion.

Privatizations are also a major pillar of President Jair Bolsonaro's economic program. His economy minister, Paulo Guedes, has said privatizations could bring 1 trillion reais into public coffers.

As part of the government's full court press, the AGU has sent a memorandum to STF justices defending the sale of assets without congressional approval, according to the sources, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to media.

Story continues

Brazil's solicitor-general, Andre Luiz Mendonca, has personally met with STF President Toffoli, and Petrobras lawyers have also been at the STF to defend the company's position.

The AGU has also publicly defended Petrobras' ability to sell assets without congressional approval.

"This ruling is going to give a big signal to the market," said a government source. "It's strategically important, and it's vital for Brazil."

(Reporting by Ricardo Brito Writing and additional reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Marguerita Choy)
(Adds comments from director regarding Alvean venture)

By Marcelo Teixeira

PIRACICABA, Brazil, May 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's Copersucar, the world's largest sugar merchant, expects global trade flow of the sweetener to reach equilibrium between supply and demand in the second half of 2019, which could lead to a price recovery, a top company official said on Thursday.

Lower sugar production in some of the main producers, such as Brazil and Thailand, will erase a surplus of 9.9 million tonnes seen in the end of the 2017/18 global crop, whose season lasts from October to September, according to Copersucar's strategy director, Tomas Caetano Manzano.

In a presentation at a sugar conference organized by research company Pecege, Manzano said he is positive about the current sugar market and forecast higher average raw sugar prices in 2019 than last year. "Prices should react positively later this year, as supply and demand are more balanced," the director said.

Copersucar is partnered with Cargill Inc in the 50-50 sugar trading venture Alvean, the world's leading trader of raw sugar. The Brazilian company also controls the U.S.-based ethanol trading company Eco-Energy.

Discussing ethanol, which is mostly made from sugar cane in Brazil, Manzano said hydrous ethanol this year continued to eat into gasoline's share of Brazil's light-vehicle fuel market.

Gasoline consumption decreased by 9% in 2018 in Brazil compared with the previous year, Manzano said, adding that he expects a further decrease this year for the oil-based product.

Ethanol prices are currently substantially lower than gasoline at pumps in Brazil's larger fuel-consuming states.

Copersucar works with more than 20 associated sugar and ethanol companies in Brazil, overseeing sales of their combined production.

The director said Copersucar reduced the amount of sugar it delivered to Alvean from the last Brazilian crop, since it diverted the lion's share of the harvest to ethanol production due to better returns.

Story continues

"Alvean's overall sugar trading book remained basically the same, but, of course, they had to source elsewhere the sugar that they didn't get from us," Manzano told reporters after his presentation at the seminar.

Manzano said ethanol is currently giving mills a return equivalent to a hypothetical sugar price of 13 cents per pound.

Raw sugar was quoted at 11.84 cents per pound mid-session at New York's ICE exchange on Thursday. The price would have to rise to prompt Brazilian mills to start changing their production strategies which continue to rely heavily on ethanol.

Copersucar sees mills in Brazil allocating 35% or 36% of cane to sugar production in the new season, similar to last season, Manzano said. (Reporting by Marcelo Teixeira Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis)
Following a reverse takeover of FLRish Inc., beloved dispensary chain Harborside's stock is set to commence trading on the Canadian exchange on or around June 6, under the symbol "HBOR."

Founded in 2006 and beginning as a nonprofit, pioneering dispensary Harborside was awarded one of the first six medical cannabis licenses granted in the U.S. and made the first legal cannabis sale in the state of California. The company is serving more than 300,000 patients and generating over CAD 400 million in sales since then. Harborside currently commands 3% of the entire California retail market, which is the biggest market in the country by a landslide, according to the company.

A cannabis dispensary

Image Source: Getty Images

Reverse Takeover

Harborside Inc. (formerly Lineage Grow Company Ltd.) is announcing today the completion of its reverse takeover of FLRish, Inc. (d/b/a Harborside) ("FLRish") pursuant to the terms of a merger agreement dated February 8, 2019, as amended on April 17, 2019 among the Company, FLRish, Inc. and Lineage Merger Sub Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the "Reverse Takeover". The reverse takeover was completed by way of a "three-cornered merger" whereby FLRish merged with Merger Sub to form a merged corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

Harborside going public is a monumental step in the industry symbolically and financially. The company claims it plans to increase sales growth and deliver profitability, driving its retail and wholesale business off the production from its stores and farms. Three additional stores and a grow facility are already in the works.

Immediately prior to the reverse takeover taking effect, Harborside consolidated its common shares on the basis of approximately 41.82 common shares into one new common share (the "Consolidation"), (b) changed its name to Harborside Inc., (c) reclassified the post-Consolidation common shares as subordinate voting shares (the "Subordinate Voting Shares") and (d) created a new class of multiple voting shares (the "Multiple Voting Shares"). On closing, the holders of shares of FLRish received Multiple Voting Shares, Subordinate Voting Shares or a combination thereof, for each share of FLRish outstanding immediately prior to completion of the reverse takeover.

Story continues

Harborside's new board of directors is now consisted of Andrew Berman, Peter Bilodeau, Adam Szweras, Matthew K. Hawkins, Tracy Geldert, Sherri Altshuler and Nayir Felix Munoz, with Mr. Bilodeau as Chairman. Mr. Andrew Berman, CEO of FLRish, is now the President and CEO of the Company, with Mr. Keith Li continuing his role as CFO of the Company. Iconic founder Steve DeAngelo serves as Chairman Emeritus.

Andrew Berman, CEO of Harborside Inc., said in a news release, "Today is a historic day for Harborside. The company has served as a pioneer for the entire industry, and we're excited to extend Harborside's tradition of 'trust, choice, and value' to both our customers and our shareholders."

Subordinate Voting Shares will be listed on the CSE at the opening of the markets on or about June 6, 2019, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions to the listing.

In May 2019, Harborside executed a reverse takeover with Lineage Grow Company adding two dispensaries in prominent cities in Oregon, additional cultivation, distribution and retail assets to its portfolio, and an expected public listing on the CSE. The Company has entered into a purchase agreement with Walnut Oaks, LLC d/b/a Agris Farms and has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire Lucrum Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a LUX. The company has previously completed a $26 million Series B funding round and a $14.6 million Series C.

According to an internal company report, their total revenue in the 2017 fiscal year was CAD 58.9M ($44.44M) while their gross revenue was CAD 11.2M ($8.45M).

Legendary Cannabis Activist

To many, Steve DeAngelo is an icon, a pioneer and a patient advocate all rolled into one. His tenacious, decades-long cannabis advocacy has made him legendary throughout the industry. Subsequently, Harborside a trusted and respected name in a sea of competitive for-profit companies that are eager to cash in on the greed rush without offering any corporate social justice initiatives.

From grassroots community campaigns to appearing on national television networks, and every uphill battle for legalization in between, DeAngelo has been on the frontlines as an activist for more than four decades. He played a key role in the passage of Initiative 59, Washington D.C.'s medical cannabis law and the passage of Prop 64, California's adult use law. He successfully defended multiple attempts by U.S. federal authorities to close Harborside. He continues to stand for legalization and decriminalization of cannabis around the globe.

Steve believes that a profitable, ethical, politically engaged cannabis industry will be the most powerful force in spreading cannabis reform to every corner of the planet. He will not rest and he will not stop until the last cannabis prisoner is free, according to SXSW.
TORONTO, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Camrova Resources Inc. (Camrova or the Company) (TSX-V: CAV; OTC: BAJFF; SSE :CAVCL.CAV US$ - Chile) is pleased to advise that Wolf Seidler, Director and Tom Ogryzlo, Interim CEO attended meetings of both the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Minera Metalurgica Del Boleo, S.A.P.I. De C.V. (MMB) held in Sta. Rosalia on May 14, 2019. Camrova is invited to attend Board Meetings as an observer with voice but no vote and is entitled to receive the same documentation that is provided to Board Members. Korea Resources Corporation ("Kores") is the majority shareholder of MMB through direct and indirect holdings. MMB is the operator of the Boleo Mine (copper, cobalt, zinc).



Two of the main items addressed at both meetings were forecast performance for 2019 and approval of MMBs revised Life of Mine Plan. These items were presented to Camrova, and Camrova had no input into their preparation. Camrova is relying upon MMB in providing the projections below.

For 2019, production of underground ore is forecast by MMB to be 508,000t at a grade of 1.19% Cu while open pit production is forecast at 2,438,000t of ore with a grade of 0.80% Cu, to give a combined total of 2,946,000t at 0.87% Cu. Surface production includes processing historic tailings with a grade of about 0.50% Cu. Taking plant recoveries into account, (Cu-80.4%/Co-29.9%/Zn-4.2%) MMB in 2019 expects to produce 19,697t of cathode copper, 419t of cobalt and 1016t of zinc resulting in negative Free Cash Flow of $21M after payment of $25M in interest.

MMBs LOM plan also forecasts a mine life of 16 years ending in 2034 by which time all debt is projected to be repaid, without a return of any of the capital that has been invested to date.

A MMB Shareholders Meeting was held immediately following the Board Meeting. At this meeting there was unanimous approval of a proposal to make changes to certain MMBs bylaws to make them consistent with corresponding clauses contained in the revised Shareholders Agreement in December, 2016.

Story continues

During the visit to Boleo, Camrova held discussions with Kores and MMB with respect to outstanding receivables owed by MMB to Camrova, totaling approximately Cdn$430,000. Camrova has filed a litigation claim in Mexico against MMB. Kores and MMB have yet to formally defend the litigation.

Update on Slag Project in Chile

As previously disclosed, Camrova has entered into an asset purchase agreement (the "Asset Purchase Agreement") dated May 1, 2019 with Asesoria y Inversiones MAYG SpA ("MAYG") pursuant to which Camrova has the right to acquire MAYG's interest in a slag agreement (the "Slag Agreement") between Anglo American Sur S.A. ("Anglo") and MAYG. Upon closing of the Asset Purchase Agreement, Camrova will have the right to process and recover copper contained in the existing 2.4 Mt slag dump (average copper content of 1%) that was generated by Anglo's Chagres smelter. Fresh slag is being produced at a rate of 30,000t/m which is forecast to continue for the next 25 years.

A condition for closing of the Asset Purchase Agreement is that Camrova acquire a suitable flotation plant to process the slag (the Process Plant). Camrova is in advanced negotiations with the owner of such a facility in Chile that currently has a monthly capacity of 18,000t. Camrova has retained a well-known Chilean engineering company WS Ingeneria Ltda (WSI) to carry out legal, corporate and financial Due Diligence relating to the Process Plant, and to prepare a technical study. WSI has undertaken to provide Camrova with its due diligence and technical/economic findings by mid Q3-2019. Management expects this project will not be classified as a mining project by authorities in either Chile or Canada but will fall into a category of environmental remediation or industrial processing.

Subject to the WSI technical study and Due Diligence referred to above, Camrova currently intends that a Chilean subsidiary of Camrova will acquire the Process Plant, and Camrova will change the plant from processing ore to processing slag to produce a 20% copper concentrate at a beginning annual rate of 15,000t. Camrova expects that increases to throughput can be made with further capital expenditures, which are unknown at this time and will be disclosed as the information becomes available to Camrova.

Predicated on preliminary financial projections for the project, Camrova has engaged Oak Hill Financial to assist Camrova in raising funding for the acquisition of the Slag Agreement and the Process Plant, and to fund the conversion from processing ore to processing slag. In the interim until this financing is in place, Camrova intends to seek financing to meet working capital requirements amounting to approximately Cdn$200,000 (two hundred thousand dollars). No terms of such financing have yet been determined, and such financing may be subject to regulatory approval.

Tom Ogryzlo, Interim CEO of Camrova, stated the following: We are confident that the due diligence and technical studies presently underway with WSI will result in a financial model showing an attractive return on investment. WSI has the advantage of having recently completed a definitive study for Camrova regarding a grass roots flotation plant very similar to the one that Camrova is now negotiating to acquire. We were very satisfied with WSIs work on the previous study.

About Camrova Resources Inc.

Camrova is a Canadian mining company whose common shares are listed on the TSX-V. Camrova owns a 7.24% interest in the Boleo copper-cobalt-zinc mine located in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

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 contact:

Camrova Resources Inc.

Tom Ogryzlo

Interim Chief Executive Officer



Tel: 416-271-0879

Email: info@camrovaresources.com Kris Misir

Chief Financial Officer



Tel: 647-632-3444

Email: kris.misir@camrovaresources.com

Cautionary Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Camrovas current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, ongoing discussions with Kores and MMB, and the ability of the Company to successfully complete the Asset Purchase Agreement with MAYG, including the acquisition of the Process Plant or another a suitable processing facility to process the slag waste material. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to Camrova, and are subject to the WSI technical study and Due Diligence. Although such statements are based on managements reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the proposed transactions will occur, or that if the proposed transactions do occur, will be completed on the terms described above.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and Camrova is not obligated 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 laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

This announcement does not constitute an offer, invitation or recommendation to subscribe for or purchase any securities and neither this announcement nor anything contained in it shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. In particular, this announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer would be illegal.

The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States, unless the securities have been registered under the Securities Act or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available.

This document may not be distributed or released in the United States or through U.S. Newswire Services.
China won when Trump blindsided Mexico with tariffs, says former Mexican ambassador to China

There's no doubt that Trump's surprise tariffs on Mexico are good for China, says Jorge Guajardo, former Mexican ambassador to China.

The announcement also emboldens Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is the "biggest winner" here, he says.

There's no doubt that President Donald Trump 's surprise new tariffs on Mexico are good for China, Jorge Guajardo, former Mexican ambassador to China, told CNBC on Friday.

The U.S. and China have been engaged in an escalating trade war. However, it was Mexico in Trump's sights on Thursday night, when he blindsided the U.S.' southern neighbor with the announcement that his administration will impose a 5% duty on all Mexican imports starting June 10. The tariffs will gradually increase to 25% in October, the White House said.

"Mexico and China compete. When Mexico wins, China loses. When China wins, Mexico loses," Guajardo said on " The Exchange ."

"China won yesterday."

Trump said he was imposing the tariffs to stop illegal immigrants from coming through Mexico into the U.S. The announcement came just as the approval process for the new trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada started to get underway.

That's led to concern about the impact of Trump's latest tariffs on trade talks with China.

"How can you trust Trump to honor a deal?" Chris Krueger, Washington strategist at Cowen, said in a note.

Trump's latest move also emboldens Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is the "biggest winner" here, Guajardo said.

Xi has been under pressure because some in his government were accusing him of misjudging the U.S. in trade negotiations, he explained.

Now, "he could have proof to go back to the people of China and say 'China did not make any concessions to the United States and got the same result as Mexico,'" Guajardo said.

"So, without a doubt, yesterday was a great day for China."

Earlier this month, Trump accused Xi of backing out of talks and raised tariffs to 25% from 10% on $200 billion in Chinese goods. China retaliated by boosting duties on $60 billion in U.S. goods.

Story continues

Since then, the two countries have been lodging trade threats against each other. China has reportedly halted U.S. soy purchases and threatened to cut off its rare earth minerals supply to the U.S. Meanwhile, the U.S. has blacklisted Chinese telecom giant Huawei , making it nearly impossible for the company to service customers.

 CNBC's Yen Nee Lee and Yun Li contributed to this report.





More From CNBC


LAS VEGAS (AP)  Construction on a high-speed train line between Southern California and Las Vegas will likely be delayed two years after the project failed to secure tax abatements in Nevada, officials said.

Virgin Trains USA had planned to start next year building the $4 billion dual tracks running 185 miles (298 kilometers) along the Interstate 15 corridor, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Thursday.

The company, formerly named Brightline, was seeking partial abatement of state sales and property taxes, but talks with state lawmakers did not progress far enough to get into specific figures, said Bob O'Malley, the company's vice president of government affairs.

"If we had been able to do something this session, we were ready to start construction in 2020," O'Malley said.

The company plans to pursue tax abatements again in 2021, the next session of the biennial Legislature.

The project is being financed entirely by private investment, so the company is not looking for tax credits or state grants, O'Malley said. It is looking for a similar deal it acquired in Florida, where it built a rail system serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

"Like Nevada, high-speed rail was an unfulfilled dream in Florida for decades," O'Malley said. "Florida leaders encouraged private investment in high-speed rail, and as a result the state is now reaping the benefits of billions of dollars in privately funded infrastructure, thousands of good-paying jobs, improved mobility for its residents, and positive environmental impacts."

___

Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
Arival Bank aims to serve crypto firms rejected by traditional banks and is crowdfunding $3 million on Circle's SeedInvest platform.

A new financial institution is preparing to open its doors for crypto startups in the U.S., and raising capital in an unorthodox manner.

Founded by two Russians and an American with finance backgrounds, Arival Bank (with one r) is waiting for an International Financial Entity (IFE) license from regulators in Puerto Rico before it can launch.

In the meantime, San Juan-based Arival is about to kick off an equity crowdfunding campaign on two platforms: SeedInvest, recently acquired by crypto exchange Circle, and Crowdcube in the U.K. The campaign is scheduled to start in early June with a goal to raise $3 million (all in fiat), SeedInvest associate Samuel Lawson told CoinDesk.

Top Banks Investing $50 Million to Build Blockchain Settlement System

Explaining why Arival is raising money this way, CFO Jeremy Berger said:

Its important for us to get the public involved, not just as investors but supporters of our vision. We need their feedback to drive the way we flesh out our tech, for example. It builds a real word of mouth presence and we hope itll bring significant impact on customer acquisition.

Arival plans to approach traditional VC investors for an eventual Series A round, Berger added.

Founders Slava Solodkiy, Igor Pesin and Berger came up with the idea for Arival after learning how slow and reluctant banks are to cater to startups and the independent contractors native to the gig economy.

When the Dust Settles: The Bitfinex Probe Reveals Structural Weaknesses

We want to serve clients who are getting rejected by traditional and even digital banks: crypto-related businesses (our first target audience), charity organizations, freelancers from co-working spaces, expats, refugees, residents from e-residency program in Estonia, etc., CEO Solodkiy said.

According to Lawson, this is part of what made Arival a natural fit for the investor base at SeedInvest, which vets startups before listing their equities on its platform.

Story continues

Crypto businesses and other SMBs [small and medium-sized business] are underbanked and traditional players are yet to provide this growing part of the global economy a real solution for banking, he said. Further, by taking a global approach and working to acquire an international banking license, the company fits well into the decentralized crypto model.

Lawson also noted that Arivals founders previously worked at Singapore venture capital fund Life.SREDA, which invested in a number of prominent digital banks, including Simple and Moven in the U.S., Fidor in Germany and Rocketbank in Russia.

Licensing

Arival applied for the IFE license in August of last year. This license would connect the business to the U.S. Federal Reserve system but is less onerous to obtain than a U.S. bank charter, which can take a year or more.

At the same time, an IFE can serve clients globally, Arivals chief financial officer Berger explained.

We want to build a real borderless bank, Solodkiy said. For clients, this means youll have to be verified once, and after that open with us as many bank accounts as we could provide across different jurisdictions.

As an IFE, Arival would join the small number of Puerto Rico-based crypto-friendly banking entities, including San Juan Mercantile Bank and Trust, recently launched by Wall Street veteran J. Robert Collins Jr.; Medici Bank, led by a descendant of the Renaissance-era Italian banking family; and Noble Bank, known for once working with the troubled (but systematically important) stablecoin issuer Tether.

However, in February, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York halted approval of new accounts for Puerto Rican offshore banks, citing concerns about expanded U.S. sanctions against Venezuela, Reuters reported.

Solodkiy and Berger told CoinDesk that Arival will only face the Fed account issue when they have their IFE license at hand, and while they are waiting for one, they hope the crackdown period will end.

Meanwhile, Arival started the application process for a banking license in Lithuania in December. It also envisions opening branches in the U.K., Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Dubai and Australia.

Virtual and real

Once licensed as an IFE, Arival would serve as a hub for clients to connect to a network of banks and lending marketplaces via a single app. Again, part of the value proposition is removing duplication of effort.

You need to be verified only once by us, and do not need to provide the same package of docs and answers for each standalone service, you can see and manage everything from the same window, Solodkiy said.

Potential clients include crypto exchanges and wallet services, ICO-backed startups, funds and over-the-counter (OTC) trading desks, Solodkiy said. Berger said Arival has nearly 700 prospective customers on its waiting list.

Arival intends to be fully accessible online, with a totally electronic document flow and no need for clients to go to a physical branch to open an account. Client companies will be able to connect to Arival via its open API.

The company will also offer services for other fintech startups to build up their compliance, Solodkiy says, calling this arrangement compliance-as-a-service.

Nevertheless, Arival also hopes to interact with its customers face-to-face.

Solodkiy and Pesin previously co-founded a fintech accelerator called InspiRussia, which a year later was acquired by Qiwi, an e-payment company and a blockchain pioneer in Russia, and they hope their new venture can foster a similar vibe.

We also want to have our office as a co-working space for our clients and fintech and blockchain startups that are planning to work with us, Solodkiy said.

Slava Solodkiy, Igor Pesin and Jeremy Berger, image courtesy of Arival

Related Stories
US travel tech specialist chooses Ireland as part of global growth strategy

San Francisco, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Deem, a leading mobile and cloud software technology provider, today announced that it will create 50 highly skilled jobs at a new European Innovation Center in Dublin. Deems expansion into Europe is part of a bold growth strategy that will see the company doubling its workforce around the world, including at its headquarters in San Francisco.

Deem offers a suite of travel booking and management tools for corporate customers and travel management firms. It is a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Enterprise Holdings  the worlds largest car rental provider, which provides services in more than 90 countries and has annual revenues of $24.1 billion.

With the support of Enterprise Holdings  which has operated the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in Ireland for the past 22 years  Deem will hire 50 software engineers for its Dublin Innovation Center in the coming 12 months, with further expansion in 2020.

Dublin is the ideal location for our new European Innovation Center, said John F. Rizzo, CEO and President, Deem. Its a world-renowned hub for technology, innovation and excellence with an exceptional number of skilled workers, great international connections and a high standard of living.

Expanding into Dublin will allow us to pursue our mission  to transform corporate travel  faster than ever before, said Rizzo.Business travelers from around the world are counting on Deem to take the frustration and uncertainty out of booking and managing their trips, and travel managers are relying on us to help them save time and money for their companies.

The new European Innovation Center in Dublin will house a highly-skilled research and development team that will focus on building the future of travel platform to optimize Deems travel solutions.

I am delighted to welcome Deem to Dublin, said Heather Humphreys, TD, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.Ireland is well-established as a vibrant technology hub, and the opening of this new innovation center in Dublin is a welcome addition to that landscape. This announcement is a reflection of how attractive Ireland is to companies operating in the tech sector. We have the skills and talent available to enable the company to grow and to embed their operations here and I look forward to their continued expansion and success over the coming years.

Story continues

Todays announcement by Deem is a testament to the highly-skilled, diverse workforce we have here in Ireland, particularly in the technology sector, said Martin Shanahan, CEO, IDA Ireland. I wish Deem every success in establishing their Irish operations here and offer the continued support of IDA Ireland.

This is a once-in-a-career opportunity, said Ashutosh Saxena, Director, Ireland Operations, Deem. The European Innovation Center will design an innovative architecture that enhances and builds on the efforts of hundreds of the very best software engineers in Silicon Valley over the past two decades.







About DEEM



Deem ranks as one of the top companies to work for in the US. Glassdoor rates the company 4.5 out of 5 and CEO, John F. Rizzo receives 100% approval from employees. IDC ranks Deem as a Major Player and CV Magazine awarded Deem, Most Outstanding Business Travel Solutions Provider in 2018 and 2019. Some of Deems latest innovations include National Car and Driver solutions in China, and Intelligent Attach for hotel.

Deem create products that give employees everything they need to make better travel decisions, wherever they are. With the most intuitive, secure, and powerful travel solutions, companies save money, their employees stay connected, and everyone gets more done.

Deem is used by more than 50,000 corporate customers and plugs into the worlds largest travel management companies and expense providers. The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, with offices in Bangalore, India and Dublin, Ireland.

Deem is wholly owned by Enterprise Holdings, the worlds largest car rental provider, and an industry leader in mobility and technology. Enterprise Holdings is one of the top global travel companies, ranking ahead of all other car rental companies, many airlines and most cruise lines, hotels, tour operators and online travel agencies, based on its annual revenues.

Tahnee Perry

Deem Inc.

4155908300

tahnee.perry@deem.com


The index endured another tough yet holiday-shortened week as investors braced for a near-term economic slowdown. Markets struggled to find catalysts for growth as concerns about the U.S.-China trade war and the state of the global economy lingered.

Meanwhile, the extent of the yield-curve inversion widened, leading investors to believe that a recession is imminent. Markets did receive a short respite from losses on Thursday, but familiar fears continued to weigh on consumer sentiment.

Last Weeks Performance

The index gained 0.4% on Friday following positive comments from President Trump regarding a resolution of the U.S.-China trade war. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department reported that the Trump administration is considering fresh import tariffs on countries engaging in currency manipulation practices.

The index lost 0.7% last week. This marked the Dows fifth straight weekly decline, its longest such streak of losses since 2011. Markets were battered by worsening trade war conditions throughout the week.

It all started with the Trump administration blacklisting Chinese tech behemoth Huawei, a decision which weighed on technology stocks. Consequently, investors opted for safe-haven sovereign bonds, leading to a sharp fall in yields. Moreover, President Trump threatened to stall his infrastructure legislation if Democrats continue to investigate him.

The Dow This Week

Markets were closed on Monday for the Memorial Day holiday. The index declined 0.9% on Tuesday in the absence of visible catalysts, which could boost equities.

Meanwhile, market-watchers closely followed the latest developments on the U.S.-China trade war front. President Trump stated at a press conference in Tokyo that America was still not ready to make a trade deal with China.

The index slumped 0.9% on Wednesday as long-term bond yields declined and widened the extent of the yield curve inversion. This triggered fears of an economic slowdown in the near term.

Story continues

Meanwhile, trade-war tensions between the United States and China escalated further after the latter hinted at restricting its exports of rare-earth minerals to the former.

The index gained 0.2% on Thursday after the bond yield plunge took a pause. The days gains were fueled mostly by shares of McDonald's MCD and Coca-Cola KO, which advanced by 1.6% and 1.3%, respectively.

However, the fall in yields led to shares of the key index component JPMorgan JPM losing 1.1%. Meanwhile, the upside remained limited by lingering trade tensions and concerns about the state of the global economy.

Components Moving the Index

The Boeing Company BA has announced that it received an order for eight 787-10 airplane from Air New Zealand  the flagship carrier of the nation. The list price of the planes was $2.7 billion but the carrier was able to get a discount, which is quite common for bulk orders.

Air New Zealand will take delivery of the new 787-10 planes over a five-year period, beginning 2022. These fuel-efficient planes will be utilized by the carrier to gradually replace its fleet of eight Boeing 777-200. (Read: Boeing Secures Order for 8 Dreamliners From Air New Zealand)

In another development, Zacks Rank #3 Boeing recently secured a $51.5-million contract for providing sustainment engineering services to support up to 17 C-40A aircraft. The contract was awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD.

Per the contract, services to be provided by Boeing include engineering data, technical publications, distribution of technical data and other technical support. Work related to the deal will be done in Seattle, WA, and is expected to get completed by May 2024. (Read: Boeing Secures $52M Navy Deal to Support C-40A Aircraft)

Microsoft Corporations MSFT LinkedIn recently inked an agreement to acquire Drawbridge, a startup based in San Mateo, CA.

However, the financial terms of the deal have been kept under wraps. Notably, per Crunchbase data, Drawbridge raised around $68.7 million in funding as a private entity.

Drawbridges Identity platform loaded with intelligent targeting capabilities is a key reason for the deal. The startup leverages first-party data to assess customers journey with Drawbridge Identity graph to provide robust marketing insights.

Per the deal, LinkedIn aims to enhance Marketing Solutions platform by integrating Drawbridges consumer identity technology capabilities. This is expected to aid LinkedIn in enabling customers to better target professional audience and improve returns on ad campaigns across desktop and mobile.

In another development, Microsoft recently inked a deal with Eneco to purchase wind energy from Borssele III/IV project based out of the Netherlands. The latest deal, spanning 15 years, will bring in a total 90-megawatt of wind energy to Microsofts renewable portfolio, which is now estimated to have exceeded 1.5-gigawatt.

The Borssele III/IV project is anticipated to commence commercial operations in early 2021, with construction work beginning in fourth-quarter 2019. The facility is estimated to generate 731.5 MW of wind energy. The stock has a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Intel Corporation INTC recently made a slew of announcements at COMPUTEX 2019. The chief attraction of the event was demonstration of the much-awaited 10th generation core processor (dubbed Ice Lake) by Gregory Bryant from the companys Client Computing Group (CCG). Intel has a Zacks Rank #3.

The latest processors feature up to 8 threads, 4 cores offering clock frequency of up to 4.1GHz. The CPUs are developed on the companys 10 nm process technology based on Sunny Cove architecture.

The company announced that the processors are now shipping and scheduled to be available in the holiday season of 2019. However, pricing of the latest chip remains undisclosed.

Further, the CPUs are powered with robust Iris Plus graphics, with an aim to provide immersive visual experience to users with graphics frequency of up to 1.1 GHz. In a bid to provide seamless connectivity, the latest processors are integrated with Intel Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 3.

The new CPUs leverage Intel Deep Learning Boost to enhance AI performance on the laptop by up to 2.5X primarily for lower latency workloads. (Read: Intel's 10th Gen CPUs Steal the Show at COMPUTEX 2019)

Pfizer Inc. PFE announced that its epilepsy drug, Lyrica (pregabalin), failed to meet primary endpoint in a phase III study, evaluating it as adjunctive therapy in epilepsy patients (aged 5 to 65 years) with primary generalized tonic-clonic (PGTC) seizures. Pfizer has a Zacks Rank #3.

Data from the study showed that treatment with Lyrica was not able to achieve a statistically significant reduction in seizure frequency versus placebo in the PGTC seizure patient population.

In the United States, Lyrica is approved for fibromyalgia, diabetic nerve pain, spinal cord injury nerve pain and pain after shingles. Notably, the study was a post-marketing requirement by the FDA. Lyrica is not approved as adjunctive therapy for PGTC seizures in any patient population.

The phase III study evaluated two doses of Lyrica  5 mg/kg/day and 10 mg/kg/day  over a period of 12 weeks. The safety profile of the drug was similar to what was observed in earlier clinical studies. (Read: Pfizer's Epilepsy Drug Lyrica Fails in Phase III Study)

Performance of the Top 10 Dow Companies

The table given below shows the price movements of the 10 largest components of the Dow, which is a price-weighted index, over the last five days and during the past six months. Over the last five trading days, the Dow has slumped by 2%.

Next Weeks Outlook

Markets are likely to traverse choppy waters in the weeks ahead since near-term concerns refuse to subside. A quick resolution to the U.S.-China trade war seems unlikely at this point with both sides looking keen to escalate the conflict.

Meanwhile, key macroeconomic indicators are hinting that a recession may be close at hand. It is quite likely that these issues will be the major determinants of market direction in the days ahead.

The Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019

Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.

These companies are changing the world  and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month.

Click here to see these 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



JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Pfizer Inc. (PFE) : Free Stock Analysis Report



The Boeing Company (BA) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Coca-Cola Company (The) (KO) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



McDonald's Corporation (MCD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Intel Corporation (INTC) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
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.
(Adds Chinese Foreign Ministry comment on Trump remarks)

By Stella Qiu and Dominique Patton

BEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump are likely to find it "difficult" to make major progress towards ending their countries' trade war when they meet at a G20 summit in Japan in June, a former top Chinese official said on Friday.

The U.S. approach to trade talks has been "bullying and America First", whereas the principles of China's approach to negotiations were equality and cooperation, said Dai Xianglong, who headed the People's Bank of China from 1995-2002 and remains an influential figure in China.

"It's hard to reconcile these," Dai told a seminar on U.S.-Sino trade relations, noting that trade friction between China and the United States was a long-term issue.

Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing escalated sharply this month after the Trump administration accused China of having reneged on its previous promises to make structural changes to its economic practices.

Washington later slapped additional tariffs of up to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to hit back with additional levies on around $60 billion of U.S. imports due to take effect on Saturday.

"I expect that at next month's meeting of the leaders in Japan it will be difficult to achieve major progress," Dai said, later adding that he was not confirming that the meeting would take place, but he hoped it would.

Trump has said he is planning on meeting Xi during the G20 summit, set for June 28-29 in Osaka, though China has not formally confirmed this.

Dai said he did not rule out stronger retaliation by China. He said heavy sales of U.S. Treasuries by China was a less likely option for retaliation as it would hurt China's own interests.

Since the latest round of U.S. tariffs, which caught Beijing by surprise, Chinese state media has gone on the offensive.

The People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's flagship newspaper, warned this week that China was ready to use its dominance of rare earths, crucial minerals used in electronics, to strike back in the trade war.

Story continues

PUBLIC RELATIONS BATTLE

A deluge of sharply worded commentaries and warnings out of China in the last two weeks has intensified a public relations battle with the United States that could complicate the run-up to any Xi-Trump meeting in Japan.

Speaking at a separate briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang took umbrage at Trump comments on Thursday that China was becoming a "very weakened nation" due to companies leaving China because of the tariffs.

"This is neither the first nor second time the U.S. side has said these lies," Geng said. "But the U.S. side seems to be very persistent, even obsessed with it, and is still repeating these lies."

At the Beijing seminar on Friday, former Chinese vice commerce minister Wei Jianguo said initiating a trade war with China might be the biggest strategic mistake made by the United States since World War II or even its founding.

There is a need to prepare for the likelihood for the trade war to ratchet up tensions to geopolitical areas including the South China Sea, said Wei, adding that the trade conflict might last for 30 years or even half a century.

He suggested that China had many countermeasures it could take, including rare earths and against Boeing Co. or U.S. software.

"There are lots of Chinese countermeasures, and, speaking honestly, we hope not to use them, because we always negotiate with the United States with sincerity and hope to achieve results," Wei said.

Dong Yang, a former executive director at the China Association of Automotive Manufacturers, said at the seminar that U.S. auto parts suppliers could also be hit.

"U.S. car components companies have presence in China, and set China as a global manufacturing base. The escalation of the trade war between China and the United States will seriously affect their development in China and the world," Dong said.

Other parts suppliers such as Germany, Japan, South Korea and France can also provide strong substitutes for U.S. components, he said.

All those who spoke at the seminar were former, albeit senior, officials. The government has not organised media appearances for top leaders or trade negotiators to answer questions on the trade talks. Chinese officials rarely take questions from foreign media. (Reporting by Stella Qiu, Cheng Leng, Yilei Sun and Dominique Patton; additional reporting by Cate Cadell Writing by Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard Editing by Paul Tait & Simon Cameron-Moore)
By Chris Mfula and Barbara Lewis

LUSAKA/LONDON - Zambia's decision to name a provisional liquidator to run Vedanta Resources' Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) business, one of the country's biggest employers, has rattled international miners concerned about rising resource nationalism.

Vedanta, founded by Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal, is seeking international arbitration over Zambia's appointment of the provisional liquidator, it said in a statement on Friday.

Ahead of a court hearing in Zambia expected on June 4, which provides Vedanta with another chance to fight back, here are some responses to the questions thrown up by the case.

IS VEDANTA A SPECIAL CASE?

Vedanta Resources, part-owner of the Mumbai-listed Vedanta group of companies, is KCM's majority shareholder, while Zambian state mining company ZCCM-IH holds a roughly 20 percent stake.

The Zambian government says KCM has breached the terms of its licence. In London, it faces court action from nearly 2,000 villagers who allege their livelihoods have been destroyed by pollution caused by the company.

Analysts say Vedanta and KCM are a case apart, but with resonance for the other big miners in Zambia - Barrick Gold, Glencore and First Quantum.

"It somehow sends some nuanced message to other mining companies to comply or be doomed," Chibamba Kanyama, an economist at Zambian consultancy Bridges said.

Mines Minister Richard Musukwa said it was a signal to other miners to follow the law.

IS CHINA THE NEXT OWNER OF KCM?

Zambia has said it is looking for new owners for KCM and speculation is strong that China, Zambia's biggest creditor, is the most likely buyer.

Sources have said China is interested and that there are other potential buyers. Vedanta says KCM is not for sale.

The president, who stands for re-election in 2021 and whose party lost a seat in the Copperbelt region in a by-election in April, could be wary of local opinion, which is firmly against more Chinese ownership.

Story continues

But the government-appointed liquidator needs to bring in new money to run KCM, which requires significant investment, analysts say.

Vedanta has said it is willing to invest provided the right framework is in place. [L8N2354W7]

Western investors are generally wary of spending more in Zambia when they are struggling to guarantee returns, especially given the government's apparent determination to increase its tax take.

"My view is that these assets were very mature and underinvested after 25 plus years of nationalisation," Grant Sporre, an associate director at Macquarie, said.

"By taking over some of the shuttered operations, the government of Zambia can run these operations for cash, but this is a short-term strategy because at some point there will be the requirement for further investment," he said.

HOW IS ZAMBIA TACKLING ITS DEBT BURDEN?

Consultations are ongoing about a new non-refundable sales tax to replace value added tax.

Zambia will also cancel or delay more approved project loans to cut its fiscal deficit and rein in debt service payments.

Some analysts say Vedanta and KCM can negotiate with the government if they accept they must hand it a greater share of any earnings.

WHAT CAN THE MINERS DO?

Vedanta is pushing back with adverts in Zambian newspapers and social media pages.

Other miners have begun to retrench. Glencore is closing two shafts, which it says have reached the end of their economic life.

First Quantum has retreated from threats to reduce its workforce in favour of seeking to negotiate with the government.

Earlier this year, sources who declined to be named said First Quantum had sought to buy out state mining firm ZCCM-IH, which also has a nearly 20 percent stake in its mines dating back to the privatisation of the late 1990s.

The ZCCM-IH stake in Vedanta allowed Zambia to bring the liquidation case.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ZAMBIA'S ECONOMY?

Copper accounts for 12.2% of Zambia's GDP and 70% of its foreign currency earnings, according to last year's economic report released by the ministry of finance.

Ratings authorities and the International Monetary Fund have issued repeated warnings about the country's lack of liquidity and mounting debts.

Many mining operations do not yet pay tax on profits because they say they are still paying off capital expenditure, and the government is keen to increase its tax take.

Vedanta says it has invested $3 billion since 2004 and contributed $1.3 billion to the national exchequer.

It also says Zambia owes it more than $180 million in VAT refunds. Zambia disputes this figure.

(Reporting by Barbara Lewis; Editing by Jan Harvey)
Combined Company plans to expand to 196MW of data centre facilities, including a new 157MW build and the purchase of a substation

Boden, Sweden--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2019) - Hydro66 Holdings Corp. (CSE: SIX) (OTCQB: HYHDF) ("Hydro66" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has on May 30 2019 entered into a non-binding letter of intent ("LOI") with Whinstone US Inc. ("Whinstone") to merge the two companies on a 50/50 basis (the "Transaction"). In connection with the Transaction, Hydro66 will issue approximately 127,000,000 common shares of Hydro66 in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Whinstone. As a result, upon completion of the Transaction, the combined company will have approximately 254,000,000 shares outstanding, with the current shareholders of Hydro66 holding approximately 50% of the shares of the combined company and the former shareholders of Whinstone holding approximately 50% of the shares of the combined company.

Following completion of the Transaction the combined company intends to build to a combined capacity of 196MW in Sweden and the USA to fulfil anticipated customer demand and its own blockchain hashing services.

The combined company intends on raising US $40 million to fund the build-out of its facilities.

David Rowe, Chairman Hydro66 commented, "This transaction creates a critical global infrastructure for the emerging landscape in crypto, blockchain and HPC (high performance compute). Our ambition is to be one of the largest and most significant companies in the blockchain, crypto and HPC space. The combined experience of both teams in building, scaling, operating and running leading-edge, purpose-built facilities for HPC colocation including crypto is world class, and we look forward to creating huge value for our shareholders."

Whinstone is a privately held company that operates colocation data centres for large-scale cryptocurrency mining and high-speed video rendering and currently operates data centre facilities in Louisiana representing 112,500 sq. ft of space and up to 20MW of power at some of the lowest power costs in the world. In addition to their data centre operations, they manufacture a proprietary rack system that reduces operating temperature, increases server density, and reduces facility footprint.

Story continues

The combination of Hydro66 and Whinstone will create an industry leading blockchain infrastructure company with an enhanced ability to operate in the Company's 3 target sectors: enterprise high-performance computing, wholesale cryptocurrency mining, and blockchain services. The Transaction will provide expanded access to key data centre infrastructure that will help the Company grow market share, increase revenues and earnings, and create significant value for shareholders.

Completion of the Transaction is subject to the execution of a definitive agreement and related documentation and all necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals. The LOI and the Transaction has been negotiated on an arm's length basis. There are no finder fees payable to any party in connection with the Transaction and management does not anticipate the Transaction will result in a change of control.

Provided Hydro66 and Whinstone enter into a definitive agreement, the parties expect that the Transaction can be completed in the third quarter of 2019. No assurance can be given that a definitive agreement will be entered into, that the Transaction will be consummated, or that the combined company will be able to obtain adequate funds needed to fund its business plan.

Hydro66 does not currently have financial statements relating to Whinstone, however, the relevant financial disclosure will be obtained and disclosed following the Company's due diligence review process.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Jason Atkinson

Director of Corporate Development

Jason.atkinson@hydro66.com

647-938-5266

About Hydro66

Hydro66 owns and operates an award-winning colocation data centre in Sweden specializing in High Performance Computing ("HPC") hosting. The Company hosts third party IT infrastructure, utilizing 100% green power, at amongst the EU's lowest power prices and within an ISO27001 accredited facility.

Hydro66 is uniquely positioned to capitalize on opportunities in blockchain infrastructure as well as the traditional Enterprise colocation data centre market. The Company provides truly green power at a leading price, purpose-built space and cooling, telecoms, IT support services and 24/7 physical security in their facility in Boden, Sweden. www.hydro66.com .

About Whinstone

Whinstone provides solutions and support for large scale miners to maximize their investment by providing industry leading security, uptime, and profitability. The Company operates facilities in Louisiana providing up to 20MW capacity.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45184
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2019) - Japan Gold Corp. (TSXV: JG) (OTCQB: JGLDF) ("Japan Gold" or the "Company") announces that mobilization and drill preparations are nearing completion at two priority gold targets.

Permitting

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ("METI") is currently processing drill permits for the Ohra-Takamine Project on Kyushu and the Ikutahara Project on Hokkaido.

The Ohra-Takamine Project drill program is on schedule to commence in June and will drill under and along strike of three historic mines in the central area of the Project. Permitting for this 2,100 metre, Phase 1 drill program is being finalized and the Company anticipates receiving the drill permit soon.

The Ikutahara Project drill program, focused on the Kitano-o Prospect, is now expected to commence in July. Permitting for this 3,000 metre, Phase 1 drill program is near completion. Prior to METI issuing the drilling permit, consent is required from the regional forestry office and the Hokkaido government, these authorities are currently expediting granting of permits. The scale of the Company's drill program and required permitting are largely unprecedented in protected forest and have entailed comprehensive procedures.

John Proust, Chairman and CEO, commented, "The Company is well positioned to execute its drilling program in Hokkaido and Kyushu this summer. The extensive permitting process required for approval of drilling activity in protected forest has been a valuable experience for the Company and bodes well for future activities."

Additional drill locations at both projects, are being permitted concurrently to allow for immediate follow-up drilling contingent on assay results from Phase 1.

Permitting for 3,650 metres of drilling at the Ryuo Prospect in the Ikutahara Project, will also be progressed during the first half of 2019.

Operations

Four drill rigs are in place to facilitate the Company's current exploration drilling plans. These drill rigs comprise two PMC400 and two PMC700 diamond core drill rigs with depth capabilities of 400 metres and 700 metres, in NQ core size, respectively. The compact nature of these drill rigs allows for rapid mobilization and set-up.

Story continues

The Company will operate the drill programs from its project exploration bases in Hokkaido and Kyushu. Drilling will be conducted via co-operation of the Japanese company Welltech LLC and the Company's experienced international drillers.

On behalf of the Board of Japan Gold Corp.

"John Proust"

Chairman & CEO

About Japan Gold Corp.

Japan Gold Corp. is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused solely on gold and copper-gold exploration across the three largest islands of Japan: Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu. The Company holds a portfolio of 12 Gold Projects which cover areas with known gold occurrences, a history of mining and are prospective for high-grade epithermal gold mineralization. The Company also holds a portfolio of 5 Lithocap Projects which could indicate the presence of porphyry mineralization. Japan Gold's leadership team has decades of resource industry and business experience, and the Company has recruited geologists and technical advisors with experience exploring and operating in Japan. More information is available at www.japangold.com or by email at info@japangold.com.

For further information please contact:

John Proust

Chairman & CEO

Phone: 778-725-1491

Email: info@japangold.com

Website: www.japangold.com

Cautionary Note

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to expected or anticipated future events and anticipated results related to future partnerships and the Company's 2019 gold exploration program. These statements are forward-looking in nature and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that include, but are not limited to, general economic, market and business conditions; competition for qualified staff; the regulatory process and actions; technical issues; new legislation; potential delays or changes in plans; working in a new political jurisdiction; results of exploration; the timing and granting of prospecting rights; the Company's ability to execute and implement future plans, arrange or conclude a joint-venture or partnership; and the occurrence of unexpected events. Actual results achieved may differ from the information provided herein and, consequently, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein speaks only as of the date of this News Release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forwardlooking information or to explain any material difference between such and subsequent actual events, except as required by applicable law.

Corporate Logo

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45192
By Jonathan Stempel

May 30 (Reuters) - The maker of Kona beer agreed to offer partial refunds to settle a lawsuit claiming it misled consumers in the continental United States into believing the craft brew was actually made in Hawaii, causing them to overpay.

Settlement papers were filed last week with the federal court in San Francisco, and require a judge's approval.

Craft Brew Alliance Inc, which makes Kona, said on Thursday it has taken a $4.7 million pretax charge for the expected overall cost.

The Portland, Oregon-based company was accused of deception for putting hula dancers, surfers, the Kilauea volcano and other Hawaiian images on beers with such names as Big Wave Golden Ale, Fire Rock Pale Ale and Longboard Island Lager.

Beer drinkers claimed they were confused despite disclaimers that Kona was brewed in New Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington state. Kona draft beer sold in Hawaii was brewed there, they added.

The settlement offers refunds of $1.25 to $2.75 for purchasers since Feb. 28, 2013 of four-, six-, 12- and 24-packs of Kona, with maximums per household of $20 with receipts and $10 without receipts.

Lawyers for the consumers plan to seek up to $2.9 million to cover legal fees and costs, court papers show.

Craft Brew Alliance also owns the Redhook and Widmer Brothers brands, and is nearly one-third owned by an affiliate of Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, according to Refinitiv.

In 2015, Anheuser won U.S. court approval for a roughly $20 million settlement of claims it tricked consumers into thinking its St. Louis-brewed Beck's beer was actually a German pilsner.

The case is Broomfield et al v Craft Brew Alliance Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 17-01027. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York Editing by Matthew Lewis)
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LPL Financial LLC , a leading retail investment advisory firm and independent broker-dealer, today announced that financial advisors Brian Davis and Brian Remson have joined LPL Financial, aligning with existing firm Credent Wealth Management. The advisors, both CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER practitioners, will be supported by LPL Financials broker-dealer and hybrid registered investment advisor (RIA) platforms. Davis and Remson reported having served approximately $110 million of client brokerage and advisory assets* and join from Raymond James Financial Services.



We found true kindred spirits in Credent Wealth and LPL Financial. It was important to us that our new partners place as much emphasis on integrity and putting clients first as we do, said Remson. Davis and Remson share Credent Wealths belief in providing independent and affordable advice to all Americans to help each of their clients pursue their financial freedom.

Davis added, Credent Wealth takes a strategic team-based approach to providing clients personalized investment strategies. With their partnership and access to LPLs tools and resources, we can improve our service model by spending less time on office work and more time deepening relationships with our clients, boosting our ability to serve our clients financial needs.

Davis and Remsons Waco, Texas-based firm is Credent Wealth Managements seventh location, adding to existing offices in Texas, Indiana and Michigan.

I am so excited to partner with Brian Davis and Brian Remson, said David Hefty, CEO, Credent Wealth Management. They are such high-quality people and care deeply about their clients. We are excited about the contributions they will bring to the Credent Wealth family, especially their enthusiasm to focus on clients, which aligns with our mission to improve the client experience in everything we do. We look forward to their partnership and the continued support of LPL to help advance our firm.

Story continues

Rich Steinmeier, LPL Financial managing director and divisional president, Business Development, said, We are proud to be a supporting partner to Brian Davis, Brian Remson and the entire Credent Wealth family. We are committed to providing industry-leading tools and an integrated platform that helps advisors work efficiently and deliver a differentiated experience to their clients. We look forward to supporting their business today and into the future, offering a choice of business models and capabilities that can meet them where they are.

More information about Credent Wealth Management can be found on their website CredentWealth.com

Read about other firms that recently joined LPL in the LPL Financial News and Media section of LPL.com.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial ( https://www.lpl.com ) is a leader in the retail financial advice market and the nations largest independent broker-dealer**. We serve independent financial advisors and financial institutions, providing them with the technology, research, clearing and compliance services, and practice management programs they need to create and grow thriving practices. LPL enables them to provide objective guidance to millions of American families seeking wealth management, retirement planning, financial planning and asset management solutions.

Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA / SIPC. Investment Advice offered through CX Institutional, a registered investment advisor. Credent Wealth Management, CX Institutional, and LPL Financial are separate entities.

*Based on prior business and represents assets that would have been custodied at LPL Financial, rather than third-party custodians. Reported assets and client numbers have not been independently and fully verified by LPL Financial.

**Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine June 1996-2018

Connect with Us!

https://twitter.com/lpl

https://www.linkedin.com/company/lpl-financial

https://www.facebook.com/LPLFinancialLLC

https://www.youtube.com/user/lplfinancialllc
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meritage Homes Corporation (MTH), a leading U.S. homebuilder, will donate its thirteenth home to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit serving Americas military families. Together, Meritage and Operation Homefront will welcome a military family into a brand new, mortgage-free, and energy-efficient Meritage home in Canton, Georgia, located north of Atlanta and help them learn how to become successful home owners.



Operation Homefront will select the recipient for the new home through its Homes on the Homefront (HOTH) program. Families in the HOTH program work directly with Operation Homefront caseworkers and financial counselors to build up savings, reduce debt, and learn the skills to manage their home. Upon graduation from the program, the family will be deeded the home mortgage-free. This life-changing opportunity will be announced the week of September 11, with keys awarded to the family around Veterans Day.

This is the seventh year Meritage Homes has built and donated new homes to Operation Homefront, helping provide military families with the foundation to become strong, stable, and secure in communities across the country.

We are excited to continue our tradition of partnering with Operation Homefront to build a beautiful home for yet another deserving military family, said Steven J. Hilton, chairman and CEO of Meritage Homes.

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom ranch home will be built in a LiVE.NOW community called The Vistas of Towne Mill . As with all Operation Homefront homes, it will include handicap-accessible options such as wider doorways and zero entry showers. It will also include a two-car garage, private study/flex room, a covered outdoor living area, the M.Connected HomeTM Automation Suite and an array of money-saving features.

Last year, a Meritage home in Commerce City, Colo. was donated to U.S. Army Specialist and two-time Purple Heart recipient Herbert Jackson and his family. We are so grateful for the opportunity to move toward a stronger, more stable, and secure future, said Jackson.

Story continues

The HOTH program offers military families the foundation for long-term stability and resiliency. More than 650 military families have been entered into the program and since 2012, Operation Homefront has deeded over 550 homes to military families, at a value of nearly $80 million in home equity.

We are absolutely thrilled to extend our long-standing relationship with Meritage Homes for the seventh year to place another deserving military family in a mortgage-free home, said retired Brig. Gen. John I. Pray Jr., president and CEO of Operation Homefront. We are grateful to the entire Meritage team who shares our commitment to building strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive  not simply struggle to get by  in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.

For more information about the program, please visit OperationHomefront.org.

About Meritage Homes Corporation:



Meritage Homes is the seventh-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2018. Meritage offers a variety of homes that are designed with a focus on first-time and first move-up buyers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The Company has designed and built over 120,000 homes in its 33-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and positive customer experience. Meritage is the industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award every year since 2013 for innovation and industry leadership in energy efficient homebuilding.

For more information, visit www.meritagehomes.com.

About Operation Homefront:

Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive - not simply struggle to get by  in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves Americas military families.

MEDIA INQUIRIES: Jason E. Moody - Sr. Manager, Public Relations

Operation Homefront

Jason.Moody@OperationHomefront.org

210.243.1657



Lauren Hendeles  Meritage Homes Corporation

Media@meritagehomes.com

602.750.5934

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f31ff2c-a4b4-4130-80cc-e02af296d035
* Nuclear envoy charged with spying for U.S. - S.Korean paper

* Four foreign ministry officials also put to death - paper (Adds new headline)

By Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee

SEOUL, May 31 (Reuters) - North Korea executed its nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of officials who steered negotiations for a failed summit between leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper said on Friday.

Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang, along with four foreign ministry officials after they were charged with spying for the United States, the Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the situation.

"He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping U.S. intentions," the source was quoted as saying.

The February summit in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, the second between Kim and Trump, failed to reach a deal because of conflicts over U.S. calls for complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and North Korean demands for sanctions relief.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the report. Previously, some North Korean officials who were reported to have been executed or purged reappeared later with new titles.

A spokeswoman at South Korea's Unification Ministry declined to comment. An official at the presidential Blue House in Seoul said it was inappropriate to comment on an unverified report.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders declined to comment on the reports, saying, "I am not going to comment on intelligence one way or another."

"I can tell you we are monitoring the situation and continuing to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearisation," she told reporters in Washington.

The United States is attempting to check on the reports of the envoy's execution, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his visit to Berlin on Friday

When asked about reports of a "shakeup" of Kim Jong Un's negotiating team in a May 5 interview with ABC News, Pompeo said it did appear that his future counterpart would be somebody else "but we don't know that for sure."

A diplomatic source told Reuters there were signs Kim Hyok Chol and other officials were punished, but there was no evidence they were executed and they may have been sent to a labour camp for re-education.

Story continues

The newspaper reported that other officials had been punished, but not executed.

Kim Yong Chol, Kim Jong Un's right-hand man and the counterpart to Pompeo before the Hanoi summit, had been sent to a labour and reeducation camp in Jagang Province near the Chinese border, the Chosun Ilbo reported.

Officials who worked with Kim Yong Chol have been out of the public eye since the summit, while seasoned diplomats who appeared to have been sidelined, including vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui, were seen returning to the spotlight.

A South Korean lawmaker told Reuters in April that Kim Yong Chol had been removed from a key party post.

RISE AND FALL

Kim Hyok Chol was seen as a rising star when he was appointed to spearhead working-level talks with U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun weeks before the Hanoi summit.

However, little was known about his expertise or his role in the talks. The four executed alongside him included diplomats working on relations with Vietnam, the Chosun report said.

"This is a man who might provide some tactical advice to the leader but is otherwise a message bearer with little negotiating or policymaking latitude," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Washington-based Stimson Centre.

"Instead, they put in someone like Kim Hyok Chol to insulate Choe Son Hui and more substantive diplomatic personnel, to a certain degree he is expendable and his superiors are not."

The penalised members of Kim Yong Chol's team included Kim Song Hye, who led the preparations, and Sin Hye Yong, a newly elevated interpreter for the Hanoi summit. They were said to have been detained in a camp for political prisoners, the newspaper said.

The diplomatic source said Kim Song Hye's punishment seemed inevitable because she was a "prime author" of the North's plan to secure sanctions relief in return for dismantling the Yongbyon main nuclear complex.

The idea was rejected by the United States which demanded a comprehensive roadmap for denuclearisation.

Kim Song Hye had also worked closely with Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader's younger sister and a senior party official whom Kim Song Hye accompanied to South Korea for the Winter Olympics last year.

Kim Yo Jong was also lying low, the paper reported, citing an unidentified South Korean government official.

Madden, however, said Kim Yo Jong's status was unchanged as Kim Jong Un's top aide, citing her attendance at key party meetings in April and appearance in state media reports.

Sin Hye Yong was charged with making critical interpretation mistakes that included missing an unspecified "last-minute offer" the North Korean leader supposedly made as Trump was about to walk out, Chosun reported.

'TWO-FACED'

North Korea's official party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun warned on Thursday that "two-faced" officials would face the "stern judgment of the revolution".

"It is an anti-Party, anti-revolutionary act to pretend to be revering the leader in front of him when you actually dream of something else," it said in a commentary.

Hong Min, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said it was possible Kim Hyok Chol and other officials faced some penalty but further verification was needed.

"Executing or completely removing people like him would send a very bad signal to the United States because he was the public face of the talks and it could indicate they are negating all they have discussed," Hong said. (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in BERLIN and Hyunjoo Jin in SEOUL; Editing by Paul Tait, Lincoln Feast, Darren Schuettler and Marguerita Choy)
It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Nabors Industries (NBR). Shares have lost about 36.1% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Nabors due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

Nabors Q1 Loss Narrows Y/Y, Sales Up

Nabors Industries reported first-quarter 2019 adjusted loss from continuing operations of 36 cents per share, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 25 cents, primarily due to weak performance of the international drilling segment. However, the loss was narrower than the year-ago adjusted loss of 46 cents per share, mainly on the back of stronger y/y contribution from its U.S. Drilling and Drilling Solutions segment.

Quarterly revenues of $809.3 million beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $774 million. Moreover, the top line was higher than the year-ago level of $734.6 million, attributable to robust y/y performance of the U.S. Drilling segment. Notably, during the quarter, the company operated an average of 120.9 rigs in the United States compared with 111.8 in the year-ago period.

Segmental Performance

Nabors U.S. Drilling segment generated quarterly operating revenues of $320.2 million, up 33% from the year-ago level of $241 million. The segment recorded an operating income of $24 million, reflecting a significant turnaround from $19.7 million loss a year ago. This was mainly driven by an improvement in drilling performance in the Lower 48 and Alaska. Pricing and margin improvements buoyed the results. The average rig count in the Lower 48 increased to 115 in the quarter under review. Moreover, the company expects the count to reach 120 by the end of this year.

Canadian Drilling segment revenues came in at $25.3 million in the quarter under review, down from the year-ago figure of $31.8 million amid weak market environment and lower y/y rig count. Nonetheless, the segments operating loss narrowed to $59,000 from $592,000 in the corresponding quarter of 2018.

Story continues

International Drilling segments operations attributed to revenues of $337.3 million, which decreased from the year-ago quarters $368.8 million. The segment incurred an operating loss of $5.6 million in the quarter under review vis-a-vis income of $24.5 million in the prior-year period. Operational challenges in Latin America and Middle East impacted the bottom line. Reduced day rates, and idled rigs in Argentina and Venezuela dented the results. Notably, rig count in the segment declined to 89.7 from 94.6 in first-quarter 2018.

Revenues from the Drilling Solutions segment increased to $65.4 million in first-quarter 2019 from $62.6 million recorded in the year-ago period. The units operating income of $8.7 million in the year-ago period improved to $12.8 million in the quarter under review. This can be attributed to integration benefits from the recently acquired PetroMar business and higher y/y activities across most of its segments product lines.

Revenues from the Rig Technologies segment increased to $71.7 million from the prior-year level of $64.6 million. The segments loss narrowed to $5.1 million from the prior-year loss of $13 million. The segments results were positively impacted by improved contribution from the core Canrig business.

Financials

Total costs and expenses increased to $882.9 million from $854.7 million in the year-ago quarter, primarily on the back of increased direct costs. The companys capital expenditure was $146 million in the quarter under review.

As of Mar 31, the company had $469.7 million in cash and short-term investments, and $3,677.6 million in long-term debt, with a debt-to-capitalization ratio of approximately 58.1%.

Guidance & Outlook

In the U.S. drilling segment, rig count in the Lower 48 region is expected to increase by three-four rigs in second-quarter 2019. The region is expected to benefit from improving dayrates and margins. Rig count in Alaska is expected to decline in the quarter amid seasonality factors.

The company expects rig count in the international segment to remain flat and uncertain market conditions in Venezuela to prevail. However, improved operational performance and cost control in Latin America are likely to improve the segments results in second-quarter 2019. Nabors expects EBITDA from the International unit to exceed $90 million in second-quarter 2019 compared with $85.8 million in the first quarter.

The Canadian segment is likely to bear the brunt of market weakness and tough operating environment in the second quarter as well

EBITDA from the Drilling Solutions segment is expected to improve sequentially in the second quarter. The segment is anticipated to keep up the momentum, with an annual run rate of $125 million in fourth-quarter 2019.

While EBITDA from the Rig Technologies unit is likely to record a modest improvement sequentially, the segment will see an uptick in revenues from rig automation projects in robotics operation in the latter half of the year.

Second-quarter capital spending is expected to reduce to $100 million, with full-year capex projected at around $400 million. Interest and dividend payouts are expected to decline by about $100 million in the second quarter. The company remains focused to reduce debt by $200-$250 million within the end of the year and by $600-$700 million through 2020.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

In the past month, investors have witnessed an upward trend in fresh estimates. The consensus estimate has shifted 8.61% due to these changes.

VGM Scores

At this time, Nabors has an average Growth Score of C, however its Momentum Score is doing a bit better with a B. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, Nabors has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.



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



Nabors Industries Ltd. (NBR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
DHS/OIG(EL PASO, TX) -- In a report out Friday, the Homeland Security inspector general has found dangerous overcrowding and unsanitary conditions at a Customs and Border Protection facility in El Paso, Texas, where hundreds more migrants were being housed than the center was designed to hold.

Border Patrol agents told us some of the detainees had been held in standing-room-only conditions for days or weeks, the office of inspector general wrote.

The El Paso Del Norte Processing center housed as many as 900 migrant detainees earlier this month and, the report also found, the facility only has the capacity for 125. CNN first broke the news.

The findings come as border patrol continues to grapple with record levels of migrant families crossing the southern border with hundreds crossing between ports of entry each day. Agents on Thursday apprehended a group of more than 1,000 migrants who crossed illegally in El Paso.

While Immigration and Customs Enforcement is responsible for handling long-term detainees, Border Patrol officials interviewed by the inspector general said their requests for detention space get denied in some cases. There are 80,000 people in immigration custody, according to acting Homeland Secretary Kevin McAleenan.

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Democrat Bennie Thompson, responded to the report saying ICE struggles with capacity issues because they detain too many non-criminals and said authorities should have been prepared.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection management has known for months to expect a higher-than-usual number of migrant families coming to our border to seek asylum  yet has done nothing to prioritize adequate, safe, and humane temporary holding facilities for those migrants, Thompson said in a statement.

"CBP was struggling to maintain hygienic conditions in the holding cells. With limited access to showers and clean clothing, detainees were wearing soiled clothing for days or weeks," the report said.

The inspector general recommended CBP take immediate steps in response to the findings.

The agency detailed actions it plans to take to mitigate overcrowding, including releasing family units with orders to appear to complete the immigration process.

CBP plans to open another temporary holding facility in the El Paso area later this summer. A higher capacity central processing center is scheduled to be open in the next 18 months, according to CBP.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Today we are going to look at Norway Royal Salmon AS (OB:NRS) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. Specifically, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), since that will give us an insight into how efficiently the business can generate profits from the capital it requires.

First, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Then we'll compare its ROCE to similar companies. Last but not least, we'll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. In general, businesses with a higher ROCE are usually better quality. Ultimately, it is a useful but imperfect metric. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.'

How Do You Calculate Return On Capital Employed?

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 Norway Royal Salmon:

0.22 = re675m  (re4.0b - re864m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)

Therefore, Norway Royal Salmon has an ROCE of 22%.

Check out our latest analysis for Norway Royal Salmon

Does Norway Royal Salmon Have A Good ROCE?

ROCE is commonly used for comparing the performance of similar businesses. Using our data, Norway Royal Salmon's ROCE appears to be around the 20% average of the Food industry. Putting aside its position relative to its industry for now, in absolute terms, Norway Royal Salmon's ROCE is currently very good.

OB:NRS Past Revenue and Net Income, May 31st 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 deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. Future performance is what matters, and you can see analyst predictions in our free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

Story continues

What Are Current Liabilities, And How Do They Affect Norway Royal Salmon's ROCE?

Liabilities, such as supplier bills and bank overdrafts, are referred to as current liabilities if they 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 counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.

Norway Royal Salmon has total assets of re4.0b and current liabilities of re864m. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 22% of its total assets. The fairly low level of current liabilities won't have much impact on the already great ROCE.

Our Take On Norway Royal Salmon's ROCE

This is good to see, and with such a high ROCE, Norway Royal Salmon may be worth a closer look. Norway Royal Salmon shapes up well under this analysis, but it is far from the only business delivering excellent numbers . You might also want to check this free collection of companies delivering excellent earnings growth.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

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.


May 30, 2019



Philips oncology solutions provide deeper insights for cancer teams to make better informed decisions and deliver more confident paths to treatment



Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Chicago, Illinois  Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, will showcase its end-to-end oncology solutions at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, May 31  June 4 in Chicago. Visitors to the Philips booth (#2122) at ASCO will experience Philips Oncology platform for integrated diagnostics and therapy selection to drive clinical, operational and financial benefits to achieve better health outcomes, improve patient and staff experience and lower cost of care.

In 2018, there were 18.1 million cases of cancer reported globally, accounting for 9.6 million deaths around the world [1], while the economic impact of cancer is significant and is increasing. The total annual cost of cancer in 2010 was estimated at approximately US$ 1.16 trillion [2]. As a leader in oncology care and informatics, Philips is uniquely positioned to deliver integrated oncology solutions to enable earlier and more precise diagnosis and better clinical decision-support through seamless multi-disciplinary assessment, to help care teams determine the most appropriate care for a patient to improve outcomes.

While significant strides have been made in oncology over the past decade, treating cancer is more complex than ever before. As new data sources emerge providing input ranging from new drug options to genomics, clinicians continue to struggle to leverage the right information at the right time to develop and implement precision medicine programs for personalized cancer care, said Louis Culot, General Manager of Oncology Informatics and Genomics at Philips. At Philips, were focused on delivering intelligent, integrated oncology solutions to drive faster and more efficient precise therapies, earlier response assessment and care plan adjustment, to help improve outcomes across multiple disciplines and clinical settings.

Story continues

Philips end-to-end oncology solutions

In Booth #2122 at ASCO, Philips will spotlight its vendor agnostic technology to enable data gathering and aggregation from any source, including external and internal labs, clinical data from the EHR, annotation from multiple providers, internal and external trial sources and more. Philips will also showcase its capabilities to provide access to top-tier expert content for oncology decision making from Dana-Farber Pathways, Academic Medical Center, which includes optional personalized therapies listing and recommended clinical trials matching according to genomic mutations. Philips is unique in facilitating oncology pathways, molecular tumor boards, and cancer care synopsis all on the same system.

When treating cancer, personalization is critical. By teaming with Philips, we can provide an umbrella of guidance and trust from Dana-Farber to other locations and institutions around the country and around the world where patients receive care, said David Jackman, MD, Medical Director for Clinical Pathways at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since 85% of cancer care happens in community hospitals, providing access to information and guidance is helpful to an oncologist outside of our Dana-Farber network, and valuable for patients, since they know they are getting input from a world-class facility.

Philips Oncology Solutions spotlight at ASCO

Philips will focus on three key areas featuring Detection and Monitoring; Precision Diagnostics; and Therapy Decision-Support. Visitors will experience intelligent, integrated oncology solutions to support and enhance:

Diagnosis, staging, and tumor progression tracking

Biological tumor characterization

Molecular and Multidisciplinary Tumor Board collaboration

Patient stratification, therapy prioritization, selection and trial matching

Radiation therapy simulation, planning and workflow management

In booth #2122 at ASCO, Philips will showcase key solutions across its oncology portfolio including:

Oncology Pathways  high-quality, detailed, evidence-based oncology treatment protocols powered by Dana-Farber , allows clinical users to navigate through the branches of the pathways to make clinical decisions and provide treatment plan recommendations, including clinical trials.

Oncology Platform [3]  comprehensive platform integrates data from hospital information systems across different clinical domains including radiology, pathology, and genomics, to enable a detailed view of the patient and care path to facilitate cross-disciplinary collaboration and communication.

Pathology  Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution is the first and only digital pathology solution in the U.S. to be marketed for primary diagnostic use to reduce pressure on pathology services by streamlining workflows and extending collaboration to help increase diagnostic confidence.

Genomics [4]  end-to-end precision medicine platform automates pathologists workflows through collaboration with oncologists and peers, enabling genomic interpretation based on a single, comprehensive patient view, which also includes OncoSignal [5], signaling pathway activity analysis to reveal tumor-driving mechanisms.

Radiation Oncology Portfolio - radiation oncology solutions designed to help improve and accelerate the radiation oncology workflow from patient referral to treatment, to support confident therapy decision-making, maximize value, and improve the patient experience.

For more information on Philips vision for integrated oncology , visit Philips at Booth #2122 at ASCO and follow @PhilipsLiveFrom for #ASCO19 updates throughout the event.

[1] GLOBOCAN 2018 database: https://www.who.int/cancer/PRGlobocanFinal.pdf .

[2] http://publications.iarc.fr/Non-Series-Publications/World-Cancer-Reports/World-Cancer-Report-2014 .

[3] Not available for sale in all countries.

[4] Not available for sale in all countries.

[5] For research use only; not for use in diagnostic procedures.

For further information, please contact:

Kathy OReilly

Philips Group Press Office

Tel.: +1 978-221-8919

E-mail : kathy.oreilly@philips.com

Twitter: @kathyoreilly

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' health technology portfolio 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 .

Attachment
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas during a meeting at Villa Borsig guest house in Berlin, Germany, May 31, 2019. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

By David Brunnstrom

BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States raised the pressure on Western allies in a war of attrition over next-generation networks on Friday, saying countries that allow China's Huawei to build their telecoms infrastructure could be cut off from crucial intelligence data.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued the warning after meeting Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of Germany, which has so far stood with Britain and France in declining calls to ban the state-owned manufacturer from the 5G networks now being built.

In the latest sign of escalating trans-Atlantic tensions over trade and security, Pompeo, on the first leg of a five-day European tour, said that while countries would take a "sovereign decision" on which equipment to use, that decision would have consequences.

"(There is) a risk we will have to change our behavior in light of the fact that we can't permit data on private citizens or data on national security to go across networks that we don't have confidence (in)," he told a news conference.

Pompeo later met Chancellor Angela Merkel for brief talks before flying on to Switzerland, describing Germany as "a great, important partner and ally of the United States".

Merkel herself had just flown back from the United States the night before after delivering a speech to graduating Harvard students in which she exhorted them to "tear down walls of ignorance" and to stand for truth over lies - words widely interpreted as veiled criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The U.S. is and remains our most important partner outside Europe," Merkel told reporters ahead of the meeting. "We have many issues to discuss, since the world is not at rest," she added, mentioning the challenge of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and hindering Iran's "aggressive actions".

Pompeo urged close ally Britain this month not to use Huawei's technology to build new 5G networks because of concerns it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying.

Story continues

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, responding to similar comments on Huawei made by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Canada on Thursday, said the United States had yet to prove that Huawei's products presented a security risk.

"We hope that the United States can stop these mistaken actions which are not at all commensurate with their status and position as a big country," said spokesman Geng Shuang.

The United States is at odds with its German allies on a host of issues, from trade to military spending and nuclear non-proliferation.

IRAN AGREEMENT

Pompeo's visit had been scheduled earlier this month, but was called off at the last minute as tensions rose over Iran. Berlin and Washington differ on the best approach to Iran over its nuclear program.

Under a 2015 nuclear agreement with major powers, which Washington withdrew from last year, Tehran accepted curbs on its uranium enrichment program in exchange for the removal of most international sanctions.

Iran's decision this month to backtrack from some commitments under the accord - in response to U.S. measures to cripple its economy - threatens to unravel the deal.

The German Foreign Ministry said on its website: "Germany and the U.S. agree: For the security of the region, it is crucial that Iran does not come into possession of nuclear weapons."

Maas stressed during his talks with Pompeo that "as long as Tehran adheres to the agreed rules, the agreement makes the region safer," the ministry added. A German envoy seeking to preserve the nuclear deal visited Iran last week.

But in comments on Iran in an interview to run in German daily Bild on Saturday, Pompeo said: "We hope Germany does more ... The (Iranian) regime is an expansionist theocracy. Free democracies have a duty to protect the world from this threat."

Pompeo also took a swipe at the German government for failing to reach a NATO target of spending 2% of national income on defense, telling Bild: "The most serious consequence is in the hands of the German population."

"The federal government has given the promise of 2% and the people should demand that the government keeps its promise," he said in usually blunt comments towards a NATO ally.

(Reporting by Paul Carrel and Joseph Nasr in Berlin, Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Writing by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Frances Kerry and Stephen Powell)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2019) - Pure Energy Minerals Limited (TSXV: PE) (the "Company" or "Pure Energy") is pleased to report that the previously announced Earn-In Agreement with Schlumberger Technology Corporation ("STC") for the development of the Clayton Valley Project in Nevada (the "Transaction") has become effective. In connection with the Transaction, the Company received requisite approval from its shareholders. (See news release of May 1, 2019).

Concurrent with the effectiveness of the Transaction, the Company has completed the previously announced private placement (the "Private Placement") with Schlumberger Canada Limited ("SCL") for 32,431,737 common shares of the Company at a price of C$0.0615 per common share for gross proceeds of US$1,500,000 with a 6% cash commission payable to an arm's-length party on closing of the Private Placement. In addition, SCL has concurrently converted its US$400,000 convertible note dated February 20, 2019 issued by the Company (the "Note") for 5,523,707 common shares of the Company. Following the Private Placement and the conversion of the Note, SCL holds approximately 19.9% of the common shares of the Company.

"Pure Energy Minerals is exceptionally proud to announce the approval of the Transaction with Schlumberger for the development of its Clayton Valley lithium brine property," stated Mary Little, Pure Energy Minerals' director. "The Transaction results in minimal dilution to Pure Energy shareholders and provides ongoing funding for the Company. As lithium products are a high per-unit value commodity, our future NSR and advance royalty structure will create significant value going forward. Finally, we believe this positive development has potential to benefit companies active in the Clayton Valley region for years to come."

About Pure Energy Minerals

Story continues

Pure Energy Minerals is a lithium resource developer that is driven to become a low-cost supplier for the growing lithium battery industry. Pure Energy has consolidated a pre-eminent land position at its Clayton Valley Project in the Clayton Valley of central Nevada for the exploration and development of lithium resources, comprising 948 claims over 23,360 acres (9,450 hectares), representing the largest mineral land holdings in the valley. Pure Energy's Clayton Valley Project adjoins and surrounds on three sides the Silver Peak lithium brine mine operated by Albemarle Corporation. The Company has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Clayton Valley Project (news releases of June 26, 2017 and April 5, 2018).

Quality Assurance

Walter Weinig, Professional Geologist and Qualified Person as designated by the Mining and Metallurgical Society of America (MMSA registration #01529QP), is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Weinig is not independent of the Company, as he is a former officer.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD



"Mary L. Little"

Mary L. Little

Director

CONTACT:

Pure Energy Minerals Limited (www.pureenergyminerals.com)

Email: info@pureenergyminerals.com

Telephone: 604 608 6611

Cautionary Statements and Forward-Looking Information

The information in this news release contains forward looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "will", "expects", "intends" and similar expressions as they relate to the Company. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information relating to the exploration and development of the Clayton Valley Project and the proposed transactions with the Investor. Forward looking information pertaining to the Company is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.



NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES.

Corporate Logo

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45187
FILE - In this July 24, 2018 file photo, corn grows in front of a barn carrying a large Trump sign in rural Ashland, Neb. The Trump administration is following through on a plan to allow year-round sales of gasoline mixed with 15% ethanol. The Environmental Protection Agency announced the change Friday, May 31, 2019, ending a summertime ban imposed out of concerns for increased smog from the higher ethanol blend. The change also fulfills a pledge that President Donald Trump made to U.S. corn farmers to allow the higher ethanol sales year-round. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik File)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  The Trump administration is following through on a plan to allow year-round sales of gasoline mixed with 15% ethanol, though some say the move is undercut by a policy that gives oil refineries waivers allowing them to use reduced levels of the additive.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced the change Friday, ending a summertime ban on the E15 blend imposed out of concerns for increased smog from the higher ethanol blend. Until the change, the only ethanol blend fuel typically found in summer months was a 10% ethanol blend called E10.

The change also fulfills a pledge that President Donald Trump made to U.S. corn farmers, who see ethanol as an important driver of demand for their crops. Oil refineries have been seeking exemptions from government requirements to include ethanol in their fuel mixes.

Environmental groups contend the U.S. Clean Air Act prohibits year-round sales of E15, and court challenges are expected. Bill Wehrum, assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, said Friday the agency is prepared to win a court fight.

Wehrum said Friday in a conference call with reporters that if the agency believed the change ran afoul of the Clean Air Act, "we wouldn't have done it."

Federal law for more than a decade has mandated that oil refineries mix ethanol into their fuel. The Trump administration's former EPA chief, Scott Pruitt, had angered lawmakers, growers and ethanol processors in Iowa and other key election states by granting a spate of exemptions sparing refineries from that mandate.

The dispute sparked a billboard campaign and at least one tractor rally by angry farmers in the Midwest last year, threatening to erode what has been a base of support for Trump.

The change removes a barrier to wider sales of E15 and is expected to expand the market for ethanol  although immediate effects on the market are expected to be minimal. Only about 1,000 to 1,500 of more than 150,000 U.S. gas stations currently sell the higher-ethanol blend, Wehrum said.

Story continues

"It'll take some time" to see an overall jump in E15 sales, he said.

Friday's announcement was widely lauded by Midwest lawmakers, farm groups and the biofuel industry.

"Our corn farmers are experiencing a perfect storm of economic and weather difficulties. This is a sign that the skies could be clearing," said Ted Mottaz, a farmer from Elmwood, Illinois, and president of the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

Corn is by far the most widely used base to make ethanol in the U.S.

Brooke Coleman, executive director of the Advanced Biofuels Business Council, said in a statement that the EPA deserves credit for making the change ahead of this year's summer driving season.

"Year-round E15 opens up a vital new market, where innovators in advanced and cellulosic biofuels will have space to grow alongside American farmers," Coleman said.

Some ethanol industry leaders and lawmakers said that while the change was welcome, the EPA's practice under the Trump administration of granting ethanol-blending waivers to oil refineries is still hurting ethanol producers and corn growers.

For the federal Renewable Fuel Standard to remain strong, "the EPA must act to curb the excessive use of Small Refinery Exemptions for some of the largest, most profitable oil companies," Iowa Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack said in a statement. Those oil companies receiving the waivers include Exxon Mobil and Chevron.

The EPA move Friday also implements a regulatory change in the ethanol program intended to curb what the oil industry believes in price manipulation in the ethanol program. Wehrum said the regulatory change makes more transparent how ethanol tax credits are applied by ethanol blenders.
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP)  Saudi Arabia's King Salman opened an emergency summit of Arab leaders in Islam's holiest city of Mecca on Friday with a call for the international community to use all means to confront Iran, but he also said the kingdom remains committed to peace.

King Salman delivered his remarks at Arab summits in Mecca that were hastily convened after a spike in tensions between Saudi Arabia and its rival Iran.

Tensions have also spiked between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks, with the U.S. sending an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf. The Trump administration's taken a hard line with Iran, first withdrawing from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers last year, then imposing punishing economic sanctions on the country.

Saudi Arabia's effort to draw regional leaders to Mecca reflects the kingdom's desire to project a unified Muslim and Arab position on Iran.

Still, there were visible signs of tension and disagreement among the Arab officials gathered at the meetings, which began just before midnight on Thursday and ran into the early hours of Friday due to Ramadan, which practices include day-long fasts and extended evening prayers.

Morocco did not send its king amid a cooling of ties with Saudi Arabia, while Qatar sent its prime minister rather than its ruling emir amid a diplomatic standoff with Arab neighbors. Iraq, which lies on the fault line between Shiite Iran and the mostly Sunni Arab world, rejected the Arab League's final statement after the summit and was not a signatory to it.

All, however, condemned the alleged sabotage of four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and a drone attack on a key Saudi oil pipeline earlier this month.

Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of arming Yemeni rebels behind the pipeline attack. Iran denies being involved in the incidents.

In his opening remarks, King Salman called on the international community to thwart Iran's behaviors and for "using all means to stop the Iranian regime from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, harboring global and regional terrorist entities and threatening international waterways."

Story continues

He added that Saudi Arabia is keen to protect the region from the scourge of war and that its "hand remains extended for peace."

Iraq, meanwhile, struck a sharply different tone. President Barham Salih said in his remarks that Iran is a Muslim country and neighbor.

"We do not hope for its security to be targeted since we are sharing 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) of border and a number of relations," he told the gathering of Arab League heads of state.

"Honestly, the security and stability of a neighboring Islamic country is in the interest of Muslim and Arab states," he added.

Another summit in Mecca is expected on Friday, focusing largely on Palestinian statehood and independence. It will bring together leaders from the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia.

With a captive audience that included King Salman, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas used his speech in Mecca to slam the Trump administration's deal aimed at dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"I would like to reconfirm our absolute rejection of the American attempts to bring down international law and international legitimacy under what is called the 'Deal of the Century'," he said, adding that it attempts to replace "land for peace" with "land for prosperity".

Glimpses of the plan hint it will focus heavily on so-called economic peace while sidelining or ignoring the longstanding Palestinian goal of independence. The two-state solution continues to enjoy the broad support of the international community.

President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner seeks to rally Arab Gulf states to back economic initiatives for Palestinians as part of the plan next month in Bahrain.

There are diverging policy differences among once clubby Gulf Arab states toward Iran, as well. Oman, for example, has relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran and acts as a facilitator of talks.

The diplomatic standoff between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt has pushed the tiny nation closer to Iran.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani attended the Mecca summits, marking the highest-level visit to Saudi Arabia by a Qatari official since the 2017 rift erupted.

Al Thani shook hands with his host, King Salman, but there was no eye contact with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and no visible pleasantries with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman very quickly shook the Qatari royal's hand, but they did not appear to exchange words.

Washington has tried unsuccessfully to mediate an end to the diplomatic standoff between its Gulf Arab allies. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Thursday the U.S. welcomes Saudi efforts to discuss Iranian threats in the region.

"Gulf unity is essential in confronting Iran, to confronting their influence, to countering terrorism writ large, and, of course, to ensuring a prosperous future for the Gulf," she said.

Upon their arrival at the airport in Saudi Arabia, leaders were shown Yemeni rebel military items, such as a destroyed drone, missiles and mortar shells used in the conflict with the Saudis. They were given a brief explanation of the weapons on display by Col. Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition at war in Yemen.

Meanwhile, Trump said this week the U.S. wasn't "looking to hurt Iran at all."

"We're not looking for regime change  I just want to make that clear," Trump said. "We're looking for no nuclear weapons."

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed from Washington.
* Arab summit supports Saudi, UAE right to defend interests

* Iraq objects to final communique

* Emergency summits follow attacks on pumping station, tankers

* Tensions rising between Iran and United States

* Iran vows to counter any economic, military aggression (Adds communiques, Iraq objection to summit statement)

By Marwa Rashad and Aziz El Yaakoubi

MECCA, Saudi Arabia, May 30 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's king told an emergency Arab summit on Thursday that decisive action was needed to stop Iranian "escalations" in the region following attacks on Gulf oil assets, as American officials said a U.S. military deployment had deterred Tehran.

A Gulf Arab statement and a separate communique issued after the wider summit both supported the right of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to defend their interests after the attacks on oil pumping stations in the kingdom and tankers off the UAE.

But in a sign of regional tensions, Iraq, which has good ties with neighbouring Iran and Washington, said it objected to the Arab communique, which stated that any cooperation with Tehran should be based on "non-interference in other countries".

"The absence of a firm deterrent stance against Iranian behaviour is what led to the escalation we see today," King Salman told the two late night consecutive meetings.

The ruler of the world's top crude exporter said Shi'ite Iran's development of nuclear and missile capabilities and its threatening of world oil supplies posed a risk to regional and global security.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that the attacks on the four vessels near a major bunkering hub, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, were "efforts by Iranians to raise the price of crude oil around the world."

Riyadh accused Tehran of ordering the drone strikes, which were claimed by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Thursday that evidence of Iran's being behind the tanker attacks would be presented to the U.N. Security Council as early as next week.

Tehran denies any involvement.

Story continues

Iraqi President Barham Salih, asking the gathering to support his country's stability, said that rising tensions with Iran could spark a war if not managed well and voiced hope that Iran's security would not be targeted.

Both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have said they do not want war.

"The kingdom is keen to preserve the stability and security of the region, to spare it the scourge of war and to realise peace and stability," King Salman said.

Tensions have risen between the United States and Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump a year ago withdrew Washington from a 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran, re-imposed sanctions and boosted its military presence in the Gulf.

Bolton has said that Iranian mines were "almost certainly" used in the tanker attacks. An Iranian official dismissed Bolton's remarks as "a ludicrous claim."

The Islamic Republic has said it would defend itself against any military or economic aggression. Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri has said Tehran was not allowed to pursue development of nuclear weapons as it was banned by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The final communique said regional stability required the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along 1967 borders. In 1967 Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem in a war with Arab states.

MILITARY DEPLOYMENT

U.S. special envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, said on Thursday that a repositioning of U.S. military assets in the region had succeeded in deterring Iran, but that the United States would respond with military force if its interests are targeted.

Last week the Pentagon announced the deployment of 900 additional troops to the region and extended the stay of 600 other service members, after speeding up deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and sending bombers and additional Patriot missiles.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told the summit that this month's attacks provided an impetus to renew discussions on joint Arab defence mechanisms.

The United States and the UAE, which hosts a U.S. air base, on Wednesday activated a defence cooperation agreement signed earlier this year.

Gulf states have a joint defence force under the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), but the alliance has been fractured by a boycott imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and non-GCC Egypt since mid-2017.

The Gulf Arab communique, carried by Saudi state news agency SPA, said the six nations had discussed the GCC defence mechanism during their meeting.

Qatari premier Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, whose country hosts the largest U.S. military base in the region, attended the summits, the most senior Qatari official to visit the kingdom since the embargo.

(Reporting by Marwa Rashad and Aziz El Yaakoubi; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington, Ali Abdelaty in Cairo, Guy Faulconbridge in London, Lisa Barrington and Sylvia Westall in Dubai, Eric Knecht in Doha and Babak Dehghanpisheh in Geneva; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous, William Maclean, Andrew Cawthorne; editing by Frances Kerry, Leslie Adler and Grant McCool)
Welcome to the Social Security Q&A. You ask a Social Security question, our expert provides the answer.

You can learn how to ask a question of your own below. And if you would like a personalized report detailing your optimal Social Security claiming strategy, click here . Check it out: It could result in receiving thousands of dollars more in benefits over your lifetime!

This weeks question comes from Michael:

I was divorced almost 20 years ago after 18 years of marriage. I was a stay-at-home parent for 10 years, so I lost a lot of income, plus I never made as much as my ex even when I was working. I never remarried and have learned that I can claim Social Security benefits based on my ex-spouses income. Im 3 years older than my ex. Do I have to wait till my ex is 67 to get full benefits, or can I collect full benefits when I turn 67?

The less-than-one-half rule

Michael, since you were married for at least 10 years and are not currently married, you do qualify  at least potentially  for ex-spousal benefits.

I say potentially eligible for ex-spousal benefits because there is another key requirement: Namely, your full retirement age (FRA) benefit (at 67) must be less than one-half your exs FRA benefit (also at 67) in order for you to receive any ex-spousal benefit.

For example, suppose your FRA benefit is $1,200. Your exs FRA benefit would need to exceed $2,400 before you can get anything on her record. So, the fact that your ex earned more than you may not help you in this context.

To illustrate how ex-spousal (or spousal) benefits are calculated, lets assume that your FRA benefit is $1,000 and that your exs FRA benefit is $2,600. At a maximum, you could receive a spousal supplement of $300  the amount needed to bring your $1,000 up to $1,300, one-half of your exs FRA benefit.

If you claimed prior to your FRA, you face early claiming penalties on both your own benefit and on any spousal supplement. For someone with your FRA of 67, these penalties can be as high as 30% for your own benefit and 35% for any ex-spousal (or spousal) benefit.

Story continues

The advantage of being divorced

As a divorced person, you do have an advantage over a married spouse: You can claim an ex-spousal benefit even though your ex has not claimed her own benefits, provided your ex is at least 62. If you were married, your spouse would need to claim her own benefit before you could claim any spousal benefit.

Michael, since you were born after 1953, you do not have the option of claiming the ex-spousal benefit while delaying the claiming of your own retirement benefits. Under current rules, if you claim one of those benefits, you must claim both of them.

One final point: Even if Michael had remarried but then got divorced again, he would still qualify for ex-spousal benefits from the first wife. If his hypothetical second marriage had lasted at least 10 years, then he could have selected which ex to use when filing for an ex-spousal benefit.

Got a question youd like answered?

You can ask a question simply by hitting reply to our email newsletter, just as you would with any email in your inbox. If youre not subscribed, fix that right now by clicking here. Its free, only takes a few seconds, and will get you valuable information every day!

The questions Im likeliest to answer are those that will interest other readers. So, its better not to ask for super-specific advice that applies only to you.

About me

I hold a doctorate in economics from the University of Wisconsin and taught economics at the University of Delaware for many years. In 2009, I co-founded SocialSecurityChoices.com, an internet company that provides advice on Social Security claiming decisions. You can learn more about that by clicking here.

Got any words of wisdom you can offer on todays question? Share your knowledge and experiences on our Facebook page. And if you find this information useful, please share it!

Disclaimer: We strive to provide accurate information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is offered with the understanding that we are not offering legal, accounting, investment or other professional advice or services, and that the SSA alone makes all final determinations on your eligibility for benefits and the benefit amounts. Our advice on claiming strategies does not comprise a comprehensive financial plan. You should consult with your financial adviser regarding your individual situation.

This article was originally published on MoneyTalksNews.com as 'Social Security Q&A: Can I Piggyback on My Ex-Wifes Benefit?'.

More from Money Talks News
FILE PHOTO: An oil storage tank of Russian oil pipeline monopoly Transneft is pictured at the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga

By Olga Yagova, Gleb Gorodyankin and Vladimir Soldatkin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - More than a million tonnes of contaminated oil from Russia's Druzhba ("Friendship") pipeline, expected to be shipped back from Belarus, will end up at Russian refineries and export ports after being diluted to usable levels, sources have told Reuters.

The pipeline was halted in April after excessive levels of organic chloride used in oil extraction were found on the million-barrel-per-day pipeline that crosses Belarus and serves customers as far west as Germany.

Pipeline operator Transneft, which denies responsibility for the contamination, has agreed to pump back 1.3 million tonnes of oil from Belarus and has begun doing so.

It has pledged to reduce organic chloride levels that in some places topped 300 parts per million (ppm) to a usable 6 ppm by blending tainted crude with clean oil in its network, according to three industry sources who spoke to Reuters on Friday.

"Dirty oil will be stored and slowly diluted with clean volumes that go to Russian refineries and to all main ports - Novorossiisk, Primorsk, Ust-Luga," the source said.

Primorsk - the biggest Urals export port by volume - is currently the only purely clean Urals export route.

The oil will first be stored in tanks along the Russian part of the Druzhba pipeline, one of the sources said.

From Unecha near the border with Belarus it will be sent along the Unecha-Samara pipeline to storage in the Samara region which can store up to 1.5 million tonnes of oil, the source said.

Once mixed with clean flows it will be delivered to refineries in European Russia, the Baltic Sea export ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk and Novorossiisk on the Black Sea, the sources said.

Transneft and the Energy Ministry did not reply to Reuters requests for immediate comment.

REFINERS

Refiners in the Volga region, central and southern Russia - the heart of Russian refining - are expected to face a rise in organic chloride levels, the sources said.

"We monitor organic chlorides daily in crude we receive. So far so good, but we prepare for the worst, it's better to be prepared," said a refinery source in the south.

Story continues

"I think we're fine if organic chloride content stays under 10 ppm, but we may have to cut runs a bit depending on volumes of anti-corrosive additive needed and its efficiency," another source at one of Russia's major refineries told Reuters.

A couple of independent refineries in the south have already received a couple of contaminated cargoes and these showed organic chloride content of some 4-5 ppm, traders said.

EUROPE

For European refiners, the 6 ppm chloride limit will not please all buyers, with traders noting some will baulk at anything above 0.5-1 ppm.

"Some of the (European) buyers just want to stay away from any organic chloride content above regular 0.5-1 ppm. So it may affect the demand," another trader in the market for Russia's Urals crude said.

Urals cargoes loading from Ust-Luga are traded with a discount to 'clean' Primorsk cargoes, traders said, despite the fact that organic chloride content in Ust-Luga was back to up to 4 ppm.

"It all depends on the refinery, but lots of European plants are not designed to take anything higher than the normal 1-2 ppm," a source at a European trader told Reuters.

"So if organic chloride content rises we may see more Urals arbitrage to Asia as they won't have any problem with it."

Some 700,000 tonnes of contaminated Russia Urals loaded from Ust-Luga are on the way to Asia, Reuters data shows.

Transneft believes the clean-up operation could take as long as eight months, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported this week.

That timeline also worries some refiners.

"There will be a ripple effect for months with a multi-layer market," a source at a large Italian refiner told Reuters.

"They tell us it will all be in line with standards, but 2 ppm and 5 ppm are two different things. What if something goes wrong with mixing and I get 10 ppm or more instead? I'll only know this when the crude is onboard, that's no good," another trader in the Urals oil market said.

(Additional reporting by Olesya Astakhova, Alla Afanasyeva, Ludmila Zaramenskikh and Maxim Nazarov in Moscow, Julia Payne in London and Agnieszka Barteczko in Warsaw; writing by Olga Yagova; editing by Katya Golubkova and Jason Neely)
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

NIBE Industrier AB (publ) (STO:NIBE B), which is in the building business, and is based in Sweden, received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the OM over the last few months, increasing to SEK130.9 at one point, and dropping to the lows of SEK113.8. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether NIBE Industrier's current trading price of SEK123.5 reflective of the actual value of the mid-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at NIBE Industriers outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for NIBE Industrier

Is NIBE Industrier still cheap?

NIBE Industrier is currently overpriced based on my relative valuation model. Ive used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because theres not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stocks ratio of 28.91x is currently well-above the industry average of 17.31x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. In addition to this, it seems like NIBE Industriers share price is quite stable, which could mean two things: firstly, it may take the share price a while to fall back down to an attractive buying range, and secondly, there may be less chances to buy low in the future once it reaches that value. This is because the stock is less volatile than the wider market given its low beta.

Can we expect growth from NIBE Industrier?

OM:NIBE B Past and Future Earnings, May 31st 2019

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. NIBE Industriers earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 23%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

Story continues

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has well and truly priced in NIBE Bs positive outlook, with shares trading above its fair value. However, this brings up another question  is now the right time to sell? If you believe NIBE B should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed.

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on NIBE B for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for NIBE B, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters  the fundamentals  before you make a decision on NIBE Industrier. You can find everything you need to know about NIBE Industrier in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in NIBE Industrier, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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.
US Senator Elizabeth Warren is one of several Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls calling for the launch of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump (AFP Photo/MANDEL NGAN)

Washington (AFP) - Democratic White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that if Donald Trump were not protected by his presidential status, he would be "in handcuffs and indicted" for obstructing the investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference.

The progressive US senator from Massachusetts, one of the leading Democrats for the party's 2020 nomination, was the first presidential candidate to speak out in favor of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump.

"If he were anyone other than president of the United States, he would be in handcuffs and indicted," Warren said on ABC talk show "The View."

Warren had called for an impeachment inquiry the day after the April 18 publication of special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report on Moscow's election interference.

Following a nearly two-year probe, Mueller concluded in his report that there was no evidence of outright collusion between Trump and Moscow.

He also said that, having detailed at least 10 possible acts of obstruction by Trump, it was not possible to say the president committed no crime.

This week, the special counsel said he was bound by the longstanding policy that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime.

"Mueller... says, basically, by the time you get to the end of the report, there are all the facts, multiple examples, of obstruction of justice, I can't indict, it's up to Congress," Warren said.

Democrats hold a majority in the House of Representatives and are therefore able to launch an impeachment inquiry. But even if the House impeaches Trump, the effort to oust him is likely to fail in the Republican-led Senate.

While several other Democratic presidential hopefuls are also calling for impeachment proceedings, House leaders remain reluctant to begin the process during the 2020 election campaign.

They argue it could prove very unpopular with voters, and its ultimate failure would galvanize Trump's core supporters and fuel his narrative that he is a victim of a system that wants him ousted.

Story continues

Instead, Democratic leaders are urging rank-and-file members to allow ongoing congressional investigations of Trump to run their course.

Trump meanwhile repeated his claim that the report offered him total exoneration, and that he has been the victim of "giant presidential harassment."

After a rare public statement by Mueller the previous day, Trump on Thursday swatted away the Democrats' threat of impeachment.

"I don't see how they can," he said.
U.S. President Trump boards Air Force One for travel to Colorado from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland

By Tom Hals and Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to impose a tariff on all Mexican goods to push Mexico to halt a surge in illegal immigrants is likely to be challenged in court and will test the scope of the president's emergency powers.

Trump dramatically intensified his quest to limit a wave of asylum seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, including families fleeing violence in Central America, by threatening to impose the tariffs starting on June 10.

Financial markets reeled and business leaders on both sides of the border were taken by surprise, prompting discussions of legal action to curtail Republican Trump's use of a law never previously applied to impose tariffs.

Jennifer Hillman, a Georgetown Law school trade law professor, questioned Trump's citation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in his announcement on Thursday night.

"If you read the text of IEEPA, it's about the president being able to declare a national emergency to be able to stop financial transactions," said Hillman, a former World Trade Organization judge.

The law has been used by presidents to impose sanctions on countries such as Iran and Sudan but Trump's proposed novel application of it has never been addressed by the courts, according to legal experts.

"Its clearly beyond the spirit of the law," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School. "But is it within the letter of the law? Possibly."

Some legal experts said that unlike many of Trump's immigration policies that have been blocked by courts, the tariff threat may survive a challenge because it was wrapped up as a national security measure.

Challengers would have to show the president was acting outside the letter of the law and national security interest, a difficult standard to meet because of the wide authority given to the executive branch under the act.

Lawyers who advise large corporations said clients were interested in pursuing legal action to block the tariffs, but declined to identify the corporations. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a major business lobby group, said it might sue.

Story continues

The IEEPA gives the president power in times of "unusual and extraordinary threat" to regulate a wide range of economic activity. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, used the law to block all the assets in the United States belonging to Iran after Americans in Tehran were taken hostage. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the move, saying the IEEPA "was sweeping and unqualified."

Using the law as a tool to cut the flow of immigrants arguably falls outside the intent of Congress, which adopted the IEEPA to respond to violent threats, said Raj Bhala, a professor at the University of Kansas School of Law who specializes in international trade.

White House spokesman Judd Deere said on Friday that Trump is acting within his authority to protect national security.

"Industry should be in communication with their counterparts in Mexico to encourage the Mexican government to work with the Administration and stave off the dangerous crisis at our southern border as quickly as possible," Deere said.

OVERWHELMED

White House officials say the immigration system is overwhelmed by thousands of migrants, many of whom turn themselves over to U.S. border officials to claim asylum.

In April, Trump took a step back from an earlier threat to close the southern U.S. border to stanch the flow of people, under pressure from companies worried that a shutdown would cause chaos for businesses. Trump has been unable to get sufficient funding from Congress to fulfil his 2016 campaign promise to build a wall along the border.

The Mexican tariffs were going to be administered by the Department of Homeland Security, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office. Hillman, the former WTO judge, said that was unusual.

Courts tend to defer to the president on national security, as the U.S. Court of International Trade did in March in ruling against a challenge to U.S. steel tariffs imposed by Trump under a different law.

There are other avenues to challenge the tariffs outside U.S. courts.

Bhala said the tariffs would almost certainly run afoul of both the North American Free Trade Agreement and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, or GATT. It is not yet clear how Trump's tariff threat will affect the trade negotiations with Mexico to replace NAFTA.

Both agreements allow members countries to initiate disputes against one another, and NAFTA also allows investors to take action against governments.

However, Bhala said, the NAFTA and WTO dispute resolution processes are slow, taking years to reach a final judgment, and can be difficult to enforce.

Yet another avenue is to go to the U.S. Congress, said Steven Schwinn, a professor at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

"Congress doesnt need to delegate this kind of authority to the president and particularly this president," said Schwinn. "If Congress wants to take back that authority, they can take that back."

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware and Brendan Pierson in New York; additional reporting by David Lawder in Washington; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Grant McCool)
(Adds details on trading probes)

By Gram Slattery

RIO DE JANEIRO, May 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's Petrobras has received an information request from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission regarding its trading activities, the state-run oil firm said on Thursday, after prosecutors found evidence of fraud in deals with major traders.

In a securities filing, Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the company is formally known, said the U.S. regulator requested information on trading activities that are currently the target of "Operation Car Wash," an investigation by Brazilian prosecutors that has uncovered billions of dollars in bribes.

In December, prosecutors said employees in Petrobras' oil trading division accepted tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks from 2011 to 2014 from intermediaries connected to the world's largest commodities traders, including Vitol SA , Glencore Plc and Trafigura AG.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the probe, and an employee at Petrobras' Houston office, who was fired when an indictment came to light, is now cooperating with prosecutors in New York, according to documents.

"Petrobras ... was contacted by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) with information requests regarding certain trading activities that are the target of Operation Car Wash," the company said on Thursday.

Glencore and Trafigura have declined to comment on the investigation. Vitol has said it has a "zero tolerance" policy with respect to bribery and corruption and that it is cooperating with authorities.

The CFTC disclosure comes amid a rocky week for Petrobras.

On Tuesday, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice suspended the $8.6 billion sale of a pipeline network to Engie SA in a decision that could jeopardize tens of billions of dollars in additional sales by the indebted Petrobras. On Thursday, another court suspended the sale of a fertilizer unit. (Reporting by Gram Slattery; Additional reporting by Luciano Costa in Sao Paulo; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jeffrey Benkoe)
The United States and China must find ways to coexist before rising trade and security tensions spiral out of control, Asian political figures and experts say.

"We are now entering into a period of great power rivalry," Heng Swee Keat, Singapore's deputy prime minister, said at a conference on Asia's future in Tokyo. "The outcome is unclear but it is critical that we stabilize the system."

The comments came as the U.S. and China increasingly jostle for influence in the region.

"We are now entering into a period of great power rivalry. The outcome is unclear, but it is critical that we stabilize the system."

That was the warning on Thursday from Singapore Heng Swee Keat, the man set to be the city-state's next prime minister. China rapid ascent over the past decade, he said, has caused a clear shift in global politics, and those changes need to be addressed.

The Singaporean deputy prime minister's sentiment was echoed by other political figures and experts gathered in Tokyo for a conference on the future of the region. At the event, which was sponsored by Japanese media group Nikkei, one of the repeated messages was meant for both Washington and Beijing: The world's economic and military powerhouses need to find ways to coexist before things spiral out of control.

The U.S. and China are increasingly jostling for influence in Asia.

China is the region's biggest economy and is boldly pursuing its geopolitical interests. That includes asserting territorial claims with increasing military muscle in the South China Sea and championing its Belt and Road Initiative  a massive investment program that aims to create infrastructure and transportation networks linking China to much of the world.

The U.S., meanwhile, maintains decades-old security alliances with Japan and South Korea . And, under President Donald Trump , Washington is now taking a more offensive economic approach to Beijing.

Story continues

"U.S.-China trade tension is a source of concern for everybody in the region," Yoichi Suzuki, an adjunct fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs and former chief negotiator for the country's free trade agreement with the European Union, said Friday.

"It is not only affecting these two countries but it's affecting everybody," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box." As you see, the stock market is going down, the economy is slowing. So we need to see a solution as soon as possible."

Singapore's Heng said that competition between the U.S. and China can't be avoided and they each have legitimate concerns, but that is all the more reason for both to make compromises and "accept new realities" to manage relations.

"The U.S. has to accept that it has no better option but to work with China because trying to contain it will result in worse outcomes," he said.

'Realize the seriousness'

China, meanwhile, "needs to demonstrate that its peaceful rise will indeed benefit the rest of the world, including the U.S., and be prepared to shoulder additional international responsibilities," he said.

Jia Qingguo, a professor at Peking University's School of International Studies, said the current poor state of U.S-China relations begs the question of whether the future will be characterized by permanent tensions.

"Personally, I think we are at a moment ... where we have to decide how to manage our relationship to avoid a confrontational new cold war," he said Thursday at a panel discussion titled "Deepening U.S.-China Conflict and Asia."

"At the moment it's not very optimistic," he said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in a speech to the conference openly worried about possible military conflict arising out of U.S. efforts to project naval power in the South China Sea in response to China's increasing presence.

The correct approach, he said in a post-address question and answer session, is to consider that China has transformed considerably over the decades since the rule of Mao Zedong. The country, he said, has moved toward more openness through engagement by the outside world rather than by military and economic threats.

"So, in a way, we have influenced China to change" by showing it the benefits of open trade, he said. "And that has made tremendous progress."

But Akihiko Tanaka, president of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Japan, cautioned that competition between the U.S. and China in four areas  trade, technology, political values and security  is only set to expand in the coming months and years.

"We need to realize the seriousness of that," he said at the panel.

Watch: Who owns the South China Sea?





More From CNBC


* Vedanta fights appointment of provisional liquidator

* Says court action will drive away investors (Updates with miners getting paid, details of interim management)

By Chris Mfula

LUSAKA, May 29 (Reuters) - Vedanta's Chairman Anil Agarwal said on Wednesday he was prepared to invest in increasing Zambian copper production to 400,000 tonnes, creating another 10,000 jobs at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), but said "the right framework" had to be in place.

Vedanta is fighting Zambia's decision this month to name a provisional liquidator to run Vedanta Resources' KCM business. The government has accused KCM of breaching its operating licence.

Legal proceedings have been adjourned until June 4.

In an announcement published in Zambian newspapers, Agarwal said he had told Zambia's president that, "with the right framework" Vedanta was prepared to increase output.

"I am prepared to invest what is required to increase production safely and sustainably to 400,000 tonnes, creating another 10,000 jobs at KCM and more social benefits," he said.

KCM is one of Zambia's largest employers, creating work for around 13,000 people.

It has previously said it would raise output to 400,000 tonnes per year, but instead production has fallen because of technical issues as infrastructure has aged, as well as problems such as power outages.

Production for the full-year ended March 2019 was around 90,000 tonnes.

Agarwal said Vedanta worked to comply with Zambia's laws and tax requirements and said he did not understand why state-controlled ZCCM-IH, which holds around 20 percent of KCM, had gone to court to seek the appointment of a provisional liquidator.

A government source, speaking on condition of anonymity said the interim management team was working on a plan likely to be announced by the end of the week.

A miner told Reuters the workforce had been paid on Tuesday, around three days later than usual.

Vedanta Resources, partial owner of the Mumbai-listed Vedanta group of companies, is the majority shareholder of KCM.

Agarwal said "the current position" of the Zambian government would harm the country's "investor-friendly status" and he said a lot of mining companies were considering leaving Zambia.

Other miners present in Zambia include Glencore and First Quantum. First Quantum said it had abandoned plans to lay off workers, but Glencore has said it is closing shafts that are no longer economic. (Reporting by Barbara Lewis in Johannesburg and Chris Mfula in Lusaka Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Kirsten Donovan)
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe owes $200 million to foreign fuel suppliers including Glencore (GLEN.L) , Total (TOTF.PA) and Trafigura, making new imports difficult as companies require cash upfront, the central bank governor said on Thursday.

Zimbabwe has experienced fuel shortages since September, forcing motorists to queue for hours to fill up.

It has also been hit by rolling power cuts for two weeks due to low generating capacity, angering residents already grappling with economic hardship.

"Fuel queues are an eyesore, we don't want to see them. The fuel situation is a symptom of a bigger problem in the economy," Reserve Bank Governor John Mangudya told a parliamentary committee.

Zimbabwe is facing a severe shortage of dollars, which has hamstrung its capacity to import fuel, medicines and now electricity.

Mangudya said the central bank had in the past two weeks issued $115 million in letters of credit to oil companies to import 170 million litres of fuel, enough to last just over a month.

Glencore, Trafigura, Total, Engen and Independent Petroleum Group are the major suppliers to Zimbabwe. The fuel is kept in bonded storage on the outskirts of the capital Harare and is only released to oil firms once they have paid in dollars.

(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Toby Chopra and Andrew Cawthorne)
PLATTSMOUTH  In May of 2017, Plattsmouth resident Terry McCarl, a Vietnam War veteran, went on a trip hell never forget.

He was among hundreds of other Nebraska Vietnam vets who flew on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., to view the Vietnam War Memorial Wall, plus other war memorials.

It was very good, McCarl said during a speech on Honor Flights on Thursday evening at the Plattsmouth Public Library.

What was especially memorable was the large crowd, numbering some 7,000, who cheered the vets upon their arrival back home.

He described the scene like walking through a long tunnel of people.

Is there an end to this tunnel? McCarl wondered. That was amazing. There were so many. It was very moving.

That flight and others over the years were made possible through the efforts of many people through financial donations or to accompany these vets, many with medical needs, on the flights.

Most notably, however, has been the work of Bill and Evonne Williams of Omaha, co-founders of Patriotic Productions, which organized the many flights.

Over 11 years, they arranged 13 Honor Flights that took 3,500 Nebraska veterans to view the memorials, especially the one in the particular war they fought in.

For some, it was a sense of closure, particularly the homecoming part with the people cheering them as they got off the plane, Bill Williams said to an audience at the library.

That was especially true with the Vietnam vets, many of whom werent seen as heroes upon returning home from that war.

That was therapeutic for them, Williams said.

He and his wife heard about Honor Flights, taking veterans on memorial trips to Washington, D.C., being started in Ohio.

We read about it and said lets try it in Nebraska, Williams said.

The first flight, after enough money was raised, lifted off in May of 2008 with World War II veterans, he said.

Over these past 11 years, Patriotic Productions sponsored flights carrying Nebraska veterans from World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars to, most recently, veterans from the first Gulf War, plus those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Williams said.

He recalled how 2,000 people didnt forget the arrival back home of the veterans from Korea, the so-called Forgotten War.

That was pretty swell, Williams said.

There was the time on a flight coming back home, according to Williams, when an aging veteran, accompanied by his daughter, turned to her and said, This has been wonderful spending this day with you just before he closed his eyes and died.

These trips, while memorable, also came at a huge financial cost.

Approximately $1.2 million had to be raised just to pay the seven flights with the World War II vets and $650,000 for the two Vietnam flights, he said.

Williams announced during the speech there would be no more flights through his company.

It was an honor and a privilege, and we certainly enjoyed it, but were done, Williams said.

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.
Northeast Community College in West Point will offer a 56-hour training course for those wishing to earn their CDL license.

CDL Training Course (TRDR 5100/19S & CRN #70138/60002) will meet in West Point and Norfolk. The 16-hour classroom training portion of the course will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 13 and 14 in Room 104 of the West Point Technical Center, 200 W. Washington St.

The 40-hour driving/testing lab will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 8-12 in the Utility Line Building at Northeast Community College in Norfolk.

During this CDL training course, students will learn general CDL test information, safe driving practices, transporting cargo, air brakes, pre-trip inspection of truck and preparing for the driving skills exam.

Students must be 18 years of age and have a valid Nebraska drivers license (21 years of age if drivers license is from another state). Students are also cautioned that the physical requirements for a Class A Commercial Driver License (required for truck-tractor operators) must be consistent with the standards of the United States Department of Transportation. The required drug/alcohol testing (not included in course fee) includes pre-admittance, random, post-accident and reasonable suspicion testing.

Cost of the course is $730. Financial assistance is available through the Community College GAP Assistant Program for students meeting income guidelines. For more information, contact Amy Kaiser at 402-844-7245.

Pre-registration is required. To register for this class, call Northeast Community College in West Point at 402-372-2269.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Colorado Springs-area home prices rose to a record high in April  good news for sellers who can command top dollar for their homes, but gut-wrenching for buyers as the cost of housing gets more and more expensive.
Colorado Springs-area home sales rose to a record high last month, after the market started off really slow this year, said Joe Clement, broker and owner of Re/Max Properties.
A heated debate takes place every year around Christmas time. Its not about which relatives house you should visit for the holidays, its a topic with greater importance. Its a question everyone wants to know the answer to but cant seem to agree on. Is the 1988 film Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis, a Christmas movie?

You voted:
A judge has ordered El Paso County to pay an estimated $30,000 in attorneys fees to The Gazette and five other media outlets, ruling that a county official improperly withheld records relating to the 2018 fatal shooting of sheriffs Deputy Micah Flick.

The countys bill could have been capped at roughly $2,000 had it not opposed the media consortiums initial reimbursement request  leading to further litigation.

Its important that government officers be reminded  often  that they work for citizens, and that laws are in place that clearly state those citizens have the right to know about autopsies and other public records in criminal cases like this, Gazette Editor Vince Bzdek said in a statement.

The ruling serves to drive home citizens rights to transparency from their government, Bzdek added.

It marks the latest victory by media outlets involving the release of public records that journalists use to do their jobs.

Its unclear if El Paso County intends to appeal.

We made the decision to litigate in good faith, and while we respect the courts opinion, we are considering our next legal steps, according to a statement sent by county spokesman Matt Steiner.

The battle blew up last year after then-county Coroner Dr. Robert Bux refused to release the autopsy report for Flick, 34, who was shot in the line of duty Feb. 5, 2018, by 18-year-old suspected car thief Manuel Zetina, who was killed in return fire by deputies.

Colorado law classifies autopsies as public records that should be released except under extraordinary circumstances.

The County Attorneys Office, arguing on Buxs behalf, tried to make the case that releasing the autopsy would do substantial injury to the public.

The Gazette, and outlets, including KKTV, KRDO, KOAA and the Colorado Springs Independent, argued that Bux had engaged in a pattern and practice of withholding autopsy reports for reasons unsupported by the law.

The Coroners Office has invoked substantial injury to the public in withholding autopsies in seven cases in 2017 and 2018, mostly arguing that their release could impair an ongoing investigation. The Gazette ultimately prevailed in obtaining the documents in several of those cases after continuing litigation.

Bux eventually released Flicks autopsy voluntarily after Colorado Springs police closed their investigation, sidestepping a showdown in court.

However, the county contested the consortiums request for legal fees, leading to two lengthy court hearings that ran up the tab.

Steiner said the county weighs requests for reimbursement on a case-by-case basis and sidestepped a question about why the county elected to pursue a challenge in this circumstance.

In siding against the county, 4th Judicial District Judge Michael McHenry concluded that the Coroners Office was unable to meet any part of its legal burden when it petitioned in July to have the report sealed, said Denver First Amendment attorney Steve Zansberg, who argued the case.

The Colorado Open Records Act entitles media outlets and others to seek reimbursement if they must go to court for records that should have been given freely.

The whole reason these six entities decided to fight this was to send a message, Zansberg said.
Ex-Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has become the latest Democratic presidential hopeful to call for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

Hickenlooper described himself Thursday as an extreme moderate but said special counsel Robert Muellers statement Wednesday spurred him to back an impeachment investigation.

On CNNs New Day, Hickenlooper said Mueller laid the responsibility clearly at the doorstep of Congress and he thinks we have to begin an impeachment inquiry.

Hickenlooper said an inquiry may not lead to an impeachment vote and acknowledged the Republican-controlled Senate would never remove Trump if the Democratic-controlled House impeached him.

Democratic candidates Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York had declined to push impeachment but backed the process after Muellers statement.

Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shot down repeated attempts by Congress members of her party, including Colorados Joe Neguse and Diana DeGette, to move forward on an impeachment inquiry against Trump.

DeGette, D-Denver, said last week that the presidents refusal to cooperate in any way is forcing Democrats hand on an impeachment investigation.

This is far beyond what happened with the Nixon cover-up, she said of the former president and the break-in at the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel in 1972.

Its really Donald Trump trying to continuously obstruct justice in the most public of ways.

Neguse  a member of the Judiciary Committee  said last week that the presidents actions in resisting the Houses constitutional oversight authority could leave the chamber no choice, especially in the wake of the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

You have a number of members who have concluded enough is enough. Ultimately the administrations pattern of, really, a wholesale obstruction of Congress in terms of our ability to basic oversight has been building for quite some time, he said.

Trump has called Muellers Russia investigation a witch hunt and declared he did nothing wrong.

Colorado Politics Joey Bunch and The Washington Examiner ccontributed to this report.
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
Alexis Wirtz is grateful for North Iowa Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center.

Wirtz, 19, a 2018 Garner-Hayfield-Ventura High School graduate, is the dental offices first recipient of Wisdom For Wisdom, a new program that provides free wisdom teeth extraction to a student to offset their higher education cost.

Its just awesome that I get to be a part of this program ... and that these people are doing this for the community and students like me, she said.

Wirtz recently completed her freshman year at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, where shes studying chemistry education and participating in color guard.

She was among 80 applicants who applied for the Wisdom For Wisdom program, which required the completion of a quiz after a short video and a 250-word essay about the procedure, last month.

It was very hard to pare it down to one individual, but Alexis, her story is pretty amazing, said Dr. Lyell Hogg, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon at North Iowa Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center. What shes been through and what shes done to get herself into school and continue that, we felt she would be deserving of it.

When Wirtz was a senior in high school, her family of six lost their home in a fire, which has made it difficult for her parents Troy and Stacey Wirtz to financially support her post-secondary education.

In her application, she said the Wisdom For Wisdom program will not only ease the financial burden of college and other expenses for her but her entire family that now resides in Wesley.

I have two jobs right now, Wirtz said. Im definitely trying to get ahead and get money.

Wisdom For Wisdom is the newest program North Iowa Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center offers. Within the past year, its also started Second Chance and Academic Advantage programs.

In November, the dental center awarded a smile makeover valued at $50,000 to a North Iowa woman through its Second Chance program, and two $1,000 scholarships were awarded to two students pursuing an undergraduate or technical education in the medical field through its Academic Advantage program.

Hogg said the programs are his and Dr. Christopher Kepros way of giving back to the community, a community thats supported their practice.

Its important that we as medical professionals, who are lucky enough to have the position that we have, that we continue to help the community when we can, he said.

On Thursday, Wirtz met with Hogg for a consultation ahead of her wisdom teeth extraction, which will take place sometime this summer.

Hogg said young adults between 18-22 years old are most commonly introduced to North Iowa Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center for wisdom tooth extractions, which cost upwards of $1,500.

Its not inexpensive medical care in general, so we thought this would be a great way to give back to someone, Hogg said.

More than 44 million Americans have student loans and collectively owe $1.5 trillion, according to Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Hogg said he and Kepros hope to continue offering the Wisdom For Wisdom program, as well as their others, in the future.

For more information about North Iowa Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center or its programs, visit www.nioralsurgery.com.

Photos: North Iowa Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center's Wisdom For Wisdom

Reach Reporter Ashley Stewart at 641-421-0533. Follow her on Twitter at GGastewart.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 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.
School districts in North Iowa and the rest of the state are creating new emergency plans or updating existing plans to satisfy the requirements of a new state law before its June 30 deadline.

But those emergency plans will not be reviewed by the state or anyone else, as the new law contains no such requirement.

The new law, passed in 2018, requires public and private school districts to have emergency response plans for responding to natural disasters and active shooters. The plans must be unique for each building in the school district, and each building must conduct annual emergency response drills.

The new law states the plans must be high quality, developed in conjunction with local law enforcement and emergency response agencies, and confidential.

The plans will not be verified or vetted for their quality. Districts will simply report to the state education department whether they have completed their plans.

When the school emergency plan bill was being debated by state lawmakers, concerns were raised about the lack of oversight.

It does absolutely nothing, said Cindy Winckler, a Democratic state legislator from Davenport. It is hard to take a positive vote on such incomplete work.

The bill ultimately passed both the Iowa House and Senate with unanimous votes of support.

Dave Versteeg, superintendent of Mason City Community Schools, said the district has had high-quality emergency plans in place for many years that already meet the requirements of the new law, including active shooter protocols.

"We used the law as an opportunity to review our plans and to make our plans better," he said. "We feel like it (emergency planning) is always a work in progress."

The new law "does not give us a lot of specifics on what we are supposed to do," Versteeg said.

However, forming a review committee consisting of representatives from the district and its community partners -- including the police department, the fire department and the Cerro Gordo County Public Health Department -- resulted in good ideas to improve the current plans, according to Versteeg.

One of the improvements is having more consistent policies between buildings, he said.

Doug Gee, superintendent of Clear Lake Community Schools, said the city's police department did active shooter response training in the fall with the entire district staff.

The next step for the district is to decide what level of involvement students should have in active shooter drills, according to Gee.

"You obviously want the kids to be prepared," he said.

However, there's also a concern that students might use what they learn during a drill to carry out a school shooting, he said.

The district will continue to update its emergency plans, according to Gee.

"The safety of our students and staff is the most important thing for any school," he said.

Todd Lettow, superintendent of Hampton-Dumont Community Schools, said the district is doing the final tweaking on its plan as the state deadline approaches.

The district began doing emergency drills last year, according to Lettow. These drills include evacuation procedures.

The drills vary from building to building because younger students need more direction during an emergency than older ones, he said.

These drills are a good way to discover holes in the school district's emergency response plans and fix them, according to Lettow.

"The more we practice it, the better we feel," he said.

Staci Hupp, a spokeswoman for the state education department, said the new law is part of a holistic approach to school safety taken by the state.

In addition to the new law for school emergency response plans, the department has offered resources to districts to help ensure their plans are high quality, and the department has provided or sponsored training for school officials, for example, to recognize behavioral issues and potentially violent behavior, Hupp said.

We really are doing our best as an agency to support schools as they develop these plans, as we ultimately try to keep our kids safe, Hupp said. Its a piece of the overall picture.

Roark Horn, executive director of the organization that represents school administrators across the state, praised the state education department, state lawmakers, Gov. Kim Reynolds and local school leaders for working together to enhance school safety.

Undoubtedly, the collaborative efforts of all these entities have made schools even safer learning environments for our students and teachers, Horn said in an email.

But the state education department in 2018 said while 88 percent of Iowa school districts reported having security plans, fewer than 10 percent were high-quality plans that included drills for school staff.

Those plans didnt necessarily meet the law because we were finding variability in quality and the plans werent always tailored to every school in a district as they need to be now, Hupp said.

Erin Murphy from the Lee Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report.

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.
JERUSALEM  Israel embarked Thursday on an unprecedented snap election campaign  the second this year  after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition and instead dramatically dissolved parliament.

In what seemed an improbable scenario just days ago, Israel's newly elected Knesset dissolved itself in an early morning 74-45 vote and set a new election date for Sept. 17.

The parliament's disbanding comes just a month after it was sworn in and sets the stage for a second election in the same year  a first in Israeli history.

The developments were a shocking setback for Netanyahu, who had appeared to secure a comfortable win in last month's election. But he was unable to build a parliamentary majority because his traditional ally, Avigdor Lieberman, refused to bring his Yisrael Beiteinu faction into the coalition.

Netanyahu's Likud party excoriated Lieberman, accusing him of betraying voters, abandoning his right-wing ideology and selfishly carrying out a personal vendetta against his former patron Netanyahu.

Lieberman, a former top aide to Netanyahu who for two decades has alternated between a close alliance and bitter rivalry with his former boss, delivered his own rebuke Thursday. A former defense minister and foreign minister under Netanyahu, he appeared to break with him for good by alleging that Likud Party members were blind Netanyahu followers who needed professional help.

"This has nothing to do with 'the right'," Lieberman, a West Bank settler, said at a press conference. "This is about a cult of personality and not any political ideology."

Netanyahu, who has led Israel for the past decade, now faces another challenge to his lengthy rule. It comes as he prepares for a pre-indictment hearing before criminal charges are expected to be filed against him in a series of corruption cases.

Assuming they would sweep into power again, Netanyahu's allies in the ruling Likud had already begun drafting a contentious bill aimed at granting him immunity from the various corruption charges awaiting him. He was also looking to push legislation limiting the power of Israel's Supreme Court and paving his path to several more years in office.

But it was a separate issue that sparked the extraordinary crisis, and for the first time ever thrust Israel into a repeat election before a new government was even formed.

Lieberman  a veteran nationalist and a secular politician  demanded that current legislation mandating that young ultra-Orthodox men be drafted into the military run its course.

Years of exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men have generated widespread resentment among the rest of Jewish Israelis who serve. The ultra-Orthodox, backed by Netanyahu, refused to bend and the showdown quickly devolved into a full-blown crisis that imploded the perspective government.

"The public chose me, and Lieberman, unfortunately, deceived his voters. From the beginning he had no intention to do what he said," Netanyahu said after the vote, accusing Lieberman of aligning with "the left."

"He made one demand after another and every time his demand was met, he raised another one," Netanyahu also said, adding that Lieberman "clearly wanted to topple the government for his own personal reasons."

Lieberman called the accusations ridiculous and retorted that the new election was indeed unfortunate but a result of Netanyahu caving in to the ultra-Orthodox.

"This is a complete surrender of Likud to the ultra-Orthodox," he said.

Though a staunch hard-liner who has drawn accusations of racism, Lieberman also champions a secular agenda aimed toward his core political base of immigrants from the former Soviet Union. He has pledged to confront efforts of ultra-Orthodox parties to impose their lifestyle on the country's secular majority, earning him some centrist support as well.

In contrast to Netanyahu's deal-making pragmatism, Lieberman has earned a reputation as a maverick willing to break from his traditional ideological bloc. This time, both dug in and refused to budge.

"Israel has known many political crises in its 71 years. It has also known some dirty and even dirtier political tricks, corrupt and even more corrupt political bribery offers," wrote Nahum Barnea, a columnist with Yediot Ahronot. "What we saw last night in the Knesset was a new page in the process of the decline of Israeli democracy."

The new election gives the anti-Netanyahu forces in Israel, led by Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, another shot at toppling the longtime leader. It also complicates Netanyahu's efforts to pass the proposed bills to protect himself from prosecution.

Even if Netanyahu wins the election, it is unlikely he will be able to form a government and lock down the required political support for an immunity deal before an expected indictment. That would force him to stand trial, and in turn put heavy pressure on him to step aside. No one in Likud has yet challenged him publicly.

The political uncertainty could also spell trouble for the White House's Mideast peace efforts. The U.S. has scheduled a conference next month in Bahrain to unveil what it says is the first phase of its peace plan, an initiative aimed at drawing investment into the Palestinian territories.

The Trump administration had vowed to unveil its plan after the Israeli election and it's unclear how the current political shakeup will affect that rollout.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Estimados amigos,

Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.

Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.

Gonzalo Raffo de Lavalle

Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

Helenio Herrera

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

Karl Marx

If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

Sun Tzu









We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.



Paulo Coelho
UTSA Director of Track & Field/Cross Countryannounced Friday that he has added Caleb Brandon to the Roadrunners' 2019 signing class.A native of Killeen, Texas, Brandon was a standout quarter-miler for Harker Heights High School. He clocked a personal-best time of 49.22 to claim the bronze medal in the 400 meters at the Killeen I.S.D. Relays on March 8 and he grabbed gold with a 49.85 at the Patriot Relays later that month. At the District 12-6A Meet in April, Brandon collected silver with a 49.59 clocking and he helped lead the 4x400m relay to third place.Brandon anchored the 4x4 to fifth place at the Class 6A state meet as a junior, as the quartet clocked a 3:15.50. As a senior, he led the 4x4 to fourth place at the area meet and to the Region 2-6A Meet. He ranks fourth in school history in the 400m and has anchored the 4x4 to two of the top five times in program annals."We're excited to announce that we've signed Caleb Brandon," Fox said. "He has performed at a high level in the open 400 and with the 4x4 over the last several years. He has a ton of potential and we can't wait to welcome him to the Roadrunner Family and help him develop even more during his college career."Brandon also has a multitude of club and junior national experience. He ran the anchor leg for the 4x400m relay at the 2018 USATF Region 12 Junior Olympics and finished fifth in the 400m in 49.98 at the 2017 AAU Junior Olympic Games in Detroit.Brandon is the 16th announced member of UTSA's 2019 class, as he joins men's signees Jayton Acosta, Oquendo Bernard, Joel McFarlane, Grant Szalek, Jack Turner, Harrison Wade and women's signees Taylor Armstrong,, Ana Carolin Da Silva, Ingeborg Gruenwald, Sigrid Kleive, Natasha Purchas, Zoie Reyna, Amaya Scott and Maren Wilms.
EVENTS

Barbecue at Safeway today for Montana Supporting Military

To wrap up Military Appreciation Month, Montana Supporting Military and Safeway will host a barbecue at Safeway, 611 N. Montana Ave., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, May 31, for the community of Helena to commemorate our fallen heroes, veterans, service members and deployed troops.

For $5 you get your choice of a burger or hot dog, chips and a beverage. Proceeds go to help send care packages to 1,000 men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces deployed in 19 countries. Postage to send items costs $50 per care package.

Montana Supporting Military will be accepting monetary donations and much needed items for care packages such as powdered drink mix, beef jerky, crew socks, eye drops, protein bars, tuna pouches and more.

Summer reading program kicks off at event in Clancy

Readers of all ages will explore all things space this summer as North Jefferson County Libraries present A Universe of Stories during their summer library program. The Summer Reading Kickoff Party is from 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, June 11, at the Clancy Volunteer Fire Station. The event will feature a solar program by the Montana Learning Center (and former Clancy teacher Ryan Hannahoe) from 5-5:30 p.m. Hotdogs, popcorn and drinks will be served.

From June 11-Aug. 10, children will enjoy programs, weekly activities/projects, receive prizes for reading, and spend the summer practicing those critical learning skills to prevent the summer slide.

The 2019 Summer Reading Program is open to young people, preschool through young adult, with programs, activities, prize drawings, story times, reading rewards, and more. Families are invited to join. All programs are free of charge. Registration for A Universe of Stories begins on June 11. For more information, call the libraries at 933-5254 or visit, sites.google.com/site/northjeffersoncountylibraries/.

AARP driver safety classes upcoming

AARP Driver Safety has single classes scheduled in Helena and Townsend during June. Participants receive updates on the rules of the road and learn driving strategies to adapt to the effects of aging and to reduce chances of having a crash. The course was developed for participants age 50-plus, but is open to all ages. The course fee is $20 ($15 with AARP membership card). Auto insurance companies in Montana provide a multiyear discount to participants 55 years of age and older.

Thursday, June 13, at First Interstate Bank, 2021 N. Montana Ave., from noon to about 4:30 p.m.

Friday, June 14, at Broadwater Health Centers Conference Room, 110 N. Oak St., Townsend; 12:30 to about 5 p.m.

To register for a class, call 457-4712. Find additional classes at aarp.org/driversafety.

Augusta cleanup days scheduled for next week

The Augusta Chamber of Commerce announced a pair of cleanup days scheduled for June 6 and June 8 to follow up last weeks flooding in northern Lewis and Clark County.

Participants are directed to meet at the Augusta Youth Center on Main Street on June 6 at 8 a.m. to be split into teams for different projects. Lunch is provided and anyone taking part is encouraged to bring gloves, shovels, rakes, trucks, trailers, garbage bags, chain saws, pitchforks, wheelbarrows, fencing tools (cable cutters/fencing pliers), bug spray, sunscreen, [and] sunglasses.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Applications sought for STEM girls camp

Montanas Information Technology Managers Council and the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative are seeking a team of girls aged 12 to 18 to participate in the Montana STEM Girls in Government Camp, a free two-day science, technology, engineering and mathematics event Sept. 16-17 in Helena.

The girls will learn about information technology use in state government, participate in a panel discussion with women in the field, visit state agencies and the states data center, work together on a coding exercise, be introduced to IT careers within state government, and interact with guest speakers.

Girls should apply as a team of up to 15 participants. Special consideration will be given to girls from rural areas or small communities with limited access to IT resources.

The event is free for participants, including meals and lodging for girls and their chaperones. However, each team must provide its own transportation to and around Helena.

For more information and to apply, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/2Z6PB6V. Applications should be submitted by the group leader and are due June 14.

Lewis and Clark County has several board openings

Augusta Solid Waste Management District: Seeking three citizens to serve on the board. The Augusta Solid Waste Management District Board consists of seven members, five being appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, one member of the Lewis and Clark County Public Works Department, and one county commissioner; three-year terms. Meetings are the second Monday of the month (February, May, August and November) at 1:30 p.m., Dinner Club, Augusta. Applicants must reside within the boundaries of the Augusta Solid Waste Management District.

Lewis and Clark County DUI Task Force: Seeking one business owner representative and one citizen to serve a two-year term. The DUI Task Force members shall be appointed by the Lewis and Clark County Commission and will include representatives from a cross section of the community, such as, but not limited to, government officials, law enforcement, public health, school personnel, church, civic, and community groups, and citizens at large.

Forestvale Historic Preservation Committee: Seeking one citizen to serve on the board. The board reviews and approves all development proposals related to the Forestvale Cemetery and are responsible for assuring compliance with all relevant local, state and federal regulations and requirements pertaining to the cemeterys designation on the Federal Register of Historical Sites. Members must reside within Forestvale Cemetery District; generally described as School Dist. No 1; three-year terms.

Lincoln Parks Board: Seeking one citizen to serve on the board. The purpose of the board is to advise the Board of County Commissioners and the City-County Parks Board on issues relating to the use, improvement and general maintenance of the Lincoln Planning Area parks. The board consists of five members, with one member to be a member of both the City-County Parks Board and the Lincoln Parks Board. Terms are for three years.

Mental Health Local Advisory Council: Seeking two citizens to serve on the council; must have a family member that receives mental health services. The purpose of the Mental Health Local Advisory Council is to assist in the improvement of public mental health services in the local community and to review and make recommendations about local public mental health services, as well as provide input and recommendations to the Mental Health Oversight Advisory Council and the Service Area Authorities serving the community. The council shall consist of 24 members with consumers and/or family members being 50% of the membership with six family members and six consumers. Terms are four years.

Mosquito District  Craig: Seeking two citizens to serve on the Craig Mosquito District Board who reside in the district limits. This board develops and administers a program for abatement and alleviation on mosquito pest conditions within the district and makes recommendations on appropriations and expenditure of funds to be levied on residents in the district; four-year terms.

Mosquito District  Helena Valley: Seeking two citizens to serve on the Helena Valley Mosquito District Board who reside in the district limits. This board develops and administers a program for abatement and alleviation on mosquito pest conditions within the district and makes recommendations on appropriations and expenditure of funds to be levied on residents in the district; four-year term.

Open Lands Citizens Advisory Council: Seeking a citizen to serve on the Open Lands Citizens Advisory Council as an at-large member. The primary purpose of the Program is to conserve resources on private lands in Lewis and Clark County that fulfill the objectives of the bond measure. The Board of County Commissioners appoint the Citizens Advisory Committee on Open Lands (CAC) to make recommendations on project applications.

Water Quality Protection District: Seeking a citizen to serve on the Water Quality Protection District Board for a three-year term. The purpose of the board is to develop local water quality program; administer the budget and employ personnel. Meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of the month; terms are three years.

Weed Board: Seeking citizens to represent the Central Valley, Augusta, and Wolf Creek/Craig areas. Representatives must reside in those areas listed. The board performs activities relating to weed management and administers and manages its established criteria for the noxious weed program. Terms are three years.

Applications are available at www.lccountymt.gov/bocc/boards.html, or by calling 447-8304 and can be submitted to the Lewis and Clark County Commissioners Office, 316 N. Park Ave., Room 345, Helena, MT 59623.

Grant awarded to support oral history project

Humanities Montana awarded a $1,000 grant to Cottonwood ALC, a nonprofit dedicated to helping kids design their own education by exploring what they love and making independent, relevant choices. The grant supports an oral history project led by Rebekka Rafnsdottir who will teach classes and work one-on-one with students to guide them through learning about film equipment, technique, preparation and editing oral histories. The focus of the project is to document 102-year-old Helena resident Irene Roberts story as well as students personal stories.

Humanities Montana is the states independent, nonprofit state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

WITH THE COLORS

U.S. Air Force Airman Tyler T. Eickert graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Eickert is the son of Alyne Eickert of Boulder. He is a 2016 graduate of Helena Christian School, East Helena.

STUDENT NEWS

Millionaire reading celebration

Heidi Herbolich's fourth grade class at Rossiter Elementary celebrated 11 students who have successfully read 1 million words this school year with a ride around the Helena Valley in the trolley, walking a red carpet back to school and having a pizza party. The students were Rheagan Harlow, Claudia Cook, Alexi Bonogofsky, Safara Christofferson, Cardin Dinh, Tru Hearty, Maysa LaFromboise, Berkley Shackelford, Alycia Webster, Boone Davis and (not pictured) Devynn Johnson.

Alana Tonidandel, of Helena, has been named to the dean's list for the spring 2019 semester at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont. Tonidandel is majoring in biology. To be named to the dean's list, students must have a GPA of 3.0 or better and rank in the top 20% of their class.

Kendra Danielson, of Helena, has been named to the dean's list for the spring 2019 semester at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. Danielson is a criminal justice major. To be eligible, a student must be carrying 12 or more hours with a 3.65 or higher GPA and no incompletes.

Marianna D. Pizzini, of Helena, was named a Roadman Scholar at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. Pizzini is a junior majoring in English. Roadman Scholars must be full-time students who have completed at least 45 credits of college work with a cumulative GPA of 3.76 or above

Robert A. Steiner, of Helena, has been named to the dean's list for the spring 2019 semester at Northeastern University in Boston. Steiner is majoring in music. To be eligible, students must carry a full program of at least four courses and have a quality point average of 3.5 or greater out of a possible 4.0.

Area students named to UM's spring dean's list

To qualify, students must be undergraduates, earn a semester GPA of 3.5 or higher and receive grades of A or B in at least nine credits. Students who receive any grade of C+ or below or no credit in a course are not eligible.

Double asterisks after a name indicate the student earned a 4.0 GPA. A single asterisk indicates a GPA greater than 3.5 but less than 4.0.

In last week's brief, some Helena students were omitted.

HELENA: Matthew Barker*, Courtney Bawden*, Troy Bawden*, Rikki Berg*, Matthew Blassic*, Dylan Branscum*, Jillian Briski**, Amber Brown**, Brigett Burgess*, Emily Burke**, Riley Chisholm*, Jessica Clanin*, Isabella Clinch**, Anna Costain*, Nolan Davis*, Jocelyn Davis-Bunger*, Rachel Deveraux**, Michael Dobbins*, Kyleen Dolan**, Casey Ebelt*, Chelsi Ebelt**, Jeorjia Finn*, Lilah Fox**, Andrew Frank*, Kaitlyn French**, Angela Pearl Fusco**, William Geubtner*, Emily Gould*, Keaton Habeck*, Mason Harper*, Hannah Harvey*, Connie Heiser**, Jennifer Hern*, Seely Hoffman*, Ethan Holmes*, John Hooks*, Benjamin Hunthausen*, Aaron Irion**, McKenzie Johnston*, Konnor Kambic*, Kurt Keiper*, Brandon King*, Sydney Ladas*, Rachel Lauf*, Angela Lunda*, Bryce MacNeill*, Katie Lindner*, Erin Longdon*, Claire Malany*, Kaila Matteson*, Matthew McCarl**, Alyssa McCarl Warwick*, Keyara McCarthy*, Shannara McDunn*, Xavier Melice*, Demi Meredith*, Emma Meredith*, Danielle Nelson*, Thea Ostwald*, Kiara Randall*, Elise Redlin*, Bailee Robbins*, Ashley Romero*, William Rook*, Kamrin Rosling*, Shannon Roybal**, John Rusoff*, Jacob Sather**, Clayton Scholl*, Patra Schoonover**, Lindsey Sewell**, Nichole Silverthorne*, Addie Slanger**, Jaden Sparrow*, Nina Soutullo*, Rebecca Speranza**, Georg Sperle*, Amanda Steichen**, Brett Traxler*, Madison Tyson*, Lane Ulberg*, Madeline Ulmer**, Shelby VanHemelryck*, Cole Wagner*, Makenzie Walden*, Benjamin Weis*, Gretta Wellenstein*, Marcus Welnel*, Amanda Williams*, Henry Williams*, Kelsey Wohlfrom** and Savannah Woods*

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A crowd gathered Thursday afternoon in the cemetery at Fort Harrison to honor the sacrifices made by American soldiers and to commemorate the historic day of remembrance.

Memorial Day's original incarnation was minted over 150 years ago by a Union general to remember the loss of life in the Civil War. Gen. John Logan chose May 30 as the commemoration date and the name, Decoration Day, survived until 1970 when the federal government made the last Monday in May a federal holiday.

A cannon salute from the 89th Montana Cavalry exploded into the flag-snapping wind to open American Legion Post 2's wreath-laying ceremony.

VA Administrator Kelly Ackerman gave a keynote speech focused on the sacrifices made not just by soldiers, but by their families. A large portion of the crowd stood up when Ackerman asked who had served in the military. With military carriage, half the crowd rose and looked forward toward the flag as Ackerman thanked them for their service.

"I thank you," Ackerman said. "That's a powerful thing to say, rather than the American slang of 'thanks.'"

Gratitude, remembrance, sorrow and joy. Ackerman described her job as one that filled her with joy as she helped veterans and their families, but sorrow as she listened to their stories of pain and hardship.

"It's remembering all our brethren and sistren who've served," Post Cmdr. Justin Carpenter said. "All those who have sacrificed and passed on ... this is how they're never forgotten."

Ackerman expanded that remembrance to the families of those who had served.

"Our gratitude cannot be measured for their surviving family members," Ackerman said.

And as an honor guard fired three volleys into the air, "Taps" began to play again. Hats came off, the wind stayed steady, and in that moment it appeared everyone who had come to the ceremony was wrapped inside their own reveries. Remembering, thanking, listening, until the final bugle notes passed into the wind.

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.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee draws the best of the best spellers from around the nation, and representing Helena as the Montana State Champion was sixth grader Clara Harmon.

Clara, who attends school through the Helena Area Christian Home Educators, won the 2019 Treasure State Spelling Bee in Billings in March. There she competed for 3  hours and 14 rounds, culminating in the correct spelling of bachelorette, to earn her trip to nationals in Nation Harbor, Maryland.

Clara, 11, was among 565 spellers from across the country May 28 for the three-day bee. She was joined by fellow Montana spellers Annie Condon of Billings, Reagan Remmers of Missoula and Kyra Hutchinson of Kalispell.

Scripps uses multiple rounds and a fairly complex scoring system to narrow the field. Claras mother, Dianna Harmon, explained that preliminaries consist of a written vocabulary and spelling word test for the first round, followed by two rounds of on-stage spelling.

Following the test, Clara successfully spelled spelling "frittata" and "interfere. But when scoring came in from the test, she was not one of the 49 finalists, Dianna said. Because she spelled her two words correctly Clara tied for 50th place.

Even without getting to the finals, Clara enjoyed her experience.

It was amazing, she said. Im having a great time here, its just really fun getting to meet new people.

Clara says she was nervous getting up on stage, but is ready to take a shot at next year and compete again in the Treasure State bee. She loves reading and attributes that in part to her interest in spelling.

Id like to (compete again), she said. Ill have to do a lot more studying.

The 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee was a historic one, with an unprecedented eight-way tie for first place. The eight co-champions closed out the bee by spelling 47 consecutive words correctly.

Rishik Gandharsi, Erin Howard, Saketh Sundar, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhantankar, Abhijay Kodali, Christopher Serrao and, finally, Rohan Raja received the full winner's freight of $50,000 in cash and a new, custom-designed trophy, because Scripps simply could not come up with words difficult enough to challenge them.

The rules going into this year's bee called for, at most, three co-champions. A contingency plan for even more winners was developed on the fly Thursday afternoon, after bee officials evaluated spellers' performance in the early final rounds. It took 5 hours to narrow the field from 50 kids to 16, The Associated Press reported.

"We are closely connected to the difficulty level at the program, so we are quite aware of the rising level of competition. This does not actually surprise us at all," said Paige Kimble, the bee's executive director. "We didn't go into the competition tonight not knowing that this was a possibility and not having a plan."

Bailly, the longtime pronouncer and the beloved public face of the bee, broke the news to a stunned crowd in a convention center ballroom outside Washington after the eight eventual champs had gone through two consecutive perfect rounds, according to the AP.

"Champion spellers, we are now in uncharted territory," Bailly said. "We do have plenty of words remaining on our list. But we will soon run out of words that will possibly challenge you, the most phenomenal collection of super spellers in the history of this competition."

There would be three rounds, Bailly said, and anyone who got through them would be a champion. No one came close to missing a word.

Reporter Tom Kuglin can be reached at 447-4076 @IR_TomKuglin

Love 3 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.
Political parties in the U.S. are built on the big tent idea. Our political system at all levels evolved early on to one of majority rule. The rule is simple -- 50% plus one gives control. In America and Montana that has produced electoral battles between two major political parties. While minor and third parties do exist, they are just that: minor.

We differ greatly from parliamentary systems around the world, where it takes multiple political parties coalescing to achieve the 50% level. Here, presidents and governors come from one of two major parties, not a coalition of smaller parties.

And legislative control is also based on who has 50% plus one of the elected members. For a political party to gain that level of control their philosophy has to accommodate a broad spectrum of ideas. In political parlance, parties try to bring related but differing points of view together under one big tent. The old political expression politics make strange bedfellows arises from that. Fifty percent plus one requires a big tent party. Thats why the current and ongoing effort of a band of right-wing Montana legislative Republicans engaging in a philosophical purge of their membership makes no sense. Driving people from a political party for philosophical purity purposes  shoving them out from under the big tent  may be satisfying to those doing the purging, but its a recipe for achieving minority status. Those people will have to go somewhere and, in a two-party system, if they are not with you they will be against you  resulting in lost power and control from eventually falling below the 50% threshold.

Right-wing Republican legislators want to get rid of the solutions caucus, Republican legislators who have kept their principles, but have worked across the aisle with Democrats to produce meaningful legislation, solutions to important problems and a balanced budget that attempts to meet the needs of Montanans.

Accusing some of their fellow Republicans of being RINOs (Republicans In Name Only), right-wing GOP legislators have been trying to remove those members through primary election challenges from the right in addition to making life as uncomfortable as possible for them if they remain elected.

The labeling of some as RINOs raises the question of who actually represents the true Montana Republican Party, the far right of today or the main street, main stream Republicans I worked with over many years. The GOP itself will determine that, but I find the current effort to tilt the Montana GOP to the ultra-far right to be a purist movement away from a GOP which is close to Montanas governing center.

In Montana the majority needed to win elections and govern generally comes from one side or the other of the political middle. Most Montanans are not out on the political extremes, theyre under the center of a political bell curve  the big tent. Montana Republicans win and govern best a little right of center while Montana Democrats win and govern best a little left of center. There is a working majority in the center because thats where the bulk of Montanans are, Montanans who also expect that their representatives can find ways to work together.

The concept of the political big tent is that to be the majority, a political party needs to be attractive to a wide range of ideas, personalities and philosophies. That complex mosaic makes up what is under the big tent of successful political parties.

Purging party members is like burning down the tent under which those diverse party members coalesce -- a march to minority status. This has happened before in Montana and also in other states. While a general philosophical bent marks each political party, a drive that results in too much political and philosophical purity leads to minority status. That is the path that some in the Montana GOP are pursuing. Only time will tell us the results.

So, if Montana GOP extremists burn down their tent, making it more pure but smaller, I am sure the Montana Democratic Party will make its big tent welcoming and accommodating to former mainstream Republicans who are looking for a political home. That is the way the world works.

Evan Barrett, who lives in historic Uptown Butte, just retired after 47 years at the top level of Montana economic development, government, politics and education. He is an award-winning producer of Montana history films who continues to write columns and commentaries and occasionally teaches Montana history.

Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
BUCHAREST, Romania  Pope Francis opened a three-day pilgrimage to Romania on Friday by delivering a new appeal for unity, 20 years after St. John Paul II made the first-ever papal visit to a majority Orthodox country.

Francis referred to that historic trip during his opening speech before Romanian government authorities and his subsequent meeting with Patriarch Daniel, the head of the Orthodox Church.

John Paul's 1999 visit to Romania, just 10 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, was the first by a pope to a majority Orthodox country since the Great Schism divided Christianity in 1054.

It was marked by an extraordinary welcome for a Polish pope who helped bring down communism and included spontaneous chants of "unity, unity" from the crowds.

It's the latest of Francis' foreign trips to poor countries where Catholics are a minority. In Romania, they are a divided minority between two Catholic rites, Roman Catholic and Greek-Catholic

Francis warned that all Romanians must come together even more now to confront today's challenges, noting the huge numbers of people who leave the country each year in search of jobs, depopulating entire villages and weakening the roots of Romanian culture.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
DECATUR  The father of 2-year-old TaNaja Barnes is suing Webster-Cantrell Hall over the death of his daughter, accusing the Decatur agency of negligence when it oversaw her care months before she died of starvation and neglect.

The nonprofits oversight ended in October, when an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services case involving TaNaja was closed by a judge. Less than six months later, police found TaNajas cold, lifeless body on Feb. 11 in the Decatur home where she lived with her mother and mothers boyfriend. The two have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and endangering the life and health of a child.

Dartavius Barnes, TaNajas biological father who lives in Springfield, has said he knew that his daughter was in a bad situation in the Decatur home. He told reporters that he tried to get custody of his daughter and even thought about kidnapping her.

DCFS has launched an investigation into its involvement in the case. Webster-Cantrell Hall had acted on behalf of the state to provide foster care for TaNaja and her younger half-brother, and to monitor her for several months after she was returned to her mother.

The federal lawsuit filed May 24 also names Amanda Beasley-Ricks, a foster care case coordinator at Webster-Cantrell Hall.

The Herald & Review reached out to agency CEO Michael Warner and Beasley-Ricks by email for comment on Thursday evening. Webster-Cantrell Hall has previously referred all requests for comment to DCFS.

Police have said that TaNaja was found unresponsive, wrapped in a urine-soaked blanket in an unheated room. The child had been returned to the custody of her mother, Twanka L. Davis, and mothers boyfriend, Anthony Myers, in August, nine months after the state first removed her from their care in December 2017. A judge ordered the case closed in October.

The lawsuit alleges that Webster-Cantrell required employees to close child protection cases in the most expedient manner without regard to the adequacy of the childrens living situation, and that it failed to train employees on signs of abuse and neglect.

Barnes had custody of TaNaja for a time between March 2018 and June 2018, but she was removed after a hotline call alleged abuse. TaNaja was again placed in foster care June 27, and was returned to Davis and Myers on Aug. 8. Webster-Cantrell Hall monitored the home through weekly visits for several months after that, according to information provided by DCFS.

In the lawsuit, Barnes said Webster-Cantrell Hall put his child in heightened danger when it removed her from his care and returned her to Davis. He said the agency knew that Davis had a history of mental illness, parental unfitness with abuse and neglect, drug and alcohol abuse, and an uninhabitable and unsuitable residence for TaNaja.

Barnes has been appointed administrator of his daughters estate, according to the lawsuit.

TaNajas case is one of several high-profile deaths this year of children whose families had been involved with DCFS. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said that fixing the long-troubled state agency is one of his administrations highest priorities. On March 27, he chose a new leader: Marc Smith, then executive vice president of foster care and intact services at Olympia Fields-based Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness.

Earlier this month, Pritzkers office released a report that found a number of problems with the DCFS division charged with keeping families intact. Services for that division are provided to families mostly by private agencies that contract with the department.

The governor has promised reforms, while saying that systemic problems facing DCFS will take time to address fully. "There is nothing more important to me as governor than getting this right," Pritzker said earlier this month.

TIMELINE OF TA'NAJA BARNES DCFS CASE

The following timeline was provided by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services.

Dec. 23, 2017: DCFS received a hotline call alleging abuse and neglect regarding Ta'Naja. At this time, Ta'Naja was living with her mother, Twanka Davis; her mothers boyfriend, Anthony Myers; and their child, Ta'Najas half-brother.

Dec. 27, 2017: A case was opened. Ta'Naja and her brother were placed in foster care, with the case managed by Webster Cantrell Hall.

Dec. 28, 2017: The court granted DCFS temporary custody of the children. Services to Davis and Myers began immediately and included mental health assessments, parenting classes and substance abuse screening. The family complied.

March 27, 2018: By order of the court, the children were returned home to their parents after successful completion of their parenting classes. Based on case-specific interactions, custody of Ta'Naja was granted to her biological father, Dartavius Barnes. Her brother was returned to Davis and Myers.

Beginning in March 2018, under court supervision, aftercare services were provided to both households by Webster Cantrell Hall. Some services included links to community resources, including programs administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services and the local health department. Visitation between the two families was established. During this time, caseworkers made routine visits with the families.

June 27, 2018: Ta'Naja was removed from Barnes home following a hotline call alleging abuse and again placed in foster care.

Aug. 8, 2018: By court order, Ta'Naja returned to Davis and Myers. Webster Cantrell Hall continued to monitor the home through weekly unannounced visits.

Sept. 12, 2018: DCFS received a report alleging Ta'Naja had red scratches on her stomach and a diaper rash. An investigation concluded the report was unfounded; the marks were verified as scarring from a previous incident. No additional services were recommended.

Oct. 24, 2018: Upon recommendation of Webster Cantrell Hall, based on familys cooperation with services and satisfactory monitoring of the home, the court ordered the case closed.

Nov. 6, 2018: A call was made to the DCFS hotline that the agency said "was taken as an information-only report regarding non-compliance with voluntary community services and medical neglect for lack of immunization." There was no investigation because DCFS found that the information provided did not substantiate allegations of medical neglect.

Feb. 11, 2019: Ta'Najas death was reported to DCFS. Her brother was placed in foster care.

Contact Allison Petty at (217) 421-6986. Follow her on Twitter: @allison0512

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 3 Angry 1

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.
DECATUR  Tears and laughter flow in equal measure when talking to moms of kids who had cancer.

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month, and three Decatur moms have become allies in the effort to provide support and information to families who are going through what they've been through.

Gloria Martin's son, Silas, died at age 16 in December 2014 after a decade-long battle with brain tumors. Shannon Carter's son, Adam, died in 2010 when he was 12, of Ewing sarcoma, a cancer that ultimately traveled to his brain. And Amy Gillen's son, Tanner, died in January at the age of 14 from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

People say, 'Get over it and move on,' Carter said. You never get over it.

You move forward, Martin added. You don't move on.

Pediatric cancer care, particularly for brain tumors, is hard to find. Little research funding is available for brain tumors in children, medically defined as birth to age 19. Hospice is also hard to find when a terminally ill child needs care in the final months. Most cancer research and end-of-life services are designed for adults.

And as parents of terminally ill children, Gillen said, they want to try every possible thing that might make a difference, but another hurdle they face is insurance claims. They all heard numerous suggestions that they just go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which doesn't charge families for treatment. But because St. Jude is a clinical research facility, being accepted as a patient is based on certain eligibility criteria.

The worst part, all three moms agree, is the helpless feeling of watching your child suffer and being unable to do anything about it.

We've been posting (on Facebook) a lot about brain tumor awareness, brain cancer awareness, Martin said. You are not alone on this journey. I know that a couple of years ago, I talked to Shannon about how you do this, all the fundraising events and everything with it all still so fresh.

When Martin heard about Tanner, she was hesitant to contact his family, but she thought offering support was was important.

There's support groups for everything (else), Carter said. But not for parents (like us).

Adam was treated in Springfield, Carter said, because there is no specialized pediatric cancer center in this area. Silas and Tanner were treated in St. Louis.

The funding for pediatric and brain cancer is horribly low, Gillen said. The funding is mostly for adults. More adults are diagnosed, so all of the medicines and research are on adults. Children are a special group. They're not just little adults.

A 2016 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that brain cancer had replaced leukemia as the most deadly childhood cancer in the U.S. Officials attributed the change to improved treatments for leukemia and a lack of progress on brain cancer.

While cancer deaths among children dropped from 1999 to 2014, the disease was the fourth leading cause of death for children overall. In 2014, it accounted for about 1 in 10 childhood deaths, and about a quarter of those deaths were due to brain cancer, the study found.

Silas was fully aware of his condition and his prognosis and told his family that he wanted his brain to be donated to Dr. Josh Rubin, professor of pediatrics and neuroscience and co-director of the pediatric neuro-oncology program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Rubin said in 2017 that thanks to Silas and to other donations, there has been some progress in research.

(Thanks to Silas' donation) we could potentially identify the reason they don't respond, and learn to recognize them better, and change the therapy in a way that might better treat them, he said.

While it's still too early to consider any of the progress a breakthrough, Rubin is encouraged and hopes that the donations that started with Silas will help doctors discover common features and new treatments.

Adam was receiving chemotherapy for Ewing sarcoma when doctors discovered the cancer had spread, Carter said.

All of a sudden, they're telling me there's a brain tumor, she said. We've been in chemo this whole time, how could it go to his brain?

Gillen said humans have a blood/brain barrier that keeps medication from reaching the brain, which she learned while Tanner was being treated, and it makes treating brain tumors exceptionally difficult.

Tanner received steroids to relieve pressure and gained a significant amount of weight. Because he didn't lose his hair or weight, Gillen said, to many people he didn't look sick.

I think, especially when dealing with brain tumors, people need to know that it changes everything and it's insidious, Gillen said.

Early signs of a brain tumor can be deceptive but any of these should be checked out:

new onset or a change in the pattern of headaches;

headaches that become more frequent and severe;

unexplained nausea or vomiting;

vision problems such as blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision;

gradual loss of sensation in an arm or leg;

difficulty with balance or speech;

confusion in everyday matters;

personality or behavior changes;

seizures, particularly in someone with no history of seizures;

hearing problems.

This time last year, Tanner wasn't diagnosed, Gillen said. They thought he had a stroke.

Tanner came home with a bad report card, when he'd always gotten straight As. When his mom asked him what happened, he said his hand didn't work. The next week, his leg didn't work. Tanner had a CT scan, and doctors diagnosed a stroke, but he continued to decline instead of improve. It was some time before the tumor was diagnosed.

Adam's cancer was first diagnosed after he found a lump himself. That night, he was watching TV with his dad and saw a commercial for a cancer treatment center. And he said 'I hope I don't have to go there,' his mom said.

Silas was first diagnosed at age 6 and had seven tumors over the course of his disease until his death at 16, including a surgery to have his right temporal lobe and hippocampus removed in 2010.

So much is unknown about the brain, Gillen said. What we do know is, the donation of tissue is so important. If we don't donate, we will never find a cure.

Two people can have the same cancer, she said, but have entirely different genetic markers, making the progression of disease unique to each. In Tanner's case, he had markers most often seen in women with aggressive breast cancer. The family's insurance refused to pay for medication to treat that, Gillen said.

Martin remembers Silas showing symptoms as early as age 4 and remembers asking why they couldn't just look into his brain and see what was going on. He was almost 6 when he had an ophthamological exam and the change on his optic nerve alerted doctors to his condition. He had many surgeries, but before the last one, the family was warned that he might not survive the surgery, and she was the one who had to tell him that.

He said, 'It's OK, Mom. It doesn't matter, as long as you give my brain to Dr. Rubin,' because Dr. Rubin was at Washington University and doing research, Martin said.

All three boys died in their own homes, surrounded by their families and, in Adam's case, Bert, the bulldog he had wanted for so long and named for his favorite Cardinals player, Albert Pujols.

Gillen said Tanner died at 8:30 in the evening, and they didn't call anyone until 11:30 because they couldn't let go quite yet. She bathed and shaved him, she said, because those were the things she had to do as his mother.

(The funeral home) picked us up the next morning, and we rode to Chicago, and he donated his brain and his spine, Gillen said.

The women meet weekly, for conversation or prayer or just to be together to help each other, and they want to be available to other families. All three families have worked to raise money for pediatric cancer, and the Gillens have a Facebook page, #TannerTough, to raise awareness and money for research.

Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 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.
CHICAGO  On the day in late February when Jussie Smollett was indicted on 16 felony charges that he allegedly faked a hate crime against himself, a top Cook County prosecutor told Chicago police she believed the case would end with the "Empire" actor paying restitution and doing community service.

It would be nearly a month before prosecutors in a surprise hearing dropped all charges in what they later said was in exchange for Smollett forfeiting his $10,000 bail and as credit for volunteer work he had already performed.

The detail about one of State's Attorney Kim Foxx's top prosecutors, Risa Lanier, informing a detective about Smollett's likely fate in late February was buried in hundreds of pages of reports released Thursday in the Chicago Police Department's investigation of Smollett.

Since the charges against Smollett were dropped in late March, Foxx has faced fierce criticism over her office's abrupt dismissal of them, including calls for her resignation by the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police.

The nearly 500 pages of documents released Thursday reveal more detail in a case that has only grown in controversy since prosecutors dropped all charges alleging Smollett falsely reported being the victim of a hate crime.

The release comes after last week's ruling by a Cook County judge lifting the seal on Smollett's court records. The actor's attorneys got his file sealed during the same hearing in March at which the charges were dropped.

Police and prosecutors, citing the seal, previously declined to release documents that otherwise would be subject to public records requests. Prosecutors also are expected to release several internal documents in the coming days.

Other details in the police reports show how Smollett allegedly sought the help of two brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, to stage a hate crime on the "Empire" actor in late January. Among those details was that Smollett only wanted one of the brothers to punch him, though it's not clear which one because of various redactions.

"Smollett was also clear that only (one brother) was to do the hitting because Smollett did not trust (the other brother) to pull his punches,' according to the reports.

While the Osundairos were not charged in the case, they were key witnesses for detectives in helping bring charges against Smollett.

The police reports also show that investigators who reviewed phone and financial records reported they indicated that Smollett discussed drug deals with one of the brothers, further evidence the three knew each other before Jan. 29, the day Smollett reported the hate crime.

He and the two brothers have not been charged with any drug crimes.

According to the reports, investigators said phone records indicated Smollett wanted one of the brothers to supply him with "weed, molly or Whitney," which is slang for cocaine. On July 1, 2018, Smollett and one of the brothers exchanged texts on how the actor could obtain "Whitney" and pay for it, the reports state.

Payment was arranged through Venmo, an online payment program, and Smollett later sent a follow-up text stating he just sent $200, according to the reports.

A detective wrote in the police reports that on "multiple occasions" Smollett appeared to have disguised "illicit activity" in his Venmo account by describing it as "payments for legitimate expenses."

For example, in a September 2018 text exchange in which police alleged Smollett was buying ecstasy from one of the brothers, the actor described the purchase in his Venmo payment as "training." Smollett's lawyers have said a $3,500 check -- which police alleged the actor used to pay the brothers for helping him stage the attack -- was actually to pay one of the brothers for personal fitness training.

The documents outline the exhaustive search for video evidence, a search that brought detectives from downtown to swaths of the North Side, where the Osundairos live. They also detail how detectives tracked down taxi and ride-share records in an effort to find the brothers.

The reports also show Smollett participated in a "walkthrough" with detectives in which he traced his steps to show how the attack occurred. Police asked him how his sweater didn't get dirty during the attack and he said it was because it fell on snow and ice.

The reports show that at one stage of the police investigation, Smollett declined to sign a medical release or turn over his phone to investigators. He also said he'd think about submitting a buccal swab for police to determine whether his DNA was present on rope found around his neck, the reports show.

The legal drama surrounding Smollett's case continues unabated. A retired appellate judge has mounted an aggressive effort to appoint a special prosecutor to look into Cook County prosecutors' handling of the case.

The city of Chicago has sued the actor for the cost of overtime investigators spent looking into his allegedly false report. And the county inspector general is investigating the matter, at the request of Foxx.

Smollett, who is black and openly gay, reported in late January being the victim of an attack by two people shouting racist and homophobic slurs.

But he was charged after Chicago police determined that Smollett had agreed to pay $3,500 to the Osundairo brothers, whom he knew previously, to stage the attack.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
SPRINGFIELD  A bill making school districts that teach sex education give a fuller definition of sexual consent is on its way to the governor to be signed into law.

House Bill 3550, sponsored in the House by Democrat Ann Williams, of Chicago, and in the Senate by Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, of Maywood, passed unanimously out of the Senate on Wednesday, after being approved by House lawmakers in early April.

School districts that dont opt out of teaching sex ed must follow a curriculum that includes abstinence, contraceptive methods and discussions of consent. Consent, however, is given no definition under the law, which says only that schools must provide a discussion on what constitutes it.

Consent is not just a matter of yes and no, Rep. Williams said in House debate on the matter in April. Consent is a very complex subject that needs to be explored in a comprehensive way. It is so much more than just saying no means no.

The fuller definition provided in the law includes, among other things, that consent is a freely given agreement to sexual activity; that consent to one ... sexual activity does not constitute consent to another; that lack of verbal or physical resistance, nor a persons manner of dress, does not mean consent; and that a person cannot consent if they cant understand the nature of the activity due to the effects of drugs or alcohol.

The only opponents to the bill were six House Republicans. While GOP Rep. Avery Bourne, of Raymond, voted in favor in April, she said opponents were concerned that the bill was a mandate on school curricula, and they questioned whether fuller definitions of consent would be age-appropriate for some grade levels.

Unfortunately its not a mandate, because I do believe sex ed should be taught across the board, Williams said at the time, adding that it was still up to school districts to opt in to teaching the subject and to develop their own curricula that are, by law, age-appropriate.

I think that this is an important conversation that needs to be had, so thank you, Bourne said to close the debate.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
SPRINGFIELD  The graduated tax constitutional amendment will be on the November 2020 general election ballot, and the rates that could take effect upon its passage are one procedural step away from the governors desk.

On Thursday, the Illinois House voted 67-48 to approve a rate structure that would lower the tax rate on any individual or joint-filing couple making less than $250,000, while raising the rates on those above that threshold.

The passage is another step forward for Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzkers marquee agenda item with just one day remaining in the legislative session.

A fair tax will bring monumental change to this state by protecting working families. 97 percent of taxpayers will pay the same or less, and we will stabilize Illinois finances, Pritzker said in a statement following the vote. Opponents should be honest that they offer bad options  either cutting schools and public safety to the bone, or raising taxes on everyone by 20 percent. Instead, I stand firmly on the side of working families and fairness.

The rates have now passed both houses, but a House amendment regarding the distribution of funding to local governments means it will have to go back to the Senate for concurrence. That chamber was scheduled to take up the rates package and two bills establishing a property tax relief fund and task force at a committee meeting Thursday evening.

Upon concurrence in the Senate and the governors signature, the bill would take effect on Jan. 1, 2021, only if voters approve the graduated tax constitutional amendment in November 2020. That would require 60 percent of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election to become law.

Per the rate structure approved Thursday, single filers would pay the maximum rate of 7.99 percent on all income once their taxable income tops $750,000. For joint filers, that rate takes effect when income tops $1 million.

For the rest of the brackets, each varying tax rate would apply to only one specific margin of income.

The rates are 4.75 percent on taxable income from $0 to $10,000; 4.9 percent from $10,001 to $100,000; 4.95 percent from $100,001 to $250,000; 7.75 percent from $250,001 to $500,000; and 7.85 percent from $500,001 to $1 million.

Pritzker deploys National Guard for flooding SPRINGFIELD  With 34 counties under disaster declarations and more than 2 million sandbags already in use, the governor has deployed 200 Illi

For single filers, tax rates are the same as joint filers up to $250,000; but the 7.75 percent rate applies from $250,001 only to $350,000, while the 7.85 percent rate applies from $350,001 to $750,000.

The bill also includes an increase in the property tax credit from 5 percent to 6 percent, and up to a $100 per-child tax credit for couples earning less than $100,000 and single persons earning less than $80,000.

The corporate tax rate would go from 7 to 7.99 percent, not including an existing corporate property replacement tax of 1.5 to 2.5 percent that is not changed by the bill.

In a floor debate preceding passage, members of the two parties sparred over which had the better idea for fiscal stability in the state, what the tax rates would do to businesses and how the states long-term problems should be addressed.

Rep. Robert Martwick, a Chicago Democrat who carried the constitutional amendment earlier this week, said the $3.5 billion in added revenue expected to result from the graduated tax is needed to balance the states structural budget deficit. He said Republicans, who were unanimously opposed to the measure, were not interested in balancing the budget.

Youre no longer the party of balanced budgets, youre just the party of no, he said. Fiscal responsibility does not mean saying no. It means balancing your budgets.

But House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, said he was proud to be the party of no on some of the states previously passed unbalanced budgets. He said history will not look kindly on the General Assembly for the changes to the tax code and the anti-business agenda he said Democrats were pushing in the past four months.

Theres nothing here to help taxpayers, he said, noting that high pension costs have gone unaddressed.

Others from Durkins party said higher business taxes will drive job creators out of the state when combined with measures such as the minimum wage.

But Democrats said the majority of small businesses are structured as pass-through entities that are taxed at the same rate as individuals, which means any company with less than $250,000 in revenue would see lower rates.

Rep. Mike Zalewski, a Riverside Democrat and the rate bills sponsor, said a stable state government will be beneficial to business investment in the state.

We need to get out of the habit of always being in crisis mode, he said.

Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, a Jacksonville Republican, said dividing taxpayers in brackets would make it easier for future General Assemblies to raise taxes on smaller portions of voters.

But Zalewski said there is no plan to raise tax rates in the foreseeable future once the graduated rate is set.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
SPRINGFIELD  Democrats who control the Illinois House on Thursday approved tiered income-tax rates that would take effect if voters opt for revamping state taxation to hit higher incomes harder, a plan they say is aimed at attacking the state's crippling debt.

The 67-48 vote followed blistering criticism from Republicans. They claimed it's not the ticket to financial stability that Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker promises, but to runaway government spending.

The vote came on the next-to-last day of the General Assembly's spring session and finalized a Pritzker campaign centerpiece. The plan would replace the current 4.95% flat rate with a progressive scale topping out at 7.99% for the wealthiest residents of Illinois.

The overhaul would raise $3.4 billion in new annual revenue, according to Pritzker. It would take effect in 2021 only if voters in next year's election approve an amendment to the state constitution, which currently stipulates that income be taxed at a flat rate.

"This rate structure would raise the appropriate amount of revenue to pay our bills ... and set the state on a more stable financial course," said Rep. Michael Zalewski, a Riverside Democrat who sponsored the plan. Minor changes the House made in the measure need an OK from the Senate, which planned to consider them Thursday night.

Thursday's vote was on what rates would apply to the scale if voters choose change. Starting at 4.75% for incomes up to $10,000 , they jump significantly to 7.75% over $250,000 and top out at 7.99% for single filers earning more than $750,000. The corporate rate would increase from 7% to 7.99%.

Pritzker's mantra for advocating the plan is that 97% of Illinoisans would pay no more in taxes because those earning less than $250,000 would be taxed, at most, at the 4.95% rate. The rates would take effect in 2021 with if voters approve amending the constitution.

Republicans don't believe the largesse will pay down debt.

"Here we go again: Taxes, taxes and more taxes," said Rep. David McSweeney, a Barrington Hills Republican. "The middle class is going to suffer. This is a Trojan horse. We all know this is being used to sell the voters on falsehoods. ... Stop the madness. Vote no."

Illinois is awash in debt associated with years of skipping required pension contributions, overspending, a 2015-17 budget dispute that has resulted in $15 billion associated with past-due bills, and rising costs which existing revenue can't catch. Pritzker claims the alternatives include devastating spending cuts or stratospheric hikes in the flat-tax rate.

"We will stabilize Illinois' finances," Pritzker said in a statement following the vote. "Opponents should be honest that they offer bad options  either cutting schools and public safety to the bone, or raising taxes on everyone by 20%. Instead, I stand firmly on the side of working families and fairness."

But differing rates based on income would merely encourage Democrats to increase spending and cover it with hiked taxes at the highest levels with no solution to the mess, said GOP Rep. Margo McDermed of Mokena.

"It's always easy to increase taxes on higher earners and not on the lower earners," McDermed said. "The temptation to do that is increased by the fact that we haven't addressed a single one of the drivers of our expenses, not one, not pensions, not Medicaid, not salaries, and not the increases in the latest budget."

Business interests say taxing the wealthy will simply drive them from the state, leaving those with incomes insufficient to produce necessary revenue. And they say that it will hurt job-creating small businesses because their profits are counted as individual income. Zalewski said that 95 percent of small businesses have incomes under the $250,000 threshold.

"When people get a great idea that they think they're going to make a million bucks a year, they don't consider for a minute, that 'Oh my God, I'm not going to start my company because someday when I make that, I'll take home'" less, Arlington Heights Democratic Rep. Mark Walker said. "It is not a disincentive to entrepreneurs, and it is not counter to the American Dream."

Pritzker's plan includes a 20% increase in the property tax credit available to residents of the state with the nation's next-to-highest property taxes, but both Democrats and Republicans complained Pritzker wasn't doing enough to relieve the burden. That prompted the governor to announce on Tuesday a study to find ways to relieve the property-tax burden.

The legislation is Senate Bill 687.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois House passed a bill backed by the states attorney general Thursday that would enact 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.

In a unanimous vote, the House passed Senate Bill 651, the Home Energy Affordability Transparency, or HEAT Act, sending it back to the Senate. That chamber passed the bill 43-10 on May 1, but must agree with a minor amendment to send it to Gov. J.B. Pritzkers desk.

The bill was an initiative of Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who said at a news event last month 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.

Energy suppliers rely on sales gimmicks and misleading sales pitches in order to lure consumers into high-priced energy contracts, and the HEAT Act will force suppliers to change the way they do business, Raoul said in a release Thursday after the bills passage.

The bill was sponsored in the House by Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, a Peoria Democrat, who said it will protect against misleading and deceptive, fraudulent claims by door-to-door energy salespeople.

Gordon-Booth said Illinois customers who switched to an alternative supplier paid more than $600 million more in electricity costs over the past four years.

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that consumers fully understand what they are signing up for, she said.

By enumerating acceptable and unacceptable practices for the industry, Raoul said the bill would improve his offices existing authority to bring suit against suppliers.

At the April press event, Raoul said he and his predecessor, Lisa Madigan, have filed suit against nine of the 100-plus licensed energy suppliers in the state.

Often, he said, the consumers targeted in alternative suppliers marketing campaigns are receiving state assistance from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and Percentage of Income Payment Plan.

If the bill becomes law, alternative suppliers would be required to provide consumers with information about rates, fees and early termination charges, and they would be required to obtain consumers express consent before the contract is switched from a fixed rate to a variable rate.

Suppliers would also be required to notify customers before their rates rise, and would be prevented from automatically renewing a consumers contract without their knowledge. They would also be required to report their rates to the Illinois Commerce Commission and the attorney generals office.

Alternative retail suppliers have gotten rich at the expense of consumers who are struggling, Gordon-Booth said in a release. I would like to thank Attorney General Raoul for protecting vulnerable communities and communities of color across Illinois from being used to pad retail suppliers pockets.

The bill also requires suppliers to end solicitations if the consumer does not understand English.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois is one signature away from joining the 10 other states that have legalized recreational use of marijuana.

With a bipartisan vote of 66-47, the House approved a bill Friday that had been passed by the Senate Wednesday. Gov. J.B. Pritzker almost immediately issued a statement in which he promised to sign a bill that he said offers "the most equity-centric approach in the nation."

The state of Illinois just made history, legalizing adult-use cannabis with the most equity-centric approach in the nation, Pritzker said in a statement released after the vote. This will have a transformational impact on our state, creating opportunity in the communities that need it most and giving so many a second chance. In the interest of equity and criminal justice reform, I look forward to signing this monumental legislation.

Fridays vote came after a marathon debate that lasted nearly four hours, leaving lawmakers with less than 10 hours to complete the rest of their business for the session. That forced leaders to announce the House would continue meeting Saturday and Sunday. Other crucial issues still on the table include the state budget and a bill related to access to abortion, among others.

Pritzker campaigned for office on a promise to legalize pot. With the governor's signature, Illinois would become the first state to create a commercial recreational marijuana industry through the legislature rather than by voter initiative. Vermont legalized marijuana through legislation in 2018, but that law covered only personal use and cultivation. It did not include retail sales.

Supporters hailed the measure as an acknowledgement that the prohibition of marijuana has failed, and they argued that the bill will begin to address decades of racial disparities in the prosecution of drug crimes.

"Prohibition hasn't built communities. In fact, it has destroyed them," said Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, who worked with Chicago Democratic Sen. Heather Steans for more than two years to craft the bill. "It is time to hit the reset button on the war on drugs."

The bill takes effect Jan. 1 and would allow residents age 21 and older to legally possess 30 grams of cannabis, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate or 500 milligrams of THC contained in a cannabis-infused product. Nonresidents could possess 15 grams of cannabis.

It would also create a licensed cultivation and dispensary system while directing Pritzker to pardon people with past convictions for low-level pot possession.

The bill would allow employers to maintain a "zero tolerance" policy for cannabis in the workplace and would create a task force through the Illinois State Police to examine ways to enforce DUI laws involving marijuana use. Local governments would be able to ban cannabis use and would have wide-ranging control over zoning for marijuana-related businesses.

Those changes helped win support from a handful of Republicans in both chambers, including Rep. David Welter of Morris, who signed on as a co-sponsor.

"I'm a father of three from a rural district, and I'm standing before you supporting this bill because I do not believe the current policy that we have out there right now is working," Welter said. "Prohibition doesn't work, and we see that. Putting safeguards in place, taxing, regulating it, I believe provides a better market and a safer market."

Cassidy said it is expected to generate $58 million in the upcoming fiscal year, and as much as $500 million a year when the industry is fully mature.

This is the beginning of the end of the war on drugs, Cassidy said on the House floor just before the final vote.

Many supporters of legalization said their primary goal was to correct the inequities and social harms they say the war on drugs has had on black and Latino communities, who they argued have been disproportionately targeted for enforcement and incarceration for drug violations.

But Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, in a statement said the bill was "another attack on our conservative family values with the passage of recreational marijuana" and noted marijuana will remain illegal under federal law.

He said any revenue gains will be negated by traffic accidents and putting "additional burdens on taxpayer dollars to pay for drug treatment and the negative health effects of chronic marijuana use."

Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, cited a number of scientific studies that showed a correlation between marijuana use and violent behavior, including studies that showed an increase in violent crime in states that have recently legalized marijuana.

Correlation does not prove causation, he said. However, there is sufficient evidence for us to show that there is a connection between the use, particularly heavy use of marijuana and the increase in violence.

And Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, re-enacted a 1980s-era anti-drug advertisement by holding up an egg, saying, This is your brain, then breaking it into a frying pay and saying, This is your brain on drugs.

After paying for regulatory expenses and costs related to the expungement process, marijuana revenue would be divided among a number of areas. The largest share, 35%, would go into the state's general fund; 25% would go to community grants; 20% to mental health and substance abuse programs; 10% to pay down the state's backlog of unpaid bills; 8% to support law enforcement; and 2% for public education.

Move over: Illinois lawmakers approve stiffer fines for Scotts Law violations SPRINGFIELD  Since the start of 2019, 22 Illinois State Police troopers have had their patrol vehicles struck by drivers who've disobeyed Sco

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
LAKE SHELBYVILLE -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville is hosting a free fishing tournament for children 12 and under on Saturday, June 1, at Opossum Pond.

The pond is located near the entrance to the Opossum Creek Recreation Area. Participants are encouraged to pre-register by calling 217-774-3951 ext. 2.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. for the age 6 and under category, and participants will fish from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. for the age 7-9 and 10-12 category, and participants will fish from 10 to 11 a.m. Prizes will be awarded for biggest fish, smallest fish, and most fish in each age division. All children will receive a certificate for participating.

The tournament will be limited to bank fishing only. All participants are required to bring and wear a life jacket. Fishing equipment (including tackle and bait) is not provided, and children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Volunteers are needed to assist with baiting, weighing, measuring, helping kids, and recording tournament information. The supplies for all volunteer activities will be provided, but if you have supplies that you would like to bring and use during the event, please do so. All volunteers will receive one free night of camping at Lake Shelbyville at a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Campground and lunch with the event participants.

Illinois Free Fishing Days are June 14-17. Illinois' Free Fishing Days provide families and individuals an opportunity to try recreational fishing without the commitment of purchasing a fishing license.

For more information or to volunteer, call the Lake Shelbyville Interpretive Services and Outreach Department at 217-774-3951 ext. 2.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
CHICAGO  Ethylene oxide emitted by Sterigenics continued to pose high cancer risks after the company installed new pollution-control equipment last summer, according to a new federal study based in part on months of air quality testing in Willowbrook and nearby west suburban communities.

Top officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed Wednesday that toxic pollution from the company's Willowbrook sterilization plant was responsible for long-term cancer risks up to 10 times higher than what the EPA considers acceptable.

Cancer risks remained high in the area despite improvements Sterigenics voluntarily undertook to prevent all but one-tenth of 1% of the ethylene oxide it used from escaping into surrounding neighborhoods.

"Based on current science, there are very high levels of risk," said William Wehrum, the Trump administration's top air official, who told sometimes angry residents at a public meeting in Burr Ridge that he takes their concerns "very, very seriously."

Responding to questions, EPA officials said pollution from Sterigenics increased the risk of developing cancer for people living as far as 25 miles away from Willowbrook. The biggest risks were in six suburbs -- Willowbrook, Darien, Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Indian Head Park and Western Springs -- and declined steadily the farther away a neighborhood was from the facility, according to a map the EPA posted online and statements from agency officials during the meeting.

Wehrum and other EPA officials suggested the company could take more aggressive steps that would allow its now-shuttered facility to safely resume operations. But bipartisan state legislation sent Thursday to Gov. J.B. Pritzker would ban Sterigenics from reopening unless medical equipment suppliers -- the company's main clients -- certify their products can only be sterilized with ethylene oxide.

The new EPA report comes as the federal agency is pledging to adopt more stringent restrictions on sterilization facilities nationwide, a rare departure from attempts by Wehrum and other Trump appointees to block, delay or undermine environment and public health regulations.

Willowbrook is a focal point in the ongoing debate, largely because EPA scientists determined last year that neighborhoods near Sterigenics are among just a few dozen throughout the U.S. where breathing toxic chemicals is responsible for more than 1 case of cancer for every 10,000 people exposed during their lifetime.

Like in the Willowbrook area, ethylene oxide is the main chemical of concern in nearly all of those other areas. The volatile gas has been on the federal list of carcinogens since 1985, and in 2016 the EPA released a long-delayed reassessment linking it more conclusively to breast cancer, leukemia and lymphomas at extremely low levels of exposure.

Several residents at the Wednesday meeting said they don't trust the EPA or Sterigenics to protect them. Agency officials, they noted, acknowledged that local cancer risks likely were significantly higher in the past when the Willowbrook facility emitted up to 169,000 pounds of ethylene oxide a year.

"The only appropriate resolution ... is for Sterigenics to permanently shut down," said Margie Donnell, a member of the Stop Sterigenics community group.

More than 19,000 people live within a mile of the Willowbrook facility. Four schools and a day care center also are close by, including Hinsdale South High School in Darien and Gower Middle School in Burr Ridge.

Laws and regulations don't allow the EPA to force Sterigenics to close for good, Wehrum said, but the agency can take action to ensure cancer risks posed by the company's pollution are within federal guidelines.

Wednesday's meeting was the third public forum organized by federal and state officials since the EPA released its latest National Air Toxics Assessment in late August.

A Chicago Tribune analysis of agency data revealed that of 73,057 census tracts in the United States, seven tracts near Sterigenics are among just 109 nationwide with long-term cancer risks exceeding the agency's guidelines. The findings prompted months of intense pressure from elected officials and the public, forcing the EPA to pay closer attention to a once-obscure industry.

"It is not lost upon us, and it certainly isn't lost upon me, the depth to which this has affected you," John Kim, acting director of the Illinois EPA, told residents. "We are doing everything we can to bring you relief."

After months of meetings with Wehrum and his staff, Sterigenics is vowing to overhaul its facility again, even as the company contends that other sources of ethylene oxide were responsible for spikes of the toxic gas recorded by monitoring equipment deployed near its facility between November and March.

"With these improvements, we estimate our annual emissions will be less than 1% of the estimated annual emissions from just the mobile sources (vehicles) in DuPage County, not considering the additional contributions from the myriad other ethylene oxide sources," Philip Macnabb, president of Sterigenics, wrote in a May 10 letter to Wehrum that the company released publicly on Wednesday.

Macnabb did not provide details about the company's plans. At the meeting, federal and state officials said Sterigenics is proposing something similar to plans floated last week by Medline Industries to control ethylene oxide emissions at its facility in north suburban Waukegan.

Once Medline's project is completed, company officials told the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, the Waukegan facility will operate under negative pressure to prevent ethylene oxide from escaping through doors and vents. Emissions from sterilization chambers and storage areas will be reduced with two types of scrubbing devices, with any leftover gas released into the air through a single stack that is constantly monitored.

At the same time, Sterigenics and Medline have joined the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry's chief trade group, in attempts to raise doubts about decades of research showing the toxic gas is far more dangerous than previously thought.

A Sterigenics news release issued Wednesday cites two new studies financed by the industry trade group that contend ethylene oxide doesn't increase the risk of cancer for sterilization plant workers. "Establishing sound public policy to protect citizens in our community requires accurate information and reliable data," Macnabb said in the release.

So far the EPA isn't backing down from its conclusions about the dangers of ethylene oxide.

The first study detailing how the toxic gas causes genetic mutations was published in 1948. During the 1970s, animal studies confirmed that its powerful ability to scramble DNA could trigger cancers. The 2016 EPA evaluation, which underwent two rounds of independent peer review, relied on decades of additional animal research and study of more than 18,000 workers at 17 sterilization plants conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

As the EPA does with any cancer-causing chemical, agency scientists adjusted their safety limit to account for people in the general population who are particularly sensitive to chemical exposures. For the first time, the EPA applied additional safety factors to protect children, who are more susceptible to cancer-causing chemicals.

Wehrum confirmed the agency will rely on the 2016 evaluation when drafting new regulations for Sterigenics and other sterilization companies. In a document recently posted online, the EPA announced it plans to release its proposed rules by July and intends to formally adopt them by the end of the year.

While Sterigenics suggests that vehicles, barbecue grills and construction work could have been responsible for high levels of ethylene oxide detected in Willowbrook in recent months, the EPA study repeatedly states that the latest estimate of cancer risks was based solely on emissions from the company's facility.

Before Sterigenics was forced to stop operating in February, the EPA found that average daily concentrations of ethylene oxide spiked as high as 26.4 micrograms per cubic meter at one of the monitors closest to the Willowbrook facility. High levels were detected when prevailing winds blew from Sterigenics toward a specific monitor, while the amounts measured upwind of the sterilization plant during the same day were significantly lower.

During March, with the facility shut down, the highest level detected at that same monitor was 0.46 micrograms per cubic meter.

"All roads are pointing to Sterigenics as the source of the EtO," said Michelle Colledge, a research officer at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an arm of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that is updating its own study of the cancer risks posed by Sterigenics.

"Yay, science!" a woman in the audience yelled out in response, eliciting cheers from the crowd.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Coming your way in November 2020: the option to change Illinois' flat income tax to graduated rates.

Not coming your way in November 2020: a chance for tax relief and government spending reform. Not yet. And not likely unless voters demand it.

Democrats in Springfield have voted to put a referendum question on the ballot next year that, if approved by voters, would switch Illinois' constitutionally protected flat income tax to a graduated one. Under the current proposal, rates would increase on those earning more than $250,000 a year. More important, the constitutional change would empower the legislature and future governors to change tax rates and income brackets whenever they wish. Which direction do you think those rates will head?

Supporters of the idea including the amendment's House sponsor, Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, portray the change as a rescue operation. Hitting higher-income earners with a tax hike will fix Illinois' problems and put the state "on a path to fiscal prosperity for this generation and for the next," Martwick said during debate on the amendment. Gov. J.B. Pritzker made the proposal his top priority this legislative session. He'll likely pour millions of his own dollars into a marketing campaign to convince Illinoisans to vote yes.

Funny how that amendment zoomed through the Senate, then the House, on a fast track when other proposals to term-limit politicians or fairly draw district maps have gotten buried year after year. When politicians want to reach into your pocketbook, things move at lightning speed.

But make no mistake: Switching to a graduated income tax is not going to save this state. Not even close. New revenue generated under the rates proposed  optimistically, $3.4 billion per year  doesn't come close to paying down the massive debts Illinois lawmakers have piled up, including a $133.5 billion unfunded pension obligation that's still rising. Worse, hitting high-income earners will have the reverse effect of driving more residents and businesses to flee Illinois. Why should they get soaked as punishment for decades of financial mismanagement in Springfield? Boca Raton, in income-tax-free Florida, beckons.

The good news is that this fight isn't over. Lawmakers have until May 2020 to put a companion referendum on the ballot: Change the constitution's pension clause, which the Illinois Supreme Court has interpreted so rigidly that even pensions acquired under questionable circumstances have been ruled constitutionally protected. Substitute teaching for one day helped qualify a union lobbyist for a state pension. Voters should be screaming to open up that pension clause.

The way out is real reform and it's hiding in plain sight. The pension clause needs to be loosened. Benefits earned so far should and would be protected. But going forward, the legislature should be empowered to tweak those costly guarantees, such as 3% compounded cost-of-living-adjustments. The state of Arizona, with similar contractual language in that state's constitution, managed to tie annual raises for pensioners to the local cost of living  closer to 1% or 2%, not compounded.

Arizonans did this with an eyes-wide-open legislature and in partnership with public employee unions. Arizona didn't solve its pension crisis, but the state is on more solid footing.

Why should Illinois voters be denied the chance to vote on pension reform while they're voting to raise billions of dollars in new income tax revenue? With great fanfare the governor demanded that the tax question be decided democratically. "Let the people vote," Pritzker said.

Don't forget that demand: "Let the people vote," Pritzker said.

That same principle should be applied to reforming the pension clause of the constitution. Lawmakers have until May 2020 to do the right thing. They've put a graduated income tax on the ballot.

Tell your legislators you really do want to fix Illinois: When you vote on the income tax, you want to vote on a pension amendment too.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The name describes the product very succinctly  tea topped with cheese.

Theres a little more to it than that simple description, however.

Cheese tea is the name for cold tea (usually green or black tea, with or without milk) topped with a foamy layer of milk and cream cheese and sprinkled with salt, wrote Esther Tseng in the article Cheese Tea Could Be the New Bubble Tea  If Americans Get Over the Name.

The latest rage in China

We waited an hour and a half or two hours until we purchased our HeyTea, said one very enthusiastic Chinese customer. In China, consumers revere tea as much as Americans seek out a morning cup of coffee.

Cheese tea is a revolutionary beverage that breaks away from traditional Chinese tea culture, said Zhou Kiki Meiqi, manager of Heytea. The younger generation doesnt like tea without milk or other additional flavoring, so we invented a new beverage, she went on to say in her native language.

In search of the perfect cheese

We look for a cheese that isnt too sour or too salty, so we choose one with a lighter flavor. The cheese blend we make is thicker and richer, so when layered on top of the tea, it doesnt mix with the tea, she said. The taste is full-bodied, smooth, and aromatic, and then the aftertaste is very sweet, said Meiqi of the Heytea brand.

"In a single-counter store, we sell approximately 2,500 cups of tea a day, she said of sales based in China. In a double-counter store, we produce up to 4,500 cups."

Gone global

Cheese tea has gone global from Malaysia to Los Angeles, people are drinking it everywhere, said the narrator of the video Cheese Tea is Chinas Latest Drink Sensation.

In the United States, there is at least one company looking to supply product to meet the growing demand from the cheese tea market. That company plans to concentrate milk to create a product that has a longer shelf life. This innovative product could be a great ingredient for milk tea and the coffee business.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2019

May 27, 2019
There is a way forward with criminal justice: examine what works, and strengthen it; examine what doesnt work, and change it. Law enforcement and the community share the responsibility and share the consequences, so they need to work together on this examination, strengthening and change.

The community cannot simply wash its hands of its problems, turning these problems over to law enforcement. Instead, the community needs to engage with law enforcement in problem-solving. For example, when law enforcement schedules a focused deterrence meeting with potential gun violence offenders in Peoria or Springfield, it is the voices of the community  the voices of pain, experience, assistance and hope  that speak most effectively to a potential offender. For another example, when young people begin to head toward trouble, it is the community (and the schools) that should plan and carry out the interventions that are needed. Heres another example of effective community engagement and police-community problem-solving: The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois State Conference of the NAACP conducted Lets Talk sessions, leading in 2018 to a joint statement of 10 Shared Principles, designed to build and rebuild trust between law enforcement and community.



Lets consider safety, for people and officers. For public safety, our community needs to engage with our officers, trying to prevent the damage, injury or death that is preventable, rather than just responding after the damage, injury or death. Is this difficult, due to distrust? People and officers need to do the hard work toward improved trust  and improved safety.



Lets consider another problem: mass incarceration. This country has more than two million people in prison, more than any other country. There is political consensus that we need to reduce this. This work must be done, county-by-county. For example, Sangamon County has diversion courts for people whose lesser crimes are traceable to addiction, problems of mental health, or impacts of military service. These courts offer intensive supervision rather than incarceration. McLean County has an effective Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, working toward reduced imprisonment.

Mass incarceration has consequences. Approximately 95% of prisoners will complete a sentence and return to the community, facing difficulties when they return. Will they succeed? Sangamon County is in the midst of a self-evaluation that acknowledges that people come out of jail and prisons with inadequate preparation and assistance. Success rates are unsatisfactory. Nationwide, about two-thirds of former prisoners will have an arrest within three years. This isnt working well enough, and we need to work toward change. We must find people who are committed to successful prisoner reentry. When I looked recently, I easily found many such people. We must work with them and with other community resources toward education, employment and successful reentry. If we increase success, this will help individuals, families, neighborhoods and the community as a whole, while saving money by reducing repeated incarceration.

This may require some investment of time, effort and money. We should be smart about investment. Is it a good investment, if it improves lives and saves money? Yes, it is.



If we leave our criminal justice system as it is, we will continue to see the same mixture of success and failure, justice and injustice. But if our community and our law enforcement work together, we could and should find a better way toward public safety  a way forward that is well-considered, representing the community that we wish to have.



This is the fifth and final article in a GUESTWORK series on criminal justice reform by Jim Lewis of Springfield, who served as U.S. attorney here from 2010 through 2016. He is a former civil rights worker, civil rights attorney, law school teacher and United States Department of Justice employee. For other articles in the series, go to illinoistimes.com and search for Jim Lewis.
PROUD OF PRIDEFEST

I remember the very early days of PrideFest in Springfield (PrideFest draws thousands, May 23). The LGBTQ community in Springfield is brave, determined and has been a role model to LGBTQ communities throughout the state. Springfield, Bloomington, Decatur and Peoria are proud!





Rick Garcia

Via illinoistimes.com



PROFITS BEFORE PEOPLE

In your recent article on cuts at Gatehouse (Gatehouse loves stockholders, not newspapers, May 23) you quote the CEO as saying The thing that we always have to think about and remember is that our first objective is always whats the best thing for our shareholders.... I wish a reporter or shareholder would ask him what he thinks that means.

How is destroying the value of your investment good for shareholders? If I drive my car without changing the oil my income will increase for a while, but long term will not be good for my bottom line. I think a lot of CEOs get confused about the difference between whats best for shareholders and their personal quarterly bonuses.





Edwin R. Taft

Willliamsville



OVERTURNING SETTLED LAWS

I read Rebecca Anzels recent article, Demanding action on liberalizing abortion law (May 23). As stated in the article, Alabamas new law was basically intended to get the abortion issue back before the Supreme Court for reconsideration.



Regardless of what one thinks about abortion itself, hardly anyone believes the Roe v. Wade decision is constitutionally sound. Even Justice Ginsburg is confounded by it. The basic problem is the Roe decision is founded on some novel theory of penumbras and emanations, creating a privacy right that not even our founders knew existed.



With New York and Virginia now expanding abortion rights into the realm of infanticide, pushback from states like Alabama was predictable. If and when the Supreme Court agrees to revisit its abortion decision, be prepared for the Democrats battle cry of stare decisis. But the Court has corrected itself before, and given the flimsy law behind Roe and with only 25% of the public in favor of unrestricted abortion, pro-life advocates are eager to get the right case back before the Court. Radical feminists have good reason to worry about the future of Roe, which accounts for their legislative hissy-fit and publicity stunt this week.

While pro-abortion harpies like Rep. Cassidy and Sen. Bush will be the first to argue Roe is settled law and thus inviolate, these radical Democrats would be among the first to support overturning the courts landmark decisions in the McDonald v. City of Chicago and District of Columbia v. Heller Second Amendment cases, stare decisis be damned! Hypocrisy is alive and well in the Illinois legislature.





Gary Hetherington

Springfield
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
YangYin/iStock(SAN FRANCISCO) -- When 14 Democratic presidential candidates descend on California this weekend, they'll mine for gold in a left-leaning state with a large share of delegates and, ultimately, electoral votes that could help hand a candidate an Oval Office jackpot.



Top-tier candidates, including Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg are speaking at California's Democratic Convention in San Francisco, hoping to nab some of the 416 delegates up for grabs when California voters go to the ballot box on Super Tuesday next year. The new March 3 date is months earlier than recent presidential elections.



And mail-in-voting for the state starts a month before: the same day as the Iowa Caucus.



"You can come in third [in California] and leave with more delegates than you had if you won New Hampshire or Iowa," said Roger Salazar, a spokesperson for the California Democratic Party.



Also in San Francisco, starting Friday and through the weekend, with several candidates in attendance is MoveOns "Big Ideas Forum," an event aimed at progressives. And a number of the Democratic hopefuls also plan to attend the Unity and Freedom Presidential Forum on immigration in Pasadena on Friday in an appeal to Latino voters -- a group that, as of the 2020 cycle, will become the largest minority voting bloc.



California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said the parade of candidates currently coming through the state is exactly what he intended when he wrote the bill as a state senator to move California's primary voting up in 2020.



"You're having candidates engage Californians in a much more comprehensive way. It forces that conversation, and even as candidates campaign across the country, they can point out that California has a different perspective," said Lara, who has thrown his support behind Harris, the state's junior senator.



But he said he doesn't think the bill necessarily even gives the California native an advantage.



"As a Kamala supporter," he said, "there's no way we're taking anything for granted. That doesn't mean we're not going to do the work. We're going to talk to voters and grind it out."



He said he expects some of those conversations with voters this weekend will revolve around women's rights as anti-abortion laws sweep through the country. In March, California Attorney General Xavier Bacerra filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's rule on Title X which, in part, would prohibit doctors from making abortion referrals.



Lara also said that with roughly one-sixth of California households being mixed-status households, he expects many candidates to address immigration.



"We've proven we can incorporate our immigrants and the sky doesn't fall," he added.



In April, Trump tweeted that "Those Illegal Immigrants who can no longer be legally held (Congress must fix the laws and loopholes) will be, subject to Homeland Security, given to Sanctuary Cities and States!"



He later specifically targeted California, saying "California certainly is always saying, 'oh we want more people' ... well we'll give them more people."



Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted immigrants "are people, not pawns."



Salazar pointed to another area where many Californians disagree with some of the actions the White House is taking: climate change.



"When it comes to the environment, the governor and the attorney general and other state leaders have been very active on pushing back on the White House to minimize the impacts," he said.



Earlier this year, the White House and California once again clashed on environmental policy in talks that ended without an agreement on a controversial Trump administration proposal to roll back fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.



Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom filed a suit against the Trump administration to release data supporting their decision to rollback federal vehicle emission standards.



While some speculate getting California voters in the process earlier will change how the candidates approach policy, others believe a nominee could be decided sooner since delegates will be decided earlier on, leaving the democratic nominee with more time to challenge Trump.



Lara cautions it's too early to speculate how California's new role will affect the election, however, saying, "There are all these different theories on how moving the presidential primary is going to work out. And that's to be seen."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Children were exposed to higher air pollutant levels during a California wildfire than during a similar-sized controlled burn, and the difference was reflected by changes in immune markers in their blood, a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine has found.

The finding suggests that using prescribed burns, also called controlled burns, to reduce fuel levels in forests may protect the health of people who live nearby.

The study was published May 30 in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. It was conducted in Fresno, California, a city with high air pollution levels due to its topography and other sources, including traffic and agriculture.

This study suggests that exposure to wildfire smoke is detrimental above and beyond poor air quality, said the lead author, Mary Prunicki, MD, PhD, an instructor of medicine.

The studys senior author is Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and of pediatrics and director of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy & Asthma Research at Stanford.

Native Americans traditionally used controlled burns to manage Californias forests, but throughout the early 20thcentury, wildfires were widely suppressed. This began to change in the 1960s and 1970s, when scientists recognized fire as a normal part of forest ecology. Recent wildfires have brought more attention to the possible benefits of prescribed burns as a way to reduce fuel levels and wildfire risk, but not everyone is enthusiastic.

Opposition to controlled burns

We know that theres some public opposition to doing prescribed burning, Prunicki said. Its our feeling that prescribed burning, because its so controlled, may expose people to fewer health effects than wildfires. Prescribed burns are of lower intensity and are permitted only when weather conditions allow the fire to be contained.

In the study, the researchers compared blood samples from three groups of children, all of whom were 7 or 8 years old. One group of 32 children had been exposed to smoke from a 553-acre prescribed burn that occurred in March 2015; a second group of 36 children had been exposed to smoke from a 415-acre wildfire in September 2015. Both fires were about 70 miles away from Fresno, and blood samples were collected from the children within three months of each fire.
In South Africa, Enel Green Power RSA, a subsidiary of an Italian power generation and distribution group, has announced the commencement of construction of a wind farm in the Eastern Cape province.

The plant according to the independent power producer (IPP) Enel, will have a daily capacity of 140 MW and commissioned in the second quarter of 2021.

The Oyster Bay wind farm will consist of 41 turbines capable of generating 140 MW of electricity daily. The Italian company estimates that it will thus avoid emissions of nearly one million tons of CO2.

According to Antonio Cammisecra, Director of Enel Green Power, with the construction of the fourth wind power project in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, the company continues to contribute to the socio-economic development of the region through its zero-emission energy and initiatives to create shared value.

In his words, these initiatives include the innovative model implemented at the Oyster Bay site, as well as sustainable development activities focused on science and technology education in the region surrounding the project.

The electricity produced will be sold to Eskom, the South African national electricity company. A 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) already exists between Enel Green Power and Eskom.
CHARLESTON -- Annual efforts in Coles County to ensure those under 18 have at least one full, nutritious meal a day during the summer are underway or soon will be.

Summer break is in full swing for students, but because of that, some lose the dedicated meals offered through the school free or reduced lunch programs. And there are some students who also benefit during the school year from district programs that provide food to be eaten over the weekend.

"We know so many families in our community struggle to make ends meet and to put three meals on the table for their families," said Beth Gillespie, civic engagement and volunteerism director at Eastern Illinois University. "During the school year, a family who may be struggling can send their kid to school, and if they qualify, can get breakfast and lunch. There are 10 of the 21 meals each person needs a week."

"Their paycheck isn't going to get bigger in the summer, but they have to come up with food for 10 more meals," she added.

According to the Illinois student report card, 45 percent of the Charleston student population and 56 percent of the Mattoon student population are eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches, live in substitute care, or whose family s receive public aid. The state average sits at 49.4 percent. Chad Burgett, assistant superintendent for business services in the Charleston School District, said it is likely the numbers don't capture the full scope of who is eligible for reduced lunch.

Despite efforts to inform families, some are either unaware or unwilling to apply for the free or reduced lunches. Eligibility depends on the family size and income, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Burgett said the administration does monitor situations during the year. If a student is falling behind on lunch fees and the same can be said for family members in other schools, the administration often reaches out to the family to inform them they might be eligible of free and reduced lunch option, he said.

Of the districts' percentages, a majority of those on the meal programs are in elementary school.

In an push to make sure kids don't go hungry, the school districts and community service organizations have established summer programs in Charleston and Mattoon to provide lunch during the week.

In Mattoon, the Salvation Army, through the Food on the Move program, have already started serving full meals to those under 18 at several locations where there is expected to be the most need.

Organizers are being stationed at West Park Plaza at 11 a.m., Lake Land Mobile Estates at 11:40 a.m., Old State Village at 12:20 p.m., Sunrise Apartments at 1 p.m. and Easy Rudy Apartments at 1:40 p.m. Monday through Friday in Mattoon until Aug. 9.

The same food program will be facilitated by EIU's Office for Civic Engagement and Volunteerism in Charleston starting Monday, June 3, and ending Aug. 8.

In Charleston, organizers will be at Ne-Co Fields Park at 11 a.m., Long Acre Estates at 11:30 a.m., Carl Sandburg Elementary School at noon and EIU Textbook Rental Service building at 12:20 p.m.

Carl Sandburg Elementary School is a new location in Charleston. Because the district got grant funding for a summer school program for kindergarten to sixth-grade students, the decision was made to serve a meal at the location through the Food on the Move program.

The district will use a state grant to provide breakfast, Monday through Thursday, to those under age 18 from June 3 to June 27.

Those in summer school will have meals from 7:45 to 8 a.m. and 9:45 to 10 a.m. Those not in summer school will be allowed to get breakfast at 8:15 a.m.

"It is a great service that we can provide that we have not been able to do in the past," Aaron Lock, Carl Sandburg principal, said. "Anytime, we can help our students, either here at school or outside of school, we look for opportunities to do that. A program like this allows us to impact people in a way we wouldn't be able to otherwise. It is outstanding."

Food for the summer lunch programs in both communities will not be served July 4 and July 5.

Proof of income or identification is not required to participate in the programs, but children must eat their lunch on location.

Also, those age 5 and under are expected to come with a parent or guardian. In the event of thunderstorms, lightening or torrential rain, meals may not be served that day. Cancellations will be posted on the Salvation Army Facebook page by 10:30 am., according to organizers.

Contact Jarad Jarmon at (217) 238-6839. Follow him on Twitter: @JJarmonReporter

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.
CHARLESTON -- For now, it's a barn without walls, but that will change soon.

In the meantime, the roof and framework were enough to host fiddlers and antique fans during the Five Mile House's first summer event on May 26.

Work that began in August to relocate the historic barn to the Five Mile House is nearing completion.

The frame and roof give a good idea of how the barn will eventually appear and were enough for activities during the Memorial Day weekend event to take place there, said Tom Vance, president of the Five Mile House Foundation.

"It was exciting," Vance said of seeing the barn put to use.

Vance said the foundation has raised nearly $200,000 to fund its effort to relocate the barn to the Five Mile House site at the intersection of Illinois Route 130 and Westfield Road southeast of Charleston.

The barn represents a long-term goal for the foundation, which owns and oversees the site that features the Five Mile House, one of the oldest remaining structures in Coles County.

Work began in August with the dismantling of the nearly 140-year-old barn at its original location along Westfield Road, about three miles east of the Five Mile House.

A Galesburg-area company, Trillium Dell Timberworks, did restoration work on the barn's lumber and returned the materials to the Five Mile House in March.

Vance said the company was at the site for about a month, doing the framework and building the trusses and roof.

Next up will be the barn's siding that will include some of the original pieces that were in good enough condition to restore and use again. Vance said the new and old siding will be layered so "the outside will look like the original."

There's also already a concrete slab on the ground inside the barn. That's where a blacksmith's forge will be located, part of an effort to recreate blacksmith work thought to have once taken place at the Five Mile House.

The barn's ceiling has its original hay rack, and Vance said there are plans to have demonstrations on how hay bales were loaded from the barn.

Vance said there is no set schedule for the project to be completed but the siding should be in place my mid-summer and the blacksmith forge should be ready by the end of summer.

The foundation conducted a fundraising campaign this spring that put the financing "pretty much where we need to be," Vance said. That added to the money raised from earlier campaigns and from a grant from the Charleston Area Charitable Foundation.

"It's exciting to see it all come together, Vance said.

Contact Dave Fopay at (217) 238-6858. Follow him on Twitter: @FopayDave

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
MATTOON -- Michael Stopka has served for four years as executive director of The Haven during a time of great change for this homeless shelter and community kitchen in Mattoon.

The Haven nonprofit organization received a donation of property for a new location at 1812 Western Ave., raised money to construct a shelter building there, opened this facility in early January, and then started offering its first 24 hours a day services there.

"That was the goal from day one when I started. That was a big dream of many," Stopka said, adding that The Haven paid for its new location with private donations and opened it without incurring debt.

Now, Stopka is preparing to step down as executive director today to become chief executive officer of the Northwest Missouri Area Agency on Aging. Stopka said he is "leaving with a heavy heart, but believes that The Haven is in a good position for the future.

Stopka said the last four years have been challenging in some ways, but it always felt great to get up every day and know he would be serving families in financial need. He said The Haven will continue providing temporary emergency shelter, as well as hot meals for shelter guests and other community members.

"We are filling a need in the community. Mattoon will be proud of The Haven," Stopka said.

The Haven was still known as Mattoon Area PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter) and was operating out of a former doughnut shop building at 2017 Broadway Ave. when Stopka became executive director in March 2015.

Suzi Coffman, vice president of The Haven board, said Stopka showed exceptional fundraising and staff development skills as he became this organization's longest serving executive director. She said Stopka was instrumental in helping the new facility provide services 24 hours a day so that daytime programming is available for shelter guests.

"The board wishes him well and thanks him for his four years of service to the shelter," Coffman said.

Coffman said the board plans to accept applications through June 10 for the executive director position and then start interviewing candidates. She said the board and The Haven's staff will handle the director's responsibilities in the meantime, as they have done during past candidate searches.

The outgoing executive director has a master's in gerontology from Eastern Illinois University and previously worked as an abuse, neglect and exploitation investigator for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Stopka, who is originally from the Chicago area, said that he moved to Charleston in 2007 to pursue his education and that Coles County has since come to feel like his hometown to him. He has joined the Mattoon Lions Club and the Mattoon Kiwanis Club in recent years to become more active in his adopted community.

"It will be hard to leave a lot of friends and a lot of people I call family," Stopka said.

Contact Rob Stroud at (217) 238-6861. Follow him on Twitter: @TheRobStroud

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 3 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.
Zoolarious, Zoo Bar's comedy showcase each Sunday, goes punk this week with its headline addition of JT Habersaat.

He'll be joined by Kristin Lytie. The show begins at 8 p.m.

Habersaat, a native of New York who resides in Austin, Texas, has spent the last decade cultivating the Alternative Punk Comedy Tour, which has averaged about 130 dates per year since 2008.

Habersaat is a consistent performer alongside many of Doug Stanhope's Unbookables crew, including Kristine Levine, Andy Andrist, Henry Phillips and Mishka Shubaly, and has appeared a number of times on the Doug Stanhope Podcast.

In addition, Habersaat remains a requested support act for many punk bands, recently performing with such notables as Teenage Bottlerocket, Sloppy Seconds and the Murder Junkies.

Lytie has performed stand-up comedy in basements, laundromats, and dive bars all across the country. She cut her teeth in the Chicago comedy scene and was even named a Comic to See by the Chicago Tribune.

Lytie has worked a number of comedy festivals across the country in recent years and hosts a monthly show called Fan Club Comedy to bring unique touring comics to northeast Wisconsin.

She has also funneled her love of horror movies into a podcast called Bloody Mary which discusses horror movies through a lens of sexuality and feminism. Guests have included professors, comics, musicians and sex workers.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Gov. Pete Ricketts on Thursday vetoed a bill that would change state marriage documents and one that gave property tax authority to a new Omaha local unit of government called the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority.

In vetoing Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh's bill (LB533), Ricketts said the marriage license applications now refer to Groom/Party 1 and Bride/Party 2. LB533 proposed to reference all couples on the application, marriage license, and certificate of marriage as Applicant 1 and Applicant 2.

The term selected in the bill is workable for the marriage license application at which time the couple are applying for a license; however, both the marriage license and the formal certificate of marriage are issued after the parties are married, Ricketts said.

At that time, he said, they are no longer applicants.

"The mandated use of this term would be factually inaccurate on both the marriage license and the marriage certificate," he said.

He also directed the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure all documents are harmonized using Groom/Party 1 and Bride/Party 2.
The Judiciary Committee amended the bill before sending it to the floor of the Legislature for debate in order not to force doctors to give information to women that is not scientifically proven.

Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart said she was concerned about what the department would offer on its website for information about the reversal process. She put up an amendment, but then withdrew it, that would have required HHS to ensure the information was accurate.

Omaha Sen. Megan Hunt said she liked nothing about the bill. The process of reversing a medication abortion lacked scientific validity, she said. She, too, was concerned HHS would refer women to unethical organizations.

When asked this week about how the department will inform women, HHS spokeswoman Leah Bucco-White said, "generally speaking, if the bill does pass and is signed into law, we will look at information options for the website that meet the requirements of the law. It is somewhat premature to provide further details since the bill has not yet passed."

Sen. Robert Clements of Elmwood said he has seen reports of successful reversals in 46 states, including 500 lives saved and women given a "second chance at choice."

Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh told senators if they want to reduce abortion in Nebraska, they should ensure women have access to food assistance, child care services and paid parental child care leave.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSLegislature.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 4

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.
And so the 2019 Legislature prepares to adjourn Friday after its journey through a brutal winter and hesitant spring, leaving tax reform and substantial property tax relief behind as senators flee Lincoln and step into June.

This has been essentially a defensive struggle; there wasn't much scoring during the past five months.

In its closing days, as major property tax relief floundered, the Legislature added a proposed new business tax incentives plan to its POW list, setting the stage for some heavy-duty negotiation and bargaining during the months that lie ahead before lawmakers return to the Capitol next January.

A major concern hanging over the newest tax incentives proposal is the history of their accumulated costs, along with skepticism expressed by some senators as to whether businesses might have expanded or located here without pocketing those tax breaks.

The counter-argument is that Nebraska cannot afford not to be in this high-stakes economic development game and come to the battle competitively armed.

The current tax incentives program, dubbed Nebraska Advantage, is scheduled to expire at the end of 2020.
Secretary of state for Foreign Affairs Mounia Boucetta met, on Thursday in Rabat, with British secretary of state for International Trade Liam Fox on ways to strengthen and broaden cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and the United Kingdom.

This meeting was an opportunity to review ways to foster the relation between Morocco and the United Kingdom in the economic, political and commercial fields, as well as in terms of investment, Fox told the press at the end of this meeting.

The talks also focused on expanding cooperation between the two countries in other areas, notably in free trade, given the shared interests and values by Morocco and the United Kingdom, added the British official.

Morocco has a huge potential in a number of sectors, notably agriculture, financial technology and education, said Fox, adding that the Kingdom offers opportunities in other areas that will allow it to grow quickly, create more jobs and become more prosperous.

Fox also expressed his countrys desire to become the largest investor of the G7 in Africa, saying that Morocco is the best gateway to the African continent.

The British official also met on Thursday Minister of agriculture and fisheries Aziz Akhannouch.

The two officials voiced shared willingness to continue efforts to boost cooperation between the two countries in the fields of agriculture and fisheries in the short and medium terms.
The governor pointed to job creation successes during his administration, noting there have been four straight years when Nebraska has counted 1 million non-farm jobs.

Ricketts defended his administration's decision not to fully implement the Medicaid expansion proposal adopted by Nebraska voters last November until October 2020.

"If we can get it rolled out before October, we will," he said. "It's no later than that October.

"States that rush make mistakes," the governor said, pointing to the example of California, which signed up an estimated 450,000 persons who might not have been eligible for coverage.

"This is a big deal," Ricketts said, with an estimated 94,000 Nebraskans eligible for coverage. Those new recipients are largely adults who work at low-wage jobs and who cannot afford private health care insurance.

Ricketts defended President Donald Trump's threat to impose new tariffs on Mexican goods if Mexico does not do more to halt migrants from crossing the border into the United States.

"We certainly do have a crisis at the southern border," the governor said.
An arrest warrant was issued Friday for Malik Watson, a 19-year-old University of Nebraska-Lincoln student from Omaha charged with two misdemeanor counts of unlawful intrusion.

Each count could result in up to a year in jail.

A male student told University Police that he was showering in a fifth-floor bathroom at Abel Hall in the early-morning hours of May 1 when someone held a black phone under the shower stall's door, possibly taking pictures, Sgt. Nolan Conradt wrote in an affidavit for Watson's arrest.

The student opened the shower stall door and saw the man holding the phone before he fled to a stairwell exit, police said. The description matched that of Watson, who police say was seen on security video exiting the Abel Hall stairwell at 12:55 a.m.

Watson was then observed entering neighboring Sandoz Hall at 12:56 a.m., holding a black phone, and heading for the fourth floor, where police say he was assigned.

Watson, a sophomore broadcasting student, moved out of student housing later that day and police say they have been unable to contact him.
Fish fries and raising money for those in need  John Zimmer has mastered both.

The Lincoln attorney raised more than $2,600 this spring, giving half of it to flood relief campaigns earlier this year and the other half to Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach for Give to Lincoln Day on Thursday. All he had to do was serve fish, fries and drinks in the backyard of his Lincoln home during Lent.

It definitely has been close to overwhelming with all the preparation, Zimmer said. But I have great family and friends that have helped in so many ways.

Although Zimmers largest fish fries have been held in Nebraska over the past six years, their roots go back further.

While working on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Zimmer and two friends were shocked to learn there were no fish fries at area churches during Lent. So they decided to take matters into their own hands.

We just decided to have our own, Zimmer said. We had 65 people show up in our little backyard in D.C. and even made koozies for the event. People gave us money for the koozies and we ended up with more money than it cost to make them.
But general unhappiness about a higher valuation, for example, isn't likely on its own to sway the third-party referee, Ogden said.

Valuations are the result of comparing a property to the sales of similar properties in the area.

"Not everybody moves the same because the market doesn't move the same," Chief Administrative Deputy Scott Gaines of the assessor's office said.

There is no fee to file a protest with the County Clerk's Office.

All protests must be postmarked or received by the office at 555 S. 10th St. by July 1, and online filing begins Saturday.

The protests must include the reason for the protest, a legal description of the property, signature and the date.

Protesting property owners filing online can attach supporting documents, or they can be faxed, mailed or hand-delivered to the office.

A referee will weigh the assessor's report against the evidence backing the protest before making a recommendation to the Lancaster County Board, which sits as the County Board of Equalization.

The board will make a final value determination by Aug. 10.
CHADRON  Nearly 400 bike enthusiasts have converged on Chadron this weekend for the start of the 39th annual Bike Ride Across Nebraska.

Chadron was selected as the launch point for the event, and Chadron State College is hosting the riders, volunteers and support staff. There were 393 registered riders as of last week.

Cyclists will embark on the first leg of their journey Sunday morning, heading to Gordon, where they will spend the night. The group will arrive in Fremont, the final stop, on June 8.

Segments of the route will allow riders to choose to pedal on the highway or on finished portions of the Cowboy Trail, according to BRAN Director Doug Scherlie. The theme for this years ride, appropriately, is A Tale of Two Trails.

There has been a lot of publicity with the Cowboy Trail lately," Scherlie said. "It seemed like a good fit.

BRAN began in 1980, an undertaking by the Omaha Northwest Rotary Club. Today it is organized by the Omaha Pedalers Bicycle Club. Riders have the option of completing the seven-day trek or taking part in three or four days at the beginning or end of the journey.
GRAND ISLAND  Police are looking for a central Nebraska auto sales employee who was sent to make a more than $14,000 cash deposit, but never showed up at the bank.

An employee with Jubba Auto Sales in Grand Island was sent Wednesday to make a deposit of $14,443 at the business' bank. When he failed to return, and the bank said no deposit was made, police were called.

Police say the employee is a man in his 70s.

Love 4 Funny 17 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 4
One of those civilizing traits, of course, was bipartisan cooperation on projects important in ones state or district, which, in turn, helped that member of Congress get re-elected. Newt would have none of that.

Starting with his ascension to the Speakership of the House in 1994, it was traitorous for a Republican in the majority to help a Democrat in almost any way. The well had been poisoned. Reaching across the aisle would get your hand slapped. And so it went  even when Gingrich was unseated and resigned and the Democrats regained power a few years later.

In this time of polarized and dysfunctional government, earlier this year there seemed to be a reawakening to the need for pork.

The Democrat in charge of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, said in a February letter to her colleagues, I am a strong proponent of Congressionally-directed spending and believe it is imperative that Congress exercise its constitutional responsibility in determining how and where taxpayer dollars that we appropriate are spent.

But now, along comes Sen. Sasse with his earmark ban. Thats too bad, because it just might be that only the nourishment of pork can make our government strong and working again.

Randy Moody is a retired lawyer and lobbyist who served in the 1970s as a top aide in Washington to Sen. Roman Hruska and Rep. Virginia Smith, both of Nebraska. He lives in Lincoln.

Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
TOWN OF GENEVA  A visitor from south suburban Chicago is facing criminal charges after he allegedly was found naked at a Walworth County hotel swimming pool, and then engaged in an outburst of profanity and violence toward police.

Christopher Koziel, 66, of Hodgkins, Illinois, has been charged with battery to a law enforcement officer, obstructing an officer and disorderly conduct. If found guilty, he could face up to seven years in prison and fines totalling $21,000.

According to a criminal complaint, Koziel was arrested May 14 at The Ridge Hotel, W4240 sate Highway 50, after hotel security found him naked and refusing to leave the hotel swimming pool and spa area.

Police reported that Koziel smelled strongly of alcohol and that he shouted profanities at bartenders who would not serve him drinks, then shouted profanities at other hotel staff.

The defendant then began to yell and scream in the hotel, the complaint states. The defendant continued to scream and yell in the pool area as well as the hallways throughout the hotel.

Prosecutors allege that Kozeil put his clothes on in the spa as police arrived, but that he resisted police and shouted profanities again as officers tried to escort him outside to a squad car. He dragged his feet, tried to pull away from officers, and finally laid down in the squad cars back seat with his feet sticking out the door.

According to the complaint, when Officer Samuel Fisher tried to grab the defendants feet, Kozeil kicked the officer in the stomach so hard that Fisher went to the hospital for what he thought might be internal injuries. The complaint indicates that Fisher was diagnosed with a blunt abdominal injury.

The charge of battery to a law enforcement officer is a felony that carries a possible six-year prison term. The other two charges are misdemeanors.

Walworth County Circuit Court records indicate that Kozeil is scheduled June 5 for a preliminary hearing on the charges. He is free on bond, but is under orders not to consume any alcoholic beverages while his case is pending.

He and his attorneys could not be reached for comment.

Love 0 Funny 4 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2
A University of Wisconsin-Madison student pleaded guilty to sneaking into President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort last fall and apologized this week for wasting Secret Service members time.

Mark Lindblom, who was 18 and a college freshman at the time of the incident, got in line with other guests and entered a restricted area of the club in late November. He remained on the property for about 20 minutes until Secret Service agents discovered him, according to court records filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Lindblom entered the resort on Nov. 23, Black Friday, when Trump was visiting his Winter White House over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Lindblom did not come in contact with the president or first lady Melania Trump, according to a Secret Service statement provided to CNN.

An email sent to Lindblom was not immediately returned Wednesday. A man who answered the phone number listed as Lindbloms number on the UW-Madison student directory said he was not Lindblom.

University spokeswoman Meredith McGlone confirmed Lindblom is enrolled at UW-Madison without a declared major. She declined to comment on Lindbloms case in particular, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which protects the privacy of student education records.

Speaking generally, McGlone said any time a student is involved in criminal activity, whether on or off campus, the university reviews the situation and takes appropriate action based on UW-Madisons conduct policies.

Neither Lindblom nor his family were members of the club. His grandparents were members of a neighboring club, according to the Palm Beach Post, which first reported the story.

A judge sentenced Lindblom Tuesday to one year of probation and a $25 fine. The light sentence was based on prosecutors determination that Lindblom meant no harm and made a foolish decision.

I wanted to see how far I could get, Lindblom told Judge William Matthewman. These men and women are dedicated to serve us and protect the president. Im so sorry for wasting their time.

Matthewman said he was sure Lindblom will become a productive member of society despite this youthful indiscretion.

More recently, a Chinese woman, Yujing Zhang, was arrested for making false statements to a federal officer after she gained access to Mar-a-Lago at a time when Trump was not there. Officials found cellphones, a laptop and thumb drive on her in March when they discovered the breach.

Zhang has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
Throughout the nation there has been a lot of renewed discussion surrounding the right to life and abortion. This is a controversial topic and one that has divided the nation for over half a century.

But when it comes to rape or incest, that is where a firm line needs to be drawn. There needs to be an exception built into whatever legislation passes and that is something about which everyone should be able to agree.

When a woman is raped, the decision about what happens to her body is taken away from her. It is a traumatic experience in itself, one that no one should ever have to go through. An unwanted pregnancy resulting from that could compound the trauma.

In cases of incest, often the decision is again one that is forced upon the victim, who in those cases is related to the abuser.

In those situations, the decision to get pregnant was taken from the woman and the experience will never go away. But she should be able to choose what is next for her. And if a woman does end up pregnant from an act she didnt choose, she should be able to choose for herself if she wants to carry the baby or not.

In the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, the court gave women the right to choose whether to have an abortion. And that choice was reaffirmed in the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey. But 46 years since Roe v. Wade, there remains division throughout the country.

The Supreme Court decision allows states to have discretion on abortions, but Alabamas recent law went too far.

The law there would make performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases unless the mothers health is at risk. There is no exception for rape or incest.

Even President Donald Trump, who considers himself strongly pro-life, says this goes too far.

In a tweet on May 18, the president said: As most people know, and for those who would like to know, I am strongly pro-life, with the three exceptions  rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother  the same position taken by Ronald Reagan.

In cases of rape or incest there needs to be an exception, just like there is an exception when a womans life is in jeopardy. That should be the case in all states.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A faction of war victims refuses to be part of any mechanism

Conflict Victims National Network, a newly formed association of dissident conflict victims, has ruled out the possibility of participating in any form of mechanism that deals with the transitional justice process.
Victims push against reappointment of transitional justice body officials

As the terms of the officials of two transitional justice bodies near completion, conflict victims have demanded a free and fair process for appointing new chairpersons and members and called on the government not to re-appoint the incumbent officials.
Those who lost their lives while serving in the nations military were remembered during the Memorial Day observance at the Holmen American Legion Post 284.

Although the parade was washed out by morning rain, the rest of the ceremony was conducted inside the post.

The Holmen Community Choir performed a selection of patriotic songs including the theme songs of each branch of the United States military. As their song was sung, veterans in attendance were asked to stand to be recognized.

McKenzie Scholze, Post 284s poppy princess, recited, In Flanders Fields by John McCrae. The century-old poem eulogizes the World War I soldiers who are buried in the French cemetery surrounded by poppies.

In his Memorial Day address, Legion Commander David Harrison spoke of the sacrifice of Brent Taylor, former mayor of North Ogden, Utah. Taylor was killed in 2018 while serving with the Army National Guard during his fourth deployment to Afghanistan.

One of Taylors last messages home was to encourage Americans to vote and to become less divisive. United we stand, divided we fall, wrote Taylor. He signed off with, God bless America.

The names of Holmen area service personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice were read; a 21-gun-salute and the playing of Taps concluded the mornings ceremony.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The Vernon County Alzheimers Support Group will meet in the second-floor fellowship hall of Maplewood Terrace, 620 S. Garfield Ave., Viroqua, Monday, June 3, at 4 p.m.

The topic is Stages of Alzheimers by presenter Sharlene Bellefeuille, community outreach specialist at the Alzheimers Association Greater Wisconsin Chapter. Light refreshments will be provided. Call 608-637-6358 with any questions.

If you are in need of adult day care for your loved one while you attend this session, contact Lynn Swiggum at 608-637-2171 for pre-registration to Care Cove.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The Wisconsin Idea Seminar visited De Soto Middle/High School as part of its five-day statewide 2019 River Tour, Thursday, May 16. More than 40 UW-Madison faculty and staff spent the morning at the schools, meeting with staff and students. The tour included learning about, among other things, the successes and challenges of rural school districts.

We wanted to see what it feels like and looks like to be at a rural school, and I put my ear to the ground and experts on campus and throughout the state said you have to go visit De Soto Middle/High School, said Catherine Reiland, director of the Wisconsin Idea Seminar at UW-Madison.

Principal Tim Fergot welcomed the group and then took them on a tour of the school. The building tour allowed us to share the generous support of the community and taxpayers through the passing of referendums providing additional quality educational facilities, Fergot said.

The tour also highlighted De Sotos high school AP/dual credit courses, foreign language, math, agriculture, science, technical education, physical education, English and music departments.

UW-Madison staff then participated in a panel discussion with high school students Hunter Pedretti, Rachel Gianoli and Brock Venner, and foreign exchange students Silvana Von Planta and Marieke Kuchenbecker, who were part of a discussion panel about opportunities for individualized career and college plans allowing personalized course work and school-to-work options. The seminar group was also treated to a tutorial on the flight simulator by student pilot Adam Williams.

We had a really great time, Reiland said Our participants are diverse  some have life experience in rural areas and some dont. It is important that they see that in rural schools there is much cooperation among the staff. Thats what really came out. How many different hats everyone wears. It shows how everyone is working together.

The group planned a visit to a dairy farm, meeting environmental stewards and business owners; walked the valleys, and explored the rolling hills of the Driftless Area, the non-glaciated portion of Wisconsins southwest, through which the Mississippi, Kickapoo and Wisconsin rivers all flow.

Wisconsins rivers are dynamic products of the forces of nature, Reiland said. People have been living along Wisconsins rivers for about 12,000 years, during which time rivers have been both dividers and conduits. They have formed barriers and borders while also aiding in the dissemination of peoples, languages, customs, and goods.

The 2019 tour also included a visit to Milwaukees Sherman Phoenix, a vibrant hub for small businesses-of-color; a short, guided paddle ride on the Milwaukee River; a tour of Milwaukees Urban Ecology Center-Riverside; a hike to Ho-Chunk Nation historical sites in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve; a tour of the marshes at Gottschalk Cranberry Inc.; a visit to Rosy-Lane Holsteins Dairy Farm; a tour of the La Farge Medical Clinic that serves nearby Amish communities; met artists and entrepreneurs at the IDEA Center in Stevens Point; and a tour of Lock and Dam No. 8 in Genoa.

The Wisconsin Idea Seminar website says, By better understanding the state, the hope is the educators can better teach their students. The annual tour started in 1985.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
TITLE: Blessings

AUTHOR: Kim Sawyer

The main character in this story is a young Mennonite lady named Trina who wants to become a vet because of her love for animals. When Trina is not working at the family cafe as a waitress she assists the local vet whenever the opportunity comes along. She gains lots of knowledge from reading and working closely with the local doctor.

Trinas mind is full of questions: Why is it wrong for her to become a vet? Why would God give such a deep desire if it was not meant to be pursued? Why cant her parents and Graham the man she plans to marry understand? Why cant they allow her to be the person she wants to be? Who would understand? How will parents react when they learn she is taking online classes with a dear friend in order to get her GED? 

Lots of hurt, anger and despair throughout Trinas life that she has to deal with and so many mixed emotions on whether to give her goal up completely or strive for approval from her Mennonite community? Was she opening doors for other young girls in her community? Should her marriage to Graham be put off until college is over or get married before college begins if it is to happen?

Beth and Sean are Trinas best non-Mennonite friends who help her with providing a computer to her and advise her in many difficult times.

Can Trina ever prove to the community that her being a vet will not damage her faith?

What happens when the elderly local vet sells his clinic? Will Trina still be able to work with animals under a new vet? Does selling the clinic crush and end her dream of becoming a vet?

More stress is added to her life when Graham suffers major and very serious injuries as a result from a truck accident. Would he even want to marry Trina after the accident? The saying, Good things come to those who patiently wait proves true for Trina but how and to what degree?

If you enjoyed this book you will also enjoy Bygones and Beginnings, the other two books in this trilogy. Happy reading !

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Sen. Ron Johnson called for a fortified southern border to block illegal drugs and undocumented immigrants from entering the country during a press conference Thursday in Onalaska.

Johnson, who visited the Onalaska American Legion for a closed-door, hour-long forum with local law enforcement, said he hears a common refrain whenever he meets with police and sheriffs departments.

I always ask the biggest issue  and every time its problems from our unsecure border and all the drugs flowing through, said Johnson, R-Wisconsin. He touted Operation Safe Return, a proposed program that would return people without an asylum claim to their home countries, as a possible solution.

Hopefully, he said, we can begin that pilot program, start sending people home in a very safe way, those that dont have a valid asylum claim, and deter further illegal immigration.

Jeff Wolf, La Crosse County sheriff, echoed the senators comments, saying the benefits of a secure border would ripple all the way up to the Coulee Region. He said the topic, as it relates to drug trafficking especially, dominated Thursdays forum.

We discussed how much money is spent on the war on drugs, but were not really getting anywhere, Wolf said. Theres a lot of politics involved in what happens on the border, but if law enforcement can slow down drug trafficking, its going to help our communities.

Johnson said immigration laws should not be so restrictive, however, that they prevent or discourage migrant workers from coming here. Wisconsin, he said, would take a major hit if that happened.

When I talked to farmers during farm breakfasts, they said: We need to fix our immigration system. We wont be able to milk our cows without immigrant labor, so fix this, Johnson said. I really believe were getting close to bipartisan support to solve the current crisis at the border. But right along with that, we need to have a legal immigration system that makes a lot more sense.

Speaking with reporters, Johnson addressed a few other national issues.

The senator described the escalating trade war between President Trump and China as potentially debilitating to Wisconsin.

The conflict is doing a lot of financial harm. Wisconsin farmers and Wisconsin manufacturers  are in particular being targeted by retaliatory tariffs, Johnson said. At the same time, whats amazing is the patience and the benefit of the doubt that American farmers and manufacturers are giving to this president.

Theyre sick of China cheating. Theyre sick of China stealing our intellectual property. Theyre sick of China not following the rules. If this is what it takes, theyre willing to support the president to be a tough negotiator.

Johnson said he would support the right of the president and Senate to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court, even in an election year, aligning himself with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.

Republicans blocked Merrick Garland from a hearing or vote after he was nominated by President Obama in March 2016.

Its a completely different situation, Johnson said. In this case, we have a Republican president and a Republican Senate. Theres two totally different constitutional duties. One is to nominate, one is to confirm. Theres no conflict there.

Johnson, meanwhile, was less than satisfied by Special Counsel Robert Muellers public comments Wednesday  his first since beginning his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Mueller refused to clear Trump of any crimes or wrongdoing, saying: If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.

I would have hoped that, after 18 months, we would have brought closure to this case, Johnson said Thursday. Special Counsel Mueller yesterday did anything but bring closure to it. I think thats very unfortunate.

Kyle Farris can be reached at (608) 791-8234 or kfarris@lacrossetribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Kyle_A_Farris.

Love 0 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 8
Have your say

The Public Service Commission will hold back-to-back hearings on Friday, June 14, on a complaint against VC Tech, the contractor that struck a gas line triggering the July 10 natural gas explosion in Sun Prairie.

Party hearing: 10 a.m.

Public hearing: immediately following

Both hearings are open to the public and will take place in the hearing room on the first floor of the Hills Farm State Office Building, 4822 Madison Yards Way.

Public comments can be made during the second hearing or submitted in writing through June 13. Mail comments to Docket 9300-PLI-100 Comments, Public Service Commission, PO Box 7854, Madison, WI 53707
Wind gusts whipped the tops of a river birch where a sunlit orange oriole rode a slender branch back and forth in a wide arc.

I thought to myself as I watched, what must it be like to experience that motion?

Then, in an afterthought, I remembered: Ive had that experience of violent motion, only I was riding 7,500 tons of steel and aluminum in heavy seas off the coast of Vietnam or during a typhoon in the Formosa (now Taiwan) Straits where our ship pitched and rolled for days in seas that crashed over our bow.

The memory of motion was on one of the sunny days of the Memorial Day weekend and it also made me think of my Navy friend Dave Haist.

Dave arrived on our ship in the South China Sea swinging from a line below a hovering helicopter. He was to work in air control and communications in support of our search and rescue mission for pilots shot down while bombing what then was North Vietnam.

Dave died several years ago, some 50 years after we served, of a cancer that was among those listed as presumptive diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange, the dioxin-laced herbicide that was dumped in huge quantities  some 20 million gallons  to defoliate the Vietnam jungles.

Some of our conversation when Dave was so ill was on how to provide evidence that we were boots on the ground in Vietnam  at conferences with air force search and rescue that we attended on Monkey Mountain above Da Nang.

At the time, it was necessary to have had boots on the ground in order to qualify for VA benefits related to Agent Orange exposure.

For years, the VA resisted giving those benefits to the Blue Water Navy veterans, who served on ships offshore, even though their ships distilling systems used Agent Orange-tainted water to provide water for drinking, washing and cooking.

Australian scientists, studying the issue years ago, determined that the desalination concentrated the dioxin and for years Australia has compensated its blue water sailors who served alongside the Americans in the waters off Vietnam.

Now that appears to be changing.

Earlier this year, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled 9-2 that blue water sailors are eligible for the same disability benefits as those who put boots on the ground or patrolled Vietnams inland rivers. The decision applies to an estimated 52,000 Navy veterans nationwide.

And the House of Representatives recently voted unanimously for the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which would reflect the courts decision about applying benefits to the sailors who served offshore. In April, a companion bill was introduced in the Senate with bipartisan sponsors.

And the VA secretary told a Senate committee in March that the VA would not appeal the court decision, which makes it likely that blue water navy veterans will begin to receive Agent-Orange related compensation and VA-paid health benefits.

The cost of those benefits has been estimated by veteran advocates at $l.1 billion over 10 years and $5.5 billion by the VA.

The cost of the post-9/11 wars have totaled more than $5.6 trillion, according to a report by the Cost of War Project at Brown University. The cost includes future obligations for veterans care and interest on the money the U.S. has borrowed to pay for the wars. These new costs presumably will be added on, a tiny fraction of the total.

Weve just come through a time of remembrance, of honoring those who have died in service to their country. And now we are preparing to add to the recognition of sacrifice those who have succumbed a half-century later from their long-ago exposure to war.

As the now-presumed cause of my friends death from Agent Orange-linked disease suggests, wars harms and costs now persist long in time and distance from the battle fields.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, said after offering support for the blue water sailor coverage, that hed like to see the VA do more research on toxic exposures on the modern battlefield.

The potential poisons on the battlefield are one of the greatest challenges of our time, he said.

That, I would add, and figuring out how to pay for past wars and avoiding war in the future. Maybe it would be helpful to remember that the future toxicity of war may be universal, as in nuclear.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
First, it was the familiar weight of my body armor. Then, as I approached the helicopter the feeling grew.

The growl of the engine, the smell of hydraulic fluid and JP-8 fuel, the communication traffic in my headset  it was as if I were no longer in 2019 but was back with my crew in 2004, in the thick of the war.

It had been 14 years, five months and 10 days since Id last been in Iraq, since the afternoon when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded in the Black Hawk helicopter I was piloting, costing me my legs and nearly my life.

But for a split second those years were gone, and all I wanted was to climb into the cockpit, strap the bird to my back and lift up above the Baghdad skyline.

Reality seeped back in. It was late April, and I was returning to Iraq  to the very battlefield where I almost bled to death  no longer as a soldier but as a senator, leading a congressional delegation to receive operational and intelligence updates.

As the helicopter reached its flight profile, I reminded myself that even though I was no longer in the pilots seat, it didnt mean the mission I began all those years ago was over.

I remember lying in my hospital bed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the months after I was shot down and seeing pictures of the first free elections in Iraq, in January 2005.

I remember looking at photo after photo of men and women whod stood in line for countless hours holding up their purple ink-stained fingers to prove theyd finally been allowed to make their voices heard.

They were strangers to me. Yet I took one look at them and tears filled my eyes  proud that Id played even the smallest part in making that milestone possible. Right then, I promised myself that Id find a way to keep serving however I could, vowing to repay the troops who had risked their lives to save me.

Thats the memory I thought about as we lifted off in Baghdad and circled the dusty field where Id lost my legs, and where we met with Iraqi leadership, Kurdish allies, American diplomats and our service members.

What I learned during that trip convinced me that the mission to keep Iraq independent is as urgent as ever  and that Americas continued engagement is key.

Its key because, even while news of Iraq has fallen off of the front pages, Iraqs position remains precarious:

Its economy is flagging while its dependence on Iranian oil grows.

Its younger generation is struggling, with too few jobs for the 800,000 young people trying to enter its workforce every year.

Its military appears ill-equipped to sustain itself whenever the U.S. stops writing checks.

It remains dangerously vulnerable to a resurgent Islamic State, or ISIS, a group thats as insidious as ever.

ISIS may no longer control territory, but that doesnt make the group less lethal. It just means members are regrouping underground, rather than in the open.

Meanwhile, Iraq seems to lack a long-term plan to stop the groups rebirth. Case in point: Iraqi government officials told me theyre considering isolating 30,000 ISIS-affiliated women and children in a camp in the middle of the desert.

How could that do anything but guarantee an ISIS resurgence? These are some of the groups most ardent supporters, and theyd be given the time and space to regroup, to let their grievances calcify and their dreams of a new caliphate grow  and to train todays children to become tomorrows army.

I do not want a forever war. I dont want even one more American to have to shed a drop of blood on Iraqi soil.

But our nations fates are entangled, and with the Trump administration now relentlessly, recklessly trying to bait Iran, the need to keep Iraq standing has become dire. A destabilized Iraq would be felt throughout the region and beyond, bolstering our adversaries in Tehran while threatening our allies and even our own homeland.

So we cannot afford to disengage from Baghdad, or abandon Fallujah, or forget about our Kurdish allies in Irbil.

We cannot conduct diplomacy via tweet or come to military decisions by virtue of temper tantrum, deciding to shuttle troops into war zones or pull personnel out of embassies just to appease the hawkish ideology of some in the Trump administration.

If we want to prevent ISIS from reclaiming its caliphate, if we want the fledgling democracy that thousands of us lost limbs or lives for to survive, if we want to ensure that we have one more partner in a region where enemies abound, then we need to stay engaged in a holistic, thoughtful way: diplomatically, militarily, economically and culturally.

That sensory overload I felt my first day back in Baghdad  hearing the snarl of the helicopter engine, seeing the whirl of sand in our aircrafts wake  just reminded me of the importance of what were fighting for: our own nations security.

All those sights, sounds and scents made me recommit to the promise I made myself in that hospital bed 14 years ago, vowing once again to do whatever I can to keep the U.S. the strongest it can be.

Tammy Duckworth is a U.S. senator from Illinois.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
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

Updated on Sept. 26

The future of the debated mural of Ava Gardner at RFK Community Schools in Koreatown rests in the hands of the artist and a group of students, but they're asking for the community's input first.

Interested folks can send "stories, historic photographs, traditional textile patterns or anything that speaks to the diverse and vibrant cultural fabric of the area," according to the Los Angeles Unified School District. Those will be shared with the artist, Beau Stanton, and students, who will discuss and make a plan for the modified mural in the winter, and actually paint it in the spring.

Community members can send their suggestions via email (RFKMural@lausd.net), snail mail (RFK Mural - Welcome Center, 701 S Catalina St, Los Angeles, CA 90005), or dropped off in person at the school from now until Nov. 30.

The process is the next step in a months-long conversation about the fate of the mural.

And, according to Julie Gonzalez with LAUSD's Local District Central, it's the last opportunity for the community at large to make suggestions before the artist and students work together on designing and painting the modified work.

"There's no other format as far as calling together another community meeting to review the proposal," she explained at a sparsely attended community meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

A vocal critic of the mural, Wilshire Community Coalition president Chan Yong "Jake" Jeong said he believes there should still be an opportunity for community input after Stanton and students create a plan, but before they paint it on the wall.

The offer to modify the mural through an input process like this was announced in May after a meeting organized by LAUSD with Stanton, RFK students and staff, representatives from GYOPO -- a group of Korean and Korean American creatives and professionals -- and the Wilshire Community Coalition.

"An opportunity that's come out of this is having the students to be more involved in the mural project," Gonzalez said.

Stanton said that the revised work will use the original mural as its base.

"The basic concept is creating layers, either that reference history in the past, present, and future," Stanton told KPCC/LAist in May. "So [the existing mural] is clearly signifying the past, and we're building on that. We're turning the page of this chapter, of this dialogue."

SO, HOW DID WE GET HERE?

When artist Beau Stanton painted screen legend Ava Gardner against a backdrop of radiating red-orange and blue stripes at Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools in Mid-Wilshire/Koreatown in 2016, he didn't expect the debate that followed.

In 2018, two years after the painting was completed, a group of neighbors criticized the mural's pattern for its perceived similarities to the battle flag of the Japanese Imperial Army, which had alternating red and white rays. That imagery reminded some community members of "horrendous, gruesome and inhumane atrocities that occurred under the Japanese occupation," critics wrote in a petition to LAUSD calling for the mural's removal. Stanton has said that wasn't what he intended.

In December, L.A. Unified, responding to the community's criticisms of the mural, announced that the district would paint over it during winter break, sparking criticism from some onlookers about censorship.

"There was backlash," said Local District Central Superintendent Roberto A. Martinez.

Artists like Shepard Fairey came to Stanton's defense.

If Beau Stantons Ava Gardner mural is removed from the Robert F. Kennedy school I have chosen to insist that my portrait mural of Robert F. Kennedy be removed also.

Visit: https://t.co/idr9olYYjj for more details. pic.twitter.com/EkqMArs3rt  Shepard Fairey (@OBEYGIANT) December 17, 2018

In the aftermath of that painting-over announcement, Stanton and Wilshire Community Coalition leader Jeong, appeared together on KPCC's AirTalk, along with Fairey.

Larry Mantle asked Stanton back then about modifying the mural. At the time, Stanton said "to change a two-and-a-half year old mural is really dangerous for the rest of my artwork."

Not long after, the district announced that it was walking back its decision to paint over the mural.

"So from that point on, it was just on-going conversations, dialogue, trying to find a way to mediate this situation," Martinez explained.

And that conversation wasn't always easy.

Images on WCC's website compared Stanton's ray-like pattern to the Sanskrit Swastika, which originally indicated "well-being" but bears a resemblance to the Nazi symbol of hate in the same way the group felt Stanton's mural, while not a hate symbol itself, resembled one. Stanton called the images "irresponsible."

"Perspective matters," Jeong said of the comparisons. "And sometimes, it's a matter of impression."

In February, another voice joined the conversation: Korean and Korean-American creatives and professionals from GYOPO.

While unaffiliated with WCC, the group expressed similar concerns about the backdrop of the mural and the feelings it could bring up for community members. The group also brought up the history of segregation the Ambassador Hotel and the Cocoanut Grove, writing "we stand for inter-minoritarian solidarity."

Stanton points out that the school and mural -- which features homages to the Cocoanut Grove -- are on the former site of the hotel and lounge.

"Much of the conversation up to this point, especially in the media, has centered on why the mural should remain as is (artistic integrity vs. censorship) or why it should be removed (offensive symbolism)," GYOPO wrote in a letter to LAUSD. "We urge you to consider a more community-led approach that leads to community-building, one geared towards healing and growing rather than accusations and hard lines."

SO WHAT CHANGED?

In May, LAUSD held a meeting that Stanton, Kavior Moon from GYOPO, the RFK students and administrators, and a representative of WCC (though not Jeong himself) attended. Warren Brand, who organized the mural festival which featured Stanton's work, also made an appearance, among others.

Moon said she appreciated being able to speak with RFK students, and described the meeting as "humanizing." "They had a professional facilitator to help us have a real dialogue in terms of how people felt about the mural ... why they felt that way, and where they were coming from," she said.

Stanton said that he, too, benefited from the meeting - and wished something similar had happened sooner.

"It was a very nuanced conversation," he said. "I think we could have avoided a lot of this acrimony, if it had this taken place last December."

Jeong, who was invited but did not attend the May meeting, criticized the decision to not open the meetings about the mural to the larger community. He said he believes that if more community conversations had been part of the mural's conception in 2016, a lot of the controversy could have been prevented. Now, he believes, LAUSD is making the same mistake again.

According to Martinez, the district thought last week's meeting was just a step in the mediation process among stakeholders, but at the end of the conversation, Stanton offered a solution: instead of keeping the mural as is - or covering it up - what if he modified it?

LAUSD made the public announcement: Stanton would modify the mural, with input from students and the surrounding community.

WHAT WILL THE NEW MURAL LOOK LIKE?

That's to be determined, though some parameters have been decided.

"The work that is there will not come down, it will serve as a backdrop ... for a new work," Stanton explained.

When Stanton first said he would reach out to community members and students, he said the goal was to get their ideas for imagery that would "speak to the past, present, and future of the school."

Moon, who is also an art historian, said she respected Stanton's decision.

"The idea itself of the mural sort of retaining the history of the controversy and the conversations that happened is an insightful and smart one," she explained, adding that GYOPO will not be prescriptive about the changes.

For Jeong, from the Wilshire Community Coalition, it's a balancing act: respecting the artist's choices, but also wanting to share feedback. He said he worries that if the changes are small ones, "that may still give the same message to the community ... and we may have to go back to where we started."

"I'm trying not to go there," he added.

WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM ALL THIS?

Everyone who spoke to KPCC/LAist said they learned something from the whole experience and the conversations it sparked.

Stanton said the debate about his mural showed him that "it's not always as easy and cut and dry as it seems."

"I feel like today, every conversation ... is so polarized," he said. "And to be able to think about an issue without taking it too personally, without getting too upset, and just think, 'Okay how can I maybe set an example and do something that meets people at a halfway point?'"

Jeong said the experience challenged him to think about what makes something hate symbol and where the line should be drawn.

"It's about understanding each other, especially different communities," Jeong said.

Moon, the art historian, said she appreciated the real-life example of some of the themes she grapples with in her professional work.

"Thinking about how to represent different members of different community groups who might be in the audience of the mural is definitely something to take into account, and should be part of the process for approving a work of public art," Moon said.

Martinez, from the district, said the experience greatly informed LAUSD's approach to its most recent mural festival at Dr. Maya Angelou Community School. For that project, they decided to incorporate a longer community input process.

"We had to make sure that it was deeply vetted, that we took our time: not just trying to put up art, but that everybody was involved," Martinez said.

Warren Brand, who organized both mural festivals, told KPCC/LAist in May that he thinks the conversation surrounding the Ava Gardner mural at RFK may have led to the big community turnout at meetings about the Maya Angelou school murals.

According to Martinez, the district has set aside $20,000 for the revisions to the Stanton's mural in Koreatown.

"Whatever the cost is, we believe that it's for a greater purpose," Martinez said. "We want to ensure that the community is cohesive, that it's harmonious as we move forward."

UPDATES:

September 26, 2019: This article was updated to include details of the district's process to solicit suggestions for the modified work.

This article was originally published on May 31.
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

Immigrant advocates today hosted four Democratic presidential candidates at the Pasadena Hilton for a forum on immigration issues. Joining the forum were Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee and former U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro.

The invitation-only event was hosted by the CHIRLA Action fund, the political arm of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, along with other advocacy groups. Candidates addressed questions from moderators and from invited audience members, including immigrants and activists.

The questions were pretty specific to how each candidate would shape U.S. immigration policies and handle current issues, including the spike in asylum-seeking families arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Virtually all the Democratic presidential hopefuls are united around their condemnation of the Trump administration's immigration policies, and pretty much all of them said they would push comprehensive immigration reform, including a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.

Harris: There is bipartisan support for comprehensive immigration reform, says it will be one of my highest priorities in first 100 days if elected president @KPCC  Leslie Berestein Rojas (@Multi_American) May 31, 2019

In response to a question from Diana Bautista, a 16-year-old high school junior who along with her parents is in the U.S. illegally, Sanders said, "We will introduce major, comprehensive immigration reform with a path towards citizenship within the first 100 days."

Sanders added, "We will expand the DACA program immediately to provide legal protection to you so you don't have to be afraid of going out on the street and being arrested. We will protect your parents as well by expanding the DACA program to include them."

Sen Bernie Sanders at Pasadena Democratic candidates forum on immigration issues: There will be legal protection for undocumented people in this country, that is a promise @KPCC pic.twitter.com/SVUwCzkjKd  Leslie Berestein Rojas (@Multi_American) May 31, 2019

But that was about as specific as Sanders got on the topic. Last month he said that he doesn't support "open borders." And other than his comments about providing a path to citizenship for those who were brought here as children, Sanders stuck with more of his general themes, like campaign reform, prison reform and free public colleges and universities, including for immigrant youths.

A couple of candidates have already rolled out their own immigration plans. Inslee had already come out in support of protecting young unauthorized immigrants, and in the past has expressed support for refugees in his state. Today he talked about wanting to restore refugee admissions to Obama-era levels, before the Trump administration slashed refugee admissions to the record lows we have seen lately.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee at Pasadena candidates forum on immigration: Time to bring back Obama-era refugee ceiling of 110K and reestablish America as a place of refuge @KPCC pic.twitter.com/tjkdl1SCgt  Leslie Berestein Rojas (@Multi_American) May 31, 2019

"And it is time to reestablish an American values system of being a place of refuge. And that's why I'm proposing we go back up to about 110,000, where this number belongs, and bringing refugees back into the United States," Inslee said.

Inslee also talked about rolling back other Trump actions -- for example, restoring DACA protections to young people who were brought here as children but don't have legal status. He talked about stopping family separations at the border as more families seek asylum, and making sure asylum seekers get a fair hearing. The Trump administration has made it harder for people to obtain asylum.

Senator Kamala Harris speaks at the Unity and Freedom Presidential Forum on immigration policy hosted at the Hilton Pasadena by CHIRLA, Community Change Action, and FIRM Action on Friday, May 31, 2019 (Photo by Andrew Cullen for LAist)

Harris has been fairly outspoken on immigration issues, and Friday was no different. She was asked how she would use executive authority, given the way President Trump has used executive actions to make all sorts of policy changes without congressional approval. Harris said she would want to use executive power to roll back some of Trump's decisions. For example, she said she would immediately reinstate the DACA program. She said she would also reinstate Temporary Protected Status for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries like Haiti and El Salvador, who've had that protection rescinded and could face deportation if the courts side with the administration.

Harris also said she'd roll back the so-called "Muslim ban" that Trump first announced soon after his inauguration, which has since restricted travel and immigration from several Muslim-majority countries. She also said she wanted to reform immigrant detention -- right now, it's mostly done by private for-profit prison companies.

"And under my administration, we will not fund private detention facilities any longer," Harris said.

Former HUD Secretary and Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro speaks at the Unity and Freedom Presidential Forum on immigration policy hosted at the Hilton Pasadena by CHIRLA, Community Change Action, and FIRM Action on Friday, May 31, 2019. Andrew Cullen for LAist (Photo by Andrew Cullen for LAist)

Castro, who formerly served as mayor of San Antonio, recently released his own immigration plan calling for a path to citizenship. He talked about his own family's immigrant roots, and he was pretty specific about some of the things he'd want to accomplish. Among these things, Castro told attendees that as president, he would "do everything I could" to eliminate the private prison industry.

In reference to Section 287(g) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to deputize selected state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law, Castro said that "I have proposed getting rid of 287(g) and doing away with ICE detainers, as well."

Now up, former HUD secretary Julian Castro: If elected president, would stop building border wall and put the money back where it belongs @KPCC pic.twitter.com/g16h8yNJ1K  Leslie Berestein Rojas (@Multi_American) May 31, 2019

For its part, the audience expressed tremendous frustration on Friday with the policies of the Trump administration. People talked about policies that are dehumanizing and, as they put it, motivated by ethnic and racial bias.

UPDATES:

7:15 p.m.: This article was updated with more quotes and audience reactions from the forum.

4:50 p.m.: This article was updated with quotes from the forum.

This article was originally published at 10:59 a.m. on May 31
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

"Hey, do you have a child leash I could borrow?"

With that simple text to a friend, I began my odyssey to RuPaul's DragCon L.A.

Since launching in 2015, the event has become a juggernaut of performance, promotion, cosplay and gender-bending queer culture. I'm a huge fan of RuPaul's Drag Race (and especially of a certain shirtless dancer), but I had never taken that fandom outside of my home, or even off of my couch.

This would be my first Drag Race event and I decided I wasn't going alone. I was going to bring my toddler.

I'm lucky. My two-and-a-half-year-old daughter happens to have a ton of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. She uses all of that to charm people while creating havoc, like at the Post Office where the staffers spent 15 minutes trying to take her passport picture as she squirmed and giggled and made goofy faces.

From a purely objective standpoint, my child is the Most Wonderful Baby On Earth. She is also a runner. I am not. Hence, the child leash.

If you don't have kids and you're balking at the phrase "child leash," you can shove that hot take back into your fanny pack. Once upon a time, I would've felt the same way as you. The child leash is a cute little backpack (ours looks like a bumblebee) with a nylon strap that clips onto the back.

As a friend quipped, DragCon is probably the only venue where you'll find child leashes and adult leashes in equal measure. My daughter was going to fit right in.

Drag queens Silky Nutmeg Ganache (right) and Honey Davenport (left) pose at DragCon LA 2019. (Elina Shatkin/LAist)

Despite the racier elements of drag queen culture, drag has become a remarkably family friendly event. There are drag brunches, Drag Queen Story Hours at public libraries and a growing number of children's books that reinforce the idea that it's fine if little Stevie wants to dress up like a princess.

Although I had the cutest child at DragCon (again, totally objective), I was hardly the only parent with a toddler in tow.

Nick Williams, a first grade teacher in Berkeley, brought his three-year-old son to the convention. He and his husband are huge fans of Drag Race and run a fantasy league for the show. They came with another couple, who has a three-year-old daughter, all six of them caravanning down from Northern California to L.A. for a weekend of glitter and gag-worthy looks.

"We haven't really taken our kid to something like this before," Williams says. "I think it's going to be fun to take our kid to a place where there are a bunch of people expressing themselves in all different kinds of ways."

A child attends DragCon LA 2019. (David Buchan/MOVI Inc for World of Wonder)

Williams made plans, while here, to meet up with Giovanna Federico, a mother of two who lives in Eagle Rock. She and her husband also brought both of her children, a four-and-a-half-year-old and a six-month-old, to DragCon this past weekend.

"I never want my two boys to have any sort of bias against any kind of different families," says Federico, who grew up in San Francisco, steeped in gay culture. "I didn't realize that all over the country and all over the world, it's not like that. I want [my boys] to know that it's okay to wear a dress if you want to. It's okay to wear whatever you want, be however you want."

She also appreciates the self-esteem mantra that the Mother of Drag Queens relentlessly advocates.

"I think the world would be a better place if we all had the kind of philosophy that RuPaul has. If you can't love yourself, you aren't going to love anybody else. So have that self esteem and just love one another," Federico says.

Two attendees pose at DragCon LA 2019. (Elina Shatkin/LAist)

But how much does the rest of the drag community love the presence of children in what has historically been a transgressive and often highly sexual art form?

A while back, L.A.-based drag queen Kylie Sonique Love posted a message on her Instagram that read: "I don't care how cool of a mom or dad you are...I do not want to see your child in the night club. I don't care if they are in drag or not. Half the stuff that goes on in places like that aren't even good for adults."

The post seems to have been taken down, but it sparked a heated discussion on Reddit. Multi-season Drag Race contestant Shangela (one of my personal favorites) chimed in, "There was a 5-year-old in the front row when I went to Werk the World. Detox did a super sexual number and at the end she mouthed "I'm sorry" to the child's mother and looked mortified. Like don't be sorry, we should all know better than to bring a child to a show that Detox is in."

I get that. There are some places you probably shouldn't bring a child. Nighctlubs. Bars. The Chernobyl exclusion zone. An American Girl store.

What about tamer events and venues, where drag bumps up against the fringes of normcore society? With the strap attached to my daughter's backpack wound tightly around my wrist, I figured we'd find out.

We made our way through the crowds, deftly sidestepping stilettos that could crush little baby toes and avoiding booths where sticky toddler hands might ruin lucrative merch.

Some people avoided us. Others cooed at my bebe's cuteness. A few people gave me a thumbs up for the child leash. But most of the drag queens and attendees who witnessed the frenetic two-and-a-half-year-old realness my daughter was serving smiled or ignored us and went about their business. Both were perfect responses.

The coloring area in the Kid Zone at DragCon LA 2019. (MOVI Inc for World of Wonder)

I led my daughter to the Kid Zone, located in a corner of the convention hall, where we joined other families at low tables stocked with crafting supplies. There's plenty of common ground between drag queens and toddlers, including a shared passion for glitter that sticks to everything forever. I made a crown for my daughter's tiny head as she colored, sometimes even on paper. At least a dozen times, she climbed in and out of the bouncey house, something she'd found overwhelming a year ago. Now, she couldn't get enough of it. We listened as drag queens read gay-friendly children's books, including the classic Heather Has Two Mommies.

How much do young children understand about gender? How much do they clock about what is and isn't "normal"?

"I think kids get used to whatever we get them used to," said Cali Farley. She and her wife, Jamie, who live in New Jersey, have attended multiple New York DragCons with their two children, four-year-old Rider and two-year-old Birdie.

For past conventions, Farley and her wife have dressed both of their children in drag queen cosplay (Monet X Change last year and Sasha Velour and Shea Coulee the year before) -- although they only let the kids watch select clips from the show, usually the lip syncs, because they think the rest of it is too racy.

"I think if kids are exposed to different expressions of gender early in their lives, they don't end up recognizing that that is odd or weird behavior," Farley says. "Maybe they think it's different and maybe they respect that different can just be different and not less than."

Cali Farley, her wife and their two children, Rider and Birdie, pose with drag queen Monet X Change. (Courtesy of Cali Farley)

Williams echoes the notion that gender expression doesn't need to adhere to tradition.

"My boy is 100% boy," Williams says. "But at the same time, he's got a lot of girl friends with their dress-up clothes and sometimes he'll like playing, putting on some fairy wings or putting on a skirt for a pretend game. I want him to be able to explore and have fun wearing whatever he wants to wear because he's a kid. That's what kids should be able to do."

Barbie Q reads to children during a Drag Queen Story Hour at DragCon LA 2019. (Elina Shatkin/LAist)

In the process, these families might be helping to raise a generation with far less rigid notions about what gender is and how it should be presented.

"I'm a pretty major optimist when it comes to how people view gender in the future," Farley says. "I hope that by the time my kids are in middle school or high school, that this is more of a conversation, that we talk about gender versus sex and that gender expression doesn't necessarily have to fall in line with some of our societal stereotypes."

Or as Williams says, "As an out and proud gay man, I grew up with so much shame for who I am, and I just don't want that for my child."

Two attendees, dressed in their royal finery, attend DragCon LA 2019. (MOVI Inc for World of Wonder)
Compton Community College District Schedules Special Board Meeting for June 7 at Midnight

The meeting will commemorate the moment that Compton College will operate as an independent college. At that time, courses for the 2019-2020 school year will be offered under the authority of the Compton Community College District, and going forward, all students earning degrees or certificates at Compton College will be issued a Compton College diploma.

On behalf of the Compton Community College District Board of Trustees, I cordially invite the community to attend this special meeting, and celebrate the end of the transition partnership, said Dr. Deborah Sims LeBlanc, Compton Community College District Board of Trustees president. We are looking forward to the future of Compton College. Our commitment to representing the interests of the communities we serve will continue to be a priority as we focus on being at the forefront of change and innovation.

The meeting also marks the conclusion of the 13-year partnership between the Compton and El Camino community college districts.

ADVERTISEMENT

On August 29, 2018, California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Oakley issued Executive Order 2018-01 declaring Compton College will operate as an independent college under the authority of the Compton Community College District Board of Trustees effective June 7, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. The California Community Colleges Chancellor Executive Order 2018-01 is available here .

The Compton Community College District Board of Trustees approved Resolution No. 10-16-2018A at its October 16, 2018 meeting terminating the November 30, 2016 agreement between the El Camino College and Compton Community College districts. The agreement provided educational and related support to residents of the Compton Community College district, and assisted the Compton campus with recovery and full accreditation.

The Board Agenda is posted 72 hours in advance of the meeting. Agendas are posted on the BoardDocs website under the Meetings tab at http://www.boarddocs.com/ca/compton/Board.nsf/Public.
Hidden Costs Could Lurk Beneath Picturesque Vacation Deals

Dont let hidden costs and restrictions turn a dream vacation into a disappointment.

In the Vacation Discount Scam, underhanded travel businesses offer discounts for airfare, resorts, cruises and other vacation packages, but the deals often include hidden costs or require extra fees to enjoy the full package of benefits.

Many times the buyer is forced to sit through high-pressure sales presentations that can last for hours. The quality of the accommodations also can be less than advertised.

ADVERTISEMENT

Some companies even claim to offer free vacation packages that actually have undisclosed costs and restrictions, such as processing fees, peak-season travel charges and departure and arrival taxes.

TIPS:

Research vacation companies offering deals with the Better Business Bureau and other sources.

Get everything in writing before providing payment. Read the fine print for hidden costs, restrictions and requirements. Be sure you know the cancellation policy.

Pay with a credit card and put down only a deposit, if possible. Never pay in full for a vacation package with a wire transfer or prepaid debit card.

For a printable version of this fraud alert, click here.

Deputy District Attorney Ryann Gerber Jorban explains how to avoid vacation discount scams in this video.

Follow @LADAOffice on Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date news and use #FraudFriday.
LAPD Officer Charged With Falsely Submitting Timesheets

A Los Angeles police officer pleaded not guilty today to a grand theft charge for allegedly receiving more than $8,000 in wages for work she did not perform last year, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office announced.

Monica Renee Moore (dob 3/2/72) was charged in case BA478090 with one count of grand theft. She is scheduled to return for a preliminary hearing setting on June 26 in Department 31 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

Deputy District Attorney Saeed Teymouri of the Justice System Integrity Division is prosecuting the case.

ADVERTISEMENT

Between April and October 2018, Moore is accused of falsely reporting she was at work 18 times. She received $8,543 in compensation for those days, the prosecutor said.

If convicted, Moore faces up to three years in state prison.

The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.
Man Sentenced to 25 Years to Life for Robbery Spree

A 52-year-old man accused of committing more than 20 robberies in a span of seven months has been sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office announced .

Michael Anthony Tapia of Pico Rivera pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon to one felony count of second-degree robbery and admitted allegations of two prior felony convictions. He was immediately sentenced by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stacy Wiese.

Under the terms of a negotiated plea agreement, the defendant waived all credit for time already served in jail and is required to pay restitution to all of the victims named in the case.

ADVERTISEMENT

Deputy District Attorney Lauren Guber prosecuted case KA117395.

Tapia committed 24 robberies in multiple cities across Los Angeles County from June 2017 to January 2018, according to court testimony. The defendant was apprehended at his home in February 2018.

The West Covina Police Department was the lead investigative agency in the case, with assistance from other local police departments and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Tapia was convicted of second-degree robbery in 1998 and attempted second-degree robbery in 2001.
Rep. Barragan Releases Congressional Report on Insulin Costs for Los Angeles Residents with Diabetes

Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan (CA-44) released a Congressional Report that highlights the high prices of diabetes drugs for seniors and the uninsured in Californias 44th Congressional district.

Findings from the report show that residents in the district pay far more for their insulin than they would in other countries. The report was released during a press conference in San Pedro where constituents shared their personal stories as individuals with diabetes and concerns on the rising costs of insulin.

For years, the skyrocketing costs of insulin have impacted families living in my district which has the highest rate of diabetes in the entire state of California, said Rep. Barragan. Time and again, my constituents have told me they can no longer afford their medication and are resorting to desperate measures like using expired insulin, rationing their care or not taking it all. Sadly, rising costs have made access to affordable insulin far more difficult for people that are low-income, are Medicare Part D beneficiaries or are uninsured. The report only magnifies the urgency for long-term improvements in insulin affordability. Over the last several weeks, my colleagues and I have taken action in Congress to ensure all Americans, especially communities of color, are able to afford their life saving medication.

ADVERTISEMENT

Constituents who spoke at the press conference:

Tajah Russell, San Pedro Resident (Type-1 Diabetes)

Niketa Calame Harris, Wilmington Resident (Type-1 Diabetes)

Paola Lopez, STEAM Legacy High School student from South Gate (Type-1 Diabetes)

Dr. Jitesh Zala, owner of Lynwood Community Pharmacy in Lynwood

The report found that:

There are 17,000 seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries in the district that have been diagnosed with diabetes.

The costs to Medicare for the top 50 drugs are 4.3 times higher than the costs of the same drugs in Australia. If Medicare had paid what Australia pays for these drugs, the costs to the program in this district would have been about 70 percent lower, saving approximately $6.7 million.

There are 87,000 uninsured residents live in the district.

Uninsured diabetes patients in the district pay on average $635 for a monthly supply of Novolog Flexpena popular insulin brandas compared to $28 in Australia, $42 in the United Kingdom, and $47 in Canada.

A full copy of the report can be found here .

A livestream of the press conference can be found here.
Friday, May 31, 2019

The Delaware Court of Chancery has ruled that plaintiffs suing Facebook established a basis to inspect records relating to compliance with a consent decree

In July 2018, Facebook, Inc. (Facebook or the Company) experienced one of the sharpest single-day market value declines in history when its stock price dropped 19%, wiping out approximately $120 billion of shareholder wealth. This unprecedented misfortune followed news reports that, in 2015, the private data of 50 million Facebook users had been poached by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm.

Facebook did not disclose this security breach to its users upon discovery or at any time thereafter. Users first learned of the breach when they read or heard about it in the news.

At the time of the Cambridge Analytica breach, Facebook was subject to a consent decree entered by the Federal Trade Commission (the FTC) in 2011 (the Consent Decree) after the FTC determined that the Companys data privacy measures were not protecting users private information. Among other things, the Consent Decree required Facebook to implement more robust and verifiable data security protocols.

Soon after news of the Cambridge Analytica breach broke, reports surfaced that Facebooks business model included incentives to monetize its users data without their consent. These reports were followed by news that the FTC, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of Justice (DOJ), European Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and other European authorities had all opened investigations into Facebooks data privacy practices.

On April 11, 2018, Plaintiff, Construction and General Building Laborers Local No. 79 General Fund (Local No. 79),served a demand to inspect Facebooks books and records (the Demand) under Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (Section 220). As required by statute, Local No. 79 stated that its purpose for inspection was to investigate and assess the actual and potential wrongdoing, mismanagement, and breaches of fiduciary duties by the members of the Company's Board in connection with the data privacy breaches and to investigate the independence and disinterestedness of the Companys directors. In response, Facebook produced about 1,700 pages of significantly redacted books and records.

Negotiations over access broke down and suit was filed

Facebook asserted the Complaint failed to plead a credible basis to infer that Facebooks directors breached their duty of oversight, or any other aspect of their fiduciary duties, because the Cambridge Analytica breach resulted from the unanticipated acts of third parties who had managed to compromise Facebooks existing (and adequate) data privacy systems.

Holding

In the wake of the Consent Decree, Facebook was under a positive obligation to take specific steps to protect its users private data. That obligation was firmly in place at the time of the Cambridge Analytica breach. Delaware courts traditionally have viewed stockholder allegations that a board failed to oversee the companys obligation to comply with positive law, or positive regulatory mandates, more favorably in the Caremark paradigm than allegations that a board failed to oversee the companys efforts generally to avoid business risk. Plaintiffs have presented some evidence that the Board failed to oversee Facebooks compliance with the Consent Decree resulting in unauthorized access to its users private data and attendant consequences to the Company. In other words, Plaintiffs have sustained their minimal burden to demonstrate a credible basis of wrongdoing justifying the inspection of certain of the Companys books and records.

Judgment is entered for Plaintiffs. Facebook shall produce for inspection the books and records designated herein as essential to Plaintiffs pursuit of their proper purpose.

(Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2019/05/the-delaware-court-of-chancery-has-ruled-that-in-the-wake-of-the-consent-decree-facebook-was-under-a-positive-obligation-to.html
Eight young super-spellers beat the dictionary to share victory at the 92nd Scripps National Spelling Bee.

The final part of the historic bee began on Thursday night with sixteen spellers remaining. After almost four hours and 17 rounds of spelling, eight competitors still remained. In most years, a single competitor wins much earlier in the night.

There were so many strong spellers still remaining that bee officials began worrying that they did not have enough difficult words left to ask them.

So, at the end of round 17, longtime bee pronouncer Jacques Bailly announced, Champion spellers, we are now in uncharted territory.We do have plenty of words remaining on our list. But we will soon run out of words that will possibly challenge you, the most phenomenal collection of super-spellers in the history of this competition.

Bailly then explained that all spellers still standing after the 20th round would be named co-champions.

By the end of round 20, all eight still remained. The happy group created their own word for their joint success: octochamps.

Each will receive a $50,000 prize.The competition started on Tuesday with 562 spellers from across the nation, U.S. territories and six other countries: the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea.

Officials say that while there have been co-winners in the past, there has never been as many as eight.

The crowd reacted wildly as each competitor stepped forward and successfully spelled their word in the final round.

The winners are six boys and two girls, all between the ages of 12 and 14.

Rishik Gandhasri is 13 years old and from California. His final word, Auslaut, a German-based word that means the final sound in a word or syllable. He held his hands up and smiled after spelling it correctly. He was the first speller to become a champion.

Next was Erin Howard, who is 14 and from Alabama. She did not hide the fact that she knew exactly how to spell her very last word, erysipelas. She put her hands to her mouth, took a deep breath, and then easily spelled the Greek-based word. She started to cry as her family cheered her on.

Thirteen-year-old Saketh Sundar, from Maryland, stayed calm as he correctly spelled bougainvillea to become the third winner of the night.

As the crowd cheered and shouted, the final spellers stayed serious. Thirteen-year-old Shruthika Padhy of New Jersey asked Bailly to pronounce her final word aiguillette several times before being confirmed winner number four.

Texan Sohum Sukhatankar, also 13, pumped one hand in the air after easily spelling pendeloque.

Winner number six was 12-year-old Abhijay Kodali, the youngest of the octochamps. He spelled palama correctly before returning to his seat and nearly collapsing from happiness. He became Texas second champion of the night.

Seventh was 13-year-old Christopher Serrao of New Jersey, with the word cernuous.

The eighth and final speller of the extremely long night was Rohan Raja. The 13-year-old -- also from Texas -- moved his body from side to side as he waited for Bailly to announce his word: odylic.

Odylic, Raja repeated. Okay. The crowd reacted to his quiet trust and belief in himself.

Not surprisingly, Raha became the eighth and final winner of the historic night. The seven other champions gave him high fives and hugs.

On Friday morning, the octochamps appeared together on the American morning news program The Today Show.

A reporter asked the group if anyone would have wanted to continue the competition in order to have one clear winner.

Christopher Serrao answered for the group: I think we were all sleepy, and also, we all wanted to win together, he said.

We were competing together and we were really happy when one person spelled their word correctly.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

And I'm Caty Weaver.

That's C-A-T-Y W-E-A-V-E-R.

That is correct!

Ashley Thompson wrote this story based on reports from Reuters and the Associated Press. Caty Weaver was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

dictionary - n. reference book that contains words listed in alphabetical order and that gives information about the words' meanings, forms, pronunciations, etc.

champion - n. someone or something (such as a team or an animal) that has won a contest or competition especially in sports

uncharted - adj. not recorded or located on a map, chart, or plan

phenomenal - adj. very good or great : unusual in a way that is very impressive

challenge - v. to test the ability, skill, or strength of (someone or something) :to be difficult enough to be interesting to (someone)

hug - n. the act of putting your arms around someone or something as a way of showing love or friendship
A Nepalese official says that it is time to examine the rules on who is permitted to climb Mount Everest, the worlds tallest mountain.

Yagya Raj Sunuwar told The New York Times this week, Its time to review all the old laws. The parliament members comment comes after the deaths of at least 11 climbers this year.

Climbing Everest has been a dream for many people ever since Edmund Hillary and his guide, Tenzing Norgay, reached the top of the mountain in 1953.

Nepal is one of the worlds poorest countries. The climbing industry brings in $300 million each year. Officials do not limit the number of permits the country issues to climbers.

This year, the government of Nepal issued Everest permits to 381 people, the highest number ever. Anyone can get a permit for an $11,000 fee.

A picture taken on May 22 shows a long line of climbers wearing colorful winter clothes as they make their way up the mountain. The climbers are standing on a snow-covered ridge with a 2,000-meter drop on either side. They are hanging on to a single line of rope.

There were more people on Everest than there should be, said Kul Bahadur Gurung, the general secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. He added, We lack the rulesthat say how many people can actually go up and when.

At one time, only experienced mountaineers tried to climb Everest. But the cost of such an effort has decreased. This has led more and more inexperienced climbers to try to reach the top of Everest. Nepal only requires that climbers have a note from a medical doctor saying they are physically fit. Climbers do not have to prove they have the strength or ability to perform at extreme heights.

The number of climbers who have died this season is the highest since 2015. Most of those who died are believed to have suffered from altitude sickness. The condition is caused by low amounts of oxygen in extremely high places. It can lead to severe headaches, stomach sickness, shortness of breath and mental confusion. Because of the altitude, climbers have just hours to reach the top before they are at risk of having their lungs fill with liquid.

The area between Camp Four (8,000 meters) and the top of Everest (8,850 meters) is known as the death zone. When a climber dies in this zone, his or her body is left there. It would be too dangerous for another climber to spend their energy bringing the body down the mountain.

Eric Murphy made his third climb on Everest this year. He told the Associated Press, Every minute counts there. He said some tired climbers with no one to help them could take 17 hours -- instead of 12 -- to reach the top. For inexperienced climbers, that is enough to have a profound effect.

Among those who have died at Everest this year is American Christopher Kulish. He was from the state of Colorado. Kulish died on his way down, shortly after reaching the top. Just before he died, Kulish made it into the so-called Seven Summit Club of mountaineers who have reached the highest peaks on every continent, his brother said.

Mohan Krishna Sapkota is secretary of Nepals Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. He blamed weather, equipment and lack of oxygen for this years deaths.

However, he added, In the next season we will work to have double rope in the area below the summit so there is better management of the flow of climbers.

Mirza Ali is a Pakistani mountaineer and tour operator who reached Everests peak for the first time this month. It was his fourth time trying. He said, Everybody wants to stand on top of the world. But he said visitors who are unprepared for the extremes of Everest harm the mountaineering industry.

Ali added, The more people come, the more permits, more business. But on the other side of it is a lot of risk because it is costing lives.

I'm Alice Bryant.

Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on Associated Press reports. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

ridge - n. a long area that is on top of the mountain

altitude - n. the height of something

confusion - n. the feeling that you have when you do not understand what is happening

zone - n. an area that is different from other area

profound - adj. very great

summit - n. the highest point of a mountain

double - v. to use two times as many

management - n. the process of controlling and dealing with something
One day of sunshine has been followed by a day or two of rain, he said, so nothing is drying out.

Its just a never-ending story here, he said. Now we cant get in the hay fields to plant anything. We can barely get cattle out to grass. Im sitting out here, feeding in the rain at this moment.

He needs the ground and roads to dry out so he can bring in equipment to clear out the debris left behind by the floods and start on 2 miles of new fencing. He still has more than 150 acres of ground to plant.

Any other year, the sixth-generation rancher would have all his fencing done, his cows out to grass and his planting done.

Wed be slowing down a little bit, he said. Everything has been quite an ordeal.

Fairley said that although 90% of the corn in his area near Gothenburg is in and 60% to 75% of the soybeans, crops need warm, sunny weather to catch up.

A normal 250-bushel guy, if it decided to stay cool and wet for the remainder of the growing season, he may be looking at 230, he said. It definitely took the shine off it.
But the complicated nature of infant sleep deaths creates unique challenges for regulators. Agency staff members had been worried about the Rock 'n Play for more than a year before the April 12 recall, according to two people who requested anonymity to discuss internal agency discussions. Last May, the CPSC issued a "consumer alert" about the hazard of not strapping an infant into inclined sleepers, although the Rock 'n Play was not named. The agency also took the unusual step of hiring an outside expert to study the issue.

But several of the fatalities in the Rock 'n Play had confounding factors, such as added blankets or  in at least one case  a baby improperly placed face down in the product, according to data described to The Post by one person and confirmed by another person.

"It was hard to isolate the issue," said one senior agency official.

The mystery was deepened by the lack of safety testing before the Rock 'n Play hit the market in 2009, leaving investigators to evaluate potential hazards only in hindsight.

Eliot Kaye, an agency commissioner, said he believes all inclined sleepers should be banned and that the agency made a mistake in allowing the ASTM to write a separate inclined sleeper standard in 2015.
Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required!

Stay logged in to skip the surveys.
I had sought advice from friends who are former superintendents  and they said I should prepare myself for just the pure raw emotion of it, she said.

Which means that I should prepare myself for kind of a wave of support and love, which I certainly experienced, but also to mentally prepare myself for some of the kind of sharp and raw criticism that might come, and I think thats pretty much how Ive experienced it. But I would say that the love and support and appreciation has certainly outweighed the criticism, which has helped carry me through it.

I asked her to recall how she viewed Madison when she came from Chicago in 2013, and what has most surprised her since.

Has my perception of Madison changed much? Yes and no. I think that my initial perception was that it was rich with assets, right? A progressive community with countless organizations, well-positioned to support the community that they serve. I still believe that, she said.

But I thought maybe, coming in, that Madison had done more work to confront the racial divide, like really directly confronting those issues, and I think that Ive realized  we have a lot more work to do.
By

by Wallace Wyss 

Now some historians lay into A.C. Cars Ltd, the fabricators of the Cobra, saying they were crude builders, with no finesse, no modern engineering.

Some of thats true. But there is one prototype that is out and about that continues to fascinate, first of all because it survived the whole Cobra era and second because it seemed so ahead of its time you dont know why Ford/Shelby didnt glom onto it.

Officially in the factory records (at times written by hand, maybe even dipping a feather quill pen in ink, i.e., before ballpoints) it is not listed as a Cobra, but instead as an AC Drophead 289 V8 Ford Engine which an unusual out of sequence chassis number: SN MA200.

The chassis and suspension are not right off the AC Cobra assembly line.

The final drive and inboard rear brakes drop back to the first Cobra of 1962. And even the windscreen looks borrowed off the Jaguar E-type assembly line.

The second engine was a 289 which has numbers consistent with the Hypo 289 engines that AC imported directly from Ford which AC put in production leaf-spring Cobras, for European markets, in late 1963/early 1964.

Allcarindex researched the car and said the car was a gift to AC chairman Derek Hurlock from Ford using a leftover racing 289 engine and that the car was sold by him in 1968 to its first private holder  Dr Roger Field from Bickley, Kent. The one-off-a-kind AC then passed to the hands of AC enthusiast Peter Hague from Chichester. Finally in 2006 it was purchased by its current owner Mark Gold.

FLAT SIX KILLED OFF

But few know that the original engine desired by the head engineer was a flat six. You guessed it a Corvair type engine.

Engineer ZT Marczewski first drew plans for that engine, and even decades after was insisting that was the plan, going back to April 1963. It wasnt the first time he tried to sell that engine to his bosses at AC because back in 61 he had fitted one an AC Greyhound, a car that, DNA wise, precedes the first Cobra.

The advantage would have been a lower center of gravity plus a lower hoodline being possible.

In 1986 though, that first recorded private owner measured his car and a flat 6 (must have been an AC prototype) and reported it wouldnt fit. It was the engineers pipe dream.

It could have been that AC was developing this engine as early as 1961, knowing that Bristol was going to cut off their supply of the Bristol six used in the Ace-Bristol.

All thought of that evaporated in 1961, when failed chicken farmer, retired race driver and international gadabout Carroll Shelby appeared, Ford small block engine in tow.

Regarding who designed it, ah, thats a problem. It is most likely Frua, as it bears resemblance to their Maserati designs of the time. But though they built the production AC 428 coupes and roadsters, the MA200 was done years before so it cant be automatically attributed to the Italians.

COBRA ORDERS OVERWHELMED MA200

But AC was so busy once Shelby got backing from Ford to make Cobras, they couldnt think about developing the car any more.

But at least they had a possibility of a better engine and chassis, as in 1965 AC started making the new Cobra 427/AC 289 coil spring chassis, designed at Ford Dearborn.

In fact, as Ford and Shelby lost interest in the Cobras (both had LeMans ambitions) AC went to Italy and shopped for a more stylish body, which became the AC428, a model made for England with the 428 big block in it (only the first one had a 427) was their next direction and the flat six was forgotten.

My guess is that MA200 still has secrets. If the original engine has been found, Id like to see it installed, if only to complete the engineers dream. By the way the car was bought by an American, as detailed in an article on ConceptcarsZ and restored by the Creative Workshop in Dania Beach, FL, a restoration which the shop said compares to automotive archaeology. The car was not only restored but taken to the Amelia Island Concours where it no doubt caused consternation in Cobra classes as they wondered: could this be the Holy Grail?

Let us know what you think in the Comments.





THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss is a noted Shelby historian, with three books published on Shelby, GT40s and Cobras. As a fine artist, he is depicting these favorites in commissioned portraits. He can be reached at mendoart7@gmail.com

Thank you for supporting My Car Quest
Another problem many Wisconsinites face is access to dental care. Seeing a dentist is costly and, because of the many years of schooling it takes to receive a dental license, there is a shortage of dentists in rural areas. A dental therapy license would allow a sort of middle tier to be created between a hygienist and a fully licensed dentist. It takes fewer years of schooling to receive a dental therapy license, but therapists can still perform routine procedures, such as filling cavities and treating oral conditions. Gov. Tony Evers voiced support for this proposal during his State of the State address.

Free speech in medicine is a less known reform. When manufacturers test drugs, they often learn about many off-label uses for the medicine. But under current Federal Drug Administration regulation, the manufacturers are not allowed to communicate those secondary uses to physicians. Free speech in medicine would allow the manufacturers to communicate with physicians about the multiple uses for a drug, providing patients with more information and options for their care.

Another problem onerous Obamacare regulations created is that they limited the variety of insurance coverage options.
OAKLEY  A 16-year-old Oakley boy was chosen to represent Idaho at a diabetes research organizations childrens congress in Washington, D.C.

Connor Hitt was selected by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research, as a youth delegate at JDRF 2019 Childrens Congress on July 8  10.

The delegates will lobby members of Congress to remind them of the vital need to continue supporting T1D research to reduce the diseases burden and find a cure, according to a press release sent by the organization.

Connor was the only delegate from Idaho chosen.

I am so excited to be a part of the JDRF 2019 Childrens Congress delegation and to share my familys story with people who can make a huge impact on T1D research, said Connor Hitt, in the release. I am excited to meet with representatives and discuss problems our diabetic youth face. I am honored to represent the state of Idaho.

Lisa Hitt, Connors mother, said Thursday that he applied as a delegate two years ago and was not chosen.

He was really excited when he was chosen because this was his last opportunity to qualify for it, Hitt said.

The intensive application process included writing essays and letters to state representatives.

During the event Connor will meet with Idahos congressional delegation to discuss type 1 diabetes research, how the disease has impacted his life and what he hopes research will accomplish, Hitt said.

His focus will be the stories surrounding his diagnosis and how it impacted him and what he wants research to accomplish in the future, Hitt said.

The children are ages 4 to 17 and represent all 50 states. They will participate in activities on the Hill and attend a congressional committee hearing to share testimonies that highlight the challenges of living with the disease.

There will be five international delegates from Australia, Israel, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Canada and together with the U.S. delegates will convey a message to the U.S. government that the problem is global and requires worldwide effort, the press release said.

Every day these children and their parents face the burden of type-one diabetes and by sharing their stories they become powerful advocates in the fight to end this disease, said Michael Somers, executive director for the JDRF Mountain Valley Chapter. The delegates are a representation of millions of other families, including mine, who need the support of the government. Childrens Congress gives the T1D youth community a unified voice in front of Congress and a way to urge our government leaders to continue supporting research.

Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
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.
GOODING  A pickup rolled after colliding with a semitrailer Friday morning on U.S. Highway 26 at milepost 152 near Gooding, Idaho State Police said.

Ronny Livia, 38, of Shoshone was driving a 2007 GMC pickup on U.S. Highway 26 and attempted to pass an SUV and a semitrailer turning left onto 2100 East. The semi, a 2012 Mack Truck driven by Allan Dover, 43, of Twin Falls struck the rear passenger side of the pickup.

Livia's vehicle rolled onto the shoulder of the highway. He and two young passengers were taken by private vehicle to North Canyon Medical Center in Gooding.

Occupants of both vehicles were wearing seat belts. No airbags were deployed. Both directions of the highway were blocked for about 1 hours.

The crash is under investigation by the Idaho State Police and assisted by the Gooding County Sheriff's Office and the Gooding County Fire Department.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 2 Sad 2 Angry 4
JEROME  In the midst of struggling to staff dispatch phones, Southern Idaho Regional Communications is now facing another challenge.

Hope Lindsey, the SIRCOMM director, has announced her resignation after two years with the organization. Her last day is June 14.

Lindsey was hired as a SIRCOMM deputy director and was promoted to director in late 2017 after former director John Moore resigned that May.

Im not leaving on bad terms, Lindsey said Thursday.

Shes done us a good job and were happy for her, said Mark Bolduc, chairman of the Joint Powers Board and Gooding County Commissioner. He reported that Lindsey has an opportunity closer to family in the East.

I am disappointed to see our current director leave but fully understand her circumstances and support her future endeavors, Twin Falls County Commissioner Jack Johnson. Johnson is a member of the Joint Powers Board, which oversees SIRCOMM.

A job posting for the directors position is available on Indeed.com, and includes a pay range of $70,000 to $80,000 and preferred qualifications.

Those qualifications include a certified public-safety executive license, registered public-safety leader certification and emergency number professional certification. Applicants are also encouraged to have a bachelors degree, five years of leadership, supervisory or management experience and 10 years of public safety experience.

The Joint Powers Board has approved the posting online to start the search for a new director and those applicants will go through a selection process, Johnson said, adding how an interview and recommendation board comprised of fire and police chiefs and sheriffs from the coverage area had been previously used to narrow the selection.

The new director will face the ongoing challenge of filling vacant 911 dispatcher positions within the organization. That posting is prominent on SIRCOMMs website, offering a starting wage of $16.74 per hour. The dispatch center has been short staffed for more than two years, according to previous Times-News reports.

Bolduc is optimistic about hiring a new director. At the Joint Powers Board meeting on Thursday, he said Lindsey announced they already have four applicants, three of whom are highly qualified.

We hope that we can find and fill this position at the earliest opportunity to maintain stability of the center, Johnson said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
alexsl/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump and the White House on Friday defended his threat to impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods coming in from Mexico as Mexico's president called it a "provocation" and a high-profile Republican senator slammed the move as a "misuse of presidential tariff authority."



The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said, "Imposing tariffs on goods in Mexico is exactly the wrong move because these tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border."



Trump said Thursday night the tariff, which goes into effect June 10, would be punishment for what he says is Mexico s willingness to let refugees transit its borders en route to the U.S. to claim asylum.



The plan would call for increasing the tariffs further, going as high as 25 percent by October if Mexico didnt curb migration.



White House officials said they were confident that Mexico could resolve the problem of migration that Trump and U.S. lawmakers have been unable to address.



"If that means taking the tariffs to 25 percent, that means taking the tariffs to 25 percent," said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. "We hope -- sincerely hope -- it does not come to that."



White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Friday that Trump did not blindside his own party by the announcement.



"If Republicans weren't aware, they haven't been paying attention," Sanders said. "Anyone surprised by this has been living under a rock."



Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, called Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexico to enforce immigration policy "a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent."



Iowa's other Republican senator, Jodi Ernst, said, "The livelihoods of Iowa farmers and producers are at stake."



"While I support the need for comprehensive border security and a permanent fix to illegal immigration, this isnt the right path forward. Im asking the president to reconsider, and for Democrats to work with us to find a solution to the humanitarian crisis at our southern border, Ernst said in a statement.



Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell urged caution, saying that while he backs the president on the border crisis, any proposal that affects the U.S.-Mexico economic relationship deserves "serious examination."



The president defended the move Friday morning on Twitter saying, "In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA. Mexico must take back their country from the drug lords and cartels. The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!"



Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, in a news conference Friday, said, "We are not going to fall into any provocation ... we will act with prudence, with respect to the United States authorities, with respect to President Donald Trump. We believe that all conflicts in bilateral relations must be dealt with, be resolved with dialogue, with communication."



"It does not lead to any good, the use of coercive measures," he said. "We have to act prudently."



Although he stressed he does not want confrontation, proposed more dialogue and said he was sending an envoy to Washington. He added, "We are fulfilling our responsibility in immigration policy."



Sanders said Friday that Trump has not spoken directly to Mexico's president, but said the teams are in communication.



In his initial response Thursday night, after parrying Trumps provocations for months, he also took his strongest swipe at him to date. He asked how Trump turned a country that was the most friendly to immigrants into a ghetto" where those who seek freedom are mistreated and expelled.



"The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol," he wrote.



He also called "America First" a "fallacy" because he said justice and friendship will prevail over borders.



Under the new plan, the initial tariffs on all goods would be imposed on June 10. But the rate would jump from 5 percent to 10 percent on July 1 and continue climbing by 5 percent each month unless Mexico takes action to "dramatically reduce or eliminate the number of illegal aliens crossing its territory into the United States," according to a White House statement.



Mulvaney said, "It is our very firm belief that the Mexican government can and needs do more to help us with the situation on the southern border."



Earlier Thursday, on his way to Colorado for the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation, Trump vowed "very dramatic" action to address the refugee crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. He said he'd make a "big league statement," but provided few details.



He said it would be his "biggest statement, so far, on the border."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The High Court in Kisumu has fined Governor Anyang Nyongo and his sister Risper Nyagoy Nyongo Sh400, 000 each for contempt.

The siblings failed to appear in Court for the second time in a case against their nephew Mr Kenneth Okuthe over the allocation of their fathers multi-million-shilling estate.

Finding them in contempt of the court, Justice Thripsisa Cherere said Anyang and Nyagoy will be jailed for one month should they fail to pay the fine within 30 days.

Justice Cherere further ruled that if the duo failed to comply with an earlier court order that directed them to produce documents of the estate, then they will be liable to pay an extra Sh50,000 each for every month.

Jefferson Museve, who represented Nyongo and his sister, however defended their absence saying they had lost their mother.

Their mother passed on and we are seeking the courts indulgence to give them time to mourn, Museve told a packed courtroom Thursday.

But lawyers representing the governors nephews, led by Rogers Mugumya, said the duo did not have a valid reason to skip court.

Mugumya said the Kisumu governor and his sister have failed to honor court orders for eight months since the orders were issued.

Death is not an extraordinary circumstance and we pray for a warrant of arrest against the two, said Mugumya.

In her ruling, Justice Cherere said that she gave the respondents enough time to attend court but they still failed to do so.

I do not believe that they could have not spared time to attend court and I, therefore, will deliver the sentence. I therefore fine them Sh400, 000 each to be paid within 30 days, ruled Cherere.

Defense lawyers lauded the ruling and termed it as a step in the right direction in ensuring that court orders are obeyed.

We are happy with the sentence but we will bring them back with another contempt of court case should they fail to obey the sentence, said Mugumya.
Angie Dodges murder has hung over this city like a dark mist for 23 years. It has torn countless lives to shreds. It has left a large family and her many friends in continuous grief, wondering what happened in that I Street apartment on a warm June night all those years ago.

This week, it appears we learned what happened. Brian Dripps, of Caldwell, who resided across the street, has been arrested and charged with Angies rape and murder. Police say they have both a DNA match and a confession.

It is important to reserve final judgment until all the facts are known, but we have great hope that with a coming trial or plea, the dark mist that has hung over Idaho Falls will finally clear.

Many people  especially Carol Dodge, Angies mother  deserve this communitys thanks.

Idaho Falls owes a deep debt of gratitude to CeCe Moore and Parabon NanoLabs, whove found a way to combine new genetic testing and analysis techniques with the gray archival work of genealogy to create a method of cracking impossible cases. Even their breakthrough investigative techniques nearly failed in this case  Dripps didnt initially show up on the family tree that Moore constructed because of a divorce just after his birth. Only by turning up a single old obituary did they discover that Dripps could be the man who left his DNA at the scene of the murder.

Angies family has set up a donation page at gofundme.com/5-For-Hope so that the families of other victims of unsolved homicides can have access to Moores seemingly magical investigative techniques. They hope to raise $100,000 to help others. They raised about $2,200 the first day. We should all pitch in to bring them to their goal.

This city also owes a great debt to the men and women of the Idaho Falls Police Department.

They tested more than 100 DNA samples over the last two decades, none of which turned up the killer. Nonetheless, they continued to work on a case where every potential break seemed to lead to a dead end.

People sometimes call murders that have gone unsolved for a long time cold cases. Chief Bryce Johnson doesnt like that term. It implies that a case is sitting on a shelf somewhere gathering dust. IFPD doesnt do that with unsolved cases, he has objected.

By recently bringing charges, first in the 2007 murder of Stephanie Eldredge and then in Angies 1996 murder, IFPD has proven its point. There are no cold cases in Idaho Falls, only cases yet to be solved.

Most of all, this community owes a debt Carol Dodge. A few years ago, Dripps was happily living out his life in Caldwell while Christopher Tapp languished in prison. Today, Tapp is free and Dripps is in a jail cell awaiting trial. That would never have happened without her persistence.

Almost anyone would have lost hope after 23 years without a break in the case. They would have given up. They would have clung to a conviction, despite the mounting evidence that it was probably false, because it was something, at least. They would have listened to all the people telling them: Its time to move on.

But those were never Carol Dodges reactions. She wanted the truth. She wanted real justice for her daughter. And she went to the ends of the Earth, over and over again, to get it.

Carol Dodge always said that new technology would solve the case. Carol Dodge is a very good mother. It is our great hope that with justice, she and her family will also find peace.

Because of her work, all of us, will always remember Angie Dodge.

Melaleuca CEO Frank VanderSloot could do some real good for the state, perhaps more than is immediately apparent. Beyond simply providing resources for particular individuals who cant afford legal representation, this fund could disrupt the rubber-stamp litigation model that debt collectors employ.

The Post Registers editorial board consists of Publisher Travis Quast, Managing Editor Monte LaOrange and editorial writer Bryan Clark. Clark can be reached at 208-542-6751.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
On May 6, President Trump gave a full pardon to a former Army officer, Michael Behenna, who had been convicted of the 2008 murder of a naked and unarmed Iraqi man. Trump has reportedly asked the Justice Department for pardon files on a number of other individuals involved in war crimes.

One of those individuals is Navy Seal Edward Gallagher, whose fellow Seals reported him for killing a teenage prisoner and shooting two civilians. Trump has praised Gallaghers service and ordered that he given more favorable conditions of confinement while awaiting trial. A lawyer for the Trump Organization is on the defense team, which should raise eyebrows.

Nicholas Slatten, who was recently convicted in federal court for a murder that led to the unprovoked slaughter of 16 other Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, is also being considered for clemency. Slatten was a member of the shoot-em-up Blackwater private security company owned by Erik Prince, the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

It sickens me that we still have a few members of the military who dishonor our nation and our military by committing crimes of war. As a result of the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam, the U.S. military put great emphasis on morality training to prevent future atrocities. The great majority of Americas servicemen conduct themselves with honor and integrity. The few criminals that still slip through the cracks should be dealt with harshly and not be given executive clemency.

It is notable that colleagues of both Gallagher and Slatten stepped forward to report their misconduct, even though they were warned against it. That was the system of honor working as it should to hold the bad actors accountable. If the bad eggs are let off the hook, it will discourage others who witness atrocities from stepping forward.

Some news outlets and members of Congress have called for pardons for these and others by claiming military courts are unfair. That is pure baloney. Although I served in an artillery unit in Vietnam, I defended a dozen special courts martial and found the system to be fair to those I represented. A higher-stakes general court martial has even greater protections for defendants.

Criminal conduct on the battlefield is destructive of discipline and order. It besmirches the honorable reputation of the U.S. military. It lowers our standing among nations. It put our service personnel at greater risk by inviting retaliatory action by hostile forcesif we can kill unarmed prisoners, they will also.

Vietnam was this countys first televised war. Broadcasts of atrocities like the My Lai Massacre severely harmed our mission there. In our present electronically-connected world, news of misconduct by U.S. troops can spread around the world in a matter of minutes.

In a guerilla war, like Vietnam, Afghanistan, or Iraq, you cant prevail without winning the hearts and minds of the general population. They have to feel they are more secure with American and allied forces than with the insurgents. That cant be done if our forces are committing war crimes.

Enemy recruiting and consequent American casualties were fueled by My Lai, the Blackwater massacre, the wretched conditions at Abu Ghraib Prison, murders of unarmed prisoners, and the like. All of our actions are being played out on the world stage and we need to comport ourselves in a fashion that wins and holds the hearts and minds of that broader population. They need to know that America conducts itself with honor on the battlefield and that it punishes those few who fail to do so.

Jim Jones is an Eden native and former Idaho Attorney General and former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1
My husband is a paraplegic and has tried all sorts of opioids. The only thing that we have found that gives him any relief at all is marijuana.
It was one of the fastest decimations of an animal population in world historyand it had happened almost entirely in secret. The Soviet Union was a party to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, a 1946 treaty that limited countries to a set quota of whales each year. By the time a ban on commercial whaling went into effect, in 1986, the Soviets had reported killing a total of 2,710 humpback whales in the Southern Hemisphere. In fact, the countrys fleets had killed nearly 18 times that many, along with thousands of unreported whales of other species. It had been an elaborate and audacious deception: Soviet captains had disguised ships, tampered with scientific data, and misled international authorities for decades. In the estimation of the marine biologists Yulia Ivashchenko, Phillip Clapham, and Robert Brownell, it was arguably one of the greatest environmental crimes of the 20th century.

Thats from an excellent piece by Charles Homans in the Pacific Standard. The Soviets killed some 180,000 whales illegally, driving several species to the brink of extinction. But why? The obvious answer is wrong:

the Soviet Union had little real demand for whale products. Once the blubber was cut away for conversion into oil, the rest of the animal, as often as not, was left in the sea to rot or was thrown into a furnace and reduced to bone meala low-value material used for agricultural fertilizer, made from the few animal byproducts that slaughterhouses and fish canneries cant put to more profitable use.Why did a country with so little use for whales kill so many of them?

The actual answer has a lot to say about the impossibility of rational economic calculation under socialism (and also the lesser but still important problem under capitalism of mispricing in the presence of externalities and the difficulty of aligning private and social incentives.) The answer did not appear until 2008 when, long after his death, the memoir of Alfred Berzin, a Soviet-era fisheries scientist, was translated and published. Homans summarizes:

The Soviet whalers, Berzin wrote, had been sent forth to kill whales for little reason other than to say they had killed them. They were motivated by an obligation to satisfy obscure line items in the five-year plans that drove the Soviet economy, which had been set with little regard for the Soviet Unions actual demand for whale products. Whalers knew that no matter what, the plan must be met! Berzin wrote. The Sovetskaya Rossiya seemed to contain in microcosm everything Berzin believed to be wrong about the Soviet system: its irrationality, its brutality, its inclination toward crime.

You can find Bezins memoir here. Its bitter, sardonic, sad and funny.

Whalers knew that no matter what, the plan must be met! Looking for whales they would go farther and farther from the islands and bring rotten baleen whales to the stations, those which could not be used for food. This was not regarded as a problem by anybody. The planat any price! And whalers were killing everything.

Why bring in rotten whales? Without prices the Soviets had to calculate in very crude terms, most notably gross output. In the famous cartoon, the nail factory is supposed to produce X tons of nails and finds the easiest way to do this is to produce a single large nail. The cartoon illustrated a real problem in the Soviet economy which many have documented including Bezin.

Another conceptno less frightening, ugly, and absurdwas that of gross output. This was a typical creation of socialism and would be impossible in any other system. Gross output: this is when nobody is interested in a living object itself, and the only thing they care about is the size of the catch. It is reports giving figures in tsentner [100 kilos, AT] and metric tons, even if it is fish that were thrown out, or rotten whales.

The whalers were paid well but it wasnt just positive incentives. The history of the industry was never far from mind. Quoting Homans again:

Whaling fleets that met or exceeded targets were rewarded handsomely, their triumphs celebrated in the Soviet press and the crews given large bonuses. But failure to meet targets came with harsh consequences. Captains would be demoted and crew members fired; reports to the fisheries ministry would sometimes identify responsible parties by name. Soviet ships officers would have been familiar with the story of Aleksandr Dudnik, the captain of the Aleut, the only factory ship the Soviets owned before World War II. Dudnik was a celebrated pioneer in the Soviet whaling industry, and had received the Order of Leninthe Communist Partys highest honorin 1936. The following year, however, his fleet failed to meet its production targets. When the Aleut fleet docked in Vladivostok in 1938, Dudnik was arrested by the secret police and thrown in jail, where he was interrogated on charges of being a Japanese agent. If his downfall was of a piece with the unique paranoia of the Stalin years, it was also an indelible reminder to captains in the decades that followed.

Bezin, a scientist, writes about who got to the top in the Soviet system:

..As a rule, the people who became commissars were the ones who couldnt find another job. They were not very smart but were very conceited, self important individuals, especially after they had been given a taste of power, and especially over other people. Those who were thinking about a career in the party system, who could speak loudly and authoritatively from a podium, and who curried favor with the boss, these people could climb the party ladder quickly, and high up. Russian people have a good sense of humor, and even when they should be crying they laughHere is [a Russian joke]: On the counter of a store there are different types of brains. Among them are commissar brains, which are being sold for a price many times higher than those of farm animals. Why are the commissar brains so expensive? asks a customer. The assistant replies, Do you know how many commissars we have to slaughter to get one kilo of brains?

The whole system was built on lies and had to be built on lies:

For seventy Soviet years the industry of lies was created, shaped, and perfected in the country. Lies were encouraged and cultivated, and people were forced to lie. Lies in art, lies in movies, on TV, on the radio, and in newspapers. One of my colleagues was saying: Why do I need Crocodile? When I go to work I buy the newspaper Pravda and all the way to the institute I am dying from laughter. Lies in the numbers of the Central Statistics Department. And facts about Chernobyl were lies, dreadful and inhumane, deserving of damnation. Lies about the history of our country, which the leaders of the country changed to suit their needs. To the latter, people reacted with a wicked grin: An institute of experimental history has been created! People were lying whether they needed to or not, and I would say that the lying was pathological and at all levels. From the most blatant lie at the international levelto naive but proud lies like: Soviet means the best. Sometimes they were self-assured but silly, as for example in this poetic sentence: As its known, the earth begins with the Kremlin; or they were absolutely idiotic: The whole Soviet country is song and dance all day long. Just think of the meaning of these words! You could hear on radio and at concerts singing like: Like an owner, a person walks through the boundless native land, or How wonderful it is to live in the Soviet country. . . And all of these were promulgated in the 1930s when the country was surrounded by the barbed wire of fearful GULAGs . . .

Hat tip: The Browser.

Addendum: See the HBO series Chernobyl, brilliant cinematography and compelling storytelling, for a closely related story.
Credit: Microgen, Shutterstock

Concerns over our seemingly constant exposure to chemical mixtures of all kinds have been growing in the past two decades. This is because endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in various materials such as pesticides, metals, additives in food and personal care products are believed to be associated with various health risks. These include altered reproductive function in males and females, increased incidence of breast cancer, abnormal growth patterns and neurodevelopmental delays in children.

Despite the significant progress in understanding and regulating EDCs, risk assessment and management practices have mainly focused on exposure to single substances. As such, it's crucial to also identify the impact of EDC mixtures. Enter the EU-funded EDC-MixRisk project that has studied the effects of prenatal exposure to such EDCs on children's health.

The project's key results and conclusions were recently published in a policy brief. EDC-MixRisk used epidemiology data from the Swedish pregnancy cohort SELMA and created reference mixtures mimicking real-life exposures. Several cell and animal models were utilised in experimental investigations to test these mixtures. The models included human brain organoids, human cell lines, mice, tadpoles and zebrafish, according to the policy brief.

As explained in the brief, the results demonstrate "that prenatal exposure to mixtures of EDCs was associated with various effects in children's health and development. Some effects were sex specific." It adds: "The tested mixtures affected hormone-regulated and disease-relevant outcomes in a variety of experimental models at the same concentrations found in the pregnant women."

Improved risk assessment

A key conclusion of the project is that health risks associated with combined exposures to EDCs or potential EDCs are systematically underestimated in the existing regulations on these substances. The team argues that single substances are released into the environment or enter a human body where other chemicals are already present. For this reason, legislative measures should take this factor into account for better risk assessment of EDCs. The brief states: "Therefore, we propose that future and ongoing biomonitoring efforts should include (a) analyses on complex mixtures, (b) assessment of adverse health outcomes in the same cohorts, (c) good quality toxicity data to identify hazardous chemicals, (d) long-term resources to follow time trends and evaluate risk management measures."

The EDC-MixRisk (Integrating Epidemiology and Experimental Biology to Improve Risk Assessment of Exposure to Mixtures of Endocrine Disruptive Compounds) project addresses the societal need for better decision-making regarding human exposure risks to mixtures of man-made chemicals over the whole life span. It focuses on the risk for multiple adverse health outcomes based on molecular mechanisms involved, after early-life exposure to complex mixtures of EDCs. As stated on the project website, its objective is to encourage the use of safer chemicals for future generations.

Explore further Health risks associated with mixtures of man-made chemicals are underestimated

More information: EDC-MixRisk POLICY BRIEF. Stockholm, March 2019. ISBN: print 978-91-87355-75-2; pdf 978-91-87355-76-9. EDC-MixRisk POLICY BRIEF. Stockholm, March 2019. ISBN: print 978-91-87355-75-2; pdf 978-91-87355-76-9. edcmixrisk.ki.se/wp-content/up  k-PRINTED-190322.pdf EDC-MixRisk project website: edcmixrisk.ki.se/
Neurons (red) off-load toxic molecules to astrocytes (grey) via lipid droplets (green). Credit: Maria Ioannou

Astrocytes are overtaxed neurons' pit crew.

The brain cells collect damaged lipids secreted by hyperactive neurons, then recycle those toxic molecules into energy, researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus report May 23, 2019, in the journal Cell. It's a mechanism to protect neurons from the damaging side effects of overactivity. And it's another important role for astrocytes, which support neurons in various ways.

When a neuron fires fast and furious, lipid molecules in the cell get damaged and can become toxic. While most kinds of cells sequester excess fatty acids away or feed them to mitochondria to prevent buildup, neurons don't seem to rely on those tricks.

Instead, "neurons unload some of the burden to astrocytes," says study coauthor and Janelia Group Leader Zhe Liu, who worked closely with Maria Ioannou and Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, a senior group leader at Janelia. "For a long time, people have suspected there was some mechanism like this. The new work shows how this process actually happens."

The finding arose from a curious observation: Overactive neurons release damaged fatty acids bundled up in lipid particles. "People didn't think that neurons could secrete those lipid particles," Liu says.

But stimulating mouse neurons in a dish led to the buildup of fatty acids and, eventually, lipid particle release, the team showed. Then, nearby astrocytes engulfed the particles and amped up the activity of genes involved in energy production and detoxification.

Astrocytes feed neurons' off-loaded damaged lipids to their own mitochondria, converting waste into energy, Liu concluded. Tests in mice showed a similar response. After a lesion to the brain that mimics a strokea huge stress to neuronsneurons increased production of proteins involved in transporting fatty acids out of the cell, and fatty acids built up in astrocytes.

This pathway for clearing toxic molecules from neurons might be damaged in Alzheimer's patients, Liu proposes, though that hasn't been thoroughly investigated. A next step, led by Maria Ioannou in her new lab at the University of Alberta, is to examine what's different about this mechanism in cell culture and rodent models of Alzheimer's disease.

Explore further Obesity: The key role of a brain protein revealed

More information: Maria S. Ioannou et al, Neuron-Astrocyte Metabolic Coupling Protects against Activity-Induced Fatty Acid Toxicity, Cell (2019). Journal information: Cell Maria S. Ioannou et al, Neuron-Astrocyte Metabolic Coupling Protects against Activity-Induced Fatty Acid Toxicity,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.001
New research confirms that an algorithm, called CTS5, can accurately identify patients who are at a significantly low risk of their breast cancer returning at a later stage. In doing so it means some patients may need to take hormone therapy for five years, rather than 10, something that researchers say could have a huge impact both psychologically and physically.

The large majority of breast cancer patients will be prescribed at least five years of hormone therapy after having standard treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy) to lower the risk of cancer returning.

After five years, oncologists along with patients have to decide whether extending this type of therapy is worthwhile and appropriate. Hormone therapy can have significant side effects for some patients, including weakness of bone, blood clots, exacerbation of menopausal symptoms and the psychological burden of continuous treatment.

CTS5 was published in 2018, in a study that confirmed its prognostic value. However it had yet to be tested in a 'real world' setting, i.e. not on selected clinical trial patients, and on both pre-and postmenopausal women. The CTS5 test is the only available clinical prognostic tool for determining late distance recurrence.

In this new study researchers at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Queen Mary University London used the CTS5 to analyse data from 2428 non-trial patients at The Royal Marsden. The results will be presented at this weekend's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.

The study confirmed that CTS5 was effective at predicting relapse of breast cancer after 5 years. The CTS5 test was able categorise a group of 2428 female breast cancer patients into three clear risk groups: high, medium and low. Importantly 41% of the postmenopausal women700 patientswere found to be at a significantly low risk of their breast cancer returning five to 10 years after their initial five year hormone therapy treatment. This risk is so low, researchers concluded; it would not warrant extending endocrine therapy to ten years. In contrast to the previously published tests on CTS5, this new analysis took into account pre-menopausal female patients as well as post.

Lead author Dr. Juliet Richman, Clinical Research Fellow at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust said: "Our analysis demonstrates that this tool works well in a varied population of breast cancer patients. This is crucial; in order for it to be useful in a clinical setting we need to know that CTS5 will be accurate for a variety of women.

"We can establish those who are at a very low risk of their breast cancer recurring, and say they would be extremely unlikely to benefit from extending hormone therapy past five years. In doing so they can avoid the possible side effectsboth physically and psychologicallyof continuing treatment."

Senior author Dr. Ivana Sestak, Queen Mary University of London said: "It is incredibly important to determine which women are at high risk of late recurrence, so that they can continue hormonal treatment. In addition to predicting late recurrence in postmenopausal women, for the first time we were able to show that CTS5 also predicts late recurrence in premenopausal women. And by testing the model on actual hospital data of women treated for their early stage breast cancer, we were able to demonstrate that the use of our calculator is feasible in the real world.

"Our online calculator is freely available for oncologists around the world to use to determine their patients' risk of late recurrence. It is very easy to use and only requires information that is readily available to clinicians. We are now investigating further whether the tool could be used by research nurses, helping to free up clinicians' time."

Further research is needed to confirm that female patients who continue on hormone therapy after having a high CTS5 score, then benefit from this extension.

Explore further New online tool for clinicians could predict long-term risk of breast cancer returning

More information: CTS5 is for use in a clinic setting or with the guidance of an oncologist, and can be accessed here: CTS5 is for use in a clinic setting or with the guidance of an oncologist, and can be accessed here: www.cts5-calculator.com

Provided by The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S., and women make up nearly 60% of all stroke deaths.

Why?

In part, experts say, women may have symptoms subtle enough to be missed or brushed off in the daily juggle of work-life balance. That can lead to delays in getting time-sensitive, lifesaving treatments.

Men and women who have strokes often experience a similar set of symptoms that can be remembered using the mnemonic F.A.S.T.: face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty, time to call 911. Other signs include problems seeing out of one or both eyes and balance or coordination problems.

But some women experience other, more understated symptoms they may hesitate to bring to a doctor's attentionor to a 911 operator.

"Women more frequently have atypical, vague symptoms. They might start with fatigue, confusion or maybe general weakness, as opposed to weakness on one side of the body," said Dr. Pooja Khatri, a neurology professor at the University of Cincinnati.

Khatri advised taking note of any sudden change or unusual body function.

She said many women may disregard something like a sudden, unusually bad headache if they're generally used to getting headaches. Or, they may dismiss difficulty walking, exhaustion, brain fog or an overall malaise and instead blame it on stress or being overworked. Nausea or vomiting often gets explained away to viral illnesses.

It's critical to zero in on "any sudden symptom or loss in function that you can't explain. The key is that it's sudden," said Khatri, director of the University of Cincinnati Stroke Team.

Studies suggest women are just as knowledgeable as men, if not more, about recognizing the more typical stroke symptoms. Yet because women are more likely than men to minimize their symptoms, they're also more likely to reach out to their primary doctor or drive themselves to the hospital instead of calling 911, said Dr. Amytis Towfighi, director of neurological services for Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

"The key to getting the treatments we have available is having the ambulances alert the hospitals that they're coming with a stroke patient, so that the whole team is activated and ready to give the medication," said Towfighi, an associate professor of neurology and preventive medicine at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.

"Whereas if you just walk into the ER, you might be stuck in triage waiting to be seen. And since women in particular may have nontraditional symptoms, the staff may not figure out right away that they're having a stroke, and there could be delays in getting seen and getting treatment."

Minutes matter during a stroke, which happens when the brain is deprived of oxygen after blood flow is cut off by a clot or a ruptured vessel. Treatment is extremely time-sensitive, and delays can increase the risk of death or permanent brain damage.

When deciding whether to seek help, Khatri said womenand menshould be comfortable with the idea of a potential false alarm.

"It's not worth the risk of it being a true stroke that you failed to get treated for quickly," she said.

"Time is brain, and the longer you take to get definitive treatment, the more brain (tissue) that's going to die, and the less well you're going to be in the long run. In fact, fast treatment can even completely reverse the stroke. It's worth taking that risk of being wrong. You want to err towards being seen."

Explore further Women are less likely than men to be diagnosed with minor stroke

American Heart Association News covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org.
A retired police officer has been charged with killing a child and injuring six others on 17th May in Nairobi.

The Court heard that the ex-officer, identified as Mativo, was trying to drive out of parking when he accidentally rammed into a school perimeter wall destroying it and running over a 9-year-old boy who was playing with others.

Six children aged between 6-13 years sustained fractures on their fingers and bruises on their bodies after being hit by debris. They were rushed to hospital for treatment and the body of the deceased taken to for post mortem. The scene was visited, secured and sketch plan drawn, the court was told.

The vehicle involved in the accident was also inspected and found to have no Pre-accidents defects.

The accused denied all charges. In its application for bond suspension for two weeks, the prosecution argued that some of the victims are still admitted and that the charges need to be amended.

The court, however, granted the accused cash bail of Sh 150,000 or a personal bond of Sh, 300,000.

The case will be mentioned on June 5.
President Donald Trump says China's new ban on all fentanyl-related substances will be a "game-changer" in the deadly US opioid crisis

President Donald Trump says China's new ban on all fentanyl-related substances will be a "game-changer" in the deadly US opioid crisis, but experts warn it may just shift production elsewhereparticularly Mexico.

Under pressure from Trump, China on May 1 banned all chemical analogues of fentanyl, the synthetic drug at the heart of an overdose epidemic that is killing tens of thousands of people a year in the United States.

Trump won the fentanyl concession as part of his trade war with China, which is allegedly the world's leading supplier of the powerful narcotic, along with designer drugs that mimic it and the precursor chemicals used to make all of them.

But law enforcement officials and anti-narcotics experts warn the ban will probably just push production to other countriesincluding the United States' southern neighbor, whose powerful drug cartels are already deeply immersed in fentanyl trafficking.

Blame it on the "balloon effect", the idea that banning a drug is like trying to squeeze the air out of a balloon: it just moves somewhere else.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is preparing for exactly that possibility.

"It's a balloon effect.... As we put more pressure on China, they'll just send the chemicals over to Mexico to make (fentanyl) there," a DEA official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Chinese suppliers will now likely start shipping "pre-precursors" abroad to get around the ban, he said.

So many different substances can be used to make fentanyl, and the Chinese chemicals industry is so massive, that it will be impossible to regulate every potential source of the drug, he added.

"They'll figure out how to go generate two or three (chemicals) to replace the one we just put controls on," he said.

"It's great that they did that, but a chemist can go back to what is uncontrolled, work that up to the precursor they need, and make fentanyl."

Circling home

The balloon effect is what pushed narcotics production to China in the first place, experts say.

Responding to a crystal meth boom in the United States around the turn of the millennium, authorities imposed tougher controls on cough syrups and other legal medications used to "cook" the drug.

The new regulations hit American meth labs hard. But they gave Mexican cartels a new line of businessleading them to develop connections with the chemical industry in China, which supplied them precursors for meth.

Then, the opioid epidemic began to take hold in the United States, rooted in decades of over-prescription of addictive painkillers.

Chart showing US drug overdose death rates by opioid category, source of opioids, and how they work

That led to tighter controls on prescription narcotics such as OxyContin, and so Chinese suppliers expanded into making fentanyla potent narcotic up to 100 times stronger than morphine that has killed thousands of people in the US, including celebrity overdose victims Tom Petty and Prince.

Soon, Mexican cartels were trafficking counterfeit pain pills into the United States made with Chinese fentanyl.

With the Chinese ban now in place, Mexican criminal groups such as the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, whose current role in production is limited, have an incentive to onshore more of the fentanyl supply chain, said Edgardo Buscaglia, an organized crime expert at Columbia University.

"The Chinese ban will clearly create an effect where smaller suppliers, including Mexico, scale up production to satisfy demand. That's how markets work," he said.

"Production will also expand in Pakistan, India, North Korea," he added.

But "Mexico in particular has a very serious problem regulating its pharmaceutical industry," he said. "And it's an enormous, enormous market. So it's very possible fentanyl production will increase in Mexico with the criminal structures that already exist."

'About to get complicated'

Upstart fentanyl producers' main challenge will be matching China's scale, said Javier Oliva, a researcher at Mexico's largest university, UNAM.

"Producing fentanyl requires a certain level of pharmaceutical sophistication that won't be easy to install in Mexico," he said.

"Unlike methamphetamines, which can be produced here, fentanyl's characteristics aren't so basic."

In fact, China became the go-to fentanyl supplier precisely because of the economic powerhouse's sheer production capacity, said another US official.

"Drug traffickers source their drugs in China for the same reason everything is made in China," he told AFP, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Why don't we make sneakers in the US anymore, for example? It's not because we can't make them in the US. It's because the Chinese can do it cheaper, and on a much larger scale."

But law enforcement officials are already worried about the implications a Mexican fentanyl boom would have, both for the United Stateswhere overdose deaths have surged from less than 17,000 in 1999 to more than 70,000 in 2017and for Mexicowhere more than a quarter-million people have been murdered since 2006, in violence largely fueled by the so-called "drug war."

Experts fear an already gruesome situation could now get worse.

"It's about to get complicated," the DEA official said.

Explore further China to regulate all fentanyl drugs as controlled substance

 2019 AFP
Credit: World Health Organisation (2019)

The use of tobacco products, like smoking cigarettes, is the leading preventable cause of cancer worldwide. And lung cancer is still a leading cause of global deaths.

But while the number of men dying from lung cancer is starting to fall, recent figures suggest that the number of women dying from the disease around the world is still increasing.

Today, like every May 31st since 1987, is World No Tobacco Day. And this year's theme of lung health and tobacco makes it all the more relevant to try and unpick this trend.

Big Tobacco's marketing tactics increase tobacco sales to women

It's hard to pinpoint one reason to explain this shift, though tobacco industry tactics such as the marketing of tobacco products, can partly explain this rise in female lung cancer deaths. This includes marketing products in a way that will appeal directly to women, making smoking seem like a glamorous and empowering habit. These tactics can't be used in the UK as, like many other countries, the Government has prohibited virtually all tobacco advertising. However, there are many countries including China, the Philippines and India, where this is still not the case.

Before we can start to explain why we are we seeing more women dying from lung cancer we need to think about what is meant by 'gender."

Professor Sarah Hawkes of the Institute of Global Health at the University College London, and Global Health 50/50, is an expert on gender and health. She says gender, unlike sex, is what society makes you into. "It's malleable and flexible and throughout our lives we are surrounded by situations and drivers that will change how we identify and express our own gender."

And gender is a key driver behind smoking.

"No one" she says, "understands this better than commercial industries."

Professor Hawkes has spent much of her career researching the impact of gender on health. Her research on tobacco has highlighted how profoundly the two factors can influence one another.

According to Hawkes, women are a prime target for the tobacco industry for two major reasons.

Firstly, 80% of the world's smokers live in low-and-middle income countries. And some of these countries are experiencing economic growth, meaning more women are able to afford tobacco.

And in countries experiencing economic growth, more women are moving from rural parts of the countries into cities, where smoking is more common. "Educated women in urban Mumbai (India) for example, are more likely to be smokers than young women in rural Maharashtra," she says. These factors lead to an uptake in tobacco use.

Second, the industry understands and takes advantage of changing gender roles. Just like industries who capitalised on societally-defined differences between men and women, including the marketing of 'girls' and 'boys' toys, the tobacco industry has used a series of tactics to take advantage of the way countries define gender to drive sales of its products. For example, by creating female branded packs that promote attributes such as slimness, glamour and attractiveness.

But they've not stopped there. The tobacco industry has also designed products to appeal to women at different stages of their life and fostered the false idea that tobacco is linked to empowerment.

Cigarette brands for younger women emphasise confidence, freedom and independence, while those marketed towards older women drew on themes of relaxation and escape from daily stresses.

Who societies think 'should' or 'shouldn't' smoke has also been influenced by the tobacco industry. "You might believe that [smoking] is a symbol of independence, because a commercial company is telling you this story. Particularly if you live in a country where in your grandparents' generation men were the only ones allowed to smoke," says Hawkes.

It's not just smoking

It's not just women starting to smoke that's behind this trend. 64% of those who die from exposure to second-hand smoke are women.

Women have the highest exposure to second hand smoke at home and in the work place. This is often a result of their limited ability to negotiate against their domestic roles, unequal power relationships and restricted living circumstances.

With more women dying from lung cancer than ever before, we need to better understand the links between gender and health.

How can we buck the trend?

"We need to join the dots," says Professor Hawkes, making a plea to policy makers that it's time to understand how complex the determinants of ill-health are.

It's not a coincidence that more women are dying from lung cancer.

The tobacco industry understands that factors like gender can have a significant influence on how people use or are exposed to tobacco. So we need to make efforts to understand this too.

And if we incorporate an understanding of factors like gender into tobacco control programmes, we could help to prevent women and children's exposure to second hand smoke.

Take Australia and Canada for example. They've helped to reduce the risk of second hand smoke by taking into consideration what it means to be a good father in their country and playing on that perception.

But innovative initiatives like this are few and far between, as Professor Hawkes explains. "I've spent a lot of time collecting evidence on the impact of gender on health then wondering why this evidence wasn't making it into policy change."

We are seeing more governments enforce policies such as bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsporship. But we need to see more of this in countries where the tobacco industry increasingly operates.

"The tobacco industry are masters of understanding how to manipulate gender norms to increase their profits" Professor Hawkes explains.

The onus is on us to be just as good at understanding how factors like gender are causing the global smoking epidemic to spread. And to help us stop it.

Explore further WHO decries Big Tobacco bid to rebrand World No Tobacco Day
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Elizabeth Kough had been pregnant before. She knew how it felt. She just couldn't believe it had happened this time.

Kough was at her house in Kearney last year when she got the positive test result on a home pregnancy kit. It was shocking because three years earlier, she had had both of her fallopian tubes removeda procedure medical professionals assured her would make it all but impossible for her to conceive.

"So I freaked out," said Kough, 39.

She woke her boyfriend and had him drive her straight to the hospital.

Another test there confirmed she was pregnant, so she insisted on an ultrasound, fearing that an embryo was lodged somewhere in her abdominal cavity.

But the scan showed the tiny fetus nestled safely in Kough's uterus. She gave birth at North Kansas City Hospital in March to a healthy 7-pound, 6-ounce baby boy named Benjaminpart of a journey she never expected but says she definitely wouldn't change.

"Of course at first I was shocked and I was like, 'this isn't in my plan,' " Kough said. "I'm a planner. But now, you know, sometimes the best laid plans, you need to just do away with those. He is a beautiful baby. I am exceptionally lucky to have him in my life."

Based on the scientific literature, "lucky" barely begins to describe it.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the rate of pregnancy for women who have partial removal of their fallopian tubes is about 7.5 per 1,000. But there's no comprehensive data on women who become pregnant after having full removal like Kough, in part because it's so rare.

The first case documented in English-language medical journals was published in 2005, after a 38-year-old woman who had her tubes removed showed up pregnant at an emergency room in the United Kingdom.

There was not a second case published until three years later.

Usually an egg has to travel from the ovaries into the fallopian tube to get fertilized, before continuing down to the uterus. Without the tubes it should be nearly impossible to get pregnant, unless the woman uses in-vitro fertilization, which Kough says she didn't do.

A 2007 article published in the Singapore Medical Journal theorized that in some women who have both tubes removeda surgery called bilateral salpingectomythe area where the fallopian tube previously connected to the uterus may not completely closed over. In very rare cases, an egg might travel through the space between the ovary and the uterus ("transperitoneal migration") and reach that opening just at the right moment.

It happens. But not very often. A bilateral salpingectomy is one of the most effective forms of birth control there is.

"When I had the procedure done they were like, 'It's about as close to 100% as you can get,' " Kough said.

Kough, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, had the surgery in Virginia in 2015. At the time she was 35, divorced, and already had three kids. She didn't think she wanted to have any more. She also had a history of ovarian cancer in her family, and fallopian tube removal can greatly reduce the risk of getting it. So it seemed like a win-win.

Two years later Kough, who graduated high school in Lathrop, moved back home to Missouri, where she became very unexpectedly pregnant.

She said her doctors at Meritas Health couldn't explain it.

"I was kind of floored, like how does this happen?" Kough said. "And they said, 'Well, it's probably a botched surgery.' "

Meritas Health declined to comment specifically on Kough's case, but said in general, bilateral salpingectomy is nearly 100% effective at preventing pregnancy when performed correctly.

"There are a very few case reports in the medical literature of spontaneous conception following a bilateral salpingectomy," the physician group said in a statement released by a spokeswoman.

Kough's medical records from Virginia, which she provided to The Star, indicate that the surgery was a success. They include not only the surgeon's notes but also a report from a pathologist who confirmed seeing Kough's fallopian tubes, outside her body, after they were removed.

Still, Kough said that when Benjamin was born via planned cesarean section, the surgeons double-checked.

"They said, 'No there's nothing there. The surgeon did everything correctly. There's no tubes,' " Kough said. "So, he truly was a miracle baby."

Kough said her older children17, 11 and 9are enthralled with their baby brother, and she has to remind them they can't hold him all the time. He needs his rest. Her boyfriend is a devoted dad, she said, even though he never envisioned himself in the role.

She said she's still in shock, but feels blessed.

"I don't know if he was just a medical miracle and a 1-in-a-million chance, or if he was absolutely meant to be," Kough said. "I'm just a little person. I don't know about the greater universe and God's plan for us. But I do know that he's definitely very special. Special to me and to our family."

Explore further Sparing ovaries and removing fallopian tubes may cut cancer risk, but few have procedure

2019 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The Missoula International School has always been unique. The independent school for students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade employs teachers from countries around the world who teach students to read, write and speak in both Spanish and English.

In 2009, it became the flagship school in the Northwest as a Primary Years Program (PYP) International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.

This week, the school made history again when it announced its status as the first school in Montana authorized to deliver the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP).

At MIS and with the MYP, theyve always taught us to look beyond the facts and think broader, said Eden Maxwell, an eighth-grader at MIS.

The MYP program and other IB programs designed for various age groups focus on building intercultural understanding among students, while encouraging students to think critically and challenge assumptions.

As part of the Middle Years Program, designed for students ages 11-16, students are required to complete a yearlong community project that focuses on an issue or topic of interest to the student and their community.

"They pick an organization or some kind of problem or issue that they want to address and study throughout the year and take action in some kind of way," said Laura Bovard, MIS's director of admissions and marketing.

Maxwells project focused on building the first student council at MIS and developing leadership awareness.

The projects encourage students to pursue big-picture topics and then reflect on their learning and the outcomes of their work.

Eighth-graders at MIS presented their capstone projects to parents, teachers and younger students on Thursday following an assembly to announce the schools certification.

Evelyn Kiely, Aidan Chapman and Ian Rasmussen worked together to produce a documentary about the Missoula Art Museum. The students interviewed ceramic artists Cathy Weber and Adrian Arleo.

Kiely said that the project focused on various features of the Missoula Art Museum (such as teen artist workshops) but it was fundamentally about why art is important and why it should be done.

Each requirement for our project was based on the MYP program, so like investigating, planning, action and reflecting, Kiely said.

The students asked the artists and others they worked with for feedback on their documentary, and posted it on YouTube as part of their effort to inform others about art.

Camille Sherrill also discussed her project, which took the form of an opinion article on dog breed-specific legislation that she published in the Missoulian as a guest column.

Sherrill investigated the issue, learned about the history of breed-specific legislation, interviewed staff at Missoula Animal Control and considered how legislation may affect Montanans.

For instance, she found that in 2018, the town of Libby lifted a ban on pit bulls that had been in place since the 1990s.

Sherrill also spoke with the Missoulians opinion editor, Tyler Christensen, about the differences between articles in the news and opinion sections.

It was really different than any type of writing Id ever done, Sherrill said. I was happy that I got to include my bias because I got to publish it in the opinion section, so I still included the facts but I got to give my perspective on the issue.

For each project, students reflected on their work, what they would have done differently and what type of feedback they received.

The community projects are designed to embody the values of the MYP by challenging students to make practical connections between their classroom experiences and the world around them. Ultimately, it aims to position the students to use their knowledge to make a positive impact in their community.

I think thinking broadly is a really great skill to have because we can do service learning like we did in this project and that helps us know how to think and work with others, Maxwell said.

MIS was a MYP candidate school since the 2015-2016 school year.

Bovard said preparing teachers with the IB learning model and teaching process was the biggest part of the authorization process.

"It's really student-led but in order for students to know how to go through that teaching process of their own learning, teachers have to have a clear, outlined plan," Bovard said.

Teachers attended IB professional development workshops that helped them understand the key components of MYP and it's approaches to learning.

"The approaches to learning are the key part of all IB programs," Bovard said. "They're basically those life skills that we all need to be successful in life: communication skills, thinking skills, research skills, social emotional skills."

Even before the school became certified, the MYP framework helped two recent MIS graduates get accepted to the United World College. The two students will continue their IB education for their junior and senior years of high school, with one student in Swaziland and the other in Norway.

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 Missoulian's new executive editor is longtime journalist and former national correspondent Gwen Florio, publisher Jim Strauss announced Thursday.

"I'm just very excited to be able to work with Gwen in this new role," Strauss said.

He said Florio has played a significant role in important reporting at the Missoulian, and the former city editor and crime reporter for western Montana's largest media outlet will continue to pursue deep journalism and narrative storytelling.

"Gwen has been a key part of some very important in-depth projects that have been done here at the Missoulian," Strauss said. "Notably, Gwen was a key leader in our yearlong reporting on private programs for troubled youth. That series and continued reporting led to meaningful legislation to change how those facilities are regulated."

Florio served as city editor for the Missoulian most recently since 2016, and said she is honored and privileged to lead her newsroom and the Ravalli Republic newsroom in Hamilton.

"I want to continue the watchdog and investigative work that we've done the last couple of years," Florio said.

She also wants the newsroom to continue to document the changes taking place in the community and the region.

"We live in this amazing area that is undergoing very rapid transformation, and ... I want this newsroom to continue telling the stories of the people and the lives in this area, emphasizing both written narrative and really wonderful photojournalism."

Florio first worked as a Missoulian journalist from 2007 to 2013. She won the Lee Enterprises President's Award for her 2012 coverage of sexual assault involving University of Montana students, which resulted in federal investigations and changes to policies and practices that improve the way institutions and law enforcement agencies handle such cases.

Prior to moving to Montana, her coverage included the shooting at Columbine High School and the Oklahoma City bombing trials. In addition to covering the Rocky Mountain West, she's reported from Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia.

***

The journalism industry has been changing rapidly and media outlets have been under financial pressures and shrinking employee counts, but Strauss and Florio both said the Missoulian has set priorities to produce meaningful journalism.

"Our reality is we live under really stringent financial limitations, and one of the things I love about this newsroom is we have managed to find a way within that to pick our shots and to do the stories that have the most impact and stories that matter the most to our community in ways that I'm just incredibly proud of," Florio said.

Florio named as recent examples coverage of trailer home evictions for small amounts of unpaid taxes and the investigation of private treatment programs for troubled teens. Both reports led to legislative changes.

"That is the most gratifying part of being in this business, because it affects people's lives," Florio said.

Strauss said changes in the industry also make a digital approach in news a top priority, and he anticipates that transformation "will continue to accelerate." He said the print publication still reaches more readers than the website, but each year, the online audience grows.

At the same time, Strauss said he and Florio have talked about connecting with the local community in ways beyond journalism, through events such as political forums and other engagements.

"I think Missoula is a very dynamic community, and that's something that you'll be seeing the Missoulian pursue quickly," Strauss said.

***

Strauss, formerly at the Great Falls Tribune, first brought Florio to Montana from Denver to run the Tribune's Capitol bureau in 2005. From Colorado, Florio had covered the Rocky Mountain West as a national correspondent for the Philadelphia Inquirer and also reported for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News.

In 2007, Florio moved from the Tribune to the Missoulian, and she subsequently departed in 2013 to focus on fiction for three years. Her most recent novel, "Silent Hearts," was released by Atria in 2018, and Florio said she will continue to write in the mornings before arriving at the newsroom, as she has the last three years as city editor.

Florio took the executive role in an interim capacity when Kathy Best departed earlier in May to take a post as the first director of the new Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland.

Florio and her partner, Scott Crichton, retired executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana, live in the lower Rattlesnake.

She first applied for a job at the Missoulian roughly 20 years ago after she first visited Montana in 1993, but she said then-editor Mike McInally rejected her. "This is a wonderful 20-, 30-years-old I-told-you-so."

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 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.
A matatu driver is crying foul after a Nairobi Court this week acquitted a police officer accused of assaulting him in 2013.

43-year-old Ernest Nyamoti said he was arrested over a traffic offence in 2013 after which police officers proceeded to beat him up severely damaging his manhood.

Nyamoti said he can no longer sire children after undergoing surgery to remove his badly damaged testicles.

Where is justice in this country? What more evidence would the magistrate want? Im alive and the doctors testified in my favour, explaining that my testicles were smashed and later removed?

I no longer have sexual feelings and I have no chance of fathering a child, he said.

Mr Nyamote further said he spent around Sh 1.4 million on treatment.

In his ruling, Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot said the prosecution had failed to prove the case against the accused, Constable Jamal Hussein.

After evaluating the evidence tabled in court, l find the prosecution has not established a prima facie case against the accused and I, therefore, acquit him under Section 210 of the Criminal Procedure Code, ruled the magistrate.
A federal court says a Montana judge and sheriff's deputy violated a Mexican-born man's rights when they detained and arrested him based solely on suspicions he was in the country illegally.

Construction worker Miguel Angel Reynaga Hernandez was at a Billings courthouse in October 2017 with his wife, who was seeking a civil protection order against another person.

When that person said Reynaga was not a legal citizen, former Yellowstone County Justice of the Peace Pedro Hernandez called for a county sheriff's deputy, Derrek Skinner, who detained Reynaga and brought him to the county jail. Reynaga was later turned over to federal custody.

"Although unlawful presence may indicate an immigration crime was committed, such as illegal entry, unlawful presence can also result from noncriminal conduct such as overstaying a visa," U.S. District Judge Susan Watters wrote in her Wednesday order in a lawsuit against the judge and deputy. "Suspicion of unlawful presence does not, without more, provide a basis to detain or arrest someone because it is not a crime for a removable alien to remain present in the United States."

Reynaga was eventually released and deportation proceedings against him dismissed under orders from an immigration judge in Tacoma, Washington. He remains in Billings, said attorney Matt Adams with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. The Seattle-based group sued on behalf of Reynaga last year seeking monetary damages.

The Yellowstone County Attorney's Office, which defended Hernandez and Skinner, had said in court filings that Reynaga committed a crime by illegally entering the U.S.

Reynaga came to the U.S. seeking work and has a visa application pending, Adams said. He wouldn't directly answer a question on his client's current legal status, saying it was irrelevant.

"They never had any basis on which to make an arrest because they didn't know, didn't have probable cause," Adams said. "State and local police don't have authority to engage in immigrations investigation and enforcement. It's a federal, civil matter."

Hernandez declined immediate comment on Watters' ruling because he had not read through it nor consulted with the county attorney's office. Hernandez retired in 2017 and has said previously that it was his "obligation" as a judge to report Reynaga.

Yellowstone County Deputy County Attorney Melissa Williams said her office was not commenting because the lawsuit is ongoing.

Skinner, who has left the sheriff's office and is now a probation and parole officer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Some places in the U.S. have "sanctuary" policies that prevent cooperation with detention requests from federal immigration authorities, but none are in Montana. Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, who is now running for president, this month vetoed legislation that would have effectively banned local governments from declaring themselves as sanctuaries.

Watters turned down a request from Reynaga for a declaration that Hernandez and Skinner acted illegally. She said that would be redundant given her decision that Reynaga's rights were violated.

The two sides will now negotiate over possible damages, Adams said. A November jury trial is scheduled if they fail to reach an agreement.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
HELENA  A Montana judge has delayed the trial of a New York man accused of lying to authorities about discussions he had about joining the Islamic State group and avenging the shootings at two New Zealand mosques.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen, based in Missoula, on Wednesday re-set the trial date for 21-year-old Fabjan Alameti from June 24 to Sept. 3.

Alameti waived his right to a speedy trial and his attorney asked for more time to analyze the more than 4,000 pages of documents and recordings that are part of the case.

Alameti was arrested at a Bozeman gun range on April 3. Federal prosecutors allege Alameti engaged in contact with a "supporter of ISIS" he believed was living in Jordan, and said in encrypted messages that he was planning to travel to Syria to fight with ISIS.

In March, the FBI executed a search warrant on Alameti's Facebook account, according to federal court records, and found conversations about his intent to travel to Iraq.

That same month, for reasons not explained in court filings, Alameti took a bus from New York to Bozeman. While he was traveling, authorities say the person who had been communicating with Alameti sent him a news link about the New Zealand shootings that killed 50 people. Prosecutors said Alameti pledged in his correspondence to avenge the Muslims killed in New Zealand.

When Alameti arrived in Montana, however, he purchased an air pellet rifle and was kicked out of a hotel room for smoking marijuana, court records state. When police made contact with him in Bozeman, Alameti denied ever having been linked to anyone who asked him to travel overseas, and said he had never expressed a desire to harm any Americans or fight for ISIS, according to charging documents.

He has pleaded not guilty to making false statements involving terrorism and possession of a firearm while using marijuana.

Alameti's public defender argues his client's statements were protected under the First Amendment.

Missoulian reporter Seaborn Larson contributed to this story.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
A constitutional dispute between Montana's Democratic governor and Republican secretary of state escalated on Friday when a judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking Secretary of State Corey Stapleton from enrolling into state law a bison bill that Gov. Steve Bullock vetoed in April.

District Judge James Reynolds' order comes two days after Stapleton declared that House Bill 132 had become law despite the governor writing an April 29 veto letter, which was posted on the Montana Legislature's website. Stapleton said Bullock missed a 10-day deadline to physically turn the veto in to the secretary's office.

Bullock said no such deadline exists and that he followed the law and constitution in issuing the veto on the bill, which would change the definition of "wild bison." The governor filed a lawsuit Friday after Stapleton assigned the bill a chapter number, which is the first step toward codifying and publishing it into state law.

The disputed bill would redefine a wild bison or wild buffalo in a way that Bullock said in his veto letter would create confusion and uncertainty about whether Yellowstone National Park bison could be mistakenly considered domestic animals. The governor suggested changes to the bill that lawmakers rejected.

Reynolds acted swiftly after receiving Bullock's complaint. The judge wrote in his order that if what the governor says is true, Stapleton is trying to unconstitutionally override a governor's veto, which would cause irreparable harm because the vetoed law would go into immediate effect.

"The Governor has established facts, which, if proven true, establish he vetoed HB 132 in compliance with the Montana Constitution and Montana Code Annotated," Reynolds wrote.

The judge ordered Stapleton to rescind the chapter number he assigned the bill, remove the bill from the file of laws passed during this year's legislative session and inform the Legislature's code commissioner that he had done so. The judge also ordered Stapleton to send the governor's veto message and a copy of the bill to all legislators within five days.

Stapleton did not immediately return a call for comment. His agency's attorney, Austin James, said the secretary's office would comment only after reviewing the court documents.

The clash of powers between the two elected offices comes as Stapleton makes his second attempt for the Republican nomination for governor -- he lost in 2012 -- while Bullock, who can't run again due to term limits, seeks the Democratic nomination for president.

On Wednesday, Stapleton told The Associated Press that two state laws justified his actions. The first says the governor must return the vetoed bill to the secretary of state if the Legislature is not in session. The second says that a bill that has not been returned by the governor within 10 days after its delivery to the governor becomes law.

Stapleton said the vetoed bill wasn't delivered to his office until May 22.

Bullock said Stapleton is misinterpreting the law. The governor cited the state constitution, which says a bill only becomes law if the does not sign or veto it within 10 days after it is delivered to the governor. The Legislature transmitted the bison bill to the governor on April 25, and Bullock's veto letter came four days later.

"When the Governor of Montana vetoes a bill, the Montana Secretary of State cannot ignore the veto and make the bill a law," Bullock attorney Raphael Graybill wrote in the lawsuit. "Unless the legislature overrides the Governor's veto, the bill does not become law. There are few principles more basic to our constitutional system of ordered lawmaking."

Graybill said a court hearing on the temporary restraining order has not yet been set.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
POLSON  When Marita Growing Thunder graduated from high school here in 2017, she didnt wear a gown. She made her dress.

Growing Thunder, a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, spent her senior year at Polson High making traditional ribbon skirts to honor missing and murdered indigenous women. She made her graduation dress partially for that project, and partially because my parents and my grandmother werent able to wear their dresses when they graduated. They werent given that option growing up.

School administrators once had the power to block Native students from wearing ribbon dresses, beaded mortarboards, eagle feathers and other types of regalia at graduation. In 2017, Montana passed the first state law protecting students rights to wear regalia at public events.

But as Polson High Schools June 9 commencement approaches, its handling of this practice is under scrutiny.

While the law states that a state agency or a local government may not prohibit an individual from wearing traditional tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance at a public event, Polson School District policy requires students to gain administrators approval for tribal regalia, and beadwork on their mortarboards that they would like to wear at graduation.

That rule, said superintendent Rex Weltz, is meant to avoid offending anyone. Here's what I never wanted, he said. I never wanted a Polson High School student to wear something that wasn't culturally significant and was offensive  to our Native American population.

The district lists 28 of the 90 Polson High seniors as being of American Indian/Alaska Native descent. Weltz voiced strong support for Senate Bill 319, the 2017 law that protects students rights to wear objects of cultural significance. But he also posited not all objects would meet that standard.

The last thing we want to do is have a kid, you know, glue a bunch of antlers to their mortarboard and say, Well, this is culturally significant. ...(or) gluing a beer can to their mortarboard and saying Oh, it's significant, or gluing something that would not fit for me.

As far as beadwork goes, Weltz said, what I don't want to do is have Hashtag 2019 rocks  . That's not significant, that doesn't make sense to me, so (when) those are of question we can take it to the IEC, or Indian Education Committee. He said that school district body, which advises on Native education, can provide valuable guidance when questions of cultural significance arise.

We want kids to be prideful of what they can wear, their regalia, and we just need to know what it looks like, if it's questionable, so that we don't offend our Native population. Thats all weve ever asked.

Regina Mad Plume has a different take on it.

Everything theyre trying to do is a slap in the face to all of the people who did this activism, who lobbied for Senate Bill 319, she said. Mad Plume was one of those people, a community organizer with Western Native Voice who pushed for the bills passage in 2017. She belongs to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, but stressed that she was speaking for herself.

Now, Mad Plume is a Native American cultural specialist at Polsons Cherry Valley Elementary School. She was at a meeting earlier this month among school district administrators, Indian Education Committee members and staff from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Tribal Education department.

When the approval policy came up for discussion, she remembered, I just right away raised my hand and said I was not offended by Native American culture whatsoever, and that Senate Bill 319 was passed, allowing students to wear their tribal regalia . I tried to get that across to them, that this policy is illegal.

It also worried meeting attendee Kylei Big Bow, a 2018 Polson High School graduate and member of the Laguna Pueblo and Chippewa Cree tribes. She received her diploma in a ribbon dress, beaded mortarboard and eagle feathers. "I wanted to represent myself as a Native American graduate, and it's very important to myself and my family that I share my heritage," she said.

In a May 22 Facebook video, Big Bow called the districts policy very irritating, because each tribe has significance for different things, and its very unfair to bring them to the IEC. Its also unfair that a white man gets to choose whether or not its culturally significant. Mad Plume also aired her concerns.

Both the district and the Indian Education Committee soon issued statements describing a significant amount of misinformation circulating on social media regarding the Polson High School graduation ceremonies. Both stated that at no time did any member of the group state that students would be prevented from exercising their rights under the states regalia law.

There's a misconception, like, we don't let them wear anything, Weltz said. That's not true.

But some of the school districts policies on the topic do contradict one another. Its e-book of board policies specifically protects students rights under the regalia law in two different places. But another provision, read by Big Bow in her video, restricts mortarboard beadwork to a half-inch band around the outside edge, and requires that designs be approved. Meanwhile, a copy of the student handbook provided by Weltz says that administration can make exceptions (to the mortarboard rule) upon pre-approval.

In practice, Weltz said they approve most of the proposed designs. Marita Growing Thunder said she just had to describe her dress to the principal. Kylei Big Bow doesnt remember having to get approval.

Nonetheless, Western Native Voice program director Tajin Perez said the approval requirement needs to go. The law says tribal regalia and objects of cultural significance, and that is self-defined by the individuals, and that is the intent and framing of the legislation, he said.

Marita Growing Thunder also took issue with the requirement. So did Lillian Alvernaz, Indigenous Justice Legal Fellow with the ACLU of Montana.

"Polson High School's policy requiring pre-approval for traditional regalia runs afoul of the spirit and the letter of Montana law," she wrote in an emailed statement. "The law clearly states that schools may not prohibit students from wearing traditional regalia at public events, including graduation. Any policy that Polson High School adopts should promote  not restrict  Native students' ability to celebrate graduation wearing traditional regalia."

Perez said other districts followed the law without policies like Polsons. Our hope is a peaceful resolution where all parties are informed and satisfied with the outcome, and we would hope that Polson School District comes to the perspective with an overall view of the law, he said.

Jonah DuCharme, a Polson High senior, likes what he's seen in the administration's response so far.

When he first heard about the regalia rules through social media, it struck him as just more trying to suppress the culture . I believe the policy came out kind of in that way.

He voiced those concerns to Principal Pete Hamilton, saying that there should be no restrictions on beaded mortarboards, but later softened his stance. I re-suggested the idea that white students as well as Native American students should be approved, letting them all decorate their mortarboards within acceptable limits of taste.

I really appreciate Mr. Hamilton being completely understanding, he said.

Just over a week remains before graduation. DuCharme says his cousin is beading his mortarboard for the big day, and he doesnt foresee any issues.

At the graduation practice, I was going to hand it to them, let them approve it, and go from there.

Its in our culture, he said. We always love to celebrate great accomplishments.

Superintendent Weltz said that those with questions or concerns on this topic should contact the district. Visit polson.k12.mt.us for contact information.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. 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 Stevensville man who survived eight gunshot wounds in a March attack will return to Montana Saturday, the state Department of Justice said.

Casey Blanchard has been under medical treatment at University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, where another shooting survivor, Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer, was also undergoing medical treatment before returning to Montana May 23.

Last week officials announced Blanchard could be following close behind Palmer in his return. Both homecomings involve adversity still ahead. Blanchard is now a paraplegic, according to his wife, while Palmer is still non-verbal as he recovers from a penetrating traumatic brain injury as well as others from being shot three times.

Blanchard and his wife Leah will drive home to Montana, DOJ said in a release Friday morning.

These past few months, weve been surrounded by a strong medical team here at the University of Utah that kept us moving at every hurdle," the Blanchards said in the statement. "Although Casey is now a paraplegic and has other limitations, we are both adjusting to this huge change to our lives and we are continuously improving every day.

We want to thank Caseys medical team, along with the amazing troopers who let us in with open arms during our stay here. We also want to thank our hometown for all the support, love, and prayers that have been sent our way. We truly couldnt have come out as strong as we have without you guys."

Blanchard now begins a home-based therapy program. When they drive home, they'll be met at the Missoula County line by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper who will escort them to Stevensville. They are expected to arrive in Stevensville at approximately 7 p.m. Anyone who wishes to show out to support the Blanchards "should line Brooks Street in Missoula or meet at the Stevensville Wye," DOJ said.

Blanchard was one of four people shot in the late hours of March 14 and early March 15 in two separate shootings believed to have been carried out by the same man. Blanchard, his friend Shelley Hays and mother Julie were driving home from a bar while on Expressway when another vehicle reportedly used its headlights to flag them down. When they stopped, the gunman opened fire, striking Blanchard eight times, wounding his mother and killing 28-year-old Hays.

An hour after authorities began looking for the suspect's white SUV, Trooper Palmer found the vehicle near Evaro and was shot three times as he approached the rig parked on Highway 93. He and Blanchard were stabilized at Providence St. Patrick Hospital before being flown to Utah.

The 10 weeks since the incident has been a parade of fundraisers, benefits and support for the victims of both shootings.

I cant recall an incident in recent years in Montana that brought so many people together in support as that tragic night in March, Attorney General Tim Fox said in the press release. The outpouring of assistance from across Montana and in Salt Lake City on behalf of Casey and his family has been incredible."

Johnathan Bertsch, 28, of Arlee, was arrested without further incident not far from the scene where Palmer was shot. He is charged with one count of deliberate homicide and three counts of attempted deliberate homicide. His bail remains set at $2 million.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. 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.
" " Working for the Man means receiving a W-2 form each year to do your taxes. Purestock

There tax rules, regulations and laws about how much you might owe Uncle Sam and when you have to pay him are enough to make a lay person's head spin. Perhaps that's why American heroes like Henry David Thoreau, Al Capone and Wesley Snipes came up with their own solution: They simply refused to pay the tax man. For those of us who aren't too keen on spending time behind bars, however, the fact of the matter is that tax time is coming and -- one way or another -- we're going to have to pay up.

To understand your tax responsibilities, it's important to first familiarize yourself with one of the most basic forms typically used to calculate what you owe (or, in some cases, what the government owes you). A W-2 is a form issued by employers to workers that shows the total amount of money that the worker made on the job over the course of a year, as well as the amount of federal, state and other taxes withheld by the employer to cover the worker's estimated obligations. This information, in turn, is used by the worker to complete a tax return at the end of the year. Employers generally mail W-2s out or make them available electronically by the end of January each year.

Advertisement

Employers are required by law to mail W-2s to their employees by February 1 each year. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service can fine a business $50 for failing to do so. If you don't receive your form on time, it's a good idea to check with your employer to make sure that it was sent to the correct address. You can also report the matter to the IRS. If the form doesn't turn up, use IRS Form 4852 as a substitute [source: Ansari].
Kenyan Afro-pop boyband Sauti Sol is set to reach a wider global audience after signing with international talent agency company, the Africa Creative Agency.

According to reports, the partnership will provide Sauti Sol with international support and infrastructure needed to amplify them in global arena.

CEO and founder of Africa Creative Agency Colin Gayle said that he has always been a fan of the MTV Africa award winners.

I am extremely proud to add Sauti Sol to our management roster. I connected with the group a few years ago and I have always been a fan of their musical fortitude. I look forward to working closely with them in this new capacity, said Gayle.

Head of business affairs Moriasi Omambia added, We are looking forward to a great and productive working relationship as the band looks to expand music and business interests throughout Africa and the World.

Sauti Sol joins other African stars signed by the agency including Tanzanian singers Diamond, Vanessa Mdee and Rayvanny.
Now that Special Counsel Robert Mueller has reiterated that he hasnt exonerated President Donald Trump of obstruction in the Russian investigation, Montanas congressional Republicans say its time to move on, while its Democratic senator says it's time for a closer look.

Offices for the three lawmakers issued statements Thursday when presented with questions by Lee Montana Newspapers.

Staff for Republicans Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte said it was time Congressional scrutiny of the report ended. Staff members would not say whether Daines or Gianforte had read the Mueller report or felt obligated to as members of Congress.

Daines believes (Muellers) Wednesday press conference simply restated what was already known  Russia interfered in our elections and the Trump Campaign did not conspire or coordinate. Drawing out a one-sided partisan attack against the President would only worsen divisions and make it harder to solve problems, said Julia Doyle, communications director for Daines. The senator believes its time for the country to move on, work together, and focus on issues that are important to Montanans and this nation.

Daines was asked whether Mueller declining to clear Trump of obstruction changed the senators opinion about the findings. He was also asked whether an obstruction investigation was warranted. His office didnt answer the question and never uttered the word obstruction.

Gianfortes response was similar.

After two years of thorough investigations, Special Counsel Mueller said that his report is clear, that it speaks for itself, and that it would not be appropriate for him to testify before Congress, said Travis Hall, communications director for Gianforte. Greg believes its past time for House Democrats and Nancy Pelosi to move on from their unproductive obsession and work with Republicans to produce results on the issues Montanans care about  securing our border, addressing the rising cost of prescription drugs, and having good-paying jobs.

Only Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., would directly answer questions about Muellers remarks and whether lawmakers had an obligation to read the special counsels report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Tester has read the special counsels report and believes every member of Congress should, said Sarah Feldman the senators communications director, particularly since Mueller indicated Wednesday that any testimony he gave in person wouldnt go beyond it.

Mueller is reluctant to testify in person, but could be compelled by subpoena.

Tester was the only member of Montanas delegation to answer questions about the differing conclusions Mueller and Attorney General William Barr had on the matter of obstruction.

Barr concluded definitively that Trump did not obstruct the investigation into Russian election tampering, including questions about whether Trumps campaign worked in partnership with the Russians.

Mueller said Wednesday he wouldnt accuse Trump of obstruction given that its a crime for which the sitting president cannot be charged. The accusation wouldnt have been fair. However, Mueller said if we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.

Tester agrees with Republicans and Democrats who have said Barrs conclusion that the president definitively did not break the law is incorrect, Feldman said  not definitively, without further investigation by Congress. What that means is Congress needs access to documents and evidence underlying the report.

If the House concludes the president obstructed justice, the Senates Republican leadership should allow a vote, Tester said.

Ive said from the beginning that the American people deserve transparency from their government, and Ill continue working to hold the Trump Administration accountable to provide public testimony and the Mueller reports underlying documents, Tester said in a prepared statement. Congress needs to live up to its constitutional duty to follow the facts, and I hope my Republican colleagues will put politics aside and urge Senator Mitch McConnell to bring bipartisan election security legislation to a vote, so we can ensure this foreign interference doesnt happen again.

Trump was a hit with Montana voters in 2016, capturing 56.4% of the vote. In the past 20 years, only George W. Bush did better, twice, with Montana voters than Trump. Trump parlayed that political clout into an attempted sweep of the 2018 Montana Congressional elections, making four campaign stops for Rep. Gianforte and Senate candidate Matt Rosendale, the last a Bozeman stop just days before voting ended. On those trips, Gianforte and Daines were ever-present, and they occasionally flew from Washington, D.C., on Air Force One for rallies. Gianforte won, and Rosendale lost to incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 10
A Davenport woman is facing drug trafficking charges after police allege she sold crystal methamphetamine to undercover officers in December and January.

Jamie Lynn Hubbs, 33, of 2003 W. 1st St., Davenport, is charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute 15.1 grams of methamphetamine. The charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of up to 25 years.

Hubbs also is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, each of which is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

She also is charged with violating Iowas drug tax stamp law, a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of up to five years.

According to the arrest affidavits filed by agents of the Quad-City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, or Q-CMEG, on December 28, Hubbs made arrangements to sell crystal methamphetamine to an undercover agent. When the agent arrived at the agreed on place of the sale, Hubbs sent someone else out to conduct the transaction in which 3.8 grams of crystal methamphetamine were exchanged for cash.

On Jan. 3, Hubbs sold 4.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine to an undercover agent in return for cash.
Friday will be our best day of the week, Speck said, adding the high will be about 84 with no precipitation.

State assistance

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $41,560 for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food and temporary housing expenses.

Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available at https://dhs.iowa.gov/. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.
The nominating commission is seeking applicants to fill the opening that will occur upon the retirement of Judge Nancy S. Tabor.

The district judge will serve Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine and Scott counties.

Those interested in the position may obtain an application from the district court administrator's office at the Scott County Courthouse, Davenport, or the clerk of court offices in Cedar, Clinton, Jackson and Muscatine counties.

Applicants must be members of the Bar of Iowa, residents of the Seventh Judicial District and of such age that they will be able to serve an initial and one regular term of office before the age of 72 years.

Applications are due at the District Court Administrator's Office on or before Monday, June 24.

The Judicial Nominating Committee will meet July 22 in the second floor conference room of the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport to interview candidates. The commission will then nominate two candidates for judgeship and the governor will choose from those two candidates.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
For some in Justin-Siena High Schools 2019 class, their Thursday night graduation ceremony was bittersweet.

The celebration signaled accomplishment and the beginning of a new chapter, but meant saying goodbye to the Justin-Siena campus community that they said they had grown to cherish.

While Mikaela Zeiter, who plans to study biology at Northeastern University, said she was excited to get her diploma and watch her friends take special opportunities, friend Caroline Melancon, who will major in international studies at Boston College, said that seeing her classmates don their navy blue graduation gowns made her feel a little bit sad.

This is the first time were feeling sentimental about it, she said.

But as the graduates of Justin-Sienas 50th commencement gathered ahead of the ceremony, they were all smiles.

Graduates piled out of cars and headed to find friends. Young women convened in the bathroom, sharing bobby pins and hair ties. Families lugged flower bouquets and signs, and snapped photos of lei-draped graduates.

Soon, hundreds of parents, friends and loved ones took their seats on the campus lawn. As graduates began to file down an aisle past the crowd, families cheered and parents rushed to find a good angle to photograph their graduate.

Student body co-presidents Sumaia Khoury and Austin Parlett opened the ceremony with kind words for their classmates and families.

The 2019 class embodied what it means to be all heart, Parlett said. Khoury spoke of a gratitude for the deep relationships that took us from classmates to family.

This moment is for us, Parlett said.

Next up on the program was an invocation by Conrad Say, who will be heading to Johns Hopkins University.

Bless all our future endeavors  planned or unplanned, he said.

Patrizia Tandinco asked audience members to close their eyes, take a deep breath and take a moment to look around and soak in the beauty of our campus.

She recalled doing the same while standing atop the bleachers of an empty Dodd Stadium at golden hour.

Despite our different backgrounds, we have achieved greatness together, Tandinco said.

Justin-Sienas Class of 2019 did not graduate without enduring hardship, she said. Some classmates dealt with depression, sexism or racism, while others were affected by the 2017 wildfires.

All of these things happened for a reason, Tandinco said. He has a plan for each and every one of us.

Tandinco challenged her classmates to look around at the people who have changed their lives and thank someone before the end of the night.

Valedictorian Sumaia Khoury said their diplomas were an honor, a challenge and a key to opening the door of possibility. Graduation was an exciting, but uncertain time.

She recalled summer reading lists, class trips and a beloved science teacher.

In the end, the pursuit of knowledge is best a shared experience, Khoury said.

She extolled her classmates commitment to community service and spoke of a bond forged through difficult shared experiences, such as the 2017 wildfires.

Our school family grew closer, Khoury said.

The senior choir of Justin-Siena took the stage to sing Have it All by Jason Mraz and Justin-Siena High President David Holquin followed.

He asked graduates to share their light  the light of God  to the benefit of others, even though there will come moments of failure in life. Its almost always better to try than to ask, What if?, he said, adding that there are few things in life worth doing that dont come with a chance of failure or risk.

Always, always bet on yourself, he said.

And as graduates grow and change, they shouldnt be surprised if they end up mirroring their parents personalities, Holquin said.

We love you, he said in closing. We are here for you and we will be missing.

Several students were recognized for their academic achievements, including Jordan Bowman-Davis, Lucy Harrington, Etienne Robin, Jan Escosio, Brett Carey, Feras Halabi and Caroline Melancon.

Then came the moments that graduates were waiting for: getting their diplomas and moving their graduation cap tassels.

With high school graduation behind them, students looked to the next stage of their lives.

Thomas Lopez, who will major in business at University of the Pacific, looked forward to growing, having freedom and getting new opportunities. One day, he wants to be his own boss.

Im feeling amazing, he said. Excited to move on.

Mia Celestian, who will major in pre-biology at University of California Santa Barbara, credited her Justin-Siena science teachers with inspiring her to go into the medical field. She looked forward to devoting her studies to a single subject that shes interested in.

It kind of hits me in waves, Celestian said. Im kind of nervous and excited to finish high school.

Patrick Dold, who will major in biology at San Francisco State University, said he looked forward to the start of real life, meeting new people, having new life experiences in a more urban setting and taking on new responsibilities  namely, waking up on time and keeping his grades up. He hopes one day to become a doctor and work in a field that involves the brain.

Kaylee Rupprecht, who will major in political science at Chapman University, said she was so happy that she transferred to Justin-Siena in her junior year of high school. A self-described family girl, Rupprecht said she was feeling a little scared to leave home.

High school graduation is something that shes been working toward her whole life, she said, and her dreams of becoming a lawyer are even closer to becoming a reality.

Im so excited, its happening so fast, she said. Im trying to take this in.

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.
With the state and local governments posting large revenue gains under the existing tax structure, there is absolutely no reason for lawmakers to consider changing the state constitution to increase the local tax burden.

But that is exactly what is happening.

Two tax increase measures have reached the floors of the Senate and Assembly. Both threaten to delete Proposition 13s important taxpayer protections from the California Constitution.

The measures under considerationAssembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 1 and Senate Constitutional Amendment 5could result in additional sales taxes, property parcel taxes, Mello-Roos taxes, phone taxes, cable taxes, business license taxes, payroll taxes, real estate sales transfer taxes, and hotel and lodging taxes.

Put simply, these measures are taxes on California affordability.

ACA 1, pending on the Assembly floor, would allow local governments to increase special taxes with a 55 percent vote of the electorate, instead of the currently required two-thirds vote, if the revenue is earmarked for public infrastructure or government housing projects.

Public infrastructure is broadly defined in the measure to include things like parks, open space, and expansion of Internet access.

SCA 5, on the Senate floor, would allow school districts and community college districts to increase property taxes with 55 percent voter approval, rather than the current two-thirds vote.

Public opinion polling consistently shows that voters support a two-thirds vote requirement for local taxes.

A March 2018 survey by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that across all demographics, voters support the two-thirds vote requirement. The poll found that the idea of changing the vote threshold is very unpopular among Democrats, Republicans and decline-to-state voters.

Considering that Gov. Gavin Newsom this month projected that the state will have $30 billion in reserves by the end of the 2019-20 fiscal year, and the Legislative Analysts Office says the state has an operating surplus of $22 billion, it is surprising that anyone is still talking about tax increases.

At the local level, property tax revenue has increased steadily over the years, by an average of 7.3 percent annually for business property and 6.34 percent annually for homeowner property since passage of Proposition 13 in 1978.

These increases ensure that communities have a stable, growing source of tax revenue even as individual property owners are protected from large year-to-year increases.

Statewide, the taxable value of property increased 6.5 percent in 2018-19. The legislative analyst projects that assessment rolls will continue to grow, with a statewide average increase of 6 percent in 2019-20 and another 5.6 percent in 2020-21.

It is worth noting that even under the two-thirds vote requirement, most tax measures are approved. So far this year, 12 two-thirds-vote measures have been on local ballots, and voters approved 11.

The high passage rate is partially attributable to the fact that proponents of tax measures are allowed to write the ballot questions, and many local governments use tax dollars for educational outreach designed to promote the tax.

For example, see the Los Angeles Unified School Districts brazen use of public resources to campaign for a parcel tax on the June 4 ballot. In this environment, it is especially important to maintain the two-thirds vote threshold.

A two-thirds vote requirement provides protection for taxpayers, without blocking tax increases that have strong community support. This is fair for government and taxpayers alike, and should not be stripped from the constitution.

Robert Gutierrez is the president and chief executive officer of the California Taxpayers Association. He wrote this commentary for CALmatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias Capitol works and why it matters.
In Bob Woodward's biography of President Donald Trump, "Fear," he recounts a moment when Trump tells a pal who was a sexual predator how to handle any accusations coming his way.

"You've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women," the book recounts Trump saying. "If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you're dead."

This has been part of the Trump playbook for decades. Whether it involved disputing that he and his father had discriminated against prospective renters of color in the 1970s or whether he had knowingly made misleading statements to investors in the early 2000s, the go-to response was always the same: deny, deny, deny.

Right on cue Wednesday, Trump popped out a tweet responding to a clarifying -- and damning -- little news conference Special Counsel Robert Mueller conducted outlining his key takeaways from his investigation of Team Trump's myriad intersections with Russia and Russians in recent years. Trump's take: "Nothing changes from the Mueller Report. There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you."

Trump's marionette, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, also jumped on board with her own tweet: "The report was clear -- there was no collusion, no conspiracy -- and the Department of Justice confirmed there was no obstruction."

None of this handiwork -- surprise, surprise -- completely captures what Mueller said at his news conference. It also actively misrepresents what he said. Mueller, despite the president's spin, didn't exonerate Trump.

Mueller indeed noted that there "was insufficient evidence to charge a broader conspiracy" tying Trump and his advisers to Russian efforts to sabotage the 2016 presidential campaign. Mueller, however, wasn't willing to give Trump a pass on another possible crime that his investigators probed and which he outlined in disturbing detail in the second half of his report: obstruction of justice.

"If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Mueller said on Wednesday morning. Mueller also said that he didn't see it as his place to decide whether Trump had committed a crime.

"Under long-standing department policy, a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional," Mueller pointed out. "A special counsel's office is part of the Department of Justice, and by regulation, it was bound by that department policy. Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider."

So who should consider that option? "The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing," Mueller pointed out (reiterating a point he made in his report as well). In a word: impeachment. And that's a process that Congress oversees.

Sanders's spinning wasn't so off the rails that she tried to say Mueller cleared her handler of obstruction of justice. She cites the Department of Justice for that one. And that is, essentially, Attorney General William Barr, who took it upon himself to clear his boss of obstruction of justice in a manner Mueller clearly hadn't.

In fact, Mueller emphasized -- yet again -- during his news conference why obstruction is such a seismic crime when it comes to the rule of law and the notion that no one exists above it.

"When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of their government's effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable," he said.

There has been a complex and important debate underway about whether Trump should be impeached. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her party have debated the possible, perhaps probable, political costs an impeachment might entail if it's undertaken before the 2020 presidential election.

The political calculus, however, is distinct from the legal realities. Mueller has laid out for the public, again, what he thinks his investigation means. He's documented ample collusion between Trump's advisers and Russia, but he couldn't tie that into a criminal conspiracy. He also documented ample obstruction by the president, obstruction so obvious that he couldn't absolve Trump of a crime.

And by acknowledging that he wasn't empowered to charge Trump with a crime to begin with, Mueller put the legal onus back on Congress today. Republicans aren't going to stand up for principle here. Democrats, on the other hand, will have to decide whether their party and politicians exist to win elections or to uphold the old-fashioned principle that everybody -- including the president -- should obey the law.

Timothy L. O'Brien is the executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion. He has been an editor and writer for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, HuffPost and Talk magazine. His books include "TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald."
Here are todays top stories.

China accuses US of economic terrorism as trade war tensions escalate China accused the Trump administration of committing economic terrorism on Thursday, escalating its war of words with the United States amid rising trade tensions between the two countries.

Huawei calls on Washington to halt illegal action against the company Huawei is pressing on with its lawsuit against the United States, challenging the constitutionality of a US law banning federal agencies from buying its products.

Israel faces new elections after Netanyahu fails to build coalition Israel will hold new national elections in late summer after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to put together a coalition government from the parties elected to parliament on April 9th.

She was the worlds smallest baby. Now shes a healthy infant The smallest surviving baby in the world left the hospital five months after she came into the world at a San Diego, California hospital.

White House Military Office and Navy officials emailed about moving USS John McCain before Trump Japan visit The White House Military Office and lower level Navy officials exchanged emails about moving the US Navy warship the USS John McCain ahead of President Donald Trumps recent Japan visit, according to two US Navy officials.

Ultraprocessed foods are easy, cheap and could be killing you Two separate studies link eating the popular factory-made fare with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of early death.

Forbidden Planet found by astronomers in Neptunian Desert Astronomers have found an exoplanet so rare that they have deemed it The Forbidden Planet, according to a new study.

Caster Semenya launches second appeal over testosterone ban The IAAF will not drug me, said the two-time Olympic gold medal winner.

Chelsea dominate Arsenal to win the Europa League Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1 amid a strange atmosphere at the Baku Olympic Stadium.

Seven dead after boat capsizes in Budapest At least seven people have died and 19 are missing after a boat capsized on the Danube river in Hungarys capital Budapest, state media reported. Thirty-three people, mostly tourists from South Korea, were on board the boat when it was hit by another vessel while moored, the MTI news agency said.

South Africa gets gender-balanced cabinet South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a new cabinet in which, for the first time in the countrys history, half of all ministers are women. In another unexpected move, one of the women is from the opposition. He appointed veteran opposition politician Patricia de Lille, who had stood for the Good Party, as minister of infrastructure development.

Baby born size of an apple defies odds to survive A baby born weighing just 245g (8.6oz), believed to be the tiniest on record to survive premature birth, has been discharged from hospital in the US. Baby Saybie weighed the same as a large apple when she was born at 23 weeks and three days in December 2018.

Luciano Spalletti sacked as Inter Milan manager Luciano Spalletti has been sacked as Inter Milan boss, with the Italian club expected to replace him with former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. Spalletti, who had a contract until 2021, led Inter into the Champions League for the first time in six years in the first of his two seasons.

Disney may quit Georgia over abortion law Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney says Georgias controversial new anti-abortion law would make it difficult for the company to keep filming there. Blockbusters like Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame, were recently shot in the state, due to its generous tax breaks for film productions.

The remarkable scent memories of perfumers Francois Robert can tell fragrances apart with extraordinary precision. Its a skill that taps into knowledge accumulated over four generations.

The mystery of the identical Miss India contestants It is the contest that kick-started Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopras career, so it is unsurprising that this years Miss India finalists have such wide smiles in their publicity shots. After all, this is a competition with the power to change lives.

We toured Disneylands new Star Wars park. Heres what we learned. BLACK SPIRE OUTPOST, BATUU  The Outer Rim is about to open for business. Earthling visitors should prepare for a wild ride. The largest expansion in the history of Disney Parks, the 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxys Edge, opens to the public in Anaheim Friday. (A Florida version hits the docking bay in Orlando on August 29.)

Nancy Pelosi accuses Facebook of lying to the public after it refuses to remove fake video Nancy Pelosi is calling bullshit. The Speaker of the House publicly castigated Facebook on Wednesday for both enabling Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its refusal to take down a video of the congresswoman that was edited to make it appear she was drunk.

Uber will now kick off riders with low ratings Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. Uber drivers with low ratings can get deactivated from the Uber platform. Now, passengers who consistently get well below a five-star rating will get the same treatment.

Intense, emotional trailer for The Goldfinch aims straight for an Oscar Amazon Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures have cooked up a solid contender for awards season in the form of The Goldfinch, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Donna Tartt published in 2013. Directed by John Crowley, the movie follows a young Theo Decker, whose mother was killed in a bombing.

Huawei asks court for speedy end to its U.S. equipment ban Huawei is looking for a speedy end to its lawsuit against the U.S. government. The Chinese tech giant filed a summary judgment in the case against the U.S. on Tuesday, in which it challenged the constitutionality of a law which prohibits government agencies from buying Huawei equipment.
Two Indian nationals have returned to their homes in Assams Hojai district after spending several years in Bangladesh jail even as a Bangladesh national deported to the neighbouring country.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) handed over the two men  Hussain Dilowar and Selim Uddinto the Border Security Force (BSF) at Sutarkandi border check point in Karimganj district on Thursday, said a police official.

Later, the BSF handed them over to police and they were sent back to their homes after questioning, said the police official.

Dilowar and Selim accidentally crossed over to Bangladesh territory by going through a wrong path after which they were nabbed by BGB jawans and handed over to Bangladesh police.

Later, a Bangladesh court sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment.

Following discussions between the High Commissioners of India and Bangladesh, they have finally been sent to India through the Sutarkandi international border.

Police officials of Hojai and Karimganj were present when they were brought back through the border.

On the other hand, a Bangladeshi national was deported to his country through the Sutarkandi border check post in the presence of the BSF and BGB officials on Thursday.

The Bangladeshi national, identified as Babul Roy, accidentally entered Indian territory through the Patharkandi area in Karimganj four years back. He had been lodged in a detention camp since then.
Armenia PM holds phone talks with Russian counterpart

Areshev: In case of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, the focus will be on Russian military base in Gyumri

Yerevan museum opens new exhibition featuring archaeological relics from Shushi

Putin, Lukashenko play hockey after talks

Armenian PM: We must resolutely move towards the Armenia that our ancestors, our martyrs dreamed of

Mishustin, Pashinyan congratulate each other on New Year and Christmas

CNN: Biden to hold a call with Putin on Thursday

Karabakh President: Artsakh people and authorities will never accept any status as a part of Azerbaijan

Armenia President to celebrate New Year in Qatar

Vladimir Putin assesses informal summit of CIS countries

Dmitry Polyanskiy: Whole world will benefit from normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations

Armenian Iranologist: Opening of a consulate in Kapan is a signal showing how important Syunik Province is for Iran

Russia and Azerbaijan PMs discuss activities of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian Deputy PMs' task force

NEWS.am daily digest: 29.12.21

Iran to grant permission to open Consulate General in Armenia's Kapan

Armenia MFA reports names of Armenian POWs returned through Hungary's mediation

Brussels Airlines flight to Yerevan, hit by lightning strike, returns to Brussels Airport

Karabakh President signs a number of laws

Baku transfers 5 Armenian POWs to Yerevan with Hungary's support

Artsakh citizen transferred to Armenian side through Russian peacekeeping forces' mediation

Rudenko: Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan finalizing parameters for launching joint infrastructure projects

Russia ready to provide mediation assistance to Armenia and Turkey in any way

Armenia PM: Construction of Meghri section of Yeraskh-Julfa-Meghri-Horadiz railway is starting

Russia Deputy FM: Commission for demarcation of Armenia-Azerbaijan state border may be set up soon

Azerbaijan transfers Artsakh resident Armen Verdyan to Armenian side

Putin submits to Russian State Duma federal bill simplifying acquisition of citizenship

Converse Bank is the best Trade Finance Provider 2022 in Armenia according to Global Finance

Shalva Papuashvili elected Georgia's parliamentary speaker

Joseph Borrell says EU wishes to take part in US-Russia talks

Dollar increases in Armenia

The Arab Weekly: Azerbaijan is external factor more likely to derail attempt to normalize Armenia-Turkey relations

State Control Service launches investigation at Yerevan city hall

Armenia NGO's advocates assume protection of 2 Armenian servicemen arrested after captivity

Public Services Regulatory Commission increases electricity tariffs in Armenia

Russian peacekeepers' representative in Karabakh: 26,090 explosive objects have been destroyed

Armenia Iranologist: Our only thought should not be concession, but to be ready for next war

Democratic Party of Armenia: PM Pashinyan makes it clear he must be removed from office immediately

Artsakh resident gets lost, ends up in territory under control of Azerbaijan army

Armenia military aviation university head dismissed

Military analyst: Armenia PM statements on handing over Karabakh were absolutely predictable

Armenian company presents a revolutionary innovation in 2D and 3D modeling fields

US embassy in Armenia announces Democracy Commission Small Grants Program for 2022

Andrea Wiktorin: EU stands by Armenia to improve life of Armenian citizens

Russias Putin to Armenias Pashinyan: I expect that we will ensure further dynamic development of bilateral cooperation

Armenia MOD: All army personnel received bonus pay

Pallone says will push to ensure required reports are accurate in documenting Azerbaijan, Turkey war crimes in Artsakh

Putin to Armenia President: I am convinced our bilateral allied cooperation will continue developing next year

53-year-old woman gives birth for the first time at Shengavit Medical Center in Yerevan

88 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Russia Navy Northern Fleet song and dance ensemble arrives in Karabakh

US and NATO partners ready to start active diplomatic talks with Russia

South Korea and US agree on draft text of declaration on Korean War official end

The National Interest: How Biden can foster real peace in the South Caucasus

China calls on US to protect Chinese space station and its crew

WFP & Yeremyan projects share the same vision: joint trip to Jermuk to explore best practices

Afghan brothers in Germany charged in killing their sister for her Western-oriented way of life

Newspaper: 4th battalion being formed within Armenia Police Internal Troops

Newspaper: Armenia authorities have 3-level chat groups on social media

Pack of hyenas kill two people in 24 hours in Kenya

Bill Gates reveals plan to save the planet

Kuwait forms new cabinet

Attorney: Criminal prosecution against Artur Vanetsyan terminated, there was no preparation for Armenia PM's murder

Armenia army's General Staff chief visits air force military unit

Armenia opposition MP: Constitutional Court states that government should decide who will pay for employees' PCR tests

Brawl takes place in Parliament of Jordan

Armenia Ombudsman meets with Russia Ambassador, return of Armenian captives being held in Azerbaijan discussed

Armenia launches 42 cases regarding submission of declarations by officials in 2021

Armenian man who was wanted arrives in Yerevan and voluntarily shows up at police station

Armenia MOD peacekeeping brigade soldiers participate in tactical military exercises

Armenia has new Ambassador to Israel

Azerbaijani opposition journalists protesting against repressive law on media

Armenia President and his wife pay visit to Yerablur Military Pantheon

Armenia Competition Protection Commission to check pricing for COVID-19 tests at Zvartnots Airport

Advocate: Criminal prosecution against Armenian detachment commander Ashot Minasyan is over

NEWS.am daily digest: 28.12.21

Opposition 'Armenia' Faction of National Assembly holds session chaired by Robert Kocharyan

Armenia education minister: 9 universities in 11 countries are carrying out Armenian Studies development programs

Armenia PM attends informal meeting of leaders of CIS countries in St. Petersburg

Ex-PM: Armenia authorities want to leave Karabakh to Azerbaijans whim

Armenia Competition Protection Commission chief: There will be new player in petrol market soon

Armenia political parties activities, their governing bodies property shall be scrutinized

Dollar goes down in Armenia

Opposition lawmaker: Local producers will face difficult situation if Turkey companies invade Armenia

Georgia PM: Pashinyan and Aliyev are interested in the establishment of peace in the region

Ruling force MP is sure all remaining Armenian captives in Azerbaijan will be returned

Aravot.am: Mother of ex-mayor Vardan Ghukasyan's deceased son-in-law killed in Armenia's Gyumri

Parliament majority member: Major personnel changes must be made in Armenia army

A new start at Inecobanks most popular branch

Governor: Armenia Central Bank has entered new stage of transformation

Shoygu: Russian peacekeepers gradually bringing life back to Karabakh

60% of Armenias Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine to pass under Russia-registered company control

Seven people killed in Colombia bus incident

Learjet crashed in California

Shooting in Colorado kills five people

President: Main precondition for keeping Artsakh Armenian, alive is to live, create here (VIDEO)

1 more person dies of coronavirus in Karabakh

Turkey records increase in COVID-19 cases

Yerevan has new First Deputy Mayor

Displaced Karabakh residents seek political asylum from France

Taliban open fire on women protesters in Kabul
Iran may avoid military confrontation with the US if it reconsiders its behavior, Secretary General of Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit told reporters in Mecca.

His remarks came on the results of the emergency summit of the League of Arab States.

According to him, "we should not get past ourselves" and the Arab states wanted Iran to stop interfering in regional affairs, Bloomberg reported.

"If this happens, then I dont think theres need to use military action against Iran, but lets wait," he said.

Iraq did not endorse final statement

The Secretary General of the Arab League said that Iraq did not support Saudi Arabia in condemning Irans policies and refused to participate in the adoption of the final statement of the summit of Arab leaders in Mecca

During his opening speech, Iraqi President Barham Saleh expressed the hope that there would be no war between Iraq and Iran.

The US sent a naval strike team and a tactical bomber group as a signal to the operational zone of the US Central Command, which includes the Middle East and Central Asia. Washington noted that they do not seek a conflict with Iran, but are ready to protect US interests in the region.

US President Donald Trump announced on May 24 the dispatch of an additional 1.5 thousand troops to the Middle East amid escalation of tensions with Tehran. As previously reported by CNN, the reinforcement also includes Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, a reconnaissance aircraft and the necessary forces to "contain the Iranian threats."

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in his turn, described the move as a threat to global peace and stability.
The delivery of Russian S-400 to Turkey may have devastating consequences for the program of F-35s, Kathryn Wheelbarger, acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs told an audience at the Atlantic Council in Washington.

"Completion of this transaction would be devastating, not only to the F-35 program, on which the West has placed its modernized integrated air capability, but it would potentially rupture Turkish interoperability with NATO, a key aspect of the defense of the alliance," France24 reported quoting Wheelbarger.

"Let's be clear. The S-400 is a Russian system designed to shoot down an aircraft like the F-35, and it is inconceivable to imagine Russia not taking advantage of that collection opportunity, she said. "Once you introduce Russian systems, it really undermines our ability to continue helping them to defend themselves.

On May 22, CNBC, citing sources, reported the US s delivered a two-week ultimatum to Turkey: Ankara is either refusing to acquire Russian S-400s, or withdraw from the program to create F-35 fighters and may be subject to US sanctions and measures by NATO.
Chinese and US leaders are unlikely to make progress on trade disputes during a meeting on the margins of the G20 summit in Japan in June, said the former head of the Central Bank of China Dai Xianglong.

Leaders of China and the US will meet late next month in Japan and I hope there will be positive news [from the meeting]. However, [any breakthrough] would not be easy because it is actually very difficult for the US side to form a powerful and systematic correction that can right the wrongs made by [President] Trump, SCMP reported quoting Xianglong.

Trade tensions between Washington and Beijing sharply increased in early May after the Trump administration accused China of abandoning its previous promises to make structural changes in its economic practice.

Later, Washington imposed additional tariffs of up to 25% on Chinese imports in the amount of $ 200 billion, which forced Beijing to retaliate.

Trump said he plans to meet with his Chinese counterpart during the G20 summit on June 28-29 in Osaka, although China has not officially confirmed the meeting.
Evidence that Iran was behind the recent attacks on oil tankers and pipelines in the Persian Gulf will be presented to the UN Security Council next week, said US National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Bolton has previously said Iran was almost certainly responsible for the attacks, but without presenting evidence, The Guardian reported.

I dont think anybody who is familiar with the situation in the region, whether they have examined the evidence or not, thinks anything other than that these attacks were carried out by Iran or their surrogates, Bolton told reporters at a briefing ahead of Donald Trumps state visit to the UK next week.

In early May, four oil tankers in the UAE were damaged by sabotage. Bolton also announced a previously unknown attempt to attack the Saudi oil port of Yanbu.

According to him, the Houthis did not make the drones, but must have got then from somewhere.

I think it is fair to hold Iran accountable without even further information because of the foreseeable consequences of giving such weapons, he said. Before I became national security adviser I said and wrote a lot of things on every subject, he said. It is all out there. I believed everything I said at the time and I still do. I am the national security adviser, I am not the national decision maker. The policy we are pursuing is not regime change. That is a fact and everyone should understand that.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began a five-day tour to Europe with a visit to Berlin, where he would urge Germany to increase its military spending, abandon the deal with the Chinese Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and revise the pipeline project with Russia, Reuters reported.

Pompeo will meet with Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Chancellor Angela Merkel. His visit was scheduled earlier this month, but was canceled at the last minute amid rising tensions around Iran.

Pompeo will also visit Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK.

Speaking to reporters before heading to Berlin, Pompeo said that Germany needed to do more to fulfill NATOs commitments to increase defense spending to two percent of GDP.

The president is not satisfied, Pompeo said of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly complained that Germany and other NATO allies are not pulling their weight in the alliance. They need to come up with a plan to get there. We do need them to step up, Pompeo said. Theyre an important, big economy inside of the EU, and we need them fully engaged and devoting adequate resources to the protection of Europe.

According to him, Huawei, which Washington sees as a threat to NATOs security, will be discussed at each stop in Europe.

Everywhere I go, we talk about the opportunities and challenges that China presents not only to the United States and its security but to countries around the world. So it will be a topic, he said.

Washington told allies not to use Huaweis technology and equipment to create 5G networks because of concerns that this would allow China to spy on confidential messages and data.

Pompeo said that he would also discuss Iran, the issue on which the Trump administration disagreed with Germany and other European allies, abandoning the 2015 international nuclear deal.
President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has nominated lawyer Vahe Grigoryan as a candidate for judge of the Constitutional Court.

The Staff of the President of Armenia has issued a statement on this, and the statement reads as follows:

It has been at least a year since the President of Armenia became engaged in the process of nominating a candidate for judge of the Constitutional Court to the National Assembly for the purpose of filling the vacancy of judge of the Constitutional Court within the scope of the powers reserved to the President by the Constitution.

The President of Armenia has implemented the process with responsibility, publicly and democratically, staying true to his constitutional powers, observing constitutional norms and taking as a basis the principles of impartiality and objectivity. To receive recommendations for potential candidates and opinions on the contenders, the President of Armenia has undertaken several procedures not contradicting the law, me twith several specialists of the legal field and reputable representatives of the legal community, including with circles of scholars and lawyers.

Over the past year, even though the acceptance of applications has been announced several times, there has been a very limited number of potential candidates, and the election of a candidate for judge of the Constitutional Court is restricted to only a few lawyers who meet the requirements for the position.

Attaching importance to the effectiveness of the legal system and of the work of the Constitutional Court, taking into consideration the fact that the election of a candidate for judge of the Constitutional Court cannot become an endless process and become a subject for political bargain or speculations, based on the results of the discussions held with representatives of the legal community and the potential candidates for judges of the Constitutional Court over the past two days, the President of Armenia nominates Vahe Grigoryan.

The President of Armenia hopes that, by being elected judge of the Constitutional Court, Vahe Grigoryan will make his contributions to the increase of effectiveness of the activities of the Constitutional Court, full implementation of constitutional justice and full exercise of the powers reserved to the judge of the Higher Court by law.

P.S.: Taking into consideration the experience of the past year, the President of Armenia deems it necessary to consider the possibility of appointment of a judge of the Constitutional Court by the President of Armenia by amending the existing procedures, referring to the logic of the regulations existing in Article 138 of the Constitution (Temporary Appointment of Officials).
Malawian President Peter Mutharikas security officers have made international headlines as the worlds scariest bodyguards. An officer from the Malawi Police special unit, the Police Mobile Force, who was on duty during Mutharikas swearing in ceremony at Kamuzu Stadium became the focus of international news outlets.

The burly security man had been decked out in some of the most baffling body armour that included a spiked helmet and shoulder pads. The officer, prepared for any eventuality, outdid himself with two pairs of sunglasses and four torches strapped to his spiny headgear. Wouldnt mess Worlds scariest bodyguard kitted out with bizarre spiked jacket, gas mask, assault rifle and two pairs of sunglasses at Malawi president s swearing in ceremony the UKs Sun newspaper headlined its story. The Bodyguard from Malawi stood guard on top of Mutharika Toyota SUV truck. Mutharika was sworn in yesterday after winning the highly contested presidential race. He defeated Malawi Congress Partys Lazarus Chakwera and his friend-cum-nemesis, Saulos Chilima of UTM. For his second term, the ruling DPP torchbearer deputised by Everton Chimulirenji secured 38.6 percent of the 5.1 million cast votes against Chakweras 35.4 percent and Chilimas 20.2 percent.


YEREVAN.  There was a festive mood Friday at the courtyard of the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Armenia. The children and grandchildren of the countrys military serviceman, civil servants, veterans, and heroes were invited there on the occasion of the International Day for Protection of Children.

Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan welcomed those in attendance, and congratulated the children on this occasion.

The message is [but] one: that our families be strong, and the childrenhappy, he stated.

The event kicked off with the consecration of a cross-stone.

According to Varazdat Hambardzumyan, the sculptor of this cross-stone, it symbolizes the family, and the idea was born in January when he had installed a small cross-stone on the border.

They asked me there, Why did you bring a cross-stone on the family theme to install on the border? I said, So that the soldier will remember that he has a family and its waiting for him, Hambardzumyan explained. Our country is family, too, and everything starts from family.
The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan accepted the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs proposal to meet soon under their auspices, and will announce details at the appropriate time.

Co-Chairs summed up their regional visit during which they held meetings in Yerevan, Stepanakert and Baku.

The main purpose of the visit was to assess the evolution of the situation on the line of contact and the international border, and to follow up on the discussions held by the Azerbaijani President and the Armenian PM in Vienna on 29 March and their respective Foreign Ministers in Moscow on 15 April.

President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has nominated lawyer Vahe Grigoryan as a candidate for judge of the Constitutional Court.

The President of Armenia hopes that, by being elected judge of the Constitutional Court, Vahe Grigoryan will make his contributions to the increase of effectiveness of the activities of the Constitutional Court, full implementation of constitutional justice and full exercise of the powers reserved to the judge of the Higher Court by law, presidents office said in a statement.

Former European weightlifting champion representing Armenia Mel Daluzyan was hospitalized in Amsterdam after being stabbed in a robbery attack.

The Embassy of Armenia in the Netherlands said Daluzyan has been helicoptered to a hospital, and will spend a few more days there.

A friend of his had informed on Facebook that two masked persons, armed with a knife, on Thursday afternoon had tried to rob the cash register of a supermarket in downtown Amsterdam, threatening the supermarket clerk. And Daluzyan was stabbed when he had come to the aid of this clerk.

Narine Khachaturyan, a member of the majority My Step Faction in the National Assembly of Armenia, has announced that she will be giving up her parliament seat.

The lawmaker has submitted the respective petition to the parliament's chairmanship.

According to some reports, Khachaturyan will be appointed Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan proposed members of a Council of Europe (CoE) to engage in judicial reforms in Armenia.

PM met with CoE high-ranking mission, led by director general Christos Giakoumopoulos of the CoE Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law, and which has arrived in Armenia to assist in the judiciary reforms in the country. The Council of Europe representatives assured that CoE stands ready to work closely with the Armenian government in the respective process of reform.
The Armenian Assembly gathered to discuss first-year efforts and announced plans for 2019-2020. With the participation and support of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Russia, as well as the Russian and Novo-Nakhichevan Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, from May 27 to June 1, 2019, the Armenian Assembly is hosting Days of Armenian Culture in Moscow.

On May 28, the important day that marks the establishment of the First Armenian Republic, the Presidium of the Public Council of the Armenian Assembly held a meeting where the results of first-year efforts were presented, including cultural, educational projects, as well as those in the spheres of tourism and IT. The meeting of the Presidium of the Public Council became a part of the Days of Armenian Culture, the purpose of which is to popularize the culture and traditions of Armenia and to present the results of the Armenian Assembly's efforts.

During the meeting, members of the Presidium of the Public Council discussed the status of current projects of the Armenian Assembly, dates and phases of their implementation, and also reviewed the initiatives planned for 2019. The culmination of Days of Armenian Culture was the first gastronomic evening GOURMET FEST with the participation of chefs of Michelin Star restaurants - Karen Torosyan (Bozar Restaurant, Brussels, Belgium) and Stefano Ciotti (Nostrano Restaurant, Pesaro, Italy), as well as chef cooks of leading restaurants in Armenia (Chinar, The Club, Mayrig, Lavash) and chef cook Narek Avagyan from Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow.

The result of their joint efforts was the creation of a menu that represents a unique fusion of Armenian traditional and haute cuisines, based on the use of Armenian ingredients and techniques of European cuisine. The evening also announced the launch of a new public project, GOURMET FEST, that will kick off in Yerevan this fall with expected partners MasterCard and VTB Armenia. The Armenian Assembly brings together successful and competent representatives of the diaspora, who are experts in their field and possess valuable knowledge, experience, and are able to contribute to the implementation of the goals and objectives of the organization.

The Armenian Assembly realized more than ten various and quite important projects in 2018-2019 among them are development of the unique platform for a single church portal that will combine dioceses, churches, educational institutions, as well as will spread church news and events in Diaspora; the launch of the travel portal Armenia Guide, that aims to bring together representatives of the tourism sector of Armenia within a single platform for the development of tourism in Armenia; stablishment of regional educational centres in the fields of IT, tourism and lifestyle-management in cooperation with the UN in Armenia.

Armenian Assembly is a non-governmental organization supporting and implementing social-entrepreneurship projects in the spheres of culture, education, tourism, innovative technologies and science in Armenia and in the diaspora. During the first year of its establishment, Armenian Assembly has implemented launches and support of cultural, educational, enlightenment, touristic and other projects.
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.
US-Iran relations have reached the highest point of tension, and this tension is not only through rhetoric, but also concrete actions. This is what Iranologist Vardan Voskanyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am, stating that on a scale of one to ten with ten being the most dangerous, at this moment, the number of seven.

He recalled that the US is deploying more troops in the Middle East. This and other steps and actions are creating a rather risky situation in the Middle East. Its clear that neither party is willing to make any concessions for the time being. Iran claims that the US has to return to the nuclear deal so that Iran restarts negotiations, while the US is setting forth other preconditions, and in this context, improvement is not visible, and there is even a risk that there might be a clash at the local level, a satellite war between the US and Iran, which will have devastating consequences for the entire Middle East.

According to Voskanyan, Saudi Arabia and Israel, which are US allies in the region, will help US deteriorate the situation.

The sanctions are having an impact on Armenia-Iran economic ties.

The interests of the Republic of Armenia require that Iranian economy is sustainable and powerful as much as possible in our region, taking into consideration the overall geopolitical situation and the vital importance of the Armenia-Iran border in terms of security and economy, Voskanyan noted.

However, recently, an Armenian bank recommended that its customers refrain from transferring cargo from Iran or making transfers to a bank account in exchange of transfers through the territory of Iran since there might be cancelations or freeze of monetary funds.

Touching upon this, the Iranologist noted that before this stage of the sanctions, he and his colleagues had warned that there will be a rather risky situation in the banking system and that it was necessary to take certain measures.

Its obvious that Armenia shouldnt give in to any pressure. Taking into consideration our partnering relations with the US, we need to specify our position. Armenia is in a blockade with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Consequently, Armenias relations with Iran are not only economic. They also ensure our statehood and are a certain component of Armenias security in this region. Armenia has to be classified as an exception, even if the incumbent US administration plans to intensify its relations with Iran, Voskanyan said.

The official Armenia is silent and is dealing with domestic political affairs.

According to the Iranologist, Armenia has overlooked its foreign policy, and this is troubling. The public, government, parliament and relevant bodies arent speaking out about this issue. We need to understand that Armenias has not only domestic issues, but also foreign policy issues and is in a rather tense and, in some sense, a rather dynamically developing situation. This concerns the developments in Iran and the actions and statements that Azerbaijan takes and makes from time to time. Armenia doesnt talk about Georgia very much. In essence, Armenia is focused more on domestic political issues, and this cant be reassuring and satisfying.
In the wake of Armenia's "Velvet Revolution" last April that set the country on a path to democratic change, Armenia has stepped up efforts to improve its ties with the European Union, which it sees as a key partner in plans for reform. The two sides meet June 13 for the second-ever EU-Armenia Partnership Council to discuss the progress of reform so far -- particularly in the areas of governance and the rule of law -- and the future of their relationship.

They will have a lot to talk about. The survey data that Gallup collected a few months after the revolution show Armenians were already seeing improvement on some of the prerequisites for the success of these reforms, but definitely not all.

Government Corruption Falls, Confidence Rises

After peaceful protests led to the ouster of longtime leader Serzh Sargsyan, Armenians' confidence in their new national government skyrocketed to a record-high 67%. Throughout Sargsyan's tenure, confidence never ventured higher than the 46% reading during his first year as president. Sargsyan's personal job approval rating during his last year as president in 2017 was just 26%.

Part of the appeal of Armenia's new government has been its aggressive crackdown on corruption, which has led to a series of high-profile political arrests. While a sizable 41% of Armenians still see widespread corruption in their government, this perception is at the lowest level in Gallup's historical trend. Until last year, no less than 70% saw corruption as widespread in their government.

At the same time, Armenians haven't seen as much progress in fighting corruption in business -- which could impede the country's progress in reaching its goal of creating a more competitive environment for doing business. While down 10 percentage points from 2017, the majority of Armenians (62%) in 2018 still see corruption as widespread in business.

Confidence in Judiciary Remains Lackluster

One area targeted for reform that has seen little perceived improvement is the country's courts. Slightly more than one in three Armenians (34%) in 2018 said they are confident in the country's judicial system, up only marginally from 29% the previous year. The new government has announced plans for reforms of the justice sector, but at the time of the survey, Armenians' confidence had changed very little.

Bottom Line

The reform process in Armenia is still in its early stages. The stakes are incredibly high for Armenia's new government, which has very publicly committed itself to democracy-building and modernizing the country. But equally high are Armenians' expectations for their new leadership. The government needs only to look to the situations in Ukraine and Georgia to see what happens when revolution and promises don't translate into lasting reforms.

For complete methodology and specific survey dates, please review Gallup's Country Data Set details.

Learn more about how the Gallup World Poll works.
How do residents in fragile communities view law enforcement and the legal system? Do they feel that people like them are treated fairly? Gerard Robinson, executive director of the Center for Advancing Opportunity (CAO), joins the podcast to discuss the findings of The State of Opportunity in America, the latest report from Gallup and CAO. Later, Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester talks about her bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation. Can Republicans and Democrats come together on this issue in a polarized political environment?
Building upon its strategic objective to be the hemispheric university, the University of Miami Thursday opened a regional office in Mexico City, providing another gateway to Latin America to facilitate educational exchange, enhance research efforts, and convene and collaborate with top academic and health institutions throughout Mexico and Central America.

The U seeks to promote partnerships and two-way movement of students, researchers, and innovators, UM President Julio Frenk said in announcing the new regional office.

Frenk announced the opening of the office during a special showcase of Lo Mejor de la Universidad de Miami en MexicoThe Best of the University of Miami in Mexicoat El Colegio Nacional in Mexico City. Addressing a distinguished group of 200 scholars, Frenk outlined the Universitys vision for becoming the hemispheric university, including long-term plans for opening an additional four regional offices in strategic locations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Our presence will allow us to deepen research collaboration, particularly in areas where UM researchers are already active, such as climate change, urbanization, public health and well-being, journalism, anthropology, and mathematics, among others, Frenk said.

The University celebrates its centennial in 2025, and during his tenure, Frenk has embraced the idea put forth by the Universitys founders that the University of Miami is perfectly geographically positioned to be a Pan-American university. Located at the crossroads of the Americas in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world, a hemispheric mission involves not only bringing the world to the U but in bringing the University to the world.

Opening a regional office in the Roma Norte district of Mexico Citythe most populous city in North America in a country with the regions second largest economyestablishes a UM footprint that will focus on four major areas: educational exchange and mobility, research, technology innovation, and health care.

The University is focused on building connective bridges across the globe, and the regional office in Mexico City is a tremendous first step to enriching the experience of not only our own students and faculty but those from across the region, said Lourdes Dieck-Assad, vice president for hemispheric and global affairs.

Since launching the Office of Hemispheric and Global Affairs in 2017, Dieck-Assad has been working with UM schools, colleges, and centers of excellence to identify opportunities and promote hemispheric and global interactions in research, education, and service. In 2018, she led an initiative to establish a Hemispheric University Consortium, currently based at UM and embraced by leaders from 14 initial universities in Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, and the U.S. The consortium is committed to facilitating problem-based alliances in education and research to generate the knowledge and solutions necessary to confront the key challenges facing not only the hemisphere but the world.

On Thursday evening, more than 150 special guests, including UM alumni, friends, and representatives of the administration and faculty attended the formal inauguration of the new office.

Henning Jensen-Pennington, president of the University of Costa Rica and one of the academic leaders who signed the consortium agreement, spoke at the event and applauded UMs vision in promoting this level of collaboration among universities in the hemisphere.

Today more than ever before, universities must unite and promote spaces for interchanges that are interdisciplinary and span borders," he said. "The closer we can align ourselves, the more agile and expansive our efforts and responses to challenges will be.

Frenk stressed that the University of Miami considers these collaborations with partner institutions as a relationship among equals, where the parties involved are subject to mutual benefit and mutual accountability.

Universities have a great role to play as exemplary institutions that model the values we should all aspire to: reason, the search for truth, and respectful dissent and disagreement, he said. Noting that students typically begin college at the same age they become active citizens, he stressed that universities help underscore our similarities rather than our differences, and through our learning experiences, we become citizens not only of our own countries but of the world.

Rodolphe el-Khoury, Sallie Hughes, Felicia Marie Knaul, and Jorge Andres Fortun during a panel discussion held at El Colegio Nacional.

At the El Colegio Nacional showcase, nine University of Miami faculty members presented their research that is currently being conducted in Mexico in partnership with other faculty or institutions. The partnership with El Colegio Nacional reinforces a bond the University of Miami established in 2017 when Frenk became the 101st lifetime member of the academy that brings leading artists and scholars from around the world together to promote the motto freedom through knowledge."

Rodolphe el-Khoury, dean of the UM School of Architecture, discussed plans that are underway involving the school and UMs Center for Computational Science to design a smart city called Zenciti in Mexicos Yucatan region that will integrate technology into everyday life. This Start Up City prototype will be a living laboratory where the infrastructure promotes an ecologically sustainable and resilient future.

UM on Thursday also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Jorge Ivan Espadas Espinosa, the founder and CEO of Urbetica, a smart cities technology integration firm.

The support of Urbetica, the development force behind Zenciti, now allows us to continue to research and innovate in this area, at the confluence of urbanism and technology, said el-Khoury.

Felicia Marie Knaul, director of the University of Miami Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas, presented the final results of the Lancet Commission on Palliative Care and Pain Relief, a three-year project headed by Knaul and co-authored by Frenk, that found nearly 26 million people die suffering, most without a morphine tablet that, costing 3 cents, could alleviate their pain.

Other UM researchers that presented at El Colegio included: Sallie Hughes, professor in the School of Communication; Jorge Andres Fortun of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the Miller School of Medicine; Traci Ardren, professor of anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences; Stephen Cantrell, professor of mathematics; Ludmil Katzarkov, professor of mathematics; and Francisco J Beron-Vera and M. Josefina Olascoaga, professors in the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

Showcasing our facultys work before this important audience provided a sample of the University of Miami as a fountain of knowledge and understanding Frenk said following the event.
The requested page is currently unavailable on this server.

Back to [RTHK News Homepage]
A Moroccan delegation led by Minister Delegate for Reform of Administration and Civil Service, Mohamed Benabdelkader is taking part in the 6th Open Government Partnership Global Summit currently convened in Ottawa.

The Moroccan minister will participate in a round table on the open government in Africa and confer with Canadian senior officials on cooperation prospects between the two countries to promote accountable, responsive and inclusive governance.

The 6th OGP Summit is attended by over 2000 delegates from regional governments, civil society groups, multilateral organizations, academia, and beyond. The goal of the Summit is to share knowledge and deliver solutions for more open and transparent governments around the globe.

Set up in 2011, OGP aspires to support both government and civil society reformers by elevating open government to the highest levels and creating a supportive worldwide community.

The Open Government Partnership seeks to make sure that real change is happening on the ground in the majority of OGP countries, and that this change is benefitting citizens. Member countries pledge to encourage high-level political leadership, greater civic participation in public affairs, decision-making and policy formulation.

They also commit to combat corruption, promote practices ensuring transparency in the management of public finances and strengthening the rule of law.

OGP member countries pledge to guarantee equitable and affordable access to technology, increase online and mobile connectivity and develop accessible and secure online platforms for delivering services, engaging the public, and sharing valuable information and ideas.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE). To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Euro India Fresh Foods Limited (NSE:EIFFL).

Over the last twelve months Euro India Fresh Foods has recorded a ROE of 1.5%. Another way to think of that is that for every 1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn 0.015.

Check out our latest analysis for Euro India Fresh Foods

How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?

The formula for return on equity is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit  Shareholders' Equity

Or for Euro India Fresh Foods:

1.5% = 8.8m  601m (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)

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. Shareholders' equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company.

What Does ROE Mean?

ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The 'return' is the yearly profit. A higher profit will lead to a higher ROE. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. That means it can be interesting to compare the ROE of different companies.

Does Euro India Fresh Foods Have A Good Return On Equity?

Arguably the easiest way to assess company's ROE is to compare it with the average in its industry. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. As is clear from the image below, Euro India Fresh Foods has a lower ROE than the average (9.0%) in the Food industry.

Story continues

NSEI:EIFFL Past Revenue and Net Income, May 31st 2019

That certainly isn't ideal. It is better when the ROE is above industry average, but a low one doesn't necessarily mean the business is overpriced. Still, shareholders might want to check if insiders have been selling.

Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE

Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won't affect the total equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same.

Combining Euro India Fresh Foods's Debt And Its 1.5% Return On Equity

Euro India Fresh Foods has a debt to equity ratio of 0.26, which is far from 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 Key Takeaway

Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. 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.

But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So I think it may be worth checking this free this detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow .

But note: Euro India Fresh Foods may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
(Updates with execution)

By Brendan O'Brien

May 30 (Reuters) - Alabama on Thursday executed a 46-year-old man convicted of killing a minister and wounding his wife with a sword and dagger while robbing their home three days before Christmas in 1991, the state's department of corrections said.

Christopher Price was executed by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 7:31 p.m. (0031 GMT) local time at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Corrections said.

"A man is much more than his worst mistake," Price said as his final statement, according to the department of corrections.

Price was originally scheduled to be executed on April 11, but the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay in his challenge to the state's lethal injection procedure. The U.S. Supreme Court later that night ruled that Alabama could go ahead with the execution, but the death warrant had expired.

Price was convicted and sentenced to death in 1993 in the killing of William Lynn, a minister, in his home in Bazemore, Alabama, on Dec. 22, 1991.

Lynn and his wife, Bessie, had just returned home from church and were assembling Christmas presents for their grandchildren when two robbers shut off the electricity in the home and attacked the couple with a sword and dagger, according to court documents.

Lynn died of his injuries, while his wife survived wounds to her head, hands and chest.

Price was captured seven days later and admitted that he had taken part in the robbery, but said he did not hurt the couple, according to court documents.

Kelvin Coleman, who was accused of being Price's accomplice, pleaded guilty to murder and robbery and is serving a life sentence without parole, authorities said.

Price was the ninth inmate in the United States and the third in Alabama to be executed in 2019, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, which tracks executions. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Sandra Maler)
* U.N. torture expert visited Assange in London prison on May 9

* Cites symptoms of 'prolonged exposure to psychological torture'

* Calls for him not to be extradited to U.S., fears abuse

* Britain's Hunt says Assange 'was always free to face justice'

* (Adds quotes from Melzer interview; tweet by UK's Hunt)

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, May 31 (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has suffered psychological torture from a defamation campaign and should not be extradited to the United States where he would face a "politicized show trial," a U.N. human rights investigator said on Friday.

Nils Melzer, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture who visited Assange in a high-security London prison on May 9 along with two medical experts, said that he found him agitated, under severe stress and unable to cope with his complex legal case.

"Our finding was that Mr. Assange shows all the symptoms of a person who has been exposed to psychological torture for a prolonged period of time. The psychiatrist who accompanied my mission said that his state of health was critical," Melzer told Reuters in an interview in Geneva.

"But my understanding is that he has now been hospitalized and that he is not able to stand trial," he said.

Assange was too ill on Thursday to appear via video link from a British prison in a hearing on an extradition request from the United States, his lawyer Gareth Peirce told Reuters. He is in a health ward.

"Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture," Melzer said in a statement.

The Swiss law professor declined to identify judges or senior politicians whom he accused of defaming Assange, saying "dozens if not hundreds of individuals" had expressed themselves inappropriately.

Story continues

"Here we are not speaking of prosecution but of persecution. That means that judicial power, institutions and proceedings are being deliberately abused for ulterior motives," he added.

British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt, in a tweet posted within minutes of Melzer's statement, said: "This is wrong. Assange chose to hide in the embassy and was always free to leave and face justice.

"The UN Special Rapporteur should allow British courts to make their judgements without his interference or inflammatory accusations," he said.

"POLITICISED SHOW TRIAL"

Assange made headlines in 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

Washington is seeking the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London on April 11 after his seven-year asylum was revoked, for one of the biggest ever leaks of classified information.

The Australian, now 47, had skipped bail and taken refuge there in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault investigation later dropped. Sweden reopened the investigation in early May. Assange denies the rape allegation.

The United States has charged Assange with espionage, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information. He faces 18 U.S. criminal counts and decades in prison if convicted.

"I am seriously, gravely concerned that if this man were to be extradited to the United States, he would be exposed to a politicized show trial and grave violations of his human rights," Melzer said.

"The main narrative in this affair really is the United States wanting to make an example of Mr. Assange in order to deter other people from following his example," he said.

Melzer did not expect U.S. authorities to subject Assange to physical torture such as water-boarding during interrogations.

"I would much more expect him to be subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, to very harsh detention conditions and to a psychological environment which would break him eventually."

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay Editing by Ros Russell)
(Adds analyst comments)

By Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA, May 31 (Reuters) - Brazil withdrew an invitation to the envoy for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to present her diplomatic credentials, she said on Friday, and the government in Brasilia said it would decide later whether to accept them.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still recognizes Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela, his spokesman said. Guaido's envoy, Maria Teresa Belandria, played down the idea that the snub reflected skepticism from Bolsonaro's government.

Diplomatic analysts said mounting evidence that a change of government in Venezuela is not imminent may have Bolsonaro and his aides wondering if they overplayed their support for Guaido.

Former military officers making up about a third of Brazil's cabinet have been wary of provoking Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, warning against moves that could tip an economic and political crisis into violence across Brazil's northern border.

Belandria had been invited to present her credentials at the presidential palace along with ambassadors from other countries next Tuesday, but the government changed its mind.

"I was uninvited," she told Reuters, but went on to dismiss any suggestion the snub reflected diminished support for Guaido.

"There will be another opportunity," she said. "Brazil's support continues to be strong, solid and decisive. It's merely a protocol matter."

Presidential spokesman General Otavio Rego Barros said Belandria was the representative of Venezuela's "legitimate president" and denied an invitation had been withdrawn.

"Reception or not of the letters of accreditation will be assessed at a more convenient moment," he told Reuters.

Brazilian newspapers Folha de S.Paulo and O Globo reported that Bolsonaro's government had canceled her invitation because ex-military aides want to pursue dialog with Maduro, who also has an official representative in Brasilia.

Story continues

"They realize Brazil has to deal with the reality that Maduro is not going anywhere right now and, even if he leaves, Guaido will not be president and a general will likely take his place," said Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of foreign relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo.

Guaido invoked Venezuela's constitution in January to assume the interim presidency, saying Maduro's reelection was not legitimate. Brazil and most Western countries have since backed him as head of state.

However, the Brazilian government has not revoked the credentials of Maduro's representatives in Brasilia.

Guaido's press team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Venezuela recently reopened its border crossing to Brazil after a nearly three-month closure, and Bolsonaro's aides are working to restore more regular power supply for the Brazilian state of Roraima, which depends on the Venezuelan grid.

Bolsonaro, like many heads of state in the region, has been sharply critical of the Maduro government, and advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump have pressed him to take a harder line, raising speculation about positioning U.S. troops in Brazil.

Bolsonaro's top security adviser, retired General Augusto Heleno, told Reuters two weeks ago that Venezuela's armed forces will decide Maduro's future and could depose him to lead a transition to democratic elections.

"Recognition of Guaido's envoy was never agreed to by the military, who vetoed the idea of a U.S. base in Brazil from day one," said Brazilian diplomat Paulo Roberto de Almeida. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Lisandra Paraguassu; editing by Brad Haynes, Susan Thomas and James Dalgleish)
(Adds Exxon no comment in paragraphs 3-4)

By Aref Mohammed

BASRA, Iraq, May 31 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil employees will start returning to Iraq's West Qurna 1 oilfield on Sunday after the government agreed to provide extra security, two senior Iraqi oil officials told Reuters on Friday.

Senior company management and essential engineers would be among the first employees to return, the Iraqi officials said, two weeks after Exxon pulled its 60 or so foreign staff from the oilfield and flew them to Dubai.

Exxon Mobil declined to comment on the plan to return staff.

"As a matter of practice, we don't share specifics related to operational staffing at our facilities," Exxon spokeswoman Julie King said.

The evacuation came just days after the United States withdrew non-essential staff from its embassy in Baghdad, citing a threat from neighboring Iran, which has close ties to Iraqi Shi'ite militia.

Exxon asked for extra security from the police and army at work sites and residences and Iraq agreed, the officials said. The company has received letters of assurance from the Iraqi oil ministry and Basra Oil Company.

Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban at the time called the evacuation "unacceptable and unjustified," saying it was a political move, rather than borne out of genuine security concerns. He said he had sent a letter to Exxon Mobil after the staff left asking for the company to immediately return to work at the southern oilfield.

Exxon Mobil is the lead contractor in a long-term deal with Iraq's South Oil Company to develop and rehabilitate the oil field and increase production.

Production was not affected by the evacuation and work continued normally, overseen by Iraqi engineers, Iraqi officials said at the time. Production remained at 440,000 barrels per day (bpd) and Iraqi officials later said they would increase it to 490,000 bpd shortly. (Reporting by Aref Mohammed; Additional reporting by Gary McWilliams in Houston; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Edmund Blair/Kirsten Donovan/Jane Merriman)
(Adds share details, comments from analysts, Audi and BMW)

FRANKFURT, May 31 (Reuters) - Shares in German car makers extended losses in Frankfurt on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to slap tariffs from next month on imports from Mexico, where the big three manufacturers have plants.

BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen , which have plants in Mexico to take advantage of lower labor costs and U.S. trade deals with its southern neighbor, were down by as much as 2.9 percent by 0800 GMT.

Shares in Asian auto makers dropped overnight.

Trump said he would hit goods coming from Mexico with a 5% tariff and would hike that levy each month until it hits 25% on Oct. 1, unless Mexico takes immediate action against illegal immigration across the U.S. border.

A spokesman for VW subsidiary Audi said the company was watching developments very closely but it was too early to speculate on outcomes.

A note by car analyst Arndt Ellinghorst described German carmakers as exposed, noting BMW's new plant at San Luis Potosi represented nearly 20% of its production for North America.

An auto industry source said the situation was puzzling in that the migration issues belonged to the political stage and came despite an update to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in the making for this summer.

It also came as the EU and the United States are working to avoid an escalation in trade conflicts.

Commerzbank strategist Ulrich Leuchtmann said: "The U.S. trade policy has taken a qualitatively different turn. Using tariffs as a tool for non-economic goals is something which brings a new quality to proceedings."

(Reporting by Vera Eckert Additional reporting by Riham Alkousaa in Berlin and Ilona Wissenbach in Frankfurt Editing by David Holmes)
(Adds detail,)

BUDAPEST, May 31 (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he had asked for a thorough investigation into a boat accident on the Danube River in central Budapest that killed at least seven South Korean tourists this week.

"One is shaken by this ... an accident happened where passengers had almost no chance for survival," Orban told state radio, offering condolences to relatives of the victims.

"I have asked the authorities to carry out a strict and thorough investigation," he said.

Hungarian police said late on Thursday they had taken into custody the captain of a cruise ship involved in the accident.

The boat was cruising when it collided with a larger luxury passenger boat during a rainstorm on Wednesday evening, causing it to capsize and sink with 33 South Korean tourists and tour guides and two Hungarian crew aboard.

Seven South Koreans were rescued, seven died, and 19 South Koreans were among the 21 people still missing. Hungarian rescue officials said on Thursday there was little chance of finding survivors.

South Korean rescue teams and officials including South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha arrived in Budapest on Friday. She will hold a news conference with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto at 0730 GMT.

A crane ship was docked near the wreck in preparation for recovery operations. Police have said the rescue efforts were hampered by high water levels, strong currents and bad visibility.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than Editing by Paul Tait and Edmund Blair)
(Adds governor's confirmation that he will sign the bill into law)

By Karen Pierog

CHICAGO, May 31 (Reuters) - Illinois will become the 11th U.S. state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults under a bill that won final passage in the state legislature on Friday.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the measure in a 66-47 vote, following Senate approval on Wednesday.

Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker said he will sign the bill, which allows for previous convictions dealing with amounts of marijuana under 30 grams to be erased, and which could eventually generate as much as $500 million in new annual revenue for the financially troubled state.

"In the interest of equity and criminal justice reform, I look forward to signing this monumental legislation, Pritzker said in a statement.

Illinois will be the second state to legalize small amounts of marijuana for adult use solely through the legislative process, following Vermont, which did so in 2018. Since 2012, voters in nine states and Washington, D.C. approved legalization measures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

"It is time to hit the reset button on the war on drugs," said Democratic State Representative Kelly Cassidy, the bill's House sponsor, adding that the measure, which would take effect Jan. 1, would set the "gold standard" for a regulated market.

Opponents raised health, safety and financial concerns over legalizing marijuana.

"My goodness, there sure seems to be a lot of red flags on this issue," said Republican State Representative Mark Batinick.

The legislation will raise about $57 million in new revenue in fiscal 2020, which begins on July 1, and as much as $500 million annually when fully implemented, according to its sponsors.

The bill earmarks some of the proceeds after administrative and other expenses for drug prevention, public safety and programs in disadvantaged communities, while 35% will flow into Illinois' general fund and 10% will be used to pay overdue bills incurred by the state.

Story continues

Pritzker included new revenue from legalized marijuana in his nearly $39 billion proposed fiscal 2020 budget.

In addition to Vermont, states that have legalized recreational marijuana are Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Michigan.

The use of marijuana for medical purposes, which Illinois authorized starting in 2014, is legal in 23 states. (Reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago Editing by Matthew Lewis)
(Adds detail)

By Francois Murphy

VIENNA, May 31 (Reuters) - Iran has stayed within the main restrictions of its nuclear deal, a quarterly report by the U.N. atomic watchdog indicated on Friday, at a time when Tehran is threatening to break the rules in future in response to new U.S. sanctions.

The report found that Iran was abiding by the main terms of its 2015 deal with world powers, including the most sensitive issues of its stockpile of enriched uranium and level of enrichment.

The report did however flag up questions about the number of advanced centrifuges Iran is allowed, which is loosely defined in the deal.

A year after Washington abandoned the landmark deal, which curbed Tehran's nuclear program in return for the lifting of sanctions, European powers are trying to keep it in place.

The report by the International Atomic Energy Agency comes at a particularly sensitive time, with Washington having sharply tightened sanctions on Tehran this month, and Iran threatening to take steps in response that could eventually bring it out of compliance with the pact.

The administration of President Donald Trump says the deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama does not go far enough to curb Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

After reintroducing sanctions last year, the Trump administration has ordered all countries to halt all imports of Iranian oil from this month. Tehran has responded by threatening to increase its enrichment of uranium, although it says it has not violated the agreement so far.

Washington has also raised the prospect of military confrontation in recent weeks, blaming Iran for attacks on oil tankers and announcing the deployment of extra forces to the Gulf. Iran denies any link to attacks on shipping and says the U.S. military moves are "psychological warfare."

The IAEA report said its staff had access "to all the sites and locations in Iran which it needed to visit."

Inspectors found that Iran's stock of enriched uranium was well below the limit set by the deal, as of May 20. That last date covered by the report is also the day Iran said it had increased the rate at which it enriches uranium, meaning any acceleration will appear only in the next report.

Story continues

The IAEA said Iran had installed 33 advanced IR-6 centrifuges, machines that can enrich uranium, although only 10 had been tested with uranium feedstock so far. The deal allows Iran to test up to 30, but only after 8 1/2 years have passed. The limit before then is a "grey area," diplomats say.

"Technical discussions in relation to the IR-6 centrifuges are ongoing," the report said. A senior diplomat, asked about the nature of those discussions, declined to elaborate.

While Iran has stayed within the deal's main limits over the past three years, it has breached a cap on its heavy water stock within the first year, although this is acknowledged by diplomats as a comparatively minor issue. Diplomats also say it has dragged its feet on allowing access to some sites, without explicitly violating the requirements of the deal. (Reporting by Francois Murphy Editing by Peter Graff)
(Adds police say arrest three militants, foil attack)

DUBAI/BAGHDAD, May 31 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Iranians marking the annual "Quds (Jerusalem) Day" in the Islamic Republic on Friday condemned a planned Middle East peace plan that U.S. President Donald Trump has touted as the "deal of the century."

State television said state-sponsored marches were being held in 950 communities across Iran and showed demonstrators carrying banners with slogans such as "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine" and "Death to America" and "Death to Israel."

Marchers also set fire to a Trump mask and Israeli and U.S. flags, according to pictures on Iranian news websites.

Trump's plan is to encourage investment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by Arab donor countries before grappling with thorny political issues at the heart of the conflict.

Palestinian officials, angered by Trump's decision in 2017 to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, have already spurned it, believing it will be heavily biased in favor of Israel. Iran said it would fail.

"No to the deal of the century" read a banner splashed across the news screen on state TV, which also showed a Quds Day march in neighboring Iraq's capital Baghdad, where thousands of fighters from powerful Shi'ite militias took to the streets.

"Al-Quds day in Baghdad, in other Iraqi provinces, and across the world, expresses rejection of the 'deal of the century', which is being planned by Trump in order to dissolve the Palestinian cause in (his) own way," said Mo'een al-Kathem, a member of Baghdad's provincial council.

The Iraqi militiamen marched in combat fatigues but were unarmed and did not showcase military vehicles and heavy weaponry, a contrast to previous years when they used the parade as an opportunity to showcase combat prowess.

Numbers in Iraq were consistent with annual turnout but there was a noted absence of influential militia leaders who usually mark the day by delivering fiery speeches critical of Israel and expressing gratitude to Iran for its backing.

Story continues

Quds Day was launched by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, and is held on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Opposition to Israel is a cornerstone of Shi'ite-led Iran. It backs Palestinian and Lebanese Islamist militant groups opposed to peace with Israel, which Tehran refuses to recognize.

In northwestern Kurdistan province, where rebel groups have been active for decades, police said they arrested three armed militants and foiled a planned attack on marchers in the provincial capital Sanandaj, state broadcaster IRIB reported.

BAHRAIN CONFERENCE

Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite militias are backed and trained by Iran. They helped retake swathes of land captured by Islamic State alongside Iraqi government forces supported by a U.S.-led international coalition.

Baghdad has sought to calm rising tensions between its two main allies, fearing an outbreak of war would damage Iraq's fragile internal security. Militia leaders have vast political influence and have been striking a less inflammatory tone over the past few weeks.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the Trump plan will fail. President Hassan Rouhani said after joining the march on Friday: "Undoubtedly, the deal of the century will become the bankruptcy of the century and will not lead anywhere," IRNA reported.

Speakers at rallies in Iran vowed that Palestinians would defeat Israel.

"The strategy of Lebanon's Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas has led to Israel's successive defeats in recent years and if Israel makes the smallest move today it faces a barrage of Palestinian missiles," Revolutionary Guards spokesman Ramezan Sharif was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired around 690 rockets towards Israel during a surge of deadly violence in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel that lasted about two days in early May, the Israeli military said.

Speaking after the march in Tehran, parliament speaker Ali Larijani criticized U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states that have expressed support for Trump's plan.

"The Saudis, Emiratis and Bahrainis have given their money and are losing their good name ... for a phony American plan," Larijani said in remarks carried live by state TV.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have said they will participate in a planned Bahrain conference to encourage investment in the Palestinian territories by Arab countries as part of the plan.

In Yemen's capital Sanaa, which is held by the Iran-alligned Houthi movement and their northern stronghold Saada, "large crowds" marched to mark Quds Day, the group's Al Masirah TV said on Twitter.

Israel, the United States and its chief Sunni Arab ally Saudi Arabia accuse Iran of fomenting tension in the Middle East and of sponsoring terrorism. Tehran denies this. (Reporting by Dubai newsroom and by Ahmed Aboulenein in Baghdad Editing by William Maclean, Alison Williams and Frances Kerry)
United Nations Secretary-General has appointed Najat Maalla Mjid of Morocco as his Special Representative on Violence against Children

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced today (Thursday) the appointment of Najat Maalla Mjid of Morocco as his Special Representative on Violence Against Children at the level of Assistant Secretary-General. She will succeed Marta Santos Pais of Portugal, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General announced in a statement.

Dr. Mjid, a medical doctor in pediatrics, has over the last three decades devoted her life to the promotion and protection of childrens rights. She was Head of the Pediatrics Department and Director of the Hay Hassani Mother-Child hospital in Casablanca, the statement added.

Dr. Mjid is a member of the Moroccan National Council on Human Rights and founder of Bayti, the first Moroccan non-governmental organization to address the situation of street children. From 2008 to 2014, she served as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

Dr. Mjid also works as an Expert-Consultant for national and international projects, strategies and policies relating to child rights promotion and protection. She has participated in the development of national policies on the protection of the child, and has worked with several governments, non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations. She also works as a lecturer in Moroccan and international universities on child rights protection, promotion, programming and monitoring, as well as social and development policies. Dr. Mjid, who is member of several regional and international NGOs and networks working for childrens rights, is also involved in the training of social workers, law enforcement agents, teachers, judges, and medical staff.

She is the recipient of numerous awards and honours for her strong commitment to protecting the rights of the child.
* Europe's top court to hear key data case on July 9

* ECJ ruling could cause companies major headaches

* Irish High Court referral cited well-founded concerns (Adds details, quotes)

By Padraic Halpin

DUBLIN, May 31 (Reuters) - The European Court of Justice (ECJ) will hear a landmark privacy case regarding the transfer of EU citizens' data to the United States in July, after Facebook's bid to stop its referral was blocked by Ireland's Supreme Court on Friday.

The case, which was initially brought against Facebook by Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, is the latest to question whether methods used by technology firms to transfer data outside the 28-nation European Union give EU consumers sufficient protection from U.S. surveillance.

A ruling by Europe's top court against the current legal arrangements would have major implications for thousands of companies, which make millions of such transfers every day, including human resources databases, credit card transactions and storage of internet browsing histories.

The Irish High Court, which heard Schrems' case against Facebook last year, said there were well-founded concerns about an absence of an effective remedy in U.S. law compatible with EU legal requirements, which prohibit personal data being transferred to a country with inadequate privacy protections.

The High Court ordered the case be referred to the ECJ to assess whether the methods used for data transfers - including standard contractual clauses and the so called Privacy Shield agreement - were legal.

Facebook took the case to the Supreme Court when the High Court refused its request to appeal the referral, but in a unanimous decision on Friday, the Supreme Court said it would not overturn any aspect the ruling.

The High Court's original five-page referral asks the ECJ if the Privacy Shield - under which companies certify they comply with EU privacy law when transferring data to the United States - does in fact mean that the United States "ensures an adequate level of protection."

Story continues

Facebook came under scrutiny last year after it emerged the personal information of up to 87 million users, mostly in the United States, may have been improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

More generally, data privacy has been a growing public concern since revelations in 2013 by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden of mass U.S. surveillance caused political outrage in Europe.

The Privacy Shield was hammered out between the EU and the United States after the ECJ struck down its predecessor, Safe Harbour, on the grounds that it did not afford Europeans' data enough protection from U.S. surveillance.

That case was also brought by Schrems via the Irish courts.

"Facebook likely again invested millions to stop this case from progressing. It is good to see that the Supreme Court has not followed," Schrems said in a statement. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Susan Fenton and Kirsten Donovan)
(Adds prosecutor's comment)

NAIROBI, May 31 (Reuters) - A Kenyan court said on Friday that the deputy chief justice at the country's highest court cannot be prosecuted for abuse of office in a case brought against her last year, saying police failed to follow correct procedure in gathering evidence.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji, has said his office will appeal the decision, saying all their evidence was collected using properly issued court warrants.

Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu was arrested last August on suspicion of corruption, failure to pay tax and improper dealings with a local bank that was later placed in receivership.

Mwilu was arrested, charged in August in a Nairobi magistrate's court and released on bail. She denied any wrongdoing.

The same month, the high court temporarily halted criminal proceedings against her and accepted an application she filed that argued the case raised constitutional issues.

The five-judge bench said on Friday the police's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) violated her privacy and did not follow procedure in gathering evidence against Mwilu, including by misusing a search warrant.

"Having found that the DCI thereby misrepresented facts and misused the court order, we have come to the conclusion that the prosecution against the petitioner cannot proceed," Judge Hellen Omondi said in a ruling.

"An order is hereby issued to quash the criminal proceedings in Nairobi chief magistrate's court."

Chief Public Prosecutor Noordin Haji had said Mwilu had abused her office for personal gain, undermining public integrity in the judiciary.

Haji said in addition to appealing the ruling, his office would also file a complaint with Mwilu's employer - the Judiciary Service Commission for further action.

"If the court had called on all the parties, we could have evidence before them that we had all the warrants issued in relation with the investigations of the suspect's accounts," Haji told reporters.

Story continues

"At no time would the DCI or any other state agency act contrary to the dictates of the law, and more so, with regard to intrusive investigations that require sanction of the court."

In early 2018, the government launched a new anti-graft push led by Haji, a former deputy head of national intelligence, who has brought criminal charges against dozens of civil servants and business people.

Corruption in East Africas biggest economy drains billions of dollars from the state each year. (Reporting by John Ndiso, Humphrey Malalo and George Obulutsa; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Stephen Powell)
(Adds comments from Russian foreign ministry)

PRISTINA, May 31 (Reuters) - The Kosovo government said on Friday that a Russian national working for the U.N. mission would not be allowed back into the country after his expulsion, drawing a rebuke from Moscow.

It said the UN staffer, Mikhail Krasnoshchenkov, had been declared persona non grata. The U.N. mission, UNMIK, said on Thursday the Russian had sustained injuries when he was arrested during a police anti-crime operation in Kosovo and was now in a Belgrade hospital.

The expulsion has added further strains to the difficult relationship between Kosovo and Serbia, which used to rule Kosovo. The small state, which has an ethnic Albanian majority and Serb minority, declared independence in 2008. A decade earlier NATO air strikes had wrested control of Kosovo away from Serbia to end a Serb counter-insurgency campaign.

On Tuesday, Kosovo police arrested 19 police officers, 11 of whom were Serbs. They were accused of smuggling and other illegal activities in the volatile north of the country.

Belgrade, which says the operation was a show of force against Serbs, has put its police and army units on highest alert in response.

During a police operation in Kosovo, a Russian national and a local UN colleague , both employed in the United Nations mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) office, had been detained shortly and later released. The Kremlin called the arrest of the Russian national a "flagrant incident."

The Russian foreign ministry said the man was beaten during his arrest by the Kosovo special forces and that he is currently being treated in a Belgrade hospital.

"We consider the actions of the Kosovo authorities as the continuation of a blatant policy aimed at the exasperation of inter-ethnic relations in the region (and) contempt for international norms of diplomatic communication," the ministry said in a statement.

Police said the two UN employees had been arrested for standing on a barricade set up by local Serbs to stop police vehicles from passing.

Story continues

"The decision was taken today. This person who works as an international staff for the United Nations ... was ordered to leave the territory of the republic of Kosovo," Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj wrote on his Facebook page.

"The decision was taken because of the actions of the Russian national against Kosovo's constitutional order..." he wrote.

The UN mission was set up to run Kosovo following the end of the 1998-99 war but, but it lost executive mandate when Kosovo declared independence in 2008. (Reporting by Fatos Bytyci, additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow; Editing by Stephen Powell)
(Adds Nasrallah comments on precision-guided missiles)

BEIRUT, May 31 (Reuters) - Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah pledged on Friday to confront the U.S. Middle East plan that President Donald Trump has touted as "the deal of the century."

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the heavily armed Shi'ite movement, said it was unlikely Washington and its allies would launch a war against Tehran as they would pay a heavy price.

The U.S. military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the region to counter what it called "clear indications" of threats from Iran.

The U.S. special envoy for Iran says the steps had deterred Tehran. But he said that Washington would respond to any attacks with military force, as Arab leaders met on Thursday to discuss what they deem a rising threat from Tehran.

Saudi Arabia's king told an emergency Arab summit on Friday that decisive action was needed to stop Iranian "escalations" in the region after attacks on Gulf oil assets.

The United States knows that "war against Iran will not stop at Iran's borders," Nasrallah said in a televised speech at a rally marking the annual Quds (Jerusalem) Day. "The entire region will burn. ... All U.S. forces and interests in the region will be annihilated."

He said the "balance of power" was preventing a U.S.-Iran war, which he warned would also hit U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Nasrallah described a U.S. blueprint to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, led by Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, as a "historic crime" that must be stopped. "This is a religious, moral, humanitarian, jihadi duty," he said.

The first stage of the plan, still in draft form after almost two years, is expected to be unveiled at a late June conference in Bahrain. It seeks to encourage investment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by Arab donor states before grappling with thorny political issues at the heart of the conflict.

Story continues

Palestinian and Arab sources briefed on the draft say it has jettisoned the two-state solution - the long-standing U.S. and world formula that envisages an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza.

Nasrallah also denied charges that Hezbollah has factories in Lebanon to produce precision-guided missiles, but said it has enough of those missiles "to change the face of the region."

Israel and the United States believe Hezbollah has sought home-grown production of precision-guided missiles that could paralyze Israeli infrastructure.

Israel sees Lebanon's Hezbollah, against which it fought a month-long war in 2006, as the biggest threat on its borders. (Reporting by Ellen Francis; editing by Andrew Heavens and Leslie Adler)
(Adds quotes, context)

By Polina Ivanova

LIPETSK, Russia, May 31 (Reuters) - Russia's largest steelmaker, NLMK, has had to scramble to supply its U.S. operations after a 25% U.S. tariff imposed last year disrupted its shipments of steel slab from Russia.

"At the moment we do not deliver Russian slabs there. At the moment we buy Brazilian slabs and we partly buy U.S. slabs," CEO Grigory Fedorishin said, adding the company is struggling to source enough material on the U.S. domestic market

"Now we live in the market, pretty much. We sit down every month or two and start deciding from scratch where we're going to source (steel slabs)," he said.

With the U.S. lifting tariffs this month on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico, Fedorishin said NLMK would also search for steel slabs there.

NLMK, whose request for an exemption from the U.S. restrictions was denied in April, had previously said the cost of the tariffs could force it to close its U.S. operations, which consist mainly of two steel mills in Pennsylvania and Indiana.

But Fedorishin said the company was currently committed to the U.S. market: "We're looking very carefully at our strategy to see how to make it effective."

He said NLMK expects global steel prices to gradually decline, with weak steel consumption in Europe and slower-than-expected economic growth in China.

"My forecast is that prices on metal will continue to fall. They will reach some sort of level when raw materials become too expensive... And then I think raw material prices will begin to fall too," he said.

CHINA

Vladimir Lisin, NLMK's controlling shareholder and Russia's second richest businessman, said Moscow ought to look at better regulating imports too, citing Chinese metalware as an example based on quality and dumping concerns.

"Some barriers need to be considered," Lisin said. "The whole world is doing it," he said.

Story continues

Lisin told reporters on Thursday the U.S.-China trade war - that has seen the U.S. impose tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods - would have a neutral effect on Russian steel overall.

"It's not our war. It will bring neither positives nor negatives," Lisin said.

"Ultimately, it's not going to be long-term. Sooner or later they will agree on something," Lisin told reporters in Lipetsk, central Russia, where NLMK's production facilities are based. (Reporting by Polina Ivanova; editing by Polina Devitt and Jason Neely)
* Trans-Atlantic tensions worsening over trade and security

* US may stop sharing intelligence with nations using Huawei

* Britain, France, Germany have declined US call for Huawei ban

* Pompeo lauds Germany as "great, important partner"

* On Iran, Pompeo says: "We hope Germany does more" (Adds Pompeo comments to Bild newspaper on Iran, defense spending)

By David Brunnstrom

BERLIN, May 31 (Reuters) - The United States raised the pressure on Western allies in a war of attrition over next-generation networks on Friday, saying countries that allow China's Huawei to build their telecoms infrastructure could be cut off from crucial intelligence data.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued the warning after meeting Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of Germany, which has so far stood with Britain and France in declining calls to ban the state-owned manufacturer from the 5G networks now being built.

In the latest sign of escalating trans-Atlantic tensions over trade and security, Pompeo, on the first leg of a five-day European tour, said that while countries would take a "sovereign decision" on which equipment to use, that decision would have consequences.

"(There is) a risk we will have to change our behavior in light of the fact that we can't permit data on private citizens or data on national security to go across networks that we don't have confidence (in)," he told a news conference.

Pompeo later met Chancellor Angela Merkel for brief talks before flying on to Switzerland, describing Germany as "a great, important partner and ally of the United States."

Merkel herself had just flown back from the United States the night before after delivering a speech to graduating Harvard students in which she exhorted them to "tear down walls of ignorance" and to stand for truth over lies - words widely interpreted as veiled criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The U.S. is and remains our most important partner outside Europe," Merkel told reporters ahead of the meeting. "We have many issues to discuss, since the world is not at rest," she added, mentioning the challenge of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and hindering Iran's "aggressive actions."

Story continues

Pompeo urged close ally Britain this month not to use Huawei's technology to build new 5G networks because of concerns it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, responding to similar comments on Huawei made by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Canada on Thursday, said the United States had yet to prove that Huawei's products presented a security risk.

"We hope that the United States can stop these mistaken actions which are not at all commensurate with their status and position as a big country," said spokesman Geng Shuang.

The United States is at odds with its German allies on a host of issues, from trade to military spending and nuclear non-proliferation.

IRAN AGREEMENT

Pompeo's visit had been scheduled earlier this month, but was called off at the last minute as tensions rose over Iran. Berlin and Washington differ on the best approach to Iran over its nuclear program.

Under a 2015 nuclear agreement with major powers, which Washington withdrew from last year, Tehran accepted curbs on its uranium enrichment program in exchange for the removal of most international sanctions.

Iran's decision this month to backtrack from some commitments under the accord - in response to U.S. measures to cripple its economy - threatens to unravel the deal.

The German Foreign Ministry said on its website: "Germany and the U.S. agree: For the security of the region, it is crucial that Iran does not come into possession of nuclear weapons."

Maas stressed during his talks with Pompeo that "as long as Tehran adheres to the agreed rules, the agreement makes the region safer," the ministry added. A German envoy seeking to preserve the nuclear deal visited Iran last week.

But in comments on Iran in an interview to run in German daily Bild on Saturday, Pompeo said: "We hope Germany does more ... The (Iranian) regime is an expansionist theocracy. Free democracies have a duty to protect the world from this threat."

Pompeo also took a swipe at the German government for failing to reach a NATO target of spending 2% of national income on defense, telling Bild: "The most serious consequence is in the hands of the German population."

"The federal government has given the promise of 2% and the people should demand that the government keeps its promise," he said in usually blunt comments towards a NATO ally.

(Reporting by Paul Carrel and Joseph Nasr in Berlin, Ben Blanchard in Beijing Writing by Thomas Escritt Editing by Frances Kerry and Stephen Powell)
(Adds statement of Green's denial)

May 31 (Reuters) - The British retail tycoon Philip Green has been charged with four counts of misdemeanor assault in the United States after an Arizona pilates instructor accused him of repeatedly touching her inappropriately, Britain's Press Association reported on Friday.

The billionaire chairman of Arcadia Group, Green, 67, is accused of spanking the instructor and grabbing her buttocks at the Canyon Ranch resort in Tucson in 2016 and 2018, according to the Pima County Attorney's Office, the PA reported.

Arcadia Group said in a statement on Green's behalf that he "strenuously denies" the allegations, and noted that "contrary to previous suggestions in the media, there is no allegation of any sexual assault or misconduct made by the prosecution."

The charges carry a sentence of up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine, the PA reported, citing Lauren Deakin, a deputy in the prosecutor's office. Pima County court records posted online showed Green was due to appear for an arraignment hearing for the four charges on June 19, but the full criminal complaint was not immediately available.

Arcadia Group's statement said that Green did not plan to attend the hearing in person.

A spokeswoman for the country attorney's office did not respond to requests for confirmation.

Green's group operates some of the best-known clothing store chains in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins.

The company said this month it planned to close 23 of its 566 stores in the British Isles as it loses customers to online competitors. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting by David Milliken in London; Editing by Howard Goller)
(Adds quote, background)

TOKYO, May 31 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold a summit meeting on June 29, when Putin visits Japan for a meeting of leaders of the Group of 20 nations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

Senior officials and political leaders from both countries have held talks frequently in recent months to discuss ways to put an end to an decades-old territorial dispute and conclude a peace treaty.

"With eyes on the Russia-Japan summit meeting at the time of the G20 summit in Osaka, we made checks on the state of progress in Russia-Japan relations," Lavrov told reporters after meeting his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono.

Lavrov's comment, in Russian, was translated into Japanese at a joint news conference with Kono.

Japan claims a string of Russia-controlled western Pacific islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and Southern Kuriles in Russia.

The territorial row over the island chain, seized by Soviet troops at the end of World War Two, has upset diplomatic relations ever since, precluding a formal peace treaty between the two countries.

Lavrov also said talks with Japan on five joint economic activity projects on the disputed islands were proceeding at a good pace, without elaborating.

Abe and Putin in 2016 agreed to launch talks on joint economic activities on the islands as a step toward concluding a peace treaty. (Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Chris Gallagher)
(Adds quotes, background, clarifies report by independent experts)

MADRID, May 31 (Reuters) - Spain on Friday called on the United Nations to correct what it called mistakes in a report compiled for the U.N. by independent human rights experts, who urged the release of three jailed Catalan separatist leaders.

In an advance copy seen by Reuters, the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said Spain should investigate the "arbitrary" decision to deny bail to Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cruixart and give them a chance to seek compensation.

The Spanish ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva has requested a correction of the report's conclusions, which Spanish government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa blamed on mistakes, omissions and conflicts of interest.

The working group was made up of five experts, two of which had links to the one of the lawyers of the accused, Celaa said after the weekly cabinet meeting.

"The Spanish government believes it's important that (U.N. special procedures) have transparent financing mechanisms which prevent them from being subject to manipulation, misinformation and contamination," Celaa said.

Nine former Catalan leaders are in jail while standing trial on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds. The charges relate to their alleged role in organizing a 2017 referendum on secession and subsequent declaration of independence. (Reporting by Paul Day and Tomas Cobos; editing by Jose Elias Rodriguez, Larry King)
(Adds quote from environmental group paragraphs 10-11, details)

By Humeyra Pamuk and Jarrett Renshaw

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Friday lifted restrictions on the sale of higher ethanol blends of gasoline, keeping a campaign promise to farmers suffering from the trade war with China but drawing a legal threat from the oil industry.

The announcement will allow gasoline stations to sell blends containing up to 15 percent corn-based ethanol, called E15, year-round, ending a summertime ban that President Barack Obama's Environmental Protection Agency imposed in 2011 to reduce smog pollution.

As President Trump promised, EPA is approving the year-round sale of E15 in time for summer driving season, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a press release.

In a nod to the oil industry, the agency also issued new rules to improve transparency in the market for biofuels credits that refiners must acquire under the nation's biofuel law, but the steps stopped short of what many refiners were seeking.

The widely anticipated action on E15 is a win for the U.S. farm lobby, which has argued the restrictions on E15 hurt growers by limiting demand for corn-based fuel, without providing tangible air quality benefits. Recent research has found little difference in smog risk between E15 and E10, a 10 percent ethanol blend that is already available year-round.

"We estimate this one change will generate over a billion new gallons of ethanol demand in the next five years," said Emily Skor, chief executive of biofuel trade group Growth Energy, adding it could also boost the market for American grain by some 2 billion bushels over time.

The decision marks a setback for the oil industry, which views biofuels as competition for its petroleum-based fuels and has threatened to sue the Trump administration.

"EPA has left us no choice but to pursue legal action to get this unlawful rule overturned," said Chet Thompson, the president and CEO of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers trade group.

Story continues

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents the U.S. oil industry, has repeatedly said the administration lacks the authority to unilaterally lift the ban on E15 and that such a move should require an act of Congress.

Environmental groups panned the move, saying it would increase pollution and trigger an expansion of agriculture that would speed wildlife habitat loss.

Allowing the year-round sale of E15 gasoline is both illegal under the Clean Air Act and will accelerate the destruction of wildlife habitat and pollution of our air, and drinking water," said Collin OMara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

The EPA's top air quality official, Bill Wehrum, said he was not concerned about the legal threats.

"Thats fine, thats how our world works. We believe we have very good defenses, and we believe we are going to prevail at the end," he said.

The tension over the policy move reflects how U.S. President Donald Trump has struggled to please both Big Oil and Big Agriculture, two critical constituencies in his reelection effort that have frequently clashed over biofuels.

WIN-WIN?

Trump had ordered the EPA in October to lift the summer E15 ban, cheering corn country ahead of the mid-term elections and putting the EPA on a tight deadline to complete its rulemaking ahead of the summer of 2019.

As a concession to the oil industry, he also ordered the EPA to overhaul the biofuels credit market it oversees under the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires refiners either to blend biofuels into their fuel or purchase credits.

The goal was to address concerns in the refining industry that speculation has in recent years triggered price spikes for the credits, which refiners like Valero Energy Corp and PBF Energy Inc have complained cost them millions of dollars.

But the agency's final plan for credit market reform, which it billed on Friday as a "win-win" solution for the oil and corn industries, omitted several elements that the oil industry had been seeking.

The plan focuses solely on improving market transparency, while dropping previous proposals like a requirement that buyers sell off excess credits, and limits on what types of traders can enter the market.

"The reforms include requirements for public disclosure if a partys RIN holdings exceed certain thresholds and additional data collections to improve EPA market monitoring capability," EPA said in a press release.

Wehrum said the "step-wise" approach would allow the EPA to establish for certain whether market manipulation exists in the RIN market before pursuing other measures to stamp it out: We've looked at the market closely, but so far we have not found any clear evidence of market manipulation." (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by David Gregorio and Steve Orlofsky)
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the African Unions flagship project for the continents economic integration, came into effect on Thursday with the aim of increasing intra-African trade by 60% before 2022, announced the AU.

The African Union (AU) hopes the agreement will create a continental $2.5 trillion market of 1.2 billion people and will be the biggest of its kind worldwide.

This is a historic milestone! tweeted Albert Muchanga, AU commissioner for trade and industry. We celebrate the triumph of bold, pragmatic and continent-wide commitment to economic integration.

The operational phase, however, must be launched on July 7 at an AU summit in Niamey, after finalizing key instruments such as arbitration mechanisms, defining the rules of origin of goods and evening mechanisms for the elimination of obstacles such as corruption or bad infrastructure.

So far, 24 African countries have signed the agreement, with Burkina Faso being the latest country to deposit Instrument of Ratification on Wednesday.

The long-term goal of the AfCFTA agreement is to drastically increase intra-African trade, which remains so weak. Cross-border trade should become simpler and cheaper, and small and medium-sized enterprises in particular are set to benefit.
* Kremlin says onus on Turkey to rein in Idlib rebels

* Statement follows Putin-Erdogan phone call

* Idlib is straining ties between Moscow and Ankara (Adds quote from protest at Syrian-Turkish border crossing)

By Maria Tsvetkova and Ece Toksabay

MOSCOW/ANKARA, May 31 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday it was Turkey's responsibility to stop rebels in Syria's Idlib province from firing on civilian and Russian targets, signaling it would continue to back a Syrian government offensive there despite Ankara's protests.

The month-long offensive, the biggest escalation of the war between President Bashar al-Assad and his insurgent enemies since last summer, has raised fears of a humanitarian crisis as thousands of people shelter from air strikes at the Turkish border.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin late on Thursday that he wanted a ceasefire in Idlib to prevent more civilian deaths and a refugee influx to Turkey.

Erdogan also told Putin by phone that Syria needed a political solution, Erdogan's office said in a statement.

The Turkish leader has repeatedly complained to Moscow about a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in the rebel-held northwest, the last significant rebel stronghold.

Syrians uprooted by the fighting protested on Friday at the Atmeh crossing into Turkey, calling for an end to the strikes and for Ankara to open the frontier, which it refuses to do.

Abou al-Nour, an official at the Atmeh camp which is already overflowing with displaced people, said more than 20,000 families were now sleeping in an olive grove near the border.

"They don't have any shelter or water, and this is beyond our abilities. We are doing all we can," he told Reuters.

The Kremlin made clear on Friday however that it was for now unmoved by Erdogan's calls for a ceasefire, saying the rebels were the ones who had to implement a ceasefire.

"We really do need a ceasefire in Idlib and what needs to be achieved is for the terrorists to stop firing on civilian targets and on certain facilities where our troops are located," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Erdogan's request for a ceasefire.

Story continues

."..This is the responsibility of the Turkish side."

PEOPLE FLEEING

Russia has complained of rocket and drone attacks against its main Hmeymim air base being launched from Idlib, something Peskov described as "a highly dangerous tendency."

He made no mention of the idea that Syrian government troops, backed by Russian air power, should stop fighting however, and denied Moscow and Ankara disagreed over Idlib.

The fate of the province has strained relations between Russia and Turkey, which is keen to retain a degree of influence there given its geographical proximity.

Russia, one of the Syrian government's staunchest allies, and Turkey brokered a deal in September to create a demilitarized zone in Idlib that would be free of all heavy weapons and jihadist fighters.

But Moscow, which is keen to help Assad retake territory, has since complained about escalating violence in the area and said that militants who used to belong to the Nusra Front group are in control of large tracts of territory.

It has blamed Turkey for not doing enough to hold its side of the bargain, while Ankara, which is worried about refugees crossing from Idlib into Turkey, has repeatedly urged restraint.

The United Nations said last week that more than 200,000 people had fled the violence since the government offensive began at the end of April. The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM), which provides assistance to health facilities, put the number at more than 300,000.

Many of those who have fled had already been displaced from their homes earlier in the war, sometimes fleeing time after time as the battles moved and frontlines shifted.

"The camps have absorbed around 103,000 people. So we have almost 200,000 people with no access to shelter, no access to water, no access to healthcare," said Mohanned Othman, a representative of the Syrian NGO Alliance working in Idlib. (Additional reporting by Sarah Dadouch in Istanbul and Khalil Ashawi in Syria Writing by Andrew Osborn Editing by William Maclean, Ros Russell and Peter Graff)
(Adds details; background about Canadian concerns)

By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, May 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department is determined to sell oil leases for the first time this year in the ecologically sensitive but presumably petroleum-rich coastal plain of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a Trump administration official said on Thursday.

That lease sale will happen in 2019, Joe Balash, the assistant interior secretary for lands and minerals management, told an oil industry conference in Anchorage.

The decision marks a likely turning point in a decades-long battle between environmental groups and fossil energy companies over the Beaufort Sea coast of the wildlife refuge, home to caribou, polar bear and other Arctic wildlife east of Alaska's North Slope oil fields.

The refuge had been off-limits to oil and gas drilling until the end of 2017, when Congress passed a tax overhaul that included a mandate for oil leasing there.

The tax bill requires the Interior Department to hold a lease sale within four years, offering at least 400,000 acres for development within the coastal plain of ANWR, America's largest wildlife sanctuary.

The Interior Departments Bureau of Land Management issued a draft environmental impact statement last year and will follow up with a final report this summer, likely by August, Balash said. A record of decision and notice of lease sale will follow, he said.

Environmentalists have criticized the swiftness of the environmental review. One environmental leader predicted legal challenges.

"If they really stick with that timeline, then theyre likely going to be violating several environmental laws," said Adam Kolton, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League.

"This is being rushed faster than any area weve ever seen in the American Arctic and almost any area in the United States. Its about meeting a political clock," he said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, another branch of the Interior Department, criticized the draft environmental review in April, saying the study failed to adequately consider the possibility of oil spills, climate change and the welfare of polar bears that inhabit the area.

Story continues

Fish and Wildlife identified dozens of other information gaps in its 59 pages of comments and implied that the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management wrote the draft study without properly consulting wildlife regulators.

Canadian government authorities from the federal to tribal level have also panned the draft, saying it fails to properly evaluate threats to the Porcupine caribou herd that roams the Alaska-Canada border area.

The herd, one of the largest in North America, uses ANWR's coastal plain as its birthing grounds. Porcupine herd caribou are hunted by the indigenous Gwichin people who live on both sides of the border and the herd is the subject of a U.S.-Canada treaty.

Balash said he traveled to Ottawa last week and has addressed Canadian concerns.

"We fulfilled our obligations there to consult with the Canadian government on the Porcupine herd," he said.

ANWR covers some 19 million acres of Alaska's North Slope, overlying around 16 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil reserves, according to federal officials.

(Reporting by Yereth Rosen in Anchorage, Alaska Editing by Steve Gorman, Sandra Maler and Lisa Shumaker)
(Adds quotes, background)

By Lesley Wroughton

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - The suspension of a U.S. trade preference program with India is a "done deal," a senior State Department official said on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his second term.

President Donald Trump announced in March he would end India's access to the decades-old Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade program over what the U.S. said was lack of access to India's market. The program allows emerging countries to export goods to the United States without paying duties.

U.S. law requires the administration to wait 60 days after it notifies Congress of the move before it formally ends India's participation in the program. Trump notified Congress of the move in early March.

"There is every reason to believe that GSP suspension will move forward," the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "What is important is that the interest is to resolve trade irritants - to ensure fair and equitable market access," the official added.

But the official said the benefits could be restored if India gave U.S. companies fair and equitable access to its markets.

"We need to be looking forward at how we relaunch an ambitious set of discussions between our trade teams in order to address these outstanding irritants," the official said.

"We believe if India is prepared to address policies, including data localization, e-commerce measures that served to stifle international investment for top-tier companies, that we can continue to make significant progress moving forward," the official added.

India is the world's largest beneficiary of GSP, which dates from the 1970s, and ending its participation would not only be the strongest punitive action against the country since Trump took office, but would also open a new front in the global trade war.

Twenty-four U.S. members of Congress sent the administration a letter on May 3 urging it not to terminate India's access to the GSP. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Ten years ago today, George Tiller, a Kansas abortion doctor, was attending Sunday service at his Wichita church when he was fatally shot by an anti-abortion extremist.

"However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence," President Barack Obama said in a statement after his death.

Since Roe v. Wade made abortion legal in 1973, anti-abortion groups and individuals have targeted reproductive health care facilities and their staff with tactics ranging from protests to arson to violent attacks. An analysis in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology from 1991 said after Roe, anti-abortion violence was an "epidemic," citing 110 cases of bombing or arson in roughly 10 years.

In the last few decades, violence has continued:

In 1998, survivalist Eric Rudolph bombed clinics in Alabama and Atlanta, killing two people.

In 2013, Benjamin David Curell entered a Bloomington, Ind., clinic armed with a hatchet and vandalized the offices with red paint.

In 2015, Robert Lewis Dear entered the Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains clinic in Colorado Springs armed with an assault-style rifle and killed three people.

As a number of laws restricting abortion sweep across the South, reproductive health care advocates are concerned in the current political climate, violence could escalate.

Since 1977, 11 people have been murdered as a result of attacks on abortion clinics or doctors, according to the National Abortion Federation, which has compiled statistics on such incidents of "violence and disruption" for decades. In its 2018 annual report, the group found that while death threats and threats of harm decreased slightly from the previous year, there was an escalation in vandalism, trespassing, hate mail/harassing phone calls, Internet harassment, picketing and obstruction.

"Death threats are down this year but the implied threats ... are their own form of violence," said Katherine Ragsdale, the National Abortion Federation's interim president and CEO. "They are implicit death threats even if no one says, 'I'm going to kill you.' I was recently visiting with one of our clinic's extraordinary doctors who has a young family. People are outside her work, outside her home, holding poster-sized pictures of her declaring her a 'murderer.' The signs don't say 'I'm going to kill,' so it doesn't hit our statistics as a death threat, but they are certainly incitements to violence."

Story continues

The National Right To Life Committee (NRLC), one of the nation's largest pro-life organizations, said it explicitly condemns violence against abortion providers.

"NRLC strongly opposes any use of violence as a means of stopping the violence that has killed more than 60 million unborn children since 1973," the group said in a statement to USA TODAY. "NRLC has long had a policy of forbidding violence (or illegal activity) by its staff, directors, officers, affiliated state organizations and chapters. NRLCs sole purpose is to protect human life."

Ragsdale says her organization takes all threats of violence seriously. The National Abortion Federation provides security consultation and training to clinics and their staff.

Lauren Rankin volunteers as an "escort" at an abortion clinic in Englewood, New Jersey, helping women enter the clinic safely and often acting as a barrier between patients and protesters. Rankin says in the last few years, she's seen protesters grow more "hostile."

"You always heard things like, 'you're a murderer, don't kill your baby,'" she said. "If a woman's boyfriend or husband is with her, you may hear someone say, 'don't let her murder her baby.' But in the last couple of years the rhetoric has turned more political: 'We're coming for you, we're coming for Planned Parenthood ...' It's a different level of hostility and aggression."

Republicans have amped up their anti-abortion rhetoric. Speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference in March accused Democrats of supporting infanticide. Trump said Democrats support "executing babies." In an event in Wisconsin in April, he falsely characterized late term abortions.

"The baby is born," Trump said. "The mother meets with the doctor. They take care of the baby, they wrap the baby beautifully. And then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby."

Politifact called the claim false and "a distortion."

Senate Democrats just voted against legislation to prevent the killing of newborn infant children. The Democrat position on abortion is now so extreme that they dont mind executing babies AFTER birth....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2019

Advocates are concerned this rhetoric can be used to incite violence. The National Abortion Federation said Dear's attack in Colorado was connected to the release of heavily "misleading" videos which portrayed doctors as "evil," "vile," and "inhumane."

"I've been in this movement 35 years, I've watched the rollercoaster. What's different and heightened in 2019 is that the demonizing, dehumanizing, deliberately violent, misleading rhetoric used to come from extremists, and now you're hearing it at the State of the Union, from the president, from Congress and state legislatures," Ragsdale said. "It's become normalized. I anticipate it will continue to incite the violent folks among us to become more violent. When you hear that rhetoric coming from so-called 'legitimate,' sources, it emboldens the extremists and they test waters to see what they can get away with. It creates a tornado cycle feeding on itself, feeding on itself, feeding on itself, and people end up dead."

Ragsdale said it's important to make clear that threats of violence are directed toward abortion providers and staff, not toward pregnant women.

"The worst part is getting through the picketers. We don't want to scare people from getting the healthcare they need," she said. "We also don't want to encourage counter-protesters. All that does is put more people out there and women don't know who is there to support them and who is there to threaten them. People who want to show their support should contact their clinic directly."

You may also be interested in:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 years after abortion doctor George Tiller's murder, advocates fear violent rhetoric
Associated Press

Just before Thomas Randele died, his wife of nearly 40 years asked his golfing buddies and his co-workers from the dealerships where he sold cars to come by their home. For the past 50 years, he was a fugitive wanted in one of the largest bank robberies in Clevelands history, living in Boston under a new name he created six months after the heist in the summer of 1969. How he was able to leave behind one family and create a new life  while evading a father and son from the U.S. Marshals Service who never gave up their hunt  is just now being pieced together.
Maputo (AFP) - Suspected Islamists in northern Mozambique killed 16 people on Tuesday in their deadliest attack since launching an insurgency in the remote region in 2017, local sources told AFP on Friday.

Islamist fighters have targeted remote communities in the gas-rich, Muslim-majority Cabo Delgado region since October 2017, killing more than 200 people and forcing thousands from their homes.

A Mitsubishi truck was ambushed as it was carrying passengers and goods on a dirt road in the coastal district of Macomia, sources said.

Confirmation of the fatalities only emerged on Friday.

Attackers threw home-made explosives into the truck and then opened fire.

"Eight people were killed in the vehicle and another seven people were found dead at the scene, a sign that they tried to flee," a local teacher, whose colleague was killed, said.

Another victim died a day after the attack, which was the first case of the insurgents using home-made explosives.

Among the dead were three soldiers deployed on the truck to protect it from attack, a community leader told AFP.

"They used homemade bombs. They did not give the military time to react. The group of attackers was at least seven men according to a survivor," he said.

About 10 injured people were taken to hospital in Pemba by helicopter.

- A month of bloodshed -

The government and military do not comment on insurgency attacks.

An AFP record registered a total of 14 attacks in May, causing more than 40 deaths.

The insurgents regularly attack villages, kill local people and burn down houses despite a growing police and military presence in the area.

But the group's identity and motives remain unclear.

"The country is falling victim and we all need to understand the real reasons," President Filipe Nyusi said last week in a rare interview with the privately-owned Canal de Mocambique newspaper.

"The defence and security forces are putting their whole resources into this, so we can learn (the insurgents') motivation and who these people are."

Story continues

Attacks have often forced the temporary closure of voting registration stations ahead of October elections, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a Maputo-based civil action group.

Lucrative gas fields off Cabo Delgado add an extra dimension to the insurgency as international exploration companies have been caught up in the violence.

The province was badly hit late last month by Cyclone Kenneth that left 45 dead and 250,000 people affected.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Assessing Canadian National Railway Company's (TSE:CNR) past track record of performance is an insightful exercise for investors. It allows us to reflect on whether or not the company has met or exceed expectations, which is a great indicator for future performance. Today I will assess CNR's recent performance announced on 31 March 2019 and evaluate these figures to its long-term trend and industry movements.

Check out our latest analysis for Canadian National Railway

Was CNR's recent earnings decline indicative of a tough track record?

CNR's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 March 2019) of CA$4.4b has declined by -18% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 13%, indicating the rate at which CNR is growing has slowed down. Why is this? Let's examine what's occurring with margins and whether the rest of the industry is feeling the heat.

TSX:CNR Income Statement, May 31st 2019

In terms of returns from investment, Canadian National Railway has invested its equity funds well leading to a 25% return on equity (ROE), above the sensible minimum of 20%. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 11% exceeds the CA Transportation industry of 7.7%, indicating Canadian National Railway has used its assets more efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Canadian National Railways debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 16% to 15%. This correlates with an increase in debt holding, with debt-to-equity ratio rising from 63% to 80% over the past 5 years.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. Companies that are profitable, but have capricious earnings, can have many factors influencing its business. You should continue to research Canadian National Railway to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Story continues

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for CNRs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for CNRs outlook. Financial Health: Are CNRs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 March 2019. 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.
(Adds protests, order to close Al Jazeera office)

KHARTOUM, May 30 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Sudanese demonstrators converged on central Khartoum on Thursday night demanding civilian rule amid increasing tensions with the country's military rulers who accused a protest encampment of threatening stability.

The protest, which followed a two-day strike organized by demonstrators and opposition groups frustrated by a deadlock in talks on a transition to democracy, underscores the volatility of the situation in Sudan nearly two months after the military overthrew autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

The head of the central Khartoum military region accused "unruly elements" of attacking a vehicle used by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and seizing it near the protest site.

"The protest site has become unsafe and represents a danger to the revolution and the revolutionaries and threatens the coherence of the state and its national security," General Bahar Ahmed al-Bahar, head of the central region in Khartoum said in a statement he read on television.

Tens of thousands of protesters had converged on an encampment heeding a call by protest leaders to step up pressure on the Transitional Military Council (TMC) to hand over power to civilians, following a two-day strike observed earlier this week.

Protesters have accused the RSF of trying to undermine a transition to democracy, a charge the force denies.

Sudanese security forces on Thursday delivered an order by the TMC to close down the offices of Qatar-based Al Jazeera Television without giving a reason, the head of the office said.

TMC officials could not immediately be reached for a comment on the report.

Stability in strategically located Sudan is crucial for the security of a volatile region struggling against Islamist insurgencies, including the Horn of Africa through Egypt and Libya. Various powers, including wealthy Gulf Arab states, are trying to influence its path.

Story continues

A Reuters witness said that the protesters who had converged on the protest site chanted slogans against the RSF, a paramilitary force led by the deputy head of the Transitional Military Council, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

"Support get out," the crowds chanted, referring to the RSF. Some stood in front of military trucks used by the force which controls the capital.

Dagalo, who goes by the name Hemedti, has accused protesters of receiving support from abroad and said they were not entitled to claim they speak for all Sudanese.

Talks between the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF), a coalition of demonstrators and opposition groups, and the TMC have stalled amid differences over whether the military would control a proposed sovereign body that would lead Sudan during a three-year transitional period.

The DFCF had previously said that the military council has demanded a two-thirds majority, of eight to three, on the sovereign council that will lead the country of 40 million.

The coalition had called for a two-day strike of public and private enterprises from Tuesday, and threatened to call for general civil disobedience if the military does not heed their demands.

Sadiq al-Mahdi, head of Sudan's largest political party, proposed on Thursday that a government of technocrats be established to govern while the two sides negotiated an agreement on the composition of the sovereign council. (Reporting by Ali Abdelaty; writing by Sami Aboudi; editing by Grant McCool)
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who is running for president, on Thursday cautioned Congress against beginning impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump  breaking from many of the top-tier 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.

Bennet said that he believes Congress should continue to investigate before opening an impeachment inquiry. He warned that right now any effort to remove Trump from office will likely fail in the Republican-controlled Senate, possibly thereby boosting Trump's 2020 reelection campaign.

"It is very important that we take a page out of history and do what they did with Watergate, which is to make sure the American people understood really what was at stake," Bennet said during a town hall broadcast live on CNN. "If we go down the road tomorrow and impeach President Trump, we're actually giving him a favor."

The Colorado Democrat's stance mirrors that of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who has been resisting increasing pressure from her party to back the opening of an impeachment inquiry.

His comments come a day after special counsel Robert Mueller defended his report on the nearly two-year investigation into Russian election interference. Mueller laid out why he did not formally charge Trump with obstruction of justice, citing a Justice Department policy that prohibits indicting sitting presidents. Mueller's comments gave new fuel to calls by Democrats, including presidential candidates, for Trump's impeachment.

More: Democratic calls for Donald Trump impeachment grow after Mueller's first public remarks

More: Mueller's first remarks stuck to the facts, refocused attention on Russia, rekindled impeachment talk

Bennet, however, thinks that Congress must first investigate what's detailed in Mueller's report further and should just "follow where the evidence leads."

"I think we should call them Russia proceedings involving the president, or whatever it is we want to call them," Bennet said. "If that leads us to impeachment, it leads us to impeachment. I wouldn't be surprised if it did."

Story continues

The Colorado Democrat said he believes the best way to get Trump out of office though, is to beat him in 2020.

"I think we should investigate him if we believe that that's what called for by the rule of law, and in the meantime what we need to do is beat him to make sure he's just a one-term president," he said.

Here are other highlights from Bennet's CNN town hall:

Bennet opposes Trump tariffs on Mexico

Just hours after Trump announced new tariffs on Mexico in an effort to stop migrants from coming across the southern U.S. border, Bennet suggested the president is "weak" and said he opposed the move by Trump.

"A president Bennet would work with the countries in our hemisphere to stop the refugee crisis. A president Bennet would stop behaving as though the United States is a weak country and can't handle a refugee crisis on our border," he said. "A president Bennet would not erect tariffs that are just another tax on American workers and American farmers and ranchers."

Trump on Thursday evening announced a 5% tariff on Mexico starting June 10 if the country does not stop migrants from Central America traversing the country to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. The tariffs could increase to up to 25% over the next several months if the U.S. does not see enough progress.

More: Trump announces tariffs on Mexico in effort to stop migrants coming to the US

'Bernie is wrong'

Bennet had one clear message for Sen. Bernie Sanders about his Medicare-for-All plan: You're wrong.

Bennet, instead, suggested that Congress should finish the job it started with the Affordable Care Act and provide universal health care coverage, including a "true public option."

He said that the plan he put forth is an option that will allow those who want to to opt into Medicare, or to keep their current insurance if they are satisfied with it. Bennet also pointed to how upset some voters and consumers were when some Americans lost access to their health care providers after Obamacare was passed.

"Now Bernie is proposing that if you like your insurance, we're going to take it away from you," he said. "I think Bernie is wrong to propose that."

The senator also pointed to his recent cancer diagnosis to advocate for a form of universal health care coverage. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer nearly two months ago. He had surgery in April, and later announced that the cancer had been removed.

"I feel awfully lucky that I had health insurance," he said. "This cost $93,000, and if my family hadn't been insured, it would have been a disaster for us, and it would have been a real disaster for most American families."

Making sure 'Roe v. Wade is the law of the land'

As a number of states pass restrictive abortion laws in an apparent effort to get the issue in front of the Supreme Court, Bennet said he would do "everything I can possibly do to make sure Roe v. Wade is the law of the land and to make sure that women make these decisions, not the government."

Bennet joins a number of 2020 Democrats who have vowed to only appoint judges "that will uphold the precedent of Roe v. Wade to begin with."

More: Kamala Harris wants some states to get preclearance before passing abortion laws

The Colorado Democrat also seemingly endorsed a proposal from fellow 2020 Democratic candidate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California. Harris announced Tuesday that she would require states with a history of violating abortion rights to get preclearance through the Justice Department before creating new restrictions.

"I think Kamala Harris had a good idea the other day," he said, pointing to her proposal, which is modeled after the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

"I think that's a really interesting idea," he concluded.

Like what youre reading?: Download the USA TODAY app for more

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2020 Dem: Congress should investigate Trump before moving towards impeachment
As the United Kingdom braces for a hard Brexit without a deal with the European Union, the British government is looking for business opportunities outside the European bloc, focusing on building stronger economic cooperation ties with its traditional partners in America, Asia and Africa in addition to those of the Commonwealth.

It is in this challenging international context that British secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox is visiting Morocco wherein he met on Thursday Minister of agriculture and fisheries Aziz Akhannouch.

The two officials expressed their willingness to continue efforts to further enhance cooperation between the two countries in the fields of agriculture and fisheries in the short and medium terms.

Mr.Liam Fox also had talks in Rabat with Secretary of state for Foreign Affairs Mounia Boucetta. This meeting was an opportunity to review ways to foster cooperation with Morocco in the economic, political and commercial fields, as well as in investment, Dr. Liam Fox told the press.

Morocco has a huge potential in a number of sectors, notably agriculture, financial technology and education, he added, noting that the North African Kingdom has untapped potentials in other areas that will enable the country to grow quickly, create more jobs and become more prosperous.

Fox also expressed his countrys desire to become the largest investor of the G7 in Africa, saying that Morocco is the best gateway to the African continent.

UK Department for international trade describes Morocco as a politically stable, business-friendly country. Though Moroccan economy has traditionally been more aligned to Europe than to Africa, the country is increasingly taking advantage of opportunities across the African continent. This opening up of the Moroccan economy is creating further opportunities for UK firms.

Morocco is increasingly recognized for ease of doing business. It ranks third in Africa and second in the Middle East in the World Banks 2019 Ease of Doing Business report, and is the top African investment destination according to the Africa Investment Index 2018. Casablanca Finance City offers support to companies wishing to invest.

Moroccos economy has benefited from consistent growth and a stable macroeconomic framework. Reforms have stimulated competition, encouraging innovation and creating new jobs.

Bilateral trade between the UK and Morocco totalled 2.2 billion in 2018. Casablanca Stock Exchange has a partnership with the London Stock Exchange and the British-Moroccan Chamber of Commerce can assist companies new to the market. Morocco is also a popular destination for British tourists.
President Trump talks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

Welcome to 2020 Vision, the Yahoo News column covering the presidential race. Reminder: There are 248 days until the Iowa caucuses and 521 days until the 2020 presidential election.

After the April release of special counsel Robert Muellers report on Russian interference, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., became the first major 2020 Democratic candidate to call for President Trumps impeachment. Few were ready to join her. But more are now, following Muellers public statement emphasizing his office could not conclude that Trump had not committed a crime.

Below is an updated list of where every candidate stands on the impeachment issue.

Should Congress launch an impeachment inquiry into President Trump?

Yes

 Cory Booker: Robert Muellers statement makes it clear: Congress has a legal and moral obligation to begin impeachment proceedings immediately.

 Pete Buttigieg: This is as close to an impeachment referral as it gets. Robert Mueller could not clear the president, nor could he charge him  so he has handed the matter to Congress, which alone can act to deliver due process and accountability.

 Julian Castro: I think it would be perfectly reasonable for Congress to open up impeachment hearings against President Trump.

 John Delaney: If we continue to allow this President to be unchecked and manipulate the truth, we will forever alter our Democracy for the worse.

 Kirsten Gillibrand: Its time for Congress to begin impeachment hearings and follow the facts. Robert Mueller clearly expects Congress to exercise its constitutional authority and take steps that he could not.

 Kamala Harris: We need to start impeachment proceedings. Its our constitutional obligation.

 John Hickenlooper: I think we have to begin an impeachment inquiry and that doesnt mean were going to impeach President Trump tomorrow or maybe ever, but I think we do have an obligation to follow where the facts lead.

 Wayne Messam: I believe the President should be placed under impeachment proceedings and let the weight of the full report carry out the justice the American people deserve.

Story continues

 Seth Moulton: Mueller did his job. Now its time to do ours. Impeachment hearings should begin tomorrow.

 Beto ORourke: There must be consequences, accountability and justice. The only way to ensure that is to begin impeachment proceedings.

 Bernie Sanders: This president must be held accountable, and I believe that the Judiciary Committee should begin impeachment inquiries.

 Elizabeth Warren: If he were anyone other than President of the United States, he would be in handcuffs and indicted.

Not yet

 Michael Bennet: Lets let the process go forward and see where it takes us.

 Joe Biden: Congress must do everything in its power to hold this Administration to account. That is what Congress is doing and should do: continue to investigate.

 Steve Bullock: I think we should have the full investigations ... oversight thats occurring right now.

 Bill de Blasio: I think we should continue the investigations in the Congress ... and I believe they will eventually lead to impeachment.

 Tulsi Gabbard: I dont think that we should defeat Donald Trump through impeachment.

 Jay Inslee: Congress needs to get to the bottom of whats going on here. Impeachment should not be off the table.

 Amy Klobuchar: If the House brings the impeachment proceedings before us, we will deal with them.

 Tim Ryan: The President, no President, is above the law. And its Congresss job to make sure we are true to our founding principle that the President is not a King and must answer to the American people.

 Eric Swalwell: Im confident that hes going to be removed, whether its by the voters in November 2020 or by Congress. Were near the end of Donald Trump.

 Marianne Williamson: While I think the president has committed impeachable offenses, the political cost for beginning impeachment proceedings could be extremely high. There are multiple investigations going on and all of them must be allowed to be completed. If congressional findings point to impeachment at that time, I will support it.

 Andrew Yang: My focus is on beating Donald Trump at the ballot box and solving the problems that got him elected in the first place.

In his statement Wednesday, Mueller said he was bound by a long-standing Justice Department policy that a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office, and charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider.

On Friday, Warren called on Congress to pass a law changing that.

No president is above the law, she said in a statement released by her campaign. Congress should make it clear that presidents can be indicted for criminal activity, including obstruction of justice.

Bernie Sanders holds a Golden State Warriors hat during a campaign rally in Santa Cruz, Calif., May 31, 2016. (Photo: Stephen Lam/Reuters)

Golden State (weekend) warriors

This weekend California will become ground zero for the 2020 contest when at least 13 major candidates  Sanders, Harris, Warren, Buttigieg, ORourke, Booker, Klobuchar, Inslee, Castro, Hickenlooper, Gabbard, Gillibrand and Swalwell  swarm Los Angeles and the Bay Area for the California Democratic Partys organizing convention and related events. All told, it should be the single largest gathering of 2020 hopefuls to date. Yahoo News West Coast Correspondent Andrew Romano has a preview:

Much will be made of how the huge herd reflects Californias increased importance on the 2020 primary calendar. Often one of the last states to vote, California has moved its primary up to Super Tuesday, March 3  the first primary following voting in the four states that traditionally lead the primary season (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada). Pundits will say that the presence of nearly every top-tier candidate  with the notable exception of Biden, who is campaigning in Ohio instead  is a sign that the fight for the states huge trove of 495 delegates (nearly a quarter of the 2,026 needed to win the nomination) will be especially intense this year.

Maybe so. But theres probably a bigger prize this weekend than making inroads with voters, or even making money. (Wealthy, coastal California has long been considered the partys political ATM, and Buttigieg, for instance, is holding four fundraisers Saturday alone.)

The real goal may be to make news. As New York Times television critic James Poniewozik has astutely observed, the umpteen Democratic candidates have two challenges. One is to figure out what entices news producers to show their clips and what lures voters scrolling their phones to hit play. The second, related to the first, is to implicitly argue how they, in a general election, would seize attention from a president who can rescramble the days news lineup by tweeting a mean nickname before breakfast.

Where better to show that you can stand out from the pack than in the middle of the pack itself  in some of the biggest media markets in the country, surrounded by the entire national press corps?

Whoever gives rise to the California conventions clickiest moment might reasonably be declared its true winner. The candidates will have no shortage of opportunities: at a Unity & Freedom forum Friday in Pasadena, Calif., where Sanders, Harris, Castro and Inslee will tackle the hot-button issue of immigration; at a Service Employees International Union breakfast in San Francisco Saturday, where Booker, Buttigieg, Harris, Klobuchar, ORourke and Sanders will discuss work and inequality; onstage at San Franciscos Moscone Center, where all of the candidates will address the convention, back-to-back; at a MoveOn forum Saturday afternoon, where Sanders, Booker, Warren, ORourke, Gillibrand, Harris, Castro and Klobuchar will each unveil one big idea that will inspire and mobilize voters in 2020.

Stay tuned for the (viral) fireworks.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks during the We the People summit in Washington, D.C., April 1, 2019. (Photo: Jose Luis Magana/AP)

DNC tightens rules for third debate

If you have a favorite Democratic candidate and want to be (reasonably) sure of seeing that candidate debate, be sure to tune in for the June and July events because access to the debate stage is going to shrink considerably thereafter. For the early rounds, candidates need to get either 1 percent in three polls or 65,000 donors to qualify. Those who hit both marks are automatically given a space, and the rest of the 20 slots are allocated on a sliding scale. Starting with Septembers forum, the bar for admission from the Democratic National Committee rises steeply: Candidates will both need 130,000 donors and to hit 2 percent in four polls.

Those likely to clear the higher bar are Biden, Sanders, Warren, Harris and Buttigieg. ORourke is in good shape, and then it starts to get dicey with the tier containing Booker and Klobuchar. Candidates will have the advantage of the June and July debates to reach a broader audience and perhaps get a bump to propel them into the fall, but a consolidation of support around the frontrunners could choke out the candidates now struggling.

Campaigns have said the new donor requirements will be a drain on resources as money is spent chasing individual donors via social media, mainly on Facebook. Others in the party say the money could be put to better use on down-ballot races and for local organizing.

And as a point of scale: the amount of money many of the campaigns will have to spend in ads in order to hit 130k donors by September would fund Run for Something for a year, tweeted Amanda Litman, the executive director of Run for Something, a group that recruits and trains Democratic candidates.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., during a protest at the Supreme Court against anti-abortion legislation, May 21. (Photo: James Lawler Duggan/Reuters)

Bookers blues

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is struggling in early poll numbers as he combats the perception that he is falling behind in the 2020 presidential race. Yahoo News White House Correspondent Hunter Walker reports on the state of Booker's campaign:

When Booker entered the presidential race in February, he was widely considered one of the leading contenders in the crowded Democratic primary. Although he has largely held steady and is still edging out more than half the declared candidates, hes still at just over 2 percent support in most polls. He is behind some of his Senate colleagues, and he has watched far lower-profile politicians vault over him.

Faced with these daunting poll numbers and waning buzz, senior members of Bookers campaign made their case to Yahoo News for why, as the Democratic presidential debates begin in late June, they still think he can pull ahead. Theyre betting on a two-pronged strategy focused on building an organization in key early states and rolling out an ambitious policy agenda devoted to the idea of justice.

"Our philosophy has been, the race is going to be won in January or February of next year. The goal is to build a sustainable organization and have a platform, policywise and infrastructurally speaking, to be in it for the long haul, Addisu Demissie, Bookers campaign manager, said in an interview with Yahoo News last week.

The Booker campaigns plan to build a quality team and detailed suite of policies also includes a tight focus on the first four states on the primary calendar: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

"In Iowa and New Hampshire, in these places, you can actually win these things with retail politics. You can win by organizing and introducing yourself to people, Demissie said. The way to cut through the noise ... you can win hand to hand."

Even though Booker is getting in front of voters in key states with what he believes is a unique agenda, hes not receiving the extended coverage of his biography that other Democratic presidential hopefuls, like former Texas Rep. ORourke and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Buttigieg, are enjoying. Booker, who took office as mayor of Newark, N.J., in 2006, became something of a national political celebrity, thanks to his pioneering social media presence and hands-on approach, like personally shoveling snow for constituents and rescuing a woman from a burning building.

Demissie acknowledged that his candidate doesnt have what he termed the newness thing. However, he pointed to poll numbers indicating that much of the public has yet to meet Booker, even if reporters have already shared many of his stories.

"We have nine months to introduce him to these folks, and the numbers will change when that changes, Demissie said.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks at event promoting the Green New Deal at Howard University in Washington, D.C., May 13, 2019. (Photo: Cliff Owen/AP)

An update on the 'AOC primary'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's recent appearance alongside Sen. Warren in a pair of viral videos has led to some speculation  and reports on fringe conservative websites  that the 29-year-old freshman phenom may endorse the Massachusetts senator over Sen. Sanders. Ocasio-Cortez, who got her start in politics as an organizer for Sanderss 2016 campaign, was quick to squash the rumor.

"I dont know why people are suddenly trusting alt-right outlets with 'scoops' on who Im endorsing," she tweeted Friday. "Lets use our reading skills. Context clues. If they havent ever reported about me honestly & in good faith, why would they start now?"

Ocasio-Cortez added: "Im not endorsing for some time."

It may sound strange, but outside of former President Barack Obama, there is perhaps no bigger endorsement for a Democratic candidate this cycle.

So who has the AOC edge? In an interview with the Yahoo News podcast Skullduggery in April, Ocasio-Cortez praised both progressive firebrands.

"I havent endorsed anybody, but Im very supportive of Bernie," she said. "I also think what Elizabeth Warren has been bringing to the table is truly remarkable, truly remarkable and transformational.

One Democratic candidate who likely won't be getting AOC's seal of approval anytime soon: former Vice President Joe Biden. Bidens candidacy does not particularly animate me right now, Ocasio-Cortez told Skullduggery.

President Trump greets service members aboard the USS Wasp in Yokosuka, Japan. (Photo: Eugene Hoshiko/AP)

Verbatim

Im not a person of color. Im not a citizen of a tribe, and I shouldnt have done it.

 Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., when asked on The Breakfast Club about her past claims of Native American ancestry

"Right now, there's no path ... I don't see a way to get there.

 Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich on the possibility of him running for president in 2020

Before Bernie, Jerry and I used to be the most famous guys from Vermont.

 Ben & Jerrys co-founder Ben Cohen while introducing Sanders at a rally in Montpelier, Vt.

I think they agree in their assessment of former Vice President Joe Biden.

 White House press secretary Sarah Sanders when asked on NBC's "Meet The Press" about Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un both calling Biden a low IQ person

For a president, especially a president who never served, to say hes going to come in and overrule that system of military justice undermines the very foundations, legal and moral, of this country."

 South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, an Afghanistan War veteran, when asked on ABC's "This Week" about Trump's possible pardoning of some war criminals

"If we go down the road tomorrow and impeach President Trump, we're actually doing him a favor. That's what he wants, to be able to say he was railroaded, and then to have the impeachment from the House go to the Senate where I guarantee you Mitch McConnell and the Republicans are not going to convict Donald Trump. They're going to acquit Donald Trump, and then he's going to run for president saying he was acquitted."

 Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., during a CNN town hall in Atlanta

"Its a dirty, filthy, disgusting word. And it had nothing to do with me."

 President Trump to reporters on the word impeach

President Trump talks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., Thursday. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

Weekend forecast

Des Moines, Iowa

 Friday, May 31: Partly cloudy, 87/60

 Saturday, June 1: Thunderstorms, 79/51

 Sunday, June 2: Mostly sunny, 73/50

Manchester, N.H.

 Friday, May 31: Partly cloudy, 76/53

 Saturday, June 1: Mostly sunny, 76/54

 Sunday, June 2: Thunderstorms, 74/51

Source: Weather Underground

Read more original 2020 coverage from Yahoo News:
Arrowhead Stadium. | Photo: Sharon D./Yelp

Looking to volunteer this weekend?

From a fundraiser 5K to happy hour for a cause, there's plenty to do when it comes to good causes coming up in Kansas City 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.

Volunteer Registration for Run for Little Hearts 2019

From the event description:

Run for Little Hearts is a family friendly awareness event for the No. 1 1 birth defect, Congenital Heart Defects (CHD). Registration includes a super soft shirt, an awesome finishers medal, tickets for food trucks, carnival inspired fun, Chiefs player appearance and more. All proceeds donated locally, including to the CHD research fund at Children's Mercy Hospital.

When: Saturday, June 1, 8-11:30 a.m.

Where: Arrowhead Stadium, 1 Arrowhead Drive

Admission: Free (Donation)

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

4th Annual 5K HBCU Walk and Scholarship Fundraiser

From the event description:

Walk with a purpose. Help a Kansas City student attend a Historically Black College or University.

When: Saturday, June 1, 8-11 a.m.

Where: Swope Park, East Meyer Boulevard

Admission: $25

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Hot Summer Nights, Happy Hour Fundraiser benefiting Urban Ranger Corps

From the event description:

Come meet the Urban Ranger Corps team, eat some delicious appetizers and be a part of a happy hour for a cause. Your support will help us provide 200 lunches and educational resources for our upcoming Summer Enrichment Program (benefitting young men in Kansas City's urban core) and our 2019-2020 school year mentorship program.

When: Saturday, June 1, 4-7 p.m.

Where: Three Points Event Space, 1511 Baltimore

Admission: $40-50

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.
* Cruiser captain denies responsibility for accident

* Family members of victims begin to arrive to Budapest

* Koreans' travel agency flags legal action for compensation

* Hungary, S. Korea governments cooperate in search effort

* Search for bodies extends to Serbia amid poor conditions (Recasts with captain denying guilt, adds possible lawsuit, relatives arriving)

By Krisztina Than and Marton Dunai

BUDAPEST, May 31 (Reuters) - Roiling flood waters in the Danube made it impossible for rescuers to reach the wreck of a river boat on Friday, two days after it sank in the Hungarian capital with 28 people feared dead, nearly all of them South Korean tourists.

One rescue diver was swept away and had to be saved, divers said. The authorities said it was unsafe to reach the wreck.

Seven South Koreans were confirmed killed and seven rescued when their pleasure boat struck a cruise liner in heavy rain on Wednesday night. Another 21 people are still missing, 19 of them South Korean tourists, and officials say there is little hope any will be found alive.

Hungarian authorities arrested the captain of the cruise liner late on Thursday. His lawyers said on Friday he denied blame and regretted that he could not avert the crash.

Family members of the Koreans missing or killed began arriving in the Hungarian capital, some covering their faces as they made their way through the arrivals terminal. They were met by embassy staff and driven off in black vans.

A crane ship was docked near the wreck in preparation for recovery operations, but divers fought strong currents in the river, "conditions that preclude any approach of the hull," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

A diver who works at the scene and requested anonymity told Reuters they would probably have to wait for flooding to subside, at least several more days, before they can attempt to secure the site and enter the wreckage.

The current immediately swept away a diver who had submerged on Friday. A hose bringing him air had to be severed and a rescue operation had to be mounted to bring him back up.

Story continues

The 440-foot (135-meter) cruise liner hit and sank the Mermaid, a smaller pleasure boat carrying Korean tourists, during a rainstorm on Wednesday evening.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who flew to Budapest on Friday, said the aim was to recover all the bodies.

"We strive to ensure no corpses are lost from the wreckage or the riverbed," she said. "I hope this level of effort can be sustained."

Swiss-based Viking Cruises, which owns the larger vessel, said in a statement on Thursday that it had cooperated fully with the authorities. It did not immediately reply to a Reuters email seeking fresh comment.

The Ukrainian captain of the cruise ship, identified by police as C. Yuriy from Odessa, denied blame, MTI news agency quoted his lawyers as saying.

He was "shaken by the consequences of the accident and regrets that he had no way to avoid the accident, and expresses his condolences to the families of the victims," they said.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he too was "shaken."

Very Good Tour, the travel agency that brought the Korean group to Budapest, told the Korea Times that it would sue once the causes of the accident were determined.

"We plan to take legal action... because it is related to compensation for our customers," Korea Times quoted an official of the travel agency.

The search area extended to Serbia, downstream from Hungary,

Hungarian Foreign Minster Peter Szijjarto said. (Additional reporting by Krisztina Fenyo Editing by Peter Graff)
Moroccan Flavors. | Photo: Joshua N./Yelp

Looking to satisfy your appetite for African fare?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top African spots around Minneapolis, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to satisfy your cravings.

1. Moroccan Flavors

Photo: Hassan Z./Yelp

Topping the list is Moroccan Flavors. Located at 920 E. Lake South, Suite 126 in Midtown Phillips, the Moroccan and vegetarian spot, which offers salads and more, is the highest rated African restaurant in Minneapolis, boasting 4.5 stars out of 96 reviews on Yelp.

"Moroccan Flavors is a shiny gem inside the Midtown Global Market," said Yelper Kara D. "I don't think there are even any other dedicated Moroccan restaurants in the Twin Cities? So definitely drop in and do yourself a favor with these flavors."

2. Safari Restaurant

Photo: Abdirahman A./Yelp

Next up is Central's Safari Restaurant, situated at 3010 Fourth Ave. South With 4.5 stars out of 55 reviews on Yelp, the venues and event space and African spot has proven to be a local favorite.

"This place is awesome," said Yelper M K. "The food was great and the service was friendly. I really loved the chicken fantastic and the Somalian practice of putting bananas in the rice is awesome (and delicious)."

3. The Red Sea

Photo: Kathy M./Yelp

Cedar-Riverside's The Red Sea, located at 320 Cedar Ave. South, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the bar, music venue and Ethiopian spot four stars out of 75 reviews.

"This is definitely one of my top five favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities," said Yelper Heather G. "My go-to dish is the Half and Half which includes beef ribs and kitfo. However, I have sampled other dishes and everything is really good and authentic."

4. Lucy's Market & Carryout

Photo: Kate M./Yelp

Lucy's Market & Carryout, an Ethiopian spot in Standish, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 26 Yelp reviews. Head over to 3749 Cedar Ave. South to see for yourself.

"This is the best Ethiopian food in Minneapolis," said Yelper Lauren J. "I had almost given up on good Ethiopian until I found Lucy's Market."

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.
Got a hankering for sushi?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top sushi hot spots in Baltimore, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to venture when cravings strike.

1. Chiyo Sushi

Photo: Xinting Y./Yelp

Topping the list is Chiyo Sushi. Located at 1619 Sulgrave Ave. in Mount Washington, the sushi bar and Japanese spot is the highest-rated sushi spot in Baltimore, boasting 4.5 stars out of 124 reviews on Yelp.

Chiyo Sushi offers a wide array of sushi, as well as lunch and dinner entrees featuring traditional Japanese cuisine, with an emphasis on tempura and teriyaki. The menu also includes appetizers, salads, udon, desserts and a selection of wine, beer and sake. For lunch, try the salmon roll with chicken tempura. Heading over for dinner? Choose either sushi or sashimi with beef teriyaki.

2. Shoyou Sushi

Photo: Alice H./Yelp

Next up is SBIC's Shoyou Sushi, situated at 1450 Light St. With 4.5 stars out of 442 reviews on Yelp, the sushi bar and Japanese spot has proven to be a local favorite.

In its new location since 2018, Shoyou Sushi features a signature dish of a fresh assortment of sashimi over sushi rice, salmon, Japanese snapper, white tuna and the chef's daily selection of fish. It also offers sushi rolls, appetizers and salads. Try the Oriole Park special roll with tempura eel and spicy tuna on top of a roll filled with crab mix, avocado, asparagus and cream cheese and covered with spicy mayo, eel sauce, Japanese seasoning, tempura flakes, masago and sriracha.

3. Brothers Sushi

Photo: patti n./Yelp

Federal Hill's Brothers Sushi, located at 1035 S. Charles St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the sushi bar and Japanese spot 4.5 stars out of 116 reviews.

This restaurant serves up appetizers, soups, fried rice and noodles, a wide variety of a la carte sushi, desserts and a full bar. A daily lunch special and a house special is also available.

4. Roy's Restaurant

Roy's Restaurant, a sushi bar and steakhouse that offers seafood and more in the Inner Harbor, is another go-to, with four stars out of 877 Yelp reviews. Head over to 720B Aliceanna St. to see for yourself.

According to its website, Roy's chefs "source the freshest produce, seafood and beef from local farmers and family-owned fishing boats." It serves a variety of sushi rolls, as well as Japanese- and Hawaiian-inspired dishes in the form of appetizers, salads and entrees featuring beef, poultry, fish, shellfish and vegetarian fare. Stick around for the pineapple upside down cake or the lime tart.

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.
Photo: Debby Hudson/Unsplash

Looking to up your appreciation of the arts?

We've rounded up four artsy events around Washington this weekend that will scratch your cultural itch, from an art exhibit highlighting the experiences of migrants to a talk and book signing by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

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.

'Underlying Borders' closing event

From the event description:

"Underlying Borders" brings together the work of artists with their own experiences migrating between Mexico and the United States. Join the Mexican Cultural Institute for the official closure of the exhibit featuring an artist talk, along with the presentation of the exhibit catalog.

When: Saturday, June 1, noon-1:30 p.m.

Where: Mexican Cultural Institute, 2829 16th St. NW

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Whiskey & Friends art party and open mic

From the event description:

You are invited to come out and enjoy this totally free and all-ages event, featuring local R&B sensation Davonne D'Neil. This event is the unofficial kickoff to the Takoma Art Crawl taking place June 8.

When: Saturday, June 1, 7-11 p.m.

Where: Culture Coffee Too, 300 Riggs Road NE

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

'Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom'

From the event description:

David Blights Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom," sheds new light on Douglass, particularly the last 30 years of his life, thanks to a trove of letters, manuscripts and scrapbooks in a private collection that no other historian previously used in any full-length biography. Take in his lecture, followed by a book signing.

When: Sunday, June 2, noon-1 p.m.

Where: National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, 4th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Story continues

'The Life of Animals in Japanese Art'

From the event description:

Artworks representing animals  real or imaginary, religious or secular  span the full breadth and splendor of Japanese artistic production. As the first exhibition devoted to the subject, "The Life of Animals in Japanese Art" covers 17 centuries (from the sixth century to the present day) and a wide variety of media  sculpture, painting, lacquerwork, ceramics, metalwork, textile and the woodblock print.

When: Sunday, June 2, 2-3 p.m.

Where: National Gallery of Art, East Building Auditorium, 4th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW

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: Alice Achterhof/Unsplash

If you're a fan of the arts, mark your calendars: There's plenty to do when it comes to artsy events in New York City this weekend, from an art festival to a full reading of the "Mueller Report."

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.

Bushwick Art Crawl

From the event description:

We invite the community to celebrate art with many artists studios, local musical talent, performance art, live art, body painting, installations and street life.

When: Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Where: 9 Wyckoff Ave.

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

'Puss in Boots'

From the event description:

A classic story with a twist: "Puss in Boots" is the tale of two friends  Fergus Mundingle and his sly cat Puss  who are tired of their dull and penniless lifestyle. Looking for a change, Puss dons a snazzy pair of boots and sets off on a magical journey, proving himself a caring friend willing to help at any cost.

When: Saturday, June 1, 1-1:45 p.m.

Where: Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, West 79th Street and West Drive (inside Central Park)

Admission: $8-$12

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

America Reads the 'Mueller Report'

From the event description:

We the people read aloud and listen to the entire redacted "Mueller Report."

When: Saturday, June 1, 8 p.m.- Sunday, June 2, 8 p.m.

Where: The Arc, 36-30 36th St.

Admission: $10-$25

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

'Tea Time'

From the event description:

Presented on the first day of the intersection of Black Music Month and Pride Month, "EllaMaeFlossie Presents Tea Time" is an audiovisual movement journey in afrofuturism. The concert-styled performance piece sumbolizes how women navigate through every type of "ism" from today and yesteryear.

When: Saturday, June 1, 5-9 p.m.

Where: Lower Eastside Girls Club, 402 E. Eighth St.

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.
An Iraqi court has sentenced to hanging a Tunisian national for fighting for the Islamic state group (ISIS).

The verdict announced Wednesday charged Briri, aged 24, for fighting for the terror group. The man was among 12 French nationals extradited from Syria to Iraq according to the AFP.

A Bagdad court also sentenced two French nationals to death.

Iraq in December 2016 declared victory over ISIS but the group continues to stage targeted attacks.

The UN on Wednesday placed on its terror blacklist 26 Tunisian citizens and 3 organizations following an update of the list of people connected to terrorism around the world. The blacklisted Tunisians include notorious Seifallah Ben Hassine, aka Abou Iyadh as well as three organizations, namely Ansar Al-Charia, the Fighting Tunisian Group and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Two Tunisians have been removed from the updated list despite demand by Head of the national counter-terrorism commission, Mokhtar Ben Nasr, to keep the two men on the blacklist because they are still a threat to security in Tunisia and in the region.

The UN list is smaller than the Tunisian state-drawn one, which counts 103 individuals and organizations. The national list was last published in November, Tunis Webdo reported.
Photo: Call Me Cake/Yelp

Looking to satisfy your appetite for soul food?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top soul food spots around Las Vegas, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fulfill your urges.

1. Gritz Cafe

photo: kim n./yelp

Topping the list is Gritz Cafe. Located at 1911 Stella Lake, Suite 150, in northwest Las Vegas, the soul food and Southern spot is the highest-rated soul food restaurant in Las Vegas, boasting 4.5 stars out of 527 reviews on Yelp.

The cafe features dishes inspired by select Southern states  menu offerings include Georgia-style pork or turkey chops, Kentucky-style fried chicken wings and Louisiana beef hotlinks. Grilled catfish, biscuits and gravy and chicken and waffles are also available.

2. Call Me Cake

photo: call me cake/yelp

Next up is Call Me Cake, situated at 450 S. Buffalo Drive, Suite 115, in Summerlin. With 4.5 stars out of 192 reviews on Yelp, the soul food spot has proven to be a local favorite.

Chef Connell's menu features catfish, candied yams, collard greens and mac and cheese, as well as a variety of homemade desserts, such as its classic gooey butter cake, sweet potato pie and peach cobbler.

3. Soul Foo Young

Photo: aja a./Yelp

Northwest Las Vegas's Soul Foo Young, located at 1216 W. Owens Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the soul food, Chinese and Southern spot 4.5 stars out of 68 reviews.

The fusion spot serves up fried chicken, burgers and black-eyed peas, alongside vegetable fried rice and egg rolls. For dessert, dig into treats like the peach cobbler, the lemon bundt cake or the potato chip cookies.

4. Mario's Westside Market

Photo: chris a./Yelp

Mario's Westside Market, a grocery store and soul food spot in west Las Vegas, is another go-to, with four stars out of 160 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1960 N. Martin Luther King Blvd. to see for yourself.

Mario's hot food selection includes biscuits with country sausage and gravy, alongside grits, barbecued chicken, collard greens and more. The market also sells specialty items like the crawfish boudin, the Creole cream-style red kidney beans and additional seasonings, spices and hot sauces.

Story continues

5. Best Meat

Photo: darren c./Yelp

Over in northwest Las Vegas, check out Best Meat, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 19 reviews on Yelp. You can find the soul food spot at 2362 Lexington St.

Stop by the eatery for brisket sandwiches, chicken wings and catfish, as well as tacos and a variety of meat plates. Complement your meal with barbecue baked beans, smoked cabbage, homemade mac and cheese or collard greens; and wash it down with a sweet tea or canned soda.

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.
Photo: Hanny Naibaho/Unsplash

If you love to take advantage of the music offerings near you, this weekend offers several great reasons to leave the house.

From a cultural festival to a jazz conce, read on for a local music to-do list to fill your calendar this week.

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.

Outpost Los Angeles City Market 2019

From the event description:

Explore. Experience. Elevate. Join us at Outpost, LAs premier cultural festival celebrating the music, food, drink, art, products and immersive experiences that make Los Angeles so special. Outpost is an opportunity to meet other creative individuals, learn new skills, jam out to quality tunes and discover interesting new products and ideas in outdoor lifestyle, tech, art/design, food, drink and social good. This year's event takes place at Rolling Greens, a unique plant-filled oasis in Downtown Los Angeles.

When: Saturday, June 1, 12-11:30 p.m.

Where: Rolling Greens, 1005 Mateo St.

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Boombox

From the event description:

Boombox returns with an ultra-rare west coast appearance from hip hop radio icons Stretch & Bobbito. Creators of arguably the greatest hip hop radio show of all time, this legendary duo is responsible for introducing the world to artists like The Notorious BIG, Nas, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep, Eminem, DMX, Mos Def, Big Pun, Fat Joe, Big L and MF Doom, just to name a few. RSVP for discount entry before 11 p.m.

When: Saturday, June 1, 9:30 p.m.- Sunday, June 2, 2 a.m.

Where: Grand Star Jazz Club, 943 N. Broadway

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Soulful Sundays Open Mic and Jam Session

From the event description:

The best open mic and jam session in the city is still going strong. More space, more vendors and the same good food, good music and good vibes. The DJ plays your record, and our house band, The Noise, will learn your music on the spot. The DJ cuts the track, and you perform with the band. Each artist is allowed to perform one record, and if the crowd wants to hear more then, by all means, keep them entertained! Please bring lightly used clothing for our charity clothing drive to help the men and women on Skid Row who need them most. All donations will go to My Friends House Charity on Skid Row.

Story continues

When: Sunday, June 2, 2-6 p.m.

Where: Comfort LA, 1110 E. Seventh St.

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

The Kickback LA Summer Series

From the event description:

The Kickback LA summer series is back. The Kickback LA is a high-energy summer day party series complete with big drinks, great vibes, good music and cool people.

When: Sunday, June 2, 3-7 p.m.

Where: 1652 N. Cherokee Ave.

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Jazz Esta Morto: Azimuth Concert

From the event description:

Azimuth was born out of the bossa nova and jazz scenes in Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s. Keyboard player and bandleader Jose Roberto Bertrami (RIP), drummer Ivan Mamao Conti and bass player Alex Malheiros met during that time and recorded an album called O Trio in 1968 under the name Projeto 3. Projeto 3 changed their name to Azimuth after backing the recording of O Fabuloso Fittipaldi for Marcos Valle in the early 70s  'Azimuth is a track title from that album. Their first recording under the new name was a four-track EP for Polydor in 1975.

When: Sunday, June 2, 6 p.m.

Where: Lodge Room Highland Park, 104 N. Ave. 56th

Admission: $35

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.
A 6-month-old girl who survived alone for days in a Michigan motel room after both of her parents died is now miraculously breathing on her own.

Baby Skylah was found severely dehydrated alongside her parents' bodies at the Rodeway Inn in Whitehall during a welfare check on May 24, WXMI reports.

Initial autopsies performed on Skylah's parents, identified as 26-year-old Jessica Bramer and 28-year-old Christian Reed, did not identify an immediate cause of death, although authorities allegedly found drug paraphernalia in their room. A full toxicology report is pending.

The infant, who was in "dire need of medical attention" when she was rescued by police, was airlifted to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in critical condition. Her breathing tube has since been removed and she is now expected to make a full recovery.

"This precious baby needed a lot of heroes and a lot of heroes showed up," EMT Michele Bridges, said. "The call ... was just a vivid reminder why any of us are in this business, and it's not a business to us, it's a matter of saving lives."

Family members of Bramer and Reed told WOOD-TV that the pair had recently been in and out of jail. Skylah's grandparents allegedly contacted Children's Protective Services in January over concerns about the baby's well-being.

It remains unclear who will gain custody of the child when she is discharged from the hospital.
Getty Images

The ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China is having an unmistakably negative effect on the technology sector. Numerous tech stocks have heavy Chinese exposure, whether it's via the rare-earth materials they use in their products, manufacturing done in China or just deriving a large percentage of revenues from the country. And their shares have been punished as the rift between the two countries has widened.

As a group, the outlook is worrisome. But a few tech stocks are more shielded than others from Chinese trade issues. Just look to the cloud.

Cloud computing has been a lucrative mega-trend on its own; whole industries have moved into scaled data centers, linked by fiber cable and wireless networks. But it also is shaping up to be something of a safe haven from trade concerns. China may make some of our devices, and their chips may go into our technology infrastructure, but the clouds themselves are ours, and so is the value inside them. Thus, many companies that operate cloud-based services look to be relatively well-insulated against this long-running U.S.-China trade spat.

The following are six tech stocks that can help China-proof your portfolio. Many of these stocks have run hot in 2019, and some of them are expensive as a result. But each is also a strong long-term holding based on the merit of their technological innovations and the lucrative markets they address.

SEE ALSO: 50 Top Stocks That Billionaires Love

Adobe

Getty Images

Market value: $133.9 billion

Adobe (ADBE, $274.51) began life as a printing software company that became well-known for its early Web video engine Flash, Photoshop photo-editing software and Acrobat PDF software.

Adobe's products drove strong growth on their own, but the cloud truly turned them into profit machines.

Under CEO Shantanu Naruyen, who stepped into the role in 2007, Adobe has turned all its software into cloud-based services for creative work, document management and, more recently, marketing. Importantly, it now offers these services as annual subscriptions rather than one-time software purchases, which not only has grown its sales and profits, but made them more predictable.

Story continues

Shares have rocketed 325% higher in the past half-decade to clobber the relatively modest 45% from the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index - a reward for the company's operational progress. Revenues more than doubled between 2014 and 2018, while profits have shot up from 27 cents per share to $2.59 in that time. Free cash flow has tripled. That cash hasn't been converted into a dividend yet. Instead. Adobe has spent on acquisitions such as Marketo (B2B marketing management cloud platform) and Magento (commerce platform) - it bought both in 2018 for a combined $6.3 billion. Even then, the company's cash and short-term investments are just about enough to pay off all its long-term debt.

Mark Tepper, president and CEO of Strategic Wealth Partners, recently told CNBC his firm is "backing up the truck" on software companies such as Adobe, which he says has "no exposure to China." Wall Street analysts are high on the stock, with 25 of the 31 covering it calling it a "Buy" or "Strong Buy." That includes Morgan Stanley's Keith Weiss, who writes that the company can maintain a 20% annual profit growth rate over the next three years, even if digital media growth slows.

SEE ALSO: 10 Stocks That Could Feast or Fall on China Trade

Cisco Systems

Getty Images

Market value: $229.3 billion

Cisco Systems (CSCO, $53.57) hasn't been completely untouched by increasingly hostile trade rhetoric, but its stock has nonetheless risen to levels not seen since the dot-com boom, when it briefly was the world's most valuable company.

Cisco makes networking equipment and telecommunications software, but also provides other tech services including cybersecurity. CEO Chuck Robbins has turned firm's focus toward delivering more of its software services via subscription, a la Adobe. Still, some of its supplies are vulnerable to trade tensions, but the company has taken several steps to reduce its exposure to the recently increased tariffs on Chinese imports.

"When we saw the indication that the tariffs were going to move to 25% on Friday morning, the teams kicked in and we actually have executed completely on everything that we need to do to deal with the tariffs," Robbins said during Cisco's most recent quarterly conference call. "We see very minimal impact at this point ... and it is absolutely baked into our guide going forward."

Just note that while Cisco may be better protected than many tech stocks, it's not perfectly shielded. Daniel Milan - a managing partner for Cornerstone Financial Services in Birmingham, Michigan - praises the company's leadership in moving to non-China suppliers, but adds that Cisco still had to push through price increases on its networking equipment early in 2019. "I'm not so sure that Cisco is insulated from the Chinese trade war," he says.

Cisco also offers a little defense in the form of a dividend offering a modest 2.6%. More promising is the fact that said dividend, at 35 cents per share, has multiplied several times over since its initial 6-cent payout in 2011.

Palo Alto Networks

Getty Images

Market value: $19.4 billion

Computer security is a difficult niche within the software business. Guards must protect every software window, but crooks need find only one hole for disaster to strike.

The approach of Palo Alto Networks (PANW, $204.30) is to implement "next generation" firewalls offering "zero trust," because negligent insiders can do as much damage as malicious outsiders. Palo Alto's software inspects and logs all network traffic, determining who needs access to what instead of just letting any insider into everything.

While it's nice to invest in tech stocks that will survive the trade war, more ideal is a company that could actually thrive from it. Cornerstone's Milan believes Palo Alto may do just that, benefiting from this conflict "as more and more people and business become aware and/or concerned with cyber security threats from China, leading to more business."

Palo Alto, which came public in 2012, has exploded by roughly 660% from its IPO price. Its revenues nearly quadrupled between 2014 and 2018. The company still is not profitable on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis, but it's at least making headway into its losses.

The company took a hit recently following its fiscal third-quarter earnings report, in part - ironically - on worries about its transition to offering its products as cloud-based annual subscriptions. Two recent acquisitions also cut into its outlook.

Still, while many analysts rushed to downgrade their price targets, the majority - 29 of 41 - remained in the "Buy" camp. Even Cowen analyst Nick Yalo, who has a "Hold" on PANW, told MarketWatch that while there's near-term profitability risks, "we think Palo Alto Networks's continued expansion into the cloud security market is the right move over the long term."

SEE ALSO: The 7 Best ETFs to Beat Back Trade War Worries

Salesforce.com

Getty Images

Market value: $120.6 billion

Salesforce.com (CRM, $155.66) - a cloud-based customer relationship management software specialist - was founded in 1999 to rent a CRM application built on an Oracle (ORCL) database. Now, after many years, Salesforce is working to unshackle itself from that database by developing its own.

China resists foreign cloud applications - that knocks out a large potential area of growth, but it also means U.S.-based application companies aren't impacted by tariffs (except to the extent that customers go out of business).

Salesforce revenues have grown by about roughly 25% annually for the past few years, with analysts forecasting closer to 20% (so less, but still rapid growth) this year and next. And while profits are expected to take a small step back this year, analysts on average are looking for 28.5% annual earnings expansion over the next half-decade.

CRM also is one of the best-rated tech stocks out there. All but four of the 45 analysts covering the stock consider it buy-worthy.

"Salesforce is a great addition," writes Steve Koenig, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, where CRM is on the "Best Ideas List." Large-cap software as a service names "are dependable holdings," he writes, taking advantage of technology trends that have been in place for a decade. Piper Jaffray analyst Alex Zukin calls CRM "the most attractive risk/reward in our coverage universe today."

"It is reasonable to assume that Salesforce would be less susceptible to the Chinese trade war and thus considered a 'winner' in comparison to other more manufacturing heavy tech companies," Cornerstone's Daniel Milan says. But he cautions investors to remember that escalating tensions could cause a global growth slowdown, which would hit even China-insulated companies.

Square

Courtesy Z22 via Wikimedia

Market value: $26.9 billion

Square (SQ, $63.67) is best known for its credit card readers that plug directly into mobile phones. But they're a Trojan Horse. Behind them lie a host of banking and other services. These are the real secrets to the company's success.

In 2018, Square's revenues grew 50% year-over-year to $3.3 billion. While the company did absorb a $38 million loss, that was 40% better than 2017's red ink. The company still has nearly $1.1 billion in cash and short-term securities, however, which is important because Square regularly makes acquisitions to expand its platform. These include Weebly, a website hosting service acquired last year for $365 million, and Eloquent Labs, which makes a conversational artificial-intelligence assistant called Elle meant to speed customer service, bought in May for an undisclosed sum.

The idea is that these kinds of services, which can help small businesses compete with bigger ones, can be grafted onto loans and other banking services. Its peer-to-peer payment application, Square Cash, was growing faster than PayPal's (PYPL) Venmo as of last year, and former PayPal parent eBay (EBAY) is offering its merchants up to $100,000 in financing through the company's Square Capital unit.

This has made Square an expensive stock with a price-to-sales ratio of 7, versus just 2 for the S&P 500. But it's not that out of line for financial-tech firms. Visa (V) sells for more than 16 times revenues. So does Mastercard (MA).

That's not slowing down analysts such as Guggenheim's Jeff Cantwell, who recently reiterated a "Buy" rating on SQ. He says the long-term outlook "is improving significantly over time" due to factors including international tailwinds and expanding hardware.

And among tech stocks, Cornerstone's Milan says Square has a "strong insulation from tariff issues." Square does operate outside the U.S. - but only in Australia, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Twilio

Getty Images

Market value: $16.0 billion

Twilio (TWLO, $126.93), which went public in 2016, offers communication services through its cloud that let businesses use a panoply of phone services without the phone network.

Amazon.com's (AMZN) Twitch streaming platform, ride-hailing service Lyft Inc. (LYFT) and customer-service software company Zendesk (ZEN) have deployed the company's application program interfaces (APIs) to secure customer accounts, do rapid global launches and cut the cost of supporting remote workers. The technology supports both voice and data communication systems of all kinds, from text to video.

The company went public in June 2016 at $15 per share; roughly three years later, it has exploded by more than 740%. And like the rest of the stocks on this list, that share-price growth has been justified by rapid revenue expansion. Sales of roughly $89 million in 2019 hit $277 million in 2016, then clocked in at $650 million last year. Better still, while about 25% of Twilio's revenues are generated overseas, China is a minimal part of that because of its communications regulations.

Twilio has reached profitability - on a non-GAAP basis, which backs out certain expenses and other figures. But by traditional accounting measures, its net losses have actually been expanding, from about $41 million in 2016 to roughly $122 million in 2018.

Investors, who have driven shares up 42% YTD, and analysts alike appear to be giving Twilio patience and the benefit of the doubt for now.

Ten of 13 covering analysts call TWLO a "Buy" or "Strong Buy" in large part because Twilio's services save companies money and boost productivity. The firm recently added email to its offerings, buying platform SendGrid for roughly $2 billion worth of stock in a deal that closed this February. Oppenheimer analyst Ittai Kidron, who has an "Outperform" rating on the stock, re-evaluated the company with SendGrid folded in, writing, "Our analysis yet again leaves us bullish and illustrates the upside left in the model."

SEE ALSO: The 12 Best Tech Stocks for a 2019 Recovery

EDITOR'S PICKS



Copyright 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors
Back when people were declaring the death of American cities, LGBTQ+ residents in search of affordable housing gravitated to urban areas, and eventually created gayborhoods - cultural enclaves of community and belonging. Forty years later, some of those gayborhoods are among the most sought-after neighborhoods in the country.

That cycle of urban gentrification, which began in the 1970s, continues today as people are drawn to amenities in gayborhoods and their proximity to urban job centers. While that translates into a home value premium in most gayborhoods[1], some offer a steep discount.

Take the South Arena District/Southeast Denver Heights section of San Antonio, where 4% of households are headed by same-sex couples. A typical home there costs 36.9% less than the city at large ($111,500 versus $176,800).

The premiums carried by most gayborhoods ironically puts those areas out of reach for many LGBTQ+ people, especially women and people who are transgender and gender nonconforming. Those groups, on average, have lower incomes than cisgender gay men.

Among the priciest gayborhoods is West Palm Springs, Calif., where 9% of all homes are headed by same-sex couples. A typical home there costs about $1.2 million - $860,300 more than a typical home in the Riverside metro area, which costs $369,200. That amounts to a 233% surcharge, and its not even the highest. Zillow ran a full analysis of price premiums in gayborhoods around the country.

Rather than feature gayborhoods with home values below the surrounding city - which includes downtown San Jose, Calif., where the typical home costs 38.1% less than the surrounding city, but is still $553,900 - instead, were highlighting nine gayborhoods nationwide where homes are valued under $300,000:

Housing Market (by city unless specified) Gayborhood % Same-Sex Couples Gayborhood Home Value Market Home Value Gayborhood Premium San Antonio South Arena District/Southeast Denver Heights 4.0% $111,500 $176,800 -36.9% Milwaukee Honey Creek Manor 2.3% $146,200 $123,200 18.7% Las Vegas East Paradise 4.9% $217,510 $276,500 -21.3% Cleveland Riverside 3.1% $221,000 $56,100 293.9% Virginia Beach Metro Lafayette-Winona, Norfolk VA 2.7% $224,200 $230,200 -2.6% Tampa-St. Petersburg Metro Southeast Gulfport (small city outside of St. Petersburg) 7.6% $236,700 $214,300 10.5% St. Louis Shaw  South Grand 3.8% $238,126 $119,500 99.3% Kansas City Longfellow 5.7% $251,300 $394,735 -36.3% Chicago Edgewater to Lakeview 3.7% $299,506 $230,400 30.0%

Story continues

Methodology

To produce the table of gayborhoods, this research mapped concentrations of same-sex couple households and Zillow Home Value Index by census tract. The percentage of same-sex couples in each tract were gathered from the American Community Survey 2013-2017 dataset made accessible by IPUMS.org. Census tracts and groupings with the highest percentages of same-sex couple households were matched to the neighborhood that best contained them. Tracts with a very small number of households were not included in the analysis. The concentration of couples in more affordable neighborhoods with fewer gay bars and amenities illustrate a possible shortcoming of Census's same-sex couple data: It is likely to overrepresent older LGBTQ households who are more likely to be displaced to more affordable areas and out of amenity-rich spaces.[2] The lack of a question in the American Community Survey on sexual orientation and gender identity means that single LGBTQ people cannot be identified. As many of the above metros show, this can lead to gayborhoods that are likely to have high concentrations of LGBTQ singles being invisible on the map-often moving gayborhoods to more affordable and suburban parts of major metros.



[1] High percentages of same-sex couple households are unlikely to cause high home price premiums. Instead, because they are often located in or near urban cores, their proximity to work centers and amenities is likely to be more associated with the premiums.

[2] Using same-sex couple households, which is the measurement made available by the U.S. Census Bureau, is a workaround to the absense of a question about sexual orientation and gender identity. Same-sex couple households omit singles and generally skew towards older LGBTQ populations.

The post 9 Gayborhoods With Median Home Values Under $300,000 appeared first on Zillow Research.
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The Australian state of Queensland on Friday approved Adani Enterprise's management plan for an endangered bird at the site for a controversial coal mine, leaving only one more permit before construction can start on the project.

India's Adani has been working for a decade to obtain approvals to develop the Carmichael mine in the remote Galilee Basin, but the process has been slow as the project has become a touchstone for concerns about climate change.

"The Department of Environment and Science (DES) approved Adani's black-throated finch management plan," the Queensland regulator said.

"DES has met regularly with Adani to ensure that the plan is robust and is well-placed to deliver the best outcomes for the protection of the black-throated finch."

Adani said it had received notice that its plan had been approved.

The approval leaves just one permit outstanding, which relates to management of a sensitive groundwater source. That is expected to be issued by June 13.

Adani has faced difficulties obtaining finance for the mine and accompanying rail project as climate change concerns have discouraged lenders from backing new thermal coal developments, while falling prices have also raised doubts about the mine's economics.

But voters worried about jobs in the downtrodden region returned the ruling Liberal-National coalition to power in an Australian election this month, renewing momentum for the project.

A local conservation group condemned Friday's approval, saying in a statement that "Australians should be alarmed by this decision".

(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Joseph Radford)
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Warren Buffett has mused, 'If you've been playing poker for half an hour and you still don't know who the patsy is, you're the patsy.' When they buy such story stocks, investors are all too often the patsy.

In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like TeamLease Services (NSE:TEAMLEASE). Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

View our latest analysis for TeamLease Services

How Fast Is TeamLease Services Growing?

As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS). That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. I, for one, am blown away by the fact that TeamLease Services has grown EPS by 53% per year, over the last three years. Growth that fast may well be fleeting, but like a lotus blooming from a murky pond, it sparks joy for the wary stock pickers.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. TeamLease Services maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 23% to 45b. That's progress.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

NSEI:TEAMLEASE Income Statement, May 30th 2019

In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of TeamLease Services's forecast profits?

Story continues

Are TeamLease Services Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

I always like to check up on CEO compensation, because I think that reasonable pay levels, around or below the median, can be a sign that shareholder interests are well considered. For companies with market capitalizations between 28b and 112b, like TeamLease Services, the median CEO pay is around 25m.

The TeamLease Services CEO received total compensation of just 9.9m in the year to March 2018. That looks like modest pay to me, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when its reasonable that does give me a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Is TeamLease Services Worth Keeping An Eye On?

TeamLease Services's earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017. Such fast EPS growth makes me wonder if the business has hit an inflection point (and I mean the good kind.) At the same time the reasonable CEO compensation reflects well on the board of directors. While I couldn't be sure without a deeper dive, it does seem that TeamLease Services has the hallmarks of a quality business; and that would make it well worth watching. One of Buffett's considerations when discussing businesses is if they are capital light or capital intensive. Generally, a company with a high return on equity is capital light, and can thus fund growth more easily. So you might want to check this graph comparing TeamLease Services's ROE with industry peers (and the market at large).

Of course, you can do well (sometimes) buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But as a growth investor I always like to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction

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.
Nairobi (AFP) - Huawei said Friday it had signed a draft agreement to reinforce its cooperation with the African Union in a number of areas, including in 5G communications that is at the heart of the Chinese telecom giant's dispute with the United States.

The draft agreement will also reinforce their cooperation in areas such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence and high-speed networks.

Huawei -- the world's second smartphone maker -- has become embroiled in a dispute with the United States because of its leading role in developing equipment for next-generation 5G mobile phone networks.

The US government has warned that its equipment could serve as a Trojan horse for Chinese intelligence services, a claim Huawei has denied. Washington has urged its partners to shun the firm.

The US has also moved to block US companies from doing business with the firm, which has prompted China to warn it will create a blacklist of "unreliable" foreign companies.

Friday's agreement between Huawei and the AU follows one signed in 2015.

"This collaboration is witness to the continued confidence between the African Union and Huawei," said Philippe Wang, the firm's vice president for northern Africa.

He added that this accord should put a rest to "rumours that Huawei equipment leaked data, given that the AU conducted a complete audit of its IT system ... and the conclusions rejected information that appeared in the press last year."

In 2018, the French newspaper Le Monde reported that China had spied on the AU's headquarters in Addis Ababa, citing sources inside the organisation.

It reported that the spying began in 2012, after the completion of the AU's new headquarters building that was financed by China.

The AU had rejected the allegations.

China is Africa's top trade partner, and Beijing invests billions each year in the continent's infrastructure such as roads, railways and ports, as well into projects exploiting natural resources.
Mohamed Ould Bouamatou, a former financier of President Mohamed Ould Abdelazizs regime has tossed his support behind opposition and independent candidate for the June Presidential elections.

Bouamatou, billionaire business tycoon announced in a statement his support to Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, a former Premier of the North African country, Le360.ma news portal reports.

Boubacar led the government from 1992 to 1995 and 2005 to 2007. The 62-year old man, according to Bouamatou, is a man of consensus and dialogue, a rich personality with a great experience of public affairs management and capable of gathering our countrymen who aspire to a real democratic change.

The former Prime Minister improved the life conditions of the civil servants with pay rise and enhanced public finances by obtaining the deduction of the countrys external debt, Le360 recalls.

Boubacar also monitored the democratic and free elections of the country.

Bouamatou now in exile in Morocco, has fallen out with outgoing President. The Business magnet backed up Ould Abdelazizs 2008 military coup and contributed to his victory in the 2009 presidential election.

Boumatous support gives weight to Boubacars candidacy but will meet tough challenges including the regimes candidate, Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed, aka Ghazouani.
Photo credit: Courtesy photo by Chad Bellay/Lockheed Martin

From Popular Mechanics

The U.S. Air Force is standing up a new squadron to simulate the latest stealth fighters from countries such as Russia and China, allowing pilots to test their mettle in simulated combat. The squadron will be equipped with eleven older F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, making it the first non-combat role for the aircraft.

Photo credit: Airman 1st Class Matthew J. Bruch

From 2005 to 2014, the 65th Aggressor Squadron served as stand-ins for adversaries in mock aerial dogfights at Nellis Air Force Base. The squadron operated 24 F-15 Eagles painted in the camouflage pattern common to Russian Su-27 Flanker fighters. The Flanker, a large, single-seat twin-engine air superiority fighter was roughly similar to the Eagle.



The proliferation of stealth fighters, including Chinas Chengdu J-20 and FC-31 fighters, as well as the Russian Su-57, means the U.S. no longer has a lock on stealth technology. U.S. pilots will eventually run into stealth fighters flown by adversaries, and this introduces air combat trainers with a dilemma: how to properly simulate the stealthy characteristics of these fighters so that U.S. Air Force pilots can properly deal with them.

Photo credit: VCG - Getty Images

According to Military.com, the 65th Squadron will receive eleven fighters, two from Edwards Air Force Base and nine from Eglin Air Force Base. The Eglin jets wont join the squadron until 2022 when the Florida base is set to receive newer, updated jets.

Outgoing Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson endorsed the move, saying it would cost $15 million per aircraft to update them to the Block 4 standard. Block 4 will introduce new capabilities to the F-35 platform, but it would also cost $165 million across the fleet of eleven jets. Instead, the service can use those funds to purchase two brand-new aircraft.



Photo credit: Sergei Bobylev - Getty Images

While this particular situation makes economic sense, it calls into question the Air Forces plans to upgrade the rest of the F-35 fleet. Unlike most jets, the F-35 went into production before the design was completely finalized, with plans to eventually upgrade all jets to a final standard. Critics of the program have expressed concerns that the armed services might decide to never upgrade some of the oldest F-35s, locking them in permanently at a less-capable status.

Story continues

Source: Military.com

('You Might Also Like',)
May 30 (Reuters) - Alabama on Thursday executed a 46-year-old man convicted of killing a minister and wounding his wife with a sword and dagger while robbing their home three days before Christmas in 1991, the state's department of corrections said.

Christopher Price was executed by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 7:31 p.m. (0031 GMT) local time at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Corrections said. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Sandra Maler)
MONTGOMERY, Ala.  Alabama on Thursday executed Christopher Lee Price, condemned for the 1991 murder of preacher Bill Lynn.

Price died at 7:31 p.m. CDT by lethal injection. He was the third man killed by Alabama in 2019 and the second execution in a two-week period.

"A man is much more than his worst mistake," Price, who was 19 at the time of Lynn's murder, said when asked for any final words.

Price appeared to grow emotional and unable to speak further when the warden removed the microphone from his gurney. After the mic was removed, he said something that was inaudible from the witness chamber. A Montgomery Advertiser reporter heard the words, "Tell my wife, Diane."

In a statement provided to media after Price's death, the Lynn family thanked friends and loved ones for support "through this long and difficult journey."

"Although this is not really closure, we are praying to finally have peace. Not only for us, but for the one we love and miss every day," the family said.

As the execution began, Price blinked and raised his head twice at about 7:15 p.m. A minute later, Price coughed audibly, five times in quick succession, his lower stomach heaving. His left fist remained clenched throughout the execution.

An officer closed the curtains to the witness chamber at 7:26 p.m.

Executions: New Hampshire repeals death penalty, joining 20 other states

Alabama execution: Michael Brandon Samra dies in state's second lethal injection of 2019

The Supreme Court on Thursday denied a stay request shortly before Price's execution began. Price sought a stay on the grounds that his federal lawsuit challenging Alabama's lethal injection protocol was slated for trial next month. Alabama officials called the filing "delay tactics."

Price was scheduled to die at 6 p.m. on Thursday, but the procedure did not begin until 7:11 p.m. Anne Hill, ADOC chief of staff, said the execution was delayed at the request of the Alabama Attorney General's office to await the Supreme Court filing.

Story continues

Alabama in April called off its first planned execution of Price. Awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on a lower court's execution stay, the state's clock ran out on Price's death warrant. The Supreme Court ultimately lifted the stay after midnight, but Alabama was forced to seek a new execution date.

"Tonight, the family of Pastor Bill Lynn, who was brutally murdered nearly 30 years ago, has finally seen Lynns killer face justice," said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in an emailed statement. "Christopher Price was put to death at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, fighting until the very end to avoid facing the consequences of his heinous crime.

Prison officials said on April 11 Lynn's widow, Bessie Lynn, was prepared to witness Price's execution, along with Bill Lynn's two daughters, two grandsons and a nephew. On Thursday, Alabama officials said a number of Lynn family members planned to witness the execution but declined to detail familial relationships.

This file photo shows Alabama's lethal injection chamber

Before his planned execution in April, Price requested to be married. He and his fiancee were wed in the Holman Correctional Facility yard on April 10.

Prison officials said Price visited with his wife and a friend on Wednesday. On Thursday, Price met with his wife, his uncle and his attorney. He also made two phone calls to his wife. All three planned to witness his death, an official said before the execution, but ultimately only his attorney attended.

Price declined his breakfast on Thursday but did purchase four pints of ice cream from the prison canteen for his final meal.

Price was 19 when he and a friend approached Lynn outside of his Bazemore home three days before Christmas. The two attacked Lynn while he was checking on the power box. Lynn's wife, Bessie, later testified the two assailants beat her before stealing jewelry and money from their home.

Bill Lynn, who prosecutors say was cut or stabbed 38 times with a sword and dagger, died at a hospital approximately 45 minutes after the attack.

A Fayette County jury in 1993 sentenced Price to death by a vote of 10-2. Price later tried to contest his sentence, alleging his original trial attorney was unprepared for the penalty phase of his trial. Price argued the lawyer failed to offer evidence that the then-teenager was psychologically traumatized following years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of his mother's boyfriends. The Supreme Court declined to review his case in 2013.

Kevin Coleman, Price's accomplice in the attack, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

In a U.S. Supreme Court filing in April, Price's lawyers wrote Alabama's lethal injection protocol would be "excruciatingly painful" for the condemned, "similar to being suffocated and burned at the stake at the same time."

Price was primarily concerned with midazolam, considered to be the first drug in a three-drug cocktail. The drug has been the subject of litigation in several states. Critics say the anti-anxiety medication doesn't maintain unconsciousness throughout the execution.

In 2016, witnesses said Ronald Bert Smith, sentenced to death for the 1994 murder of a Huntsville convenience, gasped and coughed for at least 13 minutes during the 34-minute execution, and clenched his fists while being injected with midazolam.

Two weeks ago, Michael Brandon Samra's chest heaved three times in quick succession after the execution drug cocktail was administered. After, his breathing appeared significantly labored, with his head slightly jerking with each breath for the next minute.

Samra stretched and drew his fingers outward, attempting to raise his left hand against his wrist restraints before curling his fingers inward. He then stilled.

Alabama in February executed Domineque Ray after an 11th-hour U.S. Supreme Court ruling vacated a stay of execution pending a religious rights claim. The court ruled by a narrow majority Ray had waited too late to bring the issue to light.

Ray, a Muslim, had argued Alabama's practice of including a Christian prison chaplain in the execution chamber was in violation of the First Amendment. Ray sought to have his imam present in the death chamber at the time of his death, but the state said it would allow only trained prison employees in the chamber.

In subsequent court filings, Alabama said it has altered its execution protocol to exclude any religious leader, including the Holman prison chaplain, from the death chamber.

Ray's execution and the last-minute delay in Price's scheduled April execution, along with a handful of cases in other states, have highlighted tensions on the nation's highest court. On May 13, the court issued an unprecedented trove of documents, which The Associated Press deemed "internal squabbling" over the death penalty.

Price was 19 when he and a friend approached Lynn outside of his Bazemore home three days before Christmas. The two attacked Lynn while he was checking on the power box. Lynn's wife, Bessie, later testified the two assailants beat her before stealing jewelry and money from their home.

Bill Lynn, who prosecutors say was cut or stabbed 38 times with a sword and dagger, died at a hospital approximately 45 minutes after the attack.

A Fayette County jury in 1993 sentenced Price to death by a vote of 10-2. Price later tried to contest his sentence, alleging his original trial attorney was unprepared for the penalty phase of his trial. Price argued the lawyer failed to offer evidence that the then-teenager was psychologically traumatized following years of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of his mother's boyfriends. The Supreme Court declined to review his case in 2013.

In a U.S. Supreme Court filing in April, Price's lawyers wrote Alabama's lethal injection protocol would be "excruciatingly painful" for the condemned, "similar to being suffocated and burned at the stake at the same time." Price was primarily concerned with midazolam, considered to be the first drug in a three-drug cocktail. The drug has been the subject of litigation in several states. Critics say the anti-anxiety medication doesn't maintain unconsciousness throughout the execution.

In 2016, witnesses said Ronald Bert Smith, sentenced to death for the 1994 murder of Huntville convenience store clerk Casey Wilson, gasped and coughed for at least 13 minutes during the 34-minute execution, and clenched his fists while being injected with midazolam.

Two weeks ago, Michael Brandon Samra's chest heaved three times in quick succession after the execution drug cocktail was administered. After, his breathing appeared significantly labored, with his head slightly jerking with each breath for the next minute.

Samra stretched and drew his fingers outward, attempting to raise his left hand against his wrist restraints before curling his fingers inward. He then stilled.

Only one consciousness test was conducted during Samra's execution.

Alabama in February executed Domineque Ray after an 11th-hour U.S. Supreme Court ruling vacated a stay of execution pending a religious rights claim. The court ruled by a narrow majority Ray had waited too late to bring the issue to light.

Ray, a Muslim, had argued Alabama's practice of including a Christian prison chaplain in the execution chamber was in violation of the First Amendment. Ray sought to have his imam present in the death chamber at the time of his death, but the state said it would allow only trained prison employees in the chamber.

In subsequent court filings, Alabama said it has altered its execution protocol to exclude any religious leader, including the Holman prison chaplain, from the death chamber. In Samra and Price's execution, no chaplain was present in the chamber.

Ray's execution and the last-minute delay in Price's scheduled April execution, along with a handful of cases in other states, have highlighted tensions on the nation's highest court. On May 13, the court issued an unprecedented trove of documents, which The Associated Press deemed "internal squabbling" over the death penalty.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama executes its second inmate in two weeks
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Alaska oil producers will invest $20 million to advance the state's $43 billion Alaska gas line project, officials said.

The investment by BP and ExxonMobil is intended to help the Alaska LNG project achieve a permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, The Anchorage Daily News reported Thursday.

Republican Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer announced the investment Thursday at an oil and gas conference in Anchorage.

ExxonMobil and BP would each contribute $10 million as the project continues seeking authorization from regulators, Meyer said.

The state plans to pay the remaining $10 million of expected costs before the energy commission's decision, which is expected next year. If approved, the natural gas would not flow before 2025.

The project would transport North Slope natural gas across Alaska in an 800-mile (1,287-kilometer) pipeline. The gas would be super-chilled into a liquid for transport in ocean-going tankers bound for Asian utilities.

The two companies, along with ConocoPhillips, backed out of investments in the project in 2016 amid concerns about its global competitiveness.

The three oil companies and the state spent more than $500 million studying Alaska LNG for four years before the companies pulled out.

The state has since advanced the project on its own while courting potential Chinese-owned entities as investors, officials said.

BP is optimistic the project's cost can be reduced below $40 billion partially through lower product and service prices, said Damian Bilbao, BP vice president of commercial ventures in Alaska.

Alaska's gas "remains the single largest undeveloped resource on the planet," Bilbao said.

___

Information from: Anchorage Daily News, http://www.adn.com
In a bid to strengthen its Indian footprint, Alibaba BABA is now eyeing the countrys video market.



This is evident from its latest move wherein it has reportedly invested $100 million in its own subsidiary  UCWebs  social video app called Vmate.



Notably, Vmate is a video app, popular for its short video sharing service. Additionally, the app helps in video editing and downloading. It also offers 3-dimensional face emojis.



Alibaba with its investment in Vmate is aggressively looking to enhance its video services in India, which has turned out to be one of the biggest markets for online video consumption. This, in turn, is likely to help improve its adoption rate among Indians.



Video Market in India Holds Promise



Online video market in India is riding on the growing proliferation of internet and smartphone usage. Moreover, availability of internet data services at lower prices has also spurred growth in online video viewership.



Per data from Zenith media agency, the average time spent daily by an Indian in watching online videos stood at 52 minutes in 2018, which is expected to shoot up to 67 minutes in 2019.



A report from IHS Markit shows that online video market is expected to reach $1.9 billion by 2022 witnessing a CAGR of 36% between 2019 and 2022.



Ample growth opportunities in this market are alluring enough to attract many companies for making inroads into it. Apart from Alibaba, ByteDance, Alphabets GOOGL Google and Facebook FB to name a few are leaving no stone unturned to bolster their presence in this burgeoning market.



ByteDances TikTok has gained strong popularity and is currently in use by more than 120 million Indians. Further, Googles YouTube has become the most used online video platform in India and it steadily sees a boost in its unique user base.



Meanwhile, Facebooks Instagram is also gaining traction from users with its improving features in the booming Indian video space.



Alibabas entry into this market with Vmate is likely to further intensify the competition. Also, Vmate, which has 30 million users around the globe, places Alibaba well to rapidly penetrate this market with the aid of its recent funding.

Story continues

Alibaba Group Holding Limited Revenue (TTM)

Alibaba Group Holding Limited Revenue (TTM)

Alibaba Group Holding Limited revenue-ttm | Alibaba Group Holding Limited Quote

Deepening Focus on India

Alibabas latest step bodes well for its heightening focus on India. Its plans to expand business in the country strategically fit the growth opportunities the place has on offer.



Apart from this latest move, Alibaba has put its money on video intelligence platform, Vidooly, in the beginning of this year.



Additionally, its significant investment of $200 million in Paytm Mall has strengthened its position in India. The Paytm Mall is modelled on TMall, Chinas dominant e-commerce platform.



Further, it has made a huge capex on food-ordering app Zomato, the online ticketing platform TicktNew, online grocer BigBasket and the e-commerce platform, Snapdeal.



Zacks Rank & Stock to Consider



Currently, Alibaba carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the broader technology sector is PayPal Holdings, Inc. PYPL, holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Long-term earnings growth rate for PayPal is currently pegged at 17.91%.



This Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019



Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.



These companies are changing the world  and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month.



Click here to see these 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



Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Today we are going to look at Amber Enterprises India Limited (NSE:AMBER) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. Specifically, we're going to calculate its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), in the hopes of getting some insight into the business.

First, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Second, we'll look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Then we'll determine how its current liabilities are affecting its ROCE.

What is Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)?

ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. 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?

The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

Or for Amber Enterprises India:

0.12 = 1.5b  (24b - 11b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)

Therefore, Amber Enterprises India has an ROCE of 12%.

View our latest analysis for Amber Enterprises India

Does Amber Enterprises India Have A Good ROCE?

One way to assess ROCE is to compare similar companies. In this analysis, Amber Enterprises India's ROCE appears meaningfully below the 17% average reported by the Consumer Durables industry. This performance could be negative if sustained, as it suggests the business may underperform its industry. Aside from the industry comparison, Amber Enterprises India's ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. It is possible that there are more rewarding investments out there.

Story continues

Amber Enterprises India's current ROCE of 12% is lower than its ROCE in the past, which was 17%, 3 years ago. So investors might consider if it has had issues recently.

NSEI:AMBER Past Revenue and Net Income, May 31st 2019

When considering this metric, keep in mind that it is backwards looking, and not necessarily predictive. Companies in cyclical industries can be difficult to understand using ROCE, as returns typically look high during boom times, and low during busts. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Amber Enterprises India.

Do Amber Enterprises India's Current Liabilities Skew Its ROCE?

Short term (or current) liabilities, are things like supplier invoices, overdrafts, or tax bills 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 counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.

Amber Enterprises India has total liabilities of 11b and total assets of 24b. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 48% of its total assets. Amber Enterprises India's ROCE is improved somewhat by its moderate amount of current liabilities.

What We Can Learn From Amber Enterprises India's ROCE

With this level of liabilities and a mediocre ROCE, there are potentially better investments out there. But note: make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20).

I will like Amber Enterprises India better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
President Donald Trumps threatened tariffs on imports from Mexico could take a toll on American automakers if and when they go into effect, economists and industry experts say, causing collateral economic damage as Trump seeks to pressure Mexico to take more action to curb the migrant crisis.

Major American automakers, like Ford and General Motors, have factories in Mexico, letting them benefit from lower labor costs by making vehicles or vehicle parts abroad before importing them into the United States for sale. The U.S. imported $93 billion worth of vehicles from Mexico in 2018, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, more than any other kind of good. About 22% of the vehicles GM sold in the U.S. last year were imported from Mexico, according to research firm LMC Automotive, The Wall Street Journal reports, while that figure is about 10% for Ford.

But Trumps tariffs, which he says would start at 5% on June 10 before escalating to as much as 25%, are effectively a tax on imports. When Ford or GM imports a car or part from Mexico, it would have to pay any tariff thats in place. That could significantly increase the cost of automakers Mexican operations and disturb their complex supply chains, experts say. While Trumps announcement sent a variety of companies stocks tumbling, it hit American automakers particularly hard: GM was down 5.5% in premarket trading Friday, while Ford was down 4%. Neither automaker responded immediately to TIMEs request for comment.

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

If Trumps tariffs are enacted, automakers supply chains will be among the first casualties, experts say. American companies, automakers included, rely on Mexico to provide items that arent easily found elsewhere, says Susan Helper, an economics professor at Case Western Reserve University and former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce. For example, U.S. automakers might import from Mexico certain instrument panels or a mold that makes a part unique to one vehicle. Tariffs could cause delays in their supply chain that spark a domino effect, she says.

Story continues

When youre importing something from Mexico its not like youre buying lumber from Home Depot, where if the wood isnt available, you go to some other store, Helper says. These relationships are longstanding, and the factories have a lot of very specific equipment needed to make a specific part.

A 5% tariff wouldnt lead to a total meltdown for automakers, Helper says. But if Trump steadily increases his tariffs to the threatened 25% level, they would cut into profit margins and likely lead to price increases for car buyers.

Even the initial 5% level could be a drag on automakers. Italy Michaeli of Citi Investment Research told the Associated Press that General Motors anticipates losing hundreds of millions of dollars if Trumps tariffs are imposed. But car companies with supply chains based elsewhere, like in Asia, wont incur the same costs, giving foreign competitors a potential advantage over their American rivals. Its disproportionately hurting them, Helper says. (Foreign automakers that build cars in Mexico for sale in the U.S., like Volkswagen, would also be subject to any tariffs when importing goods to the U.S. from Mexico.)

Ann Wilson, SVP for government affairs at the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, which represents vehicle suppliers and manufacturers, says that in the long run, Trumps tariffs will result in prohibitive price increases on auto parts and, eventually, vehicles themselves. The average cost of a new car in the U.S. is $35,000, according to Wilson, who says that Trumps tariffs could raise that to nearly $40,000.

It will raise the cost to consumers, decrease jobs and decrease investment in the U.S. Jobs in putting together vehicles and putting together car parts would be lost, says Wilson, who adds that tariffs could also cause delays on parts needed to keep used cars running smoothly. The parts that are coming in from Mexico are not just going to new cars, she says. Theyre also going to shelves of retailers who provide parts to Americans so they maintain can those cars.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Improvement in profitability and outperformance against the industry can be important characteristics in a stock for some investors. Below, I will assess American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.'s (NYSE:AEO) track record on a high level, to give you some insight into how the company has been performing against its historical trend and its industry peers.

View our latest analysis for American Eagle Outfitters

Were AEO's earnings stronger than its past performances and the industry?

AEO's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 02 February 2019) of US$262m has jumped 29% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of 24%, indicating the rate at which AEO is growing has accelerated. What's the driver of this growth? Well, lets take a look at whether it is only owing to an industry uplift, or if American Eagle Outfitters has experienced some company-specific growth.

NYSE:AEO Income Statement, May 31st 2019

In terms of returns from investment, American Eagle Outfitters has invested its equity funds well leading to a 20% return on equity (ROE), above the sensible minimum of 20%. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 14% exceeds the US Specialty Retail industry of 5.6%, indicating American Eagle Outfitters has used its assets more efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for American Eagle Outfitterss debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 28% to 25%.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. Companies that have performed well in the past, such as American Eagle Outfitters gives investors conviction. However, the next step would be to assess whether the future looks as optimistic. I recommend you continue to research American Eagle Outfitters to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Story continues

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for AEOs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for AEOs outlook. Financial Health: Are AEOs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 02 February 2019. 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.
Photo: Revelry on the Boulevard/ Yelp

Hungry? A new neighborhood New American spot has you covered. Called Revelry on the Boulevard, the new arrival is located at 6215 N. Lamar Blvd. in Highland.

With thirteen TVs and two patios, Revelry on the Boulevard offers a gastro pub atmosphere with happy hours, Sunday Fundays and special events. On the menu, you'll find appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and salads. Look for options like the boudin balls, honey Sriracha wings and the short rib banh mi sandwich. Thirsty? Local brews, craft cocktails, wine and non-alcoholic options are also on offer.

Revelry on the Boulevard has proven popular thus far, with a five-star rating out of nine reviews on Yelp.

Yelper Christina T., who reviewed the spot on May 27, shared, Hidden gem! This [is] a fairly new spot, and I applaud them for offering great service and wonderful food and atmosphere. ... Amazing cocktails! I tried the Ride or Die with mango and habanero, and it was delicious."

And Kristin P. wrote, "Great atmosphere inside and outside, plus dog friendly! Definitely my new favorite neighborhood bar/restaurant. I'm looking forward to sitting out on the patio drinking frose when our summers hit 90 [degrees]."

Head on over to check it out: Revelry on the Boulevard is open from 411 p.m. on Tuesday-Saturday. (It's closed on Monday and Sunday.)

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.
Mexico City (AFP) - President Donald Trump says China's new ban on all fentanyl-related substances will be a "game-changer" in the deadly US opioid crisis, but experts warn it may just shift production elsewhere -- particularly Mexico.

Under pressure from Trump, China on May 1 banned all chemical analogues of fentanyl, the synthetic drug at the heart of an overdose epidemic that is killing tens of thousands of people a year in the United States.

Trump won the fentanyl concession as part of his trade war with China, which is allegedly the world's leading supplier of the powerful narcotic, along with designer drugs that mimic it and the precursor chemicals used to make all of them.

But law enforcement officials and anti-narcotics experts warn the ban will probably just push production to other countries -- including the United States' southern neighbor, whose powerful drug cartels are already deeply immersed in fentanyl trafficking.

Blame it on the "balloon effect", the idea that banning a drug is like trying to squeeze the air out of a balloon: it just moves somewhere else.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is preparing for exactly that possibility.

"It's a balloon effect.... As we put more pressure on China, they'll just send the chemicals over to Mexico to make (fentanyl) there," a DEA official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Chinese suppliers will now likely start shipping "pre-precursors" abroad to get around the ban, he said.

So many different substances can be used to make fentanyl, and the Chinese chemicals industry is so massive, that it will be impossible to regulate every potential source of the drug, he added.

"They'll figure out how to go generate two or three (chemicals) to replace the one we just put controls on," he said.

"It's great that they did that, but a chemist can go back to what is uncontrolled, work that up to the precursor they need, and make fentanyl."

Story continues

- Circling home -

The balloon effect is what pushed narcotics production to China in the first place, experts say.

Responding to a crystal meth boom in the United States around the turn of the millennium, authorities imposed tougher controls on cough syrups and other legal medications used to "cook" the drug.

The new regulations hit American meth labs hard. But they gave Mexican cartels a new line of business -- leading them to develop connections with the chemical industry in China, which supplied them precursors for meth.

Then, the opioid epidemic began to take hold in the United States, rooted in decades of over-prescription of addictive painkillers.

That led to tighter controls on prescription narcotics such as OxyContin, and so Chinese suppliers expanded into making fentanyl -- a potent narcotic up to 100 times stronger than morphine that has killed thousands of people in the US, including celebrity overdose victims Tom Petty and Prince.

Soon, Mexican cartels were trafficking counterfeit pain pills into the United States made with Chinese fentanyl.

With the Chinese ban now in place, Mexican criminal groups such as the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, whose current role in production is limited, have an incentive to onshore more of the fentanyl supply chain, said Edgardo Buscaglia, an organized crime expert at Columbia University.

"The Chinese ban will clearly create an effect where smaller suppliers, including Mexico, scale up production to satisfy demand. That's how markets work," he said.

"Production will also expand in Pakistan, India, North Korea," he added.

But "Mexico in particular has a very serious problem regulating its pharmaceutical industry," he said. "And it's an enormous, enormous market. So it's very possible fentanyl production will increase in Mexico with the criminal structures that already exist."

- 'About to get complicated' -

Upstart fentanyl producers' main challenge will be matching China's scale, said Javier Oliva, a researcher at Mexico's largest university, UNAM.

"Producing fentanyl requires a certain level of pharmaceutical sophistication that won't be easy to install in Mexico," he said.

"Unlike methamphetamines, which can be produced here, fentanyl's characteristics aren't so basic."

In fact, China became the go-to fentanyl supplier precisely because of the economic powerhouse's sheer production capacity, said another US official.

"Drug traffickers source their drugs in China for the same reason everything is made in China," he told AFP, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Why don't we make sneakers in the US anymore, for example? It's not because we can't make them in the US. It's because the Chinese can do it cheaper, and on a much larger scale."

But law enforcement officials are already worried about the implications a Mexican fentanyl boom would have, both for the United States -- where overdose deaths have surged from less than 17,000 in 1999 to more than 70,000 in 2017 -- and for Mexico -- where more than a quarter-million people have been murdered since 2006, in violence largely fueled by the so-called "drug war."

Experts fear an already gruesome situation could now get worse.

"It's about to get complicated," the DEA official said.
The African Development Bank hosted earlier this week a symposium to mark the banks Climate Change and Green Growth Day.

The symposium, the first of its kind, was held under the theme: Moving from emergency relief to building resilience. It came in the wake of two devastating tropical cyclones, Idai and Kenneth, which ripped through five African countries  Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and the Comoros within a month.

Idai, the worst cyclone in history to hit the African continent, is estimated to have caused more than 1,000 deaths and $1 billion in damages. The Bank announced a special relief fund of $1.7 million for Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, specifically for the immediate humanitarian relief effort in the worst affected areas.

The Bank is doing more to confront these emergencies  but because the threats from extreme weather events are predicted to intensify, longer-term actions for disaster risk management are needed, especially in disaster risk reduction through resilience building.

In an address to the symposium, AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina said African nations must focus on building resilience against climate change and renew efforts to save resources spent on weather-related emergency relief to better address the needs of the vulnerable.

Africa must be more active in finding solutions to the scourge, Adesina said in opening remarks, read on his behalf at the symposium.

As a continent, we must be resolute in our efforts to find solutions. Africa must not be a passive bystander in this effort, Adesina said, referring to global efforts to curb the impact of Climate Change on livelihoods.

The two-day event featured two panels and an exhibition on the achievements made and challenges faced in addressing climate change through Bank activities across all sectors.

The first panel explored approaches, opportunities and challenges in building resilience in Africa, while the second discussed financing and business models for building climate-resilience in Africa.
As the battle-hardened drill sergeant for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah has long been considered India's second most-powerful person, and his appointment Friday as home minister elevates his position to leader-in-waiting.

While Modi is the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party's people person, firing up rallies and mastering Twitter, Shah has for years made sure that Modi's orders are carried out to the letter while turning the world's biggest political party into the undisputed force across the nation of 1.3 billion people.

Shah's piercing stare and strongarm tactics have made him a feared and respected figure in the Hindu nationalist party -- opposition parties and critics call him "ruthless" -- a status only increased by his role masterminding the BJP's second straight landslide election victory this month as the party president.

Now the 54-year-old Shah, who until this month was neither an elected lawmaker nor a government minister, will take on a more prominent, public role while remaining Modi's most trusted lieutenant and strategist.

"Team Modi 2.0 marks a clear power-shift below the level of prime minister," the Economic Times said in an editorial.

Few have dared in recent years to talk of a successor to the 68-year-old prime minister, but the Times added: "Shah is clearly a claimant to the top job if and when Modi moves aside."

While Modi reigns supreme, the election "saw the emergence of Amit Shah as the heir-apparent," said Samir Saran, president of the Observer Research Foundation think-tank in New Delhi.

"It is clear he is en-route to inheriting the mantle when the time comes," Saran told AFP, describing Shah as "meticulous, driven and hardworking, certainly no-nonsense and a hard task-master".

While Shah has never been a minister at national level, he is a trained bio-chemist and was also a stockbroker and has used those skills to concoct and gamble with political campaigns.

Story continues

- Brothers in arms -

Saran predicted that India could expect more of the same.

As home minister, Shah will be leading the BJP's agenda in key areas such as internal security and policies that will influence sensitive relations between religious groups.

While the prime minister came from a poor family and his deputy from a wealthy business family, they followed a similar career path.

Both were raised in Gujarat state and rose through the ranks of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the right-wing volunteer organisation that is the ideological parent of the BJP.

After Modi became chief minister in Gujarat in 2001, Shah became his loyal home minister in charge of justice and security. They undermined the opposition Congress party in the state as they have since done on the national stage.

Shah was hardline on crime and terrorism as state minister and in the national job he will have to protect Modi's tough guy image.

Shah said during the election campaign that a controversial national register to identify and weed out illegal migrants was a top priority. He will take charge of the effort as the home minister.

While Modi was accused of turning a blind eye to deadly anti-Muslim riots in 2002, Shah was accused of ordering police to carry out three extrajudicial killings in 2005.

He was arrested in 2010 after being charged with murder, extortion, and kidnapping in one of the cases.

He was also banished from Gujarat for two years, but a judge cleared him in 2014 for lack of evidence.

After masterminding Modi's first landslide national election win in 2014, the prime minister called Shah his "man-of-the-match" and made him BJP president.

The trust between them has only appeared to grow since.
(Rewrites with additional legal expert comment, details on immigration, trade policies)

By Tom Hals and Brendan Pierson

May 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to impose a tariff on all Mexican goods to push Mexico to halt a surge in illegal immigrants is likely to be challenged in court and will test the scope of the president's emergency powers.

Trump dramatically intensified his quest to limit a wave of asylum seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, including families fleeing violence in Central America, by threatening to impose the tariffs starting on June 10.

Financial markets reeled and business leaders on both sides of the border were taken by surprise, prompting discussions of legal action to curtail Republican Trump's use of a law never previously applied to impose tariffs.

Jennifer Hillman, a Georgetown Law school trade law professor, questioned Trump's citation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in his announcement on Thursday night.

"If you read the text of IEEPA, it's about the president being able to declare a national emergency to be able to stop financial transactions," said Hillman, a former World Trade Organization judge.

The law has been used by presidents to impose sanctions on countries such as Iran and Sudan but Trump's proposed novel application of it has never been addressed by the courts, according to legal experts.

"Its clearly beyond the spirit of the law," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School. "But is it within the letter of the law? Possibly."

Some legal experts said that unlike many of Trump's immigration policies that have been blocked by courts, the tariff threat may survive a challenge because it was wrapped up as a national security measure.

Challengers would have to show the president was acting outside the letter of the law and national security interest, a difficult standard to meet because of the wide authority given to the executive branch under the act.

Story continues

Lawyers who advise large corporations said clients were interested in pursuing legal action to block the tariffs, but declined to identify the corporations. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a major business lobby group, said it might sue.

The IEEPA gives the president power in times of "unusual and extraordinary threat" to regulate a wide range of economic activity. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, used the law to block all the assets in the United States belonging to Iran after Americans in Tehran were taken hostage. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the move, saying the IEEPA "was sweeping and unqualified."

Using the law as a tool to cut the flow of immigrants arguably falls outside the intent of Congress, which adopted the IEEPA to respond to violent threats, said Raj Bhala, a professor at the University of Kansas School of Law who specializes in international trade.

White House spokesman Judd Deere said on Friday that Trump is acting within his authority to protect national security.

"Industry should be in communication with their counterparts in Mexico to encourage the Mexican government to work with the Administration and stave off the dangerous crisis at our southern border as quickly as possible," Deere said.

OVERWHELMED

White House officials say the immigration system is overwhelmed by thousands of migrants, many of whom turn themselves over to U.S. border officials to claim asylum.

In April, Trump took a step back from an earlier threat to close the southern U.S. border to stanch the flow of people, under pressure from companies worried that a shutdown would cause chaos for businesses. Trump has been unable to get sufficient funding from Congress to fulfill his 2016 campaign promise to build a wall along the border.

The Mexican tariffs were going to be administered by the Department of Homeland Security, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office. Hillman, the former WTO judge, said that was unusual.

Courts tend to defer to the president on national security, as the U.S. Court of International Trade did in March in ruling against a challenge to U.S. steel tariffs imposed by Trump under a different law.

There are other avenues to challenge the tariffs outside U.S. courts.

Bhala said the tariffs would almost certainly run afoul of both the North American Free Trade Agreement and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, or GATT. It is not yet clear how Trump's tariff threat will affect the trade negotiations with Mexico to replace NAFTA.

Both agreements allow members countries to initiate disputes against one another, and NAFTA also allows investors to take action against governments.

However, Bhala said, the NAFTA and WTO dispute resolution processes are slow, taking years to reach a final judgment, and can be difficult to enforce.

Yet another avenue is to go to the U.S. Congress, said Steven Schwinn, a professor at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

"Congress doesnt need to delegate this kind of authority to the president and particularly this president," said Schwinn. "If Congress wants to take back that authority, they can take that back."

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware and Brendan Pierson in New York; additional reporting by David Lawder in Washington Editing by Noeleen Walder and Grant McCool)
Luanda (AFP) - Key dates in the life of Angolan rebel chief Jonas Savimbi, who was killed in a fight with government forces in 2002 and is to be reburied on Saturday:

August 3, 1934: Jonas Malheiro Savimbi is born in a village in eastern Angola's Moxico Province, the son of a railroad stationmaster and preacher.

1958: Travels to Portugal to continue his education, moving to Switzerland to pursue medical studies. However, his concern for the state of Angola under colonial rule led him to change tack and graduate in political sciences from Switzerland's University of Lausanne 1965.

1966: After helping to merge two Angolan liberation movements and political and military training in China, Savimbi founds the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) to fight Portuguese rule.

1975: At independence from Portugal, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), a Marxist-Leninist group, seizes power and UNITA launches a guerrilla war. Apartheid South Africa sends troops to back UNITA against the MPLA, which has military support from Cuba.

1986: Savimbi is welcomed to the White House by then president Ronald Reagan with full honours accorded a head of state. The United States gives crucial funding to UNITA during the Cold War years, with the Soviet Union supporting the MPLA.

1991: UNITA and the MPLA sign a peace accord. Elections the following year are won by the MPLA. Savimbi refuses to accept defeat and war resumes.

1994: Another peace accord creates a unity government including UNITA members, although Savimbi stays away from the signing ceremony.

1998: UNITA becomes a political party but top members split from Savimbi. War resumes.

February 22, 2002: Savimbi is killed in a shootout with government forces in Moxico. In August UNITA formally disbands its army and lays down arms.
Luanda (AFP) - In what is being billed as a rare moment of national unity, the historic leader of Angola's rebel UNITA movement, Jonas Savimbi, will get a public funeral on Saturday, 17 years after he was killed in a shootout with government soldiers that spelt an end to a long civil war.

"For 17 years, we have waited," said Isaias Samakuva, today's leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which has been transformed from a US-backed armed force into the main opposition political party.

UNITA's official spokesman Alcides Sakala Simoes declared the funeral would be "an important moment... in the building of national reconciliation".

The former Portuguese colony became a Cold War battleground after independence in 1975, once the Marxist-Leninist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) seized control.

The United States lined up behind Savimbi's UNITA and the Soviet Union and its allies backed the MPLA. Cuba deployed a large military force to counter troops from South Africa and Zaire.

At least half a million people died in the conflict for the vast, oil-rich southern African nation, which played out over more than a quarter of a century.

- Bloody death -

Early in 2002, a contingent of soldiers pursued the 67-year-old Savimbi across the vast province of Moxico in central eastern Angola.

On February 22, his pursuers caught up with him. He fought back but, riddled with more than a dozen bullets, soon died.

His body was rushed to the provincial capital Luena and buried in the main cemetery, with a cross of iron on the mound of red soil and the name "SAVIMBI Jonas" etched into the trunk of an acacia tree.

Many Angolans were reluctant to believe that the charismatic and controversial "Black Cockerel" was truly dead after many fake reports, but televised photos were compelling.

Rival sides swiftly moved towards a ceasefire in a conflict that had lasted 27 years.

Story continues

- Funeral talks -

This year, after long talks, the government agreed with UNITA and the Savimbi family to hold a funeral this Saturday in the village of Lopitanga, central Angola, where Savimbi's father is buried.

DNA tests confirmed the identity of the remains, dispelling rumours that the body had been swapped or destroyed.

The deal was unlocked after President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Savimbi's sworn enemy, stepped down in 2017 and was replaced by his defence minister, Joao Lourenco -- a succession that led to a mood of change.

Alleluia Savimbi, one of Savimbi's 30 children, notably saluted Lourenco's "political gesture" in allowing the funeral to go ahead.

"This is a further step towards reconciliation and was overdue," Alex Vines of the London-based think tank Chatham House told AFP.

"For all his faults, Jonas Savimbi was supported by a significant part of the Angolan population and his party UNITA is still a significant political force in Angola today.

"Seventeen years on - it was time further to heal the scars of past conflict and under a new head of state, Joao Lourenco, allowing this to happen is easier."

But the harmony has been ruffled by confusion over the handover of his remains to the family, which was scheduled for Tuesday.

The government said the family and UNITA delegation did not show up as arranged in Luena. But the family delegation was waiting in Kuito, around 400 kilometres (250 miles) away, where they said the handover had been set.

UNITA accused the government of "trying to humiliate" it while the government hit back, warning UNITA against making "political use of the situation".

The dispute reflects how Savimbi, the son of a preacher, remains a contested figure all these years later.

- 'Murder instinct' -

Typically dressed in a green combat uniform, with a walking stick in his hand and a revolver on his hip, he led an army of more than 30,000 troops.

Backed for many years by apartheid South Africa, his force were accused of atrocities and he himself was described as having carried out summary executions and the public burning of women who had refused his sexual advances.

"This was a very intelligent, very charismatic man," said Fred Bridgland, a former British journalist who met Savimbi and wrote a biography of him.

"He had a paranoid murder instinct quite early on, on a small scale. But as time went on, and he murdered one person after another, he had to start murdering on a huge scale.

"Many of the leaders of UNITA in Luanda regard him as a hero, but there are equally as many people who lost their relatives who hate the man. There will be a lot of very very angry people."
This photo gallery highlights some of the top news images made by Associated Press photographers in Latin America and the Caribbean that were published in the past week.

Pro-choice activists carry a statue of the Virgin Mary featuring a green handkerchief symbolizing the abortion rights movement in Argentina during a rally outside Congress in favor of legalizing abortion.

In Peru's capital, a group of contract musicians serenade potato vendors at a market on the outskirts of the city, marking International Day of the Potato.

A contestant competes on stage blanketed in confetti in the Queen of Great Power contest, in La Paz, Bolivia. The winner leads the Festival of the Lord Jesus of the Great Power, mobilizing thousands of dancers and more than 4,000 musicians.

In Venezuela, masked criminals who go by the names of "El Negrito" and "Dog" hold their guns at their safe-house in the Petare slum of Caracas.

A young supporter of former President Cristina Fernandez holds a copy of her book, "Sincerely," during a campaign rally at Nestor Kirchner Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A breeder raises colorful frogs in the "Tesoros de Colombia" frog breeding center in Cundinamarca, Colombia.

Also in Colombia, former rebel leader Seuxis Hernandez, also known as Jesus Santrich, opens his arms during a press conference at the FARC party headquarters after he was freed from his second detention in connection with a drug case.

In Haiti, a father carries his daughter on a bicycle past a burning barricade during a protest against the ratification of interim Prime Minister Jean Michel Lapin.

__

Curated by photo editor Leslie Mazoch in Mexico City. On Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeslieMazoch
The otherworldly landscape of Disney's new Star Wars land reveals itself in a fashion every bit as stunning as the opening scene in the original Star Wars movie, when an impossibly large spacecraft filled the screen and went on seemingly endlessly.

Today, with just a few steps through an arch, Disneyland visitors are transported to a long time ago and a galaxy, until now, impossibly far away.

Here, over 14 acres that are larger than life, a distant world unfolds with each ship, droid and blaster mark. The dreams of every fan are largely fulfilled at Disney's Star Wars: Galaxys Edge, a design-driven land of awe, wonder and the Millennium Falcon.

Exploring the Black Spire Outpost

To rush through the new Star Wars land is to do yourself a disservice. The revelrys in the details.

Look down and you might see the tracks of a mysterious animal. Look up with a hope of seeing the X-wing starfighter you heard roar overhead. Every sight and sound, from a Resistance camp that looks hastily put together to the rogues and scoundrels roaming the nearby village, is there to let you live Star Wars, if only for a few hours.

Decades ago, as Disneyland's Haunted Mansion was being designed, Imagineers envisioned a creepy exterior with peeling paint and crooked shutters. Walt Disney himself intervened, demanding a pristine look.

There was no such intervention for the Black Spire Outpost on the remote planet Batuu. This is a beat-up, lived-in world, with every nick, dent and bruise carefully applied to look absolutely right.

Star Wars: Galaxys Edge has three entrances and each has its charms. For pure spectacle, venture through the rock-like tunnel behind Fantasyland, at the end of which the domes of Black Spire Outpost dramatically reveal themselves.

Time limit: You'll have 4 hours to see Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Expediency comes via the Frontierland entrance, which takes you to the heart of the village.

Disney crew members walk past the Millennium Falcon at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

If story is what youre after, youll find it via the entrance just past the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country. Step under the railroad track and say goodbye to all that is bright, shiny and impeccable.

Story continues

Disneyland is gone, and youre in an encampment that appears to have been hastily assembled. Crates and supplies are scattered among trees that are better at providing shade than camouflage. The presence of a large, menacing turret suggests the occupants know this.

Star Wars land: What to know about opening day, rides, food and more

What it's like in the Resistance camp

Youve stumbled upon the camp of the Resistance, scrappy freedom fighters seeking refuge on a planet largely forgotten by the evil, power-mad First Order. (Such plot particulars arent necessary to enjoy Galaxys Edge, but they add to the overall experience and draw you deeper into the world.)

The camp also provides the first otherworldly Instagram opportunities because you are, after all, tourists. The X- and A-wings are parked off to the side, apparently fresh from battle. They look as if their engines could spool up at a moments notice, ready to rejoin the battle. Steam hisses from vents in the bottom of the X-wing, and rebels are heard prepping it for launch.

(Note: A path skirting the turret leads to a cavern carved from the rock. This will serve as the queue for Rise of the Resistance when the ambitious, technically advanced attraction opens later this year.)

As the main trail continues, the trees thin to reveal alien-looking structures ahead.

In the distance, rocky spires loom like guardians. Among them is the Black Spire, a dark-hued petrified tree (according to Disney's carefully crafted lore) for which the outpost is named.

Below those stony towers, a cluster of domes soon reveals themselves. Going from a pastoral landscape to an urban thoroughfare could be jarring, but Imagineers usher guests gently with background sounds and music escorting a slow transition from nature to village.

In fact, the clever design of Galaxys Edge means you rarely feel constrained in what could have been a confining space. (This may feel different once large crowds of stroller-pushing parents descend.)

But: Disneyland will limit stroller sizes as Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens

Build your own light saber or droid

Businesses begin to appear. You can find Savis Workshop one of two ways. The preferred method (by Imagineers, anyway) is via the Disneyland app, which transforms into a data pad upon entry into Galaxys Edge. Use it to find the Savi's sign and determine the password.

Or simply join the end of the line that's likely to form each day outside the workshop, where guests can build light sabers. Youll need more than the Force to complete the transaction. The experience costs $199.99 per person, plus tax.

Farther along youll encounter a series of familiar-looking tracks. (They were cast using the treads of R2-D2 from the original films.) The tracks lead to another mercantile, this one allowing guests to build their own droid ($99.99) or pluck one off the shelf.

R2-D2 rolls through Droid Depot at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

Walk under an aged arch and you're in the open-air marketplace where tangles of wires are covered in banners, and every allusion to a bustling Middle Eastern market is intentional.

Now you're in the heart of Black Spire Outpost, where tourists mix easily with the residents. Weathered buildings are lightly streaked with galactic dust and grime. Antennas, vents and pipes suggest a town being lived in. As you gaze at the windows just below the roof line, you wonder who lives there. No one, of course, but youve fallen under Disneys spell without even realizing it.

What you see is as important as what you dont see  anything beyond Batuus mythical border. Just as Walt Disney sealed off his park with a berm, Imagineers have erected the Black Spire Outpost to block visual contact with the outside world.

Not that the outside world hasnt seeped in, from ball-shaped Coke bottles to the abundance of merchandise on sale for many American dollars. But its an acceptable trade-off, given Disney must operate in the real world.

Imagineers are more successful in blocking out the theme-park world. Everyone from merchants to maintenance workers are dressed in galaxy-far-away garb. And don't call them cast members. Theyre residents who were encouraged to design their own backstories. Even their name tags play along, written in Aurebesh, the language of the realm.

That same philosophy dictates character encounters. You may well see Chewbacca, but hell be recruiting volunteers rather than motioning the next person in line to join him for a photo. The immersive nature of Galaxys Edge allows guests to wade in as deep as theyd like, from remaining anonymous with a virtual Do Not Disturb sign to taking on tasks or missions from local denizens.

From Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo and Ogas Cantina to Dok-Ondars Den of Antiquities, the shops and restaurants were designed to convince visitors that, on Batuu, the real galaxy far, far away is Disneyland.

More: Want to drink blue milk like Luke Skywalker? You can, but shouldn't

Inside of Ogas Cantina at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

Looking for that special collectible only available in the Black Spire Outpost? You will find it at Dok-Ondar's Den of Antiquities, overseen by the alien himself (look for the animatronic figure behind the cage, mumbling to himself). How about fried chicken or fruit punch? You must mean Fried Endorian Tip-Yip and Meiloroon Juice. Theres even blue and green milk as swigged by Luke Skywalker himself. (The frothy, non-dairy concoctions resemble fruit-flavored milkshakes.)

The Millennium Falcon ride

But all the clever details seem to pale when visitors catch a glimpse of an all-too-familiar craft. Welcome to Batuus centerpiece, the Millennium Falcon.

With its capsule-shaped cockpit and the pincer-like front end, the Falcon will inspire thoughts of its iconic pilot who bragged how the ship made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs.

More: Flying the Millennium Falcon is fun but misses the 'wow' factor

Like everything else on Batuu, the Millennium Falcon has seen better days. Dark blemishes from laser fire pockmark its shell, while dirt and dust from a thousand launches and landings dull the white finish.

The ship serves two purposes. It fronts the lands only functioning attraction, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and it's the focal point of Galaxys Edge, where guests will line up for photos that will make them social-media darlings.

Its hard to believe that what started as a four-foot-long prop for Star Wars: A New Hope now exists in the real world, more than 100 feet long and covered in conduits, junctions and fittings as if it made the film-to-reality jump in less than 12 parsecs.

Its convincing look is no surprise, given the Falcons notoriety in this corner of the galaxy. Get the ship wrong and youve lost not only credibility, but the suspension of disbelief that unites Galaxys Edge as an adventure.

Another familiar ship waits not far from the Millennium Falcon. A life-sized TIE Echelon marks the presence of the First Resistance, its storm troopers looking to weed out rebels as they patrol.

While on opposite sides of the control-of-the-galaxy spectrum, the Resistance and First Order do share one commonality  an urge to get their branded clothing and accessories into the hands of visitors, for the right price.

Because when it comes down to it, this is still Disney. Bring your sense of awe and wonder. Just make sure to pack a credit card, as well.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Inside Disney's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: The Millennium Falcon is just the beginning
By Nicolas Misculin

BUENOS AIRES, May 31 (Reuters) - Argentina's political pairing of moderate Peronist Alberto Fernandez and firebrand ex-president Cristina Fernandez are closing in on sealing an important ally to help beat incumbent President Mauricio Macri in elections later this year, three sources told Reuters on Friday.

The Fernandez-Fernandez ticket, seen as the major challenger to center-right Macri in October's vote, are in late stage talks with rival centrist Peronist Sergio Massa, who could help give the pairing wider appeal with voters.

The sources, political insiders close to the talks who declined to be named, said a deal could be struck within days as the Fernandez duo, who are not related, look to strengthen their challenge to Macri ahead of campaigns being formalized in June.

A spokesman for Massa said that it was not clear what place Massa could occupy in any eventual alliance but that defeating Macri would require the involvement of the Fernandez camp.

The Fernandez-Fernandez pair leads opinion polls currently with over 30 percent of the likely vote, but may struggle to beat Macri in a likely head-to-head runoff if it does not add allies. Massa, who has around 10 percent support, has the potential to be the king-maker.

Cristina Fernandez, a divisive but powerful political presence in Argentina, has been looking to win over her former cabinet chief Massa for a while, but talks accelerated in recent days, the sources said.

A self-described populist, she surprised the country earlier this month when she announced she would run for vice-president on a ticket with Alberto Fernandez, also a former cabinet chief.

Cristina Fernandez, who ran the country between 2007 and 2015, had been widely expected to be the main challenger to market-friendly Macri. But she divides opinions even among her own party and is little loved by business communities and global investors for her populist policies.

The move could prove key for the political party of the Fernandezes, Unidad Ciudadana, to beat Macri, who has stumbled in the polls amid a tough recession. The candidacy of Alberto Fernandez was already seen as a way to win more moderate votes.

Story continues

Massa, who ran and came third in the 2015 election, is still an outside candidate himself in this year's presidential race, though his party has said publicly he is keeping the doors open to negotiations with other parties.

A source from his Frente Renovador party said there would be talks over the weekend with the Fernandez camp.

"Having Massa would be useful, but he must decide quickly if he does not want to run out of options," said a source in the Fernandez camp at Unidad Ciudadana.

(Reporting by Nicolas Misculin; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Dr. George Tiller coping with anti-abortion protesters in 1992. Photo: Richard Hernandez/MCT via Getty Images

Ten years ago today, Dr. George Tiller, a man famously devoted to offering women a safe and affordable place for medically necessary late-term abortions, was assassinated in the vestibule of Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas, where he was serving as an usher before Sunday services. His murderer, anti-abortion activist Scott Roeder, publicly confessed his guilt a few months later, claiming he was simply trying to protect unborn children. His life sentence was reduced to 25 years imprisonment in 2016. Another anti-abortion activist, Rachelle Renae Shannon, who shot Tiller non-fatally in 1993, is already out of jail.

Tiller became a target, literally, for anti-abortion extremists because of his unapologetic determination to continue his work in a state and city that had become the central battleground of the political, legal, and cultural war over abortion. Kansan Joel Mathis remembers the apogee of protests against Tiller back in 1991:

My home state of Kansas has been a hotbed of abortion-related activism for more than a generation. Most memorable, perhaps, were the 1991 Summer of Mercy protests in Wichita, where thousands of protesters flooded the city to blockade an abortion clinic operated by Dr. George Tiller; over the course of six weeks and more than 2,600 people were arrested. Anti-abortion protests in Kansas have, on occasion, congealed into violence: Tillers clinic was firebombed in 1986; he was shot and injured by an abortion opponent in 1993; he was shot and killed by another abortion opponent in 2009.

It almost seemed inevitable. But as his onetime spokesperson and later director of a foundation created in his memory, Julie Burkhart, recalled in an interview with ABC, he went about his business unintimidated:

He did have a sign that he put up at one point in the parking lot, that you could see from the street, that said Women need abortions. Im going to do them, George R. Tiller, M.D., Burkhart recalled.

She said that while the protests and threats could be disturbing and distracting for some, she knew that Tiller believed his work was necessary.

I know he expressed this to me personally at one time, that providing abortion care for him  and especially in the middle of the country  it was a matter of principle, she said.

He was one of the countrys abortion providers of last resort. If you were a person with a maternal health indication or if you were carrying a baby that had a fetal abnormality, he was one of the very few people that you could come to from across the country  and around the globe, Burkhart said.

Indeed, Tiller was known as St. George in the reproductive-rights advocacy community and among the abortion providers who referred women to him.

His murder was but one inflection point in the anti-abortion movements long battle to chip away at reproductive rights by focusing on the tiny percentage of procedures conducted late in pregnancy, typically in cases involving dire medical circumstances or severe fetal abnormalities. In 2007 the Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on certain types of late-term abortions that advocates misleadingly called partial-birth abortions. Most recently, abortion foes focused on a provider of illegal late-term abortions, Kermit Gosnell (now in prison), as somehow typical of those following the law, and also promoted a highly distorted series of exposes by right-wing filmmaker James OKeefes Project Veritas, alleging that Planned Parenthood sold fetal tissue from late-term abortions.

Earlier this very year, it appeared that a big part of the 2020 national Republican message  promoted by President Trump among many others  would be that Democrats were for infanticide, based on the passage of laws in New York and Virginia that codified the abortion rights protected in Roe v. Wade, including medically necessary late-term abortions. New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg called Trumps attacks on such abortions a deliberate incitement to violence:

Abortion providers are regular targets of domestic terrorism, and Trumps lies serve as incitement. In 2016, a man fired an AR-15 inside a Washington pizzeria because he believed right-wing conspiracy theories that it was the epicenter of a child sex trafficking ring involving Hillary Clinton. Now the putative leader of the free world is spreading tales about unimaginable Democratic depravity toward innocent children.

But now it appears the anti-abortion movement and its GOP handmaidens have become distracted from their own message by excitement over the possibility that Trumps Supreme Court appointments could lead to a sweeping rollback of reproductive rights and achievement of their real goal: a ban on most if not all early-term abortions. The shocking law recently passed by Alabamas Republican-controlled legislature and signed by the states Republican governor, banning all abortions after conception other than those threatening the life of the pregnant woman involved, represents a rare honest moment for a movement that had been laser-focused on finding and demonizing providers like George Tiller.

Anti-abortion advocates, however, arent the only ones experiencing a rapid evolution in views. Reproductive rights supporters have stopped being defensive and apologetic about abortion; instead of calling for safe, legal and rare procedures (in the famous Clintonian formulation), they are insisting on the morality of abortion as a much-needed medical service and as a reflection of womens autonomy. As New Yorks Irin Carmon noted recently, theres a new honesty and militancy being seen on the pro-choice side, in part thanks to new restrictive state laws:

I was talking this week with a pollster whos done a lot of surveys and focus groups on the question, and she says that its striking the intensity that Democratic voters are bringing to the issue, and that theyre moving away from the private decision between a woman and her doctor and toward talking about it as control over your body. One Latina woman said to her in a focus group, You have to ask the president now if you want to go to the bathroom.

This new boldness very much represents the spirit of George Tiller, which lives on in former colleagues like Julie Burkhart, as the Guardian noted:

Burkhart bought the clinic from Tillers widow in 2012, had it renovated and secured at the cost of about $1m, and reopened it four years after his death. Even before it had opened its doors, anti-abortion protesters were back outside on the street hurling abuse at staff, intimidating women and bombarding the local authorities with complaints to have it shut down.

She named the foundation she set up to promote this vital work Trust Women, echoing Tillers most famous motto. He called himself a woman-educated physician. Perhaps a woman-educated nation can make violence against abortion providers, and efforts to shut them down by law as well, a distant and disturbing memory.
Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - The 3R militia group, blamed for the massacre of more than 50 civilians in the Central Africa Republic this month, has pledged to lay down its arms within the next two weeks, the country's interior minister said Friday.

Militia leader Bi Sidi Souleymane, also known as Sidiki, "gave his word on disarming his troops, which should take place within two weeks from this Friday," Henri Wanzet told a news conference at the airport in Bangui.

Wanzet had met with the 3R leader in Niem-Yelewa, in the west of the country, along with other government ministers and representatives of a UN mission in Central Africa Republic (CAR) and the African Union.

"We met Sidiki who acknowledged his group's responsibility for the massacre," Wanzet told reporters.

The massacre on May 21 in villages near the northwestern town of Paoua, close to the border with Chad, was the worst single loss of life since the government and 14 militias signed a deal in February aimed at restoring peace to one of Africa's most troubled countries.

According to a UN source, the 3R group -- which gets its initials from "Return, Reclamation and Reconciliation" and claims to represent the Fulani, one of the country's many ethnic groups -- hosted a meeting with the villagers and then gunned them down.

The militia has already handed over three members to the authorities, describing them as rogue elements who murdered the civilians, but the government has maintained an ultimatum for the group to surrender six other suspects and dismantle its roadblocks.

On Thursday, 3R agreed to take down the roadblocks, and Wanzet said the group had now also agreed to search for the other suspects "who have fled the country."

The UN mission Minusca backed by Portuguese special forces are to oversee the dismantling process, mission deputy chief Kenneth Gluck said Friday.

In early February, warring sides signed a peace agreement negotiated in Sudan's capital Khartoum with groundwork done by the African Union from 2017, the eighth deal aimed at resolving conflict in the CAR since 2013.

In the patchwork of ethnic and religious communities making up the country, 3R claims to represent the Fulani people, who traditionally include the semi-nomadic herders of west and central Africa.
Papua New Guinea has deployed paramilitary police to a refugee encampment on Manus Island amid "daily" suicide attempts and rising tension there, a senior officer told AFP Friday.

Manus Provincial Police Commander David Yapu said the unit -- which has a reputation for brutal tactics -- was deployed to the site where hundreds of migrants stuck on Manus are camped after trying to reach Australia.

Under Canberra's hardline policy, the would-be refugees have been refused access to Australia and moved to the remote island and the Pacific nation of Nauru, where they have remained in limbo for years.

They had hoped that an expected win for Australia's opposition Labor Party in May 18 elections would open up new options for resettlement.

But the election saw the surprise return to power of the conservative coalition of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the architect of the tough overseas detention regime.

The election outcome prompted a rash of suicide attempts among despondent asylum-seekers on Manus.

Morrison has boasted of "stopping the boats" and defended his policy saying it saved lives by discouraging people from making the journey to Australia.

"The deployment of a Mobile Squad Unit to the Manus Island recently has been part of the efforts to assist in reducing the attempted suicides at the East Lorengau Refugee Centre," Yapu told AFP.

"The deployment of the unit is for three months."

According to Yapu, there have been more than a dozen serious attempted suicides by refugees, but what he described as minor attempts have been occurring almost daily.

Those who have "attempted suicide is usually by weapons, overdose on medicines and hanging."

"It's become a concern to us, and that's one way of us addressing it."

The deployment of more than a dozen heavily armed police from a unit that has in the past been accused of rape and murder signals escalating tensions on Manus.

It is sure to cause concern to human rights groups, who have already pilloried the Australian government's policies and the use of Mobile Squad Units in quashing previous refugee riots.

Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz Adam, back in Manus after recently receiving a human rights prize in Geneva, on Thursday tweeted that at least 31 men had tried to commit suicide since the May 18 vote.
A physicist who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory has been charged with lying to the government about contacts with a Chinese state-run program that seeks to recruit overseas scientists. (Photo: Albuquerque Journal via AP)

WASHINGTON  The indictment last week of a former researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory in Santa Fe, N.M., appears to signal a new front in the governments crackdown on Chinas efforts to get access to sensitive U.S. scientific research.

Turab Lookman, 67, a theoretical physicist, was charged with lying on three occasions about his contacts with the Thousand Talents Plan, a Chinese government program aimed at funding and recruiting international experts. He has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Albuquerque.

Lookman was not charged with sharing secrets with the Chinese government, but with lying about research grants he received under the program. The Thousand Talents Plan has become a contentious issue between the U.S. and China owing to its focus on cutting-edge, often dual-use research. Los Alamos Labs, part of the Department of Energy, was where the atom bomb was developed and continues to host ongoing sensitive research on nuclear technology and other areas of national security, making it a prime target for infiltration.

Several previous DOJ cases since then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced his China Initiative in November 2018 have focused on intellectual-property theft from the private sector, Chinese state-sponsored hacking and Chinese recruitment of former U.S. intelligence officers. Cracking down on Chinese efforts to obtain information on basic scientific research is another, apparently new part of the initiative.

The Department of Justice takes all instances of lying to federal officials seriously. It is especially important to do so when an individual lies about his involvement with a program established by the Chinese government to recruit people with access to and knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property, said John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, in a statement emailed to Yahoo News.

The Departments China Initiative is squarely focused on protecting Americas economic security against Chinas continued malfeasance. All businesses, academic and research institutions must be on the lookout for individuals in their organizations with divided loyalties, whether due to their participation in the Thousand Talents program or otherwise, he continued.

Story continues

Paul Linnenburger, Lookmans attorney from the firm Rothstein Donatelli, told Yahoo News that Dr. Lookman entered a plea of not guilty and we fully intend to mount a vigorous defense.

Former Los Alamos scientist Turab Lookman. (Photo: Los Alamos National Laboratory)

According to online records, Lookman, who specializes in theoretical physics and the discovery of new materials, has been publishing research with co-authors in China at Xian Jiaotong University since at least 2012. Several of his co-authors from Xian Jiaotong, according to their LinkedIn profiles, are now employed as visiting scholars at Los Alamos Laboratory.

While the Thousand Talents Program was previously understood as being aimed at luring Chinese researchers abroad back home, in recent years it has also supported many non-Chinese scholars in an effort to recruit the worlds best scientific talent and facilitate global knowledge transfers. Lookman, who has a PhD from Kings College, University of London, was born in India.

In the last six months, Chinese authorities have scrubbed many references or pieces of public information about the Thousand Talents Program from the internet amid tensions with the U.S. over trade and national security. But researchers have managed to preserve most pages and keep ongoing dossiers of employed scientists, many at Los Alamos or other U.S. labs, according to lists shared with Yahoo News.

U.S. labs have long been concerned about security and potential conflicts of interest. The Department of Energy published new, stricter internal guidelines on disclosing and, if necessary, terminating sources of foreign funding in February, directly citing news clips about incidents of researchers bringing weapons research to China from Los Alamos.

The Department of Energys world-class National Laboratories have a unique ability to link leaders in Americas scientific and academic communities with the best minds around the world to foster innovation and better understand the world around us, wrote Department of Energy authors in an internal compliance note. Unfortunately, some foreign government-sponsored talent recruitment programs have taken advantage of Americas openness to collaboration to infiltrate our labs, steal our technology and use our own resources against us.

Experts in Chinese espionage told Yahoo News that the indictment, and the pressure campaign from the Department of Justice, was a long time coming.

This is the U.S. counterintelligence community kicking into gear, said Peter Mattis, a research fellow in China studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and a former intelligence officer focused on China. In this case, the effort is to cut off China's almost unrestricted access to U.S. labs.

Bringing national security cases against Americans cooperating with the Chinese government in any capacity is difficult, experts warn, as those ties are tough to prove and the line between collegial cooperation and theft of secrets can be blurred in open academic settings. Finding proof of wrongdoing can be nearly impossible. For example, in the infamous case of Wen Ho Lee, the Taiwanese-born Los Alamos employee accused in the late 1990s of stealing the design for an advanced American nuclear warhead to give to China, the investigation ultimately fell apart when the U.S. failed to provide evidence he had actually stolen anything, despite repeated suspicious foreign connections.

Former Los Alamos nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee after his release from jail in 2000. (Photo: Mike Fiala/AFP/Getty Images)

The false-statement charge is the Capone approach, said James Mulvenon, co-author of a book titled Chinese Industrial Espionage and vice president of the intelligence division of security consulting firm Defense Group  referring to the way the government successfully prosecuted the racketeer Al Capone on tax-evasion charges, rather than his substantive crimes.

I think he is a warning shot to others, Mulvenon continued. As the Chinese would say, Kill the chicken to scare the rooster.

Regardless of whether DOJ manages to tie Lookman to a broader Chinese campaign to infiltrate U.S. labs and gather sensitive information, his ongoing case should provoke discussion about academic cooperation with China, said Matt Schrader, a China analyst at the German Marshall Funds Alliance for Securing Democracy, a bipartisan think tank focused on countering outside attempts to subvert democratic norms.

"China now has a lot to offer American scientists wanting to do cutting-edge research, which can put them in positions where they might be harming both their careers and U.S. national security, he wrote in a message to Yahoo News.

The research and national security communities in the United States really need to be having a better conversation over what kind of collaboration with China is acceptable."

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Investors fled stocks for safe-haven assets Friday after being spooked by the latest salvos fired in the global trade war.

With US President Donald Trump announcing tariffs on all Mexican imports and China warning it would create a list of "unreliable" foreign companies, investors piled into low-risk assets, sending the yield on 10-year German government bonds to a record low.

The rate of return for investors on 10-year German government bonds, or Bunds, hit minus 0.213 percent in the secondary market, breaking the previous record of minus 0.205 percent set in July 2016.

The yen, another safe-haven investment, shot higher. Because this makes Japanese exports more expensive, Tokyo's main stocks index tumbled 1.6 percent.

In European trading, the biggest faller was Frankfurt, dropping 1.5 percent.

On Wall Street, the Dow was down 0.8 percent in midday trading.

The dollar hit a six-month high against the Mexican peso at 19.8279 pesos to the dollar.

Oil prices dived to their lowest levels since early March on Trump's move against Mexico and also owing to a smaller-than-expected drop in US crude supplies, traders said.

"Showing up Thursday's rebound as a display of investor naivety, the markets sank on Friday as a new front opened up in Trump's trade war on the world," noted Connor Campbell, analyst at Spreadex trading group.

Trump's Twitter announcement late Thursday of a five percent tariff on all goods from Mexico starting June 10 was aimed at forcing the country to stem a flow of "illegal migrants" crossing the border into the US. On Friday, he linked to stopping the flow of illegal drugs into the US.

Trump had only recently kick-started the process of ratifying a new North American trade pact by removing all tariffs on aluminium and steel, but he has now put the accord at risk, according to experts.

Trump had also recently put off hiking tariffs against European and Japanese cars, which had reassured markets.

Story continues

The announcement of the new tariffs against Mexico "throws open to question the integrity of any trade deal that is signed off in the future with China, and or the European Union," said CMC Markets UK analyst Michael Hewson.

Carmakers were among the hardest hit by Trump's announcement, with shares in Mazda plummeting 7.1 percent, Nissan tumbling 5.3 percent, Renault shedding 4.3 percent and Volkswagen losing 2.8 percent.

Trump's action comes amid a protracted trade war between the United States and China.

The president's tariff hike on $200 billion in Chinese goods earlier this month "may already be undermining foreign demand", analyst Julian Evans-Pritchard of consultancy Capital Economics wrote in a research note.

China is retaliating by raising tariffs on $60 billion worth of US goods on Saturday, while official data Friday showed that the Asian nation's manufacturing activity contracted more than expected in May.

And on Friday China announced it would release a list of "unreliable" foreign companies and individuals, striking back after the United States targeted telecom giant Huawei in their escalating trade war.

- Key figures around 1530 GMT -

London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.8 percent at 7,161.71 points (close)

Frankfurt - DAX 30: DOWN 1.5 percent at 11,726.84 (close)

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.8 percent at 5,207.63 (close)

EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 1.1 percent at 3,280.20

New York - Dow: DOWN 0.8 percent at 24,977.39

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.6 percent at 20,601.19 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: DOWN 0.8 percent at 26,901.09 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.2 percent at 2,898.70 (close)

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1146 from $1.1130 at 2100 GMT

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2620 from $1.2613

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 108.68 yen from 109.61 yen

Oil - Brent Crude: DOWN $2.23 at $64.64 per barrel

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN $1.71 at $54.88 per barrel

burs-rl/cw
By Jessica Jaganathan

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian spot prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) remained steady at the seven-week low hit in the previous week, as lower prices attracted some demand from India, but the market was well supplied as new cargo deliveries were expected soon.

Spot prices for July delivery to Northeast Asia are estimated to be $4.50 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), steady from the previous week, industry sources said.

Several companies in India sought cargoes for delivery from August but the large requirement could be supporting the spot prices for July, the sources said.

Demand from India is likely increasing for post monsoon when terminal utilisation is expected to go up, they added.

India's H-Energy is seeking to buy 19 LNG cargoes for delivery over September this year to December 2021, while Essar Group is looking to buy six cargoes for delivery over September to January, 2020, sources said.

Reliance Industries Ltd is also seeking a spot cargo for August delivery, they added.

China's Unipec may be seeking cargoes through private negotiations but it was not immediately clear if the company's requirement was firm.

Guangdong Energy group emerged as a first-time spot buyer after it secured access to a receiving terminal in southern China, sources said. The utility bought two cargoes from Malaysia's Petronas for delivery in May and July, they added.

It paid $5.20 per mmBtu for the July cargo, traders said.

While Japan is expected to experience warmer than usual temperature this summer, utilities are yet to seek cargoes while domestic inventory remains quite high, sources said.

An analyst from FGE had said earlier this week that Japan is currently overcommitted with term LNG volumes and that even if warmer weather spikes demand, the country is well positioned to meet the demand.

Spot supply continued to flood the market with Oman LNG offering a cargo for July after earlier offering two cargoes for late June to August loading, sources said.

Story continues

Japan's Inpex Corp was also offering a late June loading cargo through bilateral discussion, a Singapore-based industry source said.

In the United States, Sempra Energy's Cameron LNG export terminal in Louisiana looks set to load its first LNG cargo.

Mitsui & Co Ltd, one of the partners in the Cameron project, chartered the tanker, Marvel Crane, to pick up the commissioning cargo, according to shipping data firm Kpler. The vessel is currently berthed at the terminal, Refinitiv Eikon shipping data showed.

(Reporting by Jessica Jaganathan; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
Geneva (AFP) - Julian Assange has been subjected to drawn-out "psychological torture", a UN rights expert said Friday, accusing the United States, Britain, Ecuador and Sweden of "collective persecution" of the WikiLeaks founder.

The United Nations special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Nils Melzer, also warned that if London agrees to an extradition request from Washington, Assange risked the death penalty.

Melzer visited the Australian whistleblower in a London prison on May 9, nearly a month after his arrest at Ecuador's embassy where he had been holed up for seven years.

"It was obvious that Mr Assange's health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years," Melzer said in a statement.

"Most importantly, in addition to physical ailments, Mr Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma," he said.

Melzer, who was accompanied on the visit by two medical experts specialised in examining potential torture victims, said there was "overwhelming" evidence that Assange had been "deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

"The cumulative effects," he said, "can only be described as psychological torture."

Assange, 47, sought refuge at Ecuador's embassy in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces accusations of sexual assault.

He is currently serving a separate 50-week sentence at London's Belmarsh prison for skipping bail.

Assange now also has an extradition request against him from the US, which has charged him with violating the US Espionage Act by publishing a huge cache of military and diplomatic files in 2010, rejecting his claim that he is a journalist.

Story continues

- 'Death penalty'? -

Melzer warned that extraditing Assange to the US would expose him "to a real risk of serious violations of his human rights, including his freedom of expression, his right to a fair trial and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

"I am particularly alarmed at the recent announcement by the US Department of Justice of 17 new charges against Mr. Assange under the Espionage Act, which currently carry up to 175 years in prison," he said.

"This may well result in a life sentence without parole, or possibly even the death penalty, if further charges were to be added in the future," he warned.

Melzer voiced outrage at the "sustained and concerted effort by several states" over the past nine years to secure Assange's extradition to the US.

Since 2010, "there has been a relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr. Assange, not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom, Sweden and, more recently, Ecuador," he said.

"In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law," he said.

"The collective persecution of Julian Assange must end here and now!"
By Julia Love and Kristina Cooke

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Virginia, an 18-year-old from Guatemala who is seeking asylum in the United States, had just one form of identification on her long journey north: her birth certificate.

Now, the teenager waits in a shelter in a Mexican border town while her U.S. asylum case is decided - minus the birth certificate.

Virginia said that when she turned herself in to immigration authorities in El Paso, U.S. officials took the certificate and refused to return it.

The more I asked the angrier they got, she said.

Discouraged by the asylum process, Virginia said she is considering abandoning her claim and going home but feels trapped without identification to show authorities along the way. She spoke on the condition that only her first name be published for fear of drawing attention to her situation.

Ciudad Juarez officials and migrant attorneys say many asylum seekers are in a position similar to Virginia's, left with no identification because U.S. officials confiscated their documents before sending them back to Mexico. Without IDs, they say, it can be hard for migrants to find work in Mexico, receive money from their families or even return home.

An official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, who declined to be named, said it has been federal policy since 2015 to return possessions to migrants upon their release from custody  except for documents believed to be fraudulent or altered. The official did not address whether the policy was being followed consistently and declined to comment on specific cases including Virginia's.

Gil Kerlikowske, who was the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection when the 2015 standards were put in place, said the sheer volume of cases now might explain any departure from the policy. We thought wed solved that problem, said Kerlikowske. That said, I do understand the overwhelming number of people they are dealing with.

Story continues

The return of migrants to Mexico results from a recent Trump administration policy called Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) that has forced thousands of Central Americans to wait south of the border while their asylum cases are pending. About 3,400 people have been returned to Ciudad Juarez under MPP since March, when the MPP program started there.

One Ciudad Juarez official, who directly works with migrants and who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be interviewed, told Reuters that the majority of those he has encountered were returned to Ciudad Juarez without their identification documents. He said some people lose their documents but others complain they were confiscated in the United States.

Another official, Enrique Valenzuela, general coordinator of the state commission for population, said that returned migrants had been appearing at an immigration office in Ciudad Juarez to ask for help. They reported "that they no longer had their identity documents because they had been taken away," he said.

Valenzuela added that city officials took up the issue with U.S. authorities earlier this month and that the problem seemed to have improved in recent days. He did not provide details of the discussions. DHS declined to comment.

On a recent visit to the city, Reuters found 10 migrants besides Virginia who said U.S. officials took their identification documents and did not return them. Reuters was unable to independently verify their accounts.

U.S.-based immigration lawyers say failing to return documents has been a longstanding problem among migrants released into the United States or deported back to their home countries. But the attorneys say the issue is more worrisome in the context of the MPP program, because asylum seekers are waiting in a third country and are more vulnerable to arrest and detention. DHS officials did not comment on the issue.

In one case, according to two Ciudad Juarez officials, a Guatemalan asylum seeker waiting in the city with his young daughter asked a Mexican policeman for help returning to their country.

Rogelio Pinal, director of human rights for Ciudad Juarez, who helped to handle the situation, said the two had to wait in municipal offices for more than five hours because the father was unable to produce documents that would have proved their father-daughter relationship.

The father told the Mexican authorities that her birth certificate remained in the hands of U.S. immigration officials, Pinal and another city official briefed on the matter said.

The pair ultimately were released after confirming their relationship through other means and were transferred to a shelter where they considered their options, Pinal said.

THE LONG WAY HOME

Nancy Oretskin, an immigration attorney in Las Cruces, New Mexico, said one of her clients, a Salvadoran asylum seeker, told an immigration judge during his May 9 hearing in El Paso that he wanted to return home to his 6-month-old son, who was sick. She said the U.S. government attorney assured the court that her clients ID, which was in the possession of immigration authorities, would be returned at the border. But that did not happen, she said.

According to Oretskin and Ariana Sawyer, a worker with Human Rights Watch, advocates went to the middle of the bridge connecting Juarez and El Paso, Texas, in a last-ditch effort to get his ID back, but U.S. officials refused to speak with them. DHS declined to comment on the case.

In an interview with Reuters, the migrant, Elmer, said he decided his only recourse was to travel 700 miles by bus to the Salvadoran consulate in Monterrey, seeking a replacement ID. Elmer spoke on condition that only his first name be used because he said he feared for his safety in El Salvador.

Even boarding the bus could have been complicated without ID, but Elmer said the driver was sympathetic and offered to help him explain if the vehicle was stopped by authorities.

Your son is more important, Elmer recalled the bus driver saying.

Elmer returned home last Friday, after the consulate issued him a temporary ID and he was able to journey south by hitching rides and taking the bus. He said he was relieved to have made it back safely.

Without documents," he said of his time in Ciudad Juarez, "I felt as though I was imprisoned.

(Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Julie Marquis)
Just doing his job. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This week, two eminent Republicans did something quite novel in 2019. They committed conservatism. By conservatism, I mean a philosophy of limited, constitutional government, individual rights, trust in tradition, love of country, prudence in foreign policy and restraint at home. Restraint means not doing something that you could. It means conceding the right of your opponents to run the country for a while  for the sake of the common good. It means admitting that sometimes youre wrong. It means give as well as take. It often means compromise.

First up, Robert Mueller. I think its worth reiterating how impeccably he has behaved in what has become an extremely tense constitutional moment. He kept his cool and maintained his silence in an era of massive and deafening oversharing. His bland affect is attuned to the role he plays: as a neutral enforcer of the rule of law. He strikes me, in this sense, as a classic conservative  dedicated to existing institutions and liberal democratic norms. And he felt the need to explain this week, in the wake of the obfuscations and misdirections of William Barr, what his report actually outlined, its reach, and, most importantly, its limits.

Any objective reading of the report would come to the conclusion that the president clearly obstructed justice  several times. In fact, Volume II is proof of the presidents multiple attempts to rig, stymie, pressure, and prematurely end the investigation into Russian interference in our elections  including witness tampering, and alteration of documents. Mueller did not need to go into all this, but he restated why it matters: When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of their governments effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.

Then, critically, Mueller explained why nonetheless he hadnt indicted the president  solely because it was outside his authority under Department of Justice rules: Under long-standing department policy, a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that, too, is prohibited. So Mueller disappointed everyone who wanted him personally to get this dangerous and deranged president out of office, but it was emphatically not his role. Instead, he reiterated the proper remedy: the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing. That is to say: impeachment. And with that, he left the stage. Less is more, he seemed to say. Its Congresss job now.

And then another actual conservative, Representative Justin Amash, Republican of Michigan, did another actually conservative thing: He read the report closely, and expressed his view that impeachment was obviously the only appropriate response to President Trumps attack on the rule of law. He did this in clear and simple English, in a Twitter thread, more effectively than anyone else in Congress, including the Democratic leadership. Then he went back to his district and explained himself further.

If you have a couple hours, I recommend watching the town hall. I found it hard to tear myself away from the YouTube video of the two-hour grilling. In the years we have lived with a strongman threat to our system of government, this was the first time I discovered someone deep in the congressional GOP who recognizes the profound danger of doing nothing, and may have the fortitude to live up to his constitutional duties. It was, in a word, thrilling. The simplest case against Trump is a deeply conservative one  as Amash, a founding member of the Tea Party and Freedom Caucus, understands. Its about constitutional order, the restraint of Executive abuse, and resistance to tribalism.

Amash understands how a tribal mentality  and the mutual hatred and fanaticism it generates  devastates our form of liberal democracy. Here he is responding to a woman who says that hell be attracting more Democrats than Republicans in his desire to hold Trump accountable and still run for office:

I represent the entire district. So it doesnt matter to me if a person voted for me or didnt vote for me, or donated to me or didnt donate to me  Thats not going to change my principles and who I am  I agree with you that many of the people cheering me on arent going to support my campaign  It doesnt matter to me. This is what it means to be a bigger person. It doesnt matter to me that some people wont support me or are hypocritical. You have to do the right thing regardless.

This is a central struggle of this time: Do we acquiesce to tribalism or aim for the citizenship the Founders hoped for? Do we worship a cult leader or practice self-government? This week, Amash has done something important: He has opened up a tiny space within the congressional GOP to debate this question. In a very dark room, hes the light that begins to seep through the crack under the door. It may not be much, but its enough to allow your eyes to adjust and see.

And this is part of a wider ideological struggle within conservatism. You can see the contours of the Amash versus Trump battle, for example, in last weeks online debate between Sohrab Ahmari, a recent Catholic convert, writing at the theo-conservative, Trump-friendly journal First Things and David French, an Evangelical voice of reason at National Review. Ahmari makes the case for Trump the same way that Michael Anton did: All that matters right now is the culture war between good and evil, the West and the rest. Since this is an emergency, and the Godless enemy is on the march, niceties, such as being a stickler for the rule of law, or rhetorical civility, are irrelevant. Insisting on legal distinctions, believing in constitutional restraint, even cooperating with the other party in some circumstances are, for the illiberal mind, all forms of cowardice and surrender.

Deeper down in Ahmaris case against Frenchs liberal conservatism is a critique of modernity itself  as an arena for slow conservative surrender to liberalism and for religious truth to collapse into nihilism. Ahmari is, strictly speaking, a reactionary, seeing the very liberal modern order as tainted. Quite what he intends to replace it with  and how  is not entirely clear. But he knows what hes against!

He mocks that earnest and insistently polite quality of [David French] that I find unsuitable to the depth of the present crisis facing religious conservatives. He has no time for a live-and-let-live pluralism which leads, Ahmari believes, to the end of a Christian culture. Even though French has spent much of his adult life litigating in defense of religious freedom, Ahmari regards these legal sallies as lame and ineffective, when the culture as a whole is rapidly secularizing. Then he ventures into chilling territory. He wants the state to act boldly to fight the culture war with the aim of defeating the enemy and enjoying the spoils in the form of a public square re-ordered to the common good and ultimately the Highest Good.

Im trying to imagine all these Christians of the future defeating the enemy and enjoying the spoils of controlling the lives of others for their own good. And I shudder. At one point, Ahmari attacks religious-liberty absolutism. I guess it depends on what the religion is. He wants to shut down the primacy of individual autonomy in a country where different people can coexist with others of radically different politics or faith. He despises civility the way the hard left does: because its a form of respectability politics that merely perpetuates the corrupt system. Civility and decency are secondary values, Ahmari writes. They regulate compliance with an established order and orthodoxy. We should seek to use these values to enforce our order and our orthodoxy, not pretend that they could ever be neutral. Rewind that one more time: Ahmari wants to enforce his moral order on others. He believes pluralism is merely a cloak for libertinism.

And thats why many on the right, even and especially conservative Christians, support Trump. He may be morally corrupt but he can be relied on to enforce moral order against the destabilizing forces of individualism and secularism. Ahmari seems particularly enraged by drag queens telling stories to children in libraries  This is demonic. To hell with liberal order. Sometimes reactionary politics are the only salutary path.  and the treatment of Brett Kavanaugh  Kavanaugh snapped something in me. This unholy, emotional fusion of religious fundamentalism and strongman politics is the real innovation of the Trump era.

I have my issues with some Never Trumpers. They have stoked religious fundamentalism for political gain, they gave us Sarah Palin and Abu Ghraib, and they bequeathed us a crippling debt. But many on the center right in Britain and America still havent given up on the liberal democratic project. For the most part, they believe in a pluralist system, defend norms and objectivity, value civility, persuasion, and a broadly liberal order. They seek to disperse power, not concentrate it; they prefer compromise over raw victory; they pursue magnanimity in success and grace in failure. They defend skepticism against certainty, doubt against faith, freedom against power, and culture over politics.

This is the liberal conservatism Ive long believed in. Its one you can easily recognize in a man like David French. Its being eclipsed right now by a cruder, darker form in which Trump is the useful instrument for a broader illiberalism. This is a deeper divide that Trump has brought to the surface  and you can see it also in the increasingly authoritarian and illiberal right in Europe.

The choice for conservatives is between an Oakeshottian understanding of politics as a conversation in the tradition of individual liberty and a near Schmittian view of politics as the exercise of raw power. Its between a pragmatic reconciliation with modernity and an angry, bitter war against it.

I made my decision a long time ago. I thought the mainstream right had too, by and large. But the fight is now on again. Ill do my best to keep it civil.

All Too Human

Human beings are complicated. The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being, in Solzhenitsyns famous formulation. This is as true of towering human beings as of those of us who toil in the muck of eventual obscurity. The longing for icons doesnt disprove this. But it can cover it up.

And so its with very mixed feelings that I read the new revelations about Martin Luther King Jr.s private life. Everyone has long known that King was no pristine saint. Documents in the National Archives allege that he had multiple affairs with many women, even as he was being closely monitored, followed, bugged, and taped by the FBI. I dont find this even faintly tarnishing for Kings wider legacy. In fact, I find the interaction between his aspirations and his flaws both fascinating and humanizing. We want saints. We get sinners. But sometimes we get sinners of prodigious courage, vision, and eloquence. This is as true of statesmen and women as it is of artists. The reduction of a persons entire life to his sexual proclivities is an obstacle to understanding and appreciating any great figure.

But new documents add to the tension between Kings greatness and his shortcomings. Most of the FBI files on King are sealed until 2027, but for a variety of reasons, some have surfaced recently. And theres no way to sugarcoat this, but they are brutal. I would not mention this story if it were not relayed by one of Kings preeminent biographers and experts, David Garrow. Garrow explains that in recent months, hundreds of never-before-seen FBI reports and surveillance summaries concerning King have silently slipped into public view on the Archives lightly-annotated and difficult-to-explore website. Many are records of Kings extensive and consensual sexual adventurism  recorded by Hoovers henchmen as weapons of potential blackmail. In one case, an FBI official sent King an anonymous letter detailing these alleged offenses and advising him to take his own life. It is horrifying to see just how powerful, unrestrained, and callous the FBI then was. They even told King to kill himself on Christmas Day.

But Garrow regards the documents as legit. Some are disturbing. Garrow details one incident:

Kings friend Logan Kearse, the pastor of Baltimores Cornerstone Baptist Church and, like King, the holder of a PhD from the Boston University School of Theology  had brought to Washington several women parishioners of his church, a newly-released summary document from [Assistant FBI Director William C.] Sullivans personal file on King relates, and Kearse invited King and his friends to come and meet the women. The group met in his room and discussed which women among the parishioners would be suitable for natural or unnatural sex acts. When one of the women protested that she did not approve of this, the Baptist minister immediately and forcibly raped her, the typed summary states, parenthetically citing a specific FBI document (100-3-116-762) as its source. King looked on, laughed and offered advice, Sullivan or one of his deputies then added in handwriting.

Is this FBI disinformation? Some experts have made that suggestion:

In a statement provided to The Post, Kings personal lawyer Clarence B. Jones vociferously denied the claims, adding, J. Edgar Hoover is laughing in his grave today. Donna Murch, a Rutgers University historian who specializes in the civil rights movement, said the story had a strange trail of evidence  that seems just very, very flimsy to me.  I would question the veracity of an anonymous, handwritten note on an FBI report, said Yale historian Glenda Gilmore, who has worked extensively with FBI reports on civil rights activists. Files such as these contain a great deal of speculation, interpolation from snippets of facts, and outright errors. Johns Hopkins University historian Nathan Connolly, who has also examined FBI files, said, I would be deeply suspicious.

Garrow is sticking to his guns  for the following reason:

Throughout the 1960s, when no precedent for the public release of FBI documents existed or was even anticipated, Sullivan could not have imagined that his and his aides jottings would ever see the light of day. Similarly, they would not have had any apparent motive for their annotations to inaccurately embellish upon the actual recording and its full transcript, both of which remain under court seal and one day will confirm or disprove the FBIs summary allegation.

Garrow continues:

At the Willard Hotel, King and his friends activities resumed the following evening as approximately 12 individuals participated in a sex orgy which the prudish Sullivan felt included acts of degeneracy and depravity  When one of the women shied away from engaging in an unnatural act, King and several of the men discussed how she was to be taught and initiated in this respect. King told her that to perform such an act would help your soul. Sometime later, in language that would reflect just how narrow Sullivans mindset was, King announced that he preferred to perform unnatural acts on women and that he had started the International Association for the Advancement of Pussy Eaters. Anyone familiar with Kings often-bawdy sense of humour would not doubt that quotation.

I cant summarize Garrows lengthy discussion of all this, so read the whole thing. (The Guardian, the Atlantic, and the Washington Post declined to publish.) By 2027, we will have far more context, and we should withhold final judgment till then. But if its true, it means that alongside his active consensual sex life, there might have been a much darker side. The idea that King allegedly encouraged a rape and treated women as objects to be used and abused sits rather awkwardly with our understanding of this great man, as close as America is going to get as a secular saint.

But does any of this detract from Kings epic moral achievements? The wounded doctor always plies the steel. Purity is not human. And King himself acknowledged his own complexity: There is a schizophrenia  going on in all of us. There are times that all of us know somehow that there is a Mr. Hyde and a Dr. Jekyll in us. But God, King said, does not judge us by the separate incidents or the separate mistakes that we make, but by the total bent of our lives.

If its good enough for the Almighty, its good enough for me. We can revere King as an icon, but acknowledge and even love him as a flawed, even profoundly flawed, human being as well.

Gay Politics Post-Post-Stonewall

It will be the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots later this month and World Pride will happen in New York City. Ill try not to get too annoyed by some of the coverage. It is and was a seminal, defining moment in the history of homosexuality, but sometimes its portrayed as the beginning of the gay-rights movement, as if nothing existed before, erasing pioneers of a more mainstream variety. I wish it were seen as one more moment in a long, long history of gay struggle and joy.

Its likely too that the picture you will get of those riots will be selectively intersectional, framed by the trans and people of color who were very much a part of it, and absolutely deserve memorializing  but needlessly sidelining the white cis gay men who formed the bulk of the protesters. I wish it werent either/or when it was clearly and emphatically both/and. It sometimes feels these days, in fact, as if white cis men are, in some woke quarters, even deemed part of the oppression Stonewall was fighting.

Its my cis gay white fragility speaking I guess, but check this out: a piece about Pete Buttigiegs groundbreaking candidacy for president thats based on the Time cover of Pete and Chasten standing in front of a house. The headline? Heterosexuality Without Women.

So thats what gay men are now, is it? Straight misogynists.

The author, Greta LaFleur, describes the inspiration for her hot take which is another essay about whiteness. Just like whiteness is a systemic form of oppression, LaFleur argues, so is heterosexuality.

You dont have to necessarily be white, [essayist] Ramos-Zayas instructs us, to weaponize the immaterial power of whiteness; while whiteness can be and regularly is weaponized by white people, shes interested in naming a form of power that draws from and invokes whiteness that is nonetheless still deployable by certain non-white people.

And so we come to gay men and straightness. For queer theorists, gay men who have conventional lives are sometimes deemed homonormative  a riff on the term heteronormative, which means conforming to straight culture. Being homonormative means not totally conforming to queer, alternative culture, or being able to pass as straight or simply being yourself in much of the country. Its all a form of mockery, rooted, of course, in insecurity.

But LaFleur ups the ante. Analyzing the Time cover, she notes the unmistakable heraldry of FIRST FAMILY, alongside the rest of the photograph  the tulips; the Chinos; the notably charming but insistently generic porch; the awkwardly minimal touching that invokes the most uncomfortable, unfamiliar, culturally-heterosexual embrace any of us have ever received  offers a vision of heterosexuality without straight people. It is, significantly, a heterosexuality without women. Why might we want this, now?

Well, how about this is the first time an openly gay man and his legal husband are on the cover of Time because one of them is running for president? I dont know: Maybe thats why we want this.

I have not lived that long, but long enough to have witnessed an astonishing advance in the humanity and equality of gay men and lesbians. And I am grateful for it. As grateful as I am angered by those too young or too woke or too hip to appreciate it.

See you next Friday.
Photo: Interplay Learning/Facebook

Austin-based computer company Novi Labs has secured $7 million in Series A funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the citys recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced May 15.

According to its Crunchbase profile, "Novi builds artificial intelligence driven business applications that help the Oil & Gas industry optimize the economic value of drilling programs. Discover pre-drill insights in production, completions and geological data. Their machine learning and advanced analytics software is designed for petroleum engineers to optimize shale field development planning."

The five-year-old company also raised a round in 2017.

The round brings total funding raised by Austin companies in consumer electronics over the past 90 days to $18 million. The local consumer electronics industry has seen 28 funding rounds over the past year, securing a total of $116 million in venture funding.

In other local funding news, training and e-learning company Interplay Learning announced a $5.5 million Series A funding round on May 21, led by S3 Ventures.

According to Crunchbase, "Interplay Learning develops online digital learning and testing products for students and professionals to build career skills and technical aptitude. Interplay's specialty is 3-D interactive life-like simulation which allows a learner to accelerate practical understanding and application. Interplay products can be found in education, government, career certification and industry."

The company also raised a $1 million angel round in 2016.

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.
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - Global auto and parts manufacturers scrambled on Friday to make contingency plans and look at ways of speeding some deliveries after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened new tariffs on all Mexican imports starting early next month.

Companies based in North America, Asia and Europe were holding conference calls and meetings to explore if they could move up certain shipments of parts and vehicles to mitigate tariffs on Mexican goods, auto executives and trade group officials said.

Those tariffs were set to begin at 5 percent on June 10 and rise from there - to 10 percent on July 1 and ultimately hitting 25 percent on Oct. 1 "unless Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory," Trump said Thursday.

Trump said on Twitter the tariffs were aimed at Mexico's insufficient response to migrants crossing the border illegally. The tweets blindsided business executives, who two hours earlier had learned from trade officials the administration hoped to push Congress to hasten a vote to approve a revised North American free trade deal, auto executives said.

Shares in auto companies slumped on Friday. Deutsche Bank warned that a 25 percent tariff on vehicles and parts imported from Mexico would result in $23 billion hit that "could cripple the industry and cause major uncertainty."

Some companies still hope Trump will reverse course, auto executives said.

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association warned U.S. governors, members of Congress and the White House that the tariffs "will only serve as an additional tax on the American people by increasing the cost of goods and putting jobs and investment in the U.S. at risk. In short, this action will undermine U.S. economic stability."

The industry has taken a series of trade hits since Trump took office in January 2017.

"It isnt just this one thing; it is the cumulative impact of trade policies that are challenging the industry right now," said John Bozzella, who heads an auto trade group representing major foreign automakers.

Story continues

RBC Capital Markets analyst Joseph Spak said in a research note the Mexican tariffs could be "devastating to the entire auto value chain" and a 5 percent tariff could result a $300 per vehicle hit.

Autos are at the heart of U.S. trade talks with Japan and the European Union. "If Trump will put these tariffs on Mexico, there will be no hesitance to tariff Europe," he wrote.

Already, Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs have added billions of dollars to the cost of assembling U.S. vehicles, and tariffs on Chinese-made parts have also hiked costs. Companies like General Motors Co, Tesla Inc, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and dozens of parts suppliers have petitioned for relief.

GM and Ford Motor Co have laid off thousands of workers in recent months, citing a rapidly changing industry. Other companies have cut hundreds of jobs.

Major suppliers like Delphi Technologies, Lear Corp and Visteon Corp all derive at least 22 percent of their global revenue from Mexico with a "meaningful portion" that crosses the U.S. border, Deutsche Bank said.

The industry also faces additional tariffs on Chinese-made goods. UBS warned that these, along with Mexican tariffs could push the U.S. economy into recession.

The industry has spent more than a year fighting to convince Trump not to carry through on a threat to impose up to 25 percent tariffs on all imported cars and parts on national security grounds. That decision has been delayed to allow for more trade talks with the European Union and Japan.

Trump, who has frequently boasted of a strong economy and stock market, believes the tariffs could actually boost U.S. growth. He said Friday that to avoid tariffs "companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA."

Industry officials say it takes years and billions of dollars to shift production, and that lower-margin vehicles cannot be built profitably in the United States. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Edited by Ben Klayman)
Shares of the largest U.S. automakers dropped in trading Friday after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will impose a 5% tariff on goods imported from Mexico on June 10.

Fiat Chrysler(FCA-IT) dropped 4.9% while General Motors(GM) was down 4.5% and Ford(F) skidded 3.1%.

"Automakers may indeed see large financial impact and uncertainty from the tariffs, as all major OEMs import a considerable portion of the vehicles they sell in the US from Mexico," Deutsche Bank said.

Additionally, a foreign automaker lobbying group said in a statement to Reuters that tariffs on Mexico's imports "threaten the jobs of tens of thousands of Americans here in the United States."

The big three U.S. automakers each have billions of dollars at stake due both production and suppliers in Mexico. According to Deutsche Bank, GM and Fiat Chrysler import 29% and 24%, respectively, of the total parts for its cars and trucks from Mexico. Ford has the second highest total imported vehicles from Mexico at 17%, Deutsche said.

Deutsche Bank also warned that U.S. investors may be surprised by the amount of full-size pickup trucks and parts that are imported from Mexico. For example, 41% of the nearly 586,000 GM Silverado trucks sold in the U.S. are made in Mexico, the bank said.

"The suddenly renewed potential for tariffs on goods from Mexico revives a risk many believed was largely behind us," Citi Research said in a note to investors. "This new uncertainty is a clear negative for auto stocks and we expect pressure pending further clarity as to how this will play out."

Citi and Deutsche also pointed to the host of auto industry suppliers at risk to tariffs on Mexico, including Aptiv(APTV), Adient(ADNT), Dana(DAN), Lear(LEA), Visteon(VC), Goodyear Tire & Rubber(GT) and BorgWarner(BWA).

In the scenario where Trump follows through with his threat to raise Mexico tariffs to 25% in the coming months, Deutsche Bank also estimated the profit each of the big three automakers would lose. The firm said the earnings before interest and taxes hit for a 25% tariff would be $6.3 billion for GM, $3.3 billion for Ford and $4.8 billion for Fiat Chrysler.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabh, the popular late owner of Leicester City, also dreamt of success on the race track and on Saturday Bangkok tears could flow if he wins English racing's blue riband of the turf the Epsom Derby.

A helicopter crash last October outside Leicester's stadium killed Vichai and provoked an outpouring of grief in the city where he invested around 30 million ($37.8million) in 60 horses in recent years.

Vichai enjoyed some success -- he had two winners on the day of the tragedy -- but Bangkok is the first that has a serious chance of landing a prize in equine terms that would rival the prestige of Leicester's fairytale Premier League title in 2016.

Fortunately for Bangkok's trainer Andrew Balding -- who has the majority of Vichai's horses which run under the name of King Power Racing -- Vichai's younger son Khun Aiyawatt, known as Top, took up the reins.

King Power's colours have been regular visitors to the winners enclosure this season and not just in England -- Fox Champion won the German 2000 Guineas.

Bangkok, who Vichai paid 500,000 for at the sales two years ago, has impressed in both his victories this season and will face 12 other rivals for the first prize worth just over 900,000.

However, he has already beaten one of the main contenders Telecaster, who went on to win the key Derby trial the Dante Stakes, which persuaded trainer Hughie Morrison to pay 85,000 to supplement him for the race.

Balding -- whose father Ian trained the great Mill Reef to win the 1971 Derby -- is confident Bangkok can confirm his form with Telecaster and is the ideal sort of horse for the challenging undulating Epsom course.

"He's a lovely horse to watch," said Balding.

"He's very well-balanced and looks just the type for the race."

There will, though, be mixed emotions should he prevail on Saturday for the King Power team.

"It's just so sad the Chairman (Vichai), as we all call him, is not around to see the fruits of his investment," said Alastair Donald, King Power's racing manager.

Story continues

"The Chairman gave Bangkok a strong name because he stood out on pedigree."

- 'The crowning jewel' -

Bangkok will have to contend with an astonishing seven runners from record-breaking Irish handler Aidan O'Brien's stables.

The 49-year-old -- who has often been criticised for flooding big races with several runners -- will have his main hopes on Sir Dragonnet to deliver him a record equalling seventh Derby.

Sir Dragonnet, to be ridden by first choice stable jockey Ryan Moore, was also supplemented for the race after an impressive eight length victory in the Chester Vase earlier this month.

"We will not know if he was flattered in his trial at Chester, they went fast on soft ground," Moore told The Daily Telegraph.

"He had to come around them all and was very impressive.

"Bookies favourite says a lot," added the 35-year-old, who has won the Derby twice.

As great an exploit as O'Brien's would be to welcome home a seventh Derby winner the roars might be louder if the other Irish contender crosses the line in front.

Madhmoon is trained by 86-year-old Kevin Prendergast, who will bid to succeed where his legendary father Paddy just fell short.

Prendergast Senior won every other English classic but he never fared better than runner-up, Alcaeus in 1960 and Meadow Court in 1965.

His son has not even had a placed horse -- although he has rarely had a runner since he took up training in 1963 -- but is sweet on his horse's chances of breaking the Prendergast jinx.

"I can't reverse it - but I'd like to!" joked Prendergast to The Irish Times about his age.

"I'd be satisfied if it (winning the Derby) does happen. It would be the crowning jewel."
Attorney General William Barr said Friday that the FBIs counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign crossed a serious red line and should be carefully looked at.

The use of foreign intelligence capabilities and counterintelligence capabilities against an American political campaign to me is unprecedented and its a serious red line thats been crossed, Barr said in an interview with CBS.

The attorney general is currently investigating the origins of the probe to determine whether the U.S. intelligence communitys surveillance of the Trump campaign was warranted. He has expressed skepticism about the explanations for some of the investigative actions taken.

During testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee last month, Barr stated that spying did occur on the Trump campaign, angering Democratic lawmakers.

I guess its become a dirty word somehow, Barr told CBS. I think there is nothing wrong with spying. The question is always whether it is authorized by law.

There were counterintelligence activities undertaken against the Trump campaign, And Im not saying there was not a basis for it, that it was legitimate, but I want to see what that basis was and make sure it was legitimate, he added.

The New York Times reported that the FBI sent an undercover agent posing as a research assistant to ask former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos whether the campaign was working with Russia. Papadopoulos was told by a Maltese professor in early 2016 that Russia had damaging information on Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton, but said he told the undercover agent he had nothing to do with Russia.

Republics have fallen because of Praetorian Guard mentality where government officials get very arrogant, they identify the national interest with their own political preferences, and they feel that anyone who has a different opinion, you know, is somehow an enemy of the state, Barr remarked. That can easily translate into essentially supervening the will of the majority and getting your own way as a government official.

Story continues

FBI director Chris Wray said earlier this month that he had seen no evidence that the FBI illegally spied on the Trump campaign.

More from National Review
Its been a long time since Simon Cowell has lived up to his former Mr. Nasty persona. But the Britains Got Talent judge looked to be reverting back to his old ways last night (30 May) when he stormed off after being forced to take part in a semi-finalists performance.

Along with fellow judge David Walliams, the 59-year-old was dragged on stage by ventriloquist Jimmy Tamley and told to mimic what he was saying while wearing a mask with a comically large mouth.

Read more: Amanda Holden swears live on air once again

Looking unimpressed, Cowell - dubbed Snuggly Simon by Tamley during the show - was seen shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

Simon Cowell didn't look too pleased about joining in with Jimmy Tamley's ventriloquism act during last night's semi-final (ITV)

But it wasnt until the performer requested he and David perform the can-can that hed had enough, walking off stage before reluctantly returning at the very end of Tamleys slot to complete the act.

When you see the credits and the producers names there and then you read about them being murdered in two days time, I did it, he joked when it was time for the judges to give their feedback on the performance.

Amanda Holden admired Tamleys bravery for picking Cowell to join in, saying: Why couldn't you have just used Ant [McPartlin] and Declan [Donnelly]?

How rude can @SimonCowell be! Its just a bit of fun! #BGT  Luke (@Luke_Egg19) May 30, 2019

Nevertheless, she seem to enjoy it, going on to describe the act as very awkward but very funny.

Simon is absolutely fine, a source told the MailOnline, when asked about the incident. Hes been laughing about it during the ad break.

Alesha Dixon, Ant McPartlin, David Walliams, Declan Donnelly and Simon Cowell arrive at the Britains Got Talent 2019 auditions. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

They went on to explain that Cowell left the stage due to an old ski-ing injury, which would have been aggravated if hed have started to kick his legs up in the air.

Read more: BGT has new favourite

Story continues

Simon had to take the lead to stop any embarrassment, they continued. Backstage, everyone has been giggling - and Simon thinks it was a great TV moment!

Britains Got Talents last semi-final before Sundays grand finale airs tonight at 7:30pm on ITV. Acts that are set to perform include singers Leanne Mya and Jacob Jones, comedian Barbara Nice, dance group Fabulous Sisters, daredevil magician Jonathan Goodwin and tambourine performer Gonzo.
Andrew Johnson was no Abraham Lincoln. Photo: Matthew Brady

From the beginning of American history all the way through Veep, the role of vice-president has often been mocked and ridiculed, even by vice-presidents themselves. But as Jared Cohen makes clear in his new book, Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America, some running mates who might otherwise have been consigned to the dustbin of history ended up changing the course of American history, for better  and in many cases worse  after their bosses died or were killed in office. In the book, Cohen, who has advised Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton and is now the CEO of the technology company Jigsaw, explores the often-overlooked consequences of vice-presidential ascension, from Millard Fillmores pivot on the Compromise of 1850 to Harry Trumans World War II decisiveness. Intelligencer spoke with him about which veeps managed the transition to actual authority best and whether the job of vice-president even makes sense in 2019.

I had no idea that John Tyler, who is so little remembered, was such a presidential-succession trailblazer. When William Henry Harrison died a month after taking office, Tyler insisted that he be treated fully as the president, even though there was really no clear language on that question in the Constitution and there wouldnt be a hard-and-fast rule until the 25th Amendment passed in 1967. Looking back on all these vice-presidents, many of whom didnt do so well in the top job, do you think that Tylers consequential decision ended up being the right way to go?

John Tylers a really complicated character because, on the one hand, he addressed the real vulnerability in the Constitution by being assertive and setting a precedent that held all the way through Lyndon Johnson. We forget: Johnson becomes president in 1963 based on an action that Tyler takes in 1841.

In reading the Constitution and knowing how the Founding Fathers thought about the vice-presidency, my feeling after researching and writing this book is that they didnt intend for the vice-president to become president  just to discharge the duties of the presidency.

But I think that, as the republic evolved, and perhaps because of what Tyler did, we moved in a direction where we became much more comfortable with that idea. I say this in the book  its a testament to the Tyler precedent that, when Zachary Taylor died in 1850, nobody questioned whether or not Millard Fillmore is the president. But you start to do the counterfactuals, and you look at what a disaster Andrew Johnson was and the devastating impact that his presidency had on civil rights, and you kind of wish Tyler hadnt done that.

Another thing I didnt quite realize is that Johnson seemed like an eminently reasonable vice-presidential pick at the time Lincoln chose him. But as you say, his tenure was a disaster. Is he the starkest example of a vice-president whose presidency went off the rails?

It would be tempting to say presidential succession has been a mixed bag, but you cant say that, because Andrew Johnson really was such a catastrophe, right? You think about the consequences for civil rights, which are consequences were still living with today.

Back then, the presidential candidate didnt choose their running mate, but 1864 was such an important election that Lincoln plotted this sophisticated, behind-the-scenes decision to swap Hannibal Hamlin with Johnson, mainly because he needed a War Democrat from a border state. Johnson was pretty well respected in the North, but was the only southern senator to stay loyal to the Union. He had a lot of unique attributes, and Lincoln was desperate to win the election.

When the Confederate states seceded from the Union, all Johnson cared about was putting it back together. So he made a decision that, despite his personal beliefs, he would stay loyal. He thought the best way to destroy the Confederacy was to destroy its leadership and to destroy the whole system, which meant punishing all the traitors in the most ferocious way and breaking its economic backbone, slavery. His rhetoric on civil rights and punishment of traitors, which was driven by tactics as opposed to morality, was more aggressive than even Lincoln, which is why, when Lincoln died, the Radical Republicans think they have one of their own in the White House.

Their expectations came crashing down when the Civil War ended, and Johnson basically left civil rights to the states and gave amnesty to the entire leadership. I think part of the reason that Congress accelerated impeachment proceedings, and went after him beyond his obstructionist measures around Reconstruction, was that they were so furious that this man who they thought was like-minded Radical Republicans proved to be the exact opposite.

Of the eight examples in the book, you only rate two vice-presidents as being really successful after their bosses died: Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman. What do you think distinguishes them from the others?

I think that theyre really different characters. In the case of Roosevelt, hes the only one of these men who probably wouldve been elected president eventually anyway, so hes the only one other than maybe Lyndon Johnson who had spent any time thinking about the role. Johnsons time had passed by the time he became vice-president, but Roosevelt salivated over the possibility of becoming president.

When McKinley died, Roosevelt says that its a terrible thing to come into the presidency this way, but it would be far worse to be morbid about it. He was a force of nature and quite irrepressible, so I think it was just sort of sheer character and will that made him successful. He was ready to lead on day one, not because he prepared as vice-president, but because hed been preparing his whole life.

In the case of Harry Truman, hes the most successful of all the accidental presidents, in part because hes so unexpected. In 1944, all the Democratic Party bosses know FDR is a dying man, and they cant stand the idea of Henry Wallace on the ticket because he was seen as a Soviet sympathizer and too liberal. So they throw Truman onto the ticket, really as an anti-Wallace candidate. Nobody really gives much thought, including Truman, to the prospects of him becoming president. In 82 days as vice-president, he only meets FDR twice, doesnt get a single intelligence briefing, doesnt get briefed on the atomic bomb, doesnt step foot in the Map Room where the wars are being planned.

Then on April 12, 1945, FDR dies, and Truman faces enormous challenges, from the Battle of Okinawa raging in the Pacific to Stalin reneging on his promises from Yalta, to having to figure out what to do with this destructive atomic weapon. Hitlers still running things from a bunker in Germany, and Truman he has to make some of the most important decisions in his first four months. Never has a man been so less prepared for a more seminal moment in history than Harry Truman, and yet he rises to the occasion.

In the case of Johnson, he went in alone and defied everybody. In the case of Truman, he found the right balance between being decisive and listening to men like Dean Acheson and George Marshall. They very easily couldve looked at Truman and said, Hes not FDR and been dismissive of him, much like the Kennedy men were of LBJ, but they decided the future of the world rested on Harry Truman being successful, and they were going to make him successful.

The job of vice-president has been seen by many as basically useless for a long time, notwithstanding Dick Cheneys reign. And there are still all these perverse incentives at work in terms of who a candidate chooses to be their running mate. President Trump picked Mike Pence to appeal to Evangelical voters, with probably little thought as to whether he would be a good president. Right now, were reevaluating a lot of the cornerstones of our democracy from the Electoral College to the size of the Supreme Court. Do you think the vice-presidency actually makes sense as a job in 2019?

I think theres two questions in there. One is: Does the office of the vice-president makes sense? I actually think, in modern times, it makes a lot more sense than it did, because the president used to be a much more contained role. Historically, the president didnt travel. If you think about how much of a global role the president plays now, just the breadth of foreign-policy issues, I think having a vice-president who can stand in for the president and be in more places is actually quite important. Not to mention the role that the VP plays as presiding officer and tie-breaker in the Senate.

But its only a useful role if the vice-president is fully integrated into the administration so that, should the unthinkable happen, they can be ready to lead on day one.

With Mike Pence, the question isnt about policy. You can agree or disagree with his policies. What makes me comfortable is that Pence is in the loop and integrated into the administration on both foreign and domestic matters. He would be ready to lead on day one because he knows whats going on. Thats been the case for the last several vice-presidents, going all the way back through George H.W. Bush. So youd be tempted to say, Okay, we figured this out and everything works well now. But then you have to account for the fact that John McCain selected Sarah Palin in 2008. Had he won the election, its very hard to imagine that playing out in a way where she wouldve been fully integrated into the foreign and domestic policies of a McCain administration.

This is to me the big lesson of the accidental president: Of the eight vice-presidents who became president when their predecessor died, not a single one of them was integrated into the administration. Not a single one of them, except maybe Calvin Coolidge, enjoyed a good relationship with their predecessor. In a number of cases, it was a venomous relationship. None of these men were ready to lead on day one, and most of these men departed dramatically from their predecessors policies.

When Zachary Taylor died, Millard Fillmore gets around the obstacles of the Compromise of 1850. When Lincoln died, you get Andrew Johnsons vision of reconstruction instead. I dont think anyone would argue that Roosevelt and McKinley had different mind-sets when it came to policy. I think if you look at Truman, Truman was much less trusting of Stalin than FDR was. If you look at LBJ, I dont think that if Kennedy had survived, you wouldve had the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

To go back to the other part of your question, if you think about how we select vice-presidents, the big issue here is that the presidential candidate really has the sole discretion about who they run with, What that lends itself toward is a situation where youre up against the ropes and you hit a particular bump in the polls in a particular week at a particular stage in the election 

We treat the selection of a vice-president as an electoral mechanism for a particular moment, rather than somebody who we think can lead the nation. Wisdom suggests that you dont want to pick somebody who can outshine you, and you dont want to pick somebody whos going to embarrass you. So what that lends itself to is kind of the like the JV version of yourself. My problem with that is I dont want the JV version of the person at the top of the ticket to one day become president.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Former Vice President Joe Biden defended the late Sen. John McCain Thursday following a report that White House officials wanted a warship named after McCain "out of sight" ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to Japan over Memorial Day weekend.

"John McCain was a war hero, should be treated as a war hero," Biden told reporters during a stop in Delaware. "Anything less than that is beneath anyone who doesn't treat him that way."

Tensions between Trump and Biden have been high over the past several weeks, since Biden jumped into the 2020 presidential race, becoming the front-runner in a crowded Democratic field seeking to oust Trump from the Oval Office. The former vice president's comments are a seeming dig at Trump, who has continued to criticize McCain even after his death last year.

Trump on Thursday morning said that "well-meaning" aides tried to shield him from the USS John S. McCain  named for the late GOP senator, as well as his father and grandfather  but that he did not issue the directive.

More: Donald Trump on shielding USS McCain from view: 'Somebody did it,' but he denies involvement

More: Meghan McCain calls out Trump on warship controversy, says troops 'afraid' to show her father's name

"Somebody did it because they thought I didn't like him, OK?" Trump told reporters at the White House. "And they were well-meaning, I will say ... I didn't know anything about it; I would never have done that."

He added that aides "thought they were doing me a favor because they know I am not a fan of John McCain."

Officials reportedly wanted the warship to be kept "out of sight" during Trump's visit to Japan, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The president gave a speech on Memorial Day on a nearby ship.

Biden wasn't the only elder Democratic statesman to take issue with the reported directive. Leon Panetta, former Defense secretary under President Barack Obama and chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, said he was dumbfounded by the reported effort by the White House to shield Trump from the name McCain.

Story continues

Theres a lack of grownups in the White House -- from the top down, Panetta told USA TODAY with a laugh. To let an issue like this even get any attention is just something I cant imagine in any other administration. A chief of staff would at least say, Stop it.

Earlier Thursday the acting defense secretary said he had asked his chief of staff to look into the reported directive to obscure the ship.

'We loved each other, but we argued like the devil'

Trump and McCain clashed on an array of issues, including health care and the president's approach to foreign policy.

Biden and McCain, by contrast, were longtime friends.

But, Thursday Biden said while he and McCain were friends, the two didn't always see eye to eye.

"We loved each other but we argued like the devil," he said.

The relationship between the Arizona Republican and the Delaware Democrat began in the 1970s. When Biden was a freshman senator on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, McCain was the Navy Senate liaison. The two ended up traveling across the globe together as a result of their positions.

The two lawmakers' bond continued throughout their time in the Senate together.

Biden continued to stand with McCain following his brain cancer diagnosis, the same type of cancer that claimed Biden's eldest son, Beau.

In late 2017, Biden consoled Meghan McCain, John McCain's daughter, on ABC's "The View."

"I think about Beau a lot," McCain, a host on the program, told Biden at the time. "This doesn't get easier but you cultivate the tools to work with this and live with this. I know you and your family have been through tragedy I couldn't conceive of. What would you tell people?"

Biden recalled his friendship with Sen. McCain, who would lose his battle with brain cancer in 2018, and noted that the Arizona maverick was always willing to help Biden in whatever bind he was in.

On the program, Biden told Meghan McCain: "There is hope and if anybody can make it, your dad can.

Sen. McCain died on August 25, 2018.

Biden was one of the few lawmakers to give a eulogy at the late senator's funeral.

My name is Joe Biden. Im a Democrat. And I loved John McCain," Biden began his eulogy during services for McCain in Phoenix, Arizona.

Biden went on to talk about how McCain put country above all else, and conducted himself with integrity, becoming a part of the American narrative.

"I know John said he hoped he played a small part in that story," Biden concluded his eulogy. "John, you did much more than that, my friend. To paraphrase Shakespeare, 'we shall not see his like again.'"

Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook

Like what youre reading?: Download the USA TODAY app for more

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden defends McCain after report about obscuring namesake ship
Paris (AFP) - "Bionic showgirl" Viktoria Modesta, who is set to take the stage at the risque Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris next week, says she has had to reinvent herself after being treated as an outcast over her artifical leg.

Born in Latvia under Soviet rule with a malformed left hip and leg due to an accident at birth, Viktoria Modesta (her stage name) was 20 when she chose amputation "for medical and psychological reasons".

With her intense look and black outfit, dark hair pulled into a bun and long nails painted in metallic colours, the 31-year-old recounted her origins, recalling her debut in a private salon with red walls and dimmed light in an ambiance known as "nude chic".

"They were destroying me as a human being and I had to create my new identity," said Modesta, a British national having emigrated to the UK.

"When I was born my mum didn't see me for five days," she told AFP, noting that her mother was pressured at the age of 17 to send her baby to an orphanage.

"My mum... saved me from being sent away somewhere," she said.

"Growing up as a kid, it was a lot of adults making decisions on my behalf. And not all of them were correct and I ended up in a situation where my creative spirit didn't align with my physical ability and I really wanted to fix that."

She recalled feeling the harsh judgements of people around her, such as "old ladies looking at you and saying, 'Oh my God, how are you gonna survive when you grow up, who is gonna marry you?'."

The performer said she grew up in an "extreme environment", with those who were not "biologically accurate" treated as "second-class citizens".

"I felt so outcast that I had to build my own new identity."

- 'Your body, you truly own' -

The amputation was a watershed moment, giving her a chance to regain control of her body and make a break with a painful past.

Story continues

She has said previously that she chose to have her leg amputated below the knee to "improve mobility and safeguard future health".

It took her five years to persuade surgeons to do the operation, which she described as literally severing the thing that was holding her back.

Drawing inspiration from avant-garde British fashion designer Alexander McQueen and US artist Matthew Barney, Modesta said: "Your body is the only thing you truly own... It was a part of survival, bringing me a more fulfilling and happy life."

She grew up mainly in Britain and now lives in the United States, describing herself as a "citizen of the world".

In Paris, she will perform at the world famous Crazy Horse nightclub from June 3-16, using a different prosthesis for each scene, surrounded by dancers with only lighting effects to cover their nudity.

In one number, an "artistic prosthesis" breaks ice and it has already been viewed 12 million times on YouTube.

In 2012 Modesta performed at the closing ceremony of the Paralympics in London wearing a diamond prosthesis before a crowd of some 90,000.

She said she thought then: "The fact that I had an amputation doesn't make me different. There are millions of people with the same physical situation, it's my perspective and my view on the world that really made things different."

- 'Balancing strength, vulnerability' -

She said the Crazy Horse experience "perfectly captures the essence of femininity" and would allow her to find "a good balance between strength and vulnerability".

No longer feeling the need to suppress her sexuality in the name of her art, she said, "Here I decided to do the opposite. It's really important to bring our sexual identity into the creative process."

She added that her message "would be that the modern woman... is someone who chooses exactly who she wants to be... There is no limitation of 'I have to be soft or I have to be hard', the thing is creating your own cocktail of qualities".

"I'm going to explore several facets of myself in this performance" at the Crazy Horse.
As the stablecoin wars continue to heat up, Bitfinex is looking to bring USDT to more blockchains, announcing earlier today that it will launch its stablecoin on EOS's blockchain. Currently, Tether is issued on the Omni Layer, Ethereum, and TRON. In the next couple of weeks, the company is also planning to issue USDT on Blockstream's federated sidechain Liquid.

But chief technology officer Paolo Ardoino told The Block that the firm has ambitions to bring the stablecoin to other blockchains, saying that it will launch the coin on Lightning Network sometime this year. As part of those efforts, Bitfinex has joined a group of developers and companies called RGB, which is working to put more assets on the Lightning Network.

Lightning Network is a layer-two protocol that aims to enable quicker and cheaper bitcoin transactions.

"I think that is one of the coolest things we could ever being [sic] involved with," Ardoino said in an email to The Block.

"We really love LN (I personally do a lot) so we want to make sure we learn and contribute to it with our resources," he added.

Bitfinex has long had intentions to launch of Lightning Network, according to a company update dated September 2017. Implementing tether on Lightning Network could possibly improve the speed of transacting with the coin, the firm has said.

"We are excited to announce the initial discovery and integration discussion with the Lightning Network team for low-cost, instant transactions of Tether currencies on the Lightning Network," according to the update.

Tether would be the first mainstream asset to be issued on the Lightning Network, which could help the second layer protocol in furthering its adoption. Tether's competitors, USD Coin, TrueUSD, PAX, Gemini dollar are all issued exclusively on Ethereum.

Bitfinex and Tether, its affiliated firm that manages its stablecoin USDT, has been embroiled in a dispute with the New York Attorney General's office over the co-mingling of funds. Still, its market capitalization, which took a beating after the NYAG imbroglio, has recouped its losses, hitting a new high above $3.1 billion.

Tether isn't alone is hitting new highs. Elsewhere, PAX has picked up slightly under $70 million in additional market cap over the last month. Meanwhile, USDC has increased by $100 million over the same time period.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday accused the country's Supreme Court of "legislating" from the bench after a majority of its justices voted to make homophobia a crime like racism.

Bolsonaro, who has in the past acknowledged that he is a homophobe, was speaking at a national convention of the evangelical Assemblies of God Madureira churches. Conservative church groups have been leading resistance to LGBT rights measures and contributed to his victory in the last presidential election.

Earlier this month, a majority of the top court's justices ruled that homophobia should be framed within the racism law until congress approves specific legislation. They argued the ruling was to address an omission that had left the LGBT community legally unprotected.

The final decision is due on June 5 after the remaining judges who have not yet voted make their decisions, but the result will not be modified.

In 2018, 420 LGBT people were killed across Brazil, according to the nonprofit Grupo Gay da Bahia.

During his 27 years in Congress and then campaigning for president, Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has repeatedly made offensive comments about gays, blacks, other minority groups and women.

He once said in an interview he would rather have a dead son than a gay son.
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazil's jobless rate fell in the latest three-month period, data showed Friday, but the number of people who gave up looking for work hit a record high as the economy totters on the edge of recession.

The grim assessment of Brazil's job market came a day after figures showed Latin America's biggest economy shrank 0.2 percent in the first quarter -- the first contraction since it emerged from a devastating 2015-2016 recession.

Embattled far-right President Jair Bolsonaro came to power in January on a promise to revive the economy, which grew only 1.1 percent in 2017 and 2018.

He may take some comfort from the improvement in the February-April unemployment rate of 12.5 percent -- down from 12.7 percent in the January to March period.

But it still leaves more than 13 million people looking for work.

"It could get worse because there is no way to generate employment with a virtually stagnant economy," warned Jose Ronaldo Souza, an economist at the government-backed Institute for Applied Economic Research.

Friday's data also showed that a record 4.9 million people gave up searching for a job -- 4.3 percent more than the previous three-month period.

And the number of underemployed people -- which measures the utilization of the workforce -- also hit the highest level since the statistical series began in 2012 -- 28.4 million people, up 3.9 percent.

Among them is Lucia Santos, 23, who has been looking for full-time work as a cashier in Rio de Janeiro for the past five years.

"It's difficult, even more so for people who have children. It's extremely complicated," Santos told AFP at a jobs center this week. She has two children, aged seven and five.

"I think things are going to get worse than they are now (under Bolsonaro)."

Her comments were echoed by Wellington Wilson, who has spent the past year trying to get work as a waiter.

"There are no jobs, no vacancies," said Williams, 45, as he sat at a government employment agency.

Story continues

"I've never stayed unemployed for this long before. In the past it's taken me one or two months at the most to find a job.

"It's very difficult."

The outlook for Brazil's economy is bleak. Market analysts have pared back their full-year growth forecasts for 13 weeks in a row and now expect the economy to grow 1.2 percent.

Bolsonaro's government has insisted that the way to turn around the economy is to pass its ambitious pension reform, which is stalled in Congress.

Approval of that bill would pave the way for other much-needed reforms, analysts say.

Souza warned that pension reform was not a silver bullet to Brazil's economic woes.

Without it, though, it would be difficult to resolve Brazil's "fiscal problem."

"We are at serious risk of slipping back into recession," he said.

One of the factors holding back Brazil's recovery is its huge public debt, which the International Monetary Fund estimates to be 88 percent of GDP -- one of the largest among its peers.
SAO PAULO, May 31 (Reuters) - The Brazilian government reported on Friday a case of atypical mad cow disease in an animal in Mato Grosso state, according to a statement from the country's Agriculture Ministry.

The ministry said the case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), was detected in a 17-year-old cow. It said it collected the necessary material for tests and incinerated all other parts of the cow.

"No part of the animal entered the food chain, there are no risks for the population," the statement said.

The case was considered "atypical" as the animal contracted the BSE protein spontaneously, rather than through the feed supply. Classical cases of mad cow are caused when cattle are fed brain or spinal tissue of other ruminants, which is now forbidden in nearly all beef producing countries including Brazil.

In 2012 in Brazil tests showed that a cow that had died two years earlier in Parana state had developed the protein that causes mad cow disease, though the animal never developed the disease and died of natural causes.

The World Organisation for Animal Health maintained Brazil's status as a country with an insignificant risk of BSE at that time, after it confirmed the atypical Parana case.

Even so, several countries including South Korea, China and Egypt banned some or all beef imports from Brazil, the world's top exporter. That trade was later reopened.

Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said it had informed all importers on Friday about the case, as well as the World Organisation for Animal Health. (Reporting by Roberto Samora and Marcelo Teixeira; Editing by Sandra Maler)
By Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil withdrew an invitation to the envoy for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to present her diplomatic credentials, she said on Friday, and the government in Brasilia said it would decide later whether to accept them.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still recognizes Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela, his spokesman said. Guaido's envoy, Maria Teresa Belandria, played down the idea that the snub reflected skepticism from Bolsonaro's government.

Diplomatic analysts said mounting evidence that a change of government in Venezuela is not imminent may have Bolsonaro and his aides wondering if they overplayed their support for Guaido.

Former military officers making up about a third of Brazil's cabinet have been wary of provoking Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, warning against moves that could tip an economic and political crisis into violence across Brazil's northern border.

Belandria had been invited to present her credentials at the presidential palace along with ambassadors from other countries next Tuesday, but the government changed its mind.

"I was uninvited," she told Reuters, but went on to dismiss any suggestion the snub reflected diminished support for Guaido.

"There will be another opportunity," she said. "Brazil's support continues to be strong, solid and decisive. It's merely a protocol matter."

Presidential spokesman General Otavio Rego Barros said Belandria was the representative of Venezuela's "legitimate president" and denied an invitation had been withdrawn.

"Reception or not of the letters of accreditation will be assessed at a more convenient moment," he told Reuters.

Brazilian newspapers Folha de S.Paulo and O Globo reported that Bolsonaro's government had canceled her invitation because ex-military aides want to pursue dialogue with Maduro, who also has an official representative in Brasilia.

Story continues

"They realize Brazil has to deal with the reality that Maduro is not going anywhere right now and, even if he leaves, Guaido will not be president and a general will likely take his place," said Oliver Stuenkel, a professor of foreign relations at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Sao Paulo.

Guaido invoked Venezuela's constitution in January to assume the interim presidency, saying Maduro's reelection was not legitimate. Brazil and most Western countries have since backed him as head of state.

However, the Brazilian government has not revoked the credentials of Maduro's representatives in Brasilia.

Guaido's press team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Venezuela recently reopened its border crossing to Brazil after a nearly three-month closure, and Bolsonaro's aides are working to restore more regular power supply for the Brazilian state of Roraima, which depends on the Venezuelan grid.

Bolsonaro, like many heads of state in the region, has been sharply critical of the Maduro government, and advisers to U.S. President Donald Trump have pressed him to take a harder line, raising speculation about positioning U.S. troops in Brazil.

Bolsonaro's top security adviser, retired General Augusto Heleno, told Reuters two weeks ago that Venezuela's armed forces will decide Maduro's future and could depose him to lead a transition to democratic elections.

"Recognition of Guaido's envoy was never agreed to by the military, who vetoed the idea of a U.S. base in Brazil from day one," said Brazilian diplomat Paulo Roberto de Almeida.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Lisandra Paraguassu; editing by Brad Haynes, Susan Thomas and James Dalgleish)
Paris (AFP) - A British man on trial in Paris in absentia over the 1996 killing of a French woman in Ireland was handed a 25-year prison sentence on Friday by judges, who issued a new arrest warrant in a bid to put him in jail.

Ian Bailey, a 62-year-old former freelance journalist, has always denied killing Sophie Toscan du Plantier, the wife of a prominent French film producer, at her holiday home in County Cork in southwest Ireland.

But Bailey refused to appear at the French trial that opened Monday, and Dublin has rejected two previous requests to extradite him, citing insufficient evidence.

In its ruling, the court said there was "sufficient evidence" to justify the conviction despite Bailey's "constant denials".

Toscan du Plantier's 38-year-old son, Pierre-Louis Baudey-Vignaud, fell back into his seat upon hearing the verdict, while her 92-year-old father, Georges Bouniol, wiped his eyes with a white handkerchief.

"After 22 years of waiting, 22 years of suffering, 22 years of questions, the judges have convicted Ian Bailey who killed my mother," Baudey-Vignaud told reporters afterwards.

"It's a victory for the family, for the truth," he added. He was 15 years old when his mother was murdered.

Injuries to her hands showed that Toscan du Plantier had fought to defend herself, and a large rock and a bloodstained concrete block were found near her body.

Bailey, who lived near her house, was found with scratches afterwards which he attributed to a Christmas tree and cutting up a turkey for dinner.

A lawyer for Bailey in Ireland described the verdict as a "miscarriage of justice", criticising the French for having shown "total disrespect to the Irish justice system".

"He is innocent of the crime... Our public prosecutor has long since decided that this is the case," Frank Buttimer told AFP.

He added that he hoped the Irish courts would be "consistent with their previous decisions" not to extradite Bailey, who now sells pizzas in the village of Schull where the murder took place.

Story continues

- 'Murderous rage' -

The Irish government has refused to send him to stand trial, saying he was twice arrested for questioning by police who failed to find any substantive evidence.

It has also cited the lack of an extradition agreement with France, which moved ahead with a trial following a complaint by the family of the victim in 1997.

French prosecutors had sought a 30-year prison term, accusing Bailey of a "barbaric crime committed against a woman... who no doubt endured three minutes of terror."

During the trial, the three judges hearing the case were told that Bailey had given details of the crime in his own reporting that had not been disclosed to the press.

A lawyer for the victim's family, Marie Dose, told the court on Wednesday: "You have absolutely everything you need to convict him: the victim's wounds, the wounds on the killer, his incoherent account of what he was doing, the information he gave before anyone else.

"And you have the sexual motive: He was obsessed with her, he wrote it down on page after page in his notebooks," Dose said.

"He had been drinking, it was a full moon, he was excited," she said, but when his advances were refused, "he went into a murderous rage".

Toscan du Plantier was 39 when she was murdered. Her husband Daniel Toscan du Plantier, the former director-general of the Gaumont Film Company, died in 2003.

"I can only regret that the defendant is not here today," said Baudey-Vignaud, accusing Bailey of a "very great lack of courage".
SOFIA, May 31 (Reuters) - Bulgaria has agreed to buy U.S. natural gas for the first time, signing a deal for a delivery in the second quarter and another in the third, the country's energy minister said on Friday.

Dutch-registered trader Kolmar NL will deliver a 90 million cubic meter (mcm) cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a second of 50 mcm.

"The ship carrying LNG from the United States has arrived at the Greek Revithoussa LNG terminal," Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova said. "This is yet another step towards liberalization of the gas market and a clear sign of diversification."

The first LNG shipment is from U.S. producer Cheniere and the second one from the U.S. unit of British Petroleum, she said.

Sofia at present buys almost all of its gas from Russia via one route.

It pledged to diversify after a 2009 dispute with Moscow disrupted winter supplies.

It is set to begin receiving mainly Azeri gas via a 182 km interconnector link with Greece expected to be ready by the end of 2020 with an initial annual capacity of three billion cubic meters. (Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; editing by Jason Neely)
Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

May has been an especially cozy month in the online relationship between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Trump began the month announcing his confidence in the authoritarian figure  He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me  reiterating that pledge on May 25. And during his trip to Japan, Trump said he concurred with Kims assessment that Joe Biden is a fool of low IQ. I think they agree in their assessment of former vice-president Joe Biden, said Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, clarifying that the president did indeed defend Chairman Kims insult of the former veep.

Many Trump tweets fail the test of time, and it seems thats already true of his recent messages of goodwill toward Kim. According to Chosun Ilbo, South Koreas largest daily newspaper, the North Korean government has executed its special envoy to the United States on spying charges. In March, Kim Hyok-chol was reportedly executed by firing squad for being won over by the American imperialists to betray the supreme leader, as part of the Kim governments purge of its nuclear negotiators after talks in Hanoi went nowhere. The paper reported that four North Korean Foreign Ministry officials were also killed, though it did not provide any sourcing details. The New York Times reports that South Korean officials could not confirm the information published by Chosun Ilbo.

Another top official, Kim Yong Chol  the counterpart to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Hanoi summit  was reportedly sentenced to forced labor and ideological education. An interpreter, Shin Hye Yong, was reportedly sent to a political prison camp for making a translation mistake.

Its unclear how the Trump administration may respond to the report that a government in which the president recently pledged his confidence has executed officials for a perceived failure in negotiations. But one claim that the White House cannot make in good faith is that the president didnt know of Kim Jong-uns ruthless efforts to consolidate power since becoming Supreme Leader in 2011  including the execution of Kims uncle Jang Song-thaek in 2013, killed at the same airfield outside Pyongyang as Kim Hyok-chol.
Shares of Beyond Meat BYND jumped over 3% in early morning trading Friday to help extend the newly public, plant-based meat companys stellar May. BYND stock has soared as the market falls and stands in contrast to Uber UBER and Lyft LYFT. So, lets see if investors should consider buying Beyond Meat stock heading into the companys first-quarter fiscal 2019 earnings release.

BYNDs Pitch

Beyond Meat was founded in 2009 and today sells what it calls plant-based meat. The firms portfolio is currently made up of burger patties, sausage (brats and hot Italian), and beef crumbles for pasta and tacos. The patties are made from four main ingredients: water, pea protein isolate, canola oil, and refined coconut oil. Unlike some vegetarian burgers, Beyond Meat aims to mimic the taste, consistency, and cooking profile of animal meat. It is important to know that BYND sees its customers as meat eaters, not necessarily vegetarians or vegans.

The companys ability to attract meat eaters to its plant-based offerings will be vital because only 5% of Americans say they are vegetarians, according to a 2018 Gallup pollunchanged from 2012. Overall, Beyond Meat wants to attract consumers to what it calls the The Future of Protein, based on larger, more humanitarian-esque goals. Part of the El Segundo, California-based companys goal is to create a better way to feed the planet, according to its mission statement.

By shifting from animal, to plant-based meat, we are creating one savory solution that solves four growing issues attributed to livestock production: human health, climate change, constraints on natural resources and animal welfare.

Overview

As we touched on at the top, shares of BYND have skyrocketed roughly 50% since opening May 2 at $46.00 per share. In fact, the stock climbed 163% in its first day of trading to close at $65.75 per share, which was the biggest first-day pop for a company raising more than $200 million since the height of the dot-com boom. BYND shares opened Friday at $100.00 and the company boasts a market cap of $5.821 billion. Despite the impressive market cap, Beyond Meat lost nearly $30 million in 2018 on revenue of roughly $87.9 million.

Story continues

Beyond Meat stock is clearly red hot and the firm has a range of high-profile athletes, including Houston Rockets star Chris Paul, as brand ambassadors to help convince customers that its products offer suitable protein and more. Beyond Meat can now be found in grocery stores such as Safeway, Publix, Kroger KR, along with restaurants such as Carls Jr. and Del Taco.

On the more speculative side, McDonald's MCD CEO Steve Easterbrook commented earlier this week on the possibility of the fast-food giant partnering with a firm like Beyond Meat. And Jefferies analysts wrote in a note Tuesday that Beyond Meat is well positioned to partner with McDonald's, and that a deal makes sense for both parties.

Competition

The firm grabbed roughly 2% of the alternative meat market in 2018, according to research firm Euromonitor. And meat alternatives currently account for around 5% of the total meat market. Meanwhile, Kellogg-owned MorningStar Farms captured the largest market share at 17%, with Kraft Heinzs KHC Boca brand at roughly 4% last year.

Investors should also note that one of BYNDs main rivals, Impossible Foods, which could go public soon, has made its way into Burger King and many other restaurants. Maybe most importantly, traditional meat industry giants like Hormel Foods HRL, Tyson Foods TSN, Cargill, and others are reportedly set to roll out their own plant-based meat offerings sooner than later.

Outlook

Moving on, our current Zacks Consensus Estimate calls for the company to report an adjusted quarterly loss of $0.14 per share in Q1. Beyond Meats is then expected to report an adjusted full-year loss of $0.28 per share. With that said, investors and Wall Street dont care about the companys earnings at this time as it is still firmly in its growth phase. Nonetheless, the firms fiscal 2020 earnings are projected to surge nearly 90% above our current year estimate to a loss of just $0.03 per share.

At the top of the income statement, BYND is projected to report Q1 fiscal 2019 revenue of $38.66 million there are no comparable results from the year-ago period. With that said, the companys fiscal 2019 revenue is projected to soar 133% from $87.9 million in 2018 to $205.5 million. Peeking further ahead, BYNDs fiscal 2020 revenue is projected to climb 60% above our current year estimate to reach $330.1 million.

Bottom Line

Beyond Meat is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) that has seen its stock price climb extremely quickly. The firm clearly shows signs of growth. But, Beyond Meat will soon have to face steep competition in a market that remains extremely uncertain.

BYND could be a home run-style stock for investors to consider at the moment. However, with shares of Beyond Meat up so big, its first earnings release as a public company will be a huge test. Therefore, it might be wise to see how Wall Street reacts to BYNDs Q1 results and guidance as a post-release selloff could be on the horizon, which would set up a far more enticing buying opportunity.

Beyond Meat is scheduled to report its first-quarter fiscal 2019 financial results after the market closes on Thursday, June 6. Make sure to head back to Zacks for a complete breakdown of its actual quarterly metrics.

The Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019



Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.



These companies are changing the world  and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month.



Click here to see these 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



Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Hormel Foods Corporation (HRL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) : Free Stock Analysis Report



McDonald's Corporation (MCD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



The Kroger Co. (KR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Lyft, Inc. (LYFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



UBER TECHNOLOGS (UBER) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's cabinet on Friday agreed to extend a programme of handing 6,000 rupees ($86) a year to another 25 million farmers of the country, farm minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.

In the interim budget for the 2019/20 fiscal year presented in February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's last government had started the direct cash support programme for 120 million poor and small farmers as part of efforts to placate growers struggling with weak crop prices.

The cabinet, the first under Modi's second term, also agreed to roll out a pension plan for farmers, Tomar said.

(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Krishna N. Das)
BUDAPEST, May 31 (Reuters) - The captain of a passenger cruiser that collided with a boat that capsized killing South Korean tourists on board denies having broken any rules or committing a criminal office, his lawyer said in a statement cited by state news agency MTI on Friday.

Hungarian police said late on Thursday they had taken into custody the captain of the 440-foot (135-meter) cruise ship, which hit and sank the smaller pleasure boat. It was so far unclear what caused the accident.

In the statement the lawyer said treating the 64-year-old Ukrainian captain as a suspect was "premature, at the moment not more than a theory" as experts' opinions were not yet available. (Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Alison Williams)
San Martino di Castrozza (Italy) (AFP) - Ecuador's Richard Carapaz tightened his grip on the leader's pink jersey as Colombia's Esteban Chaves claimed victory in the 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Friday.

Chaves, riding for the Mitchelton-Scott team, edged clear of a breakaway that battled up a gruelling final 13.6km climb with a 5.6 percent gradient.

The 29-year-old, who finished second in the Giro and third in the Vuelta in 2016, found himself riding solo with just under 3km to race to the line. Italy's Andrea Vendrame twice overcame chain problems to finish second with Portugal's Amaro Antunes rounding out the podium.

"This is pure happiness," beamed Chaves. "It takes a heavy weight off my back.

"It's a relief to be a winner again. It shows I can do it. Because the last climb wasn't very steep, I had to attack many many times. A big thank you to everyone who supported me when I had a hard time."

Chaves' compatriot Miguel Angel Lopez, chasing second spot in the general classification, was the big winner of the day as he finished more than 40sec ahead of his main rivals.

With just two days of racing to come, the Colombian is now lying in sixth at 5min 33sec.

"I felt good all day, so I attacked," said Lopez. "I am happy with the result but, certainly, the most important thing will be decided tomorrow."

Leader Carapaz resisted a late surge by third-placed Primoz Roglic, holding on to cross the mountain-top finish line in a peloton alongside the Slovenian, Italian Vincenzo Nibali and Spain's Mikel Landa, the latter two staying in second and fourth positions overall respectively.

"I was expecting Miguel Angel Lopez to attack, but we dealt with it the best possible way with Mikel Landa," Carapaz said.

"It's another good day for us and we're looking forward to tomorrow. We're ready to defend the Maglia Rosa in a harder stage than today."

Story continues

On Saturday's penultimate stage, the riders tackle a punishing 193km ride from Feltre to Croce d'Aune Monte Avena in the Dolomites that features five long climbs including 11km at 5.5 percent up Croce d'Aune and 6.9km at 7.3 percent up Monte Avena.

Carapaz said he was sure he could count on the support Landa, who started the race as Movistar team leader.

"From now on, he is at my service 100%. He told me himself," Carapaz said.

The Giro ends with a 15.6km time trial in Verona on Sunday.

"I will worry about Verona when I am in Verona," Carapaz said. "Tomorrow, is a big stage, very long with a lot of climbs."
The one-off single sees the rapper struggling with overexposure, claiming in the chorus "Cardi don't need more press."

"Kill' em all, put them hoes to rest/Walk in, bulletproof vest/Please tell me who she gon' check/ Murder scene, Cardi made a mess," she spits over an orchestral beat.

Earlier this week, Cardi B previewed the song on social media through a series of bold teasers.

She first published on Twitter a photo of Aileen Wuornos in a handcuffed pose -- this former sex worker was executed in 2002 after being convicted for the murders of seven men.

PRESS SINGLE AND OFFICIAL COVER ART DROPS THIS FRIDAY 5/31 pic.twitter.com/UMyASZirjD  iamcardib (@iamcardib) 28 mai 2019

She later posted a photo of herself posing in a similar way inside a courtroom.

The final teaser depicted Cardi B being escorted out of a courtroom, as paparazzi surrounded her.

It is unclear if "Press" will appear on her next album, which will follow her 2018 debut "Invasion of Privacy." Cardi B said in an Instagram Live session in January that she was hoping to release a new LP this year.

"Of course it's gonna be an album in 2019. Hopefully, I could get my album done around the same time that 'Invasion of Privacy' came out, but I don't know how possible that's gonna be because I feel like I'm going to be extremely, extremely busy," she said.

More recently, she came under fire for cancelling several tour dates over plastic surgery complications.

"My job as an entertainer is a 24-hour job, bro," she told fans in a Instagram Live session. "So no I don't have time to work out... I wanted specific things that I know that no matter how much I work out won't get fixed... I'm cancelling millions of dollars in shows, but health is wealth so I have to do what I have to do."

Story continues

Cardi B will resume her tour on June 2 at the HOT 97 Summer Jam, taking place in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Additional information can be found at www.cardibofficial.com/.

Discover "Press" below:
Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) was harshly critical of one of President Trumps district-court nominees, Michael Bogren, casting him during a confirmation hearing as an enemy of religious freedom and an anti-Catholic bigot. The senators ire stems from a case in which East Lansing, Mich., barred a Catholic family from participating in a farmers market because that family rents its farm for marriage ceremonies but is not willing to host same-sex weddings. Bogren represented the city, and his briefs repeatedly mentioned the Ku Klux Klan.

In the public debate since the hearing, Bogren has had defenders and Hawley critics on the left and right. I have great respect for a few of the people who have taken this side of the argument. But I have doubts about their case.

They make three principal arguments for Bogren over Hawley. (1) Bogren was merely representing a client and, if we reject his nomination because he faithfully advocated their position, we are traducing the core American right to fair legal representation. Thats the view of the editors of the Wall Street Journal, for example. (2) Bogrens argument was in fact a reasonable and mainstream one. (3) Bogrens nomination was part of a deal that secured the confirmation of conservative judicial nominees.

Lets take them in that order.

I wonder how far people are willing to take the principle in (1). The Journal compares Hawley to the Harvard students who ousted law professor Ronald Sullivan as a dean because of his representation of Harvey Weinstein. Sullivan lost an existing position, however, rather than the chance to be elevated to another one. Perhaps more important, Sullivan was punished for the mere fact of representation, whereas Hawley has criticized Bogren for the way he represented East Lansing. For these controversies to be analogous, Sullivan would have to have been criticized for smearing and bullying Weinsteins accusers.

Would conservative senators be obligated to look past a judicial nominees past work for Planned Parenthood  arguing, lets say, for a constitutional right to subsidies for abortion  because everyone has a right to a lawyer? Would a conservative White House be so obligated? What if the nominee had spent much of his career providing such representation? Or  if the social-issue context is too much of a distraction  would conservatives be obligated to say its perfectly fine for a Republican administrations nominee to have argued for Obamacares individual mandate while working for health insurers?

Story continues

We want to foster and protect a culture in which clients views are not automatically imputed to lawyers and nobody is so unpopular or politically controversial that he cannot get legal representation. Hawleys critics are right about that, and indeed Hawley claims to agree with that goal. Embracing an absolute principle to further that goal is a more dubious matter.

A related argument  call it argument 1(b)  is that Hawley is setting a bad precedent. The Journal raises it. Consider Kyle Duncan, recently confirmed for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, who had challenged ObamaCares contraception mandate for the Becket Fund. Imagine what Hawaiis Mazie Hirono would have done with that if Democrats controlled the Senate. I can well imagine it. I can imagine it regardless of whether Hawley objected to Bogren. Conservative politicians and editorialists are going to have to find a way to distinguish between, on the one hand, hostility to religious liberty and, on the other, advocacy of it.

The second part of the case for Bogren and against Hawley is that Bogrens argument was in fact a reasonable and mainstream one. Note that this point is superfluous if the principle in (1) is as strong as it is said to be. If were obligated in principle to ignore the merits of the arguments that lawyers have made when evaluating their fitness for the bench, then it does not matter whether those arguments are moderate, cracked, or something in between. Admit that the specifics of the arguments matter, and the apparently ironclad principle of (1) is demoted to an important consideration.

Taking (2) on its own: Most of the conservative legal academics to whom Ive spoken  who admittedly may not be a representative sample, but who have read the key filings  do not believe that Bogren acted in a reasonable manner. They point to three features of his representation beyond his KKK analogies. Bogren opposed letting the Catholic Church file a brief in the case, an unusually aggressive move that could be read as suggesting animus. He gratuitously criticized the plaintiffs for their allegedly selective fidelity to Catholic teaching. And he misstated the law. Bogren claimed that Bob Jones University had established that religious belief is no constitutional defense against a claim of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or (Bogren implies) sexual orientation. But the law does not treat these types of discrimination equivalently. Laws that classify by race are subject to strict scrutiny; laws that classify by sex are subject to intermediate scrutiny. Institutions that discriminate based on race, even for religious reasons, lose their tax exemption: Thats the specific holding of Bob Jones University. Tax-exempt institutions that discriminate on the basis of sex for religious reasons have not even faced serious legal challenges.

On to (3). As the Journal concedes, Republican senators are not bound by any deal to which they werent party. At most they would have to consider the possibility that by making it harder for the White House to reach deals, they might set back the cause of moving the judiciary in the right direction. But it seems at least as likely that they would increase conservatives leverage by showing that their votes for flawed nominees cannot be taken for granted. As of now, Im inclined to say that if the White House persists with this nomination, senators should exercise their independent judgment and vote against it.

More from National Review
Photo: Bogomil Mihaylov/Unsplash

Looking to up your appreciation of the arts?

We've rounded up three artsy events around Charlotte this week that will scratch your cultural itch, from a comedy show to a painting class.

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.

Dinner & Comedy Show: Tony Tone with Andy Forrester

From the event description:

SuperJoy is bringing an evening of Italian cuisine and guaranteed laughter. Your ticket includes three courses, served family style with ciabatta rolls, coffee, hot or iced tea and sodas. Cash Bar. Headlining this extraordinary event is comedian Tony Tone, who has entertained crowds with his mastery of impressions and real life humor since 1990.

When: Saturday, June 1, 6-9:30 p.m.

Where: Maggiano's Little Italy, 4400 Sharon Road, SouthPark Mall

Price: $50

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

The Charlotte Chorale Presents 'Home: A Place in Your Heart'

From the event description:

Please join the Charlotte Chorale as it presents its spring concert. This is a musical celebration of the places we call home. You will enjoy hearing songs that remind us of home. Songs include: "Living in America," "New York, New York" and more.

When: Saturday, June 1, 7-8:30 p.m.

Where: South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church, 8601 Bryant Farms Road

Price: $17

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Party - Painting

From the Carolina Cure Paint Parties deal description:

Carolina Cure was born of pure passion for the process and creative focus used to create, inspire and enjoy life.

Where: 920 Hamilton St.

Price: $25 (50 percent discount off regular price)

Click here for more details, and to take advantage of 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.
Will a triumphant Trump go wild in a possible second term? Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

For as long as its been under discussion, Ive been firmly a skeptic of the advisability of impeachment proceedings against Trump by House Democrats. Like Speaker Nancy Pelosi, I thought the zero-percent probability of a Senate vote for conviction, no matter what the facts showed, meant impeachment would be a distracting spectacle that would interfere with the Houses (and the Democratic Partys) hard work of conducting less fraught investigations and preparing for the 2020 campaign.

Yes, the redacted Mueller report convinced me that Trump has richly earned impeachment. And Ive been open to the argument that without at least the initiation of impeachment proceedings, Trumps stonewalling of Congress might make less fraught investigations impossible. But still, the lack of majority public support for this step seems crucial. It seems likely that impeachment could take over the 2020 election cycle, narrowing rather than expanding the Democratic indictment of Trumps presidency. The obsessive media attention devoted to impeachment before, during, and after the formal proceedings might well step on the Democratic messages that worked in the midterms, overshadow the campaign of Trumps Democratic opponent, and rev up the MAGA machine into a high-pitched chattering whine of turnout-generating hate-frenzy.

And beneath it all, I suspect that impeachment fever is less about pursuing a logical approach to holding Trump accountable or performing Congresss constitutional duty than about relieving many years of progressive frustration, dating back at least to the Florida fiasco of 2000, over the inability of Democrats to behave as ruthlessly as their GOP rivals. After endlessly imploring Democratic elected officials to show spine, could they accept that it is wiser to let Trump briefly have his way and then show him the door in November of 2020?

So when David Frum penned his own case against impeachment, I followed along, silently nodding as he made many of these same points, expressing some better than I could:

[A]n acquitted Trump will be an immunized Trump. Is it vexing to hear Trumps team misrepresent Robert Muellers report as an exoneration? Imagine what they will say and do if they defeat impeachment on a party-line Senate vote. It was all fake news, a plot by the Deep State. As false and wrong as those claims will be, how will Democrats sustain the momentum to hold Trump to account after a trial and acquittal? Wont they then have to submit to the jeers of Trump henchpersons: This issue was litigated, and its time to move on?

Impeachment now threatens to turn the 2020 election into a referendum on the Democrats methods in Congress, not Trumps wrongdoing in the presidency, in the campaign, and in private life.

But at the very end Frum offered an argument I had not thought of, and it made my blood run cold:

They [should] reserve the impeachment remedy for the very genuine possibility of a Trump second term, by which time the Senate will likely have shifted more in the Democrats direction.

While fearing impeachment might help Trump win a second term, it hadnt occurred to me that in this circumstance he might truly run wild with unconstitutional actions and flouting of norms and nose-thumbing at Congress at a level not yet envisioned. Yes, technically, the House is not limited to one impeachment per president, but its hard to imagine Democrats being able to go to that well twice. Even Andrew Johnson, who rebelled against the party that put him in the White House, regularly defied Congress, and tried with all his might to spoil the just fruits of the bloodiest war in American history, didnt suffer multiple impeachments.

Yes, there are those who remain convinced that heading down the road to impeachment is the best way to ensure Trump loses in 2020. Theyd better be really sure. As fictional gunman Omar Little once said on the TV crime drama The Wire: You come at the king, you best not miss.
Chevron Corporation CVX recently commenced expansion work of the Gorgon LNG project in Western Australia through second stage drilling operations. The campaign is expected to feed the three production trains of the multibillion dollar Gorgon project.

The latest development is expected to enhance Chevrons existing subsea gas-gathering network through the addition of seven new wells in the Gorgon field and four wells in the Jansz-Io field. The depth of the wells is anticipated to be in the range of 220-1320 meters. While a mobile offshore drilling unit, DD1, is likely to be used at the Gorgon field for drilling the wells, the Jansz-Io field is expected to get a specialised drill ship, KG-2.

The expansion includes system upgrades at the 15.6 million tons per annum LNG facility, located on the Barrow Island. Moreover, the installation of 11 vertical subsea production trees and production pipelines of 46kilometers constitutes part of the plan. Additionally, 2840 tons of subsea structures will be added during the campaign.

The expansion will enable Chevron to provide customers with cleaner energy sources over a long term. As demand for LNG is expected to surge in the coming years, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, Chevrons ability to supply LNG from Australia can be viewed as a long-term profit source.

Chevron is the operator of the Gorgon Project with 47.3% stake. It is partnered by Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM, Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A, Japan's Osaka Gas, Tokyo Gas and JERA with respective interests of 25%, 25%, 1.25%, 1% and 0.417%.

Price Performance

San Ramon, CA-based Chevron has gained 9.1% year to date compared with 3.9% collective growth of its industry.

Zacks Rank and Stock to Consider

Chevron currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked player in the energy space is Hess Corporation HES, having a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Story continues

Hess earnings are expected to soar more than 127% through 2019.

The Could Be the Fastest Way to Grow Wealth in 2019

Research indicates one sector is poised to deliver a crop of the best-performing stocks you'll find anywhere in the market. Breaking news in this space frequently creates quick double- and triple-digit profit opportunities.

These companies are changing the world  and owning their stocks could transform your portfolio in 2019 and beyond. Recent trades from this sector have generated +98%, +119% and +164% gains in as little as 1 month.

Click here to see these 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



Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Chevron Corporation (CVX) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Hess Corporation (HES) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
By Lisa Rapaport

(Reuters Health) -- Children who suffer adverse experiences like abuse and neglect may be more likely to have sleep problems in adulthood, a U.S. study suggests.

Adverse childhood experiences, commonly called ACEs, can include witnessing parents fight or go through a divorce, having a parent with a mental illness or substance abuse problem, or suffering from sexual, physical or emotional abuse. ACEs have been linked to what's known as toxic stress, or wear and tear on the body that leads to physical and mental health problems that often continue from one generation to the next.

For the current study, published in the journal Sleep, researchers surveyed 22,403 adults who were 47 years old on average about any adversity they experienced during childhood. Overall, 42% of the participants didn't report any ACEs, while another 23% experienced one type of ACE and the rest were exposed to at least two ACEs.

About 61% of the adults got an optimal amount of sleep - 7 to 9 hours a night - and roughly one-third of them got too little sleep - less than 6 hours nightly.

Each ACE people experienced was associated with 22% higher odds of getting too little sleep. People with three ACEs were more than twice as likely to get too little sleep, and the risk was more than tripled for adults with five or more ACEs.

"Previous studies have shown that adults who experienced adverse childhood experiences have an increased likelihood of sleep disturbance, and poor sleep quality," said lead study author Kelly Sullivan of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.

What makes the current study unique is that it shows the that adverse childhood experiences can also impact sleep duration, Sullivan said by email. This is likely due to the lasting effects of toxic stress.

"Excessive or prolonged stress has been shown to biologically alter the brain and affect health, learning and behavior," Sullivan said. "These effects can last throughout the lifespan."

Story continues

People in the study were typically overweight, which can impact the risk of sleep problems. Almost half of them were former smokers, and about 21% were current smokers, which can also negatively impact sleep quality and quantity.

Only 10% of the adults reported experiencing frequent mental distress.

Mental health challenges or poor physical health didn't appear to influence the association between ACEs and insufficient sleep in adulthood, however.

Out of all the different types of ACEs, domestic abuse, child abuse and rape had the biggest impact on sleep duration in adulthood.

When people did experience ACEs, they most often reported emotional abuse, living with an alcoholic, or parental divorce.

The study wasn't a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how ACEs might directly cause sleep deficiencies.

One limitation of the study is that researchers lacked data on the duration of the ACE or age at exposure, which could impact how these exposures contribute to sleep issues down the line.

Even so, the results offer fresh evidence of the long-term impact of childhood exposure to toxic stress, said Dr. Nicole Racine of the University of Calgary and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute in Canada, who wasn't involved in the study.

Children who are exposed to abuse and adversity experience heightened levels of toxic stress, Racine said by email. She added, "Toxic stress has a wear and tear on the body and also impacts a child's developing brain, including areas of the brain that regulate sleep."

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2ENJlea Sleep, online May 21, 2019.
BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Friday it had detected the African swine fever virus in pigs being illegally transported to southwestern Guizhou province.

A truck carrying 32 pigs from another province was stopped near the city of Duyun in Guizhou. One pig was already dead and another was sick, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on its website.

The report comes as African swine fever, usually fatal to pigs but not harmful to people, spreads through China's southern provinces after ravaging herds in the north last year.

(Reporting by Dominique Patton; Editing by Nick Macfie)
By Idrees Ali

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chinese and U.S. defence chiefs held "constructive" talks on Friday but were expected to clash over China's growing global security role at a weekend Asia security summit.

A U.S. military report on the Indo-Pacific region, to be released on Saturday alongside a speech by acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, sharply criticises Beijing's security policies, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

The United States and China are locked in an escalating trade war and are at odds over a range of issues from the disputed South China Sea to democratic Taiwan, claimed by China as its sacred territory and to be taken by force if needed.

After the bilateral meeting in Singapore, Wu Qian, Chinas defence ministry spokesman, told reporters that while the talks were constructive, Defence Minister Wei Fenghe had flagged "unconstructive" U.S. words and actions over Taiwan.

China has been particularly incensed by recent U.S. Navy patrols in the Taiwan Strait, U.S. legislation in support of Taiwan and a meeting between Taiwans national security chief David Lee and U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton.

"The United States should not underestimate Chinas determination, will and capabilities to safeguard its sovereignty and territory," Wu said.

Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, a Pentagon spokesman, said Shanahan found their 20-minute meeting "constructive and productive".

"The two leaders discussed ways to build military-to-military relations that reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation between our nations," Buccino said.

He added that Shanahan discussed how the two militaries could better cooperate to enforce North Korea sanctions.

Prior to the meeting, Shanahan told reporters that the relationship between the two militaries had "a lot of potential" and he would discuss proposals to improve relations with Wei.

CALL OUT CHINESE BEHAVIOUR

Story continues

Nevertheless, Shanahan - who on his first day in his role in January said the U.S. military would focus on "China, China, China" - said he would use a speech on Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to call out Chinese actions.

"This part might be viewed as spicy, kind of call out good behaviours, bad behaviours," Shanahan said, adding that China's military actions in the South China Sea had been excessive.

China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs over what Washington says is Beijing's militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs.

China claims almost all of the strategic waterway and blames the United States and its allies for escalating tensions by carrying out naval operations in the region.

"They argue that it is defensive, it looks like its a bit overkill, surface to air missiles, long runways... it seems excessive," Shanahan said.

A draft Pentagon report titled "Indo-Pacific Strategy report," which is expected to be published on Saturday, was critical on Chinese actions in the region. It is unclear whether any changes will be made to the report before publication.

"The People's Republic of China (PRC), under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), undermines the international system from within by exploiting its benefits while simultaneously eroding the values and principles of the rules-based order," says the report, signed by Shanahan.

The nearly 55-page report says the Pentagon's strategy in the Indo-Pacific region is to improve preparedness in the region, strengthen alliances, and increase multilateral arrangements with other countries in the region.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; additional reporting by Joe Brock and Lee Chyen Yee; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Jon Boyle)
By Idrees Ali

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chinese and U.S. defense chiefs held "constructive" talks on Friday but were expected to clash over China's growing global security role at a weekend Asia security summit.

A U.S. military report on the Indo-Pacific region, to be released on Saturday alongside a speech by acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, sharply criticizes Beijing's security policies, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

The United States and China are locked in an escalating trade war and are at odds over a range of issues from the disputed South China Sea to democratic Taiwan, claimed by China as its sacred territory and to be taken by force if needed.

After the bilateral meeting in Singapore, Wu Qian, Chinas defense ministry spokesman, told reporters that while the talks were constructive, Defense Minister Wei Fenghe had flagged "unconstructive" U.S. words and actions over Taiwan.

China has been particularly incensed by recent U.S. Navy patrols in the Taiwan Strait, U.S. legislation in support of Taiwan and a meeting between Taiwans national security chief David Lee and U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton.

"The United States should not underestimate Chinas determination, will and capabilities to safeguard its sovereignty and territory," Wu said.

Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, a Pentagon spokesman, said Shanahan found their 20-minute meeting "constructive and productive".

"The two leaders discussed ways to build military-to-military relations that reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation between our nations," Buccino said.

He added that Shanahan discussed how the two militaries could better cooperate to enforce North Korea sanctions.

Prior to the meeting, Shanahan told reporters that the relationship between the two militaries had "a lot of potential" and he would discuss proposals to improve relations with Wei.

CALL OUT CHINESE BEHAVIOR

Story continues

Nevertheless, Shanahan - who on his first day in his role in January said the U.S. military would focus on "China, China, China" - said he would use a speech on Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to call out Chinese actions.

"This part might be viewed as spicy, kind of call out good behaviors, bad behaviors," Shanahan said, adding that China's military actions in the South China Sea had been excessive.

China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs over what Washington says is Beijing's militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs.

China claims almost all of the strategic waterway and blames the United States and its allies for escalating tensions by carrying out naval operations in the region.

"They argue that it is defensive, it looks like its a bit overkill, surface to air missiles, long runways... it seems excessive," Shanahan said.

A draft Pentagon report titled "Indo-Pacific Strategy report," which is expected to be published on Saturday, was critical on Chinese actions in the region. It is unclear whether any changes will be made to the report before publication.

"The People's Republic of China (PRC), under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), undermines the international system from within by exploiting its benefits while simultaneously eroding the values and principles of the rules-based order," says the report, signed by Shanahan.

The nearly 55-page report says the Pentagon's strategy in the Indo-Pacific region is to improve preparedness in the region, strengthen alliances, and increase multilateral arrangements with other countries in the region.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; additional reporting by Joe Brock and Lee Chyen Yee; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Jon Boyle)
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Examining China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings Limited's (HKG:3669) past track record of performance is a useful exercise for investors. It allows us to reflect on whether the company has met or exceed expectations, which is a powerful signal for future performance. Below, I will assess 3669's latest performance announced on 31 December 2018 and weight these figures against its longer term trend and industry movements.

View our latest analysis for China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings

Did 3669 perform worse than its track record and industry?

3669's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2018) of CN1.3b has declined by -17% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 25%, indicating the rate at which 3669 is growing has slowed down. Why is this? Well, let's look at what's going on with margins and whether the whole industry is facing the same headwind.

SEHK:3669 Income Statement, May 31st 2019

In terms of returns from investment, China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 14% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 6.2% is below the HK Specialty Retail industry of 6.5%, indicating China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings's are utilized less efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdingss debt level, has increased over the past 3 years from 13% to 21%.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. Companies that are profitable, but have capricious earnings, can have many factors influencing its business. I recommend you continue to research China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Story continues

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 3669s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 3669s outlook. Financial Health: Are 3669s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 December 2018. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
BEIJING, June 1 (Reuters) - An increase in Chinese tariffs on most U.S. imports on a $60 billion target list took effect as planned on Saturday, with Beijing retaliating against Washington's escalation in the trade war between the world's two largest economies.

The tariffs, announced on May 13 and taking effect as of midnight in Beijing (1600 GMT), apply additional 20% or 25% tariffs on more than half of the 5,140 U.S. products targeted. Beijing had previously imposed additional rates of 5% or 10% on the targeted goods.

No further trade talks between top Chinese and U.S. negotiators have been scheduled since the last round ended in a stalemate on May 10, the same day when U.S. President Donald Trump announced higher tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods and then took steps to levy duties on all remaining Chinese imports.

China ordered the latest tariff increases in response to Trump's move.

Trump has accused China of breaking a deal to settle ther trade dispute by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations. China has denied the allegations.

Beijing has grown more strident in recent weeks, accusing Washington of lacking sincerity and vowing that it will not cave to the Trump administration's demands. Its rhetoric has hardened

particularly since Washington put Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd on a blacklist that effectively bans the firm from doing business with U.S. companies. Chinese state-owned newspapers warned this week that Beijing was ready to use its dominance in the production of rare earths - chemical elements used in everything from high-tech consumer electronics to military equipment - in its trade war with the United States. (Reporting by Stella Qiu and Se Young Lee; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
The president and chief operating officer of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has departed the firm, the latest major exit from the San Francisco company, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Asiff Hirji joined the company in December 2017 to help drive the firm's entrance into new markets, including Coinbase Custody. His exit was announced this afternoon at a company all-hands, according to a source.

Hirji exit closely follows that of Coinbase's chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan, who left at the beginning of the month, as well as its former head of institutions Dan Romero, who left the company earlier this year.

Coinbase has undergone a number of notable changes since the beginning of 2019. For instance, the firm has been de-emphasizing its focus on luring larger institutional firms to its marketplace, axing a project in Chicago to build-out a matching engine to meet the needs of high-frequency traders and winding down its plans to build out a full-scale prime broker.

Still, the company has witnessed growth in other areas, including Coinbase Custody and over-the-counter trading, according to its CEO Brian Armstrong. Its OTC business, which was launched in Q4 2018, has grown 100% quarter-over-quarter. Its custody business has grown to $700M in two quarters.

The firm, which was last valued at $8 billion, gatecrashed new corners of the crypto market, including staking. Through its custody business, Coinbase provides services that allow hedge funds to stake certain cryptocurrencies, offering additional yield on them.

In total, the firm staffs over 800 people.

Hirji joined the firm from Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital firm. He also was the president and COO of TD Ameritrade, the world's largest broker. He also held positions at TPG Capital and Bain Capital.
Here are the companies Yahoo Finance is watching today.

A possible big deal for Amazon (AMZN). Reuters says the e-commerce giant is interested in buying Boost Mobile from Sprint, but only if Amazon gets to use T-Mobile's network for at least 6 years. Sprint and T-Mobile are currently negotiating with the Justice Department over conditions for their merger.

German insurance giant Allianz (AZSEY) is striking two big deals worth about a billion dollars. It's buying a unit from rival Legal and General in the UK, and taking full control of a separate joint venture with Liverpool Victoria. The deals will make Allianz the second-largest general insurer in the UK, with about 9% of the market.

Tesla (TSLA) has officially started taking orders for a Model 3 made in China. The base price is about $47,000 dollars. That's 13% cheaper than a version imported from the United States. The savings are largely thanks to getting around hefty import taxes on the cars. Tesla says it expects to start making deliveries of the Chinese-made cars in the next 6-to-10 months.

California is taking the necessary steps to prevent more wildfires. State regulators have signed off on PG&E's (PCG) plan to turn off power lines during dangerously dry and windy weather, but said utilities must do a better job of notifying people about any potential harm. The move comes after last year's fire in California killed 85 people and left the city of Paradise destroyed.

Starting today, Disneyland (DIS) guests will be able to visit the park's new Star Wars attraction. However, they'll have to pay high prices if they want the full experience - which includes $200 lightsabers and $42 cocktails. They'll also only be allowed to stay for about 4 hours before an employee escorts them out.
RIP Thad Cochran. Photo: Charles Dharapak/AP/REX/Shutterstock

With the death of long-time U.S. senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, who served from 1979 until his health-related retirement last year, another fragile link to a bygone era of American politics has been severed. Many current observers of the political scene, particularly progressives, tend to view todays solidly Republican South purely as a product of racial realignment. Following the Jim Crow era, the GOP replaced southern Democrats as the White Mans Party, while newly enfranchised African-Americans gravitated to an increasingly liberal and diverse Donkey Party. But some southern Republicans like Thad Cochran reflected an older, precivil rights set of motives for leaving Democrats behind.

As Sean Trende pointed out in a data-laden essay back in 2010, there was a pre-Goldwater, pre-Reagan southern Republican Party that may have included many racists, but was not primarily motivated by white racial fears and resentments. There was a species of Mountain Republicanism in the Appalachian and Blue Ridge regions that dated all the way back to the Civil War. Tennessees Lamar Alexander (retiring from the Senate next year) was born into that heritage. There were also a growing number of urban-suburban upscale business types who gravitated to the GOP, particularly during the Eisenhower years, for reasons much like their counterparts in other parts of the country. Johnny Isakson of Georgia (who is likely to retire at the end of his current term in 2022) and Cochran are arguably representatives of that legacy.

According to his own account, Cochran, who wasnt that politically active in his youth, became estranged from the Democratic Party not over LBJs drive for civil rights but because of his stewardship of the Vietnam War. He supported Richard Nixon for president in 1968 even as most white Mississipians voted for segregationist independent George Wallace (Wallace won 64 percent of the vote, Nixon just 14 percent).

Those unfamiliar with the rapidly shifting tides of southern politics in those years might have trouble distinguishing Cochrans drift into the GOP from the move of others drawn to the party for primarily racial reasons. You need look no farther than his longtime Senate colleague Trent Lott. As a student at Ole Miss several years after Cochrans arrival there, Lott stood out as a passionate defender of segregated fraternities. He cut his teeth in politics as top aide to Gulf Coast congressman William Colmer, a classic old-school Democratic segregationist of the breed often called Dixiecrats. When Colmer retired in 1972, Lott ran for his seat as a Republican with the old bigots blessings  in the same year Cochran was elected to the House from a traditionally more moderate Jackson-based district. The two men spent decades as colleagues and sometimes rivals in the Senate. But it wasnt really that surprising when Lott came to grief in 2002 for talking about how much better life would have been had Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond been elected president in 1948. Neither was it surprising that in his last political campaign in 2014, Cochran was saved by African-American voters who valued his role in directing federal largesse to his state.

Cochran, you may recall, was on the ropes after neo-Confederate tea-party favorite Chris McDaniel ran ahead of him in a GOP primary and forced a runoff. Then Cochran did something unheard of in southern Republican politics, as Josh Kraushaar explained:

During the runoff, Cochran made overt appeals to the states sizable African-American electorate, including several television ads featuring the senator campaigning with black voters. The New York Times reported that the leading pro-Cochran super PAC, Mississippi Conservatives, paid African-American leaders to get out the vote for the senator in the runoff.

In Mississippi, the electorate is more racially polarized than any other state in the country. African-Americans make up about one-third of the states voters and they are overwhelmingly Democratic. In 2008, a whopping 98 percent of African-Americans supported President Obama, while only 11 percent of whites supported the president that year. African-American turnout in a Republican primary is a very rare occurrence.

It worked, as Cochran won the runoff, leaving McDaniel and many other southern conservatives to complain bitterly that the incumbent had broken an unwritten rule by drawing Democrats (i.e., black voters) into the starchy white sanctuary of a GOP primary.

Cochrans heresy was the most audacious tactic in intra-southern-Republican politics since Johnny Isakson dared publicize his pro-choice views on abortion in a 1996 Senate primary, which he proceeded to lose. Unsurprisingly, Isakson is now a 100 percent anti-abortion senator, and Cochrans gone. You could say that the national GOP has changed as rapidly as its southern wing; Cochran, after all, joined a Senate Republican Conference when he arrived that included unimaginably liberal figures like Jacob Javits, Mac Mathias, Mark Hatfield, Lowell Weicker, John Chaffee, and Chuck Percy. But it was the South that led the ideological realignment of the Republican Party to the hard right.

None of this is to say that all surviving southern Republican officeholders are racists, though their near-universal and increasingly noisy support for Donald Trump is a depressing sign of anti-anti-racism, at the very least. But it is reasonably clear that of the various streams that contributed to the pro-Republican tide in the South, its the dirty racial waters that shaped the new White Mans Party most decisively. Maybe that will change some day as Republicans in the South and elsewhere finally decide that expanding their base is a matter of survival. Perhaps then Thad Cochran will be remembered for something more profound than his skill in shaking the appropriations tree for his constituents.
By Orhan Coskun

ANKARA (Reuters) - The looming threat of U.S. sanctions and a wider rupture with Western allies over Turkey's purchase of Russian air defenses is raising concern in Ankara, two Turkish officials said, despite public insistence the deal will go ahead as planned.

With barely a month left until Turkey could take delivery of Moscow's S-400 missile defense system, triggering automatic U.S. sanctions, the Turkish government continues to say it will not be deflected from its agreement with Russia.

But worries about the impact of punitive U.S. measures against Turkey's military, which could degrade its existing fleet of warplanes and block purchases of new U.S. F-35 stealth fighter jets and the Patriot missile defense system, have reached as far as President Tayyip Erdogan, the official said.

"Some senior officials are opposing this delivery taking place, at least in June. A senior official conveyed this to Erdogan as well," one of the officials told Reuters.

"The officials opposing the immediate delivery of the S-400s are concerned about ties with NATO being disrupted, U.S. sanctions and (the prospect) that the Patriots will become totally unavailable."

A second official familiar with the S-400 deal confirmed there were concerns over the possible U.S. response, although he reiterated Turkey's position that it would not back out.

Turkey and the United States, both members of the NATO alliance set up to counter Moscow's military power, have argued for months over the impact of S-400s deployed on Turkish soil.

Washington says the Russian system is incompatible with the Western alliance's defense network and poses a threat to the F-35s that Turkey also plans to buy.

A top defense official from a European Union NATO member state said buying S-400s could carry a wider cost for Turkey.

"NATO cannot force Turkey not to buy, but if Ankara does go ahead it could have effects on the alliance's intelligence sharing and further defense purchases," the official said.

Story continues

Turkey says that defending its territory poses no threat to allies, and that it has met all NATO obligations. A defense industry official said he expected the missile defenses to be stationed on Turkey's border with Syria, although no final decision had been made.

Delivery of the S-400s is scheduled for July, and Turkey has even suggested that the first consignment could be brought forward to June.

But Defense Minister Hulusi Akar this week offered the first hint of possible delay, saying "they may not make it by June" and adding that Russia and Turkey were still working on some details of the deal.

STRAINS WITH RUSSIA

Strains between Russia and Turkey over the war in Syria, where the two countries back rival sides, could cast a shadow over relations as they seek to finalize the S-400 delivery.

A deal between Russia, Turkey and Iran to curb fighting around the northwestern province of Idlib has collapsed, as Russian-backed Syrian forces attack jihadist fighters and Turkey-backed rebels in an offensive that has driven thousands of civilians to seek shelter on the Turkish border.

However, Turkey's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Friday the S-400 delivery schedule was unchanged.

"Reports in some media outlets about Turkey evaluating delaying the S-400 procurement upon the request of the United States do not reflect the truth," Aksoy said. "The process of procuring S-400s from Russia is continuing as planned."

Three Turkish officials who spoke to Reuters all said it was possible the S-400s could still be delivered in June, but also left open the possibility of delay.

"Renewed tensions with the United States aren't desired at this point," the first official said, pointing to the potential economic damage from sanctions. "The plan now is for the S-400s to be delivered in June, but there is an ongoing discussion.

"Depending on the talks, it may be pushed back."

Erdogan's government will not want to set off a crisis with the United States immediately before a June 23 Istanbul mayoral election - which is being re-run after his party suffered a narrow and dramatic loss two months ago - or a meeting he is due to hold with President Donald Trump in Japan just days later.

"Turkey does not want to hurt its ties with the United States or Russia," the defense industry official said. "With the Erdogan-Trump meeting, it's possible that the two sides will understand each other better."

(Additional reporting by Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels; Editing by Dominic Evans and Ros Russell)
One of the biggest adjustments that investors have had to make in 2019 is getting used to not having a big year-over-year benefit from the late 2017 tax cuts any longer. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) was just one of thousands of companies that enjoyed significant bottom-line gains over the past four quarters as a result of lower tax rates, but now, businesses are having to grow the old-fashioned way -- with larger sales or higher margins.

Coming into its fiscal third-quarter financial report, Costco investors were optimistic that the company would be able to get the job done and make shareholders happy about its results. Costco's numbers were good, and even though some investors didn't seem satisfied, the warehouse retailer seems to be on track with consistent execution.

How Costco kept its streak alive

Costco's fiscal third-quarter report was consistent with the performance that investors have come to expect for years. Total revenue climbed 7.4%, to $34.74 billion, accelerating very slightly from past quarters and edging above what most of those following the stock had expected to see. Net income climbed 21%, to $906 million, and earnings per share came in at $2.05, well above the $1.70 per share from the previous year.

Costco logo in red and blue with white spacing.

Image source: Costco.

Some of the gains that Costco saw on the bottom line were due to a one-time tax benefit. However, even if you take out the $73 million positive impact from that item, bottom-line growth came in at 11%, and per-share adjusted earnings topped the consensus forecast among investors.

From a fundamental standpoint, Costco kept seeing trends that were in line with what it's said for the past several months. Comparable sales for the quarter were up 5.5% across the company, with a 7% gain for the U.S. getting offset by weak readings of 1.3% in Canada and 1.7% internationally. Yet the strong U.S. dollar played a major role in holding back Costco's sales outside the U.S. When you adjust to take into account both the foreign currency impact and the effect of gasoline sales, adjusted comps were higher by 5.6% across the company and relatively similar across all three major geographical areas.

Story continues

Growth in e-commerce has been an essential element of how Costco intends to keep up with rising rivals on the internet retail front, and the company's latest numbers show how it's managed to keep pace in that area. Comps for e-commerce were up 22% from year-ago levels, and even after adjusting for currency and gasoline, comps growth of 19.5% was an encouraging sign of the progress that Costco has made.

If there was a single area where Costco fell short of expectations, it was on the membership fee revenue line. With Costco bringing in $776 million, fee revenue rose just 5% from what it brought in a year ago.

Can Costco keep up the pace?

In order to make up for sluggish growth in fee revenue, Costco has concentrated on keeping costs down, and those efforts have paid off. Cost of sales climbed 7.5% during the quarter, compared to the fiscal third quarter of 2018, and overhead expenses were higher by just 6.8%. Those growth rates weren't all that far behind Costco's revenue growth, but they were lower enough to widen margin figures slightly and have a favorable impact on the bottom line.

Costco once again made incremental progress in expanding the size of its global store network. The company added three new locations in the past three months, bringing its total to 773. The newest locations included one in the U.S., one in Korea, and one in Australia.

Despite Costco's solid results, shareholders didn't seem to be all that excited by the numbers the company put up, and the stock was down about 1.5% in after-hours trading following the announcement. Yet with the warehouse retailer doing such a good job of keeping up its growth pace, even with the tailwinds from tax reform now having faded away, Costco deserves more praise than it seems to be getting from the investing community.

More From The Motley Fool

Dan Caplinger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

If you want to know who really controls Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (HKG:2238), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. Generally speaking, as a company grows, institutions will increase their ownership. Conversely, insiders often decrease their ownership over time. We also tend to see lower insider ownership in companies that were previously publicly owned.

With a market capitalization of HK$113b, Guangzhou Automobile Group is rather large. We'd expect to see institutional investors on the register. Companies of this size are usually well known to retail investors, too. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it's seems that institutions own shares in the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about 2238.

See our latest analysis for Guangzhou Automobile Group

SEHK:2238 Ownership Summary, May 31st 2019

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Guangzhou Automobile Group?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

We can see that Guangzhou Automobile Group does have institutional investors; and they hold 22% of the stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Guangzhou Automobile Group's historic earnings and revenue, below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Story continues

SEHK:2238 Income Statement, May 31st 2019

Hedge funds don't have many shares in Guangzhou Automobile Group. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Guangzhou Automobile Group

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our information suggests that Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. insiders own under 1% of the company. We do note, however, it is possible insiders have an indirect interest through a private company or other corporate structure. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own HK$95m of stock. In this sort of situation, it can be more interesting to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public holds a 19% stake in 2238. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Private Company Ownership

Our data indicates that Private Companies hold 59%, of the company's shares. 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:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important.

I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can find historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts.

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.
Kusina Pinoy Bistro. | Photo: Kristen T./Yelp

If you've got Southeast Asian fare on the brain, you're in luck: We've found the freshest New York City eateries to quell your cravings. Here are the newest places to check out the next time you're in the mood for Southeast Asian food.

Ddee Thai

42-06 30th Ave., Astoria

PHOTO: Ddee Thai/YELP



Ddee Thai is a Thai spot.

This new business specializes in wok dishes, curry and fried rice entrees. On the menu, look for Wok Cashew, with cashews, bell peppers and onion with a sweet chili paste; pineapple fried rice, with peas, carrots and curry powder; and Thai-style green curry with bamboo shoots, string beans and bell peppers in coconut milk.

Ddee Thai's current Yelp rating of five stars out of five reviews indicates positive attention from customers.

Yelper Eric T., who reviewed Ddee Thai on April 10, wrote, "I got the Chicken Pad Thai without egg. It was great! The noodles were cooked to perfection. The chicken was well cooked, which made it taste great!"

Kristina H. noted, "We have been searching for good gluten-free Thai and Chinese. This place is amazing! Super-fresh veggies in the fried rice and Pad Thai. So excited!"

Ddee Thai is open from 11:30 a.m.10 p.m. daily.

Kusina Pinoy Bistro

6916 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside

PHOTO: jayson j./YELP



Kusina Pinoy Bistro is a Filipino spot.

The business provides Filipino-inspired breakfast and dinner dishes. On the menu, look for the baked mussels with cheddar cheese and butter, the veggie wraps with a Shanghai sauce and the oxtail stewed in a peanut sauce.

Yelp users are still warming up to Kusina Pinoy Bistro, which currently holds three stars out of seven reviews on the site.

Yelper Kelda C., who reviewed the restaurant on April 13, wrote, "Regarding the seafood dishes, I thought the value was pretty great, considering you get a whole fish!"

Kusina Pinoy Bistro is open from 5 p.m.11 p.m. on Monday, 11 a.m.11 p.m. on Tuesday-Friday and 8 a.m.11 p.m. on weekends.

Sup Thai Kitchen

178-19 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows

Story continues

Photo: sup thai kitchen/Yelp

Sup Thai Kitchen is a Thai spot.

Sup Thai Kitchen specializes in handmade dishes with ingredients imported from Thailand. On the menu, expect to see items like green curry, chive pancakes with a soy vinaigrette and a crab meat fried rice with egg, scallions and soy sauce.

Sup Thai Kitchen's current rating of 4.5 stars out of 135 reviews on Yelp indicates positive attention from users.

Yelper Kelsey S., who was one of the first users to visit Sup Thai Kitchen on May 18, wrote, "My boyfriend ordered the chive pancakes, which were super tasty. Also the curry rice with tofu. It was so good. Totally will be coming back!"

Yelper John T. wrote, "Found my new go-to Thai spot! Amazing service and delicious Thai food."

Sup Thai Kitchen is open from noon9:30 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday and noon10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

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.
Madison Ricketts-Devereux & Craig Sayers (SWNS)

A cruel couple who left a baby girl with multiple fractures and even pulled out the child's toenail have been jailed for a total of 15 years.

Evil Madison Ricketts-Devereux, 22, and her partner Craig Sayers, 32, subjected the 15-month-old tot to horrific injuries in January 2017.

A court heard the pair left the youngster with a broken arm and two fractured fingers after abusing her at their home in Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Ricketts-Devereux's daughter came to the attention of authorities after she was taken to hospital by her mother because she was unable to raise her arm.

On examination, it was found she had suffered injuries including a pulled out toenail as well as several fractures.

Ricketts-Devereux and Sayers went on trial accused of causing grievous bodily harm and were found guilty following a trial at Hereford Crown Court.

Read more on Yahoo News UK:

BMW owners have the most driving convictions, study finds

Donald Trump's state visit used as 'weapon to keep the US on side after Brexit'

Unseen Nazi messages show how Nazis fell for D-Day plan

Sayers, of Worcester, was jailed for for nine years while Ricketts-Devereux, of Ledbury got six years.

Sentencing, Recorder Martin Jackson said: "Madison Ricketts-Devereux, you were the only person with the opportunity to cause the damage to the right arm.

"Craig Sayers you went into the room and caused injuries to the left arm and toe. This was a vulnerable victim and there was an element of sustained assault.

"There are aggravating features as you were on bail at the time for another case of violence. You had breached trust as you had been trusted to settle the child.

"The nature of the injuries is also an aggravating factor, as was the fact that the injuries were caused at her home.

Devereaux comes from Ledbury (Getty)

"I do not think that your previous good character is a mitigating factor. You were old enough to know better.

"Madison Ricketts-Devereaux, your immaturity is a mitigating factor, however, you still caused injuries to your child."

Story continues

Christopher Millington, defending, said Sayers gone through his early life without offending and had been a man of "good character" until he was 31-years-old.

He added: "The shame of this conviction weighs heavily on him."

Mum-of-two, Ricketts-Devereux, was described as "immature, damaged and vulnerable.

Mr Millington said: "She suffered some very serious experiences in her childhood and this brought about some very disturbed behaviour as a young teen.

"This baby had not suffered any injuries before her relationship with Craig Sayers. What impact did their relationship have upon the mother?"

---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
By Sarah Marsh and Nelson Acosta

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cruise line Carnival Corp is asking a U.S. court to dismiss lawsuits that claim the company profited from confiscated Cuban property, the first such cases brought since the Trump administration made them possible this month.

Two U.S. citizens who claim to hold titles to the Havana and Santiago de Cuba ports that were nationalized by Cuba after Fidel Castro's 1959 leftist revolution filed suits against Carnival in U.S. District Court in Florida in early May for docking there.

That came after the Trump administration announced a long dormant and controversial section of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act would take effect on May 2, allowing U.S. citizens to sue Cuban entities and foreign firms over confiscated Cuban property.

The law is part of a broader attempt by the United States to pressure Cuba over its support for Venezuela's embattled government by taking aim at Havana's beleaguered economy.

Cuba sought to reassure foreign investors at an event in Havana on Friday, saying only four lawsuits had been filed so far, despite the United States saying there could be hundreds of thousands. The European Union and Canada have said they will use blocking legislation to protect their companies.

"Helms-Burton has no application here," according to a filing in the case by Carnival on Thursday. "First, by its own terms, trafficking under Helms-Burton does not include uses of property 'incident to lawful travel to Cuba'."

These cases could set a precedent, especially in the travel industry. Some lawyers like Carnival's say the travel exemption should shield U.S. cruise lines and airlines doing business with Cuba under licenses granted by former President Barack Obama during the two countries' brief 2014-2016 detente.

But U.S. courts could determine the travel they facilitate is tourism and violates the decades-old U.S. trade embargo on Cuba.

"The fulcrum for determining the outcome of all travel-related lawsuits will be whether there has been tourism," said John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council Inc.

Story continues

Carnival also disputed the ownership of the two U.S. citizens who are descendants of original owners. Their lawyers did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Increased U.S. hostility, more than Helms-Burton, is affecting foreign companies operating in Cuba, said Xulio Fontecha, head of the Association of Spanish Businesses in Cuba (AEEC), at the event in Havana.

Banks in Panama and Costa Rica had closed the accounts of some customers in recent months and courier services were declining to send documents to Cuba, he said.

"The problem goes far beyond Title III, which we condemn of course," he said, referring to the section of the Helms-Burton Act that permits the lawsuits.

Some Spanish companies also received a letter from a group in Florida warning them of potentially being complicit in violations of human and labour rights, he said.

The ambassador of the European Union, Alberto Navarro, said the bloc would continue to seek to expand business with Cuba, defying the U.S. hostility.

He encouraged Cuban reforms to make the island more attractive to foreign investors and offset disincentives created by the Trump administration policy.

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh and Nelson Acosta; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Washington (AFP) - A US Department of Homeland Security report warned Friday of "dangerous overcrowding" in El Paso, Texas facilities for holding just-arrived migrants, with rooms packed with more than five times the number authorized.

The report by the DHS inspector general said the health and security of both migrants and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials is under threat by squeezing people into holding rooms designed for a fraction of their numbers.

"We are concerned that overcrowding and prolonged detention represent an immediate risk to the health and safety not just of the detainees, but also DHS agents and officers," the report said.

It said inspectors found earlier in May that the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center had put 155 detainees in a cell with a maximum capacity of 35, and 41 in a room for eight people.

The limited space at the facility, which has been processing thousands of undocumented migrants every month, has made it difficult to segregate detainees with infectious diseases, it said.

"We also observed detainees standing on toilets in the cells to make room and gain breathing space, thus limiting access to the toilets," the report said.

The CBP's El Paso district experiences some of the highest flows of incoming migrants, part of the 100,000-plus a month who cross the US-Mexico frontier.

On Thursday President Donald Trump announced he would slap heavy tariffs on imports from Mexico to force the government to crack down on Central American migrants traveling through the country to reach the United States.

The report said that at the El Paso facility, detained migrants can wait days or even weeks "in standing-room-only conditions" to be processed.

Meanwhile their suitcases, backpacks and other bags are taken away and disposed of in a dumpster because muddy, wet and possibly containing insects, they pose a "biohazard" threat.

The report suggested that conditions were so severe that morale among CBP personnel was sagging, with many reporting higher anxiety, and worries about illnesses and violence.

Story continues

"Border Patrol management on site said there is an ongoing concern that rising tensions among detainees could turn violent," the report said.

To hand out meals, provide medical care and clean cells, staff must enter cells jammed with large numbers of male detainees.

As a consequence there was a rise in accelerated retirements and job changes among staff, the report said.
Near as I can tell, the David French controversy revolves around allegations that the man is too much of an accommodating pragmatist on social issues. The charge is amusing to me, given that one of my defining experiences here at NR occurred when French denounced a column I wrote last year about the need for conservatives to pragmatically accommodate transgender Americans.

I dont bear David any ill will over that. Conservatives can read our dueling articles and reach their own conclusions over whose case is more convincing. But I trust the episode does illustrate the degree to which the real-world David French is quite distinct from Sohrab Ahmaris depiction in First Things: a man uncritically enthusiastic to accept the pagan and libertine so long as traditional Christians [are] granted spaces in which to practice and preach what they sincerely believe in return.

As Argentinas longtime dictator Juan Peron entered his later years, many of his onetime followers sought to sever the increasingly unpopular president from the ideology he was associated with. Peronism without Peron! was their curious cry for revolution. Without implying any unflattering analogies, this idea occurred to me while reading Ahmaris piece. David Frenchism of the sort Ahmari angrily decries struck me as a perfectly defensible philosophy  even if David French himself may not be its best embodiment.

Many of the things Ahmari asserts French sees or views or embodies about the American political order are not Frenchs opinions, but the Constitutions. It is that document, not French, that acknowledges the free exercise of religion as a fundamental American right, while also acknowledging the existence of many other liberties against which it must be balanced.

Ahmari at one point quotes Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, who complains that since religious beliefs cant be rationally defended, they are easily treated as a form of prejudice by unbelievers. Sam Harris is fond of making a similar but peppier point, that everyone is an atheist about someone elses religion. Such harsh truths form an unavoidable reality of religion in a diverse democracy  its persuasiveness as political argument cannot be taken for granted. Anyone who is upset, as Ahmari is, that their orthodoxy has not triumphed in America must learn to accept this fact.

Story continues

To the degree that Americas permissive public policy on sexual and gender matters has a single cause, it is the unmoving nature of religiously inspired arguments within a secular legal and political system. Some flatter themselves, believing that ideas such as gay marriage have triumphed only because of a radical conspiracy of far-left social engineers in the judiciary and media. Far less comforting is the possibility that the public-harm arguments of mostly faith-based opponents just werent that convincing. The pragmatic religious conservative understands this, which is why the pro-life cause now increasingly makes the case for protecting unborn humans with scientific and medical logic. It accordingly stands as a successful outlier among social conservatisms many failed culture wars.

It is in the context of a clear-eyed understanding of the limits of religious argument in the American system that the case for Frenchian compromise becomes necessary. The religious may lack an ability to dictate public policy according to their view of the Highest Good, as Ahmari puts it, but they can find much to value in the Constitutions guarantee that public policy will not intrude on the individual exercise of their sincerely held religious beliefs.

Now obviously, this promise, like all constitutional promises, is rarely upheld to anyones complete satisfaction. Where one Americans right to free exercise of religion begins and the right of another American to be protected from the rules of a faith whose logic they dont accept is often a complicated calculation. Its certainly made no easier by a secular Left that increasingly regards religious liberty as something inherently anachronistic and offensive. Whenever this sort of politics makes gains, it deserves to be condemned as anti-constitutional and illiberal, for it is.

But equally illiberal is the other extreme: those who stamp their feet and whine of the unfairness that our courts and laws treat their religious beliefs as merely one public interest among many. In a theocratic system of government, the state is preoccupied with dogma such as the Highest Good. But the United States is organized as a religiously neutral republic explicitly uninterested in such projects. Americans are certainly free to dissent from this reality, and decry the Founders for their idiocy in not establishing a divine-right monarchy with a fundamentalist state church, or some other system more inclined to steer the public to a particular path of salvation. Frankly, it would be helpful to all if more writers in the reactionary sphere could muster the courage to state things so bluntly.

As a philosophy, David Frenchism  as Id interpret it, via Ahmaris essay  means appreciating the balance of liberties demanded by the United States Constitution and concluding that the documents central promise to protect individual sovereignty has been central to centuries of American success (which is different from American perfection). In forcing the religious conservative to accept religious freedom but not theocratic government, it offers the most practical system yet devised for creating peaceful social order in a diverse society. French-ism as practiced by David French is similar, but is more inclined to take a maximalist view of religious liberty when arguments in favor of affirmatively accommodating the autonomous choices of others are made, as I think his response to my transgender piece attests.

Left-wing anti-French-ism, which argues that religious liberty is inherently worthless and must be sacrificed for mandatory, totalitarian secularism, is an arrogant rejection of the American system. Like Charles Cooke, I have no real clue what exactly the right-wing style of anti-Frenchism favored by Ahmari entails, but to the extent its something similarly authoritarian and unconstitutional, it is equally worth rejecting.

More from National Review
You never want to see this. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Intelligencer staffers Josh Barro and Benjamin Hart chat about possibly ominous economic data and whether its worth freaking out over.

Ben: Last time we spoke, you were a little more sanguine about the state of the economy than you had been. It seemed that threats of a recession over the next year or so were fading. Now, once again, we see what appear to be warning signs. It feels like theres a certain amount of whiplash going on here  we keep seesawing between Everything looks good and We might actually be screwed soon. Are economic signals normally so subject to change, or is this a measure of the volatility of the times?

Josh: I would contest the notion that we are whipsawing. The market indicators change and political circumstances change and a recession becomes more or less likely. But at all times, it has been more likely than not that growth will remain positive over the next, say, year to 18 months at least.

For example, consider the yield curve. One thing Ernie Tedeschi, a former Treasury Department economist whos now at the investment firm Evercore, told me when I was writing my story yesterday is that were in a situation right now where the fundamentals call for a pretty flat yield curve. The Fed has been pretty clear that its unlikely to change rates in either direction in the near term, and there is a long-term trend that the curve doesnt slope upward as much as it used to, absent expectations of particular future changes in short-term rates. So if the curve is about flat due to fundamentals, it takes only small shifts in the surrounding circumstances to change it from a little bit upward sloping to a little bit inverted.

And so it keeps changing back and forth, and people interpret that as Oh, things are good now or Oh, things are going to hell now. But the underlying changes werent that big. People are too focused on the sign and not enough on the magnitude.

Ben: Right  people are comparing it to a similar-looking pattern in 2007, just before all hell broke loose. But many of the economic fundamentals between now and then are not so comparable, correct?

Josh: I dont think theyre comparable. One advantage of the slow-going recovery we have had since 2009 is its made it hard for the economy to overheat like it did in the mid-aughts.

Ben: You have, however, written this week that the trade war, which has been more of an annoyance for the U.S. economy than a real crisis, is looking more like a threat as the stakes have been raised by both the U.S. and China. How much pain do you think President Trump is willing to withstand if this really starts to cut into a central advantage of his going into 2020, which is the strong economy?

Josh: I dont know. I think one issue is that the president has real policy goals here beyond just looking tough. And I think he and his team were genuinely surprised when the Chinese walked back concessions they appeared willing to make a few weeks ago. Hes also right that China has more to lose in a trade war than we do, so thats a reason for him to think his negotiating position is strong and if he fights, hell get concessions he wants. So I think those are reasons for him to fight harder and endure more pain than he usually would.

I also think a sign hes hunkering down is something I wrote about two weeks ago: He has backed off some of his other global trade disputes in a way that suggests to me he realizes the fight with China is going to be harder than he thought and he needs to keep some powder dry. He took off metal tariffs on Canada and Mexico hed been reluctant to lift. And he delayed, for now, global tariffs that he clearly wants to impose on auto imports. That suggests to me hes gearing up for a prolonged dispute with China and trying to reduce both the political and economic costs imposed by non-China protectionist moves. But hes also very sensitive to the stock market, and I dont know if hell lose nerve if the reaction continues to be negative.

Ben: Beyond the yield curve and the trade war, is there anything else you see as particularly concerning at the moment?

Josh: As is often the case, you can pick the economic indicators to get the answers you want. There have been some bad numbers in the past month, particularly a very low number on manufacturing output. Retail sales and home purchases were also weak. On the other hand, employment indicators and consumer sentiment still look fine. This is a mild version of the split we were looking at in the winter: better employment data than output data.

The advice I got at the time from Jason Furman, who ran the Council of Economic Advisers for Barack Obama, was that the employment data tends to be more reliable than the output data. But well have a new jobs report to look at next Friday. Maybe it will change. Its possible the bad manufacturing number was driven by trade-war fears. Tariffs can be expected to have much bigger effects on the manufacturing sector than on the economy as a whole.

Ben: You mentioned at the top that you would dispute this notion that were seesawing between predictions. Many journalists (myself included) are not overly financially literate. Do you think theres generally too much Recession is coming! sensationalism in the press, or is this just a by-product of the topics being inherently rather difficult to grasp?

Josh: I do think there is too much sensationalism. I think in some cases its driven by a sense that President Trump deserves a recession, either because he has pursued some identifiably bad economic policies or because he is a bad person generally.

I also think there is a general bias toward negativity. But also, something like a 20 percent risk of a recession is still important. Its worth focusing on downside risks. They matter, and we should be discussing, for example, whether the Fed is doing the right things to mitigate them. But I do think more of the coverage ought to say that warning indicators that we (appropriately!) watch are not yet saying a recession is imminent or even likely.

Ben: Readers: A recession is not yet imminent or even likely.
By Sharon Bernstein

May 31 (Reuters) - Fourteen Democratic presidential hopefuls seeking money and support in California, the most liberal and populous U.S. state, will descend on San Francisco this weekend for a state party convention - with front-runner Joe Biden notably absent.

Appearances by U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and other candidates highlight California's growing importance in the Democratic nominating process. Its 500 delegates are up for grabs three months earlier than in prior years, which could set the tone for the rest of the 2020 race.

Biden, a moderate, will instead attend an event in Ohio, avoiding what may become a raucous convention dominated by the party's progressive wing. Still, some political experts and party members said Biden risks sending the signal that he is taking California for granted.

San Francisco Democratic Party Chairman David Campos, who supports Sanders, called Biden's plan "a mistake."

"He has been expecting some sort of coronation," Campos said. "But there are no coronations in California."

Biden's campaign declined to say why the candidate opted not to attend, and California party officials say they do not know either. Biden is scheduled to speak Saturday night at a Columbus, Ohio, dinner held by the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

"In the coming weeks, Vice President Biden is looking forward to returning to California to meet with voters, learn firsthand about their concerns, and ultimately, compete strongly in the state," Biden spokesman Jamal Brown said in an email to Reuters.

Senior Biden campaign aides will attend the San Francisco convention, Brown said.

Biden is one of 24 Democrats seeking the party's nomination to run against Republican President Donald Trump in 2020. The former vice president under President Barack Obama has led polls nationally and in California since announcing his candidacy in April.

Story continues

But experts say the field in California remains wide open. Sanders does not have the state locked up despite his progressive bona fides, nor does Harris, who has won statewide elections in California for attorney general and senator. Her Oakland presidential campaign launch drew 20,000 people.

Sanders, Harris and the dozen other candidates attending the convention will speak in brief appearances on Saturday and Sunday to about 5,000 delegates, guests and journalists gathered in San Francisco. Most of the contenders also plan to address a nearby event by the progressive group MoveOn.org.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Representative Adam Schiff and Governor Gavin Newsom also are expected to attend.

CHASING BIDEN

Despite the short speaking slots and the crowd of candidates, attending the convention will be worthwhile for most of the hopefuls, said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. The poll in April showed Biden leading in California with support from 26% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning respondents, followed by Sanders with 18% and Harris with 17%.

"Any candidate right now is chasing Joe Biden," Malloy said. "And chasing money. And California is the best place to chase the money."

For Biden, however, the calculation may be different.

Skipping the convention allows him to sidestep potential uncomfortable questions from progressives, said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles.

Biden will miss an opportunity to reach out to the party's left flank but also avoids the risk of saying something that conservatives can use against him later, Sonenshein said.

"Its a very energetic convention with a lot of people with their own opinions," Sonenshein said. "What you say to make them happy may come back to haunt you later."

The move also keeps Biden from appearing to be just one in a crowded field jostling for attention, said political analyst Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a retired professor of public policy at the University of Southern California.

Had she been working for Biden, Bebitch Jeffe said, she would have advised him not to attend.

"He doesn't have to be part of this beauty contest," she said.

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; additional reporting by Tim Reid Editing by Colleen Jenkins and David Gregorio)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren called on Friday for Congress to pass a law that makes it clear the Justice Department can criminally indict a sitting president and charge the U.S. leader with obstructing justice.

"No president is above the law," Warren said in a statement released by her campaign. "Congress should make it clear that presidents can be indicted for criminal activity, including obstruction of justice."

Warren's call came in response to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 448-report on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and his statement this week that Justice Department policy prevented him from bringing charges against a sitting president.

Mueller's report concluded that Russia repeatedly interfered in the 2016 election and that Trump's election campaign had had multiple contacts with Russian officials, but did not establish a criminal conspiracy with Moscow to win the White House.

It declined to make a judgment on whether Trump obstructed justice, although it outlined 10 instances in which Trump tried to have Mueller fired or otherwise impede the investigation.

"When the federal government tried to investigate, Donald Trump did everything he could to delay, distract and otherwise obstruct that investigation," Warren's statement said. "That's a crime. If Donald Trump were anyone other than the president of the United States, he would be in handcuffs and indicted."

Warren urged Congress to pass a law making it clear that presidents can be indicted for criminal activity, including obstruction of justice. She also said statutes relating to such obstruction should be amended to allow for indictment when a president abuses the powers of office.

Warren criticized Trump's attorney general, William Barr, saying he had "acted like Trump's personal defense attorney."

Story continues

She promised that if she is elected, she would ensure her appointees reverse a Justice Department opinion that argues a sitting president cannot be indicted.

"Donald Trump is not a king. No president is. And our democracy only works if everyone can be held accountable," Warren said.

(Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Robert Highsmith, Stefanie Brechbuehler, and Ryan Mahoneycofounders of the design studio Worksteadknow how to build buzz. In Brooklyn, their industrial-inspired scheme for the Wythe Hotel put Williamsburg on the map for world travelers. In Charleston, their update of a 1960s federal office building into the Dewberry reenergized sleepy Marion Square. And their eminently Instagrammable (and inviting) rooms for Rivertown Lodge made Hudson, New York, a pilgrimage site for aesthetes in the know. Now design lovers have another reason to head upstate. This spring, the trio opened a studio for their product designs in a 19th-century house at the heart of Hudsons historic district. We always had a feeling Hudson would be a community into which we could integrate creatively, explains Highsmith, who lives upstate with Brechbuehler (his wife) and their twin girls.

Photo by Jeff Holt.

Photo by Jeff Holt.

Open by appointment, the space currently showcases Worksteads new Chamber lighting collectiona series of sculptural sconces, table lamps, and chandeliers in an array of metal finishes. Theyre both intimate and grand, architectural in spirit and also analog, Highsmith says of the fixtures, whose conical shades adjust up and down, alternately widening or containing the glow. For the Workstead trio, the upstate space offers a welcome counterpoint to their Brooklyn-based architecture practice, led by Mahoney, who notes: You think so differently when youre in the city versus the country. Its nice to have balance between the two. workstead.com

Photo by Jeff Holt.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
South Korean relatives of victims of the Budapest boat tragedy on Friday visited the scene of the accident which left seven dead and 21 missing after a sightseeing boat sank.

The ill-fated Mermaid carrying mainly South Korean tourists overturned and capsized in pouring rain late Wednesday, seconds after colliding with a much larger cruise ship on the Danube river.

Rescuers looking for the missing are battling strong currents with Seoul requesting that the search be extended further south along the Danube.

"We have firmly decided that we won't give up our hopes about the possibility of finding survivors," South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told a news conference in Budapest.

Kyung-wha arrived in the city with an emergency task force and on Friday visited the site of the crash along with her Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto.

Later in the day, officials escorted the relatives of victims, who had also arrived on Friday, to the riverbank.

- Prospects for survivors slim -

The prospects of finding any more survivors are seen as very slim.

Only seven people are known to have survived so far. Those missing include a six-year-old girl and the boat's Hungarian captain and a crew member, while seven South Korean tourists are known to have died.

Police said Thursday they had detained the 64-year-old Ukrainian captain of the larger ship, the Viking Sigyn, for questioning "in relation to 'endangering waterborne traffic resulting in multiple deaths'".

The captain's lawyer, Balazs Toth, told Hungarian news agency MTI that his client, who had 44 years of experience "denied having committed a crime or not having respected all the rules".

"He has never caused an accident. He regrets he did not have the means to avoid the accident," he said.

The Viking Sigyn itself left Budapest with a new captain on Friday and reached the Hungarian city of Esztergom, according to local media.

Story continues

- Risky operation -

Some survivors have described their terrifying ordeal as the Mermaid sank almost immediately and they were pitched into the dark waters.

Some were able to grab on to rescue buoys and watched in horror as fellow passengers struggled to stay afloat.

"The current was so fast and people were floating away but the rescue team did not come," 31-year-old woman, identified only by her surname Jung, told the Korean news agency Yonhap.

The Mermaid is still completely submerged in the Danube, which has been swollen by weeks of rain.

A floating crane was erected near the accident site, as well as a small pier for use by divers.

But the strong current has made diving attempts very risky and complicated plans to lift the wreck.

Grainy images taken with sonar equipment showed the vessel on the bottom of the Danube, tilted to its side with its highest point two metres (6.6 feet) under the surface and its lowest 7.5 metres underneath, according to Hungarian news site index.hu.

Szijjarto said that "several hundred" members of the emergency service and the armed forces remained active in the search and rescue operation on Friday but admitted: "We have to say that circumstances are working against us."

About 20 South Korean divers have also arrived. But the water level is not expected to start receding before Tuesday.

Police have said the strong current swept one of the victims around 11 kilometres (seven miles) downstream of the accident site.

- Youngest passenger -

A candlelit vigil for the victims is expected at the South Korean embassy in Budapest on Friday evening.

Lee Sang-moo, chief operating officer of Very Good Tour which organised the trip for the South Koreans, said most of the Mermaid's passengers were in their 50s and 60s.

The youngest was the missing six-year-old girl who was travelling with her mother and grandparents and the oldest was a man in his early 70s.

The collision happened on a popular part of the Danube river for pleasure trips, from where sightseers can view the city and parliament illuminated at night.

Larger river cruise boats travelling on the Danube between Germany and the Black Sea typically spend several days moored in the capital.

The tragedy comes five years after the Sewol ferry sinking in South Korea which killed more than 300 people in one of the deadliest maritime disasters in the country.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Ideally, your overall portfolio should beat the market average. But the main game is to find enough winners to more than offset the losers So we wouldn't blame long term MGM China Holdings Limited (HKG:2282) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 54% over a half decade. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 46% in the last year. Furthermore, it's down 27% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders.

View our latest analysis for MGM China Holdings

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During the five years over which the share price declined, MGM China Holdings's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 27% each year. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 14% compound annual share price fall. So the market may previously have expected a drop, or else it expects the situation will improve.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

SEHK:2282 Past and Future Earnings, May 31st 2019

It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on MGM China Holdings's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, MGM China Holdings's TSR for the last 5 years was -48%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

Story continues

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 13% in the twelve months, MGM China Holdings shareholders did even worse, losing 46% (even including dividends). Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 12% over the last half decade. We realise that Buffett has said investors should 'buy when there is blood on the streets', but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality businesses. Is MGM China Holdings cheap compared to other companies? These 3 valuation measures might help you decide.

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK 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.
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Trump promised a big league statement  my biggest statement so far on Friday regarding updates to his policy on the U.S.-Mexico border. Rather than announce a humane update to the treatment of the surge of migrants at the southern border in the past few months, or an update to the NAFTA-replacement making its way through Congress, the president opened up a second front in his trade war by picking a tariff fight with Mexico.

On Thursday night, Trump previewed the announcement on Twitter:

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

....at which time the Tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

According to a report from the Washington Post, White House aides were hoping to talk the tariff man out of his tariff plan  though, according to the tweet, that moment has passed. Such a threat would rattle financial markets and potentially imperil passage of the NAFTA replacement, according to officials who spoke to the Post.

Trumps proposed round of tariffs come as the trade war with China grows to a size that it could begin to seriously impact the American economy. As New Yorks Josh Barro asserts, China tariffs could soon be five times as large as they were in 2018, and the newest proposed expansion of the trade war would cut U.S. economic outpoint by one-half to one percentage point, compared to a counterfactual where the U.S. and China had maintained their pre-Trump trade policies. That dip, on its own, wont push the economy into recession. But its still dangerous:

It would constitute a significant slowdown, which would likely result over time in slower job growth and weaker wage growth, not to mention slower growth in corporate profits.And [former Treasury Department economist] Ernie Tedeschi notes there could be a snowball effect: If the expectation of a trade-related slowdown in growth encourages corporations to cut their capital expenditures, that could lead to reductions in domestic demand.

A volley of tariffs aimed at Mexico could further shake up financial markets, considering that the country was the largest trading partner of the U.S. in the first two months of the year  in part owing to the trade disputes with China. The tariffs, if enacted in June, also send extremely mixed signals to Mexico: The United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement replacing NAFTA was designed to limit tariffs and trade barriers among the three countries. Two weeks ago, to help ensure the deals ratification, Trump even lifted tariffs on steel and aluminum coming from Canada and Mexico. A Mexican official told the Post that up until this point, negotiations have remained positive. But the 5 percent tariff on all goods entering the United States through the southern border has the potential to stymie the deals passage in Mexicos Congress.

The presidents tariff seems to rely on the logic that a Mexican crackdown on undocumented migrants would simply outsource the American immigration crisis. But the Mexican immigration system is backed up, too: Around 55,000 migrants are expected to apply for asylum in the country by the end of the year, which is almost double last years number. For Trump to assume that a broad tariff would solve a multilateral problem caused by economic and climate crises in Central America is not a surprise: It is a simplistic and ineffective stab at crisis management, the economic equivalent of a border wall.
Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) has underperformed its biggest rival, Dollar General (NYSE: DG), by a wide margin over the past few years. The reason is simple: Dollar Tree weighed itself down by acquiring its struggling rival Family Dollar in 2015.

The growth of Dollar Tree's namesake banner, which sells all its products for $1, was consistently offset by the weak growth of Family Dollar, which sells products at higher price points. Activist investor Starboard Value urged Dollar Tree to sell Family Dollar earlier this year, but backed down after Dollar Tree unveiled an aggressive turnaround plan.

A dollar bill in a shopping cart.

Image source: Getty Images.

Dollar Tree stated that it would close hundreds of Family Dollar Stores, renovate about 1,000 locations, and rebanner 200 locations as Dollar Tree stores. In March, it stated that the newly renovated Family Dollar stores, which sell alcohol and include a $1 Dollar Tree section, generated over 10% comparable sales growth. It also started testing out higher price points at certain Dollar Tree stores.

Dollar Tree segment comps rose 2.5% during its fiscal first quarter of 2019, marking the company's 45th straight quarter of positive comps growth. Family Dollar's comps rose 1.9%, marking a significant acceleration from its previous quarters, while overall comps improved 2.2%. Those numbers indicate that the company's turnaround efforts are working -- but Dollar Tree has also warned that higher tariffs could derail its earnings growth.

Improving comps and contracting margins

Dollar Tree finished the quarter with 7,102 Dollar Tree stores and 8,162 Family Dollar stores. It opened 91 new locations, expanded or relocated 11 stores, and shuttered 16 Family Dollar stores and nine Dollar Tree stores. It also rebannered 45 Family Dollar stores as Dollar Trees.

As a result, its total store count rose from 14,957 locations in the prior year quarter to 15,264 locations, making it one of the few U.S. retailers still expanding its brick-and-mortar presence. Here's how the two banners fared in terms of lifting comps over the past year:

Story continues

Comps growth Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Dollar Tree 4% 3.7% 2.3% 3.2% 2.5% Family Dollar (1.1%) 0% (0.4%) 1.4% 1.9%

Source: Dollar Tree quarterly reports.

Dollar Tree's first quarter comps were boosted by robust sales of consumables and seasonal products. Family Dollar's aforementioned turnaround efforts boosted its sales of consumables and offset the soft sales of its discretionary products, which still face stiff competition from Walmart and Amazon. Dollar Tree expects its total comps to rise by the "low single digits" for both the second quarter and full year.

That top line growth looks stable, but the company's margins were wobbly in the first quarter. Dollar Tree's gross margin stayed flat annually but contracted sequentially, while Family Dollar's gross margin declined annually but improved sequentially.

Gross margin Q1 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Dollar Tree 34.5% 37.1% 34.5% Family Dollar 26.7% 23.6% 24.8%

Source: Dollar Tree quarterly reports.

Dollar Tree's gross margin was weighed down by higher payroll and freight costs, and a higher percentage of sales from lower-margin consumables. Family Dollar's gross margin contracted annually for similar reasons and was exacerbated by markdowns at shuttered and rebannered stores.

Its industry peers are experiencing similar pressure. Dollar General's gross margin slipped 30 basis points annually to 30.2% in the first quarter, mostly due to higher freight costs and higher sales of consumables.

The looming threat of higher tariffs

Rising tariffs forced Dollar Tree to slash its full-year guidance from $4.85-$5.25 to $4.77-$5.07, which represents a 7%-12% decline from 2018. It stated that the guidance factored in 25% tariffs on List 1, 2, and 3 products from China, which mostly include capital goods rather than consumer goods.

However, Dollar Tree warned that its reduced guidance didn't include President Trump's recent threat to place 25% tariffs on List 4 products. Those tariffs, which could be levied on an additional $300 billion in Chinese goods, could impact 67% of consumer products according to Citi analysts.

American and Chinese shipping containers collide in mid-air.

Image source: Getty Images.

During the company's earnings conference call, CEO Gary Philbin stated that Dollar Tree still sourced the "vast majority" of its products from China, and warned that List 4 tariffs would "be impactful" to its business and "consumers in general." However, he stated that the company wouldn't update its guidance until it had "more clarity" regarding the tariffs.

Dollar General made similar comments during its recent conference call, with CEO John Garratt warning that "shoppers will be facing higher prices as 2019 progresses."

Too many uncertainties ahead

Dollar Tree has been a retail survivor over the past few years. Its comps growth is stable, but it doesn't have much room to raise prices, and its margins and earnings could face intense pressure if the trade war escalates. Investors should avoid Dollar Tree until it offers a clearer battle plan to counter those headwinds.

More From The Motley Fool

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Leo Sun owns shares of Amazon. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Donald Trump met Queen Elizabeth II during a working visit to the UK last year (Getty Images)

Donald Trump wants to be embraced by the Royal Family as he sees it as the ultimate acceptance, according to a former US national security adviser.

Ben Rhodes, who worked for Barack Obama and helped organise the former Presidents UK state visit, attributed Mr Trumps desire for royal approval to his rejection by the elite in the US.

Mr Rhodes told The Guardians Today in Focus podcast: What [Donald Trump] mainly cares about is being the centre of attention.

I grew up in New York City with Trump in the background as this joke, this punchline.

I think a lot of his life has been wanted to be accepted by the elites. He was this guy, unpolished, and he resented the people who thought they were fancier than him. That's why he built the gold buildings and gaudy clubs.

Donald Trump rubs a "magic lamp" during the opening ceremony for his Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic city in 1990. (AFP/Getty Images)

Being accepted by the Queen, Rhodes argues, would mean that Trump has finally made it into the world he always tried to be a part of.

I think the Queen of England and the British Royal Family - that's the ultimate acceptance, Rhodes added.

If you can get accepted and welcomed by the Queen, it doesn't get any bigger than that. That's the inner sanctum of the global elite.

Event though there are a lot of risks in this for Trump - that he'll say something stupid or there will be protests - I still think he's motivated by this sense of, I want to show everybody that here I am, President of the United States, sitting next to the Queen of England.

Donald Trump and his wife Melania will be greeted by the Queen when they arrive in London for their state visit on Monday.

Their itinerary includes a Ceremonial Welcome and a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace with a number of senior royals.

On Tuesday Mr Trump will hold talks with Theresa May and a number of British business figures.

Donald Trump holds onto Theresa May during his working visit to the UK in 2018 (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Earlier this month a Government official revealed the President is only concerned with the royal elements of his trip.

The source told The Times Mr Trump is delightfully oblivious to the current political turmoil in the UK.

Story continues

He told the press in the US that he may hold meetings with Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage in what would be a marked break in convention.

The President described the two men as two very good guys and very interesting people.
Donald Trump is slapping a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the border - Getty Images North America

Donald Trump has announced a new 5 per cent tariff on all imported goods from Mexico unless the country's leaders do more to stop illegal migrants entering America.

The US president said the tariff will begin within days and increase every month, hitting 25 per cent by October, unless Mexico takes action to dramatically reduce illegal migration.

Mr Trump said he would use powers granted to him through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement the move, bypassing Congress.

Mexico cannot allow hundreds of thousands of people to pour over its land and into our country - violating the sovereign territory of the United States, Mr Trump said.

If Mexico does not take decisive measures, it will come at a significant price.

....at which time the Tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

The announcement triggered fears that the price of goods such as cars, food and beer in America could rise given US importers are the ones who will pay the tariff.

It also raised questions about the renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement [Nafta], agreed between America, Canada and Mexico last November but yet to become law. White House officials countered the first concern by saying the US economy was already being hit by the crisis at the southern border. They dismissed the latter by saying the new tariff was separate to the renegotiated deal.

The president's decision, abruptly announced in a tweet and subsequent statement, was a direct challenge to the Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and appeared to take the Mexican government by surprise.

"I express to you that I don't want confrontation," Mr Lopez Obrador wrote in a letter to Mr Trump. "I propose deepening our dialogue, to look for other alternatives to the migration problem."

Story continues

He said "social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures," and alluded to the United States' history as a nation of immigrants: "The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol."

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Credit: AFP

Mr Lopez Obrador wrote that Mexico is doing its part to avoid migration through its territory as much as possible, without violating human rights.

The Mexican leader also urged Mr Trump to "please, remember that I do not lack valor, that I am not a coward nor timorous but rather act according to principles."

The announcement rattled investors who feared that worsening trade frictions could hurt the global economy. The Mexican peso, U.S. stock index futures and Asian stock markets tumbled on the news, including the shares of Japanese automakers who ship cars from Mexico to the United States.

"We're in a good moment building a good relationship (with the United States) and this comes like a cold shower," said Mexico's deputy foreign minister for North America, Jesus Seade.

Mr Seade said it would be disastrous if Mr Trump goes through with his threat to impose the tariffs. Calling the move "extreme," Mr Seade said a normal response would be for Mexico to "mirror" the US tariffs but that would lead to a trade war.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman, criticised Mr Trump's move, saying: "Trade policy and border security are separate issues."

Mr Grassley, whose committee would deal with a proposed trade agreement involving Mexico, said: "This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent." He said the proposal "would seriously jeopardise passage" of a new trade deal involving Mexico, the US and Canada.

The move comes after months of mounting frustration from the president that despite more than two years in office he has failed to drive down illegal immigration numbers.

Earlier this year Mr Trump forced out some of the most senior figures in Homeland Security, the government department which handles immigration, and indicated he wanted a tougher immigration approach.

Trucks wait to cross the border with the US in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico Credit: AP

The tariff will begin at 5 per cent on June 10 and is due to rise to 10 per cent on July 1, 15 per cent on August 1, 20 per cent on September 1 and 25 on October 1. All goods imported from Mexico will be impacted.

However the White House made clear that the first tariff and subsequent increases could be scrapped if Mexico does enough to drive down illegal border crossings into America before those deadlines.

Mr Trump said in a statement: "For decades, the United States has suffered the severe and dangerous consequences of illegal immigration.

Sadly, Mexico has allowed this situation to go on for many years, growing only worse with the passage of time.

From a safety, national security, military, economic, and humanitarian standpoint, we cannot allow this grave disaster to continue.

He added: Mexico must step up and help solve this problem.

During a White House briefing, senior administration figures outlined some of the numbers that have alarmed the Trump administration and triggered the action.

They said that at any one time some 100,000 migrants are passing through Mexico on their way to Americas southern border.

A family arrives at an immigration detention center where migrants had camped for weeks awaiting word on requests for asylum or permits that would allow them to continue north, in Tapachula, Mexico Credit: AP

They also cited the surge in children crossing the border, with 400 passing into America from Mexico in the last 24 hours.

Four children have died recently transiting into America, two drowning crossing a river and two dying of infections after entering the US.

Kevin McAleenan, the acting Homeland Security secretary, said: Let me be clear - the current situation is risking the lives of children every day.

Asked about what exactly the Trump administration wanted Mexico to do, Mr McAleenan named three specific areas where they were hoping for improvement.

They were tightening security at the Mexico-Guatemala border, targeting the criminal networks smuggling migrants across countries and aligning their asylum policies with those of America.

Mick Mulvaney, Mr Trumps acting chief of staff, said he hoped the tariff increases would be avoided but insisted the president was prepared to raise them all the way if necessary.

He said: This president will defend this nation, he will defend the southern border. If that means taking the tariffs to 25 per cent it means taking the tariffs to 25 per cent.

Mr Mulvaney said that Republican leaders on Capitol Hill had been briefed on the measure but that zero Democratic congressmen were told of the move.

Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, pictured in July last year - AP

Donald Trump briefly acknowledged in a tweet on Thursday that Russia helped him get elected - but quickly backtracked in comments to reporters.

Mr Trump until now has said adamantly that he won the 2016 election fair and square, downplaying the impact of what US intelligence agencies say was a concerted Russian effort to meddle in his favor.

"Russia, Russia, Russia! That's all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax," Mr Trump, tweeted a day after Special Counsel Robert Mueller spoke publicly for the first time since the release of his report on collusion during the election campaign and possible obstruction of justice afterward.

"And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected."

He again complained of being a victim of what he called presidential harassment.

Russia, Russia, Russia! Thats all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax...And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didnt exist. So now the Dems and their partner, the Fake News Media,.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

Mr Trump later appeared to recognize the lapse, telling reporters on the White House South Lawn: "No, Russia did not get me elected."

Mr Mueller in his remarks declined to clear Mr Trump of obstruction of justice.

He said that under longstanding Justice Department policy he could not bring charges against a sitting president, effectively leaving it up to Congress to decide whether to begin impeachment proceedings.
* Trump to dine with Queen Elizabeth

* Trump lauds Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage

* United States tells London: Ditch Huawei from 5G

* Trump 'blimp' due to fly amid protests

By Guy Faulconbridge

LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to wade into Britain's Brexit turmoil during a visit to London next week in which he will also tell outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May that her successor should ban Huawei from building 5G networks.

Trump and his wife, Melania, will be treated to a display of British royal pageantry during the June 3-5 visit: lunch with Queen Elizabeth, tea with heir Prince Charles, a banquet at Buckingham Palace and a tour of Westminster Abbey, coronation church of English monarchs for 1,000 years.

Beyond the pomp, though, the proudly unpredictable 45th U.S. president also brings demands: He will show support for a more radical Brexit-supporting successor to May and demand a tougher British stance on China and telecoms giant Huawei.

Trump lauded Britain's most high-profile Brexit supporters - Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage - as his friends on Thursday.

"Nigel Farage is a friend of mine. Boris is a friend of mine," Trump, 72, said. "I think they are big powers over there - I think they have done a good job."

"I like them," Trump said. "I mean they are friends of mine but I haven't thought about supporting them. Maybe it's not my business to support people, but I have a lot of respect for both of those men."

A meeting with either Johnson, the favorite to be the next British prime minister, or Farage, a bombastic anti-establishment campaigner, would be seen as a snub for May who is bowing out after failing to negotiate a Brexit deal that parliament could ratify.

British officials are privately concerned that Trump could humiliate May, who battled in vain to unify her ruling Conservatives behind a deal and broke down in tears while announcing the end of her premiership on Downing Street a week ago.

Story continues

BREXIT

During his last visit to the United Kingdom, in July last year, Trump shocked Britain's political establishment by hammering May's Brexit negotiation for being too weak with the EU and by praising rival Johnson as a "great" potential prime minister.

Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said the United States did not want to "get in the middle" of Brexit or a discussion of the next government's policies.

"The United States remains Britain's staunchest ally in the world and the president is prepared to help out in any way he can," Bolton told reporters in London.

Bolton dismissed concerns about Brexit: "You know, America declared its independence once  we made out okay," he quipped.

Brexit is the most significant geopolitical move for the United Kingdom since World War Two and if it ever happens then London will be more reliant on the United States as ties loosen with the other 27 members of the EU.

At a meeting with May, Trump will warn Britain that security cooperation could be hurt London it allows China's Huawei a role in building parts of the 5G network, the next generation of cellular technology.

The Trump administration has told allies not to use its 5G technology and equipment because of fears it would allow China to spy on sensitive communications and data. Huawei denies it is, or could be, a vehicle for Chinese intelligence.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Britain earlier this month that it needed to change its attitude towards China and Huawei, casting the world's second largest economy as a threat to the West similar to that once posed by the Soviet Union.

Britain's so-called special relationship with the United States is one of the enduring alliances of the past century, but some British voters see Trump as crude, volatile and opposed to their values on issues ranging from global warming to his treatment of women.

BLIMP

A blimp depicting Donald Trump as a snarling, nappy-wearing orange baby will fly outside Britain's parliament during the visit while protesters plan a "carnival of resistance" in central London, a reprise of protests last year.

"The blimp will get in the air when Donald Trump is on these shores," Matt Bonner, its designer - who casts himself as a "Trump babysitter" - told Reuters. "The point of this is to mock Donald Trump, to give him a taste of his medicine."

The first day of the visit, Monday, culminates in a formal state banquet at Buckingham Palace - where men traditionally wear formal white tie coats with tails and women formal evening gowns. The queen and Trump will make speeches.

Jeremy Corbyn, the socialist leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, will not attend the banquet. There is no plan for a traditional horse-drawn carriage trip with the queen.

The second day will focus on politics, including a breakfast with business leaders, talks with May in 10 Downing Street, a news conference and a dinner at the U.S. ambassador's residence.

On Wednesday, Trump joins the queen and veterans to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in the southern English city of Portsmouth, and also makes a trip to Ireland. He will attend official D-Day ceremonies in France on Thursday.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge Additional reporting by Steve Holland Editing by Frances Kerry)
By Guy Faulconbridge

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to wade into Britain's Brexit turmoil during a visit to London next week in which he will also tell outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May that her successor should ban Huawei from building 5G networks.

Trump and his wife, Melania, will be treated to a display of British royal pageantry during the June 3-5 visit: lunch with Queen Elizabeth, tea with heir Prince Charles, a banquet at Buckingham Palace and a tour of Westminster Abbey, coronation church of English monarchs for 1,000 years.

Beyond the pomp, though, the proudly unpredictable 45th U.S. president also brings demands: He will show support for a more radical Brexit-supporting successor to May and demand a tougher British stance on China and telecoms giant Huawei.

Trump lauded Britain's most high-profile Brexit supporters - Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage - as his friends on Thursday.

"Nigel Farage is a friend of mine. Boris is a friend of mine," Trump, 72, said. "I think they are big powers over there - I think they have done a good job."

"I like them," Trump said. "I mean they are friends of mine but I haven't thought about supporting them. Maybe it's not my business to support people, but I have a lot of respect for both of those men."

A meeting with either Johnson, the favourite to be the next British prime minister, or Farage, a bombastic anti-establishment campaigner, would be seen as a snub for May who is bowing out after failing to negotiate a Brexit deal that parliament could ratify.

British officials are privately concerned that Trump could humiliate May, who battled in vain to unify her ruling Conservatives behind a deal and broke down in tears while announcing the end of her premiership on Downing Street a week ago.

BREXIT

During his last visit to the United Kingdom, in July last year, Trump shocked Britain's political establishment by hammering May's Brexit negotiation for being too weak with the EU and by praising rival Johnson as a "great" potential prime minister.

Story continues

Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said the United States did not want to "get in the middle" of Brexit or a discussion of the next government's policies.

"The United States remains Britain's staunchest ally in the world and the president is prepared to help out in any way he can," Bolton told reporters in London.

Bolton dismissed concerns about Brexit: "You know, America declared its independence once  we made out okay," he quipped.

Brexit is the most significant geopolitical move for the United Kingdom since World War Two and if it ever happens then London will be more reliant on the United States as ties loosen with the other 27 members of the EU.

At a meeting with May, Trump will warn Britain that security cooperation could be hurt London it allows China's Huawei a role in building parts of the 5G network, the next generation of cellular technology.

The Trump administration has told allies not to use its 5G technology and equipment because of fears it would allow China to spy on sensitive communications and data. Huawei denies it is, or could be, a vehicle for Chinese intelligence.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Britain earlier this month that it needed to change its attitude towards China and Huawei, casting the world's second largest economy as a threat to the West similar to that once posed by the Soviet Union.

Britain's so-called special relationship with the United States is one of the enduring alliances of the past century, but some British voters see Trump as crude, volatile and opposed to their values on issues ranging from global warming to his treatment of women.

BLIMP

A blimp depicting Donald Trump as a snarling, nappy-wearing orange baby will fly outside Britain's parliament during the visit while protesters plan a "carnival of resistance" in central London, a reprise of protests last year.

"The blimp will get in the air when Donald Trump is on these shores," Matt Bonner, its designer - who casts himself as a "Trump babysitter" - told Reuters. "The point of this is to mock Donald Trump, to give him a taste of his medicine."

The first day of the visit, Monday, culminates in a formal state banquet at Buckingham Palace - where men traditionally wear formal white tie coats with tails and women formal evening gowns. The queen and Trump will make speeches.

Jeremy Corbyn, the socialist leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, will not attend the banquet. There is no plan for a traditional horse-drawn carriage trip with the queen.

The second day will focus on politics, including a breakfast with business leaders, talks with May in 10 Downing Street, a news conference and a dinner at the U.S. ambassador's residence.

On Wednesday, Trump joins the queen and veterans to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in the southern English city of Portsmouth, and also makes a trip to Ireland. He will attend official D-Day ceremonies in France on Thursday.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Frances Kerry)
National Security Advisor John Bolton talks to reporters outside the West Wing on May 1, 2019. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Disputes, differences of interpretation, and flat-out dishonesty about military intelligence are the stuff of which thrillers are made. Its what brought us the Iraq War, and the decade of human carnage, depleted regional stability, and destroyed U.S. credibility that followed. So when theres heated debate among a president, Cabinet officers, members of Congress, and private experts about what a military intelligence claim really means, its time to be concerned. When these arguments are focused on three regional hot spots simultaneously, its time to get very worried about an administrations ability to make security policy and build popular trust based on depoliticized intelligence.

Welcome to the new normal.

Earlier this month, North Korea launched a rocket that Seoul, independent experts, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, and National Security Adviser John Bolton all agreed was a short-range ballistic missile. It poses no threat to U.S. territory, but is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to South Korea, Japan, and U.S. troops stationed in either country. All also agreed that this would be a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions which have been in place since North Koreas first nuclear test under the George W. Bush administration. Even North Korea didnt strongly dispute this, although a spokesperson did refer to Bolton as a war maniac who has a different mental structure than ordinary people  a characterization with which Bolton would likely agree, with pride.

President Trump, however, begged to differ. He first tweeted and then reiterated during his visit to Tokyo that although my people think it could have been a violation  I view it differently. This was particularly awkward for Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, whose territory would be a primary target of such a missile. As Trump claimed that the North had not tested rockets in the last two years, Abe took a moment to bend over and adjust his sock.

That was odd and unprecedented  but then on Wednesday it was followed by an even more unusual counter-contradiction from Shanahan, who pointedly told reporters, Let me just be clear: These were short range missiles. Those are a violation of the UNSCR [U.N. Security Council Resolution].

Whats going on here seems fairly clear: Trump is still hoping that his diplomatic overtures to North Korea will bear fruit, and does not want to be pushed into admitting theyve failed and returning to an escalating cycle of words and sanctions. Trumps Cabinet wants to prevent Kim from achieving two of his goals: unraveling sanctions and securing concessions from the U.S. president, even as his nuclear program continues to grow.

As Shanahan was reinforcing a regional consensus about Pyongyangs activities, Bolton was in the United Arab Emirates making a more controversial claim about Iran. Expanding on earlier statements from the Pentagon, Bolton accused Iran of blowing holes in the hulls of four commercial tankers in UAE waters earlier this month  without, however, providing any evidence to back his accusation. Now he says the U.S. will present its case to the U.N. Security Council next week.

Boltons assertion was certainly intended to show Washingtons solidarity ahead of a regional summit to discuss responses to Iran. It coincided with a Pentagon announcement that more troops would be sent to the Gulf, and some who are already there would have their stay extended, all in response to alleged Iranian threats against U.S. interests in Iraq.

But, as Bolton touched down in the UAE, his interlocutors were likely being briefed on another round of speculation that he is not long for his job, touched off by a New York Times report that Trump is now as fed up with him, as he was with Rex Tillerson a few months before the former secretary of States ignominious dismissal. The comparison seemed intentional; earlier this month, anonymous sources told the Washington Post that Trump was souring on Bolton, but his displeasure with the national security adviser had yet to reach Tillerson levels.

So, to sum up: Bolton is making assertions about intelligence, and U.S. policies, but may not be long for his job. Shanahan, who has backed Boltons assertions, will likely be confirmed by the Senate and move from acting to actual secretary of Defense, but this hasnt happened yet. President Trump disputes the evidence on North Korea, which any private analyst can judge for herself based on satellite photos. In the case of Iran, Bolton offers no evidence, and Trump continues to talk about wanting negotiations with Irans leader  an unusual response to allegations that the country blew holes in ships owned by our Gulf and Norwegian allies.

Against this backdrop, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and and a senior National Security Council official decided that, ahead of the release of a new intelligence estimate, Wednesday would be a good day to allege that Russia is violating a global ban on testing nuclear weapons.

Now, before you go running for bomb shelters, this is not new information or a new dispute. If it is true, it involves very small-scale tests that would be effective for checking the safety of weapons, not their usefulness. At least one prominent analyst argues that it is just as likely to be a mistake, reflecting the U.S. nuclear establishments belief that Russia wants to test  and its own not-so-secret desire to resume tests as well.

But heres why this Marx Brothers routine of administration officials comically contradicting each other is so dangerous. Its not because intelligence has never been misused or politicized before. Its because weve reached a point where no one  not Americans and not foreigners, not Republicans or Democrats or journalists  can keep track of who is politicizing intelligence and why, or understand whether accusations are being made public by people who have power within the U.S. government, or by people who lack power and are using intelligence to try to get power back.

That has enormous immediate risks, making an inadvertent slide into war more likely because other actors cant accurately predict what Washington will do next.

And it has enormous long-term consequences for anyone who is president after Trump and tries to tell their own citizens, or friends or foes abroad, that they are making decisions based on this same intelligence establishment. As in many other areas of American life, we have now passed the point that a new president can just say you should trust me and what I say the intelligence says. Indeed, were already seeing skepticism among our allies as intelligence professionals and senators from both parties try to argue that Huawei and other Chinese information-technology companies are irreparably compromised by the nations security establishment. We can expect increased skepticism as more and more intelligence gets invoked in the kind of clown show were seeing now.

The intelligence establishment  which is large, and which tried as hard as anyone to draw attention to the dangers of a Trump presidency  is not going to like the idea that its product is irreversibly politicized. But its leaders, and everyone who wants to be president after Trump, had better start thinking about what a very public fix would look like.
MANILA, May 31 (Reuters) - A Dutch photographer held hostage by Islamic State-linked militants in the Philippines since 2012 was killed on Friday by his captors when he tried to escape during a firefight on a remote southern island, the military said.

Ewold Horn, a wildlife photographer, was shot by his guards from the Abu Sayyaf group when he tried to flee during a clash between government troops and the militants, said Brigadier General Divino Rey Pabayo, commander of a Joint Task Force on Sulu island.

Six militants were also killed in the firefight in the town of town of Patikul on Sulu, Pabayo said.

Horn and a fellow photographer, Lorenzo Vinciguerra from Switzerland, were taken captive as they were sailing off an island called Tawi Tawi on a bird-watching trip more than seven years ago and later taken to Sulu. Vinciguerra escaped in 2014.

Also killed during the clash on Friday was Mingayan Sahiron, the wife of Radullan Sahiron, a senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf, the military said.

Radullan Sahiron is on a U.S. State Department wanted list with a $1 million reward for his capture since his involvement in the kidnapping of U.S. tourists in 2001.

He was believed to have escaped the clash, another military spokesman said.

The Abu Sayyaf, a small but violent group in the Muslim south of the largely Catholic Philippines, has been known for extortion, kidnappings, beheadings and bombings, and has pledged allegiance to Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

It earlier pledged allegiance to the al Qaeda militant group. (Reporting by Karen Lema Editing by Robert Birsel)
A Dutch birdwatcher held by Islamic State-linked militants was killed Friday during a firefight between his kidnappers and soldiers in the southern Philippines, according to the military, which said he was shot by his captors as he tried to escape.

Brigadier General Divino Rey Pabayo said that Ewold Horn, who was kidnapped in 2012, was killed by one of his captors during a 90-minute gunbattle in Jolo island.

The account could not be immediately confirmed.

"After an hour and thirty minutes of gunbattle, troops recovered the remains of Horn and that of Mingayan Sahiron, the second wife of the Abu Sayyaf top leader," Pabayo said in a statement.

Neither the Dutch embassy in Manila, nor officials in The Hague provided any immediate comment on the military's account.

Horn was on an expedition to photograph rare birds on the remote Tawi-Tawi island group in the southern Philippines when he was abducted by unknown gunmen and turned over to the Abu Sayyaf.

Horn was seized along with Lorenzo Vinciguerra, a Swiss national who managed to escape in 2014 during a gunbattle between soldiers and his captors.

Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history, including repeated kidnappings of foreigners who are usually ransomed off for huge amounts.

Philippine officials assert the group was behind the deadly January bombing of a Cathedral during Sunday mass that was the worst attack to hit the nation in years.

The bombing was claimed by the Islamic State, which has worked to maintain a presence in the Philippines as its caliphate crumbled in the Middle East.
Manila (AFP) - A Dutch birdwatcher held by Islamic State-linked militants was killed Friday during a firefight between his kidnappers and soldiers in the southern Philippines, according to the military, which said he was shot by his captors as he tried to escape.

Ewold Horn had been held since 2012 by the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group and was fatally wounded as soldiers fought a 90-minute gun battle with the jihadists on their stronghold, Jolo island.

The Dutch foreign ministry confirmed Horn died in an "exchange of fire", adding that it was investigating the exact circumstances of his death.

Philippine Brigadier General Divino Rey Pabayo said in a statement that "Horn was shot by one of his guards when he tried to escape from the Abu Sayyaf during this morning's gunfight".

The military's account could not be independently confirmed.

The southern Philippines is home to numerous armed groups, several of which are linked to the decades-old insurgency aiming to create a Muslim homeland in the Christian-majority nation's deep south.

Horn was on an expedition to photograph rare birds on the remote Tawi-Tawi island group in the southern Philippines when he was abducted by unknown gunmen and turned over to the Abu Sayyaf.

- Unpaid ransoms, hostages beheaded -

Horn was seized along with Lorenzo Vinciguerra, a Swiss national who managed to escape in 2014 during a gunbattle between soldiers and his captors.

"We express our deep condolences to Mr Horn's family and loved ones," Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

"We vow to pursue his killers to the ends of the earth until they are brought to justice."

Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for some of the worst terror attacks in Philippine history, including repeated kidnappings of foreigners, who are often held for huge ransoms.

Philippine officials assert the group was behind the deadly January bombing of a Catholic cathedral on Jolo island during Sunday mass that was the worst attack to hit the nation in years.

Story continues

The bombing was claimed by the Islamic State, which has worked to maintain a presence in the Philippines as its caliphate crumbled in the Middle East.

Abu Sayyaf was active in the Philippines years before linking up with Islamic State, and has supported its violent activities with kidnapping.

The group has held hostages over the course of years as it negotiated ransoms, but has also shown a willingness to kill its captives.

Abu Sayyaf beheaded German hostage Jurgen Kantner, 70, in 2017 after its demands for a roughly $600,000 ransom were not met.

Two Canadian hostages kidnapped from yachts moored at a marina on a tourist island in the southern Philippines were also beheaded in 2016 after demands for ransoms of similar amounts went unfulfilled.

The military said Friday that the group was believed to hold at least two Filipinos and a Vietnamese national, but it could not be sure they were still alive.

It added that a woman named Mingayan Sahiron, which the army identified as the second wife of a top Abu Sayyaf leader, was also killed in Friday's gunbattle.

burs-cgm/fox
Lithuania's central bank governor Vitas Vasiliauskas has talked up the 'viability' of central bank digital currrencies whilst stressing they will perform as money, unlike 'private crypto assets'. | Source: REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File Photo

By CCN: The Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania has spoken about the merits of central bank digital currencies. He has labeled them as a new, more efficient, offering from central banks across the globe. Vitas Vasiliauskas has gone on to mention the benefits of distributed ledger (DLT) in regards to mitigating the need for intermediaries.

Vasiliauskas, whose countrys central bank falls under the BIS, was speaking at a Washington conference made public earlier this week.

Vasiliauskas underlined how a central bank digital currency (CBDC) would be a unique novel kind of central bank money. Notably, he added that it would be true money as in his and the BISs view, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin do not fall into that category.

The BIS hit the cryptocurrency media space in 2018 when its general manager, Agustin Carstens, admonished crypto programmers to leave the task of creating money to the bankers.

Agustin Carstens: Banks Should Not Issue Digital Currencies https://t.co/CoFOtUiqaV  CCN.com (@CCNMarkets) March 22, 2019

A new central bank money

Vasiliauskas explained that currently, the central banking system issues two kinds of money. However, if they were to open the doors on CBDCs, it would allow them a third offering that could have many benefits derived from permissioned blockchain technology.
Elton John slammed Brexit while performing in Verona (Elena Di Vincenzo/Archivio Elena Di Vincenzo/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

Sir Elton John has said hes ashamed of the UK government for tearing people apart with Brexit, while performing in Verona, Italy as part of his ongoing Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

From his piano, the legendary songwriter told the audience that he is sick to death of politicians, especially British politicians.

I am sick to death of Brexit, he added. Im ashamed of my country for what it has done. Its torn people apart.

Read more: I was a virgin until 23 and desperate to be loved, admits Elton John

Before launching into a rendition of his 1995 hit Believe, the 72-year-old appeared to take a swipe at those who voted to leave the European Union.

I am a European. I am not a stupid, colonial, imperialist English idiot, he raged, before lightening up the mood somewhat with a joke about shipping costs.

I may have to pay f**king import duty on flowers I get flown over.

John was set to perform in Verona for a second time on Thursday 30 May, but was forced to cancel the gig after his vocal chords became inflamed due to a bad cold.

An events page on Facebook revealed the news, explaining: He was struggling with his warm-ups before last night and it was touch-and-go if he would be able to complete the show.

The cold conditions at the outdoor arena exacerbated the condition and unfortunately, after a night's work with a doctor today, his voice has gone. As such, it with a heavy heart that we have announce that tonight's show in Verona is cancelled.

Read more: Watch Elton John and Taron Egerton sing together at Rocketman' premiere

The prepared statement went on to add that with rest and prescribed medication, the Im Still Standing hitmaker should be well enough to resume his tour in Wiesbaden, Germany on Saturday 1 June.

John - whose life is the subject of Dexter Fletchers Rocketman - previously revealed that his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour will be his last. He said he wants to retire from touring because he wants to spend more time with his husband, David Furnish, and their two sons.

He kicked off the three-year stretch in Allentown, Pennsylvania on 8 September 2018 and will complete around 300 shows before the tour ends in London in December 2020.
On Wednesday, the U.S.-China trade war took a worrisome turn, when Chinese state media suggested the country could levy new tariffs on U.S. rare earth metal exports, in retaliation for the Trump administration's blacklist of Chinese telecom Huawei.

That would put U.S. tech companies, defense contractors, auto companies and health care firms in a bind. Rare earth metals that have become ubiquitous throughout their supply chains are largely sourced from China. Should rare earth metals prices skyrocket, U.S. firms would either have to cut back on their own production, or cascade higher prices down to the end consumer.

However, one U.S-based ETF would likely gain: the $199 million VanEck Vectors Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF (REMX). In fact, REMX has already seen boosted volume and flows over the past two weeks as a result of the trade dispute, with more activity sure to follow.

What Are Rare Earth Metals?

Rare earth metals (also known as rare earth elements) comprise a list of 17 elements, including the 15 lanthanides as well as scandium and yttrium. (However, they don't include other headline-making strategic metals like lithium or cobalt.)

Bright, soft and fairly temperamentalat least in chemical termsthe rare earth metals aren't actually all that rare in the earth's crust. But it's difficult to find them in large concentrations, and mining rare earth metals can be tough and expensive.

Used in trace amounts across tons of modern-day devices, rare earth metals can be found in everything from cancer drugs to aircraft engines, and from fluorescent light bulbs to electric car batteries. They're also used in consumer electronics, like tablets and smartphones, to make them smaller and more energy efficient.

For example, Apple (AAPL) is a massive consumer of rare earth metals, using them in its cameras and speakers (read: "iPhones & Teslas: 2 Rare Earth ETF Bets.)

(Use our stock finder tool to find an ETFs allocation to a certain stock.)

Story continues

Where They Come From

Although China possesses 37% of world rare earth metal reserves, it accounts for roughly 70% of global production. That was intentional: In the late '90s, China ramped up its production capacity of rare earth metals, while the U.S. and other countries wound down their production.

As such, only one rare earth mine remains in the U.S. (Mountain Pass, in California), and today, the U.S. relies on Chinese imports for about 80% of its annual supply. Furthermore, even Mountain Pass is dependent on China for refining capacity. There are no rare earth metal refineries located outside China.

This means that, should the proposed Chinese tariffs on rare earth metals go into effect, the U.S. can't shift production stateside to compensate, because it simply doesn't have the production facilities. It would take years to ramp up that capacity again. Nor can other countries meaningfully fill the gaps. The U.S. needs Chinese rare earth metals. And the Chinese know it.

Massive Volume, Flows Into REMX

Year-to-date, REMX has performed decently, rising 9.44% on the back of U.S.-Chinese trade war tensions that began to intensify in March. Over the longer term, however, the fund hasn't done so great; since its price last peaked in January 2018, REMX has fallen 54%:

Starting last week, there was a massive uptick in REMX's trading volume. In the 10 years since it had first launched, REMX hadn't traded more than 700,000 shares in a single day. Then on Monday, May 20, traders exchanged more than 3 million shares; the next day, roughly 5 million shares traded. The volume spike coincided with a trip that Chinese President Xi Jinping took to the country's largest rare earth metals production facility.

Hot Topic

Trading in REMX died down for the rest of the week, only to flare up once again on Wednesday, May 29, as state-run Chinese television channels threatened that the country was willing to use rare earth metals as leverage in its trade war with the U.S.

This volume spike also coincided with significant inflows into REMX: On May 22, the fund saw a net gain of $41 million in investor assets, followed by $22 million on May 23.

In the past month, the fund has taken in $66 million. To put that in perspective, REMX's total new net inflows for the 12 months prior to May 1 were just $13 million.

Not Just Rare Earths In REMX

Investors contemplating REMX as a way to play the tensions over rare earth metals should keep a few things in mind.

First and foremost is that REMX doesn't actually hold any physical metal: It's an equity fund that tracks rare earth metals producers, refiners and recyclers.

Furthermore, although rare earth metals are at the core of the current trade dispute, REMX actually holds producers of rare earth metals and strategic metals, such as lithium, cobalt, tungsten and so on.

This puts REMX somewhat in competition with other ETFs that own lithium, cobalt and/or titanium miners, like the Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (LIT) or the Amplify Advanced Battery Metals And Materials ETF (BATT).

However, REMX is still cheaper than both those funds, with an expense ratio of 0.59% compared to 0.75% for LIT and 0.72% for BATT. REMX has also outperformed both its competitors year-to-date; LIT has dropped 8%, and BATT has dropped 7%.

Charts source: StockCharts.com; data as of May 30, 2019

China Eats Its Own Lunch

About 26% of REMX's portfolio is in Chinese companies, followed by Australia (25%) and the U.S. (11%). Since the Chinese exposure is in A-shares, there could arise a disconnect between how offshore and onshore companies would perform, should the proposed tariffs go into effect.

Finally, perhaps the biggest thing to remember is that China is increasingly becoming a consumer of its own rare earth metals, rather than just producing them for export. Therefore, the country may not be as dependent on U.S. consumption as it may seem.

Many analysts believe that any drop-off in U.S. consumption would be offset by a massive spike in prices that a rare earth metals tariff would inevitably cause. This would bolster support for the Chinese producers in REMX's portfoliowhich would mean good things for the fund's future returns.

Contact Lara Crigger at lcrigger@etf.com.

Recommended Stories





Permalink |  Copyright 2019 ETF.com. All rights reserved
A lot has changed for LGBTQ Americans in the 50 years since June 28, 1969, when an uprising in response to a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Manhattans West Village neighborhood, kicked off a new chapter of grassroots activism. The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down state bans on same-sex marriage; the Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy has come and gone; one of the candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination is gay.

But one thing that has changed surprisingly little is the narrative about what exactly happened that night. In half a century, we havent gained any new major information about how Stonewall started, and even experts and eyewitnesses remain unsure how exactly things turned violent.

We have, since 1969, been trading the same few tales about the riots from the same few accounts  trading them for so long that they have transmogrified into simplistic myth, Martin Duberman writes in the new preface for the 2019 re-release of his 1994 book Stonewall, widely considered to be the definitive account of Stonewall and the events that followed.

In terms of what happened that night, it really depends on who you talk to, and that includes the people who were actually there, Duberman, now 88, told TIME on a recent visit to his Manhattan apartment. They often have very different takes on what went down.

In 1969, police raids at Stonewall were common, says Duberman, who was not there on the night of the raid but was closely involved in the organizing that followed. Officers would throw people against the wall and make sure they were wearing three pieces of clothing that were appropriate to their biological sex, per New York State law at the time. But nobody really knows why the police showed up that specific date, not long after midnight in the wee hours of Saturday morning on June 28; one theory, Duberman says, is that the bar owners failed to pay off the police. Its one of those apparent accidents of history, says Duberman.

Story continues

Its also unclear how exactly that particular police raid turned violent, or why that was the night when, rather than being cowed, the patrons responded with resistance.

Some eyewitnesses to whom Duberman has spoken say that a lesbian actually began the rioting by striking out at a policeman who was mauling her, he says, but no such woman has ever come forward to say that was her. Some say the incident may have turned violent when a trans person hit a policeman, and some think that one of those people, at least, was Tammy Novak, who fought back when a policeman tried to push her into a police van, according to an account Duberman heard from Sylvia Rivera, a pioneering transgender activist whom the city announced on May 29 will be honored with a monument near the Stonewall Inn.

Part of the reason for the confusion is that there are very few photographs of the uprising in progress, even though the nearby Village Voice extensively covered the five nights of riots that followed. Craig Rodwell, owner of a bookstore that specialized in books about gay and lesbian culture, was taking pictures but they didnt come out. The news photos that often accompany stories about Stonewall may not even come from the day of the uprising.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

Despite the lack of clarity on how the Stonewall riots started, there is a deeper answer to why the uprising happened  and that side of the story is quite clear.

At the time of Stonewall, in 1969, many different counter-cultural movements were underway already.

I think you need to know the whole context of the 1960s, and just how much rebellion was going on throughout the culture, says Duberman. The birth of the feminist movement, the black struggle for Civil Rights, Martin Luther King, Jr.s assassination  it was an extremely volatile decade. We began to think, well, black people have been long defined as inferior. But now theyre saying black is beautiful. We, gay people, have long been defined as inferior. Maybe its time we started to say, Gay is beautiful.'

Within weeks after Stonewall, LGBTQ people who had been active in other movements, or in the typically quieter forms of LGBTQ activism that predated Stonewall by decades, came together to start a whole new gay movement in the U.S., as Duberman puts it. This was a grassroots political protest movement that could organize more openly than its predecessors. This phase of the story Duberman knows personally: after spending years attempting to change his sexuality, he turned on instantly to the new message and joined the Gay Liberation Front. Duberman was one of the founders of the Gay Academic Union, the National LGBTQ Taskforce and the first advisory board of Lambda Legal Defense, and is considered a Founding Father of LGBT Studies.

Today, he worries that younger LGBTQ Americans may not appreciate the more under-the-radar pre-Stonewall approach, without understanding what things were like at a time when people could lose their jobs, their apartments and friends merely for being suspected of being gay. Hes also disappointed with what he sees as LGBTQ activists overly narrow focus on issues like monogamous marriage, which he considers a straight ideal, and not enough acceptance of different forms of relationships  or attention to other problems in society like criminal justice reform, immigration policies or income inequality, which he sees as issues that ought to broadly concern the American left.

That extensive activism is particularly key given the conclusions hes reached about this moment in history: that we may never know who threw the first brick but we can say for sure that the climate of the time made it possible.

Having written the book about Stonewall, Ive talked to a lot of people who were there that night, and basically I think what you have to conclude is that it was that night strictly by accident, he says. It was in the air. That is, rebellion, anti-authoritarianism  all that was in the air.
By Aftab Ahmed

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - In the first 100 days of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term, 'big-bang' economic reforms that should please foreign investors are likely to be pursued, according to a top official at the government's main think tank.

The reforms will include changes in labor laws, privatization moves, and creation of land banks for new industrial development, said Rajiv Kumar, vice chairman of NITI Aayog (National Institute for Transforming India), who reports directly to Modi.

"They (foreign investors) will have reasons to be happy. You will see a slew of reforms I can assure you of that. We are going to pretty much hit the ground running," Kumar told Reuters in an interview.

Modi is chairman of the think tank. He and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were last week declared landslide winners of India's general election with an increased majority in the lower house of parliament.

During Modi's first term in 2014, he announced plans to attract manufacturing industry to India through his flagship "Make in India" program, but the ambition was not followed up with practical policies appealing enough to investors. According to Kumar, the Modi 2.0 plan would be more attractive because of the emphasis on critical building blocks, such as land and labor reforms.

Modi was sworn into office for his second term on Thursday night.

Kumar was speaking before Modi on Friday named Nirmala Sitharaman, formerly the country's defense minister, as the next finance minister.

She will face major challenges from day one as government data released on Friday showed that India's economy grew at a much-lower-than-expected 5.8% in the January-March period. That is its slowest pace in 17 quarters, and increases pressure for economic stimulus from the government and the central bank through tax cuts and lower interest rates.

Sitharaman is expected to deliver some tax cuts in her first full-year budget in early July while keeping the budget deficit close to target.

Story continues

NITI Aayog, which now acts as the main center for policy making and for driving new ideas, was founded four years back when Modi scrapped the 65-year old planning commission, saying that India was stifled with Soviet-style bureaucracy.

Kumar said reforms in India's complicated labor laws would see the light of day as early as the next parliamentary session in July, when the government would place a new bill before the lower house for approval.

It will aim to combine 44 central laws into four codes  wages, industrial relations, social security and welfare, and the fourth - occupational safety, health and working conditions.

This should help companies to avoid getting embroiled in complicated disputes with their workers.

The government could also offer swathes of land to foreign investors from the land banks it plans to create from unutilized land controlled by public sector enterprises, Kumar said.

"What could be attempted is to build an inventory of government land that can then be offered to foreign investors," Kumar said.

The land parcels could be designed as clusters catering to a specific set of investors or industrial sectors, Kumar said.

Getting access to some of the large amounts of unutilized Indian government land would reduce major risks for foreign companies as there would be a lot less risk of legal challenges over ownership and development. A lot of the sites they have used in the past was previously farm land, opening them up to protests and court action by local communities over land rights, the environment and other issues.

Kumar said the government would focus on fully privatizing or closing more than 42 state-controlled companies in the coming months. The government is even mulling lifting the foreign direct investment cap on Air India , the loss-making state-owned flagship carrier, to make it easier to sell.

Kumar also said that it could create an autonomous holding company that would control all state-owned firms and wouldn't be answerable to lots of different ministries. This would speed up decision-making for asset sales, avoiding much of the central government's bureaucracy.

BIG BANG

Indias economic growth rate decelerated to a five-quarter low of 6.6% in the last three months of 2018, and is expected to fall further in the January-March quarter due to a sharp drop in consumption.

The economy needs far faster growth if it is to generate enough jobs for the millions of young people entering the labor market each month.

Kumar blamed the stressed balance sheet of banks and a crisis in the shadow lending industry for the recent drop in growth.

He suggested the government should start with reforming the state-owned banking sector and also create more money for spending on infrastructure and new public housing through more and quicker privatizations and better tax collection.

(Reporting by Aftab Ahmed; Editing by Martin Howell and Stephen Powell)
By Agnieszka Barteczko, Olesya Astakhova and Bate Felix

WARSAW/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Polish and German refineries have reached a preliminary agreement to process contaminated oil sent from Russia last month, which still sits in pipelines from Belarus, sources familiar with the situation said.

The northern route of the Druzhba pipeline that supplies Russian crude to Polish and German refiners has been shut for more than a month after oil flows were found to be contaminated with high levels of organic chloride.

Since then, industry officials have held several meetings to discuss how to remove the dirty oil and split the related costs.

Four sources said that during the latest talks in Warsaw last week, four European refineries - Total's Leuna, PKN Orlen's Plock, Lotos' Gdansk plants, and PCK, which is part-owned by Rosneft's German unit - have reached a preliminary deal to share the contaminated oil.

The companies will remove the crude, most of which is currently in Poland, from the pipeline by blending it with clean oil they receive via sea routes. It can then be processed through their refining units.

"The refineries initially agreed on the dirty oil division," said one source speaking on condition of anonymity. "Each will take a portion of it."

Three other sources confirmed the information and said details will be worked out and confirmed at the next talks scheduled for Monday in Moscow, when the key issue of financial compensation will also be discussed.

One source said that each refiner is expected take the quantity it initially ordered.

Poland's Lotos and France's Total declined to comment, while PKN and PCK were not immediately available for comment.

Russia agreed last week to pump the dirty crude back from Belarus, cleaning up the link all the way through to Belarus' border with Poland. However, that does not cover flows onwards into Poland and Germany.

Poland's pipeline operator PERN said it had neutralized 30 percent of the contamination. Sources said that to date only PKN Orlen has been refining the dirty crude, blending it with clean oil to an extent that is safe for the refinery.

PERN expects clean oil supplies from Russia to be restored on June 9 and that Poland's pipelines will be fully cleaned in the next five months.

(Additional reporting Vera Eckert in Frankfurt; Editing by Jan Harvey)
Elizabeth Warren adds another item to her storehouse of policy proposals. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Its interesting that the first 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to flatly call for impeachment of President Trump is now calling for policy changes that might make impeachment less necessary in the future. The Washington Post has the story:

Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Friday that she would seek to reverse a long-standing Department of Justice policy that prevents the indictment of a sitting president and push Congress to amend the law to make it clear that presidents can be charged with crimes.

The first proposed action would directly undercut the Executive branch policy that kept Robert Mueller  in his own eyes, at least  from even thinking about recommending criminal charges against Donald Trump for the obstruction of justice he clearly saw in the evidence his investigation gathered:

Warren (D-Mass.) pledged that if elected president, she would appoint Justice officials who would reverse the departments policy, which was formulated in two opinions during the administrations of Richard M. Nixon and Bill Clinton, when both were facing crises.

The opinions, which have not been tested in the courts, concluded that initiating criminal proceedings against a sitting president would interfere with the unique constitutional responsibilities of the nations chief executive.

No matter what he may think, Donald Trump is not a King, Warren said. No President is. And our democracy only works if everyone can be held accountable.

Beyond that, Warren called two changes in federal law to clarify the exposure of the president to criminal law:

One, she said, would make clear that its the intent of Congress that the Justice Department can indict the president. Warren said she would also like to see obstruction of justice statutes amended to make it explicit that the president can be indicted on a charge of abusing the powers of the office.

As the New York Times reported, Warren did tout her proposals as a way to provide alternatives to impeachment in cases of serious presidential misconduct:

[I]mpeachment isnt supposed to be the only way that a President can be held accountable for committing a crime, she said. Congress should make it clear that Presidents can be indicted for criminal activity, including obstruction of justice. And when Im President, Ill appoint Justice Department officials who will reverse flawed policies so no President is shielded from criminal accountability.

Whether or not Warren gets a chance to pursue these initiatives as president, her proposals are a reminder that the Department of Justice policies that hamstrung Mueller didnt come down from Mount Sinai on stone tablets. Yes, they are rooted in interpretations of the constitutional separation of powers and the presidents explicit and implicit responsibilities, but no court has ever tested these interpretations. It will be interesting to see if those who deplore impeachment as an extreme remedy in Trumps case are willing to look at alternatives like Warrens  or whether they indeed think winning 270 electoral votes places a politician quite literally above the law.
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI/BENGALURU (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday named Nirmala Sitharaman, previously the country's defence minister, as the next finance minister, while the chief of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will become home minister.

BJP President Amit Shah masterminded the party's landslide victory in the April-May general election.

COMMENTARY

GARIMA KAPOOR, ECONOMIST AND VICE-PRESIDENT, ELARA CAPITAL, MUMBAI

"This allocation has come as a surprise, but I would say Nirmala has done a fairly good job as defence minister and she has proved that she has got a very good acumen. I think she fits the bill better than anyone else."

"After (Arun) Jaitley, she is the best bet that Modi could have had. She has worked under the ministry, has domain knowledge, and has also worked in the sector. So, all the main boxes are ticked."

"Nirmala also did a fantastic job defending the Rafale deal in the Parliament, and worked well in whatever little time she was handling defence. So, this may also be kind of a reward for a job well done."

GANESH KUMAR GUPTA, PRESIDENT, FEDERATION OF INDIAN EXPORT ORGANISATIONS (FIEO)

"The new government has to address infrastructure bottlenecks to impart competitiveness to exports. The exporting fraternity looks forward to support encompassing economic growth, sustainable and inclusive development."

YOGESH NAGAONKAR, FOUNDER & CEO, ROWAN CAPITAL ADVISORS, MUMBAI

"It is a big surprise and very unexpected news. The initial expectation of the market from her would be to see how she addresses liquidity concerns. We need to have good liquidity in the market to achieve growth. How the PSU bank crisis will be addressed will also be watched."

"Frankly, the portfolio should have been given to Piyush Goyal, who is a CA by qualification, and he would have been the first choice of the market. But, I think Nirmala has been doing well previously, so it should be alright."

Story continues

OMKESHWAR SINGH, HEAD RANK MF, SAMCO SECURITIES, MUMBAI

"It is a surprise as the market was expecting either Piyush Goyal or Amit Shah (to be the Finance Minister). It will take some time and we will need to see how she performs. The major challenges will be the GST Council and how she will manage that and also economic growth. For a short term, it will be an uncertainty as her appointment was not expected."

SACHIN TAPARIA, FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, LOCALCIRCLES

"As far as startups go, having Mrs Sitharaman as the finance minister is a good thing as it was under her tenure as the commerce minister that Startup India was launched."

"There are a number of direct tax and GST-related issues that are negatively impacting startups and we look forward to working with her."

AJAY BODKE, CEO-PMS, PRABHUDAS LILLADHER, MUMBAI

"Nirmala Sitharaman is eminently qualified to steer India's economy, which is facing multiple headwinds of slowing consumption impulses, moribund private capex cycle and anaemic exports."

"With limited fiscal manoeuvrability, it remains to be seen how she can inject a strong dose of fiscal stimulus to revive animal spirits. She will need to strike a delicate balance between the re-distributive policies advocated by Mr Modi towards the poor & downtrodden and yet ensure the government's firm commitment to adhere to medium-term fiscal consolidation."

N.R.BHANUMURTHY, ECONOMIST AT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC FINANCE AND POLICY

"The choice of Nirmala Sitharaman as the finance minister will improve optimism on the economy as with her finance and trade background she could quickly adapt to deal with the economic challenges. The new finance minister will have to take steps to revive consumer demand and investments to boost economic growth as the economy is likely to grow below 7% for second consecutive year."

JAGANNADHAM THUNUGUNTLA, RESEARCH HEAD, CENTRUM WEALTH, MUMBAI

"The ambiguity of portfolio allocation is now removed, so this is good for the market in a sense. We will get to see Nirmala's proposals and approach in the budget, which is due in about a month."

"Emergence of clarity is what was important, and now the narrative in markets will be about the economic policies that will be adopted to revive and stimulate the slowing economy."

"To stimulate the economy, the Modi government must have thought it will be good to give the portfolio to someone who understood and handled commerce."

BEKXY KURIAKOSE, HEAD OF FIXED INCOME, PRINCIPAL ASSET MANAGEMENT, MUMBAI

"It is too soon to say. I have a neutral view. We will have to wait for her to speak to get her thoughts and ideas on reforms for the markets and the economy, but it will be in line with what the BJP-led government would overall target anyway."

SANDIP SABHARWAL, DOMESTIC FUND MANAGER, MUMBAI

"Nirmala Sitharaman is a relatively unknown entity despite holding a key portfolio in the previous government. Expectations as such will be low. From the markets' perspective, it's neutral at this stage."

(Reporting by Swati Bhat and Savio Shetty in Mumbai, Manoj Kumar in New Delhi, and Chris Thomas, Chandini Monnappa and Krishna V Kurup in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
Photo: iStock

International travel doesn't necessarily mean long, expensive flights, foreign languages and days of jetlag  Canada is so close. If you're looking to explore America's northern neighbor, consider Vancouver. The bustling west coast seaport, located in British Columbia, is one of Canadas densest, most ethnically diverse cities. The city is surrounded by mountains and boasts thriving art, theater and music scenes, not to mention a delicious food scene closely tied to the region's bountiful seafood offerings.

Using travel site Skyscanner, weve sifted through the cheapest flights between Denver and Vancouver in the next few months, including some top-rated hotel options and highly reviewed local attractions. (Prices and availability are current as of publication and subject to change.)

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.

Flight deals to Vancouver

Currently, the cheapest flights between Denver and Vancouver are if you leave on Sept. 12 and return from Canada on Sept. 15. United currently has roundtrip tickets for $340.

There are also deals to be had in November. If you fly out of Denver on Nov. 20 and return from Vancouver on Nov. 24, United can get you there and back for $341 roundtrip.

Top Vancouver hotels

Regarding where to stay, here are some of Vancouvers top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction.

The Rosewood Hotel Georgia (801 W. Georgia St.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you're looking to treat yourself, consider The Rosewood Hotel Georgia. The hotel has a five-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $292.

The Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver (791 W. Georgia St.)

There's also the 4.8-star rated The Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver. Rooms are currently set at $247/night.

The Four Seasons is a luxury hotel in the center of downtown Vancouver, bordering the business district and a short walk to the Vancouver Art Gallery, Pacific Centre Mall, the Vancouver Convention Centre and the Canada Line and Skytrain.

Story continues

The La Grande Residence (845 Burrard St. at the Sutton Place Hotel)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

There's also the 4.7-star rated The La Grande Residence at the Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver, which has rooms for $140/night.

The Sutton Place is a luxury hotel located in the center of Vancouver's shopping district, and just a few blocks away from the business district and the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Top picks for dining and drinking

If you're looking for a popular spot to grab a bite, Vancouver has plenty of excellent eateries to choose from. Here are a few from Skyscanner's listings to help you get started.

New Town Bakery & Restaurant (148 E. Pender St.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

One of Vancouver's most popular restaurants is New Town Bakery & Restaurant, which has an average of 4.9 stars out of nine reviews on Skyscanner.

"There are lots of Chinese bakeries in Vancouver, but New Town takes the cake," wrote visitor Laina. "Its family-run and is a Chinatown staple if youre ever in the neighborhood."

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka (1690 Robson St.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Another popular dining destination is Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, with 4.9 stars from seven reviews.

"Does waiting in the rain for 25 minutes make a meal more delicious?" wrote reviewer SaraLua. "Possibly so. But the slow-cooked pork ramen broth at Santouka made me want to have bad table manners and lift the bowl to my lips."

The Naam Restaurant (2724 Fourth Ave. West)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Also worth considering is The Naam Restaurant.

"The food is 100 percent vegetarian (some vegan dishes) and 100 percent delicious," wrote Zerlander.

Bridges Restaurant (1696 Duranleau St.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, there's Bridges Restaurant.

"Not only is this one of the most upscale seafood restaurants in all of Vancouver that will have you licking your lips the moment you arrive (and long after you leave), this restaurant also has a beautiful view of False Creek from Granville Island," wrote Alexa.

Featured local attractions

Vancouver is also full of sites to visit and explore. Here are two popular attractions to round out your trip, again from Skyscanner's listings.

Stanley Park

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

First up is Stanley Park.

With over eight million visitors each year, Stanley Park is one of Vancouver's top destinations for locals and tourists alike. The beautiful park is home to art events, acclaimed restaurants and world-famous landmarks, like Prospect Point and the Nine O'Clock Gun. Lining Stanley Park is the seawall, a stretch of pavement next to Vancouver's waterfront that is popular for jogging, walking and skating.

Granville Island Public Market (1669 Johnston St.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Granville Island Public Market is another popular destination.

If Granville Island is the king of Vancouver destinations, then the Public Market is the jewel in the Islands crown. It has a fascinating assortment of colorful stalls, showcasing unique homemade products and the very finest in gastronomic delights.

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.
By Matthew Green

LONDON (Reuters) - Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion have drawn up plans to use drones to shut London's Heathrow Airport this summer in a campaign to stop the construction of a third runway at Europe's busiest airport, the group said.

The internal proposal, seen by Reuters, emerged against a backdrop of renewed campaigning by environmental groups who argue that expanding Heathrow would be incompatible with Britain's targets to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

"On June 18, we plan to carry out nonviolent direct action to ensure Heathrow Authorities close the airport for the day, to create a 'pause' in recognition of the genocidal impact of high carbon activities, such as flying, upon the natural world," Extinction Rebellion said in a statement late on Thursday.

"This is not about targeting the public, but holding the Government to their duty to take leadership on the climate and ecological emergency," the group said.

Heathrow Airport said the use of drones would be a "reckless action".

"We agree with the need to act on climate change, but that requires us to work together constructively  not commit serious criminal offences just as hardworking people prepare to spend a well-earned holiday with their family and friends," an airport spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

The deployment of drones would mark a significant escalation by Extinction Rebellion, which mobilized thousands of people in a peaceful civil disobedience campaign that brought parts of central London to a standstill for 11 days in April.

The British parliament declared a symbolic 'climate emergency' in response to the protests, raising hopes among campaign groups that the government will cancel the third runway as part of more ambitious climate commitments.

British security forces have been on alert since December, when Gatwick Airport outside London was forced to cancel flights over several days due to drones near the perimeter. Extinction Rebellion was not involved in that incident, senior members of the movement said at the time.

Story continues

In the internal proposal written by volunteers, activists suggested using drones to force authorities to ground flights at Heathrow Airport while other protesters held picnics. The activists said they would avoid any risk to aircraft by informing the airport of their plans in advance.

If the government does not cede to their demands after disruption on June 18, the activists proposed shutting the airport for the first two weeks in July.

Extinction Rebellion's commitment to non-violent civil disobedience to press for faster cuts in greenhouse gas emissions has spurred offshoots in more than a dozen countries and pushed climate change up the political agenda.

Nevertheless, the planned Heathrow action has divided opinion within the movement. Some volunteers believe that governments will only treat the climate crisis with sufficient urgency if faced with large-scale disruption, including to transport networks such as underground railways and airports.

Others fear that disrupting air travel may alienate large numbers of people who might otherwise have been sympathetic to the movement's demands at a time when scientists are sounding increasingly urgent alarms about the risk of climate breakdown.

As a self-organizing, highly decentralized movement, Extinction Rebellion volunteers have a lot of autonomy, making it hard to predict whether the drone proposal will win enough support to proceed.

Britain's parliament backed the plan to build an $18 billion third runway last year. Heathrow Airport is owned by Ferrovial, Qatar Investment Authority and China Investment Corporation, among others.

(Reporting by Matthew Green; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Ros Russell)
By Kylie MacLellan and William James

June 2 (Reuters) - Who are the candidates vying for Prime Minister Theresa May's job and what have they said about Brexit?

British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced she is quitting, triggering a contest that will bring a new leader to power, with most of the frontrunners expected to push for a cleaner break with the European Union.

Below are the 13 Conservative lawmakers who have said they are running and what they have said about Brexit. They are arranged in the order listed by oddschecker, a website that compiles bookmakers' odds.

BORIS JOHNSON, 54

The bookmakers' clear favorite was the face of the official campaign to leave the European Union. The former London mayor resigned as foreign minister in July last year in protest at May's handling of the exit negotiations.

Last week Johnson said Britain would leave the EU on October 31 "deal or no deal" adding that a second referendum on EU membership would be a "very bad idea" and divisive.

In a newspaper column on Monday, he said: "No one sensible would aim exclusively for a no-deal outcome. No one responsible would take no-deal off the table."

"If we are courageous and optimistic, we can strike a good bargain with our friends across the Channel, come out well and on time  by October 31  and start delivering on all the hopes and ambitions of the people."

Johnson was educated at Eton College and Oxford University.

MICHAEL GOVE, 51

Gove, one of the highest-profile Brexit campaigners during the 2016 referendum, scuppered Johnsons 2016 leadership bid by withdrawing his support at the last moment to run himself.

Seen as one of the most effective members of May's cabinet, Gove, as May's environment minister, backed her Brexit strategy.

On Brexit: Gove said he believed he could unite the party and deliver Brexit.

He said he would set out his Brexit plans in more detail at a formal leadership launch, but told the BBC: "In government and in this job I have got to grips with preparing for a no-deal, it is a possible outcome ... We would be able to get through it but it is ultimately better for all of us if we secure a deal and leave in an orderly way."

Story continues

"We must leave the EU before we have an election," Gove said on Twitter, saying Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn could end up as prime minister with support from Scottish nationalists.

Gove, who was adopted as a child, was educated at Oxford University.

ANDREA LEADSOM, 56

A pro-Brexit campaigner, Leadsom made it to the last two in the 2016 contest to replace Cameron. She withdrew after a backlash to an interview in which she said being a mother gave her more of a stake in the future of the country, seen by critics as an unfair attack on May, who has no children.

Leadsom quit as Leader of the House of Commons earlier this month, saying she did not believe the government's approach would deliver on the Brexit referendum result.

On Brexit: She told the Sunday Times she would put significant effort into encouraging the EU to come up with a "deal that we can all live with" but also said Britain had to leave by the end of October, with or without a deal.

Leadsom was educated at the University of Warwick before spending 25 years in banking and finance.

DOMINIC RAAB, 45

Raab quit as Mays Brexit minister last year after just five months in the job, saying her draft exit agreement did not match the promises the Conservative Party made in the 2017 election.

He had held junior ministerial roles since being elected in 2010. Raab, a black belt in karate, campaigned for Brexit.

On Brexit: Raab told the BBC on Sunday that he plans to seek a "fairer deal" with Brussels, including renegotiating the customs and border plans relating to Northern Ireland. He also said he would not delay Brexit beyond October however, and was prepared to leave without a deal.

Raab said he expected that if Britain left without a deal, it would be likely get to keep around 25 billion pounds of its 39 billion pound exit payment, and the government could use that money to support businesses through Brexit.

The son of a Jewish refugee, Raab was educated at Oxford University.

JEREMY HUNT, 52

Hunt replaced Johnson as foreign minister in July after serving six years as health minister. That role made him unpopular with many voters who work in or rely on the state-run, financially stretched National Health Service.

On Brexit: A remain supporter in the 2016 referendum, Hunt now says that while he would prefer to leave the EU with a deal, he believes a no deal exit is better than no Brexit.

However, in an article in the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday he became the most senior figure vying to replace May to reject a threat to leave with no deal by the end of October, saying lawmakers would block any such move.

"Any prime minister who promised to leave the EU by a specific date  without the time to renegotiate and pass a new deal  would, in effect, be committing to a general election the moment parliament tried to stop it. And trying to deliver no deal through a general election is not a solution; it is political suicide," he wrote.

"A different deal is, therefore, the only solution  and what I will pursue if I am leader. That means negotiations that take us out of the customs union while generously respecting legitimate concerns about the Irish border. Technology offers great promise with 'intelligent borders'."

Hunt was educated at Oxford. He speaks fluent Japanese.

RORY STEWART, 46

A former diplomat who once walked 6,000 miles across Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal, Stewart was promoted to International Development Secretary this month.

Stewart was first elected to parliament in 2010 and backed remaining in the EU in the 2016 referendum. He opposes a "no deal" exit and has been a vocal advocate of May's deal with Brussels.

On Brexit: He told Sky News on Sunday that he favored a "pragmatic, moderate Brexit."

He said he would not seek to change May's withdrawal agreement which has been rejected by parliament three times and said anyone who said they could do so by October was "deluding themselves or deluding the country."

"We have a deal negotiated with the European Union on the Withdrawal Agreement. What I would be doing in parliament and with the British people is sorting out that political declaration and landing it so we can get out and move on."

Stewart was educated at Eton College and Oxford University.

Justice Secretary David Gauke and Conservative Party grandee and former finance minister Ken Clarke have backed Stewart.

SAJID JAVID, 49

Javid, a former banker and a champion of free markets, has served a number of cabinet roles and scores consistently well in polls of party members. A second-generation immigrant of Pakistani heritage, he has a portrait of late Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher on his office wall.

On Brexit: Javid voted "Remain" in the 2016 referendum but was previously considered a eurosceptic. In a speech on May 20 he said there was little to fear from a no deal Brexit. "You see, whatever the outcome of the EU exit, the UK will still have the capacity and the capability to protect itself."

In response to a disastrous showing for the Conservatives in elections to the European Parliament, Javid also said the results showed that "people want us to get on with it. Not another election or referendum asking if changed their mind."

Javid, the son of a bus driver, was educated at Exeter University.

JAMES CLEVERLY, 49

Cleverly was appointed a junior Brexit minister earlier in May, having previously been deputy chair of the Conservative Party. He had a career in publishing before being elected to parliament in 2015.

On Brexit: He told BBC Radio: "My job in government is to make sure that we can leave with no deal. That is still one of the ultimate destinations of this process. It is not my preferred destination."

"What it would be is an added level of uncertainty and difficulty at a time when we could well do without that. (But) we absolutely can deliver a Brexit with no deal."

He joined the British army after school and completed a business degree.

MATT HANCOCK, 40

Health minister Hancock, a former economist at the Bank of England, supported "Remain" in 2016. First elected to parliament in 2010, he has held several ministerial roles.

On Brexit: He told BBC Radio that leaving without a deal was not an option as parliament would not allow it. He said he was open to renegotiate May's deal with the EU but would focus on getting a Brexit deal through parliament.

Writing in the Daily Mail on Tuesday, he said the Conservatives needed to win back both pro-Brexit and pro-remain voters who had deserted it for other parties.

He told Sky News on Wednesday that he planned to renegotiate the future relationship with the European Union and would explore the possibility of changing the Withdrawal Agreement.

"We need to leave the EU with a deal before 31st October. I still think that is deliverable," he said.

Hancock was educated at Oxford University.

ESTHER MCVEY, 51

The pro-Brexit former television presenter, who resigned as work and pensions minister in November in protest at May's exit deal with the EU, said on Sunday Britain has to leave on Oct. 31 and "if that means without a deal, then that is what it means."

On Brexit: She wrote in the Daily Telegraph that no government she led would ever seek an extension beyond Oct. 31.

"We need to stop wasting time having artificial debates about renegotiating backstops or resurrecting botched deals. The only way to deliver the referendum result is to actively embrace leaving the EU without a deal," she said.

McVey, who was placed in a foster home shortly after she was born but later returned to her parents, was educated at Queen Mary University of London.

MARK HARPER, 49

Harper, who was elected to parliament in 2005 after working as an accountant, has held junior ministerial positions and served as the government's chief enforcer in parliament under former prime minister David Cameron.

In 2014 he resigned as immigration minister after it emerged his cleaner did not have permission to work in Britain.

On Brexit: Harper supported remaining in the EU at the 2016 referendum but says he would now vote to leave. He told Sky News he would extend Article 50 to give time to secure an exit deal. "I would rather be realistic with people and say actually if you want to leave with a deal, you want a serious attempt to get a good deal then it simply can't be done by Oct. 31."

"I want to leave with a deal but I do think if we can't get a deal that goes through parliament we need to leave without a Withdrawal Agreement but I think we will only persuade a majority in parliament of that if they think we have made a serious real attempt."

He was educated at Oxford University.

KIT MALTHOUSE, 52

A former deputy mayor of London, Malthouse became a Member of Parliament in 2015. He is a junior housing minister and helped author the so-called Malthouse Compromise plan to replace the unpopular Irish backstop in Britain's EU exit deal with alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border.

On Brexit: He told Sky News on Tuesday: "I would like to get us in shape for no deal, because I think the EU may well choose it ... the EU are preparing strongly for no deal, they are putting lots of work into getting themselves ready. My view is we should be doing that together with them just in case they choose it but in the interim we do have to try and get a new deal through, I am not sure the existing Withdrawal Agreement is negotiable ... we need a new approach."

"I believe if we can unite around this idea of a new agreement that will get a majority in the House of Commons and then have an honest conversation about preparing for no deal, we can be in good shape for Oct. 31."

Malthouse was educated at Newcastle University.

SAM GYIMAH, 42

Gyimah is the only candidate to back another Brexit referendum.

A former investment banker and entrepreneur, Gyimah entered parliament after the 2010 election. He was promoted to minister for universities in January 2018, but resigned 10 months later over Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal.

He said he was joining the contest to "broaden the race."

"There is a wide range of candidates but there is a very narrow set of views on Brexit being discussed," he told Sky News.

"Parliament is deadlocked, we all know that," he said. "We want to be able to bring the country together so that is why I think a final say on the Brexit deal is the way to achieve that.

"I'll be the only candidate in the race offering this option which is supported by the vast majority of people in the public, in order to take us forward." (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, William James, Elizabeth Piper and Paul Sandle Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Susan Fenton)
* Activists worry they could be sent to China for trial

* China says there is 'zero tolerance' for undermining sovereignty

* Proposed law says political crimes not eligible for extradition

* Germany grants asylum to two HK activists; some see more leaving

By Jessie Pang and James Pomfret

HONG KONG, May 31 (Reuters) - Some Hong Kong independence activists say they may be forced to leave the city if a proposed extradition law allowing suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial is enacted.

The government wants Hong Kong's Legislative Council to quickly pass the Fugitives Offenders Ordinance amendment bill, which would allow case-by-case transfers of people to countries without extradition treaties, including China.

The bill says extradition can't be used for political and religious offenses, and that safeguards such as court oversight over extradition requests will ensure rights are upheld.

But Hong Kong's small band of independence activists - who have railed against China's tightening grip on their city's autonomy and freedoms and say Hong Kong should be its own country - sense peril.

"In the future, no matter which fugitives China seeks to extradite, Hong Kong won't be able to say no," said Alan Li, 27, a former leader of independence group Hong Kong Indigenous.

Li is in Germany after being granted political asylum there in a landmark case that has underscored growing international concern about Hong Kong's activists.

"We can't trust the Hong Kong government," he added.

Li and activist Ray Wong, 25, ended up in refugee camps in Germany after skipping bail on rioting charges linked to a violent standoff with police on Feb. 8, 2016.

"We will see more and more people being granted political asylum in the future," Li said via phone from Germany, noting that it was a rigorous process.

At least 23 activists from the February 2016 protest have been jailed for up to seven years. Critics say those are unusually harsh sentences for violating colonial-era rioting laws not used since the late 1960s.

Story continues

'INALIENABLE'

China considers Hong Kong to be an "inalienable" part of the country, so calls for independence are anathema to China's Communist Party leaders.

But freedom of expression and assembly - not protected in mainland China - were enshrined in Hong Kong's mini-constitution when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Britain and Canada said in a news release on Thursday that the extradition bill could hurt local freedoms.

Zhang Xiaoming, the director of China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office, has said that China respects the city's freedoms but that there is 'zero tolerance' for activists who seek to undermine China's sovereignty.

The disconnect between what is allowed in Hong Kong but harshly punished in the mainland has added pressure to independence activists. Chinese leaders dub them "separatists" - a pursuit that would make them criminals in the mainland.

Paladin Cheng, an outspoken leader of the independence movement who lives alone in a ramshackle rooftop flat in Hong Kong, said that if the government doesn't scrap the law, there could be a backlash.

"This China rendition law represents the mainlandisation of Hong Kong," said Cheng, whom police often follow on the streets and during protests.

"If the Chinese government really continues to make Hong Kong more similar to the mainland, even more people will support the idea of Hong Kong independence," he said.

The independence movement peaked in 2016, when two pro-independence activists, Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching, won Legislative Council seats, earning 7 percent of the popular vote in some districts.

Since then, authorities have moved to shut localists out of local politics.

Leung and Yau were removed from public office, dozens of others have been kept from running in local elections, and one pro-independence group was banned last year on national security grounds.

"The atmosphere was really bad. And up to today, nothing has changed. Many of my friends have been harassed, imprisoned, or forced into exile," said Leung, 32.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in announcing the ban that it was necessary on the grounds of national security, public order and public safety. She has also emphasized that Hong Kong respects electoral freedoms.

Leung said that on the last day of 2018, five men forced their way into an office run by fellow activists, smashing open the door and taking some flags. After reviewing CCTV footage of the incident, he filed a police report.

A Hong Kong police spokesman confirmed a break-in had occurred, but said no one had been arrested so far.

'SHRINKING SPACE'

A German Foreign Office spokeswoman, Maria Adebahr, said Berlin was "increasingly worried about the shrinking space the opposition enjoys and the creeping erosion of the freedom of opinion."

She declined to specifically discuss Li's case.

Some activists think the extradition law, even if not immediately deployed against them, would still weigh psychologically.

"The Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong government have hinted several times that whoever is anti-Communist will be a target," said Wayne Chan, 29, another independence advocate. "Pro-independence parties may be forced into exile."

Despite the potential danger, some activist say they'll stay and fight.

"No one knows what is next for Hong Kong," said Tony Chung, 18, who was assaulted twice on the streets last year by four men who were later arrested.

The men are free on bail; police say they are investigating.

Chung was arrested this month over grabbing a small Chinese flag at a protest and breaking the stick. He was charged with criminal damage, which can be punished by up to 10 years in prison.

"Hong Kong has changed completely from the place I knew," he said. "But I don't want to give up and leave right now." (Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin; editing by Greg Torode and Gerry Doyle)
By Thomas Lewton and Alice McCool

KAMPALA, May 31 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Torrential rain delayed the start, leading to a smaller crowd of marchers than hoped.

But when the skies cleared, a band of placard-carrying climate activists set off, turning the heads of motorbike taxi drivers and passersby on this African capitals streets.

Keep Mama Africa green and Our earth is on fire read signs carried by the approximately 30 young climate strike marchers as they passed through the streets of one of Kampalas affluent suburbs this month.

A growing international movement of young protesters demanding action on climate change, launched by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg last year, has spread from Sweden across Europe, and to countries from the United States to Australia.

But it is also beginning to take root in countries known less for their need to cut emissions and more for their vulnerability to climate change impacts, including worsening droughts, floods, storms and sea level rise.

In Uganda - where heavy rain is unusual at this time of year - activists said the signs of a climate crisis are increasingly evident.

There is a change in the rainfall patterns. There are increased temperatures, said Irene Kananura, 22, an organizer of the Fridays for Future Uganda march, as she looked to the sky.

We no longer get enough food, the crops are drying out and the animals are not getting green pastures, she said.

That is a significant risk in a country where almost 75 percent of jobs and 85 percent of export earnings are linked to agriculture, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Deforestation, combined with more extreme and unpredictable rainfall, has led to deadly landslides in Uganda, including one in October that killed more than 40 people in eastern Uganda.

One of the youngest participants in the Kampala march, 7-year-old Diana, said she worried about deforestation and losses of forest animals.

Story continues

My picture is about people who cut trees in the forest. You find some wild animals there and this can cause them dangers, she said, pointing to her placard. I like forests because there are monkeys there.

DRAWING THE LINK

But while many people in Uganda directly experience the effects of the growing climate crisis, a significant number do not understand the causes of what they are seeing, said Cicilly Atong, 23, another marcher.

They dont know that some of them are dying and not having food because of climate change, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

I want people to see what this is all about, she said.

Besides the marches and school strikes, she said, more public talks and other outreach at schools and universities is needed to pass on better information about climate risks.

The activists said persuading marchers to join protests in Kampala can be challenging.

Police last August used teargas to disperse demonstrators protesting the detention of lawmakers critical of long-time President Yoweri Museveni.

Public protests are usually supervised by police officers, and authorities must be notified in advance of such events.

That means when passersby see us holding placards up it may look political, Atong said. People are like, You will get caught by the police.

That can leave potential strikers and passersby wary of being associated with climate strikes - though the protesters were granted police permission for their march, explained Hilda Flavia Nakabuye, 22, one of the main organizers.

People understand the (climate change) effects we are facing, but they dont want to come out and say it boldly, she said.

Still, the activists were able to present their demands to the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga on the day of the strike.

Those included better enforcement of environmental legislation - such as a plastic bag ban - and a commitment to reforestation in Uganda.

She looked through our demands and accepted to help us, said 14-year-old Leah Namugerwa, the youngest of the march organizers. This is a very big victory.

INSPIRED BY GRETA

Both Nakabuye and Namugerwa have been striking on Fridays since the beginning of this year, inspired by Thunberg.

Its kind of difficult, because there are a lot people against you, saying Why arent you in school? said Namugerwa. But then they arent seeing how people are missing school due to climate effects.

Nakabuye, a university student, said one of her lecturers told her nothing can be done about the changes to Ugandas climate. He said climate change is God's plan, Nakabuye recalled.

A lack of awareness about the need to cut climate-changing emissions may be justified in Uganda, which has low per capita carbon dioxide emissions - 37 times lower than the world average, according to World Bank data from 2014.

But much more needs to be done if the country is to grow cleanly and adapt to the growing impacts of high emissions from elsewhere, farmers, scientists and government officials say.

We would like to see the countries that have the biggest effect on climate breakdown helping the countries that cannot cope with the costs of adaptation, said Sadrach Nirere, 24, the coordinator of Fridays for Future Uganda.

As the countrys economy grows, Nirere hopes Uganda's nascent but growing climate movement will encourage the creation of a greener economy.

We would like to see behavioral change, he said. We are trying to show that people can live more sustainably in society, in the way you eat, and the way you use other resources like water.

The high proportion of female climate strikers in Uganda reflects the countrys wider climate activist movement, activists say.

In recent years, women-led environmental groups in rural areas have begun running seed banks to preserve local biodiversity, and pushing for clean energy alternatives.

Because of their leading role in farming in Africa, and in caring for family members, women are often particularly strongly affected by climate threats to harvests and water supplies, as well as to extreme weather, climate scientists say.

As Uganda is home to one of the worlds youngest populations, the marchers believe their collective voice can have a real impact in pushing climate action.

Mostly young people are vibrant and they act so fast, said Atong.

(Reporting by Thomas Lewton and Alice McCool ; editing by Laurie Goering : (Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate)
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP)  Swimming governing body FINA said Friday that vice president Dennis Miller of Fiji had died of cancer. He was 61.

FINA said Miller, a former 100-meter butterfly champion in Fiji, was swim team manager for his home country at the 1982 Commonwealth Games and 1988 Olympic Games, and chef de mission of the Fijian team at the 1996 Olympics.

He became executive director of the Oceania National Olympic Committees in 1997, and was president of the Oceania Swimming Association since 2008.

Miller was also a member of the FINA technical open water swimming committee in 1997, serving for over 10 years, before joining the FINA Bureau, where he has been liaison for open water swimming.

He was also a member of the FINA Executive when he died.

"We are very saddened with this terrible news," FINA president Julio Maglione said. "Dennis was a brilliant administrator and a great promoter of the aquatic sports. He played a very important role in the inclusion of open water swimming in the Olympic program, starting at the 2008 Games in Beijing. His valuable contribution within the Bureau and the executive was of paramount importance for the successful development of our activities."

FINA said Miller is survived by his wife and three children.

____

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
HELSINKI, May 31 (Reuters) - Finland's election-winning Social Democrats and four smaller parties reached an agreement on a joint government program for their four-year term, Finland's likely next prime minister Antti Rinne said on Friday, in a decisive step to secure a majority coalition.

The five parties have been in talks to agree a joint program for their planned coalition since the April 14 general election, which Rinne's Social Democrats won with just 17.7% of the vote, forcing him to look for partners to rule.

"The government program is now wrapped up," Rinne told reporters, adding the parties would continue to negotiate about ministerial nominations on Sunday and publish the program on Monday.

The nationalist and eurosceptic Finns Party came second by a tight margin, at 17.5%, but Rinne excluded them from the coalition talks, opting to partner up with outgoing Prime Minister Juha Sipila's Centre Party as his main coalition ally in addition to the Greens, the Left Alliance and the Swedish People's Party.

The Social Democrats won the election on promises to preserve Finland's comprehensive welfare state, after the previous center-right government imposed austerity measures.

On Tuesday, Rinne confirmed a report that day in daily Helsingin Sanomat that the coalition parties plan to increase permanent public expenditure by 1.2 billion euros ($1.34 billion) over the government's four-year term.

"Under conditions of normal economic growth, we won't incur more debt," Rinne said, adding that by this he meant GDP growth of around 2%.

Finland's gross domestic product grew 2.3% last year but latest forecasts for this year vary between 1.5% and 1.9%, while Statistics Finland said on Wednesday the economy grew only 1.2% in the first quarter year-on-year.

The coalition's employment measures aim to create 60,000 new jobs, needed for the government to reach its target employment rate of 75% employment, up from 72.4% in April.

Story continues

Rinne has not confirmed or denied other details of Helsingin Sanomat's report, including that public assets would be sold to raise some 2-3 billion euros ($2.24-3.36 billion). The paper said those funds would be used for non-recurring items such new fast railway connections between Helsinki and Turku on the south-western coast and Tampere, north of the capital.

Earlier this week Rinne said the five parties had agreed on tax hikes worth 700 million euros. According to Helsingin Sanomat, the increases will mostly be to excise and environmental duties.

($1 = 0.8933 euros) (Reporting by Anne Kauranen Editing by Frances Kerry)
Attorney General William Barr. Photo: CBS This Morning

After the legal Establishment had granted him the benefit of the doubt, Attorney General William Barr has shocked his erstwhile supporters with his aggressive and frequently dishonest interventions on behalf of President Trump. The spectacle of an esteemed lawyer abetting his would-be strongman bosss every authoritarian instinct has left Barrs critics grasping for explanations. Some have seized on the darker threads of his history in the Reagan and Bush administrations, when he misled the public about a secret Department of Justice memo and helped cover up the Iran-Contra scandal.

But Barrs long, detailed interview with Jan Crawford suggests the rot goes much deeper than a simple mania for untrammeled Executive power. Barr has drunk deep from the Fox News worldview of Trumpian paranoia.

It is hard to convey how far over the edge Barr has gone without reading the entire interview, which lasted an hour. But a few key comments illustrate the depth of his investment in Trumps perspective.

Barr, as he has done repeatedly, provides a deeply misleading account of what Robert Mueller found. He did not reach a conclusion, he says. He provided both sides of the issue, and  his conclusion was he wasnt exonerating the president, but he wasnt finding a crime either.

As Mueller stated in the report and again at his press conference, he felt bound by a policy preventing him from charging the president with a crime, or even saying the president had committed a crime. Muellers view is that his job vis-a-vis presidential misconduct is to describe the behavior and leave it up to Congress to decide if its a crime. Several hundred former federal prosecutors have stated, and Mueller clearly signaled, the actions he described in the Mueller report are crimes, or would be if the president could be charged with a crime.

Later in the interview, Barr grossly contradicts Muellers findings with regard to Trumps ties to Russia. Mueller has spent two and half years, and the fact is, there is no evidence of a conspiracy, he says. So it was bogus, this whole idea that the Trump was in cahoots with the Russians is bogus.

This is just a wild lie. Mueller was unable to establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump and Russia. He was unable to establish this, in part, because some individuals invoked their Fifth Amendment right, or provided information that was false or incomplete, or deleted relevant communications. Indeed, the two Trump campaign officials most closely linked to Russian cutouts, Paul Manafort and Roger Stone, refused to cooperate with prosecutors. A failure to establish a criminal conspiracy is not the same thing as finding no evidence of a conspiracy. Nowhere does the Mueller report say theres no evidence of a conspiracy. Some of the potential conspiracy elements were unprovable  Mueller never figured out why Manafort gave 75 pages of polling data to a Russian agent.

Barr, amazingly, goes even farther to say the report proved this whole idea that the Trump was in cahoots with the Russians is bogus. In fact, the Mueller report notes that it did not even try to establish whether the campaign was in cahoots with Russia. The report states that it applied the framework of conspiracy law, not the concept of collusion.

The report in fact finds extensive evidence that Trump was in cahoots with Russia. His top campaign officials took a meeting with a Russian agent promising them help from the Russian government. Trump asked Russia on camera to hack his opponents emails, and they carried out a hacking attempt that day. Trump was pursuing a lucrative, no-risk business deal requiring Russian government approval during the campaign and lying about it, making him vulnerable to blackmail by Russia. Sharing an explosive secret that could destroy your campaign in order to potentially collect a massive payoff from a party that you know is doing illegal things to help you is the definition of being in cahoots.

Barr goes on to repeat Trumps obsession with texts capturing the political chatter of Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, two romantically-involved FBI agents. Its hard to read some of the texts with and not feel that there was gross bias at work, and theyre appalling, he tells Crawford.

There is, in fact, nothing unusual about FBI agents expressing political opinions. An investigation by the FBIs Inspector General did not find evidence to connect the political views expressed in these messages to the specific investigative decisions that we reviewed. And no serious person doubts the overall weight of political opinion at the FBI leans rightward. The bureau has never had a Democratic director, and James Comey testified that, during the campaign, agents appeared to be leaking heavily to Rudy Giuliani. (Comey violated policy by scolding Clinton, and then publicly reopening the investigation, in part due to the pressure of the leaks from the FBIs pro-Trump cabal.) Barrs depiction of the FBI as a bastion of anti-Trump sentiment is grossly at odds with the evidence.

Even more astonishingly, Barr proceeds from that false premise to liken the FBIs counterintelligence investigation of Trump to right-wing birther conspiracies:

I think if the shoe was on the other foot we could be hearing a lot about it. If those kinds of discussions were held, you know, when Obama first ran for office, people talking about Obama in those tones and suggesting that Oh that he might be a Manchurian candidate for Islam or something like that. You know some wild accusations like that and you had that kind of discussion back and forth, you dont think we would be hearing a lot more about it?

By likening the Russia scandal to birther conspiracies, Barr is tracking the arguments made by the most fanatical members of the pro-Trump commentariat, who treat it as a complete hoax. In fact, the Trump campaign had dozens and dozens of contacts with Russians, cultivating and relying on their hidden and sometimes illegal support. For Barr to liken these connections to a completely fabricated theory about Obama as a secret Muslim agent boggles the mind.

Barr portrays the Russia investigation as an effort to overturn Trumps election:

I mean, republics have fallen because of Praetorian Guard mentality where government officials get very arrogant, they identify the national interest with their own political preferences and they feel that anyone who has a different opinion, you know, is somehow an enemy of the state. And you know, there is that tendency that they know better and that, you know, theyre there to protect as guardians of the people. That can easily translate into essentially supervening the will of the majority and getting your own way as a government official.

This is Trumps own favorite conspiracy theory, dressed up in more elevated language than Trump himself can muster  Praetorian Guard mentality  but making the same ugly charge that the FBI plotted an illegal coup to stop Trumps election.

Barr hints repeatedly throughout the interview that he has seen secret evidence he cannot share that supports his sinister conclusion. I have not gotten answers that are well satisfactory, and in fact probably have more questions, and that some of the facts that Ive learned dont hang together with the official explanations of what happened, he says. Thats all I really will say. Things are just not jiving.

It is impossible to disprove Barrs claim to have uncovered a secret cabal to defeat Trump. But one might wonder why this cabal chose to infiltrate Trumps campaign in an effort to smear him as a Russian stooge, and then fail to use the dirt before the election. Indeed, even as reporters were probing Trumps growing swath of shady Russia ties, the FBI was aggressively spinning the opposite story to the media. The New York Times reported this spin in a now-infamous story asserting No clear link to Russia, and even the hacking into Democratic emails, F.B.I. and intelligence officials now believe, was aimed at disrupting the presidential election rather than electing Mr. Trump.

Barrs theory is that a partisan cabal of rabid Trump-haters decided to undermine his campaign by ginning up a phony scandal that they kept secret, even lying to the media, is like the Dr. Strangelove Soviet Doomsday machine. (The device deterred a nuclear first strike by automatically launching a response, but the Soviets neglected to tell the United States because the Premier loves surprises.)

The most frighteningly clarifying comment comes at the end, when Barr lays out his belief that President Trump poses no threat whatsoever to democratic norms. The threat is the resistance:

I think one of the ironies today is that people are saying that its President Trump thats shredding our institutions. I really see no evidence of that, it is hard, and I really havent seen  particulars as to how thats being done. From my perspective the idea of resisting a democratically elected president and basically throwing everything at him and, you know, really changing the norms on the grounds that we have to stop this president, that is where the shredding of our norms and our institutions is occurring.

In fact, the opposition to Trump has been marked, on the whole, by its fastidious restraint. At times Barr has used their restraint against them. Because Mueller believed his role prevents him from labeling Trumps actions crimes, Barr says Mueller couldnt decide if they were criminal or not. He says the relatively mild steps taken to investigate Trumps ties to Russia during the campaign prove the concerns couldnt have been serious. (Im wondering what exactly was the response to it if they were alarmed, he sneers to Crawford. Surely the response should have been more than just, you know, dangling a confidential informant in front of a peripheral player in the Trump campaign.) If the FBI was investigating Trump, it proves they were out to get him, but if they tread lightly, it proves Trump was innocent.

As far as Barr is concerned, Trump has done nothing wrong, and all the shredding of norms has been done against him, not by him. Trumps calls to jail all his opponents, his non-stop lies, his demands to punish independent media and satirists, his open conviction that law enforcement should operate at his personal command and follow him loyally, not to mention the repeated obstruction of justice detailed by Mueller  none of it concerns Barr even slightly.

Everything Barr has said and done during this investigation tells us he is not lying about this belief. The terrifying truth is that he all but surely believes every word.
Helsinki (AFP) - Five of Finland's centre-left parties have reached a coalition agreement following April elections, and could be officially appointed to government next week, the incoming Social Democrat prime minister Antti Rinne said on Friday.

Rinne led his party to a razor-thin victory in last month's general election, holding off the far-right Finns Party which surged into second place on an anti-immigration agenda.

However Rinne, a 56-year-old former trade union boss who was known for his fiery negotiating skills, opted to go into coalition with the Centre Party of outgoing Prime Minister Juha Sipila.

The parties, along with the Green party, Left Alliance and Swedish People's Party, a centrist group which represents Finland's Swedish-speaking minority, have been hammering out a detailed list of their forthcoming policies, known as the government programme, to be published on Monday.

"The content is ready, and now over the weekend we'll check some of the wording of the text and some of the economic figures, but the government programme is in the bag," Rinne told reporters on Friday.

"If everything goes as we imagine, (the government will be officially appointed) at the end of next week," Rinne said.

The centre-left coalition would give Rinne a majority of 117 in Finland's 200-seat parliament, the Eduskunta.

The new coalition will unveil its policy document on Monday, though Finnish media has reported that the government will promise 1.2 billion euros more public spending, of which 700 million euros will be funded by higher taxes.

Rinne's Social Democrats have bitterly opposed the spending cuts brought in by the previous centre-right government during the last four years, as well as attempts to introduce more flexibility into Finland's labour laws.

Critics have been sceptical over whether Rinne's administration will be able to tackle Finlands long-standing unemployment problem and fulfil their election pledge to increase the jobs rate to from 72 to 75 percent.

Story continues

They have also warned against increasing public spending when Finland is expected to face an economic downturn in the near future.

However, on Friday Rinne defended his forthcoming government's spending plans.

"Ive said from the beginning that our figures are based on the finance ministrys official outlook on what is happening in the world, in Europe and in Finland, and that is what we have done here too -- the changing situation has been taken into account," Rinne said.

The Social Democrats will head a government for the first time in 16 years, though the party has been a junior coalition member since then.
Last week BP and Shell both pledged support for the Climate Leadership Councils (CLC) proposal for a revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend plan, under which extractors of carbon-based fuels would be charged a fee, and all of the money collected would be distributed to the public as a dividend. While conservatives have a wide variety of views on how, or even whether, to address climate policy, this initiative is perhaps the most genuinely bipartisan attempt so far to move forward on a famously contentious issue.

Under the CLC plan, the fee and dividend provisions would be combined with the repeal of a number of Obama-era regulatory policies, including the Clean Power Plan, that try to accomplish similar emissions-reduction goals, but in a less economically efficient manner. Its efficiency-focused approach has drawn the support of a significant number of Republicans, even some who are skeptical of the Lefts broader climate claims.

While I have not been involved with or taken a position on the CLC plan, I was privileged to spend the last decade directing the Task Force on Energy Policy at the Hoover Institution, chaired by two of the CLC plans initial co-authors, former U.S. secretary of state George Shultz and Ambassador Thomas Stephenson. Ive also written extensively about the empirical effects of carbon pricing in my own scholarly work.

Shultz and Stephenson joined a distinguished group of GOP luminaries that includes former secretary of state James Baker, former Treasury secretary Hank Paulson, former Council of Economic Advisers head Martin Feldstein, and former Federal Reserve chair Alan Greenspan in creating the original CLC plan.

But while some critics have referred to the CLC as a Republican proposal, it was also endorsed by a number of prominent Democrats, including Larry Summers and Steve Chu, who served as Treasury secretary and energy secretary, respectively, under President Obama. It was also a rare proposal that won support from sources as diverse as major environmental NGOs (such as Conservation International) and industrial titans (such as Ford and GM). The plans core principles were endorsed by 27 Nobel Prizewinning economists and leading economic policymakers, including every living former chair of the Federal Reserve and 15 former chairs of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers from both parties.

Story continues

But instead of expressing happiness that some of the biggest oil producers were willing to accept a major concession to help lower emissions under a plan with almost unprecedented bipartisan support, many on the left have complained because the plan also limits climate-change-related litigation. An article in the liberal blog ThinkProgress called this provision the oil companies present to themselves. According to Daniel Zarillo, an aide to New York mayor Bill de Blasio, its a transparent attempt by fossil fuel companies to avoid the liability for decades of deception and denial about the consequence of burning fossil fuels. Tom Butt, the mayor of Richmond, Calif., called it a Trojan Horse proposal that attempts to prevent cities, counties, states, or others from holding fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change-related damages they knowingly caused.

None of these climate-change lawsuits have succeeded, and theres no reason to think they will. They all require novel, if not frivolous, legal theories. Even far-left European Union courts have thrown out suits of this type.

Moreover, even if they were successful, most such suits would do little to limit emissions going forward. The lawsuits are based on the idea that oil companies intentionally concealed evidence of severe damages from climate change. Even if these highly contestable claims were true, pursuing them is simply not the most productive approach to actually moving Americans toward a politically durable climate-policy solution.

Further, contrary to the implicit claims of Butt, Zarillo, and others who share their views, there is no significant evidence that oil and gas companies public positions on climate science have driven substantial changes in oil and gas consumption. Simply put, we use oil because it allows us to do important things that are very difficult to do without it. The vast majority of climate activists still fly on airplanes, drive gasoline-powered cars, and use plastics and other materials made from petroleum. Pricing carbon could change incentives and promote alternatives, while retrospective lawsuits do nothing to alter present realities.

Furthermore, even if activists somehow managed to bankrupt every major oil company without shifting the fundamental incentives in the energy markets, new investors would simply purchase their assets and restart the cycle. So why is the Left so invested in these lawsuits?

Beyond financial self-interest, they have a deeper ideological motivation: using climate change not just as an environmental-policy issue, but as a way to right all their perceived societal wrongs. Their primary concerns are not creating good public policy but promoting a political theology that I have referred to as The Church of Environmentalism.

As Representative Barbara Lee (D., Calif.) said , addressing climate change is not just an environmental issue, but also an imperative to achieve racial and economic justice. Last year the Sierra Clubs magazine ran an article endorsing climate-change lawsuits against the oil companies as the first step in climate change reparations, which was only the base minimum required for any accounting of a crime as insidious as the profit-driven alteration of Earths atmosphere. The NRDC has also approvingly called climate lawsuits reparations, as have articles in most of the leading left-wing publications, such as The New Republic, The Nation, and Mother Jones. Not to be outdone, the popular socialist magazine Jacobin called for trying oil executives for crimes against humanity.

This political theology masquerading as public policy is at work in Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Senator Ed Markeys (D., Mass.) Green New Deal. While conservatives poked fun at some radical environmentalist policies discussed in the draft legislative summary, the actual legislation has surprisingly little to do with the environment at all, stating:

It is the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal . . . to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous peoples, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth.

Looking at this broader political context, many on the right are, quite understandably, skeptical of the Lefts motives in pursuing their preferred climate policies. The Green New Deal and climate lawsuits are about punishing the Lefts enemies and funding left-wing social programs, while giving leftists a false sense of moral superiority. If climate change is the existential threat to humanity that the Left says it is, they are going to need to build a bipartisan consensus, not file frivolous lawsuits against energy companies, to address it.

More from National Review
Apalachicola (United States) (AFP) - Residents of hot, mosquito-infested Florida know that life there sans air conditioning would be unbearable. Yet the state's 19th century pioneer in the field was dismissed during his lifetime as a crank.

John Gorrie, a medical doctor who moved to steamy north Florida in 1833 determined to alleviate yellow fever outbreaks, was once described by a New York Globe writer as a crank "who thinks he can make ice by his machine as good as God Almighty."

Naturally, he died scorned and penniless.

Gorrie's unrecognized feat, however, lives on in a museum in the Florida panhandle town of Apalachicola, nestled between heavily-forested swamps, debris left over from the last hurricane to hit the region, and spires of the town's many churches.

Gorrie was a respected member of the community when he first moved to Apalachicola.

He founded its first Episcopal church, "the oldest church today still very valuable to us," said Jeremy Roundtree, a Florida Park Services ranger at the tiny John Gorrie Museum, the pride of Apalachicola.

"He ran the very first bank out of Pensacola, Florida, he was a postmaster, which was a very lucrative job, he was a mayor here in town."

But after he made an ice machine and got it patented in 1851, the verdict was: "he's crazy," Roundtree told AFP.

- A cure for Yellow Fever? -

The Spaniards, the first Europeans to settle in Florida in the mid 1500s, could never attract enough people to live on the peninsula and eventually ceded the land to the United States in 1819.

Born in 1803, Gorrie spent his sweat-drenched life in Florida searching for ways to create winter with the goal of defeating yellow fever. Outbreaks of the often deadly disease were more terrifying than hurricanes.

The New York-trained doctor quickly linked the yellow fever to heat, but was convinced that it was transmitted by what was known as "swamp gas."

Story continues

His solution: cool the patient's room with machine-made ice.

It took another 50 years for experts to realize that yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitos -- which thrive in swamps and die in the cold.

"Which is why today the nation calls him the Father of Refrigeration, and not an amazing doctor," said Roundtree.

"But he was an amazing doctor, he just finds himself fighting the wrong thing at the right place."

- The 'crazy' ice machine -

Gorrie's machine is a steam engine with a series of cranks and handles held in a wooden frame on a brick platform that condenses and expand air until, thanks to the thermodynamic cycle discovered just years earlier, it produces ice.

By 1848 the machine was producing 12 blocks of ice a day. Gorrie would put ice inside a bucket that was hung from the ceiling over the patient's bed or high point near a window.

Hot air, which tends to rise, was thus cooled, and eventually the room temperature -- and the patient's fever -- would drop.

Gorrie was far ahead of his time when he patented his machine. Religious Americans, however, were unprepared for a device, clearly inspired by the devil, that could reproduce God's creation.

"It had nothing to do with God but, instead, science," Roundtree said. "Which you know today probably doesn't still walk hand in hand with religion."

He may have improved the lives of his patients, but Gorrie was unable to sell his ice-making machine.

He died in 1855, mocked and bankrupt.

The first proper air conditioning machine came out about half a century after his death.

"Dr. G came up with a brilliant, far-sighted innovation that helped people, so of course he was labeled a crackpot and died penniless -- only to be honored by the state AFTER his death," said Craig Pittman, a local writer specializing in the offbeat stories that Florida is well known for.

Florida was the least populated US state up to the 1940s. Hotels closed during the summer because of the heat and the clouds of mosquitos the descended on visitors.

It wasn't until air conditioning became popular and pesticides like DDT came into use in the 1950s that Florida became truly habitable.

"Everyone said he was a crazy man," said Roundtree.

But today in Apalachicola "as you can see we love and honor Dr. Gorrie because of his sacrifices."
Annecy (France) (AFP) - French authorities have moved to ban climbers from scaling Mont Blanc unless they have booked a room in one of the shelters on the flanks of Europe's highest peak, in a bid to tackle safety risks linked to overcrowding.

The Alpine peak attracts nearly 25,000 climbers every year, but the daily crowds have led to flaring tempers among teams jockeying for position, and rampant illegal camping.

Starting Saturday, people hoping to scale the 4,810-metre (10,500-foot) mountain via the standard route must now book a room in one of three shelters if their ascent includes an overnight stay -- which is most often the case.

A 25-year-old Slovak climber died on Friday after falling around 250 metres (820 feet) at the start of the standard route, widely known as the "Route Royale".

Fifteen climbers died on Mont Blanc during last year's climbing season, prompting officials to start limiting access to the most popular route up in July amid concerns about overcrowding and rockslides.

But public information campaigns to dissuade crowds have proved "ineffective", said regional administrator Pierre Lambert.

Physical threats towards a caretaker in a shelter, as well as squalid conditions due to overcrowding prompted authorities to announce the new rules, which will be in effect until the end of the climbing season in September.

Mountaineers caught camping on the route risk two years in prison and a 300,000-euro ($335,000) fine, Lambert said.

Officials had already announced in April plans to repair routes and install different light markers to distinguish routes for ascending or descending.

The ban marked "the result of 15 years of fighting to make sure mountaineers can enjoy Mont Blanc, while also respecting it", said Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of the town of Saint-Gervais, where most climbers start their ascent.

Tne new rules come as a traffic jam of climbers in the Everest "death zone" has been blamed for two of four new deaths reported on Friday on the world's highest peak.

Eight people have died on Everest in a week with concerns that the drive for profits is trumping safety there.
Paris (AFP) - A man suspected of planting a parcel bomb that wounded 14 people in Lyon, central France, was charged Friday with "attempted terrorist murder", a prosecutor said.

He was also charged him with criminal association and building an explosive for terrorist purposes, prosecutor Remy Heitz said.

A magistrate ordered the detention of Mohamed Hichem Medjoub, 24, in custody since his arrest on Monday.

Medjoub, who is of Algerian origin, told investigators he had pledged allegiance "in his heart of hearts" to the Islamic State (IS) group, Heitz said in a statement issued Friday.

Police arrested him after a manhunt that began last Friday when a homemade bomb containing screws, ball bearings and acetone peroxide, or APEX, exploded on a busy pedestrian street in central Lyon.

APEX is the volatile compound used in the deadly Paris terror attacks of November 13, 2015.

Police identified Medjoub via video surveillance cameras that caught him fleeing the scene on a bicycle. Investigators found traces of his DNA on the homemade bomb, which was detonated by remote control, a source close the case has told AFP.

Medjoub was arrested without incident while getting off a bus in a suburb just south of the city. His parents and brother were also briefly detained, but have since been released.

At the family's home, investigators found batteries and chemicals similar to those used in the explosive device, while screws, ball bearings, four remote control devices and a water bottle with traces of APEX were found in the building's rubbish bins.
PARIS (Reuters) - A French court on Friday sentenced a British journalist in absentia to 25 years in jail for the murder of a French film producer in Ireland 22 years ago, and issued a new European arrest warrant to try to press Ireland to extradite him.

Sophie Toscan du Plantier's body was found bruised and battered while she was on holiday in the small Irish coastal village of Schull, in December 1996.

Ian Bailey, a British journalist and poet who lives in Ireland, became a suspect after speaking to others about the killing after it took place. He denies blame and Irish authorities have never prosecuted him for the killing.

Under French law, a person suspected of murdering a French citizen in another jurisdiction can be tried in France. Ireland rejected his extradition to France on a number of grounds, including that the crime had not taken place there.

The victim's family said it hoped the new arrest warrant would mean Bailey would now be sent to France.

"Justice has been served, now it needs to be carried out," Toscan du Plantier's son Pierre-Louis Baudey-Vignaud told Reuters.

Bailey's lawyers, who did not attend the trial, have said that his abrasive personality, and claims that he had made to have information about the murder, had contributed him ending up a suspect, but that he was not guilty.

Bailey's French lawyer Dominique Tricaud said the sentence was a "judicial error" and Bailey was innocent.

French prosecutors had been pushing for a 30-year prison sentence in the case.

Toscan du Plantier's husband Daniel Toscan du Plantier was a leading producer and worked with renowned film-makers including Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman.

(Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry, Writing by Sarah White)
Paris (AFP) - The French government said Friday it had filed an appeal against a Paris court ruling ordering that life support be resumed for a man in a vegetative state for over a decade, the latest move in a long legal fight over his fate.

Vincent Lambert, 42, has been kept alive since a traffic accident in 2008 left him a quadraplegic with severe brain damage that doctors eventually determined was irreversible.

But his parents have fought for years against a move by his doctors, backed by his wife and five of his siblings, to remove life support systems, creating a major debate over the country's right-to-die laws.

After securing backing from a court, doctors were to start removing his water and feeding tubes while inducing sedation this month at the hospital where he has been treated in Reims, northwest France.

But in a last-minute ruling, a Paris appeals court ruled on May 20 that the life support must be maintained while Lambert's case is examined by the UN's Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The government had already said it was not legally bound to wait for the UN committee's decision, and on Friday the health ministry said it had appealed to the Court of Cassation, which rules on questions of law and judicial disputes.

"A request for appeal was filed this morning" on behalf of both the health and the foreign ministries, a health ministry official told AFP.

The case has rekindled a contentious debate over France's right-to-die laws, which allow so-called "passive" euthanasia for severely ill or injured patients with no chance of recovery.

But Lambert's parents, staunch Catholics, have repeatedly launched legal action to keep him alive, saying their son's chances of recovery would improve if he were given better treatment.

The case has drawn in Pope Francis, who said on Twitter that it was necessary to "always safeguard life, God's gift, from its beginning until its natural end."
An important tenet of managing a corporate crisis that involves loss of human life is to show that you care. Eighty days after the fatal crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, coming five months after the doomed Lion Air Flight 610, Boeings Chairman and CEO Dennis Muilenburg made a serious attempt to show personal contrition for the loss of the 346 lives aboard both 737 MAX aircraft.

I do personally apologize to the families, he told CBS Evening News anchor Norah ODonnell in his first interview since the two tragedies. We feel terrible about these accidents, and we apologize for what happened. We are sorry for the loss of lives in both accidents, and that will never change. That will always be with us. I can tell you it affects me directly as a leader of this company. Its very difficult.

Muilenburg also admitted that implementation of the MCAS softwarethe new flight control system in the 737 MAX that erroneously pushed the nose of both aircraft downwas not done correctly and that communication on that problem was not what it should have been. Muilenburgs statements in the interview are undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but the response is lateand tepid. And it will likely do nothing to keep the company from becoming a business school case study in what not to do in a crisis.

One of the things you want during an interview, especially when youre trying to do damage control is express emotion, express passion, says media relations and crisis communications expert David Johnson, CEO of Strategic Vision PR Group. He seemed overly clinical. He skirted some of her questions.

Case in point: ODonnell asked, Can you imagine how terrifying that was for the people on board? Muilenburgs response, We examine every dimension of these accidents. Not to try to attribute fault or point fingers, but its to understand end-to-end what happened.

That should have been a thoughtful question for him, says Johnson. He should have said, Its unimaginable, I cannot even think about it. My heart goes out to the family members.

Story continues

Another bit of Muilenburgs boilerplate was his response to the question about what went through his mind when he heard about the second plane crash: This gets to the core of who we are as a company. You know, Ive been at Boeing for 34 years. I spent a career working on safe products. We pause, we assess the situation, we immediately began to take actions on what we could do to improve and in the end this reinforces our values as a company.

Crisis Gold Standard

Crises are bound to happen in corporations. Its the response to the crisis that forms lasting public perceptions about the character of a company. The gold standard in crisis management is Johnson & Johnsons 1982 massive product recall after Tylenol tampering in Chicago poisoned seven people to death. Toward the other end of the spectrum: A 2010 rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that took 11 lives and put BPs CEO Tony Hayward under the glare of media scrutiny. He uttered a number of gaffes including the famously thoughtless I want my life back remark.

Boeings numerous missteps after the 737 MAX crisis have damaged its solid reputation and harmed passenger confidence in the plane. The key to crisis communications is being proactive, says Johnson What Boeing should have done right away is announce that they were grounding the 737 Max until they could find out what the problem was. But as aviation authorities across the world were grounding the MAX after the March 10 Ethiopian crash, Muilenburg appealed directly to President Trump about the safety of the aircraft, according to the NYT. A day later, under increasing pressure, the company decided to recommend to the FAA the temporary suspension of the fleet out of an abundance of caution.

Approximately a month after the second crash, Muilenburg recorded an apology video that also references a chain of events he said happens in most crashes, which seemed to deflect full accountability away from Boeing and the part the MCAS system played in the crash. He reiterated pilot blame a few weeks later at the annual shareholders meeting when he said some procedures were not completely followed. He also said the company hasnt seen a technical slip or gap in terms of the fundamental design and certification of the approach.

Then several days later, Boeing issued a very different statement, admitting that the company knew more than a year before the Lion Air crash that there was a mistake in the software. The statement also says Boeing informed the FAA only after the Lion Air crash. And notably, this admission makes a point of stating that senior company leadership only became aware of the error after the first accident.

The Triple AAAs

Weigh all that against GM CEO Mary Barras up-front response to the 2014 ignition switch defects that claimed more than 100 lives. She didnt circle the wagons around a legal strategy that would limit liability. She took responsibility. She apologized, communicated deftly to stakeholders, visited family members, hired Ken Feinberg, who oversaw the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, to handle victim compensation at GM. She also hired an independent investigator, and fired people linked to the scandal.

One of the foundations of good crisis management is acknowledge, apologize and act, says crisis communications strategist Jeff Eller, who worked on the GM ignition switch issue as well as the Firestone tire recall. He adds: [Muilenburgs] personal apology is pretty interesting because it tells me its reached a point where the CEO doesnt have much of a choice but to do that.

Another leader who understands how to act in crisis: Richard Branson. After the 2014 explosion of a Virgin Glactic space plane in the Mojave Desert that killed a test pilot and seriously injured another, Branson struck the right tone by traveling to the scene of the crash and communicating personally and sympathetically about the human tragedy.

And though United Continental CEO Oscar Munoz, botched his initial response to the passenger being dragged off a flight last yearhe called it an upsetting event and told employees he stood behind themMunoz quickly reversed course after public outrage. No one should ever be mistreated this way, he said in a statement. Its never too late to do the right thing. He also expressed feeling shame in an ABC News interview.

Reestablishing credibility with airlines and passengers is a monumental task for Boeing. The first step is getting the planes off the ground. When will that happen? Not as soon as originally thought. After a meeting in Fort Worth last week with global civil aviation authorities, acting FAA chief Daniel Ellwell declined to give a timetable: If it takes a year to find everything we need to give us confidence to lift the order, then so be it. United recently extended flight cancellations for their 737 MAX planes until early August. Even once the plane flies, the airline will not assume everyone will want to fly or assume that everyone will get over it, said Munoz recently to CNBC. Which means Muilenberg still has a long road ahead in managing this crisis: We know it will take some time to earn and re-earn that public confidence.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

The winners and losers in a $1 trillion buyback year

Too many companies are paying too much for stock buybacks

This years tech IPOs are raising $2.2 billion on average

How to invest during a trade war

Listen to our new audio briefing, Fortune 500 Daily

Dont miss the daily Term Sheet, Fortunes newsletter on deals and dealmakers.
Photo: Dreamworks LLC- All Rights Reserved

You dont have to spend a lot of money to get high-quality sunglasses that protect your eyes and also kick up a T-shirt and jeans. In fact, buying affordable, good-looking sunglasses may be the better move  especially if youre prone to dropping pairs in the ocean or leaving them behind at brunch.

When it comes to finding the perfect pair, style blogger and menswear influencer Parker Smith says to buy based on feeling. If you put a pair on and you instantly feel more confident, those are the ones. To help narrow down your search, we asked Smith and other stylish men to recommend the best sunglasses under $200 (and then added a few pairs we like based on their suggestions). Below, 13 $200-or-less pairs you can buy right now, from classic black Wayfarers to trendy tinted styles.

Best classic black sunglasses

Ray-Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses $161 My first pair of sunglasses were Ray-Ban Wayfarers and I wore them all the time, says Smith, who remembers his pair costing less than $100. Today, they go for just more than $150  which is still a very good deal for this classic style with an angular yet rounded shape thats universally flattering (and probably one reason why Ray-Ban Wayfarers have been seen on about every cool guy we can think of, including JFK, Muhammad Ali, and Ryan Gosling). $161 at Amazon Buy $161 at Amazon Buy

Bolle Frank Sunglasses $100 now 16% off $84 To ensure youre buying quality lenses, look for styles from legacy brands or companies known for making performance sunglasses, like Bolle, which got its start making safety, skiing, and cycling goggles in the 1960s (and still specializes in this type of gear). This pair of matte-black frames with green lenses is a bit wider and more rectangular than classic Wayfarers, making it good for guys with rounder faces. $84 at Amazon Buy $84 at Amazon Buy

Izipizi Sunglasses #C $50 Stylist Joel Moore, who also blogs about menswear, recommends these simple matte-black shades from French brand Izipizi, which he wears almost daily. Theyre nothing too crazy, and they go with everything I own. He particularly likes that they cost less than $50, especially after losing his last pair of black shades when they fell into the ocean in Puerto Rico. $50 at Garmentory Buy

Best aviator sunglasses

Cubitts Collier Aviator-Style Silver-Tone Sunglasses $165 $165 Stylist and image consultant Patrick Kenger, who mostly works with clients in the tech world, loves aviators  specifically this squared off pair that fictional menswear icon Don Draper swore by. After finally binge-watching a few seasons of Mad Men last year, I was really inspired by some of the menswear in the show. Specifically, I was a huge fan of Don Drapers shades. The actual pair worn by Jon Hamm in the show are by Randolph Engineering and will cost you over $250, but this very legit dupe has a much lower price tag. $165 at Cubitts Buy

Kenzo 61mm Aviator Sunglasses $50 $150 now 67% off $50 Moore likes Kenzos angular twist on the classic aviator, which he notes costs far, far less than other designer shades. I bought my Kenzo pair on a trip to Italy last summer and thought they would be much more expensive. I like that theyre a little bit different than the classic shape. $50 at Nordstrom Rack Buy

Best Clubmaster sunglasses

Ames Sunglasses in Jet Black Matte From $145 From $145 Baldwin loves the vintage look of Clubmaster frames, which have wire on the bottom and thicker plastic on the top. I love that style! They make me think of Buddy Holly and Malcom X. He likes to get frames from Warby Parker because of the companys affordable and easy-to-shop styles (which he notes can be ordered as prescription shades). From $145 at Warby Parker Buy

Best square plastic sunglasses

Raen Optics Mens Pierce 55 From $175 Smith likes this clear pair with green lenses from California-based Raen Optics, which specializes in trendy-but-wearable frames outfitted with Carl Zeiss lenses. Having sunglasses for different occasions is ideal, according to Smith. For instance, the pair you wear while driving needs good coverage but also wont create blind spots. Transparent frames mean you can see through every part of your glasses, so no blind spots ever. From $175 at Amazon Buy From $175 at Amazon Buy

Best round plastic sunglasses

Quay Australia Mens Walk On Sunglasses $65 For a fully round pair, Smith recommends these sunglasses from Australian brand Quay (pronounced key). In my opinion, its way cooler to have something from a smaller brand that a lot of people might not know, versus having the recognizable pair from the mainstream brand everybody and their brother is wearing. $65 at Quay Buy

Best tinted sunglasses

Carrera Eyewear 59mm Aviator Sunglasses $169 If you dont want to look like every other guy wearing traditionally dark-tint lenses, Kenger suggests a blue-tint pair, like these ones from Carrera. I like sunglasses that have just a bit of uniqueness to them, whether that be color or frame shape. Since sunglasses are only on your face for short periods of time, I like to encourage clients to go a bit bolder with their sunglasses and have some fun. These are polarized too, so thats a huge plus. $169 at Nordstrom Buy

Crap Eyewear Bikini Vision Sunglasses $99 $99 When Moore wants to punch things up, hell pull out this mustard-tint pair from Crap Eyewear  a brand hes obsessed with. The bold color may seem hard to pair with other clothes, but he assures these sunglasses will go with most outfits because theyre transparent. They work like a neutral, and even though theyre kind of funky, the fact that theyre translucent makes them easier to wear. $99 at Crap Eyewear Buy

get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. 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.

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
DETROIT  General Motors stands to lose the more than Ford Motor Co. or Fiat Chrysler Automobiles if President Donald Trump carries out his threats to impose escalating tariffs on Mexican imports.

Trump, in an effort to get Mexico to crack down on migrants fleeing violence in Central America who seek U.S. asylum, said a 5% tariff will begin on June 10 and potentially increase to 10% on July 1, and monthly thereafter until the duty reaches 25%.

GM faces particular exposure if these tariffs go into effect because it imports 29% of its components from Mexico. Ford imports 17% and FCA at 24%, a research note from Deutsche Bank said.

Also, GM builds its new Chevrolet Blazer SUV, its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Crew Cab pickups, the Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Trax, and GMC Terrain SUVs all in Mexico.

Trumps threat is especially bad timing for GM because the new Blazer SUV appears to be in demand and inventories are tight, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst with Cox Automotives Autotrader.

More: Trump's Mexico tariffs could cost Detroit automakers billions

More than cars: Tariffs pause China's purchases of American soybeans, report says

There will be an impact on GM because theyre quite vulnerable, Krebs said, noting that its not just the Blazer thats at issue. Theyre building the Silverado there. Thats their cash cow. Thats probably more concerning.

Michelle Krebs

Krebs said its hard to know what GM and other automakers will do  absorb the increased costs as they largely did with steel and aluminum tariffs over the past year, or raise prices, which could be across the lineup to avoid hurting sales of any one vehicle.

Earlier this month, the United States said it will lift tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico, ending a yearlong standoff that cost Detroit automakers billions and threatened smaller suppliers.

All of the uncertainty around trade and tariffs is troubling for automakers, experts said. For GM, its pickup production in Mexico makes it particularly vulnerable.

Story continues

Last year, GM sold 585,581 Silverado pickups in the United States, 236,146 were imported from Mexico, Deutsche Bank data show. GM sold 219,554 Sierra pickups last year and 78,209 of those were built in Mexico.

The Blazer is the least of our worries. Its a political hot button, but the Blazer is only 50,000 units a year, said Kristin Dziczek, vice president of industry, labor and economics for the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. Were looking at 600,000 units in pickups built in Mexico, so theres no comparison in terms of the impact of this tariff on GM.

The most troubling aspect of Trumps tariff threat, said Dziczek, is exactly that: Is it just a threat or is it real? Either way, its damaging to the auto industry.

More: Who gets hurt by China's new tariffs on American goods? Farmers and chemical makers

Will the new NAFTA agreement pass with this hanging over it? The Congress has to consider that (threat), said Dziczek. It makes it very difficult to ratify the new NAFTA, so thats even more uncertainty over the cost to the auto industry. What the auto industry craves is certainty. Right now we see a lot of investment sitting on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, GM has faced political heat for saying it would idle five factories in North America this year. Two of those are in Michigan: Detroit-Hamtramck and Warren Transmission. The UAW will likely push GM to assign new vehicles to Detroit-Hamtramck and Lordstown, Ohio, when contract negotiations start this summer, Dziczek said. But, she warned, a tariff on Mexican imports might not inspire GM to add Blazer production in the United States.

Would GM agree? Who knows given the long-term implications are uncertain and tied up in politics, said Dziczek. A move to the U.S. is a move to a higher-cost region, and that has implications for productivity, for jobs, for wages, for everything. With market growth slowing, the companies are not looking to duplicate capacity, so asking them to duplicate facilities puts them in financial strain.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM would be hit hardest if Trump imposes tariffs on Mexico
Gray Malin is known for his happy and easily likable photographs. Whether on his Instagram feed or in his books (Beaches is a bestseller, and Italy has recently been released), Malins photographs seem to capture a unique style of aesthetic lighting. And while the work is intended for adults, theres no denying that some of Malins colorful images are a natural fit for a child-aged audience.

A couple years back, Malin had just that idea in mind when he told his publisher that he wanted to work on a childrens book. The result was Gray Malin at the Parkera series and correlating publication that depicted animals whimsically romping around the Jonathan Adlerdesigned Parker Palm Springs hotel. The book, which came out last May, was a long time in the making. It took us three years, Malin explains to AD PRO. Each year I would shoot eight new animals. But since then, Malin hasnt been able to help but notice the photographic prints popularity with a certain demographic set: The series became very popular with adults, and especially adults having kids, he explains.

Photo: Courtesy Gray Malin / Cloth & Company

Photo: Courtesy of Gray Malin / Cloth & Company

This was not, however, the end of the Be Our Guest story. The book, and Malins observation, instead became the seedlings for the photographers debut furniture collection, which officially launches tomorrow. The line, produced in partnership with Cloth & Company, is designed specifically for childrens rooms and nurseries. (Something that was very much on Malins mind, considering that he himself recently welcomed twins.)

But before settees and ottoman shapes could be decided on, Malins photographs had to be translated into illustrations that could be applied to a series of fabrics. The diverse results are both classic and whimsical. We worked together to come up with patterns, Malin explains of the Cloth & Company design process. I wanted the designs to have a traditional feel, and I think that we did a very good job creating patterns. Among the offerings, Malin does have his few favoriteswhich exemplify that traditional yet playful quality. Hes a big fan of the two Malin Toiles, as well as the Palm Tree Stripes. And as for Cloth & Companys furniture, Malin adds with genuine enthusiasm in his voice that he has been blown away by the quality.

Story continues

Photo: Courtesy of Gray Malin / Cloth & Company

Photo: Courtesy of Gray Malin / Cloth & Company

Photo: Courtesy of Gray Malin / Cloth & Company

This story, however, would not be complete without an explanation of what the line means to Malin on a personal level. I dont know about you, but when I was young I remember my bed was very important to me, he says. I hope those decorating for kids find [these products] appealing to both kids and to their parents. As a new parent himself, Malin also sought to incorporate some of his recently developed wisdom.

As someone who has been through the nursery design process recently, I think its important to think about pieces that will transition with your children, the photographer, who purposefully added practically designed storage ottomans into the collection, says. Think a couple years out. I was advised to think this way, and I [believe] it really pays off. The pieces in this collection will grow with your kidswhich is something we really worked hard on. All this isnt to say that the furniture designs need to be used solely in concert with one another. (Malin is quick to note that for an interior designer looking to update a previously completed room, the litany of pillows makes for easily translatable options.)

Photo: Courtesy of Gray Malin / Cloth & Company

Photo: Courtesy of Gray Malin / Cloth & Company

So whats next for Malin in the design world? For someone with Paperless Post and wallpaper collections already under his belt, and now this, it seems that the sky is the limit.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
SAN FRANCISCO  At least 70 dead or dying gray whales have stranded on the West Coast this year. The number is so high the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared it an unusual mortality event Friday and launched a scientific investigation into why so many of the giant mammals are dying as they swim toward their summer feeding grounds in Alaska.

Death rates this high have been seen only once before. In 2000, the year with the highest number of strandings on record, 131 gray whales were found on U.S. shores: 61 in California, two in Oregon, 23 in Washington state and 45 in Alaska.

In an average year, there are about 35 strandings in an entire season. Last year, there were 45 strandings overall.

Thousands of whales are dying: Scientists have run out of public beaches for the carcasses to rot

If the strandings continue at their current pace, this could be the deadliest year for gray whales on record. The whales are halfway through their annual journey from the warm waters of Mexico to their Arctic feeding grounds, so more will probably die, the researchers said.

People look at a beached dead Gray Whale at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California.

For Washington state, we are on track to surpass pretty dramatically the deaths in 2000. We were at 23 in 2000, and were already at 26. In 2000, at this point in the year, we only had 14 deaths, said John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the nonprofit Cascadia Research in Olympia, Washington, who studies whale populations on the West Coast.

The cause of death appears to be starvation, though that's under investigation.

Many of the stranded whales in 2019 have been malnourished, said David Weller, a research wildlife biologist with NOAAs Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California.

Gray whales make one of the Earth's most epic migrations each year. Filter feeders, they spend late spring through fall in the Arctic, eating and building up a thick layer of blubber. Their food of choice is small sea animals called amphipods. The whales scoop up sediment from the seafloor and filter out the tiny shrimp-like creatures.

Story continues

In October, they begin their 6,000-mile annual journey south toward sheltered warm water lagoons in Mexicos Baja California Peninsula and the Gulf of California, where the females give birth.

During their journey and their time in the south, they eat almost nothing, living off the fat they stored up. Because so many of the dead whales are found emaciated, one theory is that the whales didn't get enough food last spring and summer.

That could be because of very anomalous warm temperatures in the Northern Bering Sea last year, said Sue Moore, a biological oceanographer at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The ice in the area is melting earlier, which produces less of the type of algae that the amphipods eat. That, in turn, could affect how many of them there are for the whales to eat, she said.

Gray whales are very flexible in the diet they can eat, so they are willing to forage for other food if their preferred amphipods arent available in sufficient numbers.

However there are a lot of complicated factors in how the ecosystem is changing, Moore said.

Though the indication is that the warming waters resulted in less food for the animals, the researchers are investigating all options. That could include something in the environment or disease or something humans are doing, Moore said.

"We're still in the beginning stages of the investigation," she said. "It could take months to a year to finally identify the cause."

Could be as many as 700 dead

The number of dead whales is almost certainly much higher than the 70 that have washed ashore. Not all whales that wash ashore are found, and most whales, especially emaciated whales, tend to sink when dead.

Those 70 could represent as few as 10% of the actual gray whales that have died, Calambokidis said.

The population of gray whales overall has been quite healthy in recent years. In 2016, the count was about 27,000 individuals, Weller said. As many as 1,000 calves are born each year. This year, the number born is lower.

When pregnant females dont have sufficient access to the Arctic feeding areas, "there seems to be a lag in calf production in that year or the year after, Weller said.

This season, more of the giant mammals, which can reach 50 feet and 40 tons, are being injured by ships. The researchers said that might be because they venture into bays and harbors in search of food as they make their way north.

"All of that brings the animals into greater contact with shipping traffic and fishing activities," Calambokidis said.

The public can play an important role in helping the effort to find out what's harming the whales by immediately contacting officials if they see a dead or distressed whale.

Don't approach any animals in distress, as it can hurt the animals or you. And its also illegal, said Deborah Fauquier, a veterinary medical officer with NOAAs Office of Protected Resources.

For those who want to aid the research effort, NOAA established an Unusual Mortality Event contingency fund where money is collected to support the scientists' work.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gray whale deaths could reach record levels this year; NOAA opens investigation
Holler & Dash Biscuit House/Yelp

Spending time in Historic Waverly Place? Get to know this Nashville neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a juicery to an antique mall.

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Historic Waverly Place, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results.

1. The Smiling Elephant

Photo: Anna M./Yelp

Topping the list is Thai and Chinese spot The Smiling Elephant, which offers dishes like pad thai and more. Located at 2213 8th Ave. South, it's the highest-rated business in the neighborhood, boasting four stars out of 486 reviews on Yelp.

The restaurant serves up a variety of rice entrees, alongside curries, salads and starters like the rice paper rolls and steamed dumplings. Also on the menu are drinks like Thai iced tea and lychee juice, as well as desserts such as coconut custard, sweet sticky rice and roti with chocolate and condensed milk.

2. The Urban Juicer

Photo: The Urban Juicer/Yelp

Next up is breakfast and brunch spot The Urban Juicer, which offers juice and smoothies, situated at 2206 8th Ave. South. With four stars out of 111 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite.

According to the business' website, The Urban Juicer provides healthy, whole foods for those on the go. Stop in for juices like The Mood Lifter  a medley of orange, grapefruit and ginger. Or, opt for a Chocolate Buzz smoothie with banana, cacao and honey. Chia seeds, goji berries, bee pollen, hemp protein and more are also on offer.

3. Holler & Dash Biscuit House

Photo: Holler & Dash Biscuit House/Yelp

Breakfast and brunch and Southern spot Holler & Dash Biscuit House, which offers comfort food and more, is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 2407 8th Ave. South, Suite 105, four stars out of 95 reviews.

Menu selections include signature biscuits topped with fried chicken or pork, alongside a variety of sandwiches and bowls. Favorites include the fried green tomatoes and the Hey Eddy omelet with goat cheese, asparagus, heirloom tomatoes and basil.

Story continues

4. 8th Avenue Antique Mall

Photo: Barbara L./Yelp

8th Avenue Antique Mall, a furniture store and used, vintage and consignment spot that offers antiques and more, is another much-loved neighborhood go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 30 Yelp reviews. Head over to 2015 8th Ave. South to see for yourself. This spot sells a variety of antique knick-knacks, as well as furniture, clothing, comics and more.

5. Bliss Home

Photo: Blu Wyatt G./Yelp

And finally, check out Bliss Home, which has earned four stars out of 32 reviews on Yelp. You can find the furniture store, which offers home decor, at 2711 8th Ave. Bliss Home specializes in casual contemporary furnishings, rugs, accessories and art.

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.
James Stewart used school fund to build a sex dungeon and was banned from teaching for life (SWNS)

A former headteacher who used funds to build a sex dungeon next to his office has been banned from teaching for life.

James Stewart, 74, was headteacher at Sawtry Village Academy in Cambridgeshire until 2014.

He was convicted of fraud and misconduct in public office for offences between 2011 and 2014, and was jailed for four years in October 2017.

Stewart is said to have defrauded his former school of 100,000 (SWNS)

The Department for Education launched an investigation into his running of the school.

The dungeon was discovered when a roofing contractor spotted a large purple vibrator through the office skylight.

The Teaching Regulation Agency heard that Stevens claimed 364 in expenses for personal gains.

The disgraced teacher also funds to pay for a National Trust membership and on train fares.

The disgraced teacher used vital school funds for his own personal gains (SWNS)

Stewart is said to have defrauded his former school of 100,000.

North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara raised the case during education questions in the House of Commons in 2017.

Mr Vara said the school had been left in serious financial difficulty, continuing that this was not least because of the activities of its former head which included building a sex dungeon alongside his office for his private use.

Towards the end of Stewarts 30-year post as Headteacher, Ofsted placed the school in special measures.

Read more on Yahoo News UK:

Three Thai men sentenced to death for murdering British expat and his wife

British teenager, 15, raped in Majorca hotel sauna in 'targeted holiday attack'

Five jailed over 21 man 'Wild West' bar brawl in Leeds

The school fell into disrepair and did not have the funds to repair damaged buildings.

A panel said in a report, published on Friday, that it was proportionate to ban Stewart from teaching for life.

The report said: Whilst Mr Stewart previously had a good record, the panel found no evidence that the teachers actions were not deliberate, nor was he acting under duress.

The dungeon was found after a contractor saw a sex toy through a skylight (SWNS)

In fact, the panel found the teachers actions to be calculated, motivated and sustained for a number of years.

Story continues

It said the panel also took into account the significant detrimental impact on the financial position of the college and the more lasting damage to the education of its pupils during this period, together with the longer term reputational damage as a result of Mr Stewarts actions.

Stewart, who did not attend the hearing, has 28 days to appeal against the decision.
Senate Theater. | Photo: Kiwi P./Yelp

From a natural hair event to a film festival, there's plenty to enjoy in Detroit this week. Read on for a rundown of ideas for how to fill your 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.

Naturally FLYY Detroit presents: We Rock Dope Hair!

From the event description:

FOR 9 YEARS RUNNING... Naturally FLYY Detroit presens: WE ROCK DOPE HAIR: A Natural Hair Experience. Naturally FLYY Detroit's has been the Largest gathering ofBlack Women, Natural Hair & Style! 1pm: Doors Open >> What to look forward too:Product and Accessory Swap Table Headwrap SessionLive Big Chops/ Demos and Tutorials Pop-up Beauty Salon Natural Hair Panels offering styling tips, hair care & moreDJ Give-A-ways/Door Prizes and Raffles Open Air Handmade Artist Market Food (vegan and veggie friendly) And so much more!$12.00 in advance $15.00 at the Door Youth 13-17 $5.00Kids 12 and below FreeFor more information on sponsorship, or to be an exhibitor please email NaturallyFLYYEvents@gmail.comWith Love,Etta n Jenn xoxoand our Naturally FLYY Detroit Team

When: Saturday, June 1, 1-8 p.m.

Where: The Artist Village Detroit, 17340 Lahser Road

Admission: $12

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Detroit Can Film Festival

From the event description:

Join us for the first annual festival event. Detroit Can Film Festival (DCFF) celebrates the ability to effectively tell a concise story. The aim is to constantly meet the desire and demand of the American publics evolving means of understanding and consuming narratives. Students who live and/or attend school from Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park ages 14-18 were eligible; they submitted 10 second films on this year's theme, "The Water in My life". At our inaugural event, we'll screen the student films along with some great student-produced pieces from the Y Media Works program at Y Arts Detroit.

Story continues

When: Saturday, June 1, 2-4 p.m.

Where: Boll Family YMCA, 1401 Broadway St., Marlene Boll Theatre

Admission: $5

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Scripps Park Community Festival

From the event description:

The Woodbridge Neighborhood Development Corporation, Woodbridge Citizens' Council and the Douglass Branch Library are organizing our second annual Scripps Park Community Festival. A full day of fun in the park featuring live bands, food, childrens activities (bounce house, face painting, arts/crafts), community information tables and health screenings, book drive for the library and much more. This event is free and open to the public.

When: Saturday, June 1, 2-10 p.m.

Where: Scripps Park, 3660 Trumbull St.

Admission: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Island Vibez

From the event description:

The Gap Experience & Effen presents Island Vibez every Saturday. There will be food, drink specials, dancehall, Afrobeats and reggae music. DJ Zappy will provide hip hop music.

When: Saturday, June 1, 4-9 p.m.

Where: Exodos Rooftop, 529 Monroe Ave.

Admission: Free (RSVP for Free Admission until 6pm)

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

OURS Film Festival Presented by- As Detroit's Own

From the event description:

The 2019 OURS Film Festival presented by As Detroits Own puts emphasis on the word festival. The interior of the beautiful Senate theatre will be transformed to host an art exhibit featuring some of the most talented Michigan artists. The exterior will also see transformation in the form of a halfpipe with high flying skateboarders, BMX riders, and even scooters. (Still Pending Approval) . Attendees can explore the inside of this beautiful theatre before the premiere event, The Short Film Festival. We will be screening films submitted by filmmakers, Youtubers, and content creators alike. The short films will be curated from winning submissions with one of them receiving a $500 grand prize.

When: Saturday, June 1, 5 p.m.-Sunday, June 2, midnight

Where: Senate Theater, 6424 Michigan Ave.

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.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

This article is for investors who would like to improve their understanding of price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). To keep it practical, we'll show how Narnia (Hong Kong) Group Company Limited's (HKG:8607) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. What is Narnia (Hong Kong) Group's P/E ratio? Well, based on the last twelve months it is 5.8. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 17%.

View our latest analysis for Narnia (Hong Kong) Group

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for P/E is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price (in reporting currency)  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Narnia (Hong Kong) Group:

P/E of 5.8 = CN0.33 (Note: this is the share price in the reporting currency, namely, CNY )  CN0.057 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio implies that investors pay a higher price for the earning power of the business. 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

Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. If earnings are growing quickly, then the 'E' in the equation will increase faster than it would otherwise. 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.

Narnia (Hong Kong) Group's 84% EPS improvement over the last year was like bamboo growth after rain; rapid and impressive. The sweetener is that the annual five year growth rate of 42% is also impressive. With that kind of growth rate we would generally expect a high P/E ratio.

How Does Narnia (Hong Kong) Group's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (9.6) for companies in the luxury industry is higher than Narnia (Hong Kong) Group's P/E.

Story continues

SEHK:8607 Price Estimation Relative to Market, May 31st 2019

This suggests that market participants think Narnia (Hong Kong) Group will underperform other companies in its industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with Narnia (Hong Kong) Group, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. You should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.

Don't Forget: The P/E Does Not Account For Debt or Bank Deposits

The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash).

Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio.

Narnia (Hong Kong) Group's Balance Sheet

Narnia (Hong Kong) Group's net debt equates to 40% of its market capitalization. While that's enough to warrant consideration, it doesn't really concern us.

The Verdict On Narnia (Hong Kong) Group's P/E Ratio

Narnia (Hong Kong) Group's P/E is 5.8 which is below average (11) in the HK market. The EPS growth last year was strong, and debt levels are quite reasonable. The low P/E ratio suggests current market expectations are muted, implying these levels of growth will not continue.

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. Although we don't have analyst forecasts, you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

But note: Narnia (Hong Kong) Group may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20).

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Beirut (AFP) - The head of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah warned on Friday that if there was a war against Iran the whole Middle East region would "erupt", amid escalating US-Iranian tensions.

US President Donald "Trump, his administration, and his intelligence know well that any war on Iran will not remain confined to Iran's borders", Hassan Nasrallah said.

"Any war on Iran will mean the whole region will erupt," said the head of the Iran-backed movement in a televised speech, explaining that such a war was therefore unlikely.

"And any American forces and American interests will be permissible" as a target, he said.

Hezbollah is listed as a "terrorist group" by the United States, and has fought several wars with US-ally Israel to the south of Lebanon.

Nasrallah on Friday also slammed a proposed US peace deal to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that Trump has dubbed "the deal of the century".

"It's a void deal... a historic crime," he said of the plan, that has already been rejected by the Palestinians as it is expected to largely favour Israel.

"This deal is a loss of Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic rights," Nasrallah said.

Thousands of Iranians joined annual rallies in support of the Palestinian cause on Friday, also rejecting the US peace plan.

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drafting the long-awaited peace plan, the economic aspects of which are to be presented at a conference in Bahrain next month.

The United Nations earlier on Friday said it would not be taking part in that meeting on June 25 and 26 in Manama.

Gulf countries in Mecca expressed "support for the US strategy towards Iran", which includes crippling sanctions and deploying an aircraft carrier task force, B-52 bombers and an amphibious assault ship to the Gulf.

Nasrallah warned that Hezbollah was a force to reckon with.

"We have precision missiles in Lebanon, and enough to be able to change the face of the region," he said.

Story continues

The movement has been backing the Damascus regime in the civil war in neighbouring Syria, and stands accused of also backing rebels in the conflict in Yemen.

In December 2017, Trump broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in a move that prompted the Palestinians to cut all contacts with his administration.

Israel insists the whole of Jerusalem is its "eternal, indivisible capital". The Palestinians demand the city's eastern sector as the capital of their long promised state.
Photo: Annapurna Pictures

Of the many scenes in Booksmart that had me feeling very seen, my hands-down favorite is when besties Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) are trying on outfits together as they get ready to go to their first high-school party the night before graduation. Watching it, I (and likely many others) time-traveled back to my teenage years, when my BFFs and I would agonize over whether to go out, and what to wear if we did (almost always, the answers were a reluctant yes, and jeans).

Anyone who has seen the movie (or even a trailer) knows that Amy and Molly opt for near-identical navy-blue boiler suits, revealing their matching looks to each other in a triumphant twinning moment. The besties really look like a team  and a totally badass one at that. Seeing them rock the utilitarian jumpsuits, which Amy accessorizes with a beret and Molly with Mace and a fanny pack, immediately made me want one (and wish I had suggested that my book club get matching boiler suits instead of jackets). So I reached out to Booksmart costume designer April Napier to find out where she found them.

Turns out, Napier picked up Amys and Mollys going-out outfits from two different vintage stores in Los Angeles, Please and Thank You and Virgo. That sourcing was intentional, according to Napier. You can see the life and the history in them, thats important for character development and story, she says of the vintage clothes. The style was just as deliberate  right down to the color. I was trying to get in the mindset of those girls, like what would they wear to go out and kick ass. Theyre both very political and ambitious and well read; they conjure Rosie the Riveter or Jane Fonda in Hanoi, she says. And I kept them in blue because theyre such hard-core Democrats.

The one downside to vintage (for me and my besties, at least), is that we cant simply go out and buy Molly and Amys jumpsuits. But Napier tipped us off to some very good dupes (and we added a few more based on her suggestions), which any friends who want to go out in style can buy right now.

Rachel Comey Barrie Short-Sleeve Jumpsuit $595 For a new, not vintage, take on Amy and Mollys looks, Napier suggests Rachel Comeys Barrie jumpsuit  which she wears herself. It zips all the way down the front and has a small gather in the back, making it a contemporary take on that vintage style, she says. $595 at Need Supply Buy

ASOS Design Slouchy Minimal Boilersuit $67 For a comfier but still stylish-looking option at an even lower price, this relaxed-fit mint-colored number is basically pajamas that you can wear outside the house. $67 at ASOS Design Curve Buy

Everyday Jumpsuit $180 $180 Napier also recommends Big Buds snap-button jumpsuits, which come in a range of colors in addition to this very Booksmart cornflower blue. Big Bud has a whole rainbow collection of coveralls, and they go up to 5X, so theyre made for women of all sizes, she says. $180 at Big Bud Buy

Top-Stitched Coverall Jumpsuit $138 The vintage look of this (on sale) Madewell jumpsuit is very Amy and Molly, and its pale blush shade is perfect for summer. $138 at Madewell Buy

Upcycled Vintage Military Flysuit - Indigo $150 $150 For truly vintage jumpsuits you can buy online, Napier suggests checking out Orenda Tribe, which stocks a colorful selection of one-of-a-kind vintage styles like this indigo-dyed flysuit. Orenda Tribe founder Amy Yeung, a member of the Navajo Nation, takes old vintage flight suits and overdyes them, according to Napier. She has some beautiful ones online. $150 at Orenda Tribe Buy

get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. 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.

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
NEW YORK (AP)  The Honduran government says that U.S. federal court documents show no incriminating evidence against President Juan Orlando Hernandez, despite listing him as being a target of a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation.

Revelations of the investigation prompted Hernandez's office to issue a statement Thursday saying that drug traffickers who had been caught and extradited to the U.S. by Hernandez in 2015 falsely accused the president and some of his closest advisers of drug trafficking and money laundering activities.

It said the U.S. government was then forced to investigate those allegations but found no evidence of wrongdoing by the president. A court document filed on Tuesday "shows no precedents linking president Hernandez or his officials to drug trafficking, "the Honduran statement said.

Neither U.S. prosecutors nor the DEA have commented on the status of the investigation into Hernandez, which was revealed in documents filed in the Southern District of New York as part of pre-trial motions in the case of one of Hernandez's brothers, Juan Antonio Hernandez. There is no evidence of any charges against the president, however.

The documents mentioned that President Hernandez was among a group of individuals investigated by the DEA since about 2013 for allegedly participating "in large-scale drug-trafficking and money laundering activities relating to the importation of cocaine into the United States".

Hernandez was elected president of Honduras in late 2013.

One of the documents is a July 2015 request for the court to compel Apple, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL to give investigators email header information  though not email content  for a number of accounts. Two of the accounts are believed to belong to President Hernandez, the document says.

The statement released by Honduran officials said that the DEA investigation had concluded and that's why officials were able to make the document public.

Story continues

A DEA spokeswoman referred questions from The Associated Press to the Southern District of New York, where a spokesman said the court's response to the application is not public information and declined to comment further.

The Honduran statement said the DEA has a good relationship with Hernandez. It also said the Honduran president is implementing a new strategy to combat drug trafficking in Honduras that has already resulted in shutting down several big drug trafficking rings.

The 2015 document sought email header information on accounts of the president's sister Hilda Hernandez, his adviser Ebal Diaz and his security minister, Julian Pacheco Tinoco.

Hilda Hernandez, who helped manage the finances of the president's political party and his presidential campaign, died in a December 2017 helicopter crash. The request also named four members of the wealthy and politically connected Rosenthal family.

Yani Rosenthal, a former national lawmaker and presidential candidate, pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court in 2017 for money laundering for the Cachiros drug trafficking organization.
Hong Kong's youth are shunning their city's annual Tiananmen vigil, focused on fighting their own pro-democracy battles instead of commemorating a historical atrocity against compatriots from whom they feel steadily more alienated.

Students and youngsters have been at the vanguard of democracy protests that have convulsed Hong Kong in recent years as anger rises over inequality and Beijing's moves to chip away at the financial hub's unique freedoms.

A vivid illustration of those freedoms has long been the annual Tiananmen vigil on June 4, an emotion-tinged spectacle where more than one hundred thousand people gather in a park holding candles.

Hong Kong is the only place inside China where public commemorations can be safely held. Yet youngsters are becoming a rarer sight.

The proportion of those attending the vigil aged under 30 dropped from 55 percent to 31 percent between 2010 and 2018, the same period the city's youth leaders burst onto the political scene, according to a survey by local academic Edmund Cheng.

And for the last five years, the city's main student unions have boycotted the vigil.

Many of Hong Kong's youngsters say they feel less affinity for the Chinese mainland which they fear is subsuming their city.

The failure of the 2014 pro-democracy protests to win concessions from Beijing has hardened sentiment, pushing many to embrace "localist" ideologies that prioritise preserving Hong Kong's Cantonese culture and freedoms -- or even advocating independence.

"Given that most people in Hong Kong identify themselves as Hong Kongers, instead of Chinese, we don't feel the responsibility or urge to fight for democracy in China any more," Frances Hui, a 19-year-old currently studying in the US, told AFP.

- 'Fetters of Chinese identity' -

William Chan, a 21-year-old student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, sees Tiananmen as a political tragedy that happened to someone else.

Story continues

"As a Hong Konger, I don't have a strong feeling that they were my compatriots and I should feel angry for their hardship," he said. "Instead, I view what happened as a humanitarian tragedy."

Since 2010, the number of people identifying as "Hong Kongers" has risen from 25 to 40 percent, according to a poll carried out by the University of Hong Kong. Those calling themselves "Chinese" dropped from 28 to 15 percent.

And youngsters are more likely to hold more stridently anti-Chinese views.

Many older activists have criticised students for not showing solidarity, but some youngsters say they find the "pan-Chinese" goals of the Tiananmen vigil uncomfortable.

Organised by Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, which was founded by a group of veteran campaigners, the vigil has always had the "democratisation of China" and "end to one-party dictatorship" as its central messages.

"The principles, slogans and songs they sing are all from the perspective of a Chinese person... It is hard to detach the event from this identity," Chan said.

He added that he doesn't want to be "bound up in the fetters of Chinese identity", but also "feels ambivalence".

- 'Marching doesn't work' -

Hui was recently on the receiving end of a massive online backlash from mainland students after a column she penned for her student newspaper titled "I am from Hong Kong, not China" went viral.

Her political passions were ignited when she first attended the Tiananmen vigil aged 10.

"However, after years of attending, I felt like assembling or marching doesn't work any more to put more pressure on the government," she said.

That does not mean teenagers are ignoring "the terrible history of this incident", she added, but many of her contemporaries prefer attending panel discussions and debates on June 4 instead.

Michael Mo, who identifies as "a Hong Konger first", said he will organise a memorial gathering at the busy harbourside Tsim Sha Tsui district.

"It's undeniable that the Tiananmen protests sped up the pace of Hong Kong's democratic movement before the handover and the awakening of civic awareness, but I don't see how democratisation of China would benefit Hong Kong," said Mo, who is expecting around 200 people to join his event.

Cheng, the academic who studies the vigil crowd, says first timers have dropped while those who had joined the commemoration more than 10 times have doubled since 2010.

But he says there are still significant connections between those attending and the city's pro-democracy protest groups.

"Most participants know that they come here not only to commemorate the crackdown victims, but also to tell everyone that Hong Kong is special," he said.

Isaac Cheng, a 19-year-old planning to attend this year's vigil, said it will continue to inspire people to join protest movements.

"A whole generation of Hong Kongers were inspired by the annual vigil," he said. "That power will be passed on."
Images: Hoodline

Thanks for being a loyal Hoodline reader! Next week, we're going to be launching a new look for our San Francisco site, and we want to let our SF readers know in advance about the changes we're making.

Though we started as a neighborhood-centric site, Hoodline now serves nearly 50 cities across the U.S., delivering thousands of automated local stories to communities each month.

In keeping with that mission, we're introducing a new, streamlined look across all of our city sites  including San Francisco, the city where it all started.

As part of that process, we're going to be discontinuing the neighborhood filters currently available on the right-hand side of the San Francisco homepage. Instead, hoodline.com/news will show readers stories from all corners of San Francisco and Oakland, starting with the most recent headlines and moving backwards from there.

But if you only want to see the latest headlines from your preferred San Francisco neighborhoods, never fear. You can still get up-to-the-minute notifications for your favorite neighborhoods by signing up for our email newsletter.

To sign up for the newsletter, enter your email into the drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the homepage.

We'll send a confirmation email to your inbox. Once you've chosen a name and password for your Hoodline account, you'll be able to customize the emails you receive.

If you want to subscribe to news from a specific neighborhood (or a few!), choose the "Story notifications" option, which will email you every time we publish a story in your neighborhood(s) of choice. You'll also get an email when we run citywide stories.

If you're looking to get fewer emails from us, you can choose our daily or weekly email digests  but please note that you won't be able to select a specific neighborhood(s) for these emails, which cover all of SF.

You can adjust your preferences at any time through the link at the bottom of each email.

We know these changes might affect your regular reading habits, and we apologize in advance for any inconvenience. The new design will also offer some upsides for readers, including better searchability and faster page load times.

If you have any feedback for our design team, feel free to email us at feedback@hoodline.com. Thanks for reading Hoodline!
Photo: Louis Reed/Unsplash

Houston-based education company AlloVir has secured $120 million in Series B funding, according to company database Crunchbase, topping the citys recent funding headlines. The cash infusion was announced May 23 and led by Fidelity Management and Research Company.

According to its Crunchbase profile, "In unprecedented access to expert collaborators, core facilities and patients for clinical trials, the TMC provides an ideal environment for ViraCyte to develop and advance its product pipeline from discovery through late-stage clinical trials."

The company has raised two previous funding rounds, including a $30 million round in 2018.

The round brings total funding raised by Houston companies in health care over the past month to $152 million, an increase of $126 million from the month before. The local health care industry has seen 24 funding rounds over the past year, securing a total of $308 million in venture funding.

In other local funding news, infrastructure company WaterBridge Resources announced a private equity funding round on May 17, financed by GIC.

According to Crunchbase, "WaterBridge Resources is a midstream development company focused on developing, acquiring and operating flowback and produced water infrastructure for oil and gas producers, including gathering, pipeline infrastructure, separation and disposal infrastructure solutions. WaterBridge was founded by Stephen Johnson and Andy Stephens, in partnership with Five Point Capital Partners."

Founded in 2015, the company has raised two previous rounds, including a $200 million debt financing round in 2018.

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.
Baghdad (AFP) - Human Rights Watch on Friday condemned France's "outsourcing" of trials of Islamic State group suspects to "abusive justice systems", after seven of its nationals have this week been sentenced to death in Iraq.

Two of them have "alleged that they were tortured or coerced to confess", the New York-based watchdog said in a statement.

"France and other countries should not be outsourcing management of their terrorism suspects to abusive justice systems," said HRW's acting Middle East director, Lama Fakih.

"These countries should not be sitting idly by while their citizens are transferred to a country where their right to a fair trial and protection from torture are undermined."

A Baghdad court sentenced a Frenchman to death on Wednesday for joining IS, bringing to seven the number of French jihadists on death row in Iraq.

Yassine Sakkam's sentence came despite France reiterating its opposition to capital punishment this week.

In January, a group of 11 French citizens and one Tunisian was handed over to Iraqi authorities by a US-backed force which expelled the jihadist group from its last bastion in Syria.

Around 1,000 suspected foreign IS fighters are held in detention by this Kurdish force and Iraq has offered to put them on trial in exchange for millions of dollars, potentially solving a legal conundrum for Western governments but sparking rights concerns.

France has long insisted its adult citizens captured in Iraq or Syria must face trial before local courts, while stressing its opposition to capital punishment.

Iraqi law provides for the death penalty for anyone joining a "terrorist group" -- even those who did not take up arms.

HRW said it had documented cases of Iraqi interrogators "using a range of torture techniques, including beating suspects on the soles of their feet, internationally known as 'falaka', and waterboarding, which would not leave lasting marks on the persons body".

Story continues

It also condemned "the routine failure of the Iraqi justice system to credibly investigate torture allegations".

Before that, in all but one case observed by HRW since 2016, trials had consisted of "a judge briefly interviewing the defendant, usually relying solely on a confession, often coerced, with no effective legal representation".

A group representing the families of French jihadists has asked the government in Paris to "do everything possible to stop this fatal chain of death sentences" and to try them "on our soil".

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France was stepping up efforts to stop Iraq executing those convicted.
Any efforts to import Iranian crude oil beyond the accepted levels negotiated from November to May will be sanctioned, the US has warned, amidst reports that India and China were seeking ways to buy oil from Tehran.

US President Donald Trump last month refused to give waivers to countries like India from buying oil from Iran, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero.

The US on Tuesday reiterated its position after the media reports from New Delhi, quoting unnamed government officials, said that India was looking at ways to resume oil imports from Iran despite the US sanctions.

Last week, India's Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India had stopped buying oil from Iran after May 2 when the US ended its waivers that allowed the top buyers of Iranian oil, including India, to continue their imports for six months.

"There will be no more oil waivers granted and the only oil that would have been permitted would have been under the cap that we negotiated. That cap was negotiated, it was to run for a period from November of 2018 until May of 2019," Brian Hook, Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, told reporters during a conference call on Thursday.

He said once the countries have reached the cap of what was negotiated, that would be the limit of the oil that US would permit to move through and would not be sanctioned.

"We will sanction any efforts to import Iranian crude oil beyond the limits that were negotiated in the period that ran from November through May," Hook said.

Responding to the question that India and China were importing a little bit of Iranian oil, he said: "The countries that you mentioned I think every country is aware of it. We now have close to 30 countries that used to import Iranian crude oil that are now at zero. This accounts for 40 per cent

of the regime's revenue".

Iran earlier used to supply 10 per cent of India's oil needs.

After coming to power, President Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal last year and has imposed stringent sanctions against what he describes as the "authoritarian" Iranian regime.

"If we want to get serious about denying Iran the money it needs to destabilise the Middle East, we have to enforce oil sanctions. We think all countries in the world share a desire for a more peaceful and stable Middle East. For as long as Iran is able to conduct its foreign policy with impunity fuelled by oil revenue, it is going to be unstable," Hook said.

That has been the message of the Trump Administration to all these countries, he said.

"Nations know that if there are efforts to import Iranian crude oil beyond the accepted levels that were negotiated back from November through May, they will be sanctioned," he asserted.

State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus reiterated that it was the policy of the Trump administration to take Iranian oil export to zero and there will be no extensions on these waivers.

"That remains our policy," she said.

Ortagus said the US policy on Iran was working.

"We see the compliance with US sanctions regarding Iran writ large to be one of the most successful things that this administration and that this State Department has done," she said.

Later, a Senior State Department official told a group of reporters that India's developing of the Chabahar port in Iran was exempted from the Iranian sanctions.

"That exemption continues. It's not being reviewed. The exemption allows for the development of the port, the development of the rail link to Afghanistan, the provision of crude oil and gas to Afghanistan and the provision of humanitarian supplies as well. That continues," the official said.

The official said the Trump administration welcomed India's efforts to further develop trade with Afghanistan.

India continued to play a leading role and is providing humanitarian assistance, including wheat, which has gone through the Chabahar port.

The US was having an ongoing conversation with India on Iran, the official said, adding that America welcomes the fact that India has reduced its crude oil imports from Iran.

"I don't see frankly a difference in concerns over the prospect of a nuclear Iran. I don't believe it's in India's interest and Indian officials are forthright in saying that they do not want to see a nuclear Iran," the official said.

"I think that there are shared concerns over Iran support for terrorism, including in the Gulf where six million Indians work. So there's a lot that unites the US and India when it comes to analysing and assessing Iranian activity," the official said.

The US is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran to counter what the White House perceives to be a potential threat.

Last month, the US designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation, the first time the designation has been applied to a government entity.

Also read: India stopped importing Iranian oil after US waiver expired: Envoy

Also read: US may ask India and four others to completely end Iranian oil imports: report
Khartoum (AFP) - Hundreds of people rallied in support of Sudan's military rulers in the capital Khartoum on Friday, carrying posters of the generals while some chanted religious slogans.

"One hundred percent military (rule)," shouted the crowds, the majority young men, as they gathered in central Khartoum.

Some of the demonstrators carried placards with pictures of the military council's chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The council has ruled the country since the ouster of president Omar al-Bashir on April 11, after months of protests against his authoritarian rule.

Negotiations between protesters who demonstrated against Bashir's rule and the military have broken down over whether a planned transitional body would be headed by a civilian or a military figure.

Many of those at the pro-military rally on Friday chanted slogans and waved banners in favour of sharia -- Islamic law -- and against secularism.

"Freedom, peace, justice, sharia is the choice of the people," one group chanted as they marched to join others at the front of a stage.

Islamist parties stayed on the sidelines during the nationwide protests against Bashir, but have since supported the army in hopes they will keep sharia in place.

One supporter of the military council said he hoped it would include Islamic law in the country's political roadmap.

"We confirm our support for the military council and that we stand with it and its policies to enable the law of God," said the government employee from the North Kordofan state.

The crowds gathered before the evening meal to break the Ramadan fast.

For weeks, demonstrators have camped out in front of Khartoum's army headquarters to pressure the generals to yield power.

The protest site has largely been tolerated by the military, but on Thursday the council said incidents on its margins were threatening public safety.

Authorities would "work in accordance with the law to guarantee citizens' safety and to resolve manifestations of insecurity and lawlessness," it said in a statement.

Sudanese authorities on Thursday shut down the Khartoum office of news broadcaster Al Jazeera, which has regularly broadcast footage of the demonstrations, and banned its journalists from reporting in the country.
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's Fidesz party could join a new grouping in the European parliament if staying in the center-right European People's Party (EPP) does not line up with national interests, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday.

Fidesz was suspended from the EPP in March over Orban's record on respect for the rule of law, freedom of the press and rights for minorities.

"We are members of the EPP right now and we will see which direction the EPP goes ... whether we can influence it and whether it is in line with the interests of Hungary and the Hungarian people," Orban said.

"If yes, then we will stay, if not, we will sit in a new formation," he said, without saying which alternative grouping Fidesz could join.

The EPP won the EU parliamentary election but with a shrinking share of seats, which obliges it to form a coalition with at least two other groups to obtain a majority.

Orban's move to court far-right leaders in the run-up to the European election irked mainstream allies in the EPP grouping.

Orban also told radio the Visegrad four group in the European Union -- Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic -- had agreed to take a common stance in selecting new EU leaders.

"We will have a unified stance in personnel issues," he said.

Regarding a new president of the European Commission, he said he would support a candidate who was anti-immigration, had "national feelings" and was "ready to defend" Christian culture.

"We have such a candidate in mind, not just one," Orban said, declining to give any names.

Fidesz won more than 52% of votes in Hungary in the European parliamentary election on a hardline anti-immigration platform.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Edmund Blair)
The Swedish furniture giant has replicated the living rooms in "Friends," "The Simpsons" and "Stranger Things."

For its new "Real Life Series," IKEA curated a selection of furniture and accessories from its extensive catalogue, matching them to pieces from the fictional series.

Fans of the iconic '90s sitcom "Friends" can draw inspiration from Monica Geller's living room with items such as the "Lack" coffee table, the "Ektorp" armchair or the "Knappa" pendant lamp.

Meanwhile, aficionados of Netflix's "Stranger Things" can recreate Joyce Byers's spooky Ouija wall with the "Solvinden" LED lighting chain.

The retro look of "The Simpsons" living room can be replicated with the "Knislinge" three-seat sofa and the "Lattjo" braided rug.

The "Real Life Series" campaign, created in collaboration with Publicis Spain, has been launched in the United Arab Emirates to appeal to the country's diverse expat population.

IKEA is also planning live events where all three rooms will be recreated in selected stores in the Middle East.

Discover the entire selection of items from the living rooms of the "Real Life Series" at https://www.ikea.com/ae/

Note: Relaxnews is a press agency owned by Publicis Groupe.
By Karen Pierog

CHICAGO, May 31 (Reuters) - Illinois would become the 11th U.S. state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults under a bill that won final passage in the state legislature on Friday.

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the measure in a 66-47 vote, following Senate approval on Wednesday. The bill will head to Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker who supports the measure, which could eventually generate as much as $500 million in new annual revenue for the financially troubled state.

Illinois would be the second state to legalize small amounts of marijuana for adult use solely through the legislative process, following Vermont, which did so in 2018. Since 2012, voters in nine states and Washington, D.C. approved legalization measures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

"It is time to hit the reset button on the war on drugs," said Democratic State Representative Kelly Cassidy, the bill's House sponsor, adding that the measure, which would take effect Jan. 1, would set the "gold standard" for a regulated market.

Opponents raised health, safety and financial concerns over legalizing marijuana.

"My goodness, there sure seems to be a lot of red flags on this issue," said Republican State Representative Mark Batinick.

The legislation would raise about $57 million in new revenue in fiscal 2020, which begins on July 1, and as much as $500 million annually when fully implemented, according to its sponsors.

The bill earmarks some of the proceeds after administrative and other expenses for drug prevention, public safety and programs in disadvantaged communities, while 35% would flow into Illinois' general fund and 10% would be used to pay overdue bills incurred by the state.

Pritzker included new revenue from legalized marijuana in his nearly $39 billion proposed fiscal 2020 budget.

In addition to Vermont, states that have legalized recreational marijuana are Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Michigan.

The use of marijuana for medical purposes, which Illinois authorized starting in 2014, is legal in 23 states. (Reporting by Karen Pierog in Chicago Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government suffered a double economic blow of slowing growth and rising unemployment as it took office Friday.

Modi named Nirmala Sitharaman as his new finance minister in a drastically revamped Hindu nationalist administration after winning a second straight landslide in the April-May election.

But hours after India's first full-time woman finance minister took office, the government announced the third straight fall in quarterly growth to 5.8 percent in the first three months of the year.

The figure was down from 6.6 percent in the last quarter of 2018 and was much worse than the 6.3 percent that many analysts had predicted.

It means India has lost its place as the world's fastest growing major economy to China, which had 6.4 percent growth in the first quarter. And some economists said slower investment growth and weak consumer spending mean India's performance could be even worse in the next quarter.

In parallel, authorities also said the unemployment rate for 2017-2018 was 6.1 percent, which media said was the worst since 1973.

- Economy pressure -

The jobless figures should have been released before the election. When a newspaper reported the gloomy unemployment report in January, Modi's government said the statistics were not ready.

Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the election on a tough national security stance, barely mentioning the economy.

The bad news increases pressure on Sitharaman to kickstart reforms and create jobs for more than 12 million young Indians entering the workforce every year.

The BJP manifesto had promised a $1.4 trillion infrastructure spending spree over five years that it hopes will boost labour prospects.

"The slowdown shows Modi needs to address agricultural distress and focus on boosting economic activity and generating employment," Ashutosh Datar, a Mumbai-based economist told AFP.

"Sitharaman and Modi will have to decide on finding long-term solutions to economic problems instead of short-term fixes," Datar added.

Story continues

Modi was much-criticised for suddenly cancelling a huge proportion of bank notes in 2016, in a bid to hit the black economy.

- Hindu agenda -

The economy has still grown by about seven percent a year since he first took office in 2014 on a pro-business platform but that has not been enough to create desperately needed jobs.

Huge debts in the agriculture sector -- still India's biggest employer -- have also hit the economy and been blamed for the suicides of thousands of farmers.

Modi replaced around three cabinet ministers and deputy ministers from the last administration, bringing in many new lawmakers expected to pursue more policies to please the BJP's Hindu base in the coming five years.

Modi named his trusted aide, Amit Shah, for the key role of home minister, confirming his long-time ally as his number two.

As BJP president, Shah, 54, masterminded Modi's second election triumph and must now pursue Modi's nationalist agenda in internal security, immigration and other key national issues.

A controversial figure, Shah was accused of ordering police to carry out three extrajudicial killings in his home state of Gujarat in 2005.

He was arrested in 2010 and banished from the western state for two years before being cleared in 2014 for lack of evidence.

Career diplomat S. Jaishankar became foreign minister. The appointment of the China expert and former ambassador to Washington was seen as a sign that Modi will put more emphasis on diplomacy with the world's main powers in his second term.

Jaishankar, who was the top foreign ministry official until his retirement last year, was an influential advisor to Modi during his first five years in power.

Jaishankar took the mantle from Sushma Swaraj, a party veteran who underwent a kidney transplant in 2016 and has been beset by poor health.

Modi also set up a new ministry of water power in keeping with his promise to make safe drinking water a priority for his government.

Modi, along with 24 cabinet rank ministers and more than 30 deputy ministers, were sworn in at the presidential palace on Thursday.

Presidents and prime ministers from neighbouring Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives were present, but arch-rival Pakistan was not among those invited.
Tube Factory. | Photo: Jim W./Yelp

Looking to get out into the community this week?

From a community baby shower to a barista throwdown, there's plenty to do when it comes to community and cultural events coming up in Indianapolis 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.

Indy - Community Baby Shower 2019



From the event description:

The Shower Your Baby with Love Community Baby Shower began in 2003 is an initiative to educate new and expecting mothers and their support networks on how to have a healthy pregnancy and childbirth, rearing a healthy child, positive parenting skills, relationships and living a healthy lifestyle. Today, the Community Baby Shower serves over 600 mothers, fathers and supporters. In addition to receiving premier education from some from of the top medical professionals, participants also receive free health screenings and gifts for parents and baby products for healthy pregnancies, childbirth and child rearing. The event is free and open to anyone who registers.

When: Saturday, June 1, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Where: Martin University, 2186 N. Sherman

Price: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Pet Pride Presented by Elanco Vendor Registration 2019

From the event description:

One of the most adorable events on the Pride calendar is Pet Pride! Pet parents, local vendors and the community gather for an afternoon of play and music centered around our loving animals. It is a highlight for many in our community who celebrate their Pride as both LGBTQ-identified individuals and as pet parents. In addition to our community members, we are also joined by local animal shelters, pet-centric business owners and nonprofit organizations to engage with the community.

When: Saturday, June 1, noon-4 p.m.

Where: Riverside Park, 2420 E. Riverside Drive

Price: Free (rescue/shelter); $10 (extra chairs (2)); $25 (extra space 10x10). More ticket options available.

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

Story continues

Indy Pride #TransGlam Presented by Eskenazi Health

From the event description:

On June 1st, Indys trans community invites you to join us during Pride Week at the Tube Factory Artspace for #TransGlam  a free night of food, music, dancing, friendship and fun. Dance the night away or chill, socialize, enjoy some food and play games. The party starts at 6 p.m. What does your #TransGlam look like? A sparkly ball gown?

When: Saturday, June 1, 6-9 p.m.

Where: The Tube Factory, 1125 Cruft St.

Price: Free

Click here for more details, and to get your tickets

The Coffee Fest Show INDY After Party 2019

From the event description:

Espresso State of Mind wants to invite everyone to the official Coffee Fest Show after party. We are looking for 64 of the most passionate baristas who want to THROWDOWN with the very best in our industry. $1,500 prize pool.

When: Saturday, June 1, 6-11 p.m.

Where: 1125 E Brookside Ave, 1125 E. Brookside Ave.

Price: $15

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.
The Capital Grille. | Photo: The Capital Grille/Yelp

Got a hankering for seafood?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end seafood outlets in Indianapolis, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fill the bill.

1. The Capital Grille

Photo: The Capital Grille/Yelp

Topping the list is The Capital Grille. Located at 40 W. Washington St. downtown Indianapolis, the steakhouse and wine bar, which offers seafood and more, is the highest rated high-end seafood spot in Indianapolis, boasting 4.5 stars out of 313 reviews on Yelp.

"This is my favorite steakhouse when I'm not paying," said Yelper Roger L. "I've eaten here a number of times on company dime and it is always a good experience."

2. Vida

Next up is downtown's Vida, situated at 601 E. New York St. With 4.5 stars out of 248 reviews on Yelp, the New American spot, which offers seafood and more, has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge.

"The food is as good as it looks and it looks fabulous," said Yelper Lucia F. "Vida makes you feel in a Michelin-starred restaurant without being pretentious."

3. Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse

Photo: Geniusz A./Yelp

Downtown Indianapolis's Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, located at 51 N. Illinois St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the fancy steakhouse and cocktail bar, which offers seafood and more, 4.5 stars out of 141 reviews.

"When you wonder how good can a steak really get, look no further," said Yelper Julie S. "The Waygu steak at Hyde Park is amazing."

4. Salt on Mass

Photo: Sara B./Yelp

Downtown, check out Salt on Mass, which has earned four stars out of 286 reviews on Yelp. Treat yourself at the cocktail bar and steakhouse, which offers seafood and more, by heading over to 505 Massachusetts Ave.

"I loved the crab cake. The red snapper with risotto special was also amazing!" said Yelper Sheila O. "

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.
Share Market Update: Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty closed on the negative zone Friday on account of profit booking.

At 3:45 pm, Sensex fell 117 points to close at 39,714, with 18 components out of 30 trading on the red on the BSE. Similarly, at the closing bell, the broader index Nifty, with 29 stocks declining out of 50 ended at 11,922 level, down by 23 points on NSE.

The high volatility that jolted the overall market was led awaiting March quarter GDP data, scheduled for release later in the day. Additionally, President Donald Trump has announced that in March he would end India's access to the decades-old GSP trade programme.

Here's a look at live updates for the Indian share market today.

Adani Green subsidiaries to raise $500 million through Green bonds (US Dollars-denominated senior secured notes )

3: 40 pm

Adani Green Energy (UP) Limited, Parampujya Solar Energy Private Limited and Prayatna Developers Private Limited and collectively with AGEUPL and PSEPL, being wholly owned subsidiaries of Adani Green Energy Limited, have approved the issuance of USD-denominated Rule senior secured green bonds aggregating to US $500,000,000.

As per the filing, all of the proceeds to repay their respective external commercial borrowing loans, and the balance of the net proceeds for capital expenditure, other project related liabilities or for on-lending to other subsidiaries of the company.

Lakshmi Vilas bank revises lending rates

3: 35 pm

The bank submitted to the bourses, information pertaining to the revision of Marginal Cost of Funds based lending Rate (MCLR) with effect from 01 st June, 2019.

Overnight MCLR--9.75% p.a.

One month MCLR--9.75% p.a.

Three month MCLR--9.80% p.a.

Six month MCLR --9.90% p.a.

One year MCLR--10.00% p.a.

Global Update

3: 30 pm

European market declined and set for their worst May on record amid escalating U.S. trade tensions with China & Europe, slumped again following President Trump's move to impose tariffs on Mexican goods, threatening supply chains for the companies. FTSE, CAC and DAX declined over 1% each.

US Future declined 247 points or 1% Brent Crude declined 2% at $65.6/bbl USDINR declined 2 paisa at 69.84 10-Year G-Sec Yield slipped 8bps at 7.04% #MOMarketUpdates - Motilal Oswal Group (@MotilalOswalLtd) May 31, 2019

PC Jeweller share price falls

3: 20 pm

PC Jeweller share price fell in afternoon trade today after the firm reported a net loss of Rs 376.8 crore on a standalone basis during the fourth quarter of last fiscal on account of loss in export business. The stock has lost 54.13% during the last one year and fallen 11% since the beginning of this year.

PC Jeweller share price falls after firm logs Rs 378-cr loss in Q4

Hinduja Global Solutions Q4 earnings

3: 10 pm

Hinduja Global Solutions' consolidated net profit has increased 6.2 per cent to Rs 54.55 crore for the March 2019 quarter from the year-ago period. The company registered a profit of Rs 51.36 crore in the January-March 2018 quarter. Revenue from operations grew 27.9 per cent to Rs 1,284.58 crore in the quarter under review as against Rs 1,003.88 crore in the fourth quarter of 2017-18. The results were announced late Thursday night.

"The fourth quarter is usually a strong quarter for us. Added to that, we have seen significant improvement in the performance of AxisPoint Health and a turnaround in our India domestic business.

Hinduja Global Solutions' consolidated Q4 profit rises 6.2% to Rs 55 crore

PC Jeweller posts Q4 loss of Rs 376.8 cr

2: 45 pm

PC Jeweller has posted a net loss of Rs 376.8 crore on a standalone basis during the fourth quarter of last fiscal on account of loss in export business. The company had posted a net profit of Rs 118.28 crore in the year-ago period, it said in a regulatory filing Thursday.

Total income, however, rose to Rs 2,203.91 crore during January-March quarter of 2018-19 fiscal from Rs 2,114.64 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.

"Net loss of Rs 376.8 crore in Q4 FY19 is due to loss in the export business on account of one-time discount against the outstanding export trade receivables aggregating to Rs 513 crore," the Delhi-based jeweller said in a presentation.

PC Jeweller posts Q4 loss of Rs 376.8 cr on account of loss in export business

Prabhat Dairy posts Q4 earnings

2: 30 pm

Net Profit for the March quarter was at Rs 15.49 cr against Rs 17.60 cr recorded in the same quarter last year. Net Profit for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 booked at Rs 50.54 cr against Rs 47.27 cr recorded during the last fiscal year.

Expenses this year stood at Rs 236.11 cr against last year's Rs 26.30. Total income, on a consolidated basis, stood at Rs 238.72 cr this financial year ended against Rs 27.54 cr recorded last fiscal year. Total income has incresed in the quarterly basis as well to Rs 161.47 cr this quarter as ocmpared to the MAmrch quarter las year at Rs 5.56 cr.

The stock price of Prabhat Dairy opened at a loss of 2.95% and touched an intraday low of Rs 67.05, down by 3.66%. The stock is currently trading at Rs 67.10, down 2.50 points.

Berger Paints share price rises post Q4 earnings

2: 20 pm

Berger Paints share price rose in trade today after the firm reported a rise in Q4 net profit. Berger Paints share price rose 9.37% or 28 points to 328 level on BSE. Berger Paints share has been rising for the last two days and gained 8.41% during the period. The stock has gained 9.22% during the last one year but lost 1.65% since the beginning of this year.

Berger Paints share price rises post Q4 earnings show

Bharti Airtel's 3.2% stake acquired by Pastel Ltd

2: 05 pm

Pastel Ltd along with Viridian Ltd has acquired 3.32% stake worth 170,096,024 shares in Bharti Airtel through Rights issue on May 29, 2019.

Monsoon season rainfall : MET Dept

1: 45 pm

MET Dept: Monsoon season rainfall for country as a whole likely to be 96% of Long Period Average. Rains likely at 94% of LPA over North West India; 100% over Central India, 97% over South Peninsula & 91% over Northeast

Allocation of portfolios among the members of the Union Council of Ministers

1: 35 pm

Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed as the new finance minister a day after the swearing-in ceremony of the new government. Amit Shah has been given the role of the Home Minister.

BJP MP from Patna Sahib in Bihar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, has been appointed as the Minister of Law and Justice, and Minister and Electronics and Information Technology. BJP ally in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal's Harsimrat Kaur Badal has been given the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

PM Modi Cabinet Ministers' Portfolio: Amit Shah gets home ministry, Nirmala Sitharaman is the new finance minister

Allocation of portfolios among the members of the Union Council of Ministers as advised by PM @narendramodipic.twitter.com/36Td16pDSX - PIB India (@PIB_India) May 31, 2019

US suspension of trade programme with India 'a done deal'

1: 15 pm

In another negative cue for the domestic market, the suspension of a U.S. trade preference programme with India is a "done deal," a senior State Department official said on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his second term.

President Donald Trump announced in March he would end India's access to the decades-old Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade programme over what the U.S. said was lack of access to India's market. The programme allows emerging countries to export goods to the United States without paying duties.

US suspension of GSP trade preference programme with India 'a done deal' - US official

Global updates

1: 00 pm

US Future declined 0.7% or 210 points concern of trade war between US and Mexico after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would impose tariffs on all Mexican goods.

Donald Trump announced new tariffs against all products imported from Mexico, saying that they would stay in effect until the illegal immigration problem was solved. This could derail the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement.

In a seperate developement, Chinese manufacturing PMI for the month of May has again gone into a contraction mode after two months of expansion with a reading of 49.4% against a reading of 50.1% for April. The expectations were for a reading of 49.9%.

Factbox: Tariff wars - duties imposed by Trump and U.S. trading partners https://t.co/gxH6bLiXsppic.twitter.com/WYqEjkmDF5 - Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) May 31, 2019

GDP growth in Q4 seen at 6.5%

12: 50 pm

India's GDP likely grew 6.5 per cent in the fourth quarter ended March 2019, said an economic outlook survey of industry chamber FICCI. The Central Statistics Office (CSO) will release the official data today at 5:30 P.M. Bloomberg's Expectation on Quarterly GDP Data at 6.3% vs 6.6% last quarter.

India's lower GDP growth, which is likely to come in lower at 6.2% in the last quarter, will be seen in a better light against China.

Market update

12: 40 pm

After approaching their all time highs in early trade today, benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty pared gains and traded on the negative zone on account of profit booking.

Benchmark index Sensex crossed they key 40,000 level just after 5 trading sessions and Nifty reclaimed 12,000 level, less than 40 points away from record high. However, after the rally the benchmark indices fell sharply over 100 points to pare all gains and turned red by the afternoon session.

Sensex fell to 39,750, down by 80 points with 19 components trading on the red on the BSE. Similarly, the broader index Nifty, with 29 stocks declining out of 50 dropped to 11,928 level, down by 17 points on NSE.

Morning gains were led by advances in oil and gas and consumer durables stocks. On May 23, Sensex hit a new record high of 40,124, while Nifty crossed 12K level to hit 12,041 a fresh all time high after Lok Sabha election results indicated Narendra Modi government was coming to power with a thumping majority.

Adani Clarifies on News 'Adani Power bid for GMR Chattisgarh approved by lenders'

12: 15 pm

Company has notified that the project is under evaluation as a part of its growth strategy, but they have not recieved any communication on this regard. The firm added that fluctuation or increase in share price seems market driven.

Brent crude falls further

11: 50 am

Brent crude, the global benchmark, was trading at 66.03 per barrel lower by 1.26 per cent. NY Mex was down as well at 55.96, down by 1.11%.

Additionally, The United States will sanction any country which buys oil from Iran after the expiration of waivers on May 2, U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Thursday. Sanctions would be imposed "even if a country had not met its previously-negotiated purchase caps," Hook said in a statement. "Our firm policy is to completely zero out purchases of Iranian oil. Period."

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Thursday that countries like China and India which were issued waivers in November to buy Iranian could continue the purchases after May 2 until they reached a negotiated cap.

U.S. says countries buying Iranian oil will be subject to sanctions https://t.co/zVxcsyPU16pic.twitter.com/oxGwZcukr4 - Reuters India (@ReutersIndia) May 31, 2019

Domectic Cues

11: 30 am

Narendra Modi was on Thursday sworn in as the Prime Minister for a second term helming a 58-member ministry. Besides 25 Cabinet ministers including Modi, Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal and Jaishankar, nine were sworn in as Minister of State with Independent charge and another 24 as Minister of State.

Today, Modi is expected to announce his ministers' departments. "This team is a blend of youthful energy and administrative experience," Modi said on Twitter. "It has people who have excelled as parliamentarians and those who have had distinguished professional careers. Together, we will work for India's progress."

Modi's new Cabinet: Here's party, House-wise allocation of Union Council of Ministers

Currency update

11: 15 am

The rupee appreciated by 15 paise to 69.72 against the US dollar in opening trade Friday, driven by positive opening in domestic equities and weakening of the greenback in overseas markets. Forex dealers said, easing crude prices, sustained foreign fund inflows and selling of the American currency by exporters supported the rupee. However, the currency market is expected to witness high volatility ahead of the release of key economic data later in the day, they said.

Oil Stocks

11: 00 am

Oil marketing companies gain in trade today as crude oil prices fall overnight. Oil and gas and consumer durables stocks led the gains with BSE oil and gas index rising 190 points to 15,786 and consumer durables index gaining 174 points to 24,860.

Oil falls 3% on small U.S. crude stock draw, trade war worries https://t.co/3iDfyh0hfSpic.twitter.com/7iCqMtZ6KF - Reuters India (@ReutersIndia) May 30, 2019

Market update

10: 41 am

After hitting a high of 40,119.81, the 30-share index was trading 271.12 points, or 0.68 per cent, higher at 40,103.09. In similar movement, the broader NSE Nifty crossed the 12,000 level, and was trading 81.20 points, or 0.68 per cent, higher at 12,027.10.

BSE bankex too gained 267 points to hit all time high of 35,717 compared to the previous close of 35,450. BSE midcap index rose 100 points to 15,160, small cap index rose 20 points to 14,985. Bank Nifty hit all-time high of 31,783 level. The index gained 246 points from previuos close of 31,537. Market breadth was positive with 1,028 stocks trading higher compared to 995 losing ground on BSE.

The BSE Sensex figure for 31 May, 2019 11:33 AM is 40,074.90 - Sensex India (@bse_sensex) May 31, 2019

FII and DII

10:10 am

On a net basis, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net of Rs 1,664.74 crore on Thursday , and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net sellers to the tune of Rs 1,122.60 crore, provisional data available with BSE showed.

Market Quote

9: 45 am

"Indian markets seem to be defying gravity as they continue to rally. The positive sentiments are driven by investors conviction in current government's ability to drive strong growth," said Sunil Sharma, Chief Investment Officer, Sanctum Wealth Management.

The Indian market has significantly outperformed its emerging market peers in anticipation of positive election outcome and strong foreign flows and further moves are likely to be determined by policy initiatives, budget and RBI monetary policy, he added.

Gainers and Losers

9: 35 am

Top index gainers this morning are Coal India, up at 2.09 %, IOC is up 2.35%, BPCL up by 2.18%, Asian Paints at 1.99% rise and Britannia at 1.63% hike. Top losers this mornign session are ONGC, down 0.74%, Grasim by 0.64%, NTPC by 0.67%, M&M by 0.26% and HUL by 0.05%.

Opening Bell

9: 30 am

S&P Sensex started on a positive note Friday on account of expecting release of Union Cabinet portfolios soon, and opened at 39,979, by 147 points with 19 components trading on the green on the BSE. Similarly, at the opening bell, the broader index Nifty, with 31 stocks advancing out of 50 reached 11,990 level, up by 44 points on NSE.

Indian Rupee

9: 10 am

Rupee opened stronger today at 69.76 versus Thursday's close of 69.87.

Global Update

9: 00 am

Asian markets like Nikkei, Hong Kong Index declined 0.5%. SGX Nifty traded up 7 points on Singapore Exchange. On the Wallstreet, US market managed to close positive note (up 0.2%). However, trade war tensions still continues.

News and Impact

8: 55 am

Markets are expected to be positive on account of strong domestic cues. Market participants await portfolio of ministers to be declared today, thus likely to await some stock specific action.

Brent Crude

8: 50 am

Brent Crude nosedived 7% to 3-month low at $66/bbl on account of trade tension and on higher US inventory - Positive for OMCs like HPCL, BPCL and IOC. Brent crude futures, the global benchmark, were trading 1.04 per cent lower at 64.65 per barrel.

Thursday's Close

8: 45 am

In the previous session on Thursday, the 30-share gauge ended 329.92 points, or 0.84 per cent, higher at 39,831.97 -- its fresh-closing high, while the broader NSE Nifty settled at a new closing peak of 11,945.90, gaining 84.80 points or 0.71 per cent. The Nifty closed at an all-time high in closing terms Thursday as the May series expired at 11,945.

Sensex closes 329 points up, Nifty at 11,946, NTPC, Bharti Airtel, TCS major performers
DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesian authorities have arrested an American, two Spaniards and two Russians for selling cocaine and marijuana on Bali, police said Friday.

The three men and two women were paraded at a police news conference in the Bali provincial capital, Denpasar, days after being arrested.

They were arrested between May 20 and 24 in the tourist hotspot of Kuta, said Denpasar police chief Ruddi Setiawan.

He said the arrests began when police caught a 33-year-old Russian man, identified only as Nikita, arranging cocaine sales by phone to foreign tourists.

Police seized 20.18 grams (0.7 ounce) of cocaine and 44.14 grams (1.6 ounces) of marijuana from the group.

"We are still investigating how they got that cocaine and marijuana," Setiawan said. "We believe they are part of an international syndicate and got the drugs from abroad."

Police identified the 31-year-old American suspect as Ian. A Russian woman, 31, was identified as Maria and a Spanish woman, 33, as Laura. A 37-year-old Spanish man identified as Juan had operated a restaurant in Kerobokan near Denpasar for a long period of time, police said.

Indonesia has strict drug laws and dozens of convicted smugglers are on death row. Its last executions were in July 2016, when an Indonesian and three foreigners were shot by a firing squad.

An Indonesian court last week sentenced a Frenchman to death for smuggling ecstasy to Lombok, next to Bali, even though prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence.
(Refiling to correct spelling of surnames, paragraphs 10, 37)

* Palestinians say U.S. plan will finish off Palestinian cause

* Pro-Israel think-tank: deal is political disaster

* Plan foresees expansion of Gaza into Egypt's Sinai -Palestinian officials

By Samia Nakhoul

BEIRUT, May 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. blueprint to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, still in draft form after almost two years, is seen by Palestinians, and by some Arab officials and politicians, as a plan to finish off the Palestinian cause.

The initiative, driven by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and White House adviser, was billed by the U.S. president as the "deal of the century."

While its precise outlines have yet to be revealed, Palestinian and Arab sources who have been briefed on the draft plan say Kushner has jettisoned the two-state solution - the long-standing U.S. and international formula that envisages an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza.

After several postponements, Washington plans a first formal outing of the economic components of the plan at a "Peace for Prosperity" workshop in June in Bahrain.

The plan faces possible delays due to political upheaval in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must fight another election after failing to form a government.

Kushner and Trump, with backgrounds in real estate rather than diplomacy, seem to be approaching this hitherto insoluble conflict as a transaction, three Arab officials briefed on the plan said.

If the politics keep failing, the reasoning seems to be, then try dangling tens of billions of dollars before the Palestinians and Israel's Arab neighbors  and do a deal that could unlock prosperity for the Palestinians and security for Israel, these officials said.

Politically, the deal envisages an expansion of Gaza into part of northern Egypt, under Egyptian control, Palestinian officials briefed on the plan told Reuters. Palestinians would be left with a smaller share of the West Bank and some areas on the outskirts of Jerusalem and no control over their borders. Western and Arab sources confirmed the outline of the plan.

Story continues

Jason Greenblatt, Trump's Middle East envoy, said "rumors" about an expansion into Egypt's Sinai desert were false. He declined to give details of the political plan before it is released.

On the decision not to use the term "two-state solution," Greenblatt said: "We believe that using certain phrases and labels is not helpful because they lack detail and nuance  they mean different things to different people. The detailed plan, once released, will show what we think may be best solution for the two parties."

NOT BUYING IT

The Palestinians are not buying it.

"What we're seeing from the plan is that it will blow up the Palestinians," one Arab official told Reuters. "The plan doesn't give justice to the Palestinians."

"The Palestinian cause is being liquidated - no Jerusalem (as capital), no right of return for refugees, no sovereign state. That is why this American project is dangerous," one senior Palestinian leader told Reuters.

The deal as outlined so far has been dismissed by President Mahmoud Abbas' western-backed Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Abbas has boycotted political dealings with the Trump administration for 18 months. This followed Trump's decisions in 2017 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Since then, the Trump administration has curtailed aid to the Palestinian Authority, shuttered the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) delegation in Washington and cut off finance to UNRWA, the U.N. agency supporting Palestinian refugees. Washington meanwhile endorsed Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

"In practice they have already started implementing 'the deal of the century'," the senior Palestinian leader said, "on the ground, step by step." "Today, the two-state solution has been scuttled."

Abbas is not alone in his view of the U.S. deal.

It was rejected by the Islamist Hamas movement, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist and has only given conditional consent to a state in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The PLO has dismissed the Kushner effort as an attempt to bribe Palestinians into accepting Israeli occupation of the West Bank, a prelude to Israel annexing about half their territory and leaving them with scattered cantons.

Hanan Ashrawi, a moderate Palestinian leader, tweeted that the Kushner plan and the Bahrain conference were just "a handout to make our captivity palatable."

Palestinian businessmen have opposed the Bahrain gathering despite a plea by Washington to attend, saying their political demands must be addressed in any peace plan.

Qatar said economic prosperity cannot be achieved without political solutions acceptable to Palestinians. Oman said anything that precludes the establishment of a Palestinian state will not be acceptable.

"We are not proposing an economic peace," Greenblatt said. "We know that is not acceptable to the Palestinians. We've been very clear that the full plan includes a political component as well. But the economic plan is an essential component to the full plan."

MOVING ON?

Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, an influential think-tank and supporter of Israel, wrote after interviewing Kushner this month that the deal is a political disaster that should be abandoned.

He said positive economic proposals could be lost by the attempt to skirt around Palestinian rights.

"The only way to protect the long-term viability of the plan's best aspects is to kill it," he said.

Satloff wrote that "unlike a real estate transaction in which one party gets the property and the other party gets the cash, a Middle East peace deal starts and ends with the two parties as neighbors, stuck with each other sharing a duplex for eternity."

Kushner meanwhile visited the Middle East this week seeking support for the June 25-26 Bahrain conference.

The meeting is to talk about the cash. The U.S. plan expects almost all of this  $50 billion to $70 billion  to be put up by Gulf Arab allies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Palestinian sources said. Yet even that is now moot.

Saudi Arabia, under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the UAE, under Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, want to move on from a Palestinian conflict they believe has held back the Arab world.

That means uniting with Israel against Iran and concentrating on domestic challenges such as economic reforms and confronting Islamist radicals.

The Saudi crown prince maintains close ties with Kushner. But his father, King Salman, has twice said there will be no deal unless Israel meets Palestinian rights to a state.

"Kushner has been taken by surprise in his meetings in Riyadh recently, where there has definitely been a change in tone  in private and in public  by the Saudis," said a senior western diplomat.

Asked for comment, the White House referred to its earlier official statement on Kushner's February meeting with the crown prince and the king which said they discussed "increasing cooperation" and efforts to facilitate peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

NEW REALITY

The Palestinian official said it is clear that Israel "is creating a new reality on the ground" with the Trump administration's help  not least by paving the way for the annexation of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

The Palestinian and Arab officials briefed on the Kushner- Trump plan said its political contours, as explained to them, look like non-starters unless there is a peace deal.

The essential part is Gaza: where 2 million Palestinians are shut into a strip between Israel and Egypt. The idea is to expand it into the north of Egypt's Sinai peninsula, creating an area where Palestinians can live and work under Egyptian control.

"The plan envisions Gaza stretching from Rafah (its southern border) to El Arish and some parts of Sinai. This area will be a Palestinian expansion in which Palestinians can reside," the Palestinian leader said.

Big projects, such as an airport, a seaport, an industrial zone and power stations are envisaged, Palestinian sources briefed on the plan said.

On the West Bank, the plan is for Israel to annex and join up the settlements, take the Jordan valley and make it the Israeli border with Jordan, and leave the Palestinians a bit less than half as "an autonomous mini-state under some form of self-government," the senior Palestinian leader said.

As for Jerusalem, Palestinians would get neighborhoods on the outskirts such as Abu Dis and Beit Hanina and Silwan: "not the real Jerusalem (but) they will tell them this is your Jerusalem," the Palestinian leader added.

Western diplomats and intelligence sources worry about how the plan might affect Egypt and Jordan.

However much money is offered, these sources question whether Egyptians would happily relinquish territory.

And Jordan fears a Trump-backed Israel is returning to an old theme: Jordan is Palestine and that is where the Palestinians of the West Bank should go, they say.

(Additional reporting by Ghaida Ghantous, Eric Knecht, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Matt Spetalnick Editing by Giles Elgood)
(Adds more comments)

TORONTO, May 31 (Reuters) - Canada's economy grew at an annualized rate of 0.4% in the first quarter, largely due to higher household spending and business investment, Statistics Canada said on Friday. March's GDP rose by 0.5% - the largest month-on-month increase in 10 months - as a result of increased output across most goods-producing industries. STORY: MARKET REACTION: CAD/ LINK: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/190531/dq190531b-eng.htm?HPA=1

COMMENTARY

ROBERT BOTH, MACRO STRATEGIST at TD SECURITIES

"The 0.4% (annualized growth in the first quarter) is largely in line with what the Bank of Canada was expecting in April. The details were quite favourable and confirmed a rebound in both household consumption and machinery and equipment investment, which were both notable laggards in the Q4 data."

"This should put the Bank of Canada's tracking for 2019 growth above 1.2%, which is where they had it in April.

"I still think its very early to be talking about rate hikes but it does greatly reduce the chance of rate cuts in 2019, absent a significant escalation in global trade risks.

"We expect the Bank of Canada to be on hold this year and next."

DEREK HOLT, VICE PRESIDENT OF CAPITAL MARKETS ECONOMICS, SCOTIABANK

"It is good news, bad news. At the margin, it informs the rebound narrative that the Bank of Canada has been telling but it reaffirms that they were right on the first quarter overall."

"It's positive if everything else wasn't skidding into the ditch ... as long as tariffs and risks calm down a little bit, the domestic story is performing in line with the Bank of Canada's fairly upbeat assessment."

DOUG PORTER, CHIEF ECONOMIST AT BMO:

"The one major piece of good news is the very strong result is the monthly number for March. Most people had assumed the first quarter was a bit of a write off. We've got another sign that the economy had gained some momentum at the end of the quarter. There was a little bit of a recovery as the Bank of Canada had expected."

"Effectively, it was bang in line with what the central bank expected. The March number gives a little bit of upside risk to the second quarter. But offsetting this is the reality of mounting concerns on the global trade outlook. That's acting as a weight to any good short-term news." (Reporting by Steve Scherer, Fergal Smith and Nichola Saminather Editing by Denny Thomas)
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Analyzing Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited's (NZSE:FPH) track record of past performance is a valuable exercise for investors. It enables us to reflect on whether or not the company has met expectations, which is a powerful signal for future performance. Today I will assess FPH's recent performance announced on 31 March 2019 and compare these figures to its long-term trend and industry movements.

See our latest analysis for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

Were FPH's earnings stronger than its past performances and the industry?

FPH's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 March 2019) of NZ$209m has increased by 10.0% compared to the previous year.

However, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 16%, indicating the rate at which FPH is growing has slowed down. What could be happening here? Well, lets take a look at whats transpiring with margins and whether the rest of the industry is feeling the heat.

NZSE:FPH Income Statement, May 31st 2019

In terms of returns from investment, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare has invested its equity funds well leading to a 23% return on equity (ROE), above the sensible minimum of 20%. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 17% exceeds the NZ Medical Equipment industry of 9.3%, indicating Fisher & Paykel Healthcare has used its assets more efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Fisher & Paykel Healthcares debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 34% to 29%.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesnt tell the whole story. While Fisher & Paykel Healthcare has a good historical track record with positive growth and profitability, there's no certainty that this will extrapolate into the future. I recommend you continue to research Fisher & Paykel Healthcare to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Story continues

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for FPHs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for FPHs outlook. Financial Health: Are FPHs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 March 2019. 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.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Modern Land (China) Co., Limited (HKG:1107), which is in the real estate business, and is based in China, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$1.48 and falling to the lows of HK$1.09. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Modern Land (China)'s current trading price of HK$1.15 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Modern Land (China)s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for Modern Land (China)

What's the opportunity in Modern Land (China)?

According to my relative valuation model, the stock seems to be currently fairly priced. Ive used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because theres not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stocks ratio of 5.37x is currently trading slightly below its industry peers ratio of 6.17x, which means if you buy Modern Land (China) today, youd be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that Modern Land (China) should be trading at this level in the long run, then theres not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. Is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Modern Land (China)s share price is quite volatile, we could potentially see it sink lower (or rise higher) in the future, giving us another chance to buy. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

Can we expect growth from Modern Land (China)?

SEHK:1107 Past and Future Earnings, May 31st 2019

Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. With revenue expected to more than double in the next few years, the future appears to be extremely bright for Modern Land (China). If expenses can also be maintained, it looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

Story continues

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has already priced in 1107s positive outlook, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at 1107? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuate below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on 1107, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for 1107, which means its worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters  the fundamentals  before you make a decision on Modern Land (China). You can find everything you need to know about Modern Land (China) in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Modern Land (China), you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
NEW YORK, May 31 (Reuters) - The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday said the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline was legally permitted in the state, dealing a blow to a group of landowners and environmentalists challenging the operation.

Iowa's top court also denied the review of a state utilities board decision to allow the use of eminent domain to build the pipeline on private properties, upholding a district court decision from 2017.

The pipeline, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer LP (ET.N), began shipping oil from the Bakken shale region in North Dakota through Iowa two years ago. (Reporting by Laila Kearney Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Tehran (AFP) - Tehran accused Riyadh Friday of "sowing division" in the region to Israel's advantage, after the kingdom hosted summits of Gulf and Arab leaders to rally support against the Islamic republic.

Saudi Arabia has "continued to sow division between Islamic countries and in the region, which is the wish of the Zionist regime," foreign ministry spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi said.

"We see the attempts by Saudi Arabia to rally neighbouring and Arab countries against Iran as the continuation of futile attempts by America and the Zionist regime," he added.

Mousavi expressed disappointment that Riyadh intended to level the same "baseless allegations" against Tehran at a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Mecca early on Saturday, "exploiting" its role as host.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Friday ratcheted up the rhetoric against arch-rival Iran, calling on Arab states to confront its "criminal" actions after attacks on oil installations sparked fears of a regional conflagration.

The king's remarks came at the start of two back-to-back emergency summits in Mecca in the early hours, which drew near-unanimous support for the Sunni kingdom from Gulf and Arab states -- with the notable exception of Iraq.

The summits came after hawkish US National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Wednesday that Iran was "almost certainly" behind May 12 attacks on four ships, two of them Saudi oil tankers, off the United Arab Emirates.

Tehran dismissed the accusation as "laughable" and accused Bolton of pursuing "evil desires for chaos in the region."
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran on Friday rejected what it called "baseless" accusations made at an Arab summit, saying Saudi had joined the United States and Israel in a "hopeless" effort to mobilize regional opinion against Tehran, state media reported.

Saudi Arabia's king told an emergency Arab summit that decisive action was needed to stop Iranian "escalations" in the region following attacks on Gulf oil assets, as American officials said a U.S. military deployment had deterred Tehran.

"Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi... rejected the baseless accusations by the heads of certain Arab countries ... and said 'We see the Saudi effort to mobilize (regional) opinion as part of the hopeless process followed by America and the Zionist regime against Iran'," state news agency IRNA said.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie)
DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran on Friday rejected what it called "baseless" accusations made at an Arab summit, saying Saudi had joined the United States and Israel in a "hopeless" effort to mobilise regional opinion against Tehran, state media reported.

Saudi Arabia's king told an emergency Arab summit that decisive action was needed to stop Iranian "escalations" in the region following attacks on Gulf oil assets, as American officials said a U.S. military deployment had deterred Tehran.

"Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi... rejected the baseless accusations by the heads of certain Arab countries ... and said 'We see the Saudi effort to mobilise (regional) opinion as part of the hopeless process followed by America and the Zionist regime against Iran'," state news agency IRNA said.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Imran Khan in Makkah to attend OIC

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday arrived Jeddah after a brief stay at Madinah Munawwara where he paid respects and offered prayer at Masjid-e-Nabvi.



On his arrival, the prime minister was received by Governor Makkah Region Prince Khalid bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport of Jeddah, a PM Office statement said.



The prime minister is in Saudi Arabia to represent Pakistan at the 14th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to be held in Makkah on Friday.







Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Madina for a three-day visit to attend the 14th Summit of Origination of Islamic Cooperation, which will be held in Makkah today (Friday). After paying a visit to Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH) and offering Nawafil in Madina, the prime minister will depart for Jeddah.
DUBAI, May 31 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Iranians marking the annual "Quds (Jerusalem) Day" in the Islamic Republic on Friday condemned a planned Middle East peace plan touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as the "deal of the century."

State television said state-sponsored marches were being held in 950 communities across Iran and showed demonstrators carrying banners with slogans such as "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine" and "Death to America."

"No to the deal of the century" read a banner splashed across the news screen on state TV, which also showed a Quds Day march in neighboring Iraq's capital Baghdad.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that Washingtons long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan was doomed to fail and that the Palestinian resistance movement would respond firmly to those who proposed it.

Palestinian officials have already spurned the plan, believing it will be heavily biased in favor of Israel.

Opposition to Israel is a cornerstone of Shi'ite-led Iran. It backs Palestinian and Lebanese Islamist militant groups opposed to peace with Israel, which Tehran refuses to recognize.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said the Trump plan would fail, and President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that the deal of the century would be the "bankruptcy of the century" for its who proponents.

Israel, the United States and its chief Sunni Arab ally Saudi Arabia accuse Iran of fomenting tension in the Middle East and of sponsoring terrorism. Tehran denies this.

Quds Day was launched by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, and is held on the last Friday of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom, Editing by William Maclean)
Vienna (AFP) - Iran's stocks of key nuclear materials have increased but are still within the limits set by a 2015 deal with world powers, the latest International Atomic Energy Agency report on the matter said Friday.

Despite an announcement from Iran earlier this month that it no longer considered itself bound by the agreed restrictions on stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water, stocks of both did not exceed the ceilings set in the 2015 agreement, the report said.

As of May 26, Iran had 125.2 metric tonnes of heavy water, an increase of 0.4 tonnes on February but still under the 130-tonne limit.

As of 20 May, Iran had 174.1 kg (383 pounds) of enriched uranium, up from 163.8 kg in February but again within the relevant limit.

The report does say that "technical discussions... are ongoing" with Iran in relation to its installation of up to 33 advanced IR-6 centrifuges, but does not specify the content of these discussions.

Earlier this month Iran announced it was suspending some of its commitments under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The move came a year after US President Donald Trump pulled out of the deal. His administration has also reinforced economic sanctions against the Islamic republic.

As well as no longer respecting the limits on stocks, Iran has also said it will increase production of uranium and heavy water.

The report also confirms Iran has not breached the uranium enrichment level of 3.67 percent specified in the JCPOA.

Since Iran made its announcement earlier this month, there had been "no changes" in the level of co-operation received from Iran, according to a senior Vienna-based diplomat.

The latest report comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran in recent weeks.

The United States has beefed up its military presence in the Middle East in response to alleged threats from the Islamic republic.
DUBLIN, May 31 (Reuters) - Ireland's Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a bid by Facebook to block a landmark privacy case, regarding the transfer of EU users' data to the United States, being referred to Europe's top court.

The case, launched by Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, is the latest to question whether methods used by technology firms to transfer data outside the 28-nation European Union give EU consumers sufficient protection from U.S. surveillance.

The case will now proceed on July 9 to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which will assess whether the methods used for data transfers - including standard contractual clauses and the Privacy Shield agreement - are legal.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Susan Fenton)
By Alasdair Pal and Sanjeev Miglani

NEW DELHI, May 31 (Reuters) - He made his name as a ruthless backroom politician and master strategist who won election victories for his boss, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also has a reputation for the incendiary, recently describing illegal Bangladeshi immigrants as "like termites" taking grain and jobs from India's poor.

Now, 54-year-old Amit Shah will have to demonstrate he has the temperament to run India's most sensitive cabinet portfolio, home affairs.

The brief includes internal security, border management, running armed police forces and keeping the lid on militancy in the troubled region of Kashmir - all with the potential to ignite or exacerbate communal tensions.

His supporters were in no doubt that he will frighten anyone who does not put Indian interests first.

"A brilliant strategist and an excellent administrator, his appointment as HM is bad news for forces inimical to the interests of India," tweeted the new minister for oil and steel, Dharmendra Pradhan.

BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, also in a tweet, warned people in Kashmir who pelt the army and police with stones that they had better pack their bags now that Shah was in office.

Some Indian liberals were nervous about how Shah would respond to critics of the government and the BJP.

"Any form of disagreement with the government or with the idea of Hindu nationalism would now be presented as a form of dissidence," said Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, an author of books on Modi and the Hindu right.

He would likely rule the ministry with "an iron fist," he added.

If he does succeed, Shah's reputation as an effective political operator and his close relationship with Modi means he will have huge influence in the government, and put him in a strong position to eventually succeed Modi, political strategists said.

POLITICAL OPERATOR

The son of a prosperous family in the western state of Gujarat, Shah left school around the age of 18, according to a declaration signed in the April-May general election.

Story continues

Since then, aside from a short spell selling PVC tubing, he said in a 2016 interview, Shah has spent almost his entire adult life working for the BJP and its affiliated groups.

Shah, who has long been Modi's top strategist, helped rouse the BJP's Hindu nationalist base in the election, overcoming losses in key state polls last December and returning Modi with an improved majority.

A relentless politician, he has run 29 elections, from municipal bodies to parliament, and lost none. He traveled 150,000 km (93,200 miles) to address 161 public rallies during the election, he said earlier this month.

Shah's efforts helped to blunt voter discontent at a lack of job creation and distress about low farm incomes by portraying the opposition as weak and indecisive, at best, and at worst as appeasers of minority Muslims and arch-foe Pakistan - deftly exploiting national security fears.

"Modi and Shah work in tandem," said a BJP official who has worked closely with Shah, speaking before his appointment.

"They have been political associates for 30 years-plus," said a Gujarat state official. "They know each other's secrets, their's has been a relationship of mutual trust, and gains from the association."

HARDLINE VIEWS

Shah is known as a Hindu-hardliner with uncompromising views.

He mocked Rahul Gandhi, the chief of the opposition Congress party, for choosing to run in a Muslim-dominated constituency in the southern state of Kerala.

"When a procession is taken out there, it is difficult to make out whether it is an Indian or a Pakistani procession," he said.

Like Modi, Shah has faced accusations that he looked the other way as Gujarat's home minister in 2002, when mobs attacked and killed Muslims in revenge for the burning of Hindu pilgrims on a train in the worst sectarian bloodletting in independent India. Both have always denied wrongdoing.

Shah himself was acquitted in 2014 of separate charges leveled in 2010 over alleged extrajudicial killings.

He is now in a prime position to take over once Modi bows out when he turns 75 in 2025, a party rule the prime minister adopted to edge out older BJP leaders who had sought to resist his rise.

"It's some time off, but at the moment he is best placed to succeed him," Mukhopadhyay said.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal and Sanjeev Miglani in NEW DELHI; Additional reporting by Devjyot Ghoshal, Shounak Dasgupta and Munsif Vengattil in NEW DELHI; Editing by Martin Howell and Alex Richardson)
Photo: Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse/Yelp

In search of a new favorite Brazilian spot?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end Brazilian restaurants around Jacksonville, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to meet your needs.

1. Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse

Photo: terra gaucha brazilian restaurant/Yelp

Topping the list is Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse. Located at 4483 Southside Blvd. in Windy Hill, the Brazilian steakhouse is the highest-rated high-end Brazilian restaurant in Jacksonville, boasting 4.5 stars out of 542 reviews on Yelp. Serving table-side "Churrasco" (Brazilian barbecue), the restaurant specializes in fire-roasted beef, lamb, pork, chicken and seafood, along with hot sides and a large gourmet salad bar.

2. Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse

Photo: FOGO DE CHAO Brazilian steakhouse/Yelp

Next up is the Southside's Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse, situated at 4784 Town Center Parkway. With four stars out of 182 reviews on Yelp, the steakhouse and Brazilian spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge. The menu features fire-grilled meats as well as seafood entrees, salads, sides and desserts.

3. Texas de Brazil

Photo: texas de brazil/Yelp

Windy Hill's Texas de Brazil, located at 4634 Town Center Parkway, Suite 100, is another top choice. So far, Yelpers have given the upscale Brazilian steakhouse and event space four stars out of 63 reviews. The restaurant serves more than a dozen meats "cooked the gaucho way - over an open flame with natural wood charcoal," as well as "a wide array of chef-crafted salads, roasted vegetables, imported cheeses and charcuterie."

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.
Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night on Thursday to promote their new Netflix movie Murder Mystery. While there, Aniston got candid about the terrifying emergency aircraft landing she and her friends experienced earlier this year.

In February, Aniston and her friends, which included Friends co-star Courteney Cox and Jimmy Kimmel's wife Molly McNearny, were flying on a private plane to Mexico for Aniston's big 50th birthday. Aniston recalled, "It was one of those things where on the takeoff, on the taxi, we heard an explosion." Aniston described the loud noise as sounding "like a pothole, if it was a car big enough to go over the Grand Canyon." Aniston said that everyone on the plane thought that the sound was "weird," but she was the only one who was actually scared because she has a "real fear of flying." Her longtime best friend Cox, on the other hand, wasn't afraid at all because her father was a pilot.

"We take off and, two hours in, the flight attendant comes over to me and she says, 'The pilots would like to talk to you.' And I turned to my best friend, Dre, and I said, 'Will you please go talk to the pilot? Because there's no way this is going to go talk to the pilot," explained Aniston to Kimmel. Aniston continued her story, saying, "And then ten minutes later she comes out and she says, 'Yeah, well, we've turned around, we're actually going back to California. They found some debris from a wheel on the runway, they think it's from our plane." Aniston said that, at that moment, her friends started to suddenly text their significant others and children, while she exclaimed, "What's going on?" Kimmel then shared that he had received one of those texts from his wife, Molly, who was on the plane.

Aniston shared, "This is the loving response that Molly got when she says, 'Jimmy, I love you and I love Jane and you've always been an incredible husband,'" as she pulled out her phone with a screenshot of Kimmel's text to his wife. Kimmel helped Aniston read the text, which read, "I just signed up for tinder but I PROMISE not to activate it until we know what's what," followed by a shirtless picture that Kimmel said would be his profile picture.

Story continues

Luckily, the ladies were able to land safely and eventually made it to Cabo, but it was definitely a scary moment for Aniston and her friends. Good thing they had someone like Kimmel to lighten the mood.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! for free on Yahoo View.

Check out Jill Bidens hilarious Air Force Two prank:

Read more from Yahoo! Entertainment:

Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyle's newsletter.
By Stephen Farrell

JERUSALEM, May 31 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Muslims attended prayers at al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem amid tight security on the last Friday of Ramadan, hearing a message of defiance against Israeli control of one of the most sensitive venues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Worshippers, including Palestinians and pilgrims from around the world, sheltered under umbrellas as volunteers sprayed them with water around Al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City compound known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Temple Mount.

Security at the site was heavy after an earlier stabbing attack in the city, in which two Israelis were injured and a Palestinian teenager suspected of carrying out the attack was killed by Israeli security forces.

Later on Friday Muslims celebrate Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of Power, on which they believe that the sacred text of the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad by Allah.

Israel captured the Old City and the rest of East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war, occupying and later annexing it.

Palestinians do not recognize Israels authority in East Jerusalem, which they want as the capital of a future Palestinian state that also includes the West Bank and Gaza. They are extremely sensitive to the presence of Israeli security forces in and around the Noble Sanctuary.

Palestinian Muslims in the West Bank and Jerusalem have not traditionally marked the annual "Quds (Jerusalem) Day" initiated by Iran in 1979 and which coincides with Ramadan's last Friday.

There was no mention of Quds Day by Ikrima Sabri, the preacher who delivered the Friday sermon. But he issued a message of defiance to the crowd, which religious officials estimated at 260,000.

"This is a message to all those who wish to take over Al-Aqsa Mosque and to the attackers and those who storm it: don't exhaust yourselves, you will never have control over one inch of Al-Aqsa, it is a red line," he said in a message apparently aimed at Israelis following recent tensions with security forces.

Story continues

But in Gaza, where the Islamist militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad are backed by Iran, Quds Day was commemorated.

On Thursday Yehya Al-Sinwar, Hamas's chief in Gaza, restated Hamas's opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump's forthcoming Mideast peace plan. The first stage of that plan is due to be an economic conference in Manama, Bahrain, where Trump officials will encourage Arab countries to invest in the Palestinian Territories.

"What audacity is Trump announcing? He wants to sell Jerusalem to the Zionist enemy, and he wants the Arabs to pay the price," Sinwar told a meeting north of Gaza City. "This deal will not pass as long as we are alive."

Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, addressed the meeting by video-link from Iran.

"Efforts to convene the Manama conference and the normalization attempts by some come in the course of the infamous conspiracy of the 'Deal of the Century' which will fail because of the resistance of the Palestinian people," Shamkhani, speaking in Arabic, told the audience.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed in 2014. Trump touts the peace plan as the "deal of the century," but the Palestinians have boycotted the Trump administration since it recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital, and they fear the plan will fall far short of their core demands. (Reporting by Stephen Farrell, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Editing by William Maclean)
By Stephen Farrell

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Muslims attended prayers at al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem amid tight security on the last Friday of Ramadan, hearing a message of defiance against Israeli control of one of the most sensitive venues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Worshippers, including Palestinians and pilgrims from around the world, sheltered under umbrellas as volunteers sprayed them with water around Al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City compound known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as Temple Mount.

Security at the site was heavy after an earlier stabbing attack in the city, in which two Israelis were injured and a Palestinian teenager suspected of carrying out the attack was killed by Israeli security forces.

Later on Friday Muslims celebrate Laylat al-Qadr, or Night of Power, on which they believe that the sacred text of the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Mohammad by Allah.

Israel captured the Old City and the rest of East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war, occupying and later annexing it.

Palestinians do not recognize Israels authority in East Jerusalem, which they want as the capital of a future Palestinian state that also includes the West Bank and Gaza. They are extremely sensitive to the presence of Israeli security forces in and around the Noble Sanctuary.

Palestinian Muslims in the West Bank and Jerusalem have not traditionally marked the annual "Quds (Jerusalem) Day" initiated by Iran in 1979 and which coincides with Ramadan's last Friday.

There was no mention of Quds Day by Ikrima Sabri, the preacher who delivered the Friday sermon. But he issued a message of defiance to the crowd, which religious officials estimated at 260,000.

"This is a message to all those who wish to take over Al-Aqsa Mosque and to the attackers and those who storm it: don't exhaust yourselves, you will never have control over one inch of Al-Aqsa, it is a red line," he said in a message apparently aimed at Israelis following recent tensions with security forces.

Story continues

But in Gaza, where the Islamist militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad are backed by Iran, Quds Day was commemorated.

On Thursday Yehya Al-Sinwar, Hamas's chief in Gaza, restated Hamas's opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump's forthcoming Mideast peace plan. The first stage of that plan is due to be an economic conference in Manama, Bahrain, where Trump officials will encourage Arab countries to invest in the Palestinian Territories.

"What audacity is Trump announcing? He wants to sell Jerusalem to the Zionist enemy, and he wants the Arabs to pay the price," Sinwar told a meeting north of Gaza City. "This deal will not pass as long as we are alive."

Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, addressed the meeting by video-link from Iran.

"Efforts to convene the Manama conference and the normalization attempts by some come in the course of the infamous conspiracy of the 'Deal of the Century' which will fail because of the resistance of the Palestinian people," Shamkhani, speaking in Arabic, told the audience.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed in 2014. Trump touts the peace plan as the "deal of the century", but the Palestinians have boycotted the Trump administration since it recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital, and they fear the plan will fall far short of their core demands.

(Reporting by Stephen Farrell, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Editing by William Maclean)
PIA to resume Beijing-Tokyo flights from today

KARACHI: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will resume its flight operation on the Beijing-Tokyo sector on Friday. The airline will now operate twice a week flights for the sector Islamabad-Beijing-Tokyo every Friday and Monday, the PIA said in a statement issued here on Thursday.



The Tokyo sector was suspended earlier this year in February due to passenger and cargo uplift limitations by Japan Civil Aviation Authority. Under the suspension, upon completion of required monthly passenger quota, the airline was not allowed to operate flights to Tokyo, thereby making it non-viable destination on commercial basis, it added.



However, PIAs CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik took up the matter with authorities concerned in Tokyo and after lengthy deliberations, the national flag carrier got additional access to uplift passengers and cargo for Tokyo.
Suspects arriving at the murder trial (AFP/Getty Images)

An alleged jihadi leader has admitted beheading a Scandinavian tourist in Morocco - but said he now regrets it.

Abdessamad Ejjoud, 25, told a court that his group killed Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and Norwegian Maren Ueland, 28, in the name of Islamic State.

The murders took place last December in Moroccos Atlas Mountains.

Ejjoud, a former street vendor who had previously spent two years in jail for terrorism-related charges, said his group were searching the mountains for tourists when they abucted the European pair.

Moroccans holds placards as people pay tribute to murdered Danish Louisa Vesterager Jespersen and Norwegian Maren Ueland in Rabat (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

It is claimed that two members of the group killed the women, while a third filmed the murders on his phone.

The horrific footage was soon posted online.

Footage of the beheading showed one of the killers telling the camera that the murder was payback for the the deaths of jihadis in Syria.

In the video, the attackers can be heard shouting "enemies of Allah" and "revenge for our brothers in Hajin, a town in eastern Syria.

The group also pledged their allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Another suspect being led into court. The trial continues (AFP/Getty Images)

Ejjoud though told the court that he now regrets his actions.

"I regret what happened and I am still trying to grasp it, he said. After failing to join the Islamic State, we decided to do jihad at home.

He, Rachid Afatti and Ouziad Younes have been charged in relation to the two Scandinavian students' deaths.

The Scandinavian women knew each other after attending the same university.

Their bodies were discovered by two French tourists on December 17.

Their remains were subsequently flown home and the murders prompted vigils in Morocco for the two victims.

---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
New documents on the Jussie Smollett case show that prosecutors told Chicago police detectives that a possible deal with the actor was in the works a month before charges against him were dropped.

Smollett was charged in March with 16 counts alleging he lied to police when reporting he'd been the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in January. Police contend the black and openly gay actor allegedly staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity.

Prosecutors dropped charges on 26 March without Smollett admitting guilt. Then Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson expressed outrage over the prosecutors' decision. Smollett has maintained his innocence.

The approximately 460 pages of new documents show that detectives investigating Smollett's allegations were told by Cook County prosecutors a deal with the Empire actor could include a $10,000 fine and community service. The detectives did not pass the information to superiors.

"They didn't pass it on because they didn't know it (the case) was going to be handled the way it was," said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

In the documents released on Thursday, detectives note the Chicago Police Department was informed by the Cook County State's Attorney's office on 28 February that they could no longer investigate the crime. Smollett was indicted on 7 March. The lead investigators in the case met with Assistant State's Attorney Risa Lanier, who informed detectives "that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the city of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service".

The detectives closed the case at that point because an arrest was made and the alleged offender was being prosecuted, according to Guglielmi.

It was the attorneys for Smollett who announced charges alleging he lied to police about attack had been dropped. At the time, Johnson said he learned of the deal prosecutors made with Smollett when the deal was announced by lawyers, adding he didn't think justice was being served. However, he didn't directly criticise prosecutors.

Story continues

"My job as a police officer is to investigate an incident, gather evidence, gather the facts and present them to the state's attorney," Johnson said. "That's what we did. I stand behind the detectives' investigation."

The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association said the dismissal of the charges was "an affront to prosecutors across the state" as well as police, victims of hate crimes and the county as a whole.

The city of Chicago is seeking $130,000 from Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating. The city claims about two dozen detectives and officers investigated the entertainer's report that he was attacked, resulting in a "substantial number of overtime hours."

Additional reporting by agencies
For artist and designer Jaime Hayon, collaborating with Danish furniture company Fritz Hansen is a lot like a marriage.

Like any good relationship, Hayon says, his partnership with the company is built upon mutual respect, trust, and healthy oppositionsomething thats kept them working together for the past 10 years. Now, eight furniture launches later (not counting accessories), Fritz Hansen is introducing its latest collaboration with the designer: a novel take on the classic Danish lounge chair. So just how, exactly, does a one-off sofa collaboration blossom into a successful decade-long partnership?

Photo courtesy Fritz Hansen

While the company, known for manufacturing midcentury icons like Arne Jacobsens Egg and Swan chairs, has a long history of teaming up with designers, Hayon is the first to admit that he wasnt the obvious guy for the role when it approached him in 2009. The Spanish designer didnt feel that his vivid, colorful workwhich can range from whimsical to opulentaligned with what Fritz Hansen was doing at the time. But the company made it clear it was open to changes in design direction. Fritz Hansen can be difficult to work with; [our legacy] can sometimes scare designers into doing the same thing or what they think we want, says Christian Andresen, head of design at the company. We tell all the designers that they dont work for us, they work with us.

Hayons first collaboration with the company was the 2011 Favn, a cocoon-like sofa thats all curved lines. He says that despite his hesitation, balancing his aesthetic with the furniture companys vision came naturally. Fritz Hansen used to make pieces with beautiful shapes and sculptural strength, says Hayon, so Favn was a great opportunity to combine their DNA, the femininity, and the delicate colors that I like so that we shared the same language.

Story continues

JaimeHayonFritzHansen6.jpg Photos courtesy Fritz Hansen

JaimeHayonFritzHansen7.jpg

Of course, this doesnt mean that the design process, which Hayon calls very Danish, was easy. The company approaches designers with a brief outlining either a specific product or a concept thats more open to interpretation. (After years of working together, though, Hayon will now sometimes call Andresen up with ideas and send over sketches unprompted.) The brief is followed by discussions, a design phase, models and working prototypes, and, eventually, final production. The meticulous process takes 14 to 16 months from start to finish. Andresen adds that the companys five-person design team has a hand in almost every detail of the product. Its a bit like Apple, Hayon explains. Fritz Hansen wants it to be one product and to be rightto be the version that will last for the next 100 years.

JaimeHayonFritzHansen5.jpg Photo courtesy Fritz Hansen

Hayon has adjusted his design approach accordingly. Being Spanish, he says, hes more inclined to occasionally take unexpected creative risks and make last-minute tweaks and updates to final designs. But that doesn't fit with Danish design, he says. My process changed; it became more secure, more sure, in order to help demonstrate what Im able to do and be trusted with it.

That trust was tested in Hayons second collaboration with the company, when he suggested creating an upholstered lounge chair. Thats like touching the cross at a church, because their biggest iconic piece is the Egg chair, Hayon says, laughing. When I proposed it, everyone looked at me going, An upholstered chair? Weve got the upholstered chair.

Hayon insisted that the Egg was too expensive, that it wasnt comfortable enough, that they could make it better while not re-creating the same thing. I thought it was a very delicate thing to touch, therefore it was the most interesting thing, he says. The 2013 Ro chair ended up becoming one of the companys best-selling collaborations with the designer.

JaimeHayonFritzHansen3.jpg Photos courtesy Fritz Hansen

JaimeHayonFritzHansen4.jpg

The pairs most recent collaboration, the JH97 lounge chair, presented a new challenge: to put a modern spin on a traditional wood-framed lounge chair, a staple of Danish design. When Hayon expressed hesitation at the idea of working with timber, Andresen convinced him that he had it in him. Part of the partnership is believing in the person too, explains Andresen.

Though the chairs first prototypes werent as expressive or sculptural as Hayon, a self-proclaimed perfectionist, liked, he admits hes happy with the final product, which took a year and a half to get right. The story was told properly, and the quality and price fit with the expression that I wanted it to have, he says.

Ultimately, the success of Hayons sustained collaboration with the company boils down to its considered approach to design. The Danish consider design a key point of life, and theyre not afraid at all to try things, make mistakes, go back, and make it better, he says. The designer returns to the marriage metaphor: Its like having a husband or wife whos challenging you all the timeFritz Hansen will always try to challenge you to do something you havent done, make you touch ground thats not comfortable. Thats why I come back.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
By Mayank Bhardwaj

NEW DELHI, May 31 (Reuters) - A tatty shopping center originally built to house refugees in the heart of New Delhi has become a handy symbol for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his supporters to rub salt in the wounds of their opponents, who just got a drubbing in India's general election.

In the final days of his campaigning in the election, which his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won by a landslide for the second consecutive term, Modi used the jibe "Khan Market gang" to mock his political adversaries and India's English speaking elite.

It is reminiscent of the way Britains Labour Party leadership got dubbed "champagne socialists" a few years back and the Islington area of London got pejoratively tagged as their home.

On a global scale it is another step in the populist march against elitism that has brought the world Donald Trump, Brexit, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Modi himself in India.

Khan Market, a U-shaped, double-story complex set amid the bungalows and apartments reserved for lawmakers and senior government officials, is an easy target.

Its restaurants serve mainly foreign food, even everyday products in the grocery stores are much more expensive than other parts of the city, and the big luxury brand names have been increasingly moving in.

It is mostly frequented by New Delhi's politicians, lawyers, top civil servants and journalists  all the ingredients for a gossiping, plotting, whispering and tweeting elite.

According to realtors, Khan Market is possibly the most expensive retail location in India per square foot despite its uneven paving stones, mass of overhead cables, and narrow staircases and entrances that would terrify any fire consultant.

DERISIVE REFERENCES

Modi, who rarely forgets to remind people of his humble beginnings as the son of a tea seller in his home state of Gujarat, said in an interview to the Indian Express newspaper earlier this month: "Modi's image has not been created by the Khan Market gang, or Lutyens Delhi, but 45 years of his toil. . . good or bad. You cannot dismantle it."

Story continues

British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens built the capital city of New Delhi in 1912. Modi and other BJP leaders often use the expression Lutyens Delhi, where Khan Market is located, to derisively refer to the entitled.

In the Indian Express interview, Modi, who referred to himself in the third person, used the "Khan Market gang" jibe six times.

And taking a cue from Modi, his followers and colleagues in the BJP have latched on to the theme by using the tag to deride opposition leaders, intellectuals and left-leaning liberals.

Some BJP followers even came to Khan Market to celebrate Modi's win last week because, as one put it in a tweet, nothing would upset the liberals more.

"The Khan Market cannot be a preserve of a certain set of people," said Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, a spokesman for the BJP. "It's going to be a favorite hangout for us too."

RICH HISTORY

The Indian government named the market after Abdul Jabbar Khan, the brother of Pakistan's Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a close friend of India's freedom struggle hero "Mahatma" Gandhi who was known as the "Frontier Gandhi."

Khan was honored because of his role in ensuring safe passage for millions of Hindus fleeing sectarian violence after independence and the bloody 1947 partition of the sub-continent into India and Pakistan, said Sanjeev Mehra, president of the Khan Market Traders' Association.

The original owners of the roughly 70 Khan Market shops, who would live in apartments upstairs, were refugees who fled to Delhi from areas now in Pakistan.

Mamta Bamhi, the proprietress of Faqir Chand and Sons, a popular bookstore, said that her family is one of only four of the original owners left since most of the others have cashed in on sky-high real estate prices.

Now, shops and restaurants are housed on both the floors of the old, white building. Many have added third stories.

Most shop owners in the market said that they don't believe Modi's jibe was aimed at them or at the majority of their patrons.

"It was only meant for a small section of people who come here to have coffee and indulge in all sorts of endless political gossip," said Anuj Bahri Malhotra, owner of Bahrisons, a landmark bookstore in front of the market's main entrance.

All the traders and many patrons agree on one thing, a proposal from a little-known BJP politician to rename the market after a Hindu saint has gone a step too far.

"This place is pretty rich in history and most shop owners have worked hard to create a name for the market," said Mehra of the traders' association. "By issuing just one order to change the name, the very essence of the place will cease to exist." (Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj Editing by Martin Howell and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use Alliance Data Systems Corporation's (NYSE:ADS) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Based on the last twelve months, Alliance Data Systems's P/E ratio is 7.95. That means that at current prices, buyers pay $7.95 for every $1 in trailing yearly profits.

View our latest analysis for Alliance Data Systems

How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Alliance Data Systems:

P/E of 7.95 = $140.65  $17.7 (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2019.)

Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good?

A higher P/E ratio means that investors are paying a higher price for each $1 of company earnings. All else being equal, it's better to pay a low price -- but as Warren Buffett said, 'It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.'

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

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. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.

Alliance Data Systems increased earnings per share by an impressive 20% over the last twelve months. And earnings per share have improved by 12% annually, over the last five years. With that performance, you might expect an above average P/E ratio.

Does Alliance Data Systems Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry?

One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. If you look at the image below, you can see Alliance Data Systems has a lower P/E than the average (32.9) in the it industry classification.

Story continues

NYSE:ADS Price Estimation Relative to Market, May 31st 2019

Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that Alliance Data Systems shareholders think it will struggle to do as well as other companies in its industry classification. Since the market seems unimpressed with Alliance Data Systems, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.

A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank

One drawback of using a P/E ratio is that it considers market capitalization, but not the balance sheet. In other words, it does not consider any debt or cash that the company may have on the balance sheet. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores.

Is Debt Impacting Alliance Data Systems's P/E?

Alliance Data Systems's net debt is considerable, at 279% of its market cap. This is a relatively high level of debt, so the stock probably deserves a relatively low P/E ratio. Keep that in mind when comparing it to other companies.

The Verdict On Alliance Data Systems's P/E Ratio

Alliance Data Systems has a P/E of 7.9. That's below the average in the US market, which is 17.2. While the EPS growth last year was strong, the significant debt levels reduce the number of options available to management. If it continues to grow, then the current low P/E may prove to be unjustified.

When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If the reality for a company is not as bad as the P/E ratio indicates, then the share price should increase as the market realizes this. So this free visualization of the analyst consensus on future earnings could help you make the right decision about whether to buy, sell, or hold.

But note: Alliance Data Systems may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20).

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
PRISTINA (Reuters) - The Kosovo government said on Friday that a Russian national working for the U.N. mission would not be allowed back into the country after his expulsion, drawing a rebuke from Moscow.

It said the UN staffer, Mikhail Krasnoshchenkov, had been declared persona non grata. The U.N. mission, UNMIK, said on Thursday the Russian had sustained injuries when he was arrested during a police anti-crime operation in Kosovo and was now in a Belgrade hospital.

The expulsion has added further strains to the difficult relationship between Kosovo and Serbia, which used to rule Kosovo. The small state, which has an ethnic Albanian majority and Serb minority, declared independence in 2008. A decade earlier NATO air strikes had wrested control of Kosovo away from Serbia to end a Serb counter-insurgency campaign.

On Tuesday, Kosovo police arrested 19 police officers, 11 of whom were Serbs. They were accused of smuggling and other illegal activities in the volatile north of the country.

Belgrade, which says the operation was a show of force against Serbs, has put its police and army units on highest alert in response.

During a police operation in Kosovo, a Russian national and a local UN colleague , both employed in the United Nations mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) office, had been detained shortly and later released. The Kremlin called the arrest of the Russian national a "flagrant incident".

The Russian foreign ministry said the man was beaten during his arrest by the Kosovo special forces and that he is currently being treated in a Belgrade hospital.

"We consider the actions of the Kosovo authorities as the continuation of a blatant policy aimed at the exasperation of inter-ethnic relations in the region (and) contempt for international norms of diplomatic communication," the ministry said in a statement.

Police said the two UN employees had been arrested for standing on a barricade set up by local Serbs to stop police vehicles from passing.

Story continues

"The decision was taken today. This person who works as an international staff for the United Nations ... was ordered to leave the territory of the republic of Kosovo," Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj wrote on his Facebook page.

"The decision was taken because of the actions of the Russian national against Kosovo's constitutional order..." he wrote.

The UN mission was set up to run Kosovo following the end of the 1998-99 war but, but it lost executive mandate when Kosovo declared independence in 2008.

(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci, additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow; Editing by Stephen Powell)
Ppl supporting govt as it has undertaken reforms: Firdous Ashiq

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to PM on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Thursday said that people of Pakistan would hold corrupt elements accountable for their involvement in money laundering and transactions through fake bank accounts.



Speaking at a press conference along with Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, she said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was a hurdle in the way of corruption of the parties which were only serving each others interests.



She said that the government was not concerned about the call of opposition parties for protest after Eid. People are supporting the government as it has undertaken reforms which are beneficial for everybody, she added.



She said Prime Minister Imran Khan had protected rights of Pakistan. Last night, 320 Pakistani prisoners held in Malaysia returned to the country due to efforts of the government. Prime Minister Imran Khan is a friend of the poor people and feels their pain, she said, adding the detainees joined their families which was a gift for them on the occasion of Eidul Fitr.



The special assistant said the exports of the country could not grow to the desired level as trade had slowed down in the world by three percent.



She said the government was working to revive the manufacturing sector and would extend support to all the export oriented industries. Explaining the reasons for low tax collection, she said the number of industrial connections were 3.1 million, while those who paid General Sales Tax were only 40,000.



She said the government was aware of the anxiety among media workers and cheques were being prepared to clear dues of media houses in tranches, which would be bound to pay the salaries to their employees.



She said she met Punjab chief minister and discussed the issue of non-payment of salaries to media workers.



Dr Firdous said leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-N went to meet their leader Nawaz Sharif in jail and spent their time in reciting poetry and making jokes.



People will not be hoodwinked by prisoners, she said, adding PML-N leaders had attacked Supreme Court of Pakistan and issued directions to judges. Their leaders Talal Chaudhry and Nihal were involved in contempt of court, she said.



She said institutions should be respected. PML-N respected institutions according to its wishes, she said.



Talking to reporters, Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said that 313 Pakistani products would be declared duty-free by China.



There has been a lot of talk about our exports suffering. People question us about our exports. I would like to clear the air on our exports. We must take a look at the global trade, global trade has suffered a 3 percent decline due to the US-China trade war. Due to global trade decline, our primary target markets have reduced prices on the products we are importing, prices have been reduced up to 7.2%, he said.



Dawood said that there was no significant change in the export figures from last year. Where global trade has suffered a 3% deficit, Pakistan has maintained its export figures. This is a positive indication, a reasonably good performance, he said.



Our imports have decreased by $4 billion, which is an indicator that Pakistan is moving towards self reliance and our trade gap is closing.



The commerce advisor expressed the hope that the upcoming year would yield even better trade results for the country if market access was provided to the businessmen.



Shedding light on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, Dawood said that they had added an additional clause to the agreement empowering Pakistan to reserve the right that if Pakistans industry suffered due to China, then Pakistan could take safeguard measures which consisted of short and long-term measures.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on President Donald Trump's announcement on new tariffs for Mexican imports in response to heavy flow of migrants (all times local):

11:15 p.m.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says his foreign relations secretary will lead a delegation to seek a peaceful and negotiated solution to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose stiff tariffs on goods from Mexico if the country doesn't do more to slow irregular migration.

Lopez Obrador said late Thursday in a public letter addressed to Trump that "social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures," and alluded to the United States' history as a nation of immigrants: "The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol."

Lopez Obrador wrote that Mexico is doing its part to avoid migration through its territory as much as possible, without violating human rights.

The Mexican leader also urged Trump to "please, remember that I do not lack valor, that I am not a coward nor timorous but rather act according to principles."

___

10:15 p.m.

The Republican head of a key Senate committee says that President Donald Trump's proposal to use new tariffs on Mexican goods to pressure Mexico to slow the flow of migrants to the border is a flawed strategy.

U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa said late Thursday: "Trade policy and border security are separate issues."

Grassley, whose committee would deal with a proposed trade agreement involving Mexico, said: "This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent." He said the proposal "would seriously jeopardize passage" of a new trade deal involving Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.

He urged the president to consider other options.

___

9:20 p.m.

The Mexican undersecretary for North America is calling new tariffs on Mexican goods announced by U.S. President Donald Trump a matter that is "most serious."

Story continues

Jesus Seade (say-AH'-day), the trade negotiator for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrader, said Thursday in a news conference that if the tariffs come to pass, "we should respond in a forceful way." But he said right now that it is important to find out whether these tariffs are "really on the table."

He says if Trump is serious, the move is bad for "two countries that are trying to arrive at a marvelous free trade treaty, the best in history, according to President Trump."

Seade lobbied for first finding find out "what is being talked about here."

___

7:45 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he is slapping a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.

The tariff is effective June 10. The president says the percentage will gradually increase "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

Trump made the announcement by tweet after telling reporters earlier Thursday that he was planning "a major statement" that would be his "biggest" so far on the border.

Trump has accused the Mexican government of failing to do enough to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants who have been flowing to the U.S in search of asylum from countries including El Salvador, Honduras and Gautama.

It's unclear how this will impact the new United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal.
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  The Latest on rescue efforts following the capsizing of a boat in Budapest (all times local):

10 p.m.

Hungary's interior ministry says experts believe a "unique" method is needed to salvage the sunken tour boat from the Danube River, or rescue any bodies trapped inside.

The ministry said Friday that the adverse conditions, including zero visibility underwater and the fast-flowing river's rising water level, don't allow for the use of any traditional methods.

Divers have been unable to even approach the wreckage of the 27-meter-long (88.5-foot-long) Hableany (Mermaid), which sits in over 6 meters (20 feet) of water, near Hungary's neo-Gothic Parliament building.

The ministry said 60 engineers, bridge builders and others are experimenting with theoretical models and test dives to find a solution.

Of the 35 people on board, mostly South Korean tourists, 21 are still missing after Wednesday's collision with a cruise ship. Seven people have been confirmed dead and there are seven survivors.

___

7:40 p.m.

Hungarian prosecutors say they have asked a Budapest court to arrest the captain of a river cruise ship that collided with a smaller tour boat carrying South Korean tourists.

Only seven of the 35 people onboard  33 South Koreans and a two-man Hungarian crew  are known to have survived Wednesday night's collision on the Danube River.

The Ukrainian captain of the cruise ship was detained by police on Thursday, but prosecutors said Friday that arresting the 64-year-old man is the only way to ensure his presence during the proceedings.

Prosecutors said an investigative judge at the Capital City Court is expected to make a decision about the arrest on Saturday.

___

2: 10 p.m.

South Korea's foreign minister says an investigation into the collision that sank a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists includes studying all communication records seized from a cruise ship that was involved in the accident.

Story continues

Kang Kyung-wha said Friday at a joint news conference with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto that a South Korean rescue team will soon join the search for the 21 still missing after Wednesday's collision on the Danube River.

Kang says "we shared our firm resolve not to abandon" the search for survivors.

The captain of the cruise ship has been detained. There are seven confirmed dead. Seven others have survived.

___

1 p.m.

The South Korean foreign minister says the cruise ship that collided with a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists, causing it to sink quickly in the Danube River, has been released and is on its way to Germany.

The captain of the cruise ship has been detained. He is a Ukrainian national suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident. There are seven confirmed dead and 21 more people missing. Seven others have survived.

Kang Kyung-wha, the South Korean foreign minister, said Friday at a joint press conference with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto that the owner of ship has promised to fully cooperate with the investigation into the Wednesday evening collision.

Kang said, "we have seen the footage of a larger vessel ramming into a small boat in bad weather, causing the boat to sink." She added that "if the investigation finds the ship's owner responsible, there will be a thorough legal response over its fault."

___

12:20 p.m.

Hungary's foreign minister says underwater visibility at the site in the Danube River where the sunken tour boat is located is "practically zero," complicating efforts to salvage the wreck.

Peter Szijjarto said Friday after meeting his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, that the wreckage is more than 6 meters (20 feet) under water, with the Danube expected to keep rising because of rainfall.

Twenty-one people, including 19 South Koreans, are still missing after Wednesday's collision. Seven people were rescued and seven are confirmed dead.

Szijjarto and Kang visited the site of the mishap, near the Hungarian parliament, before holding talks at the Foreign Ministry.

One of the bodies recovered was found nearly 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) downstream, nearly 2- hours after the collision.

___

9 a.m.

Hungarian police have detained the captain of a cruise ship that collided with a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists, causing it to sink quickly in the Danube River.

That development came as loved ones of the South Korean people who are missing and dead were expected to arrive Friday in Budapest.

Seven people are confirmed dead and seven have been rescued, while 21 people remain missing in the waters.

A South Korean group on a package tour of Europe  including 30 tourists, two guides and a photographer were on an hour-long sightseeing tour of Budapest when their boat collided with a Viking cruise ship during a downpour Wednesday evening.

Nineteen South Koreans and two Hungarian crew members  the captain and his assistant  remain missing.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Laurentian Bank of Canada (TSE:LB).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market.

We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year.'

See our latest analysis for Laurentian Bank of Canada

Laurentian Bank of Canada Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by William Mason for CA$212k worth of shares, at about CA$42.50 per share. That implies that an insider found the current price of CA$42.83 per share to be enticing. 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. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. The good news for Laurentian Bank of Canada share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.

Over the last year, we can see that insiders have bought 8900 shares worth CA$374k. In the last twelve months Laurentian Bank of Canada insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

Story continues

TSX:LB Recent Insider Trading, May 31st 2019

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insider Ownership

I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. From looking at our data, insiders own CA$2.8m worth of Laurentian Bank of Canada stock, about 0.2% of the company. I generally like to see higher levels of ownership.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Laurentian Bank of Canada Tell Us?

The fact that there have been no Laurentian Bank of Canada insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think Laurentian Bank of Canada insiders are doubting the company. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Laurentian Bank of Canada, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

Of course Laurentian Bank of Canada may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  The Navy's tracking of emails to lawyers defending a SEAL accused of murder may have intruded on attorney-client privilege but wasn't severe enough to throw out the case, a military prosecutor argued in court Friday.

Lt. Scott McDonald said the effort only gathered data, such as internet protocol addresses, and did not snoop on the content of emails.

"Even if there was some intrusion" in violation of attorney client-privilege, it didn't rise to the level to dismiss the case, McDonald said.

Lawyers for Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher called the effort spying and said it amounted to prosecutorial misconduct. They have asked a judge to throw out the case or remove the prosecutors.

The judge did not rule on the motions at the close of the two-day hearing. Capt. Aaron Rugh recessed the case until June 10 when Gallagher faces trial on murder and attempted murder charges.

Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of an injured teenage militant in Iraq in 2017 and attempted murder for allegedly picking off civilians from a sniper's perch.

On Thursday, Rugh unexpectedly released Gallagher from custody as a remedy to what he called interference by prosecutors.

Rugh chided investigators Friday for refusing to testify about who authorized the scheme to track emails sent to the defense team and a journalist with the Navy Times. Three witnesses from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service declined to take the stand.

The "lack of candor or cooperation in this process I think could be huge as a sign of culpability," Rugh said.

Defense lawyer Tim Parlatore said there had been misconduct from the start of the investigation into Gallagher and it continued throughout the case. He said that even if a new prosecution team is named, Gallagher can't get a fair trial.

The defense discovered the tracking code hidden in a suspicious logo of an American flag with a bald eagle perched on the scales of justice beneath the signature of lead prosecutor Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak.

Story continues

They said the tactic was an illegal search that wasn't properly authorized. Rugh said he had not approved of the measure.

McDonald argued that the email tracking wasn't an illegal search because there's no expectation of privacy for internet protocol addresses and metadata and no need for a warrant.

"We're talking about raw data," he said.

___

Melley reported from Los Angeles.
At least eleven people are dead after a lone gunman fired indiscriminately into a crowd gathered at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, chief of police Jim Cervera announced Friday evening.

The suspect, who is believed to be a disgruntled longtime public employee, was killed in a shoot out with police just after 4p.m. One police officer was also shot but his life was saved by his bulletproof vest, Cervera said.

At least six victims have reportedly been transported to area hospitals and one victim has been taken to a level one trauma center.

FBI officials have confirmed they are aiding the Virginia state police and Virginia Beach police in their investigation.

Governor Ralph Northam said he has spoken to Cervera and mayor Bobby Dyer and his team continues to monitor the situation.

This is a tragic day for Virginia Beach and our entire Commonwealth. My heart breaks for the victims of this devastating shooting, their families, and all who loved them. I am on my way to Virginia Beach now and will be there within the hour.  Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) May 31, 2019

Virginia attorney general Justin Fairfax and Democratic senator Mark Warner also voiced their concern.

Thank you to our law enforcement & other first responders in Virginia Beach for your heroic actions regarding todays Active Shooter Incident. We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide any support you need. We are also praying for the victims and their families. https://t.co/bKpK9ECJQd  Justin Fairfax (@LGJustinFairfax) May 31, 2019

I am closely monitoring the situation in Virginia Beach. Praying for all involved as we learn more.  Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) May 31, 2019

More from National Review
BEIRUT (AP)  Lebanon's Hezbollah leader rejected late Friday what he called U.S. conditions for mediating a border and maritime dispute with Israel.

Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech that Washington is "using the talks" to discuss, and even make threats over, degrading his group's capabilities, bringing up an Israeli claim that Hezbollah has precision missile factories.

Nasrallah, appearing on a large screen to a crowd of supporters in the southern Beirut Dahiye district, acknowledged his group has the weapons but denied it produces them.

"So far in Lebanon there are no factories for precision missiles," he said.

He threatened for the first time, however, that Hezbollah could consider setting up such factories if Washington continues to use the talks on border demarcation to discuss his group's capabilities.

He said it is Lebanon's right to defend itself. "The Americans have no business with this. It is our right to have weapons to defend our countries and it is our right to manufacture any weapons."

A U.S. official has been shuttling between Israel and Lebanon, technically still at war, to settle the dispute. Washington considers Hezbollah a terrorist group.

Lebanon's foreign ministry said earlier this week that it and Israel are close to establishing a framework for negotiations under United Nations auspices and overseen by Washington on demarcating the borders. The demarcation is essential for Lebanon to access oil and gas resources.

Israel said it's willing to engage in the U.S.-mediated talks.

Israel and Lebanon each claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of sea as within their own exclusive economic zones.

Nasrallah said he is supportive of the Lebanese government's positions in the talks.

"My problem is allowing such discussion (of Hezbollah's capabilities)" he said. "This door must be closed."
TULSA, Oklahoma  The swollen Arkansas River ripped through a 40-foot section of a levee about 75 miles northwest of Little Rock, Arkansas, early Friday morning, prompting flash-flood warnings and evacuations in rural areas around Dardanelle and Holla Bend.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning in the area, warning that some 5,700 people, four schools and a hospital were potentially exposed to the flooding. The NWS urged people to move to higher ground.

Water is going to do what it wants to do, Yell County Judge Mark Thone told reporters at a news conference. Were just trying to head this off.

Jimmy Witt, mayor of Dardanelle, called on the 4,500 residents of his town to begin immediate sandbagging operations. He said he expected water to encroach the town "from the bayou side."

"I ask you to please not panic, we have time to prepare for this," Witt said on his Facebook page.

The weather service noted a slight dip in the water level for the levee at Dardanelle, likely due to the breach.

Flood waters surround homes, May 30, 2019 in Fort Smith, Ark. The Arkansas River held steady at record levels Thursday, putting enormous pressure on aging levees and offering little relief to areas enduring historic flooding.

"An historic flood event is expected along the Arkansas River in the coming days," warned the weather service in Little Rock. "Some long-time record crests could be surpassed by five feet above the record set in 1945."

This is the same river that's flooded hundreds of homes in the Tulsa area, and the high water is rolling downstream as the Arkansas River makes its way to its confluence with the Mississippi River and then down into the Gulf of Mexico. Authorities say flooding danger will rise through at least the weekend along the river.

Arkansas authorities urged residents to evacuate the area, which is largely rural with dirt roads crisscrossing farm fields.

Drone footage published by the Yell County Sheriff's Department showed the muddy water streaming through the dirt levee, surrounding several buildings with several feet of water. Yell County officials had anticipated the breakthrough and urged residents in about 160 homes in the nearby Holla Bend area to evacuate Thursday.

Story continues

Emergency management officials say crews were going door-to-door to recommend evacuation for about 160 homes.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, along with several federal lawmakers, surveyed the inundated area by air on Thursday and said more than 500 homes have been affected by flooding.

"As I flew over today, the most significant impression I had is that it's hard to imagine the magnitude of the flooding," Hutchinson told reporters in Fort Smith. "It is hard to comprehend. We have never seen this before, and we have never had to deal with this before."

At least one person, a 64-year-old man, has died in the flooding. He died on Tuesday after apparently ignoring a barricade at roadway near Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. His body was found in a submerged vehicle.

The Arkansas River began rising sharply after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released water from a swollen lake near Tulsa that had risen sharply due to heavy rains in Oklahoma and Kansas.

In Tulsa, authorities say the lowering water levels may reveal damage to the levees, which have been soaked for days. On Friday, they announced a 20-foot-deep sinkhole had opened beneath a street.

Weather service officials have said flooding will continue along the river as water crests on its way downstream over the next week toward the Mississippi River.

Earlier this year, about two dozen levee systems were breached or overtopped during Missouri River flooding that devastated parts of Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arkansas River bursts through levee north of Little Rock, triggering evacuations
The next PM? Liberal Democrat's Jo Swinson who launched her leadership campaign today as the party tops an opinion poll (Photo by WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto)

The Lib Dems are now the most popular party in the country, according to an extraordinary new opinion poll.

The traditional third largest party would win a general election if it was held now, YouGov research showed.

The Lib Dems, which backs Britain staying in the EU, are polling at 24%, the largest of any party.

Nigel Farages newly-established Brexit Party are second on 22%, showing how the issue of the European Union continues to split the country.

It is only the second time that a YouGov poll has not had Conservatives or Labour in first place.

They both polled 19%.

The Greens are also showing a surge in support nationally, with eight percent.

The Lib Dem surge, reflecting their good showing at last weeks European elections, comes as it prepares for a leadership election.

Deputy leader Jo Swinson has said she will stand to replace Vince Cable, who announced he was quitting earlier this year.

She launched her campaign today and is the bookies favourite. Ms Swinson has promised to lead a movement that will tackle nationalism and populism.

She will be challenged by Sir Ed Davey (right) (Photo by Isabel Infantes / AFP)

She will be be challenged by former Cabinet minister, Sir Ed Davey. The new leader will be in place by July 23.

Speaking on Question Time on Thursday, the East Dunbartonshire MP said: I happen to think that this country is crying out for a liberal movement that will challenge the forces of nationalism and populism, and the Liberal Democrats need to be at the heart of that movement and Im the person to lead it.

However, despite the good poll showing, YouGovs Chris Curtis cautioned against the Lib Dems getting too carried away.

Nigel Farage's Brexit Party are now the second most popular party, according to the poll (Photo by Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

He said: The Cleggmania of 2010 faded fast, with the party falling back in the final weeks of the campaign and ending up with just 1% more of the vote than they had won five years prior.

Story continues

Ms Swinsons rival for the leadership launched his campaign with a plan to call on the Queen to stop a no-deal Brexit.

Sir Ed said he would propose a cross-party humble address to Her Majesty, requiring the Prime Minister to revoke Article 50 if we got to the cliff edge.

If approved, humble addresses are considered to be binding on the House.

 YouGov surveyed 1,736 British adults on May 28-29.

--Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
Suncheon (South Korea) (AFP) - When the tune of "Twinkle twinkle little star" plays in her South Korean classroom octogenarian pupil Nam Yang-soon sings along with classmates more than 70 years her junior.

With South Korea's population ageing rapidly and families migrating from the countryside to the cities for decades, rural primary schools are facing falling pupil numbers.

Now some are targeting the opposite end of the age spectrum and recruiting elderly illiterate grandmothers -- who were denied education on gender grounds during their own childhoods -- to stave off the threat of closure and teach them to read and write.

"I have often felt like others looked down on me because of my illiteracy," Nam, who at 84 is the oldest of three grandmothers in second grade at Woldeung Elementary School, told AFP.

Her favourite subject is mathematics. "It is so much fun adding and subtracting numbers," she chuckled, adding: "I want to be in school as long as my health allows me."

Korea has been a patriarchal society for centuries, with a long-ingrained preference for sons over daughters -- obstetricians in the South are still banned from telling parents the sex of a foetus.

Even as late as the 1960s, some South Korean girls did not to go to school, especially in the countryside.

"My grandfather insisted girls like me had no use for education, said Park Young-ae, 70, one of Nam's classmates at the school in Suncheon, in the southeast corner of the country.

"I always regretted I couldn't set foot in school as a young girl," she said.

Now she is enjoying the "best moments" of her life with four young classmates, she added, whether its taking spelling tests or singing songs together.

Eight-year-old fellow pupil Kim Seung-hyun addresses his ageing friends with the honorific terms that Korean requires for elders, but hopes they will continue all the way through sixth grade, when primary school finishes in the South, and on to middle school with him.

Story continues

"I think I would be sad if they stopped coming to school," he said.

- Ticking time bomb -

Each morning the women walk between the fields of South Jeolla province, a rural backwater that is the South's ricebasket, to the school 320 kilometres (200 miles) from Seoul.

As the South industrialised in the decades following the Korean War vast numbers of people moved from the countryside to the growing cities in search of employment, prosperity, and a piece of the Miracle on the Han, as the country's rise to become the world's 11th-largest economy is known.

The trend continues to this day -- the number of people in farming families fell by nearly 70 percent in the 30 years to 2018, figures from Statistics Korea show.

At the same time South Korea is facing a demographic crisis with young people choosing not to reproduce in an ultra-competitive society with a stagnant job market.

The fertility rate -- the number of children a woman will have in her lifetime -- dropped to less than one last year, one of the lowest figures in the world, down from 4.53 in 1970.

Currently 51 million, the population is projected to fall to 39 million in 2067, when the median age will be 62.

"South Korea is experiencing an ageing process at an unprecedented pace," said Cho Sung-ho of the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, adding it was "struggling to adapt to the declining trend".

Woldeung Elementary School typifies the phenomenon. At its peak in 1968, it had 1,200 pupils. Now just 29 children attend.

Last year it faced having to combine its first- and second- year classes because of the lack of numbers, so offered places to local residents who had not previously gone to school.

The grandmothers' much younger teacher Choi Young-sun, 43, says she was "very nervous" about their presence at first, but they have proved a positive influence.

"I have observed my students behave in a much more mature and respectful manner than other children of their age," she said.

At least three other schools in South Jeolla are known to have recruited grandmothers, but a provincial official declined to say how many had done so altogether, or how many grandmothers had enrolled.

"We have withheld the information because we think it is sensitive," she said, "especially as we don't have countermeasures to the falling number of students in rural areas".
Senior retired army officer given death penaltyy: ISPR

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday endorsed the sentences of two retired senior army officers and a civilian on charges of espionage, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press statement.



According to the militarys media wing, Lieutenant General (r) Javed Iqbal, Brigadier (r) Raja Rizwan and Dr Wasim Akram, an employee at a sensitive organisation, were convicted of espionage activities and leaking sensitive information to foreign spy agencies. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa endorsed punishment to two senior retired army officers and one civil officer on the charges of espionage/ leakage of sensitive information to foreign agencies prejudice to the national security, the ISPR statement said.



The officers were tried under Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and Official Secret Act by separate Field General Court Martial (FGCM) for separate cases, the ISPR said.



The following details, quoted verbatim, list the names of the three individuals and the punishment accorded to them:





Retired Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal  awarded 14 years rigorous imprisonment



Retired Brigadier Raja Rizwan  awarded death sentence



Doctor Wasim Akram (employed at a sensitive organisation)  awarded death sentence



The ISPR statement did not contain any further details of the offences committed by the three convicts. However, it released a previous video statement of ISPR DG Major General Asif Ghafoor confirming the arrest of the two officers and their court-marital. Reports are circulating in the media that two senior army officers are under arrest. Yes they are. There are two officers who are under military custody on the charges of espionage, he confirms in the video. The army chief has ordered a field general court martial which is under process. Both are separate cases and not linked to one another in any way and there is no network as such, he said. Please keep in mind that if we have been able to get them and identify the issue, it is a success. These things do happen [] when the court martial process is complete, I will share whatever results emerge with you, he had said.
PARIS (Reuters) - The man suspected of planting a parcel bomb in the French city of Lyon that wounded 14 people last week has been remanded in custody and placed under formal investigation, public prosecutors said on Friday.

Police initially arrested the main suspect, a 24-year-old Algerian computer student, and three other people in connection with the case on Monday.

Prosecutors have now also upped the tally of those injured in the explosion to 14 from 13.

The device, with screws and metal balls packed into a paper bag, went off outside a bakery near one of Lyon's main train stations. Investigators tracked down the suspect after he was spotted leaving the parcel on security camera footage.

They searched the suspect's home and found traces of triacetone triperoxide or TATP - the powerful but unstable homemade explosive used in the attack - in one of the building's bins, Heitz said in a statement.

They also found electric wires, oxygenated water, a bottle of ammonia and hydrochloric acid in the man's kitchen, he added.

(Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry; Writing by Sarah White; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
PARIS (AP)  The main suspect in the bombing last week in the French city of Lyon that wounded 14 people had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, France's counter-terrorism prosecutor said on Friday.

Remy Heitz said in a statement the 24-year-old man has admitted making the bomb and depositing the device in front of a bakery. He will be brought before an investigating judge.

The suspect, identified only as Mohamed Hichem M., was arrested on Monday. He arrived in France on a tourist visa in August 2017 but failed to leave again. Police did not give his nationality but some French media reported that he was Algerian. He was unknown to police services before the incident.

He was handed preliminary charges Friday of attempted murder, criminal terrorist conspiracy and manufacturing, possessing and carrying an explosive device in relation with a terrorist undertaking.

French President Emmanuel Macron had called the explosion an "attack" but no group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet.

Last week, Heitz described video surveillance that showed a man heading toward the center of Lyon on a bike. He was seen arriving on foot, pushing his bike along a pedestrian-only street, then leaving a paper bag on a concrete block in the middle of the street. The suspect immediately returned to his bike and left the same way. One minute later, the explosion shattered the glass of a refrigerator in the bakery.

The suspect initially denied his involvement, then admitted "pledging allegiance to the IS deep down inside and dropping off the explosive device he had prepared beforehand," Heitz said.

Data analysis of a computer used by the suspect until the end of last year also helped investigators establish he had an interest for "jihadi thesis and IS's activities."

The police probe also established that the suspect had ordered online a pack of 20 batteries corresponding to those that served to remotely trigger the device. Some traces found on evidence discovered at the scene also matched the suspect's genetic profile, Heitz said.

The suspect was arrested along with his parents and brother, but they were released on Thursday without charges.

France has been hit by a spate of attacks in recent years, some of them deadly, carried out by people ranging from extremist attackers to mentally unstable individuals.
Maggie Haberman, The New York Times White House correspondent, posited Friday morning that President Donald Trump was especially angered this week by Special Counsel Robert Muellers press conference for one reason: He has never read the report.

In what CNNs New Day co-host Alisyn Camerota jokingly called an armchair analysis segment, she asked Haberman why she thought Trump on Thursday seemed more irritated following the public statement, in which Mueller confirmed on live television that he didnt charge the president with any crimes because of Department of Justice policynot because of the presidents innocence.

You know, there are some days he comes out and hes sort of playing and sparring with the press, said Camerota. Yesterday, he seemed more irritated about some of theI mean, Mueller didnt say anything that dramatic that wasnt in the report, but somehow it seemed to have angered the president.

Haberman responded, You think the president has read the report? Because I do not.

I think that when he hears Mueller say that on TVagain, him interpreting everything through this screen that is in front of him, I think that that had much more resonance than almost anything else that has happened, Haberman added.

Haberman, who pointed to Trumps obsession with TV news as a source for information, is hardly alone in her doubts that the president took the time to read the 448-page report on potential ties between Team Trump and Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Furthermore, the report found 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice committed by the president.

Haberman also noted that Trump likely readand was comforted bythe four-page summary of Muellers report initially released by Attorney General Bill Barr and watched the press conference about it, in which Barr, according to Haberman, used the presidents own language.

At the time, Mueller wrote a letter to Barr complaining that his summary did not fully capture the results of the probe and alleging that his spin sowed public confusion ahead of the reports public release.

Story continues

This was essentially the presidents PR language, Haberman told Camerota. I think that the president had felt pretty good about that. And then I think he saw Mueller in the box, and I think that spooked him.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!

Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Blantyre (Malawi) (AFP) - Malawi's opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera on Friday rejected the result of last week's presidential election, saying he had launched a court battle to have the vote annulled on the grounds of fraud.

Chakwera lost the election by just 159,000 votes to incumbent president Peter Mutharika, who was hurriedly sworn into office just a day after the delayed result was issued on Monday.

"I reject the Malawi Electoral Commission's fraudulent presidential results," Chakwera said in a statement, adding that he was filing a high court petition to have the election declared void.

"What we have witnessed in front of our very eyes is not an election, but daylight robbery, a crime against our decency as a people and our democracy as a nation," he said.

Chakwera's Malawi Congress Party (MCP) last weekend had won a brief court injunction to halt the release of the results, claiming "very glaring irregularities".

The party said that results sheets were covered in correction fluid and some sheets from polling stations far apart had the same handwriting.

The injunction was lifted on Monday and Mutharika was declared the winner hours later.

At his swearing-in on Tuesday, Mutharika urged opposition parties to accept the outcome, saying "they have to accept that there can only be one winner."

Mutharika, of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won the ballot with 38.57 percent of the vote, against Chakwera on 35.41 percent.

str/bgs/ri
BLANTYRE, May 31 (Reuters) - Malawi's President Peter Mutharika began his second five-year term with a tough stance against corruption and pledged to revive the economy, following accusations of corruption and mismanagement.

Speaking at his inauguration on Friday in Blantyre, Malawi's second largest city, Mutharika warned that he would not spare anyone found abusing their positions, in an apparent response to allegations of corruption that marked his first term.

"The honeymoon is over. If you belong to the DPP (Democratic Progressive Party), you have no right to think that you are above the law or to be defiant to your superiors in the name of the party," he said before thousands of cheering supporters and military parades at Kamuzu stadium.

"We will count it as indiscipline and we will fire you."

The opposition parties have said Mutharika has nurtured graft, but he denies that. He has said local media reports he benefited from a $4 million contract to supply food to the police force were a ploy to smear him before the elections.

"We want a corrupt-free Malawi where our public resources continue to build roads, community technical colleges and buy drugs for the people," he added.

Mutharika won the election with a 38.57% share of the vote, with opposition party leader Lazarus Chakwera scoring 35.41% and Deputy President Saulos Chilima claiming 20.24% in the final tally.

Mutharika said his government would push a law that will ensure that 60 percent of government procurement goes to local companies and also offer tax breaks to the private sector.

He also pledged to offer soft loans to smallholder farmers as well as continue to make the price of fertilizer and seed cheap, signaling a continuation of subsidies that boosted food production during most of his first term.

The president's inauguration speech has, however, been overshadowed by a declaration by his main rival, Chakwera, that he has rejected results of the May 21 election announced by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

Story continues

Making his own parallel address in Lilongwe, the administrative capital, Chakwera said he is in the process of filing fresh petitions to the High Court asking it to nullify the results.

"I reject MEC's fraudulent presidential results. This election has laid bare the corruption that has contaminated all our governance institutions," he said.

Results had been due at the weekend but had to be delayed after a court on Saturday granted the opposition an injunction after the electoral commission received 147 complaints of irregularities, including results sheets with sections blotted out or altered with correction fluid. (Reporting by Frank Phiri; Editing by Stephen Powell)
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP)  Lawyers for former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning are renewing efforts to get her released from a northern Virginia jail.

Manning's lawyers filed court papers Friday asking a federal judge to reconsider his decision to send Manning to the Alexandria jail for refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks.

The motion argues that a new indictment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on espionage charges makes Manning's testimony irrelevant.

"What remains to be seen is whether the government can claim with a straight face to have an ongoing need for her testimony," lawyers Moira Meltzer-Cohen, Sandra Freeman, and Christopher Leibig wrote in their motion, which says Manning is suffering physically as a result of her incarceration and is in the midst of losing her home because of the financial effect it is having on her.

Manning has been jailed for civil contempt since May 16. She could remain in jail for up to 18 months  the length of the grand-jury term. Judge Anthony Trenga also ordered fines of $500 a day to kick in after 30 days of confinement and $1,000 a day after 60 days.

This follows a two-month jail term earlier this year for refusing to testify to a previous grand jury.

Manning's lawyers say the fact prosecutors have obtained a superseding indictment under the Espionage Act against Assange is particularly significant. In particular, they say it is unlikely that any additional charges against Assange will be filed because the U.S. faces a June 12 deadline for finalizing its extradition request for Assange to Great Britain, and bringing new charges after that deadline could complicate the effort to obtain his extradition.

"After the submission of the extradition packet, the need for Ms. Manning's testimony will diminish ... precipitously," the lawyers wrote.

Joshua Stueve, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia, which is prosecuting Assange and seeking Manning's grand-jury testimony, declined comment Friday.

Story continues

Under federal law, a recalcitrant witness can only be jailed for civil contempt if there is a reasonable belief that incarceration will coerce the witness into testifying. If the jail time has no coercive effect and is purely punitive, the recalcitrant witness is supposed to be released.

Manning has said she believes grand juries in general are an abuse of power and that she would rather starve to death than testify. Judge Trenga, in sending Manning to jail, said there is no dishonor in testifying to grand juries, which are referenced specifically in the U.S. Constitution, and that he hoped time in jail would allow Manning to reflect on that.

Manning, in response, penned a lengthy letter to the judge reiterating her rationale. She included a lengthy history on the use of grand juries around the world, and says that many Western countries have abandoned the system because it operates in secret and in a one-sided fashion to the benefit of prosecutors against those accused.

"I am positive that the founders never intended the grand jury to function like those we see today," Manning wrote.

Manning spent seven years in a military prison for delivering a trove of classified information to Assange. Her 35-year sentence was then commuted by then-President Barack Obama.
We expect OIC to reaffirm its support for Kashmiris: Shah Mehmood

MAKKAH: Pakistan on Thursday called upon the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to send its fact-finding mission to Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) to investigate the gross human rights violations.



Addressing at the meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir in Jeddah, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called for an inquiry by the OICs Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) to look into continuous incidents of extrajudicial killings, detentions and rape by Indian security forces in IHK.



Qureshis demand came as he mentioned an earlier report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) that called for formation of a commission of inquiry to objectively analyse the ongoing abuses in IHK and to fix responsibility.



Qureshi, who is in Saudi Arabia to participate in the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, said We expect the OIC Contact Group to unequivocally reaffirm its abiding support for Kashmiris and their struggle for self-determination.



Meanwhile, Qureshi told journalists that no meeting had been fixed between Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. However, he said Imran Khan had not turned down the possibility of a meeting. He said that there existed a strong need for Indian leadership to be like Manmohan Singh, and added that Pakistan had always emphasised on talks with India. He said that if the two leaders meet on the sidelines of any meeting or event, it would be a positive sign and a good beginning for both neighbouring countries.



Qureshi said that protest from the youth in IHK showed their state of wariness from India. He said Kashmiri youth taking to the streets showed their lack of faith in Indian leadership.
San Francisco (AFP) - The head of personal security for Mark Zuckerberg was on leave Friday pending a probe into complaints of sexual harassment and racism, some of it involving the Facebook chief's wife.

Allegations against Liam Booth, a former Secret Service agent now in charge of security for Zuckerberg, were made by two former employees who expressed complaints through a law firm, according to a contact for the Facebook co-founder's family.

"The family office takes complaints of workplace misconduct very seriously and our human resources team promptly investigates all such matters," spokesman Ben LaBolt said in response to an AFP inquiry.

"Mr. Booth is on administrative leave pending the completion of this investigation."

An outside law firm is looking into the accusations, which include claims that Booth made homophobic, sexist and racist remarks involving other staff members and even Zuckerberg's wife, Priscilla Chan.

The accusations were first reported by Business Insider.
Meghan McCain lashed out at President Trump on Thursdays episode of The View, saying his fixation on her late father and his legacy makes it difficult for her to grieve. Its impossible to go through the grief process when my father, whos been dead 10 months, is constantly in the news cycle, because the president is so obsessed with the fact that hes never going to be great man like he was, she said. Her comments come on the heels of reports that the White House requested the Navy hide a destroyer named, in part, after Senator John McCain so that the president wouldnt see it during his trip to Japan. White House officials confirmed to the New York Times that the request was made, but said that the president had no knowledge of it. Trump echoed the claim on Twitter. Instead, McCain asked people to have a little more compassion. This is very hard. I try to put on a game face every day and I try to be as stoic as possible but grief is tricky and Im still sad, and Im sorry if 9 months in isnt enough for people for me to move on. The View co-host added that when the president consistently harps on her father, it makes it this much more complicated.
BOSTON  German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected President Donald Trump's brand of politics and worldview in a commencement speech Thursday at Harvard University, calling for global, not national, thinking and working together, not in isolation.

I want to leave this wish with you," Merkel said near the end of her 35-minute speech, breaking out of her native tongue to speak in English without a translator. "Tear down walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness, for nothing has to stay as it is."

The line  evoking former President Ronald Reagan's "tear down this wall" speech  was met with a standing ovation among the Harvard graduates, faculty and others who watched the university's 368th commencement from Harvard Yard.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel waves before delivering the keynote speech at Harvard's 368th commencement ceremony at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 30, 2019. (Photo by Allison Dinner / AFP)ALLISON

Merkel, the chancellor of Germany since 2005, never mentioned the president by name, but he was a clear target with her central theme being breaking down "walls." One of Trump's defining policy proposals is a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

More: Federal judge partially halts Trump border wall funding, blocks $1 billion

Her rebuke was most pointed on foreign policy. Trump has challenged the traditional Western alliance that first emerged following World War II by questioning America's role in the North Atlantic Trade Organization. He's said NATO has benefited Europe more than the U.S.

Changes for the better are possible if we tackle them together," Merkel said, pointing to climate change, navigating the digital transformation and ending wars and displacement as some of the world's top challenges. "If we want to go it alone, we could not achieve much."

More than ever, our way of thinking and our actions have to be multilateral rather than unilateral, global rather than national, outward-looking rather than isolationist. In short, we have to work together, rather than alone.

June 9, 2018: Photo released on Twitter by the German Governments spokesman Steffen Seibert and taken by the German government's photographer Jesco Denzel shows President Donald Trump talking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) and surrounded by other G7 leaders during a meeting of the G7 Summit in La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada. The photo went viral, popping up all over social media, sometimes in its original form sometimes altered for humorous or satirical ends.

Merkel slammed Trump's approach to trade as well, telling the crowd, "Protectionism and trade conflicts jeopardize free international trade and thus the very foundations of our prosperity. Trump has engaged in trade wars by increasing tariffs on exports from China and threatening to do the same with Mexico.

Story continues

More: Trump announces tariffs on Mexico in effort to stop migrants coming to the US

In other digs at Trump, the chancellor warned against acting on "first impulses" and to value honesty.

I have learned that we can find good answers even to difficult questions if we always try to view the world through the eyes of others, if we respect other peoples history, traditions, religion and identity," Merkel said. "If we hold fast to our inalienable values and act in accordance with them.

"And if we dont always act on our first impulses even when there is pressure to make a snap decision. But instead take a moment to stop, be still, think, pause."

She continued: "Granted, that certainly takes courage," drawing some laughs among the audience. "Above all, it calls for truthfulness in our attitude toward others. And perhaps most importantly, it calls for us to be honest with ourselves."

Drawing another standing ovation, she said the "maxim of truth" requires us "not to describe lies as truth and truth as lies."

TRUMP: President calls Germany 'captive to Russia'

The focus on "walls" began at the beginning of her speech when Merkel traced her upbringing in Communist-controlled East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, which she grew up near. She said the people in 1989 brought it down  something she once thought was not possible.

"Where there was once only a dark wall, a door opened," said Merkel, who started her professional career as a young physicist before entering politics.

She told Harvard's graduating class of 2019 to never take freedom or individual liberties for granted and to prioritize people and human dignity as technology advances.

And she kept returning to that word.

"Walls," she warned them, are what could stop them from solving the world's problems  walls between family members, between groups and between people of different races, nations and religions.

"I would like to see us break down these walls  walls that keep preventing us from envisioning the world in which together we want to live. Whether we manage to do that is up to us."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and President Donald Trump hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Buenos Aires on Dec. 01, 2018.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Merkel rebukes Trump politics in Harvard commencement speech: 'Tear down walls of ignorance'
By David Alire Garcia and David Ljunggren

MEXICO CITY/OTTAWA, May 31 (Reuters) - Mexico and Canada said on Friday they would proceed with plans to ratify a new continental trade pact despite a new threat from U.S. President Donald Trump that critics say could undermine chances of the treaty coming into force.

Trump, whose administration has made passing the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) free trade agreement a priority, unexpectedly said on Thursday he would slap tariffs on all goods coming from Mexico unless a surge of illegal immigrants ceased.

Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the move undermined the relationship with Canada and Mexico.

"This is definitely a roadblock to securing passage of USMCA," he told CNN.

Trump made his threat the same day that Vice President Mike Pence visited Ottawa and said he was pushing to get the U.S. Congress to ratify the deal this summer after both Canada and Mexico moved to start the approval process this week.

The news rocked markets and prompted a flurry of protests from Mexican and U.S. business groups.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters on Friday that ratification efforts would continue.

"The opinion of the Executive is that the process of ratification of the treaty continues, that we comply with the commitments that were made and that we finish soon approving the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement," he said.

The Mexican and Canadian governments appeared unclear as to how serious Trump might actually be. The USMCA was agreed last year after 15 months of sometimes acrimonious negotiations marked by episodes of U.S. brinkmanship.

"It is a little strange, to say the least, that he decides to resolve the issue of immigration using tariffs," Mexico's Deputy Economy Minister Luz Maria de la Mora said in an interview on Friday.

Canada and Mexico both ship more than 75 percent of all their goods exports to the United States and are heavily reliant on free trade.

Story continues

"Following through on this threat would seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA, a central campaign pledge of President Trump's and what could be a big victory for the country," said U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.

In Ottawa, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland declined to comment on what she described as a bilateral issue between the United States and Mexico.

"Our intention is, in so far as possible, to move in tandem with our partners," she told reporters.

Canada moved to ratify the deal by formally presenting it to parliament on Wednesday.

Roland Paris, former foreign policy advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said there was no reason for Ottawa to react immediately to Trump's latest move given that Mexico was seeking clarification from Washington.

"That said, Trump's new threats are a reminder that we will need to remain vigilant, because negotiations for him never seem to be final," he said in an interview.

A Canadian source with direct knowledge of the situation said Ottawa was aware that Trump had not always followed through with previous threats to impose tariffs on trading partners.

(Additional reporting by Frank Jack Daniel in Mexico City, Chris Prentice, Susan Cornwell and Brice Makini in Washington and Kelsey Johnson and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by James Dalgleish)
MEXICO CITY, May 31 (Reuters) - Mexico's president said Friday he would respond with "great prudence" to threats by his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump to slap tariffs on Mexican goods entering the United States, and called on Mexicans to unite to deal with the challenge.

Trump has threatened to impose punitive tariffs on June 10 if Mexico does not stop the flow of illegal immigration from Central America to the United States.

Speaking at his regular news conference, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard would be in Washington tasked with convincing the U.S. government that Trump's measures were in neither country's interest.

(Reporting by Dave Graham and Stefanie Eschenbacher Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
La Penita (Panama) (AFP) - Some have died on the way, pregnant women lost their babies and one Haitian was shot in the arm, yet migrants still trek on foot through Panama's perilous Darien forest in the hope of one day reaching the United States.

To reach Panama from Colombia, the migrants -- mostly from Haiti and Cuba, but also Africa and Asia -- brave the nightmare journey across the 575,000 hectares of jungle where snakes and jaguars lurk. And there are no roads.

Migrants, many of whom cannot swim, also have to cross rivers where they could be swept away by a powerful current.

"In the group I came with, at least five people stayed behind (in the jungle) and are dying," said Pierre Louis Clivens, a Haitian who tackled the journey with his wife and seven-year-old son.

Yet the greatest danger stems from people and drug traffickers.

"They took all my money. They took three telephones, one of my husband's and two of mine, and the thief shot me in the left arm," said Marie-Claudia Toussaint, a Haitian with her arm wrapped in a scarf as she received a vaccine injection.

In a temporary humanitarian camp in the village of La Penita built for just 100 people, some 1,500 migrants, including 250 children, are crammed into dormitories.

Adults sleep on the floor as little children, either naked or wearing nappies, run around them.

They survived the treacherous crossing from Colombia.

- 'Hell' -

"This jungle is hell," says Chambe Bezil, a Cameroonian who spent several days in the Darien as he attempts to one day reach the US, still some 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) away.

There are around 4,000 migrants -- from India, Bangladesh, Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and Cuba -- housed in various reception centers in the south of Panama, waiting to continue their journey northward.

Despite the jungle's dangers, the number of migrants opting for this route is growing.

During the first four months of 2019, at least 7,724 adults and 1,141 children crossed the Colombian border through the forest, according to official figures.

Story continues

That amounts to three times the number of adults and twice as many children as the same period in 2018.

Local authorities have had to set up temporary shelters in the south of Panama to accommodate the new arrivals as they wait for permits allowing them to continue their journey through Costa Rica.

They are planning to build a new fully equipped reception center able to hold 1,200-1,400 migrants.

"We've exceeded our housing capacities," Eric Estrada, Panama's border service director, told AFP.

But authorities are alarmed by the increasing number of women and children enduring the trek through the jungle's heat and humidity, running the risk of suffering from dehydration.

Baby Frezin was born on May 11, just a few days after his Haitian mother arrived at the reception center in La Penita. She made the journey heavily pregnant.

But while Frezin "is suffering," according to Clivens, at least mother and baby are alive.

In January, a boat capsized, leaving "around 20 people dead, including children," said Kyunsung Kim, the UNICEF representative in Panama.

"We know of other deaths" and "pregnant women who lost their babies," added Kim.

- Fooled by people traffickers -

According to Panama's police, the migrants -- fleeing poverty, political persecution, a lack of work or the effects of climate change in their home countries -- form groups, sometimes including entire families, to make the journey.

"They arrive malnourished, dehydrated, sometimes without money, having been harassed by people traffickers" said Estrada.

"Unfortunately, criminal mafias that traffic people fool migrants in their home country. They make them believe that the journey will be fast, easy, without problems, but the people find a different reality."

Whether arriving by boat or by land, from Guyana, Brazil, Ecuador or Venezuela, the migrants reach Colombia, where they head for the 250-kilometer-long border with Panama.

During the last 18 months, Panama has arrested more than 50 people traffickers.

But still the migrants come, and some of those that make it to Panama, with the American dream still alive, have no regrets.

"I'd rather take this journey another 300 times than live under a communist regime," said Cuban Andniel Gongora.
Russian nationalists 10-year prison term for robbery, hooliganism upheld

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

11:07 31/05/2019

MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court dismissed an appeal of Russian nationalist Maxim Martsinkevich against a 10-year sentence he had received for robbery and hooliganism, the courts press service told RAPSI on Friday.

However, the court changed sentence for two other defendants. A 9-year sentence of Alexander Shankin, a member of Restruct movement established by Martsinkevich, reduced to 8 years. Yelizaveta Simonova, who had been sentenced to nearly 3 years in penal colony, was released in courtroom due to expiration of limitation period. Sentence of other defendants was upheld.

Moscows Babushkinsky District Court convicted and sentenced Martsinkevich on December 29. His associate, a leader of the St. Petersburg cell of Restruct movement established by Martsinkevich, Mikhail Shalankevich received a 6-year prison term but was released due to the time served in detention.

The case was reconsidered as in May 2018 the Moscow City Court overturned a specific part of the defendants 10-year prison term concerning robbery and hooliganism and ordered the case review. The court also mitigated sentence for three associates of Martsinkevich, who were also defendants in the case. Dmitry Sheldyashev and Alexander Shankin were sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in a penal colony while Roman Maksimov received 4 years and 10 months.

In June 2017, the Babushkinsky District Court found Restruct movement leader Martsinkevich guilty of inciting hatred and enmity, hooliganism, robbery and property destruction. Ten members of the movement were sentenced to prison terms varying from 3 to 10 years.

According to case documents, under pretense of drug interdiction, the group attacked people in 2013-2014 in Moscow using electro shockers, gas sprayers and metallic pipes, leaving several people traumatized and one person dead.

Martsinkevich, one of the more well-known Russia nationalists, has a history of clashes with the law. In 2014, he was sentenced to five years in prison for publishing extremist content on the Internet.

He has already been convicted of publishing online a video of staging an execution of a Tajik drug dealer and extremist statements. He has received 3.5 years in prison in two cases taken together.
Columbia, MO  Planned Parenthood in St. Louis will continue to serve as Missouri's sole abortion provider after a judge issued a temporary stay.

St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer ruled Friday, just hours before the Planned Parenthood clinic's license to perform abortions was set to expire. He issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Missouri from allowing the license to lapse.

State officials refused to renew the facility's license, which was set to expire Friday, demanding interviews with staff doctors for an investigation into a large number of possible deficiencies."

Planned Parenthood said only two of its seven staff doctors agreed to be interviewed.

If the Planned Parenthood stops offering the procedure, Missouri would be the first state without legal abortion care since the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

Abortion rights advocates say ending services at Planned Parenthood in St. Louis would force women seeking abortion to travel to neighboring states, such as Kansas or Illinois, to get the procedures.

Lyra Noce, chair of the Boone County Democratic Party in Columbia, said she was pleased with the judges decision, but she emphasized that the fight for abortion rights is not over.

This does not change the fact that Gov. Parson has signed House Bill 126 (the eight week abortion ban), Noce said. We will continue to fight for womens reproductive healthcare access and a womans right to choose.

7 STATES BORDER MISSOURI: Here's what their abortion laws say

For young, college-aged women, this could be a hardship, said Sadie Jess, president of Mizzou Democrats at the University of Missouri. Many don't have transportation or the funds to travel to get an abortion, Jess said.

"We were already really limited in our options and now there's an effort to take them away all together," Jess said. "Our position is that its a systematic effort to take away women's choices for what their life is going to look like.

Story continues

CONSERVATIVE WOMEN: When it comes to abortion, they're not a monolith

Last week Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill that outlaws abortion after the eighth week of pregnancy without exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

The law, which goes into effect Aug. 28 barring a legal challenge, says doctors who perform abortions after eight weeks could face five to 15 years in prison. The measure includes exceptions for medical emergencies, such as when there is a risk of death or permanent physical injuries to "a major bodily function of the pregnant woman."

Missouri joins several other states that have passed some of the most restrictive abortion bans the nation has seen since Roe.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday signed into law a bill that bans abortion after a "fetal heartbeat" is detected at roughly six weeks of pregnancy. Four other states have enacted six-week bans this year  Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi and Georgia.

Alabama enacted a near total-ban on abortions this year, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

A judge last week struck down Mississippi's law. And a Kentucky judge temporarily blocked the state's bill in March saying the American Civil Liberties Union's claim that it was unconstitutional would likely succeed in court.

Gov. Parson has cited state claims that Planned Parenthood physicians failed to follow Missouri regulations in performing abortions, botched three surgical abortions at the facility and had another patient taken to a hospital for emergency surgery.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Planned Parenthood of St. Louis gets temporary stay, continues as Missouri's sole abortion provider
St. Louis (AFP) - Abortion services can continue in Missouri for now, a court ruled Friday, granting a temporary restraining order to keep open the sole clinic that performs the procedure in the US state.

The St. Louis clinic had been on the verge of losing its license to carry out the procedure, making Missouri the first American state without abortion provision in half a century.

But Judge Michael Stelzer ordered that the clinic's license "shall not expire and shall remain in effect until a ruling on petitioner's request for preliminary injunction" on Tuesday.

Planned Parenthood, which operates the clinic, hailed Stelzer's decision.

"Today is a victory for women across Missouri, but this fight is far from over," Leana Wen, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement.

"We have seen just how vulnerable access to abortion care is here -- and in the rest of the country," Wen said, alluding to moves by a string of US states to restrict access to the procedure.

"I am really happy. I know we haven't won the war, but this is the right step in winning the battle," said Chris Kaufmann, an abortion rights activist who came to protest in front of the clinic.

Nearby, Mary Maschmeier of the anti-abortion group "Defenders of the Unborn" said she was "very disappointed," but that "we will have another day."

- 'Deficient practices' -

Beyond Missouri, more than a dozen states with conservative majorities are chipping away at abortion rights, even though access has been guaranteed nationwide since a 1973 US Supreme Court decision.

The high court allows states to place some limits on abortion so long as they do not result in an "undue burden" for women.

The term is interpreted very differently from one state to another, and abortion access is generally much more readily available in western and northeastern parts of the country than in the South and the Midwest.

Story continues

Missouri's Republican Governor Mike Parson recently welcomed a drop in the number of abortions from 20,000 to 3,000 in his state, which is home to six million people.

He has accused Planned Parenthood of "actively and knowingly violating state law on numerous occasions" and refused to renew their clinic's license.

On Friday, Parson issued a statement saying that "the state will soon have the opportunity for a prompt legal review of our state health regulators' serious health and safety concerns regarding Planned Parenthood's abortion facility in St. Louis."

Sanitary authorities say they found "deficient practices" at the St. Louis clinic during a routine inspection in March and have asked to question all doctors who performed abortions there over the past year.

But some have refused, fearing they would be incriminated without knowing the accusations against them.

- 'Red line' -

The state is "weaponizing the licensing and regulating process," said M'Evie Mead, director of policy at the local Planned Parenthood chapter.

The Missouri case comes as more than a dozen US states -- including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana -- have passed laws restricting abortion as part of a concerted strategy to put the issue before the Supreme Court.

The top US court is now dominated by a conservative majority, including two justice appointed by President Donald Trump. Its landmark Roe v Wade decision allows for conditions to be placed on abortion only after the first trimester of pregnancy.

The states restricting abortion access have generally sought to roll back when the procedure is permitted, to as early as when a heartbeat is first detected -- around six weeks of gestation, when many women do not yet know they are pregnant.

Most of the measures are expected to face legal challenges, and eventually end up before the Supreme Court.

Six conservative states, Missouri included, now only have a single abortion clinic, compared to more than 150 in California.

Earlier this month, Missouri lawmakers passed a bill banning abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy, including in cases of rape and incest.

They also required doctors at abortion clinics to be affiliated with a hospital and to perform pelvic exams even for drug-based abortions.

Mead denounced the measures as "frankly medically unnecessary and inappropriate rules."
By Neha Dasgupta and Devjyot Ghoshal

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - It is time to get talking. That seemed to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message to both the United States and China on Friday when he named a highly rated career diplomat with expertise in dealing with both countries as India's new foreign minister, diplomatic affairs experts said.

The government announced S. Jaishankar, a former foreign secretary, would take over the portfolio from Sushma Swaraj, the ruling party's veteran leader, who has had health issues.

The handing of the ministry to the veteran diplomat, who has been ambassador to both the United States and China, could be Modi's most astute move as he seeks to pursue a stronger U.S. relationship and to intensify efforts to strengthen Chinese ties.

Jaishankar was a key negotiator during a tense border dispute with China in 2017, the most serious and prolonged standoff in decades along the disputed Himalayan frontier.

"He is a trusted aide to the prime minister," said a source with close knowledge of the matter, who declined to be identified as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

He could also prove to be a calming influence in efforts to repair India's problematic relationship with Pakistan that almost spiralled out of control this year, a second source with close knowledge of the situation said.

"He has a good feel for the relationship. He visited Pakistan in the Modi regime, and will be a positive force in managing this equation," the second source said.

Jaishankar worked on a landmark 2008 deal with the United States that ended a three-decade ban on U.S. nuclear trade with India. He later took up the post of ambassador in Washington.

"It's a perfect choice for the job, and somebody with hands-on experience who can assist the prime minister in pursuing his initiatives," said Lalit Mansingh, a former foreign secretary.

Modi may hold his first bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in more than two years on the sidelines of a G20 summit in June in Japan, with ties possibly getting tetchy over trade.

Story continues

TWO POLES OF POLICY

India and the United States have developed a close political and security relationship but Trump has repeatedly criticised India for its high tariffs.

On Thursday, a senior U.S. State Department official in Washington said the suspension of a U.S. trade preference programme with India was all but certain.

Trump announced in March he would end India's access to the decades-old Generalized System of Preferences trade programme over what the United States said was lack of access to India's market. The programme allows emerging countries to export goods to the United States without paying duties.

U.S. sanctions against any country that buys oil from Iran will also be an immediate challenge for India, which used to be Iran's top oil buyer after China.

Modi will host Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year.

Modi has had several meetings with Xi over the past year and the two countries are seeking to increase market access to each other's economies, though trade officials say India's attempts to make inroads in Chinese market have been slow.

India fears a flood of cheap Chinese products will displace home-made goods if China's trade war with the United States leads to increased excess capacity in Chinese industry.

"The Indo-US relationship has become the most important relationship for India and, relatively openly, we are speaking about our difficulties with China," said Neelam Deo, director of the Mumbai-based think-tank Gateway House.

"He knows the two poles of India's foreign and strategic policy ... he's been ambassador in both countries, he knows how they work, particularly the United States," Deo said of Jaishankar.

(Reporting by Neha Dasgupta and Devjyot Ghoshal in New Delhi; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Helena Atay (Northumbria Police)

A woman who killed her husband after he tried to stop her leaving the house to buy alcohol has been jailed for 14 years.

Helena Atay, 42, stabbed husband Atakan in the chest at their home in Gateshead, last October.

She was found guilty of manslaughter, not murder, on the grounds of lack of intent.

The pair had been married for almost 20 years.

The jury was not able to reach a unanimous verdict.

Atay previously told Newcastle Crown Court she could not remember stabbing her Turkish-born businessman husband, and denied his murder.

She also claimed her husband had attacked her.

Read more on Yahoo News UK:

Three Thai men sentenced to death for murdering British expat and his wife

British teenager, 15, raped in Majorca hotel sauna in 'targeted holiday attack'

Five jailed over 21 man 'Wild West' bar brawl in Leeds

During a trial, the court heard a In a 17-minute recording of her 999 call, where she was heard to say "I'm sorry" and also telling paramedics "we had a fight".

Mr Atay was stabbed just below a tattoo in memory of their daughter Sophie, who died from cancer aged three.

His wife previously told the court she began drinking when she suffered from postnatal depression after the birth of her first child.

Following the death of her second child and the birth of her third, she was drinking more than she ever had before - up to two bottles of wine every night - the jury heard.

The Atay family had gained national attention when fundraising for their late daughter Sophie's cancer treatment.

Prosecutors said she had previously sought help for alcoholism having had two car crashes while over the limit.

The married couple lived in the north-east (Getty)

She had also threatened to bite the nose off a hospital security guard and bitten a nightclub doorman.

At sentencing, Judge Paul Sloan QC, presiding, told her: "You knew what you were doing.

He added she had presented in court a wicked distortion of the truth.

In a statement released after the verdict, Mr Atay's family said: "He was made a victim because of his compassion and being a good person.

Story continues

"He always wanted to do the right thing and that has cost him his life."

---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK---
Why mention the OLC guidance at all?

That is the question for Bob Mueller, left hanging by the statement his office jointly issued with Justice Department flacks on Wednesday, clarifying (as it were) remarks he had made hours earlier at his parting-shot press conference.

At issue is Muellers decision to punt on the question of whether President Trump should be indicted for obstruction of justice. In his startling remarks, Mueller sought to justify himself by citing instruction from the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel. The longstanding OLC opinion, an outgrowth of Nixon- and Clinton-era scandals, holds that a sitting president may not be indicted. The two press offices were struggling to reconcile (a) Muellers pointed reliance on this OLC guidance at the presser with (b) his prior disclaimers of such reliance.

According to Attorney General Bill Barr, in a meeting over two weeks before Mueller submitted his final report, the special counsel emphatically denied that his refusal to render a prosecutorial judgment on obstruction hinged on the OLC guidance. Naturally, in their continuing quest to frame Barr as the most diabolical villain since Lex Luthor, the media-Democrat complex insisted that the AG must be lying.

This is what derangement will do to you. I do not think Muellers contradictory assertions are that hard to figure out. But if you were inclined to blame sleight of hand, the culprit would be Mueller. Youll notice that when we finally heard from him on Wednesday, he lauded Barrs good faith, never claiming that the AG had misrepresented him. Moreover, the conversation between them on the OLC guidance was not a one-on-one affair. There were other people in the room when Mueller denied that the OLC guidance was his rationale for abdicating.

The unimpeached evidence is that Mueller said what Barr says he said.

Reading Between the Lines

Nevertheless, with the media howling that somebody  Barr  had to be fibbing, the press offices got busy. By early evening, DOJ and Muellers shuttering shop put out this joint statement:

Story continues

The Attorney General has previously stated that the Special Counsel repeatedly affirmed that he was not saying that, but for the OLC opinion, he would have found the President obstructed justice. The Special Counsels report and his statement made clear that [his] office concluded it would not reach a determination  one way or the other  about whether the President committed a crime. There is no conflict between these statements.

Well, okay, thats fine as far as it goes. If you (somewhat selectively) read the carefully crafted lines of Muellers report, he said he would not reach a determination on obstruction. And he did not reach one. Therefore, the reasoning goes, it cannot be said that the OLC guidance was determinative: Since Mueller technically did not make a recommendation one way or the other, the OLC guidance was never actually triggered.

But if thats the case, then the obvious question  to go back to where we started  is: Why mention the OLC guidance at all?

Answer: Because Muellers brief speech on Wednesday was not a matter of reading the lines of his report; it was about reading between the lines.

Remember, Muellers report is 448 pages long. His press-conference remarks took less than ten minutes, and the substantive discussion of obstruction was but a fraction of that. In those fleeting moments, what were the precious few highlights from the report that Mueller wanted Americans to grasp? They were, first, that the OLC guidance dictated that the president could not be charged; and second, that if Mueller were convinced that the president had not committed a crime, he would have said so . . . but he did not say so  in Muellers constitutionally offensive, hyperpolitical articulation, he would not exonerate the president.

There is only one rational explanation for this performance. Mueller wants Congress and the public to presume that if it were not for the OLC guidance, it is very likely that he would have charged the president with obstruction  maybe not an absolute certainty, but nearly so.

And then, just in case we were too dense to understand the nods and winks, Mueller took pains to emphasize that, in our constitutional system, it is up to Congress, not federal prosecutors, to address alleged misconduct by a sitting president.

Simple as 1 + 1 + 1 = 3. Likely felony obstruction, plus inability of prosecutors to indict, plus duty of Congress to deal with presidential criminality, equals: Impeachment is the only remedy, unless congressional Democrats are saying that Donald Trump is above the law. (Good luck, Speaker Pelosi, trying to pipe down your AOC wing, to say nothing of the 2020 primary contestants, after that one.)

This should not be a surprise. We have been saying since shortly after Mueller was appointed that his investigation was not a collusion probe but an obstruction probe, and that this necessarily made it an impeachment probe.

Competing Views of Obstruction

As noted above, the apparent contradiction between Mueller and Barr is clarified by the timeline.

To grasp this, you must first understand that Mueller and his staff are completely result-oriented. If youve decided to act as counsel to a congressional impeachment inquiry rather than as a federal prosecutor, the objective is to get your evidence in front of Congress, with the patina of felony obstruction.

In the Nixon and Clinton situations, the rationale for impeachment was obstruction of justice. Significantly, the issue in impeachment cases is abuse of power, not courtroom guilt. Consequently, unlike a prosecutor, a counsel to a congressional impeachment committee does not need evidence strong enough to support a criminal indictment; just something reasonably close to that, enough to enable a presidents congressional opposition to find unfitness for high office.

Once you understand that, it is easy to see what happened here.

Muellers staff, chockablock with progressive activists, has conceptions of executive power and obstruction that are saliently different from Barrs (and from those of conservative legal analysts who subscribe to Justice Scalias views on unitary executive power).

The attorney general believes that (a) obstruction charges may not be based on exercises of a presidents constitutional prerogatives  only on obviously corrupt acts (e.g., evidence destruction, bribing witnesses); (b) all executive power under the Constitution is reposed in the president; and thus, (c) when the chief executive takes actions the Constitution empowers him to take (e.g., firing or threatening to fire subordinates), it is not the place of an inferior executive officer, such as a federal prosecutor, to second-guess them as corruptly motivated. Recognizing how traumatic accusing a president of a crime is for the country, moreover, Barr thinks an obstruction offense would have to be crystal-clear and serious  you dont tear the nation apart over something about which reasonable minds could differ.

By contrast, Muellers staff believes that (a) the executive bureaucracy is semi-autonomous in its areas of expertise, and thus Justice Department prosecutors are supreme, even over the president, in matters of law enforcement; (b) Congress had the constitutional power to, in effect, transfer executive authority from the president to prosecutors by enacting obstruction laws that may be enforced against the president; and therefore, (c) even if a presidential action is lawful in itself, a prosecutor may allege obstruction if the prosecutor believes the presidents motive was corrupt. Furthermore, little or no consideration should be given to whether a presidents allegedly obstructive act is especially clear or serious because the president (at least if the president is a Republican) must be treated like anyone else  otherwise, the president is placed above the law. (Democratic presidents, to the contrary, are the law  see, e.g., DACA, Obamacare decrees, IRS harassment of conservative groups, Fast and Furious stonewalling of Congress . . .)

Playing Out the Alternative Scenarios

This drastic divergence on what can constitute an obstruction offense had practical consequences here.

For most of his investigation, Mueller was supervised by acting AG Rod Rosenstein, who did not comply with special-counsel regulations in appointing him, and who promised Democrats that he would be effectively independent. As long as the studiously passive Rosenstein was at the helm, the staff-driven Mueller was free to investigate under his loose, envelope-pushing obstruction theory. Once Barr became AG, however, it was clear that Muellers theory was not going to fly.

So, lets play out the alternative scenario.

Lets say that, having convinced himself he had a strong obstruction case, Mueller decided to recommend that the president be charged. That would have forced a confrontation over the issue that has been sidestepped: What are the correct standards for evaluating an obstruction allegation against a president? There would have been a brawl at Main Justice. The report would have been held up while the matter was debated.

More to the point, Mueller and such top staffers as Andrew Weissmann and Michael Dreeben, who have operated at the top echelon of the Justice Department, would have known that the attorney general would win such a battle ten times out of ten. That goes double for an AG such as Barr, a highly regarded legal thinker who, besides now being AG twice, ran the OLC in the Bush 41 administration. He was not going to be intimidated or bulldozed by Muellers staff.

Remember: Muellers staff is looking at this as if they were congressional impeachment counsel. Their objective is to get their evidence to Congress bearing something close to the stamp of an indictable felonies.

Consequently, direct confrontation with the AG was the last thing they wanted. It would have guaranteed failure. The Mueller reports discussion of obstruction standards would not have gotten out the Main Justice door as an authoritative statement of the law. There would have been a revised articulation of obstruction law as it applies to the president. There would have been vigorous debate over the eleven instances of obstruction Mueller wanted to allege. The report would have been scrutinized carefully by Justice Department lawyers, especially where it plays fast and loose with the facts (see, e.g., my Papadopouolos column). It might never have been released. If it had been released, it would have been discredited or dramatically revised.

That would not have helped the impeachment cause.

So . . . Plan B: What if we decline to make any recommendation on obstruction?

Muellers staff calculated: If we dont press the point of indicting the president, the AG and the Justice Department have no reason to dispute our findings, or even take on our analysis of obstruction law. Theyll be so relieved to avoid a fight over obstruction charges, theyll be willing to let all that slide. And with Congress demanding the report, and the AG having promised maximum transparency in his confirmation hearings, we will achieve our objective: Congress will get our obstruction evidence, with an accompanying legal analysis that tends strongly in favor of finding felony obstruction. That will be the basis for any impeachment proceedings.

This, then, became the plan: Mueller would decide not to decide.

There was just one problem: Mueller would need a reason for not deciding. Barr was sure to ask. Mueller could not truthfully respond, Well, we see ourselves as congressional impeachment counsel. Barr has been quite clear (and quite right) that federal prosecutors exist to enforce the law, not to do Congresss work  Congress has its own bloated staff for that.

Muellers staff would need to come up with something that would pass the laugh test. After all, there was no collusion case, so rendering a prosecutorial judgment on the obstruction question was the only thing for which a special counsel had arguably been needed. Now, Mueller was about to tell the AG he would be abdicating on that. Hed be asked to explain himself, and if he didnt have a compelling answer, hed need to stall.

It happened on March 5, during Barrs first meeting with Mueller after being confirmed. Taken aback by Muellers announcement that he would not be deciding the obstruction question, Barr pressed him repeatedly: Is it because of the OLC guidance? Mueller insisted that it was not. When asked what, then, was the reason, Mueller meandered about how they were still formulating their rationale.

Get it? Result-oriented: Decision first, then well cobble together the reasoning.

Why would Mueller do this? Again, play out the alternative scenario.

If the special counsel had told Barr that the OLC guidance was his rationale for not deciding, Barr would likely have told him, Dont worry about the OLC guidance, thats not your job. The OLC guidance only says we cant return an indictment now. We still need to know whether there is a prosecutable case. Just make a recommendation on that, one way or the other.

If that had happened, Mueller would have been cornered. If he recommended in favor of indictment, he would have ended up in the confrontation with Barr over obstruction law that he was trying to avoid. If he recommended against an indictment, he would have undermined the impeachment effort.

So he punted. And it worked.

Mueller told Barr he was still formulating his rationale for not deciding the issue. Maybe the staff really was still trying to come up with a coherent explanation; or maybe in the back (or front) of their minds, they figured were still formulating was vague enough that they could ultimately rely on the OLC guidance, even if Mueller had said it was not his rationale.

Whatever the calculation was, two and a half weeks later, when Mueller delivered his final report to Barr on March 22, Mueller and his staff expressly invoked the OLC guidance.

Does that mean Mueller was being dishonest on March 5? Does it mean his thinking truly was still evolving?

What difference does it make?

What matters is that Muellers shrewd staffers accomplished exactly what they hoped to accomplish: Make sure the report was disclosed to Congress intact, with 200 pages of obstruction evidence, a legal analysis that tends toward a finding of obstruction, and an express assertion by the special counsel that if he had found Trump did not commit a crime, he would have said so.

And now, for good measure, Mueller took pains on Wednesday to stress that, in our system, it is Congresss duty to address presidential misconduct.

For partisan lawyers who saw their special-counsel gig as an opportunity to play congressional impeachment counsel, it is Mission Accomplished.

More from National Review
May 31 (Reuters) - Multiple people were injured in a shooting at the municipal center in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Friday and one suspect was in custody, police said.

The Virginia Beach Police Department said in a series of posts on Twitter that it was an active shooter situation at building two of the municipal center and advised people to avoid the area. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, editing by G Crosse)
Seoul (AFP) - North Korea executed its special envoy to the United States following the collapse of the second summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper reported Friday.

The Chosun Ilbo said Kim Hyok Chol, who laid the groundwork for the Hanoi meeting and accompanied Kim on his private train, was executed by firing squad for "betraying the supreme leader" after he was "won over to the US" during pre-summit negotiations.

"Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport along with four senior foreign ministry officials following an investigation," the newspaper quoted an unidentified source as saying.

The other officials were not named.

Kim Hyok Chol was the North's counterpart of US special representative Stephen Biegun in the run-up to the Hanoi summit in February.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, declined to comment on the report.

Some previous South Korean reports of North Korean purges and executions have later proved inaccurate.

The paper also said Kim Jong Un's interpreter Shin Hye Yong was sent to a prison camp for a mistake at the summit.

She failed to translate Kim's new proposal when Trump declared "no deal" and walked away from the table, Chosun reported, citing another unnamed diplomatic source.

Kim Jong Un and Trump left the Vietnamese capital without a deal after they failed to reach agreement on rolling back Pyongyang's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

The North has since sought to raise the pressure and carried out two short-range missile tests in May.

Senior party official Kim Yong Chol, the North's counterpart to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in nuclear talks, was also sent to a labour camp, the paper said.

In April, South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee said Kim Yong Chol had been censured over his handling of the Hanoi summit, despite the fact he had recently been named a member of the State Affairs Commission, a supreme governing body chaired by Kim Jong Un.

Story continues

The Chosun Ilbo itself incorrectly reported in 2013 that Hyon Song Wol, head of the North's Samjiyon Orchestra, was executed by firing squad for distributing and watching pornographic content.

And the Unification Ministry also mistakenly announced in February 2016 that Ri Yong Gil, chief of the general staff of the North Korean People's Army, had been executed.

News of the reported purge came as North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, mouthpiece of the ruling party, Thursday warned that officials who committed anti-party or anti-revolutionary acts would face the "stern judgement of the revolution".




KABUL, May 31: A car bomb attack on a U.S. convoy in the Afghan capital on Friday, wounded four U.S. service members and killed at least four Afghan civilians, officials said, in the second attack in the city in two days.





The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast, which came a day after the Islamic State militant group claimed a suicide attack outside a military training academy that killed at least six people.





A spokesman for U.S. Forces in Afghanistan confirmed that a car bomb hit a U.S. convoy and four service members had suffered minor injuries in the explosion but gave no other details.





An interior ministry spokesman said four Afghan civilians had been killed.





The blast sent a plume of white smoke into the air and spread debris across the busy Jalalabad road in the citys east, an area with several large security compounds which has seen repeated attacks over the years.





But other officials said as many as nine people had been killed with varying estimates of the number of wounded.





I was hit in the head by flying glass and many people have suffered injuries, said Abdul Qayum, who was wearing a bandage around his head.





The main Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement the attack targeted a convoy of senior foreign advisers, killing 10 and destroying two vehicles.





Witnesses said at least three armored Land Cruiser vehicles were in the convoy, one of which was heavily damaged in the explosion and removed from the scene by crane as Afghan and U.S. troops guarded the scene while firefighters cleaned up.





Kabul has been on high alert in recent days, with security checkpoints reinforced, despite increased diplomatic efforts to open a peace process to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan.





Fridays attack, shortly before next weeks Eid al-Fitr holiday, came as a delegation of Taliban officials met senior Afghan politicians in Moscow this week for discussions which the main Taliban spokesman said had made good progress.





The Taliban have been talking with U.S. diplomats for several months to agree a withdrawal of more than 20,000 U.S. and NATO coalition troops in exchange for guarantees that Afghanistan would not be used as a base for militant attacks.





Following a ceasefire last year over the Eid holiday, there had been hopes that a truce would be agreed for this years holiday, which comes at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.








House speaker Nancy Pelosi has strongly criticised Facebook for failing to tackle misinformation after the social media network refused to take down a video that had been doctored to make her appear drunk or ill.

Pelosi, the highest ranking woman in Congress, is the most senior US politician to have accused Facebook of wittingly allowing the spread of misinformation promoted by Russia during the 2016 US election.

We have said all along, poor Facebook, they were unwittingly exploited by the Russians, Pelosi said in an interview with California radio station KQED on Wednesday. I think wittingly, because right now they are putting up something that they know is false. I think its wrong. I can take it. But [Facebook is] lying to the public.

Related: Facebook refuses to delete fake Pelosi video spread by Trump supporters

She added: I think they have proven  by not taking down something they know is false  that they were willing enablers of the Russian interference in our election.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment from KQED.

Last week, Facebook said it would continue to host the video of Pelosi that has been edited and slowed down to give the impression that she was slurring. Several versions of the clip appeared to be circulating.

Donald Trumps personal lawyer and the former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, was among the Trump supporters who promoted the story. He tweeted  then deleted  a link to a copy of the video on Facebook with the caption: What is wrong with Nancy Pelosi? Her speech pattern is bizarre.

The viral success of the crudely produced video highlights the challenges in fighting online disinformation when individuals are willing to share material that backs their own political views, even when it is accompanied by warnings.

Related: Russia-backed Facebook posts 'reached 126m Americans' during US election

Despite the apparently malicious intent of the videos creator, Facebook said it would only downgrade its visibility in users news feeds and attach a link to a third-party factchecking site pointing out that the clip is misleading. Facebook only took the action following inquiries from the Washington Post, which first reported the story.

Donald Trump last week tweeted a different altered video of Pelosi, which aired on Fox Business network, and had been heavily edited to make it appear as if she was stuttering and slurring her language. The president captioned the tweet: PELOSI STAMMERS THROUGH NEWS CONFERENCE.

Jim Waterson contributed to this report
Washington (AFP) - For the first time since the 1970s, the United States is planning to send equipment to the surface of the Moon in 2020 and 2021, in anticipation of a crewed lunar mission in 2024, NASA said Friday.

The US space agency has chosen American firms Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines and Orbit Beyond to send instruments and other scientific equipment to the Moon as part of the Artemis program.

The administration of President Donald Trump has accelerated the timetable for putting humans back on the Moon with 2024 the new target date -- moved up by four years.

Each company has developed lunar landers of different sizes and shapes: one is tall, and the other two are more compact.

The landers will deliver up to 23 small payloads of equipment provided by NASA. That should include materiel that will gather information to help astronauts later on to land, navigate and protect themselves from radiation.

Orbit Beyond will land in Mare Imbrium, a lava plain in a lunar crater, by September 2020, after being launched by one of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets.

Intuitive Machines will try to land by July 2021 in Oceanous Procellarum, a dark spot on the Moon visible from Earth. SpaceX will also facilitate that launch.

Astrobotic, which is based in Pittsburgh, will target Lacus Mortis, a large crater on the near side of the Moon, by July 2021. It has yet to choose a delivery rocket.

NASA awarded the companies $77-97 million each for development of their landers.

"Next year, our initial science and technology research will be on the lunar surface, which will help support sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon in five years," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine.

"Investing in these commercial landing services also is another strong step to build a commercial space economy beyond low-Earth orbit."

The United States last sent a crewed mission to the Moon in 1972, the year of the final Apollo mission.

NASA regularly sent lunar probes into orbit, but it only has two active missions today: the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the ARTEMIS probes.

China has meanwhile landed twice on the Moon in recent years: in 2013, and in January on the far side.

The Chang'e 4 probe and its motorized robot Yutu-2 are the only probes active on the surface right now.
For the first time since the 1970s, the United States is planning to send equipment to the surface of the Moon in 2020 and 2021, in anticipation of a crewed lunar mission in 2024, NASA said Friday.

The US space agency has chosen American firms Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines and Orbit Beyond to send instruments and other scientific equipment to the Moon as part of the Artemis program.

The administration of President Donald Trump has accelerated the timetable for putting humans back on the Moon with 2024 the new target date -- moved up by four years.

Each company has developed lunar landers of different sizes and shapes: one is tall, and the other two are more compact.

The landers will deliver up to 23 small payloads of equipment provided by NASA. That should include materiel that will gather information to help astronauts later on to land, navigate and protect themselves from radiation.

Orbit Beyond will land in Mare Imbrium, a lava plain in a lunar crater, by September 2020, after being launched by one of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets.

Intuitive Machines will try to land by July 2021 in Oceanous Procellarum, a dark spot on the Moon visible from Earth. SpaceX will also facilitate that launch.

Astrobotic, which is based in Pittsburgh, will target Lacus Mortis, a large crater on the near side of the Moon, by July 2021. It has yet to choose a delivery rocket.

NASA awarded the companies $77-97 million each for development of their landers.

"Next year, our initial science and technology research will be on the lunar surface, which will help support sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon in five years," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine.

"Investing in these commercial landing services also is another strong step to build a commercial space economy beyond low-Earth orbit."

The United States last sent a crewed mission to the Moon in 1972, the year of the final Apollo mission.

NASA regularly sent lunar probes into orbit, but it only has two active missions today: the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the ARTEMIS probes.

China has meanwhile landed twice on the Moon in recent years: in 2013, and in January on the far side.

The Chang'e 4 probe and its motorized robot Yutu-2 are the only probes active on the surface right now.
Missourians are sensible people. Like so many Americans, they understand that the self-appointed elites in our country dont particularly care about them or their values. Thats especially true in our courts, where too many unelected, activist judges ignore the law and force on the rest of us their own agenda.

The people of Missouri sent me to Washington to fight for their values. It is my solemn responsibility as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to ensure the women and men to whom we give lifetime appointments will dispassionately follow the law and uphold the Constitution. Thats what Ive done. And, once again, the Washington establishment is attacking me for it.

Michael Bogren is a nominee for a judicial seat in Michigan. He is currently defending the city of East Lansing, Mich., in a lawsuit brought by Steve and Bridget Tennes. The Tenneses are a faithful Catholic family who operate Country Mill Orchard and Cider Mill. After they stated publicly that they believe in the Bibles teachings on marriage and adhere to those beliefs for their business, the city barred them from participating in the local farmers market. They were then forced to sue the city to defend their rights.

Mr. Bogren responded with a scorched-earth strategy in his litigation against the Tennes family. He wrote, Plaintiffs attempt to dress their arguments up in a shimmering gown of First Amendment and religious righteousness and parade it down the runway of moral superiority. When stripped of its costume, however, what lurks beneath is simply this: discriminatory conduct.

He compared their Christian beliefs about marriage to the racism of the Ku Klux Klan, arguing that following the teachings of their faith by not celebrating same-sex weddings on their farm was no different than the White Applicants Only sign. He also attacked the sincerity and the consistency of their beliefs, arguing that they only selectively apply their faith to their lives.

Story continues

Lawyers have a duty to their clients, as I well know. Ive represented many myself. But a lawyer can give his clients a vigorous defense without stooping to personal attacks and vicious rhetoric. Mr. Bogrens repeated attacks on the Tennes family go beyond merely representing the city. His hostility toward their faith raises questions about his fitness to be a federal judge.

I asked Mr. Bogren about these statements at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Shockingly, he stood by them as merely representation of his client.

As attorneys, our oaths require us to do much more than advocate on our clients behalf. We also swear to uphold the law itself and to always conduct ourselves with integrity. And that means not launching gratuitous attacks against faith groups  especially when you represent the government. Its one thing to advocate on behalf of your client, but Bogren went too far. Last years Masterpiece Cakeshop decision makes clear that government officials who show hostility toward the sincere religious beliefs of bakers like Jack Phillips and farmers like the Tenneses violate the First Amendment.

Tens of millions of Americans believe what the Tennes family believes about marriage, including Catholics, Jews, Mormons, Muslims, Protestants, and more. We are in a moment in history when the basic human liberty of these citizens to live, work, and otherwise participate in public life is threatened by those who view their beliefs as toxic and unacceptable. The right to religious free exercise enshrined in the First Amendment is the fundamental freedom, and we need judges who will uphold it.

Michael Bogrens answers are not acceptable for a judicial nominee. We can and must do better.

More from National Review
North Korea executed its special envoy to the United States following the collapse of the second summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper reported Friday.

The Chosun Ilbo said Kim Hyok Chol, who laid the groundwork for the Hanoi meeting and accompanied Kim on his private train, was executed by firing squad for "betraying the supreme leader" after he was "won over to the US" during pre-summit negotiations.

"Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport along with four senior foreign ministry officials following an investigation," the newspaper quoted an unidentified source as saying.

The other officials were not named.

Asked about the account, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was trying to verify it.

"We've seen the reporting to which you're referring. We're doing our best to check it out," he told reporters on a visit to Berlin.

"I don't have anything else to add to that today."

Kim Hyok Chol was the North's counterpart of US special representative Stephen Biegun in the run-up to the Hanoi summit in February.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, declined to comment on the report.

- 'Sent to prison camp' -

Some previous South Korean reports of North Korean purges and executions have later proved inaccurate.

The paper also said Kim Jong Un's interpreter Shin Hye Yong was sent to a prison camp for a mistake at the summit.

She failed to translate Kim's new proposal when Trump declared "no deal" and walked away from the table, Chosun reported, citing another unnamed diplomatic source.

Kim Jong Un and Trump left the Vietnamese capital without a deal after they failed to reach agreement on rolling back Pyongyang's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

The North has since sought to raise the pressure and carried out two short-range missile tests in May.

Story continues

Senior party official Kim Yong Chol, the North's counterpart to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in nuclear talks, was also sent to a labour camp, the paper said.

In April, South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee said Kim Yong Chol had been censured over his handling of the Hanoi summit, despite the fact he had recently been named a member of the State Affairs Commission, a supreme governing body chaired by Kim Jong Un.

The Chosun Ilbo itself incorrectly reported in 2013 that Hyon Song Wol, head of the North's Samjiyon Orchestra, was executed by firing squad for distributing and watching pornographic material.

And the Unification Ministry also mistakenly announced in February 2016 that Ri Yong Gil, chief of the general staff of the North Korean People's Army, had been executed.

News of the reported purge came as North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, mouthpiece of the ruling party, Thursday warned that officials who committed anti-party or anti-revolutionary acts would face the "stern judgement of the revolution".
North Korea executed its special nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of senior officials over the failed summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper claimed Friday.

Kim Hyok Chol was executed by firing squad in March along with four other foreign ministry officials, the paper reported, citing an unidentified North Korean source.

North Korea neither confirmed nor denied the report. South Korea's government was not able to confirm the claim. Previous media reports about the fate of North Korean officials who have fallen afoul of Pyongyang's leader have proven to be false.

Chosun Ilbo is one of South Korea's largest daily newspapers. However, it's notoriously difficult to get information out of North Korea because it closely guards secrets.

Trump's North Korea diplomacy: It looks troubled. It may not mean war

Start the day smarter: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox

Still, Chosun Ilbo reported Kim Hyok Chol and the other senior officials were shot after being accused of spying for the United States. The paper reported Kim Jong Un ordered the purge amid mounting dissatisfaction with the summit in Hanoi  the second time Kim and Trump met for face-to-face talks. In Vietnam, they failed to reach a deal because of conflicts over the White House's call for complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and North Korean demands for sanctions relief.

Since then, amid a diplomatic standoff between Pyongyang and Washington, North Korea has resumed testing short-range ballistic missiles, ending a pause in launches that began in late 2017. The tests are viewed as a way for Kim to pressure Trump to ease sanctions without actually causing negotiations to collapse.

"North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me," Trump tweeted during a recent trip to Japan.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was asked about the Chosun Ilbo report during a news conference in Berlin. He said Friday the U.S. was "doing our best to check it out."

Story continues

If the report is confirmed it's not clear what, if any, impact it could have on Trump's faltering diplomatic efforts aimed at halting North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

"One more wrong move by either side could bring the entire house of cards tumbling down," wrote security analyst Ankit Panda in the South China Morning Post on Friday.

Panda said if negotiations break down completely, North Korea has a plan B.

"It is clearer than ever that Kim is setting up for a significant deepening of Russia-North Korea ties  all at the expense of the United State," he wrote in the opinion piece.

Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first ever talks in April.

Kim has presided over high-profile purges since taking over as North Korea's leader in 2011. Kims uncle, Jang Song Thaek, at the time North Koreas second most powerful man, was convicted of treason and executed in late 2013. And Rodong Sinmun, a North Korean newspaper, appeared to indirectly refer to the purge on Thursday.

"Acting like one is revering the leader but dreaming of something else when one turns around, is an anti-party, anti-revolutionary act that has thrown away the moral fidelity towards the leader and such people will not avoid the stern judgment of the revolution," the paper said. "There are traitors and turncoats who only memorize words of loyalty towards the leader and even change according to the trend of the time."

Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader's sister, who regularly accompanies her brother at big events, has not been seen in public since the Hanoi meeting.

Chosun Ilbo also reported that Kim Yong Chol, Kims right-hand man and Pompeos counterpart at the Hanoi summit, has been sent to a labor and reeducation camp near the Chinese border. That claim, too, was not been independently verified.

Diplomacy?: Bolton says latest North Korea missile test violates U.N. resolution

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: North Korea executes nuclear envoy to U.S. after failed Trump summit: report
North Korea's special representative Kim Hyok-chol, seen here arriving for talks with his US counterpart Stephen Biegun in Hanoi - AFP

North Korea has reportedly executed five foreign ministry officials, including its special envoy to Washington, for the collapse of the Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi in February.

Kim Hyok-chol, a former ambassador to Spain, and four other ministry officials responsible for laying the groundwork for the summit were charged with espionage on behalf of the US and were executed at Mirim Airport, outside Pyongyang, in March, South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported.

Kim Yong-chol, who had held several rounds of talks with Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, in the run-up to the failed Hanoi summit was also sentenced to a term of forced labour and ideological re-education, it reported, citing sources in the North.

Two other officials were sent to political prison camps, including Shin Hye-young, who served as interpreter to Kim Jong-un during the talks.

The newspaper reported that Mr Shin had undermined the authority of the highest dignity of the North Korean dictator by making an error in a translation.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, and Kim Yong Chol, a North Korean senior ruling party official and former intelligence chief Credit: AP

Kim Jong-un is reportedly carrying out a purge of officials in an effort to divert attention away from internal problems, including international sanctions that are exerting additional pressure on the already impoverished economy.

It is also widely believed that Mr Kim is trying to deflect blame for the failure of the summit. Before leaving for Vietnam, he had expressed confidence that he would return victorious, with President Donald Trump agreeing to lift sanctions.

Mr Kims anger has even extended to his own sister, it appears, with Kim Yo-jong not seen in public since the dictators delegation returned to Pyongyang.

She did not appear in official coverage of public events attended by the ruling partys authoritative politburo last month, reported the NK News website at the time.

Her absence could mean that she has been removed from the elite ruling committee. While she attended the parliamentary assembly meeting, her name was also not included on the list of alternate politburo members.

Story continues

North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary on Thursday that "Acting like one is revering the Leader in front (of others) but dreaming of something else when one turns around, is an anti-Party, anti-revolutionary act that has thrown away the moral fidelity toward the Leader, and such people will not avoid the stern judgment of the revolution."

"There are traitors and turncoats who only memorise words of loyalty toward the Leader and even change according to the trend of the time," the commentary said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his sister Kim Yo Jong, who has not been seen since the failed summit Credit: Reuters

It is the first time since the December 2013 execution of Jang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un's uncle, that expressions hinting at purging such as "anti-party, anti-revolutionary" and "stern judgment" appeared in Rodong Sinmun, Chosun Ilbo said.

There have been many reports coming out of the North since the summit about executions of those that Mr Kim holds accountable and to distance himself from its failure, said Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor specialising in the North Korean leadership at Tokyos Waseda University.

But it is also suggested that the ministry officials were too frightened to pass on Washingtons demands ahead of the talks because they feared that Mr Kim would be angry and they would be in trouble, he told The Telegraph.

As a consequence, the North Korean leader went into the talks in the belief that the two sides were close to an agreement but was caught off guard when the US demanded that he shut down all five of the Norths known nuclear processing plants. Mr Kim had offered to close only one.

When it became apparent that an agreement was impossible, the US delegation cancelled the remainder of the summit.

In the intervening months, bilateral ties have once again become confrontational and the North has fired a number of short-range missiles as a sign of its displeasure.

On Wednesday, an article carried by the Korean Central News Agency quoted a foreign ministry analyst as saying, There is no change at all in the American evil ambition to conquer the DPRK by force.

It added: [The] use of strength is not at all a monopoly of the United States.

Daniel Pinkston, a professor of international relations at the Seoul campus of Troy University, said Mr Kim has shown a ruthless willingness to use executions as a tool to keep his people in line.

The fact is that those closest to the leader are often the most at risk and North Korea is just brutal in that way, he said.

There are many plausible reasons for this latest purge, but we have seen in the past that these periodic culls are effective in keeping people in fear, although there is always the other argument that says if they become too frequent then they could lead to resistance and even revolution.

Other analysts also expressed caution over the claims, saying reports of executions in the past have proven not true.

Want the best of The Telegraph direct to your email and WhatsApp? Sign up to our free twice-daily Front Page newsletter and new audio briefings.
Under the programme, which was announced in Ho Chi Minh City on May 29, the group will enhance corporate responsibility, promote economic efficiency, and ensure benefits for relevant parties.The VRG also plans to zone off 5,000 ha of forest land in its rubber project area for regeneration, boost cooperation with Swedish furniture retail giant IKEA to provide sustainable rubber and timber products, and encourage its members to apply clean production and sustainable management measures to further develop the VRG brand.In the last seven months of 2019, the group will update its regulations on social and environmental responsibility and recruitment policies, and approach the FSC standards.According to VRG Chairman Tran Ngoc Thuan, the sustainable development programme is a must in the context of global integration as most of the importers require products to have clear origins and FSC certification, which ensures products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.Standing Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan spoke highly of the VRGs action plan, saying that besides ensuring quality, competitive prices, and prestigious business, rubber companies must be liable for the community and the environment.Tuan said that the VRG should further its work to achieve FSC certification in the next one to two years, as well as fully realise local and global sustainable forest standards.The same day, the VRG inked a cooperation deal with several agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Oxfam, and PanNature.The VRG is now managing more than 400,000 ha of rubber plantation across the country, as well as in Laos and Cambodia.

VNA
By Stephanie Kelly

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil slumped over 3% on Friday and posted its biggest monthly drop in six months, after U.S. President Donald Trump stoked global trade tensions by threatening tariffs on Mexico, a key U.S. trade partner and major supplier of crude oil.

Brent crude futures fell $2.38, or 3.6%, to settle at $64.49 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell $3.09 to $53.50 a barrel, a 5.5% loss.

Brent touched a session low of $64.37 a barrel, lowest since March 8. WTI hit $53.41 a barrel, weakest since Feb. 14.

Brent futures posted an 11% slide in May and WTI a 16% drop, their biggest monthly losses since November.

(Graphic - Oil prices monthly changes, https://tmsnrt.rs/2WujIcF)

Trump vowed on Thursday to ratchet up tariffs unless Mexico stopped people from illegally crossing into the United States. The plan would impose a 5% tariff on Mexican imports starting on June 10 and increase monthly, up to 25% on Oct. 1.

That could hit the lucrative cross-border energy trade.

"U.S. refiners import roughly 680,000 barrels per day of Mexican crude. The 5% tariff adds an extra $2 million to the cost of their daily purchases," PVM analysts said.

The United States also exports more fuels to Mexico than any other country, according to the U.S. Energy Department. So far Mexico has not said whether it would retaliate.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Friday urged Trump to back down from the threats.

Investors were already worried that the U.S.-China trade war increased the danger of a recession.

Additional levies by Beijing on the majority of U.S. imports on a $60 billion target list are due to take effect on Saturday, in response to Washington's move this month to slap further tariffs of up to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods.

A Reuters survey showed Brent crude prices are likely to hold near $70 a barrel for the rest of the year as elevated supply risks in the Middle East offset risks to demand.

Story continues

(Graphic - U.S. oil drilling, production & storage levels, https://tmsnrt.rs/2DxgF8W)

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia's increased output in May was not enough to compensate for lower Iranian exports, a Reuters survey found. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is expected to meet in late June. At the beginning of the year, OPEC and allies agreed to cut production by 1.2 million bpd.

U.S. production has offset that decline, as output returned to a record 12.3 million barrels per day, and as U.S. crude stocks fell less than expected last week, according to weekly figures.

"This fresh tariff headline offers a 'pile on' effect to an oil market that has already been seeing downside pressure from some unexpectedly large U.S. crude supply increases that have been weighing on values across this month of May," Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates, said in a note.

U.S. energy firms increased the number of oil rigs operating for the first week in four, adding three oil rigs, General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm said. But in May the rig count was reduced for the sixth straight month.

Hedge funds and other money managers cut combined futures and options position in New York and London in the week to May 28 by 38,030 contracts to 212,080, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said.

(Additional reporting by Shadia Nasralla in London, Colin Packham in Sydney and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Marguerita Choy, David Gregorio and Richard Chang)
By Barbara Goldberg

May 31 (Reuters) - The skies cleared over the storm-battered Central United States on Friday, but flooding fears continued as rain-swollen rivers breached a levee in Arkansas and overflowed other barriers, forecasters said.

Relentless rain and deadly tornadoes have been blamed for least 16 deaths across several states in the nation's midsection, turning highways into lakes and nearly submerging homes in Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois and Oklahoma.

Sunny skies over the weekend are expected to give way to more storms in eastern Oklahoma from Sunday through Wednesday, said meteorologist Dennis Cavanaugh of the National Weather Service office in Little Rock, Arkansas.

"The dry weather is not going to last long enough to let a lot of water drain out of the rivers, and that's going to continue to put stress on the levee system," Cavanaugh said.

Major waterways severely bloated by torrential downpours spilled over levees and flooded mostly agricultural land throughout Missouri, Arkansas and other parts of the Midwest.

The Arkansas River broke through a levee in Dardanelle, Arkansas. In Missouri, a levee along Durgens Creek off the Mississippi River was deemed susceptible to a breach and was being monitored, said meteorologist Jayson Gosselin of the National Weather Service office in St. Louis.

At the same time, brimming rivers were expected to continue to crest as they flow downstream, overflowing more levees along the way.

"There are all kinds of overtoppings already," Gosselin said, noting the Missouri and Mississippi rivers spilled over more than a dozen levees in eastern and central Missouri.

"Unfortunately, there's going to be more," he said. "It's the crest working its way downstream."

In Tulsa, Oklahoma's second-largest city, the state's National Guard conducted round-the-clock patrols of the aging, 20-mile (32 km) levee system.

While overflows mean flooding, a breach, which is declared when a levee breaks, is far more threatening.

"If it's overtopping, water is moving into that area much slower," Gosselin said, noting that once the water recedes, that levee would still be intact to resume its role protecting land. (Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York Editing by Scott Malone and Matthew Lewis)
In a fusillade of tweets on Thursday morning, President Donald Trump returned to a familiar complaint about the Russia investigation  with a twist.

For what seems to be the first time, he acknowledged what American intelligence officials have long said: The Russian government and other Russian actors interfered in the 2016 presidential election in order to help Trump beat Hillary Clinton.

Trump referred to this interference in a series of tweets arguing he was the unfair target of Presidential Harassment because he had done nothing wrong.

Russia, Russia, Russia! Thats all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt HoaxAnd now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didnt exist, Trump tweeted.

So now the Dems and their partner, the Fake News Media, say he fought back against this phony crime that didnt exist, this horrendous false accusation, and he shouldnt fight back, he should just sit back and take it, he continued. Could this be Obstruction? No, Mueller didnt find Obstruction either. Presidential Harassment!

Vera Bergengruen, a Washington reporter for TIME, described Trumps tweet as seemingly the first time hes ever publicly acknowledged Russia helped elect him.

RELATED: Meghan McCain Calls Trump a Child, Says His Attacks on Her Late Father Make Her Grief Unbearable

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman tweeted that Trump folks are saying he did this as a mistake and saying we should take note of him saying the opposite later.

About an hour after Trumps Thursday morning tweets, he told reporters outside the White House that Russia didnt help me at all. Russia, if anything, I think, helped the other side.

You know who got me elected? I got me elected, he said.

Story continues

Robert Mueller, the special counsel who was investigating Russias role in the 2016 election, said he did not find collusion or a conspiracy between Trumps team and the Russians.

However, Mueller damningly documented multiple times that the president attempted to control or end the investigation  though he declined whether to say if that was illegal obstruction of justice.

Robert Mueller (left) and President Donald Trump | Alex Wong/Getty; Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency/Getty

RELATED VIDEO: Jon Voight Will Be a President Trump Appointee for the Next 6 Years  Heres What That Really Means

Instead, Mueller has implied the question is best left to Congress. Attorney General William Barr said the behavior Mueller detailed in his investigation did not constitute obstruction.

Trump has historically been reluctant to acknowledge the extent of the Russian interference campaign in the last presidential election. According to Mueller, in addition to a disinformation campaign on social media the Russian government also stole emails from Democratic officials and helped spread them online to damage Clinton.

RELATED: What the Mueller Report Really Says About Trump and Russia

I mean, it could be Russia, but it could also be China, Trump said during one of the 2016 presidential debates. It could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 lbs., okay? You dont know who broke in to DNC.
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Palestinian stabbed two Israelis in Jerusalem on Friday, wounding one of them critically, before being shot dead by police, an Israeli police spokesman said.

The attack occurred on the last Friday of the Ramadan holiday, when thousands of Muslim worshippers were expected to come to a holy site in Jerusalem's old city and police had deployed extra units to the area.

One Israeli was critically injured in the stabbing attack and a second sustained moderate wounds, police said in a statement.

"Terrorist shot by police who responded," the statement said. A spokesman added that the Palestinian was killed.

(Reporting by Roleen Tafakji and Sinan Abu Mazer; Editing by Alison Williams)
Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - A Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli border police as he tried to enter Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank on Friday, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.

The Palestinian health ministry said Abdullah Ghaith, 16, "died after he was shot by Israeli occupation soldiers close to Bethlehem and his heart and lungs were penetrated".

Another man, 21, was shot in the stomach at the same location and was being treated in hospital, the ministry said.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said border police had been trying to stop people breaking into Jerusalem.

"Our forces fired towards a Palestinian attempting to cross over the security fence in the Bethlehem area," Rosenfeld told AFP.

He said he was unaware of the condition of the Palestinian and that an investigation was ongoing.

Palestinian media said the men were seeking to breach the Israeli fence that separates the West Bank and Jerusalem to reach the Holy City to pray at the revered Al-Aqsa mosque on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Restrictions on West Bank Palestinians visiting Jerusalem are loosened during Ramadan but men under the age of 40 still have to apply for hard-to-get permits.
So many pop artists have recently let political partisanship cloud their vision of fairness  and even sully their craft  that its understandable to have given up on a boatload of them. Will we ever again see a credible performance from Robert De Niro? Will we ever want to hear a new Madonna or Bruce Springsteen song? Will The Simpsons ever be funny again? Will Brian De Palma ever regain his power?

Domino answers that last question with a thriller plot, set in the near future  2020  that plays out global paranoia about Islamic terrorism. Copenhagen police officer Christian (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) responds to a routine call that thrusts him into a global nightmare, from Denmark to Spain, testing his loyalty; his new partner Alex (Carice van Houten) is full of life yet sustains personal grief; Libyan immigrant Ezra (Eriq Ebouaney) kills to protect his family; meanwhile fanatic Salah Al Din (Mohammed Azaay) plots terrorist attacks over Europes changing moral stage (symbolized by a climax in an arena).

This is a second-tier, non-event film (a commendable rejuvenation for De Palma), and its brisk narrative moves as if on impulse. De Palmas mastery of pace and composition makes the briefest image and sharpest edit count. When Christian confronts Ezra, their initial alarm is conveyed through European/African facial contrasts  film noir close-ups burning with sociological dread  that, thanks to cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine, raise the movies temperature. Each characters desperation and personal motivation are vivid; the global nightmare is conveyed with such quick efficiency that Domino plays like a B-movie dream of a great De Palma film. (The medias hostility toward it suggests that Domino  which dares pinpoint Islamic terrorism  isnt PC enough.)

For various reasons owing to our political and moral disorientation, it seems impossible for contemporary American filmmakers to deal with national or global crises. (Note that Dominos non-American cast mostly speaks in American idioms.) But De Palmas formidable technique helps him puzzle out this artistic dilemma ahead of his peers. His signature use of split screens throughout Domino shows such assurance and depth that it relays our split moral consciousness. Domino proves that De Palmas relation to new media includes coming to terms with the horror of ISIS beheading videos  the new media depersonalization that is inseparable from the private commemoration in cellphone photo swipes and facial-recognition technology that destroys all privacy. That concern animates every scene. Its total illumination of our digital-age crisis.

Story continues

De Palmas 2007 film Redacted was a predictably sour retort to George Bushs continuation of the Iraq War. De Palma couldnt get over the cynicism he developed in the countercultural Sixties, and his knee-jerk liberalism forced him to shortchange his sympathy with the films soldier characters, unforgivably showing them as moral criminals. With screenwriter Petter Skavlan, DePalmas Domino premise updates Eisenhowers 1950s domino theory so that the warning against Communisms spread becomes an allegory for this centurys spread of rampant, even murderous, incivility.

In this way, Domino responds to the post-9/11 political malaise (as well as professional difficulties) that caused De Palmas artistic slump. That he eventually equates Islamic terrorism to common human vengeance reveals his unfortunate, facile cynicism. Australian actor Guy Pearce plays a bad Yankee CIA agent whose exit line is as trite as his villainous Southern accent: Were Americans; we read your emails. This juvenile political streak is at odds with Dominos most movingly humane and cinematic moments: A road-movie motif from Godards Made in U.S.A., a cliff-hanger motif from Hitchcocks Vertigo, and a harrowing, self-mocking film-festival red-carpet motif from De Palmas last great film, Femme Fatale.

These subconscious cineaste references intrude on the global nightmare as evidence that De Palma himself  unlike most recently weaponized pop-culture figures  might be rethinking the cultural decline that has become unmistakable in our politics, but especially in our media habits. Thats Dominos real theme.

More from National Review




Donald Trump renewed his attack on Robert Mueller, a day after the former special counsel said at a press conference that investigators could not conclude that the president had not committed a crime.

Mueller broke his two-year public silence on Wednesday, denying that his inquiry had concluded that Trump is innocent, saying: If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said that.

In his statement, Mueller contradicted Trumps claims that the results of his investigation into Russian election interference and the Trump campaigns links with Moscow awarded him total exoneration.

Yet immediately after Mueller spoke, the White House declared total vindication, and Trump was back on the defensive on Thursday morning.

Trump kept up the White House campaign to distort what the Mueller report says, and what Mueller himself said, on Wednesday. In morning tweets, Trump said Mueller would have brought charges, if he had ANYTHING.

Amid a rant about this witch hunt hoax, Trump appeared to admit that Russia helped elect him president, though he later rowed back on that.

Related: Trump says Russia helped elect him  then quickly backtracks

Speaking to reporters later in the day, Trump went on to mischaracterize Muellers findings and Muellers statement.

I think he is a total conflicted person. Mueller is a true never-Trumper. Hes somebody that dislikes Donald Trump, Trump said. He said, essentially: Youre innocent. There was no crime, there was no charge because he had no information.

Trump has previously claimed Mueller is conflicted because the special counsel wanted the job as FBI director. Steve Bannon, Trumps former senior advisor, has said this is untrue.

Muellers statement reignited calls from Democratic 2020 presidential candidates for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump.

Related: Robert Mueller breaks silence to insist he did not exonerate Trump

Three prominent Democratic presidential candidates joined more than 40 House representatives in calling for impeachment proceedings.

Story continues

But the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, the most senior Democrat in Congress, tamped down expectations, reportedly describing the process as a fools errand.

Pelosi has long opposed impeaching Trump, and stood by that decision despite intensified demands for the House to bring charges.

She said on Wednesday: You dont bring an impeachment unless you have all the facts.

Axios reported that Pelosi was even more defiant in private. One ally told the website that Pelosi felt as strongly as ever that impeachment would be foolhardy heading into the 2020 election.

Pelosi has said Trump is goading Democrats into impeaching him, since the president believes it would solidify his base support.

In a dramatic nine-minute statement, Mueller, whose report was published last month, added that charging Trump with a crime was not an option we could consider, because of justice department policy.

In an interview with CBS News, the attorney general, William Barr, said Mueller could have reached a decision on whether Trump obstructed justice.

Barr said that though justice department rules prevent the indictment of a sitting president, Mueller nonetheless could have decided whether Trump had committed a crime.

I personally felt he couldve reached a decision on whether charges against the president were warranted, Barr said.

He said that when Mueller didnt make a decision, he and the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, concluded that the evidence didnt support an obstruction charge.

Muellers statement reignited calls from Democratic 2020 presidential candidates for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump.

Many Democrats interpreted Muellers comments as a go-ahead for Congress to begin the process of bringing charges against Trump.

The Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Pete Buttigieg for the first time called for the House to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump following Muellers statement. Booker insisted there is now one remaining path to ensure justice is served.

He said: It is our legal and moral obligation to hold those who have committed crimes accountable. Its clear that the House must begin impeachment proceedings. No one is above the law.

Related: Impeachment talk is rising among Democrats. Nancy Pelosi is right to shut it down | Zaid Jilani

Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Beto ORourke, along with other 2020 candidates, have previously called for the House to begin impeachment proceedings. About 40 House Democrats have publicly said Trump should be impeached, along with a lone Republican congressman, Justin Amash.

In a statement, Gillibrand said the White House had repeatedly stonewalled Congresss investigations into Trump.

She said: Combined with the fact that Robert Mueller clearly expects Congress to exercise its constitutional authority and take steps that he could not, its time for Republicans and Democrats to begin impeachment hearings and follow the facts wherever they may lead.

But Pelosi lowered expectations following an event in San Francisco, telling reporters only 15% of House Democrats openly support impeachment. Though the Democrats hold a majority in the House, the Republicans hold the Senate, which would act as the jury in any impeachment.

She said: We wont be swayed by a few people who think one way or another who are running for president, as much as I respect all of them and they have the freedom to be for impeachment.

We have the responsibility to get a result for the American people and thats where were going.

In his comments on Thursday, Trump suggested he should not be impeached.

There was no high crime and there was no misdemeanor, Trump said when asked about impeachment.

I dont see how  I cant imagine the courts allowing it, Trump said. To me, its a dirty word, the word impeach. Its a dirty, filthy, disgusting word, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
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).




Sir Philip Green has been charged with four counts of misdemeanour assault in the US after a pilates instructor alleged he repeatedly touched her inappropriately, Arizona authorities have said.

Lauren Deakin, a deputy county attorney in Pima county, said Green had been formally charged with four counts of knowingly touching another person with the intent to injure, insult or provoke.

Greens alleged victim told police the Arcadia boss had spanked and grabbed her backside in 2016 and 2018 at a luxury resort in Tucson. In a copy of the police interview, obtained by the Press Association, Katie Surridge said that the creepy old man had vigorously slapped her bottom up to 10 times in January 2016.

Related: Sir Philip Green asked for extra 50m to cover Arcadia's CVA offer

The case will return to court in Tucson on 19 June, according to court filings.

These are class three misdemeanours. Each count has a potential sentence of up to 30 days in the Pima county jail, a fine of not more than $500, and up to one year of probation, deputy county attorney Deakin said.

Surridge told police she was worried about frustrating a high roller at the resort following the 2016 incident, but decided to speak to management who said they spoke to Green and reassured her it would not happen again.

But Surridge told police that Green assaulted her a second time in January 2018.

This time, instead of slapping my butt, he puts his hands, like, he wraps his hands around my waist and then grabs my butt cheek and just puts his hand there and just holds it there as hes hugging me, she said.

He went on to make uncomfortable comments and pat her exposed stomach as she demonstrated an exercise, Surridge alleged.

And then the session ended and I immediately went upstairs to [managements] office and I was in tears and I said: He was told never to touch me again and here he is touching me again, Surridge told police.

The Daily Telegraph first reported that Green was being investigated by police in February. Surridge told the newspaper she had felt just a piece of meat there at his disposal.

Story continues

It feels completely sexual in nature. And the way  the noises, and the Oh, you naughty girl. Like  ugh  I can hear him saying it right now.

Green denied the claims through a statement via his company Arcadia.

Sir Philip strenuously denies these allegations and is disappointed that the charges have been filed in his absence and they are minor categories of misdemeanor in the United States, the statement said. Sir Philip is not personally required to attend before the court at the forthcoming hearing and will be represented by his lawyer. Contrary to previous suggestions in the media there is no allegation of any sexual assault or misconduct made by the prosecution.

Surridges account was supported, however, by a homeowner at the Canyon Ranch luxury resort, who told police she had witnessed the assault.

I see his hand go reach out and, like, pat her buttocks, Kimberly Khoury said, referring to Green. And then pat it again and like, grab her buttocks. And then she kind of moved, like, startled a little bit. And took like a step away. And then he removed his hand and brought it back.

I cant tell you what we talked about because I was so focused on what was happening with his  uh, his octopus-like hand.

They continued talking before he grabbed Surridges bottom again, Khoury alleged.

And like, slaps, you know, spanks it, whatever, so like, taps it. And then grabs again and this happened in the course of like a minute and a half, or two minutes. He did that three or four times. It was pretty clear that, to me, that she wasnt welcoming the behavior.

This month, the House of Lords heard that Green had been the subject of hundreds of grievance cases. Peter Hain, a former Labour cabinet minister under Tony Blair, said in the House of Lords. Exercising parliamentary privilege, he said had heard horrible claims of repeated sexual assaults by Green.

Hain said one alleged victim of Green had pleaded with him to name the retail tycoon.

I quote: He was touching and repeatedly slapping women staffs bottoms, grabbing thighs and touching legs. Hundreds of grievance cases were raised with HR [human resources]. The company lawyer who interviewed me then lied. Sir Philip screamed and shouted at staff to go to psychologists, Hain said.

Green has denied the allegations that Hain spoke of.

Green, 67, was knighted in 2006 for services to the retail industry, but his Arcadia fashion empire is ailing amid plummeting profits at its fashion chains, which include Topshop, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Evans and Outfit.

Arcadia could collapse next week if Green cannot persuade his shops landlords and the UK pension regulator to back a rescue deal that involves slashing his rent bills and closing about 50 stores.

The man once dubbed the king of the high street is attempting to do a deal with the groups creditors and has said that if they do not agree to his rescue plan it is highly likely, either immediately or after a short time period, to enter into insolvent administration or liquidation.

The creditors will vote next Wednesday, 5 June, on whether to accept the deal. Green wants some shop owners to take a 70% cut in their rents, and some local authorities to cut their business rates to help him stay in business.

Arcadia has 570 shops and 18,000 employees and its pension scheme has a deficit of up to 750m.

When Green unveiled his rescue plan it included 360m of funding for the pension scheme, paid over three years. But the UK pension regulator said it was not enough and wants Green and his wife Tina to pump in another 50m to secure its backing. The regulator has legal powers to force Arcadia and Green to ensure its pension is properly funded.

The latest battle with the pension regulator comes just over two years after Green agreed to put 363m into the pension scheme of BHS, the department store group which collapsed about a year after he sold it for 1 to a former bankrupt.

Since then, Greens Arcadia empire has struggled to compete against fast-growing online specialists such as Boohoo and Asos as well as cheaper rival Primark.

Contacted by the Guardian when the details of the assault charges were released, Green refused to comment.

When the allegations were first revealed, a spokesman for the retailer said: All this was investigated by Canyon Ranch at the time. Nothing was found against Sir Philip and the matter was dropped. In terms of the allegation, it did not happen. Sir Philip has visited the ranch since that time and has no issues with the management or any of the people there.

Agencies contributed to this report
Manila (AFP) - Tonnes of garbage sent to the Philippines years ago was shipped back to Canada on Friday after a festering diplomatic row, as Asian nations increasingly reject serving as dumping grounds for international trash.

After a long campaign to urge Canada to take back the rotting waste, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at Ottawa last week and ordered the refuse returned immediately.

The 69 shipping containers of garbage were loaded onto a cargo vessel at Subic Bay, a former US naval base and shipping port northwest of Manila, and began the lengthy trip to Canada.

"Baaaaaaaaa bye, as we say it," Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin wrote on Twitter, along with images of the vessel leaving.

Canada's Environment Minister Catherine McKenna welcomed the news of the trash being returned, telling reporters on Thursday: "We committed with the Philippines and we're working closely with them."

Just days earlier Malaysia announced it was shipping 450 tonnes of imported plastic waste back to its sources, including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

For years China had received the bulk of scrap plastic from around the world, but closed its doors to foreign refuse last year in an effort to clean up its environment.

Huge quantities of waste plastic have since been redirected to Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia and to a lesser degree the Philippines.

"We've seen pristine communities... transformed into dumpsites because of a tsunami of waste shipments from the US, UK and Australia as a result of the China ban," said Von Hernandez, global coordinator from Break Free From Plastic advocacy group.

- 300 million tonnes of waste -

The Philippine row centres on dozens of containers which a Canadian firm sent to the Southeast Asian nation in 2013 and 2014 -- incorrectly labelled as recyclables.

The issue has polluted Manila-Ottawa ties for years, but it blew up when Duterte said in an April speech: "Let's fight Canada. I will declare war against them."

Story continues

Since then Canada pledged to take back the waste, but after it missed a Manila-imposed May 15 deadline the Philippines recalled its envoys to Ottawa.

Duterte's spokesman, Salvador Panelo, ratcheted up the pressure by saying Manila would ship the trash back on its own "immediately" and threatened to dump the waste in Canadian waters.

From the Philippine side there were immediate signs the departure of the trash would stabilise Manila-Ottawa relations.

"To our recalled posts, get your flights back. Thanks and sorry for the trouble you went through to drive home a point." Foreign Secretary Locsin tweeted on Friday.

Global concern over plastic pollution has been spurred by shocking images of waste-clogged rivers in Southeast Asia and accounts of dead sea creatures found with kilos of refuse in their stomachs.

Around 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), with much of it ending up in landfills or polluting the seas, in what has become a growing international crisis.
If youve ever passed the cockpit while boarding a flight and tried to pick up bits from your pilots conversation, you probably didnt glean much from them. From terms like niner to Zulu, pilot-speak can sound like its own language.

While most of the phrases flight crew use were borne out of a need for clear and succinct communication over an occasionally fuzzy radio transmission, according to aviation experts, there are also more colorful phrases that pilots say were conceived of in the sky and shared widely among staffers.

A lot of the ways we say things to be meaningful to other pilots is kind of monkey-see, monkey-do, says Ferdi Mack, senior manager at the Pilot Information Center, of picking up lingo on the job. Part of your challenge is to get it and understand it. And flight crews often use the same pilot slang in slightly different ways.

So if youve ever wondered what your flight crew is talking about, you can save yourself years of aviation training with this rundown of pilot jargon.

Lets kick the tires and light the fires

Famously uttered by Harry Connick Jr. in Independence Day, the military phrase signals that a plane is just about ready for takeoff, says Mark Baker, a commercial pilot of 35 years and current president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Once the crew completes the pre-flight gear inspection, its time to ignite the engine and take to the sky. These days however, its much more common to hear pilots announce that the plane is cleared for takeoff  particularly on commercial flights  for the sake of brevity.

Feet wet



This phrase alerts air traffic controllers when a military aircraft, (usually a Navy carrier pilot), is flying over water, says Tom Haines, a private pilot and editor-in-chief of AOPAs Pilot magazine. In the event that the aircraft encounters an emergency above water, like trouble in a combat zone, the controllers can deploy the proper rescue vessels given the planes location. Once a flight has crossed the shore and resumes flying over land, theyll call in to air traffic control that theyre feet dry, Haines adds.

Story continues

Weve got a deadhead crew flying to Chicago

Despite how it may sound, this isnt an insult: Off-duty pilots or flight crew who board a commercial flight as passengers to fly back to the planes home base are called deadheads, Haines says. Deadheading is fairly common: if a flight crew lands in their destination but must depart from a different airport for their next shift, an airline can fly the off-duty crew members there, as long as there are seats available, he says.

In rare cases, a deadhead crew can boot paying passengers. United Airlines created a customer service frenzy when a viral video captured a passengers violent removal from an overbooked flight to make room for four deadhead United crew members. Airport security officers dragged a bloodied David Dao down the aisle of the plane after he refused to give up his seat. Two security officers were fired after the incident, and United has since settled with Dao.

Theres a pilot in the jumpseat

If there arent any seats in the passenger cabin available for deadheads, they can claim an extra fold-up seat in the cockpit, known as a jumpseat. Most jumpseats are reserved for FAA inspectors or off-duty flight personnel traveling back to their home base, says Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines pilot of 40 years.

You basically beg for a ride on your airline or somebodys elses to get to work, Aimer says. Several airlines offer courtesy jumpseats to pilots from other companies, too.

Its 17:00 Zulu time

Since pilots can pass through multiple time zones in one trip and must communicate with air traffic controllers from around the world, aviators follow Zulu time, or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the universal time zone of the skies, Aimer says. GMT is the time kept by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. So if its 2 a.m. in London for example, itll be 02:00 Zulu time for every pilot in the air.

But to avoid confusion among passengers, pilots refer to the time zone of their destination when speaking with passengers over the intercom.

George is flying the plane now

Theres a George on nearly every commercial aircraft, but hes not a crew member. George is a nickname for a planes autopilot system that follows a programmed set of points to the flights destination, taking into consideration changes in turbulence and altitude, according to Aimer. Pilots often deploy George to command the plane when it reaches cruising altitude or when theyve flown for more than 10 hours, when theyre required to rest per FAA regulations for two-pilot planes.

Get the latest career, relationship and wellness advice to enrich your life: sign up for TIMEs Living newsletter.

Were flying through an air pocket

Turbulence-averse flyers, beware: air pocket is just another word for the winds that jostle a plane from different directions. Aimer says the term air pocket causes less panic than turbulence among passengers.

As soon as we say turbulence, people get scared, Aimer says. We use air pockets to calm [passengers] down.

The direction and force of winds often alter the length of a trip, too, depending on their direction: if the plane is flying with a strong wind, it may land 30 minutes to an hour earlier, Aimer says, depending on the length of their trip. If its flying against the wind, passengers might be in for a longer flight.

Tree, fife and niner

Aviators often speak pilot English to avoid miscommunications over radio transmission. Tree for instance, means three, fife is the number five and niner means nine, says Tom Zecha, a manager at AOPA. The variations stemmed from a desire to avoid confusion between similar-sounding numbers, he says.

Pass the crew juice

After a long day in the sky, crew members often need to unwindsometimes adjusting to a completely new time zone. Juice refers to a cocktail that former American Airlines flight attendant and aviation cabin safety expert Kathy Lord-Jones describes as a mixture of [alcoholic] beverages left over from a flight. Crew members are prohibited from drinking on the job; rather, they share the juice at the end of their duty day, or the full shift that starts with sign-in at the airport and ends with check-in at their hotel, Lord-Jones says.

Pan-Pan

Airline passengers likely wont ever hear their pilot use this term, which is reserved for communication with air traffic controllers. When pilots notice something unusual with their aircraft that stops short of an immediate emergency, they use pan-pan, a signal of urgency and attention, Baker says. If one of a multi-engine aircrafts engines has failed, for example, pilots might say pan-pan to get controllers attention and request an emergency landing.

When pilots use this signal, other aviators on the same radio frequency will typically shut up and let you get your message across, Baker says, allowing air traffic control to provide the appropriate aid and prevent a crisis in flight.

There are 155 souls on board

The number of souls on an aircraft refers to the total living bodies on the plane: every passenger, pilot, flight attendant and crew member, according to Lord-Jones. Pilots often report the number of souls when declaring an emergency, she says, so rescuers know the amount of people to search for.

Correction: The original version of this story misdescribed the meanings behind some aviation phrases. Zulu time is a 24-hour time system, not a 12-hour time system. Souls on board refers to all living bodies on the plane, not just the passengers.
Mecca (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) - Islam's holiest city Mecca is abuzz with pilgrims in the last days of the fasting month of Ramadan, despite tight security for high-profile gatherings of Muslim and Arab dignitaries.

At a palace overlooking the Grand Mosque, Saudi Arabia's King Salman hosted back-to-back emergency summits of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab League in the early hours of Friday.

Some roads remained blocked as Mecca geared up to host a third meeting later in the day, a long-scheduled gathering of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

As the flags of participating countries fluttered in the streets, worshippers in white flocked towards the Grand Mosque that surrounds the Kaaba stone towards which Muslims pray.

Mecca sees an influx in the last 10 days of Ramadan, which believers consider the holiest month.

Pilgrims from all over the world spend those days praying in the Grand Mosque as well as other places of worship in the holy city, entry to which is forbidden for non-Muslims.

- 'Message of love' -

Emirati visitor Suheil al-Zubeidy sat dressed in white at a hotel in the centre in Mecca, as journalists hurried by to cover the summits which saw Saudi Arabia look to whip up support against rival Iran.

"Mecca was a message of love in the past, and today it is again sending a message to avoid war and for coexistence, but firmly," he told AFP.

Tens of millions of Muslims go to Mecca every year to perform pilgrimage or even just pray. The city is where Muslims believe Prophet Mohammed received revelations of the Muslim holy book, the Koran.

On Thursday night, dozens of men and women gathered near a mosque to break their day-long fast. They laid out a white blanket on the green grass and sat on the floor to share an iftar meal, as calls to prayer from loudspeakers filled the air.

An administrative worker at the mosque said many people spend the last 10 days praying.

"They want nothing but to pray," he told AFP. "Some pray for a lover, some pray for work, and some pray that God heal them.

Story continues

"They spend all their days in the mosque and only come out to break their fast."

- 'Pray for anything' -

Khaled al-Ghamdi from the south of the kingdom has been living in Mecca for the past two months.

The increased number of worshippers coupled with the closure of roads due to the meetings has resulted in heavy congestion, he told AFP.

"But, there's no problem at all. Everything becomes easy, thank God," he said.

Saudi Ahmed al-Rajihi said the last 10 days of the holy month is when "you can pray for anything you want in your life".

"Every person has his own unique story here," he told AFP.

But not everyone's story is pretty.

Pakistani Ahmed Nuaim's trip to Mecca turned into one of tragedy after his wife was killed and his mother seriously injured in a car accident in the holy city.

Nuaim, who resides in the Saudi city of Khobar, was in Mecca with his family to perform Umrah -- a lesser pilgrimage than Islam's main one, the Hajj.

"This has been our custom the past few years. We prefer to perform Umrah in Ramadan because it is said we get more benefits," the father of four told AFP.

"We buried my wife near the Grand Mosque," he said, holding back tears.

"For my children, this is another incentive to come back here... to visit their mother's grave and pray for her."
Iraqi Christian Survives Being Burned Alive By ISIS 3 Times

An Iraqi Christian shares his story of being imprisoned by ISIS, in which they tried to burn him alive three times but his body didn't burn. His story is from an upcoming documentary film called "Heart and Hands: Iraq" from Sean Feucht with his work through Light A Candle Project. An Iraqi Christian who said Jesus appeared to him twice in his dreams recounts being imprisoned by ISIS, tortured and burned three times by the terrorist group.

The man, a Yazidi, recounts his harrowing story in a documentary by Sean Feucht and Bethel Music.

"The Yazidis... were really targeted by ISIS for genocide...they were raped, they were beaten, they were executed," Feucht told Fox News. "ISIS didn't even want to imprison them, they just wanted to kill them, wipe them off the map."

Feucht interviewed the man, who was not named, through his non-profit, Light A Candle Project, which goes into all parts of the world but primarily Iraq, where the Islamic State was at the height of its brutality, to help people who've experienced some of the world's worst suffering.

The Yazidi man says he was burned alive three times by ISIS after they found out he was a follower of Christ. He said his body "didn't burn" a single time when he was imprisoned and tortured by the radical Islamic terrorists for two months.

"He spoke to me," the persecuted Christian shared, referencing Jesus in his dreams.

Feucht told him: "Jesus appeared twice to you in a dream because He loves you."

The man said he was stoned and ISIS members drenched him in 20 gallons of gasoline. But even though he was burned alive, he said he inexplicably survived unharmed. He credited Jesus for surviving.

"And they burned me, but I didn't burn," he said.

The Iraqi Christian's story is one account from the upcoming documentary film "Hearts and Hands: Iraq" that is expected to be released later this year. A preview was shown at the "Heaven Come" conference in Los Angeles.

Feucht said it shows what persecuted Christians go through overseas.

His group recently raised over $100,000 to distribute food, blankets, mattresses, and other materials, as well as offering trauma therapy counseling and kids programs, teaching music, and praying with persecuted Christians in the region where Christianity once flourished but is now near extinction, according to faith leaders.

"I feel like we're really called to the most persecuted, closed, dark, marginalized places," he said. Over the past 15 years, the Bethel Music worship leader has gone into North Korea, India, Afghanistan..."some of the topmost closed countries and places where it's illegal to be a Christian," he said. But they said they've seen and heard stories of incredible miracles.

Feucht said he is encouraged by the growth of the church in Iraq, China, and India, places where it is most persecuted.

"Our team's in Iraq right now, and the U.S. State Department just sent out this notification that said 'All US personnel leave Iraq' and all the NGOs left but our guys are still there. We were there through ISIS. We've been there through the worst of the worst," Feucht said. "Everyone thought we were crazy. Right as everyone was leaving, we came in, and because of it, we have a thriving, flourishing project there."

For Feucht, mission work is in his family's DNA, as the son of medical missionaries who took him on trips to unreached people and remote places, he has seen what most Americans Christians, who make up just 5 percent of the global Christian population, don't get to see.

"We want to re-define missions for a generation to where we're actually the first ones to respond," Feucht concluded. "That's the essence of the gospel to go into places where no one else is willing to go."
By David Brunnstrom

BERLIN (Reuters) - The United States raised the pressure on Western allies in a war of attrition over next-generation networks on Friday, saying countries that allow China's Huawei to build their telecoms infrastructure could be cut off from crucial intelligence data.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued the warning after meeting Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of Germany, which has so far stood with Britain and France in declining calls to ban the state-owned manufacturer from the 5G networks now being built.

In the latest sign of escalating trans-Atlantic tensions over trade and security, Pompeo, on the first leg of a five-day European tour, said that while countries would take a "sovereign decision" on which equipment to use, that decision would have consequences.

"(There is) a risk we will have to change our behaviour in light of the fact that we can't permit data on private citizens or data on national security to go across networks that we don't have confidence (in)," he told a news conference.

Pompeo later met Chancellor Angela Merkel for brief talks before flying on to Switzerland, describing Germany as "a great, important partner and ally of the United States".

Merkel herself had just flown back from the United States the night before after delivering a speech to graduating Harvard students in which she exhorted them to "tear down walls of ignorance" and to stand for truth over lies - words widely interpreted as veiled criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The U.S. is and remains our most important partner outside Europe," Merkel told reporters ahead of the meeting. "We have many issues to discuss, since the world is not at rest," she added, mentioning the challenge of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and hindering Iran's "aggressive actions".

Pompeo urged close ally Britain this month not to use Huawei's technology to build new 5G networks because of concerns it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying.

Story continues

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, responding to similar comments on Huawei made by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Canada on Thursday, said the United States had yet to prove that Huawei's products presented a security risk.

"We hope that the United States can stop these mistaken actions which are not at all commensurate with their status and position as a big country," said spokesman Geng Shuang.

The United States is at odds with its German allies on a host of issues, from trade to military spending and nuclear non-proliferation.

IRAN AGREEMENT

Pompeo's visit had been scheduled earlier this month, but was called off at the last minute as tensions rose over Iran. Berlin and Washington differ on the best approach to Iran over its nuclear programme.

Under a 2015 nuclear agreement with major powers, which Washington withdrew from last year, Tehran accepted curbs on its uranium enrichment programme in exchange for the removal of most international sanctions.

Iran's decision this month to backtrack from some commitments under the accord - in response to U.S. measures to cripple its economy - threatens to unravel the deal.

The German Foreign Ministry said on its website: "Germany and the U.S. agree: For the security of the region, it is crucial that Iran does not come into possession of nuclear weapons."

Maas stressed during his talks with Pompeo that "as long as Tehran adheres to the agreed rules, the agreement makes the region safer," the ministry added. A German envoy seeking to preserve the nuclear deal visited Iran last week.

But in comments on Iran in an interview to run in German daily Bild on Saturday, Pompeo said: "We hope Germany does more ... The (Iranian) regime is an expansionist theocracy. Free democracies have a duty to protect the world from this threat."

Pompeo also took a swipe at the German government for failing to reach a NATO target of spending 2% of national income on defence, telling Bild: "The most serious consequence is in the hands of the German population."

"The federal government has given the promise of 2% and the people should demand that the government keeps its promise," he said in usually blunt comments towards a NATO ally.

(Reporting by Paul Carrel and Joseph Nasr in Berlin, Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Writing by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Frances Kerry and Stephen Powell)
Berlin (AFP) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday voiced concern over a warning to Jews by a German official about the dangers of wearing the kippa skullcap in Germany in the face of rising anti-Semitic attacks.

The German government's commissioner on anti-Semitism Felix Klein sparked alarm when he said in a recent interview that he "cannot advise Jews to wear the kippa everywhere all the time in Germany".

Pompeo expressed his disquiet over the warning during a visit to Berlin on Friday.

"We were concerned to see Jews discouraged from wearing the yarmulke in public out of safety concerns. None of us should shrink in the face of prejudice," he said at a press conference.

Germany, like other Western countries, has watched with alarm as anti-Semitic and other racist hate speech and violence rose in recent years while the political climate has coarsened and grown more polarised.

Israel's President Reuven Rivlin has voiced shock at Klein's warning, calling it a "capitulation to anti-Semitism".

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman subsequently stepped in to stress that it was the job of the state to ensure that "anyone can go anywhere in our country in full security wearing a kippa".

Anti-Semitic crimes were up by 20 percent in Germany last year, according to interior ministry data which blamed nine out of 10 cases on the extreme right.

The arrival in parliament of the far-right AfD party, whose leaders openly question Germany's culture of atonement for World War II atrocities, has also contributed to the change in atmosphere.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany has already issued several warnings about wearing the kippa in public.

In one prominent case last year, a 19-year-old Syrian man was convicted for assault after lashing out with his belt at an Israeli man wearing a Jewish skullcap while shouting "yahudi", Jew in Arabic.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday telephoned Jewish council president Josef Schuster over the issue and issued a statement stressing that it was the "job of the state to protect our Jewish fellow citizens and to intervene where necessary".
Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis headed to Romania on Friday with a message of integration not just for its faith communities but for a post-election European Union, following nationalist gains.

During the three-day trip to the mainly Orthodox country, which sits at the crossroads of Western and Eastern Europe, Francis is expected to touch on issues fuelling nationalism, such as poverty, as well as inter-religious relations.

"I come to you to walk together," Francis said in a message to the people of Romania ahead of his departure.

"We walk together when we learn to keep the roots of the family, when we cater to the future of our children and of our brothers next to us, when we go beyond fear and suspicion, when we let the walls that divide us from others fall," he said.

The pontiff set off from Rome's Fiumicino airport at 0615 GMT after meeting a group of 15 homeless Romanians who live in Rome.

Relations between the Orthodox Church and Romania's Greek Catholics -- who number just 150,000 -- have been strained ever since the country was under post-war Communist rule.

The tiny community had its property confiscated while its religious leaders were jailed.

But the Greek Catholics resisted, holding secret masses until the dictatorship fell in 1989.

The pope will beatify seven bishops who were tortured and died in prison, setting them on the path to sainthood.

- Golden rose -

Francis's visit follows 20 years after John Paul II received a hearty welcome for his perceived role in the fall of Communism.

The Argentine pontiff will travel across the country, from Bucharest to Iasi and Blaj, to meet people of diverse faiths and languages among Romania's 20 million inhabitants -- which include 18 officially recognised minorities.

The highlight of the trip is set to be Saturday's mass at the Sumuleu Ciuc shrine in a predominantly ethnic-Hungarian part of the picturesque Transylvania region.

Tens of thousands are expected to attend the ceremony, which will see Francis present a golden rose at the large wooden replica of the Madonna -- a tradition for popes visiting major Marian shrines.

Story continues

On arriving Friday in Bucharest Francis will meet president Klaus Iohannis as well as Romania's first female prime minister, Viorica Dancila, before addressing the nation in a televised speech.

The 82-year-old is expected to touch on unemployment and poverty -- factors that have driven some 16 percent of the population, mostly youngsters, to emigrate to other EU countries since Romania joined the bloc in 2007.

He will likely reference the conservative and anti-immigrant narratives that propelled many nationalist parties -- including in neighbouring Hungary -- to significant wins in last week's European parliament elections.

- 'Hearts and minds open' -

It will be an opportunity "to send a message to the many Catholic Hungarians there to keep their hearts, minds and gates open to others," religious expert Claire Giangrave wrote in the religious news website Cruxnow.

Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said the pope's trip "will take into account" the EU populist gains.

Francis will take a turn in his popemobile through the streets of Bucharest to Saint Joseph's Cathedral where 30,000 people are expected to gather for a mass.

He will have a private meeting with Orthodox Patriarch Daniel, but while they will pray alongside each other -- one in Latin and the other in Romanian -- the pair will not appear together in public, a sign of their frosty relations.

"The challenge for the pope is to stress to the Orthodox community that the Church of Rome does not want to 'Latinize' it," said Bishop Pascal Gollnisch, director of the Oeuvre d'Orient French charity, which supports Eastern Churches.

"The unity sought is not institutional: the aim is not to bring all Christians together under the Catholic label, but to have everyone recognise each other as Christians," he told AFP.
Bucharest (AFP) - Romanians lined Bucharest streets and packed two cathedrals on Friday to welcome Pope Francis, who began a three-day trip to the country with a message of integration for a post-election European Union following nationalist gains.

In speeches in the capital, Francis praised the "sacrifices" of Romanian emigrants and urged the faithful to reject "a culture of hate".

Thousands of people along Bucharest boulevards cheered, waved and took pictures as Francis travelled through the capital by popemobile.

Many television channels transmitted his visit live, while screens where put up throughout the city for people to watch the ceremonies.

- 'Viva papa' -

Outside Saint Joseph Catholic Cathedral, where tens of thousands gathered for a mass, people waved flags and also chanted "Viva papa", or "Long live the pope".

During the three-day visit to the mainly Orthodox country the 82-year-old is expected to raise issues fuelling nationalism, such as poverty, as well as inter-religious relations.

In one of his speeches Friday, Francis paid homage "to the sacrifices endured by so many sons and daughters of Romania". Rampant unemployment and poverty have pushed millions to seek better lives abroad and the country still faces major socio-political problems despite joining the EU in 2007.

The exodus of Romanians seeking work abroad had led to the "depopulation of many villages", he said.

He also had a private meeting with Orthodox Patriarch Daniel despite their strained relations, and they prayed alongside each other -- one in Latin and the other in Romanian.

The pontiff set off from Rome's Fiumicino airport early Friday after meeting a group of 15 homeless Romanians who live in Rome.

In Bucharest, he was welcomed at the airport by pro-European President Klaus Iohannis and some 200 cheering children, dressed mostly in white and waving flags.

After talks with Iohannis, Francis met Romania's first female Prime Minister, Viorica Dancila.

Story continues

- Strained history -

The pope's visit follows 20 years after John Paul II received a warm welcome for his perceived role in the fall of Communism.

Relations between the Orthodox Church and Romania's Greek Catholics -- who number just 150,000 -- have been strained ever since the decades of the communist rule following World War II.

The tiny community had its property confiscated and its religious leaders were jailed.

But the Greek Catholics resisted, holding secret masses until the dictatorship fell in 1989.

The pontiff will beatify seven bishops who were tortured and died in prison, setting them on the path to sainthood.

He will also travel across the country to meet people of diverse faiths and languages, which include 18 officially recognised minorities.

The highlight of the trip is set to be Saturday's mass at the Sumuleu Ciuc shrine in a predominantly ethnic-Hungarian part of the picturesque Transylvania region.

Tens of thousands are expected to attend the ceremony, which will see Francis present a golden rose at the large wooden replica of the Madonna -- a tradition for popes visiting major Marian shrines.

- 'Hearts and minds open' -

Francis' trip will be an opportunity "to send a message to the many Catholic Hungarians there to keep their hearts, minds and gates open to others," religious expert Claire Giangrave wrote in the religious news website Cruxnow.

"The challenge for the pope is to stress to the Orthodox community that the Church of Rome does not want to 'Latinise' it," said Bishop Pascal Gollnisch, director of the Oeuvre d'Orient French charity, which supports Eastern Churches.

"The unity sought is not institutional: the aim is not to bring all Christians together under the Catholic label, but to have everyone recognise each other as Christians," he told AFP.

burs-jza/jj
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP)  Pope Francis opened a three-day pilgrimage to Romania on Friday by delivering a new appeal for unity, 20 years after St. John Paul II made the first-ever papal visit to a majority Orthodox country.

Francis referred to that historic trip during his opening speech before Romanian government authorities and his subsequent meeting with Patriarch Daniel, the head of the Orthodox Church.

John Paul's 1999 visit to Romania, just 10 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, was the first by a pope to a majority Orthodox country since the Great Schism divided Christianity in 1054.

It was marked by an extraordinary welcome for a Polish pope who helped bring down communism and included spontaneous chants of "unity, unity" from the crowds.

"This is already unity," Francis told Daniel on Friday.

"We need to help each other not fall into the seduction of a culture of hatred, an individualistic culture that may not be as ideological as during the atheist persecutions, but is still persuasive," he said.

It's the latest of Francis' foreign trips to poor countries where Catholics are a minority. In Romania, they are a divided minority between two Catholic rites, Roman Catholic and Greek-Catholic

Francis warned that all Romanians must come together even more now to confront today's challenges, noting the huge numbers of people who leave the country each year in search of jobs, depopulating entire villages and weakening the roots of Romanian culture.

"Only to the extent that a society is concerned for its most disadvantaged members, can it be considered truly civil," he said.

Key moments during Francis' trip are his Mass for the largely Hungarian-speaking Roman Catholic faithful at the country's most famous Marian shrine, Sumuleu Ciuc, in eastern Transylvania. He will also beatify seven Greek-Catholic bishops who were martyred during communist rule, when Catholics were brutally persecuted.

Story continues

"I'm coming to you to walk together," Francis said in a video released on the eve of his trip.

In a sign of their unity, Francis and Patriarch Daniel recited the Our Father prayer in the Orthodox Cathedral, a towering new construction funded in part by a $200,000 donation by John Paul when he visited in 1999.

Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti stressed that while the two religious leaders physically prayed in the same place, they didn't pray together, an important distinction for many Orthodox. Ordinary faithful were on hand for the chant-filled service, in sharp contrast to Francis' recent visit to Bulgaria, when he was allowed to pray in the Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, but alone.

In 1999, John Paul agreed to Orthodox demands that he visit only Bucharest and not Transylvania, where most of the country's Catholics live. In many ways then, Francis is fulfilling the itinerary that John Paul wanted to complete.

As then, the issue of confiscated property of the Catholic Church that was given to the Orthodox during communist rule remains a sore spot in relations. Gisotti said there were no plans for any public discussion of the dispute but didn't rule out private talks.

"We live in times of peace and understanding, but we wish these relations (between churches) to become better," said Francisc Dobos, spokesman for the Bucharest archbishopric. "We should not be afraid of one another, we should trust one another. This visit should make us become better Catholics and better Orthodox and in the end, better citizens."

___

Winfield reported from Rome.
By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical entrepreneur serving a seven-year prison term for fraud, on Friday sued three former colleagues at Retrophin Inc for more than $30 million, saying they illegally ousted him from that company in 2014.

In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Shkreli said Stephen Aselage, Margaret Valeur-Jensen and Gary Lyons fraudulently induced him to negotiate his exit from Retrophin, only to then "trick him" into signing away his rights as chief executive and founder without receiving anything in return.

Shkreli said the defendants were "driven by their egos, jealousy, and greed," and that Aselage and Valeur-Jensen then "paid themselves" more than $35 million from assets he created.

Aselage is a director of Retrophin, where he also served as chief executive after Shkreli left, while Lyons is Retrophin's chairman. Valeur-Jensen is a lawyer who became the San Diego-based company's general counsel after Shkreli's departure.

Retrophin was not named as a defendant. The company, through an outside spokesman, declined to comment on the lawsuit or on the defendants' behalf. The defendants could not immediately be reached for comment. Shkreli's lawyer, Edward Kang, declined to answer questions about the lawsuit.

Shkreli said his damages estimate reflects compensation owed under his employment agreement "and other compensation he would have received." He is also seeking unspecified punitive damages.

Known as "Pharma Bro," Shkreli, 36, is perhaps best known for raising the price of the anti-parasitic drug Daraprim by more than 5,000% while serving as chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals, now known as Phoenixus AG.

He also became known for his use of social media, including when he offered followers a $5,000 bounty for a hair from former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

A jury in Brooklyn, New York, convicted Shkreli in August 2017 of defrauding investors in hedge funds he once ran, and conspiring to manipulate Retrophin's stock price. He was acquitted on other charges.

Story continues

Shkreli is serving his sentence at a low-security prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania.

He had been imprisoned in Fort Dix, New Jersey, but was moved after The Wall Street Journal said in March he was helping "call the shots" for Phoenixus from there, with the aid of a contraband smartphone, as that company's "shadow power."

The case is Shkreli v Aselage et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 19-05120.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)
Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday renamed the country's airports to commemorate tsars and space pioneers as well as writer Anton Chekhov and operatic tenor Dmitri Hvorostovsky after an online poll that stirred up controversy.

Russia's Sheremetyevo airport will now be named after national poet Alexander Pushkin, known for witty works such as "Eugene Onegin," while the airport of the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on far eastern Sakhalin Island will take Chekhov's name, even though he visited the island only to write about the grim conditions in its tsarist-era prisons.

An online poll launched last autumn asked the public to nominate and vote on famous figures whose names could be given to around 40 airports across Russia.

Until now, almost all the country's airports have been named after their geographical location, usually the names of villages.

There was controversy over the renaming of the airport of the western city of Kaliningrad, formerly part of Germany, as many locals voted to name it after German philosopher Immanuel Kant, prompting accusations of a lack of patriotism.

The Kaliningrad airport will now be named after Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, whose army captured the city in 1758 but abandoned it five years later.

Other airports to be named after tsars include that of the northern city of Murmansk, which will be named after the last tsar Nicholas II.

Opera star Khvorostovsky, who died of a brain tumour in 2017 at the age of 55 will be commemorated in his native Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk where the airport will take on his name.

Pioneering space scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky will give his name to the airport of the city of Kaluga where he died, while Sergei Korolyov, the spacecraft designer who made possible the launch of the first man into space, Yuri Gagarin, will be commemorated in the Volga city of Samara, where he spent some of his career.

Putin signed a decree on renaming airports that came into force on Friday although it was not clear how exactly the new names would be written in English.
President Donald Trump and wife Melania will arrive in the UK on Monday 3 June for his first state visit, where he will be welcomed by the Queen and the Royal Family.

While eyes will be on Mr Trump to see if he breaches any royal protocols, its also worth watching out for the Queens choice of jewellery.

Last year when the US president visited the UK, he and Melania had tea with the monarch at Windsor Castle.

It was thought that Her Majesty was sending subliminal messages through her choice of brooches during the three days that Mr Trump was in the country last year.

While the Queen has always remained neutral on political matters, people on Twitter couldnt help but read into what her jewellery may - or may not - say.

READ MORE: Reason why Prince Harry might think Donald Trump is a creep

Political commentator and journalist Daisy McAndrew tells Yahoo UKs The Royal Box: [The Queen] always chooses a brooch with care, that is definitely true.

As she points out, Her Majesty chose Queen Marys True Lovers Knot brooch (believed to be symbolic for love) for her grandson Prince William and Kate Middletons wedding in 2011.

A closer look at the Queen's vintage brooch - a gift from the Obamas in 2011 [Photo: PA]

The brooch that she chose to wear on day one of Donald Trumps visit last time was vintage floral brooch that had been given to her by Barack Obama.

Now that is clearly no coincidence, definitely no coincidence. Is it an insult or is it a tribute? You could argue it both ways.

I mean its fair enough to say that we know Trump and Obama absolutely loathe each other, so I think it is fair to say there was a little message there.

The Queen wore the brooch the Obamas gave her, when she met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Grand Imam of Al Azhar - on the day Trump arrived [Photo: PA]

The Queen had an audience with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar at Windsor Castle on July 12, 2018 - the day Mr Trump arrived in the UK.

READ MORE: Meghan Markle won't be meeting President Trump during state visit

According to From Her Majestys Jewel Vault, the 14-karat yellow gold brooch was bought by the Obamas from the vintage selection at the Tiny Jewel Box jewellery store in Washington.

Story continues

On the day the Queen met Mr Trump and Melania at Windsor Castle, she donned the the Queen Mother's Palm Leaf Brooch.

The Queen wore the Queen Mother's Palm Leaf brooch to meet with President Trump and Melania Trump last July [Photo: PA]

McAndrew says: That is the brooch that the Queen Mother wore to the Queens fathers funeral and then the Queen inherited it.

People who were scraping the barrel a little bit for messages said its hardly a brooch that has got happy memories, so its a brooch shed wear to something she doesnt want to go to.

It is a bit of fun but you can guarantee that Twitter will be alight with people waiting to see what brooch [she wears].

The Queen wore the the Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch to meet the King and Queen of Belgium [Photo: PA]

On the final day of the presidents visit to the UK, the Queen wore the Sapphire Jubilee Snowflake Brooch (a gift from the Governor-General of Canada in 2017) when she met with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium at Windsor Castle.

McAndrew says: Again, you could say that its a tribute to North America or you could say its because she likes the Canadians and she doesnt like Trump.
As a pasty white child raised Muslim in America, I have distant memories of sitting in the school cafeteria with my non-Muslim friends, and just watching them eat. As I fasted from sunup to sundown during the month of Ramadan  not even allowed to drink water  the smells of french fries and grilled cheese would tempt me, over and over, to abandon God and just eat. Id wonder, Why am I doing this? I was a good American who looked exactly like my friends but, for some reason, I was starving myself. Why couldnt I just have Christmas or Hanukkah, like my parents once did?

My mom was one of ten children in a Catholic household that moved from military base to military base throughout her childhood. Her parents, hard-working and hard-drinking, made a regimented and disciplined life for their children. This unquestionable and often hypocritical authority, to her, was something to escape. My father, born Jewish in Brooklyn, was a victim of the world of hippiedom and psychedelics that his mother found solace in after her divorce. (Hippies, my grandma still says, are people who tried everything.)

Both of my parents, through the grace of their chaotic childhoods and thirst for truth, ended up leaving these troubled worlds in exchange for the spiritual solace and purity of Islam. They separately found a Sufi Muslim Guru in Philadelphia, met under his wing and got married two years after his death. I was born eleven months later. Their gurus teachings were the antidote to the turmoil of the world, and a surefire way to give their son the childhood of peace they never had. This was their dream. Islam would protect me from the temptations of our overly sexualized consumerist culture.

Ramadan is supposed to be the core of this. It is a time of self-reflection, spirituality, worship and bad breath. Yet while its the biggest holiday of the Muslim calendar, to me it didnt feel like a holiday at all. Over winter break, my friends  even if they barely went to church or synagogue  would disappear into a magical land of presents and family and feasting. Id peek into living rooms on my block and see the glowing trees that represented what my family lacked. And so, much like my parents, I yearned for something else, something quite the opposite. I wanted Christmas. I wanted America. I wanted to be normal.

Story continues

Fast-forward 20 years  through the dating, puking, drugs, and the beginnings of a terrifying career in the arts. I went on birthright. Ive owned a Christmas tree. And year after year, I continue to fast for 30 days. Sure, some years I took Ramadan off or skipped entire weeks of fasting. My identity has fluctuated as well, from reluctant Muslim to atheist to Jew to just a guy who likes hiking. My spiritual life is always heavily influenced by the experiences of my life and the people around me. So why, then, do I push myself to practice the exact thing that made me feel so isolated as a child?

Ive found the answer is complicated. Part of it is reconnecting with my childhood and respecting the choices my parents made, but theres also something even more important  something that I wish more Americans could experience.

The anticipation leading up to the fast is a lot like the anticipation of quitting cigarettes: excitement for the benefits mixed with fear of the losses. This excitement can fuel you through the first few days, but after that, the fast starts challenging you. Small things like coffee and snacks suddenly become tremendous losses. The pressures of life seem to weigh more than you can remember. You grow lethargic, bad at your job. The sun seems too bright. The days seem too long. You nap. You pace. You distract yourself. You just feel it. You cant escape hunger; it lives inside your stomach and mind, and it demands all of your attention.

By week two, youre getting better at it. The caffeine withdrawal is easier, and the hunger becomes normal. This is when you might start feeling stronger and get cocky, but the fast will eventually knock you back down. In America, youll watch everyone around you eat and drink water, and envy their simple life. Youll question the practice, and then youll realize that you have another 15 days left. Why am I doing this? How is it possible that its only half over?

By week three, you begin feeling very separated from society, how it moves so quickly and efficiently around you, and you are forced to sit with yourself and just think. This is where introspection is at its greatest. The losses and wins of my career and life feel like a game I had once been playing. But now, with the perspective of the fast, theyre almost trivial. How can I forget, day after day, that eating isnt a chore or a treat, but a gift? How many other things in our lives are like this? Mundane activities that we consider chores are more like royal experiences. Buying clothes, living inside, showering, driving cars and having every possible need satisfied at our fingertips. I reflect on those who dont, or cant, share this type of life. I promise myself Ill never take it for granted again. Then I realize I still have a week left. How is it not over yet?

As opposed to holidays centered around indulgence, Ramadan strips you down and humbles you. It hurts your ego, especially in a country that prides itself on wealth, excess and spectacle, to practice the exact opposite for a month. You feel small and powerless, which is perfect for realizing that your culture has deluded you. You see how easy it was to lose perspective. When I see people doing yoga, silent retreats, meditation or psychedelics, I see a similar yearning. Its a sense, even an epiphany, that the pursuit of material gratification is an empty one, which leads us to seek greater meaning.

Maybe we spend so much time thinking of ourselves and our advancement through society that we forget just how truly lucky we are. Ramadan forces you into a deep appreciation for life, and a connection to whatever God or universal power you choose. Time passes and you change, but the fast doesnt.

When you cross the finish line, theres no way to describe the feeling of once again eating whenever you want. Its almost like a superpower, an extra sense. Your energy is limitless; anything is possible; and you now understand the illusion of comfort and excess. All you ever really needed was food. You cant believe youre just going to have this power, for months and months, until the next Ramadan.

But then the year goes by, and you once again become accustomed to everything you have. You feel annoyed, not by the speed of the world but that its not moving fast enough. You indulge in your senses, over and over. Youre tricked into accepting everything for granted and wanting more than any one person could fairly have. You become normal again.

Ramadan isnt a better holiday than Christmas or Hanukkah, Ive found. But it is different in a very useful way  it humbles you. It gives you a greater sense of compassion for your fellow man. It does not need to be an alternative to western culture, but it has been a valuable addition for me.

By the time that next Ramadan rolls around, I cant wait to dive back in and remember what it feels like to starve. I cant wait to once again reset my ego. And I cant wait to get farther away from our societys demands than ever before.
Donald Trump is expected to meet the Duke of Sussex during his three-day state visit next week.

The US president, 72, will join the Queen, 93, for a private lunch at Buckingham Palace on Monday, which will also be attended by Prince Harry, 34.

But things could potentially be a little awkward between the two men, as its been reported that Mr Trump pursued Harrys mother Princess Diana, following her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996.

Selina Scott says that Donald Trump absolutely bombarded Princess Diana with flowers and invitations to meet, so theres a reason for Harry to think hes a super-creep and not really want to meet him, political commentator and journalist Daisy McAndrew tells Yahoo UKs The Royal Box.

READ MORE: Meghan Markle won't be meeting President Trump during state visit

Donald Trump is expected to meet Prince Harry during the state visit [Photos: PA]

Broadcaster and journalist Selina Scott was one of Dianas closest confidants.

She wrote a piece in The Sunday Times in 2015, about Mr Trumps advances towards the princess, when he was still married to his second wife Marla Maples.

She said: Trump clearly saw Diana as the ultimate trophy wife.

As the roses and orchids piled up at her apartment she became increasingly concerned about what she should do. It had begun to feel as if Trump was stalking her.

Scott claimed that Diana said of Mr Trump, he gives me the creeps.

READ MORE: Kate, William, Harry and Meghan set for another split

Princess Diana pictured in New York in July 1997. [Photo: PA]

The former businessman then made shocking comments about how he could have bedded Princess Diana.

The interview took place with Howard Stern, just weeks after the royals death in 1997.

Radio show host Stern asked Mr Trump: Why do people think its egotistical of you to say you couldve gotten with Lady Di?

You couldve gotten her, right? You couldve nailed her.

Mr Trump replied: I think I could have.

The then-business mogul also made some distasteful comments on Twitter about Harrys sister-in-law Kate Middleton in 2012, after photographs of the duchess sunbathing topless were published in a French magazine.

Story continues

Kate Middleton is great--but she shouldn't be sunbathing in the nude--only herself to blame.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2012

Who wouldn't take Kate's picture and make lots of money if she does the nude sunbathing thing. Come on Kate!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2012

He tweeted at the time: Kate Middleton is great--but she shouldnt be sunbathing in the nude--only herself to blame.

Another tweet read: Who wouldnt take Kates picture and make lots of money if she does the nude sunbathing thing. Come on Kate!.

Prince Harrys wife Meghan will not meet the US president during his state visit. The new mum is currently on maternity leave after giving birth to son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor on May 6.

McAndrew also says that Meghan tried to avoid Mr Trump, when she was working on Deal or No Deal as a briefcase girl in 2006.

She says: "Donald Trump came on to publicise The Apprentice. One of her [Meghans] fellow briefcase girls said he was super creepy and started inviting all the briefcase girls out and that Meghan thought he was a creep and decided not to go."
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE:RBC) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 12% in the last month. In contrast the stock is up over the last three years. However, it's unlikely many shareholders are elated with the share price gain of 30% over that time, given the rising market.

View our latest analysis for Regal Beloit

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

During three years of share price growth, Regal Beloit achieved compound earnings per share growth of 22% per year. The average annual share price increase of 9.2% is actually lower than the EPS growth. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

NYSE:RBC Past and Future Earnings, May 31st 2019

We know that Regal Beloit has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? Check if analysts think Regal Beloit will grow revenue in the future.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. As it happens, Regal Beloit's TSR for the last 3 years was 36%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

Investors in Regal Beloit had a tough year, with a total loss of 4.9% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 2.3%. 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 0.5%, each year, over five years. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. Before spending more time on Regal Beloit it might be wise to click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling shares.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US 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.
(Reuters) - The British retail tycoon Philip Green has been charged with four counts of misdemeanor assault in the United States after an Arizona pilates instructor accused him of repeatedly touching her inappropriately, Britain's Press Association reported on Friday.

The billionaire chairman of Arcadia Group, Green, 67, is accused of spanking the instructor and grabbing her buttocks at the Canyon Ranch resort in Tucson in 2016 and 2018, according to the Pima County Attorney's Office, the PA reported.

Arcadia Group said in a statement on Green's behalf that he "strenuously denies" the allegations, and noted that "contrary to previous suggestions in the media, there is no allegation of any sexual assault or misconduct made by the prosecution."

The charges carry a sentence of up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine, the PA reported, citing Lauren Deakin, a deputy in the prosecutor's office. Pima County court records posted online showed Green was due to appear for an arraignment hearing for the four charges on June 19, but the full criminal complaint was not immediately available.

Arcadia Group's statement said that Green did not plan to attend the hearing in person.

A spokeswoman for the country attorney's office did not respond to requests for confirmation.

Green's group operates some of the best-known clothing store chains in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins.

The company said this month it planned to close 23 of its 566 stores in the British Isles as it loses customers to online competitors.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting by David Milliken in London; Editing by Howard Goller)
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Louisiana lawmakers pass bill to ban abortions as early as six weeks

The Louisiana House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to prohibit abortion after detection of an embryonic heartbeat, which can occur as early as six weeks from conception, often before a woman even realizes she is pregnant. The 79-23 vote by the Republican-controlled House sends the bill to the state's Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards, who has indicated that he would sign it.

China detects African swine fever in pigs illegally transported to Guizhou

China said on Friday it had detected the African swine fever virus in pigs being illegally transported to southwestern Guizhou province. A truck carrying 32 pigs from another province was stopped near the city of Duyun in Guizhou. One pig was already dead and another was sick, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on its website.

Louisiana governor to sign 'heartbeat' ban, latest move to curb U.S. abortion rights

Louisiana's Democratic governor said on Wednesday he would sign a bill passed earlier in the day to ban abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected, the latest legislation in a movement in mostly Southern and Midwest states to curb abortion rights. Earlier on Wednesday, Missouri's governor renewed his intention to close a Planned Parenthood clinic and become the first state without a medical facility that performs abortions.

Missouri's only abortion clinic faces closure at midnight

Missouri could become the only U.S. state without a legal abortion provider on Friday as its only abortion clinic could lose its license to perform the procedure unless a St. Louis judge intervenes. The legal battle in St. Louis comes a week after Missouri Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, signed a bill banning abortion beginning in the eighth week of pregnancy, making Missouri one of eight U.S. states that have passed anti-abortion legislation this year.

Story continues

Major Hollywood studios may reconsider Georgia business over abortion law

The producer of the hit television series "The Walking Dead" and other major Hollywood film and TV studios said on Thursday they would reconsider locating productions in Georgia if a new state law restricting abortions takes effect. WarnerMedia, CBS Corp, Viacom Inc, NBCUniversal and "Walking Dead" producer AMC Networks Inc weighed in a day after Walt Disney Co's chief executive, Bob Iger, told Reuters that many people will not want to work in Georgia if the law is implemented, making it "very difficult" for the company to film there.

Congo's Ebola epidemic inflicts heavy toll on children

BUTEMBO, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Eight-year-old Kennedy Muhindo was running a high fever and racked by stomach pain and diarrhea. Health workers told him he had Ebola but his first thought was for his sister who had been battling the virus.

'How can she have HIV?':Pakistan town struggles with surge in infections

Doctors in a town in Pakistan are struggling to cope with a surge in patients infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, with nearly 700 cases since April, most of them children. Health officials suspect the outbreak is linked to reused syringes and needles and improperly screened blood transfusions.

U.S. measles cases in 2019 highest since 1992

The United States recorded 971 cases of measles in the first five months of 2019, surpassing the total for any year since 1992, which was before the disease was declared eradicated in the country, federal officials said on Thursday. The United States declared measles eradicated from the country in 2000, but officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Thursday that the country risks losing its measles elimination status.

Many older adults fall at home in well-lit rooms

Elderly people who fall may not always be stumbling over things in the dark. A new study suggests most of these falls at home happen when there's plenty of light. Falls are a leading cause of disability and diminished quality of life among older adults, but much of the research to date on the underlying causes of these incidents has relied on medical records that don't illuminate exactly what led to the accident, researchers note in the Journals of Gerontology: Series A.

Vietnam culls 2 million pigs, urges whole nation to fight swine fever

Vietnam said on Friday it has culled 2 million pigs in a bid to curb an outbreak of deadly African swine fever and called on the entire nation to join the fight against the rapidly spreading disease. The virus had spread to 48 of the country's 63 provinces, agriculture minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong said at a meeting of parliament, upping the number of pigs culled from 1.7 million less than a week ago.
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Kosovo declares Russian national working for U.N. persona non grata

The Kosovo government said on Friday that a Russian national working for the U.N. mission would not be allowed back into the country after his expulsion. It said the UN staffer, Mikhail Krasnoshchenkov, had been declared persona non grata. The U.N. mission, UNMIK, said on Thursday the Russian had sustained injuries when he was arrested during a police anti-crime operation in Kosovo and was now in a Belgrade hospital.

Pompeo warns Germany on consequences of buying Huawei

The United States aims to educate its international partners on the risks posed by next-generation wireless networks manufactured by China's Huawei, but allies will make their own sovereign buying decisions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. Speaking after a meeting with his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Berlin on Friday, Pompeo warned that the U.S. might have to withhold data on citizens or on national security if it didn't have confidence in the networks Germany was using.

Turkey says no delay in delivery of S-400s from Russia

The delivery schedule for Russia's S-400 missile defense systems to Turkey is continuing as planned, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Friday, dismissing reports that Ankara was evaluating a delay in response to U.S. concerns. Turkey's purchase of the Russian systems has strained its already tense ties with the United States, a NATO ally, which says the S-400s are not compatible with the alliance's defense network and pose a threat to F-35 stealth fighter jets which Turkey is due to receive.

North Korea executes envoy in a purge after failed U.S. summit: media

North Korea executed its nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of officials who steered negotiations for a failed summit between leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper said on Friday. Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang, along with four foreign ministry officials after they were charged with spying for the United States, the Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the situation.

Story continues

Assange suffering psychological torture, would face "show trial" in U.S.: U.N. expert

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has suffered psychological torture from a defamation campaign and should not be extradited to the United States where he would face a "politicized show trial," a U.N. human rights investigator said on Friday. Nils Melzer, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture who visited Assange in a high-security London prison on May 9 along with two medical experts, said that he found him agitated, under severe stress and unable to cope with his complex legal case.

Donald Trump in the UK: Brexit, Huawei and banquet with the queen

U.S. President Donald Trump is likely to wade into Britain's Brexit turmoil during a visit to London next week in which he will also tell outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May that her successor should ban Huawei from building 5G networks. Trump and his wife, Melania, will be treated to a display of British royal pageantry during the June 3-5 visit: lunch with Queen Elizabeth, tea with heir Prince Charles, a banquet at Buckingham Palace and a tour of Westminster Abbey, coronation church of English monarchs for 1,000 years.

Chinese militarization of South China Sea "excessive": acting Pentagon chief

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Friday that China's militarization of the disputed South China Sea had been "excessive." Shanahan, speaking with reporters in Singapore on the sidelines of a defense forum, said China's actions in the South China Sea, like installing surface to air missiles, was "excessive" and "overkill."

China, U.S. defense chiefs hold talks at Asia security summit

Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe and acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan held talks on Friday at an Asia security summit in Singapore, amid heightened tensions between the two countries over trade and security. The U.S. and China, locked in an escalating trade war, are also at odds over a series of strategic issues, from the disputed South China Sea to democratic Taiwan, claimed by China as its sacred territory, to be taken by force if needed.

Spanish government expects PM investiture vote by mid-July

Spain's new parliament will likely vote by mid-July on who will become prime minister and expects talks between party leaders and the Spanish king to begin next week, acting government spokeswoman Isabel Celaa said on Friday. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists won a national election at the end of April but failed to gain a parliamentary majority.

China hopes Canada understands consequences of siding with U.S.

China hopes Canada understands the consequences of siding with the United States and doing its bidding, China's foreign ministry said on Friday, after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called for the release of two Canadians detained in China. Chinese authorities detained Canadian businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig in December, shortly after Canada arrested China-based Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou, on a U.S. warrant.
Attended the signing ceremony were Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and French Ambassador to Vietnam Bertrand Lortholary.The MoU aims to build bilateral cooperative relations between the Government Office and the AFD in implementing e-government in Vietnam, thereby supporting the Governments digitalisation, administrative modernisation, and reform process.It is the continuation of another MoU signed between the Vietnam Government Office and the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance.Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the MoU aims to concretise the cooperation agreement between the two governments after the visit to Vietnam by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in November last year.Accordingly, the two sides agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in the development of e-government and modernisation of state administrative management.PM Phuc said according to the UN evaluation, France is one of the leading countries in e-government adoption, so it has a plenty of experience to share with Vietnam, especially as the Vietnamese Government is defining the building of e-government as an important strategy to serve its people.He asked the French Embassy in Vietnam and relevant agencies of the Vietnamese Government to support necessary issues to implement the agreement effectively.Lortholary said Vietnam and France have cooperated effectively in numerous fields over the past time, including the building of e-government.The important thing is to provide services for people in an effective, convenient, and safe manner, he said.In recent times, France has sent many experts to Vietnam to help with the building of e-government in the Southeast Asian country, he added.According to the MoU, the Vietnam Government Office and the AFD will cooperate in such prioritised fields as building integrated solutions and data sharing between government agencies and data protection; a national portal for public services; and solutions to identify individuals and businesses.In the long run, the two sides could partner in other spheres of mutual concern, such as support to change the information system, building an IT infrastructure system, ensuring cyber information safety, and building digital government and open data.

VNA
Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Sudan's military rulers say protest site threatens stability: TV

Sudan's military rulers on Thursday said that a protest encampment outside the Defence Ministry in central Khartoum has become a threat to stability after a military vehicle was attacked and seized. In a statement read on television stations, including state TV, a military spokesman also said that legal action would be taken against people who were unruly at the protest site.

Pope to honor Romania's communist-era martyrs

Pope Francis travels on Friday to Romania, giving him another opportunity to preach a message of European integration and political rectitude even as he pays tribute to Christians killed during the communist era. On his second trip to Eastern Europe in under a month, Francis will spend three days in Romania, which is overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un carrying out purge after Hanoi summit collapse: Chosun Ilbo

North Korea executed Kim Hyok Chol, its special envoy to the United States, and foreign ministry officials who carried out working-level negotiations for the second U.S.-North Korea summit in February, holding them responsible for its collapse, a South Korean newspaper reported on Friday. Kim Yong Chol, a senior official who had been U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's counterpart in the run-up to the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, is also said to have been subjected to forced labor and ideological education, the Chosun Ilbo reported.

Pence calls on Canada to do more to engage Cuba over Venezuelan crisis

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday called on Canada to do more to engage directly with Cuba over what Pence called the island nation's "malign influence" on Venezuela's political crisis. Pence said earlier in his visit to Ottawa that Canada should help "expose" Cuba's negative impact, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded that he thought Cuba could still help resolve the crisis.

Story continues

UK PM May's party faces worst ever election result amid Brexit crisis: poll

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party is facing its worst ever general election result if a vote were held now, according to a new opinion poll, as voters frustrated with the deadlock over Brexit will punish the main political parties. The Conservatives, one of the most successful parties in the western world, would slump to third place in a nationwide vote with 19 percent of the vote, its lowest place since the party was founded almost 200 years ago, the YouGov poll for The Times newspaper showed.

At least five dead in blasts in Iraq's Kirkuk: medical sources

At least five people were killed and 18 injured in a series of explosions in the Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk, medical sources in the city's general hospital told Reuters on Thursday. At least six improvised explosive devices went off in the northern city and two more were defused by security forces, the Iraqi military said in a statement. It gave a lower death toll of three and said 16 were injured.

Pompeo says Iran attacked oil tankers to raise global oil price

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday blamed Iran for attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf, saying it was an effort by Tehran to raise the global price of oil. "These were efforts by the Iranians to raise the price of crude oil throughout the world," Pompeo told reporters shortly before leaving on a trip to Europe.

Extinction Rebellion considers using drones to shut London's Heathrow Airport

Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion are considering using drones to shut London's Heathrow Airport this summer in a campaign against plans to build a third runway at Europe's busiest airport, the group said on Thursday. This would mark a significant escalation by Extinction Rebellion, which mobilized thousands of people in a peaceful civil disobedience campaign that brought parts of central London to a standstill in April.

Seven South Koreans dead, hope dims for missing in Budapest boat disaster

Hungarian rescue officials said there was little chance of finding survivors after a boat with South Korean tourists on board sank on the Danube River in Budapest, with seven people confirmed dead and 21 missing. The boat was cruising when it collided with a larger luxury passenger boat during a rainstorm on Wednesday evening, causing it to capsize and sink with 33 South Korean tourists and tour guides and two Hungarian crew aboard.

Saudi Arabia says firm Arab stand needed to deter Iran

Saudi Arabia's king told an emergency Arab summit on Thursday that decisive action was needed to stop Iranian "escalations" in the region following attacks on Gulf oil assets, as American officials said a U.S. military deployment had deterred Tehran. King Salman had opened an earlier meeting of Sunni Muslim Gulf leaders with a warning that Shi'ite Iran's development of nuclear and missile capabilities and its threatening of world oil supplies posed a risk to regional and global security.
Mecca (Saudi Arabia) (AFP) - Gulf and Arab allies rallied around Saudi Arabia Friday as it ratcheted up tensions with regional rival Iran after a series of attacks, drawing accusations from Tehran of "sowing division".

Tehran, which has strongly denied involvement in any of the attacks, expressed disappointment that Riyadh plans to level the same "baseless accusations" at a summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) early on Saturday.

King Salman called on Gulf and Arab leaders to confront Iran's "criminal acts" after still unexplained sabotage attacks damaged four vessels, two of them Saudi oil tankers, in the Sea of Oman and twin Yemeni rebel drone attacks shut down a key Saudi oil pipeline.

His remarks came at the start of two back-to-back emergency summits in the Muslim holy city of Mecca that drew near-unanimous support for the Sunni kingdom from Gulf and Arab states -- with the notable exception of Iraq.

A joint statement issued by Arab leaders condemned "acts by the terrorist Huthi militias supported by Iran who (sent) aircraft that crossed into Saudi Arabia to two oil pumping stations and acts of sabotage that affected commercial ships in territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates".

They said Iran's behaviour "poses a direct and serious threat" and called on "the international community to take a firm stand to confront Iran and its destabilising acts in the region".

- 'Support for US strategy' -

A joint statement issued by Gulf leaders went further, echoing criticism of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Iran voiced by US President Donald Trump when he abandoned the agreement in May last year.

It expressed "support for the US strategy towards Iran" that has seen Washington tighten the screws on Iran's economy with crippling unilateral sanctions and deploy an aircraft carrier task force, B-52 bombers and an amphibious assault ship to the Gulf, along with additional troops.

Story continues

Gulf leaders called on Iran to "stay away from hostile, destabilising acts".

They urged the international community to take "more serious and effective steps to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities and to impose stricter restrictions on Irans ballistic missile programme".

They also stressed the importance of strengthening Gulf-US cooperation in the framework of a strategic partnership" that has been strongly promoted by the Trump administration.

The summits came after Trump's hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton said Wednesday that Iranian naval mines were "almost certainly" responsible for the damage to the four ships off the United Arab Emirates on May 12.

The findings of a five-nation inquiry into what happened have yet to be released.

Tehran dismissed Bolton's accusation as "laughable" and accused him of pursuing "evil desires for chaos in the region".

- Iraq declines to sign -

Saudi Arabia hosted the summits -- which will be followed by a third meeting in Mecca early on Saturday of heads of state from Islamic nations -- in a bid to present a united front.

But Iraq, caught in the middle of its two allies, the US and Iran, opposed the final statement released by Arab countries.

Despite the US administration's assurances that it is purely defensive, Washington's military buildup has raised concerns, even among allied governments, that brinksmanship with Tehran could lead to a dangerous miscalculation.

Iraq, which has warned repeatedly of the risks of war, has offered to mediate between Washington and Tehran.

Mediation efforts have been made too by the Gulf sultanate of Oman, which has maintained good relations with Tehran through successive regional crises.

- Qatar present -

Through the summits, Saudi Arabia has sought to project a unified Arab front against Tehran in the face of a bitter rift with neighbouring Qatar.

Qatar was represented at Friday's meetings by Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Thani, Doha's highest-ranking official to visit the kingdom since the start of a Saudi-led boycott in 2017.

Appearing tense, the Qatari official shook hands with the Saudi king but there was no indication of a thaw.

Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Qatar of supporting Islamist movements and backing Iran -- claims Doha rejects -- and they have enforced bans on shipping, trade, direct flights, overflight and land crossings.

The summits coincided with the last few days of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when Mecca throngs with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.

They took place at night, as Muslims break their day-long fasting at sunset.
When Robert Mueller spoke publicly this week for the first time since his appointment as special counsel, he said that his report released in April speaks for itself and that he was resigning from the Justice Department to return to private life. But while Mueller may have finished his job, the impact of his work will linger.

The legacy of Muellers investigation will continue to affect Donald Trump for the rest of his presidency and beyond. Here are all the ways that Trump and his Administration will have to deal with the fallout from the Russia investigation.

Some Mueller-inspired investigations are still ongoing

Muellers team wrote in their 448-page report that they referred 14 cases of potential criminal activity to other Justice Department offices. While many of those cases were redacted, some of them, such as the trial of longtime Trump confidante Roger Stone, are proceeding publicly.

Before the Mueller probe wrapped up, Stone was charged with lying to Congress and obstructing its Russia investigation. He pled not guilty in January, and his case is being handled by prosecutors in Washington, with a trial set for later this year.

Other ongoing cases that grew out of evidence Mueller uncovered include investigations into the funding of Trumps campaign super PAC, the funding of his inauguration and potential Middle Eastern influence in Washington.

These investigations can be both good news and bad news for the President, says Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginias Miller Center.

The good news is that he very much enjoys being able to pivot off it and counterpoint off it because it boosts his base, Perry told TIME. But the bad news, she says, is the best comparison for Trumps presidency is now to Warren Hardings administration and the Teapot Dome scandal of the 1920s. When people think of Harding they think of corruption, Perry says. This kind of report and this kind of cloud hanging over the 2016 election will haunt this person and this presidency forever.

Story continues

Trump and his allies face other criminal and Congressional investigations

Beyond the investigations directly linked to Mueller, Trump and people associated with him still face more than a dozen other probes. Wired recently counted 16 active investigations into Trumpworld, and Congress is pursuing its own investigations as well.

During his remarks on Wednesday, Mueller emphasized that he did not make a determination about whether Trump committed a crime because of the Justice Department precedent that a President cannot be charged with a federal crime while in office. But he also reiterated that Congress can act in a way he could not, giving lawmakers an invitation to pursue further questions and potentially start impeachment proceedings.

Some Democrats in Congress had already called for Trumps impeachment, and Muellers statement led more to join their ranks, including a number of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates.

Trump responded to all this in his usual fashion, first insisting that the case is closed! and then issuing a series of angry tweets. This followed his typical pattern, according to Jennifer Mercieca, an expert on political rhetoric at Texas A&M University who has studied Trumps communication.

He uses a combination of flat out denialit didnt happenwith ad hominem attacks and appeals to hypocrisy, trying to undermine the investigators, she said. If the Democrats decided to impeach or to proceed in ways that are more aggressive, then of course hell ratchet up his aggression.

As Congress conducts more hearings and issues more subpoenas, lawmakers are sure to refer directly to the findings in Muellers report. This will keep Mueller and the Russia investigation in the news and likely continue affecting Trumps reactions, Mercieca says.

Muellers findings have changed the debate

Muellers report has forced Trump to acknowledge Russias impact on the election. Back in 2016, Trump initially denied that Russia was responsible for hacking the Democratic National Committee and his opponent Hillary Clinton. Even as he entered the White House and U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the election, Trump often clashed with the intelligence community and expressed skepticism about its findings. The President did eventually acknowledge Russias meddling in the election, though he has gone back and forth on this throughout his time in office.

When Muellers report was published in April, it also concluded that Russia interfered in the election explicitly to help Trump. However, the President focused on the conclusion that he did not collaborate with Russia and declared himself exonerated. Still, he kept crying hoax.

On Thursday morning, the President for the first time admitted that Russia helped put him in office. Now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected, he wrote.

Russia, Russia, Russia! Thats all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax...And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didnt exist. So now the Dems and their partner, the Fake News Media,.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

The facts that Mueller laid out are not going away

While the investigation is over, Muellers findings may be front of mind for many Americans as the 2020 election draws closer. Cyber-security experts have said that U.S. election systems and presidential campaigns are still vulnerable to attack, and have also warned that Russian trolls are likely to try influencing U.S. elections again.

Trump may also bring up the special counsel as a campaign tactic, says Mercieca. His base still supports him even though weve all read the Mueller report. That idea that hes a victim seems to play well, she says.



Trump cant stop thinking about Mueller

Regardless of the political implications, its clear that Trump will not stop talking about Mueller. After Muellers statement on Wednesday, Trumps 2020 campaign manager tried to downplay the speech, arguing it was evidence that the scandal was over.

And yet, Trump tweeted about the Mueller investigation multiple times throughout the day on Thursday. His various messages ranged in tone from celebratory to defiant to outright angernot exactly the tone of someone prepared to move on.
Rome (AFP) - Matteo Salvini's far-right League is flourishing one year after Italy's populist coalition came to power, but the government remains riven by infighting and the economy is in

"This is a government that has talked a lot but has done much less than it said it would," Franco Pavoncello, political science professor at the John Cabot university in Rome, told AFP.

There have been two major reforms on the socio-economic front: a basic national income -- wanted by the League's coalition partner, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) -- and a chance to retire earlier, which was a League election promise.

The measures may have been crowd pleasers but they dealt a blow to the country's public deficit and its already mammoth debt, which is more than 2,300 billion euros ($2,560 billion).

"The past year has led to the situation Italy now faces," Pavoncello said.

"With having to find 40 to 50 billion euros for next year's budget, the increase in the spread, (and) the decline in growth, we are moving towards a new fall-out with the EU".

Italy also lowered its growth figures for the first quarter of 2019 on Friday to just 0.1 percent -- a blow for the government. The European Commission has called on them to explain the deterioration of its public accounts.

- 'Acting chief' -

It won't be their first sparring match: the coalition rowed bitterly with Brussels at the end of last year over its big-spending 2019 budget, which the European Commission rejected in a historic first.

Both sides then made compromises to get the budget over the line a few months before European elections, soothing nerves among international investors and market.

But the spread -- the closely watched premium asked by investors for Italian versus German debt and a good indication of market concern -- has widened to around 280 points over the year, compared to 150 in May 2018.

In the meantime, the political situation has undergone a complete about-turn since 1 June 2018, when the eurozone's third-largest economy got its first populist administration.

Story continues

The M5S celebrated taking an impressive 32 percent at last year's general election, while the League scored 17 percent.

At last week's EU vote, however, the M5S won just 17 percent, while the League triumphed with 34 percent.

Strongman Salvini, deputy prime minister and interior minister, was already acting as if he was head of government, the major Italian dailies said Friday.

- 'Continuous, exhausting spats' -

The Corriere della Sera newspaper said it would take about a month to see whether or not the government would survive.

"For a year, the League and M5S have contradicted each other. Continuous and exhausting negotiations have led to the adoption of laws on divergent interests, with a negative impact on the deficit and debt," it said.

"Now, even negotiations no longer seem likely... Salvini's project has become predominant."

The League and M5S are set to wrangle over numerous issues in the coming weeks.

The League wants its coalition partner to end its resistance to a high-speed rail line between the cities of Turin and Lyon in France, and their idea for a flat-tax rate.

"It remains to be seen if the coalition finishes its entire term, given the major ideological differences that constantly cause friction," said Michiel van der Veen from Rabobank.

But Flavia Perina, political journalist with La Stampa daily, said Salvini would not be the one to pull the plug: "He is determined to leave any responsibility for political crises to the M5S."

Nor does he want to risk losing the votes the League has just picked up from disaffected M5S supporters, "an enormous army of deserters who need to be kept close," she said.
(Repeating adding media tag IMMIGRATION)

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Friday pressured Mexico to stop people from crossing into the United States, one day after threatening to impose new tariffs on Mexican imports in a bid to get the country to crack down on illegal immigration.

Trump said on Thursday he would ratchet up tariffs unless Mexico stopped people from illegally crossing the border it shares with the United States. The plan would impose a 5% tariff on Mexican imports starting on June 10 and increase monthly, up to 25% on Oct. 1.

"Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump has made immigration a priority for his administration, but he has been unable to push through changes in immigration policy or receive congressional approval to finance a border wall he has sought.

U.S. officials say they are dealing with record numbers of migrants crossing the border illegally, mostly Central American families fleeing poverty, violence and corruption in their home countries.

New tariffs could also threaten a trade deal with Mexico and Canada that the White House is pushing Congress to approve.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a television interview the Trump administration had fully thought through the threat.

"Not only have we thought this through, but we've been talking about it since the president, not just on the campaign, but took office," Sarah Sanders told Fox News Channel. (Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Howard Goller)
Moscow (AFP) - Gay sex scenes have been cut from the Russian version of Elton John biopic "Rocketman", critics who saw a preview said Friday, as the local distributor said it had made edits for legal reasons.

Russia has a dire record on LGBT rights and a controversial law bans the promotion of "non-traditional sexual relationships" to minors, though it is not clear why this would apply to the 18-rated film.

Film critic Anton Dolin wrote on his Facebook page that all the sex or kissing scenes had been cut out, adding that it had been "very obvious" cuts had been made.

The film, which is set for general release in Russia next week, addresses the British pop icon's struggles with his sexuality, drugs and alcohol.

Another journalist who attended the screening, Misha Kozyrev, wrote that scenes featuring drugs were also cut out from the film.

"Yes, the film has been amended to comply with the laws of the Russian Federation," distribution company Central Partnership told the TASS news agency, without providing details.

Russia's culture minister Vladimir Medinsky told state agency RIA Novosti that his ministry had nothing to do with the edits and that "everything is decided by the distributor."

"We do not cut anything, I don't even understand what this is about," he was quoted as saying.

Dolin also said the text that ends the film was changed.

In the original, viewers learn that Elton John eventually found love and is raising two children with his same-sex partner.

In the Russian version, it says only that he founded an NGO to fight AIDS, according to Dolin.

Amnesty International called the censorship of the film "an insult for the rights of LGBTI people."

In a statement on Friday it said the editing of the film was an example of Russia's anti-gay laws "undercutting freedom of expression and encouraging homophobia in Russia."

Other films that included gay scenes, including the recent biopic about British rock star Freddy Mercury, "Bohemian Rhapsody", were shown in Russian cinemas.

Story continues

Elton John is popular in Russia, where he first performed during the Soviet era in 1979.

But he has been a vocal critic of Russia's anti-gay laws.

"Rocketman" premiered on May 16 at the Cannes film festival where it received a standing ovation.
Kinshasa (AFP) - Rwandan President Paul Kagame was the surprise guest at ceremonies in DR Congo Friday to honour deceased opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi hosted by his son Felix, the country's president.

Once the Democratic Republic of Congo's sworn enemy, Kagame joined Tshisekedi and Angolan President Joao Lourenco for a central African mini-summit ahead of the long-awaited tribute.

The three vowed to "strengthen the Congo-Angola-Rwanda axis" to "wipe out Congolese and foreign armed groups," a joint communique said, apparently referring to brutal militias which plague the DRC-Rwandan border.

DRC neighbour's Congo-Brazzaville President Denis Sassou Nguesso was also at the ceremony.

Tshisekedi died in Brussels in February 2017 at the age of 84.

He was a revered figure in the opposition for his resistance to former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and ex-president Joseph Kabila.

He never got to see his son ascend to the presidency, after bitterly-fought elections at the end of last year that led to the first peaceful transition of power in the country's history.

His body was flown back to Kinshasa on Thursday aboard a private jet, ending a protracted battle by his family to secure its repatriation.

The coffin was displayed at the 80,000-seater Martyrs' Stadium in Kinshasa ahead of a mass in the evening. The funeral will take place on Saturday, at a mausoleum at Nsele, on the outskirts of Kinshasa.

However, the turnout was a far cry from the vast crowds and fervour the older Tshisekedi was able to muster in his heyday.

Several thousand people accompanied the hearse from the morgue to the stadium, and the venue itself was only half-full, AFP reporters said.

Kagame, who is also current head of the African Union (AU), last visited Kinshasa in 2010.

Relations between Rwanda and the DRC have been chilly since the 1990s, when Rwanda invaded the country to back rebels trying to overthrow Kabila's father, former president Laurent Kabila.

Story continues

Despite an improvement in tone since Tshisekedi took over January 24, ties remain troubled by cross-border attacks on Rwandan forces by the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group based in the DRC.

The DRC, meanwhile, has accused Rwanda of pillaging coltan, a lucrative mineral used in electronic products, in the border region of North Kivu.

- Tshisekedi tributes -

Etienne Tshisekedi served as interior minister under Mobutu before joining the opposition, where he was a persistent thorn in the dictator's side.

He co-founded the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) in 1982 after a stint in prison and in the 1990s was appointed prime minister several times, each time falling out with Mobutu after a matter of months or even days.

He boycotted the country's elections in 2006 on the grounds of fraud, and was beaten in the 2011 ballot, which was tainted by massive irregularities.

He died in Belgium, the former colonial power, where he had gone to seek medical treatment.

His son had vowed to repatriate his father's remains and bury them in his home country, but that wish was thwarted under Kabila.

The funeral has prompted tributes from fellow opposition figures as well as Kabila supporters.

Congolese Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege praised Etienne Tshisekedi's fight for democratic values.

"It's up to us to give life to your heritage," he wrote on Twitter.

Martin Fayulu, another opposition figure, who says that a behind-the-scenes deal between Felix Tshisekedi and Kabila robbed him of victory in the presidential election, paid tribute to Etienne Tshisekedi's "fight for justice and democracy".

Praise also came from Kabila's own party, the Joint Front for Congo (FCC).

However, Kabila did not attend the stadium tribute, nor did Fayulu and another Kabila rival, Moise Katumbi, who returned to the country from self-imposed exile on May 20.
Photo: Skyva Deli/Yelp

Wondering where to find the best delis near you?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top delis in Saint Paul, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to meet your needs.

1. Cecils

Photo: Charlie E./Yelp

Topping the list is Cecils. Located at 651 Cleveland Ave. South in Highland, the deli, which offers sandwiches and more, is the highest rated deli in Saint Paul, boasting four stars out of 374 reviews on Yelp.

2. Tim And Tom's Speedy Market

Photo: Tim and Tom's Speedy Market/Yelp

Next up is St. Anthony's Tim and Tom's Speedy Market, situated at 2310 Como Ave. With five stars out of 20 reviews on Yelp, the grocery store, deli and butcher has proven to be a local favorite.

3. Mississippi Market

Photo: Brian S./Yelp

West 7th's Mississippi Market, located at 1500 W. Seventh St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the grocery store and deli 4.5 stars out of 43 reviews.

4. Skyva Deli

Photo: Brian H./Yelp

Skyva Deli, a deli that offers sandwiches and salads located downtown, is another much-loved go-to, with five stars out of 17 Yelp reviews. Head over to 55 E. Fifth St. in the Alliance Bank Center Skyway Food Court to see for yourself.

5. Rooster's BBQ Deli

Photo: Shahrooz E./Yelp

Over in West 7th, check out Rooster's BBQ Deli, which has earned four stars out of 104 reviews on Yelp. You can find the deli, which offers barbecue and more, at 979 Randolph Ave.

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.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on May 31, 2019

2019/05/31

Q: During the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that countries with different ideologies need to seek friendship and cooperation. As China opens wider to the world, the East and the West need to learn from each other's cultures and political systems. I wonder what's your comment on that?

A: My colleague made a positive response yesterday to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's fair remarks on why the US and the West should not suppress Huawei. Again we highly commend Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for his comments you just quoted on dialogue between civilizations. For those preaching the superiority of certain civilization and the so-called "clash of civilizations", we advise them to heed the wise counsel from the senior statesman in his nineties.

As the international order and multilateral trading regime is under severe impact from sprawling unilateralism and protectionism, it is all the more important for countries to discard ideological prejudice, step up dialogue and cooperation and deal with challenges together. During the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations held in Beijing not long ago, all participants emphasized that different countries, ethnic groups and civilizations should respect and learn from each other as equals with an open mind. Following this spirit, China stands ready to work with all countries including Malaysia to safeguard multilateralism and international order, and shoulder our due responsibilities to world peace and development.

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia. Our leaders have exchanged congratulatory messages. China attaches high importance to bilateral relations with Malaysia, a friendly neighbor and important partner for cooperation. Taking this as an opportunity, we will continue to work with the Malaysian side to deepen mutual trust and cooperation, enrich our comprehensive strategic partnership and inject more positive energy into peace and development of the region and beyond.

Q: China's Vice President Wang Qishan has recently paid a very successful visit to Pakistan. During the visit, he met with Prime Minister Imran Khan and launched four mega projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, including the establishment of Huawei Technical Support Center. Agreements were also signed to further cooperation in economic and social sectors. How do you view this visit?

A: Like you said, Vice President Wang Qishan's visit to Pakistan was indeed a success.

During the visit, Vice President Wang met with President Alvi and had talks with Prime Minister Khan. They had in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest, and agreed to deepen high-level exchange, step up strategic communication and advance the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and practical cooperation in various fields. They also agreed to promote people-to-people exchange, conduct closer coordination in international and regional affairs, and strive for more progress in our all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

Leaders of both sides witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements in agricultural, customs, disaster relief and other fields. Vice President Wang also met with Governor Sarwar and Chief Minister Buzdar of Punjab. His visit further cemented bilateral friendship and trust, fostered the positive momentum of our ties, and contributed to a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

Q: How does China view Donald Trump's decision to slap tariffs on Mexico over immigration, which was after they had negotiated revisions to NAFTA? Does it in particular perhaps undermine the prospect for China to negotiate a trade deal with the US?

A: It seems the US and Mexico are better positioned to comment on this, especially the latter. You may go to ask them how they feel.

I would just point out that the US has repeatedly resorted to bullying trade practices and China is not the only victim. As we emphasized repeatedly, China has taken countermeasures to the US unilateralism and protectionism not only to safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests, but also to uphold multilateralism and the global free trade regime.

Q: The US Vice President Pence and the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau yesterday renewed calls for China to release the two Canadians detained on charge of espionage. Pence also mentioned that should President Trump meet President Xi during the G20 Osaka summit, this would be raised. What's the ministry's response to this?

A: We have repeatedly stated China's position on the lawful arrest of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, so I won't repeat it here. I would just remind Canada to realize the consequences of being the cat's paw for the US. We hope it will correct its wrongdoing by taking prompt actions to avoid further harm.

As to your question on a meeting between the Chinese and US heads of state on the sidelines of the G20 Osaka summit, all I can say is that they maintain contact through various means. Regarding any specific plan for a meeting, I have nothing to offer at the moment.

Q: According to reports, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government just announced that Xiang Xiang, a giant panda born in Japan that was scheduled to be sent back to China next month, will now stay in Tokyo until the end of next year. Is your ministry aware of that and do you have a comment?

A: You are the first to bring the news to me. I think that must be good news to the Japanese people, right?

Q: Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau brought up the Huawei issue during his meeting with US Vice President Pence, who believed Huawei had potential risks because the Chinese government had been gathering foreign data using Huawei products. I wonder what is your response? Second question, the UK and Canada issued a joint statement yesterday to express their concerns again on the amendment of the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance by the Hong Kong SAR government. Do you have any comment on that? Regarding this issue, has China received concerns or support from foreign consular officials or diplomatic representatives?

A: It seems that you are more interested in the second question. I will take that one first.

As we repeatedly stated, by amending the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance, the Hong Kong SAR government aims to better deal with individual cases and plug the loopholes in the legal system. In this way, the Hong Kong SAR can better cooperate with other countries and regions in fighting crimes and upholding the rule of law, and it will not become a safe haven for criminals. The Chinese central government's position is clear: we completely support the SAR government in amending the ordinances.

I'd like to emphasize once again that Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs. No other country, organization or individual has the right to interfere. We urge the relevant sides to adopt a fair and objective attitude with regard to the lawful amendment of ordinances by the SAR government, respect legislation in the SAR and stop interfering in Hong Kong's internal affairs in any form.

On your first question, our position is very clear. We have stated repeatedly that it is neither honorable nor moral for the US to go all out to use state power to suppress a private Chinese company. So far the US has not produced any evidence to support its allegation that Huawei products and services pose a security risk. It has nothing but trumped-up charges. We hope it will stop such wrong practices, which do not fit its status as a major power.

Q: Yesterday you announced President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia. It has been found that President Xi and President Putin has met twice in two months. Some say that with the ongoing China-US trade friction, China is trying to gain strength in numbers by bringing Russia to its rescue. What is your response to that?

A: Did you also find out if the Chinese and Russian heads of state had such frequent meetings before the China-US trade friction? Let me assure you, they did. It has been so all along.

As comprehensive strategic partners of coordination, China and Russia have always maintained close high-level interactions. There is an annual exchange mechanism between the heads of state, who also have the customary practice of holding bilateral meetings on the sidelines of multilateral conferences. Therefore, it is completely normal for the two heads of state to meet more than once within a year to coordinate positions on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Under current circumstances, China and Russia, two permanent members of the UN Security Council, are playing a positive role in upholding multilateralism and defending justice by boycotting and offsetting unilateralism and protectionism with stronger coordination and cooperation. In so doing, they have received universal endorsement from the international community.

Q: US President Trump said on May 30 that the US is doing very well with China, and China would love to make a deal with the US. The two sides had a deal and China broke it. The tariffs are having a devastating effect on China. People are leaving the country with their companies for Vietnam and other parts of Asia. China is becoming a very weakened nation. I wonder if you have any comment on his remarks?

A: It's not the first or second time the US has made up such lies. Although we have promptly exposed each and every one of them, the US still seems very persistent, or even obsessed with repeating such lies, as though they believe the more they say, the more people will buy them and the more confident they will become.

I would like to remind the US side once again not to overestimate their rumor-mongering or underestimate other people's judgement. True confidence comes from following the trend of the times and winning people's support, not repeating lies or creating illusions.

The US government's unilateralism and protectionism tendencies have met with strong opposition at home as well as wide criticism globally. We hope the US will come to assess the situation clearly, stop its wrong practices and come back to the right path before it's too late.
HOUSTON (AP)  The remains of a child were found Friday near a freeway in Arkansas where a community activist says a man told him he had dumped the body of a missing 4-year-old Houston girl, police said Friday.

Houston police went to Arkansas on Friday after community activist Quanell X told authorities the man arrested in connection with the disappearance of Maleah Davis confessed he disposed of her body there just before he reported her missing in early May.

Houston Police Commander Michael Skillern, one of the officers who traveled to Arkansas, told reporters that authorities had found a child's remains in a garbage bag near Interstate 30 close to Hope.

Quanell X said he spoke on Friday in jail with Derion Vence, the ex-fiance of Maleah's mother, who had claimed Maleah was abducted. Quanell X said that Vence told him he dumped her body in Arkansas.

Sheriff James Singleton in Arkansas' Hempstead County said workers found the bag, which had a foul odor coming from it, near Hope, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of the Texas-Arkansas border.

Singleton said the medical examiner's office in Little Rock likely will have to identify the remains.

"If this is the little girl, we want to make sure that we treat it with respect and dignity," Singleton said.

At a news conference in Houston, Executive Assistant Police Chief Troy Finner said authorities won't be able to confirm if the remains are those of Maleah until an autopsy is performed.

It was unclear how long the identification process would take, Finner said.

"Do we believe that it's possibly her? Yes. But can we confirm it right now? No," Finner said.

Finner said Maleah's family had been notified of Friday's developments in the case and he expects a murder charge will be filed in the case.

"We are here to make sure that little angel receives some justice and whoever is responsible we are going to hold them accountable," he said.

Story continues

Vence, 27, had claimed he, Maleah and his 2-year-old son were abducted on May 4 by a group of men in a truck. He said he and his son were freed the next day but the kidnappers kept Maleah and his silver Nissan Altima. Police said Vence's story kept changing and didn't add up.

Police arrested Vence and charged him with tampering with evidence, specifically a human corpse. He remains jailed on a $40,000 bond.

Quanell X said that during his jail visit, Vence told him Maleah is dead and he confessed he dumped the girl's body in Arkansas off the side of a road. Quanell X declined to comment on what Vence told him regarding how Maleah had died.

"One thing he wanted to make clear to me was what happened to Maleah was an accident," Quanell X said.

In a statement, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said her office has spoken with Vence's attorney and there is no agreement in the case.

"We continue to work with the Houston Police Department to bring justice for Maleah Davis," Ogg said.

Dorian Cotlar, Vence's attorney, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

On Friday, Cotlar filed a motion in court asking a judge to prohibit Quanell X from visiting Vence in jail, where he remains held on a $45,000 bond.

Quanell X had previously spoken on behalf of Brittany Bowens, Maleah's mother, but said he stopped being her spokesman because of inconsistencies in her story.

Child Protective Services removed Maleah and her brothers from the apartment Vence and Bowens shared in August after the girl suffered a head wound, but the children were returned in February, according to an agency spokeswoman.

Bowens could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

Earlier in May, Bowens told KRIV-TV she loved her children and it was "absurd" that anybody would think she had anything to do with Maleah's disappearance or with hurting her.

After a canceled court appearance by Vence on May 13, Bowens was heckled outside the courtroom by people who questioned if she had done enough to protect her daughter before her disappearance.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

A look at the shareholders of ClearVue Technologies Limited (ASX:CPV) can tell us which group is most powerful. Large companies usually have institutions as shareholders, and we usually see insiders owning shares in smaller companies. Warren Buffett said that he likes 'a business with enduring competitive advantages that is run by able and owner-oriented people'. So it's nice to see some insider ownership, because it may suggest that management is owner-oriented.

ClearVue Technologies is a smaller company with a market capitalization of AU$30m, so it may still be flying under the radar of many institutional investors. In the chart below below, we can see that institutions are not really that prevalent on the share registry. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner, to discover more about CPV.

Check out our latest analysis for ClearVue Technologies

ASX:CPV Ownership Summary, May 31st 2019

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About ClearVue Technologies?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

Institutions own less than 5% of ClearVue Technologies. That indicates that the company is on the radar of some funds, but it isn't particularly popular with professional investors at the moment. If the company is growing earnings, that may indicate that it is just beginning to catch the attention of these deep-pocketed investors. We sometimes see a rising share price when a few big institutions want to buy a certain stock at the same time. The history of earnings and revenue, which you can see below, could be helpful in considering if more institutional investors will want the stock. Of course, there are plenty of other factors to consider, too.

ASX:CPV Income Statement, May 31st 2019

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in ClearVue Technologies. We're not picking up on any analyst coverage of the stock at the moment, so the company is unlikely to be widely held.

Story continues

Insider Ownership Of ClearVue Technologies

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of ClearVue Technologies Limited. It has a market capitalization of just AU$30m, and insiders have AU$9.0m worth of shares in their own names. It is great to see insiders so invested in the business. It might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying recently.

General Public Ownership

The general public holds a 40% stake in CPV. 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 26%, of the shares on issue. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important.

I always like to check for a history of revenue growth. You can too, by accessing this free chart of historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

Of course this may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free 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.
Dakar (AFP) - Senegal's government pushed ahead Friday with a "national dialogue" following President Macky Sall's re-election this year, despite a boycott of the initiative by much of the opposition.

Interior Minister Aly Ngouye Ndiaye set up a commission that will discuss key issues ranging from the state of the economy and security to electoral reform and the environment.

Sall, 57, outlined the concept of a "dialogue" after taking his oath of office in April following his re-election in February.

He launched it on Tuesday in the presence of religious and tribal chiefs, representatives of civil society and a scattering of opposition leaders.

Sall described the process as "consultation."

"I have always thought that democracy cannot or should not be reduced to the state of permanent confrontation between government and opposition, between majority and minority," he said.

But critics say the initiative is a diversion from the country's problems, and what they say is the use of the law to stifle rivals.

Two leading figures, ex-minister Karim Wade and former Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, who has the same family name as the president but is not related to him, were barred from contesting the February elections after receiving convictions in controversial court cases.

The "dialogue" has been snubbed by former prime minister Idrissa Seck and lawmaker Ousmane Sonko, who placed second and third in the elections, as well as by the party of former president Abdoulaye Wade.

The two other defeated candidates in the election, Issa Sall and Madicke Niang, are taking part.

Participants have two weeks with which to make proposals to the various themes. A former minister, Famara Ibrahima Sagna, has been appointed to steer the process.

Sall has vowed to implement measures for which there is "consensus." A previous "national dialogue" took place in 2016 but little emerged from it.
The dogs were awarded the medals for their bravery in the aftermath of the terror attacks. (PA)

Seven dogs, who helped police during the London terror attacks, have been honoured with an award dubbed as the animal OBE for their service.

The PDSA Order of Merit was presented to the dogs and their handlers for their work after the Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and Borough Market attacks of 2017.

The seven were chosen from a group of 19, from the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police animals, who were honoured by the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) on Thursday.

Police dog Ollie, with his handler PC AnnaMarie Charnley. (PA)

Westminster Bridge - Wednesday 22 March 2017

Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, centre, stands amongst the emergency services at the scene outside the Palace of Westminster. (PA).

In March 2017, Central London was hit by a terrorist attack that, in just 82 seconds, left five people dead, including a police officer, and 29 injured.

In the moments following the attack, the BTP Explosive Search Dog Section and the Met Police Explosive Detection Dog Team were rushed to the scene to assess the situation and ensure public safety.

They searched through the chaos for potential devices that could cause further harm on the bridge itself and around Parliament Square.

Police protocol states that if an object or area has been declared suspicious, all emergency services must withdraw until the scene is confirmed safe.

The dogs and handlers put themselves directly in harms way to secure the scene, ensure the safety of the public and allow life-saving treatment of the casualties.

London Bridge and Borough Market - Saturday 3 June 2017

Armed British police officers walk with a detection dog. (AP)

In June 2017, a white van containing three attackers drove into ten pedestrians on London Bridge, seriously injuring eight and killing two.

The attackers alighted from the van armed with knives and appeared to be wearing suicide vests. They ran through Borough Market, continuing their assaults on innocent members of the public.

In total, eight people were killed and 48 people were injured during the attack.

The police dogs and their handlers often worked up to 13 hours, searching buildings, vehicles and nearby roads to ensure there were no explosive devices.

Story continues

Throughout the incident the teams worked with the knowledge that potential further danger remained all around them, but put the safety of the public ahead of their own as they tirelessly continued their work.

The Award

The medal. (PSDA)

BTP Inspector Paul Miles said: I am immensely proud of our dogs and their handlers, and absolutely thrilled to see their bravery and resilience recognised through this very special award.

It is impossible to overstate the courage and dedication show by our dog teams, and all of their colleagues who responded to the tragic events of 2017.

They worked through physically and emotionally challenging conditions without second thought, willingly walking into danger and putting the publics safety before their own.

While today is a day of celebration, the horror of these incidents will never leave us and our thoughts will always remain with those who lost their lives and were injured.

Police dog Bruno, with his handler PC Robert Smith. (PA)

Chief Inspector Graham Horwood from the Mets Taskforce said: It is a huge honour for our heroic police dogs to be awarded with such a prestigious medal.

Our Police Dogs and their handlers work day and night, in some of the most challenging environments, to help keep London safe and we are immensely proud that their exceptional work has been recognised.

Our thoughts and condolences remain with those affected by the awful events that took place in 2017.

Game of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel (right) with PD Kai and retired PC Jean Pearce. (PDSA)

The PDSA Order of Merit, which began in 2014, recognises animals who display outstanding devotion to their owner or wider society, above and beyond normal companionship  and represents an exceptional example of the special relationship that exists between animals and humans.

There have been 28 recipients of the award  18 dogs and 10 horses.
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan on Friday condemned Chinas amassing of military defenses on artificial islands in the South China Sea, calling it excessive.

At a press conference in Singapore, Shanahan said that Chinas installation of fortifications such as surface-to-air missiles on the artificial islands it has erected in the disputed sea is overkill.

The U.S. sailed two warships near islands in the disputed waters at the beginning of this month. The operation was part of U.S. efforts to maintain the waters as neutral territory, despite Chinas claim to much of their area.

China urges the United States to stop such provocative actions, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at the time.

Shanahan plans to release the Pentagons new Indo-Pacific strategy Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Theres not necessarily an expectation that they roll back the land reclamation  what theyve done on the island-building is done, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver said in April. We hope that they will not deploy additional military systems and in fact remove the military systems on these outposts.

Its our intent to make sure that no one country can change international law or the status of the South China Sea, Schriver added.

The military dispute follows trade tensions between the U.S. and China that the worlds two largest economies failed to resolve earlier this month amid acrimony and accusations of bad faith. The Trump administration has raised tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent, and levied a 25 percent tariff on another $50 billion worth of Chinese high-tech products.

More from National Review
Singapore (AFP) - Beijing warned Friday that the US should not underestimate China's military as the top defence officials from both countries met on the sidelines of a security forum.

As Beijing and Washington vie for influence in a region hosting potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait, acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan met Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe for 20 minutes Friday.

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said they "reached some consensus" on issues of common concern, adding that Wei "particularly emphasised the Taiwan issue".

China sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides having being ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949.

Beijing is regularly angered by US warships transiting through the Taiwan Strait, which it considers its territorial waters.

"He (Defence minister Wei) pointed out that the US has recently had a series of negative words and actions on this issue", Wu said, adding that Beijing was "firmly opposed" to this.

"On the issue of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the US should not underestimate the determination, will and ability of the Chinese military."

Shanahan spokesman Joe Buccino told reporters the meeting was "constructive and productive".

-Risk of misunderstanding -

"The two leaders discussed ways to build military-to-military relations that reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation between our nations," he said.

Washington has been pushing back against Beijings militarisation of the South China Sea, and ahead of Friday's meeting Shanahan told reporters that facilities China was building on reclaimed land in the South China Sea appeared to be an "overkill" if they were purely defensive.

"I mean surface-to-air missiles, long runways... Seems excessive," Shanahan said.

Story continues

A top US top general said earlier this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping had reneged on promises by building "10,000-foot runways, ammunition storage facilities, routine deployment of missile defense capabilities, aviation capabilities" on reclaimed land.

Weis attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue -- an annual gathering of global defence officials organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank -- is being taken as a sign that China is not backing away from the dispute.

"The Chinese want to be here to say their side of the story," Shawn Ho, associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore told AFP.

"Definitively, we are seeing more competition between the US and China... not just traditional fields, but also in technology... and I think this is something that we have to watch very carefully," Ho said

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a keynote speech to the gathering Friday evening the US-China bilateral relationship "is the most important in the world today", urging them to work together.

"Even short of outright conflict, a prolonged period of tension and uncertainty will be extremely damaging," he warned, adding that serious international problems would not be addressed without the full participation of both powers.

Shanahan is expected to flesh out Washington's strategy in the Pacific region, where both the US and China are vying for influence, during a talk on Saturday.

Wei will address the conference on Sunday, with a source from his delegation saying the speech will outline China's role in global security and US-China ties -- as well as addressing the territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

"The 'China threat' is a non-existent issue. We are here to correct that misconception," added the source, who did not want to be named.
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

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. We'll use ROE to examine SJM Holdings Limited (HKG:880), by way of a worked example.

Our data shows SJM Holdings has a return on equity of 11% for the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every HK$1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn HK$0.11.

See our latest analysis for SJM Holdings

How Do I Calculate ROE?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit  Shareholders' Equity

Or for SJM Holdings:

11% = HK$2.9b  HK$28b (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 all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. Shareholders' equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company.

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. A higher profit will lead to a higher ROE. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. Clearly, then, one can use ROE to compare different companies.

Does SJM Holdings 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. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. Pleasingly, SJM Holdings has a superior ROE than the average (8.3%) company in the Hospitality industry.

SEHK:880 Past Revenue and Net Income, May 30th 2019

That's clearly a positive. In my book, a high ROE almost always warrants a closer look. For example you might check if insiders are buying shares.

Story continues

The Importance Of Debt To 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 and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. In this manner the use of debt will boost ROE, even though the core economics of the business stay the same.

SJM Holdings's Debt And Its 11% ROE

Although SJM Holdings does use debt, its debt to equity ratio of 0.57 is still 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.

But It's Just One Metric

Return on equity is one way we can compare the business quality of different companies. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. If two companies have around the same level of debt to equity, and one has a higher ROE, I'd generally prefer the one with higher ROE.

But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So you might want to take a peek at this data-rich interactive graph of 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.
Chinese Ambassador Hu Zhangliang Paid a Courtesy Call on Hon. Chief Minister David John Francis

2019/05/31

On May 29, 2019, Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of Sierra Leone, H.E. Mr. Hu Zhangliang paid a courtesy call on Professor David John Francis, Chief Minister of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

Ambassador Hu said that China and Sierra enjoy profound traditional friendship and fruitful cooperation. H.E. President Xi Jinping and H.E. President Julius Maada Bio outlined a new blueprint for the development of bilateral relations. The Chinese side will work with the Sierra Leonean side to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and further deepen bilateral relations, so as to push bilateral cooperation in various fields to a new level.

Hon. Chief Minister Francis recalled the occasion when he accompanied H.E. President Bio on the state visit to China and attending the FOCAC Beijing summit. The Hon. Chief Minister praised China's development achievements and the experiences of governance. Sierra Leonean side is willing to work with China and actively participate in the joint building of the Belt and Road to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, Hon. Chief Minister Francis said.
The value of SpaceX has risen to $33.3 billion, people familiar with the company's recent fundraising told CNBC.

If Tesla shares close negative on Friday then, for the first time, Musk's space company will be more valuable than his electric vehicle company.

SpaceX's valuation has risen steadily as the company has raised funding rockets, spacecraft and more over the past decade.

Elon Musk's second-most famous business may soon top his first.

The value of SpaceX has risen to $33.3 billion, people familiar with the company's recent fundraising told CNBC. In an amendment of its April fundraising effort, a filing last week from SpaceX showed the company's latest round brought in $536 million at a price of $204 a share. SpaceX has raised just over $1 billion this year, as the company accelerates fundraising to develop its plan to beam high-speed internet to anywhere on Earth.

Additionally, Musk's space company may soon be more valuable than his electric vehicle company. If Tesla shares TSLA close negative on Friday then, for the first time, SpaceX will be worth more. Tesla opened trading at $33.3 billion in market value on Friday  directly inline with the value of SpaceX.

SpaceX's valuation has risen steadily as the company has raised funding for rockets, spacecraft and more over the past decade. Most recently, SpaceX was reportedly valued at $30.5 billion. The company has been able to draw investment from private markets with ease, as a person familiar with SpaceX's fundraising this year said both its equity raises were oversubscribed. In the most recent round, investor demand meant SpaceX could have raised between $300 million to $400 million more than it did, the person said.

Tesla, on the other hand, has lost more than half its value since August. Shares of Tesla are down more than 43% this year, steadily dropping. The electric automaker faces slowing demand, increasing costs from the U.S. trade war with China and doubt from Wall Street about its financial health. Only a week after Musk deferred on questions about the company raising capital , Tesla raised $2.7 billion in a stock and bond offering. While he has said Tesla will end 2019 with a record number of vehicles delivered, analysts warn that deliveries will be lower than he forecast, especially in key markets such as China.

Story continues

The space company has undertaken two ambitious and capital intensive projects: The building of a network of nearly 12,000 internet satellites, called Starlink, and the development of a rocket big enough to send 100 people to Mars, called Starship. Earlier this year, Musk said SpaceX "has to be incredibly spartan with expenditures" due to the projects. But the company's financial standing appears stable.

Musk told reporters this month that SpaceX has "sufficient capital" to get its Starlink satellite network "to an operational level." Musk believes SpaceX will be the key to funding his vision of colonizing Mars, as he estimates Starlink could generate at least 10 times the revenue that the company's business of launching rockets could. While SpaceX's annual launch revenue is estimated at about $2 billion , Musk sees that topping out at $3 billion in the coming years. But Starlink he said could bring in revenue of "more like $30 billion a year."

"Total internet connectivity revenue in the world is about $1 trillion and we think maybe we can access about 3%" with Starlink, Musk said.





More From CNBC


Brussels (AFP) - The European Parliament has suspended the accreditation of all newly elected Spanish members after Carles Puigdemont and another Catalan separatist MEP were denied access to the building, sources said Friday.

Puigdemont, who was president of Catalonia at the time of the failed independence bid, was refused access to the parliament building Wednesday evening, one of Puigdemont's lawyers, Simon Bekaert, told AFP. So too was fellow Catalan politician Toni Comin.

They were also denied temporary accreditation, despite the fact that other Spanish members had already received theirs, which Bekaert denounced as "arbitrary and discriminatory".

The reason given was that the Parliament did not yet have the official list of Spanish members, he said.

Puigdemont fled to Belgium shortly after Catalonia declared independence to avoid arrest.

Although he has been elected to the European Parliament it is not clear if he will be able to take his seat.

Under Spanish rules, all of those elected to the European Parliament first have to swear they will abide by Spain's constitution -- in person. If Puigdemont travelled to Spain he would immediately be arrested on a charge of rebellion.

President of the parliament Antonio Tajani decided to suspend access for all Spanish MEPs until the definitive results of the European elections in Spain are published.

"The Spanish theatre of the absurd has been imported into the European Parliament," said Bekaert.

"If the European Parliament lets itself be influenced by a member state into banning deputies from taking their seat, we will go to the European Court of Justice," he warned.

The Spanish authorities have to send the official results of the elections there to the parliament in the 20 days following the elections, he added.

This latest row comes as Spain announced Friday that it had complained to the United Nations over a report by UN-mandated experts criticising them over the detention of Catalan separatists.

Story continues

Madrid said they had asked for the assessment by independent experts to be revised, alleging a "conflict of interest".

The experts, although commissioned by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council were not speaking in the name of the United Nations.

Their report, published on Wednesday, called for the release of three leading separatists whose cases it was asked to examine and described their detention as "arbitrary".
Photo: Toro Toro/Yelp

Looking for a delicious Latin American meal near you?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end Latin American restaurants around Washington, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fill the bill.

1. Toro Toro

Photo: toro toro/Yelp

Topping the list is Toro Toro. Located at 1300 I Eye St. NW in downtown Washington, the Latin American spot is the highest-rated high-end Latin American restaurant in Washington, boasting four stars out of 710 reviews on Yelp.

Family-style meals are served at Toro Toro, as well as brunch. Menu specialties include pan-seared Atlantic salmon, beef filet with vegetables, and fried rice with chicken, chorizo, steak, eggs and vegetables. Cocktails and desserts are also available.

2. Fogo De Chao Brazilian Steakhouse

Photo: Fogo De Chao brazilian steakhouse/Yelp

Next up is downtown's Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse, situated at 1101 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (between North 12th and North 11th streets). With four stars out of 1,724 reviews on Yelp, the steakhouse and Brazilian spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge.

Yelper Spencer P., who gave a rating of five stars in a May 20 review, wrote, "Fogo offers an all-you-can-eat buffet where servers come around with different types of different cuts of meat. The complimentary sides include plantains, mashed potatoes and their cheese bread."

3. China Chilcano

Photo: China chilcano/Yelp

Penn Quarter's China Chilcano, located at 418 7th St. NW, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the Peruvian and Asian fusion spot four stars out of 1,062 reviews.

China Chilcano, a Chinese-Peruvian-Japanese restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Jose Andres, offers ceviches, sashimi, meat, seafood, whole lobster from the coast of Peru, tasting menus and more.

Yelper Aarti B. wrote, "Culinary fusion of Chinese and Peruvian flavors perfectly blended together."

4. Poca Madre

Poca Madre, a Mexican spot located in Chinatown, is another much-loved, pricey go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 135 Yelp reviews. Head over to 777 I St. NW (between North 7th and North 8th streets.) to see for yourself.

Story continues

Yelp user Uyen V. wrote, "The crispy whole fish with coconut-arbol broth was the star of the evening; we'd never tasted anything like it before, and it was perfect with the warm tortillas. We completed the meal with arroz cremoso (truffled risotto), and we could've died happy."

5. Texas De Brazil

Photo: texas de brazil/Yelp

Over in Mount Vernon Square, check out Texas De Brazil, which has earned four stars out of 287 reviews on Yelp. Treat yourself at the steakhouse, venues and event space and Brazilian spot by heading over to 455 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 100 (at North I Street).

Yelp user Grace L. wrote this about the restaurant, "As if the nonstop swords of meat isn't enough, you also get unlimited warm pao de queijo (cheese bread), mashed potatoes and fried bananas."

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.
Writing clear-eyed and fairly about Hillary Clinton has proven virtually impossible for the pundit class. We on the right needle her relentlessly; the rest make excuses for her, blame her downfall on others. A play by one of Americas more interesting playwrights has managed to cut through all of our emotional responses and consider her failures without pity, sentiment, or rancor. Hillary and Clinton does not pander either to HRC haters or to her supporters, and given that more or less everyone is in one of those two camps, the work is having a hard time finding an audience or winning awards. Yet it is a penetrating and astute play.

Hillary Clinton lost because voters didnt see her as human but did see her as corrupt, and both of these flaws are tightly bound to her marriage. In 75 minutes, Lucas Hnaths play strips her to the core. It even strips her pants off her; one of the more disconcerting concepts being presented on the New York stage these days is Hillary Clintons legs being finally bared.

The legs are those of Laurie Metcalf, who in one scene argues with her husband in nothing but underpants and a sweater. She plays Hillary without the slightest attempt at mimicry, which is a relief. John Lithgow, who also avoids adopting the speech or mannerisms of his subject, plays Bill as a wounded, petulant narcissist. Seems about right. We see a lot of his legs too, as he lounges in short shorts. Is there a better way to cut these two historical figures down to size than to put their legs on display?

As directed by Joe Mantello in minimalist style, with the unadorned rear wall of the John Golden Theater visible behind the stage, Hillary and Clinton takes place in a spare white hotel room just before and just after the New Hampshire primary in the winter of 2008. After Mrs. Clintons third-place finish in Iowa, a campaign flunky (Zak Orth) confidently explains that she is in second in New Hampshire. So me losing is a strategy, she says drily. Hillarys campaign is broke. She cannot call Bill for help. Yet she must call Bill for help. And so here he is on her doorstep, whiny and hurt, babbling about some encounter with a witch doctor in Croatia and the curse that supposedly lies upon him. Travels to exotic lands in high style are his life while she is trying to shake votes out of people in small-town diners. Oh, how is she? he asks in passing. Im good, Bill, Im good, she says, adding a helpful reminder: Im runnin for president.

Story continues

Lithgow doesnt overplay his theory of the character, but Bill is essentially a child. Yet he is also possessed of the political acumen of which she is utterly bereft. Bill knows whats ailing her campaign: The voters cant relate to her. She needs to show some emotion. A high point of the play, and one of the most sagacious passages about Hillary Ive ever come across, is her explanation of why she cant do that. Shes been betrayed too many times. Shes all cried out. People dont like people who make them feel like s**t, he advises. How about people grow the f**k up, she replies. The audience with which I saw the play burst into applause, which might have been cathartic for Hillary voters, but of course he is right and she is wrong. You dont get to blame the voters for not liking you.

Hillary asks Bill to pump some money into her campaign, and its understood that if some corners need to be cut, thats fine. But after she pulls out a victory in New Hampshire largely attributable to a brief episode of crying, Barack Obama (played with an appropriate mix of condescension and veiled menace by Peter Francis James) comes around to lay down some harsh facts for her. He knows what the Clinton Foundation has been up to. It doesnt look good. It will come out, he warns. She fires back, presciently, that he is a rookie who doesnt know how the Washington game is played and wont be able to get much of anything done as president.

The web of corruption around the Clintons is, along with her personality, the reason she is not president today. Yet there must be ten thousand pages of commentary about WikiLeaks and the Russians for every page that mentions the very troubling mechanics of the Clinton cash machine. Id argue that she was fully complicit with all of this, but Hnath sees her as simply getting caught up in Bills schemes the same way she got caught up in the machinery of his philandering. Either way, Hnath is forthright about what doomed Hillary, and it wasnt Vladimir Putin. The play makes some unnecessary moves when Metcalf breaks the fourth wall to remind us were in an alternate universe that is very similar to this one, but even right here on Earth in the 21st century, the playwrights analysis of Hillary Clinton is devastatingly credible without being ungenerous about her plight. She got within inches of the presidency because of whom she married, and that man is also a central reason she never will be president. Her creator was her destroyer. Did he even want her to win? Its unclear. In the play, Hillary offers an opinion on that, and it seems spot-on.

Since neither Bill nor Hillary has ever spoken frankly about their marriage, and it is likely that neither ever will, it falls upon works of the imagination to map out what its internal dynamics might be like. Hillary and Clinton is a resoundingly persuasive analysis of what its like in there.

More from National Review
By Abhirup Roy and Gopal Sharma

KOLKATA/KATHMANDU, May 31 (Reuters) - Earlier this month Dipankar Ghosh, a 52-year-old Indian photographer, scaled the world's fifth-highest peak, the snow-capped Mount Makalu.

He didn't make it back down alive. After being separated from the rest of his team in bad weather, he collapsed and died along with Narayan Singh, an officer in the Indian army, according to his tour operator.

"Dipankar personified mountains," said his brother, Goutam, sitting by the coffin after it returned to the family's home in Kolkata, the state capital of India's West Bengal, on Wednesday. "There was nothing else that he loved more."

Ghosh's death comes amid a spike in similar incidents since the start of the Himalayan climbing season, most notably on the world's tallest peak Mount Everest.

Nine people have died on the Nepalese side of the mountain so far this year, the deadliest climbing season on the peak since 2015. That is becoming an embarrassment for the Nepalese government, which is facing increasing criticism over how it issues permits and regulates trekking companies.

Indian climbers in the Himalayas are booming in number, but may be disproportionately at risk because they tend to join budget expeditions that are sometimes less well equipped, according to interviews with more than two dozen climbers, trekking companies and officials in both India and Nepal.

Nepal's tourism department issued Everest permits to a record 78 Indian climbers in 2019, up from 59 in 2018. Indians now make up the largest group of permit holders, overtaking U.S. citizens this year.

Four Indians have already died in separate incidents on Everest this year, the most since five Indian army soldiers were killed on an expedition in 1985.

DOMESTIC BOOM

For decades, expeditions to Everest and Nepal's other "Eight Thousanders"  a small group of difficult peaks above 8,000 meters beloved of mountaineers  were dominated by foreign-run companies.

Story continues

Then avalanches in 2012 and 2014 killed several local mountain guides, known as sherpas, fueling anger at what were seen as the excessive profits being made by Western companies, according to Alan Arnette, a veteran mountaineer who has long chronicled deaths on Everest.

Local firms moved in aggressively, offering packages that undercut foreign rivals. A Nepalese company charges around $35,000 for a trek to the summit of Everest, compared with $70,000 or more for a foreign company, according to several tour operators.

Five years ago, around 80% of treks were run by foreign companies. Now the ratio is reversed, according to Arnette and Phil Crompton, from the U.S.-based Altitude Junkies trekking company.

To be sure, the pitfalls of choosing some cheaper operators  from a lack of oxygen cylinders to cooks being passed off as experienced guides  can befall mountaineers from any country.

But budget firms are especially attractive to Indians, who tend to be more cost-conscious and reliant on donations or sponsorship to fund their trip, several trekking companies said.

"Some Indian climbers look for low-budget companies and get poor services," said Ang Tshering Sherpa, the founder of Asian Trekking, one of Nepal's largest mountaineering companies that has led 54 climbers to the summit of Everest this year without fatalities.

Rizza Alee, an 18-year-old from Indian-controlled Kashmir, said he was forced to abandon an attempt to climb Everest last week, after his sherpa, who was working for a Nepalese company, failed to carry enough oxygen for the summit.

Inexperienced guides were unable to cope with a "massive traffic jam" of climbers near the peak, he added, a result of the Nepalese government issuing a record 381 permits to climb Everest this year.

"Next time if I come, I will choose the company wisely, I will choose the sherpa wisely, I will choose everything wisely," he said.

Ghosh, an experienced climber, was on an expedition led by Nepalese company Seven Summit Treks, one of the country's largest.

Seven of its clients have died on three Himalayan peaks so far this year, the company said, nearly one-third of all fatalities in the Nepalese Himalayas. Thaneswor Guragai, a manager at Seven Summit Treks, said the deaths were not the result of any management failings at the company.

"It was bad weather and anyone could have died," he said. "It is not because we had no experienced sherpas or we did not provide enough support."

Guragai and Ghosh's family declined to comment on the cost of his trip. Gurugai said the company offered packages costing from $30,000 to $130,000 per climber.

MOUNTAIN LURE

The increasing popularity of Everest, buoyed by social media and the promise of instant fame, is alarming experienced mountaineers in India, who say it encouraging some who lack the necessary skills or training to attempt the feat.

"If an inexperienced climber reaches the Everest summit, he is invited to various social functions as an honorary guest," said Malay Mukherjee, a veteran Indian climber from Kolkata. "That does not mean he is a good or responsible climber, but it sends the wrong message to others."

Maya Sherpa, 41, chairwoman of Everest Summiteers' Association, who has climbed the peak three times, said she was returning from the summit of Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain on May 15, when she passed an Indian struggling with the climb.

"He was sick but he still insisted on going up," she said.

Allee, the 18-year-old from Kashmir, said after being told about the lack of oxygen on Everest he came back down the mountain in tears, but is now able to put the setback in perspective.

"Since childhood I have been dreaming about it," he said. "(But) the mountain is always there. There is no point in killing yourself."

(Reporting by Abhirup Roy in KOLKATA and Gopal Sharma in KATHMANDU, additional reporting by Sunil Kataria in KATHMANDU and Alasdair Pal in NEW DELHI; Writing by Alasdair Pal; Editing by Alex Richardson)
The surgeon needed to call a time-out. She had already cut into the patients knee for what she thought would be a technically challenging but straightforward operation: freeing a nerve that had gotten so badly pinched after several knee replacements that it was causing unbearable pain. If the surgery didnt work, the 50-year-old patient told Dr. Susan Mackinnon of Washington University in St. Louis, she wanted her leg amputated.

But now Mackinnon, one of the countrys most renowned nerve surgeons, was stumped. She couldnt trace the saphenous nerve and its branches. To figure out where the nerve wends its way between and around and under muscle and connective tissue and free it, she needed to consult the best anatomical maps of peripheral nerves ever created. So she asked her colleague, Andrew Yee, to dash into her office, grab the Pernkopf Topographic Anatomy of Man, photograph the right illustration with his iPhone, and email it to her in the OR.

Yee did. Mackinnon projected the image on a screen, figured out where the nerve was, and successfully completed the surgery.

But soon after this 2014 operation, she began worrying whether she had done the right thing. The meticulous, four-color paintings in the Pernkopf book, which she had received as a gift upon graduating from medical school in 1982, were created by Viennese medical illustrators who were such ardent Nazis they included swastikas and lightning-bolt SS symbols in their signatures. The drawings were compiled by an Austrian medical school dean who fired all his Jewish professors after the Anschluss (Nazi Germanys annexation of Austria in 1938), and were based in part on the bodies of people executed by the Nazis. The first of the two volumes was published in 1937, the second in 1941.

Read more: 5 names to know at Facebook: the people behind its push into health care

Knowing the books history, which came to light in the mid-1980s, Mackinnon and Yee wondered, is it ethical to use the Pernkopf illustrations? They reached out to some of the nations leading historians of Nazi medicine, bioethicists, and experts on Jewish law to discuss whether Mackinnon acted ethically, as they describe in the May issue of the journal Surgery.

Story continues

The books horrific provenance has been known for a while, said Yee, who films Mackinnons surgeries and founded an online program so others can learn expert techniques. The publisher stopped reprinting it in 1994, soon after the University of Vienna (where Nazi Eduard Pernkopf became rector in 1943) traced many of its images to people executed by the Nazis. Investigators were unable to identify the specific people used by Pernkopfs artists, however, or even determine how he procured most of the bodies. But the investigators found no evidence that any came from concentration camps, and concluded that many were people executed in the city for resistance to the Nazis.

The moral dilemma for surgeons is that, even now, the Pernkopf illustrations are unsurpassed in their accuracy and detail, especially their depiction of peripheral nerves. I hate to say it, but the illustrations are beyond spectacular, said bioethicist and Rabbi Joseph Polak of Boston University, whom the Washington University team consulted. They are really world-class.

Other anatomy atlases pale by comparison, Yee said, and although a few journal papers may have an equally good, single illustration, finding the right paper takes time that Mackinnon did not have as she stood over her patient. The surgical team had no doubts at the time that they were doing the right thing, but after a visiting scholar gave a talk about the Pernkopf atlas, she and Yee wanted counsel from respected experts on the proper way to use it in both education and clinical practice, he recalled.

Scholars and physicians have long debated the use of Nazi medical data, in particular from experiments on hypothermia and phosgene gas (data collected by exposing Jewish prisoners to freezing and poisoning). The U.S. military even redesigned Army flak jackets based on Nazi data so downed airmen had a better chance of surviving the cold, said Dr. Michael Grodin of Boston University School of Public Health, an expert on Nazi medicine and co-author of the Surgery paper.

Much of those data are considered scientifically unreliable (theyre not worth anything, Grodin said) and therefore easier to reject 75 years after the Holocaust. Not so with the Pernkopf. Even in 2019, it is considered unsurpassed in comprehensiveness and precision, said Dr. Sabine Hildebrandt, an anatomy lecturer at Harvard Medical School whom the Washington University surgeons also consulted. In part, thats because anatomy is viewed as 19th-century medicine, and no one has an incentive to put much effort into trying to improve on the classic texts.

Hildebrandt does not use the book in her anatomy lectures, she said, and asks that colleagues who do explain its horrific origins and acknowledge the sacrifice and suffering of the people whose bodies it is based on.

But that didnt provide much guidance to Mackinnon. When she posed the dilemma to Grodin and Polak, they produced what has become a definitive work on when it is morally acceptable to use the Pernkopf and other knowledge rooted in Nazi medicine. It relates to the old question, can you derive good from evil? Grodin said.

The highest value in Jewish law is life. If the illustrations in Pernkopf can save a life or alleviate suffering, Grodin said, most rabbis would not just permit using it but say it was mandatory  as long as physicians and educators remember its origins and pay respect to those who were killed to create it. Every time someone uses one of these pictures, they need to say where it came from, said Polak, who survived the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp as a child.

Scholars not involved in Mackinnons case agree. Not every utilization of Nazi-generated data or information is morally out of bounds, bioethicist Arthur Caplan of New York University wrote in a commentary on the Surgery paper. This case makes clear that at least a narrow use of tertiary information  paintings of bodies  is morally defensible. If direct, immediate, and substantial patient benefit is being sought from the use of existing information, and if there is no better resource available, then the demands of beneficence create a presumption of use.

That does not settle the debate over the Pernkopf atlas, however. After a series of corporate takeovers, the plates now belong to scientific publisher Elsevier. When Hildebrandt visited its Munich headquarters in March, and was shown many of the originals, she asked the company to let the Medical University of Vienna display them as part of an exhibition on the Nazi horrors and their lasting influence in medicine. Elsevier is still considering that request, but lawyers are involved, Polak said. Elsevier spokesman Tom Reller told STAT, however, that weve decided the pictures should not be published further or lent or donated.

As for Mackinnons patient, she recovered fully and was pain-free for the first time in years. During the usual preoperative discussions about the risks of surgery, Mackinnon didnt think to ask how the patient would feel if her surgeons consulted a work of Nazi medicine to help them, nor did the surgeon tell the patient afterward that she had consulted Pernkopf. The outside scholars werent asked whether it is morally imperative to do so.

We never thought about it, said Grodin, who has studied survivors of Dr. Josef Mengeles experiments at Auschwitz. But informing patients, he said, is a logical next step as scholars continue to grapple with the Nazis medical legacy.
Representative Eric Swalwell (D., Calif.), a long-shot contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, called on his colleagues Friday to impeach Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin over their refusal to comply with lawmakers subpoena-backed document demands.

Im for bringing Mueller in, getting the full Mueller report, impeaching Barr and Mnuchin to get the documents, being prepared for impeachment, the California Democrat said on MSNBCs Hardball. But I recognize that the rule of law here is the most important thing we can protect. Its very fragile. This is the most extreme remedy. So, first things first: Lets get rid of the first two obstructors in Barr and Mnuchin and then get the information. . .

Mnuchin has refused to turn over President Trumps income taxes on the grounds that Congress lacks a legitimate legislative purpose in demanding them. Barr, meanwhile, has refused to comply with House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadlers demand that he turn over the full, unredacted Mueller report and the evidence underlying it because to do so would violate federal statutes governing the release of classified information.

Echoing a now-familiar line of Democratic attack, Swalwell went on to accuse Barr of acting as the presidents defense attorney in his presentation of Special Counsel Robert Muellers findings. Swalwell and fellow Democrats have lambasted Barr for allegedly misrepresenting Muellers findings in the summary of Muellers report he delivered weeks before releasing the redacted report in its entirety.

At issue is Barrs emphasizing the fact that Mueller failed to reach a conclusion on whether the president obstructed justice, a failure Democrats have argued  and Muellers Wednesday press conference seemed to confirm  was due strictly to existing guidance from the DOJs Office of Legal Counsel that prohibits the indictment of a sitting president.

Story continues

Barr, in an ABC News interview that aired Thursday evening, said he believed Mueller could have reached the conclusion that the president did not criminally obstruct justice based on the available evidence. He also reiterated a point he initially made during his congressional testimony earlier this month: Muellers team repeatedly told him that its decision not to reach a conclusion with respect to obstruction of justice was not due to the OLC guidance.

More from National Review
Passenger numbers are falling in Sweden, but rising globally - olaser

The chief executive of one of Scandinavias largest airlines has blamed the flight shame movement for a fall in passenger numbers in Sweden, where concern about climate change has inspired people to give up flying.

Rickard Gustafson, chief executive of SAS, told Danish newspaper Dagens Nringsliv that he was convinced the movement was behind a slump in Swedish air traffic, which reportedly fell by five per cent in the first quarter of 2019.

Passenger numbers rose by 4.4 per cent in Europe during the same period. The airline also blamed the weak Swedish krone.

Spread via social media, the flygskam (flight shame) movement has received celebrity endorsement from local stars in Sweden, including the former Olympian biathlete, Bjorn Ferry, who has pledged to quit flying. He declined a request to be interviewed by Telegraph Travel.

Ferry isnt the only high-profile Swede refusing to fly. Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate activist who inspired students around the world to strike over climate change, has also quit air travel.

Greta is one of Sweden's most prominent no fliers Credit: Getty Images Europe/Michael Campanella

Thunberg famously took the train (journey time: 32 hours) to attend Januarys World Economic Forum in Davos, where she shamed delegates who jetted in on private jets.

Sweden has a curious relationship with air travel. While it appears to be leading a campaign against it, the countrys emissions from aviation are five times higher than the global average, according to a report by Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg.

However, there are signs that Swedes are shifting towards more sustainable transport: while the countrys airports report falling passenger numbers, a local railway company, SJ, claims bookings on some routes have increased by as much as 100 per cent.

Swedens flight shame movement now appears to be taking off in the UK where a sister campaign, Flight Free UK (flightfree.co.uk), launched in February to encourage Britons to quit flying in 2020.

The idea is to get 100,000 people to pledge not to fly next year, said lead campaigner, Anna Hughes, who describes the movement as a sort of Veganuary for aviation.

Story continues

Flight Free UK is also campaigning to make the cost of alternative forms of transport fairer. At the moment aviation is heavily subsidised  the tax on kerosine is very low  whereas alternative forms of transport are often prohibitively expensive, she said.

Aviation currently accounts for three per cent of global CO2 emissions, but according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) the industrys carbon footprint could rise by as much as 700 per cent over the next three decades in a business-as-usual scenario. Ryanair alone is already considered one of Europe's ten biggest carbon polluters.

Aviation needs to quickly reduce its emissions, said Justin Francis, CEO of Responsible Travel, which is campaigning for a global tax on kerosine to fund research and development into cleaner alternatives. He added: We need to fly less for the next 30 years until we get electric or other decarbonised forms of air travel.

SAS told Telegraph Travel that it will act faster to reduce emissions. We need to accelerate our work towards more sustainable air travel, a spokesperson said.

Aviation accounts for 3 per cent of global CO2 emissions Credit: GETTY

Meanwhile, Easyjet has claimed that it will be flying electric planes within a decade. The Norwegean government has also set a goal of making all short-haul flights electric by 2040.

In the meantime people can switch holidays with flights to those with trains or closer to home, and take fewer but longer overseas holidays with flights, suggested Francis.
Istanbul (AFP) - Syrian NGOs decried on Friday the inaction of the international community to mounting violence in the last jihadist stronghold of Idlib, saying it had triggered the biggest wave of displaced people since the war began.

As well as killing dozens of civilians, the recent bombardments by Syrian and Russian forces in northwest Syria have pushed 300,000 people towards Turkey's border, the NGOs said at a press conference in Istanbul.

"This is the single largest mass displacement in Syria since the beginning of the crisis" in 2011, they said in a statement.

More than two-thirds of those displaced are living without shelter, with border camps already running at double capacity, they added.

"The latest offensive began in March and has amplified since April 26, turning into a daily massacre," said Raed Saleh, head of the "White Helmets" civilian defence group.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday that almost 950 people had been killed in the latest clashes in Idlib.

A September deal was supposed to avert a full-out regime offensive on the province and adjacent areas held by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

But the jihadists have refused to leave the area, and the deal is on the verge of collapse as Syrian and Russian forces ramp up air strikes and rocket fire.

"The entire world is watching the massacre that is taking place and letting it pass in silence. The United Nations hasn't lifted even its little finger," Mohammad Zahed Al-Masri of the Alliance of Syrian NGOs said.

The civil rights groups called for immediate action by the UN Security Council to end the escalation and put pressure for talks.

"The UN is not playing a constructive role in Syria by refusing to name the responsible party in this escalation," said Saleh.
Lori Lightfoot made history on Monday when she was inaugurated as mayor of Chicago, making her the first openly gay, black woman to hold the title.

Lightfoot, who was joined by her wife Amy Eshleman and 11-year-old daughter Vivian, delivered her inaugural speech to a crowd at Wintrust Arena.

For years, theyve said Chicago aint ready for reform. Well, get ready, because reform is here, Lightfoot said. I campaigned on change. You voted for change. And I plan to deliver change to our government.

Lightfoot also vowed to cut down on the corruption in Chicago.

When public officials cut shady backroom deals, they get rich and the rest of us get the bill. When some people get their property taxes cut in exchange for campaign cash, they get the money and  we get the bill, she said. These practices have gone on here for decades.  Stopping it isnt just in the citys interest. Its in the City Councils own interest, Lightfoot said.

Lightfoot was joined on stage by outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel, U.S. Sens. Richard J. Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP)  Saudi Arabia's King Salman slammed Iran over recent attacks targeting the kingdom, describing the incidents on Saturday in a speech before Muslim leaders gathered in Mecca as "terrorist acts" that threaten global energy supplies.

It was the monarch's strongest words yet since tensions spiked in recent weeks between the two regional heavyweights.

Iran had a representative present at the 57-nation summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, but its top leadership did not attend.

The Islamic summit drew political figures and heads of state from countries spanning Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

They come with widely varying policies and priorities, but share a common reverence for the Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, known as the first "Qibla" because Muslims prayed toward it before the cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca.

Despite sharp differences between OIC member-states on a gamut of issues, a final statement by the group stressed support for a future Palestinian state, as well as the rejection of any deal or plan that prolongs Israeli occupation and undermines the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

The language stood in contradiction to the Trump administration's decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in recognition of it as Israel's capital, as well as a still undisclosed White House plan already rejected by the Palestinian leadership.

Glimpses of the plan suggest it sidelines or ignores the longstanding goal of Palestinian independence. A meeting next month in Bahrain aimed at rallying Arab economic support for the plan is being boycotted by the Palestinian Authority, but Saudi Arabia and the UAE are attending amid growing ties with Israel in the face of shared enemy Iran.

The U.S. recently sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf as tensions run high. The escalation stems from the Trump administration's decision to withdraw the U.S. from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers last year and impose crippling economic sanctions on the country.

Story continues

Speaking to leaders from OIC countries, King Salman opened the summit saying the world must fight the sources and funding of terrorism around the world.

He then said the alleged sabotage of four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in past weeks represents a "grave danger" to the security of maritime traffic and regional security.

He blamed Iranian-backed terrorist militias of being behind a subsequent drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline.

"We emphasize that these subversive terrorist acts are aimed not only at the kingdom and the Gulf region, but also on the security of navigation and energy supplies to the world," King Salman said.

Iran denies being involved in the incidents.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani had his own message for OIC leaders ahead of the summit, urging them to stay focused on the rights of Palestinians.

In a letter published online Friday, Rouhani said Muslim leaders should not let the importance of Palestinian statehood be "marginalized" in the face of the Trump administration's forthcoming Israeli-Palestinian plan.

Rouhani also noted in the letter he was not invited to the Islamic summit, but expressed Iran's readiness to work with all Muslim leaders to confront the White House's so-called "Deal of the Century."

King Salman told OIC leaders that the rights of Palestinians remains the cornerstone issue of the organization, which was formed 50 years ago in response to an extremist arson attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in east Jerusalem, one of Islam's most sacred sites.

He said the mosque remains under occupation and threat.

"We reiterate with emphasis the rejection of any measures that infringe upon the legal status of Al-Quds Al-Sharif," King Salman said, referring to east Jerusalem and the mosque compound.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said any peace deal that does not include an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along 1967 borders with east Jerusalem as its capital will be rejected by the OIC body.

"We shall not accept the rewriting of history, exchanging justice with economic benefits and disregarding dignity and legitimacy," he told the OIC summit.

The meeting began after midnight and ran into the early hours Saturday due to evening prayers and day-long fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

Saudi Arabia's effort to bring leaders to Mecca reflects the kingdom's desire to project a unified Muslim and Arab position on Iran to isolate it internationally.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Tehran regrets "Saudi Arabia's abuse of its privilege as the host" of the OIC "to sow division between Islamic and regional countries."

The summit follows two emergency Arab meetings the night before in Mecca criticizing Iran's behavior and influence in countries like Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

Presenting a unified stance on Iran faces obstacles within OIC member-states, which includes Iran. Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is attending the summit, has sought good ties with both Saudi Arabia and Iran, for example.

The leader of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group told supporters in Lebanon on Friday the Mecca summits are a Saudi call for help from Arab countries after Saudi Arabia failed to win in Yemen, where the kingdom and its allies have been at war since 2015 against Iranian-allied Yemeni rebels.

"It is a sign of failure," Hassan Nasrallah said. "These summits are calls for help ...that express the failure and the inabilities in confronting the Yemeni army, popular resistance and people."

___

Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut and Bassam Hatoum in Mecca contributed to this report.
A wounded baby receives medical treatment at a hospital after the air attacks carried out by Assad Regime warplanes over the de-escalation zone of Saraqib district in Idlib, Syria - Anadolu

The Syrian government and Russia have in the last month bombed eight hospitals in the rebel stronghold of Idlib whose coordinates were shared with Moscow in the hope of preventing such attacks, doctors say.

The United Nations gave the GPS locations supplied by NGOs operating in Idlib to Russia as part of a deconfliction mechanism.

The regime and Russia, which intervened in the war in support of President Bashar al-Assad in 2015, have systematically targeted hospitals and clinics during assaults on opposition strongholds.

Since the government began its offensive on Idlib on April 30, more than 24 facilities have been hit, in what doctors are calling a record.

Among the eight that feature on the UN humanitarian office OCHAs deconfliction list was a maternity hospital in the town of al-Atareb which had to evacuate premature babies.

A medical room covered in rubble and debris following reported shelling by the Syrian government in the town of Hbeit Credit: AFP

Deliberately targeting medical centres is a war crime under international law.

The NGOs had hoped that making the locations public would either act as a deterrent or at least better enable the UN to establish intent should they later be attacked.

But they fear it has made little difference and Moscow, seeing no consequences, is continuing to target hospitals with impunity.

Sharing the information with the United Nations did not lead to greater protection, said Dr Zaher Sahloul, the president of MedGlobal who was recently in Idlib. If anything people are thinking right now that by sharing this information its increasing the risk of targeting the hospitals."

Mohammed Katoub, advocacy manager at the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), told the Telegraph: We thought at least it would bring some accountability, if not protection. That the perpetrators might think twice if they think they are being watched. But this hasnt happened.

A man rescues a young girl after an air strike on Syrian town of Maaret Al-Noman in the southern Idlib province, Credit: AFP

He said SAMS reported the latest attacks to the UN, but has not had an official response.

In the briefing from Mark Lowcock (Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator) earlier this week, the language was watered down, he said. He talked about attacks on health (facilities) but didnt attribute responsibility."

Story continues

The civilian death toll is mounting in Idlib, reaching more than 270 over the past month, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Doctors warn that the hospitals which remain open are struggling to treat the large numbers of wounded.

I have worked in this hospital for two years, saved many lives and healed many wounds. Today, it has been destroyed by Russian-Syrian air-surface missile. This is also where my 70s parents where going for their health issues, what's left?! How could they survive? pic.twitter.com/HllmjHg5VQ  Dr. Mohamad Hamadi (@dr_hammady) May 28, 2019

Many have also been forced to go underground in an attempt to avoid air strikes.

The situation is frankly catastrophic, added Dr Sahloul. Its much worse than I expected and I think it may get even worse.

Hedinn Halldorsson, spokesperson for OCHA, said it was too early to determine whether health facilities that had been deconflicted had been attacked in the latest upsurge of violence.

However, he told the Telegraph that according to preliminary reports, some of the locations may have been deconflicted with relevant parties.

The UN is gravely concerned by the number of health and education facilities struck in northwest Syria in recent weeks.

Russia was alleged to have bombed a number of hospitals on the so-called deconfliction list during the offensive on besieged rebel-held Eastern Ghouta early last year.

A wounded child receives medical treatment at a hospital after air attacks Credit: Anadolu

The UN said it would investigate, however, the results of which are not yet known.

Karen Pierce, the UKs representative to the UN, raised the deliberate targeting of hospitals at the Security Council earlier this week.

It is inexcusable that hospitals, schools and other infrastructure have been attacked despite OCHAs deconfliction mechanism, she told the Council, where Russian and Syrian members were present.

The UN said it would investigate the accusations that hospitals on the list provided to Russia had been bombed and report back to the Council.
* Some 1.3 mln tonnes to be pumped back from Belarus

* To be diluted, sent to Russian refineries, ports -sources

* Organic chloride level to be cut to 6 ppm -sources

* Level may be too high for some European refiners -traders

* Russia, Poland, Germany to meet in Moscow on June 3

By Olga Yagova, Gleb Gorodyankin and Vladimir Soldatkin

MOSCOW, May 31 (Reuters) - More than a million tonnes of contaminated oil from Russia's Druzhba ("Friendship") pipeline, expected to be shipped back from Belarus, will end up at Russian refineries and export ports after being diluted to usable levels, sources have told Reuters.

The pipeline was halted in April after excessive levels of organic chloride used in oil extraction were found on the million-barrel-per-day pipeline that crosses Belarus and serves customers as far west as Germany.

Pipeline operator Transneft, which denies responsibility for the contamination, has agreed to pump back 1.3 million tonnes of oil from Belarus and has begun doing so.

It has pledged to reduce organic chloride levels that in some places topped 300 parts per million (ppm) to a usable 6 ppm by blending tainted crude with clean oil in its network, according to three industry sources who spoke to Reuters on Friday.

"Dirty oil will be stored and slowly diluted with clean volumes that go to Russian refineries and to all main ports - Novorossiisk, Primorsk, Ust-Luga," the source said.

Primorsk - the biggest Urals export port by volume - is currently the only purely clean Urals export route.

The oil will first be stored in tanks along the Russian part of the Druzhba pipeline, one of the sources said.

From Unecha near the border with Belarus it will be sent along the Unecha-Samara pipeline to storage in the Samara region which can store up to 1.5 million tonnes of oil, the source said.

Once mixed with clean flows it will be delivered to refineries in European Russia, the Baltic Sea export ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk and Novorossiisk on the Black Sea, the sources said.

Story continues

Transneft and the Energy Ministry did not reply to Reuters requests for immediate comment.

REFINERS

Refiners in the Volga region, central and southern Russia - the heart of Russian refining - are expected to face a rise in organic chloride levels, the sources said.

"We monitor organic chlorides daily in crude we receive. So far so good, but we prepare for the worst, it's better to be prepared," said a refinery source in the south.

"I think we're fine if organic chloride content stays under 10 ppm, but we may have to cut runs a bit depending on volumes of anti-corrosive additive needed and its efficiency," another source at one of Russia's major refineries told Reuters.

A couple of independent refineries in the south have already received a couple of contaminated cargoes and these showed organic chloride content of some 4-5 ppm, traders said.

EUROPE

For European refiners, the 6 ppm chloride limit will not please all buyers, with traders noting some will balk at anything above 0.5-1 ppm.

"Some of the (European) buyers just want to stay away from any organic chloride content above regular 0.5-1 ppm. So it may affect the demand," another trader in the market for Russia's Urals crude said.

Urals cargoes loading from Ust-Luga are traded with a discount to 'clean' Primorsk cargoes, traders said, despite the fact that organic chloride content in Ust-Luga was back to up to 4 ppm.

"It all depends on the refinery, but lots of European plants are not designed to take anything higher than the normal 1-2 ppm," a source at a European trader told Reuters.

"So if organic chloride content rises we may see more Urals arbitrage to Asia as they won't have any problem with it."

Some 700,000 tonnes of contaminated Russia Urals loaded from Ust-Luga are on the way to Asia, Reuters data shows.

Transneft believes the clean-up operation could take as long as eight months, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported this week.

That timeline also worries some refiners.

"There will be a ripple effect for months with a multi-layer market," a source at a large Italian refiner told Reuters.

"They tell us it will all be in line with standards, but 2 ppm and 5 ppm are two different things. What if something goes wrong with mixing and I get 10 ppm or more instead? I'll only know this when the crude is onboard, that's no good," another trader in the Urals oil market said. (Additional reporting by Olesya Astakhova, Alla Afanasyeva, Ludmila Zaramenskikh and Maxim Nazarov in Moscow, Julia Payne in London and Agnieszka Barteczko in Warsaw; writing by Olga Yagova; editing by Katya Golubkova and Jason Neely)
Nairobi (AFP) - A plastic bag ban comes into force in Tanzania on Saturday, as Africa leads efforts to stem the tide of plastic blighting the farthest reaches of the globe, and depths of the ocean.

Tanzania is banning the importation, production, sale and use of plastic bags, becoming the 34th African country to implement such restrictions, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

"Let me be clear on this, once it reaches June 1, the government is not planning to add any more days and we will not tolerate anyone who will be caught using them. No plastic bag will be allowed in the country," Tanzania's vice-president Samia Suluhu Hassan said when announcing the move in April.

Tanzania -- whose wildlife is a popular tourist draw -- has also issued a notice to travellers that they will have to "surrender" plastic bags in their possession before entering the country.

"The government expects that, in appreciation of the imperative to protect the environment and keep our country clean and beautiful, our visitors will accept minor inconveniences resulting from the plastic bags ban," said the statement.

According to local media, anyone caught manufacturing or importing plastic bags and plastic wrappings could get a fine of one billion Tanzanian shillings ($430,000, 390,000 euros) or face imprisonment for up to two years.

Possession and usage can lead to a fine of $87 or imprisonment for seven days, or both.

- Degrees of success -

Globally, 127 countries have some sort of plastic bag legislation, 91 of which include a ban or restriction on manufacturing, importation and retail distribution, according to UNEP.

Africa has 34 of these countries, followed by Europe with 29.

Patrick Mwesigye, UNEP's regional co-ordinator for resource efficiency told AFP that the degree of success of the bans varied in Africa.

Rwanda's plastic bag ban has been in place for over a decade and is considered one of the most successful.

Story continues

"But Rwanda had an advantage that there wasn't much manufacturing of plastics," in the country when the ban was implemented, said Mwesigye.

Countries with manufacturing and import industries, where jobs are impacted by bans, have struggled more to enforce them.

"In Kenya... it has been very effective. Still you have some plastic smuggled from neighbouring countries" like Uganda, he said.

Kenya's 2017 plastic ban imposed particularly harsh laws, with fines of up to $38,000 (32,000 euros) and four-year prison sentences.

However in reality, while there have been waves of arrests, fines and jail terms have been far less than proscribed.

Mwesigye said some countries put bans in place before ensuring there were suitable alternatives in place, while monitoring and practical enforcement were also a challenge.

- Scourge of single-use plastics -

Joyce Msuya, UNEP's Acting Executive Director, praised Tanzania for joining the nations implementing the ban.

"It is critical that bans now be complemented by efforts to identify effective alternatives to single-use plastics...".

The world currently produces more than 300 million tonnes of plastics annually, and there are at least five trillion plastic pieces floating in oceans, scientists have estimated.

Most of the items polluting oceans and landscapes and causing horrendous deaths for the creatures that live there, are made to be used once and thrown away, such as bags, straws and food packaging.

In March nations failed to agree to a timetable to phase out all single-use plastics, opting instead to "significantly reduce" their production.

Neither the United States, Canada or Australia have national plastic bag regulations -- although some American states like Hawaii or California have implemented bans.

The European Union in March voted to ban a dozen forms of single-use plastics from 2021.
A teacher is being investigated after writing WTF on a students homework.

The science tutor penned the missive  text-slang for what the f***?  after apparently finding the pupils science assignment somewhat underwhelming.

WTF is this? she wrote. Absolutely no credit.

But after the pupil's mother complained, the unnamed teacher  at Rutherford High School in Floridas Bay County  has been told the incident will be investigated.

It wasn't anything about not getting the credit, it was more so the languagethat was very inappropriate and not acceptable for a teacher whatsoever," said Melinda Smith, whose son received the unflattering feedback. I think for sure she needs to be reprimanded. I believe that something should be placed in her file.

Neither her sons name or age have been revealed.

Rutherford High's principal, Coy Pilson, said the school was taking action.

Once we were notified, I notified district officials and our HR has been involved and they're currently investigating the situation," he told regional TV station WJHG.

He would not be drawn on what action may be taken but suggested the incident was out of character for the member of staff involved.

She was apologetic and it was a mistake on her part, he said. All of the teachers at Rutherford High School are caring, loving teachers and we're also human and so, we make mistakes.

"But we understand that we are called to a high professional standard and when we make mistakes, we try to correct those mistakes and move forward.
HOUSTON, May 31 (Reuters) - Texas Governor Gregg Abbott on Friday reiterated his opposition to tariffs like the ones U.S. President Donald Trump said he will impose on Mexican imports to stop illegal immigration, while blaming Congress for failing to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants.

"I've previously stated my opposition to tariffs due to the harm it would inflict on the Texas economy, and I remain opposed today," Abbott said in a statement. "Nevertheless, the president is trying to address this emergency. Now, Congress must do its job and start passing laws to fix our broken immigration system." (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
Simba After impressing Disney as a young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Community star Donald Glover has landed the role of a lifetime as Simba, the pretender to the throne.

With Aladdin, Dumbo, and Avengers: Endgame already in cinemas, Disneys assault on your cinemagoing funds continues apace with the forthcoming release of The Lion King on 19 July.

The Jungle Books Jon Favreau has directed the new live action (or, to be pedantic, photorealistic CGI) remake of the iconic 1994 animation, and has recruited an all-star cast to do the voices. From Beyonce and Donald Glover, to John Oliver and Seth Rogen, every role has a killer voice behind it, including James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa.

Click through the slideshow to get a closer look at the incredibly lifelike CGI work, done by UK visual effects house MPC, to bring the characters to (the circle of) life.

The Lion King is in cinemas from 19 July.
Tens of thousands of gay rights supporters will parade through central Seoul Saturday, despite South Korea's main conservative opposition party denouncing the Pride event in a country where Christian churches have enduring political influence.

The South is Asia's fourth biggest economy and a capitalist democracy, but lived through decades of military rule when evangelical Christianity was widespread and framed the communist North as evil.

In recent times, activists say believers -- many of whom are elderly supporters of the conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) and now-ousted president Park Geun-hye -- have found a new enemy: sexual minorities.

"Conservative Christians used to target those who were accused of being North Korean sympathisers," said Lim Bo-rah, a senior pastor at an LGBT-friendly church in Seoul.

"And now their latest target is the nation's LGBT individuals. They consider both -- communists and sexual minorities -- as deserving to be demonised in South Korean society."

Traditionalists have long mounted counter-demonstrations against the Pride parade and individual conservative MPs have condemned it. But this this year the LKP itself has joined in.

After members of the left-leaning ruling Democratic party said they would participate to show support, LKP spokesman Min Kyung-wook said the Democrats should "come out" as a "queer" party, adding that the annual pride event was "lascivious" and involved "excessive exposure of bodies".

Min accused President Moon Jae-in of being deliberately vague on the subject in an attempt not to lose supporters.

From the opposite end of the spectrum, gay rights campaigners accuse Moon -- a former human rights lawyer -- of the same thing.

The government "has been silent on the matter so that it doesn't become an issue", said Chang Suh-yeon, an attorney at Human Rights Law Foundation GongGam.

"For them to not speak up about it -- so that they don't lose any supporters -- is not ideal."

Story continues

- Communism and Christianity -

It is a marked contrast to Taiwan -- which also has Confucian cultural components, a history of dictatorship, and has enjoyed an economic boom in recent decades.

But earlier this month Asia's first gay marriages took place on the island after it legalised the change.

Activists say the difference is religion: South Korea has proven fertile ground for religious groups with unambiguous ideologies that offered comfort and salvation that appealed during times of deep uncertainty following the Korean War.

Now more than 20 percent of South Korea's population are Protestant Christians, surveys show, compared to about five percent of Taiwanese.

One fifth "may not look like a huge number, but considering how much power the Christian church has in regional societies, it would be hard for any politician to ignore their influence", said Reverend Lim.

At least three of the South's past leaders -- the first President Syngman Rhee, Kim Young-sam and Lee Myung-bak -- served as elders of Christian churches that were part of their political power bases.

The country's military strongmen, Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan, had close ties with influential Christian pastors and now Christian lawmakers regularly hold prayer sessions at the National Assembly, with the LKP's chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn openly professing his devout Christianity.

Churches continue to be an important political space, particularly outside major cities where communities can revolve around them and pastors often invite selected parliamentary candidates to meet their followers.

- Intergenerational conflict -

Moon's silence was a "strategic" position, said political commentator Park Sang-byung.

"He supports gay rights, there's no question about that -- he just doesn't think it is necessary to make his stance public considering the current political climate, as doing so will trigger intense conflicts between different generations and political parties."

Michael Hurt, a sociologist at the University of Seoul, said the controversy reflected ever-deepening intergenerational differences in the South, where the population is ageing rapidly.

According to 2017 data, almost 50 percent of Koreans aged 60 or older voted for LKP candidate Hong Joon-pyo in the 2017 presidential election, while only 8.4 percent of those in their 20s and 30s did.

Elderly conservative Koreans could only understand "the simple, clear categories and identities that were the building blocks of their world", said Hurt.
Princeton University Art Museum has acquired a significant collection of drawings from the estate of the late architect Michael Graves, it was announced this week. Nearly 5,000 drawings, which span from informal sketchbook studies to full-color building elevations of some of the architects best-known structures, will join the museum collection at the institution where Graves taught for 39 years.

 Estate of Michael Graves

 Estate of Michael Graves

The selection, which represents pretty much all of Michaels greatest buildings, as museum director James Steward puts it, is wide-ranging in both the design work it covers and the styles of the drawings. Gravess early creations include gestural depictions of Italian architecture he completed as a fellow at the American Academy in Rome in the early 1960s. From later in his career, one can find sketches of Gravess iconic whistling bird kettle for Alessi, and even a selection of clever charm bracelets and earrings he designed for Belvedere featuring a miniature version of said kettle. Using graphite, pen, oil pastel, and color pencil, Graves formed his sketches across a range of media, including copy paper and yellow tracing paper. The diverse set of drawings is representative of the iconic architects expansive oeuvre and reveals the development of his vibrant postmodernist style over the course of his career.

 Estate of Michael Graves

As the principal of Michael Graves Architecture & Design, a practice Graves founded in 1964, the architect naturally worked alongside many others to produce the firms notable output. But the selection acquired by Princeton includes only drawings done by Graves himself. Drawings by othersincluding partner architects and designershave been removed, so that the archive truly represents the hand of one of the most influential designers of the late 20th century, Steward explains. The group of drawings was intentionally kept together, rather than parceled out into smaller bundles, so that it could be a particular strong resource for researchers and students, including those at the universitys School of Architecture.

Story continues

 Estate of Michael Graves

In 2016, in a deal turned down by Princeton, Kean University purchased three structures owned by Graves, including his former home in Princeton, which now is part of an architecture and design school under his name. Nonetheless, the drawings have found a fitting home at the Princeton University Art Museum, a place that Graves often frequented, according to Steward. He made his life in Princeton, was a regular visitor to this museum, and was someone I truly enjoyed talking about art with in his last years, he says. That, in turn, led to an important dialogue with both the estate and the firm after Michaels death. Given this, Michaels long tenure on the Princeton faculty, and my known interest in modern and contemporary design, I believe the estate felt the archive should come to this museum.

Now, with the full archive being digitized for the institutions website, architectural historians, Graves admirers, and budding architects will be able to experience the work of this esteemed talent in a whole new way.

 Estate of Michael Graves

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump's surprise threat to impose escalating tariffs on Mexican imports jolted industry leaders throughout the U.S. economy Friday, sparked opposition even from usual Trump allies and set the stage for American consumers to face higher prices.

It also sent stock markets tumbling, with the Dow Jones industrial average closing down roughly 355 points, or 1.4%. Investors poured money instead into the safety of bonds, sending yields lower and signaling that they fear the economy will slow in the coming months.

Trump vowed Thursday to slap a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports on June 10, just over a week away, and raise those tariffs to 25% by October, unless Mexico stops the flow of Central American migrants into the U.S.

If the tariffs were to take effect, they could eventually raise prices for a new Chevrolet Blazer SUV, a burrito at Chipotle, a new shirt or a Corona beer. A 5% duty on the $346.5 billion of goods imported from Mexico translates into $17 billion in tariffs. Some of that higher cost might be paid, at least initially, by U.S. companies. But a significant portion would likely be passed on to U.S. shoppers.

The impact of Trump's latest tariffs, should they be imposed, will fall first on U.S. companies. Businesses in many industries have set up tightly linked supply chains with Mexico. Billions of dollars of auto parts, for example, are sent back and forth across the U.S.-Mexico border, in some cases several times, as components are added and integrated into finished cars. Similar networks exist in other industries, from clothing to electronics. The import taxes could quickly translate into much higher costs.

"That's what's so concerning about these tariffs," said John Mitchell, president of IPC, a trade group representing the electronics industry. "It undercuts the region's ability to leverage each other's strengths to benefit North American manufacturing."

Peter Navarro, a top trade adviser to the Trump White House, insisted in an interview on CNBC that the Mexican government and businesses would pay the tariffs. But about 40% of imports from Mexico are from U.S.-affiliated companies, meaning there is no Mexican company that would pay. Instead the tariffs will simply raise costs for U.S. companies  and ultimately for consumers  particularly for parts that cross the border several times, Mitchell said.

Story continues

The U.S. economy has been integrating with Mexico's since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994. All U.S.-made cars now include at least some parts from overseas, and 37% of those parts are from Mexico.

"Any barrier to the flow of commerce across the U.S.-Mexico border will have a cascading effect  harming U.S. consumers, threatening American jobs and investment, curtailing the economic progress that the administration is working to re-ignite," said David Schwietert, interim president of the Auto Alliance trade group, which represents U.S. automakers and foreign companies that build cars in the United States, such as BMW and Toyota.

Shares of General Motors Co., which imports more vehicles into the U.S. than any other automaker, tumbled 4.25% Friday.

"For GM, we roughly estimate that a 5% tariff could be a several-hundred-million dollar annual earnings hit," said Itay Michaeli of Citi Investment Research.

The new tariffs came as a surprise for many companies because the Trump administration had just renewed its push to win congressional approval for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, its update to NAFTA.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, a usual Trump ally and the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, condemned the president's action as "a misuse of presidential tariff authority" that would burden American consumers and "seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA."

Some industry representatives said the duties would not encourage companies to return production to the U.S., as Trump has said he wants, but actually have the opposite effect: It will discourage them from relocating to the U.S. because they'd have to pay more for imported parts.

"If you can't buy your components here, you're not going to think about coming back here," Mitchell said.

Americans may also see higher prices in grocery stores. The U.S. imports $12 billion of fresh fruits and vegetables from Mexico, including tomatoes, avocados, peppers and lemons.

"This is a tax on healthy diets, plain and simple," said Lance Jungmeyer, president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas.

Jungmeyer noted that food imports from Mexico haven't been subject to tariffs for decades, and importers would have to file paperwork with Customs to pay duties. That can 10 days or more to process, potentially leaving many companies unable to import for a time after June 10.

"I've got to educate a whole range of people who haven't paid tariffs on Mexican produce since 1995," Jungmeyer said.

Many U.S. restaurant chains buy tomatoes and other fresh produce from Mexico. Laurie Schalow, an executive for Chipotle Mexican Grill, said the chain has sought to diversify its supplier base and now buys some avocados from Chile and Peru and is less dependent on Mexico. Still, the tariffs would hurt the company, Schalow said.

Trump has already imposed 25% tariffs on $250 billion of goods from China. The additional duties on Mexican imports could weaken the U.S. economy. Growth was already forecast to slip to a roughly 1.5% annual pace in the April-June quarter, down from 3.1% in the first three months of the year.

Gregory Daco, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, estimates that if the full 25% duties on Mexican goods were put in place, U.S. growth next year would be cut by 0.7 percentage point.

The U.S. imports $2.4 billion of clothing and textiles from Mexico. Stephen Lamar, executive vice president of American Apparel and Footwear Association, said companies are already thinking about how to cut costs but will likely have to raise prices because their profit margins are so thin.

Mexico is the eighth-largest supplier of clothing and seventh-largest supplier of footwear to the U.S. market. It's the largest supplier of men's and boy's jeans, accounting for 35% of imports, according to the AAFA.

Shares of Kontoor Brands, which includes Wrangler and Lee, fell nearly 8%, while shares of Levi Strauss dropped 7%. Both companies obtain some of their denim from Mexico.

About 70% of imported beer is from Mexico, up from less than 20% in 1990, according to the National Beer Wholesalers Association. Shares of Constellation Brands, which makes Corona and Modelo beers, among others, fell nearly 6% Friday.

Jeremy Seaver, owner of Tios Mexican Cafe in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said the tariffs would hurt his business. He uses avocados from Mexico, serves Mexican tequila, beer and soda and sells Mexican hot sauces. Even his restaurant's decorations are all from Mexico, he said.

"I'm very concerned," he said. "Five percent (tariff) doesn't sound like a lot, but to a small business like mine, that's a lot."

___

D'Innocenzio reported from New York. AP Writers Michelle Chapman in New York and Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit also contributed to this report.

___

This version of the story corrects that NAFTA was implemented in 1994, not 1995 in paragraph 8.
Three men have been sentenced to death for the murder of British expatriate Alan Hogg and his wife Nhott (R) (AP/FACEBOOK)

Three Thai men have received the death penalty for the murder of a British expat and his Thai wife whose brother allegedly ordered the killings.

Phrae Provincial Court issued its verdict in the case of 64-year-old retired petroleum engineer Alan Hogg and his 61-year-old wife Nhot Suddaen.

Thai officers stand by the area where the bodies of murdered Briton Alan Hogg and his Thai wife were found, in Phrae province, Thailand (AP)

Their bodies were found buried on their property in northern Thailand in September 2018.

Mr Hoggs brother-in law, Warut Rattanasajjakitt, 63, paid hit man Kittipong Kamwan, 24, to batter Nhot to death with a hammer while associate Phia Kamsai, 63, blasted the businessman with a shotgun.

Warut Rattanasajjakit masterminded the murder of the British expat and his wife (AP)

All three were found guilty of premeditated murder, concealing bodies, illegal possession of weapons without licences and bringing the weapons into the city without licences.

Police say the killers were traced after they stole the victims pick-up truck.

The businessman and his wife were murdered by contract killers in Northern Thailand (FACEBOOK)

The men confessed to being hired by Ms Nhots brother to kill the couple for financial gain.

A fourth defendant, Sima Uppamun, 60, was found guilty of assisting premeditated murder.

Read more on Yahoo News UK:

Jihadi gang leader admits beheading Scandinavian tourists

British teen raped in hotel spa in Majorca

Controlling husband found guilty of bludgeoning and hacking wife to death

Uppamun admitted acting as an 'agent' to help Warut with the plan.

The defendant had his sentence commuted to 25 years in prison for co-operating with the investigation.

The court called the murders an act that extremely damages the countrys reputation as unable to ensure the safety of lives and assets.

Kittpong Kumwan and two other men have been sentenced to death for the murders (AP)

It said the suspects were considered extremely dangerous to society.

On Friday, the court sentenced the three men to death by lethal injection but they have 30 days to appeal the ruling.

If the appeal is rejected, the guilty men could be executed within days.

The bodies of the retired petroleum engineer and his wife Nhot Suddaen were discovered on the property of their home (AP)

After the couples murder, it emerged that Warut had fallen out with Alan and Nhot over a family feud.

He had become increasingly jealous at Alan's wealth, which Mr Hogg had used to build a luxury mansion, while his brother-in-law lived in a wooden hut next door.

Police said Warut was 'angry and resentful' at the businessman for borrowing money from the couple.
After the crackdown on student protesters in Beijings Tiananmen Square 30 years ago, many Chinese students studying in the U.S. were fearful of returning home as authorities continued to arrest supporters of the uprising.

Jian Tang, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, described to the New York Times in January 1990 what he believed his fate would be if he was forced to go back to China: A labor camp, perhaps. Or imprisonment. Or execution. At least one, protest leader Shen Tong, was arrested and spent two months in prison after moving back to Beijing from Boston University.

Arfat Erkin, a Chinese student who came to the U.S. to study economics in 2015, has a similar response today when asked what would happen to him if he went back home. If Im lucky, I will be sentenced to prison or sent to the camp  if Im lucky. If Im not lucky, I think I will just disappear without any information, he tells TIME.

Erkin, 22, is Uighur  a long-oppressed predominantly Muslim ethnic minority from the western Chinese province of Xinjiang. The Chinese government has been accused of detaining between 800,000 and 2 million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities as part of a sweeping system of suppression across Xinjiang since 2017. Detained Uighurs are held in re-education camps that Vice President Mike Pence called a deliberate attempt by Beijing to strangle Uyghur culture and stamp out the Muslim faith.

He knows the danger he faces if he returns to China. Erkins father, a prominent TV producer and journalist was arrested and sentenced to several years in prison. His mother, a mathematics teacher, was swept into one of the Chinese governments camps for Uighurs, which officials have described as boarding schools. He hasnt heard from either in two years.

In response to the Chinese Communist Partys bloody suppression at Tiananmen on June 4 and 5, 1989, Congress and the George H.W. Bush Administration acted to protect Chinese students who were in the U.S. at the time. An executive order and the subsequent Chinese Student Protection Act of 1992 allowed students who were in the country in the months after Tiananmen to stay. Some 41,000 Chinese nationals became permanent U.S. residents within a year of the order; a total of about 54,000 were granted residency over 18 years.

Story continues

Now, three decades later, activists say its time for Congress and the Trump Administration to enact similar measures to protect Uighurs. Many Uighur students are now pursuing their studies in the U.S. knowing their families back home have been detained, says Nury Turkel, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer who is chairman and founder of the Uyghur Human Rights Project and one of the leading Uighur voices in the U.S. (Uyghur is an alternative spelling of the name.)

The need to protect Uighurs in the U.S.  and everywhere else  is clear, says Sophie Richardson, the China Director for Human Rights Watch. Earlier this year, the watchdog group called the Chinese governments threat to human rights the worst since the violent suppression of the Tiananmen Square democracy movement of 1989. The suppression of Uighurs in Xinjiang factors heavily into Human Rights Watchs concerns about China.

China says the mass detentions and omnipresent surveillance are an attempt to fight terrorism and quell unrest following outbreaks of violence in the region. Although ethnic Uighurs have historically comprised a majority in Xinjiang, critics say the recent influx of ethnic Han settlers into the resource-rich region have gnawed away at their traditional culture. The Beijing government, in turn, points to how investment has raised living standards. U.N. human rights officials said Chinas crackdown violates international law. In March, Michael Kozak, the head of the U.S. State Departments human rights and democracy bureau, told reporters: For me, you havent seen things like this since the 1930s.

Students gather and protest at the newly named Tiananmen Park, across the street form the Chinese Embassy in Washington on Sunday, Oct. 1, 1989. | Dennis CookAP

Uighurs in the U.S. face harassment from Chinese officials and are often cut off from their families in Xinjiang, either because they are in government custody, or fear that contact from the outside world would put their loved ones at greater risk, says Turkel. The Chinese government has stopped money flowing from Xinjiang to foreign countries, meaning many students in the U.S. cant pay their tuition. Embassies and consulates have also stopped processing routine passport and visa renewals for many Uighurs, instead offering them passage home to China. Its not hard to imagine what will happen to that individual when they go back to China with a one-way ticket, says Turkel.

Uighurs have also found themselves as unintended casualties of the Trump Administrations crackdown on immigration and the massive surge of asylum requests from the southern border; many Uighur students who apply for asylum are caught up in the system for months, leaving them in legal limbo and potentially vulnerable to deportation. So out of frustration, impatience and practical concerns, we have been advocating the United States Congress and Trump Administration do something theyve done in the past and its worked, Turkel says.

Granting Uighur students special protected status would also send a clear message that Chinas treatment of Muslims minorities in Xinjiang is unacceptable, Turkel says. He estimates there are hundreds, or possibly a few thousand, Uighurs at American universities.

The violence that came from Chinas decision in June 1989 to deploy the Peoples Liberation Army against protestors was in many ways more dramatic for western audiences than whats happening today in Xinjiang  thanks in part to the video footage of the courageous tank man. The death toll at that time, which has been estimated between hundreds and thousands of people, sparked widespread condemnation from Western governments.

Three decades on, Chinas actions in Xinjiang are less Soviet and more Orwellian. Tanks and guns have been replaced by widespread DNA collection schemes and unrelenting state surveillance. Human Rights Watch recently reverse-engineered a police app used in Xinjiang to see what behaviors would set off red flags with Chinese state security. Some of it you can sort of vaguely understand, says Richardson. But then theres just the insane stuff like, Did you start to go out the back door of your house rather than the front door? Or if you suddenly started to talk to your neighbors a lot, or suddenly stopped talking to them.

The methods may be different, but the origins of the massive state surveillance stretch back to the Tiananmen uprising, and even farther. The student protests in 1989 caught the party off guard, and many leaders interpreted them as an existential threat to their control of China, Richardson says. I think one of the lessons they took away was to never let that degree of organization, for anything, outside their control take place, she says.

The decades immediately after Tiananmen were marked by a relative opening-up in China, with small expansions in freedom and modest advances in the rule of law as the country rushed to modernize and open its economy. However, these freedoms have mostly eroded under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Richardson believes the existential threat mentality in the top echelons of the Chinese Communist Party has contributed to the abuses and mass surveillance that human rights groups have been reporting across China, especially in Xinjiang. We have these justifications for ruling in this incredibly high-tech authoritarian way, where its just not good enough for us to eradicate dissent, were going to make it impossible because were going to be able to see into every last aspect of peoples lives, she says.

Turkel, the Uighur lawyer, says the Chinese government has also been targeting mosques, Muslim funerals and other key traditions in the devout Uighur community. This is specifically targeted on the Uighurs cultural identity to get rid of their ability to be Uighur by locking them up and gradually killing them, without publicly killing them, he says.

That control follows Uighurs even after they leave Xinjiang for the relative safety of the U.S. Erkin, the Uighur economics student, says he stopped contacting his parents back home when the political situation worsened because he thought it might endanger them. He didnt learn that his parents, Erkin Tursun and Gulnar Telet, were caught up in the crackdown until at least 7 months after they had been detained.

He has contacted the Chinese Embassy in Washington, and says the U.N.s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also made enquiries about his parents, but there has been no response from the Chinese government. He doesnt even know what charges his father is being held on or exactly how many years he was sentenced to prison for.

A few months ago, Erkin learned, by way of an E.U. inspection team that was allowed to visit the region, that detainees had been released from the camps in his hometown. That means his mother might now be free. But he doesnt dare contact her.

Me contacting any Uighur in the region is kind of very risky. If I contact anyone, the person I contact might get detained, he says. I cant contact my mom to know if its true she was released or not, because if I contact [her], theres a chance [she] will get detained again.

Shohret Gheni, a Uighur who came to the U.S. to study at the Illinois Institute of Technology, says that as he has hunted for information about his missing parents, who disappeared in 2017, he received automated calls, including at least one from the Chinese consulate in Chicago, asking him to come in to receive an important document. Failure to do so, according to the message, could affect his legal status in the U.S. They know my address, they know my phone number. They know everything, he says.

Gheni says he never responded, fearing once he was in the consulate Chinese, officials might take his passport.

Earlier this month, he says, he called the local community office in the Xinjiang provincial capital of Urumqi and tried to find out the fate of his parents. The officer he spoke to said Gheni should come back to China in person if he wanted to find them.

If I go back home, theres no way to help my parents, for sure, he says. I know what they want to do. They just want to do ethnic cleansing.

Both Erkin and Gheni applied for asylum in the U.S. Erkin received asylum last year and is now living in the Washington, D.C. area after dropping out of school. Gheni, who graduated from Illinois Tech with a masters degree in computer science, is working as a software engineer in Chicago while he awaits an asylum interview.

The two Uighurs said they long suffered privately in silence as they hoped the Chinese government would release their family members. Theyre speaking out now because they have no other choice, they say. I stayed quiet, I followed whatever the Chinese government asked Uighurs to follow  But still, they detained my parents, Erkin says.

Turkel says its largely through Uighurs speaking up that the world knows of the human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Even as the Chinese government has gained far more economic power in the world and control over its people at home since Tiananmen, Uighurs in the U.S. and elsewhere who have risked the wrath of the government to speak out publicly have often found their family members released from detention.

That shows the Chinese government can still be pressured into taking small actions on human rights abuses. But, Turkel says, it also makes the case the U.S. should work to protect Uighurs in the country, so they can continue to speak out.

Our democracy, our free society should not be fearful of an authoritarian regime in Beijing, Turkel says of the U.S. People should be free to tell at least their story.

 With research by Gina Martinez
BEIJING (AP)  Wu'er Kaixi was among the most outspoken of the student leaders during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, famously reproaching then-Premier Li Peng at a meeting broadcast on national television.

Three decades on, he's more circumspect but remains just as harsh a critic of the Communist regime and just as committed to bringing democracy to China.

While many former leaders and participants in the protests have moved on, embracing lives and careers that have little direct relation to the movement, others remain wedded to the cause, either by vocation, through survivors' guilt or because their actions permanently put them on the wrong side of the authorities. They remain determined to keep the memories alive even as China's rulers seek to sandblast the protests and the military's bloody crackdown from history.

"Sometimes remembrance is one of the most humble forms of resistance," Wu'er Kaixi said in an interview in Taiwan, where he now lives with his wife and children.

While Wu'er Kaixi, 51, escaped abroad after the June 4 crackdown after finding himself at No. 2 on the government's most-wanted list, then-graduate student Pu Zhiqiang remained in China despite his role in the protests as a high-profile advocate of speech and press freedoms. Looking at old photos of his younger self, Pu reflects on the motivations of the protesters that were mostly pure, if somewhat naive.

"We hoped that China could change for the better," said Pu, 54. "As a 24-year-old, presented with this chance to serve society, had I not played a role at all, not made my voice heard, I would not have been able to forgive myself."

The military crackdown, in which hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people died, put an end to more than seven weeks of student-led protests in 1989 calling for an end to corruption and for a more open and fair society.

While many who took part wonder what could have been done differently to avoid the bloodshed, Feng Congde, a graduate student that year at elite Peking University, is convinced the students didn't push hard enough.

Story continues

The experience of 1989 was "both positive and negative," Feng said. "But we have to learn the lesson, that even though we had these large numbers of people on the street, we didn't know what we should do. We should have asked the military to overthrow the regime."

Feng maintains that now, as back then, the regime remains resistant to reforming itself in the way that Taiwan's Nationalists evolved from an authoritarian police state into a multiparty democracy, eventually handing over power to the opposition through elections. Like many in the democratic movement, Feng idolizes Chiang Ching-kuo, the son and successor of Chiang Kai-shek, who began the process of Taiwan's democratization during the 1980s.

"I'm quite optimistic about the democratic future of China, but I have very little hope that (President and Communist Party leader) Xi Jinping can learn from Chiang Ching-kuo. I think the totalitarian (Communist Party) regime is totally different from an authoritarian regime like the (Nationalists)," Feng said.

While few echo Feng's ruing of the lost chance of a military coup, hostility toward the regime and frustration with perceived foreign gullibility are near constants among members of the movement who remain active, especially those based abroad. Their impressions appear permanently colored by the shock, horror and disbelief they felt when the People's Liberation Army opened fire on the people they'd been charged with protecting and who'd grown to trust and revere them.

Wang Dan, 50, who was imprisoned after being named No. 1 on the most-wanted list, is among those who doesn't mince words.

"It is time for us now, for the whole democratic countries now, to re-recognize the true face of the (Communist Party) and try to learn some lessons from the Tiananmen massacre," Wang said, using another term for the crackdown of June 3-4. "This is a very important challenge for the whole world, because now China is a rising power, and seems like a threat for the democracy and freedom of the whole world."

Wu'er Kaixi is similarly scathing, deriding the regime's claims to patriotic zeal as a cover for their desire to maintain their wealth and privileges at any cost.

"Let's look at what the Chinese regime is clearly. It's a group of people who stole the position of ruling China, one of the largest counties in the world and they're taking advantage of that position to do one thing: loot," he said.

Pu, a lawyer who was disbarred for his political activism, bemoans 1989 and the years since as a lost opportunity to develop a new, possibly alternative, political class.

Tiananmen "was an excellent training opportunity for taking part in society, taking part in politics for young people of my generation," Pu said. "But the distinctive characteristic of Chinese politics  this long-term totalitarianism  is that it cannot permit a political force or political party to take organized action."

Things have grown only more difficult amid tightening social controls, making it much harder to rally forces in society to do things "either good or bad," Pu said.

Yet Wu'er Kaixi, now the honorary chairman of Reporters Without Borders at its East Asia office in Taipei, says those actions  the increasing repression borne out in policies such as the internment of 1 million or more Chinese Muslims in re-education camps  provide a constant reminder of the unchanged nature of the regime.

"The reason people still remember (1989), other than the mere importance of it, is also because the Communist Party is still conducting all of these brutal acts and atrocities within China against Uighur people, against Tibetans, Hong Kong, Macau, and even conducting threats against neighboring countries like Taiwan," he said.

"That will remind people that this regime, today's acts of this regime, is the same regime that massacred peaceful demonstrators 30 years ago," he said.

Feng, who is studying acupuncture and administers pro-democracy websites, and Wu'er Kaixi say their continued zeal for the cause is bolstered by a sense of obligation to those who fell in 1989, to see their names rehabilitated and their goal of a democratic China achieve fruition.

"So I have to live with this survivor's guilt ... but I will try to make the dream of those who fell 30 years ago come true sooner," Wu'er Kaixi said.

Pu, who continues to work as a legal adviser, said he sees his generation as a link to the past. Veterans, those around 50, are now the "backbone of society" who are obligated to pass on their experiences and ideals to a younger generation.

Apart from the leaders, who to varying degrees have had some say in how they have lived their lives since, Tiananmen left many scarred for life or saddled with criminal records that have severely restricted their choices.

Since serving a 17-year sentence for allegedly attacking martial law troops  a charge he denies  Dong Shengkun has been unable to find a steady job and is forced to live with his elderly mother while receiving the government's minimum living allowance of 1,000 yuan ($145) per month. Though he wishes to marry his girlfriend, the government would take away even that meager stipend were he to do so due to her somewhat better financial circumstances.

Still, Dong, who picks up odd jobs for extra income, has no regrets for having joined in the protests out of a sense of outrage and desire for change.

The 1989 movement "was about justice," Dong said.

___

Lai reported from Taipei, Taiwan.
Photo: Metropolitan Grill/Yelp

Looking to try the top steakhouses around?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end steakhouses in Seattle, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fill the bill.

1. Metropolitan Grill

Photo: Metropolitan Grill/Yelp

Topping the list is Metropolitan Grill. Located downtown at 820 Second Ave. (between Marion and Columbia streets), the traditional American spot is the most popular high-end steakhouse in Seattle, boasting four stars out of 1,620 reviews on Yelp.

Last year, the restaurant won the Wine Spectator Grand Award, with the magazine praising the Metropolitan Grill's selection of Washington reds.

Yelper Brad B. wrote, "The variety of steaks was the best I have ever seen. They have black angus, wagyu, American wagyu and snow beef options, all available in a variety of cuts. Of course they were all cooked to perfection."

2. Flintcreek Cattle

Photo: Peter C./Yelp

Greenwood's Flintcreek Cattle, located at 8421 Greenwood Ave. North (between 84th and 85th streets), is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the fancy steakhouse and New American spot 4.5 stars out of 333 reviews.

On the menu, you'll find items like duck breast, bison hanger steak and five different cuts of grass-fed steak. The steakhouse takes reservations and is open daily from 410:30 p.m.

3. El Gaucho

Photo: Andrew L./Yelp

El Gaucho, a steakhouse and event space that offers seafood and more in Belltown, is another high-traffic, pricey go-to, with four stars out of 1,126 Yelp reviews. Head over to the Inn at El Gaucho at 2505 First Ave. (between Wall and Vine streets) to see for yourself.

The food is prepared on an open charcoal grill and live music can be heard each evening.

"The El Gaucho steakhouse is a classic old-school steakhouse complete with live piano music, white tablecloths, impeccable waiters and great service," wrote Yelper Gretchen B.

4. The Brooklyn Seafood, Steak & Oyster House

Photo: Lisa W./Yelp

Head downtown to check out The Brooklyn Seafood, Steak & Oyster House, which has earned four stars out of 1,056 reviews on Yelp. Treat yourself at the steakhouse and live/raw food spot, which offers seafood and more, by heading over to 1212 Second Ave. (between Seneca and University streets).

Story continues

According to its website, the restaurant features an open kitchen and is "like stepping back in time, when dining out was an event." Steak options include an angus filet mignon and a prime New York strip.

5. The Grill From Ipanema

Photo: The Grill From IpaNema/Yelp

Last but not least, there's The Grill from Ipanema, a Belltown favorite with four stars out of 887 reviews. Stop by 2313 First Ave. (between State Route 99 and Alaskan Way viaducts) to hit up the steakhouse and Brazilian buffet spot next time you're looking to go big.

Open since 2005, the restaurant features an array of meat cooked over an open flame, including Brazilian pork sausage and sirloin wrapped in bacon.

Angie G. wrote about her experience, saying, "For dinner, we both did the meat rodizio and had so much fun. The service was extremely fast and all of the meats were so good. It was some of the best filet mignon I've ever eaten. The Parmesan pork and basically every piece of steak they put in front of us were delicious."

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.
SINGAPORE (AP)  U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Saturday denounced China's efforts to steal technology from other nations and militarize man-made outposts in the South China Sea as a "toolkit of coercion," saying Beijing's bad behavior must end. In his first major speech on the international stage, Shanahan mixed sharp criticism of China and warnings of North Korea's "extraordinary" threat with vows that the U.S. will remain strongly committed to the Indo-Pacific region and is ready to invest billions of dollars in securing its stability. While he didn't specifically name China in early parts of his speech, he made clear who his target was, making pointed references to Beijing's campaign to put advanced weapons systems on disputed islands in the region.

U.S. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan is describing China's actions to steal technology from other nations and militarize man-made outposts in the South China Sea as a "toolkit of coercion." Shanahan warns an international security conference in Singapore on Saturday that the artificial islands could become tollbooths. While he isn't specifically naming China in parts of his speech, he made clear whom his target was. He says the U.S. is willing to cooperate with China and welcomes competition, but behavior that erodes other nations' sovereignty and sows distrust of China's intentions must end. He says the U.S. is committed to the region and investing in programs to secure it.

ALHAMBRA, Calif. (AP)  The American photographer who shot the iconic image of a man standing in front of tanks at the 1989 Tiananmen protests says it's time for the Chinese government to come clean about the bloody events of 30 years ago. Jeff Widener was an Associated Press photo editor based in Bangkok when he was called in to help cover a growing student-led pro-democracy movement centered on Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The day after the military crushed the protests on June 3-4, Widener took the shot of an unknown man holding shopping bags facing a row of tanks. The photo of "tank man" became one of the most famous images of defiance of the 20th century.

Story continues

BEIJING (AP)  Wu'er Kaixi was among the most outspoken of the student leaders during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, famously reproaching then-Premier Li Peng at a meeting broadcast on national television. Three decades on, he's more circumspect but remains just as harsh a critic of the Communist regime and just as committed to bringing democracy to China. While many former leaders and participants in the protests have moved on, embracing lives and careers that have little direct relation to the movement, others remain wedded to the cause, either by vocation, through survivors' guilt or because their actions permanently put them on the wrong side of the authorities.

In an ominous but vague warning, China said Friday that it was drawing up a list of "unreliable" foreign companies, organizations and individuals for targeting in what could signal retaliation for U.S. sanctions on the Chinese tech powerhouse Huawei. "We think it may be the beginning of Beijing's attempt to roll out a retaliatory framework," said Paul Triolo of the global risk assessment firm Eurasia Group. "That could include a number of other elements, such as restrictions on rare earth shipments"  minerals that are crucial in many mobile devices and electric cars made by U.S. companies. The move follows additional measures this week that deepen the bite of U.S.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  A South Korean newspaper reported Friday that North Korea executed a senior envoy involved in nuclear negotiations with the U.S. as well as four other high-level officials. But as ever with North Korea, a country that closely guards its secrets, there are reasons to be cautious about the purported purge. While North Korea hasn't used its propaganda services to comment, the report in the conservative Chosun Ilbo daily could be true. North Korea has previously executed scapegoats to atone for high-profile political flops, and the most recent summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump ended in failure, leaving Kim embarrassed on the world stage.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korean survivors of a tour boat which sank in Budapest say they barely managed to grab onto a drifting lifeboat while watching in horror as others around them struggled in the dark, rainy waters, shouting for help. Only seven of the 35 people on the boat, including 33 South Koreans, were rescued. Seven others have been confirmed dead and 21 are missing. Survivors said the small sightseeing boat had almost finished an hourlong night tour of the Hungarian capital on Wednesday and was nearly at its stop when a larger cruise ship hit it under a bridge near the parliament building, a city landmark.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  As divers descended Friday into the Danube, Hungarian authorities predicted it would take an extended search to find the 21 people still missing after a boat carrying South Korean tourists was rammed by a cruise ship and sank into the river in Budapest. Seven people so far are confirmed dead and seven others were rescued. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, visited the site of Wednesday's accident and met with rescue and search officials before holding talks. "We have to prepare for a protracted search," Szijjarto said he was told by Budapest river police, adding that authorities were also expecting help from Serbia, where the Danube flows after leaving Hungary.

BEIJING (AP)  China warned Canada that it needs to be aware of the consequences of aiding the U.S. in an extradition case involving Chinese tech giant Huawei that is believed to have sparked the detentions of two Canadians in China. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang's comments came after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Both were arrested on Dec. 10 after Canada detained a Huawei executive wanted by the United States on fraud charges. While China has denied they were taken in retaliation, it has repeatedly implied that there is a strong connection between the cases.

SINGAPORE (AP)  Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that countries including the United States need to be willing to change international rules in response to a stronger China. Speaking at an annual security conference in Singapore, Lee said Friday that China must in turn play a greater role in supporting trade frameworks and upholding peace and stability in the region and beyond. "Countries have to accept that China will continue to grow and strengthen, and that it is neither possible nor wise for them to prevent this from happening," he said. "China will have its own legitimate interests and ambitions, including to develop indigenously advanced technologies like infocomms and artificial intelligence.
The bodies had hardly stopped falling from the sky on July 17, 2014, when the trolls of Russias Internet Research Agency went into action.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 had just been shot down over eastern Ukraine, and the same IRA operation Vladimir Putin would use to influence the U.S. presidential election two years later went into overdrive, pumping out conspiracy theories to exculpate Moscows murderous clients.

Russia Deployed Its Trolls to Cover Up the Murder of 298 People on MH17

The Boeing 777 passenger jet was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 298 people on board, including 80 children, when it was blown out of the air above territory held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Two-thirds of the passengers were from the Netherlands. It was a tragedy that affected many Dutch people in the way Americans had experienced 9/11.

Now exhaustive research by two Dutch journalists, Robert van der Noordaa and Coen van de Ven, published in the Dutch weekly De Groene Amsterdammer, shows precisely the way the Russian trolls worked to shift blame for the massacre and create a dense fog of conspiracy theories to obscure the facts.

Six days after the mid-air explosion, the Dutch government declared a national day of mourning. Prime Minister Mark Rutte, along with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, were present at the airfield when the first 40 caskets arrived, to be conveyed in a procession of hearses throughout Amsterdam, as mourners lined the streets. Van de Ven recalls that a very rare sense of unity erupted within the Netherlands. But that unity, thanks largely to the fallout from the conspiracy theories advanced by Russian trolls, soon became frayed.

Tweet analysis

Van der Noordaa and van de Ven analyzed 9 million IRA tweets covering the period 2014-2017 that were released by Twitter in October 2018 as part of an effort to elucidate the Russian role in the U.S. presidential election.

They report that in the 24 hours after the MH17 crash the IRA posted at least 65,000 tweets, mainly in Russian, that blamed the Ukrainian government in Kiev for the disaster. Altogether, 111,486 tweets about MH17 were posted by the IRA in just three days, from July 17 through 19. (By comparison, in the 10-week period leading up to the November 2016 elections, the IRA accounts posted 175,993 tweets.) According to the two journalists: Never before or after did the trolls tweet so much in such a short period of time.

At the beginning, there was confusion among the trolls: An early tweet claimed that a Ukrainian plane had been shot down and that the rebels were responsible, which would trigger a new series of sanctions against Russia. But the blame was quickly switched to Kiev, with the hashtag Poroshenko [the Ukrainian president] we want an answer!

By the next morning, July 18, all the tweets were accusing Kiev, with three hashtags: # (Kiev shot Boeing), # (KievProvocation) and # (KievTelltheTruth). The onslaught of tweets ended abruptly on the morning of July 19, after which the trolls continued to write about MH17, but with much less frequency and without the hashtags.

What is remarkable about the three-day tweetstorm is that the trolls actually wrote their own tweets instead of limiting themselves to retweeting or copying other extremist tweets, as was the case with other international incidents. They also composed their own stories on the LiveJournal platform, a popular Russian blog website, and then shared them on Twitter.

One particularly popular blog, written by one Katya Timofeeva, described a Spaniard named Carlos, who allegedly worked for air traffic control in Kiev and had spotted two fighter jets near the MH17 plane. (Although Carlos was later exposed as a fraud, Putin actually cited his story as evidence of Ukrainian culpability in a 2016 interview with filmmaker Oliver Stone.) After Timofeeva shared her story on Twitter, it was retweeted by trolls close to a hundred times within six minutes.Phantasmagorical Fighter Jets

As van de Ven and van der Noordaa point out, Russian-concocted theories like the one about Ukrainian fighter jets have stubbornly persisted in the Netherlands to this day, embraced by activist citizen journalists and even ordinary citizens, despite the irrefutable findings of the Dutch-led Joint Investigative Team (JIT) that the plane was shot down by a Russian BUK missile.

Moscow involvement

The JIT used intercepted recordings of telephone conversations by pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists, who discussed the delivery of the missile, videos and photographs on social networks, research of the Bellingcat investigators, eyewitness accounts, forensic examinations of the planes debris, and simulation modeling of the explosion of the plane to establish beyond doubt that Flight MH17 was shot down from Ukrainian rebel territory by a Russian 9M38 BUK missile launched from a BUK-TELAR self-propelled system, brought from the Russian 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade in Kursk.

(In fact, according to van der Noordaa and van de Ven, the impending transfer of the BUK was already made known by the newly appointed Russian prosecutor in Crimea, Natalia Poklonskaya, who tweeted on June 29 that the rebels now have a fine cookie against the Ukrainian air force. Her tweet was removed shortly after the plane was shot down.)

Moscow has denied involvement in the crash from the first, claiming that the plane was shot down by a Ukrainian SU-25 fighter jet, despite the fact that no such aircraft was visible on radar or in genuine photographs. An alternative, equally implausible, theory advanced by Russia is that the BUK missile belonged to KievIt may have been their weapon, but they didnt use it, they didnt fire it, they even said the other side fired it to blame them Youll probably never know for sure. Donald Trump on Russias role blowing up MH17

Such denials have fed directly into the conspiracy theories advanced in the Netherlands. Joost Niemoller, an influential Dutch tweeter, published a book three months after the crash claiming Prime Minister Rutte made a secret deal with Kiev to cover up the real truth about MH17. More recently, in a televised debate with Rutte, Thierry Baudet, leader of the right-wing FvD party, questioned the independence of the JIT investigation and suggested that Ukraine was the culprit, shocking the relatives of victims of the MH17 disaster.

Another vocal Dutch critic of the JIT is Kees van der Pijl, a former professor at the University of Sussex in the U.K. who once claimed that Israelis, with the help of Zionists in the U.S. government, blew up the Twin Towers. His latest book is Flight MH17, Ukraine and the New Cold War. Although van der Pijl does not state outright that Kiev was behind the crash, he stresses that Ukraine, depicted as an ultra-nationalist, fascist state, had a motive for downing the planeto draw Moscow into a war and compel NATO to intervene.

Van der Pijl, who is highly critical of the JIT investigation for being too hasty and leaving out what he says are important details, presented his book at a conference on the MH17 catastrophe held on May 17 in Moscow and hosted by Viktor Ivanov, a longtime Putin ally and former KGB officer.

Van der Pijl told his audience: Im worried about how the governments of Western countries and, in particular, my country, the Netherlands, continue to use this catastrophe in accordance with NATOs economic and ideological war policy against Russia.

The Daily Beasts Anna Nemtsova, who attended the conference, noted that Ivanov complimented Van der Pijls book and compared the downing of MH17 to a special operation, aimed to destroy the prosperous cooperation between Russia and the European Union.Trumped Up

Trump

The Dutch MH17 naysayers have not only looked to Moscow for support. In January 2017, after the JIT had issued its first preliminary report on the crash, Niemoller, Baudet, van der Pijl, and others sent an open letter to President Donald Trump, asking him to establish an independent inquiry into the crash.

They doubtless knew they had a sympathetic ear in the American president. In 2015, speaking on MSNBC, Trump had contested the preliminary findings of the Dutch Safety Board (DSB), whose report alleged that the Malaysia Airlines jet was hit by a surface-to-air missile launched by eastern Ukrainian rebels: It may have been their weapon, but they didnt use it, they didnt fire it, they even said the other side fired it to blame them, Trump said. I mean to be honest with you, youll probably never know for sure.

Whatever Trumps views, the U.S. has officially backed the JITs conclusions. On May 24, 2018, the day the JIT released a second report on MH17, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert issued this statement: Todays announcement confirms and adds detail to what we have said from the earliest days of this tragedy: MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made BUK surface-to-air missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia and Russia-led forces It is time for Russia to cease its lies and account for its role in the shoot down.

Fake data of course

Although Russias Defense Ministry responded to the JIT report by reiterating that it had nothing to do with the downing of the plane, and the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed the findings were based on fake data, Russia is showing slight signs of conciliation behind the scenes. In March of this year, Dutch and Australian government officials met with their Russian counterparts to discuss responsibility for the disaster. (The results of the talks have remained confidential.)

But whatever the Russians might eventually concedeand it wont be muchconspiracy theories in the Netherlands will continue to be part of the MH17 narrative. As Leiden conspiracy specialist Jelle van Buuren told van der Noordaa and van de Ven: That [Ukrainian] fighter jet, no matter how absurd, always pops up again. That is the tricky thing about conspiracies: Once they are there, its hard to get rid of them.

[Amy Knight / The Daily Beast]
Missed the the most recent top news in Fresno? Read on for everything you need to know.

Man found injured at downtown Fresno spiral garage later dies. Police wonder if he jumped

A stretch of Van Ness Avenue in downtown Fresno, California, was briefly closed Thursday, May 30, 2019, after police found a man severely injured near the spiral garage. He died later at Community Regional Medical Center.

Read the full story on The Fresno Bee.

Fresno mayor, housing authority poised to oppose HUD plan targeting undocumented

Up to 1,402 children in Fresno County could be impacted under a HUD proposal to evict undocumented family members living in public housing.

Read the full story on The Fresno Bee.

Fresno man faces judge in fatal DUI collision trial

Fresno Police say 33-year-old Jose Montano was drunk when his pickup crashed head-on into a car, killing the driver, 59-year old Andres Garza.

Read the full story on ABC Fresno, KFSN.

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.
Here's what you need to know about what's happening in New York City.

9/11 Memorial: New section dedicated to rescue workers who inspired the world

The Memorial Glade acknowledges those whose illnesses and deaths have come years after the towers collapsed.

Read the full story on The New York Times.

New York City announces monument to honor LGBTQ activists

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray on Thursday announced the next "She Built NYC" monument will honor pioneering transgender activists Marsha Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.

Read the full story on ABC New York, WABC.

Senior New York City education executives file discrimination lawsuit against DOE

Three senior Education Department executives claim they were demoted in favor of less qualified persons of color as part of Chancellor Richard Carranza's campaign to reorganize the department.

Read the full story on ABC New York, WABC.

Why violence is spiking in pockets of Brooklyn, even as the city gets safer

Six shootings over the Memorial Day weekend reflect gang violence that is fueling a rise in killings this year in northern Brooklyn.

Read the full story on The New York Times.

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.
PARIS (Reuters) - French energy company Total said on Friday that it expected Papua New Guinea's incoming government to honour a contract signed by the previous administration for a liquefied natural gas project in the South Pacific archipelago.

"We note that the new prime minister has indicated that he will honour the contracts that were already signed," Total said in a statement sent to Reuters. "According to our information, this touches on the gas agreement signed by PNG's government to develop the Papua LNG project."

Papua New Guinea's new prime minister James Marape pledged on Thursday to "tweak and turn" laws governing how natural resources are extracted to help lift the country out of poverty.

Total and partners Oil Search and Exxon Mobil signed a deal with Papua New Guinea in April aimed at allowing initial work to start on a $13 billion plan to double the country's liquefied natural gas exports.

(Reporting by Bate Felix, Writing by Sarah White. Editing by Jane Merriman)
By Heekyong Yang and Tracy Rucinski

SEOUL (Reuters) - Global airlines are meeting under a storm pattern of trade tensions, rising oil prices and a two-month-old grounding of the Boeing Co 737 MAX jetliner - threatening to put a halt to five years of strong profits in the cut-throat air travel industry.

The sector's bosses converge on Seoul for a summit this weekend, but what might have been a celebration of growth in one of the world's most vibrant regions now risks being thrown off course by a crippling U.S.-China trade spat and growing environmental pressures spreading from Europe.

"The last six months have been pretty tough for airlines," the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said ahead of the annual meeting of the body, which groups 290 airlines representing over 80% of air travel.

"Rising costs, trade wars and other uncertainties are likely to have an impact on the bottom line," IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac added.

The June 1-3 summit is a chance to examine passenger and cargo trends: key barometers of consumer confidence and trade amid a faltering global economy.

IATA's most recent projection for $35.5 billion in industry profits this year now looks unsustainable due to the falling cargo market and weaker passenger growth, and de Juniac has given a strong steer that the group would trim the forecast at the upcoming Seoul meeting.

The cargo slump, with volumes down 3.7% in April including a 7.4% fall in the Asia-Pacific, is a concern for big freight carriers like Cathay Pacific and the IATA summit host Korean Air Lines.

"We have really since the end of last year seen quite a deterioration of cross-border trade following the earlier round of tariff increases," IATA Chief Economist Brian Pearce said.

The meeting of some 200 CEOs is the largest gathering since the industry was plunged into crisis over the grounding of the 737 MAX in March following two crashes. IATA members have invested hundreds of billions of dollars in the MAX and are anxious to contain any public or regulatory backlash.

Story continues

Aviation leaders maintain flying remains remarkably safe relative to other forms of transport.

But the decision by China, the European Union and others to ground the MAX before the United States opened an unusual split in the regulatory system, worrying airlines and planemakers.

737 MAX CUSTOMER TALKS

IATA, which is taking an increasingly central role in the crisis by hosting talks of MAX customers, believes the aircraft could return to service in August. But that is too late to prevent significant disruption to summer schedules.

Pressure on Boeing grew ahead of the IATA meeting as the China Air Transport Association estimated losses to Chinese airlines of some 4 billion yuan ($579 million).

IATA began in 1945 as a quasi-regulator and price-setter. It is now mainly a lobbying group but retains a special role as a clearing house for financial transactions and common standards.

Its perennial list of concerns includes high airport charges and what IATA calls "scandalous" air traffic delays in Europe.

But it is also wrestling with a rapid surge in anti-aviation sentiment in parts of Europe and calls in the Netherlands and elsewhere for new taxes to curb airliner emissions.

The aviation industry says it has plans to contribute to climate efforts through a carbon-offset scheme called CORSIA, but critics say the initiative is too timid.

Local airlines seem to encapsulate this year's subdued tone.

Korean Air is mourning the death of long-time chairman Cho Yang-ho from a chronic illness in April, weeks after shareholders ousted the tycoon from the board of the country's largest airline.

The carrier, now led by his son Walter, has been receiving negative media attention since an incident dubbed "nut rage" went viral in 2014, when Cho's eldest daughter Heather lost her temper over the way she was served nuts in first class and ordered the plane to return to its gate at a New York airport.

Rival Asiana's top shareholder Kumho Industrial Co said last month it was selling its stake in the debt-laden carrier which has been slashing routes to improve profitability.

"It seems there is not much of a celebratory mood given the circumstances at our major carriers," said Kim Ik-sang, a senior analyst at BNK Securities.

(Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Tracy Rucinski in Seoul; additional reporting and writing by Jamie Freed and Tim Hepher; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would formally announce his bid for re-election at a June 18 rally in Florida -- a state that was key to his victory in 2016.

Trump's wife Melania, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen will also be part of the evening event in Orlando at the Amway Center arena, Trump said on Twitter.

"I will be announcing my Second Term Presidential Run... on June 18th in Orlando," he said. "Join us for this Historic Rally!"

The event is largely symbolic -- Trump has made it clear since taking office that he planned to run again in 2020, has held multiple campaign rallies and has already raised tens of millions of dollars.

When he speaks to his supporters, he often refers to his six remaining years in power -- not the 18 months left in his first term.

Trump will launch his campaign against the backdrop of mounting Democratic calls for his impeachment, including by several of the nearly two dozen members of the opposition party seeking to unseat him.

For now, the 72-year-old billionaire Republican leader has focused his energy -- and fiery criticism -- on Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, the 76-year-old former vice president.

Biden, a six-term senator before serving as number two to president Barack Obama, has taken a substantial lead in early polling. Trump has referred to him as "Sleepy Joe" -- and even "SleepyCreepy Joe."

Biden styles himself, like Trump, as an ardent defender of working class Americans -- someone who can win back the Midwestern, white, male blue-collar voters who went for the Republican in 2016.

Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton to win the White House.

Three weeks ago, Trump said the Democratic presidential primary would come down to a race between Biden and independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who lost the nomination to Clinton in 2016.

"Looks to me like it's going to be SleepyCreepy Joe over Crazy Bernie," Trump tweeted. "Everyone else is fading fast!"

Story continues

In the announcement of his presidential run in April, Biden said Trump had "fundamentally altered the character of this nation."

The scene of Trump's announcement is no accident: Florida is a major prize for any presidential candidate, and traditionally a battleground state.

In 2012, Obama bested Mitt Romney in the Sunshine State by less than one percentage point. In 2016, Trump beat Clinton there by a bit more than one point.

The election will take place on November 3, 2020.
By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday he will be formally launching his 2020 re-election campaign on June 18 in Florida, beginning what may prove to be a difficult bid for another four years at the White House.

In a tweet, Trump said he would hold a rally with his wife, Melania, Vice President Mike Pence and Pence's wife Karen at the 20,000-seat Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

"Join us for this historic rally!" he wrote.

Trump has already been raising money for his re-election and holding political rallies for many months.

But the official rollout for his 2020 campaign will take place around the four-year anniversary of the day in New York in 2016 when he rode the escalator at Trump Tower down to a crowd of supporters and announced his candidacy.

Trump, who considers Florida to be something of a second home, won the state in 2016. But as is the case for the president in many battleground states, his victory is not assured there in 2020, and he will likely face a fight to win it again.

The Trump campaign has privately expressed concern about the trio of upper Midwest swing states that provided his 2016 margin of victory, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Since Trump took over as president in early 2017, the United States has had low unemployment and strong growth. Typically, presidents with an economy this vibrant would be strong bets for re-election.

But Trump's polarizing presidency has given hope to a host of Democrats that one of them can deny him a second term. Republican strategists see Democratic front-runner Joe Biden posing a problem for Trump in the Midwestern swing states, and Trump has attacked Biden with a "Sleepy Joe" nickname. (Reporting by Steve Holland Editing by Tom Brown)
WASHINGTON (AP)  In a surprise announcement that could derail a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is slapping a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.

He said the percentage will gradually increase  up to 25%  "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

The decision showed the administration going to new lengths, and looking for new levers, to pressure Mexico to take action  even if those risk upending other policy priorities, like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal that is the cornerstone of Trump's legislative agenda and seen as beneficial to his reelection effort. It also risks further damaging the already strained relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, two countries whose economics are deeply intertwined.

Trump made the announcement by tweet after telling reporters earlier Thursday that he was planning "a major statement" that would be his "biggest" so far on the border.

"On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP," he wrote. "The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded in a public letter late Thursday, telling Trump that "social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures" and alluded to the United States' history as a nation of immigrants. "The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol," he wrote. He also said he was dispatching his foreign relations secretary to Washington on Friday to try to negotiate a solution.

In his growing fury over an increase in border crossings that he has likened to an "invasion," Trump has blamed Mexico for failing to stop the flow of asylum seekers from countries like El Salvador and Honduras who pass through its territory. And he has been itching to take increasingly radical, headline-grabbing action on the issue, which he sees as critical to his 2020 campaign because it energizes his base.

Story continues

But the sudden tariff threat comes at a peculiar time, given how hard the administration has been pushing for passage of the USMCA, which would update the North American Free Trade Agreement. It comes less than two weeks after Trump lifted import taxes on Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminum, a move that seemed to clear an obstacle to its passage, and the same day that both Trump and Lopez Obrador began the process of seeking ratification. The deal needs approval from lawmakers in all three countries before it takes effect.

"The tariffs certainly put the USMCA on ice," said Gary Hufbauer, an expert in trade law at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, who panned the move but said Trump does have the legal authority to impose the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by citing a national emergency.

"The drama is legal, but it's preposterous," he said.

Daniel Ujczo, a U.S.-based international trade lawyer, said the threat would likely slow the deal's progress in Mexico and put U.S. lawmakers who want to vote "yes" in a difficult position because companies in their districts will end up paying the tariffs.

Still, Ujczo and others wondered whether Trump  who has a habit of creating problems and then claiming credit when he rushes in to solve them  would go through with the threat.

"This seems more theater and tactics than a strategy to solve the migration crisis and rebalance North American trade," Ujczo said.

It wouldn't be the first time Trump has punted on an immigration threat. In late March, Trump threatened to shut the entire U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico didn't immediately halt illegal immigration. Just a few days later, he backed off the threat, saying he was pleased with steps Mexico had taken in recent days. It was unclear, however, what Mexico had changed.

Indeed, on a briefing call with reporters Thursday evening, administration officials said Mexico could prevent the tariffs from kicking in by securing their southern border with Guatemala and entering into a "safe third country agreement" that would make it difficult for those who enter Mexico from other countries to claim asylum in the U.S.

"We're going to judge success here by the number of people crossing the border and that number needs to start coming down immediately, in a significant and substantial number," said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

He also insisted that tariffs were "completely" separate from the USMCA because one pertained to immigration and the other trade.

Still the threat drew a withering response from Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, a usual Trump ally, who slammed it as "a misuse of presidential tariff authority" that would burden American consumers and "seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA."

Mulvaney said the White House had briefed a number of Republicans on the plan and acknowledged that some  particularly in the Senate  had raised concerns about the president invoking such powers.

The threat comes at a time when Mexico has already been stepping up its efforts to crack down on migrants, carrying out raids and detaining thousands of people traveling through the country en route to the U.S.

The crumbling city of Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border, has become the epicenter of the crackdowns, with thousands of migrants stranded because the Mexican government isn't providing them visas to travel. In addition, the Mexican government has allowed the U.S. to send back hundreds of asylum seekers from Central America and other countries, forcing them to wait out their cases in Mexico.

But that hasn't satisfied Trump, whose White House laid out an escalating schedule of tariff increases if his demands are not met: 10% on July 1, 15% on Aug. 1, 20% on Sept. 1 and 25% on Oct. 1.

After that, the White House said, "tariffs will permanently remain at the 25% level unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory."

___

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking and Paul Wiseman in Washington and Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.

___

Follow Colvin and Long on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj and https://twitter.com/ctlong1
President Donald Trump said that he would impose a 5% tariff on Mexican goods until that country stops immigrants from entering the U.S. illegally.

The tariff would take effect on June 10 until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our country, STOP, Trump said in a Twitter post on Thursday night.

He warned that the levy would gradually increase until the illegal immigration problem is remedied at which time the tariff will be removed.

The tariffs could rise as high as 25% on Oct. 1, Trump said in a statement released by the White House.

Mexico must step up and help solve this problem, Trump said in the statement.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

Robert Mueller resigns, says charging Trump with crime was not an option

Why Mueller couldnt indict Trump

What would impeachment look like in Trumps America?

Rep. Rashida Tlaib is unapologetic about her expletive-filled call for Trumps impeachment

Trump tweets that Democrats want to impeach him for being too successful
Donald Trump is facing rejuvenated calls for his impeachment by House Democrats following FBI special counsel Robert Mueller's surprise statement on Wednesday in which he suggested only Justice Department policy prevented his team from charging a sitting president with a crime.

Mr Trump was quick to declare The case is closed! on Twitter but 2020 challengers Kamala Harris and Cory Booker called on Congress to hold the president to account while House speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has so far attempted to resist divisive impeachment proceedings, said: Nothing is off the table.

Quickly moving on to a fresh controversy, Mr Trump has been forced to deny asking the US Navy to have its destroyer the USS John S McCain, named after the late senator and Trump antagonist, kept out of sight during his recent four-day trip to Japan.

The Pentagons acting chief, Patrick Shanahan, said he never authorised attempts to make sure Mr Trump would not see the USS John S. McCain at its homeport in Japan and would have his chief of staff investigate. Trump said he was not involved in the matter.

Mr Trump, who long feuded with Mr McCain, told reporters at the White House that he was not a big fan of the Arizona Republican and onetime presidential nominee in any way, shape or form. But, Mr Trump added, I would never do a thing like that.

Now, somebody did it because they thought I didnt like him, OK? And they were well-meaning, I will say, he said, while insisting he was kept in the dark.

The order that a Navy destroyer be kept out of sight reflected what appeared to be an extraordinary White House effort to avoid offending an unpredictable president known for holding a grudge, including a particularly bitter one against Mr McCain.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that a US Indo-Pacific Command official wrote an email to Navy and Air Force officials about Mr Trumps Memorial Day weekend visit, including instructions for preparations for the USS Wasp, where he was to speak.

Mr Trump tweeted late Wednesday that he was not informed about anything having to do with the Navy Ship USS John S. McCain during my recent visit to Japan.

Still, he added Thursday that he was very, very angry with McCain because he killed health care. I was not a big fan of John McCain in any way, shape or form.

Additional reporting by AP. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
By Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - The Trump administration will announce an end to a summertime ban on sales of higher ethanol blends of gasoline as early as Friday, a spokesman for a federal regulator said, keeping a campaign promise to farmers suffering from the trade war with China, but inviting a legal challenge from the oil industry.

The pending announcement would allow gasoline stations to sell blends containing up to 15 percent corn-based ethanol, called E15, year-round, ending a seasonal prohibition that President Barack Obama's EPA imposed in 2011 to reduce smog pollution.

Previously, only gasoline blends containing up to 10 percent ethanol could be sold year-round.

A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the rule will be finalized "before the start of summer driving season, a period of high motor fuel demand that traditionally kicks off at the end of May.

That would be a win for the U.S. farm lobby which has argued that restrictions on E15 hurt growers by limiting demand for corn-based fuel without providing tangible air quality benefits.

It marks a setback for the oil industry, which views biofuels as competition. The American Petroleum Institute, which represents the U.S. oil industry, has repeatedly said the administration lacks the authority to lift the ban on E15 unilaterally, and that such a move should require an act of Congress.

U.S. President Donald Trump has struggled to please both Big Oil and Big Agriculture, two critical constituencies in his reelection effort that have frequently clashed over biofuels policy.

CONCESSION TO OIL

In October, Trump had ordered the EPA to lift the summer E15 ban, cheering corn country ahead of the mid-term elections and putting EPA on a tight deadline to complete its rulemaking ahead of the summer of 2019.

As a concession to the oil industry, he had also ordered the EPA to overhaul the biofuels credit market it oversees under the Renewable Fuel Standard. The goal was to limit speculation that triggered price spikes in recent years.

The standard requires refiners either to blend biofuels into their fuel or purchase the credits, called RINs, from those that do. Refiners like Valero Energy Corp and PBF Energy Inc have complained this can cost millions of dollars per year depending on the price of RINs.

The EPA had initially proposed an ambitious set of measures to limit credit speculation. But under pressure to finish the E15 rule on time, it is expected to unveil a narrowed down plan instead, leaving more complex proposals for later, sources told Reuters this month. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by David Gregorio)
LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - Former British foreign minister and Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson would make a "very good" next UK prime minister, U.S. President Donald Trump said, intervening in the Conservative Party's leadership contest ahead of a state visit next week.

"I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent," Trump told the Sun newspaper.

Trump said a number of Conservative lawmakers had sought his endorsement - though not environment minister Michael Gove, who had criticized his stance on Iran - and that he appreciated foreign minister Jeremy Hunt's pledge to spend more on defense.

"Yup. Like him," Trump said when asked about Hunt. (Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Sandra Maler)




Donald Trump has denied that Russia helped elect him president, less than an hour after he admitted Russia did help to elect him president.

In a flurry of tweets lashing out at people and concepts including the special counsel Robert Mueller, fake news media and this phony crime, Trump for the first time said Russia aided his 2016 presidential win.

Russia, Russia, Russia! the president tweeted on Thursday morning.

Related: 'Out of sight': Trump confirms USS John McCain was hidden from his view

Thats all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax...And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected.

For a president who has previously denied Russia interfered in the 2016 election at all  despite the conclusions of US intelligence agencies  the admission of Russian help was startling.

But soon after Trumps statement, he did a prompt about-turn.

Russia did not help me get elected. You know who got me elected? You know who got me elected? I got me elected. Russia did not help me at all, Trump said during a White House press conference.

On Wednesday Mueller said his two-year investigation had established that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome.

Muellers report states that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion.

The report also detailed 11 instances of potential obstruction of justice by Trump and his campaign. Mueller has said charging Trump with a crime was not an option we could consider, because of justice department policy.

Mueller added: If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said that.

Trump was en route to Colorado on Thursday morning, to address a graduation ceremony for the US air force academy.
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump has trumpeted the robust US economy but hitting all products from Mexico with 25 percent tariffs threatens to undercut growth and undermine key American industries, economists warn.

Trump announced the tariffs on Thursday night, which would start at five percent on June 10 and rapidly increase to pressure the Mexican government to clamp down on the flow of migrants from Central America to the southern US border.

The announcement was met with an outcry from business groups, retailers and trade experts, who also warned of the damage to relations not just with Mexico, but also with China and other trading partners who would no longer trust US negotiators.

"If maintained, the tariffs would reduce US GDP growth by at least 0.7 (percentage point) in 2020 and likely push Mexico into a recession," Gregory Daco of Oxford Economics said in a research note.

Mexico's top diplomat for North America lashed out after the tariffs announcement, describing the move as "disastrous" and vowing to respond "vigorously."

Trump's latest aggressive tariff strike was all the more shocking as it came days after he removed a key hurdle to approval of the new North American free trade pact when he lifted tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico.

Trade experts warned the punitive measures could derail efforts to enact the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA, and cause Chinese negotiators -- already on the defensive after repeated attacks by Trump -- to be even more reticent to move forward with negotiations, when he could reverse course at any moment.

But President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was more restrained, saying in an early morning news conference on Friday that Mexicans and Americans are in favor of free trade and Trump's shock announcement will not change Mexico's plans to ratify the USMCA.

"This does not stop the process that began in order to ratify the treaty. We are going to move forward," Lopez Obrador said.

Story continues

- Direct hit to carmakers -

He said Mexico is willing to listen to Washington but said his government is already working to stem the tide of immigration, which Trump has repeatedly labeled a crisis and an invasion.

Trump is invoking national emergency powers to unilaterally impose the tariffs citing an immigration crisis, but in a tweet on Friday he said the duties would help restore the US auto industry.

"In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA," he said on Twitter.

"Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades."

However, the US Chamber of Commerce, the country's powerful business lobbying group, sharply criticized the plan saying "tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border."

Chamber officials said they are looking at legal actions to challenge the tariffs, including Trump's use of emergency powers.

Edward Alden, of the Council on Foreign Relations, called the use of the emergency powers act "a flagrant abuse of the congressional statute" that is meant to deal with US enemies, not allies.

However, William Reinsch a former trade official and congressional staffer said the statute -- which has been used against countries like Libya and North Korea -- is worded in a way that makes legal challenges difficult while Congress had few options "short of passing a statute with a veto proof majority."

Mexico in January became the largest US trading partner, dethroning China.

The United States imports about $350 billion in goods from Mexico including $128 billion in autos, auto parts and engines key to the integrated North American auto market, which already is facing challenges and massive layoffs.

Deutsche Bank Securities said in an analysis that Trump's move "could cripple the industry and cause major uncertainty," delivering a financial blow that would weaken US producers against their foreign competitors.

The report said 25 percent tariffs would amount to just short of $90 billion a year, with $23 billion hitting autos.

Economist Mary Lovely of Syracuse University called the move "another attack on supply chains," and said Trump does not seem to realize that nearly 70 percent of imports from Mexico are to affiliate companies in the United States.

- Heaping pain on farmers -

Retaliation by Mexico could heap further damage on American farmers already suffering from Trump's trade war with China, as well as the flooding and wet weather that are expected to reduce crop yields sharply.

The White House last week announced a $16 billion aid package for farmers, following $12 billion in assistance in 2018 to help compensate for Beijing's retaliation.

Dave Salmonsen, a trade policy specialist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, noted that Mexico "is a huge market for us" and consumers and farmers could both feel the pain.

He told AFP tomatoes, avocados -- nearly 90 percent of which come from Mexico --- and other seasonal fruits would be hit hard, as well as "all the different beers and tequila."

And if Mexico retaliates, that would damage corn and soybeans, he said, noting the country now is the second largest market for US food and agriculture because of the trade war with China.
Hong Kong: Gov't proposes bill changes

The Government has proposed to increase the threshold for allowing extraditions under the fugitive bill, from crimes which carry a maximum three years imprisonment to those facing a seven-year sentence.

The proposal is among the new measures announced by Secretary for Security John Lee today, that aim to alleviate the communitys concerns over the Fugitive Offenders & Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019.

Mr Lee said: The opinion that we have heard is that since it is a stopgap measure, we should deal with it cautiously. And we should aim at dealing with heinous or the most serious crimes.

As a result of all these opinions, we have to make a decision on how we can strike a good balance. Because it is only a supplementary measure to the main policy of signing a long-term agreement with jurisdictions, so we think that dealing with the most serious crimes does strike the right balance.

And seven years or above is the usual kind of offence that would be dealt with in the High Court, and that is easily understood by the people of Hong Kong. So by comparing to what a High Court will usually try, we think that seven years or more is the right balance.

The security chief added there will be further safeguards ensuring the rights of suspects, that is, the Government will only consider extradition requests from other countries that are made through their top level of government.

For the Mainland, that would mean the extradition request would have to come from the Supreme Peoples Procuratorate.

Once the legislation is passed, the Government will follow up with the Mainland on whether any extradited Hong Kong people found guilty of crimes on the Mainland could apply to serve their prison sentences in Hong Kong, Mr Lee added.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
After going through something as life-altering as a car accident, the best thing you can get out of it is...
Cannabis could come to the beach cities. This is how
* Mexican goods to be hit with 5% tariff, rising to 25%

* Move sends bad signal for global trade overall -strategist

* Global carmakers' shares fall as much as 7%

By Naomi Tajitsu and Georgina Prodhan

TOKYO/MILAN, May 31 (Reuters) - Shares of global automakers and suppliers tumbled on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico, potentially upending a global manufacturing business model established decades ago.

From Mazda in Japan to Volkswagen in Germany to General Motors in the United States, carmaker stocks took a hit as a new front opened in the global trade war.

Railing against a surge of illegal immigrants across the United States' southern border, Trump said he would target all goods coming from Mexico with a 5% tariff from June 10, increasing monthly to 25% by Oct. 1, unless Mexico took immediate action.

"In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA," Trump said in a Tweet on Friday.

For years carmakers have built vehicles in Mexico, taking advantage of its cheap labor, trade deals and proximity to the United States, the world's largest auto market after China.

The move could hit a number of global companies, with the auto industry looking particularly vulnerable, along with aerospace suppliers, industrial component makers and electronics firms.

"This being escalated at a time when the China situation is not still resolved shows that Trump views tariffs as a weapon he can use without damage to the U.S. economy. That's worrying and sends a bad signal for the outlook for global trade overall," said Jon Harrison, a senior macro strategist at TS Lombard.

The latest threat to impose tariffs on millions of vehicles bound for the United States comes two weeks after Trump announced he would delay a decision on imposing up to 25% tariffs on vehicles from the European Union and Japan by up to six months.

Story continues

TRADE FLOWS

Automakers shipped $52.6 billion worth of vehicles to the United States from Mexican assembly plants in 2018. Another $32.5 billion in auto parts flowed to the U.S. from Mexican factories, according to U.S. Commerce department data.

The American Automotive Policy Council, which represents U.S. automakers in Washington D.C., said new tariffs would ruin the benefits of Trump's proposed new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, which relies on duty-free access.

"The imposition of tariffs against Mexico will undermine its positive impact and would impose significant cost on the U.S. auto industry," it said in a statement.

Some of the most popular vehicles sold in the United States are made in Mexico, including versions of General Motors' Chevrolet Silverado pickup, the Chevrolet Blazer SUV, Volkswagen's Jetta sedan and the Toyota Tacoma pickup.

The move also looks also likely to backfire on U.S. consumers, driving up the prices of goods as varied as cars, refrigerators and television sets.

"Margins are so thin in the U.S. market right now that there's no way that any automaker is not going to pass on these tariffs to their customers," said Janet Lewis, an analyst at Macquarie Securities.

"The unknown factor is the impact on suppliers, as components can move back and forth between Mexico, the United States and Canada up to 20 times before they make their way into assembled cars."

Swedish industrial seals and bearings maker SKF, which supplies carmakers in the United States from Mexico, said it would pass on any tariff impact to customers.

SHARE IMPACT

In Japan, shares in Toyota fell 3% while Nissan dropped 5% and Honda 4%. Mazda took a bigger hit, tumbling 7%. All four operate vehicle assembly plants in Mexico, producing roughly one-third of the vehicles made there.

In Europe, potential merger candidates Fiat Chrysler and Renault led the carmakers lower, each falling 5%, while automotive supplier Faurecia was down 4% in late afternoon trading.

Shares in Madrid-listed bank BBVA and Italian steel pipe maker Tenaris, both with significant exposure to Mexico, each fell 4%, while Mexican-focused exchange-traded funds reeled.

U.S. stocks opened sharply lower, with GM and Ford both falling 4% in early trading, while car parts maker Delphi dropped by 6%.

(Additional reporting by Hayoung Choi and Heekyong Yang in Seoul, Tom Arnold in London, David Shepardson in Washington and Joe White in Detroit Editing by Keith Weir)
President Donald Trumps threat to impose tariffs on Mexican imports, effective June 10, will cripple U.S. automakers and cost people their jobs.

The proposed tariffs will disrupt the supply chain for every automaker, domestic and foreign, in the United States, according to Rebecca Lindland, who spent 10 years at IHS Automotive as director of research and was the senior director and executive analyst at Kelly Blue Book. She now operates her own auto website, Rebeccadrives.com.

Nobody wins in the automotive industry, said Lindland. I mean union workers, suppliers, its blue collar, its white collar, it is across the board and nobody wins in this scenario.

U.S. trade with Mexico is all about cars

Sixty-seven percent of U.S. imports from Mexico are intra-company trade according to Deutsche Bank research. Torsten Slok, the chief economist and managing director at Deutsche Bank Securities, explains that means two-thirds of companies producing goods in Mexico are producing products for their own supply chain and other manufacturers.

U.S. trade with Mexico is all about cars. This would cripple the auto industry, he said. It would bring car production to a halt pretty quickly.

Slok cites trade data that shows 35% of U.S. auto exports, from a value added standpoint, consist of parts manufactured in Mexico. That percentage reflects the value of parts produced in Mexico and Canada and included in cars assembled in the U.S. The number has grown every year since the mid-1990s when the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, was ratified.

The whole industry really changed when NAFTA came into play, says Lindland. We are one region and the biggest challenge is that we are not flexible. Vehicles have 30,000 parts and if you are missing a couple of screws you cant build that vehicle.

Workers inspect General Motors Co. (GM) Chevrolet 2019 Silverado HD and 2019 GMC Sierra HD pickup trucks on the assembly line at the GM plant in Flint, Michigan, U.S., on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019. GM is selling lots of expensive pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles in the U.S., which helped its average vehicle sales price hit a record $36,000. That played a big role in the better-than-expected quarterly earnings. Photographer: Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Trump threatens to keep raising tariffs

Trump is using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican imports unless the Mexican government stops migrants trying to reach the U.S.

Story continues

Mexico must step up and help solve this problem Trump said in a statement released Thursday night by the White House. The president went on to say the tariffs will be raised to 10% in July and could eventually hit 25% by October 1.

If Mexico fails to act, tariffs will remain at the high level, and companies located in Mexico may start moving back to the United States to make their products and goods, he said.

But Slok pointed out that manufacturing doesnt work that way. If you cripple the U.S. auto industry it will have implications for the auto industry in the rest of the world, he said.

Lindland agrees. We cant just turn on a dime. We are about making good solid affordable vehicles for consumers and if you disrupt the supply chain you are disrupting jobs, dealers, consumers.

According to Lindland, automakers have created an efficient manufacturing process to keep prices down for consumers. Setting up shop in the U.S. wont be easy she says Its a complex and extensive process, We are not interchangeable. We cant just swap things out.

Adam Shapiro is co-anchor of Yahoo Finance On the Move.

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance



Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, SmartNews, LinkedIn, YouTube, and reddit.
By Noe Torres and Anthony Esposito

MEXICO CITY, May 31 (Reuters) - It should have been a good day for Mexico's veteran point man for trade with the rest of North America.

But Jesus Seade had just wrapped up an optimistic speech to a friendly Mexican Senate, aimed at winning ratification for a regional free trade deal, when he was sideswiped.

At 6:30 p.m. (2330 GMT), U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that Washington would impose a 5% tariff, rapidly ratcheting higher, on all goods coming from Mexico unless the flow of illegal immigrants across the southern U.S. border was stanched.

The message reached Seade, Mexico's deputy foreign minister for North America, just as he arrived from the Senate at the Foreign Ministry to tell reporters about the progress on the United States-Mexico-Canada-Agreement (USMCA) he helped negotiate.

At first, he tried to play down the development, saying "Trump is very active in the use of the tweet," of which only some are "put into action."

Then Seade's demeanor became more serious.

"My colleagues just told me that the tweet mentioned by the last journalist, bad news. It's no longer just a tweet, it's now a White House statement," he said.

Clearly taken aback by the severity and abruptness of the measures, which would take tariffs to 25% by October, Seade swung from advising calm and dialog to saying a strategy of non-retaliation from President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador would be unacceptable.

Mexico sends about 80 percent of its exports - mostly manufactured goods like cars and televisions - to the United States.

Seade said the most logical response to would be an "eye for an eye" but then warned reciprocal measures would lead to a trade war "and that is the last thing that we want."

A gregarious and immensely experienced negotiator, Seade has invested a lot of time in keeping bilateral relations on an even keel.

He helped create the predecessor to the World Trade Association and used an old connection with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to seal the new USMCA over meals at the Metropolitan Club in Washington.

Story continues

But even before the tariff threat, there were still hurdles to cross.

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, perhaps wary of handing Trump a victory and worried the deal is not still not tough enough on labor law enforcement, have indicated they may not approve it.

But U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Thursday he was pushing to get the U.S. Congress to ratify it this summer, after both Canada and Mexico signaled they were ready.

Hours later, nearly 20 months of talks, concessions, and wrangling to seal the replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) seemed to be slipping away.

"This is difficult ... even more so between two nations trying to seal a wonderful trade deal. The best trade deal in history according to Trump himself and suddenly he throws this in the way," Seade said.

On Friday a delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, which an aide said might include Seade, will travel to Washington to try to defuse the situation before economic disaster strikes.

Mexico imports a great deal of U.S. products, giving it scope for a large-scale retaliation.

"If we consider that Mexico exports over $350 billion to the United States, retaliation to the measures by Mexico would be off the charts," said Kenneth Smith, Mexico's former chief NAFTA negotiator.

Mexico's reaction is not yet clear.

In a letter to Trump, Lopez Obrador said he was not looking for confrontation but also jabbed back, calling the U.S. leader's signature phrase America First "a fallacy." (Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and John Stonestreet)
Kinshasa (AFP) - Rwandan President Paul Kagame was the surprise guest at ceremonies in DR Congo Friday to honour deceased opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi hosted by his son Felix, the country's president.

Once the Democratic Republic of Congo's sworn enemy, Kagame joined Tshisekedi and Angolan President Joao Lourenco for a central African mini-summit ahead of the long-awaited tribute.

The three vowed to "strengthen the Congo-Angola-Rwanda axis" to "wipe out Congolese and foreign armed groups," a joint communique said, apparently referring to brutal militias which plague the DRC-Rwandan border.

Tshisekedi died in Brussels in February 2017 at the age of 84.

He was a revered figure in the opposition for his resistance to former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and ex-president Joseph Kabila.

He never got to see his son ascend to the presidency, after bitterly-fought elections at the end of last year that led to the first peaceful transition of power in the country's history.

His body was flown back to Kinshasa on Thursday aboard a private jet, ending a protracted battle by his family to secure its repatriation.

The coffin was displayed at the 80,000-seater Martyrs' Stadium in Kinshasa ahead of a mass in the evening. The funeral will take place on Saturday, at a mausoleum at Nsele, on the outskirts of Kinshasa.

However, the turnout was a far cry from the vast crowds and fervour the older Tshisekedi was able to muster in his heyday.

Several thousand people accompanied the hearse from the morgue to the stadium, and the venue itself was only half-full, AFP reporters said.

Kagame, who is also current head of the African Union (AU), last visited Kinshasa in 2010.

Relations between Rwanda and the DRC have been chilly since the 1990s, when Rwanda invaded the country to back rebels trying to overthrow Kabila's father, former president Laurent Kabila.

Despite an improvement in tone since Tshisekedi took over January 24, ties remain troubled by cross-border attacks on Rwandan forces by the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR), a rebel group based in the DRC.

Story continues

The DRC, meanwhile, has accused Rwanda of pillaging coltan, a lucrative mineral used in electronic products, in the border region of North Kivu.

- Tshisekedi tributes -

Etienne Tshisekedi served as interior minister under Mobutu before joining the opposition, where he was a persistent thorn in the dictator's side.

He co-founded the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) in 1982 after a stint in prison and in the 1990s was appointed prime minister several times, each time falling out with Mobutu after a matter of months or even days.

He boycotted the country's elections in 2006 on the grounds of fraud, and was beaten in the 2011 ballot, which was tainted by massive irregularities.

He died in Belgium, the former colonial power, where he had gone to seek medical treatment.

His son had vowed to repatriate his father's remains and bury them in his home country, but that wish was thwarted under Kabila.

The funeral has prompted tributes from fellow opposition figures as well as Kabila supporters.

Martin Fayulu, another opposition figure who says that a behind-the-scenes deal between Felix Tshisekedi and Kabila robbed him of election victory, paid tribute to Etienne Tshisekedi's "fight for justice and democracy."

Praise also came from Kabila's own party, the Joint Front for Congo (FCC).

However, Kabila did not attend the stadium tribute, nor did Fayulu and another Kabila rival, Moise Katumbi, who returned to the country from self-imposed exile on May 20.
ANKARA, May 31 (Reuters) - The delivery schedule for Russia's S-400 missile defense systems to Turkey is continuing as planned, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Friday, dismissing reports of delay.

The U.S. and Turkey have been at odds over Ankara's decision to purchase the S-400s, which Washington says are not compatible with NATO systems and poses a threat to the F-35 stealth fighter jets. Ankara has proposed to form a working group to assess the U.S. concerns, but has not received a response yet.

On Monday, broadcaster Haberturk quoted Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar as saying that the delivery of the S-400s may not happen in June, when Turkey previously said the missiles were due to arrive, but added the agreement was a done deal.

"Reports in some media outlets about Turkey evaluating delaying the S-400 procurement upon the request of the United States do not reflect the truth," Aksoy said in a statement, adding that Ankara's offer for a joint working group with Washington was still valid. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay)
ZURICH, May 31 (Reuters) - A 60-year-old Swiss man apparently killed two female hostages and himself when a three-hour standoff in Zurich ended early on Friday.

Police in Switzerland's financial capital said the unnamed gunman took the women captive in a flat in the south west of the city, then kept police at bay by threatening to shoot the hostages unless the officers withdrew.

Shortly after he promised to surrender in 10 minutes, shots rang out, police said. Police officers then stormed the flat and found three critically injured people who all died at the crime scene, police added.

Prosecutors were still piecing together what happened and trying to determine the nationalities of the female victims aged 34 and 38.

Gun violence is relatively rare in Switzerland, where voters this month agreed to adopt stricter gun control. (Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Stephen Powell)
Jerusalem (AFP) - More than 200,000 Muslims took part in the final Friday prayers of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of annexed east Jerusalem, as Israel heightened security following a Palestinian stabbing attack.

The religious authority in charge of the compound, the third holiest site in Islam, said in total 260,000 worshippers took part in the midday prayers.

The prayers came only hours after a Palestinian teenager stabbed two Israelis inside the Old City before being shot dead by Israeli security.

In a separate incident, another Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank as he sought to sneak into Jerusalem, reportedly to pray at Al-Aqsa.

In Jerusalem itself, a 19-year-old Palestinian stabbed one Israeli near the Damascus Gate and another near Jaffa Gate on the other side of the walled Old City, police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said.

"Police units that responded at the scene saw the attacker with a knife. The attacker was shot and killed," Rosenfeld said.

The Palestinian health ministry later named him as Yusef Wajih from Abwein village in the central West Bank.

A video released by police showed a man running through the streets and stabbing two Orthodox Jews.

One of the Israelis wounded was a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed at the exit of a synagogue. A photograph of the teenager in a hospital bed was released by a government spokesman.

The other victim, a 47-year-old man, was in serious condition, according to the hospital.

Later Friday, Israeli police said a Palestinian "armed with a knife" had been arrested in the flashpoint city of Hebron in the West Bank.

The arrest took place near a key holy site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

- Worshippers gather -

Jerusalem's Old City has been the scene of numerous stabbings of Israelis by Palestinian assailants in recent years, though a relative calm has existed for several months.

Story continues

After the latest attack, gates to the Old City were briefly sealed before being reopened as thousands thronged towards the mosque.

Inside the mostly uncovered mosque compound, water was sprayed on worshippers to keep them cool in the baking Jerusalem sun, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Despite a heavy police presence, there were no reports of further incidents.

The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is a key religious and political symbol for Palestinians. It is also sacred for Jews, who refer to it at the Temple Mount.

The attack came just two days before Israelis hold a major march to mark Jerusalem Day, the annual commemoration of the capture of east Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967.

It was later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community.

In December 2017, US President Donald Trump broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in a move that prompted the Palestinians to cut all contacts with his administration.

Israel insists the whole of Jerusalem is its "eternal, indivisible capital". The Palestinians demand the city's eastern sector as the capital of their long promised state.

- Trump's gift -

On Thursday evening, Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem as part of a Middle East tour before Washington unveils its long-awaited plan for Israel-Palestinian peace.

Kushner, accompanied by Trump envoy Jason Greenblatt, arrived in Jerusalem after earlier stops in Morocco and Jordan.

He is a key architect of the peace plan that the White House says it intends to present in the coming weeks, which was previously delayed for an Israeli general election on April 9.

After Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government, Israel is set to hold another vote in September and the plan is widely seen as too sensitive an issue to introduce during a political campaign.

The Palestinian leadership has rejected the peace plan without seeing it, saying Trump has shown himself to be blatantly biased in favour of Israel.

They cite moves including declaring the disputed city of Jerusalem Israel's capital and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian aid.

Trump has also handed Netanyahu other diplomatic coups, notably US recognition of Israel's 1981 annexation of the strategic Golan Heights captured from Syria in the Six-Day War.

On Thursday, Kushner delivered Netanyahu a gift from Trump, a map of Israel signed and approvingly annotated by the US president showing the Golan as inside the Jewish state's borders.
(Corrects first bullet point to clarify timing of tariffs)

* New Chinese tariffs start June 1, after latest US tariffs began May 9

* Many companies absorbed first 10% tariff imposed in Sept

* Now importers seeking to pass on costs, seek alternatives

By Brenda Goh and Lisa Baertlein

SHANGHAI/LOS ANGELES, May 31 (Reuters) - Shanghai wine importer Alex Chen has spent the last 10 days moving all his American wines - from chardonnays to zinfandels - out of warehouses in the city's free trade zone before they are hit with an extra tariff that kicks in on Saturday.

On both sides of the Pacific, importers and exporters are scrambling as further tariffs of 15% come into effect, on top of the 10% duties imposed last September. The new tariffs will force them to raise prices, take a further hit on margins, or, if they can, find alternatives.

Chen figures he has stock to last three months, after which - barring an easing in the increasingly bitter U.S.-China trade war - he plans to focus on partnerships with wine suppliers from places such as Chile or Australia.

China's added tariffs on American wines would leave no margin for importers like his firm, Alexander Wine Co., he said.

"This will collapse the market for U.S. wines."

The 10-month-old trade war between the world's two largest economies escalated early this month, with U.S. President Donald Trump imposing a new round of tariffs, prompting China to respond and forcing companies in the cross-fire into a scramble to raise prices or shift strategy.

Harlan Stone, chief executive of Connecticut-based Metroflor, said he sent e-mails to his distributors to inform them of his plans to raise prices on his China-made vinyl flooring by 13.5% after Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese goods on May 9.

Stone said he and his distributors had shouldered the initial 10% tariff last year.

"Over the long term, we believe the market can absorb the 10%, but we know the marketplace cant absorb the additional 15," said Stone, who sources the luxury vinyl tile he sells in the United States from factories on China's eastern coast.

Story continues

"This will go straight to the consumer and no one knows whether their buying habits will stay the same. There is risk."

FINDING ALTERNATIVES

The trade war is changing the flow of global goods, with U.S. companies shifting purchases of affected products including furniture, refrigerators and car tires to countries such as Vietnam and South Korea, analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligence's trade data firm Panjiva showed last month.

Trump, incensed by a surge of illegal immigrants across the southern border, vowed on Thursday to impose a tariff on all goods coming from Mexico, threatening to further disrupt global trade flows.

Chinese purchases of U.S. products have also suffered. Total U.S. agriculture product shipments to China dropped 44%, or $2.1 billion, in the first quarter of 2019 versus the same period in 2018, according to United States Department of Agriculture data.

Those figures include a 45% drop in U.S. breakfast cereal shipments, and a 34% decline beef imports, and a 20% cut in U.S. pork purchases. Imports of pet food dropped 35%, wine and beer fell 20%, and Chinese purchases of U.S. tree nuts such as almonds dropped 47%.

Some importers in China told Reuters they were opting to source more pork and beef from countries including Argentina or Spain, as selling U.S. products grew less competitive.

Shanghai-based wholesaler Gusto Fine Foods scrapped plans to put Berkshire pork from the United States on the list of produce it offers to high-end restaurants and hotels in China last year after the tariffs hit.

"The importer told us right away that due to tariffs, the next time you buy it from me, my cost is going to go up 30-40%," said Dmytro Soroka, Gusto's operations manager.

"And we were like, forget about that one, there are other pork suppliers out there. There's Spain, there's South America ... The price going up will only make other products that we carry from different origins more interesting to our customers."

MARKET SLUMP

Others, such as U.S. wine distributors with a focus on China, said they were finding it tough to be optimistic in the current climate.

Michael Honig, president of Napa Valley's Honig Vineyard & Winery, said prior tariff increases undid 10 years of investment in China. In 2016, his small family winery sold about 1,000 cases in China. That dropped to zero last year.

"We had this wonderful trajectory up, now its down in the basement," said Honig, who worries U.S. producers could be locked out of the competitive Chinese market for years. David Amadia, president of Ridge Vineyards, which sells about 2% of its 90,000-case production to China, said the suddenness of the latest round of retaliatory tariffs left him no time to send shipments ahead of the deadline. Instead, he may work with his importer to shift supplies to Hong Kong, where wine is duty free and 2018 U.S. exports totalled $130 million. "That's become the fall-back for wineries," Amadia said.

(Additional reporting by Gavin Maguire in Singapore, Hallie Gu in Beijing and Beijing Newsroom, and Shanghai Newsroom. Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
By Brenda Goh and Lisa Baertlein

SHANGHAI/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Shanghai wine importer Alex Chen has spent the last 10 days moving all his American wines - from chardonnays to zinfandels - out of warehouses in the city's free trade zone before they are hit with an extra tariff that kicks in on Saturday.

On both sides of the Pacific, importers and exporters are scrambling as further tariffs of 15% come into effect, on top of the 10% duties imposed last September. The new tariffs will force them to raise prices, take a further hit on margins, or, if they can, find alternatives.

Chen figures he has stock to last three months, after which - barring an easing in the increasingly bitter U.S.-China trade war - he plans to focus on partnerships with wine suppliers from places such as Chile or Australia.

China's added tariffs on American wines would leave no margin for importers like his firm, Alexander Wine Co., he said.

"This will collapse the market for U.S. wines."

The 10-month-old trade war between the world's two largest economies escalated early this month, with U.S. President Donald Trump imposing a new round of tariffs, prompting China to respond and forcing companies in the cross-fire into a scramble to raise prices or shift strategy.

Harlan Stone, chief executive of Connecticut-based Metroflor, said he sent e-mails to his distributors to inform them of his plans to raise prices on his China-made vinyl flooring by 13.5% after Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese goods on May 9.

Stone said he and his distributors had shouldered the initial 10% tariff last year.

"Over the long term, we believe the market can absorb the 10%, but we know the marketplace cant absorb the additional 15," said Stone, who sources the luxury vinyl tile he sells in the United States from factories on China's eastern coast.

"This will go straight to the consumer and no one knows whether their buying habits will stay the same. There is risk."

Story continues

FINDING ALTERNATIVES

The trade war is changing the flow of global goods, with U.S. companies shifting purchases of affected products including furniture, refrigerators and car tires to countries such as Vietnam and South Korea, analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligence's trade data firm Panjiva showed last month.

Trump, incensed by a surge of illegal immigrants across the southern border, vowed on Thursday to impose a tariff on all goods coming from Mexico, threatening to further disrupt global trade flows.

Chinese purchases of U.S. products have also suffered. Total U.S. agriculture product shipments to China dropped 44%, or $2.1 billion, in the first quarter of 2019 versus the same period in 2018, according to United States Department of Agriculture data.

Those figures include a 45% drop in U.S. breakfast cereal shipments, and a 34% decline beef imports, and a 20% cut in U.S. pork purchases. Imports of pet food dropped 35%, wine and beer fell 20%, and Chinese purchases of U.S. tree nuts such as almonds dropped 47%.

(GRAPHIC: China's purchases of U.S. products drop as trade war intensifies - https://tmsnrt.rs/2WAebBk)

Some importers in China told Reuters they were opting to source more pork and beef from countries including Argentina or Spain, as selling U.S. products grew less competitive.

Shanghai-based wholesaler Gusto Fine Foods scrapped plans to put Berkshire pork from the United States on the list of produce it offers to high-end restaurants and hotels in China last year after the tariffs hit.

"The importer told us right away that due to tariffs, the next time you buy it from me, my cost is going to go up 30-40%," said Dmytro Soroka, Gusto's operations manager.

"And we were like, forget about that one, there are other pork suppliers out there. There's Spain, there's South America ... The price going up will only make other products that we carry from different origins more interesting to our customers."

MARKET SLUMP

Others, such as U.S. wine distributors with a focus on China, said they were finding it tough to be optimistic in the current climate.

Michael Honig, president of Napa Valley's Honig Vineyard & Winery, said prior tariff increases undid 10 years of investment in China. In 2016, his small family winery sold about 1,000 cases in China. That dropped to zero last year.

"We had this wonderful trajectory up, now its down in the basement," said Honig, who worries U.S. producers could be locked out of the competitive Chinese market for years.

U.S. wine exports to China were $59 million in 2018. That was down 13% in volume and off almost 25% in value compared to 2017, according to the Wine Institute.

David Amadia, president of Ridge Vineyards, which sells about 2% of its 90,000-case production to China, said the suddenness of the latest round of retaliatory tariffs left him no time to send shipments ahead of the deadline.

Instead, he may work with his importer to shift supplies to Hong Kong, where wine is duty free and 2018 U.S. exports totaled $130 million. "That's become the fall-back for wineries," Amadia said.

(Additional reporting by Gavin Maguire in Singapore, Hallie Gu in Beijing and Beijing Newsroom, and Shanghai Newsroom.; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
May 31 (Reuters) - Mexico's president on Friday urged his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, to back down from threats to slap tariffs on Mexican goods entering the United States, in a dispute over migration that could create a major economic shock for Mexico.

Here is a sample of the reaction to Trump's announcement.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS

"These proposed tariffs would have devastating consequences on manufacturers in America and on American consumers," Jay Timmons, association president, said in a statement. He said that manufacturers have been working hard to win passage of USMCA (U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement). "The last thing we want to do is put that landmark deal ... in jeopardy," he said.

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

As we have said before, trade is a major engine of growth and it would be best for all economies if trade tensions can be de-escalated as quickly as possible. In this case, we hope that the issues can be resolved soon and, in that respect, the recent agreement reached on the USMCA is a positive development."

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WHEAT GROWERS

We call on the President to rescind this threat immediately. Weve been hit by low prices; weve been hit by rain and flooding that is hurting what was an excellent wheat crop; and now weve been hit again by the actions of our own government. We need to end indiscriminate use of tariffs now, one way or another.

U.S. WHEAT ASSOCIATES

We respectfully ask the Administration not to implement these new tariffs. The potential fallout for farmers would be like struggling to survive a flood then getting hit by a tornado.

IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS

Iowans are frustrated with Washingtons inability to reform our countrys immigration system and address the crisis at the border, but I am asking the President to rethink this approach. Mexico is Iowas top trading partner, and placing new tariffs could undo the progress made by the negotiated USMCA trade agreement.

Story continues

MOTOR AND EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

MEMA said the tariffs would disrupt $452 million worth of automotive cross-border trade every day. "In short, this action will undermine U.S. economic stability," MEMA said in a statement. "This action also puts the USMCA ... at serious risk."

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR TOM UDALL

"@POTUS and his unhinged policy agenda are quite simply a disaster for border states like New Mexico," Udall tweeted. "Trumps border tax could devastate our economy - punishing border communities for a humanitarian crisis that this administration has only made worse. Senseless, and likely illegal."

TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT

"The crisis at our southern border is at a breaking point. I share the Presidents deep frustration with Congress' inaction to step up and fix this problem. Ive previously stated my opposition to tariffs due to the harm it would inflict on the Texas economy, and I remain opposed today. Nevertheless, the President is trying to address this emergency. Now, Congress must do its job and start passing laws to fix our broken immigration system."

REPUBLICAN SENATOR RON JOHNSON, Chairman of Senate Homeland Security Committee

Said he hoped Trump's move would pressure Mexico into enacting a "safe third country agreement" under which migrants from other Central American countries would have to seek asylum in Mexico and not the United States. "Hopefully this move by President Trump will bring them to their senses and they'll cooperate with us by enacting something like that," Johnson told Fox News Channel

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR DICK DURBIN

"America's loudest president on immigration has failed at our borders. In his frustration, he promises a new round of tariffs raising prices on Americans, killing our jobs, and once again hitting Illinois farmers and businesses the hardest. How much more can our nation take from this 'stable genius'?"

(Compiled by Susan Thomas; Edited by Howard Goller)
By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, May 31 (Reuters) - A Chinese lawyer held for more than 16 months without trial is being unlawfully detained for his human rights work and should be released, a United Nations watchdog has said.

The U.N. working group on arbitrary detention issued its opinion on Yu Wensheng, dated May 29, after examining his case at a closed-door meeting of its five independent experts.

There was no immediate comment by China.

It is the 30th anniversary on Tuesday of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Yu had been the defense attorney of jailed prominent rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang before being stripped of his license and then arrested outside his home in January 2018. He is still under investigation for "inciting subversion."

"The Working Group concludes that the deprivation of liberty of Mr. Yu resulted from the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and of association and his right to take part in government, and was contrary to article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His deprivation of liberty is arbitrary," the experts said.

Yu should be released immediately and provided compensation in line with international law, they said.

The Chinese government missed the deadline to submit its response, including to allegations that Yu has been denied any visits with a lawyer of his or his familys choosing during his entire detention, the experts said.

Yu, now 51, was sent to Xuzhou City Detention Centre in Jiangsu Province, where police placed him under residential surveillance, they said, adding that this amounted to incommunicado and secret detention.

He has been charged with "a vague and imprecise offense of inciting subversion of State power," they said.

"This provision does not define what conduct amounts to subversion and overthrowing the socialist system through rumors, slander or other means. The communication of mere thoughts, ideas or opinions could potentially fall within the prohibited conduct," the U.N. body said.

Yu had worked peacefully within China's legal system and nothing suggested he had engaged in or incited violence, it said. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay Editing by Frances Kerry)
By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - A Chinese lawyer held for more than 16 months without trial is being unlawfully detained for his human rights work and should be released, a United Nations watchdog has said.

The U.N. working group on arbitrary detention issued its opinion on Yu Wensheng, dated May 29, after examining his case at a closed-door meeting of its five independent experts.

There was no immediate comment by China.

It is the 30th anniversary on Tuesday of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Yu had been the defense attorney of jailed prominent rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang before being stripped of his license and then arrested outside his home in January 2018. He is still under investigation for "inciting subversion".

"The Working Group concludes that the deprivation of liberty of Mr. Yu resulted from the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and of association and his right to take part in government, and was contrary to article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His deprivation of liberty is arbitrary," the experts said.

Yu should be released immediately and provided compensation in line with international law, they said.

The Chinese government missed the deadline to submit its response, including to allegations that Yu has been denied any visits with a lawyer of his or his familys choosing during his entire detention, the experts said.

Yu, now 51, was sent to Xuzhou City Detention Center in Jiangsu Province, where police placed him under residential surveillance, they said, adding that this amounted to incommunicado and secret detention.

He has been charged with "a vague and imprecise offense of inciting subversion of State power", they said.

"This provision does not define what conduct amounts to subversion and overthrowing the socialist system through rumors, slander or other means. The communication of mere thoughts, ideas or opinions could potentially fall within the prohibited conduct," the U.N. body said.

Yu had worked peacefully within China's legal system and nothing suggested he had engaged in or incited violence, it said.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Frances Kerry)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, May 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department plans to move ahead this year with its first oil and gas lease sale on the ecologically sensitive but presumably petroleum-rich coastal plain of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), a Trump administration official said on Thursday.

The decision marks a likely turning point in a decades-long battle between environmental groups and fossil energy companies over the Beaufort Sea coast of ANWR, home to caribou, polar bear and other arctic wildlife to the east of Alaska's North Slope oil fields. (Reporting by Yereth Rosen in Anchorage, Alaska; Editing by Steve Gorman and Sandra Maler)
San Francisco (AFP) - Ride share giant Uber on Thursday reported a $1 billion loss in the first quarter of this year despite rising revenue and monthly users.

In its first earnings report as a publicly traded company, Uber said revenue climbed 20 percent to $3.1 billion from the same quarter last year, but that it lost $1 billion.

"In the first quarter, engagement across our platform was higher than ever, with an average of 17 million trips per day and an annualized gross bookings run-rate of $59 billion," said Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi.

The earnings were in line with Wall Street expectations. Uber shares were up 3 percent to $41 in after-market trades that followed release of the earnings figures.

After debuting several weeks ago at $45 for the initial public offering (IPO) -- translating to a market value of $82 billion -- Uber shares went into reverse.

The decline came amid doubts over Uber's path to profitability despite one of the biggest tech IPOs ever.

Uber had dialed back some of its earlier ambitions for a value exceeding $100 billion after a rocky start for competitor Lyft earlier this year.

While Uber has lost billions since offering its first rides in 2011 in San Francisco, the company is aiming to develop a global brand that helps transform local transportation.

Whether Uber can achieve profitability using this model, as it disrupts traditional taxi and transport services, is a key question.

Khosrowshahi said during an earnings call that he is proud of how the Uber team handled the IPO and that he has assured them the disappointing start is just a step on "the long journey of making Uber a platform for the movement of people and transport of commerce around the world at a massive scale."

Uber's chief financial officer Nelson Chai told analysts that 2019 would be a year of investment for the company.

- Mobility in an app -

Uber envisions becoming the "Amazon of transportation" in a future where people share instead of owning vehicles.

Story continues

If all goes to plan, commuters could ride an e-scooter to a transit station, take a train, then grab an e-bike to complete a journey using the Uber smartphone app.

Uber also has its eyes on the sky with an Elevate project to have electric aircraft carry people between "skyports," taking off and landing vertically.

"They are basically asking the investors to ride with them and they are going to figure out where the profit is," analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group said of Uber.

"They should already know where the profit is."

Investors seemed heartened by the growth of the Uber Eats meal delivery service and that executives spoke of battling US ride-share rival Lyft on service instead of pouring money into marketing or promotions.

Khosrowshahi outlined a vision of ramping up ranks of users by enticing various demographics to the platform with scooters, bikes, public transit, food deliveries or shared rides.

"If every user in every city around the world is opening up our app when they want to get someplace, we think that is going to lead to good things over time," Khosrowshahi said.

"Having the full transportation offering on an app is a very powerful product, but we think it will take some time to come together."

Revenue from Eats, a service that delivers restaurant meals, more than doubled from a year ago, according to Uber.

"Some people think the food category could be bigger than the ride category," Khosrowshahi said.

"We are very early in exploring the many ways our rides business can continue to grow our Eats business and vice versa."

Uber Freight, which matches truckers with businesses looking to ship loads, is nascent but growing steadily, with revenue up some 200 percent from the same quarter last year.

Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said in a note to investors prior to the earnings release that it will be "a long and winding road for Uber to prove" its ability to make money from its growing user base.

He saw Uber as well positioned to take a share of some $5.7 trillion spent annually on transportation -- a figure that rises closer to $8 billion when adding in freight logistics and food delivery.

"A core tenet of our bull thesis is around Uber's ability to morph its unrivaled ridesharing platform into a broader consumer engine with Uber Eats, Uber Freight, and autonomous initiatives just scratching the surface of the full monetization potential," Ives said in the note.
London (AFP) - The successor to British Prime Minister Theresa May must rule out a "no-deal" Brexit, the head of Britain's main business lobby group urged Friday, warning again of "severe" economic consequences.

Carolyn Fairbairn, head of the Confederation of British Industry, issued the warning as the total number of Conservative MPs vying to replace May reached twelve.

Brexit dominates the battle to replace May, who was brought down by her failure to take Britain out of the European Union on March 29 as planned. The nation is now scheduled to leave at the end of October.

"The next prime minister can only claim the Conservatives are the party of business if they secure a Brexit deal that protects the economy, jobs and living standards," Fairbairn wrote in an open letter to the twelve leadership hopefuls.

"Firms large and small are clear that leaving the EU with a deal is the best way forward.

"Short-term disruption and long-term damage to British competitiveness will be severe if we leave without one."

The CBI -- Britain's biggest employers' organisation representing some 190,000 companies -- has repeatedly warned that a no-deal withdrawal could spark a fresh economic downturn.

However, rival leadership candidates including former foreign secretary Boris Johnson and former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab have said that Britain must be prepared to leave the EU without an agreement.

"The vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no-deal, particularly our SME (small and medium enterprise) members who cannot afford complex and costly contingency plans," added Fairbairn in the letter.

"We need compromise, consensus and honesty to resolve the Brexit impasse, quickly.

"Prolonged uncertainty is damaging our economy now -- driving up costs and reducing sales. Stockpiling of raw materials and goods among SMEs is at a record high."

She added: "Billions of pounds in investment are being diverted from the economy, harming future jobs and prosperity.

"The CBI urges the next prime minister to build their approach to Brexit from the bottom up -- from the clear, detailed evidence of firms, on the ground, managing the day-to-day implications for jobs."
LONDON (Reuters) - British interior minister Sajid Javid said he would order the preparation of a "no-deal budget" to convince the European Union that Britain was serious about leaving on Oct. 31 if he succeeds Theresa May as prime minister.

"This would also show the EU we are ready - so when we turn up to negotiate, they know we are not afraid of walking out," he wrote in a column for Saturday's Daily Mail newspaper.

Javid also said he will not back a second referendum on Brexit, and would be prepared to pay Ireland's costs for the technology needed to avoid a hard border with the British province of Northern Ireland.

"It's a small price to avoid 'no deal' - and the risks that would bring to the hard-won peace," he said.

(Reporting by David Milliken and Ishiti Chigilli Palli; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
(Reuters) - British interior minister Sajid Javid, who is running in the leadership race to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, would be prepared to take Britain out of the European Union without a deal, The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday.

Javid wants to see Britain leaving the EU by the current deadline of Oct. 31, the newspaper added.

(Reporting by Akshay Balan in Bengaluru; Editing by David Gregorio)
Huawei held the first Southeast Asia IP Club Carnival in Bangkok, Thailand. The two-day event, with the theme Rethink IP, Building the Engine for Digital Transformation, brought together approximately 400 IP Club members, industrial and academic experts, and IP technical professionals from Thailand, Hong Kong, India, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Vietnam. These tech-savvy participants explored how to leverage innovative IP technologies in an effort to promote industrial upgrading and accelerate digital transformation across industries in Southeast Asia. At this event, Huawei spokespersons also elaborated on the IP Club membership benefits for the Southeast Asia region for the first time. This move marked another milestone to build IP Club into a professional, open, trustworthy, and respectful IP technology communication platform.

Insights from Key Opinion Leaders into IP Industry Development

At the IP Club carnival, Rohit Mehra, IDCs Vice President of Network Infrastructure, shared his insights into how the rise of emerging technologies such as AI, big data, and cloud created both opportunities and challenges for network construction. Mr. Mehra stated that the network is central to the secure, scalable, and efficient use of emerging applications, and that network transformation is urgent because traditional networks no longer keep pace with digital transformation. He also predicted that future intelligent networks would continue to evolve towards autonomous, self-driven automated ones.

Michael MacDonald, Chief Digital Officer and Executive Consultant at Huawei Southeast Asia, also revealed his outlook on how the IP industry would progress under the tidal wave of digital transformation. In addition, he shared Huaweis latest research and leading practices in the IP technology field. According to Mr. MacDonald, Huawei plays a pivotal role in industry fields such as Wi-Fi 6, AI Fabric, and SRv6, achieves market leadership, and makes outstanding contributions to the industry due to continuous innovation and R&D investment. Looking ahead to the future, he predicted Huawei would continue to increase R&D investment and provide leading intelligent IP network solutions in order to build a next-generation intelligent connectivity base for the upcoming intelligent society.

Debut of Differentiated Innovative Products

Huawei has more than 20 years of expertise in the IP technology field and is dedicated to offering differentiated innovative products for customers worldwide. With customer needs in mind, Huawei continues to apply the latest digital technologies such as 5G, cloud, and AI to the IP technology sector. At this event, Huawei proved its overall IP strength once again by showcasing the latest flagship IP products  AirEngine Wi-Fi 6 and CloudEngine switches.

AirEngine Wi-Fi 6, powered by Huawei 5G, stands out from the competition with its industry-unique 5G smart antenna technology and intelligent application acceleration technology. These innovations increase the Wi-Fi coverage area by 50% while reducing the Wi-Fi network latency to 10 ms. With Huawei AirEngine Wi-Fi 6, enterprises can build a leading, premium Wi-Fi network that provides high-performance connections, delivers ultimate experiences, and enables new business.

Dr. Osama Aboul-Magd, Chair of the IEEE 802.11ax (the sixth generation of Wi-Fi) task group, shared the latest Wi-Fi 6 standard evolution trends and Huaweis contribution to the Wi-Fi 6 standardization. He said: Huawei has submitted 240 new proposals during 802.11ax standard development, accounting for 15% and ranking number one across all vendors.

Dr. Li Xing, Vice President of the Campus Network Domain, Huaweis Data Communications Product Line, then released the industrys first commercial Wi-Fi 6  P7060DN. He commented: Huawei leads the industry in commercial Wi-Fi 6 products verified by Tolly Group, an international authoritative test organization. According to Tolly, Huaweis commercial Wi-Fi 6 products achieved the highest performance among those tested.

Built on Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), Huawei CloudEngine switches deliver the fastest forwarding performance in the industry, helping construct an AI Fabric data center network for the AI era. These purpose-built innovative switches enable intelligent, lossless data switching, facilitate three-network convergence (namely, computing, storage, and data networks), and reduce TCO by 53%. King Tsui, Chief Engineer Officer of the Data Communication Marketing & Technical Sales Department, Huawei Enterprise BG, said: Huawei CloudEngine switches come with embedded AI chips and use innovative iLossless AI algorithms to truly achieve a network that ensures zero packet loss and unleashes 100% AI computing power.

In the future, Huaweis IP Domain will deliver more technologies and resources to better serve the Southeast Asia market. Through close collaboration, Huawei and its partners will provide more intelligent connections for enterprise customers. In addition, Huawei will continue to use the Digital Platform to integrate new ICT, helping customers to succeed in digital transformation and march towards a fully connected, intelligent world.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called on Sudan's military rulers and protest groups to go back to the negotiating table and quickly reach a deal on handing over power to a civilian-led government.

Guterres said in a statement that the sides must "conclude the negotiations over the transfer of power to a civilian-led transitional authority as soon as possible."

Negotiations between protesters and the military council have broken down over whether a planned transitional body would be headed by a civilian or a military figure.

The deadlock has raised fears that the military will seek to tighten its grip on power, crushing hopes of a democratic process in Sudan.

On Friday, hundreds of people rallied in support of Sudan's military rulers in Khartoum.

The military council has ruled the country since the ouster of president Omar al-Bashir on April 11, after months of protests against his authoritarian rule.

Guterres called for the "utmost restraint" and stressed the importance of upholding human rights, including the right to freedom of assembly and of expression.

Sudanese authorities on Thursday shut down the Khartoum office of Qatari-owned Al Jazeera television and banned its journalists from reporting in the country.

Sudan's generals, backed by key Arab powers, have resisted calls from African and Western governments to hand over the reins of power.

The head of the ruling military council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, paid a visit to Saudi Arabia this week following talks in Egypt last week.

On May 14, the protest leaders and the military reached a breakthrough by agreeing on a three-year transition period for transferring power to a civilian administration.

They also agreed that parliament be composed of 300 members for the transition, with around two-thirds from the protest alliance and the rest drawn from other political groups.

But negotiations were suspended the following day by the military, which demanded that demonstrators remove roadblocks following clashes in which five people were killed.

Talks resumed on May 19 but broke down the following day over disagreement on whether the military or a civilian should lead the transitional authority.

The UN chief has called for a transition in Sudan that meets the "democratic aspiration" of the Sudanese people.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The United Nations Security Council decided Friday to cut 1,000 troops from a regional peacekeeping force in Somalia, despite a rise in attacks by the Al-Shabaab militia in Mogadishu.

The council voted unanimously to draw down the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), but left the door open for the council to revisit that decision if violence worsens.

The resolution put forward by Britain reduces AMISOM troops by 1,000 to a ceiling of 19,626 by February 28, but maintains 1,040 police. The force's mandate was extended for a year.

Under a transition plan agreed in 2017, AMISOM will gradually hand over security to Somali forces, but the African Union has raised concern about the extra responsibility as the country heads to elections next year.

The United Nations is seeking to shore up stability in Somalia, where Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab fighters have been seeking to topple the government for a decade.

The Shabaab were chased out of Mogadishu in 2011 by AMISOM, and have had to abandon most of their strongholds, but they still control vast rural areas and remain the key threat to peace in Somalia.

A joint AU-UN security review presented to the council this month raised alarm over a surge of Shabaab attacks in the capital including a January 1 mortar assault on the UN compound.

In March alone, Al-Shabaab carried out two major attacks in Mogadishu using 28 improvised explosive devices, said the review.

Last week, a former Somali foreign minister was among five people killed in a car bombing in Mogadishu that was claimed by the Shabaab.

AMISOM was established in 2007 and includes troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda deployed in south and central Somalia.
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump escalated his abrupt tariff threats against Mexico on Friday, triggering alarm about the likely economic fallout, spooking global markets and raising the prospect of US trade wars on multiple fronts.

Trump unexpectedly announced his readiness to levy tariffs on all Mexican imports, beginning at five percent starting June 10 and rising monthly to as high as 25 percent until Mexico substantially reduces the flow of illegal immigration.

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Friday that his country was "doing our job" to stop the flow of undocumented migrants to the United States, and warned Trump that hitting his neighbor with tariffs would be a lose-lose game.

But the US leader then doubled down on his threats, saying in a flurry of tweets that "Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades."

The impact of new tariffs would be devastating for Mexico, which sends 80 percent of its exports to the US.

Lopez Obrador reminded his American counterpart the tariffs would also take a heavy toll on the United States, whose largest trading partner so far this year is Mexico -- thanks mainly to Trump's trade war with China.

Earlier this month Trump, angered by what he deemed unfair Chinese trade practices, raised punitive duties on $200 billion in Chinese imports. Beijing has promised retaliation.

Effects of the Mexico tariffs would ripple across multiple economic sectors, including the automobile industry and agriculture.

"No good can come of coercive measures... These (tariffs) would not be good for Mexicans, but they would not be good for Americans either," said Lopez Obrador.

He said his government would act prudently, and a delegation led by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard had already been sent to Washington for talks.

Ebrard is expected to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday.

"We will be firm and we will defend the dignity of Mexico," Ebrard said.

Story continues

A State Department spokeswoman said Ebrard and Pompeo spoke by phone on Friday, but gave few details.

"We maintain an ongoing dialogue and close cooperation with Mexico on a wide range of issues, including border security efforts," she said.

Trump, meanwhile, only stepped up his Twitter attacks.

"Mexico must take back their country from the drug lords and cartels. The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!" he fumed.

- Market turmoil -

Trump's startling announcement of the new tariffs came the same day he started the process of ratifying the new North American trade pact with Mexico and Canada, the USMCA -- an agreement that now may be under threat.

Global markets slumped over the latest trade war threat.

The top three US markets all closed down 1.3 percent or more, with some automakers skidding five percent.

Shares in Tokyo lost 1.6 percent, European markets were also hit, and the Mexican peso dropped 2.5 percent against the dollar.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the powerful Democrat who has a key say in whether Congress takes up the USMCA in the coming weeks, slammed the president's move as "recklessness."

Even some senior Trump aides opposed his plan, notably Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, NBC reported, citing a source close to the White House.

Republican allies in Congress also warned Trump not to damage a vital trade relationship over border concerns.

"This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent," said Senate Finance Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, one of several Republicans to oppose Trump's plan.

US industry groups voiced their disapproval, too, with the Business Roundtable warning Trump that unilateral imposition of tariffs "would be a grave error."

The US Chamber of Commerce said a five percent tariff on Mexican imports, which last year totaled $346.5 billion, would amount to a $17 billion hit on US consumers and businesses.

Should the tariffs tank the USMCA, "that would have serious consequences for the three countries' economies," Ana Maria Salazar, an expert on US-Mexico relations, told AFP.

- Clash over migrants -

Trump pledged in his 2016 election campaign to crack down on illegal immigration, but the numbers of migrants have steadily climbed.

The number apprehended at the US-Mexico border has topped 100,000 a month in recent months.

That included a new record of 58,474 people who crossed in family groups in April, and a single group of 1,036 people that particularly outraged Trump when it crossed into El Paso, Texas this week.

They are mostly people fleeing poverty and violence in Central America and ask for asylum once they reach US soil.

Trump has consistently demonized the migrants as criminals and gang members, and warned that illegal drugs are flowing across the border.

Lopez Obrador insisted his government is working to slow the flow.

"We are doing our job, without violating (migrants') human rights," said the left-wing populist, who has sought to maintain cordial relations with Trump despite the Republican billionaire's frequent anti-Mexican outbursts.

Efforts at immigration reform have stalled in Congress, and Trump has been stymied by courts on some measures his administration has attempted.

Tapping his executive powers, Trump has also taken money from the military budget to construct sections of wall along the lengthy frontier, despite his campaign pledge that Mexico would pay for the barrier.
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump announced punitive trade tariffs on Mexico, hoping to pressure the country to stop the rising flow of migrants from Central America into the Untied States.

Trump called the problem a "national emergency" and demanded Congress take action to deal with it.

- What is the "national emergency" at the border?

Undocumented migrants are flowing across the US border with Mexico at the highest levels in over a decade. In recent years, most have come from the "Northern Triangle" countries of Central America: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

And rather than sneaking into the United States, most turn themselves in to US authorities after arriving on US soil, requesting asylum. That makes it impossible for US authorities to summarily deport them.

- How many people are we talking about?

In the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2017, US Customs and Border Protection apprehended and blocked from entry 415,517 individuals. One year later, the figure was 521,090. That number was already topped in the first seven months of fiscal 2019, with the monthly total in April hitting 109,144. In the area of El Paso, Texas, on Monday alone more than 2,200 migrants were apprehended, according to CBP.

A decade ago, most of the arriving migrants were adults, largely single Mexican men seeking jobs. Today they are predominantly families with children, as well as many unaccompanied children from the Northern Triangle.

The number has overwhelmed the ability of the authorities to temporarily shelter and process them.

- Who are the migrants?

The largest numbers are from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, with the latter three countries accounting for most of the growth in the past three years. By and large they are refugees from poverty and daily violence in their home countries.

Many in the three countries send their children northward to escape being pulled into criminal gangs prevalent in many communities.

Story continues

But the migrants also include a sprinkling of people from around the world -- more than 1,000 each from Bangladesh, Brazil, India, China, Ecuador and Nicaragua last year, and smaller numbers from dozens of other countries.

- Why can't they just be returned home?

Mexican border crossers, if caught, are often sent back. But the United States cannot push migrants from third countries back into Mexico without the Mexican government's cooperation, which it has not given except in limited cases.

Most of the migrants from the Northern Triangle countries request asylum, knowing that under US and international laws, they cannot be immediately deported.

They undergo initial asylum reviews for "credible" claims that they face persecution in their countries, which most pass. Then they are released to await court hearings on their claims. With a backlog of nearly one million such cases, the wait can easily top one year. Most, according to the government, disappear into the US hinterland and never show up. Fewer than one-fifth are awarded asylum in the hearings.

- What does Trump want? -

Trump's efforts have so far proven unsuccessful in deterring migrants. He has begun building a wall along the border, taking funds from the Pentagon's budget when Congress would not allocate the billions of dollars Trump wanted for that. The building of the wall will take a long time, and in some ares of the frontier is impractical.

Last year his administration began separating migrant children from their families, a tactic apparently meant to frighten them. But courts ruled that illegal.

The Trump administration also launched a program in which asylum seekers would have to wait in Mexico for their hearings. But Mexico has resisted and many asylum seekers have rejected the program, preferring to stay inside the US.

Trump wants Congress to change laws to make it harder for the migrants to claim asylum. According to news reports, he could soon order that migrants who transit third countries -- meaning all those from the Northern Triangle -- cannot qualify for asylum. Experts expect that will be challenged in court.

And, in the most drastic action to date, on Thursday he announced he would begin placing tariffs on imports from Mexico to force the Mexican government to stop the northward flow of migrants at its own southern border.
Beirut (AFP) - The US-led coalition said Friday it had unintentionally killed more than 1,300 civilians in air strikes during its fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria since 2014.

The figure is far lower than the death tolls given by groups which have monitored the conflicts in the two countries.

"The coalition conducted 34,502 strikes between August 2014 and the end of April 2019," it said in a statement.

During this period, it "assesses at least 1,302 civilians have been unintentionally killed by coalition strikes".

The coalition said it was still assessing 111 additional claims of civilians deaths, and was ready to receive new allegations or fresh evidence to review.

The coalition has repeatedly said it does all it can to avoid civilian deaths.

Amnesty International welcomed the latest acknowledgement of responsibility, but said the real civilian death toll was likely much higher.

"The coalition remains deeply in denial about the devastating scale of the civilian casualties caused by their operations in both Iraq and Syria," said Donatella Rovera from the London-based group.

And while the coalition has admitted responsibility after cases were investigated by rights groups, it has failed to "provide reasons for the civilian casualties", she said.

"Without a clear examination of what went wrong in each case, lessons can never be learned," Rovera said.

In a report released last month, Amnesty and airstrike monitor Airwars found that coalition air strikes killed 1,600 civilians just in the four-months blitz to oust IS from the Syrian city of Raqa.

Airwars, an NGO which monitors civilian casualties from air strikes worldwide, estimates more than 7,900 civilians have been killed in coalition raids -- well in excess of the total acknowledged by the coalition.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, says coalition strikes have taken the lives of 3,800 civilians in Syria alone.

Story continues

IS jihadists seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" in areas they controlled.

But several offensives with coalition backing chipped away at the "caliphate" until it was declared eliminated on March 23.

Ambushes and hit-and-run attacks have continued in both countries.

The coalition is continuing to work "to deny Daesh any physical space and influence in the region as well as deny Daesh the resources they need to resurge", it said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.
Ottawa (AFP) - Canada's foreign minister on Friday renewed Ottawa's commitment to ratifying a new continental trade pact, after President Donald Trump threatened to hit Mexico with tariffs over migrant crossings into the US.

Ottawa's position is unchanged, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters. "And that is, we are now ready to proceed with ratification of NAFTA here in Canada." In Canada the new treaty is known popularly as NAFTA 2.0

"As Canadians know, we began that process this week," she added.

Her comments followed Trump's threat late Thursday that if Mexico did not do more to stop the flow of undocumented migrants into the US, he would impose tariffs that would start at five percent on June 10, then rise by five percentage points per month to a level of 25 percent from October.

The number of migrants apprehended at the US-Mexican border has topped 100,000 a month in recent months, according to the US government.

They are mostly people fleeing poverty and violence in Central America to ask for asylum once they reach US soil.

Trump has consistently demonized the migrants as criminals and gang members, and warned that illegal drugs are also flowing across the border.

His announcement came on the same day Trump started the process of ratifying the new free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada -- updating NAFTA and now called the USMCA -- and a visit by Vice President Mike Pence to Ottawa to build momentum to get the treaty passed.

The USMCA, which was signed last November, will enter into force only upon ratification by all three nations.

Freeland acknowledged the US-Mexico border row, but said: "This is a bilateral issue."

"We are working closely. I am in close touch with my counterparts in Mexico and the US to be aware of their domestic processes. Our intention is, in so far as possible, to move in tandem with our partners," she said.
Washington (AFP) - The United States risks losing its measles "elimination status" if current outbreaks continue, US health authorities said Thursday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Thursday there have been 971 cases of measles reported in the US so far this year, which means more people have caught the disease in the last five months than in any entire calendar year since 1992, which saw 963 reported cases.

Authorities declared measles eliminated in the US in 2000, a goal set in 1966 with the introduction of the vaccine.

Measles is considered eliminated when there is an absence of continuous disease transmission for 12 months or more in a specific geographic area, according to the CDC.

An ongoing outbreak in and around New York City that started last fall is threatening the US's "elimination status" -- if it continues for four more months, the country will no longer be able to say it has eliminated measles.

Even though the New York mayor began requiring city residents in heavily affected areas, many with large Orthodox Jewish communities, to be vaccinated starting in April, the city still had 173 cases that month and 60 in May.

The US has never counted zero measles cases. Since 2000, the number has fluctuated between a few dozen and a few hundred cases per year, with 667 cases recorded during a 2014 outbreak in Ohio, especially in Amish communities.

The disease's resurgence can mostly be traced back to un- or under-vaccinated travelers who brought the infection back with them from abroad -- that's what happened last year when cases were reported throughout the country, originating from the Philippines, Israel and Ukraine.

"Measles is preventable and the way to end this outbreak is to ensure that all children and adults who can get vaccinated, do get vaccinated," said CDC director Robert Redfield.

"Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greater danger is the disease that vaccination prevents."
By Vivian Sequera

CARACAS (Reuters) - Under a wooden arch decorated with white balloons in a small house in Caracas' largest slum, the body of 11-year-old Erick Altuve lay in a small coffin covered in cuddly toys and cartoon drawings, one of four children who have died this month in Venezuela's main pediatric hospital.

Altuve died on May 26 from respiratory problems while being treated for stomach cancer at the Jose Manuel de los Rios public hospital, a concrete tower ringed by a white security fence in the center of Caracas.

For the past six months, Altuve had not received his medication, his mother, Jennifer Guerrero, said, because of widespread shortages of drugs and medical equipment that have devastated Venezuela's health system.

"My son really wanted to live," said Guerrero, a 30-year-old housewife, during a protest over the deaths of the four children by their relatives and nurses outside the hospital.

Children have paid an especially heavy price from the collapse in Venezuela's healthcare system as the economy has shrunk by over a half during six years of recession.

The most recent figures from Venezuela's Health Ministry show that infant mortality, covering children age 1 and below, rose 30% to 11,466 cases in 2016 from the year before. There is no official data on children's' deaths from cancer.

More broadly, the mortality rate for children under 5 years has risen by 40% since 2000, the humanitarian group Save the Children said in its 2019 report.

Altuve's death in particular has generated a wave of anger and grief across Venezuela, with outraged newspaper headlines, calls from the opposition for an investigation and an outcry from medical nongovernmental organizations.

Altuve and the three other children who died were part of a group of 30 kids at the hospital, better known as JM, waiting to go to Italy to receive bone marrow transplants under a 2010 agreement financed by the Venezuelan government that was intended to cover the cost of transportation and the operation.

Story continues

The opposition has blamed their deaths on President Nicolas Maduro, whose socialist administration has presided over the collapse of the once-wealthy nation's economy and severe reductions in health-care spending.

Maduro's government, however, says U.S.-imposed sanctions were responsible for the children's deaths, by freezing funds allocated to buy medicine and send the children to Italy for treatment under the 2010 agreement.

Maduro's critics noted that his government in 2013 cut the allocation of foreign currency to the health sector by one-fifth.

According to hospital and pharmacy representatives, the supply of medicine and medical equipment has steadily declined since the cuts to dollar funding in 2013, while the U.S. government began to impose sanctions in August 2017.

Virginia Segovia, president of the Foundation to Help Children with Cancer (Fundanica) in Carabobo state west of Caracas, said that in its first 22 years, the charity registered 98 child deaths from the disease in that region.

"In the past two years, we already have 105 dead children ... and that is due to the lack of supplies and equipment in hospitals, the extreme emergency we have due to lack of medicines and chemotherapy," she said.

Venezuela's Information Ministry, which handles news media inquiries, and the health ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

'SENTENCED TO DEATH'

Altuve was taken to the JM hospital on Dec. 25, 2018, due to a sharp pain in his stomach, his mother said. The hospital cleared him to go home after a few days but he returned on Jan. 14, 2019 and never left, according to his mother.

"He was saying that he was going to get better and the cancer wouldn't take him," his mother said.

On Friday, dozens of mourners carried his coffin through the narrow streets of Caracas' eastern Petare slum from his grandparents' house where the wake was held to a cemetery outside the city.

Children from his school clustered around to say goodbye as speakers played Vallenato, accordion-based music from Colombia's Caribbean coast. "Erick, one more angel in heaven," read a note on the coffin.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Monday that state-run oil firm PDVSA had signed a cooperation agreement in 2010 with Italy's bone marrow transplant association. State-funded Venezuelan television network Telesur reported on Tuesday that the agreement had funded treatment and transplants for almost 900 patients since then.

Arreaza said on Twitter that U.S. sanctions had frozen 1.6 billion euros ($1.78 billion) of government funds held at Portugal's Novo Banco, including 5 million euros ($5.57 million) allocated for fund bone marrow transplants for 24 Venezuelan patients.

Novo Banco and the Italian transplant association did not respond to requests for comment.

There are 52,800 new cases of cancer among adults each year in Venezuela, which has a population of 30 million people, according to Juan Saavedra, director of Venezuela's anti-cancer society. In 2017, 26,510 people died from cancer, 15% more than the year before, Saavedra said.

"When you are born in Venezuela, you are already sentenced to death," said Mauricio Navas, whose six-year-old daughter Mariana is being treated for leukemia at the JM hospital.

(Additional reporting by Tibisay Romero; Writing by Angus Berwick; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Jeffrey Benkoe)
Zoho, Indias leading software products company, announced today that its GST-compliant accounting solution, Zoho Books, will be available for free to businesses with an annual turnover of less than Rs.1.5 crores. Eligible businesses will be given free access to the software when they sign up through the GST portal.

Earlier this year, the GST council invited accounting software businesses to offer their software for free, in an effort to support SMEs. Zoho was one of the companies shortlisted for this initiative. Through this effort, Zoho Books will help SMEs manage their accounting and taxes effortlessly, and stay compliant with GST norms.

Speaking about the initiative, Zoho Corp CEO, Sridhar Vembu, said, At Zoho, we believe that technology should be democratized for businesses of all sizes. By partnering with GSTN and the Government of India, we want to help companies take advantage of cutting-edge technology that helps them considerably improve their business and automate their GST and other compliance needs. Zoho Books will help businesses leapfrog the downsides of desktop accounting software, give instant access to the data, and improve transparency into daily business operations.

Launched globally in 2011, Zoho Books released its GST-compliant version for India on July 1, 2017, on the eve of the GST rollout. Zoho Books comes with an array of features to help businesses streamline their accounting and stay compliant with the GST norms.

Collaborated accounting: Zoho Books is cloud-based, giving businesses the flexibility to work on the move. Businesses can generate GST-compliant invoices, improve cashflow with automated payment reminders, receive online payments, and work concurrently with their accountants without breaking a sweat.

Connected banking: A direct integration with partner banks ensures that businesses can raise loan requests, auto reconcile fetched bank feeds, and make/accept payments using payment modes (cash/cheque/NEFT/RTGS/UPI) directly from the software.

GST compliance: The software is auto-updated with GST laws. It supports direct filing for GSTR-1, GSTR 3B and GSTR 9. Moreover, businesses moving goods within and outside a state can generate e-way bills with just a few clicks.

Scalable ecosystem: Business can automate repetitive workflows to save time and effort. Additionally, Zoho Books works in conjunction with 40+ other Zoho apps, overcoming departmental silos to streamline entire business operations including sales, marketing, human resource, and finance.
By Paula Rosales

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - El Salvador's maverick new president takes office on Saturday pledging to battle violence, poverty, corruption and mass migration to the United States - but will have to do all that without a congressional majority.

Nayib Bukele, a 37-year-old former mayor of San Salvador, ended 30 years of bipartisan rule by the leftist Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) and the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) with his election victory in February.

But the electoral coalition the former FMLN politician forged with right-wing allies for the five-year term won just 11 of 84 seats in Congress, forcing Bukele to promise to work with "all the political forces."

"His strength is that he has awakened a lot of popular enthusiasm and that's what he's counting on," said Jose Maria Tojeira, a political analyst and director of the Human Rights Institute of the Central American University in San Salvador.

"The traditional parties risk being swept away in the next elections if they fight the president or hinder government."

Rampant crime is the main headache for most of El Salvador's 6.6 million population. Bukele will inherit one of the most violent countries in the world, although under the outgoing FMLN government murders fell 15 percent in 2018.

At around 51 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, the murder rate is still about ten times higher than the United States.

Much of the blame is pinned on El Salvador's "maras" - international criminal gangs involved in drug trafficking and extortion that have some 70,000 members. Previous governments have tried, but failed, to broker lasting truces between them.

Recently the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), the largest gang, floated the possibility of stopping violence through dialogue.

"We trust in God and in the new president Nayib," a MS-13 spokesman told the Central American magazine Factum.

Story continues

Gang violence has helped fuel mass migration from Central America and created tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Bukele said he will push ambitious public works to help contain migration, including plans for a Pacific railway, though he has given little indication of how he hopes to fund them.

El Salvador's dollarized economy has not grown by more than 3% annually in the past decade and the government faces a steep challenge to shoulder external debts of over $9.5 billion without paring back welfare spending, analysts say.

The incoming president has used social media to burnish his profile, scoring a hit on Twitter earlier this year by ironically describing El Salvador as a "Mexican country" after Fox News in the United States had earlier made reference in an on-screen caption to "3 Mexican countries."

Of Palestinian descent, the bearded Bukele capitalized on discontent towards the two established parties with his motto: "There's enough money when no one steals."

Promising to end widespread graft, he wants to create an international commission against corruption, similar to schemes once adopted by neighboring Guatemala and Honduras.

(Additional reporting by Diego Ore; Writing by Dave Graham; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Vipp is not a typical design firm. The family-owned, 80-year-old company first got its start manufacturing waste receptacles, known as the Vipp Pedal Bina staple found in nearly every Danish doctors office for more than half a century. But over the years, the company has shrewdly expanded into new marketsreinterpreting its modern, efficient design ethos into sleek products for the home, including sleek matte-black kitchen systems that have become a bit of a cult favorite for modernist design fans. Now Vipp is notching up its furniture offerings with two styles of seating: Vipp610 and the Vipp632.

The progressionfrom trash bin to kitchens to furniturehas been carefully deliberated every step of the way, with each product meeting Vipps standards for craftsmanship and functionality. "Its in our companys DNA that we make products that are durable and long-lasting, no matter if it is a new piece or a trash can," explains Sofie Christensen Eglund, Vipp co-owner and communications director, to ADPro.

The idea to produce furniture grew out of the companys architecture conceptVipp Hotelwhich offers destination lodging, such as a prefab house in the Swedish woods, outfitted with its bespoke kitchens and accessories. "Little by little, we started to equip the entire house, and it made sense to make a table and chairs, and then a sofa," says Eglund. "It just became obvious that there was a lot of potential that we hadn't fulfilled yet."

Photo: Courtesy of Vipp

Setting its sights on seating, Vipp launched the Vipp451 this springan elegant powder-coated aluminum chair that comes equipped with soft fabrics, including leather, wool, and polyester. Several years in the making, the chair adheres to the inherent design principles of the brand, fusing clean lines with comfort and ingenuity. "We worked on that chair for about five years. I hope in the end clients will feel how much thought, energy, and engineering power are put into every piece of the object," says Eglund. "We expect to be selling this chair in 10, 15, and 20 years."

Story continues

The sofa presented the next challenge for Vipp. And like the chair, it gave the company an opportunity to expand its tool kit, experimenting with different fabrics, textures, and materials. The end resultthe Vipp610 and the Vipp632 sofasis very much in keeping with the companys streamlined aesthetic: simple black powder-coated steel frames paired with one of four sumptuous upholstery options. The most marked difference between the two styles is in the shape of the sofas, which are subtly distinguished from one another.

This transition into the furniture realm has been part of a natural and ongoing evolution for the brand, adding essentials, one piece at a timeand building a complete Vipp home. Whether it is a toothbrush holder or a sofa, the company applies the very same logic and design sensibility that first guided Vipp's founder, Holger Nielsen, when he crafted a trash bin for his wifes hair salon in 1939. And thats why, as Eglund points out, each design is consistent, familiar, and "part of the same family."

Photo: Courtesy of Vipp

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) announced Friday that if shes elected president in 2020, she would work to reverse existing Department of Justice guidelines that prohibit the indictment of a sitting president.

Warren, in a lengthy blog post, lamented the constraints placed on Special Counsel Robert Muellers office by the guidance of the DOJs Office of Legal Counsel, and suggested that if Mueller had been free to indict the president for obstruction of justice, he would have.

If Donald Trump were anyone other than the President of the United States right now, he would be in handcuffs and indicted. Robert Mueller said as much in his report, and he said it again on Wednesday, Warren wrote, referencing Muellers Wednesday statement in which he said charging Trump with a crime was not an option we could consider.

The Massachusetts Democrat and presidential hopeful goes on to write that, while she supports impeachment, there should be another mechanism by which to hold the president accountable. Her solution is twofold: She would appoint an assistant attorney general to rescind the Office of Legal Counsel guidance prohibiting the indictment of a sitting president, and she would push for a law clarifying Congresss intent that the Department of Justice can indict the President of the United States.

No matter what he may think, Donald Trump is not a king. No president is. And our democracy only works if everyone can be held accountable, she concludes.

Warrens suggestion that the OLC opinion prevented Mueller from reaching a conclusion on whether the president criminally obstructed justice stands in contrast to Attorney General William Barrs description of his conversations with Muellers team.

We asked them a lot about the reasoning behind this and the basis for [failing to reach a conclusion on obstruction]. Special Counsel Mueller stated three times to us in that meeting in response to our questioning that he emphatically was not saying that but for the OLC opinion he would have found obstruction, Barr testified before Congress earlier this month. He said that in the future the facts of a case against a president might be such that a special counsel would recommend abandoning the OLC opinion but this is not such a case. We did not understand exactly why the special counsel was not reaching a decision.

More from National Review
In the end, by-the-book Robert Mueller departed wildly from the book.

He invented an extraconstitutional legal standard for his obstruction investigation and acted, at best, in violation of the spirit of the special-counsel regulations.

His departing act was a public statement meant to influence the public debate in a manner inappropriate for a prosecutor, in part because the long public report he wrote that was also inappropriate for a prosecutor lacked clarity.

A hallmark of the Trump era is that the norm-defying president goads everyone appalled by him to violate norms. The former Marine and G-man Robert Mueller would seem least likely to fall prey to this dynamic, but here we are.

First and foremost, Mueller ditched the presumption of innocence. In the normal course of things, all of us are considered innocent unless a jury finds us guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Mueller switched this around. Rather than finding conclusive evidence of Trumps guilt, he had to find conclusive evidence of his innocence. Since he didnt find this exculpatory evidence, Mueller deemed Trump not exonerated.

In surely one of the more gobsmacking utterances ever made by someone from a Justice Department podium, he said that if we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.

If this standard had been applied to any person other than Donald Trump, it would have been widely denounced, and the American Civil Liberties Union would be crusading against it.

Naturally, Trumps critics immediately concluded from Muellers statement that if Trump hadnt been found innocent, he must be guilty. The snarky headline on a New York magazine piece put it aptly enough: Mueller: Trump is Not Not a Criminal.

Well, you might say, of course Robert Mueller departed from standard operating procedure  hes a special counsel operating in novel circumstances that require novel approaches.

But this is not his writ. A special counsel, under the regulations, has the investigative and prosecutorial functions of any United States Attorney. He is supposed to comply with the rules, regulations, procedures, practices and policies of the Department of Justice.

Story continues

One of those rules, set out by the departments Office of Legal Counsel, famously says that a sitting president cant be charged with a crime. Mueller explained in his public statement that this ruling led his office to conclude that it couldnt reach a determination one way or the other about whether the president committed a crime.

So, Mueller, by his own account, conducted a two-year investigation knowing from the beginning that he wouldnt make the either/or decision that prosecutors exist to make.

Mueller offered several reasons for conducting an obstruction investigation anyway. One was to preserve evidence. But for what? The idea that a post-presidency Trump will get prosecuted as a private citizen for firing FBI Director James Comey is manifestly absurd. Another was that the president can be accused of wrongdoing in a process other than the criminal justice system, i.e., impeachment by Congress.

Here, Mueller is basically describing Volume 2 as an impeachment referral. But this isnt a purpose contemplated by the special-counsel regulations, which say that the special counsel shall provide the Attorney General with a confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions.

They dont say a special counsel shall fail to reach a prosecution or declination decision, then write a long report for congressional consumption anyway, and additionally go out and make a public statement to catalyze congressional action.

It should be up to Congress, not an inferior executive branch, to launch such an inquiry or not. Even more bizarrely, since Mueller considered Trumps public statements as potential obstruction, any objections by the president to this quasi-impeachment inquiry were more evidence of alleged wrongdoing.

An institutionalist who lost his way, Mueller will be lionized for the duration since hes been so useful to Trumps opposition, but his performance wont age well  and shouldnt.

 2019 by King Features Syndicate

More from National Review
WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders declined to comment on Friday on reports that North Korea has executed its nuclear envoy in a purge of officials who steered negotiations for the failed summit between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump.

"I am not going to comment on intelligence one way or another. I can tell you we are monitoring the situation and continuing to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearization," Sanders told reporters at the White House.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by David Alexander Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!

Today we are going to look at Aurangabad Distillery Limited (NSE:AURDIS) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. To be precise, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), as that will inform our view of the quality of the business.

First, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Then we'll compare its ROCE to similar companies. Finally, we'll look at how its current liabilities affect its ROCE.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What is it?

ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Generally speaking a higher ROCE is better. Ultimately, it is a useful but imperfect metric. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussin has suggested that a high ROCE can indicate that 'one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar'.

So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?

The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

Or for Aurangabad Distillery:

0.23 = 95m  (618m - 196m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2018.)

So, Aurangabad Distillery has an ROCE of 23%.

Check out our latest analysis for Aurangabad Distillery

Does Aurangabad Distillery Have A Good ROCE?

One way to assess ROCE is to compare similar companies. Using our data, we find that Aurangabad Distillery's ROCE is meaningfully better than the 17% average in the Beverage industry. We would consider this a positive, as it suggests it is using capital more effectively than other similar companies. Regardless of where Aurangabad Distillery sits next to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms appears satisfactory, and this company could be worth a closer look.

In our analysis, Aurangabad Distillery's ROCE appears to be 23%, compared to 3 years ago, when its ROCE was 13%. This makes us think about whether the company has been reinvesting shrewdly.

Story continues

NSEI:AURDIS Past Revenue and Net Income, May 31st 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 deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. ROCE is, after all, simply a snap shot of a single year. You can check if Aurangabad Distillery has cyclical profits by looking at this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Are Current Liabilities, And How Do They Affect Aurangabad Distillery's ROCE?

Short term (or current) liabilities, are things like supplier invoices, overdrafts, or tax bills that need to be paid within 12 months. Due to the way ROCE is calculated, a high level of current liabilities makes a company look as though it has less capital employed, and thus can (sometimes unfairly) boost the ROCE. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.

Aurangabad Distillery has total liabilities of 196m and total assets of 618m. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 32% of its total assets. With this level of current liabilities, Aurangabad Distillery's ROCE is boosted somewhat.

What We Can Learn From Aurangabad Distillery's ROCE

While its ROCE looks good, it's worth remembering that the current liabilities are making the business look better. There might be better investments than Aurangabad Distillery 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.

I will like Aurangabad Distillery better if I see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
* U.N. torture expert visited Assange in London prison on May 9

* Cites symptoms of 'prolonged exposure to psychological torture'

* Calls for him not to be extradited to U.S., fears abuse

*

By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, May 31 (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has suffered "psychological torture" from a defamation campaign against him by the media, judges and senior political figures, a United Nations human rights investigator said on Friday.

Nils Melzer, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture who visited Assange in a high-security London prison on May 9, voiced concern at fresh U.S. criminal charges laid against Assange and reiterated a call for him not to be extradited.

Assange was too ill on Thursday to appear via video link from a British prison in a hearing on an extradition request from the United States, his lawyer Gareth Peirce told Reuters. He is in a health ward.

"Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture," Melzer said in a statement.

The Swiss law professor, an independent expert, was accompanied on the prison visit by two medical experts specialized in examining potential victims of torture and other ill-treatment, the statement said. They spoke with Assange in private and conducted a "thorough medical assessment."

"It was obvious that Mr. Assange's health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years," Melzer said.

"In addition to physical ailments, Mr. Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma."

The United States is seeking the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London on April 11 after his seven-year asylum was revoked, for one of the biggest ever leaks of classified information.

Story continues

The Australian, now 47, had skipped bail and taken refuge there in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault investigation that was later dropped. Sweden reopened the investigation in early May. Assange denies the rape allegation.

The United States has charged Assange with espionage, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information. He faces 18 U.S. criminal counts and decades in prison if convicted.

"My most urgent concern is that, in the United States, Mr. Assange would be exposed to a real risk of serious violations of his human rights, including his freedom of expression, his right to a fair trial and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," Melzer said.

Assange made international headlines in 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

"Since (2010), there has been a relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr. Assange, not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom, Sweden and, more recently, Ecuador," Melzer said, pointing to the press and social media, and unnamed senior political figures and judicial magistrates involved in the case. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay Editing by Ros Russell)
By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA (Reuters) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has suffered psychological torture from a defamation campaign and should not be extradited to the United States where he would face a "politicised show trial", a U.N. human rights investigator said on Friday.

Nils Melzer, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture who visited Assange in a high-security London prison on May 9 along with two medical experts, said that he found him agitated, under severe stress and unable to cope with his complex legal case.

"Our finding was that Mr. Assange shows all the symptoms of a person who has been exposed to psychological torture for a prolonged period of time. The psychiatrist who accompanied my mission said that his state of health was critical," Melzer told Reuters in an interview in Geneva.

"But my understanding is that he has now been hospitalised and that he is not able to stand trial," he said.

Assange was too ill on Thursday to appear via video link from a British prison in a hearing on an extradition request from the United States, his lawyer Gareth Peirce told Reuters. He is in a health ward.

"Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture," Melzer said in a statement.

The Swiss law professor declined to identify judges or senior politicians whom he accused of defaming Assange, saying "dozens if not hundreds of individuals" had expressed themselves inappropriately.

"Here we are not speaking of prosecution but of persecution. That means that judicial power, institutions and proceedings are being deliberately abused for ulterior motives," he added.

British Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt, in a tweet posted within minutes of Melzer's statement, said: "This is wrong. Assange chose to hide in the embassy and was always free to leave and face justice.

Story continues

"The UN Special Rapporteur should allow British courts to make their judgements without his interference or inflammatory accusations," he said.

"POLITICISED SHOW TRIAL"

Assange made headlines in 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff.

Washington is seeking the extradition of Assange, who was dragged from the Ecuadorean embassy in London on April 11 after his seven-year asylum was revoked, for one of the biggest ever leaks of classified information.

The Australian, now 47, had skipped bail and taken refuge there in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over a sexual assault investigation later dropped. Sweden reopened the investigation in early May. Assange denies the rape allegation.

The United States has charged Assange with espionage, saying he unlawfully published the names of classified sources and conspired with and assisted ex-Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in obtaining access to classified information. He faces 18 U.S. criminal counts and decades in prison if convicted.

"I am seriously, gravely concerned that if this man were to be extradited to the United States, he would be exposed to a politicised show trial and grave violations of his human rights," Melzer said.

"The main narrative in this affair really is the United States wanting to make an example of Mr. Assange in order to deter other people from following his example," he said.

Melzer did not expect U.S. authorities to subject Assange to physical torture such as water-boarding during interrogations.

"I would much more expect him to be subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, to very harsh detention conditions and to a psychological environment which would break him eventually."

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Ros Russell)
New York (AFP) - Wall Street fathers won a major victory on Thursday, with JPMorgan Chase agreeing to pay $5 million to male employees who felt discriminated against over parental leave.

The leading US bank in terms of assets reached an agreement with plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit accusing it of not granting them the same rights as mothers.

The complaint covered the period from 2011-207 and was filed jointly by the Ohio branch of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Outten & Golden LLP law firm on behalf of JPMorgan Chase fathers.

Derek Rotondo, an employee who became a father, was the first to raise the issue, accusing the bank of not granting him the same parental leave rights provided to female employees.

"I love my children, and all I wanted was to spend time with them when they were born," Rotondo said in a statement from the ACLU.

"I'm proud that since I filed my charge, Chase has clarified its policy to ensure that both male and female employees who wish to be the primary parental caregiver have equal access to those benefits."

Rotondo says that he tried to take 14 weeks of parental leave as a "primary caregiver" after his son was born, but the human resources department told him that policy was only available to mothers -- the only parents their policy considered to be the primary parent and eligible to take up to 16 weeks of 100 percent-paid leave.

- Policies vary -

Fathers, on the other hand, were considered co-parents and only eligible for more than two weeks of leave if they could prove their partner was "incapacitated" or already back to work, according to the ACLU,

In 2017, Rotondo filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for gender discrimination, and Chase ultimately granted him the 16 weeks of parental leave.

"We are pleased to have reached an agreement in this matter and look forward to more effectively communicating the policy so that all men and women employees are aware of their benefits," Chase representative Reid Broda said. "We thank Mr Rotondo for bringing the matter to our attention."

Story continues

And in addition to the $5 million it will pay out, Chase will now train its staff on how to handle the new gender-neutral leave policies.

The case points an awkward spotlight on Chase, the largest bank in the US with $2.39 trillion in assets, according to Forbes.

In 2016, the company became one of the first major businesses in the country to offer 12 to 16 weeks of paid parental leave, and last year non-primary caregivers' leave increased from two weeks to six.

Parental leave practices vary widely on Wall Street, where hours are long and workloads are high.

Bank of America offers up to 26 weeks of parental leave to all new US biological and adoptive parents, with 16 of them paid.

And Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo both allow for 16 weeks of paid parental leave to US employees considered primary caregivers, regardless of gender, with the other parent eligible for four weeks' paid leave.

Citigroup allows US employees who become mothers to take 16 weeks paid while a second parent or adoptive parents can take eight weeks.
The WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Fund (IHDG) made its debut on 05/07/2014, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Broad Developed World ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.

Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.

There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.

Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.

This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Managed by Wisdomtree, IHDG has amassed assets over $432.27 M, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Broad Developed World ETFs. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Index.

The WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Index is designed to provide exposure to the developed market companies while at the same time neutralizing exposure to fluctuations between the value of foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.

Cost & Other Expenses

Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.

Story continues

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.58% for this ETF, which makes it one of the more expensive products in the space.

IHDG's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 0.35%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Most ETFs are very transparent products, and disclose their holdings on a daily basis. ETFs also offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, though it's still important for investors to research a fund's holdings.

Looking at individual holdings, Novo Nordisk A/s (NOVOB) accounts for about 6.84% of total assets, followed by Diageo Plc (DGE) and British American Tobacco Plc (BATS).

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 35.61% of IHDG's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF return is roughly 14.89% so far this year and is down about -0.77% in the last one year (as of 05/31/2019). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $26.92 and $33.29.

The ETF has a beta of 0.76 and standard deviation of 12.08% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 265 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Fund is not a suitable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Developed World ETFs segment of the market. Instead, there are other ETFs in the space which investors should consider.

IShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA) tracks MSCI EAFE Index and the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) tracks MSCI EAFE Investable Market Index. IShares MSCI EAFE ETF has $60.84 B in assets, iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF has $62.84 B. EFA has an expense ratio of 0.31% and IEFA charges 0.08%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Broad Developed World ETFs.

Bottom Line

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.



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



WisdomTree International Hedged Quality Dividend Growth Fund (IHDG): ETF Research Reports



iShares MSCI EAFE ETF (EFA): ETF Research Reports



iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA): ETF Research Reports



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
The woman decided to set up a fundraising account to fund her lavish lifestyle. [Photo: Getty]

Fundraising accounts are an excellent way to fund a dream project, a charity or medical work.

But one woman appears to be using hers to fund her lavish lifestyle.

Margarita Tomovska, 27, has created a fundraising page on GoFundMe to encourage the public to donate $100,000 Australian dollars (55,000) because she cant get a job.

This isnt the first time Tomovska, dubbed the Mercedes Mum has hit headlines.

READ MORE: Spice Girls shocked by charity t-shirt reveal

Last year she raised some eyebrows after allegedly clocking up 125mph during a police chase in her 206,000 car.

During the six-mile chase, her toddler daughter was in the backseat without a seatbelt on.

The police in New South Wales, where Tomovska lives, restricted her rights to see her daughter after the altercations.

She wrote on her GoFundMe page: They have made it very hard for me to maintain a job as no one would hire me due to the bullshit from raptor and ACA combined.

READ MORE: Police officer photo shoot goes viral

Raptor is the New South Wales police organisation and the ACA is the Australian Childcare Alliance.

She continued: So I created this GoFund me [sic] to raise some support against the bullshit that they have done to me and everyone else. It's about time we fight back. Enough is enough!

The woman regularly posts pictures on Instagram featuring designer bags and luxury cars. She also regularly posts pictures of herself at the casino.

Many people have taken to GoFundMe to air their concerns over her page.

One user wrote: Sell everything you have and you dont need to go out asking for money.

Who will be dumb enough to donate to this fraud? Another commented.

There are reams of comments all brandishing the woman as selfish and disgusting.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Style UK:
Tammy Lawrence-Daley says she was bashed at the Majestic Elegance resort in the Dominican Republic. Source: Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley

A woman has posted a chilling recount of the moment she was almost killed while on holiday at a popular tourist resort.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley, from the US state of Delaware, took a trip to the Dominican Republic in January with her husband and best friends.

They checked into the resort and had an early night before spending the next day at the beach. They met up with friends later that night as they relaxed into the holiday.

But the trip took a nightmare turn when Ms Lawrence-Daley went to order room service after getting home.

I received a busy message so I tried again. At that time I got a message that they were no longer serving, she wrote in a Facebook post.

I told my husband I was going to run downstairs to the lounge in our building for a snack and Id be back in five minutes.

I ended up bypassing the lounge in our building, and opted to go to the lounge in the next building, which was on the beach.

This almost ended up being a fatal decision for Ms Lawrence-Daley. As she moved to the next building she noticed it was eerily quiet.

I took about 10 or so steps just swinging my wristlet back and fourth, not a care in the world. Thats when I heard it, she said.

Heavy footsteps .... one, two, three, four, then they sped up, and then before I could react I was plowed into from behind and immediately immobilised.

I fought with everything I had in that moment

Ms Lawrence-Daley said she felt arms wrap around her and pull her towards an unlocked maintenance room.

Im not going to go into the gory details of everything, however, please know that I fought with everything I had in that moment, she wrote.

The woman was the victim of a savage attack that lasted eight hours. She was strangled multiple times until her unconscious body was dragged down concrete stairs into a waste area.

I was kicked in the head, I was beaten with a club. And then strangled again for the kill; at which time he disposed of my body into an area I refer to as the hole, she said.

Story continues

I was unconscious multiple times during this savage attack, so I have no idea what else was done to me during that time. Somehow I survived.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley returned from her holiday battered an bruised. Source: Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley

The man thought he killed me, but he failed

After the attack Ms Lawrence-Daley spent five days in hospital and had surgery.

She wrote in her post she was still dealing with nerve damage and medical expenses.

She was staying at the Majestic Elegance resort in the Dominican Republic and claims she was attacked by a man wearing a uniform with the resort logo.

However the resort has not claimed responsibility as Ms Lawrence-Daley cannot identify her attacker.

Police did find evidence of the blood-smeared mop handle and a maintenance hat in the area I was found, but this means nothing in these countries, she said.

There are no cameras, no bright lighting, etc.

My husband and friends went to the front desk at least three times throughout the night before security even agreed to look for me.

The woman is still suffering from her injuries, four months after the attack. Source: Facebook/Tammy Lawrence-Daley

The woman claims resort security thought she just went missing because she was drunk.

The man thought he killed me, but he failed. He is still out there, a predator, waiting for his next victim. Only the next woman may not be so fortunate, she said.

Please, please do not walk alone.

Ms Lawrence-Daley said the attacks were happening too frequently and offenders were getting away with it.

Majestic Elegance didnt offer to reimburse us for our vacation, let alone my current medical bills, she said.

When you are in unfamiliar places, or even in familiar places, please remember ... be smart, be safe.

A US State Department spokesman told the New York Post the agency was aware of the incident.

The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State, the agency said.

Yahoo contacted the Majestic Elegance resort for comment.
* China to draft list of 'unreliable' foreign firms, groups, people that harm Chinese firms

* U.S-China tensions rise after higher U.S. tariffs, Huawei ban

* China poised to activate additional tariffs on U.S. goods on Saturday

By Stella Qiu and Dominique Patton

BEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) - China threatened on Friday to unveil an unprecedented hit-list of "unreliable" foreign firms, groups and individuals that harm the interests of Chinese companies, as a slate of retaliatory tariffs on imported U.S. goods was set to kick in at midnight.

The commerce ministry did not single out any country or company, but the threat could further heighten tensions after Washington this month put Huawei on a blacklist that effectively blocks U.S. firms from doing business with the Chinese telecoms equipment giant.

Beijing's "unreliable entities list" would apply to those who violate market rules and the spirit of contracts, block supplies to Chinese companies for non-commercial reasons, "seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests" of Chinese companies and harm China's national security, the ministry said.

A deluge of sharply worded commentaries, criticism and warnings from China in the last two weeks has intensified a battle of words with the United States that could complicate the run-up to any meeting between their respective leaders next month.

Earlier this month, Washington slapped additional tariffs of up to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, accusing Beijing of reneging on its previous promises to make structural changes to its economic practices. That prompted Beijing to hit back with additional levies on the majority of U.S. imports on a $60 billion target list - due to take effect on Saturday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he plans to meet his counterpart, Xi Jinping, during the G20 summit, set for June 28-29 in Osaka, though China has not formally confirmed this.

Xi and Trump are likely to find it "difficult" to make major progress towards ending the trade war, a former top Chinese official said.

Story continues

The U.S. approach to trade talks had been "bullying and America First," whereas the principles of China's approach to negotiations were equality and cooperation, said Dai Xianglong, who headed the People's Bank of China from 1995-2002 and remains an influential figure in China.

"I expect that at next month's meeting of the leaders in Japan it will be difficult to achieve major progress," Dai said, later adding that he was not confirming that the meeting would take place, but that he hoped it would.

Dai also said he did not rule out stronger retaliation by China. He said heavy sales of U.S. Treasuries by China were a less likely option for retaliation as they would hurt China's own interests.

PUBLIC RELATIONS BATTLE

Since the latest round of U.S. tariffs, which caught Beijing by surprise, Chinese state media has gone on the offensive.

The People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's flagship newspaper, warned that China was ready to use its dominance of rare earths, crucial minerals used in electronics, to strike back in the trade war.

Speaking at a separate briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang took umbrage at Trump comments on Thursday that China was becoming a "very weakened nation" due to companies leaving China because of the tariffs.

"This is neither the first nor second time the U.S. side has said these lies," Geng said. "But the U.S. side seems to be very persistent, even obsessed with it, and is still repeating these lies."

At the Beijing seminar on Friday, former Chinese vice commerce minister Wei Jianguo said initiating a trade war with China might be the biggest strategic mistake made by the United States since World War II or even its founding.

There was a need to prepare for the likelihood for the trade war to ratchet up tensions to geopolitical areas including the South China Sea, said Wei, adding that the trade conflict might last for 30 years or even half a century.

He suggested that China had many countermeasures it could take, including rare earths and against Boeing Co. or U.S. software.

"There are lots of Chinese countermeasures, and, speaking honestly, we hope not to use them, because we always negotiate with the United States with sincerity and hope to achieve results," Wei said.

Dong Yang, a former executive director at the China Association of Automotive Manufacturers, said at the seminar that U.S. auto parts suppliers could also be hit.

"U.S. car components companies have presence in China, and set China as a global manufacturing base. The escalation of the trade war between China and the United States will seriously affect their development in China and the world," Dong said.

Other parts suppliers from countries such as Germany, Japan, South Korea and France could also provide strong substitutes for U.S. components, he said.

All those who spoke at the seminar were former, albeit senior, officials. The government has not organized media appearances for top leaders or trade negotiators to answer questions on the trade talks. Chinese officials rarely take questions from foreign media. (Reporting by Stella Qiu, Cheng Leng, Yilei Sun and Dominique Patton; additional reporting by Cate Cadell Writing by Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard Editing by Paul Tait, Simon Cameron-Moore and Nick Macfie)
St. Louis (AFP) - When she was 17 years old, Casey Godwin left her home state of Missouri to have an abortion.

Twenty-two years later, with Missouri poised to potentially close its only abortion clinic, Godwin does not want another woman to have to go through what she did.

After becoming pregnant, Godwin had to cross the Missouri River into the neighboring state of Illinois to terminate the undesired pregnancy.

Missouri state law required parental consent for her to undergo the procedure and she didn't want to tell her very "strict" and devout Christian family.

"I was very naive. And I ended up pregnant," Godwin said in an interview with AFP at her St Louis home. "I didn't know I was pregnant. Everything felt normal for a long time.

"Then I went through a phase of 'That can't happen to me, there's no way,'" she said. "When I finally went to Planned Parenthood and discovered I actually was pregnant, I was too scared to tell my parents."

Thousands of women in Missouri, which has a population of six million, may be forced to go to other states to end unwanted pregnancies if the conservative midwestern state strips the licence on Friday of its only clinic providing abortions.

The facility run by Planned Parenthood in St Louis is hoping that the courts step in at the last minute to prevent its license from being revoked, which would make Missouri the only US state without an abortion clinic.

The US Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973 but several Republican-led states have passed tough laws in recent weeks and months restricting the practice.

"I have experience of facing, you know, the reality of what could happen in the same circumstances," said Godwin, now a 39-year-old mother of two homeschooled children. "And I don't want that."

"It was scary," she said, recalling having to find someone with a car to drive her across the river to Illinois and coming up with $1,000 for the procedure.

Story continues

"I had a tough, tough time with it physically," she said. "I had to go back. I had a complication. It could have been really, really serious."

- 'Really drastic' -

Godwin remains convinced she made the right decision and she joined hundreds of other pro-choice women at a protest in St Louis on Thursday seeking to keep the Planned Parenthood clinic open.

"I was at a place where I was battling an eating disorder and depression," she said of her teenage years, and if she had been unable to secure an abortion, "I probably would have ended my life."

"And I can just imagine now, you know, people in that position," Godwin said. "I can resonate with that story.

"I think there will be girls who will find themselves in positions where they are not in a place where they can raise a child and take on a child.

"And they are not going to have that child," she said. "And they might resort to really drastic things. They might do dangerous things like attempt to abort themselves."

Missouri is one of the states that has toughened its abortion laws, prohibiting the procedure after eight weeks of pregnancy, a time when many women don't even yet know they are pregnant.

Opponents of abortion are hoping that the new state laws will make their way to the Supreme Court and force the nation's highest court to revisit the legality of the procedure.

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has appointed two conservative justices -- Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh -- and liberal members of the court are now outnumbered five to four.
Legendary New York radio station WPLJ  which launched in 1971 as a pioneering AOR (album oriented rock) station, then embraced the MTV-inspired new wave movement of the early 80s and eventually morphed into a hot adult contemporary outlet  will go dark Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

The frequency, acquired from Cumulus Media by leading religious programmers Educational Media Foundation earlier this year, will immediately transition into a contemporary Christian music station, an affiliate of the national K-LOVE network.

WPLJ was one of several stations EMF picked up for more than $100 million from Cumulus, along with such familiar call letters as news/talk station WYAY in Atlanta; Hot AC outlet WRQX (Mix 107.3) in Washington DC; Triple-A station KFFG in San Jose, Calif.; Hot AC station WZAT (102.1 The Sound) in Savannah, Ga.; and Classic Rocker WXTL (The Rebel 105.9) in Syracuse, N.Y.

This week, the station celebrated its almost-half century-long run by hosting former DJs and staffers on the air, while offering commemorative T-shirts boasting the outlets logos over the years. Among the on-air personalities who called in were Scott Shannon (along with co-hosts Patty Steele, Joe Nolan, weatherman Bill Evans and Brad Blanks) and Jim Kerr, now the morning man at iHeartMedias New York classic rocker WAXQ (Q104.3). Others who visited the studio included former WPLJ President/GM Mitch Dolan, ex-PD Tom Cuddy (now at crosstown WOR-AM) and past APD/.MDE Louie Diaz (now Cumulus VP Contemporary Programming and PD at WWWQ Atlanta).

The station has been marking its imminent demise by playing classic drops, station IDs and promos.

The last time WPLJ went off the air, it was for 15 minutes after John Lennons murder in December 1980, at the request of Yoko Ono herself.

Fans took to Facebook to express their feelings. Posted Randy Shaffer, WPLJ has been a part of my mornings for the last 20 years and I feel like Im losing a limb. I will miss you all.

Story continues

Current morning show host Todd Pettengill will record the stations final goodbye, which he says, should be a thank you for your loyalty and for listening all these years See you later.

WPLJs call letters came from the name of the first track on the 1971 Mothers of Invention album, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, based on a song by one of Frank Zappas favorite northern California R&B doo-wop groups, The Four Deuces, which stood for white port and lemon juice.

Using the tag line, Rock N Stereo, the then-ABC-Radio-owned station was one of the first of the emerging AOR formats, playing such classic rockers as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Steely Dan, Elton John, David Bowie and the Allman Brothers, along with softer pop-rock by James Taylor, Stevie Wonder and Carly Simon, separating itself from the Top 40 of the time by playing deeper album cuts under the direction of legendary program director Larry Berger, who passed away last October.

The station segued into a CHR/Top 40 direction in 1983, temporarily changing its call letter to WWPR (Power 95) before switching back to WPLJ a year later after listener research showed the audience identified with the well-known moniker. By 1992, the station adopted the Hot AC format with the slogan, No Rap. No Hard Stuff, No Sleepy Elevator Music. Just the Best Songs on the Radio, with Scott Shannon and Pettengill manning the morning show until 2014, when Shannon retired after 22 years at the station, leaving Pettengill to go it alone until Jayde Donovan joined him as co-host in 2015.

Tweeted current WPLJ on-air personality Race Taylor: Its official. Goodbyes are hard. This ones going to hurt a little. Okay, a lot #EndofanEra.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL May 31, 2019  Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Facebook FB, Alphabet GOOGL, Apple AAPL, Amazon AMZN, IBM IBM and SAP AG SAP.

Here are highlights from Thursdays Analyst Blog:

Should Tech Titans Be Broken Up?

The conversation around splitting up technology companies is gathering momentum because of their attitude to governance in the face of growing discontent about the way they treat privacy and antitrust issues.

The two primary culprits are Facebook and Alphabets Google because of their size and the way they control the platforms for information dissemination in the world today.

Being the de facto gatekeepers of the worlds information, they have the onerous duty of maintaining honesty, integrity, fairness, neutrality, transparency and privacy in this activity, something that may at times be in conflict with their need to maximize profit. So the problem boils down to the need to satisfy users and lawmakers on the one hand and investors on the other.

As far as lawmakers are concerned, these mega platforms are to a large extent their making. Its not by chance that the U.S. has its own Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple. Policies have in the past supported the creation of behemoths that have today become a phenomenon beyond everyones control. And it comes with a feeling of entitlement for these companies that could do no wrong just a few years back by virtue of their representation of Americas power and progress.

That could be why Facebook executives Zuckerberg and Sandberg glibly ignored summons to testify before the international grand committee on big data, privacy and democracy, hosted by Canadas parliament in Ottawa. While the company did send its subject-matter experts, the disrespect to lawmakers around the world didnt go unnoticed.

Story continues

Jim Balsillie, chairman of the Ontario Centre for International Governance Innovation said, By displacing the print and broadcast media in influencing public opinion, technology is becoming the new Fourth Estate. In our system of checks and balances, this makes technology co-equal with the executive, the legislative and the judiciary When this new Fourth Estate declines to appear before this committee  as Silicon Valley executives are currently doing  it is symbolically asserting this aspirational co-equal status ... The work of this international grand committee is a vital first step toward redress of this untenable current situation.

New Democratic Party lawmaker Charlie Angus added, Facebook has serious responsibilities in terms of the misuse of the platform that has led to mass killings in Myanmar, the undermining of electoral systems around the world, the attack on private rights and citizen rights.

As legislators around the world get together to control the influence of American technology companies, its high time the government did something about the situation. This could be why representatives on both sides have started calling for a split up of Facebook, which could open the door to splitting up other companies as well.

Is Splitting the Solution?

The big question here is whether this is the solution, i.e. whether it addresses the problem at all.

Take Facebook for example.

Splitting up the company would mean that WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook will be different companies. While this could garner undivided management time to solve privacy and other issues, its still a practically insurmountable task given that there are billions of posts every day. So filtering fake news remains a problem.

Facebook has already stepped up hiring to manually remove offending posts and is supplementing this with artificial intelligence-inspired suggestions/algorithms. The results are disastrous. Until the government can come up with a viable solution to the fake news problem, splitting up the company wont help.

The privacy problem on the other hand may be easier to solve by regulating the business as a utility. If Facebook doesnt have a financial need to capture or sell user data (to advertisers), it can be more scrupulous about it and collect data only when its required to improve the service.

Read about Facebooks antitrust problem here and why I disagree with Zuckerbergs comment that it isnt a monopoly: Facebook Roundup: Regulatory, FTC Fine & More of The Usual

In Googles case too, theres both a dominating aspect and a privacy aspect.

The company collects a whole lot of information on you through its Android OS, the questions you type into the search box, the links you click on, the music you listen to on YouTube, the location evident in Maps, the apps downloaded from Play Store and through Nest devices, Chromecast, smart displays and other automated home devices linked to its services. The company in fact knows more about you than you may be aware of about yourself.

But as the EU leaned in favor of RTBF, signed the GDPR into being and slapped successive fines on the company (that it is of course appealing), Google has over time made it easier and easier to access your data and delete it if you like.

Googles bigger problem at the moment is related to its dominance that it can do little about. While its true that Google is the life blood of the Internet to the extent that it supports smaller content providers, the companys own services are at times in competition with these providers. Googles propensity to favor its own services led to a fine in the EU and could potentially land it in more trouble elsewhere if it doesnt mend its ways.

Its also widely believed that Silicon Valley has a liberal focus and there are a lot of questions about the way its algorithms rank pages.

Google also bundles a group of its most important apps with the OS that it doesnt get paid for. Calls to disassociate the app bundle from the OS are a big headache for Google because there isnt any other way to monetize the OS.

On the other hand, this bundling and related agreements with manufacturers to preload no other apps tends toward anticompetitive behavior. Thats because users are wooed into the Google ecosystem this way, and if they are more or less happy with it, they may not try another alternative, thus deterring innovation in the space and limiting customer choice. This problem led to another fine in the EU but other countries are yet to take action.

Googles other businesses still contribute a small fraction of its revenue, so splitting up the company wont have much of an impact.

In Apples case, there is no privacy issue. In fact companies like IBM and SAP AG are tying up with the company at the enterprise level precisely because it has been such a responsible custodian of user data (even to the detriment of its own products like Siri).

Apples problem is related to its dominance that Ive gone into some detail here: Apple's Antitrust Problem.

As far as Amazon is concerned, theres no denying that the company is dominating ecommerce, not only in the U.S. but also several other markets. Its also guzzling up a huge amount of user information as it processes sales. Amazons strategy is to price as low as it can and since this is good for consumers, nobody is complaining. Also, sales information is something incidental to the carrying out of operations, so there seems to be little to complain about.

While there is the growing list of private labels that get preference at Prime Day, the companys ecommerce business is so huge that this is nothing but a little boost to profits, theres unlikely to be any danger to small sellers.

Also note the number of devices it has started selling, entering your living room with its Fire TV and then moving on to Echo and other Alexa-powered devices.

Google, Facebook and increasingly Amazon are major players in the advertising market, dwarfing any others in the space. So theres a certain amount of momentum these companies enjoy. The size of their platforms makes them very attractive for advertisers and so, there is a bigger demand on them for tools that can better target users. As long as advertising remains the main source of revenue, splitting up a company will cripple it without solving the problem at hand.

Conclusion

Its worth noting that the larger the platform, the greater the complexity and the lesser the likelihood of a perfect solution. At the same time, weakening technology companies financially is not a good idea at all. They are the ones that have made the maximum progress in developing artificial intelligence, spending many more billions in the space than the government.

If you consider that it is Chinas stated goal to become the leader in artificial intelligence and also that they will leave no stone unturned to get there, what you dont want is to cripple your own chances of staying ahead. Privacy is an important issue but it does appear that there will have to be some compromises.

Facebook carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) while the others carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



SAP SE (SAP) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  May 31, 2019  Zacks Value Trader is a podcast hosted weekly by Zacks Stock Strategist Tracey Ryniec. Every week, Tracey will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds and ETFs and how it impacts your life. To listen to the podcast, click here:

(https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/422457/should-you-hide-out-in-cheap-insurance-stocks)

Should You Hide Out in Cheap Insurance Stocks?

Welcome to Episode #143 of the Value Investor Podcast.

Every week, Tracey Ryniec, the editor of Zacks Value Investor portfolio, shares some of her top value investing tips and stock picks.

With the stock market showing volatility again, is there anywhere investors can hide?

Insurance has been around for hundreds of years. Lloyds of London was founded in 1688 in a coffee shop in London. Businesses and people have needed insurance in good times, and bad.

How Do You Find Insurance Stocks?

There are several types of insurance stocks including health, life insurance and brokerage.

But why not start with property and casualty?

Thats a Zacks industry under Insurance- property and casualty.

To find value stocks, Tracey added the forward P/E of 15 or less and a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy), in order to get rising earnings estimates.

This screen produced 10 stocks.

But it was a narrow screen. Expanding it on Rank or on P/E will provide more names that investors may recognize.

5 Cheap Insurance Stocks

1. Arch Capital Group ACGL is a specialty insurance and reinsurance company based in Bermuda. Its cheap, with a forward P/E of 12.9. Earnings are expected to rise 19.5% in 2019 and another 8.3% in 2020. Shares have jumped 27% year-to-date.

2. CNA Financial Corp. CNA is one of the largest commercial insurers in the US. Its forward P/E is just 11 and shareholders are also rewarded with a dividend yielding 3%. But shares have only gained 1.9% on the year.

Story continues

3. Allstate ALL fell outside the screen as its a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). But it is expected to have double digit earnings growth in both 2019 and 2020. Its also cheap, with a forward P/E of 10.5. Shares are beating the S&P 500 in 2019, up 16% versus the S&P at 11%.

4. Progressive PGR is one of the hottest property insurers. Over the last 5 years, shares have soared 143% versus just 40% for the S&P 500. Its also the most expensive of these five stocks, with a forward P/E of 15.3.

5. The Travelers TRV also fell outside the screen due to its Zacks Rank. But earnings are expected to be up 24% in 2019. Shares are trading at just 13x. It also pays a dividend, yielding 2.1%. Its been hot year-to-date, though, gaining 20.5% which easily outpaced the S&P 500 for the same time period.

Many of the insurance stocks have rallied in 2019 but the value is still there.

Is it time to consider insurance stocks for your portfolio?

Find out all about the property insurers on this weeks podcast.

Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential

The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $775 billion by 2024 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. Theyre also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases.

Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Our recent biotech recommendations have produced gains of +98%, +119% and +164% in as little as 1 month. The stocks in this report could perform even better.

See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com/performance

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



The Allstate Corporation (ALL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



CNA Financial Corporation (CNA) : Free Stock Analysis Report



The Progressive Corporation (PGR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



The Travelers Companies, Inc. (TRV) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Arch Capital Group Ltd. (ACGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
"Just so theres no confusion the story of the liquidators is real. It happened," one of Chernobyl's creator's tweeted after Monday's episode

HBOs new series Chernobyl is attracting viewers for its fascinating, bleak look at the 1986 nuclear reactor failure at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near the Soviet Union city of Pripyat  now a Ukrainian ghost town near the Ukraine-Belarus border.

For some dog lovers things got too bleak on Mondays episode of the show, which showed workers known as liquidators shooting dogs left behind at the exclusion site surrounding the power plant to prevent the spread of radiation contamination.

Likely figuring some might have thought he played up this tragic scene for more drama, one of Chernobyls creators, Craig Mazin, addressed the shows dog deaths on Twitter on the same day the episode aired.

I know that was hard. Just so theres no confusion the story of the liquidators is real. It happened. And we actually toned it down from the full story, Mazin tweeted on May 27. War leaves all kinds of scars. These were the things men were ordered to do.

I know that was hard. Just so theres no confusion the story of the liquidators is real. It happened. And we actually toned it down from the full story.



War leaves all kinds of scars. These were the things men were ordered to do.  Craig Mazin (@clmazin) May 28, 2019

SPCA International, an animal welfare organization working to help the stray dogs living near Chernobyl today, backed up Mazins claims, adding that many evacuees believed they would be reunited with the pets they were forced to leave behind, pets that were later exterminated by liquidators.

When thousands of people were forced to evacuate Chernobyl in 1986, they were allowed to take only what they could carry. They were told they would be home soon, so most people left their pets behind with a little extra food and water. Unfortunately, these families were never allowed to return for their beloved cats and dogs, SPCA International writes on their site.

Story continues

RELATED: Everything to Know About HBOs Dark New Hit Series, Chernobyl

According to the organization, Some dogs chased after their owners to follow them onto evacuation buses, but soldiers pushed them away. Dog owners also reportedly left notes on their doors, begging the government to spare their pets lives, but that didnt stop officials from trying to kill as many of the remaining animals as possible. In the years since, however, the descendants of these dogs have bred and multiplied.

SPCA International is now caring for the modern day descendants of the canines and cats that survived Chernobyl and the liquidators. Once relegated to a difficult life of health issues and sparse resources, these animals now receive food, medical care, vaccines, and sterilizations thanks to SPCA International and their partner the Clean Futures Fund.

RELATED: You Cant Pet the Puppies in Chernobyl Because Theyre Radioactive  but Help Is on the Way

Through this partnership, Chernobyl got its first bit of good news in years.

Clean Futures Fund worked diligently to test radiation levels of these animals. They found that the majority of animals dont pose a radiation threat to humans. Thanks to these very low radiation levels, Clean Futures Fund and SPCA International worked with the Ukrainian government to pave the way for 15 puppies to be removed from the Nuclear Exclusion Zone, SPCA International shared on May 29.

In 2018, the 15 puppies  the first animals or objects to be allowed to leave the Nuclear Exclusion Zone since its creation  were placed in loving forever homes in the United States, a groundbreaking success for the pets of Chernobyl.
Friday, May 31, 2019 at 11:23AM

15 random things that happened on this day, May 31st, in history as it relates to showbiz...

1279BC Ramasses II becomes Pharoah in ancient egypt. He grows up to look like Yul Brynner in the 1950s. yum.

1057 Lady Godiva takes a naked ride. 898 years later Maureen O'Hara fills her shoes...er... saddle (she weren't wearing no shoes) in an G-rated wig in Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955)

1790 President George Washington signed the first US copyright act into law...

At first the copyright act was a good thing to protect creators but it was later perverted by massive corporations like Disney to prevent anything from ever going into the public domain where things should absolutely belong after a number of years have passed.

1894 On this day in history John Harvey Kellogg patents flaked cereal. They're gggggggreeaaat according to Tony the Tiger and us... but not Ryan Gosling. Remember this classic vine?

1935 Public Hero #1 starring Lionel Barrymore, Chester Morris, and Jean Arthur opens in movie theaters. Also on this day in history 20th Century Fox was born, of a merger between Fox Film Corp and Twentieth Century Pictures. But now they are essentially no more, devoured just this year by the Mouse House.

1941 The first issue of Parade magazine goes on sale. It used to be the most widely read publication because it's inserted into newspapers all over the country. But do people still read print? Raise your hand if you have a newspaper subscription.





1911 RMS Titanic, the unfinished ship, enters the water in Belfast. The construction will go on... and on. 11 months later it will be complete and begin its doomed maiden voyage a week after that. 70+ years later it is reconstructed as a phenomenally successful movie.

1985 Fletch opens in movie theaters, a big hit for Chevy Chase at the time.

1990 Seinfeld's first regular episode "The Stakeout" (after a pilot the summer before) airs.

1991 Soapdish opens in theaters with Sally Field and a fine cast deliciously hamming it up.

1992 Best Musical is apparently a tight tight race with "Falsettos" winning Best Book and Best Score, "Crazy for You" winning Choreography and Costumes and "Jelly's Last Jam" winning Lead Actor (Gregory Hines), Featured Actress (Tonya Pinkins) and Lighting. But Crazy For You prevails in the end. Glenn Close hosts the ceremony and also wins Best Actress in a play for Death and the Maiden. Curiously, despite Glenn Close being a major movie star at this point in her career, Sigourney Weaver takes the leading role in the very quick movie adaptation released for Christmas 1994.

2004 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban released in the UK a week before its debut in other territories. It remains the best Potter movie because Cuaron.

2007 Rihannas Good Girl Gone Bad album drops, making her a superstar with the help of the smash hit "Umbrella"... remember when Tom Holland made such a literal splash doing that one a year or two ago?

2013 After Earth and Now You See Me both open in movie theaters. The former was supposed to be the sure thing blockbuster but it turned out to be the unheralded latter that popped with audiences -- sorry Will & Jaden.

2017 Kathy Griffin fired after that Donald T***p bloody head photo. As much as we loathe Donald T***p we never understood this impulse... solely on the grounds that the photo wasn't remotely funny and she's a comedian.

Which of these events do you remember fondly or will think on today?
My bf is Indian. Even he is pressured about skin color. He's the most beautiful person I know, inside and out. Infact I can't wait for his summer tan to come about, absolutely gorgeous.

Reply

Thread

Link

okay lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

"I'm sorry you're suffering. But I also love that you're my human mood ring"

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

That's a good one! Definitely opened my eyes.





Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

loooooooooool

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

nooooo lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Embarrassing lmao

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Omg lmfao I cant

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Idg whats wrong with this comment?

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Wow I expected the first lame ass comment to come further down.. ONTD, I have misjudged you!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Is this Angelita's new account?

Whatever happened to her and her Syrian husband and her live-in boyfriend, her high-powered real estate career and her Obama book recommendations list?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

lol we for sure know why

Reply

Thread

Link

holy shit. does India have the same problem as Latin America where their TV shows only feature light skin people in lead roles?

Reply

Thread

Link

Colorism is so toxically rife in India. One of the most famous face cream is called "fair and lovely"

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

And Fair and Handsome for men.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





#AbolishWhiteSupremacy Yes, Univiler/Dove which prides itself in the West as "Not like the other girls" promotes a lot of White-Washing creams and skin supplements which are very popular/heavily pushed in India :/

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

wait till you're on Indian dating sites and it's way worse

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

unfortunately. they brighten the shit out of everyone with makeup/ lighting also

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

It's worse, even the supporting roles are played by light-skin people only.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

they have it here in southeast asia. in the philippines, the biggest actors and actresses are fair, light-skinned. there are many mestizos or mixed actors.



the worst is you also have whitening product ads. i saw that in thailand, too.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

in my country majority of the people are dark skin, but on TV the presentors specially women are all white. We are not really into that light skin cream stuff.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I think this place is getting better when recognizing how deeply racist everyone in LA is but I still remember one time when a (latina) member said they didnt care if some show or movie had cast a white women as a white latina and some latinas here flippppped their shit. Like omg how could you, we are all in this together :CCC just be a good second class citizen and wait for your turn!



Edited at 2019-05-31 03:00 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Thats apparent in Every part of Asia as well.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I feel like I've seen this before?

Reply

Thread

Link

There was something like this before for Miss Korea

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

ty! i absolutely could not figure it out.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

that one was a photoshop mishap i think though

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Echoing iznanassi's comment, it was photoshopped mishap.



Also on a side note, Miss Japan had a Black/Japanese winner and the cruel comments hurled at her by racists were gross.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

The desire to have light skinned women try to represent in beauty pageants in hope of winning Miss Universe or whatever reminds of Miss Ghana in 2011 even though she was from Minnesota.

Reply

Thread

Link

Lmfao omg what??? I did not hear of this before now. How stupid.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link





https://www.ghanacelebrities.com/2011/07/03/who-the-heck-is-in-charge-of-miss-universe-ghana-how-can-you-tell-me-yayra-nego-is-the-winner-of-miss-universe-ghana-2011/ Yep, her name is Erica Nego. I only know because I went to see this awesome play called School Girls: An African Mean Girls Story that was based on her winning in 2011.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

All I have to say is: yikes.

Reply

Thread

Link

how surprising /s

Reply

Thread

Link

actually I'm surprised they have north eastern women who actually look north eastern

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Maybe the problem is beauty pageants in the first place.

Reply

Thread

Link

Ooop

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I thought this was real and then I scrolled up and saw John Oliver. lmao! i wish someone would have the balls to say this in an actual pageant.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

The colorism in India is awful and the amount of ads for skin lightening creams that promise you'll be fair and therefore finally worth being called beautiful is insane. The highest selling cream of that kind is literally called fair and lovely. There are a few darker skinned women in fashion and entertainment, but it's really rare. One of the bigger actresses from the late 90s - very early 2000s who used to be darker had a big comeback to the movie scene in recent years and came back many shades lighter, and the movie she launched her comeback with whitewashed her even more in production. It was both kind of funny as well as completely appalling.

Reply

Thread

Link

Kajol huh

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Yep. I was shocked at how blatant the whitening in Dilwale's production was, but she was also genuinely quite a bit whiter than she was in her earlier movies outside of Dilwale and there is no way it was a natural change. It's pretty sad.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

i thought this was about her and now i'm sad :( i loved her as a kid

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

im not surprised but that spreadsheet of their photos definitely made me gasp aloud soooo O_O

Reply

Thread

Link

They all look fair and lovely to me. Dont see the problem.

Reply

Thread

Link

Im pretty sure that was a reference to the Fair and Lovely brand skin bleaching products, not an actual reflection of that posters feelings.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Its realty awkward when people dont understand a joke and get butthurt. Have a nice day.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

That one went flying right over your head huh?

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I think it was just a joke, that user is always pretty nice

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

no surprise here :/ the extent to which harmful and toxic whitening products are pushed on young girls is frightening. when I was younger I always thought my mom was a little intense about no makeup/beauty rules (I only started wearing lip/eye products to fancy events in highschool) but thanks to her I feel like I still have a healthy appreciation of my skin color and body image.

Reply

Thread

Link

Colorism and racism is such a huge problem in India and I can still feel the effects of it in the indian community even when living in a different country. I still get comments about how I have nice fair skin (while my sis gets told not to tan too much) even when my skin is lighter due to me never leaving the goddamn house due to depression/insecurities and I have a massive vitamin d deficiency

Reply

Thread

Link

yikes

Reply

Thread

Link
On Thursday, the EIA said U.S. crude stocks fell by around 300,000 barrels during the week-ending May 24, to 476.49 million barrels. Traders were looking for a draw of about 900,000 barrels. Late Wednesday, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a 5.3 million barrel decline.

Crude oil prices are also being pressured by a much smaller-than-expected decline in U.S. stockpiles. Additionally, the government reported that production returned to its record 12.3 million barrels per day.

The U.S. trade dispute with the world escalated on Thursday when President Trump vowed to slap tariffs on all goods from Mexico. This news drove U.S. Treasury yields sharply lower and pressured demand for higher risk assets as investors increased bets that were headed into a global economic slowdown or perhaps a recession that could lead to a drop in demand for crude oil.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are trading lower on Friday amid an escalation of geopolitical events that have raised concerns over the strength of the U.S. economy and future demand. Crude oil is in a position to post its biggest monthly loss since November as trade conflicts spread throughout the globe and U.S. crude production returned to record levels.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate and international-benchmark Brent crude oil futures are trading lower on Friday amid an escalation of geopolitical events that have raised concerns over the strength of the U.S. economy and future demand. Crude oil is in a position to post its biggest monthly loss since November as trade conflicts spread throughout the globe and U.S. crude production returned to record levels.

Escalating Global Trade Concerns

The U.S. trade dispute with the world escalated on Thursday when President Trump vowed to slap tariffs on all goods from Mexico. This news drove U.S. Treasury yields sharply lower and pressured demand for higher risk assets as investors increased bets that were headed into a global economic slowdown or perhaps a recession that could lead to a drop in demand for crude oil.

U.S. Production Rises

Crude oil prices are also being pressured by a much smaller-than-expected decline in U.S. stockpiles. Additionally, the government reported that production returned to its record 12.3 million barrels per day.

On Thursday, the EIA said U.S. crude stocks fell by around 300,000 barrels during the week-ending May 24, to 476.49 million barrels. Traders were looking for a draw of about 900,000 barrels. Late Wednesday, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a 5.3 million barrel decline.

Saudis Raise Production

According to a Reuters survey, top oil exporter Saudi Arabia raised production in May, however, this was not enough to compensate for lower Iranian exports, caused by expanded sanctions by the U.S. against the rogue nation.

A Sliver of Bullish News

Without question, crude oil prices have been supported since the first of the year by the OPEC-led production cuts and the U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and Iran.

Earlier in the week, OPEC and its allies indicated the production cuts would be extended in a meeting next month. Additionally, Russia will carefully consider extending its oil output reduction agreement with OPEC, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Anton Siluanov told Reuters earlier in the week.

Furthermore, Kuwaits oil minister Khaled al-Fadhel suggested OPEC is not in a rush to ease supply restraint ahead of the mid-year meeting. He said the market was expected to be in balance.

We still have some more work to do. I believe the market is expected to be balanced during the 2nd half of 2019, more towards the end of the year, Al Fadhel told Reuters.

Technical Analysis

Weekly July West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil Technical Analysis

The main trend is down according to the weekly swing chart. The trend turned down the week-ending May 24, it was reaffirmed this week when sellers took out the $55.80 main bottom.

The trend will turn up on a move through $63.96. However, this is highly unlikely. If there is going to be a turnaround, it will likely be fueled by a potentially bullish closing price reversal bottom. In layman terms, a lower-low on the weekly chart, followed by a higher close.

The main range is $75.20 to $44.20. Its 50% to 61.8% retracement zone at $59.70 to $63.36 is resistance. Trading on the weak side of this zone is a bearish sign. This zone is controlling the longer-term direction of the market.

The minor range is $44.20 to $66.44. Its retracement zone at $55.32 to $52.70 is the next downside target. Although the main trend is down, this area could represent value to some aggressive buyers. Therefore, were going to watch for counter-trend buyers on a test of this area.

Weekly July West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil Forecast

Based on this weeks price action and the current price at $54.95, the direction of the July West Texas Intermediate crude oil market next week is likely to be determined by trader reaction to the minor 50% level at $55.32.

Bearish Scenario

A sustained move under $55.32 will indicate the selling pressure is getting stronger. This could lead to a test of the 61.8% level at $52.70. Watch for a technical bounce on the initial test of $55.32 to $52.70 since it is an attractive value area. If $52.70 fails as support then look for the selling to possibly extend into the uptrending Gann angle at $49.95.

Bullish Scenario

A sustained move over $55.32 will signal the presence of counter-trend buyers. Overcoming the uptrending Gann angle at $55.70 will indicate the buying is getting stronger, or the selling weaker. This could trigger a rally into the downtrending Gann angle at $57.70. If this move creates enough upside momentum then look for a rally into the major 50% level at $59.70.

Weekly August Brent Crude Oil Technical Analysis

The main trend is down according to the weekly swing chart. The trend turned down this week when sellers took out the main bottom at $64.12. The trend will change to up on a trade through $73.95.

The main range is $83.30 to $51.90. Its retracement zone at $67.60 to $71.31 is resistance. Trading on the weak side of this zone is producing a bearish tone.

The minor range is $51.90 to $73.95. Its retracement zone at $62.93 to $60.32 is the primary downside target. We could see a technical bounce on the first test of this zone if aggressive, counter-trend buyers determine this area represents value.

Weekly August Brent Crude Oil Weekly Forecast

Based on this weeks price action and the current price at $63.85, the direction of the August Brent crude oil market next week is likely to be determined by trader reaction to the uptrending Gann angle at $63.40.

Bullish Scenario

A sustained move over $63.40 will indicate the presence of buyers. If this move can create enough upside momentum then look for the rally to extend into the downtrending Gann angle at $65.80. Since the main trend is down, sellers are likely to come in on a test of this angle.

Overtaking $65.80 will indicate the buying is increasing. This could lead to a test of the main 50% level at $67.60.

Bearish Scenario

A sustained move under $63.40 will signal the presence of sellers. This should lead to a test of $62.93. If this level fails then look for a potential acceleration to the downside with $60.32 the next target.

Watch for counter-trend buyers on the first test of $62.93 to $60.32, but if the latter fails then look for the selling to possibly extend into the uptrending Gann angle at $57.65.

Conclusion

Both WTI and Brent crude oil are rapidly approaching key value areas. However, geopolitical news and concerns about the global economy is driving the price action. Unless there is an improvement in the global economic data, or the U.S. and China announce that trade talks are back on, buying is going to be limited inside these zones. Furthermore, technical bounces arent likely to last. Wed like to see support bases form inside these zones before committing to the long side once again. Nonetheless, expect to see speculative buyers playing the long side on tests of these value zones.
OPECs oil production dropped to a 2015 low of 30.17 million bpd in May, as a major 200,000-bpd increase in Saudi Arabias production was unable to offset an even larger production decline in Iran after the U.S. removed all sanction waivers for Iranian buyers, a Reuters survey showed on Friday.

After the U.S. choked off more Iranian supply with the end of the waivers, Saudi Arabia appears to have lifted its oil supply by 200,000 bpd to 10.05 million bpd, according to the monthly Reuters survey that tracks supply to the market from shipping data and sources at OPEC, oil companies, and consulting firms.

Yet, even with the 200,000-bpd boost in May, Saudi Arabia is comfortably below its 10.311-million-bpd cap under the OPEC+ deal as it had been overachieving in its share of the cuts by 500,000 bpd in the previous months.

Despite the increased supply from Saudi Arabia, OPECs overall production was down in May by 60,000 bpd from April, as oil supply from two of the producers exempted from the cuts plunged. Irans oil supply dropped by 400,000 bpd month on month, while Venezuela saw another 50,000-bpd decline amid the U.S. sanctions and continuously plummeting oil production in a severe economic crisis.

Among other OPEC nations, production in Nigeria dropped as some pipeline flows and exports were disrupted and under force majeure for extended periods in May. Related: China's Biggest Weapon In The Trade War

The OPEC producers bound by the pact met 96 percent of the targeted production cuts in May, down from 132 percent in April, as Saudi Arabia, Angola, and Iraq increased output, according to the Reuters survey.

According to OPECs official figures, the cartels crude oil production in April dropped by just 45,000 bpd, despite continued deep cuts by the largest producer, Saudi Arabia, and continued decline in Venezuela and Iran.

OPEC will release its official crude oil production data for May in the Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) on Thursday, June 13, two weeks before OPEC and allies are set to discuss the fate of their production cut pact currently expiring at the end of June.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
After finishing at a three-month low on Thursday, oil prices continued to slide on Friday morning and are on course to end the month of May with the largest monthly drop since last November, as trade tensions weigh on investors outlook on the global economy and oil demand.

As of 08:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday WTI Crude was down 2.09 percent at $55.41, while Brent Crude was trading down 2.14 percent at $63.93.

Oil prices were down for most of the last week of May and are now set for their biggest monthly decline in six months, since November 2018, as intensifying trade tensions outweighed U.S. crude oil stockpiles draws.

The price of oil tanked on Wednesday morning after China upped the ante in the trade war, hinting at stifling rare earth minerals exports to the United Statesa move that rekindled concern about the global economy and had investors flee risk assets.

Later on Wednesday, oil prices rose after the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a large draw in crude oil inventory of 5.265 million barrels for the week ending May 24, coming in over analyst expectations of an 857,000-barrel drawdown.

On Thursday, the EIA reported a crude oil inventory draw of 0.3 million barrels for the week to May 24, but this smaller than expected draw sent oil prices down later in the day.

On Friday, poor economic data from China and another trade tariff spat weighed again on equity markets and on oil prices.

Chinas manufacturing activity shrank more than expected, government data showed, making investors wonder how fast Chinese growth is slowing and how the U.S.-China trade war will weigh on economic growth in China and the rest of the world.

President Trump said on Thursday that the U.S. is imposing a 5-percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico starting June 10, to make Mexico resolve the illegal migration crisis. If Mexico fails to alleviate the crisis, tariffs will gradually rise until they reach 25 percent, President Trump said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
 French Total SA has indicated that it may quit Iran because of Europes failure to salvage the nuclear deal and, by connection, trade between the EU and Iran. At stake is Totals $1-million Iran gas project. The problem is that with sanctions waivers no longer being extended, European shippers and insurers (Maersk, Allianz) are already cutting the cord, leaving Total little incentive to stick it out. The Europeans have definitively lost this

 In an unsurprising update about the deal of the year in oilOccidentals acquisition of Anadarkothe buyer said it will dispose of some of Anadarkos assets to reduce the debt accumulated for the acquisition. Oxy saddled itself with $40 billion in debtfour times its debt level before the dealto win the bidding war against Chevron and now it has to appease its shareholders and fast. However, M&A activity in the U.S. energy industry has slackened off and this may hurt Oxys chances of a quick asset disposal and debt shrinkage.

 Canadian Utilities will sell all its fossil fuel-powered generation capacity for $835 million to Heartland Generation, a company affiliated with Energy Capital Partners. The assets included in the deal comprise 11 partly or wholly owned coal- and gas-fired power plants across three Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Their combined installed capacity is 2.1 GW.

Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions

 Canadian Utilities will sell all its fossil fuel-powered generation capacity for $835 million to Heartland Generation, a company affiliated with Energy Capital Partners. The assets included in the deal comprise 11 partly or wholly owned coal- and gas-fired power plants across three Canadian provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Their combined installed capacity is 2.1 GW.

 In an unsurprising update about the deal of the year in oilOccidentals acquisition of Anadarkothe buyer said it will dispose of some of Anadarkos assets to reduce the debt accumulated for the acquisition. Oxy saddled itself with $40 billion in debtfour times its debt level before the dealto win the bidding war against Chevron and now it has to appease its shareholders and fast. However, M&A activity in the U.S. energy industry has slackened off and this may hurt Oxys chances of a quick asset disposal and debt shrinkage.

 French Total SA has indicated that it may quit Iran because of Europes failure to salvage the nuclear deal and, by connection, trade between the EU and Iran. At stake is Totals $1-million Iran gas project. The problem is that with sanctions waivers no longer being extended, European shippers and insurers (Maersk, Allianz) are already cutting the cord, leaving Total little incentive to stick it out. The Europeans have definitively lost this battle.

 Scotland-based Ithaca Energy, a subsidiary of Israels Delek (of Leviathan Basin gas fame) has agreed to acquire Chevrons central North Sea assets in a more than $2-billion deal, which will give Ithaca 10 producing fields and status as the second largest independent producer in the UK North Sea, but it also suggests an exodus of American producers from this venue.

 US renewable energy developer Longroad Energy has received a tax equity investment from Facebook for around $416 million for its 379-MW solar project in Texas. For Facebook, the project represents next step toward a goal of powering its global operations with 100% renewable electricity by the end 2020.

Tenders, Auctions & Contracts

 Kinder Morgan has announced open season on an pipeline expansion project that will increase the capacity of its SPFF pipeline by 7,500 barrels of gasoline and diesel daily. If the open season ends with enough booked volume, the extension will be completed by February next year.

 Equinor has partnered with British utility Drax Group and national Grid Ventures to build the UKs first zero carbon cluster. The cluster will feature a carbon capture and storage network and a hydrogen demonstrator. Drax Group has the ambition to become the first utility operating a carbon-negative power station some time in the next decade.

Discovery & Development

 Shell has begun commercial oil and gas production from the Appomattox field in the Gulf of Mexico, with the average daily rate seen at 175,000 barrels of oil equivalent. The startup of the Appomattox field, which together with neighboring Vicksburg field, holds 650 million barrels of oil equivalent in recoverable reserves. Eventually, Appomattox will boost Shells total production in the Gulf to some 900,000 bpd, the company said.

 First Solar, together with asset manager Capital Dynamics, this week inaugurated a 280 MW solar farm in California, which will produce enough electricity to supply 116,000 households, eliminating more than 109,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. The electricity produced from at California Flats Solar Project will be sold to utilities and corporate clients under two long-term contracts.

 The State of Washington has reinstated EV tax incentives that ended last year and now will go into effect on August 1st. Washington Governor Jay Inslee reinstated the sales tax credit as part of a series of four clean energy bills that aim to see 50,000 alternative fuel vehicles on the road in the state by 2020.

 Chinas National Energy Administration (NEA) has announced that the country will allocate $434.55 million worth of subsidies for new solar projects this year. Some quarter of funds will be directed to rooftop power projects while the rest will be allocated for solar stations.

Markets

 OPEC members hit 96% of their pledged cuts in the month of May, based on a Reuters survey, and Iran say a 400,000 bpd supply drop for the month, but there are no indications that OPEC, scheduled to meet this month, will raise production enough to offset Trumps sanctions.

 China bought a record amount of Australian LNG in April, at 2.79 million tons, which represented a 61% annual increase. Chinas insatiable thirst for LNG has made the country a top destination for all LNG exporters. However, the trade war escalation with Washington has put U.S. producers at a disadvantage as Beijing first introduced and then increased its import tariffs on the commodity in retaliation for U.S. tariffs.

 South Koreas largest refiner has increased its intake of Russian and Qatari oil to replace lost Iranian supply after the U.S. refused to extend the sanction waivers it had granted South Korea and seven other major Iranian oil importers.

 Emboldened by strong prompt demand amid tighter oil supply due to the U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, the worlds top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is expected to raise the prices of the crude grades it sells on its premium market, Asia, for July, trade sources told Reuters on Thursday.

 All eyes are on whether the Saudis raise crude prices for grades sold to Asia next week, for the third month in a row. Strong demand seems to support another hike by as much as $1/barrel.

Company News

 Mexicos government has pledged more money for heavily indebted state energy major Pemex. After providing it with a lifeline of over $5 billion and renegotiating debts also in the billion-dollar-range, Mexico now wants to provide Pemex with tax relief to the tune of $7.3 billion, to be implemented in 2020 and 2021. Pemexs debt load stands at $106 billion and the company could soon lose its investment-grade rating.

Regulatory Updates

 In a setback for the British Columbia government, the Appeals Court it had approached in its latest attempt to stop the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline ruled in favor of the project, denying B.C. the right to say how much oil flows through its territory. Cross-province infrastructure projects are regulated by the federal government but B.C. had hopes it could go around this and win the right to control the flow of oil on its turf. Now, the NDP government will appeal at the Supreme Court.

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict

 Israel is voting again in snap elections just a month after the regular vote, which failed to lead to the formation of a government amid a deepening political crisis.

 Buoyed by the UKs Brexit debacle, Scotland is gearing up for another independence vote, potentially in the second half of 2020. This week, the Scottish government laid down new referendum rules to avoid any potential post-referendum legal battles. Last time, Scots voted down independence in a 55-45% vote, but today, the sentiment looks to be more in favor--but by no means a clear majority. Brexit, of course, has helped, because the Scots arent keen on the uncertainty of a Brexit future; but many also fear what the chances of a hard Brexit (with no deal) could mean for an independent Scotland. Its a tricky time for the UK parliament to try to block this referendum, with May vowing to step down as PM in June and the battle on for succession. North Sea oil revenues will be one of the key points of negotiation between Scotland and Westminster, and there is a fair amount of argument over who actually owns the North Sea oil wealth. Scottish academics cite the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea as demonstrating that 90% of the total tax revenue from oil and gas operations is generated in Scottish waters.

 In another twist in the Anadarko asset sale, Algeria is blocking French Total SA from acquiring Anadarkos Algeria assets, which was intended to be part of the deal when Occidental merged with Anadarko following Chevrons withdrawal from its acquisition bid. Total was to acquire Anadarkos assets in Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique and South Africa in a deal agreed to by Occidental. For reasons that have not yet been explained by Algerian officials, they wish the assets to remain with Anadarko, which produces over 300,000 bpd in the country. Anadarko is operator in Algeria of blocks 404a and 208 with a 24.5% stake in the Berkine basin (the Hassi Berkine, Ourhoud and El Merk fields in the Algerian Sahara). Total already holds a 12.25% stake in these operations, which produced 320,000 boepd in 2018. The move, of course, is political in nature and represents Algerias desire for just about anyone other than its colonial occupier to have control of these lucrative assets and potentially undermine Sonatrach, which itself is a reflection of the national interest. France may be meddling significantly in neighboring Libya, where it also has massive oil interests, but in Algeria, its playing it very cautious--despite the political chaos that would normally provide it with an open window--because of the long, bloody history between the two. Algerias post-Bouteflika interim military clan leadership is extremely fragile right now, and mass protests are more than a continually looming threat. The last think this interim leadership wants right now is any stronger a French foothold. Right now, protests have the ability to turn Algeria into the next Libya--only far, far messier. Algerias vow to block Totals acquisition of Anadarkos assets isnt a message to investors--its a message specifically to the French.
Although refiners in Asia are not left without choice for crude after the end of the U.S. sanction waivers for Iranian oil, the higher price of alternative supplies, as well as soaring fuel exports from China, are depressing refining margins across Asia.

Asian oil buyers havent had problems in procuring alternate supplies of crude oil to their usual cheap Iranian supplies, but the barrels replacing Irans oil come at higher prices that hurt the profits of refiners across Asia, Reuters columnist Clyde Russell wrote on Friday.

Adding to the loss of Iranian crude, another factor weighing on the refining margins at Asian refiners is the soaring exports to the region of refined oil products out of China, which has been boosting its refining capacity this year.

Last week, reports emerged that persistent pressure on profit margins has forced Asian refiners to start considering a reduction in their run rates as Asias refining margins slipped to a 16-year low. Higher international oil prices were behind the unfavorable development, which has seen refiners margins drop to the lowest since the spring of 2003, according to Reuters data.

Earlier this month, China issued a new batch of oil product export quotas and they are 5.3 percent higher than they were this time last year as the countrys refineries return to processing record-high amounts of crude oil.

The refining margins across Asia could continue to be depressed in coming months because trade sources expect that Saudi Arabia, the worlds top oil exporter and the main beneficiary of the U.S. sanctions on Iran, will further raise the prices of the crude grades it sells in Asia for July, thanks to strong prompt demand amid tighter oil supply due to the U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and Iran. The official selling prices (OSPs) of Saudi Arabias oil, announced at the start of each month for deliveries for the next month, typically set the trend of crude pricing of the other oil producers from the Persian Gulf.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
A series of explosions in Iraqi oil hotpot Kirkuk has killed at least five people and injured 18 more, medical sources reported to Reuters on Thursday. No one has claimed the attacks yet, although the Islamic State is active in the area.

Todays explosions were preceded a rocket strike a bit over a week ago as tensions flare in the area, creating security concerns for the oil industry and foreign personnel.

Earlier in May, the United Sates evacuated all non-essential personnel from Iraq citing security concerns stemming from Iran in a level 4 travel advisory. The announcement prompted US-based oil behemoth Exxon to review its security measures and begin removing engineering personnel from the country. Iraq confirmed at the time that Exxon had removed all of its foreign employees, or about 60 staff.

Iraq was quick to condemn Exxon for the hasty retreat, accusing Exxon of having motives other than security concerns for the personnel evacuation. While Exxons removal of its personnel from the West Qurna 1 oilfield in Basra did not disrupt production according to Iraqi officials, Iraq threatened legal measures for Exxons actions.

Todays explosions were not thought to disrupt oil production in Iraq, instead targeting malls, an ice cream shop, and a butchers shop. The unrest in Iraq may have an indirect effect on its oil industry, however, in that it may look less appealing to oil investors and oil companies who would otherwise be interested in Iraqs oil industry.

Iraq is OPECs second largest producer, pumping 4.630 million barrels per day as of April, according to OPECs Monthly Oil Market Report. Other oil companies operating in Iraq include Eni, Rosneft, CNPC, CNOOC, Gazprom, and Lukoil.

The unrest in Iraq comes at a rather precarious time as Iraq is looking to seal the deal with Exxon and PetroChina over a $53 billion project that would generate some $400 billion of the 30-year deal period.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
When it comes to the Democrat presidential hopefuls toeing the party line on climate change, Joe Biden is near the back of the pack, Greenpeace has concluded.

On Greenpeaces most recent presidential scorecard released Thursday, Joe Biden was graded at a sorry D-, making Biden the second-worst ranked democrat candidate seeking a 2020 term as President of the United States.

The only Democrat candidate that was ranked more poorly was John Hickenlooper Jr., a candidate who has in the past urged his party to keep from veering too far to the left, warning them that it should put a bit of distance between itself and socialism. If not, Hickenlooper said, were going to end up reelecting the worst president this countrys ever had. Hickenlooper has also not been very supportive of the Green New Deala prime factor in determining a candidates placement on the Greenpeace list.

Greenpeaces ranking was based on answers to two questions that were posed to the presidential candidates. The first was about their support for the Green New Deal. The second was about the candidates support for replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources.

As part of the older Democrat establishment, Biden has not officially endorsed the Green New Deal that is enthusiastically supported by the younger Democrats such as AOC. Rather, Biden has taken a softer stance on climate issues as he works to bridge the gaping divide between Democrats and Republicans in the spirit of bipartisanshipa stance that has earned him a spot near last place in the eyes of Greenpeace.

The progressive Democrats have proposed a string of climate plans so far in the runup to the next election, with Jay Inslee, who not coincidentally ranked in first place with a A- on Greenpeaces list, proposing a $9 trillion climate change solution, and then Michael Bennet, who proposed a $10 trillion plan. Bennet was not included in Greenpeaces list.



Related: Why EVs Cant Do Without Oil

To no ones surprise, President Donald Trump placed last. There were only two Republican candidates on the list.

Here is how Greenpeace has ranked the 2020 presidential hopefuls:

1 Jay Inslee (D) A- 2 Bernie Sanders (D) B+ 3 Cory Booker (D) B+ 4 Kirsten Gillibrand (D) B 5 Elizabeth Warren (D) B 6 Tulsi Gabbard (D) B 7 Beto ORourke (D) B- 8 Marianne Williamson (D) C 9 Pete Buttigieg (D) C 10 Kamala Harris (D) C- 11 Eric Swalwell (D) C- 12 Amy Klobuchar (D) C- 13 John Delaney (D) D+ 14 Andrew Yang (D) D+ 15 Julian Castro (D) D+ 16 Steve Bullock (D) D 17 Tim Ryan (D) D- 18 Joe Biden (D) D- 19 John Hickenlooper (D) D- 20 Bill Weld (R) F 21 Donald Trump  F

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads from Oilprice.com:
The Arab countries of the Persian Gulf expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), supporting all measures that their two allies take to protect their security and interests in the wake of what they called terrorist attacks carried out by the Houthi terrorist militias on oil interests in the region.

Two pumping stations along Aramcos East-West oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia were attacked by explosive-laden drones earlier this month, a day after the UAE said that a total four vessels were attacked off its coast at the port of Fujairah, the worlds second-largest bunkering port.

The GCC Supreme Council condemned both attacks, saying that these terrorist acts are a threat to regional security and the global economy.

The attack on four commercial vessels off the UAE coast is a dangerous escalation that threatens the security and safety of maritime navigation in this vital region of the world and negatively affects regional and international peace and security as well as stability of oil markets, the Gulf Arab states said at the end of an extraordinary summit on Friday in a joint statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

The Gulf Arab states directly pointed the finger at Iran, and said that Iran must stop supporting, financing and arming terrorist militias and organizations as well as feeding sectarian conflicts.

The Council denounces the Iranian threats to the freedom of maritime navigation and oil supplies, calling upon on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in securing the freedom of maritime navigation, in light of these threats and attacks against the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the statement reads.

The attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf earlier this month were caused by naval mines almost certainly from Iran, U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said on Wednesday from the UAE as the tension between the U.S. and Iran continued to escalate.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on Thursday that he had seen the evidence about the tanker attacks that Bolton would present to the United Nations next week.

These were  these were efforts by the Iranians to raise the price of crude oil throughout the world, Secretary Pompeo said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un executed his top negotiator and other officials, after charging them with spying for the United States as part of a brutal purge after the failed summit with the U.S. earlier this year, South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported on Friday, citing a source.

The U.S. and North Korea failed to make any progress in the summit in Hanoi in February, with the U.S. demanding denuclearization while Pyongyang wanting sanctions relief first.

Shortly after the failed summit, North Koreas top nuclear envoy in the talks before the summit, Kim Hyok-chol, was shot dead at the Mirim Airport in March, alongside four other senior officials, on charges that they had spied for the United States, Chosun Ilbo reports today.

Kim Jong Uns former right-hand man, Kim Yong-chol, was sent to a labor and re-education camp, while other officials and the interpreter for North Koreas leader at the summit were sent to political prison camps, according to Chosun Ilbos source.

According to a diplomatic source who spoke to Reuters, there have been signs that some of the above-mentioned officials have been sent to camps, but no evidence was available showing that some had been executed.

The U.S. is trying to check the information of the report, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a news conference while in Berlin on Friday.

At the February summit, North Korea was demanding some relief from the sanctions before committing to steps to denuclearization, as UN sanctions are choking off its energy supply.

North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile program remains intact while the country continues to defy UN resolutions with significantly increased illegal ship-to-ship oil and coal transfers, a UN Panel of Experts wrote in an annual report in March. North Korea is using increasingly advanced and inventive techniques to evade the oil sanctions, including manipulation of vessel AIS transmission systems, physical disguise of tankers, illegal name-changing and other forms of identity fraud, night transfers, and the use of additional vessels for transshipment, the panel of experts said.

North Korea is also reportedly looking to renewable and other alternative energy sources as it is unable to procure enough oil, coal, fuel, and diesel under the UN sanctions.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
US-led forces have blown up three oil tankers in Syria as the United States increases its pressure on Syria by thwarting the oil trade between the PKK/YPG and the Assad regime, according to local sources quoted by several media sources.

The strike was carried about by coalition planes, which hit three oil tankers, leaving four dead. The coalition has not yet made a statement about the attack. In the area controlled by Assad, oil consumption stands at around 136,000 bpd. Production, meanwhile, is only 24,000 barrels per day. This means that the regime must import significant volumes of crude oil at an estimated expense of more than $2 billion per year.

The attack comes a couple weeks after the EU extended its sanctions on the Assad regime for one year after the Syrian regime upped the ante in repressing the Syrian people, bringing the Syrian crisis to a boiling point.

Reports surfaced weeks ago that Iran had resumed oil shipments to Syria in the wake of US sanctions on the former, with a million barrels arriving in Syria from Iran on May 5. Further illicit oil shipments may be coming, as a new border crossing between Iraq and Syria is currently under construction, Fox News reported last week, based on satellite imagery revealing that construction is underway.

In Syria, Arab residents of oil-rich Deir Ezzor area began protests in April against US-backed Kurdish forces that control the region to the East of the Euphrates. The protests disrupted the oil flows from nearby fields, most of which have been controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces since the end of 2017.

The fuel and electricity shortages that are occurring now in Syria have soured previous supporters of Assad against his rule. Iran, who has poured billions into Syria to prop up the Assad regime in recent years, is now feeling US pressure on both frontsone at home as its oil exports are restricted, and another in Syria.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The United States will sanction any country that tries to buy Iranian oil after the sanction waivers expired on May 2, regardless of whether said country had reached its negotiated cap under the exemptions, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, said, clarifying earlier comments that resulted in speculation that the U.S. would allow countries that hadnt reached their cap of Iranian imports to continue buying oil from Iran until they reach that cap.

Our firm policy is to completely zero out purchases of Iranian oil -- period, Hook told Bloomberg News in a statement on Thursday.

Any new purchases of oil initiated after the expiration of the SREs [significant reduction exceptions] on May 2 will be subject to U.S. sanctions, even if a country had not met its previously negotiated purchase caps during the SRE period from November to May 2.

Hooks comments came after remarks he made earlier on Thursday in a press briefing in which he said:

And so once people have reached that cap of what was negotiated during that period that then would be the limit of the oil that we would permit to move through that would not be sanctioned. We will sanction any efforts to import Iranian crude oil beyond the limits that were negotiated in the period that ran from November through May.

Those remarks led to speculation, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that countries that hadnt reached their negotiated cap under the waiver period could be able to continue buying Iranian oil without risking sanctions until they reach that limit.

After the U.S. removed all sanction waivers for Iranian oil customers, Irans oil exports are estimated to have plunged to 400,000 bpd in May which is less than half of Iranian oil exports in April.

Earlier this week, reports emerged that India plans to immediately begin negotiations with Iran to pay in rupees for Iranian oil to bypass U.S. sanctions.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Eminent Professor of Law Itse Sagay (SAN) has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) legal team to apply to the Supreme Court for a review of its judgments on Zamfara and Rivers States.

In Rivers, the APC was excluded from fielding candidates during the general elections following a Supreme Court judgment.

In the case of Zamfara, the Supreme Court on April 24 nullified APCs victory in the election and transferred it to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) due to alleged irregularities in APCs primaries.

To Sagay, the verdicts are a travesty of justice.

He said in a statement: The Zamfara and Rivers State judgments are a national tragedy. We should not allow our legal system to throw up such unimaginable injustice.

This major judicial disenfranchisement of the Zamfara and Rivers electorate should be reversed. I advise the APC legal team to apply for a review of the two judgments.

Their Lordships ought to be given an opportunity to reverse this unprecedented tragedy.

The prefix Justice preceding he names of Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Judges is significant, for it prescribes what they stand for and what they represent: Justice!

Sagay pointed out that in the governorship election in Zamfara, the APC candidate scored well over 500,000 votes whilst the PDP candidate scored just over 100,000 votes.

He noted the APC won all three Senate seats in the state, seven House of Representative seats and 24 State House of Assembly seats.

The statement reads in part: By this judgment, the landslide APC victories in the governorship, Senate, House of Representative and State House of Assembly are transferred to the PDP.

If the APC primaries were defective, should the electorate be deprived of their democratic and Constitutional rights to vote? Is the electorate to be punished for the transgressions of party officials?

Should the Judiciary replace the electorates decision and install losers in office? Could the Judiciary not have drawn on the deep recesses of its intellectual capacity, authority and its inexorable commitment to justice, to prevent this undemocratic calamity?

Can the APC officials not be punished, for their lapses without denying the electorate their democratic rights? Should the Judiciary take over the electoral rights of the electorate? Is this not a clear case of technical law completely overthrowing justice?

Have the members of the Supreme Court not achieved a level of creativity and authority to provide a solution without burying democracy and taking over from the registered voters as the judicial electorate?

If this judgment had been an international one, it could have been described as shocking the conscience of humanity. In this case, it shocks the conscience of Nigerian humanity.

Citing several authorities, Sagay said the Supreme Court is specially endowed with the power and authority to do justice and to ignore law when it is technical and would create injustice, and to avoid at all cost a mechanical approach to the interpretation of the law.

Now, has justice been served in Rivers and Zamfara states? No! In one case innocent electorate in their hundreds of thousands were prevented from voting for their party by judicial order.

In Zamfara, where voting took place, the verdict of the electorate was taken away from the victorious party and awarded by the Judiciary to the woeful losers.

In the next four years, Zamfara State will be governed by a party and politicians rejected by the electorate. This indeed shocks the conscience of Nigerian humanity.

He also referred to Section 140(1)  (3) of the Electoral Act, which prohibits any court from declaring a loser of an election elected even if the person with the highest votes was not validly elected.

I am not interested in the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010. I am only deeply concerned and interested in the fundamental and peremptory principle of Justice.

No Judge should announce his judgment until he is satisfied that Justice has been served, no matter how strong the pull of mechanical and technical law, Sagay added.
Articulated trucks are back on the Apapa-Oshodi highway, reversing efforts by the Presidential Taskforce on the clearing of the gridlock to bring sanity to the roads.

The Taskforce swung into action on Saturday after expiration of the 72 hours order by President Muhammadu Buhari for the trucks to move out or be impounded.

It has two weeks to clear the ports and its access roads of trucks and articulated vehicles.

Under the order, which equally set out the mandates of the Taskforce, any truck that defied the order risks being permanently impounded and can only be released on the order of Mr President consequent upon the fulfillment of the extant traffic regulations of the state.

Among other regulations, drivers of such trucks would have to be subjected to psychiatric test and certificate from the Lagos State Drivers Institute after a retraining session.

The Vice Chairman of the taskforce Kayode Opeifa was unavailable for comments as at press time.

It will be recalled that the exercise had recorded some successes up till Tuesday.

From Sanya Bus Stop to Mile 2 was free of truck obstruction on Monday, restricting the trucks menace to begin from Coconut Bus Stop to Tin Can.

The two Tin Can gates were blocked while access from Second gate to Apapa Wharf was cleared as at Tuesday.

The dilapidated state of the road from Coconut and Tin Can had been said to be responsible for the slow pace of work on the axis.

READ ALSO: Apapa gridlocks will soon be over, FRSC assures

There was appreciable clean up at the Western Avenue, which cleared all the trucks that hitherto parked up to Onipanu off the road.

But as at Thursday, the trucks had over run Ijora road and bridges.

They started spilling backwards to Western Avenue via Costain Bridge and road.

The Taskforce had insisted that 54 private parks had been approved by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) where these buses are to park pending their being called up to either drop their containers or cargo or pick imports at the ports.

Besides the parks, the NPA also opened up the Lillypond Terminal for use while the Customs were directed to collapse their various checkpoints to remove the bottleneck identified as responsible for the slowdown and traffic congestion.
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.
The Nigerian Central Office of a phony International Human Rights Commission has withdrawn the nomination of the outgoing Nigerian Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as Ambassador-at-large of the commission.

It will be recalled that Saraki was nominated as an Ambassador-at-Large for the IHRC earlier in March. Saharareporters had investigated that the 2-year old organization was not affiliated with the United Nations.

The commission has now rescinded its decision. It says the cancellation of appointment was made because Saraki did not meet up with the necessary protocol demanded of the office.

This was contained in a letter signed on Thursday by the Head of the Nigeria Central Office of the IHRC, Ambassador Friday Sani.

The letter, entitled, Letter of withdrawal of nomination partly read,  We refer your Excellency to the above subject which culminated in several meetings and calls with some of your aides and with yourself in person, especially as it pertains to meeting the protocol of the appointment and consequent decoration.

However, in view of recent events towards the perfection of the intended decoration and the overall interest of the organization in Africa and the world, we hereby withdraw your nomination as Ambassador At Large of the International Human Rights Commission. The Secretary-General, Mr. Rafal Marcin Wasik, has since been notified of this development. We do also regret the inability of your office to meet up with the requirement of the IHRC.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hails the judgment of the Court of Appeal which ruled that its victorious Osun State governorship candidate, Senate Ademola Adeleke, was constitutionally qualified to contest the governorship election.

The PDP describes the judgment as a triumph of justice and the will of the people of Osun state over oppressive forces.

The PDP notes that the ruling of the Court of Appeal has finally put to rest all contentions about the educational qualification of Senator Adeleke and renders all such cases in lower courts incompetent.

The party says that in ruling that the FCT High Court was wrong in nullifying Senator Adelekes candidacy when the evidence before the court proved that Adeleke had met all the constitutional requirements, for the election, the Appeal Court has affirmed justice and restored the verdict of the Osun people on the eligibility of our candidate to stand for election.

Moreover, the findings of the Appeal Court that the FCT High Court lacked powers to entertain the matter, since the issues therein are related to what transpired in Osun State, serves as a lesson to desperate politicians engaging in abuse of court processes.

The PDP commends these Justices of the Court of Appeal for restoring the confidence reposed on the judiciary as the last hope of the common man and counseled the APC and its agents to end their unnecessary attacks on Senator Adeleke and allow the people of Osun state to enjoy their much-desired benefits of having a competent, people-oriented and purposeful leadership under Senator Adeleke.

Signed:

Kola Ologbondiyan

National Publicity Secretary
Immediate past Minister of Communications, Honourable Adebayo Shittu has said the call for the removal of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was a welcome development.

Deputy national chairman, North Senator Lawan Shuaibu on Tuesday demanded the resignation of his boss.

Senator Shuaibu in the letter addressed to the former Edo state governor, entitled, APC: its Fortunes VS Misfortunes: Time to Act,  he accused the latter of running the party without recourse to other members of the party national working committee.

He equally pointed fingers of scorn at Comrade Oshiomhole over the crises and attendant litigations that trailed the conduct of the party primaries and particularly blamed the former over the recent misfortune that befell the APC in Zamfara State.

Speaking with newsmen on Thursday, Honourable Shittu said all well-meaning members of the ruling party must show more than passing interest in the administration of the APC under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as he noted that the party fortunes have nosedived.

He said: I endorse it. The truth is, with Oshiomhole, this party would go down by the time President Muhammadu Buhari finishes. Oshiomhole is full of himself and he has an ego problem and he wants to dominate every environment and democracy is not like that. I know that many of us are conscionable members of the party who think of the future of this party and the fact that this party should continue to be relevant even after

President Muhammad Buhari has left the office. We are concerned and everything that we can do to force him out, we will do it.

In a related development, certain national officers of the APC has written to the embattled national chairman of the APC, demanding for an audience with him.

Operating under the aegis of non national working committee members, the forum in a letter signed by its chairman, Alhaji Nasiru Danu and the secretary Honourable Omolayo O. Akintola, said the meeting is principally to address critical issues affecting our great party before such issues go out of hands which could be inimical to the general welfare of the party.

In the letter dated 29th May, 2019, titled: Demand for an urgent interface with NWC organ of our party-APC, they noted that they would have called for such meeting earlier but we considered the concluded 2019 general elections as determinant to our Partys survival which had come and gone with successes and losses.

The letter further read in part: This body rose from her todays (29/05/2019) emergency meeting shortly after the Presidential inauguration ceremony held at the Eagle Square, Abuja and concluded the following request be made.

We hereby request for a meeting to be fixed from your end as soon as possible in order to meet with the urgency it demands.

Nigerian Tribune checks revealed that the non-NWC members are national officers of the ruling party who are not substantive members of the national working committee. The list includes, deputy national officers and six ex-officios, picked across the six geopolitical zones.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has been alleged to be among the sponsors of northern leaders in the ruling party to remove the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole. Sources close to the party Secretariat in Abuja revealed that the Kogi State governor has volunteered to allegedly pay up the bills of whatever it will take the northern APC leaders to force the APC national chairman out of office.

The party sources said that Governor Bello has not been receiving positive responses from Oshiomhole in his campaign for second term ticket of the APC for the November governorship election in Kogi State. The governor, party sources told National Daily, has held several consultations with Oshiomhole to negotiate express consideration for automatic ticket of the ruling APC for his re-election but the efforts were not successful.

The governor was, therefore, said to have seen the handwriting on the wall on the direction the APC national chairman is going.

Indeed, party sources told National Daily that Oshiomhole has always referred Governor Bello to the political liability of over 22 months unpaid salaries of workers in Kogi State, explaining to the governor that the party cannot afford the luxury of such political liability in the November 2019 governorship election in the state.

Our sources further said that Governor Bello had promised the APC chairman that he would do everything to clear the salary arrears of workers in the state or at worse bring it down to the minimum level people can bear but Oshiomhole was not convinced.

ALSO READ: Another APC chieftain backs call for Oshiomhole to resign

The party sources told National Daily that the Kogi State Governor is becoming frustrated and feeling disappointed with Oshiomholes stance. Governor Bello was, therefore, said to have resolved that even if he pays all the salaries owed the workers by the Kogi State government under his leadership, the APC national chairman may not still give him the partys governorship ticket. Thus, the governor resolved to join forces with the northern leaders to remove Adams Oshiomhole from office immediately and ensure he doesnt stay to conduct the APC governorship primary election in the state. The Kogi governor further fears that even if he mobilises his legion of supporters in the state to get the APC ticket, what happened in Zamfara, Adamawa, Rivers and other states may be repeated in Kogi State at the instance of Oshiomhole, the party sources told National Daily.

It will be recalled that APC Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, had in a six page letter to Oshiomhole on Tuesday, demanded his immediate resignation as the partys national chairman.

Shuaibu accused Oshiomhole of incompetence, high handedness and immaturity in his handling affairs of the party. He maintained that Oshiomhole lacks the capacity and necessary composure to lead the APC. Shuaibu decried that the respect and sympathy APC was enjoying among its members and sympathisers before Oshiomhole became national chairman had been eroded.

APC Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, is in the vanguard of the struggle to dethrone Oshiomhole as APC national chairman while several other party leaders are playing strong roles from the sidelines.

National Daily gathered that besides, Governor Bello of Kogi State, other governors, including certain political interests from the south west and south east are also involved in the battle to unseat Oshiomhole. National Daily will bring you details on these in subsequent report.

Post Views: 50
The Oyo State Government on Friday proscribed the activities of the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Punch Metro reports.

The action followed alleged security breaches and factional clashes of the union members in some areas of Ibadan, the state capital.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Bisi Ilaka, told journalists at a Press conference in the Governors Office that the unions activities has ceased forthwith.

Ilaka urged the people of the state to go about their lawful businesses.

On Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Olugbenga Fadeyi, told Punch Metro that six NURTW members had been arrested for disturbances at motor parks between Wednesday and Thursday.
In the horror genre, black is definitely back.

The movie Ma, which premieres on May 31, will star Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer as Sue Ann, a lonely middle-age woman who clings to a group of teens to the point of obsession.

Ma comes on the heels of Jordan Peeles critically acclaimed Us, which is also led by an Academy Award winner, Lupita Nyongo. And lets not forget that Peeles previous film, Get Out, won the Academy Award for best screenplay last year.

Black actors have always had a role in horror films. But something different is taking place today: the re-emergence of true black horror films.

Rather than simply including black characters, many of these films are created by blacks, star blacks or focus on black life and culture.

Objects of violence and ridicule

For most of film history, black actors have appeared in horror films in supporting roles. Many were deeply problematic.

In my 2011 book, Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present, I describe some of these tropes.

In the early 20th century, many films  horror or not  had white actors appearing in blackface. The characters could find themselves on the receiving end of especially horrific violence. For example, in 1904s A Nigger in the Woodpile, a black couples home is firebombed and the pair staggers out, charred.

In the 1930s, there was a spate of horror films that took place in jungles, where blacks were depicted as primitive  sometimes indistinguishable from apes. A decade later, black characters started appearing in horror films as objects of ridicule. Actors like Willie Best and Mantan Moreland appeared as comic relief  characters for audiences to dismissively mock.

To be sure, there were some instances in which black actors assumed leading roles. The 1934 film Chloe, Love is Calling You starred black actress Georgette Harvey as the vengeful Mandy. In 1957, Joel Fluellen portrayed the smart and reliable Arobi in Monster from Green Hell.

However, often these characters existed to support the survival of their white counterparts.

From placeholders to full participants

For a brief period, in the 1960s and 1970s, horror films began to treat blacks as whole and full subjects.

Many of these narratives centered on black culture and experiences. More often than not, blacks played the role of hero. For example, the 1972 film Blacula begins in 1780 and is an indictment of the slave trade and its lingering effects. In the 1974 film Sugar Hill, a black female protagonist named Sugar, with the help of her black zombie army, lays waste to a murderous white crime boss and his cronies.

Then there was Bill Gunns 1973 art-house horror film, Ganja & Hess. A gorgeous and deliberative treatise on race, class, mental illness and addiction, it won the Critics Choice prize at the Cannes Film Festival. However, no Hollywood studio was willing to distribute the film.

The classic of the era is George Romeros 1968 Night of the Living Dead, which stars Duane Jones as Ben, a strong, complex black character who leads a group of whites during a zombie apocalypse. Confounding the cliched trope of the black guy dies first, Ben is the lone survivor of the terrifying battle.

In a turn of realism, he emerges triumphant  only to be summarily shot down by a militia of white police and civilians. Bens death, which comes at the movies conclusion, is as unexpected as it is powerful. The scene demands that audiences consider who among us is truly monstrous.

Sadly, these glimpses of blackness faded as many horror films in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s reverted to well-worn tropes. In some, like The Shining and Annabelle, black characters operate as the sacrificial Negro who dies to save a white characters life. Then there are the dozens of films, like 1987s Angel Heart and 1988s The Serpent and the Rainbow, in which black characters appear as wicked Voodoo practitioners.

Black is back

Jordan Peeles films should be thought of as an homage to Night of the Living Dead and Ganja & Hess  films that have strong, complex black protagonists. In fact, Peele has noted that Bens fate in Night of the Living Dead, which was released as the U.S. mourned the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., weighed heavily on him when he wrote the ending of Get Out.

Peeles character  unlike Ben  survives.

While Peele has shown that the genre can be a daring, unflinching examination of politics, class and race, the black horror renaissance has been brewing for some years.

Over the past two decades, Ernest Dickerson  who directed The Purge, Bones, Demon Knight and episodes of The Walking Dead  and Rusty Cundieff, the director of Tales from the Hood and Tales from the Hood 2, have been stalwarts of the genre. Theyve paved the way for Peele, as well as newcomers such as Meosha Bean, Nikyatu Jusu and Deon Taylor.

The horror genre is maturing and becoming more imaginative and inclusive  in who can play hero and antihero, and who gets to be the monster and savior. The emergence of black horror films is just one chapter in a story that includes women taking on more prominent roles in horror films, too.

Its about time. As Jordan Peele noted in an interview in the documentary film Horror Noire, the fact that there had been such a small handful of films led by black people was, to him, the horror itself.

Robin R. Means Coleman, Vice President and Associate Provost for Diversity; Professor, Department of Communication, Texas A&M University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.




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!



Pinerachet



No More Trump



Adios Macri, hasta nunca



La Marioneta se desinfla



Asi o mas cinico



Almugre



Mexico en 1794



Mas arrastrado imposible



Hasta cuando!



La pura verdad



Solidaridad con Palestina



Serie Capitalismo



Espejismos de la clase trabajadora



Asi es!



Comerciantes o delincuentes



No pasaran!



Asi es la vida



USA HOY



01/01/1959



La avaricia no tiene limites



AYUDA HUMANITARIA?



Chile Hoy



Asi son las cosas



Mapa Electoral de Venezuela



Patagonia argentina?



Un aniversario mas del mayor genocidio de la Humanidad



Retrato del franquismo en Espana



Visca Catalunya!



El Chulo de Madrid



Cuando la policia se roba la democracia



Una imagen dice mas que mil palabras



La purita verdad



Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia



Mi pobre clase media



Como Chavez nadie



Comparte La Colmena via twitter Twittear

Programa de la MUD



Asi o mas clarito



Por que Trump no ataco Corea del Norte?



Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio?



Una verguenza nacional



La luz que nos guia



La Union Europea Premio Nobel de la Paz?



Feudalismo ayer y hoy



Obama, el mentiroso



Curiosa coincidencia



Un mundo de cerdos



No es extrano?



La Marioneta



Los ricos protestan, los pobres celebran



MARICORI Y OBAMA



Cuantas muertes este ano?



USA TODAY



USA HOY 6



USA HOY 5



USA HOY 4



USA HOY 3



USA HOY 2



USA HOY (1)



Insaciable



Cronologia de un agresor



Guarimbear en USA



Mexico hoy



Bolivar y Chavez



Primero Amargado



Dios los cria y ellos se juntan



USA hoy (III)



USA hoy (II)



USA hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Mexico hoy



Obama



La verdad sea dicha



Los ricos



Que no nos vea Obama



Pobre Obama



SOS PALESTINA



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



VICMAN



Archivo del blog Archivo del blog marzo (4) abril (9) mayo (8) junio (10) julio (11) agosto (10) septiembre (17) octubre (11) noviembre (15) diciembre (10) enero (9) febrero (10) marzo (8) abril (5) mayo (6) junio (8) julio (13) agosto (10) septiembre (7) octubre (12) noviembre (8) diciembre (15) enero (17) febrero (11) marzo (11) abril (12) junio (6) julio (11) agosto (15) septiembre (5) octubre (15) noviembre (14) diciembre (11) enero (13) febrero (9) marzo (10) abril (8) mayo (7) junio (12) julio (12) agosto (8) septiembre (8) octubre (4) diciembre (8) enero (35) febrero (20) marzo (29) abril (19) mayo (21) junio (27) julio (21) agosto (28) septiembre (40) octubre (47) noviembre (21) diciembre (34) enero (62) febrero (81) marzo (117) abril (141) mayo (114) junio (111) julio (126) agosto (98) septiembre (160) octubre (234) noviembre (493) diciembre (319) enero (219) febrero (267) marzo (230) abril (291) mayo (347) junio (223) julio (179) agosto (191) septiembre (239) octubre (350) noviembre (406) diciembre (353) enero (284) febrero (202) marzo (274) abril (250) mayo (232) junio (251) julio (188) agosto (249) septiembre (230) octubre (178) noviembre (141) diciembre (164) enero (187) febrero (147) marzo (211) abril (190) mayo (199) junio (164) julio (162) agosto (174) septiembre (182) octubre (225) noviembre (114) diciembre (132) enero (223) febrero (147) marzo (133) abril (108) mayo (387) junio (465) julio (785) agosto (748) septiembre (485) octubre (681) noviembre (754) diciembre (805) enero (708) febrero (896) marzo (735) abril (831) mayo (723) junio (555) julio (658) agosto (619) septiembre (457) octubre (455) noviembre (295) diciembre (269) enero (534) febrero (556) marzo (205) abril (119) mayo (194) junio (255) julio (294) agosto (182) septiembre (207) octubre (340) noviembre (351) diciembre (281) enero (114) febrero (128) marzo (216) abril (195) mayo (116) junio (141) julio (182) agosto (181) septiembre (50) octubre (72) noviembre (104) diciembre (88) enero (168) febrero (102) marzo (151) abril (207) mayo (43) junio (72) julio (35) agosto (146) septiembre (54) octubre (46) noviembre (48) diciembre (53)

Chavez Cuanto te queremos!



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!


" " Is It a Nice Day for a Ghost Wedding? Apic/Getty Images

Ghosts typically devote their afterlife to hauntings, but what about the ones that decide to settle down and marry instead?

Necromantic nuptials occur more than you might think, especially in parts of China where the rite of minghun may even wed the living to the dead.

Advertisement

It's helpful to think of so-called "ghost weddings" as more like funerals than anything else. It's not the dead, but the living, that take comfort in bereavement rituals. Chinese traditions, however, place a particular focus on departed family members.

Grounded in Taoist philosophy and Confucian family values, xiao, or filial piety, underscores the structure of the traditional Chinese family. The spirit of a person is undying but, unlike in many Western traditions, the eternal soul of an individual remains tethered to the world of the living. Deceased family members are to be venerated, their desires addressed and their afterlife favors curried, lest family order become unbalanced.

In Diana Martin's 1991 article "Chinese Ghost Marriage," she compares this view to the Chinese notion of yuan, or structural completeness. The family consists of father and mother, sons who marry and bring women and offspring into the home, and daughters destined for assimilation into another family. When death interrupts this continued branching of the family tree, the spirits of the departed must be placated. After all, a deceased, unwed son or daughter is incomplete.

And so, for centuries, ghosts have wed in China. A ceremony takes place, gifts are exchanged and wooden ancestor tablets may stand in for the deceased bride and/or groom. The earliest versions of the rite simply entailed burying a deceased, unwed woman in the tomb of a deceased bachelor.

Over time, particularly in rural areas, the practice broadened to permit the marriage of ghosts to living spouses. Gender ratio discrepancies, childbirth policies and the continued mass-exodus of young people from rural areas to China's booming urban centers may have further exacerbated the situation. Factor in high-fatality rural jobs, such as those in the mining industry, and you can easily imagine these deceased, unmarried sons  and the desire of bereaved parents to set things right.

Wherever there is human desire, of course, there's the potential for exploitation. In the Northern province of Shaanxi, police have cracked down on grave robbers who exhume female corpses in order to sell the dead as potential brides to the parents of deceased bachelors. In a BBC News report, Shanghai University's Huang Jingchun said that the price tag for such black-market brides has skyrocketed in recent years, from 30,000-50,000 yuan ($4,500-$7,500) in 2008 to 100,000 yuan, or nearly $15,000 in 2016. Worse yet, Shaanxi police charged a man in April for the alleged murder of two women with mental disabilities in order to sell their corpses.

Such grim cases are rare, however, and they're certainly not the only crimes committed in the name of love and cultural marriage expectations. According to a 2013 systematic review of intimate partner homicide, at least one in seven homicides globally  and more than a third of female homicides overall  are perpetrated by an intimate partner.

But there are less depressing ways to ground the practice of Chinese ghost weddings within a global framework. The practice has spread to other parts of Asia and even finds parallels in Western traditions. For example, following a deadly 1959 dam collapse, France adapted its legal code to allow its president to permit marriage between the living and the dead, so as to allow bereaved individuals to wed deceased fiancees. Meanwhile, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintains a doctrine of Celestial Marriage, which extends the bonds of marriage beyond the grave and through all eternity. With such an emphasis on the afterlife, and such additional doctrines as baptism for the dead, it's not surprising that deceased individuals have been wed, too.

Marriage and death are serious matters no matter where you go. Ghost marriages are just another example of our continuing efforts to square the ideal shape of life with the tragic shape it sometimes takes.
A CONDOMINIUM unit in Barangay Cogon Ramos, Cebu City, rented by a suspected American pedophile was raided by agents of the Women and Children Protection Center-Visayas Field Office on Friday afternoon,

A CONDOMINIUM unit in Barangay Cogon Ramos, Cebu City, rented by a suspected American pedophile was raided by agents of the Women and Children Protection Center-Visayas Field Office on Friday afternoon, May 31, 2019.

The authorities were armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Ramon Daomilas Jr. of the Regional Trial Court 7 Branch 11, Cebu City against Craig Alex Levin, 63, a resident of Coates Lane King of Prussia Pennsylvania, United States of America.

He was arrested last May 24 at around 5 p.m. inside the condominium lobby after he was seen accompanying a minor.

The suspect allegedly comes to the Philippines on a regular basis and stays for a month before leaving for the United States again.

We were able to monitor that this guy, thru referral from the FBI, that every time he comes to the Philippines, his contacts are minors, Police Captain Nino Lawrence Ibo, Deputy Chief of the WCPC Visayas Field Unit, said.

Ibo said Levin arrived in Cebu City on May 8, 2019, but on May 20, they received a referral from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about the illegal activities of Levin.

He was immediately placed under surveillance and found to bring young girls inside his condo unit.

Levin is facing charges of violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Child Abuse Law and RA 10364 or the Qualified Human Trafficking Act.

Ibo said they were able to talk to some of the victims of Levin who confessed to police that the suspect brought them to the condo unit where he engaged them in sex and took videos of the sexual acts.

Because of the information, they suspected that Levin left the photos and videos of the young girls, which prompted them to go to court to seek a search warrant.

Inside the condo unit, authorities recovered several credit cards, condoms, a pair of handcuffs, which the suspect allegedly used when he engaged in sexual activities with his victims.

Police also recovered childrens underwear, which according to the suspect, he would give to a friend.

Story continues

They also retrieved an iPhone, a MacBook, which authorities will place under forensic examination with the Anti Cyber-Crime Group 7.

There is nothing illegal here, no drugs. The clothes, thats for my friend. I dont know what they are doing, Levin said.

Police also recovered a notebook containing the alleged names of women, with their corresponding age, and how much money he was able to give each of them.

The suspect though denied he abused the girls who were listed in the notebook.

The owner of the condo unit, who requested not to be named, said the suspect had been in the condo for a week and he was a regular guest every time he visited Cebu City.

He said he did not notice anything unusual as the suspect paid his rent using his credit card regularly.

Ang iyang gi book online katong usa nako ka unit, pero occupied man. Mao to gi transfer namo siya diri. Ganahan siya diri. Mao to nga diri na na siya permi. Wala mi idea nga naa ni siyay ingun ani nga activities, the condo unit owner said. (He earlier booked another unit of mine online, but it was occupied so I gave him this unit. He likes it here, so he is constantly here. We had no idea that he was into these activities.) (from AYB of SuperBalita Cebu/VLA)
MANILA, Philippines  President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an order which eases the rules on contracts entered into by the government for oil exploration and development.

Duterte signed the Executive Order (EO) No. 80 on May 28 and a copy of which was released by Malacanang on Thursday (May 30).

Through the EO, Duterte has allowed third parties to participate in service contracts awarded by the government to the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC), the upstream oil and gas subsidiary of the Philippine National Oil Company.

In all cases, PNOC-EC shall enter into farm-in/farm-out agreements only with reputable, technically competent and financially capable entities, the order stated.

Farm-in/farm-out refers to a practice, recognized and accepted in the oil and gas industry, of allowing third party participation to spread the risks inherent in oil and gas exploration, development, and production. The entity acquiring the participating interest considers the transaction as a farm-in, while the entity transferring such interest considers the transaction as a farm-out.

The order effectively repeals the EO 556 series of 2006 and other executive issuances which prohibits the awarding of farm-in or farm-out deals by any government agency. The order, signed during the Arroyo administration also ordered government agencies to follow a strict bidding procedure in selecting parties for oil exploration.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has been pushing for the repeal of Arroyos EO to allow pending farm-in deals, including the controversial Service Contract (SC) 57 to proceed.

The SC 57, which covers an area off Northwest Palawan under the exclusive Philippines economic zone, was awarded to the PNOC EC in 2005.

According to the contract, State-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation has farmed in into SC 57 in 2006, acquiring 51 percent participating interest.

Under Dutertes order, the DOE is tasked to issue rules and regulations specifying the selection process to be observed by the PNOC-EC.

Story continues

All farm-in/farm-out agreements to be undertaken by the PNOC-EC must be approved by the DOE.

The DOE shall take into consideration provisions of existing government selection procedures that enhance transparency and objectivity in the selection process, including GCG issuances requiring that contracts to be entered into by the government-owned and/or controlled corporations undergo review by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, the EO stated.

Dutertes order comes after the Philippines and China inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on oil and gas development in the contested South China Sea.

The post Duterte issues EO easing rules on oil, gas exploration deals appeared first on UNTV News.
Second case of African swine fever found in pig in Hong Kong, sparking cull of 4,700 animals and closure of slaughterhouse

A government-owned slaughterhouse will be closed for the second time in a month from Friday night following the latest case of African swine fever, with 4,700 animals to be culled.

Health authorities detected the virus in a dead pig at Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse, health chief Sophia Chan Siu-chee said.

The pig had been imported from a farm in Meizhou city, Guangdong province.

The facility, which provides 80 per cent of the local pork supply, will be closed for the second time in a month. It was shut from May 11 to 18 in the first case.

Chan, the secretary for food and health, said the government had asked the smaller, private Tsuen Wan Slaughterhouse to remain open to ensure the supply of fresh pork, although the amount would be limited.

She did not say whether the operator had agreed to the request.

When there is no reasonable explanation, it cannot stop slaughtering pigs. I think there is also a law, she said.

The disease is not harmful to humans, but deadly to pigs. A huge outbreak of African swine fever in mainland China has resulted in more than a million pigs either dying from the disease or being culled since last August.

Chan said the pig was found dead on Friday at Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse with suspected symptoms of the disease. A tissue sample later tested positive for African swine fever.

The abattoir would be closed from Friday night for disinfection, which she said she hoped could be finished in four days.

After the [first infection] we strengthened the inspections at the border. Vets were placed at Man Kam To [border checkpoint] to check every truckload of pigs. And upon their arrival at the slaughterhouse, vets were also there to check, she said.

Chan said 4,700 pigs would be culled. She appealed to the industry  which protested over the previous cull  to cooperate, saying the move was in line with international practice.

Hui Wai-kin of the Pork Traders General Association said the latest closure would definitely affect traders livelihoods, but he refused to estimate how much the price of fresh pork would rise due to the limited supply from Tsuen Wan Slaughterhouse.

Story continues

Lawmaker Steven Ho Chun-yin, who represents the agriculture and fisheries sector, said it was important for the government to set out the role of Tsuen Wan Slaughterhouse in such an emergency situation, because it was hard for traders to sustain business.

We have to sell a pig at HK$8,000 [US$1,025] to sustain business and maintain cost, because we have to pay our staff, regardless of whether we close the slaughterhouse or not, Ho said, adding that he would request a meeting with Chan on Monday or Tuesday.

He urged the government to slaughter all pigs by the end of each day to ensure the disease did not spread in the event of one animal being infected.

The citys first case was confirmed three weeks ago, prompting the government to order the cull of 6,500 pigs at Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse to prevent the spread of the virus. It was the biggest pig cull in more than 50 years, according to industry veterans.

In that case, a pig imported from Zhanjiang in Guangdong was infected, and the batch it was in had already been put on the market. The incident posed no health risk to humans, as thoroughly cooked pork is safe for consumption.

Watch: When 20,000 pigs were culled due to swine fever in 2018

But pork traders lashed out at the government for ordering the first cull, asking officials to spare the animals unless they had tested positive for the virus. Traders stood guard overnight to prevent officials from entering the citys main slaughterhouse to cull the pigs, which were believed to be safe for consumption.

The slaughterhouse blockade was later called off as health officials and pork traders reached a compensation agreement on future swine fever outbreak arrangements.

The Tsuen Wan facility also closed its doors.

Hong Kong imports about 4,000 pigs per day from the mainland. The previous case prompted mainland suppliers to suspend the export of all live pigs into the city for eight days.

African swine fever can be traced to Kenya, where it was first detected in domestic swine in 1921. According to a leading expert on the disease, Professor Dirk Pfeiffer of City University, it can be transmitted by warthogs and specific soft tick species, which in turn spread it to domestic pigs.

More from South China Morning Post:

This article Second case of African swine fever found in pig in Hong Kong, sparking cull of 4,700 animals and closure of slaughterhouse first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2019.
Microscopic egg of whipworm from Catalhoyuk, Turkey. Black scale bar represents 20 micrometres. Image Credit: Evilena Anastasiou.

New research published today in the journal Antiquity reveals that ancient faeces from the prehistoric village of Catalhoyuk have provided the earliest archaeological evidence for intestinal parasite infection in the mainland Near East.

People first gave up hunting and gathering and turned to farming in the Near East, around 10,000 years ago. The settlement of Catalhoyuk is famous for being an incredibly well preserved early village founded around 7,100 BC. The population of Catalhoyuk were early farmers, growing crops such as wheat and barley, and herding sheep and goats.

"It has been suggested that this change in lifestyle resulted in a similar change in the types of diseases that affected them. As the village is one of the largest and most densely populated of its time, this study at Catalhoyuk helps us to understand that process better," says study lead Dr. Piers Mitchell of Cambridge's Department of Archaeology.

The toilet was first invented in the 4th millennium BC in Mesopotamia, 3000 years later than when Catalhoyuk flourished. It is thought the people living at Catalhoyuk either went to the rubbish tip (midden) to open their bowels, or carried their faeces from their houses to the midden in a vessel or basket to dispose of them.

"We would expect this to have put the population at risk of diseases spread by contact with human faeces, and explains why they were vulnerable to contracting whipworm," says the study first author Marissa Ledger.

Credit: Evilena Anastasiou.

"As writing was only invented 3000 years after the time of Catalhoyuk, the people were unable to record what happened to them during their lives. This research enables us for the first time to imagine the symptoms felt by some of the prehistoric people living at Catalhoyuk who were infected by this parasite."

To look for the eggs of intestinal parasites, Cambridge researchers Mitchell, Ledger and Evilena Anastasiou used microscopy to study preserved pieces of human faeces (coprolites) from a rubbish tip, and soil formed from decomposed faeces recovered from the pelvic region of burials. The samples dated from 7,100-6150 BC.

To determine whether the coprolites excavated from the midden were from human or animal faeces, they were analysed for sterols and bile acids at the University of Bristol Mass Spectrometry Facility by Helen Mackay, Lisa Marie Shillito, and Ian Bull. This analysis demonstrated that the coprolites were of human origin.

Further microscopic analysis showed that eggs of whipworm were present in two of the coprolites, demonstrating that people from the prehistoric village were infected by this intestinal parasite.

8000-year-old human coprolite (preserved piece of faeces) from Catalhoyuk, Turkey. Credit: Lisa-Marie Shillito.

"It was a special moment to identify parasite eggs over 8000 years old," said study co-author Evilena Anastasiou.

Whipworms are 3-5cm in length, and live on the lining of the intestines of the large bowel. Adult worms can live for 5 years. Male and female worms mate and their eggs are mixed in with the faeces. Whipworm is spread by the contamination of food or drink from human faeces that contain the worm eggs. A heavy infection with whipworm can lead to anaemia, diarrhoea, stunted growth and reduced intelligence in children.

"Now we need to find ancient faecal material from prehistoric hunter gathers in the Near East, to help us understand how this change in lifestyle affected their diseases." added Mitchell.

Explore further Ancient feces reveal parasites described in earliest Greek medical texts

More information: Marissa L. Ledger et al, Parasite infection at the early farming community of Catalhoyuk, Antiquity (2019). Journal information: Antiquity Marissa L. Ledger et al, Parasite infection at the early farming community of Catalhoyuk,(2019). DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2019.61
There was a whole row of us, stark naked, bound and bent over a large table, being mechanically and relentlessly buggered by an infernal device, claims twenty two year old Hank Spork in this weeks Weekly World Shopper. After eight hours a day, seven days a week of being subjected to such abuse, your backside has well and truly been trained to take it from behind without resistance! Sporks story is one of a series of articles being run by the US tabloid  available at supermarket checkouts throughout Delaware, both Carolinas and Wisconsin  exposing so-called Perversion Therapy. Weve heard a lot about these conversion therapies, whereby, the liberals claim, the aim is to convert homosexuals back to normality, opines Deke Spiggot, publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly World Shopper. But what about when it happens the other way, when innocent straight people are converted to homosexuality? Perversion therapy, as we call it. According to Spiggot, Perversion Therapy must, logically, exist. Its obvious  if Conversion Therapy works and turns queers back into normal guys, then they must have been converted, or rather perverted, into homos in the first place, he explains. Thats what we aimed to find out through investigative journalism  who is doin it, why are the doin it and how are they doin it?

The results of the tabloids investigations  run under titles such as Liberal Perverts Made Me Love Gay Butt Sex  paint a harrowing picture of young men abducted from the streets and subjected to horrific and humiliating ordeals at the hands of fanatical sexual deviants. Sporks testimony in the papers pages describes some of the techniques used to turn normal men into raving homosexuals. Training our butt holes to receive male members was just the start of it, he recalls. In another session, you would find yourself confronted by a topless woman and a man naked from the waist down  if you tried to grope the bared breasts, you would find yourself on the receiving end of a cattle prod. If you fondled the testicles, youd get a hit of morphine. All the time theyd be repeating the mantra: Breasts is bad, balls are good. Other parts of the training involved being taught how to mince and the correct degree of limp wristedness to display. Most of the training, though, focused on learning to be repulsed by the sight of any female sexual organs. If you so much as looked at a vagina with any hint of desire, you would get a beating, says Spork, Their ultimate aim was to condition a response of desire at the sight of a penis and revulsion at the sight of a pair of breasts. In the end, you had no choice but to give in and embrace homosexuality.

But who is behind these shocking instances of Perversion Therapy and what is their motivation. Spiggot has no doubt that much of it is the result of liberal social conformity gone mad. Its all down to them damned trendy middle aged liberals in places like New York, California an New England, he says. It has become fashionable to have gay off-spring, it helps establish your liberal credentials, shows how broad-minded an virtuous you are. So if your kids unreasonably want to grow up straight, what else can you do but have one of em converted to the other side? Indeed, in an article entitled We Were Shamed By Our Sons Straightness  How Could We Claim To Be Truly Liberal Without a Gay Son? say Democrat Voting Vermont Couple, Spiggot purports to have spoken to such a couple who confided that they were motivated by envy of a neighbour who had a gay son. He was such a nice boy, the life and soul of every liberal fund-raiser, everyone admired how tolerant his parents were, they allegedly told the Shopper. So, what else could we do? After some discreet enquiries, we were put in touch with this therapist who promised he could turn our youngest son gay inside a month. It wasnt cheap, but it has been worth every penny as our boy is definitely gayer than our neighbours son  people never stop congratulating us on him!

In addition to the desire for designer gay sons on the part of liberal parents, Spiggot suspects that a political agenda lies behind much Perversion Therapy. Its all down to this modern mania for minorities and so called equality, he declares. Nowadays weve got the Federal government tellin us how many homosexuals, transvestites an the like we have to employ. Thing is though, there aint enough of em around, so theyve had to start pervertin normal people so as to make up the quotas. Spiggot firmly believes that these qoutas originate with the shadowy World Government which hides behind the United Nations (UN) and is facilitated in the US by the Democratic Party. A theory expounded in an article entitled Bernie Sanders Wants Your Boys to Take it Up The Keister in World Government Equality Scam. Perhaps the most bizarre theory advanced by Spiggot is that at least some of the forced homosexualisation of young American men is down to the activities of a homosexual cult, kidnapping young men off of the street and indoctrinating them to, quite literally, worship the penis. The Shopper was supported these claims with the publication on its website of some grainy video footage purporting to show semi-naked acolytes bowing down before huge stone effigies of cocks.

Not surprisingly, the tabloids series of articles on Perversion Therapy have been roundly condemned, with many media commentators pointing out that its investigative journalism consisted of placing an ad in its own pages asking Are you gay against your will? accompanied by a toll free phone number. This is clearly just right wing propaganda aimed at trying to neutralise reporting of the barbaric practices of the Conversion Therapy brigade, says Professor Herb Hencklemann of the Minnesota Institute of Sexual Diversity Studies. Should we be surprised that these stories all equate homosexuality with perversion and liberal politics? Its quite obvious what they are trying to do. Hencklemann notes that the newspapers stories, like Conversion Therapy, are based upon the premise that homosexuality is a deviance, a learned behaviour or simply a lifestyle choice rather than being something inherent in someones character. So, following this logic, such behaviours and choices can be corrected and the individual sufferer brought back to the norm., he says. In practice, this sort of therapy probably mainly consists of beating gay people until they recant. That and subjecting them to aversion therapy: their genitals are wired up to the mains, shown gay porn and shocked every time they have a sexual response to it. Precisely the same sort of thing they are now trying to attribute to this fictional Perversion Therapy. A clear case of projection. Spork, however, is adamant that his ordeal was real, not a fantasy. I know what happened to me  I was violently turned from a strapping straight girl-loving guy into a cock hungry, limp wristed gay, he says. Im now so ashamed of myself that Ive signed up for Conversion Therapy to have the queerness beaten out of me!
Figure 1: Gross Domestic Product in five countries, 1000-2015. Source: The CORE-Econ Project. Credit: Colorado State University

One of the most spectacular facts of the last two centuries of economic history is the exponential growth in GDP per capita in most of the world. Figure 1 shows the rise (and the difference) in living standards for five countries since 1000 AD.

This economic progress, unprecedented in human history, would be impossible without major breakthroughs in technology. The economic historian Joel Mokyr has argued that the Enlightenment in Britain brought new ways to transfer scientific discoveries into practical tools for engineers and artisans. The steam engine, electricity, sanitation are examples of technological discoveries that propelled the engine of economic growth, increasing standards of living across the planet.

At the outset of the Industrial Revolution, the Luddite movement rose out of fear of labor displacement in the British textile sector. Famously, the Luddite protesters destroyed the very machines they were using at work, in order to preserve their role as active members of society. Their reasoning was that if automation could double, triple, or quadruple a worker's output, the economy would need half, a third, a quarter of the current workforce. The Luddite movement was eventually suppressed by military force in 1816, but history has proven them partly correct.

Humans do work shorter hours today than in the 19th century, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 2: Luddite protest. Credit: WikiCommons

Many Silicon Valley executives like the Tesla CEO Elon Musk believe that we are on the verge of a new technological revolution that will see Artificial Intelligence (AI) automating a majority of tasks that are currently performed by humans. Just as horses were displaced by motor vehicles, truck drivers may soon be replaced by self-driving vehicles.

Factories producing components for personal computers and tablets are also becoming highly automated. The BBC reports (May 25, 2016) that FoxConn has replaced 60,000 of its workers with robots. A January 2016 Oxford University study claims that 47% of US jobs could be lost to automation, along with 69% of jobs in India, 77% in China, and 57% worldwide. Machine learning enables robots to make decisions based on a vast amount of data on (sometimes very difficult) decision-making by highly-skilled humans.

Should we then fear that the forthcoming AI Revolution will force humanity to completely rethink the current organization of our lives?

One of the most important economic thinkers of all time, John Maynard Keynes, wrote in his 1930 essay "The Economic Possibilities for our Grandchildren" that by the 21st century we could fulfill our needs and wants with a 15 hours workweek and devote the rest of our lives to non-monetary pursuits. Fast-forward to 2014, when the late physicist Stephen Hawking told the BBC that "artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race."

Figure 3: Annual hours worked, 1870-2010. Credit: The Maddison Project 2013

Should we see AI as liberating or as a destructive force?

Economists have debated the effect of technology and automation on jobs for a long time. The first set of questions regards labor displacement and whether there is any future for work at all. The second set of questions has to do with how automation impacts income and wealth inequality. On the one hand, if the ownership of robots is concentrated in the hands of a fewlet's call them the 1%and a majority of jobs disappears for the 99%, it will exacerbate inequality, which is already on the rise (see Figure 4). On the other hand, technological change is also creating polarization in the labor market among the 99%. According to the MIT economist David Autor, between 1989 and 2007 job creation has occurred mostly in low-paying and high-paying jobs, while middle-class jobs were affected by job destruction on net.

It is true that automation displaces workers in some sectors, but workers reallocate to other sectors over time. Historical examples in advanced economies like the US are the transition from rural agriculture to urban manufacturing during the first half of the 20th century, and from manufacturing to services in more recent times.

The net effect on jobs does not seem to lend support to Hawking and Musk's gloomy predictions. This is even more true if one considers another beneficial effect of technological change: everyday objects like dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, washers, and dryers, reduced the burden of housekeeping and freed up time for women to seek employment. Indeed, the labor force participation rate was 67% in 2000, compared to 59% in 1948. The increases in labor productivity brought about by technological change spill over into higher wages for workers: in a 2015 report, Economic Policy Institute economists Josh Bivens and Larry Mishel have documented that the average hourly compensation for the typical American worker in 2014 grew by about 110% relative to 1948.

Figure 4: Top 1% Fiscal Income share, US, 1913-2015. Credit: World Inequality Database

This is not to say that technological change has no costs for society. The transition from agriculture to manufacturing took time, and in the short run produced economic anxiety, unemployment, and poverty among former agricultural workers. The same applies to the transition to a service economy, although there are some troubling peculiarities about the latter process. The transition to manufacturing was associated with higher wages and employment protection through union membership. The transition to services not so much: low-skill service workers tend to be paid less than workers of similar skills in manufacturing, and service workers are in general not unionized: consequently, they do not take advantage of the benefits of collective bargaining in terms of wages.

Another cause of concern is that automation and technological change is characterized by increasing returns: doubling the scale of production enables production at more than twice the output at the initial scale. Increasing returns lower the cost of production as the scale of a firm expands, which leads to firm concentration toward few, large firms with lots of market power. And it is not by chance that the most visible hi-tech industries, such as Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are all basically monopolies.

The decline of manufacturing employment and the increasing concentration of the US corporate sector are two reasons why average wages have not kept up with the increase in labor productivity over the last 40 years. An average 2015 worker is almost 2.4 times more productive than an average 1948 worker, but her wage is only 110% higher. Wages were growing on par with labor productivity up to the 1970s; starting in the 1980s, productivity has been growing at a much faster pace. The process of job polarization has fed into this pattern, determining rising employment in low-paying sectors and high-paying sectors, at the expense of good middle-class jobs.

Although it is possible that AI is completely different from the technological advances of the past, we should be skeptical that automation will mean the end of work. Jobsor even specific taskswill be displaced, but workers will relocate to different jobs or take up different tasks. For low- and medium-skill workers, it is likely that the relocation will occur in jobs of lower quality, meaning either lower pay, or fewer benefits, or a combination of both. Workers who possess skills that are complementary to new technologies, on the other hand, will benefit from the advent of automation by reaping most of the productivity increases in the form of higher wages. And the very few CEOs of successful tech companies will see their incomes skyrocket.

Hence, citizens and policymakers concerned with the rise of automation should focus on its effects on inequality. During the 1980s economists have embraced supply-side views that inequality is beneficial for growth, but recent academic research has shown that the opposite is true. The work by economists Thomas Piketty, Emmanuel Saez, and Gabriel Zucman has suggested that high marginal tax rates on top incomesthat is, tax rates levied on every dollar earned above a certain, typically very high thresholdwould go a long way in reducing inequality without distorting the individual incentives to work hard. Indeed, the US economy grew fastest between 1950 and 1970, when the top marginal tax rate was well above 70%. The corresponding tax revenues could be used to provide unemployment compensation or foster the provision of public goods such as education and training for workers to relocate when their jobs are automated.

Explore further The benefits of job automation are not likely to be shared equally
Schematic of a boron atom. Credit: Ellen Weiss/Argonne National Laboratory

Work opens a path to precise calculations of the structure of other nuclei.

In a study that combines experimental work and theoretical calculations made possible by supercomputers, scientists have determined the nuclear geometry of two isotopes of boron. The result could help open a path to precise calculations of the structure of other nuclei that scientists could experimentally validate.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, in collaboration with scientists in Germany and Poland, determined the difference in a quantity known as the nuclear charge radius between boron-10 and boron-11. The nuclear charge radius indicates the size of an atomic nucleuswhich often has relatively indistinct edges.

Nuclear charge radii are difficult to compute with high precision for atoms much larger than boron because of the sheer number of neutrons and protons whose properties and interactions must be derived from quantum mechanics.

Nuclear theory builds from quantum chromodynamics (QCD), a set of physical rules that apply to quarks and gluons that compose the protons and neutrons within the nucleus. But trying to solve the nuclear dynamics using QCD alone would be an almost impossible task due to its complexity, and researchers have to rely on at least some simplifying assumptions.

Because boron is relatively lightwith only five protons and a handful of neutronsthe team was able to successfully model the two boron isotopes on the Mira supercomputer and study them experimentally using laser spectroscopy. Mira is part of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF), a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

"This is one of the most complicated atomic nuclei for which it is possible to arrive at these precise measurements experimentally and derive them theoretically," said Argonne nuclear physicist Peter Mueller, who helped lead the study.

Looking at how the nuclear configurations of boron-11 (11B) and boron-10 (10B) differed involved making determinations at extraordinarily small length scales: less than a femtometerone-quadrillionth of a meter. In a counterintuitive finding, the researchers determined that the 11 nucleons in boron-11 actually occupy a smaller volume than the 10 nucleons in boron-10.

To look experimentally at the boron isotopes, scientists at the University of Darmstadt performed laser spectroscopy on samples of the isotopes, which fluoresce at different frequencies. While most of the difference in the fluorescence patterns is caused by the difference in the mass between the isotopes, there is a component in the measurement that reflects the size of the nucleus, explained Argonne physicist Robert Wiringa.

To separate these components, collaborators from the University of Warsaw and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan carried out state-of-the-art atomic theory calculations that precisely describe the complicated dance of the five electrons around the nucleus in the boron atom.

"Earlier electron scattering experiments couldn't really say for sure which was bigger," Wiringa said. "By using this laser spectroscopy technique, we're able to see for certain how the extra neutron binds boron-11 more closely."

The good agreement between experiment and theory for the dimensions of the nucleus allows researchers to determine other properties of an isotope, such as its beta decay rate, with higher confidence. "The ability to perform calculations and do experiments go hand-in-hand to validate and reinforce our findings," Mueller said.

The next stage of the research will likely involve the study of boron-8, which is unstable and only has a half-life of about a second before it decays. Because there are fewer neutrons in the nucleus, it is much less tightly bound than its stable neighbors and is believed to have an extended charge radius, Mueller said. "There is a prediction, but only experiment will tell us how well it actually models this loosely bound system," he explained.

An article based on the research, "Nuclear Charge Radii of 10,11B," appears in the May 10 issue of Physical Review Letters.

Explore further Researchers confirm nuclear structure theory by measuring nuclear radii of cadmium isotopes

More information: Bernhard Maa et al, Nuclear Charge Radii of B10,11, Physical Review Letters (2019). Journal information: Physical Review Letters Bernhard Maa et al, Nuclear Charge Radii of B10,11,(2019). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.182501
Iguacu National Park, Brazil. Credit: Haroldo Castro/Conservation International

A large international team of researchers reports that the amount of land designated as protected around the globe is shrinking. In their paper published in the journal Science, the researchers describe their study of protected lands over the past 200 years, and what they found. Lisa Naughton-Treves and Margaret Buck Holland with the University of Wisconsin and the University of Maryland, respectively, have published a Perspective piece on the work done by the team in the same journal issue. They also note that not all downgrades are a threat to biodiversity.

For much of modern history, governments and national leaders have set aside land under their jurisdiction to prevent it from destruction by human activities. But as the researchers note, governments are also free to remove such restrictions if they so desire. In this new effort, the researchers studied the history of land protection and protected area downgrading, downsizing and degazettement, or PADDD, over the past two centuries.

The researchers report that they found that approximately 2 million square feet of land around the world has been PADDDed, since 1892. Furthermore, they found that approximately 78 percent of that land downgrading has occurred over just the past 20 years. In their report, they focused most strongly on PADDDing in the U.S. and Amazonia. They found that approximately 90 percent of the land downgraded in the U.S. over the past two centuries happened over just the past 20 years. And sadly, approximately 99 percent of such land was downgraded so that it could be used for industrial purposes.

Grand-Staircase Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, before and after downsize. Credit: Rachel Golden Kroner

Protected areas before and after downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement events in Rondonia, Brazilian Amazon. Most events were enacted to authorize the construction of the Jirau hydropower dam. Credit: Rachel Golden Kroner

Downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement events in Rondonia, Brazilian Amazon. Most events were enacted to authorize the construction of the Jirau hydropower dam. Credit: Rachel Golden Kroner

Protected areas downsized in Brazil to authorize the construction of the Tapajos hydropower dam (before and after). Credit: Rachel Golden Kroner

History of boundary changes and downgrades in Yasuni National Park, Ecuador. Credit: Rachel Golden Kroner

The researchers suggest that the trend of removing restrictions from protected lands could have an impact on other countries looking to shore up their economies, leading to removal of restrictions in other countries.

More optimistically, Naughton-Treves and Buck Holland suggest that rather than look at downgraded land totals, environmentalists need to look at how land is being used. They note that while there is generally more biodiversity inside of protected areas than out, there are other factors at play as well. One such factor, they point out, is the impact that protecting wildlands has on people living in the areaespecially poor people. In many areas, the result is great hardship. They also note that the degree of harm brought to downgraded areas depends very much on the types of industries that come in. Some, they note, such as extractive industries, are particularly damaging. They suggest that local entities should be the ones making land protection decisions rather than remote entities, allowing more thoughtful management of valuable land.

Explore further A call to protect much more land and sea from human encroachment

More information: Rachel E. Golden Kroner et al. The uncertain future of protected lands and waters, Science (2019). Journal information: Science Rachel E. Golden Kroner et al. The uncertain future of protected lands and waters,(2019). DOI: 10.1126/science.aau5525

 2019 Science X Network
Employee or contractor? Food delivery pladforms such as Deliveroo are under pressure over the status of their riders

Online food delivery group Deliveroo went on trial in Madrid on Friday, accused of wrongly hiring more than 500 of its riders as self-employed contractors instead of regular workers, which costs less for the firm.

Brought by Spain's social security system, which is claiming 1.2 million euros ($1.3 million) in unpaid contributions, the case is one of several being fought by Deliveroo and other gig economy groups like Uber in various countries over whether drivers should be classified as employees.

Online food platforms have bloomed worldwide, allowing people to order from local restaurants via mobile phones, with dishes delivered to their homes or offices shortly afterwards, often by young bicycle couriers.

The trial is expected to end later on Friday, a Madrid court spokesman told AFP, but a verdict is likely to take much longer.

The case originated from a health and safety report ruling that Madrid's more than 500 Deliveroo riders "were false self-employed contractors, which means they are employees," said Esther Costa, the lawyer of seven couriers in this case.

Self-employed contractors have to pay their own social contributions to the health and pensions systems.

Employees, meanwhile, have such contributions transferred directly by their employer, which pays a portion of them.

A similar trial took place in February in Valencia concerning the eastern city's 200 drivers. But a verdict has not yet been reached.

Two other similar trials will take place this year in Barcelona and the northeastern city of Zaragoza.

There have been previous court rulings in Spain over the status of couriers working for Deliveroo or Glovo, another food delivery platform, but these had always been brought by the drivers themselves.

The Madrid case, as well as that of Valencia and the others, "will directly affect the model of labour relations imposed by sharing economy platforms as a whole," said legal firm Colectivo Ronda to which Costa belongs.

But in a statement, Deliveroo said it "collaborates with self-employed riders... They can choose when and where they work, and for how long."

"Those who campaign to get rid of flexibility don't represent the opinion of a majority of riders," it added.

The company asked for "a legal reform allowing companies to offer self-employed drivers more security without endangering flexibility."

Explore further UK union loses challenge to Deliveroo over drivers' status

 2019 AFP
New IDSS research "will demonstrate the power of data coupled with advanced tools from predictive analytics, machine learning, reinforcement learning, and data sharing markets," says IDSS Director Munther Dahleh. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

With a couple billion more people estimated to join the global population in the next few decades, world food production could use an upgrade. Africa has a key role to play: Agriculture is Africa's biggest industry, but much of Africa's agricultural land is currently underutilized. Crop yields could be increased with more efficient farming techniques and new equipmentbut that would require investment capital, which is often an obstacle for farmers.

A new research collaboration at the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) aims to address this challenge with data. The group plans to use data from technologically advanced farms to better predict the value of intervention in underperforming farms. Ultimately, the goal is to create a platform for sharing data and risk among invested parties, from farmers and lenders to insurers and equipment manufacturers.

Sharing data, sharing risk

Many African farmers lack the capital to invest in yield-increasing upgrades like new irrigation systems, new machinery, new fertilizers, and technology for sensing and tracking crop growth. The most common path to capital is bank loans, with land as collateral. This is an unattractive proposition for farmers, who already bear the many risks of production, including bad weather, changing market prices, or even the shocks of geopolitical events.

Lenders, on the other hand, have an incomplete assessment of their risk, especially with potential borrowers who have no credit history. Lenders also lack data and tools to predict their return on investment.

"Building a platform for risk-sharing is key to upgrading farming practices," says Munther Dahleh, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT and director of IDSS. In order to create such a platform, Dahleh and the IDSS team aim to better predict the value of employing advanced farming practices on the production of individual farms. This prediction needs to be accurate enough to incentivize investment from economic stakeholders and the farmers themselves, who are in competition with each other and may be reluctant to share information.

The IDSS approach proposes a data-sharing platform that incentivizes all parties to participate: Technologically advanced farms are rewarded for their valuable data, bankers benefit from data that support their credit risk models, farmers get better loan terms and recommendations that increase their profits and production, and technology companies get recommendations on how to best support the needs of their farmer customers. "Such a platform has to have the correct incentives to engage everyone to participate, have sufficient protection from players with market power, and ultimately provide valuable data for farmers and creditors alike," says Dahleh.

The absence of data from underperforming farms presents a challenge to extrapolating the value of intervention and assessing the uncertainty in such predictions. With sparse available data, researchers are looking to conduct experiments in strategically selected farms to provide valuable new data for the rest. Researchers will use advanced machine learning, including active learning methodology, to try to achieve both a quantification of the predicted value of intervention and a quantification of the uncertainty of that prediction to a degree of confidence. Once more data is available, IDSS researchers intend to refine their calculations and develop new techniques for extrapolating the value of intervention in less-advanced farms.

Engaging stakeholders

One likely intervention for many African farmers involves using different fertilizers. Many farmers aren't currently using fertilizers targeted to specific soil or various stages of farmingso fertilizer producers are another vested interest in this agriculture economy.

To help these farmers get access to better loan terms, Moroccan phosphate company OCP is funding a collaboration between IDSS researchers and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco. This research collaboration with OCP, a leading global company in the phosphate fertilizer industry, includes building the data- and risk-sharing platform as well as other foundational research in agriculture. The collaboration has the potential to engage other stakeholders working or investing in African agriculture.

"This collaboration will help accelerate our efforts to develop pertinent solutions for African agriculture using high-level agri-tech tools," says Fassil Kebede, professor of soil science and head of the Center for Soil and Fertilizer Research in Africa. "This will offer farmers possibilities for better production and growth, which is part of our mission to contribute to Africa's food-security objectives."

"African farmers are at the heart of the OCP Group's mission and strategy, while data analytics and predictive tools are today essential for agriculture development in Africa," adds Mostafa Terrab, OCP Group chair and CEO. "This collaboration with IDSS will help us bring together new technology and analytical methods from one side, and our expertise with African farmers and their challenges from the other side. It will reinforce our capabilities to offer adapted solutions to African farmers, especially small holders, to enable them to make more precise and timely decisions."

Ultimately, IDSS aims to bring wins across an entire economic ecosystem, from insurers to lenders to equipment and fertilizer companies. But most importantly, boosting this ecosystem could help lift many farmers out of povertyand bring about a much-needed increase in the world's aggregate food production.

Says Dahleh: "To accomplish this mission, this project will demonstrate the power of data coupled with advanced tools from predictive analytics, machine learning, reinforcement learning, and data sharing markets."

Explore further Farmers and food companies hit the dirt to improve soil health

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
Model of ExoMars rover at control centre. Credit: ALTEC

The ExoMars rover has a brand new control center in one of Europe's largest Mars yards. The Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC) was inaugurated today in Turin, Italy, ahead of the rover's exploration adventure on the Red Planet in 2021.

The control center will be the operational hub that orchestrates the roaming of the European-built laboratory on wheels, named after Rosalind Franklin, upon arrival to the Martian surface on Kazachok, the Russian surface platform.

"This is the crucial place on Earth from where we will listen to the rover's instruments, see what she sees and send commands to direct the search for evidence of life on and under the surface," said Jan Worner, ESA's Director General.

The ExoMars rover will be the first of its kind to both move across the Mars surface and to study it at depth with a drill able to collect samples from down to two meters into the surface.

The epicenter of the action for directing Mars surface operations on Earth is at the ALTEC premises in Turin, Italy. From here, engineers and scientists will work shoulder to shoulder at mission control, right next to a very special Mars yard.

Filled with 140 tonnes of soil, the Mars-like terrain has sandy areas and rocks of various sizes that will help rehearse possible mission scenarios.

In case Rosalind Franklin lands on a small hill or needs to overcome a dune, the Mars yard has a 64-square metre tilting platform able to simulate up to 30 degrees of inclination and help decide on the best way to move on.

Credit: European Space Agency

When it comes to drilling, the new center has a unique featurea platform with a well that will allow the rover operators to exercise the full sequence of collecting Martian samples two meters under the surface.

The facility has special lamps to simulate the light conditions on Mars, different from those on Earth.

"Thanks to ROCC, Europe will have the great opportunity to manage the activities of the rover on Mars and to plan and test its movements," said Giorgio Saccoccia, president of the Italian space Agency ASI during the opening ceremony.

"This will be the first step towards new robotic missions for the study of Mars and other celestial bodies."

ROCC and roll

Using roving models, the ExoMars teams will test every command and get ready for the unexpected.

"Besides training and operations, this fit-for-purpose center is ideal for trouble shooting," points out Luc Joudrier, the ExoMars rover operations manager who has been studying how a rover moves on Mars for 15 years.

Moving off the landing platform. Credit: ALTEC

The enormous distance from Earth to Mars means that a signal can take between 4 and 24 minutes to reach the control center, making direct control of ExoMars impractical. Rosalind Franklin will be able to take some of its own decisions.

"With the Mars yard next to mission control, operators can gain experience working with autonomous navigation and see the whole picture," adds Luc.

The inauguration of ROCC is followed by plenty of action. The ExoMars science working team will gather next week to get familiar with the place, run demos with a mock-up and plan operations for each of the science instruments in different scenarios.

The facilities will be buzzing with activity from July 2020, when a Proton rocket will insert the ExoMars spacecraft in an eight-month long interplanetary cruise, marking the beginning of an ambitious, scientific and robotic exploration mission.

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which has been circling Mars since 2016, is already getting ready for that moment and will adjust its orbit to support the entry, descent and landing of the spacecraft. The targeted landing site is Oxia Planum, a region that preserves a rich record of geological history from the planet's wetter past.

Martian gear

On Earth, teams all across Europe are making progress towards the launch date next year.

Drill platform for ExoMars rover. Credit: ALTEC

"This is team work with industry and partners at its best," said David Parker, ESA's Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, also present during the inauguration ceremony.

"It is exciting to witness how the pieces of the Martian spacecraft are coming together, and I would like to recognize the hard work of the teams running testing and integration campaigns around the clock," he added.

While a test model of the rover is wheel walking on simulated sandy dunes in a special tilting platform in Switzerland, the panoramic camera will be soon built into the rover and give it her eyes.

The drill and a key set of scientific instrumentsthe Analytical Laboratory Drawerhas been declared fit for Mars and has now been integrated into Rosalind Franklin rover at Airbus Stevenage in the United Kingdom.

Over the summer the rover will move to Toulouse, France, where it will be tested in Mars-like conditions. At the end of the year Rosalind Franklin will travel to Cannes to meet the landing and carrier modules for final assembly.

Explore further ExoMars landing platform arrives in Europe with a name
Europe's top court will rule on whether the personal information of EU citizens is afforded adequate protection from American government surveillance during EU-US data transfers

Ireland's supreme court on Friday dismissed a bid by Facebook to block a landmark data security case from progressing to the European Court of Justice.

The top European court in Luxembourg is now set to hear the case in July, answering questions on whether the personal information of EU citizens is afforded adequate protection from American government surveillance during EU-US data transfers.

"We are grateful for the consideration of the Irish Court and look ahead to the Court of Justice of the European Union to now decide on these complex questions," Facebook said in a statement.

The case stems from a 2013 complaint from Austrian privacy lawyer Max Schrems, following the revelations by US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Schrems raised concerns that the data of European Facebook users was being accessed by US surveillance programmes such as the PRISM system described in Snowden's disclosures.

In 2017, Ireland's high court ruled that the US government engaged in "mass indiscriminate processing of data" and deferred concerns to the European Court of Justice.

Facebook then lodged an appeal with the supreme court of Irelandwhere the social media giant's international headquarters is locatedwhich was dismissed on Friday.

"Facebook likely again invested millions to stop this case from progressing," Schrems said in a statement.

"It is good to see that the Supreme Court has not followed Facebook's arguments that were in total denial of all existing findings so far."

"We are now looking forward to the hearing at the Court of Justice in Luxembourg."

Facebook is already under the spotlight following its role in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.

After revelations from a whistleblower, it was shown that tens of millions of users had their personal data hijacked by Cambridge Analytica, a political firm working for Donald Trump in 2016.

The California-based firm is also being probed by Ireland's Data Protection Commission over numerous potential breaches of stringent European privacy laws outlined in the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Explore further Facebook wins EU court fight against class action lawsuit

 2019 AFP
In this photo taken May 24, 2019, the carcass of a gray whale lies where it washed up on the coast of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, just north of Kalaloch Campground in Olympic National Park. Federal scientists on Friday, May 31 opened an investigation into what is causing a spike in gray whale deaths along the West Coast this year. So far, about 70 whales have stranded on the coasts of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and California, the most since 2000. (AP Photo/Gene Johnson)

U.S. scientists said Friday they will investigate why an unusual number of gray whales are washing up dead on West Coast beaches.

About 70 whales have been found dead so far this year on the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, the most since 2000. About five more have been discovered on British Columbia beaches. That's a very small fraction of the total number of whales believed to have died, because most simply sink and others wash up in such remote areas they're not recorded.

NOAA Fisheries on Friday declared the die-off an "unusual mortality event," providing additional resources to respond to the deaths and triggering the investigation.

"Many of the whales have been skinny and malnourished, and that suggests they may not have gotten enough to eat during their last feeding season in the Arctic," agency spokesman Michael Milstein told reporters during a conference call.

The eastern North Pacific gray whales were removed from the endangered species list in 1994, after recovering from the whaling era.

The population has grown significantly in the last decade and is now estimated at 27,000the highest since surveys began in 1967. That has raised questions about whether their population has reached the limit of what the environment can sustain. Another theory suggests that the loss of Arctic sea ice due to global warming is a culprit.

In this May 24, 2019 photo, teachers and students from Northwest Montessori School in Seattle examine the carcass of a gray whale after it washed up on the coast of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, just north of Kalaloch Campground in Olympic National Park. Federal scientists on Friday, May 31 opened an investigation into what is causing a spike in gray whale deaths along the West Coast this year. So far, about 70 whales have stranded on the coasts of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and California, the most since 2000. (AP Photo/Gene Johnson)

The whales spend their summers feeding in the Arctic before migrating 10,000 miles (16,000 km) to winter off Mexico. Though they eat all along their route, they are typically thinning by the time they return north along the West Coast each spring.

They eat many things, but especially amphipods, tiny shrimp-like creatures that live in sediment on the ocean floor in the Arctic. For many years, researchers noted that fewer calves tended to be born following years when the ice in the Chukchi Sea, north of the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia, was late to melt. The whales had less time to feast because they couldn't access the feeding area, and thus had less blubber to sustain them on their next migration.

Last year, though, the Artic was unusually warm. The whales weren't blocked from the feeding area, and yet are still struggling this year. That has scientists wondering if the loss of sea ice has led to a loss of algae that feed the amphipods. Surveys show the amphipod beds moving farther north, said Sue Moore, a biological oceanographer at the University of Washington.

"The sea ice has been changing very quickly over the last decade or so," she said. "The whales may have to shift to other prey, such as krill or other things they eat."

In this May 6, 2019 file photo, Duat Mai stands atop a dead whale at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Federal scientists on Friday, May 31 opened an investigation into what is causing a spike in gray whale deaths along the West Coast this year. So far, about 70 whales have stranded on the coasts of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and California, the most since 2000. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

In an average year, about 35 whales wash up in the U.S.

In 2000, more than 100 did, prompting NOAA to declare an "unusual mortality event" then as well. The resulting investigation failed to identify a cause. The die-off followed strong changes in ocean conditions in the mid-1990s, suggesting that warmer water patterns affected the availability of prey, but scientists were often unable to perform necropsies, Moore said.

"It's sometimes very difficult to get to these whales in a timely fashion," she said. "You can't always get the kind of samples you would need for diagnostic reasons."

Since then, researchers have built up an improved network of volunteers and have better educated the public to help report and respond to whale deaths, said Deborah Fauquier, veterinary medical officer at NOAA's Office of Protected Resources. This time around, scientists have been able to perform necropsies on 20 of the whales, she said.

In this May 15, 2019 file photo, a dead whale lies near shore in Pacifica, Calif. Federal scientists on Friday, May 31 opened an investigation into what is causing a spike in gray whale deaths along the West Coast this year. So far, about 70 whales have stranded on the coasts of Washington, Oregon, Alaska and California, the most since 2000. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the Cascadia Research Collective, noted that as the whales search farther afield for food, they've entered areas where they're not normally seen so often, including San Francisco Bay and Puget Sound. That puts them at higher risk of being struck by ships or entangled in fishing gear.

Four of the 10 gray whales found dead near San Francisco this year were struck by ships, and a number of shipping companies have slowed their vessels in the area to avoid collisions.

Explore further Researchers seek answers to gray whale deaths after 57 are stranded this year

 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Community damage caused by extreme weather, such as the 2013 floods that covered parts of Colorado, may shape climate beliefs more strongly than individual storm losses, a new study finds. Credit: US Environmental Protection Agency

Recent studies have suggested that people who experience the impacts of hurricanes, catastrophic flooding or other severe weather events are more likely to believe in, and be concerned about, climate change in the wake of the disaster.

But a new study by researchers at Duke University and the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) finds that not all severe weather impacts have the same effect.

"How our community or neighborhood faresthe damages it suffersmay have a stronger and more lasting effect on our climate beliefs than individual impacts do," said Elizabeth A. Albright, assistant professor of the practice of environmental science and policy methods at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment.

"We found that damage at the zip-code level as measured by FEMA was positively associated with stronger climate change beliefs even three or four years after the extreme flooding event our study examined," Albright said.

People who perceived that damage had occurred at such a broad scale were more likely to believe that climate change is a problem and is causing harm, she explained. They were also more likely to perceive a greater risk of future flooding in their community.

In contrast, individual losses such as damage to one's own house appeared to have a negligible long-term impact on climate change beliefs and perceptions of future risks.

"These findings speak to the power of collective experiences and suggest that how the impacts from extreme weather are conceptualized, measured and shared matters greatly in terms of influencing individual beliefs," said Deserai Crow, associate professor of public affairs at UCD.

Albright and Crow published their peer-reviewed paper May 31 in the journal Climatic Change.

To conduct their study, in 2016 and 2017 they surveyed residents of six Colorado communitiesBoulder, Longmont, Lyons, Estes Park, Loveland and Evansthat had suffered devastating flooding after days of intense rainfall dropped nearly a year's worth of precipitation in mountains upstream from them in September 2013.

The surveys queried residents about their climate change beliefs, their perception of the extent of damage caused by the 2013 flooding, and their perception of future flood risks in their neighborhood. It also asked for personal information, such as political affiliation.

In each community, 150 surveys were sent to randomly selected homes in areas that had been inundated by the flood and 350 surveys were sent to randomly selected homes in neighborhoods that had been spared. A total of 903 surveys were completed and returned, for an overall response rate of about 17%.

"As expected, we found that political affiliation was related to the extent to which flood experience affected a person's climate beliefs," said Crow, who is also an affiliate with the Center for Science & Technology Policy Research at the University of Colorado Boulder.

This partisan divide did not extend to perceptions of future floods risks, she noted. Republicans and Democrats perceived similar levels of risk, regardless of whether or not they attributed it to human-caused climate change.

"It's important that we understand these differences and commonalities if we want to build back better and more resiliently after a severe weather disaster," Albright said. "As climate change plays out and we see more frequent extreme weather and floods, how communities respond to those events may predict how resilient they become and how they will recover."

Explore further Extreme weather has limited effect on attitudes toward climate policies

More information: "Beliefs about Climate Change in the Aftermath of Extreme Flooding," Elizabeth Ann Albright, Deserai Crow. Climatic Change, May 31, 2019. DOI: Journal information: Climatic Change "Beliefs about Climate Change in the Aftermath of Extreme Flooding," Elizabeth Ann Albright, Deserai Crow., May 31, 2019. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s10584019024612
This is a collection of 0.02, 0.03 and 0.04 carat solitaire diamonds weighing in total 5.36 carats. Credit: Swamibu/Wikipedia

Forget what you know about cubic zirconia, crystals and any simulated diamonds. This isn't about that.

Technology is disrupting the diamond business.

Lab-grown diamonds that producers say have all the characteristics of the ones that were formed deep in the Earth naturally are finding a place in the market. The Robb Report estimates that lab-grown diamonds sales will reach $420 million this year. That's almost 3% of the $14 billion annual diamond market.

Spence Diamonds, a 40-year-old Canadian fine jeweler, has expanded into lab-grown diamonds and is opening stores in the U.S., including three in Texas: West Village in Uptown Dallas, Legacy West in Plano and The Domain in Austin.

Government regulators and industry groups are all over the topic.

In April, the Federal Trade Commission searched through diamond jewelry ads and on social media to see what shoppers were being told.

The agency found eight businesses using ads that could be deceptive or not in line with its jewelry guides. Spence Diamonds was not one of those.

Earlier, the FTC had removed the word "synthetic" from lab-grown diamonds but told jewelers that they must specify clearly to shoppers that the diamonds are lab-grown. And jewelers must use a different scale than they do for Earth-mined diamonds.

At the Spence store in the West Village, 500 bridal settings are displayed in traditional glass cases, but they're open. The rings have glass stones, so shoppers can try on all they want without being watched or having to wait for someone to help them.

Lab-grown diamonds are priced lower. Spence sells a mined 1.5 carat diamond solitaire ring for $12,179 and one with a lab-grown 2.3 carat diamond for $10,739.

"We're aware that the U.S. and Dallas is saturated with jewelry stores, but we love how we are positioned," said Veeral Rathod, Spence Diamond's CEO and the former CEO and co-founder of Dallas-based J. Hilburn. He joined the Vancouver-based company in September.

Spence will make any engagement ring, either in one of its 3,000 settings or a special design brought in by the customer and make it out of either mined or lab-grown diamonds. That's also true with stud earrings, he said, and the jewelry can be customized to fit the shopper's budget.

Why is this happening? Some consumers are drawn to them over environmental or political concerns. Others simply prefer a bigger stone for less money.

"Technology and science has made it possible, and the FTC has confirmed that they are chemically and physically the same," Rathod said. "We just have to be sure the customer knows what they're buying, and let the consumer make an informed decision."

Explore further Study identifies lherzolite as a source rock for diamond deposits

2019 The Dallas Morning News

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Commissioner of Police Colin John achieved a first for this country when he was elected President of the ACCP.

Commissioner of the Police of the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), Colin John has been elected President of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP).

John was elected, to serve for one year, during the Associations 34th Annual Conference hosted by the Royal Cayman Island Police Service at the Marriott Beach Resort in Grand Cayman, May 21  24, 2019, under the theme Improving Regional Policing Effectiveness in a Changing World.

Commissioner John became the first Vincentian to be elected to the top position in the Association.

In a statement since his election, he said, "I feel very humbled and honored to be leading the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police at this time. I wish to thank my colleagues for the confidence that they have reposed in me.

"During my tenure, my focus will be on increasing intra-agency networking between all of the agencies with the ACCP and also with other non- law enforcement stakeholders.

CoP John also recognized, as one of his areas of focus, that of placing more emphasis on tackling transnational organized crimes and increasing cooperation with the International Association of Commissioners of Police (IACP).

The ACCP was formerly established in 1987 and currently comprises Commissioners of Police/Chiefs of Police from twenty-five (25) Caribbean countries, namely: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, French Antilles, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands.
Credit: Oxford University Press

The right to marry means same-sex couples have gained access to thousands of state and federal benefits like social security benefits and inheritance rights. But it also means the right to divorce. In their new book, LGBTQ Divorce and Relationship Dissolution: Psychological and Legal Perspectives and Implications for Practice (Oxford University Press), co-editors Adam Romero, Arnold D. Kassoy Scholar of Law and lecturer in the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, and Abbie Goldberg, professor of psychology at Clark University, provide a comprehensive resource for researchers, students, lawyers, therapists and LGBTQ people navigating their own relationships.

In a recent interview, Romero and Goldberg discuss some of topics in their book, including factors that make LGBTQ relationships unique, legal issues related to divorce and parenting, and advice for divorce attorneys working with LGBTQ clients.

Why did you decide to publish this book?

Romero: There is relatively little research on relationship and dissolution patterns among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Now that same-sex couples have the right to marry nationwide, we saw that there was a whole new phenomenon of same-sex divorce that needed scholarly attention. As we dug into the issue, all kinds of fascinating questions jumped out. For example, what are the divorce rates for LGBTQ people versus non-LGBTQ people? What happens when divorce lawwhich was developed around straight couplesis applied to LGBTQ people's relationships? How do marriage or children impact LGBTQ relationships? What about LGBTQ people who lose a partner to death, which is another kind of dissolution? Our book brings together a wide variety of experts from different disciplineslaw, psychology, sociology, political science, etc.to explore these questions and others.

How are LGBTQ relationships different from straight relationships in terms of quality and longevity?

Romero: Research suggests that many of the same factors that create instability and strife in straight relationships, such as financial stress, also affect LGBTQ relationships. But LGBTQ people also experience unique factors that can affect their relationships. For example, same-sex couples tend to be more egalitarian than different-sex couples in terms of household labor, which is generally a protective factor for their relationships. But LGBTQ people also experience minority stressors, such as employment discrimination or unaccepting families of origin, which can destabilize relationships. More research is needed, however, including to better understand differences and nuances by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geography and so forth. Also, keep in mind that many LGBTQ peopleespecially bisexuals and transgender peoplemay be in different-sex relationships.

Have same-sex couples rushed to the altar since same-sex marriage became legal nationwide?

Goldberg: As one would expect, there was a rush to get married in the years immediately following the Supreme Court's 2013 decision in United States v. Windsor, which granted same-sex spouses federal recognition of their marriages, and again after the 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. The number of same-sex couples marrying each year seems to have leveled out now. In 2017, there were approximately 547,000 married same-sex couples in the U.S., up from 230,000 in 2013. Today, marriage is a realitythough it sometimes seems tenuous given the current political climate.

Does marriage mean same-sex couples are more likely to stay together?

Goldberg: Research on both same-sex and different-sex couples suggests that married couples are more likely to stay together than unmarried partners. For better or for worse, but hopefully for better, it is harder to leave a relationship once one is married, so same-sex coupleslike different-sex coupleswill be more likely to stick it out when they've made that legal commitment.

What are some specific legal issues LGBTQ people face when they divorce?

Romero: LGBTQ people going through a divorce are now largely treated like anyone divorcing. Yet, there are number of issues in divorce that are unique to LGBTQ people. For one, because divorce law was developed with different-sex couples in mind, LGBTQ people who have arranged their relationships differently could find that their expectations are incompatible with the law's commands. Another issue is that because same-sex couples were not permitted to marry for a very long time, many long-term couples who are now divorcingtogether for 20, 30 or 40 yearsare treated as only being together for the few years they were actually married, and this fundamentally impacts asset division and other divorce issues.

Another big issue for same-sex couples with children is the legal parentage of the non-biological parent. Through adoption and other legal doctrines, the non-biological parent can establish a legal tie to the child, which protects that parents' right to custody and visitation, as well as the child's inheritance and other rights. Many states make it difficult, however. Only some states permit the non-biological parent to adopt her or his partner's child if the couple is not married; if the couple is married, the non-biological spouse should be able to adopt the child like a stepparent. Thus, marriage can be quite helpful in establishing a non-biological parent's rights. However, some states are still figuring out how to treat same-sex couples with respect to the "marital presumption," which says that when a woman gives birth, her spouse is presumed to be the other parent.

How are child custody disputes different for LGBTQ couples?

Goldberg: Marriage, divorce and custody have historically been conceptualized in a heterosexual framework where women are assumed the primary caregivers and key attachment figures for children and men the primary breadwinners. These assumptions have figured into alimony and custody decisions. Although such decisions are evolving, same-sex couples may still get caught in the cross-hairs of heteronormative divorce and child custody law. They might face a judge that assumes that the biological mother in a lesbian couple must be more of a mother because she carried the child for nine months and took a longer parental leaveeven if the non-biological mother shared childcare equally. LGBTQ parents leaving different-sex relationships have historically, and still to this day, faced stigma and discrimination in family courts.

What are some unique challenges that transgender people experience when ending a relationship or divorcing?

Goldberg: While many couples in which one partner comes out as transgender stay together, many do not. The cisgender partner may see their partner coming out as transgender as a violation of trust, a threat to their own sexual identity and orientation, or simply an unexpected and insurmountable issue in the relationship. If there are children in the relationship, the cisgender partner may try to keep the transgender parent from seeing the children. Transgender people often contend with a lot of societal stigma and discrimination on the basis of their gender identities, which can impact their relationships.

How do stigma and prejudice impact the stability of LGBTQ relationships?

Goldberg: Navigating anti-LGBTQ stigma creates intrapersonal and interpersonal stress, which undermines relationship quality and stability. Stigma and prejudice indirectly affect the relationships of LGBTQ people, too. For example, employment and wage discrimination, which puts stress on the individual and couple. Social support is associated with relationship stabilityin all types of couples. LGBTQ people often report lower family support than heterosexual people, which may impact relationship stability. However, LGBTQ people often report equivalent or higher levels of friend support, which can serve as a buffer to stress and relationship challenges. And, research has also started to shed light on LGBTQ people's resilience in the face of stigma and discrimination.

What advice would you give attorneys working with LGBTQ people going through a divorce?

Romero: Attorneys should begin by making sure their LGBTQ clients feel welcome and supported. This could mean asking for and using the client's preferred pronouns or noting their experience working with other LGBTQ clients. Attorneys also need to carefully research the applicable law to uncover any issues that could complicate the divorce or child custody determination, such as one parent not having secured legal rights to their child and the other issues I mentioned previously. Attorneys should also consider whether mediation or collaborative law would benefit their client. These approaches offer LGBTQ clients more control over the dissolution process and outcomes and can be a way to avoid the courts, which LGBTQ people may perceive as inhospitable.
NASA plans to return humans to the Moon by 2024, for the first time since the Apollo program ended in 1972

For the first time since the 1970s, the United States is planning to send equipment to the surface of the Moon in 2020 and 2021, in anticipation of a crewed lunar mission in 2024, NASA said Friday.

The US space agency has chosen American firms Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines and Orbit Beyond to send instruments and other scientific equipment to the Moon as part of the Artemis program.

The administration of President Donald Trump has accelerated the timetable for putting humans back on the Moon with 2024 the new target datemoved up by four years.

Each company has developed lunar landers of different sizes and shapes: one is tall, and the other two are more compact.

The landers will deliver up to 23 small payloads of equipment provided by NASA. That should include materiel that will gather information to help astronauts later on to land, navigate and protect themselves from radiation.

Orbit Beyond will land in Mare Imbrium, a lava plain in a lunar crater, by September 2020, after being launched by one of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets.

Intuitive Machines will try to land by July 2021 in Oceanous Procellarum, a dark spot on the Moon visible from Earth. SpaceX will also facilitate that launch.

Astrobotic, which is based in Pittsburgh, will target Lacus Mortis, a large crater on the near side of the Moon, by July 2021. It has yet to choose a delivery rocket.

NASA awarded the companies $77-97 million each for development of their landers.

"Next year, our initial science and technology research will be on the lunar surface, which will help support sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon in five years," said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine.

"Investing in these commercial landing services also is another strong step to build a commercial space economy beyond low-Earth orbit."

The United States last sent a crewed mission to the Moon in 1972, the year of the final Apollo mission.

NASA regularly sent lunar probes into orbit, but it only has two active missions today: the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the ARTEMIS probes.

China has meanwhile landed twice on the Moon in recent years: in 2013, and in January on the far side.

The Chang'e 4 probe and its motorized robot Yutu-2 are the only probes active on the surface right now.

 2019 AFP
Water packaging of a sessile drop. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aat5189

The ability to confine water in an enclosed compartment without directly manipulating it or using rigid containers is an attractive possibility. In a recent study, Sara Coppola and an interdisciplinary research team in the departments of Biomaterials, Intelligent systems, Industrial Production Engineering and Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare in Italy, proposed a water-based, bottom-up approach to encase facile, short-lived water silhouettes in a custom-made adaptive suit.

In the work, they used a biocompatible polymer that could self-assemble with unprecedented degrees of freedom on the water surface to produce a thin membrane. They custom designed the polymer film as an external container of a liquid core or as a free-standing layer. The scientists characterized the physical properties and morphology of the membrane and proposed a variety of applications for the phenomenon from the nanoscale to the macroscale. The process could encapsulate cells or microorganisms successfully without harm, opening the way to a breakthrough approach applicable for organ-on-a-chip and lab-in-a-drop experiments. The results are now published in Science Advances.

The possibility of isolating, engineering and shaping materials into 2-D or 3-D objects from the nanometer to the microscale via bottom-up engineering is gaining importance in materials science. Understanding the physics and chemistry of materials will allow a variety of applications in microelectronics, drug delivery, forensics, archeology and paleontology and space research. Materials scientists use a variety of technical methods for microfabrication including two-photon polymerization, soft interference lithography, replica molding and self-folding polymers to shape and isolate the material of interest. However, most materials engineering protocols require chemical and physical pretreatments to gain the desired final properties.

Polymer packaging on water surface. (A) The mechanism for the formation of the PLGA membrane is composed of a phase of polymer solution spreading by surface tension over the free water surface while the DMC solvent diffuses, leading to the solidification of the PLGA membrane. Water packaging methods are shown in stable/static and dynamic/unstable conditions: (B) on a sessile drop on hydrophobic substrate and (C) wrapping, in real time, a drop flowing out of a needle. (D) Explanation of the 3D packaging approach over the wall of a stable liquid bridge between two plates. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aat5189

In contrast to the conventional method of using solid molds to create micro- and nanopatterned materials, scientists are now focusing at the air-liquid or liquid-liquid interface to create shells of orderly assembled nanoparticles or crystals to engineer micro- and nanostructured polymeric membranes. The major drawback of the technique is the creation of a polymeric drop immersed in water instead of a free standing polymer suite. In the present work, Coppola et al. started from the existing approach with aims to broaden the experiment to polymer wrap liquid, inorganic and organic micro-objects or microstructured surfaces and remove the liquid core post-fabrication.

The scientists proposed an experimental approach in the present work to directly shape polymer membranes and encapsulate microbodies thereafter. The process consisted of the self-assembly of a biocompatible polymer above the water surface with agility and reproducibility. Coppola et al. chose poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) due to its tunable structure, drug release efficiency, high biosafety and biocompatibility. They allowed the polymer film to be the external container of a liquid core and proposed using the technique on micropillars, organic and inorganic micro-objects and colloidal particles under mild conditions, to accommodate microorganisms and cells inside the membranes thereafter.

In the experiments, Coppola et al. dissolved a droplet of a biocompatible polymeric solution such as PLGA in dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and placed it on the surface of a water droplet to instantly form a nonporous film. The process allowed the polymer solution to wrap the free water surface, on top of the droplet and create a new interface. The polymer film extended across the free aqueous surface to acquire the shape and structure of the liquid, which was used as a 2-D or 3-D template. They then tested the fabrication process on diverse liquids such as cell culture media, phosphate buffered saline and other buffer solutions containing a water component.

Biocompatible coating over a lab-in-a-drop system containing living organisms. A drop of water with C. elegans swimming inside is shown (left). The PLGA membrane envelops the drop, inducing the momentary paralysis of the organisms. The process is even reversible: Peeling off the membrane keeps C. elegans moving as before. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aat5189

They created a polymeric film even during dynamic and unstable conditionsfor instance, on a drop standing on a glass slide and a drop flowing from a needle. To demonstrate total encapsulation of the liquid volume, the scientists formed two separate sessile droplets on the Teflon slide with one encased by the membrane. Upon tilting the surface, the free water droplet moved along the substrate, while the membrane-coated drop remained irremovable and anchored to the glass. In its mechanism of action, the film immediately formed on contact with water and when the solvent evaporated alongside water, the remaining polymer maintained a 3-D structure.

The film did not collapse under atmospheric pressure and the membrane acted as an external coat similar to a polymeric shell on the liquid droplet. The scientists used a variety of membrane characterization methods including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle and Young's modulus measurements. The SEM images revealed a nonporous symmetric structure characterized by a homogenous surface and thickness. When they measured the water contact angle on the membrane, the results revealed mild hydrophilicity (water loving) of the polymers. The scientists investigated the mechanical properties of the PLGA membrane and calculated the oxygen permeability and water vapor permeability. The membrane showed a very high permeability to oxygen, which is an important parameter for biomedical applications.

Slippery test with and without the PLGA membrane. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aat5189

The scientists used the material as an external coating during lab-in-a-drop experiments to form new methods for real-time observations in 3-D. As a proof-of-principle, they studied the behavior of the model organism Caenohabditis elegans in the polymer bubble. For this, they placed the microorganism (MO) in a water solution and wrapped the PLGA membrane around the drop of liquid to show the immediate cessation of MO movement. While C. elegans adhered to the water-PLGA membrane, oxygen flow continued due to membrane permeability for their survival. The abrupt change of MO behavior reversed upon membrane removal to recover usual motility. The process allowed the scientists to observe the MOs without administering harmful drugs to prevent their motion. Coppola et al. propose further experiments to understand the behavior of the organisms within the miniscule polymer drops.

They then tested the possibility of maintaining the phenomenon in the presence of complex contours or obstacles and on hydrogel materials. Using micropillar arrays the scientists observed the polymer membrane to envelope the underlying micropattern and produce peak-and-valley shaped polymer films with arrayed bumps. Such functionalities will allow Coppola et al. to design cell culturing substrates, scaffolds for tissue engineering and drug delivery systems using the polymer systems.

Similarly, when they tested the technique with hydrogel materials by simply dispensing a polymer drop or spraying the polymer above a rotating hydrogel cylinder, they were able to form a continuous polymer film. Using the method, they produced polymer films with different molds in the shape of microcubes, rhombus and cylinders for a variety of applications.

Controlling cell-material interactions on polymer membranes. Schematic overview of polymer membranes onto different shaped hydrogels and cells growing over them: (A) sphere, (B) cube, and (C) micropillar matrix. Digital images of actin filaments and focal adhesion were collected with an LSM ConfoCor 710 (Zeiss). Tetramethyl rhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC)phalloidinconjugated actin fibers were excited with a 543-nm He-Ne laser, and emitted radiation was collected in the 560- to 600-nm interval. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aat5189

The scientists used the polymer-hydrogel constructs as a scaffold for cell culture experiments to observe cell growth on various shapes including microsphere cubes and polymer patterns. After 24 hours of culturing human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in PLGA, the scientists visualized the cytoskeleton and nuclei to show cell body elongation on the polymer film; indicating adequate cell adherence. The proposed technique did not harm cell cultures or microorganisms to form a new and simple method to engineer polymer films with potential scalability for microfluidic organ-on-chips.

In this way, Coppola et al. developed an environment-friendly, cost-effective and water-based bottom-up engineering approach to allow a biopolymer to self-assemble on a droplet of water and on other 3-D templates. The scientists propose using the materials for a range of applications in biomedicine for wound healing, as lab-in-a-drop and on lab-on-a-chip devices. They envision optimized functionalities of the polymeric film with semiconductor nanoparticles or quantum dots to open new routes in clinical phototherapy in living systems in the future.

Explore further Driving water down nanohighways

More information: Sara Coppola et al. Quick liquid packaging: Encasing water silhouettes by three-dimensional polymer membranes, Science Advances (2019). Sara Coppola et al. Quick liquid packaging: Encasing water silhouettes by three-dimensional polymer membranes,(2019). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat5189 D. H. Gracias. Forming Electrical Networks in Three Dimensions by Self-Assembly, Science (2002). DOI: 10.1126/science.289.5482.1170 Christopher Moraes et al. Defined topologically-complex protein matrices to manipulate cell shape via three-dimensional fiber-like patterns, Lab Chip (2014). DOI: 10.1039/c4lc00122b Journal information: Science Advances , Science

 2019 Science X Network
Photos from the expeditions are from the private collection of Victor Bulgakov. Credit: Victor Bulgakov

Russian and Taiwanese scientists have discovered a connection between the two signaling systems that help plants survive stress situations, demonstrating that they can remember dangerous conditions that they have experienced and adapt to them. This memory mechanism will help improve agricultural plants, making them more resistant to drought, flooding, high humidity and extreme temperatures.

Plants are stressed when exposed to extreme temperatures or a lack or overabundance of water. This negatively affects the growth of the plant, which leads to losses of up to one-half of crops worldwide. As a means of self-protection, plants use the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) mediated signaling, which produces stress resistance to extreme situations. Such signaling systems play an important role in organisms, acquiring information from the environment and adjusting internal processes to external conditions.

Scientists suggest that the ABA system is linked with the heat shock protein/chaperone system, and these two systems work together in different stressful situations.

Biologists still do not fully understand the coordination and sequence of events in these signaling systems. There have been no studies that would connect these two defence mechanisms, although it is clear that they must work in a coordinated manner in nature. It is believed that these discoveries will lead to breakthrough technologies in crop bioengineering. More specifically, they may help overcome the main problem of agriculturegrowth retardation and development anomalies in stress-resistant crops.

Photos from the expeditions are from the private collection of Victor Bulgakov. Credit: Victor Bulgakov

The study was carried out by researchers from the Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with colleagues from Taiwan. The research team set out to identify the relationship between ABA and heat-shock protein signaling. The researchers used popular model plant Arabidopsis, as it goes through the full development cycle in six weeks, which made it possible to speed up the experiments.

"In our earlier work, we obtained a map of protein-protein interactions in Arabidopsis. Now, we have analyzed this map and discovered that the only factors linking the two systems are the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodelling proteins, which are involved in the formation of the 'stress memory' effect," explained the project leader, Dr. Victor Bulgakov, a Head of Bioengineering Laboratory at the Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and one of the authors of the article.

The stress memory effect is one of the main mechanisms of plant defence: the plant "remembers" extreme conditions they have experienced. Stress signals sensed through the ABA and heat-shock protein signaling systems are perceived and then stored via the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling proteins, changing the structure of the chromatin (the DNA-protein complex). As a result, plants acquire a stress resistance to conditions that they have already experienced. The mechanism studied has become a reference point for new bioengineering technologies that the researchers have termed "bioengineering memory.""

In the course of the study, the researchers also systemized a large array of information and found that when correcting the ABA and heat-shock protein/chaperone pathways, the state and changes of the plants' memory to the previous stress must be taken into account.

Photos from the expeditions are from the private collection of Victor Bulgakov. Credit: Victor Bulgakov

In the future, the researchers plan to move away from Arabidopsis to agricultural crops. They note that the work on improving plants will be different for each country.

"The most popular crops in the Russian Far East are rice, soybeans and corn. It is important to increase their resistance to cold and water deficit. In Taiwan, work needs to be done to increase the resistance of plants to heat and drought. In fact, this is the most pressing issue in the world as a whole right now. New approaches in 'memory bioengineering' may help solve both problems," Dr. Bulgakov concluded.

Explore further Researchers generate plants with enhanced drought resistance without penalizing growth

More information: Victor P. Bulgakov et al, Coordination of ABA and Chaperone Signaling in Plant Stress Responses, Trends in Plant Science (2019). Journal information: Trends in Plant Science Victor P. Bulgakov et al, Coordination of ABA and Chaperone Signaling in Plant Stress Responses,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.04.004

Provided by AKSON Russian Science Communication Association
A mosaic by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope of the Cepheus C and Cepheus B regions. This image combines data from Spitzer's IRAC and MIPS instruments. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

In this large celestial mosaic taken by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, there's a lot to see, including multiple clusters of stars born from the same dense clumps of gas and dust. Some of these clusters are older than others and more evolved, making this a generational stellar portrait.

The grand green-and-orange delta filling most of the image is a faraway nebula, or a cloud of gas and dust in space. Though the cloud may appear to flow from the bright white spot at its tip, it is actually what remains of a much larger cloud that has been carved away by radiation from stars. The bright region is illuminated by massive stars, belonging to a cluster that extends above the white spot. The white color is the combination of four colors (blue, green, orange and red), each representing a different wavelength of infrared light, which is invisible to human eyes. Dust that has been heated by the stars' radiation creates the surrounding red glow.

On the left side of this image, a dark filament runs horizontally through the green cloud. A smattering of baby stars (the red and yellow dots) appear inside it. Known as Cepheus C, the area is a particularly dense concentration of gas and dust where infant stars form. The dark vein of material will eventually be dispersed by strong winds produced as the stars get older, as well as when they eventually explode and die. This will create an illuminated puffed-up region that will look similar to the bright red-and-white region on the large nebula's upper-right side. The region is called Cepheus C because it lies in the constellation Cepheus, which can be found near the constellation Cassiopeia. Cepheus C is about 6 light-years long and lies about 40 light-years from the bright spot at the tip of the nebula.

An annotated mosaic by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope of the Cepheus C and Cepheus B regions. This image combines data from Spitzer's IRAC and MIPS instruments. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A second large nebula can be seen on the right side of the image, with a star cluster located just above it. Known as Cepheus B, the cluster sits within a few thousand light-years of our Sun. A study of this region using Spitzer data found that the dramatic collection is about 4 million to 5 million years oldslightly older than those in Cepheus C.

In that way, the mosaic is a veritable family portrait, featuring infants, parents and grandparents of star-forming regions: Stars form in dense clouds of material, like the dark vein that makes up Cepheus C. As the stars grow, they produce winds that blow the gas and dust outward, to form beautiful, illuminated nebulas like the bright white spot at the top of the larger nebula. Finally, the dust and gas disperse, and the star clusters stand alone in space, as with Cepheus B.

Credit: NASA

Other Sights to See

The amazing features in this image don't end there.

Look closely for the small, red hourglass shape just below Cepheus C. This is V374 Ceph. Astronomers studying this massive star have speculated that it might be surrounded by a nearly edge-on disk of dark, dusty material. The dark cones extending to the right and left of the star are a shadow of that disk.

The smaller nebula on the right side of the image includes two particularly interesting objects. In the upper-left portion of the nebula, try to find a blue star crowned by a small, red arc of light. This "runaway star" is plowing through the gas and dust at a rapid clip, creating a shock wave, or "bow shock," in front of itself.

Also hidden within this second nebula, a small cluster of newborn stars illuminates the dense cloud of gas and dust where they formed. This region is more obvious in the image below, which uses data from just one of Spitzer's instruments. (The top image includes data from two instruments.) In the image below, this feature appears as a bright teal splash.
More than 30 African countries have banned plastic bans as a way to tackle plastic waste due to its non-biodegrable nature

A plastic bag ban comes into force in Tanzania on Saturday, as Africa leads efforts to stem the tide of plastic blighting the farthest reaches of the globe, and depths of the ocean.

Tanzania is banning the importation, production, sale and use of plastic bags, becoming the 34th African country to implement such restrictions, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

"Let me be clear on this, once it reaches June 1, the government is not planning to add any more days and we will not tolerate anyone who will be caught using them. No plastic bag will be allowed in the country," Tanzania's vice-president Samia Suluhu Hassan said when announcing the move in April.

Tanzaniawhose wildlife is a popular tourist drawhas also issued a notice to travellers that they will have to "surrender" plastic bags in their possession before entering the country.

"The government expects that, in appreciation of the imperative to protect the environment and keep our country clean and beautiful, our visitors will accept minor inconveniences resulting from the plastic bags ban," said the statement.

According to local media, anyone caught manufacturing or importing plastic bags and plastic wrappings could get a fine of one billion Tanzanian shillings ($430,000, 390,000 euros) or face imprisonment for up to two years.

Possession and usage can lead to a fine of $87 or imprisonment for seven days, or both.

Degrees of success

Globally, 127 countries have some sort of plastic bag legislation, 91 of which include a ban or restriction on manufacturing, importation and retail distribution, according to UNEP.

UN officials say the success of African plastic bag bans varies from country to country

Africa has 34 of these countries, followed by Europe with 29.

Patrick Mwesigye, UNEP's regional co-ordinator for resource efficiency told AFP that the degree of success of the bans varied in Africa.

Rwanda's plastic bag ban has been in place for over a decade and is considered one of the most successful.

"But Rwanda had an advantage that there wasn't much manufacturing of plastics," in the country when the ban was implemented, said Mwesigye.

Countries with manufacturing and import industries, where jobs are impacted by bans, have struggled more to enforce them.

"In Kenya... it has been very effective. Still you have some plastic smuggled from neighbouring countries" like Uganda, he said.

Kenya's 2017 plastic ban imposed particularly harsh laws, with fines of up to $38,000 (32,000 euros) and four-year prison sentences.

However in reality, while there have been waves of arrests, fines and jail terms have been far less than proscribed.

Mwesigye said some countries put bans in place before ensuring there were suitable alternatives in place, while monitoring and practical enforcement were also a challenge.

In Africa, 4.4 million tonnes of plastic are found in oceans and seas every year, according to United Nations figures from 2010

Scourge of single-use plastics

Joyce Msuya, UNEP's Acting Executive Director, praised Tanzania for joining the nations implementing the ban.

"It is critical that bans now be complemented by efforts to identify effective alternatives to single-use plastics...".

The world currently produces more than 300 million tonnes of plastics annually, and there are at least five trillion plastic pieces floating in oceans, scientists have estimated.

Most of the items polluting oceans and landscapes and causing horrendous deaths for the creatures that live there, are made to be used once and thrown away, such as bags, straws and food packaging.

In March nations failed to agree to a timetable to phase out all single-use plastics, opting instead to "significantly reduce" their production.

Neither the United States, Canada or Australia have national plastic bag regulationsalthough some American states like Hawaii or California have implemented bans.

The European Union in March voted to ban a dozen forms of single-use plastics from 2021.

Explore further International Environment Day: Plastic in Africa

 2019 AFP
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

It's a simple enough equation: good soil is the key to good food. And good soil starts with trees.

Alexander the Great conquered a vast empire that extended from Greece all the way to India. However, his ancestors' fortune was a mixed bag. A new series of studies show the ancient Macedonians may have been struck by one of the earliest environmental disasters linked to human activity.

Ancient sediment records sealed in lakes for thousands of years reveals how logging may have affected erosion, which ultimately destroyed the capacity of the ancient Macedonians to grow food.

More trees, on the other hand, appears to have made soil erosion less susceptible to climate change. The lessons for modern peopleand our future prosperityare clear.

Soil is a kingmaker

Something wonderful happens when rocks, formed in the guts of the Earth, come into contact with air and water: they break down into clays (and other things) to form soils. Because of their ability to store water and nutrients, soils are the food basket of land plants and all the animals that feed on them, including us.

Preserving soil has been the key for success to all past civilisations. Those who lost it would rapidly be precipitated into oblivion. This happened everywhere: the Middle East, Greece, Rome and Mesamerica.

Preserving our soil should therefore be at the centre of our concerns (although it rarely gets a look-in on the nightly news).

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Erosion isn't just a problem because the land loses soil. This soil enters waterways, increasing the sediment load of rivers. This high sediment load harms freshwater and coastal ecosystems, including fish population and, ultimately, us. We therefore need to better understand how climate change and humans shape soil erosion.

Macedonian timber and the first environmental disaster

The chemistry of sediments deposited on lake's bottom records how the environment changed over hundreds and thousands of years. Recently, we have studied sediments from Lake Dojran, straddling the border between Northern Macedonia and Greece. We looked at the past 12,000 years of sediment archive and found about 3,500 years ago, a massive erosion event happened.

Pollen trapped in the lake's sediment suggests this is linked to deforestation and the introduction of agriculture in the region. Macedonian timber was highly praised for ship building at the time, which could explain the extent of deforestation.

A massive erosion event would have catastrophic consequences for agriculture and pasture. Interestingly, this event is followed by the onset of the so-called Greek "Dark Ages" (3,100 to 2,850 years ago) and the demise of the highly sophisticated Bronze Age Mycenaean civilisation.

Further to the west, at the crossroads between Albania and Norther Macedonia, Lake Ohrid holds a much longer storyline: an international scientific drilling program is uncovering the past million year of climate and environmental stories locked in Lake Ohrid sediments.

We recently looked at Lake Ohrid on a more modest time scale, similar to the Lake Dojran project: the past 16,000 years.

At Lake Ohrid, there are also signs of increased soil erosion around 4,000 years ago. These results are consistent with previous suggestions of a human role on soil erosion at other lakes in Greece.

Credit: Notneb82, Wikimedia Commons

Overall, there are clear signs that deforestation and the development of agriculture precedes the Greek "Dark Ages." While the causal link cannot be established with certainty, this timeline could represent the first negative feedback loop where humans depleted environmental resources, which in turn harmed communities.

Trees can make soil less sensitive to climate change

Lake Ohrid tells us another interesting story: until 8,000 years ago, soil erosion was closely following climate change. During dry and cold periods, erosion was shallow, probably as a consequence of dry conditions; while during warmer periods, higher levels of erosion delivered more sediment to the lake.

Around 8,000 years ago, something interesting happens: trees become the dominant type of vegetation cover. While trees were already abundant in previous warm periods (and less during cold periods), from 8,000 years ago onwards, they overwhelm the type of pollen that fell into the lake and became trapped in the sediment.

This tree dominance has an important consequence for soil erosion: after 8,000 years ago, soil erosion became shallow and remained so, even while the climate continued to oscillate. We can see soil erosion became less sensitive to climatic fluctuations.

We already knew that trees, thanks to their deep roots, help stabilise soil and prevent its loss; what we learn here is that over a certain threshold of tree cover, they also make soil erosion much less sensitive to climate change.

Lake Ohrid provides us with an important lesson, especially as we are increasingly concerned with how our soil and water resources will be affected by global warming. If we want to preserve our soils and rivers (and feed our communities) we need to ensure that enough of our landscape is covered with trees.

Planting trees and forest management should not be a concern for nature enthusiasts only, but for all usregardless of political inclinationwho enjoy eating. Understanding the past is not simply about learning from our ancestors' mistakes so we do not repeat them, but freeing ourselves from their grip so new paths unfold ahead of us.

Explore further Interdisciplinary approach the only way to address devastating effects of soil erosion

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Nano Akufo-Addo has been the President of Ghana since 2017.

This country is expected to host a state visit by a Ghanian delegation headed by President Nana Akufo-Addo in June.



Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, while moving the motion to adjourn the May 17 Sitting of the House, mentioned that the delegation would be here for a day and night visit between the 11 and 12 of June.

The delegation is also expected to visit Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

Gonsalves informed members of the House that it was likely that the Ghanaian Head of State may address the local Parliament.

He therefore moved that the May 17 Sitting be adjourned to what was expected to be May 30 when they were expected to debate the Drug Use and Misuse Prevention Act.

That Sitting has now been postponed until June 4 and according to Gonsalves, it was anticipated that they would then suspend that Sitting sine die (if a definite date for the arrival of the delegation was not yet determined), to accommodate the arrival of the Ghanian President.
"Art is anything you can get away with." ~ Marshall McLuhan I find it interesting that nearly everyone who hears the above quot...
Kenneth Tingley Editor 12801 Follow Kenneth Tingley 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

We have definitely been holding our letter-writers to higher standards in recent times.

This past week, a reader submitted a letter in which they chastised fake news for reporting that the Obama administration deserves the credit for the current economy.

Since that was not something I had read in The Post-Star or any other publication recently, I asked the letter-writer if they could include the source of that information, especially since this was a letter appearing in The Post-Star. It would be easy for readers to assume that it was something we published. I also feel strongly if you are going to attack a media outlet as fake news, you need to be very specific about which outlet you are referring to.

The letter-writer responded that it was not a story they read in The Post-Star, but in the Washington Post or New York Times.

I again asked for clarification on which article and when. It certainly could have been an opinion piece in either of those newspapers.

The letter-writer responded again, this time saying they heard it on CNN, but they did not remember who said it or when. They also said to scrap the letter, which of course is unfortunate.

This is the quandary we are left with in the news business when folks rely on cable news programs rife with opinion for their news. It may be an extra burden on our letter-writers, but it is important to have the source of your information if you are going to write critically of the media.

Ken Tingley is the editor of The Post-Star and may be reached via email at tingley@poststar.com. His blog The Front Page discusses issues about newspapers and journalism. You can also follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kentingley.

Love 5 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1

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  A 20-year Glens Falls man has been charged with rape for allegedly having sex with a girl who was under the age of 15, police said.

Jacob L. Merchant of Montcalm Street was charged with second-degree rape, a felony, for a sexual encounter with the girl in April, according to Glens Falls Police.

He was not accused of physically forcing the girl to have sex, but was charged because she was too young to legally consent. The state's age of consent is 17.

He also was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, Glens Falls Police Detective Lt. Peter Casertino said.

Merchant was arraigned and sent to Warren County Jail for lack of bail.

Casertino, Glens Falls Police Officer Nate Cross and Capt. Michelle Arnold handled the case.

Love 2 Funny 11 Wow 7 Sad 6 Angry 12
A state appeals court has rejected the appeal of a local man who authorities said had the largest child porn collection the FBI in Albany had ever seen when he was arrested in 2007.

Justin K. Dorvee, 38, of Queensbury, pleaded guilty in 2009 to six felony child pornography-related charges in Warren County Court and a federal charge of distribution of child pornography in U.S. District Court.

The charges were filed after Dorvee was caught in a police sting trying to arrange a sexual encounter with a person he thought was a 14-year-old boy. The boy with whom he was communicating online was actually a Warren County sheriffs investigator, and Dorvee sent child pornography to him during their correspondence.

Dorvee was arrested when he went to meet the person he thought was a teen, and he had a video camera with him. A search of computers and devices yielded a massive cache of child pornography, police said.

Dorvee appealed the sentence to the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court, which ruled May 23 that it found no reason to shorten his sentence or reverse his convictions.

His lawyer through the Rural Law Center of New York argued that the state prison sentences he received should not have been run consecutively.

The court, though, sided with Warren County Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Nealon, who argued that the sentence was legal.

We find no extraordinary circumstances or abuse of discretion warranting a reduction of the resentence in the interest of justice, the courts ruling reads.

He was sentenced to 233 months in federal prison, and 6-1/3 to 19 years in state prison on the state charges, with the state and federal terms to be served concurrently. The federal sentenced was reduced when he appealed in a federal appeals court, however.

In all, he served nearly 12 years, including time in Warren County Jail while awaiting disposition of his case.

Dorvee was paroled from prison in January, and is on parole until November 2026. A successful appeal could have shortened the length of time he will spend on parole.

Dorvee has been deemed a Level 3 sex offender, and is living on Newcomb Street in Queensbury.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3
Prime Ministers Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and Allen Chastanet in a photo op not at all representative about their positions on LIAT.

A meeting of Heads of the LIAT Shareholder Government Group of Countries and Board of Directors in Antigua last Tuesday, has, for all intents and purposes, failed to come up with anything concrete with respect to the future of the cash-constrained airline. { {more}}



According to the Antigua News Room online service, the meeting agreed "to give further consideration to a proposal by Prime Minister Gaston Browne regarding the future direction of the airline.

The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) reported that Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Chairman of the Shareholder Government Group, confirmed that Prime Minister Browne had made an oral presentation to the meeting, and would present a written document over the next few days.

He said further that one of the areas that Prime Minister Browne addressed referenced a particular way to finance the keeping of the three airlines owned by the Caribbean Development Bank.

It was Dr. Gonsalves who, some three or so weeks ago, purported that, had an injection of cash into LIAT not been forthcoming, one of the resulting "likelihoods was to ask the CDB to sell those three aircraft while operating the other seven, with the possibility of convincing another smaller airline to take up the slack.

"They have put it on the table orally, but they will submit in writing for further studyand that proposal is gathering support from most shareholders, Dr. Gonsalves said of where process now stood, adding "what it means in effect is that these planes will not be sold.

More bailout for LIAT

Since the February request by the four principal country shareholders of LIAT for an "immediate injection of some US$5 million to "save LIAT, response from non-principal shareholder countries have been slow.

However, Dr. Gonsalves, following last Tuesdays meeting, told the media that in addition to the commitment already made by the principal shareholder countries, Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis have both agreed to inject some EC$1 million each.

The CMC reported that in highlighting this, Dr. Gonslaves also took the time to comment, "Well it is only one prime minister in the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) who is not putting any money, and it is Prime Minister Chastanet of St. Lucia.

Prime Minister Chastanet is on record as saying that any injection of support from St. Lucia would have to be on condition that there would be significant restructuring of the airline.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago is reported to have agreed in principle with a Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG) model proposed.

He said he hopes that the proposal from Antigua and Barbuda would be discussed by the shareholders "before the end of May is out.The principal shareholders of LIAT are Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They would hope that the optimism of their CEO, Ms. Julia Reifer-Jones, holds firm.
FORT EDWARD  Contrary to common belief, the option to pay delinquent property taxes in installments could heighten the risk of foreclosure for homeowners, according to Washington Countys treasurer.

On its face, it feels like a no-brainer (picking the installment option), county Treasurer Al Nolette said in a Thursday interview. But it could end badly for the taxpayer, and while I cant speak for the supervisors, I dont think anybody wants to set the property owner up to fail.

Thats why the Washington County Board of Supervisors is taking a closer look at the potential unintended consequences of allowing payments spread over time.

Last week, in a special information session for the Washington County Board of Supervisors Finance Committee, Nolette detailed various scenarios involving delinquent tax payments.

In April, a county resident came to the Board of Supervisors meeting to ask for property tax payment relief. Detailing the difficulty of having to pay the most recent tax bill before the delinquent tax bills, the resident said it was almost impossible to catch up. She had tried repeatedly to pay the older tax bills on her home, but the money was always applied to the newest bill, leaving her at risk of losing her home.

During the May meeting of the countys Government Operations Committee, supervisors passed a motion to forward an installment plan to the Finance Committee.

Is it fair to say some of our neighboring counties are offering installment payments, and is it fair to say that people dont need to take the opportunity to make these installment payments? Kingsbury Supervisor Dana Hogan asked.

Nolette said yes, to both questions, adding that Warren and Essex counties have had success with an installment plan.

Id say three or four people each year ask me why we dont have installment options, Hogan said. People are unlucky. They have unlucky breaks and I dont think its people out buying a Harley or with a boat in their driveway.

Salem Supervisor Sue Clary said she would like examples of how the installment plan might work from actual delinquent tax information.

I think this affects people, it affects families, she said.

In response, Nolette detailed several hypothetical scenarios during last weeks session.

In each scenario, John Q. Public owes three years of property taxes, totaling $4,526.45. He enters into a 24-month payment agreement with the county and makes the 15 percent deposit of $678.97.

Heres what could happen, said Nolette:

John Q. Public stays current on all taxes post-installment agreement while also paying $181.11 per month on the back taxes, and his property avoids foreclosure.

John Q. Public makes the 15 percent deposit of $678.97 on Aug. 31, saving his property from the September foreclosure auction. But he claims he was unaware that the village and school taxes were not part of the agreement, as they were sent to him before he signed the agreement. The school and village taxes cannot be part of the agreement until either Nov. 15 through Dec. 1; or after they are re-levied onto the town and county tax bill in January. As a result, John is in default of his agreement even though he has made every installment payment on time. The county can then proceed with foreclosure.

John Q. Public stays current on all of the taxes post-installment agreement while paying $181.11 per month. In month 18, however, John loses his job and is unable to make the required payments. John is now in default after paying the 15 percent deposit and 18 of the 24 installment payments. The county can move forward on foreclosure action with only $1,049.64 left on the delinquent taxes on a property assessed at $52,000.

John Q. Public stays current on all of the taxes post-installment agreement while paying $181.11 per month. In month four, however, having avoided the auction, John sells his property to his neighbor. The neighbor, having trusted John, who is a longtime friend, does not do a tax search. John stops making payments on the installment agreement. He is now in default, and the county can move forward with foreclosure. The new owner wakes up to an auction sign on his property.

This is the first time I gave actual numbers from those properties that went to auction, Nolette said. We had a case here where someone lost their home over $1,600.

In 2019, 500 delinquent tax properties were forwarded to Nolettes office on April 1, he said.

All 500 would be eligible for installments, he said, adding that his office might have to add staff if all 500 signed up for installments. We dont want to add staff because that (expense) gets spread out to all county taxpayers.

County committees have considered installment payment options several times, Nolette said. But the sticking point has always been the potential bad outcomes.

The next steps?

According to Nolette, the installment payment issue has to be brought back up at the June Finance Committee meeting, and if a motion is passed to bring it to the full board, supervisors would vote on scheduling a public hearing that would be scheduled for July. A local law would have to be passed to enact a change, Nolette said.

Kathleen Phalen-Tomaselli covers Washington County government and other county news and events.

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.
We ask our loyal readers today to dig deep into their souls, to reach down and ask yourself what it means to be an American.

It should be easy, because it always has been in the past.

Well help you with some of our own thoughts.

Being American means being the good guys, being on the side doing the right thing and honoring the rule of law as the foundation of our government.

We believe it means helping the oppressed, supporting allies in times of crisis and always defending freedom and democracy around the globe.

We believe it means having a vigorous debate with your neighbor while always respecting their point of view.

Were the greatest country in the world, right?

We would not be surprised if many of you paused just then.

We wouldnt be surprised if many of you thought to yourselves, Well, we sure used to be.

The six of us currently on The Post-Stars editorial board have always defined our mission in very narrow community goals, and we try to stay above the national political fray.

But more recently, it is not unusual for a meeting to begin or end with a free-ranging discussion of what we are seeing nationally. Our editorial board, with rotating citizen representatives, is always changing and evolving, but the one constant for the dozen or so citizens who have served over the past two and a half years is a concern about our political discourse and the actions of our current president.

That has never been more pronounced than now, and it brings us to today, and our belief that we all need to dig a little deeper if we want to save America.

We ask you what you believe.

Do you believe in upholding the rule of law?

Do you believe in the institutions charged with enforcing those laws and upholding the Constitution?

As an institution in this community, we take very seriously our mission to give you the news with the best information available. We are totally committed to facts. But there is currently a war on facts and truth, and our citizens are failing in their responsibilities to decipher truth from fiction.

Great journalism is being done at national newspapers and it is being ignored because politicians are saying that reporters and editors all across the country are compromised.

They are saying journalists are liars.

They are saying they are part of some vast political plot.

You have to ask yourself if you buy into that.

We dont think the average citizen is that politically motivated.

We know that almost all news organizations have codes of ethics that are strictly enforced.

We have supported presidents of both parties and varying viewpoints repeatedly and hoped for the best.

But this different.

This is far more insidious and dangerous for our country because of the divisions it has caused within us as people, and the reality that little has been done to protect the sanctity of future elections from foreign adversaries.

Weve observed so many of our readers who are so sure of their point of view without really looking closely at what is fact and what is not.

We need to ask why?

We need to ask why the president has not addressed the sanctity of our elections.

Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor previously revered as perhaps the last honest man in Washington, spoke to the American people Wednesday with chilling words we wish were not needed.

He told us that he could not indict a sitting president of the United States, regardless of what he found during his investigation.

He told us if the president was innocent, he would have said so in his report.

He provided 10 instances of potential obstruction of justice by the president, and said that only Congress was in a position to address the presidents actions.

He told us there was no doubt that our presidential election had been compromised by Russian interference, and while there was not enough evidence to charge a broader conspiracy, there was evidence.

He said it was all there in the report.

We have encouraged all of you to read the report, but at 400 or so pages, we know that is unlikely. We urge you to persevere. We urge you to turn off the TV for a week and read the significant sections.

Yes, it is that simple.

What was especially chilling was Muellers statement that he could not indict the president because of Department of Justice guidelines that forbid it.

That was directly contrary to what Attorney General William Barr has previously told the public.

The attorney general of the United States lied to the American people.

So what do you believe?

Do you believe the dozen or so citizens who served on this board along with the longtime employees of The Post-Star are all politically motivated by identical ideologies, at the expense of facts and the rule of law?

Do you believe we are also part of a vast conspiracy against the current president, along with other journalists across the country?

Do you believe in the rule of law and the role of Congress to provide oversight over the executive branch?

You need to dig deep today and answer those questions.

What institutions do you still have faith in?

Eventually, we have to believe in something.

Right now, were worried.

You should be, too.

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 2 Funny 8 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 2
States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2018

By Peter Wagner and Wendy Sawyer Tweet this

June 2018



Oklahoma now has the highest incarceration rate in the U.S., unseating Louisiana from its long-held position as the worlds prison capital. By comparison, states like New York and Massachusetts appear progressive, but even these states lock people up at higher rates than nearly every other country on earth. Compared to the rest of the world, every U.S. state relies too heavily on prisons and jails to respond to crime.

World Incarceration Rates If Every U.S. State Were A Country Rates calculated per 100,000 people. Read more about the data.

Figure 1. This graph shows the number of people in state prisons, local jails, federal prisons, and other systems of confinement from each U.S. state per 100,000 people in that state and the incarceration rate per 100,000 in all countries with a total population of at least 500,000.

The graphic above charts the incarceration rates of every U.S. state alongside those of the other nations of the world. And looking at each state in the global context reveals that, in every region of the country, incarceration is out of step with the rest of the world.

If we imagine every state as an independent nation, as in the graph above, every state appears extreme. 23 states would have the highest incarceration rate in the world  higher even than the United States. Massachusetts, the state with the lowest incarceration rate in the nation, would rank 9th in the world, just below Brazil and followed closely by countries like Belarus, Turkey, Iran, and South Africa.

In fact, many of the countries that rank alongside the least punitive U.S. states, such as Turkmenistan, Thailand, Rwanda, and Russia, have authoritarian governments or have recently experienced large-scale internal armed conflicts. Others struggle with violent crime on a scale far beyond that in the U.S.: El Salvador, Russia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Brazil all have murder rates more than double that of the U.S. Yet the U.S., land of the free, tops them all.

But how does the U.S. compare to countries that have stable democratic governments and comparable crime rates? Next to our closest international peers, our use of incarceration is off the charts:

Conclusion

For four decades, the U.S. has been engaged in a globally unprecedented experiment to make every part of its criminal justice system more expansive and more punitive. As a result, incarceration has become the nations default response to crime, with, for example, 70 percent of convictions resulting in confinement  far more than other developed nations with comparable crime rates.

Today, there is finally serious talk of change, but little action that would bring the United States to an incarceration rate on par with other stable democracies. The incremental changes made in recent years arent enough to counteract the bad policy choices built up in every state over decades. For that, all states will have to aim higher, striving to be not just better than the worst U.S. states, but among the most fair and just in the world.

Methodology

Like our report, Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, this report takes a comprehensive view of confinement in the United States that goes beyond the commonly reported statistics by more than 100,000 people to offer a fuller picture of this countrys different and overlapping systems of confinement.

This broader universe of confinement includes justice-involved youth held in juvenile residential facilities, people detained by the U.S. Marshals Service (many pre-trial), people detained for immigration offenses, sex offenders indefinitely detained or committed in civil commitment centers after completing a sentence, and those committed to psychiatric hospitals as a result of criminal charges or convictions. They are not typically included in the official statistics that aggregate data about prison and jails for the simple reason that these facilities are largely separate from the state and local systems of adult prisons and jails. That definitional distinction is relevant to the people who run prisons and jails, but is irrelevant to the advocates and policymakers who must confront the overuse of confinement by all of the various parts of the justice systems in the United States.

We included these confined populations in the total incarceration rate of the United States and, wherever state-level data made it possible, in state incarceration rates. In most states, these additions have a small impact on the total rate, and they dont impact the rankings by more than one or two positions for any state. In a few places, however, these other systems of confinement merit closer attention. For example, although Minnesota has one of the lowest overall incarceration rates, Minnesota is second only to the much larger state of California for civil commitment and detention of people convicted of sex offenses. Other states, including Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Indiana, confine large numbers of youth, to the point that the inclusion of these youth adds more than 20 people per 100,000 to their incarceration rates.

As a result of our choice to take a broader view of incarceration, this report creates a unique U.S. dataset that offers a complete look at all kinds of justice-related confinement in each state. We explain our specific data sources in more detail below and provided the raw data for the component parts of our calculations in an appendix to this report.

Our data on other countries comes from the indispensable Institute for Criminal Policy Researchs World Prison Brief.

Privacy policy

This report requests your location so that we can provide you with a visual comparing your states use of incarceration to the founding NATO countries. If you gave us this permission, we discarded your location data as the page finished loading. If you did not give us this permission  or if your browser was configured to decline permission automatically  this report simply makes an educated but unrecorded guess based on your IP address about what states data you will find most relevant.

Acknowledgements

All Prison Policy Initiative reports are collaborative endeavors, but this report builds on the successful collaborations of the 2014, and 2016 versions. Beyond the original structure developed by data artist Josh Begley, the authors of this years report are particularly indebted to Jordan Miner for helping us offer state-specific graphs, to Joshua Herman for showing us how to add the labels to the main graphic, to Robert Machuga and Elydah Joyce for design assistance, to our colleague Wanda Bertram for feedback, and to the International Centre for Prison Studies for aggregating comparable world incarceration data in the invaluable World Prison Brief.

This report was supported by a generous grant from the Public Welfare Foundation and by our individual donors, who give us the resources and the flexibility to quickly turn our insights into new movement resources.

About the authors

Peter Wagner is an attorney and the Executive Director of the Prison Policy Initiative. He co-founded the Prison Policy Initiative in 2001 in order to spark a national discussion about the negative side effects of mass incarceration. Some of his most recent work includes Following the Money of Mass Incarceration, examining the cost of imprisonment in the U.S., including who benefits and who pays. He is @PWPolicy on Twitter.

Wendy Sawyer is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Prison Policy Initiative. Most recently, she authored Youth Confinement: The Whole Pie and The Gender Divide: Tracking womens state prison growth.

Peter and Wendy also recently co-authored the Prison Policy Initiatives report Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2018, which features a series of innovative data visualizations to provide a comprehensive view of the various systems of confinement in the United States.

About the Prison Policy Initiative

The non-profit, non-partisan Prison Policy Initiative was founded in 2001 to expose the broader harm of mass criminalization and spark advocacy campaigns to create a more just society. The organization is known for its visual breakdown of mass incarceration in the U.S., as well as its data-rich analyses of how states vary in their use of punishment. The Prison Policy Initiatives research is designed to reshape debates around mass incarceration by offering the big picture view of critical policy issues, such as probation and parole, womens incarceration, and youth confinement.
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
TRAVELING TO NXT TAKEOVER? BE AWARE OF I-95 ISSUES THIS WEEKEND

As noted on PWInsider.com previously, there will be heavy construction going on in the Stamford, CT area this weekend around I-95, so if you are traveling to WWE NXT Takeover: XXV from South of that area, be prepared for heavy traffic delays.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation issued the following, which provides greater detail:

- MOTORIST ADVISORY -

Scheduled Weekend Closure and Detour of I-95 in Stamford Scheduled to Begin on Friday, May 31, 2019

MOTORISTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO AVOID THE AREA DURING THE CLOSURE TIMEFRAMES TO AVOID HEAVY TRAFFIC DELAYS

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is reminding motorists that the first of two scheduled weekend closures and detours of I-95 in Stamford at Exit 9, is set to begin on Friday, May 31, 2019. The closures are necessary to facilitate the installation of two new bridge structures carrying Route 1 over I-95 utilizing Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques. MOTORISTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO AVOID THE AREA DURING THE CLOSURE TIMEFRAMES TO AVOID HEAVY TRAFFIC DELAYS.

Closure Details:

The first weekend closure will occur on Friday, May 31, 2019, with the Exit 9 on-ramps closing at 6 PM, followed by a 9 PM closure of the off-ramps and the closure of Route 1 at the bridge (between Courtland and Seaside Avenues). Then, at 11 PM, I-95 will be closed at Exit 9, with traffic diverted to temporary roadways using the highway on and off-ramps. Both I -95 and Route 1 will be re-opened to traffic by 5 AM on Monday, June 3.

The second scheduled weekend closure will occur on Friday, June 7, 2019, following the same pattern used for the first closure, with Route 1 and I-95 re-opened by 5 AM on Monday, June 10.

About the Project:

The project involves the complete superstructure replacement of the bridge carrying Route 1 over I-95. The bridge was built in 1958 and is located at Exit 9 just north of the intersection of Route 106 (Courtland Avenue) and just south of the intersection with Seaside Avenue.

Utilizing ABC techniques, both the east and west spans of the new bridge superstructures were constructed off-line (with virtually no traffic impacts) in the infield area of the I-95 northbound Exit 9 on-ramp. During the two scheduled weekend closures, the existing spans will be demolished and the new spans will be lifted and set onto piers and abutments using SPMTs (Self Propelled Modular Transporters) . One span will be removed and replaced per weekend closure.

By utilizing ABC rather than conventional construction methods, the majority of traffic impacts associated with the project are condensed into the two scheduled weekend closures. If conventional construction methods were used, multiple years of lane closures on I-95 as well as Route 1 would have been required, resulting in daily and significant traffic congestion in the vicinity, particularly during weekday morning and afternoon rush-hours.

Six hundred and twenty eight cubic yards of concrete weighing over 1.5 million pounds was used to build the two bridge spans. About 32 miles of rebar was installed within the newly constructed bridge spans, and all new structural steel was used to create the new bridge superstructures. Each individual span to be lifted and set into place weighs approximately 1.6 million pounds, and 1.8 million pounds respectively.

The CTDOT has established a project website, www.i95exit9.com. There will be live streaming video feeds of construction throughout the weekends when the bridge spans are installed.

In the two weeks leading up the closures, the contractor will be busy preparing the site as well as equipment that will be used to move the bridge spans into place.

The project is being constructed by O&G Industries Inc. of Torrington CT, for $14,871,223.76 with an official start date of June 1, 2018, and is anticipated to be completed in November 2019.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
ABOVE: Christina Swain, director of childrens ministry at First United Methodist Church in Geneseo, registers Aislyn Kane and her brother, Austen Kane, for this years Vacation Bible School, Power Up - Raise Your Game. Sessions will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Monday, June 17, through Friday, June 21, at the church, 302 North State St., Geneseo. There is no cost for the Bible school program that is open to area children entering preschool through fifth grade. Registration can be completed online at http://www.peopleneedjesus.org or at the church office.

LEFT: Tim Brinkman, director of worship at First United Methodist Church, Geneseo; and Marsha Kuriger, church pianist, invite area residents to join them at an Old-Fashioned Hymn Sing at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 9, at the church, 302 North State St. The event is free and Brinkman said, Just as the name implies, the Old-Fashioned Hymn Sing will be a night of singing hymns and gospel songs  all by request. Were putting on this event to bring together the church and community with timeless songs that have been sung throughout generations. We dont know exactly which songs will be selected and sung  that will be entirely up to what those in attendance select. Members of the Miracle Bluegrass Band, the Womens Ensemble and the church choir will also share traditional songs at the hymn sing. Dessert will be served in The Commons after the event.
"We've erected our flood wall at 8th St. and River Drive, the railroad is still passing through it and they are assisting with monitoring our flow levels," Bettendorf Public Works Operations Manager Kris Hatfield said Thursday about prepping for potential flooding this weekend.

As of Thursday afternoon, the river was at 19  feet, Hatfield said. "But when the water came up before at 19 , it was flooding River Drive. Well, now they're saying it's higher than that, but it's still not on River Drive. So it's always a different scenario every time you're trying to follow predictions," he said. "So you try to prepare for two feet above whatever they're going to say."

As the river level rises, Bettendorf will add more measures, Hatfield said. First is getting people ready on the east and west sides of the Harbor, and then working their way south to where it would impact businesses. Leech Park, 35th Street and Elm Street and 8th Street are the three main focus points, Hatfield said.
Machel Montano (left) and Shaggy are among the stars expected to headline the Super Concert. (Photo Credit: Looptt.news)

Trinidad and Tobago will host CARIFESTA XIV from August 16-25, 2019.



Thousands of performing artistes, artists, art-lovers and creative entrepreneurs from across the Caribbean and beyond are expected to descend on the twin island republic for what is deemed the regions biggest festival.

As of March 25 this year, some 19 countries, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, had confirmed their participation.

Catherine Morris, in a piece as per the St. Lucia Star of May 7, writes that CARIFESTA X1V promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Morris quotes Arlene Holman, Marketing Manager for CARIFESTA XIV, as saying, "In every hosting of the festival, each host country is encouraged to innovate. Trinidad and Tobago have introduced a number of new activities and events with a view to widening the target market and reach of the festival.

Holman referenced those new activities as being , "Caribbean Jazz show, JOuvert, Food & Rum Festival, Gospel Showcase and other exciting shows.

Morris also hinted that the word from Trinidad and Tobago is that the activities could include a "super concert headlined by homegrown legends such as soca legend Machel Montano and Jamaican reggae superstar Shaggy.

Daily performances by Caribbean artistes are also to be carded with the likes of Calypso Queen of the World Calypso Rose and Martiniques internationally acclaimed band Kassav, expected to be among the headlines.

But, as Morris writes, "the festival isnt just one big party. Its also a business boon that helps small island economies diversify and grow.Its also a business boom that helps small island economies diversify and grow.

According to Dr Hilary Brown, Programme Manager for Culture and Community Development at the CARICOM Secretariat, "For countries hosting the festival, participating contingents of artists as well as visitors and the local audience lead to an increase in demand for goods and services related to tourism and cultural industries.

For participating countries, the festival provides a regional platform for showcasing their respective culture and arts with an opportunity to generate business.

(Source: St. Lucia Star)

CARIFESTA 1 was held in Guyana in 1972, the result of a suggestion of a convention of writers and artists held in Guyana in 1970. The suggestion was that a large-sale festival would inject new energy into the regional arts community.
This has been a long and winding road to the verdict, the final verdict in this case, the last verdict in this case, Mike Walton said during the hearing. I believe in the end, the truth prevailed. And therefore, justice prevailed. And as Ive said before, that was because of people who were willing to come forward who saw something that wasnt right, or saw something they thought was related to this case, and were willing to come forward and speak about that and have done that numerous times and still did it 28 years later at great sacrifice to themselves.
Arnhim Eustace did not take kindly Mr. Leacocks comments when they were first made, but accepted his apology when offered and St. Clair Leacock was perhaps in one of his let-it-all- flow moods when he said what he said, but was man enough to apologise.

Leader of the Opposition Dr Godwin Friday has applauded both Arnhim Eustace and St Clair Leacock, saying that they both acted like statesmen.

According to the Leader of the Opposition, Parliamentary Representative for Central Kingstown Leacock had, on Wednesday, apologised for comments he made on a radio programme on May 21, hinting that Eustace, former Opposition Leader and Parliamentary Representative for East Kingstown, was not in any condition to contest the upcoming General Elections.

"I consider the matter as having been concluded, Friday told THE VINCENTIAN on Wednesday.

He added that both men acted responsibly, in that Leacock apologized and Eustace accepted.

Leacock had initially come under fire for the comments made about the political future of Eustace.

Leacock, while speaking on a morning talk show on Xtreme FM, made the assertion that Eustace would not be contesting the next General Elections, adding that the Leader of the Opposition was expected to make the formal announcement soon.

Among the sentiments expressed by the Central Kingstown Parliamentary Representative, was that Eustace had had operations on his knees, and that if he was not able to walk, then he would not be able to run.

He described Eustace as an elder statesman of the party, who "will let his wisdom and knowledge go to whoever will contest that seat.

Eustace responded on Tuesdays edition of the NDP New Times programme, saying that Leacock ought to respect him and the people of East Kingstown.

"Soon, around at a time of my choosing  my choosing, I will inform the good people of the constituency that I have had the honour to represent for 21 years. I will let them know what my decision is, Eustace said.

"I will never delegate that responsibility, neither the people of East Kingstown, nor I will be denied that dignity, he continued.

He described Leacocks comment about his inability to walk, etc., as being "vulgar and backward, and referenced Vincent Thurdy James, who, despite having a slight disability, was a political stalwart in Marriaqua.

Leacock also came in for some criticism by social commentator and proprietor of Nice Radio, Douglas De Freitas.

De Freitas reminded Leacock that it was Eustace who held the NDP together following the departure of Sir James Mitchell, and he did so with the support of many including Leacock.

De Freitas continued, saying that Eustace has been the Parliamentary Representative for East Kingstown, dating back to the 1998 election.

If Mr. Eustace chooses not to contest again, "this was something for the Honourable Arnhim Eustace to do (announce) by himself, De Freitas said.

He acknowledged that they were all friends, but as a social commentator, not being able to say that Leacock was wrong and out of order would have been hypocritical.
While the B-21 bomber under development by the Air Force garnered many of the headlines during Col. John Edwards tenure as commander of Ellsworth Air Force Base, he quietly presided over a transformation in the combat role of the bases nearly 40-year-old fleet of B-1s.

Edwards is leaving Ellsworth Air Force Base this week to work in Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon. He spent almost two years at the base near Rapid City. On Thursday, he handed the reins of Ellsworth over to Col. David Doss during a change of command ceremony at the base.

During Edwards' leadership of the base, B-1B Lancer bombers from Ellsworth conducted the first combat use of a weapon known as an Extended Range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile. Two B-1s fired the missiles in April 2018 against chemical weapons capabilities in Syria.

Additionally, in June 2018, Ellsworth was chosen as the first base to train with the AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile.

Edwards, in a Wednesday interview with local media, said the new missiles are changing the identity of B-1s, which have traditionally been used as close-air support for ground forces.

Weve seen that shift with a little bit more emphasis in what we call the 'standoff strike role,' where we fire these really long-distance missiles against an enemy, whether its a ship, whether its a weapons of mass destruction facility, or whether its a headquarters building, Edwards said. And we do that because these weapons reduce the risk to our air crews. Our air crews dont have to fly as close to a lot of these targets, which are heavily defended oftentimes.

The Air Force is developing B-21 bombers that could be flying by the mid-2020s, and the B-1s will be phased out sometime after that. Until then, Edwards said, the new missiles and missions for the B-1s should make their final years exciting.

The next person to command the B-1s at Ellsworth, Doss, was most recently vice commander at Dyess, another B-1 Air Force base in Texas. From 1998 to 2002, Doss was a member of the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth.

Edwards said he has known Doss for 26 years, since they went through ROTC field training in Texas.

He and his family are going to bring this wing up to a new level, Edwards said. I have full confidence in him.

Edwards, who grew up in Hawaii, had oversight of 27 B-1 bombers and a combined 3,700 military and civilian personnel at Ellsworth. The base also has a drone unit and a large training airspace.

Edwards came to Ellsworth in August 2017 after commanding the 479th Flying Training Group in Pensacola, Fla.

Under his leadership, Ellsworth distinguished itself by winning 186 awards, including the 2018 Brigadier General Frederick W. Castle Award for the best bomb wing in the Air Force.

Edwards also faced problems, including two temporary groundings of B-1s because of safety concerns, and revelations about the contamination of water wells around Ellsworth by a type of firefighting foam formerly used on the base.

Ellsworths B-1s were deployed abroad twice during Edwards time at the base  to Guam, where they engaged in a show of force designed to deter aggression by North Korea, and to the Middle East, where they destroyed a reported 544 targets in campaigns against terrorism and the Islamic state group.

Its been a real blast, Edwards said of his stay at Ellsworth. Ill miss the area, well definitely miss the Black Hills, well miss flying the B-1, but most of all well just miss being with the airmen, their families and taking care of them.

Contact Seth Tupper at seth.tupper@rapidcityjournal.com

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.
Production and sales were down about 20 percent last year at the only active, large-scale gold mine in the Black Hills, according to reports filed with state regulators.

An annual report by Coeur Mining that was reviewed recently by the state Board of Minerals and Environment shows that Coeurs Wharf Mine near Lead produced 76,840 ounces of gold last year. That was down 19.4 percent from 2017.

The mine also produced 50,575 ounces of silver last year, which was down 20.4 percent from the previous year.

Matt Zietlow, environmental manager at the Wharf Mine, said difficult conditions at the mine caused by a wet summer and snowy winter influenced production.

If you have to put a lot of resources into making the mine safe again and making roads passable again, youre taking people away from their regular jobs, Zietlow said, and that will impact things for a little while.

Coeurs annual report to investors for 2018 said combined sales of gold and silver from the Wharf Mine were $96.5 million in 2018, which was down 23 percent from $125.9 million the previous year.

Zietlow said the company paid $4.5 million in severance taxes to the state of South Dakota in 2018, plus $588,742 in sales and use taxes to state and local governments and $203,424 in other local taxes, including property taxes paid to Lawrence County.

Coeur made $20.77 million worth of purchases within South Dakota in 2018, Zietlow said, and the company paid $19.33 million in wages, salaries and benefits to 208 employees at the Wharf Mine. The company also gave $130,000 to community groups, schools and charities in the Black Hills area in 2018.

Coeur is a publicly traded company with a corporate office in Chicago. Besides South Dakota, the company owns mines in Alaska, Nevada, Canada and Mexico.

At the Wharf Mine, which is visible from Terry Peak, Coeur uses the heap-leach method of mining. That includes mining ore, crushing it, piling it on giant leach pads, and applying a cyanide solution to leach the precious metals from the crushed ore.

In 2018 at the Wharf Mine, Coeur removed 10.62 million tons of earth and waste rock (overburden in mining parlance), mined 4.76 million tons of ore and processed 4.52 million tons of it, and used 2.04 million pounds of cyanide. The cyanide and water used at the site is retained in a closed-loop system.

Coeurs gold and silver is refined into bullion and sold to multinational banks, bullion trading houses and refiners around the world. The companys total revenue in 2018 was $625.9 million.

Contact Seth Tupper at seth.tupper@rapidcityjournal.com

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.
WASHINGTON | Robert Mueller is that rare public figure who, in this age of bombast and baloney, still uses language with discipline and economy.

For two years as special counsel, he said not a word in public, and his office sprung nary a leak. Even when his purported friend Attorney General William Barr seriously mischaracterized his findings before releasing the report, Mueller kept quiet.

Finally, Mueller emerged in front of the cameras at the Justice Department on Wednesday morning to say that ... well, he doesn't wish to say anything more.

"It is important the office's written work speak for itself," he said, and "the report is my testimony," and "we chose those words carefully, and the work speaks for itself."

This linguistic caution makes it all the more noteworthy that Mueller did depart from the report's language in one area: President Trump's criminality. A "president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional," Mueller said. "Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that, too, is prohibited." Charging the president with a crime, he said, "was therefore not an option."

Unconstitutional. Prohibited. Not an option. This was stronger language than the report used, and Mueller added that under "principles of fairness," he couldn't charge Trump "when there can be no court resolution of the actual charge." Under Justice Department policy, he said, "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal-justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing."

That process is impeachment.

If this man of precise language was not inviting Congress to impeach the president, he certainly seemed to be inviting the belief that he didn't charge Trump with crimes only because he couldn't. And because Mueller chooses words carefully, it's also worth noting which one he didn't use: "collusion." Instead, he implicitly rebuked a president who constantly, maddeningly, refers to Vladimir Putin's interference in the 2016 election as the "Russian hoax."

"Russian intelligence officers who are part of the Russian military launched a concerted attack on our political system," Mueller reminded us Wednesday. He found "that they used sophisticated cyber techniques to hack into computers and networks used by the Clinton campaign. They stole private information and then released that information through fake online identities and through the organization WikiLeaks. The releases were designed and timed to interfere with our election and to damage a presidential candidate."

Mueller ended his nearly 10-minute statement where it began, and where the entire investigation began: with a Russian attack on the United States. There "were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election, and that allegation deserves the attention of every American," Mueller said.

If our country's political health were better, the Russian attack would get the attention of every American. But Mueller gives us more credit than we deserve. His report assumed that our leaders would take seriously the Russian threat when presented with overwhelming evidence. It assumed that political leaders would soberly weigh the evidence that Trump obstructed his investigation.

Instead, Trump laughs about the whole thing with Putin, Republican leaders quash bipartisan efforts to protect the 2020 election from another attack, and GOP lawmakers, instead of pondering the president's culpability and Mueller's damning findings, demand investigations of investigators' "treason" and attempted "coup."

In appealing to their better angels, Mueller was naive. Yet even Wednesday, as he entered the Justice Department briefing room, stooped and alone, he continued to act as though things were on the level. His necktie askew, he read from his text carefully, tripping over a few words, occasionally rubbing his nose and otherwise indicating discomfort in the spotlight. "I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further," he said.

Mueller's sense of propriety seems quaint, given the sabotage done to him. Barr's misdirection about Mueller's findings devalued the crucial work, but Mueller said he didn't question Barr's "good faith." Trump outrageously accuses investigators of a capital crime, but Mueller mildly defended his staff's "fair and independent manner" and "highest integrity."

Trump reacted to Mueller's statement in predictable fashion. He retweeted a false statement saying Mueller found "no collusion," he proclaimed his innocence, and he retweeted a message from his campaign: "Now it's time to turn to the origins of the Russia hoax and get to the bottom of why the Trump campaign was spied on by the Obama-era DOJ and FBI."

Russia is preparing to attack us  again. Trump is poised to benefit  again. Unlike in 2016, we now know Russia's bad intentions, thanks to Mueller. That Trump and his allies facilitate the Russian attack by refusing to protect against it is the essence of collusion.

Dana Milbank is a columnist for the Washington Post.

You must be logged in to react.

Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Shooting victim Casey Blanchard will return home to Montana on Saturday, June 1.

He is currently receiving treatment at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, where his doctors have determined he is ready to transition to the next phase of care at his home in Stevensville.

Blanchard and his wife, Leah, will drive home to Montana. They will be met by a Montana Highway Patrol trooper at the Missoula County line, who will lead them down to Stevensville as a show of continued support for the Blanchard family.

They are anticipated to arrive in Stevensville at about 7 pm. Members of the public who wish to show support for the Blanchards should line Brooks Street in Missoula or meet at the Stevensville Wye.

These past few months, weve been surrounded by a strong medical team here at the University of Utah that kept us moving at every hurdle," the Blanchards said in press release. "Although Casey is now a paraplegic and has other limitations, we are both adjusting to this huge change to our lives and we are continuously improving every day. We want to thank Caseys medical team, along with the amazing troopers who let us in with open arms during our stay here. We also want to thank our hometown for all the support, love, and prayers that have been sent our way. We truly couldnt have come out as strong as we have without you guys."

I cant recall an incident in recent years in Montana that brought so many people together in support as that tragic night in March, Attorney General Tim Fox said. The outpouring of assistance from across Montana and in Salt Lake City on behalf of Casey and his family has been incredible. To the public, to our Montana Highway Patrol, and to Utahs law enforcement community, I sincerely thank each of you for embracing the Blanchards in their time of need. I ask for your continued prayers and well wishes for them, and for the other families involved, as they find a new way forward with their lives.

Casey Blanchard was shot on the evening of March 14, 2019, in Missoula when he exited his vehicle to check on a motorist who he thought needed assistance.

Blanchard, who was shot in the left arm, right chest, spine, abdomen and both legs, was transported to Saint Patrick Hospital in critical condition and eventually flown to Salt Lake City to receive Level I trauma care at the University of Utah Hospital. Blanchard has undergone ten surgeries. On April 16, 2019, he was moved to the hospitals rehabilitation care unit.

Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Wade Palmer was shot attempting to locate the same suspect involved in the shootings that injured Blanchard, his mother, Julie Blanchard, and killed Shelley Hays. Trooper Palmer and his wife, Lindsey, returned home from Salt Lake City to Stevensville last week.

In the days ahead, Blanchard will begin home-based therapy as his recovery continues. While the family is happy to share this news publicly, they also respectfully request privacy as they readjust to life at home.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0
Its not really a good time to be a farmer, despite President Trumps desperate PR plea amid the unveiling of a $16-billion bailout for farmers hit hard by the trade war with China. Now China is halting the import of U.S. soybeans, and the question is whether the $16-billion bailout will be enough. Beijing wont be cancelling orders its already made, but its putting any new orders on hold, essentially backtracking on an earlier agreement to purchase 10 million tons of American soybeans.

Calling them true patriots, Trump had trumped up the aid package by saying that the Chinese would be footing the bill for it; just as he has suggested that Beijing is paying for the tariffs the administration has slapped on Chinese goods. Neither are, of course, true, but serve to create a positive sentiment around the trade war by intensifying negative sentiment against the Chinese.

None of the rhetoric will help American farmers.

To put things into perspective, in 2014, China purchased some $14.5 billion in American soybeans. In 2017, China imported $12.3 billion. Last year, when the trade war began, China imported only $3.1 billion. For 2019 and 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) predicts that Chinese demand for American soybeans will shed an additional 42 million tons. And this, at a time when soybean prices are trading at a 10-year low.

The USDAs crop progress report shows that farmers have planted less than half of their intended corn acres for this year, and soybeans are taking up only 19 percent of acreage, down from the typical 47 percent.

Not only are they battling politics, geopolitics and even loss of land to foreign ownership, but theyre also battling severe weather. And its all shaping up to be an agricultural nightmare for the American farmer.

Related: Chinas Plan To Influence Global Commodity Pricing

The situation was already bad before the trade war, making the trade war the final straw--especially for the smaller farmers.

According to the Los Angeles Times, most of this aid money will more likely go to big-revenue-earning farms that are already benefiting from significant federal subsidies and low-priced crop insurance. In other words, the aid helps those who are already largely covered from the fallout of the trade war.

In the meantime, the spectre of the mission creep of foreign ownership of American farmland is put into more glaring perspective.

According to NPR, foreign investors hold nearly 30 million acres of American farmland today.

While theres been a steady increase over the past two decades, noticeable increases happened during the last recession, when investors could get their hands on land for the low prices of financial desperation.

The amount of agricultural land held by foreign investors doubled from 13.7 million acres to 27.3 million acres between 2004 and 2014, estimating it as roughly the size of Tennessee.

Related: Beijings Plan To Disrupt Rare-Earth Exports



About 2 percent, or the equivalent of 25 million acres of U.S. farm and forestland, was foreign owned in 2012, data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows. Although a small percentage, it still caused the value of the foreign-owned U.S. farmland to soar from $17.4 billion to $42.7 billion during the same period.

By 2015, at least 26.8 million acres of privately held farmland were held by foreign owners, according to the USDA 2015 report on foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land.

Canada is the largest foreign owners of U.S. land, with 6.87 million acres, followed by the Netherlands with 4.87 million acres, Germany with 1.94 million acres, the UK with 1.7 million acres, Italy with 1.4 million acres, Portugal with 1.38 million acres and France with 1.04 million acres, according to USDA 2014 report on the Foreign Holding of U.S. Agricultural Land.

China also owns a big chunk of American farmland--most notably thanks to the high-profile 2013 purchase of the world's leading pork producer, Smithfield Food, by Hong Kong-based meat processor WH Group. This company instantly gained control over 146,000 acres of prime farmland becoming the largest overseas foreign owners of the American farmland.

By Alex Kimani For Safehaven.com

More Top Reads from Safehaven.com:
Dr. Godwin Friday and the NDP are not letting the need for Electoral Reform go unheeded.

Leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) Dr Godwin Friday says that he intends to keep the issue of Electoral Reform alive in the public domain.

According to Friday, one of the things that was being discussed was a public forum to which persons with various backgrounds and experiences would be invited to address the issue.

"The people are asking, they are very interested in this debate, and we are going to ensure that we create an environment to discuss this publicly, Friday said on Monday on the New Times programme.

The Opposition was unsuccessful in its bid to have the issue of Electoral Reform debated in Parliament.

The Leader of the Opposition put forward a private members motion initially scheduled for the May 9 Meeting of Parliament.

Due to the time allotted, however, the debate never occurred as first scheduled and it was deferred to a May 17 sitting.

However, on May 17, members spent the four hours set aside to debate the issue in a heated exchange, after Gonsalves amended the motion brought by the Opposition.

"They seek to stifle the debate on Electoral Reform, and all over the country people are saying that we need to discuss and we need to know how we are going to run the election, Friday said.

He alluded to Parliament as not the only place where the issue of Electoral Reform could and should be ventilated."It is the most critical part of our society; that is why we are so adamant, and as we get closer to elections, it is important that we discuss the issue, Friday said.
" " Using step-by-step, satellite-based navigation may prevent parts of your brain associated with spatial reasoning from kicking into high gear. Klaus Vedfelt/Image Bank/Getty Images

When was the last time you navigated somewhere using a paper map? Or parked at a stop sign in a strange neighborhood, looking vaguely at the sky, trying to retrace how you got yourself into this godforsaken rabbit warren of one-way streets in the first place?

Thanks to the app on that fancy little pocket computer you carry around but call a phone, you no longer have to exercise the part of your brain to use spatial reasoning to work your way out places you're not very familiar with. In fact, a new study published in the journal Nature Communications suggests that satellite navigation, or satnav, effectively "switches off" our hippocampus and prefrontal cortex  the parts of the brain responsible for simulating routes based on prior knowledge, and planning and decision-making, respectively.

Advertisement

The research team from University College London (UCL) stuck 24 participants in fMRI machines and had them navigate through a computer simulation of streets in the city of London. The scientists monitored the subjects' brain activity while navigating from memory versus when they simply followed the directions given to them by a satnav device. It turned out that there were major spikes in the activity of both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex when the participants encountered giant roundabouts similar to London's Seven Dials or the Magic Roundabout of Swindon, but those parts of the brain didn't fire up when the satnav fed them instructions.

"If you are having a hard time navigating the mass of streets in a city, you are likely putting high demands on your hippocampus and prefrontal cortex," said lead author Dr. Hugo Spiers of UCL Experimental Psychology, in a press release. "Our results fit with models in which the hippocampus simulates journeys on future possible paths while the prefrontal cortex helps us to plan which ones will get us to our destination. When we have technology telling us which way to go, however, these parts of the brain simply don't respond to the street network. In that sense our brain has switched off its interest in the streets around us."

Previous research has shown that the gray matter in the memory centers of London cab drivers increases during the 3-to-4-year period of training in which they learn all London's 25,000 streets and countless landmarks, resulting in the hippocampus of these drivers being larger than normal.

" " When it comes to the human brain, the spatial reasoning required for decoding a standard map and the instructions in a GPS device are very different. Julian Watt/Getty Images

So, what's going to happen to our hippocampi and prefrontal cortices now that we don't rely on them to help us get around anymore? Will those part of our brain atrophy, shriveling to useless raisins and unable to do the work related to memory capabilities we take for granted? The answer is: We don't know yet.

"Understanding how the environment affects our brain is important," says co-author Dr. Amir-Homayoun Javadi, who ran the brain imaging analysis at UCL, and is now at the University of Kent. "My research group is now exploring how physical and cognitive activity affect brain activity in a positive way. Satnavs clearly have their uses and their limitations."

Now That's Interesting London streets are notoriously difficult to navigate. The Knowledge, the test London cabbies are required to take in order to get a job, is possibly the most difficult test in the world.
vpnMentor researches have recently discovered that hotel brands managed by The Pyramid Hotel Group have suffered a data leak.

vpnMentor exp erts have discovered that hotel brands managed by The Pyramid Hotel Group, including Marriott, have suffered a da ta leak,

vpnMentors research team discovered the unprotected server through port scanning to examine known IP blocks.

Researchers discovered 85.4GB of security audit logs, the exposed data also include monitoring and alerts, reported system errors, misconfiguration, policy violations, potential attempted malicious breaches, and other cybersecurity events. Unsecured data also include personally identifying information (PII) of employees.

Exposed data is date back to April 19, 2019, likely the date of the system setup or reconfiguration that is the root cause of the leak.

The unsecured server exposed audit logs generated by Wazuh, an open-source intrusion detection system used by the company.

The Pyramid Hotel Group utilizes Wazuh  an open source intrusion detection system  on an unsecured server that is leaking information regarding their operating systems, security policies , internal networks, and application logs. reads the post published by vpnMentor .

The Pyramid Hotel Group manages hospitality and resort properties in the US, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Ireland, and the UK, it includes locations of several brands such as Marriott, Sheraton, Plaza, Hilton Hotel and other independent hotels.

Data leaked by the company could be used by attackers to gather information about hotels network and security measures implemented to protect them. This information could be used by hackers in later attacks.

Below the timeline of discovery:

DATE EVENT 5/27/19 Breach discovered by vpnMentor Research team 5/28/19 Informed PHG of breach 5/28/19 Received acknowledgement from PHG 5/29/19 Data leak closed. Problem resolved.

Recently vpnMentor experts discovered an unprotected database impacting up to 65% of US households.



If you appreciate my effort in spreading cybersecurity awareness, please vote for Security Affairs in the section Your Vote for the Best EU Security Tweeter

Thank you

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs  Pyramid Hotel Group, data leak)

Share this...

Linkedin

Share this: Twitter

Print

LinkedIn

Facebook

More

Tumblr

Pocket





Share On
The St. Vincent Brewery, which set it root down here in 1984, is one of the leading manufacturing concerns in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In 2010, 76.5% of the share capital of the St. Vincent Brewery Ltd. passed from the hands of Royal Unibrew A/S to Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana (CND), a Domincian Republic-based brewing conglomerate, for a purported sum of US$31 million.

By May 2012, Ambev, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, owners of, among other things, the renowned Budweiser brand, acquired major ownership of the St. Vincent Brewerys parent company, Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana (CND).

Since that acquisition, the principal shareholder has moved successfully to purchase the shares of many small local shareholders, whose purchase of shares dates back to the birth of the Company in 1984.



New owners- arbitrary rule?

Goodluck is not only a shareholder but, as far as the records show, he is the longest serving Director of the Company, he having replaced the late McNeil Trotman as the local Director on the Companys Board of Directors.

A recent contention has surfaced with respect to his Directorship when, according to information made available to THE VINCENTIAN, Goodluck was removed as a Director by a mere notice of such to the Office of the Commerce and Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).

THE VINCENTIAN understands that the notice of Goodlucks removal has not been stamped as Registered by the CIPO, which has noted the lack of credible evidence to support his removal.

Goodluck confirmed to THE VINCENTIAN, that, in fact, he had not received any notice of a Board Meeting since 2016.

He affirmed that his removal as a Director can only be made legitimate by a vote of the Annual General Meeting of shareholders.

In the absence of same, Goodluck, in 2018, filed a Claim (Claim No. 100 of 2018) in the High Court, challenging his removal from the Board of Directors.

There was and has not been to date, a direct response to Goodlucks claim. Interestingly though, he received a notice dated April 24, 2019 of the holding of the 34th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Companys shareholders.



Objection to AGM

Acting on his behalf, Attorney Jomo Thomas expressed by way of letter of May 14, 2019 addressed to the Company, Goodlucks objection to the convening of any AGM since: the notice announcing the AGM was not signed or stamped by an official mark of the company, thereby contravening Section 18.7 of the By-Laws; the notice did not emanate from a properly constituted Board meeting; the company failed to convene an AGM for the 2015 and 2016 financial years.

Moreover, Thomas contended on behalf of his client, that while dividends were proposed and paid in 2015 and 2016, these were not sanctioned by a shareholders General Meeting, as per procedure as per the Companies Act and By-Laws.

Thomas letter was enough to cause an abortion of any attempt to hold an AGM.

A source at the Brewery verified that notices were sent out with respect to an AGM for 2019, but there seemed to have been a rather lukewarm response to it from persons employed with the company, especially those long-standing employees who understood the process.

That meeting, convened on May 16, 2019 involved Goodluck and his representatives and a team representing the Brewery.

In a letter dated May 17, 2019 to the Chairman of the Board, Peter Alexander, Consultant to Goodluck, chronicled the decisions of the meeting.

He wrote that Goodluck would withdraw his objection to holding the 34th AGM, if: he received satisfactory minutes and appropriate Board papers to support Board decisions from 2016 to the present, and a guarantee indemnifying him of all and any liability from actions and decisions made by the Board from January 1, 2016.

In addition, as Alexander recorded in his letter, the Meeting of May 16 agreed that an appropriate resolution that addresses decisions and actions that would have been placed before AGMs of 2015 and 2016, be tabled for consideration and approval by the shareholders in an AGM.

No local authority



In addition to the action occasioned by Goodlucks effort to correct what he perceives as the St. Vincent Brewerys failure to comply with basic tenets of the Companys Act, a number of other shareholders have complained to THE VINCENTIAN, about how difficult it is to get information from seemingly top level persons at the Brewery, something to which media personnel could attest.

One shareholder highlighted the fact there has not been a local Chief Executive Officer at the Brewery for some time, and many rudimentary matters have had to be referred to the Dominican Republic for address and redress.

Further, it was drawn to the attention of THE VINCENTIAN, that filings at the CIPO suggest that the St. Vincent Brewery Ltd. is not a public company. However, strict readings by THE VINCENTIAN of our Companies Act confirm that it is.

When contacted for a comment, a person versed in Company Law and one who has had a relationship with the Brewery, described the prevailing situation as one in which the controlling shareholder is treating the company as if it is a private company.

"How else could the Company get audited financial statements without having held an AGM of shareholders to sanction dividend? the person questioned, adding, "Could this have happened in Mexico, South Africa, Europe, North America or for that matter, Barbados?

As it stands now, Ambev/ Anheuser-Busch InBev/Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana (CND) is said to own some 93% of the shares in the St. Vincent Brewery.Since the acquisition by Ambev/ Anheuser-Busch InBev/ Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana (CND), Vincentian nationals, home and abroad, who remain shareholders, have seen their say in the Companys affairs diminished, if not trampled unfairly upon, according to one local shareholder Samuel Goodluck.This notice could well have been hastened by not only Goodlucks action but what THE VINCENTIAN undestand was an increasing number of queries from other local shareholders.Instead of issuing a direct written response to Thomas letter, the Brewery requested a meeting with Goodluck.Should all of these be addressed to the satisfaction of Goodluck, Alexander wrote, he is prepared not to make himself available for re-election to the Board, even though he is eligible so to do.Efforts to solicit from the Brewery an indication of a timeline leading to an AGM, proved futile. (Staff Reporter)
FILE PHOTO: People hold signs calling for China to release Canadian detainees Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig during a court appearance by Huawei's Financial Chief Meng Wanzhou, outside of British Columbia Supreme Court building in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

By Roberta Rampton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will discuss their countries' joint dispute with China over Huawei during a meeting in Ottawa on Thursday, a senior U.S. administration official said.

Pence, known for taking a hard line against China, will travel to the Canadian capital to discuss trade issues, including Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the world's largest telecoms network gear maker, which Washington has moved to isolate.

"Canada has been a close ally in the way that they've approached their relationship with China - and there could be some conversation about Huawei," the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Washington has accused Huawei of being tied to China's government, and has effectively banned U.S. firms from doing business with the company for national security reasons.

The dispute spilled into Canada last year, and Ottawa has expressed frustration at what it sees as a lackluster U.S. response to harsh Chinese measures.

In December, Canada arrested Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wangzhou on a U.S. warrant. She faces extradition to the United States on charges she conspired to defraud global banks about Huawei's relationship with a company operating in Iran. She and the company have denied the charges.

Shortly after her arrest, Canadian businessman Michael Spavor and former diplomat Michael Kovrig were detained in China, and were formally arrested for espionage earlier this month. Canada has called the Canadians' detentions arbitrary.

China has also cut off imports of key Canadian commodities, hurting farmers.

"Expect some very tangible outcomes from their discussion with regard to China that we'll share with you tomorrow," a second U.S. official told reporters. The officials declined to say whether Pence would offer Canada assistance on the detentions and the trade stoppages.

Story continues

Pence also plans to make a separate address in the coming days about the "current state of affairs" in China, the officials said.

The speech is seen as a sequel to one Pence gave in October, when he accused China of reckless military actions, cyber attacks and human rights abuses, as well as "malign" efforts to undermine Trump's reelection campaign in 2020.

The Huawei issue is the latest trade-related snafu to rock the relationship between the United States and Canada - normally two of the world's closest allies - since President Donald Trump took office.

One of Trump's first actions was to overhaul the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, which he commonly refers to as one of the worst trade deals ever made.

But now that the three countries have agreed to a replacement, Pence has been travelling around trade-dependent U.S. states to urge its passage through the Congress. He will put the new deal - the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA - front and centre during his first trip to Canada as vice president.

The two leaders are also expected to discuss the political crisis in Venezuela. Pence has played a major role in the Trump administration's diplomatic and economic efforts to force out President Nicolas Maduro.

Both Washington and Ottawa have backed opposition leader Juan Guaido, who invoked Venezuela's constitution in January to declare himself interim president, arguing that Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

The Trump administration has threatened a harder line against Cuba for its support of Maduro, but Trudeau has reached out to Havana to seek its help in settling the political conflict in Venezuela.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton, editing by G Crosse)
Reuters

Indian banks need to bolster their capital to absorb potential stress and augment credit flow when policy support is phased out, the Reserve Bank of India said in a report on Trends and Progress of Banking on Tuesday. Due to the pandemic, credit growth of commercial banks had been subdued in 2020/21 but non-banking finance companies filled up the space, RBI said. During 2020/21, the total reported number of fraud cases declined while in the first half of 2021/22, private sector banks accounted for more than half the reported fraud cases.
International personalities speak during a session titled Crisis of Trust. Global Power Balance at the Eurasian Media Forum 2019 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, May 24, 2019.  Picture courtesy of the Eurasian Media Forum

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31  At the recently-concluded Eurasian Media Forum 2019, which was held in the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan, China was the main focus of some discussions.

In a session titled Crisis of Trust. Global Power Balance, panelists from the East and West debated the issue of trust in international relations and national policies.

Among the panelists were American political strategist and Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign head Steve Bannon who took a strong anti-China stance.

He called China the greatest existential threat ever faced by the US, and cautioned other nations about the countrys One Belt One Road Initiative (BRI).

He said China was merely taking the predatory capitalism model of the British East India company and running it in reverse.

Dont think any of these projects are for your betterment, they are not. This is not about the Chinese people [they] are under the worst suppression in the world of any nation on earth by the CCP, he told the audience, referring to the Communist Party of China.

Bannon said the business model of state capitalism by China was financed by the West and used technology provided by the West, for profit, which had allowed the current state of affairs to take place.

This is not a trade war, this is an economic war. They have been running this economic war for 20 years, he said.

On the issue of Israel and Palestine, British politician and broadcaster George Galloway said the recognition of the injustice faced by the people of Palestine is the only way to build the trust between the two conflicted nations.

He said the rights of Palestinian refugees, which are growing in number, should be served in order to resolve the conflict.

Only a recognition of the historic injustice in the lifetime of many people still alive that has been visited on the Palestinian people, a recognition of their nationhood, of their right to exist as a people, of their legal and moral right to return to their homeland, until then, there will be no peace.

Story continues

We have a slogan no justice, no peace, he said.

Another panelist argued that the whole world is talking about the occupation of the West Bank, but no one is talking about the 12 million Muslims in Kashmir being occupied by India.

No one is talking about the three million Muslims in concentration camps in China. This is selected occupation of international standards of human rights and it is absurd, he said.

Related Articles Dr M calls for conflict resolution through negotiation, not confrontation De-globalisation, AI, key topics at global media forum in Kazakhstan Chinas BRI should boost maritime trade too, says Dr M
The JomParkir team distributing the goodie bags to firefighters at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail Fire and Rescue station.  Picture courtesy of JomParkir

PETALING JAYA, May 31  Working in the heavy rain or extreme heat on an empty stomach is no easy feat.

Thats why end-to-end parking solutions provider JomParkir Sdn Bhd chose to celebrate public service personnel who work hard at keeping the country safe, despite having to fast.

The company recently handed out buka puasa goodie bags to firefighters, police officers, postmen, and security guards as part of their #JomPrihatin social initiative.

The goal of the project was to acknowledge the unsung heroes who continue to handle traffic, emergencies, and rescue operations while fasting during the holy month.

Police officers on duty in Kuala Lumpur were treated to a simple but meaningful buka puasa gift.  Picture courtesy of JomParkir

Inside the goodie bags were bottles of drinking water, dates, and sweets to help public service personnel on duty to break their fast and boost their morale.

JomParkirs chief executive officer Muhamad Nasir said in a press release that the company wanted to give these officers a pat on the back for willingly sacrificing time with their families to serve their country.

Many of them are not able to break fast with their families and some even miss Hari Raya celebrations with their families  all just to ensure that our nation is running and safe.

We understand the increased need for public service personnel manning the heavy traffic congestion, emergency personnel on standby, and many others who dedicate their time to carrying out their duties, so we just wanted to play a small part in making their day.

Related Articles PBT Segamat nafi pegawai menyamar tangkap kaki ponteng puasa Iftar@KL 2019 pikat pelancong asing kenali agama, budaya Diari Beijing: Rakyat Malaysia sambut Ramadan, bagaikan keluarga besar
A young man died Friday after being hit by a car while riding an electric scooter, police said, just after they were launched in the Swedish city of Helsingborg. According to Swedish police the 27-year old man was riding a rented scooter in the city centre late Thursday when he was hit by a passing car. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, the victim succumbed to his injuries early the next day, police reported. The scooter rental operator VOI, which had only begun renting scooters in the southern Swedish city on Wednesday, confirmed that one had been involved in the accident. "We are fully cooperating with police in the ongoing investigation," the company said in a statement. Like elsewhere around the world, electric scooters have quickly become popular in Swedish cities. They have also stirred controversy - seen both as a traffic hazard and nuisance when users leave them carelessly on pavements. City officials have struggled with how to handle the trendy mode of transportation that depending on its top speed could be considered either a bicycle or a moped in Sweden. Hans Cassepierre, an expert at Sweden's Transport Agency, told Swedish news agency TT that the dangers of the electric scooters have been apparent for some time. "Unfortunately we've been waiting for a serious accident, and it is of course especially tragic when someone dies," Cassepierre told TT.
Sudan has closed the Khartoum office of Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera, the station said on its website Thursday, adding that its staff members' work permits had also been withdrawn. The Qatar-based broadcaster said Sudanese security officers informed it of the decision by the Sudanese Transitional Military Council to shut its office down. "The decision also includes the withdrawal of the work permits for the correspondents and personnel of the Al-Jazeera network starting from now," said the station, which regularly broadcasts footage of demonstrations in Sudan. No written decision was given to the bureau's director, the channel said. "They told us that the military council had decided to close the Al-Jazeera network's office and withdraw its licence, Al-Musallami Al-Kabbashi, the director of the station's Khartoum office told AFP. "We gave them the material and the office," he added. The Transitional Military Council took power after the army ousted president Omar al-Bashir, a close ally of Qatar. The council's head Abdelfattah al-Burhan travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday to participate in a summit there. He had already visited Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Doha in 2017, accusing it of terrorism, which it denies. The generals, backed by key Arab powers, have resisted calls from African and Western governments to hand over the reins of power.
US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and aide Jared Kushner was in Jerusalem on Thursday as part of a Middle East trip focused on the White House's expected plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Kushner was expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but no details were released of his schedule. A US embassy spokeswoman confirmed he had arrived following earlier stops in Morocco and Jordan. Kushner, accompanied by Trump envoy Jason Greenblatt and Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran, is a key architect of the peace plan the White House is expected to unveil. But the plan, previously delayed for an Israeli general election on April 9, could face further postponements due to Israeli politics. Israel is set to hold another general election in September after Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government, and the plan is widely seen as too sensitive an issue to introduce during a political campaign. The Palestinian leadership has also already rejected the plan, saying that Trump's moves have shown him to be blatantly biased in favour of Israel. Those moves include declaring the disputed city of Jerusalem Israel's capital and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian aid. Jordan's King Abdullah II insisted during Kushner's visit Wednesday on the "need to intensify efforts to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, that would guarantee the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital." The United States is expected to roll out the economic aspects of the peace plan at a conference in Bahrain on June 25-26, but Palestinian leaders say they will not attend.
Yeo suggested that the reports on Dr Mahathirs remarks may not have focused on his actual stand on the matter.  Picture by Miera Zulyana

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31  Minister Yeo Bee Yin today has clarified that Australian rare earth refiner Lynas Corp will still have to resolve the issue of radioactive waste produced at its plant in Pahang before it is allowed to continue operations.

Yeo, who is minister of energy, science, technology, environment and climate change, clarified the reported remarks made by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Japan yesterday regarding the Lynas plant.

Yeo suggested that the reports on Dr Mahathirs remarks may not have focused on his actual stand on the matter.

Actually today I saw the (video) clip of Dr Mahathirs interview, then I realised actually his position is, Lynas has to ship out its waste, his answer was very long, most of the time he was talking about waste, but unexpectedly the focus was blurred, so actually the government is still very concerned about the issue of waste, she said in an interview during 8TVs Global Watch programme last night.

In the interview that was conducted in Mandarin, Yeo also revealed that the Cabinet had on Wednesday decided to have her meet with Australian government officials to have face-to-face talks regarding the Lynas issue.

Yesterday, the Cabinet decided to let me go personally to Australia, she said, adding that Malaysia is awaiting a response from Australia for the scheduling of meeting date.

Noting that both Australias federal and state ministers have the power to issue permits required for the shipping of wastes back to the country, Yeo said she would be meeting with the relevant state minister.

When asked to confirm that the government has yet to decide on allowing Lynas to continue operations in Malaysia, Yeo said: I think this will have to wait for me to come back from Australia, then only there can be a report and to let the Cabinet to decide.

To me, most importantly, the waste issue has to be resolved because everyones concern is how the waste issue will be resolved, she added.

Story continues

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir was reported as saying that the government will renew Lynas operating licence in Malaysia.

In the interview late last night, Yeo also explained the importance of dealing with the waste produced by the Lynas plant in Gebeng, Pahang.

Now we must work hard to get the waste shipped out, because if the waste is not shipped out, the safer way to deal with it is a permanent disposal facility in a land, after closing it, this land will permanently be unusable.

Tun Mahathir, when he was in Japan, he also spoke about this, about cracking and leaching, he also spoke about it, she said.

She noted that Malaysia and China are the only two countries in the world with rare earth refineries due to environmental protection laws elsewhere, highlighting Malaysias unique position globally of having a rare earth refinery with materials shipped in.

So now we also hope to learn from Chinas experience, how do they deal with this waste, because its not from our country, she said.

Outside of China, Malaysia is actually the only one to have rare earth refinery.

When the previous government agreed, they actually did not think the waste produced would be so much and they agreed, she said when noting why the previous administration under Barisan Nasional approved the setting up of the Lynas plant in Pahang.

Yeo said that Malaysia would like all rare earth refiners including Lynas to separate their refining process, with the process that produces radioactive waste to be first done in their home country.

The first process is cracking and leaching, that should be done at the mining place and the radioactive waste be kept at the mine. And the intermediate, the clean one, can be shipped here to be refined, that way, the waste produced by all refinery plants in Malaysia wont be this. This is something we must have as a condition, she said.

When asked again if there would still be possible changes in the matter of Lynas operating licence renewal, Yeo said: If they want to renew their licence, they must quickly solve the problem, they must ensure their future refining will not have radioactive materials.

Related Articles PM: Dihalang periksa kotak hitam, siasatan MH 17 banyak politik Tiada masa sebenar serah Anwar jawatan PM, kata Dr M Why Anwar should be PM now
Crew members of The Last Overland expedition with the "Oxford" Land Rover (from left): Larry Leong, Marcus Allender, Dr Silverius Purba, Tim Slessor, Therese-Marie Becker and Alex Bescoby. (PHOTO: Teng Yong Ping/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)

In 1955, a team of six British men began their historic journey to drive 16,000km from London to Singapore. Their Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition successfully ended six months later in 1956.

Now, 64 years later, a member from the expedition, 87-year-old Tim Slessor, will join filmmaker Alex Bescoby, 31, and take one of two of the original Land Rovers, the Oxford Land Rover Series I, on a road trip to recreate the epic journey.

And he will have a Singaporean on board: 51-year-old Larry Leong. Slessor and Leong will be part of a seven-member team including a woman.

This time, the team will make the journey in reverse, from Singapore to London. The route will bring them across three continents and over twenty countries. It will take them through the jungles of Malaysia and Myanmar, the mountains of the Himalayas and northern Turkey, the deserts of the Middle East, Nepal, China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Bulgaria and other stops.

The team aims to arrive in London within 100 days of setting out from Singapore. Grammar Productions, which will film the journey as a TV documentary series, unveiled the restored original 1955 Oxford Land Rover at the Jaguar Land Rover showroom in Singapore on Thursday (30 May).

The other Rover in the previous expedition was named Cambridge. Both cars were named after the universities that the original team members hailed from.

Slessor, a retiree who is a former BBC filmmaker, spoke about the first historic trip, when he and his team made the longest possible overland route in the world.

The last time I seriously drove this old thing was a long time ago. So, as you might imagine, to see the old thing again today is quite moving. After all, before we had set out, the experts had told us that we were geographically ignorant and politically naive; the journey couldnt be done. All that did was to make us more determined. Six months later, we pulled in to Champion Motors on Singapores Orchard Road, he said.

Story continues

Tim Slessor speaking at The Last Overland expedition press conference at the Jaguar Land Rover showroom. (PHOTO: Teng Yong Ping/Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)

The successful 1955-1956 journey made headlines around the world and was featured in three BBC films produced by renowned naturalist David Attenborough.

As to why Slessor is repeating this arduous journey at his ripe old age, he said, As I get older, I have been bothered by a recurring and nagging whisper: Go for it  before its too late. I am 87, and if I dont do it now, I may never get another chance.

Leong has made the Overland journey from Singapore to London twice before, including once with his wife and then-5-year-old daughter. He looks forward to making his third trip with Slessor, whom he considered as his idol.

The IT consultant is in charge of IT and communications support for the team, which includes a doctor and other filmmakers.

He told Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore, I visited Tim in London in 2015 when I reached the UK from Singapore after a three-month journey. I told him then that should he ever attempt the Overland trip again, I wanted to join him. Our chance came when the original Oxford car was found and restored in 2017.

After the historic Overland drive, the Oxford car was later used by another group in an expedition to the South Atlantic Ascension Island. The car was hidden and decaying on the island for decades before it was found and restored in 2017.

The Last Overland expedition, as the team is calling it, will flag off on 25 August 2019 at the F1 Pit in Marina Bay. The trip is supported by Singapore Tourism Board, AKE Group, Jaguar Land Rover Asia Pacific, and Klareco Communications.

Follow Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore on Facebook.
Ambassador Carlos Trujillo, Permanent Representative of the United States to the Organization of American States (OAS), presides as Chair of the OAS Permanent Council, May 21, 2019, as they deliberated on a Nicaragua-related resolution. (OAS Photo)

Once again, CARICOM member states have demonstrated a difference of opinion on a hemispheric matter.



Last week Tuesday, May 21, St. Vincent and the Grenadines joined with Suriname, and Nicaragua, to vote against a resolution at the Organisation of American States (OAS), that expressed concerns at the deterioration of democratic institutions and human rights in Nicaragua, and support for a peaceful solution to the political crisis in that country.

While St. Vincent and the Grenadines voted against the resolution before the Permanent Council of the OAS, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Guyana, Haiti and St. Lucia were among twenty countries that voted in favour of the resolution.

Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica and St. Kitts and Nevis were among ten countries that abstained. Trinidad and Tobago was not present for the vote.

* guarantee the return and safe stay, without reprisals, of all the people who were forced to leave Nicaragua as a result of the current crisis.

As far as the releases of prisoners was concerned, Nicaraguas Deputy Foreign Minister, Valdrack Jaentschke, said his government so far has released 336 prisoners including 100 released last week Monday to a form of house arrest while 132 people remained in jail.

The Resolution before the OAS last Tuesday, also called on Nicaragua, among other things to:* unconditionally release all prisoners related to anti-government protests by June 19, 2019, as previously agreed;* initiate institutional measures necessary to ensure free, fair, transparent, and legitimate elections in accordance with international standards, with the presence of independent electoral observers, including the OAS;* ensure freedom of expression and the press, allow the exercise of the right to demonstrate peacefully, stop arbitrary detentions, and guarantee the independent work of human rights defenders and organizations;"All will be released by June 18th, Jaentschke promised.
President Donald Trumps proposal this month to raise tariffs on clothing and footwear imports from China is shaking up supply chains in the country as businesses worry about the potentially devastating impact of a 25% increase on the sector.

Chinese manufacturers are feeling increasingly uncertain over how the ongoing trade war with the United States will affect their factories. And with negotiations expected to resume at the G20 in Kyoto, Japan, in June, many in China are rethinking the deployment and structuring of their production plants and are drafting contingency plans.

Related stories

Why Trump's Latest Tariff Threat Against Mexico Has the Shoe Industry Worried

Trump's Mexico Tariff Threat Sends Stock Market Into a Tailspin

What Top Execs From Target, JCPenney, Kohl's and More Are Saying About Trump's China Tariffs

Uncertainty kills, said Louis Chan, assistant principal economist at the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, a statutory body that works closely with the mainland. Not knowing whether theyll be caught in the crossfire, manufacturers are becoming more conservative over the orders theyre taking and accepting. Its inevitable. No news is worse than actually having to face a potential hike in duties. Theyre preparing themselves, but in the meanwhile, they are being prudent  reserved even. Thats actually whats hindering business right now.

The setback has yet to challenge Chinas stronghold on the footwear supply chain, however. As of 2017, nearly 60% of U.S. footwear imports came from China, according to a World Bank report, indicating that the countrys prime status remains intact despite the fact that its price advantage has dipped slightly compared with other manufacturing hot spots.

For Sheng Lu, associate professor of fashion and apparel at the University of Delaware and author of a recent study on the tariff war in the apparel sector, thats due to the fact that Chinas competitiveness is simply still hard to beat  at least in the short term.

Story continues

China doesnt have as available figures and stats as the U.S., but from the most recent analyses, and deducting from the trade data available in the States, its clear that footwear production has remained stable, Lu said. American companies havent flocked away from Chinese manufacturers. The volume of exports is gradually declining, but its not as dramatic as some might assume. China is a balanced supplier  its reliable, from sourcing and cost to compliance risk. Brands cant just walk away from that. Not so soon.

Vietnam and Indonesia  Chinas two main manufacturing competitors  arent as sophisticated or advanced when it comes to those same categories, which is why moving supply chains to those countries might not be a viable alternative for shoe retailers. They also dont have the same availability of raw materials, meaning they cant help but raise their prices to cover sourcing and imports.

To that end, American companies might be stuck with the choice of paying either higher tariffs to work with China or higher prices to produce elsewhere in Asia. Footwear has a very unique positioning, Lu explained. Its both capital- and labor-intensive. Unlike apparel, which can be sourced from a number of countries, footwear is very concentrated in terms of production facilities. So there have to be certain conditions before a drastic shift can truly take place.

If and when that shift comes, Chinese manufacturers are readying for it. Many producers have been adopting the so-called China plus one strategy, diversifying their operations by adding another location in Asia, Chan said. By doing so, they can reduce operating costs as well as access new markets and become less vulnerable to supply chain disruptions like those the trade war is bringing. It gives them temporary flexibility and the chance to try to iron out the problem in different ways, either by reshuffling their productions lines or moving orders out of the country.

Manufacturers are also expanding their export market for footwear. According to Lu, in 2007, 32% of Chinas shoe exports went to the U.S., while in 2017, that number dropped to 25%. Meanwhile, its exports to the EU and, notably, Asia, have been steadily growing. Simply put, China is no longer putting all its eggs in one big American basket. If the tariffs come into effect, local businesses and production facilities would be partly covered because of these other outlets, said Lu.

If the footwear tariffs are implemented, American brands  and eventually consumers  might be the ones left with the shorter end of the stick. Matt Priest, president and CEO of the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America, has been particularly vocal in expressing concern about the outcome. Footwear brands already pay much higher duties than other retail sectors, he said. The consequences of a 25% spike would no doubt fall on businesses here.

If companies can move, theyll try to move some of their production out of China, he added. But that cant be done for everything, at least not that quickly. Companies will have to absorb some of the cost, but theyre going to totally crush their margins. And inevitably, the price will be pushed on the consumer.

Still, Chinese footwear manufacturers are reassessing and recalibrating their structures and being cautious in planning for the coming months.

Its hard to prepare for something so unclear, but if theres one thing on suppliers and buyers minds, its the long-term effects of this dispute, Lu said.

If the overall tension persists, the more significant impact will be on future investments  both from American and Chinese sides, he added. The question everyone is asking themselves is: Where should I place my production? Ethiopia might be a good contender. The Caribbean, perhaps. But moving factories and supply chains takes time and a lot of logistics. I believe thats what the sector might be most preoccupied with at the moment. The reality is, there are no winners, just losers.

Want More?

China Trade War Refuels Talk of Sourcing Alternatives, but Theres No Solution for Most Brands

How Trumps China Tariffs Would Impact What Sneakerheads Buy

Nearly 200 Shoe Companies Write Letter Urging Trump to Ditch Footwear Tariffs

Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Jason Momoa Reveals He Was 'Too Broke to Fly Home' From a Trip During the Early Days of 'Game of Thrones'

It wasnt always easy being the Khal.

Even though Jason Momoa is pretty much a household name today, things were very different for him before he started playing Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones.

According to CNBC, Momoa reflected on his time as a struggling actor during his first days shooting the hit HBO show, before he was a star acting in hit movies and shaving his beard to raise awareness for the worlds plastic problem.

On Instagram, Momoa wrote about his experience during a holiday weekend about a decade ago when he and his best friend, Brian Andrew Mendoza, were too broke to fly home. So they decided to rent a U-Haul van in Belfast, Ireland, and drove around the countryside, searching for the greatest pint of Guinness.

Perhaps they should have headed to the Guinness Beer Castle in the Wicklock Mountains? But they were in Ireland, so it was probably nearly impossible to find a bad pint.

At least, thats what Momoa thinks. Turns out its perfect everywhere, he wrote on Instagram. So many wonderful people and stories I treasure those times It was the simplest moments I remember the most.

Momoas Irish road trip is a good example of using your ingenuity to take a vacation with your friends, even if you think cant afford it. Turns out, there are ways to get away, even on the tiniest of budgets. Luckily, Momoa had a hit show to fall back on.

Story continues

Much like other celebrities who suddenly hit it big, like Chrissy Metz, who told Glamour that she only had 81 cents in her bank account when she booked This is Us, Jason Momoa was just a struggling professional like many other people out there. Its hard to think about celebrities being too broke to do anything when theyre playing larger-than-life kings and superheroes, though.

But, as Momoa told the Hollywood Reporter in 2017, I haven't been an actor who's been able to pick and choose roles, and being a family man, it's been about putting food on the table.

Not only is Momoas most recent Instagram post very sweet, but its also very humbling to think about.
top image: hjtan123 / Flickr

I had a friend whose parents told her to pick from a list of approved professions: doctor, lawyer, banker, or accountant. She could only pursue one of the four. This conversation happened when my friend was 18, right after she received her A-Level results.

Despite getting straight As, the grades didnt really help her decide what her future path should be, so her parents pressured her into taking one of the safer options.

It turns out that a life of chasing paper qualifications and stellar grades cant really get you to your destination if, well, you dont know where youre headed in the first place.

This was a real situation, and though its just an anecdote, this problematic scenario is so typically Singaporean that you can imagine it happening easily enough.

But Im starting to witness an encouraging mindset shift within our society.

On May 25, I was invited to cover an event organised by The Astronauts Collective (TAC) in collaboration with Lifelong Learning Institute under SkillsFuture Singapore.

Titled Day X, short for a day of exploration, the event was organised to help Singaporean youths make well-informed choices about their career. Think of Day X as a career fair, but focused on breadth and exposure, rather than converting kids to a specific career path.

It was a full-day event, where more than 700 students from various secondary schools were invited to interact with more than 80 volunteer professionals.

On the ground level, students could visit a Human Library, where participants borrowed a professional to listen to their sharing.

On the upper floors, students who preferred a more hands-on experience could visit themed Worlds. In each World, students were invited to participate in interactive activities devised to illustrate an important aspect of a professionals work.

Stepping into a room full of fresh-faced, uniform-clad secondary school students, I felt pretty out of place. Im sure I looked it too, dressed in casual wear but probably not mature enough to pass off as one of the teacher chaperones. Even though I missed the events target age demographic by quite a bit, I wanted to camouflage myself within the crowd of excitable teenagers and fully immerse myself in the experience.

Story continues

As I took a cursory stroll around the Human Library, I passed by what seemed like over 50 booths. A wide variety of professionals were in attendance: a Head of Communications could be situated right next to an Aerospace Engineer or Scientist. Even uncommon professions like Podcaster were represented as well.

They were clearly veering away from the conventional Doctor-Lawyer-Banker-Accountant-type occupations.

Throughout Day X, I often caught myself wondering how great it would have been if I was exposed to similar programmes in my younger days.

This hit a particularly poignant note for me. I experienced a rather tumultuous period after graduating from Junior College, where I came to the belated realisation that I really wasnt sure where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do.

Essentially, I was so caught up with the rat-race of Singapores education system that I did not pause to question what it was all for. What ensued was disillusionment, and a struggle to find a clear sense of direction.

Putting my personal history aside, my point is: I think my experiences were far from unique. Singaporean children are rarely given the space to explore their interests or to consider their future career options. They are often bogged down by more immediate concerns like major examinations or gaining entrance into the next institution of learning.

Aside from the focus on academics, we should really think about giving children the opportunity to explore their interests and find themselves. While it is comforting to see that in recent years there is a shift away from academic results within MOEs policy, it might take parents and students a bit longer to change their thinking.

Showing them the available options out there and empowering them to make a choice can have a very powerful impact on a young persons development.

Taking some time to talk to the volunteer professionals, I realised many of them echoed my sentiments. Given the opportunity, they wanted to ensure that todays kids could enjoy these opportunities that they never had.

Ling, who introduced herself as a Policy Maker, shared with me the avenues she took to inform herself about potential career options. Fresh out of college, she spent time scouring LinkedIn for people with interesting job positions. After connecting with them online, she would ask them out for a chat over coffee to learn more about their profession.

While she took the initiative to put herself out there, these students had much more structure. All they needed to do was walk into a room, and they had 50 different professionals very willing to share about their profession, she reflected.

To put it bluntly, they were handed these opportunities on a silver platter.

Make no mistake, this isnt one of those angry kids these days have it so easy tirades. I think Day X is a great thingand I think we should give these kids much more credit.

When speaking with the students, I was honestly taken aback by how confident and eloquent they were. This was especially noticeable at the Human Library, where students flitted aroundsometimes in groups and pairs, sometimes alonestriking up easy conversations with the professionals. Many of them were also perfectly comfortable conversing with complete strangers, and none of them shied away when I approached them.

Many of them attended the event not because their schools forced them to, but because they saw its value.

The first group of students I spoke with were a group of girls from Bukit Panjang Government High School who were awaiting an audience with the Aerospace Engineer. (Side note: yay to breaking gender stereotypes!)

Despite only being Secondary Two students, they signed up to attend Day X because the school impressed upon them the importance of exploring various career options.

This sentiment was echoed by two Secondary Four boys from Chung Cheng High School, who solemnly told me that it was very important for them to start making decisions about their future.

I tried to encourage them to take things less seriously, reassuring them there was still plenty of time to figure things out. These kids were, well, kids.

And yet, I hope I am painting a picture of just how surprisingly mature these students can be. They were perceptibly thoughtful and proactive in asking questions, and many of them came prepared, having done research about the industries they were interested in.

Speaking to a pair of Secondary Three girls from Sembawang Secondary School, I learnt that they came to find out more about the creative industry. Prior to our conversation, theyd spent quite a bit of time talking with a professional filmmaker about his craft. As aspiring filmmakers themselves, they each have their own YouTube channels where they occasionally upload original video edits.

Okay, they were pretty darn cool. How inspiring is it to hear 15-year-olds speak of pursuing their passion, despite knowing its a path less trodden?

What Im trying to say here is: yes, these students are really lucky to be born in a time where they can reap the benefits of such unique opportunities.

At the same time, they are milking it for all its worth. Perhaps it is a natural consequence of growing up in the internet age, but most of them seem to be maturing much faster. The young-uns are changing, and my interactions with them suggest that this change isnt all that bad.

As recent articles suggest, young people are starting to look for work that is meaningful to them, and not just jobs that pay well.

For the younger generation, work is becoming less about social and economic goals, and for that, we should be thankful.

About The Astronauts Collective:

TAC is a non-profit initiative that helps youths in Singapore explore diverse career options and discover their interests. Many youths often need to make important education and career decisions with minimal knowledge about the world of work and little understanding of their interests, often resulting in suboptimal choices.

They are fully volunteer-driven, each of them with a full-time day job. They have more than 100 volunteer professionals, and more than 1,000 youths have experienced their two key programmes (Mission X & Day X) since Jan 2015. This article focuses primarily on their Day X programme, but I would urge you to explore Mission X which offers 6 sessions of mentoring in schools that focus more on deeper immersion.

Missed this years event? Or interested in helping out as a volunteer? Do check out their website: https://www.hellotac.org/

The post Kids These Days Have a Different Idea of WorkAnd Its About Time appeared first on RICE.
31 May - Pia Wurtzbach recently admitted that she was as surprised as anybody over Miss Universe 2015 alumna Olivia Jordan's recent admission of being a survivor of sexual assault.

As reported on Push, the actress, who spoke about the American beauty's confession, stated that she had no idea about Jordan's past despite their close friendship.

"She never really talked about it during her whole pageant life. She never shared it, so it's really surprising. It really made you realise that it can happen to anyone," she said.

Wurtzbach admitted that she has always assumed that Jordan had the perfect life.

"You really don't know what people are going through. You could be facing the most popular celebrity, the most beautiful, who seems to have no problem at all. But she also has her own past," she said.

In her recent long post in addressing the abortion ban in Alabama, Jordan, who is pro-abortion and pro access to birth control, stated, "I was molested as a child and raped as a teenager. It is through that lens that I view the new policies that govern what happens to a woman's body as a direct assault."

(Photo Source: Pia Wurtzbach Instagram)
SIOUX CITY -- You may be coming for the glamour but the real drama from the musical "Pageant" comes from figuring out how six men, playing female beauty contestants, are able to dance in stilettos for the entire length of a stage show.

"More than anything, that takes practice," Bill Russell said, minute before a rehearsal at Lamb Arts Regional Theatre. "You carry yourself in a completely different way when you're in high heels."

Raised in Spearfish, South Dakota, and attending Morningside College before transferring to the University of Kansas, Russell actually has plenty of experience with dudes donning pumps.

A 1998 Tony Award-nominated lyricist for the Broadway musical "Sideshow," he write the book and lyrics -- along with Frank Kelly -- for the satirical "Pageant" in 1991.

When it is presented on stage at Lamb Theatre (417 Market St.) from June 7 - 22, "Pageant" will also be directed by Russell.

"This is the 11th time I've directed 'Pageant,'" he explained. "I've directed 'Pageant' in everything from a black box theater with no frills to a big theater with more than 800 seats."

"The show is surprisingly adaptable," Russell said of the show that revolves around -- in real time -- the Miss Glamouresse pageant in which six ladies complete in evening gown, talent swimsuit and spokesmodel contest for the chance to be crowned queen."

So, let's get one question out of the way immediately: Why are guys getting gussied up in gowns instead of girls?

"'Pageant' is a parody of the culture of beauty contests," Russell said. "If we subjected actresses to what real contestants go through, it would seem exploitative. By using an all-male cast, we're making a point but not in a heavy-handed way."

Wait, this production of "Pageant" isn't entirely all-male. For one of the few times, the role of the emcee is played by a woman who is portraying a man.

Phew, that's confusing.

However, it's par for the course for the unconventional Russell, who was written lyrics for shows revolving around punks ("Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens") as well as conjoined twins ("Sideshow" was based on the lives of Daisy and Violet Hilton, two sisters who went into show business as a carnival attraction).

Perhaps, it is Russell's gift for the offbeat that has given his shows longevity.

"'Pageant' was written at a time when beauty contests like Miss America were actually on the wane," he said. "I thought it would become hopelessly dated after a while."

Instead, Russell's show was actually ahead of the cultural zeitgeist, anticipating beauty contestants geared toward children, older people and, yes, even female impersonators.

"'RuPaul's Drag Race' has brought drag into mainstream," Russell said, adding that "Pageant" isn't a drag show.

"When people see 'Pageant,' they expect it to be a hoot," he continued. "But by the time the show ends, I want them to identify with the characters."

Since its premiere 28 years ago, "Pageant" has been performed all over the world.

"That has really surprised me since I thought a beauty pageant is such an American phenomenon," Russell said. "It has been surprisingly timeless."

For women, it has been as bit subversive in its feminism while others love how it plays with traditional gender roles.

Russell said he gets a kick at how interactive "Pageant" is.

"We actually select the judges from the audience and they vote for their favorite contestant," he said.

That certainly adds to the popular appeal of the show.

"Anyone can become Miss Glamouresse," Russell said. "Sometimes, dreams really do come true."

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.
SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City teenager has pleaded not guilty to committing a string of armed convenience store robberies.

Troy Armell, 18, entered his written plea Friday in Woodbury County District Court to four counts of second-degree robbery and one count of commission of a specified unlawful activity.

Armell is accused of robbing Casey's General Store, 4301 Stone Ave., on Nov. 6; Central Mart, 2501 Floyd Blvd., on Nov. 24; the Casey's store a second time on Nov. 29; and White Oak Station, 2626 Court St., on Jan. 23. All the robberies were committed by a person armed with an assault-style rifle, according to court documents.

A total of approximately $1,500, several packs of cigarettes, bottles of alcohol were stolen in the robberies.

Armell was arrested May 22 after police said they received a tip from a woman identifying herself as Armell's on-again, off-again girlfriend, who told investigators that Armell told her he committed the robberies while high on drugs. Police used information gleaned from Armell's Facebook page to build the case against him.

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.
SIOUX CITY -- Charges against a Sioux City speech pathologist who had been accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with a minor female patient have been dismissed.

District Associate Judge John Nelson on Thursday approved a state motion to dismiss charges of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse and lascivious acts with a minor against Jacob Rose.

On Wednesday, Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Kristine Timmins filed a motion to dismiss the charges, saying in the one-page document that she "has examined the evidence, including the depositions taken in this case, and believes that the case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt without corroborating evidence that the offenses occurred. Further investigation would be needed to develop corroborating evidence."

Woodbury County Attorney Patrick Jennings said Friday that his office and Sioux City police will continue their efforts to obtain that corroborating evidence.

"We are still trying to develop any additional facts that would lead us to successfully prosecute the case," Jennings said.

Jennings said the charges could be refiled if needed evidence is collected.

Rose, 35, was arrested in June 2018 after he was accused of having sexual contact with an 11-year-old girl during a therapy session. According to a complaint filed at the time of his arrest, Rose was acting as a substitute therapist for the girl on May 31, 2018, when he asked her to sit on his lap and then removed her pants and underwear. He also was accused of exposing his penis to the girl.

Rose denied the charges and had pleaded not guilty in Woodbury County District Court.

The Iowa Board of Speech Pathology & Audiology in September indefinitely suspended Rose's therapist license, ruling there was sufficient evidence to support the allegations and that he posed a danger to patients if he were allowed to continue to work as a speech pathologist.

Rose is scheduled to appear at a hearing before the board on July 19 in Des Monies.

Love 0 Funny 0 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.
STORM LAKE, Iowa -- A Storm Lake woman was arrested late Thursday and charged with stabbing her estranged boyfriend.

Police say that Sharron Thomas, 48, stabbed the 39-year-old man once in the abdomen with a knife before she fled the scene.

Thomas was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail on felony charges of willful injury and going armed with intent and misdemeanor charges of assault causing bodily injury, fifth-degree criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

According to a Storm Lake Police Department news release, Thomas approached the man at approximately 11 p.m. in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 1500 block of North Seneca Street and they began arguing about a domestic dispute. The man told police that Thomas grabbed his cellphone and threw it on the ground, smashing it, before stabbing him. The man was able to avoid being stabbed a second time, and Thomas fled on foot.

While police officers were at the scene, they saw Thomas walking toward the apartment complex and arrested her.

The victim was described as being conscious and alert at the scene and was transported to the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2

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.
(L-R): Dr Jaushieh Joseph Hu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Prime Minister of SVG Dr. Ralph Gonsalves at last Wednesdays signing ceremony.

Dr Jaushieh Joseph Hu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), wound up a two-day visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines last Thursday.



It was his first visit here, but Dr Hu promised that it will not be his last. And if things work according to his plans, another Republic of China delegation will come to these shores not long from now.

"We are planning another big trip, Dr Hu hinted last Wednesday evening. He was at Cabinet Room in capital city Kingstown at a ceremony during which he and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonalaves signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the procurement of vehicles to assist the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.

The Foreign Ministers also handed over a cheque in an amount of US$300,000 to the government.

Dr. Hu expressed his "delight in visiting St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which he described as "beautiful.

He was touched, he said, by this countrys support for the Republic of China on the international arena.

In this regard, Vincentian Health and Environment Minister Luke Browne came in for praise for calling for Taiwan to be recognised on the world stage.

Hu remarked that, in addition to the government acknowledging Brownes forthright solidarity, "the people of Taiwan were touched by the Vincentians "staunch support.

The Prime Minister reiterated his governments welcome of the delegation, which, in addition to Dr. Hu included his wife, the Director-General of the Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, Ambassador Tah-Ray Yui, and other senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Vincentian leader reiterated this countrys stance on the Chinese issue, inter alia, that this country enjoys "very mature relations with the Peoples Republic of China, and does not engage in any critical remarks on mainland China.

He is "hopeful that we will be able to welcome Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen here.
OMAHA -- A Walthill, Nebraska, man on Friday was fined and placed on probation for firing a handgun at a van full of people.

Angelo Russell, 38, had pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Omaha to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm.

U.S. District Judge Robert Rossiter Jr. fined Russell $2,500 and placed him on five years probation. Russell also must pay a $100 special assessment.

Russell chased six men from his home on Feb. 11, 2018, and fired several shots from a .22-caliber handgun at their van. At least one shot struck the vehicle.

As part of a plea agreement, a charge of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence was dismissed.

Love 1 Funny 2 Wow 3 Sad 2 Angry 3

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.
SIOUX CITY -- A Macy, Nebraska, woman was arrested Friday on accusations that she was involved in a 2017 carjacking in Sioux City.

Alisia Rangel-McCauley, 22, faces charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree theft and assault while participating in a felony.

According to court documents, Rangel-McCauley parked behind the female victim in a parking lot in the 1300 block of Hamilton Boulevard on May 27, 2017, and blocked her from leaving. Rangel-McCauley then approached the woman and demanded that she take her to buy food. After the victim called 911, court documents said, Rangel-McCauley's boyfriend, Eagleboy Freemont, reached into the car and tried to take the car keys while pointing a knife at the woman and threatening to stab her.

The woman fled from her car and left the keys in it. Freemont drove away with her car, followed by Rangel-McCauley in the second vehicle.

Freemont was later arrested in Nebraska after leading police on a high-speed chase on U.S. Highway 77 from South Sioux City to Thurston County.

Rangel-McCauley was arrested in Nebraska in possession of the victim's cellphone and wallet and sentenced in October 2017 in Dakota County to two years in prison for attempted possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, possession of methamphetamine and theft by receiving stolen property. She was released from the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women on May 23.

Freemont was sentenced in Dakota County to up to seven years in prison for charges related to the chase. He was sentenced in October in Woodbury County to 20 years in prison on burglary and theft charges.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 1 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.
SIOUX CITY -- Dressed casually in a hoodie, Daniel Topete Leon may not look like the typical entrepreneur-in-the-making.

But wait a few years, and chances are good that the 17-year-old will be the next titan of tacos.

Actually, Leon is off to a good start. He's currently the manager, social media director and event procurer for Taqueria El Buen Gusto, a food truck that his dad Mario Topete started in 2012.

In addition to all of his other duties, Leon still finds the time to make an excellent burrito that comes stuffed with shredded beef, shrimp, cabbage and zesty Spanish rice.

"We're at (the Immanuel Lutheran Church parking lot at 315 Hamilton Blvd.), Monday through Saturday, as well as at Allied Solutions LLC (870 Cottonwood Lane, North Sioux City) during lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays," he said, while making an order.

Plus, Taqueria El Buen Gusto will make its debut at Sioux City Food Truck Fridays, which returns for its fourth year on Friday.

More than a dozen local and regional trucks will serve up a variety of food choices ranging from barbecue, Mexican, sweet treats, sandwiches. hots dogs and lunch bowls, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Pearl Street Park at Pearl and Seventh Street, each Friday until Aug. 23.

"We have a roster of about two dozen trucks (ranging from Food Truck Fridays vets to newcomers)," said longtime volunteer Sam Burrish. "That's more than any other year."

The food truck scene has grown substantially since organizers brought the food truck concept to downtown Sioux City in 2016.

"We get requests all the time from businesses wanting trucks for employee appreciation events or to cater private parties," Burrish said. "We share that with our group of vendors."

Indeed, many vendors are buying new trucks or adding second trucks to keep up with demand.

"Many trucks are active on evenings and weekends," Burrish said. "(In addition to Food Truck Fridays), they are going to fair, festivals and farmer's markets."

This is true for Taqueria El Buen Gusto, according to Leon.

"We recently purchased a new truck, plus we have trailers that we take to set up shop at fairs, festivals or catering jobs," he said. "Some food trucks are seasonal businesses. This is my family's only business. We have to stay busy."

Which means plenty of long days and nights for Leon. After all, this allows his dad, formerly from Jalisco, Mexico, to live out his version of the American dream.

Although the side of Taqueria El Buen Gusto proclaims Leon's dad as being "the King of the Burrito," the food truck also serves plenty of tacos, tortas, quesadillas and chilaquiles, which is a traditional Mexican dish made with tortilla triangles, meats and crumbled queso fresco.

If this sounds like upscale food truck fare, you're not too far off.

The days of the primitive pushcart selling boring hot dogs are over. Most weeks, Food Truck Fridays diners can choose from a variety of cuisines from trucks which offer imaginative fare while using fresh ingredients.

Burrish suggested that Food Truck Fridays' street park setting makes it accommodating for downtown workers wanting on-the-go eats while still giving home-for-the-summer families a pleasant setting for picnic-style meals.

Also, live music by local artists on select weeks will add the festival atmosphere.

However, it is the food that will always take center stage at Food Truck Fridays.

Which make sense since food trucks are becoming big business. Now considered a $2 billion-plus business, the food truck industry has seen its overall revenue grow 300 percent over the last three years, according to FoodTruckNation.us.

Since the start-up costs for a restaurant-on-wheels averages between $50,000 - $100,000, it is a more economical option for mobile restaurateurs wanting to test the waters with unique menus.

Plus food truck entrepreneurs are embracing social media by alerting diners to their daily destinations.

In other words, social media savvy foodies will follow their favorite trucks from spot to spot if the cuisine is up to speed.

Still, Burrish wants to see more people in downtown Sioux City on a summertime Friday afternoon.

"Food Truck Fridays is a quality-of-life project that promotes food culture, entrepreneurship and the downtown district," he said. "These are important things that complement each other."

For Leon, it is also about sharing recipes that have been passed down from generations of his family.

"My grandma taught my dad how to cook and, then, he taught me," he said the Taqueria El Buen Gusto truck. "There's a lot tradition that goes into our food."

Copyright 2019 The Sioux City Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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.
President Donald Trump will travel to Iowa on June 11, presumably to mark the lifting of restrictions on the use of higher ethanol blends during the summer.

While in Iowa, he will attend a private GOP fundraiser in West Des Moines, according to Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann.

We heard whispers of it, but we got verification just yesterday, he said Thursday. Its a little overwhelming, I will tell you that right now. Its kind of a good excitement.

A presidential visit is not only good for the party, Kaufmann said, but its good for Iowa to be in the crosshairs or the focus of a man that clearly has policies that reflect whats best.

So the Trump visit isnt just a win for the Republican Party of Iowa, this is a win for the state of Iowa (because) ultimately the president of the United States decides which state he is going to travel to and he chose Iowa.

Its unknown at this time if the president will have a public event while in Iowa.

But a presidential visit is a political win for the Iowa GOP, Kaufmann said.

This is caucus season, and Lord knows the Democrats have had a ton parading through here, he said on WHO Radio. Were going to bring the president in, and were going to have the best contrast possible, and that is right out of the words of Donald Trump. Were very, very excited today.

Kaufmann believes that Iowa again will be critical to Trumps electoral success. Trump carried Iowa 51 percent to 42 percent.

I can confidently say the road back to the White House or the road to remain in that White House absolutely goes through our swing-state of Iowa, Kaufmann said.

That puts Iowa in a very positive place, Kaufmann said.

So, yes, the president is here because Iowa is important both politically and also to him on a personal level, he said.

Bolstering his support with Iowas farmers, who supported him in 2016, will be important to Trump. The visit comes as his administration is preparing a second round of aid to farmers who have been harmed by the trade war with China. The $16 billion package is expected to compensate corn growers 4 cents per bushel, soybean producers $2 per bushel and wheat growers 63 cents per bushel.

In the first round of trade aid, the federal government paid $1.65 per bushel for soybeans, 14 cents per bushel for wheat and 1 cent per bushel for corn.

Trump visited Iowa last fall to sign a memo telling the Environmental Protection Agency to lift the summertime restrictions on E15 gasoline that contains 15 percent ethanol. The corn-based ethanol accounts for 10 percent of U.S. gas sales, but blends containing more than 10 percent ethanol are restricted during the summer.

Lifting the restrictions would be the latest round in a skirmish between ethanol producers and oil refineries. Theyve been at odds over the Renewable Fuel Standard that requires oil refiners to mix ethanol and biodiesel with petroleum.

Removing the restrictions has become increasingly important to corn farmers as commodity sales to China have fallen as a result of Trumps trade war with China.

More than one-third of the U.S. corn crop goes into producing ethanol, and Iowa is the largest producer of both corn and ethanol.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Winston Pops Morgan  back at the helm of the SVG Taxi Drivers Association.

Members of the SVG Taxi Drivers Association have re-impressed their confidence in Winston Pops Morgan, by returning him to the top post of President of the Association.



Morgan was reelected when the Association held its a General Meeting on May 16, 2019.

He will have Angus Martin, a former President of the Association, as his Vice President.

Also elected were: Calvert Mills to the post of Treasurer; Milton Ossie Thomas as Secretary; Sydney Campbell to the post of Public Relations Officer; and Dexter Browne and Nigel Antrobus as Committee Members.

Crispen Charles and Lawrence Russell will serve as Trustees.

The Executive will serve for two years.
We were disappointed Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds vetoed a bill we believe would have improved the state's medical cannabis program.

The bill, which passed 96-3 in the House and 40-7 in the Senate, would have: 1) Removed the cap on how much tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the compound in a cannabis plant associated with getting a high) is contained in medical marijuana and instead limited the amount of medical cannabis a patient can be prescribed to no more than 25 grams in 90 days. 2) Softened language through which Iowans could be recommended for the program, changing untreatable pain to severe or chronic pain." 3) Allowed physician assistants and nurse practitioners to recommend patients for the program.

Reynolds said she vetoed the legislation because the 25-gram cap would allow an individual to consume more THC per day than a recreational marijuana user. She said the state's medical cannabis advisory board recommends a cap of 4.5 grams for 90 days. Supporters say the 3 percent THC cap limits the effectiveness of medical cannabis.

We need to be narrow and cautious in how we move forward, Reynolds told reporters on Tuesday. I do not support recreational marijuana and I just felt that was too much of a jump.

We supported the bill, but we do not support holding a special session of the Legislature for purposes of overriding Reynolds' veto because we do not believe this issue rises to the extraordinary level necessary to warrant such a session.

Rather, we urge Reynolds and lawmakers to revisit the issue next year with the goal of identifying common ground on THC.

From the beginning of this discussion in 2014, we have for reasons of compassion supported a medical marijuana program in Iowa.

We acknowledge progress on medical cannabis in the state over the last five years, but ways exist to make the program better for Iowans who seek relief for medical conditions from which they suffer.

State leaders, including Reynolds, should keep working on them.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
Unreleased government data indicates that hundreds of the nearly 2,000 children being held in border facilities have been detained longer than the legally allowed 72 hours after apprehension, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

According to the Post, some of the migrant childrenmost of whom arrived at the border unaccompanied by parents or guardianshave spent more than a week at Border Patrol stations and processing centers. But legally, Border Patrol has to transfer the minors to Department of Health and Human Services shelters more appropriate for housing them within 72 hours of taking them into custody. One government official told the Post that nearly half of the children have been held by Border Patrol for longer than the limit, and another said that a couple hundredmany younger than 12 years oldwere held for about a week.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The officials told the Post that it takes an average of four days to process and place unaccompanied minors in shelters. Because processing centers and stations are not built for housing, many of the migrant children who arrive at the borderthere have been many thousands in the past yearend up sleeping on mats on the floor. The Post described the McAllen Border Patrol station, which was holding 775 people as of Tuesday, this way:

[A]dults and their toddler children were packed into concrete holding cells, many of them sleeping head-to-foot on the floor and along the wall-length benches, as they awaited processing [S]everal boys who appeared to be of elementary school age slept curled up on concrete benches, a few clutching Mylar emergency blankets. Outside in the parking lot, a chain-link fence enclosure held dozens of women and children, many of them eschewing the air-conditioned tents to lie on the pavement.

Since September, six migrant children have died in U.S. custody. Many minors held at border facilities contract infectious diseases because of the close proximity to so many other children. In addition to the nearly 2,000 in Border Patrol custody, HHS has said it is housing about 13,200 minors, as of mid-May. Border Patrol has passed on more than 40,000 unaccompanied children to HHS care this year, and migrants continue to arrive faster than Border Patrol can process them under its current practices.
Remember how on Game of Thrones, one episode would be a massive battle with dragons and carnage and major characters dying, then the next weeks episode would just be characters walking around amid the carnage, spouting exposition and getting in position for future plotlines? This week in Brexit was like the second kind.

This weeks aftermath: Britons voted in EU elections on May 23, shortly before Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation, but the results werent announced until Sunday, and they were just as bad for the countrys two main political parties as everyone expected.

Advertisement

Nigel Farages Brexit Party came in first place with 31.6 percent of the vote. Labour came in third behind the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives came in fifth behind the Greens. But as dramatic as this result was, it doesnt provide all that much clarity about the way forward for Brexit or who should replace May as prime minister.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The strong showing for Farage shows that Leave voters are fed up with the governments failure to deliver Brexit, and it has bolstered the chances of pro-Brexit prime minister candidates like Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab. But that doesnt mean its a majority view in the country. The parties with a staunchly pro-Remain platformthe Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the Scottish National Party, and the newly formed Change U.K.actually combined for more votes than the staunchly pro-Brexit parties. So, the country is divided and polarized, but we knew that already.

Advertisement

Advertisement

This week in Labour: Labour may have lost votes to parties that were openly advocating a second referendum, but party leader Jeremy Corbyn isnt backing off his ambiguous stance on the issue, saying this week during a visit to Ireland that Labour still wants to negotiate a better Brexit deal and that a new referendum is some way off. This also suggests that if there were a referendum, Labour might campaign for a soft withdrawal from the EUif one can be negotiatedrather than staying in the union. There are fears that a firm pro-Remain stance could permanently alienate traditionally Labour, working-class areas of the country that voted Leave.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Labours anti-Semitism controversies continued with the punishment of a Corbyn ally, Pete Willsman, who was suspended from the partys National Executive Committee after saying the Israeli Embassy was likely behind the anti-Semitism allegations that have roiled the party.

Advertisement

This week in Boris: Former Foreign Secretary and London Mayor Boris Johnson, the current favorite in the contest to succeed May as prime minister, was ordered to appear in court this week for a hearing on allegations that he lied to the public during the original Brexit campaign. In the lead-up to the 2016 referendum, Johnson campaigned on a bus emblazoned with the message, We send the EU 350m a week: Lets fund our NHS instead. The 350-million-pound figure was a major part of the Leave message but also wasnt true.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Next week in Trump: The American president will be visiting the U.K. from June 3 to 5, and the itinerary includes lunch with Queen Elizabeth, tea with heir Prince Charles, a banquet at Buckingham Palace and a tour of Westminster Abbey. Trumps main policy aim for the trip is to discourage the U.K. from allowing controversial Chinese telecoms firm Huawei to have a role in building its 5G network. But hes also already waded into British politics. When asked before his departure if he would be meeting with Farage and Johnson, Trump replied, I may. Nigel Farage is a friend of mine, Boris is a friend of mine, theyre two very good guys, very interesting people.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Farage was an unlikely campaign surrogate for Trump during the 2016 election, even appearing on his behalf at a rally in Mississippi. Trump once suggested he could be U.K. ambassador to the U.S.an idea that wasnt met with much enthusiasm in London. Trump has said in the past that he believes Johnson would make a good prime minister, an implicit dig at May. Trump has suggested on several occasions that he could have negotiated a better Brexit deal than May, and reportedly once told her she should sue the EU.

This is likely to be May and Trumps last meeting as prime minister and president, and Trump doesnt seem likely to make things pleasant for her on her way out.

Days until next deadline: 154.
Last week on Amicus, Dahlia Lithwick spoke with professor of law Melissa Murray of NYU about the swath of draconian abortion laws that has been passed by state legislatures in recent weeks. What follows is a portion of that conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Dahlia Lithwick: Can you help parse how we got here, specifically on rape and incest exceptions (which are absent from a number of these new laws)?

Melissa Murray: The original logic behind exceptions for rape and incest is some sense that there are women who are blameworthy. So, these are the women who irresponsibly have sex and find themselves pregnant. And then there are women who are blameless: the women who are coerced, or have sex forced upon them, or are in situations that violate other deeply held convictions we have like convictions about exogamy. Those held fast for such a long time, but theyre utterly incoherent with the logic of the pro-life movement because if life is meaningful and we live in a culture of life, then it doesnt matter how life is created. All lives matter, right?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

So, I think what were beginning to see is a kind of unraveling of the pretense that any of this is woman-friendly, pro-woman, or intended to enhance the womans life or experience. Dispatching of the rape and incest exceptions goes hand-in-hand with moving back prohibitions to six weeks or eight weeks because what matters is the fetus. Youre a host. I cant be more plain than that. You are a host.

I think if they take that case, all bets are off.  Melissa Murray

I [previously] sounded an alarm on snowflake adoptions a long time ago. Everyone thought I was crazy, alarmist, hyperbolic. Snowflake adoptions refer to embryos that are put togetherlike a donor egg, donor spermin a laboratory for the purpose of being implanted later through in vitro fertilization, but they make tons of these embryos at a time because theyre not sure which will be successfully implanted. The pro-life movement stepped in [to say] these are not just embryos. These are children to be brought to life. Just as we adopt children who are put up for adoption after they are born, we can adopt these embryos. Youre beginning to see where those seeds will flower, and what they flower into. You cant say something like that and then turn around and be OK with the rape or incest exception. If all lives matter, even the lives that are on the shelf in a laboratory, then you cant have an exception for rape and incest. What were seeing now is a full flowering of the robust culture of life that the pro-life movement has always wanted but hasnt been able to get.

Advertisement

Advertisement

I will note: It is a selective understanding of what life means and whose lives matter. Because while you are protecting snowflake adoptions or adoptees, and while youre protecting fetuses, we are not talking about maternal health. A lot of the states where these most restrictive laws are being passed have the worst outcomes for maternal health. We are not thinking about the conditions in which children are raised. We are not thinking about a public safety net for families. Were not thinking about health care.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Whats the No. 1 concern at the court?

The Louisiana case, June Medical Services v. Gee, I think is really, really important. This is a case dealing with an admitting privileges law. These are one of those quotidian restrictions on abortion requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. Because there has been so much consolidation in the hospital industry with lots of hospitals being bought up by big consolidated enterprisesmany of which are Catholic like Dignity Health, for exampleif youre an abortion provider, you might not be granted admitting privileges at your local hospital because its owned by the larger entity that is basically operating under Catholic doctrine. The admitting privileges law at issue in June Services is very similar to the admitting privileges law that the court struck down in 2016 in Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt.

That was a Texas law, but its very similar to the one thats being challenged in the Louisiana case. Whole Womans Health really supported and bolstered Planned Parenthood v. Casey, gave the Casey standard some teeth, said that courts had to really dig in and investigate the kinds of rationales that legislatures put forth for justifying these restrictions on abortion.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

I think if they take that case, all bets are off for what the states can say, how they can justify abortion, and what courts can do. To me, that would signal an appetite for loosening the standard of review for abortion restrictions even further from the undue burden standard to something thats more like rational basis. As long as the state puts forth something thats reasonably palpable, well take it and its got to be fine.

I think thats the case because no one cares. No one is looking at that. No one cares that admitting privileges is just another way to limit the number of providers. No one cares that admitting privilege is a way that you can get a state like Louisiana that has only one remaining abortion clinic.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

What do you tell people who are frustrated and anguished about this? I know that the other week was really hard for a lot of folks who just feel like they dont recognize the country that they thought they lived in. What are you telling folks to do?

We are definitely slouching toward Gilead. I dont think Im being hyperbolic in saying that. Theyre calling the question. How we respond as progressives, I think, is really important. The 2020 election, I think, is going to be really huge. This is a place where individuals, women can make their voices heard if this is something that they care about. I would love to see us spend as much time thinking about the Senate as we have been thinking about the presidential election. I mean, how many people are in the presidential election now? Fifty? Eleven million?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Just do a TED Talk people. Do a TED Talk, and go back to your Senate job.

Or seek a Senate job. There are a number of candidates in the presidential primary who would be quite plausible challengers to red state senators who are up for reelection. Im looking at John Cornyn in Texas who has been a very careful steward of a lot of these laws and has been very clear about where his priors are, or Sonny Perdue in Georgia. Theres another one.

The Senate is really important, and no one is talking about it. Even if the Democrats lose the presidency in 2020, winning the Senate means that you can force the administration to put up more moderate judges than they have been putting up. They have had carte blanche, and Leonard Leo and the Federalist Society have just been churning them out. They have them vetted, they have them picked, and they are really extreme in their views, and theyre really extreme in their views on abortion rights.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

If you care about this issue, if you are in one of those states where you have an upcoming Senate election, you need to be pressing for a viable candidate to challenge that incumbent, to flip that seat blue because thats going to be huge. Were going to live with these courts for a generation and a half regardless of what happens with the presidency.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Statehouse elections: We dont even talk about them, but theres been great work being done by Sister District Project. This was started by a group of peopleone of my former students, Lala Wu, is among themafter the 2016 election, they decided that they were going to do something to address the problem of state legislatures passing restrictive laws. Instead of focusing on the federal level, they are going to focus on turning statehouses blue. They did a great job in Virginia. They are looking at other places.

Again, dont just fret about abortion legislation when its on its way to the Supreme Court. Create the conditions where it cant be passed in the first place. Get out, look at the statehouses, run for office, support those who are running to turn statehouses blue, and then think about the Senate. The presidency, yeah, we got to think about that, but the Senate is such a big deal in terms of institutions that are going to be with us for a long time. I would like to see people start focusing on those.
Listen to Slates The Gist:

Get More of The Gist Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to The Gist Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page.

Listen to The Gist via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.

On The Gist, using Olympic-sized swimming pools as units of measurements.

In the interview, beyond covering national security as a journalist, CNNs Jim Sciutto worked a stint in the U.S. embassy in Beijing. In both careers, hes seen signs of a shrinking power imbalance between America and its Russian and Chinese rivals. His latest book warns of the risks carried by Russian offensives in cyberspace, and potential Chinese aggression in actual space. Sciutto is the author of The Shadow War: Inside Russias and Chinas Secret Operations to Defeat America.

In the Spiel, the spirituality of the lost hiker in Hawaii.

Get The Gist 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.

Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook.

Email: thegist@slate.com

Twitter: @slategist

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Pierre Bienaime.
It wasnt so long ago that Narendra Modi was cautiously welcomed by the world as a dynamic, big-chested insurgent, primed to upend Indias crooked, elites-dominated government and usher in a brave new era. Despite his Hindu nationalist bona fides and alleged role in the mass murder of hundreds of Muslims in the 2002 Gujarat riots, Modis notoriety was generally papered over in wide anticipation of his proposed political transformations, with praise hailing from not only influential Indians of all political persuasions but also leaders like U.S. President Barack Obama. In 2014, as he ascended to international power, glistening expectations were foisted not only upon his proposed anti-corruption measures, socio-economic agenda, and deregulatory reforms, but also upon Indias institutionsthe media, the judiciary, the ballot boxto keep his more bellicose attitudes regarding pro-Hindu sentiment and bold executive power in check.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

It should be clearer than ever how misplaced all of that faith was. Over the past five years, Modi and his allies in the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party have bent Indias institutions toward their will: The nominally independent Supreme Court has allegedly received undue pressure from BJP officials, and state judiciaries have been tampered with similarly; the legislative processes that undergird Parliament have been weakened; media outlets have seen journalists targeted and investigative stories killed; university faculty members have been infiltrated by nationalists and history textbooks rewritten to favor a Hindu-centric slant; election cycles at both the state and national level are clogged with corporate money and opaque financial practices; internet shutdowns are imposed harshly. The core of Indias democratic processes is now in the pocket of a party that would like to see them sweepingly remodeled. With Indias recent elections, which saw Modi return as prime minister and the BJP gain even larger influence within the lower house of the Parliament, known as the Lok Sabha, its apparent that the lasting power Indias Hindutva coalition seems to have achieveda first for the ideological groupis the result of not only mass resentment politics, but also a hollowing out of the Indian political system, still known, for now, as the worlds largest democracy.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

It would be a mistake to see this election referendum as a pure, unsullied expression of the will of the Indian people. The result certainly reflects the desires of many of Indias Hindus, but it was nevertheless deeply informed by the BJPs power grab. A significant portion of the fake news and trolling that jammed social networks during the election is purported to have come from BJP-affiliated trolls. Protests were consistently cracked down upon. Tens of millions of Muslims, women, and lower-caste populations were allegedly targeted and purged from voter rolls. Violence at polls was prevalent, with multiple deaths reported at clashes in states across the country during the voting cycle. Local newspapers and TV stations transformed themselves into partisan PR for right-wing politicians and gleefully attacked liberals without a hint of fairness. Obscure black money was a large source of funding for one of the worlds most expensive elections.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

It wasnt Modis reelection in and of itself that was so surprisingdespite a dip in approval ratings earlier this year due to a still-shaky economy and social discontent, hes still the countrys most popular political figure. Rather, it was the absolute landslide both he and his party obtained: Never has a political party outside of the historically dominant Congress Party held such singular power for so long. Part of what helped the BJP in the past two national elections was the sustained weakness of Congress, still thought of as the primary national opposition: It proved the halcyon days of the party that led the country for most of its post-independence history are not going to return anytime soon, with the memory of its earlier policy failures and criminal scandals still resonating within the minds of many Indians.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

But theres more to it: The steps the BJP has taken to consolidate its grip on power have paid off. Indian politics as usual, dependent on name recognition and historical favor, is no match for unprecedented new conservative forces. An opposition that can properly face up to the BJPs chicanery has to take into account that it has to face down not just mass xenophobic anger, but all sorts of new governmental mandates designed to keep the ruling party in power. This task is especially urgent because there are certainly more tricks to come. The government may now feel prepared to impose its proposed internet censorship rules, often compared to those of China. Politicians have switched sides arbitrarily, and more could now feel increasingly empowered to do so. The few dissenting jurists of the Supreme Court and statehouses could be cleaned out as soon as possible. And theres no telling what sort of further legislative tricks within Parliament an emboldened BJP could get up to.

The next few years look grim. What little the remaining institutions have done to push back against Modis power is likely to further diminish over the next half-decade, likely through means not dissimilar to what the Republican Party has been pursuing in America to entrench its power. If a formidable resistance movement is to take place against the BJP and take India back from the illiberal brink, it must contend, first and foremost, with the democratic pillars that have been increasingly whittled. Hopefully, it isnt too late.
Listen to Slates The Gist:

Get More of The Gist Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to The Gist Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page.

Listen to The Gist via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.

On The Gist, what to make of (alleged) executions in North Korea.

In the interview, Slates chief news blogger, Ben Mathis-Lilley, makes the case for impeaching Trump. In his reasoning, impeachment proceedings would give Congress a stronger hand in forcing new information from the White House, which could then boost public support for the presidents removal from office. And even if it fails, it would have an immediate chilling effect on Trumps abuse of the constitution. David Epstein, the author of Range, also makes a cameo appearance in the interview.

Advertisement

In the Spiel, an Antentwig on mispronunciation.

Want to see Mike Pesca live? You can, on Slate Day! Hes hosting a panelThe Art of Podcastingas part of a full day of shows and activities happening Saturday, June 8th in New York. Get your tickets now!

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Join the discussion of this episode on Facebook.

Email: thegist@slate.com

Twitter: @slategist

Podcast production by Pierre Bienaime and Daniel Schroeder.
The First Amendment makes it unconstitutional for government officials to retaliate against you because they dislike your speech. At the same time, federal law gives you the right to sue state officials for compensation if they violate constitutional rights such as your right to free speech. But on Tuesday, the Supreme Court invented a rule that will often allow police officers to arrest people in retaliation for disfavored speech without liability.

By enabling police officers to target viewpoints they dislike with near impunity, the decision could be catastrophic for protesters and the press. The justices, meanwhile, didnt even try to ground their decision in the text or history of the statute they were interpreting. Instead, the court was surprisingly frank about its rationale: The justices simply dont want police officers to have to defend themselves in court against these types of allegations.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

In Nieves v. Bartlett, a divided court ruled that individuals cant sue police officers for retaliatory arrest if those officers had probable cause to arrest them for any crime, no matter how minorand thats true even if the real reason for the arrest was speech the officers didnt like. In other words, if you are jaywalking in violation of a local ordinance, officers can arrest you without fear of liability even if theyre making the arrest only because youre participating in a Black Lives Matter demonstration or wearing a Make America Great Again cap.

Because local laws are full of minor infractions, like loitering, that are frequently violated without incident, police will often have a pretext to arrest people engaged in speech the officers dont like. By immunizing such abuse, Nieves may have devastating effects on demonstrators, press photographers, and anyone who wants to exercise their speech rights in public, like the right to film the police or verbally challenge officer misconduct. The power to arrest is a potent tool for suppressing speech because even if charges are later dropped, arrestees must undergo the ordealand dangersof being booked and jailed, and they may have to disclose the arrest on future job and housing applications, among other ramifications.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Congress long ago recognized that making officers financially liable is the most effective way to deter such misconduct. And thats why a federal law called Section 1983 enables lawsuits against state officers for violating constitutional rights. This landmark statute was enacted during Reconstruction when Southern states were refusing to respect basic liberties. As one congressman said, the federal government could not directly compel these states to fall in line, but it could deal with the offenders by giving the injured party  an original action in our Federal courts. Section 1983 therefore authorizes suits for violations of any rights that are secured by the Constitution.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The Nieves decision takes a red pen to the statute Congress wrote, based on some justices fear that police actions taken during a legitimate arrest could land an officer in years of litigation. That objection, though, was already made in the proper forumCongresswhen it debated and passed Section 1983 many years ago. Opponents claimed that this bill  puts in jeopardy the officers of the States, though in the conscientious discharge of their duties and would lead to vexatious, expensive, and protracted litigation. Those objections failed in the political process. Stepping into Congress role nearly a century and a half later, the Roberts court revived them.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

There is no evidence that Congress wanted the statute to be interpreted like this.

Things were clearly headed in this direction during oral argument last fall, where the justices questions suggested that they viewed the case as an opportunity to decide what rules would be best for society. Justice Stephen Breyer made no secret of the fact that he was looking for a compromise that would sacrifice some First Amendment rights to limit the number of lawsuits against the police. For an hour, the justices debated the merits of various approaches like legislators crafting a bill. Missing was any substantial discussion of the meaning of the First Amendment or the text and history of Section 1983.

In response, the plaintiffs counsel had to remind the justices of a truism they have often repeated: If a law produces socially undesirable results, its the job of Congressnot the courtto amend that law. This prompted a stunning but revealing question from Chief Justice John Roberts: What law is Congress supposed to change? Amid all the policy debate, it seemed the chief had completely forgotten this case was about interpreting a federal statute.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Unfortunately, six months of reflection since that argument didnt change things. So how did the court attempt to justify the new rule it announced?

Advertisement

Advertisement

First, it relied on an earlier decision that imposed a similar rule for retaliatory prosecutions. But that earlier case involved federal, not state, officers, and thus had nothing to do with the statute the court was supposed to be interpreting in Nieves. Crucially, since a 1971 case found a right to sue federal officials for constitutional violations, the Roberts court has been chipping away at the ability to seek damages from federal officers.

Its justification for that erosion of federal liability? Congress, not the courts, should decide when officials can be sued for compensation. Got that? When Congress has not authorized lawsuits against officials, its wrong for the Supreme Court to supplant Congress role by allowing such lawsuits. But when Congress has authorized lawsuits, its fine for the court to cut back on what Congress has authorized if the justices dont like the implications.

Advertisement

Second, the justices in Nieves drew a convoluted comparison between First Amendment claims for retaliatory arrest and personal injury torts that are designed to compensate people for unauthorized imprisonment. To win on those tort claims, you have to show there was no probable cause to arrest you. Ergo, the court said, the same should be true for a First Amendment claim.

Advertisement

Advertisement

There is no evidence that Congress wanted the statute to be interpreted like this. As my organization, the Constitutional Accountability Center, explained in an amicus brief, Section 1983 was meant to vindicate the unique rights protected by the federal Constitutionlike free speechnot the very different rights protected by state tort law.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, to his credit, was having none of this, insisting in dissent that there is no legitimate basis for engrafting a no-probable-cause requirement onto a First Amendment retaliatory arrest claim. Adopting a central point of our amicus brief, Gorsuch explained that a First Amendment retaliatory arrest claim serves a different purpose than claims based on a lack of legal authority to arrest and that that purpose does not depend on the presence or absence of probable cause.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The only silver lining in all this is that the court did create an exception to its harsh new rule. Even if police have probable cause to arrest, a plaintiff can still prevail by showing that the police typically exercise their discretion not to make arrests in similar circumstances. Its unclear how this vague exception will be applied by the lower courts and whether it will have enough teeth to prevent cops from feeling free to operate with impunity. Gorsuch expressed optimism that the exception would be read broadly and commonsensically in future cases. Lets hope hes right.
In February, attorneys challenging North Carolinas legislative gerrymander notified the defendants, a group of Republican leaders in the legislature, that theyd issued a subpoena. The lawyers had asked Stephanie Hofeller Lizon to provide any storage device containing redistricting-related documents left by her estranged father, Thomas Hofeller, a Republican consultant who specialized in gerrymandering. Republican legislators did not object, and Lizon turned over the requested materials: 18 thumb drives and four hard drives containing more than 75,000 filesmany related to her fathers consulting work. The voting rights attorneys had uncovered a vast trove of information exposing the inner workings of GOP gerrymandering across the country.

Advertisement

Upon learning what their opponents had obtained, attorneys for Republican lawmakers went to court to try to seize the files. But it was too late. Voting rights advocates had lawfully acquired the materials, even after having given Republicans a chance to object. And on Thursday, they dropped the first bombshell from Hofellers hard drives: A key portion of a 2015 memo written by Hofeller appeared in a draft Justice Department letter used to justify the Trump administrations efforts to add a citizenship question to the census. Hofellers memo, which explains why the citizenship question would boost the voting power of Republicans and non-Hispanic Whites, indicates that administration officials lied about the reason for adding the question.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

There are sure to be more revelations from the Hofeller files to come, driving home the downside of using a single consultant to mastermind redistricting across multiple states and decades.

There are sure to be more revelations from the Hofeller files to come.

For years, Hofeller held an office at the Republican National Committee on Capitol Hill. He worked as both its official redistricting director and, later, as a paid consultant. He traveled the country to teach Republican lawmakers how to gerrymander their districts to create permanent GOP legislative majorities. (Ironically, he incorporated warnings about keeping all of this work under wraps, like Make sure your security is real, Make sure your computer is in a PRIVATE location, and The e in email stands for eternal. ) Hofeller also personally helped to draw some of the countrys most egregiously gerrymandered maps, including those in Alabama, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. (He likely had a hand in more maps than we currently know.) But Hofeller devoted the most time to North Carolina, where he created lopsided Republican majorities in a state evenly divided between the parties.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Following the 2010 red wave, Hofeller worked with the RNC to develop Project REDMAP, a sweeping initiative to help GOP-controlled state houses build durable gerrymanders. He taught lawmakers how to use racial and partisan data to dilute Democratic votes. His maps preserved Republicans House majority over the next three elections and maintained GOP domination over most state legislatures.

Get The Angle in Your Inbox Slate's daily newsletter rounds up the stories you need to read. 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.

Now Hofellers records are in the hands of attorneys for Common Cause, the voting rights group suing to invalidate North Carolinas Hofeller-designed legislative gerrymander. The firm representing Common Cause, Arnold & Porter, also represents plaintiffs fighting the citizenship questionwhich is how Hofellers white voting power memo wound up before the judge overseeing the census case. (On Thursday, the American Civil Liberties Union also brought it to the Supreme Courts attention.)

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The voting rights advocates in possession of the Hofeller collection have not yet revealed the full extent of the files. This may be because they have been exceedingly careful to play by the rules: Lizon offered her fathers drives to Common Cause directly, but its attorneys decided to issue a subpoena in February to obtain them formally and provide notice to third parties.

Phil Strach, attorney for the Republican legislators in the North Carolina case, did not object to that subpoena at the time that notice was provided. At a hearing in April weeks after declining to challenge the subpoena, however, Strach attempted to block Common Causes attorneys from viewing the records they already had in their lawful possession. As Melissa Boughton reported at the time, Strach told Wake County Superior Court that he wanted the documents returned to Hofellers estate and implied that Lizon procured them improperly. Hofellers widow, Kathleen, expressly permitted Lizon to take the materialsbut Strach claimed that Kathleen has been institutionalized and may not have been sufficiently competent to provide consent. (Stanton Jones, an Arnold & Porter attorney representing Common Cause, told the court that Kathleen has not been declared incompetent.) The court ignored Strachs pleas, instead simply directing Common Causes attorneys to let the Republican defendants copy the Hofeller drives, pursuant to state law.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Strach is not done fighting, though. At the April hearing, he said he believed the drives contain Hofellers privileged work from many, many states over years and years. He suggested that the files probably include attorney client workload products that may be privileged. It seems Republicans will attempt to limit voting rights advocates ability to use the Hofeller materials by raising a slew of objections.

But Hofeller was not an attorney, and the vast majority of his files are unlikely to be privileged. While Arnold & Porter and Common Cause have been, as noted, exceedingly careful not to overstep any legal bounds, they almost certainly have every right to examine Hofellers materials and use them in litigation. And if Strach is correct that drives encompass work from many, many states over years and years, progressives will have hit a gold mine. Racial gerrymandering is generally illegal, and Hofellers work might include smoking guns proving that maps relied on impermissible racial data. Moreover, while the U.S. Supreme Court has not yet outlawed partisan gerrymandering, state Supreme Courts, including North Carolinas, are moving in that direction. Hofellers files may contain more proof that legislators drew districts along partisan lines.

In July, attorneys for Common Cause and North Carolina Republicans will face off at a trial over Hofellers partisan gerrymander of the states legislative districts. Voting rights attorneys will now likely be armed with data from Hofellers own hard drives, ready to pierce the secrecy of GOP redistricting. It will not be the last time the consultants materials are used to tear down the gerrymanders he spent his life perfecting.
On Thursday, Donald Trump got on the horn and tweeted the U.S. into another trade war, this time with southern neighbor Mexico. Trump announced that in 10 days time he will impose a 5 percent tariff on goods coming into the U.S. from Mexico as punishment for what he sees as insufficient help in stopping the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country.

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

....at which time the Tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

Needless to say, this seems like a political stunt that will surely not have the outcome Trump is demanding and may never even come to fruition. Not really anyway. Mexico, after all, was the second largest importer of goods into the U.S. last year, totaling $346.5 billion in trade, and the largest importer of agricultural products. Americans will, of course, still need fresh fruit and vegetables imported daily from Mexico and would surely really like beer and wine that comes along with it.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The White House issued a statement expounding upon Trumps tweets:

Advertisement

To address the emergency at the Southern Border, I am invoking the authorities granted to me by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Accordingly, starting on June 10, 2019, the United States will impose a 5 percent Tariff on all goods imported from Mexico. If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the Tariffs will be removed. If the crisis persists, however, the Tariffs will be raised to 10 percent on July 1, 2019. Similarly, if Mexico still has not taken action to dramatically reduce or eliminate the number of illegal aliens crossing its territory into the United States, Tariffs will be increased to 15 percent on August 1, 2019, to 20 percent on September 1, 2019, and to 25 percent on October 1, 2019. Tariffs will permanently remain at the 25 percent level unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory. Workers who come to our country through the legal admissions process, including those working on farms, ranches, and in other businesses, will be allowed easy passage.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The 5 percent threshold seems essentially arbitrary, as is the sweeping demand that Mexico put an end to illegal immigration to the U.S. Since the barometer for success is up to Trumps sole discretion and judgment, who knows how this ends. Surreally, the proposed move comes as U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is trying to get updates to the North American Free Trade Agreement through Congress. Earlier in the evening, Trump tweeted out a video that purported to show undocumented immigrants crossing the border.

Advertisement

Advertisement
Ashworth Azille - President of the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT)  highlighted the teachers concern at their Annual General Conference last week Thursday. (Photo: Twitter)

Teachers in Antigua and Barbuda are concerned about what they say is an increased use of marijuana in schools.



This was highlighted by President of the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT) Ashworth Azille, during his State of the Union address at this years Teachers Unions Annual General Conference last week Thursday.

Azille is reported to have registered his disappointment with the silence on the growing issue in the nations educational institutions, and repeated his fear about the possible repercussion.

"Last year, I referenced the need to exercise caution as it related to the newly implemented law to decriminalize the use marijuana. There seems that there has been widespread miseducation about that law, but the silence is so deafening.

"Despite what we are seeing as a negative emerging trend, we are hearing nothing as it relates to the proper public education concerning it, Azille told the Annual Confernce, according to the Antigua Observer.

"Many of our students are now eager to have a little thing in their mouth, and they will boldly tell you: Well, the Worl Boss has passed the law, he continued, evoking laughter from his audience.

"You laugh, but it is frightening, because more and more students are coming to school not being able to function unless they take a draw, he continued.

Azille highlighted the need for parents and other authorities to be aware of a new role that has been placed on teachers as a result of the presence of marijuana in schools.

(Source: Antigua Observer)

The ABUT President cried out for serious efforts from the countrys policymakers to educate the public on the use of marijuana and the laws pertaining to it, to prevent its misuse, especially among minors.
In a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbusters trailer, a Chinese policeman dons a pair of futuristic facial recognitionequipped sunglasses. He scans each member of the crowd at Shanghais Peoples Square subway station. Before long, he pinpoints a crookwhose disguise may have fooled humans, but not technologyand starts chasing him down.

This is from my WeChat feed pic.twitter.com/0ddePmONFO  OJ (@audiocomedian) May 27, 2019

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

The video is an advertisement for state-owned telecom giant China Mobiles new 5G network. The voiceover in Mandarin at the end of the clip doesnt endorse facial recognition outright, but it does boast that 5G is speedy enough to make smart cities possible.

People around the world are grappling with facial recognition. Earlier this month, it was officially banned in San Francisco. Congress recently held a hearing about the pitfalls of the technology. Meanwhile, a backlash broke out in the U.K. last week after a Welsh man complained that the authorities breached his privacy with facial recognition, prompting police to defend what they call a valuable crime-prevention tool.

All that pales in comparison with Chinas usage of the technology. Critics have accused the Chinese government of using such technology in its suppression of the Uighur minority, with experts digging up copious amounts of evidence to back up those claims. There are also concerns that facial recognition will be abused nationwide. Cameras equipped with the technology have sprung up alongside most major Chinese city streets, and even in some public bathrooms.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Alarming as such widespread state surveillance might seem to many Westerners, much of the Chinese population has welcomed its increasing ubiquity. As author Jianan Qian wrote in a New York Times op-ed, Many people in China seem to be happy about the physical security promised by the surveillance network. Our mind-set, long ago, was wired to see safety and freedom as an either-or choice.

Advertisement

That sentiment is echoed by Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapores Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He told me, People care most about efficiency and order in China. They are not really concerned with so-called privacy.

Privacy is certainly not paramount for the policeman in the China Mobile ad, who scans countless faces before zeroing in on his suspect and chasing him through the crowded Shanghai subway. One Chinese viewer of the ad, Fan Popo, said he couldnt help but be impressed with how well this video is made. Anyone familiar with his work might be shocked to hear him praise such an advertisement. After all, hes a filmmaker known for speaking truth to power. In 2015, he brought a successful legal case against Chinas state media regulator when his LGBT-themed documentary Mama Rainbow was censored. And while he liked the quality of the ad, he was troubled by the themes behind it, saying, Its well-made propaganda, promoting how facial recognition is supposedly helping to improve society, and if you dont accept it you will have bad people running away without being caught.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

According to Wu, the ads highlighting of how facial recognition can catch criminals is little more than justification. Justice isnt the intention of such surveillanceits a byproduct of top-down control.

Advertisement

Advertisement

However, average citizens might not feel such pressure from on high when they think of facial recognition, which has become part of consumer life too. Cosmopolitan Chinese increasingly turn to face scans for chic conveniences, including paying for the subway and KFC. That trust may be misplaced: A recent survey found the pay with your face function on Alipay, a widely used Chinese app, to only be 70 percent accurate, well below the 90 percent accuracy pledge that Alipay made five years ago. But Wu says that such issues havent phased many Chinese users, in part because the technologys potential for convenience and efficiency is high

Advertisement

Advertisement

Matthew Brennan, co-host of the China Tech Talk podcast, is hesitant to make blanket statementspointing out that plenty of cosmopolitan Chinese share values and viewpoints with Westernersbut he does suspect that facial recognition is widely accepted in China for deeply cultural reasons. He calls China a low-trust society, while Western societies tend to be high-trust. Brennan chalks that difference up to rampant scams, from street corners to social media feeds, that have long plagued the Peoples Republic of China with uncertainty.

People care most about efficiency and order in China. They are not really concerned with so-called privacy.  Alfred Wu

Oddly enough, that lack of trust typically doesnt apply to government higher-ups or the cutting-edge tech firms linked to those officials. Instead, those upper echelons are often seen as sources of strong leadership or innovation that can root out lower-level, local corruption, including scammers and unscrupulous neighbors. A recent Bloomberg article unravels that paradox by describing an app piloted in one Chinese city, through which users can report what they deem to be dubious behavior of fellow citizens to the authorities. It goes on to say, Depicted outside of China as a creepy digital panopticon, this network of so-called social-credit systems is seen within China as a means to generate something the country sorely lacks: trust. For that, perpetual surveillance and the loss of privacy are a small price to pay.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

In business, Westerners tend to trust people until they prove themselves untrustworthy, but the opposite is true in China, Brennan said. It stems back to the deep tradition of guanxi, or relationships, where friends introduce you to people you can trust for tasks or transactions. He thinks most domestic viewers of the China Mobile supercop ad would see it putting forth strength to hunt down bad actors. Meanwhile in Western society, wed say the state has too much control, and facial recognition is being used for negative purposes. It boils down to perceptions of trust.

Despite that thoughtful take, Brennan was right to be hesitant about making blanket statements. There was no shortage of nuanced comments made by Chinese viewers of the China Mobile ad on microblogging website Weibo. For instance, one commenter wondered, What if a bad guy uses this facial recognition technology to cheat you? Another wrote, 5G is ushering in a scary, naked period, where personal rights mean nothing compared to the rights of the broader public.

Cynical as all that sounds, another netizen was even bleaker, writing, This technology is creating a cage for us that is invisible to the naked eye.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
In 2016, the Indiana Legislature passed HB 1337, which then-Gov. Mike Pence signed into law. Among other things, HB 1337 said that a miscarried or aborted fetus must be interred or cremated, with several specifications to make sure that that would actually happen and could be verified. The law specifies that the miscarried or aborted fetus does not have to be given a name by the mother, the process can be kept anonymous, and more than one fetus can be cremated at a time.

Advertisement

The bill made its way through appeals courts before reaching the Supreme Court, which on May 28 rejected a number of its passages. Yet the Supreme Court upheld the part about disposal of fetal remains. That part of the legislation remains in force, and it has far-reaching consequences.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

If the material is understood as remains, then it must be remains of something. For proponents of such laws, that something was previously a person. For many others, it was not. Fetal remains bills therefore strike at the heart of personhood discussions. The Supreme Courts allowance of the Indiana fetal burial or cremation law in effect supports the highly problematic assumption that fetuses must be treated as persons. As many commentators have noted, this decision involves a serious attack on abortion rights in ways that seek to impose the political and moral views of some people on everybody. Much of the response, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs opinion, has focused on other parts of the Indiana law. Yet requirements about disposal of fetuses pose undue emotional and practical burdens on women. Women who have just suffered a miscarriage or gone through an abortion must make additional decisions about what happens to the dead fetus, even when they consider it just a dead fetus and not deserving of any special treatment. And medical facilities will be required to find ways to carry out expensive burials and cremations as well as places to accept the material, and then presumably pass all those costs on to patients.

Advertisement

Advertisement

If the material is understood as remains, then it must be remains of something.

Indiana is not the first or only state to use protection of fetal remains to place restrictions on women experiencing miscarriages or choosing to have abortions. A similar law in Texas received a permanent injunction from U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra in 2018. That law reached further than Indianas by including embryos as well as fetuses. (Embryos are the earliest stages of development, typically up to eight weeks, at which point the developing organism is called a fetus.) It was also worded to apply to any medical facility. Therefore, as Ezra noted, the Texas law would require that if a pregnant woman went to a dentist and then had a miscarriage in the dental office, the dentist would be responsible for handling the remains. He clearly thought that was unworkable.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

I served as an expert witness in the case, which lasted for a week. Some witnesses were patients who explained that such a law would make them feel that they were being forced to regard the embryo or fetus as a person. They did not believe that the tissue at early developmental stages was a person, and they did not want to be forced to treat it as such. One woman discussed her experiences at a medical clinic where she had gone for emergency treatment when her pregnancy was failing. She was treated for a miscarriage, and the facility required a burial or cremation for what they called her baby. She said that she would never have gone to that hospital if she had known what would happen.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Other witnesses said that they did not think of the dead embryo or fetus as remains of anything. Its being buried or cremated for later burial gave the dead tissue a status they did not feel it deserved. Some medical providers reported on their experiences with patients with diverse views. My role as a historian and philosopher of developmental biology was to establish that society has had a long-standing divergence of opinion about how we value developing humans. For at least a significant percentage of the population, embryos are bunches of unformed cells, and fetuses exhibit gradually emerging form and function over time. For many, the fetus becomes a person when it is born. For others, the ill-defined point of viability might also count. And for some, personhood begins at conception. Yet we know that a single fertilized egg can produce an embryo that splits into two (or more) through twinning. We also know that two separately fertilized embryos (following two different conceptions) can merge together into one chimera. The simplistic idea that life and personhood begin with conception is problematic in numerous ways.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In the Texas case, witnesses in favor of the law spoke to the need to respect life and provide dignity, along with other standard arguments. But the judge pointed to the burden placed by the law on women seeking to exercise their right to abortion. For practical, financial, and emotional reasons, he determined that the law violated the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. It also violated the equal protection clause because it treated some facilities, namely in vitro fertilization clinics, differently from other health care facilities. In his summation, he concluded:

Advertisement

the clear weight of the evidence shows that the waste disposal options required by the challenged laws would cause many, if not most, doctors and healthcare facilities providing pregnancy-related care to women to be overwhelmed with embryonic and fetal tissue remains with no acceptable method of disposal. Indeed, those few state officials tasked with attempting to insure implementation of the challenged laws were relegated to asking private cemeteries, funeral homes, and crematoriums for help. With the exception of a non-contractually binding offer from the Catholic Church in Texas that it would do what it could, little else was forthcoming.  [M]any issues  make this offer, although well intended, problematic and presently unworkable in light of the numerous unresolved logistical problems.

Advertisement

That Texas trial and ruling made clear that at least a large number of women, and perhaps a majority, regard dead embryonic or fetal material as medical waste. They expect it to be treated as such. Yet the Indiana law demanded that fetal material not be treated as infectious or pathological waste, and the Texas law stated it must be disposed of as human remains and may not be placed in a landfill.

Womens reproductive rights and constraints are increasingly moving under the control of state governments, with the resulting patchwork of conflicting decisions and underlying values. The dead fetuses that some consider medical waste, others consider human remains. While women with access to information and resources are likely to find ways to make the decisions they find appropriate about abortions, they will still face obstacles in states like Indiana, where they are forced to treat dead fetuses in ways they may not agree with.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
For transportation nerds, Elon Musks Hyperloop holds a special place in the imagination. Progress in the space usually involves incremental steps to suit the places weve already built. Road tolls and electric scooters are what passes for exciting. The Hyperloop, as described by Musk in a 2013 white paper, is a 760 mph leap that promises whole new patterns of settlement and activity to follow behind it.

The real Hyperloop will be powered by magnets, but so far it has made its way through the world propelled by hot air. Credulous, click-chasing reporters have broadcast the claims of various Hyperloop entrepreneurs who have run with Musks idea of shooting pods through a sealed tube at high speeds, and local governments have gone right along with it. A working full-scale Hyperloop is still years away from reality, but I, for one, already feel like Ive been taken for a ride.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Last year, I checked in with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, a company that hopes to pioneer terrestrial transit at the speed of sound using a cadre of far-flung engineers collaborating on Google Docs. It has been two-plus years since HTTs co-founder told Wired, Weve solved all the technical issues, but the team has yet to test a full-scale prototype. That hasnt stopped HTT from getting government funding from Ohio to the Chinese hinterland.

Something interesting is happening as HTT and other firms move forward with their plans: The Hyperloop is starting to look more familiar than space-age. The HTT car, for example, is not the bobsled-size carriage imagined by Musk, but closer to the size of a needle-nosed Shinkansen train car. That design choice brings the idea of Hyperloop infrastructure away from Musks initial vision of a nimble, easy-to-build pipeline and closer to the costly, time-consuming right-of-way whose pursuit characterizes the construction of roads and railways.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The vehicle isnt the only part of the Hyperloop thats coming to resemble more traditional transportation options.

Recently, I sat down with Josh Geigel, the co-founder and chief technology officer of Virgin Hyperloop One, the more serious Hyperloop venture. What Hyperloop One has going for it is an actual test track where reporters have been invited to watch a pod achieve speeds of 240 miles per hour.

Advertisement

But thats just the technology. As a transportation solution, Hyperloop One is starting to lay down some parameters on what will and wont work. (It may be the influence of CEO Jay Walder, who ran transit systems in Hong Kong and New York.) Carrying small numbers of people, as the initial concept aimed to do? I cant imagine a system moving less than 4,0005,000 people an hour and paying for itself, Geigel said. Routes stretching across the country? The sweet spot, said Geigel, would be under 200 miles.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

When Geigel outlined how his tubes would load up 16,000 passengers per hour on its first projected route near Mumbaia carrying capacity approaching the TokyoOsaka Shinkansen, the worlds busiest high-speed train linehe explained that the system would launch convoys of pods that would leave the hub together and wind up in different destinations.

In short, Hyperloop Ones project is beginning to sound a bit like a high-speed rail line. Not coincidentally, Geigel is now estimating the system costing 60 to 70 percent the cost of high-speed railnot, as Musk once projected, 10 percent or less.

No one is making more Hyperloop plans than Musk, whose Boring Company has committed with varying degrees of seriousness to build tunnels under Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

But at the prototype tunnel in the companys L.A. headquarters, the model has evolved from tunnels carrying cars on skates to, well, a kind of infernal transportation Cat-Dog.

Aaron Gordon at Jalopnik sums it up:

Yes, for those keeping score, in a mere two years weve gone from a futuristic vision of electric skates zooming around a variety of vehicles in a network of underground tunnels toand I cannot stress this enougha very small, paved tunnel that can fit one (1) car.

Asked to describe why he had moved from the cars on skates plan to a regular one-lane auto tunnel, Musk said on Twitter, This is simple and it just works.

In its first public-facing commission, beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Boring Company is working on something that will sound familiar to anyone whos been to an airport: autonomous, electric buses with rubber wheels driving around a closed system underground.

So, will we one day travel from town to town like spitballs in a straw? Maybe! But not if, when starry-eyed technologists come to face the reality of regulations, rights-of-way, and economics, they find something to like in the way things have always been done. Turns out its easier to use the wheel than to reinvent it.
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...
Facilities harness the sun the most.

The local source is the most acknowledged novelty presented by the revision on the law on RES. (Source: TASR)

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled

Electricity has one negative feature  it cannot be stored as easily as other products like car components. This makes balancing the production and consumption of electricity a very complex issue, but there is a possible solution; electricity can be consumed when and where it is generated.

The institute of the local source generating electricity from renewable energy sources, introduced by the biggest revision to the Act on Support for Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Highly Efficient Cogeneration, effective as of the beginning of 2019, plans to implement this solution. The local source is the most acknowledged novelty presented by the revision.

The local source represents a facility that produces electricity to be almost completely consumed at the given place, Maros Stano, spokesperson of the Economy Ministry, told The Slovak Spectator. Such production will not have any significant influence on the grid.

This means that such electricity producers will actually not use the national grid, leading to the decentralisation of electricity production. The Economy Ministry expects that companies, in particular, will use the local source to generate electricity for their own consumption, while households can build their own power plants harnessing renewable energy sources, too.

Jozef Badida, an energy analyst for the Energia pre Vas website, praises the introduction of the local source, pointing out that local sources should not bring any financial burden for electricity consumers.

If a company or a business wants to invest its own money into building a photovoltaic power plant on its roof and consumes the electricity solar panels produce, this is an excellent solution, he said during a discussion on the TA3 news channel after parliament passed the revision in late October 2018. He added that this solution does not require an extension of the grid nor the construction of back-up facilities. Such facilities are needed, for example, when the sun is not shining and photovoltaic power plants do not produce electricity.

Lawyer Pavol Polacek of the Polacek & Partners law firm, which has been dealing with energy legislation in the long run, welcomes the introduction of the local source.

Through the production of electricity for their own consumption, business entities can reduce their energy bills when the price of electricity equals 50-60 per MWh today, said Polacek, as cited by the TASR newswire. The savings will be significant.

Origin of the local source
Trainer Blake MacIntosh was looking for a bit of redemption after Courtly Choices poor showing in Flamboro Downs Confederation Cup. The sun was shining down on MacIntosh and Courtly on Sunday (May 26), as the 2018 Little Brown Jug winner was back on his game.

Courtly Choices sharp win came in the Commodore Barry, which is one of three $100,000 invitational races that comprised Harrahs Philadelphias Super Stakes Sunday. The other invitationals were the Betsy Ross Pace and the Maxie Lee Trot.

The Commodore Barry went postward for Race 12, and with his regular pilot David Miller in the sulky, Courtly Choice took an overland trip to nail the wire in 1:49.1, and he looked good doing it.

Miller and the four-year-old son of Art Major started from Post 4 and found themselves in a stalking position in the early going. A trio of horses took part in a serious scuffle right from the word go, as The Wall, Pacing Major N and Tiger Thompson N mixed it down to the quarter pole, which was clicked off in a blistering :25.2. Tiger Thompson N cleared to the lead after the quarter and was pressured to the half-mile marker in a hot :53.1.

Miller played it cool with Courtly Choice while the front-end battles continued. Purple Jesus had worked out a third-over trip for his charge. Third-over turned into second-over on the final turn, after the three-quarters had flashed to life in 1:20.2. Miller knew he was in perfect striking position as the field rounded for home. Miller then tipped Courtly Choice three wide and the bay responded. Courtly Choice thrived with his clear path and was an in-hand winner at the wire.

Courtly Choice, who paid $5.80 to win, topped an exactor with Rodeo Rock, who was driven by Andrew McCarthy and had raced second-over in the mile. The Wall, who was in rein to Jim Pantaleano, emerged from the early battle to finish third.

After the race, MacIntosh discussed Courtly Choice's poor performance in the Confederation Cup. In the winner's circle interview, MacIntosh explained that Courtly Choice is not a fan off the off-going, and that the sunny weather that bathed Harrah's Philadelphia on Sunday was much to the horse's liking. MacIntosh went on to say that Courtly Choice had tied up in the Confederation Cup and he is being pointed to race in a leg of the Graduate Series this coming weekend at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Courtly Choice is owned by the Hutt Racing Stable (of Malvern, PA), Mac And Heim Stables (Cambridge, ON), Daniel Plouffe (Bromont, QC) and Touchstone Farms Inc. (Guelph, ON).

The Betsy Ross for pacing mares kicked off the invitationals in Race 10, and it was the Jim King Jr.-trained and Tim Tetrick-driven Shartin N that was tough as nails, as she gutted out a taxing first-over trip to hit the wire first in 1:49.2.

Shartin N left from Post 7 and tucked in behind Caviart Ally (who was driven by Andrew McCarthy), who blitzed the quarter pole in :25.2. Tetrick had thoughts of making a move for the front early, but opted to continue to sit the pocket. The move allowed Caviart Ally to rate a second panel of :30, as she tripped the half-mile pole in :55.2. Tetrick had seen enough at that point, and tipped Shartin N out for an advance in the vicinity of the half-mile pole. The two mares battled through a big third quarter, as Caviart Ally tripped the third timer in 1:21.3 with Shartin N directly to her right. Caviart Ally didnt want to give up the lead in the lane, as she dug in and gave it all she had, but Shartin N proved too tough, as Tetrick got her up for a narrow victory. Apple Bottom Jeans (Corey Callahan), who had raced second over, tipped three wide in the lane, but couldnt haul down either of the leading mares and had to settle for third.

Shartin N, who returned $4.40 to win, has now won six of her seven starts this year. The six-year-old daughter of Tintin In America is owned by Richard Poillucci (of North Easton, MA), Joann Looney King (Harrington, DE) and Tim Tetrick LLC (Woolwich Twp, NJ).

The Maxie Lee for trotters was up next in Race 11, and it was the Anette Lorentzon-trained and Tim Tetrick-driven Guardian Angel As who was best of all. The five-year-old son of Archangel wrestled the lead away early and stayed on the point until he hit the wire in a sharp 1:51.

Guardian Angel As had started from Post 2 and watched the Dexter Dunn-driven Pinkman carve the quarter in :27. Tetrick tipped Guardian Angel As first-up just before the quarter, and the duo cleared to the lead early in the second panel. From there, Guardian Angel As was on his game, as he tripped the half-mile clock in :55.1 and spun off three quarters in 1:23.2. Guardian Angel As wasnt going to give up the lead late, and thus Pinkman, who had followed in the pocket, had to settle for second. Fiftydallarbill, who closed hard from the backfield after a three-wide brush, was an impressive third.

Guardian Angel As, who returned $5.80 to win, has now won two of his three starts this season. He is owned by ACL Stuteri AB (Paris, KY) and Kjell Johansson (Sosdala, Sweden).
Therl Hensley wakes up every morning expecting to discover the past three months have been a dream. But he pinches himself each day and comes to the same conclusion.

The dream, he says, is real.

Hensley is the owner of Fan Of Terror, a seven-year-old male pacer he claimed for $30,000 in mid-February that has gone on to win at the top level at Harrahs Hoosier Park, knocking off horses such as past Breeders Crown champion Beckhams Z Tam in the process. Fan Of Terror has raced 11 times for Hensley and posted five victories, three seconds, and $71,125 in purses.

Its been an unbelievable experience, said Hensley, a 61-year-old lifelong dairy farmer from Daleville, Ind., about 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis. I never thought we would own the kind of horse that would race in these kinds of races. We were looking for something to race in conditions and hes just got better and better. Its just been crazy. Every week is another thrill.

I literally found the horse I wasnt even looking for.

Fan Of Terror is trained by Pete Redder, whose brother Ricky gets credit with finding the stables new star.

He followed him all the way through the claiming ranks, Redder said. Once we took a look at him, we all were on board. He had such a powerful move against the horses he was racing against.

I think we caught him on an upswing and he just kept getting better and better. Hes getting stronger and stronger every week I train him.

Fan Of Terror began this year with a four-race win streak, capped by a victory in the $32,500 Claim To Fame Series final at Miami Valley. He was claimed by Hensley and Co. in his next start.

The first time the gelding raced for his new connections was nerve-wracking for Hensley. Fan Of Terror responded with a four-length win in the Open II at Miami Valley.

I was so nervous over this because I never spent this kind of money on a horse, Hensley said. I said, literally, Im putting my future in your hands. I about bounced off the walls when he raced.

I didnt think I could have a horse in the same race with these horses, let alone be competitive. Its been a whirlwind. Its the biggest thing Ive ever been involved in.

Hensley was introduced to harness racing by his wife, Sharla, whose father raced a few horses over the years. Hensley later got involved in owning horses with a friend but focused on lower-level claimers before investing in Fan Of Terror.

My wife is blown away, Hensley said.

He then recounted the story about when Sharla discovered Fan Of Terrors price.

She said, how much did you spend on that horse? I said, I cant recall, Hensley said, laughing. My wife said, I can read a program.

Fan Of Terror, a son of Western Terror-Fans Bikini, has won 33 of 112 career races and earned $313,278. He makes his next start Friday (May 31) in the $20,000 Open at Hoosier Park, where he is 9-2 on the morning line. Always A Prince, the winner of 20 of 25 career starts including the May 17 Open, is the 8-5 favourite. The race also includes Beckhams Z Tam and another past Breeders Crown champ, Freaky Feet Pete.

He couldnt quite go with Always A Prince last time, but there is no shame getting beat by him, said Redder, a 42-year-old (celebrating his birthday today) who followed his father, Richard, into the sport and worked previously for trainer Ron Burke.

Hes got a really good personality, really good to be around in the barn. He just has a real cocky attitude. He thinks he shouldnt lose to anyone. He goes out with all the confidence in the world every time he races.

Hensley gets to spend a good deal of time with Fan Of Terror as he puts in several hours a day helping out at Redders stable. A day that begins with him pinching himself.

We enjoyed (the sport) before this happened, Hensley said. This is just like 10 inches of icing on the cake.

This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.
Among those addressing last week Tuesdays CDC Press Conference were (L-R): Minister of Culture Cecil mc Kie, Beauty Shows Coordinator La Ferne Fraser and Co-ordinator of Rural carnivals Esworth Roberts.

Vincy Mas 2019 runs officially from June 28  July 9.

As expected, marketing of the annual festival has already swung into gear overseas and here at home.

Miss SVG Pageant

The official period once again, will be preceded by the Miss SVG Pageant, scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday 1st June, at Victoria Park.

And while the calendar of events held under the auspices of the Carnival Development Corporations remains unchanged over 2018, a number of minor changes as per some shows.

The 2019 Miss SVG Pageant, for example, showcases six contestants, down from seven over 2017 and 2018, and eight in 2016.

But Beauty Shows Co-ordinator La Ferne Fraser, speaking at a CDC Press Conference last week Tuesday, expressed a view that this years pageant could well be "one of the best Miss SVG Pageants that we have had in a while.

She said she was proud of the work the contestants had put in, adding that this promises for an all-round good show.

Ragga and Soca Competitions

Also showing some changes for 2019 are the Ragga Soca and Soca Monarch Competitions.

Each competition will see a reduction in competitors, with the June 22 semi-finals for each featuring 20 artistes instead of 25 as was the case in 2018.

A venue for the semi-finals for the soca competitions is yet to be named. The tarmac at the decommissioned E. T. Johsua Airport, where the event was held for the last two years, is not available this year, that facility having been assigned to the 2019 Tradewinds exercise being held here.

Rural Carnivals, Mas, Pan, et al

When Coordinator of the Rural Carnival Activities Esworth Robertson reported at last week Tuesday Press Conference, he highlighted that both the South Leeward and Central Leeward had already staged their carnival-related activities.

He commended the organisers for their efforts, and noted that the events in both areas were staged without any major incidents.

Garth Niles, Deputy Chairman of the Carnival Mas Bands Association (CBA), assured that "mas men will be going out of their way to ensure that mas will be of a high standard in keeping with the tradition.

Both Niles and Morgan paid tribute to former Minister of Culture John Horne for his contribution to each of the art forms.

Minister of Tourism and Culture Cecil Mc Kie was resolute in his call for a review of Vincy Mas involving all the stakeholders, and for a study to be done on the economic impact of the festival.

Radio stations and television stations and services, here and abroad, are already in train, and Anthony Dennie - Chairman for CDCs Committee for Shows and Marketing promised that " fliers , posters and other promotional materials will be on display soon.The Miss SVG pageant will feature a guest performance by Trinidadian soca artiste Nadia Batson.Nine finalists will be selected for each competition. Indications are that both reigning Monarchs - Fimber Fimba Jardine  Raga Soca, and Delroy Fireman Hooper Soca - are down to defend their titles.The finals for both competitions are set for July 6, at Victoria Park.Oneka Morgan, speaking on behalf of the Youlou Pan Movement (YPM), said that steel orchestras were down to kick start their activities, with an event planned for last Saturday, May 26, at the FlowT Beach Bar, Blue Lagoon.Mc Kie anticipates an increase in the number of returning nationals and visitors to Vincy Mas 2019, especially given the availability of international carriers services directly into SVG.
We would love to hear your thoughts...

1. How did you come up with the idea for your startup?

2. What was the hardest part in the early stages of the startups growth?

3. What are the services/solutions/products that the startup offers? Who are the targeted audiences?

4. What are your strengths and advantages over your competitors?

5. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics?

6. Is the company bootstrapped or funded? What milestones will the financing get you to?

7. What is the road map ahead? How are you planning to achieve it?

Key Management :

Founding Year :

Milestones :

Awards/Recognition :

Clients :
For the second time in history the U.S. Air Force has restored a retired B-52 bomber to active service. This was done by using one of the dozen retired B-52s stored at AMARC (Aerospace Maintenance and Recovery Center) where still flyable warplanes are retired, for use as spare parts and eventual scrapping or, if they are stored at a higher level of readiness (Type 1000 storage), for rapid restoration to flight status and a return to active duty. The U.S. is allowed, according to an arms control treaty, to maintain 76 B-52s on active duty. All of these aircraft are over fifty years old and, via regular upgrades and refurbishment, kept current and useful. When one of the 76 is lost due to an accident, an AMARC B-52 is revived. The first time this was done was in in 2015, when it took 70 days to get the AMARC aircraft flying again. These aircraft are then flown off to receive the latest updates and a final checkout by the air force AMARG (Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group). This process will be completed for the latest revived B-52 by early 2020. The latest revival was a B-52 that was retired to AMARC in 2008 and it will replace a B-52 lost in a 2016 crash. The air force plans to keep its B-52s flying into the 2050s and more upgrades are planned, including new engines. The most recent revived B-52 was manufactured in 1962 and that design proved so reliable and flexible that they have continued to be useful as a heavy bomber ever since. This is especially true since the use of smart bombs became common in the 1990s. This made a single B-52 capable to supporting ground operations over a huge area (all of Afghanistan or Iraq) because it could refuel in the air and remain airborne for more than 12 hours at a time, speeding to distant locations and delivering the dozens of guided bombs it carried as needed by troops below.

B-52s are not the only aircraft revived from retirement. The United States has been storing retired aircraft in airbases located in dry desert areas since the 1940s when it had had the largest air forces on the planet. That meant lots of still usable aircraft could be retired inexpensively for later return to service or use as a source of spare parts. It was noted that since World War II most military aircraft ended up being scrapped, not shot down or lost in accidents. Some nations, particularly the United States, created an intermediate status for retired aircraft; storage. The main American storage site is AMARC. This is the boneyard, and aircraft stored at AMARC would, if armed and operational, be the third largest air force in the world. This facility, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base out in the Arizona desert, stores nearly 5,000 military aircraft no longer needed for active service. Every year, some are recalled, refurbished and sent back to work. But most get "harvested" for spare parts until what's left is chopped up and sold for scrap. Stored aircraft that are revived have to meet strict standards similar to those applied to new aircraft.

AMARC isn't the only storage site, just the largest (in the world). Many other air bases in dry climates have room for some aircraft that might be needed again. Back in 2010 the U.S. Marine Corps recently took an old AV-8 Harrier vertical takeoff fighter, which had been in storage for sixteen years at one of its air bases, and restored it to duty as a two-seat trainer. The marines didn't think they would need that old AV-8. But the new F-35B, which is to replace the AV-8 was late in arriving and operations in Afghanistan have worn down the existing AV-8s. So reinforcements have been called up from storage sites.

This points out one of the major problems with modern warplanes; that some models have remained in service far longer than anyone expected. This happened partly because modern aircraft are built to last, and used engineering advances that worked out better than expected. Engineers tend to overbuild when they can or must. For example, commercial transports are very sturdy beasts, as they have to fly up to 12 hours a day for weeks at a time. Military aircraft fly less often, although their sturdiness is also meant to deal with the violent maneuvers of combat. But heavy bombers and transports can go on and on, as they don't fly as much as the civilian transports. The basic technology bombers and transports are based on hasn't changed much. The best example is the B-52 bomber, which entered service in the 1950s and the ones still flying were built over fifty years ago. Another example of older but still flyable aircraft are the hundred or so DC-3 civilian transports that began flying in the 1930s.

Most warplanes are in production for a decade or less. Once the manufacturing stops, it starts to become difficult to get spare parts. The tools and equipment used to make the aircraft components are usually scrapped. Making the parts from scratch is so expensive that it is often cheaper to scrap aircraft and buy a new design. But a new aircraft is often more than the budget can bear as well. The solution to this problem is cannibalization. That is, using some aircraft, either those wrecked in accidents or older models retired to the "boneyard", just for spare parts. This has been a practice in combat from the very beginning of military aviation. Especially during World War I, when far more aircraft were lost to bad landings and takeoffs than to enemy action. Such wrecks became a source of replacement parts for airframes and engines of aircraft still in service. Thus the most efficient boneyard in the world is Americas AMARC. While some of the aircraft stored there are recalled to active service every year, all are liable for disassembly to provide parts for aircraft that are still flying. But other nations with smaller boneyards and more urgent needs can take the basic boneyard concept as far as they can get away with.

AMARC fills 500-2,000 spare parts orders each month. Not just for American aircraft, but for those of allies as well. Australia keeps its 1960s era F-111's flying with spare parts from old U.S. F-111s stored at AMARC. The U.S. Air Force A-10, built in the 1970s, and not a popular air force candidate for a new model, is kept flying (because it's so damn useful) with parts from AMARC. Even when parts are still in production, a wartime surge, as was experienced during the Afghanistan campaign will outstrip the manufacturer's ability to produce them. In this case, AMARC delivered parts for the F-18 and continues to do so for other heavily used aircraft.

AMARC was set up in 1985, consolidating boneyard operations already there and from other locations in the United States. In that first year, it delivered spare parts worth half a billion dollars. While the airframes, stripped of all their more valuable parts, are worth only about 25 cents a pound as scrap, some of the parts are worth their weight in gold. Engines, which often comprise a third (or more) of an aircraft's value, are the most valuable single items. And each engine consists of thousands of parts, some of which are worth quite a bit, even if the engine is no longer in use by any aircraft. Other nations cannibalize their retired or obsolete warplanes, but few have organized the operation as efficiently as the United States.
In Tripoli the LNA (Libyan National Army) forces are methodically eliminating militia fortifications in the southern suburbs of the city. This has been unnerving for the many Islamic militias that have controlled Tripoli since 2011. They are in a panic because of the LNA advance and use of tactics the militias had never encountered before. Adding to the panic has been another LNA attack from the east, which the militias were not really prepared for. They believed the bulk of the LNA forces available for the Tripoli operation were stalled south of the city. The LNA took their time and quietly assembled a mobile force for a move against the eastern approaches to Tripoli. The LNA kept an eye on militia deployments and apparently has a reliable network of informants inside the city. The LNA continued to offer amnesty to militiamen who surrendered with their weapons. More and more of the militiamen are quietly doing this. LNA officials are still taking to the UN about a ceasefire but point out that the militias have been unreliable in the past, especially the Islamic and Islamic terrorist ones. That is why the LNA demands verifiable disarmament of the militias before they agree to a ceasefire

The Tripoli fighting has been going on since April 4th. There have been over 2,500 dead and wounded so far, and more than 80,000 civilians have fled their homes to avoid the fighting. The LNA can only bring up a limited number of reinforcements without risking problems elsewhere in Libya. Currently, most of Libya and all the oil production and export facilities are safe because of LNA operations since 2014. That is the main reason the LNA has not gone after Tripoli until now.

The LNA showed UN intelligence about the activities of Islamic militias in Tripoli and how some had welcomed veteran Islamic terrorists from Syria and other Middle Eastern nations. Thats another reason why LNA will agree to a ceasefire only if the militias disarm first, something even the GNA (Government of National Accord) has been trying to achieve since 2015.

LNA commander Khalifa Hiftar has been traveling abroad to discuss his plans and needs with foreign supporters in Europe, the Middle East and Russia. Some Russian diplomats do not believe the LNA can take Tripoli and then bring long-term peace to the entire country. This despite the fact that the LNA has been systematically pacifying the entire country since 2014. Hiftar did it by being professional about it. He trained his troops and saw that they were well taken care of. His tactics emphasized keeping LNA casualties low. This was not spectacular but it worked. More and more militias and individual Libyans joined the LNA after agreeing to operate by LNA rules. Meanwhile, the large militias that dominate politics in the two largest cities (Tripoli and nearby Misrata) were chaotic, unreliable and often violent towards each other and civilians in general. Western special operations troops sent in to work with (and observe) the LNA reported all this back to their governments. Meanwhile, the UN-backed GNA government was increasingly seen as corrupt and ineffective. Some GNA leaders noticed that as well and were willing to negotiate a merger with the LNA and its eastern sponsor the HoR. Senior UN officials opposed that sort of thing and demanded that the international government unite to destroy the LNA.

The same rivalry between Turkey and most Arab states in Syria is now becoming more visible in Libya. Turks in Libya is nothing new but now Turkey is increasing the shipments of military aid and apparently sending some advisors as well. The UN and some Western nations want the two rival Libyan government to merge but the Turks prefer the more terrorist-friendly GNA even though GNA forces are much less militarily effective than the LNA. Turkey has been pushing its agenda in Libya since 2012, with little effect.

Back in early 2015, Turkey warned all Turkish citizens to get out of Libya because of growing violence and anti-Turk sentiment. Turkey also warned all Turkish airlines to stay out of Libyan air space. This came after the eastern HoR government warned that it would shoot down any Turkish airliners or cargo aircraft entering Libya. This is all the result of the pro-Islamic radical Tripoli government having support from Turkey, Sudan and Qatar. Turkey said it supports the Islamic forces in Libya but that coalition includes many Islamic terror groups that the Turks insist they do not back. At the time the HoR government had most of the world recognizing it, along with most of the Islamic world. Turkey was under growing international pressure to support the HoR government and refused to do so. Instead, Turkey accused its foreign critics of conspiring against Turkey. This paranoia continues and since 2015 more evidence has surfaced of Turkish willingness to cooperate with some Islamic terror groups. This apparently includes the ones now defending Misrata for the UN backed GNA. There are some serious problems with that. Sudan is no longer backing the GNA because a recent uprising replaced the pro-GNA government. Iran is preoccupied with its own economic and political problems. So the only militarily significant supporter the GNA has is Turkey and the Turks are still unpopular with most Libyans.

Heavily influenced by Islamic groups, the GNA militias are hostile to ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) but not to less extreme Islamic terror groups like al Qaeda and the Moslem Brotherhood. The problem with the Tripoli militias is that they refuse to submit to any national government, including the one the LNA represents. Self-preservation keeps them going and that has forced the major militias to cooperate to prevent Tripoli from being taken by the LNA, which controls the rest of Libya and has always been hostile to Islamic militias in general and Islamic terrorists in particular. The LNA was founded in 2014 to do two things; bring peace to Libya and eliminate Islamic terror groups from Libya.

The LNA and its commander Khalifa Hiftar are seeking to take the capital and end eight years of factional fighting that has left Libya broke and chaotic. While Hiftar is eager to take the capital and finally unite all of Libya and end the war, he has always been a methodical commander and avoided tactics that caused high casualties to his forces. The LNA forces are better trained and led but the Tripoli militias are putting up some opposition. Despite the LNA advantages, the militias are aware that they are out of business once the LNA controls the city. Many of those militias are involved in people smuggling and various other illegal activities. It was that realization that led to more and more European nations to switch their support from the UN created GNA to the LNA.

Hiftar has the support of most Libyans along with Russia, most Arab states, especially Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and now the United States as well. The UN opposes Hiftar, as does ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), the Moslem Brotherhood and pro-Moslem Brotherhood nations like Turkey, Qatar and Iran. The main argument against Hiftar is that he could turn into another dictator like Kaddafi, who was overthrown in 2011. Hiftar had been an early supporter of Kaddafi and was a colonel in the Libyan army when, in the late 1980s, he and Kaddafi became enemies and Hiftar was declared a traitor. Hiftar got support from the CIA to form an opposition force (the first LNA) but no African nations were willing to host it for long and by 1990 Hiftar was living in the U.S. and seeking citizenship. Hiftar became a U.S. citizen and spent 20 years living in the West before returning to Libya after Kaddafi was overthrown in 2011. By 2014 he realized that Islamic terror groups and independent militias were preventing the formation of a new government. His solution was to form the LNA in the east (Benghazi) and take on all the warring factions, especially the Islamic terror groups. Five years later the LNA, the only remaining organized military force in Libya, is closing in on the last concentrations of militias in Tripoli and Misrata.

Hiftar is unlikely to become another Kaddafi or ruler of Libya. Hiftar is 75 and in declining health. He is a Libyan patriot who wants to leave a legacy of a unified, peaceful and prosperous Libya. All the Middle Eastern dictators took over when they were much younger than Hiftar and did not spend two decades living in the West and witnessing what peace and prosperity looks like. More UN members are realizing that, as were a growing number of senior GNA officials. That popular support has played a major role in the LNA effort pacify the entire country. Hiftar was trusted to do what he said he would do; shut down the outlaw and Islamic terrorist groups and restore peace.

There have been two rival governments in Libya since 2015. The GNA has since late 2018 become more amenable to working with Hiftar. But the many militias the GNA presides over wanted nothing to do with losing their power to a unified government. Currently, Hiftar forces control nearly all of the country, including most of the coastal areas (except Misrata, Tripoli and the coastline west of the city to the Tunisian border). The LNA has occupied and pacified most of the areas where oil production, refining and export facilities are. Before moving on Tripoli from the south the LNA had pacified the Fezzan region in southwest Libya. At that point, it was noticed that many prominent militia leaders in Tripoli are leaving the country with their families. The LNA was expected to move into Tripoli at the request of the GNA government but when the GNA leaders proved unable to do that the LNA acted anyway. The UN, which played a major role in creating the GNA (and deciding that LNA was a threat to Libya despite most Libyans believing otherwise) also became less hostile to the LNA.

The 2015 deal the UN brokered, backed and pushed through to create the GNA was a mistake and the UN later admitted they ignored the complexity of local politics in Libya and the ability of many local groups to block a nation-wide deal. The UN also played down the power many Islamic militias in Tripoli (and Misrata) retained while pretending to support or tolerate the GNA. Meanwhile, these militias refused to halt their private feuds and wars.

Armed and Dangerous in Libya

There are several hundred thousand armed men in Libya. These men belong to the LNA, militias or Islamic terror groups. Despite all those armed men, Libya remains a fairly low-level conflict because most of the armed men are just about defending themselves and their neighborhood. While there are many organized factions the largest one is the LNA, which comprises about a third of the organized armed personnel in the country. That only comes to about 25,000 trained men who can be moved around the country. More than half of these armed men are militias that have accepted training, weapons and the leadership of the LNA. The most reliable LNA units are those organized along military lines (brigades, battalions and so on). The LNA is a disciplined force that takes care of its personnel and does that risk their lives needlessly.

Most of the non-LNA armed men are operating as local defense units and the large ones (like many in Tripoli) support themselves via extortion or voluntary support from a clan or tribal organization. Casualties come from feuds between militias (usually over territory and/or access to resources) and fighting against Islamic terrorists or other militias that are interfering with national resources (mainly oil). During 2018 the area with the most casualties (30 percent) was the coastal city of Derna where local militias inside the city (and more mercenary or Islamic terrorist groups south of the city) had been fighting each other and the LNA for over a year. About half the casualties in the last year were from half a dozen hot spots in the desert south where groups fought (and ultimately lost to the LNA) for control of oil or border control (smuggling routes). One reason for the success of the LNA is that it has become widely known that when the LNA moves in there is a lot less violence and general chaos. The LNA is the only armed group in the country that can do this on a large scale. All this violence is largely the result of there being no national government since the 2011 revolution.

May 30, 2019: The UN is not optimistic. In early May the UN had called for a ceasefire in Tripoli to coincide with the holy month of Ramadan that began on May 5th. That did not happen. Hiftar responded that he had not halted operations in the past because of Ramadan and wont now. Many of the LNA opponents have been Islamic terror groups, including ISIL, and they prefer to intensify their violence during Ramadan. After that UN officials admitted that despite all their efforts they were having little success in solving the violence and lack of unity in Libya. UN officials observed that this is often the case, in part because not all UN members will get behind UN peacekeeping efforts.

May 29, 2019: The LNA turned over to Egypt Islamic terrorist Hesham Ashmwai. Egypt has wanted custody of Ashmwai since he was captured by the LNA seven months ago. Back in October 2018, the LNA did quietly turn over to Egypt the widow of Egyptian Islamic terrorist Omar Rifai Sorour. The widow and her daughters are Egyptian. This was not considered unusual because the LNA has been supported by Egypt for years. The LNA held on to their other Egyptian prisoner, Hesham Ashmwai, who had been captured at the same time as the Sorour family. The Sorour widow confirmed that her husband had died of wounds suffered from an airstrike in Derna and revealed his burial site. Raids like this were, in 2018, capturing a lot of key Egyptian and Libyan Islamic terrorists or their families and that resulted in a lot of useful information on past, current and future Islamic terrorist operations in North Africa. This operation was considered a major event because Ashmwai, a former Egyptian special operations officer, had been a notably effective Islamic terrorist leader in Libya and long sought. Ashmwai continued to organize attacks in Egypt after he moved to Libya in 2014 (to recover from wounds). Ashmwai was the most wanted Islamic terrorist in Egypt. Ashmwai agreed to provide LNA interrogators with information on what he knew of current and past Islamic terrorists operations he was involved with. Egypt wanted Ashmwai returned immediately for interrogation and prosecution. The LNA may have agreed to keep him away from Egypt in return for information. Western and Russian intel agencies wanted a chance to interrogate Ashmwai and Egyptian intel officers were also allowed to participate. Egypt has long cooperated with Western (including American), Russia and even Israeli intelligence when it comes to counterterrorism operations. Press releases are rarely issued to explain these multinational intel cooperation. The return of Ashmwai was different because his return to Egyptian custody had become a major issue inside Egypt.

May 28, 2019: In Tripoli, LNA forces penetrated the GMA southern defensive line for the first time. This demoralized defenders on either side of the breach and forced the militias to rush what few reserve units they had to prevent LNA forces from advancing towards the city center.

May 27, 2019: In Tripoli, LNA forces continued attacking the GNA fortified positions south of the city while a new LNA force was sent to enter the city from the less defended eastern side. The eastern force made quick progress and was soon within a few kilometers of the city center.

May 24, 2019: Inside Tripoli, pro-LNA flyers appeared in many parts of the city. These called for resistance to the GNA and a general uprising throughout the city on June 1st.

May 23, 2019: The LNA announced a naval blockade of major ports in western Libya. This is to discourage Turkey, or anyone else, from delivering military aid to the GNA forces in Tripoli or Misrata.

May 18, 2019: A shipment of 40 Turkish Kipri MRAPs (armored trucks) arrived in Tripoli from Turkey. These were sent to the GNA and promptly distributed to Islamic militias fighting to maintain GNA control of the capital. Several militia websites subsequently showed off these new vehicles. The LNA released a video found on a GNA prisoner that showed a man speaking Turkish to a militia member about how to operate the vehicle. In addition to the armored trucks, the shipment contained a lot of other military equipment.

In the southwest (760 kilometers from Tripoli), Islamic terrorists attacked the entrance to the Zill oil field. Two guards and a soldier were killed as the attack was defeated. But the attackers took four captives with them. ISIL took responsibility for this attack and oil operations at Zill were not disrupted.

May 16, 2019: In western Libya, UAE and LNA negotiators obtained the freedom of four foreign (three Filipino and one South Koreas) engineers who had been kidnapped ten months ago by a militia.

May 9, 2019: The GNA canceled all contracts with foreign oil companies to operate Libyan oil and gas facilities. This was a desperate move because all those oil facilities are now under the protection of the LNA. The foreign oil companies refuse to obey GNA orders to oppose the LNA and the GNA cancellation of their contracts was seen as a desperate gamble by the GNA. The LNA has proved capable of protecting the oil facilities and the GNA has not. France is the major target for this threat as a French firm, Total, is the foreign company with the largest presence in the Libyan oil industry. France has been supporting the LNA lately and seems unwilling to change that support.
In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.




A mother and her six children have died following an explosion at a refugee camp on the Turkish border reports Zaman Al Wasl.

On Wednesday, a displaced mother and her six children lost their lives when their tent caught fire in a refugee camp in northern Idleb province, a local reporter said.

The deadly fire at a camp near the Turkish border started after a gas cylinder explosion, according to Zaman al-Wasls reporter.

The Syrian regime and its Russian ally have upped their deadly bombardment on Idleb in recent weeks on, causing more than 200,000 people to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.

More than a third now live outside in the open after failing to find shelter in formal camps for the displaced.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The continued assault by the Syrian regime and their Russian backers have forced 80 percent of the residents of Hazarin village to flee reports Smart News.

On Thursday, the local council for the village of Hazarin (38 km south of Idleb city) in northern Syria said that Russian bombardments and Syrian regime forces had destroyed more than 25 percent of civilian property in the village as well as public buildings.

The head of the local council, Nader al-Bassam, told Smart that the bombardment had caused partial damage to between 15 to 25 percent of civilian homes and had destroyed 13 homes entirely.

Life in Hazarin in the Idleb countryside came to a near-complete stop on Wednesday with stores shutting their doors and movement in the streets almost completely absent, while the impact of the latest bombardments were still clear in the town after a number of houses were leveled to the ground and turned into piles of rubble.

Bassam said that 25 shops had been 90 percent destroyed while the extent of the damage at the one medical point and the mosques was about 10 percent, and the three schools were about 20 percent destroyed, as well as the local council walls being cracked.

Bassam said that bombardment by regime forces and Russia, which has been going on for over a month, had displaced about 80 percent of the residents. The village had been inhabited by 10,000 people (1,150 families) including 3,000 people who had been displaced from other areas.

Bassam noted that the closest place with food and medical services was 15 km from the village, leading aid groups to offer aid to those who remained in the village and those displaced from it because of their terrible economic situation and the rising cost of renting homes in northern Idleb province.

On Tuesday, the two local councils for the villages of Maarat Hurmah and Hazarin had become a disaster area as a result of the heavy bombardment by Syrian regime forces on southern Idleb province.

Since the end of April, regime forces, with Russian backing; have been carrying out a heavy military campaign in northern Hama and in Idleb province, which has killed and wounded hundreds of civilians and displaced tens of thousands and created widespread damage to infrastructure and service facilities, despite being included in the Russian-Turkish deal that included the halting of bombardments on the area.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The regime president, Bashar al-Assad, has been forced to intervene after fighting broke out between regime militias and the Shalish family gang in the presidents hometown reports Etihad Press.

Fighting broke out between armed gangs and militias under the authority of relatives of the regime president in his hometown of Qardaha on the Syrian coast.

The clashes broke out between a Shalish family gang and regime militias after an attempt to kidnap a girl from the Ismail family.

This pushed the regime president to intervene, having his security agencies arrest Amer and Jaafar Shalish in an ambush in Lattakia city. They are the grandchildren of the presidents cousin, Hikmat Shalish. The Shalish family leads an armed gang which smuggles drugs and engages in theft and blackmail.

Lattakia and Qardaha are witnessing a security breakdown under the control of the regime president and his relatives, which often leads to clashes among them. Clashes have occurred between Talal al-Assads children and the National Defense commander Eyad Barakat, and in previous clashes pro-Iranian Alawite officers have been arrested.

The reasons for the regime presidents intervention are not knownwhether it was to save face or because he wants to dominate control over Qardaha.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
By Trend





On May 30, 2019, the Working Group, composed of representatives from Extractive Industries Transparency Commission (hereinafter referred as EITC), civil society and extractive companies operating in Azerbaijan held its first meeting at the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

During the meeting, the scope and the reporting templates of EIT Report 2018 have been discussed by the members of the Working Group.

At the meeting, the process of preparing the report for 2018 has been launched and it has been decided to add the provision covering gender equality to the reporting template for the purpose of increasing accountability.
The decision by the Yazidi Spiritual Council to not accept children who were born to fathers of ISIS has forced some women to make a difficult decision to either not return home or give up their children reports Etihad Press.

The Yazidi Spiritual Council has decided not to accept children born of terrorist fathers from the Islamic State (ISIS) to Yazidi mothers in captivity.

The decision increases the plight of these mothers and their children, who had no sooner ended their captivity when they found themselves placed before difficult decisionseither refuse to return to their homes in order to keep their children, or return to their families but give up their children, because the Yazidi community had rejected children born to fathers who carried out massacres of Yazidis. Additionally, the children according to Iraqi law follow the religion of the father, Islam, given that ISIS members are Muslim, and that the child would not follow the mothers Yazidi religion. There are 350 were children born to Yazidi mothers from ISIS fathers.

A Yazidi activist said that, it is impossible to allow a child to live in a community where dozens of members of the community were killed at the fathers hands. There are 16 of these children, who will be transferred to an orphanage in the city of Dohuk in the west of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The Yazidi activists statement to Swedish media sparked the ire of human rights activists, pushing some Kurdish and Swedish activists to work on a project to transfer these children to Sweden and Europe.

The initiative was started by a Kurdish activist in Sweden named Samia, who said that European countries had expressed their readiness to take in these children. She said that work was currently underway on the matter of the 16 children, but due to the sensitivity of the issue, the process is being kept secret.

After the Yazidi captives were freed from ISIS, controversy broke out in Yazidi circles regarding the position of those saved. The Yazidi High Spiritual Council decided to accept the survivors, even if they were raped, but rejected the children who were born of these rapes because the principle of religion state that a child must have two Yazidi parents.

For this reason, some of the survivors do not want to give up their children, and have avoided returning to the Yazidi community, while others have agreed to give up their children. Some of them regret this, while some are allowed to visit their children at the orphanage.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The head of the High Negotiations Committee has said that while the regime and Russia continue their assault in northern Syria, political progress cannot be made reports Ana Press.

The head of the High Negotiations Committee Nasr al-Hariri has described the political process in Syria as a subject of ridicule and mockery among Syrians, against the backdrop of the bombardment the towns and cities northern Syria are currently witnessing.

During an interview with the Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath channel, he announced that there was currently no political process in Syria. He said that the United Nations should recognize and declare this fact, especially in light of the ongoing killings targeting the Syrian people.

The Syrian opposition leader denied that it was possible to begin a political process in light of the current conditions and said that the political process, has been destroyed completely or halted for the foreseeable future. Hariri said that the Syrian regime did not want a political process.

He also denied that Russia was backing any political solution, saying that, it is primarily supporting the regime and the crimes it is carrying out against the Syrian people, as he put it.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
This anti-Trump journalist seems really desperate to prove a cover upof something.

But when youve even lost MSNBC

Via Daily Wire.

A Wall Street Journal reporter with a history of anti-Trump bias claimed on Wednesday that the White House covered the name of the USS John McCain during President Donald Trumps recent visit to Japan  which was later disputed by multiple sources.

In a tweet that went viral, WSJ reporter Rebecca Ballhaus wrote that a tarp was hung over the ships name ahead of the trip, and sailorswho wear caps bearing the ships namewere given the day off for Trumps visit.

Ballhauss tweet and report went viral and were used to immediately attack the president before any additional information was able to come out.

A couple of hours later, the Navy Chief of Information tweeted: The name of USS John S. McCain was not obscured during the POTUS visit to Yokosuka on Memorial Day. The Navy is proud of that ship, its crew, its namesake and its heritage..

Even MSNBC appeared to refute Ballhaus claims, noting that the tarp was removed before the president arrived in Japan.
The way Scott Goodner tells the story, he was just trying to be a good neighbor.

The 50-year-old Gulf War veteran from Longview said that on March 9 he was helping his neighbor, who he said has a mental disability, experiment with his TV setup to see if he could get channels over the air without paying for cable.

I was telling him  it could save you $100, why wouldnt you want to save $100? He seemed like he understood what I was doing. I was just trying to do the kid a favor.

A caregiver for the neighbor apparently misunderstood the interaction, Goodner said, and alerted police, who came to his door the next day to ask him whats going on. Goodner said he replied I dont know why youre here. You tell me whats going on. Goodner claims the officers acted like ignorant asses and ordered him around in his apartment.

I dont care how hard their job is, or what the hell is going on, Goodner said. I did nothing. And if somebody has done nothing, then you approach them in a gentle manner, in a de-escalating manner, not in an aggressive manner.

According to Longview Police reports, the neighbor told the 911 caller that Goodner had stolen his Comcast equipment.

In any event, the officers eventually left, and Goodner said he stewed on the encounter that evening before deciding to go to LPD around midnight to file a complaint. He asked to speak about the encounter with Police Chief Jim Duscha, who was not on duty at the time, so Goodner was allowed in to the police department to speak with officers and file a complaint.

The entrance to the Longview Police Department building is a small, roughly 200 square foot lobby that is open to the public most of the day with a receptionist behind a pane of glass. The rest of the department is behind security glass and locked doors.

But the conversation inside the lobby ended with Goodner receiving broken ribs, he says, and an overnight stay at the Cowlitz County jail. Police say he refused to leave the station and kicked an officer who tried to escort him out, leading to a tussle between Goodner and the officers. Goodner is charged with fourth-degree assault, first-degree criminal trespass and resisting arrest, and the phone he used to record the encounter was confiscated from him. He still hasnt gotten it back.

Goodner argues police assaulted him and that the officer jerked his leg up to make it appear he had assaulted the officer. He maintains that he did not assault or kick anyone and that he feels violated by what happened.

An internal review of the incident found that the officers did not violate the departments use of force policies.

Goodner is one of thousands of servicemen who fought in Iraq and suffered maladies that may have been related to exposure to toxic agents like sarin gas. He said in a TDN story from 1997 that while he was previously an easygoing and laid-back person, he became more easily frustrated and hot tempered after coming home from his service in the Army.

Hes set to answer to his charges on Tuesday, and Goodner said that if those charges arent dropped by then hell file his own civil suit against the three officers and Longview police.

Police station surveillance footage of the encounter shows Goodner and the officers argue in the lobby until they escort him out. At some point, Goodner falls, gets up, and falls again with the three officers in the middle of a doorway, but the video doesnt clearly show why.

Goodner said he recorded the encounter with his phone. From Goodners perspective, it was getting heated on both sides. He freely admits that he was being a dick. According to a LPD report, Goodner was berating the officers the entire time and would not explain what his complaint was about.

Theyre kinda muscling me, very threatening toward me, Goodner said. Im feeling not comfortable. I say, I want to see the Chief. I will not leave here until I see an officer or the Chief and I get this complaint filed. One thing leads to another, they ask me to leave.

Goodner said make me, so officers grabbed both of his arms to forcibly remove him. They began dragging him out of the lobby, and all four men began wrestling by the exit.

While hes waiting for the case to continue, Goodner has spent nearly three months without his cell phone, on which he recorded the incident himself. Longview police seized the phone and say that they will return it once it is no longer considered as evidence in Goodners criminal case.

Longview Police Captain Pineda said police will know more once a public defender is assigned to Goodner at his arraignment.

As to whether they could just download the footage and return the phone to Goodner: Pineda said that it would take a few hours to download the video. However, she said its department policy to hold on to the original source of evidence (in this case, the phone.) Police typically dont return evidence unless the prosecuting attorney instructs them to and the case is concluded.

This is because there may be a request for re-examination or more information that comes up that would be needed from the original source of evidence, Pineda said in an email. In the event the prosecutor was okay with us downloading that evidence and releasing it back, they would provide that direction.

Love 2 Funny 10 Wow 2 Sad 3 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.
Vancouver-based conservative political activist Joey Gibson and his group Patriot Prayer will lead a two-mile Blue Line March on June 9 to honor Cowlitz County Sheriffs Deputy Justin DeRosier, who was shot April 13 and killed in the line of duty.

The march will begin at the Longview Civic Center at the corner of Louisiana Street and 16th Avenue, move to the Hall of Justice on First Avenue, and head the same way back.

A Facebook event for the march says it will be non-political and advocating for nothing else other than showing appreciation.

Love 15 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 16

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.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police are investigating the alleged poaching of an adult pregnant doe in the Battle Ground area.

The doe was left to waste in the area of the BG 2000 line, which is located off of N.E. Berry Road, Officer Isabel Van Vladricken said. The doe was found with multiple bullet wounds and had twin fawns (both male) days away from being born.

The deer is believed to have been shot between the evenings of Thursday and Friday of last week. The deer was left on sight to waste and was found days later.

We are currently seeking assistance from the public to assist us in identifying any suspects or vehicles that may have been involved, Van Vladricken said.

Anyone who might have information regarding the incident is encouraged to called the WDFW at 360-902-2928, visit the departments website at wdfw.wa.gov by clicking on violations, or text WDFWTIP to 847411.

Those who provide information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward or bonus points for special permit hunting opportunities. (WDFW)

Release of steelhead halted on Coweeman

No winter steelhead were released into the Coweeman River this spring. It is the first time the fish were not planted into the river by the WDFW since the early 80s.

The releases have supported a popular although small sport fishery.

The department had an agreement with local landowners that allowed them to acclimate and release the fish from a rearing pond. Those landowners did not allow the department to use their property this year.

The WDFW planted the steelhead into other local rivers and lakes. The steelhead would have returned to the river in 2021 and 2022.

The WDFW does not have any alternate sites on the Coweeman to acclimate steelhead. Fish managers still hope a solution can be reached that will allow WDFW to resume the Coweeman program in 2020.

Discussions on changes to sturgeon regulations

In addition to meetings in other Washington cities, the WDFW has scheduled a meeting in Montesano to collect input from the public on possible changes to the states sturgeon fishing regulations.

The meeting will be held at the WDFW Region 6 office in Montesano from 6 to 8 p.m, June 13.

In addition to the meeting, the public can now provide comments online through WDFWs website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/season-setting/sturgeon.

Management recommendations and discussion topics include:

Removing night fishing for sturgeon on the Chehalis River. Under current rules, catch-and-release fishing for sturgeon is permitted 24 hours per day on a large stretch of the river, the only such 24-hour sturgeon fishery in the state.

Extending the ending date of all sturgeon spawning sanctuaries in the Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to Priest Rapids Dam until Aug. 31. Currently the end date is July 1. The extension would also apply to the Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam.

Extending the area of the spawning sanctuaries on the Columbia River below McNary and Priest Rapids dams.

Closing sturgeon retention fishing within McNary Reservoir, inclusive of the lower Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam and the Hanford Reach below Priest Rapids Dam, due to a lack of population monitoring information.

Feedback from the public will be used to inform its final management recommendations. Fish managers expect to brief the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in October on the resulting proposed regulations.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
WASHINGTON  Robert Mueller is that rare public figure who, in this age of bombast and baloney, still uses language with discipline and economy.

For two years as special counsel, he said not a word in public, and his office sprung nary a leak. Even when his purported friend Attorney General William Barr seriously mischaracterized his findings before releasing the report, Mueller kept quiet.

Finally, Mueller emerged in front of the cameras at the Justice Department on Wednesday morning to say that ... well, he doesnt wish to say anything more.

It is important the offices written work speak for itself, he said, and the report is my testimony, and we chose those words carefully, and the work speaks for itself.

This linguistic caution makes it all the more noteworthy that Mueller did depart from the reports language in one area: President Trumps criminality. A president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional, Mueller said. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that, too, is prohibited. Charging the president with a crime, he said, was therefore not an option.

Unconstitutional. Prohibited. Not an option. This was stronger language than the report used, and Mueller added that under principles of fairness, he couldnt charge Trump when there can be no court resolution of the actual charge. Under Justice Department policy, he said, the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal-justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing.

That process is impeachment.

If this man of precise language was not inviting Congress to impeach the president, he certainly seemed to be inviting the belief that he didnt charge Trump with crimes only because he couldnt. And because Mueller chooses words carefully, its also worth noting which one he didnt use: collusion. Instead, he implicitly rebuked a president who constantly, maddeningly, refers to Vladimir Putins interference in the 2016 election as the Russian hoax.

Russian intelligence officers who are part of the Russian military launched a concerted attack on our political system, Mueller reminded us Wednesday. He found that they used sophisticated cyber techniques to hack into computers and networks used by the Clinton campaign. They stole private information and then released that information through fake online identities and through the organization WikiLeaks. The releases were designed and timed to interfere with our election and to damage a presidential candidate.

Mueller ended his nearly 10-minute statement where it began, and where the entire investigation began: with a Russian attack on the United States. There were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election, and that allegation deserves the attention of every American, Mueller said.

If our countrys political health were better, the Russian attack would get the attention of every American. But Mueller gives us more credit than we deserve. His report assumed that our leaders would take seriously the Russian threat when presented with overwhelming evidence. It assumed that political leaders would soberly weigh the evidence that Trump obstructed his investigation. Instead, Trump laughs about the whole thing with Putin, Republican leaders quash bipartisan efforts to protect the 2020 election from another attack, and GOP lawmakers, instead of pondering the presidents culpability and Muellers damning findings, demand investigations of investigators treason and attempted coup.

In appealing to their better angels, Mueller was naive. Yet even Wednesday, as he entered the Justice Department briefing room, stooped and alone, he continued to act as though things were on the level. His necktie askew, he read from his text carefully, tripping over a few words, occasionally rubbing his nose and otherwise indicating discomfort in the spotlight. I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further, he said.

Muellers sense of propriety seems quaint, given the sabotage done to him. Barrs misdirection about Muellers findings devalued the crucial work, but Mueller said he didnt question Barrs good faith. Trump outrageously accuses investigators of a capital crime, but Mueller mildly defended his staffs fair and independent manner and highest integrity.

Trump reacted to Muellers statement in predictable fashion. He retweeted a false statement saying Mueller found no collusion, he proclaimed his innocence, and he retweeted a message from his campaign: Now its time to turn to the origins of the Russia hoax and get to the bottom of why the Trump campaign was spied on by the Obama-era DOJ and FBI.

Russia is preparing to attack us  again. Trump is poised to benefit  again. Unlike in 2016, we now know Russias bad intentions, thanks to Mueller. That Trump and his allies facilitate the Russian attack by refusing to protect against it is the essence of collusion.

Dana Milbank is a nationally syndicated columnist who appears three times weekly in The Washington Post.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Editors note: Todays editorial originally appeared in The Columbian. Editorial content from other publications and authors is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News.

Americas national parks, monuments and historic sites are suffering from neglect  to the point of a $12 billion backlog of necessary maintenance.

In Clark County, that is manifested in a $4.3 million backlog at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, according to the National Park Service. Throughout Washington, needed repairs add up to more than $400 million for deteriorating roads and ecosystems, leaky roofs and clogged drains.

This belies the very purpose behind the founding of the national park system more than a century ago. As President Theodore Roosevelt, a driving force behind the preservation of public lands, is credited with saying, There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm. There is a reason national parks have often been called Americas best idea.

Now, the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act is providing Congress with an opportunity for bipartisan agreement on the need to invest in the United States for the benefit of future generations. The bill would allocate $6.5 billion over five years to fix up public spaces. The money would not come from taxpayers, but from fees added to energy company leases on federal lands and waters. More than 200 members of the House of Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors, but Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, is one of two Washington representatives not on board. The Senate version of the bill has 36 co-sponsors, but Washington Democrats Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray have yet to sign on.

Herrera Beutler opposes the bill because it does not include U.S. Forest Service land, which also faces a maintenance backlog and also warrants attention from Congress.

But we hope that competing need does not preclude maintenace at national parks, lest Americans love their national parks to death. As Rep. Donna F. Edwards, D-Md., quipped in a column for The Washington Post: If the parks had a homeowners association, they would be racking up citations for violations.

Shoring up national parks and historic sites is not only a matter of preserving this nations scenic beauty and cultural heritage. It also is important to areas that welcome visitors. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor and a champion of the Restore Our Parks act said, Ive seen firsthand how our public lands have captivated both visitors and residents alike and served as key economic drivers for our local communities.

Last year, Americas national parks saw more than 300 million visitors who spent more than $20 billion, according to a new report from the National Park Service. While such tallies can be specious in their calculations, there is no doubt that nearby parks provide a boost for countless communities.

Particularly in the western United States, national parks and monuments are tightly linked to our heritage and to our appreciation for the grandeur of this nation. A survey conducted by Colorado College found that 94 percent of residents in Western states favor more spending for maintenance of national parks.

For many Americans, the idea of preserving our natural splendor is a strong selling point for addressing the maintenance backlog at cherished sites. For others, recognition that there is a strong return on investment should resonate.

Either way, adequate spending for national parks, monuments and historic sites should generate bipartisan support for restoring and enhancing our nations most wondrous public spaces.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
By Trend





President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Novruz Mammadov, Trend reports referring to local Altyn Asyr TV channel.

The head of state noted that today the relations between the two countries are developing quite successfully due to the presence of enormous potential and readiness to expand mutually beneficial partnership.

As he emphasized, this cooperation is based on the long-standing traditions of friendship and fraternity of the Turkmen and Azerbaijani peoples, common spiritual and cultural values, and adherence to the principles of peace and humanism in international issues.

An exchange of views took place on the issues on the agenda of the current meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of Government.

The parties discussed various areas of bilateral relations, noting the existence of great opportunities and prospects for effective partnership in trade, economic, energy and other areas. It was noted that Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have significant reserves of oil and gas, which creates optimal conditions for organizing long-term energy supplies to the countries of the Eurasian continent.

The geographical position of the two countries, linked by the Great Silk Road since ancient times, is also a favorable factor for the successful multiplication of efforts in the implementation of projects on the formation of transcontinental transit-transport corridors of North-South and East-West, the news report says.

With modern transport and logistics infrastructure including seaports in the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan can provide efficient and cost-effective transportation of goods by the shortest routes.
There is not enough analysis data for Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund.

4.1 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund has received 110 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund has received 69 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund has received 61.45% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe FAX will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe FAX will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

Previous

Next
10 hours ago

FuelCell Energy Goes Up In Smoke

Clean Energy FuelCell Energy, Inc Struggles To Execute FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) is an interesting play on green energy technologies but the Q4 results prove only one thing, the market for this technology is tenuous because the technology itself is still in development.

Read Article
By Trend





Capitalization of the banking sector of Azerbaijan amounted to 4.41 billion manats in April 2019, which is 14.16 percent more than in the same period last year, Trend reports referring to a report by Azerbaijans Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FIMSA).

According to the report, the total assets of banks (as of April 30 of the current year) increased by 7.66 percent, compared to the same period last year, reaching 29.77 billion manats.

During the reporting period, the volume of cash at the disposal of banks amounted to nearly 1.37 billion manats, correspondent accounts with the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) contained 1.52 billion manats, and funds on nostro accounts (correspondent accounts with other banks) amounted to almost 2.605 billion manats. Meanwhile, bank investments in securities reached 4.194 billion manats (an increase of almost 1.5 times compared to April last year).

Banks increased lending by 15.4 percent, and the total loan portfolio of banks amounted to 11.26 billion manats by the end of April of this year. Reserves worth 1.413 billion manats were created for these loans.

The total liabilities of the country's banking sector increased by 6.6 percent to 25.349 billion manats. Deposits had the largest share of liabilities at 74.2 percent, or 18.801 billion manats (an increase of 10.9 percent). The volume of deposits of individuals amounted to 8.63 billion manats, while that of legal entities amounted to 10.18 billion manats.

The liabilities of banks to the CBA dropped 1.8 times to 248.2 million manats.

The net profit of the banking sector (as of April 30 of the current year) amounted to 347.9 million manats. Losses of banks amounted to 57.1 million manats in April of last year. Profit was formed with interest income of 644 million manats (including interest income from loans at 457.1 million manats) and non-interest income of by 250.3 million manats. The interest expenses of banks amounted to 187.7 million manats, including the payment of interest on deposits at 125.3 million manats, and non-interest expenses at 344.3 million manats.

As a result, operating profit amounted to 288.4 million manats. During the reporting period, banks also allocated 65.3 million manats to cover potential losses on assets and paid 27.5 million manats as tax on profits. Other revenues amounted to 21.7 million manats.

There are 30 banks in Azerbaijan, including two with state participation.
Responding to continued concern over severe flooding in dozens of Illinois counties, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has issued his second state disaster proclamation.

A Friday news release from the governors office says this proclamation covers 34 counties bordering both the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, including Alexander, Jackson, Randolph and Union counties. The second proclamation follows Gov. Pritzker activating the National Guard earlier this week to monitor and repair levees.

With this proclamation, the governor also dispatched the Illinois Emergency Management Agencys ... Unified Area Command vehicle to Winchester in Scott County where it will establish a State Unified Area Command. According to the release, the UAC will provide the area with coordinated assistance.

In the release, Pritzker responds to the closure of roads and disruption of commercial enterprises. The governor says he directed his department heads to provide any resources needed to these communities to protect the lives of Illinois residents. The release says the proclamation will ensure continued support for embattled communities as well as 200 National Guard soldiers to lend a hand with the flood-fighting.

The release says all locations between New Boston, Illinois and Cape Girardeau, Missouri are expected to reach their top five all-time crests.

Continued heavy rainfall, as well as snowmelt, contributed to record flooding this spring. The news release from the governors office says levees could be compromised at any time.

Levees along both rivers are saturated and could be breached or overtopped at any minute, the release says.

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, the bridge at Chester will be closed at noon Saturday.

Chester Bridge anticipated to close Saturday SIKESTON  Based on river levels Thursday afternoon, Missouri Department of Transportation officials announced they anticipate closing the Mis

A news release from the U.S Department of Transportation says the agency, with local help, is monitoring roads and bridges affected by the flooding.

We are working closely with our state department of transportation partners to monitor the situation and stand ready to provide any aid the agency can to assist with getting impacted roads and bridges reopen for travel as soon as it is safe to do so, Federal Highway Administrator Nicole R. Nason says in the release.

The FDOT release also says it is prepared to offer assistance to communities in need, including funding, detour routes and any technical assistance for bridge and/or roadway repairs after the water recedes.

The release encourages residents of flooded areas to use the local 511 systems to stay up to date on road conditions.

Illinois governor deploys National Guard for flooding, which is expected to get worse SPRINGFIELD  With 34 counties under disaster declarations and more than 2 million sandbags already in use, the governor has deployed 200 Illi

The release from the governors office also stressed precaution and readiness. It quotes Illinois Emergency Management Agency Acting Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau.

We strongly urge residents in flooded areas to get out now, she said. While your home may not be flooded, the road to get to the hospital may be washed out, or the lines providing power may be down for days. Pack a bag with essentials such as clothes, medicine, and other necessary items. Be sure to consider all members of your family, including your pets, and to follow instructions from your local emergency management officials.

Assistance from the departments of Transportation, Corrections, Natural Resources and Public Health, as well as the Illinois National Guard, State Police, Red Cross and Salvation Army have all been used in the effort to help communities hit with flooding, according to the release.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois House on Friday passed a bill legalizing adult recreational marijuana in the state.

How Southern Illinois legislators voted Senate Sen. Dale Fowler, R-Harrisburg: No Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo: No House Rep. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro: No Rep. Nathan Reitz, D-Steeleville: No Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton: No Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis: No

The 66-to-47 vote sends House Bill 1438 to Gov. J.B. Pritzker who campaigned in 2018 on a platform that included legalizing marijuana. The Senate approved the bill on Wednesday, 38-17.

The state of Illinois just made history, legalizing adult-use cannabis with the most equity-centric approach in the nation, Pritzker said in a statement released after the vote. This will have a transformational impact on our state, creating opportunity in the communities that need it most and giving so many a second chance. In the interest of equity and criminal justice reform, I look forward to signing this monumental legislation.

Fridays vote, however, came after a marathon debate that lasted nearly four hours, leaving lawmakers with less than 10 hours to complete the rest of their business for the session. That forced leaders to announce the House would continue meeting Saturday and Sunday.

With passage of the marijuana bill, Illinois is poised to become the 11th state in the nation to legalize its use by adults for recreational purposes. But it would be the first to do so by a comprehensive statute enacted by the legislature rather than through a ballot initiative.

Vermont legalized marijuana through legislation in 2018, but that law covered only personal use and cultivation. It did not include retail sales.

The Illinois bill would provide for licensing and regulation of marijuana cultivators, processors, transporters and sellers. It also allows Illinois residents over age 21 to possess up to 30 grams, or roughly one ounce, of marijuana for personal use, and it allows people certified to use marijuana for medical purposes to grow up to five plants in their own homes.

Sales and possession would become legal under state law on Jan. 1, 2020, although marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

The bill also sets out a schedule of licensing fees and excise taxes that Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, said is expected to generate $58 million in the upcoming fiscal year, and as much as $500 million a year when the industry is fully mature.

This is the beginning of the end of the war on drugs, Cassidy said on the House floor just before the final vote.

Indeed, many supporters of legalization said their primary goal was to correct the inequities and social harms they say the war on drugs has had on black and Latino communities, who they argued have been disproportionately targeted for enforcement and incarceration for drug violations.

The bill would provide a mechanism under which hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents could have criminal records for minor marijuana-related offenses expunged.

It also would direct a significant share of the revenues generated into community reinvestment programs for communities that have been disproportionately impacted by drug enforcement policies.

We have been able to craft a policy that reinvests money in communities that have been divested in for the last 80 years, said Rep. Jenhan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria.

The bill also does nothing to change the states medical marijuana program. In fact, people who hold licenses to operate medical marijuana dispensaries will have the first opportunity to obtain a second license for a recreational dispensary so retail sales can begin Jan 1.

Chris Stone, CEO of Ascend Wellness/HCI Alternatives, which operates medical dispensaries in Springfield and Collinsville, issued a statement after the vote saying that company would continue operating those outlets, adding: We are excited for the future and look forward to serving even more people in the years to come."

Critics of the bill, however, warned about the public health and criminal justice effects that they said legalization would have.

Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, cited a number of scientific studies that showed a correlation between marijuana use and violent behavior, including studies that showed an increase in violent crime in states that have recently legalized marijuana.

Correlation does not prove causation, he said. However, there is sufficient evidence for us to show that there is a connection between the use, particularly heavy use of marijuana and the increase in violence.

And Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, re-enacted a 1980s-era anti-drug advertisement by holding up an egg, saying, This is your brain, then breaking it into a frying pay and saying, This is your brain on drugs.

State Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton, said on Facebook it was "another sad day in Illinois."

Love 23 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 7
SPRINGFIELD  Since the start of 2019, 22 Illinois State Police troopers have had their patrol vehicles struck by drivers who've disobeyed Scott's Law. With Senate Bill 1862 passing both chambers, violators will now receive steeper fines.

The piece cleared the Senate Thursday evening, and in a news release on Friday Gov. J.B. Pritzker commended the bipartisan effort behind the bill and said he looks forward to signing the legislation.

Our state troopers and emergency responders risk their lives to protect us, and I applaud the General Assembly for taking action to help keep them safe, Pritzker said in the statement.

Drivers who fail to reduce their speed or move over when approaching stationary vehicles on the side of the road could be fined at least $500 for a first offense. The fine and fee increases to at least $1,000 for repeat offenses. The maximum fine for any offense is $10,000.

The law also increases the severity of violations that result in the death or harm to a first responder from a class 3 felony to a class 2 felony.

Money collected from Scotts Law violations, $250 per fine, will go into a Scotts Law Fund to produce driver education materials.

A second bill, Senate Bill 2038, creates the Move Over Task Force to study why violations persist and place a single test question on driving exams regarding the action that should be taken when approaching stationary vehicles.

Brendan Kelly, acting director of the Illinois State Police, said in March there had been 16 troopers whove had their vehicles struck by motorists failing to follow Scotts Law.

Since then, ISP spokesperson Lt. Joe Hutchins said, the number has climbed to 22. Two of those incidents were fatal, to state troopers Gerald Ellis and Brooke Jones-Story.

Lawmakers passed resolutions Thursday to memorialize the two fallen troopers on the highways where they were struck.

Its highly fitting that the Illinois General Assembly pay in honors and respect to those individuals whove given their lives to the service of their communities, said Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
SPRINGFIELD  Supporters both in and outside the General Assembly said Thursday that the push to legalize adult recreational marijuana in Illinois has less to do with marijuana and more to do with social justice and equity.

For us, this conversation has never been about legalizing weed, but rather ensuring that we have a fair and equitable economy with robust provisions to repair the harm caused by the war on drugs, said Katelyn Johnson, of the Chicago-based group People United for Racial Equity, or PURE.

We want to make sure that the new pieces of legislation do not produce any new lines of criminalization, racial red-lining from the industry or monopolies for institutions that have already made billions while people who work in the informal cannabis industry were incarcerated for the same business activity, she added.

Johnson, along with other advocates and legislative leaders behind the legalization push, spoke during a Statehouse news conference Thursday, the morning after the Senate voted 38-17 to pass the bill and send it to the House, which is expected to vote on the bill Friday.

If approved, Illinois would become the 11th state in the nation, plus the District of Columbia, to legalize marijuana, but it would be the first to enact comprehensive legislation that includes personal use and possession, cultivation and sales, according to the California-based Marijuana Policy Institute.

Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, a chief co-sponsor in the House, said the decision to pursue a legislative plan was intentional.

What were seeing is a bunch of legislatures that have decided, We dont want to do the hard work of legislating what we think or know is right. Were just going to craft a paragraph, were going to put it on the ballot and send it to the people and what happens, happens. Thats not what we did, she said. We took a painstaking process and worked hours for weeks, months and even years.

The result was a 610-page bill that not only legalizes adult recreational marijuana but establishes strict guidelines to control all aspects of the industry, sets out licensing fees and excise taxes on the sale of marijuana, and directs where the revenues from the new industry will go.

Specifically, the bill directs 25 percent of the revenue into a grant program to fund community development projects in low-income and high-minority neighborhoods, with additional amounts earmarked for substance abuse prevention and mental health, education and safety programs, and law enforcement.

This has the possibility of being transformational in ways that most legislators hardly ever get a chance to see, said Sen. Toi Hutchinson, D-Olympia Fields, one of the lead Senate co-sponsors. And I say that because we know at the outset after 80 years of prohibition, the communities that have been targeted the most and over-policed the most and weathered the worst of the impacts of the war on drugs, the failed war on drugs, have been black and brown communities across this state, and I would also say around the world.

The proposal is still drawing criticism from some circles who argue that it could have negative public health consequences, including higher rates of substance abuse and mental illness.

Supporters, however, counter that it would be better to have a controlled, regulated market where marijuana products are packaged and labeled to disclose all of their ingredients rather than an illegal market that has no such controls.

We know that our children have easy access to products that are laced with God-knows-what by neighborhood folks who aint asking your kids for an ID, Hutchinson said.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
SPRINGFIELD  The graduated tax constitutional amendment will be on the November 2020 general election ballot, and the rates that could take effect upon its passage are one procedural step away from the governors desk.

On Thursday, the Illinois House voted 67-48 to approve a rate structure that would lower the tax rate on any individual or joint-filing couple making less than $250,000, while raising the rates on those above that threshold.

The passage is another step forward for Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzkers marquee agenda item with just one day remaining in the legislative session.

A fair tax will bring monumental change to this state by protecting working families. 97 percent of taxpayers will pay the same or less, and we will stabilize Illinois finances, Pritzker said in a statement following the vote. Opponents should be honest that they offer bad options  either cutting schools and public safety to the bone, or raising taxes on everyone by 20 percent. Instead, I stand firmly on the side of working families and fairness.

The rates have now passed both houses, but a House amendment regarding the distribution of funding to local governments means it will have to go back to the Senate for concurrence. That chamber was scheduled to take up the rates package and two bills establishing a property tax relief fund and task force at a committee meeting Thursday evening.

Upon concurrence in the Senate and the governors signature, the bill would take effect on Jan. 1, 2021, only if voters approve the graduated tax constitutional amendment in November 2020. That would require 60 percent of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election to become law.

Per the rate structure approved Thursday, single filers would pay the maximum rate of 7.99 percent on all income once their taxable income tops $750,000. For joint filers, that rate takes effect when income tops $1 million.

For the rest of the brackets, each varying tax rate would apply to only one specific margin of income.

The rates are 4.75 percent on taxable income from $0 to $10,000; 4.9 percent from $10,001 to $100,000; 4.95 percent from $100,001 to $250,000; 7.75 percent from $250,001 to $500,000; and 7.85 percent from $500,001 to $1 million.

For single filers, tax rates are the same as joint filers up to $250,000; but the 7.75 percent rate applies from $250,001 only to $350,000, while the 7.85 percent rate applies from $350,001 to $750,000.

The bill also includes an increase in the property tax credit from 5 percent to 6 percent, and up to a $100 per-child tax credit for couples earning less than $100,000 and single persons earning less than $80,000.

The corporate tax rate would go from 7 to 7.99 percent, not including an existing corporate property replacement tax of 1.5 to 2.5 percent that is not changed by the bill.

In a floor debate preceding passage, members of the two parties sparred over which had the better idea for fiscal stability in the state, what the tax rates would do to businesses and how the states long-term problems should be addressed.

Rep. Robert Martwick, a Chicago Democrat who carried the constitutional amendment earlier this week, said the $3.5 billion in added revenue expected to result from the graduated tax is needed to balance the states structural budget deficit. He said Republicans, who were unanimously opposed to the measure, were not interested in balancing the budget.

Youre no longer the party of balanced budgets, youre just the party of no, he said. Fiscal responsibility does not mean saying no. It means balancing your budgets.

But House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, said he was proud to be the party of no on some of the states previously passed unbalanced budgets. He said history will not look kindly on the General Assembly for the changes to the tax code and the anti-business agenda he said Democrats were pushing in the past four months.

Theres nothing here to help taxpayers, he said, noting that high pension costs have gone unaddressed.

Others from Durkins party said higher business taxes will drive job creators out of the state when combined with measures such as the minimum wage.

But Democrats said the majority of small businesses are structured as pass-through entities that are taxed at the same rate as individuals, which means any company with less than $250,000 in revenue would see lower rates.

Rep. Mike Zalewski, a Riverside Democrat and the rate bills sponsor, said a stable state government will be beneficial to business investment in the state.

We need to get out of the habit of always being in crisis mode, he said.

Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, a Jacksonville Republican, said dividing taxpayers in brackets would make it easier for future General Assemblies to raise taxes on smaller portions of voters.

But Zalewski said there is no plan to raise tax rates in the foreseeable future once the graduated rate is set.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
By Azernews





By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijans First International Animation Festival ANIMAFILM, held in the capital in October 2018, attracted dozens of children and film enthusiasts with its multiple events.

Following its success, ANIMAFILM team is now busy with working on program for this years second edition of the festival.

In his interview with Azernews, Director of ANIMAFILM Rashid Aghamaliyev told about the history of the festival, its main goals and future prospects.

"Azerbaijan has a very rich history of animated films. Being a film scholar by profession, I studied the history of our animation for two years and together with my friends and colleagues we published the book Azerbaijani Animation. While working on the book, we realized that modern Azerbaijani animation is in a very difficult condition. Unfortunately, there are few animated films for children being made in our country," said Aghamaliyev.

The festival's director added that he is very worried about this problem, since animation plays a big role in the development of the childs speech and self-awareness.

Children are our future. That is why we decided to create ANIMAFILM Baku International Animation Festival, because we want this festival to become a platform for the development of this art in Azerbaijan. We want to please children and adults with high-quality animated films, to create the ground for the development of national animation," said Aghamaliyev.

He also outlined the main objectives of the festival that has already turned into a real festivity for children and their parents.

"We are confident that if there is such a regular international animation platform in the country, then the local specialists will have the opportunity to communicate with their foreign colleagues and share knowledge, which should give a positive result and bear fruit. In short, this will start stimulating local specialists to make animated films that our children will definitely watch," Aghamaliyev noted.

The first ANIMAFILM festival was a great success and it gained a lot of publicity. More than 495 applications were submitted from 63 countries, including France, the U.S., Iran, Germany, the Great Britain, Italy, Canada, Spain, Japan, etc.

"I admit, such attention of animation directors and writers to the festival pleasantly surprised us, because we didnt have a big PR campaign due to lack of funds. And we were even more surprised by the results of the international competition - the winner of our festival, the Irish film "Late Afternoon", was later nominated for the Oscars," said the festival's director.

ANIMAFILM 2018 had a rich competition and non-competition program.

"Due to the fact that the first festival was dedicated to Azerbaijani animation, we decided to hold retrospective screenings of the best national animated films throughout the festival, starting with the 1950-1960s and ending with the present day. In addition to Azerbaijani animation, audience was also able to watch retrospectives of Russian, Georgian and Iranian animation," said Aghamaliyev.

The screenings were held with the participation of the authors themselves in Nizami Cinema Center, YARAT Contemporary Art Space, 20th-21st Century Azerbaijani Painting Museum and Center of Contemporary Art in Icherisheher.

Moreover, master classes of animation for children and presentation of the "Azerbaijani Animation" book were also held as part of the festival.

"In honor of the 120th anniversary of the national cinema, the guests were invited to the "ReAnimation" exhibition that covered history of the development of national animation. The original poster of our festival belongs to the brush of the honored artist of Azerbaijan Vugar Muradov," said Aghamaliyev.

The festival's director further stressed that interest in animation in Azerbaijan is growing.

"The festival was wonderful, but it takes time to evaluate its contribution. Now I see that the interest in animation in our country is growing. I am sure that such a festival is a great need for our country," he said.

Last year, the festival turned out to be a great success, attracting many visitors.

"There were many spectators, the venues were full. It turned out that our festival is very interesting to people. Children had the opportunity to watch the latest high-quality animated films from all around the world. In addition, we managed to create a real holiday  besides watching cartoons, there was a lot of interaction, a rich children's and music program," Aghamaliyev noted.

In his interview, the festival's director also shared his plans for future.

"This year, the 2nd ANIMAFILM festival will be held in Baku on October 8-20. Along with a professional jury, the Organizing Committee will form a Kids jury. A jury including five children will determine the winner in the nomination "Best Short Animated Film for Children" said Aghamaliyev. "Now we are holding a competition for the selection of children, in which every child aged 7-13 years can participate. The famous Azerbaijani animation director, honored cultural worker Elchin Hami Akhundov will select members for the Kids jury."

Meanwhile, the international jury of the festival will be headed by the winner of the Golden Ship Award, the author of the famous animated film "Tig-Tig Khanim" Masud Panachi. The full international jury will be announced very soon.

The applications should be sent until July 31, 2018. The festivals director noted that 95 applications from 44 countries have already been submitted.

"The topic of the 2nd ANIMAFILM festival will be Czech animation. Famous animation directors will arrive from the Czech Republic and show the audience their films. We are planning a large exhibition about Czech animation and four blocks of retrospectives of Czech animation," said Aghamaliyev.

In conclusion, the festival's director spoke about different steps being taken to popularize the festival.

"We cooperate with leading Azerbaijani and foreign media and highly appreciate the work of journalists," he said, adding that the festival was also presented abroad.

"In 2018, we presented our festival at the world's largest animation festival in the city of Annecy, France. In March 2019, the echo of our festival was heard in Prague and at the end of October our festival will be a participant of the TOFUZI festival in Batumi, Georgia," Aghamaliyev said.
















It's the final week of May so it's no wonder that the last-minute shenanigans that are commonplace at the Illinois Capitol this time of year are well underway.

Four months into the 2019 legislative session and with the May 31 deadline to pass legislation with a simple majority looming, the pace has picked up considerably under the dome and lawmakers are being caught off guard with last-minute overhauls to bills.

The annual ritual flies in the face of government transparency and is an insult to constituents back home.

Of course, the pace and the last-minute changes are deliberate. What better way to avoid scrutiny than to rush amended bills to floor votes when no one's had time to read them?

Former state Rep. Mike Bost infamously condemned the practice during a tirade on the House floor in 2012  2012!  when lawmakers received a lengthy pension reform bill with no time to examine it.

"These damn bills that come out here all the damn time, come out here at the last second," Bost screamed, angrily throwing a printed version of the bill to no one in particular. "And I've got to try to figure out how to vote for my people. ... You should be ashamed of yourselves. I'm sick of it. Every year."

Every year is spot on. It's 2019 and it's still happening.

Bost correctly blamed Michael Madigan and the Democratic lawmakers who have voted him speaker of the house for all but two years since 1983.

Also the chairman of the state Democratic Party, Madigan controls the campaign money and the rules that determine how bills move through the House. He has more power than any other state lawmaker in the U.S. and more than any single person should have.

Madigan purposefully delays action until the waning moments of session to create chaos and avoid scrutiny. He does it his way, transparency and consequences be damned.

The past few days have highlighted a number of examples of the tactic.

A bill to expand abortions in Illinois was filed, assigned to a committee and voted on in just two hours Sunday.

No one from my district could have made it here to testify on this bill with one hours notice, Republican state Rep. Tom Demmer said.

Lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, also were told there was no time to get answers to all of their questions about the proposed legislation they had just received.

We are talking about over 100 pages of a bill that we saw less than three hours ago, state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Raymond, said.

Sounds a lot like Bost's complaint from seven years ago.

The News-Gazette on Wednesday reported on an amendment to a shell bill that would remove Champaign County from its six-county judicial circuit and make it one of its own, all so Madigan can get more Democratic judges elected.

The circuit's judges weren't even aware the legislation was being filed by state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana.

"These are political hacks trying to get their people on the bench," Circuit Judge Thomas Difanis told The News-Gazette.

With proposals to double the state's gas tax, nearly double vehicle registration fees, increase taxes on beer, liquor, wine and cigarettes, and create a new tax on streaming services still on the table with just hours to go until the midnight Friday deadline, who knows what else is in store.

Come Saturday morning, one thing is certainly clear: We're all going to wake up to higher taxes.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1
The Calhoun Charge Men's Ministry held a "Memory Day" on Saturday, May 25, at Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church where Pastor Karl Coke hosted a large group of kids, parents, church members and volunteers.

The Caw Caw Fire Department, with Chief Nick Stabler, held a demonstration of firefighting equipment including the use of fire hoses.

The kids were also able to cool down under the spray from the hoses. Coke and volunteers then showed the children how to shuck corn, grind the kernels and make cornmeal for scratch-made cornbread.

The day's activities were topped off with a hayride to a spring several miles from the church. Everyone was treated to drinks, hot dogs, cornbread and peach cobbler, all cooked over an open fire.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
The month is coming to an end. Its been a hot one with record high temperatures. Many more hot days are ahead. With them come dangers. Not the least of them is the risk to children when they are left in hot vehicles.

When its 85 degrees out, the temperature inside a car, even with the windows left slightly open, can soar to 102 degrees in 10 minutes, and can reach 120 in just half an hour. If that doesnt tell you why a child or a pet cannot be left inside a vehicle even for short periods, we dont know why not.

Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. Young children are particularly at risk, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adults. When a childs internal temperature gets to 104 degrees, major organs begin to shut down. And when a childs temperature reaches 107 degrees, the child can die.

Symptoms can quickly progress from flushed, dry skin and vomiting to seizures, organ failure and death. These tragedies are completely preventable. Safe Kids Worldwide is helping educate about how everyone can work together to keep kids safe from heatstroke using the acronym ACT.

A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when youre not in it so kids dont get in on their own.

C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if youre not following your normal routine.

T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.

While leaving a child alone at all poses other issues, and forgetting that a child is in a car is as inexcusable as it is unimaginable, the more frequent occurrences that are not often the subject of news stories are people leaving pets.

The Humane Society of the United States advises that a pet can quickly suffer brain damage or die from heatstroke when trapped in high temperatures. Pets arent able to dispel heat as well as humans. Depending on how thick the animals fur is, it can be like a human sitting in a hot car with a winter coat on.

Most people think theyre taking appropriate precautions when they park in the shade and crack the windows so pets can get fresh air. They take their pets with them in the car because they love them and enjoy their companionship and are devastated on their return to find their pets in extreme stress or, even worse, dead.

Again, the deaths are entirely preventable. People must be aware of how quickly closed, unattended cars or trucks can become stifling death traps  and be responsible.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Friday 31 May is World No-Tobacco Day. 1,000 people die each year in Luxembourg as a result of active or passive smoking.

The number increases to around 6 million people worldwide, 600,000 of which are non-smokers.

The Ministry of Health, alongside the World Health Organisation, is hoping to raise awareness of World No-Tobacco Day, which encourages a day of abstinence from tobacco consumption.

90 percent of lung cancer cases can be traced back to smoking. One in five people in Luxembourg smoke with the age demographic with the most smokers made up of those aged between 16 and 34. The campaign aims to make people aware of the various programmes available to help give up smoking. More information on these can be found on www.tabac-stop.lu.

A national campaign against tobacco (National Tobacco Control Plan) has been in force since 2016 in Luxembourg, lasting until 2020. In 2017, a new anti-smoking law was voted into place, in line with the EU directive 2014/40/EU.

A new system was also put into place alongside this directive, to improve and guarantee traceability for cigarette packs across Europe. Luxembourg helped to implement this system, which aims to reduce illegal trade of tobacco products.
Federal regulators must complete additional analysis of the climate impacts of a 156-well drilling project in northern Converse County before development can proceed, according to a decision this week by the state director of the Bureau of Land Managements Wyoming Office.

The decision, dated Wednesday, states that the Casper Field Office of the BLM must complete a supplementary analysis of additional greenhouse gas emissions that would result from the development of 156 approved oil and gas wells on public lands leased by Houston-based EOG Resources in the Sand Creek environmental assessment area.

According to a representative from the Center for Biological Diversity, Wednesdays decision appears to represent a growing acknowledgment within the BLM that environmental laws require public land managers to consider the climate consequences of public lands fossil fuel development.

The 156-well project was approved in the same wave of federal leases granted in the Powder River Basin in 2018 and  though separate from other developments in the region  could affect the approval process for other projects in the region, particularly projects developed through the federal governments public lands program, which has seen an increase in drilling permits issued under the Trump administration.

Its definitely got much broader implications, said Michael Saul, a Denver-based senior attorney for the Center of Biological Diversity. For years  not just under this presidential administration  theres been this systematic effort to try and ignore or minimize climate harms from public lands drilling. Were seeing courts not stand for that, and were seeing situations where this administration has gone a step further to minimize public disclosure and public comment opportunities on both leasing and drilling permit decisions. Thats really exacerbating the problem.

Wednesdays decision comes after several months of effort by the Western Watershed Project, who said the public was largely kept in the dark over the projects approval process.

Kelly Fuller, the energy and mining campaign director for that organization, said the lack of public comment on the project raised significant concerns, prompting her organization to file a request for review from the Wyoming state director. However, the result of that review  a stay of the process until additional information on the climate impacts of the project were collected  presents additional concerns: namely, a lack of oversight that can lead to violations of standards for oil and gas development on federally-owned land.

I would say  if I were an oil and gas producer that wanted to do work in that area  the concern I would have is the BLM is not doing a good enough job on these analyses, she said. I dont think this one is an unusual case, but I do think any of these smaller ones could be vulnerable. If the BLM rams these things through, then yes, that could be a real problem for the operators, because they have these vulnerable analyses. If I were the industry, I would really want to know what the heck is going on in that field office, because I might have concerns my project might be vulnerable.

Houston-based EOG Resources is a well-established player in the oilfields of eastern Wyoming, with a keen focus on the states Powder River Basin. The firm has said 2019 would be an active year in the region, where the company would focus on infrastructure development in the basin in a bid to meet its plans there, following a record-breaking year for drilling in Converse County in 2018.

In a statement, a spokesman for EOG Resources said the company will continue to work with the BLM in order to finalize the Sand Creek analysis.

The projects ability to comply with those standards, Saul said, could potentially set the tone for future development in the region. The extent of that, however, is an open question.

Eventually, [the federal government] is going to have to come to terms with the fact that the continued expansion of public lands drilling is inconsistent with any reasonable climate mitigation goals, Saul said. Will that happen in the context of one individual project? Its hard to say. But this is a systematic problem with the public lands leasing and drilling program. Its never had a comprehensive accounting of the climate consequences.

Follow politics reporter Nick Reynolds on Twitter @IAmNickReynolds

Love 8 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 6

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.
Wyoming is the newest member of a Western energy advocacy group that seeks to promote natural gas production and infrastructure development in the region.

The alliance, called Western States and Tribal Nations, is a collaborative effort to market relatively untapped natural gas resources across the West.

Wyoming formally joined the agreement via a memorandum of understanding at the Utah Governors 2019 Energy Development Summit on Thursday in Salt Lake City, which Gov. Mark Gordon attended. The signatory on that agreement is the Wyoming Pipeline Authority.

This coalition allows us to partner on additional efforts to develop gas responsibly and ensure it is used to meet the energy needs of America and the world, Gordon said in a press release. These resources are essential to powering a low-carbon future, and we look forward to the work of this coalition.

Gordon was a panelist at the Utah Summit. He sat alongside U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Utah Gov. Gary Herbert to discuss renewable energys future and the role of the West in promulgating innovative energy options.

Emily Haggstrom, a spokeswoman for the energy advocacy group Consumer Energy Alliance, said natural gas is part of that future, and the collaboration will help facilitate it.

The western part of the U.S., from New Mexico to Wyoming to Utah all have substantial energy resources, she said. And there is a lot of natural gas stranded in those areas.

One such area is the Piceance-Uinta basin that spreads across Utah and Colorado. The basin, rich with liquid natural gas, has seen increased drilling in recent years but area governments have struggled to bring it to market. In April, the Colorado and Utah state energy offices, along with the Ute Indian Tribe, which has two reservations in the Uinta basin, commissioned a report through the alliance to research the challenges in making that happen.

With that report, titled A report on natural gas markets for the Western states and tribal nations, the coalition was born. The report concluded there is an abundant energy resource capacity in the basin that could serve global markets. It recommended building a network of stakeholders to promote expanding natural gas production and infrastructure throughout the West.

Wyoming is part of that, Haggstrom said.

WSTN recognizes that the state of Wyoming has contributed significantly to past efforts to develop markets for its natural gas producers, the report reads. WSTN will solicit membership from the state of Wyoming to join the Board of Directors.

Gordons communication director Michael Pearlman said Wyomings involvement gives the state a voice in the ongoing discussions on global natural gas exports.

Wyomings role at this time is to be part of the process of exploring new end markets for natural gas ... and help to develop the framework for facilitating conversations between stakeholders, Pearlman wrote in an email.

Those stakeholder conversations will focus on three primary goals: education, advocacy and collaboration, Pearlman said.

He added that being part of the group gives Wyoming access to a wider breadth of resources and practices by tying Wyomings energy initiatives to that of the group.

The alliances chief operating officer Andrew Browning said thats the goal.

Theres kind of strength in unity, Browning said, adding that the collaboration will make it easier for those involved to tackle global markets and political hurdles, where individually they may face more challenges.

The coalition established itself as a nonprofit in May, Browning explained. The next steps are to meet as a whole group and develop a strategic plan. He said the broad goals are to address rural economic development, tribal self-determination and natural gas flaring and other environmental concerns.

Currently, the group is looking to include a wide range of stakeholders, including federal and state government representatives, energy exporters, trade associations, conservation groups and other relevant parties.

Browning said the Consumer Energy Alliance is talking to several Western universities about holding a forum this fall on global natural gas exports. He said they hope to build a broader positive narrative around natural gas.

Follow city reporter Morgan Hughes on Twitter @morganhwrites.

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.
By Trend





On May 30, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a joint statement, Trend reports citing OSCE.

"The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, visited the region from 27 to 30 May.

The Co-Chairs met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on 27 May and with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on 30 May. In both capitals, they held consultations with the respective Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers. In Baku, the Co-Chairs met with the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The main purpose of the visit was to assess the evolution of the situation on the line of contact and the international border, and to follow up on the discussions held by the Azerbaijani President and the Armenian Prime Minister in Vienna on 29 March and their respective Foreign Ministers in Moscow on 15 April.

As requested, the Co-Chairs provided proposals for concrete next steps in the settlement process, including on humanitarian and security measures. The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan accepted the Co-Chairs proposal to meet soon under their auspices, and will announce details at the appropriate time.

The Co-Chairs expressed deep concern about recent casualties and called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid escalation," said the statement.

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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
The water came through the floorboards like in a horror movie.

Our refrigerator was floating, Michaela Stevenson said.

There was no noticeable water when they walked down the steps to their basement apartment unit, their arms full with grocery bags. In an hour, it was waist deep.

Stevenson lived in the Sheridan apartment with her boyfriend, her 4-year-old son and her sister. She noticed the water in the bathroom first. Then her son saw it come up from the floor.

Stevenson didnt have any way to know how bad the storm that poured over much of Wyoming on Tuesday and Wednesday would get, but when the water started coming in around 2 p.m. Tuesday, she and her sister left the apartment to help stack sandbags around their neighbors houses. They figured they could stave off some of the damage.

They assumed there would be a few inches of water in their apartment, but when they returned from sandbagging an hour later, they found their home submerged. A mattress floated like a raft across the room, childrens toys bobbed through the current, and water continued to pour in.

It happened so quick, Stevenson said.

Stevenson and her family have been living in a motel for the past few days. Much of their home is still underwater. Theyve been wading through the debris to try to salvage as much as they can, but very little survived.

Their furniture is completely ruined. Family photos and birth certificates are destroyed. Stevenson and her boyfriend are expecting, but everything they had bought for the new baby has been ruined too. They didnt have renters insurance, so none of their belongings were protected.

Im worried about having to find another place to live and not having anything to start with, Stevenson said.

A family friend set up a GoFundMe page for Stevenson and her family to help with the cost of rebuilding their lives. They dont know when, or if, they will be able to return to the basement apartment. Their landlord hasnt been able to give them any information on how soon things might be cleaned up, or whether the space will still be habitable when the water finally dries.

For now, they have to wait. As will much of Sheridan County.

The Sheridan County Commissioners issued an emergency declaration around 2:30 p.m. Thursday in advance of more storms expected to hit the area Friday. Sheridan County emergency management coordinator Bruce Edwards said its a precautionary step to get state aid into the county ahead of the anticipated storms.

The National Weather Service issued flood watches for nearly a dozen Wyoming counties earlier this week. Creek beds overflowed, mud and rocks slid off the mountains, neighbors built sandbag ramparts around their homes. And while much of Wyoming saw more rain than usual, Sheridan County saw the worst of it.

Sheridan County resident Kevin Evers watched the water creep up toward his backyard workshop.

In Sheridan, the streets are just like a ripping river, he said.

The water didnt quite reach his house, but his workshop is sitting in 3.5 inches of water. He said he has friends whose basements are shin-deep in water. Its the first time hes seen a flood this bad in the area.

National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Chambers said the flooding isnt the worst the county has ever had, but its severe. He said the entire county was hit with between three and five inches of rainfall earlier this week. That mixed with snowmelt created the conditions currently plaguing the community, and its not over.

NWS has issued a flash flood watch for Sheridan County to begin Friday. Chambers said the forecast calls for slow-moving, scattered thunderstorms, which on their own wouldnt cause flooding. But because the area is already so wet, and the water level is so high, Fridays thunderstorms could cause flash floods.

That forecast is why the county issued an emergency declaration Thursday afternoon. With residents displaced across the county and cleanup still underway, the additional flooding would create even more damage, Edwards said.

On Tuesday, the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security delivered 15,000 sandbags to Sheridan County, and it wasnt enough. More will be delivered Thursday evening and throughout the day Friday. The flooding has gone down in most parts of the county, but Edwards said the problems arent over.

We still have some residual issues, he said, snowmelt being a primary concern.

The flooding was severe enough to close some roads through other parts of Wyoming, but most of the state made it through the storm with minimal damage. Wyomings Homeland Security Office spokesperson Kelly Ruiz said Sheridan was the only county that requested aid from the office.

Natrona County Emergency Management Administration coordinator Stacia Hill said she only received one call about flooding in the county this week, at Elkhorn Creek near the Sinclair Refinery.

The rain was worse in Johnson County. Creeks across the county overflowed Tuesday, leaving some people stranded from their homes. The countys emergency management coordinator Marilyn Connolly said she knows of at least one person who was not able to get home because Crazy Woman Creek had gotten so high.

The county has seen some road damage, and crews have spent the second part of this week clearing debris from roadways. But for the most part, Connolly said, the damage has been minimal.

For us, It could have been way worse than it was, she said.

Johnson County has a flood management team that helps to fortify high flood risk areas, mitigating some potential damage. In 2015, when the Niobrara River overflowed into Niobrara and Johnson County, President Barack Obama declared a national disaster at then-Gov. Matt Meads request. Fourteen homes were destroyed, and dozens more were damaged.

Since then, Johnson County has been extra vigilant of flood preparation. Right now, the countys flood management team is watching the snowpack in the mountains.

When it warms up that snows going to come off and there could be some flooding, she said. That snowmelt can come off really fast.

But for now, Johnson County is in the clear, she said.

As for Sheridan County, damage is still being calculated. Edwards doesnt know how bad Fridays storms will be. Already rockslides have damaged roads and other county infrastructure, he said. And the county is still discovering new damage. All they can do is wait.

Follow city reporter Morgan Hughes on Twitter @morganhwrites.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0

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.
A kind of banner year for the country of Chile, 1990 saw the end of the murderous dictatorship of. The dawn of that year embodied by a New Year's Eve party proves the pivotal point in, the new film by, in which the filmmaker attempts to recapture a very specific period and place of her own youth, a small Bohemian commune in the hills far above the city of Santiago.The result is a slow-paced but not uninteresting look at the young, the teenage and the adult world of that day, but without ever -- unlessmissed some offhand but loaded Chilean reference -- mentioning anything remotely political at all.Instead, Ms Sotomayor's movie (the filmmaker is shown at right) covers the budding romantic, sexual and jealousy-laden lives of the teens, the often angry and sadder lives of the parents, and the free-wheeling fun had by the very young. The film opens and closes with a dog running along a road. But what a huge difference in feeling each of these scenes conveys. The filmmaker also uses a foreboding brush fire somewhat in the manner ofIn between there's a load of quite realistic, if somewhat generic dialog and behavior from pretty much all the characters involved here. (The filmmaker has used all fledgling performers to essay her leading roles.) And while we don't expect anything close to the liveliness and wit of, say, Noel Coward on display, one occasionally longs for something more from this mostly very non-communicative bunch.The leading character is a budding young woman named Sofia, played very well indeed by newcomer(shown above), whose activities and feelings pretty much anchor the movie. Sofia is being courted, sort of (if only he had more courage), by Lucas (, shown below, under Sofia)but Sofia herself prefers the older and much more confidant Ignacio (, below, right), who knows just how to be, sequentially, appealing, seductive and shitty.Senor Hernandez -- the actor was in the middle of transgendering while the film was being made; he has now, we are told, made the transition fully -- is particularly good at looking pensive and confused, so that Sofia pulls us in and easily holds us in her questioning, questing grasp. (In an earlier rendition of this post, I had assumed that Hernandez was transitioning from male to female; I apologize for that assumption.)Still, it is the youngest generation, personified by Clara (, below), who eventually makes us think and feel most. Clara proves the moral center of the film: Who she is, how she reacts, and what she finally does brings the movie to its fitting close.Though the pace is slow and meandering, you may find a day or two after viewing it, that the film has stuck with you in ways you might not have expected. It is odd, too, that for or all the fraught historical baggage that the year 1990 carries for Chile, this particular movie could be taking place just about anywhere and at any time -- it's that "universal."Fromand running 110 minutes,), in Spanish with English subtitles, opens today, Friday, May 31, in New York City at(the unnecessary new name for what we used to call the: Was the latter one too many words for today's audiences?), and then the following Friday, June 7, it will open at thein Los Angeles. Another eight cities across the country are scheduled for the weeks to come. Click, then scroll down to click on PLAYDATES to learn if you're in the vicinity of any of these. Blu-ray, DVD and digital opportunities are also promised soon by this increasingly prolific distributor.
The word repatriate  to return to ones country  has a very special meaning for American service members. We have been promised that should we lose our lives in combat on foreign soil, America will honor that sacrifice, keep faith with our fellow warriors and families and bring us back home. This morning, we are keeping that promise, Seaman said.

I now know where he is, Cates said after the service in explaining a sense of happiness and peace knowing Shuey was back in Arizona, and buried in a grass section with rows of granite headstones. Earlier in the week, Cates also was presented with Shueys military certificates and his Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Cates was about 4 when he last saw Shuey in uniform.

Niece Diane Corwin, of Springfield, Oregon, said, This closure brings me peace. He is where he belongs, and I am sure he knows he has been loved.

Before the service, Linda Cates Varney, a niece of Shueys who lives in Vail, reflected on the uncle who died nearly two decades before she was born. For not knowing this uncle of mine, after all of this, I feel closer to him and thankful for his service and sacrifice, said Varney, 59.
A Tucson man convicted in 2017 of first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery will get a new trial, after the state appeals court overturned his convictions Tuesday.

Patrick Jay Dansdill was arrested in May 2014 in connection with an early morning shooting on Tucsons south side that left 31-year-old Ramon Garcia dead. Tucson police said at the time that Dansdill was speaking to Garcia at the front door of a home in the 300 block of West 44th Street when he pulled out a handgun. Garcia quickly shut the door, but Dansdill fired through the closed door, striking Garcia, according to Arizona Daily Star archives.

Dansdill, who was 38 at the time of his arrest, was initially charged with second-degree murder, but in 2015, the Pima County Attorneys Office brought new charges against Dansdill for first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery. In Arizona, a person can be charged with first-degree murder if someone is killed during the commission of a felony.

Dansdill received a life sentence in connection with the murder conviction and a sentence of seven years in prison for the attempted robbery, according to Arizona Department of Corrections records.
But Marquez Peterson, noting other business groups also opposed the measure, said that does not necessarily align her with the interests of the utilities.

The reason ... was the dramatic impact it would have on the cost for small business to do business in the state of Arizona, she said, calling the renewable energy goal too fast of an increase and too short of a time period.

The defeat of that measure kept in place the current commission-established standards that require regulated utilities to generate 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

Marquez Peterson said she has taken no position on the question of whether APS is earning too much.

At this point Im starting to do further research, she said, adding that she was planning to meet with commission staff for the first time and really start engaging.

Ducey has proven himself an ally of APS. Last year the Republican governor signed legislation, crafted by APS, to protect utilities if voters had approved the renewable energy initiative, by making any violations subject only to a fine of as little as $100.
Authorities rescued an injured hiker in the area of Tanque Verde Falls Friday, according to Rural Metro firefighters.

Firefighters, as well as search and rescue crews, had to hike for around 45 minutes to reach the woman, a department release said.

The hiker was injured during a fall and possibly fractured her leg, the department said.

The patient was airlifted out of the canyon and was taken to the hospital.

No other information was available.
I tell you all of this not to seek sympathy or redress but to let you know that the pain and confusion extends for a great period of time. I escaped, not unscathed. It took time to unravel the complex mind game that trapped me, Bradley said.

Not everyone was so lucky, Bradley told his colleagues.

I attended their funerals, visited them in prisons, witnessed their destruction personally and the many lives that they have touched and were adversely affected, he said. The abused sometimes became the abuser.

And while his abuser was eventually brought back to Arizona to face the allegations, the statute of limitations had passed, robbing Bradley and other victims of their chance at justice.

He was conveniently moved from the state but was arrested and returned and then released as the statute of limitations provided him freedom. Although never to be exonerated, he escaped, Bradley said.

Earlier this week, Gov. Doug Ducey signed the legislation into law.

Tucson sets its primary date  for now
Make no mistake, these tariffs will do little to solve the humanitarian crisis at our border. Instead, it will only harm American consumers, businesses, and workers who will ultimately pay the price. The people of Arizona, asylum seekers, the economy, and our values deserve better than to be disposable pawns in Trumps depraved game and nonsensical trade policy, the Tucson Democrat said in a prepared statement.

Senator Martha McSally said while she backs Trump's desire to stop what she sees as "unchecked illegal immigration," she doesn't support the tariffs, which she says which will harm Arizona's economy and be passed onto Arizona small businesses and families.

"There is an undeniable crisis at our Southern border that has led to communities, NGOs, and DHS begging for additional resources," McSally said on Friday.

The Tucson Republican said rather than tariffs, Congress must close loopholes in federal immigration policies.

Rep. Tom O'Halleran, a Democrat whose district sprawls from the northern edges of the Tucson to the Utah border, accused the President of trying to "weaponize international trade at the expense of hardworking Americans."
Following the official welcome ceremony, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda have held a one-on-one meeting.

The successful development of bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields was hailed at the meeting. Good opportunities for further expanding bilateral ties were also emphasized. It was noted that the Polish President Andrzej Dudas official visit to Azerbaijan will contribute to the expansion of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The sides exchanged views on bilateral ties and the issues of mutual interest.








The center will house a variety of UA programs, including the schools federal relations office, the National Institute for Civil Discourse, the Research, Discovery and Innovation Office and the new Semester in Washington Presidential Fellowship Program as well as other programs and offices.

The UA is proposing to lease the space for 11 years with an option for a 10-year renewal. The initial base rental rate is $50-per-square foot, for a total base rent of $743,750 per year. Operating expenses and real estate taxes will cost about $424,000 annually. The lease is scheduled to start in February 2020 and the property owner will provide rent abatement  typically done while space is being renovated or under construction  for the first 16 months of the lease.

Rulney said the rate compares favorably to the average office rental rates in the area of about $54 per square foot. She said the UAs rate is in line with what is being paid by other tenants in the building, including the law firm Kirkland & Ellis at $56 per square foot, and Duke Energy at $62.50 per square foot.
We all want to not wear masks, to visit family and friends, to go out for a meal. We all want our hospitals to have beds for citizens with inj
Local journalism is important  and producing it costs time and money.

To continue viewing content on tucson.com, please sign in with your existing account or subscribe.
Export prices for rice were little changed in major hubs in Asia amid few new deals, with rates for the Vietnamese variety expected to fall further in the coming week as the ongoing harvest picks up pace, boosting domestic stocks.

Rates for Vietnams 5 percent broken rice were $350 a tonne on Thursday, flat from last week.

Prices will likely fall further over the coming weeks as the summer-autumn harvest is picking up pace, a trader based in Ho chi Minh City said, adding the harvest will peak mid-June.

However, the quality of rice from the new harvest is expected to be lower than that of the winter-spring harvest due to adverse weather and crop diseases, another trader said.

The government estimated Vietnams rice exports in the January-May period fell 5.3% from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh, traditionally the worlds fourth biggest rice producer, lifted a long-standing ban on exports on Thursday.

Bangladesh aims to sell as much as 1.5 million tonnes, the countrys agriculture minister Abdur Razzak said, in a move aimed at supporting farmers amid a drastic drop in domestic prices.

Last week, Bangladesh raised rice import duty to 55% from 28% amid widespread protests by growers.

Bangladesh had banned all rice exports in 2009. The country now has a surplus of 2-2.5 million tonnes.

Bangladeshs neighbour and the worlds top rice exporter India saw subdued demand for its benchmark variety from buyers in Africa.

Prices of Indias 5 percent broken rice were unchanged from last week at $364-$367 per tonne.

Export demand is weak but we couldnt cut prices due to the rising rupee, Ashwin Shah, director at Shah Nanji Nagsi Exports Pvt. Ltd, an exporter based in Nagpur in central India.

A strong rupee reduces exporters margin from overseas sales.

Thailands benchmark 5-percent broken rice prices were largely unchanged at $385-$402 a tonne on Thursday, free on board Bangkok (FOB), from $385-$400 last week, as it faces stiff competition from other exporters.

There are no major deals in sight, traders said, attributing slight moves in prices to currency fluctuations.

Prices could not go up because other exporters sell rice cheaper than ours, and the price could not go down because the baht is too strong, a Bangkok-based rice trader said.

The Thai Commerce Ministry projected the countrys rice exports at 10 million tonnes this year, versus last years 11 million tonnes, while the Rice Exporters Association pegged 2019 exports at 9.5 million tonnes.
Your browser does not support the audio element.

As the price of Vietnamese lychees continues pushing past a 100 percent increase compared to this time last year, farmers in the northern province of Bac Giang are ramping up efforts to continue bringing the red fruit to new markets.

Bac Giang, a rural province bordering Hanoi, is famous for the tasty, delicious lychees the province's farmers harvest between May and June each year.

In 2018 alone, Bac Giang farmers produced a whopping 215,000 metric tons of lychees, valued at over VND5.8 trillion (US$249.4 million).

This year, however, it is not just the amount of lychees being produced that is incredible, but also the massive profits. Averaging VND50,000 ($2.15) per kg, prices just one week into harvest season are nearly double what they were in 2018.

Most notably, Vietnamese lychees, all grown under Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practice (VietGAP) and GlobalGAP standards, are making the biggest splash in Beijing, where it is currently selling for VND220,000 ($9.46) per kg.

Speaking at a business forum on lychee production and consumption in Bac Giang on Wednesday, Tran Quang Tan, director of the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, said that more than 500 enterprises in and outside Vietnam have plans to boost their lychee consumption both domestically and abroad.

Vietnamese retailer Saigon Co.op also stated at the forum that it currently distributes Bac Giang lychees to its nearly 700 outlets across 43 localities in Vietnam.

Moreover, Saigon Co.op also collaborates with partners in Europe, Japan, and other Southeast Asian countries to bring the Vietnamese lychee to international markets, according to the supermarket chains deputy general director Tran Lam Hong.

Meanwhile at the administrative level, Bac Giang trade department director Tan said the province is currently setting its sights on expanding its export markets to include Russia, Canada, and several Middle Eastern countries.

At Wednesdays event, Hu Suojin, a commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam, praised the quality of Bac Giang lychees and pledged to work toward more favorable conditions for lychee exports to China.

These are good signals for lychees produced in Bac Giang, considering the slump it went through in 2018 when prices dropped to VND12,000-20,000 ($0.52-0.86) per kg, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Your browser does not support the audio element.

A biopic of German Chancellor Angela Merkel is among award-winning documentaries from 11 countries being shown at an ongoing film festival in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Angela Merkel  Die Unerwartete (Angela Merkel  The Unexpected), which hit cinemas in 2017, tells the story of Chancellor Merkel's unexpected rise to power  from an East German physicist to one of the most powerful women in the world.

The biopic of the German leader is among dozens of documentaries featured at the tenth European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival, held from May 31 to June 9.

The ten-day festival will see 25 documentaries from Vietnam and ten European countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Denmark, Germany, Israel, and Spain screened for free in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The screenings will take place at the Studio for Documentary and Scientific Film in Hanoi and at Hoa Sen University in Ho Chi Minh City.

Screening schedule for the tenth European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival

Among the Vietnamese documentaries to be screened is Hay Nho: Ban Dang Song (Remember: Youre Alive), which recounts the story of a rural girl battling cancer.

The film won the Golden Kites Award  the national film award of Vietnam  in 2018.

One notable European film to be on the silver screen this year is Belgiums Ni Juge, Ni Soumise (So Help Me God), which follows an eccentric Belgian judge and her behind-the-scenes journey of real-life criminal investigations.

The documentary won Frances prestigious Cesar Award as well as Belgiums Magritte du Cinema Award earlier this year.

The annual European-Vietnamese Documentary Film Festival is organized by the European Union National Institute for Culture (EUNIC) and the National Documentary and Scientific Film Studio (DSF).

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Five eighth-grade students from the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An drowned on Thursday while picnicking near a local dam.

The victims, four boys and one girl, were all eighth graders at Trung Thanh Middle School in Yen Thanh District, Nghe An Province, Le Dinh Can, head of the districts education office, confirmed.

The eight victims were part of a group of 15 students picnicking along the bank of Trai Xanh dam on Thursday afternoon, Can explained.

According to Phan Thi Bao Chau, a member of the group, the students had been eating lunch at a classmates house on the same day before heading to the dam to enjoy the afternoon.

The outing took a turn for the worse when one of the girls in the group accidently fell into the water while washing her legs, Chau recalled.

Four of the boys in the group jumped into the water to rescue the drowning girl, but in the end all five lost their lives, she said.

I also jumped into the water to save them, but became too exhausted. I was lucky enough to be rescued by a friend on the bank, she added.

The bank of Trai Xanh dam where the students picnicked prior to the incident. Photo: Doan Hoa / Tuoi Tre

All five of the victims bodies were found by rescue units late Thursday.

Local authorities have offered to help support each of the victims families with VND5 million (US$215).

Just the day before, a ceremony had been organized at Trung Thanh Middle School to officially end the school year, during which Pricipal Tran Thi Hai Van said he did warn [his] students about the risk of drowning during summer activities.

In 2018, there were 20 reported student drownings in Nghe An Province.

The number of young drowning victims, however, has exceeded 30 in just the first five months of 2019.

On Saturday afternoon, five schoolgirls, all 12 years old, suffered a similar fate as they were bathing along a stream in the northern province of Lao Cai.

Four of the girls were trying to save the other from drowning, but their effort ended in tragedy.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
By Trend





The Azerbaijani parliament will continue to hold a plenary session on May 31, Trend reports.

The agenda of the two-day meeting contains 26 issues.

At the meeting, the bill on the Execution of the Azerbaijani state budget for 2018 will be discussed at the meeting.

The MPs have recently considered the issue of amending the constitutional laws "On the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)" and "On Normative Legal Acts".

They also discussed the issues on making changes to the laws "On the status of the member of the Azerbaijani parliament", "On administrative control of activity of municipalities", "On execution", "On state registration of legal entities and state register", "On banks", "On insurance activity", "On investment funds", and "On securities market".
Read whats in the news today.

Politics

-- Vietnam always treasures and maintains values of peace and stability, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said in his remarks at the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday.

-- Defence Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich and a high-ranking Vietnamese military delegation left Hanoi on Thursday for Singapore to attend the 18th Shangri-La Dialogue running from today, May 31, through June 2.

-- Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will pay an official visit to Vietnam from June 5-6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday in a communique.

Society

-- The National Traffic Safety Committee said on Thursday 558 people lost their lives in 1,326 traffic accidents this month, down 9.8 percent from May 2018.

-- Health experts are wondering why the use of laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, for recreational purposes is only outlawed in Hanoi, while it deserves a nationwide ban given the harmful effects of the chemical compound on human health.

-- The African swine fever (ASF) epidemic has spread to Vietnams Central Highlands, with three out of five provinces in the area, namely Gia Lai, Dak Nong and Dak Lak, reporting cases of the disease.

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Architecture has plans to cooperate with Spanish consulting and engineering company Idom Ingenieria Consultoria S.A. to open more pedestrian streets and shopping malls in District 1, its central business area.

-- Only 95 percent of 7,700 drugstores across Ho Chi Minh City have registered to join an online network, which was launched in a bid by the health ministry to tighten its management of non-prescription medicine, as of the end of May, two months behind a March 31 deadline.

Business

-- The Vietnam Electricity National Power Transmission Corporation should expand ties with financial organizations and suppliers of equipment, technology, and services from the U.S. to be able to become one of the top four power transmission utilities in ASEAN by 2020, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink said at a seminar in Hanoi on Thursday.

-- Budget carrier Jetstar Pacific announced on Thursday it will be flying between Da Nang and Kaohsiung from August 10, the second route connecting the Vietnamese city and Taiwan, following the Da Nang - Taipei service.

-- The State Bank of Vietnam has imposed a VND120 million (US$5,100) administrative fine on Grab for violating regulations on borrowing foreign loans.

-- Local consumers continued to steal from Auchan outlets in Vietnam, as the French-run supermarket chain is set to close 15 out of 18 of its locations in the country by June 3.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A woman who caused a fatal crash while driving her BMW under the influence of alcohol in Ho Chi Minh City in October 2018 is expected to be tried in the middle of next month.

The Peoples Committee in Binh Thanh District confirmed on Thursday it had issued an arrest warrant for Nguyen Thi Nga, 47, as preparation for her trial on June 17.

Nga, who is a resident in District 12, is charged for violating regulations on road safety, facing three to ten years in prison.

The trial will be presided over by Judge Pham Tuan Anh, deputy chief justice of the Binh Thanh Peoples Court.

The accident happened on the night of October 21, 2018. Nga was driving a BMW on Dien Bien Phu Street in Binh Thanh District when she crashed into a group of motorcyclists stopping at a red light at the Hang Xanh intersection, killing one woman on the spot and injuring five others.

The vehicle only came to a complete halt after hitting another car.

A test showed that Ngas breath alcohol content was 0.94 milligrams per liter, while the Vietnamese law states that car drivers must have a zero alcohol concentration.

The woman explained that the strap of her high heel got stuck to the gas pedal, causing her to panic and slam on the accelerator instead of the brakes.

She later admitted to consuming alcohol at a restaurant in District 3 prior to the crash.

Police officers initiated legal proceedings against Nga and arrested her on October 24.

She was released on bail in February this year and was required not to leave her place of residence.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Vietnam said on Friday it has culled 2 million pigs in a bid to curb an outbreak of deadly African swine fever and called on the entire nation to join the fight against the rapidly spreading disease.

The virus had spread to 48 of the countrys 63 provinces, agriculture minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong said at a meeting of parliament, upping the number of pigs culled from 1.7 million less than a week ago.

Pork accounts for three-quarters of total meat consumption in Vietnam, a country of 95 million people where most of its 30 million farm-raised pigs are consumed domestically.

This is an extremely dangerous disease ... and we have to take the fight seriously, Cuong said.

The whole political system has to get engaged in the fight.

Cuong also called on local consumers not to turn their back on pork consumption and encouraged businesses to stockpile pork in anticipation of shortages in the second half of the year.

We shouldnt expand the pig herd at the moment, but instead, shift the focus on expanding cattle, poultry and aquaculture production, he added.

Vietnams pork industry is valued at around 94 trillion dong ($4.0 billion), accounting for nearly 10% of the countrys agricultural sector.

Cuong said the outbreak is threatening to expand to the rest of the country as the virus remains dormant in the environment for a long time and can spread through complex and varied means.

African swine fever was first detected in Asia last August in China, the worlds largest pork producer, where Rabobank has estimated up 200 million pigs could be culled or die. Other analysts do not expect such a large impact.

South Korea said on Friday the disease has been detected in North Korea near its border with China.

Earlier this month, Vietnam said it will mobilise its military and police forces to help combat the outbreak.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in March advised Vietnam to declare the swine fever outbreak as a national emergency.
A Gavin & Stacey special was announced in the UK this week with Mathew Horne, Joanna Page, James Corden, Ruth Jones, Rob Brydon, Larry Lamb, Melanie Walters and Alison Steadman all returning.

The hit British sitcom, created and written by Jones and Corden, aired for 3 seasons from from 2007 to 2010 plus Christmas specials.

Ruth Jones and James Corden, said: Over the last ten years weve talked a lot about Gavin and Stacey  where they might be today and what their lives might look like. And so in secret we took the plunge and wrote this one hour special. Weve loved revisiting Barry and Essex again and bringing the characters back together has been a joy. Were so excited to get the chance to work with our fabulous cast and crew once more and to give fans of the show a festive treat this Christmas. Thank you BBC for helping to make this happen.

Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, says: Everyone at the BBC is hugely excited to be welcoming back Gavin and Stacey to BBC One this Christmas. We cant wait to see whats happened to everyone over the last nine years, and whats next for one of the nations favourite comedy families.

The series previously screened in Australia on ABC2.
On 60 Minutes, Charles Wooley speaks to two parents about an incident with a dingo on Fraser Island that revives memories of Azaria Chamberlain.

Includes re-enactments.

The Dingo Did It

If Azaria Chamberlain was still alive, shed be about to celebrate her 39th birthday. Tragically though, no one thinks of Azaria as an adult. Instead she is marked in Australias psyche as the two-month-old baby who was killed by a dingo at Ayers Rock, or Uluru as its now called. But the manner of her death still grips people with horror. The cunning dingo entered the tent where tiny Azaria was sleeping and brazenly snatched her away. In fact what the dingo did was so improbable many thought it was impossible. But six weeks ago, on Queenslands Fraser Island, there was a near identical attack. As Charles Wooley reveals in this 60 Minutes exclusive, a dingo grabbed a 14-month-old baby boy from inside the camper trailer where he was sleeping. As the child was being carried away in the jaws of the wild animal, his crying woke his parents who, in the nick of time, were able to rescue their son as he was being dragged away into the bush. Wooleys story is an extraordinary account of the terrifying ingenuity of dingoes and the heroics of a desperate mum and dad.

Reporter: Charles Wooley

Producers: Steve Jackson, Naomi Shivaraman

Moon Talker

Heres a question likely to cause arguments: what is humankinds greatest achievement? The Age of Enlightenment? Music? What about the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza? For many it doesnt get more glorious than the day Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. This year marks the 50th anniversary of that remarkable feat of technology and daring. And while the moonwalkers, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, dominate our memories of the moon landing, theres a third astronaut who deserves his place in history. Michael Collins piloted the Apollo 11 command module spacecraft in lunar orbit while his two colleagues collected moon rocks. In a rare interview he tells Sarah Abo if it wasnt for him, one of our greatest successes would have been a monumental failure.

Reporter: Sarah Abo

Producers: Laura Sparkes, Naomi Shivaraman

8:30pm (ish) Sunday June 2 on Nine.
Mondays Four Corners episode, Tremble and Obey, by Lesley Robinson looks back on how the Chinese Communist Party crushed democracy.

This draws upon vision by ABC reporters and crews at Tiananmen Square, thirty years ago and speaks to those who were there.

Tanks are rolling in down the main thoroughfare towards Tiananmen Square. Theres sporadic shooting. ABC reporter Max Uechtritz, 1989.

Thirty years ago, in the centre of Chinas communist capital, millions of students and citizens staged weeks of protests calling for democracy.

Millions of Chinese for the first time tasted freedom in the air of Beijing. No 5 on the most wanted list of student activists, 1989.

The students and their fellow protestors stared down their government in the full gaze of the worlds media, demanding an end to totalitarian rule.

The cost to the people has been silent obedience to the party line. The frustration born of so many years of silence is now pouring out into streets of Beijing. ABC Beijing correspondent, Trevor Watson, 1989.

Then, the Peoples Liberation Army turned its guns, and its tanks, on its own people.

We got orders from the authorities saying, every troop has to go to Tiananmen Square. Former PLA soldier.

Three decades on, Four Corners vividly brings the story of these momentous times to life, drawing upon a trove of vision and audio captured by ABC reporters and crews in that astonishing spring of 1989. This incredible archive stored away by the ABC for 30 years has now been carefully pieced together to show how the shocking events unfolded.

There was a man holding shopping bags, standing in front of the tank, the lead tank(it) became one of the most iconic images of the 20th century, of all time. ABC reporter Max Uechtritz, 1989.

Four Corners has interviewed many of the key participants who led the protests and were subsequently placed on Chinas most wanted list.

I was quite naive because we didnt know the true face of the Communist Party. We never realised that this Party would do anything to defend their power. No 1 on Chinas most wanted student activist list. 1989.

While many will be marking the anniversary around the world, the events of Tiananmen Square remain one of the most sensitive and taboo topics in China.

In 1989 we were so young, and we experienced such a violent killing its literally the killing of your peers, of your generation. But we were not allowed to openly shed a tear or light a candle for the dead. And we carried this wound, this open wound, up to today, 30 years later. And we still are not allowed to openly talk about it. 1989 protestor, current Harvard academic.

Those same student leaders say the events in Tiananmen Square continue to shape China today.

Its very important for the whole world to pay attention to what happened 30 years ago. Todays China comes from 1989. If you really want to deal with todays China, you have to understand where this China come from, and it come from 1989. No 1 on Chinas most wanted list, 1989.

The program will air on June 3, the date the Peoples Liberation Army pushed towards Tiananmen Square setting off a wave of violence. Note: as the events gathered force that night and into the next morning, June 4 is the date officially commemorated as the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Monday June 3rd at 8.30pm on ABC.
According to the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FOC), increased violence in various areas of Mexico has made it dangerous for Britons to travel there this summer. The warning covers particularly the Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco.

There has been a number of shootings in various parts of the country, including popular tourist spots, and other violence in Veracruz. The FOCs updated information states British travellers should take extreme care as reports have been received about security incidents in those states and increased violence in Veracruz City.

As reported by the Vallarta Daily, the FOC did state that tourists are not the direct targets of these incidents, but being in the area at the time something happens could negatively affect visitors.

Popular areas have some drug crime

The warning wrote of illegal roadblocks which have been reported recently, warning Britons to take care when driving. The FOC also stated that the Mexican government is making efforts to protect popular destinations like Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, Los Cabos and Cancun. Reportedly those resorts have not experienced the same levels of drug-related crime and violence being experienced elsewhere in Mexico, but drug crime has increased in those regions.

The FOC did say that since 2017, a number of shooting incidents and other crime have been reported, adding that the Cancun area currently has an increased police presence, particularly in the hotel zone.

The report also commented on the caravans of Central American migrants heading through Mexicos southern border with Guatemala on their way to the USA.

Warnings were given of closures of Mexicos northern border, which could affect tourists crossing to USA.

Health warnings for Mexico

Advice on health issues was also raised by the FOC, particularly regarding the air pollution and the Zika virus. The hurricane season is also looming, adding to the dangers, as that begins in May and runs through to November.

The worst place for air pollution is Mexico City and the high levels could aggravate lung, respiratory or heart conditions. These are likely to affect the elderly, children and people with pre-existing medical conditions the worst. However it is reportedly possible to check the levels of pollution in many major cities in real time. Britons were also warned of the risk of being infected with the Zika virus which is transmitted through mosquitoes.

Warnings about European countries

Authorities did note, however, that over 513,800 British tourists visited the country in 2016 and had trouble-free visits. Meanwhile, the Express recently reported on the most dangerous European countries to visit due to the possibility of terrorism.

They put together a map showing the most dangerous locations. Interesting to note, it isnt necessarily safer to stay at home, as the UK is on the most dangerous list.
Seventeen years after the leader of Angolas rebel UNITA movement, Jonas Savimbi, was killed in a government shootout and quickly buried, the controversial leader will be given a public funeral on Saturday, a major gesture towards national unity from the current government in Luanda.The funeral will be "an important moment in the building of national reconciliation, according to Alcides Sakala Simoes of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).The funeral arrangements follow discussions between UNITA, the government, and the Savimbi family. The former rebel leader will be buried beside his father in Lopitanga village, central Angola.The thawing of relations between the government and the Savimbi family came after President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Savimbis arch-enemy, stepped down in 2017 and Joao Lourenco became president."For 17 years, we have waited," said Isaias Samakuva, the leader of UNITA, now Angola's main opposition party.After Angolas independence in 1975, a civil war saw Savimbis UNITA, backed by the US, fighting the Marxist-Leninist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).The MPLA was backed by the Soviet Union and its allies, chiefly Cuba, which contributed thousands of fighters.In 2002, MPLA units caught up with Savimbi in Moxico province, east-central Angola. He fought back, but died in a shower of bullets, adding his name to the list of at least half a million people who were killed during the civil war that continued for 27 years.A ceasefire was called shortly after his death.Savimbis body was hastily buried in the main cemetery in the provincial capital of Luena, his grave marked by an iron cross and the name Savimbi Jonas carved into a nearby tree.His supporters did not believe he was really dead, even though there was photographic evidence to prove it. Savimbi was recently disinterred and DNA tests confirmed that it was him.While the funeral is being hailed as a reconciliation, it was not without difficulties this week when Savimbis remains were not handed over to the family on Tuesday as planned.The government claimed UNITA representatives and the Savimbi family did not show up in Luena, but they were waiting 400 kilometres away in Kuito, where they claimed the handover was to take place.UNITA said the government was "trying to humiliate" it, while the government said the party was using the situation for political gain.

Seventeen years after the leader of Angolas rebel UNITA movement, Jonas Savimbi, was killed in a government shootout and quickly buried, the controversial leader will be given a public funeral on Saturday, a major gesture towards national unity from the current government in Luanda.

The funeral will be "an important moment in the building of national reconciliation, according to Alcides Sakala Simoes of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).

The funeral arrangements follow discussions between UNITA, the government, and the Savimbi family. The former rebel leader will be buried beside his father in Lopitanga village, central Angola.

The thawing of relations between the government and the Savimbi family came after President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Savimbis arch-enemy, stepped down in 2017 and Joao Lourenco became president.

"For 17 years, we have waited," said Isaias Samakuva, the leader of UNITA, now Angola's main opposition party.

After Angolas independence in 1975, a civil war saw Savimbis UNITA, backed by the US, fighting the Marxist-Leninist People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).

The MPLA was backed by the Soviet Union and its allies, chiefly Cuba, which contributed thousands of fighters.

In 2002, MPLA units caught up with Savimbi in Moxico province, east-central Angola. He fought back, but died in a shower of bullets, adding his name to the list of at least half a million people who were killed during the civil war that continued for 27 years.

A ceasefire was called shortly after his death.

Savimbis body was hastily buried in the main cemetery in the provincial capital of Luena, his grave marked by an iron cross and the name Savimbi Jonas carved into a nearby tree.

His supporters did not believe he was really dead, even though there was photographic evidence to prove it. Savimbi was recently disinterred and DNA tests confirmed that it was him.

While the funeral is being hailed as a reconciliation, it was not without difficulties this week when Savimbis remains were not handed over to the family on Tuesday as planned.

The government claimed UNITA representatives and the Savimbi family did not show up in Luena, but they were waiting 400 kilometres away in Kuito, where they claimed the handover was to take place.

UNITA said the government was "trying to humiliate" it, while the government said the party was using the situation for political gain.
Sky News

A vocal pro-democracy website in Hong Kong has been shut down after police raided its office, froze its assets and arrested senior staff. Stand News said in a statement that its website and social media were no longer being updated and would be taken down. The outlet was the most prominent pro-democracy publication in Hong Kong and one of its last remaining critical voices - after the closure of the Apple Daily tabloid and the arrest of its publisher, billionaire Jimmy Lai.
Arabtec Holding, a leading contractor for social and economic infrastructure, has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Target Engineering Construction Company, has been awarded an Dh192-million ($52.2 million) contract by UAE-based Ellington Properties for its new housing project in Dubai - Wilton Park Residence.



Targets scope of work includes construction, MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing), landscaping and irrigation works for the 12-storey residential twin towers in Al Merkadh, Dubai.



On the win, Acting Group CEO Peter Pollard said: "We are delighted that Ellington has had the confidence to award Target its second project, highlighting the importance of solid relationships and delivery."



"The project works will commence immediately and is due for completion in two years," stated Pollard.



"Target is also currently working on Ellingtons DT1 project, a high-rise development in Dubais Downtown which was awarded in July 2017," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
By Jorge Vega

PUERTO WILLIAMS, Chile (Reuters) - Sitting in the warmth of a wood fire in her home in Chile's deep south, Cristina Calderon sometimes wishes she had more people to speak to in her mother tongue as she weaves woollen socks to sell at the local market.

Calderon, 91, is the last person to speak the millennia-old ancestral Yamana language of the indigenous Yagan community that has long inhabited the remote tip of South America, areas which are now parts of Argentina and Chile.

"There used to be many Yaganes, my dad and mom were Yagan, so when they were born, they always spoke the Yagan language and that's how I was growing up," says Calderon, who did not learn Spanish until she was nine years old.

Surrounded by photos of her family with the distinctive features of the nomadic tribe, Calderon lives in a small house in Villa Ukika, a town created by the Yagan on the outskirts of the larger Chilean settlement Puerto Williams.

Calderon recalls with nostalgia the last person with whom she could converse in Yamana, her late sister, and is excited about the interest one of her daughters has shown in the language.

"She may learn to speak it," Calderon said with a smile.

While some dozens of Yagan people still remain, Calderon said that over the generations, they had stopped learning the language. Sometimes, she herself worries about words slipping away.

"I forget things sometimes," Calderon told Reuters. "But after thinking it though, they come back to me."

(Reporting by Jorge Vega; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
A former FARC guerrilla leader was freed Thursday on orders of the Colombian Supreme Court, drawing an expression of regret from the United States, which wanted him for alleged drug trafficking. Jesus Santrich, who was arrested in April, 2018, walked free from the attorney general's headquarters under a heavy escort, his lawyer, Gustavo Gallado told reporters.The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Santrich's immediate release on grounds that he was protected by parliamentary immunity as a member of Congress.Santrich, who helped negotiate a 2016 peace between the FARC and the state, became a member of Congress for the FARC under the terms of the peace agreement.He was arrested on a US extradition request before he could take his seat.The Supreme Court has assumed control of the case, and in a letter Thursday, Santrich assured the court he was at its disposition.In Washington, a State Department spokeswoman criticized his release."As goes for any thriving democracy like Colombia, we respect the decision of the court," the spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, said."But we do find this decision regrettable. The United States has complied with the requirements for extradition as established with Colombia," she said."And the charges against him, as I'm sure you're aware, are very severe, conspiring to ship over 10,000 kilos of cocaine."Santrich, 52, had previously been ordered released by a justice of the peace who is investigating major crimes committed during the FARC's insurgency.He was re-arrested as he was leaving prison on orders of a judge on new charges related to the US allegations of cocaine trafficking.The case has provoked an uproar in Colombia, which is deeply divided over the 2016 peace pact to end a half century of armed conflict.Under US pressure, President Ivan Duque, who came to power promising to modify the peace accord he sees as too lenient on the rebels, has reaffirmed his intention to extradite Santrich.The former FARC leader has declared himself innocent of the US charges, insisting they were part of a plot by Washington and the Colombian prosecutors.(AFP)

A former FARC guerrilla leader was freed Thursday on orders of the Colombian Supreme Court, drawing an expression of regret from the United States, which wanted him for alleged drug trafficking.

Jesus Santrich, who was arrested in April, 2018, walked free from the attorney general's headquarters under a heavy escort, his lawyer, Gustavo Gallado told reporters.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Santrich's immediate release on grounds that he was protected by parliamentary immunity as a member of Congress.

Santrich, who helped negotiate a 2016 peace between the FARC and the state, became a member of Congress for the FARC under the terms of the peace agreement.

He was arrested on a US extradition request before he could take his seat.

The Supreme Court has assumed control of the case, and in a letter Thursday, Santrich assured the court he was at its disposition.

In Washington, a State Department spokeswoman criticized his release.

"As goes for any thriving democracy like Colombia, we respect the decision of the court," the spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, said.

"But we do find this decision regrettable. The United States has complied with the requirements for extradition as established with Colombia," she said.

"And the charges against him, as I'm sure you're aware, are very severe, conspiring to ship over 10,000 kilos of cocaine."

Santrich, 52, had previously been ordered released by a justice of the peace who is investigating major crimes committed during the FARC's insurgency.

He was re-arrested as he was leaving prison on orders of a judge on new charges related to the US allegations of cocaine trafficking.

The case has provoked an uproar in Colombia, which is deeply divided over the 2016 peace pact to end a half century of armed conflict.

Under US pressure, President Ivan Duque, who came to power promising to modify the peace accord he sees as too lenient on the rebels, has reaffirmed his intention to extradite Santrich.

The former FARC leader has declared himself innocent of the US charges, insisting they were part of a plot by Washington and the Colombian prosecutors.

(AFP)
One of Jeremy Corbyn's close allies has been suspended from the party after he was recorded claiming Labours antisemitism crisis was "whipped up" by the Israeli embassy, according to Sky sources.

Pete Willsman, who sits on Labour's ruling committee, was heard claiming Labour staff "work indirectly" for the embassy.

He accused Israel of being behind an open letter from 68 rabbis expressing concern about antisemitism in the party.

In an email seen by Sky News from the party's powerful National Executive Committee (NEC), it said: "We have received a number of complaints, including from NEC members, about Peter Willsman's latest comments, as reported on LBC this morning.

"I am writing to let you know that we took the decision earlier this morning to administratively suspend Peter, pending disciplinary action."

Labour MPs said Mr Willsman, who was re-elected to the NEC last summer, should be thrown out of the party after the recording was made public.

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson had demanded the immediate suspension over what he called an "antisemitic rant".

Mr Watson said: "The fact that a member of Labour's governing body feels he can continue to make such offensive remarks after being warned for similar outbursts previously shows how serious the problem of antisemitism is in our party.

"The general secretary must make good on the promise that was made following Mr Willsman's previous outburst, that he would face disciplinary action if he engaged in similar conduct again.

"He must be suspended from the NEC and from party membership immediately."

The campaign group Labour Against Anti-Semitism said the comments were "grossly offensive and unarguably antisemitic".

Labour MP Wes Streeting said: "This is jaw-dropping stuff, even by Pete Willsman's standards. I am in absolutely no doubt he should go."

In a statement, the Jewish Labour Movement said: "Pete Willsman is not fit to be on Labour's NEC. Jeremy Corbyn must demand his resignation today and expulsion proceedings should begin."

Story continues

The recording, obtained by LBC Radio, is of Willsman talking to German author Tuvia Tenenbom, at a chance meeting at a hotel restaurant in Oxford in January - where Mr Tenenbom was staying to promote a new book.

He described getting into a chance conversation with Mr Willsman, who was not aware that he was Jewish, and that Mr Willsman bragged about his closeness to Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Willsman is overheard saying: "The rich control the papers. The rich control everything else, and the rich know he's going to make them pay taxes and they'll move heaven and earth to

"And one of these things about antisemitism is that they're using that to whip people up. They'll use anything - any lies. It's all total lies and they just whip it up.

"I'll tell you what - and this is off the record. It's almost certain who is behind all this antisemitism against Jeremy, almost certainly it was the Israeli embassy, because they caught somebody in the Labour party, it turns out they were an agent in the embassy.

"One of them works indirectly for the Israeli embassy. I wouldn't want to be bothered to find out but my guess would be they're the ones whipping it up all the time."

He went on: "In the Guardian not long ago we had 68 rabbis - obviously organised by the Israeli embassy - saying antisemitism in the Labour party is widespread and severe."

Mr Willsman has been accused of antisemitism before. Last summer, he was recorded attacking rabbis who spoke out against antisemitism and accusing some Jews of being "Trump fanatics"

Despite the Corbyn supporters group Momentum dropping their support for him, he escaped formal investigation and was voted back onto the NEC.

Critics accuse Labour of being swift to expel those who voted Liberal Democrat in last week's European elections but taking months or years to take decisions on cases of antisemitism.

A Labour party spokeswoman said: "The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.

"All complaints about antisemitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken."
After a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in along with a new council of ministers on Thursday for a second consecutive term. An estimated 8,000 guests were on hand, with a notable absence -- Pakistan.The guest list included world leaders, foreign dignitaries, politicians, celebrities and industrialists attended the swearing-in ceremony at the forecourt of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Presidential Palace in the capital.Walking to the podium to chants of "Modi, Modi" from the audience, which was a popular electoral campaign refrain, 68-year-old Modi was administered the oath by President Ram Nath Kovind.BJP seat haulThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance returned to power with a massive haul of 352 seats in the Lok Sabha or parliament elections. The BJP alone won 303 seats on its own in a House of 543 MPs.Leaders of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan - all members of the little-known Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)  attended the swearing-in.In a carefully calibrated diplomatic move by inviting a host of foreign dignitaries, India has managed to highlight the "neighborhood first" policy and also emphasize its outreach towards Central Asian nations.Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, a close ally, was also present five years ago.India has factored its plans for the region to create a secure maritime front. Kyrgyzstans inclusion indicates that Indias foreign policy extends beyond its immediate neighbourhood. From Thailand, its special envoy Grisada Boonrach represented the country at the ceremony and Myanmar President U Win Myint was in attendance.After India refused to attend South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Pakistan in 2016, New Delhi has shifted focus towards BIMSTEC as a regional integration workaround in the pan-South Asian grouping.With one-fourth of the world's traded goods crossing the Bay of Bengal every year and with untapped resources, the region has the potential of becoming a force to reckon with.This move to reach out to the BIMSTEC nations is well thought out. Prime Minister Modi is sending out a strong message that he can conduct his foreign policy without Pakistan and isolate it in the international arena, said foreign policy analyst Manish Chand.Pakistan frozen outIn 2014, Modi had invited all SAARC leaders, including the former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, for his swearing-in ceremony, as an initiative to reach out to the neighbouring countries.But since the terror attacks of 2016 in Indian-administered Kashmir against army cantonments, ties between the two countries had gone into deep freeze.India has been signaling towards strengthening other regional blocs such as BIMSTEC instead of working within SAARC that has not seen any momentum as Pakistan refused to act against terror networks operating from its soil.Though Pakistan Prime Minister Khan called Modi over the weekend to congratulate him on his win, an invitation was not extended  an indication that ties have not thawed.Officials in the foreign ministry affirmed that an early warming in ties betwee.n the nuclear-armed neighbours was unlikely.During his election campaign, Modi harped on national security issues, including a counter-terror operation carried out at the biggest terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot region. Critics point out that by whipping up nationalist sentiment, Modi was able to portray himself as the strongman for India who would be able to secure the countrys borders.Pakistan has tried to downplay Indias decision not to invite Imran Khan for the swearing-in ceremony claiming that the Indian Prime Ministers internal politics do not permit him to extend an invitation to his Pakistani counterpart.His (Prime Minister Modis) entire focus (during the election campaign) was on Pakistan-bashing. It was unwise to expect that he can get rid of this narrative (soon), Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was quoted as saying by Dawn News.Indias internal politics did not permit him to extend an invitation, Qureshi said.Narendra Modi and Imran Khan will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Kyrgyztan's capital Bishkek in mid-June but no decision has been taken by India on any meeting between the two leaders.

After a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in along with a new council of ministers on Thursday for a second consecutive term. An estimated 8,000 guests were on hand, with a notable absence -- Pakistan.

The guest list included world leaders, foreign dignitaries, politicians, celebrities and industrialists attended the swearing-in ceremony at the forecourt of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Presidential Palace in the capital.

Walking to the podium to chants of "Modi, Modi" from the audience, which was a popular electoral campaign refrain, 68-year-old Modi was administered the oath by President Ram Nath Kovind.

BJP seat haul

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance returned to power with a massive haul of 352 seats in the Lok Sabha or parliament elections. The BJP alone won 303 seats on its own in a House of 543 MPs.

Leaders of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan - all members of the little-known Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)  attended the swearing-in.

In a carefully calibrated diplomatic move by inviting a host of foreign dignitaries, India has managed to highlight the "neighborhood first" policy and also emphasize its outreach towards Central Asian nations.

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, a close ally, was also present five years ago.

India has factored its plans for the region to create a secure maritime front. Kyrgyzstans inclusion indicates that Indias foreign policy extends beyond its immediate neighbourhood. From Thailand, its special envoy Grisada Boonrach represented the country at the ceremony and Myanmar President U Win Myint was in attendance.

After India refused to attend South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Pakistan in 2016, New Delhi has shifted focus towards BIMSTEC as a regional integration workaround in the pan-South Asian grouping.

Story continues

With one-fourth of the world's traded goods crossing the Bay of Bengal every year and with untapped resources, the region has the potential of becoming a force to reckon with.

This move to reach out to the BIMSTEC nations is well thought out. Prime Minister Modi is sending out a strong message that he can conduct his foreign policy without Pakistan and isolate it in the international arena, said foreign policy analyst Manish Chand.

Pakistan frozen out

In 2014, Modi had invited all SAARC leaders, including the former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, for his swearing-in ceremony, as an initiative to reach out to the neighbouring countries.

But since the terror attacks of 2016 in Indian-administered Kashmir against army cantonments, ties between the two countries had gone into deep freeze.

India has been signaling towards strengthening other regional blocs such as BIMSTEC instead of working within SAARC that has not seen any momentum as Pakistan refused to act against terror networks operating from its soil.

Though Pakistan Prime Minister Khan called Modi over the weekend to congratulate him on his win, an invitation was not extended  an indication that ties have not thawed.

Officials in the foreign ministry affirmed that an early warming in ties betwee.n the nuclear-armed neighbours was unlikely.

During his election campaign, Modi harped on national security issues, including a counter-terror operation carried out at the biggest terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot region. Critics point out that by whipping up nationalist sentiment, Modi was able to portray himself as the strongman for India who would be able to secure the countrys borders.

Pakistan has tried to downplay Indias decision not to invite Imran Khan for the swearing-in ceremony claiming that the Indian Prime Ministers internal politics do not permit him to extend an invitation to his Pakistani counterpart.

His (Prime Minister Modis) entire focus (during the election campaign) was on Pakistan-bashing. It was unwise to expect that he can get rid of this narrative (soon), Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was quoted as saying by Dawn News.

Indias internal politics did not permit him to extend an invitation, Qureshi said.

Narendra Modi and Imran Khan will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Kyrgyztan's capital Bishkek in mid-June but no decision has been taken by India on any meeting between the two leaders.
An 86-year-old man is being treated for rabies after being bitten by a bat wedged between the back of his iPad and its case.

Roy Syvertson, from New Hampshire in the US, told WMUR-TV that he had been using the tablet for about an hour before the creature popped its head out and nipped him.

The pensioner said it felt like a bee sting at first, adding: "I looked, and the bat was coming out of here, between the cover and the back of the pad."

"And then I got up, still squeezing it, which I'm sure he wasn't happy about, and I took him outside."

The next morning, Mr Syvertson said the bat was still there and alive, but he later discovered that it died later that night.

"Then I knew I might have a problem," Mr Syvertson said.

Concerned the bat might be infected with rabies, he called the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game.

He was instructed to go to hospital to be immediately tested, and it later turned out that the bat was rabid.

Doctors told Mr Syvertson that he will be fine, though it remains a mystery how the bat got into his house and into the iPad case.

"It will remain a mystery, and my joke of, 'He probably knew my password' won't last forever. That won't be funny for a long time," Mr Syvertson said.

If left untreated, rabies can lead to brain disease and death as the virus attacks the central nervous system.

Early symptoms include fever, headache, weakness and discomfort, and the disease can also cause hallucinations and difficulty swallowing.

All mammals can carry rabies, but it is most common in dogs, bats, raccoons and foxes.

According to the NHS, post-exposure treatment involves cleaning and disinfecting the wound, a course of the rabies vaccine and in some cases, a medicine called immunoglobulin.
Hungarian police have detained the captain of a cruise ship that collided with a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists causing it to capsize in the Danube River leaving at least seven people dead. Seven people have been confirmed dead and seven rescued, while 21 people still remain missing in the rivers dark and murky waters.A South Korean group on a package tour of Europe -- including 30 tourists, two guides and a photographer -- were on an hour-long sightseeing tour of Budapest when their boat  the Mermaid -- collided with a Viking cruise ship during stormy weather on Wednesday evening.Nineteen South Koreans and two Hungarian crew members remain missing.The boat's sinking has touched a nerve in South Korea, where many are still traumatised over a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, mostly students.Survivors have given accounts saying they were lucky to grab onto a drifting lifeboat on that fateful Wednesday evening while looking in horror as others around them floundered in the choppy, rainy waters, crying out for help.'I never imagined it would ram our boat'Their small sightseeing boat had almost finished its tour and was almost at a stop when the larger cruise ship hit it under a bridge near the riverbank parliament building, a city landmark. They said about 20 people were on the deck taking photographs or preparing to disembark. The others were in the cabin."I saw that big cruise ship coming closer to us but I had never imagined it would ram our boat," said 31-year-old South Korean Jeong to Yonhap news agency.Jeong said she and others on the deck were thrown into the cold Danube waters by the impact of the collision. Police said it took only seven seconds for the boat to overturn and sink.She said she saw a lifeboat drifting close by and managed to seize hold of it, also throwing a rope to another tourist surnamed Yoon.People trapped "Our boat was turned over in an instant and began sinking," Yoon, 32, told Yonhap. "All those on the deck fell into water and I think those staying in the cabin on the first floor couldn't probably get out of the ship swiftly."Rescue crews are looking for the missing people, but operations have been hampered by the rain and the fast flowing and rising River Danube. The search for the 21 missing has extended far downstream, even into Serbia, where the Danube goes after leaving Hungary.Meanwhile, crews also prepared to raise the sunken boat. Officials have said that due to heavy currents it could take days to recover the 70-year-old boat, which according to the boat register was originally manufactured in 1949 in the Soviet Union and received a Hungarian-made new engine in the 1980s.Ukrainian captainPolice, who launched a criminal investigation into the incident, said late Thursday that they had detained and questioned the Ukrainian captain of the larger vessel.The 64-year-old man is suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident. In line with Hungarian laws, the suspect was identified only as Yuriy C., referencing his first name and the initial letter of his last name. Police proposed the arrest of the Odessa resident, described earlier by police as an experienced sailor.(FRANCE 24 with AP)

Hungarian police have detained the captain of a cruise ship that collided with a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists causing it to capsize in the Danube River leaving at least seven people dead.

Seven people have been confirmed dead and seven rescued, while 21 people still remain missing in the rivers dark and murky waters.

A South Korean group on a package tour of Europe -- including 30 tourists, two guides and a photographer -- were on an hour-long sightseeing tour of Budapest when their boat  the Mermaid -- collided with a Viking cruise ship during stormy weather on Wednesday evening.

Nineteen South Koreans and two Hungarian crew members remain missing.

The boat's sinking has touched a nerve in South Korea, where many are still traumatised over a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, mostly students.

Survivors have given accounts saying they were lucky to grab onto a drifting lifeboat on that fateful Wednesday evening while looking in horror as others around them floundered in the choppy, rainy waters, crying out for help.

'I never imagined it would ram our boat'

Their small sightseeing boat had almost finished its tour and was almost at a stop when the larger cruise ship hit it under a bridge near the riverbank parliament building, a city landmark. They said about 20 people were on the deck taking photographs or preparing to disembark. The others were in the cabin.

"I saw that big cruise ship coming closer to us but I had never imagined it would ram our boat," said 31-year-old South Korean Jeong to Yonhap news agency.

Jeong said she and others on the deck were thrown into the cold Danube waters by the impact of the collision. Police said it took only seven seconds for the boat to overturn and sink.

She said she saw a lifeboat drifting close by and managed to seize hold of it, also throwing a rope to another tourist surnamed Yoon.

People trapped

"Our boat was turned over in an instant and began sinking," Yoon, 32, told Yonhap. "All those on the deck fell into water and I think those staying in the cabin on the first floor couldn't probably get out of the ship swiftly."

Story continues

Rescue crews are looking for the missing people, but operations have been hampered by the rain and the fast flowing and rising River Danube. The search for the 21 missing has extended far downstream, even into Serbia, where the Danube goes after leaving Hungary.

Meanwhile, crews also prepared to raise the sunken boat. Officials have said that due to heavy currents it could take days to recover the 70-year-old boat, which according to the boat register was originally manufactured in 1949 in the Soviet Union and received a Hungarian-made new engine in the 1980s.

Ukrainian captain

Police, who launched a criminal investigation into the incident, said late Thursday that they had detained and questioned the Ukrainian captain of the larger vessel.

The 64-year-old man is suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident. In line with Hungarian laws, the suspect was identified only as Yuriy C., referencing his first name and the initial letter of his last name. Police proposed the arrest of the Odessa resident, described earlier by police as an experienced sailor.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)
40,000 Gtd United UK Poker Tour Heads to Newcastle Jun. 7-9

May 31 2019 Matthew Pitt

The Unibet UK Poker Tour, now in its fourth season, continues to thrive and between Jun. 7-9 will be running a 40,000 guaranteed main event at The Gate in Newcastle.

You may be focussing your attention on the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas right now, but dont allow that to make you miss out on what is sure to be a fantastic poker tournament in the North East. This is the first time the Unibet UK Poker Tour has stopped off in Newcastle and the organisers will be pulling out all the stops to ensure it is an event to remember.

40,000 is guaranteed for only a 220 buy-in, with one re-entry permitted on each of the two starting flights. Day 1A commences at 6:00 p.m. on Jun. 7, Day 1B gets under way at the earlier time of 2:00 p.m. on Jun. 8, with the final shuffling up and dealing at 1:00 p.m. on Jun. 9.

Date Time Tournament Fri 7 Jun 6:00 p.m. Unibet UK Poker Tour Newcastle Day 1A Sat 8 Jun 2:00 p.m. Unibet UK Poker Tour Newcastle Day 1B Sun 9 Jun 1:00 p.m. Unibet UK Poker Tour Newcastle Day 2

Newcastle folk love their poker and this is sure to be one of the best attended stops in the tours history. One player who is guaranteed to be competing for the title is the Unibet Poker sponsored pro Ian Simpson, himself a native of Newcastle.

Simpson eclipsed more than $1 million in live poker tournament winnings earlier this year with a brace of cashes at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and a deep run in the 2019 Irish Open Main Event. The popular Geordie, who won the 2013 Irish Open, is a regular in Unibet-run events and will be hoping to go deeper than the 28th place he managed at the Unibet UK Poker Tour Manchester Main Event in Dec. 2018.

Delighted to be playing in a major event in his home city, Simpson, who will have to stay off his popular Twitch channel for a couple of nights, said: Lots of my friends have started posting about their flights to Las Vegas and its getting me hungry for the live grind. I once did a month of the WSOP and I was a miserable mess by the last week of it. Its too long away from the North East for me.

I love travelling for live poker, Ive seen so many unique and fascinating places, but my heart lies in Newcastle, where my wife and family all are. When I heard the Unibet U.K. tour was coming to Newcastle I was over the moon. While a small buy in to what I normally do live, it means I get the fun of live poker, in the city I love the most, while still getting to come home to my own bed and loving wife Emma.

The U.K. tour is lots of fun, and loads of the Unibet community make the trip, making it all the more enjoyable. I normally only get to speak to them on twitch, so putting faces to screen names is always nice! The tour is also great value, theres plenty of satellite qualifiers making the field softer, and the winner gets an added 2,000 Unibet Open package which is coming to Malta and Paris in September and November respectively.

Previous Unibet UK Poker Tour Champions

Date Tournament Entries Champion Prize Apr. 2016 Nottingham 134 Lukasz Kurcaba 13,500 Jun. 2016 Brighton 240 Christopher Cooper 11,055* Oct. 2016 Glasgow 219 Barry Mills 11,300 Mar. 2017 Brighton 261 Mateusz Krzyzewski 14,090 Jun. 2017 Glasgow 205 Andrew Mackenzie 11,500 Aug. 2017 Nottingham Russell Betts 8,966* Oct. 2017 Brighton 316 Colin Bidwell 11,540* Dec. 2017 Manchester 225 Michael Gilbert 12,300 Mar. 2018 Brighton 289 Paul Romain 13,000 Jul. 2018 Glasgow 198 Vinod Jadav 11,000 Sep. 2018 Brighton 327 Michael Tucknott 14,220* Dec. 2018 Manchester 284 Justin Devonport 12,300 Mar. 2019 Milton Keynes 202 Adolis Grigunas 9,600*

*reflects a deal took place

Qualify For the Unibet UK Poker Tour

Satellites for the Unibet UK Poker Tour and its big brother the Unibet Open are available online at Unibet Poker. Signing up to Unibet Poker via PokerNews entitles you to a welcome bonus worth up to 500. This bonus is released into your account when you reach certain rake milestones, which means youre constantly receiving more money as you play.

Level Rake Cash reward 1 2 1 2 13 4 3 100 20 4 600 100 5 1660 350

The bonus expires 60-days after you create your account so get your grind on and see how much cash you can earn.

In addition to the welcome bonus, all new players are invited to four weekly 500 freeroll tournaments, which run on Sundays, and once you have made a deposit you will receive four 4 Unibet Open tickets and an 8 cash game ticket. There literally hasnt been a better time to become a Unibet Poker player, so click the download link and start reaping the rewards straight away.

Photo credit: Tambet Kask
Advertiser Disclosure

PokerNews is a free to access, online resource that offers fresh daily content, world leading live reporting and poker strategy content and provides comparison features of various online poker sites to its visitors.

Visitors should be aware that that the operator of this site (iBus Media Limited trading as PokerNews) receives affiliate and advertising revenue from the companies that appear on the site, and said remuneration may impact the location and order in which the companies banners and offerings are promoted on our site.

Visitors should also note that room rankings can be impacted by a number of different variables and should not be relied upon for accuracy purposes. Whilst we do our utmost to try to ensure all companies advertised on our site are trustworthy and hold the requisite licences for their offerings, the rankings or prominence of any banner/advertisement do not necessarily imply endorsement of the companies or their products by iBus Media Limited trading as PokerNews.

Except as expressly set out in our Terms & Conditions, all representations and warranties regarding the information presented on this site are disclaimed. The information which appears on this site is subject to change at any time.
"General Hospital" (GH) spoilers confirm the return of Nelle Benson (interpreted by Chloe Lanier). After so long, the mysterious dark lady will be ready to sow terror in the city. According to the rumors reported by 'Celebrity Dirty Laundry,' Nelle will make a dangerous new friendship with a dark character. We are confident that this new alliance will cause problems and dramas to someone we know. In all likelihood, he will return to talk about Jonah and the terrible blackmail that Nelle put in place before going to prison. Are you ready to discover the latest exciting "General Hospital" spoilers?

'General Hospital': Nelle finds an accomplice in prison

In the next episodes of "General Hospital," they say that Nelle will meet a new prisoner during his stay in jail. Of course, this person is certainly not responsible and reliable. Between Nelle and this mysterious character, there will be an alliance of dark colors. The latest "GH" spoilers reveal that Nelle's new 'friend' will be as ruthless and selfish as she is. In all likelihood, the two of them will have a plan to get out of prison.

Recently, the news of Nelle Benson's return to Port Charles has been confirmed, and this could be a perfect idea. During her detention, Nelle never stopped thinking about future revenge to be put in place once she got out of prison.

The new prisoner she meets will be the perfect opportunity to make her dark ideas come true. In the could also reveal to this accomplice the truth about her child. The woman, after deceiving both Brad and Michael, has the only desire to reunite with Jonah himself.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

Crazy Nelle ready to have Jonah back in the next episodes of 'General Hospital'

"GH" other spoilers tease that Nelle and the new accomplice will plan the escape from prison. Nelle's desire is to find his son. We are sure that the two women will succeed and that Benson will return to Port Charles more aggressively than ever before.

As a result, Brad and Lucas will have to deal with her determination. It is not excluded that Nelle may have a tough confrontation with Shiloh, giving rise to another storyline that also involves Willow. Fans can't wait for In The Prison Escapes to return to Port Charles.

In this way, many new scenarios would open up, ready to excite the viewers. It remains to understand the role of Shiloh in all this complicated plot. Archer may as well blackmail Nelle to get to the truth, as she will escape from prison. Also, how will Brad react when he finds himself in front of the wicked woman? We're sure that a real earthquake will hit Port Charles.

We are looking forward to the next appetizing "General Hospital" spoilers to update you.
Swissotel Al Ghurair in Dubai has appointed Waseem Farrah as the new director of finance.



In his new role, Farrah will oversee the Finance & Purchasing departments. He will be responsible for financial reporting and budget management functions as well as ensuring that Swissotel Al Ghurair & Swissotel Living Al Ghurair is compliant to Accor Accounting Policies and Procedures.



Farrah brings over 14 years of professional experience and has held progressive roles in the Finance department, from the very beginning of his career in 2005. He joins Swissotel Al Ghurair from his most recent role as cluster director of finance at Marriott International, overseeing Aloft Me'aisam, Element Me'aisam and Aloft Dubai South since October 2017.



Emiel Van Dijk, general manager, Swissotel Al Ghurair, said: I am delighted that Waseem has joined the team at Swissotel Al Ghurair. His breadth of experience, as well as his solid financial accounting and audit experience, will support our plans to continue to grow, develop and create an even stronger business. I wish Waseem every success in his new role and look forward to working with him.



Farrah started his career in Dubai in 2005 as an accounting supervisor with pre-opening experience and moved as accounts payable and payroll supervisor within the Marriott Chain. In 2010, Farrah joined Fairmont Dubai as staff accountant and thereafter progressed to various roles like chief accountant, assistant director of finance and financial controller within the property. He then moved to Fairmont Ajman as director of finance and business support in June 2016. He has assisted as task force to various properties like Fairmont Zimbali Resort- South Africa, Raffles Praslin- Seychelles and Fairmont Palm Jumeirah-Dubai.



Farrah said: I am honoured to be part of the team at Swissotel brands sole property in Dubai and I look forward to using my experience to help drive the hotels continued success and performance. I look forward to working with everyone to support Swissotels ambitious plans for growth in the Middle East, attracting more guests and enhancing their existing first-class guest experience. - TradeArabia News Service


As consumer demand for convenience soars across Southeast Asia, Vietnam saw strong growth of 13 per cent in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sales growth in convenience stores in the past year.

Convenience stores grew far faster in Southeast Asia than across the globe

According to a new study by global measurement company The Nielsen, convenience retail channels are experiencing record growth levels, surpassing growth rates in any other retail channel.

The Nielsens Whats Next for Southeast Asiareport, which explores the changing FMCG retail landscape and consumer needs, highlights that FMCG sales growth in convenience stores across Southeast Asia reached 8.3 per cent in the past year.

Malaysia saw the strongest growth in the region (17 per cent), followed by Vietnam (13 per cent), the Philippines (10 per cent), Indonesia (8 per cent) and Thailand (7 per cent).

Small format store numbers have also seen exponential growth in recent years  there are close to 73,000 convenience stores across the region as at 2018 and this number has increased by 10 per cent on-year, while the number of mini-market stores in the region is close to 50,000, growing at 4.7 per cent annually.

Weve been seeing solid growth in the convenience and mini-market channels across Southeast Asia for some time now, but over the past year or so that growth has really hit fever pitch, notes Vaughan Ryan, Nielsens managing director of Southeast Asia.

Consumers throughout the region are living increasingly fast-paced lives, and this lifestyle shift is driving increasing demand for on-the-go offerings which, in turn, is driving growth in the convenience and mini-markets channels.

Notably, the two channels play different and evolving roles in consumers lives. Convenience has moved from providing impulse products, such as snacks, beverages, and tobacco, to competing against quick-service restaurants by expanding their range of ready-to-eat food and impulse items, and adding in many other services and products to make consumers lives easier. Mini-markets are providing close-to-home convenience in everyday grocery shopping, as people struggle for time to visit larger format stores, particularly in heavily congested cities.

Looking across the total Southeast Asia FMCG landscape, buoyant economic factors coupled with strong consumer confidence levels are fuelling consumers willingness to spend, resulting in solid overall growth in FMCG.

The Philippines saw the highest overall growth in the region in the past year (8.7 per cent), followed by Vietnam (5.2 per cent) and Myanmar (4.7 per cent). Comparatively, global FMCG on-year growth was just 3.4 per cent.

The combination of rising consumer optimism and a relatively strong economic outlook in Southeast Asia means that the region is drawing increasing attention from big global companies and local companies alike as they seek out new opportunities for growth, emphases Ryan.

But that growth can be elusive if companies dont take the time to understand local consumer needs and wants. With increasing internet penetration and more exposure to various brands, products and offerings, consumers across the region are becoming more savvy and discerning in their purchasing decisions. Tailored offerings that tap into local tastes and purchasing behaviours is critical for success.

Zooming in on some of the more locally-nuanced trends, the retail landscape is undergoing a change in Vietnam on account of rising consumer demand and preference for frequent shopping trips for everyday needs.

This is contributing to strong store growth across the nations 1,812 mini-markets (up 45.5 per cent on-year) in 2017. Similar trends are observed in Indonesia in the same year, which has the largest number of mini-markets in the region (43,826 stores), and is growing at 3.2 per cent on-year.

In Malaysia, while hypermarkets still hold considerable footfall (61 per cent in 2018) and have had steady store count over the last two years. Mini-markets are on the rise, contributing to 43 per cent of FMCG retail value and increasing the number of stores by 7 per cent to 1,386 stores from 2016 to 2018. Convenience and drugstores stores increased by 3 per cent over the same period.

In the Philippines, the middle-class population is on the rise thanks to the increasing number of overseas and BPO workers.

As the pace of life continues to increase for these consumers, they are seeking close-to-home stores to fulfill their needs, and this is driving growth in small-format supermarkets, mini-markets, and convenience stores.

Meanwhile, in Thailand, convenience commands a 58.3 per cent share of trade in 2018 (up 5.5 per cent since 2016) with over a quarter of consumers (29 per cent) saying they visit a convenience store two to three times a week.

In Singapore, consumers are seeking convenience from FMCG retailers in the form of online shopping and digital payments.

Three out of five Singaporean consumers (60 per cent) favour cashless transactions and a sizeable majority (75 per cent) say they prefer to buy food and groceries online.

The Nielsen Whats Next for Southeast Asia study presents the changing face of FMCG retail landscape in the region lead by consumer lifestyle changes, rapid urbanisation, digital penetration, and consumer product preferences across seven markets in the Southeast Asia region.

This study highlights the growth of convenience-lead FMCG retail channels for each of the seven markets along with prevailing economic indicators, rising consumer spending ability, and evolving retail channel formats.

The insights will assist retailers and manufacturers in identifying growth opportunities through convenience-lead retail channel strategy in the Southeast Asia region and implementing FMCG strategies that will drive consumer uptake in FMCG across diverse segments. VIR

Bich Thuy

Why foreign retailers withdraw from Vietnam? Capital withdrawals of foreign retailers in Vietnam have fielded a number of queries on whether the firms had sustained losses or if the local business climate lacked enough incentives.
More foreign investors have had to leave Vietnam after taking losses for a long time, though Vietnam is considered an attractive market with increasingly high purchasing power.

Vu Kim Nuong, Communications Director of Auchan Vietnam, confirmed that the retailer has been taking losses over the last five years. It announced its departure even before the final deal about the sale of 18 Auchan supermarkets in Vietnam.

Auchan says goodbye to Vietnamese customers

Arriving in Vietnam in 2015, Auchan, unlike other retail chains, decided to cooperate with large real estate firms to set up supermarkets at apartment blocks developed by the firms.

The French retailer once cherished an ambitious plan worth $500 million on opening 300 supermarkets in Vietnam. However, only 18 have been opened so far, and the regular change of its name, from S.Mart to Simply and then Auchan, did not help make its business prosper.

Dao Xuan Khuong, a retail expert, commented that Auchans problem lies in the limited brand identification. Auchan supermarkets are located in buildings and apartment blocks, so they are only known to local residents and people in that areas.

Auchan is just a general supermarket and can only attract consumers nearby, not people from other areas who come for both shopping and relaxing.

The French retailer once cherished an ambitious plan worth $500 million on opening 300 supermarkets in Vietnam. However, only 18 have been opened so far, and the regular change of its name, from S.Mart to Simply and then Auchan, did not help make its business prosper.

There was also a lack of sale promotion campaigns to lure customers.

The marketing strategy of Auchan was questionable. Tran Minh Duc, wrote on Nhip Cau Dau Tus fanpage that he only realized the presence of Auchan in Vietnam when newspapers reported about its departure, commenting that the retail chain did not pay appropriate attention to ad campaigns.

Vo Van Quang, a branding expert, saw problems in administration.

The service quality and discipline, and supply source management are weak points of the chain, he said.

He also thinks that Auchan had a late arrival in Vietnam, when the general supermarket market segment was full.

Auchan had to struggle with Co-op Mart, Big C and Lotte, which are all big players, and it could not show its advantages over the three rivals.

As a result, the French retail brand was overshadowed by the South Korean trend with Lotte Mart and others, and the Japanese wave with both Aeon and Family Mart, which are conquering markets throughout Asia, he commented.

Analysts agreed that retailers from Europe will not come to Vietnam in the immediate time to open general supermarkets, because the market segment has become full, with fierce competition.

However, in branded goods distribution, European and American brands will continue to hold advantages.

France retailer Auchans exit from Vietnam draws interest from potential buyers French supermarket group Auchan Retails plans to sell its loss-making business in Vietnam are already drawing interest from potential buyers, Reuters reported.

Retailers seek workers for expansion plans Some retail chains are seeking hundreds of workers as they plan to open more shops to scale up their business.

Kim Chi
A decrease in the US imports from China could present a good opportunity for Vietnam to fill in the gap.

In the context of the US-China trade war, US President Donald Trump, speaking before the press on the threshold of talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Oban, said if Americans dont want to pay for taxed goods, they could buy goods from Vietnam and other countries without US tariffs, instead of Chinese goods which are taxed by the US.

Prior to that, analysts commented that the trade dispute between two of Vietnams top trading partners would have positive impact on Vietnam. A decrease in the US imports from China could present a good opportunity for Vietnam to fill in the gap.

Meanwhile, Vietnam would become more attractive to foreign investors.

Commenting about Trumps statement, Duong Van Chin, director of the Dinh Thanh Agriculture Research Center, said Vietnam now has an excess of exports to the US over imports from the country, and that the US wants Vietnam to import more products from the US to improve the trade balance.

The possibility of Amercians shifting to buy goods from Vietnam and other nontariffed countries was anticipated when the US-China trade war broke out.

At that time, experts commented that Vietnam would benefit from the US taxation on Chinese goods because its products could replace Chinese goods in the US market.

After many years of negotiations, Vietnam has won the right to export mango to enter the US market. However, Vietnam mango is more expensive than Mexicos.

However, exports to the choosy US market will still depend on how Vietnam can take advantage of the opportunity.

The director of a farm produce export company who asked to be anonymous warned that only high quality products can overcome the technical barriers to enter the US market.

Meanwhile, there are still too many existing problems with Vietnamese products quality.

One of the problems, he said is the unstable product quality. The quality could be very high in first consignments of exports, but it may be lower in the next batches of products, he said, attributing this to the lack of modern technology.

The lack of technology is also cited as the reason behind the high product costs, which makes Vietnamese products less competitive.

After many years of negotiations, Vietnam has won the right to export mango to enter the US market. However, Vietnam mango is more expensive than Mexicos.

Similarly, Vietnam also exports mango to Japan and South Korea, but consumers in the two countries prefer Thai mango, which is cheaper.

Le Cao Doan, a respected economist, commented that sales would be high if products had consistently high quality.

Vietnam stands out as beneficiary from US-China trade war International experts have questioned which countries would likely be the beneficiaries of the trade war between the US and China and Vietnam remains the pointed one so far.

How will VND/USD exchange rate perform in US-China trade war? The dong/dollar exchange rate has fluctuated sharply in recent days after the US decided to impose tariff of 25 percent on $200 billion worth of imports from China.

Mai Lan
Businesses have expressed concern over the escalation of the US-China trade war, and are hurrying to seek solutions to anticipated problems.

Pham Hai Long, general director of Argex Sai Gon, said Vietnamese enterprises were anxious about the latest moves taken by the US and China.

The former has raised tax from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of imports from China and warned about the possibility of taxing $300 billion worth of products from China. Meanwhile, China has announced it will raise tax on thousands of products from the US from June 1.

Argex Sai Gon, like many other Vietnams enterprises, which import input materials for domestic production, is worried about the material supply amid the trade war escalation.

Businesses have expressed concern over the escalation of the US-China trade war, and are hurrying to seek solutions to anticipated problems.

The Chinese yuan depreciation, the US dollar appreciation and the dong/dollar exchange rate fluctuations in recent days all affect import/export companies, Long said.

The depreciation of the dong will benefit exporters, but importers will have to import goods at high prices which affect salability, he explained, adding that to protect businesses, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) needs to take action to stabilize the dong/dollar exchange rate.

Pham Xuan Trinh, general director of Phong Phu JSC, admitted that the textile and garment industry has been influenced by the trade war escalation.

Textile enterprises have to import cotton to make cotton fiber for export. China is one of the markets. The cotton import price has dropped by 10 percent compared with two weeks ago, causing enterprises that have placed orders to suffer, though goods have not arrived yet.

As Chinese textiles and garments to the US bear high tax rates, the demand for Vietnams cotton fiber will be decreasing.

Some people said Vietnam would benefit from the trade war. They think that Vietnam will have opportunities to boost exports to the US once Chinese goods bear high tax and become less competitive.

However, looking at it from another angle, Chinese enterprises will relocate their production to Vietnam to avoid tax, and Vietnams enterprises with have to compete with them for human resources.

The biggest problem, according to analysts, lies in the input material supply from China. The Chinese are the biggest material suppliers for Vietnams textile and garment enterprises, and if they scale down production because Chinese goods find it more difficult to enter the US market, Vietnams enterprises would suffer.

Moreover, the global output decrease as a result of the trade war would also affect Vietnamese enterprises.

In this situation, the inner strength of enterprises will determine the result of competition. Vietnams enterprises need to take the initiative in material supply sources, Trinh from Phong Phu said.

Vietnamese businesses fear fallout of US-China trade war Many Vietnamese enterprises are keeping a close eye on the escalating US-China trade war and have expressed concern about its possible adverse impact on their business.

How will VND/USD exchange rate perform in US-China trade war? The dong/dollar exchange rate has fluctuated sharply in recent days after the US decided to impose tariff of 25 percent on $200 billion worth of imports from China.

Phuoc Ha
With the slow equitisation and restructuring of major state-owned enterprises, the Vietnamese government has been urged to accelerate the process with an aim to create more opportunities for the private sector.

Transparency is a must when it comes to delays or losses in SOE equitisation plans

Like many National Assembly deputies, Do Van Sinh last week told VIR that he felt anxious about the snail-paced equitisation and restructuring of state-owned enterprises (SOE).

Sinh, representing the central province of Quang Tri, cited a foreign investor wishing to purchase stakes from an SOE, but ultimately failing.

The investor wants to buy 51 per cent stake from the enterprise, but the enterprise only offered 30 per cent, Sinh said.

The investor quit the plan as it wants to have a big voice in the business and make important decisions about its operation.

This case is just one among many similar others seen in Vietnam over the past few years. According to a government report and information that we have obtained, the speed of SOE equitisation and restructuring is slowing down, Sinh added.

Since early this year, no SOE has been equitised. If the government has no sturdy solutions, it will be very hard to reach the set target.

According to the Central Party Economic Committee (CPEC), the equitisation of SOEs in Vietnam remains very slow.

In the first four months of this year, no SOE was equitised, or had their equitisation schemes adopted.

Under Document No.991/TTg-DMDN dated July 2017 by the prime minister, the 2017-2020 period looked to complete equitisation of 127 SOEs, including 44 in 2017, 64 in 2018, 18 in 2019, and one in 2020.

This year, some ministries are required to complete equitisation of their enterprises. While the Ministry of Industry and Trade must carry this out for eight enterprises including Vietnam National Coal, Mineral Industries Group, and Vietnam National Chemical Group, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must do likewise for the Vietnam National Coffee Corporation, and the Ministry of Information and Communications must do the same for its Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group.

However, by late 2018, Vietnam had about 514 SOEs and only 33 SOEs were equitised in the year. Another 23 had their equitisation schemes approved.

The speed of equitisation remains low, failing to reach the plan approved by the prime minister, said a bulletin from the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

According to the MoF, from the beginning of 2016 to November 2018, total money collected from SOE equitisation and divestment hit about VND206.7 trillion ($8.99 billion).

Pushing forwards

While the government told the National Assembly last week that by the end of this year, it will continue speeding up SOE equitisation and restructuring.

The National Assembly Economic Committee proposed that the government create more solutions to reach the target.

Leaders of ministries, sectors, localities, groups, and corporations must be responsible when delaying SOE equitisation and restructuring, said the committee chairman Vu Hong Thanh.

All SOE activities must be made transparent. Over the recent past, although many SOEs have sold their stake, the number remains meagre.

The CPEC reported that many SOEs have failed to equitise and restructure themselves due to a very small ratio of stakes sold, such as Vietnam National Shipping Lines (1 per cent), Power Generation Corporation 3 (3 per cent), Song Da Corporation (0.8 per cent), and Vietnam Rubber Group (21 per cent).

This situation has made these SOEs fail to reach equitisation targets, which are to renew governance and attract private capital, said CPEC vice head Cao Duc Phat.

According to the MoF, last year, the initial public offering of 20 SOEs raked in a big sum of VND20.3 trillion ($882.6 million), in addition to VND7.9 trillion ($343.5 million) from capital divestment.

Thus, since 2016 when the new government was elected, the total sum from equitisation and divestment has been more than VND170 trillion ($7.4 billion).

To-do list

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued a directive on boosting SOE restructuring, equitisation, and divestment as a prime priority for the government to implement in 2019.

The responsibilities of all individuals and organisations in delaying equitisation, divestment, transaction registration, and listing in the stock market will be specified. All violators will be punished, PM Phuc stressed.

We will deal with all SOEs and investment projects with delay and losses. Any ineffective SOE will face bankruptcy or transfer to investors of other economic sectors.

The government will intensify its inspections over not only all SOEs and state-funded projects, but also over the heads of these enterprises about how they have obeyed the state regulations about equitisation and divestment, as well as the performance of their enterprises.

Periodically, all information about equitisation and divestment must be openly publicised, so that the SOEs performance can be supervised, PM Phuc noted.

According to Nguyen Hong Long, vice head of the Steering Committee for Enterprise Renewal and Development, in the second quarter of 2019 there will be a decision on adjusting the equitisation and capital divestment of SOEs.

However, the plan of equitisation and capital divestment will have to be completed by 2020, Long said. VIR

Nguyen Thanh

Most SOEs operating at a profit: audit Most State-owned enterprises were operating at a profit but still needed to improve their operational efficiency, according to a report by the State Audit Office of Viet Nam (SAV).

Experts doubt SOEs can succeed with investment projects abroad State-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been advised to remain cautious when making outward investments because the possibility of success is low.
Rising demand for smart townships would enable investors to change the Vietnamese real estate landscape.



The popularity of smart townships in Vietnam becomes stronger following the fast-growing demand among young people, resulting in changes in the local property market.

The situation could offer different options for buyers, therefore, enable investors to change the urban landscape by advanced technologies and optimal solutions, JLL said in a recent report.

Indeed, property investors with incorporated technologies could enhance the living environment as stay smart, according to JLL, will be a trend and a must-have as well.

Property developer Sunshine Group is considered as a pioneer in this revolution as it has built a series of smart homes and smart living ecosystem by applying integrated smart technology into their products, JLL said in the report.

The company offers technology-based solutions that feature through Sunshine Cab App including Smart Home App and Sunshine Mart that offers cashless payment through Sunshine Online service for their residents.

The overall aim is to provide home-owners an intelligent and hightech urban complex that focuses on transportation, shopping and relaxation services.

Meanwhile, Vingroup  the biggest private conglomerate in Vietnam  upgraded their 280-ha project into a dynamic smart township named Vinhomes Smarty City in the West of Hanoi in early April this year.

The project uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology with facial recognition features and a single command center to provide a full suite of information services for occupants, from air quality monitoring to environmental pollution warnings.

The developers smart townships have achieved high sale rates. In addition, Hanoi property market has welcomed more than 10,000 smart units with the sale rate of approximately 70% on an average since the first launch in 2016.



Future expansion

JLL believes that more smart township projects would come to the market in the near term as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have one of the youngest, most tech savvy populations globally. Notably, the countrys population is young with 70% of its citizens below the age of 35.

Vietnams middle class is forecast to reach 33 million people by 2020. About 30% of the population consists of millennials, who tend to be more convenience-conscious than previous generations, and willing to pay a premium for quality of life.

The Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Study found that 84% of Vietnamese respondents shop online at least once a month, trailing closely behind Thailand at 85%. It enables developers of new residential projects leverage on this trend and build smart townships to attract young buyers.

In addition, rising incomes, fueled by the countrys robust economic growth, are driving the smart township expansion.

The list of smart townships is expected to soon lengthen with BRG Smart City in Hanoi, Ecopark Smart City in the northern province of Hung Yen, Dragon Smart City in the central coastal city of Da Nang, and Thu Thiem Eco Smart City in Ho Chi Minh City.

These projects promise all types of convenience namely smart landscape planning with advanced IT infrastructure to build a smart and eco-friendly neighborhood where residents can enjoy integrated services within a walkable distance.

In another move, the adoption of new technology platforms generates new and more easily-accessible market data, which is key for overall real estate transparency in Vietnam, JLL concluded. Hanoitimes

Linh Pham

Foreign investors race for Vietnams smart city solutions providers As Vietnams cities and provinces are stepping up plans to realize the smart city dream, foreign tech giants are rushing with new ambitious business plans to seize the opportunities.

The smart home future on the horizon With the support of technology, domestic companies have been contributing to building a smarter and better life for Vietnamese people via smart homes.
With robust economic growth in Vietnam for the past several years, foreign buyers are diving into the real estate market as is evident by the pent-up demand from those looking to buy.

Vietnam is particularly appealing to Asian investors and homebuyers

Since 2015 when Vietnam legalised foreign property ownership, the market has been receiving increasing interest from foreign buyers, specifically Asian investors taking advantage of the bargain price compared to the rest of the continent.

Henri Limyuen, a 36-year-old from the Philippines, told VIR that he is looking for a suitable apartment to buy in Ho Chi Minh City. Limyuen was visiting a launching ceremony of the Rome Residential project which is located in District 2.

He said he has worked and lived across different Asian countries, and Vietnam is a top destination of his in terms of purchasing a home.

I think the regulations to permit foreigners to buy a house in Vietnam are open, and I see an opportunity for a good house here at a much cheaper price compared to other neighbouring countries, he said.

Limyuen added that the price of homes in Vietnam still remains lower than those in other neighbouring countries such as Singapore or Thailand.

Buying an apartment in Vietnam, he can live in or lease it to have rental yield which is also higher at around 7 per cent per year, compared with only 2 per cent in other countries.

With robust economic growth enjoyed over the past several years, foreigners, especially from Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and mainland China are finally diving into the real estate market.

The trend is evident by a pent-up demand from overseas nationals looking to buy.

Nguyen Hoang, director of research and development of real estate consultancy DKRA, said that since 2017 Chinese mainlanders have increased their interest in buildings in Ho Chi Minh City, especially luxury and premium apartment units.

Most come from Shanghai to buy homes in Vietnam for investment purposes.

At the end of last month, a group of more than 30 real estate agencies under Asia Bankers Club from Hong Kong came to Vietnam to visit River Panorama and Sky89 developed by An Gia Group and take a better look at the Vietnamese real estate market, as well as promote Vietnamese projects abroad.

Asia Bankers Club, which is one of the most active international real estate investors operating in Vietnam, has co-operated with many developers in the country such as Keppel Land, CapitaLand, Gamuda Land, and other domestic developers.

Asia Bankers Club had been looking into Vietnam for quite some time, but what really awakened its interest was when Vietnam loosened the rules on foreign real estate ownership.

Luxury and premium on the rise

The luxury and premier residential projects in Ho Chi Minh City has seen most attraction from foreign buyers coming from Asian countries.

Property trading centres and consultants noted that luxury and high-end apartment projects in downtown Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are attracting the greatest interest from foreigners who are eligible to buy property in Vietnam.

These are mostly individuals who buy property and then re-lease it for a rental fee or re-sell it for profit.

In Hanoi, major projects located in the city centre  the heart of culture in Hanoi  and around the West Lake, which offers the greenest living space of the whole city, are attracting strong foreign interest.

The Manor and Keangnam Landmark Tower in Hanoi are favoured by South Korean buyers, while Ecopark, Ciputra, Sunshine City, Eldorado, and Pacific Place are very popular among foreigners.

Meanwhile in Ho Chi Minh City, Phu My Hung New Urban Area remains a popular destination for its advantages of being very well planned and for having good infrastructure.

Some high-rise projects in Phu My Hung are now reserved especially for the South Korean and Japanese community. Phu My Hung has a population of 30,000 people, of whom 40 per cent are foreigners, including buyers and leasers.

Some other outstanding projects are Vinhomes Golden River and Vinhomes Central Park, both invested by Vingroup, The Nassim by Hongkong Land, and Keppel Lands Estella Heights.

In 2018, purchases by foreigners reached unprecedented levels with the vast majority of high-end projects hitting their 30 per cent foreign quota at launch.

One of the main reasons foreign buyers focus on high-end apartments is the buy-to-let method. High-end apartment projects in districts 2 and 9 of Ho Chi Minh City now receive a rental yield of 6-8 per cent, which is considered acceptable for investing.

Meanwhile, vacation and hospitality properties in the coastal areas are also garnering interest from foreign buyers. the southern cities of Vung Tau and Phan Thiet, the central cities of Danang and Nha Trang, the northern province of Vinh Phuc and the northern port city of Haiphong are all popular destinations for foreign buyers seeking a second home.

According to CBRE Vietnam, through only CBREs successful transaction, only 2 per cent of the foreign buyers was Chinese in 2016 and 4 per cent in 2017. This rate however increased to 31 per cent in the third quarter of 2018.

The reason for Vietnams property market is more attractive to foreign investors, was because the Vietnamese government has opened up for foreign buyers since 2015, said Dung Duong, senior director at CBRE Vietnam.

Moreover, Vietnamese developers have also actively bringing their projects abroad, to introduce to potential buyers.

Foreign ownership limit

According to many experts, since the home ownership ceiling for foreign buyers currently being reached in several estate projects, it should be considered to be loosened.

Bui Quang Tin, general director of BizLight Business School, said that as bank credit for the real estate sector is tightened while other capital sources, such as the stock market, are more difficult, it is necessary to lift the foreign ownership limit to lure more foreign investors.

The rise should be made gradually, to 35 to 40 per cent in the immediate future, instead of 30 per cent currently, Tin said.

Meanwhile, Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Real Estate Association, maintained that local authorities should issue as soon as possible the certificates of homeownership/land-use rights for foreigners.

At the same time, effective measures should be taken to prevent illegal foreign estate business or speculation in Vietnam.

According to Chau, foreign direct investment in the realty industry is an important capital source for developers in the context that commercial banks are tightening their control on credit for real estate.

Official figures on the number of foreigners and overseas Vietnamese owning homes in Vietnam remain undisclosed.

However, according to the Ministry of Construction, there are fewer than 200 foreigners and fewer than 700 overseas Vietnamese who have already received a red book or the ownership certificate in the country.

This is a very modest proportion of the 100,000 foreigners and five million overseas Vietnamese who live and work in the country. VIR

Kingston Lai - CEO, Asia Bankers Club Hong Kong has many factory owners who understand the market and are very keen on the Vietnamese real estate market. Not only the business side, but we have many bankers and professionals who see the potential in capital gains in Vietnam. The most interesting products will be condominiums with some starting as low as HKD1 million ($127,423). We have helped clients close in on landed villas, commercial buildings, and hotels. Most of the investment goes into condominiums, and with the high cost of them in Hong Kong, our buyers are delighted by the cost of these in Vietnam. Most of the off-plan projects also offer good payment terms so our clients can allocate their funds accordingly. The only difficulties we face now are the governments restrictions on new projects in Ho Chi Minh City. The good thing is that the market will not be over-saturated with new developments but will limit supply for our clients. It is both a good and a bad thing as investing in Vietnam should be a long-term plan. Nguyen Khanh Duy - Director of residential sales, Savills Vietnam We remain confident about the strong demand from foreign investors. New home prices in Ho Chi Minh Citys central business district averages at about $5,500-6,500 per square metre, which is 25 per cent of the average price for Taiwan. Also, property owners are liable for additional taxes and fees, while buyers in Vietnam only need to pay 10 per cent for value-added tax and a one-time 2 per cent payment for maintenance fees. Therefore, the demand for investment properties in Vietnam has increased significantly since 2015 when property ownership was opened to international investors. During a recent Vietnam property investment seminar in Taiwan, we received much interest and positive feedback from investors, with some even purchasing units directly at the event. Prior to the event, many investors already had some background information about the property market here, as attractive yield and potential capital appreciation prompted them to look further into Vietnam. As such, Vietnam has become the most attractive destination among emerging economies in the ASEAN for many Taiwanese investors. With many countries also introducing cooling measures, resulting in higher taxation, the relatively low taxation in Vietnam appears increasingly attractive to buyers both at home and abroad. Richard Peiser - Professor of real estate development, Harvard University Current regulations set the ceiling of foreign ownership in a single apartment building at 30 per cent of the total number of apartments in Vietnam. The limitations are not problematic for foreign investors as long as the buildings are professionally managed and have proper reporting and oversight by the government in order to avoid fraud. While 30 per cent ownership in a building for foreigners seems low, it may be good if it means that the building is more occupied. Often foreign-owned apartments, whether in Miami or Shanghai, are left vacant most of the time. That can hurt the buildings sense of community.

Bich Ngoc

Property gains from factories leaving China Vietnams industrial real estate is undergoing a turnaround to cash in on the rising wave of foreign capital influx and factories moving out of China.
Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung led a Vietnamese delegation to the Joint Consultative Meeting (JCM) of the bloc and ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting in Bangkok from May 28-29.

Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung

The events aims to discuss the preparations for the 34th ASEAN Summit scheduled to take place in Thailand in June this year.

Participants debated the agenda and documents that will be passed at the 34th ASEAN Summit, focusing on how to promote partnership for sustainable development and relations between ASEAN and its partners, regional cooperation, building ASEAN Community, and regional and international issues of common concern.

They highly appreciated Thailand's preparation as the rotating Chairman of ASEAN, affirming that they will work closely with the country to ensure the success of the summit.

Participants expressed their support for promoting the mutual link between ASEAN Community Vision 2025 with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and agreed to promote the development of cooperation roadmap between ASEAN and the UN for this goal.

They applauded actively progress in connecting and narrowing the development gap among ASEAN member nations, and supported the promotion of regional connection initiatives and sustainable development in sub-regions, including the Mekong.

The ASEAN member nations agreed to continue promoting efforts for strengthening coordination, and cooperation in inter-sectoral and inter-pillar cooperation issues within ASEAN, and improve the operational efficiency of ASEAN Secretariat.

They also discussed procedures for South Africa to officially join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) of ASEAN, and how to promote the effectiveness and efficiency of the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), and steps for Timor Leste to join ASEAN.

Speaking at the events, Deputy FM Dung affirmed that Vietnam actively supports and will work closely with other ASEAN member countries to successfully implement the priorities set for 2019, towards building a sustainable, coherent and adaptable ASEAN.

In the role of coordinating ASEAN-Japan relations in the period of 2018-2021, Dung informed and invited ASEAN member countries to actively participate in the 34th ASEAN-Japan forum and a symposium on ASEAN-Japan cooperation for prosperity, which will be co-chaired by Vietnam and Japan in Hanoi on June 3-4.-VNA
Bahrain and Russia are looking to strengthen their bilateral relations and enhance areas of cooperation to achieve their joint tourism related goals.



The means to create strong ties between both countries were discussed during a meeting between Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa, chief executive officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Igor Kremnev.



Shaikh Khaled also discussed the results achieved by BTEAs representative office in Russia and the partnerships they have established with travel agencies to attract visitors through touristic packages and weekly charter flights, which has driven a 101 per cent increase in the number of incoming Russian tourists compared to the same quarter of last year.



Kremnev expressed his gratitude to Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa for the warm welcome he received during the meeting, expressing his readiness to enhance joint efforts and bilateral initiatives and to continue to explore new horizons of cooperation in the interest of both countries.



This meeting comes as part of a series of bilateral meetings held between BTEA and ambassadors to the Kingdom, in order to promote its tourism identity under the slogan of Ours.Yours. with an aim to develop the tourism sector in line with the Economic Vision 2030. - TradeArabia News Service


Crawfish is a threat to Vietnams agriculture. The species, Cherax quadricarinatus, has been imported from China across border gates for food, served at many restaurants and street shops.

As it is not too expensive, just VND200,000-300,000 per kilogram, it has been selling well.

Dinh Trong Thinh from the Vietnam Finance Academy said with high demand and reasonable cost, crawfish can bring high economic value. It is able to reproduce quickly and withstand environmental changes. However, with its biological characteristics, it can be a danger to the environment as it could destroy the ecosystem.

The crawfish is omnivorous, eating all aquatic life, blocking all other species in the aquatic environment and leaving no food for the species. It even can cut hard rice stalks, and eat all kinds of young buds, shrimps and small fish.

The short-term economic benefits crawfish farming and trading can bring are insignificant, while the long-term consequences are immeasurable, Thinh said.

The most worrying thing is that the exotic crawfish grows and reproduces very rapidly. Vietnams fish and shrimp may disappear amid crawfish invasion, he said.

Dang Huy Huynh from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, also warned that crawfish could be a threat to both agriculture and the ecosystem, saying that the agriculture ministry has made the right decision to prohibit the farming and consuming of crawfish in Vietnam.

Dang Huy Huynh from the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, also warned that crawfish could be a threat to both agriculture and the ecosystem, saying that the agriculture ministry has made the right decision to prohibit the farming and consuming of crawfish in Vietnam.

Other ecology experts all agree that it is necessary to prevent crawfish from entering Vietnam, warning about the terrible destruction which will be difficult to rehabilitate.

In the past, Vietnam suffered from many exotic species, including yellow snails and tom hum do (red lobster), or Procambarus clarkia, red-ear turtle and Chinese cockroaches (Eupolyphaga sinensis) and these mistakes must not be repeated, or Vietnam will have to pay heavy price for the loss of control.

Some people argued that it would be better to farm crawfish for food and put farming under strict control so as to both prevent the crawfish from penetrating the environment and receive economic benefits.

They also said the high value of crawfish is why some countries, including China and the US, farm crawfish for food.

Thinh doesnt agree with the view. He said it depends on specific ecological environment conditions of every country.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, speaking before the National Assembly on May 22, confirmed that crawfish is an exotic species which is voracious. It can destroy irrigation works and cause landslides, and it brings low economic efficiency.

1 million species at risk of extinction: UN report Around 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction and the rate of species' disappearance is accelerating, likely having a grave impact on people around the world, a report by a UN body of scientists has found.

Thanh Lich
The list of provincial leaders who have children or relatives whose exam results were fabricated in the 2018 high school finals has been published in some newspapers.

However, there has been no official conclusion about how the officials became involved in the scandals.

Ha Giang Party Committee Secretary Trieu Tai Vinh

The latest report summarizing voters opinions submitted by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee to the National Assembly shows that people asked to publicize the names of the officials getting involved in the case and punish them heavily.

On the sidelines of the National Assemblys seventh session, National Assembly deputies affirmed that the requests are legitimate.

The latest report summarizing voters opinions submitted by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee to the National Assembly shows that people asked to publicize the names of the officials getting involved in the case and punish them heavily.

Nguyen Quang Tuan, a deputy from Hanoi, said people have the right to be informed about the truth and know the names of the high ranking officials. However, he emphasized that it is necessary to find out if the officials commanded the illegal adjustment of exam scores.

According to Luu Binh Nhuong, deputy director of the National Assembly Commission for People's Aspiration, the publication of the names of the officials whose children and relatives got involved in the exam cheating scandal has been done by local newspapers. However, voters still want an official statement from appropriate agencies.

The names of the officials can be found in newspapers. However, appropriate agencies need to raise their voice about this and clarify the responsibility of the officials, Nhuong said.

NDH, 45, from Hanoi, said he thinks agencies still have not made any official statement because the case is still under investigation. However, the process needs to be sped up as people are eager for the investigation results and they want to see violators punished heavily.

The current laws impose heavy sanctions on exam cribbers. So there must not be any reason to be light-handed with violators in such a serious case, he commented.

The case must not be left on the shelf because it is extremely serious, and people wont let this happen. People will lose confidence in the national education system if the problems cannot be clarified, he said.

Nhuong, when emphasizing that everyone is equal before the law and that there must not be no-go zone, said that Minister of Education and Training must be the first official responsible for making public the names of the officials. In addition, the heads of provinces must be in charge of doing this in their localities.

Ha Giang provincial Party Committee Secretary Trieu Tai Vinh also said he wants the results of investigations to be made public soon.

Vinhs daughter was found with an exam score illegally adjusted in the scandal, but he denied involvement in the case.

Officials to be prosecuted for Son La exam cheating Eight officials in Son La Province will be prosecuted for abusing their positions to adjust high school graduation and university entrance exam scores last year.

Three more prosecuted in exam cheating scandal The Ha Giang Police on Monday prosecuted three people for high school exam cheating and forbade them from leaving their living areas.

Ha Anh
Hanoi's government has spent more than VND7.2 billion, or 0.49% of the local budget allocation for information technology, on software services provided by Nhat Cuong Trading and Services Co., Ltd, for the past three years.

Investigators searched a retail store owned by Nhat Cuong Mobile earlier this month  PHOTO: VIETNAMNET

The company, known as Nhat Cuong Mobile, was earlier charged with trading in smuggled mobile phones and other electronic devices. Its general director, Bui Quang Huy, is wanted by the Hanoi City police.

Nguyen Ngoc Ky, director of the municipal Department of Information and Communications, said at a meeting on Thursday that the company has also been in charge of seven purchase packages worth a combined VND12.34 billion (US$526 million), accounting for 0.84% of Hanois IT budget.

He added that the local government has asked the relevant agencies to increase the number of public services available and ensure the normal operations of the software systems offered by Nhat Cuong Mobile.

According to the official, Nhat Cuong Mobile is one of 63 units providing a total of 135 software services for the Hanoi Peoples Committee and its departments and agencies.

Earlier this month, the Hanoi police searched nine retail stores owned by Nhat Cuong Mobile, seizing papers and thousands of mobile phones, iPads and their electronic accessories.

The companys general director and his accomplices were initially found to have organized a transnational smuggling ring, maintaining two sets of accounting books to conceal trillions of Vietnamese dong in revenue.

Founded in Hanoi in 2001 as a phone repair shop, Nhat Cuong Mobile now has nine retail stores and a warranty center in the city as well as an enterprise resource planning center in HCMC. SGT

Van Ly

Hanois online public services unaffected by Nhat Cuong Mobile raid The software system for Hanois online public services is still operational after Nhat Cuong Trading and Services Co., Ltd was charged with trading in smuggled mobile phones and other electronic devices, said a Hanoi official.

Nationwide wanted notice issued against fleeing Nhat Cuong's director-general The Ministry of Public Security have issued a nationwide wanted notice against the director-general of Nhat Cuong Technic Co Ltd, the parent company of a popular well-known smartphone chain store in Hanoi.
Three 11th graders and four 12th graders seized silver medals at the Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad 2019, which was held online on May 18.

Vietnamese students attend the contest

The Ministry of Education and Training announced on May 31 that Vietnamese students won seven silver medals at the Olympiad that was held online by Innopolis University, a Russian higher education institution, helping Vietnam to rank 8th among the South Asian and Western Pacific countries participating in the contest.

The medal winners include Bui Hong Duc, Vu Hoang Kien, and Nguyen Minh Tung from HUS High School for Gifted Students  Vietnam National University in Hanoi, Thai Xuan Dang from Le Quy Don High School for Gifted Students in Quang Tri province, Hoang Phan Huu Duc from Phan Boi Chau High School for Gifted Students in Nghe An province, Nguyen Minh Quan from Hung Yen High School for Gifted Students in Hung Yen province and Tran Quoc Viet from Le Hong Phong High School for Gifted Students in Nam Dinh province.

The Asia-Pacific Informatics Olympiad 2019 was held online on May 18 with the participation of 660 students from 31 countries and territories in the South Asian and Western Pacific region.

The Vietnam team included 15 contestants, with seven of them winning silvers.

Nhan Dan

All eight Vietnamese students win Asian Physics Olympiad medals All eight Vietnamese students of 12th grade won medals at the 20th Asian Physics Olympiad, according to the Ministry of Education and Trainings Education Quality Assurance Department on May 12.

8X alumni talk about differences with Z-gen overseas students Vietnamese Z-generation students are often leaving Vietnam at the age of secondary education. They are more self-confident than previous generations and willing to express their personal views.
The U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board announced that David Schmale, a professor in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to New Zealand, where he will work to improve the security of water systems by developing new remote-sensing capabilities to sense and respond to harmful algal blooms (HABs).

Due to the ubiquity of HABs in New Zealand and the U.S. and their increasing prevalence with rising temperatures and higher nutrient runoff, this research area addresses a compelling problem requiring a deep integration across disciplines.

Schmale will conduct research at the University of Waikato with professor Troy Baisden and members of the Lakes Ecosystem Research New Zealand group, a cross-institutional team of the countrys top lake researchers. In addition to developing and testing unmanned sampling systems for tracking HABs in freshwater lakes, he and his colleagues will create a unique unit for secondary school students to design and fabricate robots for environmental monitoring, helping them take an active part in determining what role this new technology should play in the society they will inherit.

A professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Schmale is one of more than 800 U.S. citizens who will teach, conduct research, and/or provide expertise abroad for the 2019-20 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.

The proposed research will involve the creative collision of remote-sensing capabilities in the air and water and the targeted collection and analysis of water samples, said Schmale. This project has the potential to transform environmental monitoring and management strategies for a wide range of natural or human-managed environments, including lakes as sources of drinking water and recreational activities. Our work will enable a more timely and accurate exposure assessment in affected areas. Moreover, the education units we will offer will have a direct impact on the indigenous people who live in the region.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.

Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given more than 380,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and scientists the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Fulbrighters address critical global challenges in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge, and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 59 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 82 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.

At Virginia Tech, the program is administered through the Global Education Office. For further information about the Fulbright Program, please visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright
My first experience with something was called sickle cell disease came in the mid-1980s.

I was in grade school, and the school nurse visited my classroom. She selected students, asking us to follow her into another room. There, she delivered a brief explanation about the disease. She then gave us each a form for us to have our parents review.

That small experience made me curious about sickle cell disease. I learned its a painful hereditary condition that often runs in families of African-Americans.

The American Red Cross lists SCD as the most common genetic blood disease in the United States, and there is currently no cure.

The life expectancy of someone with SCD is about 42 to 47 years, according to the American Society of Hematology. Those who live with the disease depend on regular blood transfusions to manage SCD and its symptoms. As a result, blood donations are essential.

World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is scheduled for June 19. The day serves as a reminder of the need for viable blood donations.

The American Red Cross encourages donors to take part in donation events on June 19 or schedule individual appointments. The hope it is that it will start a regular practice of making donations.

To make a donation appointment or get information on coordinating event, go to RedCrossBlood.org or call (800) 773-2767.

Blood transfusions from people of all backgrounds help the cause. Its particularly vital that people of African descent donate. Thats because blood from people of similar race and ethnicity helps ensure the best transfusion results and fewer potential reactions, according to the Red Cross.

SCD is not something a person can catch. Instead, it is caused by a single anomaly in the gene that codes for hemoglobin, resulting in stiff, sticky, crescent-shaped red blood cells. These cells cause dangerous blockages, which lead to infections, tissue and organ damage, stroke and oxygen shortages in muscles. Sufferers also grapple with acute anemia, caused by the short life cycle of those sickle-shaped cells.

People of African descent account for more than 90% of the 100,000 people living with SCD. However, the Red Cross notes that SCD does affect people from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Significant progress in diagnosing and treating SCD has improved the quality of life of patients, but incidence of the disease is nonetheless on the rise in adults, according to the American Society of Hematology.

Life is tough for SCD sufferers and their caregivers, due to pain, stigma, access to care, mental health toll and many other factors. Managing the disease also is costly, often resulting in frequent, prolonged inpatient stays and increased emergency room visits, notes an article in Expert Review in Hematology.

The Sickle Cell Disease Association of America offers more information about the health care, advocacy and Sickle Cell Awareness Day at SickleCellDisease.org.

Karris Golden writes The Couriers weekly faith and values column. Email her at onfaith@karrisgolden.com.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Jennifer G. Hernandez, 58, is nothing if not persistent. On April 22, Hernandez walked through the vehicle gate at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, where she was stopped by a police officer. She explained that she had an interview in the complex, but the officer discovered she had no official business there and told her to leave. On May 1, Military Times reported, Hernandez returned, this time in a Lyft vehicle, again asking to see her recruiter. She was issued a written warning and directed to leave. On May 2, she was back (in an Uber this time), telling officers she returned because the recruiters phone was off. On that day, officers inadvertently kept her North Carolina ID card, so on May 3, she came back to pick it up. Promising to leave by bus, Hernandez ultimately refused, telling an officer, Do you really think Im going to leave? And thats when theyd had enough. Hernandez was arrested and charged with trespassing.

Improving his gameAn employee of Candyland Park in Longwood, Florida, was surprised on the evening of May 12 when he spotted a man shooting hoops without a stitch of clothing on. Police responded to the 911 call and found Jordon Anderson, 29, who said he was working on his game and feels playing naked enhances his skill level, according to The Smoking Gun. Officers asked Anderson to put his clothes back on, which he did, but he was still charged with indecent exposure.

Unconventional weaponShonta Bolds, 36, was arrested on May 11 and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after she threw a coconut at a man who was sitting on the porch of the VIP Gentlemans Club in Key West, Florida. The man had started filming Bolds, which upset her, leading her to yell at him and call him names. Fox News reported that Bolds admitted to throwing the coconut but noted it did not hit him. Police explained to Bolds that since she was outside of the club, she could have no expectation of privacy.

Birthday girl scornedGeorgia Michelle Zowacki of West Newton Borough, Pennsylvania, celebrated her 55th birthday on May 15 by drinking vodka all day, according to her boyfriend, David Rae. They also went out to dinner to mark the occasion, but after they returned home, Zowacki became angry that there were no gifts or cards or a cake. Next thing you know, Im getting stabbed, Rae told KDKA. He told Westmoreland County Police Zowacki came at him with a box cutter: She went to my neck, she says, Im going to kill you. She ended up cutting his arm. Then she destroyed his bedroom, throwing his TV to the floor and breaking his bed. She was charged with aggravated assault and spent the rest of her birthday in jail.

PrecociousA preschool student at St. Cyprian Childrens Center in Philadelphia arrived at school on May 14 with a little something extra in his pocket: a baggie containing 22 purple plastic bags of crack cocaine. Fox29 News reported that a teachers aide noticed the bulge in the 5-year-olds pocket and asked him to take the item out. He told her the person who had handed him the bag had asked him to hide it. Philadelphia police are investigating.

Cruise controlLeonard Olsen, 70, was arrested in Lakeland, Florida, on May 10 for reckless driving after an off-duty sheriffs deputy filmed him sitting on his sunroof while his Cadillac motored down the road at about 40 mph. When Florida Highway Patrol troopers asked him about riding on his sunroof, Olsen said he didnt know about that but later admitted that the car was on cruise control. The car drives itself and has a gigantic computer in it, he said, according to WTSP. I thought it would be a nice way to praise God for a minute ... and thats what I did. After his arrest, Olsen told officers he would rather be taken to jail than back to his wife, who treats (him) like a servant.

Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
NEW YORK (AP)  Memoirist no more? Its hard to believe, but Save Me the Plums just might be the last such narrative for Ruth Reichl.

Her latest, after Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples and a lifetimes worth of others, has Reichl taking on her decade as editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, and it comes nearly as long after the 70-year-old magazine was abruptly shut down on her watch.

This is Reichls side of the story, part ode to the friends she made at Gourmet (she thanks late publisher Si Newhouse) and part plain talk about 2009, the year of the end for the iconic monthly and a painful time for the magazine industry as a whole.

The multiple James Beard-winning and bestselling Reichl was credited with modernizing Gourmet while she was treated to a level of luxury served up by Conde Nast that took some getting used to. That after her stint  and disguises  as restaurant critic for The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

At 71, Reichl has been far from idle. Shes been at her typewriter, as always, putting out her first novel, Delicious!, and most recently a cookbook, My Kitchen Year. And shes been cooking, joyously, for the people who matter most, friends and family.

Oh, and she still tweets delectably to her 1.3 million followers: Its spring! Ecstatic birds flit through sunny skies. Deer leap through the woods. Hot biscuits. Strawberries. Happy.

Our conversation with Ruth Reichl:

AP: When did you start writing this book?

Reichl: I guess I kind of started writing it right after the magazine closed, or at least thinking about writing it at that point. I was so devastated. It took me a while. But I then decided I would write a novel first, that I would just go away and imagine myself into another place. It actually worked. I had a lot of fun writing that novel and just leaving reality behind.

Maybe three years ago I thought, now its time. Its time to write the Gourmet book.

AP: You transformed Gourmet. How did Gourmet transform you?

Reichl: I went in there as kind of a Cinderella. I was an ordinary person and suddenly I am dropped into this place where anything is possible, and you live like a rich person for a while. You have hair and makeup people show up at your house in the morning and fluff you for the day. Its really, really fun and its kind of exciting.

But I got to this point where I realized what really mattered to me was the magazine, my staff, the wonderful things that we could do there. The rest of that stuff was just unnecessary.

AP: You took a transformative, on-the-cheap trip to Paris near the end. You hearkened back to your hippie past at Berkeley and flew economy for the first time in a long while. When was the last time you flew economy as you did on that trip?

Reichl: Uh, this morning. Otherwise its a lot of money for a few hours. I was on stage the other night and somebody was talking about Uber and I said its really cheap if you do Uber Pool. And he looked at me and he said boy, you really still are a Berkeley hippie, arent you?

AP: Do you miss being a boss?

Reichl: I miss that enormous pleasure of the collaboration and what happens when you work with a group of people and somebody has an idea and somebody else takes it and says I can make it better. As a group, you build something. I miss that. I really miss that.

AP: How has the experience of cooking changed for you now that youre a civilian?

Reichl: I find a deeper pleasure. Being someone who spends most of my time writing means I have time to cook. Being at Gourmet I was really trying to balance family life and work life. There were times when I would not even take my coat off before I was throwing things into the pan.

I still gain enormous amounts of pleasure from cooking.

AP: Do you have a favorite thing to cook?

Reichl: I mostly cook for other people. I get up in the morning and I say to my husband, what do you want for dinner? That gives me great pleasure. If people are coming over I think, oh, Peter really loves blueberry pie, so Ill make a blueberry pie.

AP: What does Ruth like to cook just for Ruth?

Reichl: So much of cooking for me is about aroma. I love the way chicken soup smells when its cooking. It fills the house and calms you down. Thats a real pleasure for me.

AP: Do you make matzo balls?

Reichl: Ive never made a matzo ball in my life.

AP: So whats next?

Reichl: Im about to write another novel and I have a contract to write a third.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
CEDAR FALLS  Two area students are among the 161 high school seniors named in the 55th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars.

Recognized are Astoria Chao of Cedar Falls High School and Megan Niewoehner of Sumner-Fredericksburg High School.

The honor recognizes accomplishments in academics, the arts and career and technical education fields.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.

A 2019 ceremony will be held June 23, when each honoree will receive a Presidential Scholar Medallion.

Other Iowa students honored are Colin McDonald of Tiffin and Jaxon Mullinnix of Lone Tree.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
CEDAR FALLS  Ten years ago, two Cedar Falls sisters, Tehya, 9, and Aaliyah, 6, plopped a box of cookies on a card table, made a pitcher of lemonade and eagerly awaited a customer or two.

A few hours later, the Tournier girls shocked themselves and their parents as they made $200 on their pop-up refreshment stand. But putting their hard-earned cash in their pockets never crossed their mind. Instead, they donated all of it to the American Cancer Society in honor of their grandfather who died of lung cancer. Then they did it again the next year and the year after that.

This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the girls bake sale, which has raised thousands of dollars for area charities and has exploded into a three-day event.

Its really just so amazing there are so many people wanting to help and donate their time to spreading awareness for important causes, Tehya said.

As more family and friends volunteered their baked goods or time to the event, the girls extended their donations to another cause important to them and their family: suicide prevention and awareness. In 2013, they began donating a portion of the proceeds to Alive & Running Iowa, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about suicide with annual 5K run/walk.

Weve all just kind of come together with our groups from Team Strassburg for the American Cancer Society and Team Forever 21 for Alive & Running, so it just keeps getting bigger and bigger each year, Tehya said.

Their $200 quickly turned into $1,200 per event. Which again is so amazing while becoming a teenager, youre just realizing the value of money, Tehya said.

Now 19 and a freshman at Iowa State University, Tehya said her role models always have been her parents, who taught the importance of volunteering. Melanie and Darin Tournier have been longtime volunteers and participants of events for the Cedar Valley, including the local chapter of Make-A-Wish, Relay for Life and Alive & Running.

My parents are very good examples and very humble, and they just taught my siblings and I to always give, give, give  its not about what you get back, Tehya said. So I think getting older its made me lead by example for the other kids, and I just want to help people.

Tehya also launched #Lets Start Talking while she was a senior in the fall of 2017 at Cedar Falls High School. It started as a slogan she used on social media to start conversations to make people aware of the signs, symptoms and dangers of mental illness and suicide.

Lets Start Talking is now an annual event she hosts in collaboration with Alive & Running. The free public event provides stories from those impacted by suicide and resources and tools for those who are struggling or are close to someone who is. January was her second annual event.

Aaliyah formed Furries 4 Fosters in 2015, a nonprofit group she started when she was 12 to give stuffed animals to kids in need.

Theyre the kids in the front line doing all the work, and Darin and I just support them as much as they can, said Melanie Tournier. The biggest reward is just being able to do this as a family.

In addition to homemade goodies and treats this year are several gift baskets from area businesses, including SingleSpeed Brewing Co., Marcus Theaters, The Other Place and Horny Toads.

Raffle winners will be announced at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Were just really trying to hit the $2,000 mark and just donate a lot and spread some awareness, Tehya said. Im super grateful for everyone that has supported it through the years, Tehya said.

The annual Alive & Running 5K Run/Walk is set for June 14-15 in Dunkerton. For more information, go to www.aliveandrunningiowa.com.

For more information on the groups Tehya and Aaliyahs organizations, search for Lets Start Talking and Furries 4 Fosters on Facebook.

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.
Help India!

TCN News

A local court in Muzafarnagar has acquitted 11 persons accused who were among the mobs that set houses on fire and looted valuables in Lisadh village in Muzafarnagar in 2013.

Support TwoCircles



The additional District Sessions Judge Sanjive Kumar Tiwari acquitted the 13 persons, two of whom died while the case was going on, for lack of evidence. They were charged for arson (section 436 of IPC) and dacoity (section 395 of IPC) but the complainant Suleman and his sons, also the prime witnesses in the case turned hostile.

In his complaint, Suleman had said that after the riots broke out a mob entered his house shouting insulting and offensive slogans and ransacking the house took away cash, jewellery and other valuables and then set ablaze the house. Fearing for their life Suleman and his family fled to the neighbouring village and took shelter there in a rescue camp.

The riots that broke out in September 2013 killed nearly 60 people and displaced around 40,000 persons in villages of Muzafarnagar and other districts. The Special investigation team later probed 510 cases and had filed charges against 175 cases. The Uttar Pradesh Government headed by Yogi Adityanath sanctioned the withdrawal of 38 cases acquitting at least 100 accused persons this year in February 2019.
CEDAR FALLS  Green Drinks Cedar Valley will host its monthly meeting starting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Octopus on College Hill.

Discussion will focus on Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, their efforts here within Black Hawk County, and the fight for clean water for all of Iowa's residents. Ava Auen-Ryan with Iowa CCI will present and lead the discussion.

Green Drinks is an international organization to get like-minded people together to talk about community/world issues involving the environment. Typically, a special guest will kick off conversation the first Thursday of each month.

Humane society

reduces fees

WATERLOO  In celebration of National Adopt a Shelter Cat Month, the Cedar Bend Humane Society is reducing adoption fees for all cats and kittens to $10 for June.

CBHS currently has limited space available to house the large influx of kittens.

All cats and kittens are vaccinated, microchipped, FIK tested and altered. A spay or neuter deposit may apply for young kittens.

The adoption center is at 1166 W. Airline Highway. Adoption applications may be filled out online at www.CedarBendHumane.org.

5K run/walk set

in La Porte City

LA PORTE CITY  The La Porte City Festival of Trails 5K Run/Walk will take place June 15.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, this will be the second year funds raised will help award a scholarship to a student or students continuing their education in the field of teaching.

Check http://lpclions.com for more information.

Altrusa chapter

meets Thursday

CEDAR FALLS -- The Cedar Falls Altrusa International Chapter will meet at noon Thursday at NewAldaya Lifescapes in the large conference room, via the main/front entrance.

Members will discuss offices, fall brunch planning and more.

Altrusa is an international service organization. Cedar Falls Altrusa strives to promote women's concerns in meeting the challenges of the workplace, career development, home and family, as well as personal growth and community responsibility.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
WATERLOO  A stray bullet caused a natural gas release in a Waterloo neighborhood on Thursday.

Residents called the fire department around 7:45 p.m. after noticing an odor and hearing the hiss of gas escaping from B&R Meats, 200 Park Road.

Firefighters shut off gas service to the building, and MidAmerican Energy workers discovered a bullet had damaged the meter when they arrived.

Police were called to investigate. No injuries were reported.

It wasn't clear when the shooting happened.

Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 3
WATERLOO -- Two men were charged after police say they found more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine and more than $15,000 in cash in several raids in Waterloo this week.

In a case involving the FBI as well as the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Iowa Division of Narcotics, "several" search warrants were executed "in the Waterloo area" on May 29 and 30, according to Waterloo Police Maj. Joe Leibold.

Leibold declined more specifics, including how many places were searched and the specific locations searched.

As a result of the raids, "over" 20 pounds of methamphetamine -- which has an approximate street value of more than $400,000, according to Leibold -- and more than $15,000 in cash were seized, according to police.

"That's a substantial amount of methamphetamine," Leibold said.

David James Wade, 53, of Waterloo, was charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 5 grams of methamphetamine, and failure to affix drug tax stamp, both felonies.

Malik Sekou Sahid Buchanan, 39, of Burlington, was charged with conspiracy to distribute more than 5 grams of methamphetamine, a felony.

Other charges are pending, police said.

Investigators were assisted by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Cedar Rapids Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Love 10 Funny 8 Wow 10 Sad 9 Angry 9

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.
WATERLOO  A farmer is asking the Iowa Supreme Court to stop a planned wind energy project in southern Black Hawk County.

Harold Youngblut filed an appeal Thursday challenging District Court Judge Kellyann Lekars April 29 ruling in favor of Washburn Wind Energys 35-turbine wind farm.

The notice filed by Youngbluts attorney, John Holmes, claims the district court erred when it failed to allow Youngblut and others to testify the turbine locations are currently used for agricultural purposes as defined in the county zoning ordinance.

The county Board of Adjustment voted 3-2 last year to approve a special permit for the wind farm in Eagle Township east of Hudson despite heavy opposition from nearby homeowners, who voiced concerns about their health, property values and quality of life.

Youngblut sued, claiming the county boards action violated the county zoning ordinance.

But Lekar found the board acted in accordance with the zoning ordinances and the Iowa Code; its decision is supported by substantial evidence and the decision is not unreasonable, arbitrary or capricious.

Meanwhile, more than 30 landowners who stand to benefit by leasing their land for the turbines have intervened in the lawsuit to protect their interests.

An attorney representing the landowners previously indicated they may ask the courts to require Youngblut to post a bond to cover their potential losses should Youngblut fail to prevail on the appeal.

Washburn Wind Energy officials said the legal action has prevented them from finding buyers for the project to date. The company, a subsidiary of RPM Access, of DeSoto, has less than one year left to begin construction under the special permit approved by the Board of Adjustment.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1
The last few weeks have seen a landslide of laws passed that impact the health and reproductive rights of women and others who could become pregnant. Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, and Louisiana, along with eight other states, have passed laws focused on restricting abortion access, some all but outright banning abortion. These decisions have the potential to pave the way for other laws, ones that could impact the Pagan community negatively.

The Supreme Court of United States recently issued a decision regarding an Indiana law regulating how fetal tissue resulting from an abortion is disposed of. The Supreme Court upheld the Indiana law (HEA 1337) requiring that fetal remains from an abortion be given a burial or cremated. This reversed the decision of the lower courts that the burial or cremation provision served no legitimate purpose. While the decision does not directly challenge the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision, it does add another restriction for abortion providers, and continues to undermine abortion rights.

By imposing these kinds of restrictions on clinics that perform abortions, the Supreme Court has further limited access  not only by increasing costs, but by adding an extra psychological burden for those who seek to terminate a pregnancy. According to Planned Parenthood, this measure also has the potential to shame and stigmatize women and families.

While this ruling is limited, said Jennifer Dalven, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the law is part of a larger trend of state laws designed to stigmatize and drive abortion care out of reach. Whether its a total ban or a law designed to shut down clinics, politicians are lining up to decimate access to abortion.

The ACLU and Planned Parenthood have been on the front lines of fighting for womens reproductive health for decades. In 2013, The Satanic Temple joined the fight and is one of the few Pagan-adjacent organizations that has been front and center in the fight for religious freedom and bodily autonomy. They issued a statement soon after the ruling was handed down, declaring immunity for their members from HEA 1337 by citing one of their core tenets being the inviolability of ones body.

If there is a bright spot to be found in this most recent ruling, it is the Supreme Courts refusal to consider reinstating Indianas ban on abortions performed because of fetal disability or the sex or race of the fetus.

Another positive outcome came today: a judge in Missouri ruled against the state, issuing a temporary restraining order preventing the state of Missouri from forcing the closure of the last facility that performs abortions. The state had threatened to shut down Planned Parenthood by refusing to renew its license. Planned Parenthood will face off against the state again in court on Tuesday morning. What the outcome might be is anyones guess. If the clinic closes it will make Missouri the first state since 1974 to not have any facilities that offer abortion services.

The trend of the courts and the actions of many state legislatures should be a warning. Right now, their focus is on restricting reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights. The far-right conservatives are playing a long game, and have been for some time. They are chipping away, bit by at times seemingly insignificant bit, rights and protections for women and others who may become pregnant. Anyone who thinks they will stop there is clearly not paying attention.

The umbrella of Paganism and Pagan-adjacent beliefs offers shelter to those who are most at risk from the ire of far right. We represent every single thing they believe is wrong in the world  a womans right to choose, a persons right to change their gender, marriage equality, and consent culture. Perhaps worst of all, most of us dont recognize their god and savior beyond acknowledging that they have a right to worship whoever they please. Everything we collectively believe in and practice flies in the face of their own beliefs.

It is easy to believe that we are forever protected by the first amendment to believe and practice as we choose. And yet, we have seen in the last two decades more of these attempts at the chipping away of our fundamental rights, as we have seen with reproductive rights. There have been attacks on the free press, state legislatures restricting right to assembly laws, and perhaps most importantly, states promoting one religion over another by allowing monuments to Christianity to be placed government property.

If the progression of our state and federal government is allowed to continue on its current hard-right, conservative trajectory, sooner or later, we are going to wake up in a world where we can no longer practice our beliefs. While this may sound alarmist to some, we have no further to look than Missouri, a state where the single operating clinic that provides abortion services is facing being shut down by the state. Even if by some miracle the lone clinic survives, it still means that a pregnant rape survivor might have to travel the length or breadth of the state in order to exercise her right to make decisions about her own body.

If we want to continue to enjoy our freedoms, we need to be aware, and more importantly, be willing to stand up and fight for our fundamental rights. We need to vote. We need to speak out while we still can. Whether by signing a petition, attending a demonstration, or flooding our representatives offices with phone calls, emails, or letters, the time to silent and passive is past. Reproductive rights matter, if even to those who dont have a uterus, because efforts to restrict those rights are like the proverbial canary in a toxic coalmine.
past daily news Sep 13 (1) Sep 09 (15) Sep 06 (12) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (10) Aug 31 (17) Aug 29 (14) Aug 26 (13) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (12) Aug 19 (21) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (10) Aug 10 (10) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (10) Aug 06 (10) Aug 05 (8) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (14) Jul 29 (1) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (10) Jul 22 (11) Jul 19 (16) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (10) Jul 15 (13) Jul 12 (7) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (11) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (8) Jun 28 (7) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (8) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (9) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (9) Jun 18 (8) Jun 15 (9) Jun 13 (13) Jun 11 (11) Jun 09 (19) Jun 06 (10) Jun 04 (10) Jun 03 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (5) May 30 (5) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (7) May 26 (6) May 25 (4) May 23 (6) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (7) May 19 (9) May 18 (4) May 17 (6) May 16 (5) May 15 (7) May 14 (3) May 13 (3) May 12 (9) May 10 (3) May 09 (7) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (5) May 05 (8) May 03 (9) May 02 (1) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (8) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (1) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (2) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (2) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (2) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (7) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (6) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (10) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (5) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (7) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (8) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (12) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (8) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (8) Feb 28 (7) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (6) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (1) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (2) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (6) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (2) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (1) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (8) Jan 30 (2) Jan 29 (4) Jan 28 (1) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (4) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (2) Jan 20 (2) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (2) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (6) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (1) Dec 31 (5) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (2) Dec 17 (1) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (2) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (2) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (1) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (5) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (10) Nov 28 (6) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (6) Nov 19 (2) Nov 18 (5) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (4) Nov 10 (5) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (9) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (6) Oct 22 (4) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (4) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (1) Oct 06 (10) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (1) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (5) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (5) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (6) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (5) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (8) Sep 05 (6) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (5) Aug 31 (8) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (6) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (7) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (7) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (8) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (4) Aug 08 (8) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (8) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (10) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (1) Jul 16 (10) Jul 14 (7) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (7) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (4) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (7) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (2) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (5) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (3) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (8) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (10) Jun 05 (14) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (6) Jun 02 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (7) May 30 (2) May 29 (7) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (4) May 25 (5) May 24 (4) May 23 (5) May 22 (5) May 21 (5) May 20 (3) May 19 (10) May 18 (6) May 17 (3) May 16 (6) May 15 (2) May 14 (3) May 13 (5) May 11 (1) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (4) May 07 (2) May 06 (4) May 05 (6) May 04 (5) May 03 (5) May 02 (1) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (7) Apr 28 (8) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (14) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (1) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (1) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (1) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (2) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (6) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (9) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (10) Mar 22 (9) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (11) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (6) Mar 07 (13) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (6) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (9) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (9) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (10) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (2) Feb 03 (8) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (5) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (7) Jan 26 (8) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (12) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (8) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (7) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (9) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (8) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (4) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (5) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (1) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (10) Dec 13 (7) Dec 12 (12) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (6) Dec 08 (7) Dec 07 (12) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (13) Dec 04 (6) Dec 02 (8) Dec 01 (8) Nov 30 (6) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (8) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (11) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (7) Nov 17 (6) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (5) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (14) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (11) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (10) Nov 01 (8) Oct 31 (12) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (13) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (8) Oct 22 (5) Oct 21 (11) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (5) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (10) Oct 12 (11) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (10) Oct 09 (7) Oct 08 (5) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (14) Oct 04 (9) Oct 03 (12) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (9) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (7) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (10) Sep 21 (12) Sep 20 (12) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (11) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (8) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (10) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (9) Sep 07 (8) Sep 06 (11) Sep 05 (2) Sep 04 (8) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (9) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (2) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (6) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (6) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (7) Aug 06 (7) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (11) Aug 02 (6) Aug 01 (9) Jul 31 (11) Jul 28 (7) Jul 27 (11) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (1) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (2) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (8) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (7) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (5) Jul 06 (6) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (6) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (3) Jun 30 (8) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (7) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (8) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (8) Jun 06 (7) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (7) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (9) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (8) May 30 (7) May 29 (5) May 28 (5) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (3) May 23 (5) May 22 (2) May 21 (3) May 20 (7) May 19 (11) May 18 (1) May 17 (7) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (4) May 11 (11) May 10 (2) May 09 (6) May 08 (6) May 07 (2) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (8) May 02 (4) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (13) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (7) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (2) Apr 23 (7) Apr 22 (9) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (2) Apr 19 (2) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (6) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (2) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (6) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (9) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (6) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (8) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (10) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (6) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (6) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (9) Feb 24 (11) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (7) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (6) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (2) Feb 12 (5) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (10) Feb 08 (9) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (2) Feb 05 (9) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (7) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (7) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (14) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (10) Jan 18 (11) Jan 17 (9) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (10) Jan 06 (8) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (9) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (5) Jan 01 (14) Dec 30 (13) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (5) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (7) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (5) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (9) Dec 16 (8) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (17) Dec 09 (8) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (10) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (7) Nov 30 (9) Nov 29 (6) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (15) Nov 24 (7) Nov 23 (15) Nov 22 (9) Nov 21 (6) Nov 20 (11) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (13) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (7) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (13) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (8) Nov 03 (9) Nov 02 (8) Nov 01 (6) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (15) Oct 26 (10) Oct 25 (10) Oct 24 (13) Oct 23 (9) Oct 21 (8) Oct 20 (13) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (8) Oct 16 (14) Oct 14 (9) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (13) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (15) Oct 07 (7) Oct 06 (11) Oct 05 (18) Oct 04 (14) Oct 03 (1) Oct 02 (10) Sep 30 (11) Sep 29 (11) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (15) Sep 26 (7) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (17) Sep 20 (20) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (11) Sep 16 (10) Sep 15 (12) Sep 14 (9) Sep 13 (12) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (8) Sep 09 (9) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (13) Sep 06 (15) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (10) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (12) Aug 31 (14) Aug 30 (14) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (8) Aug 27 (9) Aug 26 (12) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (6) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (11) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (7) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (5) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (9) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (8) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (6) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (6) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (15) Jul 15 (14) Jul 14 (5) Jul 13 (6) Jul 12 (12) Jul 11 (8) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (10) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (10) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (7) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (11) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (14) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (8) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (11) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (16) Jun 03 (8) Jun 02 (12) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (7) May 30 (15) May 28 (7) May 27 (5) May 26 (21) May 25 (14) May 24 (10) May 23 (7) May 22 (8) May 21 (11) May 20 (5) May 19 (4) May 18 (10) May 17 (11) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (7) May 13 (12) May 12 (10) May 11 (7) May 10 (13) May 09 (4) May 08 (7) May 07 (3) May 06 (6) May 05 (9) May 04 (14) May 03 (7) May 02 (10) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (5) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (8) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (14) Apr 22 (16) Apr 21 (11) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (16) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (8) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (11) Apr 12 (10) Apr 11 (8) Apr 10 (12) Apr 09 (5) Apr 08 (13) Apr 07 (9) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (15) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (15) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (11) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (10) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (12) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (8) Mar 24 (7) Mar 23 (15) Mar 22 (17) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (8) Mar 19 (4) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (19) Mar 15 (13) Mar 14 (7) Mar 13 (20) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (13) Mar 08 (13) Mar 07 (7) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (16) Mar 02 (16) Mar 01 (13) Feb 29 (8) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (16) Feb 26 (10) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (12) Feb 23 (14) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (8) Feb 19 (12) Feb 18 (12) Feb 17 (11) Feb 16 (8) Feb 15 (9) Feb 14 (7) Feb 13 (10) Feb 12 (11) Feb 11 (13) Feb 10 (5) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (13) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (7) Feb 02 (19) Jan 31 (21) Jan 29 (11) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (13) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (2) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (13) Jan 21 (11) Jan 20 (9) Jan 19 (13) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (11) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (13) Jan 13 (9) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (7) Jan 08 (7) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (7) Jan 04 (7) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (8) Jan 01 (5) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (9) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (1) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (6) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (7) Dec 19 (13) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (10) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (11) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (9) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (10) Dec 08 (13) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (12) Dec 05 (8) Dec 04 (11) Dec 03 (12) Dec 02 (16) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (11) Nov 28 (15) Nov 27 (16) Nov 26 (11) Nov 25 (9) Nov 24 (13) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (1) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (11) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (10) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (10) Nov 13 (14) Nov 12 (8) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (11) Nov 06 (12) Nov 05 (17) Nov 04 (12) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (12) Oct 31 (11) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (10) Oct 28 (18) Oct 27 (16) Oct 26 (11) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (12) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (12) Oct 20 (17) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (15) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (10) Oct 14 (16) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (12) Oct 09 (21) Oct 08 (22) Oct 07 (19) Oct 06 (18) Oct 05 (6) Oct 04 (17) Oct 03 (13) Oct 02 (14) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (14) Sep 29 (15) Sep 28 (12) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (15) Sep 25 (13) Sep 24 (9) Sep 23 (10) Sep 22 (12) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (12) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (16) Sep 16 (21) Sep 15 (14) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (10) Sep 11 (16) Sep 10 (7) Sep 09 (8) Sep 08 (10) Sep 07 (7) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (8) Sep 04 (9) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (10) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (14) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (13) Aug 20 (9) Aug 19 (13) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (8) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (12) Aug 11 (9) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (14) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (1) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (2) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (6) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (6) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (9) Jul 14 (2) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (1) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (13) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (7) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (9) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (3) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (7) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (11) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (2) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (8) Jun 03 (9) Jun 02 (6) Jun 01 (4) May 30 (7) May 29 (9) May 28 (13) May 26 (8) May 25 (5) May 24 (2) May 23 (8) May 22 (9) May 21 (7) May 20 (4) May 19 (6) May 18 (7) May 17 (8) May 15 (9) May 14 (5) May 13 (8) May 12 (6) May 11 (6) May 09 (7) May 08 (6) May 07 (11) May 06 (7) May 05 (4) May 04 (11) May 03 (5) May 02 (4) May 01 (9) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (9) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (10) Apr 22 (8) Apr 21 (9) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (6) Apr 10 (2) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (5) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (2) Apr 05 (2) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (7) Apr 02 (7) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (2) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (6) Mar 20 (9) Mar 19 (9) Mar 18 (8) Mar 17 (9) Mar 16 (7) Mar 15 (11) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (12) Mar 11 (9) Mar 10 (12) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (5) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (11) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (8) Feb 27 (9) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (8) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (10) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (7) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (2) Feb 14 (8) Feb 13 (12) Feb 12 (8) Feb 11 (10) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (2) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (11) Feb 03 (5) Feb 02 (7) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (12) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (8) Jan 26 (13) Jan 24 (8) Jan 23 (12) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (10) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (11) Jan 14 (4) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (6) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (6) Jan 06 (4) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (4) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (8) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (9) Dec 15 (7) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (10) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (10) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (9) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (10) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (1) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (9) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (7) Nov 25 (12) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (6) Nov 18 (10) Nov 17 (12) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (12) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (7) Nov 09 (6) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (9) Nov 03 (6) Nov 02 (14) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (9) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (8) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (2) Oct 19 (11) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (7) Oct 15 (7) Oct 14 (8) Oct 13 (5) Oct 12 (8) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (5) Oct 09 (11) Oct 08 (10) Oct 07 (8) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (8) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (10) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (7) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (8) Sep 26 (11) Sep 25 (11) Sep 24 (15) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (10) Sep 17 (10) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (8) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (11) Sep 03 (7) Sep 02 (7) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (6) Aug 24 (9) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (12) Aug 19 (8) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (8) Aug 11 (7) Aug 10 (12) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (8) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (4) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (6) Jul 30 (12) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (8) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (8) Jul 20 (6) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (8) Jul 17 (2) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (9) Jul 13 (10) Jul 11 (9) Jul 10 (8) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (7) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (7) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (1) Jun 27 (15) Jun 26 (10) Jun 25 (9) Jun 24 (16) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (12) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (7) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (13) Jun 12 (7) Jun 11 (14) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (2) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (16) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (18) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (8) May 31 (3) May 30 (6) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (4) May 25 (6) May 23 (4) May 22 (8) May 21 (5) May 20 (6) May 19 (2) May 18 (9) May 17 (1) May 16 (5) May 15 (5) May 14 (7) May 13 (7) May 12 (7) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (5) May 08 (10) May 07 (4) May 06 (13) May 05 (4) May 04 (10) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (9) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (9) Apr 24 (7) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (10) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (5) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (6) Apr 15 (7) Apr 14 (11) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (9) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (6) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (6) Apr 05 (10) Apr 03 (9) Apr 02 (9) Apr 01 (12) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (7) Mar 27 (8) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (11) Mar 23 (8) Mar 22 (7) Mar 21 (14) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (11) Mar 17 (12) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (8) Mar 14 (13) Mar 13 (8) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (8) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (3) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (15) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (12) Mar 02 (20) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (8) Feb 26 (11) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (14) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (8) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (8) Feb 16 (11) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (7) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (10) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (5) Jan 29 (2) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (2) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (7) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (4) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (7) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (4) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (6) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (1) Jan 05 (4) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (6) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (6) Dec 30 (1) Dec 29 (5) Dec 27 (1) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (8) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (1) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (8) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (4) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (7) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (2) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (9) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (2) Dec 01 (8) Nov 29 (5) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (5) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (5) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (12) Nov 20 (12) Nov 19 (10) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (8) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (7) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (12) Nov 11 (6) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (5) Nov 05 (9) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (10) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (11) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (7) Oct 25 (6) Oct 24 (7) Oct 23 (11) Oct 22 (2) Oct 21 (7) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (7) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (7) Oct 11 (20) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (21) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (34) Oct 04 (24) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (7) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (5) Sep 26 (6) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (2) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (9) Sep 19 (11) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (7) Sep 16 (6) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (8) Sep 12 (11) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (6) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (6) Sep 06 (10) Sep 05 (7) Sep 04 (7) Sep 03 (5) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (8) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (7) Aug 29 (10) Aug 28 (7) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (8) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (6) Aug 21 (8) Aug 20 (8) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (7) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (4) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (6) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (6) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (7) Jul 23 (10) Jul 22 (8) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (7) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (10) Jul 16 (11) Jul 15 (5) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (11) Jul 10 (12) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (8) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (10) Jul 04 (8) Jul 03 (10) Jul 02 (12) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (5) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (23) Jun 27 (18) Jun 26 (12) Jun 25 (14) Jun 24 (15) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (15) Jun 20 (9) Jun 19 (8) Jun 18 (11) Jun 17 (7) Jun 16 (6) Jun 15 (6) Jun 14 (6) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (9) Jun 10 (10) Jun 09 (9) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (2) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (8) May 24 (7) May 23 (6) May 22 (9) May 21 (6) May 20 (5) May 19 (6) May 18 (9) May 17 (10) May 16 (11) May 15 (5) May 14 (11) May 13 (6) May 12 (7) May 11 (7) May 10 (5) May 09 (3) May 08 (10) May 07 (8) May 06 (11) May 05 (5) May 04 (9) May 03 (3) May 02 (2) May 01 (5) Apr 30 (5) Apr 29 (8) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (4) Apr 26 (9) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (11) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (7) Apr 19 (10) Apr 18 (8) Apr 17 (10) Apr 16 (8) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (5) Apr 13 (7) Apr 12 (11) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (9) Apr 05 (10) Apr 04 (7) Apr 03 (2) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (4) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (7) Mar 22 (6) Mar 21 (9) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (9) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (8) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (10) Mar 12 (10) Mar 11 (2) Mar 10 (1) Mar 09 (6) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (9) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (7) Feb 24 (3) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (2) Feb 17 (1) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (4) Feb 12 (7) Feb 11 (2) Feb 10 (2) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (5) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (4) Feb 05 (9) Feb 04 (3) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (10) Feb 01 (9) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (8) Jan 29 (5) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (6) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (3) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (8) Jan 15 (7) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (1) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (1) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (2) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (4) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (8) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (4) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (7) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (6) Dec 17 (4) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (8) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (8) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (4) Dec 08 (4) Dec 07 (7) Dec 06 (7) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (7) Dec 02 (1) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (2) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (16) Nov 27 (7) Nov 26 (5) Nov 25 (2) Nov 24 (6) Nov 23 (5) Nov 22 (5) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (15) Nov 19 (8) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (7) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (7) Nov 11 (8) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (5) Nov 08 (8) Nov 07 (9) Nov 06 (9) Nov 05 (1) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (8) Nov 02 (6) Nov 01 (3) Oct 31 (6) Oct 30 (7) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (8) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (1) Oct 22 (6) Oct 21 (1) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (6) Oct 18 (10) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (15) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (5) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (7) Oct 10 (1) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (8) Sep 29 (6) Sep 28 (13) Sep 27 (10) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (8) Sep 24 (8) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (9) Sep 20 (7) Sep 19 (8) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (8) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (7) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (9) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (10) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (15) Sep 04 (5) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (9) Aug 31 (7) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (8) Aug 28 (11) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (6) Aug 25 (15) Aug 24 (6) Aug 23 (8) Aug 22 (5) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (7) Aug 19 (2) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (9) Aug 12 (4) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (7) Aug 07 (9) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (9) Aug 01 (10) Jul 31 (11) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (11) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (8) Jul 22 (5) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (6) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (7) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (8) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (14) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (5) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (9) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (8) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (14) Jun 22 (11) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (7) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (3) Jun 16 (12) Jun 15 (12) Jun 14 (10) Jun 13 (10) Jun 12 (9) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (12) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (12) Jun 06 (6) Jun 05 (7) Jun 04 (6) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (8) May 28 (7) May 27 (4) May 26 (3) May 25 (5) May 24 (9) May 23 (16) May 22 (12) May 21 (11) May 20 (7) May 19 (10) May 18 (8) May 17 (8) May 16 (10) May 15 (8) May 14 (5) May 13 (1) May 12 (6) May 11 (9) May 10 (9) May 09 (10) May 08 (9) May 07 (6) May 06 (5) May 05 (7) May 04 (10) May 03 (7) May 02 (9) May 01 (10) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (9) Apr 28 (12) Apr 27 (9) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (5) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (7) Apr 21 (8) Apr 20 (9) Apr 19 (6) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (2) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (10) Apr 14 (7) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (7) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (7) Apr 07 (10) Apr 06 (8) Apr 05 (8) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (4) Mar 31 (11) Mar 30 (12) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (10) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (9) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (12) Mar 20 (14) Mar 19 (8) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (9) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (8) Mar 08 (10) Mar 07 (12) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (2) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (8) Feb 29 (11) Feb 28 (5) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (13) Feb 25 (10) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (10) Feb 22 (9) Feb 21 (18) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (9) Feb 17 (5) Feb 16 (9) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (8) Feb 09 (5) Feb 08 (8) Feb 07 (10) Feb 06 (7) Feb 05 (7) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (12) Jan 30 (7) Jan 29 (7) Jan 28 (7) Jan 27 (12) Jan 26 (7) Jan 25 (11) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (8) Jan 21 (12) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (6) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (11) Jan 16 (9) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (6) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (9) Jan 10 (10) Jan 09 (5) Jan 08 (10) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (6) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (8) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (10) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (10) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (5) Dec 24 (7) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (9) Dec 21 (8) Dec 20 (8) Dec 19 (5) Dec 18 (1) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (6) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (13) Dec 13 (8) Dec 12 (7) Dec 11 (9) Dec 10 (12) Dec 09 (7) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (9) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (10) Dec 04 (6) Dec 03 (8) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (14) Nov 30 (7) Nov 29 (8) Nov 28 (8) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (9) Nov 25 (10) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (10) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (8) Nov 17 (9) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (12) Nov 14 (6) Nov 13 (9) Nov 12 (3) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (10) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (7) Nov 07 (8) Nov 06 (10) Nov 05 (8) Nov 04 (7) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (11) Nov 01 (10) Oct 31 (5) Oct 30 (8) Oct 29 (8) Oct 28 (8) Oct 27 (11) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (9) Oct 24 (10) Oct 23 (5) Oct 22 (14) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (8) Oct 19 (11) Oct 18 (13) Oct 17 (7) Oct 16 (6) Oct 15 (9) Oct 14 (7) Oct 13 (12) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (9) Oct 10 (8) Oct 09 (9) Oct 08 (7) Oct 07 (12) Oct 06 (8) Oct 05 (13) Oct 04 (11) Oct 03 (7) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (14) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (12) Sep 28 (11) Sep 27 (11) Sep 26 (7) Sep 25 (10) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (7) Sep 22 (8) Sep 21 (8) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (7) Sep 18 (5) Sep 17 (14) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (11) Sep 14 (13) Sep 13 (11) Sep 12 (9) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (13) Sep 08 (11) Sep 07 (11) Sep 06 (16) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (8) Sep 02 (8) Sep 01 (7) Aug 31 (1) Aug 30 (6) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (6) Aug 26 (8) Aug 25 (5) Aug 24 (5) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (7) Aug 21 (6) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (9) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (7) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (8) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (12) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (7) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (13) Jul 28 (10) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (7) Jul 25 (7) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (12) Jul 22 (14) Jul 21 (6) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (12) Jul 18 (9) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (6) Jul 15 (8) Jul 14 (15) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (10) Jul 11 (6) Jul 10 (6) Jul 09 (6) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (9) Jul 06 (15) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (10) Jul 03 (6) Jul 02 (6) Jul 01 (11) Jun 30 (7) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (5) Jun 25 (11) Jun 24 (9) Jun 23 (10) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (8) Jun 20 (6) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (15) Jun 17 (8) Jun 16 (13) Jun 15 (15) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (6) Jun 12 (15) Jun 11 (7) Jun 10 (7) Jun 09 (18) Jun 08 (20) Jun 07 (17) Jun 06 (9) Jun 05 (9) Jun 04 (12) Jun 03 (13) Jun 02 (14) Jun 01 (8) May 31 (13) May 30 (8) May 29 (6) May 28 (8) May 27 (17) May 26 (8) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (9) May 22 (4) May 21 (4) May 20 (11) May 19 (14) May 18 (6) May 17 (10) May 16 (4) May 15 (5) May 14 (28) May 12 (9) May 11 (17) May 10 (15) May 09 (12) May 08 (5) May 07 (4) May 06 (10) May 05 (8) May 04 (10) May 03 (5) May 02 (6) May 01 (8) Apr 30 (8) Apr 29 (12) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (12) Apr 25 (6) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (5) Apr 22 (10) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (13) Apr 19 (11) Apr 18 (11) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (11) Apr 14 (17) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (16) Apr 11 (10) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (18) Apr 08 (14) Apr 07 (6) Apr 06 (10) Apr 05 (21) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (13) Apr 01 (8) Mar 31 (10) Mar 30 (11) Mar 29 (10) Mar 28 (8) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (12) Mar 25 (15) Mar 24 (10) Mar 23 (12) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (8) Mar 20 (4) Mar 19 (11) Mar 18 (7) Mar 17 (7) Mar 16 (9) Mar 15 (10) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (14) Mar 11 (13) Mar 10 (7) Mar 09 (9) Mar 08 (17) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (7) Mar 05 (13) Mar 04 (10) Mar 03 (14) Mar 02 (12) Mar 01 (18) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (2) Feb 26 (9) Feb 25 (13) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (13) Feb 22 (12) Feb 21 (11) Feb 20 (11) Feb 19 (16) Feb 18 (17) Feb 17 (15) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (15) Feb 14 (10) Feb 13 (8) Feb 12 (10) Feb 11 (15) Feb 10 (11) Feb 09 (13) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (9) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (15) Feb 04 (15) Feb 03 (11) Feb 02 (14) Feb 01 (15) Jan 31 (11) Jan 30 (9) Jan 29 (19) Jan 28 (9) Jan 27 (9) Jan 26 (16) Jan 25 (19) Jan 24 (17) Jan 23 (8) Jan 22 (15) Jan 21 (9) Jan 20 (11) Jan 19 (7) Jan 18 (9) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (12) Jan 14 (9) Jan 13 (14) Jan 12 (11) Jan 11 (13) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (20) Jan 07 (11) Jan 06 (11) Jan 05 (8) Jan 04 (14) Jan 03 (6) Jan 02 (7) Jan 01 (7) Dec 31 (14) Dec 30 (15) Dec 29 (7) Dec 28 (10) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (11) Dec 24 (9) Dec 23 (9) Dec 22 (15) Dec 21 (12) Dec 20 (11) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (16) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (12) Dec 15 (14) Dec 14 (11) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (10) Dec 10 (17) Dec 09 (11) Dec 08 (12) Dec 07 (16) Dec 06 (11) Dec 05 (5) Dec 04 (12) Dec 03 (15) Dec 02 (15) Dec 01 (12) Nov 30 (16) Nov 29 (7) Nov 28 (11) Nov 27 (13) Nov 26 (13) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (15) Nov 23 (10) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (8) Nov 19 (9) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (11) Nov 16 (11) Nov 15 (10) Nov 14 (9) Nov 13 (6) Nov 12 (10) Nov 11 (12) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (10) Nov 07 (6) Nov 06 (7) Nov 05 (12) Nov 04 (14) Nov 03 (10) Nov 02 (13) Nov 01 (9) Oct 31 (9) Oct 30 (11) Oct 29 (18) Oct 28 (13) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (12) Oct 25 (14) Oct 24 (20) Oct 22 (18) Oct 21 (18) Oct 20 (19) Oct 19 (12) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (5) Oct 16 (18) Oct 15 (8) Oct 14 (11) Oct 13 (9) Oct 12 (13) Oct 11 (6) Oct 10 (7) Oct 09 (27) Oct 08 (14) Oct 07 (10) Oct 06 (9) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (10) Oct 03 (6) Oct 02 (9) Oct 01 (13) Sep 30 (12) Sep 29 (13) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (9) Sep 26 (8) Sep 25 (14) Sep 24 (4) Sep 23 (14) Sep 22 (20) Sep 21 (11) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (9) Sep 18 (14) Sep 17 (8) Sep 16 (17) Sep 15 (6) Sep 14 (11) Sep 13 (9) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (7) Sep 10 (14) Sep 09 (12) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (12) Sep 06 (13) Sep 05 (9) Sep 04 (20) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (16) Sep 01 (10) Aug 31 (13) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (9) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (8) Aug 26 (11) Aug 25 (10) Aug 24 (14) Aug 23 (12) Aug 22 (13) Aug 21 (10) Aug 20 (13) Aug 19 (15) Aug 18 (8) Aug 17 (10) Aug 16 (8) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (11) Aug 13 (12) Aug 12 (15) Aug 11 (10) Aug 10 (17) Aug 09 (6) Aug 08 (13) Aug 07 (11) Aug 06 (13) Aug 05 (11) Aug 04 (11) Aug 03 (10) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (6) Jul 31 (10) Jul 30 (21) Jul 29 (14) Jul 28 (13) Jul 27 (16) Jul 26 (10) Jul 25 (15) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (15) Jul 21 (19) Jul 20 (17) Jul 19 (9) Jul 18 (7) Jul 17 (26) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (20) Jul 14 (16) Jul 13 (19) Jul 12 (11) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (13) Jul 09 (11) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (16) Jul 05 (9) Jul 04 (5) Jul 03 (15) Jul 02 (11) Jul 01 (14) Jun 30 (13) Jun 29 (19) Jun 28 (8) Jun 27 (9) Jun 26 (16) Jun 25 (22) Jun 24 (17) Jun 23 (11) Jun 22 (15) Jun 21 (14) Jun 20 (8) Jun 19 (17) Jun 18 (10) Jun 17 (10) Jun 16 (17) Jun 15 (13) Jun 14 (14) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (13) Jun 11 (15) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (10) Jun 08 (23) Jun 07 (14) Jun 06 (20) Jun 05 (10) Jun 04 (11) Jun 03 (12) Jun 02 (21) Jun 01 (14) May 31 (10) May 30 (14) May 29 (8) May 28 (23) May 27 (20) May 26 (16) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (10) May 22 (18) May 21 (14) May 20 (12) May 19 (18) May 18 (14) May 17 (13) May 16 (4) May 15 (7) May 14 (16) May 13 (13) May 12 (8) May 11 (18) May 10 (8) May 09 (7) May 08 (13) May 07 (11) May 06 (15) May 05 (18) May 04 (17) May 03 (7) May 02 (5) May 01 (11) Apr 30 (19) Apr 29 (21) Apr 28 (18) Apr 27 (16) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (11) Apr 24 (9) Apr 23 (20) Apr 22 (23) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (16) Apr 19 (13) Apr 18 (6) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (16) Apr 15 (18) Apr 14 (13) Apr 13 (14) Apr 12 (9) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (14) Apr 08 (12) Apr 07 (18) Apr 06 (7) Apr 05 (11) Apr 04 (9) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (16) Mar 31 (16) Mar 30 (22) Mar 29 (16) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (19) Mar 26 (31) Mar 25 (25) Mar 24 (26) Mar 23 (27) Mar 22 (22) Mar 21 (22) Mar 20 (13) Mar 19 (21) Mar 18 (20) Mar 17 (24) Mar 16 (18) Mar 15 (9) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (29) Mar 12 (15) Mar 11 (11) Mar 10 (11) Mar 09 (20) Mar 08 (12) Mar 07 (6) Mar 06 (21) Mar 05 (22) Mar 04 (19) Mar 03 (9) Mar 02 (20) Mar 01 (11) Feb 28 (11) Feb 27 (27) Feb 26 (15) Feb 25 (18) Feb 24 (17) Feb 23 (19) Feb 22 (24) Feb 21 (10) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (25) Feb 18 (16) Feb 17 (19) Feb 16 (23) Feb 15 (8) Feb 14 (11) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (16) Feb 11 (12) Feb 10 (18) Feb 09 (12) Feb 08 (14) Feb 07 (8) Feb 06 (27) Feb 05 (28) Feb 04 (24) Feb 03 (17) Feb 02 (20) Feb 01 (23) Jan 31 (16) Jan 30 (20) Jan 29 (26) Jan 28 (17) Jan 27 (21) Jan 26 (24) Jan 25 (16) Jan 24 (14) Jan 23 (16) Jan 22 (17) Jan 21 (19) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (17) Jan 18 (13) Jan 17 (14) Jan 16 (10) Jan 15 (21) Jan 14 (16) Jan 13 (19) Jan 12 (30) Jan 11 (14) Jan 10 (11) Jan 09 (8) Jan 08 (23) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (21) Jan 05 (15) Jan 04 (18) Jan 03 (9) Jan 02 (12) Jan 01 (15) Dec 31 (18) Dec 30 (7) Dec 29 (13) Dec 28 (11) Dec 27 (8) Dec 26 (6) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (28) Dec 23 (12) Dec 22 (12) Dec 21 (17) Dec 20 (19) Dec 19 (19) Dec 18 (22) Dec 17 (24) Dec 16 (17) Dec 15 (29) Dec 14 (22) Dec 13 (12) Dec 12 (22) Dec 11 (24) Dec 10 (25) Dec 09 (18) Dec 08 (15) Dec 07 (21) Dec 06 (24) Dec 05 (30) Dec 04 (28) Dec 03 (26) Dec 02 (22) Dec 01 (33) Nov 30 (23) Nov 29 (9) Nov 28 (18) Nov 27 (25) Nov 26 (17) Nov 25 (23) Nov 24 (27) Nov 23 (12) Nov 22 (10) Nov 21 (15) Nov 20 (23) Nov 19 (23) Nov 18 (24) Nov 17 (21) Nov 16 (20) Nov 15 (13) Nov 14 (15) Nov 13 (27) Nov 12 (23) Nov 11 (19) Nov 10 (21) Nov 09 (13) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (16) Nov 06 (32) Nov 05 (24) Nov 04 (20) Nov 03 (29) Nov 02 (12) Nov 01 (15) Oct 31 (20) Oct 30 (22) Oct 29 (27) Oct 28 (20) Oct 27 (23) Oct 26 (21) Oct 25 (15) Oct 24 (23) Oct 23 (26) Oct 22 (27) Oct 21 (28) Oct 20 (24) Oct 19 (13) Oct 18 (9) Oct 17 (30) Oct 16 (8) Oct 15 (20) Oct 14 (14) Oct 13 (17) Oct 12 (16) Oct 11 (8) Oct 10 (19) Oct 09 (22) Oct 08 (16) Oct 07 (18) Oct 06 (23) Oct 05 (7) Oct 04 (15) Oct 03 (21) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (22) Sep 30 (25) Sep 29 (20) Sep 28 (17) Sep 27 (13) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (15) Sep 24 (24) Sep 23 (23) Sep 22 (18) Sep 21 (20) Sep 20 (11) Sep 19 (24) Sep 18 (25) Sep 17 (25) Sep 16 (19) Sep 15 (21) Sep 14 (15) Sep 13 (10) Sep 12 (23) Sep 11 (23) Sep 10 (25) Sep 09 (25) Sep 08 (17) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (17) Sep 05 (14) Sep 04 (24) Sep 03 (16) Sep 02 (11) Sep 01 (19) Aug 31 (20) Aug 30 (11) Aug 29 (24) Aug 28 (24) Aug 27 (16) Aug 26 (26) Aug 25 (21) Aug 24 (15) Aug 23 (19) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (25) Aug 20 (27) Aug 19 (19) Aug 18 (24) Aug 17 (14) Aug 16 (10) Aug 15 (15) Aug 14 (16) Aug 13 (21) Aug 12 (30) Aug 11 (19) Aug 10 (8) Aug 09 (12) Aug 08 (17) Aug 07 (21) Aug 06 (26) Aug 05 (23) Aug 04 (21) Aug 03 (12) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (19) Jul 31 (21) Jul 30 (25) Jul 29 (29) Jul 28 (23) Jul 27 (17) Jul 26 (11) Jul 25 (21) Jul 24 (14) Jul 23 (15) Jul 22 (19) Jul 21 (15) Jul 20 (9) Jul 19 (10) Jul 18 (15) Jul 17 (22) Jul 16 (18) Jul 15 (21) Jul 14 (20) Jul 13 (7) Jul 12 (9) Jul 11 (29) Jul 10 (19) Jul 09 (17) Jul 08 (26) Jul 07 (21) Jul 06 (18) Jul 05 (14) Jul 04 (20) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (24) Jul 01 (23) Jun 30 (23) Jun 29 (18) Jun 28 (16) Jun 27 (16) Jun 26 (17) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (32) Jun 23 (29) Jun 22 (8) Jun 21 (17) Jun 20 (25) Jun 19 (28) Jun 18 (19) Jun 17 (25) Jun 16 (23) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (11) Jun 13 (14) Jun 12 (22) Jun 11 (19) Jun 10 (17) Jun 09 (15) Jun 08 (16) Jun 07 (7) Jun 06 (29) Jun 05 (27) Jun 04 (24) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (22) Jun 01 (13) May 31 (9) May 30 (26) May 29 (19) May 28 (15) May 27 (15) May 26 (23) May 25 (13) May 24 (12) May 23 (24) May 22 (13) May 21 (21) May 20 (18) May 19 (16) May 18 (7) May 17 (12) May 16 (25) May 15 (24) May 14 (23) May 13 (19) May 12 (17) May 11 (8) May 10 (6) May 09 (14) May 08 (21) May 07 (26) May 06 (14) May 05 (14) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (24) May 01 (13) Apr 30 (15) Apr 29 (24) Apr 28 (24) Apr 27 (11) Apr 26 (8) Apr 25 (13) Apr 24 (27) Apr 23 (15) Apr 22 (21) Apr 21 (19) Apr 20 (17) Apr 19 (8) Apr 18 (20) Apr 17 (27) Apr 16 (27) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (8) Apr 12 (7) Apr 11 (7) Apr 10 (22) Apr 09 (15) Apr 08 (15) Apr 07 (17) Apr 06 (14) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (12) Apr 03 (19) Apr 02 (17) Apr 01 (19) Mar 31 (25) Mar 30 (13) Mar 29 (9) Mar 28 (16) Mar 27 (23) Mar 26 (22) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (25) Mar 23 (16) Mar 22 (13) Mar 21 (24) Mar 20 (27) Mar 19 (20) Mar 18 (24) Mar 17 (17) Mar 16 (11) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (20) Mar 13 (28) Mar 12 (30) Mar 11 (20) Mar 10 (21) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (8) Mar 07 (17) Mar 06 (20) Mar 05 (19) Mar 04 (15) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (8) Mar 01 (12) Feb 28 (16) Feb 27 (17) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (23) Feb 24 (15) Feb 23 (8) Feb 22 (10) Feb 21 (24) Feb 20 (14) Feb 19 (24) Feb 18 (19) Feb 17 (27) Feb 16 (13) Feb 15 (11) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (13) Feb 12 (13) Feb 11 (21) Feb 10 (16) Feb 09 (15) Feb 08 (10) Feb 07 (17) Feb 06 (21) Feb 05 (17) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (23) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (8) Jan 31 (17) Jan 30 (22) Jan 29 (23) Jan 28 (10) Jan 27 (24) Jan 26 (12) Jan 25 (9) Jan 24 (12) Jan 23 (19) Jan 22 (19) Jan 21 (14) Jan 20 (21) Jan 19 (12) Jan 18 (8) Jan 17 (20) Jan 16 (14) Jan 15 (23) Jan 14 (8) Jan 13 (20) Jan 12 (9) Jan 11 (7) Jan 10 (18) Jan 09 (11) Jan 08 (18) Jan 07 (13) Jan 06 (12) Jan 05 (12) Jan 04 (11) Jan 03 (10) Jan 02 (9) Jan 01 (9) Dec 31 (12) Dec 30 (11) Dec 29 (6) Dec 28 (9) Dec 27 (13) Dec 26 (15) Dec 25 (8) Dec 24 (6) Dec 23 (8) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (6) Dec 20 (14) Dec 19 (17) Dec 18 (14) Dec 17 (14) Dec 16 (13) Dec 15 (9) Dec 14 (9) Dec 13 (11) Dec 12 (16) Dec 11 (18) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (24) Dec 08 (11) Dec 07 (19) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (26) Dec 04 (15) Dec 03 (20) Dec 02 (17) Dec 01 (11) Nov 30 (10) Nov 29 (18) Nov 28 (21) Nov 27 (10) Nov 26 (22) Nov 25 (16) Nov 24 (12) Nov 23 (8) Nov 22 (18) Nov 21 (9) Nov 20 (17) Nov 19 (16) Nov 18 (16) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (9) Nov 15 (21) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (20) Nov 12 (16) Nov 11 (13) Nov 10 (9) Nov 09 (10) Nov 08 (16) Nov 07 (15) Nov 06 (18) Nov 05 (19) Nov 04 (16) Nov 03 (11) Nov 02 (5) Nov 01 (17) Oct 31 (17) Oct 30 (21) Oct 29 (9) Oct 28 (16) Oct 27 (6) Oct 26 (6) Oct 25 (16) Oct 24 (18) Oct 23 (14) Oct 22 (17) Oct 21 (10) Oct 20 (6) Oct 19 (8) Oct 18 (11) Oct 17 (12) Oct 16 (14) Oct 15 (19) Oct 14 (15) Oct 13 (11) Oct 12 (9) Oct 11 (10) Oct 10 (23) Oct 09 (13) Oct 08 (15) Oct 07 (20) Oct 06 (13) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (16) Oct 03 (17) Oct 02 (17) Oct 01 (20) Sep 30 (17) Sep 29 (9) Sep 28 (8) Sep 27 (14) Sep 26 (20) Sep 25 (19) Sep 24 (13) Sep 23 (11) Sep 22 (9) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (21) Sep 18 (12) Sep 17 (20) Sep 16 (16) Sep 15 (10) Sep 14 (6) Sep 13 (18) Sep 12 (14) Sep 11 (24) Sep 10 (17) Sep 09 (16) Sep 08 (16) Sep 07 (10) Sep 06 (20) Sep 05 (13) Sep 04 (23) Sep 03 (14) Sep 02 (12) Sep 01 (11) Aug 31 (11) Aug 30 (13) Aug 29 (18) Aug 28 (14) Aug 27 (21) Aug 26 (10) Aug 25 (8) Aug 24 (10) Aug 23 (17) Aug 22 (15) Aug 21 (14) Aug 20 (20) Aug 19 (20) Aug 18 (7) Aug 17 (9) Aug 16 (11) Aug 15 (12) Aug 14 (14) Aug 13 (19) Aug 12 (14) Aug 11 (6) Aug 10 (12) Aug 09 (7) Aug 08 (18) Aug 07 (16) Aug 06 (16) Aug 05 (20) Aug 04 (12) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (12) Aug 01 (14) Jul 31 (16) Jul 30 (16) Jul 29 (11) Jul 28 (8) Jul 27 (9) Jul 26 (17) Jul 25 (20) Jul 24 (17) Jul 23 (11) Jul 22 (18) Jul 21 (7) Jul 20 (10) Jul 19 (14) Jul 18 (11) Jul 17 (15) Jul 16 (12) Jul 15 (10) Jul 14 (8) Jul 13 (8) Jul 12 (17) Jul 11 (18) Jul 10 (16) Jul 09 (13) Jul 08 (10) Jul 07 (12) Jul 06 (8) Jul 05 (16) Jul 04 (14) Jul 03 (17) Jul 02 (13) Jul 01 (16) Jun 30 (19) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (19) Jun 27 (21) Jun 26 (27) Jun 25 (23) Jun 24 (23) Jun 23 (12) Jun 22 (9) Jun 21 (18) Jun 20 (15) Jun 19 (24) Jun 18 (21) Jun 17 (13) Jun 16 (9) Jun 15 (9) Jun 14 (18) Jun 13 (24) Jun 12 (18) Jun 11 (23) Jun 10 (25) Jun 09 (24) Jun 08 (27) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (25) Jun 05 (30) Jun 04 (23) Jun 03 (22) Jun 02 (16) Jun 01 (17) May 31 (18) May 30 (19) May 29 (17) May 28 (23) May 27 (15) May 26 (10) May 25 (19) May 24 (16) May 23 (16) May 22 (27) May 21 (20) May 20 (26) May 19 (6) May 18 (8) May 17 (20) May 16 (8) May 15 (18) May 14 (5) May 13 (21) May 12 (9) May 11 (8) May 10 (12) May 09 (18) May 08 (11) May 07 (27) May 06 (12) May 05 (16) May 04 (19) May 03 (14) May 02 (18) May 01 (18) Apr 30 (25) Apr 29 (27) Apr 28 (11) Apr 27 (10) Apr 26 (18) Apr 25 (10) Apr 24 (29) Apr 23 (29) Apr 22 (14) Apr 21 (15) Apr 20 (20) Apr 19 (22) Apr 18 (16) Apr 17 (32) Apr 16 (12) Apr 15 (21) Apr 14 (21) Apr 13 (15) Apr 12 (13) Apr 11 (14) Apr 10 (16) Apr 09 (20) Apr 08 (36) Apr 07 (22) Apr 06 (11) Apr 05 (28) Apr 04 (20) Apr 03 (29) Apr 02 (32) Apr 01 (18) Mar 31 (12) Mar 30 (9) Mar 29 (15) Mar 28 (22) Mar 27 (24) Mar 26 (17) Mar 25 (17) Mar 24 (13) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (12) Mar 21 (15) Mar 20 (18) Mar 19 (19) Mar 18 (16) Mar 17 (10) Mar 16 (6) Mar 15 (18) Mar 14 (24) Mar 13 (18) Mar 12 (18) Mar 11 (17) Mar 10 (13) Mar 09 (12) Mar 08 (18) Mar 07 (25) Mar 06 (16) Mar 05 (16) Mar 04 (22) Mar 03 (17) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (23) Feb 29 (19) Feb 28 (25) Feb 27 (26) Feb 26 (23) Feb 25 (12) Feb 24 (13) Feb 23 (15) Feb 22 (26) Feb 21 (31) Feb 20 (12) Feb 19 (21) Feb 18 (15) Feb 17 (10) Feb 16 (15) Feb 15 (19) Feb 14 (15) Feb 13 (25) Feb 12 (20) Feb 11 (9) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (28) Feb 08 (20) Feb 07 (22) Feb 06 (20) Feb 05 (19) Feb 04 (14) Feb 03 (16) Feb 02 (28) Feb 01 (37) Jan 31 (27) Jan 30 (31) Jan 29 (18) Jan 28 (14) Jan 27 (10) Jan 26 (18) Jan 25 (26) Jan 24 (34) Jan 23 (21) Jan 22 (21) Jan 21 (18) Jan 20 (18) Jan 19 (18) Jan 18 (26) Jan 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)
Focusing on the world of wines, beer, and spirits that we experience through our travels at WineCompass.com and theCompass Craft Beverage Finder.
John Gray at The New Statesman:

There is intense debate as to what the outcome tells us about voter support for Brexit, with both Leavers and Remainers claiming vindication. The most striking feature of the results, however, is the polarisation they reveal. The result of a botched Brexit has been the Europeanisation of British politics, with the old centre ground falling away.

The big winner is the nationalist right. The future of Emmanuel Macron, whose centrist alliance came second to Marine Le Pens National Rally, is more clouded than before. Positioning himself as the last best hope of the European project rebounded against Macron, while Matteo Salvini and Viktor Orban both made major gains. Liberal Europe has been shown to be a nostalgic dream. The reality is that European politics has been balkanised, with the far right continuing its advance.

more here.
Brishen Rogers in the Boston Review:

The tech giants are facing a moment of reckoning. Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Uber all grew explosively over the last decade, in part by delivering real convenience and benefits to consumers. For this we forgave their more venial sins, such as unfair competition, copyright infringement, data hoarding, and price discrimination. But recent years have brought one revelation after another around privacy issuesincluding Facebooks sharing of data with the dark arts firm Cambridge Analyticaand ever-growing worries about the tech giants monopoly powers.

As a result, Mark Zuckerberg was hauled into Congress last year, and Senator Mark Warner has sketched an agenda to combat misinformation on social media platforms, and to better protect user privacy. More recently, Senator Elizabeth Warren has promised that her presidential administration would enact big, structural changes to the tech sector to promote more competition  including breaking up Amazon, Facebook, and Google. The approaches are complementary, but distinct: Warner seeks to regulate the tech giants activities in order to promote public values, while Warren seeks to limit and alter their fundamental powers.

There is also a third option, which would be just as momentous: workplace democracy.

More here.
As a literary scholar and authority on African American history, Henry Louis Gates Jr. has written or co-written 24 books and serves on the faculty of Harvard University. But he didnt achieve broad public attention until he began hosting Finding Your Roots, a popular PBS series in which celebrities explore their ancestry, often with surprising results. During an episode of a related program, African American Lives 2, comedian Chris Rock discovers that his great-great-grandfather, Julius Caesar Tingman, had fought for the Union with the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War, then served in the South Carolina legislature under its Reconstruction government. The revelation brought the typically glib Rock to tears. How in the world could I not know this? Rock asked Gates.

Reconstruction, the federal policy through which the defeated Confederacy would be stitched back into the Union, began to a large degree as an act of deconstruction  the dismantling of a system of racial oppression. The process of Reconstruction, Gates tells readers, involved nothing less than the monumental effort to create a biracial democracy out of the wreckage of the rebellion. For a while, that radical reinvention of Southern society created dramatic results. Within a short time, Gates notes, an estimated two thousand black men served in office at every level of government, including two U.S. senators and twenty congressmen. But that glimmer of equality, a kind of Prague Spring for former slaves, wouldnt last. The federal military occupation that enforced Reconstruction policies was costly. A war-weary nation, also worried by the Panic of 1873 and a subsequent economic depression, decided to declare victory and leave the South to its old habits.
Outdoor lovers in California's Bay Area have innumerable public recreation options in close proximityjust part of what makes San Francisco one of the most active cities in the U.S. year after year.

But while some cities have attractive recreation parks on their shores, none match up to the classic California coastline at Point Reyes National Seashore. Camping at Point Reyes is a great way to experience the backcountry of the Bay Area.

The area, managed by the National Park Service, is a prominent cape made up of rocky cliffs, sandy dunes and rolling grassy hills that juts into the Pacific Ocean just 30 miles northwest of San Francisco in Marin County. Tomales Bay, a narrow 15-mile long inlet, separates the cape from the rest of the Marin headlands on the east. The stunning views, lush vegetation, unique wildlife, and remoteness make Point Reyes camping truly feel like getting away (that's more literal than you think; it is geologically split from the rest of the U.S. by a rift zone).

Now preserved as the Point Reyes National Seashore, the region has served its inhabitants for thousands of years. The abundance of wildlife in the region attracted the Native American Coast Miwok Tribe for thousands of years. After a period of ranching, 71,000 acres on the peninsula were protected by the National Park Service in the middle of the 20th century. Today, the National Seashore is a prime spot for species emblematic of northern California's coasts, the northern elephant seals and the tule elk.

Head to the backcountry in the Bay Area on a Point Reyes camping trip.

Point Reyes, California Courtesy of The Dyrt

Camping on Point Reyes doesn't match other famous California camping options; there are no car camping or RV camping options, meaning you should prepare for your Point Reyes camping trip with essentials for a backpacking trip

While the hike-in campgrounds involve more planning, camping at Point Reyes is worth the effort. The National Seashore offers five year-round backcountry campgrounds, each with more amenities and comfort than many backcountry camping options normally offer. New backpackers will find Point Reyes camping relatively easy, and a tantalizing introduction to backcountry camping. Experienced backpackers will enjoy the stunning coastal landscapes and can string together a few of the campgrounds for a multi-day adventure.

How to Camp at Point Reyes

Four of the campgrounds at Point Reyes National Seashore can be reached via a hike, a bike ride, orfor the adventurous among ushorseback. They are nestled along Drakes Bay and amongst the hills and valleys of the Phillip Burton Wilderness. If you're looking to be even closer to the water, grab a kayak, canoe, or other small boat and paddle out to the area's one remote campground from the water on the west shore of Tomales Bay. It is $20 a night for an "individual" campsite that fits up to six people

Because of its proximity to the Bay Area, campsites are in high demand. Visitors can make reservations ahead of time, or check for available same-day permits at the Bear Valley Visitor Center. In addition to a reservation, campers will need a backcountry permit. They must pick the permit up at the Bear Valley Visitor Center before starting their trip, and display it on a backpack or a tent. A parking pass must also be picked up at the visitor center.

Hike-in and Bike-in Point Reyes Camping Options

Campsite in Point Reyes Image from The Dyrt camper Sasha N.

Each Point Reyes backcountry campground has a vault toilet and a water faucet. The water is usually potable, but the park officials recommend campers bring means to treat water just in case. Each campsite has a picnic table, a food storage locker and a charcoal grill.

Coast Camp

The Coast campground has 12 individual sites and two group sites in a coastal grassy valley just 650 feet from the beach. It is reached from the Laguna Trailhead just past the hostel. Follow the Laguna and Firelane trails for a 1.8-mile slightly uphill hike. Or follow the Coast Trail for an easy, flat 2.7-mile route, well-suited to bicycles.

"West Marin offers an incredibly picturesque location to explore, and Coast Camp is about as good as it gets. With a minutes hike to the beach, and all sorts of creeks, coast, forest and wildlife nearby it's ideal for those that like to adventure away from the campsite and fire out to the world surrounding you," The Dyrt camper Patrick O.

Glen Camp

The Glen campground also has 12 sites, but they're in a wooded valley protected from the ocean breezes and a strenuous 2.5 mile hike to the beach. The campground is a little more secluded and does not allow pack animals or groups. It can be reached via a moderate 4.6-mile hike along the Bear Valley Glen Trails, or a more strenuous 6.3-mile bike ride.

Sky Camp

View of Point Reyes Image from The Dyrt camper Jeremy S.

The accurately-named Sky campground offers camping on Point Reyes with sweeping views of Drakes Bay and the Pacific ocean. It has 11 individual sites and one group site on the western side of Mount Wittenberg, at an elevation of 1,025 feet. It also has the shortest and easiest approach from the visitor center of all the campgrounds: a 1.5-mile moderate uphill hike or bicycle ride from the Sky Trailhead. The hike down to the beach is steep and long, though.

"Our campsite itself didn't have a great view (I've heard #10 and #11 are the best views, can see the ocean), but from other parts of the campground we could still see the ocean it's only a 1.5 mile hike in from the parking lots so it's great for beginners or kids," The Dyrt camper Kathleen L.

Wildcat Camp

The Wildcat campground is the closest hike-in campground to the beach. There are five individual campsites and three group campsites on an open meadow and bluff overlooking the ocean. Hikers can reach it from a 6.3-mile hike from Bear Valley or an 5.5-mile hike from Palorin on the Coast Trail. Bikers must ride a strenuous 6.7 miles along the Stewart Trail from the Five Brooks Trailhead.

"These are sites are in high demand, but totally worth the wait to experience. The hike in was somewhat lengthy but the views make it seem far less daunting. The sites are somewhat close together, but the whole vibe of the campground and other people there was so chill,"  The Dyrt camper Sara S.

Boat-in Point Reyes camping options

Point Reyes lake Image from The Dyrt camper Deanna K.

Finding a remote campground from the water at the Point Reyes National Seashore can be the adventure of a lifetimewhat better way is there to experience California's golden coast than gliding across the water?

Where to Launch

There are four places from which you can launch your boat. Chicken Ranch Beach is just north of Inverness along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, and has a sandy beach popular for kayak launches. Tomales Bay Resort has a cement boat launch on the west side of the Bay, and campers can leave their car overnight for a fee. The Miller Boat Launch is on the east side of the Bay, along Highway 1, and it offers a public boat launch and facilities, including overnight parking. Lawson's Landing is in Dillon Beach, and is best for campers eyeing spots on the north end of Tomales Bay.

"I recommend, launching your boat from the Miller Boat Launch in Marshall (eastern side of the bay). Overnight parking is $5. First campsites are a 30 minute paddle across the bay. The best (less crowded) can be reached by heading north 45- 75 minutes out," The Dyrt camper Tiffany F.





Tomales Bay Camping

There are no designated campgrounds with facilities on the beaches of Tomales Bay; instead, boaters will have to choose between 14 beaches open to campers with permits. The primitive sites on the shore are unmarked and first come, first served.

Be sure to plan ahead here in the same way you'd plan for a backcountry camping trip: you'll have to haul in your own water, and bring an animal-resistant food storage system with you, due to the prevalence of raccoons, coyotes, otters and other animals. If you want to build a fire, you'll have to pick up a fire permit at the visitor's center. It's recommended to bring an alternative method of cooking in case of high fire danger or a spare-the-air alert.

Point Reyes camping activities

Beach view of Point Reyes Courtesy of The Dyrt

Getting to your spot with all your gear was the hard part; now, enjoy the multitude of Point Reyes camping activities ahead of you.





Hike from a beach to a mountain.

You can explore about 150 miles of hiking trails that stretch across the National Seashore. There are short hikes of less than an hour, like the Limantour Spit Trail near the beach. If you're in for a slightly longer hike, consider summiting Mount Wittenberg, the tallest point in the park. The most spectacular hike, undoubtedly, is the trip to Alamere Falls. Water cascades over 30 feet off the cliff onto Wildcat beach. Deep in the Phillip Burton Wilderness, the hike is at least 20 km, or 13 miles. You can access the falls from Wildcat campground along the beach at low tide.





Spy native wildlife from your campsite.

Bring your binoculars and cameras because you're likely to see some of the most emblematic and charismatic animals of the California coastelephant seals.

Elephant seals have been steadily growing in numbers since they returned to the Point Reyes headlands in the 1970s. In early 2019, they even took over Drakes Beach adjacent to the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center while the park was closed during the government shutdown. You can see the giant, blubbery animals at all points of the year, but they are greatest in number December through March for the birthing and mating season, and in the spring when adult females and juveniles molt. Head to Elephant Seal Overlook near Chimney Rock, above beautiful Drakes Bay, to spot a colony.

Beyond the famous elephant seals, Point Reyes is home to tule elk, which can be spied in the Elk Preserve on Tomales Bay. Some grey whales are known to swim near campsites on Point Reyes, and are more prominent in mid-January and mid-March.





Explore historic landmarks.

Point Reyes's historical landmark Courtesy of The Dyrt

The historical Point Reyes Lighthouse first began warning mariners of navigational hazards in 1870. It was retired in 1975 after serving for 105 years. You can access it at the end of a long and slow drive along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Check out the historical clockwork and Fresnel lens, and visit the observation deck and ocean exploration center. Visitors should take note, however, of an ongoing restoration effort that will cause temporary closures in 2019.

Within the National Seashore, you can also visit the historic KPH maritime radio receiving station, built by Guglielmo Marconi (long considered the inventor of modern radio) in 1913. You may also want to check out the Cypress Tree Tunnel, a signature drive near the North District Operations Center.





Other Local Attractions

The nearby towns of Point Reyes Station, Olema and Inverness each offer charming activities, shops, restaurants and other attractions that offer campers a welcomed day trip. Stores offer everything from the best California wine and cheese, to more outdoor gear if you need to restock.

A rite of passage for your trip in the area is to enjoy the local delicacy, oysters. Find them at Hog Island Oyster Company in Marshall, right off Highway 1, or try the Tomales Bay Oyster Company.





This article was written by Camille Von Kaenel for thedyrt.com.
Patient information: See related handout on caregiver care , written by the authors of this article.

Eighty percent of adults requiring long-term care currently live at home in the community, and unpaid family caregivers provide 90% of their care. Family caregivers serve as a critical extension of the U.S. health care system, and the demand for family caregivers is expected to increase during the next few decades. Caring for loved ones is associated with several benefits, including personal fulfillment; however, caregiving is also associated with physical, psychological, and financial burdens. Family physicians can aid in the identification, support, and treatment of caregivers by offering caregiver assessmentsinterviews directed at identifying high levels of burdenas soon as caregivers are identified. Repeat assessments may be considered when there is a change in the status of the caregiver or the care recipient. Caregivers should be directed to appropriate resources for support, including national caregiving organizations, local elder care agencies, websites, and respite care. Psychoeducation, skills training, and therapeutic counseling interventions for caregivers have shown small to moderate success by decreasing caregiver burden and increasing caregiver quality of life. Additional research is needed to further identify strategies to offset caregiver stress, depression, and poor health outcomes. Support and anticipatory guidance for the caregiver is especially helpful during care transitions and at the care recipient's end of life.

A family caregiver is broadly defined as a friend or relative who provides unpaid assistance for a person with a chronic or disabling condition.1 Eighty percent of adults requiring long-term care currently live at home in the community, and unpaid family caregivers provide 90% of their care.2 These caregivers fill an important role for the family and provide a substantial cost savings of an estimated $470 billion nationwide in 2013.3 Family caregivers serve as a critical extension of the U.S. health care system, and supporting this invisible and isolated army has emerged as a national public health priority.3,4

WHAT IS NEW ON THIS TOPIC Caregiver Care Online interactive programs significantly reduce patient physical symptoms and decrease caregiver burden and depressive symptoms. In caregivers of people with dementia, a meta-analysis showed that multicomponent interventions (e.g., education, resiliency training, problem solving) can reduce depressive symptoms, improve quality of life, and reduce caregiver burden. The National Family Caregiver Support Program is the first federally funded program to formally recognize caregivers. However, in 2016, the program received only $150 million in federal funding, approximately one-twentieth of one percent of the estimated value of caregiver contributions to the health system.

Enlarge Print SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE Clinical recommendation Evidence rating References All caregivers should be offered assessment to identify high levels of caregiver burden. C 1, 12, 16 Encouraging caregivers to take a break, take care of their own health, seek preventive health care, join a support group, and seek respite care when needed are key ways that a family physician can provide direct caregiver support. C 5 Caregivers identified as having unmet educational or informational needs should be directed to appropriate resources for support. C 1, 6, 13, 16 Psychoeducational, skills training, and therapeutic counseling interventions for caregivers of patients with chronic conditions (e.g., dementia, cancer, stroke, heart failure) have small to moderate success in decreasing caregiver burden and increasing caregiver quality of life. B 34, 35, 3739 Anticipatory guidance, assistance with advance care planning, and information about appropriate resources should be provided to the care recipient and caregiver during care transitions and at the end of life. C 36, 37, 43 SORT: KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE Clinical recommendation Evidence rating References All caregivers should be offered assessment to identify high levels of caregiver burden. C 1, 12, 16 Encouraging caregivers to take a break, take care of their own health, seek preventive health care, join a support group, and seek respite care when needed are key ways that a family physician can provide direct caregiver support. C 5 Caregivers identified as having unmet educational or informational needs should be directed to appropriate resources for support. C 1, 6, 13, 16 Psychoeducational, skills training, and therapeutic counseling interventions for caregivers of patients with chronic conditions (e.g., dementia, cancer, stroke, heart failure) have small to moderate success in decreasing caregiver burden and increasing caregiver quality of life. B 34, 35, 3739 Anticipatory guidance, assistance with advance care planning, and information about appropriate resources should be provided to the care recipient and caregiver during care transitions and at the end of life. C 36, 37, 43

In the next few decades, the demand for family caregivers is expected to increase.5 This growing demand is attributed to shorter hospital stays, limited hospital discharge planning, and an aging U.S. population. By 2030, one in five adults will be 65 years or older, and a significant number of these older adults will require assistance with instrumental activities of daily living or activities of daily living.5 Table 1 lists common characteristics of care recipients.6

Enlarge Print TABLE 1 Characteristics of Care Recipients Average age: 69 years Behavioral problems (7%) Female (65%) Hospitalized in past 12 months (53%) Memory problems (26%) Need assistance with activities of daily living (59%) Need assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (99%) TABLE 1 Characteristics of Care Recipients Average age: 69 years Behavioral problems (7%) Female (65%) Hospitalized in past 12 months (53%) Memory problems (26%) Need assistance with activities of daily living (59%) Need assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (99%)

Caregiver Burden Jump to section + Abstract

Caregiver Burden

Caregiver Assessment

Caregiver Support

Specialized Caregiving

Public Policy

References Caring for loved ones is associated with several benefits, including personal satisfaction in relieving another's discomfort, feeling useful and needed, and finding more meaning in life. Caregiving is also associated with significant physical, psychological, and financial burden for care providers (Table 2).1,3,612 Stressors associated with caregiving situations are often persistent, uncontrollable, and unpredictable, and one-third of all caregivers describe a high burden of care. Caregivers reporting the highest burden are more likely to be less educated, to live with the care recipient, to provide more than 21 hours of caregiving per week, to care for someone with cognitive impairment or difficult to manage behaviors, and to perceive they had no choice in assuming the caregiver role (Table 3).6 It is less common to have multigenerational family homes in the United States, which may place a more direct burden on one family member. Spousal caregivers are at high risk of caregiver burden, often providing a high number of care hours and assisting with medical tasks, and they are less likely to have additional help.6 Most caregivers report having less time for family and friends, having increased emotional stress, and neglecting self-care, such as healthy sleep, exercise, and dietary habits.5,13 Enlarge Print TABLE 2 Elements of Caregiver Burden Financial effects6 Increased absenteeism or reduced work hours Increased self-reported financial strain Loss of promotional and training opportunities Loss of salary and benefits Reduction in retirement savings and Social Security benefits Health effects Higher inflammatory burden and other biomarkers of poor health in caregivers for people with dementia7 Higher rates of insomnia and depression8 Higher risk of serious illness9 Increased mortality for spousal caregivers10 Less likely to engage in preventive care10 Subjective sense of worsening health11 Inadequate preparation, knowledge, and skills Lack of information on how to care for recipient: safety, activities of daily living1,3,12 Lack of information on self-care: coping with stress, finding time for self1,3,12 Lack of information on support services1,3,12 TABLE 2 Elements of Caregiver Burden Financial effects6 Increased absenteeism or reduced work hours Increased self-reported financial strain Loss of promotional and training opportunities Loss of salary and benefits Reduction in retirement savings and Social Security benefits Health effects Higher inflammatory burden and other biomarkers of poor health in caregivers for people with dementia7 Higher rates of insomnia and depression8 Higher risk of serious illness9 Increased mortality for spousal caregivers10 Less likely to engage in preventive care10 Subjective sense of worsening health11 Inadequate preparation, knowledge, and skills Lack of information on how to care for recipient: safety, activities of daily living1,3,12 Lack of information on self-care: coping with stress, finding time for self1,3,12 Lack of information on support services1,3,12 Enlarge Print TABLE 3 Characteristics of Caregivers Average age: 49 years Average hours of care provided per week: 24.4 Feel they had no choice in role (50%) Female (60%) Help with medical and nursing tasks (57%) Provide care more than five years (24%) Provide care more than 21 hours per week (26%) TABLE 3 Characteristics of Caregivers Average age: 49 years Average hours of care provided per week: 24.4 Feel they had no choice in role (50%) Female (60%) Help with medical and nursing tasks (57%) Provide care more than five years (24%) Provide care more than 21 hours per week (26%)

Caregiver Assessment Jump to section + Abstract

Caregiver Burden

Caregiver Assessment

Caregiver Support

Specialized Caregiving

Public Policy

References Caregiver assessment refers to a systematic, family-centered process of gathering information about a caregiver situation to identify needs and resources. Assessment can be performed by the family physician or other health care team member.1 Ideally, caregivers and care recipients should be interviewed together and separately to allow assessment of confidential information such as elder abuse or caregiver stress.14 Initial assessment may be performed as soon as a person self-identifies as a caregiver. This may include the primary caregiver as well as other family members, friends, or neighbors who consider themselves caregivers. Repeat assessments can be offered as the care recipient's or caregiver's condition changes. These changes may be triggered by the diagnosis of a medical condition associated with high burden (i.e., care requiring more than 21 hours per week), change in functional status of a caregiver or care recipient, or care transitions, and should involve development of a care plan for additional support and resources.12 The National Consensus Development Conference for Caregiver Assessment developed practice guidelines that have been incorporated in the Guided Care model15 and promoted by numerous national organizations.1,12,16,17 See a caregiver assessment table at https://www.caregiver.org/caregivers-count-too-section-3-caregiver-assessment-table for practical in-office questions,16 and the Modified Caregiver Strain Index at https://consultgeri.org/try-this/general-assessment/issue-14.pdf.18 The adapted Zarit Burden Interview is another validated tool that can be used to assess caregiver burden; see appendix at https://bit.ly/2Hso3qt.19

Caregiver Support Jump to section + Abstract

Caregiver Burden

Caregiver Assessment

Caregiver Support

Specialized Caregiving

Public Policy

References Despite many published research trials showing effective interventions, such as multidimensional and psychoeducational interventions,2022 there has been a delay in translating the research into resources that are readily accessible to caregivers. This requires development of best practices, assessment of clinical relevance, and restructuring of reimbursements to allow for sustainability. Until this happens, family physicians can focus on practical, individualized interventions aimed at assisting caregivers.23 Caregivers should be encouraged to take a break, join a support group, and pursue their own interests. They should be encouraged to take care of their own health, including preventive health care, and to seek respite care when needed.5 Family physicians should provide accurate, disease-specific education and resources for obtaining more information1,6,13,16 (Table 4). Online toolkits, such as the AARP's Prepare to Care: A Planning Guide for Families, can be easily accessed and provided during an office visit.24 Caregivers should be offered training in medical tasks and specific care needs with the help of therapists and nurses. Referrals should be made to appropriate resources such as local elder care agencies, home health care services, adult day programs, and meal delivery services. Enlarge Print TABLE 4 Caregiver Resources Organization Website Resources National organizations AARP https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/ Prepare to Care guide, legal and financial information, local resources American Academy of Family Physicians https://familydoctor.org/caregiver-stress/ General information on caregiver self-care Caregiver Action Network https://caregiveraction.org/ Scenario-specific tips and toolbox, caregiver connections Family Caregiver Alliance, National Center on Caregiving https://www.caregiver.org/ Disease- and issue-specific fact and tip sheets, caregiver connections, policy and advocacy information Mather Lifeways Institute on Aging https://www.matherlifewaysinstituteonaging.com/category/caregiving/ Caregiver-specific articles, senior housing initiatives National Institute on Aging https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving Caregiving tips with focus on dementia and older adults Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving http://rci.gsw.edu Caregiver workshops and resources, research Caregiver education and respite care Alzheimer's Association and AARP https://www.communityresourcefinder.org Programs, resources for housing, caregivers American Elder Care Research Organization https://www.payingforseniorcare.com Resources for paying for care, managing insurance, reducing costs ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center https://archrespite.org/ Respite locator and funding by state AssistGuide Information Services http://www.agis.com Explanation of government resources, Medicare/Medicaid, assistive devices Caring Today http://caringtoday.com/blog/ Caregiver blog Family Caregiver Alliance Camp for Caring https://www.caregiver.org/camp-caring Respite camp for caregivers and recipients Hospice Foundation of America https://www.hospicefoundation.org Information about hospice care United Hospital Fund Next Step in Care https://www.nextstepincare.org Focus on helping caregivers with transitions in care, communication with health care teams U.S. Administration on Aging https://www.eldercare.gov Local community resources U.S. Administration on Aging https://www.longtermcare.gov Resources for long-term care placement Specific caregiving scenarios Caregiving.com https://www.caring.com/support-groups/caring-for-a-spouse Caregiver blog for spouses, topics including finances, intimacy, and managing symptoms Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/family.html Tips for caregivers of people with disabilities National Organization for Rare Disorders https://rarediseases.org/for-patients-and-families/connect-others/find-patient-organization/ Disease-specific resource for support groups Parent to Parent http://www.p2pusa.org/ Resources with local options for families of children who have special needs U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs https://www.caregiver.va.gov/ Resource for caregivers, mentoring program, hotlines, access to support coordinator Well Spouse Association https://wellspouse.org Support group locator, national conference, social community TABLE 4 Caregiver Resources Organization Website Resources National organizations AARP https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/ Prepare to Care guide, legal and financial information, local resources American Academy of Family Physicians https://familydoctor.org/caregiver-stress/ General information on caregiver self-care Caregiver Action Network https://caregiveraction.org/ Scenario-specific tips and toolbox, caregiver connections Family Caregiver Alliance, National Center on Caregiving https://www.caregiver.org/ Disease- and issue-specific fact and tip sheets, caregiver connections, policy and advocacy information Mather Lifeways Institute on Aging https://www.matherlifewaysinstituteonaging.com/category/caregiving/ Caregiver-specific articles, senior housing initiatives National Institute on Aging https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/caregiving Caregiving tips with focus on dementia and older adults Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving http://rci.gsw.edu Caregiver workshops and resources, research Caregiver education and respite care Alzheimer's Association and AARP https://www.communityresourcefinder.org Programs, resources for housing, caregivers American Elder Care Research Organization https://www.payingforseniorcare.com Resources for paying for care, managing insurance, reducing costs ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center https://archrespite.org/ Respite locator and funding by state AssistGuide Information Services http://www.agis.com Explanation of government resources, Medicare/Medicaid, assistive devices Caring Today http://caringtoday.com/blog/ Caregiver blog Family Caregiver Alliance Camp for Caring https://www.caregiver.org/camp-caring Respite camp for caregivers and recipients Hospice Foundation of America https://www.hospicefoundation.org Information about hospice care United Hospital Fund Next Step in Care https://www.nextstepincare.org Focus on helping caregivers with transitions in care, communication with health care teams U.S. Administration on Aging https://www.eldercare.gov Local community resources U.S. Administration on Aging https://www.longtermcare.gov Resources for long-term care placement Specific caregiving scenarios Caregiving.com https://www.caring.com/support-groups/caring-for-a-spouse Caregiver blog for spouses, topics including finances, intimacy, and managing symptoms Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/family.html Tips for caregivers of people with disabilities National Organization for Rare Disorders https://rarediseases.org/for-patients-and-families/connect-others/find-patient-organization/ Disease-specific resource for support groups Parent to Parent http://www.p2pusa.org/ Resources with local options for families of children who have special needs U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs https://www.caregiver.va.gov/ Resource for caregivers, mentoring program, hotlines, access to support coordinator Well Spouse Association https://wellspouse.org Support group locator, national conference, social community Family physicians should encourage caregivers to participate in the health care of the recipient. Evidence suggests that when care recipients and caregivers are treated as a dyad, outcomes for both are improved.25 Caregivers often know the most about the needs of the care recipient and can be vital allies in the care management plan. Evidence shows that caregiver involvement and agreement with the care plan increases adherence to recommendations.26 There is strong evidence that early palliative care interventions for patients with serious illness improve quality of life and family satisfaction, and can reduce caregiver burden.27 Family physicians are uniquely positioned to provide primary palliative care, such as facilitating goals of care discussions and advance care planning. Addressing the care recipient's symptoms of chronic illness can improve the caregiver's quality of life and help relieve the caregiver's distress over the recipient's discomfort.28 Caregiver care often necessitates offering innovations in self-management through technology. Family caregivers can now access educational materials as well as connect with other caregivers online.13 Websites and apps are available to schedule tasks and help families coordinate caregivers, meal delivery, and appointments. Wearable technology and remote monitoring systems are expanding and hold promise for improving the lives of caregivers.29 Online interactive programs have shown reductions in patient physical symptoms and in caregiver burden and depressive symptoms.30,31 Advancements in smart home environments allow caregivers to monitor care recipients from remote locations, detecting changes and preventing adverse events in the care recipient.32 Telehealth options are expanding and offer real-time access to health care teams. Table 5 lists apps and services recommended by reputable online resources such as AARP and the National Alliance on Caregiving. Despite potential benefits of new technologies, these innovations may be limited by the ability of caregivers to access and learn how to operate new devices, overcome cost barriers, and avoid the perception of depersonalized care.32 Enlarge Print TABLE 5 Technology and Apps for Caregivers Organization Website Resources General information AARP https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/home-care/info-2017/technology-apps-ag.html Tips for choosing caregiving apps Family coordination AARP Caregiving App https://states.aarp.org/aarp-caregiving-app Calendar, caregiver coordination CareZone https://carezone.com/home Caregiver coordination health care record keeping, scheduling Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org Calendar, scheduling, forum for updates, fundraising Caring Village https://www.caringvillage.com Calendar, communication, document storage, to-do lists Evernote https://evernote.com Organization, to-do lists Google Calendar, Google Docs https://www.google.com Calendar and shared documents Lotsa Helping Hands https://lotsahelpinghands.com Calendar, forum for updates Transportation AARP Transportation Services https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/home-care/transportation-services/?intcmp=CAR-LRS-R3-C2 General information Arrive https://arriverides.com Links to Uber and Lyft without need for smartphone GoGoGrandparent https://gogograndparent.com Remote monitoring Blipcare (blood pressure monitoring) http://www.blipcare.com Various monitoring tools using wearable devices eCare 21 https://ecare21.com GPS SmartSole (trackable shoes) http://gpssmartsole.com/gpssmartsole Luna Lights (automated lighting) https://lunalights.org SafeinHome (alerts) http://www.safeinhome.com Consumer Reports: Medical Alert Systems https://www.consumerreports.org/medical-alert-systems/how-to-choose-a-medical-alert-system How to choose medical alert system Medication management Medisafe https://medisafe.com Medication management, reminders MyMeds https://www.my-meds.com MyMedSchedule https://secure.medactionplan.com/mymedschedule Telehealth services AARP Telehealth Services https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/health/telehealth-services/?intcmp=CAR-LRS-R3-C1 General information TABLE 5 Technology and Apps for Caregivers Organization Website Resources General information AARP https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/home-care/info-2017/technology-apps-ag.html Tips for choosing caregiving apps Family coordination AARP Caregiving App https://states.aarp.org/aarp-caregiving-app Calendar, caregiver coordination CareZone https://carezone.com/home Caregiver coordination health care record keeping, scheduling Caring Bridge https://www.caringbridge.org Calendar, scheduling, forum for updates, fundraising Caring Village https://www.caringvillage.com Calendar, communication, document storage, to-do lists Evernote https://evernote.com Organization, to-do lists Google Calendar, Google Docs https://www.google.com Calendar and shared documents Lotsa Helping Hands https://lotsahelpinghands.com Calendar, forum for updates Transportation AARP Transportation Services https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/home-care/transportation-services/?intcmp=CAR-LRS-R3-C2 General information Arrive https://arriverides.com Links to Uber and Lyft without need for smartphone GoGoGrandparent https://gogograndparent.com Remote monitoring Blipcare (blood pressure monitoring) http://www.blipcare.com Various monitoring tools using wearable devices eCare 21 https://ecare21.com GPS SmartSole (trackable shoes) http://gpssmartsole.com/gpssmartsole Luna Lights (automated lighting) https://lunalights.org SafeinHome (alerts) http://www.safeinhome.com Consumer Reports: Medical Alert Systems https://www.consumerreports.org/medical-alert-systems/how-to-choose-a-medical-alert-system How to choose medical alert system Medication management Medisafe https://medisafe.com Medication management, reminders MyMeds https://www.my-meds.com MyMedSchedule https://secure.medactionplan.com/mymedschedule Telehealth services AARP Telehealth Services https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/health/telehealth-services/?intcmp=CAR-LRS-R3-C1 General information

Specialized Caregiving Jump to section + Abstract

Caregiver Burden

Caregiver Assessment

Caregiver Support

Specialized Caregiving

Public Policy

References CANCER Changes in health care and insurance reimbursement have led to much of cancer care being provided at home, with the family assuming more responsibilities.33 A 2017 meta-analysis found that psychoeducational interventions were the most common intervention researched; however, they often require significant time, making them hard to translate to clinical practice.34 Pain management skills and symptoms assessment are the largest caregiver needs.34 A 2015 study found that interdisciplinary palliative care interventions such as educational sessions and self-care plans improved caregivers' social well-being scores, lowered psychological distress scores, and significantly reduced caregiver burden.35 Continued research with a focus on palliative care interventions, the effect on caregivers, and ways to increase the availability of these services is needed. DEMENTIA Caregiving for a person with dementia is associated with high levels of strain caused by associated behavior disturbances, intense physical tasks, and the need for constant vigilance. High caregiver strain has been identified as a predictor of long-term care placement in these patients; therefore, family physicians should identify caregivers early and provide support.36 Fact sheets available from Family Caregiver Alliance are free, easy to download, and provide practical guidance on topics such as understanding and managing dementia behaviors, controlling frustration, self-care, and end-of-life decision-making.1 Evidence to support caregiver interventions in this subgroup is fairly robust.3739 Structured education provided in home and telephone-based sessions to improve caregiver coping skills and management of behaviors have decreased caregiver burden and improved quality of life for the caregiver and care recipient.37 A meta-analysis showed that multicomponent interventions (e.g., education, resiliency training, problem solving) can reduce depressive symptoms, improve quality of life, and reduce caregiver burden.38 Interventions are cost saving or cost neutral by helping to keep care recipients in the community longer.39 Additional resources are needed to translate these interventions into opportunities accessible to all caregivers. HEART FAILURE Caregivers of patients with heart failure report similar issues as those caring for patients with other chronic illnesses.40 The most burdensome aspects of care are enforcing dietary restrictions and monitoring for signs and symptoms of heart failure.40,41 Care recipients with heart failure may have frequent exacerbations requiring hospitalization and a more uncertain clinical trajectory that can increase caregiver strain. During the past decade, there have been significant advances in the availability of advanced heart failure therapies (e.g., left ventricular assist devices, inotropic medications) that can lower hospitalization and mortality rates. Availability of these therapies may increase life expectancy, but often leave care recipients with a higher degree of functional disability, thereby increasing the burden of caregiving.42 Overall, few interventions have been thoroughly studied to effectively support caregivers of patients with heart failure.43 Given the high level of symptom monitoring, caregiver burden, and uncertainty in disease trajectory, many experts are calling for earlier and concurrent involvement of palliative care with the goal of improving caregiver education and confidence, assistance with management of symptoms, and skilled advanced care planning.43 STROKE Stroke is the leading cause of serious long-term disability, and most stroke survivors return home.44 These care recipients often require significant assistance with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.44 A review of caregiver interventions shows that those with a focus on dyad interventions may help survivor outcomes; however, interventions targeted specifically toward caregivers are needed to improve caregiver outcomes.45 Skill-building interventions (e.g., problem solving, tips for communicating with health care professionals, strategies for lifting) were more effective at improving caregiver outcomes than providing information about the diagnosis alone.45 Appropriate referrals to home health care, skilled therapy, and respite care should be offered by the family physician in addition to options for home modifications. TRANSITIONS IN CARE Many caregivers experience a decrease in depressive symptoms after the death of a care recipient, which may mark the end of the care recipient's discomfort. The placement of a care recipient into a long-term care facility is not associated with positive effects on the caregiver and may be accompanied by an increase in caregiver anxiety.46 This implies that the relief of the daily caregiving burden does not account for the reduction in depressive symptoms in bereaved caregivers. To ease these care transitions, family physicians should provide anticipatory guidance, assistance with advance care planning, and appropriate resources for respite, long-term, and end-of-life care.36,37,43 It may be more useful to intensify resources and support in the time preceding death rather than afterwards.47
County systems shut down in August after notification of a breach

Brown County's emergency management director is confirming a notice of access resulted in the county system being shut down in August.
WASHINGTON  The Trump administration on Thursday triggered the process for submitting a bill to Congress that would implement the presidents new trade deal with Canada and Mexico.

The notification sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders riled Democrats. Theyve been talking with U.S. trade officials to address various concerns, including how to enforce labor reforms that Mexico is enacting to strengthen unions.

The procedural step undertaken Thursday includes submission of a draft statement of administrative action and final legal text of the agreement as it now stands. That formality must be undertaken at least 30 days before the administration can submit its legislation to implement the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.

Republicans and business groups are trying to generate momentum for the trade deal at a time when strong tensions between the president and Democrats are threatening prospects for getting much of anything done before next years presidential election.

However, potentially complicating efforts to pass the trade agreement was a new 5% tariff on all Mexican goods that Trump announced Thursday to halt the flow of migrants into the U.S. The tariff, to be effective June 10, would increase each month if Trump is not satisfied by Mexicos efforts on border security.

In my view, the president is really creating a mess for Republicans who want to support both USMCA and border security, said Daniel Ujczo, an international trade lawyer based in Ohio.

He said many of those lawmakers spent the past year fighting the tariffs that Trump placed on imported steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico because those tariffs and the retaliatory tariffs they provoked on products such as soybeans and pork hurt many of their constituents. He said the same concerns would apply to the presidents proposed tariff on all goods from Mexico.

United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the procedural step toward implementing the presidents new trade deal does not begin a countdown for a vote, but it would ensure Congress had sufficient time to consider approving USMCA before the August recess, if leadership deems that appropriate.

We believe that the USMCA can  and ultimately will  attract broad bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. That certainly remains my goal, Lighthizer said. I look forward to working with you to achieve it.

Democrats said the move would not force them to vote on a North American Free Trade Agreement replacement before they are ready. They said the timeline for consideration will be determined solely by their negotiations with Lighthizer.

The premature submission of a draft statement of administrative action has no impact on that outstanding work or the timeline moving forward, said Rep. Richard Neal, the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Vice President Mike Pence said Thursdays action is all about moving forward on an agreement that we know is a win.

By todays action we give evidence of President Trumps determination to see the United States Congress consider and approve the USMCA and approve it this summer, Pence said.

But Pelosi described the administrations efforts as not a positive step. She said Thursdays move indicates a lack of knowledge on the part of the administration on how to pass a trade agreement.

We have been on a path to yes, but it must be a path that leads to an agreement that delivers positive results for American workers and farmers, Pelosi said.
ESPANOLA  Santa Fe District Attorney Marco Serna says he wants to continue fighting the opioid epidemic that plagues northern New Mexico, but now in Congress.

The prosecutor spoke to a small crowd gathered outside his mothers jewelry shop, Alicia Fine Jewelers, in Espanola Thursday morning as he officially announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Serna, who has been the district attorney for Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties since the start of 2017, said he wants to continue providing alternatives to non-violent drug offenders.

Were ground zero for the opioid epidemic, Serna said. I recognize that when we prosecute these individuals, we were doing it the wrong way.

And Serna proclaimed that he supports impeaching President Donald Trump. No one is above the law, not even our current president, he said.

In northern New Mexicos 3rd Congressional District, Serna is vying to replace current Democratic U.S. Rep Ben Ray Lujan of Nambe, who is running for U.S. Senate in the 2020 elections.

Serna said he chose the family shop for his announcement to highlight small businesses, for which he says he wants to support tax breaks in Congress.

Small business is a huge issue in this race, Serna said. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, especially in rural New Mexico.

Serna also said he wants to encourage more funding for Los Alamos National Laboratory and bring clean energy jobs to northern New Mexico. We would not only be able to create jobs and businesses in northern New Mexico, but they would be sustainable businesses, Serna said.

Serna is expected to face questions about at least one issue from his tenure as district attorney. In June 2018, a District Court judge dismissed the case against accused murderer Robert Mondrian-Powell, saying his speedy trial rights were violated by prosecution delays caused by institutional problems, including high turnover among prosecutors, at the Santa Fe DAs Office. The case is now at the state Court of Appeals.

Serna told the Journal by phone Wednesday that he doesnt feel that case will hurt his candidacy. Weve appealed that case, and Im looking forward to getting a decision from the Supreme Court, Serna said. We believe the law is on our side in regards to this appeal.

Five other Democrats and a Republican have filed to be candidates for the 3rd Congressional District seat next year.
Shortly after he was arrested, prosecutors said 15-year-old Christopher Herrera helped his cousin beat a man to death on Nine Mile Hill. Now they say further investigation has revealed that he played only a minor role in the crime and the primary actor was his 19-year-old cousin, Jonathan Herrera, who is believed to be in Mexico.

Christopher Herrera pleaded no contest Wednesday to two counts of conspiracy and one count of tampering with evidence.

Prosecutor David Waymire said that an initial interview of a 15-year-old witness to the crime suggested that both Jonathan and Christopher Herrera were equally involved and criminally liable.

She indicated they did this and they did that, which gave the impression that this defendant, Mr. Christopher Herrera, was much more involved than he actually was, Waymire said at a hearing Wednesday.

It was apparent in a later interview, Waymire said, that there was actually a vast difference in the involvement of this defendant as opposed to Jonathan Herrera.

State District Judge Stan Whitaker pointed out the discrepancy between the charges Christopher Herrera was pleading to and those he initially faced, which included first-degree murder. He asked Waymire whether key information could have been discovered early.

In the criminal justice system, it doesnt get much worse than the charges in this case, Whitaker said.

But Waymire said attorneys had conducted pretrial witness interviews early. The deadline for those interviews is next month.

Defense attorney Jason Rael, who is representing Christopher Herrera, commended Waymire, saying that the process took longer than I would like, but not necessarily much longer than was reasonable.

Waymire said the Herrera cousins were with the 15-year-old girl and Ivan Bocanegra, 30, on a night in September when Jonathan Herrera noticed cocaine that belonged to him was missing. Believing that Bocanegra used all of it, Jonathan Herrera gave Christopher Herrera a gun and told him to watch Bocanegra while he searched his truck, Waymire said. Bocanegra tried to wrest the gun away from Christopher Herrera, who was shot in the hand during the struggle.

Jonathan Herrera retrieved a club steering wheel lock and beat Bocanegra with it until he was incapacitated, Waymire said, and then ran over him repeatedly with the truck. The two cousins then loaded Bocanegras body into the truck. The group drove to a location on Coors where Christopher Herreras mother picked him up and took him to a hospital for treatment of his gunshot wound.

The 15-year-old girl and Jonathan Herrera drove to the Pajarito Mesa. where the truck became high-centered. Waymire said Jonathan Herrera poured gasoline on Bocanegras body and tried to light the body on fire, but was extremely unsuccessful.

Christopher Herrera is set for sentencing in July.
The man allegedly shot at by a New Mexico State Police officer during a chase early this month will await trial behind bars, a judge ruled Thursday.

Daniel Franco, 40, is facing charges in the chase and in a shooting that took place days before. Franco received the highest possible score on an assessment that predicts whether a defendant will reoffend or skip a court date.

According to police, Franco fled a traffic stop near Washington and Central. The NMSP officer attempted a PIT maneuver before he opened fire. Franco was able to escape after the officer collided with another vehicle, but he was arrested last week after a standoff at a home near Mountain and Sixth NW.

A week before, officers had been dispatched to Francos home after he shot a man in the leg, according to court documents.
The U.S. Postal Service in Albuquerque has been fined $9,475 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for two rodent-related incidents at post offices.

Dan Huerta, spokesman for the American Postal Workers Union, Local 380, which represents about 400 workers in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, said Wednesday that the OSHA fine was levied earlier this month and was for two separate incidents.

The first one occurred March 26 at the Richard Pino Station on the West Side, when a worker was placing mail in customers postal boxes. According to Huerta, a rodent jumped out of a drawer and clawed and scratched the clerk.

The other incident occurred April 22 at the Main Post Office building on Broadway NE, near Downtown, where an employee reported that a rat ran in front of her workstation.

Huerta said that although the employees described the rodents as rats, they were probably mice.

The USPS has until June 11 to pay the fine, although there is an appeal process, Huerta said.

Denver-based David Rupert, manager of USPS strategic communications for the western United States, acknowledged Wednesday that USPS was fined but said, The citation incorrectly alleges that the Postal Service didnt institute a pest extermination program.

Based on that, he said, OSHA has been provided the details of the ongoing pest-control program and USPS is contesting the fine.

No extermination program can guarantee 100% elimination of pests, especially where the building is public with doors that open thousands of times a day for both customers and employees, Rupert said.

The two rodent incidents that generated the fine are part of an ongoing problem of such encounters at local postal stations, Huerta said, a problem that is directly related to custodial and maintenance staff cutbacks, he said.

The results of those cutbacks began to appear after 2011, when New Mexicos USPS stations, which used to be overseen by a New Mexico district office, were combined with and put under the Arizona district office, Huerta said.

Most postal stations in New Mexico had two custodians, he said. Now, we have one custodial person assigned to a station, if that, and often that person is responsible for three other stations as well.

Rupert, however, said that national staffing models are used to determine the number of custodial/maintenance positions at USPS stations. New Mexico is staffed in exactly the same way as Arizona, Nevada or New York, so we strongly dispute the assertion that there is a different staffing standard for New Mexico, he said.

Huerta said he was aware of only two other times that Albuquerque-area postal stations generated OSHA fines. Assessed last December, fines of $1,100 and $1,175, respectively, were for incidents involving the presence of mice and bats at the Main Post Office, and for a leaking roof at the Five Points station in Southwest Albuquerque, he said.

The concern that Postal Service employees voice when reporting the presence of rodents, he said, is the potential health hazard of contracting Hantavirus from exposure to an infected rodents urine, saliva or fecal droppings.
A group of 22 gentoo and macaroni penguins bounced around a holding area at the rear of their Penguin Chill exhibit at the ABQ BioPark Zoo on Thursday, interacting with their keepers and with one another, appearing to be content.

BioPark officials offered members of the media a sneak peek of the new exhibit, which is expected to open to the public in July, perhaps sooner, depending on when its determined the birds are fully acclimated to their new environment, BioPark Director Baird Fleming said.

The gentoo and macaroni penguins, both male and female, came from SeaWorld in San Diego. They will be joined shortly by an all-male group of king penguins from SeaWorld in Orlando.

We want people to feel they are going on a journey, starting off at the southern tip of Argentina, in the Ushuaia area, and from there go to the islands of South Georgia, where you see a lot of these kinds of penguins, Fleming said, and we want to talk about climate change and its effect on those regions.

Key features of the new exhibit include a 75,589-gallon main water tank with aboveground and underwater guest viewing areas. Visitors can walk across a glass floor area that serves as a bridge allowing penguins to swim from one area of their exhibit to another.

The ceiling of the main aboveground viewing area will provide a projection of the aurora australis, or the southern lights, live-streamed from the South Pole.

A natural day/night lighting system will keep the penguins on a Southern Hemisphere lighting schedule, which is now going into the shortest days of winter.

The exhibit will also provide a large, interactive educational area where guests can learn more about penguins and how people can aid conservation efforts.

Although penguin exhibits are common at zoos in America, only about 10 zoos have the sub-Antarctic species, said ABQ BioPark bird curator Karen Waterfall.

Penguins from more temperate regions are much easier because they can be kept in outdoor exhibits, she said. Getting the Penguin Chill exhibit ready for the sub-Antarctic penguins requires specialized preparation in terms of food, vitamins, air and water temperatures, staffing, even supplies for the new 14,550-square-foot building, she said.

As this water-centric exhibit prepares to open, another one at the zoo is winding down permanently.

The popular harbor seal habitat, which is about 30 years old and in need of repair, is absent of seals. Gracie, Feisty and Baby, who at 42 years old is anything but a baby, are being held in a non-viewing holding area until they can be transferred to other facilities approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The current seal exhibit space will eventually be incorporated into a new Australia exhibit, which will contain little blue penguins that are indigenous to coastal areas of Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand, Fleming said.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

SUNLAND PARK  Construction resumed on a private border wall in New Mexico after the We Build the Wall organization agreed to provide the city with the necessary information to complete the permitting process.

I really want to applaud the hard work of Sunland Park city officials in the last 36 hours in clarifying any issues, and thats why were back at work and thats why the machines are running, said Kris Kobach, general counsel for We Build the Wall, on Thursday.

The city issued a stop work order Tuesday because the owner of the property, American Eagle Brick company, did not have an approved building permit for the $6 million wall.

During a news conference at city hall Thursday, the mayor said two permits were issued prematurely by staff after a discussion with the property owner and builder.

They have been given building permits for the lights and the fence. Well have to circle back and make sure they are meeting all standards from both the city and the state, Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea said.

Originally the mayor said the barrier may have violated a city code that limits walls to six feet tall. But since the wall is on commercial property, the city determined the structure could be up to 36 feet tall.

The private wall is 18 feet tall and about half a mile long. The company still needs a grading permit for the road it built and a drainage plan.

As Sunland Park worked to quickly resolve the building permit issues, city hall was flooded Wednesday with calls from wall supporters, many from out of town.

Others took to social media to post messages, and the mayor said he had 5,000 emails in his inbox.

While he said some wall supporters were polite and friendly, others used profanity and racial slurs. There were also multiple death threats.

There have been attacks to both me and my family with threats to coming down and shooting us all. It is concerning. It is alarming, the mayor said.

He has police protection because of the threats and said it is a burden for a small town with limited resources.

During the news conference, a former mayor pro tem and city council member, Isabel Santos, told Perea she is proud of him for enforcing city codes.

These men, because they have money, believe they can do whatever they want. And they have to respect us. Thank you, mayor. And I assure you Im speaking for many people in Sunland Park who are proud of you, Santos said.

The We Build the Wall team also expressed pride at a news conference, where they celebrated in the shadow of their towering structure.

This wall is not about stopping immigration. This wall is about legal immigration. We want people to use the front door, come to this country legally, said We Build the Wall founder Brian Koflage. The Air Force veteran and triple amputee raised more than $20 million in private donations through a crowdfunding campaign.

A rally at the peoples wall was announced for Thursday on the We Build the Wall website, but organizers canceled it. Former presidential adviser Steve Bannon was also scheduled to make an appearance at the wall but did not attend.

Relatives of people killed by illegal immigrants were on hand for the unveiling of the border wall, which is nearly complete.

Among them were the mothers of Mesa, Ariz., police sergeant Tommy Mendoza, who was killed in 2015, and Border Patrol agent Brian Terry, who was killed in 2010 near Rio Rico, Ariz.

This isnt a Republican or Democrat thing, this is an American thing. This is for our agents, said Tommy Fisher, CEO of Fisher Industries.

Fisher Industries built the half mile stretch of wall in less than a week and is among companies that submitted a prototype to President Donald Trump for his wall.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued its first public statement about the private wall on Thursday.

We encourage all interested vendors to compete for border barrier contracts through established mechanisms to ensure any construction is carried out under relevant federal authorities and meets USBP (Border Patrol) operational requirements for border barrier, according to a CBP spokesman.

The We Build the Wall organization said it is looking at 10 other projects on the border.

It should bring a feeling of security to anybody who lives in a southern state, said Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, who attended the unveiling ceremony.

These folks didnt wait for the government to take care of them. They stepped up and took measures into their own hands. Its what we as Americans should be willing to do, Griffin said.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated to clarify that CYFDs proposed entry point for Child Care Assistance is 160% of the Federal Poverty Level. Eligibility is currently available to families who do not exceed 200% of the FPL. Also updated is the number of New Mexico children receiving CYFD child care subsidies as of April.



Underfunding by the New Mexico Legislature during the last session could lead to reductions in the number of families eligible for the Child Care Assistance Program administered by the state Children, Youth and Families Department, something both CYFD and parents say they want to avoid.

The big issues, parents say, are the reduction in eligibility caps, the cost of co-payments and the method CYFD uses to calculate those co-payments.

The proposed entry point for a family to qualify for CYFDs Child Care Assistance Program is a gross income that is 160% of the federal poverty level. A family of three making 160% of the federal poverty level earns $2,844 a month.

Currently, to be enrolled for Child Care Assistance, a family cannot have a gross income of more than 200% of the federal poverty level.

Parents will get a chance to weigh in on the need for affordable child care as well as proposed CYFD regulations regarding child care assistance during a July 8 hearing in Santa Fe.

That hearing comes in the aftermath of a lawsuit filed in September against CYFD by several parents and the grass-roots organization Ole, who were represented by the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.

The lawsuit claimed that CYFD illegally established a policy of denying child care assistance to families with incomes over 150% of the federal poverty level without publishing a regulation or going through the required public comment and hearing process.

In addition, the lawsuit argued, CYFD illegally failed to provide adequate notice to families about their child care benefits or establish a regulation that explains how CYFD determines the share of costs  the co-payment  the family has to pay.

Earlier this month, the 1st Judicial District Court in Santa Fe issued an order requiring CYFD to:

 Maintain the current eligibility level until or unless CYFD lawfully enacts regulations with public comment with a different eligibility level.

 Put into regulation child care assistance eligibility requirements, including how CYFD calculates the amount of costs shared by parents.

 Revise notices and forms that families receive or fill out in the application process.

 Revise the manual CYFD workers use to determine eligibility for assistance.

 Post eligibility information and application rights in all CYFD offices.

The Child Care Assistance Program helps low-income families, where parents are working or enrolled in school, said Maria Griego, supervising attorney of the public benefits team at the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.

Child Care Assistance gives parents peace of mind that their kids are left in safe and reliable care, she said. Reducing eligibility is a bad idea, because it will make thousands of families who would be eligible for the program ineligible. In real terms, it means that families would have to reduce their work hours, drop out of school or leave their kids with unreliable or unlicensed child care.

As of April, there were 20,092 children in New Mexico receiving CYFD child care subsidies.

Under state law, families were previously eligible for Child Care Assistance with incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level. Under former Gov. Susana Martinez, the state reduced the eligibility to 150%, a measure that was done without going through the public regulatory process, and one of the issues that led to the lawsuit, Griego said.

Another key issue was that CYFD did not have information in regulation about how co-payments were calculated, she said. They had a process, but it was kept from the public and was an internal process that was not in regulation.

And co-payments can be unaffordable for some families, Griego said. Under federal guidelines, co-payments for child care assistance should be no more than 7% of a familys income. But New Mexico doesnt have any caps on percentage of income a family must pay, so we see clients who pay up to 30% of their familys monthly income on those co-payments.

CYFD spokesman Charlie Pabst Moore, acknowledged that the previous administration changed the income caps to 150% of the federal poverty level, and it was done without public comment or a public hearing.

As a result of the lawsuit, the state agreed to raise the cap back up to 200% and attempted during the last legislative session to get enough funding to do that. That attempt failed, so now were proposing 160% as a starting point and expect to negotiate from there, he said.
BEIJING  Wuer Kaixi was among the most outspoken of the student leaders during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, famously reproaching then-Premier Li Peng at a meeting broadcast on national television.

Three decades on, hes more circumspect but remains just as harsh a critic of the Communist regime and just as committed to bringing democracy to China.

While many former leaders and participants in the protests have moved on, embracing lives and careers that have little direct relation to the movement, others remain wedded to the cause, either by vocation, through survivors guilt or because their actions permanently put them on the wrong side of the authorities. They remain determined to keep the memories alive even as Chinas rulers seek to sandblast the protests and the militarys bloody crackdown from history.

Sometimes remembrance is one of the most humble forms of resistance, Wuer Kaixi said in an interview in Taiwan, where he now lives with his wife and children.

While Wuer Kaixi, 51, escaped abroad after the June 4 crackdown after finding himself at No. 2 on the governments most-wanted list, then-graduate student Pu Zhiqiang remained in China despite his role in the protests as a high-profile advocate of speech and press freedoms. Looking at old photos of his younger self, Pu reflects on the motivations of the protesters that were mostly pure, if somewhat naive.

We hoped that China could change for the better, said Pu, 54. As a 24-year-old, presented with this chance to serve society, had I not played a role at all, not made my voice heard, I would not have been able to forgive myself.

The military crackdown, in which hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people died, put an end to more than seven weeks of student-led protests in 1989 calling for an end to corruption and for a more open and fair society.

While many who took part wonder what could have been done differently to avoid the bloodshed, Feng Congde, a graduate student that year at elite Peking University, is convinced the students didnt push hard enough.

The experience of 1989 was both positive and negative, Feng said. But we have to learn the lesson, that even though we had these large numbers of people on the street, we didnt know what we should do. We should have asked the military to overthrow the regime.

Feng maintains that now, as back then, the regime remains resistant to reforming itself in the way that Taiwans Nationalists evolved from an authoritarian police state into a multiparty democracy, eventually handing over power to the opposition through elections. Like many in the democratic movement, Feng idolizes Chiang Ching-kuo, the son and successor of Chiang Kai-shek, who began the process of Taiwans democratization during the 1980s.

Im quite optimistic about the democratic future of China, but I have very little hope that (President and Communist Party leader) Xi Jinping can learn from Chiang Ching-kuo. I think the totalitarian (Communist Party) regime is totally different from an authoritarian regime like the (Nationalists), Feng said.

While few echo Fengs ruing of the lost chance of a military coup, hostility toward the regime and frustration with perceived foreign gullibility are near constants among members of the movement who remain active, especially those based abroad. Their impressions appear permanently colored by the shock, horror and disbelief they felt when the Peoples Liberation Army opened fire on the people theyd been charged with protecting and whod grown to trust and revere them.

Wang Dan, 50, who was imprisoned after being named No. 1 on the most-wanted list, is among those who doesnt mince words.

It is time for us now, for the whole democratic countries now, to re-recognize the true face of the (Communist Party) and try to learn some lessons from the Tiananmen massacre, Wang said, using another term for the crackdown of June 3-4. This is a very important challenge for the whole world, because now China is a rising power, and seems like a threat for the democracy and freedom of the whole world.

Wuer Kaixi is similarly scathing, deriding the regimes claims to patriotic zeal as a cover for their desire to maintain their wealth and privileges at any cost.

Lets look at what the Chinese regime is clearly. Its a group of people who stole the position of ruling China, one of the largest counties in the world and theyre taking advantage of that position to do one thing: loot, he said.

Pu, a lawyer who was disbarred for his political activism, bemoans 1989 and the years since as a lost opportunity to develop a new, possibly alternative, political class.

Tiananmen was an excellent training opportunity for taking part in society, taking part in politics for young people of my generation, Pu said. But the distinctive characteristic of Chinese politics  this long-term totalitarianism  is that it cannot permit a political force or political party to take organized action.

Things have grown only more difficult amid tightening social controls, making it much harder to rally forces in society to do things either good or bad, Pu said.

Yet Wuer Kaixi, now the honorary chairman of Reporters Without Borders at its East Asia office in Taipei, says those actions  the increasing repression borne out in policies such as the internment of 1 million or more Chinese Muslims in re-education camps  provide a constant reminder of the unchanged nature of the regime.

The reason people still remember (1989), other than the mere importance of it, is also because the Communist Party is still conducting all of these brutal acts and atrocities within China against Uighur people, against Tibetans, Hong Kong, Macau, and even conducting threats against neighboring countries like Taiwan, he said.

That will remind people that this regime, todays acts of this regime, is the same regime that massacred peaceful demonstrators 30 years ago, he said.

Feng, who is studying acupuncture and administers pro-democracy websites, and Wuer Kaixi say their continued zeal for the cause is bolstered by a sense of obligation to those who fell in 1989, to see their names rehabilitated and their goal of a democratic China achieve fruition.

So I have to live with this survivors guilt  but I will try to make the dream of those who fell 30 years ago come true sooner, Wuer Kaixi said.

Pu, who continues to work as a legal adviser, said he sees his generation as a link to the past. Veterans, those around 50, are now the backbone of society who are obligated to pass on their experiences and ideals to a younger generation.

Apart from the leaders, who to varying degrees have had some say in how they have lived their lives since, Tiananmen left many scarred for life or saddled with criminal records that have severely restricted their choices.

Since serving a 17-year sentence for allegedly attacking martial law troops  a charge he denies  Dong Shengkun has been unable to find a steady job and is forced to live with his elderly mother while receiving the governments minimum living allowance of 1,000 yuan ($145) per month. Though he wishes to marry his girlfriend, the government would take away even that meager stipend were he to do so due to her somewhat better financial circumstances.

Still, Dong, who picks up odd jobs for extra income, has no regrets for having joined in the protests out of a sense of outrage and desire for change.

The 1989 movement was about justice, Dong said.

___

Lai reported from Taipei, Taiwan.
WASHINGTON  Despite pushback from U.S. business, Mexico and Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump doubled down Friday on his threat to slap a 5% tariff on Mexican imports unless Americas southern neighbor cracks down on Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.

U.S. manufacturers said the tariff, set to take effect June 10, would have devastating consequences on them and American consumers. U.S. stocks tumbled on Wall Street in response to Trumps planned action.

Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move, said Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is exploring legal action in response to the tariffs. These tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border. Instead, Congress and the president need to work together to address the serious problems at the border.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador dispatched his foreign secretary to Washington to try to negotiate a solution. He said social problems are not solved with coercive measures, but also seemed convinced that Trump just needed to be informed about all the steps Mexico has taken to slow illegal migration.

Mexico has stepped up raids on migrant caravans traveling through the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca this year. It has deported thousands of migrants and frustrated thousands more who wait endlessly for permits that would allow them to travel legally through Mexico.

Administration officials told reporters in a briefing call Thursday evening that Mexico could prevent the tariffs from kicking in by securing its southern border with Guatemala, cracking down on criminal smuggling organizations, and entering into a safe third country agreement that would make it difficult for those who enter Mexico from other countries to claim asylum in the U.S.

We fully believe they have the ability to stop people coming in from their southern border and if theyre able to do that, these tariffs will either not go into place or will be removed after they go into place, said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

Trump said the percentage will gradually increase  up to 25%  until the migration problem is remedied.

Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades, Trump said in a tweet. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!

Trumps decision showed the administration going to new lengths, and looking for new levers, to pressure Mexico to take action  even if those risk upending other policy priorities, like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal that is the cornerstone of Trumps legislative agenda and seen as beneficial to his reelection effort.

Keeping the economy rolling also is critical to Trumps reelection, and business was not happy with the presidents planned tariff on Mexican imports.

These proposed tariffs would have devastating consequences on manufacturers in America and on American consumers, said Jay Timmons, chief executive officer of the National Association of Manufacturers. We have taken our concerns to the highest levels of the administration and strongly urge them to consider carefully the impact of this action on working families across this country.

The stock markets tumble on Friday all but guarantees that May will be the first monthly loss for the market in 2019. The news hit automakers particularly hard. Many of them import vehicles into the U.S. from Mexico.

The auto sector  and the 10 million jobs it supports  relies upon the North American supply chain and cross border commerce to remain globally competitive, said the Auto Alliance, which represents automakers that built 70% of all cars and light trucks sold in U.S. Any barrier to the flow of commerce across the U.S.-Mexico border will have a cascading effect  harming U.S. consumers, threatening American jobs and investment and curtailing economic progress.

Some of Trumps fellow Republicans in Congress opposed the tariff. Republican senators have made almost weekly treks to the White House to nudge the president off his trade wars, and this latest move sent them scrambling again to signal their displeasure in hopes of reversing Trumps actions.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn supports the presidents commitment to securing the border, an aide said, but he opposes the across-the-board tariff, which will disproportionately hurt Texas.

Key trade senators also spoke up. Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Pat Toomey, who has questioned the administrations ability to invoke national security threats for some other imports, called the tariffs a blanket tax increase on items Americans purchases from Mexico and the wrong remedy.

The tariff threat comes at a peculiar time, given how hard the administration has been pushing for passage of the USMCA, which would update the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, a usual Trump ally and the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, slammed the presidents action, saying it was a misuse of presidential tariff authority that would burden American consumers and seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said the livelihoods of farmers and producers from her state are at risk and so is the USMCA.

If the president goes through with this, Im afraid progress to get this trade agreement across the finish line will be stifled, she said.

___

Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking and Paul Wiseman in Washington and Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.

___

Follow Colvin and Long on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj and https://twitter.com/ctlong1
SEOUL, South Korea  A South Korean newspaper reported Friday that North Korea executed a senior envoy involved in nuclear negotiations with the U.S. as well as four other high-level officials. But as ever with North Korea, a country that closely guards its secrets, there are reasons to be cautious about the purported purge.

While North Korea hasnt used its propaganda services to comment, the report in the conservative Chosun Ilbo daily could be true. North Korea has previously executed scapegoats to atone for high-profile political flops, and the most recent summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump ended in failure, leaving Kim embarrassed on the world stage.

But its important to note that both South Korean media and the government in Seoul have a history of reporting scoops about the inner workings of North Korea that turn out to be wrong. Supposedly executed officials have later appeared trotting alongside Kim on state TV.

Fridays report is based on a single, unidentified source who knows about North Korea  with no details about where that source got its information. The report so far hasnt been matched by any major media in Seoul or confirmed by government officials, even anonymously.

The newspapers source said that senior envoy Kim Hyok Chol was executed at the Mirim airfield with four other officials from the Norths Foreign Ministry for betraying Kim Jong Un after being won over by the U.S. Kim Hyok Chol led working-level negotiations as North Koreas special representative for U.S. affairs ahead of Februarys summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The source also said that Kim Yong Chol, who had worked as North Koreas top nuclear negotiator and met with Trump at the White House while setting up the summits, was sentenced to hard labor and ideological re-education.

That the report has been snapped up by global media reflects the hunger for any details about whats going on in North Korea as diplomatic efforts falter between Washington and Pyongyang, which tightly controls its media and both local and foreign access to information.

Negotiations have hit a stalemate because North Korea wants an end to crippling sanctions, but Washington says Pyongyang is not providing enough disarmament to allow that to happen.

There is now growing concern that the diplomacy that has blossomed since early 2018 could be replaced by a return to the animosity that in 2017 caused some of the most realistic fears of war in years as North Korea staged a string of increasingly powerful weapons and Kim and Trump traded intensely personal threats and insults.

Since the Hanoi nuclear summit ended in failure, North Korea has again tested weapons and boosted its belligerent rhetoric toward American and South Korean officials. Analysts believe this indicates Pyongyang is trying to show displeasure for the current impasse without destroying the diplomacy.

Seouls spy service said it could not confirm Fridays report, while the presidential Blue House said that its inappropriate to make hasty judgments or comments.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Berlin that he had seen the report and the U.S. was doing our best to check it out.

In Washington, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders declined to comment on intelligence one way or another.

Were monitoring the situation and continuing to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearizaton, she said.

North Koreas official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Thursday called out unspecified betrayers, turncoats who demonstrate their loyalty to (the supreme leadership) only in words, and, even worse, change their colors by the flow of trends and said they would come under the stern judgment of the revolution.

To pretend to serve the suryong while dreaming different dreams when turning around is to commit anti-party and anti-revolutionary actions that abandon the moral loyalty for the suryong, the newspaper said, referring to a revered title reserved for North Korean leaders.

If Fridays report is wrong, it would not be the first time for South Korean media and officials.

South Korean intelligence officials in 2016 said that Kim Jong Un had Ri Yong Gil, a former North Korean military chief, executed for corruption and other charges. North Koreas state media months later showed that Ri was alive and in possession of several new senior posts.

In 2013, the Chosun Ilbo reported that Hyon Song Wol, a famous North Korean artist the newspaper described as Kims ex-girlfriend, was executed in public along with several other performers over accusations that they filmed themselves having sex and selling the videos.

Hyon, the leader of Kims hand-picked Moranbong all-female band, was very much alive and later emerged as a key member of Kims government, accompanying him in his meetings with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

South Korea does sometimes get it right.

While many questioned the competence of the South Korean spy service after it failed to learn of the 2011 death of Kims father, Kim Jong Il, before Pyongyangs state TV announced it, the intelligence agency saved face in 2013 by releasing its finding that Kims powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was purged, days before North Korea announced his execution.

___

Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

The city has put its Build Your Dreams nightmare to bed, but it will not get any money in the high-profile dispute.

Albuquerque recently settled its lawsuit against the Chinese bus company it claims delivered problem-plagued vehicles for Albuquerque Rapid Transit, a $135 million public transportation project that remains on hold.

BYD Motors  short for Build Your Dreams  will pay the city nothing under the terms of the agreement, which resolves the case in U.S. District Court in New Mexico.

But the settlement prevents the company from countersuing the city for breach of contract.

It also formally terminated both parties obligations under the original 2017 purchase agreement and established the conciliatory statement both would provide the media.

The citys lawsuit, filed in December, had sought undisclosed damages, attorneys fees, court costs and more. It alleged breach of contract, breach of warranties, fraudulent misrepresentation and more.

Robert Desiderio, the citys outside legal counsel, said it would have been difficult to demonstrate the city had incurred significant monetary damages because of the 60-foot electric buses it sent back to BYD in November.

Thats partly because the city never paid BYD any of the approximately $22 million it would have owed under the terms of the original agreement.

Given that BYD could also countersue, Desiderio said, settling was the best option.

A lawsuit like this would take years  discovery would be extensive  therefore the costs would be very great, he said Friday. And comparing to what we saw wouldve been the possible damages (to the city) it wasnt worth proceeding. It was better for the city to move forward.

The city has paid $138,322 in outside legal fees in the case, but one top city administrator contends the city was right to pursue it.

Our contractual obligation to purchase these buses was still there as long as  this issue hadnt been resolved, said Albuquerque Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Rael, adding that the city has used the money it would have spent on BYD vehicles to order an ART fleet from another company.

Those buses  which are diesel as opposed to electric  are cheaper, Rael said.

BYDs Albuquerque-based attorney declined to comment Friday.

The settlement, signed May 19 by the citys chief administrative officer, Sarita Nair, outlined the language both parties agreed to issue to the media. The statement reflected a tone change from the acrimony displayed last year. It said, in part:

Although the parties made public statements in defense of their respective positions during the dispute, they are now committed to moving forward and wish each other success.

The City supports BYDs pursuit of its mission to expand zero-emission public transportation with the next generation of high-quality electric buses. BYD supports the Citys commitment to the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project and wishes the City best of luck on its completion and successful operation.

Mayor Tim Keller had previously called the BYD buses problematic and unsafe, and the city in November rejected the 15 the company had produced. In filing the lawsuit against BYD, the mayor said, We need to hold them accountable for what theyve done to our city.

BYD said in its own statement at the time that it disputed the mayors false and misleading statements about its buses.

The citys lawsuit alleged numerous problems with BYDs 60-foot articulated electric buses. They include malfunctioning brakes, cracked and rusting frames, exposed wires and batteries that could catch on fire with little possibility of putting out the fire. It also said the vehicles did not meet the represented miles-per-charge standard.

BYD never filed a response to the complaint in court, and the parties spent the past few months in mediation, according to federal court records.

Since returning BYDs buses, the city has ordered ART buses from New Flyer of America. But ART  which includes bus-only lanes in the middle of Central Avenue  is not expected to start running until next year, more than two years after originally scheduled.
The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office is looking for a 70-year-old woman who is missing and believed to be in danger.

Officer Ray Wilson, a New Mexico State Police spokesman, sent out a silver alert on Tuesday saying Jean Johnson was last seen at her home on the 100 block of Towhee in Capitan at 2:30 p.m. the day before.

It is unknown what she was wearing but she usually has on a silver wedding band with three diamonds, Wilson wrote in a statement. Her vehicle and personal belongings were left at her residence.

He said Johnson is a Caucasian female, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 130 pounds and has light brown hair and green eyes.

Tips: Police ask anyone with information about Johnson to call the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office at (800) 687-2419.
AUSTIN, Texas  Computer files discovered in the home of a Republican operative who died last year contain a blueprint for how the GOP could extend its domination of legislatures in states where growing Latino populations favor Democrats and offer compelling context about a related case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The files from North Carolina redistricting expert Tom Hofeller include detailed calculations that lay out gains Republicans would see in Texas by basing legislative districts on the number of voting-age citizens rather than the total population. But he said that would be possible only if the Census asked every household about its members immigration status for the first time since 1950.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on that question as early as next month. But Republicans who support adding the citizenship question have rarely acknowledged any partisan political motive. The emergence of the documents now could figure heavily in the case the court is considering.

To civil liberties lawyers suing to block the question, its now clear that partisan politics were at work all along. They assert in court filings that Hofeller not only laid out the political benefit for the GOP but also ghost-wrote a U.S. Department of Justice letter calling on the Census Bureau to add an immigration question to next years survey.

The Justice Department denied the allegations in a statement on Thursday, saying Hofellers Texas analysis played no role in the Departments December 2017 request to reinstate a citizenship question to the 2020 decennial census. In that 2017 letter, Justice said it needed citizenship information to protect the voting rights of minorities.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on the citizenship question in April and is expected to rule by July whether it will be allowed.

What it would result in is outrageously overpopulated and underpopulated districts, said Matt Angle, a Democratic redistricting strategist, adding that the resulting maps would harm Texas booming Hispanic population with the aim of benefiting Republicans.

Many of the states top Republicans, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton , have publicly expressed support for a citizenship question on the Census. On Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts office did not respond to questions about whether he would endorse using citizenship data to draw new maps, although a spokeswoman said last year that the Census question would provide greater transparency and was dismissive of fears of under-reporting.

Opponents contend that many noncitizens and their relatives will shy away from being counted, fearing that law enforcement will be told of individuals citizenship status. That could cause undercounts in places with large Latino populations, including parts of Texas, California, Florida and Arizona, and could cost them seats in Congress as well as federal funding.

But the political impact of the citizenship question could go beyond an undercount if states use citizenship information to draw the maps for state legislative districts. The concept was introduced in legislation over the last few years in Missouri and Nebraska, where the state constitution already calls for excluding aliens from its apportionment. And Alabama has sued the federal government saying it should supply citizenship information.

In Texas, Hofeller calculated in his report that about a half-dozen Latino-dominated districts would disappear, including a portion of one in the Dallas area, up to two in Houstons Harris County and two or three in the border counties of South Texas. A switch to the use of citizen voting age population as the redistricting population base for redistricting would be advantageous to Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites, he wrote.

Theres a question of whether the switch would be legal.

The U.S. Constitution specifies that congressional districts should be based on how many people  not citizens  live there. But its murkier for many state legislative districts.

The case at the heart of Hofellers 2015 report was brought by Texas voters who contended it was unfair that noncitizens and minors were counted in making legislative districts because it gave a bigger voice to a smaller number of eligible voters in places with a lot of noncitizens and children. In response, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that states could not be forced to use voting-age citizens as the basis for districting.

Justice Clarence Thomas agreed with that decision but wrote a separate opinion that seems to invite states to do it on their own. It instead leaves states significant leeway in apportioning their own districts to equalize total population, to equalize eligible voters, or to promote any other principle consistent with a republican form of government, Thomas wrote.

If a state tried to use a limited population count for redistricting, a lawsuit would be likely.

Theyre always trying to argue that only citizens should be counted for drawing the lines. They think its to their advantage, said Luis Vera, a San Antonio-based lawyer for the League of United Latin American Citizens who has spent decades in court with the state over redistricting battles and said hed sue if Texas switched to citizen-based districts.

Justin Levitt, a constitutional law professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said lawmakers may be reluctant to change which count is used for redistricting knowing theyd face legal challenges.

He said that even if a switch could be approved under a state constitution, it could run afoul of the federal Voting Rights Act, which bars state and local governments from restricting equal voting access based on race.

But Rogelio Saenz, a sociologist at the University of Texas-San Antonio, said he expects it will be considered in Texas, where Democrats picked up 12 seats in the House last year, now giving them 67 of the 150.

The Republican Party is really anxious to gain back those few seats they lost in the last election, Saenz said.

___

Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

___

Follow Weber at http://www.twitter.com/pauljweber and Mulvihill at http://www.twitter.com/geoffmulvihill
SANTA FE  President Donald Trump sent out a tweet honoring late state Sen. John Pinto of New Mexico on Friday, a day after Pinto was buried.

Saddened to hear about the loss of John Pinto, a Navajo Code Talker in World War II, over the Memorial Day Weekend, the president wrote. The Code Talkers are true American HEROES and John never stopped serving his fellow citizens as a longtime New Mexico State Senator. John, Rest In Peace!

About five hours later, the presidents message was retweeted more than 7,000 times and had received about 30,000 likes.

Pintos daughter, Flora Dennison, said Friday that the family was grateful for the presidents tweet.

She said her father had been invited to the White House but didnt go because he was mourning the death of his wife, Joann Dennison Pinto, who died in October 2017, at the time and not for any political reasons.

Trump did hold a White House event honoring Navajo Code Talkers about a month later that provoked controversy when he deviated from praising the Code Talkers to ridicule a political foe, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., as Pocahontas over claims of Native American heritage.

During World War II, Pinto joined the Marine Corps as a Navajo Code Talker, whose mission was to translate American coordinates and messages into a code based on the Navajo language. He died May 24 at age 94. He had served in the state Senate since 1977.

Although World War II ended before Pinto was deployed, Pinto received a Congressional Silver Medal in 2001 for his service as a Code Talker.
RENO, Nev.  With Burning Man three months away, organizers are still waiting for permits and decisions by U.S. land managers that could reshape the counterculture festival in northern Nevada.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is reviewing more than 2,000 public comments about a document released in April that assessed the risk of terror attack and included proposals to conduct drug searches and add trash bins and concrete barriers at the festival in the vast and remote Black Rock Desert.

The environmental impact statement aims to detail how the more than weeklong event affects the surrounding land and communities, from the playa surface to air quality and traffic flow. The festival, dubbed the largest outdoor arts festival in North America, culminates with the burning of a towering wooden effigy.

A final report is expected to say whether Burning Man can increase from 80,000 attendees to 100,000.

It is expected June 14, bureau spokesman Rudy Evenson told the Reno Gazette Journal this week, meaning that permits for this festival could come in late July after a public review and other steps. The event begins Aug. 25.

Burning Man is moving forward with planning this years event with the assurance (from the BLM) that there wont be any significant changes, CEO Marian Goodell told the newspaper.

The BLM has to do their job, Goodell said, but were disappointed that we saw such extreme options, and the draft didnt recognize the 30 years of work, the 30 years of history we have.

Organizers say the bureaus proposed changes would add $10 million to annual costs, and supporters say that mandating trash containers would attract an accumulation of garbage at a place where most festivalgoers pack out their own trash and leave no trace is a mantra.

The federal proposals are part of the consideration of a new 10-year special use permit for the temporary community known as Black Rock City that emerges in the desert 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Reno during the nine-day event.

The festival, which moved from San Franciscos Baker Beach in 1990, celebrates creativity and free expression, with drum circles, decorated art cars, guerrilla theatrics and colorful theme camps. Clothing is optional.

Measures detailed in the final environmental report may not go into effect immediately or might be phased in over time when certain conditions are met, such as when the population hits a certain figure, said Evenson, the Bureau of Land Management spokesman.

The public and others could appeal the report to the Interior Department, where Evenson said there is currently a five-year backlog of cases. Appeals also can go to federal court.

Goodell, the CEO, said festivalgoers need to be diligent about properly disposing of trash during and after the event and said organizers hope the final report reflects the views of Burning Mans masses of followers.

She noted that she was involved in helping designate the Black Rock Desert as a national conservation area and that U.S. officials have a huge task in managing public land for many uses.

I dont think theyre trying to prevent us from happening, she said. Were an anomaly; it takes courage and perspective to want to let us flourish.

___

Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com
MEXICO CITY  President Donald Trump says hes imposing tariffs on all goods from Mexico until the country stops the flow of undocumented migrants from Central America who cross its territory and enter the United States. Trump tweeted Friday that Mexico can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done! Heres a look at what Mexico has done so far:

THE PROBLEM

In the first three months of 2019, as many as 300,000 migrants  mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador  crossed through Mexico to reach the United States. Many were families with children, who cannot be detained for long in the United States.

___

HOW DID MEXICOS NEW PRESIDENT LOOK AT IMMIGRATION?

Lopez Obrador took office on Dec. 1, intending to reduce migration by addressing its root causes  joblessness, poverty and violence in such countries as Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. He proposed creating a plan to develop the economies of Central America and southern Mexico, while creating humanitarian and work visas so that Central American migrants could stay in Mexico instead of heading to the U.S.

___

DID THAT CAUSE A SPIKE IN MIGRATION?

The biggest drivers of the migrant exodus were in place before Lopez Obrador took office and the first massive caravan of migrants formed last year, months before he took office. The caravans came about after tens of thousands of poor Central Americans decided they were a safer option than paying smugglers. New immigration routes for Cubans, Haitians and people from Africa also had opened up through Central America. Lopez Obradors offers of visas may have made it easier or safer to cross Mexico, but probably didnt play a key role in most peoples decision to leave their home countries.

___

WHAT CHANGED IN MEXICO?

A first huge caravan of migrants crossed Mexico headed for the U.S. border in November, before Lopez Obrador took office. The arrival of over 10,000 migrants taxed border facilities and angered Mexican living in border cities. In January, another caravan crossed Mexico. By the time the third formed in April, it was clear that Mexico could no longer maintain an open-door policy.

In April, the United States began slowing border crossings by reassigning border inspection personnel to deal with the influx of migrants already inside the United States. That started affecting Mexicos economy for the worst, especially time-sensitive shipments held up at the border. Separately, migrants began forcing their way across the border with Guatemala, overwhelming border forces and sometimes refusing to register once they arrived.

___

DID U.S. PRESSURE AFFECT MEXICAN POLICY?

The border crossing slowdown in April and repeated threats by Trump to close the border or impose tariffs have played a role in changing Mexicos policies. But Mexicans attitudes are also shifting. Increasingly, many Mexicans see large-scale movement of migrants across their country as a threat to their own safety and economy.

___

HAS MEXICO HELPED THE U.S. AT ALL?

Mexico is only bound to take in its own citizens when the U.S. expels people at border crossings, and has traditionally refused to take in people from other countries. But starting in late January, Mexico has allowed the United States to return over 6,748 Central Americans to Mexican border cities as they wait to hear about their U.S. asylum claims. The Remain in Mexico policy, as it is known, is meant to reduce the attractiveness of U.S. asylum requests that in the past had allowed claimants to remain in the United States for years as their cases wound their way through the courts.

___

HAS MEXICO DONE MORE TO LIMIT MIGRATION?

Mexico staged one of its first large-scale raids on a migrant caravan in April, detaining 371 people on a highway in the southern state of Chiapas. At the same time, Mexico announced that it would no longer grant humanitarian visas at the border with Guatemala after 15,000 people applied in the course of a few weeks. Instead, Mexico encouraged potential migrants to apply for such visas at Mexican consulates in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Humanitarian visas are still being issued for migrants already in Mexico, but at a very slow pace. Work visas are now limited to only a few southern border states in Mexico where wages are low and few migrants want to stay. When migrants began to hop freight trains toward the U.S. border, as they did in past decades, Mexico started police raids on the train. When Lopez Obrador took office, detentions of migrants were relatively low, with 5,884 migrants deported in January. By the end of May, the figure had risen to 15,654.

___

WHY DONT MIGRANTS ASK FOR ASYLUM IN MEXICO?

Some do. There have been over 18,000 requests for asylum filed in Mexico in the first four months of 2019, several times the levels of merely a few years ago. But many migrants say they either dont feel safe in Mexico, or they want to join relatives already in the United States. Many want to earn more money than is possible in Mexico.

___

HAS MEXICO YIELDED TO U.S. IMMIGRATION PRESSURE IN THE PAST?

During a previous surge in unaccompanied minors at the U.S. border in 2014, Mexicos then-President Enrique Pena Nieto tightened security at Mexicos porous southern border, including immigration checkpoints and raids on freight trains used by the migrants.
EL PASO, Texas  On Wednesday, Border Patrol agents near downtown El Paso encountered a group of 1,036 migrants who had entered the country illegally  the biggest cluster the agency has ever seen. At one point in May, a holding cell designed for 35 migrants was crammed with 155. Six children have died in U.S. custody since September, three in the past month.

U.S. authorities are overstretched and overwhelmed by an unprecedented surge of Central American families arriving at the southern border. It is against that backdrop that President Donald Trump threatened this week to slap tariffs on goods from Mexico unless it cracks down on the flow of migrants.

It is certainly a crisis at this point, and it does not lend itself to quick fixes, said Doris Meissner, who headed the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in the Clinton administration and is now a fellow at the Migration Policy Institute.

Border Patrol arrests have jumped sharply over the last year but are still well below historic highs of the early 2000s. Whats different is the type of people crossing: Able-bodied Mexican men have been replaced by Central American families with children, many of them impelled to make the journey because of grinding poverty and violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Juan Carlos Santos, 34, walked past the end of a bollard-style fence in New Mexico with his 9-year-old son, Yair, and was picked up by Border Patrol agents. On Friday, he was at the El Paso Greyhound station, bound for Washington, where he has a cousin who lent him money to pay a smuggler.

Santos said he wanted to stay in Honduras but gave up after a year of unemployment. The farmworker hopes to bring his wife and 2-year-old daughter after paying his debt to his cousin.

Theres no work, said Santos, who blamed drought and other factors for a decline in the corn and coffee fields he used to harvest. Unemployment gets to you.

The surge has shown U.S. authorities to be woefully unprepared.

The Department of Homeland Securitys internal watchdog reported Friday that during unannounced visits to El Paso in early May, it found a 125-person capacity holding facility had 700 people one day and 900 another day. They were packed in so tightly that some resorted to standing on toilets.

Agents told investigators that some migrants were being held in standing-room-only conditions for days or weeks.

We are concerned that overcrowding and prolonged detention represent an immediate risk to the health and safety not just of the detainees, but also DHS agents and officers. Border Patrol management on site said there is a high incidence of illness among their staff, the report said.

Along the nearly 2,000-mile Mexican border, there were 98,777 arrests in April, nearly 7 out of 10 of them people who came as families or children traveling alone. Arrests are up from 38,243 a year earlier, when about 1 in 3 were members of families or unaccompanied children.

El Paso offers the starkest illustration of the shifting landscape. Arrests there are up nearly 1,000% from a year earlier, and nearly 9 out of 10 are families or unaccompanied children.

Migrants are increasingly coming in large groups. The Border Patrol said it has encountered more than 180 groups of over 100 people since October, compared with 13 in the previous 12-month period and two the year before.

Meissner said the Trump administrations tariff ultimatum is the latest in a series of dialed-up threats after several failures, including the practice of separating families at the border.

These shock-and-awe measures that this administration keeps trying to put into place every several months each time is making it worse, she said.

Meissner said people in Central America who are thinking of journeying to the U.S. are being told by smugglers and family members in this country: You better come now. You never know whats coming next.

___

Astrid Galvan in Phoenix contributed to this report. Spagat reported from San Diego.
WASHINGTON  Sen. Elizabeth Warrens announcement that she would upend Justice Department policies against indicting sitting presidents seems likely to become a rallying cry for the 2020 White House hopefuls.

After Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III said he was prevented in part by a 1973 memo from even considering whether to indict President Donald Trump on charges related to obstruction of justice, the Massachusetts Democrat released a campaign proposal that involves changing the practice.

Specifically, she is declaring that the assistant attorney general responsible for the Office of Legal Counsel in her administration would throw out the 1973 memo, to which Mueller believed he was bound.

Warren said in a statement that, I pledge to nominate an OLC head who will reverse the Watergate-era rule that a President cannot be indicted for criminal behavior.

The memorandum in question was issued in the midst of the Watergate scandal, meant that charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider, Mueller said Wednesday.

The Department of Justices Office of Legal Counsel is in charge of writing opinions that govern the conduct of the executive branch, including opinions about the Constitution. But Donald Trump has used the OLC as a rubber stamp for whatever he wants to do, Warren said Friday.

Any of the Democrats running for president in 2020 could take that executive action to reverse the interpretation without needing approval from Congress, making it somewhat low-hanging fruit as the debate about a potential Trump impeachment inquiry continues.

But Warren wants to go further, also saying that there would be legislative proposals for specifying that a sitting president can be charged with violations of the federal criminal statutes for actions in office, amending the criminal code.

If Congress does so, one of the strongest arguments against indictment disappears: that the Constitution gives Congress the sole authority to decide when to interfere with the Presidents duties, and that a criminal indictment would forcibly take that power away from Congress, Warren said. Itll also remove any statutory ambiguity that remains.

Warren was quick to call for impeachment proceedings against Trump after reading the redacted version of the report from the special counsels office.

The other piece of the proposal outlined by Warren Friday would involve amending the law so that, in effect, a future Justice Department could not re-impose the Watergate restrictions on indictments of occupants of the Oval Office.



(Michael Macagone contributed to this report.)



2019 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved

Visit CQ Roll Call at www.rollcall.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

-

PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194):
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for the Camp Fire burn scar.

The warning is in effect for central Butte County until 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 30.

The service issued the following statement:

At 406 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms with heavy rain moving over the Camp Fire burn area. Flash flooding is expected to begin shortly. Heavy rain rates are expected to be high enough to generate debris flows in the steep portions of the burn.

The Thunderstorms are expected to spread west over the burn scar area near Paradise over the next hour. The severely burned areas are of particular concern. This includes the greater Paradise area and local roads, Pulga, Concow, Feather River tributaries, and Highway 70 and the Skyway in Butte County.
OROVILLE, Calif. - The Oroville Boys & Girls Clubs is hosting its annual Barrels, Bites & Bounty fundraiser on Friday, May 31.

The event features food and drinks tasting from 16 different local vendors, live music and a raffle.

Those looking to participate can attend the event on Friday, May 31, at the Historic Oroville Inn from 6 - 8 p.m.

General admission tickets are $20, while VIP tickets are $30.

For more information CLICK HERE or call 530-899-0335.
REDDING, Calif. - The Redding Police Department arrested a suspect accused of vandalizing the Veterans Office Memorial Statue.

Around 9 a.m. on May 13, police received reports of damage to the statue, which is located outside of the Shasta County Veterans Services office on Shasta Street in Redding.

RELATED: Redding military monument vandalized ahead of Memorial Day weekend

Several words were painted on the statue with black spray paint.

Authorities said video surveillance showed an unknown woman causing the damage to the memorial.

Investigators determined that the woman in the video was recently arrested and then released. She was identified as Amy Lee McCarty, 36, of Redding.

McCarty is a local transient who has been arrested eight times since October 2018, mostly for public intoxication and other misdemeanor crimes.

McCarty admitted to committing the vandalism to officers during an interview on Thursday.

She was booked into Shasta County Jail on felony vandalism charges.
YUBA COUNTY, Calif. - The Yuba County Sheriff's Office arrested three suspects involved in a deadly shooting on Highway 70 last week.

The shooting, which left one man dead and another injured, occurred on Highway 70 in Plumas Lake on May 22.

RELATED: Authorities identify man killed in shooting on Highway 70

Over the last week, investigators tracked the suspected vehicle in over two dozen business security videos 30 miles through Yuba, Sutter and Butte Counties. During that investigation, they were able to acquire leads to the identity of the suspects involved.

Around 6 p.m. on Thursday, deputies served a search warrant at a home on Amsterdam Avenue in Citrus Heights. They arrested Juan Antonio Barajas, 19, of Citrus Heights, on accessory charges.

Around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, deputies served a search warrant at a residence on Pinewood Way in Linda. They arrested Avery Sanchez, 20, of Sacramento, and Vivion Wallace, 21, of Yuba City. Authorities identified the two suspects as the shooters in the vehicle and they were arrested on murder charges.

All three suspects were booked into Yuba County Jail.

At this time, investigators have not determined whether there was a motive for the shooting. None of the suspects were known to the victims.
The fifth edition of ZeeMELT, which puts the spotlight on disruptive marketing, kicked off in Mumbai on May 30, 2019. The two-day conference features an extensive line-up of speakers  experts, leaders, and professionals who have themselves disrupted the global marketing arena.

Commencing Day 1s proceedings was RS Sodhi, Managing Director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), who shed light on the unorthodox thinking that makes its flagship brand Amul the leading FMCG company in India. Sodhi, who has been MD at GCMMF since January 4, 2011, has been instrumental in scripting the success of Indias biggest diary brand. He spoke about the unconventional and nonconformist marketing tactics that the company uses to capture the pulse of India and hence, the consumers mind space.

Giving an idea of the size of the business operations, Sodhi said that Amul is the biggest food company created by farmers at Rs 45,000 crore per annum with just two liters of milk 73 years ago. Today, the company has 3.6 million farmers who are shareholders in the company which runs on the co-operative model. Each one of us owns a share and the company cant be sold. In the last 10 years, our CAGR is 17 per cent, he informed.

Read More: Amul fires ICC World Cup salvo as Afghan cricket team's sponsor

The business model followed is unique as well, as against the conventional business of B2B or B2C or C2C  wherein it is easy to start with B2B and then get on to B2C and then e-commerce, Amuls business model comprises C2C, which is Cow to Consumer, and B2C, which is Buffalo to Consumer.





Back in 1946, when the co-operative was formed, it was none other than Indias first Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbai Patel, who had advised, If you want to get best price for your produce, you should process and market it under your own brand name.

Sodhi remarked that this heritage brand which started 73 years ago was a disrupter then and brought about a revolution in the dairy sector and continues to be a disrupter even now. At the same time, he said, But the product itself  milk  is not disruptive, but soothing. The Utterly Butterly butter to the milk that India consumes, the central thing to all of Amuls campaigns is their catchy lines, which have stayed with of us for many years.

Throughout the years, Amuls ad campaigns have always maintained a consistency. Once a campaign position has been taken, we have not changed at all, we listen to new ideas and creatives, but then we decide to stick to what we have. When a campaign is working, why change it? Utterly Butterly Delicious is more than 50 years old, Taste of India is about 20 years old, Amul Doodh Peeta hai India was coined in 2000. Any food brand spends about 15-18 per cent on advertising, but if you look at our advertising spend, it has been than less 1 per cent, he added.

Sodhi further said that Amul has never believed in celebrity endorsements, but have depicted celebrities in the Amul hoardings which are the most topical. We get calls from PR personnel and celebrities thanking us. All this is achieved without spending a penny, he added.



Stressing on consistency, Sodhi maintained that the campaigns, communication and consistency in the product and the communication has made what Amul is today. If you want your brand to succeed, not for a decade but for centuries, give more to your supplier, your service provider and your consumer, much more than what they are giving you. As Dr Kurien used to say, This give more to earn more is ingrained in the DNA of Amul, concluded Sodhi.
Ittisa Digital, a 360-degree marketing agency headquartered in Bangalore has bagged the digital media duties in a multi-agency pitch for Sunfeast Snacky, the savoury biscuit segment of the popular multinational conglomerate, ITC Foods.

ITC has a diverse presence in various industries like packaged food and confectionary, agri-business, hotels, stationery, personal care, paperboards, branded apparel and other FMCG sectors. Sunfeast Snacky is a brand known for its light and crispy crackers in unique flavours, thus keeping up the brands commitment to always delight its loyal customers.

This association is indeed a great opportunity for Ittisa, who has created a strong foothold in the FMCG segment digitally. On bagging the digital duties for Snacky, Sneha Das, Director & COO, Ittisa Digital, was quoted saying, Our previous track record of working with other ITC brands has been great and we are looking forward to using that experience while adding a punch of creativity for Snacky. This is an opportunity for us to venture more deeply into digitally marketing FMCG products. Being a young agency ourselves, we understand the millennial India and our strategies will revolve around the same.

Ittisa has also previously handled creative responsibilities for ITC brands like MasterChef Spices, Sunfeast Yippee and Aashirvaad (website UI/UX), Svasti Ghee, Sunbean Coffee, Candyman Toffee etc. Other FMCG brands for Ittisa include Nirmal VCO- a leading coconut oil from Kerala, Himalayan Natives- organic ghee from the Himalayas and Dogsee Chew- the organic pet food startup that has now reached International markets.
Cosmos Maya, Indias largest animation production company is redefining the way Indian audience is consuming animated content. The companys bouquet of 28 YouTube channels under umbrella brand WowKidz now has its content available in all major languages, namely Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Haryanvi, along with Hindi and English.



Though the foray has been recent, videos on Gujarati and Bengali channels have more than a million hits in less than 2 weeks. Children have been deprived of content in their mother tongue for long and WowKidz has been able to bridge that gap. The move gives the diaspora audience, which constitutes a large percentage of WowKidzs 21 million subscribers, an opportunity to Go Back to the Roots.



Kids in India, over the years have been watching foreign shows. The countrys mobile and data revolutions have given the masses a great opportunity. YouTube in particular, has been a big winner in this regard. Building on this, Cosmos Maya is changing the landscape of Indian animation industry by providing homegrown animation content to the Indian viewers and is also gaining traction internationally.
Zee MELT, India's biggest conference for disruptive marketing kicked off its fifth edition in Mumbai. The two-day conference, being held at NSCI, Worli, features an extensive line-up of speakers. Experts, leaders, and professionals who have themselves disrupted the global marketing arena.

The conference was kick started by Mr. R S Sodhi, Managing Director for Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, popularly known by its flagship brand, Amul. Mr Sodhi, who has been instrumental in scripting the success of Indias biggest diary brand, spoke about the unconventional and nonconformist marketing tactics that the company uses to capture the pulse of India and hence, the consumers mind space.

Other sessions featured strategy expert Mark Pollard; Chief Experience at PwC's Experience Center, Rodger Beekman; Keynote speaker, Author, and Marketing Consultant, Kate ONeill; Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, Rory Sutherland; Ad man and Playwright Rahul DaCunha; Creative director, Copywriter, and Author Dave Trott; Head  Marketing and Creative Solutions  Google APAC, Guneet Singh; Co-Founders of Genius Steals, Rosie & Faris Yakob; Managing Director of Spotify India, Amarjit Singh Batra; Communications Consultant, Dilip Cherian and many more.

Commenting on the conference, Rajesh Kejriwal, Founder & CEO, Kyoorius said, Year after year, Zee Melt continues to march forward with its objective of bringing the biggest thought leaders across advertising, digital and marketing together on one platform. Having such notable speakers on-board allows the cross-pollination of creativity, marketing, communication and technology. We are certain that like every year, this edition will also add immense value to all our attendees and transform the way we perceive marketing.

In addition to the talk sessions, the first day of Zee Melt 2019 also witnessed two workshops focusing on the art of mobile advertising and ways to improve social media engagement. A brand quiz by The Hindu group was also organized in the evening for all the attendees.

Organized by Kyoorius, Zee MELT is partnered by the The Hindu, the Mobile Marketing Association and Cadbury Fuse, and supported by Laqshya Media Group, Garage, Communicate India, Fortune4 Technologies and Dome NSCI, Mumbai.
(There is also blame placed on too much social media, lack of sleep, and bullying.)

Educators and medical experts have explanations and none of them have to do with toxic exposures damaging children. Most often cited as the reason for the dysfunctional school population is trauma, also known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)the bad things that happen to kids at home: abuse, neglect, addicted/mentally ill parents, even a death in the family or parents who divorce.

Something is clearly affecting large numbers of kids. Were being saturated with news reports on the changes in our schools because of the students who cannot learn in a traditional classroom setting. (Ive written volumes about the coverage over the last year: more special education services, sensory rooms, flexible seating, more therapists, behavior coaches and school psychologists, yoga, school suspensions, and isolation rooms.)

Ive compiled a years worth of stories on the explosion in special needs kids in schools worldwide, especially the ones who have mental/behavioral health issues. Better diagnosing and greater awareness will be a hard sell on this one (although a number of stories talk about less stigma more openness about mental illness.)

Before I get into the details of the story, let me just say, I could have predicted this was coming. It is one more attempt to blame parents for the disorders now plaguing our children and overwhelming schools.

By Anne Dachel This past week, in the midst of my search for the latest story on the explosion in special education in countries around the world, I found this stunning piece from the New York Times on February 6 th . The title said it all, Far More U.S. Children than Previously Thought May Have Fetal Alcohol Disorders .

To those of us in the autism community whove watched autism become a normal and acceptable part of childhood, it sounds very familiar. Weve seen several decades of official research that linked the development of autism to bad things parents do. Autism is associated with:old moms, fat moms, DRINKING MOMS, smoking moms, moms on anti-depressants, moms who marry old dads, moms who have preemies, moms who have babies too close together, moms who live too close to freeways.

Now the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control are all in the Times warning us that a percentage of the students in our school who cant behave and who cant learn are that way because their mothers drank while they were pregnant.

Dr. Susan Astley, director of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network at the University of Washington, who was not involved in the study, said this in the Times: When you identify a kid with FASD, youve just identified a mom who drank during pregnancy and harmed her child.

Parents of course would have a lot of reasons to deny this, so its probably been overlooked in the past.

Then there is the stigma that often makes mothers reluctant to acknowledge alcohol consumption.

Based on their findings, they estimated conservatively that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders affect 1.1 to 5 percent of children in the U.S., up to five times previous estimates. About 1.5 percent of children are currently diagnosed with autism.

(Its interesting that a comparison with autism is made here.)

Dr. Howard Taras, who was part of the study and is the physician for the San Diego Unified School District, was quoted on the extent of the damage: If not in one classroom, certainly in another, theres going to be one or two kids with these problems, but theyre not identified as such.

Were told that abnormal facial features can indicate FASD, but some affected children look like regular kids. What educators have to keep in mind is that the child who is disruptive in the classroom isnt to blameit was really mom.

One of the study authors is Dr. Christina Chambers, from the University of CaliforniaSan Diego. She calls FASD completely preventable and one that we are missing. 

If it truly is affecting a substantial proportion of the population, then we can do something about it. We can provide better services for those kids, and we can do a better job of preventing the disorders to begin with.

We now have another answer to why so many students are special needs. As a result, doctors will warn mothers and schools will provide extra help to the victims of this tragedy. Im sure more research to support these claims will follow. And once again, the powers that be will confuse this tragedy with yet another red herring.



**Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders is big news. Just as I expected, the news about drinking while pregnant harming children was everywhere on February 6th, and Im sure well be hearing more about it. Officials had to come up with some explanation for the shocking decline of education, and this was it. CHECK OUT THESE REPORTS FROM MAJOR NEWS OUTLETS.





FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME

Feb, 2018, CBS News: Fetal alcohol cases may be more common than previously thought



The study of four U.S. communities found that at least 1 percent to 5 percent of first-graders had a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD.

The prevalence ranged depending on the community. And when the researchers used a less-strict estimate, the rate went as high as 10 percent in one location. 

"The bottom line is, these are not uncommon disorders," said study leader Christina Chambers, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is an umbrella term that includes fetal alcohol syndrome -- which can be fatal, or cause serious problems with learning and behavior, stunted growth and facial abnormalities. It also includes less-severe learning or behavioral issues that can be traced to a woman's prenatal drinking.

Kids in that latter group might have trouble with schoolwork or poor impulse control, for example. And it can be challenging to pinpoint FASD as the cause -- versus a diagnosis like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),Chambers said.

In the real world, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are often misdiagnosed as ADHD or another developmental disorder, said Dr. Svetlana Popova, a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, in Toronto, Canada. 

One issue, she said, is that general practitioners in most countries never receive the training they need to diagnose an FASD, because it's not covered in medical school.



Feb 6, 2018, ABC News: Fetal alcohol syndrome in children up to 10 times more common than experts thought

Experts previously thought that 1 percent of children are affected by the serious, permanent consequences of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

But they were underestimating it.

A new multisite study released by The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that FASD are up to 10 times more common than they thought  perhaps as high as one in 10 children. ...

They used these data to estimate how many children are affected nationally. A conservative approach suggests that 1 to 5 percent of children are affected; a less conservative approach suggests that 3 to 10 percent are affected. 

With rates of binge drinking soaring among reproductive-age women, its a conversation thats long overdue. According to data from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions, women ages 18 to 44 years old are binge drinking significantly more over the 10 years from 2001 to 2002 to 2012 to 2013. In that period, women reporting binge drinking went from 14 to 37 percent. Binge drinking is defined as having four or more alcoholic drinks at a time.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians all agree that there is no safe amount of alcohol in pregnancy, and drinking is particularly dangerous to the developing fetus in the first trimester.

Feb 6, 2018, TIME Magazine: Fetal Alcohol Disorder May Be More Common Than Previously Thought

FASD is an umbrella term for health abnormalities caused by exposure to alcohol in the womb; it includes fetal alcohol syndrome, partial fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. FASDs are a leading cause of developmental disabilities around the world, and people with these conditions can experience growth deficiencies, facial abnormalities and organ damage. They often have physical, cognitive and social challenges throughout life, and have an increased risk of premature death. 

The authors also cite a documented increase in alcohol use among women between 2001 and 2013, as well as a 2017 study in which 10% of pregnant women reported drinking alcohol (and 3% reported binge drinking) in the last 30 days.

Feb 6, 2018, News4, Oklahoma City: As many as 1 in 20 US kids harmed by alcohol in the womb, study says



More children have been affected by drinking during pregnancy than previously thought, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Up to one in 20 American kids fall somewhere on the spectrum of disorders caused by maternal drinking, according to the studys more conservative estimate. But that number could be as many as 1 in 10, using another approach outlined in the study.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a group of conditions that may include abnormal growth and facial features, intellectual disabilities and behavioral problems, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

We have long thought and believed that estimates that we had previously in the US were pretty gross underestimates, said Christina Chambers, one of the studys authors and a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Its not an easy disorder to recognize.

Feb 6, 2018, Forbes: Fetal Alcohol Disorders Up to 10 Times More Common Than Believed

Up to 10 times more children have disabilities related to fetal alcohol exposure -- drinking during pregnancy -- than previously believed, finds a new study. As many as one in 10 children in some U.S. communities may have some type of disability due to maternal drinking during pregnancy, the research suggests.

Not only does this finding reveal substantial numbers of children with potentially unrecognized disabilities who need help, but it also drives home how widespread disabilities are from drinking during pregnancyeven if its not heavy or binge drinking.
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.
Major personnel changes at some of the highest levels of the U.S. Department of Energy and its semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration are under way, according to a department announcement reviewed by the Aiken Standard on Friday.

Anne Marie White  the woman atop the DOE Office of Environmental Management, the Savannah River Site landlord  has submitted her resignation, according to the announcement, which is signed off with the names of Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and the Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette.

White's resignation is effective June 14. The assistant secretary for environmental management was confirmed in March 2018, bringing her total time at the helm to just over one year.

No reason for her leave was given in the memo.

"Anne's service to the Department of Energy and to this nation are greatly appreciated," the personnel announcement reads. "Please join us in wishing her the best in her future endeavors."

Environmental Management, established in 1989, is charged with cleaning up the nation's legacy from the Cold War and other government-sponsored energy research. At the Savannah River Site, Environmental Management's tasks include processing millions of gallons of radioactive liquid waste.

White toured SRS for the first time last year. She visited the Defense Waste Processing Facility  a behemoth waste-glassification plant  and the Savannah River National Laboratory, among other venues.

"The work being done at Savannah River is important work, good work," White wrote in field notes, which were posted to the DOE's website.

Mark Gilbertson, Environmental Management's No. 2, is also switching gears. Gilbertson  who recently came to Augusta and spoke to a nationwide nuclear panel  will become the director of the DOE's National Laboratory Operations Board, according to the memo.

The board works to strengthen DOE's national labs and their shared relationships.

Todd Shrader, the manager of Environmental Management's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Carlsbad Field Office, will replace Gilbertson as the principal deputy assistant secretary, the memo states. WIPP is in New Mexico, south of Roswell.

William "Ike" White, the NNSA chief of staff, will now serve as a senior adviser to DOE Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar. Dabbar oversees environmental- and legacy-management missions, among other things.

The NNSA is in charge of the nation's nuclear complex and related nonproliferation. The NNSA operates at SRS.

Meantime, longtime senior physicist William Bookless was sworn in as the NNSA's second in command  as its principal deputy administrator  on Friday.

Organization charts for Environmental Management and NNSA do not reflect the announced changes as of Friday evening.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Israel has approved the transfer of 10 US-made light armored military vehicles from Jordan to the Palestinian security services on the West Bank. Green-lighted on May 21, the move follows warnings by Israeli security forces to Israeli politicians in April and May of the pending economic collapse of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the deterioration of security coordination between Israel and the PA due to the worsening financial situation on the West Bank. Both the PA and Israel are worried that Palestinians might take to the streets in protest over the current status quo and at a time when the Palestinian security services lack military vehicles and equipment to adequately respond to potential turmoil.

The simmering financial and economic crisis stems from decreasing foreign grants and the cessation of US aid to the Palestinians under the Donald Trump administration. In addition, the PA has been refusing to accept taxes collected on its behalf by Israel since Feb. 19, after Israel unilaterally decided to deduct a portion equivalent to funds earmarked for Palestinian prisoners accused of terrorism and the families of those killed while involved in activities against the occupation. The amount for 2018 totaled 502 million shekels ($138 million).

Israel fears that in the coming months, the PA will be unable to meet its financial obligations and that this could lead it to slash employees' salaries by up to 30%. Such a situation could subsequently ignite the West Bank, resulting in confrontations between Palestinians and the Israeli army. Already, in March, the PA slashed salaries, including for security personnel, by half.

A cascading of events would derail the US and Israeli goal of maintaining calm in the Palestinian territories with the hope of furthering the Trump administration's anticipated peace plan. Israel hopes the delivery of the armored vehicles will entice Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to accept the tax funds Israel holds ready for transfer.

Hafez al-Rifai, director of public relations and information for the Palestinian National Security Forces, told Al-Monitor, The introduction of armored vehicles followed US pressure on the Israeli government. Israel had objected to the introduction of such vehicles for more than six years, insisting on their remaining in Jordan.

Rifai explained that Israel has for many years blocked certain equipment destined for Palestinian security forces, such as bulletproof shields, automatic rifles and ammunition and military vehicles, and that this has affected the work of the forces. Of note, fierce armed clashes erupted in Hebron on May 15 between two large families, and it was only after the armored vehicles arrived that the security forces were able to contain the confrontations.

Israel had similarly agreed to the dispatch of military vehicles at the end of 2016, over concern of possible unrest that might draw in the Israeli army after the breakdown of negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships. The vehicles were also intended for use in the wake of clashes between PA security forces and armed groups in the northern West Bank.

PA spokesman Ibrahim Melhem told Al-Monitor that the Palestinian government is currently relying on local taxes and grants from the United Arab Emirates to sustain itself. He stressed that contrary to the hopes of the Trump administration, the PA will not be making any political concessions, and contrary to Israeli wishes, the PA will not be making any financial concessions. Qatar has recently stepped forward to offer aid for the West Bank, after previously lending economic support to Gaza.

Both the Palestinians and Israelis fear that an inability on the PA's part to maintain security could benefit Hamas and lead to its possibly taking control of the West Bank, along the lines of what transpired in Gaza in 2007. This also influenced the Israeli decision to approve the transfer of armored vehicles from Jordan.

Yahya Mousa, head of the Palestinian Legislative Council's Oversight Committee in Gaza and deputy head of Hamas parliamentary bloc, told Al-Monitor, We were not surprised by Israels decision to allow the transfer of these vehicles. After all, the PA works to thwart any armed Palestinian action against Israel and it coordinates with Israel in this regard.

Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot had warned on May 16, Security coordination benefits both Israel and the PA. Without security coordination, there will be a great deal of friction both in the West Bank and Israel. He said Israel's security situation would deteriorate by the day if the PA were to withdraw from security coordination.

Nonetheless, the introduction of armored vehicles could ultimately prove to be futile as long as there is no solution to the financial crisis jeopardizing the PA.
On the bank of the Nile as its courses through the well-to-do Cairo district of Maadi, the Church and Monastery of the Virgin Mary stands today as an important stop for Christian pilgrims in Egypt. According to the Holy Family tradition, the sanctuary marks the spot where Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph embarked during their flight from King Herod's soldiers, a story recounted in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew. Like other holy places, the church is also said to be the site of important miracles, the most remarkable of which dates from 1976, when a Bible of unknown origin was found floating on the Nile open to Chapter 19 of the Old Testament Book of Isaiah (19:25), which reads Blessed be Egypt my people.

This is an ancient church, and it is due to it being part of the route of the Holy Familys visit [to Egypt], that for anyone coming to visit churches in the country, this one is a must, Wahba, an employee in the church, told Al-Monitor. In April, the Egyptian government announced that the Church of the Virgin Mary will be part of a project aimed at reviving the Holy Family trail, tracing the path Jesus, Mary and Joseph traveled and identifying the sites they are believed to have stopped at some 2,000 years ago while being pursued by Herods soldiers.

Adel Gendy, national coordinator for the trail project and the general manager for international relations and strategic planning at the government-affiliated Tourism Development Authority, told Al-Monitor that the program consists of three main stage.

The first, or pilot, stage, which should be completed within the next two months, includes the frequently visited and well-known Church of the Virgin Mary in Maadi and Abu Serga (Church of St. Sergius and St. Bacchus) in Coptic Cairo along with three monasteries in Wadi Natrun, in the Beheira governorate, 62 miles northwest of Cairo.

The second stage will involve the renovation of sites in the Upper Egypt governorates of Minya and Asyut, among them Dayr al-Muharraq (or Muharraq Monastery), considered the most important station along the trail, as a place to which Jesus returned after the Resurrection. This stage will require two to three years of work. The third stage will focus on locations in the Delta and should be completed in three to five years.

We are focusing on [the development of] infrastructure and tourism services, said Gendy, with the government's goal being to improve accessibility and upgrade the facilities and structures, with additional accommodations expected to be provided by the private sector. The Ministry of Tourism's budget will cover the cost of the first stage, 60 million Egyptian pounds ($3.5 million). The budgets for the other two stages have not yet been drafted.

Development of the Holy Family trail is being conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Antiquities, which is responsible for Egypt's tangible heritage, the Ministry of Culture, entrusted with intangible aspects of the country's heritage, and the Ministry for Local Development, which will facilitate coordination among the governorates in developing the trail.

The [trail] of the Holy Family is one of Egypts most important cultural, touristic and historical projects, and [the] ministries are doing their best to do the path successfully, Ambassador Mohamed Higazy, adviser to the minister of local development for international cooperation, explained to Al-Monitor.

In addition to overseeing the work on the ground, the Ministry of Tourism will before the end of the year ask UNESCO to consider designating parts of the trail as World Heritage Sites, which would bring it added recognition.

We will submit two files, one for the tangible [heritage] category, in which we are trying to list the three monasteries in Wadi Natrun, and one for intangible [heritage], such as the folklore, traditions and customs involving the celebration of the Holy Family's entrance [into Egypt], Gendy detailed.

The primary goal of the trail project is to encourage spiritual tourism to Egypt, paying particular attention to Christians though not solely.

We decided to focus on spiritual tourism because if you launch it as a religious tourism [initiative], you are reducing the ceiling by only appealing to Christians, said Gendy. Spiritual is rather more suitable because we are launching the project for humanity.

At the same time, the government aims to create economic opportunities in traditionally marginal places, such as Upper Egypt, by taking advantage of the trails path. Most of the communities along the route are poor and need job opportunities, so we think that this is a good chance for developing tourism at these stops, Gendy said.

Gendy further explained that the Ministry of Tourism will conduct training courses for local communities on basic hospitality and selling their services and will also arrange for English classes. The first of these programs will start in mid-June in Minya.

Cornelis Hulsman, a journalist with expertise on the Coptic Orthodox Holy Family tradition, told Al-Monitor that the Holy Family locations have traditionally been important for local Egyptian pilgrims, who often visit a location for celebrations on the day Jesus is said to have arrived there. Hulsman said that until relatively recently, Christians elsewhere generally knew little about the Holy Family tradition, despite previous efforts to promote it.

According to Hulsman, the situation began to change in the 1990s. At that point, he said, Tourism Minister Mamdouh el-Beltagy brought new life to the Holy Family tradition by asking Pope Shenouda III, patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, to provide him with a map of the places trodden by the Holy Family, with the goal of bringing under one umbrella what up until then had been individual locations. Shenouda formed a committee of bishops to draft the map.

The [new] millennium celebrations created momentum to do something new for the Holy Family tradition, Hulsman told to Al-Monitor. Without those celebrations, the tradition would have been there but probably would not have had the same push.

For Gendy, one of the most important recent developments for the trail was the visit by Pope Francis to Egypt in April 2017, an event used to boost the trail. That said, despite the current plans for the trail, some remain skeptical of them, citing the many empty promises made by administrations over the years to develop it.

Two popes have been to Egypt, in 2000 and 2017, and have pinpointed the idea that this place is blessed, so the government should have used that, Samir Gayed, a businessman who has been lobbying for the promotion of the trail for more than two decades, told Al-Monitor. But the circle keeps repeating. They open the folder for a time, but when it comes to concrete actions, nothing really happens.
When two adversaries bump into each other, a common solution is to avoid interaction. But that wasnt an option for Turkish and Saudi officials this week as Ankara turned over leadership of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to its rival in an unusually frosty handoff.

Why it matters: Heads of state and the governments of dozens of OIC members are attending the 14th summit of the organization in Mecca today. Turkey, however, is being represented by its foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogans absence exposes the chill in Saudi-Turkish relations, which hit rock bottom after Saudi Arabia murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi at its consulate last October. Cavusoglus visit to Saudi Arabia is the first high-level Turkish visit to the kingdom since then.

Low-key handover: Turkey handed over the OIC chairmanship to Saudi Arabia at the groups foreign ministers conference on Wednesday instead of at today's more prominent gathering.

Other issues complicating the Saudi-Turkish relationship include Turkeys support of the Muslim Brotherhood and its deepening military cooperation with Qatar. The Gulf emirate has been under a land, air and sea blockade by Saudi Arabia and several of its allies since June 2017.

Saudi Arabias passive reaction to the US administration's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has also been a point of contention  one Cavusoglu did not shy away from during his speech at the conference.

We shouldnt forget the Organization of Islamic Cooperation had been established to protect the historical status of Jerusalem, he said. I have no doubt that any plan that does not accept the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital will be rejected by the OIC community.

Cavusoglus remarks were widely interpreted as a message to countries supporting the administration's Middle East peace initiative, including Saudi Arabia.

Whats next: Despite his strong words regarding the Palestinian conflict, Cavusoglu refrained from making any comments on the Khashoggi affair. His silence may be an indication of Ankaras efforts to de-escalate tensions stemming from the incident.

Indeed, Turkey can ill afford to escalate tensions as it faces an economic crisis and political strife at home, especially when Saudi media outlets are already calling for a boycott of Turkish goods.

The crisis between Turkey and Saudi Arabia is extremely serious and Turkey is the more vulnerable of the two, Gonul Tol, the director of the Turkey program at the Middle East Institute, told Al-Monitor last week. Of the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia is one of the top investors in Turkey and Turkey is terrified of losing Saudi money.

Read More: Read Amberin Zamans story on Saudi economic pressure on Turkey. For more on Saudi-Turkish tensions, check out the latest from diplomatic correspondent Semih Idiz.
Javad is a 30-year-old architect and photographer in Iran. Born to an Iranian mother and an Afghan father in Iran, he has not yet been granted Iranian citizenship due to the countrys nationality law, which only gives children of Iranian fathers automatic citizenship.

As a result, Javad has faced plenty of hurdles and has been deprived of many services, including four years of primary school, insurance and a driver's license. He also faces the annual extension of his fathers legal residence in Iran. Hundreds of thousands of children in Iran find themselves in a similar situation. It's mainly seen in the eastern regions of the country, where the population of Afghan refugees is the greatest.

According to a 2019 report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Iran is among the seven countries in the world, including Lebanon, Kuwait and Qatar, that do not allow mothers to confer their citizenship on their children with no or very limited exceptions.

Lawyer Shahnaz Sajadi, an assistant to Irans vice president for women and family affairs, told Al-Monitor, Our current legislation dates back to 1934, when Iran was not faced with refugees. But the situation has changed over the past three to four decades, and Iran has been home to millions of refugees, mainly from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sajadi said that, since many Iranian women have married foreign migrants over the past decades, Iran is facing a phenomenon in which thousands of children are not recognized as Iranian nationals and they cant apply to become Iranian nationals until reaching 18 years of age. This has led to many challenges for governments, especially in the education and health systems.

To address these challenges, Irans parliament scored a landmark victory by overwhelmingly passing a bill on May 12 to bring an end to the nationality law. This came almost two decades after the judiciary raised the issue of gender inequality in its nationality law in 2001, after the census revealed that a significant number of children with Iranian mothers and foreign fathers were not considered Iranian citizens. Five years later, parliament passed a bill making these children eligible for Iranian citizenship after reaching the age of 18. But the law gave them a single year to apply for citizenship, and mandated that they would also have to give up the nationality of their fathers. These conditions made the application a difficult and lengthy process, if not impossible.

Two proposed bills in 2012 and 2015 to amend the nationality law failed. The Guardian Council rejected the first bill, and the latter did not pass parliament. But government efforts and the support of women's rights activists paid off last week when parliament passed the bill allowing all children of Iranian mothers and foreign fathers to obtain citizenship at birth, regardless of whether the couple has a marriage permit from the government. (According to Iranian law, Iranian women need to obtain governmental permission to register their marriage with a foreign man.)

The new bill further mandates that children of mixed marriages can also apply for citizenship after reaching the age of 18. Such a request requires approval from the Ministry of Intelligence, but applicants no longer need to give up their other nationality to become Iranian citizens. The security inquiry process should not exceed more than three months, according to the bill, and the Iranian police should issue a residence visa for the foreign father during this period.

Although the bill passed with 188 votes in favor, 20 parliamentarians voted against it and three others abstained. Lawmakers cited several reasons for their opposition, including the sudden population increase amid high unemployment and economic downturns; the urging of refugees from neighboring countries to marry Iranian girls to obtain residency permits; and security or cultural threats against Iran.

While the exact number of people without national IDs in Iran is unknown, Iranian parliamentarian Reza Shiran Khorasani said last year that around 1 million children lack national IDs.

Sajadi said, Whats more important than the correct figure is the reality that these children are going through and the social harm that their situation is inflicting on society. With the new law, these children will be eligible for citizenship and will have access to education, health and other public services like every other Iranian citizen. It is considered a major achievement with regard to the rights of women, children and mothers.

Human Rights Watch, among others, has welcomed the passing of the bill, but the Guardian Council  a powerful conservative body of senior clerics and judges  must approve the bill before it becomes law. It is very unlikely that the Guardian Council approves the bill, citing contradictions with Sharia law, Sajadi said. Yet Sajadi believes the bill will be passed once it is sent to the Expediency Council, the body tasked with mediating disputes between parliament and the Guardian Council.
International Quds Day received little attention from Iraqis this year. The protest in Baghdad was very quiet in contrast to previous years, attracting only a group of pro-Iranian Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) forces and a few politicians and tribal leaders. The PMU also organized a demonstration in the mostly Sunni city of Mosul, the first Quds demonstration organized there. Very few residents attended.

Iran made great efforts to promote the demonstrations this year to show the region's objection to the US Palestinian-Israel peace deal that is expected to be announced soon.

The pro-Iranian PMU heads the Quds Day observances in Iraq, raising the Iranian flag and photos of Iranian leaders, to objections by Iraqis over social media. Activist Mustafa Naser explained on Facebook that the Quds protest has become a venue for highlighting Iran influence and expansion to its rivals.

On May 25, a few days ahead of the demonstrations, thousands of Iraqis protested in Baghdad, Basra and other cities, demanding Iraq keep out of the conflict between Iran and the United States. At the protests, organized by Sadrist movement at the request of leader Muqtada Sadr. Protesters raised national slogans and criticized attempts to pull Iraq into the conflict.

PMU group Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba warned the United States previously that it would attack US troops in Iraq if there was an attack on Iran.

In his speech to the Arab Summit in Mecca May 30, Iraqi President Barham Salih called upon Arab leaders to prevent war, offering Iraqi mediation between the conflicting forces in the region.

Our efforts are not only aimed at building an integrated economic and political system with our brothers in the Saudi Kingdom, the Gulf states, our Arab friends and our Islamic neighborhood, but also to contribute to the path of diplomacy in order to achieve peace and stability in the region and resolve the crises, Salih said.

He highlighted the significance of Iraq's role in the region, reminding his Arab counterparts that the violence and political conflicts in Iraq have pose a serious threat, warning, The disastrous results have created a political and security vacuum in the region.

Salih noted, Iraq will do its utmost to open the door to constructive dialogue and stresses the adoption of direct dialogue and renunciation of violence and war. He added, It is important that this dialogue lead to the crystallization of a stable regional system that will be the basis on which to change the character of our region as one of crisis to one of integration and understanding.

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi announced in mid-May that he is sending delegations to Iran and the United States to mediate in the current crisis between the two countries. Following the announcement, Iran's foreign minister made an unexpected visit to Baghdad. The visit was intended to relay messages between Iran and the United States, according to a senior Iraqi official in the Foreign Ministry who talked to Al-Monitor in condition of anonymity.

Prior to the Arab Summit, Abdul Mahdi also visited Kuwait and Qatar. Iraqi President Barham Salih also visited Turkey before departing to Saudi for attending the Arab Summit, and Iraq's parliament speaker arrived in Amman on Tuesday and met with King Abdullah.

The senior Iraqi official informed Al-Monitor that Iraqi leaders tour regional countries as a part of an effort to reduce the tension and prevent the Arab Summit and the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation a day later from calling for strong action against Iran.

Despite the Iraqi leaders' efforts, the Arab Summit's final statement strongly condemned Iran's role in the region and called for strong action by the international community to end Irans destructive influence.

Iraqi President Barham Salih expressed his opposition to the statement, warning, "The regional and international crisis with Iran threatens to turn into a comprehensive war."
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq  Thousands of dunams of wheat and barley crops were torched this month in Kirkuk, Ninevah, Salahuddin and Diyala provinces, adding agony to the harsh lives of Iraqi farmers and raising the question of who is really behind the fires.

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for 13 fires, and described the fields as being owned by infidels. However, some Kurds accuse Arabs in the disputed areas between Baghdad and Erbil of incinerating Kurdish farmers' fields. Erbil is the seat of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The Iraqi Agriculture Ministry said in a statement that the fires are deliberate and established a crisis unit to follow up the incidents in the affected Iraqi provinces.

On May 14, Kurdish residents of Palkana village, home to nearly 25 families in western Kirkuk, claimed that hundreds of Sunni Arabs from the Shamar tribe forcefully stormed the village and asked them to leave. Both sides claim ownership of agricultural lands in the area. Kurdish villagers responded by contacting the Iraqi army, which later on prevented clashes between both sides. After the incident, hundreds of dunams of grain crops were burned down in several villages of the Sargaran area east of Qarachuq Mountain  near Makhour town  where IS militants are still active.

I have been at the scene, more than 150 acres of agricultural crops cultivated by Kurdish farmers were burned in Sebiran village near Qarachuq Mountain, Badradin Shamsadin, a member of the Sargaran town council, told Al-Monitor.

Unknown men, labeling themselves as IS fighters, previously threatened Kurdish farmers via cellphones tthat their fields would be set on fire if they did not pay Islamic zakat [alms] out of their crops, Shamsadin said.

He said Arab settlers have burned Kurdish farmers' fields under the name of IS militants.

Kirkuk has a mixed population of Kurds, Turkmens and Arabs. According to Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, the final status of Kirkuk and other areas should be resolved in a referendum to determine whether they will remain part of federal Iraq or the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region.

The former Baath regime implemented the Arabization process between 1970 and 1978 through settling Arabs from other Iraqi provinces into the disputed areas of Kirkuk. Within the framework of Article 140, some lands that had been confiscated from Kurds and Turkmens were returned, while Arab settlers were given financial compensation. Land ownership disputes in some areas remain unresolved.

Burhan Mazhar al-Asi, head of the Arab bloc in the Kirkuk provincial council, denied the accusations and indicated that IS militants are performing terrorist acts and torching the fields to create instability in the area.

On the ground, there is no such thing as Kurds' setting fire to Arab farmers fields or Arabs torching Kurdish farmers' fields, Asi told Al-Monitor.

The area is now protected by the Iraqi federal police. Asi rejected the idea of joint patrols against IS involving Iraqi federal troops and Kurdish peshmerga forces in Kirkuk and other disputed areas.

A Kirkuk police spokesman told Al-Monitor that an investigation to determine who is behind the fires is continuing, but that no one has been arrested to date.

In a bid to deal with the issue, a delegation from the Kurdistan parliaments agricultural committee recently visited Baghdad.

Rebwar Taha, a Kurdish lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament, told Al-monitor, We have asked the Iraqi government to seriously investigate the sensitive dossier of the torching of agricultural fields all over the country through its security agencies in order to know what is happening and who is to be blamed.

Bilal Wahab, Wagner fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Al-Monitor, These incidents are unsettling. Ethnic tensions in Kirkuk will upset the ongoing KRG-Baghdad honeymoon. Accurate information, as well as accountability, are key to containing this flare-up  pointing out who did it and holding them responsible. IS exploits the vacuum left by diffused responsibility over security.

He said unilateral actions by Baghdad and Erbil would "hinder a law-based, negotiated settlement. The presence of the PMU on the Iraqi side and international fissures on the Kurdish front add more complexity to a settlement. Demographic changes, natural or manmade, would only complicate such negotiations. The PMU are the Popular Mobilization Units, formed in 2014 to fight IS.

He said Erbil and Baghdad need a mediator who is an honest broker, and said the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq is in the best position to play that role.

The Iraqi government annually purchases wheat and barley from local farmers with supported prices in order to urge them to increase production for a growing population of more than 40 million.

Following a dry 2018, heavy rainfalls have helped Iraqs grain production increase sharply in 2019, and last month the Agriculture Ministry said the country is on track to reach self-sufficiency.

Salam al-Shamari, head of the Iraqi parliament's Agriculture Committee, said May 21 that according to official data submitted by the Agriculture Ministry, 3,000 dunams of crops have been burned. He described the arson as dangerous terrorist acts. He blamed unnamed foreign sides for burning the crops.

Some Iraqi outlets claimed PMU forces are setting the fires in Salahuddin province so that the Iraqi government will have to purchase Iranian wheat.

Al-Monitor tried to contact Muhanad al-Aqabi, director of PMU media, and Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Tahsin al-Khafaji, but they were not immediately reachable for comment.

Iraq, which largely depends on oil for its budget, is still struggling to repair the damage that occurred from fighting IS between 2014 and 2018.

Those torching the Iraqi crops, whomever they are, seem to want to create ethnic tensions and further damage the countrys agriculture, which is on the brink of collapse.
The Knesset decided on May 29 to disband and to hold new elections in September. The impact of that nights decision, in contradiction of all logic, just one month after the Israeli parliament was sworn in, is now becoming clearer. Beyond the economic damage of two election cycles in one year, the governing system has entered a period of instability.

Israel has never had a situation where a leader of party who has an assured coalition majority has failed to form a government. It has never had a leader of a party who was charged with forming a government and failed, who did not return the mandate he received to the president but led the country to a new election. Thus the 21st Knesset, which was sworn in on April 30 and disbanded on Wednesday this week, had the shortest term in the history of Israel. It actually never even started work.

On June 3, after the Knesset chooses the new state comptroller, it will disband for a long election recess. This recess will end when the 22nd Knesset is sworn in toward the end of September. In the meantime, the 21st Knesset hasnt started on a regular work schedule. Since a coalition was not formed, there has not been a chairman of the opposition. This isnt a mere technical problem  this is an official role, one of the symbols of the state. The chairman of Blue and White, Benny Gantz, was supposed to be named as the head of the largest party, but with no coalition, theres no opposition. Thus, the prime minister does not need to fulfill his obligation by law to periodically update the head of the opposition on ongoing or irregular security matters.

In addition, no Knesset committee has been formed save for a temporary finance committee headed by Knesset member Moshe Gafni (Yahadut HaTorah). This committee deals with matters that cannot be delayed, thus the committee authorized reparations for residents of the south following the latest round of fighting in Gaza. Aside from that, no legislative topic has been advanced. Knesset members who gave their inaugural speeches in the last two weeks will have to stash away their plans and the proposed laws they intended to advance. Some of them wont return to the Knesset.

This is an unprecedented and irregular situation that has never been seen in Israel," Zvi Zerahia, the financial columnist for the Calcalist newspaper, told Al-Monitor. "As a result of the chaos created on Wednesday night, Israel is being dragged into two election cycles within five months. Thus, there will be economic and budgetary ramifications to the state and the market.

Zerahia has covered the political-financial system in Israel for 35 years. Like most commentators, Zerahia found it hard to believe that a new Knesset would disband itself  a deed that until the moment it was done seemed like science fiction.

He said, The significance is that the government will be paralyzed for a period of a year total: from last December [2018] when the election was announced until next November [2019] when a new government is formed. In the meantime, ministers are serving with one foot out the door and all reforms are stuck.

The redo election will have extensive economic ramifications. Holding them will cost the state coffers an estimated half a billion Israeli shekels, or $137 million. This is an expense that will be added to the accumulated budget deficit of billions of shekels that faced the new government. Dealing with the deficit was supposed to be one of the first tasks of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus fifth government. But in this situation the deficit wont be dealt with and will even grow, since the election economy will continue. Severe budget cuts are not on the table right now.

International credit rating companies see the political instability in Israel and this could impact the credit rating, which is now very high, Zerahia said.

Three ministers who are not Knesset members, since they were not elected to the 21st Knesset, are currently serving in the transition government: Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Education Minister Naftali Bennett of the New Right party (which did not make it pass the Knesset entry threshold), and Likuds Communications Minister Ayoub Kara. Shaked and Bennett are considered reformist ministers in their areas, and the big plans they wished to advance stopped short with the announcement of the election at the end of 2018.

As for ongoing government work, this is taking place as usual. The government is expected to continue gathering every Sunday, but the issues brought before it and the debates will be of low intensity.

With respect to the security and diplomatic agenda, the fact that Israel has been led by the same person  Netanyahu  for a decade gives a certain stability to these issues, from the outside. On May 30, Netanyahu boasted that US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to hold a tripartite security summit in Jerusalem, which, according to Netanyahu, shows the diplomatic strength of Israel. The tripartite meeting will be led by US national security adviser John Bolton, head of the Israeli National Security Council, Meir Ben Shabbat, and his Russian colleague Nikolai Patrushev. The three will discuss regional security issues.

Despite the relative quiet on the southern border, Gaza still has the potential to flare up. If theres an escalation, Netanyahu could convene the diplomatic-security Cabinet.

And what about the enlistment law (concerning the enlistment of ultra-Orthodox)? According to the high courts decision, the Knesset was supposed to introduce a new law to draft the ultra-Orthodox by the end of July. Since this is the official reason for the grave crisis that prevented the formation of a government, we can assume that the high court will take the complicated political situation into consideration and will defer the deadline. The saga of the enlistment of the ultra-Orthodox will be kicked down the road to the new government.

The president of the Israel Democracy Institute, Yohanan Plesner, told Al-Monitor that the political events of the past week show that the political system in Israel is not effective at resolving the basic problems of the country, as we saw with the enlistment law. Its been a decade that the political system keeps rolling it forward and has not managed to solve it. We see that when the political system has to make big decisions and compromises, it cant create solutions. Its a sign that theres a structural problem.

Plesners conclusion is that we must change the election method to give the prime minister more power and make him less dependent on the small parties in order to form a coalition. This would seemingly have prevented the current political crisis and would create a more stable system.
Israels Knesset vote May 29 to disperse and hold a fresh vote Sept. 17 after one month is a first in Israels political history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to compose a majority coalition, in view of a fundamental discord over the enlistment law within Israels right-wing camp  the two ultra-Orthodox parties, Mizrahi Shas and Ashkenazi Yahadut HaTorah, versus Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman, who represents the secular right.

The issue of enlistment in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been one of the central bones of contention in the State of Israel ever since it was founded. In fact, the issue has divided the public for years, with tens of thousands protesting in the streets, and has been used as political fuel by various political parties. Still, this is the first time this issue generated new elections twice in the same year.

The latest enlistment law proposal, presented to the Knesset by then-Defense Minister Liberman, nearly passed the previous Knesset. It was approved by the government and passed an initial reading in 2018, but the opposition of one of the ultra-Orthodox factions  the Gur Hasidim, who are represented by Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman  created a coalition crisis and in the end caused an early election.

True, at the beginning, Libermans compromise proposal was actually accepted by many within the ultra-Orthodox leadership. The proposal enabled most yeshiva students  about 70,000 youths ages 18 to 24  to continue receiving an exemption from military service while requiring the enlistment of only a small minority. According to data published by the Knessets Research and Information Center, this minority counts some 3,000 ultra-Orthodox annual enlistments, while 15,000 receive exemption or their army service is postponed. Two thousand opt for civil or community service.

These numbers are a far cry from the initial concept of exempting ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students from army service when, in 1948, Israels first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion accepted this exception for 400 youths.

All an all, according to the Knessets numbers, about 11,000 soldiers identified as ultra-Orthodox currently serve in the IDF  a 45% increase compared with 2013. According to various estimates, most of them dont belong to the mainstream of ultra-Orthodox or the Mizrahi ultra-Orthodox stream, and attended Shas-affiliated yeshivas prior to enlistment.

But while several ultra-Orthodox leaders accepted the Liberman compromise, the grand rabbi of Ger, the most powerful figure in ultra-Orthodox society, was against it. The reason for his opposition was the sanctions embedded in the bill, in the form of reduced government funding for those yeshivas that will not meet the enlistment quotas, which should go up by 5% yearly. Still, on the backdrop of the recent crisis on the composing of the coalition, even he agreed to compromise presented to the ultra-Orthodox by associates of Netanyahu: The law would refer to enlistment quotas, but the specific number would be determined not by the law but by the government.

On the other hand, Liberman, who presented the enlistment law a year ago, refused to comprise for that very reason. He said that the law itself is already an essential compromise on the part of the secular. The law proposed by Liberman a year ago was drafted by a committee of legal experts and professionals from the Defense Ministry and the IDF. One of its key clauses was taken from a previous law and, in order to reach the targeted quotas for enlistment, set a broad definition of ultra-Orthodox that includes youths who studied for merely two years in an ultra-Orthodox institution in elementary or high school. This definition included in the law those who dropped out of these educational settings, who are called Shababniks on the ultra-Orthodox street, many of whom became secular. Thus, it encompasses youths who arent ultra-Orthodox, but were sent to ultra-Orthodox schools in an attempt to reform them or who wished to become more religious.

Many of those who enlist in recent years meet these definitions, although the IDF does not supply data on these demographics. A document written by the Knessets Research Unit determined that 20% of enlisting soldiers defined as ultra-Orthodox do not serve in units that are tailored for this sector, i.e., they serve in units that do not supply special kashrut status according to ultra-Orthodox rules and require soldiers to serve alongside women. These findings suggest that many of those enlisted with the army as ultra-Orthodox are not really ultra-Orthodox in their daily lives. In addition, even within the IDF combat units established for the ultra-Orthodox, and especially in the Netzach Yehudah battalion, there are soldiers who are not ultra-Orthodox. A senior official in the IDFs human resources branch told Al-Monitor that the battalions serve as a magnet for yeshiva dropouts, who make up close to 20% of students in the ultra-Orthodox educational system.

A senior member of Shas told Al-Monitor that the movement understands it is easier for dropouts from the Mizrahi ultra-Orthodox yeshivas to enlist because many come from families that include secular and traditional Jews, who are more accepting of such a choice. According to him, for the Ashkenazic ultra-Orthodox, who live in insulated tribalism, there are hardly any models of soldiers for emulation and the social price for those who enlist is heavy. Thus, only a small minority of ultra-Orthodox who enlist are from the mainstream of ultra-Orthodox society.

In light of the High Court decision regarding enlistment, ordering the government to come up with an equal draft law, and criticism from the secular public that the ultra-Orthodox dont share the burden of army service, ultra-Orthodox leadership is now willing to compromise, on the assumption that the quotas would be filled mainly by dropouts, Mizrahim and the newly secular.

However, we should also note that the sharp rise in ultra-Orthodox enlisting in the IDF in recent years does not only include those who have left the religious ranks or Mizrahi ultra-Orthodox. Among the Ashkenazi Hasidic sects there is a growing number of young men who wish to maintain their lifestyle but also enlist in the army. The increased motivation of enlisting the ultra-Orthodox has led to the formation of new combat units, in the infantry battalions of Givati and the paratroopers, and not just in the targeted framework the army created for ultra-Orthodox soldiers in the past decade, such as the combat unit Netzach Yehuda and the technological Shachar unit. This trend has scared leaders of the ultra-Orthodox, and they have tried to diminish it.

The issue of enlistment has moral and practical aspects. On the moral level, there is a structural inequality in the exemption from enlistment for ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, as opposed to the non-ultra-Orthodox public that mostly enlists in the IDF at 18, serves for two to three years with exceptionally small compensation and risks their life for the sake of the country. Only 15% of the ultra-Orthodox enlist, compared to 70% of the rest of the population. The ultra-Orthodox side argues that the morality in keeping the Torah laws is no less important and what had preserved the Jewish people in the Diaspora all along was Torah study and maintaining a Jewish lifestyle. According to them, the ultra-Orthodox are the keepers of the Jewish peoples flame and soul.

The practical aspect is mostly economic. Those ultra-Orthodox who are of enlistment age  18-24  are prohibited from working during the period of their enlistment deferral, as the reason for the exemption is studying in a yeshiva. The significance of their nonparticipation in the job market is a decline in market productivity and tax revenue, more welfare payments and other ramifications. For these reasons, among others, the ultra-Orthodox sector is considered the poorest in Israel and more than half of the ultra-Orthodox live under the poverty line.

The 1948 arrangement of deferring army service for the ultra-Orthodox grew. In 2000, after massive public protest, the Tal Law was legislated, which gave an option to young ultra-Orthodox men to enter the job market and later enlist in the army or in national service. The law was struck down in 2012 by the High Court, which decided that it violates the principle of equality and is therefore illegal.

Following its nullification, a new enlistment law was legislated in 2014, which set yearly quotas for ultra-Orthodox enlistment in the IDF and national service. The law sparked forceful protests from the ultra-Orthodox, and in 2016 it was changed; the enlistment quotas were reduced and the sanctions were canceled. The High Court intervened again, struck down the law and instructed the state to legislate a new law in 2018.

The second laws nullification led to Libermans enlistment law, described above. A law proposal that in the end brought about two elections within nine months.
The final word in Tehran belongs to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said on May 29 that Iran will not negotiate with US officials.

So does that mean US President Donald Trumps offer to talk with Iran is dead?

Probably not. Khamenei has the knack for being both definitive and opaque on US-Iran contacts. He has never trusted the United States but has permitted, groaningly, diplomacy on numerous occasions, including between 2006-2014, as a result of the pressure of UN Security Council sanctions on Iran, eventually leading to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Khamenei added Wednesday that Iran welcomes negotiating with any other governments, including Europeans.

So expect the back channels between Washington and Tehran to pick up in the coming weeks.

Trump enlists Abe to avoid terrible things with Iran

The latest addition to the backchannel is Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. Asked in Tokyo on Monday if he would welcome Abes mediation with Iran, Trump said, I know that the prime minister and Japan have a very good relationship with Iran.  And I do believe that Iran would like to talk. And if theyd like to talk, wed like to talk also. Well see what happens.  That would be fine. Nobody wants to see terrible things happen, especially me.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met Abe in Tokyo on May 16, 10 days before Trump arrived. On May 30, Russia backed Japan playing such a role at a meeting in Tokyo of both countries defense and foreign ministers.

There will be lots of other channels and cross talk in Europe and the region. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travels next week to Germany and Switzerland for meetings with European leaders.

US national security adviser John Bolton, in Abu Dhabi, pinned the blame on Iran for an attack on four UAE tankers while announcing that a US-UAE Defense Cooperation Agreement signed last year was now in force.

There has been a blizzard of diplomacy in the Middle East, where Iraq, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar, all of whom have sought to cool down regional tensions, have met with Iranian officials in the past week. These various bilaterals with Iran came just days ahead of a summit on May 31 of Arab and Gulf leaders convened by King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia to discuss Iran and security in the region. The summit guest list includes Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani of Qatar, the first such high-level engagement since the Saudi-UAE-Bahrain-Egypt blockade in 2017.

Cold comfort from Russia and China

Russian President Vladimir Putin is using the crisis to boost his own bona fides with Trump as a mediator and partner, while showing some scratchiness with Iran. The Russian president dispatched Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov to Tehran this week for some square talk about Irans threats to leave the Non-Proliferation Treaty or stay in the nuclear deal, as Maxim Suchkov reports.

On Syria, Suchkov writes that at an upcoming summit in Jerusalem among Bolton and his Israeli and Russian counterparts, Russia may once again raise a proposal Putin first shared with Trump in Helsinki last year to separate Israeli and Syrian forces along the Golan Heights and offer Israel security guarantees against Iranian proxy forces in Syria. Trumps recognition of the Golan Heights almost nixed the proposal, but as the Americans, Israelis and Russians sit together to try to defuse tensions, it may make a comeback in the absence of other alternatives.

We reported two weeks ago that Iran would find "cold comfort" from Russia, noting Putins statement that his country is not a firefighting rescue crew with regard to Irans troubles and Putins seizing the chance to gain leverage with both Washington and Tehran.

Iran cant count on China to bail it out. Beijing is in a trade war with the United States that has economic stakes that dwarf Iran-China trade. The Chinese purchase of Iranian oil and other transactions will, therefore, be symbolic, as Esfandyar Batmanghelidj writes, and calibrated to not trigger trouble with Washington. Batmangheli cites a recent article by a scholar at the Chinese Academy of Sciences advocating that Iran pursue a policy of "strategic retreat" to cede influence in Syria and Yemen to earn some respite from US policies. That may not be official Chinese policy, but its publication deserves attention.

Trumps Art of the Deal in Play

Dennis Ross, who served four US presidents in senior national security positions and is now with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, writes in Bloomberg that US-Iran talks, if they happened, could include extending the sunset in the original nuclear deal from 2030 to 2045 in exchange for sanctions relief for Iran.

That means rolling back the new sanctions and extending the timeline of the Iran deal. If Trump could get the extension, he can justifiably claim he got a better deal than Obama. Indeed, the prep work on that score could be well handled by European or Russian intermediaries, the co-signatories of the JCPOA.

As we have been saying for weeks, Trumps art of the deal is very much in play, and the burden is on Iran to make the next move. The Trump administration is holding off for now on new sanctions on Irans petrochemical sector. And in case anyone missed it, Trump made clear that he is not seeking regime change in Iran, saying that Iran has tremendous economic potential, and I look forward to letting them get back to the stage where they can show that. I think Iran  I know so many people from Iran. These are great people. It has a chance to be a great country, with the same leadership. Were not looking for regime change. I just want to make that clear. Were looking for no nuclear weapons.

High praise for Irans potential and people, and no regime change. Trump wants to talk, without conditions, about moving forward on an updated nuclear deal. There are regional issues too, and they need to be addressed. But the nukes have his priority. Given the stakes, revisiting Trumps decision to leave the JCPOA does not advance the ball. Irans leaders may be skittish about direct talks, but the backchannels are buzzing. Tehran should seize the initiative before Trumps patience runs out or events in the region again take a turn toward escalation.
MIEH MIEH CAMP, Lebanon  It seemed clear that the people of the Mieh Mieh refugee camp had finally  however cautiously  reclaimed their own streets on the afternoon of May 24. Seven months since deadly clashes in the Palestinian refugee camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon, shopkeepers, families, elderly people and children have replaced the armed fighters who had forced many residents to evacuate the camp and seek shelter elsewhere.

We spent months as refugees again, university student Sarah Mawed told Al-Monitor. Lebanons camps have become semipermanent settlements over the years, but when Mawed and her family were forced to leave, the displacement made them double refugees.

It was the scariest [time] of my life, she said.

Bullet holes and commemorative portraits of fallen fighters line Mieh Miehs streets and remind residents of the conflict that erupted Oct. 15, when a dispute between members of the Fatah movement and the Hezbollah-affiliated Ansar Allah turned violent. The rival groups had clashed intermittently before, but this bout of fighting was the heaviest in years with five people killed and 26 wounded. An agreement to ease tensions was finally reached on Nov. 5 after mediation by Hezbollah and its allies.

Now, many months later, a landmark agreement mediated by the Lebanese Army has led to the partial disarmament of the camp for the first time with a ban on the public display of weapons or factional uniforms.

While the agreement has brought newfound hope and security to Mieh Mieh and has markedly improved the lives of the more than 5,000 people who live there, according to some officials, the partial disarmament is an incomplete victory in the quest for an end to hostilities. Although some in Mieh Mieh hope that similar deals will take place in other Palestinian camps where violence has taken place, leaders in Beirut and among the camps factions are skeptical that the political will exists to enact meaningful progress toward disarmament and long-term security in Lebanons Palestinian camps.

The situation in Mieh Mieh is not unique  several other Palestinian camps like the neighboring Ain al-Hilweh and Nahr el-Bared in Tripoli have been scenes of violence in the past, and the ready availability of weapons in these camps has powered conflicts there for decades. But the deal, which was implemented in two phases throughout early and mid May, has reduced the likelihood of future violent confrontations in Mieh Mieh by removing the majority of the weapons from the camp and prohibiting their appearance in public. Tayssir Yassin, a member of the camps Popular Committee  which deals with education and other social matters  said the terms of the deal had been fully implemented by May 22 and praised the agreements results so far.

Leaders from the Hamas movement, which is also present in the camp and subject to the agreement, met personally with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri to discuss the matter on May 20.

According to Ghalab K. Dannan, the leader of the Fatah movement in the camp, the agreement gave the Lebanese state more responsibility in the camp alongside the existing armed factions.

The basis of the agreement is that security will be guaranteed by the Lebanese state, Dannan told Al-Monitor. He added that army patrols will take place in the camp, and the only weapons that remain will be stored in closed storehouses and are not to be used under any circumstances.

According to Dannan, anyone who fires a weapon in the camp will be subject to arrest by the Lebanese state. The Lebanese Armed Forces, which have overseen the implementation of the agreement, declined to comment for this story. Al-Monitor also tried to contact the Ministry of Defense, to no avail.

Residents have noticed the weapons ban's effects on their daily lives. There was really a big difference, as can be seen, Mahmoud Shibli, a young man living in Mieh Mieh, told Al-Monitor. From my point of view, its important [for life] inside the camp and outside the camp.

The idea that you cannot see the weapons on a daily basis, or the uniforms, the gatherings on this street, its a relief, said Mawed the student. You can feel that things are easing down.

Yet while the camp feels safer for Shibli, Mawed and others, the agreements aim was never total disarmament  for Palestinian factions, holding weapons symbolizes their continued struggle against Israel and desire to return to their homeland.

Ansar Allah spokesman Ibrahem Jishi told Al-Monitor that the total removal of arms would never take place. He stated, We reject any attempt to withdraw [all] the Palestinian weapons from any of the Palestinian camps.

Dannan said that any weapons that the factions hold in the camps are to be reserved solely for fighting Israel and not for inter-Palestinian conflict, citing the 1969 Cairo Agreement that allowed Palestinian militias to move freely through Lebanons refugee camps.

Yet the Lebanese government officially annulled the Cairo Agreement in 1987, and in 2006, the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee  created by the Lebanese government in 2005 to deal with Palestinian issues  decided to eliminate Palestinian weapons outside the camps.

However, according to Hasan Mneymneh, the committee's chairman, even this goal has not yet been met. Mneymneh stated that while the recent deal reached in Mieh Mieh is a positive step, it will by no means be a comprehensive solution to the problem.

The Palestinian arms inside and outside the camps should be removed, Mneymneh told Al-Monitor, Because the purpose of carrying the arms inside the camps has lost its meaning. It no longer can serve in the struggle against Israel, and it turned into just a tool for inter-factional conflict.

Yassin stated that the most viable path toward increased security is through organizing existing weapons through partial disarmament, and said he hoped other camps would follow in Mieh Miehs footsteps.

Mneymneh remained skeptical.

We see that agreement is limited to the Mieh Mieh context given that its a small camp, he said. There is a history of integration between the camp and the side village, and so we dont see that coming to other camps as soon as it should.

Ansar Allah's Jishi largely agreed.

There are camps that have the capacity to implement what happened in Mieh Mieh, but those camps, I think, would face many difficulties in achieving the organization of weapons that took place in Mieh Mieh, he said.

Already, it appears that the Mieh Mieh deal may be contributing to instability in other camps. The weapons that have been removed from Mieh Mieh have been transported to Ain al-Hilweh camp, where clashes have also taken place in past years. Residents are reportedly worried about the effects these new arms will have on their community  although Mneymneh downplayed the danger to Al-Monitor.

Despite these significant drawbacks, residents of Mieh Mieh remain hopeful for the future. Dannan stated that the most important phase of the agreement may be just beginning.

We want to work together and be devoted to security in the camp, he said. Now begins work that is more difficult.

The recent agreement bodes well for Mieh Mieh, even though much remains to be done to maintain the current security situation. Beyond its borders, however, there is little chance that similar deals will be reached in other, larger Palestinian camps anytime soon because, according to Mneymneh, The will to act on both the Lebanese and the Palestinian side is not there.
Young Muslim Brotherhood members serving jail terms have launched a reconciliation effort that has raised many questions about Egypt's approach to such efforts.

On April 2, a document emerged from inside the Tora Prison, signed by a Mohammed al-Rayes. In it, young Brotherhood members announced their desire to offer "intellectual reviews" to correct misconceptions about their ideas in exchange for a presidential pardon.

The group announced that it had severed ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and called upon the state to start a dialogue with them to fight misconceptions and fanatical ideas. The prisoners wrote that they spent years preparing for this effort, having announced a similar initiative from Fayoum Prison to test the waters two years ago.

Five years on, the Muslim Brotherhood still has no vision or way out of the crisis. Therefore, we launched the initiative. Now, we are independent youth. We are no longer associated with any group or association, the document read.

Following the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, tension escalated between the Muslim Brotherhood and the armed forces, which led to the imprisonment of many young people and the flight of many others.

The group said they belonged to numerous Islamist organizations in addition to the Brotherhood, including al-Qaeda-linked groups and the Salafist jihadist movement.

We do not oppose anyone. We love all Islamist groups. We do not want their members to stay in prison anymore. We want the youth to stop wasting their life. they wrote in the document.

Most importantly, the prisoners recognized the toppling of Morsi as a revolution, not a military coup, in a sign of their desire to reconcile with the state. Diverse segments of society and people from different cultural backgrounds participated in the first revolution in 2011, and the presidential elections of 2012 included candidates of various ideologies. The group called for a chance for Islamists to engage in Egypt's new political phase.

Our initiative seeks to tell the state leadership that there is a constitutional and moral duty they need to perform," they said. "There must be a transitional period in which various cultures can be integrated into society.

Though the Egyptian government has yet to comment on the initiative, the National Council for Human Rights has been working to assess such efforts since April.

Islamists in general and the Muslim Brotherhood in particular are not trustworthy. Egyptian history is filled with their tricks. No reconciliation with them, parliament member Amna Nosseir told Al-Monitor. She said that the group cannot be trusted. It is a desperate attempt on the part of the young Brotherhood members to get out of prison, she stressed. They failed to bring down the Egyptian state. Such initiatives reflect their feeling of failure and desperation.

Egyptian history, Nosseir said, has seen many similar efforts. It is just a political show. They never change their mentality or ideology. This is why the state cannot trust them, she said. In 1997, for example, the Islamist Gamaa Islamiya group created an Initiative to Stop Violence and published four books that circulated across Egypt and the Arab world. The effort did not reduce the violence, said Nosseir.

In 2017, Muslim Brotherhood members facing jail terms in Fayoum Prison produced literature sharply criticizing the groups principles and the approach of the groups founder Hassan el-Banna.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Sameh Eid, a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood, said the state should support such initiatives in order to integrate those young people back into society.

Not all Brotherhood members are sentenced to death. This means that some of them will be released once they serve their jail sentences. This is why it is very important to integrate them into society, he said.

The state can give those young prisoners access to books that refute extremist thought. It could also ask intellectuals and religious figures to hold dialogues with them, Eid suggested.

Such initiatives should be thoroughly examined by psychiatrists, religious scholars from Al-Azhar and professors of political science to assess them and identify whether they are serious initiatives or mere attempts to escape from prison, he concluded.
Hope of restoring a clean water lifeline to Basra province is on the rise again with plans by the Iraqi and Iranian governments to revive the Shatt al-Arab as a source of drinking water and improve its functioning as a trade route.

Representatives from Iraq and Iran met May 19 in Khorramshahr, Iran, situated on the waterway, to discuss a clean up of the river on the basis of the Algiers Agreement (1975), establishing joint control and designating the Taluk line, marking the deepest part of the river, the countries' riparian border. Iraqi former President Saddam Hussein abrogated the treaty in 1980 and cited disagreement over control of the river as one of the reasons for invading Iran that year in what evolved into a devastating eight-year war (1980-88). Prior to the agreement, Iraq claimed control over the entire river.

Formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers at al-Qurnah, in northern Basra, the Shatt al-Arab is some 120 miles long, with the southern portion forming the border between Iraq and Iran to point of discharging into the Persian Gulf. Ships ply the river transferring goods and oil to and from both countries.

Dredging the river today is more important than ever, in part to remove wreckage from ships at the bottom of the river. The ships themselves are interfering with trade across the Gulf, and their oil and chemical residue and leakage pose health and environmental hazards. In 2012, five large boats were pulled from the water, but the river has not been dredged for decades, resulting in toxic rubble piling up along the shoreline and in the river itself.

Last July, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources revealed that Iranian drainage issues into the Shatt al-Arab had led to such excessive salinity that the water can no longer be used for agricultural purposes and drinking. In the meantime, Basra has come to suffer from a severe shortage of potable water since last year, contributing to protests that turned deadly last summer and fall.

Walid al-Sharifi, mayor of al-Faw in Basra, told Al-Monitor that neglect in cleaning the river has allowed sediment to accumulate, thus decreasing its depth. The Iraqi side of the river has become so shallow, he said, that vessels have to sail along the Iranian side, where the water is deeper. Sharifi noted, Cleaning the river and increasing its depth would facilitate maritime trade in the port of Basra, which could then receive ships and revive previous activities that would produce economic profits for the country.

Calls to clean up the river are not new. In 2016, Iraq had begun accelerating the process of cleaning the river, and at that time, Iraqi President Fuad Masum requested cooperation from Iran to do the same, with an eye toward ultimately being able to boost tourism and trade.

The meeting in Khorramshahr was a follow-up to a gathering held in March, when Iranian President Hassan Rouhani paid his first visit to Baghdad. Rouhani and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi signed several agreements at the time, including one endorsing the border established by the Algiers pact and and for joint dredging and cleaning projects.

The River Dredging Works Department in Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources informed Al-Monitor that the department is getting ready to start part of the clean up in mid-July in coordination with Iran. A source at the department said of the project, [It] has become a priority, especially since the Iranian side promised to increase water flows into the river, which necessitates accelerating the cleaning process to remove sediment and waste to accommodate an increase in water level.

Dredging has been wrapped up in the issue of control over the river. Amer Abdul-Jabbar Ismail, a former transport minister for Iraqi, told Al-Monitor, The process of cleaning the river must take into account the geographical changes that have occurred on the river since the 1975 agreement, whereby the river was divided between Iraq and Iran along the Taluk line, which has crept toward the Iraqi side, reducing Iraqs share of the river.

Ismail also noted, Cleaning the river will allow for greater water depth. Major ships would be able to sail along the Iraqi side too. I believe the concerned parties should speed this process.

Amer al-Fayez, a member of the Iraqi parliament's Committee on Foreign Relations from Basra, sees another positive from a river clean up. A political window could open through cleaning the river and the return of navigation, he told Al-Monitor. This could attract investments, and international companies and giant vessels, which could produce economic gains for the country.

Fayez praised the recent agreement to clean Shatt al-Arab. [It will] prevent the leakage of [industrial] waste coming from Iran and [decrease] the rivers salinity on the Iraqi side. In 2018, Iranian authorities closed off the Karun River, to conserve water for local use by preventing it from flowing into Shatt al-Arab at Khorramshahr. This contributed to a drastic increase in the rivers salinity level.

Meanwhile, Basra Provincial Council member Ahmed Abdul Hussein said on May 21 that factories in neighboring countries along the Gulf and the Shatt al-Arab basin have been dumping waste and garbage in the river. On a positive note, Sabah Hassan al-Bazouin, who heads the council, told Al-Monitor, There are future projects to rehabilitate the river for navigation, agriculture and tourism, including understandings with a Dutch company to build a dam on the river to control salinity [from Gulf waters] and to clean and dredge it.

It is clear that the Shatt al-Arab, bearing the scars of war and general disrespect, requires urgent attention, not only for its own sake, but also for that of the people who depend on it.
Change is coming to the Turkish military, and not necessarily for the better.

The government is reexamining the structure of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in the wake of the failed 2016 coup. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is introducing major changes to the law that regulates compulsory military service.

The law has been in place since 1927. Since then it has undergone mostly cosmetic changes on service duration and payment, as required by changing circumstances. In Turkey, conscription is taken seriously by the state and the people, and military law is considered one of the fundamental, immutable laws of the country.

The law was set to undergo some important changes before the March 31 local elections, but their enactment was delayed for undisclosed reasons. As the matter concerns millions of people, all eyes have been on the process.

Now that the elections are over, proponents of the bill want the parliament to approve the changes quickly, before the June 23 redo of the Istanbul local election. The haste prompts some observers to wonder if the AKP government sees the new bill as a means to curry favor among young male voters.

According to the bill, which has already been approved by parliamentary committees, paid exemption from compulsory service will become a permanent fixture rather than an occasional measure. Unsurprisingly, the law would also expand the powers of the president by introducing a reserve non-commissioned officer class that offers exemptions to policemen, teachers and doctors who serve in some remote parts of the country.

Compulsory military service would be reduced to six months from the current 12. Soldiers who complete six months may ask to extend their service for another six months. For service beyond the first six months, for which they receive a nominal stipend, the soldiers will be paid $320 per month.

Although Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the law will merely simplify the military system and was prepared in accordance with national interests, its provisions will actually complicate things considerably.

The new law would seriously shrink the ranks of the Turkish army, which currently has some 470,000 personnel. If parliament approves the bill, 140,000 conscripts will be discharged in next three months.

In response, the military will try to fill the void with contractors, but young men's interest in these job opportunities are unlikely to meet lawmakers' expectations. The Turkish military is already having problems recruiting personnel for combat units, especially in commando brigades responsible for fighting terrorism and in cross-border operations.

The bill is already drawing strong criticism from several corners, including retired officers, for many reasons.

For one thing, the law would unduly complicate the conscription system and be hard to implement. Also, critics say the law would scrap the military service that is defined as the right and duty of all Turks in Turkeys constitution and make it a profession that those with money can avoid. Making military service a paid profession, critics say, would seriously damage the principle of equality in service, as only the poor and uneducated segments of the population would be required to serve. All this would affect the TSK's morale and quality. Many also object that six months is too short for training and won't ensure the military's combat capability.

One article of the new law is particularly controversial in many quarters: It says the president will determine who will serve. Whether in peace or at war or somewhere in between, anyone the president deems to be serving an essential role will be exempted from military service. The article is an unclear, arbitrary stipulation that has no place in the laws of a democratic country, as it gives the president the authority to grant immunity from military service to anyone he wants, without justification parliamentary approval.

In short, the opposition says the proposed law would weaken the military, disrupt the principles of equality among those due to enter service, give the president extraordinary powers to directly intervene in the military system and weaken the parliament's checks on the power of the presidency.

The government sees the new law as an opportunity to have an all-voluntary and fully professional military at its disposal. The TSK has been working since the early 2000s toward having such a force. But the opposition points to the military's near-sacred place in Turkish history, the likelihood of weakened operational effectiveness of foreign policy at critical periods, the arbitrariness of the system and the untenable insertion into the system of a president affiliated with a political party.

It's now clear that the future of the military system, which closely concerns millions of young Turkish men and their families, will continue to be debated with increasing politicization.
Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) may have secured a rerun of Istanbuls mayoral race to try to reverse its defeat in March, but it has had little to celebrate ahead of the critical vote, with economic woes sinking consumer confidence to record lows.

The AKPs election scores over the years show that the party has suffered setbacks in times of plunging consumer confidence. Turkey today is in the midst of a serious economic downturn that is hitting hard, especially in Istanbul, the countrys biggest city and economic hub.

In the March 31 local polls, the bloc led by the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) emerged victorious, not only in Istanbul, but in almost all major urban centers, including the capital Ankara and the third largest city, Izmir. The AKP refused to concede defeat in Istanbul, the long-standing pillar of its patronage networks, claiming irregularities and raining objections to the higher election board. Under pressure from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself, the majority of the judges on the board voted to void the result on grounds that some polling station officials were not public servants, without any mention of vote-rigging. It was an unprecedented move that many saw as a travesty of electoral laws.

The redo vote on June 23 will be Turkeys third election within a year. In June 2018, the country held parliamentary and presidential polls, which the government brought forward from November 2019, alarmed that the brewing economic crisis would cause it greater political damage down the road. This proved a wise decision, as the crisis was not yet palpable in earnest, and the AKP won the elections.

The crisis quickly worsened, however, leading to a severe currency shock in August under the impact of political spats with the United States. The government scrambled to contain the crisis, but did little to tighten the belt as the looming March 31 polls led it to resort to populist measures. It did manage to reduce the fever of the crisis, but at the expense of braving bigger tremors down the road.

The ire of urban voters hit by soaring prices and growing joblessness was a major factor swaying the local polls, which saw the CHP triumph in 21 provinces that contribute 62% of Turkeys gross domestic product (GDP). The biggest trophy was Istanbul, which alone accounts for 31% of the GDP. The cancellation of the Istanbul vote has now added a sense of injustice to the publics economic frustrations.

The protracted election hubbub has left the economy waiting for remedies while continuing to lose blood. The government has kept deferring the drastic measures the crisis requires, sticking to populist policies that only enlarge the Treasurys gaps.

Amid lingering pessimism over the countrys economic prospects, domestic and foreign actors have increasingly fled the Turkish lira, turning to hard currency. In response, the central bank has scrambled to prop up the lira, draining its reserves, along with other extraordinary steps to back the Treasury in keeping the economy from the edge.

Yet nothing seems to have eased the confidence erosion among the populace and economic actors, as evidenced by an ongoing decline in confidence indices.

The consumer confidence index  compiled through monthly surveys to measure consumer assessments and expectations on their financial standing and the economy in general as well as their spending and saving tendencies  plunged to 55.3 in May. The more the index goes below the 100-mark, the more pessimism it indicates. The May figure was 13% down from the previous month, reflecting a grave erosion of confidence. It marks the lowest level the index has hit in the 17-year history of the confidence surveys, falling 0.4 points below the hitherto dip of 55.7, measured in November 2008 amid the global financial crisis.

The May result speaks of unprecedented gloom among consumers. Pessimism is at its worst level in sub-categories such as expectations on the familys financial situation, the general state of the economy, a possible improvement in the unemployment rate and saving prospects.

Entrepreneurs remain similarly pessimistic. Those in the retail sector express worries about the future in terms of business volumes, sales and destocking. The survey shows that gloom continues to grip also the construction sector, which used to be the driving force of the economy before becoming the first and most battered victim of the crisis.

The real sector confidence index, compiled from the manufacturing industry, was also down from the previous month. Based on a survey with 1,720 manufacturers, the index dropped 6.6 points to hit 98.9 in May.

Finally, the economic confidence index  the composite of consumer and producer assessments, expectations and tendencies  fell to 77.5 in May from 84.7 in April, dragged down by the tumbling indices of consumers and the manufacturing, services, retail and construction sectors. The last time the index slumped to similar lows was during the 2008-2009 global crisis.

The staggering drops in the economic confidence index and its most important component, the consumer confidence index, are not without political messages, of course. The consumer index also reflects voter confidence to some extent. Its ups and downs have always hinged on election results.

In the 2007 general elections, for instance, the index was above 80 and the AKP got nearly 47% of the vote. In the 2009 local elections, the index was down at about 61 and the AKPs vote dropped to 38%. When the index climbed back to 83 in 2011, the AKP had another big victory with nearly 50% of the vote. By the June 2015 general elections, the index dropped to 65, while the AKP lost its parliamentary majority, ending up with 41% of the vote.

At the time of the March 31 local polls, the consumer confidence index stood at 59. Now, just weeks before the election rerun in Istanbul, it has shed another four points. For sure, the drop is not a literal reflection of voter sentiments, but it is still a major indicator that cannot be ignored.
The US Defense Department has set up a new team to deal with the growing threat of Russian jamming of American military technology, Al-Monitor has learned, after the threat became pervasive on the Syrian battlefield over the past four years.

According to documents obtained by Al-Monitor, Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahans staff will set up a team with members from across the department to regain US dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum and identify any gaps in US strategy. The effort will be overseen by the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Gen. Paul Selva.

Under the plan, first requested by the Senate in last years defense authorization bill, the Pentagon intends to provide Congress with an updated electronic warfare strategy and roadmap by September.

Ground forces have to deal with it all the time because they can lose access to communications and systems of navigation, said Michael Kofman, a research scientist at the CNA defense think tank. Systems like this have a decent range in the dent that they can make. It tends to affect their systems, it tends to affect their GPS systems, it tends to affect their drones.

The Defense Departments stepped-up posture comes after months of warnings from military officials that electronic interference from Russia and other countries had impacted US effectiveness on the battlefield.

Earlier this month, the Pentagons inspector general reported that electromagnetic interference had contributed to the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State losing 11% of its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage along the Iraq-Syria border, networks that are critical to spotting hostile forces and launching airstrikes. NBC News reported last year that the Russian military had jammed GPS signals to US drones in Syria.

The establishment of a team drawing from different military services and offices is just the latest example of the Defense Departments efforts to handle the electronic warfare threat from Russia and other nations. In October, Al-Monitor reported that the Pentagons top tech incubator had begun investing in technology to protect radio links used to call in air and artillery fire from electronic interference.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA, is also dealing with electronic warfare as it looks to integrate robots into infantry squads.

We spend a lot of time looking at how to control the [Electromagnetic] spectrum; how to operate in the EM spectrum in a real-time, flexible way, DARPA Director Steven Walker said earlier this month.

But while the new cross-functional team comes into place, the Pentagon still has a so-called executive committee that works on the same subject, making it unclear who will answer to whom, and how they will divide responsibilities, according to Whitney McNamara, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Washington think tank.

Unlike most capabilities, none of the US military services "own" electronic warfare, experts say, creating redundancies.

Since were just reentering competing in this space, we are more cautious about throwing our weight around, McNamara said. Russia does not see using things like jamming in the same way and feels like its a very organic part of its operations.

McNamara added that all echelons of Russian forces have their own ability to launch electronic attacks on communications, though the Kremlin may try to rein that in. A 2017 report from the Estonian Ministry of Defense indicated that Russia is stepping up its efforts to renew and modernize its suite of electronic warfare capabilities, which is being complemented by changes to command structure and training.

Russia has deployed a host of systems into Syria, including the Mormuz and Krasuka platforms, with the first rotations conducted to protect Moscows troops in the country after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet in 2015.

But even as the Pentagon contemplates a new strategy for electronic warfare, Russia is developing a new suite of technologies that use a higher degree of automation functions for deployment alongside air defenses, such as the S-400 missile defense system. Next-generation systems could also be used to find and fix the location of moving targets and degrade precision-guided weapons, CNAs Kofman added.

This generation of electronic warfare that were dealing with with Russia is rather rudimentary, he said. This is actually more the beginning rather than the real demonstration of the challenge that the United States faces.
The US government is pushing back against reports that President Donald Trump acquiesced to Turkeys request to discuss Ankaras pending purchase of a Russian missile defense system, telling Al-Monitor that its concerns cannot be mitigated.

The comments come after the London-based Middle East Eye news site, citing several Turkish officials, reported today that Trump had overruled the State and Defense departments and agreed to create a working group on the issue in a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this week. US officials have suspended Turkeys participation in the F-35 fighter jet program over the pending purchase, but Ankara believes it can convince them that the Russian technology isnt a threat.

We have been clear that purchasing the S-400 would create an unacceptable risk because its radar system could provide the Russian military sensitive information on the F-35, Department of Defense spokesman Eric Pahon told Al-Monitor. Those concerns cannot be mitigated. The S-400 is a system Russia built to try to shoot down aircraft like the F-35, and it is inconceivable to imagine Russia not taking advantage of the collection opportunity.

Instead, the US administration continues to try to convince its NATO ally to purchase the US-made Patriot missile defense system.

We have nothing new to announce at this time, added National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis. We have been clear that obtaining the S-400 would create an unacceptable risk to US technology, our pilots and our aircraft. The United States has sent technical teams to Turkey more than once and hosted counterparts here to discuss the threat posed by the S-400. We continue robust discussions with our Turkish counterparts at all levels.

Turkey likewise denied reports that it is bowing to US pressure to delay its procurement of the Russian system.

Our procurement from Russia is going as planned, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said today, adding that Turkeys offer to form a working group was still valid.

When Turkey first floated the idea of a working group last month, Washington insisted that the F-35 and the S-400 were incompatible and asked Ankara to delay procurement of the Russian system by nine months, according to sources familiar with the substance of the negotiations. Turkey refused to delay delivery of the Russian system and the talks stalled, the sources said.

Aaron Stein, the director of the Middle East program of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, has written extensively on the S-400 crisis. He said he doubted that the United States would have changed its position on the working group.

It sounds like more Turkish spin, he said.

Erdogan has reached out to Trump in the past to cut diplomatic corners in moments of crisis, but the results have been mixed. When Turkey refused to release North Carolina pastor Andrew Brunson on terrorism charges, in apparent hopes of extracting concessions in exchange for his release, Trump hit back with sanctions and tariffs on Turkish aluminum and steel. The Turkish lira went into a tailspin. The pastor was freed soon after.

On Wednesday, Turkey suddenly freed US-Turkish dual national Serkan Golge, a NASA scientist who was also being held on questionable terrorism charges, hours after Trumps phone call with Erdogan. But there is little reason to believe that this will soften the US position on the S-400s. Moreover, a pair of Turkish nationals employed by the US Consulate in Istanbul continue to be held for their alleged involvement in the failed 2016 coup.

The State Department says both men are innocent and is demanding their immediate release.

The Turkish governments strategy on the S-400 has always been to try to peel Trump away from his advisers and the consensus of the national security bureaucracy, said Max Hoffman, associate director of national security and international policy at the Center for American Progress. The Turkish strategy makes some sense, as Trump has shown himself to be highly susceptible to personal flattery and loath to engage in direct confrontation with foreign leaders.

Erdogan may have charmed Trump and promised him an over-the-top state visit and the release of Serkan Golge in exchange for the working group, Hoffman added. The Middle East Eye report also stated that Trump had accepted Erdogans invitation to come to Turkey on a state visit in July on top of their planned meeting on the sidelines of a G-20 summit on June 28-29, but the White House has not confirmed this.

In any event, Hoffman argued that Trump has no ability to deliver on any promises regarding the F-35." He may be able to waive some sanctions, but Congress is all over the F-35 issue and has already prohibited the transfer of F-35s to Turkey in its pending annual defense authorization bill.

At best the working group could turn into a fig leaf allowing for some delay in the purchase of the S-400s, Hoffman concluded. But fears of Russian retaliation have so far prevented Turkey from pulling out of the deal. Todays statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry suggests that these have not abated.
The Birmingham Business Alliance is hoping young professionals visiting Birmingham might stretch a summer of memories into a career.

The BBAs annual summer intern engagement program, Magic City Summer, kicks off Monday at Regions Field with the Experience the Magic Expo.

The program is a series of free social events designed to plug summer interns into Birminghams culture, opportunities and attractions. Monday nights event, which begins at 5 p.m., will include food and a summer events expo to clue interns into all the activities taking place in the Magic City.

Companies can register their interns here.

Last year, 251 summer interns participated in the program, representing 135 hometowns, 21 states, four countries, 79 different colleges and universities and 65 regional companies.

About half of them said they came to Birmingham hearing about its food scene, while about 40 percent wanted to visit local attractions. More than 75 percent of them stated that job opportunities were the top motivating factor when deciding where to live after graduation. And thats the idea behind the program - getting interns to see opportunities while at the same time enjoying their experience in Birmingham.

This year, the BBA is partnering with Young Professionals of Birmingham (YP Birmingham) to provide benefits to the interns participating in Magic City Summer. Those include no cover at Lakeview District hotspots like Innisfree, Tin Roof and Sidebar, or tickets to Birmingham Barons and Birmingham Legion games. They may also receive discounts and free classes at gyms and fitness centers across Birmingham. All benefits afforded to YP Birmingham members will also be given to Magic City Summer participants.

Waymond Jackson, the BBAs senior vice president of public policy, said internship opportunities are the first and, sometimes, only chance an employer or community has to make a great impression on potential talent.

With talent attraction being at the forefront of any successful economic development strategy, the BBAs efforts to engage visiting interns throughout the summer are critical to building a talent pool that can fuel dynamic job growth in our region," Jackson said.
The City of Athens celebrated the states bicentennial  along with its own  by erecting a fun sculpture Friday in Big Spring Park. The Bright Idea sculpture was designed to give locals and visitors a fun photo opp as well as commemorate the towns long history with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

TVA has provided the citys power for 85 years, since 1934, according to Holly Hollman, spokeswoman for the City of Athens. Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant opened in Limestone County in 1974.

People love to document their travels and places they explore, especially when there is a unique feature they can capture, Hollman said, adding that the light bulb sculpture pays tribute to the ingenuity behind providing electrical power, preserves our local history, and honors those who have lost their lives and those who risk their lives to ensure the lights stay on.

The new Bright Idea sculpture in Athens was designed to give locals and visitors a fun photo opp as well as commemorate the towns long history with the Tennessee Valley Authority. (Photo by Holly Hollman)

Athens and Limestone County celebrated their bicentennials in 2018 and wanted to come up with a sculpture to honor those dates as well as the TVA anniversary.

Local artist Micah Gregg, owner of Drop Metal LLC, was tasked with creating an artwork people could interact with. It was paid for by a $5,000 TVA grant and $5,000 in city funds. The Athens Mayors Youth Commission will also create social media filters utilizing the light bulb sculpture, Hollman said.

Robert Malone demonstrates how visitors can take photos of the Bright Idea sculpture that was erected Friday, May 31, 2019, in Athens. It commemorates the 85th anniversary of Athens' partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority. (Photo by Holly Hollman)

A plaque on the sculpture says: The first office for Athens Light and Water Company opened at the corner of Beaty and Market streets in 1906. The first streetlights came in 1908. Athens Light provided electric power until midnight May 31, 1934. On June 1, 1934, Athens began to receive power from the Tennessee Valley Authority. TVA continues to provide power to Athens through Athens Utilities.

The sculpture was erected near the Athens-Limestone Tourism building, which was built in 1906 to serve as the offices of Athens Light and Water Company.
Alabama law enforcement agencies that seize property because of a suspected connection with a crime will have to report those actions to the state agency that compiles crime statistics under a bill that passed the Legislature today.

The bill is an effort to ensure transparency about the process called civil asset forfeiture. It essentially makes mandatory a reporting system initiated by the Alabama District Attorneys Association earlier this year.

The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, wanted to limit asset forfeitures to cases with a criminal conviction. But the bill drew opposition from law enforcement. Orr said the bill requiring seizures to be reported was an incremental step toward reforming the system.

Orr and other advocates for reforms said the practice of asset forfeiture has veered away from its original intent of making sure that those who operate large scale criminal enterprises like drug trafficking dont profit from their crimes.

The bill, called the Alabama Forfeiture Information Reporting Act, passed the House today by a vote of 102-0. Gov. Kay Ivey could sign it into law.

The bill says state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies must report all property seized for forfeiture to the uniform crime reporting system operated by the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency on behalf of the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center Commission.

Among the information reported would be the date of the seizure, the person or entity that owned the property, a description of the property, a description of the suspected underlying criminal activity, any arrests in connection with the seizure, the case numbers of the civil lawsuits for forfeiture of the property, the disposition of the property, and the name of each entity receiving some of the property.

Agencies that receive money that was seized or money from the liquidation of seized assets would have to account for that money separately in their budgets and it would be subject to audit.

The practice of property seizures by police has drawn criticism in Alabama and nationally and received new attention with a recent ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. In an Indiana case, the court ruled that authorities violated the constitutional prohibition on excessive fines when they seized a $42,000 vehicle from a man who pleaded guilty to selling $225 worth of heroin to undercover officers.

Barry Matson, executive director of the Alabama District Attorneys Association, said the reporting system should reassure the public that law enforcement is using civil asset forfeiture in a responsible manner.

What this bill does is codify what we did earlier this year when we created the Alabama Forfeiture Accountability System, Matson said in a statement. Even though that system was set up voluntarily, it has widespread acceptance, with district attorneys and law enforcement across the state committed to working with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to gather and keep track of all asset forfeitures in the state.

Updated at 5:26 p.m. on May 31 to add statement from Barry Matson.
Erin Howard of Huntsville was named a co-champion of the National Spelling Bee late Thursday night as an extraordinary field of students outlasted the bees dictionary.

After the 17th round, officials said that all remaining spellers after the 20th round would be named co-champions. None of the spellers missed a word again with eight co-champions being crowned and each receiving the full $50,000 first prize.

Erin is a 14-year-old student in the 8th grade at Mountain Gap School.

Great job, Erin! You made history tonight. We are so proud of you. Congratulations! https://t.co/fRNhU5gI7E  Mo Brooks (@RepMoBrooks) May 31, 2019

She breezed through virtually every word she was asked in surviving to the end.

Its great to be here, Erin said just before being asked her final word. She immediately broke into a dance at the microphone when she was asked to spell erysipelas.

Can I have the definition? an elated Howard said after being given the word. Please I beg of you.

Erin, who never hid her confidence in knowing the word she had to spell, made it clear before saying a letter that she knew the word and would be a co-champ. She has finished in the top 10 each of the past two years.

Erin is only the second Spelling Bee champion from Alabama, preceded by Julie Junkin of Pickens County in 1974.

Scripps National Spelling Bee named 8 co-champions after a historic 20 round event. Erin Howard of Huntsville is second from the left.Scripps

The words that Erin spelled during the evening session of the competition: tophet, tinaja, pallone, meerschaum, jindyworobak, zamacueca, godet, Komondor, tulisan, calembour, deixis.

The competition continued past midnight outside Washington.

Only two words seemed to give Erin pause -- godet and Komondor. Otherwise, she lit up as soon as each word was announced and begin bouncing in anticipation while standing at the microphone. She usually needed only about 30 seconds to complete spelling a word after first hearing it.

But when pronouncer Jacque Bailly gave her godet in the 15th round, there was no self-assured reaction from Erin. As she processed the definition and the language origin, she asked if the definition included small female. She quickly followed her question by saying, Please say no.

When she got the answer she wanted, she pointed back at the judges and said, Much obliged.

And then she correctly spelled godet -- with the apparent assurance that without small female in the definition, she could eliminate the possibility of the word ending with ette.

She seemed stumped briefly in the next round, too, when Bailly gave her Komondor to spell. But as Bailly began giving the definition -- which, in short, was a Hungarian dog -- Erin seemed to almost erupt in jubilation as she realized she knew the word.

Beyond those two words, nothing seemed to faze her as she stepped into history in what Bailly described as the most phenomenal" group of spellers ever in the Spelling Bee.

Updated today, May 30, 2019, at 11:20 p.m. with new information throughout.
Michael Coopers grocery career was at a crossroads in early 2018, when the Winn Dixie store he managed for about a decade, closed.

Yeah, it does make you think twice when stores are closing, said Cooper, a Daphne resident, who started in the grocery business at age 19, working at a Foodland store in North Alabama.

Hes been in the business 42 years, and managed Daphnes Winn Dixie for about 10 years.

We didnt know (Rouses) was coming at the time, Cooper said. But I knew someone would come in here, and Rouses made an offer.

Cooper is now the store manager of the new Rouses Market, which opened at 7 a.m. Friday inside a building that Baldwin County residents had long recognized as a grocery store.

The 53,000-square-foot building along a bustling stretch of U.S. 98, had sat empty for more than a year before it opened its doors to a throng of shoppers who stood outside about two hours before the doors opened. The Winn Dixie, a longtime fixture for grocery shoppers in Daphne, closed after its parent company  Southeastern Grocers  filed for bankruptcy and closed the Daphne location and 93 other stores in early 2018.

My wife told me last night that since I was off today, I had to get up and get to Rouses by 5:30, said Brian Crouch of Daphne, one of the first to arrive to the store and stand in line with shopping cart in tow. The incentive for the early arrivals was a 10% voucher off the total grocery bill for the first 200 customers.

They have better prices than the old Winn Dixie, and you get treated decently, said Crouch.

The Thibodaux, La.-based chain of grocery stores has developed a popular following in coastal Alabama since it arrived in early 2014. With the Daphne location, the company now operates eight grocery stores in Mobile and Baldwin counties. There are 64 Rouses overall.

The company emphasizes its connections with local partners including farmers like the Sirmon family in Baldwin County, whose sweet potatoes are sold at Rouses Markets along the Gulf Coast.

We are all about the Gulf Coast, said Kenneth Jones, regional director of operations with Rouses. We have a lot of Alabama local products in the store and were excited to continue to growth here in Alabama.

The new Daphne Rouses is also the third grocery store within a short 1-1/2-mile stretch along U.S. 98. Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Supermarkets, with more than 1,200 stores in the Southeast, opened its Daphne location about a decade ago at the Magnolia Place shopping center. Sandwiched between the two grocery stores is a Walmart Supercenter.

Most of the customers at the Daphne Rouses were already familiar with the store. The Spanish Fort store, which opened in 2014, is about an eight-minute drive from the Daphne store.

Im from Louisiana, so I go to the store in Spanish Fort all the time, said Channin Baker of Spanish Fort, who arrived to the Daphne Rouses to stand in line with his fiance, Brandi Thompson.

We also like to shop local, said Thompson.

Cooper said the Daphne store will employ over 100 workers. Many of those same workers have spent the past month stocking shelves, taking inventory and getting the store ready for its opening.

Cooper said the opening was a welcomed moment for the employees.

This is the effort of all the hard work weve put into the opening, Cooper said as he looked a store that he last managed as a Winn Dixie, and as customers walked up to him complimenting him about its appearance. This is one of the most beautiful stores in Alabama.
The Jefferson County Department of Health has granted a request from Sherman Industries to place on hold a request for an air permit to operate a concrete batch plant on Fayette Avenue in Birminghams Five Points West community, officials announced Friday.

In granting that request, the health department also announced it will cancel a public hearing on the matter which was previously scheduled to happen at the Birmingham Crossplex on June 6.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin last week said Sherman will not be coming to Five Points West. Rick Journey, a spokesman for Woodfin, on Friday said Shermans decision to suspend the air permit request is good news for the Five Points West community.

Mayor Woodfin has been clear in his support to stand by the residents on this matter. The city will work jointly to find an appropriate location for the Sherman Industries plant whether it be in Birmingham or the region. This must be an ongoing inclusive effort which includes the public, the city, JCDH, and the company, Journey said in a statement. The mayor is committed to keeping the concerns of the neighborhoods in the forefront and will keep them informed of any additional developments in this matter.

In a letter sent to Jon Morrish, the president and CEO of Lehigh Hanson, on May 28, Woodfin said officials in the citys Department for Innovation and Economic Opportunity met with Sherman officials and presented at least three alternate sites where Sherman could relocate. The city did not disclose those three potential sites mentioned in the letter.

After careful review of these facts, Sherman Industries is urged to seriously consider these alternative sites. Consequently, I have directed staff to continue to work diligently with your representatives to identify feasible locations within the city which are less detrimental to both the citys plans for redevelopment and the health, safety and welfare of our residents. I respectfully ask that you withdraw any plans to initiate operations at the 3240 Fayette Avenue location, Woodfin said in the letter, obtained by AL.com.

Jeff Sieg, a spokesman for Lehigh Hanson Inc, of which Sherman Industries LLC is a subsidiary, said theyre still working with the city of Birmingham.

Sherman Industries has been working closely with the City of Birmingham regarding our proposed concrete batch plant at Fayette Ave. The company intends to continue this approach in an effort to improve the citys and the communitys understanding of the scope of our project and to attempt to identify a mutually acceptable solution at Fayette Avenue in Five Points West, or possibly an equally viable location, Sieg said in a statement emailed to AL.com.

Since these good-faith collaborative efforts are ongoing, Sherman Industries has voluntarily requested a temporary suspension of our pending air permit application and postponement of the June 6 public hearing. Sherman Industries remains optimistic that we will reach a mutually acceptable solution with the city of Birmingham. If our efforts to work with the city are not successful, Sherman Industries will resume processing of our pending air permit application. Sherman Industries is a responsible operator and has consistently remained in compliance with environmental regulations. Ultimately, our goal is to build and operate a state-of-the-art, environmentally sound and clean, concrete batch facility with a minimal environmental footprint.

Five Points West resident April Myers Washington, who was one of the community leaders who spoke against Sherman Industries coming to Fayette Avenue in April, said the news of the permit application being put on hold is good news, but she still has concerns.

I would rather see an actual withdrawal of the permit than to put it on hold. To me, to put it on hold means they may come back. My expectation would be that if they came back to reactivate that permit, I hope we would receive proper and timely notice from health department," Williams said. Community leaders initially argued the health department did not give residents timely notification about the air permit application.

District 8 City Councilor Steven Hoyt in a statement thanked community leaders for speaking up.

I want to thank everyone who made their voices be heard. It takes a collective effort to move our community forward and today is a day we can all be proud of. Id like to thank Mayor Randall Woodfin for his leadership, and also the representatives of Sherman Industries for hearing our concerns about the location of this proposed development," Hoyt said.

We still want Birmingham to rezone that area (on Fayette Avenue) to Mixed-Use High, she said. Leaders discussed their desire to turn the area into mixed-use development with activities for kids and additional businesses.

Hoyt has also called for a rezoning of the property and said he will continue in those efforts.

As elected leaders, we have a moral obligation to fight for our people. While this is move in the right direction, we need to continue to make sure the residents of Five Points West and surrounding areas are protected from any future efforts to place heavy industry in our blossoming community, Hoyt said.

Updated at 2:18 p.m. to add more information about a letter Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin sent to Lehigh Hanson officials.

Read Woodfins letter to Sherman Industries below:
State Rep. Jimmy Martin of Clanton, who served 17 years in the House of Representatives, has died after a battle with cancer.

House Majority Leader Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, issued a statement this morning on Martins passing.

The members of the House Republican Caucus are saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and colleague, Rep. Jimmy Martin, but we are buoyed by the knowledge that he is free of his cancer and reaping Gods promised reward for a life well-lived," Ledbetter said.

Because of the institutional knowledge that resulted from his 17 years as a member of the House, Jimmy was a great resource for all of us to call upon, but more valuable than his knowledge were the smiles, pats on the back, and words of encouragement that he constantly offered to House members on both sides of the aisle."

Gov. Kay Ivey ordered flags on the grounds of the Alabama Capitol complex and in Autauga and Chilton counties to be flown at half-staff to honor Martins life and service.

Representative Martins many years of service to the people of District 42 and the entire state of Alabama have truly made a lasting impact on our future. His presence in the Alabama House of Representatives will be greatly missed, Ivey said.

The House held a moment of silence this morning for Martin, and House public information officer Clay Redden read a statement that said, in part: Jimmy loved this House, but more importantly, he loved the people of his district. He took good care of them and made sure their needs were met.

Alabama and national politics.
Birmingham police are asking for the publics help in identifying the suspect in an armed holdup at a UPS store.

The holdup happened Friday, May 24, about 4:21 p.m. Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams said the suspect entered the store 1116 20th Street South, brandished a handgun and demanded the workers give him money.

The suspect fled the location on foot after receiving the money. There were no injuries during the robbery.

The suspect wore a black hat, khaki pants, black shoes and a red bandana on his face. He also had a portrait tattoo on his left forearm. Investigators are hoping someone may recognized the tattoo.

Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham police robbery detectives at 205-254-1753 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and information that leads to an arrest could result in a cash reward.
Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America 1968-2008, a series of digital print advertisements from conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas, is set to open in Birmingham.

Well known for exploring the themes of race, identity, and culture through popular media, in Unbranded, Thomas investigates and unpacks the complexity of race by removing the context from advertising images marketed toward African-American audiences in print magazines, including premier black publications Ebony and Jet.

For the series, the artist digitally erased the text and logos from four decades of advertising photography, leaving only the raw image. The images are organized chronologically from 1968, the year of Dr. Martin Luther Kings assassination, to 2008, the year America elected Barack Obama as its first black president.

On display from May 31 to Aug. 10 at the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts, the exhibition marks the first time the Unbranded series will be shown in its entirety in Alabama.

Co-organized by AEIVA curator John Fields and independent Alabama curator Paul Barrett, with assistance from the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York, the 82 prints in the exhibition are on loan from Alabama collectors Becky Patterson and Doug McCraw.

Thomas is considered to be one of the most significant artists of his generation, and Unbranded is easily one of the most vital bodies of artistic works created in the last decade, Fields said in a press release.

Barrett, who was instrumental in bringing Thomas and Eric Gottesmans massive public art project For Freedoms to Alabama, says the Unbranded series debut in Birmingham is somewhat of a full circle moment for Thomas, who has an extensive artistic history in Alabama.

The Birmingham Museum of Art has held multiple exhibitions of Priceless, Thomas take on MasterCard ads which depicts his family grieving at the funeral of his cousin Songha Willis, who was mugged and shot to death in 2000. Thomas was part of a team of artists, including Ryan Alexiev and Jessica Ingram, who created a 100-foot-long moving digital display of images of history, food, art, and industry honoring Alabama culture in the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport. He was also part of a team of artists and producers who brought the Question Bridge project to Alabama. The documentary-style website and art installation invited black men to ask each other questions about life in America, and the team shot the first video question for the series with Tony Bingham, an artist and instructor at Miles College.

Unbranded is opening the same night as Mary Frances Whitfields Why, an exhibition featuring paintings that depict the racial terror of lynchings against black people in the South. The Birmingham natives exhibit and first solo show in the city is a collaboration between the Jefferson County Memorial Project, AEIVA, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

When the Equal Justice Initiatives National Memorial for Peace and Justice opened in 2018, it became the first memorial in the country dedicated to more than 4,000 lynching victims. A bronze sculpture by Thomas called Raise Up, is on the grounds of the memorial.

"Raise Up" by Hank Willis Thomas is part of the display at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Hanging in the memorial are slabs engraved with the names of those victims, and the EJI created duplicate slabs in hopes counties in around the country would take the slabs to create their own memorials. The Jefferson County Memorial project is hoping to bring its memorial back to Jefferson County.

With Unbranded and Why running concurrently, Barrett says guests will be able to view two presentations that address images of the black body in America.

I think that both artists works are asking the viewer to confront different aspects of the legacy of racism in this country, said Barrett. Hanks work is a nice bridge to show people that, in a concrete way, year by year, that -- to coin a phrase-- the more things change, the more things stay the same.

For Thomas, having Unbranded open in Birmingham next to a native Southern artist reckoning with her home regions past is an honor.

 I feel like in many ways, my career was started in Alabama, being embraced by collectors like Jack Drake and Jim Sokol, Michael Straus and Doug McCraw, and various curators," Thomas told AL.com in a brief interview over the phone. There are a lot of great people in Birmingham that have always been supportive of my work. And to be able to be part of the work of the Equal Justice Initiative in Alabama means a lot to me. So, to have Doug, whos a very big supporter, take on the stewardship of this work and help present it is another major opportunity and big deal for me.

Hank Willis Thomas series Unbranded is on exhibition May 31-Aug. 10 at the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts. The opening reception to the exhibition is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 31 at the Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The events are free and open to the public. For more information, go to uab.edu/news/arts.
Two things have been a constant in the young life of Gunnar Herndon.

The 6-year-old Mississippi boy has wanted to be a police officer for as long as he can remember, and hes been a cystic fibrosis patient at Childrens of Alabama even longer.

Officers with the Birmingham Police Departments Community Services Division got wind of Gunnars career aspirations, and on Friday visited him to name him an honorary officer.

There are no words, said Gunnars mother, Megan Herndon. It definitely brings tears to my eyes.

Herndon said Gunnar was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was just over a week old. Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time.

Gunnar also has other birth defects with his heart and airways. He has really gone through a lot, Herndon said.

Sunday will mark two weeks for Gunnars current hospitalization, but Herndon said hes traveled back and forth from Mississippi to Childrens since he was 6-months-old. They are just like family, she said of the hospital staff.

She said Gunnar has aspired to be a police officer since the moment he started talking. He eats, sleeps and breathes black and blue, Herndon said. He wants to be a police officer when he grows up.

Last week, said Officer Travis Hendrix, the department received a phone call from a sergeant at the Tupelo Police Department who informed them of Gunnars plight. He said there was a young child here that was dealing with lung disease and he loves the police, Hendrix said. We know for a fact hes dealing with a lot of stuff.

The community service officers immediately went to work, gathering all sorts of treats for Gunnar. On Friday, the officers arrived en masse at Childrens, presenting Gunnar with a plaque, police coins, a police ID badge with his picture and a bouquet of blue and black balloons. He also got a backpack and basket packed with goodies, including a wristband that honoring fallen Birmingham police Sgt. Wytasha Carter, who was killed in the line of duty in January.

Capt. Dennis Shepard told Gunnar the wristband was special to them and he hoped it would be special to him as well.

Moments before the officers arrived at his room, Gunnars voice filled the hospital halls. As would be the case with most 6-year-olds, the cat got his tongue when the attention, and media spotlight, turned on him. After first burying his head, he pulled out a big smile and thanked the officers for their service. Asked why he wanted to be a police officer, Gunnar replied, Blue is my favorite color.

Hendrix said the Community Services Division team was excited about their visit to Gunnar. Chief (Patrick) Smith preaches community relations and thats what were trying to do, he said. We continue to try to bridge that gap with youth. Thats what we specialize in.

Hendrix said its always tough to see a kid struggling. Its hard because a lot of us have kids of our own and we can relate, he said. My end goal today is not only to make him happy, but if we have more kids who need us, we want to show them the Birmingham Police Department is here for them.

It will feel good to me to know that we just made his day, he said. Thats the most important thing to us.

Herndon said shes sure its a day Gunnar will never forget. Its such a blessing to know there are people as selfless as these people, she said. To bring a smile to my littles ones face means the world.
How can researchers be so confident theyve found the ruins of the slave ship Clotilda? Their full 171-page answer to that question is now available to anyone who wants to read it.

While it doesn't provide any definitive answers about what should happen next, the document provides a window on the world in which the Clotilda was built and operated. It also breaks down the technological challenges involved in studying and preserving what's left of it.

On Thursday, the Alabama Historical Commission, the National Geographic Society, SEARCH Inc. and their partners held a press conference in Mobile's Africatown community, along with a community celebration. The AHC also made the search team's scholarly report available online at ahc.alabama.gov.

Signed by SEARCH Inc.'s principal investigator, marine archaeologist James Delgado, it details the exhaustive study of a site designated 1Ba704 or Target 5. According to the documents executive summary, The intent was not to prove the wreck is Clotilda. This project followed a research design that provided the framework for the investigation, during which the team critically examined all aspects of the wreck, with comparisons to known and presumed qualities and aspects of Clotilda, as well as other aspects which might simply be generic, nonspecific to vessel identification, or not a match to those of Clotilda. At the conclusion of this work, as documented in this report, SEARCH believes the wreck is likely Clotilda.

Some key points:

Researchers built a database of schooners working in the Gulf of Mexico in the mid-19th century, which illustrated that the specifications of the Clotilda were uncommon. "(W)hat emerges from the archival record is that Clotilda was not a representative Gulf schooner. It was one of very few stand-out individual craft that reflected elements of regional design." Clotilda was a rarity, designed to navigate the shallow waters of Mobile Bay and withstand the open ocean, all while carrying more cargo than the average schooner. There were few if any ships exactly like it, meaning there would be few if any wrecks to match.

Clotilda had productive life before her shameful final voyage. Historical sources chronicle 40 trips Clotilda took between October 1855 and November 1859 as a commercial merchant schooner. The schooner did not follow a regular route between the same ports, rather the trips varied to meet the demands of the market to stay profitable. Other ports visited by the ship include Havana, Cuba; Tampico, Mexico; Galveston and Brazos de Santiago, Texas; and New Orleans. Records indicate that lumber, beef, hides, cotton, sugar and whiskey regularly filled her hold.

In that time and region ships routinely transported slaves as well, though manifests found by researchers do not show that the Clotilda did so. However, they note that even if she wasnt yet used as a slave ship, she was nonetheless a tool in the practice of slavery because her voyages were part of a network of commerce in which slave labor was a cornerstone.

Clotilda, in a way, reflected heavy Northern investment in the South's slave economy. The report says "it was built, operated and financed in its final voyage by former Northerners who had relocated to antebellum Mobile  to take advantage of the regional and local economy, and both married Southern women and remained part of its economy after the war  Clotilda also figured in an incident in which the schooner ran down and killed an enslaved man on Mobile Bay in a maritime accident. To simply identify Clotilda's context regarding slavery by focusing on the final voyage is wrong; the economic, social and political influences and consequences of slavery defined Clotilda's entire career."

Side-scan sonar gives a mixed picture of the wreck's soundness: "The vessel sits relatively upright on the riverbed with a clearly identifiable ship-shape. The bow projects above the sediment into the water column and is identifiable whereas the rear end of the vessel is buried  Although portions of the lower hull appear intact, a large amount of disarticulated and displaced material lies inside the hull and extends outside the vessel on both sides of the wreck and onto the riverbed."

The report recommends the following priorities for additional archaeological work: Excavation inside the hull; interior and exterior excavation of the buried stern; recovery of loose timbers and possibly other features such as the centerboard trunk "for additional documentation and to asses options for conservation, display or reburial on the site."

As for raising the hull, it wont be a light effort: If complete or even partial recovery of 1Ba704 is desired, the work would require an industrial scale effort due to the hazards at the site, including current and the lack of visibility. The recommended industrial scope would, in SEARCHs opinion, require a cofferdam, possible dewatering, excavation and then recovery through progressive dismantling, with immediate placement in an adjacent, custom-built, large conservation facility. Additionally, there is a risk that the wreck may collapse or disintegrate if completely excavated.
As an African American doctor in Montgomery, I am dedicated to closing gaps in healthcare by making sure our communities are healthy, happy, and thriving. The yawning gap between health outcomes for whites and health outcomes for people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds is well documented. We know, for example, that African Americans under the age of 50 are more likely to suffer from heart disease, stroke, or diabetes.

One of the biggest disparities in health stems from complications due to peripheral artery disease (PAD), an all-too-common but easily-preventable chronic illness. PAD occurs when fatty deposits in a persons arteries restrict the blood flow to the limbs. As a result, the patient experiences intense pain in the legs and eventual amputation, if left untreated.

A common complication of diabetes, more than 30 million Americans with diabetes and an additional 84.1 million Americans with prediabetes are at an elevated risk of developing PAD in their lifetimes. With African Americans 1.7 times more likely than non-Hispanic whites to have diabetes, they are also most at risk of developing PAD.

Sadly, African American patients with diabetes are over 3 times more likely to have their limbs amputated secondary to non-healing wounds and gangrene than Caucasians. These non-healing wounds and gangrene are most often secondary to PAD. For most patients, lives and limbs could be saved with access to early screening and the proper interventional care, but sadly this is not happening in communities across Alabama.

Nationally, 200,000 non-traumatic limb amputations occur in the United States each year.

Ending disparities in healthcare is possiblewith great effort, the death rate for African Americans declined by 25% from 1999 to 2016, while the racial gap for deaths due to heart disease in people aged 65 or older completely closed.

We have reason to hope, but we must also demand action.

Alabama must expand PAD screening and early detection effortsespecially for smokers and patients with diabetes, prediabetes, and other cardiovascular issues. Undergoing early screening can reduce the probability of an amputation by 90%, but unfortunately screening is greatly underutilized. As a result, many patients dont know they have PAD, much less understand the risks and what it takes to save their limbs, until its too late. Since amputation should be a last resort, we can incentivize doctors to perform vascular evaluation regularly by requiring them to document their efforts to screen patients well before the need for amputation arises.

Finally, I call upon our elected officials to support amputation reduction efforts. Lawmakers should discuss and develop new policies to improve healthcare outcomes throughout Alabama and end the racial disparities that exist for our most vulnerable, at-risk populations. By doing so, I am confident we can reduce the need for amputations in patients diagnosed with PAD.

I encourage people to learn more about their risks for developing PAD, especially if you are living with diabetes. Ask your doctor to learn more.

Its time for Alabamians to come together to end the dangerous racial gap between PAD patients of color and their white counterparts. Our lives and limbs depend on it.

Ralph B. Redd, MD is a vascular surgeon practicing in Montgomery.
I am a white man who lives in Birmingham. I have lived here for 36 years. But I am profoundly ashamed of what has happened in my state in the past week.

The Alabama legislature, led by 25 white male Republicans, passed the most restrictive anti-abortion law in history. In it, abortion is illegal even in the case of rape or incest. And women and their doctors can be sent to prison for life.

These anti-abortionists claim that they are motivated by a desire to protect the sanctity of life. I say hogwash.

In my opinion, the Alabama law is not about the sanctity of life at all. It's a ruse. Let's look at the facts. If the preciousness of life was at the core of their belief system, the anti-abortionists would be clamoring at the top of their lungs for sensible gun control laws. But they are not. And they would be marching in the streets against capital punishment. But they are not. And they would be unwilling to accept anything less than full access to health care for all. But they are not.

Forty thousand people died from guns last year in the United States. Alabama has the second highest gun death rate in the country. Now if the sanctity of life is so important, then why arent reasonable gun control laws being advocated by the same people who oppose abortion? No one is trying to take away the right to bear arms as allowed in the Constitution. Just simple gun control laws that would make a difference in saving lives. Where is the outcry for the sanctity of life in the gun control debate? The preciousness of life seems to evaporate into thin air when it comes to gun control.

Twenty-five death penalty executions were carried out in the United States in 2018. Since 1976, there have been a total of 1,497 executions. by the states. In Alabama, there have been 65 executions since 1983. It is estimated that 4% of death row inmates are innocent.

Based on that figure, 60 innocent people have been executed in the country thus far. And how many more innocent people are scheduled to die in the future? There are 2,639 death row inmates as of January, 2019. There are 191 death row inmates in Alabama right now, fourth highest in the nation.

Where is the concern for the sanctity of life in these death penalty cases? How can you be so opposed to abortion yet be in favor of the death penalty, with the full knowledge that innocent people will be put to death at the hands of the state. I guess the sanctity of life is far less compelling than retribution.

Why are people who are strongly opposed to abortion also against spending federal and state funds on access to health care? If you are in favor of protecting and extending life, then health care for all should be a top priority. Quite the opposite, many anti-abortionists are in favor of slashing funds

for health care. So we don't want a woman to have an abortion but it's acceptable for her to have poor or no prenatal care. And after the child is born, she won't have access to quality health care either. So much for the sanctity of life.

So lets not get hoodwinked into a discussion of the sanctity of life when its not about being pro-life at all. Yes, pure hogwash.

So what were these white Republican men in Alabama trying to accomplish?

It seems clear that white men want to protect and perpetuate their patriarchy. They don't want to give up their control and power. They feel threatened by women and blacks and browns and gays and anything and everything that is not white. As our country has become more diversified and heterogeneous, white men have become more fearful and more reactionary. Their goal? To exert power by trying to deny women the right to own and control their bodies. It's a power play, pure and simple. It has nothing to do with being pro-life.

All white men in Alabama should be ashamed of themselves. Where is their outrage at this new law? Where is their anguish? Their silence is deafening.

I am a man and I am ready to stand up for what is right, just, and equal. It has always been women who are held responsible, blamed, and punished when it comes to pregnancy. Men are rarely if ever held accountable. Their bodies are never compromised. Never. Patriarchy means that men are let off the hook. We can't even come up with widely-enforced laws for deadbeat fathers. But we can now send women to prison for life for having control over their bodies.

So its not about the sanctity of life. Its not about being pro-life. It is about preserving power and control for men. In Alabama, its about enacting a draconian anti-abortion law that can send a woman to prison. Its about punishing women for wanting to control their bodies.

Total hogwash.

Dr. Alan D. Blotcky is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Birmingham.
China is mobilizing its vast state-run energy industry to prepare for an economic tussle with the U.S. that could escalate further and might last for years.

Top oil executives were busy this week touting the need for energy security, and even discussing the previously far-fetched notion that the nation could be cut off from overseas supplies. The public comments show China is beginning to prepare for the worst scenario in the trade war, said Laban Yu, an analyst at Jefferies Group LLC in Hong Kong.

In a meeting in Beijing Wednesday, the chairman of top producer China National Petroleum Corp., Wang Yilin, urged employees to develop contingency plans for a protracted and complex trade dispute with Washington, according to a company statement. At another event in Shanghai the same day, Sinopecs former chairman, Fu Chengyu, said China should prepare for an extreme case whereby its overseas oil supplies are blocked entirely in the short term.

President Xi Jinping, meanwhile, hosted a meeting in Beijing approving Shanxi province to test new policies to drive its energy independence. On the national scale, Xis policy to cut Chinas massive import bill is now taking on added significance due to the trade war and Washingtons sanctions on major suppliers such as Iran and Venezuela.

Lengthy Dispute

Energy security is moving to the top of Chinas political agenda as the trade war intensifies. While tariffs resulted in cuts to U.S. supplies to China, the worlds largest oil and gas importer may now be positioning itself for any escalation or widening of the dispute that, according to a recent prediction from a senior government researcher, could last until 2035. That follows Xis call for citizens to join a new Long March amid the deepening conflict.

China is now looking at its oil supply situation from the worst-case scenario, like what the U.S. has done to Iran, Yu said. Obviously, China believes now more than ever that similar U.S. sanctions against a whole country could happen to China.

Chinas escalating rhetoric around rare earths, of which its the worlds dominant supplier, suggests the trade war may take a darker turn, with financial penalties on imports morphing into choking off supplies of critical raw materials. Beijing has a plan ready to restrict exports of the elements with widespread applications across electronics, consumer goods and military.

Urgent Reality

The need for China to achieve energy self-sufficiency has become an urgent reality, according Sinopecs Fu reported remarks. He called for shale gas development to be fiercely pursued, albeit without making an explicit link to the tensions with Washington.

Chinas energy purchases from the U.S. have faded. Imports of American liquefied natural gas slumped after Beijing tagged them with a 10% tariff thats set to rise to 25% from June. Although excluded from duties, oil imports from the U.S. have become intermittent, as buyers exercise caution in doing business with a trade adversary.

Over the past six months, Chinas overall oil imports have been expanding at about 10% compared with refining growth of around 5%, according to Neil Beveridge, a Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst in Hong Kong. It appears they are building up strategic petroleum reserves, in the event of any supply disruption, he said.

Still Beveridge doesnt think its likely for Chinas overseas supplies to be cut off. It only happens when both countries are going into war. Cutting off oil supplies to China to some extent is equal to a declaration of war, he added.

Import Dependency

Chinas oil giants have committed to spend the most money in five years in pursuit of higher energy output after orders from President Xi. The nations reliance on oil imports has risen steadily to over 70% amid shrinking domestic production. The government is now keenly tracking the progress of majors plans to increase output as part of a seven-year action plan.

It wont be easy for China to raise production. The majors are working with fields that are old and high-cost. Unlocking the countrys large shale reserves could be crucial to the effort, but challenges are plentiful as reserves are deep, broken up and hard to reach.

The broader outline is that China has lost trust in the U.S., either as a supplier or as a market, Yu said. It seems resolved to mobilize all resources it has to make sure the U.S. plays less of a role in Chinas economic growth going forward.
US president says the tariff is in response to a mass incursion of migrants from Mexico.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would impose a tariff on all goods arriving from Mexico in response to what he called a mass incursion of migrants entering the country illegally.

Trump said the tariff would start at five percent on June 10 but then rise in stages every month to 25 percent on October 1 and remain at that level unless Mexico stops migrants from crossing the USs southern border.

As everyone knows, the United States of America has been invaded by hundreds of thousands of people coming through Mexico and entering our country illegally. This sustained influx of illegal aliens has profound consequences on every aspect of our national life, Trump said in a statement. Mexicos passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency.

If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the tariffs will be removed, he added.

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

Al Jazeeras Heidi Zhou-Castro in Washington, DC, says the tariffs would be very significant if they were implemented.

It would go from just painful to catastrophic, the economic impact, on both sides of the border if this threat is realised through October, at which point that five percent tariff would jump to 25 percent on all Mexican goods, she said.

Mexico is the US third-biggest goods trading partner. The US imported $346.5bn worth of goods from Mexico last year  about half of those were vehicles and machinery. US exports to Mexico amounted to $265bn.

Thousands of people from Latin America flee violence and poverty every year and head to the US [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

Mexicos deputy foreign minister for North America, Jesus Seade, said on Thursday that it would be disastrous if Trump went through with his threat to impose the tariffs.

And Mexican President Andres Lopez Obrador sent a letter to Trump saying he did not want confrontation and called for dialogue with the US on migration.

Al Jazeeras Manuel Rapalo, reporting from Mexico City, says the reaction there to Trumps proposal has been measured.

The Mexican government has departed from its own policy to provide more assistance under the new Mexican administration to central American migrants. Theyve increased detentions at Mexicos southern border with Guatemala, theyve been enforcing US policy accepting central American asylum seekers, said Rapalo.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been pushing for passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that would update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The updated deal includes stricter rules on the export of duty-free cars and milk products to the US. It also forces Mexico to strengthen workers rights.

Trump had long criticised NAFTA, saying it had a negative effect on the US labour market, and made the renegotiation of the deal a cornerstone of his campaign and first year in office. Mexicos Seade said he expected the three countries to have ratified the replacement deal before August. In Mexico, the agreement only needs to ratified by the upper chamber of parliament, which handles international treaties.

Earlier this month, the US agreed to lift tariffs imposed last year on Canadian and Mexican steel and aluminium imports, a move that was meant to help pave the way to the ratification.
Turkey is considering deploying a Russian missile-defense system along the countrys southern coast, near where its warships are accompanying vessels exploring for energy, according to four people with knowledge of the deliberations.

The long-range S-400 battery, which might be delivered in weeks, would dramatically enhance Turkeys military capabilities in the Eastern Mediterranean, where its embroiled in a spat with European Union member Cyprus over offshore gas exploration, the people said on condition of anonymity as the issue is sensitive.

The Mediterranean is not the only location under consideration and other options are also being looked at, the people said. If approved, a southern deployment would send a strong message to Turkeys rivals and allies that its determined to protect its security and economic interests, they added. Spokesmen for the Turkish government did not respond to calls for comment. Late Thursday, the countrys National Security Council said in a statement that: Turkey will continue its activities in line with the international law and not allow faits accomplis in East Mediterranean.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Donald Trump are expected to discuss the missiles on the sidelines of a G-20 summit in Japan next month.

The U.S. has threatened to sanction Ankara if it goes ahead with the missile deal, concerned that adding Russian hardware to NATO-member Turkeys military could enable Moscow to gather critical military intelligence. It has also warned that Turkish ambitions to begin offshore drilling operations in an area claimed by Cyprus as its exclusive economic zone risks raising tensions in the region.

Turkey regards the S-400s as a deterrent to defend its energy interests in the East Med where brewing tensions may threaten to bring Turkeys relations with the U.S. to a breaking point, said Mehmet Seyfettin Erol, head of Ankara-based research institute ANKASAM. It feels increasingly threatened in the Mediterranean by U.S. and Israeli support for Cyprus.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said last week that work was still underway to determine where the S-400s could be deployed. In April, Akar said that the S-400s might be used to defend the capital Ankara, the commercial hub of Istanbul, the southern Incirlik air base or an unidentified industrial facility. The unnamed location could be Turkeys first nuclear power plant, being built by Russia in Akkuyu on the Mediterranean coast, the people said.

Russia hasnt attached any conditions to where Turkey should deploy the missiles, said Igor Korotchenko, head of the Moscow-based Centre for the Analysis of World Arms Trade. Turkey is a sovereign country. Erdogan can put them wherever he wants.

Russian role

The S-400, also known within NATO as the SA-21 Growler, has advanced radars and is designed to defend airspace against warplanes used by countries in the western military alliance. Chief among U.S. concerns is that the Russian system could be used to collect data on the F-35 fighter jets stealth capabilities.

Turkey has refused to scrap its deal with Moscow and deploying S-400s on the Mediterranean could alarm other countries operating F-35s in the region, including the U.K. and Israel.

Installing the missiles in Turkey would mark a further advance in President Vladimir Putins efforts to engineer a bigger Russian role in the Middle East.

The possibility of the S-400s being deployed at Akkuyu is quite strong, said Abdullah Agar, a Turkish security analyst. It is a solution that could provide security to the nuclear plant in line with Turkeys cooperation with Russia and give it an edge in a stiff energy competition in the East Med.

For some of Turkeys military and civilian leadership, history is also an influence. They bitterly remember a crippling U.S. arms embargo imposed after Turkey invaded the northern third of Cyprus in the wake of an attempted coup to unite the island with Greece in 1974.

Significant quantities of natural gas have been discovered off the coasts of Egypt, Israel and Cyprus over the past decade, including by Exxon Mobil Corp., spurring hopes for a regional energy hub. Still, companies have struggled to overcome longstanding political and legal hurdles and find viable export markets, leaving investors questioning whether firms can realize the potential.

The internationally recognized government of the Republic of Cyprus has licensed several offshore blocks, some in disputed waters, drawing threats from Turkey which objects to Cypriot exploration without an agreement on sharing the proceeds of any finds. Turkey wants maritime boundaries in the area to be fixed to safeguard its rights, as well as those of the Turkish Cypriot state only Ankara recognizes.

Turkey has the longest coastline in the eastern Mediterranean and it is expecting countries in the region and outside to respect its and Turkish Cypriots rights, Akar told foreign military attaches aboard a Turkish frigate during a major naval exercise on May 25.
Officials say that granting a life-saving termination of an unviable foetus would be first step towards legal abortion.

San Salvador, El Salvador  Beatriz, a 22-year-old woman known to the world only by a single name, has a simple request.

I want to live, she says.

Her life hangs by a thread while the El Salvadors Supreme Court decides whether her right to life should be protected, or whether the rights of her unborn foetus should prevail.

Beatriz is almost 23 weeks pregnant. She has lupus, an auto-immune disease which causes the bodys immune system to attack its own tissue. Her condition is deteriorating and her doctors say she is at high risk of death if the pregnancy continues.

Medics have recommended an abortion in order to save her life, but cannot proceed amid fear of prosecution.

El Salvador is one of three Latin American countries where abortion is illegal in all circumstances  punishable with up to 30 years in prison.

I want to live, to protect and raise my son. Beatriz

Yet in this case, the foetus is unviable. Several scans have revealed that it is anencephalic  missing a large part of the brain and skull. Almost all babies with anencephaly die before birth, or within a few hours or days after birth. It has no chance of surviving into infancy, experts say.

First pregnancy

Beatriz, from the east of this tiny Central American country, has a 14-month-old son who also suffers various health problems  caused by serious complications she suffered during pregnancy.

At that time, Beatriz suffered an exacerbation of her lupus, but also anaemia, pneumonia, and high blood pressure which led to severe pre-eclampsia. Her son was delivered early using an emergency caesarean section, and spent more than a month in hospital with digestive and respiratory problems.

I want to live to protect and raise my son, Beatriz said through her lawyers.

She is currently in hospital suffering from early-stage kidney failure, caused by her lupus. With every day that passes the risk to Beatrizs life increases, her doctors say.

But the countrys powerful religious campaigners are adamant that there be no exceptions  that the life of the foetus must be protected from the moment of conception. Public opinion is divided.

Aggravated homicide

Her medical team made an application to El Salvadorian legal authorities at the end of March, seeking permission to proceed with a therapeutic abortion in order to safeguard Beatrizs health. They asked for a guarantee that they would not be prosecuted.

Under Article 133 of the countrys penal code, anyone who provides  or tries to access  abortion services can face lengthy prison sentences. Women and doctors can be charged with aggravated homicide.

The authorities have yet to respond to her doctors request.

The attorney general could use his powers to give the doctors and Beatriz protection from prosecution. He has so far refused to do so.

The countrys highest court was therefore presented with the case in mid-April. Lawyers acting for Beatriz asked the Supreme Court to guarantee legal protection for Beatriz and her doctors.

Several international bodies have also intervened.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights took the unprecedented step of ordering the El Salvadorian government to take precautionary measures and implement the treatment recommended by the Specialised National Maternity Hospital.

On April 29, the commission gave the government 72 hours to comply with the precautionary measures in order to safeguard life, personal integrity and health. It was an attempt by the commission to ensure the case was expedited by the Supreme Court.

Despite that ruling, no decision has yet been made.

The delays are unconscionable, Amnesty Internationals Esther Major told Al Jazeera.

Last week the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court ordered a range of psychological and physical tests to be carried out on Beatriz by the Institute of Legal Medicine (ILM).

To the shock of campaigners, the ILM opinion contradicted all previous assessments and recommended Beatriz continue with the pregnancy  a wait and see approach.

The opinion was completely biased, said Sara Garcia from the Citizens Group for the Decriminalisation of Therapeutic, Ethical and Eugenic Abortion. Four of the doctors that participated had already expressed an opinion against Beatriz being allowed a therapeutic abortion.

The ILM has publicly rejected accusations of bias, stating that its opinion was supported by various national medical organisations  including the Association of Bioethics, the Association of Rheumatology and the Association of Nephrology and Arterial Hypertension.

Political manoeuvring

In what appears to be Beatrizs last chance, her lawyers submitted an application to the Supreme Court on May 8, urging them to reject the ILM opinion on the grounds of bias and flawed process.

This is the end, the legal possibilities have been exhausted, said Victor Hugo, Beatrizs lawyer.

The case has re-ignited national and international debates about access to abortion and a womans right to life.

[The Marta was a political manoeuvre in an electoral context, trying to secure votes from conservative groups by showing unconditional support for the Catholic Church.]



Abortion was criminalised in El Salvador in 1997 by the then-governing Nationalist Republican Alliance party. Before then, abortion in cases such as Beatrizs would have been permitted.

Marta Maria Blandon is the regional director of the international abortion rights organisation IPAS. It was a political manoeuvre in an electoral context, trying to secure votes from conservative groups by showing unconditional support for the Catholic Church, she told Al Jazeera.

The reform to the penal code was done in secret without any public consultation.

Since then, around 600 women have been criminally investigated. Almost 30 have been imprisoned for 30 years, many convicted of infanticide. Six women have subsequently been freed following campaigns by the Citizens Group for the Decriminalisation of Therapeutic, Ethical and Eugenic Abortion.

Activists, rights groups, academics and clinicians  including the United Nations representative in El Salvador and UN experts on the rights to health, torture, violence and discrimination against women  are among those urging authorities to grant Beatriz the right to a termination in order to save her life. Amnesty International has launched an online appeal for people to write to Luiz Martinez, the countrys attorney general.

They argue that the failure of the state to act amounts to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.

El Salvadors Minister of Health, Maria Isabel Rodriguez, and her legal adviser have also written to the Supreme Court supporting the medical and constitutional basis of Beatrizs case.

Rodriguez is the only government minister so far to speak out in support of Beatrizs right to life  and has also criticised the IML medical opinion as flawed.

In contrast, the Si a la Vida [Yes to Life] Foundation, an anti-abortion religious group, says feminist groups are exploiting and manipulating Beatriz in order to legalise abortion.

In a recent statement of support for anti-abortion groups, El Salvadors Conference of Catholic Bishops said protecting the unborn child does not constitute a violation of Beatrizs constitutional rights.

A global issue

Parallels are being drawn between this case and the death of Savita Halappanavar in Ireland in October 2012.

Halappanavar, an Indian dentist working in Ireland, was denied a potentially life-saving emergency abortion despite the fact she had suffered a miscarriage  because the foetus heart was still faintly beating.

In Ireland, the Catholic Church is vehemently opposing a new parliamentary bill to relax the strict laws and allow abortion to save a mothers life.

Around 25 per cent of the worlds population live in countries which prohibit or punish women and health professionals for abortion.

World Health Organisation figures suggest almost 70,000 women die annually as a result of unsafe illegal abortions  accounting for 13 per cent of all maternal deaths.

Latin America hosts some of the worlds most restrictive abortion laws. In many countries, abortion is permitted only to save the womans life, but in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Chile, abortion is prohibited under all circumstances.

Yet the region also has some of the worlds highest rates of abortion, due to the significant unmet need for contraceptives which causes high rates of unplanned pregnancies, according to IPAS.

We are horrified that government officials in El Salvador are standing by, watching Beatriz suffer pain and anguish, and maybe even die. It is utterly inexcusable of them to deny her life-saving treatment, said Esther Major, Amnesty Internationals El Salvadorian expert.

Each official and judge who does not do what they can to save her, or prevent her suffering severe health damage, risks having blood on their hands. It is a human rights scandal, and one which has discrimination at its heart. Beatriz is poor, and needs treatment only women and girls need.

Beatrizs identity has been hidden amid enormous stigma and strong, divided opinions about her case. But on Sunday May 5, she recorded a plea to the countrys president.

President Mauricio Funes Cartagena, help me please, she said.

This baby inside me cannot survive. I am ill. I want to live I want to live for my son.

Follow Nina Lakhani on Twitter: @ninalakhani
When it comes to well-intentioned but awkward conversations about race and culture in the workplace, March of Dimes Chief People Officer Darlene Slaughter has heard it all.

Slaughter  a thought leader in the growing field of corporate inclusion and a former diversity officer at United Way Worldwide, the globes largest privately-funded nonprofit  now oversees diversity, equity and inclusion at one of the largest United States nonprofits focusing on the health of mothers and babies.

To illustrate the minefield of navigating workplace discussions about race, Slaughter raises one of the most common, well-intentioned comments she hears.

Theres always a person that raises their hand at workshops and says, I dont see colour. Well, I dont necessarily believe that. So now I have a trust issue with you, Slaughter told Al Jazeera.

If I ask you what am I wearing, you certainly can see the colour of my clothes. So, what I need for you to understand is that as a black woman, you can see my colour, and you can say that you see my colour, because it shapes the life experiences that Ive had, she said.

If you dont see that, then guess what? You dont engage me in a conversation, because you think my life is just like yours. Its not.

The business case for racial and cultural sensibility

Regardless of whether people agree with the way Slaughter experiences and explains not seeing colour, employers and employees around the world are struggling with similar misunderstandings. And studies show it can negatively impact worker productivity and even corporate bottom lines.

In the United Kingdom, a 2018 survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, an association for human resources professionals, found that black, Asian, and minority ethnic groups are significantly more likely than their white British counterparts to say that they need to change aspects of their behavior to fit in. This is especially true of those from Indian, Pakistani, or Bangladeshi backgrounds.

Across the pond, a 2017 study by the US-based Center for Talent Innovation determinedthat more than a third of black and Asian workers surveyed dont feel their workplace is conducive to conversations about race. Less than a third of Latino and white workers felt the same way.

CTI researchers also found that black professionals who cant share their life experiences at work are more likely to feel isolated, and are almost three times more likely than those in other racial and ethnic groups to intend to leave their employer within one year.

Its not just black workers who are feeling disengaged. A 2014 survey from The Energy Project and Harvard Business Review concluded that most employees are working at only 42 percent of their capacity, meaning millions are going to work every day depleted, disengaged and emotionally stressed, which decreases their productivity.

This is more than a problem for employees. In Gallups 2017 State of the American Workplace Report, its estimated that lost productivity is costing corporations between $480bn- $600bn annually in the US alone.

Meanwhile, a study last year of 1,700 companies across eight different countries by the Boston Consulting Group found that companies with diverse management teams have 19 percent higher revenues.

The reason? Diversity fosters innovation.

To err is human

Experts in the field of inclusive corporate cultures say everyone must move beyond the shame and blame dynamic when it comes owning their own biases.

Howard Ross, the founder of the consulting firm Cook Ross, which offers guidance on diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency to organisations around the world, stresses the importance of reframing the issue.

Weve emphasized that bias is a bad thing as opposed to understanding its normalcy, Ross told Al Jazeera.

We find a way to justify it and often we even drive it further underground, whereas if we actually got that bias is just the way human beings think  just like breathing is the way we live  we would say, OK, theres a bias. What can I do with this? How do I manage this?' he said.

Slaughter also believes its helpful to create an environment where people can open up about biases in order to move past them.

You have to sort of meet people where they are, and you have to create an environment where you break down that fear, so that people will say, I dont know, can you help me understand why?' said Slaughter.

If you jump all over a person immediately, it makes people either dig in, or not say anything at all, she added.

Rethink and reframe

Lenora Billings-Harris is a diversity strategist and the author of The Diversity Advantage: A Guide to Making Diversity Work.

Named by the Society for Human Resource Management as one of its 100 Global Thought Leaders on Diversity and Inclusion, Billings-Harris urges decision-makers to stop viewing diversity as a problem and embrace it as an opportunity.

The nugget that many people dont quite understand is that diversity by itself is not enough, she told Al Jazeera. Organisations should not be searching for differences just for the sake of differences, but they need diversity of thought to make better decisions, raise revenues and raise their client base.

Rethinking our language around diversity and inclusion will cast the issue in a different light, she added.

Ive heard leaders talk about the need to have a more diverse workforce in terms of risk  Were going to take a risk and get diverse candidates,' said Billings-Harris.

When youre thinking of it as a risk, youve already created your own barrier. This is going to be hard. Im not expecting a good result. Also, one of the reasons people think its a risk is usually because theyve had a bad experience. They usually brought [in] someone from an underrepresented group, but they didnt do anything in the corporate culture that welcomed diversity of thought.

That could really end up costing companies because people with the best talent will leave if they dont feel valued, warned Billings-Harris.

Getting real

The US Census Bureau predicts that in the US, whites will be the minority by 2044, while in the current population, 48 percent of the members of Generation Z  post-millennials between the ages of six and 21  are from communities of colour.

Billings-Harris warns that companies must be aware of whats happening in the world around them, adding that organisations that truly understand this are not only reaping revenue rewards, but creating inclusive corporate cultures that help people thrive.
Whoever wins the succession battle in the Tory party will face exactly the same Brexit conundrum that brought down May.

And so the turmoil continues. Fresh out of European Parliament elections that witnessed both the Labour and, especially, Conservative parties receive a good shellacking, we now segue neatly onto the United Kingdoms next political earthquake  the replacement of the incumbent prime minister.

In the few days since Theresa May announced her intention to stand down, no fewer than 11 of her colleagues have thrown their hat in the ring as candidates to replace her. And more may well follow suit.

So brace yourselves for several weeks of bitter in-fighting as colleagues tear strips off each other in their desperation to accede to the highest office in the land. Leadership elections in this country are a little like primaries in the US. They provide a great opportunity for parties to wash their dirty laundry in public before choosing a new leader and claiming to have been totally united all along.

And of all the elements of division, it is, of course, Brexit that dominates. Here, the fault lines are beginning to appear. Boris Johnson, Andrea Leadsom and Dominic Raab are the candidates insisting that the UK will leave the European Union on 31 October with or without a deal.

Jeremy Hunt, for his part, argues that leaving with no deal would be political suicide for the party. Rory Stewart has been vociferous in his opposition to this outcome, saying he would refuse to serve in a government under Boris Johnson because of the latters approach to Brexit. Matt Hancock, on the other hand, is insisting on the need to leave with a deal.

So, broadly speaking, we have two camps. The problem is, it is far from clear how either camp would manage to deliver what they appear (for the moment) to be promising.

Take no deal. There is, clearly, no majority in parliament for such an outcome. Quite the contrary. Indeed, passions run so high that it is far from inconceivable that, faced with a new prime minister intent on taking the UK out of the EU with no deal, a sufficient number of Conservatives might vote against their own government on a motion of no confidence to bring it down.

Yet, as Speaker of the House John Bercow hinted in an intervention in the United States, there remains a route short of this nuclear option. Bercow made it clear that he would be willing to facilitate an emergency debate providing parliamentarians with an opportunity to prevent a no-deal outcome.

If no deal is not possible, what about leaving with a deal? Once again it is difficult, if not impossible, to see how this might be achievable. The Tories might be changing their leader, but they are not changing the numbers in parliament. Mays deal failed to garner a majority three times, and there is little sign of that changing.

Equally, the EU has made it clear that no renegotiation of what has already been agreed is possible. Whatever the contenders might claim about approaching a new negotiation with renewed purpose or greater unity, it would seem that they might as well bang their heads on a brick wall a few times. The deal is the deal is the deal. Pass it, or find another option  remain or no deal.

On the surface at least, one possible option would be for whoever takes the crown to leverage their newfound popularity by going back to the people. After all, a cursory glance at parliament will persuade any new leader that he or she will not be able to actually govern, given the lack of majority. Moreover, any new prime minister would enjoy the not insignificant advantage of being neither Theresa May nor Jeremy Corbyn.

But then he or she will pause and think of Sunday night, when the Conservatives fell to a vote share in single figures in a national poll and Nigel Farage launched his new insurrection rooted in anger at the governments failure to deliver Brexit.

Now, of course, this was a European election. History suggests that people vote differently in these second order contests, not least because the electoral system used is different from the one we use to elect a government. That being said, the fact remains that the Tories were thrashed, and it seems clear that attempting to have an election prior to delivering Brexit would equate to performing electoral hari-kiri.

Which presents us with a dilemma: Reshaping parliament via the ballot box is not a viable option. Yet sorting Brexit without an election seems impossible.

And so, once the leadership contest is done, once the dust has settled and the removal men have left Number 10, we will find ourselves precisely back where we started: with a Brexit stalemate in parliament that looks impossible to overcome, whoever the prime minister charged with attempting to do so. It is enough to make you wonder why so many of them are after the job.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Car bomb hits a convoy belonging to an international organisation, killing or wounding at least seven people.

A car bomb aimed at a convoy of foreign forces has exploded in the capital of Afghanistan, wounding four US service members and causing a number of other casualties, officials said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast which occurred in the busy Jalalabad area in the east of Kabul on Friday, the second such attack in the city in two days.

On Thursday, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed a suicide attack outside a military training academy that killed at least six people.

A spokesperson for US forces in Afghanistan said the car bomb hit a US convoy and four service members had suffered minor injuries. He gave no further details.

190508203445898

However, there were conflicting reports about the total number of casualties caused by the blast.

An Afghan security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said as many as nine people had been killed and six civilians wounded in the blast.

The Talibans main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement that the attack was directed a convoy of foreign forces, killing 10 of them and destroying two vehicles.

The explosion sent a plume of white smoke into the sky. It took place in an area with several large security compounds which has seen repeated attacks over the years.

Photographs circulating on social media showed a heavily damaged white armoured Land Cruiser, surrounded by fire fighters.

Kabul has been on high alert, with security checkpoints reinforced across the city in recent days.

Fridays attack, shortly before next weeks Eid holiday, came as a delegation of Taliban officials met senior Afghan politicians in Moscow for discussions about a possible peace process to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan.

The Taliban have been talking with US diplomats for several months about plans to agree to a withdrawal of more than 20,000 US and NATO coalition troops in exchange for an agreement to prevent Afghanistan from once again being used as a base for armed attacks.
Serbs feel targeted by authorities in the northern city, where a river separates them from ethnic Albanians.

Mitrovica, Kosovo  Just north of the bridge over the Iber river that splits the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo, life seems normal. Locals mill around the outdoor cafes lining the pedestrian street, drinking coffee in the warm morning sun and enjoying the day. At one table, a group of Kosovo Serb police officers are gathered.

Three days ago, anti-corruption raids in north Kosovo and elsewhere in the country saw more than 20 arrests, with Kosovo police officers and citizens alike swept up and detained. People here have gotten used to the occasional chaos and, while life quickly returns to normal, a sense of anger endures.

As the raid began early Tuesday morning, sirens  a holdover from those used during the NATO bombings in 1999  alerted the 12,000 residents of North Mitrovica that something was about to happen.

190529192826179

It was terrifying because you are thinking someone is attacking you from all sides and you dont know what to do, Jovana, a 21-year-old student, told Al Jazeera. Should you go to work? Should you go to lectures?

North Mitrovica has a small population, and Jovana asked us not to publish her full name, as she does not want to be targeted.

She does not agree with how the police operation was handled, especially in the Serb-majority municipality of Zubin Potok, where cars and other property were destroyed during the raid against suspected smuggling and organised crime.

Everything was intended to create some kind of fear and tension  and we are somehow used to living 20 years like this, with tension and this catastrophic feeling, she said. I think that they should do things more properly, not in that way, to solve problems.

These things happen all the time

Another local Serb, 26-year-old economics student Stefan (not his real name), said that while Kosovo police had the authority to arrest people suspected of organised crime, Tuesdays operation was too brutal.

People were hurt and beaten, he said.

I dont support crime, crime is crime all around the world, but this was like some kind of showing of muscle from the police in Pristina and thats why we protested, Stefan said, referring to the peaceful rally held in North Mitrovica on Wednesday.

Stefan believes Kosovo Serbs were targeted in the operation as a display of Pristinas dominance.

[They want to say] this is our place, this is our territory, we can do whatever we want with the power of the police, army.

Today is a little more peaceful than the [past few] days, but it has been like this for 20 years  every year these things happen all the time. People are very stressed about the situation [for Serbs living in Kosovo].

On the other side of the Iber river is South Mitrovica, where ethnic Albanians are the majority among the much larger 72,000 population.

I felt happiness because the law was implemented, Shkelzen Musa, a 23-year-old mason, told Al Jazeera on the south side of the bridge. [Smuggling of illegal] contraband and other shady things were stopped.

I dont feel happiness because theyre Serbs; I feel happiness that crime was fought in Mitrovica.

190528174213688

This is not the first time Kosovo police have conducted raids in the north of the city. In 2016, dozens of Serb, Albanian and Bosniak traffic police officers were arrested and accused of accepting bribes.

While there had been reports that Serbian troops had been deployed close to the border with Kosovo, that never happened, according to Vincenzo Grasso, spokesperson for KFOR, NATOs 20-year-old peacekeeping mission here.

KFORs mandate is to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all citizens in Kosovo. The NATO mission is in regular contact with Serbian forces across the nearby border. Serbian troops were, instead, put on high alert following the raid.

We were ready to intervene if necessary, but it was not the case, Grasso said.

It was an operation against allegedly corrupt policemen and civilians, he added. It was a legitimate operation, there was no reason to hinder the activities of the police against criminality, this is for the benefit of everybody.

Grasso confirmed that the current situation in Kosovo remains under control.

Back in North Mitrovica, residents such as Jovana say they are exhausted and just want to move on with their lives.

I think if the next [police operation] comes, people will be even more confused  but we are somehow used to it. We are adaptable.

We need to work or do whatever we need to try not to be so impacted by all these things.
Statement accuses the US, UK, Sweden and Ecuador of ganging up on Assange to isolate, demonise and abuse him.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has shown obvious signs of the psychological torture inflicted on him due to years of confinement and persecution, according to a United Nations human rights expert.

Nils Melzer, the UN rapporteur on torture visited Assange in prison in the UK, where he is currently serving a 50-week sentence for skipping bail in 2012.

Melzer made the visit on May 9 along with two medical experts who specialise in examining potential torture victims. They were able to meet in confidence and to conduct a thorough medical assessment, the UN said.

It was obvious that Mr Assanges health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years, Melzer said in a statement released on Friday.

In addition to physical ailments, Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma, the statement read.

190523212111664

Last month, police dragged Assange from the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he had been holed up since 2012.

The Australian national faces a slew of charges from several countries, including a preliminary investigation in Sweden over an alleged rape in 2010.

Last week, prosecutors in the United States brought a new 17-count indictment against Assange for obtaining, conspiracy to receive and disclosure of classified information. These counts are in addition to previous charges of his interactions with US army whistle-blower Chelsea Manning.

Extradition to US

Assange has been fighting extradition to the US since Ecuador revoked his asylum in April, with pressure mounting on UK Prime Minister Theresa May to deny his extradition on human rights grounds.

I am seriously, gravely concerned that if this man were to be extradited to the United States, he would be exposed to a politicised show trial and grave violations of his human rights, Melzer told reporters on Friday

In the statement, he argued that the US, UK, Sweden and Ecuador were ganging up on Assange in an attempt to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse him.

Over the past nine years, Melzer said, Assange was exposed to increasingly severe abuse ranging from judicial persecution, isolation and surveillance within the Ecuadorian embassy, as well as public humiliation and repeated calls for his assassination.

In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law.
Attorney general says Special Counsel Robert Mueller could have made a judgment call even if he could not indict Trump.

United States Attorney General William Barr has said Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who led a probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, could have reached a decision on whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice, but chose not to.

Mueller said this week that he could not indict Trump because of a Justice Department policy that prohibits indicting a sitting president, and was not even willing to conclude if a crime was committed out of fairness to the president.

But Barr, a Trump appointee who oversaw the final stages of the Russia investigation, gave a starkly different opinion to Muellers  saying the special counsel could have made a judgment call even if he could not indict the president.

I personally felt he couldve reached a decision, Barr said, according to an excerpt released on Thursday from an interview with CBS This Morning.

190529133933228

The opinion says you cannot indict a president while he is in office, but he couldve reached a decision as to whether it was criminal activity, Barr added.

But he had his reasons for not doing it, which he explained and I am not going to, you know, argue about those reasons.

Mueller documented numerous occasions in which Trump sought to quash the probe, including by firing former FBI Director James Comey, but he did not reach a decision one way or the other if the US president had obstructed justice.





Barr and former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, however, later concluded on their own that the report lacked ample evidence to charge Trump with obstruction.

Mueller also found multiple contacts between Trumps campaign and Russia but he did not establish evidence of a criminal conspiracy.

190517152527304

In his first public comments since starting the investigation in May 2017, Mueller appeared to indicate that Congress could take the matter of deciding whether Trump had committed obstruction of justice into its own hands.

Barr, when asked about this on CBS, said he was not sure what Mueller was referring to with that comment.

The Department of Justice doesnt use our powers of investigating crimes as an adjunct to Congress, Barr said.
In 1992, a group of more than 200 Bosnian men was taken to the edge of the ravine and shot dead by Bosnian Serb police. Their corpses are now being recovered.

A new effort is under way to identify more than 100 victims from a 1992 mass killing during the Bosnian war.

The Koricani Cliffs massacre saw more than 200 civilians shot dead and dumped in a ravine by a Bosnian Serb police unit.

It has taken nearly three decades to uncover many of the remains and return them to their families for proper burial.

Paul Brennan reports.
Chances of locating more survivors very slim as relatives of South Korean victims depart for Hungarys capital.

Rescue officials in Hungary say there is little chance of locating survivors after a sightseeing boat with South Korean tourists on board capsized on the Danube River in Budapest, with seven people confirmed dead and 21 missing.

The Mermaid sank in just seconds after colliding with a much larger cruise ship on a busy stretch of the river in the heart of the capital on Wednesday evening.

Officials said 30 South Korean tourists, including at least one child, three South Korean tour guides and two Hungarian crew were on board the 27-metre double-decker boat when the accident occurred at around 9pm (19:00 GMT) in heavy rain.

Seven South Koreans were rescued, seven died and 19 South Koreans were among the 21 missing. The crew members were also missing.

The seven people rescued were suffering from hypothermia but were in stable condition. Police said the seven people who died had no life vests on.

I wouldnt say there is no hope, rather that there is a minimal chance [of finding survivors], Pal Gyorfi, a spokesman for the Hungarian national ambulance service, told the M1 state broadcaster.

This is not just because of the water temperature, but [also] the strong currents in the river, the vapour above the water surface, as well as the clothes worn by the people who fell in, he added.

Investigation under way

At the time of the collision, most passengers were sheltering from heavy rain inside the boat, Mihaly Toth, a spokesman for Mermaid owner Panorama Deck told the weekly magazine HVG.

Both described the chances of more survivors being found as very slim.

Survivors said about 20 people were on the deck taking photographs or preparing to disembark. The others were in the cabin.

I saw that big cruise ship coming closer to us but I had never imagined it would ram our boat, said a 31-year-old South Korean surnamed Jeong. She was quoted by South Koreas Yonhap news agency.

Jeong said she and others on the deck were thrown into the cold Danube waters by the effect of the collision. Police said it took only seven seconds for the boat to overturn and sink.

She said she saw a lifeboat drifting near her and managed to get hold of it. She threw a rope to another South Korean tourist surnamed Yoon, who was close to her.

Our boat was turned over in an instant and began sinking, Yoon, 32, told Yonhap. All those on the deck fell into water and I think those staying in the cabin on the first floor couldnt probably get out of the ship swiftly.

While holding onto the lifeboat together, Jeong and Yoon said they shed tears when they saw the heads of other people coming up and down in the fast-moving river.

The people plunged into the river in the darkness and shouted Help me! while floundering in the waters. But I couldnt do anything for them, Jeong said, crying.

Another survivor surnamed Ahn, 60, said a crew member of another sightseeing boat sailing nearby extended a hand to him after he was tossed into the river. But he lost grip and was carried away by waters before he got hold of a drifting plastic object.

Yoon said rescuers were only able to pick up those who were in the lifeboats or clinging to them, or who held the hands of people extended from other boats nearby.

Yoon said she saw the cruise ship that rammed her boat keep sailing without taking any rescue steps after the collision.





The 135-metre four-storey Viking Sigyn had about 180 passengers on board.

We were on our balcony and we saw people in the water, screaming for help, said Ginger Brinton, a 66-year-old tourist from the United States on the Viking Sigyn.

We never felt any bump. We didnt realise. We just saw people in the water. It was just terrible.

Police said on Thursday that the captain of the Viking Sigyn had been taken into custody and questioned as a suspect  in relation to endangering waterborne traffic resulting in multiple deaths'.

After being questioned, 64-year-old Yuriy C, a resident of [the Ukrainian city of] Odessa, was detained and a request for his arrest has been made, the statement added.

Seven seconds

Video footage from a security camera screened by police showed the bigger boat catching up from behind at a higher speed, clipping the Mermaids left side.

The (Mermaid) for some reason, turns into the way of the Viking. And the Viking, as it bumps into it, pushes it and within seven seconds  (Mermaid) sinks, said Pal, of the Hungarian national ambulance service, describing the video.

Officials said the hull of the Mermaid had been found on the riverbed a few hundred metres from its usual mooring point.

A crane ship docked near the wreck on Thursday in preparation for recovery operations and divers prepared equipment. Police said the rescue efforts were hampered by high water levels, strong currents and bad visibility.

Those who were trapped in the hull or were stuck underneath can be lifted only once the wreckage is pulled out, a police statement said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban offered his condolences to South Korea and sought to ensure Seoul that Budapest was making every possible effort to find survivors, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the authorities would work with the Hungarian government to investigate the cause of the accident.

Whats most important is speed, Moon said in Seoul.

Candles burning on the Danubes bank [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]

Some South Korean relatives of those on board began to depart for Hungary, with several family members seen at Incheon International Airport in Seoul on Thursday night.

South Korean rescue teams and officials, including Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, also left for Budapest on Thursday. She will hold a news conference with her Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto at 07:30 GMT on Friday.

Well-wishers laid flowers outside the South Korean embassy in Budapest, and candles burned on the Danube bank.

The Mermaids owner said the boat  a Soviet model manufactured in 1949 and refurbished in the 1980s  had been in its fleet since 2003, with regular maintenance.

We are mobilising every resource we have to protect human lives, the owner, Panorama Deck Ltd, told state media through a spokesperson.

The larger Viking Sigyn is a 95-room floating hotel of the kind that has multiplied as Danube river cruises gained popularity in recent years.

There were no injuries to Viking crew or Viking guests. We are cooperating with the authorities as required, said a spokesperson for operator Swiss-based Viking Cruises Ltd.

The tragedy took place five years after the Sewol disaster in South Korea in which more than 300 people, mostly children, perished when a ferry capsized in April 2014.
Thousands gather in Kinshasa to mark return of Etienne Tshisekedis body two years after his death in Belgium.

Tens of thousands of mourners have gathered in the Democratic Republic of the Congos capital, Kinshasa, to pay tribute to Etienne Tshisekedi, a late iconic opposition leader and father of the countrys current president.

The body of Tshisekedi, who died in Belgium in February 2017 at the age of 84, lay in state on Friday in the 80,000 capacity Martyrs Stadium after being repatriated the evening before.

The ceremony was hosted by Tshisekedis son, Felix, who was elected to the DRCs presidency in a December ballot and had long vowed to bury his fathers remains at home. Among those in attendance were Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Angolan and Republic of Congo counterparts, Joao Lourenco and Denis Sassou Nguesso.

The return of Tshisekedis body, which will be buried on Saturday, was consistently blocked by his sons predecessor and former longtime leader, Joseph Kabila.

Supporters of Tshisekedi said he was so potent a threat to the former president, of whom he was a vociferous critic, that even his corpse had to remain abroad.

TRANSLATION: The remains of the late Etienne Tshisekedi have arrived at the Stadium of Martyrs.

A seven-hour procession to downtown Kinshasa followed the arrival of his body on Thursday night at the capitals airport. Pallbearers wearing ties representing the DRCs flag carried his coffin, on top of which was placed the flat cap Tshisekedi always wore, into the stadium on Friday.

Jannot Nlandu, a 28-year-old student, said the outpouring of emotion showed just how popular the former opposition figurehead was, despite never winning his countrys top office.

190520150351040

Even in death he can draw huge crowds, Nlandu told The Associated Press news agency, adding: He is the king of Kinshasa.

Persistent opposition

Prior to his death, Tshisekedi was the face of the DRCs opposition for decades, including during Kabilas tenure in office from 2001-2019 and, prior to that, in the latter years of Mobutu Sese Sekos more than 30-year rule.

Both Kabila and Mobutu headed administrations marred by rampant corruption and dysfunctional administration of the vast, resource-rich central African nation.

Tshisekedi served as interior minister under Mobutu before joining the opposition, where he was a persistent thorn in the latters side.

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Etienne Tshisekedi [Kenny Katombe/Reuters]

He cofounded the opposition UDPS party in 1982 after a stint in prison and in the 1990s was appointed prime minister several times, each time falling out with Mobutu after a matter of months or even days.

In later years, he boycotted elections in 2006 alleging they would be fraudulent and was beaten in a 2011 ballot tainted by massive irregularities. Both votes were won by Kabila, whose final two years in charge saw him stay beyond the maximum term limit permitted by the DRCs constitution and instead oversee a crackdown on protesters calling for him to quit.

Major political actor

In life, Tshisekedi was at times put under house arrest, while his supporters were jailed and beaten.

In death, praise for his legacy of opposition came from across the political spectrum.

Kabilas ruling Kabilas Common Front for Congo coalition, which won 342 of the 485 seats in parliament during concurrent legislative elections in December, acknowledged his role as a hyperactive fighter and man of dialogue.

Etienne Tshisekedi was undoubtedly one of the major political actors of our country, the FCC coalition said in a statement on Friday.

Supporters of Etienne Tshisekedi sang and danced before his mourning ceremony [John Wessels/AFP]

Fellow opposition figure Martin Fayulu, meanwhile, praised Tshisekedis fight for justice and democracy.

Fayulu came in a close second in the recent presidential poll but rejected the result and accused Felix Tshisekedi of making a secret deal with Kabila to deprive him of victory. Tshisekedi and Kabila denied that there was a deal.

On May 20, the president named Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba as the DRCs new prime minister under the terms of a political agreement between the 55-year-old and Kabila.

#RDC Le Dr Sylvestre ILUNGA ILUNKAMBA, est nomme Premier Ministre par ord. n 19/056. Cet ancien Directeur General de la Societe Nationale des Chemins de fer du Congo (SNCC SA) va etre a la tete du nouveau Gouvernement dont la structure est en cours delaboration. pic.twitter.com/rPZgAkWrVa  Presidence RDC  (@Presidence_RDC) May 20, 2019

The appointment of Ilukamba, a career politician and Kabila ally, came after the pair issued a joint statement in March confirming their common will to govern together as part of a coalition government. The DRCs constitution dictates that the prime minister must come from the majority bloc in parliament, while the president traditionally makes the final decision on who will fill the post.

Since coming to power, Tshisekedi has pardoned hundreds of prisoners, including several political opponents of Kabila. His supporters have claimed the moves point to a new era of political openness in the DRC after years of suppression of opposition figures.
Ewold Horn shot dead during firefight between ISIL-linked group and Philippines military forces after years-long ordeal.

A Dutch man held in the Philippines by fighters linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) has been killed during a firefight between his kidnappers and soldiers, military sources and Dutch officials said.

Ewold Horn, 59, had been held since 2012 by the Abu Sayyaf group and was fatally wounded by his captors on Friday as he tried to escape from a gun battle between members of the organisation and army troops on the southwestern island of Jolo in Sulu province, military commander brigadier general Divino Pabayo Jr said.

The Dutch foreign ministry, meanwhile, confirmed Horn died in an exchange of fire, adding that it was investigating the exact circumstances of his death.

At least six Abu Sayyaf fighters were also killed and 12 others wounded in the nearly two-hour firefight, including one of the wives of group commander Radulan Sahiron, the military said. Sahiron has long been wanted by the United States and the Philippines for banditry and assaults.

Eight soldiers were also wounded, the military added.

Terrible outcome

Horn and a Swiss tourist, Lorenzo Vinciguerra, along with Filipino guide Ivan Sarenas were kidnapped by gunmen during a birdwatching trip in the Philippines southernmost province of Tawi Tawi, near Sulu, in 2012.

Sarenas escaped by jumping into the sea while they were being taken by motorboat to Jolo shortly after they were abducted. Vinciguerra escaped two years later.

The military said it had recovered Horns body, while Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said the Netherlands had informed his family of the incident.

I am shocked by this terrible outcome, Blok said.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte condemned Horns killing and sent condolences to his family.

We vow to pursue his killers to the ends of the earth until they are brought to justice, the presidents spokesman, Salvador Panelo, said in a statement.

Abu Sayyaf is a small but violent group in the Muslim south of the largely Catholic Philippines that has been active since the early 1990s.

It has been known to commit extortion, kidnappings, beheadings and bombings, and has pledged allegiance to the ISIL group operating in Iraq and Syria. It earlier pledged allegiance to the al-Qaeda group.

Philippine officials blame the group for the deadly January bombing of a Catholic cathedral on Jolo island during Sunday mass that killed more than 20 people and marked the worst attack to hit the archipelago in years.

The bombing was claimed by ISIL, which has worked to maintain a presence in the Philippines as its caliphate crumbled in the Middle East.
Four suspects were identified and weapons were seized after the violence, according to the Guayaquil prison director.

At least six inmates have been killed in a prison in Ecuador in violence between rival gangs, according to officials and local media.

Five of the prisoners were shot dead, while the sixth was burned to death, said Alfredo Munoz, the prisons director in the city of Guayaquil, who was stood down by the government after the incident on Thursday.

Fourteen other inmates were injured, the La Hura newspaper reported.

The violence broke out when the murder of a detainee by another inmate provoked a brawl, according to Munoz.

Five of the victims have been identified, while the sixth remains unknown because his corpse was incinerated, he said.

Four suspects were also identified and a firearm and other weapons were seized, a security official said.

Family members of the prisoners protested outside the prison to demand information about their relatives, according to images broadcast by local media.

The incident comes a month after the government declared a crisis in the countrys penitentiaries.

Three inmates had escaped from the same prison on Monday, while two inmates were killed last week.

According to official figures, there are currently about 38,500 people in Ecuadors prisons which are only built to hold 28,000.
The head of the Lebanese political and armed movement Hezbollah has warned that any war against Iran would cause the Middle East to erupt.

Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that the United States know well that any war on Iran will not remain confined to Irans borders. The entire region will burn, leading to all US forces and interests in the region being annihilated.

The head of the Iran-backed movement made the comments in a televised speech as emergency meetings of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and Arab League took place in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The meetings were held in order to counter what Saudi Arabia has called Irans growing influence in the region. They take place amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran.

In the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the US from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and several other world powers Washington has since steadily ratcheted up pressure on Tehran: reimposing sanctions, moving to cut the countrys oil exports to zero, blacklisting Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group and deploying US military units to the Gulf in response to an unspecified threat.

190424175927380

Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organisation by the US, the European Union, the GCC and Arab League and has fought several wars with Israel.

Despite his warning, Nasrallah said the idea of war in the region is far-fetched as Washington and its allies know they would pay a heavy price for aggression against Tehran.

Nasrallah, whose exact location is unknown, also said that Hezbollah has enough precision-guided missiles to change the face of the region, but denied that the group had factories producing them.

Rejecting the deal of the century

During his lengthy address, Nasrallah also slammed a prosed US peace deal to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that Trump had dubbed the deal of the century.

Its a void deal  a historic crime, he said of the plan, which has already been rejected by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as it is expected to largely favour Israel, a US ally.

This deal is a loss of Palestinian, Arab and Islamic rights, Nasrallah said.

190531060914467

Thousands of Iranians joined annual rallies in support of the Palestinian cause on Friday, also rejecting the US peace plan.

Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been drafting the long-awaited peace plan, the economic aspects of which are set to be presented at a conference in Bahrain next month.

The United Nations earlier on Friday said it would not be taking part in the meeting on June 25 and 26 in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

In December 2017, Trump broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital in a move that prompted Palestinian officials to cut all ties with his administration.

The Palestinians demand Jerusalems eastern sector as the capital of their long-promised state, while Israel insists that the whole city is its eternal, indivisible capital.
Budapest does a U-turn on judicial reform as centrists keep hold of European Parliament.

Prague, Czech Republic  The Hungarian government has scrapped controversial judicial reforms in an apparent bid to smooth relations with mainstream EU partners.

The move follows the failure of Hungarys far-right and Eurosceptic forces to make serious inroads in the recent European Parliament elections. Hungarys ruling Fidesz party had hoped the vote would help shift the balance of power in favour of its nationalist populist agenda.

Gergely Gulyas, head of the prime ministers office, announced on May 30 that the cabinet had indefinitely postponed plans to create a parallel judicial system. The decision comes amid heated European and international debates over judicial independence, he noted.

In December, the government had approved plans for a new administrative court system, overseen by the justice minister, that would have handled cases brought against state bodies. After this weeks climbdown, such cases  often centred on electoral and corruption issues  will remain the remit of the Supreme Court.

190527164901364

Far-right failure

Budapest was always likely to face renewed pressure from the EU following the failure of far-right forces to win control of the European Parliament. Hungary faces numerous legal procedures on issues including its treatment of refugees and attacks on democratic institutions.

The European Parliament voted last year to open an Article 7 procedure, the EUs nuclear option that could strip Hungary of its voting rights. The country also risks losing vital EU funding under some proposals.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had hoped that this months European Parliament elections would alter the course in Brussels. He backed claims that the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF)  a faction of nationalist Eurosceptic parties led by Italys Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini  might even win control of the parliament. That support helped accelerate Fidesz suspension from the centre-right European Peoples Party (EPP) in March.

But Orban overplayed his hand. While Fidesz dominated in Hungary, winning more than 52 percent of the vote, and Eurosceptics made decent gains across the board, mainstream parties will remain in the majority.

That leaves Hungary exposed. Membership in the EPP, the biggest faction in the parliament, has shielded Orban for years. Polands ruling Law & Justice party, which is aligned with the much smaller Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE) faction, has faced far greater censure from the EU over its attacks on institutions.

As the far-right parties did not perform as well as predicted, Orban will now offer anything to stay in the EPP, political analyst Edit Zgut told Al Jazeera.

190527181736101

Playbook

Orban is reverting to a tried and tested formula. Over the years, he has been swift to back down temporarily when tactically prudent.

Scrapping the judicial reform was not the only concession offered. An advertising tax that has put pressure on Hungarys few remaining independent media outlets has been cancelled, and Fidesz also sought to distance itself from the ENF.

Orban stopped short of a total about-face, however. His main spokesman, Zoltan Kovacs, reiterated that the prime minister will not support the candidacy of the EPPs Manfred Weber to become European Commission president. Kovacs did not respond to requests for comment.

Marton Gyongyosi is vice president of Jobbik, Hungarys biggest opposition party. In recent years, it has moved towards the centre as Fidesz co-opted its territory on the far right. He told Al Jazeera he suspects the EPP blackmailed Orban into backing down.

Others worry the U-turn is a ruse.

Orbans concessions are always bogus, tweeted R Daniel Kelemen, a professor at Rutgers University. He steps back till things cool off and then advances with power grabs.

While Orban has postponed the judicial reforms, his government continues to threaten academic freedom with plans to put the Hungarian Academy of Sciences under direct control.

Gyongyosi says he fears such actions will increase Hungarys isolation in the EU and provoke damaging sanctions. That, he adds, could eventually see Orban lead the country out of the bloc: Theres nothing he wouldnt do to retain power.
Iran has rejected what it calls baseless accusations made at an Arab summit, saying Saudi Arabia had joined the United States and Israel in a hopeless effort to mobilise regional opinion against Tehran, state media reported.

Saudi Arabias king told an emergency Arab summit on Thursday that decisive action was needed to stop Iranian escalations in the region following attacks on oil assets in the Gulf, as American officials said a US military deployment had deterred Tehran.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi  rejected the baseless accusations by the heads of certain Arab countries  and said: We see the Saudi effort to mobilise [regional] opinion as part of the hopeless process followed by America and the Zionist regime against Iran, state news agency IRNA reported on Friday.

190530125912225

The comments by King Salman Abdul Aziz came as Saudi Arabia hosted in Mecca emergency meetings of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Arab League to counter what it said was Irans growing influence.

A Gulf-Arab statement and a separate communique issued after the wider summit both supported the right of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to defend their interests after the attacks on oil pumping stations in the kingdom and tankers off the UAE coast.

But in a sign of regional tensions, Iraq, which has good ties with neighbouring Iran and the US, said it objected to the Arab communique, which stated that any cooperation with Tehran should be based on non-interference in other countries.

Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeeras Zein Basravi said Iran knows that the final communique at the meeting is not necessarily the real opinion of all the members of the GCC.

He [Mousavi] also rejected and condemned allegations against Iran for interfering in the affairs of neighbouring countries, as the Saudis said in the meeting, he said.

Basravi said the Iranian leader also said Saudi Arabia was misusing its role as host for the OIC meeting to spread  divisive policies among Muslim leaders.

Naked aggression

Addressing Arab and Muslim leaders earlier, King Salman pressed the international community to use all means to stop Iran from interfering in other countries affairs.





He said Tehrans actions threatened international maritime trade and global oil supplies in a glaring violation of UN treaties.

This is naked aggression against our stability and international security, the Saudi ruler told the gathered officials.

Irans recent criminal acts  require that all of us work seriously to preserve the security of GCC countries, the king added.

In his opening remarks, Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf said the alleged sabotage of oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and drone attacks on a Saudi oil pipeline by Yemens Houthi rebels in recent weeks threaten the global economy and endanger regional and international security.

We should confront it with all means of force and firmness, he said.

An Iranian official was at the meeting where Assaf spoke. Tehran has denied any involvement in the attacks.

US NSA John Bolton claimed on Wednesday Iranian mines were almost certainly used in the tanker operation. He provided no proof, however.

An Iranian official dismissed Boltons remarks as a ludicrous claim.

Animosity has risen between the US and Iran after Washington pulled out of a multinational nuclear deal over Tehrans alleged contravention of its terms. The US then reimposed sanctions and boosted its military presence in the Gulf.

On Friday, the UN atomic watchdog said Iran has continued to stay within the limitations set by the 2015 nuclear deal, but reported its stockpiles of low-enriched uranium and heavy water are growing and raised questions fro the first time about Irans adherence to a key provision intended to limit the countrys use of advanced centrifuges.

Qatar blockade

190529150709621

King Salman invited Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, whose country is home to the largest US military base in the region, to the Mecca summit.

Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani attended the meeting instead, the highest Qatari official to visit the kingdom since Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on the gas-rich nation in June 2017.

Video images of Thursdays gathering showed Sheikh Abdullah shaking King Salmans hand.

Thomas Pickering, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, told Al Jazeera the Qatari prime ministers presence at the summit was an important step.

The invitation has opened the door more than just a little bit. His [Sheikh Abdullahs] presence there and the handshake is a sign that Saudi Arabia wants unity in the Gulf Cooperation Council and that unity is spreading, said Pickering.

Analysts said the emergency summit will be watched closely for whether the Saudis will endorse Qatar as a mediator in the dispute with Iran the same way the US has.

Earlier this month, Al Jazeera reported that Qatars foreign minister had held talks with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran, aiming to defuse the escalating tensions in the Gulf.

Washington seems to have bet on Doha to de-escalate by opening back channels with Tehran. The question is whether Saudi and especially UAE can agree on Doha as a mediator, Andreas Krieg from Kings College London told Al Jazeera.

The fact that the Saudis contacted the emir of Qatar directly suggests that the tension with Iran is taken very seriously in Riyadh. So, the kingdom is ready to build a broader-than-usual consensus on how to deal with Iran, Krieg said.

Gulf states have a joint defence force under the GCC, but the 39-year-old alliance has been fractured by the Qatar blockade.
German chancellor says brief talks with the US Secretary of State has Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya on the agenda.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has held 45-minute talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, discussing plenty of issues including Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya.

Pompeo, who is on a five-day tour of Europe, arrived in Germany on Friday on his way to Switzerland, the Netherlands and before joining US President Donald Trump in the United Kingdom.

Speaking at a news conference before the talks with Merkel, Pompeo sought to paper over differences with Germany in the face of a deepening rift with one of its major NATO allies.

190513193300744

Germany is a great, important partner and ally of the United States, thats why I am so happy to have this time today with Chancellor Merkel, he said.

There is important work for our two countries to do alongside our NATO partners and alongside all of our allies to achieve security for our own people, and stability and peace in as much of the world as we possibly can.

Merkel said the two countries would discuss plenty of issues, because the world is in great unrest.

First of all, the question of Iran and how do we prevent Iran coming into possession of nuclear weapons and also how we prevent further aggressive actions by Iran, she said.

We will talk about Afghanistan, where we both have stationed a significant number of troops on the ground. We will talk about the situation in Syria and also the very fragile situation in Libya.

Al Jazeeras Dominic Kane, reporting from Berlin, said high on Pompeos agenda was to kill a new trade framework that Europes leaders are planning to set up to circumvent US sanctions on Iran.

Washington says it will sanction anyone involved if the system created by France, Britain and Germany  Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX)  goes into effect.

Quite clearly, the Americans would like to kill INSTEX, but the Europeans are committed to the nuclear deal with Iran and they see it as their way of trying to keep Iran inside the deal for as long as possible, he said.

The issue brought a big pressure on the ties of Germany and the US.

Huawei row

Earlier on Friday, Pompeo met German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, saying after the talks that the US may no longer share sensitive security information with nations that install next-generation networks, like those made by Chinas Huawei.

Berlin has so far stood with European partners in resisting US calls to ban the state-owned manufacturer from 5G mobile networks now being built.





[There is] a risk we will have to change our behaviour in light of the fact that we cant permit data on private citizens or data on national security to go across networks in that we dont have confidence [in], he told a news conference.

The US is at odds with its German allies on a host of issues, from trade to military spending and nuclear non-proliferation.

Pompeos visit had been scheduled earlier this month, but was called off at the last minute as tensions rose over Iran, on whose nuclear programme Berlin and Washington do not see eye to eye.

Pompeo also urged Germany to follow Britain in proscribing Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah group and boost military spending.

He also said the US was attempting to verify reports that a senior North Korean official involved in Pyongyangs non-proliferation talks with Washington had been executed.
At least six improvised explosive devices go off, killing several people and wounding more than a dozen, military says.

Several people have been killed and more than a dozen others wounded in a series of blasts that struck the city of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military has said.

At least six improvised explosive devices went off on Thursday in the northern city and two more were defused by security forces, the military said in a statement.

It gave a death toll of three people and said 16 others were wounded.

Unidentified security officials told The Associated Press news agency that the blasts killed at least four people and wounded 23, while medical sources in Kirkuks general hospital told Reuters news agency that at least five people were killed and 18 wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Saad Harbya, the head of Kirkuk security operations, blamed the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) armed group.

Speaking on Rudaw TV, he accused ISIL of trying to retaliate against the harsh attacks by Iraqi forces, adding that the situation was under control.

The explosions reportedly struck in the centre of Kirkuk, in a commercial area that has several shopping centres, cafes and restaurants, sending people fleeing in panic.

The blasts went off in quick succession after iftar, the meal that breaks daylong fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when streets are typically crowded with shoppers and people out having dinner.

Police blocked off all roads leading to the blast sites and were allowing only ambulances to transfer the wounded to nearby hospitals.

Iraq declared victory over ISIL, which once held large swaths of the country, in December 2017.

But ISIL has switched to hit-and-run attacks aimed at undermining the central government in Iraqs capital, Baghdad.

Its fighters have regrouped in the Hamrin mountain range in the northeast, which extends from Diyala province, on the border with Iran, crossing northern Salahuddin province and southern Kirkuk.
Beirut, Lebanon  As the United States and Iran face off against each other across the Gulf, the often-turbulent waters of the eastern Mediterranean were less choppy this week.

Lebanon, home to the Iran-backed armed group and political movement Hezbollah, agreed last week to a process to resolve a maritime dispute with Israel on the condition that negotiations are held under the watch of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Israel, historically critical of UNIFILs role in Lebanon, reluctantly accepted the condition as long as the US, its main international ally, was also involved. The details of the precise role to be played by UNIFIL and the US are still being worked out, Lebanese officials said.

The US has been mediating between Israel and Lebanon over the issue since 2011 and the latest breakthrough is being attributed to the shuttle diplomacy of David Satterfield, US undersecretary for the near east.

Once the framework for the talks is set, Lebanon and Israel will sit down to present their respective claims over 860sq km of disputed waters rich in hydrocarbons, off the shore of south Lebanon. At least two gas fields have been discovered on the patch in recent years.

Lebanon has long held concerns that Israel may obstruct it from exploring the disputed blocks. Beirut has already awarded its first contracts for exploration to a consortium of French, Italian and Russian companies that are expected to start work later this year.

It has also accused Israel of accepting bids from companies to explore resources in the disputed waters and warned it against doing so, however.

Yassine Jaber, a Lebanese parliamentarian with the Amal Movement  a political party and Hezbollahs Shia ally  said Lebanon wanted the presence of the UN as an honest arbiter to help resolve the dispute. UNIFIL has monitored the blue line, effectively the border between Israel and Lebanon, since their last war in 2006.





Israelis did not want the UN to be a part of it [the maritime negotiation] for a long time, he said. But now, Americans told us that they do and that is a positive change.

Eran Lerman, a former Israeli national security adviser, told Al Jazeera that Israel conceded for the sake of greater economic prosperity in both Lebanon and Israel.

Hydrocarbon exploration and any eventual extraction of resources could aid Lebanons ailing economy and provide an immediate boost to businesses in the countrys south, a stronghold of support for Hezbollah and Amal.

Hezbollah-Israel tensions

Beirut and Tel Aviv announced their decision just days after Hezbollahs chief, Hassan Nasrallah, reiterated one of his regular threats to Israel. In a speech last Saturday, he said if Israel prevented Lebanon from exploring energy resources, Hezbollah would confront it.

Hezbollah is now a key part  critics say the key part  of the Lebanese government. However, Lebanese MPs suggested to Al Jazeera that Nasrallahs choice not to explicitly condemn the new agreement in his speech suggested Hezbollah was actually on board with the rest of the Lebanese government regarding the decision.

Did Nasrallah impose any conditions on how to resolve the maritime dispute when he spoke? No, said Jaber. In his speech when Nasrallah said I support Lebanons government and that I trust them, he offered a complete endorsement.

Alain Aoun, a legislator from the Free Patriotic Movement party, said: Hezbollah is standing by the government on its decision on resolving the maritime dispute, there is no question.

Land dispute

Lebanons government has had to perform a balancing act. In a statement issued by Lebanons foreign ministry, the resolution to the maritime dispute was wrapped together with a controversial disagreement over the two countries land border.

Sami Nader, a Beirut-based Middle East analyst, said in the past Hezbollah and Amal had linked the resolution of one to the other. However, Lebanese and Israeli officials indicated, while in principle both agreed to discuss the land dispute, that was merely a way of giving the Lebanese government political cover to go ahead with the process without being held back by Hezbollah.

Hezbollahs declared raison detre as an armed group is to free land remaining under Israeli occupation. It cannot be seen, therefore, to be consenting to any talks which exclude that issue, something that might imply the land dispute is resolved.

190519071117561

The major land dispute between Lebanon and Israel is over the small border area popularly known as the Shebaa Farms, at the intersection of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. While Lebanon claims the area, so too does Syria, its neighbour and friend. Israel actually occupies it, and now claims sovereignty over the territory as part of the Golan Heights captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israel insists Lebanon has no claim over it and, therefore, there is no outstanding issue between the two.

Whatever their tacit understanding, so far Syria has not provided Lebanon with an official document recognising Lebanese sovereignty over the Shebaa, as requested by the UN.

Makram Rabah, a professor at the American University of Beirut, said for any discussion on the fate of Shebaa Farms, Lebanon first needed to knock on Syrias door.

The Lebanese government is just saying they will talk about the land dispute, but that is impossible without the Syrians, he said. The foreign ministry has added it in the statement as a face-saving measure for Amal and Hezbollah.

Rabah added: They have de-linked maritime from land, whatever they officially say, because the Shias of the south will be the first beneficiaries of oil exploration.





US engagement

The US has its own motives for engagement in the issue, Nader told Al Jazeera, noting that the European market for gas is significant and geopolitically vital. Russia, a major supplier exploring hydrocarbons in Syria and now Lebanon, intends to keep the lions share of the European market, he added.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is looking at curtailing Russian ambitions. He is keen on an EastMed pipeline project, envisaged to bring gas from Israeli and Cypriot-controlled gas fields to Greece and Italy, to clip Moscows wings, Nader said.

In 2011, Frederic Hof, an Obama administration special Middle East envoy, proposed what came to be known as the Hof Line as a settlement to the long-running dispute, giving 550sq km  just over 60 percent  of the disputed area to Lebanon and the rest to Israel.

Amal, and by implication Hezbollah, rejected the offer. Lebanon still claims all 860sq km.

However, Pompeo raised the issue again on a visit to Lebanon in March. Nader, the political analyst, said: He has shown that America is interested in hydrocarbon exploration and forming an alliance between Tel Aviv, Cyprus, and Greece.

An agreement over the zone, and even drilling, does not end the threat Hezbollah can bring to bear, however. If there is activity in the waters, if there are oil rigs, Hezbollah can still use its weapons, Professor Rabah said. In the end, it maintains its threat.
Lopez Obrador says Mexico will respond with great prudence to Trumps threat to impose tariffs on Mexican goods.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday that Mexico will not respond to US President Donald Trumps threat of coercive tariffs with desperation but will instead push for dialogue.

Lopez Obrador said he has dispatched Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard to Washington, DC, to show Trump data that Mexico has been taking action to slow irregular immigration.

Trump threatened on Thursday to impose tariffs starting at five percent and increasing incrementally if Mexico does not convince him that its doing more at the border. The first round, Trump said, could go into effect on June 10.

Speaking at his regular news conference, Lopez Obrador said the Mexican people dont deserve this kind of treatment.

He said Mexico would respond with great prudence to any threats by the United States.

He noted that most migrants passing through Mexico are Central Americans fleeing their countries because they are unable to find work or live safely there.

Lopez Obradors administration has stepped up migrant detentions and tightened access to humanitarian visas, slowing the flow of migrant and refugee caravans north and leaving hundreds of people stuck in southern Mexico.

According to government officials, Mexico deported 15,000 migrants in April, up from 9,650 deportations for the same month last year.

Ebrard will also eb tasked with convincing the US government that the move is in neither countrys interest.

He tweeted on Friday that, the treatment of Mexico is unfair and makes no economic sense for anyone.

America First is a fallacy

Lopez Obradors comments on Friday came off the back of a letter he sent to Trump late on Thursday in which he called the US presidents policy of America First a fallacy and accused him of turning the US into a ghetto that stigmatised and mistreated migrants.

190529164454124

Trump, who vowed during his 2016 presidential campaign to build a wall along the US border with Mexico, has made a hardline stance on immigration a cornerstone of his presidency.

However, he has struggled to win enough support from politicians in the Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives, as well as the Republican-controlled Senate, to change immigration policy or to garner funds to build the wall.

Under his zero-tolerance policy, the president has implemented several policies or practices that have been blocked by federal judges or are currently being challenged in the courts.

Arrests along the southern border have skyrocketed in recent months, with US border agents making more than 100,000 arrests or denials of entry in March, a 12-year high.

Markets react

190531120659803

Reacting to Thursdays announcement, US stock index futures tumbled on Friday as investors feared that Trumps shock threat of tariffs on Mexico could risk pushing the worlds largest economy into a recession.

US automakers were the worst hit by Trumps announcement as they have long built vehicles in Mexico, taking advantage of the countrys cheaper labour, trade deals and proximity to the US.

General Motors Co dropped 3.9 percent and Ford Motor Co 3.2 percent.

Mexico is the USs third-biggest goods trading partner. The US imported $346.5bn worth of goods from Mexico last year  about half of those were vehicles and machinery. US exports to Mexico amounted to $265bn.

Meanwhile, the US Chamber of Commerce is looking at ways to challenge US tariffs on Mexican goods, including legal options, an official with the organisation said on Friday.

The influential business lobbying group is exploring legal questions and keeping options open, said Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer at the US Chamber of Commerce.

We have no choice but to pursue every option available to push back, Bradley told reporters on Friday.

Trumps threat comes as his administration pushes for passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which would update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The updated deal includes stricter rules on the export of duty-free cars and milk products to the US. It also forces Mexico to strengthen workers rights.

The White House said on Friday that US Vice President Mike Pence knew about Trumps tariff plan before he went to the Canadian capital Ottawa this week to discuss the USMCA.
Judge to decide whether to grant order allowing the clinic to stay open after officials refused to renew its licence.

A judge in the US state of Missouri is weighing whether to grant an order allowing the states only abortion clinic to remain open, a day after abortion-rights protesters were arrested at a state office building.

Judge Michael Stelzer heard arguments on Thursday on Planned Parenthoods request for a temporary restraining order that would prohibit Missouri from allowing the St Louis clinics abortion licence to lapse. It is not clear when Stelzer will rule. The licence expires at midnight.

If the clinic closes, Missouri will become the first state in 45 years without access to the procedure.

Missouris health department has cited concerns about patient safety and legal violations. Planned Parenthood said Missouri is weaponising the licensing process.

Hundreds of protesters rallied on Thursday against the states move.

No one should decide what women do with their bodies, 70-year-old Jane Wees Martin told the AFP news agency.

Abortion-rights supporters march in St Louis as a judge decides on an abortion clinics fate [Jeff Roberson/AP Photo]

Denouncing a war against women, health management student Neha Hanumanthiah, 19, told the AFP I did not realise how conservative my state was.

190528202120649

The St Louis Post-Dispatch reported that about a dozen protesters were arrested on Thursday after refusing to leave the building where Republican Governor Mike Parson has an office. Those arrested included an alderwoman and Planned Parenthood board members.

Wave of abortion bills

The Missouri case comes as more than a dozen US states  including recently Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana  passed laws restricting abortion as part of a concerted strategy to push the issue before the Supreme Court.

The top United States court, now dominated by a conservative majority, legalised abortion in its 1973 Roe v Wade ruling.

The states restricting abortion access have generally sought to roll back when the procedure is permitted, to as early as when a heartbeat is first detected  around six weeks of gestation when many women do not yet know they are pregnant.

Most of the measures have already or are expected to face legal challenges.

On Thursday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed into law his states measure prohibiting abortions of fetuses with a detectable heartbeat.

The exterior of a Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services Center in St Louis, Missouri [Michael Thomas/Getty Images/AFP]

Earlier this month, Missouri Governor Parson signed a law banning abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy, including in cases of rape and incest.

190514142646289

Parson on Wednesday accused Planned Parenthood of actively and knowingly violating state law on numerous occasions.

Planned Parenthood alleges in its lawsuit that the state has sought to use its regulatory powers to deny it a licence.

It said the states health department is attempting to shut down its abortion service by unlawfully conditioning a decision on its routine licence renewal application on completion of a supposed investigation of a patient complaint.

Appearing on a local Fox affiliate, obstetrician-gynaecologist Colleen McNicholas said that by continuing to change the way that they are interpreting their own rules, it makes it impossible for us to be able to comply because we are just guessing what they think.
Judge issues temporary order ensuring the facility can stay open until another hearing is held next week.

A judge issued an order Friday ensuring Missouris only abortion clinic can continue providing abortions, acting just hours before the St Louis Planned Parenthood facilitys licence was expected to expire.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services had said it would not renew the clinics licence, citing concerns with failed abortions, compromised patient safety and legal violations at the clinic. Agency officials also insisted upon interviewing additional physicians at the clinic as part of an investigation.

With the licence set to expire at midnight Friday, Planned Parenthood pre-emptively sued this week and argued that the state was weaponising the licensing process. Planned Parenthood had said that absent court intervention, Missouri would become the first state without an abortion clinic since the United States Supreme Courts 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalised the procedure nationwide.

St Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer issued a temporary restraining order preventing Missouri from taking away the clinics licence. He said Planned Parenthood has demonstrated that immediate and irreparable injury will result if its abortion licence were allowed to expire.

190514142646289

The clinics licence shall not expire and shall remain in effect until a ruling is issued on Planned Parenthoods request for a permanent injunction, according to Stelzers ruling. A hearing is set for Tuesday morning.

Fight far from over

Today is a victory for women across Missouri, but this fight is far from over, Planned Parenthood Federation of America CEO Dr Leana Wen said in a statement. We have seen just how vulnerable access to abortion care is here  and in the rest of the country.

The number of abortions performed in Missouri has declined every year for the past decade, reaching a low of 2,910 last year. Of those, an estimated 1,210 occurred at eight weeks or less of pregnancy, according to preliminary statistics from the states health department.

Missouri women also seek abortions in other states. In Kansas, about 3,300 of the 7,000 abortions performed in 2018 were for Missouri residents, according to health officials. Illinois does not track the home states of women seeking abortions.

The exterior of a Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services Center in St Louis, Missouri [Michael Thomas/Getty Images/AFP]

The nearest clinic performing abortions is just across the Mississippi River in Granite City, Illinois, less than 16km from the Planned Parenthood facility in St Louis.

The fight over the clinics licence comes as politicians in conservative states across the nation are passing new restrictions that take aim at Roe v Wade.

Abortion rights opponents, emboldened by new conservative justices on the Supreme Court, are hoping federal courts will uphold laws that prohibit abortions before a fetus is viable outside the womb, the dividing line the high court established in Roe v Wade.

190528202120649

Louisiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio have enacted bills barring abortion once theres a detectable fetal heartbeat, as early as the sixth week of pregnancy. Missouri politicians recently approved an eight-week ban on abortion. Alabamas gone even further, outlawing virtually all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest. None of the bans has taken effect, and all are expected to face legal challenges.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and policy organisation, 27 abortion bans have been enacted across 12 states so far in 2019.

Additionally, the organisation reported that between January 1 and May 31, 479 abortion restrictions were enacted in 33 states, accounting for more than a third of the 1,271 abortion restrictions enacted since the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalised abortion.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is the second largest intergovernmental body after the UN.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud will host the 14th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Friday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The meeting is expected to address current issues in the Muslim world and recent developments in a number of OIC member states, according to the official agenda.

Topping the summit discussions will be regional security issues amid soaring tension between Iran and the United States and its Gulf allies.

What is the OIC?

The OICs mission statement bills it as the collective voice of the Muslim world that works to protect the interests of the Muslim world. It was established by 24 member states in 1969.

Today, with 57 member states from four continents, the OIC is the second-largest intergovernmental organisation in the world after the United Nations, with a collective population reaching over 1.8 billion.

190530100416038

The majority of its member states are Muslim-majority countries, while others have significant Muslim populations, including several African and South American countries.

While the 22 members of the Arab League are also part of the OIC, the organisation has several significant non-Arab member states, including Turkey, Iran and Pakistan.

It also has five observer members, including Russia and Thailand.

The organisation has permanent delegations to the UN and the European Union and its official languages are Arabic, English and French.

Why was the OIC established?

The OIC first met in Morocco in September 1969, a month after an arson attack inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque that destroyed part of the roof and the 800-year-old pulpit of Salahuddin, best known for recapturing Jerusalem from the Crusaders in the 12th century.

190528120157646

Reacting to the incident, representatives from 24 Muslim countries met in the capital Rabat to establish a body that would promote cooperation across the Muslim world.

In March 1970, the first Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and plans for setting up a permanent secretariat for the OIC were established.

Issues relating to Palestine have been central to the OICs agenda and summit discussions. The organisation has continuously condemned what member states consider Israeli aggressions against the Palestinians.

Other issues that have also taken centre stage in OIC summits include the wars in Bosnia and Iraq, a rise in the number of refugees from Muslim-majority countries such as Syria, as well as Islamophobia in the West.

Objectives and role

According to its charter, the OIC aims to preserve Islamic values, safeguard and defend the national sovereignty and independence of member states and to contribute to international peace and security.

While the organisation has been known for its cultural and social projects, its political influence has been relatively limited.

Typically, in the past, the OIC has been effective in promoting cultural and educational projects across the Muslim world, Sami Hamdi, a Middle East expert, told Al Jazeera. However, its political capabilities remain severely limited.

190321072719814

According to Mamoon Alabbasi, a political analyst focusing on the Middle East and North Africa region, while the OIC has relative political weight, its rhetoric does not always translate into action on the ground.

With 57 member states the OIC carries a [relatively] heavy political weight [and] impact. But how much change that makes on the ground is not always clear, said Alabbasi.

Adding to its political limitations is its inability to unify its stance on issues, say experts.

Like other international organisations, such as the UN General Assembly, the OIC is supposed to have a unified voice but it does not because policies of the individual countries greatly differ, said Alabbasi.

Most importantly, the OIC doesnt have a unified voice because most of its member countries are not democracies. So, while their populations may be in agreement [over an issue] they do not always represent the views of their populations.

Hamdi agrees: The OIC has a broad spectrum of different cultures. This means that on the political front, even if there is a united stance, it means very little, practically.

Is the OIC relevant and effective?

Like other intergovernmental organisations, although resolutions issued by the OIC are not usually followed by action, statements usually point towards member states red lines that they cannot cross, say experts.

If you want to know what position member states can take in the eyes of their own public, statements by the OIC are reflective of that. They [statements] show their [member states] limits, explained Alabbasi.

180519114620893

Because the OIC includes a significant number of Arab states among its membership, it has often been compared with the Arab League.

While the two organisations share many similarities, the main difference lies in the OICs limited politicisation compared with the Arab League, say analysts.

The Arab League is more of a political entity than the OIC given the close proximity of its members and the, often joint, threat that the countries have had to face in the past, according to Hamdi.

According to Alabbasi, because of its wider scope of membership, a lack of consensus within the OIC sets it farther apart from the Arab League.

The OIC is very different in the sense that member states cannot get a consensus across, said Alabbasi

But in other organisations such as the GCC, and to a lesser extent the Arab League, there tends to be an agreement on issues in broad terms, as opinions are similar, even if there is some disagreement, added Alabbasi.

How does the OIC operate?

The OIC holds an Islamic Summit once every three years. At the summit, heads of state discuss ways to achieve the charters objectives and make policy decisions that concern its member states.

Talha Abdulrazaq, a Middle East expert at the University of Exeters Strategy and Security Institute, explained how OIC decisions and resolutions are much like they are at UN General Assembly.

Member states each get a vote. Each member state can table a resolution and then others can vote on it or suggest tweaks.

But much like the GA, OIC resolutions arent binding. They are just a declaration of the general feeling of the leaders of the Islamic world, said Abdulrazaq.

Meeting on a more regular basis, the council of foreign ministers convenes annually to evaluate the implementation of the organisations policies and objectives.

The general secretariat, the OICs executive body, is responsible for implementing those decisions.
Palestinian teen was shot as he tried to enter occupied East Jerusalem for Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

A Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli forces as he tried to enter occupied East Jerusalem to offer Friday prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Local media identified him as 16-year-old Abdullah Loay Ghaith from the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.

According to Palestinian news agency WAFA, Israeli soldiers stationed near the Palestinian village of Dar Salah, east of Bethlehem, fired at Ghaith.

https://twitter.com/qudsn/status/1134365047017398272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Translated tweet: The young martyr Abdallah Ghaith, who rose after the occupation forces fired at him near the # Bat_ham [The Martyr of the Maximum] as he tried to reach the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said the teenager was killed with a bullet in his chest that had penetrated his heart.

Another Palestinian, 21-year-old Momen Abu Tabish, was wounded and is being treated at the Beit Jala Hospital in Bethlehem.

Stabbing attack

In a separate incident, a Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli police after an alleged stabbing attack on two Israelis in the old city of East Jerusalem.

According to Israeli police spokesperson Mickey Rosenfeld, one of the Israelis stabbed is in critical condition while the other suffered serious wounds.

Police units that responded at the scene saw the attacker with a knife. The attacker was shot and killed by police units, said Rosenfeld.

The identity of the Palestinian has not yet been disclosed, and Israeli police only gave his age  19.

The attack occurred on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan. Israeli police have deployed extra units to the area as thousands of Muslim worshippers are expected to congregate at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

In December 2017, US President Donald Trump broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital in a move that prompted the Palestinians to cut all contacts with his administration and which has sent tensions soaring.

Israel insists the whole of Jerusalem is its eternal, indivisible capital, while the Palestinian leaders demand the citys eastern sector as the capital of their future state.
PM Sheikh Abdullah is first high-profile official from Doha to visit Saudi Arabia since the blockade of Qatar in 2017.

Saudi Arabias Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf has said a solution to the Gulf crisis would only be possible if Doha returns to the right path, an indication that the kingdoms position on the blockade of Qatar has not changed.

The Saudi ministers remarks came during the three-day emergency summits the kingdom is hosting, with Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani attending the event.

Sheikh Abdullahs presence in Mecca is the first time a high-profile Qatari official has visited Saudi Arabia since it, along with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, enforced an economic and diplomatic boycott against Qatar in June 2017 over allegations of supporting terrorism, a charge Doha denies.

190531055450527

Qatar participated in previous summits, so it is not new, said al-Assaf when asked about Qatars presence at the summits.

The Saudi stance, like the other countries, is that we are looking for a solution for the causes of the problems and the crisis between these countries and Qatar, he said.

Hopefully, there will be a solution if Qatar comes back to the right path.

Among the rare gestures at the Mecca event was Sheikh Abdullah shaking hands with his host, King Salman, after the pair were encouraged by the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

There was also a quick handshake between the Qatari prime minister and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, though it wasnt clear if the two leaders exchanged any words.

Video :  A Quick handshake between Qatari PM and Saudi Crown Prince

pic.twitter.com/p0l4To0tgM  IstandWithQatar (@IstandWithQatar) May 30, 2019

Saudi Arabia is hosting emergency meetings of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League to counter what it said was Irans growing influence.

Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had received an invitation from Saudi King to attend the emergency GCC summit.

Qatars Gulf Times newspaper reported that Sheikh Abdullahs presence in Mecca showed Qatars willingness to establish peace in the region.

Qatar has always been a strong advocate of peace and it supported solving differences through dialogue and mediation, said a political analyst as quoted by the newspaper.

190530200800718

Qatars mediation has led to peace in several parts of the world.

On Friday, King Salman said decisive action was needed to stop Iranian escalations following attacks on Gulf oil assets.

The rights of Saudi Arabia and the UAE to defend their interests after the attacks on oil pumping stations in the kingdom and tankers off the UAE was supported in a Gulf-Arab statement and a separate communique issued later. Tehran denies any involvement in the attacks.

In further signs of regional tensions, Iraq, which has good ties with neighbouring Iran and Washington, said it objected to the Arab communique saying that any cooperation with Tehran should be based on non-interference in other countries.
The father of a boy who was executed during the civil war wants to seek justice from the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands.

It has been 10 years since the end of Sri Lankas devastating civil war.

Around 100,000 civilians and fighters from both sides were killed. Among them, a group of Tamil students was allegedly executed on a beach.

The case of the Trinco five is one of the most widely known of the war, and is still being heard in court.

A father of one of the victims is vowing to continue the fight for justice.
Military rulers warn action to be taken against unruly elements at Khartoum sit-in, main point of protest movement.

Sudans military rulers have said a protest camp in the capital has become a threat to the countrys national security, while also ordering the office of the Al Jazeera Media Network in Khartoum to be shut down, without giving any reason.

In a televised statement, a spokesman of the transitional military council said on Thursday that legal action would be taken against what it called unruly elements at the encampment outside the defence ministry, where protesters have been staging a sit-in for weeks.

The protest site has become unsafe and represents a danger to the revolution and the revolutionaries and threatens the coherence of the state and its national security, said General Bahar Ahmed Bahar, head of the central region in Khartoum.

He said that a military vehicle used by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had been attacked and seized near the encampment.

The site has become the central point of Sudans protest movement, which saw longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir overthrown last month and has since been calling for the generals who replaced him to hand over power to a civilian-led administration.

Tens of thousands of protesters had converged on the encampment heeding a call by protest leaders to step up pressure on Sudans military rulers following a two-day strike observed earlier this week. Protesters have accused the RSF of trying to undermine a transition to democracy, a charge the force denies.

#Sudanese authorities have abruptly shut down #AlJazeera s #Khartoum bureau and banned its journalists from reporting from the countryhttps://t.co/nZNjTugpRr  Al Jazeera PR (@AlJazeera) May 31, 2019

Attack on media freedom

Separately, security officers informed Al Jazeera of the military councils decision to close the networks office in Khartoum.

The decision also included the withdrawal of the work permits for the correspondents and staff of the Qatar-based network with immediate effect.

#Sudans TMC withdraws the license of Aljazeera Media network and bans it from operating in the country. https://t.co/jPBUCfmyIJ  Hiba Morgan (@hiba_morgan) May 30, 2019

In a statement, Al Jazeera denounced the abrupt closure of its bureau in Khartoum and the banning of its reporters from reporting in the country, calling it a complete violation of the freedom of the press.

The network sees this as an attack on media freedom, professional journalism, and the basic tenets of the right for people to know and understand the reality of what is happening in Sudan, the statement said.

Al Jazeera called for the immediate resumption of operations of its Khartoum bureau and said it would continue its coverage of Sudan despite this political interference by the Sudanese authorities.

There was no official acknowledgement from Sudans government over the move.

Barbara Trionfi, an executive director at the International Press Institute (IPI), said the Vienna-based organisation had registered numerous attacks on journalists, from detentions to physical attacks and administrative measures, in Sudan within the last month.

We found it very disturbing that the transitional military council, which has been charged with ensuring a peaceful transition to democracy, is itself failing to respect the fundamental principles of press freedom, Trionfi told Al Jazeera.

The free exchange of news and information is core to any society  it is vital that the different groups in society are able to express their views and opinions in order to allow the democratic process and eventually voters to cast their votes, she added.
Protesters remain camped outside army headquarters as UN chief calls for resumption of talks on power transfer.

Tens of thousands of protesters continued demonstrating in Khartoum on Friday, a day after the Transitional Military Council (TMC) said that the sit-in outside the army headquarters was a threat to the safety and security of the Sudanese people and warned action would be taken against unruly elements.

Sudans armed forces posted a video on its official Facebook page on Friday apparently showing young men vandalizing an army vehicle, alleging that it was shot during the sit-in.

Earlier, another video showed young men hurling rocks at moving cars near the sit-in. The caption read: Chaos in the heart of the capital. We will put an end to the chaos, God willing.

But demonstrators say the military is using the threats as a possible pretext to break up the sit-in because protesters want the generals of the TMC to hand power over to a civilian-led administration.

I think we should be here every day, said Eismat Ali, 47, a factory worker in Omdurman. I try to come here every Thursday night. I cant afford to be here every day because of my job. This should be our real job, so we dont allow the TMC to steal our revolution.

Calls to protect the revolution have been the rallying cry of protesters in recent weeks after months of demonstrations led to the overthrow of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir in an April military coup.

Protesters said they would remain on the streets until those who had supported al-Bashir gave up power as well. The Freedom and Change alliance, the group that is leading the protest movement, has been negotiating with the TMC regarding a political transition, but talks have stalled.

UN wants negotiations

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for the two sides to go back to the negotiating table and quickly reach a deal on handing over power to a civilian-led government.

Guterres said in a statement that the sides must conclude the negotiations over the transfer of power to a civilian-led transitional authority as soon as possible.

Despite reaching an agreement on some important aspects of the transition  including a three-year timeframe and the creation of a 300-member parliament, the composition of the sovereign council  which would be the top body  remains the main point of contention. The TMC wants it to be run by the military, while demonstrators want a civilian to lead it.

190523162716536

I think the TMC is acting like this because its afraid of accountability. If a civilian government came to power, they might be held to account, Hafiz Ismail, director of Khartoum NGO Justice Africa Sudan said.

Amjad Farid, a spokesman for the protest movement, said: What the TMC said Thursday night is an attempt to quell the sit-in, but we will never give up our peaceful protest.

The TMCs announcement came after a two-day general strike on Tuesday and Wednesday that shut down shops, markets, public transportation and banks, causing delays at the airport as part of the oppositions strategy to keep up pressure on the military.

On Wednesday, a pregnant woman was killed by stray bullets when soldiers attempted to disperse the sit-in, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said in a statement.

I think both of TMC and opposition are playing politics and they both got something on their hands now, said Nada Hafiz, an art curator who has been protesting since April 6.

They both want to put pressure on the sit-in just to empower themselves at the negotiating table.

Media crackdown

Security officers on Thursday informed Al Jazeera of the military councils decision to close the networks office in Khartoum.

The decision also included the withdrawal of the work permits for the correspondents and staff of the Qatar-based network with immediate effect.

In a statement, Al Jazeera denounced the abrupt closure of its bureau in Khartoum and the banning of its reporters from reporting in the country, calling it a complete violation of the freedom of the press.

The network sees this as an attack on media freedom, professional journalism, and the basic tenets of the right for people to know and understand the reality of what is happening in Sudan, the statement said.

Al Jazeera called for the immediate resumption of operations of its Khartoum bureau and said it would continue its coverage of Sudan despite this political interference by the Sudanese authorities.

To see now a clampdown on the media is very worrisome, Jehanne Henry, an associate director of the Africa division at Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera.

More than that, were also very concerned about reports of violence against protesters continuing, and weve been urging the authorities to absolutely ensure that forces do not use excessive force against the protesters, and that they preserve their right to continue to protest freely.
White Helmets says some 300,000 people displaced near Turkey border during recent bombardments in northwest Syria.

Syrian NGOs decried on Friday the inaction of the international community amid mounting violence in the last rebel-held stronghold of Idlib, saying it had triggered the biggest wave of displaced people since the war began.

The recent bombardments by Syrian government and Russian forces in the countrys northwest have killed dozens of civilians and pushed 300,000 people towards Turkeys border, the NGOs said at a press conference in Istanbul.

This is the single largest mass displacement in Syria since the beginning of the crisis in 2011, they said in a statement.

More than two-thirds of those displaced are living without shelter, with border camps already running at double capacity, they said.





The latest offensive began in March and has amplified since April 26, turning into a daily massacre, said Raed Saleh, head of the White Helmets, the Syrian Civil Defence group.

Idlib is home to nearly three million people  half of whom are internally displaced. Many of those who have fled to the Turkish border area had already been displaced from their homes earlier in the war, sometimes fleeing time after time as the battles moved and front lines shifted.

The camps have absorbed around 103,000 people. So we have almost 200,000 people with no access to shelter, no access to water, no access to healthcare, said Mohanned Othman, a representative of the Syrian NGO Alliance working in Idlib.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said Friday that almost 950 people had been killed in the latest clashes in Idlib.

Other bodies, such as the United Nations, placed the death toll at about 250. The world governing body has warned that aid agencies have been forced to suspend their work in some areas, where 22 hospitals and clinics had been hit by air raids or shelling since April 28.

Massacre passing in silence

A September deal signed by Turkey and Russia last year was meant to establish a ceasefire in the region in order to avert a full-out government offensive on the province and adjacent areas held by a former al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayet Tahrir al-Sham.

The so-called demilitarised zone was also meant to create a buffer to help the Syrian government gain control over what was once a major commercial highway linking the country to neighbouring Turkey and Jordan.

Opening the commercial and passenger routes through Idlib province would reassert the states control over an economy fragmented during eight years of conflict.

But the rebels have refused to leave the area, and the deal is on the verge of collapse as Syrian and Russian forces ramp up air raids and rocket fire.

The entire world is watching the massacre that is taking place and letting it pass in silence. The United Nations hasnt lifted even its little finger, Mohammad Zahed Al-Masri of the Alliance of Syrian NGOs, said.

The human rights groups called for immediate action by the UN Security Council to end the escalation and apply pressure for talks.

The UN is not playing a constructive role in Syria by refusing to name the responsible party in this escalation, said Saleh.

Bargaining in Idlib

Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut

Idlib was where Russia and Turkey were supposed to work together. Today it is where forces loyal to Syrias main powerbrokers and stakeholders are involved in a proxy war.

Russia is actively supporting the Syrian governments military campaign, whileTurkey has thrown its weight behind the armed opposition with some reports suggesting they have provided it with sophisticated weaponry.

So far, neither side is winning and they arent any closer to reviving a ceasefire they agreed in September.

Idlib is testing the Russian-Turkish relationship whose cooperation extends beyond Syria and has far reaching geopolitical ramifications. That is why neither side wants to rupture this alliance.

Turkey is increasingly reliant on Russia for its energy needs  They have an important economic relationship. And the Kremlins expanding influence in the Middle East is a reality.

So it is difficult for Turkey to walk away from an alliance that secures its interests in Syria and gives it a say in its neighboors future.





A Russian spokesperson on Friday told reporters that rebels and allied opposition fighters must halt attacks on government-held areas for any ceasefire to hold.

A ceasefire in Idlib is necessary and its also necessary to have terrorists stop shooting at civilian targets as well as some facilities where our troops are located  including in Hmeimim, a key Russian airbase to the west of Idlib, Dmitry Peskov said.

The Kremlin said it was Turkeys responsibility to stop rebels in Idlib from launching attacks, as it backs some opposition factions in the province.

A day earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by telephone, it was important to apply the ceasefire without delay in order to focus once again on finding a political solution to the Syrian conflict, and to prevent a refugee influx to Turkey.

The Turkish leader has repeatedly complained to Moscow about a Russian-backed Syrian government offensive in Syrias northwest region.

Some of those displaced by the fighting protested on Friday at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing into Turkey, calling for an end to the raids and for Ankara to open the frontier, something it has refused to do.

Russia has complained of rocket and drone attacks against its main Hmeimim airbase being launched from Idlib, something Peskov described as a highly dangerous tendency.

He made no mention of the idea that Syrian government troops, backed by Russian air power, should stop fighting, however, and denied Moscow and Ankara disagreed over Idlib.

The fate of the province has strained relations between Russia and Turkey, which is eager to retain a degree of influence there given its geographical proximity.
Xcel Energy out of Colorado is shutting down two coal-fired generating power plants in favor of the largest solar-plus storage project in the United States. This $2.5-billion "scheme" allowed only 11 companies to bid on the project out of 400 applicants. Pueblo County, Colorado originally had reservations over losing tax revenue from the former coal-fired power plants. Xcel wants zero emission electricity by 2050 without saying publicly how that will happen.

California billionaire coal-fired power plant investor turned environmentalist Tom Steyer assisted Xcel's decision to move toward taxpayer-subsidized renewable energy, which is the backbone of the clean energy economy. Colorado officials never questioned Mr. Steyer's intentions or asked if solar and wind farms can replace reliable, abundant, affordable, scalable, and flexible coal-fired generating capacity. Currently, renewables only make energy and electricity more expensive for rate-payers.

Maersk, the world's largest container shipping company, announced that it would cut CO2 emissions to zero by 2050, according to its CEO, Soren Toft. Mr. Toft reiterated, "This goal would require coming up with emissions-free engine technologies by 2030 and we will have to abandon fossil fuels."

Maersk will need to invent a different type of fuel to power its massive ships. An entity or Maersk will need to identify who funds the endeavor to change the way transportation assets have been powered on a large-scale basis for over one hundred years.

In November 2018, Bloomberg News headlined: "Clean Power See First Win Over Fossil Fuels in Emerging Markets." BloombergNEF added: "Developing Nations Assume Mantle of Global Clean Energy Leadership." Then, ironically, OilPrice.com reported in December 2018:

Clean electricity surpasses fossil fuels in emerging markets by adding more clean electricity generation than fossil fuel generation for the first time ever. [Data were taken from 2017.]

A recent major study said oceans are rising. This study had serious mathematical miscalculations and other bias that came to light. In fact, oceans are not rising. Will clean energy be needed if oceans aren't rising?

NASA data confirmed that global temperatures "dropped sharply over the past two years from February 2016 to February 2018." Yet reporters found editorial space to write about a group wanting to carve President Donald Trump's face into a glacier to prove that climate change is occurring instead of understanding the geopolitical implications of clean energy.

Major media outlets never covered the global cooling story by investigative journalist Aaron Brown of Real Clear Markets. If the planet is cooling, warming, or somewhere in between, then how will clean energy counter these changes? Unfortunately, the answer is, it won't. Clean energy will not be the answer in the near or distant future.

Amid the impressive number of graphs, charts, tables, and prognostications by the likes of Western governments, leading environmental organizations, and energy researchers, "the percentage of total global primary electricity demand provided by wind and solar is 1.1%." Forecasts to 2050 show renewables and clean energy unable to eliminate fossil fuels or nuclear.

The world still runs on fossil fuels, and the IEA confirmed this fact with the release of The World Energy Outlook 2018. China's, Russia's, Iran's, and North Korea's militaries all run on fossil fuel or nuclear for their blue-water navies. Renewables and clean energy are niche energy options to the detriment of global security and prosperity.

Even the technologically sophisticated Germans have increased emissions from German chancellor Angela Merkel's "Energiewende" policy, which consists of transitioning the German economy away from nuclear and fossil fuels into renewables. Now the Germans are building and using coal-fired power plants to power their country.

All of the above mentioned examples, reports, and studies are major reasons why clean energy is an unfolding geopolitical nightmare. The reports and headlines also failed to mention that global emissions rose in 2018, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) off increased oil, petroleum, natural gas, and coal usage.

If clean energy is the future, then it is time to build a better solar panel, wind turbine, electric vehicle, and smart grid that can store and disperse power on cloudless and sunless days. Otherwise, Germany will continue relying on Russian-owned and operated Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines for natural gas, since clean energy cannot meet Europe's domestic or national security needs. This is a continued geopolitical issue for NATO and U.S. security arrangements in place since the end of World War II.

The get-off-fossil-fuel leaders like former vice president Al Gore are crusading at all costs to pursue intermittent, dilute, lowenergy density renewables in their quest to "save the world." China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have never indicated they will use only solar and wind or eliminate oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy.

Additionally, billions of people are still without reliable electricity; instead, they are burning cow dung and rotted wood for energy. As an example, 600 million Africans do not have electricity. This is a breeding ground for Islamic extremism, failed states, and chaos, leading to continent-wide war.

The hopes of using diplomacy, soft power, and realist balancing against China off the Horn of Africa are dashed when so many are without reliable energy and electricity. The problem with clean energy are the countless misconceptions about the origin and nature of electricity  its reliability and its scalability, plus whether the electricity sources being contemplated are cost-effective and do not create national security problems and geopolitical havoc.

Energy at its core should empower individuals, nations, and continents. If you want clean, carbon-free energy, only nuclear meets those qualifications.

Understanding the limitations of clean energy will people help come up with the best energy policies to bring billions out from crippling poverty, lowered life expectancies, and the allure of terrorism and war as economic choices. There is an opportunity to alleviate poverty and war if every person on the planet has access to scalable, reliable, affordable, abundant, and flexible energy. When facts are shoved aside for political gain, then rational energy discussions no longer happen.
Robert Mueller knew there was no collusion the first time he read the Steele dossier, which reads as if it was written by a high school sophomore who spent most of his time huffing inhalants behind the gym. Hey Dude, lets get some more gas at the Lukoil

At the latest, the indictment of 12 Russians on 02/16/2018 should have been the end of his collusion investigation. Why did Mueller keep going? To entrap the president into obstructing justice, of course.

Mueller had a plan. He would use his witchhunt to anger the president enough that he would try to stop the investigation and if he didnt, compile as much information that could be painted as obstruction for his report, which could then be used as a template for impeachment, where the threshold is lower because the House decides what are high crimes and misdemeanors. Attorney General William Barr put a stop to that.

Prior to the reports submission, Barr ordered Mueller to highlight the 6e (grand jury material) that by law could not be publicly released. Mueller disobeyed that order, thinking it would force a delay in releasing the report because redaction would take time. This would impel Barr to release Muellers summaries if he didnt want to be accused of a cover-up, thus allowing Mueller to set the narrative for the Democrats push (putsch?) to impeach.

Instead, Barr created his own summary. Hence, Muellers subsequent letter (which Barr called snitty), written to be leaked and promptly leaked, was a means of regaining control of the narrative. In the letter, the special counsel complained about Barrs four-page memo, which incidentally, he refused an offer to review.

He didnt expect his old friend Barr to call him and ask him directly whether there were any inaccuracies in the summary, to which Mueller was forced, multiple times, to admit that there were not. We know this because Barr testified to it under oath.

On Wednesday in front of the press, a visibly shaken Robert Mueller (Sean Davis called him doddering) resigned from the DoJ, smeared the president as probably guilty, said he wouldnt take questions, and if forced to testify in front of Congress, would only reiterate what was in his report. Since when does a witness get to decide which questions he will answer?

Highlights include:

The appointment order directed the office to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. This included investigating any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign.

Im sorry, but didnt Hillary pay her lawyers, Perkins Coie, to pay Fusion GPS, to pay Christopher Steele to pay Russian agents for information to compile a dossier that her campaign could use to steal a presidential election?

When talking of the indictment of the 12 Russians Mueller said, Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. He added in Clintonesque fashion, if we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime. (emphasis mine)

A prosecutor does not exonerate. In America, we have the presumption of innocence. A prosecutor either indicts or he doesnt indict. Yet, according to Mueller, the Russians deserve their presumption of innocence, but the president is presumed guilty until proven innocent.

Mueller stated that because of Justice Department guidelines, Charging the president with a crime was, therefore, not an option we could consider. While that may be true, it doesnt preclude him from determining a crime had been committed in his report, which was his job; and leave it to the attorney general as to whether to indict, which is his job.

Whats more, Mueller told Barr three times that Justice Department guidelines were not the reason he didnt make a decision on obstruction. We know this, once again, because Barr testified under oath that he did.

Mueller knew indictments for obstruction of justice would never hold up in court. An innocent man screaming. Im innocent and this is a witchhunt, is no more committing obstruction than a guilty man screaming the same thing. Also, an innocent man screaming, I want that SOB fired but then who doesnt fire him is not obstructing either. In addition, the president allowed Mueller to interview any executive officer, never declared executive privilege, or attorney-client privilege, and submitted 1.4 million requested documents.

Failing at entrapping Trump, and because Barrs summary was controlling the narrative, he had to get the conversation back to impeachment, which is what he did Wednesday. An added benefit was getting Nadler off his back to testify -- hes betting on the Republicans being too weak-kneed to subpoena him.

It has been pointed out that in smearing Trump while not charging him, Mueller did the same thing Comey did to Hillary Clinton. The difference, however, is that she was guilty of everything Comey said she would not be charged with and Trump is guilty of nothing.

Muellers shaky demeanor, refusal to take questions, and declaring that his report would serve as his testimony shows Mueller is afraid to testify; he certainly looked afraid. Its possible that with the leaks, the prosecutorial misconduct, the destruction of evidence, the entrapment, he could face indictment himself and it would be a good bet the determination he committed crimes will be made with confidence.

Please follow William L. Gensert on Twitter @williamlgensert
On April 22, the Muslim American Society (MAS) uploaded a video on its Philly Facebook page, filmed at its 6th annual Ummah Day celebrating diversity. In the video, children are seen singing and dancing in Arabic to a YouTube song known as the revolutionaries anthem. Four girls are highlighted, fluently reading Arabic scripts advocating violence to regain dominance over the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem:

We will defend the land of divine guidance with out bodies, and we will sacrifice our souls without hesitation  We will chop off their heads, and we will liberate the sorrowful and exalted Al-Aqsa Mosque We will lead the Army of Allah fulfilling his purpose, and we will subject them to eternal torture We need force and the Quran  Palestine must be returned to us.

MAS originally dismissed the video as a mere oversight, without embarrassment or apology. MAS also claimed that MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute watchdog group that uploaded the video had provided a false translation. MEMRI stood by its translation which was subsequently confirmed by an Arabic studies professor at Drexel University. Shortly thereafter, MAS reported that an unidentified person in charge of the event had been dismissed and that the organization reaffirmed its longstanding opposition to anti-Semitism and was forming a commission to assist in sensitivity training, bless their hearts. MAS recently issued a third iteration of the event claiming that the girls in the video, supposedly demonstrating Arabic proficiency, didnt understand the words they were reciting and every volunteer in attendance was too busy and/or didnt understand Arabic sufficiently to intercede.

The only major Jewish newspaper in Philadelphia, the Jewish Exponent, published an article about the incident, Kids Invoke Beheadings in Disturbing Video at Muslim American Society. The tone was neutral. The article contained an appropriate response from Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Regional Director Nancy Baron-Baer who logically concluded:

The adults who were in the room, both the teachers and the others, needed to recognize that words like those are not are unacceptable in any language and at any time. It wasnt the posting of the video that was the wrong thing to do, it was the recitation of the words that shocked the community.

However, logic did not prevail, nor did a proper self-defense. Instead, the article ended with an infuriating discourse from Rabbi Batya Glazer, head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia  the same organization that publishes the Jewish Exponent. She proclaimed MAS third alibi was understandable and that the Muslim community posed no threat to the Jewish community, and that the real outrage should be with the Palestinian song itself. Following that logic for dummies, Ms. Glazer concluded with a repugnant false moral equivalency:

I know there is some skepticism about it, but I think it makes sense. All of us at some point found ourselves saying Hebrew words that we didnt understand so well because those words were the words that were put in front of us. This community, it sounds like a terrible mistake This is not the message the community wanted to teach its children, its not the message this Muslim community wanted greater Philadelphia to know about them.

To compare congregants saying a Hebrew prayer while not knowing the prayers English meaning to children wanting to chop off Jewish heads is incomprehensible. It would certainly appear that while the Muslim community didnt want their message disseminated, the message is an old one.

We have railed against our brethren who have ignored the policies and alliances that are antithetical to preserving true Jewish culture and safety. We have gritted our teeth as the BDS movement has taken over on most college campuses and morphed its ugly head into the general population. We have protested as groups and some leaders of our community, state, and country have consorted with our enemies. But nothing has changed. A different approach is drastically required

It is axiomatic that, currently, the only Jews anyone fears are the Israelis. Israelis arent ashamed of their existence and refuse to accept the faux white-privilege guilt foisted upon American Jews. They dont fear or hate guns, cower, apologize for who they are, and believe their lives are as valuable as anyone elses and deserve to be protected. American Jews must stop focusing on the immutable in the tribe and establish a more aggressive, collaborative approach to fighting anti-Semitism.

In 1968, Rabbi Meir Kahane founded the Jewish Defense League (JDL) in New York. His mission was to protect Jewish people from anti-Semitism, by any means necessary. His group was founded in response to various cries for help from Jews who felt beleaguered by anti-Semitic attacks in Boston and elsewhere. Unfortunately, the rabbi and the JDL were quickly defined as far-right radical, terrorist, and criminal. Its history is a mixed bag. Kahane and the JDL are credited with accelerating the movement to free Russian Jews, but many of their activities, while protective of Jews, were violent and criminal and led to many deaths.

We have witnessed the decades-long opprobrium heaped on Israel in her quest for self-defense and survival. While other nations skate over similar actions, Israel is uniquely singled out for condemnation. We can expect no less. The world does not comfortably abide a strong Jewish nation or a proud and strong Jewish person. But strong and proud we must be.

Fortunately, digital communications, strong advocacy groups, and Israel-supporting popular websites now exist and expose and rage against anti-Semitism. Their work is vital and appreciated. But we must do more. We, as American Jews, must stand stronger. Not as terrorists or criminals, but in self defense and an attempt to push back the ugly anti-Semitism that has taken root in the United States.

A national Jewish mutual defense organization, distinct from the violent legacy of the JDL, must be created to formulate and implement a united front against anti-Semitism:

1. Every Jewish adult must learn how to use a gun, safely store it, practice shooting, and be prepared to use it in self-defense.

2. Jewish parents must send their children to Karate, Tai Kwan Do, or Krav Maga classes to improve self-confidence and strength.

3. Jewish lawyers must stablish a Jewish Litigation Advocacy Panel, with a chapter in each state, to file legal actions against anti-Semitic acts in media and textbooks, and in schools, colleges, and the workplace.

4. Jewish advocates must demand that local, state, and federal political representatives openly denounce anti-Semitic comments and behavior by their colleagues.

5. Jewish adults must get involved in local politics to help influence zero tolerance of anti-Semitism, and not vote for any politician who enables or endorses anti-Semitism.

6. American Jews must expect accusations of being extremist -- and ignore them.

7. Jewish writers must send letters to the editors of local newspapers and digital websites.

8. Jewish congregants must change synagogue affiliations and quit Jewish organizations that do not advocate against anti-Semitism or support Israels right to defend itself.

9. Jewish consumers must not patronize any business establishment, celebrity, athlete, college or media that enables anti-Semitism and doesnt support Israel.

10. Jewish advocates must welcome, embrace, and be thankful for the support provided by their Christian colleagues and friends.

Anti-Semitism has grown to a level unparalleled since the 1930s. It is past time that American Jews rose to the challenge.
Each year during graduation season we are treated to what amounts to the closing ceremony of the Olympics of virtue signaling on college campuses across the nation. The competitors -- students who have spent four years in training -- huddling in safe spaces to avoid speakers with whom they disagree, using the free speech zone to learn what theyre supposed to be offended by, and demanding ridiculous measures be adopted by university administrators to remedy every perceived ill in human history. The gold medalists in this farce are the walk-outs -- the students who draw as much attention to themselves as possible by walking out of the commencement ceremony in protest of the commencement speaker. This year is no different; ask Vice President Mike Pence.

Beyond the risk of causing most Americans to suffer repetitive stress injury from excessive eye rolling, this trend presents a real threat that must not be taken lightly. These students are being taught a perverse version of freedom. Namely that freedom is the right to never be made uncomfortable. Once these putative tyrants of tolerance graduate, they will inevitably be confronted with people and ideas very different from their own and they will react in the manner for which they were applauded in college -- they will seek to silence opposition. My firm, First Liberty Institute, deals with the repercussions on a daily basis.

Consider Ken Hauge, a retired minister, who was threatened with eviction from his senior living complex in Fredericksburg, Virginia for leading a Bible study in a private apartment. His home is no longer a safe space for the free exercise of religion. Rabbi David Ribiat, one of our orthodox Jewish clients in the Village of Airmont, New York, has spent years and over $40,000.00 trying (unsuccessfully) to obtain a permit from the local government to simply host fellow Jews in his home to worship.

Surely there could be no safer space in America than a military base? Not so for Oscar Rodriguez, a decorated Air Force retiree who was physically assaulted by uniformed airmen and removed from a retirement ceremony for attempting to give a patriotic flag folding speech that included the word God. Adding insult to injury, the Air Force has refused to even apologize for the incident and the officer responsible was promoted.

There was no free speech zone for Aaron and Melissa Klein, whose family business Sweetcakes by Melissa was penalized $135,000.00 for not speaking the state approved message on marriage. The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry essentially bankrupted a private business because they didnt like the religious beliefs of the owners.

Thankfully, our Founding Fathers instilled in the Constitution the only free speech zone or safe space anyone ever needed: the United States of America. My trust in the principles of the Constitution is my confidence in our ultimate victory for these clients.

President Reagan famously noted, Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.

While we fight and win these court battles today, its frightening to think these students walking out of or protesting at commencement ceremonies are the decision makers of tomorrow. When we hand on to them the freedom we fought for will they even want it? Or have they been so conditioned to an Orwellian notion of freedom that continually restricts acceptable viewpoints, speech, and religious beliefs to the whims of cultural orthodoxy that they never consider the possibility that one day their own ideas may fall out of fashion and find themselves in a prison of their own making. The Hamanesque irony notwithstanding, we will all suffer for their constitutional shortsightedness.

So, when we see the news reports of the next episode of outrage theater, let us each resolve to do more than our usual sigh of lament for these kids today. Let us graciously teach by our example the true meaning of freedom handed on to us by our forefathers  none of us are free unless all of us are free. It is a lesson that must be continually learned in a civic classroom from which we never graduate.

Lathan Watts is Director of Legal Communications for First Liberty Institute, the nations largest nonprofit law firm and think tank exclusively dedicated to defending religious liberty for all Americans and Regional Fellow of National Review Institute.
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria moved to discovery a class-action damages suit against Facebook by users claiming their privacy was mined through friends.

Facebooks 2019 Annual Stockholder Meeting was supposed to be a victory lap for cofounder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg after the worlds top social media company beat Wall Street estimates for revenue, operating earnings, monthly active users, average user revenue, and Stories feature use on all its platforms.

But as shareholders arrived in Menlo Park on May 30, Silicon Beat reported that Fire Zuckerberg was projected on a nearby wall of the Hotel Nia and a plane overhead was pulling a banner demanding: Break up Facebook, Save Silicon Valley.

Once inside, shareholders were offered proxies with eight dissident shareholder proposals seeking to punish Facebook after numerous scandals by seeking to force the appointment of an independent chairman, or prevent the renomination of Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg.

With Zuckerberg holding about 60 percent of the Facebooks voting shares, he has nothing to fear from grumpy minority shareholders. But Judge Chhabrias decision the prior day that the allegations in dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud and misrepresentation regarding control over their personal information have sufficient merit under federal law to consolidate claims and begin moving the trial forward to discovery.

Facebook states that it is an on-line auction house for advertisers to access its social media opt-in users that drives up bid prices through a secretive algorithm that matches user needs to customer offerings. But media revelations have reported that Facebook also sells its user data to businesses interested in influencing social and political attitudes.

The basis for filing federal privacy lawsuits arose from media revelations regarding how the UKs Cambridge Analytica procured data without their knowledge on up to 87 million American Facebook users to aid the Trump campaign in the 2016 election cycle.

The federal lawsuits consolidated in a San Francisco court contends that Facebook signed a privacy settlement agreement with the U.S. Federal trade Commission (FTC) in 2011 that effectively barred the company from surveilling or data mining its social media users without their knowledge or consent.

But Facebook interpreted the settlement to mean that if a user adjusted their Facebook privacy settings to share information with Friends Only, the company had the right to collect data on the user and on their friends.

The complaint alleges that despite Facebooks FTC settlement, the company deliberately ignored privacy settings so that app developers and 150 business partners, such as Apple, could mine so-called rich data from user viewing histories, photos, videos, and social media comments.

Cambridge Analytica is alleged to have used Facebook rich data to engage in psychographic marketing to target users values, concerns, and fears.

Among various claims for damages, plaintiffs allege: The Content and Information About Its Users That Facebook Has Shared With Third Parties Has Allowed Advertisers and Political Operatives to Harass and Discriminate Against Them.

Facebook was able to get privacy lawsuits dismissed in the past by arguing that users cant claim damages because they already consented to the use of their information when they joined the platform. Even if the plaintiffs did not give proper consent, Facebook argued that plaintiffs cannot meet a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring proof of concrete injury, such as identity theft economic losses, to collect damages.

According to the Claims Journal, Judge Chhabria stated that Facebook has mistakenly been treating user privacy expectations as a binary scheme. The Judge recognized that sharing on Facebook with others diminishes privacy, but it doesnt eliminate it so Facebook can disseminate it to a thousand different corporations.

Facebooks stock was not impacted when the company announced it expects the FTC to issue fines of up to $5 billion and get the company to agree to enhanced compliance for violating the 2011 settlement over its privacy practices.

But allowing plaintiff discovery that unveils how Facebooks top-secret algorithm trolls user data and the extent that the company mines and monetizes its ecosphere, may significantly diminish Facebooks reputational value and curb its future earnings growth.

Chriss Street is an economist and geopolitical consultant
Is there some kind of weird truth pill floating around in the leftwing world that forces the farthest of lefty celebrities to occasionally say something true?

We know that Cher got her hands on one of them Now we're talking Meryl Streep.

American Enterprise Institute scholar Christina Sommers spotted this from the leading lady of shiny statue-gathering:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Meryl Streep suggests we stop using term toxic masculinity. Its harmful to boys. Plus, she says women can be pretty f***ing toxic. Shes right. <a href="https://t.co/DfeyzCGE9K">https://t.co/DfeyzCGE9K</a></p> Christina Sommers (@CHSommers) <a href="https://twitter.com/CHSommers/status/1134208519828398080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2019</a></blockquote>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Which, as Sommers notes, is perfectly true. Who doesn't know of a toxic feminist somewhere in the public sphere or maybe in real life? Start with Code Pink. Extend the move to Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein. Add Hillary Clinton and Rep. Ilhan Omar. The list is endless...

As Streep says 'f##king toxic."

It's a funny thing to hear this out of Streep, or any 'woke' celebrity. Now if history is any indication, Streep will probably go back to spouting leftist nonsense. Cher certainly did - her latest was some sort of assasination bid on President Trump. It's kind of like that movie "Awakenings" of several years back where some people who were all but unconscious in nursing care for many years after meningitis suddenly woke afte all many years and were full of clarity until they slipped back into their tragic torpor. Streep would know about that movie - it was nominated for the Academy award for best picture in her heyday, back in 1991.

What it shows most is that celebs don't even know enough about their own leftist ideology to keep themselves from occasionally out of turn. When they speak the truth, it's about something they actually know about. When they don't, well, they're probably trying to impress someone with money. As Robert Conquest has said, everyone is conservative about things they know best.
I have been blessed to have lived and/or worked in many countries. Some are socialist. Others were socialist cubed. They all have negative effects, and the real world experience people take from it matters.

Look at socialized medicine. Sally C. Pipes, who's the president and CEO of the Pacific Research Institute and from Vancouver, Canada, has expressed her dismay with Canadas socialized health care system. Sadly, her mother perished while waiting for proper treatment, because of all the long lines for treatment. It was almost as if the system wanted to get rid of her elderly mother. Remember Sarah Palins warning about Obamacare death panels?

I have worked in Canada and Australia. Their medical systems are similar. Here is how they work: A patient needs to go to a general practitioner first for whatever ails him or her, then must get a referral to a specialist, regardless of circumstance. I had a broken ankle in Chile and transferred to Australia to run a project. But once in Australia, the trip to the GP was the mandatory first stop to get a referral to see an orthopedist. My foot was in a soft boot with a broken ankle and the orthopedist turned me away because I had to get the referral from a GP or else no treatment. On another bout of life in Australia, I had cataracts in my right eye. I knew the issue since I had them in the other eye six years earlier in Spain. Still had to get the referral or else no treatment for me.

In Spain, you had the choice of waiting months for the state clinic to get you an appointment or pay cash upfront and get the care you needed. The same ophthalmologist that I could have waited months to see, also had a private practice. He would work his state job in the morning and by the late afternoon he had a private clinic for patients who could pay his fees. It worked the same for dental care. Greece definitely had this model as well when we lived there.

My engineering manager on three projects today in Asia is Chinese. He told me about how fortunate he was that his dissident father returned from a Mao Zedong reeducation camp after several years as he was completing high school. Had his father not returned, he would have suffered the fate of his older brother and sister who were not permitted to go to college. My friends daughter has been educated in Canada since age 12.

It's not just China where this sort of thing goes on, but also socialist Mongolia. I've worked there and Mongolians are some of the warmest and happiest people on earth despite the rigors of their climate and lifestyle. They are proud, mostly nomadic people, descendants from Genghis Khan. They lament the nearly 2,000 Buddhist monasteries that were destroyed under Soviet times and the nearly 20,000 monks who were murdered. Half of the country's three million-strong population return every winter to the capital, Ulaanbaatar, living in their Gers (circular tents with camel hair blanket insulation), surviving the brutal climate. One of the most prized items that Mongolians can buy freely in stores reasonably today which was unavailable under Soviet times is chocolate. The project we built constituted a third of the annual GDP of Mongolia.

The energy industry is highly internationalized and I have had people working for me on a single project who originated from 30 different countries. Large numbers come from socialist countries and it's possible to learn what socialism looks like on the ground from their stories.

Young Russians said that they were so happy they could move freely and work outside Russia - under the USSR, they weren't. They also liked be paid a higher salary; and the ability to return to Russia to have a better life for their families. In Kazakhstan, I have had Kazakhs tell me various stories under Soviet socialism versus the preferred lifestyle they enjoy today, too. One woman said that her mother never saw a banana until she was 19 years old, post-Soviet Union. Another said her mother craved apples during pregnancy yet one apple was 10% of her husbands monthly salary. The old capital, Almaty, literally means apple and under natural conditions, they are abundant. But they are not abundant under socialism. Another said that her father, an electrical engineer, was paid in eggs, glass jars (like Mason), rice, and other commodities during Soviet times. He would then have to barter with those items for other food. Without a doubt, everyone said Party must come first if you wanted to be treated well. Most despised this treatment, but they said they knew they had to toe the line. A grandmother of one of my employees told me how she loved capitalism and choices whether it be food, clothing, or a place to live. She said she would never revert to socialism. She did not like looking over her shoulder to monitor whether she was sufficiently obedient to the party line. Even though everyone was supposedly equal and had to pull their own weight, it always amounted to some more equal than others. Lo and behold, people who had to live under these kinds of socialism earlier now had prized items such as vodka, which was rare outside the mother country.

My wife is Venezuelan. We were married before Venezuelan ruler Hugo Chavez was elected president and made Venezuela his socialist "sea of happiness." There were no empty shelves in supermarkets. Medicine was available. Johnnie Walker Black Label consumption at New Year was the second highest per capita in the world. Duty free areas were established in states such as Falcon, where electronics were sold at bargain basement prices. Costco-like Macro markets stocked a similar variety of foods and household goods. But that's now a distant memory now. Socialist elites took care of ruining a burgeoning middle class. They robbed oil wealth and caused petroleum production to drop to 40% of what is was 20 years ago - or even more, according to some estimates. They expropriated other industries such as steel and aluminum production. Private property was confiscated. If a property was vacant, Chavez let squatters claim it as their own. Check out what socialist president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) has started in Mexico City. If someone declares that they cannot pay rent, eviction is not an option ... so what's happening that always happens under socialism ... has started.

When Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez extols the wonders of socialism and the perils of racist white cauliflower, ask her if she will share the wealth with those less fortunate. She's been collecting a lot of wealth purportedly through her campaign chairman of late. Ask Sen. Bernie Sanders if he will house the poor in two of his houses that he does not occupy full time. Maybe he will share some of his proceeds from book-writing. After all, everyone must get his fair share. Is that not right, President Obama?

Image credit: Screen grab from 1985 Wendy's Soviet Fashion Show ad, via shareable YouTube
Amazon is reportedly interested in acquiring Boost Mobile from Sprint, which would solidify the online retail giant as a much more massive powerhouse in the world of advertisements and give the company another avenue to highlight some of the biggest sales happening on its website.

Should Amazon actually have plans to buy Boost Mobile and if the acquisition were approved, it would reportedly be allowed to use the spectrum from T-Mobile and Sprint (which are currently in the process trying to merge with each other) for a minimum period of six years, though its not clear what Amazons plans would be for the use of that spectrum.

Amazon may also have interest in the acquisition due to the potential of spectrum that could be divested. Though Amazons intentions for owning a wireless carrier and the spectrum that comes along with it are not clear at the moment, the notion of one of the largest tech companies in the US being the owner of a wireless carrier sort of fits nicely with other recent news regarding the merger between T-Mobile and Sprint.

Advertisement

It was recently reported that the US Department of Justice expressed a desire for T-Mobile and Sprint to help establish a fourth wireless carrier in the country if it were to approve the merger between the two companies. The DOJ has long held a stance that the merger could pose a problem for competition in the industry if the wireless carrier number count would drop from four to three, so its want for the current third and fourth carriers to help bring a replacement fourth carrier into the fold is easy to make sense of.

The news of Amazon showing interest in buying Boost seems timely, given that the sale of Boost might be a requirement before the approval of the T-Mobile/Sprint merger. It also sheds some light on a possible bidding war that could take place as its previously been reported that the CEO of FreedomPop is also interested in acquiring Boost, alongside the more recent idea that Comcast could have plans to show interest as well.

With FreedomPop and Comcast as potentially interested buyers alongside Amazon, there could be a possibility that a fourth wireless carrier would come forward following an approved T-Mobile Sprint merger, with Amazon perhaps being the most unlikely candidate.

Advertisement

Both FreedomPop and Comcast might seem like more viable solutions as each already deals with similar services. FreedomPop is already offering wireless service to customers as an MVNO, and Comcast is doing the same, and Boost itself is an MVNO of Sprint, so the shoe fits. Amazon could have precedent for wanting to dip its toes into the waters of the wireless market, though.

In recent years its shown its capability as a company to branch out and deliver products to customers that were well outside the realm of its humble beginnings, transitioning from a simple online book retailer to selling vast amounts of different products, launching smart home devices and beginning research in artificial intelligence. Not to mention its acquisitions of Twitch and Whole Foods Market, which gave Amazon new ways to generate revenue in the widely popular game streaming industry as well as the popular organic food market.

Both of those services also have tie-ins to Amazons Prime service, as subscribers of Prime get special deals on anything from free games to savings on any number of grocery products. Acquiring Boost and offering an MVNO service would just give Amazon one more way to link customers to Prime who may not have already been subscribing, and it certainly has the money to acquire Boost which is said to have an possible value of $3 billion in the sale.
Google has poured a lot of effort into keeping its Chrome users more secure and informed over the past several months and thats about to get even better when it comes to extensions for the platform hosted in the Chrome Web Store.

Specifically, Google is now ready to start implementing a few policy changes that will help make extensions found on that storefront more trustworthy, with plans to start honing in on problem areas as early as this summer. Two of the big implementations center around narrowing down just how much data can be accessed and transparency. The third centers more broadly around how Google Drive can be accessed across the board.

The first of the changes isnt entirely new but is a directional shift that moves one of Googles best practice guidelines into position as a policy that will be enforced. With enforcement set to begin by fall according to the associated developer pages, the company will now be working to ensure that Chrome developers are only accessing the minimum amount of data required to accomplish their extensions given tasks.

Advertisement

That includes any extension that uses one permission when another would serve the appropriate purpose without accessing quite so much user data, in instances where multiple permissions could have accomplished the same task.

The second change that will come with identical consequences requires developers to expand on use cases that require full disclosure of how much data is being used and what is being done to keep it safe. Prior to the changes, only extensions that accessed user data directly were required to make those disclosures but now that will apply to extensions that access user inputs or those handling communications.

New policies for extensions and apps that access Google Drive API

Advertisement

Google isnt shirking its own responsibility on those fronts either, with its Google Drive API getting some changes that should make apps that access the API easier to trust.

Subsequently, starting sometime near the beginning of next year, Google plans to ensure that third-party apps will generally no longer have broad access to what users are storing in their Google Drive cloud storage. Instead, most apps will be severely limited and only have access to specific files, with previous guidelines and restrictions pertaining to user control and transparency remaining in place.

The only apps that will continue having wider access are those that genuinely require it. Google has provided the example of apps that use Drive API for backup services. The company will also be turning its attention to digging in and verifying those apps that need broad access.

Advertisement

Google is taking recent changes seriously

From the start of enforcement, any extensions that use permissions that grant more than whats required or that dont adhere to disclosure guidelines will be removed from the Chrome Web Store, pending changes and resubmission. Once removed, Google will be disabling apps that have been deemed untrustworthy on end-user devices and will only reinstate the extensions once policies are met and the extension is uploaded again to the store.

That aggressive approach to protecting user trust stems from its Project Strobe  the very same endeavor that was responsible for the death of Googles social media bid last year after it discovered vulnerabilities in the associated API. It also mirrors the seriousness with which Google is implementing other key changes as it seeks to avoid fines from emergent consumer protection regulations amid concerns about privacy.

Advertisement

Among the most prominent examples of recent alterations include those related to ad-blocking extensions via the still-unreleased Manifest V3. A significant portion of that is aimed at deprecating the API currently used by ad-blocking extensions, shifting the burden to DeclarativeNetRequest API from webRequest API. That will change how network requests can be made and give users more control over what the extensions do and where.
The situation surrounding Huawei and the US is getting more and more complicated, it seems. According to a report by the Financial Times (via TechCrunch), Huawei has ordered its Chinese employees to bar technical meetings with US contacts. On top of that, the company has sent home American workers who were deployed in its research and development functions (in Shenzhen).

This information comes straight from Dang Wenshuan, Huaweis Chief Strategy Architect, who spoke to the Financial Times. The company also limited general communications between its Chinese and US workers, until the situation gets resolved, as it seems like Huawei is trying to deal with the situation and avoid breaking the US rules in the process.

Mr. Wenshuan says that Huawei also told its workers that they avoid topics relating to technology when it comes to talking to overseas visitors on the companys campus. Dang Wenshuan says that Huawei made such measures just to make sure it complies with the law, the rules that the set out, as it seems like Huawei is not really sure of what the limitations are yet.

Advertisement

As most of you know by now, Huawei, along with its affiliates, has been banned by the US Commerce Department over national security concerns, even though the company has been granted a 90-day grace period to continue doing business for its existing products.

As part of the US move, Google and a number of other (mostly) US companies followed, creating huge problems for Huawei. President Trump did say that the situation could be resolved in a new trade deal with China, but it remains to be seen what will happen. Google and Huawei are also trying to work out the issue, even though this seems to be above and beyond them at this point.

Huawei is one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, it was the worlds second-largest smartphone OEM, and it has been growing for years. The company actually aimed to overthrow Apple in 2020, though that will probably not happen due to the latest issues. Huaweis sales decreased quite a bit since the situation escalated, at least according to reports.

Advertisement

This is a huge issue for Huawei, as it does not only ban it from selling its phones in the US, which has been a case for a while now, but it also affects its software and hardware. Huaweis phones are based on Android, and Google was forced to cut ties with Huawei following the ban, which means that, as things stand at the moment, Huawei will have to opt for a different operating system down the road.

Huawei has been developing its own operating system for a while now, and if reports are to be believed, well see it later this year. Still, creating a whole new ecosystem, and getting people to buy their phones even though the support is not near those for Android or iOS, that will be a feat for the company presuming that the situation does not get resolved soon, and it hopefully will, as that would be best for consumers (extra competition).
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is now back in Googles Android Q Beta page, which essentially means that it is a part of Googles Android Q Beta program once again. For those of you who are unaware, the Mate 20 Pro was removed from the page back on May 21, and we believe we know why its now back.

As most of you know by now, Huawei has been granted a 90-day general license by the US to continue working on its existing products, which is probably why Google reinstated the Mate 20 Pro in its Android Q Beta program.

Huawei is currently in hot waters, as the US basically banned Huawei from doing business with US companies, and after the 90-day grace period ends, the company will have some serious issues, or so it seems.

Advertisement

The US ban prompted Google and a number of other US companies to cut ties with Huawei, while it is also causing some issues with non-US companies as well. Huawei may even have issues compiling its Kirin chipsets because it is having issues with ARM (a UK-based company) as well, all because of the US ban.

Huawei has been the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world prior to the US ban, and according to reports, the companys sales dropped quite a bit since then. Well have to wait for an actual detailed report from one of the market research companies in order to know what the situation is exactly.

Huawei has been striving for years now, and it was planning to overthrow Samsung, and become the worlds number one smartphone manufacturer in 2020. If these issues dont get resolved quickly, Huawei will almost certainly face more damage in the future, and possibly even lose that second place to Apple once again.

Advertisement

The companys CEO gave several interviews since the US ban, and tried to reassure users that theres nothing to worry about. The company is working with Google as we speak in order to amend issues, and it is also preparing its very own OS if it comes to worse, and ends up being forced to step away from Android.

The reason for the US ban is of the security nature, at least thats what the President Trump says, but many people think that theres far more behind it than that, especially since President Trump said that Huaweis ban could be resolved as part of a trade deal with China. Many people think that Huawei is being used as a bargaining chip for the trade deal, and nothing more, as the US still did not present any evidence of espionage or anything of the sort.

This is a very complicated situation, and it will hopefully end in the best way possible for all parties, but the damage has already been done to Huawei, and even if the company ends up being allowed to do business as usual, their plans are already messed up due to all of these issues. It remains to be seen what will happen with the trade deal between the US and China, and if Huawei and Google will be able to sort things out on the side, despite the US ban.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE, which is headquartered in New Jersey, America but considered a global body, has now stripped Huawei of its membership following the Trump administrations decision to add the Chinese company to its entity list.

The IEEE is the worlds largest technical professional association and with over 423,000 members hailing from around 160 countries, it provides an important entry point for international research collaboration. It also plays a critical role in setting global industry standards for various technologies including artificial intelligence. The organization also contributes around 30 percent of the publications published globally.

Now that Huawei researchers have been banned, they can no longer review or edit the papers on IEEEs website or digital archive. They may still continue to exercise their voting rights, present at IEEE-funded meetings, submit technical papers for publication, and play a part in standard setting. Basically, Huawei can no longer take part in the activities that are open to the public.

Advertisement

Nonetheless, the exclusion from the peer review process can be detrimental to Huaweis plan of becoming the leader in providing 5G solutions and smart cities technologies. Huawei researchers hold many important positions within the IEEE and have contributed to many papers.

Following the ban, numerous researchers expressed their outrage. A Chinese nanotechnology researcher, Zhang Haixia, stepped down from the editorial board of IEEE to protest the decision. She says that IEEE is not a U.S. organization, and thus it has failed to perform with professional integrity by bending to the governments decision. Similarly, Professor Zhihua Zhou of Nanjing University also said that the U.S. government should not dictate the running of IEEE for its political motives. He suggested that IEEE should transfer its registration to Switzerland. Currently, the organization is registered in New York, but it claims to be a non-political and global body that works for the benefit of humanity.

To defend its decision, IEEE says that if it doesnt comply with the governments orders, it runs the risk of facing severe legal implications. As a quick primer, Huawei has been added to the entity list by the U.S. Department of Commerces Bureau of Industry and Security, which means the company cannot buy U.S. origin technology without government approval. It remains unclear why IEEE considers the peer review process an export.

Advertisement

Huawei is in the red right now as several key supply chain partners including Google, ARM, and Qualcomm have cut ties with it to stay in line with the law. Although chances are that the U.S. and China will reach some sort of settlement by June, the company is ramping up its efforts to become self-reliant. For instance, it has confirmed that it is making its own operating system.

However, becoming self-sufficient isnt as easy as it sounds. While some things, like software, just do not seem to be the companys cup of tea, others involve patents, which means cutting the chord is kind of impossible. Previously, the SD Association, WiFi Alliance and the Bluetooth SIG had also canceled Huaweis membership, but now it has been restored.
Motorola announced the Moto Z4 on Thursday, which was a somewhat mid-range smartphone from the company. This led to many wondering if we might see a Moto Z4 Force or Moto Z4 Play this year. The companys Twitter account confirmed that there wouldnt be any other Moto Z smartphones launching this year.

We have seen leaks for the Moto Z4 Force in the past few months, so its possible that Motorola cancelled the project, or some retailers thought that the Moto Z4 was the Moto Z4 Force. Either way, it looks like the Moto Z4 is the only model thats launching this year.

This isnt a total surprise, we havent seen a Force version since the Moto Z2 Force in 2017. And with Motorola pushing the Moto Z series into the mid-range part of its lineup, it opens up space for the rumored Motorola RAZR foldable phone that is set to debut this summer. This is the phone that many are more interested in checking out from Motorola, and not the Moto Z4.

Advertisement

Motorola may also be looking to kill off the Moto Mods, and launching one more phone that supports them could be the beginning of the end. Motorola said that it would support these Moto Mods for three years, and it is now in the fourth year. While it has not released any new Moto Mods in the better part of a year, it does still support older versions. Motorola (and more importantly Lenovo) kept its word with support, which is always good to see.

One of the downsides to keeping this promise though, is that Motorola isnt able to really change the design of the Moto Z lineup, since they all need to support the Moto Mods that you attach to the back of the phone. The only real design changes weve seen, is to the front of the phone. With Motorola embracing the 18:9 aspect ratio last year, and then a notch this year with the Moto Z4. The fingerprint sensor has also moved from below the display to the side of the phone. Otherwise, its largely the same design as the 2016 Moto Z.

Motorola has also been focusing more on its Motorola One brand in the past year. After releasing a couple of phones under that brand last year, there are a number of others coming in 2019. Like the Motorola One Pro, and the company already announced the Motorola One Vision which is seemingly a pretty decent looking smartphone for around $400. The Motorola One line is all Android One smartphones, which are likely easier for Motorola to keep updated, since it doesnt have to build the updates itself and get them certified.

Advertisement

Nevertheless, the Moto Z4 is going to be the only Moto Z smartphone we see this year. One has to wonder whether itll be the last Moto Z smartphone that we see announced by the company. With it having hands in a number of other lines right now: Moto G, Motorola One, RAZR and others.
The Plex Android app is in the process of receiving an update that overall intends to greatly improve the video player experience.

The updated version is now listed on the Google Play Store and devices with the app installed should see the update arriving on their devices soon, if they have not already. This is a staged rollout so not all users will receive the update at the same time.

The update has been tailored to massively improve the performance and speed of the video player. For one thing, theres an updated UI which according to the company utilizes the same elegant user interface as music.

Advertisement

In addition, when a user now finishes one episode, the next queued episode will start to buffer in the background while the countdown to next episode shows on the screen. The point here is to hit the ground running when the next episode begins and avoid any unnecessary buffering issues.

Theres also some changes to how you can view video as well. For example, users are now able to adjust how much of the screen the display takes up, or the orientation. These adjustments can be made by heading to the apps settings, followed by Playback Settings and then Display Mode.

Likewise, users can now press the home button while video playback is happening to make use of Picture-in-Picture (PIP) mode. This way the user is able to continuing navigating their device or use a different apps while the video in Plex continues to play in a smaller window.

Advertisement

General navigating of video playback has also been improved thanks to the ability to jump from one chapter to another, as well as the ability to see a thumbnail preview while dragging the seekbar one way or the other.

Technically, those who are cutting-edge Plex users might already be familiar with most of these new features as they were announced back in April and previously released as beta features. Which is the main difference now as all of them have exited a beta status and are becoming available to all Plex Android mobile users.

The Google Play Store listing for the updated version also shows a number of fixes are included with this version. While most of these fixes, as well as most of the new features in general, are designed for mobile, there are some fixes for those who have installed the Plex app on an Android TV device.

Advertisement

For those new to Plex, this has fast become a one-stop app for everything media as what many might still assume to be simply a player has evolved over time to offer a richer and more inclusive experience overall.

In the last year alone, Plex has added web shows and podcasts, among other things.

Most of the functionality of the app works without the need of a purchase although those looking for the richest of Plex experiences will need to upgrade through the purchase of a Plex Pass.

Advertisement

To download the latest version of the app (7.16.0), head over to the Google Play Store.
On Thursday, a rumor surfaced (agreeing with a few other rumors and leaks) that Samsung would be ditching physical buttons on the Galaxy Note10. Now, reliable Samsung leaker, Ice Universe, has contradicted that rumor. Stating that Samsung will be keeping physical buttons on the Galaxy Note10.

Ice Universe does note that there was an early engineering sample that did not include physical buttons. But that sample did not pass Samsungs rigorous testing. And that the final version of the Galaxy Note10 will indeed have some physical buttons. So that puts that rumor to rest, for now.

A follow up tweet mentioned the headphone jack, basically saying that it is gone.

Advertisement

The headphone jack being killed off is something that weve seen coming from Samsung for a while. Especially after it launched the Galaxy A8s and the Galaxy Fold this year without a headphone jack. So it was only a matter of time before its popular flagship lines (Galaxy S and Galaxy Note) lost the headphone jack now.

This is likely not that big of a deal, considering the fact that most people have already moved over to wireless headphones, or even USB-C headphones. Samsung will still likely bundle a dongle in the box, so you can use your existing headphones with the Galaxy Note10 though. But as for a headphone jack, yeah, its gone.

With this news, a lot of conspiracy theories have popped up. Including some thinking that since Samsung started bundling those premium AKG headphones in the box, users have stopped buying headphones  because they were so good. Since Samsung owns HARMAN and makes their own headphones on the Level-On brand, this is an invested interest for them.

Advertisement

The Galaxy Note10 is already shaping up to be a pretty impressive smartphone from Samsung. Of course, thats something we say nearly every year, when it comes to Samsung and its flagship devices. The Galaxy Note10 is also rumored to be coming in two sizes, with a larger one and a smaller one being available. Additionally, itll sport the latest specs, including a Snapdragon 855 chipset at least 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage (though 256GB is more likely). Which is bound to make Galaxy Note owners pretty ecstatic and more likely to upgrade from their older smartphone.

Theres still a few months to go before Samsung announces the Galaxy Note10 though. Samsung typically announces it around the middle of August, or a bit earlier. This is to beat the iPhone to store shelves, and also overshadow its competitors at IFA which takes place at the end of the month  and where most smartphones for the Fall get announced. So expect the same this year.

Keep in mind that just because the Galaxy Note10 isnt ditching the physical buttons, that doesnt mean that Samsung wont be doing this in a future smartphone. It could even happen with the Galaxy S11 next Spring. But as always, well have to wait and see. The bigger deal here is definitely the loss of the headphone jack though.
Posted on: May 29, 2019 12:48 PM

Christians around the world are preparing to pray individually, in churches, in ecumenical gatherings and in large-scale beacon events, as part of this years Thy Kingdom Come global wave of prayer. The initiative began in 2016 as a call from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Justin Welby and John Sentamu, to the clergy of the Church of England to set aside time between Ascension and Pentecost  30 May to 9 June this year  to pray for more people to know Christ. Leaders of other Christian Churches in the UK echoed the call, as did Anglican leaders around the world. It is now a global ecumenical annual initiative.

In what Archbishop Justin Welby described as the most amazing thing, Pope Francis has endorsed this years event with a video message. I had the huge privilege of meeting Pope Francis, who is extraordinary, Archbishop Justin explained. I very cheekily said to him, would he give a message for Thy Kingdom Come and without a pause he gave the message [which] is utterly inspiring.

Speaking in Spanish on a video recorded by the Popes translator on Archbishop Justins mobile phone, Pope Francis said: Come Holy Spirit. This is the cry of all Christians on this day of Pentecost. Come Holy Spirit  the promise of the Father; the promise of Jesus, that the Holy Spirit may enlarge and widen our hearts.

We all have a problem, and that is that our hearts tend to shrink, become smaller and close. We cant solve that problem by ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit can solve it. Come Holy Spirit. And to Jesus, thy Kingdom come  the Kingdom of the Father that you came to announce.

And to you, my brothers and sisters with my brother Justin Welby, we want to tell you that we walk alongside you in this prayer - Thy Kingdom Come.

The video message will be played in Londons Trafalgar Square on Pentecost Sunday where more than 5,000 Christians are expected to gather for an ecumenical worship event attended by Archbishop Justin and the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster.

In Ireland, the Anglican and Catholic Primates, Archbishops Richard Clarke and Eamon Martin, issued a joint message, which has been published as a blog by the Anglican Communion News Service. Praying Thy Kingdom Come can be a familiar phrase that trips off the tongue a little too easily, but it should never be such, they said. The Kingdom of God can best be understood as being the realm of God, that place where God is in full control, where God is completely supreme in the hearts and minds of his people.

Praying for Gods Kingdom to come is therefore not simply a prayer for the world (although it is that), but it is also a prayer for our own spiritual renewal and a prayer for the Holy Spirit of God to enter the lives of those we know and love in a new and powerful way.

The Diocese of West Malaysia in the Province of South East Asia is using the 10 days as a period of intensive prayer . . . for the lost, the least, the little and the lonely that they may be comforted with the Word of God and God Almighty himself, Archbishop Moon Hing said.

The diocese has published a prayer resource booklet for Thy Kingdom Come. The Diocesan Prayer Coordinator, David Rajiah, said that through this we hope to . . . be transformed through prayer, be given new confidence and encouragement by the Holy Spirit, [and] be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ.
Posted on: May 31, 2019 3:29 PM

Scam emails designed to look as though they have been sent by the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, have been used to acquire iTunes gift cards from unsuspecting recipients. At least one recipient of the emails was taken in by the fraudsters and ended up 200 out of pocket. The scammers used a Google Gmail account. The victim who fell for the scam was targeted at 12.50 pm BST on Saturday (25 May)  some 16 hours after the Anglican Communion Office informed Google that the email account was being used to commit fraud.

The fraud is committed over several steps culminating in a request to purchase iTunes Gift Cards on behalf of the sender, and to forward the details to a third party. In the fraud committed last week, the recipient was told by the bogus Secretary General that he was stuck in a business meeting and wanted the Gift Cards to be sent to a friend who was in hospital.

This week, a spokesman for the City of London Police, which manages the Action Fraud online reporting tool for all UK police forces, told the Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) that fraudsters are using online store gift cards to collect money from victims because they can be easily redeemed and sold on. The fraudsters dont need the physical card to redeem the value and will instead use tactics to persuade victims to purchase gift cards in large amounts and read out the serial code on the back over the phone.

This type of fraud has increased in recent years. The UKs National Fraud Intelligence Bureau said that in the year from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2018, losses in excess of 6.5 million were reported through this type of fraud, with the average victim finding themselves 579 out of pocket.

In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that there had been a 95 per cent increase in the number of gift card related fraud in the past year. The FTC said that it was aware of fraud totalling $20 million USD in 2015, (approximately 15.9 million GBP), $27 million in 2016 and $40 million in 2017. By September last year the total had already reached $53 million.

According to the FTC, almost a quarter (23.7 per cent) of gift card fraud in 2018 involved Apples iTunes Gift Cards. Other brands targetted included Google Play (18.3 per cent), MoneyPak (3.5 per cent), Amazon (2.5 per cent) and Steam (2.3 per cent).

The increase in gift card fraud follows a clamp down on so-called wire transfer fraud. The US Department of Justice and the FTC took Western Union to court, claiming that it was facilitating the fraud by not have sufficient procedures in place to stop it. In January 2017 Western Union admitted breaching US banking and anti-fraud laws by unwittingly processing hundreds of thousands of scam transactions. Western Union agreed to hand back $586 million USD (approximately 465 million GBP) to victims and a website was created to process claims.

While Apple are not the perpetrators of the fraud, they are an unwitting beneficiary. The company declined to tell ACNS whether it had identified how much money it had made as a result of the scam. When asked what measures it took to clamp down on the fraud, the company declined to comment beyond saying that it has a web page warning about the fraud, and that its iTunes Gift Cards contains the words Do not share your code with anyone you do not know printed on them.

ACNS contacted Google to ask why one of its email addresses was able to be used for fraudulent purposes more than 16 hours after the scam had been reported to them. The company acknowledged that it had received our enquiry, but declined to provide an explanation or comment.

The cost of gift card fraud is high, both financially and emotionally, The City of London Polices National Coordinator for Economic Crime, Commander Karen Baxter, said. Cruel fraudsters will prey on some of the most vulnerable members of society for their own personal gain, using every trick in the book to exploit money out of their victims.

We are working closely with retailers to stop these fraudsters in their tracks and to raise awareness of this type of fraud.

We urge people to #StayTunedToFraud to spot the signs of these scams in order to protect themselves.

The Anglican Communions Director for Communications, Gavin Drake, said: Staff at the Anglican Communion Office will never ask people to order Gift cards on their behalf. We are aware that this type of forged identify fraud is very common. People should be vigilant when receiving such requests.
The ongoing trade war between China and the U.S. shows no sign of endingin the near future. Forbes reports in its article China Prepares To Drop Microsoft Windows, Blames U.S. Hacking Threat that although steel tariffs acted as the catalyst for this protectionist policy, cybersecurity soon got caught up in the political mix and Huawei has been the highest profile target, or victim, depending upon how you see things. It was inevitable that China would fight back and from the cybersecurity perspective that's certainly been the case.

First there have been the drafting of cybersecurity regulations that could see U.S. technology imports blocked on national security grounds. Now comes the news, first broken online by the Epoch Times this week, that China is preparing to replace the Windows operating system with an alternative that is being developed within China in order to "prevent the United States from hacking into China's military network."

Quoting a report from a Canadian military print publication called Kanwa Asian Defence, the Epoch Times revealed how the Internet Security Information Leadership Group (ISILG) in China has been created in order to replace Windows, and the UNIX system, used by the Chinese military.

The ISILG is part of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and falls directly under the control of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This would make a lot of sense given that the United States Cyber Command was similarly formed to provide a separation between network security and national security groups.

I can certainly see how the technology environment has turned toxic at a national security level for countries on both sides of the East-West divide. While the West has become increasingly hostile towards Huawei, Chinese attention has been focused on networking technology made in the West. The Kanwa report talks of the ISILG believing that German-developed programmable logic controllers used in much of the Chinese industrial sector posing risks to national security.

Starting with the Edward Snowden NSA document leaks back in 2013 and bolstered by the Shadow Brokers group releasing NSA-developed malware more recently, China fears that U.S. intelligence agencies have the necessary tools to easily hack into operating systems such as Windows, and UNIX or Linux for that matter, and spy on Chinese military secrets.

The irony of a nation state oft-associated with cyber-attacks on Western targets, both in the business and government spheres, blaming the U.S. hacking capability for the need to develop a custom OS is not lost on me.

This isn't the first time that China has looked to replace Windows with a home-grown OS of course, but the Linux-based "Red Flag" variant has been something of a dead duck for a while now. This latest report suggests that any Linux variation would not meet the standards of the secure by design brief from the ISILG.

By adopting a security-through-obscurity approach China obviously hopes to build a more secure OS that will offer stouter defense against Western attacks. At least in the short term. There are, however, a couple of big problems with this approach, according to Ian Thornton-Trump, head of security at AmTrust International. "The reality of a secure OS is that you need a pipeline of developers to develop and support it," he explains, "given the economy in China a briefcase full of dollars is highly likely to yield you an advanced copy of the OS for opposing nation states to dissect and reverse engineer."

That said, Thornton-Trump can understand that with the seemingly never-ending number of zero-day vulnerabilities within Windows comes a feeling that the NSA and other classified agency exploit coffers are likely well stocked. "Clearly China has the tech development capability," he says, "so pointing resources at a secure by default and non-consumer OS makes sense." He does still see it as being a tit-for-tat response to the Huawei blacklisting by the U.S. though. "When the world's fastest-growing consumer nation makes this sort of announcement you know it's targeted," Thornton-Trump concludes, "patriotism seems more in favor than pragmatism."
The State Hermitage Museum [in St. Petersburg] has held talks with Saudi officials to explore the possibility of opening a satellite in the Gulf state. The meeting took place earlier this year during Hermitage Day in Oman, part of the Russian museums practice of taking short-term exhibitions and lectures to locations around the world as a form of soft power.  The Art Newspaper
Six years ago, the company moved into a newly-rehabbed 11,000-square-foot space with rent and expenses of $15,000 a month  expensive, though below market for the size and location. But the expense of building damage and other after-effects of Hurricane Harvey (2017) led to a cash-flow problem from which METdance has never recovered.  Houston Chronicle
Kus dili (bird language), used to communicate over long distances in a mountainous farming area near Turkeys Black Sea coast, renders the entire Turkish language into variously pitched and articulated whistles. Cell phones may have made kus dili redundant, but at least some of its speakers wont give up on it.  The New York Times
The loss before interest, tax and exceptional items narrowed to Rs 25.6 crore in FY19 versus Rs 35.5 crore in FY 18.

HCL Infosystems' systems integration business has been facing the challenge of inordinate delays in customer acceptances and payments, especially in the power sector.

New Delhi: HCL Infosystems said on Thursday its revenue in 2018-19 moved up to Rs 4,340 crore from Rs 3,565 crore in the previous fiscal.

The distribution business share was Rs 3,722 crore (Rs 3,017 crore in FY18), enterprise distribution Rs 1,704 crore (Rs 1,525 crore), consumer distribution Rs 2,018 crore (Rs 1,492 crore) and global services business Rs 486 crore (Rs 376 crore).

The loss before interest, tax and exceptional items narrowed to Rs 25.6 crore in FY19 versus Rs 35.5 crore in FY 18. Revenue (including other income) from discontinued operations in FY 19 was Rs 53 crore and profit before tax (before exceptional items) was Rs 3.1 crore.

"In FY 19 we further consolidated our business and focused on our distribution and overseas services," said company's Managing Director Rangarajan Raghavan. "Realisation of receivables from certain systems integration projects continue to pose challenges."

HCL Infosystems' systems integration business has been facing the challenge of inordinate delays in customer acceptances and payments, especially in the power sector.

"We are continuously engaging with customers to resolve these issues. However, we continue to face challenges and have had limited success so far. During the quarter, we have provided for Rs 33.8 crore on account of such receivables," said Raghavan.

The delay in realisation of these receivables has impacted the company's capacity to invest in other businesses which have the potential for growth. To reduce debt obligations, the company has decided to monetise its properties in a phased manner.
If they have a most-troubled-republic contest, Kyrgyzstan would be one of the contenders to win. Few of the first persons manage to serve the constitutional term, and few of high-ranking officials manage to become a long-liver in the office. Lately, the situation seemed to be more optimistic, but in reality the situation in Kyrgyzstan is far from being serene and the republic is moving towards turmoil again.

Director of the social research company SIAR Ainura Sagynbayeva recently presented a study of public sentiment conducted by its institute. They can not but disturb the authorities. The optimistic expectations that prevailed in Kyrgyz society in the last 5-6 years have been replaced by discontent, disappointment and irritation: "There is a tendency that preceded the 2005 and 2010 events , that is, the "Tulip Revolution" and the new revolution that ended in President Kurmanbek Bakiyevs flight from the country." In addition, the rating of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet fell to a record low in the history of modern Kyrgyzstan.

According to reports from Bishkek respondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, the tension in the society increases gradually, but noticeably. People are disappointed, revolutionary sentiments are no longer hidden, and discontent with power is growing. The people are especially annoyed by the fact that the widely advertised campaign anti corruption went up in smoke. Instead of the promised "we will break the back once and for all," they are fighting corruption selectively, and if you look closely, in some cases political motivation is evident. Experts say that there has never been such a weak government in the country, despite the fact that no strong one can be remembered either: the most authoritative of the current Cabinet of Ministers - Finance Minister Oleg Pankratov resigned, what to talk about here?!

Political analyst Mars Sariev, commenting on the situation in Kyrgyzstan, told Vestnik Kavkaza that "the mobilization actions of the southern guys are noticeable." "There are many Bakiyev's people in power today. Including in the entourage of President Sooronbay Jeenbekov. These people have never been passive. I remember President Almazbek Atambaev warned that those times may come back. In one of his last speeches, already as an ex-president, he repeated the theses about the danger of returning 'Bakiev's times,' leading the state to the Khanate of Kokand. Most likely, riots in Kyrgyzstan may start in the autumn. The authorities need to change the policy. While there is selective fight against corruption, resentment will only grow. Another split on the principle of 'north' - 'south' of Kyrgyzstan is already clearly visible to those with knowledge of local political games," Mars Sariev said.

Observers cite iftars - charity dinners during the holy month of Ramadan, which are held in Russian cities on behalf of the fugitive ex-president of Kyrgyzstan as indirect evidence of the "mobilization of the southern guys". He does not cross the Russian border himself, perhaps he is afraid of being detained, staying in Belarus, where he settled after being forced to leave his homeland. Informed sources told Vestnik Kavkaza that 500 citizens of Kyrgyzstan participated in the iftar in Moscow - mainly labor migrants, almost as many or even more - in Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk, and over 100 people - in St. Petersburg. Iftar is a godly thing, but experts are inclined to believe that they have started a process of bringing Bakievs supporters closer together.

On April 7, 2010, the clashes between the authorities and the opposition protesting against the government in Bishkek resulted in the death of 80 people, which eventually caused another Kyrgyz revolution. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who fled from Kyrgyzstan, took advantage of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko's hospitality and settled in this country. In Kyrgyzstan, Bakiyev and his brother were sentenced in absentia to 25 years in prison and a life sentence, respectively. The brothers did not admit guilt and declared themselves persecuted for political reasons. They never hid hopes of returning to Kyrgyzstan. At the same time, Kurmanbek Bakiyev was visible neither in politics, nor in public life, nor in the press, and if he was, then either in connection with past events, or in conjunction with someone else.

Informed people told Vestnik Kavkaza that there was nothing out of the ordinary in Bakiyev's iftar - it was not the first one. But the current ones are the most crowded, and wishes of Bakiyev's companions to return to Kyrgyzstan and rule there were heard on a massive scale perhaps for the first time there. Experts believe that if Bakiyev succeeds in consolidating at least part of Kyrgyz migrants, he will be able to deliver tangible inconveniences to the authorities: according to the latest data, at least 1 million 200 thousand people left Kyrgyzstan - it's a serious number. And while clarifying relations with his predecessor Atambayev became a matter of President Zheenbekov's life (at least it looks like this) , the real danger may come from the other side.
official teams have already visited mines in countries like Peru, Bolivia and Chile, which are rich in such strategic minerals.

Kolkata: Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL), the 34:33:33 joint venture of National Aluminium Company (Nalco), Hindustan Copper (HCL) and Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL), seems well set to firm up its first overseas acquisition of strategic assets in the next six months or so. The first acquisition may come in areas of strategic minerals like lithium and cobalt, which would foster the country's move into electric vehicles (EVs) and in countries like Peru, Bolivia and Chile, said HCL Chairman and Managing Director, Santosh Sharma. At present, 100 per cent of Lithium-ion batteries or cells are imported in India, as these which have a high energy density are in huge demand for portable electronic devices, solar power plants as well as electric vehicles. Interestingly, official teams have already visited mines in countries like Peru, Bolivia and Chile, which are rich in such strategic minerals.

The boards of the respective State-run metals and mining companies have already cleared the proposal to ink a formal JV company with an initial capital of Rs 100 crore and the formal agreement to this effect is likely to be signed within the next one week or so, said Sharma, adding that NITI Aayog had already given its nod for the proposed joint venture.

Meanwhile, State-run Hindustan Copper, which is aiming at garnering Rs 2,000 crore revenue from operations in the current fiscal, is aspiring to make capital expenditure of Rs 1,200 crore this year for capacity expansion, reopening of closed mines and acquiring new mining leases. The Kolkata- headquartered company has lined up plans to commence work for reopening of Rakha mine and also staring Chapri- Sidheswar mine at Ghatsila soon. Interestingly, HCL has been implementing mine expansion scheme to quadruple its capacity from 3.4 million tonne per annum to 20.2 million tonne a year.

Sharma said, "Bids for Malanjkhand and Capri mines have been received. We expect to finalise the successful parties very soon."
There are many projects that are handed over to this unit and they quietly carry out operations.

Just as the government of India has just formed a Special Operations Division, producer Shital Bhatia and director Neeraj Pandey are already planning a film on the subject.

Major General A.K. Dhingra was appointed as the first chief of the Armed Forces Special Operations Division which was cleared by Narendra Modi last year. The new division has 3,000 commandos  drawn from Indian Army, the Marine Commando (MARCOS) unit of the Indian Navy and the Garud unit of the Indian Air Force. There are many projects that are handed over to this unit and they quietly carry out operations. Neeraj is planning a film project on this elite unit, says a source.

The director-producer duo has sent titles like SOD, Special Operations Division, and SOD: Special Operations Division to be registered with the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA).

Neeraj is following every activity of the armed forces as he has a keen interest in subjects of this nature. Having made films like Special 26, Baby and A Wednesday in the past, Neeraj, who is working on a web series on the Parliament attack, is now arming himself with another riveting script on the defence forces, says a trade source.

 Sanskriti Media
Vedantji is proud of the tradition of Muslim artists decorating the sanctum sanctorum of his temple.

The cops, unusually alert to a Muslims movements because, they say, of a recent blast in a temple, arrest him for stealing gold.

Rating:

On surface, writer-director Zaigham Imams Nakkash is a simple story about Indias Ganga-Jamuni tehjeeb  in this case set in a tiny, traditional pocket where

Hindus and Muslims work together in the sanctum sanctorum of Hinduism  and how this can come under threat from radical elements on both sides.

But at another level, Nakkash is a sharp, heartfelt political commentary with scary contemporariness on our society and the nations rightward march. It uses a

small example of secular India, of traditional Hindu-Muslim collaboration to show how fragile this harmony is, and how its total destruction is not just presided over by, but actively coerced by a politics that needs hate to survive.

Nakkash, in essence, is about how love can wilt in the face of relentless hate.

Zaigham Imams Nakkash begins with visuals and sounds that capture the soul of India as preserved for generations in the oldest living city in the world: In Varanasi, ambers of the aarti are dancing to the chants of shlokas and bells, and soon Maghreb azaan is heard from a nearby mosque.

In this setting, Nakkash tells the story of two friends  both Muslims  a temple priest and his son, and how aligned and similarly-inclined hardliners are, no matter what their faith.

Allah Rakha Siddique (Inaamulhaq) is a widower who has a young son, Mohammed (Harminder Singh Alag), and his friend Samat (Sharib Hashmi) drives an electric rickshaw.

Allah Rakha works in temples creating metal work, nakkashi (engraving, in relief), with the encouragement of Vedantji (Kumud Mishra), the chief priest of a rich local temple.

Vedantjis morning sun and Ganga salutation are performed to the rendition of the Gayatri Mantra in Urdu, composed and sent to him by a Muslim friend in Delhi. The film pauses to tell us this because it wants to remind us that we are one nation, one people who have lived and worked together for generations.

Vedantji is proud of the tradition of Muslim artists decorating the sanctum sanctorum of his temple.

Samad loves Allah Rakha very much but is, at the moment, worried about his ageing fathers last wish  to go for Haj. But no matter what he mortgages, the money is just enough.

Every day Allah Rakha changes from his usual attire  kurta and a lungi that skirts above his ankles  to a pant and shirt and puts a red mark on his forehead before venturing into the temple. When hes done, he changes back again and then heads home to his son whom the Maulvi at the local madrasa wont admit because he disapproves of Allah Rakha and his work at Hindu temples.

The cops, unusually alert to a Muslims movements because, they say, of a recent blast in a temple, arrest him for stealing gold. But Vedanji assures them that Allah Rakha is given gold by him to melt, beat into a thin sheet and then bring back to the temple to decorate the walls.

But Vedantjis son, Munna Bhaiyya (Pawan Tiwari), who is canvassing and hoping to get a ticket from a party that firmly believes rajneeti karam ki nahin, dharma ki honi chahiye, disapproves. Also, the party wants him to manage this cozy, little secular arrangement between Allah Rakha and Vedantji.

Lets pause here to consider the fact that we are now increasingly finding our politicians and leaders in our temples.

Imagine Imran Khan or Donald Trumps Cabinet littered with imams and priests? Does that image strike you as odd? Does it ring a warning bell? If it does, look around you and, well, ponder.

Two trips to the local thana, before and after Allah Rakhas marriage to sweet Sabiha (Gulki Joshi), alter the course of Allah Rakha and Samads lives and friendship, and brings them face-to-face with the politics of hate.

Nakkashs throbbing heart is Inaamulhaqs Allah Rakha, a simple, dishevelled man who loves what he does, an artist who believes in the sanctity of all religions and refuses to even engage with those maulvis and neighbours who disapprove of him.

Its easy to love Allah Rakhas character because of how sweet, honest and sincere he is. He is so accommodating of the other that he is willing to sacrifice himself and his reputation to save a friend.

But the disarming diffidence and quietness, along with an unshakeable belief in his value system that Inaamulhaq portrays is what lifts this otherwise stock, almost bechara character and makes him real, believable and a symbol of a species endangered.

Nakkash, written and directed by Zaigham Imam, is simply told. It lacks finesse but it more than makes up for that with its pulsating heart and strong performances.

The story is fairly simple and straightforward too, but in these times when the obvious often gets downed in loud, rhetorical grandstanding, it serves as a cautionary tale  of an India that was, and an India that is fast turning into a nation where the space for anyone other than the Hindu is receding at a scary, alarming pace.

Nakkashs sights and sounds are what we hardly hear or see these days on our screens  qawwali, nikkah, a modern woman in a burqa, men in skull caps without the looming spectre of terrorism.

But more than that, Nakkash is important  because its a good thing when movies refuse to let us slip into complacency. Because its a good thing when movies remind us that democracy, secularism cannot and must not be taken for granted. Because its a good thing when movies tell us that our job is not done just by standing proudly and humming along when Jan Gan Man is played on the screen.

All we did was take a pledge. Now we must honour those words with our actions, work.
Meanwhile, in response to another question, Mr Maithripala described both regional groupings BIMSTEC and SAARC as significant.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Sri Lanka on an official visit starting June 9, visiting Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena told reporters on Friday. Mr Modi will visit Sri Lanka after he completes his visit to Maldives, the Sri Lankan president said.

Hailing the Indo-Sri Lankan ties that he said were over 2,600 years old, Mr Sirisena said, We are awaiting the PMs arrival. It is a great honour and prestige.

It is, however, clear that Sri Lanka is treading carefully on the issue of Indo-Pak tensions. In response to a question on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism aim-ed at India, Mr Maithr-ipala described Sri Lank-an foreign policy as neutral, adding that Sri Lanka wanted to befriend all nations and not have any enemies. We will try to mediate to find a solution, he said, commenting on a scenario of a dispute arising between two other nations. The comments indicate that Sri Lanka wants to maintain an even-handed approach regarding both India and Pakistan. Nevertheless, Mr Modi's visit to both of India's southern maritime neighbours, Maldives and Sri Lanka, is significant as it comes so soon on the heels of his huge electoral victory. The visits are also significant, given Chinas efforts to increase and maintain its influence in both the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, in response to another question, Mr Maithripala described both regional groupings BIMSTEC and SAARC as significant.

The Sri Lankan president was in India to attend PM Modis swearing-in ceremony on May 30.
The new EAM has his task cut out, for several challenges await him, the foremost being Indias troubled relations with Pakistan.

New Delhi: Former foreign secretary S. Jaishankar was on Friday appointed Indias external affairs minister (EAM) and assumed office in the evening succeeding Sushma Swaraj who had on Thursday been left out of the Cabinet of the Modi government in its second term in office. The new EAM has his task cut out, for several challenges await him, the foremost being Indias troubled relations with Pakistan.

The two countries were on the brink of war  after the Pulwama terror attack on February 14  when India launched air-strikes on February 26 against a JeM terror camp at Balakot in Pakistans KPK province.

Significantly, Mr Modi is expected to come face to face with Pakistan PM Imran Khan at the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan on June 13 and 14. New Delhi will, therefore, need to devise a strategy on how to deal with Pakistan.

On China, Mr Jaishankar  a former envoy to Beijing  will be expected to undertake preparatory work at top levels for the second informal summit between Mr Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping that is expected to take place in India in October this year. Ties between the two Asian giants improved considerably after the first informal summit between the two leaders in Wuhan in China last year.

Mr Jaishankars contribution to close ties with the United States is also expected to stand him in good stead when India negotiates with the United States on various issues.
The JD(U) is leading the NDA government in Bihar.

New Delhi: Miffed over the improper manner of allocating berths in Prime Minister Narendra Modis Council of Ministers, key ally JD(U) decided to opt out of the new government which took oath on Thursday.

Sources said that the JD(U), which won 16 Lok Sabha seats in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections, was upset over getting just one Cabinet and one minister of state berths in Team Modi, 2019, when it had asked for two Cabinet rank ministers.

Though JD(U) chief and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers, the issue could sour ties between the two allies who joined hands again in 2017 after splitting in 2013.

The view within the JD(U) over getting into Team Modi is that how can the Bihars ruling party be given the same number of Cabinet berth as that of LJP, Shiv Sena or SAD, when it won 16 of the total 17 Lok Sabha seats it contested in the recently concluded polls which is a junior partner in the state. The JD(U) is leading the NDA government in Bihar. BJP won all the 17 seats it contested, while LJP won six seats it contested.

Mr Kumar had held a meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah on Wednesday over the issue. With the issue remaining unresolved from the JD(U)s side, BJP national general secretary Bhupendra Yadav later met Mr Kumar. We are not joining the government. This is our decision, said JD(U)s Pawan Varma.

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, the seat-sharing formula had created a rift between the two allies and some of their leaders had openly expressed displeasure over it.
Jaishankar takes charge of the ministry nearly 16 months after he retired as foreign secretary.

Considered an expert on China and the US, the new External Affairs minister's moves will be keenly watched to see whether he brings any changes in India's approach in dealing with a hostile Pakistan. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar was given charge of the External Affairs ministry on Friday, the first career diplomat to handle the key portfolio.

Considered an expert on China and the US, the new External Affairs minister's moves will be keenly watched to see whether he brings any changes in India's approach in dealing with a hostile Pakistan.

Jaishankar, who takes charge of the ministry nearly 16 months after he retired as foreign secretary, will also have to deal with overall expectations of expanding India's global influence and stature, particularly in key multilateral forums like G-20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.

Read: Modi sarkar 2.0: Names, portfolios of Cabinet ministers announced

However, a major focus of the ministry under his leadership is likely to be on further boosting India's trade and defence ties with the US, Russia, France, Japan, and the European Union as well as with the countries of the neighbourhood.

Another challenge for him will be to further strengthen India's ties with China, badly hit by the Doklam standoff in mid-2017.

The 64-year-old -- who is not a member of either the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha at this point -- is also likely to push for deepening cooperation with the African continent where China is fast expanding its influence and presence.

Getting the long-awaited membership of the UN Security Council and Nuclear Suppliers Group is expected to be another area of interests of the new government.

India has also been trying to enhance ties with the Gulf region as well as the hydrocarbon-rich Central Asia, and Jaishankar is set to ensure continuity on it.

Jaishankar, son of the late K Subrahmanyam, one of India's leading strategic analysts, was a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

The deal, initiated in 2005, took several years to craft and was signed by the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh in 2007.

Jaishankar's appointment as foreign secretary in January 2015 evoked a sharp reaction from various quarters over the timing of the government's decision to remove Sujatha Singh.

He had earlier served as India's Ambassador to the US and before that to China.

A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar played a key role in resolving the crisis following the incursion in Ladakh's Depsang and the Doklam stand-off, handling the tough negotiations with Beijing.

Among other positions, Jaishankar has been India's High Commissioner to Singapore and Ambassador to the Czech Republic.

Last year, Tata Group appointed Jaishankar, who was Indian foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, as its president for global corporate affairs, within three months of his retirement from the government service.

A graduate of St Stephen's College, Jaishankar is an MA in Political Science and an MPhil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Jaishankar is married to Kyoko Jaishankar and has two sons and a daughter. In 2019, Jaishankar was conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of the country.
PM Modi meets up with the foreign leaders who had attended his swearing-in ceremony on Thursday.

New Delhi: Newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with several foreign leaders, dignitaries and ambassadors on Friday, a day after being sworn-in. PM Modi first met up with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at Hyderabad House. President Sirisena was one of the foreign leaders who had attended PM Narendra Modis swearing-in yesterday.

In the bilateral meeting today, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena congratulated PM Narendra Modi and reiterated his desire to work together to strengthen relations between the two countries for peace, prosperity and security in the region.

Among the other leaders with whom PM Narendra Modi is slated to meet with for bilateral meeting in Delhi, are Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli.

In the bilateral meeting PM of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth extended his warm felicitations to PM Modi. PM Modi thanked him and reiterated his commitment to further strengthening the fraternal and enduring bilateral ties between the two countries in all spheres.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading.
DMK also said it was usual to blame the Nehru-Gandhi family during poll debacles.

Apparently seeking to lift Rahul's spirits, the DMK's Tamil organ 'Murasoli', in its editorial, said the Congress was a broad-based party and to lead it, only a broad-minded person like Rahul was needed. (Photo: File)

Chennai: The DMK on Friday likened Rahul Gandhi to Jawaharlal Nehru for his liberal ideological moorings that went beyond just electoral politics and asserted that the Congress needed a "broad-minded person" like him.

At a time when the Congress appeared to be in a disarray with Rahul wanting to step down from the post of party chief due to poll drubbing, the Dravidian party said, "Rahul's political journey should be about slogging from the grassroots level. If that is there, victory is possible."

Apparently seeking to lift Rahul's spirits, the DMK's Tamil organ "Murasoli", in its editorial, said the Congress was a broad-based party and to lead it, only a broad-minded person like Rahul was needed.

Days after DMK chief M K Stalin persuaded Rahul not to quit from the president's post, the party mouthpiece said he did not confine himself to only "electoral politics," during the run up to the polls.

Instead, Rahul, the DMK said showed his concern about the Indian society, and expressed his anguish about several aspects like religious hostility, economic inequalities, and poverty.

The DMK daily said he also understood the difference in mindset between the southern and northern states.

Rahul spoke of "Periyar (rationalist leader) and celebrated Kalaignar (late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi)," and all such aspects went beyond poll victories and defeats, Murasoli said.

The Congress president, hence, transcended the confines of electoral politics by talking not only about Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also focusing on all such aspects.

By doing so, the DMK said, "Rahul transcended. To be very precise, Rahul Gandhi reflected the thoughts (liberal ideological stand) of Jawaharlal Nehru."

"Rahul is the strong brick for building the fort of Congress and it is more strong than a mountain of sand."

The DMK also said it was usual to blame the Nehru-Gandhi family during poll debacles.

"Many do not realise during times of success that it is the very same family which fetched victories for the Congress party."

Similarly, some were now trying to place the blame on Rahul for the Congress party's poll defeat.

Rahul has offered to step down following the dismal performance of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, while the Congress Working Committee rejected it.

The BJP had on May 23 won 303 out of 542 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls, handing out a crushing defeat to the Congress and many other political opponents.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading.
From Prague with love: Pelicans Sun, Moon and Star head for new London home.

It is the third time the Czech capital has sent such birds to the picturesque open space by Buckingham Palace, where pelicans first arrived in 1664 in the guise of a gift from the Russian ambassador to King Charles II. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay)

Prague: Three great white pelicans were crossing Europe by van on Thursday en route to their new home in a central London park, where they will become part of a centuries-old tradition with royal connections.

Sent by Prague Zoo, Sun, Moon and Star are to live next to a small lake in St James Park, close to Queen Elizabeths London residence.

It is the third time the Czech capital has sent such birds to the picturesque open space by Buckingham Palace, where pelicans first arrived in 1664 in the guise of a gift from the Russian ambassador to King Charles II, according to charity The Royal Parks. It says the sociable birds can roam freely but usually stay close to the lake.

Prague Zoo sent four in 1995, and three more in 2013, its director Miroslav Bobek said. We were first asked for them in the nineties because we were one of the first to successfully breed white pelicans, he said.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini is calling for a tough response to the United Nations, and hinting that Italy may reassess its contributions after the body criticized Italys policies toward migrants from Africa. Fox News in the article Italys Salvini calls for tough response to UN after it criticizes migrant policy writes that Salvini, who also serves as minister of the interior in Italys coalition government, wrote to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte Wednesday calling criticism by U.N. officials inappropriate pitch invasions in a pre-election period, according to ANSA.

In a May 15 letter to the Italian government, investigators from the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights took aim at a draft security decree that seeks to close Italian ports to NGOs that rescue migrants -- calling it a political attempt to criminalize search and rescue organizations. The U.N. office also claims that the decree further intensifies the climate of hostility and xenophobia against migrants" and claims it would violate migrants' human rights, and that Italy is obliged to help migrants in distress.

But in the letter to Conte, obtained by Il Giornale, Salvini said it is obvious that we are in the presence of an undue interference in the political and normative activity of our government from forces intolerant of the new course given to national migration policies. He also noted the timing of the letter, which was published in news outlets a week before the European Parliament elections that took place last week.

Salvini told Conte that the interior and foreign ministries are preparing a response to the letter, and also requested details about Italys financial contribution to the U.N., which he suggested could be reconsidered. The Foreign Ministry had previously said the letter from the U.N. carried no judicial weight.

Salvinis aggressive stance toward the U.N. comes on the heels of a significant win for his League in the recent Euro elections, where League took more than a third of the vote and became the biggest party in Italian politics. Salvinis rise to become the de facto leader of the coalition government has been fueled by his tough stance on rescue boats that pick up migrants from Libya. He has feuded with not only the U.N. but also European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron. He also faced legal challenges in the courts, including charges of kidnapping for his refusal to allow a boat of 177 migrants to land in Italy last year. However, Senate lawmakers blocked the case from proceeding.

I do not change my mind!  he tweeted in April. For the good of the Italians, with me the ports are and remain CLOSED!
Danve was on Thursday inducted as a minister of consumer affairs.

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) state unit has started a search for a new face as its Maharashtra unit president Raosaheb Danve has been inducted into Prime Minister Narendra Modis Cabinet.

A senior BJP leader and Cabinet minister said that the new BJP state chief would be picked before the Assembly election, which is to be held in three months. Sources in the BJP said that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis would not allow any BJP leader to challenge him and stake a claim on the post of chief minister.

Chandrakant Patil, Girish Mahajan, Subhash Deshmukh and Dr Ranjit Patils names are doing rounds for the state BJP chiefs post.

Mr Danve, re-elected from Jalna in North Maharashtra for a fifth term, was on Thursday inducted as a minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution in the Modi 2.0 Cabinet.

According to the BJPs one-man-one-post policy, a leader can be vested with only one responsibility. Therefore, Mr Danve had to step down as the BJPs state unit president. Sources said that the BJP state president will be appointed after the national president is appointed.

A senior BJP leader said that a new BJP state president would be selected in consultation with the saffron partys central leadership and the state core committee.

A BJP insider claimed that minister of the state for home Dr Ranjit Patil, who is considered close to Mr Fadnavis, is said to be preferred among the four aforementioned candidates.

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 23 out of 48 constituencies in the state while its ally Shiv Sena won 18.
Former state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre had met Thackeray on Thursday to convince him to come on board.

Mumbai: State finance minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudhir Mungantiwar Friday took a dig at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and said that his party would soon be listed as an endangered species.

Mr Thackeray campaigned against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah without contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

Holding a total ten rallies, the Maharashtra Navni-rman Sena (MNS) chief showed Mr Modi's videos to the common public, asking them not to trust the BJP. He not only urged people to bring down Mr Modi and Mr Shah but also to give Congress president Rahul Gandhi an opportunity to become the Prime Minister.

It seemed that his rallies would affect the Lok Sabha election results but nothing of that sort happened. On the contrary, the BJP won a huge majority and Mr Modi became the Prime Minister of the country for a second term. After this, Mr Thackeray only tweeted, Beyond Rationale!

Mr Mungantiwar criticised Mr Thackeray, saying that his party would soon become an endangered species. Because of Mr Thackerays comment, Lava re to video, it appeared that his rallies would be effective.

However, the crowd gathered at his rallies could not be converted into votes. Mr Mungantiwar advised MNS not to contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra and not to participate in politics for now. Instead of criticising Mr Modi or Mr Shah, it would be better if Mr Thackeray spoke about development, said Mr Mungantiwar.

Meanwhile, Mr Thackeray indicated Thursday that his party might continue to remain non-aligned and fight all seats on its own in the state Assembly elections later this year. Former state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre had met Mr Thackeray on Thursday to convince him to come on board.
Raut said that the party was content with whatever had been offered by the BJP-led government.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut Friday dismissed reports that his party was unhappy over the allotment of a ministry to its minister Arvind Sawant, who was given the portfolio of heavy industries in the Narendra Modi government. The Sena had been allotted the heavy industries portfolio since the first Bharatiya Janata Party-led Nationalist Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.

In political circles, heavy industries is considered a low-profile portfolio as compared to home, finance or the railways. Meanwhile Sena spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut clarified that in allotting the heavy industries portfolio, the Sena had not been given any substandard treatment.

Mr Raut said that the party was content with whatever had been offered by the BJP-led government.

Portfolios were distributed Friday and while the Sena expected to get portfolios such as the railways, energy and civil aviation, none of these were allotted to it, leading to unhappiness within the party. The Janata Dal (United) or JDU, the BJPs alliance partner from Bihar, also decided not to join the Union government at the Centre. It is being said that the JDU, too, was not happy with portfolios the BJP planned to allocated to it.

In the first NDA government led by Mr Modi, Anant Geete was allocated the heavy industries portfolio. Mr Geete was the lone Sena minister in Modi Sarkar 1.0. He lost from the Raigad Lok Sabha constituency in the recently concluded LS elections.

In the NDA government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manohar Joshi was given the portfolio of heavy industries and public enterprises from October 13, 1999 to May 9, 2002.
The collective leadership that the BJP was known for became a matter of the past and in its place there emerged a political duopoly.

There were four big questions on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi assuming office, along with his council of ministers, for the second time after completing his entire tenure. The first related to the man increasingly mentioned as the legitimised inheritor of Mr Modis legacy  BJP president Amit Shah. Speculation was on if he would be inducted into the government and leave handling party affairs to a lesser mortal.

Two months ago, when Mr Shah was named BJP candidate from Gandhinagar and Lal Krishna Advani dropped from the list of candidates, it was presumed that he would be inducted as Union home minister. In this appointment, there was a huge point to score against the Congress and other non-BJP parties. From the time that Mr Modi began his political ascendance in 2013 and Mr Shah was given the prime position in the 2014 campaign, the BJP claimed that the portly leader had been framed as part of a conspiracy to defame him and the Hindu community. Since the charges were orchestrated by the Union home ministry, could there be a more direct payback than placing Mr Shah in North Block?

Mr Shahs induction underscores his position in the BJP pecking order as second to only Mr Modi regardless of his portfolio and being called to take the oath after Rajnath Singh. This marks the almost complete eclipse of the previous generation of BJP leaders. Mr Singh is now the only high-profile contemporary of Mr Modi remaining in a position of influence, while others in the BJP currently were inducted into the top echelons after him. Arun Jaitleys exit for health reasons and Sushma Swarajs exclusion, for which no explanation has been given, are clear indicators of the change of guard within the BJP.

The induction of Mr Shah marks an important moment in the relationship between the government and the party and points to the direction Mr Modi is moving in. During NDA-1, relations between the Atal Behari Vajpayee government and the party was marked by lack of coordination  often the party left the government to publicise its achievements and the latter too made little effort to make the organisation and its leaders stakeholders in the government and its policies. Under Mr Modi, and with Mr Shah in charge of the organisation, the two worked in complete synergy  the party taking up the task of canvassing the governments achievements and programmes and the government ensuring that key people connected with the party and its political ecosystem were suitably placed within the system to leverage it from within.

The collective leadership that the BJP was known for became a matter of the past and in its place there emerged a political duopoly. Although questions were raised, most notably by party veterans, most who once eyed positions for themselves in the future, chose to accept the new reality. In the run-up to the elections, Nitin Gadkari made oblique statements that generated speculation, but this mandate has settled internal equations and a watch needs be kept on his fate within the new order. Given that the BJP believes in the one-man, one-post principle, it is a matter of time before a new president is elected. Watch will have to be kept on the relationship between the new chief and the Modi-Shah combine. To a great extent, only solid understanding between the three would expand the party network in states which are now on the BJP radar and enable it to secure political power in places like West Bengal, Delhi, Odisha and further spread its wings in the southern states.

The second big question was over the steps Mr Modi would take to provide, as promised, a more inclusive India, one where the BJP would not rest with just the Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas coinage but also seek Sabka Vishwas, or trust of everyone. Specifically, Mr Modi said his government must reach out to those who did not vote for the BJP, including the religious minorities. Implicit in this declaration was the sentiment that it was not enough to run government schemes which did not exclude beneficiaries on the basis of religious identity, but the BJP must politically reach out too to the groups that were feeling insecure and targeted. The most visible action could be the denial of ministerial berths for notorious motormouths. The composition of Team Modi, however, sends out mixed signals  Maneka Gandhi and Anant Hegde are out, but Giriraj Singh, Sanjeev Baliyan and Niranjan Jyoti continue, suggesting that the party remains committed to Hindutva and is willing to make adjustments provided a leader has a strong social base that is essential for the BJP to retain its electoral hegemony.

Third, Mr Modi also pledged commitment to the coalition dharma and one expected that just as he had been accommodating towards allies while making seat adjustments, he would be generous with allocating portfolios. But by denying partners their wishes, Mr Modi has demonstrated that the government remains a BJP hegemony, with just a token or ornamental presence of allies. It appears certain that the BJP has set itself in Bihar on the same path that it treaded in Maharashtra in 2014. At that time, the BJP contested Assembly elections in the state on its own and later reunited with the Shiv Sena to form a government. It is certain that efforts will be mounted in Bihar for the BJP to reclaim its position of being senior partner, which it yielded in 2004-05. Moreover, besides its overbearing approach to the NDA partners, the government is also short on regional representation, demonstrating that Mr Modis new coinage National Ambition, Regional Aspiration remains just what the alliteration means in Hindi  Nara, or slogan, jumla.

Finally, Subrahmanyam Jaishankars surprise induction in the Union Cabinet is a pointer to the talent deficit within the BJP. The large-scale dropping of sitting ministers is also an indication that performance issues dogged Modi-1, yet they were persisted with due to electoral compulsions. But after the spectacular performance, the Prime Minister felt no necessity to carry administrative liabilities and is experimenting with fresh talent. Seen in conjunction with the short shrift to allies, this government may well turn to be a more Modi-centric administration, and after the great surge, one can expect many a purge.
Today too our system of justice is largely retributive and reinforces the privileges of dominant elites, and particularly state functionaries.

Most Pakistanis, at least of the formally educated variety, have a limited understanding of colonial rule in the subcontinent and how significant a legacy it left behind. Perhaps it is because we are taught virtually nothing about the British Raj in school, and believe that we were subject to Hindu Raj before 1947 rather than the wide-ranging coercive and consent-generation mechanisms of British rule. That so many of us are wilfully ignorant is the most disturbing aspect of our colonial inheritance.

The British ruled the subcontinent for almost 200 years, and in that time established formal legal, administrative and coercive apparatuses that we inherited in 1947. They enumerated populations, mapped and codified land, and integrated what we now know as Pakistan into an imperial economy that spanned the globe. It is impossible to understand where we are today, and particularly the crises and contradictions that exist in this land without a reckoning with the institutions  formal and informal, economic, political and cultural  that the British left behind.

In recent days, Pakistans reputation of being a country at war with itself has been reinforced. The use of the big stick to silence various kinds of political opposition, the fact that our economy is teetering (yet again) on the brink of implosion, and the controversy surrounding a sitting Supreme Court judge who is line to become Chief Justice  all these developments, like so many others at different points, confirm that we have yet to live down our colonial legacy.

At the root of everything is the fact that the state remains an apparatus unaccountable to its people. More often than not, state institutions  particularly those responsible for administrative, judicial and policing functions  wield a big stick to keep ordinary Pakistanis in line. Quite simply, we remain subjects with formal citizenship rights only on paper. Yes, there are some who do not suffer the ignominy of name-calling, exploitation and violence. The rich and powerful amongst us get offered carrots, often very sweet ones. In short, the rule of colonial difference  to borrow a term from the renowned academic Partha Chatterjee  is still intact. Carrots where necessary, the stick otherwise.

Second, economic resources are not a trust of the people, and are extracted cynically by the state in cahoots with vested (domestic and foreign) interests. The actual beneficiaries of this systematic policy wax lyrical about improving the lives of the people whose labour and resources are being exploited. Where people speak up for themselves and say clearly that they are victims of an extractive logic, elements within their ranks are bought off whereas the big stick is wielded against the brave few who refuse to compromise and continue to speak truth to power.

Third, the law is itself a means of legitimating tyrannical rule. Remember that under the British there was no Parliament representing the will of the people. There were certainly laws in force, but these laws were enacted by British administrators; natives simply had to accept the language of civilisation that accompanied legal enforcement, even though the more accurate term was enslavement. Today too our system of justice is largely retributive and reinforces the privileges of dominant elites, and particularly state functionaries.

When formal colonialism ended, there were approximately 300 million people spread out across the subcontinent, and it was only in the last couple of decades before the British departed that a significant segment of this population definitively broke with the myths about colonial rule that had been systematised over two centuries.

It is the rich and powerful  and this includes those at the highest levels of officialdom  that continue to defend a system devised by foreign rulers and sustained by local collaborators with the purpose of extracting resources from the land and enslaving the majority of people on that land to their dictates.

Indeed, for much of the non-Western world, the legacy of European colonial empires continues to loom large. In countries where this legacy has been acknowledged, there has been at least some progress in decolonising political-economic structures, and minds. In Pakistan, the imperative of decolonisation is as urgent as ever, and it is the most oppressed colonial subjects of all in Thar, Gwadar, Waziristan and Okara that are leading the way.

By arrangement with Dawn
The Chinese tech giant said it planned to invest about USD 5 million in the lab in the Junggu district of Seoul.

Huawei Technologies unveiled an open lab for a next-generation 5G wireless network in South Korea on Thursday but kept the launch low-key given its recent blacklisting by the United States, a key security ally of the Asian nation.

The Chinese tech giant, the worlds top producer of telecoms equipment, said it planned to invest about USD 5 million in the lab in the Junggu district of Seoul. It did not provide any more details on the location and did not invite media to the launch.

Based on the philosophy of In Korea and for Korea and the strength of its own 5G network, Huawei will build a 5G ecosystem through cooperation with a number of South Korean ICT companies and especially small-and-medium enterprises, Huaweis Korea office said in a statement.

The event was, however, overshadowed by the US decision earlier this month to ban American tech and telecom firms from doing business with Huawei. Washington has also been urging its allies to bar the Chinese company from their 5G networks.

Huawei had initially considered inviting the press to the launch in South Korea, but after the US ban it decided to keep the event low-key, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

Huawei wanted to promote the launch to as many Korean small-and-medium enterprises as possible, but it decided to keep the press out after the ban to avoid any damage to its Korean partners in case they are shown in media, the person said, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Huawei said the heads of South Korean enterprises attended the event but did not disclose any names.

The move underlines Huaweis commitment to South Korea from where it purchases components such as chips and screens.

The US campaign against Huawei, and the broader US-China trade war have landed export-driven South Korea in a familiar bind, caught between its crucial security ally and biggest trading partner.

The lab in South Korea is Huaweis first open 5G services development centre in the world that will allow other companies to test their platforms, according to the company.

South Korea rolled out 5G services in April, hoping the next-generation wireless technology will spur a breakthrough in fields such as autonomous cars.

Currently, Huawei provides its 5G network equipment for a small South Korean carrier LG Uplus. LG Uplus has said it does not plan to remove Huawei gear but promised to step up security checks.

The two bigger carriers, SK Telecom and KT, do not use Huawei gear.
Elizabeth Warren was the first presidential candidate to speak out in favor of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump.

Warren had called for an impeachment inquiry the day after the April 18 publication of special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report. (Photo:AP)

Washington: Democratic White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that if Donald Trump were not protected by his presidential status, he would be "in handcuffs and indicted" for obstructing the investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference.

The progressive US senator from Massachusetts, one of the leading Democrats for the party's 2020 nomination, was the first presidential candidate to speak out in favor of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump.

"If he were anyone other than president of the United States, he would be in handcuffs and indicted," Warren said on ABC talk show "The View."

Warren had called for an impeachment inquiry the day after the April 18 publication of special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report on Moscow's election interference.

Following a nearly two-year probe, Mueller concluded in his report that there was no evidence of outright collusion between Trump and Moscow.

He also said that, having detailed at least 10 possible acts of obstruction by Trump, it was not possible to say the president committed no crime.
PM Modi said that his government will now begin 'a new journey to build a new India with new energy' and reached out to minorities.

Prime Minister Modi was on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind. (Photo:AP)

Washington: The US has welcomed the post-election statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on inclusiveness, saying his re-election was a "clear" mandate for his vision of a strong, inclusive and prosperous India that plays a leading role on the global stage.

Prime Minister Modi said last week that his government will now begin "a new journey to build a new India with new energy" and reached out to minorities, saying the ruling alliance must win their trust and work without any discrimination.

"We certainly welcome Prime Minister Modi's post-election statements that have emphasised inclusivity that no one should be left behind, that there should be no distinction between Indian citizens, that the government should rule with the trust of everyone," a senior State Department official told a group of reporters hours after PM Modi was sworn in for the second five-year term in office.

Prime Minister Modi was on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind.

The BJP's overwhelming victory was historic, the official said, adding that it was the first back-to-back majority wins since 1971.

"It provided a clear mandate for Prime Minister Modi and for his vision of strong, inclusive and prosperous India that plays a leading role on the global stage," the official, who did not want to be named, told news agency Press Trust of India on Thursday.

The recently-concluded election in India was an extraordinary democratic lesson in which 600 million voters out of 900 million eligible voters - literally one in eight people living on this globe participated, the official said.

In a news dispatch from New Delhi, The Washington Post said that now that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sworn in, the hard part begins: delivering on his promises and meeting the heady expectations for his second term.

"While much of the election campaign focused on questions of national security, voters also are looking to PM Modi to accelerate economic growth and deepen progress on development issues," the daily wrote.

The Wall Street Journal said the ruling BJP is planning gradual changes to the economy after winning back-to-back majorities, focusing on streamlining rather than overhauls which many economists and executives say would put India on a higher growth trajectory.
The official said if India went ahead to buy the S-400 defence system from Russia, it will have serious implications on the defence ties.

Washington: Indias decision to buy the long-range S-400 missile defence system from Russia will have serious implications on defence ties, the Trump administration has warned.

The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 to procure the lethal missile system.

India and Russia signed a USD 5 billion S-400 air defence system deal in October last after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A Senior State Department Official told a group of reporters on Thursday that New Delhi's decision to buy S-400 air defence system from Moscow was significant, disagreeing with the view that it "isn't a big deal".

The official disagreed with the view that India's buying of S-400 from Russia might not have an impact as long as it increases its military purchase from the US. "I disagree. The S-400 is significant because of CAATSA sanctions. It's also significant because of what it precludes, in terms of future high-tech cooperation," the official said.

The S-400 missile defence system deal could result in US sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) instituted by the US Congress on arms purchases from Russia.

The official said if India went ahead with its decision to buy the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, it will have serious implications on the defence ties.

The Trump administration has been very clear that the acquisition of advanced Russian technology sends the wrong message to Russia at a time when it continues its aggressions, the official said.

"Those concerns we hold high," said the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "You can look at the very serious conversation that's taking place with our NATO partner Turkey and the same concerns will apply should India proceed with an S-400 purchase," the official said.

"We don't commingle highest technology systems. There are threats posed by the purchase of an S-400. So that conversation you're seeing played out in Turkey right now," the official said, asserting that those same concerns would apply to India as well.

Noting that there is no automatic waivers under CAATSA legislation, the official said that there is a provision that allows for presidential determination. Every case would have to be looked at individually. But I think the broader issue is where are India's military relations headed? With whom is it going to share the highest technology and that operating environment because certain choices preclude other choices, the official noted.

As we have discussions about a combat aircraft sales and other advanced systems, the decisions that India makes with regard to S-400 will have an impact on those conversations, the senior State Department official said.

India has been diversifying its weapons supply over the years. The US estimates that probably 60 to 70 per cent of its hardware is of Soviet/Russia origin. There is still a significant dependence on Russia. But the jump in India's purchase of military equipment from the US from zero to USD 18 billion is significant, the official said.

We do more military exercises with India than with any other country in the world. Through these exercises, through the enhanced cooperation we have, whether it's in the disaster assistance and humanitarian relief area or whether it's on this joint sailing that we did in the south China Sea, there's natural interest and also increasing the interoperability of our military equipment.

"So we, we certainly look forward to ongoing discussions about a variety of ones," the official said.

Asked that India took the decision to buy S-400 from Russia as the US was not willing to share such hardware with it, the official said: "There's another message from the United States and let's talk. We have systems that are effective. There are other platforms that are very effective". There are other considerations at play as well, the official said.

"But I think there's also a very positive message. We are now able to cooperate in ways that we could not before. We are now reaching agreements that we did not have before that allow us to consider sales that were incomprehensible only five years ago," the official said.

"So, we look forward to continuing the conversation because this really is a conversation. Choices that are made now will establish the framework for the future and we certainly have the ambitions for the broadest possible, deepest possible military relationship with India," the official said. The official underscored that the US was ready to discuss the full array of equipment available to address India's concerns.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Azerbaijans participation in the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which took place in Beijing, on April 2528, proved successful for Baku, having resulted in a number of important new, non-oil-sector investment projects in the South Caucasus country. The Jamestown Foundation reports in its article Azerbaijan and China Sign $800 Million Economic Package: The Geo-Economic Implications that specifically, during the Forum, Azerbaijani representatives signed ten agreements, cumulatively worth $821, with Chinese companies (Azertag, April 24; see EDM, April 30).

Based on these agreements, China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) will invest $300 million in a tire factory in the Sumgayit chemical-industrial park (about 25 kilometers northwest of Baku) (Azernews, May 3). The investment promises to create 800 new factory jobs there and boost the plants production potential to 3.3 million tires per year. CNEEC will acquire a 90 percent share in the project. The remaining 10 percent of stock will belong to the Azerbaijan Investment Company.

The signed business deals also include the building of a 300-hectare greenhouse complex in the Kurdamir region of Azerbaijan, the construction of agrological industrial parks in the Guba, Goychay and Khachmaz regions, an agreement on export of Azerbaijani wine to China, and the creation of the Azerbaijan Trade House in Chengdu, China (Turannews, April 24). Moreover, an Asian-European telecommunication corridor will be establish within the framework of the Azerbaijan Digital Hub initiative in order to better coordinate the annual transit of 2,5000 containers across the territory of Azerbaijan, traveling along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Azvision.az, April 24).

Sino-Azerbaijani economic cooperation truly picked up in 2015, when President Ilham Aliyev made an official visit to China. During that trip, the two governments signed several important documents, including a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Joint Encouragement of the Establishment of the Silk Road Economic Belt, which promised to Increase Azerbaijans geostrategic role within Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (Azernews, April 17).

In the following years, Azerbaijan has implemented several important infrastructure projects that attracted Chinese interest as potentially beneficial for the BRI. Notably, in May 2018, Azerbaijan inaugurated the Baku International Sea Trade Port on the Caspian Sea, which has an annual capacity of 15 million tons of cargo (Azertag, May 14, 2018).

Another important event was the inauguration of the BakuTbilisiKars (BTK) Railroad in 2017, which has been mostly financed by Azerbaijan (President.az, October 30, 2017). This railway is a key link in the trans-continental, overland transit of goods from China to Europe, and vice versa.

The development of economic relations after 2015 also significantly affected bilateral trade volumes. Since then, trade turnover between China and Azerbaijan more than doubled, reaching $1.3 billion in 2018 (Stat.gov.az, accessed May 17). And China has become one of Azerbaijans four top trade partners (it ranked ninth in 2015).

Despite active cooperation on strategic projects and the increasing levels of trade turnover with China (43 percent of Chinas trade with the South Caucasus region is now with AzerbaijanAzernews, May 3), until now Azerbaijan has largely not been willing to open its doors to private Chinese companies. Most of the investment agreements had heretofore been with Chinese state-owned enterprises. And compared with neighboring Georgia, which also participates in BRI and has signed a free trade agreement with China, Azerbaijan had attracted far less Chinese moneywhich some Chinese experts blamed on Bakus constrained domestic economic policies (Authors interviews, September 2016; November 27, 2017).

Therefore, the package of agreements signed last month at the second Belt and Road Forum, in Beijing, can be considered an important turning point in Sino-Azerbaijani economic relations as it substantially increases the involvement of Chinese companies in this easternmost South Caucasus republic. Indeed, the fact that the value of these ten agreements actually surpasses the total value of all investments made by Chinese firms until then ($800 million) underscores the willingness of both sides to expand their economic cooperation going forward.

The increased importance of the non-oil sector in bilateral economic relations is another significant factor in these developments. The oil crisis of 2014 had encouraged Azerbaijan to attract outside investment in its non-oil enterprises as well as to seek out new export markets (see EDM, April 18, 2016). And Baku assessed China to be the best option in both cases (see EDM, April 12, 2017). Although, petroleum-based products, including fuel and plastics, continue to dominate Azerbaijani exports to China, in the longer-term perspective, the Chinese market should provide great opportunities for Azerbaijans non-oil products.

However, tightening relations between Azerbaijan and China come with some critical political implications. Taking into account the fact that Russia and Turkey are presently Azerbaijans main trade partners in the countrys non-oil sector, growing Chinese involvement there is likely to create friction with the most important players in the region. It bears reiterating that, although Russia does not want to create problems in its relations with China, it does consider the South Caucasus to fall within its sphere of privileged interests and jealously guards the access of third countries to this region. Baku certainly understands this dynamic and is thus prudently cautious in its approach to Moscow, knowing that the latter remains a key player in any prospective resolution to the Karabakh conflictreaching which has never stopped being a priority of Azerbaijans foreign policy.

Risks related to sudden drops in oil prices, on the one hand, and Chinas large investment projects in neighboring countries, on the other, are omnipresent. Together, they encourage Azerbaijan to maintain a balanced policy both toward China and other regional players while taking into account its national economic and political interests. To achieve this, Azerbaijan seeks to participate in BRI without assuming Chinese loansthus avoiding Chinas debt-trap diplomacy. Furthermore, it prefers to deal mainly with state-owned companies on investment projects in order to decrease the scope for economic pressure. Due to their success to date, these tactics will certainly remain the main components of Azerbaijani policy toward China going forward.
Armenian parliament member from the ruling My Step alliance Narine Khachatryan said she plans to give up her seat.



Parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan recalled that under part 2 of Article 155 of the National Assembly Regulations, the MP has one week to withdraw his/her written statement on giving up the seat.

If this happens, the speaker comes out with am announcement. If not, the speaker makes a statement on terminating the mandate of the MP. ARKA reported.



Narine Khachatryan made no comments on her decision.
The Collector Wind Farm is valued at $360m and is expected to be completed by 2021, K&L Gates said. KWM said that the CEFCs funding of the project brings its large-scale wind investments to more than 2GW of capacity and nearly $1bn in commitments.

Luke Westmore, an energy, infrastructure, and resources partner, headed the K&L Gates that advised on the project. He was supported by senior associate Jordan Lyon and lawyers Nicole Guglielmi, Rachel Lawlor, and Claudia Brkic.

Partner Alan Maclean and senior associate Nick Cerche advised RATCH on project finance, while property advice was provided by partner Sam Brown, who was supported by special counsel Tracey Jordan, senior associate Karen Yuan, and lawyer Eleni Brooks.

Partner Kirstie Richards and senior associate Larissa Hauser handled planning matters, while corporate advice was provided by partner Dan Atkin, special counsel Clive Cachia, and lawyer Rachel McNally.

After having had the pleasure of advising RATCH on its Mt Emerald Wind Farm project which is now in its first year of operation in Queensland, I congratulate RATCH on beginning another exciting project, its first in New South Wales and its fifth wind farm in Australia. RATCH continues to play a vital role in Australia's renewable energy sector as a major producer of clean energy, and our K&L Gates team is delighted to have been able to support our client on this landmark project, Westmore said.
US insurance broker Ames & Gough surveyed 11 of the leading lawyers professional liability insurance companies that on a combined basis provide insurance to approximately 80% of the Am Law 200 firms.

Today, the greater complexity of matters and the higher costs to defend malpractice claims, including rising attorneys fees and e-discovery costs, are part of whats driving the alarming increase in claim severity, said Eileen Garczynski, senior vice president and partner, Ames & Gough. Its also clear the landscape for law firms is shifting; clients are now much more willing to point fingers at lawyers to seek financial redress when outcomes dont meet their expectations.

Topping the claims are those involving conflict of interest, including perceived conflicts; seven of the 11 insurers surveyed cited conflicts either as the first or second leading cause of legal malpractice claims.

To get control of this risk more firms are centralizing their conflicts of interest screening and managing the client intake process, Ms. Garczynski noted. While thats a step in the right direction, law firms still need to do a better job of flagging potential conflicts early and training their legal professionals on this issue.

The largest number of claims stemmed from four practice areas: Business Transactions (cited by 63% of insurers surveyed), Trust and Estates (55%), Corporate & Securities (45%), and Real Estate (45%).
Linklaters said that the new office will enable its partner firm to offer a full range of Peoples Republic of China law services, which will meet the needs of clients in Beijing.

The location is also ideal because of its proximity to key commercial regulators, giving the firm the opportunity to strengthen relationships and gain insights into the regulatory landscape, it said.

With an initial focus on competition, the new office provides the opportunity to open new practice areas, Linklaters said. The Shanghai joint operation is currently known for its work in corporate M&A, financial regulation, competition, and dispute resolution.

Zhao Sheng advices a wide range of local and international clients, including COSCO, UBS, China Development Bank, and China Merchants Group.
One car burglar operating in Berkeley, California, found out the hard way that Tesla cars come equipped with cameras and sensors that set them off when someone approaches or enters the vehicle. He is now behind bars, as he was already on parole at the time he started breaking into cars last month.Berkeley Police tell NBC Bay Area that they were investigating a string of recent car burglaries when they caught a sudden break: one of the victims came forward with a photo of the guy who was behind them. They searched for him in their database and found him there.Derrick Conerly, a convicted rapist wearing a GPS ankle monitor, had no idea he was on camera, the publication says. Police were able to identify Conerly as a parolee with a GPS ankle monitor, which documents his every move. With that, they were able to connect him to the auto burglary.Conerly is now back behind bars.Police confirm for the same media outlet that the case was solved much faster thanks to the Tesla owners intervention, adding that, in such cases, crime solving gets just a little bit easier. They just have to follow the breadcrumbs and they find their suspect.This isnt the first time that Teslas crime-fighting has made headlines. The introduction of Sentry Mode, a safety feature meant to alert owners when someone approaches or enters the vehicle by force, has led to the capture of at least 3 vandals who thought keying Teslas was a fun way of passing the time.They were wrong and, in addition to paying hefty fines, they will also have to foot the bill for not-exactly-cheap repair work.
If Toyota were to develop the Supra in-house and manufacture the car in the Land of the Rising Sun, the A90 wouldve arrived in 2021 according to chief engineer Tetsuya Tada. The man behind the Supra is also confident the A100 will happen at the right moment, but itll probably be different.Tada-san is aware of the rising demand for autonomous technologies and EVs, but as mentioned beforehand, the chief engineer isnt certain what kind of Supra the A100 will be. By the time Toyota rolls out the sixth generation, hell be at home enjoying retirement according to Japanese Nostalgic Car Codenamed J29 in BMW jargon, the 2020 Toyota GR Supra will become available with a six-speed manual in the near future. The Z4 already offers three pedals and a good ol stick, but only for the entry-level engine with fewer than 200 horsepower. A manual wouldve been a lot better in the Z4 M40i, which happens to be more potent than the most powerful GR Supra.Built in Graz, Austria by Magna Steyr, the Japanese coupe with underpinnings from a German roadster is available in limited supply for the 2020 model year. The U.S. gets the inline-six turbo from the get-go for $49,990, packing 335 horsepower, adaptive suspension, an active differential at the rear, and launch control.Launch Edition retails at $55,250 excluding destination, and thats a lot of money for this type of vehicle. For reference, the C7 Corvette in Stingray flavor starts at $55,900 for the small-block V8 engine with 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.Even worse for Toyota , the Porsche 718 Cayman is $56,900 excluding destination charge. Care to guess how much the Z4 M40i costs in the United States? Make that $63,700, thank you!
HP

Something like this one here. Over time weve seen quite a number of cars, most of them electric, being taken to airports and forced to tow airplanes many times their size and weight. Teslas in particular is pretty good at this sort of thing.But the Model X pulling an airplane doesnt look nearly as good as a MINI Cooper SE doing the same thing. And there is proof of that now that the car has been filmed doing exactly that.On Friday (May 31), MINI decided to show what the car can do by taking a heavily camouflaged SE to the Frankfurt airport and having it tug a Boeing 777F freight aircraft that weighs somewhere in the vicinity of 150 tons.It manages to handle the task wonderfully (you can see for yourselves at the bottom of the page) and by doing so kicks off what MINI calls the start of a number of social media videos portraying the MINI Cooper SE in an exciting and entertaining manner.The car will enter production in November and will mark the British brands entry in the electric car segment. In itslef the Cooper SE will not be more potent than other EVs out there, but it will have, of course, that MINI allure that made these cars so successful over the years.The yet unofficial specs point to the cars motors developing 184and 270 Nm of torque. Its battery, produced by Chinese company CATL, will provide a range of up to 235 km (146 miles), perfect for trips within the city limits and just a little further.
This 770 horsepower toy was recently spotted in Japan (you know, the land of crazy LED-tuned Lambos ) and I have to admit the devil is in the details. Sure, an untrained eye wouldn't believe this (why does one have to discuss the details when a purple Lambo is striking enough without zooming in), but the machine packs eye candy for Raging Bull fans.For one thing, the stunning shade covering the aero-dictated styling cues of the V12 hero is called Viola SE30 . And yes, this was the shade used for the special edition Diablo celebrating the Italian automotive producer's 30th anniversary.Then there are the details adorning the body of the Italian exotic. The generous white stripe that runs the entire length of the car meets various gold details that stand out on their own.When it comes to beasts packing extrovert styling, a category that obviously welcomes the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, aficionados are usually split into two main camps.There are those who enjoy screaming specs, such as the one sitting before us and those who believe the aggressive styling needs to be mixed with a tame shade (this Nero Aldebaran SVJ is the perfect example of the latter category's preferences).Well, regardless of which camp you belong to, you have to admit that a four-wheeled creation like the one we have here simply can't be ignored.Speaking of the Lamborghini Aventador Superveloce Jota, the uber-special status of the Sant'Agata Bolognese machine doesn't mean the aftermarket side of the industry will leave it stock. Heck, work on the SVJ has kicked off as early as last year, albeit with the efforts being timid.
An employee of Manheim Auto Auction in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was getting cars ready for auction when he stumbled across a living human being stuffed inside the trunk of a 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Lancaster Online reports.I opened the trunk to take a trunk picture and there was a guy in there, Darren Leeds tells the local media, adding that the guy wasn't moving a whole lot. He ran and brought him a glass of water, while he waited for the police to arrive.According to reports, the man wasnt cooperative, so he had to be fingerprinted for identification. He was also taken to the hospital for treatment, but the police wouldnt say what for.The cops would later identify him as Leon Cyheime Parks, 25, of Bronx, New York. Yes, Parks is a wanted man back home, having warrants out in his name for parole violations, and drugs and weapons charges. Once he is released from the hospital, he will be sent back to New York to answer to his previous crimes.According to the cops, the Hellcat was one of the cars on a lot brought into Pennsylvania from the New York state area. However, theyre yet to determine how exactly Parks got inside the trunk.The lot arrived at the auction house early in the morning and Leeds proceeded to process them, inspecting them before placing them on the block. Whatever the context of this strange ride, Parks probably owes Leeds his life.Police [are] not releasing other details, including the date and times of departure and where the car came from, because the case is still being investigated, they said, Lancaster Online notes.
The incident involved the other passengers emotional support dog, described by the Huffington Post as a mix of chocolate Labrador retriver and pointer. The dog bit Marlin Jackson on the face as he leaned in to secure his belt, pinning him to the wall of the plane during the vicious attack.According to Jackson, when he got to his window-assigned seat on the Atlanta-San Diego flight and saw the dog, he made sure to ask the owner, a retired U.S. Marine from North Carolina, if the dog was prone to biting. He was offered an answer in the negative and proceeded to seat himself. When he leaned in to fasten his seatbelt, the animal lounged and bit him repeatedly in the face.Jackson bled so profusely from his injuries that flight attendants had to remove the entire row of passengers in front of him. He required 28 stitches to close the gashes in his face and was left with permanent scarring and loss of feeling in certain areas.Jackson is accusing Delta of negligence due to the airlines failure to ensure the safety of its passengers and for allowing a dog on board without being properly restrained. The lawsuit also argues that the dogs owner should have been aware that the pet could pose a threat to passengers, the Post writes.One year later, in 2018, Delta changed its policies on allowing dogs in the cabin, requiring forms to confirm the animal had been trained and banning pit bulls. The update came to enforce passenger safety, they said at the time.The problem according to Jacksons attorneys, is that Delta failed to enforce regulations existent at the time. The attack on Mr. Jackson would not have happened had Delta enforced their own pre-existing policies concerning animals in the cabin, the attorneys tell the Post.In this particular case, this would have meant seating a dog of this size elsewhere but a middle seat, so that it could be secured on the cabin floor.
The live-fire tactical exercises 'Indestructible Brotherhood - 2019' will be held in the territory of Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on the basis of an agreement on military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey on June 7-11.



The state flag exchange ceremony of the two fraternal countries was held within preparation for the exercises on May 30, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported.



The platoon of Separate Combined Arms Army headed from Nakhchivan city in the direction of the Umud bridge across the Araz River at the Sadarak checkpoint to participate in the ceremony.



At the same time, the Turkish platoon headed from Kars city to the designated place.



The flag exchange ceremony was held on the Umud bridge after the performance of the national anthems of the two fraternal countries.
El dia de ayer cause un retraso a los pasajeros y tripulacion de un vuelo comercial. El verdadero cambio requiere que nadie tenga privilegios y que el beneficio de uno, asi sea para cumplir con sus funciones, no este por encima del bienestar de la mayoria.  Josefa Gonzalez Blanco Ortiz Mena (@Josefa_GBOM) May 25, 2019

pic.twitter.com/gjg0PMtXFb  Josefa Gonzalez Blanco Ortiz Mena (@Josefa_GBOM) May 25, 2019

Last week, Mexicos Environment Minister Josefa Gonzalez Blanco, was supposed to be one of the passengers on Flight 198 from Aeromexico flying from Mexico City to Mexicali, The Guardian reports. No word yet on whether she was traveling on business or for pleasure, but she was late to board the flight.In fact, she was so late that, by the time she made it to the airport, the flight was already ready for takeoff, having left the gate. So Blanco spoke to an executive from Aeromexico  a good friend of hers, according to the media outlet  and they grounded the plane long enough for her to board it.As the plane was about to take to the skies, the pilot announced the passengers that they would be returning to the gate to pick up a tardy passenger for whom a presidential order had been issued. Several other passengers have confirmed for the local media that this was the exact phrase used by the pilot in his announcement.Being a populist politician, Blanco later issued an apology and resigned. She caused a 40-minute delay to the flight, but above everything, she used her position when shed promised to never stop being one of the people. Us regular folks usually have to catch the next flight out if we miss the one were booked for.In a series of tweets explaining her decision to resign, Blanco says she will continue to serve the country, just not as a minister anymore. She also sets the record straight, saying there was no presidential order to ground the plane or, at the very least, the presidency wasnt involved.When the countrys current President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, was sworn in, he promised to strip politicians of privileges of this kind. As proof of his good intentions, he listed his predecessors 787 Dreamliner plane for sale. Estimated at about $300 million, its currently sitting in a hangar in California, while Obrador flies commercial.
In Hong Kong, prices for the car begin at HK$330,000, and there will be only one version available, the Standard Range Plus.In Australia things are a bit more complicated, as prices could depend on the state the buyer is in and the registration type, business or personal. Overall, the car has a starting price of around AU$66,000.In Japan, prices start at YEN5,110,000 for the standard version with rear-wheel drive and can go to as much as YEN6,552,000 for the dual motor.The Chinese-made Tesla Model 3 is still some months away from actual production, but it is now available for order, as the American carmaker rolled out the local version of its online configurator , as well.People in China who want to own a Model 3 now have the option to pre-order the car in exchange for 328,000 RMB ($47,400) for the standard version with rear-wheel drive, and for as much as RMB522,000 ($75,500) for the dual-motor performance version. The entry-level price is 13 percent lower than the Model 3s currently imported from the U.S.Even if an order is placed now, customers will have to likely wait until 2020 to get their locally-assembled cars, as Tesla estimates a waiting period of between six to ten months.The Model 3 and subsequent models to be made at the carmakers new facility in Shanghai will only serve the local market, meaning cars sold elsewhere in the region will be imported from the U.S.Earlier this month, Elon Musk said Tesla is well on track to making this quarter the best ever (up from the 90,700 cars sold in the last quarter of 2018), a record that will likely be broken later in the year, once deliveries to these new markets begin.
EV

New European Driving Cycle

Even more interesting is that the Model 3 from China is 49,000 yuan less than the Model 3 imported from the United States of America. Deliveries are expected to kick off in six to ten months, and the entry-level option promises to sell like hotcakes in this part of the world.Chinasmarket is growing twice as fast as the U.S., mostly because both the automakers and consumers are treated to incentives and subsidies from the government. Shenzen, for example, is the only city in the world with 100-percent electric buses.The most affordable Model 3 in the Middle Kingdom is rated 460 kilometers (286 miles) on a full charge on the. Triple-digit speeds are achieved in 5.6 seconds, and top speed is 225 km/h (140 mph). The Standard Range Plus , Long Range, Long Range all-wheel drive, and Performance round off the list of drivetrain options.Gigafactory 3 is expected to start production of the Model 3 as early as September 2019 for the 2020 model year, and the Model Y will be manufactured there as well as in Fremont, California. If you were wondering, Tesla decided to build cars in China in order to sidestep import tariffs and because it makes a lot of sense from a financial standpoint.The new plant features all the latest equipment in the industry, and cheap labor furthers the profitability of the business. Gigafactory 3 also serves neighboring countries, freeing up production output in Fremont for the United States, the United Kingdom, and the rest of Europe.Codenamed BlueStar, the Model 3 serves as inspiration for the second facelift of the Model S . Due to arrive in September 2019, the Model S will receive much of the interior and various hardware components from the lesser sibling.
SUV

The incident occurred last month, when Natasha Ethel Bagley and her girlfriend Genesis Peguero went on a date. They drove theirat the Miami Burger King and, after placing their order, they asked for free fries. The manager informed them that they wouldnt be getting them.Instead of leaving or, better yet, offering to pay for the fries as any other reasonable human being would have done, Bagley and Peguero parked their car and went inside the fast food joint . Here, they unleashed hell on the poor, unnamed manager, NBC Miami reports.Peguero demanded the manager open the register and give up all the money, and the manager said Peguero threatened to hit her in the face with a .45 caliber pistol while placing her hands in her pocket, the report notes. When the manager grabbed a phone and tried to call police, Peguero snatched the phone out of her hands and punched her in the face.Bagley then jumped over the counter and also attacked the manager, and as they started to leave, Peguero ripped both registers and monitors from the counter, causing them to break. Peguero jumped back over the counter and started hitting the manager again, NBC Miami reports.The two women then ran to their car and were off. Police eventually tracked down the vehicle, which was listed in Bagleys name and she was brought in. Peguero is still on the run.After she was identified by the victim, Bagley was charged with armed burglary with assault or battery, attempted robbery with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief. She is being held without bail.All that for free fries.
Flooding in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma has caused thousands to evacuate, as recent levee breaches along the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers create new waterways that have spread into homes and businesses.

The latest: Arkansas officials called for 160 homes in Yell County to evacuate on Friday as a levee breach brought floodwaters to over 40 feet. Three Missouri towns were told to evacuate on Thursday after a levee breached along a creek connected to the Mississippi River. Rivers in the region are at or near all-time highs after weeks of torrential rainfall.

Meanwhile, 2,400 Oklahomans have been evacuated after massive thunderstorms dumped epic rains in Oklahoma and surrounding states.

What to watch: Floodwaters are slowly making their way down the Mississippi River toward Louisiana, where the river is expected to crest at the Morganza Spillway by June 2, at the second-highest level on record. Heavy rain will return to the Southern Plains in the first week of June.

The big picture, via Axios' Andrew Freedman: The ongoing flooding is consistent with scientific studies showing the increasingly apparent effects of human-caused climate change. A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor on average, which contributes to an uptick in heavy precipitation events. These trends have been seen in much of the U.S. in recent decades.

In Arkansas:

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

In Oklahoma:

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

In Missouri:

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Go deeper: Historic flooding swamps Oklahoma, Arkansas as storms prove relentless
2. Behind the scenes of Trump's Mexico surprise

President Trump visits a new section of the border wall in Calexico, Calif., in April. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

As Trump announcements go, this one appeared more orchestrated than most, Axios' Jonathan Swan reports:

At 7:30 last evening, President Trump tweeted: "On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. "

President Trump tweeted: "On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. " Shortly after that, there was a presidential statement from the press office and a background call with reporters.

But behind the scenes, it was an administration-wide scramble. As with many presidential "announcements," this once sprang from intense frustration and boiled over quickly with staff rushing to react.

Key point: While the plan was hurried out the door to appease Trump, he has been privately talking about doing this for a while, per two sources who've discussed it with him.

Between the lines: The White House has made a number of immigration demands of Mexico over the past several months, but Trump has not defined what they need to show him.

"Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries," the president said in his statement.

The bottom line: Seeing as there's no chance of a "STOP" to illegal migration through Mexico into the U.S., Trump's demand is entirely subjective. The president's next move may depend as much on his mood as anything else.
North Carolina Children's Hospital kept performing pediatric heart surgeries despite doctors' concerns about the program's performance, NYT reports in a gut-wrenching investigation.

Why it matters: The doctors' comments "offer a rare, unfiltered look inside a medical institution as physicians weighed their ethical obligations to patients while their bosses also worried about harming the surgical program," NYT's Ellen Gabler writes.

Secret audio recordings obtained by the Times reveal the depth of cardiologists' concerns about whether they should continue sending patients to surgery at the hospital, which is part of the University of North Carolina's medical center.

"It's a nightmare right now," one doctor said in 2016. "We are in crisis, and everyone is aware of that."

The big picture: The story reflects more systemic concerns about the quality and consistency of care provided by pediatric heart surgery programs nationally.

Hospitals that provide a high volume of surgeries tend to have the best results. But there are so many surgery programs today that reaching an adequate number of surgeries is difficult.

Doctors and advocates are pushing for more transparency around pediatric heart surgery outcomes, in the hope of creating more accountability.

The bottom line: UNC does not share its mortality statistics, although about 75% of the hospitals that perform pediatric heart surgery in the U.S. do share this information on a website run by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

Go deeper: Even hospitals dont know what surgeries cost
Tesla said Friday that it's now taking pre-orders for Model 3s in China with a 286-mile range and announced pricing for the vehicles built there, according to published reports.

Why it matters: The announcements show how Tesla, which is struggling financially, is seeking to expand sales of the vehicle that's key to its future.

By the numbers: Per TechCrunch and others, the base price for the Chinese-built Model 3 will be around $47,500, which is "some 13 percent cheaper than its previous entry-level option."

Tesla also announced via Twitter that it's now taking orders for Model 3s in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland and Macau.

The backdrop: Automakers are readying a slew of electric vehicle models in coming years that appeal to Americans' thirst for size, Axios' Steve LeVine reports.

What's next: Tesla and a crowd of other carmakers  Ford, VW, Volvo and a startup called Rivian  are on the verge of releasing a slew of SUVs, crossovers and electric pickup trucks.

Go deeper: The future of big electrics
President Trump announced Thursday evening on Twitter new tariffs on all goods from Mexico until immigration into the U.S. is "remedied."

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Why it matters: This is a sharp escalation of Trump's trade and immigration battles and comes as the administration was moving ahead to ratify new trade agreements with Mexico and Canada. The decision is sure to face opposition from some Congressional Republicans and could face legal challenges.

Details: If the crisis at the border isn't resolved, tariffs on Mexican goods will be raised by 5 percentage points on the first of each month, as high as 25% on October 1.

"Tariffs will permanently remain at the 25 percent level unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory," according to a White House statement.

"Workers who come to our country through the legal admissions process, including those working on farms, ranches, and in other businesses, will be allowed easy passage," per the statement.

The big picture: May is on pace to have the highest number of border crossings in a month in more than 12 years, Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan told reporters on a call. Immigration agencies are overwhelmed.

More than 75,000 families have crossed this month and 4 children have died.

A record 80,000+ migrants are currently in immigration custody, including more than 50,000 in ICE custody.

A record 2,350+ unaccompanied children are currently being held in custody at the border.

400 children arrived within the past 24 hours.

Between the lines: McAleenan said that Mexico needs to step up its security efforts at its southern border with Guatemala, crack down on smugglers who have been using bus lines to move migrants to the U.S. border, and "align on asylum. We need to be able to protect people in the first safe country they arrive in."

What they're saying: Jesus Seade, the trade negotiator for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrader, said late Thursday that if the tariffs are implemented, we should respond in a forceful way. For now, he stressed the importance of waiting to see if the tariffs are really on the table,reports AP.

Our thought bubble via Axios' Felix Salmon: Strategically, it makes zero sense for the U.S. to enter a two-front trade war, engaging Mexico even as the confrontation with China is reaching a boiling point. China and Mexico are 2 of Americas 3 largest trading partners. To start trade wars with both of them is a declaration of isolationism not seen since 1945.

The fallout: The Mexican peso slumped more than 1.5% to 19.5 pesos per dollar while US stocks pointed to a lower open.
Two men have been arrested in Armenia on suspicion of opening fire on supporters of Samvel Babayan, Nagorno-Karabakhs former military leader.

An Armenian police statement released on Friday said police and National Security Service (NSS) officers identified, tracked down and detained the suspects, Alexey Balayan and Roland Aydinian, in Yerevan in a joint operation conducted on Thursday.

The statement added that the shooting incident, which reportedly occurred on a highway in Armenias eastern Gegharkunik province on Wednesday, resulted from a personal dispute between two groups of men. It did not elaborate.

Babayans office alleged on Thursday political motives behind the gunfire, which apparently did not wound anyone. It said the retired Karabakh generals supporters were attacked by gangs controlled by Arayik Harutiunian, Karabakhs former prime minister and one of the main candidates in a presidential election that will be held in the Armenian-populated territory next year. Babayan is also seeking to run in that ballot.

Harutiunian again flatly denied any involvement in the shooting when he spoke to RFE/RLs Armenians service on Friday. Let us respect the information provided by security services and be guided by it, he said. Im sure that there were no political motives. Those guys had no issues with Samvel Babayan.

Still, Harutiunian admitted having ties to the arrested suspects. He said one of them, Aydinian, served as mayor of a Karabakh town when he was prime minister.
A session of the CIS Council of the Heads of States has opened in Ashgabat. It is taking place in the Turkmen Cabinet's building.

Russia is represented at the meeting by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The session is also attended by the heads of Azerbaijani, Armenian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Moldovan, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek delegations.

Chairman of the Executive Committee and CIS Executive Secretary Sergei Levedev told about the agenda. "Now it is proposed to exchange views on current issues of economic cooperation of the CIS in a narrow format. We propose to end the meeting in a narrow composition by deciding on the date and venue of the next meeting of the Council of Heads of Government," TASS cited Lebedev as saying.



After which the participants will hear two reports: on the preparation of a draft interstate program of innovative cooperation of the CIS states for the period up to 2030 and an agreement on the interaction of the customs authorities of the CIS countries in the field of protection of rights to intellectual property.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian assured a visiting delegation of the Council of Europe on Friday that his administration wants to work together with the human rights organization in reforming Armenias judiciary.

The high-level delegation arrived in Yerevan earlier this week to discuss the planned reform with Armenian leaders in line with understandings reached by Pashinian and Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland during their phone conversation on May 22. It is headed by Christos Giakoumopoulos, the Strasbourg-based organizations director general for human rights and rule of law, and comprises senior representatives of other Council of Europe bodies, notably the Venice Commission.

A statement by Pashinians press office cited Giakoumopoulos as saying that the Council of Europe welcomes radical judicial reforms planned by the Armenian authorities and is ready to closely cooperate with them for that purpose.

Pashinian responded by saying that the Council of Europe should become involved, not just assist in the reform process. He again stated that Armenian courts do not enjoy the peoples trust and must therefore undergo profound changes.

The prime minister demanded such changes on May 20 as hundreds of his supporters heeded his appeal to block the entrances to all court buildings in Armenia. The blockade followed a Yerevan courts controversial decision to order his bitter foe and former President Robert Kocharian released from custody.

Pashinian and his political allies portrayed the decision as further proof that the Armenian judiciary remains closely linked to the countrys corrupt former leadership. They pledged to enact soon legislation on a mandatory vetting of all judges.

The parliamentary leader of the ruling My Step alliance, Lilit Makunts, said on Wednesday that a relevant bill is already being finalized by pro-government lawmakers and legal experts. She refused to give any details of the bill, prompting criticism from leaders of the opposition minority in the Armenian parliament.

The Armenian opposition also criticized the court blockade initiated by Pashinian, as did the two Armenia co-rapporteurs of the Council of Europes Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Yuliya Lovochkina and Andrej Sircelj.

Political stakeholders must refrain from actions and statements that could be perceived as exerting pressure on the judiciary, the PACE officials said in a joint statement issued the day before Jagland and Pashinian spoke by phone.

According to an official readout of the phone call, the two men agreed that the reform process should proceed in conformity with the Constitution, the relevant international standards and Armenia's obligations as a member state of the Council of Europe. Pashinian and the Council of Europe officials reaffirmed this at their meeting in Yerevan.
By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 22 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on May 31, 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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Leman Mammadova

A presentation of EU4Digital program was organized by the Ministry of Transport, Communication and High Technologies and the Ernst & Young company in Baku on May 31.

The event discussed the situation in the digital sphere in Azerbaijan, the achievements and future activities.

Elmir Valizade, Deputy Minister of Transport, Communication and High Technologies, highly appreciated the initiative for Harmonization of Digital Markets (HDM) in the formation and development of the digital economy, noting that Azerbaijan actively participates in the implementation of this project.

Valizade stressed that development of the Cyber Security Strategy in Azerbaijan is at the final stage. I think that soon the work will be finalized and the strategy will be adopted.

In his words, the new strategy will cover the upcoming five years.

Deputy minister underlined that at present, Azerbaijan has relevant legislation for the protection of personal data. However, it needs to be adapted to the European Directive, which is currently underway.

He also added that negotiations are underway for the recognition of Azerbaijan's electronic signature in EU countries. We are currently working with Belarus on the mutual recognition of electronic signatures. We would like to carry out this process with other Eastern Partnership countries and other EU member states.

Speaking at the event, Simona Gatti, Minister Counsellor of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, said that the main goal of the program is to bring the EUs benefits on a single digital market to the Eastern Partnership countries.

Then, Arturas Piliponis, Project Manager of EU4Digital, Ernst&Young's representative, made a presentation on the program.

The event continued with speeches and discussions on trends in digital development throughout the world. The current situation and perspectives of the digital field in Azerbaijan were also discussed at the event.

Later, a press conference was held within the framework of the event.

Today, we represent the EU-funded regional program Eu4Digital for the Eastern Partnership countries with a budget of 11 million euros, which will contribute to a positive change in the work of state bodies and the lives of ordinary citizens and will create the basis for investment inflows, growth in trade and employment, said Simona Gatti.

Gatti further added that after the EU4Digital project, EU will start to implement a cyber security project worth 7 million euros in Azerbaijan, noting its great potential for social and economic development, particularly for creation and promotion of new jobs. Harmonization of digital markets will result in online services rendering at a more affordable price. This, in turn, will create a basis for investment flow, trade and employment growth.

The project manager Arturas Piliponis stressed that the EU4Digital project, which will be implemented by the EU together with Azerbaijan, will reduce the cost of Internet in the country.

We are particularly interested in providing access to high-speed Internet in rural areas. In this regard, digital transformation is very important, not only for Azerbaijan, but also for the entire region. We are working on it, he noted.

Piliponis added that the EU4Digital project will be jointly implemented with most government agencies, including the State Customs Committee, the Ministries of Health and Transport, Communications and High Technologies.

Later, Rashad Azizov, head of Department of Innovative Development of Information Society and Electronic Governance of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies noted that Azerbaijan is actively involved in each of the 6 directions implemented within the HDM initiative.

We highly value the HDM initiative in the formation and development of digital economy, he said.

He noted that Azerbaijan is a coordinating country on the theme of "ICT innovation and startup ecosystem" and the "e-customs" subdirection. We believe that the work under the HDM will support the development of digital economy in Azerbaijan.

EU4Digital aims to extend the benefits of the European Union's Digital Single Market to the Eastern Partner states, channelling the EU support to develop the potential of the digital economy and society, in order to bring economic growth, generate more jobs, improve peoples lives and help businesses.

Through EU4Digital, the EU supports Eastern Partnership countries on reducing roaming tariffs, developing high-speed broadband to boost economies and expand e-services, harmonising digital frameworks across society, in areas ranging from logistics to health, building cyber security and developing digital skills.

The purpose of this event is to bring together key Azerbaijani stakeholders and present the EU4Digital Program as a flagship initiative channeling a broad range of actions in support of EU policy objectives in the digital area. The event will also take stock of the overall situation and progress made in the spectrum of digital topics in Azerbaijan, and look ahead to the next actions coming up.

The implementation of EU4Digital program will result in improved online services at better prices and with greater choice; stronger personal data protection. It will also attract investments and boost trade and employment. Existing companies will grow faster and start-ups will be created more easily.

---

Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

Within the Caspian Oil & Gas 2019 Exhibition, Russias Gazprombank and the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) signed a cooperation agreement in Baku on May 30.

Abbas Ibrahimov, the Chairman of the Board of IBA, and Alexei Belous, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprombank, signed the document.

The agreement provides for interaction of the parties with a view to potential financing of investment and other commercial projects in Azerbaijan. Among the priority areas of cooperation, the parties identified the petrochemical and oil and gas processing industries, agriculture, transport and communications.

In addition, the banks showed interest in developing cooperation in the sphere of contract banking, financial consulting and capital markets, and expressed their intention to provide mutual support and assistance in developing and promoting the settlement system in the national currencies of Russia and Azerbaijan.

It is expected that IBA-Moscow, a subsidiary of IBA in Russia, will also take part in a number of joint projects with Gazprombank.

Ibrahimov noted that IBA attaches great importance to the development of relations with foreign financial institutions and it is constantly expanding relations with international partners and always tries to assess new opportunities for cooperation.

Azerbaijan and Russia have wide economic and trade relations and we hope that partnership relations and joint projects between IBA and Gazprombank will contribute to their further development, he said.

In turn, Belous noted that Azerbaijan is one of the fastest growing CIS countries, with which Gazprombank has long-term business and friendly relations.

"The implementation of joint financing projects with IBA will enable the exchange of accumulated expertise and will give a new impetus to the development of the country, Belous stated.

The Gazprombank Group includes many different companies that operate not only on the financial market, but also on the markets of precious metals, oil and gas, construction and others.

In Azerbaijan, the bank participated in financing the SOCAR Polymer project, allocating a loan in the amount of $489 million. Last fall, Gazprombank also concluded an agreement with SOCAR and the Russian Export Center. The agreements will allow the bank to support the supply of Russian equipment and services that are in demand in Azerbaijani projects.

--

Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict cannot be considered as frozen, Sergey Markov, Director of the Russian Institute of Political Studies, said at a conference titled "Azerbaijan in Eurospace".

The long-standing Azerbaijan-Armenia Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is still ongoing, it can break out into strong clashes at any time and cause serious consequences for the entire region. An example of this is the Armenian provocation committed in April 2016.

On the night of April 2, 2016, all the frontier positions of Azerbaijan were subjected to heavy fire of large-caliber weapons, mortars and grenade launchers by Armenian army. The armed clashes resulted in deaths and injuries among the Azerbaijani population. Azerbaijans counter-attack led to liberation of several strategic heights and settlements.

Markov reminded that one million refugees and internally displaced persons live in Azerbaijan. He added that the UN Security Council, the PACE, the European Parliament have repeatedly adopted resolutions that Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan.

Russian political scientist stressed that no country recognized Nagorno Karabakh as a separate independent state.

He noted that some consider the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to be frozen because there is no movement of the armed forces and no peacekeeping forces are stationed. However, Markov thinks that this conflict cannot be considered frozen, because various incidents take place there.

The expert recalled that hostilities did indeed take place on the contact line of troops in April 2016. He added that albeit the conflict did not last long - four days, but hundreds of servicemen and civilians died.

"Having talked over the phone with the leaderships of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russia several times asked to stop the military hostilities," he added.

Markov mentioned that Armenia occupied not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven adjacent regions. Director of the Russian Institute pointed out that ethnic cleansing was carried out in these areas and the local population was expelled from these territories.

"The OSCE Minsk Group was created to resolve the conflict, certain steps were taken to hold negotiations, and at the initiative of Russia, the Kazan Principles provided for a compromise, according to which Armenia returns seven occupied regions to Azerbaijan," Markov noted.

He went on to say that the Kazan Principles imply that Azerbaijan lifts the economic blockade around Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, then Azerbaijan provides temporary status to Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenian forces withdraw their troops from occupied Karabakh.

In conclusion, the expert said that negotiations are ongoing on these basis of these principles.

Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan by laying territorial claims on the country. Since the war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions.

---

Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry has issued a statement in connection with the murder of the Azerbaijani army soldier, Trend reports.

The statement was made following a visit of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs visit to Azerbaijan, when a sniper shot made by the enemy on the morning of May 30 in the direction of the Aghdam district, killed a soldier of the Azerbaijani army, Agil Omarov.

Today the armed forces of Armenia brutally violated the ceasefire regime in the direction of the Agdam district in the line of contact of the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan and a serviceman of the Azerbaijani army was killed by a sniper, reads the statement. We would like to emphasize that this bloody act committed by the Armenian armed forces during the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs' visit to the region is yet another provocation and serves the purpose of disrupting the negotiations on the settlement of the [Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh] conflict.

This murderous act clearly demonstrates that the statements of the leadership of the aggressor state Armenia on creating peaceful atmosphere for the conflicts settlement arent backed by any practical steps, on the contrary, they reveal the real intention of Armenia to damage the peace talks by provocative actions, the statement said. This approach is absolutely unacceptable and it undermines the negotiations process.

The full responsibility for all possible negative consequences of this bloody murder lies on Armenia, according to the statement.

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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

On May 30, the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a joint statement, Trend reports citing OSCE.

"The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America), together with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Andrzej Kasprzyk, visited the region from 27 to 30 May.

The Co-Chairs met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan on 27 May and with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on 30 May. In both capitals, they held consultations with the respective Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers. In Baku, the Co-Chairs met with the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The main purpose of the visit was to assess the evolution of the situation on the line of contact and the international border, and to follow up on the discussions held by the Azerbaijani President and the Armenian Prime Minister in Vienna on 29 March and their respective Foreign Ministers in Moscow on 15 April.

As requested, the Co-Chairs provided proposals for concrete next steps in the settlement process, including on humanitarian and security measures. The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan accepted the Co-Chairs proposal to meet soon under their auspices, and will announce details at the appropriate time.

The Co-Chairs expressed deep concern about recent casualties and called on the parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid escalation," said the statement.

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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Representatives of Azerbaijan in international organizations have been instructed to raise the issue regarding officer Agil Omarov, who became a martyr as a result of the violation of the ceasefire regime by an Armenian sniper, Ogtay Asadov, speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament, said at today's parliamentary meeting, Trend reports.

Asadov stressed that the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stated its position on the issue to the OSCE Minsk Group.

On the morning of May 30, during the OSCE Minsk Group's visit to Azerbaijan, Armenian Armed Forces once again violated the ceasefire regime. An officer of Azerbaijani army, Agil Omarov was killed by an Armenian sniper on the same day.

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 Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

People who are used in foreign countries against Azerbaijan are ignored even by their families, vice-speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Bahar Muradova told Trend News Agency, as part of the Interview with Sahil Karimli project.

She said that Azerbaijan is a country where socio-political stability has been maintained at the highest level for three decades already, however, certain circles dont want to see the country developing and stable.

These circles act both as leaders and executors, she added. Azerbaijan perceives this as something natural, and only becomes stronger in determination to resist. However, only one thing is impossible - to put up with the participation of our compatriots in such issues. These are those who couldnt realize their political ambitions and interests at home, and to lead their fellow citizens. After fully realizing that there is no field of activity for them in Azerbaijan, they are trying to downplay the importance of the policy of the head of state leading the people to development.

International circles are recruiting such people with the aim of using them against Azerbaijan, and these people are ignored even by their own families, she said. Such individuals are used for some time and then thrown away as garbage. I believe that such things shouldnt bother us. We simply need to step up efforts to protect our young people from the influence of hostile forces. Each parent must prepare his or her child for the struggle in the name of the interests of Azerbaijan, and not allow the childs acting against the state. I believe that in this sense the role of the family is great.

She stressed that the forces that are used against Azerbaijan are subject to serious public disapproval.

I wouldnt want the enemy to be in such a position, she said. By taking this situation hard, some of them write about Azerbaijan. These people think about their own little Azerbaijan. I think that it is better to return to the country, repent sins and join the general flow of development, rather than think about mythical Azerbaijan."

Muradova stressed that Azerbaijan holds international events at the high level.

The leaders of the countries who hold the same events after our country openly admit that they cant repeat Azerbaijans standards, she added. We are proud of that. Azerbaijan is exemplary in organizing various international events at the highest level.

All this is done under the pressure of foreign forces and hostile propaganda, Muradova said. When during the first European Games, the Islamic Solidarity Games, beautiful modern architectural facilities were built in Azerbaijan, some individuals stressed that these buildings would collapse. But these buildings are safe and sound for several years and have even turned into architectural symbols of modern Azerbaijan.

The manner of not recognizing the development and denigrating is a sign of mean intentions, she said. The more pressure and attacks on Azerbaijan are committed, the more it resists. We must confidently follow our path. The ongoing projects lead Azerbaijan along the path of development and it is obvious that we succeed better than others.

Tourists, athletes, politicians and businessmen visiting Azerbaijan, everyone who visited our country are admiring its achievements. Many international organizations are happy to hold their events in our country."

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger hosted an Iftar dinner for a community of Internally Displaced Persons in the Yeni Ramana settlement of Baku, Trend reports citing Embassy.

Attendees included the families of children who participate in an Embassy-supported English language program at Shusha District Malibeyli Village School.

Gunduz Ismayilov, Deputy Chairman of State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations, Fuad Huseynov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons and Fuad Nurullayev, Deputy Chairman of the Caucasian Muslims' Office made remarks at the Iftar dinner.

In his remarks, Ambassador Litzenberger said Since my arrival in March, I have learned a lot about Azerbaijan and its tradition of religious tolerance. Tolerance is important year-round, but during the time of Ramadan its especially important to reflect on how we incorporate this and other values into our lives, and the lives of our children.

Ramadan has been observed in the United States for over 200 years, beginning with President Thomas Jeffersons Iftar dinner in honor of Tunisian Ambassador to the United States, Sidi Soliman Mellimelli. Today, more than three million American Muslims come together during Ramadan to reflect on our common values of peace, charity and forgiveness.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Quds Day or Jerusalem Day was marked by demonstrations in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and other countries across the Middle East and Southeast Asia with protesters slamming Israel and the United States as well as criticising a new Israeli-Palestinian peace plan offered by US President Donald Trump's administration.

As rallies began across the Iranian capital, demonstrators set fire to American and Israeli flags, as well as effigies of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The rallies all headed to Tehran University, where the ceremony ended at Fridays noon prayers. Similar rallies took place in 950 cities and towns across the country.



Many high-ranking Iranian officials attending the rally in Tehran, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Both men derided the Trump administrations so-called 'Deal of the Century' peace plan, saying it would end in failure, the AP reported.

Held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, Iran has marked Quds Day since the start of its 1979 Islamic Revolution by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, and Iran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinians.
Following the official welcome ceremony, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda have held a one-on-one meeting.

The successful development of bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields was hailed at the meeting. Good opportunities for further expanding bilateral ties were also emphasized. It was noted that the Polish President Andrzej Dudas official visit to Azerbaijan will contribute to the expansion of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The sides exchanged views on bilateral ties and the issues of mutual interest.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated President-elect of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani presidential press-service.

I cordially congratulate you on the occasion of your victory in the presidential elections in the Republic of Lithuania, President Aliyev said.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Lithuania are on the path of dynamic and consistent development, the president said. I hope that we will make joint efforts to strengthen our friendly relations even further and deepen our cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats to the benefit of our nations.

I wish you the best of health, happiness and success in your future responsible activities, he added.

President Aliyev has also congratulated President-elect of the Republic of Latvia Egils Levits.

I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of your election as president of the Republic of Latvia, President Aliyev said.

Azerbaijan-Latvia relations have good traditions, he said. I hope that we will make joint efforts to further strengthen our friendly ties and ensure successful continuation of our cooperation in bilateral and multilateral formats.

I wish you the best of health, happiness, and success in your future endeavours, he added.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Abdul Kerimkhanov

The public environment in Armenia is heating up. Several dozen employees of the companies involved in the construction of the North-South Transport Corridor blocked the Ashtarak-Talin road section with the demand to pay their salaries.

Corsan Corviam Construccion S.A. company, which is a contractor in the implementation of the first and second tranche of the North-South Transport Corridor construction in Armenia, owed 19 subcontracting companies 2.2 billion drams (about $4.5 million). This equals the salaries of about 800 employees.

Gurgen Hovhannisyan, an employee of one of the companies, said that the road constructors did not receive a salary from August to November 2018 inclusive. He mentioned that the employees addressed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan and Transport Minister Hakob Arshakyan, but the issue has not been resolved.

Hovhannisyan and the employees of the affected companies have been suffering this situation for almost half a year and now they decided to block the road, since they see no other way out at the moment.

Commenting on this problem for the press, Avinyan noted that it is impossible to pay salaries to employees, as it is not possible to use public funds to resolve issues of several companies.

Earlier, employees of the companies for the first time blocked the Yerevan-Talin road in December 2018.

Problems with the construction of the North-South Transport Corridor have occurred before. As part of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case involving the North-South Transport Corridor program, non-commodity transactions, cases of tax evasion and many other crimes were disclosed.

Preliminary investigation of the criminal case on implementation of the North-South Transport Corridor continues in the Prosecutors Office of Armenia. The Prosecutor's Office announced that there were facts of forgery, theft and malicious tax evasion.

The investigation established that during construction work at the Talin-Lanjik and Lanjik-Gyumri sites, two companies concluded an agreement on clearly unreasonable consulting services in June 2016. Based on these agreements in 2016-2018, tax invoices totaling about 1.2 billion drams ($2.5 million) were issued to one of these companies.

During the preliminary investigation it was found that the contracts were concluded in order to reduce tax liabilities. For this, bulk transactions were made, and false business activities were carried out. As for the tax accounts, no consulting services were provided within the framework of the mentioned agreements.

It was also proved that via the forged documents, the company's employees cashed about 600 million drams ($1.25 million) from the bank account in 2016-2017. These funds were transferred to the actual head of the company, and the amount was indicated in the cash register of the company as dividends issued to the companys founder.

Thus, despite the fact that the problem takes its sources from the pre-revolutionary period, the current Armenian authorities are also unable to settle the issue of paying salaries to road constructors.

---

Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Iranian Varesh Airlines will launch direct flights on the route Mashhad-Dushanbe-Mashhad next week. Direct flights between Iran and Tajikistan will be resumed from June 6.

The Iranian Varesh Airlines will make the first flight from Tajikistan to Iran using a Boeing 737-500 aircraft with a capacity of 120 passengers.

Aziz Nabizoda, Deputy Director of the Tajik Civil Aviation Agency, noted that all the necessary documents from the Iranian civil aviation authority have been received.

Flights on the route Mashhad-Dushanbe-Mashhad will be operated once a week. The cost of a one-way ticket is $250.

Varesh Airlines was founded in 2018. This airline performed its first flight on October 9, 2018, from Tehran to Sari, the capital of Irans Mazandaran province.

Earlier, flights from Mashhad to Dushanbe and back were operated by the Iranian company Asseman Airlines, which stopped flights on this route in October 2018 due to economic problems.

Iran became the first country to recognize the independence of Tajikistan in 1991 and opened its embassy in Tajikistan in 1992.

For the quarter of a century, Iran has remained one of the important trade and economic partners of Tajikistan.

The trade turnover between Tajikistan and Iran amounted to $97 million in 2018.

---

Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

Turkey has not postponed the purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system at the US request, Trend reports referring to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on May 31.

According to the Ministry, the information that after the US required Turkey not to purchase the Russian S-400 air defense system, Turkey has allegedly postponed the purchase, is false.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that specialists from the US and NATO could visit Turkey to make sure that 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," Cavusoglu said.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo stated that the US believes that Turkey would not be able to have both US F-35 fighter-bombers and Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems at the same time, as this is technically impossible.

According to Pentagon sources, it is impossible to launch the F-35 in the space where the S-400 is operated, he said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey may receive the S-400 missile systems earlier than scheduled.

Turkey expects to receive the first supplies of S-400 missile systems in July 2019, the president added.

He stressed that despite appeals from the US, Turkey will not abandon the purchase of the S-400.

Initial reports of negotiations between Russia and Turkey on the supply of S-400 appeared in November 2016.

The signing of a contract was confirmed by the Russian side on September 12, 2017.

Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the S-400 air defense systems would be deployed from October 2019.

The supply of the S-400 air defense systems to Ankara cost $2.5 billion, head of the Rostec state corporation Sergey Chemezov said in December 2017.

Turkey is the first country, a NATO member to receive the S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Russia would welcome talks between the United States and Iran but will not impose its mediation services on them, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.



According to the Russian foreign minister, Moscow calls for mutually respectful dialogue without preconditions and ultimatums. "We are confident that talks cannot begin if one of the parties says: "First, we will strangle you economically and then you will beg us for an agreement." This is not a pattern of conduct we consider appropriate in relation to foreign policy," he said.

He recalled that the Iranian leadership has responded to the United States steps, pointing out that there will be no dialogue as long as the US continues to use blackmail and strangling sanctions in breach of the UN Security Councils resolution.



"I would like to reiterate that we will support any kind of contacts the parties may launch based on mutual respect," TASS cited Lavrov as saying.
Armenia's Investigation Committee opened a criminal case after a blast in Noramarg village of the Ararat province yesterday.



According to reports, a child, a pregnant woman and an old couple were hospitalized after the husband of a pregnant woman threw a grenade on their house and fled the scene.

Police have identified the man, search has been declared. An elderly man died later in the day.



Operational-search measures are being taken to find the alleged perpetrator, News.am reported.
Brad Bryan doesn't need the money. He runs Houchin Community Blood Bank because it's what he wants to do.
The bait shop at the Sabine Pass Port Authority marina usually has three live wells filled with dozens of croaker and shrimp ready for anglers headed out to ply the close-in Gulf waters.

But on Thursday afternoon, there were few bait fish of any kind  and most of them were dead or dying. Persistent, heavy rainfall has reduced salinity in the waterway to lethal levels, driving marine life farther out to sea. Marina operations coordinator David Taylor said the salinity right now is zero.

Things could get a lot worse soon, due to runoff from massive rainstorms in the Midwest and a dramatic flood-prevention measure on the Mississippi River that is expected to inundate the Gulf of Mexico with billions of gallons more freshwater beginning next week.

Officials in Louisiana are preparing for the worst once the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers opens the Morganza Spillway north of Baton Rouge on Thursday. The move is designed to protect the dam and prevent catastrophic flooding in the state. It will be only the third release since the spillway was completed in 1954.

Theres already a disaster declaration in place for potential flooding. Now, Louisiana is enlisting support from Texas and other Gulf states in seeking federal assistance to protect the regions vibrant seafood industry as well.

My main job as lieutenant governor is to promote tourism, and  from Texas to Florida  one of the biggest treasures people come from all over the world for is the seafood, Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser told the Enterprise on Thursday. If it goes away, even for a few years, it will affect not only the tourism, but the overall economies of these communities.

Nungesser sent a letter this week urging Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and the state legislature to request a federal disaster declaration for the seafood industry.

The lieutenant governor also helped forge a coalition of stakeholders, including the Port Arthur Area Shrimpers Association, to work together for the same.

The effort comes near the peak of the shrimping season in early June. The anticipated deluge would be the latest blow to the commercial shrimpers who also dock their boats at the Sabine Pass marina.

Kim Tran, president of the local shrimpers association, said her familys hauls were greatly reduced after Tropical Storm Harvey in 2017, and things have gotten worse.

This season is terrible; shrimpers are going hungry, Tran said. My husband goes out for a couple days and gets chased out by a storm.

When he does catch shrimp in the deeper waters of the Gulf, she said, they are small and stunted. Then there is the extra cost of chasing them. Tran said it may take a six-hour troll to catch three baskets of shrimp that might go for around $1.30 a pound. Meanwhile, marine diesel prices are around $2.85 a gallon around Port Arthur.

When the freshwater dump hits the Gulf, Tran said, shrimpers will need all the help they can get.

I already have shrimpers coming to me because they are hurting, she said. The only thing I can do is just say a prayer.

David Taylor, marina operations coordinator at the Port of Sabine Pass, said the region was able to withstand last fall and winters above-average rainfall amounts.

Last year when we had a lot of rain, we had some good, salty water to meet it, Taylor said.

The situation is much different as the Corps of Engineers prepares to open the Morganza Spillway. The gates were originally expected to be opened on Sunday, but officials determined they had a little more time before the spillway was in danger of being overtopped.

A federal disaster declaration has already been issued by President Donald Trump for several Louisiana parishes affected by the flooding. But commercial fishing associations and state agencies across the Gulf Coast want to make sure fishers get their own disaster relief when the tons of freshwater inevitably hit their already disrupted fishing ground.

Nungesser said he has sent the request letter to his Texas counterpart, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, for review and he plans to discuss in more detail a few weeks from now when Patrick and 17 other lieutenant governors attend a conference in New Orleans.

Patricks office could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

Louisiana has already experienced the impact of a spillway opening earlier this year when the Bonnet Carre Spillway was opened, sending harmful amounts of freshwater into Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne just north and east of New Orleans.

If a disaster is declared for coastal fisheries, Nungesser hopes that stakeholders will be able to receive similar aid to that of farmers when natural disasters destroy their crops.

For the shrimpers based in the Port Arthur area, help cant come soon enough. And if climate trends continue, Gulf Coast fishers could continue to see similar devastation.

The Fourth National Climate Assessment, a federally mandated report by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, was published last fall. Scientists wrote that Texas fisheries face a triple threat to wildlife and commercial seafood yields.

Coastal waters have been warming since detailed studies began in the 1980s, the report said, throwing shrimp, oysters and other species out of their comfort zones. The increased frequency and intensity of storms in the area is further disturbing fish populations. And freshwater runoff into coastal bays from flooding is getting worse.

The Texas coast, with 6.5 million people contributing over $37 billion to the regions economy, relies on its natural features, bays, and estuaries that serve as storm barriers to protect coastal infrastructure, and on its climate amenities to spur ecosystem services, such as fishing, ecotourism, and the ocean economy, the report said.

The authors also noted that sea levels across the Texas Gulf Coast are rising at twice the global rate, displacing traditional habitats for both commercial species and the predators that helped keep them in balance.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jdickjournalism
New contract on Gazprom's purchase of Turkmen gas may enter into force in the 3rd quarter of 2019, first deputy head of the Russian government office Sergey Prikhodko said ahead of the session of the Council of the Heads of States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Ashgabat.



He recalled that in accordance with the agreements reached in March and April 2019, Gazprom signed a short-term contract on purchasing Turkmen gas. "We are currently coordinating a medium-term contract with the Turkmengaz company, which is planned to enter into force in the 3rd quarter of 2019," TASS cited Prikhodko as saying.



The first deputy head of the Russian government office added that during Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Turkmenistan, other spheres of energy cooperation will be discussed, including exploration and development of deposits in and around the Caspian Sea.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to comment on whether Washington was prepared to sanction the companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

"We never discuss sanctions before we roll them out," Pompeo said after meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Berlin.

The U.S. has been critical of Germany for going ahead with a joint project with Russia to build the Nord Stream 2 that would take Russian natural gas directly to Germany under the Baltic, arguing it is a security issue because it would increase Europes energy dependence on Russia, the AP recalls.
As the search for Maleah Davis continues, dozens more children remain missing from Houston with some cases dating back to the late 1980s or 90s, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The organization reported 57 total children still missing from Houston as of May 15, including eight John or Jane Doe cases. Chron.com only included the children who have been identified in the slideshow above, including Davis. The list did not include people who now would be older than 25.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka on June 29, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"We compared notes on issues of developing our relations in all spheres in the framework of preparing for another meeting between Putin and Abe which is scheduled for June 29 on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka," he said after talks with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono.



Lavrov added that the foreign and defense ministers of Russia and Japan discussed at their talks on Thursday settlement of conflicts and developing foreign policy cooperation, TASS reported.



The G20 summit will be held in Japan's Osaka on June 28-29.
The classic problem with state boards that oversee various professions is that they usually lay down too many rules and regulations over time. In the recent session of the Texas Legislature that just ended, lawmakers chose the other extreme. They abolished  perhaps unintentionally  the state plumbing code and the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Occupations like that need some kind of state oversight, and state officials need to figure out how to address this strange problem.

According to the Texas Tribune, the state plumbing code will cease to exist on Sept. 1. The state plumbing agency, which had 28 employees, will have a wind down period to wrap up operations by September 2020.

Its hard to imagine that this was the intent of the House and Senate. The plumbing agency was up for sunset review, when legislators periodically study how well state entities are being run and whether they should continue. (Most are extended, with whatever changes are appropriate.) Two bills filed during the session would have continued the plumbers agency, but they fell by the wayside in what could have been the procedural confusion that often accompanies the closing days of a session.

Most Texas cities have local plumbing codes that complement the Uniform Plumbing Code and/or the International Plumbing Code. Thats better than nothing, but the state needs some uniform standards for plumbing instead of a patchwork of codes that may differ from city to city. Some smaller towns, again, dont have any plumbing regulations.

Thats just not a good way to build for the future. Plumbers handle many tasks with safety implications, from pipes carrying drinking water to medical gas lines. Its one of those jobs that you might not think about very often  until you have a serious problem, like sewage backing up in a home or business.

The state agency needed some changes. Aspiring plumbers had to go to Austin to take the state exam no matter where they lived in the state. The plumbing board also reportedly took many months to send a license to applicants after they had completed their education requirements.

Those problems and any others should have been fixed, either by reforming the agency or transferring its duties to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, a larger agency that oversees more than two dozen other professions. But an abrupt end like this is not the solution.

Texas consumers deserve clarity on this issue. State officials should figure out how to solve the problem they created.
A staff shortage at the New Jersey Department of Health has left surgery centers footing the bill as a legislative backlog costs them time and resources, ROI reports.

What you should know:

1. A Department of Health official spoke to the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers May 29, fielding questions and criticisms about the current backlog of surgery center applications.

2. The Department of Health has recently dealt with a high level of turnover, delaying the proposal review process.

3. DOH regulatory officer Eugene Brenycz urged the assembled crowd to advance their concerns up the regulatory ladder if they were dissatisfied.

4. The dissatisfaction stems, in part, from legislation former Gov. Chris Christie signed into law requiring single-room surgery centers to undergo the same approval process as larger centers.

5. Surgery centers have poorly received the change. Many owners have said the approval process is difficult to understand, according to ROI.
Legislators are again turning their attention to physician-owned hospitals, advocating to remove the moratorium on new POHs put in place by the ACA, according to the Ripon Advance.

U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, and 33 other members of Congress sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma on May 8 requesting the agency design a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation demonstration focused on POHs.

Last week, Rep. Burgess again spoke on the issue, saying, "Through innovation, CMS can optimize the role of physician-owned hospitals to improve healthcare for American patients, restoring doctors' liberty and expanding Americans' access to quality care," according to the Ripon Advance.

He also mentioned that allowing more POHs could reduce the effect of hospital consolidation. In December, the Trump administration recommended removing the moratorium in its "Reforming America's Healthcare System Through Choice and Competition" report.
Moscow reminded Tokyo about its proposal to introduce a visa-free travel regime, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono.



"Starting from business and tourist trips," Lavrov said, adding that he hopes that dialogue on this issue continues.



"As a first step, we reminded about the initiative of President Putin to introduce a visa-free travel regime for all residents of the Sakhalin region and Hokkaido prefecture," TASS cited the Russian foreign minister as saying.
The New York Public Health and Health Planning Council could approve up to five ASC proposals at its June 6 meeting, according to a recently released agenda.

The projects slated for approval:

The Northway Surgery and Pain Center in Saratoga County, contingently approved

Triborough Ambulatory Surgery Center in Bronx County, contingently approved

Long Island Ambulatory Surgery Center in Suffolk County, approved

Empire State Ambulatory Surgery Center in Bronx County, contingently approved

North Queens Surgical Center in Queens County, contingently approved

The agenda notes the board will not make a decision concerning Saratoga Partners North in Saratoga County.
Sixteen hospitals and health systems in Massachusetts have more than $1.6 billion in the Cayman Islands and other tax havens, according to a report issued by the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

The nurses union is calling on state lawmakers to support the Hospital Profit Transparency and Fairness Act, legislation that requires hospitals to disclose financial holdings and profits, including money kept in offshore accounts. The legislation would also place limits on nonprofit hospital and health system CEO pay and claw back excessive profit. Those funds would be placed in a newly created Medicaid Reimbursement Enhancement Fund.

"We can improve our healthcare system by shining a light on hospital finances, limiting excessive CEO pay and ensuring that the public has a stronger voice in shaping how our healthcare dollars are spent," Karen Coughlin, RN, vice president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said in a press release.

Massachusetts Rep. Josh Cutler, a bill co-sponsor, said more financial transparency at nonprofit healthcare organizations is vital.

"Our Medicare, Medicaid and other state tax dollars fund hospital corporations, but what those corporations do with our money can be at odds with public service," he said. "This bill will allow the public to see exactly where our tax dollars are going  especially if they end up in the Cayman Islands  and limit excessive hospital CEO pay. We should instead spend that money helping our most vulnerable patients."

More articles on healthcare finance:

Tennessee hospital to lose Medicare contract

10 latest hospital, health system credit downgrades

Financial automation delivers ROI for hospitals  8 thoughts
Former members of UPMC's board are calling the current board's bluff: They want directors to put their support for the pending UPMC-Highmark split in writing, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

In a long-running dispute, UPMC and Highmark, both based in Pittsburgh, entered into a consent decree in 2014 that required UPMC to give patients with Highmark insurance in-network access to UPMC facilities. The five-year consent decree is set to expire June 30. However, several lawsuits regarding patient access are still being decided in Pennsylvania courts that could change that deadline. Most recently, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sent a case about the deadline of the decree back to the lower courts.

Now, two former board members, regarded as "two of Pittsburgh's mightiest and most measured power brokers" by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, want UPMC's current board to publicly back the decision to end in-network access for Highmark patients. They believe the board is simply acquiescing to UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff.

Here are their statements:

Paul O'Neill , former U.S. Treasury secretary and former chairman and CEO of Alcoa, spoke to the Post-Gazette and gave the UPMC board this message: "Don't hide behind the cloak of the board. The individual board members should send certified letters to the [Post-Gazette] saying 'We are responsible for the current policy and we think it's the right thing to do.'"

, former U.S. Treasury secretary and former chairman and CEO of Alcoa, spoke to the Post-Gazette and gave the UPMC board this message: "Don't hide behind the cloak of the board. The individual board members should send certified letters to the [Post-Gazette] saying 'We are responsible for the current policy and we think it's the right thing to do.'" Jim Rohr, former chairman and CEO of PNC Bank, said, "Who does Jeffrey Romoff answer to? It's supposed to be his board. Theoretically, by allowing him to go forward with this, they're saying they're approving everything he does. They should put that in writing!

Both Mr. O'Neill and Mr. Rohr disapproved of the board dynamic, according to the report. Mr. O'Neill called Mr. Romoff "the evil person at the top of all of this," and the board chairman "an aider and an abettor."

Mr. O'Neill provided similar statements to local TV station Pittsburgh's Action News. UPMC spokesman Paul Wood responded via Pittsburgh's Action News: "Mr. O'Neill's harangue against UPMC is misguided and uninformed. He served on the UPMC Board for only a very short time more than 15 years ago and he is simply out of touch with the current state of UPMC."

More articles on leadership and management:

Former Rush CEO Dr. Larry Goodman reflects on his biggest challenges and why a strong board makes all the difference

Mercy Health-St. Vincent Medical Center to cut 24 specialty healthcare jobs

Kaiser Permanente to serve as team physician for Golden State Warriors
The Ventura County Health Care Agency, a California-based system of hospital, clinic and specialty services, said job and cost cuts in the agency will affect 271 healthcare workers, according to the Ventura County Star.

The agency said it plans to lay off 79 regular full-time employees and cut 98 positions filled by per diem and temporary employees. It also will demote 25 workers and transfer 69 workers to new roles.

Jennifer Wortham, chief deputy of strategy and growth for the agency, told the Star the cuts will affect workers at Ventura (Calif.) County Medical Center and Santa Paula (Calif.) Hospital, including nurses. They will also affect some employees in public health and agency administration.

The move comes more than a month after hospital managers said they were looking at employee layoffs to offset a projected $18.8 million loss for this fiscal year.

County officials estimated that the changes would save $13.4 million annually, according to a news release cited by the Star.

Bill Foley, director of the agency, told Ventura County's board of supervisors May 21 that the agency is trying to better align staffing levels at the healthcare facilities with industry standards.

According to the Star, Mr. Foley and Ventura County Executive Officer Mike Powers said the agency also is trying to grow business in the fully integrated system and ensure that its long-term viability.

The cuts are slated to take effect in July.

More articles on leadership and management:

Former Rush CEO Dr. Larry Goodman reflects on his biggest challenges and why a strong board makes all the difference

Mercy Health-St. Vincent Medical Center to cut 24 specialty healthcare jobs

Kaiser Permanente to serve as team physician for Golden State Warriors
Congress should create a federal department within the Executive Office for women and families, writes Cathy Russell, former U.S. ambassador for global women's issues during the Obama administration, in an op-ed for USA Today.

Creating a cabinet-level position for women would put the U.S. on par with countries like Canada, France and the U.K., which all have similar roles. Such a position would ensure coordination across disparate offices for women that exist in agencies like HHS and the Food and Drug Administration, Ms. Russell wrote.

Additionally, the current administration has largely eliminated leadership in this arena. Ms. Russell's former position has gone unfilled; President Donald Trump disbanded the White House Council on Women and Girls created during the Obama administration.

"United States should be tackling these issues in an aggressive and comprehensive way," Ms. Russell writes. "But the unconnected offices, programs and bureaus across the federal government are being largely ignored or even undercut by this administration."

In her op-ed, she lays out a reasoning for how such a department would benefit women, families and the economy.

"Critics will no doubt object to additional government bureaucracy. But the result would be to improve, not expand, the federal governments work in these areas," Ms. Russell writes.

Read more here.

More articles on leadership and management:

They get around: How hospital leaders keep fingers on workplace pulse

Board members exceeded term limits at University of Maryland Medical System

Ventura County Health Care Agency cuts to affect 271 workers
Surgeons increasingly lack the manual dexterity to do their jobs  and it may stem from the decline of hands-on hobbies among children, according to The New York Times.

The New York Times spoke with medical school faculty who have observed declining fine motor skills among students. They pointed to fewer classes like woodshop or drawing and painting, as well as more time spent with screens than with hands-on hobbies like building models, sewing or playing the piano.

Surgeons are selected based on smarts, but hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills are also critical to good patient outcomes. Other skills built through hands-on activities, like three-dimensional thinking, strategic planning and patience, also contribute to success as a surgeon, the report notes.

These skills can be improved with practice, but some experts told The New York Times they believe a certain kinesthetic intelligence can only be built at a young age.

Read more here.

More articles on integration and physician issues:

Physician benefits packages haven't changed much since 2014, AMGA survey finds

Beaumont's CIN to terminate contract with 2,500-member physician group

Physician burnout costs $4.6B annually, study finds
From an Illinois health system sued over its billing practices to a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that seeks to clarify the legal boundaries of the patient-physician relationship, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits making headlines.

1. Texas patient recruiter gets prison time for role in $20M Medicare fraud scheme

A patient recruiter for several Houston-area home health agencies was sentenced May 29 to more than 15 years in prison for her role in a $20 million fraud scheme that involved paying illegal kickbacks to physicians and submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare.

2. Physicians liable for malpractice even when treatment is indirect, rules Minnesota Supreme Court

A new court ruling in Minnesota seeks to clarify the legal boundaries of the patient-physician relationship.

3. Justices send UPMC-Highmark case back to lower court

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court sent a case involving UPMC and Highmark back to a lower court, stating more information is needed to make a decision on the deadline of an upcoming split between the Pittsburgh-based rivals.

4. Ex-Pennsylvania health system COO charged in $1.3M fraud scheme faces new accusations

The former COO of Butler (Pa.) Health System was hit with new charges on May 22 after being indicted earlier this year on more than three-dozen charges, including embezzlement, mail fraud and money laundering.

5. Healthcare CEO sentenced to prison in bribery case

The founder and CEO of Trina Health, a chain of diabetes treatment clinics based in Sacramento, Calif., was sentenced to six months in federal prison and six months of home detention for conspiring to bribe an Alabama legislator.

6. Class-action accuses Illinois health system of placing liens instead of billing patient insurance

Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University Health System is accused of placing liens instead of billing patient insurance and Medicare.

7. Legal challenges mount against religious freedom rule for healthcare workers

Several civil rights groups sued the Trump administration May 28, alleging the "conscience protection" rule, which will allow healthcare workers to deny care based on religious beliefs, is unconstitutional.

More articles on legal and regulatory issues:

UNC sues Vidant over hospital board shuffle

Intermountain drops false claims case it took to Supreme Court

Physician says fraudster stole his identity to bilk Medicare
In the wake of a controversial move to close an Illinois hospital, state lawmakers passed a bill aimed at preventing hospital operators from quickly shuttering facilities, according to The State Journal-Register.

Under the proposed legislation, hospital owners would be required to go through a standard and more thorough permit process to pursue closure. The process would give the hospital board the ability to consider broader effects of a hospital closure, such as how it would affect the surrounding community.



The bill attempts to remove a provision from current state law that allows hospital owners to expedite closure. The fast-track is done through an exemption process with the state review board, according to The State Journal-Register.



The Illinois House passed the bill, which will now return to the Senate for final approval before heading to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker's desk, according to the report.



The measure is in response to controversy surrounding Melrose Park, Ill.-based Westlake Hospital. Its operator, Los Angeles-based Pipeline Health, has attempted to close the hospital due to financial instability.
Business Insider asked new nurses nationwide to share the most difficult aspects of their job.

Here are seven noteworthy responses, as compiled by Business Insider:

1. Losing patients. "Seeing those patients you took care of die and how devastating it is to the family" is the hardest part, a nurse from Oklahoma city told Business Insider.

2. Being judged for their career choice. "It is often hard to explain to people what we do," one nurse from Pennsylvania said. "There is a notion that I'm 'just a nurse,' and I struggle to explain to people that this is what I want. No, this is not a step to medical school. No, I never thought about being a [physician assistant]. I am a nurse, and I am proud of that."

3. Working long hours. For a Wisconsin nurse, the hardest part of the job is dealing with the "total mental, emotional and physical exhaustion by the end of a shift  then getting up to do it all over again six hours later."

4. Experiencing physical/verbal abuse. A licensed practical nurse in Florida said it's difficult to deal with the "lack of respect and verbal/physical abuse from families, management and fellow healthcare workers."

5. Navigating hospital politics. "Nursing has become more about politics," said one Iowa nurse. "That it isn't just about helping people, but about making a profit. Healthcare should not be for profit."

6. Using outdated or time-consuming technology. A Texas nurse said it's hard to "deal with all the technology that keeps us from actually providing hands-on care with the patient." She said EHRs require nurses to spend more time with a patient's chart than with the patient.

7. Feeling pressure to know everything. "Nurses have different specialties," said a Massachusetts nurse. "We don't know everything. But what we don't know, we research evidence-based information and educate ourselves."

More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:

31 hospitals that do not publicly report pediatric heart surgery data

San Diego hospital delivers world's smallest surviving infant

Chipotle to offer nurses BOGO meals June 4
Hospitals in Baton Rouge, La., have seen a string of violence against healthcare workers in recent months, raising concerns about workplace safety, reports The Advocate.



In April, a 56-year-old nurse died from injuries linked to a patient attack at Baton Rouge (La.) General Medical Center's Mid City campus. On May 30, police arrested a patient for allegedly punching an emergency room physician in the face and knocking him out at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. The suspect told police he punched the physician "because he felt like it," according to The Advocate.

This incident comes about two weeks after another patient was arrested for allegedly slapping an emergency room employee at the same hospital. A behavioral health patient at the hospital was also arrested May 15 for allegedly attacking another patient and two hospital employees.

The violence has spurred many workplace safety advocates to call for changes. However, some advocates contend that arresting patients, especially those with mental health issues, is not beneficial. They say healthcare facilities need to take a more proactive approach to address workplace safety by boosting staffing levels and creating individual patient care plans.

More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:



Prolonged antibiotic exposure common after patient discharge, study finds

31 hospitals that do not publicly report pediatric heart surgery data

San Diego hospital delivers world's smallest surviving infant
U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to form a joint study group on the Russian defense system S-400, which Turkey wants to purchase, according to Turkish and American officials familiar with the situation.



During a phone call with Trump Wednesday, the Turkish president reiterated his desire to jointly examine any risks from the missile system to the fifth-generation U.S. fighter jet F-35, according to a Turkish official who requested anonymity while discussing details of the call, Bloomberg reported.

Trump was in agreement, though the American view is that the findings will likely support the U.S. argument that deploying the Russian systems would put the F-35s at risk, according to a U.S. official familiar with the situation.
Jamestown (Tenn.) Regional Medical Center is struggling financially and physicians are concerned about how the hospital's financial troubles are affecting patient care, according to local TV station 10News.

CMS inspection reports released this week revealed the 85-bed hospital lacks necessary supplies and owes more than $4 million to vendors. The hospital, which recently halted patient admissions, will no longer receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements as of June 12 because its does not meet conditions of participation.

One local physician, who admitted patients to Jamestown Regional Medical Center for nearly three decades, is now sending patients to a hospital 45 minutes away.

"There are so many things going on that are disturbing. I had probably over half the departmental heads at the hospital tell me that supplies are critically low," Jonathan Allred, MD, told 10News. "I don't think it is safe."

The hospital, owned by West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Rennova Health, was reportedly preparing to close May 16 but ultimately remained opened on a day-to-day basis. At that time, Rennova said there were no plans to close the hospital.

Dr. Allred told 10News that it's vital for Jamestown to have a hospital, but improvements need to be made.

"If we don't have a hospital here, people are going to die. There's only so much you can do in the back of an ambulance," he said. "We need the hospital, but we need it to function admirably and correctly."

More articles on healthcare quality:



Prolonged antibiotic exposure common after patient discharge, study finds

31 hospitals that do not publicly report pediatric heart surgery data

San Diego hospital delivers world's smallest surviving infant
Rush University Medical Center in Chicago temporarily closed three mental health units to address safety concerns raised by state health officials, reports the Chicago Tribune.

The concerns surround ligature points in the units, such as protruding door hinges or bathroom sinks, that could pose a strangulation risk for patients.

Rush already had renovation plans in place to address these risks after The Joint Commission raised similar concerns, according to a recent financial filing from the hospital cited by the Tribune.

"We were in the process of addressing those issues but decided to close the units to allow construction workers the full access needed to complete renovations more quickly and with less patient disruption," Rush spokesperson Charlie Jolie told the publication via email.

The three mental health units contain about 70 beds. About five patients were transferred to other facilities before the closures, according to Mr. Jolie. Rush said it expects to complete the renovations in late June. The hospital must regain compliance with CMS by June 30 or its Medicare contract may be at risk.

More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:

31 hospitals that do not publicly report pediatric heart surgery data

San Diego hospital delivers world's smallest surviving infant

Chipotle to offer nurses BOGO meals June 4
Employees at Anoka (Minn.) Metro Regional Treatment Center protested May 29 for security upgrades at the psychiatric facility after an attack on a nurse, according to NBC-affiliate TV station KARE.

The employees are represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

They told KARE staff members feel unsafe, and they are concerned about safety of patients and visitors as well.

"That's part of informational picketing, to let the community know that the nurses and the staff inside cant do their job with the way things are," Carrie Mortrud of the Minnesota Nurses Association said.

"Nurses don't like to ever worry anyone or scare anyone, so if theyre saying its unsafe inside, we better listen," said Ms. Mortrud.

The informational picketing follows an incident this month in which a patient attacked a female nurse, according to the TV station, which cites a criminal complaint. The complaint says the male patient repeatedly punched the nurse after she denied his request for Tylenol and recommended a cold pack first.

Friends of the nurse told KARE the nurse spent days in the hospital and is recovering.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services, which operates the Anoka psychiatric hospital, addressed the issue in a statement to media this week.

"Nurses and other staff who care for patients in our psychiatric facilities have difficult and potentially dangerous jobs. I recognize and respect that they face challenges every day," said DHS Commissioner Tony Lourey.

"I met this week with staff and labor representatives at AMRTC who are raising concerns about safety. Their insights and participation are essential to maintaining a safe workplace for staff and patients alike. Safety is a shared priority, and I'm confident that together we can address those concerns in a meaningful way."

According to KARE, the Anoka Police Department no longer contracts with Minnesota to provide security services. Union members told the TV station the treatment center deploys teams of employees to respond to emergencies.

More articles on workforce:

NYC Health + Hospitals launches its first nurse recruitment campaign

Another round: Massachusetts union tries again on nurse staffing ratios

New York health system has more than 200 nursing openings
Arlene Foster said she held a "useful discussion" with Home Secretary Sajid Javid over immigration and the development of the economy after Brexit.

The DUP chief told the Tory leadership contender that a recommended salary threshold of 30,000 for skilled migrants coming to the UK is too high for Northern Ireland, particularly in the agri-food and hospitality sectors.

Mr Javid met business leaders in Belfast to hear their concerns about the situation.

Mrs Foster said the Home Secretary had agreed to look at the issue of regional pay.

"Previously, the Migration Advisory Committee had recommended a salary threshold of 30,000 for skilled migrants coming to the UK.

"This is a high threshold which is not reflective of the labour market in Northern Ireland or some other UK regions," she said.

"It is important that Northern Ireland has access to the skills necessary to develop our economy in the future and the Home Secretary is fully engaged on that issue.

"It was particularly appropriate that our meeting took place in the Grand Central Hotel, one of Belfast's newest developments and provided Mr Javid with an opportunity to see how the skyline of Belfast is changing and the potential we have for the future."

Mrs Foster said she discussed "the importance of the four nations of the United Kingdom moving forward as one country" with the Home Secretary.

"Together the United Kingdom is more than just the sum of its parts and it is important that we leave the European Union in a way which benefits all parts of the UK," she added.

Meanwhile, the Home Office has disclosed that more than 750,000 people have applied to secure their post-Brexit status in the UK. Official figures show that, as of the end of last month, more than 100,000 Poles had applied - the highest of any nationality.

Poles were followed by Romanian (89,800) and Italian (70,800) nationals.

Slovenia and Luxembourg had the lowest numbers of applicants of EU states, with 700 and 200 respectively.

The majority of applications were received from England (573,600), with 31,400 from Scotland, 9,300 from Wales and 6,500 from Northern Ireland.

Mr Javid said: "EU citizens are our friends, neighbours and colleagues who contribute so much to this country.

"Whatever the outcome of Brexit, we want them to stay."

He added: "Our free and straightforward EU settlement scheme has already seen 750,000 applications, which is immensely encouraging.

"I hope this early success continues in the coming months."
A Co Antrim education software provider has secured investment from a private equity firm which it hopes will fund plans for expansion.

Texthelp in Antrim employs around 165 people in making software to help employees and students with reading and writing difficulties.

It has now received funding from mid-market private equity investor LDC.

The business has customers in North America, Europe and the Middle East for products including Read&Write. It generates annual sales of 19m with the majority from the North America market.

Read More

But chief executive Mark McCusker said it hopes to use the funding injection from LDC - which is understood to be in six figures - to move into new areas. He told the Belfast Telegraph the company now hopes to move into education data - in which data is used to track pupils in a class of all levels of ability.

Mr McCusker said: "Texthelp was founded on our vision of a world where difference, disability or language are no longer barriers. With LDC's help we can further our commitment to helping unlock everyone's full potential."

And he said that while the company's products were first focused on helping those with dyslexia, and later those with limited proficiency in English, it now hoped to create products for "every child in the school market". And while North America was its biggest market, "We anticipate latent demand in the UK so we're positioning ourselves for when that demand comes to the surface".

Steve Aston, director at LDC, said Texthelp was regarded as the market leader.

"Assistive technology not only helps people feel more confident but can also aid productivity," he said.

"We are looking forward to working with Mark and his first-class team to bring Texthelp's services to more people worldwide and continue to improve products to provide a best-in-class customer experience."

Michael Hamill, senior associate at law firm Pinsent Masons, whose Belfast office advised Texthelp, said: "We are delighted to have supported the Texthelp team in this significant transaction for the business and NI and wish them continued success for the future. Private equity investors have been showing increasing appetite for opportunities in NI and LDC's investment shows that strong performers will attract strong backing."
Business has welcomed the arrival of 5G in Belfast as telecoms firm EE led the roll-out of the mobile technology across a range of UK cities.

5G is the next generation of wireless mobile connections, succeeding the 4G networks currently in use on smartphones.

The service, launched in six UK cities yesterday, is tipped to be 10 times faster than 4G.

Read More

Ann McGregor, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said 5G would bring a "huge opportunity for business growth" and would be key to innovations in tech, including artificial intelligence and automation.

"With Belfast being one of the first cities to provide 5G, this will ensure that local businesses remain competitive and continue to be attractive to inward investors," she added.

"It will also support a new generation of start-ups and other business areas - such as in medicine, banking and automation - where fast reliable internet connections are critical."

And Paul Terrington, chairman of business advisory firm PwC in Northern Ireland, said it would secure the growth of the city after it secured funding for a City Deal from Westminster.

He added: "The World Economic Forum says 5G will be 'as revolutionary as electricity or the automobile' and, combined with talent from Queen's University and Ulster University, it will ensure the local ecosystem is well-primed to achieve its ambitions."

Vodafone will launch 5G across seven more cities in the UK on July 3, with a further 12 to follow.
The head of Bank of Ireland has urged clients in Northern Ireland to use its services to weather the storm of Brexit.

Francesca McDonagh was in Belfast yesterday to meet customers.

She said she was "very aware" of the concerns many have about the impact of leaving the EU.

Mrs McDonagh stressed that the bank had launched a 1.75bn Brexit fund to help customers in Northern Ireland facing up to withdrawal.

"We are committed to providing our customers with support whatever the outcome for Brexit," she said.

"Our significant, all-island presence means we are well-placed to do that.

"I would encourage our local business customers to use the supports we have put in place to ensure they can flex, adapt and thrive in the coming months and years."

Mrs McDonagh also pointed out that the bank had held more than 250 events across the island aimed at supporting SMEs, as well as running a portal with information on Brexit.

Earlier this year the bank warned that the absence of a functioning Executive could hurt the long-term economic growth of Northern Ireland.

Its annual report for its UK business warned that the lack of a functioning government at Stormont remained "a concern and a barrier to much-needed long-term strategic decision-making".

Bank of Ireland reported a 16m increase in underlying profit for its Northern Ireland business to 69m last year.

Its local network is made up of 28 branches and six business centres.
Legal and General has made 242m from the sale of its home insurance business (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Legal & General will no longer offer policies to households after bosses sold its home insurance business to German rival Allianz in a deal worth 242 million.

The two firms had been in exclusive discussions for months over the deal, with Allianz keen to expand its presence in the UK.

Allianz also revealed on Friday morning it was spending a further 365 million buying up the rest of the Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society (LV) it does not already own  valuing LV at 1.1 billion.

According to L&G, the insurance business is mainly made up of home insurance policies, with gross written premiums of 410 million in 2018, although it failed to make any operating profits.

In 2017 Allianz made its first major foray into the British insurance market, buying a 49% stake in LVs general insurance business in a 713 million deal which made the German company the third-biggest insurer in the market.

L&G is focusing more heavily on its investment business, which was responsible for investing 1 trillion on behalf of investors last year, and has been shedding non-core and overseas assets.

These include selling savings businesses Mature Savings, Cofunds and Suffolk Life, alongside international insurance businesses in the Netherlands, France and India.

L&G said the money from the sale will be reinvested into its core businesses.

Chief executive Nigel Wilson said: Selling the General Insurance business is the right decision for our customers and shareholders.

We continue to focus on delivering against our strategy, allocating shareholders capital rigorously.

Jon Dye, chief executive of Allianz UK, said: This is a good outcome for all the parties involved and acquiring a high-quality business with two million customers to combine with the LV= General Insurance business is a strong result.
Kate Spade Creative Director Nicola Glass walks the runway at the Kate Spade AW19 Collection (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for TRESemme)

Northern Ireland fashion designer Nicola Glass said she was honoured to donate Kate Spade New York accessories to a charity auction in Belfast this weekend.

A Kate Spade tote bag, watch, purse and a handbag will be auctioned off at Save the Children NI's Centenary Ball on June 1 at Titanic Belfast.

Nicola, who is from Templepatrick and attended Belfast Royal Academy, is the creative director at Kate Spade New York.

The 46-year-old designer said: Save the Children is very close to mine and my familys heart. I am honoured to have the opportunity to donate Kate Spade New York items to the gala event this weekend.

My mother is very personally involved with Save the Children Northern Ireland and we are both excited to continue to support this organisations work to deliver life-saving aid, across the world, for the past one hundred years.

The sold out gala, organised by local volunteers, is one of many events taking place across the globe to celebrate 100 years of Save the Children and raise funds for the charity.

Game of Thrones fans can get their hands on a complete script signed by the cast of the hit show at the event's auction.

Other items up for grabs are tickets for the 148th Open Royal Portrush, an Ireland rugby top signed by former captain Rory Best and a t-shirt signed by Rory McIlroy at the 2019 Masters Tournament in Augusta.

Peter Bryson, head of Save the Children NI added: "This money will make such a difference to the world's most vulnerable children. Across the globe  from Perth to Penzance, from Belfast to Brighton  people will be making their voice heard, taking action for children and raising money. It is local fundraising events like this that make Save the Children's essential work possible.

A century ago the charitys founder Eglantyne Jebb, along with her sister Dorothy, held a public meeting in Londons Albert Hall to launch Save the Children with a mission to fight for those left sick and starving in Europe after the First World War.

All funds raised at the Centenary Ball, sponsored by Hamilton Shipping, will help Save the Children as they continue their endeavour to build a better future for children in over 120 countries across the world.
The man tipped to replace the outgoing European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has suggested a hard border on the island of Ireland could lead to a renewal of conflict.

Michel Barnier also claimed that nostalgia for a time when Britain was a "powerful" and "global" nation was partly to blame for the UK's decision to leave the European Union.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator said nostalgia served "no purpose in politics" as he warned Tory leadership hopefuls that Brussels would not renegotiate Theresa May's withdrawal agreement.

Asked if a hard border on the island of Ireland would lead to renewal of the Troubles, Mr Barnier replied: "Yes, it creates a very difficult situation for people.

"I remember a meeting after the Brexit vote with a group of 20 women working on both sides.

"Several of the women were crying, worried about their livelihoods. They said, 'Help us'.

"We have found an agreement. We said that after the withdrawal agreement is accepted, we can immediately start work on a long-term solution for the Irish border.

"It was a British proposal to build the backstop into a UK-wide solution to make the whole of the UK (including Northern Ireland) part of a single customs territory until we find a solution.

"The backstop is insurance in case we do not find this solution."

In comments that are likely to enrage Conservative Brexiteers, Mr Barnier also told the New York Review Of Books: "Looking at the causes of Brexit, we also find typically British reasons: the hope for a return to a powerful, global Britain, nostalgia for the past... nostalgia serves no purpose in politics.

"In my country too, some politicians still prefer to live in the past.

"But there were also people voting for Brexit who simply don't want to accept rules."
Turkish Foreign Ministry denied reports claiming Ankara is considering delay in procurement of Russian S-400 missile defense systems on U.S. demands.



"Reports of some media organs in recent days which say Turkey considers delaying S-400 procurement on U.S. demand are baseless," a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Hami Aksoy said.

"Our procurement process of S-400 from Russia is ongoing as planned," Anadolu Agency cited the minister as saying.



Aksoy also said that Turkeys offer to form a working group with the U.S. to discuss Ankaras pending procurement of Russian S-400 is still valid.
A 15-year-old boy and 24-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after an assault in Newry.

The assault took place in the Cleary Crescent area in the early hours of Wednesday.

Both men remain in police custody.

A 17-year-old male appeared at Newry Magistrates Court on Thursday in connection with the incident, while a 29-year-old man arrested was released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Police enquiries into the assault are continuing and they would ask anyone with any information in relation to the incident to contact detectives on 101, quoting reference number 21 29/5/19.

Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.
A former Army chief-of-staff who admitted wrongly informing the media that two civilians shot dead in Ballymurphy were armed has claimed the military "doesn't do conspiracies" - prompting ridicule from the public gallery.

General Sir Mike Jackson (75) was a captain in the Parachute Regiment during three days of internment in 1971 and was acting as a Press officer at the time.

He was giving evidence to a fresh inquest into the shooting dead of 10 civilians from August 9-11 of that year.

Yesterday he said he was "likely" the Army captain quoted in a Belfast Telegraph report on August 11, 1971, stating that Joseph Corr (43) and John Laverty (20) were IRA gunmen who had been shot dead by soldiers that morning.

Michael Mansfield QC, who is representing the family of Mr Corr, insisted he "was not a gunman, wasn't armed, wasn't a member of the IRA and wasn't associated with the IRA" as he questioned why the Royal Military Police failed to properly investigate the killings.

The barrister told the coroner there was no evidence that any soldiers who opened fire were interviewed, apart from one a year later.

"The order of the day was to impose authority on this area of Belfast," he said.

But the retired general, who said he should have used the word "alleged" when talking to the Press, rejected suggestions of a concerted cover-up of the "hugely regrettable" tragedy.

"It is a preposterous accusation to make which would require a huge number of people to be part of. It simply doesn't add up... what I do know is we don't do conspiracies," he said.

Relatives shook their heads in disbelief as those in the public gallery burst out laughing at the comment.

Mr Jackson said he had "absolutely no doubt" the IRA had engaged members of the regiment in a gun battle that morning.

He described how 600 soldiers had come under a "hail of gunfire" from 20 gunmen when they moved to dismantle barricades in the area.

Yesterday he admitted he did not see the battle himself, but relied on the testimony of soldiers on the ground. He also suggested there was a possible breakdown in procedures due to the "mayhem" at the time.

Mr Mansfield then asked why no charges were ever brought against soldiers who tortured two young brothers, Bernard and Robert Doyle. The coroner heard evidence claiming the teenagers were stripped down to their underpants and beaten on the spot where Mr Corr was killed.

Mr Corr's daughter Eileen McKeown reacted angrily saying that "if he (Mr Jackson) had put 'allegedly' in that article... my mummy might not have got the hate mail" from her husband's former workmates at Shorts, who branded him "sub-human".
A DUP councillor has accused Sinn Fein MP Elisha McCallion of "double standards" after she called for the removal of Parachute Regiment flags in Londonderry

The Foyle MP said families of those killed on Bloody Sunday have been angered by the flying of flags, which appeared in the Fountain estate in the city this week.

DUP councillor Graham Warke, a former soldier, however, said Ms McCallions condemnation "reeks of double standards" as she "glorifies and eulogises" IRA terrorists.

Thirteen people were killed and 15 wounded when members of the Parachute regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in Londonderry's Bogside on January 30, 1972. A 14th person died in hospital.

Read More

Two months ago it was announced that one soldier, known as "Soldier F", will face prosecution for the killing of two men on the day and attempted murder of four others.

Since the announcement, Parachute Regiment flags and banners in support of Soldier F have appeared across Northern Ireland, erected by those who feel British soldiers are being unfairly investigated for their actions during the Troubles.

Elisha McCallion called on those in the Fountain Estate to "listen to the appeals of the Bloody Sunday families" and remove the flags.

Parachute Regiment flags have been erected in the Fountain estate area of Derry in recent days. This has led to offence and anger among the families of those killed on Bloody Sunday," she said.

The Bloody Sunday families have appealed to the community in the Fountain to remove these flags. I would echo that call from the families and appeal to people in the area to ensure these flags are taken down.

Graham Warke said people are entitled to demonstrate support "for those who served in very difficult circumstances and are now seen to be receiving unfair treatment".

"There are many campaigns for investigations into the actions of the state but people are also entitled to highlight the disproportionate focus on those who served here," he said.

"Condemnation from Elisha McCallion reeks of double standards when she glorifies and eulogises those who went out with the deliberate and sole intention of bringing death and destruction onto the streets of Northern Ireland.

"Will she commit her party to stop sanctioning and organising events which cause such offence and anger to people right across our community?
An older person's house has been ransacked during a burglary in Coleraine.

Police received a report that a house on Cloyfin Road had been broken into some time between 10am 11.45am on Thursday.

Damage was caused to a window, while rooms in the house were ransacked.

No one was in the house at the time.

Detective Sergeant Rachel Gardiner said: "I want to appeal to anyone who may have been in the area at the time and saw any suspicious activity, or anyone who has information about this crime to contact detectives in Coleraine on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference 760 of 30/05/19."

Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Following the burglary the PSNI issued advice to householders to help prevent further burglaries.

Detective Sergeant Gardiner added: "We are aware of the impact that burglaries can have on individual householders. Dont make it easy for thieves. Stay alert to your surroundings and report anything suspicious to police immediately.

I want to encourage everyone to report suspicious activity to us, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

"The report of a suspicious vehicle or people acting strangely in your neighbourhood can help us to prevent and detect crime.

Please ensure that all houses, sheds and garages are secured, particularly during the hours of darkness. Do not keep valuables or large amounts of cash in your home and remember, safes are able to be removed.

"Do not leave any tools/ladders outside which can be used to access your property.

"Do not answer the door during the hours of darkness unless you are expecting someone or you have a security latch and can check identity first.

"Keep an eye on your property and please report to the police any suspicious callers or vehicles. This includes cold callers or services being offered at inflated prices.

"If you do have CCTV systems, please ensure that they are working, and please look out for elderly/vulnerable neighbours and check on them regularly.
Geordie Gilmore died from a catastrophic brain injury after he was shot in Carrickfergus in 2017.

Three men have been found not guilty of the UDA feud murder of loyalist Geordie Gilmore.

Brian Roy McLean (37), of Valetta Park, Newtownards; Robert Darren McMaw (34), of Kilgreel Road, Antrim; and his younger brother Samuel David McMaw (30), of Starborg Road, Kilwaughter in Larne, were acquitted of his murder, the attempted murder of another man and possession of a firearm with intent.

Mr Justice McAlinden said he had not been persuaded beyond reasonable doubt about the guilt of all three.

The verdict was met with cheers from the defendants in the dock, along with associates inside and outside the courtroom, where police had a significant presence throughout proceedings.

Mr Gilmore was shot on March 13, 2017, as he drove along Pinewood Avenue in Carrickfergus in his white Vauxhall Insignia car.

The 44-year-old died in hospital the following day from a catastrophic brain injury as a result of a bullet wound.

It was the prosecutions case that Mr Gilmores two-car convoy had been followed to Carrick from Belfast Magistrates Court, where he had been attending the case of three men charged with an attack on a doorman in a Carrickfergus bar days earlier.

When they returned to Carrick, the Gilmore party stopped at a bakery in the town centre before travelling to the Woodlands estate, where his car was shot at six times.

The Crown claimed that the gunman was David McMaw, with Brian Roy McLean acting as a look-out and Darren McMaw involving himself in a scouting exercise by following Mr Gilmore in his van prior to the fatal gun attack.

All three defendants declined to give evidence during the trial and all denied the offences against them.

Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Robert Darren McMaw Photopress Brian Roy McClean Photopress Forensic experts examine the murder scene in Carrickfergus. Photopress Belfast / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Robert Darren McMaw

Witnesses had identified David McMaw as the gunman who fired from an alleyway.

Barristers for each of the defendants argued that the Crown had failed to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, the guilt of their clients.

In yesterdays ruling, Mr Justice McAlinden said the evidence of three Crown witnesses in the case, including that of the victims son George Gilmore Jr, were incapable of belief and no conviction in this case would be safely founded with this evidence.

The witnesses had claimed to have seen David McMaw with a balaclava on his head and armed with a gun.

One witness who was in the front passenger seat of Mr Gilmores car told an ambulance service operator during a 999 call that one of the bullets had whizzed past his head before hitting the deceased in the neck.

He told the operator that it was (David) Dee Dee McMaw... he fired six shots. I watched him pull the trigger above me. Dee Dee McMaw ran out of the alley and fired six shots.

The judge said: Having listened to this telephone call, I am convinced that during this call the witness was being given information or was overhearing information provided by others at the scene.

He was giving a grossly inaccurate account to others of what he actually saw that afternoon.

Regarding the witness saying that the bullet had whizzed past me, Mr Justice McAlinden said: This is simply not true. It did not happen.

The bullet which struck Mr Gilmore Sr struck him on the right side of the back of the head as he was seated in the drivers side of the car.

Whatever the prior trajectory of this bullet, it did not whizz right past the witnesss head, who was seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle.

Mr Justice McAlinden said that after considering the evidence of the three Crown witnesses, he had been led to the inescapable conclusion that the evidence given is utterly implausible and incapable of belief.

Expand Close George "Geordie" Gilmore Image supplied by A Gordon from the FB page of George Jnr's FB page (18 March 2017) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp George "Geordie" Gilmore

The judge added: I simply do not believe that any of these witnesses saw what they say they saw on the day in question.

Mr Justice McAlinden, however, concluded that the movements of Darren McMaw in his van were reasonably consistent with him trying to locate the whereabouts and tracking the route of the Gilmore party around the time of the attack.

He said that he believed that if the three defendants had given evidence at their trial, it would not have borne examination.

The judge said that David McMaw and Brian Roy McLean had disappeared for a number of days after the shooting.

This period of time had clearly allowed for a decontamination process in relation to firearms residues and other forensically significant material such as fibre deposits, he added.

These defendants decommissioned and put beyond reach from police mobile phones that were in use in the lead-up to the shooting and in the immediate period thereafter.

This is a case of suspects deliberately taking steps to ensure that the phones in question were never made available for forensic examination.

Despite drawing adverse inferences from the decision of the defendants not to give evidence, Mr Justice McAlinden said he was finding the trio not guilty on all the charges.

The judge described the murder of Mr Gilmore senior as an utterly reckless attack at a time when very young children were making their way home from the nearby primary school.

He noted how a stray bullet hit a wall inside a nearby house.

Anyone standing behind that front door, or on the stairs in that house, would have been killed or seriously injured by this reckless disregard for human life, he said.

When is this society going to realise that these self-styled paramilitary organisations are nothing other than a cancer feeding off the deeply rooted tribal fears of the communities in which they operate, and that resorting to the use of a gun solves nothing and only serves to engender further violence and the further perpetuation of hatred?

As there were no applications from either the Crown or the defence, Darren McMaw and Brian Roy McLean walked free from court. David McMaw was remanded back into custody on other matters.
Patch had to be put to sleep due to her injuries

A dissident republican group has been criticised for issuing a statement over a sickening act of cruelty on a dog after failing to condemn the New IRA murder of journalist Lyra McKee.

Patch, who belonged to the daughter of a Saoradh activist, had to be put down after suffering multiple horrifying injuries in what is believed to have been an acid attack in Newry.

Vets tried to save her life, but the burns the animal sustained were too severe.

Saoradh spokesman Stephen Murney described the attack on the pet as "sickening".

He said: "I have spoken to members of the family and they are devastated that someone would do this to their pet.

"Their daughter and grandchild doted on Patch and they are heartbroken.

"This sickening incident has shocked and angered the entire community throughout Newry and beyond.

"We would appeal to anyone who has any information regarding this incident to contact any Saoradh activist."

While there has been widespread condemnation of the attack on the dog, Saoradh has been slammed for failing to condemn the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Ms McKee in April.

"They feel able to condemn the dreadful attack on the poor dog, but not the murder of a journalist," UUP councillor David Taylor said.

"I was very sorry to hear what happened to the dog.

"It was an evil act and I hope that those responsible for the appalling cruelty are brought to justice.

"No animal should ever suffer in that way.

"But I wish the group that has condemned this attack on the dog would show the same willingness to condemn murders carried out by republican terrorists."

Vet Liam Fitzsimons of Newry Veterinary Centre described Patch's injuries as "the worst case of animal cruelty I have ever seen" and that he'd "take this case to my grave".
Two people have been injured after a knifeman went on the rampage near Jerusalem's Damascus Gate in what Israeli security services are treating as a terrorist incident.



A man and teenager were stabbed by the "terrorist" who was later shot dead by police officers, according to Times of Israel.

"Around 6.20am the assailant entered through the Damascus Gate. He stabbed a man inside and began running from the scene. Along the way, he saw a 16-year-old boy and stabbed him as well," Express.co.uk cited a police spokesman as saying.

The spokesman said the suspected terrorist, a 19-year-old Palestinian man from the West Bank, was shot dead by armed officers at the scene.

Security chiefs have deployed additional troops around Jerusalem's Old City as a precaution against further attacks.



Paramedics said the man injured near the Damascus Gate was stabbed in the neck and head and was in a near-critical condition.
A headteacher has hit out at Northern Ireland's 'failing politicians' after being forced to cut class times for pupils because of budget cuts.

Larne Grammar School has written to parents informing them that class time will be cut because of a reduction in funding.

The school has said the school day will be ten minutes shorter.

Read More

The school is also cutting teaching staff by a further 1.4 full-time equivalent and that it will be unable to replace the vice-principal who is retiring at the end of the academic year.

Principal Jonathan Wylie, in a statement released to the Belfast Telegraph, said that since 2012, schools' budgets have declined by around 10% in real terms.

He said that schools have been attempting to manage the cuts, while maintaining the quality of education provision for pupils, resulting in schools being forced to reduce staffing levels.

"Many of these cuts have been absorbed by schools and school staff with the result that they have not been noticed by parents and the wider community," the Mr Wylie said.

"This, however, is no longer sustainable and Boards of Governors across Northern Ireland are being faced with unpalatable choices and are being forced to make some very difficult decisions.

"School leaders are angry and frustrated that they are being placed in this position due to the failure of politicians and, through them, the Department of Education to ensure appropriate levels of funding for schools in Northern Ireland."

Mr Wylie said that the Board of Governors of Larne Grammar School, having considered a range of options in attempt to minimise the impact on pupils and the wider school community, has taken the decision to reduce class time by two minutes per period from September 2019.

Mr Wylie added: "The Governors and staff of the school remain steadfast in their commitment and determination to ensure that the pupils of Larne Grammar School receive the best possible educational experience, and have access to a broad and balanced curriculum, in spite of the many external pressures to which schools are being subjected."

The Department of Education has been approached for comment.
A 91-year-old former monk jailed for sexually abusing three boys is to have his sentence increased by 18 months, the Court of Appeal ruled.

Judges backed claims the 10-and-a-half-year term originally imposed on Vincent Lewis for subjecting his young victims to a "shocking" series of attacks was unduly lenient.

Ordering him to serve 12 years instead, Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan highlighted the damage caused by the decade-long campaign of molestation.

Sir Declan said: "The effect on the victims was horrendous."

Lewis, formerly Brother Ambrose of Our Lady of Bethlehem Monastery in Portglenone, Co Antrim, pleaded guilty to more than 50 offences committed between 1973 and 1983.

He abused one boy while still a monk, and targeted the others after marrying and moving to Annagher Road in Coalisland, Co Tyrone.

Some of the attacks were carried out at Portglenone Abbey, where his principle responsibility involved operating the printing press.

He also took one victim to isolated woods along the river where he had prepared a private place to carry out further assaults.

The scale of Lewis's offending led to him being branded "an evil monk".

In February 2018 he was sentenced to nine years and six months in custody, with a further year on probation.

Lawyers for the Director of Public Prosecutions challenged the term imposed, arguing that it was too lenient.

They contend that too much discount was given for Lewis's age, and that the starting point in the sentencing process had been too low.

During the appeal it emerged that a further complaint has been received in connection with the former monk.

Judges were also told he made financial contributions towards compensation paid out to victims.

Their ruling was delivered in his absence, with lawyers confirming he had not wanted to be brought from jail.

Lewis is the only offender aged over 90 in Northern Ireland's prison population, the court heard.

He was said to spend his time attending the exercise yard in the morning, playing cards in the evening and regularly attending church services.

Based on the extent of his sexual offending, Sir Declan held that a starting point in excess of 20 years was appropriate before allowing discount for his age and other mitigating factors.

He confirmed: "We are satisfied that the sentence imposed was unduly lenient and we substitute for the commensurate sentence of 10 years six months a sentence of 12 years."

No basis was established for including probation as part of the term.

Sir Declan added: "Because of this man's age and his withdrawal from community activity no rehabilitative programme directed to his offending was either required or likely to be put in place."
The Northern Ireland Secretary has been criticised by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) for showing apparent contempt by refusing to take their questions (Niall Carson/PA).

The Northern Ireland Secretary has been criticised by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) for showing apparent contempt by refusing to take their questions.

Karen Bradley did not field any queries after she gave a minute-long update on the political talks on Thursday.

Irish Tanaiste Simon Coveney spoke for 10 minutes and answered six questions.

Question Time...Karen Bradley style. A little @PA montage of the last few weeks of media engagement from the NI Secretary at the Stormont talks. pic.twitter.com/wAdI1Fkgds  David Young (@DavidYoungPA) May 31, 2019

Ciaran O Maolain, a member of the NUJs national executive and the secretary of the unions Belfast branch, told the BBC: We all want to see progress in politics and that requires informed debate, transparency and honesty on all sides.

For a Government minister to treat journalists with apparent contempt  refusing to take a single question when so many important issues are being discussed  does nothing to advance the political process.

Mrs Bradley has been attempting to engineer the restoration of powersharing at Stormont.

During her spell in the Northern Ireland Office she has answered journalists queries repeatedly on a range of subjects.

But she has also been criticised over a number of her comments, including the suggestion in Parliament earlier this year that killings by British soldiers during the Troubles were not crimes.

She later apologised.

The Irish government has been among those expressing confidence in her ability as minister.

The powersharing institutions have been in deep freeze for around two-and-a-half years following a row between the DUP and Sinn Fein over the botched green energy scheme.

A UK Government spokesperson said that Mrs Bradley had made her position clear.

"The Secretary of State has the utmost respect for the media. She made clear at the beginning of the talks process however that she would not be providing a running commentary," the spokesperson said.

"It is an extremely sensitive and delicate time and the Secretary of State is focused on doing everything in her power to make a success of the talks process."
The scene at John Street in Derry where police are investigating the death of a man

Tributes have been paid to a man whose body was found on John Street in Londonderry.

The area remained sealed off for several hours yesterday while PSNI examined the scene.

His death is not thought to be suspicious.

A post-mortem will be carried out to determine when the man, who's understood to be 27-years-old, passed away and the cause of his death.

It is also thought that he was originally from England but had been living in Derry for the past seven years.

A friend of the man who was at the scene said he was shocked to hear the tragic news.

He said: "My heart sunk when I got the call to say my friend was dead. He was just 27, around the same age as me and he was too young to die.

"He came here to Derry seven years ago and didn't know anybody at all so I made friends with him.

"He was a good laugh and he wouldn't hurt a fly. It is terrible news."

Foyle MP Elisha McCallion also expressed her sympathy for the man.

She said: "The local community has been shocked and saddened by the death of a young man in the John Street area of Derry city centre.

"Any life lost in our city is one too many.

"The PSNI has said there is nothing to suggest a crime has been committed and I would call on anyone with information on what happened to come forward.

"I want to express my thoughts and sympathies to the family and friends of this young man at this sad and difficult time."
A Northern Ireland grammar school is cutting class times for pupils because of budget cuts.

Larne Grammar School has written to parents informing them that class time will be cut by 20 minutes a day because of a reduction in funding.

Read More

The letter, read out on the BBC's Nolan Show, said: "From September teaching staff levels will no longer be sufficient to enable the school to operate its current structure.

"Following consideration of the various options and an attempt to protect learning and teaching time as far as possible and minimise the impact on pupils and the wider school community, the school day will be reorganised with a 20 minute reduction in class time."

The Nolan Show reported the school is also cutting teaching staff by a further 1.4 full-time equivalent and that it will be unable to replace the vice-principal who is retiring at the end of the academic year.

Margaret, a parent of a pupil at the school, told the Nolan Show that she did not blame the head for making the move.

"I am not surprised but I am upset that it is being cut," she said.

"But what I was interested to find out, and my point in contacting the show, is other schools in wealthy areas charge a much higher voluntary fee, and I am wondering, are schools that can draw on parental financial support..... are they able to shelter themselves from the cuts?"
IRA child sex abuse survivors Mairia Cahill and Paudie McGahon have called on a Sinn Fein MEP to retract comments he made yesterday claiming concerns over the party's handling of such allegations are "just media generated issues".

Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland news programme, MEP Matt Carthy was asked about the party's lacklustre performance in recent elections.

The interviewer suggested that among the reasons Sinn Fein's vote had faltered were the allegations of bullying in the party, the handling of child and sex abuse allegations, and its withdrawal from Stormont.

Mr Carthy replied: "Well I think the first two are just media generated issues, by and large, and, they may have issues, but in previous elections we've had constant negativity from some elements of the media..."

Ms Cahill, a former Irish Labour Senator, said: "The last five years, since I waived anonymity, were hard enough without being compounded by Sinn Fein's wholly inadequate response and failure to admit responsibility.

"For Carthy to minimise the very real suffering of IRA sex abuse victims as 'just media generated' is appalling, deeply hurtful and indicative that the Sinn Fein party has learned nothing when it comes to their response to these cases.

"These cases were in the media because victims felt they had no other option, given the failure of Sinn Fein to properly admit their own failings."

Mr McGahon - one of two teenage boys raped at a republican 'safe house' two decades ago - said the MEP's comments were "shameful" and should be retracted immediately.

"Carthy's comments show they have learned nothing and are not taking the issue seriously," he said.

Responding, a Sinn Fein spokesman said: "The only people who can investigate or deal with allegations of sexual abuse is the police and the relevant statutory bodies.

"Sinn Fein has called on people with any information on child sexual abuse to bring it forward to police."
Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle O'Neill has said that the party will continue to push for an Irish Language Act during ongoing talks at Stormont.

Mrs O'Neill was speaking after an Irish Language demonstration at Stormont on Friday.

The Irish Language Act has been a repeated sticking point in attempts to get power-sharing up and running again.

Leaks from the current talks process suggest that the matter is being discussed once again.

Read More

It has been suggested that talks collapsed in February 2018 when an agreement was close after the DUP's support base told the party it would not back an Irish Language Act.

DUP leader Arlene Foster has repeatedly stated that her party will not support a "stand-alone Irish Language Act".

Mrs O'Neill said that the Irish Language Act was agreed in the St Andrew's Agreement and it was a "disgrace" that it had not yet been implemented.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of a Irish Language Act. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 31st May 2019 School children and Irish Language Act supporters hold a protest at Stormont in east Belfast. An Irish Language Act has been of main areas the political parties in Northern Ireland continue to disagree on and is helping to hold up the Assembly sitting again. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Ciaran Mac Giolla Bhein with Protesters who gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Alan Lewis- PhotopressBelfast.co.uk 31/5/2019 Photo By Justin Kernoghan 'Voice your support for Acht Gaeilge' - An Aoine Dhearg protest at Stormont, an opportunity to voice support for Irish language rights. The protest, organised by Dream Dearg, took place at Stormont this afternoon. Mairtin O Muilleoir said: There is a clear and growing demand across society for an Irish Language Act and an end to the denial of rights to large sections of society. The Irish language is an integral part of the lives of a growing number of people who use it daily and their rights should be protected. Language protections exist in England, Scotland, Wales and in the rest of Ireland, they now need to be extended to the north. As the new talks process continues, its vital that all parties and both governments hear a clear message that people here are opposed to the ongoing denial of rights. I would urge people to back this protest, wear red and make your voice heard in support of an Irish Language Act and rights for all citizens. Photopress Pacemaker Press 30/05/19 Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of A Irish Language act, An Dream Dearg walked up to Parliament buildings with School Children. Pix Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Protesters gather at Stormont on Friday in support of a Irish Language Act. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

"There is a clear and growing demand across society for an end to the rights and equality deficit that exists in the north," the Mid Ulster MLA said.

That was the message from todays demonstration, loud and clear. Irish speaking children threaten no one. The Irish language threatens no one, it is inclusive and it is thriving across our island."

The Sinn Fein deputy leader said her party would continue its campaign for an Irish Language Act.

As the new talks process continues, we believe there is a way forward and that the outstanding issues can be resolved. That requires political will from both governments and all the political parties," Mrs O'Neill said.

Sinn Fein will continue to support the campaign for an Acht Gaeilge which includes rights and legal protections for Irish speakers in the north, just as exists elsewhere on these islands.

On Thursday Secretary of State Karen Bradley and Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said that the talks process is set to intensify next week.
Europe's mechanism for trade with Iran is not a problem for Washington as long as it is meant to facilitate the trade in goods that are not under U.S. sanctions, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

"We've been pretty clear about trade with Iran - there are items that are sanctioned and there are items that are not," the Secretary of State said after meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Berlin.

"When we think about INSTEX, if it is aimed at facilitating the movement of goods that are authorised to move, it's unproblematic", the AP cited Pompeo as saying.



The Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) was set up in January of this year in response to the United States reinstating sanctions against Iran, including measures targeting third countries that trade with Tehran. It was established after Washington withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal.
Unions called for the Stormont Government to be restored (Paul Faith/PA)

Trade unionists have called for the urgent restoration of devolved Government.

They urged the British and Irish Governments to act on compensation for historical abuse victims, inadequate public sector pay and a cliff edge change looming for those on welfare benefits.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) said a permanent Forum for Social Dialogue including the power-sharing government plus the trade union movement, employers, community and voluntary sector and farming community should be established.

It added: The Northern Ireland Committee of ICTU, as the leadership body for trade unions in Northern Ireland, and the largest cross-community civic society body in NI, affirms our commitment to the restoration of devolution to Northern Ireland within the framework of equality and rights set out in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements.

Many of these commitments reflect the contribution made by the trade union movement to the process which resulted in the peace agreement and the establishment of devolved power-sharing Government.

NIC-ICTU also affirms our commitment to the protection and full implementation of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement to achieve an inclusive society that works for all.

The intervention followed the placing into administration of Co Antrim building firm Dixons Contractors earlier this week.

Trade unionists urged the two governments, as co-guarantors of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, as well as the political parties, to urgently address matters of serious concern to their collective membership of over 200,000 workers and the wider public.

We seek firm commitments that action will be taken as part of a coherent, progressive and comprehensive Programme for Government, and where necessary, that legislation will be enacted without delay to address persistent and growing problems in our society.

They said a forum could be modelled on the Welsh Council for Economic Development, and could mitigate the harsh edges of Brexit and propose practical and realistic evidence-based policy solutions to the problems our society and economy faces.
Patch had to be put to sleep due to her injuries

A 1,000 reward has been put up to help find the perpetrators of a sickening acid attack on a dog in Newry.

Patch, who belonged to the daughter of a dissident republican Saoradh activist, had to be put down after suffering multiple horrifying injuries in what is believed to have been an acid attack.

Vets had tried to save Patch's life, but the burns the animal sustained were too severe.

Read More

The USCPA has offered a reward of 1,000 for any information leading to the successful conviction of those responsible for the horrendous attack.

USPCA Chief Executive, Brendan Mullan stated; The graphic reports of the appalling acid attack that took the life of a family pet in Newry has triggered a tidal wave of revulsion and through the generosity of the public, we are now able to offer this 1,000 reward.

"We would encourage anyone with information that may assist the PSNI in their investigation to contact them on the 101 number. It is important that the perpetrators of this vile and cruel act are found and brought before the courts.

Vet Liam Fitzsimons of Newry Veterinary Centre described Patch's injuries as "the worst case of animal cruelty I have ever seen" and that he'd "take this case to my grave".
There have been calls for a new, moderate unionist party to be established in Northern Ireland.

MLA and former Justice Minister Claire Sugden made the comments in the wake of two bruising elections for the Ulster Unionist Party.

Earlier this week, the party lost their seat in the European Parliament - a seat it had held since 1979.

The poor showing followed a disastrous performance in the local government elections, where the party lost 13 seats.

Read More

Back in 2013, there was a attempt to grow a new, moderate pro-Union party in the form of NI21, however it lasted less than three years and only managed to get one councillor elected.

Speaking on the BBC's The View, independent unionist Claire Sugden said there needs to be an alternative to the DUP and UUP for moderate unionists.

"I think there is space for potentially a new unionist party, or indeed a unionist party that can represent the moderate voice of unionism," she said.

"Because that currently doesn't exist with the DUP, or even the Ulster Unionist Party.

"And I think what the Alliance Party have been able to do in these last couple of months, is perhaps fill the gap that moderate unionism hasn't been able to do because there is simply no-one representing them."

Ms Sugden said she remains independent because the DUP and Ulster Unionists "do not represent the values I believe in" and she would potential join a new moderate party.

"I think the union is very important. I absolutely understand that Northern Ireland is best served within the context of the United Kingdom," she said.

"But equally, I also want to talk about other issues including equal marriage, better education systems, better health care systems and I'm not finding the space to do that within the DUP and Ulster Unionists.

"So I will remain independent for now, but if we were to have perhaps a more moderate unionist voice on the hill, that might be something I would be attracted to."
The solicitor for Ian Bailey has said that Fridays ruling was one of the worst moments of his clients life.

Bailey, 62, was convicted in absentia in France of murdering Sophie Toscan du Plantier in west Co Cork in 1996.

Baileys solicitor Frank Buttimer said his client is innocent in this country, in spite of what has been done to him in the other country and that he would continue to support Bailey, who had been through a nightmare.

It is incredibly distressing, Mr Buttimer said.

The French will now return to this country to seek his unlawful removal for the third time, and that will resisted by us.Frank Buttimer

I do not know how he has managed to survive over the years, this is just the latest, but one of the worst moments of his life, insofar as he has been caught up in this nightmare.

I truly do not know how he has managed to deal with these extremely difficult matters, but I will continue to support the man and I hope people out there have an understanding of what has been done to him, and what has been done to the criminal justice system of this independent country.

Mr Buttimer called the ruling a grotesque miscarriage of justice, conducted under a 200-year-old colonial law.

Ian Bailey never expected to receive what we would understand to be justice in the French jurisdiction, Mr Buttimer told the Press Association.

This is a French colonial law, in existence for 200 years when France was a colonial power  where France claims to have jurisdiction over the entire world, as if the criminal justice systems of democracies such as Ireland are not fit for purpose.

Its a gross insult to our independence as a country, to the independence of our criminal justice system and to the independence of our public prosecutor.

French authorities have said they will travel to Ireland with an extradition order to seek to bring Bailey back to their jurisdiction.

The French will now return to this country to seek his unlawful removal for the third time, and that will resisted by us, Mr Buttimer added.

He doesnt have any rights in France, we have to just react to whats next to happen.
Gardai have appealed for information after a fatal hit and run in the early hours of Friday morning.

A male pedestrian in his 20s was killed on the Swords Road (N1) and Collins Avenue junction in Dublin when he was hit by a heavy goods vehicle at 12.20am.

The man was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Gardai in Santry investigating the death have released CCTV footage in a bid to identify the driver.

3) We are interested in speaking to anyone who may have dash cam, CCTV footage or anyone with info on movements of HGV believed to be involved in this incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballymun GS on 6664400, Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any GS pic.twitter.com/0BbXXO3FxW  An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) May 31, 2019

The HGV articulated tractor unit believed to be involved in the incident was turning left from the Swords Road on to Collins Avenue.

The white vehicle failed to remain at the scene.

Detective Inspector Michael Mulligan, from Ballymun Garda Station, said that the dead man is from the Swords area but would not release a name as not all family have been informed.

He said the vehicle left the scene and carried on in the direction of Clontarf.

We are interested in speaking to anyone who may have dash cam or CCTV footage or anyone with information on the movements/whereabouts of the HGV believed to be involved in this incident, he said.

At this time were about to release images of the vehicle involved on our social media, so were appealing for the owner of the truck to come forward.

The scene of the collision was examined by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators and a post-mortem was carried out at the City Morgue by Acting State Pathologist Dr Micheal Curtis.

Gardai are interested in speaking to the owner/driver of the tractor unit to assist with their enquiries.

1) Gardai are investigating a fatal hit and run road traffic collision between a HGV and a male pedestrian that occurred on the Swords Road (N1), at the Collins Avenue Junction, on Friday 31st May, 2019 at approximately 12:20am. pic.twitter.com/a3IqpCoj2m  An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) May 31, 2019

Gardai also want to hear from anyone who may have been in the Swords Road (N1)/Collins Avenue junction area between 12.15am and 12.30am on Friday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Sophie Toscan du Plantier was the third wife of celebrated director Daniel Toscan du Plantier  a man 16 years her senior  and a court in France heard she had struggled to adapt to their life together.

At trial, the court tried to build up a picture of a woman who was staying alone in a remote part of Ireland just before Christmas.

They met while she was working as a press attache with UniFrance  an organisation promoting French cinema  although she later moved into documentaries.

Sophie was a woman who was quite reserved, who needed from time to time to have a little calm because the life of such a producer and personality (her husband) was extremely hecticGilbert Jacob, friend of Daniel Toscan du Plantier

Gilbert Jacob, a close friend of Mr Toscan du Plantier who also worked in film, said Ms Toscan du Plantier would sometimes disappear for a few days, forcing her husband to search all over Paris for her.

At the time, Toscan (Daniel Toscan du Plantier) had become a sort of ambassador for French cinema  he was extremely well known and extremely brilliant, he said.

He added: Sophie was a woman who was quite reserved, who needed from time to time to have a little calm because the life of such a producer and personality (her husband) was extremely hectic.

Mr Jacob described Ms Toscan du Plantier as very deep for someone of her age, adding: She didnt just want to be the wife of Toscan.

The holiday home near Schull was a gift from her husband, the court heard, and Ms Toscan du Plantiers refuge from their life in showbusiness.

Ms Toscan du Plantiers son Pierre-Louis Baudey-Vignaud said his mother had planned to spend just a few days at her holiday home because she would not have had another opportunity to go until Easter.

She had been due to fly back to France on Christmas Eve to meet her husband and son before they flew to Senegal to spend Christmas in Dakar.

I want it to be remembered the love this person brought and the regard that everyone who knew her had for herPierre-Louis Baudey-Vignaud, Sophie Toscan du Plantier's son

Mr Baudey-Vignaud, who was just 14 when his mother was killed, said her decision to buy her holiday home in west Cork reflected her love of the wilderness and of simplicity.

He described her relationship with his stepfather as passionate and romantic, adding: It was not just an attraction. It was something that was very profound.

Mr Baudey-Vignaud added: I want it to be remembered the love this person brought and the regard that everyone who knew her had for her.

Agnes Thomas, Ms Toscan du Plantiers best friend, said: She loved being by the sea and she had this fascination with the beautiful view outside her house.

Private investigator Michel Larousse gave evidence on Ms Toscan du Plantiers personality after conducting interviews with her friends and family.

He said she wasnt afraid of much, even in situations that carried a risk, citing the time she allowed a homeless person to sleep in her car and invited another homeless man to have a meal with her.

Mr Larousse said the evidence indicated the person who killed Ms Toscan du Plantier was not someone she was afraid of and she did not see it coming.
The European election results were a hammer blow to the Tories and Labour, with Westminsters two main parties picking up just 23% of the vote between them.

So what has happened and what will happen next?

 Days to go

153, if Brexit comes on the latest deadline of October 31.

 What happened this week?

The Tories and Labour suffered humiliation in the European elections, while the Brexit Party emerged as victors and the Liberal Democrats were well placed in second.

In other developments, Boris Johnson is due to be summonsed to court over claims he lied when he said the UK gave the EU 350 million a week during the 2016 referendum.

Expand Close Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage with fellow MEPs during a post-election press conference for the party at Carlton House Terrace in London (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage with fellow MEPs during a post-election press conference for the party at Carlton House Terrace in London (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

 What happens next?

US President Donald Trumps visit could see another intervention on Brexit  he has previously criticised Mrs Mays negotiating strategy and suggested she should have sued the EU.

The Peterborough by-election on June 6 will be a test of whether the Brexit Party can maintain its European election momentum under Westminsters first-past-the-post voting system.

On June 7 Theresa May will finally resign as Tory leader having been unable to deliver Brexit.

 Good week

Sir Vince Cable

The Liberal Democrats strong showing marked their return as a major force following the backlash they faced from voters as a result of the coalition with the Tories.

In 2014 they were reduced to a single MEP but outgoing leader Sir Vince now has 16 MEPs and can end his tenure at the top of the party on a high as the strongest Remain force in British politics.

 Bad week

Jeremy Corbyn

His attempts to appeal to both Leave and Remain voters fell flat as a polarised electorate split between parties offering a clear policy on either leaving the EU or fighting to stay within it.

The Labour leader now faces efforts, spearheaded by his deputy Tom Watson, to back a new policy of supporting a second referendum.

The expulsion of Tony Blairs former spin doctor Alastair Campbell for voting Lib Dem was a sign of the wider split within the Labour ranks over Brexit policy.

 Quote of the week

The Prime Minister attended a meeting in Brussels knowing that, for the first time, Brexit would not be her responsibility.

Prime Minister @theresa_may is in Brussels for the Informal #EUCO dinner @10DowningStreet pic.twitter.com/cmMFtVdViJ  UK Mission to the EU  (@UKMisBrussels) May 28, 2019

She said: It is a matter of great regret to me that I havent been able to deliver Brexit.

But of course that matter is now for my successor and they will have to find a way of addressing very strongly held views on both sides of this issue.

 Tweet of the week

Alastair Campbell said he was sad and disappointed to receive an email throwing him out of the Labour Party.

1. Sad and disappointed to receive email expelling me from @uklabour - particularly on a day leadership finally seems to be moving to the right place on Brexit, not least thanks to tactical voting by party members, including MPs, councillors and peers who back @peoplesvote_uk .  ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) May 28, 2019

 Word of the week

Vaccine

European Council president Donald Tusk claimed Brexit has been a vaccine against anti-EU propaganda and fake news as he responded to the election results across the continent.
Extinction Rebellion protesters who plan to disrupt Heathrow Airport with drones could face life behind bars, the Government has warned.

The environmental group has announced it will cause 10 days of disruption in July unless plans to expand the airport are scrapped.

Activists have held internal discussions about using drones to ground flights under plans described by Heathrow as reckless and dangerous.

PRESS RELEASE - The UK Government must cancel all Heathrow expansion. On June 18, we plan to carry out nonviolent direct action to close the airport for the day, to create a pause in recognition of the genocidal impact of high carbon activities.https://t.co/MJvdre8dGd  Extinction Rebellion (@ExtinctionR) May 31, 2019

But the group has since stressed that there is still an ongoing consultation within the movement about possible actions, with a decision yet to be made on whether they will use drones.

Extinction Rebellion is fully committed to nonviolence and will not take action that would put airline passengers at risk, the demonstrators said in a statement on Friday evening.

Reports to the contrary are the result of a misconstrued interpretation of a document circulated within the movement asking for feedback.

It added that further information on their planned actions over the summer will be available once they have concluded the consultation process.

Several hours after the demonstration was announced on Friday, aviation minister Baroness Vere issued a stark warning that culprits will face the full force of the law.

The Metropolitan Police has also said it will develop strong plans to counter the group, which brought parts of London to a standstill during two weeks of demonstrations in April.

An initial one-day protest will go ahead on June 18 to pause flights before a longer protest of up to 10 days begins on July 1, Extinction Rebellion said.

Describing air travel as genocidal, the group said the addition of the planned third runway at Heathrow would make the airport the single biggest carbon emitter in the UK.

We understand the action will cause disruption to a great number of holidaymakers, however we believe that it is necessary given the prospect of far greater disruption caused by ecological and societal collapse, if we dont act now, the statement added.

Holidaymakers are being given advance notice to change travel plans.

Baroness Vere warned: Flying drones near an airport is a serious criminal offence and using drones to deliberately put peoples safety at risk carries a maximum life sentence.

No Government has done more to reduce carbon emissions, and Britain is at the forefront of global efforts to tackle climate change.

Any illegal activity must be met with the full force of the law.

Expand Close Thousands of the groups supporters brought parts of London to a standstill in April (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Thousands of the groups supporters brought parts of London to a standstill in April (PA)

The Department for Transport has said Heathrow expansion will only go ahead within the Governments carbon reduction targets.

A Heathrow spokeswoman said the protest plans are a reckless action that if carried out could endanger the lives of the travelling public and our colleagues.

We agree with the need to act on climate change, but that requires us to work together constructively  not commit serious criminal offences just as hardworking people prepare to spend a well-earned holiday with their family and friends, she said.

In April thousands of XR supporters blocked key routes in London as the group demanded the Government announces a climate emergency.

A small group of mostly teenage activists unfurled a banner at Heathrow near a tunnel which leads to Terminals 2 and 3, but flights were not disrupted.

Expand Close A group of Extinction Rebellion protesters also gathered at Heathrow during demonstrations in April but there was no disruption to flights (PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A group of Extinction Rebellion protesters also gathered at Heathrow during demonstrations in April but there was no disruption to flights (PA)

The Met is pushing for more than 1,100 people to be charged over the April protests and said others who disrupt Heathrow this summer will face justice.

We will be developing strong plans in response to this and will take firm action against any protester seeking to cause disruption at this location by committing criminal offences such as obstruction of the highway, a spokesman said.

The airport is part of our national infrastructure and we will not allow illegal activities of some protesters to cause disruption and misery to thousands of travellers.

We would urge anybody intending to join this event with a view to committing criminal activity, whether peaceful or not, to strongly reconsider.

Professor David Dunn, a drones expert at the University of Birmingham, said arresting suspects ahead of the protests could be the most effective way to stop disruption.

He compared the threat to a drone incident at Gatwick Airport in December which affected roughly 140,000 passengers and 1,000 flights.

Gatwick was probably two drones. But the underlying question is: what do you do if you have multiple drones, multiple directions, multiple wave incursions? They have not really got an answer for that, he said.
Today, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations hosted a presentation of Alimardan Bey Topchibashovs four-volume edition of Paris Archive. 1919-1940 published by Khudozhestvennaya Literature. Among the compilers, authors of the foreword and notes, translators of documents included in the four-volume historical edition are George Mamulia and Ramiz Abutalybov, the science editor is Professor Ismail Agakishiyev.
The First Minister watched rehearsals and attended a dance class with Parkinsons sufferers as she visited Scottish Ballet to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Nicola Sturgeon also announced 65,000 of funding for the company when she visited its headquarters at the Tramway in Glasgow on Friday.

The grant, which is in addition to Scottish Ballets core funding for 2019-20, will enable the company to bring a mixed bill programme to New York City as part of a US tour in 2020, and to deliver an exchange project for talented young Scottish dancers in Italy.

Expand Close Nicola Sturgeon met people at a Dance for Parkinsons class during her visit (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Nicola Sturgeon met people at a Dance for Parkinsons class during her visit (Jane Barlow/PA)

During her visit, Ms Sturgeon attended a Dance for Parkinsons class, a flagship initiative of Scottish Ballets dance health programme which is delivered in partnership with Dance Base in seven hubs across the country.

Dance can help people with Parkinsons physically, mentally and socially, aiding mobility and improving overall feelings of wellbeing.

The success of the programme has led to the development of new initiatives for people living with dementia and multiple sclerosis.

Expand Close The First Minister watched a rehearsal of The Crucible (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The First Minister watched a rehearsal of The Crucible (Jane Barlow/PA)

Ms Sturgeon said: Scottish Ballet is a world-class performing company and I have seen first-hand how impressive they are, not only on stages in Scotland, but internationally too.

The work they do off-stage is equally inspiring, particularly with regard to the dance classes for people with Parkinsons, which make a real difference to lives across the country.

Scottish Ballet has achieved an extraordinary amount in its 50 years, and it certainly has a very bright future ahead.

We were delighted to have First Minister @NicolaSturgeon visit us today!



She took part in a dance class for people living with Parkinsons, watched rehearsals, and met with staff, dancers and participants to celebrate our 50th anniversary.



Find out more: https://t.co/exfSW0DoXo pic.twitter.com/LkqWHZzYr5  Scottish Ballet (@scottishballet) May 31, 2019

During her visit the First Minister watched rehearsals for Scottish Ballets second digital season, and the creation of a Work in a Week.

This process is being live-streamed daily on Facebook, inviting a global audience into the rehearsal room.

She also watched rehearsals for Helen Picketts The Crucible, based on the play by Arthur Miller, which will have its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival before touring Scotland and the USA.

Expand Close Ms Sturgeon met with dancers rehearsing The Crucible (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Ms Sturgeon met with dancers rehearsing The Crucible (Jane Barlow/PA)

Christopher Hampson, chief executive and artistic director of Scottish Ballet, said: We were delighted to welcome the First Minister to Scottish Ballet in our 50th anniversary year.

She has seen first-hand the extraordinary impact of our dance health programme, as well as our work developing young and emerging talent.

We are extremely grateful for the additional funding which will enable us to continue to represent Scotland on the international stage.
Protesters against LGBT lessons who have been gathering outside a Birmingham primary school have been banned from the area by a High Court injunction.

Birmingham City Council made the application following several weeks of protests outside Anderton Park Primary School in the city.

Citing increasing fears for the safety and well-being of the staff, children and parents, the council said it pursued legal action after the situation had become too serious to tolerate.

Expand Close Police outside the school during demonstrations (Richard Vernalls/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Police outside the school during demonstrations (Richard Vernalls/PA)

The interim injunction covers the streets immediately surrounding the school and prevents protesters printing or distributing leaflets, inviting others to protest and encouraging people to congregate at the entrance.

According to the order published on the councils website, it also prohibits social media being used to make offensive or abusive comments about staff members.

Those protesting against LGBT teachings will have a chance to make their case to a judge on June 10.

Demonstrators have continued to gather outside the school in Dennis Road despite criticism from authorities including the council and police.

The head teacher announced the site would close for half term early last week over safety fears.

Leader of Birmingham City Council Councillor Ian Ward said: Im pleased that common sense has prevailed because children right across Birmingham should be free to attend school safely and without disruption.

All our schools must be safe spaces and we will not tolerate the ongoing intimidation of parents, hard-working school staff and local residents.

Well continue to support the school and its staff and I would urge parents to take this opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue with the school about any concerns they may have.

It is not right to protest in front of schools - it is frightening to children and disrespectful to hard working teachersDamian Hinds

Education secretary Damian Hinds has previously issued a fierce condemnation of the demonstrations, calling them unacceptable.

Following the High Court injunction, Mr Hinds said: I welcome the High Courts decision to put this injunction in place.

It is not right to protest in front of schools  it is frightening to children and disrespectful to hard working teachers.

This will allow children to return to school and parents to continue peaceful and constructive discussions with staff.

I support and trust head teachers to make decisions in the interests of their pupils  parents should share their views and concerns, and schools should listen.

Today the High Court has granted @BhamCityCouncil an interim injunction to protect the area immediately surrounding Anderton Park Primary School.



More information, and the full interim order can be found on their website

 https://t.co/gDbXmXOGIY pic.twitter.com/6qUZ0hT0t1  West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) May 31, 2019

However, what is taught and how is ultimately a decision for schools. Consultation does not mean parents have a veto on curriculum content.

There is no reason why teaching children about the society that we live in and the different types of loving, healthy relationships that exist cannot be done in a way that respects everyone.

A spokesman for NAHT, the trade union serving school leaders, said: We welcome this decision, as it brings much needed respite for the pupils and staff at Anderton Park.

Credit is due to Birmingham City Council for supporting the school in seeking the exclusion order.

The important thing now is for the Government to give clarity so that no more schools are faced with the kind of demonstrations that we have seen in Birmingham.

Anderton Park head teacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson told BBC2s Newsnight: Its a step forward from a judge who has looked at the evidence and said that it [the protest] doesnt appear to be peaceful. This is causing harm and distress.

She added: We have always had dialogue, every school has had dialogue. This was thrust upon us from almost nowhere  we have been talking about this since 2010  we continue to have dialogue.

There is a way to deal with it. The Equality Act is an excellent law that protects people from nine protected characteristics and LGBT is one of them.

There is a public sector duty placed upon me to teach this as with all public sector workers.
Labour MSP Anas Sarwar has said the party must change in the wake of the European elections (Jane Barlow/PA)

Scottish Labour needs to urgently take a look at itself if it wants to compete to be a party of government again, a former deputy leader has said.

Glasgow MSP Anas Sarwar said Labour in Scotland suffered the worst result in its history when its share of the vote slumped to just 9% in the European elections last week.

In the wake of that defeat, he said Labour must be an unequivocally Remain party  and also called on leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Richard Leonard to tackle infighting and do more than speak for a clique or faction within the party.

Mr Sarwar lost out to Mr Leonard in the contest to succeed Kezia Dugdale as Scottish Labour leader after she quit in 2017.

I have written to @scottishlabour members in Glasgow today sharing my thoughts on the last weeks events and my views on what must happen urgently. We can and must do better. https://t.co/xME9VeXeiA  Anas Sarwar (@AnasSarwar) May 31, 2019

Following the partys poor performance in the European elections, Mr Leonard said he hoped Scottish Labour would back a second Brexit referendum in all circumstances, and he would campaign for the UK to stay part of the European Union.

Members of the partys Scottish executive committee will decide whether to adopt this as official policy when they meet on Saturday June 8.

Arguing Scottish Labour should be an unequivocally Remain party and an unequivocally pro-UK party, Mr Sarwar said the radical programme Labour is putting forward in other areas will only get a hearing from voters if the party is clear on the biggest issues of our day.

In a letter to Labour members in Glasgow, he said: The Scottish Labour Party needs to urgently take a look at itself and change if we are to ever compete, never mind be the party of Scotland again.

He insisted factionalism and division within the party needs to stop.

Expand Close Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard (left) with UK party leader Jeremy Corbyn. (Andrew Milligan/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard (left) with UK party leader Jeremy Corbyn. (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Two Labour frontbenchers at Holyrood quit their posts this week, with Neil Findlay stepping down as constitutional spokesman and Daniel Johnson resigning from the justice brief.

But Mr Sarwar said the party needs to come together, arguing: We can only advocate unity to the country if we demonstrate unity in our party.

Thats why the factionalism and division needs to stop. That is a responsibility for all of us, but the culture is set at the top and leadership must come from there too.

Rather than showing humility and reaching out, its deeply disappointing that those responsible for the election campaign have chosen to lash out and attack their own colleagues.
Sir Philip Green has been charged in the US (Isabel Infantes/PA)

Sir Philip Green has been charged with four counts of misdemeanour assault in the US after a Pilates instructor alleged the Arcadia mogul repeatedly touched her inappropriately, prosecutors have said.

Katie Surridge told police in Arizona that Sir Philip spanked and grabbed her backside during classes in the Canyon Ranch luxury resort in Tucson in 2016 and 2018.

Pima County Attorneys Office said on Friday that he has been charged with four counts of knowingly touching another person with the intent to injure, insult, or provoke.

Deputy county attorney Lauren Deakin told the Press Association: Philip Green has been formally charged with four misdemeanour assault counts.

These are class three misdemeanours.

Each count has a potential sentence of up to 30 days in the Pima County jail, a fine of not more than 500 US dollars, and up to one year of probation.

Sir Philip strenuously denies these allegations and is disappointed that the charges have been filed in his absenceArcadia

An arraignment date has been set at Pima County Justice Court for June 19.

Sir Philip, 67, strenuously refuted the allegations made to the Pima County Sheriffs Department, with a spokesman saying he is disappointed the charges have been lodged.

Sir Philip strenuously denies these allegations and is disappointed that the charges have been filed in his absence and they are minor categories of misdemeanour in the United States, a statement issued by Arcadia said.

Sir Philip is not personally required to attend before the court at the forthcoming hearing and will be represented by his lawyer.

Contrary to previous suggestions in the media there is no allegation of any sexual assault or misconduct made by the prosecution.

The mother-of-three, who is in her 30s, told Detective David Stivers in a police interview obtained by PA that the creepy old man had vigorously slapped her bottom up to 10 times in January 2016.

She alleged she was worried about frustrating a high roller at the resort but decided to speak to management who said they spoke to Sir Philip and reassured her it would not happen again.

But Ms Surridge told police that Sir Philip came back for another class in January 2018.

This time, instead of slapping my butt, he puts his hands, like, he wraps his hands around my waist and then grabs my butt cheek and just puts his hand there and just holds it there as hes hugging me, she said.

He went on to make uncomfortable comments and pat her exposed stomach as she demonstrated an exercise, she alleged.

And then the session ended and I immediately went upstairs to (managements) office and I was in tears and I said, He was told never to touch me again and here he is touching me again, she told police.

I was so focused on what was happening with his octopus-like handResort homeowner Kimberly Khoury

A homeowner at the resort, described by police as an independent witness, gave an account to the detective of what she claims to have seen in 2016.

Kimberly Khoury said Sir Philip grabbed her with his octopus-like hand.

I see his hand go reach out and, like, pat her buttocks, Ms Khoury told the officer.

And then pat it again and like, grab her buttocks. And then she kind of moved, like, startled a little bit. And took like a step away.

And then he removed his hand and brought it back.

I cant tell you what we talked about because I was so focused on what was happening with his  uh, his octopus-like hand.

They continued talking before he grabbed Ms Surridges bottom again, Ms Khoury alleged.

She continued: And like, slaps, you know, spanks it, whatever, so like, taps it. And then grabs again and this happened in the course of like a minute-and-a-half, or two minutes. He did that three or four times.

It was pretty clear that, to me, that she wasnt welcoming the behaviour.

Expand Close Sir Philip is facing a difficult time financially (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Sir Philip is facing a difficult time financially (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Ms Khoury, who was 54 at the time of the police interview in February, said she found it disturbing and spoke to senior management at the ranch.

The charges, which court records show were lodged on Wednesday, come during a turbulent time for the retail mogul.

He has been told to pour millions into his retail business Arcadias pension fund, as 50 stores are set to close, jeopardising hundreds of jobs.

The Croydon-born entrepreneur has also denied his behaviour was criminal or amounted to gross misconduct in the wake of a slew of allegations, including of groping a female executive and making a racial slur at an employee.

Canyon Ranch declined to comment on specifics but said it does not condone or tolerate inappropriate behaviour towards our employees.
12 MPs are now in the running to be the next PM (PA)

The crowded field in the race to replace Theresa May now has another runner as Mark Harper launched his bid to be the next prime minister.

A dozen Conservatives have now declared their intention to fight for the top job after Mrs May resigns as Tory leader on June 7.

Former chief whip Mark Harper has not served in Mrs Mays government and said that sets him apart from his rivals.

Meanwhile, all the candidates in the Tory race were warned of the dangers of a no-deal Brexit by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

The organisations director-general Carolyn Fairbairn used an open letter to say the next prime minister must seek an agreement with Brussels as the vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no-deal.

Forest of Dean MP Mr Harper said his rivals shared responsibility with Mrs May for the failure to deliver Brexit but he was offering fresh thinking.

Weve seen basically the same faces saying the same things that theyve been saying for the last three years, he told the Daily Telegraph.

A number of them have tried to position themselves as fresh faces but Im afraid theyve sat around the Cabinet table sharing the responsibility with the Prime Minister.

He added: I am quite happy to acknowledge that in this contest I am the underdog.

Mr Harper, who campaigned for Remain in 2016, suggested a further delay to Brexit beyond October 31 could be needed if the next prime minister wants to renegotiate the Brexit deal  something some of his rivals have already ruled out.

Esther McVey has said the UK needs to actively embrace leaving the EU without a deal, while Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab have both said they would work to renegotiate the terms on offer with Brussels but would make sure the UK leaves on October 31, with or without an agreement.

In her open letter to the participants in the race for Number 10, the CBIs Ms Fairbairn said: The next prime minister can only claim the Conservatives are the party of business if they secure a Brexit deal that protects the economy, jobs and living standards.

Firms large and small are clear that leaving the EU with a deal is the best way forward.

Short-term disruption and long-term damage to British competitiveness will be severe if we leave without one.

The vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no-deal, particularly our SME (small and medium enterprise) members who cannot afford complex and costly contingency plans.

We need compromise, consensus and honesty to resolve the Brexit impasse, quickly.
Welfare spending by the Scottish Government is set to rise by more than 3 billion next year (Jane Barlow/PA)

Brexit uncertainty and greater devolution of welfare to Holyrood are two of the key risks to Scotlands economy next year, according to experts.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) highlighted these, together with the loss of more than 1 billion from the Scottish Governments budget over the next three years, in its latest economic forecast report.

It has downgraded its economic forecast for 2019 to 0.8%  with the ongoing uncertainty created by Brexit key in this.

And with the Scottish Government also having published legislation which could pave the way for a fresh vote on independence, SFC chairwoman Dame Susan Rice warned uncertainty is a problem for any economy.

In our report we highlight increasing complexities facing the Scottish Budget. The scale and nature of social security benefits devolved from April 2020  around 3.5 billion  means there are greater uncertainties facing the budget. #ScotFiscalOutlook https://t.co/0CqVtSJIwi pic.twitter.com/E7lkmLAIJ6  Scottish Fiscal Commission (@scotfisccomm) May 30, 2019

Speaking at a briefing following the publication of the SFCs latest economic forecast, Dame Susan said it was too early to incorporate the prospect of a second independence referendum into its analysis.

She added: Weve already seen business investment in Scotland become a little subdued and we wouldnt immediately see business investment popping back up until there was some more certainty about what was happening.

On welfare, she said the devolution of further social security benefits to Scotland in April 2020 would result in a big leap in spending in this area for ministers.

Welfare spending by the Scottish Government is expected to total 447 million this year  but this could rise to an estimated 3.5 billion next year.

With the new benefits being devolved all demand-led, Dame Susan said anyone who applies and is eligible must be paid, so the Government will need to manage any difference between the forecast and the actual spends.

Next years spending is expected to top the 2.7 billion currently spent on the justice portfolio  which encompasses policing, the fire service, the courts and prison service.

Expand Close Scottish Fiscal Commission chair Dame Susan Rice (PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Scottish Fiscal Commission chair Dame Susan Rice (PA)

Dame Susan added: What makes this trickier is that forecasting the spend on new benefits to be administered, many of them in a distinctly Scottish way and possibly around different eligibility rules, is by its nature much harder in the first few years when we dont have an established baseline, we dont have history behind it.

SFC chief executive John Ireland added: The [Scottish] Government has a big cash management issue. If there are more claims than are forecast, then it has to find the money from somewhere.

The warning came after it emerged the Scottish Government could lose more than 1 billion from its budget as a result of income tax reconciliations.

Dame Susan said adjustments the Westminster Treasury will make to Scotlands block grant will begin to reflect actual income collected in Scotland.

She added: We estimate that these adjustments or reconciliations  which is our technical term  will reduce the Scottish budget by 229 million next financial year and by 608 million the year after.
An alligator measuring 11 feet broke into the home of a resident of Clearwater, Florida on Thursday night through a low window in their kitchen.

Clearwater Police Department posted photos of the alligator inside the residents kitchen, along with a smashed window that the animal broke through to get in.

Posting the photos to Twitter, the police department said: See you later, alligator. A scaly 11-foot-long gator broke into a Clearwater home overnight through some low windows in their kitchen.

See you later, alligator  A scaly 11-foot-long gator broke into a Clearwater home overnight through some low windows in their kitchen. Clearwater Police officers and a trapper responded to the scene to capture and remove the gator. There were no injuries. pic.twitter.com/jsOxRNfkEV  Clearwater Police Department (@myclearwaterPD) May 31, 2019

Clearwater Police Department said: Clearwater Police officers and a trapper responded to the scene to capture and remove the gator. There were no injuries.

Alligators are native to only the United States and China, with Florida and Louisiana home to a large alligator population in the US.

There are estimated to be over one million alligators living in Florida.
Did a little tear of sisterly pride and joy spring to my eye when I saw our three new female MEPs take to the podium this week? Did it heck. Far too much has been made of the fact that Naomi Long, Diane Dodds and Martina Anderson happen to share the same chromosomes. That's about all they share, as far as I can see, and it means diddly squat. Despite all the trumpeting, their gender is the least relevant thing about them as politicians.

Yes, it's true that the election of three women to represent us in Europe - for however long or short a time they may actually have a job there - is historically unprecedented.

And I'll admit it does make a change from Ulster's gammonish, male-dominated past, where you had to resemble a sausage in a pin-striped suit even to be selected as a candidate.

Those days of overt sexism and blatant prejudice are long gone, thank God. Authority no longer belongs solely to privileged old men.

The reality, however, is that mesdames Dodds and Anderson have already been knocking around Brussels for years, without noticeable improvement in the lives of any of us. The fact that they'll now be joined by Long does not exactly herald a feminist revolution.

I'm cynical about all this, you see, because I have history with the cause. Many moons ago, I worked for an organisation that was specifically set up to get more women involved in politics and public life.

Hilariously, I don't believe we succeeded in getting a single female nominated, let alone elected - perhaps they had better things to do than join Northern Ireland's toxic, revoltingly polarised political system, and I don't blame them one bit.

Even then, however, I was troubled by secret doubts. I mean, look at Margaret Thatcher. How would it benefit anyone if there were to be 10, 20 or 100 more women, just like her, entering parliament?

I kept such terrifying thoughts to myself, but they continued to haunt me. And I also found it increasingly hard to swallow the prevailing myth that women are intrinsically better suited to politics because they are more consensual, less confrontational - basically nicer, more kind and nurturing and cuddly - than men.

That was our article of faith, which we clung to in the face of any evidence to the contrary. Blame the Women's Coalition.

Women sort stuff out, we said. They get things done and they aren't troubled by overweening ego and macho swagger in the way that men are. Whatever their differences, they find ways to connect with each other, build bridges and sort out a compromise that makes everyone a winner. Don't they?

Utter garbage, I'm afraid. To anyone who still wishes to perpetuate this tripe - and I've heard and seen plenty of it on the airwaves and online this week - I give you two names: Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill.

These nice, cuddly, consensus-building women, as leaders of the two main parties, are responsible for the howling vacuum where Stormont should be but isn't. They are not victims of the system: they preside over it. They are the prime architects of Northern Ireland's current political dysfunction.

Put it this way: the mutual possession of a pair of ovaries doesn't seem to be helping much.

The claim that women bring beneficial, gender-specific qualities to the political arena is not just arrant nonsense. It's also deeply un-feminist. It puts women straight back into the corner where they've been imprisoned for millennia - as natural home-builders, nurturing breeders, loving peace-makers.

If women want to be taken as seriously as their male counterparts, this fluffy stuff will have to go. Don't tell me anyone actually believes it anyway. To those that do, I ask - where's your evidence?

Look again at our two freshly re-elected MEPs. Martina Anderson is a former terrorist whose party has never renounced the politically motivated murders of the past. Diane Dodds represents a party which denies women their basic reproductive rights and opposes same-sex marriage.

Not exactly brimming with the milk of sisterly kindness, are they? It's absurd to celebrate either of them as feminist role-models.

Given that women make up more than half the population, our politics would certainly be more representative, and in that sense fairer, if more of them played an active part. And of course, there should be no barriers placed in the way of anyone, of any gender, who wishes to seek election.

But equally, there's no reason to think that more women means better politics. We're all human, after all.
Suspected druglord Saiful Karim is seen in this mobile phone photo shown by one of his relatives in Dhaka, May 31, 2019.

One of Bangladeshs most notorious drug dealers died while in police custody Friday after armed men tried to snatch him away and traded shots with law-enforcement officials, authorities said.

Saiful Karim, 40, died during a crossfire while accompanying police officers to Teknaf Sadar port near the banks of the Naf River, where his unidentified accomplices were expected to hand over their delivery of banned drugs, according to Prodip Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of Teknaf police station.

We launched our operation after receiving information that he had off-loaded a large cache of yaba pills in the bank of the Naf River, Prodip told BenarNews, referring to Karim.

Prodip said the shootout began when the gunmen opened fire at officers in a bid to rescue Karim and snatch away the yaba tablets, which contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine. He said Karim had been under police custody since Thursday.

Two officers were injured in the gunfight and the suspects fled on foot, police said. More than 350 people have been killed since the government launched its anti-narcotics crackdown in May 2018, according to official figures.

Bangladesh seized a record 53 million yaba pills and killed almost 300 suspected drug dealers last year, officials said. Rights groups condemned the bloody crackdown, saying the record haul proved the anti-drugs campaign had failed to make an impact on smuggling operations.

Noor Khan, former executive director of the rights group Ain O Salish Kandra, slammed Karims killing, accusing police officers of staging the gunfight to hide big names involved in the illegal drug trade.

We have been watching Saiful Karims posts on Facebook for a few weeks. He apologized for his role and promised to become a good guy, Khan told BenarNews, referring to the suspect's alleged drug links.

But Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal rejected Khans allegations, saying law-enforcement officers do not kill people whimsically.

They conduct drives with specific information and only open fire when the opposition tries to kill them, Khan told BenarNews, referring to the police. They have every right to save their lives.

The Home Ministry previously identified Karim as the countrys second-biggest drug lord in its list of 1,250 suspected drug dealers operating in the nation of 165 million people. After authorities linked him to the drug trade, he reportedly left Bangladesh and was living in Dubai.

At least 24,000 drug suspects are serving time in prison, officials told BenarNews.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh speaks at the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia__Photo: VNA

, , ,

Vietnam always treasures and maintains values of peace and stability, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh while addressing the 25International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan, on May 30.Minh stated that Vietnam appreciates obeying international law, preventing and addressing disputes by peaceful means, supporting the promotion of multilateralism and global partnership.Vietnam wants to foster peace and stability for the common interest and prosperous development of each nation in region and the whole world. Therefore, it has a consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, cooperation and development, and diversification and multilateralization of international relations, while stepping up economic reform, improving the business environment, boosting the development of economic sectors, and investing in education and human resources training.The Vietnamese official stressed that the world is entering a new era with numerous uncertainties in terms of politics, economics, and society.The uncertainties are increasing due to major challenges facing the global economy, including trade tensions between leading economies, the stagnation of international trade, debt burden, climate change, and negative impacts of technology.According to him, the uncertainties and challenges affect the global economy, as well as relations between nations and regions intensively and extensively.Therefore, countries should join hands to address these challenges, as a peaceful, prosperous and sustainably developing world is the aspiration of all nations, he added.Minh also pointed to three criteria for a new global order, including consolidating inclusive multilateralism, being built and operating on the basis of law with the United Nations at the center, and ensuring fair principles.Regarding the Vietnam-Japan relations, he conveyed his delight at the sound development of bilateral ties, affirming that the Vietnamese Government encourages Japanese investors to pour their capital into high technology, smart agriculture, logistics, and the supporting industry, while pledging to ensure top conditions for Japanese enterprises to conduct legal business activities in Vietnam.The 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia, sponsored by Nikkei Inc., is taking place in Tokyo from May 30-31 under the theme of Seeking a new global order - Overcoming the chaos.-
Perhaps you have heard someone say that we live in the age of grace and the age of the law is now over, the 10 commandments are no longer applicable to life today. Is that right? How does one reconcile this with the continuing commandments in the New Testament that speak to virtue, morality, and reflecting Gods goodness out of gratitude? Let's carefully study God's Word in the Bible to reveal to us the importance of the 10 commandments today.

The Ten Commandments are given by God to Israel through Moses. The account of the Ten Commandments is found in both the Exodus passage that we will employ, as well as Deuteronomy 5:6-21.

10 Commandments in the Bible List

1. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.

2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

Old Testament Biblical Law and the 10 Commandments in the Bible

It is no wonder that confusion can arise over the matter of the law. Even biblical scholars must admit that untangling the continuing place of law in the Christian life is difficult:

"The New Testaments statements about Old Testament law are difficult to harmonize, said Joe M. Sprinkle in the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology.

On the one hand, some New Testament statements indicate that under the new covenant the whole law is in some sense abrogated (Rom. 6:14, You are not under law; Rom. 10:4, Christ is the end of the law).

On the other hand, the law cannot be altogether invalid since the New Testament affirms its abiding applicability. "All Scripture is  useful" (2 Tim. 3:1617), including Old Testament laws. Jesus came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matt. 5:1720). The law is the embodiment of truth that instructs (Rom. 2:1819). It is "holy" and "spiritual," making sin known to us by defining it; therefore, Paul delights in it (Rom. 7:7-14, 22).

So, how are we to possibly untangle the legal ball of yarn? Is it even possible to do so? Or, is this one of those several categories of biblical puzzles, which will not be solved until Jesus comes again (others being Gods sovereignty and mans responsibility; predestination and free agency, etc.)? Actually, no. God has settled the matter quite clearly. However, such clarity will require us to pause and take notice. The answer to the question of law and gospel is, indeed, revealed in Gods Word. The answer is available for any of us to locate, but it does require a necessary study of the types of law that are revealed in the Bible. Or, as St. Paul put it:

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! (Gal. 3:21, ESV)

I hear a kind readers mild frustration: But wait  didnt we just read that this same biblical author, the Apostle Paul, said by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight?  (Romans 3:20)? Yes. And, now, you tell me that Paul says the Gospel and the law are not incompatible? Yes. So, the law is fulfilled? Yes. And the law continues? Yes. You have got to be kidding! What is in the world is going on with the law in the Bible? Great question!

Three Types of Biblical Law

The Lord Jesus, as well as the Apostle Paul, did affirm that the law was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. At the same time, the New Testament is a witness to affirming the continuation of the law. For St. Paul wrote, For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being (Romans 7:22 ESV). The issue is easily settled by merely admitting that there is both continuity and discontinuity in the way the Bible speaks of the law. Certain laws are fulfilled. Others continue to have a place. All of them serve the Gospel of Christ.

A careful examination of the use of the word law demonstrates the answer. Certain laws that dealt with Old Testament ceremonial life (Ceremonial Laws) were fulfilled in Christ. Other laws, relating to the time of Moses, when Israel had no king but God, have been called, Civil Laws (or, sometimes, Theocratic Laws; because Israel was a theocracy, with God as head of the human government). The other category of law in the Bible is that critical code of living that is before us in this article: the Ten Commandments. Those commandments form a Moral Law that continues to this day.

The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647), one of the most concise, authoritative doctrinal statements in Church history (Reformed, Protestant), summarizes the matter in its Chapter 19:

God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him, and all his posterity, to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep. II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables; the first four commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man. III. Besides this law, commonly called Moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances; partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits; and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties. All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the New Testament. IV. To them also, as a body politic, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any other now, farther than the general equity thereof may require. V. The moral law doth forever bind all, as well justified persons as others, to the obedience thereof; and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it, but also in respect of the authority of God, the Creator, who gave it. Neither doth Christ in the gospel any way dissolve, but much strengthen this obligation.

Our study is focused on the moral law of God, i.e., the Ten Commandments.

Ancient Near Eastern Laws and the 10 Commandments

The ancient Near East was a culture based upon image. In this regard, the region was no different from any other parts of the world in that era. The powers of nature (i.e., Creation), worship, communication, and, indeed, every other aspect of human endeavor was represented by iconography  carved wood or stone, clay, or other materials used to make representation. The Decaloguethe Ten Commandments, or literally in Hebrew the Ten Wordswas an unprecedented and extraordinary break from the culture of created image. The late Dr. Neil Postman wrote the God of the Jews was to exist in the Word and through the Word . . . An unprecedented conception requiring the highest order of abstract thinking.[1]

The Ten Commandments required the conception of God by the highest order of abstract thinking and in doing so began to train the mind to think thoughts after God.[2] This approach to God, revealed by the Lord to humankind, allowed for an intellectual curiosity that would eventually send machines into interstellar travel, beaming photographs of deep space back to earth on radio waves.

Image does not require the same level of cognitive effort. Rather, another dynamic happens. The image becomes about us. Aldous Huxley in Brave New World and George Orwell in 1984 both saw the power of image reducing and finally distorting the ability to think logically. Postman summarized the situation well: In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.

In this sense, the Jewish race chosen by God to carry the plan for the redemption of humankind was not merely unique. The Jewish race and religion was reflective: reflective of the mind of God, and, therefore, a seminal step in recovering the image of God that had been lost in the Fall from Eden. Norman Shepherd writes the narrative of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 affirms the distinctiveness of both mans nature and task. Man was created in the image of God for the purpose of communion and fellowship with God. As Gods vicegerent, he was given dominion on the earth to cultivate and use its resources for the glory of God. Man was created righteous with a disposition and with every encouragement to do good.

The Decalogue was a major step in Gods mission in the world in restoring that image to do good. The Ten Commandments literally changed the world. If you fear I exaggerate, consider these six phenomenal ways that demonstrate how the Decalogue transformed the world.

1. The 10 Commandments in the Bible Transformed the World by Revelation

The Ten Commandments came to Israel by direct revelation from Almighty God. Because of the fear of Israel, Moses became the intermediary who received the stone tablets on which were recorded the Commandments. Until this point, ancient Near Eastern pagan religions were disseminated to people for practice by the cult of priesthood. Only the priests had access to the deities. The Ten Commandments is a significant part of the narrative that God has revealed to humanity about Himself, about ourselves, and the awful loss of relationship lost by sin. In short, to quote the late great Dr. Francis Schaeffer, There is a God and he has spoken." This revelation from God to man was something altogether different than the superstitious, nature-power-focused cults of the Near Eastern world. Quite simply, mankind could think thoughts after God because God had revealed His mind to humankind. And everything changed.

2. The 10 Commandments in the Bible Transformed the World through Education

When God gave the Ten Commandments, He instructed Israel to teach these things to the children. Deuteronomy 6 remains the preeminent pedagogical guide for human beings.[3]

When your son asks you in time to come, What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you? then you shall say to your son, We were Pharaohs slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.  (Deut. 6:20-21)

God taught that the Ten Commandments should be modeled before the children in such a way as it causes them to ask, "what does this mean for me?" Then, the father  the parents  are able to say how the meta-narrative of Israel and mankind is also the personal narrative of the child's family.

3. The 10 Commandments in the Bible Transformed the World through Literature and the Arts

One might suppose that with the prohibition of creating images to represent God that the arts were somehow suppressed. However, the second commandment specifically addresses the lower, base approach of thinking about God only by representation. To speak of this in another way, it unleashed the mind to begin to think about God as He revealed Himself and to use words to articulate the relationship between God and mankind. This veritable emancipation of the mind flowered into expressions of beauty about God's world, about human beings and their relationship to God as well as their relationship to the earth. Literature and the visual arts are debtors to the Ten Commandments. The magnificent works of art by Michelangelo or even Vincent van Gogh, as well as the literary fecundity of William Shakespeare and John Milton, John Steinbeck, and C.S. Lewis, are built upon the ingenious rerouting of human expression by thinking thoughts after God.

4. The 10 Commandments in the Bible Transformed the World with Law

Today, we often hear the phrase "the rule of law.[4] That phrase harkens back to the distinguishing feature of English law. English law is based upon the Magna Carta, which allowed for representation in government and denied the divine right of the king to rule without the consent of the people. The Magna Carta is merely the interpretation of the Bible and the Ten Commandments applied to the localized situation in feudal England at the time.

Fast forward to the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. The great republics of the English-speaking world flourished because of the Magna Carta and because of the Ten Commandments. There is no doubt that the benevolence of the British Empire was related to the rule of law that is founded upon the Ten Commandments. Equally so, the preeminence of the United States of America and other English-speaking nations in cultural leadership of the world is derived, also, from Judeo-Christian teaching about human government.[5] All of this is related to the Bible and all of this is related to that most significant feature in the Bible: the Ten Commandments.

If there is any doubt about the place of the Ten Commandments in our legal system, we have only to refer to the court cases, including the United States Supreme Court, that stipulate unambiguously that our laws are built upon the Decalogue given from God to Moses in Israel. "The Ten Commandments have had an immeasurable effect on Anglo-American legal development," said the U.S. District Court in Crockett v. Sorenson, 1983. Further in Stone v. Graham in 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court said "It is equally undeniable ...that the Ten Commandments have had a significant impact on the development of secular legal codes of the Western World."

5. The 10 Commandments in the Bible Transformed the World by Human Government

We have talked about the Ten Commandments and the rule of law, but we might also apply the rule of law to the larger framework of human government. Each of the commandments carries within it principles that when studied and applied, create human government that is taught in Scripture. In this day and age where there is talk of so-called benefits of socialism, we would do well to return to the biblical principles for human government that are clearly revealed in the word of God. Our founders certainly did.

6. The 10 Commandments in the Bible Transformed the World by Grace

Finally, it is important for us to note that the Ten Commandments did not set up a legalistic system where one is infused with righteousness and justification based upon keeping the law. Any thought to the contrary is a severe and regrettable misunderstanding of biblical law. God clearly says that salvation by His grace preceded the giving of the law. God demonstrated also that in teaching them all to our children we must remember that it is set within the larger meta-narrative of salvation. This is what I mean:

The preamble to the Ten Commandments is vital to our understanding. In the preamble God says, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Deut. 5:6 ESV). It is only after establishing that God is the author of their salvation, that obedience to the Commandments is revealed. Salvation precedes law. We may put it another way and say that there is no incompatibility between law and law of, between grace and obedience.

This is vital because it introduces the gospel of Jesus Christ embedded even within the Ten Commandments. We are saved by grace and by God's mercy alone through Jesus Christ who could keep all of the commandments perfectly as well as take the penalty for disobedience. Therefore we see that the Ten Commandments become for us the continuing and perpetual code of living for all human beings and is built upon God's grace.

Jesus Christ said that He did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. And this He did. He did so by living the life we could never live and dying the death that should have been ours. But the gospel of Jesus Christ sets forth the same conditions that God revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai: You are saved by God's grace. Live, therefore, out of gratitude in God's way. Teach these truths to your children and to all the nations of the world.

The Ten Commandments, including the all-important preamble, remains the vital pattern for living life on God's terms. And by doing so we may enjoy the fruitful blessings of God's grace and obedience to God's law that brings joy and abundant life. This is the summary teaching of law and love, obedience and liberty: So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32 ESV)

And freedom from the slavery of sin born out of gratitude to God for Jesus our Lord remains the continuing power in the Christian life; a power flowing from Moral Lawthe Ten Commandments.

Notes

[1]N. Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business(Penguin Books, 2006), 10. https://books.google.com/books?id=zGkhbPEjkRoC.

[2]How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them (Psalm 139)!

[3]See, e.g., Thomas E. Boomershine, Biblical Storytelling in Education, Journal of Christian Education, no. 3 (1993): 718.

[4]See the journal article by the late Justice Antonin Scalia: Antonin Scalia, The Rule of Law as a Law of Rules, University of Chicago Law Review56 (1989): 1175, https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/uclr56&id=1185&div=&collection=. See, also, Andrew Roberts, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples since 1900(Hachette UK, 2010).

[5]Sadly, Postmodernity has deconstructed the religious underpinning of the cultural gains. It must be admitted, however distressingly, that the present cultural exports of the English-speaking world is laced with arsenic-like ideas that are alien to the Word.

Lead photo credit: Getty Images

PhD (University of Wales; MPA, UNC Chapel Hill; MDiv, Knox Seminary), Dr. Milton is a retired seminary chancellor and currently serves as the James Ragsdale Chair of Missions at Erskine Theological Seminary. He is the President of Faith for Living and the D. James Kennedy Institute a long-time Presbyterian minister, and Chaplain (Colonel) USA-R. Dr. Milton is the author of more than thirty books and a musician with five albums released. Mike and his wife, Mae, reside in North Carolina.
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press May. 30, 2019 | 06:10 AM | PADUCAH

McCracken County is expected to have a $890,000 budget shortfall this upcoming fiscal year.

The Paducah Sun reports the county fiscal court held the first reading of its proposed 2019-20 budget on Wednesday.

Deputy Judge-Executive Steve Doolittle says the county for years has been spending more than it brings in and covering the costs with savings from earlier years. But Doolittle says he expects half of the remaining $2.8 million in savings to be gone by the end of this fiscal year.

He proposed a 5% reduction in the proposed budget of nearly $30 million.

Judge-Executive Craig Clymer called the forecast "a pretty bleak picture," saying the county needs to draw the line and act fiscally responsible.

The fiscal court will meet again on June 10.

___

Information from: The Paducah Sun, http://www.paducahsun.com

On the Net:
Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, my take on the first leg of the Trump-O'Reilly History Tour.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
India has a mission to turn biotechnology into a US $100bn industry by 2025 and organization like Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is playing a very important and active role in achieving the same

The National Biotechnology Development Strategy 2015-20 which was unveiled in the year 2015 aims to establish India as a world-class bio-manufacturing hub. It intends to launch a major mission, backed with significant investments, for the creation of new biotech products, create a strong infrastructure for R&D and commercialization, and empowers India's human resources scientifically and technologically.

This strategy has a target to turn biotechnology into a US $100bn industry by 2025 and organization like Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is playing a very important and active role in achieving the same.

BIRAC recently celebrated its 7th foundation day with the theme of Nurturing Innovation: Empowering India. It was attended by over 300 participants including innovators, policy makers, investors, academic researchers, startups and entrepreneurs. The Foundation day also witnessed the commemoration of young innovators and scientists who made significant contributions to the fields of hygiene and sanitation and the reduction of the disease burden in India.

Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology & Chairperson, BIRAC, speaking on the occasion said Biotechnology holds enormous potential for impacting economic growth of the Country, which has been successfully demonstrated by BIRAC over these 7 years. Today across the country we have witnessed a growing demand for new innovation and these are technologically empowering the country. I am confident that India which has taken on a very strong leadership position will be a front runner in the Global ecosystem. The key to success is scalability and sustainability.

Dr. Chris Karp, Director, Discovery & Translational Sciences, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said, Our common goal is to harness (catalyze, source, nurture) innovation to develop and drive to impact transformative tools to address global health and developmental inequity. In terms of BIRACs motto- Ignite, Innovate, Incubate.Impact.

The 7th Foundation Day also saw the launch of various innovative products by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman NITI Aayog. While launching the same, he said BIRAC has done excellent work in being able to connect and communicate with upcoming innovators. It is important to not just function as the fund provider, but to handhold and aid young innovators to develop and scale their innovations for improved health outcomes in India.

The products that were launched include:

Smart Scope by Periwinkle Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Founded by Veena Moktali, a Pune based start-up Periwinkle Technologies is dedicated to enhancing medical diagnostics and care by designing innovative products that use technology. Smart Scope by this start-up has been designed for doctors to perform routine cervical health checkups in women. The clinical validation of the device has been done by Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai and Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital & Research Centre Pune. The development of this product was supported through BIRAC-MEITY-IIPME scheme

When asked about her innovation, Veena Moktali said, This has the value add of providing a single-visit and highly accurate (90%+ sensitivity) screening test for cervical cancer and related high risk abnormalities which many women are vulnerable to because of hormonal changes. Every year around the world, 1B+ women can be screened with this. When compared to the prevalent lab-based techniques and other cervical diagnostic equipment, the Smart Scope has advantages in terms of immediateness of result, ease of use by semi-skilled staff, expert-independent procedure, referral mechanism for complete follow up, portability, and independence of other infrastructure needed.

It will reduce the mortality due to cervical cancer - currently at 300K worldwide deaths every year - by making early detection of precancerous changes possible at OPD level. It will give women a chance to have better reproductive health through access to an easy and affordable test at a local primary healthcare provider (public and private). This is especially important since there is no effective cervical cancer screening test available anywhere in the world today, she added.

GOsteri, MicroGO LLP

MicroGO was founded by Rachna Dave who believes that identifying the right problems is more challenging than finding solutions and these solutions can be achieved by designing simple and frugal technologies. Their innovative technology  GOsteri is on-the-go surgical sterilization solution. It disinfects via gaseous form of surgical sterilant chlorine dioxide. It does not require continuous use of power or steam. The development of this product was supported through BIG scheme.

When asked about her innovation Rachna Dave said, It is portable, easy to carry and use and can perform sterilization on the go. One can place the surgical instruments activate the device and head towards the destination by the time he/she reaches, the sterilization is complete. Since it does not require any power or water it can even sterilise at any resource limited areas or in remote locations.

Our healthcare needs access to safe surgical sterilization, lack of which drives up the healthcare infection rates. Inadequate sterilization also contributes to the spread of HIV and other diseases that spread via contact through bodily fluids. At present we do not have any technology that is portable and can sterilize surgical instruments on-the-go. With 70% of our population in rural areas we need a field deployable, portable, reliable, durable, affordable, non-steam equipment that can perform surgical sterilization even in scarce resources, she added.

Poorti by Aarna Biomedical Products Pvt. Ltd

Aarna Biomedical Products which is a Delhi based start-up is the brainchild of Dr. Pawan Mehrotra. After years of cancer research work in England and discovering novel human proteins involved in cancer progression, Dr. Mehrotra returned to India in 2012 to join The Centre for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics at National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, India  a joint initiative of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. His work revolved around discovering new therapeutic interventions for breast cancer patients. As he visited the oncology OPDs, he noticed women wearing sarees draped on either the right or the left side. This lead him to innovate a Post-mastectomy rehabilitation kit named Poorti comprising of silicon breast prosthesis, covers and post mastectomy brassieres of different sizes together with patient information forms and brochures. The development of this product was supported through BIG scheme.

ArmAble by BeAble Health Pvt. Ltd

BeAble Health is a spinoff from the first batch of fellowship in Healthcare Entrepreneurship at the Center for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE)  IIT Hyderabad. BeAble Health works towards enabling health and lives through the convergence of good design and technology.

'ArmAble' is their first product and is aimed at solving a pressing need for intensive, engaging and regular rehabilitation therapy for Upper Limb. It is aimed at conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury, Fracture and Frozen shoulder. The development of this product was supported through BIG scheme.

Speaking about ArmAble, Habib Ali, a Biomedical Engineer and a CfHE Fellow who co-founded BeAble, said, The constant mentoring and support by CfHE helped us identify a strong need and conceptualize an appropriate solution. This strong research foundation and a significant grant from BIRAC under the guidance of IKP Hyderabad have accelerated our journey to the product. The ecosystem enablers have played a crucial role in our journey so far, and it is just the beginning.

Thin-film platform by BonAyu Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd

Founded by Vishal Kataria, a Bhuvneshwar based startup BonAyu is revolutionizing the way health-care and lifestyle products are consumed. Their vision is to make a positive difference in the lives of consumers through the development of a novel, innovative, bio-degradable proprietary delivery platform for health supplements and cosmetic applications.

Their innovative mouth-dissolving, thin-film platform is an alternate to tablets, capsules, liquids syrups for the delivery of Food supplements and medicines. The development of this product was supported through BIG scheme, From BonAyulife sciences, is with us to launch this product.

AUM by Innaumation Medical Devices LLP

Innaumation Medical Devices LLP is a Bangalore based start-up. Dr Vishal Rao and his team have invented the AUM voice prosthesis to help throat cancer patients get their lost voice back, at an affordable price. Dr. Rao has vast experience in the field of Oncology and Head & Neck Surgery and has been trained in Oncology at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.

Most throat cancer patients who undergo laryngectomy are unable to speak after the surgery due to removal of voice box. Normally, these patients go for the western prosthesis, however, the most popular european prosthesis costs around INR 25000-30000, which many patients cannot afford. The Aum Voice Prosthesis is priced at INR 50. The development of this product was supported through BIRACS BIG scheme.

Mush D+ by Innotech Interventions Private Limited

Founded by Dr Priyangshu Manab Sarma, Innotech Interventions is a Guwahati based start-up which with the aim of meeting societal needs and facilitating sustainable development engages in developing and commercializing innovations. Dr. Sarma along with his team has developed a process for enhancing Vitamin D content of Mushrooms through a natural organic process Mush D+ that can enhance vitamin D in mushrooms to a concentration so that it can be used as a fortified food to meet the recommended daily dose of Vitamin D. The development of this product was supported through BIG scheme.

BIRAC also celebrated women in entrepreneurship, who were responsible for impactful biotech innovations, through the BIRAC TiE-WInER Awards.
With innovations in healthcare driving the change in treatment of diseases, biomedical researchers have developed Bronchial Thermoplasty (BT) to better manage the symptoms of severe asthma.

With breathlessness and cough spiking due to deteriorating air quality and rising pollution, airway diseases like asthma are affecting the old and the young cohort alike. In India alone, an estimated 30 million people suffer from asthma and find themselves dependent on corticosteroid inhalers which are considered a one-stop-solution to managing symptoms like coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and difficulty in breathing, etc. However, what most patients may not know, is the kind of asthma they might be suffering from. Where most people confuse difficulty in breathing to be asthma and even pulmonologists relying on inhalers alone to treat its symptoms, there exists a significant roadblock in understanding the disease profile in its entirety. Take for instance, around 1.6 lakh asthmatics are suffering from drug-resisting asthma, a stage classified as severe asthma. In the case of these patients, asthma attacks are recurrent, and the symptoms may persist for the whole day and night. Nearly 5-10% of all asthmatic patients are severely asthmatic and do not benefit from drug-based corticosteroids. Hence, it is critical to understand that severe asthmatic patients need advanced care and cannot depend on corticosteroid inhalers alone to lead a better quality of life.

With innovations in healthcare driving the change in treatment of diseases, biomedical researchers have developed Bronchial Thermoplasty (BT) to better manage the symptoms of severe asthma. Let us understand the magnitude of steroid resistant asthma (severe asthma) along with the possible ways of treatment to reduce the recurrent asthma attacks and numerous hospital visits.

Know Your Asthma Better: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

While sneezing, wheezing, cough, and shortness of breath are some of the symptoms associated with asthma, the treatment options vary on the nature of the disease. Generally, childhood asthma is "extrinsic" and develop as a result of documented allergies to grass and weed pollen, particulate matter etc. It can be managed with the help of corticosteroids inhalers. However, adult-onset asthma, which develops after the age of 30, remissions from childhood asthma into a respiratory tract infection. Intrinsic asthma demands dedicated care since the symptoms are often chronic and vary from one season to another. Severe asthma, for instance, is not just restricted to swollen airways; its also a result of comorbid conditions like obesity and sleep apnea. People with higher body mass index are more prone to asthma, in part because of the systemic and localised inflammation of the airways. Not just inflammation of the airways, people with higher BMI suffer from hyperresponsiveness a higher-than-normal response to an allergen, in the airway muscle. The condition causes the airways to narrow, obstructing ease of breathing, and can occur when the muscles contract or begin to spasm, explains Dr Harikishan Gonuguntla, Interventional Pulmonologists, Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad.

Severely asthmatic patients tend to develop a higher risk of drug resistance (corticosteroids therapy) and decreased disease control. The situation requires you to consult a pulmonologist and understand the possible treatment options.

From newer molecular targets designed to control an erratic response of an allergen to injectable agents such as immunoglobulin resulting in 50% reduction in the frequency of severe exacerbations, we have come a long way in helping patients lead a better quality of life. However, there is a section of patients who do not respond to either of these treatment options. In this case, Bronchial Thermoplasty  a minimally invasive, advanced treatment procedure, helps reduce asthmatic attacks is patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma.

Using a thin catheter (a thin instrument that gives heat energy) is introduced to the patients airway through a bronchoscope. The catheter is pushed to the end of the airway to reduce expanded smooth muscles. The process is withdrawn after every 10 seconds from the airway to slowly heat up the area and contract the muscles. As the airways broaden, it becomes easier to breathe, reducing severe asthmatic attacks, explains Dr. Dr R Narasimhan, Interventional Pulmonologists, Apollo Greams Road, Chennai.

Even though BT is not a 100% cure for severe asthma, the technique has helped bring down the dependence on oral steroids and multiple hospital visits. It offers hope for patients who otherwise have no respite from the upsetting effects of the conditionisolation, stress, frustration and living in the fear of their next attack.

Hence, before asthma causes irreversible damage to your airways, it is time to educate the masses on the need for understanding the various kinds of asthma and exploring possible treatment options. While we witness a surge in pollution levels and thereby the number of asthma patients, the growing effort in severe asthma research and the development of newer treatments like BT give hope of a better quality of life to patients.
Elucidata is a data science organization concentrated on developing tools and software solutions for drug discovery. Swetabh Pathak, Co-founder/CEO, Elucidata talks about how technology is transforming the healthcare sector in India

1) What is Elucidata? What services/products do we provide?

Elucidata is a data science organization concentrated on developing tools and software solutions for drug discovery. It was established in 2015 with the order to change the manner in which biological data is utilized to drive choices in R&D labs in both scholarly community and industry. Elucidata's long haul objective is to use its data analytics to coordinate distinctive sorts of - omics data so as to comprehend cell phenotypes and quicken the pace of drug discovery. Elucidata has workplaces in Cambridge, MA, and New Delhi, India.

Our products include:

Polly: Polly is a cloud-based, metabolomics data analytics platform, that can definitely change the end-examination. Polly without much of a stretch, can adjust to numerous data workflows and highlight a variety of uses that can process, break down, incorporate, and imagine biological data. It is a start to finish, seller unbiased, cloud-based platform that streamlines the data analysis workflows for - omics tests.

EI-MAVEN: It is an LC-MS data processing engine for large-scale metabolomic experiments. It allows automated processing of raw LC-MS data from unlabeled and labeled, targeted and untargeted metabolomic profiling experiments.

2) How is the current industry scenario for drug discovery and approval processes in India? What has been the challenges so far?

The scenario in India is still evolving. As a developing market, India is figuring out the best standards for itself. In India as well as the rest of the world, drug discovery process can take years of time and cost. The years- to decades-long process can be complex, and there is nearly always a moment of uncertainty that a drug will succeed to the next phase of development. This long development pipeline faces increasing costs and additional challenges, including insufficient knowledge regarding underlying mechanisms of disease, patient heterogeneity, lack of targets and biomarkers, a high rate of failed clinical trials, and regulatory challenges. Drug development is a lengthy, complex, and costly process, entrenched with a high degree of uncertainty that a drug will actually succeed. Following the path from discovery of a molecule through the road of development is complex and involves time, money and multiple disciplines to move it ahead.

3) What is the opportunity for Elucidata and likewise companies? What role does technology play here?

Speedy advances and development in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are viably changing the life science space. Thanks to technology and various online healthcare platforms, there is a great deal of data driven by patient profiling, consistency, regulatory requirements, and consistent research. Data science is a revolution for companies like Elucidata. It is helping such companies to analyze data and making the drug discovery process more efficient. With data science comes the opportunity to analyze huge amounts of data in a short period of time and gain more insights from it.

Unlike data in the traditional systems which was mostly structured, today most of the data is unstructured or semi-structured. We need data science for processing, analyzing and drawing meaningful insights out of it.

4) Throw some light on the brands/companies that you are currently working with; any innovation specifically designed for India?

We are currently working with Pfizer, Aruon, Yale School of Medicine, Labs at Princeton, UCLA etc. Unfortunately, we cant disclose further details because of confidentiality concerns. We think that India will play a key role in the global market. India can act as a global repository of data. Given our large population numbers it is possible to generate real patient data at a scale which is unparalleled.



5) What is your outlook, growth plans for the next 5 years?

We want to become the default SaaS partner for target discovery for global biopharma, biotech and academia. Our R&D team in India and the US will expand. As will the commercial team. In 5 years, we want to have a pan-global presence.

6) How is the Indian market vis a vis global scenario? What can we expect in the future?

India is a hub of vast of information; driven by patient profiling, administrative prerequisites and clinical research. In India, pharma companies are using huge amounts of information to support a wide scope of healthcare capacities, including clinical choice help, illness observation, and clinical investigation. Big data application can benefit and change a lot of things here. Big data can enable analysis of huge amounts of information in a shorter time and help derive actionable insights from them. Globally, especially in developed countries, research in the field of pharma is at more advanced stages. The use of big data in pharma is also widespread and they have adopted the technology faster. With pharma companies sitting on goldmines of data sets, we see a future where data science can be a strategic partner. It has the potential to completely transform the way we develop medicines.
Akansh Khurana, CEO & Co-Founder, THB talks about healthcare analytics and more

The healthcare sector in India needs a reform in its customer acquisition and care. With data analytics firms budding across the globe, India needs to eradicate the old healthcare management system and embrace new and efficient tools. India has a deficiency of trained medical workforce and falls short under the World Health Organisation guidelines. India needs a proper healthcare system which can cater to everyones needs. Healthcare has seen many new applications of data analytics and is open to many contemporary solutions to all healthcare-related issues.

Health analytics is an umbrella term which includes offering insights about patient records, cost, diagnosis, pharmaceutics and medical research data, among others. These insights are often given in real time and help organisations take appropriate actions in healthcare, research and market. It will help reduce operational costs, making healthcare more affordable for the masses. Most importantly, by gathering and processing the gigantic volumes of health related data that is generated every minute, doctors and health officials could help save lives. They could prevent disease outbreaks, make better diagnoses and predict the onset of infections much before it becomes clinically apparent.

THB (Technology, Healthcare & Bigdata Analytics) is clinical intelligence company delivering personalized care and syndicated insights, brings a detailed survey conducted across India studying factors affecting and treatment amongst Indian patients. Akansh Khurana, CEO & Co-Founder, THB in an interaction with BioSpectrum talks about healthcare analytics and more

Kindly tell us something about THB?

Incepted in 2015, THB is recognized as one of Indias leading full-stack [platform + data + analytics + insights] clinical intelligence company, with a vision to build the largest global health stack to enable innovation and research for positive patient outcomes.

THBs solutions and platforms are currently deployed across 3Cr+ patients, 2000+ centres, and 50+ cities across Asia Pacific. THB has differentiated IP-driven offerings across the healthcare ecosystem  including healthcare providers, pharma, insurance and public health.

Healthcare Analytics: The net game-changer for the Indian healthcare industry. Your views on this?

The opportunity of big data analytics in healthcare is huge with recent studies estimating the market to reach over >$65 billion by the end of 2025. Propelling this growth within India are the increasing technology adoption across healthcare providers, and most importantly the government initiative Ayushman Bharat which is being dubbed as one of the worlds largest government-funded healthcare program. The success of this initiative will solely depend on how is clinical data recorded and effectively utilized to drive positive patient outcomes in the most efficient way.

How exactly can Healthcare analytics benefit the patient?

Analytics in healthcare can help identify patterns among people who suffer from similar illnesses. For instance, the medical history of a 45-year man, 5 7 tall, weighing 80kgs, who leads a sedentary lifestyle and consumes 120ml of alcohol daily will give insights into others like him who lead similar lifestyles. When data about lakhs of such people is collated, it grants insights into what kinds of illnesses they are susceptible to, what medication theyre likely to respond to / or are responding to, and how lifestyle and treatment behaviour are impacting their health progress.

Today healthcare providers, payers and pharmaceutical companies are using such insights to improve patient health outcomes. THB has a proven track record of improving patient healthcare outcomes by upto10% and compliance rates by more than 1000 basis points.

Why data analytics is the health boost that Indian healthcare urgently needs?

One of the most common struggles is the existing state of technology and datasets for healthcare providers, who continue to struggle to streamline data from legacy infrastructures and attain actionable insights from disparate systems. However, this is now rapidly changing.

Given the rapid evolution of the technology infrastructure and the emerging technology paradigms such as AI, Big Data Analytics, there is clear opportunity to transform healthcare management across the board. However, the providers in India are still getting used to the commercial and clinical use-cases of such technologies, and therefore are only now starting to understand the return on investment of healthcare analytics. Most customers (in their minds) are still piloting intelligent analytics in healthcare, and therefore, there are limited in-house capabilities.

Healthcare analytics is essential for India because it can increase the efficiency of the current health care system. Greater efficiency in healthcare translates into the successful treatment of a larger number of patients than is possible today.

What are the future plans of the company? Any collaboration in the pipeline?

The entire healthcare ecosystem spread across providers, practitioners, pharma, insurance, public health or researchers; every stakeholder derives benefits by implementing THBs offerings. THB works with healthcare providers and partners across terabytes of clinical datasets, and the network is rapidly expanding at a growth rate of 15% m-o-m. In the next 3 years, THB is working towards becoming the largest clinical intelligence platform across Asia Pacific. THB is on the mission of driving clinical intelligence and real world evidence to positively impact patient outcomes around the world.
The survey carried almost a year after Supreme Courts historic verdict on Living Will showed that despite having strong opinions about their last moments, only 27% Indians are aware about the concept of Living Will

A recent survey asked citizens across India what living well meant to them during last few days of their life. The survey conducted with a sample size of 2400+ showed that 88% Indians wished for the independence to decide their line of medical treatment during the last days of their life rather than leaving it on their family.

The survey carried almost a year after Supreme Courts historic verdict on Living Will showed that despite having strong opinions about their last moments, only 27% Indians are aware about the concept of Living Will. The survey was conducted by HCAH guided by End of Life Care in India Task Force (ELICIT).

Commenting on the findings, Dr. RK Mani, head of End of Life Care in India Task Force (ELICIT), said The survey clearly shows that with more awareness around Living Will, many more Indians would be able to take such informed decisions. While only 27% of people surveyed were aware of the concept of living will, but the moment we gave them a background on the subject more than 79% found the concept of Living Will relevant.

While the Living Well factor may differ from person to person, most had a wish regarding how they want to live the last few moments of their life. Supreme Courts verdict on Living Will, withdrawal and withdrawing of life support becomes an important factor enabling people to live well their last moments. What we now wish is to have simplified process laid down to help people execute their Living will

The objective of this survey was to bring discussions around Living Will out of conference rooms to living rooms of people. The survey highlighted that while people want to make informed decisions for their last moments, awareness around Living Will  an advanced healthcare directive which lets people state their wishes with regards to their last moments even when they cant  is very poor in India.

Sharing final comments, Vivek Srivastava, co-founder and CEO of HCAHsays, HCAH caters to many critical care patients. We also provide some of them with End of Life Care, many of whom wish to spend their last moments with their loved ones. Living Will can help such patients live their last moments the way they want  with dignity. HCAH supported this initiative as the subject is close to our heart. Living Will is a personal choice. It is not important which choice you make regarding the last moments of your life. But it is important that an informed decision is made. By supporting this initiative, HCAH wishes to ignite discussions around the country around Living Will and urge people to act. For us, having a Living Will is an enabler for people to live well  even the last moments of their lives.

Furthermore, of the 76% people who found the concept of Living Will relevant, 91% wished to discontinue any life support system in case they were declared terminally ill on artificial life support with no or marginal hope of recovery. Only 5% found Living Will concept irrelevant, with few worried about its misuse and while few find it hard to chart the course of their last moments themselves and will leave it on their kin to decide.
Private Sector can work with Government to increase capacity of DNB (Diplomate of National Board) seats across India: NATHEALTH

In view of shortage of specialty doctors in the country, Apex Healthcare Industry body-NATHEALTH urged NITI Aayog to consider a slew of reforms which would go a long way in allowing private hospitals to offer DNB seats to their true capacity and potential.

In order to increase the number of doctors and specialists in the country, NATHEALTH commended NITI Aayog and Governments efforts so far and said that private sector can work with the government to increase DNB seats across India.

The objective of increasing the number of DNB seats can be met with greater participation from the private sector. The challenges and opportunities have been identified in the private sector which can be explored to create a desirable ecosystem for the private hospitals to be inclined to invite more DNB students, NATHEALTH said in a statement.

DNB (Diplomate of National Board) accreditation is currently granted to each individual hospital unit, based on it fulfilling the eligibility criteria independently. This limits the number of eligible unitsand subsequently the total number of DNB seats in a hospital chain. Although individual units might not qualify by themselves, they can qualify if they can rotate their DNB students in different units of the same hospital group.

Apart from making modifications to the bed-to-specialty ratio clause, NATHEALTH recommends inclusion of new courses in various streams like non-surgical, non-interventional specialties like Dialysis, non-invasive cardiology, Diabetology, etc. in order to increase the number of specialists.

Citing example of Manipal Hospitals, NATHEALTH President Dr.H.Sudarshan Ballal said, We have a large main unit hospital but multiple smaller satellite units which do not qualify independently, but have the capacity as a chain to expand the intake of DNB students significantly. Moreover, infrastructure like libraries can be created at a central location within the hospital group and not replicated for each satellite unit thus leveraging common assets and reducing costs.

According to NATHEALTH, the bed to number of specialties allowed for DNB should be revisited to allow for more specialties per unit bed in private Hospitals. Especially in underserved areas, smaller units should be able to host DNB programs by such efforts.

Based on bed capacity of the hospitals, number of specialists under DNB should be raised further for capacity building with a slab based categorization depending upon the bed capacity of the hospital. For instance, a hospital with 150-200 bed capacity should be allowed at least 5 specialties instead of the existing 3 specialties. 100-150 Bed category hospitals should be allowed at least 4 specialties instead of existing 2. The healthcare industry body further suggests an additional category of 75-100 beds hospitals with permission for 3 specialties.

Hospitals need to employ full time doctors for the DNB program. About 50% of the faculty could be part time. Diplomas are not considered eligible for faculty nominations for DNB program. If diplomas can be considered for faculty it would be easier to expand seats, said NATHEALTH Secretary General Siddhartha Bhattacharya.

Experts feel that the ratio of doctors to students can be increased to 1:5 in Medicine and 1:3 in Surgery, as a doctor can mentor more students. A thoughtfully deliberated and agreed change in this ratio will help in increasing the intake of DNB students every year.

NATHEALTH also recommended that MoUs can be signed with accredited private hospitals having excellent track record in conducting DNB programs in District Hospitals/ Charitable hospitals on a fee sharing basis if required. This will greatly help in increasing the number of DNB seats in the country by bringing more capacity under the ambit of DNB programs and better utilizing existing training infrastructure.

The healthcare leaders also suggested restructuring of fees for the DNB program and insisted that Government should provide interest free or concessional student loans for those who need to avail these loans to meet the course fee. Further Hospitals should be allowed to use CSR funds to financially support the students.

NATHEALTH also recommended that DNB board recognized fellowships, shorter than the traditional 3 year program can be explored in non-surgical, non-interventional specialties like Dialysis, non-invasive cardiology, Diabetology among to increase the number of specialists.

NATHEALTHs recommendations are expected to help enhancing collaboration between various stakeholders in the public and private sector.
Neuroform Atlas is only the second aneurysm adjunctive stent to be granted PMA approval to treat brain aneurysms

Stryker has announced the Premarket Approval (PMA) of the Neuroform Atlas Stent System by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Neuroform Atlas is only the second aneurysm adjunctive stent to be granted PMA approval for the treatment of wide-neck, intracranial aneurysms in conjunction with embolic detachable coils. Neuroform Atlas Stent System was previously approved under a humanitarian device exemption restricting use to specific hospitals with institutional review board approval. PMA approval was granted based on robust clinical trial evidence proving the efficacy of the device.

"Neuroform Atlas represents a significant advancement in the treatment of wide-neck aneurysms which is now backed by the largest IDE stent-coil trial completed to date," said Dr. Osama O. Zaidat, Director of the Neuroscience and Stroke Center at Mercy Hospital in Toledo, Ohio, and Co-Principal Investigator of the U.S. Neuroform Atlas investigational trial. "More impressive were the results with an 84.7% primary efficacy rate, a 4.4% primary safety rate and a 3.8% retreatment rate."

"Enhanced stent conformability, a low-profile delivery system and high deployment accuracy even in distal anatomy puts Neuroform Atlas in a category of its own," said Dr. Brian Jankowitz, Director of the NeuroEndovascular Fellowship program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Co-Principal Investigator of the study. "This product is changing my clinical practice by allowing more patients with difficult aneurysms an option at endovascular treatment while improving the quality and safety of treatment."

Mark Paul, president of Stryker's Neurovascular division, added, "Proving the safety and efficacy of our products through landmark clinical trials is a top priority and key differentiator for Stryker. Meaningful clinical data enables our market leading products to better serve patients suffering from debilitating cerebrovascular disease. PMA approval of Neuroform Atlas Stent System is a significant milestone in providing world class technology to our physicians."
Merck Foundation to train Liberian doctors in the fields Cancer, Diabetes and Fertility Care to build healthcare capacity in the country

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany together with The First Lady of Liberia, H.E. CLAR WEAH and Ministry of Health will launch new programs to build equitable healthcare capacity and break the infertility stigma in the country.



H.E. CLAR WEAH, The First Lady of Liberia and Ambassador of Merck More Than a Mother emphasized, We welcome Merck Foundation to launch our joint programs which are going to be very beneficial for our people. Their initiatives are very innovative in nature and will help changing the healthcare scenario of our country.



Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President, Merck More Than a Mother explained, We are very happy to underscore our long term commitment to build healthcare capacity in Liberia. We are also very proud to work closely with H.E. First Lady of Liberia as the ambassador of Merck more than a Mother campaign to raise awareness about infertility prevention, male infertility and define interventions to break infertility stigma. Moreover, we will be happy to provide training to Liberian doctors in the fields of Fertility, Diabetes and Cancer Care.



Merck Foundation together with the office of the First Lady of Liberia will work closely to introduce innovative ideas that will engage different sectors to create a culture shift with the aim to break the stigma of infertility and make a great impact in a short time.



The initiatives include the Media Health Training organized recently for journalists and media students of Liberia. Also, applications were invited for their Merck More than a Mother Media Recognition Award.



Moreover, Merck Foundation will partner with local artists to create songs to address this topic and sensitize people across the country.



In addition, the first-ever Merck More Than a Mother Fashion Awards will also be announced in Liberia to involve local fashion industry to deliver the message of breaking the stigma of infertile women to the community in day to day life.



Another important program to start in 2019 is the Merck Foundation Diabetes Blue Points project which will help improve access to equitable and quality diabetes care across Liberia by providing one-year on-line diabetes diploma doctors from different districts in Liberia. Every diploma graduate should be able to establish a diabetes clinic in his Health Centre or Hospital with the aim to help prevent and manage the disease in their respective communities.



Merck Foundation has provided doctors enrollment from Liberia and shall continue enrolling for the next 5 years in their one year and two-year oncology fellowship program and Master degree program respectively as a contribution to improve cancer care in the country.



Merck Foundation in partnership with Minister of Gender and Social Welfare, has provided embryology andclinical training on fertility specialty in the past two years and will further continue this program in partnership with Ministry of Health to improve access to quality and equitable fertility care in the country.
Lantheus expands into immuno-oncology and pharmaceutical services business through the license of NanoMabs NM-01, an anti-PD-L1 imaging biomarker, designed to evaluate tumor immune activity and potentially guide future patient selection for immuno-oncology treatment

Lantheus Holdings, parent company of Lantheus Medical Imaging, a global leader in the development, manufacture and commercialization of innovative diagnostic imaging agents, today announced that it has entered into a strategic collaboration and license agreement with NanoMab, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of next generation radiopharmaceuticals to be used in the development of immuno-oncology therapies. This collaboration will provide the first broadly-available imaging biomarker research tool to pharmaceutical companies and top academic centers conducting research and development on immuno-oncology treatments, including combination therapies.

Since the first programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors launched in 2014, the global checkpoint inhibitor market has grown to greater than $14 billion in 2018 and is anticipated to continue growing at a double-digit rate1. Currently more than 1,500 clinical trials on checkpoint inhibitors are ongoing according to the Cancer Research Institute, an increase of six fold in the last three years2.

Although PD-(L)1 checkpoint inhibitors have achieved impressive results in certain patient populations, improving response rates and extending survival across multiple tumor types, challenges remain in optimizing the use of these therapies. Across tumor types, only about 20% of patients respond to treatment with checkpoint inhibitors, even with the use of PD-L1 immuno-histochemistry assays to select patients3. There is a need for biomarkers that improve utilization of immunotherapies by identifying those patients most likely to benefit from therapy, which may also serve to avoid unnecessary cost to patients and health systems.

Under the collaboration agreement, Lantheus will license NanoMabs NM-01, a proprietary radiopharmaceutical biomarker camelid single-domain antibody that has demonstrated a high affinity for PD-L1 protein. NM-01 could provide a specific, non-invasive approach to diagnosis, including use in whole-body imaging, or virtual biopsy. NM-01 potentially allows detection of PD-L1 expression in immuno-oncology studies, either before or during immuno-oncology treatment. Lantheus will provide NM-01 as a clinical research tool, together with support and analytics, to pharmaceutical companies and the largest academic centers conducting clinical research in immuno-oncology.

Our collaboration with NanoMab provides Lantheus the opportunity to extend our diagnostic and radiopharmaceutical expertise into the fast growing market of immuno-oncology, said Mary Anne Heino, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lantheus. We already serve the oncology field with several radiopharmaceutical agents and are excited to work with NanoMab to bring the first broadly available PD-L1 imaging research tool to the global pharmaceutical community.

NanoMab is proud to partner with Lantheus for the development and the commercialization of NM-01, as we think our unique technology can help progress innovation in immuno-oncology, said Ting Hong Hoi, CEO of NanoMab. Lantheus has the infrastructure, established expertise and the reach to best optimize the value of NM-01 for patients and our shareholders.

NM-01 is in Phase 1 clinical development with 21 patients currently enrolled in a study that will eventually recruit a total of 50 patients. The agent has a short half-life and provides diagnostically significant results in approximately two hours. Early Phase 1 study data was published in the February 22, 2019 issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine (Xing et al.). NanoMab plans to file an Investigational Medicinal Product Dossier (IMPD) in the United Kingdom in the second half of 2019.

Lantheus Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of LMI, a global leader in the development, manufacture and commercialization of innovative diagnostic imaging agents and products. The Company is headquartered in North Billerica, Massachusetts with offices in Puerto Rico and Canada.

NanoMab Technology Limited is a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of next generation radiopharmaceuticals for cancer precision medicine to address the unmet diagnostic and medical needs of cancer patients around the world. NanoMabs goal is to develop a pipeline of theranostic couple camelid antibodies with its proprietary camelid antibodies platform to address the unmet diagnostic and medical need for cancer patients around the world.

1. GlobalData. Drug Sales and Consensus Forecast Advance Export - Drug Details: Immune Checkpoint Modulator.

2. Cancer Research Institute. http://www.cancerresearch.org/scientists/clinical-accelerator/landscape-of-immuno-oncology-drug-development/pd-1-pd-l1-landscape. Accessed May 29, 2019.

3. Xu-Monette Zy, Zhang M, Li J and Young KH (2017) PD-1/P-L1 Blockage: Have We Found the Key to Unleash the Antitumor Immune Response? Front. Immunol. 8:1597.doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01597


UPDATE ON INCREASE OF INTEREST IN PL 231

Brisbane, May 31, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - State Gas Limited ( ASX:GAS ) (State Gas, the Company) refers to its previous announcements on 5 December 2018, 11 December 2018 and 8 February 2019 regarding its initiation of a process to increase its Participating Interest in the Reid's Dome Gas Project (PL 231) from 80% to 100% in accordance with the provisions of the Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) for PL 231.The Company is providing an update on the proceedings commenced in the Supreme Court of Queensland on 8 February 2019 seeking specific performance by Dome Petroleum Resources Plc (Dome) of its obligations under the JOA.As previously announced, Dome failed to complete the transfer of its remaining 20% Participating Interest in PL 231 to State Gas in accordance with the requirements of the JOA. State Gas's right to increase its Participating Interest arises under the provisions of the JOA which facilitate the acquisition of the remainder of a Participant's Participating Interest where that Participating Interest has reduced below 25% (Compulsory Acquisition). Dome's Participating Interest reduced below 25% when State Gas acquired 20% of its Participating Interest in PL 231 in November 2018, as announced on 28 November 2018 (the November 20% Acquisition).In an attempt to avoid Compulsory Acquisition, Dome has filed a counterclaim in the court proceeding seeking to reverse the November 20% Acquisition. The counterclaim is being strenuously defended by State Gas and the Company remains confident of its position with respect to both its claim and Dome's counterclaim.A mediation facilitated by a retired Supreme Court of Queensland and Queensland Court of Appeal Judge was attended by both parties on 30 May 2019. The matter was not resolved during mediation. The matter will now proceed to the Supreme Court of Queensland, with a trial date set for the latter part of the third quarter of 2019.State Gas will continue to keep the market updated regarding any changes to the status and progress of the matter.About State Gas Limited

State Gas Limited (ASX:GAS) is a Queensland-based developer of the Reid's Dome gas field, originally discovered during drilling in 1955, located in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland. State Gas is 100%-owner of the Reid's Dome Gas Project (PL-231) a CSG and conventional gas play, which is well-located 30 kilometres southwest of Rolleston, approximately 50 kilometres from the Queensland Gas Pipeline and interconnected east coast gas network.

Permian coal measures within the Reid's Dome Beds are extensive across the entire permit but the area had not been explored for coal seam gas prior to State Gas' ownership. In late 2018 State Gas drilled the first coal seam gas well in the region (Nyanda-4) into the Reid's Dome Beds and established the potential for a significant coal seam gas project in PL 231. The extension of the coal measures into the northern and central areas of the permit was confirmed in late 2019 by the Company's drilling of Aldinga East-1A (12 km north) and Serocold-1 (6 km to the north of Nyanda-4).

State Gas is also the 100% holder Authority to Prospect 2062 ("Rolleston-West"), a 1,414 km2 permit (eight times larger than PL 231) that is contiguous with the Reid's Dome Gas Project. Rolleston-West contains highly prospective targets for both coal seam gas (CSG) and known conventional gas within the permit area. It is not restricted by domestic gas reservation requirements.

The contiguous areas (Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West), under sole ownership by State Gas, enable integration of activities and a unified super-gasfield development, providing economies of scale, efficient operations, and optionality in marketing.

State Gas is implementing its strategic plan to bring gas to market from Reid's Dome and Rolleston-West to meet near term forecast shortfalls in the east coast domestic gas market. The strategy involves progressing a phased appraisal program in parallel with permitting for an export pipeline and development facilities to facilitate the fastest possible delivery of gas to market. State Gas' current focus has been to confirm the producibility of the gas through production testing of the wells.
Sema4s new genomic profiling solution that will soon be available for oncology includes whole exome sequencing (for tumor and normal samples) and whole transcriptome sequencing (for tumor samples only).

Sema4, a patient-centered health intelligence company, has announced the launch of several new genomic testing services and digital tools to help oncologists deliver on the promise of precision medicine. Together, these products provide a comprehensive approach that can be used throughout a patients journey, from assessing risk to analyzing cancer and monitoring in remission. Demonstrations of the products will be available at Sema4s booth (#7140) at the American Society for Clinical Oncology 2019 Annual Meeting taking place in Chicago from May 31 to June 4.

Sema4s new genomic profiling solution that will soon be available for oncology includes whole exome sequencing (for tumor and normal samples) and whole transcriptome sequencing (for tumor samples only). Based on 250x tumor coverage and 100x normal coverage across all genes, with 100 million RNA reads, these services provide clinically actionable information about a broad range of genomic variants, gene fusion and alternative splicing, and tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability. The services are designed for use with FFPE, bone marrow, blood, or saliva samples.

The new digital tools are built on Sema4s innovative Centrellis health intelligence platform and are currently used for research purposes. They include:

Patient Journey  providing an interactive timeline visualization of the patients health journey, complete with diagnoses, treatments, molecular profiles, and more

Cohort Builder  offering the ability to define groups of patients according to specific parameters such as stage, histology, and treatments to understand treatment patterns, identify appropriate clinical trials, and enable data-driven decisions about patient care

VONC  automated variant curation platform pulling from a wide array of databases to support curation of genetic information at scale with the most relevant clinical evidence to inform therapy decisions

Clinicians at the Mount Sinai Health System, together with Sema4, have been jointly developing and piloting these digital tools for application in oncology.

Sema4 is helping the objectives of the Tisch Cancer Institute because its aggregating clinical data sets on our patients. Marrying that with the genomic information and deploying it in usable tools is allowing us to have better insights about whats happening in our patient population, said Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD, Director of the Tisch Cancer Institute and Chair of the Department of Oncological Sciences at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

William Oh, MD, Chief of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Mount Sinai and Deputy Director of the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai commented: Working with a large healthcare system and as a practicing oncologist myself, the most important thing is getting this molecular data and the informatics in a timetable that allows me to continue to take care of my patients. Working with a company like Sema4 allows us to make the best decisions for our patients to get the best possible outcomes.

According to Andrew Kaufman, MD, Vice Chairman of the Department of General Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai, In healthcare, like any other industry, were really looking for efficiency in connecting the dots of so much data. Sema4 has come up with a novel way to look at patient data that is extremely powerful. I use these tools almost like a Google search, looking up information about my patients clinical and scientific data to give each person the best care.

Elisa Port, MD, Chief of Breast Surgery and Director of the Dubin Breast Center at Mount Sinai, commented: Sema4 is going to have a very widespread impact on the patients we treat here because the companys tests open up the opportunity for genetic testing across a much broader base of patients and streamline and expedite the process. Sema4 helps us by quickly getting us the genetic testing information we need so we can make important clinical decisions about surgery options for each individual.

Sema4s mission to help physicians implement precision medicine is built on our deep foundation in data science and developing genomic tests, said Eric Schadt, PhD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sema4. Our teams expertise in data mining, analysis, machine learning, and predictive modeling gives us a unique advantage in generating and making sense of information in ways that will give oncologists an edge in battling cancer, particularly when combined with advanced genomic profiling.

Sema4 is a patient-centered health intelligence company founded on the idea that more information, deeper analysis, and increased engagement will improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Sema4 is dedicated to transforming healthcare by building dynamic models of human health and defining optimal, individualized health trajectories, starting in the areas of reproductive health and oncology.
FDA cleared and CE Marked, Telescope enters Global market with design Innovations to enable smooth delivery of coronary stents and balloons

Medtronic plc, a global leader in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) innovation, today announced its entrance into the guide extension catheter market with the global launch of the Telescope(TM) Guide Extension Catheter, a newly designed catheter used to provide additional backup support and access to distal lesions. Guide extension catheters help deliver coronary stents, balloons and other interventional devices during angioplasty procedures that help to restore blood flow through the coronary and peripheral arteries.

Developed alongside interventional cardiologists, many of whom are increasingly challenged with complex cases - such as patients with tortuous anatomies, calcified vessels, and distal lesions - the Telescope guide extension catheter provides operators with superior deliverability1 and is designed to enable smooth delivery of interventional devices in more challenging cases.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that guide extension technologies have greatly impacted the ability to deliver devices to the distal coronary vasculature, especially for cases where traditional guide support may be limited," said Ajay Kirtane, M.D., S.M., director of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories. "In this light, the Telescope - a guide extension catheter with specific design optimizations aiming to stably deliver devices through tortuous anatomy - is a welcome addition to the interventional toolbox."

The Telescope guide extension catheter combines a solid, round pushwire with a coil-reinforced hydrophilic-coated distal segment to help physicians reach challenging lesions with improved pushability and deliverability.2 Telescope also features a flexible TruFlex(TM) soft polymer tip, which is designed to responsively bend and deflect during use. In addition, once Telescope is in position near the target lesion, SmoothPass technology helps to smoothly channel stents, balloons, and other interventional devices into place.

"Before bringing this important technology to market, we collaborated with more than 700 interventional cardiologists to ensure Telescope was addressing unmet needs in complex PCI," said Dave Moeller, vice president and general manager of the Coronary and Renal Denervation business, which is part of the Cardiac and Vascular Group at Medtronic. "We will continue to make investments in cutting edge interventional technologies, clinical evidence expansion, and robust physician training programs, which we believe will make a meaningful difference for physicians and their patients."

In addition to the Telescope guide extension catheter, Medtronic's market-leading coronary portfolio includes the latest-generation Resolute Onyx(TM) Drug-Eluting Stent (DES), the Euphora(TM) line of pre- and post-dilatation balloon catheters, and a full suite of catheters including the DxTerity(TM) TRA Diagnostic Catheter and market-leading Launcher Guide Catheter, all of which are commercially available in the U.S., as well as throughout Europe.
According to UNICEF, more than 1,600 people die every day due to diarrhoea which is closely associated with lack of sanitation.

BBC Media Action has launched a bold new social media initiative #FlushKeBaad (#NoFlushAndForget) to encourage public discussion of issues related to faecal sludge management (FSM).

This is one of the few social media behaviour change communication initiatives on FSM in the world. BBC Media Action, supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been addressing sanitation issues in India through creative communications since 2015. This latest initiative seeks to tackle the critical issue of FSM, and its impact on the environment and peoples health.

According to UNICEF, more than 1,600 people die every day due to diarrhoea which is closely associated with lack of sanitation. While India has made considerable progress in building and using toilets, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, 70% of the sewage generated from urban India is not treated. This is dumped indiscriminately in water bodies, empty spaces and agricultural lands. It then comes back to us via water, food and even air, posing a serious health hazard. Most recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has decided to set up a sub-mission to work towards the management of faecal sludge in cities and census towns.

FlushKeBaad uses entertaining content to create awareness and generate conversation about risks people face every day from untreated faecal sludge. It focuses on the idea that "what goes comes right back to you". The centrepiece of the initiative is a digital film that can be viewed here. The musical medley literally makes a song and dance about what happens after you flush the toilet. Using different genres such as Qawwali, opera, vintage Bollywood and rap, it features two types of people facing off against each other: those who know and care about what happens #FlushKeBaad, and those who do not, and are sceptical about treating it as a real issue.

Since the launch of the initiative on 29th March 2019 on Facebook, the campaign has reached 7.7 million unique users, with 2.7 million total views. The audience engagement rate for the campaign on Facebook so far is 11% and 8.2% on Twitter. Celebrities including Aamir Ali and Randeep Hooda have amplified the digital film through their social media handles.

Speaking about the social media intervention, Radharani Mitra, Global Creative Advisor, BBC Media Action said, "One gram of poo has more than one million pathogens  I didnt know that before I started working on the issue. The #FlushKeBaad musical sawaal-jawaab (question-answer) has been crafted to start a conversation thats well overdue, given the magnitude of the FSM challenge in urban India."

Madhu Krishna, India Country Lead, WSH, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said, "For safe sanitation, we need to stop any untreated faecal sludge from going into the environment. That can only happen when every citizen understands what happens #FlushKeBaad. This musical is a smart route to creating that understanding and engagement.

"The digital film which is at the centre of the intervention will be complemented by other online posts like vox-pops, star videos and informational factoids to create risk perception from open discharge and indiscriminate dumping of faecal sludge. The idea is to make #FlushKeBaad everyones business", said Soma Katiyar, Executive Creative Director of BBC Media Action, India.

The social media intervention also complements BBC Media Action's television drama series on urban sanitation  Navrangi Re!(Nine to a Shade) which is being broadcast on Colors Rishtey. This initiative is being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation via the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change, Ashoka University, who are also evaluating the initiative.
This online donor community with a dedicated 24X7 helpline 7878782020 has now grown to 1.25 lac registered donors.

Dengue cases are only going up in India. From less than 60,000 cases in 2009, dengue cases in India increased to 2,89,575 in 2018, almost 500 % spike, as per the data from Health Management Information System 2018. Dengue patients face a decline in blood platelets count leading to internal bleeding and eventually death in extreme cases. Thus, this drop in platelet count requires quick platelet transfusion to save lives. However, platelets are not readily available as they cannot be stored for more than 5 days. On this National Dengue Day, Indias first platelet donor helpline 7878782020 by Godrej HIT is committed to assist citizens in Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, avail platelets through a ready pool of platelets donors.

In 2017, Godrej HIT established an online community of platelets donors with an intent to build a base of donors big enough to save lives. This online donor community with a dedicated 24X7 helpline 7878782020 has now grown to 1.25 lac registered donors. The helpline has successfully saved the lives of 5 critical dengue patients till now.

Dengue patients or their relatives seeking platelet can call on HIT Platelet helpline 7878782020. On receiving requests, 1.25 lac registered donors are updated through calls and SMS. The platelet donor visits the patient directly at any hospital where he/she is admitted or the platelets are sent to the patient. They can also avail platelets transfusion at their nearest Apollo Hospital, the medical partner for the helpline, even if they are not admitted there.

Commenting on Indias First Platelet Donor Helpline, Mr Sunil Kataria, CEO  India & SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Limited, said, Platelet donor helpline is Indias unique platform bringing donors and dengue patients together to help each other crowdsource platelets. It helps patients get platelets which cannot be stored. We are happy to see that over the last one year more than 1 lac people have registered to be platelet donors resulting in 5 lives being saved. Though this is a good start, we consider it as our responsibility to create mass awareness around how platelets are crucial during dengue and encourage more platelet donations.

Speaking on the initiative, Ms Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, said, Vector-borne diseases like dengue are emerging as a threat to public health in India. To address this issue, we at Apollo Hospitals, have tied-up with Godrej HIT to build a platelet donor community. Through this initiative, we are trying to bridge the disparity in awareness and provide ready resources to manage diseases like dengue.

A survey conducted by Godrej HIT found 94% citizens are unaware about the critical level of platelets count below which platelet transfusion is required in dengue cases. Unlike blood, platelets can't be stored for more than 5 days. The report also informed that 80% of the citizens are unaware of this fact. Due to the short shelf life of platelets, there is also a high demand for platelet donors. Platelets are extracted from a donor through a process called apheresis which allows extraction of large amounts of platelets from a single donor. The procedure is safe and one can return to normal activities soon. In fact, the body replaces the platelet count back to normal within 24 hours.

As part of the platelet donor community, Godrej HIT wanted to educate masses on platelet donation and threats posed by the loss of platelets in dengue cases. Over the last one year, an awareness program reached out to over 5 million citizens across India.
At-home blood pressure monitors can be inaccurate, experts urge to use validated instruments

At-home blood pressure monitors make it convenient for people to check their readings, but many of them still want assurance that the numbers are accurate for health reasons. Differences between readings at home and at the doctors clinic may reveal that something is wrong with an at-home monitor. Hence, if youve been checking up on your blood pressure at home, its more than likely youve gotten skewed results. A study published in the American Journal of Hypertension, in 2017, suggests that 70 % of at-home blood pressure monitors are wrong and that inaccuracy could have serious health consequences. City experts advise you to regularly visit the doctor to get accurate readings, and not to solely rely on at-home blood pressure monitor.

Dr Behram Pardiwala, Internal medicine expert, from the Wockhardt hospital, Mumbai Central, said, About 10 % of the people who visit me complain about inaccurate readings after checking the blood pressure at home. People may notice a fluctuation in their readings and this indicates that the readings are inaccurate. Hence, I recommend people to use instruments validated by the hypertension society of British and the World Health Organization. Check with your doctor when there are discrepancies between at-home and clinic readings. Furthermore, you must also ask your doctor to teach you to tie the machine, about the right position of the arm and duration. Avoid drinking a caffeinated beverage or smoking during the 30 minutes before monitoring your blood pressure. People with hypertension need to be extra careful while monitoring their blood pressure at home as hypertension is a silent killer. Before stopping your BP medication, check with your doctor as it can be dangerous for you.

About 5% of patients who come to me say that the readings done at home dont match to the ones in the clinic. To know whether the at-home blood pressure monitor is accurate or inaccurate, you should get your readings in front of the clinician. This will help you to notice the difference as devices are bound to have some errors and the readings vary from device to device. There are two ways of measuring blood pressure which is lying down in a supine position and while sitting. You should speak to your doctor before measuring the blood pressure at home and while doing so, make sure that you tie the machine properly to help you get accurate results. Blood pressure also varies depending on the arm circumference and size of the cuff. The too tight cuff can give rise high blood pressure and bigger cuff would give us falsely low readings. Once the accuracy of the device is verified from the clinician then measuring blood pressure at home becomes an important tool for keeping track on blood pressure," highlighted Dr Dipak Bhuktar, General Physician, SRV Mamata Hospital, Dombivali.

Dr Bipeenchandra Bhamre, Cardio-Thoracic Surgeon, Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, said, Systolic blood pressure higher than 140 and diastolic higher than 90, is called as hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension in the urban population is 30%, and 20-22%, in the rural population. Hence, it is imperative for people with hypertension who check their readings at home, to visit the doctor immediately and also go for regular follow-ups. This is so because the ones with hypertension are at an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. So, it is the need of the hour to know your numbers properly. Moreover, to bring your numbers down, dont forget to exercise, opt for relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga which can help you de-stress, and take your blood pressure medications on time.
Baby Cleanne Papillon is perhaps the 3rd Miracle baby in the world with a shared heart, to have been successfully saved through Thoraco-pagus twins separation surgery

Team of doctors at Narayana Health City performed the worlds first PDA stenting as well as regions first thoracopagus separation surgery and saved the life of baby Cleanne Papillon. Hailing from Mauritius, Baby Cleanne Papillon was one of the conjoined twins who had a shared heart with her sister.

Born to Mrs. and Mr. Ian Papillon, the babies were thoracopagus twins. Generally in thoracopagus twins the bodies are joined from the neck to the upper abdomen, however, in this case their heart were also joined. Instead of four chambers for each, together, they had seven chambers. As their survival required expert care, the Mauritian health department reached out to hospitals abroad. However, as it was a complex case with negligible chances for survival, many of the hospitals in Europe and other Asian countries were not open to consider the case. Narayana Health City stood up as a Good Samaritan and took up this challenging case owing to their vast experience in handling complex pediatric cases.

As the children shared a heart and were not in a position to even breathe, they were supported by hand pumps for oxygen through the journey. As soon as they arrived, the multi-disciplinary team under the aegis of Dr. Ashley DCruz, Director & Sr. Consultant Pediatric Surgeon & Urologist, Dr Sanjay Rao, Sr consultant  Paediatric Surgery and Organ Tranplant, Dr. Shreesha Shankar Maiya, Consultant  Paediatric Cardiology and Electrophysiology, Dr. Riyan Shetty, Consultant Critical Care Services & Head of Extracorporeal Life Support, Dr Ganesh Sambandamoorthy, Consultant  Anaesthesia & Critical Care and Dr. Harini Sreedharan, Consultant Neonatology, did a thorough examination of the babies. Considering the babies had a shared heart and survival chances were bleak, multiple specialties had to deliberate to find a way to save at least one of them. With the parents consent the team of doctors started the treatment. The doctors put them on intensive care. The intensive care team under the leadership of Dr. Riyan Shetty and Dr Ganesh Sambandamoorthy ensured the babies were stabilized faster. Once they were stabilized, PDA stenting was performed to improve the condition of the heart.

Elaborating about PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) stenting, Dr. Shreesha Shankar Maiya, Consultant  Paediatric Cardiology and Electrophysiology said, Open surgery was not a choice in this case as the children were conjoined from the thorax region. Further, their heart was fused and the chambers were merged making their case a complex and unsuitable one for any surgical treatment. PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosus) stenting is interventional procedure wherein a stent is placed in the PDA and the blood flow from the heart is maintained. The intervention was successful and they were oxygenated well.

While the intervention was successful, as staying together will affect both the lives, the doctors advised separation surgery. Though the babies were twins, one of them suffered from non correctable congenital anomalies. In fact, the unhealthy child was becoming more like a burden on the healthy baby and hence the parents along with the doctors chose to support the healthy child. They separated the babies. The tissues of sacrificed baby were used to reconstruct the torso of surviving twin.

Elaborating about the case, Dr. Ashley D Cruz said, The survival rate in conjoined twins are minimal. In fact, the survival ratio of siamese twins with fused heart is even low. The child is the 3rd Miracle Baby in the world who has survived a Thoracopagus separation surgery.

Expressing his gratitude, Mr. Ian Papillon, father of the patient said, When we got to know that we are expecting twins, we were very excited. After the delivery when we were informed that our daughters were conjoined and were sharing a single heart we were shattered. We thought we will lose both of them. Today, we have at least one of our daughters with us only because of the doctors at Narayana Health and I am extremely thankful to them for that. We are also grateful to our government for funding my childrens visit and their treatment. While I am taking back one daughter, however for me she is mirroring for her sister as one.

Baby Papillon has responded well to the intervention and is in a position to return to her homeland. Equipped with a team of multi disciplinary experts Narayana Health City has become one of the most sought after hospital to treat conjoined twins. The surgery makes Narayana Health City one of the few hospitals in the world to have successfully completed and saved 4 sets of conjoined twins and 1 case of parasitic twinning apart from this case.
DKMS joins forces with Bangalore Medical Service Trust (BMST)

This World Blood Cancer Day, DKMS - one of the largest international blood stem cell donor centers in the world joined forces with Bangalore Medical Service Trust (BMST), a centre of excellence in the areas of blood banking, transfusion and immunohematology in Bangalore. DKMS BMST Foundation India will provide access to a large pool of potential blood stem cell donors to provide patients suffering from blood cancer and other blood disorders such as Thalassemia or Aplastic Anaemia, both in India and worldwide, with a second chance at life.

Speaking of the challenge we face today, Dr Biju George MBBS, MD, DM, Professor & Head, Department of Haematology at CMC Vellore said, Every 5 minutes someone in India is diagnosed with blood cancer and other blood disorders wherein Leukaemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma are the top 3 forms to be found. While blood cancer is life-threatening, a set of healthy blood stem cells from a matching donor can be life-saving. The registry DKMS-BMST at present has over 27,000 registered potential blood stem cell donors. This number will increase considerably over the years with the aim of finding a matching donor for every patient in need.

Highlighting the impact of the myths that exist in India, Dr Latha Jagannathan, Medical Director & Managing Trustee of BMST said, Many patients suffering from blood cancer and other blood disorders need a blood stem cell transplant to survive. Unfortunately the majority of patients are never able to receive a transplant due to the unavailability of a matching blood stem cell donor. In India, only 0.03% of the total population is registered as a potential blood stem cell donor. This is significantly lower than many other countries including the US where 2.7% and Germany where 10% of the population is registered as a potential donor. A lack of understanding and multiple baseless misconceptions existing amongst people about the process, impacts the cause. It is high time that we all overcome this and commit to being a life saver to save our children.

A successful blood stem cell transplant needs a perfect HLA tissue match. Patients and donors of Indian origin have unique HLA characteristics that are severely under-represented in the global database, which makes the probability of finding a suitable donor even more difficult. 70 percent of patients do not find a matching donor within their family and instead rely on finding an unrelated donor in the global database. Every year, about 80,000 donor searches are initiated across the globe. Mainly due to the lack of a matching donor, India has one of the highest ratios of searches that do not result in transplantation. At DKMS, we are working to find a donor for every patient in need and require your support in achieving the same here in India. Through this venture with BMST, we are delighted to be able to save many more lives, but we still need to do more. Indian patients mainly require an Indian tissue match which means that we need to increase the awareness and encourage many more people in India to register as a blood stem cell donor. It only takes a few minutes to register as a potential donor. All that is required is a simple swab of the inside of your cheeks to determine your HLA characteristics  so please come forward and join the registry, said Dr Elke Neujahr, Global Chief Operating Officer at DKMS.

Chirag, a 12 year old beta-thalassemia patient waited for 10 years for an unrelated matching donor to undergo a blood stem cell transplant. A donor for him was found in the database of DKMS and he underwent the transplant two years ago at Apollo Chennai. Present at the launch, Chirags father said, We struggled for over 10 years seeing our child undergo a blood transfusion every fortnight. Despite this emotional trauma, we were still doubtful to undergo the blood stem cell transplant for our son when we found a donor. After talking to parents of other successful transplant cases we gathered courage. Today, we cannot stop thanking Dr Revathi and the team that met us several times, helped us overcome our concerns and counselled us to take this live saving step.
Fortune Business Insights projects the demand for medical devices to increase in the coming years owing to the rise in geriatric population.

The study entitled "Medical Devices Market: Global Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2018-2025" forecasts the global Medical Devices Market to exhibit a CAGR of 5.3% between 2018 and 2025. At this pace, it is expected to reach US$ 602.1 Bn by the end of 2025, as against US$ 397.5 Bn valued in 2017.

"Strategic initiatives by several market players will help them to contribute towards the growth of the Medical Devices Market," says a lead analyst at FBI. Some of the recent innovations by leading players, which are likely to boost the Medical Devices Market are:

In 2017, DePuy Synthes launched Purevue, a high definition visualization system to capture HD images. The system is also used to perform minimally invasive endoscopic surgeries.

In 2018, Siemens Healthineers launched a next generation ultrasound system called Acuson Juniper to use it across different clinical segments.

Rising Geriatric Population to Increase Adoption of Medical Devices

Fortune Business Insights projects the demand for medical devices to increase in the coming years owing to the rise in geriatric population. As per the National Institute of Health (NIH), the U.S. listed around 617 million people aged 65 years and above in 2015. The figure is forecast to rise further in the coming years, thus enabling growth in the Medical Devices Market. Several other factors spelling growth for the medical devices industry are:

Rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, coupled with growth in surgical procedures across the world, boosts the market.

Governments across regions are investing in the new generation medical devices, thus creating a growth space for the Medical Devices Market.

Technological advancements and rising demand for innovative therapies to overcome unmet needs in the healthcare sector are supporting growth of the medical device market. This has further led to the advent of new medical device designs, which will drive the Medical Devices Market during the forecast period.

In terms of end user, the hospitals & ambulatory surgical centers segment dominated the global Medical Devices Market in 2017. Developing healthcare infrastructure, rising healthcare expenditures, increasing emphasis on better patient outcomes, and lucrative reimbursement policies are expected to drive the hospitals & ambulatory surgical centers segment during the forecast period. Fortune Business Insights expects the demand from hospitals to shoot up during the forecast period.

Rapid Adoption of Novel Medical Technologies Boosts Medical Devices Market in Asia Pacific

The global Medical Devices Market in North America was valued at US$159.0 Bn in the year 2017. The region is likely to hold a considerable share in the global Medical Devices Market during the forecast period. This is ascribed to the high adoption rate of advanced treatments and large target patient population. Besides North America, Asia Pacific is forecast to offer lucrative growth opportunities to the Medical Devices Market. The region exhibits high growth potential owing to rising disposable income among consumers and improving healthcare infrastructure.

However, the Medical Devices Market in Europe is anticipated to expand at a relatively lower growth rate during 2018-2025, attributed to a relatively mature market and the smaller patient pool.

Companies operating in the global medical device market is likely to leverage product innovations to establish a strong foothold. Manufacturers are likely to continue focusing on modifying medical devices to gain competitive strength. The presence of several players at global as well as regional levels, has rendered the global Medical Devices Market highly fragmented.

Among these, Medtronic held the highest share in the global Medical Devices Market in the year 2017. The company is likely to show positive growth in the coming years owing to its diverse product portfolio and innovative strategies. In addition to this, the company has a strong and an established brand presence. This, coupled with the robust R&D focus, will enable the company to maintain a stronghold in the global Medical Devices Market. Fortune Business Insights in a new study attributes such factors to catapult Medtronic to the fore of the global Medical Devices Market.
Western countries have witnessed record-breaking declines in smoking rates, says new study

A recent paper on The Prospects of e-cigarettes in India: Overview of Evidence, Opportunities and Challenges Based on Experience in Western Countries by Konstantinos Farsalinos, Christopher Russell and Rajesh Sharan evaluates evidence from western countries, their regulations and provides insights on how India too can develop an appropriate framework to maximize the potential of e-cigarettes to complement available tobacco control measures and minimize adverse public health effects.

The paper highlights that not only are e-cigarettes significantly less harmful, but that in the past few years, countries like UK, US, New Zealand, UAE, Canada that have set out pragmatic regulations for e-cigarettes have witnessed unprecedented decline in adult smoking rates. These findings position e-cigarettes as a viable alternative to reduce tobacco smoking, and make a strong case for regulating the sector, to address issues of quality, labeling, promotion and sales, and to ensure that e-cigarettes are made available to adult smokers to reduce their personal health risk.

India is home to nearly 12% of the worlds cigarette smokers, and an even larger section of the population uses other forms of tobacco including smokeless tobacco (SLT) such as khaini, gutkha, zarda, or local smoking tobacco like bidi, hookah, chillam, or a mixture of these. The World No Tobacco Day, which is observed to create awareness on harmful effects of tobacco use and discourage its use is an opportune time to explore how alternatives to cigarette can support lowering Indias staggering tobacco death rate of 1.35 million per year.

It is pertinent to note that, India is a member of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and is bound by MPOWER policy recommendations to reduce tobacco demand. The Indian Government must consider its on-ground implementation with practical solutions that help bring down tobacco consumption rates. Despite the awareness programs and expenditure towards educating about the health consequences, India has the lowest quit rates among the GATS-2 countries.

This begs the question - Why is India not exploring the Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) policies which aim to prevent or reduce harm by promoting substitution of combustible tobacco with less harmful non-combustible sources of nicotine? These products are already being used to support existing tobacco control measures especially in developed countries like United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), an increasingly popular THR tool, have been the focus of intense public health debate. From a safety perspective, compared to e-cigarettes, cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic and toxic. E-cigarettes, on the other hand, do not contain tobacco, and the ingredients of e-cigarette liquids in controlled quantities reduces risk that a smoker would otherwise be exposed to by an order of magnitude. A risk assessment analysis by Stephens WE had concluded that carcinogenic risk of e-cigarettes is about 0.4% that of smoking, and based on currently available evidence, there is little doubt that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking.

As per a study by Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH), cigarette smokers who initiated e-cigarette use had 7.88 times the odds of switching to 30-day cigarette cessation compared to non-users of e-cigarettes. In US, tobacco use data from 2010 to 2015 showed a substantial increase in e-cigarette use. The data on prevalence and growth of e-cigarette also presents a very strong correlation with significant increase in cessation rates in the US.

The UK and European Union regulatory framework for e-cigarettes includes quality standards, nicotine concentration limits, marketing restrictions, and can easily be modified for implementation in India. In fact, the UK Department of Health has also pledged to support adult smokers in switching to less harmful nicotine products like e-cigarettes, while also maintaining that complete cessation is the ideal solution. The countrys liberal approach has paid off, as UK witnessed record-breaking decline in the adult smoking population. In 2017, the lowest ever smoking rate of 15.1% was recorded in UK. Smoking prevalence among young adults in UK has also declined by 25% since 2011. Encouraged by the impact thus far, the UK Commons Science and Technology Committee recently concluded that regulations on e-cigarette licensing and advertising should be further relaxed.

It is imperative that India learns from the experience of other countries, and provide tobacco users with a less harmful alternative, rather than prohibiting e-cigarettes and missing out on an unprecedented opportunity to help adult smokers in India.
By Jonathan Warren, Consultant at Altus But this isnt news. Four years ago the FCA released Occasional Paper No. 8: Customer Vulnerability, in which it stated that vulnerable customers are not receiving fair treatment from their ?nancial service providers. The paper critiqued legislation and the regulators approach, commenting that both have been historically written and were biased towards meeting the needs of your typical consumer, even though vulnerable customers are more likely to suffer harm. Several subsequent FCA papers have referenced or covered the issue of vulnerable customers, such as Smarter Client Communication, Financial Lives Survey, Approach to Consumers and their expectations around automated advice services. The issue has even started to receive political attention with the establishment of a Treasury Select Committee. The Select Committee will focus on the interaction between ?nancial services and vulnerable consumers, examining whether these customers are excluded from participating fully in ?nancial services and whether they end up paying for the privilege. The scale of the challenge

Dealing with vulnerable customers represents a signi?cant challenge for the industry, and the scale is evident when we consider the following statistics:

 1 in 8 adults care for a relative or friend

 1 in 6 people over 80 have dementia, with only 43% of sufferers formally diagnosed

 1 in 4 people, in any given year, will experience a mental health disorder

 1 in 7 adults have the literary skills that are expected of a child of age 11 or below

 Just under half of UK adults have a numeracy attainment age of 11 of below The challenges firms will face

The regulator is challenging the industrys preconceived ideas of vulnerability which, although extremely important, will make it difficult for firms to comply with regulations. The elderly widow with low financial literacy and disability that impacts her cognition is not where vulnerability ends. The Financial Lives Survey suggests that 50% of people in the UK show characteristics of potential vulnerability, with the figure increasing in particular regions and rising to 69% in the over 75s. If you have taken the tube in London, you will know that the seats nearest the doors are for priority passengers and some are marked with the words not all disabilities are visible. We would assume that anyone occupying the seat would be mindful of other passengers and able to identify when to give up the seat, balancing this with the potential to cause offence. This feels like a good analogy, to which most of us can relate, of the challenge that the financial services industry needs to overcome. An interesting example is digital scams, with 32% of victims falling in the 25-34 age category and half of those educated to University level. This is skewed by the number of interactions taking place in the digital environment by age, but it is digital engagement that represents a real challenge to dealing with vulnerable customers. Firms have rightly transformed their business models for the modern age, but the advent of apps, online banking and automated advice proposition has removed the human interaction from the majority of ?nancial service transactions. It was in this human to human contact where our emotional intelligence, empathy and human connection had the best chance of spotting the signs that someone was vulnerable. As Transport for London has acknowledged with its seating, we cannot presume that all vulnerability issues are visible, or that customers are self-aware of their vulnerability. Equally, if individuals are aware, it is not innate within our culture to actively disclose it. Vulnerability can be hidden or obvious, temporary or permanent, and can manifest itself in numerous ways. This ranges from capacity and financial literacy through to health issues and life events such as redundancy, bereavement or divorce. The Financial Lives Survey also refers to peoples low resilience in the UK, citing that 10% of adults could cover living expenses for less than a week if their income or expenses moved in the wrong direction. In my experience in financial services, Ive often heard groans about the regulators lack of prescriptive guidance on how to be compliant. Vulnerable customers, given the issues outlined above, will take this challenge to a whole new level. How do you recognise a customers vulnerability if its hidden? How do you spot the signs of vulnerability when someone is transacting online? How do we record and deal with temporary vulnerability, so as not to offend? These are critical questions that the industry will need to confront and the answers arent mechanical, procedural or definable in a process. A follow up article will look at how regulatory technology may be able to help and will explore other ways that firms can support vulnerable customers.


India is building its forensic infrastructure to tackle the increasing demand for DNA testing

Led by Delhi and Maharashtra, Indias forensic laboratories have managed to reduce pendency of DNA testing cases by a 50% national average. While Delhi has eliminated most of its case backlog, Maharashtra is upgrading facilities across regions like Aurangabad and Amravati as a response to the ever-increasing demand for DNA testing from law enforcement agencies and courts.



In the north, Delhi was facing a pendency of 9,000 DNA testing samples in 2017 but with concrete steps to upgrade infrastructure and manpower, the state FSL has managed to eliminate most of its backlog in over a year.



Similarly, in the western region, Maharashtra has been working on reducing a backlog that stood at 1,700 DNA cases in 2017  a majority of which are related to sexual offences against women & children. The state receives 4,500 cases of DNA analysis in a year with demand increasing by nearly 20% annually and is expected to extend DNA testing facilities from presently five to all its eight forensic labs this year.



Dr Rajiv Giroti, Dy. Director CFSL, Hyderabad said, Theres been a huge impetus witnessed in forensic infrastructure across Indias FSLs over the last one year, with rising demand for DNA testing in criminal investigation. This has led to substantial reduction in backlog of cases to nearly 50%. Delhi and Maharashtra have performed exceptionally well! They are seen to steadily and speedily work on expansion of district level facilities, stepping up workforce with more experts and technical staff with high-throughput equipment to expedite investigations and provide breakthroughs.



As per recent reports, DNA testing infrastructure is being upgraded across all state forensic science laboratories. Larger states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are expanding facilities across districts to increase coverage and reduce the load on existing labs. In the south, Tamil Nadu is seen to expand a good number of regional level labs. Up north, Himachal Pradesh, has stepped up infrastructure with their two range forensic labs, and in the east, Guwahati too is expected to set up its FSL within next 6 months.



The central forensic science laboratories (CFSL) capability in India is also on an expansion mode. Pune is soon to rebuild and upgrade its CFSL in next 8-10 months. This would be in addition to its existing FSL facility in the region.



Tim Schellberg, Founder & President, Gordon Thomas HoneywellGA notes, It is good to see that India is building its forensic infrastructure to tackle the increasing demand for DNA testing. However, we must remember that 20,000 DNA profiles is not near enough in a country of a billion people with half a million reported violent crimes every year. There is an immediate need to scaling that up by 10 times. I hope India continues the momentum in adopting the worlds best crime fighting technology to build safer communities.



Dr Rajiv Giroti, Dy. Director CFSL, Hyderabad added, With close to 28 state forensic labs having DNA testing facilities in the country today, we still have a long way to go in terms of making this technology accessible with a better lab-to-population ratio. India has a rich talent pool available in this field with reputed academic institutes in forensic biology, fully equipped to train them. By creating the right job opportunities therefore, we will be able to bridge the supply-demand gap.



Shortage of well-equipped, hi-tech laboratories and inadequate staff strength at forensic labs has long been responsible for the delay in forensic examination of suspects leading to rise in the backlog of court cases. According to Directorate of Forensic Science Services (DFSS), more than 12,000 DNA samples from sexual assault cases were awaiting examination in three of the six CFSLs across India till December 2017.



Last year however, saw a reversal of trend on back of a series of initiatives being announced to enhance the countrys forensic infrastructure. The biggest step was taken by the Union Ministry of Women & Child Welfare to upgrade the Chandigarh CFSL with state-of-the-art 'Sakhi Suraksha' lab to expedite investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women.



As per recent estimates, the number of DNA profiles developed from crime scene evidence has doubled over a year from 10,000 cases tested in 2017 to nearly 20,000 this year1. This increase in DNA casework can be attributed to an upward trend in reporting of rape & sexual violence cases owing to public awareness and activism along with steps taken by the government to upgrade police and forensic infrastructure.



Forensic DNA has emerged as the most reliable crime fighting technology the world over. Many countries are effectively using forensic labs and protocols to collect, test and compare DNA at crime scenes with that of suspects with promising results. Where law machinery world over is increasingly relying on DNA forensics to solve crime, the pace in India has been slow. Lack of scientific methods in investigations and absence of a proper policy framework in the country continue to hamper justice.
How strangers across the globe are helping India fight the Thalassemia monster

Adding 10,000 new Thalassemic Major and an equal number of Thalassemia Intermedia children to the world, India is one of the countries worst affected by the disease. Despite being such a widespread disease, it is one of the lesser understood ones, surrounded by myths and misconceptions. For instance, people commonly believe that two Thalassemia carriers cannot have a healthy child. This is merely misconceptions. Truth is, there are medical solutions for 2 thalassemia carriers to have a healthy child. It is also commonly believed that Thalassemia is incurable, when in fact, the field of medicine has come up with a cure for this deadly disease.

Unfortunately, most of these children do not make it past their twenties and thirties. In fact, there are over 1 Lakh children with Thalassemia being transfused every month. Unfortunately, most of them do not make it past the age of 20 due to lack of access to treatment. Financial constraints could be a great impediment to access in a country like ours with great economic inequality.

According to a research conducted at the Institute of Haematology & Transfusion Medicine located in Medical College, Kolkata, an average 18.5%14.3 of the total annual income is spent on the treatment for thalassemia in low-income families. Average man-days or school days lost for the patients was 29.8718.5 and 19.0712.7 for the accompanying persons. So far, a bone marrow transplant is the only known permanent cure for this deadly disease, though the treatment may cost anywhere between 10-15 Lakh and 30-45 Lakh. In some states like Tamil Nadu and Assam, the government provides financial aid to those suffering from this disease, but despite all help, the amount can easily go beyond the affordability of a common man.

Shayan Dey was diagnosed with Thalassemia Major when he was just 7-months-old. By the time he turned 4, he was vomiting blood and having fits at night. Even with his limited means, Sayans father could not afford to miss a single transfusion. With no matching donor in his family, the only life-saving treatment, a bone marrow transplant was estimated to cost 43 Lakh. The doctor helped the family set up an online fundraiser on Milaap. People from across the world showed their support and made Shayans treatment possible. Today, Shayan is hail and hearty thanks to the generosity of over 2400 complete strangers who knew nothing about him before the fundraiser.

Bangalore, with a bunch of super-specialty hospitals, is a hub for people seeking quality healthcare solutions, especially those traveling from the far east and north, particularly from states like Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and even from Bangladesh. For them, the treatment costs are accompanied by additional expenses of travel, stay and even food.

Dr. Sunil Bhat, Head of Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Center, Narayana Health City, Bangalore said,  The cost of a Bone Marrow Transplant is still quite low in India in relation to west and approx 10-15% of cost in US or Europe. One would be lucky to find a matching donor in one's family, in which case the treatment would cost significantly lesser (10-12 lakhs). However, if there are no fully matched donors in the family, we have options of unrelated donors and half-matched donor transplants, the costs may go up to 40 Lakh or more. Crowdfunding should definitely be one of the options people explore for financing healthcare expenses. With the number of people online with the ability and willingness to help, platforms like Milaap open up a promising ray of hope for patients

Knowing how difficult it could be for his patients after spending most of their life earnings on transfusions, Dr. Bhat has been running digital fundraisers for his patients for the past 4 years on Milaap, South-Asias largest platform for personal and medical needs. He has so far set up over 250 fundraisers, which have raised a total of more than 16 crores on Milaap.

Regarding this collaboration, Anoj Viswanathan, President and co-founder, Milaap, said, Its heartening to see healthcare providers like Dr. Bhat going one step ahead to ensure people get the quality treatment and care they seek for their loved ones, irrespective of financial constraints. Milaap aims to connect those in need with those who can help, and it is amazing to see how so many patients are helped by complete strangers.

Unfortunately, the only way to prevent this deadly disease is by testing the carrier state before marrying or planning a child. On the bright side, the disease is no more incurable. The treatment available is highly specialized and intricate, but the results have been great so far, especially in the case of younger children. Milaap urges parents to not hesitate and open the doors of help to the world.

Milaap works with over 300 hospitals across the country to reach out to people like Shyan and his family, making the process of verification, data collection and even fund transfer hassle-free for those in need.

Setting up an online fundraiser is a process of less than 5 minutes and does not require a lot of technical know-how. Campaigns can be setup using Whatsapp, other instant messaging apps and even without typing, by recording their story in any of the 8 available Indian languages. It is then automatically transcribed to create text. All of these features open up online fundraising to anyone with a smartphone. Milaap has so far raised over 550 Crores for such causes from across India, over 80% of which is for medical and related needs.
Director of Health and Family welfare services of Bangalore announces Free Iron chelation medicines for all thalassemic patients and promises to make Karnataka a zero thalassemia birth state

Aster CMI Hospital in association with DKMS BMST Foundation India (DKMS-BMST) conducted an event to mark the occasion of World Thalassemia Day which was observed recently. More than 100 delegates were present along with the Deputy Director & State Nodal officer, State Blood Cell and Directorate of Health and Family welfare services. The event focused around creating awareness on the condition of Thalassemia patients and aimed at registering more number of potential stem cell donors to give maximum number of Thalassemia patients a second chance at life.

Every six minutes, someone in India is diagnosed with blood cancer, thalassemia and aplastic anaemia! By registering with DKMS-BMST, donors can donate their stem cells to someone in need of a stem cell transplant. The event was held to not only to get help for Thalassemia patients but also to improve their survival chances and give hope to those patients who are searching for a tissue-matching donor for a lifesaving treatment.

Commenting on Thalassemia, Dr Stalin Ramprakash, Consultant, Paediatric Haematology, Oncology & BMT, Aster CMI Hospital, said: Beta thalassaemia is the most commonly inherited genetic disorder in India and India is the world capital of thalassaemia. Now most of the infectious diseases are coming under control, non-infectious conditions like thalassaemia are contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. Thalassaemia is an easily preventable disease as has been well demonstrated by countries like Italy but there needs to be a co-ordinated effort in increasing awareness and political will. The conservative management is improving but still a long way to go and bone marrow transplant offers the hope of permanent cure for a proportion of these children. With World Thalassaemia Day being observed recently, let us make a resolve to work towards prevention of birth of thalassaemic children, optimise the care of existing patients and consider bone marrow transplant for all eligible children  finally aiming towards a thalassaemia free India in the future.

Currently, Thalassemia has no permanent cure, and people afflicted with the ailment need regular blood transfusions to live. The disorder is caused by mutations in the DNA of cells that make haemoglobin  the substance in an individuals red blood cells which carries oxygen throughout ones body. The mutations associated with thalassemia are passed on from parents to children.

Speaking on the need to increase the support for thalassemic patients Gagandeep Singh Chandok, President, Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of Bangalore said: We are thankful to Dr. Prabhakar T.S, Director, Directorate of Health and Family welfare services, Bengaluru and Dr. Swatantrakumar Banakar, Deputy Director & State Nodal officer Blood Cell, Karnataka for gracing the occasion and making it a grand success. This event is to celebrate the World Thalassaemia Day which is celebrated worldwide on 8th May. It is an event to unite and bring 'Us', the Thalassaemics, together to thank the Health and Family welfare services for the free iron chelation medicines in Karnataka. We want to thank DKMS BMST Foundation for the Free HLA camp. We are thankful to Aster CMI Hospital for their support in conducting this event and for the free health check-up. We hope to get more support from everyone in improving the living conditions and ensuring the best treatment for all Thalassaemics in the state, as well as well as make Karnataka a zero thalassemia Birth state. We are eagerly waiting for the Thalassaemia registry and disability certification to start in the state as soon as possible. We, the Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of Bangalore, will provide all the support required by the government for whenever they require it, and will continue to fight for the rights and the welfare of all Thalassaemics. ''

Also speaking at the event, Dr.Swatantrakumar Banakar ,Deputy Director & State Nodal officer, State Blood Cell, Directorate of Health and Family welfare services said: "We will ensure Thalassemics will continue to get free blood transfusions and free iron chelation medicines in the state. We will work with the Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of Bangalore to ensure that all Thalassaemics get the best medical treatment as well as work on Thalassemia awareness and prevention programmes. We will work on launching the Thalassemia registry soon in co-ordination with the Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of Bangalore. We will be putting up posters in all blood banks and hospitals in Karnataka to make all Thalassemics aware of the availability of free Iron chelation medicines in all district hospitals."

"We will work on programs and projects to provide the best medical treatment in the state of Karnataka. Free Iron chelation medicines have been made available in all district hospitals. We are working on a Thalassaemia prevention programs to bring about awareness of Thalassemia and make Karnataka a Zero Thalassemia Birth state. It is important for Patient Run Organisations like the Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of Bangalore, to work side by side with us in all our programs and highlight the problems that the Thalassaemics are facing so that we can solve them. We are working on the Disability certification program for the Thalassaemics and will get the same issued at the earliest.'' said Dr.Prabhakar.T.S, Director, Directorate of Health and Family welfare services, Bengaluru while addressing the audience on the governments work towards making Karnataka a zero Thalassemia Birth state.

Thanking the Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of Bangalore and Health and Family welfare society for their commitment towards ensuring best medical treatment to thalassemia patients, Lakshmi Punjabi, a Thalassaemic Patient said: "The event was excellent. I thank the Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of Bangalore, lead by Gagandeep. We got updates from the Health and Family welfare that they are working to provide us the best medical treatment. I am happy that they are providing free iron chelation medicines and we pray that they continue to provide them. We are awaiting the disability certificate to be issued. I hope that the government will continue to support and work on Thalassaemia awareness programs. We are thankful for the support from Aster CMI Hospital for organizing a free health check-up. Many parents were happy about the free HLA match test that was performed during the event by the DKMS BMST Foundation. I hope Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of Bangalore does more events and we will support them in every program.
BR Life Group of Hospitals Announces Association with Art of Living Foundation

BR Life SSNMC Hospital, founded by philanthropist billionaire, Dr BR Shetty, has announced its association with Art of Living Foundation with an aim to provide holistic wellness and medical care to its patients. Through this partnership, an amalgamation of Allopathy with Ayurveda with Yoga & Meditation for chronic lifestyle diseases such as Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity, Migraine, Gastric problems, Cardiac ailments etc., will be offered to patients at BR Life SSNMC Hospital and Art of Living Foundation.

A MoU was been signed between both the entities in the presence of his holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji and Colonel Hemraj Singh Parmar, Group CEO, BR Life Group of Hospitals.

With this association, BR Life SSNMC Hospital will be working with SSCASRH, a teaching hospital operating under SSRVM Trust and affiliated to CCIM & Ayush Department, GoI, New Delhi, and Vyakti Vikas Kendra India, an educational and humanitarian NGO that will help BR Life SSNMC Hospital to introduce a cohesive healthcare model.

Integration of traditional medicine therapy using Ayurveda with modern Allopathic medicine has been the key to offer holistic healthcare. This unique healthcare model will help in shifting the focus from offering only clinical treatment to complete well-being and prevention of lifestyle diseases. This initiative is in sync with the health and wellbeing program introduced by the Union Government of India that emphasizes the importance of both Ayurveda and Allopathy.

This association will provide new opportunities to both BR Life Hospitals and Art of Living Foundation to deliver holistic wellness through various Art of Living programs, meditation and yoga across BR Life Group of Hospitals. BR Life Group would provide the best in care and class evidenced based clinical medicine while blending the same with time tested ayurvedic concepts in this unique blending of Allopathy and Ayurveda.

Highlighting the association with BR Life SSNMC Hospital, his holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji said, We are delighted to associate with BR Life Group of Hospitals across India and Internationally and introduce holistic traditional therapies like Ayurveda and Yoga to the patients in addition to the existing clinical treatments. Holistic wellbeing is the need of the hour today and it is of utmost importance to provide such treatments to help patients prevent lifestyle diseases and lead a healthy life. I am sure that this association will help us to provide highest quality clinical care and complete wellness to everyone."

Commenting on the partnership, Col Hemraj Singh Parmar, Group CEO, BR Life shared, With our valued association with Art of Living, we have received a unique opportunity to provide holistic care to our patients. As a leading healthcare provider in Bangalore and in other parts of the India, we always prioritize our patients needs, their wellbeing and requirements. Our association with Art of Living Foundation will help in fulfilling these healthcare needs of all our patients and also help the SSCASRH patients to utilize our services at our BR Life Hospitals across the group.

Col. Hemraj Singh Parmar, Dr. Ajoy Raj Malpe, Group Medical Director, BR Life, Dr Simanta Sharma, Group Marketing Head and Dr Kiran Kumar, Unit Head, BR Life SSNMC Hospital Commodore Harsha, Chairman, VVKI, Mr. Gautam Mukherjee, Chairman, SSRVM were present in the event.
In a study done by Groshek and other investigators in Cogent Medicine 2018, the misuse of antibiotics was related to high levels of misinformation about antimicrobial resistance on the internet.

In a recent Italian study published in the International Journal of Medical Informatics, among 913 respondents in the lay public, 73.4% used the Internet to search for information about antibiotic use and 32.3% respondents self-medicated based on internet derived information. The internet and social media are powerful sources of communication that can be used and dangerously misused too! It is also a tendency for most people to share their views, derive their own understanding, proclaim & discuss subjects like the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance on social media platforms.

It is saddening to know that there is no real educated watchdog that keeps a watch on the information or the misinformation available on easily accessible and simple to use internet; which now is the primary source of information across all age groups. For example, presence of a disease outbreak which may not require any distinctive medical treatment, could lead to mass hysteria in amongst emotionally charged people via the internet, leading to abuse of antibiotics. This leads to antibiotic resistance which simply means that the infection can easily persist despite administering antibiotics to fight it off.

In a study done by Groshek and other investigators in Cogent Medicine 2018, the misuse of antibiotics was related to high levels of misinformation about antimicrobial resistance on the internet. Antibiotic consumption that stems from this misinformation leads to the development of difficult to treat bugs called the superbugs. Another problem faced by physicians is when patients and concerned relatives search the internet for side effects of the prescribed medications. Doctors prescribes medications weighing the benefits versus the risks; however overplaying the side effects seen in some websites, may incite fear amongst the patients and lead to early discontinuation of the medication leading to resistance & bad outcomes. However, Anderson in a U.K study published in a journal in 2018 showed that the public who used the internet to garner health related information, were those with a higher level of education and were better informed in the use and misuse of antibiotics.

Lately, though lay public feels and thinks like a doctor because of the entire internet overfeeding, they tend to use antibiotics for diseases that do not need them. The commonest example is that of a common cold. A common cold is most of the time a viral illness which is self-limiting and does not need antibiotics, however very often this is treated with antibiotics and sometimes in infants too. Another example is of old people with indwelling urinary catheters being looked after at home. Unnecessary tests for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is done which shows asymptmatic bacteruria i.e. presence of bacteria without infection signs. Such patients dont need antibiotics, but unfortunately such patients are subjected to high end antibiotics.

It is now sad to know that antibiotic resistance now has no sex or age criteria; young children and elderly alike are coming with alarming rate of Community Acquired Infections with antibiotic resistance due to inappropriate use of antibiotics. Those patients who unscrupulously take antibiotics when it is not necessary, or take antibiotics for a lesser duration than prescribed, or any other form of misuse are a nightmare for the doctor treating them. These patients then need hospitalization, sometimes in the ICU for treatment with intravenous (IV) broad spectrum antibiotics, turning out to be difficult to treat infections with increased average length of stay, which has a huge cost implication on the patient and their families.

For example the last week a young girl aged 16yrs was admitted to the hospital for a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). This patient six days before hospitalization had premeditated herself with antibiotics, two days in a row, without a doctor examining or prescribing medication. She also gave history of doing this regularly (even in the past months) with good results. But this time the fever returned on day-5 along with bouts of vomiting. When an ultrasound (USG) was done, she was noticed to have features of ascending Pyelonephritis or a higher Urinary Tract Infection. A subsequent urine culture revealed difficult to treat organisms in view of resistance to most usual antibiotics, needing broad spectrum expensive antibiotics, for a prolonged period of time. This was estimated to have occurred because of the repeated use of antibiotics when it was not needed. The patient eventually recovered, however, she was markedly weaker, lost weight, missed her exams and burnt a huge hole in her pocket.

Dr Sanjith Saseedharan, Head of Intensive Care Unit, SL Raheja Hospital-A Fortis Associate
Every year, on 31 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners celebrate World No Tobacco Day

Be it Mumbai, Bangalore or Delhi; all metro cities in India have one thing in common  a large part of their population are regular smokers. Despite the government coming up with a slew of measures and regulations, tobacco addiction remains a pressing health issue in the country. After all, India is the second largest consumer of tobacco in the world, with over 300 million people actively using tobacco products that range from premium cigarettes to locally-made beedis. E-cigarettes (also known as vape pens) and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are also witnessing a huge demand among Indian consumers. Apart from that, the practice of chewing tobacco has been prevalent in rural areas since ages.

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS 2) 2016-2017, 232. 4 million adults in India use tobacco daily in some form. The most commonly used tobacco product in the country is khaini, followed by beedi and gutkha respectively. The survey by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare further reveals that every tenth adult in India smokes tobacco11.9% in rural areas and 8.3% in urban areas. In addition to this, second-hand smoke is steadily becoming a serious cause of concern in India. Well, the findings are shocking, to say the least.

Indias battle with tobacco addiction has been a long one as its usage in the country dates back to 2000 BC. While the recent anti-smoking campaigns have managed to bring down the number of tobacco users to an extent, the scenario still appears rather bleak. To make matters worse, a majority of these users dont realize the severity of the danger they are exposing themselves to by consuming tobacco. Regular use of tobacco products can cause multiple types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), chronic lung diseases, stroke, diabetes, tuberculosis (TB), infertility, blindness  the list is endless. In fact, a recent survey conducted by the experts of Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) said that as many as 10 lakh Indians die each year from tobacco-related diseases. The dire situation calls for the need for building awareness among Indians about the harmful effects of tobacco addiction.

What is tobacco addiction?

Tobacco addiction is caused by a dependency on Nicotine, a chemical which is present in cigarettes, hookah, beedis and any other tobacco product. When you first start using tobacco, you may experience slight physical discomfort such as dizziness, nausea, or headaches. However, as you become a regular user of tobacco, these effects fade away and your brain starts secreting adrenaline and the feel-good hormone called dopamine on consumption. The temporary pleasure generated by nicotine is the main reason behind the rising cases of tobacco addiction.

However, most fail to realize that the buzz experienced from using tobacco is the bodys reaction to nicotine, which leads to the disruption of the natural hormonal balance. When it comes to smokers, they often end up connecting their smoking habits with their daily and social activities. As a result, they find it impossible to quit smoking in the fear of breaking their usual routine or pattern. Unfortunately, in many cases, tobacco users are either unaware or in denial about their nicotine addiction.

How bad is tobacco addiction?

While most people do not consider tobacco as a drug, the nicotine present in it generates similar neurobiological effects as illegal substances like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. However, since tobacco consumption has been a part of the social culture for so long, users do not realize the grievousness of their addiction. Due to their ignorance, they continue with their tobacco usage without any worry.

Increasing tobacco addiction in urban spaces

Even a decade ago, a woman smoking in India was quite a rare sight. However, with more women now being financially independent, the number of female smokers in our country has gone up alarmingly in the last few years. As per a recent survey by Assocham Social Development Foundation among 2,000 women, smoking among women from cities like Bangalore, Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region), Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Pune, is on the rise. Besides women, smoking cigarettes or hookah has also become a trend among urban teenagers. In fact, the tobacco addiction of young adults living in metro cities has contributed to the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes. Easy access to tobacco products is the main factor behind the growing cases of tobacco addiction in urban areas.

Health hazards caused by tobacco addiction

As mentioned earlier, tobacco addiction can prove extremely costly for consumers. From lung cancer to mouth cancer, tobacco usage has been associated with nearly every type of cancer. However, tobacco use is directly associated with lung cancer most prominently. According to statistics published on cancerindia.org, 87% of males and 85% of females in India with lung cancer have a history of active tobacco smoking.

Other than that, tobacco use can increase the chances of developing type-2 diabetes, heart diseases, erectile dysfunction, ectopic pregnancy and vision loss. Although it's a fact unknown to many, regular tobacco users are more likely to experience strokes as compared to their counterparts. It has also been established in various studies that the life expectancy of a smoker and a non-smoker differ by as many as 10 years.

When should you seek treatment?

Most people dont even acknowledge their tobacco addiction until it gets too late. You should seek medical consultation if you have made more than one unsuccessful attempt to quit smoking. Another sign of tobacco addiction is nicotine withdrawal symptoms which include strong craving, anxiety, bouts of depression, irritability, restlessness, anger, increased appetite, constipation and diarrhoea. Once you have started experiencing these effects, its advisable to look for treatment.

Methods of treatment

Tobacco addiction can be successfully treated with the use of medication and counselling. However, a strong addiction may need multiple attempts and long-term treatment to achieve desired results. Enlisted below are the few popular options that can help you get rid of your tobacco addiction.

Nicotine patch : Owing to its easy availability, a nicotine patch is the most commonly used product to battle tobacco addiction. Once you stick it to your arm, the patch delivers a little amount of nicotine into your bloodstream through your skin. This helps your body gradually wean off the nicotine. Ideally, you should wear the patch for at least eight weeks or longer depending on the intensity of your addiction.

Nicotine gum : Nicotine gum is another over-the-counter product that works effectively to bring down your cravings. It can especially help addicts who require the oral fixation of smoking or chewing. Similar to the nicotine patch, nicotine gum also releases low levels of nicotine in your body to manage the withdrawal symptoms. However, you should not chew over 25 nicotine gums a day. You would do well if you consult a doctor for the same.

Medication : In some cases, doctors recommend the use of medication for tobacco cessation. There are certain drugs which help in curbing the bodys nicotine cravings. Anti-depressants also come in handy in the treatment of tobacco addiction. Along with medication, doctors suggest addicts to embrace a better lifestyle by eating healthy and exercising regularly.

Behavioural treatment : Its often seen that tobacco users are struggling with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, high levels of stress etc. Hence, the importance of addressing these underlying issues while treating someone with tobacco addiction cant be underlined enough. In such cases, behavioural treatments including talk-therapy, group counselling sessions and even hypnotherapy can prove to be successful.

How effective is online consultation?

Just like any other addiction, getting rid of tobacco addiction can seem challenging at first. Tobacco addicts need a lot of hand-holding through their entire recovery journey. However, they might feel reluctant to go to a doctor due to the social stigma attached to addiction problems. This is where online doctor consultation apps come in. With the use of these platforms, you can get access to world-class doctors who will guide you at every step through texts, phone calls and video calls as you strive to reach your goal. And, all these with just the touch of a button.

Tobacco addiction is a grave issue faced by lakhs of Indians, which requires urgent attention from the government. Other than placing stricter laws, tobacco demoralization strategies should be implemented at workplaces and in social settings to discourage the habit of smoking. On a personal front, we should make relentless efforts to ensure our friends and families are not falling in the trap of tobacco addiction.

Dr Gowri Kulkarni, Head of Medical Operations, DocsApp
Dr Stalin Ramprakash, Consultant, Paediatric Haematology, Oncology & BMT, Aster CMI Hospital shares his views on Thalassemia

Thalassemia is a genetically inherited blood disorder that has one of the highest incidence rates in India, with more than 10,000 children being born with Thalassemia in India per year making India officially the Thalassemia capital of the world.

Thalassemia in India is a serious health burden with India  reports claim that we have more than 1 lakh people with Thalassemia major undergoing treatment and more than 4 crore people being carriers of the Thalassemia gene in India. Thalassemia is purely a genetically transmitted disease, with Mothers Day just around the corner, we would like to advise those who want to enter motherhood to opt for genetic testing and counseling to understand what health risks, if any, they may be passing on to their child and how to make a conscious choice when planning for a baby.

Parents play an integral role in determining the fate of their child, not only through their developing years but also in terms of what kind of genes they pass on. Over 10,000 children with thalassemia major are born in India per year. There is an undeniable need to focus on prevention strategies to reduce the transmission of the Thalassemia gene from parent to offspring. Living with the disease can dramatically impact the quality of life of the child and the family as we do not have an easy way of curing Thalassemia without significant risks. Bone marrow transplant is the only known cure for Thalassemia however this is not a viable option for all patients. 70% of affected patients may not be ideal candidate for bone marrow transplant due to older age or because they do not have a matched sibling.

Thalassemia drastically reduces a childs ability to function normally in society as they have to constantly be aware of their health. Children with Thalassemia can suffer from a host of health consequences such as excess iron in the body, swollen liver/spleen, hormonal deficiency, cardiac problems and weak bones among others. Not only do these children have to undergo lifelong blood transfusion therapies to make up for the lack of hemoglobin production in their bodies, they will also have to undergo treatments for Thalassemia associated disorders. It is an expensive, time-consuming and exhausting affair to constantly be fighting for your life. The number complications as well as with the financial and emotional costs only increase with time. The family will also have to take extra measures to encourage psycho-social growth of the child and integrate him into society.

The reason why Thalassemia has reached such epidemic proportions is two-fold. People earlier were either unaware about how the disease is transmitted and unwittingly bore a child with Thalassemia or they were aware of the possibilities of producing a child with Thalassemia and did not consciously consider the impact of the disorder on the quality of life of the child. The custom of marrying among relatives has also contributed to increased incidence of many genetic diseases in India including Thalassemia. The carrier status of thalassemia can be very easily established by a simple and non-expensive test known as haemoglobin electrophoresis which is widely available. Developed countries such as Italy where thalassemia was once very common have virtually eliminated thalassemia form their country by raising awareness and by making thalassemia carrier state screening mandatory.

An individual can either be a carrier of the Thalassemia gene or a Thalassemia patient. We all have two genes representing the genetic code for production of beta globin protein, absence of this protein leads to beta-thalassemia. Individuals where only one of the two genes are defective are carriers of Thalassemia gene. They are not affected clinically but remain as silent carriers and are also known as Thalassemia minor. When two individuals who have the Thalassemia gene produce an offspring, there is a high likelihood that the child will be born with Thalassemia major (where both the gene copies are defective) which is the most severe form of the disorder and requires lifelong treatment. A subset are affected with slightly less severe form of the disease called Thalassemia intermedia which deals a softer blow on the childs health, but the child will still suffer from anemia, weakness and potential liver/spleen dysfunction or failure before eventually may end up having regular blood transfusions and severity is very variable among the intermedia group.

While it is clear that living with the disease greatly impacts the quality of a patients life, there are also roadblocks in terms of accessibility and costs of treatment. The benefits of tackling the disease at its roots far outweigh the pains of having to live with the disease. Here is where pre-marital screening and counseling contributes greatly to helping couples make educated choices when it is time to conceive. Even if both partners are carriers still the Thalassemia can be prevented by special tests on the fetus during early pregnancy. The government in India must make efforts to introduce pre-marital genetic counseling and screening for Thalassemia mandatory for all couples and ensure basic knowledge about inherited genetic disorders are part of school curriculum. The onus is also on doctors to educate their patients about thalassemia on how the disease spreads and how the patient can make educated choices when/if they choose to have children in the future.
Faheem Chaudhry, a long-time colleague of the M&C Saatchi Abel founders, has returned to the group. As managing partner, he will assume operational leadership of the Johannesburg agency.

Together with Neo Mashigo (Group Chief Creative Officer), Adam Weber (ECD JHB) and Makosha Maja-Rasethaba (Head of Strategy JHB), he will form part of the M&C Saatchi Abel Johannesburg leadership team.We have a long-standing relationship of mutual respect with Faheem. Its great to have someone with his talent and integrity returning to SA and our Group, says Mashigo.Chaudhry left M&C Saatchi Abel four years ago to join M&C Saatchi London as Strategy Director.He led a diverse range of clients including NatWest Bank, the British Government and projects across Europe, Bahrain and Tokyo. Whilst in the M&C Saatchi London agency, he co-founded Black and White  a strategic consultancy within the PLC.For the past two years he has been invited by the United Nations to deliver keynote talks on 'The Power of Communication'.Faheem is without a doubt one of the rising stars in the M&C Saatchi Worldwide Group. He will play a pivotal role within our Johannesburg agency leadership team. His infectious energy and experience gained in London will prove invaluable, adds Mashigo.This feels like a triple homecoming for me - returning to the city I grew up in, alongside a group of partners I admire and trust, in the agency where I spent my formative years. Gaining global experience at M&C Saatchis HQ in London for the past few years has been fantastic, but ultimately the pull of home and completing the M&C Saatchi Abel Johannesburg leadership alongside Neo, MK and Adam was too strong, shares Chaudhry.He continues: I believe South African creativity is going to enjoy exponential success over the next decade. Trevor Noah, DJ Black Coffee, Dr Ester Mahlungu, Nelson Makamo, Trevor Stuurman, among others, are all building SAs cultural capital on the world stage. A huge commercial opportunity for organisations will be to stake their claim in, and contribute to, South African culture. Its the perfect climate to build brands that are locally transformative and globally admired. The chance to work with our people and in partnership with our clients to drive growth for their businesses, and for the South African economy, is a challenge I find both critical and irresistible, said Chaudhry.We were exceptionally excited when Faheem showed interest in returning to SA. Its great news for our clients and the agency. Together with Neo, MK and Adam, he will ensure we continue to deliver on our purpose of creating beautifully simple solutions in an increasingly complex world while driving our transformation and diversity ambitions in SA, concludes Mike Abel, Founding Partner and CEO M&C Saatchi Abel Group.
To achieve universal healthcare in Africa, strong leadership, good governance structures and partnerships with the private sector are required to build a strong public health sector.

Image source: Getty/Gallo

Funding and training

Partnerships

The core to strengthening health systems is the provision of services and therefore financing interventions across the continuum of care is imperative. Infrastructure and equipment are pillars of healthcare as is the robust training of professionals and an adequate and equitable spread of health services, Chitalu Chilufya, minister of health in Zambia, told the Africa Health 2019 Leaders Forum in Johannesburg.He said that Zambia has made universal healthcare a priority and introduced the NHI Act of 2018. He added that the country transformational health policy, which introduced targets such as the malaria elimination target, would require elevated efforts to attaining these, and that strong leadership and a multisectoral approach would be required.The current mechanisms to fund healthcare were not yielding dividends and that new innovative funding models were required. It is imperative that leadership in health take cognisance of this, saying that political will is indispensable to good health systems, he said.Quality, and especially human resource quality, is an essential component of a robust health system. To address this in Ethiopia, Dr Dawit Moges, CEO of Sr Aklesia Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, said that while his country is planning to produce 3,000 physicians a year, there is a need to ensure that these health professionals have access to practical training before they practice. He added that the Ethiopian government has started a more patient-orientated service where the patient is at the centre of the care they receive.Dr Ola Orekunrin, MD of Flying Doctors in Nigeria said that the importance of partnerships had been recognised by Sustainable Development Goal 17. She believes that health engagement should extend beyond just doctors and politicians and should include others, such as technology experts, so that they are able to design the products that are needed.She added that financial constraints in Africa means that, we have to do more with less. To make her point Orekunrin said that she brought helicopter ambulances to Nigeria to save lives but each trip was $20,000 and Nigeria just couldnt afford it. So we started speaking to commercial airlines and put an ambulance hub in aircraft which reduced the cost from $20,000 to $1,000.Orekunrin believes that there are learnings from other countries such as India where procedures like a coronary bypass are performed at a fraction of the cost of the USA, with better outcomes
As the senior vice president of local and cultural innovation at Estee Lauder Companies, it's Susan Akkad's job to increase the relevancy of the beauty group's brands across global and emerging markets. Overseeing multi-ethnic innovation for brands including La Mer, Clinique, Mac and Estee Lauder, she's no stranger to the concept of (and responsibility of) 'inclusive beauty'.

Susan Akkad speaking at the CNI Luxury Conference in Cape Town. Image credit: Heather Shuker

Whats driving luxury beauty growth in Africa

Akkad in conversation with Vogue International editor Suzy Menkes. Image credit: Heather Shuker

Continental complexities

SA vs Nigerian beauty consumption

Beauty and influencer marketing

Growing interest in self-care

We have a long-standing and deep commitment to inclusive beauty across ages, regions and cultures because our aspiration really is to be part of every consumer's beauty dream, Akkad said during her presentation at the Conde Nast International Luxury Conference held in Cape Town in April.Because Estee Lauder plays exclusively in the prestige or luxury beauty space, its this goal of fulfilling beauty dreams that acts as a guiding principle for the company, no matter the market.According to Akkad, the company is predicting a robust increase in prestige skincare and makeup use in Africa and among the African diaspora. This growth, she said, is driven by factors such as the rise of the continents middle class, the increase in women's education, their urge to earn a personal income and the improved purchasing power that results from it.These factors, coupled with rapid urbanisation, deliver an increase in access to higher paying jobs, and with those types of jobs come very different beauty behaviours and makeup requirements, she noted.Estee Lauder is also keeping a close eye on Africa because its the worlds largest youth market. Young people are more brand conscious and trend driven, and theyre likely to purchase products that reflect the right image. Style makers impact beauty.We're seeing the increasing fluidity of pop culture transfers between Africa and the diaspora. And then globally, there's a huge acceleration in the trend for natural ingredients, which gives the continent a unique role in global sourcing and storytelling, she added.Certainly, doing business in Africa is not without its challenges. With more than 1.2 billion people spread over an enormous land mass, there are dramatic differences in culture, regulations and climate (which impacts beauty). Akkad notes that while the continent has a GDP of $1.5 trillion, theres individual market volatility and still roughly half the population is living in poverty and in rural areas with limited infrastructure.Looking at formal retail, she mentioned that in the relatively developed South Africa there are numerous big beautiful malls and many prestige retail partner opportunities. However, in Nigeria, which has one-and-a-half times the spending power of South Africa, theres 65% less available retail space. And e-commerce in Africa is still underdeveloped in relation to the rest of the world.Akkad said the most intriguing part of her work is analysing the diversity of consumers.Estee Lauder takes a granular approach to needs and aspirations through an analysis of physical aspects  like skin physiology, skin tone and types, behaviours and barriers  and more abstract and cultural queues like concepts and definitions of beauty, culture and gender identity, norms and codes of behaviours for both beauty and luxury and the way those two things intersect.We also look at these within each market, and we also look at them between markets, she explained.Akkad highlighted the nuances between South African and Nigerian beauty consumers. In South Africa, beauty is more about enhancement and pride while in Nigeria its about optimisation and status. In South Africa, beauty is more natural and about authenticity versus in Nigeria where its more transformational and about perfection.There are these similarities and distinct differences across the diaspora. Black America and South Africa have a lot of shared codes whereas Nigeria has a lot of shared beauty codes with Black British, she continued.Akkad also said that travel corridors exist where these codes interact and blend. "There's a Lagos-London corridor, there's a Lagos-Dubai corridor. There's a certain status associated with travel In Nigeria.Meanwhile, she said Kenyans and South Africans typically travel internally, and if you ask them why they'll often tell you "my country is just too beautiful to leave."Influencers have had a profound impact on beauty, democratising it in many ways. But Akkad said that for black women across the world, influencers arent new.Historically black culture has been a word-of-mouth culture reliant on influencers in some way, shape or form, even when we didn't have that word on the tip of our tongues as we have had in recent years. It was a necessity because black people were not well represented in mainstream media."She credits a lot of the black makeup boom in the United States to the explosion of influencers who have educated consumers about new sub-categories of makeup, new techniques and how to adapt any product or shade to black tones and requirements.Estee Lauder has used local influencers and its learnings from Africa to launch products elsewhere on the globe, catering to the diaspora and other Afro cultures.For the Estee Lauder Daywear Matte Moisturiser launch, a product that controls oil and shine, the company was inspired by its internal Africa team who complained about the "12 o clock shine", the oily breakthrough that breaks through make-up by noon. They had that concern here, but its also relevant in other places in the world.She adds that Mac, which is present in many markets in Africa, is always developing new shades based on shifts in consumer tones, undertones and preferences within the African continent.Linked to aspirations and desire, beauty and cosmetics have a deep significance to consumers across the world. But Akkad says with luxury beauty use, there are higher expectations of both the product benefits and total brand experience.Outwardly, prestige beauty can reflect ones current or aspirational economic status, but inwardly, Akkad said it relates to self-improvement and self-care, a concept increasing in popularity as can be seen in the hashtag trend #selfcaresundays, for example.According to Akkad, in African culture specifically, the relationship with beauty is that of If I look my best, I'm treated the way I aspire to be and that motivates me to be an even better version of myself.
Paddington Station PR

Cape Town, Eden on the Bay, Bloubergstrand, R 8000 - R 10000 per month



9 Dec 2021
PR Newswire

SUZHOU, China, May 30, 2019

SUZHOU, China, May 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovent Biologics, Inc. (Innovent) (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes high quality medicines, today announced that the preliminary results of sintilimab, the anti-PD-1 antibody that co-developed with Eli Lilly and Company, in combination with chemotherapy for 1L advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (NCT02937116, cohort D and cohort E) were presented at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) [Abstract #e20546].

As the top and most influential international oncology conference, ASCO Annual Meeting provides the most important platform for publishing and discussing cutting edge clinical studies. Under the theme "Caring for Every Patient, Learning from Every Patient", 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting has attracted numerous top oncologists, scholars, staff from regulatory and patient organizations to share the latest updates and achievements in clinical oncology, with the ultimate goal to help deliver more promising medicines and treatment options to cancer patients.

It is worth noting that more and more Chinese companies choose to participate and disclose their programs in ASCO, showcasing the importance of emerging Chinese biotech industry. As a leading Chinese biotech company, Innovent will provide key result update of several clinical studies at the ASCO 2019 Annual Meeting. The results on the treatment of relapsed or refractory extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ORIENT-4) with sintilimab will be presented in an oral session, and key data from six other clinical studies will be presented by posters and other sessions.

Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest morbidity and mortality, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for approximately 80%-85% of all lung cancer cases. Cohort D and E of NCT02937116, Phase Ib study in China, evaluating the efficacy and safety of sintilimab monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy for patients with advanced NSCLC. Cohort D and E of NCT02937116 are designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sintilimab in combination with chemotherapy for 1L unresectable locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous (nsq-) and squamous (sq-) NSCLC patients. Patients with EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements were excluded from these cohorts. Cohort D enrolled non-squamous NSCLC patients who received sintilimab in combination with pemetrexed platinum doublet. Cohort E enrolled squamous NSCLC patients who received sintilimab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin.

At data cutoff on 15 Jan 2019, 21 and 20 patients had been enrolled in cohort D and E, respectively. Objective response rate (ORR) in nsq- and sq-NSCLC was 68.4% (95% CI, 43.4 ~ 87.4) and 64.7% (95% CI, 38.3 ~ 85.8) respectively based on data from 19 and 17 patients with at least one radiologic efficacy assessment. Median progression free survival (mPFS) was 11.4 months (95% CI, 3.1 ~ NA) and 6.5 months (95% CI, 5.3 ~ 8.0), respectively.

Cohort D

Cohort E

ORR (%, 95%CI)

68.4?43.4~87.4?

64.7?38.3~85.8?

mPFS (months, 95%CI)

11.4 (3.1 - NA)

6.5 (5.3 - 8.0)

mOS (months, 95%CI)

18.9 (5.3 - 18.9) *

Not reached (10.3 - NA) *

12mon OS (%, 95%CI)

68 (42 - 84)

64 (35 - 82)

Follow up (months), median (range)

11.4 (0.3 - 18.9)

10.3 (0.2 - 14.6)

* The data was immature at the time of data cut off.

The combination of sintilimab and chemotherapy showed clinical activity with an acceptable safety profile in 1L nsq- and sq-NSCLC.

Based on the results of the Phase Ib studies, Innovent and Eli Lilly have initiated two Phase III clinical trials evaluating sintilimab in combination with chemotherapy in 1L nsq- (NCT03607539) and sq-NSCLC (NCT03629925) in patients without EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements to further investigate the efficacy of sintilimab in combination with chemotherapy for patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC in China.

About Tyvyt (sintilimab injection)

Tyvyt (sintilimab injection) is an innovative drug jointly developed in China by Innovent and Eli Lilly and Company. Innovent is also conducting clinical studies of sintilimab injection in the United States. Tyvyt (sintilimab injection) is a type of immunoglobulin G4 monoclonal antibody, which binds to PD-1 molecules on the surface of T-cells, blocks the PD-1/ PD-1 Ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway and reactivates T-cells to kill cancer cells. Tyvyt (sintilimab injection) is the only PD-1 antibody in China branded by both a local biopharmaceutical company and a global pharmaceutical company. Tyvyt (sintilimab injection) has been granted marketing approval by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (r/r cHL) and has been included in the 2019 Guidelines of Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) for Lymphoid Malignancies. There are currently more than twenty clinical studies using sintilimab injection, including eight registration studies that evaluate the efficacy of sintilimab injection in other solid tumors.

About Innovent

Inspired by the spirit of "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action," Innovent's mission is to develop and commercialize high quality biopharmaceutical products that are affordable to ordinary people. Established in 2011, Innovent is committed to developing, manufacturing and commercializing high quality innovative medicines for the treatment of oncology, autoimmunity and other major diseases. On October 31, 2018, Innovent was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code: 01801.HK.

Since it was founded, Innovent has developed a fully-integrated platform which includes R&D, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls), clinical development and commercialization capabilities. Leveraging the platform, the company has built up a robust pipeline of 20 innovative assets in the fields of oncology, ophthalmology, autoimmunity, and cardiovascular diseases. Fourteen assets have entered into clinical development, four have entered Phase 3 clinical trials, two monoclonal antibodies have their New Drug Application (NDA) under review and have been granted with priority review status, and one, Tyvyt (sintilimab injection), is now approved for relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (r/r cHL).

Innovent has built an international team of advanced talents in high-end biological drug development and commercialization, including many overseas experts. The company has also entered into strategic collaborations with Eli Lilly and Company, Adimab, Incyte, Hanmi and other international pharmaceutical companies. Innovent strives to work with all relevant parties to help advance China's biopharmaceutical industry, improve drug availability to ordinary people and enhance the quality of the patients' lives. For more information, please visit: www.innoventbio.com.

About Eli Lilly and Company

Lilly is a global healthcare leader that unites caring with discovery to 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.

About Innovent Biologics' strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company

Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) and Innovent Biologics (Innovent) in March 2015 announced one of the largest biotech drug development collaborations in China to date between a multi-national and domestic company. Under the terms of the agreement, Lilly and Innovent will collaborate on the development and potential commercialization of at least three cancer treatments over the next decade. In October 2015, they announced an expansion of their drug development collaboration. The Innovent and Lilly partnership is one of the most comprehensive strategic collaborations between a Chinese company and a multinational partner in terms of the scope and breadth ranging from discovery to commercialization and involving up to six therapeutic antibodies for cancers.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/innovent-provides-update-on-phase-ib-study-of-sintilimab-in-combination-with-chemotherapy-for-first-line-advanced-or-metastatic-non-small-cell-lung-cancer-300859084.html

SOURCE Innovent Biologics, Inc.
Archbishop of Westminster Issues Call to Save Assyrians in Iraq

The leader of Catholics in England and Wales has issued an urgent call to rebuild persecuted Christian communities in Iraq and other minorities pushed to the brink of extinction.

In a statement released today (Thursday, 30th May 2019), Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, said: "The need to reconstruct towns and villages [in Iraq's Nineveh Plains] destroyed by Daesh (ISIS) and rebuild trust in that region is pressing."

Highlighting how the presence of Christians in Nineveh dates back almost 2,000 years, the Cardinal said: "We are united in prayer and support for the Christians and other minorities in that region as they seek to rebuild their lives."

The Cardinal's message followed his meeting last week with Iraq's Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, who visited London at the invitation of Catholic charity Aid to the Church Need, which has provided key emergency and pastoral help for persecuted Christians in the region.

During his London visit, Archbishop Warda asked Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt for UK aid for persecuted Christians in Iraq and called on the British Government to urge Iraq to safeguard the presence of minorities in Iraq whose numbers have fallen drastically.

Reflecting on his meeting with Archbishop Warda, Cardinal Nichols went on describe his visit to Iraq four years ago just after invading Daesh militants forced entire communities in Nineveh and nearby Mosul to flee in fear of their lives.

The cardinal, who is President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England & Wales, states: "Since my visit to Iraq in 2015, when Archbishop Warda hosted us and we visited numerous refugee camps across Erbil, the plight of persecuted Christians and other minorities in those ancient lands has been of particular concern."

From a pre-2003 total of 1.5 million, Iraq's Christian population has declined rapidly, raising fears for the community's survival, amid declarations of a genocide by Daesh against minorities in the region.

Archbishop Warda thanked the Cardinal and other bishops who have visited Iraq in support of the Christian community there. He said: "My greatest thanks to Cardinal Nichols for his deep passion, prayers, wisdom for the persecuted Iraqi minorities. His guidance since our darkest hours has helped me immensely and given me much needed strength to fight for our continued existence in our ancient land."

The urgent need to help Christians wanting to stay in Iraq was spelt out by Archbishop Warda who, during his London visit last week, gave testimony to the Foreign Secretary's review into the persecution of Christians and spoke in Parliament at an event organised by ACN.

For displaced Christians and others arriving in Erbil and elsewhere, the charity provided food, shelter, medicine and schooling.

After the communities began returning home following the expulsion of Daesh, ACN began rebuilding homes, convents, churches and other structures.

Nearly half of the families forced to leave Nineveh in 2014 are now back in the region.
BEIJING - China warned Canada on Friday that it needs to be aware of the consequences of aiding the U.S. in a case involving the Chinese tech giant Huawei that is believed to have sparked the detention of two Canadians in China.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence arrive for a joint news conference during a visit in Ottawa on Thursday, May 30, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

BEIJING - China warned Canada on Friday that it needs to be aware of the consequences of aiding the U.S. in a case involving the Chinese tech giant Huawei that is believed to have sparked the detention of two Canadians in China.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang's comments Friday came after U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Both were arrested on Dec. 10 after Canada detained a Huawei executive wanted by the United States on fraud charges. While China has denied they were taken in retaliation, it has repeatedly implied that there is a strong connection between the cases.

Kovrig, a former diplomat and Asia expert at the International Crisis Group, and Spavor, a businessman, have been accused of colluding to steal state secrets. Canada has repeatedly urged their immediate release, calling their detention "arbitrary." Neither has been permitted access to lawyers or family members.

"We hope that the Canadian side can have a clear understanding of the consequences of endangering itself for the gains of the U.S. and take immediate actions to correct its mistakes so as to spare itself the suffering from growing damage," Geng said at a daily news briefing.

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of the company's founder, is accused of lying to banks about the company's dealings with Iran in violation of U.S. trade sanctions. Her attorney has argued that comments by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest the case against her is politically motivated.

Washington has pressured other countries to limit use of Huawei's technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information.

China and the U.S. are currently embroiled in a trade dispute that has beleaguered global financial markets.

Another Canadian held in China, Robert Schellenberg, was re-sentenced to death in a drug case following Meng's detention. His case is currently under appeal.
MONTREAL - The NDP is proposing a package of measures to combat climate change, ranging from subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles to easier access to employment insurance for workers in industries threatened by the move away from fossil fuels.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh presents the party's plan for climate change in Montreal on Friday, May 31, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

MONTREAL - The NDP is proposing a package of measures to combat climate change, ranging from subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles to easier access to employment insurance for workers in industries threatened by the move away from fossil fuels.

In a campaign atmosphere with rousing music and loud applause from supporters, New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh unveiled his plan Friday in Montreal, alongside his Quebec lieutenant Alexandre Boulerice.

To encourage the purchase of electric vehicles, the NDP would maintain the $5,000 subsidy announced in the last federal budget and, in addition, waive the federal sales tax on the vehicles for working families.

The incentives would eventually reach $15,000, but only for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles made in Canada. The plan also calls for all federal vehicles, including Canada Post delivery trucks, to be electric by 2025.

In the area of public transit, the NDP wants to encourage electric power and even "pave the way for free public transit."

In order to reduce the carbon footprint created by housing, the NDP plan would give homeowners access to low-interest loans to encourage energy savings through better insulation, windows, heat pumps and other renewable technologies.

The goal is to retrofit all housing in Canada by 2050  and half of it by 2030.

The plan is aimed at helping limit the global increase in temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The party proposes declaring a "climate emergency" and adopting legislation obliging the government to achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The NDP also wants to set up an independent Climate Accountability Office to measure progress.

Questioned about the cost of the plan, Singh said, "We can't afford not to act. We can't afford not to actually respond to this big question, this massive question of our generation."

He added that an NDP government would "ask the richest people to contribute their fair share," something he said previous Conservative and Liberal governments have not had the courage to do.

"We are going to close offshore tax havens and CEO stock option loopholes that have allowed billions of dollars to go offshore and not be taxed," he said.

For the less wealthy, the NDP is proposing that, before being laid off, a worker in an industry affected by the energy transition would have the option of receiving employment-insurance-based training to enter a new sector.

"We must defend the workers, never give them the idea that we are abandoning them," Singh said. The party predicts 300,000 jobs would be created in the transition to greener energy.
CALGARY - The Crown is seeking a prison sentence of between four and five years for a Calgary couple convicted in the death of their 14-month-old son, who didn't see a doctor until the day before he died from an infection.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled to continue today for a Calgary couple convicted in the death of their 14-month-old son. Jennifer and Jeromie Clark, leave a sentencing hearing after to couple were found guilty of criminal negligence causing the death of their 14-month-old son in 2013, outside the courts centre in Calgary, Friday, Feb. 8, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

CALGARY - The Crown is seeking a prison sentence of between four and five years for a Calgary couple convicted in the death of their 14-month-old son, who didn't see a doctor until the day before he died from an infection.

A jury found Jeromie and Jennifer Clark guilty last fall of criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessaries of life.

Prosecutor Jennifer Crews said Friday it's clear the Clarks loved their son John very much.

But she said they were responsible for a helpless child and that their failure to seek medical care as John grew sicker over a period of weeks was not a momentary lapse in judgement.

"They failed to act in the face of the obvious," Crews said. "They failed in their duty. They failed John."

Jurors saw photos of the dead boy with a red rash all over his body and with blackened toes. A forensic pathologist's report said the boy was malnourished and died from a staph infection.

They were also shown screen shots of online searches for natural remedies for gangrene, such as cabbage leaves and cayenne.

Crews told Court of Queen's Bench Justice Paul Jeffrey that denunciation and deterrence should be the focus of the sentence.

"It's about preventing what happened to John from happening to another child."

Jeffrey's decision is expected next Wednesday.

The couple's lawyers suggested at trial that doctors at the Alberta Children's Hospital were to blame because they raised the boy's sodium and fluid levels too aggressively.

David Chow, Jeromie Clark's lawyer, said his client should serve eight months jail at the very most, but probation is also an option.

He described the Clarks as "loving parents that were misguided" and questioned what putting them behind bars would accomplish.

"There's really no need as human beings to separate them from society," he said, adding his client feels "acutely responsible" for his son's death and that he and his wife have already suffered greatly.

Chow also questioned whether a stiff sentence would deter other parents from similar behaviour.

"Those people's ears are closed to these kinds of things because they're doing what they think is right."

John Phillips, Jennifer Clark's lawyer, suggested a term of three to eight months for his client, followed by an unspecified period of probation.

He said the Crown's recommended sentence goes too far.

"This is not a case of a child being starved or abused," he said, noting the Clarks always tried to keep their children healthy and had plenty of nutritious food in their home.

Phillips and Chow read excerpts from several letters submitted in court from friends and family, who described the Clarks as kind, quiet and humble people who are active in their church and loving parents.
OTTAWA - Just as the fog of uncertainty shrouding North America's new trade deal was starting to lift, Canada found itself socked in again Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly threatened Mexico with fresh tariffs tied to the influx of migrants at the southern border.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

President Donald Trump waves at the crowd at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation Thursday, May 30, 2019 at Air Force Academy, Colo. Trump says he'll put tariffs on all goods from Mexico starting next month, a move that could blow up chances of ratifying the new North American free-trade agreement.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/David Zalubowski

OTTAWA - Just as the fog of uncertainty shrouding North America's new trade deal was starting to lift, Canada found itself socked in again Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly threatened Mexico with fresh tariffs tied to the influx of migrants at the southern border.

Vice-President Mike Pence had barely left Canadian airspace following a friendly, olive-branch visit to promote the trilateral agreement in Ottawa when Trump suddenly delivered his latest Twitter ultimatum to Mexico: stop the flow of immigrants or face more levies on your goods

"Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades," the president said in a followup tweet Friday. "Because of the (Democrats), our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!"

Unlike Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs, which were ostensibly a national-security measure, the newest ones  five per cent on all Mexican exports beginning June 10, increasing by five per cent a month to a maximum of 25 per cent by October  would fall under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which the president invoked Thursday.

In a memo to clients, Ohio-based trade lawyer Dan Ujczo was unequivocal in describing the likely impact of Trump's move on the effort to ratify the trade deal, known stateside as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USCMA.

"It is difficult to envision a scenario where Mexico or the U.S. Congress will advance USMCA legislation with IEEPA tariffs in place," wrote Ujczo, a cross-border expert with the firm Dickinson Wright.

"The likely delays that will follow in the wake of IEEPA tariffs will require Avengers-like ability to transcend space and time. 'End Game USMCA' may be on hold until this issue is resolved."

It has been less than two weeks since the U.S. lifted the steel and aluminum tariffs, which both Canada and Mexico had said were standing in the way of ratifying the agreement  relabelled CUSMA by Ottawa, but known colloquially to most Canadians as the "new NAFTA."

On Thursday, Pence was all smiles as he promised multiple times a concerted effort in Washington to get Congress to ratify the agreement, possibly by as early as late July. That optimism had all but evaporated Friday as the doubts that have permeated the effort to update NAFTA virtually from the outset settled back in  possibly for the long haul.

Trump and Trudeau spoke by phone Friday, but a description of the conversation released by the Prime Minister's Office made no mention of the latest developments, noting only that the pair "reiterated their commitment to the new North American Free Trade Agreement and welcomed progress towards its ratification."

Bruce Heyman, who was the U.S. ambassador to Canada under Barack Obama, expects the new agreement to be ratified eventually, but it might not happen before the 2020 elections, he told a gathering Friday to promote his new book, "The Art of Diplomacy," an account written with wife Vicki of the couple's tenure in the national capital.

The potential impact of Trump's latest tariff tactic remains to be seen, he said.

"We don't know if it's actually going to happen  remember, this is the arsonist who then goes to put the fire out and says, 'You're welcome,' " Heyman said. "This is raw, this is new, this is hostile. But this is the way he plays."

The former ambassador also laid out a scenario in which Trump, who has never made a secret of his hatred for NAFTA, makes good on his threat to begin pulling out of the original agreement in an effort to prod Congress and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi into approving the new one  a move that would give him helpful fodder on the 2020 campaign trail.

"The president will be blaming the Democrats for blowing up this great trade deal  'I told you I'd get rid of NAFTA.' I can see this thing for his election: 'I told you I'd blow up NAFTA, I told you I'd get rid of it. I did that for you. And I got you this really great deal, and it's going to be amazing. And you know who threw that out? That was Nancy Pelosi and those Democrats. They ruined this.' And that's what I think is going to happen."

For her part, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, a central player in the federal Liberal government's renegotiation efforts, refused to be drawn on the potential fallout.

"The question today is really a bilateral question, a bilateral issue between the United States and Mexico," she said outside the House of Commons. "It deals with the border between the United States and Mexico. It is important to respect the sovereignty of our two neighbours, the United States and Mexico."

But at the same time, Freeland said, Canada will move forward on ratifying the deal as the other two countries do  by implication, if one or both of them holds the agreement up, Canada won't charge ahead.

The new continental trade agreement doesn't kick in until it's approved by lawmakers in all three countries.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced the bill that would do it in Canada earlier this week. The clock is ticking loudly, with just a few weeks before the House of Commons is to break for the summer. It's not expected to sit again before the fall election. In Mexico, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had just sent the new agreement to the Mexican Senate for approval later this year.

In Washington, Democrats on Capitol Hill say they want to see stronger enforcement measures for the agreement's provisions on environmental and labour standards, with some even calling for the deal to be reopened.

With files from The Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines - A long-held Dutch hostage was fatally shot by his militant captors Friday when he tried to escape during a gunbattle in the jungles of the southern Philippines, military officials said.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In this photo released by the Joint Task Force Sulu, Philippine soldiers prepare to evacuate wounded and dead bodies as pursuit operations continue in Patikul, Sulu province, southern Philippines, Friday, May 31, 2019. A long-held Dutch hostage was shot and killed by his Abu Sayyaf captors Friday when he tried to escape during a gunbattle in the southern Philippines, military officials said. (Joint Task Force Sulu via AP)

MANILA, Philippines - A long-held Dutch hostage was fatally shot by his militant captors Friday when he tried to escape during a gunbattle in the jungles of the southern Philippines, military officials said.

Ewold Horn was killed when he made a dash to freedom during a fierce firefight between the Abu Sayyaf militants and army troops in Sulu province's mountainous Patikul town, military commander Brig. Gen. Divino Pabayo Jr. said.

At least six militants were killed and 12 others were wounded in the nearly two-hour firefight, in which eight soldiers were also wounded, the military said. Among those killed was the wife of Abu Sayyaf commander Radulan Sahiron, a militant long wanted by the United States and the Philippines for banditry and assaults.

Pabayo condemned Horn's killing and the militants' "utter disregard for human rights."

Government forces "tried our very best to safely rescue him from his captors" and suffered injuries themselves, Pabayo said.

Horn's body was recovered by government forces near a river about 100 metres (330 feet) from the scene of the battle, military officials said. Troops stumbled on the militants while hunting Abu Sayyaf fighters who carried out an attack that killed two children and wounded seven other villagers in a Patikul village about a week ago.

Horn and a Swiss tourist, Lorenzo Vinciguerra, along with Filipino guide Ivan Sarenas were kidnapped by gunmen during a birdwatching trip in the southernmost province of Tawi Tawi, near Sulu, in 2012. Sarenas escaped by jumping into the sea while they were being taken by motorboat to Jolo shortly after they were abducted.

Vinciguerra escaped two years later when he hacked a rebel commander and then was shot and wounded by another militant as he fled in a dramatic escape as government forces were firing artillery rounds toward the militants in Patikul.

Vinciguerra said he asked Horn to join his escape. "I talked to him and asked him to join me, but he refused," Vinciguerra said in December 2014.

Although the militants have demanded huge ransoms for hostages in the past, Sahiron kept Horn close by him for years in the hope that military aircraft would not drop bombs on his camps and risk endangering the life of a European hostage, a military official who has helped monitor the militants for years told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak about military matters publicly.

Sahiron's emissaries had recently expressed a willingness to hold talks about Horn's fate but demanded that all government forces withdraw from Patikul town before any negotiations, a demand that Philippine authorities could not grant because of the security implications, the official said, without elaborating.

The Abu Sayyaf, an offshoot of the decades-long Muslim separatist insurgency in the south, has been blacklisted by Washington and Manila as a terrorist organization for involvement in kidnappings, beheadings and deadly bombings.

The group was founded in the early 1990s on Basilan island, near Jolo. An unwieldy collective of Islamic preachers and outlaws, it vowed to wage jihad, or holy war, in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, but lost its key leaders early in combat, sending it on a violent path of extremism and criminality.

About 320 armed Abu Sayyaf fighters remain in the south, some of them aligned with the Islamic State group, Sulu military spokesman Lt. Col. Gerard Monfort said.
The Government appears to be drawing closer to formally conceding the tech giants, including Google, Twitter, and Facebook, which have significant bases in Ireland will be taxed by individual governments on the revenues they generate across Europe.

It comes as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development effectively said there was agreement for its "road map" for a global shakeup in the way countries around the world tax the digital giants, saying the accord could be reached by the end of next year - much earlier than many had thought possible.

A government spokesman described the agreement as the OECD getting to "the business end" of global tax reform.

Since the global crisis, the OECD has been leading the initiative of 129 countries for a shake-up in the way governments tax companies amid huge discontent among the voters of many countries that the multinationals avoid paying their fair share of taxes and thus fail to contribute to tax revenues to pay for essential public services.

Ireland since securing its competitive 12.5% corporate tax regime from the EU in the 1990s has long fought back against accusations by large European countries, including France, that the Government is involved in some sort of "corporate tax banditry" and depriving others of the corporate tax revenues that are rightly theirs.

More recently, Ireland and others, including the Netherlands, shot down an EU plan driven by Tax Commissioner Pierre Moscovici to bring in a minimum digital tax across Europe.

The Government had consistently argued that the EU shouldn't jump the gun and should await the deliberations of the OECD to set new global rules, not just for the EU.

In recent weeks, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has conceded that change in the digital tax world was coming, but through the auspices of the OECD.

There are, however, dangers lurking to Ireland's wider corporate tax regime.

"Todays broad agreement on the technical roadmap must be followed by strong political support toward a solution that maintains, reinforces and improves the international tax system. The health of all our economies depends on it," said OECD secretary-general Angel Gurria.

Brian Keegan, director of public policy and taxation at Chartered Accountants Ireland, said Ireland has so far fought successfully in engaging in international tax proposals, saying he was "confident that this will be the case again this time".
The Supreme Court has dismissed Facebook's appeal over a High Court decision to refer key issues concerning the validity of European Commission decisions approving EU-US data transfer channels to the Court of Justice of the EU.

The referral was made by the High Court in proceedings by the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) arising from complaints by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems the transfer of his personal data by Facebook to the US breached his data privacy rights as an EU citizen.

The core issue the Supreme Court had to decide in Facebook's appeal is whether there is any actual right to appeal over a referral decision.

Today, the five judge court said, while the court can, with significant limitations, entertain an appeal over a High Court decision which includes a referral, the court cannot entertain an appeal over the actual referral decision itself.

The court cannot entertain an appeal against the High Court decision to make a reference or against the terms of reference, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Frank Clarke, said.

It is for the referring court, and that court alone, to decide whether to make a reference and whether to amend or withdraw that, he said.

He was however satisfied the court could entertain an appeal against the facts found by the High Court and should overturn those if it can be established they are not sustainable in accordance with the relevant Irish jurisprudence.

However, in this case, Facebooks criticisms related to the proper characterisation of underlying facts rather than the facts themselves, he said.

If there had been any actual finding of facts not sustainable on the evidence before the High Court in accordance with Irish procedural law, he would have overturned it but no such matter had been established on this appeal, he ruled.

In those circumstances, the court would not make any order overturning any aspect of the High Court judgment.

Facebooks appeal concerns an October 2017 High Court judgment by Ms Justice Caroline Costello and her subsequent referral in May 2018 of issues for determination by the CJEU.

The judgment was given in a case brought by DPC Helen Dixon, arising from the complaints by Mr Schrems, against Facebook Ireland - because Facebooks European headquarters are here - and Mr Schrems.

No formal orders were sought against them and the core issue concerned the validity of data transfer channels known as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

Ms Justice Costello directed a referral to the CJEU of 11 issues concerning the validity of European Commission decisions approving the SCCs.

Facebook argued before the Supreme Court last January it is entitled to appeal the referral.

It also disputed several of the High Courts findings, including that the DPC had well founded concerns about mass indiscriminate processing of data by US government agencies under programmes authorised there.

The US government was involved in the appeal as an amicus curiae, assistant to the court on legal issues.

It supported Facebook's argument that no reference to the CJEU is required in light of the Privacy Shield agreement between the EU and US and the European Commission's determination the US ensures an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred under the Privacy Shield.

Lawyers for the DPC said she has concerns whether the measures provided for under the Privacy Shield are comparable to the remedy available to EU citizens for breach of data privacy rights under Article 47 of the EU Charter.

Mr Schrems opposed the appeal with his lawyers arguing Facebook had failed to identify an error by the High Court.
The suddenness of the move took global markets by surprise.

Exporters are once again wondering aloud what more US president Donald Trump could do to damage the international trade system.

The answer may be extensive if the latest announcement by President Trump to apply an import tariff on all Mexican goods entering the US in 10 days time, is implemented.

The announcement of a 5% import tariff, ratcheting up to 25%, on all Mexican imports puts the validity of the whole North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) deal between Canada, Mexico, and the US in jeopardy.

It creates a wave of uncertainty across the globe, with many unintended consequences.

Mexican businesses, in particular, had been rubbing their hands in recent months as the trade war with China led to a huge swing by US manufacturers to source more products from Mexico.

Last March, the value of US imports from Mexico overtook that from China for the first time.

Following the spat with Trump administration over immigrants and the building of a wall, Mexico had studiously focused on promoting trade with the US and avoiding antagonising its neighbour.

The extensive Mexican motor industry was also hoping to be the beneficiary of any fallout between the US and Europe, where the big bargaining chip was US imports of cars and parts from the EU.

President Trumps announcement now puts all the eggs into a blender, with no way of knowing what will come next.

The tariff would take effect on June 10, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our country, STOP, President Trump tweeted late Thursday night.

He warned the levy would gradually increase until the illegal immigration problem is remedied at which time the tariff will be removed.

It may all be his latest attempt to get the rest of the wall-building fund.

But the seemingly chaotic workings of the White House are once again on show.

The Mexico tariff move came the same day that President Trump presented notice to Congress to pass his renegotiated version of Nafta, which allows free trade without tariffs with Mexico and Canada.

The unintended consequences could hit the 1.7bn of Irish exports to Mexico, as technology and food supply chains from Ireland often link up with component and finished goods manufacturers in Mexico before reaching final customers in the US.

One thing we can be sure of is that investors who are already wary of China trade meltdown will double down on caution and zip up any new investments until the cloud of uncertainty clears.

A new trade agreement between the EU and Mexico, which includes agricultural goods, concluded last year was very beneficial for Ireland.

The agreement allowed preferential access to the Mexican market for a range of cheeses, with access for others, including cheddar, set within annual quotas.

Access for milk powder was also secured, as was an increase in pork exports to Mexico, with duty-free trade for almost all of these products.

Ireland is a significant exporter of powdered milk and milk derivatives to Mexico, and the removal of tariffs has boosted this trade significantly.

The US targeting of all of Mexicos 300bn trade is likely to create a rapid slowdown of the Mexican economy, with inevitable consequences for Irish exporters to the market.

We can only hope that the Trump administration finds enough cooperation from Mexico over the coming weeks.

John Whelan is managing partner of the Linkage-Partnership, an international trade consultancy with offices in Ireland, Netherlands, and Switzerland.
Funding of 500,000 has been announced to continue to support the work of Men's Sheds groups across the country.

The capital funding was announced by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring and will enable up to 400 Men's Sheds to purchase equipment or carry out minor works to improve their premises.

This is the second year of funding for the organisation which offers a friendly and inclusive environment where men can gather and/or work on projects and aims to advance the health and well-being of the participating men.

Minister Ring said: Mens Sheds have become central to some 400 communities throughout Ireland.

They provide an invaluable service by helping to tackling social isolation which in turn strengthens local communities.

"I have decided to build on last years funding by allocating a further 500,000 in recognition of the contribution these groups are making to life in Ireland.

Individual sheds can submit applications to their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) and the deadline for the applications will be advertised soon on gov.ie along with application details.

Today's announcement has been welcomed by the Irish Men's Sheds Association.

"It further reinforces the impact that sheds are having within communities," said Barry Sheridan, CEO of the Irish Men's Sheds Association.

"In less than ten years Mens Sheds have played and continue to play a pivotal role in supporting the development of stronger more resilient communities throughout Ireland."

Both Mr Sheridan and Minister Ring also welcomed the fact that there are a number of Women's Sheds emerging in communities.

I have also become aware of the emergence of a number of womens shed groups in communities in recent times," said Minister Ring.

"This can only be beneficial to the women involved and their communities. In order to support this positive development I have decided to make this funding available to these womens shed groups and I urge them to apply."
9,015 patients were left waiting for a hospital bed in the month of May.

According to analysis from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, the number is a 114% increase on May 2006 - when figures began.

78 of the more than 9,000 patients were children.

The INMO states that University Hospital Limerick and South Tipperary General Hospital recorded their worst May ever for overcrowding.

University Hospital Limerick: 1,102 patients

Cork University Hospital: 824 patients

South Tipperary General Hospital: 661 patients

Naas General Hospital: 479 patients

Letterkenny University Hospital: 477 patients

The 2019 figure for May is down on the previous year with 9,183 patients waiting on a bed in May 2018.

It is still up on the 2017 figure of 8,154.

Today's trolley watch figures show 336 are on trolley's waiting for a bed.

The INMO say 33 patients are waiting in the emergency department while 103 are in wards elsewhere in the hospital.

Cork University Hospital is the worst hit hospital with 41 patients looking for a bed.

Speaking about the May figures, INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: "We are entering the milder summer months, when predictable seasonal illnesses are lower yet the level of overcrowding is worsening."

"Overcrowding in May 2019 is now at the same level as January 5 years ago.

"Clearly this is a capacity deficit and requires immediate investment in additional hospital beds.

"Considering the evidence of this continued increasing activity in our public health service, it is simply unacceptable that the HSE and Department of Health have introduced a recruitment pause.

"We know that this will simply lead to a chronic understaffing and overcrowding problem without any regard to person-centred solutions.

"Overcrowding and understaffing mean patients take longer to recover.

"That means worse care, higher costs, and greater risk of infection. Investment in beds and safe staffing is key to resolving this ongoing crisis."
An eight-year-old boy was brought to Cork University Hospital earlier this evening with non-life threatening injuries after he was hit by a car in Whitechurch, north of Cork city, just after 7pm.

Gardai in Gurranabraher are investigating a RTC that occurred at Whitechurch this evening Friday, 31st May, 2019 at 7.20pm," a garda spokesperson said.
A 65-year-old man has received a partially-suspended sentence for sexually abusing his partners granddaughter over several years.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the man suggested he had killed his former wife to ensure that the young girl he was sexually abusing would not tell anyone.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the now-teenage girl's anonymity, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual assault on dates between 2009 to 2013.

Passing sentence today, Judge Cormac Quinn said the case was aggravated by the number of offences, the age of the child at the time of the abuse, the man abusing a position of trust, his making her promise not to tell anyone and the effect the abuse had had on the victim.

Judge Quinn said the mitigating factors in the case were the man's age and personal circumstances, his guilty plea, his admissions, his lack of previous convictions for sexual offending and a psychological report which stated he was in the extremely low range of cognitive function.

He sentenced the man to four-and-a-half year's imprisonment, but suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour and follow all directions of the Probation Service for 18 months post-release.

At a previous hearing, the court heard the last of these sexual assaults happened in 2013 when the then 10-year-old girl had been on a trip outside the jurisdiction with the man and his current partner.

Detective Garda Ken McGreevy told Pauline Walley SC, prosecuting, that the girl had been staying in a camper van with both adults. The man had come in drunk while the girl was sleeping and put his fingers in her vagina. He apologised three times as the girl cried.

Det. Gda McGreevy said the girl disclosed this abuse and previous incidents of sexual assault after her mother noticed she had not seemed her usual self on her return home.

The girl subsequently told specialist garda child interviewers that the man had digitally penetrated her between 20 and 50 times over the past number of years. She said this would happen in a shed outside the man's home, when he had her sitting on his knee while he was on a computer.

She said on one occasion he put his fingers in her vagina while they were on a walk together in Wicklow.

On another occasion, she had been spending time with the man and he lifted her on top of him as he lay in bed, pulled her pyjama bottoms down and rubbed his penis off her private parts.

Det. Gda McGreevy told Ms Walley that the man made the girl promise not to tell and made reference to killing a former partner.

'A simple hug makes me feel really uncomfortable'

In a victim impact report read out by Ms Walley, the girl said she would wake up in the middle of the night with bad dreams and wouldn't be able to sleep.

She revealed she lived in fear that the man would come after or hurt her if she shared the secret. She said she had trouble trusting people and that her skin crawls when family members gave her a hug.

She described how the man, through his assaults, would leave her with scrapes and scratches and that it would be painful at times to urinate because of these little cuts. She said her relationship with her father had suffered because she assumed every man wanted to hurt her.

A simple hug makes me feel really uncomfortable, she said.

Man accepts 'some degree of paedophilia', court hears

The man claimed to gardai in interview that he might have accidentally touched her over her clothes if he had been sitting watching TV with his arm around her. Similarly, he claimed the touching might have been accidental while he was helping her ride a bicycle without stabilisers.

He told gardai he had memory problems but also said the girl was an honest, intelligent child who was not a liar.

When asked if he was a paedophile in light of these allegations, the man replied: Probably.

Det. Gda McGreevy agreed with Feargal Kavanagh SC, defending, that his client couldn't bring himself to give full admissions during interview but was accepting some degree of paedophilia.

Mr Kavanagh said his client was drinking excessively at the time of the offending behaviour and could not remember having committed the abuse.

He cited a psychological report stating that the accused had cognitive difficulties and was at the lowest percentile of intellectual ability in psychometric assessments.

The court heard the accused was psychologically vulnerable, prone to anxiety and depression and had twice attempted to take his own life when he realised the extent of the abuse he had committed.

A number of testimonials and letters were handed in on behalf of the accused.
Three judges in Paris have begun their deliberations in the Ian Bailey murder trial.

Public prosecutor Jean Pierre Bonthoux spent 90 minutes summing up the indictment against Mr Bailey.

The prosecutor called for the maximum sentence of 30 years to be handed down.

The 62-year-old is being tried for the murder of Sophie Tuscon Du Plantier in West Cork in absentia.

He denies the charge.

Ms Toscan du Plantier was killed outside Schull two days before Christmas in 1996. She was the wife of famous director Daniel Toscan du Plantier, and the case is one of the countrys most famous unsolved murders.

The late Sophie Toscan du Plantier

Bailey who lived three kilometres from the victim, was arrested twice in connection with the murder but was never charged.

Bailey has branded the case in France a show trial but if he were to be convicted and then extradited, he would be tried again by a jury and given the opportunity to mount a defence.

The case can be seen as another means of bringing pressure to bear on Ireland to hand over the defendant.
Gerry Ryan's voice was heard on 2FM again as the station celebrated turning 40.

The Ryan Line was open once more in a special one-hour tribute to the presenter to mark the station's 40th birthday.

Ryan died in 2010 aged 53 and had been one of the most prominent voices on 2FM from 1979 up until his death.

Rape survivor Lavinia Kerwick is one of the people to pay tribute to Ryan as the show went out on air.

Ms Kerwick was the first Irish rape victim to waive her anonymity and speak publicly.

She was instrumental in landmark changes in the law, including the introduction of victim impact statements

Lavinia Kerwick

She spoke on The Gerry Ryan Show about her court ordeal and the suspended sentence given to her attacker in 1993.

Responding to TV presenter Baz Ashmawy's praise of today's broadcast, Ms Kerwick tweeted: "Lovely hearing him again baz and how brilliant a broadcaster he was."

She added: "He minded me baz [sic] always remember him bringing me to a Chinese restaurant and buying loads of food in the hope I would eat it."

He minded me baz always remember him bringing me to a Chinese restaurant and buying loads of food in the hope I would eat it.  lavinia kerwick (@kerwick_lavinia) May 31, 2019

Ms Kerwick told Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show earlier this year that "Gerry was the first person I told".

She said he was "hugely compassionate" and he had "humanity and kindness".

Ms Kerwick said she has never listened back to the interview saying: "I remember every word."

Speaking at the publication of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centres annual report last year, Ms Kerwick

Read More:
Ian Bailey has said his "staying calm" with the verdict of a trial in

In a video interview in Bantry this morning with Irish Examiner photograher, Dan Linehan, Mr Bailey said he had a lot of support when asked about the pending verdict.

"I'm in good company and I have got a lot of support and I am staying calm in the eye of the hurricane," said Mr Bailey.

Speaking to a member of the public about his poetry book, Mr Bailey said he was working on a second collection called 'I'm In A John Wayne State Of Mind'.

He said: "I'm trying to have that out - if I'm at liberty and can do it - by maybe the Bantry Literary Festival."

When asked if he had been in "a John Wayne State Of Mind" over the trial in France Mr Bailey replied, "you bet I have been."

When asked further about the trial, Mr Bailey said: "I can't really say too much."

Mr Bailey said he hadn't had any thoughts on the trial and was "under strict instructions to say nothing other than I remain calm in the eye of the hurricane."

The 62-year-old is being tried in France for the murder of Sophie Tuscon Du Plantier in West Cork in absentia.

He denies the charge.

Ms Toscan du Plantier was killed outside Schull two days before Christmas in 1996. She was the wife of famous director Daniel Toscan du Plantier, and the case is one of the countrys most famous unsolved murders.

Mr Bailey has branded the case in France a show trial but if he were to be convicted and then extradited, he would be tried again by a jury and given the opportunity to mount a defence.
A High Court judge has urged the HSE to reconsider its refusal to fund a specially designed home care package to provide future care for a woman in a vegetative state for more than ten years.

The woman, aged in her forties, is a ward of court and her family, as the committee representing her interests, want her to remain in her home under a care regime designed by her GP and a consultant.

That involves two care assistants being present at all times (involving four care assistants working two 12 hour shifts) and the parents, under GP guidance, assuming nursing duties such as administering medication.

The HSE argued that is clinically inappropriate and too expensive and wants her moved to a community nursing unit (CNU).

The case raises what Mr Justice Denis McDonald described as "very important" issues concerning whether the court can make orders compelling a State entity to allocate a specific amount of limited public resources to a ward of court.

In a judgment today the judge said he will only decide those legal issues if the sides cannot reach a resolution after considering his views on the evidence set out in the judgment.

He adjourned the case to next term to allow for that.

In his judgment, he said it would be "a great pity" if the HSE did not further consider the home care funding option proposed by the family.

That would involve the HSE not appointing and paying its own team of nurses and carers but rather giving the woman, through the family committee, the funds to employ carers.

If the HSE did so, and if the family made certain adjustments to their proposals, he believed the home care costs could be less than the estimated annual 315,000 costs of maintaining the woman in the CNU.

He appreciated the HSE had said it does not provide funding to private individuals to employ carers and the family's proposal meant the HSE would be bringing in staff paid at a lesser rate with lesser conditions than people doing comparable work.

He also appreciated it had concerns about governance and control.

His view was that the circumstances of this case are "unique", the woman's life expectancy is likely to be short, and the HSE should reconsider.

The dispute over future care arose because a 2.5m settlement obtained by the woman in 2013 ran out last September and she has exceeded the life expectancy on which it was based.

The settlement was against the HSE without admission of liability and arose from a claim of delay and negligence in diagnosis of a brain tumour.

The settlement funded her home care since 2015 at costs ranging from 420,000 to more than 500,000 annually.

Her family had said those costs could be reduced if the HSE gave them funding to employ carers directly themselves.

Before 2015, the woman was in a hospital intensive care unit, a private hospital room, a six bed hospital ward and also in the CNU where the HSE want her to be returned.

Her family had taken her out of the CNU due to their dissatisfaction with the level of care there.

A specially adapted home unit was obtained for her where she is subject to a care regime, designed by her GP and consultants, which the judge described as "exemplary".

Until the settlement ran out, the home care was funded from the wards of office and the HSE is now funding it pending the judge's decision on future care.

Earlier in his judgment, the judge said the HSE evidence was the level of homecare requested for the woman was on a scale the HSE's Home Support Service was never designed to meet.

The HSE evidence was it would cost more than 2m a year to address the needs of 321 people on the waiting list for services in the ward's home region, he noted.

A decision by a court in an individual case could "potentially seriously" skew the fair allocation of available resources in a manner which would undermine and destabilise the equitable provision of health services in accordance with the needs of the community.

On the other hand, as the recent Supreme Court decision on the Angela Kerins case showed, there are "rare circumstances" where the courts may have to intervene and make declarations as to legal rights even in areas the courts ordinarily regard as being outside their province.

It would be "premature and undesirable" to try and resolve the legal issues now because he wanted the sides to first consider his views on the evidence, he said.
Latest: A man in his 50s has been arrested in connection with a hit and run in Dublin.

21-year-old Gerard Whyte from Ballymun died in the collision.

The incident occurred on the Swords Road at the Collins Avenue Junction at around 12.20am in the early hours of this morning.

The man arrested this evening is currently detained under the provisions of Section 4, Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Ballymun Garda Station.

The HGV articulated tractor unit which gardai believed was involved in the incident has also been recovered.

Gardai say a family liaison officer has been appointed.

Update - 5.25pm: Gardai appeal for driver involved in Dublin hit and run to come forward

Gardai have renewed their appeal for information after a man in his 20s died following a hit-and-run in Dublin today.

The collision between a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and the pedestrian occurred on the Swords Road at the Collins Avenue Junction at around 12.20am in the early hours of this morning.

The man was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. The scene of the collision was examined by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.

A post mortem is currently being carried out at the City Morgue by Acting State Pathologist Dr Michal Curtis.

Detective Inspector Michael Mulligan, from Ballymun Garda Station, said that the dead man is from the Swords area but would not release a name as not all family have been informed.

The HGV articulated tractor unit believed to be involved in this incident was turning left from the Swords Road onto Collins Avenue.

The vehicle, which is white in colour, failed to remain at the scene.

3) We are interested in speaking to anyone who may have dash cam, CCTV footage or anyone with info on movements of HGV believed to be involved in this incident. Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballymun GS on 6664400, Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any GS pic.twitter.com/0BbXXO3FxW  An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) May 31, 2019

Gardai say they are interested in speaking with the driver of the tractor unit, as well as anyone who may have dash cam or CCTV footage or anyone with information on the movements or whereabouts of the HGV.

Gardai are also continuing their appeal for anyone with information to contact them, particularly anyone who may have been in the Collins Avenue Junction area of the N1 between 12:15am and 12:30am this morning.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 666 4400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.

1) Gardai are investigating a fatal hit and run road traffic collision between a HGV and a male pedestrian that occurred on the Swords Road (N1), at the Collins Avenue Junction, on Friday 31st May, 2019 at approximately 12:20am. pic.twitter.com/a3IqpCoj2m  An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) May 31, 2019

Earlier: Man, 20s, dies following hit and run incident in Dublin

A man in his 20s has died following a hit and run incident in Dublin.

Gardai say the incident between a heavy goods vehicle and the male pedestrian occurred on the Swords Road at around 12:20am.

The man was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Gardai said that the vehicle believed to be involved in this incident failed to remain at the scene and is reported to have been travelling from Whitehall in the direction of Donnycarney.

The heavy goods vehicle is described as being white in colour and was not carrying a trailer at the time of the collision.

Gardai have said the scene of the incident has now reopened following a Garda Forensic Examination.

Gardai are appealing for anyone with information to contact them, particularly anyone who may have been in the Collins Avenue Junction area of the N1 between 12:15am and 12:30am this morning.

They say they are interested in speaking to anyone who may have dash cam or CCTV footage or anyone with information on the movements or whereabouts of the heavy goods vehicle believed to be involved in this incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Santry Garda Station on 01 666 4000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any garda station.
A man who wielded a sledgehammer as he took part in the looting of a local supermarket during the blizzards of Storm Emma last year has been jailed for 18 months.

Mohammed Smew (aged 26) was one of a number of people who had broken into the Centra store in Tallaght, Dublin when the shop had shut down in response to extreme weather conditions.

Smew, of Milners Square, Shanowen Road, Santry, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary and the production of a sledgehammer at Kiltalawn on March 2, 2018.

Passing sentence today, Judge Melanie Greally said Smew had exploited a dramatic weather event and engaged in behaviour which was absolutely unacceptable.

Judge Greally said the Centra had been affected and that the looting had also caused considerable reputational damage to the local community in Tallaght.

She said an aggravating factor was the fact that Smew was carrying a sledgehammer which had enormous potential to damage property or persons.

Judge Greally set a headline sentence of four and a half years imprisonment, but reduced this to a three-year sentence with the final 18 months suspended.

She gave Smew credit for his guilty plea, his lack of any similar or serious previous convictions, his educational history, his expressions of remorse and his commitment to reform and live a pro-social life.

The judge said Smew came from an extremely respectable, pro-social family of well-educated, professional people and that there was nothing in his background to explain his conduct.

He appears to have simply been caught up in the mob mentality. This was very much an aberrational event for him, she said.

The court heard that letters and testimonials had been handed in from Smews family, friends and from Griffith College where his place on an educational course remains open for him.

At a previous hearing, Detective Garda David Jennings said he and colleagues went to the shop in Kiltalawn during the blizzards in a 4 x 4 vehicle.

Somebody had used a con saw like a can opener to cut a large hole in the shop's steel shutter. A large group of people were coming in and out of the shop and had their faces covered.

The garda said he entered the shop and saw a man coming towards him. This man turned around and ran to the back of the shop.

Det. Gda Jennings called out armed gardai but was unable to draw his firearm because it got caught in his waterproof leggings. He pulled his official extendable baton and followed the man.

The accused was in the back stock room holding a sledgehammer over his head, the detective said.

He told Smew to drop the hammer but Smew came towards him and he struck him with his baton. Smew had claimed in court that he had dropped the hammer when directed to do so.

He has 12 previous convictions for minor offences, of which 11 were for road traffic matters and one for public order.

Carol Doherty BL, defending, told the court that her client came from a respectable family of lawyers and doctors who had a positive influence on him.

Judge Greally ordered that Smew be given credit for the seven months which he has already spent in custody on the matter.

She said he had brought shame on his family, who continued to be very supportive of him.
Sinn Fein will pull the plug on the Ireland South recount if it becomes clear they are not making up the gap in votes, Mary Lou McDonald has said.

The party asked for a full recount after just 326 votes separated Liadh Ni Riada and Green Party senator Grace O'Sullivan following a recheck of papers.

The recount in the 12-county constituency will start next Tuesday and is expected to take 28 working days which would have implications on all of Ireland South's MEPs as they would miss a number of important deadlines including the election of the new parliament president.

While Fine Gael's Sean Kelly and Fianna Fail's Billy Kelleher were deemed elected in the initial count, they will not be able to attend parliament until the count concludes.

No one is deemed an elected an MEP until all seats have been filled.

A spokesperson for the European Parliament said: "The first deadline from a European Parliament point of view is June 24. On that date, political groups must confirm their composition and membership.

"The new Parliament then takes office from July 2 and there would be important votes that week, such as the election of the new President of Parliament."

Ms McDonald said her party doesn't want to "prolong the agony or postpone the ecstasy" but Sinn Fein wants to be sure that the outcome of the vote is accurate.

"The contest in Ireland South was very, very tight," she said, adding that the difference in votes is equivalent to around five ballots in a local elections.

It's not unheard of for recounts to take place, they are necessary when votes are very close just to be sure that the result is accurate and fair.

However, speaking on RTE's Sean O'Rourke programme, Ms McDonald said: "How recounts work is the recount begins and then obviously you take stock as the process unfolds.

"If it becomes apparent that the result isn't going to change then of course at that stage then the counting will end," she said.

Asked about Sinn Fein's poor performance in the local elections, Ms McDonald suggested there is a detachment from politics in certain sections of society.

"I am not sure that you can attribute it to any single one thing," she said.

The delay in the Ireland South count has led to some calls for the introduction of an electronic system with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggesting that vote counting machines could be brought in Scotland.

However, he stopped short of arguing in favour of introducing e-voting.

A recent survey found that 52% of those asked would like to have the option of casting their vote by electronic means.

The Pure Telecom survey also revealed that 27% of people believe our traditional polling methods are outdated.

Pure Telecom CEO Paul Connell said: Our research shows that Irish adults are very open to the idea of voting by electronic means.

"In the digital age, people are used to being able to complete tasks with the touch of a button or screen  so electronic voting appeals to them."
A mother of five who claimed an alleged misdiagnosis was made when she was first brought to hospital and who two months later collapsed with a stroke has settled her High Court action for 2.25m.

Counsel for Bridget Hughes, Dr John O'Mahony SC told the High Court it was their case an alleged " serious mistake " was made when the woman was brought to The Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin after collapsing in her kitchen with a severe, intractable headache and vomiting.

Counsel said it was their contention these symptoms should have been picked up and the first collapse in January 2013 was a warning. Mrs Hughes suffered a full hemorrhage with a left side stroke and left side weakness two months later in March 2013.

He said it was their contention if a proper diagnosis had been made the first time Mrs Hughes was admitted to hospital, the second collapse in March 2013 would not have occurred.

Liability is denied in the case.

The 64-year-old woman, Dr O'Mahony told the court has been cared for in a nursing home since and she has to use a wheelchair.

Bridget Hughes, Melie An Ri View, Lucan, Co Dublin had through her son Jesse Ali Hughes sued The Adelaide and Meath Hosptial, Dublin over her care when she was brought to the hospital in January 2013 after collapsing at home. She was given analgesics and was discharged the following morning with a diagnosis of viral infection and migraine, it was claimed.

Two months later she was brought by ambulance to another hospital and had weakness of the left side of her body due, it is claimed to an aneurysm of the cerebral artery and she had to have surgery.

It is claimed there was an alleged failure at The Adelaide and Meath Hospital to carry out a CT scan or a lumbar puncture so as to rule out inter-cranial bleeding and that she had been permitted to leave the hospital when she had allegedly been inadequately diagnosed and treated.

It was further claimed there was an alleged failure to diagnose a herald bleed which then went on to a stroke and an inappropriate diagnosis of migraine and viral infection were made in January 2013.

The claims are denied.

Mrs Hughes before her collapse worked in a charity shop.

Dr O'Mahony told the court the Hughes family were very keen to bring her to back home and adapt the house for her needs.

Approving the settlement Mr Justice Kevin Cross said it was a very good one.
The HSE is warning of the threat smoking poses to children on World No Tobacco Day today.

The number of young people who smoke here has dropped sharply in recent years from 23% in 1998 to 8% in 2014.

It says while this is welcome, it still means around one in 10 children and teenagers aged 10-17 are smoking.

HSE Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Advisor Dr Paul Kavanagh says it leads to poor health.

"What we found was that compared to children who don't smoke, children who smoke regularly are over three times more likely to report that their health is poor," said Dr Kavanagh.

"They are also more likely to report a range of different symptoms including headaches, backaches and stomach aches and feeling anxious or irritable.

"Also overall their satisfaction with life is quite poor."

Meanwhile, the Irish Cancer Society and Irish Heart Foundation are calling on the Government to ramp up efforts to help smokers quit.

Four in 10 smokers have tried to kick the habit in the last 12 months.

Irish Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Manager Kevin O'Hagan says deaths can be prevented.

"Well on World No Tobacco Day we want to remind the Government that tobacco is still the biggest preventable killer in Ireland," said Mr O'Hagan.

"6,000 people are still dying from disease caused by smoking each year.

"Our call out today is to try and remind the Government how important it is to support people who want to quit."
A sex attacker had to be physically pulled from his victim by gardai who responded to reports of a woman screaming for help in a lane way in Dublin city centre, a court has heard.

Bogdan Timorte (aged 37) was recorded by a nearby resident on his phone attacking the woman. The resident had heard the screams for help and alerted gardai but was too afraid to approach.

This phone footage, as well as CCTV footage of Timorte's movements, was played to the court. Timorte was captured on CCTV first meeting the intoxicated woman on Parnell Street, putting his arm around her and chatting before they turn into a lane way which ended in a cul de sac.

The woman described being in fear for her life during the extremely violent attack.

Timorte, formerly of Synott Place, Phibsborough, Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to oral rape and sexual assault of the woman on a lane way off Parnell Street on October 9, 2017.

Timorte, a married father of three children, has been in custody since the date of the offence. He is originally from Romania and has no previous convictions.

Mr Justice Michael White adjourned finalisation to next week to consider the case.

He paid tribute to the courage of the woman and noted the long-term impact of brutal sexual assaults and rape on victims.

I hope she will recover to the best of her ability with whatever help she can get, he said.

Paddy McCarthy SC, prosecuting, outlined to the court that Timorte and the woman, who were strangers, met that night just after 3.15am on Parnell Street as the woman, who had a lot of drink taken, was walking home alone from socialising with friends.

He said it appeared Timorte took advantage of the woman's condition.

The woman said the last thing she remembered was being on the dance floor with her friend in a nightclub, before being in a struggle with a man who was on top of her with his hands around her neck. She said she remembered shouting that the man was hurting her before the gardai arrived.

She said the man was angry and she felt in fear for her life during the attack. She sustained injuries to her head, neck and shoulders as well as bruising to her bottom and knees.

Mr McCarthy said gardai were informed of the screaming at about 3.35am and were at the scene 15 minutes later. The attack was still going on when gardai arrived.

Detective Garda Les O'Rourke said Timorte, who had his pants down, was on top of the woman when gardai arrived and had to be physically removed from her.

Timorte was arrested but was unfit to be interviewed immediately as he was so intoxicated.

The garda agreed with Michael O'Higgins SC, defending, that both parties had a lot to drink.

Mr O'Higgins said Timorte wished to tender an apology for his actions on the night. He said Timorte was angry at himself and full of shame.

Timorte wrote in a letter of apology that he was sorry from the bottom of my heart and wanted his victim to know she had done nothing wrong. He wrote that he wished he could turn back time.

Mr O'Higgins asked the court to take into account his client's guilty plea and the fact he was a foreign national who would serve his prison sentence deprived of access to his family.

He is a man who has done a bad thing but, looked at in the round, is not a bad man, said Mr O'Higgins. He asked the court to extend the greatest degree of mercy it could.

The woman told the court in her victim impact statement how her life had changed following the physical and sexual attack by a man she had never met or spoken to before.

She said she no longer felt safe going out at night, did not socialise and suffered depression. She said she was now getting proper help and had started the healing process after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. I cannot let what happened define me, she said.

I hope to have a normal life after this terrifying experience, she told the court.

She said during the incident she had fought against the man as much as she could and was in fear for her life. She said Timorte was strong and out of control. She described continuing to scream despite being hurt during the extremely violent attack.

He was choking me so I could not scream for help, she said.

She described how she had to take preventive medications for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases following the attack as she waited for test results. She said the medications had devastating effects on her health and body.

She outlined how she underwent medical examinations and had to have pictures taken of her injuries by gardai. This was more humiliation, she said, but it had to be done.

She thanked the court for allowing her to speak, saying she could not describe how important it was to give victims a voice. I hope to give a voice to other victims, she told Mr Justice White.

Mr O'Higgins said Timorte had begun working abroad in 2006 in Italy and various other countries before coming to Ireland.

He said Timorte had travelled home to his wife and family in Romania often and had in many ways sacrificed his life to secure a future for his children. He was concerned about the impact of his sentence on them. His focus is on returning to support them.

Counsel said loneliness had been a significant issue for his client and that combined with alcohol had the potential to lead to unpredictable behaviour that would never occur when sober.
Shane Ross has responded to claims that he was sneering at TD Maria Bailey with a recent post on his Twitter account.

The Transport Minister posted an image of himself on a swing at a Dublin bar and restaurant last Friday while out canvassing.

Speculation was rife that the image, captioned, Enjoying a safe swing in the Goat Bar yesterday after canvassing was a direct dig at the Fine Gael TD, who recently took out and later withdrew a personal injury claim against The Dean Hotel after she fell off a swing located at the property.

But today, speaking to Sean ORourke on RTE Radio One this morning, the Minister said he wasnt being judgemental towards the controversy, now known as #SwingGate.

I wasnt sneering at all, I was just showing a bit of humour in a very serious situation

Ross explained that someone had told him to sit on the swing for a photo and as the controversy was in full rage at that moment he thought the photo opportunity would be quite humorous.

Enjoying a safe swing in the Goat Bar yesterday after canvassing . pic.twitter.com/duXTABVK0W  Shane Ross (@Ross_Shane1) May 24, 2019

Meanwhile, The Dean Hotel confirmed that they have no intention of removing the swings from Sophies bar after pictures showing them being removed circulated from Reddit.

Sophies took to Twitter today to say that they were only removed temporarily as part of a private hire event.

We have no intention of removing the swings from Sophie's, dont worry, the statement read.

Theyre back up and ready for you to swing into the weekend!
Struck-off solicitor Michael Lynn has lost his latest legal challenge ahead of a trial next year for alleged theft of almost 30 million.

Mr Lynn (aged 50) of Carlton Square, Maynooth, Co Kildare, is due to stand trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court next year on 21 counts of stealing the money from seven financial institutions.

In two of the sample charges, Mr Lynn is accused of stealing 4.1 million from Irish Nationwide on April 4, 2007 and 3.6 million from Ulster Bank on October 20, 2006.

He left Ireland in 2007 but was extradited from Brazil last year, after spending four-and-a-half years on remand at the Cotel prison, in northwestern Brazil, as he fought his extradition back to Ireland.

Ahead of his extradition, Brazilian authorities sought assurances from Ireland that any time Mr Lynn spent in prison awaiting extradition would be deducted from any potential prison sentence here, and that he would not serve more than 30 years in prison here, if found guilty. The assurances were required as part of the Brazilian extradition process.

His lawyers challenged those assurances, arguing that they couldn't be given due to the separation of powers. Counsel for Mr Lynn, Padraig Dwyer SC, told the Court of Appeal that a favourable outcome of the case might strengthen Mr Lynns attempts to prohibit his upcoming trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

However, dismissing the case today, President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham said it seemed a matter of absolute certainty that account will be taken of the time Mr Lynn has spent in custody, if found guilty.

Furthermore, he said there was no possibility whatsoever of Mr Lynn being required to spend more than 30 years in prison, if found guilty.

He said Brazilian law viewed such a sentence as analogous to cruel and inhuman punishment. But there was no recorded case of anybody being sentenced to more than 30 years in prison in Ireland.

In the most unlikely event that were to happen, he said Mr Lynn could appeal. There was also remission to consider and the fact the Executive are entitled to release a prisoner at any stage, the judge said.

Mr Justice Birmingham said he rejected Mr Lynns arguments. Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy fully agreed with his decision.

A recommendation for free legal aid was granted.

During the hearing, Mr Justice Birmingham said letters sent on behalf of Mr Lynn to the DPP, from a former solicitor, were intemperate in the extreme  to put it mildly.

In one of the letters, a former solicitor of Mr Lynn told the DPP that his client was an innocent man and the State were trying to nail Mr Lynn with robust bloodlust.

It wasnt the sort of language one finds in correspondence from an officer of the court, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sean Gillane SC, submitted that Mr Lynns legal challenge was moot or pointless. If it wasnt moot, it was unstateable, misconceived and contrived.
The Supreme Court has quashed the Minister for Justice's refusal to grant Irish citizenship to a man based on "national security" grounds.

In a significant decision, the five-judge court unanimously held the Minister had not justified his failure to give the man, from a non-EU country, any reasons or information concerning the refusal beyond saying it was due to "national security" considerations.

It directed the Minister to reconsider the matter via an "enhanced" process in line with the court's findings.

That process could include an independent assessment as to whether any of the information relied on for refusing naturalisation could be provided to the man.

Referred to as Mr P, the man cannot be identified by court order.

He has lived here for more than 25 years after securing refugee status. Represented by Michael Lynn SC, he unsuccessfully applied for naturalisation several times.

Following earlier proceedings over being refused naturalisation in 2013 with no reason provided, the High Court ruled in 2014 he was entitled to inspect parts of documents held by the State concerning his background and said the State should provide more detailed reasons for refusing to grant him naturalisation.

Mr P then made a fresh application for naturalisation, which was also rejected.

As part of that decision, he was given a report saying his right to specific reasons was outweighed by "national security considerations" in maintaining confidentiality over the information concerned.

Mr P, who has no convictions, says he is of good character and has no idea what is being levied against him.

He took fresh High Court proceedings aimed at quashing the Minister's decision but those were dismissed in 2016 and the Court of Appeal upheld that dismissal in 2018.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a further appeal and all five judges allowed the appeal today.

The Chief Justice, Mr Justice Frank Clarke, and Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell, in separate concurring judgments agreed the appeal should be allowed but on the basis of different legal reasoning. They agreed each other's reasoning was legally sustainable.

The Chief Justice said the real issue concerned the extent to which the undoubted difficulties the State would face in obtaining potentially vital intelligence from its own or international agencies can provide a legitimate legal and constitutional justification for the Minister's approach in this case.

A failure to give more detailed reasons can only be justified if it impairs the entitlement to reasons to the "minimum" extent necessary to protect the legitimate countervailing interests engaged, he said.

It is "incumbent" on the Minister to put in place measures which only impair, to the minimum extent necessary to protect legitimate State interests, Mr P's entitlement to be informed of the reasons for any adverse decision on naturalisation.

There was no reason in principle why an independent person with appropriate security clearance could not be asked to assess the information and give their opinion whether any further information could properly be given.

It may be the case it is not possible to disclose even part of the information but that "need not always be so".

It had not been demonstrated the process followed by the Minister in Mr P's case minimised his entitlement to reasons to the minimum extent necessary, he held.

On that basis, he would quash the Minister's decision on purely national law grounds and direct the Minister to reconsider the matter via the "enhanced process" set out by the court.

Given the State interests at stake, the Minister must make the final decision as to what information must be disclosed, subject only to the overriding power of the court, in the discovery process in judicial review proceedings, to decide whether State immunity privilege has been correctly claimed.

Because he was quashing the decision on national law grounds, he made no findings whether the court should have regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU in assessing the case.

He made some observations in that regard including it is "strongly arguable" the sole competence in relation to granting citizenship remains with the member state.

Mr Justice O'Donnell said it does not appear possible for the court to devise a complete procedure applicable to all the many different situations where the issue of disclosure of information arises and is resisted on grounds of public interest.

In certain circumstances, ad hoc solutions might be found and, to some extent, that approach is urged in this case, he said.

The Minister's decision not to disclose further reasons has not been justified and must be reconsidered, he held. That did not mean Mr P is entitled to citizenship or would necessarily receive more by way of reasons, he stressed.
Two people were brought to hospital, one with serious injuries, after a collision on the N7 outbound in Dublin.

The incident involving a truck and bus happened on the N7 just after Newlands Cross yesterday evening at around 5.40pm.
A seven-year-old boy who fell from a rollercoaster in England is in a critical condition in hospital, police there have said.

The youngster was taken to Leeds General Infirmary with head injuries following an incident at the Lightwater Valley theme park, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, on Thursday.

Witnesses said the boy plunged up to 15ft from the Twister ride at the attraction, with one saying they heard loud screams before seeing a child on the ground.

Today, North Yorkshire Police said in statement: "The boy was taken to Leeds General Infirmary with head injuries following the incident where he currently remains. However, his condition is now described as critical."

The force clarified that the boy, who has not been named, is seven years old and not six, as previously stated.

The boy's condition has deteriorated after officers said on Thursday that his injuries were not thought to be life threatening.

In a statement, Lightwater Valley said: "We have been informed by North Yorkshire Police that the medical condition of the child involved in the incident at the park yesterday has deteriorated overnight and he is now in a critical condition.

"We are devastated by this news and our thoughts are with the family.

"While the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation is continuing, we will support them and be guided by their advice."

Witnesses have described how the boy fell around 12-15 feet leaving his hysterical mother stuck in the car on the ride above.

Members of the public ran to his aid along with park staff before paramedics and an air ambulance arrived.

Mark Charnley, who was queuing for the Twister with his 10-year-old daughter while enjoying a half-term break, said he looked up to see the boy "hanging backwards outside of the actual carriage" before he plunged to the ground.

North Yorkshire Police said they were working with the Health and Safety Executive, which is leading the investigation into what happened on the ride, which is now closed.

The park bills itself as the "ultimate family adventure" on its website.The Twister is described as a "spinning rollercoaster" which "gives an awesome, fun-packed experience for all the family".

"The track is full of seriously tight turns, giving riders the impression that they might not make it around the next corner, with the threat of plummeting into the treetops being a constant source of tension for parents (and amusement for the kids)!" the LightwaterValley websites says.

Riders must be taller than 4ft 11in (1.5m) unaccompanied or more than 4ft (1.2m) if accompanied by an adult, it adds.

Durham University student Gemma Savage died when two cars collided on the park's Treetop Twister ride in 2001.

Paris-based Reverchon Industries SA, which manufactured and supplied the ride, was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of two charges of failing to ensure its safe design and construction, and failing to give information necessary to ensure the ride was safe when open to the public.

- Press Association
But can the worthy principles of work-life balance realistically apply to people at the very top of the tree? Or does society  and the market  expect something different from top executives, who after all are paid millions of dollars a year for doing their jobs? After all, the typical CEO of an ASX 100 company is paid $4.36 million a year, according to latest figures from the Australian Council for Superannuation Investors. Healthy or a hindrance? Undoubtedly, there were specific reasons why Thorburn's long-service leave plan attracted such interest, even after he cancelled it. The biggest was its timing - he had planned to come back briefly for the royal commission's final report to be handed down, before taking the extra four weeks off. Thorburn, who did not comment for this story, shrugged these concerns off at the time, saying in December he was "a little perplexed and maybe amused that people are so interested in my leave". Putting aside the NAB-specific details, however, the reaction it generated shows how rare it is for CEOs to take time off, beyond a few weeks of annual leave.

Bell Potter's banking analyst TS Lim says: In my years working, Ive never seen any CEO take long-service leave, let alone sabbaticals. A lot of them just take long-service leave when they retire. Hugh Dive, chief investment officer at Atlas Funds Management, sums up the attitudes of many in the market. Its such a short lifespan, they are earning a lot of money, their hands are on the wheel of the ship. They also crawled over broken glass to get where they are. They are not taking time off to spend time with their family  Ive never seen it before. But is this healthy, or good for business? They also crawled over broken glass to get where they are. Hugh Dive, Atlas Funds Management According to the World Health Organisation, people suffering from burnout - which it stressed was not a medical condition - feel exhausted, depleted, and increasingly cynical towards work. As a result, they end up being less effective in their jobs.

In a world where smart phones ensure we are constantly switched on, large corporations' HR departments are increasingly concerned with such risks, leading to a spate of programs designed to help people "balance" work with their non-work lives. Yet there is a live debate over just how much these expectations of work-life balance can apply to CEOs. Illustration: Joe Benke Credit: Prominent directors offer some compelling reasons why they should apply, at least in theory. While none of these businesspeople would comment specifically on Thorburn or NAB, they said burnt-out executives are more likely to make poor decisions, less likely to be creative, and set a bad example for others  which is hardly conducive to high profits.

Qantas chairman and former Wesfarmers chief executive Richard Goyder says if a CEO came to him wanting to take long-service leave, it could be done, provided it was carefully planned. Im a huge fan of people taking their leave, certainly their annual leave when its due," he says. "Long-service leave, if an executives been in a role for a long period of time, and they want a little bit of time out to refresh and time with family, and the business can deal with it, I think its a good thing to do. Mirvac director Elana Rubin says exhaustion and fatigue can harm decision-making. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui Goyder adds that what boards don't want is to end up in a position where an "outstanding" CEO feels they have no option but to resign, when what they really need is a break.

Non-executive director Elana Rubin says that exhaustion and fatigue can harm decision-making and can even be a safety risk. Taking time off, in contrast, sends a signal to the rest of the workforce. She would support a CEO taking long-service leave if it fitted in with the business's needs. I would absolutely support it, I think it would give the CEO a great opportunity to recharge and come back refreshed and thinking broadly and laterally, says Rubin, a director of Mirvac, and a former chair of Australian Super. If a company can't survive without its CEO for five to seven weeks... then there's something fundamentally wrong with that company. Daniel Petre, AirTree Ventures Others say taking time off is a great way to spark creativity. PwC Australia chief executive Luke Sayers says he would absolutely take long-service leave as CEO, though he stresses it would require careful planning. Im a big believer that the world does not start and finish with the CEO, Sayers says. If youre just on the treadmill working 18 hours a day, youre going to miss those breakthrough ideas.

But what about the idea that the company needs the CEO at the rudder to guide it? A break is hardly "life-threatening to a business," says Wesfarmers non-executive director Diane Smith-Gander, given boards should have well thought-out succession plans. Theres plenty of precedent for professionals taking sabbaticals to keep current, and if a CEO is going to be at their best I think some time away for reflection and to spend dedicated time on development is needed, she says. Co-founder of venture capital fund AirTree Ventures, Daniel Petre, agrees. He says it would be "entirely reasonable" for a CEO to take long-service leave, though he adds that this view would be rare in the financial markets. "If a company can't survive without its CEO for five to seven weeks... then there's something fundamentally wrong with that company," Petre says. Others are more hesitant about bosses taking longer breaks.

AMP chairman David Murray says an experienced board should be able to tell if an executive is strung out from too much work, and companies should expect all staff to take some time off. The overarching principle in my view is that whether its the CEO or another executive or any other employee, theres a limit to how much extra work you can be doing at any one point in time, he says. You must take a break. However, Murray says a CEO taking long-service leave is difficult because it would involve an extended absence from such a key leadership position. For a CEO to take long-service leave is unusual. To take annual leave should be usual." 'Intense strain' Whatever their attitudes to CEOs taking breaks, boards need to be attuned to the toll that corporate life takes on a CEO. These pressures are rarely discussed in public, but occasionally, they boil over for all to see.

In 2011, the chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group, Antonio Horta-Osorio, took extended stress-related leave, after what he later said was a stint of more than five days without sleep. He checked into a clinic to deal with extreme sleep deprivation, but ultimately came back to the job, and still runs Lloyds today. In 2014, the chief executive of Reddit, Yishan Wong, resigned because the job had been "incredibly stressful and draining." "After two and a half years, Im basically completely worn out, and it was having significantly detrimental effects on my personal life," he wrote at the time. Loading It was telling that when Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn was making his pitch for the top job, he highlighted how we would deal with the high-stress environment. "I would ensure that I leave substantial free time in my diary to deal with unexpected issues, and to remain fit and healthy so that I am in the best possible shape to deal with the stresses of the role," Comyn wrote to chairman Catherine Livingstone on New Year's Day in 2018, in an email released by the royal commission. Given their over-riding duty to shareholders, boards need to care about these risks.

It will hardly be in investors' interests to have a CEO who is exhausted or sending a signal to the rest of the company that overwork is the way to get ahead. So if there are such solid reasons why corporate bosses should also be able to have time off the job, why don't more of them do it? A possible answer is "short-termism." This is the idea investors expect the very well-remunerated bosses to tough out the stresses of the job, and the culture within many big businesses is to do exactly that. Listed companies also face the challenge of explaining why a CEO is having a break, without triggering speculation about their future. Sure enough, this is what happened when NAB's Thorburn announced his leave plan last year (and the speculation ended up being right). Goyder says big corporations have been getting better at allowing senior executives  below the CEO  to take time off where they need it, out of a "duty of care" to employees and for the change to challenge new leaders.

But he admits it is trickier with the CEO. Its harder with the CEO because the CEO is the public face of an organisation," he says. CBA chief executive Matt Comyn outlined how he would cope with the stresses of the job when he took over as CEO. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Smith-Gander also highlights the need to avoid negative speculation that can arise if a boss is taking time off. Even though I hope these sort of breaks will become more accepted, I think there will always be a need to communicate how the company is operating to stakeholders, she says. NABs Ken Henry, who approved Thorburn's planned long-service leave, gave a nod to the prevailing attitudes in this area on the night he announced his resignation as chairman, in February. When asked why the board had approved Thorburn's leave when so much was going on, he said the same question could be asked "to any CEO of any ASX 100 company at any point in time". I don't think we should talk ourselves into a practice of CEOs never taking a few weeks' leave, Henry said.

Changing expectations It seems the expectations placed on top executives  not to mention their enormous pay packets  make it difficult to justify giving these people a longer break, even where it makes business sense to do so. Yet directors insist these expectations are changing, pointing to growing numbers of programs promoting flexibility among a wider range of staff, including those outside white-collar jobs. Mirvac, of which Elana Rubin is a director, has reported 76 per cent of its construction labour force is working flexibly. I think theres absolute growing awareness that we need to better balance work and life and that we need to look after our employees' well-being, and all of that reflects the culture that we want where our staff really matter, Rubin says. At PwC, partners are encouraged to take an extra three weeks of long leave every three years, and 85 per cent of staff say they work flexibly.

Mathew Hayward, professor of management at Monash University, says attitudes are changing at the most senior levels too. He says there is a trend towards "authentic leadership," especially in the US. This is where leaders admit to some of the difficulties they face, including burnout. Loading In the old days people would say thats a sign of weakness. You should be able to sort of ride it out, he says. I think now theres a position of much greater understanding that if youre the CEO of a company like the NAB, that youre going to need time out every now and then, but the conditions have got to be right for it. But for all the talk about promoting work-life balance, many remain sceptical. Reports of overwork and burnout remain common in large corporations, and it is the CEOs and boards more than anyone who are ultimately responsible for these cultures. Mariano Heyden, associate professor of strategy and international business at Monash University, points out that some in the business world still promote working punishing hours, despite the push for work-life balance.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, for example, reportedly worked 120 hours in some weeks last year, which he said was "bonkers." Musk regarded an 80 to 90 hour week as "pretty manageable," he said on a podcast last year. Theres an inconsistency in messaging, Heyden says. Workaholic cultures in big Australian companies are still rife, says Daniel Petre. Credit:Ryan Stuart Sean Hall, founder of Energx, a well-being company which specialises in burnout risk identification and prevention, says he believes Australia is suffering from a burnout "epidemic" with human and commercial costs. Hall's business collects data on burnout risk indicators among staff, such as sleep deprivation, feeling disconnected, lack of meaning in their jobs and whether people are feeling overwhelmed. The data is then used to target the skills needed to overcome these risks, and offer practical advice.

He acknowledges burnout is a challenge for senior executives, but says it is a wider problem within profit-hungry corporations. "We've got a culture of burnout, an epidemic of burnout, and CEOs are not alone in experiencing that, in fact many are even responsible," Hall says. Daniel Petre of AirTree, who has written two books on work-life balance, also believes workaholic cultures in big Australian companies are "still rife." But he points out the people who ultimately bear the brunt of this are not CEOs, who are paid enough to make early retirement a real option, but the staff who work under them. "The real issue is that they [workaholic CEOs] create a culture within their organisation that allows for a lack of work-life balance," Petre says. Former Westpac chief David Morgan described the intense pressure on CEOs in his biography published this year. "You can hardly ever relax, and that creates intense strain. Behind closed doors, some CEOs literally weep," he wrote.
James Packer seems to have gone rogue.

On Thursday evening he agreed to sell almost half his stake in Crown Resorts, the casino empire he has nurtured and built over 20 years. He bypassed the two international investment banking firms advising him and even the board of Crown - his handpicked group of loyal directors.

James Packer has surprised everyone with his Crown sell down Credit:Sahlan Hayes

This Packer-solo deal, which puts $1.8 billion cash into his wallet, was as strange as it was secretive. The details were known only by his private company lieutenants and the buyer of the near 20 per cent stake, Lawrence Hos Melco.

One of the most bizarre elements to the Ho agreement is that Packer has left so much money on the table - about $235 million all up. Who does that?
"The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority (ILGA) will now review all relevant issues when considering the required approvals and new probity checks for Melco Resorts' shareholding acquisition in Crown Resorts," a spokesman said. In Victoria, the watchdog said Melco and its staff would also require approvals under the state's casino legislation. "The share sale transaction will require approval of the new associated entity (Melco) and any associated individuals by the Victorian Commission for Liquor and Gaming Regulation pursuant to the Casino Control Act," it said. According to casino sources, officials from one of the state gambling regulators made contact with Crown executives on Friday. Mr Packer's sale to Melco comes at a critical time for Crown as it prepares to launch its $2.2 billion Crown Sydney complex.

Both Labor and the Greens on Friday said the Berejiklian government needed to assure the public the 2014 agreement would be enforced. "Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello needs to say whether he is concerned that the sale of the stake to Lawrence Ho will be a trigger [for a breach]," said John Graham, NSW Labor's gaming spokesman. "The minister should seek immediate written assurances from Crown. We expect him to be taking every step to clarify the matter. Mr Dominello, the minister responsible for the Liquor and Gaming NSW, did not respond to questions on Friday and instead referred the inquiry to the agency. Greens gaming spokeswoman Cate Faehrmann said it was a "clear condition of Crowns VIP Gaming Agreement" to not have any association with Stanley Ho or his associates.

"How on earth could the son of Stanley Ho not be considered an associate? Ms Faehrmann said. Speaking to the Herald and The Age in Macau, Lawrence Ho said he had never worked for his father and had built his successful business with Mr Packer. He said expected probity to take up to 12 months for Melco to take such a significant stake in Crown. But he said he was willing to travel to Australia and meet regulators as often as needed. He said he had successfully been through this process with Victorian and Western Australian regulators in 2004. Asked about his connection to his fathers business he replied: It is totally separate. I have never worked with my father in my whole life and if anything I compete with my father on a daily basis in Macau. I am very proud of the fact I have never worked in the family business ... there is always a lot of controversy  scandals about fighting among his wives but over the years I have focused on building my own business and I am quite proud to say with Jamess support, Melcos market cap is twice as big as his (father's) company.

The casino was strongly supported in 2013 by then-Premier Barry O'Farrell's government, and Crown's licensing conditions set out in the VIP Gaming Management Agreement were signed off by the independent Liquor and Gaming authority with ministerial consent. Crown's casino in Barangaroo was supported by then-Premier Barry O'Farrell. Credit:Ryan Stuart Gaming industry analysts on Friday did not believe new probity checks would pose a threat to Mr Packer's share sale to Melco, and that Lawrence Ho was able to hold an interest in Crown. The key directors of Melco would have previously had obtained probity in Crown's key jurisdictions when Crown owned about 30 per cent of Melco," Credit Suisse analysts said. Donald Carducci, of investment bank JP Morgan, said Lawrence Ho would not fall under the ban on transactions with "Stanley Ho and associates", and would be "allowed to have an interest in Crown".

Crown has previously stressed that Lawrence Ho's business dealings are independent of his father's interests. Crown has said in the past that Lawrence Ho has passed probity screens from regulators without an issue. For 12 years from 2004 Crown was in a joint venture with Melco before ending the partnership in 2016 after Crown executives were detained in China. During that time the companies operated the City of Dreams and Melco Crown resorts in Macau. Mr Packer, who had held a 46 per cent stake in Crown, said the company would remain a massive part of his life. "My continuing Crown shareholding represents my single largest investment," Mr Packer said in a statement released late on Thursday night. "I am still vitally interested in Crowns success as a world class resort and gaming business."

The sale of about 20 per cent of Mr Packer's shares leaves him with about a quarter of the company, worth about $2.3 billion. Sources close to Mr Packer said he would use the money from the sell-off to diversify his investment interests outside of the gambling sector, but would not be "rushing in" to do so. Speculation of a potential sale of Mr Packer's shareholding has been rising in recent weeks after news broke that Crown had been engaged in discussions for a $10 billion cash-and-stock buyout with Las Vegas casino giant operator Wynn Resorts before the negotiations abruptly collapsed in April. Sources close to the Crown board on Thursday night said they had not been aware of Mr Packer's plan to sell shares to Melco, however, they were not surprised, given his consideration of a sale to Wynn. "We knew Packer had put Crown in play when Wynn came knocking," one insider said. "But I'm not sure that this means he is going to sell out altogether ... and I don't think he will."
Flying has become deadlier than it has been for years and it's hard to pin it solely on Boeing's infamous 737 MAX.

Aircraft accidents occurred more frequently in almost every region worldwide in 2018 as the death toll climbed to a four-year high of 523, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The fatal crashes of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Aeroflot Flight 1492 ensure that this year will be another bad one.

Rescuers at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines crash. The number of airtravel fatalities have been rising, and 2019 won't change that trend. Credit:AP

So what happened to the safest form of travel? It's one of the biggest questions hanging over airline and aircraft executives as they congregate this weekend in Seoul at IATA's annual meeting for the industry's largest gathering since the two Boeing 737 MAX disasters.
I loved it and I loved improvising, being silly, she recalls. Later, when she started singing, music took precedence and she became an obsessional jazzbo, raiding her fathers record collection. Ill never forget listening to Miles Davis or Charlie Parker or Lee Morgan for the first time ... and just feeling like an electricity from it, she says. It was like a shock to my system that maybe never went out. I always joke that jazz is like the ex that I cant get over. Brous was just 22 when she took on the job of running the Melbourne Jazz Festival in 2008, a fact she now looks back on with some astonishment. At the time, you look at it as an opportunity and you run with it, she says. I was so deeply passionate about the subject and about what I thought the festival could be that I didnt stop to think about it.

The experience laid the foundations for much of what has followed, whether as a performer, festival curator, or sought-after collaborator. Among Brous recent lauded collaborations was the haunting song cycle Lullaby Movement, with Leo Abrahams and David Coulter, and the ensemble collective EXO-TECH, with Kimbra and a changing line-up that has included David Byrne, Yuka Honda and Sean Lennon. The improvisational ensemble, a highlight of 2017s Supersense, was heralded by Village Voice as a new paradigm for pop innovation. These days, Brous lives wherever the project is, but the bulk of her time is divided between Melbourne and New York. I have two apartments with two sets of everything that I move between, she says. I buy one set for both, so I try and create as much consistency between my two places as I can. Spending so much time in New York, where it is expected that artists should conceive of major events gave her the confidence to take on the curatorial responsibility of a festival such as Supersense, she says. For this years line-up, she has secured something of a coup, with legendary US auteur Robert Wilson performing his homage to John Cage, Lecture on Nothing, in an Australian exclusive. The pair connected during Brous residency at Wilsons Watermill Centre, a creative laboratory on Long Island.

To get a titan like Robert Wilson is incredibly exciting, she says. Its a very interesting work. It plays with spaces of performance and expectation. How an audience and a performer can sit in a space together and all of the beauty and the release and the tension and frustrations that can come along with that. Other highlights of this years program include The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Iranian Tombak master Mohammad Resa Mortazavi, Canadian sound artist Crys Cole and rising New Zealand indie songstress Aldous Harding  a really interesting and subversive and provocative voice, according to Brous. Each artist  in their own very individual way - suits the immersive and transcendent ambitions of a festival that Brous once described as a hyper-sensory playground for the curious and the bold. From the very beginning of Supersense ... the ecstatic was at its core, she says now. Im deeply interested in the universals [such as] lullabies, the ecstatic ... We all know the things that affect us, but to understand what that might mean in Iraq, or 1960s New York, or in a dark cinema, or a street in Yogyakarta, I find that fascinating. People are looking to contemporary artists as being visionary voices and cultural seers ... to give them a sense of space for reflection and revelation that used to come perhaps from the pulpit. People find it in different things, they find it in underground techno clubs, they find it in dance spaces, they find it in theatre and books.

The first Supersense, held in 2015, sent a lightning bolt through Melbournes already crowded cultural calendar by turning the beloved Arts Centre upside down  performances took place in areas usually off-limits to the public, as audience members roamed the underground walkways between dressing rooms and stages, stumbling upon performances along the way. Its a really fertile place to work, firstly because there are so many rooms and so many corridors that no one has been into, Brous says. We take that for granted as performers, because they are the spaces that youre hurriedly walking through on the way to a performance. Youre anticipating  same as the audience does  that moment on stage. The immersive, unpredictable nature of some of the work means that Supersense typically asks more of its audiences than an hour or two of their quiet, rapt attention, followed by appreciative applause when the players are done. In 2015, one breathless attendee was overheard to ask What the hell was all that about? Which, arguably, is not a bad starting point for any experience of the arts. So what would Brous say to someone coming to Supersense for the first time this year? Id say come open and curious. Come to see your favourite artist but look behind the door next door to see whats there because you will be affected and perhaps changed or have your perspective shifted or enlivened.

What I observed in [EXO-TECH] was how much ... we should let everyone into the process of making. So often we see things as part of this opaque fourth wall but art doesnt really work that way. So much of what we see is volatile and forming in that moment. In my experience, if you take away boundaries and points of separation, people become like children - curious - and resistances drop. People are willing to go there with you. I dont buy into the idea of mainstream versus experimental. I think we are all children who are curious and want to hear many different things. The bill, please 114 Russell St, CBD, 9654 2977. Mon-Fri, noon-2.30pm, 5.30pm-late, Sat 5.30pm-late After spending time in Europe and New York, Brous will be back in Melbourne for the biennial dose of wintry rapture, followed by what might be her most challenging gig to date. Ill be here for a while after that, she says. My best friend is pregnant, so I have to organise her baby shower. Now thats pressure. Where am I going to find a living stork?
Health Minister Greg Hunt has promised to "obsessively" seek to eliminate youth suicide, while revealing how personal tragedy shaped his passion for mental health at a young age.

Mr Hunt, who met with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and senior advisers on Thursday to discuss the crisis afflicting young Australians, told the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age the loss of a family friend had stayed with him for decades.

Greg Hunt has vowed to tackle youth suicide. Credit:Simon Schluter

"As a young adult, I was touched by someone very close to our family who took their own life," Mr Hunt said.

"One of my closest friends lost his brother ... It still echoes through that family, it's still a source of immense pain 30 years on when a young fellow, virtually straight out of school, took his life."
Scott Morrison's government has been elected with one of the lowest voter turnouts since the advent of compulsory voting as the nation's young turned their back on democracy after enrolling in droves for the same-sex marriage postal survey.

A special breakdown of voting figures from the May 18 poll suggests less than 91 per cent of people cast a ballot, formal or informal.

Scott Morrison's election victory came despite a fall in turnout and an increase in informal votes. Credit:AAP

It is on track to be lower than the 2016 election and the worst result since the mid-1920s (excluding some years when up to a dozen seats had just one candidate) when compulsory voting was introduced after just 55 per cent of Australians voted at the 1922 general election.

Nearly 16.5 million - 96.8 per cent of eligible voters - were enrolled to vote, the most complete the electoral roll has been since Federation. This was in part due to an influx of younger voters who came onto the roll for the same-sex marriage postal survey in 2017.
Collier, a committed Christian, may provoke pupils and parents, but his peers last year awarded him the highest teaching honour in the country, the Sir Harold Wyndham Medal. Hes the first head of an independent school to be given the Australian College of Educators' prize in its 24-year history  not bad for a boy from Rydalmere who was the first in his extended family to go to university. Today he is a regular at this centrally located restaurant, sometimes dining with parents interested in the school, which has a reputation for catering to all students across the spectrum from those with specific learning needs, to those wanting to sit the International Baccalaureate. We order lasagne arancini balls, liberally sprinkled with pecorino, on his recommendation. He follows with vegetable, pesto and pecorino gnocchi (his usual) and a flat white, while I order confit of duck with apricots, served on a bed of pumpkin and potato puree, washed down by mineral water followed by an affogato for dessert (he's off sugar right now). A squash accident in his university days has left his eyes sensitive to light, so we move to a different table. His main form of exercise these days at, 68, is walking from his Glebe home to school, where he often works a 70-hour week. John Collier recommends the arancini balls. Credit:Louie Douvis

His wife of almost 40 years, Kate, a food tech/textiles teacher, comes in to school to hand out birthday cards to staff and students (some get chocolate frogs too). They have both been felled by more childborne diseases than they care to count, not just from handshakes but also as grandparents babysitting six children. There's another on the way. The couple met when they were working at an Anglican youth camp, which they continued to run together in school holidays for 25 years, as a form of Christian service. They have three children in their 30s, all working in education. An only child, Collier was raised in a war service home in Rydalmere by air force officer parents. After World War II his father worked as a salesman and his mother as a typist; he attended the local Rydalmere public. We were forced together and made to folk dance in year 6, where as an awkward boy I stood on the toes of all the young women. I got to St Andrew's to find one of those young women on staff  Im sure she remembered, he recalls. His own awkward schoolboy experiences helped form his passion for co-education, a belief backed by literature he says. Boys and girls growing up together, appreciating each other is very healthy, he tells me over his pasta. "The literature shows there is no difference academically either." St Andrew's became co-ed in the senior school (year 10-12) in 1999, and from kindergarten up in 2008. The duck at Graffiti restaurant. Credit:Louie Douvis In 1963, Collier gained entry to the nearby selective and then all-boys school, James Ruse High. He was in the second year of students to sit the Higher School Certificate, and the first at the agricultural high school to ask the principal if he could drop the subject.

I became a heretic  I fell in love with English and history, he says. The request was refused. As a young teen, he would catch the Carlingford line train and remembers that as he walked from the station he was often teased from buses by girls from the nearby co-ed Cumberland High. But this was nothing compared to the taunting he got at Sydney Grammar, where the University of Sydney triple major in English, history and government, did his prac teaching. Student teachers were treated with scorn by boys who considered us the bottom of the rung  we were seen as servile creatures, he said of his time at the school where author and adolescent pyschologist Michael Carr-Gregg was in year 9, and future prime minister Malcolm Turnbull was in year 11. Again that paled in comparison to the lessons he learnt at Lurnea, near Liverpool, where he went in his first year teaching high school English and history. There were 44 per class, he taught the 13th graded class down, 9M English. I was eaten alive as a naive 21-year-old, he says. From Lurnea he went to Leumeah, and a host of other western Sydney schools, including the new Macquarie Fields High, where he met his educational mentor, founding principal Don Harwin. The father of the current NSW Arts Minister of the same name, Collier says Harwin was a man of ethics and integrity driven by his Christian faith. He was courageous to the point of being brave. In an area when other schools seemed out of control that school ran like clockwork. The Department of Education would send visitors to see how well it functioned  even though it was a school made up of demountables.

Under the leadership of the controversial NSW education minister Terry Metherell, he was chosen as one of the 53 best teachers in the state, which led to the job as lead teacher at Elderslie High, which, ironically, had an agricultural focus. At 39 he was appointed the youngest state high school principal in NSW, at the new Thomas Reddall High School in Campbelltown. Creating schools from scratch is a passion; the thesis for his doctorate was the role of leadership in establishing school ethos and culture. In 1997 he left the state system after 25 years because he was "sick of fighting with the education department. "I preferred fighting for students." He was principal of St Pauls Grammar School in Penrith for 12 years before moving to the city for his current high-profile job in 2010, two years after the school became fully co-ed. One of the most distressing episodes that the cathedral school has weathered occurred under his watch. In 2015 Robert Emmett, a 36-year-old maths teacher was arrested and pleaded guilty to filming up the skirts of his students and possessing child pornography. We were flabbergasted  he was a greatly loved teacher, it came like a bolt from the blue. It was a difficult time in the school when we learnt this had gone on in his own classroom  and outside it as well. We received threats from trolls [such as] a man calling himself Adolf Hitler in Yagoona. Emmett was on the staff when the principal arrived, and the experience made him believe more firmly in his right to a captains call in choosing his own staff. A classic dish of gnocchi, served with vegetables. Credit:Louie Douvis

My aversion relates to my experience over 20 years ago as a government school principal, where the Department of Education forced particular teachers on the school I led. I came to the conclusion that some of them were actually clinically insane. They were not effective teachers. They did damage to the interests of children." A school is only as good as its common room, according to Collier, underlining his belief that a good school is all about the teachers. And the strength of the parent community; at Thomas Reddall parents were so comfortable that they "hung their coffee cups in the common room". I came to the conclusion that some of them were actually clinically insane. They were not effective teachers. But in choosing his staff does he welcome gay teachers and students at St Andrew's?

Yes  but we want people to live a Biblical morality, which condemns greed, slander and lying too," Collier replies. He says the Bible does not condemn homosexuality, nor did he mean to, although many ex-students of Anglican schools read his support of the controversial letter in that way. "We're not asking for the right to discriminate ... no one can cite any example of any child or any staff member who has been expelled or dismissed because they are gay. No Anglican head has any desire to do so. But we do want to be able to run schools according to our ethos ... which is a faith position that is not a carbon copy of a secular school. "We're asking for freedom of religion legislation - that's our point but it has been lost in the hysteria of gay students thinking this is somehow an attempt to get rid of them. The whole debate was misconstrued. Most of the reaction was from ex-students of Anglican schools who had assumed that the schools were changing. We were saying nothing's changed." "Im trying to reset our moral compass  because a lot of people are highly individualised and very self-focused on themselves and their own children and not their community. I think that is an unfortunate development. I suspect because some of our sportspeople and politicians behave badly that sets a trend in the rest of society." John Collier preferred fighting for students than fighting the education department. Credit:Louie Douvis

Over and above HSC results, Collier's aim is to form the "whole child" at SACS. The personal stories of the 32 Aboriginal students at his school, he says are triumphs, and proudly cites the number of Gawura graduates at university, especially one who has just started a doctorate. His goal  aside from knowing all the names  is to plant the seed of possibility called education in all his students, but especially those who have overcome systemic disadvantage. Its ironic agriculture kept popping up in my career because everything I plant dies, he deadpans. After lunch, before heading back to his very urban school, down the shopping arcades and through the Queen Victoria Building, where his staff are on playground duty, he details the lightbulb moment when he fell in love with ancient history. It was at his agricultural high school, when a young teacher read Homers Iliad aloud to the boys. Collier may not have a green thumb, but a love of learning is what he hopes blooms in those whose education is entrusted into his well-sanitised hands. Graffiti Restaurant, ArtHouse Hotel
Adani faces a final major hurdle in its bid to build one of Australia's most controversial coal mines in an endangered bird's habitat in central Queensland.

On Friday, the Queensland government signed off on the company's black-throated finch management plan but a tougher test is looming. It must satisfy the state's Department of Environment and Science it has the right plan to manage impacts on artesian basin water supplies to important springs on the mine site.

Possible impacts on groundwater supplies to areas like the ancient Doongmabulla Springs, south-west of the proposed Carmichael mine, remain a hurdle for Adani.

The mining giant's crucial groundwater plan must be resolved by June 13, when Queensland's Department of Environment and Science will make a decision.

In the ancient Doongmabulla Springs to the south-west of the mine site, state officials must be confident the development would draw down less than 20 centimetres from the ancient water source.
Queensland's attorney-general has rejected a public plea to fight for a tougher sentence for the corrupt former chief executive of Ipswich City Council.

Carl Wulff was sentenced in February to 4 years' jail after pleading guilty to accepting bribes worth more than $240,000.

Former Ipswich City Council CEO Carl Wulff will be eligible for parole after 18 months behind bars. Credit:AAP/Jono Searle

He will be eligible for parole in August 2020.

A petition, signed by 380 people, called on Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath to appeal for a tougher sentence for the bureaucrat, who accepted cash in exchange for favourable treatment regarding council contracts.
Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON, this is about the funding for the neighbourhood plans and the development assessment - the Future Brisbane program going forward in the new financial year. It is not an opportunity for you to get up and re-hash everything about all of the neighbourhood plansthat have taken place in your ward.

Applicant: So, just to be clear, when Councillor HOWARD mentions Spring Hill, Newstead

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON, why do you have to

Applicant: I cant mention a current plan

Chairperson: be so argumentative all of the time?

Applicant: Im just clarifying your ruling where youve let one Councillor just speak about specific plans

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON! Stop answering back!

Applicant: Stop saying things that make no sense.

Chairperson: Right, Councillor JOHNSTON, you do not tell me to stop doing anything. I have just about had enough of your belligerence in this place. It is absolutely disgraceful. Every other Councillor here is able to behave with a level of decorum, except for you.

Applicant: You interrupted me.

Chairperson: No, Councillor JOHNSTON

Applicant: You let her speak about neighbourhood plans, specific plans

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON!

Applicant: currently under way

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON!

Applicant: which is what I was doing

Chairperson: That is enough! I have heard enough of your insolence. Every other Councillor in this place has been respectful towards each other. You go beyond it. You seriously do. You have to have a very serious think about your behaviour in this place, and your behaviour as a public figure, because it is deplorable.

Applicant: Oh, excuse me. You need to stop right now because Ive done nothing wrong other than 

DEPUTY MAYOR: Point of order, Madam Chairman.

Applicant: speak in this place.

Chairperson: Point of order, DEPUTY MAYOR.

Applicant: Your comments are outrageous. I demand that they be withdrawn. I demand that they be withdrawn.

DEPUTY MAYOR: Madam Chairman, I move that Councillor JOHNSTON be suspended from the services of this Chamber

Applicant: It is not appropriate for you to say that.

DEPUTY MAYOR: for a period of eight days.

Applicant: That is defamatory and outrageous.

Councillor WINES: Seconded.

Chairperson: It has been moved by the DEPUTY MAYOR, and seconded by Councillor WINES, that Councillor JOHNSTON be suspended from the services of the Chamber for a period of eight days.All those in favour say aye.

Councillors say aye.

Chairperson: All those against say no.

Councillors say no.

Chairperson: The ayes have it. Councillor JOHNSTON

Councillor SUTTON: Division, Madam Chair.

Chairperson: you are hereby suspended from the service of the Chamber for a period of eight days. You are to vacate the Chamber.

Councillor SUTTON: Madam Chair, I called for a Division.

Chairperson: Councillor SUTTON, I was already speaking when you rose.

Applicant: Well, Im not leaving.

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON

Applicant: I am not leaving.

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON, you do not direct me to do anything in this Chamber. You have been suspended from the service of the Council for eight days.

Applicant: Im not leaving.

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON

Applicant: Youve heard me

Chairperson: under the Meetings Local Law, I have given you a direction to leave

Applicant: Your abuse and vilification has been outrageous today, and I am not leaving.

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON, you do not accuse me of abuse and vilification.

Applicant: Thats what youve done.

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON, I am not going to engage in anything more.Councillor interjecting.

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON!

Applicant: You let them do it. You let them do it.

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON, you have been lawfully directed

Councillor interjecting.

Chairperson: by myself as Chairman of this Council

Councillor interjecting.

Chairperson: to leave this meeting place, and you have failedto comply repeatedly

Councillor interjecting.

Applicant: I am not leaving.

Chairperson: with that direction.

Applicant: I am not leaving.

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON, this is your final warning. You have been directed

Councillor interjecting.

Chairperson: You have been directed to leave this place, this Council Chamber, as you are suspended.

Applicant: I am not leaving.

Chairperson: Councillor

Applicant: You allowed Councillor HOWARD to

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON

Councillor interjecting.

Chairperson: Councillor JOHNSTON, you have refused to obey my direction to leave this meeting place. I ask all Councillors please to vacate the Chamber. We are now on adjournment whilst Icall on the Council representative to remove Councillor JOHNSTON from the Chamber.

Councillor interjecting.

Chairperson: Councillor SRI, please vacate the Chamber as well.

Councillor interjecting.
One of Victorias major domestic violence services is under investigation amid claims its boss oversaw tens of thousands of dollars in victim support payments to help a friend pay for private school fees, an interstate holiday and legal costs.

The allegations are among several concerns raised by whistleblowers into the workplace culture of the Eastern Domestic Violence Service, a state-funded organisation assisting women and children in Melbournes east.

EDVOS executive director Jenny Jackson.

With more victims reporting family violence than ever before, demand for EDVOSs services has grown significantly over the past few years under the Andrews Governments multi-million-dollar reform of the sector.

But The Age can reveal the organisation is now the subject of a review commissioned by the Department of Health and Human Services, and its executive director, Jenny Jackson, faces allegations of nepotism and conflict-of-interest claims over the allocation of family violence grants.
"My baby in life thought people didn't care, and that people were staring at her. I know shes in heaven watching down. I know shed be seeing she was loved. "Thank you for doing this tonight in such miserable weather." Courtney's mother Maxie at the vigil for her daughter on Friday night. Credit:Eddie Jim Then, as the rain started to fall again, she said it was a sign Courtney was watching down. "She is not crying, she is watching down. She is at peace. She is in the arms of her Pappou saying 'it's okay Mum I've shed my tears'," she told the crowd.

Courtney's grandmother shed tears as she remembered the last time she had spoken to her granddaughter, when she asked her to make her a Greek salad. The family wept as they reached the site where Courtney was found. They wept as they read notes left at the scene, one of which read: "I wish I could tell you how much you were loved  you deserved so much more." And they knelt down as they read part of a poem printed under a large picture of Courtneys beaming face. "Courtney Herron, Eurydice Dixon, Aiia Maarsarwe and Natalina Angok. May their wounding make us warriors, peaceful and persistent."

Courtney Herron. Others at the vigil said they didnt know Courtney but had come to pay their respects to the slain young woman. Michelle Sartorio, 48, drove three hours from Inverloch to be there. She said her cousin had died from an overdose and she had been addicted to drugs many years ago. "Where people have struggles, the system has failed," she said.

"Im an ex-addict reformed over 20 years ago and I like to speak out about these issues. Theres a lot of stigma. Everyday is a battle but we seem to get through with support from family. It takes some time. Im very grateful to be here for Courtney." She said Courtney's family shouldnt blame themselves. "They are not to blame. Dont blame yourselves, you tried to help in many ways. "These vigils cant keep continuing. The people, the streets have to be safe." Hundreds attended the vigil for Courtney. Credit:Eddie Jim

Melbourne lord mayor Sally Capp, who was also at the vigil, said that society needed to do more protect people at their most vulnerable. "Im actually shattered we find ourselves here at another vigil," she said. We cant let this keep happening. Courtney was bashed to death after leaving a gathering where she had been with friends. Henry Richard Hammond, 27, has been charged with murder. Almost exactly a year ago, many of the same people had stood just a few kilometres away in Princes Park to remember another young woman taken too soon. Eurydice Dixon was killed on her way home from a comedy gig. One of the vigil's organisers, Jessamy Gleeson, said the group We Keep Vigil had held more than 20 vigils in the past year to mark the deaths of women and children.
Natalie Molloy knew her daughter Madi didnt have long to live when doctors in Perth told her there was nothing more they could do.

Diagnosed in February 2014 with stage four glioblastoma, Madi endured 10 rounds of chemotherapy, weeks of radiation and two invasive surgeries, all before her 12th birthday.

Madi Molloy died at the age of 12 after a brave battle with brain cancer. Credit:Richard Polden/Mandurah Mail

Being told your childs got brain cancer, that was the worst day of my life, Mrs Molloy said.

We got told she would only last 12 months.
WA Police have conceded a $50 fine handed to a Perth driver who gave a window washer some coins while stopped at traffic lights was "heavy handed".

Luke Bresland was gearing up to fight the charge in court and had already entered a not guilty plea after receiving the obscure fine for 'buying a newspaper from a person' earlier this year.

Luke Bresland, inset, is fighting a fine he received for handing spare change totalling about $1.50 to a window washer at the Roberts Road and Thomas Street intersection in Subiaco.

Mr Bresland had been driving from a meeting on February 13 when he was approached by a window washer at traffic lights at the intersection of Roberts Road and Thomas Street in Subiaco.

The washer cleaned Mr Bresland's window, prompting him to look for coins in his car, and hand over about $1.50, before he continued along the road when the lights turned green.
The creamy, large fruit has an average weight of 750 grams, although some can weigh up to a kilogram, and sell for about $14 a piece.

WA Fresh Delivered worker Jaemie Steward holds an avozilla next to an average avocado for comparison.

The avozilla, a South African-born variety of avocado, has hit the Perth market for the second year in a row, amazing locals at farmers markets and grocery stores.

A giant avocado the size of a human head ready to be smashed over a sourdough toast.

The variety is grown by the Groves Grown Tropical Fruit farm in Bungundarra, central Queensland, the only grower in Australia with a license to produce the exclusive fruit.

Farm owner David Grove planted 400 avozilla trees four years ago but only got his first crop last year which was sent to grocerers in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth for distribution.

Other farmers who wish to grow the unusually large avocado have to ask for permission and pay royalties to South African growers Westaflia fruit, who trade-marked the avozilla.

The fruit isn't the result of genetically engineering in a lab, but rather the result of a cross between two sub-species of avocado.

Some of the outlets stocking the variety in Perth include Peaches in Fremantle, The Floreat Markets, Tony Ale & Co in Cockburn and online at WA Fresh Delivered.
AFL star Nic Naitanui has taken aim at a newspaper headline he believes could exacerbate his friend's struggles with mental health.

On Friday the WA newspaper ran a story about three footballer friends; West Coast Eagles star Naitainui, Fremantle Dockers goal sneak Michael Walters and former Richmond and Carlton player Chris Yarran, who was this week jailed over a drug-fuelled crime spree.

Its headline read: Three mates. Two legends. One addict in jail.

Naitanui tweeted that the front page was disappointing.

Unnecessary cover today, three mates just leave it at that. The sad reality of mental health struggles doesnt need to be exacerbated by being front page news. #disappointing.
He had endured years of costly disputes before the tribunal. Mr Wilkins first sought help from the Building Commission by lodging complaints about his builder on February 3, 2017. He had entered into contracts to build three units in May 2015, but says property developer Mener Group failed to complete the project he had hoped would generate a rental income. His complaints to the Building Commission included that the builder exceeded the contracted time, a delay which later blew out by 415 working days  the agreement being the project would take 180 working days. Mr Wilkins claimed non-genuine progress payment claims were made, there had been misleading and deceptive conduct, inadequate water supply set up and unjustified charges.

The Building Commission recommended the complaints be accepted and referred the matters to the SAT. Loading After more than two years, Mr Wilkins feared he was facing imminent bankruptcy after becoming stuck in an endless cycle of SAT hearings that cost tens of thousands of dollars in lawyers' fees and led to countless hours of stress. It was so time-consuming to defend himself in the tribunal that Mr Wilkins' mental health suffered to the point he had to stop working. For Mr Wilkins, Tuesdays decision was a big step in the right direction.

He has just re-filed his case for compensation against Mener Group but is yet to have a hearing scheduled in the SAT or receive any response from Mener Group. Mr Wilkins compensation claim is a substantial sum, and includes rental income he would have generated from the properties had they been completed on time; interest costs; and fees paid for independent property inspections. Mener Group was contacted for comment but declined. Mr Wilkins said his dealings with the system  the Building Commission and SAT  had been hard. His issues with Mener Group are not isolated.

A history plagued with problems and probes In February WAtoday exposed a number of cases where home owners who built with Mener Group faced problems when builds stalled or deposits were not refunded, while other projects never got off the ground. Loading Mr Wilkins has decided to speak out against a system he says was designed to be simple to navigate, yet is anything but. A Freedom of Information application by WAtoday turned up a document outlining the findings of the Building Services Board investigation into Mener Group as of August 2018.

Loading The disciplinary complaint document found Mener Group: Provided false financial documents to the Building Commission during their investigation of the builders conduct;

Had issues with unpaid creditors;

Was the subject of ongoing and additional court actions;

Dishonoured items on bank statements including payments to the ATO due to having insufficient funds;

Was involved in ongoing SAT matters that may result in significant adverse financial outcomes;

Had ongoing concerns from clients about their financial capacity;

Failed to provide financial information despite repeated requests from Building and Energy investigators. On August 14, 2018, the Building Services Board received a document detailing the findings of Building and Energy investigators, showing authorities began asking questions about Meners conduct in April 2018 when it became apparent the builder was involved in several court actions. The enforcement branch began an investigation on June 5, during which Mener Group refused to provide some of the documents requested and failed to acknowledge several phone calls from the authority.

Concerns were raised about the veracity of a photocopy of a bank statement Mener Group provided to investigators, which resulted in the enforcement branch obtaining a bank statement direct from Bankwest. A review of the real bank statement revealed the information provided by Mener was false or misleading. The authoritys document continues: A closer review of the transactions cast further doubts about the overall accuracy of the information provided by [redacted] to both the LS and the financial investigator, in particular the excuses [redacted] offered for the court actions and [redacted] failure to pay the Respondents renewal fee at the time of lodging the application. As a result of the investigation, Mener Group is no longer registered as a builder. Mener Group was contacted for response but declined.

The investigation document concluded: There is significant public interest relating to the financial capacity of builders. It said the integrity of the building industry registration process would be under severe scrutiny if the renewal of registration went ahead. A spokeswoman for the Department of Building and Energy said she could not provide specific details about any investigation into Mener Group that may or may not be continuing. "Building and Energy is unable to officially comment on any matters that it may be considering  including whether any issues have been raised about particular individuals or businesses  until a finding is made and the Building Commissioner determines that this is in the public interest," she said. "The document obtained under Freedom of Information demonstrates that the Building Services Board, in response to advice from Building and Energy, acted on concerns about this business by not renewing its registration.
Adani has been given Queensland government approval for its plan to minimise impact on an endangered bird species that lives where it plans a controversial mine in central Queensland.

The mining company's management plan for the black-throated finch was approved on Friday morning by Queensland's Department of Environment and Science.

This was the first of two major environmental stumbling blocks the proposed Carmichael mega-mine near Clermont in the Galilee Basin had faced.

Queensland's Coordinator-General and the Department of Environment and Science approved Adani's black-throated finch management plan.

It was still awaiting approval for its plan to restrict the impact of its mine on ancient artesian borewater springs - the Doongmabulla Springs - to below 20 centimetres to protect several endangered vegetation species that rely on the flow of artesian water.
Facebook groups with thousands of members are helping to build public support for Chinas controversial Belt and Road Initiative in English-speaking countries, including Australia.

Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrive for the opening ceremony of the second Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation in Beijing on Friday. Credit:AP

The groups publicise stories around Chinas plan for global economic integration while criticising the Western rule-based order, sometimes using Russian-backed media.

The group 21SilkRoad, which includes Australians, shares a mix of news and material linked to Russias global propaganda apparatus, to build a virtual community of the major centres along the Belt and Road Initiative megaproject.
A woman is caught between civilians and Chinese soldiers, who were trying to remove her from an assembly near the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on June 3, 1989. Credit:AP Beijing's independent students' union, which led millions of Chinese in massive pro-democracy demonstrations for the past seven weeks, said today that the army was using tear gas in an attempt to enter colleges where student leaders were trying to avoid arrest. They said they would "fight to the end", and predicted more upheaval once the killing stopped. After taking hospital surveys, the students' union put the death toll at 3000, with another 4000 injured. The students said their struggle for political reform now rested with the Chinese people rising up against the party leadership, and pressure from foreign governments. Authorities today branded the students and workers who had staged a peaceful sit-in in Tiananmen Square as "thugs and criminals" and claimed they were engaged in a "counter-revolutionary rebellion". In an indication that the military had been following the orders of the paramount leader, Mr Deng Xiaoping, and other elderly conservatives now in control of the party, the official media said that assault troops had been "upholding the revolutionary spirit of senior leader, Deng Xiaoping".

With the central city completely in their hands, troops used a machinegun to mow down about 12 students outside the Beijing Hotel. Witnesses said the students were shot in the back while running from the troops. They said a nine-year-old boy had also been killed. A student pro-democracy protester flashes victory signs to the crowd the day before the massacre. Credit:AP Residents, many of them grieving for relatives killed in the assault, sought some revenge this afternoon by burning about 100 army trucks parked on the western outskirts of the capital. But without weapons or military support, people were reported being killed for allegedly breaching the martial law rules announced by the Prime Minister, Mr. Li Peng, but not enforced, 15 days ago. Foreign governments, including those of the United States and Britain have deplored China's use of force. Late today, Australia's ambassador to Beijing, Mr. David Sadlier, was seeking an appointment with the Foreign Ministry to express Canberra's concern at the army's role.

Faced with an unarmed and, until last night, largely non-violent crowd in central Beijing, a highly disciplined force, believed to be the 27th Army, led by a relative of the Chinese President, Mr. Yang Shangkun, moved into the capital from several directions, supported by hundreds of tanks, armored personnel carriers, trucks and artillery. Beginning about 11 p m, they pushed through barricades to the west of Tiananmen Square, firing tear gas, tracers and AK-47 automatic rifles. Student leaders claimed some troops were using dumdum bullets, and deliberately killed wounded demonstrators. Civilians stand on a government armored vehicle near Changan Boulevard in Beijing. Credit:AP Courage dies in a crimson patchwork After the shock of the first killing, when more Chinese students than I could count had fallen to the ground, and it seemed almost routine to see blood pouring from teenage faces, a Beijing undergraduate put his arm on my shoulder and in a low, resolute voice, said: "Make sure the world knows about this disgrace."

Awkwardly, we embraced, and he walked off to await the army onslaught, just 100 metres away. It was a touching moment in a night of unrelieved sadness. Ever since the students' democracy campaign began seven weeks ago, it has been impossible not to be moved by the courage of the intelligent young people who have risked everything for an ideal. But in the early hours of today, as they stood in their jeans and sneakers and faced up to the might of a modern army, words were lacking to account for what was taking place. They always feared it would come to this, and when it did, they showed a grit that will echo through history. Police attempting to control protesters. Credit:AP

For a Western reporter out on the streets of Beijing, it all seemed too brutal to be true. AK-47 bullets make a terrible mess of a young body, and when a boy of about 18 is standing not 20 metres away one minute and lying dead on the ground, a hole in his forehead, seconds later, one can only recoil in disbelief. I never thought the military would slaughter the Chinese people. But they did, and it left me numb in the dark, with no one able to tell where the firing was coming from, or where it was going. Standing on the capital's main street, I watched as a tiny girl with a long plait down her back fell backwards, parts of her body appearing to go separate ways. Classmates grabbed each of her four limbs and shuffled towards the Red Cross tent, but she seemed more a crimson colored patchwork than a human. At the tent, she was laid on cold concrete beside too many other mangled figures, and had to wait, perhaps dead, for an ambulance to ferry her to hospital.

There were many like her. From The Age, June 5, 1989. Credit:David White Several kilometres away, on the second ring road, where the foreigners live, the corpse of a boy was squashed so hard on the bitumen that his internal organs fanned out around him. He was one of scores run over by tanks as they rumbled to the square. The killings came in different ways. Beijing factory workers, who would normally be at home doting on their children, flew into a manic rage when three soldiers tried to escape from their burning vehicle about two kilometres from Tiananmen.

Despite student attempts at protection, the men were literally ripped apart In the main street. From my apartment window, at 7 am, when the carnage looked to be over, tanks fired randomly outside the Friendship Store, where blue-rinse tourists normally cluck over jade carvings, murdering eight people whose only crime was being on the street. It was surreal, a chilling Dali canvas come to life  or death. No one I know was killed, as far as I can gauge, but several colleagues were badly beaten. A Reuter correspondent was bashed by plainclothes police while returning to his office, as was a journalist from London's 'Independent'.

Prime Minister Bob Hawke cried during his speech mourning the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Credit:Graham Tidy Despite diplomatic inquiries, nothing has been heard of three members of a CBS camera crew since they were beaten in the square and forced at rifle point into an army jeep. I don't know one Chinese person who backs martial law, or feels anything but revulsion over what happened late Saturday and Sunday. But that does not seem to matter. As the apparent architect of the massacre, China's paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping, is reported to have told the only senior figure to publicly oppose using the army, the liberal party secretary, Zhao Ziyang, that there are no votes in the streets.
An Australian man has landed safely in Sydney after serving a year-and-a-half in jail in the United Arab Emirates where he was allegedly tortured for a spying conviction.

Naim Aziz Abbas, a 65-year-old former Sydney train driver, was convicted in what his brother Adil Abbas described as a "complete injustice" for allegedly passing secrets to neighbouring Qatar.

A relieved and very happy Naim Aziz Abbas arrives at Sydney Airport after his imprisonment in the UAE. Credit:Jessica Hromas

Adil said his brother, who moved to Australia in 1989 and has citizenship, has always maintained his innocence and was pardoned for Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.

As a visibly elated Naim arrived at Sydney Airport on Friday night to a throng of waiting family and friends he burst into song, singing Advance Australia Fair in full.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Friday

May 31

Now you see her

The 10-day Brooklyn Film Festival kicks off tonight with a screening of Above the Shadows, a feature film about a woman who has spent 10 years invisible to everyone around her, but who may have found a way to reclaim her place in the world. The festival continues through June 9, screening 133 features and short films at the Wythe Hotel and at Windmill Studios in Greenpoint.

8 p.m. at the Wythe Hotel [80 Wythe Ave. at N. 11th Street in Williamsburg, (718) 4608000, www.wythe hotel.com ]. $35.

Saturday

June 1

Party arty

Start your World Pride Month partying at Brooklyn Museums free First Saturday event. Check out the exhibit Nobody Promised You Tomorrow: Art 50 Years After Stonewall, featuring 28 queer artists paying tribute to the 1969 riot; sing along with the New York City Gay Mens Chorus, chat with the Audre Lorde Project about revolution, and dance all night.

7 pm at Brooklyn Museum [200 Eastern Pkwy. at Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights, (718) 6385000, www.brook lynmu seum.org ]. Free.

Sunday

June 2

Robo-lution!

The 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis, from director Fritz Lang, was chopped down to 91 minutes for its American release, but now you can catch an almost-complete version of the two-and-a-half-hour epic, complete with subplots about an oppressed underclass, a mechanical woman, and the man who loves her. With a live piano accompaniment.

Shadow cast: The feature film Above the Shadows, screening on May 31, will kick off the 10-day Brooklyn Film Festival.

Noon at Brooklyn Public Librarys Central branch [10 Grand Army Plaza, between Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Heights (enter on Eastern Parkway), (718) 2302100, www.brook lynpu blicl ibrar y.org ]. Free.

Tuesday

June 4

Egg-cellent!

Comedian Natalie Palamides  the voice of Buttercup on The Powerpuff Girls  performs her award-winning show Laid, about a woman who lays an egg every day, and must decide whether to eat it or raise it. Tonights show is the first of three, and next week she will perform as her masculine alter-ego in Nate.

7:30 p.m. at the Bell House [149 Seventh St. at Third Avenue in Gowanus, (718) 6436510, www.thebe llhou seny.com ]. $20.

Wednesday

June 5

Killer show

In defiance of all logic, there are still a few tickets available to see legendary punk band Bikini Kill at Kings Theatre tonight. Snap up a seat to see the founders of the riot grrl movement while you still can!

8 p.m. at Kings Theatre (1027 Flatbush Ave. between Tilden Avenue and Duryea Place in Flatbush, www.kings theat re.com ). $35$45.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Going to Staten Island may soon become slightly less painful.

The state Senate passed a bill that would reduce the toll on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge by more than half for Kings County drivers who frequently cross the span into Richmond County.

Sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes (DBay Ridge), the Senate bill passed the upper chamber by a decisive 552 margin on May 30.

The measure offers Brooklyn drivers who cross the span 10 times per month using E-ZPass a discounted toll of $5.50, matching the reduced fare that Staten Island residents already enjoy when crossing the two-and-a-half-mile-long, double-decker bridge.

Kings County drivers passing into Staten Island currently pay $12.24 for the Verrazzanos one-way toll when using E-ZPass, and a whopping $19 when relying on the citys cashless toll technology.

The bills passage follows an MTA toll hike that jacked the Verrazzanos toll up to the second highest in the country in March, making it second in price only to Virginias 23-miles-long Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which costs an astronomical $36 round trip at peak hours.

All eyes now turn to Albanys lower house, where the bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Mathylde Frontus (DConey Island) continues to languish committee, although the lawmakers chief of staff expressed confidence that the measure will pass and become law in the wake of the Thursdays senate vote.

Were optimistic, said Michael Decillis. It sailed through the Senate, so thats a good sign.

The proposal mirrors the citys decision to eliminate the $2.29 E-ZPass toll on the Cross Bay Bridge for all Queens Residents last April.

At a press event announcing his scheme to slash the toll for Brooklyn drivers in April, Gounardes blasted the Verrazzanos exorbitant tax, which has more than doubled since 2008.

For the thousands of Brooklyn residents who rely on the bridge for travel to work, school and medical appointments, these outrageous rates are unaffordable, unacceptable, and highlight the gross inequities of New Yorks transit system, he said.

Freshman federal Rep. Max Rose, who represents both sides of the bridge, applauded the state Senate on Twitter for passing the bill to even the fares between his constituents.

This is incredible news, he said. We are one community, with family and friends, jobs and appointments on both sides of the Verrazzano. This is a huge step towards providing much needed relief to so many Brooklynites.

Should the Assembly approve their version of the legislation, it would go to the Governors desk to be signed into law.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Hes not playing fare!

A Sunset Park councilman with a long history of trashing Mayor Bill de Blasios multi-billion-dollar pet trolley project  the Brooklyn-Queens Connector  is now vying to leverage a public review of the controversial transit scheme to bring express bus service to his constituents.

I think that it is a mistake that Sunset Park isnt part of this conversation, said Carlos Menchaca at the first city Council hearing to discuss the trolley project at City Hall on May 30.

As part of a public review of hizzoners $2.73 billion trolley proposal, the citys Economic Development Corporation has commissioned a study kicking off this fall, called an Environmental Impact Statement, that will include an analysis comparing hizzoners hugely expensive trolley scheme versus the citys less flashy, but far cheaper Select Bus Service, which makes express stops and includes other features designed to decrease travel times, according to the executive vice president of the city-run corp.

We found with an apples-to-apples comparison that you only see a capital costs saving of 30 percent by doing [bus rapid transit] versus light rail or streetcar, said Seth Myers, casually down playing an estimated $800 million in taxpayer savings at Thursdays Council hearing.

And Menchaca  who chairs a five-member BQX task force providing Council oversight of de Blasios rail scheme  says he wants in, and is calling on officials to use the trolley study as an opportunity to bring Select Bus Service to his scorned constituents.

Myers, however, was reluctant to oblige the Sunset Park lawmaker, and said the neighborhood should explore more orthodox solutions for enhancing local transit, directing the councilman to petition the Department of Transportation.

Using an EIS process for the BQX may not be right forum to have that conversation, the honcho said.

The mayors trolley scheme originally snaked through transit-starved coastal neighborhoods along a 14-mile route between Queens and Sunset Park, but the high cost of spanning the Gowanus Canal, coupled with low-ridership projections on the other side of Brooklyns Nautical Purgatory, led officials to shorten the route by three miles, ending it in Red Hook, Myers explained.

It required the crossing of the Gowanus and a bridge of several hundred million dollars to get the train there and then it was a several mile run that really didnt attract the level of ridership that seemed to justify that cost and that potential disruption of local businesses, said Myers at the hearing.

But even before the trolleys Sunset Park stops got the ax, Menchaca came out strong against the mayors streetcar scheme, saying rents would skyrocket and locals would be displaced along its trajectory.

Indeed, the EDCs early projections forecast that increased tax revenue generated by higher property values along the line could fully fund the proposed tram, although the city now admits that increased property taxes will only cover half the costs.

Their new plan is to lean on Uncle Sam for the remaining funds, although some members of the trolley task force took the citys claim that the Trump administration would be willing to shell out some $1.3 billion for a city transit project with a grain of salt.

The current occupant [of the White House] is not necessarily the most friendly to New York City, said Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (DQueens).

Van Bramer echoes sentiments of federal Brooklyn pols, who said the mayor shouldnt hold his breath for a Washington windfall.

The agency aims to start the citys Uniform Land Use Review Procedure next year, and officials set a start date for construction at 2024 with the hope to get the service up and running by 2029, according to a spokeswoman.
Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams

Its the fast food of the sea!

A Manhattan sushi chain that allows patrons only 30 minutes to eat opened its first Kings County outpost on Sheepshead Bays Emmons Avenue on May 30.

Guests at Sushi by Bou pay a flat $50 fee to spend a half-hour devouring 12 individual pieces of omakase  a Japanse word meaning Ill leave it up to you, which in this case boils down to whatever the chef is serving that night.

And if that sounds un-American to you  its supposed to, according to the eaterys owner, who said the Sushi by Bou experience is straight out of Japan!

In Japan, most food experiences are timed to allow people to properly schedule their day, said Michael Sinensky. So, we wanted to copy what they do in Tokyo, and offer an amazing foodie experience.

Sinensky, who founded the chain with his partner Erika London and Chef David Bouhadana in 2017, said the restaurants speedy service allows the sushi-joint to serve upscale fish at bottom-feeder prices.

The food is extremely high quality. If you had the same experience at a different sushi restaurant, it would cost $150, he said. But, because we can turn it around quickly, we can get enough people in to meet our financial demands.

The restaurant  located at 1811 Emmons Avenue between Sheepshead Bay Road and E. 19th Street  features eight seats split between eight patrons each per night, meaning the eatery can serve exactly 64 customers daily.

And just because your 30 minutes are up, doesnt mean Sinensky and staff will kick you to the curb  the restaurateur invites his patrons to down a drink at Sushi by Bous bar by the sea, which is stocked with some of Japans finest spirits.

We tell people to arrive early, and stay late, said Sinensky.
Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital Editor
The Australian state of Queensland on Friday approved Adani Enterprise's management plan for an endangered bird at the site for a controversial coal mine, leaving only one more permit before construction can start on the project. India's Adani has been working for a decade to obtain approvals to develop the Carmichael mine in the remote Galilee Basin, but the process has been slow as the project has become a touchstone for concerns about climate change. "The Department of Environment and Science (DES) approved Adani's black-throated finch management plan," the ...
The promoters of Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd (AHEL) aim to being down their shareholding in the business by 50 per cent in four to five months.

The promoters have already released around 10 per cent of their pledge, reducing the share level to 68 per cent of their total shareholding, said Akhileswaran Krishnan, chief financial officer, AHEL. "It (pedged shares) will come down by 50 per cent in next four to five months, to 36-40 per cent, through liquidation of one of their assets," said Akhileswaran Krishnan, chief financial officer, AHEL. AHEL's promoters had ...
There will be two things that people remember about the 2019 spring climbing season on Mount Everest. The first is the death toll. As of Tuesday, it was 11. The second is a now-iconic image taken near the summit on May 22.

In it, dozens of climbers are lined up on a ridge just below the peak, awaiting their chance to stand atop the worlds highest mountain. It'd be comical, except that the traffic jam occurred at a deadly, low-oxygen altitude. The tragedy is that none of this is new. For years, overcrowding on Everest has been well documented. It's a problem compounded by ...
The continuing war between the US and Huawei Technologies Co. has moved into the world of ideas. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers announced this week that scientists affiliated with Huawei will no longer be permitted to serve as referees or editors for papers published in the private organizations 200-odd journals. This is a big deal.

Journal referees review submitted articles long before they see the light of day and offer comments and recommendations, often on whether or not to publish. They are exposed to work the rest of the world has yet to see. Referee ...
18 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Barabanki, the District Magistrate has confirmed.

"18 people died in this incident. Besides this, families of four individuals are saying they also died after drinking spurious liquor. We have ensured that those in the hospital get good treatment. We have deployed 39 ambulances if patients needed to refer to other hospitals," Barabanki District Magistrate Uday Bhanu Tripathi told reporters here on Thursday.

"Some people are also coming to hospitals for treatment in fear as they used to drink spurious liquor. We are in touch with hospital and administration is helping the victims," he said.

On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said stern action will be taken against the accused and asked officials of the excise department to investigate the case.

"I am saddened by the unfortunate loss of innocent lives due to the consumption of spurious liquor in Barabanki. Instructed DM & SP to take all possible measures to nab the culprit and provide assistance to bereaved families. Have asked Pr. Sec. Excise to investigate & take stern action," Adityanath tweeted.

Uttar Pradesh Police had arrested Pappu Jaiswal, the main accused, after an encounter on Wednesday. The police had also arrested three other accused in connection with the case.

The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for those who lost their lives in the tragedy.

In February, consumption of spurious illegal liquor had claimed the lives of over 70 people in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, forcing government officials to launch a major crackdown to nab those responsible for the distribution of illicit liquor in the states and its neighbouring regions. While 13 people lost their lives in Uttarakhand, the death toll in Uttar Pradesh nearly touched 60.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Activists and students from China and Tibet here on Thursday gathered to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Massacre that marked a major turning point in the history of modern China.

A panel discussion organised here by Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) in coordination with International Tibet Network, saw participation by over hundreds of Tibetans and others from different countries.

In the spring of 1989, Beijing erupted with the largest student-led pro-democracy demonstration.

The pro-democracy movement quickly spread to over 30 cities in China before June 4, 1989. Chinese troops and security police stormed through Tiananmen Square, firing indiscriminately into the crowds of protesters witnessing the horrors of the Chinese government's brutality.

Every year, Tibetans in Dharamsala, the capital of Tibetan movement in Exile, commemorate the day to stand in solidarity with and remember the sacrifices of thousands of Chinese for freedom and democracy.

Dorjee Tseten, Executive Director at the SFT, told ANI, "We stand in solidarity with the Chinese people who sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy. In the meeting, we are going to discuss what's next after 30 years of the Tiananmen massacre. As the Chinese democracy movement is moving forward, how it is related to the Tibetian issue and how we can continue to struggle together will be our topics of discussion."

"This year the anniversary is observed everywhere, including the United States, Europe and Taiwan. So, Dharamshala is really important. It is the capital of Tibetian exile movement," Tseten added.

Chemi Lhamo, President of Scarborough Campus Student Union (SCSU) at the University of Toronto, said, "We have organised this meeting to raise awareness about something that has become history."

Teng Biao, Chinese Human Rights Lawyer and Activist, further told ANI, "We have joined here to commemorate Tiananmen massacre. The issue has become associated with global freedom and we should think about a new policy towards China.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Airports Authority of India (AAI) signed an agreement with NTrustInfotech - Anarock Consortium for asset rationalization, lease administration and related services on a pan-India basis through cutting edge Lease Administration Technology.

The agreement, signed on Thursday, is for a period of three years.

Speaking on the occasion, S Suresh, Member (Finance), AAI said, "This pact will help AAI in rationalizing its assets thus by making use of the best potential of land and properties and making asset documentation a robust and real-time process."

Anil Gupta, Executive Director (Land Management and Business Development), AAI said that this will help AAI, which is managing 129 airports all across the country, in identifying the best potential of land asset which in turn will improve its revenue stream.

"This will also result in bringing transparency, better management control and monitoring of costs for AAI," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Admiral Karambir Singh on Friday took over as the Chief of the Naval Staff succeeding Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is retiring after over four decades of service.

"It is a matter of great honour and pride for me to take charge as the 24th Chief of Naval Staff. My predecessors with their perseverance have made sure that the Navy has a very solid foundation and reaches new heights," Singh told reporters here.

He said, "It will be my endeavour to continue the efforts and provide the nation a Navy that is strong, capable and which is ready to meet any security challenge in the maritime domain."

Singh also expressed gratitude to his predecessor, Lanba, for his service to the nation.

"I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Sunil Lamba, the outgoing Chief of Naval Staff, who has put 42 years of illustrious service to the nation. He provided us with great leadership."

Lanba said, "It has been a great honour and privilege for me to have commanded the finest Navy over the past three years. The Navy is mission deployed and combat ready to provide maritime security in areas of interest. I am happy to hand over the Navy to my successor, a capable Admiral Karambir Singh."

Vice Admiral Bimal Verma had challenged the appointment of Singh as the new Navy Chief. He had questioned the government's decision of overlooking him for the post despite him being the seniormost officer in the force. However, the Defence Minister had rejected Verma's plea on May 17.

Verma then challenged the Defence Ministry's decision before the Armed Forces Tribunal.

On May 29, the Tribunal had on deferred the hearing in the case and said that Vice Admiral Karambir Singh can take charge as the Navy Chief on May 31.

Hailing from Jalandhar in Punjab, Singh graduated from Barnes School at Deolali in Maharashtra before joining the Defence Academy (NDA).

As a helicopter pilot, he has flown Chetaks and Kamovs. He commanded four ships -- the ICG Chandbibi (patrol craft of Indian Coast Guard), INS Vijaydurg (missile ship), INS Rana and INS Delhi (destroyers), at various stages of his career.

Singh served as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at the headquarters in New Delhi before moving to Vishakhapatnam last year as the Eastern Naval Commander. He also headed the Port Blair-based Andaman and Nicobar Command for almost three years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit War Memorial on Saturday before taking charge of his ministry.

"Shall visit the War Memorial tomorrow morning and pay tributes to our brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in service to the nation. Later I shall be formally taking charge as the RM of this country," Rajnath said in a tweet.

"Look forward to further strengthen Security and Defence," he added.

Earlier, it was reported that three services -- Army, Air Force and Navy have prepared a presentation for the new Defence Minister about their plans for modernisation.

Rajnath will take over from Nirmala Sitharaman who has been allotted the Finance ministry.

During the first term of Modi government, Rajnath had handled the Home ministry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Allahabad High Court on Friday rejected the bail plea of Yadav Singh, former chief engineer of Noida and an accused in the disproportionate assets (DA) case.

Justice Ramesh Sinha of the Allahabad HC rejected the bail plea of Singh.

Singh had filed the bail plea in the Allahabad HC after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court rejected his plea earlier.

Senior legal counsel for CBI, Gyan Prakash claimed that Singh is accused of corruption to the tune of rupees 954.38 crores.

The CBI had filed charge sheet against Singh's wife, two daughters, son, daughter-in-law, chartered accountant Mohan Lal Rathi, three firms and a charitable trust in 2017.

The CBI said that the assets were allegedly acquired between 2004 and 2015.

Singh and his wife's income increased by 500 and 1400 times respectively during his term as the chief engineer in Noida according to the CBI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for approving major changes in the PM's Scholarship Scheme under the Defence Fund.

"I congratulate PM @narendramodi ji for approving major changes in the PM's Scholarship Scheme under the Defence Fund. It reflects Modi government's sensitivity and commitment towards ensuring the well-being of those who protect our nation against all odds," tweeted Amit Shah.

In his first decision after being sworn-in to head the government for a second term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had made security an important plank in the elections, on Friday approved a major change in the 'Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme' under the National Defence Fund. The rates of scholarship have been increased from Rs 2000 per month to Rs 2500 per month for boys and from Rs 2250 per month to Rs 3000 per month for girls.

The ambit of the Scholarship Scheme has been extended to the wards of State Police officials who are or were martyred during terror or Naxal attacks. The quota of new scholarships for the wards of state police officials will be 500 in a year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Newly elected Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said that the mandate given by the state's voters has put a huge responsibility on him.

"This mandate has put upon me a huge responsibility. I will bring upon good governance that will make the nation stand and look up to Andhra Pradesh," said Jagan in a tweet.

Assuring voters that he will live up to their expectations, the YSRCP chief said, "I thank God and each one of you for this unprecedented victory. I will live up to your expectations."

Succeeding the TDP government led by N Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan took oath as Chief Minister on Thursday.

Mauling the ruling TDP whose tally dropped from 102 seats in 2014 elections to a mere 23, Jagan-led YSR Congress got an absolute majority in the 175-member Assembly by winning 151 seats.

Likewise in the Lok Sabha elections, Jagan's party bagged 22 seats out of the state's 25 with the rest three going to the TDP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the portfolio allocation, which was announced on Friday, a new ministry, Jal Shakti, has been introduced, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll promise of providing safe drinking water to people.

Member of Parliament from Jodhpur, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who defeated the son of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, will head the Jal Shakti Ministry.

It has been created by reorganising the earlier Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, which was held by Nitin Gadkari in the previous government. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has also been added to it.

During an election rally in Tamil Nadu, Modi last month had assured that if voted back to power, his government would ensure the establishment of a separate Jal Shakti Ministry.

"After May 23, when the Modi Government will once again assume office, there will be a separate Ministry for Jal Shakti. This Ministry will cater to many aspects relating to water," Prime Minister Modi had said.

"The NDA govt had devoted a lot of attention to Water resources. There will be a separate ministry for Jal Shakti to ensure clean water and top class irrigation water facilities for the farmers," he added.

BJP's manifesto had also promised to set up a unified Ministry of Water to end the water woes in the country.

From April to July every year, the water situation in at least eight states in the country is grim. The Centre recently issued a drought advisory to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, asking them to use water judiciously in the coming weeks as water storage in dams dropped to a critical level.

With almost all of rural India depending on monsoon rain for agriculture and domestic purpose, there is a desperate need for water management on a war footing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Karnataka government on Friday issued an order banning mechanised fishing activities off its coast for 61 days to facilitate breeding of aqua fauna in the Arabian Sea.

The ban, which will come into effect from tomorrow and continue till July 31, was issued considering the safety of fisherman during the monsoon season as well.

According to D Thippeswamy, Deputy Director of Fisheries in Mangaluru, no mechanised boat will be allowed to carry out fishing activities in the sea during the ban.

"The ban will apply to boats having on board or outboard engines above 10 hp. It will not apply to traditional and motorised boats fitted with outboard engines less than 10 hp capacity," he told ANI.

The official said, "Monsoon season is considered as the breeding time for fishes and if we allow fishing during this period, it will affect their growth in future. That is why we are imposing a ban on fishing activities."

According to the order, fishermen found violating the ban will not only be fined under the Karnataka Marine Fishing (Regulation) Act, 1986, they would also be deprived of diesel subsidy for a year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was allegedly murdered by unidentified persons, police said on Friday.

The deceased was identified as Pankaj Singh, the panchayat president and member of the BJP. The alleged crime occurred in Amror Kirtarpur village in Singhaur police station limits.

"The reason behind the gruesome killing is yet to be known. Prima facie it appears that he was hit with a hammer-like object, however, more clarity on the injuries would be confirmed by the doctors after the post-mortal examination," Manish Kumar Singh, Station House Officer (SHO) of Singhaur Police Station told ANI over the phone.

The incident came to light when the deceased's mother came to wake him up in the morning and found him lying dead in a pool of blood.

A case has been registered under the relevant sections of the law and the investigation in the matter is underway. The corpse has been sent for post-mortem.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Monster Energy is the official sponsor of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Motorsport 2019 team that is dominating the F1 circuit.

The F1 car racing circuit returns to Silverstone, UK - the site of one of the oldest car races in the world. The tradition continues with a race planned in July and Monster Energy India is giving an opportunity to its customers to be a part of this mega event.

The winner of this lucky draw will get a flight to Silverstone, UK including accommodations and a VIP ticket to the Rolex British Grand Prix. Buy any can of Monster Energy and fill in the Lucky Dip Card to stand a chance to win this amazing, once in a lifetime trip. Dates for entering the F1 VIP trip are from 10th of May through 2nd of June and the chance to win the goodies prize package entry period is from 10th of May until the 29th of June. This offer is applicable at select stores in India such as: Reliance, Natures Basket, Tesco, FRL, Spencer's, Spar and ABRL.

On your marks, get set, buckle up and ENTER NOW to see if LH44 can take home number six on his home turf. The race is set for Silverstone on the 14th of July 2019 and it is not one to be missed.

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.)
Addressing rural distress in its first meeting on Friday, the Union Cabinet approved a new pension scheme for small and marginal farmers across the country and extended the ambit of the direct income support scheme for farmers by removing the ceiling of two hectares to cover more beneficiaries.

The Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a new central sector scheme, namely, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana, which is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for all small and marginal farmers across the country with the entry age of 18 to 40 and with a provision of minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 on attaining the age of 60 years.

The Central government shall also contribute to the pension fund an equal amount matching the farmer's contribution.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, new Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government has done away with the benchmark of two hectares. With this, two crore farmers who were left out of the scheme (PM-KISAN) will be benefitted, he said.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) launched by Modi in February provides income support to small and marginal farmer families with cultivable land holding up to two hectares across the country by way of payment of Rs 6,000 per year.

So far the first instalment of three crore beneficiaries and the second instalment of 2.66 crore beneficiaries have been credited directly to the bank accounts of farmer families.

"The revised scheme will cover around two crore more farmers who were earlier left out, thus increasing the total number of beneficiaries to 14.5 crore from earlier 12.5 crore. Total Rs 87,000 crore will be given to farmers," said Tomar.

In the pension scheme, after the subscriber's death, while receiving the pension, the spouse of a beneficiary shall be entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension as family pension provided he or she is not already a small and marginal beneficiary scheme.

The government said that an interesting feature of the scheme is that a farmer can opt to allow his or her monthly contribution to the scheme to be met from benefits from the PM-KISAN directly.

The scheme also aims at covering a minimum of five crore small and marginal farmers in the first three years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In its first meeting after the NDA returned to power, the Union Cabinet on Friday approved a pension scheme for small-marginal farmers and small retailers and also extended the scope of the direct income support scheme for farmers by removing the ceiling of two hectares of land.

The Cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the new central sector scheme, namely, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana (PM-KPY), which is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for all small and marginal farmers across the country with the entry age of 18 to 40 and with a provision of minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 on attaining the age of 60 years.

The Central government shall also contribute to the pension fund an equal amount matching the farmer's contribution.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, new Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the government has done away with the benchmark of two hectares. With this, two crore farmers who were left out of the scheme (PM-KISAN) will be benefitted, he said.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) launched by Modi in February provides income support to small and marginal farmer families with cultivable land holding up to two hectares across the country by way of payment of Rs 6,000 per year.

"The revised scheme will cover around two crore more farmers who were earlier left out, thus increasing the total number of beneficiaries to 14.5 crore from earlier 12.5 crore. Total Rs 87,000 crore will be given to farmers," said Tomar.

In the pension scheme, after the subscriber's death, while receiving the pension, the spouse of the beneficiary shall be entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension as family pension provided he or she is not already a small and marginal beneficiary scheme.

Similarly, the Cabinet also approved a scheme to give monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to small traders, businessmen, and shopkeepers after they attain the age of 60 years.

"The Union Cabinet has approved in its effort to provide to universal social security, a new scheme which assures all shopkeepers, retail traders and self-employed persons a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 after attaining the age of 60 years," Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told media persons after the Cabinet meeting.

All small shopkeepers and self-employed persons as well as the retail traders with Goods and Services Tax (GST) turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged between 18 and 40 years can enroll themselves for the scheme.

"The decision is likely to benefit 5 crore small traders in the coming three years. The enrolment can be made through the Common Service Centre. For those who are 18 years of age, Rs 2 per day is the investment," he said.

"Those who get enrolled at the age of 29 years will have to make a monthly investment of Rs 100 and Rs 200 per month for those who are enrolled at the 40 years," added Javadekar, saying: "It is a landmark decision for small traders, businessmen, and small shopkeepers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A number of ministers including Nirmala Sitharaman, who got the crucial finance portfolio, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Prakash Javadekar and Ramvilas Paswan took charge of their ministries a day after they were sworn-in.

Most of the ministers said they would have to study the issues in their new portfolios before they could make comments while Goyal who has retained railways said reforms would be made in both passenger and cargo services.

He also said, "This term means continuity with change. We will continue the work started under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fresh ideas and fresh initiatives will be implemented."

Goyal who was also been given commerce portfolio took charge of the ministry in the presence of Suresh Prabhu, who has been dropped in the the new government.

Union Minister for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan, thanked Prime Minister Modi for reposing his faith in him again and said that he would work harder to ensure the country's energy requirements are met.

"I want to thank Prime Minister Modi for giving me the important portfolio of Petroleum and Energy again. In the past five years, many important initiatives of the NDA government had a positive impact on people's life. We will work harder than the past five years to increase the production of petrol and other products," Pradhan said.

Similarly, several junior ministers in the new Modi government also expressed confidence that they would fulfil the trust reposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in them and carry out his vision for the second dispensation under him.

V K Singh whose performance as Minister of State (MoS) External Affairs was appreciated for pulling off missions like evacuating immigrants from war-torn Yemen, and now deployed in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said, "PM Modi's decisions are always thought out. I will first understand the new ministry and ensure that the ministry's performance brings change in people's lives and enhances the credibility of the government."

Appointed as the HRD minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal, described his ministry as "the backbone" of the nation and said, "Whatever PM Modi has decided must be good. I will try my best."

Giriraj Singh, who was MoS (Independent charge) in the MSME ministry in the first term of the Modi government, said as minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries said he has already handled this portfolio in Bihar and "I will try to take this ministry to new heights."

In his comments after being retained as the MoS (independent charge) Labour and Employment, Santosh Gangwar said, "This government's major focus will be on people employed in the informal sectors. The focus of this ministry has always been on 20 workers in a factory at the cost of more than 50 % of the workforce in the informal sector."

Senior BJP leader from Karnataka and cabinet minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who has been given the portfolio of Chemicals and Ferrtilisers said, "Farmers will be one of the biggest priorities of our ministry. Apart from farmers, issues such as medicine and fertilisers will also be in focus."

Nityanand Rai, who has been made junior minister of Home Affairs, said, "I will do very hard work to fulfill the expectations of the Prime Minister.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
American rapper Cardi B opened up about her plastic surgery and defending her decision of taking some time off from performing while she finishes healing.

The 26-year-old rapper apologised to her fans, who are disappointed with the artist postponing her shows, a decision, she said she is not thrilled about either.

"You know, I hate cancelling shows because I love money," Cardi said in a recent Instagram Live video.

"I'm a money addict, and I get paid a lot of money, a lot of money for these shows ... like I'm cancelling millions of dollars in shows," she added.

However, Cardi asserted that her health is of utmost priority to her.

"But like, health is wealth, so I have to do what I have to do. My breasts gotta f--- heal, and it is what it is," she said.

To all the critics who said that she should exercise instead of opting for surgery, Cardi said, "I do whatever the f- I want with my body."

"My job as an entertainer is a 24-hour job, bro. So, no, I don't have time to work out," she continued.

"And I wanted specific things that I know that no matter how much I work out, is not going to get fixed. Like my b--bs, no matter how much I work out, they're not going to lift themselves. So yeah, I have to get f--- surgery. That's right. All right," she added.

The rapper went on to explain that while her surface stitches have healed, there is still internal stitching that needs time to heal.

"My doctor was like, 'Yo, you cannot be doing all these shows because you're not fully healed,'" she said.

"I just really wanted like to apologize to my fans," Cardi said, adding that she had heard fans in El Paso, Texas, who drove far distances to see her show, only to be disappointed that it was postponed.

She stated that she is working with her team to let ticket holders know about the postponements with more notice, "I told the people that book me like, let people know ahead of time that I'm going to cancel the shows."

"I just want to say I'm sorry, guys," she said, adding that the side effects of her working before the doctor gives approval can be scary.

"I gotta get better. The way that my body be swelling up when I catch planes and s--, it's so scary that I be freaking out. Like I really be freaking out," she said.

Cardi had announced last week that various scheduled concerts would be postponed.

"Cardi was overzealous in getting back to work; she didn't take the time necessary to fully recover from her surgery. Her strenuous schedule has taken a toll on her body and she has been given strict doctor's orders to pull out of the rest of her performances in May," her rep told People last week.

The 'I Like It' rapper backed out of performing at the 92Q Spring Bling Festival in Maryland over Memorial Day weekend, as well as a performance at the El Paso County Coliseum on Tuesday.

"She's very disappointed as she hates to let her fans down. She reassures them that she will see them in September," her rep added. The Maryland show has been rescheduled for September 8, according to 92Q as cited by People.

She shared with her fans on May 1 that she got a second breast augmentation after her daughter Kulture was born.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday filed a plea in the Delhi High Court for early hearing in its appeal against the acquittal of A Raja, Kanimozhi and others in the 2G spectrum case.

A single judge bench of Justice AK Chawla issued notice to all the respondents in the agency's early hearing application and posted the matter to July 30.

The CBI and Enforcement Directorate had earlier approached the court against the acquittal of all the accused by the trial court.

On Marcy 26, the court had stated that it will not proceed with the 2G spectrum case until the accused, including Swan Telecom's Shahid Usman Balwa, comply with its earlier order and complete a plantation drive.

It had ordered the litigants to plant trees in Delhi's Ridge area for failing to file responses on the appeals by the two agencies challenging their acquittal in the 2G case, despite reminders.

The court had listed the matter for further hearing on October 24.

The alleged scam relates to the grant of 2G spectrum licence allocations in 2007-08, which caused, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the public exchequer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A solemn ceremony was organised in Prato, near Florence in Italy to commemorate the sacrifice made by two Indian soldiers - Hari Singh and Palu Ram of the Indian Army during War II.

The ceremony for the presentation of urns was organised on Wednesday at Public Assistance, Prato (Florence).

In addition to a sizeable presence from the community of Prato and the Italian Armed Forces, the ceremony was attended by the Mayor, President of Public Assistance and Prefect of Prato.

Representatives of Common Wealth War Graves Commission, Red Cross Society and host of other dignitaries of Prato also attended the ceremony.

The Indian side was represented by Reenat Sandhu, the Indian Ambassador to Italy and Colonel Rohit Teotia, the Defence Attache to Italy.

As many as 16 senior officers attending the National Defence College Course in India and on a study tour to Italy also represented India and attended the ceremony.

The function was conducted as per appropriate military honours after which urns containing the ashes of the individuals were handed over by the Italian authorities to the Indian side, who further handed over the same to the custody of the Common Wealth War Graves Commission.

Ashes of these two soldiers will be scattered on July 16, in the Forli war cemetery where the other comrades from that battlefield have also been commemorated.

The contribution of Indian soldiers in the liberation of Italy during the Second War is well known. Almost 50,000 Indian troops, mostly between the ages of 19 to 22, fought for the 'Liberation of Italy'.

The first Indian troops were landed at Taranto in the south of Naples on September 19, 1943. From then until April 29, 1945, they were engaged in a heroic mission.

At least 5,782 troops made the supreme sacrifice during the Italian campaign. It is creditable that out of 20 Victoria Crosses awarded during this campaign, Indians received six Victoria Crosses.

In the present case, human bones were found near Florence in 1996 from Indian area of the battlefield at Poggio Alto near Montale (Florence). The remains were exhumed and investigated by a team of doctors.

Based on the date of death, location of the remains, anthropometric and morphological examination, findings on boots worn and ammunition used, the researchers matched the Commonwealth records of missing soldiers to ascribe the remains to those of Hari Singh and Palu Ram.

Service documents of both the individuals were found in the Army Records held with the National Archives of India.

Based on details of heights provided, the correct identification of the two corpses could be carried out successfully and now the remains of the soldiers have been duly cremated.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China is encroaching into Nepal's land through an ongoing road expansion project in Tibet, said Ministry of Agriculture on Friday.

As per the data from the ministry, 36 hectors of land in four different districts touching Chinese border now fall into the Chinese side.

China changed the direction of the river which now has been diverted to the Nepali side. This resulted in the encroachment of land, the Ministry has concluded.

"Nepal would lose a hundred acres of land to the Tibetian side," Ministry stated in its report.

The Ministry's Survey department have had conducted a month-long survey in the year of 2015 about the flow of the river in Nepal-Sino border.

As per the data from survey six hectors of land in Humla's Bhagdare River and four hectors of land in Karnali, river area has been encroached, now falling in Furang area of Tibet.

Likewise, in Rasuwa district's Sanjen River, Bhurjung River and Jambukhola area a total of six hectors of land has fallen into Tibet's Kerung area. In Sindhupalchowk, the Kharane Khola and Bhotekoshi area's 11 hectors land has encroached and now falls in Tibet's Nyalam area.

In Sankhuwasabha 9 hector of land has been encroached due to the road expansion in China's autonomous state of Tibet where areas around Kamukhola, Arun River and Sumjung River now has fallen into Tingisyan County area.

With this, the Nepal Government is set to start a land survey in others districts adjoining Chinese territory namely Taplejung, Solukhmbu, Dolakha, Gorkha, Manang, Mustang, Dolpa, Mugu, Humla and Darchula suspecting similar encroachment there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Taliban on Thursday said that "decent progress" was made by the group with Kabul government officials during peace talks held here with the aim to end the 18-year long war in Afghanistan.

The group, however, stated that there had been no breakthrough and that further talks would be needed, Al Jazeera reported, quoting a Taliban official who had attended the talks.

The Taliban delegation, led by chief negotiator Mullah Baradar Akhund, met Afghan politicians, including senior regional leaders and candidates, planning to challenge President Ashraf Ghani in this year's presidential election, as diplomatic efforts to end the Afghan war gather pace.

In addition, the Taliban insisted that international forces must leave Afghanistan for peace to be agreed.

"The Islamic Emirate wants peace but the first step is to remove obstacles to peace and end the occupation of Afghanistan," Baradar was quoted as saying.

The Taliban, overthrown by the US-backed forces weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks, refers to the country as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the meeting in Moscow was opened on Tuesday by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said that his country sees peace as the only possible scenario of settlement in Afghanistan.

Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Taliban delegates reiterated their position that no ceasefire could be possible while foreign forces remained inside Afghanistan.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Taliban's political chief, was quoted as saying that "no other option" was possible.

Taliban officials have been talking to the US diplomats for months about the terms of withdrawal of more than 23,000 US and NATO coalition troops from Afghanistan.

They have also reached a draft agreement on some issues, but no new date for the next round of talks has been set and many obstacles remain.

The Taliban's refusal to deal directly with Ghani's government in Kabul, which the group dismisses as a "puppet" regime, remains one of the key issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor took fans down the memory lane with their sizzling chemistry from the film 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.' As the film clocks six years of its release, the duo can be seen 'goofing around' by dancing on the peppy track 'Balam Pichkari' from the film.

The fans can catch Naina and Bunny back in action in the adorable video shared by the 'Piku' actor on Instagram, which seems to be shot inside a vanity van, capturing the duo in a lively mood. Both the actors can be seen grooving on the hit track 'Balam Pichkari'.

"Naina and Bunny goofing around.....," she captioned the post.

Deepika is winning hearts with her black ensemble and completing the look with a neat bun whereas Ranbir is looking dapper in a formal white shirt and black pants.

While the two might have parted ways but Deepika still shares a great bond with her ex and his family. Some time back the 'Bajirao Mastani' actor during her trip to New York had spent some quality time with veteran actor Rishi Kapoor who is undergoing medical treatment since last year.

Neetu Kapoor had shared pictures on Instagram where she termed the actor as "adorable Deepika Padukone."

"Such a fun evening with adorable Deepika Padukone ... gave a lot of love n warmth," she wrote.

Both the actor started dating each other during the shooting of the film, 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' in 2008 where the 'Padmavat' actor even got the initials of her boyfriend inked on her neck. Later they both parted ways and Deepika tied the knot with Ranvir Singh

The romantic drama film revolved around a shy and nerdy medical student Naina Talwar, essayed by Deepika, who eventually falls in for her former classmate Kabir Thapar aka Bunny, essayed by Ranbir, during their hiking trip to the Himalayas. The film also starred Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapur in pivotal roles.

The film which was directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Karan Johar had hit the screens on May 31, 2013.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Deepika is busy shooting for Megha Gulzar's 'Chhapaak' while Ranbir is in Varanasi with Alia Bhatt for Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi police on Friday arrested one person for posing as a senior IPS officer from Tamil Nadu.

The 53-year-old, identified as Rajiv Gupta, was arrested from Sita Ram Bazar area here after Hauz Qazi police station received information about a man moving about suspiciously in the area.

Gupta was found to be posing as an Inspector General of Police (IG) of Tamil Nadu cadre.

On conducting a search police found he was carrying a fake identity card which mentioned him to be an officer from the 1989 IPS batch and currently posted as IGP.

A case under section 170 IPC has been registered and an investigation is underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Police on Friday arrested a notorious cheat from East Delhi's Laxmi Nagar for allegedly posing as a government employee and cheating people.

Singh, 45, used to pretend to be an employee at the SDM office in Laxmi Nagar and cheat people by taking money from them on the pretext of selling them the old vehicles lying in the SDM office, police said.

Police made the arrest acting on a complaint filed by one Jaspal Singh, who claimed that the accused Satnam Singh had cheated him of Rs. 1.60 lakhs on the pretext of selling old vehicles lying in the sub-divisional magistrate office of Laxmi Nagar.

While investigating the matter, a police team under the leadership of SHO Laxmi Nagar and overall supervision of ACP Preet Vihar examined CCTV footage and established the identity of the accused Satnam Singh.

On receiving the specific information Satnam was apprehended today, police said adding further investigation is being carried out.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special court on Friday issued an open-ended non-bailable warrant against Kiran Rao, an ex-Airbus official, in a money laundering case related to the purchase of 43 aircraft by Air India in 2005.

An Open-ended non-bailable warrant doesn't have an execution time limit.

Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann presided over the hearing which took place in Delhi's Rouse Avenue court complex.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed Rao, former senior Airbus official, deliberately evaded summons and was deliberately not joining the probe related to the purchase made in 2005.

Rao was formerly Senior Vice-President (Pricing & Marketing), Airbus Industries. ED claims negotiations with Airbus caused losses to Indian Airlines.

ED's counsel Nitesh Rana informed the special judge that British- Rao was avoiding summons "deliberately and knowingly" and did not appear for investigation.

The former Airbus official currently stays in the UK.

Corporate lobbyist Deepak Talwar is also being tried in the same case by the ED.

ED's counsel had earlier told the court that investigation revealed that Deepak Talwar, who is currently lodged in Tihar jail, obtained "undue favours" for private airlines using his contacts.

It was also alleged that he had acted as a middleman to favour foreign private airlines in seat-sharing on Air India's profitable routes, causing huge loss to the carrier.

Central agencies are probing various other cases related to money laundering against Deepak Talwar. He was arrested after being deported from the United Arab Emirates on January 30.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Newly-inducted Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti on Friday said everyone has a crucial role in BJP and in running the government, a day after key leaders who were part of the earlier Cabinet were dropped.

"It doesn't matter if few old ministers have not been inducted in the new cabinet. Everyone has a stake in running the government. Everyone has a crucial role in taking the party up to this level of success. I will not say that I have done something extraordinary which is why I was inducted in the cabinet again," Jyoti told ANI.

BJP leaders Maneka Gandhi, Suresh Prabhu, JP Nadda, Radha Mohan Singh -- Cabinet ministers in the first Modi government -- have been dropped in the new government that assumed office on Thursday.

Besides the Cabinet ministers, those of minister of state rank -- Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Mahesh Sharma, Jayant Sinha, SS Ahluwalia, Vijay Goel, K Alphons, Ramesh Jigajinagi, Ram Kripal Yadav, Anant Kumar Hegde, Anupriya Patel, Satya Pal Singh -- have also not been included in the Council of Ministers.

Talking about the exclusion of former Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Sushma Swaraj, Sadhvi said, "Sushma ji is an inspiration. We have learned a lot from her. She will keep inspiring us irrespective of whether she holds any position in the cabinet or not."

Before the swearing-in, former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley opted out of the government on health reasons while Swaraj and Uma Bharti did not contest the Lok Sabha polls.

On Thursday, Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister for the second consecutive term.

The 58-member council of ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan before a gathering of over 6,000 guests that included heads of governments and states from BIMSTEC countries,

Of the new Council of Ministers, there are 24 cabinet ministers besides the Prime Minister, 9 Ministers of State with independent charge and 24 Ministers of State.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra's Modi's surprise addition to the Union Cabinet, former Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, was appointed as the External Affairs Minister on Friday.

The External Affairs Ministry was previously headed by Sushma Swaraj, who opted out of contesting in the Lok Sabha elections citing her health. She spearheaded various rescue operations during her term, including those in Libya and Yemen. Swaraj was much-loved by people for being one of the most approachable ministers, known for hearing out and solving grievances on Twitter.

Jaishankar, who was recently conferred with the Padma Shri, is regarded as a close aide of Prime Minister Modi and was also hailed as his 'crisis manager' in matters of foreign affairs.

The former diplomat was appointed as the Foreign Secretary in 2015, after the Prime Minister Modi-led NDA government took a decision to dismiss then-Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh. His term as the top diplomat was later extended by Modi before he retired in 2018.

After his retirement in January 2018, Jaishankar was hired by Tata Group as the president of its global corporate affairs.

The Padma Shri awardee is also known as the Indian government's key strategist for China and the US. In 2008, he was a member of the team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal under the UPA government headed by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Jaishankar had earlier served as India's Ambassador to China and then to the US. He has previously been India's Ambassador to the Czech Republic and High Commissioner to Singapore as well. He was also the First Secretary and Political Advisor to the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka.

It is believed that Modi came in touch with Jaishankar when he travelled to China as the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2012.

Jaishankar, a 1977-batch IFS officer, played a critical role in handling tough negotiations with Beijing, following the incursion in Doklam and Ladakh's Depsang.

A graduate of St Stephen's College, Jaishankar holds an MA degree in Political Science and an M Phil and Ph D in International Relations from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Jaishankar is married to Kyoko Jaishankar and has two sons and a daughter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kazakhstan's Ambassador to India Bulat Sarsenbayev on Friday said that he was so confident of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's victory in the 17th polls that he had congratulated him in February itself.

"I congratulated him in February during the 'Rising India' event. We have the opportunity to meet him...I extended him the wishes of my President and said that after the elections, we will meet you again," Sarsenbayev told ANI here on the sidelines of an event.

He also praised Prime Minister Modi for launching many reforms during his first term and stressed the need for taking these reforms forward during his second term.

"It is a good sign for India. PM Modi has started many reforms. It takes time to change situations, and implement ideas. I think PM Modi needed a second term to take forward the reforms initiated by him in his first term," he said.

Speaking after a round table discussion on 'Kazakhstan-Indian relations' held earlier in the day, he said: "Bilateral relationship should be developed through visits of citizens between the two countries."

"In 2014, issued about 6,000 visas to citizens of India. It was more than 25,000 in 2018," said Sarsenbayev.

Referring to his President's visit to India in 2009 as the Chief Guest for the Republican Day celebrations, the Ambassador said: "Politically we are very close. We have a common stand on many international issues and support each other as well."

Talking about bilateral trade, Sarsenbayev said: "The economic co-operation between the two countries is growing. It was US $ 460 million in 2015. I hope the volume will grow in due course of time."

During the round table discussion, experts presented their views on topical issues related to India and including political, trade, and economic.

(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.)
Replica of a Rafale fighter aircraft has been erected outside Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa's residence by the Indian Air Force in Delhi.

Residence of the Air Chief Marshal numbered 23, is right in front of Congress Headquarters, number 24, on Akbar Road in the capital.

Earlier, a model of the Sukhoi Su-30 was set up at the same place before being removed a few months ago.

The first Rafale is expected to be handed over to the Indian Air Force in September 2019 but it would be required to undergo intensive 1,500 hours of testing to validate the India Specific Enhancements on it. So, the first batch of the four planes is likely to arrive at Ambala around May 2020.

Air Chief Dhanoa has dubbed the fighter as a "game changer" for the IAF. "IAF is about to get two squadrons of Rafale. Rafale has the capability that no enemy can interfere in the air operations which is a big thing. It will come and change the balance back to us," he had told ANI in Bathinda earlier this month.

In September 2016, India signed a deal with the French government and Dassault Aviation to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for over Euro 7.8 billion to arrest the fall of combat squadrons and meet urgent requirements on the eastern and western fronts.

The Congress has repeatedly levelled allegations against the BJP government for alleged wrongdoings in the deal and has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of corruption, which the ruling party has out rightly denied.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi also made it an election issue and raked up the matter at every campaign rally in run up to the Lok Sabha elections. The party even promised a probe into the alleged irregularities on coming to power.

On December 14, 2018, the Supreme Court had dismissed all petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the deal, saying that there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the deal.

The top court had then said that it was not its job to go into the issue of pricing. The bench, headed by Justice Gogoi, said that there is no need to conduct an investigation into the details of Rafale pricing.

Thereafter petitioners in Rafale fighter jet deal case - Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Prashant Bhushan - in January moved the Supreme Court seeking of the judgment.

The petition stated that the verdict contains several errors and also it relies upon patently incorrect claims made by the government in an unsigned note given in a sealed cover to the court, which is a violation of the principle of natural justice.

The Centre, on May 25, filed written submissions in the Supreme Court stating that all review petitions seeking investigation into the deal should be dismissed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who opted out of the new government at the Centre, on Thursday congratulated Narendra Modi for taking oath as Prime Minister for a second consecutive term.

In a post on Twitter, Jaitley, who was the Finance Minister in the first Modi regime, stated that India is moving steadfast on the path of progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.

"Congratulations to Narendra Modi ji on taking oath for the second time as the Prime Minister of India. I wish the very best to all the members inducted in the Union Council of Ministers. India is moving steadfast on the path of progress under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi ji," he tweeted.

Jaitley had previously written to the Prime Minister saying that he would like to keep out of the new cabinet, citing his health condition.

"I am writing to you to formally request you that I should be allowed a reasonable time for myself, my treatment and my health and, therefore, not be a part of any responsibility, for the present, in the new government," Jaitley wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister.

The 66-year-old BJP leader, who was absent from Friday's Union Cabinet meeting, said he would "undertake any work informally to support the government or the party".

Jaitley, owing to his health, was not seen at the victory celebrations at the BJP headquarters after the party stormed to power with a massive mandate on 303 seats.

He has not been seen in public in the last few days, however, Jaitley did take a meeting of top Finance Ministry officials at his residence recently.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An exchange of fire is currently underway between security forces and terrorists in Dragad Sugan area of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.

Further details are currently awaited.

This comes two days after an encounter broke out between the security forces and terrorists in the Shopian district. The area was later cordoned off.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Several junior ministers in the new Modi government have expressed confidence that they would fulfil the trust reposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in them and carry out his vision for the second dispensation under him.

V K Singh whose performance as Minister of State (MoS) External Affairs was appreciated for pulling off missions like evacuating immigrants from war-torn Yemen, and now deployed in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, said, "PM Modi's decisions are always thought out. I will first understand the new ministry and ensure that the ministry's performance brings change in people's lives and enhances the credibility of the government."

Appointed as the HRD minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal, described his ministry as "the backbone" of the nation and said, "Whatever PM Modi has decided must be good. I will try my best."

Giriraj Singh, who was MoS (Independent charge) in the MSME ministry in the first term of the Modi government, said as minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries said he has already handled this portfolio in Bihar and "I will try to take this ministry to new heights."

In his comments after being retained as the MoS (independent charge) Labour and Employment, Santosh Gangwar said, "This government's major focus will be on people employed in the informal sectors. The focus of this ministry has always been on 20 workers in a factory at the cost of more than 50 % of the workforce in the informal sector."

Senior BJP leader from Karnataka and cabinet minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who has been given the portfolio of Chemicals and Ferrtilisers said, "Farmers will be one of the biggest priorities of our ministry. Apart from farmers, issues such as medicine and fertilisers will also be in focus."

Nityanand Rai, who has been made junior minister of Home Affairs, said, "I will do very hard work to fulfill the expectations of the Prime Minister.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After the release of documents related to Jussie Smollett's case on Thursday, a new revelation is surfacing in the media.

The documents revealed that prosecutors already told police detectives that a possible deal of acquitting the actor was in work before charges against him were dropped in March.

"They didn't pass it on because they didn't know it (the case) was going to be handled the way it was," The Hollywood Reporter quoted Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi as saying.

Media outlets on April 1 demanded the judge to publicize the documents so as to better understand the case and get some insight into why the charges on the actor were suddenly dropped by the Attorney's office.

The case-related documents also highlight that the Cook County office which was investigating the case informed the police department on February 28 that they will no longer investigate the crime.

Smollett was charged on March 7 and the charges were dropped on March 26 without the actor admitting any guilt.

Risa Lanier, Assistant State's Attorney also informed the detectives "that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the city of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service."

However, the detectives shut the case because an alleged offender was arrested and was being prosecuted, according to Guglielmi.

A police officer, Johnson who came to know about the deal when it was announced by the lawyers, felt justice wasn't being served.

"My job as a police officer is to investigate an incident, gather evidence, gather the facts and present them to the state's attorney. That's what we did. I stand behind the detectives' investigation," Johnson said.

The 'Empire' actor in January claimed that he was attacked by two masked men who yelled racial slurs against him as he was gay and black. He also claimed that the attackers shouted, "This is MAGA country."

After investigations, Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts by the city of Chicago. However, the charges were dropped as he forfeited USD 10,000 and agreed to do some community service.

Later, Jussie was sued by the city of Chicago for USD 130,000 in order to recover the costs incurred during his investigations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to complete the counselling process and come up with a revised merit list for admission in postgraduate medical courses in the state after removing seats allotted under Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota to 25 students.

A bench headed by Justice MR Shah asked the state government to complete the counselling process by June 4.

The court also pulled up the Maharashtra government for overreaching its order against implementation of 10 per cent EWS quota in seats for postgraduate medical courses.

On Thursday, the apex court had stayed the state government's order to give 10 per cent reservation to post-graduate medical students belonging to EWS in the general category in Maharashtra for the academic year 2019-20.

In February, the Maharashtra government had issued a notification after the state Cabinet approved the Centre's decision to implement 10 per cent reservation to EWS students among the general category in government jobs and educational institutions across the state.

Parliament had passed the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019, approving a 10 per cent reservation for economically backward sections in the general category in government jobs and academic institutions in January.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After the recent drubbing in Lok Sabha elections, BSP supremo Mayawati has called for a meeting of party leaders on June 3 to discuss the reasons leading to a dismal performance.

Newly-elected BSP parliamentarians, Lok Sabha elections candidates, zone in-charges and district presidents will take part in the meeting at the party's office in the capital.

This is the first meeting of the party after the conclusion of elections.

BSP stitched an alliance with SP and RLD in Uttar Pradesh and contested on 38 parliamentary seats, however, they could only manage to win 10. SP bagged 5, while RLD drew a blank.

BJP swept the state by bagging 62 out of the total 80 seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) here on Friday handed over 10 to 14 years jail term along with fines to six people in a cheating case involving crores of rupees.

The quantum of punishment was pronounced by the court of Rakesh Syal, Special Judge MCOCA here to all six convicted persons, namely, Vipin Sharma, Sachin Sharma, Honey Sharma, Harshad Alam, Aman Alam, and Bhupender Singh under the Section 3 of MCOC Act for cheating innocent job seekers. A

Vipin Sharma was the kingpin of the gang, which was involved in multiple cases of cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, attempt to culpable homicide, wrongful confinement among others in the capital, which was registered against them at various police stations in Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab.

As their crimes fell under the ambit of MCOCA, a separate case under Section 3 of MCOCA was registered at the Police Station of Special Cell, New Delhi, on December 19, 2009. The case was investigated by LN Rao, then ACP (since retired as DCP).

During the investigation of the case, a large number of passports in the name of different persons with work visas of New Zealand with fake documents like PAN cards, debit cards, credit cards, shopping cards, mobile phones, SIM cards among others were recovered at the instance of accused persons.

Vipin Sharma has been sentenced with 12 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 55 lakh, Honey Sharma with 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 14 lakh, Sachin Sharma with 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 14 lakh.

Aman Aalam has been sentenced with 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 14 lakh. Arshad Aalam has been sentenced with 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 14 lakh. Bhupender Singh alias Sidhu has been sentenced with 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 14 lakh.

The court of Rakesh Syal has also ordered to compensate the victims, a total of 10 victims, by way of payment of Rs 33.80 lakh by the members of this syndicate out of the fine imposed on them. (ANI)

.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth on Friday morning at the Hyderabad House here.

This comes after he held bilateral talks with the Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the same venue earlier in the day.

Modi, who took oath as Prime Minister on Thursday for a second consecutive term, has five bilaterals scheduled for today.

Apart from the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, and the Mauritian Prime Minister, leaders and representatives from all BIMSTEC member-states attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Thursday.

Prime Minister Modi held his first foreign affairs engagement with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on May 30 soon after the oath-taking ceremony.

After a massive mandate in the elections, Modi took oath as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term, inducting confidant and BJP President Amit Shah into his Cabinet along with the surprise inclusion of former Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. While he retained most of his earlier Cabinet ministers, seniors like Suresh Prabhu, Maneka Gandhi and Radha Mohan Singh were dropped.

Riding high on the plank of muscular nationalism, BJP, which had won 282 seats in 2014, improved its tally by notching up 303 seats. Along with its NDA allies, the number swelled to 353 in the 543-member Lower House of the Parliament.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held separate bilateral meetings with Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering and Bangladesh President Md. Abdul Hamid at the Hyderabad House here.

Earlier in the day, Modi held back-to-back meetings with top leaders from Nepal, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.

During talks with the Bhutanese Prime Minister, the two leaders "discussed bilateral commitments and agreed to further solidify the traditionally strong ties with a special focus on development partnership and hydropower", according to Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

After being sworn-in on Thursday as the Prime Minister for the second consecutive term, he had a bilateral meeting with Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, marking his first foreign engagement.

Leaders and representatives of all BIMSTEC member-states attended Modi's oath-taking ceremony, along with the Kyrgyz President and Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP president Amit Shah on Friday was appointed as Minister of Home Affairs (MHA) a day after he was sworn-in as Union Minister in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Shah's predecessor Rajnath Singh was appointed as the Defence Minister.

A trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah vacated his Rajya Sabha seat to contest the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and won from Gandhinagar parliamentary constituency.

Shah also referred as 'Chanakya' of modern day politics, had handled several key portfolios in the Gujarat government including the Home Ministry when BJP returned to power with Narendra Modi as its Chief Minister in 2002.

Meanwhile, who will be appointed as the party chief is yet to be ascertained.

He was party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and helped BJP and its allies win 73 out of 80 seats. In 2019 too, Shah managed BJP election campaign and also rigorously campaigned at the same time, which lead BJP winning 303 seats. BJP became the first party in India, since 1971, to return with full majority.

Shah in the past had managed election campaigns of BJP since 1989. With his excellent election management expertise, he managed the election campaign of BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani's election from Ahmedabad constituency in 1989.

Indeed, as the captain of the winning team, Shah deserves credit for turning the party into an election-winning machine. BJP won Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh under his helm.

Under his leadership, BJP, earlier considered as North-India party, spread its footprints in north-eastern states, West Bengal, Odisha, and southern states.

Shah was born in Mumbai in 1964 and was brought up at his paternal village in Maansa, Gujarat till the age of 16.

Before joining BJP in 1984-58, Shah worked for Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of RSS for some time. There, Shah was noted for his organisational skills and was appointed the treasurer of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha and subsequently the state secretary and state vice-president of the party in Gujarat.

During these years, Shah came in contact with Narendra Modi-then a rising star in the BJP. He and Narendra Modi, who was then an organisational secretary of the party in Gujarat, helped BJP mobilise its workers, which bore fruitful results for the BJP in subsequent elections.

However, challenges grew for Shah in 2010 when he was jailed in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Later, a special CBI court dismissed the case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after taking oath as the Prime Minister for the second consecutive term, Narendra Modi engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activities with terrorism becoming the focus of his discussion with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena in the wake of Easter Sunday attacks.

The Prime Minister held separate meetings with Sirisena, besides his counterparts -- Lotay Tshering of Bhutan, KP Sharma Oli of Nepal and Pravind Jugnauth of Mauritius and Abdul Hamid, President of Bangladesh, who attended the oath-taking ceremony.

Over a month after the deadly terror attacks claimed more than 250 lives in Sri Lanka, Sirisena called upon all countries across the world to come together to fight and defeat the menace of terrorism.

"Terrorism takes place in many forms all over the world. Some countries have domestic terrorists. Political and religious extremists organise extreme activities all over the world. No matter how international terrorism takes place, it affects all," he told reporters here.

The Sri Lankan leader said, "All the countries of the world must join hands against terrorism. Whether they are powerful nations or small nations, all must get together against terrorism. It is only then will we able to defeat it."

Modi will pay an official visit to Sri Lanka after completing his bilateral engagements in the Maldives early next month, Sirisena said.

"Prime Minister Modi will be visiting Sri Lanka after covering the Maldives. Prime Minister Modi's visit is very important to us. We are neighbours and friends. This relationship between India and Sri Lanka dates back to over 2,600 years. We are eagerly awaiting his arrival. It is a great honour for the people of Sri Lanka," he said.

Thanking the leaders for attending his swearing-in ceremony, Modi gave the assurance that India would continue to work towards strengthening mutual ties.

During the talks with Tshering, the two leaders "discussed bilateral commitments and agreed to further solidify the traditionally strong ties with a special focus on development partnership and hydropower", according to External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.

An official statement said, "Prime Minister Jugnauth extended his warm felicitations to Shri Modi on his re-election with a resounding mandate."

Modi thanked the Mauritian leader for attending the swearing-in function and reiterated his commitment to further strengthening the fraternal and enduring bilateral ties between the two countries in all spheres.

Both the leaders agreed to work together to achieve the shared vision of security and growth of the two countries and the Indian Ocean region during the bilateral meeting.

Marking the first order of business in foreign affairs after his swearing-in, the Prime Minister had on Thursday held talks with Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Sharipovich Jeenbekov.

The two leaders discussed ways to enhance economic and social cooperation between the two countries.

Congratulating the Indian leader, Jeenbekov reiterated the invitation for Modi to visit Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and a bilateral visit from June 13 to 15.

"Recalling that India and Kyrgyzstan have warm and friendly relations, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the strengthening of bilateral cooperation over the years. He warmly thanked President Jeenbekov for his presence at the swearing-in ceremony, expressed his gratitude for the invitation to visit Kyrgyzstan and said that he looked forward to the visit eagerly," a statement said.

Referring to the meeting, Modi had tweeted, "Held extensive deliberations with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Sooronbay Jeenbekov. Our talks covered the full spectrum of bilateral ties between our nations and ways to deepen economic and social cooperation in the times to come."

The Central Asian country is the current Chair of SCO and is an important partner of India in the region.

Thailand special envoy Grisada Boonrac also attended the oath-taking ceremony.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Flight Lieutenant Mohana Singh, one of India's first female fighter pilots, scripted history on Friday as the first ever woman pilot to become operational on Hawk advanced jet aircraft.

"Flt Lt Mohana Singh, became the first woman fighter pilot to become fully operational by day on Hawk advanced jet aircraft as she landed after a gruelling 4 Aircraft combat sortie at Air Force station, Kalaikunda , West Bengal, which was the last syllabus sortie, of being fully operational on the Hawk Jets," the Indian Air Force (IAF) said in a statement.

The female fighter pilot achieved the feat after rigorous training involving both Air to Air combat and Air to Ground missions.

"She has undertaken many practice missions which involved firing of rockets, guns and dropping high caliber bombs and also participated in various Air Force Level flying exercises. She has a total of over 500 hrs of incident-free flying of which 380 hrs are on the Hawk Mk 132 jet," the statement read.

In June 2016, Singh along with two other girls Bhawna Kanth and Avani Chaturvedi, joined the fighter stream. Flt Lt Bhawana Kanth just became fully operational by day on MiG-21 Bison recently.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has called for an emergency meeting of all its senior leaders to look into shortcomings behind the massive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

The meeting, which will be held on June 1 in Mumbai, will be chaired by NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

The NCP will review the below par and unsatisfying performance of the party in the general elections and also about the party's plan for Maharashtra Assembly elections that are due later this year.

Yesterday, Pawar met Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi to discuss a roadmap pertaining to the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

"Congress President Mr. @RahulGandhi met up with me today at my residence in Delhi. We discussed matters pertaining to the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha Elections and the drought situation in Maharashtra,' Pawar tweeted on Thursday.

The two parties won just six out of 48 seats at stake in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections - four seats had gone to the NCP and two to the Congress.

According to NCP insiders, the first batch of some senior party leaders will meet with Pawar in the morning and later all MPs, MLAs and district presidents will join the meet.

Several NCP leaders will also mention the issues they have faced during campaigning for the elections. Congress' lack of leadership and infighting in the state will be one of the keys for discussion, as per a few NCP leaders.

Some unhappy NCP state unit leaders are expected to apprise Pawar with their issues related to coordination with state Congress leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali on Friday congratulated his newly appointed Indian counterpart S Jaishankar.

"Foreign Minister Hon. Pradeep Kumar Gyawali @PradeepgyawaliK has congratulated H.E. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on his appointment as the Minister of External Affairs of India today," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted.

Jaishankar, who was recently conferred with Padma Shri, is regarded as a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was also hailed as his 'crisis manager' in matters of foreign affairs.

The External Affairs Ministry was previously headed by Sushma Swaraj, who opted out of contesting in the Lok Sabha polls citing her health. She had spearheaded various rescue operations during her term, including those in Libya and Yemen.

Earlier in the day, Modi held bilateral talks with his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hours after taking oath as a Cabinet Miniter, Dharmendra Pradhan, along with his wife Mridula Pradhan, paid a visit to Jagannath temple situated in Hauz Khas village of the capital on Friday.

Apart from Pradhan, debutante central minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi and BJP MP from Bhubaneswar Aparajita Sarangi also visited the shrine to seek blessings.

Pradhan, a Rajya Sabha MP, held the Petroleum and Natural Gas portfolio in Narendra Modi's first government.

Pratap Chandra Sarangi, hailed for his austere lifestyle, will be a Minister of State in the government.

The two ministers are representatives of Odisha - a state where the BJP gained substantially in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

The party bagged eight parliamentary seats in the state, as to one in 2014.

Besides, the BJP which got only 10 seats in the 2014 Odisha Assembly polls, upped its tally to 23 seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice to the Delhi Government and the Director General (DG), Prison over a PIL seeking conjugal rights for prisoners.

The petition sought direction to Tihar Jail Authorities for arrangements to provide Conjugal Visitation Rights to the prisoners lodged there.

Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Rajender Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi issued notice while hearing the plea filed by social activist and lawyer Amit Sahni about providing conjugal rights to prisoners.

Senior advocate Hariharan, who appeared for the petitioner, argued that the issue has been considered by various High Courts and the same requires consideration.

The Chief Justice observed that the petition involves a very sensitive and interesting issue and, thereafter, issued notice to Delhi Government and Tihar Authorities to file their response within four weeks and slated the matter for August 2.

The PIL also sought to scrap rule 608 of Delhi Prison Rule, 2018 which states "meeting to take place in the presence of a Prison Officer" particularly in a situation when a prisoner is meeting his/her spouse/lawful partner and to clarify other ancillary rules and for seeking further directions.

A conjugal visit, which may also be referred to as 'Private Family Visiting', is a visit wherein a jail inmate gets to spend time in private with a visitor, usually, a legal partner/ spouse may engage sexually.

The petition claims that the Conjugal Visitation Rights are not provided by Tihar Jail Authorities, Delhi citing that most of the prisoners fall under sexually active age group between 21-50 years.

On February 28, 2019, the 16 jails in Delhi Prisons had 15,733 inmates including 15,163 male and 570 female. The figure includes 3105 convicts, 12,136 undertrials, 13 detenues besides others. Of the entire prison population, 7,921 are in the age group of 21 to 30 years, 5809 in 30 to 50 years group and 101 inmates fall in the age group of 50 to 65 years.

Currently, 1361 convicts are serving life term while 756 are serving imprisonment ranging from five to ten years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi has written a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan requesting him to order an enquiry into the 'suicide' of a debt-ridden farmer from Wayanad.

Gandhi also urged him to extend financial support to the family of the deceased.

"I am deeply saddened by the suicide of VD Dinesh Kumar, a farmer in Neervaram, Panamaram Panchayat, Wayanad. On speaking with his wife Smt. Sujitha, I learnt that her husband had been under severe stress due to his inability to repay the loans he had taken and this pushed him to commit suicide," read the letter.

"Kumar's case isn't an isolated one. There has been a spate of farmers suicides in Wayanad, due to an inability to repay loans. What is disturbing is that while the government of Kerala has announced a moratorium on repayment of farm loans till December 31, 2019, yet farmers are still being pressurized and hounded by a loan collection agent," said Rahul Gandhi.

"I write to request you to order an enquiry, into the circumstances surrounding Kumar's death and to extend financial support to his family. Moreover, given the devastating long term impact of the 2018 floods on agriculture in India, it is crucial to consider long term measures to free our farmers from the vicious debt trap thousands of them are caught in," it read.

Rahul Gandhi will pay a two-day visit to his constituency from June 7 to thank the voters.

Rahul had on May 24 expressed gratitude to the people of Wayanad for choosing him as their representative in the Lok Sabha.

Gandhi netted 7,05,034 votes in Wayanad, and won by 4,31,063 votes against his nearest rival Left Democratic Front (LDF)'s PP Suneer in the constituency.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with his Nepalese counterpart KP Sharma Oli at the Hyderabad House here on Friday.

This comes after the newly sworn-in leader took part in separate bilateral meetings with his Mauritian counterpart, Pravind Jugnauth, and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, at the same venue earlier in the day.

Modi, who took oath as Prime Minister for a second consecutive term, has at least five bilaterals scheduled for today.

Apart from the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, and the Mauritian Prime Minister, leaders and representatives from all BIMSTEC member-states -- including Nepal -- attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Thursday.

Prime Minister Modi held his first foreign affairs engagement with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on May 30 soon after the oath-taking ceremony.

After a massive mandate in the elections, Modi took oath as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term, inducting confidant and BJP President Amit Shah into his Cabinet along with the surprise inclusion of former Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. While he retained most of his earlier Cabinet ministers, seniors like Suresh Prabhu, Maneka Gandhi and Radha Mohan Singh were dropped.

Riding high on the plank of muscular nationalism, BJP, which had won 282 seats in 2014, improved its tally by notching up 303 seats. Along with its NDA allies, the number swelled to 353 in the 543-member Lower House of the Parliament.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Holding his first bilateral meeting amongst the five scheduled for Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Hyderabad House here.

This comes after the Sri Lankan leader, along with representatives from fellow member-states of BIMSTEC, attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony on Thursday.

Modi sat down with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sooronbay Sharipovich Jeenbekov, on Thursday, marking his first bilateral meeting as the Prime Minister for a second term right after the oath-taking ceremony.

After a massive mandate in the elections, Modi took oath as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term, inducting confidant and BJP President Amit Shah into his Cabinet along with the surprise inclusion of former Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. While he retained most of his earlier Cabinet ministers, seniors like Suresh Prabhu, Maneka Gandhi and Radha Mohan Singh were dropped.

Riding high on the plank of muscular nationalism, BJP, which had won 282 seats in 2014, improved its tally by notching up 303 seats. Along with its NDA allies, the number swelled to 353 in the 543-member Lower House of the Parliament.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister will pay an official visit to after completing his bilateral engagements in the early next month, Sri Lankan said on Friday.

"Prime Minister Modi will be visiting after covering the Prime Minister Modi's visit is very important to us. We are neighbours and friends. This relationship between India and dates back to over 2,600 years. We are eagerly awaiting his arrival. It is a great honour for the people of Sri Lanka," he told reporters here after meeting his meeting with Modi at the Hyderbad House.

Sirisena was here to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony at the

Modi is likely to travel to the on June 7-8 for his first bilateral visit after assuming office for the second term, sources had said on Monday. The Ministry of External Affairs is yet to confirm the date.

"It is with great pleasure that I participated in the swearing-in ceremony. We convey our best wishes to the people of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Uttar Pradesh police on Friday arrested several people for allegedly tampering with the signboard of Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) office in Prayagraj.

The police told ANI that the miscreants replaced the word Public with "Chilam".

This incident took place hours after the Special Task Force arrested Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) examination controller Anjulata Katiyar for her alleged involvement in leaking the papers of two subjects of LT Grade teacher exam last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Patna, (Bihar) [India], May 31 (ANI): The JD(U), BJP's crucial ally in Bihar, on Friday ruled out joining the at the Centre, notwithstanding Amit Shah's telephonic call to Chief Minister this morning in a bid to persuade the party to reconsider its decision.

Kumar, who is also the JD(U) chief, made it clear that his does not want to join the new Cabinet just for the sake of "symbolic" representation but would fully support the government from outside. The BJP has full majority on its own and there should be no worry about JD(U)'s support, he added.

"This morning the BJP President called me and I told him that I have already communicated my decision to Bhupendraji (Bhupendra Yadav, BJP General Secretary) yesterday itself" he told reporters as having told Shah.

JD(U) refused to accept one ministerial berth for each ally as proposed by the BJP and declined to join the government. Other allies like LJSP headed by Ram Vilas Paswan, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena and RPI(A) joined the new Cabinet yesterday.

"We communicated our decision to them in the day. Then in the night BJP's general secretary in-charge came to me. We have communicated our decision in the day but they came in the night again.

"We have decided, We are together. Our alliance is for Bihar's development. We do not wish for symbolic representation," Kumar said referring Yadav's meeting with him last night after the swearing in.

He said if at all necessary for JD(U)'s participation then it should be on the basis of "proportion" in Bihar, suggesting the party should get more ministerial berths.

However, when pressed for the number of ministerial berths the party was interested in, the chief minister said the issue has not yet come to that stage. "We only said one is not alright. There should be proportional representation. What that proportion is, we have not come to that stage."

Referring to the discussions with the BJP on joining the government, Kumar said, "After the NDA meeting in Parliament (last Saturday), BJP president asked me to come on May 30. In the meeting, he said that an MP from each NDA ally would be inducted into the cabinet. They want to give symbolic representation to each NDA ally. I have said that it is not needed," Kumar told reporters here.

"When I discussed the proposal with my core team, they said that it is not appropriate. There is no need of symbolic representation but proportional representation is needed. We have not said anything about the seats we needed. We are in alliance and are together. We don't have any problem in that," he said.

Speaking further, Nitish said, "There should be proportional representation. We are in the government then what is the need of symbolic representation. When a party has majority government then it is their decision to make ministers."

"We are with NDA without any of our MP as Cabinet Minister. During Atal ji's time, BJP did not get full majority but today is different," he said adding that the sharing of ministries then was different.

To a reporter's question about the BJP inducting five ministers from Bihar, four of them from upper castes, Kumar said he did not want to comment on the issue because it was BJP's prerogative to do what it wants to do about their ministers.

He said everyone should remember the long queues of poor and those deprived sections, who voted in and that should be kept in mind during times of cabinet formation.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The JD(U), BJP's crucial ally in Bihar, on Friday ruled out joining the Modi government at the Centre, notwithstanding Amit Shah's telephonic call to Chief Minister this morning in a bid to persuade the party to reconsider its decision.

Kumar, who is also the JD(U) chief, made it clear that his does not want to join the new Cabinet just for the sake of "symbolic" representation but would fully support the government from outside. The has full majority on its own and there should be no worry about JD(U)'s support, he added.

"This morning the President called me and I told him that I have already communicated my decision to Bhupendraji (Bhupendra Yadav, General Secretary) yesterday itself" he told reporters as having told Shah.

JD(U) refused to accept one ministerial berth for each ally as proposed by the BJP and declined to join the government. Other allies like LJSP headed by Ram Vilas Paswan, Akali Dal, and RPI(A) joined the new Cabinet yesterday.

"We communicated our decision to them in the day. Then in the night BJP's general secretary in-charge came to me. We have communicated our decision in the day but they came in the night again.

"We have decided, We are together. Our alliance is for Bihar's development. We do not wish for symbolic representation," Kumar said referring Yadav's meeting with him last night after the swearing in.

He said if at all necessary for JD(U)'s participation then it should be on the basis of "proportion" in Bihar, suggesting the party should get more ministerial berths.

However, when pressed for the number of ministerial berths the party was interested in, the chief minister said the issue has not yet come to that stage. "We only said one is not alright. There should be proportional representation. What that proportion is, we have not come to that stage."

Referring to the discussions with the BJP on joining the government, Kumar said, "After the meeting in Parliament (last Saturday), BJP president asked me to come on May 30. In the meeting, he said that an MP from each ally would be inducted into the cabinet. They want to give symbolic representation to each ally. I have said that it is not needed," Kumar told reporters here.

"When I discussed the proposal with my core team, they said that it is not appropriate. There is no need of symbolic representation but proportional representation is needed. We have not said anything about the seats we needed. We are in alliance and are together. We don't have any problem in that," he said.

Speaking further, Nitish said, "There should be proportional representation. We are in the government then what is the need of symbolic representation. When a party has majority government then it is their decision to make ministers."

"We are with NDA without any of our MP as Cabinet Minister. During Atal ji's time, BJP did not get full majority but today is different," he said adding that the sharing of ministries then was different.

To a reporter's question about the BJP inducting five ministers from Bihar, four of them from upper castes, Kumar said he did not want to comment on the issue because it was BJP's prerogative to do what it wants to do about their ministers.

He said everyone should remember the long queues of poor and those deprived sections, who voted in and that should be kept in mind during times of cabinet formation.

(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.)
Congress and newly elected MP from Wayanad, will pay a two-day visit to his constituency from June 7 to thank the voters.

Rahul had on May 24 expressed gratitude to the people of Wayanad for choosing him as their representative in the Lok Sabha.

Gandhi, who netted 7,05,034 votes in Wayanad, tweeted in Malayalam saying, "I honour the decision of the people of the country. I congratulate all the winners. I wish to thank all the people of Wayanad who have chosen me as your representative. I also extend my thanks to each and every Congress worker for their hard work and efforts in this election."

Gandhi won by 4,31,063 votes against his nearest rival Left Democratic Front (LDF)'s PP Suneer in the constituency.

(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.)
Rajnath Singh was on Friday appointed as Minister of Defence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second Cabinet.

The BJP heavyweight headed the Ministry of Home Affairs in Modi's first tenure.

Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, incursion attempts by Pakistan and China, and the emergence of Islamic State were among the top challenges faced by Singh as Home Minister.

He represents the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, a constituency he won for the second consecutive in recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, he represented Gautam Budhh Nagar in 2009.

A politician for over four decades, Singh is well known for maintaining cordial relations with political leaders irrespective of their parties.

Known for his excellent oratory skills, the 67-year-old leader started his career as an RSS volunteer and joined in 1974 as secretary of Jana Sangh's Mirzapur unit. He was later elected as an MP from Mirzapur in 1977.

He also served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and as a Cabinet Minister during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government.

One of the senior most leaders in the Modi Cabinet, he has also served as the president of the BJP twice, 2005 to 2009 and 2013 to 2014.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday announced portfolios for 24 cabinet ministers, 9 ministers of state with independent charge and 24 Ministers of State (MoS) in Union Cabinet for the 17th Lok Sabha.

Prime Minister Modi and his Council of Ministers on Thursday took the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan for a second consecutive term.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday accused the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government of corruption in allotting contract for printing of UPPSC examination papers.

She said that some officers of the commission have colluded, taken bribes and corrupted the examination system. She further accused the UP government of siding with the defaulters and corrupt and ignoring the interests of the youth.

"The contract of UPPSC paper printing has been allotted to a defaulter. Some officers of the commission have colluded together, taken bribes and corrupted the examination system. The UP government is siding with the defaulters and corrupt and ignoring the interests of the youth," she tweeted.

The investigation conducted by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has revealed that there was collusion between the examination controller and cheating syndicates.

The Varanasi police had obtained sealed question papers from the printing press office of Kaushik Kumarkar in Kolkata. Kumarkar's company is already enlisted as a defaulter by the UP government. Allegedly, question papers for UPPSC are prone to being leaked from the defaulter's office. Questions are being raised as to why the contract was given to a defaulter in the first place. (ANI)

She said that some officers of the commission have colluded, taken bribes and corrupted the examination system. She further accused the UP government of siding with the defaulters and corrupt and ignoring the interests of the youth.

"The contract of UPPSC paper printing has been allotted to a defaulter. Some officers of the commission have colluded together, taken bribes and corrupted the examination system. The UP government is siding with the defaulters and corrupt and ignoring the interests of the youth," she tweeted.

The investigation conducted by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has revealed that there was collusion between the examination controller and cheating syndicates.

The Varanasi police had obtained sealed question papers from the printing press office of Kaushik Kumarkar in Kolkata. Kumarkar's company is already enlisted as a defaulter by the UP government. Allegedly, question papers for UPPSC are prone to being leaked from the defaulter's office. Questions are being raised as to why the contract was given to a defaulter in the first place.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a move likely to plunge the already strained relations between the United States and Pakistan to a new low, Washington on Friday announced that it has withdrawn its tax exemption programme for Pakistani diplomats.

The move has come a year after the US barred Pakistani diplomats working in Washington from travelling outside a 25-kilometre radius around the city without approval, reports Sputnik.

With the decision turning effective immediately, over 20 members in the Pakistan embassy on Friday surrendered their Tax Exemption cards to the US authorities.

Notably, Pakistan has yet to provide tax exemption facilities to the US diplomats working in Islamabad since they applied for the same last year.

Diplomatic Tax Exemption Cards provides an exemption from sales, occupancy, and other similar taxes for the eligible foreign officials working in the United States, or its territory.

On Thursday, the Pakistani Embassy in the US had said that the two countries were discussing the said matter and were hoping to resolve it soon.

"There are thus ongoing discussions between Pakistan and the US on the status of exemption/refunds on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, which should not be construed as withdrawal of any privileges," the Embassy said in a statement.

Bilateral relations between the US and Pakistan have been strained since January 2018 when President Donald Trump suspended $1.3 billion annual security aid given to Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man was arrested from Kashipur in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district on Thursday for possession of two live hand grenades, police said.

The man identified as Sarjit was in possession of a "High-Explosive grenade", police said.

"Bomb Disposal Squad found it to be a High-Explosive grenade. We are trying to ascertain from where he obtained that grenade," said Superintendent of Police, Jagdish Chandra.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mexico on Thursday pledged to provide an "energetic response" to US President Donald Trump's planned tariff hikes on Mexican imports.

"It would be catastrophic if Trump lived up to his threat of introducing tariffs over migration. That is why Mexico will not sit on its hands until June 10. If it happens, we will have to provide an energetic response," Sputnik quoted the Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister Jesus Seade as telling reporters.

The Mexican official further labelled Trump's decision as an "ice cold shower".

This comes after Trump unveiled his plan to levy tariffs on the goods coming in from Mexico if the country does not step up its enforcement actions.

The official US statement warned that if Mexico did not act as Trump demanded, the first round of tariffs would begin on June 10 at five per cent "on all goods imported from Mexico". Tariffs would then go up to 10 per cent by July, 15 per cent by August, 20 per cent by September and reach 25 per cent by October if the demands aren't met.

The release stated that Trump would carry out his threat under authority from the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and that he would lift tariffs only "if the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico".

This is not the first time the US President has warned Mexico over the illegal migrant crisis. He had threatened to shut US' southern border with the Latin American country over the issue just last month.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that there's an influx of drugs and criminals from its southern border with Mexico. He has used these claims to justify and press for the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border.

The fresh threats come at a time when the US is already locked in a trade dispute with China.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With Lok Sabha elections over, the government on Friday made public the Periodic Labour Force Survey report that placed the unemployment rate at 6.1 per cent for year 2017-18, which is set to be the highest in 45-years.

However, government sources maintained comparing the recent jobs data with past data is faulty and foolish.

The PLFS annual report placed the unemployment rate among men at 6.2 per cent and women at 5.7 per cent, combining both rural and urban areas and the overall rate at 6.1 per cent. The report prepared by agencies including the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Labour Bureau, Registrar General, and Census Commission.

The report was carried by media in January but the government did not make it public apparently in view of the ensuing elections that led to a political furore. Opposition parties accused the government of suppressing inconvenient reports. Two expert committee members including the acting Chairman of the Statistical Commission resigned protesting against the non-release of the report.

At that time, media reports had claimed that unemployment was highest in 1972-73.

According to the PLFS report, during 2017-18, the Labour Force Participation Rate was estimated at 36.9 per cent while the worker population ratio was at 34.7 per cent.

Government sources said there could be nothing farther than truth than saying unemployment in India is at a 45-year high. They contended that past jobs data was measured using the expenditure of households as a criterion. The current jobs data uses education as a criterion instead of expenditure. This is a perfect apple to oranges comparison, they said.

In India, the labour force surveys (Employment and Unemployment Surveys or EUS) have usually been bundled along with the household Consumer Expenditure Survey, conducted typically once in 5 years. The employment and unemployment surveys conducted by the Sample Survey until 2011-12 used the monthly per capita expenditure of the household in the selected villages/blocks as a basis for stratification of households.

In the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted from 2017-18, a decision was taken to use education levels as a criterion for stratification at the ultimate level.

This change in criteria from monthly per capita expenditure to education levels has direct implications on the comparability of the results of PLFS with the EUS of earlier years. In view of this, the PLFS needs to be seen as a new series for measuring employment and unemployment on an annual basis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ASSOCHAM President Mr B K Goenka extended his warmest congratulations to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers. Expressing industry's enthusiasm with the new leadership and sharing his optimism on the government's agenda, Mr Goenka said, "With Shri Narendra Modi ji taking oath as the Prime Minister for his second term, India is slated to undertake the next level of reforms for becoming a global economic power house."

Mr Goenka said, ''As would be clear from the first 100-day agenda of the new government, to which ASSOCHAM commits to contribute extensively, Mr Modi would lead the nation in all critical areas, be they health, education, enhancing financial inclusion, infrastructure, agriculture reforms and strengthening the industrial landscape."

''Empowered with a huge mandate, it is expected that the government would be able to undertake some landmark reforms in several key areas like taxation, labour and land. Some of the path-breaking reforms such as GST, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code are bound to get a further push that will help India Inc deal with issues in the banking and financial sector.

Besides, a strong and stable government would empower the RBI as well, to go in for significant cut in the lending rates, while the private sector investment would pick up pace sooner than later. ''

Mr Goenka said ''Even before Mr Modi's swearing in, some of the global head winds like crude oil prices, have started turning into tail winds. With his global image, personal equation with global leaders and leadership of global initiatives, Mr Modi is also expected to turn the US-China trade issues in favour of the Indian economy. India Inc would fully support this endeavor to attract FDI and strengthen trade ties both with the US and China''. President further reiterated that ASSOCHAM, on behalf of industry, commits to fulfilling Hon'ble PM's dream of a stronger and inclusive New India

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Sensex and the Nifty were trading in a narrow range near day's high in mid-morning trade. At 11:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 229.30 points or 0.58% at 40,061.27. The Nifty 50 index was up 76.70 points or 0.64% at 12,022.60.

Broader market underperformed. The BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.53%. The BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.04%.

The market breadth turned negative from positive. On BSE, 1037 shares rose and 1153 shares fell. A total of 129 shares were unchanged.

Shares of three state-run oil marketing companies rose after crude oil futures declined in the international commodity market. HPCL (up 2.85%), Indian Oil Corporation (up 2.61%) and BPCL (up 2.13%), edged higher.

Lower crude oil prices could reduce under-recoveries of public sector oil marketing companies (PSU OMCs) on domestic sale of LPG and kerosene at controlled prices. The government has already freed pricing of petrol and diesel.

Crude oil prices dropped on Friday after US President Donald Trump said he would impose tariffs on imports from Mexico, stoking fears about global economic growth. Brent for July 2019 settlement was down 87 cents at $66 a barrel. The contract fell $2.58 a barrel or 3.71% to settle at $66.87 a barrel during the previous trading session.

ONGC was up 0.21%. Net profit dropped 31.62% to Rs 4044.60 crore on 4.71% rise in total income to Rs 29008.74 crore in Q4 March 2019 over Q4 March 2018. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 30 May 2019.

ONGC got $61.93 for every barrel of crude oil it sold in the quarter, 3.6% lower than $64.27 per barrel realisation a year ago. Gas prices on GCV basis were 16.3% higher at $3.36 per million British thermal unit.

ONGC said total crude oil production fell 4.9% to 5.90 million tonne, but total gas output rose 7.9% to 6.558 billion cubic metre.

Most IT shares rose. Tech Mahindra (up 2.88%), HCL Technologies (up 1.80%), TCS (up 1.61%), Oracle Financial Services Software (up 1.08%), Infosys (up 0.99%) and MindTree (up 0.28%), edged higher. Persistent Systems (down 0.25%), Wipro (down 0.31%), Hexaware Technologies (down 1.07%) and MphasiS (down 1.54%), edged lower.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Aluminium Company fell 1.09% to Rs 49.80 at 12:05 IST on BSE after net profit declined 9.13% to Rs 233.59 crore on 2.15% fall in total income to Rs 2863.89 crore in Q4 March 2019 over Q4 March 2018.

The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 30 May 2019.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 89.50 points, or 0.22% to 39,742.47

On the BSE, 8.12 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far compared with average daily volumes of 8 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 51.05 and a low of Rs 49.70 so far during the day.

National Aluminium Company (Nalco)'s board of directors has recommended final dividend of Rs 1.25 per share for the financial year ended 31 March 2019 (FY 2019). This final dividend is in addition to interim dividend of Rs 4.50 per share already paid during March 2019.

Nalco has integrated and diversified operations in mining, metal and power. The Government of India held 52% stake in Nalco as per the shareholding pattern as on 31 March 2019.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(ANSA) - Rome, May 31 - A European project led by Italy is vying to develop new light-sensitive technology to repair heart damage caused by cardiovascular conditions.

The project Light and Organic Nanotechnology for Cardiovascular Disease - called Lion-Hearted - is coordinated by the Italian Technology Institute (IIT) and funded by the European Commission for the next four years to the tune of about three million euros.

Lion-Hearted is funded through the program FET - Future and Emerging Technologies.

The consortium in charge of research includes eight partners from all over Europe, such as the universities of Pavia and Bologna and clinical research centers like the Humanitas Hospital in Milan and the Charite Hospital in Berlin.

The aim of the project is to promote interdisciplinary research to study the characteristics of cardiovascular diseases to develop innovative organic materials than can be implanted in biological tissue and can be activated through light.

The idea is to create devices that are sensitive to light (optoceutic) and not too invasive so they can directly act on damaged tissue to restore cellular activity and the functions of the heart's tissue and blood vessels.

"Lion-Hearted's optoceutic platform will be based on the combination of nanotechnologies that respond to light, and light and biocompatible materials so that we will be able to work on the cardiovascular system with an unprecedented resolution, which is less invasive and more selective compared to traditional methods", said Maria Rosa Antognazza, a researcher at the Milan-Based IIT and the coordinator of the Lion-Hearted project.

"Our main objective is to restore cardiac function and vascularization, directly modulating the fate and proliferation of the main types of cardiovascular cells", she added.


The market was trading lower after the Narendra Modi government on Friday announced the allocation of the Cabinet portfolios. At 14:20 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 202.04 points or 0.51% at 39,629.93. The Nifty 50 index was down 50.95 points or 0.43% at 11,894.95.

As per the allocation of portfolios of the Union Council of Ministers, Nirmala Sitharaman is appointed as the Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs. Raj Nath Singh becomes Minister of Defence. Amit Shah is appointed Minister of Home Affairs. Nitin Jairam Gadkari is appointed Minister of Road Transport and Highways; and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Ravi Shankar Prasad (Minister of Law and Justice; Minister of Communications; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways; and Minister of Commerce and Industry); Smriti Zubin Irani (Minister of Women and Child Development; and Minister of Textiles).

Among other allocations, D.V. Sadananda Gowda (Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers); Ramvilas Paswan (Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution); Narendra Singh Tomar (Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Minister of Rural Development; and Minister of Panchayati Raj); Harsimrat Kaur Badal (Minister of Food Processing Industries); Thaawar Chand Gehlot (Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment); Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (Minister of External Affairs); Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' (Minister of Human Resource Development); Arjun Munda (Minister of Tribal Affairs); Dr. Harsh Vardhan (Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Minister of Science and Technology; and Minister of Earth Sciences); Prakash Javadekar (Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Information and Broadcasting); Dharmendra Pradhan (Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Steel); Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Minister of Minority Affairs); Pralhad Joshi (Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines); Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey (Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship); Arvind Ganpat Sawant (Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise); Giriraj Singh (Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries); Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Minister of Jal Shakti).

The first meeting of the new Union Cabinet will reportedly take place later in the evening today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his other Cabinet colleagues were sworn in by the President at a function yesterday at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

On the equity market front, indices opened higher and advanced further to hit fresh intraday high in morning trade. After hovering near day's high in mid-morning trade, benchmarks reversed trend in early afternoon trade. Indices hit fresh intraday low in afternoon trade.

Selling was broad based. The BSE Mid-Cap index was fell 0.15%. The BSE Small-Cap index was down 0.85%.

The market breadth was weak. On BSE, 847 shares rose and 1613 shares fell. A total of 141 shares were unchanged.

Auto shares declined. Escorts (down 3.04%), Ashok Leyland (down 1.94%), Tata Motors (down 1.86%), Mahindra & Mahindra (down 1.45%), TVS Motor Company (down 1.39%), Hero MotoCorp (down 0.9%) and Bajaj Auto (down 0.13%), edged lower. Maruti Suzuki India (up 0.54%) and Eicher Motors (up 0.64%), edged higher.

Shares of housing finance companies declined. GIC Housing Finance (down 3.13%), Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (down 1.79%), Can Fin Homes (down 1.14%), PNB Housing Finance (down 0.67%), HDFC (down 0.39%), GRUH Finance (down 0.31%) and LIC Housing Finance (down 0.06%), edged lower. Indiabulls Housing Finance was up 1.78%.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tata Motors Ltd is quoting at Rs 170.95, down 2.4% on the day as on 13:24 IST on the NSE. The stock tumbled 40.48% in last one year as compared to a 11.05% rally in NIFTY and a 26.31% fall in the Nifty Auto index.

Tata Motors Ltd dropped for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 170.95, down 2.4% on the day as on 13:24 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.56% on the day, quoting at 11878.65. The Sensex is at 39599.13, down 0.58%.Tata Motors Ltd has lost around 17.53% in last one month.Meanwhile, Nifty Auto index of which Tata Motors Ltd is a constituent, has eased around 2.06% in last one month and is currently quoting at 8235.7, down 0.89% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 140.14 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 266.84 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark June futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 171.45, down 2.56% on the day. Tata Motors Ltd tumbled 40.48% in last one year as compared to a 11.05% rally in NIFTY and a 26.31% fall in the Nifty Auto index.

The PE of the stock is 23.06 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.)
Vikas Wsp announced that the HOUSTON Court case is bound to be decided in favour of the company because the out of Court Settlement was done at US$ 80 million. Out of which a sum of US$ 40 million received.

For the balance, the company need US$ 40 million required to be paid with accrued interest @6% and Attorney fee, aggregating to about Rs.120 crore. Therefore, the company is in litigation for these claims and is sure to get the amount in times ahead.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two people were killed after two armed assailants opened fire on them in North East Delhi's Jyoti Nagar area, police said on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Govind Baati (28) was returning from a gym on Wednesday night, when the attackers gunned him down over personal enmity. While another man, who witnessed the crime, was shot dead while trying to escape. He was identified as Akash (21), said a police officer.

Three men, identified as Aman (19), Aashu (19) and Ankit (19) have been arrested in connection with the case.

However, the prime accused, identified as Anil and two other accused are still on the run.

"We have identified the prime accused in the case. Our teams are conducting raids to nab the accused and his associates," police said.

--IANS

rag-sp/vin

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Roger Federer, one of the oldest player at 37, will on Friday take on Casper Ruud -- the son of his rival from the 1999 French Open when the Swiss star made his debut.

Federer will be playing Casper in the third round at the Roland Garros.

In 1999, Ruud's father Christian had reached the third round of the French Open when a 17-year-old Federer made his main draw debut. In that year, Federer had made an exit in the first round itself as he lost to Pat Rafter.

Christian' last career tournament was the French Open in 2001 where he retired in the first round against Sargis Sargsian. Had Christian defeated Sargsian, he would have faced Federer in the second round.

"I know probably more about his dad than about him. Even though I never played his father," Federer was quoted as saying by the ATPTour website.

"I know that (Casper has) improved a lot in recent years, and I think he plays very well on the clay. Again, I haven't seen him play a whole lot. But for any 20-year-old to be on the big stage, playing a top guy, on a centre court, that's what you dream of."

The third-seeded Swiss, making his first appearance in Roland Garros since 2015, has defeated Lorenzo Sonego and Oscar Otte in the first two rounds of the ongoing competition.

--IANS

aak/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least five people were killed and seven injured on Friday when a car bomb targeting a convoy of foreign troops exploded in Kabul, Afghan officials said.

Kabul Police spokesperson Firdaws Faramarz said a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle at 8.40 a.m. when the convoy was passing through the city's Yakatoot area, reports Efe news.

The victims comprised four civilians and the bomber, while the injured included four service members.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the bombing, the second attack in the city in two days.

Its spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid in a statement claimed that the attack was against the invading forces.

On Thursday, six people were killed and six injured in a suicide attack on the Marshal Fahim National Defence University in Kabul.

--IANS

ksk/bg

(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.)
Akshay Kumar has secured the top spot in a list of popular Bollywood actors outside India, according to a study.

He is closely followed by Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Varun Dhawan. Akshay also became the 'most watched' actor as per the consumption study.

The findings are a part of a consumption trend study done by Spuul, a video-on-demand (VOD) streaming platform for Bollywood and regional movies. The report is based on a demographic data and consumption pattern which resulted in insights about what Indians and Indian diaspora are viewing, read a statement.

Mayur Krishna, Content - Head at Spuul, said: "Through this study, we hoped to understand our viewers' content preferences and how we could improve their experience on our platform."

The data in the report was gathered from January 1 to April 30 from more than 47 million registered users of the platform in India, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and the UAE.

--IANS

sug/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah was assigned the Home portfolio in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government on Friday.

Widely credited for BJP's spectacular victory in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections, Shah succeeds Rajnath Singh, who has been given charge of the Defence Ministry in the new government, which took oath on Thursday.

The BJP-led NDA returned to power with 353 seats in the elections. The BJP won 303 seats on its own.

Born into an affluent Gujarati family in Mumbai in 1964, Shah lived and studied in his paternal village Maansa in Gujarat until the age of 16. Upon completion of his school education, Shah's family shifted to Ahmedabad, where he became an active member of the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS).

He joined the BJP in 1984-85 and his first assignment was that of a poll agent at Ahmedabad's Naranpura ward followed by secretaryship of the Naranpura ward.

Successful completion of these tasks earned him bigger responsibilities as national treasurer of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and then as secretary and Vice-President of the Gujarat BJP. In these roles, Shah actively campaigned to expand its base, says the BJP official website.

He also successfully handled mass mobilisation of people in favour of the Ram Janambhoomi movement and Ekta Yatra, the website adds.

Having managed the poll campaigns of L.K. Advani in Ahmedabad and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Gandhinagar, he earned himself the reputation of an astute election manager.

Shah also initiated and successfully completed in 1990 the difficult task of documenting the party's primary members in Gujarat. This helped the BJP overturn established fortunes and emerge as the principal and only opposition party to the Congress in the state, says the website.

In the by-election that followed the fall of BJP government, Shah successfully contested Assembly polls from Sarkhej in Ahmedabad winning the seat by a margin of nearly 25,000 votes. He won from the same seat by over 1.30 lakh votes in 1998.

A key achievement of Shah's political career was breaking the stranglehold of the Congress over Gujarat's cooperative movement, which was a source of electoral strength and influence. In 1998, barring a single Cooperative Bank, all other cooperative institutions were controlled by the Congress.

Recognising his commitment and abilities, the BJP made Shah the President of the party in 2014. In this year's Lok Sabha elections, he won the Gandhinagar seat by a margin of 5.57 lakh votes against his nearest Congress rival C.J. Chavda.

--IANS

rak/rtp

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have called on Iran to reconsider its role in the region after accusing it of interfering in neighbouring countries' internal affairs and saying that its "actions for international maritime trade and global oil supplies" were threats to regional and global security.

In a press statement after the Gulf and Arab summits in Mecca on Thursday, the kingdom's Foreign Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf voiced support from the Gulf and Arab countries for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against the recent attacks they have witnessed.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme, Tehran's "interference in neighbouring countries' internal affairs" and its "actions for international maritime trade and global oil supplies" were threats to regional and global security, Saudi Press Agency reported.

In reaction, the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday slammed "baseless allegations" by the kingdom.

The Saudi Foreign Minister said that the Gulf countries were willing to make peace and cooperate with Iran if the latter "could stop backing terrorism in the region".

"The Iran-backed Houthi militants attacked Saudi Arabia with 225 missiles and drones, including the recent ones that targeted two oil pumping stations in the country", he said.

The Saudi Minister said the attacks escalated tension in the region and between Iran and the US.

The Saudi statement also reiterated that "the coordination and negotiation with Washington to reinforce Gulf-US ties serves the strategic partnership between both sides".

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said: "The Saudis have misused their position as the host of the meeting to mobilize the Arab states against Iran and to create division among the Muslim countries."

Arab League's Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told a press conference that his organization does not push towards confrontation in the region, but calls for stability, Arab rights and an end to Iranian interference in Arab affairs.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is showing all the symptoms associated with prolonged exposure to psychological torture and should not be extradited to the US, according to a senior UN expert who visited him in prison.

Nils Melzer, UN's special rapporteur on torture, is expected to make his appeal to the UK government on Friday, the Guardian reported.

It comes after Assange was said by his lawyers to be too ill to appear by video link for the latest court hearing of the case on Thursday.

Assange has been moved to the health ward of Belmarsh prison, London, where he has been serving a 50-week sentence for skipping bail while fighting extradition to the US.

He is accused of violating the Espionage Act by publishing secret documents containing the names of confidential US military and diplomatic sources.

After meeting Assange earlier this month in the company of medical experts who examined him, Melzer fears the Australian's human rights could be seriously violated if he is extradited to the US and condemns what he describes as the "deliberate and concerted abuse inflicted for years" on him.

Assange was arrested in April after Ecuador revoked his political asylum and invited police inside the country's Knightsbridge diplomatic premises, where he had sought refuge in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden over allegations of sexual assault, which he has denied.

"Physically there were ailments but that side of things are being addressed by the prison health service and there was nothing urgent or dangerous in that way," Melzer said.

Assange could face decades in a US prison after being charged with violating the Espionage Act by publishing classified information through WikiLeaks.

Prosecutors earlier this month announced 17 additional charges against him for publishing hundreds of thousands of secret diplomatic cables and files on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 47-year-old was previously charged with working to hack a Pentagon computer system, in a secret indictment that was unveiled soon after his arrest in April.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TEL AVIV - A 15-year-old Palestinian on Friday was killed south of Bethlehem, in the West Bank, at an Israeli checkpoint, according to Palestinian media reports quoting medical sources. The same sources said a second casualty is in serious condition.



The Maan news agency said the pair had reached the checkpoint and were meant to travel to the holy compound in Jerusalem known as Haram al-Sharif to Muslim and as Temple Mount.



And two Israelis were wounded in a stabbing attack carried out by a 19-year-old Palestinian in the Old City of Jerusalem, an Israeli police spokesman said Friday. One of the victims was seriously injured and the attacker has been killed by police, said the spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld.



According to the same source, the young Palestinian first stabbed a 50-year-old Israeli near Damascus Gate. The victim is in critical condition. Then the attacker stabbed his second victim, a 16-year-old boy, near the synagogue of Hurva, in the Jewish district, according to media reports.



Local media stressed that the attack took place on the last Friday of Ramadan, when thousands of Muslim pilgrims are expected at the holy compound known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as Temple Mount. Police said security is tight around the Old City.
West Bengal police handed over four trunks full of files and documents related to the Saradha chit fund scam investigation to the CBI officials here on Friday, a source in the central investigation agency said.

An officer from Bidhannagar Police, R.I. Mollah, on Friday brought in two trunks to the CBI's Kolkata office CGP Complex where files pertaining to the Saradha case were stored, the source said.

Two more such trunks were brought to the agency's office here on Thursday following the interrogation of Bengal IPS officer Arnab Ghosh, who was a member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police department that initially probed the multi-crore rupees ponzi scam case before the CBI took over.

According to the source, the officer who brought in the files claimed that the documents were not submitted and CBI did not ask for them specifically.

The documents are believed to be seized by the SIT team from the Saradha head office in Kolkata's Midland Park during the initial stage of investigation.

The central agency had grilled IPS Ghosh for more than 16 hours on Wednesday and Thursday about the progress of the investigation by the SIT and about the seizure made during that time, a part of which had allegedly not been handed over to the CBI.

Ghosh, however, refused to comment after his interrogation on Thursday.

"I have come here to respond to the notice sent to me by the agency. That's it," he had said while refusing to talk about the documents submitted to the CBI.

Ghosh and a number of other Bengal police officers, including the first investigation officer of the Saradha case, have been interrogated by the CBI this week.

The agency had also summoned former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar but he sent a letter seeking seven-day time as he was on leave.

The CBI is yet to issue a fresh summon to Kumar.

--IANS

mgr/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Producer Boney Kapoor has lost around 12 kg. His elder daughter Janhvi Kapoor is glad he has become "slim and trim".

"Papa lost 12 kg... Slim, trim and healthy. So proud, finally," Janhvi wrote on Instagram along with the image in which Boney is seen suited and booted.

With a red pocket square on the suit and sporting sunglasses, Boney looks happy and dapper while posing.

The producer on Thursday attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony.

On the work front, Janhvi will next be seen in multi-starrer "Takht" and Dinesh Vijan's film "Rooh-Afza".

--IANS

sim/rb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fulfilling his poll promise, the Modi government on its first day announced a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 for traders across the nation, which will benefit over three crore people.

The Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the pension scheme for traders under which all shopkeepers, retail traders and self-employed persons are assured of a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 per month after attaining the age of 60 years.

"India has a rich tradition of trade and commerce. Our traders continue to make a strong contribution to India's economic growth. In a decision that will benefit the trading community, the Union Cabinet has approved a new scheme that offers pension coverage to the trading community. This is a part of the Prime Minister's vision to provide a robust architecture of universal social security," the Cabinet said in a statement.

It said that all small shopkeepers and self-employed persons as well as the retail traders with GST turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and age between 18-40 years, can enroll for this scheme.

"The scheme is based on self-declaration as no documents are required except Aadhaar and bank account. Interested persons can enroll themselves through more than 3,25,000 Common Service Centres spread across the country," the statement said.

The Central government will make matching contribution in the subscribers' account, it said.

"For example if a person with age of 29 years contributes Rs 100 a month, then the Central Government also contributes the equal amount as a subsidy into subscriber's pension account every month," the Cabinet said.

During his poll campaigns, Modi had spoken about the need to provide pension for traders, that would assure them a life of dignity and financial security during their old age.

"This decision can also be seen in the light of several other steps taken for the welfare of traders, small and medium business," the statement added.

--IANS

nks/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CBI on Friday submitted before the Supreme Court that the agency is ready to investigate the Bitcoin scam wherein several investors across the country have claimed to be duped by the promise of high-financial returns.

The CBI's response came before a vacation bench comprising Justices M.R. Shah and A.S. Bopanna, which was conducting a hearing on the bail plea filed by an accused. The court scheduled the hearing in the first week of July.

The counsel appearing for the accused informed the bench that there are many FIRs registered against him and that he has moved the apex court seeking bail in three cases, although in other cases he has been granted bail.

The counsel also informed the court the main accused in the alleged cryptocurrency scam is on bail already, but his client has been behind bars for over a year. The counsel submitted before the court that the CBI should take over the probe, as the cases filed against him across the country would be consolidated under one investigating agency.

The court queried the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the Centre. Mehta making an oral submission before the court said the CBI is ready to lead the investigation. Government sources said the CBI has already made initial preparations to investigate the financial fraud.

Bitcoin or cryptocurrency has been blamed for "simplifying financial frauds" in the Indian markets. According to a circular issued by the Reserve Bank of India last year, Bitcoin and any other form of cryptocurrency trading has been banned in India.

A crypto community representing the India chapter had moved the court against this central bank circular, and pointed out that Bitcoin is booming across the globe. Since July 2018, the issue is pending before the top court. The next hearing is scheduled in July 2019.

The accused's counsel submitted before the court that one petition should be treated for all the cases registered against him. The court observed that it is of prima facie opinion that for every FIR registered, the accused should separately file a petition.

The court has asked the CBI's counsel and the counsel for the Maharashtra government along with other state governments to file an affidavit on record as a counter to the petition of the accused.

In 2018, Pune police arrested the director of a digital marketing company along with his brother for their alleged role in promoting Bitcoin.

--IANS

ss/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The police on Friday arrested a cheat who allegedly impersonated himself as employee in the office of Sub-Divisional Magistrate and cheated a businessman of Rs 1.60 lakh in the name of selling old vehicles lying in the office at east Delhi, a police officer said.

"The accused identified as Satnam Singh, 45, is a resident of Shakarpur. He was arrested from his hideout in east Delhi with the help of technical surveillance," Deputy Commissioner of Police Jasmeet Singh said.

"The accused on April 12 cheated a businessman, Jaspal Singh, after impersonating himself as an employee of the SDM office in Laxmi Nagar. Satnam Singh duped Jaspal Singh after promising him to sell old vehicles lying in the SDM office," Singh said.

"He later switched off his phone after taking a huge sum. Jaspal Singh filed a complaint against the accused at Laxmi Nagar police station," the DCP added.

"During investigation, Satnam Singh was identified with the help of CCTV footage of the spot," said the police officer.

--IANS

sp/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress bagged more seats in Karnataka's 56 urban local body elections than the BJP and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), an official said on Friday.

"Of the 1,221 wards in the city and town municipal councils and town panchayats, the Congress won 509 seats, the BJP 366, the JD-S 174 and Independents 160," Karnataka State Election Commissioner P.N. Srinivasachari told reporters here.

Polling was held on May 29 in 7 City Municipal Councils for 217 seats, 30 Town Municipal Councils for 714 seats and 19 Town Panchayats for 290 seats

The remaining seats were won by the BSP 3, the CPI-ML 2 and others 7.

--IANS

fb/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The tannery business in Kanpur is breathing its last.

Tannery units were shut down in December for the Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh is already over but the Uttar Pradesh government has not allowed the tanneries to reopen.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday ordered closure of 78 tanneries located in Unnao and Banthara areas. The NGT passed the order on a report submitted by a team of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and UPPCB.

According to UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) officials, as many as 106 tanneries are operating in Banthara and Unnao. The team had earlier collected samples from the tanneries from May 20 to 24 and found that they were flouting pollution control norms.

In Kanpur, 260 tanneries have been closed in compliance with NGT and government orders.

According to tannery owners, bad days began for them with demonetization that hit exports and local sales.

Then the crackdown on cow slaughter affected the supply of raw material and now the NGT order on removing all polluting units along the Ganga river is sounding the death knell of the leather industry in Kanpur.

Kanpur - once Cawnpore, the Manchester of the East - is facing troubled times with over 300 tanneries having shut down. The four lakh people working in this industry face an uncertain future.

Taj Alam, President of UP Leather Association, said: "Even if all 700-odd tanneries are shut down, effluents will still continue to pollute the Ganga as the problem does not end with us. We discharge merely 15 to 20 per cent effluents, while the rest is untreated domestic sewage. Apart from the leather industry, as many as 30,000 small and medium enterprises consisting of battery plants, chemical and detergent units, dyeing units, textile mills and metallurgical units are situated on various small towns on the banks of the Ganga. It is only the leather business which is being targeted."

Naiyar Jamal, of Kanpur Tanneries Association, too said that the industry was being asked to pay for the inefficiency of the state administration.

"UP Jal Nigam takes money from each one of us for the operation and maintenance of the treatment plant, yet there has been no upgrade for more than two decades. The old plant had the capacity to treat 175 tanneries in 1996, after which more than 500 tanneries have come up. No work on capacity building has been done and the old plant has started overflowing," he pointed out.

Apart from green issues, the crackdown on cow slaughter has also hit the industry in a big way and those in the industry claim that they have taken a 50 per cent hit because of this.

"There is a scarcity of raw material. People in the business are afraid of cow vigilantes and we are cancelling orders now because of this. If the situation does not improve, our turnover will be less than 50 per cent this year," said a tannery owner on condition of anonymity.

A member of the Council for Leather Exports, however, put the impact on the leather industry at much higher: 80 per cent.

Some tanneries are planning to migrate to 'safer' cities outside Uttar Pradesh.

Kanpur alone accounts for almost 40 per cent of the country's leather exports and Germany is one of the biggest buyers. It earns foreign exchange worth Rs 6,000 crore.

Jajmau, which is the hub of the leather industry and has hundreds of families working from inside their homes, cleaning the hides with chemicals and then selling them on to tanneries, reflects the state of affairs.

Several families have lost their livelihood due to scarce supply of hides, children have been taken away from schools and women are working as domestic help.

Raju Gautam, who cleans hides with his three brothers, said that after the crackdown on cow slaughter, his family was afraid of buying and selling hides.

"It is better to go without work than to get killed," he said.

Jamil Akhtar, a retail seller of leather accessories, said: "The governments do not understand the changing market trends. People now go for online shopping and make a bid for big brands-whether it is bags, shoes or purses. Our sales have plummeted after demonetization and instead of giving us incentives; the governments are making it even tougher for the industry to survive".

--IANS

amita/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the Central government's response on a plea seeking implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in the country to promote unity, fraternity and national integration.

The public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. A Division Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi listed the matter for hearing on July 8.

In his plea, Upadhyay sought direction to the government to constitute a judicial commission or a high level expert committee to draft within three months the Uniform Civil Code in the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution, while considering the best practices of all religions and sects, Civil Laws of developed countries and international conventions.

He also sought direction to publish the draft on a government website for at least 60 days to allow for extensive public debate and feedback.

The PIL sought direction to the Law Commission of India to draft the Uniform Civil Code. It also sought direction to the government to secure gender justice, gender equality as well as the dignity of women.

In his plea, Upadhyay said: "The objective of Article 44 is to introduce a common civil code, which is essential to promote fraternity, unity and national integration. It proceeds on the assumption that there is no connection between religion and personal laws in a civilised society."

He asserted that the Constitution guaranteed freedom of conscience and of religion, while divesting religion from personal laws and social relations and from laws governing inheritance, succession and marriage, just as it has been done even in the Muslim Countries like Turkey and Egypt.

"The object of Article 44 is not to encroach upon religious liberties guaranteed under Article 25," the plea said.

Upadhyay added that the several enactments, which had been made by Parliament since Independence on marriage, succession, adoption and guardianship, related only to Hindus (including Budhists, Jains and Sikhs) in the name of the Hindu Code.

He argued that these enactments excluded Muslims, who were the major slice of the minority communities and who most vociferously objected to framing a common civil code for all citizens of India.

--IANS

ak/akk/rtp

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The European Union is aiming to strengthen its partnership with Central Asian countries, European Council President Donald Tusk said here on Friday.

"The EU has just outlined its strategy for a deeper partnership with Central Asia and with all of its countries," he said after meeting Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Tusk, who arrived in Nur-Sultan from Tajikistan, called Kazakhstan a "crucial partner for the EU" and stressed that the positive dynamics in the region "have created new opportunities for cooperation" between the EU and Central Asia.

"Your country is a bridge between Europe and the Far East and between Russia and South Asia. With our new Central Asia Strategy, we propose to forge a stronger and modern partnership, deepen our cooperation on energy, transport and digital connections," said the Polish politician.

Tusk said he discussed with the Kazakh leader the Central Asian nation's reform programme to improve conditions for business, the rule of law, fundamental rights, good governance and the fight against corruption, Efe news reported.

"The EU is Kazakhstan's first trading partner and foreign investor. The EU-Kazakhstan enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement will soon be ratified by all EU member states," he said.

Tokayev, in turn, promised Tusk to maintain the Central Asian republic's course towards "an exhaustive and constructive association with the EU".

"We continue to work actively to deepen the strategic partnership with the main European countries. Kazakhstan's 'Road to Europe' programme and the EU's strategy towards Central Asia are examples of our successful interaction in various fields," he said.

During his visit to Kazakhstan, coinciding with the National Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repression, Tusk visited the memorial to remember the victims of the former Soviet Alzhir camp.

--IANS

soni/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay has lashed out at some Indian media outlets for using wrong pictures, including his own photo, for the country's current Premier Lotay Tshering.

Taking to Twitter to point out the gaffe on Thursday, Tobgay said: "India's media would be up in arms if any other country got the picture of their Prime Minister wrong."

He called the misidentification by the Indian media "insulting" for Bhutan.

"... They (Indian media) continue to embarrass themselves and insult us when it comes to identifying our Prime Minister. Bhutan may be small, but she is India's close neighbour and a very close friend."

He shared two screenshots on Twitter where two Indian TV channels identified Lotay Tshering wrongly.

Indian users apologized to him on the media's behalf.

The former Prime Minister then tweeted a photo of Prime Minister Lotay Tshering for "the media's ready reference". He thanked Indian social media users for the outpouring of support and understanding.

"My thanks to the many Indians for the outpouring of support and understanding. Attached is a photo of Prime Minister Lotay Tshering for the media's ready reference. The pictures used are of former Prime Minister (yours truly) and Chief Advisor of interim government (Chief Justice Tshering Wangchuk)".

--IANS

soni/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
South Africa: Health Exhibition showcases local medical devices, services

Locally manufactured medical devices have sparked interest from delegates attending the Africa Health Exhibition, underway at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.

The Department of Trade and Industry (dti) is hosting 30 local companies that are showcasing locally manufactured medical devices at the South African Pavilion that is part of the Africa Health Exhibition.

The Africa Health Exhibition is the largest gathering of healthcare companies, technology, products and services in the African continent which features 560 exhibiting companies from 39 countries and a host of accredited conferences and workshops.

Speaking at the exhibition, Director of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices at the dti, Swasthi Soomaroo, said that she was pleased that the pavilion demonstrated South Africas diversity and capability in manufacturing products that ranged from consumable devices to high value add equipment, among others.

We received Ministers of Health from Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique and Lesotho and they all were keen to observe our capabilities as a country.

They had expressed interest in some of the locally manufactured products and had also undertaken to return to further discuss possibilities of procuring some of these products, she said.

The Procurement Member of the Medical Device Manufacturers of South Africa (MDMSA), Clinton Shahim, explained that their role is to advise and provide the industry with assistance.

We look at issues that are relevant to local manufacturers, then guide members on government grants, exhibitions and upcoming conferences. We try to bring various industry players together in order to enable collaboration between companies in various areas. We also have a big focus on local content and lobby government to buy from local manufacturers, Shahim said.

Member of Evergreen Latex, Katie Lang, explained that her company has previously benefitted from the Manufacturing Competitiveness Enhancement Programme to expand the warehouse and to purchase packaging machinery.

The reception has thus far been a welcomed eye-opener. We have also liaised with some of our competitors and I do take comfort that we have a very special product on our hands. Our latex gloves contain more latex than your average gloves and they are also comfortable and rate highly when tested against allergies, said Lang.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Salvini says no migrant on Navy ship will remain in Liguria Genoa port authorities:Cigala Folgosi ship could arrive Saturday

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 31 - Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini on Friday said that none of the 100 migrants aboard a Navy vessel bound for Genoa will remain in Liguria.



"The Navy ship with some 100 migrants on board has been told to go to Genoa but no non-EU citizen will remain in Liguria or at the expense of Italian taxpayers", Salvini said.



Meanwhile Genoa port authorities on Friday said the Cigala Fulgosi vessel of the Italian Navy, which rescued the migrants off Libya, "if it arrives, it will arrive tomorrow morning".



"Yesterday we were talking about a timeframe of 36 hours", said Admiral Nicola Carlone, commander of the port of Genoa.



"I think that there will certainly be a meeting in the next few hours", he added. (ANSAmed).




A Dutch national taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf terror group in the Philippines was shot dead on Friday after he tried to escape after over seven years in captivity.

Elwold Horn, a 59-year-old wildlife photographer, tried to run from his abductors during a gun battle on the Sulu island between the Army and militants.

However, the Dutch was caught and shot dead, an Army spokesperson told Efe news.

In the gunfight, six Abu Sayyaf militants were killed and 12 others injured.

The authorities said they were unaware that Horn was with the militants before starting the operation against the terror group. His body was recovered after the clash.

Horn was kidnapped in February 2012 when five armed men boarded the boat on which he was travelling along with Swiss national Lorenzo Vinciguerra, who managed to flee in December 2014.

In April 2016, the Abu Sayyaf beheaded Canadian hostage John Ridsdel, followed by another Canadian, Robert Hall, two months after failing to receive the ransom it had demanded for their release.

--IANS

ksk/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A gunfight broke out between the security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Friday.

After receving information about militants, security forces surrounded an orchard area of Dragad-Sugan village, police sources said.

"As the security forces came closer, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering an encounter which is underway.

"Additional forces have been rushed to the area to ensure to flush out the militants from the orchard area, police sources said.

--IANS

sq/vin/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Friday granted the CBI four more months to complete probe into an FIR filed against its former Special Director Rakesh Asthana in a bribery case.

The court order came on the Central Bureau of Investigation plea seeking extension of time to complete its probe.

The probe agency had registered the FIR against Asthana, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devender Kumar and two others accusing them of taking bribes at least five times between December 2017 and October 2018 in the Moin Qureshi case.

On January 11, the court refused to quash the FIR against Asthana, Kumar and alleged middleman Manoj Prasad and directed the CBI to conclude the probe within 10 weeks that ended on March 24.

The court said that the allegations levelled against the officers were serious in nature.

According to the CBI, Kumar fabricated the statement of Sathish Sana Babu, a witness in the businessman Moin Qureshi case, showing it was recorded on September 26, 2018, in Delhi.

According to the agency, a probe later showed that Babu was not in Delhi on that day. He was in Hyderabad and joined the investigation only on October 1, 2018, the CBI added.

--IANS

ak/akk/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Centre and the Delhi government to file a response on a plea seeking protection of the Jahanpanah City Forest and ensure that the nature and character of the forest are not destroyed.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Rajender Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi called it a very serious issue and said it required the attention of the authorities.

The court also asked the Delhi Development Authority to file a reply on the plea and listed the matter for August 23 for further hearing.

The court was hearing the petition filed by advocate Amit Gupta who has sought directions to provide security inside and around the forest, removal of illegal encroachments and garbage and repair of footpath, boundary walls and benches.

The lawyer, in his plea, has raised the consistent negligence of the DDA in discharging its duties and rampant encroachment of the forest area.

Jahanpanah City Forest, one of the dense forested parks spread over 435 acres of land, is located in South Delhi.

--IANS

ak/akk/rs/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Google has reinstated Huawei Mate 20 Pro as one of the smartphones eligible for its Android Q Beta programme, Huawei Consumer Business Group India said on Friday.

Android Q OS is the forthcoming operating system (OS) by Google which is set to replace the current OS Android 9 or Android Pie.

"Users will not become victims of this global tussle and will continue to receive software updates in a timely manner," Ren Zhengfei, founder, Huawei, said in a statement.

The smartphone player added that the quality of its service as well as the software updates for its existing pool of customers will continue as usual.

The Chinese telecom giant reiterated it was confident that the issue will get resolved amicably.

The world's largest telecommunications equipment supplier had earlier this week filed a motion in a US court challenging the constitutionality of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (2019 NDAA).

The company asked for a summary judgment on whether it was constitutional for the US government to implement military spending provisions that barred government contractors from buying Huawei products.

On May 15, US President Donald Trump effectively banned Huawei with a national security order.

Earlier this week, the SD Association, a non-profit organisation at the helm of the standards for SD and microSD products, had removed the company from its membership list.

However, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) -- the world's largest contract chipset maker -- has announced the beginning of mass production of its second-generation 7nm+ process for Kirin 985 chipset.

The top-notch Kirin 985 chipset would likely feature in Huawei's flagship Mate 30.

--IANS

ksc/rtp

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A replica of the Rafale fighter aircraft has been put up outside the official residence of Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, which is attracting huge attention. The replica has come up right across from the Congress headquarters at 24, Akbar Road.

The Rafale replica has replaced a Sukhoi SU-30 model.

The Air Chief's official residence is 23, Akbar Road, just opposite the main hub of the Congress, which had made the Rafale deal one of its main election issue.

The purchase of the Rafale fighter aircrafts by the BJP-led NDA government had erupted into a big political controversy with the opposition, especially Congress President Rahul Gandhi, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of influencing the deal.

--IANS

rbe/rs/in/soni

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India accorded the highest priority to its relations with Bangladesh and the two nations have demonstrated great maturity and patience in the past five years in resolving a number of complex pending issues such as demarcation of their land boundary.

He made the remarks during his meeting with visiting Bangladesh President Mohammad Abdul Hamid.

An official release said that during the meeting, the leaders expressed great satisfaction "at the excellent state" of bilateral relations.

President Hamid, who represented Bangladesh at Modi's swearing-in on Thursday, conveyed felicitations of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was unable to be present because of prior commitments.

He invited the Prime Minister to visit the country which was accepted.

"Prime Minister Modi noted that the bilateral relationship, forged in Bangladesh's War of Liberation, remained of the highest priority to India. In the past five years, the two countries had demonstrated great maturity and patience in resolving a number of complex pending issues, such as the demarcation of the Land Boundary," the release said.

Modi emphasized the importance of India and Bangladesh raising ties to a new level, as part of a joint effort to suitably commemorate the centenary of the birth of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (in 2020) and the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's Liberation, in 2021.

--IANS

ps/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India, Australia, Japan and the US discussed cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development at Bangkok on Friday and reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

An External Affairs Ministry release said that diplomats from the four countries met in the Thai capital on Friday for consultations on regional and global issues of common interest.

"They reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific Region based on shared values and principles," it said, adding that they also reiterated their strong support for ASEAN-centrality and ASEAN-led mechanisms in the regional architecture for the Indo-Pacific and in this regard, welcomed the initiative of ASEAN towards a common vision for the Indo-Pacific.

"The officials discussed cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development, regional security including counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime cooperation, and cyber security issues with a view to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," the release said.

--IANS

ps/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth held talks here on Friday and agreed to strengthen the "fraternal and enduring" bilateral ties in all spheres.

The bilateral meeting was held a day after the Mauritius Prime Minister graced the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and his 57-member council of Ministers. The meeting was part of Modi's series of bilateral meetings with foreign leaders who attended the event yesterday.

During the meeting, Jugnauth extended his warm felicitations to Modi on his re-election with a resounding mandate.

"Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Jugnauth and reiterated his commitment to further strengthening the fraternal and enduring bilateral ties between the two countries in all spheres," the External Affairs Ministry said.

"Both leaders agreed to work together to achieve the shared vision of security and growth of the two countries and the Indian Ocean region," the ministry said in a statement.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also tweeted: "A personal connect. Prime Minister of #Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth had a good meeting with PM @narendramodi. Exchanged views on a range of bilateral issues, including development cooperation. PM Jugnauth was the Chief Guest at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas earlier this year."

Earlier, Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena held a bilateral meeting and discussed issues of interest of the two countries.

The leaders of Mauritius and Sri Lanka had been invited by Modi to attend his swearing-in ceremony for the second term.

The leaders who attended the swearing-in ceremony in addition to Jugnauth and Sirisena were Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, Myanmar President U Win Myint, Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering and Special Envoy of Thailand Grisada Boonrach.

Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, the current chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), also graced the occasion on Thursday. Modi will be attending the SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek next month.

--IANS

rak/akk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India met its fiscal deficit target for 2018-19, which came in at 3.39 per cent of GDP, slightly lower than 3.4 per cent estimated in the revised estimates of the Budget, on the back of an increase in non-tax revenue and lower expenditure, official data showed on Friday.

As per the data released by Controller General of Accounts (CGA), in absolute terms, the fiscal deficit at the end of March 31, 2019, stood at Rs 6.45 lakh crore as against Rs 6.34 lakh crore in the revised estimates of the Budget.

Although the fiscal deficit in absolute terms has gone up, as a percentage of GDP, the deficit figure has come down marginally, mainly on account of GDP expansion in 2018-19.

According to Devendra Kumar Pant, Chief Economist, India Ratings and Research (Fitch Group): "FY19 fiscal deficit at 3.4 per cent of GDP is in line with government's revised fiscal deficit target. However, in absolute term the provisional fiscal deficit in FY19 has widened from revised estimate by Rs 109.69 billion."

"Although the FY19 GDP numbers released today has helped in achieving 3.4 per cent fiscal deficit target, even with the GDP used at the time of budget preparation would have led to fiscal deficit of GDP within 3.4 per cent."

Besides, the data showed that India's budgetary fiscal deficit in April 2019-20 period stood at 22.3 per cent or Rs 1.57 lakh crore of the Rs 7.03-lakh crore annual target.

The CGA data showed the fiscal deficit during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal was 24.3 per cent of that year's target.

In April, the government's total expenditure stood at Rs 2.54 lakh crore (9.1 per cent of the budget estimates) and total receipts were Rs 94,930 crore (4.8 per cent of the budget estimates).

In the same period of 2018-19, it was 4.1 per cent of budgeted estimates received.

Of the total expenditure in this period, Rs 2.24 lakh crore was on revenue account and Rs 30,588 crore on capital account.

--IANS

ana-rv/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Moavero: stronger EU engagement in Libya Migrants, corridors. Refugees not to be left in smugglers' hands

(ANSAmed) - ROME, MAY 31 - Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi on Friday told the House and Senate foreign and defense commissions that "the situation in Libya is of extreme difficulty". "Action probably needs significant patience", he said, "especially wider international collaboration". "In particular, a much more active and visible engagement of the European Union is necessary".



Speaking about the situation in Libya, Moavero stressed that "we cannot think that only one country, although close, can bring stabilization".



The foreign minister also spoke about migration, saying that he is "convinced that humanitarian corridors for refugees are the only solution. Refugees that have the right to asylum cannot be left in the hands of human traffickers. After all, nobody should be left in the hands of these criminal organizations".



(ANSAmed).




At a live screening in Dubai's India Club that broadcast Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing in ceremony, a group of Indian expats cheered as he took oath for a second term in office.

Decked in traditional clothes, community members were invited to watch the live streaming of the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday. Consul-General of India to Dubai Vipul was also present.

Speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the event, Vipul said: "We are very happy that the swearing-in ceremony has been organised. It is the culmination of a long electoral process, and it highlighted the strength of Indian democracy. A lot of people are here at India Club to celebrate Indian democracy.

"The new government will take over, and with this, we are very excited for the India-United Arab Emirates (UAE) relationships. In the last five years, the Indian economy has done well. On the developmental side, significant achievements were made as well."

The group even got a giant Indian flag to the gathering and waved it at regular intervals.

Some rushed to the venue immediately after their work hours. Seven Dubai Taxi drivers arrived at India Club immediately after their duty hours ended, to witness the ceremony.

Rajesh Chulliparambil, a driver, said: "We are very excited about Modi's re-election. He is the common man's leader, and he will take India into the next century."

Another driver, K.A. Unnikrishnan called Modi "a great leader" and that India "was truly developing with his help".

Ramesh Mannath, the Dubai President of Indian Peoples Forum, told the Khaleej Times: "As an expatriate, in the next five years, I expect them to make NRI voting possible and higher education fees for NRIs more affordable or the same as Indian students.

"We are still pushing to get the human remains repatriation to be processed for free as well."

Modi and his 57-member council of ministers were sworn in by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a bid to spread a humanitarian message, Bethune College in Kolkata included 'Humanity' as an option in the 'Religion' section of the college admission forms, an official said on Friday.

Established in 1879, the first women's college in Asia has taken a noticeable step by keeping 'Humanity' as the first option in the 'Religion' tab of their online application forms for the undergraduate admission process that started on May 27.

"We have noticed that some youngsters don't want to disclose their religion. There were options like 'non-believer' but we thought that humanity is something that all the religions talk about. Humanity is above every religion," Mamata Ray Chaudhuri, Principal of the college which functions under Calcutta University, told IANS.

She said it is better to have faith in humanity rather than becoming a non-believer at a young age.

The college alumni and students welcomed the step.

"Being an ardent believer in humanity myself, I would really like to congratulate the college authorities for coming up with such a progressive initiative. Such a step will hopefully restore faith in mankind and help us accept the heterogeneity of views," Ananya Sasaru, a former student of the college, told IANS.

--IANS

bnd/mgr/mag/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Louisiana Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards has signed a bill into law that will ban abortions in the US state once a heartbeat is detectable with no exceptions for rape or incest, according to his office.

Louisiana joins Mississippi, Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri, which have all passed so-called "heartbeat" bills this year, CNN reported.

Along with Alabama's near-total ban on abortion, the heartbeat bills are part of a conservative nationwide push to bring a Supreme Court challenge to the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalised abortion in the US.

Edwards signed the bill into law on Thursday after it passed the state House by 79-23 on Wednesday.

It would "prohibit the abortion of an unborn human being with a detectable heartbeat", which can occur as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women know they're pregnant.

The bill would require an ultrasound prior to an abortion and subject doctors who perform abortions after a heartbeat is detected with a $1,000 fine or up to two years in prison.

The bill was introduced by Republican state Representative Valarie Hodges, who called it "a very solemn responsibility", reports CNN.

The Louisiana law will go into effect only should a federal appeals court uphold a similar Mississippi law.

The federal judge hearing the case expressed deep scepticism toward the Mississippi measure last week, especially its lack of exceptions for rape or incest.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday held her party Trinamool Congress' core committee meeting where she accused the BJP of manipulating the EVMs in the Lok Sabha polls and asked her party members to initiate a mass movement against it, a Trinamool Congress source said.

She questioned how BJP President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi were so confident about getting 300-plus seats even before the election had ended, the source said.

Urging the party leaders and activists not to lose their heart over the results of 2019 polls, which saw the BJP making stunning inroads in Bengal by winning 18 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats, Banerjee said the party will spring back in the future elections.

The Trinamool Congress supremo, who had announced the formation of 'Jai Hind Vahini' and 'Banga Janani Vahini' by the party's youth and women workers on Thursday to counter the rise of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP in the state, also named the party leaders who would head the groups during Friday's meeting.

State minister Bratya Basu and Indranil Sen have been made the chairman and vice-chairman of Jai Hind Vahini while female MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar will head the Bango Jajani Vahini.

The core committee meeting was earlier postponed to June 3, after Banerjee had accepted the invitation to Prime Minister Modi's swearing-in ceremony but was back on track after Banerjee announced her decision not to attend the event.

Apart from making certain changes in the party's structure, Banerjee has asked the state transport minister Subhendu Adhikari to monitor the functioning of party in all the districts.

--IANS

mgr/prs

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Keeping his reputation of surprising people with unexpected steps intact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi selected Nirmala Sitharaman as the Finance Minister.

The Defence Minister in the last NDA government, from 2017, Sitaraman made it to the North Block against all the speculations doing the rounds either Amit Shah or Piyush Goyal leading the Indian economy. She will also head the Corporate Affairs Ministry in the new government.

A member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, the next big task at her hand is to present the Union Budget, which is likely in the first half of July.

Piyush Goyal, who was widely expected to get the Finance portfolio, will be the Commerce Minister of the country along with additional charge of the Railway Ministry. Goyal succeeds Suresh Prabhu in the Commerce Ministry.

Prabhu was dropped from PM Modi's new cabinet along with several other ministers who were present in the last ministry. Another key economic portfolio, Petroleum and Natural Gas has been retained by Dharmendra Pradhan who helmed the ministry during 2014-19. Pradhan will also be the Minister of Steel in the new government.

Ravi Shankar Prasad will be the Communications Minister, which includes the Telecommunications Department and the Department of Post. He will also continue to hold the Law and IT Ministry in the new cabinet.

Nitin Gadkari will continue to be the Road Transport and Highways Minister while also handling the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry.

The Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Ministry has gone to Shiv Sena's Arvind Ganpat Sawant. Lok Janashakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will continue with the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry.

Smriti Irani, R.K. Singh and Shiromani Akali Dal's Harsimrat Kaur Badal will continue with Textiles, Power and New and Renewable Energy and Food Processing Ministries respectively. Irani, who turned out to be a giant slayer this election by defeating Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, will also hold the Women and Child Development Ministry.

While, Kaur and Irani are in the Union Cabinet, Singh will be a Minister of State with Independent charge. The bureaucrat-turned-politician will also hold the portfolio of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Hardeep Singh Puri, will take over as the Civil Aviation Minister along with continuing in the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

--IANS

rrb/sn/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delivering his first election promise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday constituted a Ministry for "Jal Shakti" and appointed Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as its Minister.

The newly-created Ministry will replace the previous Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry. It would ensure optimal utilisation of water.

Addressing an election rally in Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, Modi had promised that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was voted to power, his government would ensure the establishment of a separate Jal Shakti Ministry.

The pre-poll promise was significant as Tamil Nadu had been dealing with multiple issues over the allocation of water with its neighbouring states of Kerala and Karnataka.

Shekhawat, the former Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, is a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Rajasthan's Jodhpur constituency.

He defeated Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, from Jodhpur by a margin of 2,74,440 votes. In 2014, he was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha for the first time.

Shekhawat, an expert in technology, began his political career in 1992 as President of the student union at the Kai Narain Vyas University in Jodhpur and is closely associated with the Sangh Parivar.

--IANS

bns/ksk/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after Prime Minister of Bhutan Dr. Lotay Tshering attended the swearing-in ceremony of the his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, the two holds a meeting on Friday.

In the bilateral meeting, Tshering congratulated Modi for his re-assumption of office and conveyed the felicitations of King of Bhutan, an official statement said.

Dr. Lotay Tshering said he looked forward to working closely with Modi and the government of India.

He reiterated the invitation for Modi to visit Bhutan at the earliest.

Modi accepted the invitation to visit Bhutan on mutually convenient dates.

During the day, Modi also held meeting with his counterparts from Mauritius and Nepal, along with meeting the Presidents of Kyrgyz Republic, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

--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.)
The top four slots in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Team 2.0 have new faces rejigging key portfolios, with Amit Shah, who crafted a Modi wave in the elections, getting charge of the Home Ministry and effectively becoming the number 2 in the cabinet.

With the BJP President's appointment, the Modi-Shah team will be the twin engines propelling the government. It is a familiar turf for the two as Shah was Modi's Home Minister for long when Modi was the Chief Minister in Gujarat.

Rajnath Singh, the Home Minister in the Modi I government, has been moved across the road from North Block to South Block as the Defence Minister.

He will replace Nirmala Sitharaman who, in the biggest surprise, is the new Finance Minister replacing Arun Jaitley who was not included in the cabinet because of ill health.

Nirmala Sitharaman will be the first woman Finance Minister after Indira Gandhi, when she was the Prime Minister. Sitharaman had achieved a similar feat when she was made the Defence Minister in the previous Modi government.

There was no surprise, however, in the External Affairs Ministry as the inclusion of former Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and the axing of Sushma Swaraj from the council of ministers left no doubt where he was headed.

The Prime Minister also fulfilled his campaign promise of setting up a Ministry of Jal Shakti to deal with all water, a scarce resource, related issues. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who won from Jodhpur, will be the first leader to head the Jal Shakti Ministry.

Among other significant changes, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will be the Human Resource Development Ministry (HRD), replacing Prakash Javedkar who gets back environment, forest and climate change and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Harsh Vardhan has been made the new Health Minister replacing J.P. Nadda, who was dropped amidst speculations that he could be made the new BJP President as the Himachal Pradesh leader is considered close to Modi.

Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey gets skill development, a Ministry close to PM's heart but has not taken off in the manner it was perceived to be.

But many ministers have retained their portfolios. Most notable among them is Ravi Shankar Prasad, who continues to be Law Minister and will also be Minister for Communication and Electronics and IT.

Piyush Goyal, who was also in the race to become Finance Minister, retains his railways portfolio and also gets Commerce and Industry.

Dharmendra Pradhan also retains Petroleum Ministry. His other portfolio is steel.

Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, has been given women and child development, a Ministry held by Maneka Gandhi who was dropped from the council of ministers. Irani will also continue to hold the textile ministry.

Among the allies, Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena gets heavy industries and Harsimrat Badal, the sole Akali Dal Minister, retains food processing industry.

--IANS

gd/mr/soni

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Overcoming difficult times following the worst ever floods, tourist arrivals in Kerala shot up by an impressive 6.82 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 as compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.

According to the Tourism Department, a total 46,12,937 tourists (domestic and foreigners) visited the state between January and March as compared to 43,18,406 in the same period in 2018.

The number of domestic tourists was 41,90,468 against 38,77,712, an increase of 8.07 per cent.

However, the number of foreign tourists suffered a dip of 4.14 per cent -- to 4,22,469 from 4,40,694.

The increase in domestic tourist footfalls, especially in Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Idukki, the worst affected districts on account of the floods in August-September last year, is a pointer that the state's tourism is recovering.

Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said there was fear that Kerala's tourism would take a long time to recover.

"But we were able to allay these apprehensions by swiftly putting in place an effective action plan to win back the confidence of tourists. The increase in domestic tourist arrivals is a strong testimony to it," said Surendran.

--IANS

sg/rs/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rajasthan Police are hunting for an Imran Bhati who married a Hindu woman after introducing himself as a Kabeer Sharma, claimed a huge dowry and now is missing along with the woman.

A case has been registered in Sikar against Imran Bhati, who it turns out was already married and was a father of three children.

"Bhati introduced himself as an unmarried Brahmin to my daughter, proposed to her and then married her in the presence of his fake parents and fake relatives who too introduced themselves as Brahmins," the woman's father told the police.

The marriage was solemnized on May 13 in Jaipur. Earlier, an engagement ceremony was held where the "fake relatives" came sporting tilak on their foreheads.

"They even revealed their 'gotra'. When I was fully satisfied, I fixed their marriage on May 13," said the agonized father.

A few days after the wedding, the man sent my daughter back to Sikar demanding Rs 5 lakh as additional dowry. "Somehow I borrowed Rs 2.5 lakh from a friend. And then my daughter went missing on May 17. Even the gold kept in our house is missing," said the father.

When the father went to Jaipur with the wedding pictures, he was stunned to find the reality.

He learnt that the man was not Kabeer Sharma but Imran Bhati who was already married and that he once worked with a motor company.

Police officials who were told the bizarre story on May 25 were equally stunned.

Superintendent of Police Amandeep Singh Kapoor said the police had formed a special team to trace the missing man and woman.

The girl's father said he had only one daughter and hence he gave "a huge dowry" including Rs 11 lakh in cash, jewellery worth Rs 5 lakh and expensive dresses.

Police officials said the entire plot was masterminded "very smartly". Even videographers and photographers were chosen by the "groom".

However, the girl's family had a few pictures on their mobiles showing the marriage being conducted in line with Hindu rituals.

--IANS

arc/mr/soni/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The feature-length film "Twin Flower", directed by Laura Luchetti, is scheduled to hit Italian theatres in June. It tells the love story of two adolescents - an illegal African migrant and the daughter of a migrant trafficker - in Sardinia.



ROME - A film by director Laura Luchetti and set in Sardinia, which tells a love story between two adolescents - one an illegal African migrant and the other the daughter of a migrant trafficker - is set to hit Italian theatres in June. The film, "Twin Flower", stars Kallil Kone and Anastasyia Bogach in debut performances. The Sardinian frontier portrayed in the movie makes it seem almost like a Western, in Luchetti's second feature-length film. The adolescents meet in Sardinia and undertake a dangerous journey across the island's deserts, forests, and mysterious pathways, as seen through the lens of Ferran Paredes Rubio.



A dark tale of two teens fleeing their pasts Twin Flower received the Discovery Prize, Honourable Mention from the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) at the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival in 2018. It hits Italian theatres on June 6, distributed by Fandango. Luchetti said the film "is the dark tale of two adolescents: Anna, fleeing her past, and Basim, racing towards his future". "They don't speak the same language, they come from worlds very far apart, both are on the run. Theirs is a desperate friendship that turns into love. It's the tale of recapturing the innocence of two wounded souls who have all the strength and enthusiasm of their young years inside," Luchetti said.



Reality mixes with fiction In the case of both, reality mixes with fiction. Kallil Kone (Basim), Lucchetti said, "actually did disembark a boat from Libya just months before shooting started". "He fled on foot from the Ivory Coast, reached the Mediterranean coast, where he boarded a rubber dinghy for Italy. His dream was to become an actor," she said. Luchetti said Anastasyia Bogach is also "a creature adopted by Sardinia". "She arrived on the island at four years old, during the night, on a van from Ukraine," Luchetti said. The film was shot in Sant'Antioco, Gonnesa, San Giovanni Suergiu, Ussana and Siliqua, with the support of the Region of Sardinia and the Sardinia Film Commission. It was produced by Picture Show with Donkadillo Films and Rai Cinema, Fandango International Sales. The cast of Twin Flower also includes: Aniello Arena, Mauro Addis, Fausto Verginelli, Franco Pintus, Alessandro Pani and Giorgio Colangeli.



PHOTO: A scene from the film
North Korea executed its special envoy to the US and four others following the breakdown of a second summit between regime leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump, a key South Korean daily reported on Friday.

Citing the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, the New York Times reported that envoy Kim Hyok-chol was executed by a firing squad in March at the Mirim airfield in a suburb of Pyongyang.

He had laid the groundwork for the Vietnam meeting between Trump and Kim in February and even accompanied the regime leader on his private train for the summit.

Kim Hyok-chol faced the charge that he was "won over by the American imperialists to betray the supreme leader", the newspaper said.

Four officials of the North Korean Foreign Ministry were also executed, the South Korean daily reported, without providing any hint of who its source might be or how it obtained the information. These officials were not named.

South Korean officials could not confirm the Chosun Ilbo report.

North Korea has not reported any execution or purge of top officials in recent months. The country remains the world's most isolated, and outside intelligence agencies failed to figure out or misinterpreted what was going on in the closely guarded inner circles of Kim Jong-un.

The New York Times, citing the South Korean daily reported that Kim Yong-chol, a senior Workers' Party vice chairman who visited the White House as the main point man for with the US, had been "purged, sentenced to forced labour" in a remote northern province.

Also sent to a prison camp was Kim Song-hye, a senior female nuclear negotiator who teamed up with Kim Hyok-chol in working-level negotiations ahead of the Kim-Trump summit, the South Korean newspaper said.

North Korea even sent a summit translator to a prison camp for committing a translation mistake, it said.

On Thursday, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, carried a commentary warning against "anti-party, anti-revolutionary acts" of officials who "pretend to work for the supreme leader in his presence but secretly harbour other dreams behind his back".

"Such characters won't escape the stern judgment from the revolution," the North Korean newspaper said.

During the Hanoi summit, Kim had asked Trump to lift the "most painful" international sanctions against his country in return for partially dismantling his country's nuclear weapons facilities.

The meeting collapsed when Trump rejected the proposal, insisting on a rollback of Pyongyang's entire weapons of mass destruction programme before lifting sanctions.

--IANS

soni/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after taking oath as the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has gone for a major shake-up in the administration, shunting out the police chief and four Secretaries in the Chief Minister's Office.

As expected, Jagan Reddy carried out the rejig in the top echelons of the police department, replacing Director General of Police (DGP) R.P. Thakur with Damodar Goutam Sawang.

Thakur, who was considered close to Jagan's predecessor N. Chandrababu Naidu, was posted as Commissioner, Printing & Stationery and Stores Purchase, considered a loop posting.

Chief Secretary L.V. Subrahmanyam late Thursday issued orders appointing Sawang as the head of police force.

Sawang, who is Director, Vigilance & Enforcement Department, was given full additional charge as the new DGP. He is eventually expected to take regular charge as the state police chief.

Hours after his appointment, Sawang met Jagan Reddy at the latter's office and discussed the law and order situation in the state.

Jagan Reddy is understood to have given him necessary instructions on reshuffle in the police administration.

In another major reshuffle, the new government transferred A.B. Venkateswara Rao, Director General, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). He was directed to report to the General Administration Department for further posting.

Kumar Vishwajeet, Additional Director General, Intelligence, was given full additional charge as Director General, ACB, until further orders.

Venkateswara Rao was Additional Director General, Intelligence, when the Election Commission shunted him out in April following a complaint by Jagan's YSR Congress Party that he was supporting the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

The new government also shunted out four IAS officials from the Chief Minister's Office.

They are Satish Chandra, Special Chief Secretary to CM, G. Sai Prasad, Principal Secretary to CM, M. Girija Shankar and Adusimilli V. Rajamouli, both Secretaries to CM. They were directed to report to General Administration for further postings.

Solomon Arokia Raj, Secretary, Industries & Commerce Department, was posted as Secretary to the Chief Minister. Shamsher Singh Rawat, Principal Secretary to Government, Social Welfare, was transferred and posted as Principal, Finance Secretary.

P. Krishna Mohan Reddy, Special Grade Deputy Collector (Retd), was appointed as Officer on Special Duty to the Chief Minister.

All the orders were issued by Chief Secretary Subrahmanyam, who is likely to continue on the top post.

He was appointed as Chief Secretary by the Election Commission after shunting out A.C. Punetha on charges of allegedly defying the poll panel's order on transfer of some officials.

--IANS

ms/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the decks for BJP President Amit Shah to become the new Home Minister of the country, messages warning stone pelters in Kashmir, terrorists, Maoists and the so-called "Tukde Tukde Gang" flooded Twitter, while others dubbed it a poor choice.

"Stone pelters in Kashmir, Bangladeshis pack your Bag. India has got new Sardar Patel as Home Minister @AmitShah," tweeted Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, spokesperson, BJP Delhi.

"Amit Shah is the new Home Minister! Beware all 'Tukde Tukde Gang', terrorists, Maoists and their supporters! Your dad is here... #HomeMinistry," wrote another Twitter user.

Memes mocking Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other opposition leaders also started doing the rounds on the social media.

While one person wondered if Kejriwal fell ill hearing the news of Shah becoming the Home Minister, someone else made a meme of fugitive Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik saying: "I love India. India is best..."

"Meet the new Home Minister of India. IB will directly report to him. AB HOGA NYAY," wrote one Twitter user.

"Mota Bhai is the new Home Minister of India. All those pseudo-liberals who wanted to leave India, now is the time," said another user.

"Amit Shah broke the back of terrorism in Gujarat as Home Minister. As union Home Minister, he'll take anti-corruption cases against Vadra, National Herald, Chidambarams & others to a quicker conclusion apart from handling Naxal & Pak terrorism, J&K & keeping an eye on the party," wrote journalist Minhaz Merchant.

Shah's new job also drew criticism. "Amit Shah is Home Minister. What a time to be alive," lamented columnist Mitali Saran.

"A few years ago, a bunch of tapes came out in public domain in which a man could be heard instructing Gujarat Police to stalk a woman. That man is now going to be a Union Minister of India. #NewIndia," Alt News Co-founder Pratik Sinha tweeted.

"That man is now the Home Minister of India. Achhe Din ahead for women safety and privacy," said Dalit rights activists Jignesh Mevani.

Called the "Chanakya" of modern day Indian politics, Shah became Modi a loyalist as both were associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since their early days.

During his tenure as a minister in Gujarat, Shah held several portfolios including transport, police, housing, border security, civil defense, gram rakshak dal, Home Guards, prison, prohibition, excise, law and justice, parliamentary affairs and the coveted Home Ministry.

--IANS

gb/rtp

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Nitish Kumar's decision to opt out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government has initiated a fresh debate about the changing political possibilities in Bihar. But this is not the first time the Bihar Chief Minister is seen standing against the popular verdict.

Addressing mediapersons on Friday, Nitish Kumar maintained that there was no problem in the JD-U's alliance with the saffron party over the number of ministerial berths offered to it, but added that his party stayed out as it did not want a symbolic representation in the Modi government.

The JD-U chief said his party's decision came after BJP President Amit Shah told them that one cabinet berth each was allotted to the NDA allies.

"We have told the BJP that we're neither unhappy nor dissatisfied. But getting symbolic representation in the Central government would be injustice to the people of Bihar, which goes for Assembly elections next year," said JD-U leader K.C. Tyagi.

Reportedly, the BJP was offering the JD-U just one seat in the Council of Ministers and the portfolio was also not of its choice.

"The JD-U was asking for fair treatment as both the allies have won an almost similar number of seats in Bihar. Nitish Kumar has stayed out of the government while preferring to remain with the NDA. The BJP must now show some magnanimity," said political analyst Surendra Kishore.

According to Kishore, "If just one JD-U MP was made a minister, the others would've started sulking. By opting out, Nitish Kumar has prevented any rifts in his party."

Known to be a tough negotiator, Nitish Kumar has often surprised political experts by swimming against the tide, whether he was with the opposition Grand Alliance (with the RJD and Congress) or with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

He supported the Modi government's decision to demonetise the currency. After India's surgical strikes on Pakistan, he went against the Opposition, which was demanding evidence, to back Modi.

But the present crisis between the NDA allies is likely to have ramifications. For long the JD-U has differed with the BJP on issues such as Article 370, the Ram Temple, Triple Talaq and the Uniform Civil Code. And it has publicly voiced its opinion on these.

The Nitish Kumar-led party has now started fanning the demand for special status to Bihar. His coalition government has 73 JD-U MLAs and 54 BJP MLAs in the 243-member Bihar assembly.

--IANS

hindi/rtp/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking allowing of conjugal visits in prisons, with the argument that such a step is necessary to meet the fundamental and human rights of those incarcerated and also the spouses of those behind bars who suffer without any fault of their own.

A division Bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi on Friday asked the Delhi government and Director General of Prisons to file a response to the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on August 2.

Social activist and lawyer Amit Sahni, who filed the petition through advocate N. Hariharan, told the court that denial of the right to conjugal visits abrogates basic fundamental rights as well as human rights of inmates in Delhi prisons.

The concept of a conjugal visit is to allow a prison inmate to spend a particular period of time in private with legal spouse, during which they may also engage in sexual activity.

In his plea, Sahni said conjugal visitation rights were not provided in prisons in the state though most of the prisoners fall in the category of sexually active age group.

"Despite courts taking a progressive approach and various countries allowing conjugal visits considering it an important human right, and also in the light of studies backing conjugal visits as a factor to cut down crimes in jail and reform inmates, the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018 are totally silent on the issue," the petition said.

"The conjugal visit cannot be denied to prisoners on the ground of already existing provisions of parole and furlough, which in any case, are not available to undertrial prisoners," the plea said.

The petitioner said the conjugal visits are to meet the fundamental and human rights of those incarcerated and also the spouses of those behind bars who suffer without doing any wrong.

The petitioner has sought direction to set aside Rule 608 of Delhi Prison Rule, 2018, which mandate the presence of a prison officer when a prisoner is meeting his or her spouse.

He said that his petition is solely guided by the plight of many inmates and their spouses who, though not incarcerated, end up suffering the loss of conjugal relationship and the desire of becoming parents.

Conjugal visits can be a preventive step to control sexually transmitted disease and the high rate of sexual crimes in prisons, the petitioner added.

--IANS

ak/akk/bc

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Union Minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday said the party will continue its legal fight against Chennai-Salem eight-lane Expressway project.

The Tamil Nadu government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court's order quashing the land acquisition proceedings for the project.

In a statement issued here, Ramadoss said the PMK had been opposing the project as it was unnecessary as there were three highways connecting Chennai and Salem and one national highway was being converted into a four-lane road between Vaniambadi and Salem.

Ramadoss said the proposed 277-km eight lane Expressway will affect the livelihood of over 10,000 farmers.

In April, the Madras High Court quashed the land acquisition proceedings as the project would affect the and clearance was necessary for the road project.

Both the Modi government and the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu are interested in the project.

--IANS

vj/rs/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the bail plea of Sukesh Chandrashekhar, an aide of AMMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran, in a bribery case related to poll symbol allocation by the Election Commission.

Justice Mukta Gupta, dismissing the bail plea, said: "... the allegations against the petitioner (Chandrashekhar) are serious in nature as there has been recovery for a sum of Rs 1.3 crore from his hotel room."

Also observing that he had used the forged identity card of a Rajya Sabha member and a forged sticker of Member of Parliament affixed on his Mercedes, the court said that this clearly gave Chandrashekhar entry to all sensitive areas, thereby compromising security.

Chandrashekar was arrested from a south Delhi hotel on April 16, 2017 allegedly with Rs 1.3 crore that was meant for bribing the poll panel members.

Chandrashekhar and Dhinakaran, who was sidelined in Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK, are accused of having tried to bribe Election Commission officials to get the "Two Leaves" poll symbol for the faction led by the latter's aunt V.K. Sasikala in the wake of the split in the AIADMK following the death of J. Jayalalithaa.

Dhinakaran was arrested on April 25 last year. He was granted bail on June 1, 2017.

The bribe amount is said to be of the order of Rs 50 crore.

The Delhi Police on July 14 last year chargesheeted Chandrashekhar for forgery and more.

Later, in December 2017, police filed a supplementary chargesheet in the case naming Dhinakaran, his long-time friend Mallikarjuna, alleged middleman Chandrashekhar and others as accused in the case.

Police said a criminal conspiracy was hatched by persons including Dhinakaran to bribe Election Commission officials.

--IANS

ak/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering him 101 suggestions to plug the gaps in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation and help alleviate problems faced by businesses.

In his letter, Singh congratulated Modi on his spectacular win in the recent Lok Sabha elections and welcomed his resolve to speedily take the country on a trajectory of high growth and social justice.

The Chief Minister said he looked forward to working with Modi to bring prosperity to the people of India as well as the state.

Specifically, the Chief Minister made several suggestions to help improve state GST collections and narrow their revenue deficit. According to him, State Goods and Service Tax rate should be higher than Central Goods and Service Tax so that the states do not suffer huge deficits.

He also suggested an amnesty scheme to overcome the aberrations that led to serious confusion in the business circles in the initial phase of GST implementation, and said there was no need to continue with VAT legacy issues, which should find a sunset clause.

Pointing out that India had the dubious distinction of being among the five countries in the world that have four or more non-zero GST rates, the Chief Minister called for, ideally, a single GST rate, but said it should include not more than two rates for any chapter and not more than one rate at four-digit level of any chapter sub-heading.

"This will ensure harmonisation of tax rate across similar supplies and avoid classification disputes besides opportunities to evade," he said giving the example of different tax rates under various modes of transport.

The Chief Minister has also suggested widening the GST net to include electricity, real estate and petroleum to make it a win-win situation for the states as well as businesses.

--IANS

vg/rtp

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress President Rahul Gandhi will pay a two-day visit to Wayanad in Kerala, his Parliamentary constituency, on June 7 and 8 to thank the voters.

"Congress President and newly elected Member of Parliament from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi will be visiting his constituency on 7th and 8th June to thank the people for their love and support," the Congress President's office for Wayanad tweeted.

According to Congress leaders, Gandhi will visit all the seven Assembly constituencies of Wayanad to thank the people.

Gandhi had decided to contest on two seats in this election. He won from Wayanad with a record margin of 4,31,770 votes. The Congress chief defeated his rival P.P. Suneer of the Communist Party of India who secured 2,74,597 votes. Gandhi received 7,06,367 votes.

However, the Congress President lost from his family pocket borough of Amethi to his rival BJP's Smriti Irani by a margin of 55,000 votes.

--IANS

aks/rs/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Swinging into action on the first day of getting it's new minister, the Ministry of Human Resource Development on Friday placed the draft report on the National Policy in the public domain. The committee constituted by the government for the preparation of the policy has proposed to rename the MHRD as Ministry of (MoE).

The report was released by Ramesh Pokhariyal 'Nishank', who took charge of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry on Friday.

The 484-page report has been put on the ministry's website for suggestions from the public till June 30.

Officials said that suggestions will also be taken from other states on the draft report. "These will then be examined before taking the report to the cabinet in July," an official said.

"The Draft National Policy, 2019 is built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability. It envisions an India-centred education system that contributes directly to transforming our nation sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high quality education to all," the ministry said.

The committee has proposed a major reconfiguration of curricular and pedagogical structure with Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as an integral part of school education. It also recommends extension of the Right to Education Act, 2009 to cover children of ages 3 to 18 instead of 6 to 14 years.

"A 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure is based on cognitive and socio-emotional developmental stages of children: Foundational Stage (age 3-8 years): 3 years of pre-primary plus Grades 1-2; Preparatory Stage (8-11 years): Grades 3-5; Middle Stage (11-14 years): Grades 6-8; and Secondary Stage (14-18 years): Grades 9-12.

"Schools will be re-organized into school complexes. It also seeks to ensure foundational literacy and numeracy through Remedial Instructional Aids Programme (RIAP) and National Tutoring Programme (NTP) and a host of curricular and reduced content load in school education curriculum," it said

The draft proposes no separation of learning areas in terms of curricular, co-curricular or extra-curricular areas and all subjects, including arts, music, crafts, sports, yoga, community service, etc. will be curricular. "It promotes active pedagogy that will focus on the development of core capacities and life skills, including 21st century skills," it added.

The draft proposes a flexible curriculum for secondary education that will enable student choices with no hard streaming and separation among sciences, arts, commerce, etc, as well as integration of vocational and academic streams.

"Students will have flexibility in choice of languages. The school sector envisages transforming regulation by separating functions to eliminate conflicts of interest: a State School Regulatory Authority will be set up in every state for regulation and regulation will happen through School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework," the draft states.

It also limits the role of certification bodies in curriculum and text books to be followed in the schools. "It is proposed that the Directorate of School Education will run all public schools, SCERT to lead all academic matters for entire school education and Boards of Examination will certify but will have no role in determining curricula or text books," the draft adds.

The Committee has also proposed a massive transformation in teacher education by shutting down sub-standard teacher education institutions and moving all teacher preparation/education programmes into large multidisciplinary universities/colleges. The 4-year integrated stage-specific B.Ed. programme will eventually be the minimum degree qualification for teachers.

In higher education, a restructuring of higher education institutions with three types of higher education institutions is proposed - Type 1: Focused on world-class research and high quality teaching; Type 2: Focused on high quality teaching across disciplines with significant contribution to research; and Type 3: High quality teaching focussed on undergraduate education.

The draft proposes a four year liberal arts and liberal education programme at the Undergraduate level, with the first year to be focused on broad-based learning. Students will have the flexibility to choose minor subjects as per their liking, regardless of the stream, and their points will be counted in the final credits. However, the three year courses would not be done away with.

"The 4-year programme will provide for greater rigour in a full Liberal Arts Science Education (LASE) education and experience, and also conduct research optionally. Students will graduate with a 4-year LASE degree with Honours, or may graduate with a BSc, BA, BCom or BVoc after completing 3 years with a suitable completion of credits within their subject. A National Programme for the Professional Development of faculty in higher education is also proposed," the draft states.

The committee has also proposed a new apex body - the Rashtriya Shiksha Ayog, headed by the Prime Minister - to enable a holistic and integrated implementation of all educational initiatives and programmatic interventions, and to coordinate efforts between the Centre and states.

The National Research Foundation, an apex body is proposed for creating a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

"The private and public institutions will be treated on par and education will remain a 'not for profit' activity," it emphasises.

Several new policy initiatives for promoting internationalization of higher education, strengthening quality open and distance learning, technology integration at all levels of education, adult and lifelong learning and initiatives to enhance participation of under-represented groups, and eliminate gender, social category and regional gaps in education outcomes are also recommended.

The draft also recommends promotion of Indian and Classical Languages and setting up three new National Institutes for Pali, Persian and Prakrit and an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI).

"The path-breaking reforms recommended will bring about a paradigm shift by equipping our students, teachers and educational institutions with the right competencies and capabilities and also create an enabling and re-invigorated educational eco-system for a vibrant new India," it said.

The Committee for the draft National Education Policy, under the Chairmanship of eminent scientist Dr. K. Kasturirangan, was constituted in June 2017 to examine all inputs/suggestions and submit a draft policy.

--IANS

gd/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Genoa waits for arrival of navy vessel with 100 migrants Fulgosi patrol boat rescued them off Libya

(ANSAmed) - GENOA, MAY 31 - Authorities in Genoa on Friday were waiting to know whether the Navy vessel Cigala Fulgosi, which rescued 100 migrants off Libya on Thursday, will dock in the north-western port city. The prefecture of Genoa is in contact with the interior ministry but so far authorities in the city don't know yet whether the vessel will dock there. Women and children are on board. (ANSAmed)
Senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Friday that the separatist Hurriyat conference will support all peace initiatives between India and Pakistan as these will lead to a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

Addressing people at the Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on the last Friday of Ramandan month, he said: "Hurriyat is willing to support every initiative which is aimed at a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute keeping in view the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

"Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's offer of holding a dialogue on all outstanding issues should be taken seriously by New Delhi.

"Imran Khan has often repeated the offer of dialogue on all issues between India and Pakistan including Kashmir," he added.

He said with such a massive mandate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the power to play a decisive role in resolving the long-standing Kashmir row.

He said the road to long-lasting, better and permanent better relations between India and Pakistan lay in the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

--IANS

sq/mr

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three militants were killed and two policemen injured on Friday in two gunfights in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian and Kishtwar districts.

Police said security forces started a cordon and search operation in Marwah village in Kishtwar in Jammu region following information that some militants were hiding there.

"As the cordon was tightened, the militants opened fire, triggering an encounter which is going on," a police officer said. "Two policemen sustained injuries in this encounter."

In another gunfight in Dragad-Sugan village of Shopian district in the Kashmir Valley, police said the body of a militant was recovered. Earlier, the police recovered two bodies of militants along with their weapons.

The gunfight took place in an orchard in Dragad-Sugan village after security forces surrounded the area.

--IANS

sq/mr

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump slammed Special Counsel Robert Mueller as "highly conflicted", a day after Mueller made his first-ever public statement saying that charging Trump with a crime was "not an option" due to Justice Department guidelines.

"After spending $40,000,000 over two dark years, with unlimited access, people, resources and cooperation, highly conflicted Robert Mueller would have brought charges, if he had ANYTHING, but there were no charges to bring!" Xinhua quoted Trump as saying on Thursday.

"Russia, Russia, Russia! That's all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax...And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didn't exist," the US President tweeted, "Mueller didn't find Obstruction either. Presidential Harassment!"

In the on-camera statement on Wednesday, Mueller explained that charging the president with a crime was "not an option" due to longstanding Justice Department policy which states that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime.

"If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said that," Mueller said. "The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse the president of wrongdoing."

Many Democrats took the special counsel's remarks as a nod to Congress to begin impeachment proceedings though Mueller stopped short of saying it definitively.

When departing the White House later Thursday morning, Trump said he couldn't imagine the courts allowing Democrats to launch an impeachment move.

"I don't see how they can because they're possibly allowed, although I can't imagine the courts allowing it. I've never gone into it," Trump told reporters. "I never thought that would even be possible to be using that word. To me, it's a dirty word -- the word impeach. It's a dirty, filthy, disgusting word."

Meanwhile, he repeated that the special counsel was "totally conflicted," claiming Mueller wanted to be tapped to lead the FBI again during the Trump administration. Mueller served as FBI director under the Bush and Obama administrations.

"He wanted to be FBI director," Trump said. "Mueller should have never been chosen -- he wanted the FBI job and didn't get it and then was picked as special counsel." The president also blasted the prosecutors working for Mueller during the 22-month Russia investigation as "18 Trump haters and some of the worst humans."

Though calls for impeachment were heightened from time to time, analysts said an impeachment could well galvanize Trump's base and tamp up support for him like never before, and could thus cause the impeachment to backfire.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, facing pressure from her party, also seems cool to the idea.

"We want to do what's right and what gets results," Pelosi said Wednesday. "We're legislating, we're investigating and we're litigating."

"I am speaking out today because our investigation is complete," Mueller said on Wednesday. "The attorney general has made the report on our investigation largely public. We are formally closing the special counsel's office. And as well, I'm resigning from the Department of Justice to return to private life."

Mueller concluded his investigation in March by submitting a report to Attorney General William Barr and a redacted version was made public last month.

The report stated that there was no evidence that Trump's campaign conspired with the Russian government during the 2016 U.S. elections but did not conclude if the president had obstructed justice.

Barr and his deputy Rod Rosenstein, who stepped down earlier this month, have concluded that Mueller did not have "sufficient" evidence to support a charge in the obstruction case, a move that has drawn scrutiny from the Democrats.

--IANS

vin/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shamima Begum, a British teenager of Bangladeshi descent who ran away in 2015 to become an Islamic State (IS) jihadi bride, was "groomed and radicalized" due to a failure by UK authorities to protect her from the influence of extremists, a lawyer representing her family said.

Begum, 19, was one of three schoolgirls to leave her home in London to join the terror group and resurfaced at a Syrian refugee camp earlier this year.

The lawyer for Begum's family in a letter accused Home Secretary Sajid Javid of cancelling the citizenship of the teenager to "further his ambitions of becoming Prime Minister", describing the case as "human fly-tipping", the BBC reported.

Javid, a Tory leadership candidate, stripped Begum of her citizenship in February after she was found in a refugee camp in Syria. Married to an IS fighter, she was heavily pregnant with her third child and said she wanted to return her home in the UK.

Her third baby was born on February 16 and died of pneumonia on March 8. Begum's two children died earlier. She has since been granted legal aid to fight the decision to revoke her British citizenship.

Lawyer Mohammed Akunjee said Javid's decision was a "politically driven abuse of power" and called for the decision to be overturned and an apology offered.

Under international law, cancelling citizenship is only permissible if it does not leave an individual stateless. Begum is understood to be eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship, but authorities there denied this and said she could face the death penalty for involvement in terrorism.

In the letter published by the Times, Akunjee laid out the legal case for Javid to reverse the decision, saying it was "the responsibility of a British Secretary of State to deal with British problems".

Akunjee wrote: "Shamima Begum's parents never contemplated a life for her in Bangladesh. They did not register her birth with the Bangladeshi High Commission. They did not take her to Bangladesh on holiday as a child. Indeed she has never visited the country.

"Rather, Shamima was born, raised, groomed and radicalized here in the UK. The suggestion that Shamima is to you genuinely a Bangladeshi citizen is unsustainable Rather than take responsibility for Shamima Begum and her son, you took a British problem and illegally dumped it on our innocent international neighbours.

"Your cynical decision amounts to human fly-tipping."

The Home Office declined to comment on the letter. But it said any "decisions to deprive individuals of their citizenship are based on all available evidence and not taken lightly".

--IANS

soni/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres looks forward to working with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has begun his second term in office, according to a spokesperson.

"India is, as you know, a very valuable partner of the UN," Guterres's Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Thursday.

"We will look forward to working with the (Modi) government as it has now taken office.

"The Secretary-General has worked very closely with the Prime Minister, including, as you've seen, with his work on the issue of climate change," Haq said.

Modi is expected to participate in the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit summit in New York in September. India will be leading the industry track of the summit along with Sweden.

Last year, Guterres presented Modi with the Champion of Earth award, the highest environmental honour of the UN, for his leadership in fighting climate change.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in <mailto:arul.l@ians.in> and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

--IANS

al/ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rome, May 31 (IANS/AKI) Italy and other European Union countries are "unarmed" against unemployment, which the incoming European Commission should see as the major challenge it faces, Premier Giuseppe Conte said on Friday.

"We are unarmed against the true emergency of our times, which in Italy and other eurozone countries is unemployment," Conte said at an event here to mark the centenary of the International Labour Organisation.

"This is the challenge that the next European Commission must rise to.

"I hope that the new European institutions, the new Commission and the new Parliament, give priority to decent work and centre on this," he added.

--IANS/AKI

vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US State Department has withdrawn its Diplomatic Tax Exemption programme for staff at the Pakistan Embassy here, a media report said on Friday.

The programme provides sales and use, occupancy, food, airline, gas, and utility tax exemptions to eligible foreign officials on assignment in the US. The said facility is enjoyed by officials' dependents too, reports The News International.

The decision to withdraw special Tax Exemption cards issued to Pakistani officials was made on May 15, after which the effected staffers had to surrender the privilege. The number of affected staffers of the Pakistani embassy are a little over 20.

A State Department spokesperson told The News International on Thursday that there were pending tax exemption issues related to the US diplomatic mission in Pakistan.

However, the department said that both sides were in discussions and hoped to resolve the issue and restore the tax privileges.

The move comes after the US last yeat barred diplomats working at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington from travelling outside 250-mile radius around the city without approval.

--IANS

ksk

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Filmmaker Rohit Shetty on Friday paid a tribute to veteran action choreographer Veeru Devgan, who passed a few days ago, calling him his "guru".

Remembering Devgan for his valuable life lessons, Shetty took to Instagram and wrote: "It takes real fathers to transform their boys into heroes. Started doing stunts at the age of 16, still going strong at 45. And I know one man who will always be proud of me in heaven is my guru, my father - Veeru Devgan."

He said Devgan taught him to "be honest with your work and work will be honest with you" and to take proper safety measures "before performing any stunt".

Veeru Devgan, who directed action sequences for films such as "Himmatwala", "Mr. India", "Khatron Ke Khiladi", "Phool Aur Kaante", "Dilwale" and "Laal Badshah died on Monday here. He was 85.

Along with the post, Rohit shared a video of himself performing a bike stunt in Bangkok, where he is currently shooting for his Akshay Kumar-starrer "Sooryavanshi".

"Stunt rehearsals before Akshay performs the actual shot. Please do not try this stunt. All the drivers in the cars are stunt professionals and the stunts are performed in a controlled environment," he added.

--IANS

sim/rb/rtp

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Rishi Kapoor, who has been undergoing treatment here for the last eight months, has wondered when he would be back in India.

The "102 Not Out" star appeared homesick as he tweeted on Friday: "Today I complete eight months here in New York. When will l ever get home?"

Rishi's wife and veteran actress Neetu Singh has remained by the 66-year-old's side in the US throughout the time. Their actor-son Ranbir Kapoor and daughter Riddhima Kapoor Sahni have been paying regular visits to them.

A slew of family, friends, celebrities from across film and business world have showed up every other day by Rishi's side to keep him happy and entertained. These included Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Anupam Kher.

In April, his brother Randhir Kapoor said Rishi will be back home in a few months, amid reports that he is now "cancer free".

--IANS

dc/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A set of two striking pictures of womens groups on a recent feature on career choices catches ones eye. One picture lines up some 30 beauties vying for Miss India contest and the other shows 32 commandos recruited to protect women from Maoists who have lorded pockets of Bastar region for nearly 52 years now.

It is more than three years since the battalion of women's commandos was raised and trained rigorously in Bijapur district, about 422km south of state capital Raipur, in Bastar.

Brutal violations of tribal women in Bijapur district had earned security forces a strong condemnation from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The Commission had reported prima facie evidence of state police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel having raped and sexually assaulted 16 tribal women during a five-day operation in October 2015.

The commandos chosen for the battalion were local women who were familiar with the ethos and dialects. The idea was apparently to deal with the forces' image crisis while rendering services to the community.

The next step was to get elite officers who could lead them on the job. While women were being selected to command the women's unit one candidate created a niche for herself by offering to work in a men's unit.

Here began the story of Assistant Commandant Usha Kiran who earlier joined the 232 Mahila Battalion of CRPF in 2014 and then requested to be inducted into the COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit alongside men on special.

When offered a choice for posting, her options were Jammu and Kashmir, extreme left-wing state, or northeastern fronts. She was finally posted in Bastar region in Chhattisgarh which is under constant asymmetric warfare.

A judicious mix of beauty, brawn and brain distinguish Usha Kiran from others who chose to walk the ramp. Formerly a national triple jump athlete from Delhi, Usha is the first lady officer to join the Jungle Warriors CoBRA unit. No wonder then if the style magazine Vogue chose as the young achiever of the year in 2018.

Vogue was effusive in praise for the young officer who dedicated the award to all security forces personnel saying: "This award, I'd like to say, this is not just for Usha Kiran. It is for every soldier, every force personnel who are literally putting their blood and sweat to maintain peace and harmony in the country."

Fear was alien to her as she came from a family of armed personnel. Both her father and grandfather had served the forces. But she encountered it fairly early in career when her helicopter swooped into the remote CRPF camp to evacuate a grievously injured constable.

A loud blast had broken the jungle silence signalling one of those common attacks. Wounded and blinded by shrapnel from the blast, a constable asked: "Do you think I will ever see my daughter again?" words that would haunt Kiran for days.

"That day, I remember being scared. It was my first day at the camp in Bastar," Vogue quoted her saying.

Usha Kiran is also proud to be a role model for other young women looking to pursue a career in the forces. "If you have the power, then it becomes your obligation to encourage other women to be part of the forces If you want to encourage and empower women, you just have to get out of their way. They will do the rest," she says.

Usha said having education and a strong mind-set would give tribal women more power than possessing an AK-47 assault rifle. Tribals dread the times security forces visit villages in search of Maoists. It is reassuring when Usha Kiran is in the raiding party.

Her senior Sanjay Yadav said: "She helps the security forces during search and raid in Maoist-affected villages and secondly, her presence helps to counter Maoist propaganda of rape and molestation by security forces."

Usha Kiran is one of only two women CRPF officers on duty in Bastar. Archana Gaura, the other woman officer, is in Kondagaon. Hailing from a Gurgaon-based family with ties to the CRPF -- her grandfather and father were ex-personnel of the force -- Kiran said the villagers feel comforted by her presence.

--IANS

naidu/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Palestinian killed at check point, two Israelis stabbed First episode south of Bethlehem, second in Jerusalem's Old City

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, MAY 31 - A 15-year-old Palestinian on Friday was killed south of Bethlehem, in the West Bank, at an Israeli checkpoint, according to Palestinian media reports quoting medical sources. The same sources said a second casualty is in serious condition.



The Maan news agency said the pair had reached the checkpoint and were meant to travel to the holy compound in Jerusalem known as Haram al-Sharif to Muslim and as Temple Mount.



And two Israelis were wounded in a stabbing attack carried out by a 19-year-old Palestinian in the Old City of Jerusalem, an Israeli police spokesman said Friday. One of the victims was seriously injured and the attacker has been killed by police, said the spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld.



According to the same source, the young Palestinian first stabbed a 50-year-old Israeli near Damascus Gate. The victim is in critical condition. Then the attacker stabbed his second victim, a 16-year-old boy, near the synagogue of Hurva, in the Jewish district, according to media reports.



Local media stressed that the attack took place on the last Friday of Ramadan, when thousands of Muslim pilgrims are expected at the holy compound known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as Temple Mount. Police said security is tight around the Old City. (ANSAmed)
At a panel discussion organised by a media company I was made to share the stage with a group of new age digital marketers. It included the CEO of possibly Indias biggest digital celebrity/influencer, Miss Malini, and a few more.

How do these digital mavens operate? What is their secret sauce? One of the panelists, a pretty successful blogger/youtuber, explained that she posts three videos every week. And there is a particular day and time for the post to go live. One of the posts is a fun post that is sheer time pass, the other is something that her followers ...
Somewhere in the Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru (which, believe it or not, still havent been fully brought out, the latest one being around 1961 or 62 or so) is a letter about classical music. Nehru is writing to someone in government, referring to a letter a man from Bombay has sent him.

Nehru writes that his correspondent, a Parsi man, is distressed over the decline of Western classical music in India. Nehru agrees with that assessment and writes that something must be done about it. On a visit to London a few years ago, I saw an exhibition on the modern ...
We are moving to a new flat. This weekend, the movers are descending, clearing our detritus  the astonishing amount of accumulated stuff  and depositing it a few hundred metres down the road in our new place.

Since school, my wife and I have moved (mostly separately) to the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, back to the United States and again to India. So moving from Block A to Block C in our present Delhi neighbourhood should be a doddle. Except a chasm yawns between my twenties, when moving countries with a duffel bag stuffed with books seemed par for ...
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to name Amit Shah, the chief of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as the country's new finance minister after taking his oath of office for the second time on Thursday, according to several Indian media reports. As Modi's right-hand man and long-time strategist, Shah would be in a powerful position to direct financial policy in Asia's third-largest economy in his first role as a federal lawmaker. Shah masterminded the BJP's landslide victory in the April-May general election, but there are questions about ...
The new Narendra Modi government at the Centre may be slightly short on women's representation in the Council of Ministers compared to the last tenure, but the fact that Nirmala Sitharaman is fifth in the ranking of ministers and has been entrusted with the Ministry of Finance, goes to show that her stature has risen quietly within the BJP.

Both as defence and finance minister, she has been projected as the tough woman face of the Modi government. If Smriti Irani took on Congress president Rahul Gandhi in the electoral battle, it was Sitharaman who took the barbs both in and ...
The allotment of the Ministry of Micro and Small Enterprises in Prime Minister Narendra Modis new Council of ministers to Nitin Jairam Gadkari, in addition to the road transport and shipping portfolio, is not surprising. As a ballast for employment generation in the economy, the role of the MSME sector is massive, but it has underperformed.

Significantly, in the past two decades, no minister so senior in the protocol has been awarded this ministry. Gadkari ranks fourth in the Cabinet. In the past five years, almost every time the government has faced a challenge in some sector ...
Suspected Islamists in northern Mozambique killed at least 16 people on Tuesday in their deadliest attack since they launched an insurgency in the remote region in 2017, local sources told AFP on Friday.

A Mitsubishi truck was ambushed as it was carrying passengers and goods on a dirt road in the coastal district of Macomia, they said. Confirmation of the fatalities only emerged on Friday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than 200,000 Muslims took part in the final Friday prayers of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of annexed east Jerusalem, as Israel heightened security following a Palestinian stabbing attack.

The religious authority in charge of the compound, the third holiest site in Islam, said in total 260,000 worshippers took part in the lunchtime prayers.

The prayers came only hours after a Palestinian teenager stabbed two Israelis inside the Old City before being shot dead by Israeli security.

In a separate incident, another Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank as he sought to sneak into Jerusalem, reportedly to pray at Al-Aqsa.

In Jerusalem itself, a 19-year-old Palestinian stabbed one Israeli near the Damascus Gate and another near Jaffa Gate on the other side of the walled Old City, police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said.

One of the Israelis was in a critical condition and the other suffered serious wounds, he said.

"Police units that responded at the scene saw the attacker with a knife. The attacker was shot and killed," Rosenfeld said.

The Palestinian health ministry later named him as Yusef Wajih from Abwein village in the central West Bank.

A video released by police showed a man running through the streets and stabbing two Orthodox Jews.

The Old City has been the scene of numerous stabbings of Israelis by Palestinian assailants in recent years, though a relative calm has existed for several months.

After the latest attack, gates to the Old City were briefly sealed before being reopened as thousands thronged towards the mosque.

Inside the mostly uncovered mosque compound, water was sprayed on worshippers to keep them cool in the baking Jerusalem sun, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees.

Despite a heavy police presence, there were no reports of further incidents. Rosenfeld said increased security presence would "continue throughout the afternoon and evening."



The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is a key religious and political symbol for Palestinians. It is also sacred for Jews, who refer to it at the Temple Mount.

The attack came just two days before Israelis hold a major march to mark Jerusalem Day, the annual commemoration of the capture of east Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967.

It was later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community.

In December 2017, US President Donald Trump broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in a move that prompted the Palestinians to cut all contacts with his administration.

Israel insists the whole of Jerusalem is its "eternal, indivisible capital". The Palestinians demand the city's eastern sector as the capital of their long promised state.

On Thursday evening, Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem as part of a Middle East tour before Washington unveils its long-awaited plan for Israel-Palestinian peace.

Kushner, accompanied by Trump envoy Jason Greenblatt, arrived in Jerusalem after earlier stops in Morocco and Jordan.

He is a key architect of the peace plan that the White House says it intends to present in the coming weeks.

But the plan, previously delayed for an Israeli general election on April 9, could face further postponements due to Israeli

Israel is set to hold another general election in September after Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government, and the plan is widely seen as too sensitive an issue to introduce during a political campaign.

The Palestinian leadership has rejected the peace plan without seeing it, saying Trump has shown himself to be blatantly biased in favour of Israel.

They cite moves including declaring the disputed city of Jerusalem Israel's capital and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian aid.

Trump has also handed Netanyahu other diplomatic coups, notably US recognition of Israel's 1981 annexation of the strategic Golan Heights captured from Syria in the Six-Day War.

On Thursday, Kushner delivered Netanyahu a gift from Trump, a map of Israel signed and approvingly annotated by the US president showing the Golan as inside the Jewish state's borders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian energy giant Adani won a key approval from the Queensland state government of Australia on Friday to protect the endangered black-throated finch bird population as part of its crucial environmental plan at the site of its proposed billion dollar mine project.

The victory for the Adani Group's long-delayed mega coal mine project came days after a surprise election win of Australia's pro-coal ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The group's country head -- Adani Australia Chief Executive Officer Lucas Dow -- last week said that the defeat of the opposition Labor Party in Queensland, where the project is based, is a clear message to get the project done.

Labor Party leader Bill Shorten, who took a firm stand against coal and mining, resigned as his party fared poorly in Queensland, especially in mining communities in the north of the state.

The black-throated finch management plan and a groundwater plan were the two persisting hurdles before the Indian energy giant could begin work on the largest coal mine project in the country.

State premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had announced May 31 as the deadline to accept or reject it.

The groundwater plan, under the review of the state government, is due within a fortnight's time.

Adani Australia had been in talks with the Department to address concern about its finch conservation plan including requests for better habitat preservation and seed availability.

The southern species of the black-throated finch is classified as endangered by the state government.

In a statement, the Department of said Adani had met numerous conditions to ensure the preservation of the bird and its habitat.

"Assessment of this plan has been a rigorous process, informed by the best available science," a spokesperson said.

"(The Department of Environment) has met regularly with Adani to ensure that the plan is robust and is well-placed to deliver the best outcomes for the protection of the black-throated finch".

The Department also asked Adani to ensure additional protection for the bird, including population studies and limited grazing on the site.

"(The Department) is also satisfied that Adani will engage appropriately qualified ecologists to undertake the company's survey and monitoring work in relation to the black-throated finch," it said.

The Adani Carmichael mine is set to become the largest coal mine, with approval to produce up to 60 million tonnes of coal annually, and 2.3 billion tonnes over the life of the mine.

Adani, which has mining and environmental licences of the state government, required the state approvals on management plans on the endangered finch bird and groundwater in order to commence the mine construction.

Gautam Adani-led Adani Group entered Australia in 2010 with the purchase of the greenfield Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland, and the Abbot Point port near Bowen in the north.

Carmichael would be the largest coal mine in Australia and one of the biggest in the world.

Adani said last year it would fully fund the coal mine and rail project itself, but did not give an updated estimate of the cost of the mine.

The mine previously estimated at about USD 2.9 billion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Multi-lateral funding agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) Friday said it has okayed USD 350 million loan for road project in Chhattisgarh.

ADB has approved a USD 350 million loan to rehabilitate and upgrade state highways and major district roads in Chhattisgarh, which will improve connectivity and access to basic services and livelihood opportunities, it said in a release.

Total project cost is USD 521.69 million of which the government will finance USD 171.69 million.

Chhattisgarh is overwhelmingly rural (about 96 per cent of the area) rich in natural resources and a major producer of minerals such as coal and iron ore.

However, according to the 2011 census, poverty levels were at about 38 per cent of the population, ADB said.

A safe and efficient road network will significantly contribute to state's economy and development, and thus contribute to poverty reduction in the state, it said.

"Chhattisgarh relies heavily on roads for the movement of people and goods, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas," said ADB Transport Specialist Andri Heriawan.

The project will boost access of the poor to socio-economic opportunities and to basic services such as healthcare and education, as well as improve the overall quality of life in influence areas along the roads, Heriawan said.

The Manila-headquartered funding agency said about 70 per cent of the state highways have only single or intermediate lanes, while most major and other district roads are single lanes.

While the number of registered vehicles has doubled from 2.1 million in 2009 to 4.8 million in 2016, the roads need widening and strengthening to cater for increased demand, especially from larger goods vehicles.

Recognising this importance, the state government has established a road development strategy that aims to provide safer and higher capacity road connectivity between the state capital, district centres, and other rural hubs, as well as to provide efficient linkages between existing key corridors, it added.

ADB said the road funding project will support state government's strategy by rehabilitating or upgrading two state highways and 23 major district roads totalling about 850 kilometres.

The selected roads will be widened from single or intermediate lane width to two to four lanes. The project will also strengthen the institutional capacity of the Chhattisgarh Public Works Department in road maintenance and safety.

In villages and built-up areas, the project roads will include bus stops accessible to the elderly, women, children, and persons with disabilities, and street lighting for better security and road safety.

Besides, climate adaptation measures are being incorporated in road design, such as increased road embankment height, increased dimension of drainage structures, and increased thickness and quality of bitumen.

The estimated completion date of the road project is mid-2024.

ADB supported Chhattisgarh's road sector through two previous loans. The first loan of USD 180 million closed in 2012 was used to improve about 1,700 km state highways.

Second loan of USD 300 million approved on 2012 covered an additional 916 km state highways.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Exporters body FIEO Friday said the new government has to address issues related to infrastructure bottlenecks for enhancing competitiveness of India's exports.

Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesh Kumar Gupta said the government has already taken steps like implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and improving business climate to promote trade.

"In order to further give a boost to the economy, the government has asked the ministries to prepare a list of issues that they will take up in the first 100 days in office, with a focus on efficiency, delivery systems, implementation and resolving of all pending issues urgently," he said in a statement.

The country's exports grew by 9 per cent to USD 331 billion in 2018-19. However, going forward things are not looking good at trade front on account of rising protectionism and trade war between the US and China.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has said the global trade will continue to face strong headwinds this year and in 2020 after growing slowly-than-expected in 2018 due to rising trade tensions and increased economic uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) said the exports from India is facing challenges owing to multiple global geo-political and economic developments.

"Piyush Goyal's (the new commerce minister) experience and his knowledge of finance will help India tied over the challenges in seamless manner," TPCI Chairman Mohit Singa said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Admiral Karambir Singh on Friday assumed charge as the 24th chief of the Indian Navy, becoming the first helicopter pilot to helm the force.

He succeeds Admiral Sunil Lanba who retired after a distinguished career spanning over four decades.

Before appointed to the top post, he served as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

As Navy chief, Admiral Singh's immediate priority will be to expedite the long-delayed modernisation of the Indian Navy, including by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft.

At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines.

Admiral Singh is also expected to focus on expansion of India's presence and overall influence in the Indian Ocean region where China has been fast increasing its presence.

His promotion was challenged by Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command Vice Admiral Bimal Verma on grounds of seniority.

However, the Defence ministry rejected Vice Admiral Verma's petition following which he approached a military tribunal.

The Armed Forces Tribunal here allowed Admiral Singh to take charge as the new Navy chief, holding that his continuation will depend on the final outcome of the case. The next date of hearing in the case is July 17.

Admiral Singh is scheduled to continue in the post till November 2021.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, he held various key positions in the Navy in a career spanning over 39 years.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980, he earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1981 and has flown extensively on the Chetak (Alouette) and Kamov helicopters.

He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai.

Admiral Singh has commanded Indian Coast Guard Ship Chandbibi, Missile Corvette INS Vijaydurg, as well as two Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Rana and INS Delhi.

He has also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. Ashore, he has served at Naval Headquarters as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff, and as Captain Air and Officer-in-Charge of the Naval Air Station at Mumbai.

On promotion to flag rank, the Admiral was appointed as the Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command.

In the rank of Vice Admiral, he was also the Director General of Project Seabird, looking after infrastructure development of the Navy's modern base at Karwar.

His other important flag appointments include Chief of Staff of the Tri-Services Unified Command at Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area (FOMAG).

At the Integrated Headquarters Ministry of Defence (Navy), the Admiral had served as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and, subsequently, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff.

He is the first helicopter pilot to become Chief of Naval Staff.

Admiral Lanba, who retired on Friday, was an ardent supporter of tri-services Jointmanship and was instrumental in harmonising the efforts of the three Services in a number of critical areas.

The Navy chief retires after a three-year tenure or after attaining 62 years of age, whichever is earlier.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose JDU refused "symbolic participation" in the Union cabinet, asserted on Friday that allies should have been given proportional representation in the cabinet.

The Janata Dal (United) chief, however, made it clear that one should not have any confusion that being in the government is the only testimony that they are with the government.

"We are firmly with the NDA," Kumar told reporters at the airport here after participating in the swearing-in ceremony of the Narendra Modi government.

"As the JDU national president, I want to tell that there is no question of JDU joining the Union cabinet in the future," Kumar said.

The chief minister added that his party do not have any problem or any kind of repentance on not being the part of the cabinet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- President Donald Trump says China's new ban on all fentanyl-related substances will be a "game-changer" in the deadly US opioid crisis, but experts warn it may just shift production elsewhere -- particularly Mexico.

Under pressure from Trump, China on May 1 banned all chemical analogues of fentanyl, the synthetic drug at the heart of an overdose epidemic that is killing tens of thousands of people a year in the United States.

Trump won the fentanyl concession as part of his trade war with China, which is allegedly the world's leading supplier of the powerful narcotic, along with designer drugs that mimic it and the precursor chemicals used to make all of them.

But law enforcement officials and anti-narcotics experts warn the ban will probably just push production to other countries -- including the United States' southern neighbor, whose powerful drug cartels are already deeply immersed in fentanyl trafficking.

Blame it on the "balloon effect", the idea that banning a drug is like trying to squeeze the air out of a balloon: it just moves somewhere else.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is preparing for exactly that possibility.

"It's a balloon effect.... As we put more pressure on China, they'll just send the chemicals over to Mexico to make (fentanyl) there," a DEA official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Chinese suppliers will now likely start shipping "pre-precursors" abroad to get around the ban, he said.

So many different substances can be used to make fentanyl, and the Chinese chemicals industry is so massive, that it will be impossible to regulate every potential source of the drug, he added.

"They'll figure out how to go generate two or three (chemicals) to replace the one we just put controls on," he said.

"It's great that they did that, but a chemist can go back to what is uncontrolled, work that up to the precursor they need, and make fentanyl."



The balloon effect is what pushed narcotics production to China in the first place, experts say.

Responding to a crystal meth boom in the United States around the turn of the millennium, authorities imposed tougher controls on cough syrups and other legal medications used to "cook" the drug.

The new regulations hit American meth labs hard. But they gave Mexican cartels a new line of business -- leading them to develop connections with the chemical industry in China, which supplied them precursors for meth.

Then, the opioid epidemic began to take hold in the United States, rooted in decades of over-prescription of addictive painkillers.

That led to tighter controls on prescription narcotics such as OxyContin, and so Chinese suppliers expanded into making fentanyl -- a potent narcotic up to 100 times stronger than morphine that has killed thousands of people in the US, including celebrity overdose victims Tom Petty and Prince.

Soon, Mexican cartels were trafficking counterfeit pain pills into the United States made with Chinese fentanyl.

With the Chinese ban now in place, Mexican criminal groups such as the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, whose current role in production is limited, have an incentive to onshore more of the fentanyl supply chain, said Edgardo Buscaglia, an organized crime expert at Columbia University.

"The Chinese ban will clearly create an effect where smaller suppliers, including Mexico, scale up production to satisfy demand. That's how markets work," he said.

"Production will also expand in Pakistan, India, North Korea," he added.

But "Mexico in particular has a very serious problem regulating its pharmaceutical industry," he said. "And it's an enormous, enormous market. So it's very possible fentanyl production will increase in Mexico with the criminal structures that already exist.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A South Korean newspaper reported Friday that North Korea executed a senior envoy involved in nuclear negotiations with the US as well as four other high-level officials.

But as ever with North Korea, a country that closely guards its secrets, there are reasons to be cautious about the purported purge.

While North Korea hasn't used its propaganda services to comment, the report in the conservative Chosun Ilbo daily could be true.

North Korea has previously executed scapegoats to atone for high-profile political flops, and the most recent summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump ended in failure, leaving Kim embarrassed on the world stage.

But it's important to note that both South Korean media and the government in Seoul have a history of reporting scoops about the inner workings of North Korea that turn out to be wrong.

Supposedly executed officials have later appeared trotting alongside Kim on state TV.

Friday's report is based on a single, unidentified "source who knows about North Korea" with no details about where that source got its information.

The report so far hasn't been matched by any major media in Seoul or confirmed by government officials, even anonymously.

The newspaper's source said that senior envoy Kim Hyok Chol was executed at the Mirim airfield with four other officials from the North's Foreign Ministry for betraying Kim Jong Un after being won over by the US Kim Hyok Chol led working-level negotiations as North Korea's special representative for US affairs ahead of February's summit between the US and North Korean leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The source also said that Kim Yong Chol, who had worked as North Korea's top nuclear negotiator and met with Trump at the White House while setting up the summits, was sentenced to hard labor and ideological re-education.

That the report has been snapped up by global media reflects the hunger for any details about what's going on in North Korea as diplomatic efforts falter between Washington and Pyongyang, which tightly controls its media and both local and foreign access to information.

Negotiations have hit a stalemate because North Korea wants an end to crippling sanctions, but Washington says Pyongyang is not providing enough disarmament to allow that to happen.

There is now growing concern that the diplomacy that has blossomed since early 2018 could be replaced by a return to the animosity that in 2017 caused some of the most realistic fears of war in years as North Korea staged a string of increasingly powerful weapons and Kim and Trump traded intensely personal threats and insults.

Since the Hanoi nuclear summit ended in failure, North Korea has again tested weapons and boosted its belligerent rhetoric toward American and South Korean officials.

Analysts believe this indicates Pyongyang is trying to show displeasure for the current impasse without destroying the diplomacy.

Seoul's spy service said it could not confirm Friday's report, while the presidential Blue House said that "it's inappropriate to make hasty judgments or comments."



US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Berlin that he had seen the report and the US was "doing our best to check it out."



North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Thursday called out unspecified "betrayers, turncoats who demonstrate their loyalty to (the supreme leadership) only in words, and, even worse, change their colors by the flow of trends" and said they would come under the "stern judgment of the revolution.""To pretend to serve the suryong while dreaming different dreams when turning around is to commit anti-party and anti-revolutionary actions that abandon the moral loyalty for the suryong," the newspaper said, referring to a revered title reserved for North Korean leaders.

If Friday's report is wrong, it would not be the first time for South Korean media and officials.

South Korean intelligence officials in 2016 said that Kim Jong Un had Ri Yong Gil, a former North Korean military chief, executed for corruption and other charges.

North Korea's state media months later showed that Ri was alive and in possession of several new senior posts.

In 2013, the Chosun Ilbo reported that Hyon Song Wol, a famous North Korean artist the newspaper described as Kim's "ex-girlfriend," was executed in public along with several other performers over accusations that they filmed themselves having sex and selling the videos.

Hyon, the leader of Kim's hand-picked Moranbong all-female band, was very much alive and later emerged as a key member of Kim's government, accompanying him in his meetings with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

South Korea does sometimes get it right.

While many questioned the competence of the South Korean spy service after it failed to learn of the 2011 death of Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, before Pyongyang's state TV announced it, the intelligence agency saved face in 2013 by releasing its finding that Kim's powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was purged, days before North Korea announced his execution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The creation of an all-India judicial service to recruit judges for the lower courts of the country is among the priorities of Ravi Shankar Prasad, who has returned to the Law Ministry for the second time.

The ministry has also been consistently working on improving the judicial infrastructure with more courtrooms and appointment of judges.

Over 5,000 vacancies of judicial officers/judges in the lower courts have resulted in a massive backlog of cases.

Another priority would be the finalisation of memorandum of procedure to guide appointment and transfer of Supreme Court and high court judges.

The issue had now been pending for over two years now with the SC collegium and the government failing to reach a consensus.

Successive governments have also been working on making India a hub of international arbitration. It has taken several steps to change laws dealing with commercial disputes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) have signed an MoU for collaborating on sharing of knowledge, transfer of technologies and training in areas of e-learning and skill development.

Mata Amritanandamayi Devi was present at the MoU-signing function and wished the agreement, signed recently, would pave the way for a significant social impact initiative for rural India, a press release said here.

Director-general of NIRD&PR Dr W R Reddy said its reach in rural areas, when combined with compassionate research and rural technologies of Amrita University, can bring in major transformation in the rural landscape.

Vice-Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Dr Venkat Rangan said Amrita's unique live-in-labs programme requires students to go to rural areas, understand their challenges and build research-based solutions.

Live-in-labs is a credit-based academic programme that provides multidisciplinary experiential learning that breaks classroom and lab barriers by applying learned theory in real-world settings, the release said.

The programme has implemented more than 150 projects in 21 states across India that and have helped improve the standard of living for more than 60,000 villagers, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The omission of Apna Dal (S) leader Anupriya Patel from the Union ministry has come as a disappointment for supporters, with some leaders suggesting that she declined an offer to be a minister of state.

District unit president of the Apna Dal (S) Ramakant Patel said, "We were expecting that Anupriya, who was an MoS in the previous ministry, will be elevated to cabinet position and were not aware of her omission from the list till the last minute."



"She had received a phone call and was told to prepare herself for the swearing in ceremony. But I feel that she did not agree for a minister of state rank," a party insider said, requesting anonymity.

"In the initial rounds, there were talks about her elevation, hence she might have declined the offer," the party leader said, adding she should have been offered at least the rank of minister of state with independent charge.

When contacted, senior party leader and MLC Ashish Singh Patel said it was up to the prime minister to choose his team.

"We are with the NDA... It is the prerogative of the prime minister who will join his team," he said, when asked about his party not being accommodated in the Modi 2.0 regime.

Apna Dal (S) leaders cite senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh's promise of a "better deal" for Anupriya at a public meeting here during campaigning. They say that the results in her favour had raised her supporters' expectations.

Before her departure to Delhi, a beaming Anupriya had remarked, "My margin is better than last time."



Her residence-cum-office in Bharuhana wore a deserted look and the lone party worker present there, on condition of anonymity, said, "Party chief Ashish Patel had said that even the offer of minister of state with independent charge would be acceptable, but her absence indicates even that was not offered."When contacted, Apna Dal (S) MLA Rahul Kol, the son of the newly elected Robertsganj MP, also said that the decision was the prime minister's prerogative.

However, the explanation was not palatable to party insiders, who pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a ministerial berth to the RPI (A), though the party did not have a single MP, while the AIADMK, which got one seat, and the Akali Dal, which got two, also joined the government.

Apart from the prime minister, the Purvanchal region has got only one ministerial berth, with BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey being inducted as a Cabinet minister.

Supporters of Anupriya, who is in Delhi, feel that she might be accommodated in the government later, like the last time, when she was appointed minister of state two years after Modi became the prime minister.

Even local BJP leaders say that the Apna Dal (S) is likely to be included in the government whenever the ministry is expanded at a later stage.

The Apna Dal (S) won two seats in Uttar Pradesh, same as last time, pushing the NDA's tally to 64 this time out of 80 Lok Sabha seats. The NDA ally had got two seats in the alliance. While Anupriya won from Mirzapur, Pakhauri Lal Kol won from Roberstganj.

The party, which has been with the NDA since 2014, enjoys a clout among a section of the OBCs. It is a Kurmi-based party. The community constitutes nine per cent of the total state population and 24 per cent of the OBC population.

The alliance with Apna Dal (S), which was forged in 2014, had helped consolidate the Kurmi vote base in BJP's favour.

Its leaders project the party's victory from both the seats as its 100 per cent success rate which, they feel, should have been given due recognition.

A party leader said the expansion of the Yogi Adityanath government was on the cards and the Apna Dal (S), which has 9 MLAs and 1 MLC, might be accommodated. At present, the lone minister of state from the party in the Adityanath ministry is Jai Kumar Singh 'Jackie'.

Party workers hope that some adjustments are likely in the UP Cabinet expansion, which might be carried out soon to fill vacancies caused by UP ministers being elected to the Lok Sabha. There was another vacancy after SBSP leader OP Rajbhar was sacked for constantly embarrassing the BJP.

With less than three years to go for the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, political analysts point out that the BJP is keeping its OBC allies at bay in the state.

Both the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and the Apna Dal (S) were crucial to the BJP's stupendous success in the 2017 Assembly elections, when it won 325 out of 403 seats.

In just concluded Lok Sabha polls, these two OBC-centric parties helped the BJP consolidate its hold on non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits and crack the caste arithmetic of the SP-BSP alliance.

For her supporters, Anupriya's absence is not only shocking but has also led to apprehensions that development work initiated by her could be scrapped.

"The projects of road, medical college, central school, etc, which were started due to her initiative can be stopped midway," social worker Kiran Jaiswal feared.

"After a long time we were hoping that things will improve but now there are doubts about the development projects," rues Lalti Vishkarma, a daily wage earner.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Army officer was injured in a firing incident in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, a defence spokesman said



"An officer deployed in the Pratap Pur Sector suffered gunshot wound at around 1050 hours today (Friday)," Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.

He said the injured officer was immediately evacuated to a nearby military hospital and is under treatment.

Details of the incident are being ascertained, the spokesman said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As India's new defence minister, Rajnath Singh's most crucial challenge will be to speed up the long-delayed modernisation of the three services besides ensuring overall coherence in their combat readiness.

His another challenge will be to ensure peace and tranquillity along the frontier with China while developing required military infrastructure to deal with any possible Chinese hostility.

As he takes charge of the ministry just three months after India carried out air strikes on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, it is expected that he will continue with the policy of hot pursuit in dealing with cross border terrorism.

Containing infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan will be another key focus area.

As the Defence Minister, Singh will face the challenge of strengthening the combat capabilities of the Army, Navy and the Air Force due to changing regional security matrix and geo-political dynamics.

The forces have been pressing for equipping them to deal with hybrid warfare and Singh will have to attend to this crucial demand.

The government has been focusing on domestic defence production and Singh will have to carry forward a number of big-ticket reform initiatives, including implementing the ambitious "strategic partnership" model.

Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors.

Singh also faces the challenge of modernising the defence research organisations and various other defence public sector undertakings so that they can produce state-of-the art military hardware to match requirement of the forces.

He is expected to focus on simplification of the acquisition process as majority of the military modernisation programmes are delayed due to administrative hurdles.

Singh, who was Home Minister in the previous government, will also have to oversee carrying out of major reforms in the 12-lakh strong Army.

The Army has already finalised a blueprint for its reform including right-sizing of the force.

His predecessor Nirmala Sitharaman had taken on the opposition head-on with her fiery defence of the Rafale fighter jet deal and it will be interesting to see how Singh deals with the issue.

Officials said Singh will take charge as defence minister on Saturday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
More than one-fifth of automotive dealers in the country expect reduced earnings in the year ended March 2019 over a year-ago period amid the industry reporting some 5 per cent growth in vehicle sales during the period, the report said Friday.

The domestic automotive industry saw a marginal increase of 5.1 per cent at 26,267,783 units in the financial year ended March 2019 as compared to 24,961,312 units sold in FY18, as per industry body SIAM.

The industry produced a total 30,915,420 vehicles including passenger and commercial vehicles, three and two wheelers and quadricycles in April-March 2019 as against 29,094,447 units in the same period of 2017-18, registering a growth of 6.26 per cent.

"More than one-fifth population (21 per cent) of dealers across the three automotive segments --passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle and two-wheeler -- expect their financial performance to be poorer in the fiscal year ended March 2019 compared with FY18," according JD Power- FADA India Dealer Satisfaction with Automotive Manufacturers Index (DSWAMI) StudySM, released Friday.

The study was conducted by JD Power in partnership with Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA).

There are around 15,000 automobile dealers pan-India, as per FADA.

According to study, among those who expect a poorer performance this year, 71 per cent said that they did not achieve their revenue target for the year.

"The automotive industry, especially the passenger vehicle and two-wheeler segments, are facing serious headwinds due to several external challenges on the revenue side," said Kaustav Roy, director and country head, India, JD Power.

"Additionally, an increase in the cost of doing business have also affected the dealers outlook and financial performance.

Strategic use of the various business levers, with a strong focus on customer retention, hold the key to long-term sustainability," he added.

Dealership business is facing its toughest challenges in recent times and the entire business model needs an overhaul to keep up with the changing dynamics of our trade, said Ashish Harsharaj Kale, F A D A President.

"We are hopeful that the findings of the survey will act as a beacon for the entire automotive eco-system, leading towards a healthier business environment for the industry, especially for the automotive dealer fraternity at large," he said.

Online purchase of vehicles is seen as an important future trend by almost one-third (31 per cent) of all dealers across the three segments, as per the study, indicating that digitalisation will lead the way.

In addition, as many as 43 per cent of dealers believed that investment in digitalisation is likely to bring about a reduction in manpower costs for their business.

Besides, the study also suggested that the dealers are looking for more collaboration as 10 per cent of the respondents felt that it was not easy to do business with their original equipment manufacturer (OEM).

These dealers have satisfaction scores that are, on average, 247 points (on a 1000-point scale) lower than those who find it easy to do business with their OEMs, it said.

The study also found that on average, as many as 85 per cent of dealers believed that they definitely will continue to work with their automaker for the next two years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Beijing warned Friday that the US should not underestimate China's military as the top defence officials from both countries met on the sidelines of a security forum.

As Beijing and Washington vie for influence in a region hosting potential flashpoints such as the South China Sea, Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait, acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan met Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe for 20 minutes Friday.

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said they "reached some consensus" on issues of common concern, adding that Wei "particularly emphasised the Taiwan issue".

China sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides having being ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949.

Beijing is regularly angered by US warships transiting through the Taiwan Strait, which it considers its territorial waters.

"He (Defence minister Wei) pointed out that the US has recently had a series of negative words and actions on this issue", Wu said, adding that Beijing was "firmly opposed" to this.

"On the issue of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the US should not underestimate the determination, will and ability of the Chinese military."



Shanahan spokesman Joe Buccino told reporters the meeting was "constructive and productive".

"The two leaders discussed ways to build military-to-military relations that reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation between our nations," he said.

Washington has been pushing back against Beijing's militarisation of the South China Sea, and ahead of Friday's meeting Shanahan told reporters that facilities China was building on reclaimed land in the South China Sea appeared to be an "overkill" if they were purely defensive.

"I mean surface-to-air missiles, long runways... Seems excessive," Shanahan said.

A top US top general said earlier this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping had reneged on promises by building "10,000-foot runways, ammunition storage facilities, routine deployment of missile defence capabilities, aviation capabilities" on reclaimed land.

Wei's attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue -- an annual gathering of global defence officials organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies think-tank -- is being taken as a sign that China is not backing away from the dispute.

"The Chinese want to be here to say their side of the story," Shawn Ho, associate research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore told AFP.

"Definitively, we are seeing more competition between the US and China... not just traditional fields, but also in technology... and I think this is something that we have to watch very carefully," Ho said Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a keynote speech to the gathering Friday evening the US-China bilateral relationship "is the most important in the world today", urging them to work together.

"Even short of outright conflict, a prolonged period of tension and uncertainty will be extremely damaging," he warned, adding that serious international problems would not be addressed without the full participation of both powers.

Shanahan is expected to flesh out Washington's strategy in the Pacific region, where both the US and China are vying for influence, during a talk on Saturday.

Wei will address the conference on Sunday, with a source from his delegation saying the speech will outline China's role in global security and US-China ties -- as well as addressing the territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

"The 'China threat' is a non-existent issue. We are here to correct that misconception," added the source, who did not want to be named.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bihar cabinet on Friday sanctioned Rs 384 crore for payment of pension under the Chief Minister Old Age Pension Scheme for financial year 2019-20, an official said here.

The money was sanctioned from the Bihar Contingency Fund for payment to beneficiaries who are above 60 years and do not receive any salary, pension, family pension or social security pension either from central and state government.

The number of such beneficiaries is 36.50 lakh, Cabinet Secretariat department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar told reporters.

Those who are in the age-group of 60-79 will get Rs 400 per month while those above 80 will get Rs 500 per month as pension under the scheme.

The cabinet also enhanced the corpus of the Bihar Contingency Fund from Rs 350 crore to Rs 8020.04 crore till March 30, 2020, Kumar said.

The move was made to withdraw funds in advance for carrying development work which had not got budgetary allocation.

It also approved a proposal of the finance department to provide ex-gratia payment to those who died while discharging their duties during general elections, assembly elections or by-polls, the principal secretary said.

As per the decision, if a person dies during the election, he/she will get Rs 15 lakh but the amount would be doubled to Rs 30 lakh, if he/she dies in a violence, armed attack, blast, etc while performing election duty, he said.

A person on election duty will be given Rs 7 lakh if he/she suffers permanent disability, he said adding that the amount would be doubled to Rs 15 lakh if he/she has suffered permanent disability in an armed attack during elections.

The payment would be shared by both the Centre and the state government on a 50:50 basis, he said.

The cabinet also gave its nod for setting up one dispensary in each of the 38 district court premises, Kumar said adding that it also created five posts to run each dispensary.

A total of 18 decisions were made at the cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan's Opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday accused the government of targeting everyone from judges to parliamentarians through "underhand tactics" after Parliament witnessed a raucous as two lawmakers were arrested for allegedly inciting an attack on a military check post.

Parliament witnessed unruly scenes lawmakers clashed with each other over the foul language used against Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar.

The trouble during the National Assembly session began after minister of state for parliamentary affairs, Ali Muhammad Khan, labelled Wazir and Dawar as "agents of Afghan intelligence" and said they should be expelled from Parliament.

Wazir and Dawar are are accused of inciting local people to attack the Kharqamar military check post in North Waziristan district on Sunday which resulted in the killing of at least three civilians.

Bilawal, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), stood up to record protest against Khan's remarks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP President Amit Shah who played a crucial role in the return of his party's government at the Centre will be the new Home Minister in Modi 2.0 Cabinet while incumbent Rajnath Singh has moved to Defence, another high profile ministry.

Outgoing Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be the new Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs while surprise inductee, former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, has been allocated the critical Ministry of External Affairs, the Rashtrapati Bhavan announced on Friday.

Jaishankar is the first career diplomat to take charge of the External Affairs ministry.

Sitharaman steps into the shoes of Arun Jaitley who opted out of new government on health grounds. She will have a deputy in Anurag Thakur, a first time minister in the Modi government. Both are considered close to Jaitley.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain the Department of Personnel and Training, Atomic Energy and Space as well as all important policy issues and portfolios not allocated.

Modi was sworn in on Thursday as prime minister for a second term, helming a 58-member team of ministers, including him and BJP president Amit Shah who makes his debut in the Central government.

Giant slayer Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress President Rahul Gandhi in his family bastion of Amethi, will be the new Women and Child Development minister along with retaining the Textile ministry, according to a communiqu issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Nitin Gadkari, considered one of the best performers during the first term of Modi government for his expeditious project implementation, will continue to be the minister for Road Transport and Highways and has also been given charge of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Piyush Goyal, who was presented the interim budget earlier this year and was expected to take over from Jaitley, has been given the Commerce and Industry ministry in addition to his old charge of Railways. However, the Coal ministry has been taken away from him and given to Pralhad Joshi, a new entrant in Modi Government.

Joshi will also be the minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Mines.

Ravi Shankar Prasad will continue as minister of Law and Information Technology. He also gets Telecom, a portfolio he commanded in the first half of Modi 1.0 government.

A new Ministry of Jal Shakti has been created and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat will be its minister.

Ujjwala-man Dharmendra Pradhan retains his Petroleum portfolio and has also been given charge of the Steel ministry.

Former Uttarkhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhariyal 'Nishank' is the new Human Resource Development minister while Bihar ally and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswam remains Consumer Affairs minister.

The Agriculture ministry has been allocated to Narendra Singh Tomar who also gets the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj portfolio.

Prakash Javadekar has been given the ministries of Information and Broadcasting as well as Environment.

D V Sadananda Gowda will be the minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Narendra Singh Tomar will be the new minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal continues to be the minister of Food Processing Industries, Thawar Chand Gehlot will be new minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Former diplomat Hardeep Puri will be new minister of state with Independent charge of Civil Aviation while former IAS bureaucrat R K Singh will retain the ministries of Power and Renewable Energy in the same capacity.

Eight-term BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Santosh Kumar Gangwar will be MoS with Independent charge for Labour and Employment.

The BJP capped a massive mandate by winning a total of 303 seats while the NDA has 353 MPs in the recently elected 17th Lok Sabha.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The West Bengal BJP Friday hit out at Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee for losing her temper when a group of men shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' in front of her car, asking whether it is a crime to chant the phrase in the state.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said the more Banerjee protests against the chant the more public support she would lose in West Bengal.

On Thursday, Banerjee had lost her cool when some men had shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' as her motorcade passed through Bhatpara area of North 24 Parganas district.

A video on the incident had gone viral on social media.

"She doesn't get angry at Bangladeshi infiltrators, Rohingyas, murderers and rapists. But she gets angry at young men who chant 'Jai Shri Ram'. Is chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' a crime in Bengal?" BJP national general secretary and Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

"It seems she can't digest her party's result in Lok Sabha polls and has lost her cool," Ghosh added.

Bhatpara had witnessed violence between BJP and TMC workers after Lok Sabha poll results were declared.

The area is a stronghold of the newly elected MP Arjun Singh, who had defected to the saffron party from TMC weeks before the Lok Sabha election. Singh defeated TMC's Dinesh Trivedi.

On Thursday, after the slogan was raised, an infuriated Banerjee came out of her vehicle and asked her security officials to note down the name of the men.

"What do you think of yourself? You will come from other states, stay here and abuse us? I will not tolerate this. How dare you all abuse me? All of your names and details will be noted down," she could be heard saying in the video.

After she got back into her car, the men again chanted "Jai Shri Ram", prompting her to disembark from the vehicle once more.

Later, addressing a protest programme at Naihati, Banerjee said some BJP workers came in front of her car and abused her verbally.

"Is this democracy," she asked.

The incident brought back memories of a similar episode earlier this month in West Midnapore district. A video had showed Banerjee losing her temper when some men chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' at her motorcade.

In that video, Banerjee was seen angrily coming out of her car and saying that the men were mouthing abuses.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the first Cabinet meeting, the government Friday decided to extend PM-KISAN scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers in the country costing Rs 87,000 crore a year and also announced over Rs 10,000 crore pension scheme for 5 crore farmers, thereby fulfilling the BJP's poll promise.

Announcing the two key decisions, new Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Modi 2.0 government has announced the landmark decisions for the farming community in the first Cabinet meeting.

"The Union Cabinet has approved to extend the ambit of the scheme by including all land holding eligible farmer families under the scheme, subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria," Tomar told reporters after the meeting.

The Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) was announced in the interim Budget under which the government decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three equal instalments) to an estimated 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares.

"Now, the revised scheme envisages to cover around 2 crore more farmers increasing the coverage of the PM-KISAN to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries," the minister said.

He said total burden on the exchequer will increase by Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 87,217.50 crore for the year 2019-20.

So far, the first instalment has been given to only 3.11 crore beneficiaries and second to 2.66 crore beneficiaries, as many states did not provide the data of eligible farmers, Tomar said.

In another major decision, Tomar said the Cabinet also approved the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana under which small and marginal farmers will get a minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 per month on attaining the age of 60 years.

"In the initial phase, the government will cover minimum 5 crore small and marginal farmers in the first three years," he said, adding that this would cost Rs 10,774.5 crore per annum to the exchequer.

This scheme is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for a small and marginal farmers across the country, with the entry age of 18-40 years, he said.

The Centre said it will match the contribution made by the eligible farmer in the pension fund.

After the subscriber's death, while receiving pension, the spouse of the beneficiary will be entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension amount, provided he/she is not already a beneficiary of the scheme.

Farmers can use benefits under PM-KISAN scheme for the making contribution under the pension scheme.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Regional groupings SAARC and BIMSTEC are both regionally significant blocs which could facilitate greater cooperation among member nations, Sri Lankan Maithripala Sirisena said Friday.

He also said Sri Lanka has a neutral foreign policy and maintains friendly relations with all countries.

Sirisena's comments came during a media interaction while replying to a question on whether SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) is losing relevance due to frosty relations between India and Pakistan.

He was here to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

"I believe both SAARC and BIMSTEC are regionally significant organisation. I believe it is very important that countries cooperate among each other," he said.

"Such cooperation leads to better bilateral relations and it strengthens trade and economic relations. Therefore, SAARC and BIMSTEC are both important regional organisations," the Sri Lankan president said.

On whether he will contest the upcoming presidential elections, Sirisena said no political party in Sri Lanka has named their candidates and he was also in no hurry to decide on it.

Asked about Pakistan giving shelter to terror groups, he did not give a direct reply but said Sri Lanka has a neutral foreign policy and that it follows a policy of friendship with all and enmity with none.

Citing continuing support to cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, India has been maintaining that it was difficult to proceed with the (SAARC) initiative under current circumstances.

The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu, which was attended by Modi. The 2016 SAARC Summit was to be held in Islamabad.

But after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18 that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit.

The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate. Maldives and Sri Lanka are the seventh and eighth members of the initiative.

In the past few years, India has been pushing for regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) umbrella.

Besides India, BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.

Founded in 1997, BIMSTEC currently represents over 1.5 billion people and having a combined gross domestic product of USD 3.5 trillion.

India invited leaders of the BIMSTEC countries to Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

Besides India, BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan.

In 2014, Modi had invited all SAARC leaders, including the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony, in a major initiative to reach out to the neighbourhood.

However, this time, the BIMSTEC leaders were invited, which was seen as an attempt to avoid inviting Pakistan for the event.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government in its first Cabinet meeting Friday approved a new scheme, which assures minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to all shopkeepers, retail traders and self employed persons after attaining the age of 60 years, fulfilling its poll promise.

The decision taken at the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister here will benefit 3 crore retail traders and shopkeepers.

Five crore traders are expected to join the scheme in the next three years, Union Minister said while briefing reporters at a press conference.



"All shopkeepers and self employed persons as well as retail traders with GST turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged between 18-40 years can enrol for the scheme," an official statement said.

Interested persons can enrol themselves through over 3.25 lakh common service centres spread across the country. The government will make matching contribution in the subscribers' account, the statement added.

"It is a landmark initiative of the Prime Minister for which traders across the country are really happy.

"It shows the concern of the Prime Minister towards the trading community of the country and we hope that in this tenure, small traders will be on the government's priority list," Confederation of All India Traders Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal told PTI.
Community kitchens that would feed lakhs of pilgrims on way to the cave shrine of Amarnath in South Kashmir Himalayas will be monitored by CCTVs, officials said Friday.

The yatra will commence on July 1 and continue for 46 days till August 15.

This time CCTVs would be installed at each langar (community kitchen) site along the Pathankote-Jammu-Baltal highway as a security measure, they said.

They said 105 langars for pilgrims will be available at 17 places in Jammu, 8 in Kathua, 10 in Udhampur and 28 in district Ramban.

They said halting points have been finalized in all the highway districts including6 in Kathua, 17 in Jammu, 26 in Udhampur and 22 in district Ramban from Kathua district (entry point in J&K) to Baltal in Ganderbal district.

They said mobile toilets have been made available at 17 different locations.

Advisor to Governor K Vijay Kumar Thursday chaired a high level meeting to review arrangements being put in place for smooth conduct of the Amarnath Yatra.

Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma gave a detailed presentation on arrangements being made for smooth conduct of annual yatra to the cave shrine in South Kashmir.

Facilities for on the spot registration of pilgrims have been made at Jammu, Sangam, Sarasvati Dham, Vashnavi Dham, Ram Mandir, Purani Mandi while adequate number of buses have been arranged to ferry pilgrims from Jammu to Pahalgam and Baltal, they said.

Similarly arrangements for accommodation and shelter sheds will be available for pilgrims at all districts en route, he said.

The Advisor also reviewed security arrangements and sought details from officers concerned about the scale of deployments along the twin routes of Phalgam and Baltal.

The IG Traffic apprised the Advisor about the traffic management plan and condition of highway from Udhampur to Banihal. Vulnerable points have been identified and executing agencies are at work.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The pictures in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter profiles have undergone a change.

Modi, who was sworn in as Prime Minister for a second term on Thursday, has put the photograph of him bowing to the Constitution at Parliament's Central Hall in his official Twitter handle. His personal handle carries the image of him acknowledging the cheers and support of the crowd at the BJP headquarters on the day the Lok Sabha poll results were announced.

The prime minister had addressed a meeting of the ruling alliance members at the Central Hall after he was elected as their leader on May 25.

He along with 57 ministerial colleagues took oath on Thursday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has unveiled a statue of Mahendra Karma, a senior Congress leader who was killed in the 2013 Jhiram valley Naxal attack, here in Bastar district headquarters.

The 12-feet tall statue of Karma was unveiled by the chief minister at Jhankar square late Thursday evening, a Public Relations Officer of the state government said Friday.

A former Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Karma was popularly known as Bastar tiger for his tough stand against Naxals.

He was one of the founder-members of the now defunct anti-Maoist militia movement 'Salwa Judum'.

Speaking on the occasion, Baghel said, "We lost our Bastar tiger in the Jhiram attack but its perpetrators are still moving freely. We will expose them and punish them under the law."



"Despite facing hurdles in catching the culprits, we are moving ahead resolutely to achieve our goal. We will not rest till the culprits are arrested, the PRO quoted the chief minister saying at the event.

The Congress government in the state has set up a 10- member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Jhiram valley Naxal attack in Bastar in which besides Karma, several other senior party leaders were killed on May 25, 2013.

Former MLA and wife of Karma, Devti Karma, her family members, Health and Family Welfare Minister T S Singhdeo and other state ministers were present on the occasion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China Friday strongly dismissed a US official's comment that the Chinese government's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square 30 years ago was "a full-on massacre, terming it as an "unfounded accusation" and asked Washington to stop interfering in its internal affairs.

US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus on Thursday said that the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen incident shouldn't be forgotten and that it was "a full-on massacre of peaceful protestors".

Tiananmen Square here witnessed brutal massacre of students rebelling against the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1989, demanding democracy. Thousands were believed to have been killed in the protests.

The massive square became famous all over the world with an iconic picture of a young man standing before a row of battle tanks in a bid to stop them.

As to what the US spokesperson said is an unfounded accusation against China and interference in its internal affairs. China deplore that and firmly opposes that," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.

"We urge the US to stop issuing such statements and playing same old tune year after year interfering in China's internal affairs so as to avoid undermining our mutual trust and mutual beneficial cooperation, he said.

Geng said that US should stop interfering in China's internal affairs and Chinese people will continue to move forward on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Every year, the Chinese government puts up strong defence against the protestors, saying that the great achievements made by China in the past three decades testify the righteousness of the path chosen by the Communist Party of China.

The Chinese government continues to reiterate that history has shown that the path chosen by it was right, he said.

As to this, political disturbance in 1980s has a very clear conclusion. This year marks the 70th year of new China. The enormous achievements we have made have proven that we have made out a development path that is suitable for our national condition, Geng said.

On Thursday, China's military spokesman Wu Qian took exception to the word suppression in a query on Tiananmen incidents.

First of all, a clarification. I don't agree with you for using the word suppression', Wu said.

In the last 30 years, the course of China's reforms, development and stability, the successes we have achieved have already answered this question, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi on Friday congratulated S Jaishankar on his appointment as India's External Affairs Minister and praised his positive contributions to the development of bilateral ties.

"We congratulate Mr Jaishankar on his appointment as foreign minister of India," a late-night press release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

It said Wang has sent a congratulatory message to him.

As foreign secretary of India and ambassador to China, he has made positive contributions to the development of China-India relations, it said.

"China is ready to work with India to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and promote new progress in China-India relations and pragmatic cooperation in various fields to bring more benefits to the people of both countries," the press release said.

Jaishankar was India's envoy in China from 2009-13. He was India's foreign secretary from 2015-2018.

A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar played a key role in resolving the crisis following the incursion in Ladakh's Depsang and the Doklam stand-off, handling the tough negotiations with Beijing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
What did Chris Hemsworth keep from the sets of "Avengers: Endgame"?



Two hammers, a costume and the signature Stormbreaker.

The Australian actor, who plays Thor, the God of Thunder, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), has a favourite spot in his house to display these mementos.

"I got the hammers, Stormbreaker, and one of the costumes. I keep putting it on the mantel place. My wife's like, 'man...'," Hemsworth said in interview here.

After saving the universe from supervillians in the MCU, the 35-year-old actor will be seen fighting rogue aliens as Agent M in Sony Pictures' "MIB: International".

The film, directed by F Gary Gray, also features Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson and Hemsworth's "Avengers" co-star Tessa Thompson as Agent M.

"With each film and each character you want to do something different and this (MIB) was something I hadn't done before. I had spent so much time in the fantasy world playing Thor but this a very contemporary setting.

"It was fun to do something contemporary and having sort of cheekiness and swag of my character in this film," he said.

"MIB: International" is releasing in India on June 14.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tens of thousands of mourners, some of whom camped outside overnight, gathered on Friday to finally say farewell to Etienne Tshisekedi, the Congolese opposition icon whose son was declared president earlier this year.

The stadium ceremony came more than two years after the elder Tshisekedi died abroad at age 84. His rift with then-president Joseph Kabila was so entrenched that his remains were not allowed to return after his death in Belgium of a pulmonary embolism in 2017.

After Kabila gave way to pressure for a new presidential election in January, Tshisekedi's son Felix was declared the winner. He vowed that his father's remains would come home to Congo, where he was the face of the political opposition for decades.

"I haven't slept in two days. I will only sleep once they have buried him," said Lisette Kapinga, 32, who was among the crowd gathered at Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa where many wore dresses made of fabric with Tshisekedi's image.

In life, Etienne Tshisekedi was at times put under house arrest, his supporters jailed and beaten.

But after the seismic shift in Congo's political climate, he is being given a farewell befitting a senior statesman, with some African presidents in attendance including Rwanda's Paul Kagame.

Kabila's FCC coalition released a statement Friday acknowledging the role Tshisekedi had played over the years.

"Etienne Tshisekedi was undoubtedly one of the major political actors of our country a hyperactive fighter, but also a man of dialogue," it said.

A seven-hour procession to downtown Kinshasa followed the arrival of his casket Thursday night at Kinshasa's airport.

Pallbearers wearing ties representing the Congolese flag carried the casket into the stadium on Friday. The flat cap that Tshisekedi always wore was placed atop the casket.

Jannot Nlandu, a 28-year-old student, said Friday's outpouring showed just how popular Tshisekedi was even though he never got the chance to serve as president. "Even in death he can draw huge crowds" Nlandu said. "He is the king of Kinshasa." ___ Associated Press writer Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CPI(M) secretariat in a report in regard to its Lok Sabha poll debacle in Kerala said a section of its traditional voters did not cast their ballot in favour of its candidates.

The report was submitted before its state committee on Friday and the discussion on it will end Saturday.

"The report of the party secretariat was submitted before the state committee. The discussion on the report is going on. The discussion will continue tomorrow," a source said.

Sources said though the report states that devotees in general were misled, it does not mention Sabarimala.

The ruling-Left, faced a massive defeat while the Congress-led United Democratic Front bagged 19 of the 20 seats in the state.

The reported mentions that the concentration of minority votes in favour of opposition parties also resulted in the losing the 19 seats.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier categorically said that the Sabarimala agitation had not affected the election results in the state.

Vijayan had said that if Sabarimala was an election issue, then the votes would have gone to the BJP, who had tried to take advantage of the Sabarimala issue.

The state had witnessed wide spread violence by a section of frenzied devotees led by right-wing groups and the BJP after the state government had decided to implement the September 28 Supreme Court order allowing entry of women of all ages into Sabarimala.

The BJP had pinned its hopes on the issue to open its account in the state to Lok Sabha but failed to gain any progress in that regard.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao Friday said a decision on a cabinet expansion or reshuffle in the state government will be taken at the earliest.

The Congress in Karnataka over the last two days had gone into a huddle to avert a potential crisis to the one-year-old HD Kumaraswamy ministry and discussed about a possible cabinet rejig to address the dissent within.

Of the total 34 ministerial positions in Karnataka, the Congress and the JD(S) have 22 and 12 ministers respectively.Currently three posts are vacant -- two from JD(S) and one from the Congress.

"Nothing on it (cabinet) till now, as the chief minister is in Delhi. Once he is back we will talk to him....I can't say anything more, it will be decided at the earliest," Rao told reporters here in response to a question.

During a series of meetings, Congress leaders, including general secretary K C Venugopal, deputed by the party high command, have discussed the reasons for the Lok Sabha poll drubbing, the need for the continuation of the coalition government and ways to end disgruntlement through cabinet rejig.

Though Congress leaders on Wednesday were unable to reach a consensus on whether to go for a cabinet expansion by filling the three vacant posts or a reshuffle by asking a few ministers to step down and make way for the disgruntled lawmakers, CLP leader Siddaramaiah had Thursday indicated a reshuffle was on the cards.

Party sources also said there were talks about first filling up three vacant posts and then going in for a reshuffle, if the need arises.

Worries for the coalition, which has been rocked by dissidence, have multiplied after BJP's spectacular win with 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in its pocket, leaving a mere one seat each to the Congress and the JD(S), which, despite a joint fight, were swept away by the Modi wave.

Growing unrest within the party and threat by rebel MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi to quit Congress along with other MLAs also has worried the leadership, as it would trigger a number game in the assembly.

The talk about cabinet reshuffle or expansion has also given rise to number of aspirants within the party.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The decisive mandate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a call of the people for a new India where there is progress for all and the country transforms itself as an engine of global growth, President Ram Nath Kovind said.

He was addressing a banquet in honour of the heads and representatives of foreign governments attending the swearing-in-ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.

Kovind said the verdict is an affirmation of Modi's visionary leadership to build a New India, not in a distant future, but here and now.

"This mandate is a call from our people for an India where there is progress for all and no one is left behind; an India that is on course to eliminating extreme poverty in the coming decade, and to realising the potential in every girl-child; an India that is at work to harness new-age technology and the limitless energy of its youth," he said.

It is call for an India that wishes to connect deeper with its rich cultural past even as it draws the contours of its promising future, and an India that is fast transforming itself as an engine of global growth and a centre of global power-relations, the president said.

Kovind said aspirations run high in our people.

"They constantly yearn for a better life for themselves and their children. There is no let-up in their demand for good governance, equal opportunities and efficient and equitable delivery of public goods and services," the president said.

Modi leads a government that will continue to work selflessly and tirelessly to fulfill these aspirations and enable a life of dignity and respect to our citizens, he said.

Kovind said India's dreams are not for it alone.

"As we work for our progress, we remain deeply conscious of the support we draw from our close friends and our close neighbours. From the warm waters of the Indian Ocean to the earnest embrace of the Bay of Bengal and further to the shared cultural affinities and economic opportunities of Central Asia, our people embody similar hopes and aspirations," he said.

Over the centuries, India has been the centre-piece of a great trading system that has run from the heartland of Central Asia right to the Indian Ocean, the president said.

"This is our legacy, and this is also our future. For all our people and for the global community, we must work together to foster peace and prosperity in our region and beyond. Our countries remain stakeholders in each other's progress and wellbeing," Kovind said.

Dignitaries attended the banquet include Bangladesh's President Mohammad Abdul Hamid, Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena, Sooronbai Zheenbekov, the President of Kyrgyz Republic and U Win Myint, the President of Myanmar.

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, K P Sharma Oli, the Prime Minister of Nepal; Lotay Tshering, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan and Grisada Boonrach, special envoy of the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand also attended the banquet.

The highest ever number of 8,000 guests, including VVIPs, attended the swearing-in ceremony of the prime minister and his Council of Ministers Thursday.

Rashtrapati Bhavan kitchen's speciality 'Dal Raisina' was served to foreign delegates in the banquet.

Dal Raisina, a speciality of Rashtrapati Bhavan's kitchen, is cooked for about 48 hours and its main ingredients are brought from Lucknow. The preparation to cook Dal Raisina had started on Tuesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress is a party that takes care of all sections of society, its Delhi unit president Sheila Dikshit said at an Iftar hosted by the party on Friday.

Scores of men and women besides party leaders attended the Iftar hosted by the Delhi Congress at its office on DDU Marg.

"Its great to have you all here and there should be more such occasions. Congress respects and cares for all in the society," Dikshit said extending her Eid greetings in advance to those present at the event.

Though the Congress failed to open its account in Delhi in the Lok Sabha polls, the party saw its vote share increase.

It also managed to leave behind the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) in terms of vote share in majority of the assembly segments in the seven parliamentary constituencies here.

The minorities voted in favour of Congress candidates which was evident by its votes in Okhla, Seelampur, Chandni Chowk, Ballimaran, Matia Mahal and Mustafabad assembly segments, which were more than the votes of AAP candidates.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Delhi court Friday issued open-ended non-bailable warrant (NBW) against former senior official of Airbus Industrie, a French company, in a money laundering case related to the purchase of 43 aircraft by erstwhile Indian Airlines in 2005.

The case relates to negotiations allegedly favouring the foreign private airline which caused losses to IA, which has since merged with national carrier Air India.

ED told Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann that British-national Kiran Rao, then Senior VP (Pricing and Marketing), Airbus Industrie, avoided summons "deliberately and knowingly" and did not appear for investigation.

Thus, it added, Rao has been "non-cooperative, affecting the probe".

Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana, appearing for ED, told the court that the purchase of 43 aircraft from Airbus Industrie by Indian Airlines was negotiated by Empowered Group of Ministers on September 6, 2005 with Rao and others on behalf of Airbus Industrie.

He said Rao was making excuses to avoid the investigation and making himself available in India for the purpose of investigation of a criminal case.

An open-ended NBW does not carry a time limit for its execution.

The court had earlier allowed ED to question lobbyist Deepak Talwar in the case. He is already in Tihar jail in relation to another money laundering case.

ED's advocate A R Aditya said the case was filed against Indian Airlines officials and other unknown persons, alleging that the officials in conspiracy with Airbus Industrie, caused "undue pecuniary advantage" to the French firm as also "corresponding undue loss to the government exchequer in carrying out the purchase of 43 aircraft".

ED further said: "The cabinet committee on economic affairs/ empowered group of ministers had approved the purchase...and the purchase price per aircraft was fixed with the condition that Airbus will establish training and MRO Centre worth USD 175 million (around Rs 1,000 crore).

"However, purchase order was placed for supply of 43 aircraft by fraudulently deleting the said condition. Deletion of those conditions for establishing MRO and training centre resulted in undue benefit of Rs 1,000 crore to Airbus which should have been reduced from agreed purchase price of aircraft fixed by the government of India."



In another case, the ED alleged that Talwar acted as a middleman in negotiations to favour foreign private airlines causing loss to national carrier Air India.

Talwar was picked up by Dubai authorities in January deported to India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Delhi court has issued open-ended non bailable warrants (NBW) against former senior vice president of French company, Airbus Industrie, in a money laundering case related to the purchase of 43 aircraft by erstwhile Indian Airlines in 2005.

The case relates to negotiations allegedly favouring the foreign private airlines which caused losses to the airline, which has since merged with national carrier Air India.

ED told Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann that British-national Kiran Rao, then Senior VP (Pricing and Marketing), Airbus Industrie, avoided summons "deliberately and knowingly" and did not appear for investigation.

Thus, it added, Rao has been "non-cooperative, affecting the probe".

Special Public Prosecutor Nitesh Rana, appearing for ED, told the court that the purchase of 43 aircraft from Airbus Industrie by Indian Airlines was negotiated by Empowered Group of Ministers on September 6, 2005 with Rao and others on behalf of Airbus Industrie.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A two-week summer camp for children to create awareness about traffic rules and regulations began on Friday, police said.

The fifth season of the "Road Safety Awareness Summer Camp" was inaugurated by Delhi Commissioner of Police, Amulya Patnaik at Traffic Training Park here.

A senior police official said the two-weeks programme will help children to utilize their summer vacation in a meaningful way.

It will also enable them to learn traffic rules and regulations and some life skills in an enjoyable manner which will have a bearing on their career and life, he said.

Calling upon students to be disciplined in their life for their own individual strength and for building up a strong nation, Patnaik said, "Children are the best instruments of society, as they see, learn and follow good habits and also tell their parents to follow the rules and become good citizens".

According to the police, the summer camp will be organized in two batches from Monday to Friday at its five locations - Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Bal Bhawan, Punjabi Bagh, Roshanara Bagh and Dev Samaj School in Nehru Nagar.

Each batch will have a strength of 200-250 students.

During the summer camp, various stakeholders will involve the participants in some major activities like training in manual drill, teachings on traffic rules, road safety norms, road signs and signals markings, demos on self-defense techniques, first-aid skills, training on disaster management techniques and fire safety tactics among others, a senior officer said.

Many competitions will be organized during the camp and there will be awards for the winners, the officer said.

The Commissioner of Police also commended the efforts of field formations, especially Traffic personnel, who brave extreme weather conditions to keep the city well regulated and keep it going in view of ever increasing volume of vehicles.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Police has told the high court here that it has decided to develop an e-facility to streamline reporting of missing persons, including children, and to reduce human interface.

In a status report placed before a bench of Justices Manmohan and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, the Delhi Police has said an e-facility shall be developed through which the citizens would be able to report instances of missing persons on its web portal.

"The service shall be provided at the portal of the Delhi Police through internet. This shall ensure prompt and timely police response and take the service delivery closer to the citizens of Delhi," the report, filed through Delhi government standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra and additional standing counsel Sanjay Lao, has said.

The status report was filed in response to the court's recent suggestion to police to consider allowing lodging of FIRs through SMS, email and WhatsApp in case of missing persons to prevent loss of time and ensure speedy investigation.

Appreciating the "alacrity" with which the Delhi Police has reacted to the suggestions of the court, the bench observed "with online registration of FIRs, human interface which normally causes delay in registration of an FIR would be obviated".

The bench was also of the view that at the police station-level as well as at the district-level the investigation procedure followed by the Anti Human Trafficking Unit/Crime Branch "should be replicated".

"For this purpose, not only latest technology and training, but also general guidelines in the form of standard operating procedure should be issued and followed at the ground-level.

"The intent behind directing issuance of standard operating procedure or guidelines is not to control the discretion of the investigating officer, but to ensure that certain essential steps like flashing of message on wireless and placing information of a missing person on the ZIPNET are taken in a time bound manner," the court said.

The order came on a PIL initiated by the court on its own after receiving a letter on April 23 from a Madhya Pradesh-based woman claiming that her daughter who was working has a maid in a house at Suvidha Kunj in Pitampura here as has gone missing from there.

After the high court took up the issue as a PIL, police had lodged an FIR on May 18.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ujjwala-man Dharmendra Pradhan is set to become India's longest-serving Oil Minister as he set out for a second stint, during which his priorities he said will be to raise domestic oil and gas production, expedite creation of national gas grid and create common market-friendly infrastructure.

Pradhan is the only oil minister after Atal Bihari Vajpayee government's Ram Naik to have completed full five-year term. But unlike Naik, he has been reassigned the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which he had made a common household name through the free LPG cooking gas connection scheme Ujjwala in the first stint.

Late Murli Deora too had a five-year stint - from January 2006 to January 2011, as the oil minister but it was split over two governments, both led by the UPA.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi reposing faith in him again, Pradhan is set to break the records of Naik and Deora to be the longest-serving Oil Minister of the country.

Hailing from Odisha, where his almost weekly visits and thousands of public meetings helped create a groundswell for the BJP in the state, he paid obeisance at Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri in the morning before coming to the national capital to take charge as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

In Modi 2.0 government, he has also been given additional charge of Ministry of Steel. He took charge of that ministry as well.

"First five years of Modi government had seen several reforms, many projects and many new initiatives in the oil and gas sector. Those will continue and many more reforms will be ushered in," he told reporters after taking charge as oil minister.

The fruit of reforms undertaken during 2014 and 2019 will now be reaped, he said. "Creating a common infrastructure, market-friendly infrastructure will be the priority".

While the Ujjwala scheme helped take cooking gas to almost 90 per cent of households in the country, creating a grid of pipelines will help take the environment-friendly fuel the eastern and southern parts, which were left out of the gas revolution.

Natural gas reaching eastern states will help the industralisation of the region and create jobs.

"The work that we did in the last term will be expedited to see a comprehensive completion," he said, adding city gas projects in 400 towns will be implemented expeditiously.

"Many more policy reforms will be ushered in," he said.

Son of former Union minister of state for surface transport, Debendra Pradhan, he steered one of the two biggest social initiative of Modi 1.0 government. Besides providing free cooking gas (LPG) connection to poor women under Ujjwala scheme, the other big social initiative was to provide electricity connection to every household in the country.

While he micromanaged implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawla Yojana to see LPG customer base more than double to 26 crore in just five years, he kept Odisha central to his political priorities and virtually drove many a project in the oil ministry to the state.

A tough taskmaster, Pradhan was picked to head the high-stake Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas when Prime Minister Modi first rode to power in 2014.

He overhauled controversy-riddled oil and gas sector but kept touring his home state virtually every week during the last five years, building a base for the BJP. This paid off when BJP clinched 8 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, up from just one in 2014. It also improved tally in the state assembly to 23 from 10 previously.

Back in 2000, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik's BJD contested assembly elections in alliance with the BJP. Pradhan won from Pallahara seat, that Patnaik reportedly greeted with, 'Oh! I've got a problem'.

Pradhan was little known then and was just an activist of the BJP's student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and a former student union leader of Utkal University. But Patnaik, who some say 'x-ray' eyes, saw in him a potential threat who could breach his citadel.

Almost two decades later, the chief minister's judgment is proving correct as the BJP put up a spirited challenge his uninterrupted reign.

Pradhan became an MP in 2004 after successfully contesting from the Deogarh parliamentary constituency. He, however, lost the 2009 assembly elections but then the hardworking and ambitious Pradhan made enough contacts in the nation's capital to build a successful political career.

He first became the BJP national secretary and then the general secretary. By 2012, he got elected to Rajya Sabha from Bihar. And when Modi swept to power in 2014 polls, he was made union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas with independent charge.

He again has been made a cabinet minister in Modi 2.0 government.

It was virtually because of Pradhan's ceaseless efforts that the BJP made deep inroads into the BJD-ruled state, eating into the vote-share of Naveen Patnaik-led BJD.

The saffron party's vote-share in the state registered a substantial rise from 21.88 per cent in 2014 to 38.4 per cent this time, while that of the BJD dropped to 42.8 per cent from 44.77 per cent.

Pradhan, who did not contest the just-concluded elections, was seen touring every nook and corner of Odisha to bolster the poll prospects of the BJP candidates. He coordinated electioneering in all Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies in the state, trying to keep a tab on the pulse of the voters.

Just after the first phase of the four-phase elections in the state, the 50-year-old Union minister had announced a dal-salt-rice package for the poor.

It was seen as a masterstroke by many, as the promise did not figure in the BJP's manifesto for the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The DMK on Friday likened Rahul Gandhi to Jawaharlal Nehru for his liberal ideological moorings that went beyond just electoral and asserted that the Congress needed a "broad-minded person" like him.

At a time when the Congress appeared to be in a disarray with Rahul wanting to step down from the post of party chief due to poll drubbing, the Dravidian party said, "Rahul's political journey should be about slogging from the grassroots level. If that is there, victory is possible."



Apparently seeking to lift Rahul's spirits, the DMK's Tamil organ "Murasoli", in its editorial, said the Congress was a broad-based party and to lead it, only a broad-minded person like Rahul was needed.

Days after DMK chief M K Stalin persuaded Rahul not to quit from the president's post, the party mouthpiece said he did not confine himself to only "electoral politics," during the run up to the polls.

Instead, Rahul, the DMK said showed his concern about the Indian society, and expressed his anguish about several aspects like religious hostility, economic inequalities, and poverty.

The DMK daily said he also understood the difference in mindset between the southern and northern states.

Rahul spoke of "Periyar (rationalist leader) and celebrated Kalaignar (late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi)," and all such aspects went beyond poll victories and defeats, Murasoli said.

The Congress president, hence, transcended the confines of electoral by talking not only about Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also focusing on all such aspects.

By doing so, the DMK said, "Rahul transcended. To be very precise, Rahul Gandhi reflected the thoughts (liberal ideological stand) of Jawaharlal Nehru."



"Rahul is the strong brick for building the fort of Congress and it is more strong than a mountain of sand."The DMK also said it was usual to blame the Nehru-Gandhi family during poll debacles.

"Many do not realise during times of success that it is the very same family which fetched victories for the Congress party."



Similarly, some were now trying to place the blame on Rahul for the Congress party's poll defeat.

Rahul has offered to step down following the dismal performance of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, while the Congress Working Committee rejected it.

The BJP had on May 23 won 303 out of 542 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls, handing out a crushing defeat to the Congress and many other political opponents.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Friday said the country's Muslims should not worry about the BJP's return to power as the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion to every citizen.

The Hyderabad MP also hit out at the perpetrators of the April 21 Easter Sunday serial bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, which left more than 250 people dead.

The Bharatiya Janata Party capped a massive mandate by winning a total of 303 seats while the NDA has 353 MPs in the recently elected 17th Lok Sabha.

"India's law, Constitution gives us this permission that we follow our religion," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief said in his address to a gathering at the Makkah Masjid here.

"When India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi can go to a temple, you can proudly visit a mosque," he told the gathering.

Slamming those behind the terror attacks on churches and luxury hotels in the island nation, Owaisi said there was no place for violence in Islam.

The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Carrying out bomb blasts at a place of worship of someone else and killing more than 200 people, including 40 innocent children... what Islam are you talking about," Owaisi said.

The perpetrators were "following the teachings of the devil and not Islam", Owaisi added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
DMK president M K Stalin Friday hit out at the Centre for moving the Supreme Court against a Madras High Court order on the Salem-Chennai green corridor project, saying the BJP government was indulging in "anti-people" activity.

The Centre moved the apex court Friday challenging the high court order quashing the land acquisition process for the Rs 10,000-crore Salem-Chennai eight-lane greenfield corridor project.

"I condemn the Centre's decision to go for an appeal. The decision is a betrayal of the people of Tamil Nadu. Just a day after forming the government, the BJP government has indulged in anti-people activity," Stalin said in a statement.

The 277.3-km-long eight-lane greenfield project connecting Salem and Chennai under the Centre's 'Bharatmala Pariyojana' scheme aims to cut travel time between the two cities by half to about two hours and 15 minutes.

However, it has been facing opposition from a section of locals, including farmers, over fears of losing their land, besides environmentalists who are against felling trees for it.

The BJP and the AIADMK governments have to look for alternative routes without affecting farmers and the common people, the opposition leader said.

"The governments should take constructive steps for development, instead of using coercive measures," Stalin said.

The high court had held that the environmental clearance was mandatory for the sensitive project.

Its order had come on a batch of petitions filed by 35 land owners and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Anbumani Ramadoss. The pleas had challenged the land acquisition proceedings.

Stalin also sought from PMK a clear stand on the issue as the party is also in an alliance led by AIADMK alongside the BJP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delay in receiving OTP and non-functioning online calculator were the issues students faced when they tried to register on the Delhi University's online portal, which went live on Thursday.

The DU commenced its online registration process at 8 pm on Thursday and said within 24 hours, 1,01,811 students had registered on the portal.

However, on the first open day at the Delhi University, several students and their parents complained that the online calculator, which is a new feature introduced on the portal this year, was not functioning properly.

"After logging in and keying in my child's marks, I chose the suggestive online calculator to calculate the best of four aggregate, but it picked up random marks and gave a wrong percentage," said a parent.

An admission official said the online calculator is not yet functional and will only be made functional when the cut-offs are announced.

However, varsity officials had initially admitted that there was a problem with the online calculator.

Another parent, alleged these were delaying tactics by the DU and by the time the cut-offs will be announced, the varsity would have rectified it. The parent also said the varsity should have announced it earlier that the online calculator will only be required when the cut-offs are announced.

Another problem that arose was the delay in getting one time password (OTP) required to complete the admission process.

"I had registered on the DU portal on Thursday night but did not get the OTP during the 15 minute mandatory time. Now, I am worried whether I will be able to register again on the website with the same email ID I used or not," said S K Vijay, a parent, from Saket.

Another parent said, "I had registered on the Delhi University admission portal at 9.30 pm on Thursday and after filling in the details, I was informed that the OTP will be sent to my phone within 15 minutes. I received the OTP at 4.38 am on Friday."



Other parents also had similar complaints and the varsity officials admitted that since there was too much traffic on the admission portal when it went live, there was delay in sending OTPs. They said these issues were not experienced on Friday.

Vinod Tiwari, who had come from Lucknow, said, "My daughter had filled in the marks for all the subjects but after we got a printout, her marks for Biology were missing from the printout. We informed about this to the officials and even wrote an email to DU Registrar about it. They said the marks are there in the database and we should not be worried."



This year, the officials claimed that the portal has been made mobile-friendly and will even function on 2G network. Every year, there used to be reports about server crashing due to high traffic, but officials said this year the admission process till now has been glitch-free.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Philippine military officials say a long-held Dutch hostage has been shot and killed by his Abu Sayyaf captors when he tried to escape during a gunbattle in southern jungles.

Military commander Brig. Gen. Divino Pabayo Jr. says Dutch bird watcher Ewold Horn was fatally shot on Friday while trying to escape during a gunbattle between the militants and army troops in the jungles of Sulu province's mountainous Patikul town. At least six militants were killed in the firefight.

Horn, a Swiss friend and a Filipino companion were abducted by gunmen during a birdwatching trip in Tawi Tawi province, near Sulu, in 2012. Horn's



Filipino companion managed to escape shortly after their abduction while Swiss captive Lorenzo Vinciguerre dashed to freedom years later.

The military says it recovered Horn's body.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Any efforts to import Iranian beyond the accepted levels negotiated from November to May will be sanctioned, the US has warned, amidst reports that and were seeking ways to buy from

US last month refused to give waivers to countries like from buying from Iran, in an attempt to reduce Iran's to zero.

The US on Tuesday reiterated its position after the media reports from New Delhi, quoting unnamed government officials, said that was looking at ways to resume from despite the US sanctions.

Last week, India's to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India had stopped buying oil from after May 2 when the US ended its waivers that allowed the top buyers of Iranian oil, including India, to continue their imports for six months.

"There will be no more oil waivers granted and the only oil that would have been permitted would have been under the cap that we negotiated. That cap was negotiated, it was to run for a period from November of 2018 until May of 2019," Brian Hook, Special Representative for and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, told reporters during a conference call on Thursday.

He said once the countries have reached the cap of what was negotiated, that would be the limit of the oil that US would permit to move through and would not be sanctioned.

"We will sanction any efforts to import Iranian beyond the limits that were negotiated in the period that ran from November through May," Hook said.

Responding to the question that India and were importing a little bit of Iranian oil, he said: "The countries that you mentioned I think every country is aware of it. We now have close to 30 countries that used to import Iranian that are now at zero. This accounts for 40 per cent of the regime's revenue".

Iran earlier used to supply 10 per cent of India's oil needs.

After coming to power, Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal last year and has imposed stringent sanctions against what he describes as the "authoritarian" Iranian regime.

"If we want to get serious about denying Iran the money it needs to destabilise the Middle East, we have to enforce oil sanctions. We think all countries in the world share a desire for a more peaceful and stable For as long as Iran is able to conduct its foreign policy with impunity fuelled by oil revenue, it is going to be unstable," Hook said.

That has been the message of the to all these countries, he said.

"Nations know that if there are efforts to import Iranian crude oil beyond the accepted levels that were negotiated back from November through May, they will be sanctioned," he asserted.

State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus reiterated that it was the policy of the to take Iranian to zero and there will be no extensions on these waivers.

"That remains our policy," she said.

Ortagus said the US policy on Iran was working.

"We see the compliance with US sanctions regarding Iran writ large to be one of the most successful things that this administration and that this State Department has done," she said.

Later, a Senior State Department official told a group of reporters that India's developing of the in Iran was exempted from the Iranian sanctions.

"That exemption continues. It's not being reviewed. The exemption allows for the development of the port, the development of the rail link to Afghanistan, the provision of crude to and the provision of humanitarian supplies as well. That continues," the official said.

The official said the welcomed India's efforts to further develop trade with

India continued to play a leading role and is providing humanitarian assistance, including wheat, which has gone through the

The US was having an ongoing conversation with India on Iran, the official said, adding that welcomes the fact that India has reduced its crude from Iran.

"I don't see frankly a difference in concerns over the prospect of a nuclear Iran. I don't believe it's in India's interest and Indian officials are forthright in saying that they do not want to see a nuclear Iran," the official said.

"I think that there are shared concerns over Iran support for terrorism, including in the Gulf where six million Indians work. So there's a lot that unites the US and India when it comes to analysing and assessing Iranian activity," the official said.

The US is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran to counter what the perceives to be a potential threat.

Last month, the US designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation, the first time the designation has been applied to a government entity.
The Supreme Court Friday threatened contempt proceedings against Maharashtra government officials for "virtually overriding" its order staying 10 per cent quota to students of economically weaker sections (EWS) in admissions to post graduate medical and dental courses in the 2019-20 academic year.

A vacation bench comprising Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna also extended till June 4 the deadline for concluding the admission process asking the Maharashtra government to refresh the merit list after excluding the EWS category students.

The top court took strong note of a clause of the notice issued by the state government's Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell on Thursday after it had passed the earlier order.

The clause reads: "The admissions of all the candidates (except those admitted under EWS Category) from the previous admission process are not disturbed."



As per the May 30 order of the apex court, the admissions of the EWS category students had to be cancelled and the merit list was required to be "reshuffled" so that rankings of the general category students get changed accordingly, the bench said.

"We will issue contempt proceedings against Commissioner and Competent Authority of the state CET Cell and other officers. You (state) are virtually overriding the interim order passed by this court (on May 30)," said the irked bench.

A student, who was earlier allotted a seat in a particular stream of medical science, can now get a better course if the merit list is reshuffled, it said, adding that now "you are saying that it could not be done due to paucity of time. You are the person who has created all the problems".

It said that when this court specifically directed that the notifications "extending the benefit of reservation to the extent of 10 per cent to EWS, inter alia, in PG medical courses shall not be applicable for admission for the academic year 2019-20 unless the MCI increases the number of seats (which has not taken place) and once the admission of all candidates allotted seats during the previous rounds under EWS category are cancelled and the category of all EWS candidates are converted into open category, necessary consequences of reshuffling must follow".

The top court stayed the clause 'C' of the May 30 notice of the CET Cell and said that it "can be said to be in the teeth of the interim order of this court" and it "virtually tantamount" to not giving full effect to its order.

Advocate Nishant R Katneshwarkar, appearing for the state, said there was little time left as the last date of counselling for admissions was ending on May 31 and therefore, it was not possible for the government to reshuffle the entire admission list.

He however submitted that there was no other "mala fide intention" on the part of the government and sought some more time for re-drawing the merit list.

The apex court said: "The authorities are hereby directed to complete the process of admission including reshuffling on implementation of Notice...and considering the interim order passed by this Court on May 30...

"In the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, we extend the time to complete the counselling and to complete the admission process in PG medical and dental courses for the Academic Year 2019-20 as directed above up to June 4, failing which a very serious view shall be taken for not complying the interim order passed by this Court in its true spirit."



The court was hearing a fresh intervention plea, against the fresh notice of the CET Cell, filed by Sameer R Deshmukh and other general category students through senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde and advocate Govind Jee.

Earlier, the apex court had stayed Maharashtra government's notification granting of 10 per cent quota to students of EWS in admissions to post graduate medical and dental courses in academic year 2019-20.

"We are of the view, at this stage, that though the State may act under the enabling provision contained in Article 16(6) of the Constitution, as introduced by the 103rd Constitutional amendment, unless additional seats are sanctioned by the Medical Council of India, the existing seats cannot be subjected to the provisions of the aforesaid Constitutional amendment by issuing appropriate notifications, as has been done in this case," the bench had said.

The admissions for the 2019-20 academic year were to close on Friday.

The balance between the competing claims of parties involved will be upset if the reserved category students are allowed to take admissions in the PG Medical course and at later stage their admissions were found to be untenable, it had said.

The court's order had come on a plea of Rajat Rajendra Agrawal and two others, all students from General Category claiming that unless additional seats are created, the ten per cent EWS quota will eat into their share of seats.

The students have challenged two circulars of the Maharashtra government by which 10 per cent EWS quota was enforced in PG medical and dental courses of the state.

They have sought a direction to the state not to implement 10 per cent reservation for EWS across all classes in the post-graduate medical and dental courses this academic year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Bhutan premier Tshering Tobgay has criticised some Indian TV channels for "insulting" his country by using the wrong photographs of current Prime Minister Lotay Tshering in their coverage of his arrival to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Covering his arrival, a channel displayed the picture of Tshering Wangchuk, chief advisor of Bhutan's interim government, with Tshering's name, while another channel telecast Tobgay's image, addressing him as the current Bhutanese premier.

Taking to Twitter to express his anguish, Tobgay on Thursday shared two screenshots where Tshering was identified wrongly and said, "India's media would be up in arms if any other country got the picture of their PM wrong. Yet they continue to embarrass themselves and insult us when it comes to identifying our PM."



"Bhutan may be small, but she is India's close neighbour and a very close friend," he tweeted.

Following Tobgay's tweet, Indian social media users apologised to him for the gaffe.

Subsequently, Tobgay posted a picture of the prime minister on Twitter and said, "My thanks to the many Indians for the outpouring of support and understanding. Attached is a photo of Prime Minister Lotay Tshering for the media's ready reference. The pictures used are of former Prime Minister (yours truly) and Chief Advisor of interim government (Chief Justice Tshering Wangchuk)".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six people were convicted under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) by a court here on Friday, the Delhi Police said, claiming it was the first major conviction under the law in the city.

The quantum of punishment was pronounced by the court of Rakesh Syal, special judge MCOCA to Vipin Sharma, Sachin Sharma, Honey Sharma, Harshad Alam, Aman Alam, and Bhupender Singh under the Section 3 of the act for cheating job seekers, they said.

Vipin Sharma was the kingpin of the gang, which was involved in multiple cases of cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, attempt to culpable homicide, wrongful confinement among others in the national capital, registered against them at various police stations in Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab.

P S Kushwaha, DCP (Special Cell) said that the crimes committed by the persons fell under the ambit of MCOCA and a separate case under Section 3 of MCOCA was registered at the Police Station of Special Cell, New Delhi, on December 19, 2009.

The case was investigated by L N Rao, the then ACP of Delhi Police.

During the probe, a large number of passports in the name of different persons with work visas of New Zealand and fake PAN cards, debit and credit cards, shopping cards, SIM cards among others were recovered at the instance of the accused persons, Kushwaha said.

Vipin was sentenced to 14 years in jail with a fine of Rs 55 lakh whereas others were awarded a 10-year jail term and fined Rs 14 lakh each, police said.

Of the fine imposed on the convicts, they must pay Rs 33.80 lakh to the 10 victims as compensation, the court said.

MCOCA was first enacted in Maharashtra in 1999 to crackdown on organised crime syndicates and the underworld. Its success there led to the act being extended to Delhi in 2002.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former diplomats and international affairs experts hailed ex-foreign secretary S Jaishankar's appointment as the Minister of External Affairs, saying he is entering the political arena with a wealth of diplomatic experience.

Vivek Katju, former secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said Jaishankar has an "outstanding record" as a diplomat and he will prove to be "great assistance" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he formulates his policy.

"He is a fine professional. Track records of India diplomats being good public men and good political personalities have been very good... Nonetheless, it is one thing to be professionally competent. But, when you enter a political arena, there is a new dimension.

"Jaishankar would have to prove himself as a fine political figure. I think he will do that well," he said.

Jaishankar, 64, took charge of the External Affairs ministry Friday, a rare instance of a career diplomat handling the key portfolio as minister.

Considered an expert on China and the US, the new External Affairs minister's moves will be keenly watched to see whether he brings any changes in India's approach in dealing with a hostile Pakistan.

The 1977-batch IFS officer was a surprise pick in the Modi Cabinet, whose members took oath on Thursday, and he will succeed Sushma Swaraj in the ministry, where he had served as a foreign secretary from 2015-2018.

Former Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan and Sweden, Ashok Sajjanhar said there is no reason, whatsoever to doubt, "this is an excellent choice".

Jaishankar will bring with him over 40 years of valuable experience from the diplomatic field and he understands India's relations with major countries including the US, Russia and China, and the challenges ahead he said.

Son of the late K Subrahmanyam, one of India's leading strategic analysts, Jaishankar was a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

The deal, initiated in 2005, took several years to craft, and was signed by the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh in 2007.

"His father was one of the best known strategic analysts of India, so, strategic thinking is in his DNA, in his blood. But, he cut his teeth in MEA through his career, and started his career in Moscow when it was part of the USSR," Sajjanhar said.

The former ambassador also said he provided "real impetus" to the bilateral partnership between India and the US when he was the joint secretary (Americas).

"He has served as an ambassador in China.. He knows China, and has a healthy respect for what China has been able to achieve, but notwithstanding, he is also very clear that India needs to stand up when its interests are under attack, and that is what happened in Doklam, when he was the foreign secretary," Sajjanhar added.

The biggest challenge confronting India today going forward would be, how to manage its relation with China, both in terms of competition and cooperation, he said.

"Jaishankar has a good understanding of the geo- dynamics that prevails today, these elements he understands and appreciates. He has navigated through these geo-political changes that has been taking place and, therefore particularly suited (for the job)," the former envoy to Sweden said.

Another retired diplomat, who did not wish to be named, said Jaishankar is an "excellent choice" and his experience in the diplomatic field will stand him in good stead in the political arena.

Katju said for Jaishankar, the main challenge would be the western neighbour, and he would have to "give priority" as Pakistan is a constant challenge.

He also said former extrenal affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has paid a lot of attention to Indian diaspora and Indians who would be in trouble abroad.

Swaraj has been known to help many Indian citizens or Indian-origin people stranded abroad or facing other issues, after having reached out to her through social media.

"That is a tradition, people in pubic life would expect Jaishankar to continue," Katju said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian Friday congratulated S Jaishankar for taking over as the External Affairs Minister and said he was looking forward to deepening of bilateral ties.

"Congratulations to my new colleague @DrSjaishankar! I'm delighted to meet him again soon to prepare together the @G7 summit," he tweeted.

"I'm looking forward to deepening the bilateral relation between France and India for a renewed multilateralism, a safer and more sustainable world," he said.

Retired foreign secretary, Jaishankar was on Friday back in the External Affairs ministry but this time as minister, a surprise move aimed at adding further strategic heft to India's foreign policy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rahil Gangjee survived a scare on the back nine to card one-over 73 and make the halfway cut at the Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open here Friday.

Gangjee squeezed into the weekend rounds on the cutline at tied 57th spot.

The top four in this event qualify for the Open in Ireland in July.

Gangjee, who shot 74 in the first round, started from the 10th and birdied 14th and 16th before dropping a bogey on 17th to turn in one-under.

A birdie on third meant he was two-under for the day and even for the tournament and in comfortable position to make the cut.

Then he bogeyed fourth and fifth and yet another on ninth to go to three-over. But he made the cut, which fell on three-over.

Shugo Imahira shot 67 at The Royal Country Club to take a two-shot lead and take sole lead.

Shugo, who has never made the cut in his last five Major appearances, will be playing all four Majors this season for the first time. Imahira is leading at eight under 136.

The 21-year-old Young-Woong Kim of Korea played four-under 68 and is lying second at six-under 138, while 31-year-old Ryutaro Nagana (70) is third at five-under 139.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 19-year-old employee of private carrier GoAir here has allegedly committed suicide, a step he took after wishing his mother on her birthday, police said Friday.

The deceased, Manthan Mahendra Chavan, was part of the Mumbai-headquartered budget airline's ground staff at the Nagpur airport, they said.

He ended his life Thursday afternoon at residence here after wishing his mother, a policewoman, on her birthday by writing the message on a piece of paper, they said.

According to the police, Chavan, who worked as a trainee ramp officer, hanged himself from an iron rod of a ventilator at his home in Chandramani Nagar under the Ajni police station area at around 2.45 pm.

Chavan's father told the police its not clear why his son committed suicide, but he may have taken the extreme step due to work stress, police sub-inspector (Ajni) Kailash Magar said.

The deceased was on leave as he was down with jaundice for the last nearly two weeks, Magar said, quoting his father.

"No suicide note was found at the spot, from where a piece of paper was recovered with the message, 'Happy birthday mummy - I am sorry'. It was Manthan's mother's birthday yesterday," he said.

The Ajni police have registered a case of accidental death.

"We are conducting a detailed investigation into the case," the sub-inspector said.

Chavan's mother works with the special branch of the Nagpur police.

Meanwhile, GoAir, in a statement here, said it deeply regrets the death of Chavan, who was working as a trainee ramp officer at the airport for last about nine months.

He was on leave for almost a week, the airline said.

"GoAir is ascertaining facts related to the case and we are extending full cooperation and support to the investigating authorities," said Bakul Gala, VP (corporate communications & PR), GoAir.

"Our hearts go out to the parents and family members of young Manthan in this hour of grief. We pray that the Almighty gives them courage to overcome this tragedy.

"While nothing can compensate the tragic loss of a young family member, GoAir, on its part, will immediately release his dues and other compensation as per the company policy," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A lawyer, who is a prime accused in a case related to smuggling of gold through Thiruvananthapuram International Aiport, Friday surrendered before the officials of the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at its office here, officials said.

Advocate M Biju surrendered at the DRI office in this city this morning. His arrest would be recorded after recording his statement, a DRI official said.

The lawyer had moved an anticipatory bail plea before the High Court.

When the bail plea was being considered by the High Court on Thursday, his counsel had informed that he would appear before the DRI officials on Friday morning.

A Customs Superintendent at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport had been arrested in the state capital for allegedly helping gold smugglers.

DRI sleuths had arrested Radhakrishnan, suspecting that he had prior knowledge of an attempt by two people from Oman to smuggle in gold.

The two, who arrived here from the gulf nation earlier this month, were nabbed for an attempt to smuggle in 25 kg gold worth over Rs eight crore.

Early this week, the DRI had submitted in the Kerala High Court that smuggling of gold into the country was threatening its economic well-being.

According to the DRI, Biju was one of the masterminds of the smuggling operations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is being touted as the highest paid female star on TV, says she deserves what she is being paid for her debut on the small screen.

Kareena will be one of judges on reality show "Dance India Dance" and there were reports that the 38-year-old actor's pay is the highest for any female actor's stint on TV.

"The pay package has to be a good amount because you put in a lot of hardwork on TV. If a male judge is getting so much, a female judge can also.

"It is the first time ever that any mainstream actress has forayed into TV, a dance reality show, at this point in her career. I've got what I completely deserve and for the hours that I will put in," she said in a group interview here.

The actor said before the Zee TV reality series, she was offered many shows but had to turn them down as they required long working hours.

"TV has very long hours of timing, 12-14 hours and I don't work more than 8 hours after Taimur's birth. I'm a working mother and I have to be home with him. I like to be at home before he eats his dinner.

"That's the time I don't want to be with anyone other than him and my family. That was the only hurdle we had to cross with 'Dance India Dance' because they had to shoot for 12 hours. We are balancing it out."



She will be judging the show along with choreographer Bosco Martis and rapper Raftaar.

On the big screen, Kareena will be seen in Karan Johar's historical drama "Takht" and Irrfan Khan starrer "Angrezi Medium" and the actor says she's looking forward to both.

"'Takht' is going to start in December and 'Angrezi Medium' will start in July. I'm excited to be working with Irrfan. It was the box that needed to be ticked. I've worked with Shah Rukh, Salman, Aamir, Saif, all of them but it's just a different world to work with Irrfan.

"It's an exciting time for me to balance my personal life. I've always tried to do that. I'm known for standing on one leg so I'm going to continue to do that."



"Dance India Dance: Battle of the Champions" will premiere on June 22.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A gunbattle broke out between militants and security forces in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, in which two policemen were injured, officials said.

On information about the presence of some militants, an operation was launched in Marwah belt of the district, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, M K Sinha told PTI.

As a police team was closing in, it came under heavy fire from the militants, resulting in an exchange of fire, he said.

In the gunbattle, two policemen have been injured, he said.

He said reinforcement has been sent to the area and the operation is going on, he said.

The officials said two to three militants are believed to be holed up the area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian-origin Anita Bhatia, a veteran in strategic partnerships, resource mobilisation and management, has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the Deputy Executive Director in the global body's agency focussed on women empowerment and gender equality.

Bhatia holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Calcutta University, a Master of Arts in Political Science from Yale University and a Juris Doctor in Law from Georgetown University.

She has been appointed the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) for Resource Management, Sustainability and Partnerships, a statement from the UN Spokesperson's Office and UN Women said Thursday.

She has had a distinguished career at the World Bank Group, serving in various senior leadership and management positions, both at the headquarters and in the field.

Bhatia brings extensive experience in the area of strategic partnerships, resource mobilisation and management.

Veteran Indian diplomat and a gender equality champion Lakshmi Puri had previously served as the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women.

Bhatia served for several years as Director of Global Partnerships for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group's private sector arm.

She developed and expanded innovative partnerships with public and private sector partners to support IFC strategy in key areas, including fragile and conflict-affected states, gender equality, financial inclusion, support to women-owned businesses and other priorities critical to attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition, Bhatia has served as Director of Development Partner Relations for the World Bank, leading efforts to ensure strategic alignment between institutional priorities and resource mobilisation across the group.

In various positions, she focused on enhancing sustainability, institutional effectiveness and impact through strategic partnerships.

As Head of IFC's Latin America Advisory Operations, based in Lima and La Paz, she successfully grew the Corporation's reach and impact in the region.

As Director of Partnerships and Advisory Operations, she oversaw financial management, risk management, portfolio management, knowledge management and learning for Advisory Services across the globe.

Bhatia has led diverse teams, including as Global Head of Knowledge Management, Head of Business Process Improvement and Head of Change Management. In addition to Latin America, she has worked in Africa, Europe, Central Asia and South and East Asia.

The key appointment comes less than a week after Guterres appointed decorated Indian Army officer Lieutenant General Shailesh Tinaikar as his new Force Commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hardeep Singh Puri, the new Civil Aviation Minister, took charge of office on Friday amid distress in the sector that recently saw grounding of a private airline and concerns over debt-laden Air India, which the government wants to sell off.

After taking charge, Puri, a former Indian Foreign Service officer, held a meeting with senior officials who prepped him about the promises made in the sector and the challenges ahead.

"I will meet you once I get to know about the sector," Puri, who has been given the rank of Minister of State (Independent Charge), told reporters.

He succeeds Suresh Prabhu, who has been dropped from the Union council of ministers. In the first tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, Puri held the Housing and Urban Affairs portfolio, which he has retained this time as well.

Puri, who lost the Lok Sabha polls from the Amritsar seat and is currently a Rajya Sabha lawmaker, has also been made a junior minister in the Commerce and Industry Ministry in which Piyush Goyal is the Cabinet minister.

Ahead of the national polls, BJP in its manifesto had said that while it has operationalised 36 airports over the last five years, it plans to commission 100 airports in the coming years.

As Civil Aviation Minister, Puri would be looking to deal with the challenges related to Air India's divestment, which the Centre tried last year but failed.

The government is also moving towards selling a few subsidiaries of the state-owned carrier, which have been in profit in the last few years.

With Jet Airways suspending its operations due to lack of funds, Puri would have to take care of higher airfares, which resulted due to 'low capacity-high demand' scenario.

He would also have to ensure that there is a coherent policy regarding allocation of slots that have become vacant after Jet Airways suspended its operations on April 17, amid pressure from airline companies for their allotment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Doctor-turned-politician Harsh Vardhan will again lead the Health Ministry, almost five years after he was relieved of its charge.

According to sources in the minister's office, he will take charge of the ministry on Monday.

Vardhan will also continue to hold Science & Technology and Earth Sciences portfolios.

He was appointed as the Union Health minister in May 2014 and was later given the charge of the Ministries of Earth Sciences and Science and Technology.

J P Nadda had held the portfolio in the outgoing cabinet.

Vardhan was given the additional charge of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in May 2017, after the demise of Union minister Anil Madhav Dave.

The sixty-four-year-old was re-elected to Lok Sabha from Delhi's Chandni Chowk seat, with a margin of over 2 lakh votes this time.

Vardhan as an minister initiated the Green Good Deeds Movement in 2018 in which he appealed to organisations and the people to take small positive actions to strengthen the cause of environmental protection.

Under his leadership, the ministry also launched the National Clean Air Programme that aims to reduce toxic particulate matter by 2024.

In his tenure as science and technology minister, Vardhan faced flak for his off-the-cuff comments.

In the Indian Science Congress held in Manipur in 2018, Vardhan had claimed that cosmologist Stephen Hawking had said the Vedas have a theory that is superior to Albert Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

For this remark, he had faced criticism from the scientific community.

During his tenure as the health minister of Delhi from 1993-1998, he had undertaken a polio prevention programme which was emulated at the national level. He was awarded the Director-General's Polio Eradication Champion Award Commendation Medal by the World Health Organization in 1998.

Vardhan was at the forefront of the battle against tobacco and drug abuse and was instrumental in the enactment of several laws, including the Delhi Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places and Non-Smokers Health Protection Act, to tackle these problems.

Subsequent to this, the Supreme Court had directed all states to replicate this law and 12 states enacted similar laws.

He had for the first time implemented the Rational Drug Policy which was recognised by the WHO as the Delhi Model and was adopted by many countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress chief and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi urged Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to provide assistance to the family of a farmer, who committed suicide allegedly due to non-repayment of loans, and also conduct an inquiry into the matter.

V D Dinesh Kumar, 53, died after consuming some poisonous substance, police said on May 25.

His relatives said that financial burden had forced him to take the extreme step.

Gandhi, in his letter to Pinarayi dated May 28, said he was "deeply saddened" by the farmer's suicide. He requested the state government to conduct an inquiry and extend financial support to the family.

Police aid that Kumar had taken a loan of Rs 10 lakh from three banks and was reportedly facing recovery proceedings.

"Kumar's case isn't an isolated one. There have been a spate of farmer suicides in Wayanad, due to an inability to repay loans," Gandhi had said in his letter.

"What is disturbing is that while the government of Kerala has announced a moratorium on repayment of farm loans till December 31, 2019, yet farmers are still being pressured and hounded by loan collection agents," the letter said.

The Congress chief said it was important to consider "long-term measures" to free farmers from the "vicious debt trap" given the devastating impact of the last year's floods.

"I offer you my fullest support and cooperation in finding concrete long-term solutions to the critical issues Kerala's farmers are faced with and in ensuring every farmer in Kerala lives a life of dignity," Gandhi said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The head of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah has warned that if there was war against Iran the whole Middle East region would "erupt", amid escalating US-Iranian tensions.

US President Donald "Trump, his administration, and his intelligence know well that any war on Iran will not remain confined to Iran's borders", Hassan Nasrallah said. "Any war on Iran will mean the whole region will erupt," said the head of the Iran-backed movement in a televised speech on Friday.

"And any American forces and American interests will be permissible" as a target, he said.

Hezbollah is listed as a "terrorist group" by the United States, and has fought several wars with US ally Israel to the south of Lebanon.

Nasrallah on Friday also slammed a proposed US peace deal to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that Trump has dubbed "the deal of the century".

"It's a void deal... a historic crime," he said of the plan, that has already been rejected by the Palestinians as it is expected to largely favour Israel.

"This deal is a loss of Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic rights," Nasrallah said.

Thousands of Iranians joined annual rallies in support of the Palestinian cause on Friday, also rejecting the US peace plan.

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drafting the long-awaited peace plan, the economic aspects of which are to be presented at a conference in Bahrain next month.

The United Nations earlier on Friday said it would not be taking part in that meeting on June 25 and 26 in Manama.

In December 2017, US President Donald Trump broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in a move that prompted the Palestinians to cut all contacts with his administration.

Israel insists the whole of Jerusalem is its "eternal, indivisible capital". The Palestinians demand the city's eastern sector as the capital of their long promised state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday described as "landmark" the Modi government's decision to launch a new pension scheme for shopkeepers and retail traders.

Shah, who took oath as a central minister Thursday, also said in a series of tweets that farmers and poor have always been a priority for the Modi government.

"In its efforts to provide universal social security, the Modi government has taken a landmark decision and approved a new scheme, which assures all shopkeepers, retail traders and self-employed persons a minimum monthly pension of Rs 3000 per month after the age of 60 years," he tweeted.

Shah said as promised, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the PM-Kisan Yojana to all farmers.

The Cabinet has also approved a new scheme "Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana" to provide pension to crores of small and marginal farmers, he said.

"I congratulate PM @narendramodi ji for approving major changes in the PM's Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund. It reflects Modi government's sensitivity and commitment towards ensuring well-being of those who protect our nation against all odds," Shah tweeted. PTI ACB



http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg



We bring the World to you"Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you.

http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg



We bring the World to you"



Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Neil Gaiman almost came to India, twice.

The genre-defying author, who announced his participation in Jaipur Literature Festival this year on Twitter only not to arrive later, hopes third time's the charm with his Indian fans.

Gaiman said he was unable to visit the country due to a clash between the festival and shooting dates for Amazon Prime Video's "Good Omens", on which he serves as creator and executive producer.

"It was a time when the shooting of 'Good Omens' stretched from October 2018 to middle of December to January 2019, when I was supposed to come to Jaipur for the literature festival. But that couldn't happen as we were shooting for the sixth and final episode of 'Good Omens'. There were no options," he told PTI in a telephonic interview from London.

However, the writer said he is not one to take things for granted, adding that he is "enormously aware" of his popularity in India.

"I have so many people who read my stuff in India. They keep asking me, they love what I do and there are so many people who would like to turn up."



Writing the script from "unadaptable" 1990 fantasy novel "Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch" was more of a personal mission than a professional challenge for Gaiman, who co-wrote the book with iconic fantasy author Terry Pratchett. Pratchett died in 2015 from Alzheimer's.

"It was Terry's last wish to me, so I had to do it. Honouring Terry was most important. I remember, almost years ago now, going home starting to write at 11.31 in the night. I felt that Terry would want to see this go ahead. I thought I'm going to give this just another chance."



The show's co-executive producer Rob Wilkins, longtime collaborator with Pratchett, added one can't deny final wishes as they are a matter of honour.

"My job was to keep Terry's dream alive throughout the production. And obviously, Neil being the showrunner, who is the co-creator of the original novel, we couldn't have wished for anything more. Between Terry and Neil, nobody loves the Old Gods as much as they do. With Neil being on set every day, we were able to honour Terry," Wilkins told PTI.

From the Apocalyptic setting in "Good Omens", "The Sandman" graphic novel, his spin on fairytales in "The Sleeper and the Spindle" to his interpretation of Norse Mythology, Gaiman's works have a little bit of everything - mythology, fantasy, sci-fi, comedy with philosophical allusions.

But it was "The Sandman" that made him a cultural rage in the 1990s with youth, especially women. The story follows Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams, who belongs to a pantheon of beings known as the Endless, along with Death, Despair, Destiny and others.

Asked what could be the reason for his popularity, the writer initially answered, "I don't know".

He elaborated on his musing, saying young women weren't getting anything to read because it wasn't for them.

"Maybe because I was writing comics in a medium traditionally for pubescent boys. But I wasn't writing comics for pubescent boys, I was writing for the people intellectually important to me. I am very aware that a large part of my readership is female. My female characters were not really male warriors. They were just women.

"Something which I learnt while working with Terry Pratchett... You write grounded characters and you wind up doing amazing things with them. With 'Sandman', I'm assuming that the reader is intelligent and I'm assuming that the readership wanted to read stories about real people, even if it involves anthropomorphic personification about a universal concept."



"Good Omens" follows the demon Crowley (David Tennant) and the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), who, being accustomed to life on Earth, seek to prevent the arrival of the Antichrist and the Armageddon.

Gaiman said it is interesting how the concept of opposing forces like heroes and villains is changing shape across cultures today.

He praised Indian mythologist-author Devdutt Pattanaik for his 2016 book "Olympus: An Indian Retelling of the Greek Myth".

"I read a fantastic Indian writer recently where he told Greek myth but from an Indian perspective. What I loved about the book was that he was seeing things that I knew about from a perspective I have never encountered before. He makes it so easy to understand but what is lovely is that he does from a very proud Indian connect. It is illuminating to learn about the Vedic Period.

"It's a joy to find out about a concept from different standpoints in various cultures. 'Good Omens' like that is giving people a different way to imagine what heaven and hell may look like. Hopefully, making them laugh and fill them with delight."



At a time when identity crisis has hit the world hard, Gaiman's Twitter bio location places him "a bit all over the place".

The writer, who has Polish Jewish origins, studied in different schools growing up in the UK and lives in the US, said people "need a kinder place to live in".

"I think of myself as British. I have lived in the UK. I think Brexit will happen and I also think that Brexit will destroy the United Kingdom as we know it. Maybe they will bu**er off or maybe they will stay...

"I think the smarter thing to do, the wiser thing to do is to see yourself as the member of the human race. Maybe this will get us through the day and hopefully it will make people's lives less shi**y."



Also starring Jon Hamm, Adria Arjona and Miranda Richardson, "Good Omens" streams Friday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Apex research body - Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended a "complete" ban on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), including e-cigarettes, saying their use can initiate nicotine addiction among non-smokers.

ENDS are devices that heat a solution to create an aerosol, which also frequently contains flavours, usually dissolved into propylene glycol and glycerin.

There are various types of ENDS devices like e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn devices, vape, e-sheesha, e-nicotine flavoured hookah among others.

The most common type is an e-cigarette that produces an aerosolised mixture of the flavoured liquids and nicotine, which is inhaled by the user.

In a white paper released on Friday on World No Tobacco Day, the ICMR said e-cigarettes adversely affects the cardiovascular system, impairs respiratory immune cell function and airways in a way similar to cigarette smoking and is responsible for severe respiratory disease.

It also poses risk to foetal, infant and child brain development, the white paper claimed.

The release of the white paper comes amid a raging debate over the harm reduction aspects of ENDS with some organisations claiming that they help in smoking cessation and are less harmful alternatives to traditional cigarettes.

The Indian government, is however seeking to ban them stating that they pose health risks to users, that are similar to those of traditional cigarettes.

ICMR officials and scientists, who have studied over 250 research papers on nicotine delivery devices to create an official stance for India, stated that e-cigarettes are also harmful to non-users and have adverse health impacts even when people are exposed to second-hand vapours.

"Passive exposure to vapours during pregnancy can severely affect the health of both the mother and the foetus. There are reports of poisoning due to accidental swallowing by children. These devices also can cause fire and explosion.

"Use of ENDS or e-cigarettes by non-smokers can lead to nicotine addiction and regular smoking," the white paper stated.

Referring to studies, the white paper stated that youths using ENDS or e-cigarettes are more likely to use regular cigarettes later as it increases the likelihood to experiment with regular tobacco products and increases intention to indulge in cigarette smoking.

They also increase the risk of dual-use due to lack of awareness about the harmful effects of ENDS, it said.

The white paper highlighted that there is very limited evidence regarding the impact of ENDS on tobacco smoking cessation, reduction in cigarette use or adverse health effects.

ENDS are advertised through various forms of media with youth being the target group and are being marketed as safer alternatives to conventional cigarettes or harm reduction products, in a glamorous manner, so as to make them attractive under the guise of being less harmful.

These techniques are aimed at targeting the youth and children," it said.

"It is also noteworthy that major tobacco companies have purchased or developed ENDS products, with the dual commercial intent of expanding their range of tobacco products while touting their ability to offer a product that they claim reduces harm from the cigarettes.

"Cigarette smokers who may have otherwise given up the habit are thereby retained as nicotine-addicted customers, while those who may have never attempted to experiment with cigarettes are drawn into the nicotine addiction web. This duality of product marketing is a business strategy adopted by tobacco companies who see conventional cigarette smoking diminishing in many countries," the white paper claimed.

The sale of e-cigarettes is completely banned in 25 countries, including Brazil, Norway and Singapore, while market authorization is required in 17 other countries.

In the United States, ENDS, that are marketed for therapeutic purposes are currently regulated by the US-FDA and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the white paper stated.

Professor K Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India and a renowned cardiologist who chaired the ICMR expert group for this white paper said that the tobacco consumption, especially cigarette smoking, has shown a decline in India in recent years, in response to several tobacco control measures that has already been initiated.

"Thus, at this juncture, marketing of a product like ENDS or e-cigarettes, with unproven benefit and high potential harm from addiction and health risks, is unwarranted as a tobacco control measure,"



Professor Balram Bhargava, Director General of ICMR said, "Given the extent of harmful health effects of e-cigarettes to the users as well passive exposure and multiple faces of the ENDS use epidemic around the world where it was introduced, if no appropriate interventions are taken at the right time by bringing together all stakeholders under one umbrella to prevent this impending epidemics of e-cigarettes use, it can lead to a public health disaster in India."



In August last year, the Union Health Ministry issued an advisory to all states and UTs to stop manufacture, sale and import of ENDS.

The advisory was subsequently challenged in Delhi High Court which ruled it to be non-binding on states and government bodies.

However, some states in India including Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Mizoram have already banned use and sale of e-cigarettes, Vape and E-Hookah.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NCP MP Supriya Sule said Friday that if some people had doubts about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the government should reconsider their use.

Sule retained the family pocket-borough of Baramati by defeating her BJP rival by over 1.5 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha election. But her party fared badly overall, winning only four seats in Maharashtra.

"Even if I won by a big margin, I am firm on my opinion (about use of EVMs)," she said, speaking to reporters at Chaundhi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.

"We demand that if some people in the society have a different opinion, then government should reconsider the use of EVMs in elections," she said.

"When EVMs are not being used anywhere else in the world, why are we insisting on it (using them)?" she asked.

To a question about the meeting between her father, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi Thursday, Sule said it was a routine meeting.

"Whenever Pawar saheb is in Delhi, Rahul-ji visits him," she said.

She also claimed that the BJP-led government in Maharashtra cheated the Dhangar community by promising them reservations five years ago and not fulfilling the promise.

Earlier, Sule paid tributes to Ahilyabai Holkar, the legendary 18th century ruler of the Malwa state, on her birth anniversary. Chaundhi is Holkar's birthplace.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress won the highest number of seats in civic polls in Karnataka on Friday, in some good for the beleaguered party which was routed in the state in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections.

While Congress bagged 509 of the total 1,221 wards in 56 urban local bodies (ULB) for which results were declared, the BJP got 366 wards, the state poll panel said.

The JD(S), which fought the polls alone, won 174 wards. Independent candidates emerged victorious in 160 wards, the BSP got 3, CPI(M) 2 and other parties secured 7.

The Congress and JD(S) who are in alliance in the state had decided to go to the polls separately and had asked their local leaders to decide on tactical arrangements at the ground-level depending on the local situation.

Results were declared for 217 wards of seven municipal councils, 714 wards of 30 town municipal councils and 290 wards of 19 town panchayats.

Congress won 90 wards in the municipal councils, while the BJP and JD(S) won 56 and 38 wards, respectively.

The Congress bagged 322 of 714 wards in 30 town municipal councils, where the BJP has won 184 and the JD(S) 102.

However, of the 290 wards in 19 town panchayats, BJP won the most with 126 seats, while the Congress and JD(S) won 97 and 34 wards, respectively.

The results of the civic body elections, which were held on Wednesday, gave a much-needed breather to the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition in the state where it was battered by the BJP, which won 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress and the JD(S) had managed to win one seat each, indicating that neither arithmetic nor chemistry had worked for the two as its local leadership failed to reconcile at the ground level during the national elections.

The results were said to be the worst-ever performance by the Congress in Karnataka and a record of sorts by the BJP for which the state had emerged as a bright spot in the South with other neighbouring states bucking the trend.

The civic poll win, however, has rekindled the workers of the Congress and the JD(S), which were battling fears of defection in the state legislature.

Sounding upbeat, state Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao said the results indicate that the party was strong at the local level.

However, he raised apprehensions about voting machines used in the Lok Sabha polls, saying "such difference in public mandate in such a short gap needs to be verified."



"Whatever it may be, people have supported us and has installed confidence in us after Lok Sabha results," he added.

Rao said, in the civic bodies where the Congress has got majority, it will form administration on its own, and wherever there is no majority, local leaders have been asked to either seek JD(S) support or to support the regional party, depending on the situation.

When 105 civic bodies went to polls last year, the Congress had won 982 wards, while the BJP and the JD(S) won 929 and 375 wards, respectively.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and China have an understanding on managing border differences such as the 2017 Doklam standoff, feels a researcher at a prominent UK-based think tank.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam from June 16, 2017 after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed tri-junction by the Chinese army.

Bhutan and China have a dispute over Doklam. The face-off ended on August 28.

Antoine Levesques, a research fellow for South Asia at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), said that though there were chances for incidents like Dokhlam to happen again between India and China, there was an understanding that now was in place between the two neighbours.

The tension we witnessed around Doklam in 2017 was successfully managed by the two sides, but we can't rule out that something similar could happen again though there is in place an understanding between India and China since last year, Levesques said at the annual IISS Shangri-La Dialogue being held here from May 31 to June 2.

Referring to the understanding as so called Wuhan understanding, he pointed out that all the issues are full on the table and acknowledged by the two countries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held an informal summit in the Chinese city of Wuhan in April 2018, months after the Doklam standoff, which was the most serious military face-off in decades between them.

I don't see that becoming a front issue in the relationship between the two countries, certainly in the next six months. But there has been surprises in the past, Levesques said.

He also highlighted that the US is promoting the Indo-Pacific concept which explicitly brings India into the heart of the strategic picture in partnership with Australia and Japan in the Quadrilateral group.

However, in the Indian strategic posture there still is this tension between the desire to maintain strategic autonomy and the desire to be the part of emerging front to balance China and the Chinese ambitions in the region, Levesques said.

The researcher also noted the expansion of the Indian Navy, the Air Force and the Coast Guard into the South East Asian region.

India's Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, for example, are on regular deployments in Singapore which Delhi sees as most important defence partner in South East Asia, he pointed out.

We are indeed seeing an expansion of exercises and operational deployments, but the thrust of the Indian Navy's strategic focus will remain the Indian Ocean for the foreseeable future, he said, recalling that Prime Minister Modi and the Naval chiefs have stressed in the past on the Navy focus being on the Indian Ocean.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India has further liberalised e-visa rules for Chinese businessmen as the bilateral trade is set to cross USD 100 billion this year, a senior Indian diplomat here said on Friday.

The India-China bilateral trade last year touched a historic high of USD 95.54 billion, according to the official data released by China early this year.

The trade deficit in 2018, according to the data, climbed to USD 57.86 billion from USD 51.72 billion in 2017.

"We are glad that our bilateral trade will cross the significant mark of USD 100 billion this year," India's Deputy Ambassador in China Dr Acquino Vimal said while addressing an event on 'India-China business forum, exploring opportunities, enhancing cooperation' specially in the IT sector.

A large number of Chinese investors and Indian IT firms based in China attended the get-together organised by NASSCOM -- a trade association of Indian Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry -- and the Indian embassy.

"Closer development partnership between India and China has been growing steadily for the last several years. Since the last 20 years, the scale and profile of bilateral trade and investment between India and China has increased several folds.

"This has been further strengthened in April 2018, when Wuhan witnessed the first Informal Summit between our Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and President Xi Jinping. This Summit has provided a fresh impetus to our growing bilateral engagement," Vimal said.

As a result, the number of visits by trade and investment delegations have increased and the comfort and trust levels have improved, he said.

"This is demonstrated in the increase in the number of visas we have been issuing in the last few months. In order to ensure that such engagement is promoted and encouraged, I'm happy to inform that we have further liberalised visas for Chinese travellers to visit India by the introduction of 'electronic visa' facility," the Indian diplomat said.

Since March 2019, the e-visa facility for Chinese businessmen has also been expanded.

"We are now issuing one-year multiple entry e-business-visa, with a provision to stay up to 183 days without any registration with local authorities. This has considerably eased the travel of Chinese businessmen to India. I'm sure that the Chinese companies will benefit from this," he said.

Over and above the large IT companies of India, the Indian IT companies in the small, medium size sector have also developed a niche space for themselves by developing expertise in highly-specialised areas of manufacturing, automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI), he said.

Their collaboration with companies in China, who are looking at various IT products and solutions to make them more efficient and competitive, is a clear opportunity for a win- win solution, Vimal said.

Senior Director at NASSCOM Gagan Sabharwal made a presentation on the three IT corridors -- Dalian, Guiyang and Suzhou to promote India-China collaboration.

The corridors connect the Indian IT/IT-enabled companies, specially small and medium sized ones with Chinese companies looking at potential partners from India in this field.

The IT corridors have a strong and dynamic AI-enabled online platform called the 'Sino-Indian Digital Collaboration Plaza (SIDCOP)," Vimal added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India, the US, Australia and Japan on Friday collectively came out in strong support of an ASEAN-led mechanism in the regional architecture for Indo-Pacific region.

Senior officials of the four countries, at a meeting in Bangkok, also reaffirmed the commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific Region based on shared values and principles, the External Affairs Ministry said.

"The participants reiterated their strong support for ASEAN-Centrality and ASEAN-led mechanisms in the regional architecture for the Indo-Pacific and in this regard welcomed the initiative of ASEAN towards a common vision for the Indo-Pacific," the MEA said.

The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.

In November 2017, India, the US, Australia and Japan gave shape to the long-pending "Quad" Coalition to develop a new strategy for keeping the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence.

China has been trying to expand its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region



The meeting in Bangkok took place for consultations on regional and global issues of common interest, the MEA said.

It said a number of other issues including connectivity and infrastructure development, regional security, counterterrorism and maritime cooperation were discussed with a view to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

"They reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific Region based on shared values and principles," it said.

The ties between India and ASEAN have been on an upswing.

The ASEAN region along with India accounts for 1.85 billion people, which is one fourth of the global population and their combined GDP has been estimated at over USD 3.8 trillion.

The ASEAN comprises Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN Secretary-General has said that is a "very valuable partner" of the and he looks forward to working with the new government led by Prime Minister

Prime Minister Modi was on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy by at a glittering ceremony just before sunset at the forecourt of majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan, capping a landslide win for the BJP which won 303 of the 542 seats.

UN Secretary-General Guterres has worked very closely with Prime Minister Modi, including on the issue of climate change, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, told on Thursday.

"We will look forward to working with the government as it has now taken office. is a very valuable partner of the United Nations," Haq said at the daily press briefing on Guterres' message for Modi as he was sworn-in as India's Prime Minister for a second five-year term.

Last week, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief very much looked forward to working with Modi and the two leaders have a "strong relationship" on issues such as the climate change.

Monica Grayley, the spokeswoman for of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa, said last week that the congratulates and the people of India, as well as all newly-elected representatives in the election.

Espinosa "looks forward to continuing to work with India in the months to come," Grayley said.

Espinosa had met Modi during her visit to India in August 2018 and her interaction and cooperation with India is a "very good one," Grayley had said, adding that Espinosa, if given the opportunity, would definitely congratulate the Prime Minister in person.
A host of Indian enterprises and individuals with a global outlook were honoured with the first-ever Global Indian Business Excellence Awards at the UK Houses of Parliament complex in London on Thursday.

The awards, collated following a market research study, are aimed at identifying and recognising the fastest growing Indian organisations and entrepreneurs across a range of industries.

Some of the key winners of the inaugural awards included technocrat Kapil Jain, head of technology and strategy at Vistara airlines in India, who was awarded in the Leadership and Innovation in IT Consulting and Advisory Services category.

Bangalore's Reva University was named the most preferred university providing global environment to international Students.

Former Naval commander and educationist Kartikay Saini was honoured as the social change maker & educationist of the year and Dr Minnie Bodhiwala, CEO of Bai Jerbai Wadia hospital for children, won the iconic business personality of the year.

The mission of these awards is to recognise Indian businesses that have excelled in various fields, and support those who seek to do business in the UK, said CB Patel, Publisher and Editor of Asian Voice' newspaper, co-host of the awards alongside brand consultancy firm WBR Corp.

The Indian government led by the dynamism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised for a rock solid and stable five-year tenure one that is set to deliver the ambitions of the Indian people and Indian overseas investment. This can only augur well for Indian entrepreneurs who seek to set up shop in the UK, he said.

The awards also marked the unveiling of a Forbes India' special magazine, 'Global Indian Brands and Leaders', with features on some key Indian players from different industries.

The awards tie-up with Forbes India' will also result in a special 'India Shining' issue featuring the winners of the inaugural awards.

Sanjay Kumar, from WBR Corp, said: The main aim for organising Global Indian Business Excellence awards is to create a common platform for Indian and UK entrepreneurs, professionals and like-minded businesses to network and identify potential areas of investment in the UK.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A leading Indian entrepreneur who heads the world's largest outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions has been named a Global Game Changer at an awards ceremony in London.

Zubin Karkaria, founder and CEO of VFS Global, was presented with the honour by Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland at the Indian Awards event held in the UK Houses of Parliament complex this week.

While VFS Global has been working with UK Visas and Immigration since 2003 in supporting their vision and agenda across the world, I would also like to acknowledge the role of the travel industry in the continuous development of UK-India relations, said Karkaria.

Driving business excellence through continuous innovation and the highest levels of customer service have been at the core of VFS Global's philosophy ever since we launched our company in 2001, and prestigious awards such as this one keep us motivated in our quest to constantly raise the bar, said the CEO, who divides his time between Dubai, India and Europe.

The Indian Awards are organised annually by the India Business Group (IBG) advisory and consultancy. Its Global Game Changer honour acknowledges an individual, based anywhere in the world, for their outstanding contribution to globalising India in any particular field.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 23-year-old Indian national was sentenced to over seven years in federal prison by a US court for his role in an Indian call centre scam involving conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Sharvil Patel, who pleaded guilty to the crime in February this year, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison on Thursday, becoming the third Indian to be sentenced for his involvement in the call centre scam.

In March, Nishit kumar Patel was sentenced to 8 years and 9 months in prison for his involvement in the scam. Hemalkumar Shah was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in jail in April.

Two others, Brenda Dozier and Alejandro Juarez were sentenced to 21 months and 15 months in prison respectively.

According to court documents, from 2014 through at least 2016, Patel conspired with US-based co-conspirators and India-based call centres to extort money from US residents by impersonating IRS officers and misleading victims to believe that they owed money to the IRS and would be arrested and fined if they did not pay their alleged back taxes immediately.

The conspirators collected the fraud proceeds by withdrawing cash from prepaid cards purchased and funded by victims; hiring other conspirators (runners) to retrieve money wired by the victims to those runners; and hiring runners to open bank accounts into which victims deposited fraud proceeds.

Patel collected the proceeds by providing the runners with the victims' names, locations, and amounts paid.

The runners were directed to retrieve the fraud proceeds in cash and turn the funds over to the defendants, often less a payment to the runner for opening the account or conducting the transaction, the Department of Justice said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Wearing saffron clothes and holding national flags, the Indian diaspora here rejoiced as they witnessed the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his 58-member ministry live on television.

Modi took oath of office on Thursday after leading his Bharatiya Janata Party towards a resounding victory, crossing the 300 mark for 542 Lok Sabha seats in the recently-held general elections.

Around 100 community members, along with Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul, on Thursday saw the live telecast of the ceremony through a giant screen arranged by the Indian Consulate and India Club.

Since the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to UAE in August 2015, we have seen a real transformation in our bilateral ties. The close friendship that has blossomed over the last four years between our Prime Minister and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is well-known," Navdeep Singh Suri, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, said.

"We are seeing an unprecedented impact in areas such as trade and investment flows; food and energy security; manpower and skills; literature and culture; defense, space and security cooperation and, of course, our growing people to people connections, he added.

Vipul said that the ceremony is the culmination of the long electoral process which has been very successful.

"It highlights the strength of Indian democracy and therefore people have gathered to see the oath-taking ceremony," he was quoted as saying by the Gulf

As the Indian Consul General, I am very excited both for our country and our bilateral relations with the UAE. In the last five years, we have had a lot of achievements in the India-UAE relations across a wide range of sectors and it will expand further," he said.

Sidharth Balachandran, steel industrialist and former chairman of India Club, said, this will be the time for him (Modi) to show what they have learnt and continue the work on the initiatives that were launched.

Divyata Rajaram, a Dubai-based author, said she was happy about India's relations with other countries due to Modi's diplomatic efforts.

Internationally, the prestige of Indians has been at an all time high mainly due to Modiji's diplomatic efforts," she added.

Sunil Kumar, a librarian from a village in Himachal Pradesh, hoped that Modi will work for the poor in villages.

Shabbir Master from Gujarat, who owns a pharmaceutical company, said he was happy that most ministers in Modi's first cabinet performed well in their previous tenure.

"I hope that he will bring more welfare schemes for the NRIs, especially for the rehabilitation of the workers who are returning home forever, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has sent a message to a summit of Muslim countries saying they need to remain focused on the Palestinian issue.

In a letter published on the presidential website Friday, Rouhani said Muslim leaders should not let the occupation of Palestine be "marginalized" in the face of the Trump administration's forthcoming peace plan.

Glimpses of the still undisclosed plan suggest it sidelines or ignores the longstanding goal of Palestinian independence.

Rouhani, while complaining about not being invited to the summit, expressed his country's readiness to accompany and collaborate with all Muslim leaders to confront the so-called "Deal of the Century".

Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, without naming any country, also condemned some Arab leaders for siding with Israel.

The Deal of the Century is likely to include large-scale investment and infrastructure work in the Palestinian territories, much of it funded by wealthy Arab countries. Zarif's remarks were carried by a Telegram channel affiliated with Iran's state TV.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The captured widow of an Islamic State group leader helped the CIA in its hunt for the organisation's elusive leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a British daily said Friday.

In an interview with The Guardian, Nisrine Assad Ibrahim also claimed not to have played a willing part in the detention of US hostage Kayla Mueller at her home.

She has been accused of helping to forcibly hold Mueller and other captives at the home, where the American woman was sexually assaulted by Baghdadi.

But when she herself was detained by the US military, the 29-year-old helped the CIA and Kurdish intelligence gain a detailed overview of the extremist supremo's hideouts and networks, investigators told the daily.

In February 2016, Ibrahim identified a house in the Iraqi city of Mosul in which Baghdadi was believed to have been staying, but the United States did not call in an air strike.

"I told them where the house was," she told The Guardian at a jail in the Iraqi Kurdish city of Erbil.

"I knew he'd been there because it was one of the houses that was provided for him, and one of the places he liked the most." Baghdadi declared a self-styled "caliphate" across large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014.

But he kept a low profile as the group steadily lost territory to multiple offences. Last month he made his first appearance in five years, surfacing to acknowledge the group's territorial defeat a month earlier.

Ibrahim was captured in May 2015 from the Al-Omar oil field in eastern Syria, The Guardian said, in a US military raid that also killed her husband, a top IS official known as Abu Sayyaf.

She has been sentenced to death by a court in Erbil, the paper added.

Ibrahim said US aid worker Mueller was brought to her home in the eastern Syrian town of Shadadi in September 2014, around the same time girls from the Yazidi minority abducted to be used as sex slaves arrived.

"She was treated differently from the Yazidis," Ibrahim said of Mueller.

"There was a budget for her, pocket money to buy things from the shop." "She was a lovely girl and I liked her. She was very respectful and I respected her," she claimed.

"One thing I would say is she was very good at hiding her sadness and pain." Ibrahim said she last saw Mueller in late 2014, when Baghdadi arrived from Iraq.

"He took her with him in a simple car, a Kia. He was driving, and they went to Raqa." Three months later, she saw a report about Mueller's death. IS fighters claimed that Mueller, who was kidnapped in the Syrian city of Aleppo in August 2013, was killed in a February 2015 coalition air strike that buried her in rubble. US officials say the circumstances of her death remain unclear. She was 26.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Protection of wildlife species in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is not possible unless it is kept free of human interference, NGT said Friday and directed the central and the Uttar Pradesh governments to issue notification specifying the habitat's boundary within six months.

Inordinate delay in the notification under Section 26 (A) of the Wildlife Protection Act is unacceptable and because of this reason a large number of industries are flourishing within the sanctuary adversely affecting various wildlife species, it said.

There are umpteen orders passed by the Supreme Court that no industry can be allowed within a wildlife sanctuary, the tribunal noted.

A bench comprising Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore and expert member S S Garbyal said that despite a number of projects or schemes undertaken by the state government for protection and conservation of the wildlife species and the habitat of the sanctuary, there have not been desired results.

"And none of these interventions will yield stated objectives until and unless habitats within the sanctuary are kept free of any anthropogenic interference. In fact, the measure of success of any management intervention in a protected area is the extent to which we have been able to create habitat which is pristine and free of human interference.

"Even though, we are satisfied that State Forest Department has taken necessary steps for the conservation and protection of the wildlife species & habitat and the biological diversity of the area, in accordance with Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Biological Diversity Act, 2002, these measures will not be 17 effective until or unless notification under Section 26 (A) is issued," the tribunal said and directed issuance of notification by November 30.

The tribunal's judgement came on a plea by advocate Gaurav Bansal alleging threat to wildlife especially to the swamp deer due to human intervention in the Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and seeking protection and restitution of the biodiversity and ecosystem of the sanctuary.

Bansal, in its petition had stated that recently the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has done a survey of the sanctuary which found that wildlife including swamp deer is fighting for its existence.

According to the plea, WII in its report has also stated that due to high human presence and forest fire, endangered species like swamp deer, hog deer and Gangetic grasslands were facing difficulties in survival.

"The applicant has learnt from the red list of threatened species generated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural resources published on January 10, 2015 that the population of swamp deer (Barasingha) is assessed as vulnerable because the estimated total population lies between 3,500 and 5,100 animals and also its protection status is not secure.

"It is pertinent to mention here that the report generated revealed the important fact that the species of swamp deer is assumed to decline by at least 10 per cent over 24 years due to habitat conversion and degradation," the plea had said.

Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over an area of 2,073 sq km along the banks of Ganga in five forest divisions --Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Meerut, Hapur and Amroha.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar was given charge of the External Affairs ministry on Friday, the first career diplomat to handle the key portfolio.

Considered an expert on China and the US, the new External Affairs minister's moves will be keenly watched to see whether he brings any changes in India's approach in dealing with a hostile Pakistan.

Jaishankar, who takes charge of the ministry nearly 16 months after he retired as foreign secretary, will also have to deal with overall expectations of expanding India's global influence and stature, particularly in key multilateral forums like G-20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.

However, a major focus of the ministry under his leadership is likely to be on further boosting India's trade and defence ties with the US, Russia, France, Japan and the European Union as well as with the countries of the neighbourhood.

Another challenge for him will be to further strengthen India's ties with China, badly hit by the Doklam standoff in mid 2017.

The 64-year-old -- who is not a member of either the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha at this point -- is also likely to push for deepening cooperation with the African continent where China is fast expanding its influence and presence.

Getting the long-awaited membership of the UN Security Council and Nuclear Suppliers Group is expected to be another area of interests of the new government.

India has also been trying enhance ties with the Gulf region as well as the hydrocarbon rich Central Asia, and Jaishankar is set to ensure continuity on it.

Jaishankar, son of the late K Subrahmanyam, one of India's leading strategic analysts, was a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

The deal, initiated in 2005, took several years to craft, and was signed by the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh in 2007.

Jaishankar's appointment as foreign secretary in January 2015 evoked a sharp reaction from various quarters over the timing of the government's decision to remove Sujatha Singh.

He had earlier served as India's Ambassador to the US and before that to China.

A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar played a key role in resolving the crisis following the incursion in Ladakh's Depsang and the Doklam stand-off, handling the tough negotiations with Beijing.

Among other positions, Jaishankar has been India's High Commissioner to Singapore and Ambassador to the Czech Republic.

Last year, Tata Group appointed Jaishankar, who was Indian foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, as its president for global corporate affairs, within three months of his retirement from the government service.

A graduate of St Stephen's College, Jaishankar is an MA in Political Science and an MPhil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Jaishankar is married to Kyoko Jaishankar and has two sons and a daughter.

In 2019, Jaishankar was conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kashmiri Pandits from across the globe will be congregating in the Valley to celebrate Jyeshtha Ashtami at Mata Kheer Bhawani temple, beginning June 8.

Members of the community will undertake a 'yatra' to the shrine, according to an official statement released by the organisers of the religious procession.

"Kashmiri Pandits and the Muslim fraternity in the (Kashmir) Valley are seeing this yatra as a step towards the return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland.

"Efforts are being made by the Governor's office and the state administration is helping build the confidence among the exiled Kashmiri Pandit community," the statement said.

The state administration has this year also made the necessary arrangements for travel and accommodation, it said.

Jyestha Ashtami is celebrated at the shrine of Khir Bhawani in Tullamula, Jammu and Kashmir in honour of their patron goddess Ragnya Devi.

Pilgrims come from all over to assemble at the shrine, offer prayers and worship at the foot of the goddess, and sing hymns and songs in her praise.

Khir (rice boiled in milk) is prepared on this day as a food offering.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
There was a need to conduct regular audit with regard to cyber security, but there was lack of funds, Kerala police chief Loknath Behera said Friday.

"We need to conduct regular security audit. But there is an issue of lack of funds," said Behera, the DGP, said in his inaugural address at the 'Cyber Threat Intelligence' conclave here.

Also, he stressed the need to include the importance of cyber security in the school syllabus. People need to secure their cyber space as they secure their homes, he said.

"The investment for security in Kerala, as far as computers are concerned, is very less. I would like to tell everyone to secure their cyber space like how they secure their residence," he said adding the state has to keep up the pace with the growing technology as vulnerability with regard to cyber space was increasing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Kerala government has frozen the controversial order of reinstating a police officer, who was suspended for alleged lapses that led to the killing of a Dalit Christian last year.

The order was cancelled by the home department on the instructions of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as media reports on reinstating M S Shibu, the former station house officer at the Gandhi Nagar police station in Kottayam, had triggered a controversy.

The order, issued by the Kochi Range inspector general for revoking his suspension, was frozen under the relevant sections of the Kerala Police Departmental Inquiries Punishment and Appeal Act, sources said.

The family of the victim, Kevin P Joseph, had submitted a representation to Vijayan after visiting him at the secretariat here on Wednesday.

Joseph's family had alleged that they filed a complaint after he was abducted, but the police did not take any action on it. The 23-year-old was abducted on May 27 last year by a gang, allegedly hired by his wife's family. His body was found in a river in Kollam district a day later.

Director General of Police Loknath Behera had made it clear that he was not aware of the development and had come to know about the officer's reinstatement only through media reports.

During the ongoing trial in the case in the district additional sessions court, Joseph's wife submitted that it was a case of honour killing as he was abducted and killed by her relatives.

The woman also told the court that her father had objected to her relationship as he belonged to a lower caste. She had alleged that Joseph was abducted and killed by her relatives as they thought that their marriage would bring disgrace to her family.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The main accused in the killing of a close aide of Amethi MP was arrested Friday following an encounter with police here, officials said.

Wasim was held in Shalhapur area under the Jamo police station area Thursday night, Assistant Superintendent of Police Daya Ram said.

With this, all the five accused in the case have been arrested, the he said.

Wasim has suffered gunshot injuries and has been admitted to a community health centre, the ASP said, adding the Jamo police station in-charge also suffered minor injuries in the gunfight.

A case was registered against five people for killing

Ramchandra, Dharmanath, Naseem and Golu were arrested earlier. Ramchandra is a member of the kshetra panchayat and also a local leader, the police said.

Singh, 50, a former head of Baraulia village, around 25 km from the Amethi district headquarters, was shot at around 11.30 pm on May 25. He was referred to a hospital, but succumbed to injuries during treatment.

(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.)
Haryana Congress president Ashok Tanwar Friday asked party workers not to be disheartened by the results of the Lok Sabha elections and to fight collectively in the upcoming assembly polls in the state.

He said the factors which were at work in the Lok Sabha polls will not play a role in the Vidhan Sabha elections in Haryana, which are due in October.

The party faced drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha polls. It failed to win any of the 10 seats in Haryana and even stalwarts like former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja, Ajay Singh Yadav, besides Tanwar and Deepender Singh Hooda had to taste defeat.

"Our workers need not be disheartened. It is time for our workers and leaders to collectively fight and win the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections," he told reporters here.

He said issues will be different in the Vidhan Sabha elections.

"These elections will be fought on what Khattar government has delivered on the ground. The promises they made to people five years ago remain unfulfilled, every section is unhappy with their rule and this will reflect in the assembly polls," he said.

Tanwar, who contested the LS polls from Sirsa, said the party may have failed to win any seat in the state, but its vote share increased from 22.9 per cent in 2014 to 28.42 per cent in 2019.

He blamed the BJP for "polarising the elections".

"The BJP politicised the sacrifices made by our armed forces," he alleged.

Backing party chief Rahul Gandhi, Tanwar said, "He gave a strong leadership. He fought for common manright from the streets to the Parliament... We want him to continue to guide us in future as well".

Tanwar said the party was analysing the results of the Lok Sabha polls and on June 4, Congress general secretary-incharge of Haryana Ghulam Nabi Azad will hold a second meeting of the state unit in Delhi.

"On June 1, the Haryana unit has called a state level meeting in Karnal, in which we will seek feedback from workers, this will be followed by more meetings at other places in the state," he said.

Meanwhile, another opposition party Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which was launched six months ago following a vertical split in the INLD, on Friday said that it has started preparing for the Vidhan Sabha polls.

The JJP fought the LS polls on seven seats while its ally AAP contested three, but both the parties failed to win any seat.

JJP leader Dushyant Chautala, who failed to retain his Hisar seat, said, "It was more like a presidential form of election like we see in the US. It became more of Modi versus the others".

He said his party may not have won any seat, but it managed to get a vote share of more than six per cent, which was almost three times than what the INLD got.

On the poll results, he said the party is analysing the results. "I will have a meeting with Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi soon," he said.

The JJP has convened a party meeting on June 9 where election results and strategy on the upcoming Vidhan Sabha polls will be discussed, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Setting the stage for escalation of the fight with the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday asked the party leaders to recapture TMC offices allegedly "occupied" by the saffron party as early as possible.

The TMC chief, who held an extended core committee meeting of the party, appointed her brother Kartik Banerjee and state minister Bratya Basu as the president and chairman respectively of the party's frontal 'Jai Hind Bahini'.

TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was appointed the chairman of 'Banga Janani Bahini', another frontal organisation.

The two organisations, which she had launched on Thursday, will "counter the growth" of the RSS in the state.

The TMC supremo also hit out at a section of the party leaders who had "surrendered" to the lure of money given by the BJP and termed them as "traitors".

"We have been told to recapture the party offices which had been occupied by the BJP workers after the Lok Sabha polls as early as possible," a senior party leader said after the closed door meeting.

"She (Banerjee) said the people of Bengal will never forgive traitors. They will get a befitting reply," the TMC leader quoted her as saying.

Banerjee cracked the whip against internal strife and revamped the party by clipping the wings of several leaders and giving new responsibilities to several old timers.

She told party leaders to reach out to the masses and expressed confidence that the TMC will bounce back in the days to come.

"We have been asked to reach out to the masses and increase the connect with them. We have been told to bring back the old timers to the party fold," the leader said.

Banerjee also directed her partymen to organise small meetings and gatherings in areas where the party was defeated.

"We have been asked to prepare a complete report on grievances of the masses," the TMC leader said.

Senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari was given the responsibility of various districts.

The TMC chief had last week effected several changes in the party organisation in Jhargram, West Burdwan, Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore and Nadia districts after the party's poll debacle.

The BJP has won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, only four less than the TMC's 22. The remaining two seats were bagged by the Congress, while the Left Front drew a blank.

Meanwhile, TMC social media cell joint convenor Suparno Moitra resigned citing personal reasons. He had played a key role in shaping the party's social media campaigns in the recent general elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man was shot dead by unidentified assailants in outer Delhi's Bawana on Friday, police said.

Anil, a native of Pratapgarh in Uttar Pardesh and in his 40's, was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead, they said.

The incident took place at around 6.45 pm when the deceased, a welder, was working in a street, a senior police officer said, adding that it appears to be a case of personal enmity.

Police are trying to get their hands on attain the CCTV footage, if any, of the area to ascertain the sequence of events and identify the accused.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Continuing to fall for the fifth consecutive day, shares of Manpasand Beverages plunged over 53 per cent after some of the company's officials were taken under judicial custody following a search by the Commissioner of Central GST and Customs.

In five days, the scrip has tanked 53.27 per cent on the BSE.

The scrip plummeted 9.98 per cent to close at Rs 51.40 -- its 52-week low and also lower circuit -- on the BSE on Friday.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), shares tumbled 9.97 per cent to close at Rs 51.45 -- its one-year low mark and also lower circuit.

In a BSE filing on Saturday, Manpasand Beverages said the Commissioner of Central GST and Customs carried out searches and seizures at various premises of the company on May 23 and further inquiry was conducted on May 24 at GST Bhavan office of Vadodara.

"Abhishek Singh, whole-time director; Paresh Thakkar, chief financial officer of the company; and Harshvardhan Singh are under judicial custody of authority on May 24, 2019. The company is contesting these allegations in accordance with the due process of law," it had said in the filing.

In a separate filing on Saturday, it said, "We would like to inform you that Vishal Sood, non-executive director of the company, has tendered resignation from the post of director with immediate effect i.e. 24th May, 2019. This resignation is mainly due to search from GST department."



The company's independent directors Bharat Vyas and Milind Babar, along with Director Dhruv Agrawal also tendered their resignation.

The company told the BSE that Vyas resigned due to pre-occupation, while resignation of others is mainly due to GST search.

The BSE Tuesday revised the circuit limit for shares of the company to curb excessive volatility in its prices.

The new circuit limit for Manpasand Beverages is 10 per cent effective from May 29, the exchange had said.

In a clarification to the BSE Thursday, Manpasand Beverages said, "In respect of price movement of company, we would like to inform you that as per our understanding due to GST department search and detain of key managerial personnel of the company, there is a movement in price. The company has already informed the same to the stock exchange on 25th May, 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Admission officials and student counsellors of Delhi University were flooded with queries on Friday about Mathematics being mandatory in the 'Best of Four' subjects for BA (Hons) in Economics.

Many angry parents, who were present at the first Open Day, questioned admission officials why Mathematics was made a mandatory subject in the 'Best of Four'.

Till last year, if a student had 50 per cent in Mathematics, he could apply for BA (Hons) in Economics, but this year it has been made mandatory for 'Best of Four', which means it has to be part of the top four subjects, aggregate of which will be considered for admission.

"Why was it not done last year? Why was it done this year?" questioned a parent.

Admission officials told them that for the 'Best of Four', one language subject, Mathematics and combination of best two other elective subjects are necessary. If the student does not include Economics in 'Best of Four', he will have to undergo a deduction of one per cent in the aggregate.

A counsellor said he had answered several queries about it and also complained that they were being queried about things that are already there in the admission bulletin.

Some student counsellors said many students and their parents had not read the bulletin of information and were making queries, the answers to which were already there in the bulletin.

A DU aspirant, Mehak, said, "They have provided us handouts about eligibility criterion for various courses but I still have queries."



"I want to pursue Bsc (Home Science) but I passed my Class 12 in Humanities. I do not know whether I will have to undergo a deduction in the aggregate if I apply," she said.

The online registration process for Delhi University began at 8pm on May 30. The online registration will end on June 14 and the first cut-off is likely to be declared on June 20.

The second cut-off list will likely be out on June 25, while the third cut-off list will be out on June 29. The fourth and fifth cut-offs are likely to be announced on July 4 and July 5, respectively.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel told graduates of Harvard University they must "tear down walls of ignorance" and reject isolationism as they tackle global problems such as climate change and terrorism.

Merkel made the comments Thursday while delivering the keynote speech at Harvard's 368th commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mostly speaking in German through an English interpreter, Merkel called for greater international collaboration and echoed her past criticisms of US President Donald Trump without directly naming him.

Addressing graduates and their families, Merkel decried the rise of "isolationism" and "protectionism." She said those forces have undermined global trade, which she called "the very foundations of our prosperity."



"More than ever, our way of thinking and our actions have to be multilateral rather than unilateral. Global rather than national. Outward-looking rather than isolationist. In short, we have to work together rather than alone," she said. "You, dear graduates, will have a quite different opportunity to do this in the future than my generation did."



Much of her speech reflected on her time growing up in East Germany, behind the Berlin Wall and under oppression by the Soviets. Merkel recalled the freedom she was granted when the wall fell in 1989, inspiring her to pursue politics and leave her career as a research scientist.

Today, she said, many threats come not from physical walls but from abstract barriers. She cautioned against "walls in people's minds" that can prevent leaders from working together on global challenges.

"Walls of ignorance and narrowmindedness may exist between family members as well as between groups within society, between people of different skin colors, nations and religions," she said. "I would like to see us break down these walls."



Merkel has spoken out against the rise of racism and nationalism in her country, saying Germany has to be more vigilant in responding to those movements because of the country's Nazi past.

She referenced that history at Harvard, saying Germany brought "unimaginable suffering on Europe and the world" during World War II. But she also focused on the "peaceful order" that world leaders achieved by uniting in the aftermath.

"I firmly believe that we Europeans have united for the better," she said. "The relationship between Germans and Americans too demonstrates how former wartime enemies can become friends."



Merkel did not meet with Trump during her US visit but is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Berlin on Friday. Her speech never directly referenced Trump but appeared to include several veiled digs at the president, who has had a frosty relationship with Merkel.

The chancellor spoke about the importance of truthfulness, saying leaders should not "describe lies as truth and truth as lies." She said problems can be solved "if we don't always act on our first impulses, even when there is pressure to make a snap decision, but instead take a moment to stop, be still, think, pause. Granted, that certainly takes courage."



The comment drew cheers from the audience, which applauded frequently though her speech. Merkel drew another wave of applause when she referenced her nation's goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Elected in 2005 as Germany's first female chancellor, Merkel is serving her fourth term, which runs through 2021 and which she says will be her last. In a separate ceremony Thursday, Harvard awarded her an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

While conferring the degree, Harvard President Larry Bacow said of her, "a wall came down and she rose up, leading her nation with strength and savvy, and guiding Europe through challenge and change."



While speaking to graduates, Merkel described a passing of the torch from one era of leaders to the next. She said her generation would soon be doing nothing more than "exercising leadership in history," while today's college graduates lead into the future.

"I want to leave this wish with you: Tear down walls of ignorance and narrowmindedness, for nothing has to stay as it is," she said.

As for what's next in her career, Merkel said it's "completely open." ''Only one thing is clear," she said, "it will again be something different and something new.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special CBI court has sentenced an MES official to four years rigorous imprisonment for amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs 99 lakh, officials said Friday.

Vijay Sharma has also been slapped with a fine of over Rs 1 crore, they said.

Sharma, then a junior engineer in the Military Engineer Services (MES), was booked by the CBI in 2012 for amassing wealth which was 188.63 per cent over his known sources of income, the officials said here.

The wealth was accumulated in his name and in the name of his family members and others from 1999 to 2012, they said.

"The special judge for CBI cases, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), has sentenced Vijay Kumar Sharma, then a junior engineer (QS&C) working in the office of Garrison Engineer, Military Engineer Services (MES), Bairagarh in Bhopal to undergo 4 years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs one crore one thousand (Rs. 1,00,01,000/-) in a disproportionate assets case," a CBI spokesperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iranians have begun rallies across the country to mark Quds, or Jerusalem Day, which will see demonstrations across the Mideast as the Trump administration tries to offer an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

The annual protests also being held in Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere are held on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Iran under Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini began the demonstrations to offer support to Palestinians.

Israel views Iran as its archenemy in the Mideast. Iran does not recognize Israel and supports the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

This year's protests come as the Trump administration is pushing a peace plan whose details remain unknown. It plans an economic summit in June in Bahrain about the deal, but Palestinian leaders say they won't attend.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Some have died on the way, pregnant women lost their babies and one Haitian was shot in the arm, yet migrants still trek on foot through Panama's perilous Darien forest in the hope of one day reaching the United States.

To reach Panama from Colombia, the migrants -- mostly from Haiti and Cuba, but also Africa and Asia -- brave the nightmare journey across the 575,000 hectares of jungle where snakes and jaguars lurk. And there are no roads.

Migrants, many of whom cannot swim, also have to cross rivers where they could be swept away by a powerful current.

"In the group I came with, at least five people stayed behind (in the jungle) and are dying," said Pierre Louis Clivens, a Haitian who tackled the journey with his wife and seven-year-old son.

Yet the greatest danger stems from people and drug traffickers.

"They took all my money. They took three telephones, one of my husband's and two of mine, and the thief shot me in the left arm," said Marie-Claudia Toussaint, a Haitian with her arm wrapped in a scarf as she received a vaccine injection. In a temporary humanitarian camp in the village of La Penita built for just 100 people, some 1,500 migrants, including 250 children, are crammed into dormitories.

Adults sleep on the floor as little children, either naked or wearing nappies, run around them.

They survived the treacherous crossing from Colombia.

"This jungle is hell," says Chambe Bezil, a Cameroonian who spent several days in the Darien as he attempts to one day reach the US, still some 5,500 kilometers (3,400 miles) away.

There are around 4,000 migrants -- from India, Bangladesh, Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and Cuba -- housed in various reception centers in the south of Panama, waiting to continue their journey northward. Despite the jungle's dangers, the number of migrants opting for this route is growing.

During the first four months of 2019, at least 7,724 adults and 1,141 children crossed the Colombian border through the forest, according to official figures. That amounts to three times the number of adults and twice as many children as the same period in 2018.

Local authorities have had to set up temporary shelters in the south of Panama to accommodate the new arrivals as they wait for permits allowing them to continue their journey through Costa Rica.

They are planning to build a new fully equipped reception center able to hold 1,200-1,400 migrants.

"We've exceeded our housing capacities," Eric Estrada, Panama's border service director, told AFP.

But authorities are alarmed by the increasing number of women and children enduring the trek through the jungle's heat and humidity, running the risk of suffering from dehydration.

Baby Frezin was born on May 11, just a few days after his Haitian mother arrived at the reception center in La Penita. She made the journey heavily pregnant.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress in Mizoram on Thursday extended full support to the leadership of AICC chief Rahul Gandhi and said there is no need for him to resign.

Gandhi had offered to resign as the party president after the Congress received a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls.

A resolution adopted at the meeting of the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) unanimously decided to stand by Gandhi.

"Gandhi must continue as the party president. We strongly believe that his leadership is required for the Congress, to steer the party out of its current state...," the resolution said.

"The MPCC sincerely felt that Rahul Gandhi had shown an exemplary leadership during the party's election campaigning across the country... (though) the outcome of the recent Lok Sabha election may not have come in our favour," it said.

The resolution said the Congress is one of the few parties that won more seats in this Lok Sabha polls than in the 2014 election, "and therefore we felt that Rahul Gandhi's leadership is required for the organisation".

The Congress improved on its 2014 tally of 44, winning 52 Lok Sabha seats this year.

"The Congress had lost (polls) many times in the past and bounced back.... With Gandhi's leadership, we will sure come back and save the motherland like we had done in the past," it added.

The resolution said Gandhi has championed the spirit of secularism in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Musician Moby has cancelled future public appearance in the wake of a controversy over the Natalie Portman dating claims that he made in his memoir "Then It Fell Apart".

In the book, the 53-year-old artiste claimed he briefly dated the actor after she "flirted" with him in his dressing room at one of his shows.

Portman, 37, has rejected his claims, saying she was not flirting with him but the musician was instead being "creepy" towards her.

"I was surprised to hear that he characterised the very short time that I knew him as dating because my recollection is a much older man being creepy with me when I just had graduated high school," she told Harper's Bazaar UK



After the furore over Moby's claims he apologised to Portman.

And now in a note posted on his official website, he announced that he is no longer going on a tour across the UK and Ireland to promote the memoir.

"Moby is cancelling all upcoming public appearances for the foreseeable future. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause," read the announcement.

"All tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase, and Moby is happy to provide signed bookplates to everyone who bought tickets to these events," it added.

Moby also shared the on Instagram in a post accompanied by framed words "last post."



"I'm going to go away for awhile. But before I do I want to apologise again, and to say clearly that all of this has been my own fault.

"I am the one who released the book without showing it to the people I wrote about. I'm the one who posted defensively and arrogantly. I'm the one who behaved inconsiderately and disrespectfully, both in 2019 and in 1999. There is obviously no one else to blame but me," he wrote in the post.

In his apology to Portman, Moby admitted that he was "inconsiderate" towards the actor and should have let her know that she would be a part of his memoir.

"As some time has passed I've realized that many of the criticisms levelled at me regarding my inclusion of Natalie in 'Then It Fell Apart' are very valid. I also fully recognize that it was truly inconsiderate of me to not let her know about her inclusion in the book beforehand, and equally inconsiderate for me to not fully respect her reaction.

"I have a lot of admiration for Natalie, for her intelligence, creativity, and animal rights activism, and I hate that I might have caused her and her family distress," Moby wrote on Instagram on Saturday.

The musician said he should have acted "more responsibly and respectfully" when he and Portman met almost 20 years ago.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Several ministers of the Modi government Friday took charge of their ministries within hours of their portfolios being allocated, with some outlining their plans and speaking about challenges.

Later, they got together at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in South Block for the first meeting of the Narendra Modi Cabinet, that took some key decisions like announcing pension to farmers, traders and shopkeepers.

The cabinet also decided to convene the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha from June 17 to July 26, with the regular budget to be presented on July 5.

Prime Minister Modi also took charge of his office in the morning.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her deputy Anurag Thakur, External Affairs minister S Jaishankar, Railway minister Piyush Goyal, Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar, Minority Affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan were among the ministers who took charge Friday.

Minister of the newly-formed 'Jal Shakti' Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister for Personnel Jitendra Singh, Power and New and Renewable Energy minister R K Singh also assumed charge of their ministries.

Prahlad Singh Patel, a five-time lawmaker from Madhya Pradesh and known for supporting ban on cow slaughter, took charge as the Culture minister (independent charge).

Pradesh said he would work towards "correcting the malicious perception" created about the Indian culture.

"I am happy that there will be continuity in the work that we had begun in the first stint....Newer speed of implementing infra projects and customer satisfaction that is the new Indian Railways and new India that the PM has charted for us," said Piyush Goyal, who retained the Railways portfolio.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The overwhelming mandate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given him an opportunity to play a decisive role in the resolution of the Kashmir issue, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Friday.

Farooq expressed hope that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's offer of dialogue would be seriously considered by the new National Democratic Alliance government.

"As the people of India overwhelmingly voted for Mr Modi and his party back into power, this mandate gives PM Modi the opportunity and the power to play a decisive role in the resolution of the long-pending Kashmir conflict," the separatist leader said.

The mirwaiz was addressing the prayers at the Jama Masjid here on the occasion of 'Jumat-ul-Vida', the last Friday of Ramzan.

"Pakistan PM Imran Khan's oft-repeated offer of dialogue on all issues between India and Pakistan, including on the Kashmir issue, should be seriously considered by the new dispensation in New Delhi as the way forward," Farooq said.

The moderate Hurriyat chairman said Kashmir cannot be resolved militarily or through confrontation, but by dialogue and deliberations.

"All Kashmiris, irrespective of their organisational affiliations, are speaking in one voice about the urgent need for resolution of the conflict," he said, adding that the Hurriyat Conference was willing to support any initiative in this regard.

"So, it is an opportune time to initiate political processes which enables and facilitates conflict resolution," he added.

The separatist leader said a resolution to the Kashmir issue could transform both India and Pakistan and usher in a new era of stability and progress in South Asia, bringing the much-needed relief to the people of Kashmir striving for a resolution.

"For that, it is imperative that democratic processes are invoked and restored by New Delhi and the policy of repression and military approach be done away with.

"One measure for doing so is the release all of all political prisoners languishing in various jails across India, including (separatist leaders) Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Asiya Andrabi and others," he added.

The mirwaiz said during the Hurriyat's engagement with the governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, and after visiting Pakistan, the separatist conglomerate had put forward certain substantial measures as a precursor to serious negotiations.

Farooq claimed that both India and Pakistan had at that time had agreed to implementing these steps -- including revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, gradual demilitarisation, prisoner release -- to prepare ground for serious negotiations.

"These measures hold true even today when the situation has only further deteriorated," he said. "If these steps are initiated by both sides, it will bring relief to the people of Kashmir and an atmosphere for sincere engagement among all stakeholders will be created for a permanent resolution."



The Hurriyat chairman said India and Pakistan have to acknowledge and address "the unresolved political problem" in Kashmir.

"We want this long cycle of killings and violence to end. We do not want to see our youngsters or an Indian or Pakistani soldier die in this 'forever' conflict," he said. "Without addressing the question of Kashmir, there will be repeated returns to perilous states of war as we recently witnessed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the newly-sworn in government took four major decisions related to farmers' and traders welfare in the first meeting of the Union Cabinet.

The BJP had promised these measures in its election manifesto.

"Glad that path-breaking decisions were taken in the cabinet, the first in this tenure. Hardworking farmers and industrious traders will benefit greatly due to these decisions," Modi tweeted after the meeting of the cabinet.

He said the decisions will enhance dignity and empowerment of several Indians.

"People first, people always," he wrote.

The government Friday decided to extend the PM-KISAN scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers in the country costing Rs 87,000 crore a year and also announced over Rs 10,000 crore pension scheme for five crore farmers, thereby fulfilling the BJP's poll promise.

Meanwhile, in his first day in office on Friday, the prime minister offered floral tribute to the idols of Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhai Patel in his South Block Office. He also posted a short video.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Friday skipped his scheduled appearance before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case linked to purchase of alleged illegal assets abroad, officials said.

They said Vadra has cited bad health as the reason for missing the date.

The agency is expected to give him a fresh date for next week.

Vadra was grilled for about five hours Thursday when the investigating officer of the case recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Vadra, in public comments on social media, said Thursday that it was the 11th time he appeared before probe agencies and has been subjected to 70 hours of questioning so far.

"I maintain my belief in the Indian judiciary. I have and will adhere to all summons/norms of government agencies. I have deposed 11 times with questioning of approximately 70 hours. In future also, I will cooperate, till my name is cleared of all false allegations and accusations," Vadra said.

Vadra has appeared before ED multiple times in connection with this case as also in an another criminal money laundering cases related to alleged irregularities of land allotment in Rajasthan's Bikaner.

The agency recently sought cancellation of the anticipatory bail given to Vadra and also opposed his plea for foreign travel.

A court Wednesday reserved for June 3 its order to allow Vadra to travel abroad or not.

And the Enforcement Directorate last week moved a Delhi court, seeking cancellation of the anticipatory bail given to Vadra in this case and the Delhi High Court had then issued notice to him seeking his response.

The ED had told the Delhi HC that it required Vadra's custody as he was not cooperating in the investigation and and the trial court had not discussed the gravity of the offence in its order that gave relief to the high-profile businessman.

The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.

The agency had told a Delhi court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties.

Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
/ -- MyBranch introduces Virtual Offices in tier II and tier III Indian cities. Launched in 2014, MyBranch is a subsidiary of Narayan Bhargava Group. With MyBranch Virtual Office offering, organizations can maintain a business presence in tier II & tier III Indian cities without paying rent for occupying the space as this service allows organizations to get a business address, mail handling, access to meeting/training rooms, receptionist and GST registration without renting any real space.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/724111/My_Branch_Logo.jpg)



(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/895019/MyBranch_Virtual_Offices.jpg)



MyBranch Virtual Office service is introduced with a vision to help businesses that are:Looking to scale up business overnight Looking to setup business presence at up-scale locations Testing small town markets Considering business expansion in minimum cost Trying to maintain a well-established corporate image To get the GST Registration Range of MyBranch Virtual Office services in tier II and tier III Indian cities:GST Registration- Any company which wants to have a business in a new location without being physically present there, needs a local GST registration number. MyBranch Virtual Office service allows businesses to get GST number using the virtual office of My Branch.

Business address- This helps organizations to show their business presence in the markets that are crucial in a fraction of cost without being physically present.

Reception- This is to assist for any enquiry and handling mails for the business who have taken virtual offices services from MyBranch.

Mail Receiving, Sending, Forwarding and Scanning service- When business owners are physically not present in their virtual office but use the address to get physical mails, this service helps them get all the mails forwarded over to them to stay connected with the location.

Meeting/Training Rooms- Business owners may need to meet physically to take business proceedings to another level, even if they don't have access to a 'full-time' desk or conference room. MyBranch Virtual Office service helps business owners conduct meetings/trainings in the fully equipped meeting and conference rooms.

The locations with MyBranch Virtual Offices are Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Guwahati, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, Panaji, Pune, Ranchi and Vadodara.

Make the business stand out from the rest with MyBranch Virtual Offices. Write to us at info@mybranch.co.in or visit https://www.mybranch.co.in/ to unleash business growth with MyBranch.

About Narayan Bhargava Group



Founded in 1979, the Narayan Bhargava Group is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra and is India's most dependable business support and growth partner. Its pan India network of associates and affiliates comprises global multinationals, large private enterprises and governmental institutions, spread across 350+ locations in the country. The group employs a highly credible workforce of experienced and respected professionals who deliver the best solutions in quick succession and drive remarkable customer experiences. For more details, visit https://www.narayanbhargavagroup.com/ or write to us at info@narayanbhargavagroup.com.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nuclear deterrence led to the de-escalation of tensions during the post-Pulwama military stand-off between India and Pakistan, a senior official associated with Pakistan's nuclear programme said here Friday.

Brigadier Zahir Kazmi, Director General Arms Control and Disarmament Affairs at Strategic Plans Division (SPD) told journalists that the stated purpose of deterrence was to close space for war and bring states to the negotiating table.

"Stability actually means peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in the subcontinent... nuclear deterrence should be a factor of stability between Pakistan and Hindustan," The Express Tribune quoted him as saying during a media interaction with senior Pakistani officials dealing with strategic affairs.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the February 14 Pulwama attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group which killed 40 CRPF personnel.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting a JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26.

The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an Indian pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

Brig Kazmi said deterrence worked during the post-Pulwama military stand-off despite India's attempt to escalate to a different level by talking about mobilisation of nuclear missile and nuclear submarines.

He clarified that deterrence was not an end in itself but a psychological state.

"It should inspire fear in which the perceived cost of deterrence breakdown is higher than the desired benefits of preferring war as an instrument for dispute resolution," the report quoted him as saying.

The Director General Arms Control and Disarmament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muhammad Kamran Akhtar said that Pakistan demonstrated a more responsible and restrained behaviour during the Indo-Pakistan standoff that led to de-escalation.

He claimed that Pakistan was a responsible and restrained nuclear power and the country's safety and security record was immaculate and an example for many countries.

At the media interaction organised by Islamabad Policy Institute, Akhtar dismissed the allegations that Pakistan possessed the fastest growing nuclear programme in the world.

Defense analyst Syed Muhammad Ali said Pakistan's nuclear programme had significantly contributed towards meeting both its traditional and non-traditional security needs.

Nuclear deterrence, he added, had enabled Pakistan timely manage and de-escalate several regional crises with India during the past three decades.

This, he said, also gave Pakistan's leadership and diplomats more confidence in international diplomacy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Korea executed its special envoy to the United States following the collapse of the second summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper reported Friday.

The Chosun Ilbo said Kim Hyok Chol, who laid the groundwork for the Hanoi meeting and accompanied Kim on his private train, was executed by firing squad for "betraying the supreme leader" after he was turned by the US.

"Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport along with four senior foreign ministry officials following an investigation," the newspaper quoted an unidentified source as saying.

The other officials were not named.

Kim Hyok Chol was the North's counterpart of US special representative Stephen Biegun in the run-up to the Hanoi summit in February.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, declined to comment on the report.

The paper also said Kim Jong Un's interpreter Shin Hye Yong was sent to a prison camp for a mistake at the summit.

She failed to translate Kim's new proposal when Trump declared "no deal" and walked away from the table, Chosun reported, citing another unnamed diplomatic source.

Kim Jong Un and Trump left the Vietnamese capital without a deal after they failed to reach agreement on rolling back Pyongyang's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

The North has since sought to raise the pressure and carried out two short-range missile tests in May.

Senior party official Kim Yong Chol, the North's counterpart to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in nuclear talks, was also sent to a labour camp, the paper said.

In April, South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee said Kim Yong Chol had been censured over his handling of the Hanoi summit, despite the fact he had recently been named a member of the State Affairs Commission, a supreme governing body chaired by Kim Jong Un.

of the reported purge came as North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, mouthpiece of the ruling party, Thursday warned that officials who committed anti-party or anti-revolutionary acts would face the "stern judgement of the revolution".

Previous South Korean reports of North Korean purges and executions have later proved inaccurate.

The Chosun Ilbo itself incorrectly reported in 2013 that Hyon Song Wol, head of the North's Samjiyon Orchestra, was executed by firing squad for distributing and watching pornographic content.

And the Unification Ministry also mistakenly announced in February 2016 that Ri Yong Gil, chief of the general staff of the North Korean People's Army, had been executed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As ambiguity over finance minister portfolio ended with Nirmala Sitharaman at the helm, analysts Friday said that now narrative in markets will be about economic policies that will be adopted to revive and stimulate the slowing economy.

They further said that simplification of GST and measures to revive consumption will be among key tasks to be addressed by the new government.

Sitharaman Friday created history again when she became the first full-time woman Finance Minister of India, and now will have to steer the country out of an imminent economic slowdown and address challenges like job creation, mounting bad loans and stimulating investment.

"The ambiguity of portfolio allocation is now removed, so this is good for the market in a sense. We will get to see new finance minister Nirmala's proposals and approach in the budget due in about a month," said Jagannadham Thunuguntla, Sr VP and Head of Research (Wealth), Centrum Broking Limited.

"Emergence of clarity is what was important, and now narrative in markets will be about the economic policies that will be adopted to revive and stimulate the slowing economy," he said.

Sitharaman joins the finance ministry at a time when the economy is facing challenges of slowing growth, dipping exports and mounting non-performing loans.

"This allocation has come as a surprise, but I would say Nirmala has done a fairly good job as defence minister and she has proved her acumen. She has worked under the finance ministry as MoS, has domain knowledge as she has economics post graduate and has also worked in the sector, so all the main boxes are ticked," said Garima Kapoor, Economist, Elara Capital.

Sitharaman in the Modi 1.0 government became the first full-time woman Defence Minister and in the second term she is now the first full-time woman Finance Minister.

"Simplification of GST, measures to revive consumption, recapitalisation of PSU Banks and addressing the dislocation in financial sector esp NBFCs remains key tasks to address," Kapoor added.

"Sitharaman is eminently qualified to steer India's economy which is facing multiple headwinds of slowing consumption impulses, moribund private capex cycle and anemic exports," said Ajay Bodke, CEO PMS, Prabhudas Lilladher.

Unprecedented squeeze in liquidity due to crisis in NBFC sector and consequent spike in risk aversion has severely impacted aggregate demand he said adding that sectors such as real estate, automobiles, consumer goods etc need an immediate respite.

"With limited fiscal maneuverability it remains to be seen how she can inject a strong dose of fiscal stimulus to revive animal spirits," Bodke added.

Romesh Tiwari, Head of Research, CapitalAim said, "Nirmala Sitharaman as the new finance minister is the right choice given her academic background in economics. She will have to face challenges of slowdown in domestic consumption and liquidity issues."



Sitharaman is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and London School of Economics.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Company Law Tribunal has rejected Rs 1,200 crore offer by the former promoters of Essar Power Jharkhand Ltd (EPJL) for one-time settlement with the lenders and take the debt-ridden company out of insolvency proceedings.

After the Committee of Creditors (CoC) of EPJL, in which leading private sector lender ICICI Bank has over 90 per cent voting rights, declined Rs 1,200 crore settlement proposal against a total debt ranging around Rs 5,600 crore, a two-member principal bench of NCLT headed by President Justice M M Kumar rejected promoter's offer.

"A proposal made by the ex-promoter/director pursuant to the direction issued on March 11, 2019 and subsequently clarified by filing one affidavit dated May 16, 2019 does not find favour of the ICICI Bank - Financial creditor who constitutes 99.34 per cent voting share of the CoC," said NCLT.

It further said: "There are plausible reasons given for not accepting the proposal. Accordingly, we are unable to accept any such proposal and the same is hereby rejected."



On March 11, 2019, NCLT had allowed Essar Power promoters to file revised proposal to the resolution professional of EPJL, which was supposed to place it before in a CoC meeting for consideration.

Earlier, the promoters had offered Rs 900 crore.

EPJL, a stepdown of Essar Power, is setting up 1200 MW coal fired power plant at Chandwa in Latehar district of the state. It would have two units of 600 MW each.

Its promoters had offered to settle the amount with the lenders under Section 12 (A) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Act and take the company out of insolvency.

Section 12A of the IBC allows one more chance to the corporate debtor to settle its defaults and get the company out of insolvency proceedings after settling the claims of the lenders.

However, it requires 90 per cent votes from CoC.

ICICI Bank has 99.34 per cent votes in CoC and had not agreed with the proposal, hence the NCLT rejected the offer.

In April, 2018 NCLT had allowed to initiate insolvency proceedings against EPJL over the ICICI Bank plea, claiming a debt of Rs 3626 crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government is vetting 88 associations, accusing them of using foreign funds for "forced conversions". The inquiry began last year after a scandal involving the Sisters of Mother Teresa. Poor women and children are at risk. For Archbishop Toppo, "the inquiry does not worry us."

New Delhi (AsiaNews)  The Government of Jharkhand has begun to vet the activities of 88 Christian Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in order to determine whether their foreign funding was used for "forced conversions". If case anomalies are found, NGOs license to operate would be withdrawn.

For Mgr Felix Toppo, this is undoubtedly an attack against the Church. Speaking to AsiaNews, the archbishop of Ranchi remains confident that all the charges are unfounded.

The authorities, the prelate noted, are examining the documents. The inquiry is ongoing, seeking to understand how the money was received, whether it was properly used or not. For our part, we have let the government carry out the necessary probe, even if we are opposed to the method used against Christian associations that work for the good of so many people, the poor, children and women."

The inquiry into the work of Christian organisations began last year in the wake of a scandal that involved the sale of new-borns from an orphanage run by the Sisters of Mother Teresa.

Since then, the Missionaries of Charity have come to the attention of state authorities. A nun was arrested and is still in prison without a formal charge. The inquiry was later extended to all Christian associations.

News of the new inquiry into 88 Church-run associations has left the local Christian community dejected. Many Catholics already expect more pain from the newly-re-elected Union government, especially after the announcement that the president of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party was going to be the Home Affairs Minister.

On 24 May, a local Christian delegation led by Mgr Telesphore Bilung, auxiliary bishop of Ranchi, presented a memorandum to Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu, asking the authorities not to discriminate against Christian associations through selective scrutiny.

The document stressed that "in total there are around 500 associations in Jharkhand that receive foreign funding, but the government ordered an inquiry only into the 88 Christian ones to see if they use money inappropriately for forced conversions."

A note from the Special Branch of the Jharkhand Police asks the government to track the donations received from abroad in the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016.

The document divides the NGOs into three groups: the first includes 11 NGOs that received 1.87 billion rupees (US$ 27 million) from abroad; the second group (from 12th to 31st) received 750 million rupees (US$ 10.7 million); and the last group (from 32nd onwards) received 300 million rupees (US$ 4.3 million).

Despite the possible shutdown of NGOs, Mgr Toppo said that he "is not worried about the inquiry, even though it is an attempt at harassment. I am sure the charities have done everything by the book.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Friday said the NDA government had spent six times higher on urban schemes in five years compared to the amount UPA dispensation spent in its 10 years.

Talking to reporters after taking charge of the ministry for a second time, Puri said that so far, over 80 lakh houses under PMAY (Urban) have been sanctioned while the remaining 20 lakh will be approved in this financial year.

The diplomat-turned-politician is one of the biggest gainers as despite being defeated by Congress candidate Gurjit Aujla from Amritsar, he has not only retained the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry but also has been given the ministries of civil aviation and commerce and industry ministries.

The UD ministry is taking care of several flagship programmes of the Modi government, including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-U), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) among others.

"In the UPA government's regime from 2004 to 2014, the expenditure on urban schemes was around Rs 1.57 lakh crore while it was over Rs 9.07 lakh crore on urban schemes from 2015 to 2019 during the NDA's government," he said.

Puri said there are several schemes for the urban sector including PMAY (U), SBM (U), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) among others.

This is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi through flagship programmes has been able to do for the urban sector and that is work in progress, he said.

Talking about PMAY (U), Puri said that under this scheme, one crore houses are set to be constructed.

Over 80 lakh houses have been sanctioned while the remaining will be approved in this financial year,' Puri said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Netflix has acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Benedict Cumberbatch and Elisabeth Moss-starrer "The Power of the Dog".

Critically-acclaimed filmmaker Jane Campion is directing the film, which is based on Thomas Savage's 1967 novel of the same name. She has also adapted the script.

The streaming giant bought the rights of the movie from See-Saw Films' in house sales arm Cross City Films, it said in a statement.

Netflix intends to release the film next year on its platform and in select theatres.

The story follows wealthy Montana brothers Phil (Cumberbatch) and George Burbank are two sides of one coin. Phil is graceful, brilliant and cruel where George is stolid, fastidious and gentle. Together they are joint owners of the biggest ranch in the Montana valley.

When George secretly marries local widow Rose (Moss), a shocked and angry Phil wages a sadistic, relentless war to destroy her entirely using her effeminate son Peter as a pawn.

See-Saw Films and Big Shell Films/Max Films Production are producing the movie in association with Brightstar and BBC Films.

The project has been developed with BBC Films, who are also backing production.

Emile Sherman and Iain Canning are also producing alongside Roger Frappier, Campion and Tanya Seghatchian.

Rose Garnett, Simon Gillis and John Woodward are executive producing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Disinvestment, support for new business creation and converting farmers into entrepreneurs are the three key priority areas flagged for the new government by IT industry veteran S Gopalakrishnan on Friday.

The co-founder of Infosys Ltd said the new Government must continue the reform agenda and also at look ways to increase its revenues.

"Disinvestment is probably one of the priorities that I would think the Government should take up", the former President of the Confederation of Indian Industry told PTI.

Disinvesment is required to improve the efficiency, and necessary to increase the government's revenues, and reduce the expenses, said Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Axilor Ventures, a company supporting and funding startups,.

Gopalakrishnan said the policy of supporting startups must continue. "We must look at ease of doing business".

Telangana and Karnataka, he said, have done a good job in encouraging startups.

"We need to now look at how we can spread to other States, especially the States in the east and northeast because we need a vibrant startup ecosystem across the country, even in rural areas," added Gopalakrishnan.

There should be focus on new business creation, not just startups that can be funded, he said.

"There are many, many startups that are individual run enterprises...small and medium enterprises, we have to ensure that there is adequate support for them, there is a requirement to look at credit...", Gopalakrishnan said.

Stressing the need to convert farmers into entrepreneurs, he said farmer producer companies (FPCs), wher farmers come together and create larger groupings enabling them to get better purchase and market power, is a good model to look at.

"There are good examples of FPCs working very well; we need to replicate them across the country", he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At 40, Joanne Ramos was looking for her debut novel a compelling story that could hold her ideas and allow them to flourish until she read about a surrogacy facility in India and her book began to take root.

The Philippines-born Joanne Ramos has just come out with "The Farm", which is about race, class, family and power, as she is being heralded as the new age Margaret Atwood.

The book, published by Bloomsbury India, talks of an ambitious businesswoman named Mae Yu who runs Golden Oaks, a luxury retreat transforming the fertility industry, where women get the very best of everything, so long as they play by the rules.

Jane is a young immigrant in search of a better future. Stuck living in a cramped dorm with her baby daughter and her shrewd aunt Ate, she sees an unmissable chance to change her life but at what cost.

"The Farm" explores the role of luck and merit, class, ambition and sacrifice and is a story about how we live and who truly holds power.

When Ramos started writing "The Farm", the themes she wanted to tackle were already apparent to her - ideas that had consumed her for decades, rooted in her experiences, and the people she'd come to know, as a Filipina immigrant in Wisconsin, a financial-aid student at Princeton University, a woman in the male-dominated world of high finance, and a mother of three in the era of intensive "helicopter" parenting.

"The challenge was to find a compelling story that could hold all these different ideas and allow them to flourish. I wasn't interested in writing a screed but in telling a good story that made readers think," she says.

Then, about a year and a half into her daily routine of writing while her children were in school, she read a short article in the Wall Street Journal about a surrogacy facility in India.

"The what-ifs began pouring onto the page: What if I moved the surrogacy facility to America? What if I made it a luxury one that catered to the richest people in the world? What would people like that want? The book began to take root," Ramos told PTI.

She is flattered by comparisons with Atwood.

"My older sister gave me a copy of The Handmaid's Tale' when I was in high school in the late 1980s. I had never read anything like it, and it opened my eyes - not only to issues of female agency, the commodification of women's bodies and the patriarchy, but to how capacious and flexible and radical fiction can be. I'd never read writing like Atwood's. I was blown away by how she put together words as much as by the ideas suffusing her book."



According to the author, she didn't put much conscious thought into the title.

"From the outset, when I saved my day's writing onto my laptop, I labelled the file The Farm', differentiating each day only by its date. I suppose this is because, when I started imagining the world of Golden Oaks, I immediately envisioned a very wholesome, pastoral setting - rolling hills, pristine lakes, acres of lush farmland. Unwittingly, I'd already thought of Golden Oaks as a baby farm'," she says.

On the characters and situations, she says these were made-up in her head. "The book is a work of fiction, but through some sort of organic, maybe even alchemical process, certain pieces of yourself and your experiences end up - altered - in fiction, too."



The book has often been called "dystopian" by readers and some reviewers. But Ramos says she didn't set out to write a dystopian novel.

"I tried to create a world that was only a few inches ahead of ours. It was crucial to me that the world of Golden Oaks was plausible, because I didn't want to give my readers the out' of dismissing The Farm' as futuristic, or unrealistic, or too extreme to every really occur. I wanted the reader to recognise the world of The Farm', and in recognising it, maybe see our own reality through a new lens," she says.

As far as the luxury elements in the novel, it seemed to Ramos that a very rich client with limitless resources would want her surrogate to live in comfort, without any sources of stress, since studies have shown that stress is bad for babies in utero.

"I also think the comforts of Golden Oaks allow its clients to feel good about outsourcing their pregnancies. The marketing pitch for Golden Oaks - the narrative that Mae Yu tells herself and the clients in order to justify it - is that the farm is a win-win': good for both the clients and the surrogate mothers."



One of the notions Ramos explores in "The Farm" is the concept of free trade, which underlies the capitalist system.

"One of the basic tenets of free trade is that it - a trade voluntarily reached by two parties - is mutually beneficial'. If it were not, so the theory goes, one party to the trade wouldn't agree to the deal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Green Tribunal has rapped the governments of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal and slapped a penalty of Rs 25 lakh on them for inaction over continued damage to river Ganga.

It noted that in Bihar there is practically no progress as not a single sewage infrastructure project has been completed.

Similarly, in West Bengal only three projects out of 22 have been completed and even for Jharkhand progress is not adequate, it said.

"The States of West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand are not represented in spite of orders of this tribunal by which we recorded strong disapproval to such attitude of the said States. Such insensitivity in a serious matter is a matter of concern.

"We direct the States of Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal to deposit Rs 25 lakh each by way of interim compensation for the continued damage to Ganga and inaction of the said States even in responding to this tribunal with the CPCB within a month which may be spent on restoration of the environment," the bench said.

The NGT also said that discharge of effluents is a criminal offence and directed the Uttar Pradesh government to prohibit any polluting industrial activity instead of partially allowing it.

"State of Uttar Pradesh may provide funds to the CPCB for remediation of Chromium dumps at Kanpur Dehat, Khanpur and Rakhi Mandi. Proper e-flows may be ensured from the Narora Barrage by the NMCG and the State of UP and compliance status may be furnished. UP may also take expeditious action for removing encroachments, identifying and notifying flood plains on the pattern of State of Uttarakhand," it said.

The UP chief secretary may personally monitor and ensure zero tolerance approach to the pollution of Ganga and take stern action against those responsible for failure, the tribunal said and directed him to file an affidavit before August 7.

NGT also noted the submission made by National Mission for Clean Ganga that out of 31 projects undertaken, only four have been completed and work in respect of four projects is still underway.

For the remaining work the timeline is proposed extending up to December, 2021, the tribunal noted and said that such progress can hardly be held to be satisfactory.

It also asked the Uttarakhand State Pollution Control Board to ascertain whether the level of faecal coliform is beyond parameters from Gaumukh to Rishikesh.

"We record our dissatisfaction with the progress particularly after all prescribed timelines are over and no adequate action has been taken against identified polluters, law violators and officers responsible for failure for vigorous monitoring, encroachments and pollution are undisputed. Orders of this tribunal remain uncomplied," it said.

Failure of the authorities is posing a danger to the environmental rule of law, NGT said, adding that continued failure is not only resulting in damage to the but also to public health.

"Unless prompt and stringent action to control pollution of Ganga is stopped, the tribunal may be left with no option but to recover cost of restoration from officers responsible for the failure and also require their prosecution. Accordingly, Uttarakhand chief secretary may monitor the matter, identify the persons responsible for failure, take credible action and file his own affidavit before the next date," the tribunal said.

During the hearing, Director General of NMCG Rajiv Ranjan Mishra appeared in person and assured that stringent action will be taken for the lapses in monitoring against identified persons within four weeks and compliance of directions of this tribunal will be taken up seriously.

"In the monitoring mechanism, identified persons will be made accountable for the targets already fixed. We make it clear that the NMCG will be treated to be doing its duty only if there is decrease in pollution load and improvement in water quality in the Ganga.

"The monitoring criteria must mainly focus on reduction of pollution load and improvement of water quality ensuring this must be specific responsibility of identified officers. Ganga pollution control has to be model for remedying pollution of other 351 polluted river stretches," it said.

With regard to flood plains, the NGT clarified that distance for no construction zone is to be measured from the Highest Flood Line (HFL) at least in the last 25 years.

"Such flood plains may be identified with longitude and latitude and no activity may be allowed therein except raising of plantations and setting up of bio-diversity parks. The concerned states in Ganga river basin may examine whether the responsibility of plantations and administrative control of areas beyond HFL can be handed over to the Forest Department exclusively," the tribunal said.

Even a drop of pollution in Ganga is a matter of concern and the attitude of all authorities should be stringent to protect the river, the NGT had earlier said while seeking concrete action plan on the issue.

It asked the NMCG to take remedial action so that assistance of a suitable person is provided to this tribunal with precise information failing which the tribunal may consider coercive measures against it.

The tribunal also asked the concerned states to take the matter seriously and assist the bench with precise information either through senior officers or through counsel.

The green panel had said people drank and bathed in the river with reverence, without knowing that it may adversely affect their health.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' took charge of the HRD Ministry Friday with the senior ministry officials handing him over the draft of the much awaited New Policy (NEP).

The policy, an ambitious project of the previous Modi government, is expected to be on the agenda of Nishank, who started his career as a teacher in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Saraswati Shishu Mandir.

The former Uttarakhand chief minister told reporters that he will be meeting officials of the Ministry of Human Resource Development and will chalk out a plan of action soon.

A committee headed by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan was formed to draft the new policy by the HRD Ministry previously headed by Prakash Javadekar, who is now Information and Broadcasting minister.

Nishank, a PhD from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna University in Garhwal, has authored over 35 books.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
No evidence was found to indicate that Payal Tadvi, the junior doctor at a government hospital here who allegedly committed suicide, had been killed, the Mumbai Police's crime branch told a court on Friday.

The court, which refused to extend police remand of the three accused, noted that the case diary and the autopsy report did not suggest that it was a "clear-cut" case of murder.

Tadvi (26), a post-graduate student at B Y L Nair Hospital, allegedly hanged herself in her hostel room on May 22, as she was reportedly fed up of being ragged by the three accused who were her seniors.

It was also alleged that the accused had hurled casteist slurs at her.

The prosecution, seeking police remand for the accused when they were arrested, had suggested that it could be a case of murder.

However, the crime branch, which took over the case on Thursday, told the court that it has not "come across any material to call it a murder".

The accused -- Bhakti Mehere, Hema Ahuja and Ankita Khandelwal -- were produced before Additional Sessions Judge R M Sadrani at the end of their police custody on Friday.

Seeking their further custody, the investigating officer said it was required for the recovery of the suicide note.

Police also wanted to confront them with the witnesses, he said, adding that the accused were not co-operating with the investigation.

"We (crime branch) did not get time to probe... Hence, we should be given seven days' custody," said special public prosecutor Raja Thakre.

However, defense lawyer Abad Ponda said none of the witnesses had stated that a suicide note existed and the custody can not be extended just because another investigating agency has taken over, he argued.

The judge noted in his order that "nothing was revealed from the case diary and the post-mortem report that it was a clear-cut murder".

No substantial evidence was collected in the last two days, nor was the suicide note recovered, for which purpose custody had been sought earlier, the judge said.

The grounds on which the prosecution sought further police remand were not "sufficient", the court said, sending the three accused in judicial custody till June 10.

After Tadvi ended her life, her family alleged that the accused, who were her seniors, tormented her and hurled casteist abuse at her. Tadvi belonged to a scheduled tribe.

The accused were booked under The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, anti-ragging act as well as for abetment of suicide under IPC section 306.

Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Friday set up a "fact-finding mission committee" to "evaluate the background situation and the critical factors that led to the unfortunate suicide of Tadvi", it said in a statement.

Its fact-finding team will submit a report to the IMA National President within a week, it said, adding that "IMA does not condone any discriminatory behavior".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday said he has not received any report that the suicide bombers involved in the Easter Sunday terror attacks had travelled to India.

Sirisena also said a clear report about a possible terror attack was sent by Indian intelligence agencies to their Sri Lankan counterparts 17 days prior to the April 21 bombings but he was not informed about it.

"Had I known about a possible attack, I would have taken necessary steps to prevent it," Sirisena said during a media interaction. He was here to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

Sri Lanka was hit by a wave of bombings on Easter Sunday in which over 250 people were killed.

"A clear report had been sent by Indian intelligence to the state intelligence agencies of Sri Lanka about the possibility of an attack. The Indian government sent the information on April 4," he said.

Sirisena said he left for a foreign trip on April 16 and till then he was not informed about the Indian intelligence report, though there had been exchanges on the issue between the defence secretary and the then inspector general of police.

"Had I known it, I would not have left the country," he said.

"This is a great shortcoming from our defence secretary and that is why I have removed defence secretary and inspector general of police from their respective offices," he added.

Asked about reports that the terrorists who carried out the attacks had travelled to India, the Sri Lankan president said he had not received any information about it.

"I have not received any report about their travel to India," he said.

Sirisena said his government has received support from India, the UK, the US and few other countries in the investigation into the bombings.

"The investigation has found that the perpetrators of the attack operated under an international organisation. The Sri Lankan terrorists had obtained training in countries where other terror groups are operating," he said.

The Sri Lankan president said the people involved in the bombings were from wealthy families and the suicide bombers included doctorate holders.

He said it was time for all the countries to come together and deal firmly with terror groups.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three members of the Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa have been arrested on the charges of terror financing in Pakistan's Punjab province, amid pressure from the global community on Islamabad to rein in the militant groups.

In a statement issued here late Thursday, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police said it arrested the three members during a raid on their hideout in Faisalabad, some 150 kilometres from Lahore.

"Millions of rupees have been recovered from their possession which they had collected for terror financing," it said.

The CTD also said a report had been submitted to the Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad against them.

Last week, the Pakistani authorities arrested over 10 members of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group in Punjab on similar charges.

A nation-wide crackdown against terror financing has been underway, police said.

The Pakistan government has launched a crackdown against the outlawed organisations under the National Action Plan 2015 to eliminate militancy and extremism from the country's soil.

The Imran Khan-led government has also announced the freezing of accounts and seizure of assets linked to organisations banned by the UN Security Council.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Saeed has been keeping a low profile after Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government took control of the JuD and its wing Falahai Insaniat Foundation's (FIF) properties, including seminaries and mosques, across the country.

On February 21, the Pakistan government announced it had banned the JuD and FIF, amid intense global pressure to rein in the militant groups following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF jawans.

Saeed has been barred from entering the JuD headquarters in Lahore and is reportedly spending most of his time at his Jauhar Town Lahore residence.

Saeed's brother-in-law Hafiz Abdur Rehman Makki was also arrested this month on charges of making for hate speech and criticising the Pakistan government's action against 'terror' financing.

He is detained at camp jail Lahore for 90 days under a public security order.

According to officials, JuD's network includes 300 seminaries and schools, hospitals, a publishing house and ambulance service. The two groups have about 50,000 volunteers and hundreds of other paid workers.

The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack that killed 166 people. It had been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in June 2014.

The US Department of the Treasury has designated its chief Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. He was released from house arrest in Pakistan in November 2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi High Court on Friday sought response of the AAP government and prison authorities here on a PIL seeking conjugal visitation rights for prisoners.

Terming the issue raised in the plea as "very interesting", a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Brijesh Sethi issued notice to the Delhi government and the Director General of Prisons seeking their stand on the petition by a lawyer.

Amit Sahni, a lawyer and a social activist, has claimed in his plea that conjugal visits in jail should be treated as a fundamental right of prisoners and their spouses.

Sahni, represented by senior advocate N Hariharan, has said in his petition that presently under the state's prison rule, meeting between an inmate and his or her spouse takes place in the presence of a prison officer.

He has sought setting aside of the rule.

He has further said that "despite courts taking a progressive approach and various countries allowing conjugal visits considering it an important human right and also in the light of studies backing conjugal visits as a factor to cut down crimes in jail and reform inmates, the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018 are totally silent on the issue."



The petition contends that conjugal visitation rights ought to be provided in prisons in the state as most of the prisoners fall in the sexually active age group.

It has said private meetings with spouse cannot be denied to prisoners on grounds of existing provisions of parole and furlough and added these provisions were anyway not available to undertrial prisoners.

It has further said that conjugal visits not only ensures fundamental and human rights of those incarcerated, but also their spouses who suffer without any wrong.

"One should not overlook the plight of the spouse of those incarcerated who suffer the punishment of denial of conjugal relationship without having done any wrong," the plea has said.

It has also contended that various researches have shown that conjugal visits reduce frequency of prison riots, sexual crimes, homosexual behaviour while moving prisoners towards reformation and good behaviour.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
69 containers loaded with waste, sent to the Philippines and falsely labeled as recyclable material. Canada has agreed to cover the full cost of their transfer. The garbage will be treated at a Vancouver waste-to-energy plant. A growing number of countries across Southeast Asia are calling on Western nations to recover their garbage.

Manila (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Philippine government today sent 69 containers laden with waste back to Canada. The move puts an end to a long diplomatic dispute that saw President Rodrigo Duterte threaten to "sail to Canada and dump the garbage there".

In April, the Philippine president had attacked Ottawa on waste, shipped between 2013 and 2014 in what the North Americans consider a trade agreement. The cargo - labeled as plastics to be recycled in Manila - was actually composed of diapers, newspapers and water bottles. Canada has agreed to cover the full cost of their transfer and disposal. Waste containers travel on the MV Bavaria (photo), a merchant ship set sail from Subic Bay, port and former US naval base north of Manila. The approximately 1,500 tons of garbage will arrive in the Canadian city of Vancouver by the end of June, to be treated at a local waste-to-energy plant.

Canadian Environment Minister, Catherine McKenna, welcomed the waste shipment. "We have made a commitment with the Philippines and are working closely with them," she said yesterday. Sean Fraser, secretary to the ministry, says: "This is proof that we are respecting our international obligations to address the issue of waste produced in Canada". Fraser reports that in recent weeks Ottawa has moved quickly to deal with the problem, which dragged on for several years after the Philippine government called it "a very serious priority".

A growing number of countries throughout Southeast Asia are calling on Western nations to take back the rubbish sent to their shores, claiming that part of it has crossed the borders illegally. The amount of garbage exported by developed countries came to light after China, which had imported most of it for years, introduced the "ban on foreign garbage". As a result, the garbage - often classified as recyclable through counterfeit shipping notes - was sent to other developing countries, which they now begin to reject. A few days ago, Malaysia announced that it will return 450 tons of plastic waste to countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United States.
The Modi government on Friday assigned plum portfolios to many of the first-time ministers in a sign that the newly-elected regime wants to use fresh thinking when it comes to important policy decisions.

First time ministers such as S Jaishankar, Amit Shah and Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' have been assigned the important ministries of External Affairs, Home and Human Resource Development, respectively, according to a government press release issued on Friday.

Another first-timer Anurag Thakur, 44, one of the youngest in the Modi government, has been given the plum post of Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs.

Similarly, 53-year old Nityanand Rai -- who is Bihar BJP President with no experience in the central government -- was made Minister of State for Home on Friday.

Rai would be junior minister in the Home Ministry under BJP chief Amit Shah, who is also taking a ministerial position in the central government for the first time.

G Kishan Reddy -- who won the Lok Sabha elections from Secunderabad in Telangana -- has also been made a junior minister in the Home Ministry.

From Friday onwards, it will be the first innings as Union ministers for a total of six Cabinet ministers and 13 ministers of state in the Modi government.

Former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Jaishankar, who is currently not a Member of Parliament, has been assigned the charge of Minister of External Affairs, the government press release said.

The 1997-batch IFS officer was the Secretary at Ministry of External Affairs from January 2015 to January 2018. Thereafter, in April last year, he joined Tata Sons as the President of Global Corporate Affairs.

It is expected that the BJP will elect Jaishankar to the upper house of Parliament soon. Another first-timer V Muraleedharan, who used to be Kerala BJP chief, would be Jaishankar's junior minister at the Ministry of External Affairs.

First-time minister Som Prakash, who won the elections from the Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha constituency, has been given the portfolio of a junior minister in the Ministry of Commerce.

Four-time MP from Karnataka's Belagavi, Suresh Angadi, 63, has been given the charge of junior minister in the Ministry of Railways. He has never hold any ministerial position in the central government before.

Both Prakash and Angadi will be working under Piyush Goyal, who has been made Minister of Railways and Commerce and Industry.

Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there are 57 ministers in the newly sworn in Union Council of ministers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Friday held separate meetings with Sri Lankan Maithripala Sirisena, Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, exploring ways to further strengthen bilateral ties.

A day after taking charge as prime minister for a second term, Modi also held extensive talks with Abdul Hamid and PM of Pravind Jugnauth.

The foreign leaders came to to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

In the meeting between Modi and Sirisena, both leaders noted that terrorism and extremism continue to pose threat to humanity and expressed commitment for closer bilateral cooperation for peace and security in and the region, the external affairs ministry said.

was hit by a wave of bombings last month in which over 250 people were killed.

"Modi warmly thanked Sirisena for his gesture of attending the ceremony and also for his good wishes. He conveyed his government's continued commitment to further foster friendly bilateral ties with Sri Lanka," the MEA said.

On the meeting between Modi and Jugnauth, it said both leaders agreed to work together to achieve the shared vision of security and growth of the two countries and the region.

"Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Jugnauth and reiterated his commitment to further strengthening the fraternal and enduring bilateral ties between the two countries in all spheres," said the MEA.

Modi also held talks with his counterpart K P Sharma Oli during which both leaders expressed their commitment in further deepening relations.

On Modi's talks with Bhutanese PM Tshering, the MEA said the two leaders discussed bilateral commitments and agreed to further solidify the traditionally strong ties.

The prime minister also held a bilateral meeting with President Abdul Hamid during which they exchanged views on matters of mutual interest.

In his first engagement after being sworn in, the prime minister held a meeting with Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, who attended the oath taking ceremony as the Chair of the

"Recalling that and have warm and friendly relations, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction at the strengthening of bilateral cooperation over the years," the MEA said.

invited leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries as well as Jeenbekov and Jugnauth for Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

Besides India, BIMSTEC comprises Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and

In 2014, Modi had invited all SAARC leaders, including the then Prime Minister for his swearing-in ceremony, in a major initiative to reach out to the neighbourhood.

However, this time, the BIMSTEC leaders were invited, which was seen as an attempt to avoid inviting for the event.

Founded in 1997, BIMSTEC currently represents over 1.5 billion people and having a combined of USD 3.5 trillion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to Colombo on June 9, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday.

Sirisena, who was here to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony, told reporters that Sri Lanka was eagerly waiting to welcome the Indian leader.

The Sri Lankan President said he has received information that Modi will be travelling to Colombo on June 9 on his return from Maldives.

Srisena said it will be a great honour for his government and people of the island nation to receive Modi as it will further strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries particularly in areas of trade and commerce.

Modi held a bilateral meeting with Sirisena on Friday during which both the leaders noted that terrorism and extremism continue to pose a threat to humanity.

They also expressed commitment for closer bilateral cooperation for peace and security in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region, the External Affairs Ministry said.

Sri Lanka was hit by a wave of bombings last month in which over 250 people were killed.

"Modi warmly thanked President Sirisena for his gesture of attending the ceremony and also for his good wishes. He conveyed his government's continued commitment to further foster friendly bilateral ties with Sri Lanka," the MEA said.

Modi is expected to travel to the Maldives between June 7-8 which will be his first bilateral visit after becoming PM for a second term. However, there is no official word on it so far.

Bhutan was the first country Modi had visited in 2014 after becoming prime minister.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A car bomb targeting a U.S. convoy exploded early Friday in an eastern Kabul neighbourhood, leaving four Afghan civilians dead and three wounded and lightly wounding four American forces, authorities said.

It was the second suicide attack in as many days to rattle the Afghan capital.

The suicide bomber struck as the convoy passed through Kabul's eastern Yakatot neighborhood, where US and NATO forces maintain complexes. Facilities operated by the Afghan National Security Forces located nearby.

Firdous Faramaz, Kabul police chief spokesman, said four Afghan civilians were killed and three wounded in the attack.

Bob Purtiman, public affairs officer with the U.S. military in Kabul, said four U.S. service members received minor injuries. The one-line statement did not elaborate.

In a telephone interview, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid took responsibility for Friday's attack on the US convoy in Kabul, claiming 10 U.S. soldiers were killed. Taliban claims are often exaggerated.

Witnesses said the explosion was powerful, blowing out windows in neighboring buildings. Traffic on the streets was light because the bombing occurred on a Friday, the weekly day off.

On Thursday, six people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside an Afghan army academy and training center, also in the same area but several kilometers (miles) away from Friday's explosion.

The Interior Ministry on Thursday said a soldier had noticed a suspicious person, and as he approached him the attacker detonated his explosives near the academy. The soldier's action likely saved lives.

Both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate have infiltrated the capital in the past.

In a series of coordinated attacks by Taliban fighters late Thursday in Charchino district in southern Uruzgan province, 11 soldiers and five police were killed, said Mohammad Karim Karimi, deputy provincial council chief. Karimi said he had repeatedly requested the government in Kabul to send additional security forces to the district, which has a strong Taliban presence.

Attacks by the Taliban have continued unabated despite peace talks with the United States as well as a fresh round of talks with Afghan notables this week in the Russian capital Moscow. Following the Moscow talks, Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Doha, said "spectacular progress" was made on some issues, without elaborating.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A local politician has been booked for allegedly blackmailing a Vasai-Virar corporator and extorting money from him, the police said Friday.

Interestingly, the corporator, Arun Jadhav, himself has been arrested on charges of carrying out illegal construction and land grabbing in Vasai town of Palghar district located adjoining Mumbai.

The accused, Kumar Harishchandra Kakade, who is at large, has been booked under IPC sections 384 (punishment for extortion) and 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), Palghar district rural police PRO Hemant Katkar said.

Jadhav, a Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) corporator of the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC), had filed a complaint against Kakade a few days ago, accusing him of blackmail and extortion.

The police, citing the complaint, said Kakade blackmailed Jadhav from time to time by filing applications under the RTI with the VVMC, seeking information about construction activities in Vasai.

Jadhav is himself into construction business.

Since 2016, Kakade has been threatening Jadhav by telling him that he would create hurdles in his realty business and lodge complaints in courts for alleged illegal construction activities, they said.

The Vasai-based politician, who belongs to a prominent opposition party, had asked the corporator to pay him Rs 50 lakh to avoid harassment, the police said.

The accused collected Rs 30 lakh from Jadhav on two occasions in 2016, the complaint stated.

Meanwhile, Jadhav was arrested by the Vasai police a couple of days ago on charges of carrying out illegal construction and land grabbing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iranians in the capital Tehran set fire to effigies of US President Donald Trump, while in the Iraqi capital, Iran-backed militiamen marched over a large Israeli flag as part of rallies Friday marking Quds, or Jerusalem Day.

The annual protests come as the Trump administration tries to market its long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, Iran has marked Quds Day since the start of its 1979 Islamic Revolution by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, and Iran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinians.

Israel views Iran as its archenemy in the Mideast. Iran does not recognise Israel and supports the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

This year's protests took place as the White House is promoting the June 25-26 meeting in the Gulf state of Bahrain as the first phase of its Mideast peace plan.

That plan, whose specifics have yet to be released, supposedly includes large-scale investment and infrastructure work in the Palestinian territories, much of it funded by wealthy Arab countries.

The plan's political vision has not been outlined, but glimpses of the plan suggest it sidelines or ignores the longstanding goal of independence and has already been rejected by Palestinian leaders and much of the Arab world.

Palestinian leaders say they won't attend the summit in Bahrain.

American officials say the Bahrain conference will not include the core political issues of the conflict: borders of a Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees or Israeli security demands.

As rallies began across the Iranian capital, demonstrators set fire to American and Israeli flags, as well as effigies of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The rallies all headed to Tehran University, where the ceremony ended at Friday's noon prayers. Similar rallies took place in 950 cities and towns across the country.

Many high-ranking Iranian officials attending the rally in Tehran, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Both men derided the Trump administration's so-called "Deal of the Century" peace plan, saying it would end in failure.

During the rally in Tehran, Zarif said: "It is unfortunate that some Arab leaders have this illusion that if they stand beside Netanyahu, they can reach their goals."



The remarks were carried by a Telegram channel affiliated with Iran's state TV.

In Iraq, hundreds of Shiite militiamen held a military parade on Palestine Street in the center of Baghdad, some of them setting fire to Israeli and US flags.

"The people in our region and the world are harassed by Trump's and the United States' polices, which are trying to dominate the will of the people. Today, there is a broad rejection of Trump's decision to annex Jerusalem and consider it the capital of Israel," said Moin al-Kazemi, leader of the Iranian-backed Badr movement.

The rally was organised by Iranian-backed militias collectively known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces.

Militiamen in uniform marched with yellow flags, escorted by Iraqi federal police cars. "We will pray in Quds," read some of the banners.

In the Syrian capital Damascus, a few hundred Syrians and Palestinians marked Quds Day by marching from the Hamidiyeh bazar in the old city to the landmark Umayyad Mosque, some of them shouting anti-Israel slogans and waving Syrian and Palestinian flags.

"No to the deal of the century," a banner read.

"Our Palestinian people and the freemen of the Arab nation will thwart the deal of the century.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A US court on Thursday weighed the fate of the last abortion clinic in Missouri, which risks becoming the first state in 45 years without access to the procedure amid a nationwide push to curtail reproductive rights.

As a judge heard arguments, crowds of protestors took to the streets of Missouri's largest city St. Louis, warning of dire consequences if the state of six million loses its sole abortion provider.

"No one should decide what women do with their bodies," said Jane Wees Martin, a 70-year-old painter who was among the hundreds holding up signs reading "My vagina, My choice," and "Reproductive autonomy is a human right."



Denouncing a "war against women," health management student Neha Hanumanthiah, 19, said "I did not realise how conservative my state was."



The state is pursuing a case against Planned Parenthood, which provides women's reproductive services throughout the United States, arguing that the group failed to make its contract doctors cooperate with an investigation into its practices.

John Sauer, Missouri's solicitor general, told Thursday's hearing the non-profit had "washed its hands of the issue."



Planned Parenthood's attorney Jamie Boyer argued meanwhile that Missouri was acting in bad faith, with "shifting interpretations of its regulations."



She said the organisation could not "in good conscience ask doctors to sit for an interview on wide-ranging (subjects) in an investigation which might result in criminal charges."



It will be up to Judge Michael Stelzer to decide whether to grant Planned Parenthood's request for a restraining order, or allow its license to perform abortions in the state to expire on Friday night.

The Missouri case comes as more than a dozen US states -- including recently Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana -- passed laws restricting abortion as part of a concerted strategy to push the issue before the Supreme Court.

The top US court, now dominated by a conservative majority, enshrined a woman's right to have an abortion in 1973, allowing for conditions to be placed on it only after the first trimester of pregnancy.

The states restricting abortion access have generally sought to roll back when the procedure is permitted, to as early as when a heartbeat is first detected -- around six weeks of gestation when many women do not yet know they are pregnant.

Most of the measures are expected to face legal challenges -- and eventually end up before the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed into law his state's measure prohibiting abortions of fetuses with a "detectable heartbeat."



Earlier this month Missouri lawmakers passed a bill banning abortion after eight weeks of pregnancy, including in cases of rape and incest.

Planned Parenthood alleges in its lawsuit that the state has sought to use its regulatory powers to deny it a license.

It says the state's health department is attempting to shut down its abortion service by "unlawfully conditioning a decision on its routine license renewal application on completion of a supposed 'investigation' of a patient complaint."



Appearing on a local Fox affiliate, obstetrician-gynecologist Colleen McNicholas said that "by continuing to change the way that they are interpreting their own rules, it makes it impossible for us to be able to comply because we are just guessing what they think." -



Missouri Governor Mike Parson, who recently signed the state's new abortion law, on Wednesday accused Planned Parenthood of "actively and knowingly violating state law on numerous occasions."



"Regardless if you support abortion or not, Planned Parenthood should be able to meet the basic standards of health care under the law," he said.

Many of the protesters in St. Louis disagreed, with some arguing the governor was motivated by his Christian Baptist faith.

"He is trying to put his religion into law in Missouri," said Sara Sullivan, a 32-year-old mother of two daughters.

In front of the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis, opponents of abortion encourage patients to continue their pregnancies, as they do every day.

"These people harass patients who go in," 37-year-old mother of three Nicki Island said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
/ -- The students and teachers of St Felix High School and Junior College are delighted and celebrating after their very own Aanishka Sarpal brought home the winner's trophy of the ninth IIHM Young Chef India Schools culinary competition. After several rounds of grueling competition, first in their schools, then their home states and finally at the All India level rounds, 10 cheftestants reached the ultimate decisive stage of the competition from where the lucky Aanishka won the crown of Best Young Chef India Schools. "It a wonderful feeling to have reached this stage and I am feeling excited, nervous and satisfied at the same time. The competition that we had here was tough, everyone was good and I feel ecstatic to have won from among so many participants. I just kept calm while cooking and focused on completing my dish and plating it before the judges within one hour and I feel satisfied that I could do it. It's something I will cherish all through my life," said Aanishka.

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/895744/Aanishka_Wins_Young_Chef_2019.jpg )



The ninth edition of Young Chef India Schools concluded on 18th May 2019, after more than six months of tough battle, four zones, and a whopping 28,000 students participating from leading schools across India. Organized by the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), the final was held at IIHM Delhi, where a nail-biting exciting gripped the participants. After qualifying in the All India semi-finals, the top 08 finalists reached the Grand Finals. The All India rounds are being aired on Food Food Channel, the media partner for this grand event and the same can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuAz_m9tHTs



Inspiring initiatives - The Young Chef India story:YCI Schools is a culinary experience that completed its ninth edition this year, that was designed by IIHM for school students. Students get this platform to showcase their culinary talents and skills. The competition started in schools more than six months ago where students were selected to participate. After several rounds of cook-offs the competition culminated in the regional finals held at the respective IIHM centres. Later, the winners were selected from the respective department and participated in the All India finals.

Judging:



In each round, they were judged on various criteria. The cheftestants, due to their seniority, were judged on technique, culinary skills, hygienic practice, minimal waste and best use of ingredients, professional appearance, plating and of course, taste, variation and flavour of their dishes. A panel of distinguished judges were present to conduct the participants. The YCI Schools judges were:



- Chef Shaun Kenworthy, the Culinary Director of IIHM and celebrity chef - Chef Abhishek Gupta, Executive Sous Chef, Leela Ambience Gurugram - Chef Sanjay Kak, Culinary Director IIHM Hotel School



Learning essential life skills:



Young Chef India Schools is a unique initiative that attempted to impart essential life skills among the future generation. The culinary competitions also inspire these youngsters. "The Young Chef India Schools has been a pathbreaking initiative from the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM). Following on its heels we have come up with Young Chef India Junior for students between 9 to 13 years. This has been the perfect platform for youngsters to showcase their culinary talent. You never know, some of these young chefs might even surprise us with their hidden talents. More than that it will be a lot of fun as it will be televised so I think every child who wants to have fun with food, must join these amazing competitions," said Dr Suborno Bose, chairman and chief mentor of IIHM.

About IIHM



IIHM (International Institute of Hotel Management) is the largest chain of premier hospitality and hotel management schools across India that started its journey in 1994 at Kolkata. IIHM is a part of Indismart Group, the conglomerate that operates the Indismart Hotels. IIHM campuses are located across ten national and international cities of Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Goa, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Bangkok and Samarkand with the associate institute IAM-IHM located in Kolkata and Guwahati. Students passing out of IIHM are armed with an international degree from the University of West London and equipped with global hospitality skills that enable easy placements in any hospitality brand across the world. IIHM is dedicated to its pursuit of excellence in teaching and placements. Real time experience is the key to success in hospitality and that makes the institute popular. https://www.youtube.com/user/IIHMhotelschool



In recent years, IIHM has been instrumental in organizing the Young Chef Olympiad, a unique idea and initiative inviting young culinary talents across the world to participate in the biggest cookery reality shows of all times. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Chef_Olympiad



The institute has bagged several prestigious awards in the past 24 years. The list includes the Best Brand Award from Economic Times in 2019. IIHM was also awarded as one among the World's Greatest Brands & Leaders 2015-16 by URS International (IMEA - Process Reviewer PriceWaterhouseCoopers PL) and also received the Best Institute in Hospitality 2017 Award by Assocham from Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon'ble Minister of State for HRD (Higher Education), Govt. of India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Queries related to the newly introduced EWS category, cut-offs, deduction of marks on changing streams were some of the queries of aspirants that dominated the first open day at the Delhi University, which started the online registration on its admission portal on Thursday.

The university organises Open Days for parents and students every year to resolve their queries about filling up the online forms, the admission process and the criterion for admission in the varsity.

Many parents had queries about the newly introduced EWS category. Some aspirants also complained that their respective SDMs were not even aware about any EWS certificate they were required to issue.

In January, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared 10 per cent quota in and government jobs to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), a key demand of upper castes.

Saurabh Sinha, who had come from west Delhi's Janakpuri, said, "We know that this category has been introduced in DU and we had gone to SDM of our district to find out about the EWS certificate.

"They said they had not received any notification about any such certificate that they were supposed to issue," he said.

Sinha said the officials here were asking aspirants to upload an acknowledgement receipt.

Another student, Gunjan Makhijani, who had come from Naraina Vihar, had a similar issue.

"The district authorities are saying that they are not aware about the EWS certificate. DU is saying it's not their prerogative. It is disheartening to know this. I had a subject engineering graphics in Class 12 and I wanted to know whether the marks I secured in that subject can be added to the best of four," she said.

An admission official said some 24-25 students who have registered themselves on the admission portal have uploaded EWS certificates and if any government official is saying they do not know about it, the varsity is helpless.

Many other students and their parents had queries about the OBC certificate, which they said had been issued last year, while the Delhi University mandates that it should be dated March 31, 2019 or later.

Some students also said that the district authorities were refusing to reissue certificates as they queried if they could upload income certificate along with a copy of the OBC certificate of last year.

However, officials maintained that they are following guidelines and accepting acknowledgment receipts and the students have time till that last date of admission to get their certificates made.

This year, the varsity will be effecting a 10 per cent increase in seats for economically weaker sections and there will be a rise of close to 6,000 seats, taking the total number of seats for undergraduate courses to 62,000.

There will be separate cut-offs for students belonging to the EWS category.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bureaucrat-turned-politician and second time Lok Sabha member R K Singh Friday took charge of power and new & renewable energy ministries and stressed that focus of Team Modi 2.0 will be on reliable and sustainable '24X7 Power for All'.

"Our focus will be on 24X7 power for all. We want to provide reliable and sustainable power to all. The sustainable means the commercial viability of power supplied to consumers," Singh told reporter while taking charge here.

About the 100-day agenda, the minister said he will soon be briefed about this along with other ministers.

The previous NDA regime had envisaged 24x7 Power for All from April 1, 2019. The government has also worked in that direction and provided electricity connection to over 2.6 crore families under the Rs 16,320-crore Saubhagya scheme.

In Team Modi 1.0, Singh was the Minister of State for Power, and New and Renewable Energy. He was instrumental in the launch of household electrification scheme Saubhagya.

According to data from the power ministry, around 2.63 crore families were provided electricity connections under the scheme.

About the challenges in the renewable energy sector, Singh said he is aware of the challenge and the government would maintain the pace of growth in the clean energy segment which recorded an unprecedented success in the past five years.

Singh also played a major role in scaling up India's renewable energy capacity. India has set an ambitious target of having 175 GW of renewable energy, including 100 GW of solar energy and 60 GW of wind energy by 2022. India achieved 78 GW of clean energy, including 28 GW of solar and 36 GW of wind energy as on April 2019.

Singh joined the Indian Police Service in 1974 and then Indian Administrative Service in 1975. He was district magistrate of East Champaran from 1981 to 1983 as well as the district magistrate of Patna from 1983 to 1985.

Singh has been elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Arrah for the second time. He won the seat by a margin of 1,47,285 votes defeating Raju Yadav of CPM in the recent polls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the holy city of Islam, three summits in two days: the Gulf Council (GCC), the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). King Salman asks to use "all means" to block the "Iranian regime". For Iraqis, the stability of an Islamic nation is in everyones "interest". King of Morocco absent, confirming internal divisions.

Mecca (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Saudi King Salman's attempt to create a common anti-Iranian front has broken before Iraqi opposition, during the two-day summit of the Arab world, May 30 to 31 in Mecca, the holy city of Islam. In his address the monarch launched an appeal to the international community, to use "all means" to prevent the "Iranian regime" from "interfering in the internal affairs" of other countries and "hosting regional and global terrorists".

The leader of the Wahhabi kingdom, Tehran's political and religious historical rival (Sunni and Shiite) in the Middle East, spoke of an "escalation" of attacks by the Islamic Republic, mentioning some recent naval incidents of an unclear nature in the Gulf waters. Added to this are the attacks by the Houthi rebels in Yemen against the Saudi border pipelines, which Riyadh accuses Iran of being involved in.

While stressing the intention to guarantee "peace in the region" and that "hands remain outstretched" towards dialogue, King Salman is ready to use force to protect national interests [read oil] from external attacks. And to prevent, along with the US and Israeli allies, the Shiite rival from strengthening its missile arsenal and nuclear capabilities.

Iranian leaders rejected the words of King Salman as "groundless" and part of an "effort to mobilize public opinion" towards a war with Tehran. The possible conflict between the Islamic Republic and the Americans (and their allies) therefore remains one of the hot topics on the table of regional governments, which are, however, internally divided on the issue.

The condemnation expressed by Riyadh was strongly contested by Baghdad, which warned the leaders present about the dangers of a new war in the region and did not want to sign today's final statement at the end of the summit.

In his speech Iraqi President Barham Salih recalled that Iran is a Muslim and neighboring country. "We do not want it struck in its security - he said - because we share 1400 km of border and numerous economic and diplomatic relations". "In all honesty - he concluded - the security and stability of a neighboring Islamic nation is of interest to all Muslim and Arab states".

During the two-day summit in Mecca, three different summits were held - two of which were anti-Iran emergency summits - following the impetus of King Salman and the presence of over 50 heads of state and government. Yesterday the Gulf Council (GCC) and the Arab League Council were scheduled, while today the 14th session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held. Finally, in the final communique it is recalled that for the attainment of regional stability the birth of an independent Palestinian state is necessary, according to the boundaries drawn in 1967 which include Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Among the absent, confirming the fractures and divisions, the king of Morocco who in recent times broke relations with Riyadh. At the same time, Qatar has sent the Prime Minister and not the reigning emir, a sign that the economic and diplomatic rift in progress since 2017 has not yet been completely healed, although tensions between the US and Iran have favored a rapprochement of positions.
A replica of the Rafale fighter jet has been erected outside Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa's official residence which is situated opposite the Congress party's headquarters.

Earlier, a model of a Sukhoi Su-30 was set up at the same place, but that was replaced by a Rafale fighter jet a few weeks ago, official sources said.

The Congress has been alleging massive irregularities in the Rafale deal and has been targeting the government over selection of the Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Defence as an offset partner for Dassault Aviation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the procurement of a batch of 36 Rafale jets after talks with the then French President Francois Hollande on April 10, 2015, in Paris. The final deal, worth Rs 56,000 crore, was sealed on September 23, 2016.

The government has rejected the allegations by the Congress and other opposition parties.

The first Rafale aircraft is scheduled to be delivered in September.

Weeks after India's Balakot strikes, IAF chief Dhanoa had said India could have achieved better results if the country had Rafale jets.

The first Rafale jet expected to be handed over to the Indian Air Force in September this year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rajasthan Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas Friday said a state level pre-paid taxi policy will be floated within 15-20 days to provide better transport facilities to the people including tourists.

He said that the number of pre-paid taxi booths will also be increased in various districts of the state



"A large number of tourists visit Rajasthan every year. The new policy will provide better transportation facility to them," Khachariyawas told reporters after a meeting with departmental officials here.

"The policy will be implemented in 15-20 days and directions have been issued to the department," he added.

The funds collected from the pre-paid booths will be utilised by forming a society for facilities at the booths and welfare of the taxi drivers.

He said that pre-paid taxi booths will be opened near all prominent locations including railway station, airports, bus stands, markets and tourist places.

The minister said that the department is committed in resolving the issues of Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation including employees welfare and purchase of new buses.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CBI told the Supreme Court Friday that it is ready to take over the investigation into the multi-crore bitcoin Ponzi scheme in which several investors were allegedly lured on the promise of handsome returns.

CBI said this before a vacation bench comprising Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna, hearing a plea filed by one of the arrested accused in the case seeking bail.

The accused has also sought a CBI investigation in the case saying cases have been lodged against him in several states.

Bitcoin or cryptocurrency is unregulated digital money that is issued and normally controlled by its developers and used and accepted among members of a virtual community. Bitcoin is not a legal tender in the country and not recognised as a medium of exchange.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED), said that it is a "huge" scam involving multi-crores of rupees and the CBI was ready to take over the probe.

"This is a huge bitcoin Ponzi scam. He (accused) is seeking CBI probe and we (CBI) have no problem," Mehta told the bench.

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the petitioner told the bench that he was granted bail in some cases related to the alleged scam and was now seeking bail in three other cases lodged against him.

The counsel said that main accused of the alleged scam has been granted bail while the petitioner is lodged in jail for over an year.

"You cannot be granted bail in separate cases in one petition. We are of the prima facie opinion that for each FIR, you have to file separate petition," the bench said.

The petitioner's counsel said that multiple cases have been lodged in different states in the alleged scam.

"As different high courts are seized of these matters, you can come to this (apex) court and there is no difficulty in this. But you have to file separate petitions for seeking bail in separate cases," the bench told the lawyer.

The bench asked Mehta and advocates representing Maharashtra and some other states to file their counter affidavit on the petition and posted the matter for hearing in the first week of July.

Last year, the director of an online multi-level marketing company and his brother were arrested by the Pune Police in connection with an alleged multi-crore bitcoin Ponzi scheme.

According to Pune police, an online multi-level marketing company was set up through which its director had allegedly lured investors by promising them handsome returns.

Cases were also lodged in other states in connection with the alleged scam.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Sacha Baron Cohen has admitted that his 2006 film "Borat" caused some "casualties", with one of them being the divorce of Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock.

Anderson was the object of Borat's affection in the controversial mockumentary. She played a fictionalized version of herself for whom Borat, the outrageous Kazakh journalist, comes to America, so that he can marry her.

During his appearance on Daily Beast's Last Laugh podcast, Cohen said after a screening of the film, Rock "started screaming at Pam, saying she had humiliated herself".

"I texted Pamela Anderson and asked, 'How did it go? What did he think?'. And she texted back, 'He's getting divorced'," Cohen revealed.

The actor said when he asked the reason he is seeking a divorce, Anderson told him, "Because the movie."



"I thought it was a joke, but then a few weeks later they got divorced and they put as a reason for divorce: 'Borat.' So it had some casualties," Cohen added.

"Borat" was a critical and commercial hit when it opened in theatres, earning more than USD 260 million worldwide.

Cohen bagged the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy Film, while his script for the film was nominated in the Best Adapted Screenplay category at the 79th Academy Awards.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Buoyed by its improved show in the Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, the BJP is eyeing a bigger share of seats from its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in parliamentary and assembly elections.

The BJP won two of the three seats it contested in the state, matching the tally of the SAD, which contested from 10 Lok Sabha constituencies.

As per the current seat-sharing formula, the BJP fields its candidates on three of the 13 parliamentary and 23 of 117 assembly seats. The rest are kept for the SAD.

The BJP has become a pan-Punjab party. We are not limited to pockets. Our workers want more seats to contest," former state BJP chief Kamal Sharma said over the phone Friday.

"Therefore, the terms of the alliance related to the seat sharing should be revised, he added.

Sharma said the party is doing well even in parts of the country where it had no base earlier, suggesting that both allies should sit and discuss the issue.

When asked if the BJP was flexing its muscles in view of the party's performance in the Lok Sabha polls, Sharma said, This has been the aspiration of our workers for some time now. This has nothing to do with the recently-held polls.

"If the BJP contests more seats, the alliance will benefit, Sharma said, adding that the SAD was their trusted ally.

The BJP had bagged Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur Lok Sabha seats while losing from Amritsar. The SAD could win only Ferozepur and Bathinda seats.

On Akali Dal's performance, Sharma said, Both parties will need to analyse the results separately.

The Congress had bucked the Modi wave, bagging eight of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sadananda Gowda, a senior BJP leader from Karnataka, Friday took charge of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers in the new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, MP from NDA ally-SAD, also assumed office of the Ministry of Food Processing. She held this ministry in the last government as well and was instrumental in bringing huge foreign direct investment in this sector and setting up of mega food parks.

Gowda, the ex-chief minister of Karnataka, had the additional charge of chemicals and fertilisers ministry in the last government, following the demise of BJP stalwart and union minister Ananth Kumar.

The challenge before Gowda would be to make India self-sufficient in urea production and cut import dependence. He is also expected to continue efforts of the previous government to provide medicines at an affordable rates.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Samajwadi Party (SP) leader was shot dead by unidentified assailants near his home in Greater Noida's Dadri area Friday, police said.

Ramtek Kataria was the president of the SP's Dadri assembly segment.

The police have prima facie ruled out any political conspiracy in his death.

"The incident took place near his home on Jarcha road in Dadri around 12.30 pm. Around four unidentified men arrived in a car and fled after pumping five bullets in his body. Kataria was rushed to a hospital but did not survive," a police official said.

SSP Gautam Buddh Nagar Vaibhav Krishna said prima facie his killing appears to be a result of personal enmity with extended family.

"Initial findings indicate that the killing is a result of personal rivalry between Kataria and one his brothers in the extended family. Prima facie, there appears no political conspiracy, or rivalry in this case," Krishna said.

An FIR was in the process of being registered based on a complaint by Kataria's family and an investigation has been taken up, he said.

According to police officials, the rivalry between the two factions had been brewing for long and at times reached the police also, with FIRs and counter-FIRs being registered.

An FIR was registered against the other party in 2018 based on a complaint from Kataria's mother. In January this year, a dead body was found on railway tracks in Aligarh, after which the other side had accused Kataria and an FIR was filed against him. In both the cases, the accusations had turned out to be false after probe," the official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Another SP leader in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur district was shot dead on Friday. Lalji Yadav was in his car when three unidentified assailants intercepted his vehicle and pumped at least five bullets in his body. He died on way to the hospital, according to the police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Friday ratcheted up the rhetoric against arch-nemesis Iran, calling on Arab states to confront its "criminal" actions after attacks on oil installations sparked fears of a regional conflagration.

The king's remarks came at the start of two back-to-back emergency summits in the holy city of Mecca, which drew near-unanimous support for the Sunni kingdom from Gulf and Arab states -- with the exception of Iraq.

The summits came a day after hawkish US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Iran was almost certainly behind this month's sabotage of four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE coast. Tehran rejected the charge.

Saudi Arabia, a staunch US ally, also faces stepped-up drone attacks from Iran-aligned Huthi rebels, one of which resulted in the temporary shutdown of a major oil pipeline.

"The absence of a firm and dissuasive response to Iran's acts of sabotage in the region has encouraged it to continue and strengthen them in the way we see today," the Saudi king said.

"Its recent criminal acts... require that all of us work seriously to preserve the security and achievements of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council)," the king added, referring to the attacks on Gulf oil installations.

The monarch also called on the international community to use "all means" necessary to contain the Shiite power.

Saudi Arabia hosted the summits -- which will be followed by a third meeting on Saturday of heads of state from Islamic nations -- apparently to mobilise efforts to isolate Iran's regime amid fears of a military confrontation.

But Iraq, caught in the middle of its two allies, the US and Iran, opposed a final statement released by Arab countries, which condemned Tehran's behaviour in the region.

Iraq, which has offered to mediate between Washington and Tehran, recently warned of a risk of war amid escalating tensions.

On the eve of the summits, Riyadh blasted what it called Iranian "interference" across the region and demanded "firmness" over attacks on Gulf oil tankers and pipelines.

Tensions in the region spiked after the four ships were damaged in a mysterious sabotage attack off the coast of the emirate of Fujairah on May 12.

The vessels were attacked using "naval mines almost certainly from Iran", Bolton told a conference in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Iran rejected the accusation, calling it "laughable".

US experts are part of a five-nation team investigating the ship attacks.

Stepping up the war of words on Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Iran was trying to raise global energy prices through the attacks on oil installations.

The US has beefed up its military presence in the region, with the deployment of an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers and 1,500 additional troops.

Bolton however said the extra US forces were sent to the Middle East as a "deterrent" and that Washington's response would be prudent.

"We definitely desire a change in the (Iranian) regime's behaviour," Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran, said Thursday.

Regional tensions have grown since US President Donald Trump's administration reimposed sanctions against Iran after Washington unilaterally pulled out of a multilateral 2015 nuclear accord signed with the Islamic republic.

But Trump appeared to soften his hawkish tone towards Tehran, saying during a visit to Japan on Monday that his government does not seek "regime change".

Through the summits, Saudi Arabia has sought to project a unified Arab front against Tehran in the face of bitter differences with neighbouring Qatar.

Qatar was represented at Friday's meetings by Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani, Doha's highest-ranking official to visit the kingdom since the start of a two-year-old Saudi-led boycott.

Appearing tense, the Qatari official shook hands with the Saudi king but there was no indication of a thaw.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have enforced the economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar since June 2017, including bans on shipping, trade, direct flights, overflight and land crossings.

The alliance accuses Doha of supporting Islamist movements and backing Iran -- claims Qatar rejects.

The summits coincide with the last few days of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when Mecca throngs with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.

The meetings take place at night, as Muslims break their day-long fasting at sunset and then go into several hours of special prayers known as Taraweeh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi Arabia's King Salman opened an emergency summit of Arab leaders in Islam's holiest city of Mecca on Friday with a call for the international community to use all means to confront Iran, but he also said the kingdom remains committed to peace.

King Salman delivered his remarks at Arab summits in Mecca that were hastily convened after a spike in tensions between Saudi Arabia and its rival Iran.

Tensions have also spiked between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks, with the US sending an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf. The Trump administration's taken a hard line with Iran, first withdrawing from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers last year, then imposing punishing economic sanctions on the country.

Saudi Arabia's effort to draw regional leaders to Mecca reflects the kingdom's desire to project a unified Muslim and Arab position on Iran.

Still, there were visible signs of tension and disagreement among the Arab officials gathered at the meetings, which began just before midnight on Thursday and ran into the early hours of Friday due to Ramadan, which practices include day-long fasts and extended evening prayers.

Morocco did not send its king amid a cooling of ties with Saudi Arabia, while Qatar sent its prime minister rather than its ruling emir amid a diplomatic standoff with Arab neighbours. Iraq, which lies on the fault line between Shiite Iran and the mostly Sunni Arab world, rejected the Arab League's final statement after the summit and was not a signatory to it.

All, however, condemned the alleged sabotage of four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and a drone attack on a key Saudi oil pipeline earlier this month.

Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of arming Yemeni rebels behind the pipeline attack. Iran denies being involved in the incidents.

In his opening remarks, King Salman called on the international community to thwart Iran's behaviours and for "using all means to stop the Iranian regime from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, harbouring global and regional terrorist entities and threatening international waterways."



He added that Saudi Arabia is keen to protect the region from the scourge of war and that its "hand remains extended for peace." Iraq, meanwhile, struck a sharply different tone. President Barham Salih said in his remarks that Iran is a Muslim country and neighbour.

"We do not hope for its security to be targeted since we are sharing 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) of border and a number of relations," he told the gathering of Arab League heads of state.

"Honestly, the security and stability of a neighbouring Islamic country is in the interest of Muslim and Arab states," he added.

Another summit in Mecca is expected on Friday, focusing largely on Palestinian statehood and independence. It will bring together leaders from the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia.

With a captive audience that included King Salman, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas used his speech in Mecca to slam the Trump administration's deal aimed at dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"I would like to reconfirm our absolute rejection of the American attempts to bring down international law and international legitimacy under what is called the 'Deal of the Century'," he said, adding that it attempts to replace "land for peace" with "land for prosperity".

Glimpses of the plan hint it will focus heavily on so-called economic peace while sidelining or ignoring the longstanding Palestinian goal of independence. The two-state solution continues to enjoy the broad support of the international community.

President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner seeks to rally Arab Gulf states to back economic initiatives for Palestinians as part of the plan next month in Bahrain.

There are diverging policy differences among once clubby Gulf Arab states toward Iran, as well. Oman, for example, has relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran and acts as a facilitator of talks.

The diplomatic standoff between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt has pushed the tiny nation closer to Iran.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani attended the Mecca summits, marking the highest-level visit to Saudi Arabia by a Qatari official since the 2017 rift erupted.

Al Thani shook hands with his host, King Salman, but there was no eye contact with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and no visible pleasantries with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman very quickly shook the Qatari royal's hand, but they did not appear to exchange words.

Washington has tried unsuccessfully to mediate an end to the diplomatic standoff between its Gulf Arab allies. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Thursday the US welcomes Saudi efforts to discuss Iranian threats in the region.

"Gulf unity is essential in confronting Iran, to confronting their influence, to countering terrorism writ large, and, of course, to ensuring a prosperous future for the Gulf," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Public sector lender SBI Friday sought more time from the NCLT to file reply on Doha Bank's plea seeking stay on a decision of the committee of creditors (CoC) of Reliance Infratel (RITL).

Doha Bank has argued that the creditors' panel has considered the claims of lenders of parent firm Reliance Communications on the basis of corporate guarantee of RITL which would reduce its voting share in the CoC.

The bank claimed to be direct lenders and said as a syndicate of four banks, it had lent Rs 1,400 crore to RITL.

Doha Bank is against considering lenders having corporate guarantee of RITL as financial creditors as this will marginalise their voting rights to 15 per cent from around 55 per cent currently.

The lenders of Reliance Infratel have invoked bank guarantees of Rs 8,000 crore issued by the company in favour of Reliance Communications.

The tribunal asked State Bank of India (SBI) to file reply within seven days and Doha Bank to file a rejoinder in three days.

The advocate for Doha Bank Prateek Saksaria had said the petition should be heard before e-voting in the ongoing CoC, whose main agenda are the appointment of resolution professional, determination of voting rights among others.

According to the RComm's website, Reliance Infratel's lenders have claimed Rs 12,687.65 crore, of which Rs 9,665.07 crore has been admitted so far.

Claims against RComm stood at Rs 49,193.46 crore and the resolution professional, RBSA Advisors LLP, has admitted Rs 47,038.79 crore.

Saksaria said, as a syndicate of four banks, including Doha Bank, are direct lenders and had lent Rs 1,400 crore to RITL, the tower unit of RComm.

After listening to the argument, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) bench comprising of V P Singh and Ravikumar Duraisamy said, the IRP process will continue till the order is passed and so will the CoC meeting.

However, they said, it is to be clarified that if the CoC pass any resolution in the meeting, it will depend on the outcome of this plea.

The tribunal has kept the hearing on the matter on June 21.

The corporate insolvency resolution process of debt ridden telecom resumed after the appellate tribunal vacated the stay on the CIRP of RCom.

In September 2017, Ericsson had filed a petition in the NCLT's Mumbai bench seeking liquidation of the telecom operator to recover Rs 1,150 crore that RComm allegedly owes it.

This was accepted by the NCLT over RCom's failure to pay dues to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore, however, it was later stayed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) as both parties reached a settlement, with RComm agreeing to pay Rs 550 crore to Ericsson by September 30, 2018.

Meanwhile, RComm moved the Supreme Court, seeking an extension of the deadline to pay the amount to Ericsson because of a delay in completion of spectrum sale and other assets, to which the apex court granted it time till December 15, 2018.

After RComm had failed to pay the agreed amount, Ericsson moved the apex court wherein the court ordered Anil Ambani, Reliance Telecom Chairman Satish Seth, and Reliance Infratel Chairperson Chhaya Virani to pay Rs 453 crore within four weeks (March 18, 2019).

The Swedish company has been opposed to RComm's insolvency proceedings as it will then have to return the money it had received.

Under insolvency proceedings, dues of financial creditors are settled first and operational creditors get paid only after that.

The NCLAT had observed that in case insolvency proceedings against RComm and two other companies were restarted, Ericsson might have to refund the money.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In addition to the prime minister, the 57 ministers sworn in at the presidential palace yesterday. Among the most important new faces, that of the president of Bharatiya Janata Party Amit Shah. In April 2019 there were 35 attacks against Christians. Last in order was yesterday, when a pastor was taken into police custody.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - Over 8 thousand guests, including foreign heads of state and famous Bollywood stars; about 10 thousand policemen deployed in the capital, of which 2 thousand along the route of the prime minister's procession; suspended traffic; districts of the capital closed from 16 to 19. All of these measures yesterday for the swearing-in ceremony for the second term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 58, re-elected with a plebiscite vote to the Government of India.

The ceremony took place at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace in New Delhi, in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind. Before the start, Modi went to the war memorial near the Parliament. "India - he said - is proud of all these courageous men and women made martyrs while they were on duty". Then he added: "Our government will leave no stone unturned to safeguard the unity and integrity of India. National security is our priority .

In addition to the leader of the Hindu nationalist party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), they have sworn in 57 ministers, whose future assignment will be established in the coming days. Among the political figures there are some well-known faces of the party. Among the most important, Amit Shah, 54, president of the BJP: he is the strong man of the party, the one who from behind the scenes organized the electoral campaign, realizing Modi's re-election. A new face of the nationalist movement is also that of Smriti Irani, with the merit of having torn the Amethi district from Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition party Congress Party, and from his family that had held it for 15 years.

Confirmations include Rajnath Singh, 67, former Interior Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, 59, former Defense Minister, and Nitin Gadkari, 62, Transport Minister in Modi's first term. Among the most significant defections, those of former Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (the strategist of the fiscal maneuver known as "demonetization"), niether of whom ran for re-election for health reasons.

The main challenges facing the new government are the economic and employment crisis, rural poverty and respect for religious minorities. Modi promised in his swearing in speech that he wanted to work for all sectors of society. "Such a huge mandate also increases responsibilities," he said.

However yesterday the updated numbers on violence against the Christian minority were released. According to the Violence Monitor report, in April 2019 there were 35 attacks against Christians. Speaking to AsiaNews AC Michael, New Delhi activist and director of development at ADF India (Alliance Defending Freedom), says: "The situation is dramatic. If in 2018 we had an average of 20 cases of violence against Christians, in the first four months of 2019 the average is 30 ".

The last episode, reports the Christian leader, "took place just yesterday. The Rev. Roopsen of the Assemblies of Believers Church [protestant] of Raibareli, Uttar Pradesh, was taken into custody by the police and charged under article 151 of the Indian Penal Code [social peace disorder]. He was later released after paying the bail out of his own pocket. However they threatened him with worse consequences if he were to continue preaching in the district. "
US Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he will call out China in a speech Saturday over its militarisation of manmade islands in the South China Sea and broader use of coercion to advance its national interests.

He said his broader message to the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference will emphasize what the US has done to expand its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, against the backdrop of China's growing influence and massive military buildup.

Speaking to reporters just before he stepped into a meeting Friday with Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe, Shanahan said he wants to foster a better military relationship with Beijing, but can't ignore the communist giant's military development on the manmade outposts.

"They argue that it's defensive, it looks like it's a bit overkill," said Shanahan.

"Surface-to-air missiles, long runways, I mean, seems excessive."



His remarks underscore America's frayed relations with China, as the Trump administration wages a trade war with Beijing, imposes sanctions on Chinese tech giant Huawei and approves a weapons sale to Taiwan, the self-ruled island the Communist mainland claims as its own territory.

And they reflect America's new national defense strategy that declared great power competition with China and Russia as the nation's top priorities.

Shanahan's speech on Saturday his first major address on the international stage will set the tone for US military cooperation and influence in the Indo-Pacific.

And listening closely will be nervous allies and partners in the region who are worried about the economic impact of the US-China trade dispute and the political blowback of America's complaints about Beijing's rapid progress in hypersonic weapons, nuclear technology and space launches.

He also will likely face fierce questions from Chinese leaders in the audience, as many US defence chiefs have seen during this annual forum. On Friday, Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian was both conciliatory and challenging.

Speaking to reporters after Wei's meeting with Shanahan, Wu noted that the US has recently "had a series of negative words and deeds" on Taiwan issues.

"On the issue of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the US should not underestimate the determination of the Chinese military, will or ability," he said.

But he also said Shanahan and Wei found room for agreement on the need for denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and efforts to improve communication between the US and China.

In a statement after the meeting, Army Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, a spokesman for Shanahan, said the 20-minute session was "constructive and productive."



He said the two men discussed "ways to build military-to-military relations that reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation between our nations."For years, American defence secretaries have used the Shangri-La conference's podium to condemn China for its militarisation of outposts in contested areas of the South China Sea and for conducting cyber espionage against US technology programs.

But they have balanced their criticism with calls for cooperation, stability and a rules-based order in the region.

Shanahan told reporters Friday that the US needs to do a better job describing its level of commitment to the region, including military exercises, training and other activities.

"I do think we have to up our game on talking about interactions," he said, adding that the US will have a larger presence in the region for various military exercises.

"Our responsibility is to show them what we're actually doing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The lawyer representing the runaway Islamic State (ISIS) bride Shamima Begum on Friday accused the UK government of failing to protect her from grooming and radicalisation by Islamist extremists and demanded the teenager be allowed to return to her home in London.

Tasnime Akunjee, representing Begum's UK-based family, has written to home secretary Sajid Javid challenging his decision to revoke her British citizenship as "politically-driven abuse of power" to try to further his "own personal political objective" of becoming Britain's next Prime Minister.

"Your act represents the most profoundly egregious, capricious and politically driven abuse of power, the letter notes.

"It was an artifice or device to further your own personal political objective of being Prime Minister. Ms Begum was a pawn to your vanity. Her baby died," he said.

Begum was pregnant with her third child when she was discovered at the Al-Roj camp in northern Syria in February. She had pleaded through the UK media to be allowed to return to Britain fearing for her unborn child, after two of her babies had died in infancy in the war zone. She eventually lost her third baby, named Jarrah, weeks later due to pneumonia.

Under international law, Britain can cancel citizenship on national security grounds only if it does not leave an individual stateless. Begum is understood to be eligible for Bangladeshi citizenship, but authorities there have denied this and said she could in fact face the death penalty for involvement in terrorism.

"Shamima Begum's parents never contemplated a life for her in Bangladesh. They did not register her birth with the Bangladeshi high commission. They did not take her to Bangladesh on holiday as a child. Indeed she has never visited the country," Akunjee's sharply worded letter notes.

"Rather, Shamima was born, raised, groomed and radicalised here in the UK. The suggestion that Shamima is to you genuinely a Bangladeshi citizen is unsustainable Through sleight of hand, you have sought to burden the Bangladeshis with her in the longer term. Your cynical decision amounts to human fly-tipping, he adds.

The letter also attacked the British police and her local Tower Hamlets Council in east London of failing to safeguard the teenager, who fled with two other London schoolgirls to join ISIS in Syria in 2015.

One passage of the 16-page letter quotes Shamima Begum's sister, Renu Begum, who says the family has "suffered loss so many times" and accuses Javid of stealing the chance of rehabilitation for her sister.

The UK Home Office declined to react to the letter, saying it "does not routinely comment on individual cases" and the Metropolitan Police stressed that its focus in such cases was always on preventing tragedies.

"Our focus was not to criminalise anyone, but to prevent tragedies and support the girls and their families. Our priority and focus from the moment the girls were reported missing was their safety and wellbeing," said Commander Clarke Jarrett, head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command.

A spokesperson for Tower Hamlets Council said the case "did not meet the threshold for a serious case review", adding that the council provided "in-depth support to the school, its staff, parents and pupils in order to investigate what had happened and stop others following in their footsteps.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Breaching a largely male bastion, India's new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday became the first woman in 48 years since then prime minister Indira Gandhi to hold charge of the key ministry.

Sitharaman, who became the first full-time woman Defence minister in the first tenure of the BJP government, will also head the Corporate Affairs ministry in the new cabinet.

Indira Gandhi -- who handled the Defence ministry in 1970-71 -- as prime minister had also held additional charge of the Defence ministry.

"Congratulations to @nsitharaman on her new role as Finance Minister. As the first woman to helm this crucial portfolio full time, she's shattered the glass ceiling by all means," Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba tweeted.

Sixty-year-old Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, was at the helm of affairs when India conducted the Balakot air strike following the Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed group in which around 49 security personnel were killed.

Sitharaman took over as Defence minister in September 2017, taking over from Arun Jaitley who was holding the portfolio as additional charge.

One of BJP's chief spokespersons before its ascent to power, Sitharaman is an alumnus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the London School of Economics.

She worked as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) with Price Waterhouse in London. During this time, she also briefly worked with the BBC World Service. On her return to India, she served as deputy director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad.

Sitharaman joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2008, and was made a member of the National Executive. She was nominated as party spokesperson in March 2010 and has been a full time party worker since then.

She was inducted in the Union Cabinet on May 26, 2014 as minister of state (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Goa government has consulted director of Maharashtra Fire Services Prabhat Rahangdale for bringing the fire at Sonsodo garbage dump in South Goa district under control, it said Friday.

Rahangdale, who had experience of dealing with a similar fire at Deonar garbage dump in Mumbai, recommended that a similar course of action be adopted, Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai said here.

Fire started at Sonsodo garbage dump near Margao, the oldest garbage dump in the state, four days ago.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Sardesai reviewed the situation at a meeting at the CM's residence Friday. It was also attended by former chief minister Digambar Kamat and Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.

Air pollution levels have shot up around Margao because of the fire. The Congress has warned of an agitation if the fire is not doused at the earliest.

Though the flames have been largely put out, the dump is still smouldering.

"My office contacted Rahangdale who has experience of dousing a (similar) fire at Deonar. He visited Sonsodo," Sardesai told reporters after the meeting.

Rahangdale recommended that Goa government take similar steps (as taken at Deonar), he said.

The dousing operation will be supervised by the district collector while the Public Works Department will assist the authorities, Sardesai said.

The fire is smouldering in the middle of the dump which is inaccessible (for fire-fighting vehicles), he said.

Water and debris will be used for dousing, he said, expressing confidence that the fire will be brought under control completely in the next three to four days.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi still isn't ready to impeach President Donald Trump.

Even after special counsel Robert Mueller essentially called on Congress to pick up where his investigation left off, Pelosi isn't budging.

Scores of her Democratic lawmakers do want to start impeachment proceedings.

Outside groups say it's time. But Pelosi is carrying on as she has since taking the speaker's gavel in January, promising the House will methodically pursue its investigations of Trump -- wherever they lead.

This is Pelosi's balancing act: toggling between mounting pressure from other Democrats and her own political instincts.

She's sticking with her plans for a more measured, "ironclad" investigation that makes it clear to Americans the choices ahead.

It's uncharted territory for the speaker, and this Congress, with both high risks and possible rewards ahead of the 2020 election.

Trump declared his own challenge on Thursday. He called impeachment a "dirty, filthy, disgusting word" and said courts would never allow it.

"Many constituents want to impeach the president," Pelosi acknowledged shortly after Mueller's remarks Wednesday.

"But we want to do what is right and what gets results."



Her calculus is political as well as practical, knowing that even if Democrats in the House have the votes to approve articles of impeachment, the Republican majority in the Senate is hardly likely to vote to convict him.

Opinion polling does not favour impeachment, and a full-blown but failed effort might well help the president win re-election.

Rather than go it alone, she is urging Democrats to build the case so the public is with them, whatever they decide.

"Nothing is off the table," Pelosi said, "but we do want to make such a compelling case, such an ironclad case." It has been this way for weeks.

As more and more Democratic lawmakers -- and presidential candidates -- call for impeachment proceedings, Pelosi is urging restraint. Those around her say she's feeling no pressure.

On Wednesday, many Democrats took Mueller's words as an invitation to impeach.

Mueller told the country, as he said in his 448-page report last month, that while charging the president with obstructing justice was "not an option" under Department of Justice guidelines, he also did not exonerate Trump.

Instead, Mueller said, "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting President of wrongdoing."



Without saying the word, Mueller was pointing to impeachment.

More presidential hopefuls -- Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and John Hickenlooper -- quickly called for impeachment proceedings.

Half the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee want an inquiry. And dozens of other House Democrats, not just the liberal left flank, are on board.

At a town hall meeting that night, Rep. Pramila Jayapal told voters in Seattle, said the road ahead "weighs on me." She is among those who want formal impeachment proceedings.

"Not everybody in the caucus is there yet, that is why Speaker Pelosi has a difficult role and she has been trying to figure out exactly how we will move forward," she told the audience.

"The more the president obstructed justice ... the more certain we are going to be headed in a direction that I think many of us have already come out for -- and that is an impeachment inquiry."



More joined Thursday, including Rep. Greg Stanton, a freshman congressman from Arizona who said, "This conclusion will be unpopular with some, but it is the right thing to do."



At a town hall in Henderson, Nevada, presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, who favours impeachment, said, "Nancy Pelosi does not have an easy job.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police say a suicide bomber has struck east of the capital Kabul, the second such attack in as many days. There is no immediate word on casualties.

Police official Jan Aga says it's too early to identify the target of Friday's attack that took place in Kabul's eastern Yakatot neighborhood.

On Thursday, six people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside an Afghan army academy and training center, also in the east of the capital.

The Interior Ministry said a soldier had noticed a suspicious person and as he approached him, the attacker detonated his explosives near the academy.

No one has taken responsibility for either attack but both the Taliban and an Islamic State affiliate have infiltrated the capital in the past.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A "round metallic object", suspected to be a hand grenade, was found near a railway track inside the city railway station Friday, sending security personnel into a tizzy and leading to panic among travellers, police said.

As soon as the railway security control room reported that a round metallic object was found near the rolley path on platform number 1, the Railway Protection Force and senior railway officials swung into action and cordoned off the area, they said.

Panic prevailed at the Kempe Gowda railway station until the bomb disposal squad arrived and took possession of the object.

Additional Director General of Police (Railways) Alok Mohan said, "A round metallic object was found near the Railway track on platform number 1. The GRP (Government Railway Police) and the RPF rushed there to check the object."



"They got the bomb disposal squad with them because we don't want to take chance. It was removed from the place and we are investigating," he told reporters.

Asked whether the object was a grenade, he said, "It is a round object. We have to see whether it is a metal or a plastic material."



The officer said the bomb disposal squad was investigating.

The stationed Sangamitra Express from Bengaluru to Patna was also searched, but nothing was found.

However, a beep sound emanating from one of the bogies led to a scare, which was later found to be a malfunctioning CCTV camera.

"We have checked the trains fully. The train is leaving. There was a beep sound coming from the train which caused some scare. That sound was found to be of the malfunctioning CCTV camera," Mohan said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The maximum temperature touched 49.6 degrees Celsius on Friday in Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, breaking a 75-year record for the month of May, a meteorological department official said here.

It was the second consecutive day when the maximum temperature in Sri Ganganagar touched 48 degrees Celsius or more.

The highest temperature recorded in this month in Sri Ganganagar until now was 49.4 degrees Celsius on May 30, 1944.

The all-time highest temperature recorded in the city was 50 degrees Celsius on June 14, 1934, the department official added.

The day temperature witnessed an upward trend in all major cities of the desert state Friday, the official said.

Churu recorded a maximum of 48.5 degree Celsius followed by 46.6 in Bikaner, 46.5 in Jaisalmer, 44.7 in Jodhpur, 44.6 in Kota, 44.5 each in Ajmer and Barmer, 44.2 in Jaipur and 42.2 in Dabok.

However, Barmer and Kota received respite from the summer heat briefly with a rainfall of 2.4 mm and 0.2 mm, respectively.

The office has warned that the severe heat wave condition will persist in western Rajasthan and at some places in the eastern part of the state during the next 48 hours.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi Friday said time has come to take up long-pending electoral reforms and suggested a debate on the German election system that also gives proportional representation to political parties.

"I hope in this regime they will take care of electoral reforms which have been pending for a long time....pending for 15-20 years. Time has come for them to be clinched", he told PTI.

There should be ceiling on election expenditure by political parties also and appointment of election commissioners should be through a collegium, he said.

Quraishi pitched for a debate on the first-past-the-post election system, in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins, in the country.

Even in the UK, from where India borrowed this model, there are second thoughts on this system, according to him.

After "failure" of a referendum on the system eight-nine years ago, the UK is planning another such initiative because "limitations of the first-past-the-post system are being noticed and there is an increasing demand for proportional representation, he said.

A mix of first-past-the-post system and proportional representation to political parties worked very well in Nepal and Sri Lanka, according to him.

For him, the German election model -- where Germans cast two votes (one for a candidate in their constituency and one for a political party) is the best, and recommended it for a debate in India.

"It (German election system) is a good model for India with some modification to suit India", Quraishi said.

He had noted recently that during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP secured 20 per cent of total votes polled in Uttar Pradesh but did not win a single seat, and termed it "patently undemocratic and not a real representative democracy".

Quraishi also called for state funding of political parties based on their actual performance.

"And also setting up of national electoral fund where anybody could donate and from there political parties should be funded based on their performance", he said.

On the issue of electoral bonds, he said it has completely ended the transparency and even Election Commission has been opposing it.

"Electoral bonds can stay... only the who-donated-what-to-whom should be disclosed. With that disclosure the bonds can stay", Quraishi added.

On key take-aways from the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said one must remember that it was the biggest election in world history, he said.

"And considering that there were one million polling stations and 900 million voters and 12 million polling staff, this is the biggest management event of any kind in the world, and to pull it off so smoothly is not a joke. And Election Commission deserved kudos for that", Quraishi said.

"It's unfortunate that questions were raised against Election Commission. Instead of politicians, Election Commission was found in the dock often. That was a sad situation. Hope that will not happen again", he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If timely justice is not delivered, it would be a disaster for the democratic system, the Delhi High Court Chief Justice Rajendra Menon said Friday while expressing concern over huge pendency of cases and long delays in their disposal.

Justice Menon, 62, who will demit the office on June 6, said this at his farewell given by the high court on the last working day before the summer break.

He remained the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court for 10 months. Before this, he was the chief justice in the high courts of Madhya Pradesh and Patna.

Justice D N Patel will take over as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on June 7.

Justice Menon, who was sworn in as Chief Justice of Delhi High Court on August 9 last year, further said that the Delhi High Court is the premier high court and one of the best in the country as far as infrastructure is concerned.

He also said he was honoured with the presence of eminent jurist and senior advocate Fali S Nariman at the farewell programme.

"The institution is known by the persons who man it. Judicial institute survives as its reputation is dependent on the assistance given by the members of the bar and the capabilities and abilities of the judge. Both the members of the bar and the bench owe a responsibility towards the citizens of this country and each one of us is bound by the mandate of the Constitution to dispense justice to the last man in the queue," he said.

Justice Menon further said: "The huge pendency of cases in the courts and the long delay in disposal of cases have been scourging the country for last few decades. Its time now for each one of us to ponder upon various issues connected with the outburst of docket and device ways and means to tackle it.

"Until and unless we are able to deliver timely justice to the citizens, the faith in the system may erode and if such a thing happens, it would be a disaster for the democratic system of this country."



Justice Menon said he was deeply touched and overwhelmed by the kind words expressed by his colleagues, advocates and staff.

"I have no hesitation to express that the best and happiest in my career was the one which I spent in this court. I have developed an invincible bond with all the judicial institutions where I have discharged my duties and thereof demitting office after serving for such a long period is painful and departing from each one of you makes me feel sad," he said.

Speaking at the full court reference, Justice G S Sistani, who is the senior-most judge after Justice Menon, said that on the first day at the Delhi High Court while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO with regard to unauthorised construction in south Delhi, Justice Menon firmly asserted that he would not entertain any petition which was not really in public interest but filed to settle personal scores.

It sent a proper message that restricted filing of frivolous petitions which that he was polite yet firm, Justice Sistani said, adding that Justice Menon also passed the order staying online sale of medicines and directed the government to formulate a policy regarding the sale of online drugs.

"The excellence in administration stems from his ability to take quick and strong decisions coupled with his patience, independence, lack of ego and hard work," he said, adding that Justice Menon is a movie bug and has a passion for music.

Delhi government standing counsel (civil) Ramesh Singh said country is poorer for not having Justice Menon's Stewardship in the apex court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fr Sergio Targa founded the Kisori Ghoton Prokolpo (Teenage Project) with which he has fought child marriage for 15 years. Early marriages underpin societys patriarchal structures. For the priest, "We want girls to understand their value. We wish to make them dream.

Khulna (AsiaNews)  Fr Sergio Targa, a 55-year-old Xaverian priest, has been fighting the child marriage in Bangladesh for 15 years. Based in Satkhira, Khulna Division (south-west Bangladesh), he is behind Kisori Ghoton Prokolpo (Teenage Project) whose goal is for girls to be girls, not brides, and for women be women, not slaves.

"We want to give humanity, dignity, respect to girls and women, he told AsiaNews. We want girls to learn that they are valued and are not damaged goods. We want them to be proud of being women and not subjected to societys patriarchal system."

Born in Brescia (Italy), Fr Sergio has been a missionary in Bangladesh for 24 years. With the initiative he founded he has fought for girls education against early marriage, which is still commonplace in the country.

"Often parents do not let their daughters study because they think its a waste of money since they will marry men much older than themselves and eventually become slaves to their grooms family".

Recently, Save the Children released its third annual Global Childhood Report, which shows that 32.4 per cent of teenagers (aged 15 to 19) are already married in Bangladesh. Of these, 84.4 per cent have children before their 19th birthday. In general, 17.4 per cent of children leave school in the first years of study.

For the Xaverian clergyman, the problem of "early marriage varies according to communal affiliation. Although the population is heterogeneous, 98 per cent is ethnic Bengali and 2 per cent are tribal.

"Within the Bengali community, regardless of religion or language, caste and group divisions run deep. Endogamy prevails. More generally, "the practice is to marry young women to older men (by at least 15-20 years).

The practice is rooted in (Manusmriti,) the Laws of Manu, an ancient Hindu legal text drafted between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD, whereby fathers must marry off their daughters immediately after their sexual maturation. Thus, if a girl is still at home after her 11th or 12th year, its the fathers fault. This idea is rooted in culture, in the mind."

"Other reasons underpin this tradition. The first one is honour: The longer a girl stays at home, the greater the risk for her to escape with a boy of her age, bringing dishonour not only to her family, but to the whole group. The second is dowry: the older the girl, the more the father will have to pay to give her away as a bride to the groom's family."

This said, "for the girl the outcome will always be the same: Shell be the slave of her husband and his parents". Such a practice "is hard to eradicate because it is the basis of societys entire patriarchal system, and few are interested in changing the situation."

Still not everyone wants to deny girls the right to live their lives with dignity. This is why Fr Sergio established the Teenage Project. "We work with the Rishi group, ex outcastes who traditionally skin animals. Two women travel to the villages to see which girls need help.

"Our project financially supports 120 girls aged 11 to 15 years. We help them in their villages and meet again every two months to take stock of the situation. We also build relationships of trust with parents, who at the beginning of the year sign a pledge not to marry off their daughters. Again, keeping a promise is a matter of honour."

"We do all this to make girls aware of their own value, explains the missionary. The goal is to make them understand that there are alternative paths to marriage at a young age. We wish to make them dream.
Tourist arrivals in Kerala shot up by an impressive 6.82 per cent during January-March this year, indicating that the state had swiftly overcome the ordeal of last year's devastating floods.

During the first quarter, the total number of tourist arrivals (both domestic and foreign) was 46,12,937 as compared to 43,18,406 during the same period in 2018.

The domestic arrivals touched 41,90,468 as against 38,77,712 during the corresponding period in 2018, registering an increase of 8.07 per cent, a press release here said.

However, the arrival of foreign tourists saw a dip of 4.14 per cent.

The total number of visitors from abroad stood at 4,22,469 during the first quarter against 4,40,694 in the corresponding period of the previous year, a fall of 4.14 per cent.

The increase in domestic tourist footfalls, especially in Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Idukki the districts that suffered the brunt of floods that ravaged large swathes of Kerala in August-September last year is a pointer that the state's tourism had recovered completely from January 2019 onwards.

In fact, Ernakulam, with an increase of 108,169 domestic tourists, registered the highest growth among the 14 districts of the state.

The total number of domestic tourist arrivals in this district was pegged at 9,96,091 during January-March this year as against 8,87,922 in the corresponding period of 2018.

The districts of Idukki, Alappuzha, Kannur and Kozhikode also registered decent growth during the period.

The number of domestic tourists was 3,43,938 (2,48,052 in 2018) in Idukki, 1,80,562 (1,32,442) in Alappuzha, 2,10,247 (1,84,389) in Kannur and 3,20,795 (2,76,188) in Kozhikode.

Kollam, Kottayam, Malappuram, Wayanad and Palakkad were among the other districts that registered an uptick in domestic tourist arrivals.

Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram districts showed negative trends in domestic arrivals, which was possibly due to the downtrend in the arrival of pilgrim-tourists to the temples of Guruvayur and Sree Padmanabhaswamy.

"Last year's floods were unprecedented in fury and devastation and it battered large swathes of the state, affecting its infrastructure that had a bearing on the tourism sector. There was rampant apprehension that Kerala's tourism would take a long time to recover.

But we were able to allay these apprehensions by swiftly putting in place an effective action plan to win back the confidence of tourists," said Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran.

"The uptick in domestic tourist arrivals is a strong testimony to it," he said.

The growth in tourist arrivals was due to the Tourism Department's sustained promotion campaigns from November last year.

The first among these was 'It's time for KERALA campaign' from November 2018 to January 2019.

It was followed by 'Human by Nature'- part of the marketing initiative to refurbish the perception of the state's tourism sector.

The video, launched in February, has been designed to appeal to both high spenders and backpackers and firmly entrench Kerala's tourism in a competitive global marketplace.

Thiruvananthapuram (including Kovalam and Varkala) witnessed the highest downfall with a decrease of 27,760 tourists.

The total number of footfalls of foreign visitors in the district was 1,08,787 as against 1,36,547 in the corresponding period of 2018.

Tourism Secretary, Rani George said the growth in domestic tourist arrivals was a strong reflection of the state government's efforts to repair the damage in double-quick time.

"It sent out a message to tourists that things were fast becoming normal in the flood-ravaged Kerala. Our efforts have now handsomely paid off," she said.

Tourism Director, P Bala Kiran said the state had launched "Dream Season" campaign in May to woo travellers during the monsoon by combining the magic of rains, wellness tourism, especially Ayurveda treatments, and backwaters.

Its impact would be seen in the second quarter of 2019, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As part of its conservation efforts, the forest department in Tripura is planning to set up a vulture colony, with abundant food options and a suitable ecosystem, at Khowai district, where the critically endangered bird was recently sighted.

The scavenger bird, which plays a vital role in cleaning up the environment, is suffering a decline in population due to a range of threats, including diclofenac poisoning and habitat destruction.

Niraj Kumar Chanchal, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Khowai, said 26 vultures were spotted at Kalyanpur area along the river bank and more than 10 at Chebri area.

We are planning to build a restaurant for vultures in Kalyanpur and Chebri so that these birds do not run out of food. We would supply carcasses of animals at their resting and roosting places, Chanchal told PTI.

A survey carried out by former chief wildlife warden Atul Gupta has shown that South Tripura and Sipahijala are the two other districts in the state, where the bird has been sighted in considerable numbers.

"Vultures are an important part of the eco-system. They maintain a balance between the living and the dead by devouring carcasses. Among the nine species of the birds sighted in the country, white-rumped vulture found in Tripura has been identified as critically endangered, Gupta said.

Chanchal attributed the recent increase in numbers in Tripura to favourable habitat and non-use of diclofenac pills.

"Although India has banned manufacture of diclofenac tablets, a pain killer, for animals, the pills are being manufactured for human use. The farmers often illegally use these tables to treat cattle. Vultures, overdosed with diclofenac are unable to lay eggs.

In Tripura, however, farmers and herders do not use the drug as it is a costly one, he added.

The forest official also observed that big and solitary trees, along a waterbody, are ideal for 'roosting and resting' of the endangered species.

"We have seen vultures roosting on Shimul trees. So, we started a drive to plant as many Shimul trees as possible on the river banks," he said.

The Bombay Nature History Society, in a report, said India once had a total vulture population of 20 million, which, by 2009, dipped to one per cent of the figure.

Prasenjit Biswas, an ornithologist who authored The Last Flight of the Vulture, said human incursion and unavailability of food were the major reasons behind the decline in population.

The Rudra Sagar Lake, its surroundings and the Sipahijala sanctuary, with its large lakes and forests, used to be a favourite haunt of the white-rumped vultures till the late eighties, he rued.

"Human corpses are rarely dumped in the open, while animal carcasses are safely disposed off. This has deprived the vultures of their livelihood," Biswas, who has been studying the movements and traits of vultures for over a decade, added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a surprise announcement that could compromise a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is slapping a 5 per cent tariff on all Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the US border.

He said the percentage will gradually increase up to 25 per cent "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."



The decision showed the administration going to new lengths, and looking for new levers, to pressure Mexico to take action even if those risk upending other policy priorities, like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal that is the cornerstone of Trump's legislative agenda and beneficial to his reelection effort.

Trump made the announcement by tweet after telling reporters earlier Thursday that he was planning "a major statement" that would be his "biggest" so far on the border.

"On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5 per cent Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied," he wrote, "at which time the Tariffs will be removed."



Trump has accused the Mexican government of failing to do enough to halt the flow of asylum-seekers from countries including El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. And he has been itching to take increasingly radical, headline-grabbing action on the issue, which he sees as critical to his 2020 reelection campaign because it energizes his base.

But the sudden tariff threat comes at a peculiar time, given how hard the administration has been pushing for passage of the USMCA, which would update the North American Free Trade Agreement.

It comes less than two weeks after Trump lifted import taxes on Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminum, a move that seemed to clear an obstacle to passage of his North American trade deal, and the same day that both the Mexican government and the Trump administration began the process of seeking ratification. The deal needs approval from lawmakers in all three countries for it to be ratified.

Daniel Ujczo, an international trade lawyer based in Ohio, said the move puts lawmakers who want to vote "yes" in an awkward position because companies in their home states will end up paying the tariffs. And it could slow down the deal's ratification in Mexico, where President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador on Thursday requested a special session of the Senate, which is in recess, to consider the matter.

"The tariffs certainly put the USMCA on ice," said Gary Hufbauer, an expert in trade law at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, who said Trump has the power to impose the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by citing a national emergency, which Trump did.

"The drama is legal, but it's preposterous," he said.

Still, Ujczo and others wondered whether Trump who has a habit of creating problems and then claiming credit when he rushes in to solve them would go through with the threat.

"This seems more theater and tactics than a strategy to solve the migration crisis and rebalance North American trade," Ujczo said.

In late March, Trump threatened to shut the entire US-Mexico border if Mexico didn't immediately halt illegal immigration. Just a few days later, however, he backed off the threat, saying he was pleased with steps Mexico had taken in recent days. It was unclear, however, what Mexico had changed.

Indeed, on a briefing call with reporters Thursday evening, administration officials said there were several things Mexico could do immediately to prevent the tariffs from kicking in, including securing their southern border with Guatemala and entering into a "safe third country agreement" that would make it difficult for those who enter Mexico from other countries to claim asylum in the US.

"We're going to judge success here by the number of people crossing the border and that number needs to start coming down immediately, in a significant and substantial number," said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

He also insisted that tariffs were "completely" separate "and apart from the USMCA" because one pertained to trade and the other immigration.

"The two are absolutely not linked," he said.

In Mexico, trade negotiator Jesus Seade responded with a mix of alarm and dismissal. He called the matter "most serious" but also downplayed the likelihood the tariffs would go into effect.

"It is no secret to anyone that Trump is very active in his use of Twitter and he launches many tweets that are later changed," he said.

The threat drew a withering response from Republican Rep. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a usual Trump ally, who slammed it as "a misuse of presidential tariff authority" that would burden American consumers and "seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA."



Mulvaney said the White House had briefed some Republican members of Congress on the plan and acknowledged that some __ particularly in the Senate had raised concerns about the president invoking such powers.

Trump's tariff threat comes at a time when Mexican authorities have been stepping up their efforts, carrying out migrant raids and detaining thousands of people traveling through the country en route to the US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Donald Trump angrily assailed special counsel Robert Mueller's motives on Thursday, a day after Mueller bluntly rebuffed Trump's repeated claims that the Russia investigation had cleared him of obstructing justice.

The president also offered mixed messages on Russia's efforts to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 campaign. Early in the day, Trump tweeted he had "nothing to do with Russia helping me get elected."



That was the first time he seemed to acknowledge that Russia tried to help his campaign. Then on the White House South Lawn, Trump told reporters: "Russia did not help me get elected. You know who got me elected? You know who got me elected? I got me elected. Russia didn't help me at all." Mueller's report said Russia interfered in the election in hopes of getting



Trump elected, but his findings and intelligence officials have stopped short of saying the efforts contributed to Trump's victory.

Trump's 20-minute eruption underscored that he remains deeply distressed over the probe that has shadowed his presidency for nearly two years, even after Mueller announced his resignation and the closure of his office. Democrats are mulling the possibility of impeachment proceedings.

Trump insisted that he's been tough on Russia and that Moscow would have preferred Clinton as president. But that's not what Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. When asked last year in Helsinki whether he wanted Trump to become president, Putin replied: "Yes, I did."



On Wednesday, Mueller, in his first public remarks on the Russia investigation, pointedly rejected Trump's claims repeated almost daily that the special counsel's investigation cleared him of criminal activity and was a "witch hunt."



Mueller emphasized that he had not exonerated Trump on the question of whether he obstructed justice, but said charging Trump with any crime was "not an option" because of Justice Department rules.

"If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Mueller declared.

Attorney General William Barr, however, said Mueller could have reached a decision on whether Trump obstructed justice. Barr said in an interview with



"CBS This Morning" that though Justice Department rules prevent the indictment of a sitting president, Mueller nonetheless could have decided whether Trump had committed a crime.

Trump repeated his baseless claims that Mueller is "conflicted," contending that Mueller, who served as FBI director under President George W. Bush, wanted his old job back, but that he had told him no. He said Mueller, a Republican, was "a true never Trumper" and "didn't get a job that he wanted very badly."



Mueller had been considered for the FBI director position shortly before being named as special counsel. But then-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has said that while the White House had invited Mueller to speak to the president about the FBI and thought about asking him to become director again, Mueller did not come in looking for a job.

Trump also said Mueller should have investigated law enforcement officials who the president claims tried to undermine him. Mueller's mandate, however, was to investigate Russian election interference, possible coordination with the Trump campaign and any obstruction of that investigation.

Among those whom Trump says Mueller should have investigated were members of the special counsel's own team, including Peter Strzok, a former FBI agent who helped lead the investigation and exchanged anti-Trump text messages during the 2016 election with ex-FBI lawyer Lisa Page.

Strzok was removed from Mueller's investigative team following the discovery of the texts and later was fired from the FBI. Page has left the bureau. Strzok told Congress that there was "no conspiracy" at the FBI to prevent Trump from becoming president.

Trump, asked about impeachment by Congress, called it a "dirty word" and said he couldn't imagine the courts allowing him to be impeached. "I don't think so because there's no crime," he said.

Mueller made clear that his team never considered indicting Trump because the Justice Department prohibits the prosecution of a sitting president.

He and others have indicated that the next move, if any, is up to Congress, which has the power of impeachment. Trump has blocked House committees' subpoenas and other efforts to dig into the Trump-Russia issue, insisting Mueller's report has settled everything.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two men were arrested for allegedly snatching a gold chain from a 36-year-old woman who was returning after work in northeast Delhi's Jafarabad, police said Friday.

The accused, identified as Mohsin (24), a resident of Moujpur and Nadeem (26), a resident of Jafrabad, were arrested on the intervening night of Thursday-Friday, they said.

The woman, a resident of Maujpur, was returning home Wednesday afternoon when three bike-borne men, one of them wearing a helmet, allegedly snatched her gold chain and sped away, police said.

"During investigation, police analysed the CCTV footage of the area. Later, they got a tip-off on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday and laid a trap near Tent wala school, Jafrabad, Delhi," Atul Kumar Thakur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast), said.

At around 12:45 am, police apprehended two men who came there on a white bike, he said.

One pistol, two magazines, six live cartridges, one bike and one gold pendant were recovered from their possession, they added.

Police said they are trying to nab the absconding accused.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants and their "active associate" were Friday killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said.

A police spokesperson said the third person killed in the encounter was missing since Thursday afternoon and "was part of the militant group".

Earlier, a police official said he was an "active associate" of the group.

"On credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched by police and security forces in Sugan area of south Kashmir. Pertinently, the encounter site was located in orchards with no habitation nearby," the police spokesperson said.

He said during the search operation, the hiding militants fired at the search party of the forces.

The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter, he said.

In the ensuing encounter, two listed militants along with the other one who was part of the group were killed, he said.

The bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter and handed over to the legal heirs, he added.

The two militants were identified as Abid Manzoor Magray alias Sajju Tiger, a resident Nowpora Payeeen Pulwama, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, from Urmulla Lassipora Pulwama.

The other person who was part of the group was identified as Jasim Rashid Shah, a resident of Malnar, Shopian.

"The group was affiliated with proscribed terror outfit HM. Magray and Bhat were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities. Several terror crime cases were registered against them," the spokesperson said.

According to police records, he said, Magray had a history of terror crime records since 2016 and was part of groups involved in planning and executing a series of terror attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities.

Several terror crime cases, including an attack at Litter, weapon snatching at Gudbug Guard, firing on police post Lassipora, firing on patrolling party at Alaipora Lassipora, vehicle theft, kidnapping of a girl and several other criminal cases were registered against him, he said.

Bhat was also involved in several terror attacks on security establishments in the area and many terror crime cases were also registered against him, the spokesperson said.

"Shah, as per the records and inputs available with police coupled with the family version, was missing since yesterday (Thursday) afternoon and was part of this group," he added.

Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of the encounter, the spokesperson said, adding that all the material have been taken in the case records for the purpose of investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two Israelis were wounded, one critically, in a knife attack in annexed east Jerusalem on Friday, police said.

Police said the attacker had been "neutralised" without specifying whether he had been killed or wounded.

The Old City, where the attack took place, has been the scene of numerous stabbings of Israelis by wildcat Palestinian assailants in recent years.

The first Israeli was stabbed near Damascus Gate. The second was attacked near Jaffa Gate on the other side of the walled city.

Security has been stepped up across Jerusalem during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Tens of thousands of believers were expected to gather at the Old City's politically-contentious Al-Aqsa mosque compound later for the last Friday prayers of Ramadan.

The attack came just two days before Israelis hold a major march to mark Jerusalem Day, the annual commemoration of the capture of east Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967.

It was later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community.

In December 2017, US President Donald Trump broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in a move that prompted the Palestinians to cut all contacts with his administration and which has sent tensions soaring.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two militants and an over-ground worker (OGW) were Friday killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, police said.

The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Dragad Sugan area of following specific information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said as the forces were conducting searches, the militants fired at them, triggering an encounter in which two militants and their "active associate" were killed.

The official said one of the militants is believed to be Saju Magrey of the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Magrey was involved in a series of terror crimes, including IED incidents, he said.

The identities of the other militant and the OGW are being ascertained, the official said.

He said arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site of the encounter.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A gunbattle broke out between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district Friday, in which two special police officers (SPOs) were injured, officials said.

However, the militants managed to escape from the cordon, they said.

On a specific input about movement of militants in Appan area of Marwah belt, a team of Special Operation Group (SOG) and district police reached the location on Thursday night, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, M K Sinha told PTI.

While the police team was on its job to close in, some unidentified militants fired at them near Faizi Bridge on Friday, he said, adding that the police retaliated.

In the gunbattle, two SPOs -- Mohd Iqbal and Ashiq Hussain -- sustained bullet injuries, Sinha said.

"Both are being evacuated. The Army and police are searching the area to nab the militants", the IGP said.

Sinha said operation is underway and reinforcements of the SOG and the Army have been sent to neutralise the militants.

The officials said two to three militants are believed to be holed up the area. The Army has also reached the spot to help police in cordon and search operation to track down the militants.

As per sources, the militants have escaped from the spot.

The IGP visited the Army Command Hospital at Udhampur and enquired about the health of the two injured SPOs who are undergoing treatment there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko retained control over his political party on Friday as the former president and his allies seek to win back support two months before a crucial parliamentary vote.

Last month the pro-Western politician suffered a crushing defeat in presidential elections to comedian Volodymyr Zelensky amid popular anger over the country's separatist war in the east, corruption and poverty.

Poroshenko's party has since launched a major re-branding effort to recover from his ballot box defeat ahead of the snap polls set for July 21.

Last week the party -- called Petro Poroshenko's Bloc Solidarity -- announced it was changing its name to European Solidarity.

Poroshenko was elected leader of the renamed party on Friday.

"I am very grateful to you for electing me head of the European Solidarity party," Poroshenko said minutes after the unanimous vote that was broadcast live by a private Ukrainian channel.

The party -- seen as Poroshenko's political vehicle -- was previously led by Kiev mayor and former professional boxer Vitaly Klitschko.

Poroshenko said European Solidarity was Ukraine's only political force able to continue the country's pro-Western trajectory.

His party currently dominates the 450-seat chamber but that may change as Ukraine's new leader Zelensky seeks to secure seats for his movement, called Servant of the People.

According to the latest opinion polls, Poroshenko's party is in third place, with 8.8 per cent support before the election.

It is behind the pro-Moscow "Opposition Platform," which has more than 10 per cent in opinion polls.

Zelensky's Servant of the People party has no representation in the current legislature. But it is leading in polls with 44 per cent support.

Despite being elected party leader, it is not yet clear whether Poroshenko would himself seek a seat in the Verkhovna Rada legislature.

He said a list of candidates would be agreed in about a week, adding the country would see "new faces."



Poroshenko was elected president in 2014, after a popular uprising in Kiev ousted a Kremlin-backed leader, but Ukrainians soured on the political establishment amid persistent social inequality and graft.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russian diplomat Tatiana Valovaya has been named the next director-general of the UN office at Geneva, making the former journalist the first woman appointed to run the world body's European headquarters.

The appointment by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres restores Russian leadership to a role held by Russian diplomats for nearly two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union (1993-2011).

Danish national and long-serving UN veteran Michael Moller has had the job since 2013.

In a statement, the UN described Valovaya as having "over 35 years of extensive experience in journalism, diplomacy and government service."



She currently works for the Eurasia Economic Commission, a regional body that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, in charge of integration and macroeconomics.

She began her career as a journalist for "The Economic Gazette" in Moscow in the 1980s, before joining the diplomatic corps, serving as the Third and later Second Secretary at the Russian Permanent Mission to the European Union in Brussels, from 1989-94.

She served as the director of the department of international cooperation in Russia's government from 1999 to 2012, including under President Vladimir Putin.

Her nomination comes at a time when Russia is bolstering its influence within the UN in Geneva, filling some of the void left by Washington, which under President Donald Trump has increasingly disengaged.

The United States last year withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, accusing it of bias against Israel.

And it has yet to fill the position of ambassador to the world body's European headquarters, which has been left vacant since Barack Obama's envoy left more than two years ago.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United Nations Security Council decided Friday to cut 1,000 troops from a regional peacekeeping force in Somalia, despite a rise in attacks by the Al-Shabaab militia in Mogadishu.

The council voted unanimously to draw down the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), but left the door open for the council to revisit that decision if violence worsens.

The resolution put forward by Britain reduces AMISOM troops by 1,000 to a ceiling of 19,626 by February 28, but maintains 1,040 police.

The force's mandate was extended for a year.

Under a transition plan agreed in 2017, AMISOM will gradually hand over security to Somali forces, but the African Union has raised concern about the extra responsibility as the country heads to elections next year.

The United Nations is seeking to shore up stability in Somalia, where Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab fighters have been seeking to topple the government for a decade.

The Shabaab were chased out of Mogadishu in 2011 by AMISOM, and have had to abandon most of their strongholds, but they still control vast rural areas and remain the key threat to peace in Somalia.

A joint AU-UN security review presented to the council this month raised alarm over a surge of Shabaab attacks in the capital including a January 1 mortar assault on the UN compound.

In March alone, Al-Shabaab carried out two major attacks in Mogadishu using 28 improvised explosive devices, said the review.

Last week, a former Somali foreign minister was among five people killed in a car bombing in Mogadishu that was claimed by the Shabaab.

AMISOM was established in 2007 and includes troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda deployed in south and central Somalia.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 14-year-old girl is battling for life after being allegedly set on fire in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district by a man who was upset over a past relationship between his sister and the victim's brother, police said.

The attack created tension between the Hindu and Muslim communities at a village in Daurala area, 15 km north of Meerut city, as the victim and the accused belong to two different communities, the police said.

The man poured a bottle of kerosene over the girl while she was sleeping on the rooftop of her house with her parents on Wednesday night. The girl suffered 80 per cent burns and first taken to a district hospital and then referred to a hospital in Delhi, an officer said.

The police have registered a case but are yet to make an arrest. The youth presented himself before the police, claiming innocence, Daurala Circle Officer Jitendra Kumar said.

The police said some people have detained for questioning in connection with the case, Kumar said.

The two families had earlier slapped cases against each other after the accused's sister left home with the girl's brother last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Officials of the US, Japan, Australia and India met in Bangkok on Friday to hold consultations on their collective efforts for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed their shared commitment to preserving and promoting the rules-based order in the region, where China is flexing its muscles.

In November 2017, India, the US, Australia and Japan gave shape to the long-pending "Quad" Coalition to develop a new strategy for keeping the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence.

China has been trying to expand its military presence in the Indo-Pacific, which is a biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the sea.

During their meeting in Bangkok, the four nations reaffirmed their shared commitment to preserving and promoting the rules-based order in the region.

They underscored their intent to continue close coordination and collaboration in support of sustainable, private sector-led development, maritime security, and good governance, an official US statement said.

Officials from these four countries discussed initiatives undertaken by each country to encourage transparent, principles-based investment in quality infrastructure in accordance with international standards and leverage the potential of the private sector.

"They highlighted their efforts to maintain universal respect for international law and freedom of navigation and overflight," the statement said adding that the officials agreed to continue to explore opportunities to enhance cooperation, including in support of regional disaster response, cybersecurity, maritime security, counterterrorism, and nonproliferation.

"Participants also noted their desire to work with like-minded partners and allies to promote a transparent, rules-based approach to trans-boundary challenges," the statement said.

Welcoming ASEAN's efforts to develop an Indo-Pacific outlook, the four countries affirmed their strong support for ASEAN centrality and ASEAN-led regional architecture, as well as their support for other regional institutions, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association and Pacific Islands Forum.

The 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.

The four countries underscored their intent to continue regular consultations on Indo-Pacific engagement and initiatives together and with other interested countries and institutions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Trump administration has exuded confidence that the US-India strategic relationship, which enjoys bipartisan support, will see a very positive trajectory during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second term.

Modi on Thursday took oath of office, heading a 58-member ministry. He led his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) towards a resounding victory, winning 303 seats in the 542-member Lok Sabha.

"This is really a resilient partnership. It enjoys bipartisan support. It has the structures and it has the strategic commitment in place to take advantage of our leaders' vision. I anticipate a very positive trajectory moving forward," a senior State Department official said Thursday.

As was evident in the tweets, statements and phone calls from the US President, Vice President and Secretary of State after the Indian elections, the US looks forward to working with Prime Minister Modi and his government in the second term, the official said.

"We do expect that our strategic partnership will continue to flourish under his leadership," the official added.

Recalling Modi's 2017 visit to the US, the official said that President Trump and the Indian prime minister enjoy a warm relationship and personal chemistry.

"You saw that when the prime minister was here in June of 2017. That means that the sort of the geopolitical compulsion to this relationship is matched by a personal leadership commitment to advance relations," the official, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

According to the official, Trump and Modi will meet in Japan on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit next month in Osaka, Japan. A trilateral meeting involving the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been planned, the official said.

The partnership encompasses cooperation on a broad range of economic, defence and security issues and stands on the foundation of extensive people to people ties and shared democratic values, the official said.

"There's been a significant momentum in the relationship since the Prime Minister's visit to Washington with the 2+2 mechanism that was developed last year. The meetings between our ministers of foreign affairs and defense will continue to serve as a strategic vehicle for our engagement with India," the official said.

"It capped off last year with a signing of a secure communications agreement that was 10 years in the negotiations and represented a breakthrough and our ability to achieve military inter-operability.

"We are looking forward again to early high-level contact with the Modi 2.0 government. We will have the G-20 meeting opportunity between our heads of state, the official said.

There will be a senior level participation at US-India Forum in New Delhi in August. There will be a 2+2 intercessional and a maritime security dialogue in August and a 2+2 ministerial in early fall.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be speaking at the June 12 US-India Business Council's India Ideas summit in Washington.

According to the official, the mechanisms for this engagement reflect what are now very developed habits of cooperation between the two countries that are allowing them to push the agenda much more rapidly in the past.

Much of the expansion in this relationship has been a result of the Indo Pacific strategy and this common vision that the two countries share secures a rules-based free and open Indo-Pacific region, the official said.

The two countries, the official said also share complimentary visions based on democratic norms and rule of law.

"We also share concerns. Concerns about predatory lending, lending and norm-defying practices that have been seen in the region. That's why you've seen the US and Indian Navy's alongside those of Japan and the Philippines conduct a group sail for the first time ever in the South China Sea this month," the official said.

"We're also looking forward to our first ever tri-service military exercise involving the US and India Navy Air Force and army at the end of this year to further increase inter-operability. And you'll continue to see forward movement on defense enabling agreements that will further deepen our information sharing and inter-operability," the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US has withdrawn its special tax exemption to Pakistani diplomats, over a year after the Trump administration imposed travel restrictions on them, forcing the officials to stay within 40 kms of the city they are posted in.

The Diplomatic Tax Exemption programme -- usually granted to foreign diplomats and consulars -- provides sales and use, occupancy, food, airline, gas, and utility tax exemptions to eligible foreign officials on assignment in the Unites States.

The facility is enjoyed by the officials' dependents too.

The decision to take back the special tax exemption cards issued to the Pakistani officials was made on May 15, after which the affected staffers had to surrender the privilege, The International reported from Washington.

The number of affected staffers of the Pakistani embassy are a little over 20, the report said.

Tax exemption privileges for foreign diplomats, consular officers and staff members are generally based on two international treaties: The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Since all such services and privileges are based on the principle of reciprocity, that means no privileges are granted to a foreign official unless the United States Embassy and Consular personnel receive the equivalent privileges in that country.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed to The that there were pending tax exemption issues related to the US diplomatic mission in Pakistan.

However, the department said that both sides were in talks and hoped to resolve the issue and restore the tax privileges.

Answering a question about the issue, Pakistan's embassy in Washington claimed that the issue of tax exemption and refunds is a routine topic of discussion between any two countries.

"There are thus ongoing discussions between Pakistan and the US on the status of exemption/refunds on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, which should not be construed as withdrawal of any privileges," the embassy said.

There was so far no response from Pakistan's foreign ministry in Islamabad.

Last year, the US placed "reciprocal restrictions" on the movement of Pakistani diplomats in the country from May 1, forcing them to stay within 40 kms of the city they are posted in.

The US' move came after Pakistan imposed restrictions on American diplomats in the country and barred them from visiting the tribal belt and Karachi.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Friday said it has appointed M K Sharma to the company's board as a non-executive independent director with effect from June 1, 2019.

Sharma has been instrumental in leading many significant projects throughout his career and the experience he brings in will be very critical in the company's growth, Chairman said in a statement.

" today announced the appointment of M K Sharma as a non-executive independent director with effect from June 1, 2019," the company said in a statement.

Sharma will be an incredible asset to the board as the company remains committed to sustainable economic growth of the organisation, Agarwal said.

He has previously held the position of vice-chairman at Hindustan Unilever, the statement said.

"Vedanta is a progressive organisation with a wide presence across natural resources with strong asset footprint, financial strength and above all, strong values. I look forward to working with the entire leadership team, contributing to Vedanta's transformational journey," Sharma said.

Vedanta Ltd, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources, is one of the world's leading diversified natural resource with business operations in India, South Africa, and

Vedanta is a leading producer of oil and gas, zinc, lead, silver, copper, iron ore, aluminium, and commercial power.
leader Friday congratulated chief on becoming Union home minister, but also wondered what will be the fate of people like him who "fought against" the saffron party.

Shah was inducted in the second government at the Center Thursday after winning his maiden Lok Sabha election from Gandhinagar.

"I extend warm wishes to Shri Amit Shahji for becoming the home minister. But, some bhakts (a term often used for supporters of the or prime minister Narendra Modi) have messaged me today 'What will happen to you now Hardik'.

"It means that bhakts are very happy after became home minister. Whether youths like me who fought against the will be killed? God's wish will be final," Patel, who led the Patidar quota agitation in Gujarat four years ago, tweeted.

The young Patidar leader had campaigned extensively for the during the Lok Sabha election.

During the agitation for inclusion of the Patidar community in OBC category, Patel had often targeted Shah, alleging that the BJP government in the state treated the agitators harshly at Shah's behest.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) team, which is in Pakistan to probe the recent outbreak of HIV in the country's Sindh province, began its inquiry by visiting a children's treatment centre and sought more information from its staff about the patients, according to a media report on Friday.

The Pakistan government had sought the WHO's help to probe the spread of HIV in the country, that has till now affected over 600 people, mostly children.

Till now 681 HIV positive cases have been identified among the 21,375 tested in Ratodero town of Larkana district in the north-west part of the province. Out of the affected, 537 are between the age group of 2 to 15 years.

Health officials have attributed the cause to the use of unsanitary equipment, unsafe blood transfusion and rampant malpractice often at the hands of quacks.

According to a UN report, Pakistan now has the second-fastest growing rate of HIV in Asia, with about 20,000 new infections in 2017 alone.

The team, that arrived in the country on Tuesday visited the children's treatment centre for HIV/AIDS in Chandka Medical College on Thursday.

They also enquired about the facilities and the protocol for treating the disease, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Olive Morgan, the team leader, said that WHO was ready to help patients suffering from the deadly virus.

He said that the scope of the delegation was to dig out the reasons behind the spread of the deadly disease and also see from where it had travelled to the area.

Project manager of Sindh AIDS Control Programme accompanied the team members, who would also visit a hospital in Ratodero to personally observe the ongoing process of blood screening for HIV.

Earlier, the team held a meeting with Azra Pechuho, Sindh Minister for Health and other stakeholders to review the overall situation regarding the outbreak of HIV/AIDS in the area and the efforts put in so far to fight the virus.

The participants in the meeting discussed proposals as how to best handle the situation. The delegation also handed over AIDS medicines to the minister.

Pechuho said that since the outbreak of the virus, the health department had set up blood screening camps in and around Ratodero to test the population and opened treatment centres in hospitals.

She termed the situation a "challenge" and expressed optimism about overcoming it in near future.

She said that both Global Fund and Sindh government were financially contributing towards efforts to combat the virus and we are planning to systematically and scientifically spend the funds.

The minister said that so far 712 people have been diagnosed as infected by the virus.

She said that during their stay, the foreign delegates would interact with different communities, visit blood screening camps and treatment centres and compile a report with the findings and reasons which led to the virus' spread.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prahlad Singh Patel, a five-time lawmaker from Madhya Pradesh and known for supporting ban on cow slaughter, took charge as the culture minister (independent charge) on Friday and said he would work towards "correcting the malicious perception" created about the Indian culture.

Patel, who was once considered a political protege of BJP leader Uma Bharti, got elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989 and has got a place in the Union council of ministers once again after 15 years.

He was the junior coal minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2003.

The 57-year-old parliamentarian brought a private bill in Parliament for ban on cow slaughter way back in 2000.

"While the roadmap for the future has already been drawn during 2014-2019, but some deficiencies remain. There have been some malicious perceptions that have been created about the Indian culture. Like about Kumbh.

"I believe that one of the big successes between 2014-2019 is that today what the world knows about Kumbh is actually what Indian culture is," Singh, who will take charge as tourism minister (independent charge) on Tuesday, said.

He said, "We have have to work on both aspects. India is big and our culture is big. If it spreads in the world, so will tourism. So, we have to correct this perception".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
AwazToday.pk Privacy Policy: We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our Website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address email address or telephone number) about your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about not having this information used by these companies, click here.



Disclaimer: AwazToday.pk is not responsible for any content linked to or referred to from these pages. All videos, live tvs, blogs or video links point to content hosted on third party websites or members. We are using third party links for live tvs. Users who upload these videos or blogs agree not to upload illegal content when creating their user accounts. AwazToday.pk does not accept responsibility for content hosted on third party websites or by the members. If you have any questions please contact us. Copyright  2000-2021 AwazToday.pk. All rights reserved unless where otherwise noted.
A 19-year-old youth wanted in several robbery cases was arrested from Dwarka, police said Friday.

The accused, identified as Mohammad Razzaq Hussain was nabbed on Wednesday when he was about to travel to Bihar.

The Delhi police had announced a Rs 25,000 reward for any information about Hussain.

Hussain is a resident of Bharat Vihar and a native of Sitamarhi district in Bihar.

The accused was previously arrested in two cases and was absconding in several others.

"Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended Hussain from Kakrola in Dwarka when he was about to leave for Bihar," said PS Kushwah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

During interrogation, the accused confessed to robbing mobile phones, cash and other valuables in several parts of Delhi and neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the DCP added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Benchmark indices ended Friday's session with cuts, dragged down by bank stocks, after giving up the early gains during which they reclaimed the crucial 40,000 and 12,000 levels, respectively.

The S&P ended the day 118 points, or 0.3 per cent, lower at 39,714 levels, with YES Bank, ITC, Vedanta, Mahindra & Mahindra, and NTPC leading the list of losers. The benchmark index slid almost 700 points off day's intra-day high, 40,122, but also staged a recovery to cut the losses. Out of the 30 BSE constituents, 19 ended the session in the red.

The broader Nifty50 index finished at 11,923, down 23 points, or 0.19 per cent. On a weekly basis, both Sensex and posted a gain of 0.8 per cent.

NEW GOVERNMENT & PORTFOLIO ALLOCATION

Putting rest to all speculation, the President of India on Friday released the portfolio details of new Cabinet, a day after Narendra Modi took oath as the country's 16th Prime Minister.

There were expectations that Amit Shah, a seasoned stock broker and a key architect of NDA's victory for the second consecutive time will be handed over reigns of the Finance Ministry. This is after Arun Jaitley expressed his desire to stay away from any role in the new government citing health reasons. However, Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed the new Finance Minister, while Amit Shah will handle the Home Ministry.





BUZZING STOCKS

Shares of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) hit a 52-week high of Rs 330, up 4 per cent, before ending the day 2.05 per cent higher at Rs 234.15 on the BSE, lifted by strong earnings in March quarter (Q4FY19) and fall in crude prices. In comparison, the S&P was up 5 per cent during the same period.

Coal India shares rallied as much as 4.11 per cent in the morning deals on Friday, a day after the company reported an impressive 362.46 per cent jump in its net profit at Rs 6,024.23 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2019. The stock ended the session 0.18 per cent higher at Rs 253.35.
With Reliance Communications (RCom) back in the bankruptcy court, the buzz is that lenders are looking to recover around Rs 85,000 crore from the telco. Although the Anil Ambani firm has debt of close to Rs 46,000 crore on its books, the claim amount is reportedly much higher because the debt of its two units Reliance Infratel and Reliance Telecom as well as other subsidiaries and step-down companies have also be taken into account.

People in the know told The Economic Times that the interim resolution professionals (IRPs) appointed to oversee the insolvency resolution process have already admitted claims of Rs 66,000 crore against the companies. The committee of creditors of debt-ridden telecom firm met up on Thursday and formally kicked-off the bankruptcy proceedings. At the meeting, the representatives of 15 banks were briefed on the claim processing status by the IRPs.

Currently, Manish Kaneria, Mitali Shah and Pradeep Sethi of RBSA Advisors LLP are IRPs of RCom, Reliance Telecom and Reliance Infratel, respectively. The NCLT had appointed them in May 2018, before the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) stayed the insolvency resolution process. But with the latter vacating the stay on April 30, the IRPs were then asked to file a progress report by this month.

"A large number of claims are still under verification and almost 90% of those against the parent company have been admitted provisionally," a source told the daily, implying that those were still subject to legal challenges by the IRPs if not found to be accurate. The bulk of the claims, to the tune of Rs 49,000 crore, have been directed at RCom followed by claims worth Rs 24,000 crore against Reliance Telecom, which held the GSM operations, and Rs 12,000 crore against the group's tower arm Reliance Infratel.

The State Bank of India, which has the largest exposure to RCom, is keen to replace RBSA with Deloitte as the resolution professional. Hence, Thursday's meeting reportedly also saw the committee of creditors subject the RP change proposal to an electronic vote. The result of the voting is expected to be disclosed early next week.

RCom was forced to discontinue operations two years ago, after its efforts to stave off bankruptcy by selling spectrum to Reliance Jio got scuttled.

Also read: Ericsson considers new clauses in biz deals to avoid RCom like situations

Also read: RCom Q4 net loss at Rs 7,767 crore
After much speculation over his role in the new Modi Cabinet, BJP President Amit Shah has been finally given the charge of crucial Ministry of Home Affairs. Known as the right-hand of Prime Minister Modi, Shah rose through the party ranks with his excellent organisational and management skills. From a booth level worker in Gujarat to state home minister to a national political figure, Shah has had a terrific political journey so far. Under Modi, he led the party to an emphatic victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He even won the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, left vacant after the party denied ticket to veteran LK Advani, by a margin of more than 5 lakh votes. Here are some interesting facts related to Amit Shah:

Born in a well-off Nagar-Vaishnav family in Gujarat, Shah originally hails from Mumbai but his family relocated to Gujarat's Mansa. He initially worked as a booth level and party worker of the Janata Dal in 1970s.

Unlike Modi, who has an extremely humble background, Shah comes from a well-known family. However, he believes nothing matters in politics more than "your sentiments for the people, your talent and a constant belief in your convictions".

Amit Shah had spent some time in jail in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh case in 2010, but got bail and was initially asked to stay away from Gujarat.

His prominence to the national stage started when he was appointed Rajya Sabha member in 2017 and later the BJP President.

Amit Shah has not lost even a single poll of the 29 elections (including local body polls) he has contested so far. He was elected as Gujarat MLA in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2007. During his tenure as a Gujarat minister, he handled major portfolios including home, excise, and transport.

Shah met Modi in 1982, and since then two leaders have led the BJP to victory in several states as well as national elections. During the poll campaigning for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shah travelled across the country and held over 100 political rallies, more than any BJP leader except PM Modi.

The staunch supporter of Hindutva, Shah is a firm believer in BJP's determination to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.

His excellent political skills as the BJP president, along with PM Modi's larger than life persona, helped the BJP score big on its major rival Congress, reducing its tally to just 52 seats in General Elections.

Shah's stand on the pressing issues like illegal migrants, especially those from Bangladesh and Myanmar, have been widely criticised. During his political rally in Raiganj, West Bengal, on April 12, Shah said "The illegal immigrants are like termites. They are eating the grain that should go to the poor, they are taking our jobs."

Apart from being the best in politics, Amit Shah is also an ardent investor in share market. His top investments include Rs 2 crore worth of shares in Reliance Industries; Rs 1.4 crore in L&T Finance; and Rs 1 crore in TCS. Shah had supported Modi's demonetisation move in 2016, saying it would help formalise the economy.

Edited by Manoj Sharma

PM Modi Cabinet Ministers' Portfolio: Amit Shah gets home ministry, Nirmala Sitharaman is the new finance minister

Modi's Cabinet 2.0: Who all made the cut?

Modi's new cabinet: PhD-holder from JNU, S Jaishankar is now the Foreign Minister
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath of office for the second consecutive term on Thursday amid the presence of national leaders, foreign dignitaries and celebrities. While some of the attendees are 'optimistic about future' under the Modi government, others looked forward to 'strengthening partnership'. All the guests have congratulated PM Modi and were impressed with the efficacy of the event.

Several leading industrialists, including Reliance Industries CMD Mukesh Ambani, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, Vedanta Resources Limited Executive Chairman Anil Agarwal, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons Ratan Tata, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, Paytm Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Welspun Group Chairman and Assocham President B K Goenka, attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra took to Twitter and congratulated the PM. He wrote, "The ceremony started & finished right on time without any unnecessary additions to the program. Speed, focus & efficiency. If that's symbolic of how the new Govt will work, then it's time to be optimistic about the future.Congratulations to PM @narendramodi & his new team."

The ceremony started & finished right on time without any unnecessary additions to the program. Speed, focus & efficiency. If that's symbolic of how the new Govt will work, then it's time to be optimistic about the future.Congratulations to PM @narendramodi & his new team. https://t.co/SqmApdtkLu - anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) May 30, 2019

CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo, Ramon Laguarta congratulated the PM and said "Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi on your resounding victory. As India continues to rise on the global stage @PepsiCo is committed to playing a key role in its progress. We look forward to further strengthening PepsiCo's partnership with India under your leadership."

Congratulations to Prime Minister @NarendraModi on your resounding victory. As India continues to rise on the global stage @PepsiCo is committed to playing a key role in its progress. We look forward to further strengthening PepsiCo's partnership with India under your leadership. - Ramon Laguarta (@ramonlaguarta) May 30, 2019

The US Ambassador to India, Ken Juster said that the United States looked forward to strengthening the #USIndiaDosti. He wrote, "Honored to attend the #ModiSwearingIn ceremony of @narendramodi for his second term as #India's Prime Minister. The United States looks forward to working closely with Prime Minister Modi & the Government of India to advance & strengthen the #USIndiaDosti strategic partnership!"

Honored to attend the #ModiSwearingIn ceremony of @narendramodi for his second term as #India's Prime Minister. The United States looks forward to working closely with Prime Minister Modi & the Government of India to advance & strengthen the #USIndiaDosti strategic partnership! pic.twitter.com/652sUNPAQi - Ken Juster (@USAmbIndia) May 30, 2019

Vedanta Resources chairman Anil Agarwal tweeted, "It was an honor to be at the swearing-in ceremony where PM @narendramodi & host of ministers took oath. I'm confident that new measures will be taken to boost economic growth, make environment more conducive for FDI - including mining, raise spend on social sector & end poverty".

It was an honor to be at the swearing-in ceremony where PM @narendramodi & host of ministers took oath. I'm confident that new measures will be taken to boost economic growth, make environment more conducive for FDI - including mining, raise spend on social sector & end poverty. - Anil Agarwal (@AnilAgarwal_Ved) May 30, 2019

"Congratulations to PM Shri @NarendraModi ji for his second term in office. I also extend my warmest congratulations to the newly elected Council of Ministers. I am sure that in this term too, India will witness rapid development and transformation under PM's visionary leadership," Essar Group Director Prashant Ruia tweeted.

Congratulations to PM Shri @NarendraModi ji for his second term in office. I also extend my warmest congratulations to the newly elected Council of Ministers. I am sure that in this term too, India will witness rapid development and transformation under PM's visionary leadership. - Prashant Ruia (@prashantruia) May 30, 2019

ITC Ltd CMD Sanjiv Puri said Modi's "visionary leadership, with a clarion call to address 'National Ambitions, Regional Aspirations' will accelerate all round socio-economic development with sectors like agriculture and food processing receiving larger impetus, leading to farmer empowerment and generation of large scale sustainable livelihoods".

Welspun Group Chairman B K Goenka said: "Empowered with a huge mandate, it is expected that the government would be able to undertake some landmark reforms in several key areas like taxation, labour and land". He further said, "Some of the path-breaking reforms such as GST, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code are bound to get a further push that will help India Inc deal with issues in the banking and financial sector".

"The man on mission, our PM @narendramodi with his team!," Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma tweeted.

The man on mission, our PM @narendramodi with his team! pic.twitter.com/XdaBaY9fvU - Vijay Shekhar (@vijayshekhar) May 30, 2019

Binod Chaudhary, Chairman of Nepal-based CG Corp Global, said he hopes to see a renewed sense of commitment on part of the Government towards taking the Nepal-India relationship to newer heights, thereby giving a conclusion to many of the critical bilateral projects which are still in the pipeline.

As many as 56 members including the Prime Minister were sworn in the oath-taking ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday.

(Edited by: Nehal Solanki)

Also read: PM Modi Cabinet Ministers' Portfolio: Amit Shah gets home ministry, Nirmala Sitharaman is the new finance minister

Also read: Modi's Cabinet 2.0: Who all made the cut?
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Biocon's chairperson and managing director

Focus on agri-tech and leveraging the FPO model for agrarian transformation: If you look at India and its agrarian economy, I really believe that focusing on agri-tech is going to be very important. Technologies that are aimed at improving agricultural productivity, delivering value-added agriculture and focussed around the farm to market opportunities that ensure better realisation for the farmers. I personally believe that the farmer FPO (Farmer Producer Organisation) model should be hugely expanded with a large number of incentives for the FPOs because you need cooperative farming and within it the FPOs is the only successful model and encouraging that is a good way to ensure better realisation for the farmers. They could play a role in bringing about value-addition in agricultural produce.

Micro-entrepreneurship should be another area of focus especially for job creation. It has the biggest job-creating potential in rural India. A fund for micro-entrepreneurs could be created in rural areas and through this, there could be better monitoring also on how many micro-enterprises are getting created and in the process build a database in this space.

Increase R&D investments: For this, we need policies that incentivise CSR and corporate spending into R&D with much better tax breaks. One kind of tax breaks if a company invests in its own R&D and another kind of tax break if it invests by giving research grants to universities then it should get bigger tax breaks. We need to evolve and look at such kind of policies that can bring private sector money into public sector needs.

Gender equity is a huge issue and there is a need for focus on this. Consider this, in case a farmer has committed suicide, the moment the widow of the farmer claims ownership of the land that belonged to her husband, chances are she will be killed or ostracised or removed from the family because, the moment a man dies the male members of the family claim stake.

To boost private sector investment and for exports, the SEZ scheme should not face the sunset and should be continued. There is a need to provide additional tax breaks for investment with job creation.

Consumption: To boost consumption, GST has to be further rationalised and reduce it on many items. Or else, we end up only adding to the cost.

G V Prasad, co-chairman and CEO, Dr Reddy's:

Focus on the five basics: The government must strongly encourage business. Unless you create wealth it will not result in growth leading to job creation. You cannot get yourself out of poverty by just distributing money. There are a few basic things that every citizen needs and those should be the focus areas for any government. On health, the government should ideally take ownership for the health of its citizens. Apart from healthcare, people need a high quality of life, education, public infrastructure and jobs. The focus should be on creating jobs through sustainable businesses. Improve the quality of life of citizens by taking care of the environment. The environment today is all messed up and every major city in the country figures in the list of top most polluted cities of the world. The government should also invest in education.

Models: I am encouraged by the fact that for the first time the government is talking about healthcare. There are models all around the world - the NHS model of healthcare in the UK is one, the Nordic countries have very good systems. They have high tax rates but all the basic minimum needs of people are met with a very high quality of life. Even within our country, we have best-in-class examples like the Kerala literacy and healthcare, the Delhi Mohalla clinic is a great idea, Delhi has also improved its schools.

S Chandramohan, president and group CFO at the Chennai-headquartered Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) and the chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Tamil Nadu

Infrastructure building and employment creation

S Chandramohan, president and group CFO at the Chennai-headquartered Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) and the chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Tamil Nadu Council, speaking to Business Today on the condition that his views would be taken in his personal capacity and not representing his company of the CII, says, there are several measures that the new government could take to boost infrastructure in the country and also in the process create employment. "Other than raising funds through disinvestment in select public sector units - both profit-making and some that are financially stressed - and then spend on infrastructure creation, the government could also consider monetising some of the public land holdings. "India has large public land holdings - be it connected to ports, airports, railways or defence. Some of these could be monetised not to reduce the fiscal deficit but only for building infrastructure and in the process also create employment opportunities."

Second, he feels, for the private sector investment to take place there have to be some additional growth drivers. Key to this is raising the savings and getting it back from 30 per cent to 35 per cent and more. The government has also promised reduction of corporate tax but if the government is constrained and is unable to get the corporate tax down, then it still needs to give some incentive to the industry such as restoring and enhancing the weighted deduction on research and development apart from higher investment allowance for plant and machinery or any incentives linked to investment. "Weighted deduction of minimum 150 per cent on revenue towards research and development, which has already been reduced from 200 per cent should be continued beyond the present expiry date of March 2021. Our spend on R&D in this country is negligible and hence we should not allow this provision to lapse after March 2021." Also, "While the government has provided relief on additional employment, the conditions regarding restricting it to Rs 25,000 per month may be increased without limit (or at least significantly increase the limit) apart from increasing the 30 per cent deduction for three years on an additional employee cost over three years to a minimum 50 per cent over two years."

Chandramohan is also of the view that the "subsidy for any capital equipment including tractors and implements should be given directly to the farmers and purchase by the state governments directly should be stopped."

To boost exports and earn more foreign exchange, given that global trade scenario is becoming challenging with most countries having an inward growth focus and raising trade restrictions, there is need to leverage India's low cost of medical treatment compared to several other countries. Therefore, a medical or health tourism strategy with a long-term plan will help. This also has the scope for employment creation.

He feels no major policy thrust to boost private sector investment and on employment creation can be complete without looking at the textile industry. He sees a clear need to boost the textiles industry by creating world-class textile clusters, correcting duty anomalies. "At present, the synthetic textile sector suffers from the inverted duty of 18 per cent on fibre and 12 per cent on yarn and fabric. While there is a provision to claim the refund of inverted duty the process is quite time-consuming impacting the working capital. The anomaly needs to be addressed by reducing the duty to 5 per cent to bring revenue neutrality in line with cotton. Plus, electricity tax should be subsumed under GST."Apart from that facilitate technology tie-ups for polyester. "Buyers will not only follow once we create these but given that the textile sector is a major employment creating industry, it will lead to a lot of job creation. Also, it is a space that China is vacating and we could step in." He feels, by correcting the duty structures and with right incentives, the costs could be lowered for the textile units and that could compensate for the disadvantage they have vis-a-vis other developing countries like Bangladesh and Indian companies could build and invest in ventures within India. He says there could be tax incentives linked to additional employment creation and support the industry perhaps with employment subsidy or any of the measures that do not come under the WTO purview.

S. Sivakumar, Group Head - Agri and IT businesses, ITC

Three-pronged strategy that makes farming a lucrative enterprise

A three-pronged strategy aimed at promoting demand-driven production that is in tune with the changing patterns of food consumption; climate-resilient farming that takes into account the risks arising out of changing climate and depleting natural resources; and farmer-centric interventions given that a model of one scheme or one solution cannot serve the needs of all farmers, would all go a long way to ensure agriculture becomes a remunerative enterprise for farmers, says S Sivakumar, who leads the agribusiness and IT at ITC.

Detailing on each, he says,

On demand-driven production:

Promote the development of inclusive plate-to-farm value chains through public-private-producer partnerships by combining the strengths of all the stakeholders to support India's resource-poor but resourceful farmer.

Facilitate delivery of real-time information and personalised knowledge to the farmers by village-level agri services entrepreneurs. At an estimated requirement of 3 million such entrepreneurs to serve the 120 million farmers across the country, this would be the single largest skill-based-job creation launched by any government.

Support these new-age agri services entrepreneurs with digital platforms (both public and private) that use smart technologies to enable high-yielding, early-warning, waste-mitigating (through the Internet of Things, image recognition, predictive analytics etc) agriculture, and transform agri extension from the conventional paradigm of 'last mile of the scientist' to one of the 'first mile of the farmer'.

Create vegetable production zones in the vicinity of the top-100 towns of the country by setting up climate-controlled cultivation facilities and offering them on lease to trained rural youth.

Encourage food processing and crop-specific storage and handling systems for minimising post-harvest wastage.

Provide thrust to value-added exports of agri produce, through World Trade Organisation-compliant incentives to offset the high-cost infrastructure.

Reform APMC Act to offer freedom to farmers in selling their produce, as also to transform mandis into post-harvest-services organisations.

Deepen the commodity derivative markets to enable farmers to discover prices before planting the crops.

Set up national agri market intelligence system to monitor variables that impact crop prices and use data analytics to guide the planting decisions of the farmer.

Set aside the customs duties collected on import of agricultural products towards the corpus of price stabilisation fund to support farmers in times of a significant drop in domestic prices.

On Climate-Resilient Farming

Set up a national irrigation authority with a mandate to reach water to every farm on a mission mode. Prepare a blueprint covering both the supply side (appropriate method of water harvesting in different regions) and the consumption side (conservation through efficient pumps and micro-irrigation) aspects and a roadmap for the revitalisation of natural water bodies.

Develop an 'atlas of natural resources', mapping the current status and future scenarios of top soil and water resources across the country, for kicking off time-bound rejuvenation work, as also for sensitising the farmers on resource-use the intensity of their cropping decisions.

Strengthen crop insurance system for expeditious settlement of farmers' claims by making use of remote sensing and drone surveillance for loss assessments.

Promote integrated farming system consisting of polyculture, permaculture, bee-keeping, animal husbandry, agro-forestry, and renewable energy as a naturally-resilient method of farming.

Step up research and development work on indigenous varieties of seeds and breeds that are naturally tolerant to weather variations and moisture stress.

Set up community-owned-and-operated seed banks for multiplying high-quality seeds of open-pollinated varieties of crops to improve seed replacement rates for raising farm productivity.

As for Farmer-Centric Interventions

Encourage farmer producer organisations (FPOs) as an aggregation mechanism to bring the power of scale to the small farmers.

Strengthen producer organisation promoting institutions (POPIs) to build and incubate robust FPOs by developing their self-governance capacity and business management competence.

Provide financial support to FPOs for creation of farm level infrastructure for cleaning, grading, sorting, assaying, as also for the establishment of farm equipment custom hiring centres.

Encourage innovative formats of organisation for consolidation of land holdings - with individual farmers continuing to be the owners of their land - to enable economic scale in farming and capital investments.

Help augmentation of farm incomes through additional sources, such as dairy, poultry, honey-making, solar power generation, agro-tourism, etc.

Set up a national centre of excellence to develop women-friendly farm equipment to minimise their physical drudgery in farming activities.

Make Krishi Vigyan Kendras responsible for reducing the cost of cultivation in their catchments through adaptive research.

Convert input subsidies into direct pre-season financial support to both land-owning and tenant farmers for buying inputs through pre-paid cards valid at accredited dealers.

Reji K Joseph, director of Kerala-based Paragon Polymer Products Pvt Ltd

GST refunds, a key pain point.

Reji K Joseph, director of Kerala-based Paragon Polymer Products feels that while implementation of GST was a good measure, especially for companies that have an all India market, there are problems. "The main problem is getting a tax refund (input materials have different taxes above 5 per cent) and our products come under 5 per cent. So, we are eligible for refunds of the input materials and this runs into crores." But then, he says, "our company can make profits only when we can get these refunds in time and not end up each month with a huge outstanding."
Karambir Singh has taken over as the Chief of the Naval Staff from Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires today. Having served the nation for the past four decades, Lanba served as the 23rd Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. After taking over as the Chief of the Naval Staff, Karambir Singh said his predecessors made sure that Navy had a solid foundation. "It'll be my endeavour to continue with their efforts & provide the nation with a Navy that's strong, credible & ready to meet security challenge in the maritime domain," he said. He is scheduled to continue in the post till November 2021. Admiral Singh's priority would be to expedite the long-delayed modernisation of the Indian Navy, including by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft. At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines.

Here are a few things you must know about the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff:

1. He is the first helicopter pilot to become Chief of Naval Staff.

2. Before his appointment to the top post, Singh served as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

3. His promotion was challenged by Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command Vice Admiral Bimal Verma on grounds of seniority. Vice Admiral Bimal Verma is currently serving as the Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command.

4. The Armed Forces Tribunal here allowed Admiral Singh to take charge as the new Navy chief, holding that his continuation will depend on the final outcome of the case. The next date of hearing in the case is July 17.

5. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, he held various key positions in the Navy in a career spanning over 39 years.

6. He commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980, he earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1981 and has flown extensively on the Chetak (Alouette) and Kamov helicopters.

7. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai. Admiral Singh has commanded Indian Coast Guard Ship Chandbibi, Missile Corvette INS Vijaydurg, as well as two Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Rana and INS Delhi.

8. Admiral Singh has also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. Ashore, he has served at Naval Headquarters as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff, and as Captain Air and Officer-in-Charge of the Naval Air Station at Mumbai.

9. On promotion to flag rank, the Admiral was appointed as the Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command. In the rank of Vice Admiral, he was also the Director General of Project Seabird, looking after infrastructure development of the Navy's modern base at Karwar.

10. His other important flag appointments include Chief of Staff of the Tri-Services Unified Command at Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area (FOMAG). At the Integrated Headquarters Ministry of Defence (Navy), the Admiral had served as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and, subsequently, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff.

(Edited by: Manoj Sharma, with agency inputs)

Also read: IAF Chief Dhanoa new chairman of chiefs of staff committee

Also read: Nirmala Sitharaman -- the first full time woman defence minister retained as Union Minister
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers were sworn-in on Thursday in a grand ceremony held at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan. As many as 56 members including the Prime Minister were sworn in at the event. However, the new cabinet included only 6 women ministers, out of which 4 have previously served as Union cabinet ministers. It is, however, interesting to note that the 17th Lok Sabha comprises of 78 women MPs in the house, which is the largest till date.

The four women ministers who have served previously include Nirmala Sitharaman, who is sworn in as the Minister for the second consecutive term. She has also previously served as the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The second woman minister in the cabinet is Smriti Zubin Irani. She is the Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat and was the HRD minister under the Modi government but was handed over the Textiles Ministry in 2016. She is likely to be allotted the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who has previously served as the Union Minister of Food and Processing is another powerhouse in the Modi government and has been entrusted with the same portfolio this time as well. The fourth minister is Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, who will be serving as the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries.

The two new ministers in the cabinet include Debasree Chaudhuri and Renuka Singh Saruta. While Chaudhuri is the MP from Raiganj Constituency in West Bengal, Saruta has been a member of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly from the year 2003-2008.

Sushma Swaraj, who served as the External Affairs Minister will not be a part of the newly appointed council of ministers.

President of India, Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to the Prime Minister and other members of the Union Council. The ceremony took place amid the presence of high profile guests including foreign dignitaries, national leaders, and celebrities.

(Edited by: Nehal Solanki)

Also read: Meet Pratap Chandra Sarangi- An 'Aam Aadmi' in Modi 2.0 cabinet who rides bicycle, lives in hut

Also read: Modi's new Cabinet: Here's party, House-wise allocation of Union Council of Ministers
Narendra Modi took oath as the country's Prime Minister for the second consecutive time after a landslide victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on Thursday. The Modi government 2.0 has representation from most allies, though not all are happy and some of them have been left miffed this time. All prominent allies of the BJP, except JD (U) and Apna Dal, have got a seat in the new Modi Cabinet.

One-third of the total ministers in the Modi's 2.0 Cabinet are the first-timers, which includes BJP president Amit Shah and former foreign secretary S Jaishankar. Of all 58 candidates who were sworn-in as Union ministers on Thursday, the BJP has maximum 54 MPs, and one each for other allies, including Shiromani Akali Dal and Lok Janshakti party, Shiv Sena and Republican Party of India (A).

Though the size of the new Modi cabinet is smaller compared to the previous one, Modi has introduced 26 new faces to his Cabinet this time. Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United, the BJP's prominent ally in Bihar, and Apna Dal of Anupriya Patel were the notable allies who were left unhappy. While JDU wanted three ministerial berths -- one Cabinet rank, one MoS independent charge and one MoS post -- the BJP had offered only one Cabinet berth for its ally in Bihar. Anupriya Patel's party, despite winning the same number of seats (two) this time too, was not offered any Cabinet berth this time.

So, that, in a nutshell, is how the new Council of Ministers looks... Graphics courtesy KBK#ModiSwearingIn#ModiSarkar2 #ModiCabinet pic.twitter.com/7cPbOv8g2L - PIB India (@PIB_India) May 30, 2019

The House-wise analysis reveals 45 candidates from the Lok Sabha have got Cabinet berths, while 18 members of Rajya Sabha have been sworn-in as Union ministers. The new Modi government has the maximum representation of 10 faces from the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, followed by seven from Maharashtra and six from Bihar. The Modi government 2.0 also has three ministers each from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka followed by two each from West Bengal, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. The voters had given the BJP a clean sweep in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana.

The states of West Bengal and Odisha gave massive gains to the Bharatiya Janata Party as it won 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha in the national election. West Bengal, where Assembly polls are due in 2021, gave the saffron party 18 MPs. However, it is being represented by only two ministers-- Babul Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhuri. Odisha, where the BJP won eight seats, is being represented by Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Chandra Sarangi. The new Council of Ministers has representation from almost all the states, except Andhra Pradesh and the north-eastern states of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura.

Manoj Sharma with agency inputs

BJP chief strategist Amit Shah also a stock market genius, loves blue chips
Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi applied for bail in the UK High Court, a day after his remand was extended till June 27. Modi, the kingpin of the PNB scam is wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering to the tune of $2 billion. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that represents India in the extradition case said that the hearing of his bail plea will take place at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on June 11.

Modi has been denied bail on all the previous three attempts at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. The judges ruled that the bail security offered was insufficient and that there was 'substantial risk' that he would fail to surrender.

During the last bail hearing on May 8, Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said, "This is a large fraud and the doubling of security to 2 million pounds is not sufficient to cover a combination of concerns that he would fail to surrender."

After the third application earlier this month, Modi had the automatic right to file an application in the higher court. "Mr Modi can appeal to the High Court as of right. He does not need leave to appeal," a spokesperson said.

As per Modi's legal team, his experience at Wandsworth prison in South-West London has been 'damaging'. They offered electronic tag and other conditions akin to house arrest at his posh Centrepoint apartment in the West End of London instead.

"His experience in custody has been vivid and damaging... he is willing to abide by any bail conditions imposed by the court because Wandsworth is unliveable and makes the effective preparation of his case virtually impossible," his barrister Clare Montgomery had told Judge Arbuthnot.

At the most recent case management hearing in the Westminster Magistrates' Court this week, the issue of bail was not discussed and Modi was further remanded in judicial custody until June 27, when he is scheduled to appear via videolink.

A UK High Court verdict on his bail appeal could now impact that next hearing date.

At the hearing on Thursday, Judge Arbuthnot directed the Indian government to confirm which prison Modi is to be held in if he were to be extradited to India, setting a 14-day deadline for a confirmation of the prison plans in India.

Arbuthnot, who ordered the extradition of liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya in December 2018, had sought a video of the exact cell at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai in which the former Kingfisher Airlines boss is to be held. She therefore indicated that if Modi was to be lodged within the same premises, the court would most likely not have any objections.

Also read: UK court rejects Nirav Modi's bail plea for third time

Also read: ED auctions 13 luxury cars of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi for Rs 3.29 crore
Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed as the new finance minister a day after the swearing-in ceremony of the new government. Earlier, speculation was rife the finance ministry would go to BJP chief Amit Shah. He has instead been given the role of the Home Minister. Former Home Minister Rajnath Singh has been allocated the Defence Ministry.

Nirmala Sitharaman has been given the charge of finance ministry after Arun Jaitley opted out of the race due to his health issues. She had taken the charge of the defence ministry during the previous Modi government after late Manohar Parrikar was sworn-in as Goa chief minister. Piyush Goyal has retained the Railways Ministry.

Allocation of portfolios among the members of the Union Council of Ministers as advised by PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/zG7djXbphn - PIB India (@PIB_India) May 31, 2019

Smriti Irani, who was dubbed as the giant killer after her emphatic victory over Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, has been made the Minister of Women and Child Development. Former foreign secretary, S Jaishankar, will be the new Minister of External Affairs after Sushma Swaraj was dropped from the new Modi Cabinet.

Allocation of portfolios among the members of the Union Council of Ministers as advised by PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/36Td16pDSX - PIB India (@PIB_India) May 31, 2019

Dr Harsh Vardhan has been appointed as Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Minister of Science and Technology, and Minister of Earth Sciences. A new entry in the Modi Cabinet is Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', who has been appointed Human Resource and Development Minister.

Senior BJP leader and former Karnataka chief minister, DV Sadananda Gowda, will look after Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers. BJP ally and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ramvilas Paswan has been chosen to head the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Narendra Singh Tomar has been made the Minister of agriculture. Prakash Javadekar has been given the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Environment.

BJP MP from Patna Sahib in Bihar, Ravi Shankar Prasad, has been appointed as the Minister of Law and Justice, and Minister and Electronics and Information Technology. BJP ally in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal's Harsimrat Kaur Badal has been given the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Other ministers who have got major portfolios in the new Modi Cabinet include Arjun Munda tribal affairs; Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Minister of Minority Affairs); Pralhad Joshi (Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines); and Mahendra Nath Pandey (Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship).

Here's a list of all the major ministries allotted to the Cabinet ministers.

Allocation of portfolios among the members of the Union Council of Ministers as advised by PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/36Td16pDSX PIB India (@PIB_India) May 31, 2019 General (Retd) VK Singh to be the MoS in the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Ramdas Athwale to be the MoS in the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Anurag Thakur to be the MoS in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Corporate Affairs. pic.twitter.com/dyxxIu19Rc ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

Edited by Manoj Sharma
Smriti Irani became a household name in India years before she entered politics. After a successful career as a TV actress, Irani has finally achieved electoral success, and a grand one at that. She defeated Rahul Gandhi in the Congress bastion of Amethi to reach Lok Sabha for the first time.

Irani was part of the older Modi government too, and has retained Ministry of Textiles from her earlier stint. This time around, she has been given the crucial Ministry of Women and Child Development too.

Here are the things you need to know about Smriti Irani:

1. Smriti Irani has a culturally diverse background. She was born to Shibani Bagchi, a Bengali, and Ajay Kumar Malhotra, a Punjabi-Maharashtrian.

2. Irani has been close to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as her grandfather was an RSS worker. Her mother, Shibani Bagchi was a member of the Jana Sangh, the political arm of RSS which later developed into the Bharatiya Janata Party of today. Irani herself joined RSS during her childhood days.

3. Irani completed her schooling from Holy Child Auxilium School in New Delhi. She then enrolled for a three-year-long Bachelor of Commerce course at Delhi University's School of Open Learning in 1994. She did not complete it though, and left the program in the first year itself.

4. In the early days of her career, Irani tried her luck in modelling. She participated in the Miss India contest in 1998, but couldn't win it.

5. After modelling, Smriti started acting in TV series in 2000. Her debut was in Aatish and Hum Hai Kal Aaj Aur Kal, both of which were aired on Star Plus. The biggest milestone in Irani's acting career was Ekta Kapoor-produced Kyunki Saas Bhi kabhi Bahu Thi. She continued to appear on-screen in various TV serials and films till early 2010s.

6. Irani joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2003 and was named the head of Maharashtra Youth Wing in 2004. She unsuccessfully contested the 2004 General Elections against Congress' Kapil Sibal from the Chandni Chowk seat. By the end of the year, Irani blamed Narendra Modi, who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time, for the loss in 2004 Lok Sabha elections and threatened to fast unto death until he resigned. She changed her mind after the BJP leadership threatened to take action against her.

7. Irani married businessman Zubin Irani in 2001. The couple has a son Zohr and daughter Zoish. Irani is a stepmother to Shanelle, Zubin's daughter his previous marriage.

Also read: Nirmala Sitharaman is Finance Minister: 10 facts about the senior-most woman in Modi's cabinet

Also read: Amit Shah gets home ministry: 10 things to know about Modi's right-hand man
The BJP-led NDA government is expected to speed up the banking consolidation, especially, in the public sector banks (PSBs). The plan is to create a few large banks by merging 2-3 banks together. The recent merger of Bank of Baroda (BoB), Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, which is effective from April this year, was the first off the block. The merger is currently undergoing the integration process, where there are challenges such as technology, people, culture etc. But such a big merger also throws up many challenges, which are likely to extend the balance sheet clean up for a couple of years. What are the areas to watch out for if the government decides to merge half a dozen banks?

ALSO READ: Are weak banks just out of RBI's PCA taking on riskier bets in lending?

Creating Clones

PSBs are basically corporate banks. They mirror each other. The biggest chunk in their portfolio is of infrastructure (power, telecom, roads etc), iron and steel and textiles. Take for example Dena Bank, which has a very high -- 16.18 per cent --exposure to infrastructure especially in power and telecom. Bank of Baroda, which is a large bank, has 8.44 per cent exposure to infrastructure. Similarly, PSBs have high exposure (top 5) to iron and steel, textile and chemicals. This would certainly create more trouble for the combined entity as many of these are stressed sectors.

ALSO READ: Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Oriental Bank may merge with PNB: report

Retail Banking Challenge

The common challenge for PSBs is retail banking; where all the banks are struggling with the exception of State Bank of India. The branch network has duplication, the look and the feel mirror each other and the staffers are also in the same age group. These banks have to scale up the digitisation drive and also tap the newer areas like affordable housing, consumer durable financing and business banking. These areas are tapped by NBFCs, fintech and many new private sector banks. In fact, there is a large portfolio of MSMEs and agriculture that will come to the combined entity after the merger.

ALSO READ: Merger impact: BoB looks to rationalise 800-900 branches to improve operational efficiency

High-Cost Model

The merged entity would not get any benefit of efficiencies. The PSBs have a very high-cost structure. Take for example, in the BoB-Dena and Vijaya Bank, the Dena Bank has a very high cost to income ratio, which is an indicator of cost efficiency, of 67.52 per cent as against BoB's 45.56 per cent. The biggest challenge in PSB merger is to cut costs, bring efficiencies, improve profit per branch and profit per employee.

ALSO READ: Govt may soon invite PNB, Union Bank, BoI, other PSBs to discuss merger plan

The High Cost of Funds

The cost of funds plays a very important role in the competitive banking landscape. The weak entities that are merging tend to have a higher cost of funds. Take for example the BoB, which has a cost of deposit at 5.33 per cent as against Vijaya Bank's 5.81 per cent. While the private banks are using the digitisation and also digital modes to raise deposits and target new customers, the PSBs have this challenge of reducing the cost of the deposit. At the same time, they have to deploy their resources to high yielding assets to earn high interest. Most of the PSBs have a net interest margin of less than 3 per cent. This is one area where PSBs will face challenges. Take for example, HDFC Bank, which has a net interest margin of 3.87 per cent.
Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from June 3 to June 7 in McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. During the conference, Apple is expected to introduce new software and hardware upgrades but the product that is expected to be the center of attention is the new Mac Pro.

At the heart, WWDC is a show for the developers. And, sticking to its true nature, Apple is expected to show off new developments in it operating systems. Lets take a look at what we think Apple might unveil on June 3.

iOS 13

Apple is expected to talk about its latest mobile OS, iOS 13. The expectations are that the new version will come with a lot of bug fixes and patches. With iOS 13, Apple will want to ensure that the OS runs flawlessly on the older devices as well. But, the big news from the OS front will be the system-wide-dark mode. There will be a new Health app and Apple is also expected to reveal a feature that allows iPads to act as secondary screens for Macs. There will be updates for Mail, Maps and Home too in the new version.

MacOS 10.15

The MacOS 10.15 is expected to come with universal apps feature which first debuted in macOS Mojave and iOS 12, and will expand to developers in iOS 13 and macOS 10.15. According to macrumors, "Apple's aim is to let developers design a single app that works with either a touchscreen or a mouse and trackpad, based on whether it's running on iOS or macOS." The macOS 10.15 will surely have new Music, Podcasts, and Books apps in macOS 10.15.

Mac Pro and 6K Pro display

Chances are that Apple will unveil redesigned Mac Pro at WWDC. Media reports suggest that the new Mac Pro will feature top-of-the-line components and a modular design that makes it easy to upgrade parts. There are also rumours of a 31.6-inch, 6K pro display, however the cost of such a display could be prohibitive.

tvOS and watchOS

Apple is expected to release new versions of tvOS and watchOS at the WWDC. tvOS 13 is expected to be a small update, but watchOS 6 will bring some new features to the Apple Watch.

Edited By: Udit Verma

Also Read: Apple launches 8-core MacBook Pro

Also Read: Apple launches iPod Touch starting Rs 18,900
Irish lender Permanent TSB (PTSB) was fined a record 21 million euros by the Irish Central Bank on Thursday for issues related to the overcharging of customers entitled to cheap "tracker" mortgage rates.

The fine is the first levied in a series of investigations into Ireland's main banks over customers who were denied loss-making tracker mortgages, which follow the low European Central Bank rate.

Tracker mortgages were widely offered by Irish banks during the country's housing boom in the mid 2000s. But banks moved to reduce their exposure to the loss-making products after the 2008 crash.

"Our investigation found that PTSB failed to put their customers first, with distressing and, in some instances, devastating consequences," said Seana Cunningham, the Central Banks Director of Enforcement.

Twelve PTSB customers lost family homes due to the issue while 19 lost buy-to-let properties, it said.

Permanent TSB chief executive Jeremy Masding said in a statement that he "apologised unreservedly to all customers affected ... and for the distress caused as a result."

PTSB has admitted in full 42 separate regulatory breaches of the Code of Practice for Credit Institutions and the Consumer Protection Codes, the Central Bank said.

It said PTSB failed to warn customers about the consequences of decisions relating to their mortgage and failed to engage satisfactorily with regulators.

Approximately 40,000 customers of Ireland's main banks were impacted by the scandal and the banks had paid a total of 647 million euros in redress by the end of 2018.

Over 2,000 PTSB customers were affected and the bank has paid 54 million euros in redress and compensation. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Ireland's Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a bid by Facebook to block a landmark privacy case, regarding the transfer of EU users' data to the United States, being referred to Europe's top court.

The case, launched by Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, is the latest to question whether methods used by technology firms to transfer data outside the 28-nation European Union give EU consumers sufficient protection from U.S. surveillance.

The case will now proceed on July 9 to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) which will assess whether the methods used for data transfers - including standard contractual clauses and the Privacy Shield agreement - are legal. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
While Chinas cement-makers enjoy solid profits on the back of a construction boom, the domestic industry is starting to look over its shoulder at rising imports from Vietnam, whose cheaper product is starting to eat into market share.

Chinas imports of cement clinker, the lumpy material that is processed into cement, ballooned by 152% year-on-year in the first four months of 2019, reaching 5.69 million tons, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

While imports contributed just 1.4% of Chinas total cement clinker in the first four months of this year, industry expects this figure will rise substantially in the years ahead. The majority comes across the southern border from Vietnam, where lower labor costs and an excess of capacity contribute to final prices around 40 yuan ($5.79) to 50 yuan per ton lower than domestically produced cement clinker, according to Wang Qi, an industry analyst at Zhouchang Information.

Domestic producers are taking preemptive steps against a feared flood of cheaper imports in the future. On May 16, industry body the China Building Materials Enterprise Capacity Cooperative Enterprise Alliance complained that the growth in cement clinker imports was disrupting the market and amounted to dumping, and announced that it would meet with related industry associations on how to deal with it.

This followed earlier action, with the industry group recommending in October 2018 that the government move to limit imports via barge along the coast, supposedly over environmental concerns. It also called for the Ministry of Commerce to launch anti-unfair competition and anti-dumping investigations against produce from the countrys southern neighbor.

Yet domestic producers nevertheless have enjoyed bumper profits, with cement clinker prices reaching a five-year high of 440 yuan per ton in the first quarter of this year, according to Minsheng Securities. Demand continues to rise thanks in part to a boom in real estate, with new housing construction increasing by 13.1% year-on-year in the first four months of 2019, according to China Merchants Securities.

The boom in domestic prices is also the product of increased restrictions on production due to environmental and pollution concerns. Cement prices have risen by 56% since October 2016, when the government introduced winter restrictions on production in 15 northern provinces to offset the extra pollution caused by coal fire plants being switched on to heat homes.

After strong profits in 2018, domestic producers are expected to perform well in 2019, when demand forecast to rise by 6.95%, according to Minsheng Securities.

Contact reporter David Kirton (davidkirton@caixin.com)
One of Hong Kongs most famous diner chains is testing investor appetite for its brand with a planned initial public offering, as it seeks to expand across China.

Tai Hing Group Holdings Ltd. aims to raise up to HK$950 million ($120 million) through a floatation of 250 million shares, or 25% of its share capital, according to the latest copy of its prospectus filed to the Hong Kong stock exchange Thursday. It set a price range for the shares of HK$2.80 to HK$3.80.

The 30-year-old chain operates a local form of diner known in local Cantonese dialect as cha chaan teng, and is especially known for its popular roast meats and ice milk tea. Its offering follows in the footsteps of crosstown rival Tsui Wah Holdings Ltd., which raised a slightly lower HK$760 million in its own IPO in 2012.

Tai Hings float could test peoples hunger for such restaurant investments, following a less-than-salacious report by Tsui Wah last week. In that report, Tsui Wah, which was also founded in 1989, said it expected its profit to drop by more than 70% for its fiscal year ended March 2019. Tsui Wahs shares tumbled 10% the following trading day.

But Tai Hings net profit is still rising, growing by 45% to reach HK$305 million in 2018 on revenue of HK$3.1 billion, which was up 13%.

Another peer, fast food operator Cafe de Coral Holdings Ltd., has also seen lukewarm demand for its shares, which are up less than 1% so far this year, lagging a 4% rise for the benchmark Heng Seng Index.

Tai Hing will use proceeds from the IPO to expand its restaurant count, which includes stores in both its home Hong Kong market and also on the Chinese mainland. It said it plans to open 36 new mainland restaurants in the coming three years, and 57 in its home market over that time.

The chain now has 63 restaurants in 13 mainland cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, and 126 in its home Hong Kong market, as well as one in Macao and one in Taiwan. Tsui Hua is much smaller with 34 outlets on the Chinese mainland and 36 in Hong Kong.

Chen Wing-On, founder of Tai Hing, said several restaurant brands under the company will expand into the mainland in the future, as he believes theres a market there for Hong Kong-style food, also known as Cantonese food, which is popular in South Chinas Guangdong province.

The company now owns nine brands, including its main Tai Hing brand, which touts char siu  thinly sliced white and vermilion roast pork, among the array of roasted meats that are its mainstay.

China Tonghai Securities said the companys profit and revenue are expected to rise 19.2% and 14.2% annually over each of the next three years, as it is likely to expand its business and traffic with the help of its strong image and branding.

Jason Tan contributed to the report.

Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (ziyitang@caixin.com)
CAMEROUN :: Southern Cameroonians/Ambazonians Stand Ready for Third-Party Mediated Negotiations

Leaders and representatives of all Southern Cameroonian aka Ambazonian liberation movements held sessions in Europe under the theme Capacity building toward a negotiated settlement.

Committing to set aside any and all differences among ourselves and our movements in favor of building and strengthening cohesion, agreeing strategies for a future negotiated settlement rooted in collegial and collaborative action that must always put Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia first;

Acknowledging the huge needs in speedily building the skills of Southern Cameroonians/Ambazonians for successful negotiations;

Welcoming calls for an immediate end to the genocidal violence in Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia; and

Reiterating our commitment to prioritize a lasting solution that is consistent with our constitutionality in Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia.

The liberation movements in attendance viz; AGovC, APERM, APLM, ARCC, Consortium, FSCWO, IG, MoRISC, RoAN, SCNC and SCWM hereby resolve that:

1. Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia liberation movements represented at the capacity building workshop in Brussels declare our readiness to engage with La Republique du Cameroun in third-party mediated negotiations.

2. Acknowledge, with gratitude, the decisions, resolutions and actions already taken or envisaged by international organizations, governments and parliaments around the world, notably in Europe and North America, in support of a negotiated settlement.

3. Welcome, encourage and commend international stakeholders in touch with us, for assuming the respective roles agreed to with Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia

liberation movements during various fora as will be outlined in formal agreements in the foreseeable future.

4. Renew our determination and the determination of the Sovereign People of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia to resist all forms of colonial domination as well as our eagerness to embrace a just and sustainable solution that must be rooted in international law, United Nations-backed resolutions, the United Nations Charter and the OAU Charter/African Union Constitutive Act.

Done at Brussels, this 28th day of May 2019

Ambazonia Governing Council (AGovC) African Peoples Liberation Movement (APLM)

Ambazonian Peoples Restoration Movement (APERM) Ambazonian Recognition Collaborative Council (ARCC)

Federation of Southern Cameroons Womens Organizations (FSCWO) The Interim Government (IG)

Movement for the Restoration of the Independence of Southern Cameroons (MoRISC) Republic of Ambazonia Nationals (RoAN)

Southern Cameroons Civil Society Consortium (Consortium) Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC)

Southern Cameroons Womens Movement (SCWM)
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.
Starr Insurance Companies appointed a former Marsh executive to a leadership role involving the UK and Europe. Willis Towers Watson named an executive to oversee Corporate Risk and Broking for the Georgia market. American International Group Inc. hired a new executive to lead its Life & Retirement Funds.

***

Starr Insurance Companies appointed Andrew Hopper as head of Financial Institutions for the UK and Europe.

Hopper joins Starr on June 3 and will oversee strategy and profitable growth of the Financial Institutions division. Hell report to Liz Ilott, chief underwriting officer, Financial Lines, and be based in Starrs London office.

Before Starr, Hopper was a senior client executive within the FinPro Practice at Marsh in London.

Hopper has more than 17 years of financial experience in both the broker and carrier sides of the business, Ilott said in prepared remarks.

***

Willis Towers Watson named Shannon Hau as Corporate Risk and Broking (CRB) leader for the Georgia market.

Hau will be responsible for driving the overall CRB growth strategy and hiring efforts in the market. Based in Atlanta, Ga., Hau will report to Doug Pera, head of CRB, Southeast region.

Previously, Hau served as head of Finance for CRB North America at Willis Towers Watson. She also served as regional Finance officer, U.S. South region. Before that, Hau worked at Marsh as a finance manager/senior vice president.

***

American International Group Inc. hired Sharon French as president and chief executive officer, Life & Retirement Funds.

French succeeds Peter Harbeck, who announced his intention to retire late last year. Shell take on her new position in late June.

French will lead the Life & Retirement Funds business, encompassing AIGs retail mutual funds operation and SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, which manages and administers over $85 billion in assets across multiple Life & Retirement business lines.

French has held a variety of senior roles during her 30 years in financial services, most recently as executive vice president, head of Beta Solutions for OppenheimerFunds, where she led the strategy, development and implementation of the firms smart beta ETF products and solutions. She also oversaw the firms Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts and served on its Senior Leadership Team, governing the overall strategic direction of OppenheimerFunds. French also has executive leadership experience from BNY Mellon, BlackRock, AllianceBernstein and more.

Sources: Starr Insurance Companies, Willis Towers Watson and AIG
Huge pension debt. Crumbling infrastructure. Climate change. Now add cyberattacks to the list of things that municipal bond investors should worry about.

The recent ransomware attack that shut down some of Baltimores computers, the second in 15 months, underscores the growing credit risk that cyberattacks pose to states and cities, according to Breckinridge Capital Advisors. The May 7 attack on Baltimore has hobbled the citys ability to collect water bills, property taxes, and parking revenue. It also shut down the citys system to process home sales. Baltimores general obligation bonds, like much local debt, is payable by property taxes, which makes up about half of the citys revenue.

Cyberattacks also threaten to erode public confidence in government and can suggest weak governance, wrote Alriona Costigan, a vice president at Breckinridge and Jesse Starks, the firms chief technology officer.

Cyberattacks can hurt issuers reputations, evidenced by the fact that many cities and states avoid reporting them, they wrote. However, the lack of consistent reporting of cyberattacks could leave many issuers complacent about the risks or unaware of some of their own vulnerabilities.

This months cyberattack in Baltimore follows last years high profile ransomware attack in Atlanta, which cost the city an estimated $17 million to fix, about 2.6% of the citys budget, according to Boston-based Breckinridge, which oversees more than $37 billion in high-grade fixed income assets. There have been at least 24 reported ransomware attacks on municipalities this year, including Greenville, North Carolina, and 46 last year, according to Moodys Investors Service.

Smaller Targets

A study by the Massachusetts legislature reported 26 million attempts to access the states computers in a one-hour period between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Sept. 13, Breckinridge said.

In a ransomware attack, hackers infiltrate a computer system and deploy malicious software that locks a victims data until the owner pays a ransom. Baltimore has refused to pay a ransom of around $100,000 worth of Bitcoins. The event is unlikely to have a material effect on the citys finances and Baltimore hasnt missed a debt service payment, Moodys said May 27.

Cyberattacks could have even more harmful affects on smaller state and local governments, which have less funding for cybersecurity and may see themselves as less of a target that big cities or states.

Ransomware criminals may see smaller school districts or towns as easier targets, as their focus on cybersecurity is less than that of larger cities such as Los Angeles, which has a cybersecurity working group in place, Costigan and Starks wrote.

Investors need to determine whether states and local governments take cybersecurity seriously as a risk and issuers need to assess and share information about the defenses in place against cyberattacks, according to Breckinridge. Investors should also evaluate a municipalitys preparedness for a cyberattack by evaluating whether they have a written response plan, the size of the cybersecurity budget and the presence of cyber insurance.

Even the most ironclad technological and physical defenses can be breached, so preparedness for cyberattacks is important to assess as a credit issue, Costigan and Starks wrote.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
Colombian cement market contracts 4% in April

ICR Newsroom By 31 May 2019

National cement dispatches in Colombia declined 3.9 per cent YoY to 0.991Mt in April 2019 from 1.031Mt in April 2018, according to the countrys national statistics office, DANE.



The market of Magdalena noted the largest contraction at 21.6 per cent, followed by Atlantico (-13.5 per cent), Cordoba (-12.6 per cent) and Cundinamarca (-11.1 per cent). Sales in Bogota declined by 4.9 per cent and in Valle del Cauca they were 5.7 per cent down YoY. Casanare reported a 17.5 per cent advance in offtake and Bolivar sales were up 11.8 per cent.



Cement production in Colombia slipped 6.2 per cent to 0.971Mt in April 2019 from 1.035Mt in the same month of the previous year.



January-April 2019

In the first four months of 2019 domestic dispatches edged up 1.4 per cent to 3.934Mt when compared with 3.88Mt in January-April 2018.



In terms of distribution segments, the retail sector saw its offtake decline by 3.9 per cent YoY while dispatches to construction companies and contractors fell by 9.7 per cent. Sales to ready-mix concrete companies slipped by 0.7 per cent YoY while the prefabricated segment was down 1.1 per cent.



Output from Colombian cement plants advanced 1.5 per cent YoY to 4.024Mt. In the 4M18 their production totalled 3.064Mt.

Published under
Eagle Materials to separate heavy and light material businesses

31 May 2019

USA-based Eagle Materials board has approved a plan to separate its heavy materials and light materials businesses into two publicly-traded entities. Earlier this month, Sachem Head Capital Management, which disclosed a nine per cent stake in the company in March, reportedly urged the company to separate its cement and wallboard businesses, according to Reuters.

Eagle Materials heavy materials business will operate as a cement company, while the light materials business will continue to produce gypsum wallboard and recycled paperboard.

"Based upon our recent comprehensive review of various strategic, operational and financial alternatives, the Eagle board and management team believe this separation will provide each of the businesses with the financial flexibility to pursue its own growth strategies and operating priorities, and will develop the appropriate capital structure and allocation priorities to generate long-term growth for all shareholders. Accordingly, we have determined that now is the optimal time to pursue this separation," said Mike Nicolais, chairman, Eagle Materials.

The separation will be by a tax-free spin-off to company shareholders and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2020, according to a press release. The new businesses will remain headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

"We believe that by pursuing the actions announced today the Eagle board is taking significant steps to unlock the companys inherent value," said Scott Ferguson, managing partner of Sachem Head. Sachem Head has also now confirmed that it will be withdrawing its director nominations.

Published under
Martha Irene Kunberger, 91, one of Gods choice servants, was ushered into the presence of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday morning, May 26, 2019.

Her parents, Fredrick and Ellen Kunberger, and two sisters preceded her in death.

She is survived by her brother John Kunberger, sister-in-law, Bonnie Kunberger, three nieces, and two nephews.



She was a long-time servant of her Lord. Martha started for the mission field in 1956 aboard an ocean liner, which took 16 days to arrive in Africa. Martha was one of those who would make up that first group of Baptist International Missions, Inc. (BIMI), missionaries. After Martha served four years in the Congo, the missionaries had to be evacuated. God closed the door there and opened another door of opportunity on another continent and with a new language to learn. For 18 years she served God faithfully in Nicaragua, Central America, until a government uprising forced all foreigners to leave. Once again, she sought the Lords direction and joined a work in Guatemala. Martha served four years before this country also underwent a political uprising, and Martha was among those missionaries evacuated. Nothing would cause Martha to lose her heart for missions and God was not finished with her. In 1985, BIMI asked her to work at BIMIs Home Office where she assisted with Spanish-speaking ministries and Bible correspondence courses.



In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Baptist International Missions, Inc., or to Lakewood Baptist Church.



Visitation will be from 13 p.m. on Friday, May 31, at Lakewood Baptist Church, 6626 Hunter Road, Harrison, Tn. 37341, followed by the funeral service at 3 p.m. with Pastor Ronnie Gilbert and Dr. J.B. Godfrey officiating.

Arrangements are held by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, Tn. 37343.

Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com.
I have been sitting back and watching this UnifiEd tax increase debate unfold. Ive attended two budget hearings, talked to a number of well informed experts and have done considerable research in an effort to educate myself on this particular issue. My conclusion is plain and simple, HCDE and UnifiEd are starving Hamilton County of much needed resources and services. I will explain further using the following data and observations.

I first want to say I support 100 percent the County General Budget increase of approximately $15 million. It is imperative that we provide pay increases to police officers, emergency personnel, provide additional funding to volunteer fire departments, and meet the additional needs of the courts, sheriffs department, and road departments. Our population in Hamilton County is growing and in my view all these budget items are justified and are for the protection and safety of our citizens. My objection is to the additional $34 million requested from the county for HCDE, which, when you include the additional state funding as well as the automatic increase in tax funding from the county, is estimated that the total funds received will be over $55 million over last year's budget. Remember taxpayers, once the County Commission increases the school budget, they cannot, by law reduce the budget in subsequent years.

It too, is necessary to provide pay increases to the hard working teachers and staff within the HCDE, but the $55 million additional funds only proposes a 5 percent increase in teachers pay. A 5 percent increase in teachers pay and slap a 17 percent tax increase on their property is in my view not a good deal. Let us dig just a little deeper.

According to the State of Tennessee Department of Education website, the answer is plain and clear. The 2017-2018 report card is public information and anyone can view the following summary. I looked at a number of counties in order to make a fair comparison but found Rutherford County to be closest to the same size district. Rutherford County has 44,707 students, Hamilton County has 43,830, a difference of 807 pupils less. Rutherford County has 2,918 classroom teachers compared to Hamilton Countys 2,863 classroom teachers or a difference of 55 teachers less. Both districts have a pupil/teacher ratio of 15.3 students/teacher. Heres the difference: Rutherford County has 132 administrators and Hamilton County has 203 administrators. Remember we have 877 fewer students but we have 54 percent more administrators. Which schools in Hamilton County have 15 students per teacher? I recently attended a 5th grade promotion where about 165 fifth grade students were promoted and had just five teachers. I am certain there are other schools throughout the county with similar class sizes. Where is the transparency that UnifiEd has been squalking about for four years? Where is the spending data per school throughout the district?

So, here is the bottom line: Rutherford County spends $9,173 per pupil. Hamilton County spends $10,418 per pupil. This is a difference of $1,245 per pupil. That translates to $54.6 million dollars additional spending in Hamilton County on a per pupil basis compared to Rutherford County. Just for further comparison Knox County spends $9,556 per pupil with 59,364 students. From the above data we can conclude that a huge difference in spending on school administrators is driving up our per pupil cost. Worthy of mention is the fact that administrators command far greater salaries than teachers. Our hard working teachers need to be paid fair and equitable wages and our kids all deserve reasonable and manageable classroom size. HCDE wake up, cut your overpaid administrative staff, put more teachers in the classroom and pay them fair wages.

Taxpayers, home builders and realtors where are you? If this $49 million UnifiEd tax increase is passed, the payments on the $400,000 homes you are building and trying to sell will increase by approximately $75/month. Also, remember a reappraisal will be due soon which will further increase the cost of payments. Hold HCDE accountable for their spending.

Dean Moorhouse

* * *

Mr. Moorehouse,

It is also important to note that the 5 percent increase will also apply to administrators. Also, half of the proposed salary increase is coming from the state budget increase.

Proponents of the tax increase make it seem that the whole increase is funded locally and will only apply to teachers.

Kathy Fickley

* * *

As much as I appreciate your attempt at a thoughtful analysis, Mr. Moorhouse, it's just plain wrong in a few key areas.





First, this has been THE most transparent budget in the history of our unified school system. All the information is right on the website for all to see and has been provided in a timely manner.





Secondly, your logic in comparing Hamilton and Rutherford counties is fundamentally flawed in failing to account for school size. The more students per school, the lower the cost per student. Fewer, larger schools require fewer principals, fewer teachers, fewer maintenance people, fewer administrative people, etc. Rutherford County has 947 students per school. Hamilton County has 564 students per school. So wouldn't it make more sense to compare Hamilton County to Shelby County (566 students per school, spending $12,086 per student) or Metro Nashville (524 students per school, spending $13,376 per student) instead of Rutherford County? But then we're left wondering how we do so much with so little.





Lastly, you just did the math wrong on the proposed tax increase. A $200,000 property would have an assessed value of $50,000. $50,000 divided by $100 is $500, and $500 x $0.34 is $170 per year or $14.17 per month. For a $400,000 property, that's $340 per year or $28.33 per month. That is less than a dollar a day for Hamilton County residents to provide this most critical of resources, a competitive education, to our students. And that's gas station coffee, not Starbucks coffee.





The fact is that this budget has been carefully crafted by Dr. Johnson and his new, skilled team to do the most for our children while asking no more in resources than is necessary to keep our educational progress moving forward.





It's been said that a cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Well, to be a proper cynic, you first need to get your prices right. But even then, I'd ask you and every other resident of Hamilton County to consider that providing our children with a great education is the single most valuable thing we can do for ourselves. The economic future of our county depends on it.

Tim Kelly

* * *

Tim,

Your response to Dean Moorhouse is very well written - as I would expect. (I do take exception to your gratuitous cynic comment). You fail however to get Deans point. The HCDE has proposed huge budget increases that are out of HCBEs lane. The HCDEs job is not to provide social welfare and yet that is what the majority of their budget increase is for.

The following is from school board Kathy Lennons interview with the Nashville Star - Some children dont know how to go to school. They dont get to come to school with a full belly. They dont get to come to school with packs of paper and pencils and everything they need to succeed. We have to know what it is they need. All of their social and emotional needs are not being met at home. We have to do our very best to meet those needs. So, teachers need to have the resources to help those children.

The article however summarizes the requested budget increases as follows - Proposed new positions include counselors, graduation coaches, a data warehouse programmer, a testing coordinator, a director of social and emotional learning, new assistant principals, and a college and career advisor, among other things.

Something does not add up here. Ms. Lennon is saying we need to make sure our children are fed and make sure they have pencils and papers. Yet the budget is calling to spend millions for a small army of counselors and other positions that will never darken the classroom or make sure the children are fed or have the proper school supplies.

Most Chattanoogans are very aware of the need to meet the social and physical needs of many of our inner-city children. I, along with many concerned taxpayers, dont believe the HCDE should be spending money on social programs the school system is ill equipped to administer. Lets get behind Chattanoogas many churches, the United Way and its allied agencies, foundations, and our many other charitable groups to address the root problems of the inner city. Lets let the HCDE concentrate on right sizing the number of schools and focusing on children learning to read at 3rd grade level by 3rd grade.

Because I believe many of the social issues being addressed in the school boards budget are straight out of UnifiEDs APEX report and UnifiED has supported many of the current school board members, I wish Dr. Johnson and the school board would publicly disassociate with UnifiED.

Tom Decosimo


Two years, millions spent, large task force, access to millions of documents, etc., and no clear statement of findings about obstruction of justice.

I was sure that prosecutors rendered decisions about cases as either yes or no in terms of findings. It seems that all Mr. Mueller is giving us is a blurry view of a costly expedition.

If Mr. Mueller knew from the beginning that he could not render a negative verdict due to laws regarding a sitting president, then why embark on an investigation to begin with?

Ted Ladd

Ooltewah

* * *

Mr. Ladd,

I believe you are mistaken as to the nature of Robert Mueller's investigation. His primary objective was to look into an attack on our election by Russia, a hostile foreign power. The publicly released version of the report that the Special Counsel issued, which all Americans ought to read, shows in detail how that attack on America took place. (As an aside, it's worth noting that Mitch McConnell, Senate Leader, is currently refusing to allow a vote on foreign interference legislation that is widely believed to have the votes to pass.) That President Trump was involved in Mueller's investigation into foreign election interference was tangential, but due to the volume of evidence, necessary.

As to your concerns regarding the cost of the Special Counsel's investigation, you may feel reassured that Mueller's efforts were on pair with other, similar, investigations. Those costs were also offset by the asset forfeiture of Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. After Manafort was convicted of a number of crimes, and pled guilty to others, the Department of Justice seized approximately $22 million in real estate and bank accounts. That money was placed in a DOJ general fund for future use, to the benefit of the American taxpayer.

I share your frustrations that Robert Mueller did not charge Donald Trump with obstruction. The report the Special Counsel issued describes behavior on the part of the President that appears to meet the threshold of that crime. Fortunately, Robert Mueller broke his silence yesterday. He clearly stated that DOJ policy (not law, mind you) prohibits charging a sitting president, and it was that policy, rather than a lack of evidence, that directed his decision.

Robert Mueller did his duty. He explained plainly that Congress is the sole constitutionally-appointed authority to address a president acting in violation of the law. I respect his decision not to circumvent the law just because Congress refuses to take action when action is called for. Robert Mueller has laid out a clear need for action. I hope that our elected representatives will each rise to the responsibilities of their office.

Nolan Crenshaw

* * *



Mr. Ladd,

Muellers costly expedition likely made a profit when accounting for the $30-$40 million in properties seized from Trumps campaign manager and convicted felon Paul Manafort. Im sure youll be happy to hear this but I cant understand why you wouldnt already know about it as it is easily gathered information.

Please note also that his investigation resulted in 34 indictments, convictions, and guilty pleas that have involved Donald Trumps top advisors, Russian spies, and Kremlin-affiliated hackers.

As for your question, If Mr. Mueller knew from the beginning that he could not render a negative verdict due to laws regarding a sitting president, then why embark on an investigation to begin with?, Mr. Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who himself was nominated by President Donald Trump. Again, Im not sure why you have to ask this question when the answer is so easily found by someone willing to do a few seconds of research.

Id also like to direct you to the Constitution of the United States of America, which designates Congress as the body that has oversight over a sitting President. A negative verdict would be the result of a trial, which in the case of a sitting President would be a part of the impeachment process that occurs in the Senate.

Finally, you stated that Mr. Mueller gave us a blurry view of his investigation. His actual words are not blurry at all to anyone familiar with FBI guidelines and the system of checks and balances in the American government. From his statement: ..as set forth in the report, after that investigation, if we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime under longstanding department policy, a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional.. the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing. And beyond department policy, we were guided by principles of fairness. It would be unfair to potentially  it would be unfair to potentially accuse somebody of a crime when there can be no court resolution of the actual charge.

A process other than the criminal justice system is impeachment in the House of Representatives and trial in the Senate. Does this make the blurry view clearer? Robert Mueller is a career civil servant and knows more than you and I combined about the federal justice system. Department of Justice policies forbid him from charging a sitting President, but according to the Constitution Congress may take that step.

An informed reader will see this for what it is: a criminal referral to Congress, the only body that can act upon it.

Kevin Scarborough




Hixson High School has earned the first College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science Principles. Schools honored with the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have expanded access for girls in AP Computer Science courses. Out of more than 18,000 secondary schools worldwide that offer AP courses, Hixson High School is one of only 685 to earn the award, and only 490 high schools earned the honor for the course AP Computer Science Principles.

Hixson is proud of the achievements of our female students studying computer science, said Lee Sims, principal of Hixson High. Were committed to providing our female students with access to AP Computer Science courses to prepare all of our students interested in computer science for success in critical STEM careers.



Schools receiving the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award have either 50 percent or higher female representation in one of the two AP computer science courses or a percentage of the female computer science examinees meeting or exceeding that of the schools female population.



This honor acknowledges the amazing work your school is doing to close the gender equity gap in computer science, wrote Trevor Packer, College Board senior vice president of the AP Program, in a letter to Hixson High announcing the award. Through your leadership in this area, you prepare your female students for the high-paying, in-demand jobs of the future and give them the opportunity to help solve some of societys most challenging problems.



The AP Computer Science Principles course launch in 2016 was the largest in program history. AP Computer Science Principles has promoted the growth of AP computer science in high schools. AP computer science course participation increased 135 percent since 2016, broadening STEM career opportunities for more students. The number of female, rural, and underrepresented minority students taking AP computer science exams has more than doubled in that period.



Providing female students with access to computer science courses contributes to gender parity in the industrys high-paying jobs and drives innovation, creativity, and competition. According to UNESCOs Institute of Statistics data, less than 30 percent of the worlds researchers are women; in North America and Western Europe, it is just 32 percent. Research from Southern Utah University funded by Microsoft shows women are more likely to pursue computer science if theyre allowed to explore the courses in high school.


In the first 150 days of his term as governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee told the Chattanooga Rotary Club on Thursday, he feels that important work has been done for the people of the state. His goal has been to improve the lives of Tennesseans and to make sure the state is managed fiscally responsibly. He said he is proud of the budget that was created with cooperation of the House and Senate which includes $40 million in cuts. There are also three tax cuts for small businesses. It is wise spending to put money into peoples hands because that stimulates the economy, he said. The largest amount ever invested in the states rainy-day fund, $1.1 billion, has been made this year for when times are not so good.

And he told reporters afterward that he favors Chattanooga Volkswagen remaining non-union.

He told NewsChannel 9, "The reality is that it is more difficult to attract companies into states that have a high level of organized union activity. And for that reason I think that Volkswagen remaining a merit shop facility is beneficial to the economy of Tennessee."

U.S. News and World Report has named Tennessee the number one state for fiscal stability. He said that former Governor Bill Haslam laid the foundation and that the state has a long history of fiscal responsibility. He said that he just stepped into it. Economic growth in the state has added 5,000 new jobs with some major investments having been made this year from large companies that include FedEx and LG.

Having good schools for all kids is a priority because education will transform the future of Tennessee, said Governor Lee. This includes technical and vocational education, he said. There are now 100 STEM schools in the state with a goal to double that by 2022. He said it will be important to invest in STEM education to provide workers for technical companies.

The Basic Education Program (BEP) has been continued, which is the formula for how money is generated and distributed to schools. He said an innovative program in place is the creation of the Education Savings Accounts bill that will provide the opportunity for children in the lowest performing districts in Shelby and Davidson Counties to attend private schools. Charter schools will also be strengthened. The way that they are authorized will facilitate ways to open new, good charter schools and close bad ones, it was said. He said that he was encouraged that Bill Gates and his foundation has chosen Tennessee as one of five states to help with education.

The bottom line is to lower the crime rate in Tennessee, he said. One way is to improve the lives of those who are re-entering society from prison. The creation of a criminal justice task force will provide a way to be tough and smart on crime and will help lower the crime rate for neighborhoods once people are released from jail. Stronger penalties for drug offences is another way to combat crime, as well as providing education to those who are incarcerated. A rate of 40 percent less crime has been shown when those individuals are released, he said.

I dont believe government is the greatest answer, said the governor. Non-profits and faith-based initiatives have the biggest impact when working along with the government., he said. His wife Maria Lee, has recently announced Tennessee Serves, for calling Tennesseans to be volunteers to serve in any way that they can.

In response to a question regarding fighting human trafficking, he said that the state has laws in place to prevent and deter it. But he said the non-profit and faith-based organizations really know what is going on about this issue. He believes that connecting state resources to the non-profits is the best way to deal with human trafficking as well as other social challenges.

So many good things are going on in the urban areas of the state, said the governor, but rural Tennessee is important to everyone of us. He said that his first executive order laid out a pathway for development and success in distressed rural areas of the state. These areas will be better served with economic and educational opportunities and healthcare.

Legislation was passed last year on the distribution of opioids and the state continues to look at other ways to limit distribution. But limiting opioids has led to expanding illegal use. Now there is an effort to decrease drug trafficking. The greatest challenge, he said, is the threat that comes with addiction which is considered a mental health disease. To address that, money is being used to expand a mental health safety net.

Chattanooga is more advanced in fostering start-up companies than other cities in Tennessee, he told the Rotary Club. The state needs to create a business-friendly environment to attract people in that type of world. He is interested to know why a start-up has located where it is and how to attract others to come, as well as what to do to make the company want to stay. He also believes that investment needs to be made in a workforce that is associated with technology-based companies, such as the STEM schools.

Responding to a question about unions at the Volkswagen Plant, he said one of the governors primary responsibilities is economic development and attracting jobs. He said it is more difficult to attract companies in a state with more organized labor because it makes is less attractive.

When asked what the state is doing to deal with climate change, he answered that he knows the importance of being a good steward by protecting the land and clean air and water. He said just last week he participated in a meeting to determine a way to evaluate environmental policies in the state, but that discussion has just started.
Helen Burns Sharp of the citizen group Accountability for Taxpayer Money told members of the Chattanooga Downtown Redevelopment Corporation (CDRC) that the board members need to continue to keep an idea on the situation with a city parking lot on King Street.

City staff told members of the CDRC that work on the lot is about 90 percent complete.

Ms. Sharp told the group, "Thanks for the opportunity to address you today.Id like to share some thoughts on the King Street Parking lot, which you own. It is on the agenda as an update later on the agenda.

"I show up at your meetings from time-to-time. There is a common theme to my comments. Whether the topic is public parking spaces at Renaissance Park earmarked for an apartment developer, or the PILOT for the Walnut Commons apartment complex, or the King Street lot, ATMs concerns are about government transparency and a level playing field for public and private interests.

"In a recent op-ed piece, I wrote that private developers and their attorneys are good at advocating for their financial interests. But who is doing the work for local government to look out for the public interest in negotiations?... Public-private partnerships are great, provided we have a strong public sector willing to ask questions of the strong private players.

"You need to be part of the strong public sector.

"Today I am here to talk about the King Street parking lot, whose recent history is kind of bizarre.

? The City Council declared the lot surplus, even though it was heavily used by city employees. (2016)

? The CDRC went through a competitive RFP process to sell the lot, even though city staff had said they had been working closely with the private developers who were constructing and renovating property to the south.

? The CDRC was prepared to sell the property in 2017 to the neighboring private developers at a price that was less than what the City had paid for the property in 2007.

? While the developers later agreed to pay a higher amount based on an appraisal, they rescinded their offer and the RFP was withdrawn, with no explanation given to the board.

? City staff in 2018 informed the CDRC that the parking lot was causing flooding in the adjacent warehouse building owned by the developers. The board authorized spending up to $480,000 in public funds to pave the parking lot, even though the drainage issue likely existed when the private developers bought their property in 2014.

"Lets talk about the present and the future.The parking lot is now paved. It is better for city employees who park there during the work week and it will be available after hours and on weekends as a paid parking lot for the adjacent buildings to the south and for the St. Johns building across the street. Good.

"Parking should remain free for city employees. Mechanisms need to be put in place to make the parking during the work week available only to city staff (and perhaps for overflow parking at city/county DRC building). The warehouse building adjacent to the south may convert to retail and office on the ground floor and upper story apartments. The owners may approach the CDRC about parking.

"What ATM respectfully asks you to do on King Street in the future is to make sure you have the information you need to determine that whatever agreements you enter into now or later are fair to the city employees and fair to taxpayers."
The Refuge and Cleveland State Community College Workforce Development held a graduation for seven students who participated successfully in all elements of The Refuge Career Connection, a two-part workforce training that prepares individuals for long-term careers.

The first week of training takes place at The Refuge, where job preparation skills are taught. During the first week, students learn about soft skills, develop their resumes, participate in interview simulations, learn about Microsoft Word and Excel and develop money budgeting skills. Upon graduation, the students earn a diploma from the American Heart Association for 2 year AED, One-man CPR, Choking, and Infant. Chief Operations Officer Brian Stewart (The Refuge), and Dr. Terry Johns, executive director (The Refuge), give each graduate a new welding hood to go with the gloves they received in the program, making it easier to apply for welding jobs.

The second week of training requires the completion of 40 hours of rigorous, hands-on MIG Welding training on site at Cleveland State. CSCC teaches students MIG welding processes, machine set-up, basic math, blueprint reading, basic welding symbology, welding safety, welding materials and gases. Upon successful demonstration of competencies, students earn the Workplace MIG Welding Training OneSource Certificate of Achievement, and four Continuing Education Units.

Training officer Brian Deaton and training specialist Nick Smith of Norfolk Southern traveled from McDonough, Ga. to CSCC to test students on the last training day for certification on the American Welding Society Fillet weld, position 2F flat weld, WPS No. NS-T1/2. Mr. Deaton said, Our partnership with Cleveland State Community College and the Refuge has been rewarding. To see so many lives changed from a service that we provide is something that Norfolk Southern is proud of and pleased to be a part of.

Norfolk Southern, an Accredited Testing Facility for the American Welding Society, administers testing programs for procedure qualification and maintenance renewal for any welding code.

When asked about her experience in the two-part training delivered by The Refuge and CSCC, graduate Brandi Arp, said, We are so excited! Before this class, we were lucky to make $18 an hour combing our wages. Now, we can make that each.! And not even a week after graduation, and we (husband, Jeremy Arp) both have jobs. Total game and life changer for us!

According to Bre LaMountain, CSCC OneSource Workforce Development Coordinator, all graduated welders are capable of entry-level welding careers and are in an excellent position to grow within the field of welding. Working closely with The Refuge, five of the recently graduated seven students had already obtained interviews, scheduled on the day of graduation and the following week. Two of the seven have already secured full-time employment.

Dr. Terry Johns, executive director of The Refuge, said, We are thrilled to share this partnership with Cleveland State Community College OneSource Workforce Development. We have a solid working relationship and share a similar vision to make a difference in our community. The Career Connection Career Readiness Training arose out of our (The Refuge) commitment to build relationships within the community, listen to residents concerns and visions, and work together to develop strategies and programs. As we listened, talked to key individuals in the community and representatives from industry, business, and education, we decided to make employment services the center of our nonprofit work.

As we continued with the development of programs, we soon discovered that a key element missing was skills training. This large need in the community prompted us to begin discussions with CSCC OneSource, City Fields (formerly Impact Cleveland), and the Chamber of Commerce. We began investigating the possibility of intensive skills training to supply employees for high demand jobs. We were not sure that any two-week program could offer training that would give individuals entry-level skills for the middle-skills jobs we identified. We had tried a few things with minimal success. Finally, the idea for MIG Welding was floated. Everyone agreed: You cant train someone to weld in one week. This was an experiment at best, and some might say a risky one. To make a long story short, we beat the odds.

The program is now in the fifth year of Career Connection and Mig Welding partnership with Cleveland State Community College.

Mr. Johns said, During this time, the program has grown and gained a level of respect within our community. This month, because of the job rate and success of our participants, the American Job Center became a partner, helping fund qualified individuals and provide some of their tools.

Bre LaMountain, Cleveland State Community College OneSource Workforce Development coordinator, said, It was very exciting for us when The Refuge approached us five years ago and discussed their ideas for training individuals to weld who had never touched a torch in their lives. At that time, Cleveland States welding lab was newly built. We already knew the need for welders and the living wages that could be earned; we could not wait to jump in with The Refuge.



LaMountain relays that Ryan Blackstone, Bart Withrow, and Travis Butler, all Cleveland State OneSource welding instructors, also teach MIG, TIG, and stick welding training for Cleveland States local industries. The Refuge and OneSource Mig training runs five times per year, which provides a way for justice-involved participants and participants who just need a do-over, a second chance to reach success. The instructors care about all of the students passing through the program, and know that being able to showcase a valuable industry skill is one of the best ways to build financial stability and success, and keep from falling back into old patterns.

Travis Butler, a graduate of the program, now teaches OneSource welding for Career Connection.

This program saved my life and has significantly benefited my whole family, as well," said Mr. Butler, I found myself battling some very serious demons, which threatened the livelihood and well-being of my family. I was on a dead end street to the grave or prison if something didnt change dramatically!

Mr. Butler heard about the Career Connections welding program from his brother who had graduated from the program. Once Mr. Butler graduated, he chose to volunteer as a way of giving back to the community, but has since been added to the payroll.

I found a calling in lifea trade I can use anywhere in the world to provide a good life for my family despite my past mistakes that seemed to overshadow all hope at a good, healthy life for my wife and kidshaving a program that actually cares made all the difference," said Mr. Butler. "I am where I am in life because of the people involved in Career Connections and OneSource. I was uplifted and empowered by the whole experience and all the individuals involved.

According to Mr. Butler, during the five years of the program, they have trained 200 individuals. These 200 have increased their annual income by almost $3 million.

For more information about The Refuge, visit www.refugecl.org or call 584-5211. For more information about CSCCs Welding Program, visit www.clevelandstatecc.edu or call 472-7141, ext. 447.




With Chronic Wasting Disease occurring in Tennessee, the TWRA has established the goal of keeping CWD from spreading, keeping the number of diseased deer in the affected area to a minimum, and reducing disease rates where possible. To achieve that goal, the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission established a CWD (chronic wasting disease) Unit with specific regulations to achieve their goals that are science-based and data-driven.



"The aim of Unit CWD hunting regulations is to increase the deer harvest by empowering hunters to harvest more while targeting high-risk deer and allowing the agency to sample more deer to better understand the disease. Data collected to date indicates that bucks are twice as likely as does to have CWD. Older bucks are three times more likely to have CWD than younger bucks. Other research proves that bucks have a much larger home range so the likelihood of bucks transporting CWD to new areas is higher. For all these reasons, the harvest of bucks will help the most with accomplishing these goals; however the harvest of does is also very important since they can spread the disease as well," officials said.



The following hunting regulation changes were made to Unit CWD counties to accomplish the above-stated objectives:



 Earn-A-Buck

o Tennessees antlered deer bag limit (2) did not change; therefore it still applies to hunters hunting Unit CWD as well as the rest of the state.

o Only hunters hunting in Unit CWD counties may earn additional bucks.

o Unit CWD hunters may earn up to two bucks for harvest, in addition to the statewide antler deer bag limit of two.

o Earned bucks are received by harvesting two Unit CWD antlerless deer, checking them in, submitting them for CWD testing, and being notified by TWRA.

o Earn-A-Buck will increase the number of deer (does and bucks) harvested and the numbers of deer tested for CWD.



 Replacement Bucks

o Unit CWD hunters will receive a replacement buck if they harvest a CWD-positive buck and the lab result is confirmed by TWRA.

o There is no limit on the number of replacement bucks.

o Replacement bucks will encourage hunters to continue hunting and harvesting and be an added incentive for hunters to have their deer tested for CWD.



 The August 3-day hunt now allows the use of muzzleloaders, in addition to archery, and applies to most public lands (Presidents Island in Shelby County is excluded).



 Muzzleloader season will begin on October 28th in Unit CWD



 Gun season will begin November 9th in Unit CWD



 Antlered harvest allowed during the January 5-day private lands hunt (traditionally antlerless only)



 Mandatory physical check stations on Nov. 2-3 and Nov. 9-10 for Unit CWD counties except Hardeman and Fayette.



The CWD hunting regulations only apply to CWD positive counties of Fayette, Hardeman, and Madison and CWD high-risk counties of Chester, Haywood, McNairy, Shelby, and Tipton. Carcass export and wildlife feeding restrictions remain in place for Unit CWD.
The Whitfield County Board of Assessors mailed annual property assessment notices for 48,000 real estate and personal property accounts on Friday, May 31. Taxpayers should expect assessments to arrive in the coming days.



Officials said, "For tax year 2019, the median sales price and total volume of sales increased throughout Whitfield County. The Federal Housing Finance Agencys final 2018 House Price Index report (HPI), which measures the price changes of residential housing throughout the country and in metropolitan areas, reported a 12.27 percent increase in house prices in the Dalton Metropolitan area from Dec. 31, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2018. According to the same HPI report, median sales prices over the last 5 years have increased 32.48 percent in the Dalton Metropolitan area. These percentages are consistent with our in-office data. Despite the increase in median sale prices, the Board of Assessors did not recommend a countywide increase in residential housing values.



"However, in specific markets, neighborhoods and the smallest tracts of rural land, adjustments were made to the valuation of real estate parcels. A few commercial and industrial properties saw value adjustments as well. The majority of real estate parcels in Whitfield County will not see a change in value this year.



"For the second year in a row, the Assessors office saw an increase in new construction permits issued by the Building Inspectors office. We expect this trend to continue into the foreseeable future. Along with the continuation of our county-wide photo project, the real estate field staff will be busy in the coming months adding new construction to our digest.



"The audit program, put in place by the Board of Assessors last year, continues to yield better accuracy within our commercial and industrial personal property digest. As always, personal property values are heavily weighted by data supplied by taxpayers on their annual tax return form, which were due on April 1. The Personal Property divisions staff is committed to presenting the most accurate reporting of commercial and industrial inventory for our digest.



"The Tax Assessors office has partnered with Schneider Geospatial to launch a new website through their qPublic.net platform. Our new website makes searching for information easier. You can find your property record card, which includes value breakdowns and homestead exemption information, a sales search tool to find out what real estate is selling for in your area and several mapping layers for things like zoning, commission districts and voting precincts, with more features being made available in the coming months. Of course, our website is available without a subscription fee. Visit http://qpublic.schneidercorp.com and select Whitfield County, Georgia or visit the countys website at www.whitfieldcountyga.com and look for our link.



"If you have questions or concerns about your assessment notice, including homestead exemption status, feel free to contact the Assessors office at 706-275-7410 or visit us on the ground level of the Whitfield County Courthouse. A taxpayer has 45 days to file a written appeal of their property assessment if they disagree with the valuation, uniformity, taxability, denial of exemption, breach of covenant and/or denial of covenant. Tax payers cannot appeal the estimated tax bill included on the assessment notice or their actual tax bill mailed out in October by the Tax Commissioners office. The deadline to file a written appeal is July 15."
Life Care Center of Cleveland is welcoming a new executive director, Jimmy Dale.

I feel like this is an opportunity of a lifetime, said Mr. Dale. Life Care has been part of this community in a very big way for almost 50 years now, and Im honored to be a part of this wonderful team here at Life Care Center of Cleveland.



Mr. Dale is no stranger to parent company Life Care Centers of America, having worked as executive director at Life Care Center of Copper Basin in Ducktown, Tn., and at Lynchburg Nursing Center in Lynchburg, Tn., before that. He started his career in senior care as a valet for Life Care Center of Ooltewah.

He earned his bachelors degree in long-term care administration from Southern Adventist University in Collegedale.

Jimmy Dale has a proven, effective leadership style, said Doyle Love, vice president of the Cumberland Region for Life Care. He leads by example, and he is always willing to listen and jump in to help as needed. Life Care Center of Cleveland will thrive under his leadership.



Mr. Dale said, Life Care Centers of America pays very close attention to every detail, and they have always set the standard for quality. It's a great feeling to work for an organization with such a high level of integrity and values. I have an opportunity to truly make a difference in peoples lives every single day, and I take that very seriously.



Originally from Portland, Or., Dale and his wife, Brianna, live in Chattanooga.



Life Care Center of Cleveland, at 3530 Keith St., NW, is one of 27 skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Tennessee managed by Life Care Centers of America.






Ahead of National Trails Day, National Park Partners Executive Director Tricia Mims led a tour of trails near the popular Point Park destination on Lookout Mountain to highlight the nearly $50 million in deferred maintenance facing Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. She was joined by former Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield and North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy President Taft Sibley.Earlier this month, Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander announced the Trump administration was backing his effort to dedicate nearly $6 billion toward deferred maintenance projects in our national parks, cutting the backlog in half.In February 2019, Senator Alexander reintroduced the Restore Our Parks Act, a bipartisan bill to create a dedicated source of funding for the $12 billion in deferred maintenance projects to help restore our 418 national parks, including 12 parks right here in Tennessee. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03) is a co-sponsor of the legislation, as well as Reps. Phil Roe (TN-01), Jim Cooper (TN-05), and Steve Cohen (TN-09).According to the National Park Service, tourism to Chickamauga and Chattanooga Military Park created $69.2 million in economic benefits in 2018 alone. Yet the park faces $49.5 million in deferred maintenance as of 2015, impacting roads, bridges, restrooms, and trail maintenance. Last year, Senator Lamar Alexander visited Point Park to highlight some of the deferred maintenance needs in Tennessees 12 national parks.Ive been involved in planning and politics and tourism here most of my life. I can tell you from experience that these parks have been so interlaced with our economic successes that you cant put a price on it, said Ron Littlefield, former mayor of Chattanooga. I dont know any business people who would allow this amount of deferred maintenance to build up as we have with our national parks. When Volkswagen decided to come here, they said what brought them here was the quality of life that only Chattanooga and our national park offers. I applaud Senator Alexander for getting this legislation in front of the Senate, in front of the House, and I hope it gets passed.I use the trail system here on a weekly basis, and the parts of the park I usually see often are overlooked because theyre less visible, said Taft Sibley, president of the North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy and local trail advocate. Our 80 miles of trail systems are an incredible asset to Chattanooga and our visitors, but if trees fall and block the path for months without being addressed, it becomes a public safety issue.When we talk about deferred maintenance, were talking about the backlog of roads, bridges, trails, bathrooms, and other facilities that make our national parks so enjoyable and accessible for the nearly 1 million people who visit Chattanooga and Chickamauga National Military Park, said Tricia Mims, executive director of the National Park Partners. The last major spending by Congress was over 60 years ago. Its time for another era of reinvestment. We are supportive of Senator Alexanders legislation to restore our parks.For more information on deferred maintenance projects in our national parks, visit the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Prince William and Prince Harry have always had a close relationship. The royal brothers have been through a lot together and leaned on each other through the good times and bad. However, things are different now. In fact, the two brothers have begun to purposely distance themselves. Find out why, ahead.



Prince William and Prince Harrys relationship



Prince William and Prince Harry | Eddie Mulholland  WPA Pool/Getty Images

After losing their mother, Princess Diana at such a young age, Prince William and Prince Harry grew very close. And, even when Prince William met and married Kate Middleton, their relationship continued to be a sacred aspect of their lives  both personally and professionally.



However, things started to change once Prince Harry met Meghan Markle. Through her support, the Duke of Sussex no longer needed his brother (or sister-in-law) as he had before, which has caused for some of the distance between Prince William and Prince Harry. However, thats not the reason why they arent close anymore.



They no longer share a royal household



Prince William, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Kate Middleton | Paul Grover- WPA Pool/Getty Images

In the last year or so, Prince William and Prince Harry have made small steps towards their future positions in the royal family. And, earlier this year, they took the plunge and decided to officially separate their royal households.



The split required a new Instagram, new communications team, and new London abode for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who plan to now stay at Buckingham Palace when in town for business.



They dont always get along



Prince William and Prince Harry | Jack Taylor/Getty Images

Like most siblings, Prince William and Prince Harry dont always see eye-to-eye. However, in the last year, their relationship has been clouded with reports of feuds. No one really knows what their fights are about (some believe it has to do with Prince Williams opinions of Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys whirlwind romance and others believe its about Prince Williams alleged affair with Kate Middletons best friend, Rose Hanbury), but the reports continue to circulate.



According to reports, the royal brothers have continued to grow farther and farther apart. So much so that they didnt even speak to each other during Easter service last month.



Prince William is preparing for his future role



Prince William and Prince Harry | Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

One of the biggest reasons for Prince William and Prince Harrys distance has to do with their very different roles in the royal family. Right now, Prince William is learning all he can about his future roles from his father, Prince Charles and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. When Prince Charles ascends the throne and becomes king, he will name Prince William the Prince of Wales. And, with the title change comes a host of new responsibilities. The Duke of Cambridge has has to step it up tremendously in the last few years and, as a result, has had to put a wall between him and Prince Harry.



William and Kate are completely in transition as he prepares to take over as the Prince of Wales, a source told People. Their life together is all about preparing to be in charge, which is a significant reason for the wall between them and Harry and Meghan, they added.



This is, unfortunately, just the beginning for Operation Distance. As Prince William continues to focus on his prominent role in the royal family, the brothers will move farther and farther away. Privately, they might share a close bond, but the public wont see much of that since their positions are so different.



Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook!
Prince Harry has always been known as the wild one in the royal family, but it sounds like he may have taken pointers from his older brother. In a new documentary, Prince William at Thirty, royal experts claim that William was once referred to as a daredevil by other members of the royal family because he loved getting into trouble.

Prince Harry and Prince William | Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Inside Williams younger years

Prince Williams wild years apparently go all the back to when he was in the nursery. Katie Nicholl, who has covered the royal family for years, revealed that Williams nickname in the nursery was Basher Wills because he constantly got into fights.

Some parents also referred to William as the basher after witnessing his antics on the playground. When it came to his teachers, William tried to influence them by reminding everyone about his position within the ranks of the royal family.

He was a little bit of a daredevil, he liked getting up to all sorts of mischief, Dickie Arbiter, a former press secretary for the royal family, shared.

William and Kate at the Beaufort Polo Club in 2005, a few days before they graduated from university. How cute! pic.twitter.com/9bfGbXYDPW  Katie (@katiesroyallove) May 31, 2019

According to International Business Times, Williams behavior caused a great deal of concern within the royal family. Fortunately for Prince William, his bad behavior as a child never made headlines. His brother, on the other hand, was a different story.

As royal watchers will recall, Harry once dressed up in a Nazi uniform for a party and played a game of nude billiards in Las Vegas, photos of which eventually made their way online. Harry has since tamed his wild ways, mostly because he is now a married man and a father to boot.

William felt lonely in college

While William met his future wife, Kate Middleton, while attending the University of St. Andrews, his educational days were anything but normal. In his book, William and Catherine, author Andrew Morton claims that William suffered a lonely existence at St. Andrews.

His fellow classmates were reportedly too afraid to greet him in public because they did not want to be seen as social climbers. Prince William was also careful about making new friends, which resulted in an isolated time for the Duke of Cambridge.

Luckily, Middleton was there when William needed her the most. The two originally met at St. Andrews and, while they started off as friends, their relationship quickly turned romantic. But their romance wasnt without issues. Morton claims that Prince William sometimes treated Middleton like a servant, which did not go over well.

Their problems reached a boiling point in 2004 when they briefly separated. They faced a similar situation in 2007. After working through their differences, William and Middleton tied the knot in 2011 and share three children together.

Prince Harry and Prince William face trouble

Although William grew out of his wild years fairly quickly, Harry continued to act out until relatively recently. His questionable behavior, in fact, is what led to his first rift with William.

Inside sources say that Harry could not stand how William always got away with things when he was constantly getting the blame. Things reportedly got so bad that Harry and William stopped speaking to each other.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to split from charity set up with Prince William and Kate per the Cambridges request. https://t.co/eNYk5624co pic.twitter.com/a8uQ95iHoU  Royally_Petite (@RoyallyPetite) May 31, 2019

To help mend their relationship, William visited Harry at Eton. Luckily, the two were able to work things out and continued to be on good terms until only recently. Insiders believe that Markle also helped tame Harry and curb his bad behavior. After all, it has been quite some time since Harry was involved in a scandal, which is pretty impressive given his history.

Prince William and Prince Harry open up about their mothers passing

Rebellious years aside, William and Harry recently opened up about how they dealt with their mothers tragic passing in 1997. William admitted that his moms passing was one of the hardest things he has had to confront in life.

He also lamented how British men are often taught to keep their emotions bottled up and believes everyone would be healthier if they were more open about their feelings.

Harry also shared some words about Princess Dianas passing and revealed that he felt less secure after her death. He also said that hearing other people share their thoughts on losing loved ones helped him feel less alone.

Prince William has not commented on the latest documentary about his early days.
Atomic structure of the copper catalyst used in the hydrogenation reaction of a carbon-oxygen bond. Formaldehyde H2CO (on the left), used as the model molecule in the simulations, takes two hydrogens from the copper; they move to the carbon-oxygen bond so that the molecule changes into a simple alcohol (methanol CH3OH on the right). After the reaction, a hydrogen molecule (blue, on the left) in the vicinity splits into two hydrogen atoms inside the copper.

The researchers of the Nanoscience Center (NSC) at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, and in the Xiamen University, China, have discovered how copper particles at the nanometre scale operate in modifying a carbon-oxygen bond when ketone molecules turn into alcohol molecules. Modification of the carbon-oxygen and carbon-carbon bonds found in organic molecules is an important intermediate stage in catalytic reactions, where the source material is changed into valuable end products.

Understanding the operation of catalysts at the level of the atomic structure of a single particle makes it possible to develop catalysts into desired directions, such as making them efficient and selective for a specific desired end-product. The study was published in the internationally recognised ACS Nano nanoscience publication series. In Finland, the study was led by Academy Professor Hannu Hakkinen.

The catalytic copper particles used in the study were made and structurally characterized at the Xiamen University, and their operation in changing a strong carbon-oxygen bond in a hydrogenation reaction was studied by the researchers of the Nanoscience Center (NSC) at the University of Jyvaskyla in computer simulations. The precise atomic structure of the copper particles was determined through X-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The particles were found to contain 25 copper atoms and ten hydrogens, and there were 18 thiols protecting the surface of the particle. While the experimental work in Xiamen revealed its excellent performance in catalytic hydrogenation of ketones, the simulations predicted that the hydrogens bound to the copper core of the particle act as a hydrogen storage, which releases two hydrogen atoms to the carbon-oxygen bond during a reaction. The hydrogen storage is refilled after the reaction, when a hydrogen molecule attached to the particle from its surroundings splits into two hydrogen atoms, which are bound again to the copper core (see image). The NMR measurements carried out in Xiamen revealed an intermediate product of the reaction, which confirmed the predictions of the computational model.

"This is one of the first times in the whole world when it has been possible to discover how a catalytic particle works when its structure is known this accurately, thanks to a cooperation involving both experiments and simulations," says Academy Professor Hannu Hakkinen from the University of Jyvaskyla, who led the computational part of the study.

Hakkinen's collaborator, Karoliina Honkala, Professor of computational catalysis, continues: "Traditionally, expensive platinum-based catalysts are used in hydrogenation reactions. This study proves that nanoscale copper hydride particles also act as hydrogenation catalysts. The results give hope that in the future, it will be possible to develop effective and inexpensive copper-based catalysts to transform functionalised organic molecules into products with a higher added value."

In addition to Hakkinen and Honkala, Postdoctoral Researcher Nisha Mammen, Doctoral Student Sami Kaappa and Senior Researcher Sami Malola from the University of Jyvaskyla participated in the study. The research conducted by the groups of Hakkinen and Honkala was supported by the Academy of Finland. The computer simulations in the study were carried out by the supercomputers of the CSC - IT Center for Science. The experimental work of the study was carried out by the group of Professor Nanfeng Zheng from the Xiamen University.
A Greenville, SC couple is suing both the state and the Trump Administration after a Christian foster care agency rejected their application to become foster parents. Eden Rogers and Brandy Welch, who have been married for three years and have two children of their own, applied to become foster parents through Miracle Hill Ministries, but the agency turned down their application because they feel a religious obligation to partner with foster parents who share our beliefs and who are active in a Christian church.

In January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a waiver that allowed foster care agencies who receive federal funds in South Carolina to refuse to offer services that come into conflict with their religious convictions. The lawsuit alleges that the HHS and South Carolina are guilty of unlawfully authorizing state-contracted, government-funded foster care agencies to use religious eligibility criteria to exclude qualified families from fostering children in the public child welfare system. They further claim the waivers violate the establishment, equal protection, and due process clauses of the United States Constitution.

Rogers and Welch expressed their disbelief that they would be rejected on religious grounds, citing their commitment to family and membership in Greenvilles Unitarian Universalist Church. Welch said, We work hard to raise our own two girls in a loving and stable home. Faith is part of our family life, so it is hurtful and insulting to us that Miracle Hills religious view of what a family must look like deprives foster children of a nurturing, supportive home.

Reid Lehman, president of Miracle Hill Ministries, defended the agencys criteria for selecting foster families and said they wanted to help Rogers and Welch find another agency to use. Our unique ability to partner with Christian parents who share our religious convictions has helped to greatly increase the pool of available foster homes, he told the Greenville News. We are saddened that Ms. Rogers and Ms. Welch are unwilling to foster children if they cannot do so with Miracle Hill. We would be honored to work with them if they shared our religious convictions in belief and practice, and weve encouraged them to volunteer in other ways with our ministry if they would like to do so.

Multiple agenciesLambda Legal, the ACLU, ACLU of South Carolina, and South Carolina Equality Coalition filed the suit on Rogers and Welchs behalf. Susan Dunn, legal director for ACLU of South Carolina blasted the waivers and claimed that religious liberty was being used as a shroud for discrimination. She said, The state of South Carolina and the Trump Administration have turned their backs on the children of South Carolina who are in foster care. She continued, by allowing discrimination in the state child welfare system, caring, qualified families like Eden and Brandy are turned away. Prospective foster and adoptive parents should be judged only by their capacity to provide love and support to a child. Our states priorities should be finding homes for every child who needs one, not providing taxpayer-funded agencies with a license to discriminate.

The South Carolina State Department of Social Services asked Miracle Hill to expand its foster care program and to recruit more foster parents. Last fiscal year, they gave them $600,000 to help them with this task.

Scott Slayton writes at One Degree to Another.

Photo courtesy: Martins Zemlickis/Unsplash
An American doctor who was shot while on a mission trip to Haiti is telling the story of the harrowing moments when he thought he was going to die and of the man who served as an angel by turning away the gunmen. 58-year-old Doug Burbella traveled to Haiti with a missions group through Living Waters.

In the months before the team arrived, protests and riots broke out across Haiti. Their petroleum deal with Venezuela had come to an end and the price of fuel jumped by 50 percent. Gang violence, tire burning, and roadblocks became commonplace around the country.

Burbella and his team arrived in Port-au-Prince in April with a load of computers for a community center. About four hours outside the city, they came upon a group of men who were stopping traffic. Team member Jackie Brandon described the scene. The truck was just totally swarmed with men and guns and weapons. And they were pounding on the windows trying to break all the windows to get in. One mans standing there with his gun and he has two white lines down his cheek and his chin. And it reminded me of voodoo.

Drew Pasler was driving the second vehicle and Burbella was in it with him. Pasler said As we were approaching, you know, he said, slow down a little bit, so Im kind of cautiously approaching as Im watching these people start pouring in from the side of the road swarming the vehicle in front of me. It was when I saw a rifle come around the side. We thought they were going to execute everybody. So I started reversing and Dougs yelling, go, go, go and as Im reversing thats when we started hearing the guns firing that were pointed at us.

Men on a motorcycle pulled up beside them and hit the truck with a barrage of machine gun fire. After the window blew out behind Paslers head, he heard Burbella yell out, Im dying. Ive been hit. He turned and saw two visible wounds. Pasler speculated, however, that there could have been more than just the two visible wounds based on the amount of blood he saw.

A gunman put a rifle to Burbellas head when some an incredible act of providence took place. A man pulled up on a motorcycle. In English, he told Pasler, its okay, its going to be okay. Then, the man stepped in front of the bandits and spoke several words to the mob in Creole. The crowd slowly backed off.

Members of the group rushed Burbella to the closest hospital, which was over an hour away. He did not know if he would live until he made it to the hospital, so he recorded a video giving his last words to his family. He told them, Honey, I just want you to know I love you, and I love you, Michael. Michael, I want you to be a pilot. Dont ever give up on that dream. Live for the Lord.

Burbella survived the drive to the hospital. Then, he was flown from Haiti to Delray Medical Center in Delray Beach, Florida. Shelly Weiss, a spokesperson for the hospital, told ABC News that Burbella was shot in the neck, jaw and spine. She also confirmed that the surgeons removed all three bullets during surgery.

Burbella knows how close he came to death and is thankful for the second chance he has at life. He told CBN News, I want people to know that if God can carry me through this with no loss of any function, really, whatever problems you have, theyre equally minuscule. Its a miracle. Its a shout-out to say your problem is equally small, and God can carry you through it.

Despite the near-fatal outcome of his 20th trip to Haiti, Burbella has not ruled out going again. He told ABC News, I will go wherever the Lord tells me to go. But I will have to ask my wife.

Scott Slayton writes at One Degree to Another.

Photo courtesy: Marc Kleen/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.
This Sunday, hundreds of Christian leaders and congregations across the US will join Franklin Graham in a special day of prayer for President Donald Trump.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association president, who prayed at Trumps inauguration, said that the president needs prayer to protect, strengthen, encourage, and guide him in the face of political attacks.

He cited the call to pray for leaders from 1 Timothy 2:

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (v. 14)

Beyond a designated day of prayer, many congregations include political leaders in their weekly petitions during Sunday gatherings. As they pray, leaders often emphasize Gods sovereignty over earthly kingdoms, unity in the body of Christ, and our desire to see goodness and flourishing in our country.

Some US Christians have questioned whether national calls to prayer around certain issues or leaders politicize prayer to partisan ends. Each year around holidays such as Memorial Day and Independence Day, leaders caution against conflating patriotism and worship. (This year, the National Association of Evangelicals has focused on the Great Commandment [Matt. 22:3739] for its Pray Together Sunday over the July 4 weekend.)

Many of the presidents evangelical advisers have signed on to Sundays day of prayer, including James Dobson, Jerry Falwell Jr., Jack Graham, Robert Jeffress, and Paula White, who also referenced the 1 Timothy 2:2 verse as she invited followers to join.

Though the verse does not appear in the top 100 on Bible Gateway, searches for the passage have spiked along with recent political events, reaching 10 times their average on the day after the 2016 presidential election, according to the popular Bible site, and increased again around the inauguration the following January, according to Google Trends.

CT asked several Christian leaders what it means to pray for our political leaders according to Pauls words in 1 Timothy 2.

Ronnie Floyd, president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and president of the National Day of Prayer task force:

As a pastor of Southern Baptist churches for more than 40 years, I do not recall a time when there wasnt prayer for our nation, our president, and our elected leaders during our Sunday services, regardless of which party was in power. Why? We are instructed in 1 Timothy 2 to pray for those in authorityour elected officials at every level of governmentto govern wisely that we may lead tranquil and peaceable lives in all godliness and reverence (1 Tim. 2:14). Our nation desperately needs a revival of loving one another as Christ loves to impact our own homes and then extend to the church house, to city halls, to state houses, to the halls of Congress, to the White House, and to permeate the halls of justice at every level.

Sandra Glahn, interim chair and associate professor of media arts and worship at Dallas Theological Seminary:

When Paul urged making intersession for rulers and those in authority (v. 2), he followed up with his rationale. It wasnt so Christians would have better economics, more political power in the Senate, more cultural influence for sound laws, or any other sort of worldly gain. He said to pray so that believers might live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth (2:24). Emperors were in the limelight; he wanted the church to aspire to quiet lives. Emperors were immoral; he wanted the church to be godly and holy. Emperors were ignorant of the truth; Paul wanted the church to be unhindered in spreading the Good News. So a great way to pray for our president is that he would look to Christ as Savior, live a righteous life, and exercise his authority in such a way that our gospel work can flourish unhindered.

Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NaLEC):

1 Timothy 2:12 calls us to pray for all people including those who are in authority. I have had the honor of praying with and for elected leaders from all political parties including President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush. Scripture affirms it is good and appropriate that we pray for our elected leaders, independent of political party. I pray that political leaders allow for God's guidance. Our prayers should include the requests that elected leaders govern with justice, mercy, truth, integrity, and humility. Our prayers should include President Trump, Vice President Pence, the Cabinet, the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate, and all the members of the Supreme Court, that they would legislate and execute laws that lead to justice, peace, and flourishing, ever-mindful that our gospel allegiance should transcend partisanship and that like us, every president, administration, and Congress are in need of prayers.

Amy Peeler, associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College:

I agree that we should pray for our leaders, including the sitting President, according to 1 Tim 2:2. It is a rather comprehensive encouragement. We do not have a king, but this text calls us to pray for all those who are in authority. The reason for the prayer is so that Christians can live a quiet life, one that includes living in godliness and reverence (1 Tim 2:2). This prayer in the Roman Empire would have been a prayer for freedom from persecution, so that they could worship God peacefully. I would join in a similar prayer today. Not that our President could be emboldened, but that God would direct him. The aim of my prayer would be that all people, including Christians, could practice our faith in peace, including doing things like giving water to immigrants.

Megan Hill, author of Praying Together:

Paul here commands us to pray for all people (1 Tim. 2:1), making the point that the church should not ignore any category of people in prayer. Too often, we complain about our civil leaders or shrug them off in disgust. Paul says we must intercede for them before the Lord. This reminds us that the authority of kings is not ultimate. Both rulers and citizens must bow before a sovereign God and must look to him for help. As King Solomon knew: The kings heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will (Prov. 21:1). Also, prayer awakens concern for people who seems unlike us. No matter how different their situation, kingsand presidentsneed all the same things we need ourselves: daily bread, repentance over sin, and love for Christ. Let us pray.

M. Sydney Park, associate professor at Beeson Divinity School:

Most surely, every Christian should pray for those in governing authority, as I am sure many do especially for the current president. Yet, the prayers Paul encourages aim toward conversion to faith and pointedly, to come to the knowledge of truth (1 Tim. 2:3), not as Franklin Graham suggests, to condone unrighteous behavior demonstrated by President Trump nor to evade just repercussions under the law. The same prayer should be offered on behalf of Franklin Graham, as he has misrepresented the evangelical faith by endorsing a man who cannot be defended by non-Christian ethical standards, let alone those of evangelical faith. Isaiahs indictment should be heeded in these turbulent times: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (Isa 5:20).

Alan Cross, writer and pastor at Petaluma Valley Baptist Church:

It is right and good to pray for our leaders. But, prayer, petition, and intercession do not mean unwavering support and affirmation. They can also mean that we plead that God intervene and make things right and that he sets crooked paths straight. We pray that our leaders lead well so that peace will proliferate, creating a good environment for the church to live rightly before God and proclaim and demonstrate the gospel of Jesus to all people everywhere. A call to prayer for our leaders should never be promoted as political support, but rather as prophetic intercession where we ask that Gods Kingdom come and will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
North Carolina preacher claims bottle of odor spray can chase demons away

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A North Carolina preacher and musician is claiming that an air freshener can chase away unwanted spirits after he was mocked online for spritzing it during a fiery worship service.

No, I was not spraying Clorox, no I wasnt spraying oil, no I wasnt spraying water, no it wasnt in a Windex bottle. It was a very expensive brand of odor protection eater and I will show you the bottle, David Dixon, senior pastor of Kingdom City Life Empowerment Church, said in a Facebook Live video before introducing the Renuzit Super Odor Killer Pure Breeze Fine Mist Air Freshener, which retails for $4.

The spritzing of the demon chasing odor killer was first highlighted by the Larry Reid Live show after it went viral.

Dixon chose to respond to his critics on Saturday.

This is the bottle that I was spraying. This is the odor spray that was being sprayed to get the spirits out. What was in this bottle is what was bought that came in this bottle. The odor spray. It does not say anything about Windex. There is no Windex, this is the spray that I had in my hands spraying as you can see Im spraying now, he said, demonstrating with more spritzing of the product.

Those of you who do not know anything about deliverance then you should go to a church that deals with deliverance all the time and you will find out what deliverance really is, he argued.

Dixon explained that while he was also trying to use the spray to fight odors coming from many things such as armpits, breath, all of that, the main reason for using it was to combat the aroma of deliverance.

I am a bishop in the Lords church. If you were here at the service that occurred that night, you would therefore understand, and be understanding of what was going on in the service. Deliverance was taking place. The man of God had been working and we had been working together in deliverance, he said.

Deliverance has a look, it has a sound, and it has a smell. Yes, yes, it does, the pastor insisted. Deliverance was very strongly going forth that night.

He said he was in the back of the church cleaning up the deliverance smell while the church service was underway because he didnt want the deliverance aroma to sit in.

You dont allow spirits to lay dormant, even if deliverance is not taking place in my church, I dont allow spirits to lay dormant. We spiritual clean my church after every service because you dont want to give the enemy room to do what he does, he said.

I am covering my baby. This is what God birthed out of here. If you have a problem with what goes on at my church then you dont have to come to my church. But what you will not do is make mockery of a church. Im not a novice to being in the bishopric, Im not a novice to being a pastor, Im not a novice to being a prophet, Im not a novice to being an evangelist, Im not a novice to ministry. I grew up in ministry.
Christine Caine: We can end sex trafficking overnight if people stop watching porn, 'Game of Thrones'

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

International evangelist Christine Caine said the quickest way to end the sex trafficking epidemic is for people to stop consuming pornography and watching shows like HBOs Game of Thrones.

Speaking last week during the Heaven Come conference, a worship gathering in Los Angeles, Caine told the audience, Ill tell you how to stop human trafficking, sex trafficking overnight: If people stop watching porn.  Just stop it.

Here I am trying to put traffickers in jail and youre watching Game of Thrones, she continued, referring to the shows graphic nudity, Fox News reports.

She challenged Christians who claim to watch the show just to be culturally relevant, asking, "How's that going to work with a trafficker?"

The Australian evangelist leads the anti-trafficking ministry A21, which operates in 15 countries. The organization prosecutes traffickers and rescues victims in addition to focusing on combating slavery. According to A21, human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world, generating more than $150 billion every year.

Many types of pornography, Caine warned, are actually products of sex trafficking.

"Nothing is free," she said. "Porn costs somebody."

When believers surrender their lives to Christ, it affects everything they do, from what they watch to where they place their passion, she declared.

"The issue is not whether you are going to die, 100 percent we're all going to die," Caine said. "The issue is will you live the life God put you on this Earth to live. Will you step up into your God-given purpose and your God-given destiny and stop playing it safe, and stop living small, and start believing your God is huge and He's able to do so much more than you give him credit for?

In addition to leading A21, Caine heads Propel, a women's organization dedicated to helping women realize their purpose, passion, and potential.

Previously, Caine shared with The Christian Post how her own experiences with betrayal and brokenness have inspired her to help give others a future.

The 52-year-old evangelist endured 12 years of childhood sexual abuse and was 33 when she discovered that she was adopted.

"You take a chick from Sydney, Australia, who was abandoned and unwanted and was abused for years, and today I'm running a global anti-trafficking organization and a global women's movement," she said. "Only God could do that. I think sometimes people see someone like me and they think that to do what I do, I've been exempt from trials and pain and suffering. In reality, I think, 'Oh no, my past has prepared me for what I do.'"

"I could've allowed my past to define my future, but God has done an unexpected thing with my life," she continued. "Through Christ, my history doesn't define my destiny. I want to encourage people that God is able to do so much more than they ever could imagine if they trust Him."

Research from Gallup in June showed that 43 percent of respondents to its annual Values and Beliefs survey said porn was "morally acceptable," a 7-point increase since 2011 when questions of that nature were first asked.

This month, Arizona passed a resolution declaring pornography a public health crisis, becoming the latest in a handful of states that have acknowledged its harmful effects on society.

"Potential detrimental effects on pornography users include toxic sexual behaviors, emotional, mental and medical illnesses and difficulty forming or maintaining intimate relationships," the resolution says, citing the normalization of violence, the sexualization of children and sex trafficking as among the effects of porn.

To date, Montana, Utah, South Dakota, Kansas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Idaho, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Virginia have formally recognized porn as a public health crisis.
Franklin Graham: Trumps enemies will hurt America, could spark civil war if impeached

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Leading evangelist Franklin Graham has responded to critics of his special day of prayer on Sunday, a time when he's urged Christians worldwide to ask God to protect President Trump as his political enemies seek impeachment.

Graham, the 66-year-old son of the late evangelist Billy Graham and the influential conservative Christian leader of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, spoke with The Christian Post on Thursday to further detail what inspired him to announce this Sundays special day of prayer.

Since making the announcement last Sunday, Graham has faced backlash from fellow Christian leaders who argue that Grahams call to prayer for the president is nothing more than an attempt to politicize prayer and engender support for Trump by whipping up prayer.

I am not asking people to endorse him. That is not that point of this prayer, Graham told The Christian Post in a phone interview. This is not an election year. So I dont see how it could be political. He is the president. People have voted for him. He is in office and he is carrying out the duties of the presidency. He needs our prayers.

The special day of prayer statement has been supported by over 300 Christian leaders. Graham is calling on pastors and laypersons across the nation to lead their congregations in prayer for the president during Sunday services, Sunday school, and other gatherings.

Graham told The Christian Post that he was inspired by a feeling in his heart to announce the day of prayer. He said that feeling grew into action after he spoke about it with another pastor who thought it was a great idea.

Considering that the call to prayer came on the same week in which Special Counsel Robert Mueller spoke publicly about the investigation into Russian collusion during the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by the president, Graham admits that the events in Washington played a role.

Mueller said this week that his investigation did not rule out the possibility that Trump broke the law and seemed to shift the responsibility of accusing the president of a crime to lawmakers in Congress. In turn, more Democrats in the House of Representatives have called for impeachment.

I think what is going on in Washington has something to do with [my call to prayer]. It has bothered me and it has been a burden on my heart because this president is being attacked more than any president in modern history; attacked by the press more than Abraham Lincoln, Graham said.

So he is the president of the United States. You had two years of investigation that came up with nothing. Now the media and his opponents in Washington are doing everything they can to destroy him. What we need to remember is that he is the president. That doesnt mean that he is a perfect person. He is flawed like all of us. He has made plenty of mistakes but he is the leader of this nation. We have got huge problems in front of us.

Some of those issues facing the U.S., according to Graham, include trade problems with Canada, Mexico and China, the situation with Iran, the strife in Venezuela and talks with North Korea.

There is so much that needs to be done, he said. The president, for him to be distracted with false accusations, with people doing all they can to destroy him, it hurts this country. It hurts all of us.

Although Graham is regularly described in the mainstream media as a supporter or even an apologist for Trump, he clarified that he has never endorsed Trump. Graham admits that he does agree with many, but not all, of the policies Trump and his administration, have advanced.

As the Trump administration has advanced more pro-life policies than any other president and done much to advance religious freedom domestically and across the globe, Graham also cheered the fact that Trump got more people working than we have had in modern history.

My prayer is not an endorsement of the president, Graham assured. It's to just call on God to give him wisdom because if he makes a good decision, it is good for all of us. If he makes a bad decision, it is bad for all of us. Whether we are Republican or Democrats or independents, this is just asking God to guide him and direct him as he makes decisions every day that impact our lives.

Although he does not endorse Trump, Graham proclaimed that Trump probably will go down as one of the great presidents of our country.

When I say protect him, protect him from his enemies. Because these enemies  it is not just the president, but it is tearing down the office of the presidency, Graham stressed. This will hurt our country for many, many years if this allowed to happen.

In an earlier interview, Graham declared that the attacks that Trumps enemies are launching against the president are demonic. His statement announcing the call to prayer stated that our nation is at a crossroads, at a dangerous precipice.

This precipice is the failure of our democratic system. It is just a handful of people that are able to control the media and are able to dictate what comes across the media into a persons home night after night, day after day, Graham said, referring to the impact that the left-leaning mainstream media is having on todays political climate.

If the president was brought down for whatever reason, it could lead to a civil war. There are millions of people out there that voted for President Trump that are behind him that are angry and they are mad. We are just living in a very dangerous territory and we need Gods help.

Graham praised Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a 2020 presidential hopeful, who has said that Democrats shouldnt be looking to impeach Trump because the Mueller report found that no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia took place during the 2016 election.

So since the Mueller report has come out, they are talking about impeachment. It is just crazy. It is destroying our country. Enough is enough, Graham said. Tulsi Gabbard, the Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, she made a great statement. She said, It is time to move on.

Graham stressed that the country is in turmoil and has become a mess that only God can fix.

Every time a person yields their life to Christ, that heart is changed. America needs a heart transplant. America needs a new heart, he contended. We have become vicious. We have become angry. We have become bitter. It is just wrong. The only hope this country has got, we need to pray. We need to pray for our president.

Graham explained that although he will be praying for the protection of the president, he is in no way instructing other Christians on how they should be praying this Sunday.

Some critics think the call to prayer should focus on Trumps need for repentance from his immoral behaviors. Others have noted that the Bible commands Christians to pray for all government leaders in positions of power.

I have called this to be a focus of prayer on the president. Of course, the Bible commands that we pray for all those that are in authority. If a person feels led to pray for those that are in Washington and represent their state or their district, then absolutely pray, Graham said. But the focus of my call was to be a focus on prayer for the president.

First of all, he needs to be encouraged, Graham continued. It is discouraging when you wake up every day and it doesnt matter if you do something good or not. They only report the bad. That gets discouraging. I pray that the president will be encouraged knowing that there are millions of people praying for him.

An edited transcript of Grahams interview with CP can be found on the next page.

1

2

Next
Louisiana's Democrat governor signs 'heartbeat' abortion ban into law

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Louisiana's Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill into law on Thursday that bans most abortions after an unborn babys heartbeat is detected.

Edwards broke with leaders of the national Democrat Party when he signed Senate Bill 184 into law. Louisiana now joins Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio which have also passed heartbeat abortion bans. An unborn baby's heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks.

In 2015, I ran for governor as a pro-life candidate after serving as a pro-life legislator for eight years, said Edwards in a statement released before he signed the bill, according to CBS News. As governor, I have been true to my word and my beliefs on this issue.

The ACLU of Louisiana denounced Edwards signing of the heartbeat abortion ban, vowing in a statement posted to Twitter that they will fight it.

Governor Edwards just signed an extreme and unconstitutional abortion ban, but it's important to know that abortion is still legal. We'll keep fighting to #StoptheBans and make sure this cruel assault on the constitutional right to abortion access never takes effect, tweeted ACLU of Louisiana.

Pro-life activists including Lila Rose of Live Action celebrated the news, referring to Edwards signing of the bill into law as an amazing step forward for human rights.

SB 184 passed the Louisiana House of Representatives on Wednesday by a vote of 79 to 23. Earlier in May, the bill passed the state Senate by a vote of 31 to 5.

Introduced by Democrat Senator John Milkovich of Shreveport, SB 184 prohibits abortion in most circumstances for unborn babies with a detectable heartbeat.

 it shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly perform an abortion with the specific intent of causing or abetting the termination of the life of an unborn human being when a fetal heartbeat has been detected, stated the legislation.

SB 184 included an exemption for abortions meant to prevent the death of a pregnant woman or prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.

We believe children are a gift from God, said Sen. Milkovich in comments reported by The Associated Press on May 15, adding once a heartbeat is detected, the baby cant be killed.
Maine bans 'conversion therapy' for unwanted same-sex attraction

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Maine is the most recent state to pass a law banning conversion therapy for minors and those seeking help for unwanted same-sex attraction.

Democrat Governor Janet Mills signed LD 1025, the Act to Prohibit the Provision of Conversion Therapy to Minors by Certain Licensed Professionals, into law on Wednesday. Maine is now the 17th state in the nation to ban the practice.

In a statement, Mills claimed that conversion therapy, also known as sexual orientation change efforts therapy, is a harmful, widely-discredited practice that has no place in Maine.

By signing this bill into law today, we send an unequivocal message to young LGBTQ people in Maine and across the country: we stand with you, we support you, and we will always defend your right to be who you are, said Mills.

Assistant House Majority Leader Ryan Fecteau, who sponsored the bill, echoed Mills comments in an official statement, calling SOCE therapy irresponsible and harmful.

Critics of the legislation, including the Christian Civic League of Maine, denounced the measure as an attack on both religious freedom and the rights of parents.

This bill would equate sound biblical counseling with torture and abuse under the name of Conversion Therapy. LD 1025 is a tremendous threat to the religious and parental rights of Maines citizens, the socially conservative group said.

Maine defeated similar legislation last year when then Republican Governor Paul LePage vetoed the bill, arguing that it was too broad in its scope.

This is so broad that licensed professionals would be prohibited from counseling an individual even at the individual's own request, said LePage last July.

 young people should not be physically or mentally abused if they come out to their parents or guardians because they have experienced sexual or romantic attraction to an individual of the same gender. However, as it is written  'any practice or course of treatment'  can call into question a simple conversation.

Other states that have banned SOCE therapy include: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington state, as well as the District of Columbia.

In January, Christopher Doyle, a professional counselor licensed to practice in Maryland, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Marylands ban on SOCE therapy, known as Senate Bill 1028.

SB 1028 prohibits counseling to minors seeking to eliminate, reduce, or resolve unwanted same-sex attractions, behaviors, or identity by licensed professionals, which is causing immediate and irreparable harm to Plaintiff and Plaintiffs clients, read the lawsuits introduction.

By denying minors the opportunity to pursue a particular course of action that can most effectively help them address the conflicts between their sincerely held religious beliefs and goals to eliminate, reduce, or resolve unwanted same-sex attractions, behaviors, or identity, SB 1028 is causing those minors confusion and anxiety over same-sex sexual attractions, behaviors, and identity and infringing on their free speech and religious liberty rights."
New 'Sesame Street' character shares importance of fostering

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

"Sesame Street" announced last week a new character named Karli, a foster muppet who explains to Elmo the importance of receiving love from others when not able to be cared for by their birth parents.

The PBS show character lives with her for now parents, Dalia and Clem, and during an activity with Elmo she attempted to explain to him what its like having a foster family.

My very first heart is me and my mom together but my mom can't be with me right now even though she loves me very much," Karli told Elmo.

But then I came here to stay with my foster parents and they gave me a big hug and that made my heart feel a little bigger.

The muppet then shared some advice she learned from her now family.

Dalia told me that even when our hearts feel sad and small they could still grow. The more in love they get the more they grow, she added.

YouTube videos promoting Karlis character also showed Elmos dad, Louie, talking with Karli's foster parents.

"How's everything been since becoming her foster parents?" Louie asks in the video.

"Well, changes like this can be really rough for kids and for adults too," Clem replies.

"It's had its ups and downs but no matter what, we try to let Karli know we are always here for her," Dalia says.

Other videos include one titled "You Belong," where Karli talks about how she worries about not having a place at the table during a pizza party in her new foster home.

The Sesame Community launched the new muppet to "support" foster children, foster parents, and providers who serve foster families.

"Fostering a child takes patience, resilience, and sacrifice, and we know that caring adults hold the power to buffer the effects of traumatic experiences on young children, Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president of U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop said in a statement shared with The Christian Post. We want foster parents and providers to hear that what they do matters  they have the enormous job of building and rebuilding family structures and childrens sense of safety.

Although the Sesame Street segment is about foster care, the Washington Examiner pegged Karlis message pro-life.

Her situation could be the start of an argument against abortion, one that says childrens lives are still worth saving even if a birth mother isn't equipped to take care of them herself, the outlet said of the new muppet and her message.

Pro-abortion activists have used the expression unwanted children when talking about abortion. Alabama state Rep. John Rogers recently argued that some kids are unwanted, so you kill them now, or you kill them later.

He said that if you bring them in the world unwanted, unloved, those kids will eventually end up with unfortunate outcomes.
Niles campus of Harvest Bible Chapel to become independent from megachurch

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The Niles, Illinois, location of Harvest Bible Church is becoming a fully independent congregation, transitioning away from the multi-campus megachurch in the Chicago area following a unanimous elders vote.

In a video posted to the Harvest Bible Chapel Channel Thursday, Greg Bradshaw, lead ministry pastor at HBC, announced that they were sending out the Niles campus to become its own entity. Discussions of this sort have been underway since February, he noted.

"The intent was always that the Niles campus would become an independent church," said Mohan Zachariah, campus pastor for the Niles church, explained.

"This is not a church split in any sense of the word. It's a multiplication of ministry.

"Much like we have seen happen with the hundreds of churches that have been birthed from this one, we're still a family and anyone in our congregation will always be welcome at any of our other campuses."

Brian Laird, chairman of the HBC elders, noted that they reached the decision for several reasons, including HBC's passion for church planting.

The Niles location has a long history dating back to 1871, including denominational and leadership transitions, which ultimately led to partnership with HBC in the early 2000s as it agreed to operate as an extension campus.

"We believe this is going to be a financial provision for Harvest Bible Chapel," Bradshaw explained.

"The goal of this new independent church is going to be for them to purchase the property and the building from our church, from Harvest. And this will include the new church raising funds for a down payment and then acquiring a mortgage from a lender."

Once the new Niles church closes on the building and the property, HBC will be able to reamortize their loans and lower their mortgage payments, he said.

The elders pledged their support for Zachariah in his new role as pastor of the independent congregation. A transition process has been set in motion and a new name for the church will be chosen at a future time. Until it becomes fully independent, the Niles church will be purchasing various services from HBC and will be partnering with the megachurch to create ministry teams for the new church. An entirely new elder board will be formed.

Zachariah urged viewers to continue to tithe faithfully as they move toward purchasing the building. In order to obtain a mortgage from the bank, the new church will have to demonstrate a stable pattern of giving.

Bradshaw concluded by saying that he believed the Niles church becoming an independent congregation was a "unique calling." At present, none of the other HBC campuses intend to do likewise.

The news comes following months of controversy surrounding HBC founding pastor James MacDonald  who was ousted earlier this year after lewd comments he made on a hot mic were aired on a local radio station and over alleged misuse of finances and abusive practices within the church, as reported by investigative journalist Julie Roys.

Harvest Bible Church was founded over 30 years ago by MacDonald and presently has six other campuses in the Chicago area.
Rick Warren: Christians need to love the church

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

ARLINGTON, Virginia  Pastor Rick Warren believes that the church remains the greatest force for good on earth yet Christians don't love it.

"One of the greatest crimes I see in our society today is a lot of Christians use the church but don't love it," he said on May 17 during Wilberforce Weekend at the Crystal Gateway Marriott.

"If you want to be like Jesus Christ, you must learn to love the Bride of Christ. If I were to say to you 'I like you I just don't like your body,' you'd be offended. So is Jesus."

The longtime pastor of Saddleback Church in southern California outlined several reasons why he thinks that God's main instrument of blessing in the world His church.

Nothing is more important to God than His church, he elaborated.

"God wanted a family," he said. "If God hadn't wanted a church the universe would not exist ... and it's the only thing that is going to last on this planet."

Revival has never come to the government realm, he said, receiving chuckles from the audience.

"And our hope lies not in the man we put in the White House; our hope lies in the man we put on the cross. He's our savior."

He went on to list the advantages church has over every other social institution, including that the church has the largest participation, which currently numbers 2.3 billion worldwide.

"We have no reason to put our heads down in shame. The media would think that the church is a kitty but it's a lion."

"On one Sunday in America more people go and sit in a church service than go and sit in a professional sporting event of all kinds together in an entire year."

The church also has the widest distribution, the pastor explained, and is therefore capable of doing more good than any other entity. The church was global before globalization was a phenomenon, he added. Warren has been to 164 nations around the world, and in many villages, the only social institution present is a church.

The church has been doing good longer than anyone else, he said.

"Our government is, what, 250 years old? The church is 2,000 years old," he said.

"If you were to take the Catholics, Christians and hospitals out of Africa it would collapse overnight."

Noting the propensity of dictators to oppress the church over the centuries, he added, "We have outlasted every other 'ism' for 2,000 years."

Yet another reason why the church has the capacity to do the most good in the world, is that it is expanding quickly, but one would not realize that in the United States because the church is not growing fast, Warren said. The opposite is the case elsewhere in the world, the pastor elaborated, citing a survey which said it is growing by 66 million per year, approximately 180,000 every day.

"The church is the greatest force for good because it has the highest motivation," Warren said.

Christians don't do good for applause or worldly accolades, but for love, he went on to say.

President George W. Bush once told him, when asked why he supported faith-based initiatives, that he did so because governments and businesses can't love.

"Love never gives up," Warren said.

"If you're doing good for any other motivation than love, you're not sustaining consistency at it because it's just too hard. You're going to get off. The why always determines how long. When you figure out why you do what you do, God will show you how. When you figure out why you do what you do, then you will have the motivation to keep on keeping on."

In January, Warren began his 40th year as pastor of Saddleback Church. He is the author of the wildly popular New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life.
Worlds smallest surviving baby born at 23 weeks celebrated by pro-life advocates

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The worlds smallest surviving baby is being celebrated by pro-life advocates as a compelling face against the abortion movement.

A micro preemie nicknamed Saybie was about the size of an apple weighing just 8.6 ounces when she was born at 23 weeks.

Under the SB 25  the extreme abortion bill that Illinois lawmakers are on track to pass  unborn babies at Saybie's age have no rights at all and can be brutally aborted at any time, up until the moment of their birth, for any reason. #StopTheMadness#StopSB25#ProLife, tweeted Illinois Right to Life on Thursday.

The dramatic difference between celebrating baby Saybies fight for life at 23 weeks and 8.6 ounces while debating abortion in the last trimester is staggering and unbelievable and heartbreaking and unbearable, added pro-life advocate K. Pelner.

San Diego's Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns, California's largest maternity hospital, which is recognized as among the best in the world in caring for micro preemies, announced on Wednesday that Saybie, who was delivered by emergency caesarean section in December, was released from a California hospital in good health to her parents earlier this month.

Shes a miracle, thats for sure, Kim Norby, one of the NICU nurses who cared for Saybie, said in a video produced by the hospital.

Paul Wozniak, a neonatologist at the hospital, told The Washington Post that he was shocked as he observed Saybie in the hospital last December and thought she wouldn't survive.

We just sat by her bedside the first six hours, Wozniak said. I thought her chances of making it probably werent good. I told the folks every hour I would update them, but theres a good chance shes going to die.

But Saybie just kept on thriving as the hospital staff supported her care up until the day she was discharged, Wozniak said.

Many babies like this go home on oxygen, which I thought she probably would, but no, she weaned off of it, he said, noting that she was also breastfeeding well and didnt need a feeding tube. The fact that shes done so well is just such a reward, and just makes the whole team feel wonderful.

Dr. Edward Bell of the University of Iowa, which maintains the Tiniest Babies Registry, confirmed that Saybie is the smallest baby the registry has ever recorded.

"Baby Saybie has the lowest birth weight among the infants in the Tiniest Babies Registry," Bell told NPR. "The registry contains only those infants submitted and medically confirmed. We cannot rule out even smaller infants who have not been reported to the registry."

Saybies parents, who have chosen to remain anonymous, explained in the hospital video that when she developed complications from preeclampsia, a life-threatening condition that can slow a babys growth in the womb, she had worried her baby would die.

"It was the scariest day of my life," the mother recalled. "They told my husband we had about an hour with her and that she was going to pass away. But that hour turned into two hours, which turned into a day, which turned into a week."

Earlier this month as she and her husband took home their baby girl, she was a healthy 5-pound infant the hospital told The Washington Post.

I was stunned, frankly, Wozniak noted. He said he spoke with Saybies mother on Wednesday and she told him her daughter was up to 6 pounds, 2 ounces and doing great.

Wozniak further explained that when the baby girl was born in December, she wasnt breathing but had a good heart rate. Her parents decided that if she had a heart rate they wanted everything done to save her life, he said.
Yazidi women sue Germany for failing to prosecute German ISIS jihadis for war crimes

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A coalition of Yazidi women filed a lawsuit against two top German government officials for failing to hold suspected German Islamic State fighters accountable for the genocide committed against Yazidis in Iraq and Syria.

The German news outlet Deutsche Welle reports that The Federation of the Yazidi Womens Council has sued Justice Minister Katarina Barley and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer.

The advocacy association represents females from the religious minority community decimated by IS (also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh), which killed and sexually enslaved thousands upon thousands of Yazidis when it controlled swaths of territory in both countries.

The litigation was filed after the German government refused a request earlier this year from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces to repatriate at least 61 captured Germans who traveled to Syria to join the terrorist group.

According to Deutsche Welle, the lawsuit accused Berlin of a failure to accept the offer and to make possible the urgently necessary prosecution constitutes the crime of obstruction of punishment.

The SDF, which is composed primarily of Kurdish, Arab, and Assyrian militias who serve as the official defense force of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, had previously accused the German government of shirking" its responsibility to repatriate German IS militants so they could stand trial for war crimes.

However, DW notes that the Federal Prosecutor's Office has issued arrest warrants for 21 suspected German IS fighters. The charges range from supporting a terrorist organization to war crimes.

The council also accused the German government of committing a "criminal offense of obstruction of justice" by refusing the offers of repatriation.

"The result of this refusal to transfer German nationals in the custody of the local administration in northern and eastern Syria ... has delayed  if not prevented  punishment (from being doled out)," attorney Berthold Fresenius was quoted by public broadcasters as saying, according to DW.

Responding to the lawsuit, a German justice ministry spokesperson told AFP that there are obstacles standing in the way of Germany being able to bring suspected IS fighters home for trial.

The spokesperson stressed that legal cooperation is impossible since there are no state structures in the autonomous part of Syria.

In February, Germanys interior ministry stressed that the extradition of foreign IS fighters is only possible so long as the suspects of consular access.

In principle, all German citizens and those suspected of having fought for so-called IS have the right to return, an interior ministry spokesperson said at the time, according to Reuters. But in Syria, the German government cannot guarantee legal and consular duties for jailed German citizens due to the armed conflict there.

The SDF has warned that it lacked the capacity to put all 800 to 1,000 foreign IS fighters in its custody on trial.

We have provided the support we can by arresting them and detaining them in prisons, but who is going to take them to court? Ilham Ahmed, co-chair of SDFs political wing Syrian Democratic Council told Financial Times. Who is going to [be] carrying out the prosecution?

In a series of tweets from February, U.S. President Donald Trump called on Britain, France and Germany to take back the hundreds of captured foreign IS fighters and put them on trial.

Trump stressed that it is "time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing."

The Caliphate is ready to fall, he tweeted. The alternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them.

Earlier this year, a German woman accused of joining IS went on trial in Iraq for the crime of letting a 5-year-old Yazidi girl die of thirst.

As noted by AFP, the case of the 27-year-old German is believed to be the first case worldwide for international crimes committed by IS jihadis against the Yazidi community.
Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to school transgender bathroom policy

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a Pennsylvania school districts policy of allowing students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity rather than their biological sex.

In an order released Tuesday, the high court denied an appeal in Doe, Joel, et al. v. Boyertown Area School, et al., allowing a lower court's decision in favor of the school district to stand, thus allowing boys who identify as female to enters girls' bathrooms, locker rooms and showers, and vice versa.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative law firm representing a group of students suing the school district over the policy, denounced the Supreme Courts denial of appeal.

ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy, John Bursch, said in a statement released Tuesday that he believed the decision ignored the privacy rights of students.

No students recognized right to bodily privacy should be made contingent on what other students believe about their own gender. Because the Third Circuits decision made a mess of bodily privacy and Title IX principles, we believe the Supreme Court should have reviewed it, stated Bursch.

But we hope the court will take up a similar case in the future to bring much needed clarity to how the lower courts should handle violations of well-established student privacy rights.

The American Civil Liberties Union, a progressive legal group that intervened in the case, celebrated the upholding of the lower court's decision.

This is an enormous victory for transgender students across the country, said Ria Tabacco Mar, senior staff attorney with the ACLU LGBT & HIV Project, in a statement released Tuesday.

This lawsuit sought to reverse that hard-won progress by excluding transgender students from school facilities that other students use. That would have increased the stigma and discrimination that transgender students already face.

In 2016, the Boyertown Area School District decided to allow students to use the bathrooms and locker room facilities that corresponded with their gender identity rather than their biological sex.

The move came not long after the Obama administration issued a guidance demanding that public schools pursue similar measures. The Trump administration rescinded the guidance.

In response to the school's actions following the Obama administration's guidance, a group of students sued the school district, arguing that the policy violated their privacy, as it allowed boys to enter the girls' private facilities.

A district court ruled in favor of the school district and last July, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld the lower court ruling.

 we conclude that, under the circumstances here, the presence of transgender students in the locker and restrooms is no more offensive to constitutional or Pennsylvania-law privacy interests than the presence of the other students who are not transgender, concluded the panel.

Last November, the ADF filed an appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing in part that the Third Circuit's panel decision was faulty because the high court has long recognized the need for separating male and female students in locker rooms, restrooms, and showers.

Forcing a teenager to share a locker room or restroom with a member of the opposite sex can cause embarrassment and distress, particularly for students who have been victims of sexual assault, stated the appeal.
Supreme Court Justice Thomas raises concerns over abortion's 'potential for eugenic manipulation'

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas expressed concern about abortion having the potential for eugenic manipulation in a concurring opinion.

In an unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in the case of Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky Inc., upholding a lower court's decision that concluded that an Indiana law banning abortions on the basis of race, sex, and disability was unconstitutional.

Thomas agreed with the unanimous decision to not take up the appeal, and said he believed that the court will soon need to confront the constitutionality of laws like Indianas because of the potential for abortion to become a tool of eugenic manipulation.

This case highlights the fact that abortion is an act rife with the potential for eugenic manipulation. From the beginning, birth control and abortion were promoted as means of effectuating eugenics, wrote Thomas.

Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger was particularly open about the fact that birth control could be used for eugenic purposes. These arguments about the eugenic potential for birth control apply with even greater force to abortion, which can be used to target specific children with unwanted characteristics.

Thomas went on to also cite former Planned Parenthood President Alan Guttmacher, who after World War II endorsed abortion for eugenic reasons and promoted it as a means of controlling the population and improving its quality.

In 1959, for example, Guttmacher explicitly endorsed eugenic reasons for abortion. A. Guttmacher, Babies by Choice or by Chance 186188 (1959). He explained that the quality of the parents must be taken into account, including [f]eeblemindedness, and believed that it should be permissible to abort any pregnancy . . . in which there is a strong probability of an abnormal or malformed infant, continued Thomas.

Thomas warned that with todays prenatal screening tests and other technologies, abortion can easily be used to eliminate children with unwanted characteristics.

In Iceland, the abortion rate for children diagnosed with Down syndrome in utero approaches 100%, he wrote. Other European countries have similarly high rates, and the rate in the United States is approximately two-thirds.

In Asia, widespread sex-selective abortions have led to as many as 160 million missing womenmore than the entire female population of the United States.

In 2016, then Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed a bill into law that banned abortions on the basis of race, ancestry, gender, or disability.

"I believe that a society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerable  the aged, the infirm, the disabled and the unborn," said Pence in a statement at the time.

By enacting this legislation, we take an important step in protecting the unborn, while still providing an exception for the life of the mother.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit struck down the ban and also a measure requiring the proper burial of fetal remains.

While the Supreme Court allowed the ruling against the ban to remain, it reversed the ruling against the fetal burial law, explaining in the unanimous decision that the high court had already upheld a similar law.

This court has already acknowledged that a state has a legitimate interest in proper disposal of fetal remains, read the unsigned opinion, referencing Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc.

The Seventh Circuit clearly erred in failing to recognize that interest as a permissible basis for Indianas disposition law.
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Many people today, especially the young, are making some terrible long-term decisions, and its because they assume that the experts are right when it comes to catastrophic man-made global warming. They buy the notion that we only have 12 years of life left on earth:

Many of them are not investing for their future. Why should they, if they have no future?

Many are experiencing depression because of climate change.

Many are choosing to not have children, so they can save the planet. And theyll miss out on those experiences, as well as the joys of one day being a grandparent.

Last week, Marketwatch.com (5/23/19) published an article entitled, Young People Blame Climate Change for Their Small 401(K) Balances. They write, Some 88% of millennialsa higher percentage than any other age groupaccept that climate change is happening, and 69% say it will impact them in their lifetimes. Engulfed in a constant barrage of depressing news stories, many young people are skeptical about saving for an uncertain future. The article notes that this bad news also negatively impacts their mental health.

Why not.if the experts are right? The Guardian.com reported last year (10/8/18): We Have 12 Years To Limit Climate Change Catastrophe, Warns UN: Urgent changes needed to cut risk of extreme heat, drought, floods and poverty, says IPCC.

The article notes the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns of food scarcity, droughts, floods, rising seas impacting 10 million people worldwide, and an increase in poverty---unless we get climate change under control.

Recently, Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg made the cover of TIME (5/27/19) over this issue. She is on strike for the planet---until more governments take climate change more seriously.

But the Bible tells us: The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him (Proverbs 18:17). Sometimes the experts get it wrong. Dr. D. James Kennedy reminded us that the experts say everything. We must choose our experts wisely.

One geoscientist who does not agree with the climate change alarmists is author Greg Wrightstone. He says, What theyre predicting and whats actually happening are 180 degrees opposite. Wrightstone has 35 years of experience of studying the earth as a geologist. Hes written the book, Inconvenient Facts: The Science that Al Gore Doesnt Want You to Know. Wrightstone is also an expert with the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation.

I interviewed him on my radio show. He told me of an example of a failed prediction by climatologists, In 2005, the UN announced that there would be 50 million plus climate refugees by the year 2010.They have a history of making these projections.

Then he adds, cynically, They need to make it 30-50 years in the future and not just ten because if it was 30 years, everybody would be dead or no one would remember.

Wrightstone said of our planet, Weve been warming for 300 years. Weve been adding CO2 in earnest in the last 60 or 70 years, shouldnt we see something negative? But instead we see an earth and a humanity that are thriving and prospering. The earth is greening. That is what is actually happening.

He said that when you look back at history, the warming trends, like the one we are currently in, have always led to huge prospering of civilization with bountiful crops. There was plenty of food for everybody. You didnt have to worry about grubbing for your next meal.

He adds, It was the cold periods, where crop failure, famine, pestilence, and mass depopulation took place. Thats exactly the opposite of what were being told.

I asked him if CO2 is our enemy or friend? Answer: Friend. He called it, the miracle molecule. He said that climate change alarmism revolves around a demonization of carbon dioxide.

Greg Wrightstone is far from a lone voice. Recently, on his Fox-TV program, Mark Levin interviewed Patrick J. Michaels, a climate specialist who has taught at the University of Virginia for 30 years.

Michaels said this in reference to the climate change computer models which are done by governments: There are 32 families of computer models that are used by the United Nations, each government sponsored. All of them are predicting far, far too much warming. The disparity between whats been predicted to happenand what is happening continues to grow.

The models get it wrong, says Michaels, because they are fudged.

Wnd.com also reports (5/23/19) that a top climate scientist, Professor John Christy of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, testified recently to Members of Parliament in a meeting at Westminster: Its warming up there, but at only about one third of the rate predicted by the models. Therefore, the models cannot be trusted.

Tragically, many millennials are selling their future short by believing a giant hoax.

Jerry Newcombe, D.Min., is an on-air host/senior producer for D. James Kennedy Ministries. He has written/co-written 28 books, e.g., The Unstoppable Jesus Christ, Doubting Thomas (w/ Mark Beliles, on Jefferson), and What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (w/ D. James Kennedy) & the bestseller, George Washington's Sacred Fire (w/ Peter Lillback) djkm.org @newcombejerry www.jerrynewcombe.com
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The recent elections brought bad news for Christians, and you probably heard about that. But theres some wonderful news for the Christians of India as well. Prepare to be encouraged.

First, however, lets look at the bad news.

The BJP, the current ruling party in India, led by Prime Minister Modi, won the national elections handily. This is bad news for millions of Christians in India.

The BJP is not just a Hindu party. It is a militantly Hindu party. It wants India to be a Hindu nation, meaning, exclusively Hindu. Prime Minister Modi has even spoken of his desire to see Christianity eradicated from India within the next few years.

These are frightening, sobering sentiments. We cannot take them lightly.

And while the BJP may not be physically persecuting Christians, militant Hindus throughout the nation have been given a free hand. This has resulted in many Christians being beaten and others being killed. (I know this firsthand through my direct contact with Christian leaders in India.)

As pointed out by Rob Schwarzwalder, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been reelected. By a huge margin. Thats an absolute tragedy. Thats what Dean Curry, head of the anti-persecution ministry Open Doors, calls it. Modi is a Hindu nationalist deeply hostile to Christianity and to Christians.

Since he came to power in 2014, India has become the tenth worst country in the world for following Jesus. It was 28th on Open Doors World Watch List back then. What countries are worse? Irans ninth. Indias only slightly better than the Iranian theocracy. Pakistans fifth. Afghanistans second and North Koreas first.

Indeed, Modis government so dislikes Christianity that it will hurt its own people to keep Christians away. It has been getting rid of Christian ministries that have for many years served Indias many needy people. In 2017, Compassion International was forced to close 589 Indian-staffed development centers caring for more than 145,000 children. Why? Because Indias Ministry of Home Affairs put it on a list of organizations needing prior approval before transferring funds into the country  but wouldnt approve the grant.

The list of concerns goes on and on.

We need to pray for a change of heart in the Indian government, and we need to petition President Trump to speak out against Modis aggressive, anti-Christian actions.

My Indian friends truly believe that one strong word from the White House would put a major stop to Modis hostile designs.

But there is good news from India as well. Really good news.

First, the gospel continues to spread powerfully in that vast nation of more than 1.3 billion souls. As reported by Dr. Ralph Wilson, the percentage of Christians has increased substantially from 2.5% a decade ago to about 5.8% today. That represents a huge increase in the growth rate. Something is happening!

And in some states, the growth is much greater, with Christians representing as much as 10-15 percent of the total population.

This is truly unprecedented.

Second, this surge in Christian population was in evidence in the election results in the state of Andhra (that is, Andhra Pradesh, a state I have visited annually since 1993).

Back in 2009, the chief minister of Andhra, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, died in a helicopter accident. Reddy was a compassionate and committed Christian, and I remember my friends in Andhra being shocked at how many Christians came forward to mourn his death. They had no idea there were so many believers in Andhra.

My friends were also amazed to see how greatly loved Reddy was by millions of Hindus who lived in Andhra.

Now, his son, Jagan Mohan Reddy, also a committed Christian, has been elected to be Andhras new chief minister. And the party he founded, founded, the YSR Congress Party, won by a landslide. And I mean landslide.

As reported on Wikipedia, In the 2019 National and State election held in April-May 2019, YSJR won 151 of the total 175 assembly seats and 22 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.

This is absolutely remarkable, and it is certainly a cause for rejoicing, especially when each state in India has so much autonomy.

This, then, is incredible news for the Christians in Andhra Pradesh. And it is important news for the Christians of India as a whole, since Mr. Reddy wields considerable influence as the chief minister of a major state, while his party has become a significant party.

Lets pray for his safety (he is being sworn May 30, so perhaps as you read this article) and for the safety of Christians throughout the country.

God has great plans to bless the nation of India!
Indiana abortion, Freedom March, tiniest baby

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

We've compiled the top stories of the week. Here's what you need to know:

Supreme Court upholds Indianas fetal burial mandate

The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to take up Indianas appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked a ban on abortions based on sex, race, ancestry or disability.

The high court did, however, uphold the states mandate that fetal remains be buried or cremated.

In the courts opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said he believes the court will soon need to confront the constitutionality of laws like Indianas because of the potential for abortion to become a tool of eugenic manipulation.

In another decision this week, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a Pennsylvania school districts policy of allowing students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity rather than their biological sex.

Former LGBT persons declare freedom at Freedom March

Former LGBT-identified persons, including survivors of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, shared their testimonies of finding Jesus during the second Freedom March in Washington, D.C., last weekend.

They emphasized that their transformation was not a gay to straight thing.

We have learned what true love is in Jesus Christ, that our identity is not in our sexuality but it is in Jesus. Angel Colon, Pulse shooting survivor

Those leading the march also asked the LGBT community for forgiveness for the way the Church has treated them.

Worlds smallest surviving baby released from hospital

Saybie, who was born at 23 weeks weighing just 8.6 ounces, is being dubbed a miracle.

She was able to go home in good health this month and now weighs over 6 pounds.

Theres no denying her humanity. These medical miracles are why Americans are rethinking the abortion debate.  Rachel Campos-Duffy, author

Franklin Graham calls for special day of prayer for Trump

A special day of prayer for President Donald Trump is scheduled for Sunday, June 2.

Evangelist Franklin Graham, who is leading the day of prayer, clarified that it is not an endorsement of Trump but a way of encouraging the president especially as enemies are trying to destroy him.

If the president was brought down for whatever reason, it could lead to a civil war. There are millions of people out there that voted for President Trump that are behind him that are angry and they are mad. We are just living a very dangerous territory and we need Gods help.  Franklin Graham

Indiana megachurch opens microsite inside jail

Emmanuel Church in Greenwood, Indiana, has multiple campuses, including in Johnson County Jail and Johnson County Community Corrections work-release center.

The new microsites were launched early this year and over a dozen have come to Christ.

The way that we view it is that they can't come to Christ inside these dark places without someone having the courage to go in.  Rachel Long, executive pastor of multisites and families

Check out our latest podcast: Calif. pastor tackles increasing Bible illiteracy, a generation that doesn't know Jesus

Pray for

Families of four choir members killed in a van crash in Virginia

Christians facing extinction in Iraq

New releases

Albums:

Fear No More by The Afters (May 31)

Long Live Love by Kirk Franklin (May 31)

Books:

God and Galileo: What a 400-Year-Old Letter Teaches Us about Faith and Science by David L. Block and Kenneth C. Freeman (May 31)

Transformed: A Navy SEALs Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds by Remi Adeleke (May 14)
Christian mom let son decide his religion; he chose Islam, joined ISIS

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Canadian mom Christianne Boudreau let her son Damian explore other faiths as he grew up in Calgary, Alberta.

I have always been a firm believer that somebodys faith is their own personal journey and they need to find what works for them, she says.

She and her husband divorced when Damian was 10. After the divorce she discovered her husband was an atheist, something he hid during their marriage. But she doesnt think her husbands lack of faith had any influence on her son.

Christianne lost Damians younger brother to crib death in 2001. That nearly destroyed me, she recalls. I went through depression. I went through anger; I went through hating God.

I was put on medication but it did nothing. Only when I reunited myself with my faith again, did I find the strength to put my life back together and move forward. I had to go within myself and rely on my faith, to find the strength to put one foot in front of the other.

She attends Central United Church, part of the United Church of Canada, a welcoming and inclusive organization. In their statement of beliefs, they say:

The Bible is the shared standard for our faith, but members are not required to adhere to any particular creed or formulation of doctrine.

A few years after the divorce, Damian began to resist Christianity. By the time he was 14 he started questioning my beliefs and started questioning the Bible said there were too many contradictions, and it didnt sit well with him. He said there were too many hypocrites in the church and he had difficulty with that. He stopped coming to church with me.

After exploring other faiths, Damian converted to Islam when he was 17. Initially, Christiannes attitude was supportive. At least he found something to follow, his faith, something to identify as his own, she concluded.

Then Damian moved out of the house and began to connect with other Muslims.

All of a sudden everything started to change. By the time he was 20, his behavior became strict and stringent as far as his practices. He was pulling back into himself.

The phone calls became very private; he would take them outside, she recounts. A couple times he got argumentative about religious beliefs. He wouldnt sit at the table anymore if there was a bottle of wine there. He refused to join the family for Christmas.

Christianne admits to her naivete. I didnt understand what extremism was. I had heard of gangs before, but that was all I had been introduced to. I studied cults in school, but didnt recognize this was what was happening to him. It saw it potentially as another shift. He had gone through some depression and I was afraid he was beginning to get into depression again.

His agitation and anger confused her. I thought he would find his way again and I needed to have patience.

In November 2012, Damian left Canada for Egypt, ostensibly to study Arabic and become an imam. To me, anybody at that higher level of the faith, that is a good thing, she reasoned.

Christianne received an email letting her know he arrived safely and was registering for school. I talked to him on a regular basis. He said the food upset his stomach and he missed my home cooking. We joked around. He said studying was going well. He had made some friends. Everything was going fine.

On November 23rd, 2012 they talked. At the time, the Syrian civil war was raging and protests had erupted in Cairo after President Morsis government announced the president had been granted unlimited powers.

Im concerned about the chaos going on in Cairo, she told her son.

Dont worry, Im nowhere near the city of Cairo, he reassured her.

They spoke by phone a month later and then there was complete silence.

In January 2013 Christianne received a phone call from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) inquiring about her son.

Im sorry, Hes not here; hes away in Egypt studying right now, she told them.

We have some concerns, the man on the phone began, as Christiannes knees suddenly got weak.

They showed up on her doorstep and started asking a lot of questions.

This doesnt pertain to him because hes in Egypt studying Arabic, she protested.

Here is the thing, one of the men leveled with her. Weve been watching him for nearly two years. We feel hes gone to join a terrorist organization. He is not in Egypt. He was flown into Turkey and has since crossed the border into Syria.

MORE
Christianity in Iraq is 'close to extinction,' those left 'face martyrdom,' faith leader warns

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Christianity in Iraq is close to extinction and those who remain may face martyrdom, yet some Christian leaders in Britain refuse to condemn the atrocities perpetrated by Muslim extremists for fear of being accused of Islamophobia, the Archbishop of Irbil has said.

During an address delivered in London, the Most Rev. Bashar Warda said Iraq's Christian population is down to just 250,000  an 83% decrease in population since the United States invasion of Iraq, according to the BBC.

Christianity in Iraq," he said, one of the oldest churches, if not the oldest church in the world, is perilously close to extinction. Those of us who remain must be ready to face martyrdom."

While the Islamic State terrorist group was driven from its last stronghold in Iraq earlier this year, religious structures and homes belonging to Christian families have been destroyed and thousands of families have not returned, he stressed.

"Our tormentors confiscated our present," he said, "while seeking to wipe out our history and destroy our future. In Iraq there is no redress for those who have lost properties, homes and businesses. Tens of thousands of Christians have nothing to show for their life's work, for generations of work, in places where their families have lived, maybe, for thousands of years."

The archbishop, who has been outspoken about the plight of Christians in his country, also said Britain's Christian leaders are so concerned with "political correctness" they refuse to speak out against the atrocities committed against Christians in Iraq at the hands of Muslim extremists.

"Will you continue to condone this never-ending, organized persecution against us?" he asked. "When the next wave of violence begins to hit us, will anyone on your campuses hold demonstrations and carry signs that say 'We are all Christians'?"

Warning Christians are facing our end in the land of our ancestors, Warda said, the entire world faces a moment of truth.

"Will a peaceful and innocent people be allowed to be persecuted and eliminated because of their faith? And, for the sake of not wanting to speak the truth to the persecutors, will the world be complicit in our elimination?"

The BBC notes that the outlook for Christians remains bleak in Iraq, as tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims persist and there are still IS fighters hiding out in parts of the country.

Iraq is ranked No.13 on persecution watchdog group Open Doors USAs 2019 World Watch List of the top 50 countries in the world where Christians face the most extreme persecution for their faith.

In October, the U.S. Agency International Development announced it would partner with the nation's leading Catholic fraternal organization, Knights of Columbus, to help bolster the rebuilding of beleaguered communities in Iraq.

The goal of the agreement is to "facilitate partnerships to help communities in the Middle East recover from genocide and persecution" and connect the agency with local faith and community leaders to help deliver aid rapidly to persecuted Christian communities.

Joseph Cullen, the spokesperson for the Knights of Columbus, told The Christian Post that the organization has so far committed more than $25 million in support of persecuted Christians and those in their care in the Middle East. This, he said, has provided food, clothing, shelter, education, medical care, building or rebuilding of homes and other services.

While it is always important for Christians in the United States and elsewhere to continue to support their brothers and sisters who are being persecuted or suffering from the effects of persecution, it is all the more important today, when these communities could literally cease to exist, he emphasized.

Likewise, U.S. government support for those communities targeted for genocide in the Middle East  including Christians  remains crucial, both in terms of projects that benefit these communities, and in terms of support for their security, which has been imperiled most recently by militia groups in Northern Iraq.

Speaking at Proclaim 19, the National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention on March 26, U.S. religious freedom Ambassador Sam Brownback declared that religious freedom is a top foreign policy priority for this administration.

We believe this is a universal and natural right, he said at the event attended by CP. Every day, I get to work on behalf of the persecuted around the world, he said, adding that America is in a unique spot to advocate for the persecuted around the world.
Theology, religious studies at risk at UK universities, British Academy warns

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Theology and religious studies in British higher education is suffering a major decline, according to an educational group that specializes in humanities and social sciences.

The London-based British Academy recently released a report titled Theology and Religious Studies Provision in U.K. Higher Education, which found that there were approximately 6,500 fewer students enrolled in theology and religious studies courses in higher education during the 2017-2018 academic year than in 2011-2012.

While the study and research of theology and religion remains an attractive area for many, it has seemingly fallen foul of the many challenges faced by the higher education sector, and particularly since the reforms to fees and funding in 2012: the number of students studying theology and religious studies degrees has fallen by a third, noted the reports Foreword.

Fewer students means additional pressures on schools and departments to demonstrate their worth or face closure. The U.K.s specialist theological institution, Heythrop College, founded in 1614, closed its doors in 2018 after over 400 years of teaching.

The report also found that there was a significant gender gap and age gap when comparing theology and religious studies with other fields.

Women made up 37% of academic staff in theology and religious studies, versus 53% for similar humanities subjects. While the average age for academic staff in theology and religious studies was 47, in the fields of philosophy, classics, and history the average age was 43.

Professor Roger Kain, vice president of Research and Higher Education Policy at the British Academy and co-author of the report, said in a statement last week that the report came at a critical time for the academic field.

Not only are the subjects popularity on the wane but the problem is confounded by the profile of their teaching staff, said Kain.

 if more ethnically and gender diverse groups do not rise through the ranks, there is a danger that these highly relevant disciplines disappear from our universities.

Much has been made about the erosion of Christianity in the United Kingdom in recent times, as seen with declining membership and attendance, as well as large numbers of church closures.

In February 2018, the U.K.-based research group YouGov released a report in which respondents ranked religious studies as one of the least important subjects students should learn in school.

YouGov surveyed about 1,600 Brits on what they considered the most important subjects taught in school, including drama, music, religious studies and physical education.

YouGov found that only 12% labeled religious studies "very important," with the majority saying it was either "not very important" or "not at all important."

The only subjects ranked lower than religious studies were drama at 8%, classics at 7%, and Latin at the very bottom with 3%.
Christians serious about tackling adult content and human trafficking shouldn't watch Game of Thrones - Christine Caine

Christians can't be serious about ending human trafficking and tackling adult content if they're watching 'Game of Thrones' at the same time, evangelist Christine Caine has suggested.

The popular Christian speaker and writer told the Heaven Come conference in Los Angeles last week that human trafficking could be stopped "overnight" if people stopped watching adult content.

She also suggested that watching the hit HBO drama Game of Thrones was making it harder to put a stop to human trafficking.

"I'll tell you how to stop human trafficking, sex trafficking overnight: If people stop watching p*rn. ... Just stop it," she said, according to Fox News.

In a dig at Christians watching the show to be "culturally relevant", she continued, "Here I am trying to put traffickers in jail and you're watching 'Game of Thrones'.

"How's that going to work with a trafficker?"

Caine heads up the international anti-trafficking ministry, A21, which campaigns globally for an end to trafficking and provides support for victims.

She continued by saying that adult content had a human cost.

"Nothing is free," she said. "P*rn costs somebody."

The warning from Caine follows a study by Gallup last year which found that nearly half of Americans (43 per cent) believe that watching adult content is "morally acceptable", up 7 percentage points from 2011.

She challenged Christians to surrender in all areas of their life, including what they watch on TV.

"The issue is not whether you are going to die, 100 percent we're all going to die," she said.

"The issue is will you live the life God put you on this Earth to live. Will you step up into your God-given purpose and your God-given destiny and stop playing it safe, and stop living small, and start believing your God is huge and He's able to do so much more than you give him credit for?"
How can the church communicate God's love to people who have 'switched off'?

I had to smile. He was completely baffled and yet it was such a simple question. I asked him: "Do you have any rubbish in the bin in your bedroom?"

I asked him this as he and his family prepared to leave us the other day. And then it dawned on me. He was a Texan, on his first visit to the UK, and the word "rubbish" had gone completely over his head. "He means trash," his mum explained with a smile, and then the penny dropped and he smiled too.

This amusing event was yet another useful reminder that we can speak the same language as someone else and yet fail to communicate what we are trying to say, however earnestly we try. It was this discovery that prompted Garry Chapman to write his brilliant book "The Five Love Languages". As the blurb on the cover says, "If you express love in a way your spouse doesn't understand he or she won't realize you've expressed your love at all."

As a pastor, I'm only too well aware that fewer and fewer people, particularly young people read the Bible today, and so I'm constantly looking for ways to communicate the sense of purpose, hope and love that they would find in it. And I find myself asking, "How can I get those who have switched off God to take an interest in what I believe?"

Well that's where the church comes in, or at least should come in.

Recent research (Talking Jesus) shows that two thirds of non-religious people bump into Christians on a regular basis. This is both a massive challenge and a huge opportunity.

As one of the earliest Christian writers said, "Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiselled into stone, but carved into human lives." (2 Corinthians 3: The Message)

In other words those of us who claim to follow Jesus should grasp the opportunity to tell everyone about Him through the values and the lifestyle we adopt and display. For when we do this well, they are far less likely to trash (i.e. to rubbish!) Him.

Concord Church in Dallas, Texas, clearly understands this principle as the recent report in Christian Today shows. Senior Pastor Bryan Carter wants people to discover the joy and the fulfilment that can come from marriage and is clearly exercised by the number of people who are simply choosing to live together.

It would be all too tempting (and probably) too predictable to rage from the pulpit. But Carter has chosen a different route.

"We believe that in days like these, it's important for the Church to step up and redeem the covenant of marriage", he says.

And his church is doing exactly that in the most costly and wonderful way. They are encouraging cohabiting singles to marry and promising them that the church will pay for everything, from the rings to the wedding cake if they do.

Every three years, the church agrees to pay for the weddings of cohabitating couples who wish to get married. Since the church first implemented the marriage programme in 2009, nearly 60 couples have walked down the aisle. And it might come as no surprise to learn that Carter hopes other churches will do the same.

If anything proves the pastor and his church truly believe in the institution of marriage, let alone a generous God, this amazing initiative does. And in so doing they have delivered a massive Texan sized challenge to the churches of Britain too.

Rob James is a Baptist minister, writer and church and media consultant to the Evangelical Alliance Wales. He is the author of Little Thoughts About a Big God
Is Frank Bowling Britains greatest living abstractionist?

Jessica Lack takes a deep dive into the life and work of an artist who was sorely overlooked before his enormously popular retrospective at Tate Britain

Frank Bowling (b. 1934) described his first year at the Royal College of Arts as feeling like a blind man learning to negotiate space: the perimeters of his chosen subject had become so wide as to be disorientating. So he focused his energies on learning how to draw: And that came about from doing it as though I was blind, you know, I mean, tap-tapping It was 1959, and the artist and his RCA contemporaries, who included David Hockney, R.B. Kitaj and Allen Jones, were teetering on the edge of arguably the most spirited and politically active decade of the 20th century. The desire to be an artist in this revolutionary era had, according to Bowling, become urgent for these ambitious young men, and by the time they graduated in 1962, the art historian David Sylvester was already heralding them as the next big thing.

As part of the Windrush generation, Bowlings journey to the most prestigious art school in the UK had been challenging and unorthodox. Having left Guyana (then a British colony) at the age of 15, he spent his first years studying and doing a series of menial jobs. (On one building site his boss said he liked coloured people, just not the dark ones.) It was while on military service in the RAF that he fell in with a group of RCA graduates who took him to the National Gallery. When the painter Carel Weight called him up for an interview at the RCA in 1958, it fortuitously coincided with a visit from the gas man, who gave him a rebate from the meter, which he used to buy his ticket to London.

It took another year to convince Weight to offer him a place  which he did after seeing a series of self-portraits, one of which was offered at Christies in June 2019 as part of the David Methuen Campbell collection. According to art critic Mel Gooding, even at this early stage in his career, the work revealed that Bowling had (unconsciously?) grasped the essential truth that a painting is as much about the material properties of the medium as it is about its ostensible subject. Within a term he was being described as an exceptional talent, and went on to win the silver medal (Hockney won gold). By the time Bowling graduated from the RCA, he was married to the writer Paddy Kitchen who had worked as the assistant registrar at the RCA, and preparing his first show with Derek Boshier at the Grabowski Gallery.

It was then that things started to go wrong: he was omitted from key exhibitions, and suffered a crisis of artistic identity. Swinging London was enthralled by Pop arts bold optimism, but Bowling found more in common with the congealed, smeary claustrophobia of Francis Bacons paintings than soup tins. One incident in particular  discovering a young woman giving birth alone in an empty and derelict flat in Notting Hill  had a profound effect on him. It inspired a number of paintings of swans, including the one below.

Frank Bowling (b. 1934), Swan, 1964. 20 x 16 in (50.8 x 40.6 cm). Sold for 118,750 on 18 June 2019 at Christies in London

By 1966 Bowling had become disillusioned by the British art establishment, and frustrated at the lack of progression of his career. Elena Crippa, curator of the artists recent retrospective at Tate Britain, explains that in the mid-1960s there was a great wave of change towards artistic practices and the conceptual use of new media. Ongoing discussions were being had about the death of painting. The theorist Clement Greenberg suggested he move to the United States, and the painting Mirror reflects Bowlings conflicted emotions at this time. It depicts the artist on the RCAs staircase, caught between representation and Abstraction, transnationalism and its consequences. He took the initiative and moved to New York, saying, I had to realise that staircase. Angus Granlund, Head of the Modern British Art Day Sale, believes Bowlings move was born out of frustration and ambition. His marriage had just broken down and he had been overlooked for major exhibitions like The New Generation, 1965 at the Whitechapel Gallery. He had already established a good network of artist friends in the US, and I think the move gave him a fresh start, a blank canvas if you like, both metaphorically and literally, as it marked a huge stylistic change. Some of those artists included Larry Rivers (1923-2002), Franz Kline (1910-1962) and Kenneth Noland (1924-2010), while Greenberg (1909-1994)  with whom Bowling had a life-long correspondence  helped encourage the young artist to embrace abstraction.

Frank Bowling (b. 1934), Great Thames IV, 1988-9. Acrylic paint on canvas. 71 x 126 in (181 x 321 cm). Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London.  Frank Bowling. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2019

The Tate retrospective showcased 59 of the artists paintings over a seven-decade career, beginning with his early works at the RCA. It mapped what Crippa describes as the extraordinary journey between London and New York and back again, and the many references to Guyana where he was born. In New York, Bowling had the freedom to experiment. From about 1967 he started collaging, using spray paint, stencils and fluorescent paint, stitching silk prints and other canvases into his work.

Frank Bowling (b. 1934), Cover Girl, 1966. Acrylic, oil paint, and silkscreened ink on canvas. 57 x 40 in (144.8 x 101.6 cm). Private Collection.  Frank Bowling. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2019

Crippa predicted visitors to the Tate show would be stunned at how little they know about Britains foremost abstractionist. Even the works from the 1960s, like Cover Girl [above], are extraordinarily fresh, she says.

Bowling returned to London in the late 1970s, by which time he was working on a series of poured paintings and embedding detritus from his studio into his canvases. Frank once said, You are born, and you start to accumulate and erase. In a way these works reflect that, sys Crippa, although she is quick to point out these objects should not be seen as autobiographical. Grunland agrees: He [Bowling] always tried to avoid a one-to-one reading of his work, and I think his move to abstraction was part of that  a way to express himself without having to present a narrative.

The return to London also marked a period of making but not showing for Bowling. He was, quite simply, ignored by the British establishment. The next 40 years were spent criss-crossing the Atlantic to New York where he was better represented. Like all abstract artists, Bowling was interested in technique and materiality, not identity, yet it seemed the UK was unable to accept him as that.

Sign up today The Online Magazine delivers the best features, videos, and auction

news to your inbox every week Subscribe

To be a black artist in Britain in the 1960s was, Crippa says, very unusual: There were issues around bias and prejudice. In 1996, at the height of Londons love affair with the YBAs, artist Eddie Chambers was unable to find a London venue for Bowlings touring exhibition, and no one reviewed the show.

That Bowlings work is finally getting the recognition it deserves is gratifying, yet reveals inconvenient truths about how the British art establishment has treated artists from minority backgrounds throughout the history of 20th-century art.

Frank Bowling (b. 1934), Swing, 2003. Acrylic paint, acrylic gel and staples on fabric collage on canvas, 27 x 39 in (68.8 x 100.2 cm). Sold for 37,500 on 5 October 2019 at Christies in London

Things started to change in 2003 when he was featured in the Venice Biennale. He began to be represented by Hales Gallery and museums in America started acquiring his works. Granlund believes it was thanks in part to younger curators and dealers: They looked back and saw his significance in the history of Abstract painting.

Frank Bowling (b. 1934), Iona Miriam's Christmas Visit to & from Brighton, 2017. Acrylic paint and plastic objects on collaged canvas. 74 x 48 in (189 x 122.5 cm). Courtesy Frank Bowling and Hales Gallery, Alexander Gray Associates and Marc Selwyn Fine Art.  Frank Bowling. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2018
The Black Strat  a rock icon

Through the annals of rock history, David Gilmours black Fender Stratocaster has taken on a life of its own, gaining a level of fame close to that of its owner. This is its story

Of all the instruments in David Gilmours considerable collection, it is an off-the-shelf standard model black Stratocaster that has served him the longest as both a performance and a recording tool, appearing on every Pink Floyd album from 1970 to 1983 and all four of his solo albums to date. The Black Strat was integral to the recording of Pink Floyds seminal masterpiece The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973), as well as follow-up albums Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals (1977) and The Wall (1979), LPs which form the four cornerstones of the classic-era Pink Floyd.

David Gilmour purchased the guitar new in May 1970 from Mannys, the iconic guitar store on West 48th Street in New York. It was bought to replace a black Stratocaster with a rosewood neck that he had purchased just six weeks earlier but which had been stolen in New Orleans, along with the rest of the bands equipment, following the second show of Pink Floyds third US tour. That first black Stratocaster was never seen again. With the band forced to end the tour early, Gilmour flew home to London via New York, making an emergency visit to Manhattans Music Row to purchase another black Stratocaster, this one with a maple neck.

It became my main guitar, the one I used pretty much on everything unless there was a reason to want a different sound  David Gilmour on The Black Strat

This second black Stratocaster, which would become known as The Black Strat, bore a serial number dating the guitar to 1969, and a custom black finish sprayed over sunburst. It made its first appearance on stage at the legendary Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music at Shepton Mallet, Somerset, during the early hours of Sunday 28 June 1970, where Pink Floyd appeared on the bill alongside Led Zeppelin and Jefferson Airplane. After a period experimenting with other guitars, including a sunburst Stratocaster, a brown Telecaster and a white Stratocaster, Gilmour had settled on The Black Strat as his favoured instrument by 1971. It became my main guitar, Gilmour told Matt Everitt in 2018, the one I used pretty much on everything unless there was a reason to want a different sound.

Throughout the 49 years Gilmour has owned this Stratocaster it has been considered his working guitar, used to test new ideas and to experiment with various modifications. It has been fitted with various pickups, switches, inputs, pickguards, tailpieces and tuners, and undergone no fewer than six different neck changes. All these alterations were performed in order to achieve the dynamics in tonal quality and playability required by David Gilmour at the time. The first appearance of The Black Strat with the rosewood neck was at The Dome in Brighton in June 1972. It was a gig that saw the first complete live performance of The Dark Side Of The Moon, a concept album that explored the stresses and pressures of modern life. Sporadically recorded at Londons Abbey Road Studios from June 1972 to March 1973, The Dark Side Of The Moon was finally released in March 1973 to critical acclaim and instant chart success. It remained in the Billboard album chart for a record-breaking 741 consecutive weeks and has sold more than 55 million copies worldwide to date. Gilmour primarily used The Black Strat for his visceral guitar solos, rhythm parts and fills on the album, notably including his astounding solo on Time, and two of the three solos on Money.

The guitar truly earned its moniker when Gilmour replaced the standard white pickguard with a custom-made black pickguard which remains to this day, transforming the appearance of the guitar and creating an instantly recognisable all-Black Strat. The Black Strat went on to play a key role during the recording of Pink Floyds 1975 album Wish You Were Here, a worthy successor to The Dark Side Of The Moon and Gilmours favourite Floyd album. It was during rehearsals at Londons Unit Studios that the sublime four-note arpeggio that would inspire the Syd Barrett tribute Shine On You Crazy Diamond popped out of the guitar. Gilmour recorded all electric guitar parts for the album on his trusty Black Strat between January and July 1975 at Abbey Road, laying down the four-note phrase in the cavernous Studio One to capture the effect of a concert hall.

David Gilmour replacing guitar strings while setting up for a concert at Hakone Aphrodite, Japan, in August 1971. Photo by Koh Hasebe / Shinko Music

After two short tours of the USA, the band headlined a concert at Knebworth on 5 July 1975 in support of their new material, marking the last time The Dark Side Of The Moon would be played in its entirety by the classic-era Pink Floyd line-up. Gilmour used The Black Strat to record Pink Floyds edgier follow-up album, Animals, at the bands new recording studio in North London and throughout the subsequent In The Flesh Tour through Europe and North America. The rosewood neck was swapped out for a custom Charvel birdseye maple neck ahead of recording sessions for Pink Floyds next concept album, The Wall, which began in April 1979 at Super Bear Studios in France. It was there that Gilmour laid down the guitar solo for Comfortably Numb, frequently voted one of the best solos of all time.

David Gilmour performing live at Wembley Empire Pool, London, in March 1977 on the Animals  In The Flesh tour. Photo by Andre Csillag/REX/Shutterstock

By the time the band kicked off their series of spectacular live shows in support of the album, which featured a giant wall spanning the width of the auditorium, the guitar sported a custom wound Seymour Duncan pickup, which remains on The Black Strat to this day. For performances of Comfortably Numb, Gilmour was dramatically picked out by spotlight, seemingly perched atop the wall as he worked the guitar. Gilmour recorded the majority of his eponymous 1978 solo debut album on The Black Strat; played the guitar with a custom Charvel 22 fret birdseye maple neck on Pink Floyds 1983 album The Final Cut; and re-enlisted the guitar, now modified with a Kahler tremolo system and a shortened tremolo arm, to record his second solo album, About Face, in Paris in August 1983. In the mid-1980s, Fender brought out its 1957 vintage reissue series, and The Black Strat was laid aside in favour of a Candy Apple Red 57V Stratocaster that would become Gilmours principal guitar for the next 20 years. In August 1986, the now unemployed Black Strat was loaned to the Hard Rock Cafe in return for a charitable donation, and was displayed in its Dallas restaurant for over a decade.

Its pretty battered and beat up, Gilmour told Christies. Its been my experimental work bed for all sorts of stuff throughout the years.

The guitar was returned in poor condition in 1997, lacking its original case, and sent to Chandler Guitars for restoration. It saw little use until 2003, when Gilmour played a few parts from The Dark Side Of The Moon for the Eagle Rock documentary about the making of the album. The Black Strat made its big-stage comeback, however, when Gilmour, Nick Mason, Richard Wright and Roger Waters reunited the classic-era Pink Floyd line-up at the Live 8 concert in Londons Hyde Park on 2 July 2005, their first performance together in 24 years. The return to prominence of The Black Strat led to its use on Gilmours subsequent solo albums On An Island (2006) and Rattle That Lock (2015), as well as the final Pink Floyd album The Endless River (2014). Over the years, the guitar has appeared with its owner at countless one-off and benefit performances, sharing the stage with such legendary artists as Jeff Beck, David Bowie, David Crosby and Graham Nash.

The back of The Black Strat, which has always been viewed by Gilmour as a working tool

In 2006, the Fender Musical Instrument Corporation asked David Gilmours permission to produce an accurate replica of The Black Strat. Despite his protestation that it was just an ordinary Strat that I bought at Mannys, Gilmour finally gave the go-ahead for a series of prototypes and pickup configurations to be developed, tested and refined over the next two years. Once the fifth and final prototypes had been approved by Gilmour for sound, feel, playability and visual accuracy, the guitar went into production and was released in September 2008.

Sign up today The Online Magazine delivers the best features, videos, and auction

news to your inbox every week Subscribe

The Fender Custom Shop produced two models of the David Gilmour Signature Stratocaster  the Relic, which faithfully replicated the condition of The Black Strat as it appeared in 2008, featuring visual wear and distressing to the finish, aged parts and no backplate; and the NOS, or New Old Stock, which similarly replicates the guitar as it is now, but with new parts, an as new paint finish and a white plastic backplate.

David Gilmour and The Black Strat, circa 2010. Photo by Eamonn McCabe / Redferns / Getty Images
A Houston-based tech startup focused on artificial intelligence in the oil and gas industry is planning to expand its operations and go on a hiring spree after closing a $15 million Series B funding round.

Tachyus, which was founded in Silicon Valley but has since relocated most of its just 18-person team to Houston, closed the Series B round of funding last week, led by Cottonwood Venture Partners, a growth equity firm that partners with technology companies providing digital solutions for the energy industry.

Founded in 2014 by a former Microsoft developer Paul Orland, Tachyus has offices in the Galleria area and maintains some presence in Silicon Valley. It serves customers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Argentina, Norway and Thailand.

ROBOTS: Phillips 66s autonomous robot completes first diesel tank inspection

Weve been growing aggressively in last year, said Garrett Leahy, the companys vice president for North America. We need to grow our operational footprint to be able support that global client base.

Tachyus software products allow geoscientists and reservoir engineers to interpret the deluge of data collected from sensors and monitors in the oilfield at a fraction of the time it would normally take.

Leahy said engineers typically have two options for determining the future production rates and structure of an oil reserve: using mathematical computations to make predictions, which lacks certainty, or using more expensive and advanced 3D modeling that is more accurate but takes months to produce results.

More A-I: Backed by Big Oil, tech startup Maana launches partnership with Microsoft

Tachyus platform lies in the middle of those solutions, he said, allowing engineers to improve the accuracy of their predictions in less time. Its software products combine machine learning and artificial intelligence with the physics of how oil, water and injected fluids flow in the subsurface. It builds a predicative model of an oil reservoir, and optimizes the production plan based on the model to achieve a business goal.

The software also allows engineers to quickly predict mechanical equipment failure, relationships between completion design and initial production and how the reservoir will respond to the injection of water, steam and other substances used in oil production.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Big Tech aims for a piece of Big Oil

Tachyus customers range from small independent oil and gas companies, to state-owned oil companies and a large super major oil company.

The company will use the Series B funding to further develop its software based on feedback received from its customers, Leahy said.

The core of the engine everyone is excited about  this Series B funding is going to allow us to mature the platform, which is going to help us better fit into the market, he said.

The company can also expand its footprint and plans to increase its staff anywhere from 50 percent to more than doubling in the next year or so, he said. Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. acted as exclusive financial adviser to Tachyus in closing the funding round.

FUEL FIX: Get energy news to your inbox daily

Leahy said the technologies that Tachyus and other artificial intelligence platforms provide frees up time for reservoir engineers to focus on solving bigger complex problems they could not tackle before.

Leveraging the strength of machine learning and AI are really expanding the scope of technical problems oil and gas operators can attack, Leahy said.

marissa.luck@chron.com

twitter.com/marissaluck7
Apache Corp.'s Altus Midstream Co. said it opened its new Permian Basin processing plant to treat its production of natural gas and natural gas liquids.

The announcement comes after Houston-based Apache said in April it was dramatically cutting back on its natural gas production in the Permian Basin for now because of steep pricing discounts caused by pipeline and processing plant shortages in the region.

The opening of the Diamond Cryo Complex in its Alpine High portion of the Permian could soon get Apache's gas output moving again. Altus said it started up the first of three cryogenic processing facilities, called trains, this week with the other two expected to come online later this year.

The plant is expected to help process large volumes of purer streams of natural gas and NGLs, including ethane, propane and butane.

Altus launched late last year as a publicly traded spinoff of Apache's pipeline and processing facilities.

RELATED: Apache cuts back production of Permian gas because of pricing

Apache's emerging Alpine High development in the Permian is expected to produce large volumes of gas in addition to crude oil output. There's so much associated gas produced along with crude oil that many companies are having to pay to have the excess gas shipped away. Either that or they're simply flaring more of the gas and burning it into the atmosphere, contributing to pollution and climate change.

That's why Apache opted to temporarily scale back on its production, especially in the gassier areas of the Alpine High.

"This is the proper approach from both an environmental and economic perspective relative to other industry practices such as flaring or selling associated gas at a negative or unprofitable price," Apache Chief Executive John Christmann said in April.

But the new processing plant can help Apache ramp its activity back up in the relatively near future.

Altus also announced it closed on its acquisition of a large stake in Kinder Morgan's Permian Highway Pipeline to carry natural gas from the Permian to the Houston area. The pipeline is expected to be completed by October 2020.

Altus now owns a 26.7 percent stake in the pipeline project.
Oil headed for its biggest monthly slump this year as fears that the U.S.-China trade war will hurt demand overshadowed concern over rising political tensions in the Persian Gulf.

Futures slipped to the lowest in more than two months in New York and London on Friday. Trade friction between the worlds two biggest economies escalated this week as Beijing threatened to restrict the sale of rare-earth minerals, fanning worries that global growth will be affected. Meanwhile, a jump in U.S. gasoline inventories countered speculation that oil markets are tightening.

Oils pullback this month illustrates that the supply issues that have preoccupied crude markets for much of this year are giving way to concerns about demand. Even though OPEC and its allies are reducing output, the U.S. is imposing sanctions on Iranian and Venezuelan exports, and tensions are flaring between Saudi Arabia and Iran, fears over the health of the global economy are pushing prices lower.

PREVIOUSLY: Oil set for year's worst month as U.S. glut adds to trade woes

Renewed trade tensions have weighed on the price of risk assets, said Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity-markets strategy at BNP Paribas SA.

West Texas Intermediate crude for July fell as much as $1.76, or 3.1%, to $54.83 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest since March 8. The contract traded at $55.19 as of 10:37 a.m. London time, taking its decline this week to 5.9% and its slump in May to 14%.

Brent for July settlement retreated $2.17, or 3.3%, to $64.70 a barrel on Londons ICE Futures Europe exchange after earlier falling 3.7%. The global benchmark crude was trading at a premium of $9.58 a barrel to WTI.

FALLING: Worldwide renewable energy prices drop

In fresh evidence of the impact of the trade dispute, a Chinese manufacturing gauge for May dropped more than forecast. The country is mobilizing its state-run energy industry to prepare for a long struggle with the U.S., and also has readied a plan to restrict exports of rare earths, according to people familiar with the matter.

Oils sell-off continued on Friday after President Donald Trump vowed to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican goods until that country stops immigrants from entering the U.S. illegally.

Given oil markets are tethered to the hip of risk markets currently, this is bad news for oil bulls, said Stephen Innes, head of trading at SPI Asset Management.

--With assistance from James Thornhill and Saket Sundria.

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
A year ago, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions broke ground on what they billed as "America's largest indoor water park" in Round Rock, Texas.

Kalahari Resorts celebrated the growth and progress at the new location Wednesday, releasing photos and videos of what the site looks like in mid 2019.

The resort pegs its business as providing "authentically African-themed all-under-one-roof experiences."

READ ALSO: Schlitterbahn is celebrating 40 years this summer with freebies and other special deals

The site, which is located off US 79 just across from Dell Diamond, will be home to a $550 million, 350-acre complex that will include nearly 1,000 guest rooms, a water park, convention center, five restaurants, a spa and more.

According to the main resort Facebook page, the Round Rock location is expected to open in November 2020.

The company, owned by Todd Nelson and his family, announced its plans to built its first property in the Southwest back in 2016.

Check out the latest photos in the gallery above to catch the progress being made, and get a look at the features at other Kalahari resorts.

Priscilla Aguirre is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre
A new real estate report from Keller Williams Realty Broker Paige Martin breaks down the best lofts Houston has to offer.

Lofts are a big leap from the typical single-family residential properties seen in Houston's suburbs. These unique properties are more concentrated in the downtown, galleria and inner loop areas and can range from converted historic buildings to newer luxury condos, according to Martin.

There are many pros to living a loft lifestyle; the prime location many of the buildings boast offer residents easy access to bustling retail centers, restaurants and inner city life. The "lock and leave" lifestyle is also popular among owners since they do not have to worry about yard maintenance. In addition to stunning views of the Houston skyline, most buildings also offer security and building amenities like 24/7 valet service.

Another common trait among Houston lofts are the features; exposed brick walls, ductwork, high ceilings and open floor plans are typical, Martin said in the report.

PRIME PROPERTY: Get your updates on Houston real estate deals and developments

The report breaks down the top loft buildings in Houston, from the galleria area to downtown to River Oaks. Some of the best places to buy inside the loop are at the Rise Lofts and Gotham Lofts, according to Martin.

The Chronicle compiled five stunning properties for sale in Houston's best loft buildings, according to Martin.

Wondering what loft living looks like in the heart of the city? Click through the photos above for a peek inside stunning lofts currently on the market.

Located at 2000 Bagby Street, Rise is a 15-story tall residential highrise near Midtown that offers direct access to downtown, Montrose and the Texas Medical Center. The modern building boasts a stunning rooftop infinity pool as well as a sundeck, lounge and outdoor kitchen. Gotham Lofts is a four-story residential loft midrise that boasts a European-style architectural design and offers a "hotel-like" vibe, according to Martin.

St. Germain Lofts is one of the best buildings to buy at in downtown, according to the report. The renovated historic building was originally built in 1911. Residents are able to enjoy building amenities that include a fitness center, universal theater, party room, rooftop deck and free laundry service.

Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message


WASHINGTON - Gasoline with a higher concentration of ethanol - branded E15 - can now be sold year round, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday.

The EPA had long restricted sales of the fuel during summer months to prevent against potentially dangerous increases in air pollution. But under pressure from Midwestern farmers, whose corn crops feed ethanol production, the Trump administration announced last year it planned to waive the restriction.

"As President Trump promised, EPA is approving the year-round sale of E15 in time for summer driving season, giving drivers more choices at the pump," EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement.

ETHANOL BREAKS: With flood of EPA waivers, refineries find way around ethanol mandate

Within the ethanol industry, hopes are the end of the summer restriction will lead more gasoline stations to sell E15, which contains a 15 percent concentration of ethanol compared to the 10 percent in standard gasoline. So far, E15 remains a niche product primarily available in the Midwest.

"Year-round E15 will also provide a badly needed long-term demand boost for our industry and America's farmers, who face a number of daunting challenges today," Geoff Cooper, president of the Renewable Fuels Association said in a statement.

The expanded sales of ethanol deal a blow to U.S. oil refineries, who are already watching national gasoline sales stagnate under increased efficiency standards for cars and trucks.

Representatives of the oil and gas industry are already hinting they plan to challenge the rule change in court.

"The statutory language leaves no question that the EPA lacks authority to extend the E10 volatility waiver to E15. Finalizing this aspect of the proposed rule would clearly be unlawful, and we strongly oppose it," Chet Thompson, president of American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, said in a statement last month.

In its announcement, the EPA said it was also changing the rules for the trading of credits used to track that ethanol is being blended into the fuel supply - known as Renewables Identification Numbers, or RINs. The price of those credits had skyrocketed in recent years amid increased speculation from Wall Street investors.

Traders that exceed a certain threshold of RINs now will be required to disclose their holdings publicly. Also, EPA said it will improve its monitoring of the RIN market through increased data collection and work with the Internal Revenue Service to stamp out incidents of RIN fraud.
Although flooding continues to happen around the city and some residents remember Hurricane Harvey like it was yesterday, according to the Greater Houston Partnership, Houston is well past its initial recovery period for the large storm.

During the latest Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce general membership luncheon, Patrick Jankowski, senior vice president of research for GHP, gave a presentation on the progression and history of the Houston economy. Jankowski said Houston, in general, is doing well economically despite Hurricane Harvey, and is on its way to more improvement.

According to the presentation given by Jankowski, Houston payroll enrollment has been steadily increasing since the months following Harvey, reaching peak payroll employment in the fall of 2018 at 130,000 jobs according to the Texas Workforce Commission.

Harvey did have an impact on the economy in September, October and November of 2017 but after that weve pretty much recovered, Jankowski said.

Home sales also increased from approximately 90,000 homes sold in 2017 to nearly 100,000 predicted for 2019 according to the Houston Association of Realtors. Jankowski said large purchases and an increase in employment are signs of confidence in an area and its economy due to the long-term commitment associated with them.

Vehicle sales are picking up, thats another indicator of consumer confidence, he said. Most rational consumers will not go out and sign a four-year or five-year note on a vehicle if they think theyre going to lose their job.

Diversity of economic enterprises was also a strong point of the Houston economy, Jankowski said, specifically the energy industry and trading. Exports out of Houston have increased significantly from lower than $100 billion in customs exports in December 2016 to approximately $140 billion according to WISERTrade.

It goes to show that there are a lot of other sections out here that grow even when oil and gas isnt, he said. Thats another way to look at diversification. Oil and gas is still important but were able to grow other sections of the economy.

Kelly Violette, executive director of the Tomball Economic Development Corporation, said the Tomball business community was not significantly impacted by Harvey.

However, the downturn in the economy, particularly the energy sector, did negatively impact our businesses, she said. There were layoffs due to loss of contracts and work volume, however it appears that most of the companies have recovered and have even moved forward with expansion projects.

Violette said the overall Tomball economy is experiencing positive growth.

I think the Houston economy is doing very well, with significant investments in the Port region and announcements in refinery expansions, there are very positive signs of recovery, she said. Tomball has seen an uptick in business relocations and expansions, which is a stark contrast to 2016-2017.

chevall.pryce@chron.com
San Antonio received high praise in a recent cost ranking, being named the most affordable city in the U.S. to vacation for a family of four, according to a report from GoBankingRates.

The site analyzed a variety of data such as the cost of meals, hotels and availability of kid-friendly attractions.
3 1 of 3 Courtesy photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





After months of working hard and preparing, the Odyssey of the Mind team from Walnut Bend Elementary School took first place in their division at the world finals May 22-25.

The problem-solving competition at Michigan State University brought together nearly 800 teams from across the nation and world contending in elementary to college levels. The team from Walnut Bend defeated the Chinese team to claim their title. While the schools team has been to the world finals several times before, this was their first time placing first.
Doctors are hard to come by in rural America. Nearly 20 percent of Americans live in rural communities. But only 10 percent of doctors practice there. Patients often must drive for hours to see a physician.

Such barriers to care can prove deadly. A former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently warned that there is a striking gap in health between rural and urban Americans. CDC research from 2017 indicates that up to 25,000 heart disease deaths and 19,000 cancer deaths could have been prevented in 2014 if rural patients had better access to health care.

The majority of graduates from U.S. medical schools have not made career decisions that help bridge the urban-rural health gap. Theyve typically chosen to pursue careers as specialists, rather than primary care physicians. By necessity, most wind up practicing in cities with populations large and concentrated enough to support their specialized practices.

Graduates of international medical schools have been far more willing to practice in the heartland, particularly in primary care. In many cases, these graduates are American citizens who went to medical school overseas and are returning to their hometowns to launch their careers.

To improve rural patients lives, its time to recruit more well-qualified international medical school graduates to America.

The physician shortage is dire in sparsely populated parts of the country. In Texas, more than 30 counties lack a single physician. Nationwide, only 6 percent of OB-GYNs work in rural areas.

The thousands of doctors who graduate from U.S. medical schools each year do not set up shop in small-town America. Last year, the Association of American Medical Colleges surveyed the class of 2018 and found that less than 4 percent of graduates want to practice in rural areas or towns with fewer than 10,000 people. More than 40 percent said they wanted to practice in a large city.

Doctors who graduate from international medical schools are more likely to serve rural patients. According to a report from the American College of Physicians, international medical school graduates  also known as IMGs  are often more willing than their U.S. medical graduate counterparts to practice in remote, rural areas. A study published in the journal Family Medicine found that IMGs are key to addressing existing rural shortages.

International medical graduates are also more likely to work in underprivileged communities. IMGs account for one-quarter of all doctors in the United States  but more than 40 percent of the doctors in areas with per-capita incomes below $15,000.

These IMGs provide top-notch care. Research published in the British Medical Journal found that patients treated by international medical graduates reported better health outcomes than those treated by U.S. medical school graduates. International grads are also more likely to care for Medicare patients with more complex health needs, according to a study from the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

One-third of the graduates of St. Georges University School of Medicine in Grenada practice in medically underserved areas. They enter an array of specialties, from pediatrics and other primary care specialties to surgery, anesthesiology and neurology. Among all U.S. and international medical schools, St. Georges is the third-largest provider of actively practicing doctors in the United States.

Rural America doesnt have enough doctors. Patients may be dying as a result. Bringing in more international medical graduates could ease the shortage and save lives.

Dr. Richard Liebowitz is vice chancellor of St. Georges University. He previously served as president of New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.
Courtesy photo

This week we want to spotlight one of our members, Carolyn Price. Carolyn has been a member of the Noon Kiwanis since 1987. As a Sr. Vice President for Woodforest Bank for 18 years she served 33 years in banking before retiring.

I love that our mission is to serve children in the Greater Conroe area. My role is to chair the scholarship committee and communicate with Yes to Youth - MCYS at Christmas to determine the needs of the families they serve.
An ordered eviction this week led to the Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constables Office apprehending four people on drug possession charges.

Magnolia residents Daniel William Curry, 42, and Samantha Jo Mallon, 28, are being charged with possession of a controlled substance, more than 4 grams and less than 200 grams, a second-degree felony. Jamie Coreen Briner, 53, of Magnolia, is being charged with possession of a controlled substance, more than 1 gram. Stephanie Renee Sandstedt, 28, of Hockley, is being charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.

Deputies arrived on the 27800 block of Branding Iron Lane in Magnolia with a court order to evict the homes occupants. When they tried speaking with Curry, deputies say he put his hand in his pocket and began to walk away, prompting an officer to pat him down. Something was detected and Curry gave permission to the officer to remove what turned out to be a baggie containing methamphetamine, according to deputies.

He was found in possession of another 78 grams of meth, 73.5 grams of it along with Mallon. Briner, who was pulling into the driveway during the eviction, was found in possession of a baggie of half a gram of meth and a backpack with 4.1 grams of crushed up Xanax pills. Shortly later, Sandstedt approached the home, saying her backpack was in Briners vehicle. Her Texas ID was found in the backpack, according to deputies.

The Precinct 5 Constables Office will take every opportunity to remove narcotics from our great community, even while serving court ordered process, Constable Chris Jones said in a statement.

As of Thursday morning, all four were being held at the Montgomery County Jail. Curry had his bond set at $50,000. Mallons bond was set at $10,000. Briners bond was set at $3,000 and Sandstedts bond was set at $750.

Curry was convicted of manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance in Montgomery County in October 2016 and possession of a controlled substance in Grimes County in May 2015, according to public records. When taken into custody, Curry also had a warrant for his arrest for non-payment of child support, according to deputies.

Sandstedt was convicted of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance in Montgomery County in January 2017. Outside of Montgomery County in 2015, she was convicted of multiple offenses, including controlled substance possession, marijuana possession and theft, according to public records.

Brimer was convicted in Montgomery County for possession of a controlled substance in June 2017 and December 2018, and for theft in February 2018, according to public records.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztx
The Montgomery County Attorneys Office is working to determine whether the 12-year-old boy charged with murder for the fatal shooting of his 10-year-old brother in early May should be released or if he will remain in custody.

The County Attorneys Office juvenile division chief prosecutor Marc Brumberger said potential release hinges on a forthcoming psychological report and the nature of the offense. The unidentified preteen continues to undergo intermittent mental evaluations by a child psychologist, as his family is cooperating by providing input on his background.

Until we get that (report) back, its kind of a holding pattern at this point, Brumberger said, adding, no body is requesting his release.

The boys brother died May 4 at the HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe hospital from a gunshot wound to the chest prosecutors say the preteen inflicted on him earlier in the afternoon at their Conroe home on Stidham Road. Since the accused is under 14, under state law he will not face trial as an adult.

Describing it as a definite consideration, Brumberger said the boy could be released to state custodianship. The boys mental health status, he continued, could prompt prosecution not to be pursued in the case. In that instance, an alternative would be instating him in a mental health facility.

That would be something that would certainly be looked at, if it came to that, Brumberger said. However, there is no possibility murder charges against the youth will be dropped as the evidence does not warrant it.

The shooting by the boy appeared intentional because he was mad at his brother, Brumberger told The Courier soon after he began prosecuting the case.

The boys parents continue appearing at his detention hearings, three so far. The hearings have been before three judges. The cases presiding judge is Judge Mary Ann Turner.

He is interacting daily with other children at the countys communal detention center, as all juvenile detainees spend time out of their individual rooms during recreation, education and mealtimes.

The child defendant has fully processed he is being charged with the murder of his brother.

From the beginning, from even on the scene, he seemed to be perfectly aware of that, Brumberger said. Everything I have personally heard confirms he continues to be perfectly well aware of that.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztx
Harris County Constable Pct. 4

A bus driver tasked with ferrying a bus full of teenagers home on the last day of school was arrested Thursday on a driving while intoxicated charge, according to Harris County authorities.

Concerned motorists started following the bus at about 2:15 p.m. as the driver weaved in and out of the lane, said Mark Herman, of the Harris County Constable's Office Precinct 4. The witnesses saw the driver -- identified as a YES Prep Public Schools contractor -- nearly tip the yellow bus on a curve.
Houston police believe the remains of a child found in a black garbage bag on an Arkansas roadside could be missing 4-year-old Maleah Davis, officials said Friday.

"Do we believe that its possibly her? Yes," HPD Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner said. But can we confirm it right now? No."

A road crew noticed the bag two days ago as they were cleaning up the interstate, but decided to leave it alone, Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton said. Mowers ran over the bag at some point Friday.

The body hasn't been identified.

"It's going to be a child," HPD Capt. Michael Skillern told reporters at the scene.

Law enforcement officials began combing areas along Interstate 30 after community activist Quanell X met with Houston police earlier Friday to discuss information he said he obtained from Derion Vence, the suspect in Maleah's disappearance. Vence confessed to killing the girl and dumping her body in Arkansas, Quanell X said.

"He says it was an accident. And he confessed to me where he dumped her body, " the activist said.

The confession reportedly happened during a jailhouse conversation he had with Vence, who is the ex-boyfriend of Maleah's mother, Brittany Bowens.

"He felt like he was just totally overwhelmed, because Brittany wasn't being the mother she should be being," Quanell said Vence told him.

Vence remained in Harris County jail Friday afternoon, according to the local sheriff's office.

A CITY MOURNS: A month after her disappearance Houston has questions, at HoustonChronicle.com.

Vence was engaged to Maleah's mother, and was tasked with caring for the girl from April 30 to May 3 while her mother was out of town. Maleah was reported missing May 3.

Quanell X would not give any other details about how the girl died, or where in Arkansas her body was dumped. But he said the description of the location was accurate.

"He was very specific with the amount of distance and time. When I was able to leave and look it up on my phone, he was to the point on the distance and time, " said Quanell X.

"He said that he pulled over in Arkansas, got out of the car, walked to the side of the road, and dumped the body off the road."

Authorities can't identify the contents of the black garbage bag in Fulton until official autopsy reports are returned. Singleton said the bag contained blood and worms and had a foul odor.

Deputies first searched near the city of Hope but arrived at Fulton after getting a lead from a road crew that contracts with Hempstead County. The bag was found near exit 18 of Interstate 30.

"One of the machines hit the bag and tore it open," Singleton said.

Some of the bag's contents scattered.

"It's over an area," he said.

Fulton is approximately 20 miles from the Texas-Arkansas border. The FBI is at the scene, along with Houston homicide detectives and the local sheriff's office.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said that her office is continuing to work with Houston police to bring justice for Maleah.

"Lets let search teams do what search teams do," she said. "We have spoken with the defendants lawyer and there is no agreement."

Finner said during the news conference Friday that he does anticipate murder charges.

"Who and when, I dont know right now," he said.

Vence has already been charged with tampering with a corpse in connection with the case.

The break in the case came after Houston detectives met with Tim Miller, founder of Equusearch, and Quanell X at a strip mall near NRG Stadium on Friday afternoon. They later confirmed that they were en route to an undisclosed location in Arkansas.

"I think it's true enough that I have an airplane lined up at 3 p.m. to fly a detective, and several officers to go up there and go ahead and start the search," Miller said.

Miller also said he'd spoken with law enforcement officials in Arkansas.

Quanell X had been speaking for Bowens in the wake of Maleah's disappearance. He appeared with her in multiple interviews and in a court hearing on May 13 for Vence, her former live-in boyfriend.

He recently said he is no longer representing Bowens.

Friday morning, Vence's attorney Dorian Cotlar filed a motion prohibiting Quanell X from visiting Vence after learning the familys former representative had beat him to the Harris County Jail. The facility at 701 San Jacinto Street does not generally allow inmate visits on Fridays, except for lawyers, ministers and sometimes community leaders.

We know Quanell X as a community leader, Harris County Sheriffs Office spokesman Jason Spencer said. When a community leader asks to visit an inmate, we generally allow it, as long as the inmate agrees to the visit.

Quanell X claims that his visit with Vence  which Cotlar says happened around 9 a.m.  garnered a supposed confession.

Quanell X completely misled my client, Cotlar said. I dont know how he was able to get into the jail.

He said he was going to provide lawyers, that everything was going to be fine, he said.

Cotlar added that details that Quanell X alleged to have learned from Vence did not happen.

My client did not confess to Quanell. He did not use the word accident with Quanell, Cotlar said. Im not sure why the DAs Office and Texas Equusearch are giving validity to anything (Quanell) says.

Quanell makes his living off of reward money, he continued.

Cotlar is the second attorney to represent Vence after Thomas Burton withdrew as counsel this week because the family could not pay for his services.

"It's too complex of a case to be working on for free," he said, adding that he was privately attained. He said he received some compensation, but it wasn't enough.

Burton also said that when he represented Vence, he told him not to speak to anyone. Burton also questioned Quanell X's role in the case.

"It certainly appears he's attempting to practice law without a license," Burton said.

Quanell X also told Vence that he was "going to be representing him," Cotlar said.

Vence was under the impression that his family had sent Quanell X after Burton withdrew and that Quanell X was taking over representation, according to Cotlar.

In a phone call, Quanell X said he was not representing Vence or his family at the time of his visit.

He said he went to see Vence at the jail because I wanted to.

I felt like I needed to, he said.

Julian Gill and Danny Hermosillo contributed.

STAY INFORMED: Text HOUSTON to 77453 to get breaking news alerts by text | Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.
After Hurricane Harvey, the Northwest Assistance Ministries Disaster Relief Services provided help to more than 13,500 people in the programs first year, according to the nonprofits 2017-2018 Annual Report.

Yet, said NAMs director of development Samantha Gonzalez, there are families in northwest Harris County who still feel the effects of Harveys devastation.

Related: NAM seeks Harvey-related uses for over $1M in remaining relief funds

NAM, Formation: the young professionals group from the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce, and Molen & Associates have partnered to provide beds for children in need through the Houston Northwest chapter of the nonprofit, Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

The groups are asking community members to join the effort during a bunkbed Build Day on Saturday, June 8 in Cypress. Volunteers will help build and deliver the beds.

The bed recipients are kids that were affected by Hurricane Harvey who are still going through the devastation of it  children in the northwest community who weve identified from our Disaster Relief Program, Gonzalez said.

NAM became involved in the June 8 Build Day initiative through the Houston Northwest Chambers young professionals group, Formation. Gonzalez serves as the Chair of the group.

Leslie Sloan, chamber membership development manager and Formation representative, said the concept behind Build Days is to ensure that no children are without beds in a community.

This particular build was started by Molen & Associates and Clark Boyd (general manager at Molen & Associates) is a member of our young professionals group here at the chamber and was talking to us about our young professionals group doing our own build, Sloan said. As we were talking through it, we thought, Why dont we do this together?

Accounting for lumber, mattresses, sheets and materials required for the beds, each bunk costs $350, according to an event flier. Molen & Associates has been collecting donations for the effort since the start of 2019, said operations manager Griselle Mejia.

Well be contributing and on the 8th in the morning, well go out to the warehouse as a group and help assemble the beds, and then in the evening, we deliver it to the kids that need them, Mejia said. Weve invited our clients to come with us; friends and family; anybody interested to help volunteer.

Volunteers must be at least seven years old and children must be accompanied by a parent. To register as a volunteer, visit bit.ly/shpvolunteers.

The Build Day will take place at The MET Church, 13000 Jones Road.

Orientation begins at 8 a.m. People are encouraged to bring work gloves if they have them. Beds will be built throughout the morning and then delivered in the afternoon.

Gary Akin established the Houston Northwest chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace last year and says that whether donating or volunteering, there are aspects to enjoy at any level of involvement.

The delivery part is the frosting on the cake, Akin said. We encourage and hope that everybody will participate in some way.

With 20 to 25 volunteers, Akin said, the June 8 Build Day event can produce about 10 bunks, or 20 beds.

Maybe more than that if more volunteers show up than we had anticipated, Akin said. We got extra lumber that we can use to build more.

According to Gonzalez, NAMs waiting list for beds exceeds 100 children. Akin said that although his chapter has provided more than 300 beds, their list of backorders is also more than 100 children.

We typically dont see the need and you dont hear about it  people dont talk about their kids not having a bed, Akin said.

However, Gonzalez said, the need persists.

Its sad to say, but it is very common, and it is increasing, Gonzalez said. We are realizing these things as we are going into peoples homes. Our Disaster Relief team assesses neighborhoods and go knock on peoples doors and see the type of living conditions that theyre in and this is how weve started to really take note as to whats happening in the community.

Related: Northwest nonprofit gathering supplies to help community survive the summer

The Houston Northwest chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace continues working to fill the need. Applying for a childs bed is simple, Akin said. Request forms can be submitted through the Sleep in Heavenly Peace website. Applicants provide the age, gender and sleeping conditions of the child. The eligibility requirements include that a child must be in need of a bed and between the ages of three and 17 years old.

Akin is also seeking volunteers for a Build Day the following weekend, June 15, when chapters nationwide will participate in the National Bunks Across America initiative with the goal of producing 2,500 bunks.

For more information, visit www.shpbeds.org/bunks-across-america.
A split has emerged among the Democratic presidential candidates over whether the party should aim to work with Republicans or wage war against them, a division stemming from a belief by many rank-and-file Democrats that the GOP has stopped playing by the old rules.

Former vice president Joe Biden repeatedly touts the need to return to an era of bipartisan comity, saying that "compromise is not a dirty word" and predicting that Republicans will have an "epiphany" on bipartisanship after President Donald Trump is out of office.

Others say Biden's view is naive and harks back to an era of bipartisanship that no longer exists, rather than confronting the hardball tactics that have helped Republicans notch big political wins in recent years.

"We're done with two sets of rules, one for the Republicans and one for the Democrats," Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a candidate for the presidency, said recently, suggesting that if Democrats win the Senate they should consider eliminating the filibuster rule that requires 60 votes to pass most legislation.

Another Democrat seeking the presidency, Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, echoed that sentiment in an interview this week. He cited an Obama-era fiscal deal, engineered in part by Biden and which Bennet argued had ceded too much to the GOP, as "a perfect example of Washington dysfunction masquerading as empty bipartisanship."

The division crystallizes a question that could dominate the Democratic contest and goes to the heart of what the party, and the country, will be in the current era: Do most voters want a president who can bring the nation together or one who will steamroll the other side in what many partisans see as a far-reaching war over culture, ideology and the very definition of American identity?

The party dispute has been underlined by a disagreement among Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives over whether to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump - a move supported by many liberals, including some 2020 White House contenders, who have been urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to move more aggressively against the president.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., added fuel to the debate in recent days with a reminder of how he has used his power to roll over Democrats, especially in remaking the federal judiciary. This week, McConnell said he would fill a Supreme Court vacancy next year if he had the chance - a contrast to 2016, when he blocked an Obama Supreme Court pick while saying such nominees should not be confirmed in the final year of a president's term.

Some Democrats say that despite their unhappiness with such tactics, democracy cannot work when the parties are waging an uncompromising war.

"I get it. I am as frustrated as anybody else," said Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., who has endorsed Biden's candidacy and holds the former vice president's old Senate seat. "But the fundamental design of our democratic order assumes compromise and assumes that folks will put country above party . . . and take seriously the role of legislator and not just partisan warrior."

Many disagree with that approach. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks against the incremental reforms that political compromise tends to yield. Warren and some other Democrats want to change Senate rules so they can usher in sweeping changes without needing help from the minority party, support that they say they would never get.

Bennet, asked whether Democrats should vote for Biden, responded: "I don't think we need to go backward.

"We need to go forward."

Democrats who favor a more aggressive approach argue that Republicans are rewriting the rule book. McConnell's refusal to hold a vote, or even a hearing, for Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland continues to anger those who say that by rights it should be liberals, not conservatives, who are cementing their Supreme Court majority.

Trump, too, has upended many norms, including by largely rejecting congressional oversight and refusing to release his tax returns. In some states, Republican-led legislatures have reacted to a Democrat's winning the governor's office by reducing the power of the office.

The question facing Democrats is whether the right response to all this is to fight back with similar aggression or try to restore a greater sense of unity to the country. Some candidates think that voters have grown fatigued with the animosity and liken the political parties to children bickering in the back seat of a car.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., has one of the most bipartisan records of those running for president, and she has some of the more far-reaching proposals in the Democratic field - such as Medicare-for-all, the Green New Deal and free college tuition - as unrealistic, at least in the short term.

"The actual legislation you do, we know there's going to be compromises," Klobuchar said at a CNN town hall.

Polling in recent years has often found that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to support elected officials who make compromises. Some 70 percent of Democrats said they approved of officeholders who compromise with those with whom they disagree, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey released in January.

In the current presidential field, few have made bipartisanship as much of a centerpiece as Biden, who suggested this week at a fundraiser in Houston that the country's polarization has been exaggerated, an assessment not shared by most of his rivals.

"America's less divided today on issues than when I got to the Senate as a 29-year-old kid," said Biden, referring to his election in 1972. "Then we were divided on everything from war to the women's movement to civil rights, across the board."

Biden represents a more genial way of fighting in the political arena, an approach in which a leader may question an opponent's policies but not the person's character. It is in part a testament to his time in the Senate, where a speaker might call a colleague "my good friend and one of this body's most distinguished members," before proceeding to excoriate that colleague's ideas.

Biden is leading the Democratic field in the polls, suggesting that many Democrats like his approach. But as he seeks the nomination of a party mobilized by outrage - and an eagerness to fight Trump, a man many Democrats consider fundamentally indecent - his unwillingness to channel the anger felt by much of the party is also drawing criticism.

In his campaign speeches, Biden almost always says, as an aside, that some figure is a good person, even if he adamantly disagrees with that person.

Even Trump has received Biden's benefit of the doubt, at least rhetorically. "What amazes me about Donald Trump - and he's probably a decent guy," he said on "The Tonight Show" during an appearance in September 2016. "But his lack of sensibilities . . . I mean the way he talks about, you know,'I was rooting for the housing market to fail, because that's business.' That's not business; that's callous."

In March, Biden was criticized for calling Vice President Mike Pence "a decent guy."

Actress and liberal activist Cynthia Nixon tweeted at Biden, "You've just called America's most anti-LGBT elected leader 'a decent guy.' Please consider how this falls on the ears of our community."

Biden said in response that he was speaking in a foreign-policy context and that "there's nothing decent" about Pence's views on gay rights.

That was not enough for Nixon. "Please understand from where we sit," she wrote, "his dehumanizing of our community disqualifies @MikePence for the honorific of 'decent,' regardless of the context."

Biden's insistence that a core goodness resides in other politicians dates back to when he entered the Senate in 1973. He was angry at Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., who was opposing the Americans With Disabilities in Education Act and whom many Democrats despised and considered racially insensitive.

Then-Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, D-Mont., told Biden that Helms and his wife had adopted a disabled teenager, and Biden recounted feeling foolish about his initial anger.

"Joe, every man and woman sent here is sent here because their state recognizes something decent about them," Mansfield said, in Biden's retelling. "It's easy to find the parts you don't like. I think your job, Joe, is to find out that part that caused him to be sent here. . . . Never question another man's motive. Question his judgment but never his motive."

Biden recalled that advice in his final floor speech in the Senate before becoming vice president.

"I think I can say without fear of contradiction I've never questioned any one of your motives," he said. "Those who are willing to look for the good in the other guy, the other woman, I think become better people and become better and more able legislators."

But Biden's stories about events that occurred more than 45 years ago highlight his detractors' view that he is living in a bygone era, and some liberals say Democrats would be foolish to unilaterally disarm when facing a formidable opponent such as McConnell.

"It's always an easy applause line to talk about your willingness to work across the line, but at this point, it's just plain dishonest for any Democrat to go around acting like they will be able to clink glasses of bourbon with Mitch McConnell to get progressive legislation enacted," said Brian Fallon, a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

Fallon, who was also a top aide to 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, took aim at Democrats who long for the days when President Ronald Reagan and then-House Speaker Thomas "Tip" O'Neill, D-Mass., famously put aside their differences to work across party lines.

"The next Democratic president needs to have a plan to bring about structural change, because the days of Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neil are gone, and they ain't coming back so long as McConnell is in charge on the Republican side," Fallon said.

But others say Biden's approach is an asset.

"Biden knows how to work the legislative process. That is a major virtue," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who has not endorsed in the Democratic primary field. "Lyndon Johnson had it. And the obstacles were every bit as formidable in the era of civil rights legislation as they are now in certain ways."

- - -

The Washington Post's David Weigel in Hudson, N.H., contributed to this report.
Curious just how far your dollar goes in Houston?

We've rounded up the latest rental listings via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to finding a place in Houston if you've got a budget of $1,200/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.

1011 Studemont St. (Washington Avenue Coalition/Memorial Park)

First up is this one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo situated at 1011 Studemont St., which is listed for $1,200/month.

In the unit, expect a dishwasher and in-unit laundry. Both cats and dogs are welcome. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee.

Walk Score indicates that the surrounding area is very walkable, is quite bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options.

(See the complete listing here.)

1915 Binz St., #4 (Museum Park)

Here's a 750-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit at 1915 Binz St., #4 that's also going for $1,200/month.

In the unit, you'll have a balcony, a dishwasher and in-unit laundry. The building offers assigned parking. Animals are not welcome. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee.

Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area is very walkable, is relatively bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options.

(See the full listing here.)

2516 Commonwealth St., #203 (Neartown - Montrose)

Located at 2516 Commonwealth St., #203, here's a 726-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo that's listed for $1,200/month.

Building amenities include assigned parking, outdoor space and secured entry. Cats and dogs are not welcome. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental.

According to Walk Score's assessment, the area around this address has excellent walkability, is convenient for biking and offers many nearby public transportation options.

(See the complete listing here.)

Westheimer Road, #520 (Afton Oaks/River Oaks Area)

Finally, listed at $1,200/month, this 745-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at Westheimer Road, #520.

In the furnished unit, you can anticipate high ceilings, hardwood floors, a balcony, a fireplace, a walk-in closet and in-unit laundry. For building amenities, plan on a swimming pool, a fitness center, outdoor space, a roof deck and garage parking. For those with furry friends in tow, know that cats and dogs are allowed on this property.

Per Walk Score ratings, the area around this address is friendly for those on foot, is relatively bikeable and has a few nearby public transportation options.

(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.
WASHINGTON - Dozens of Homeland Security agents and investigators will deploy to Guatemala as part of the Trump administration's desperate attempt to slow unauthorized migration to the United States from Central America, according to U.S. officials with knowledge of the plans.

The Department of Homeland Security personnel will work as "advisers" to Guatemala's national police and migration authorities, and they will aim to disrupt and interdict human smuggling operations, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe a plan that has not been made public. U.S. authorities hope that the effort will cut off popular routes to the United States and deter migrants from beginning their journeys north through Mexico.

Plans call for at least several dozen DHS agents and investigators, and one DHS source briefed on the plans said approximately 80 U.S. law enforcement personnel will deploy as part of the mission.

Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan has advocated for the more muscular DHS presence and finalized the agreement with president Jimmy Morales and top Guatemala officials during meetings this week in Guatemala City.

"The U.S. and Guatemala are formalizing a number of initiatives to improve the lives and security of our respective citizens by combating human trafficking and the smuggling of illegal goods, helping to limit 'push' factors that encourage dangerous irregular migration to the U.S., perpetuating the ongoing crisis at or border," McAleenan said in a statement, after signing a "Memorandum of Cooperation" with Guatemalan officials.

President Donald Trump, who threatened Thursday to impose severe tariffs on Mexican imports if its government doesn't crack down on migration through its country, has vowed to cut off aid to Central America in an effort to pressure the region's leaders.

But McAleenan has urged more - not less - cooperation with Central America, and his plan to assign personnel from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations to work alongside Guatemalan police amounts to an attempt to put more weight behind the approach.

According to DHS, the agreement allows for "concrete actions" including "law enforcement training and collaboration to improve criminal investigations."

The U.S. agents likely would deploy to Guatemala and its border with Mexico for weeks at a time in an "advisory" role. U.S. security personnel assigned to Guatemala are typically authorized to carry weapons.

"Other areas of cooperation include increasing the security of the Guatemalan border to stem the flow of irregular migration while ensuring proper preparation to improve the ability of both countries to identify and better understand their root causes," according to DHS.

While the scale of the deployment and the location - the Guatemala-Mexico border - would be unusual, there are precedents for U.S. law enforcement presence in Central America. Armed DEA agents conduct operations in the region, and CBP advisers work with Mexican officials to improve immigration screening procedures and to upgrade technology.

One of the areas they will target is the department of Huehuetenango in Guatemala's destitute western highlands, where emigration levels are among the highest in the region.

Villages along the Pan-American Highway through Huehuetenango have been emptying out, and in some places, residents say half the population has left for the United States in the past two years. Coffee fields have been abandoned. Many families have used their houses as collateral for the trip, taking out loans to pay their smugglers.

According to DHS officials, three percent of Huehuetenango's entire population has left for the United States in the past seven months.

In the border city of La Mesilla, just south of the Mexican state of Chiapas, some migrants arrive at night at the local bus terminal, where they look for smugglers to hire. Nearby hotels - including the Texas Hotel, named for some of the migrants' destination - cater to families on their way north. Many leave La Mesilla by truck and van, arriving at unmarked border crossings, not far from main highway corridors.

U.S. authorities have apprehended more than 100,000 migrants crossing the border from Mexico for the past three consecutive months, and unauthorized border crossings have soared to their highest levels in at least 12 years. McAleenan told reporters Thursday that border agents are processing an average of 4,500 people each day, an increase of more than 30 percent since March, when he declared that U.S. agents and infrastructure had hit "the breaking point."

In rural Guatemala, there is a widespread belief that bringing a child on the journey to the United States will make it easier to avoid detention and deportation. U.S. courts have limited the amount of time children can be held in immigration jails to 20 days, and because U.S. authorities can't process their asylum claims that fast, the families are typically issued a court appointment and released into the U.S. interior.

"That's the thing everyone knows now. If you go, you need to bring a child," said Juan Vasquez, from La Libertad, who is considering migrating with his two daughters in coming weeks. "You can bring someone else's child, but they say they are now doing DNA tests on the border, which make it difficult."

Many Guatemalans say they have been told the ability to enter the United States with a child is part of an official U.S. policy that is due to expire in about a year; such rumors are often spread by smugglers trying to drum up business. "It's something that they say is going to expire," said Anselmo Torres, 58, also from La Libertad, whose two daughters migrated earlier this year with children of their own.

The United States has no such policy, but President Trump last year ordered an end to family separations after his "Zero Tolerance" crackdown triggered a ferocious backlash. He has since insisted the family separations would have worked as a deterrent if he had kept them in place.

At least nine people accused of human smuggling were arrested in Guatemala City on Wednesday, part of a joint operation between DHS and Guatemalan authorities, according to Guatemalan officials. It was the first such joint operation after the signing of the memorandum.

At the scene of the arrest, officials wearing jackets emblazoned with the acronym for "Homeland Security Investigations" - a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - were seen standing next to Guatemalan police officers.

U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Tex) said he met with Guatemala's ambassador to the United States, Manuel Espina, and Espina told him Guatemala would welcome United States troops to help secure its northern border. After the meeting, Gonzalez wrote a letter to President Trump, urging him to accept the offer. The letter, asking for the U.S. to send military personnel, was obtained by The Washington Post.

"Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales has indicated that he would welcome the introduction of U.S. troops on Guatemala's northern border," Gonzalez wrote on April 16. "If you want to see fewer apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border, I would strongly encourage you to seriously consider President Morales' offer."

Gonzalez said he believes sending 100 U.S. agents to Guatemala would be insufficient, and he would continue pushing to send U.S. military forces to Guatemala, with Morales' approval, "on a humanitarian mission to help secure Guatemala's border."

Gonzalez said he did not receive a response from the White House.

- - -

The Washington Post's Mary Beth Sheridan contributed to this report from Mexico City. Sieff reported from Huehuetenango, Guatemala, and Mexico City.
A pair of toddlers who were found unresponsive in swimming pools during separate Memorial Day weekend incidents near Katy have died, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

The first girl, 2, was found in a family pool in the 4900 block of Windcross Court around 5:40 p.m. on Monday. The child and her friend went into the pool unattended as their mothers were inside getting their towels, Harris County Sheriff's Office Lt. Kim Fonville said at the home.
Houston police found credit card skimmers at eight gas stations and one unnamed business in April, according to records obtained by Chron.com.

The nine locations where police found the devices make up the lowest monthly total so far this year, records show. Police found skimmers at 15 locations in January, 13 in February and 15 in March.
Crime Stoppers of Houston has upped their reward for information to charge those responsible in 4-year-old Maleah Davis disappearance to $12,500 with the help of Mayor Sylvester Turner, officials said Thursday.

The mayor contributed $2,200 to both Maleahs reward and a separate call for tips in the death of Josue Flores, the 11-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in 2016 on his way to school. He hopes the donations will encourage witnesses to come forward.

The sadness surrounding Maleah Davis disappearance has captured the hearts of our city and the nation, Turner said in a statement. I appreciate those who continue to search for the missing 4-year-old, but it is time to find Maleah and bring her home.

The little girl vanished as early as April 30 while her mother was out of town. Derion Vence, the man who was slated to marry Maleahs mother, has been accused in her disappearance. He has been charged with tampering with evidence, in this case a human corpse, and police have deemed him uncooperative with their investigation.

Police Chief Art Acevedo has said Maleah may no longer be alive and that Vence lied about her disappearance.

A lawyer for Vence on Wednesday asked to withdraw from his case, citing that he hasnt been paid.

The Defendent and Defendents family have failed to make payments due under the contract, Vences former attorney Thomas Burton wrote.

The motion was approved and lawyer Dorian Cotlar has since been appointed to represent Vence, court records show.

The reward in Maleahs case has garnered an additional $5,000 from the Houston Police Department and $10,000 from her family for information leading to the childs discovery, bringing the total cash amount to $27,500.

The two rewards are contingent on different kinds of tips, officials noted.

Turner issued the second reward for Josues assailant to keep the investigation going.

Josue is everyones child, and his immediate family has waited for answers more than three painful years, Turner also said. We dont want the case to grow cold or for the city to forget about Josue.

Earlier this month, on the third anniversary of Josues slaying, Houston police issued a call to track down a person of interest who was seen near the crime scene. Police said he may be the same man who was once in custody and charged in the case before he was released.

Anyone with information for either investigations is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

nicole.hensley@chron.com
After resigning Monday from his post as interim secretary of state, David Whitley will return to Gov. Greg Abbotts payroll at his previous salary of $205,000 a year, officials said Friday.

Whitley resigned after the Senate refused to take a vote on his confirmation after a botched voter roll purge led by his office that called into question the citizenship of tens of thousands of Texas voters based on faulty data.

David Whitley has been an exemplary public servant to the state of Texas for many years and the governor is proud to welcome him back to our organization as a Special Advisor, John Wittman, an Abbott spokesman, told the Dallas Morning News, which first reported Whitley's hiring Friday.

Wittman did not respond to the Chronicles requests for comment.

The new salary is an increase from what Whitley was making as secretary of state at $197,415 a year, the state comptrollers office confirmed Friday. Its also the same salary he made before leaving Abbotts office to become secretary of state.

Sam Robles, advocacy director for Progress Texas, on Friday expressed her disdain for the move by the governors office.

While Democrats chose to effectively fire Whitley for his actions, Republicans chose to give him a promotion and a raise, Robles said in a statement. Whitleys return to the governors office clearly demonstrates Abbotts priorities.

For subscribers: Texas Secretary of State David Whitley resigns

The Senate stalled a vote on Whitleys confirmation this legislative session after he faced harsh rebuke from civil rights groups and legislators for wrongly calling for nearly 100,000 suspected non-citizens to be removed from the voter rolls.

Top Republicans and President Donald Trump immediately upheld the initial advisory as evidence of voter fraud, but just days later, county election officials found thousands were erroneously flagged.

A lawsuit from civil rights groups put an end to the program in April under terms of a settlement agreement. But the next secretary of state could continue efforts to identify and remove non-citizens from the voter rolls once the office revises its screening criteria to ensure more accurate results.

Abbott will have to name a replacement secretary of state, who likely wont face confirmation hearings at the Legislature until after the 2020 election.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

An Orthodox monastery from the 6th century located on disputed territory is claimed by both Baku and Tbilisi. Georgian Christians want to assert their rights "calmly, but firmly on principles". Despite decades of diplomacy, who owns the area has not yet been decided.

Baku (AsiaNews)  A monastery complex located in a border area disputed by Georgia and Azerbaijan is the subject of a claim by Orthodox Georgians. On Tuesday, Azerbaijans Independence Day, Georgian activists gathered at the 6th century site dedicated to Davit Gareja, an ancient Christian saint.

With the support of the Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchate of Tbilisi, the group wants to assert their rights "calmly, but firmly on principles". Decades of diplomatic negotiations have not settled the issue of the monastery's title.

As activist Davit Katsarava, leader of the movement against the occupation of the monastery, told Kommersant, "thousands of young people and patriots from all over Georgia have decided to go to the monastery, despite the opposition of Azeri authorities" to highlight the importance of Davit Gareja to the Georgian Church. The event began with some monks taking to the streets, backed by the Georgian Synod, who fear the "provocations" of the Azeri government, which has owned part of the complex since Soviet times.

There are various reasons for the conflict. Azerbaijani scholars say that the monastery, which they call Keshikchidag, is not associated with Georgia, but with Caucasian Albania, of which Baku claims to be the legitimate heir. For Georgians, this view is unscientific.

Former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze proposed a swap to Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, giving Azerbaijan four times as much land in exchange for the monastery, but his proposal was turned down. The same proposal was made again in 2007 by then Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, and rejected once more by another Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev.

Despite the disagreement, Georgian priests and pilgrims have been allowed to enter the monastery area under Azerbaijani control and freely celebrate services. Everything changed last April, when the current President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, during a visit to Baku, openly raised the issue, asking that the disputed area me transferred to Georgia. Once home, she went to the walls of Davit Gareja, took a picture of herself with Georgian soldiers and the monastery in the background. As a result, The Azerbaijan closed off the site.

Diplomatic talks have resumed, but so far nothing has been decided. As in the past, the Azeris want access to the monastery from both sides of the border, something the Georgians have turned down. Meanwhile, the Azeris have opened a new road to the monastery, which Georgians resent. Protests risk causing an escalation: activists have blocked the Baku-Tbilisi-Ankara highway, causing havoc to the movement of goods and people.

Under its new president Zourabichvili, Georgia seems to be embarking on a new phase of external confrontations. Last March, She started a controversy with Armenia, already embroiled in a conflict with Azerbaijan. During a visit to the Armenian capital of Yerevan, she accused the Armenians again of occupying Nagorno-Karabakh, another disputed area where fighting was suspended 25 years ago following a ceasefire.
This is an article from The Conversation. To read an Opinion or Editorial piece from the Houston Chronicle, go to HoustonChronicle.com.

Are you ever around women who seem frustrated, upset or irritated? Have you ever asked one of them if she was on her period or perhaps been tempted to inquire?

Take it from me: Dont. Presuming that female reproductive organs make women behave irrationally is rude and sexist. It also evokes the same unscientific beliefs that have always held women back.

Im a sociologist who researches the perils women experience on a daily basis simply for existing. In studying the systemic nature of sexism, Ive learned that men and women alike can contribute to gender inequality in seemingly innocuous ways, including through what might seem like small talk.

Hysteria and menstrual taboos

One big problem with asking about periods has to do with the underlying assumptions behind that question. The same person who might want to find out if theres a legitimate reason for their male colleague to become angry, frustrated or agitated might ascribe those same reactions in a woman to menstruation.

All women are subjected to this assumption regardless of whether they actually have the capability to menstruate or dont for whatever reason, including menopause and being transgender. This double standard rests on assumptions of female biological inferiority and reinforces a prejudice stretching back to ancient times.

For most of history, women in many cultures were denied equal access to public spaces and career opportunities for one reason: having a uterus.

THE NEW NORMAL: Women in politics. Join the conversation at HoustonChronicle.com

Female reproductive organs supposedly rendered women too hysterical  an English term derived from the Greek word hysterika, meaning uterus  to rule, learn or give any sort of valuable input. Although the symptoms of hysteria changed throughout cultural contexts, symptoms were consistently connected to the prevailing medical beliefs of womens biological anatomy.

The ancient Greeks believed women were hysterical because they had roaming uteruses that moved around within their bodies. In the Victorian era, the British referred to it as a nervous-weakness or faintness  never mind that women were expected to wear tight corsets that made it hard to breathe. Regardless, the men diagnosing hysteria used it to justify keeping women at home and out of the public realm.

Throughout time and in most cultures, labeling women as hysterical continued to suggest that womens competence, or lack thereof, remained anchored to their reproductive organs. And since men dont have periods  with rare exceptions  they seemed to be more rational and reliable.

Not moving on

Research suggests that millennials and members of Generation Z  Americans born between 1995 and 2015  are more accepting of people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity than earlier generations. Despite that, Ive found that sexism remains a daunting problem for young adults.

I spent three years conducting a study involving roughly 185 college students attending two large universities in different parts of the country. The majority were women, and two-thirds were white. I asked the participants, who were between 18-21 years old, to write down anything they perceived, witnessed, experienced or observed to be examples of sexism for six weeks.

NEWS FOR EVERYONE: Sign up to get the news you're interested in delivered directly to you

Im still analyzing this data, which I collected for my dissertation and will use for multiple projects that are still underway.

Female participants recounted many experiences, including being catcalled as well as being given secretarial positions in STEM group projects because their male group members didnt believe they were smart. A total of 12 women recounted being asked whether they were having periods, usually by men.

Men without filters

One student Ill call Stephanie to protect her privacy described what happened while she was studying with other students. After becoming frustrated doing math homework because she kept getting the wrong answer, she shut her computer and angrily told the members of her study group she needed a break. Matt, the only man present, asked her if she was on her period.

While on their way to a nearby neighborhood to sled, Jamal flirted with Candice, but his charms went unreciprocated. Jamal told the two other women present that it was probably because she was about to start her period cycle.

These incidents can happen anywhere. I found an example involving this question in the workplace, and I also personally experienced it while working as an IT recruiter several years ago when my boss once asked if I was feeling OK. Upon hearing Im fine, just tired, he mouthed, Are you on your period? while nodding in an understanding, sympathetic way.

What to expect when youre around a woman

The subtext for this kind of everyday sexism was clear to many of the women in my study: Society expects women to be cheerful unless nature intervenes.

Anytime a woman is slightly in a bad mood, its always because were on our period, said Ashley sarcastically, adding, All other times we should be in the best mood, always smiling, and happy.

Not every enforcer of this social norm is male. Two of the women in my study noted that other women asked them that same question. They recalled being equally offended. Unlike what happened when men asked this question, however, they immediately objected, saying it was sexist.

The word hysteria might mean something different today than it used to. But the notion that women are not as competent and capable as men in math, engineering and other male-dominated fields persists. Commonly held sexist beliefs blame womens lower status on biological differences between genders. In my view, this prejudice hinders women on many career paths, including politics and the law, contributing to the gap between what women and men earn for comparable work.

Therefore, unless you actually believe in womens inferiority and want to imply that you dont think women and girls can act rationally, never ever ask them at any point in time, Are you on your period?

Melissa K. Ochoa, Texas A&M University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
IRCC also unveils new measures to protect vulnerable workers and newcomers

New pilot for family members previously excluded from Canada will right that wrong, immigration minister says

New pilot for family members previously excluded from Canada will right that wrong, immigration minister says IRCC also unveils new measures to protect vulnerable workers and newcomers

New pilot for family members previously excluded from Canada will right that wrong, immigration minister says IRCC also unveils new measures to protect vulnerable workers and newcomers

New pilot for family members previously excluded from Canada will right that wrong, immigration minister says IRCC also unveils new measures to protect vulnerable workers and newcomers CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

Sans Font Size A

A

Sponsorship applications for some family members who were previously banned from obtaining permanent residence under Canadas Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations will be allowed under a new two-year pilot, Canadas Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, has announced.

The pilot concerns non-accompanying family members who were not examined by immigration authorities when the sponsor applied for Canadian permanent residence.

These family members have been ineligible for a Family Class sponsorship under Section 117(9)(d) of Canadas Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

This lifetime ban has long been a source of controversy, with the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) calling it a significant barrier to family reunification in Canada.

In a brief on the issue, the CCR said that 117(9)(d) has a disproportionately negative effect on refugees and vulnerable migrants who fail to disclose a family member.

Hussen said the federal government recognizes that the regulation was unfair.

Newcomers who failed to declare immediate family members as they first came to Canada were barred to sponsor them. Today, we right that wrong, he said.

IRCC defined sponsors covered by the pilot as resettled refugees, those conferred refugee protection in Canada or those who were themselves sponsored as a spouse, partner or dependent child.

The pilot will run from September 9, 2019, to September 9, 2021 and IRCC said applications that are already in process will benefit.

New measures for vulnerable workers and family members

Starting June 4, IRCC will allow migrant workers with an employer-specific work permit who are in an abusive job situation to apply for an open work permit.

This will allow migrant workers to leave that employer immediately, maintain their status and find another job, IRCC said.

IRCC will also introduce changes that will allow newcomers experiencing family violence to apply for a fee-exempt temporary resident permit starting July 26.

The permit will give these individuals legal status in Canada and provide them with a work permit and health care coverage.

IRCC will also expedite applications for permanent residence filed on humanitarian and compassionate grounds from those in urgent situations of family violence.

No worker should fear losing their job when they are being mistreated in their place of work. No partner should be more fearful of losing their immigration status instead of escaping abuse, Hussen said.

Today we say, fear no more.

 2019 CICNews All Rights Reserved
Internet Thailand, or INET, offers cloud services to enterprises of all sizes  including infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service, and software-as-a-service solutions. The company is the largest cloud provider in Thailand, and the countrys first to be VMware Cloud Verified.

Noppawit Techruengrassamee, the head of INETs cloud operations, recently discussed business and growth trends in Thailand, as well as what it means to be VMware Cloud Verified.

Organizations of all kinds throughout Thailand are making the shift from traditional data centers to the cloud, often a multi-cloud environment, he says. Our goal at INET is not only to help them complete this transformation efficiently and effectively by providing the cloud platforms they need, but also to ensure that they are able to fully embrace todays most powerful computing trends and excel in their operations.

Techruengrassamee notes that most enterprises, as well as medium and small businesses in Thailand, see cloud adoption as a natural progression to better secure their IT infrastructure, streamline the management of their systems, reduce costs, and gain new capabilities.

He adds that although companies continue to embrace cloud services to achieve their backup and disaster recovery goals, compared to years past, its now widely accepted that the cloud is more resilient than the vast majority of enterprises on-premises infrastructure.

In terms of emerging trends, Techruengrassamee says INETs customers increasingly see cloud platforms as a crucial, foundational step in their artificial intelligence and big data initiatives, as well as for uses cases that utilize the Internet of Things. For these projects, the company offers the INET cloud, a high-speed, fully redundant platform that is based on VMware technology, which Techruengrassamee says exceeds the most stringent requirements for security and availability, and includes an uptime guarantee and corresponding service level agreement.

INET also offers VMware HCX to enable customers to rapidly and flawlessly make the transition from traditional infrastructure and data centers to the cloud.

Techruengrassamee notes that all of INETs data centers are VMware Cloud Verified. These include three state-of-the-art, energy-saving facilities designed for organizations that consider a service interruption of even a fraction of a second unacceptable. The centers are located in the Bangkok Thai Tower building, the Thai Summit Tower  also in Bangkok  and in Saraburi, more than 60 miles outside of the city.

The cloud has upended enterprise IT as we know it, Techruengrassamee says. Being a VMware Cloud Verified partner reflects our commitment to help our customers address the challenges that arise as a result of this singular shift and to move to the cloud with confidence. With VMware technology, they know they are getting not only the best performance possible, but also the peace of mind that comes when working with a leader whose solutions are proven and trusted by enterprises worldwide.

Learn more about INET and its partnership with VMware here.
A recent study by the consulting firm Solidiance forecasts that the ASEAN-6 countries  Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam  have a multi-billion dollar healthcare challenge ahead resulting from the combination of an ageing society and unhealthy lifestyles.

To alleviate the burden on the health system, the report suggests a number of practical steps, including the streamlining of redundant processes and functions and the improvement of overall resource allocation.

Enter UCARE.AI, a Singapore-based healthtech startup founded in 2016 by Google veteran Neal Liu and the former CEO of investment firm Catpital and Mint Media, Christina Teo.

UCARE.AIs mission centres around the early detection of preventable diseases and effective prioritisation of healthcare resources to help patients, payers, and providers alike. The startup employs a series of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms, deployed in a cloud-based microservices architecture, to provide sustainable and customisable healthcare solutions for doctors, hospitals, patients, insurers and pharmaceutical companies.

Helping Parkway Pantai optimise bill estimates

The first healthcare group to have implemented UCARE.AIs solution is Parkway Pantai, Southeast Asias largest healthcare provider.

In November 2018, four of the groups hospitals in Singapore  Mount Elizabeth, Mount Elizabeth Novena, Gleneagles and Parkway East  started generating personalised bill estimates for their patients based on their medical condition and medical practices.

According to Neal Liu, CTO and co-founder of the startup, Parkway Pantais goals were to provide more accurate estimates to enhance price transparency of hospital charges, empowering patients to make more well-informed decisions on the medical treatment options available. The key stakeholders participating in the project with the startup were the business, admission and IT teams.

Liu explains that his team worked closely with the hospitals to determine the project requirements. Hospitals usually estimate patients final bills based on statistical averages of historical bill sizes from past admissions, which may be up to two years old. The issues with this method are the inability to account for dynamically changing factors such as disease aggravation and unexpected complications resulting in a longer length of stay or additional unplanned surgeries.

The startups technology addresses these deficiencies by also taking into account the patients medical records and health history, such as suffering from diabetes or high blood pressure, to generate accurate bill predictions.

For Parkway Pantai, UCARE.AIs solution did not require any user training or additional hardware, and minimal people and process changes were necessary when integrating it into the hospitals front-end tool, according to Liu.

Beating the deadline

Although Lius estimated that the project duration would last three months since signing the agreement, UCARE.AI was able to implement it in just six weeks. He explains that the healthcare group was eager for change, so the organisational obstacles were slight.

There was transparency throughout the process, with stakeholders kept in the loop at all times. The accuracy of the billing system was checked during system integration and user acceptance testing.

Liu explains that UCARE.AIs clients typically expect a 10% return on investment. But in the first few months of the system being up and running, UCARE.AIs system provided a significant 60% improvement over the prior bill estimation system, he says.

During the first month of implementation, the estimation system also made more than 10,000 predictions. The accuracy of the predictions is expected to improve over time as the AI collects and references more data through a process of self-learning.

A recognised AI case

UCARE.AI has been recognised by Singapores government as the first successful case to align with the five principles espoused in the new Model AI Governance Framework set out in a white paper published by Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC), the data protection arm of the city-states government. The five principles are: verifiability, accountability, transparency, fairness and human-centricity.

To keep up with the development of the healthcare and healthtech industries, Liu explains that UCARE.AI engages with healthcare professionals, actively participating in conferences and trade shows such as ConnecTech Asia 2019 to share the startups expertise and case studies and to help set standards for AI technology.

Although the startup is just three years old and only concluded its Series A funding in 2018, its not difficult to imagine more successful implementation cases for other healthcare providers in Southeast Asia.
Head Electronics Expands Capabilities with Purchase of ZEVAm Selective Soldering System Published: 31 May 2019 by Chelsey Drysdale by Chelsey Drysdale

Oosterhout, Netherlands, May 31, 2019  At the recent SMT Connect Show in Nuremberg, Germany, Head Electronics visited the ITW EAE booth to have a look at Vitronics Soltecs ZEVAm Selective Soldering solution. After seeing the advanced capabilities of the ZEVAm, they could see that this tool would be a valuable asset in their Netherland manufacturing facility.

Head specializes in designing and assembling industrial electronics, it is a customer-oriented and flexible company. Specific specialist areas are: development, global sourcing of components and the assembly of circuit boards and electronics. Head offers everything from prototype to series production, individual PCBs to systems and conventional to fine pitch SMD.

The ZEVAm will add automated selective soldering capabilities that will allow us to attract new markets and stay ahead of new developments in the electronics market, said Willem Kok, Head Electronics CEO. With fine-pitch components becoming more common, we feel the ZEVAm is a sound investment.

The ZEVAm brings patented soldering technology that excels at meeting the challenges of miniaturization. Tilting allows the ZEVAm to solder at any angle to guarantee proper soldering results for the ever-decreasing pitch of components. ZEVAm can process three PCBs simultaneously for high throughput in a high mix environment and offers a choice of wettable and non-wettable nozzles. An optional Solder Drainage Conditioner (SDC) prevents bridging and reduces defects.

ITW EAE, a division of Illinois Tool Works, Inc., is the global leader in process knowledge, services and manufacture of capital equipment used in the printed circuit board assembly and semiconductor industries. The group brings together the worlds leading brands of electronics assembly equipment: MPM Printers, Camalot Dispensers, Electrovert Cleaners and Soldering Solutions, Vitronics Soltec Soldering Solutions and Despatch Thermal Processing Technology. For more information visit www.itweae.com.
Someone who had known Arthur Koestler told me a little story about him. Koestler was playing Scrabble with his wife, and he put the word vince down on the board.

Arthur, said his wife, what does vince mean?

Koestler, who never lost his strong Hungarian accent but whose mastery of English was such that he was undoubtedly one of the twentieth centurys great prose writers in the language, replied (one can just imagine with what light in his eyes): To vince is to flinch slightly viz pain.

How many people could define a word in their first language with such elegant precision, let alone in their fourth, and moreover combine it with such irresistibly wicked humor? One can see in this trifling incident how being with anyone less brilliant than Arthur Koestler must have seemed intolerably dull to any woman who had been in love with him.

As it happens, Koestlers relations with women now have more to do with his reputation than does anything that he ever wrote. Since the 1998 publication of David Cesaranis biographical study, Koestlers name has been synonymous with rape, possibly serial in nature, and the abuse of women. I tested this association on several friends with literary interests: though none had read Cesaranis book, in each case, the first thought on hearing Koestlers name was of rape. It is doubtful whether any biography has ever affected the reputation of an author more profoundly than did Cesaranis; and its effect is proof, if we needed any, that books have an influence far beyond their actual readership.

Cesarani is a serious scholar, not a man to manufacture sensational claims for non-scholarly purposes; and, in fact, his widely publicized revelations, which came as a considerable shock, receive a kind of confirmation from a scene in Koestlers novel Arrival and Departure, published in 1943.

The book is at least partly autobiographical. Its protagonist (hero would be too positive a word) is Peter Slavek, a young refugee and former Communist militant from an unnamed Balkan country now under Nazi occupation. Slavek arrives in the capital of a neutral countryclearly Lisbon, Portugalfrom which he hopes to reach England and enlist in the British forces, the only ones still fighting the Nazis at that time. Koestler himself reached England from Portugal with the same idea in mind, and his description of Lisbons wartime atmosphere clearly draws on firsthand experience.

While in Lisbon, Slavek falls in love with, or forms an infatuation for, Odette, a young French refugee awaiting a visa for America. Odette has taken no notice of Slavek, but one day she visits a friends apartment, where the Balkan refugee is temporarily staying. The friend is absent, so Slavek and Odette are alone. There follows a scene that suggests that Koestler was as personally acquainted with rape as he was with the fervid atmosphere of wartime Lisbon.

Slavek declares his love for Odette; she rejects him and prepares to leave. He jerked himself to his feet, reached the door almost in one jump and got hold of her as she was passing into the hall, Koestler writes. Then the author says of Slavek that he was doing what several rapists have told me that they sought to doprotect their victims: As if the door were a death-trap and she were in danger of falling into it, [he] pressed her against him with a protecting gesture, while with his foot he kicked the door shut. Odette struggles, but her very struggling, Koestler writes, makes Slaveks grip close tighter around her, like the noose of a trapnot the activity of an agent but the operation of a mechanical contrivance.

The situation calms a little, and Slavek realizes that he should have let his arms drop with embarrassment, but then she began struggling again in renewed fury, and this automatically made him tighten his grip. Koestler describes Slavek as more terrified than Odette.

Then comes the actual rape:

She struggled breathlessly, hammering her fists against his breast . . . God, how unreasonable she was. . . . All he wanted was to make her understand that he didnt want anything from her. . . . By her furious struggling she caused him to press her back, step by step, from the door. His lips babbled senseless words that were meant to calm; but now it was too late, the flames leapt up, enveloping him . . . . With blind eyes he fell as they stumbled against a couch . . . [and he] rammed his knee against her legs, felt them give way and a second later her whole body go limp.

After it is all over, Odette cries. Slavek takes her hand, and feels encouraged when she does not withdraw it to explain and justify his actions: You know, I am not so sure that you will always regret it, although for the moment you are still angry with me. Then he contrives to blur the distinction between voluntary and coerced sexual relations: Nowadays things often start this way, the end at the beginning I mean. In the old days people had to wait years before they were allowed to go to bed and then found out that they didnt really like each other, it had all been a mirage of their glands. If you start the other way round you wont need to find out whether you really care.

Odettes reply absolves Slavek of any need to feel remorse: The whole point is that if you knock a woman about for long enough and get on her nerves and wear her down, there comes a moment when she suddenly feels how silly all this struggling and kicking is, so much ado about nothing. Sexual intercourse, then, has no more moral significance than urination or any other physiological function. You probably think what an irresistible seducer you are, while in fact all you did was get her to this zero level where she saysafter all, why not? And to confirm the Slavek-Odette-Koestler theory, Slavek and Odette go on to have a short and intense love affair.

Koestlers description of a rape seems to be from the inside; and if Cesarani is right, it gives us the very model of Koestlers conduct and experience. He might even have suffered from (if suffered from is quite the right phrase) what psychiatrists call coercive paraphilia: sexual excitement brought on by the act of physical subjugation, a pompous name sometimes being the nearest that medical science can come to an explanation. Slaveks argument, of course, is virtually a rapists charter. But the uncomfortable fact is that some of the women whom Koestler abused remained friends with him for the rest of their lives. It would take an entire book fully to explore all the evasions in the passage that I have quoted, as well as the social and psychological questions that it raises.

There is much more to Koestler, of course, than sexual perversity, even if it is difficult nowadays to read anything that he wrote without first donning rape-tinted spectacles. Arrival and Departure is not just about Slaveks love life: it passionately engages with the most important political questions of the day.

For example, the book gave the most graphic description until then published of the gassing of the Jews in Eastern Europe, not as isolated massacres, but as part of a deliberate genocidal policy; and it drew an explicit comparisonnow banal and commonplace, but then brave and arrestingbetween Hitler and Stalin, pointing out their similarities, despite their enmity. Meeting an intelligent Nazi agent called Bernard, Slavek asks him why the Nazis, so anti-Communist, nevertheless copied Soviet methods to a considerable extent. Bernard replies:

There is of course a certain affinity between your ex-fatherland and ours. Both are governed by authoritarian state bureaucracies on a collectivist basis; both are streamlined police states run by economic planning, the one-party system and scientific terror. . . . It is a phase of history as inevitable as was the spreading of the feudal, and later of the capitalist, system. Our two countries are merely the forerunners of the post-individualist, post-liberal era.

To have written this passage at a time when books praising our gallant Soviet allies poured forth from the presswhen even conservatives, always very few among the intelligentsia, had replaced their visceral hatred of the Soviet Union with admirationwas an act of considerable courage.

Koestlers reputation as a writer had declined well before Cesaranis revelations. He had become an author of the kind one encounters during late adolescence or early adulthood, whom one catches like the literary equivalent of glandular fever, but to whom, once read, one develops a lifelong immunity. Once one of the worlds most famous authors, he became as dated as the youthful fashions of three decades ago.

There were several reasons for this. By 1980, if not before, the burning political issues of his early adulthoodCommunism, the rise of fascism, and the establishment of a Zionist statewere of less concern to new generations of readers. Many regarded Koestlers subsequent obsessionsIndian mysticism, Lamarckian biology, non-reductionist science, and parapsychologyas bizarre or even dotty, the symptoms of a mind that had lost its way. In his will, he endowed a chair in parapsychology at Edinburgh University. He regarded telepathy and precognition as established facts, largely because of the now-discredited experiments of J. B. Rhine at Duke University. He began to collect examples of startling coincidences, as if they could tell us something about noncausal relations between events. Like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle before him, he seemed to the public to have traveled from serious authorship to spiritualist crankdom.

The penultimate nail in the coffin of his reputation, before Cesaranis revelations, was his double suicide with his wife, who was 20 years younger, in 1983. While he had both severe Parkinsons disease (causing a decline in his mental powers) and leukemia (from which he was soon to die, in any case), his wife, who swallowed a fatal dose of barbiturates with him, was in perfect health. Many believedwithout adequate evidencethat Koestler had bullied his wife into ending her life with him.

This was the second double suicide of a great Central European writer of adopted British citizenship and his wifethe first being that of Stefan and Lotte Zweig. But whereas Zweig killed himself in despair at the state of the world, Koestler killed himself in despair at the state of his healthno doubt a commentary on the direction, not wholly bad, in which the world had moved in the intervening 40 years. But it suggested great egotism and cast doubt on the sincerity, or at least disinterestedness, of all Koestlers previous commitments.

Koestler does not deserve such summary dismissal, for if any figure could claim to have encapsulated in his own lifeand recordedthe political, intellectual, and emotional tribulations of the twentieth century, it is he.

He was born in Budapest in 1905 to assimilated Jewish parents. His father was a businessman who failed most of the time but who occasionally hit the jackpot: immediately before and during the first half of World War I, he made a fortune (soon lost) by manufacturing and selling soap that contained radium. Radioactivity was then a recently discovered phenomenon, and many believed the rays to be life-enhancing and disease-curing.

Koestlers father spent the rest of his days dreaming of a new product that would restore his fortune at a stroke; and, in a sense, the young Arthur shared this kind of illusion but transposed it to the intellectual, political, philosophical, and spiritual spheres. As a young man, Koestler saw in radical Zionism the answer to his existential problems, though he had no religious belief or cultural or philosophical affinities with Judaism (much later, moreover, he wrote a book still cited by anti-Zionists, The Thirteenth Tribe, which claims that most Jews are not of Semitic origin but descendants of the Khazars, a Turkic tribe that converted to Judaism). Then Koestler converted to orthodox Marxist Communism, followed by a stage of crusading anti-Communism, itself replaced by a prolonged search for a spiritualism founded on evidence and rational inference. Koestler was not a man to do things by philosophical halves: he was a drinker of infinity, to quote the title of one of his books.

Young Arthur, gifted scientifically and mathematically, studied engineering in Vienna but did not graduate. Instead, the ardent Zionist went off to Palestine to live on a kibbutz. He did not last long; his personality ultimately would not allow absorption into a collective enterprise. On the verge of starvation, he was saved by a fortuitous appointment as the Palestine correspondent of the Ullstein Trust, the largest German newspaper group, which later assigned him to its Paris office. He then moved to Germany, where he served as the science editor of one newspaper and foreign editor of another, among other exploits flying in a zeppelin to the North Pole via Soviet Russia.

Koestler joined the Communist Party, later explaining that it seemed the only viable alternative to Hitler, but this led Ullstein to sack him. Returning to Paris after traveling in the Soviet Union, he wrote political propaganda under Comintern direction until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, when a British liberal newspaper assigned him to visit Francos headquarters. Denounced as a Communist, he managed to escape, but Francos forces captured him during a subsequent trip to Spain and sentenced him to death. An international campaign secured his release. Koestlers years as a Comintern agentin which he, the most egotistical of men, willingly subjected himself to the Partys discipline on the grounds that it represented the sole judge of transcendent truthgave him unparalleled insight into the psychology of Party members suddenly accused of counterrevolu-tionary treason.

He then lived in France, breaking for good with the Communist Party over the show trials. When war broke out in 1939, the French government arrested him in Paris for being a potentially hostile alien and imprisoned him in a concentration camp; a second international campaign won his freedom. Fearing rearrest, he joined the French Foreign Legion and managed, by a very circuitous route, to reach Lisbon. From there, he flewillegallyto London, where he again found himself imprisoned, this time for six weeks. In his prison cell, he corrected the proofs of Darkness at Noon, which would be his most famous book.

Released from prison, he at once joined the British army, which, he said, had a salutary effect upon his life. I found myself transformed from a member of the grey, piteous crowd of refugeesthe scum of earthinto a best-selling author, he wrote. This is a dangerous experience for any writer, but before it could turn my head I was also transformed into Private No. 13805661 in 251 Company Pioneer Corps, which was not given to lionizing intellectuals. It says something of Koestlers life until then that he called the three years he spent in blitzed London, where he survived a close bombing, among the most uneventful (I almost said peaceful) of my life.

By the age of 37, Koestler had traveled widely; spoke Hungarian, German, French, Russian, and English fluently, as well as some Hebrew (having invented the Hebrew crossword while in Palestine); had been imprisoned several times, including under sentence of death; had been a Zionist, a Communist, and an anti-Communist; and had written books in Hungarian, German, and English. Shortly after arriving in England, he knew and was friendly with its most prominent writers and intellectuals: George Orwell, Cyril Connolly, Dylan Thomas, Bertrand Russell, Alfred Ayer, and many others.

Koestler wrote Darkness at Noon in German while living in Paris, expecting at any moment to face arrest. It is the story of Rubashov, a Bolshevik intellectual modeled largely on Nikolai Bukharin, the economist and darling of the Party who wound up executed after a 1938 Moscow show trial.

At the time of the books publication in 1940, and for a long time afterward, the public confession of many old Bolsheviks to self-evidently absurd crimes that carried the death penaltyfor example, that from the very beginning of their careers they had served foreign intelligence servicesmystified many in the West. How had Communist officials obtained these confessions? Did the Russians have some extremely sophisticated and secret technique of interrogation, unknown in the West?

Of course, some in the West, Communists and ardent fellow travelers, believed that the trials were fair and that the confessions were unforced and entirely veridical. Among the most influential was a prominent British lawyer, D. N. Pritt, who actually wrote a book testifying to the Moscow trials fairness. As late as 1972, a fellow medical student, at the time a fierce Maoist, tried to convince me that the trials were genuine by lending me transcripts of the proceedings.

So Koestlers imaginary reconstruction of how Rubashov was persuaded to confess, to which he brought his own intimate knowledge of how people thought and acted who had made the Party their whole life, was entirely new and original. Koestlers solution to the puzzle was that Rubashov, and those like him, confessed not because of any physical torture (though Rubashov is deprived of sleep, a technique that interrogators did use in obtaining confessions) but because it was logical for them to do so. All their adult lives, they had believed that the end justified the means; moreover, and crucially, they had delegated to the Party the exclusive right to judge both end and means. Who were they, then, to object when the Party decided that it needed to sacrifice them, irrespective of whether they were guilty of anything?

Koestler is sufficiently sophisticated a novelist not to make Rubashov wholly admirable. Indeed, the Communist has failed to intervene on behalf of his own secretary, Arlova, with whom he has had a love affair, when she is accused of preposterous crimes. He reasons that his life is worth more to the cause than hers.

Koestler has the aristocratic Rubashov interrogated by a proletarian functionary named Gletkin. The climax comes when Gletkin argues that Rubashovs private dissent from the Party line must, logically and objectively, lead to civil war and possibly to the destruction of the dictatorship of the proletariat and that, therefore, his confession is the last service the Party will require of you.

Comrade Rubashov, I hope that you have understood the task which the Party has set you. It was the first time that Gletkin called Rubashov Comrade. Rubashov raised his head quickly. He felt a hot wave rising in him, against which he was helpless. His chin shook slightly while he was putting on his pince-nez. I understand.

Here, the pince-nez symbolize the last remnant of a more refined civilization (Chekhov wore them, for example), defeated by a cruder, more ruthless way of life. It is a subtle point that Koestler is making: Rubashov is both beneficiary and destroyer of the old civilization and is himself destroyed by the offspring of his own destructiveness.

Some on the right have unfairly criticized Koestler, claiming that Darkness at Noon implies that subtle argumentation, rather than crude torture, obtained the confessions at the Moscow trials. But nowhere in the book does Koestler suggest that harsher methods to obtain confessions did not play a rolequite the contraryor that the methods used in Rubashovs case characterized every case. Rather, his novel is philosophical, plausibly pointing to the terrible logical and practical consequences of the belief that the ends justify the means, when those ends have been preordained by authority, whether of history, the great leader, or even God.

Darkness at Noon was probably the most influential anti-Communist book ever published, more important (in practice) even than Animal Farm or Nineteen Eighty-Four. Koestlers standing to write it was undisputed. It is true that it had little resonance in Britain, where it first appeared; and though it sold better in the United States, Communists had even less chance of success there than in Britain, so it again had muted influence. It was in France where the books influence was decisive: there, after the war, a race took place between the publishers printing presses and the capacity of the extremely powerful Communist Party to buy up and destroy copies as they reached the bookshops. This censorship drive was an important reason why a French referendum on a new constitution, which would have given a preponderant government role to the strongest of the many political parties (then the Communists), went down to defeat. By trying to silence Koestlers book, the Communists revealed themselves as dictators in the making.

After the publication of The God That Failedcontaining six essays by prominent intellectuals, including himself, who had been Communists but had become disillusioned to the point of fierce enmity toward their former idealand after his participation in the Congress for Cultural Freedom in Berlin in 1950, Koestler shifted his interest. The question of Communism seemed settled beyond reasonable doubt, though in practice it needed still to be defeated. Henceforth, his attention turned to science and its compatibility (or otherwise) with what one might call mystical or spiritual modes of thought.

He did not leave the practical world behind entirely. He became an ardent campaigner both against the death penalty and in favor of euthanasia (by no means an uncommon combination). His feeling against the death penalty, expressed with characteristic force in his book Reflections on Hanging, no doubt arose from his contact with its implementation in Francos prison. It was also his prison experiences that gave him a lifelong interest in the welfare of prisoners and led him to establish the annual Koestler Prizes, awarded to British prisoners who had produced the best literary and artistic work in the previous year. This imaginative and wholly laudable initiative has led to the reverence shown for Koestlers name in British prisons, at least by the better-informed inmates.

Koestlers account of his internment in a Spanish prison, published first as the second half of Spanish Testament and then as the whole of Dialogue with Death (in my opinion, his greatest book), uncovers a layer of being far deeper than the political. His depiction of the way those condemned to death were taken away to execution is unforgettable:

I had gone to sleep, and I woke up shortly before midnight. In the black silence of the prison, charged with the nightmares of thirteen hundred sleeping men, I heard the murmured prayer of a priest and the ringing of the sanctus bell. Then a cell door . . . was opened, and a name was softly called out. Que?What is the matterasked a sleepy voice, and the priests voice grew clearer and the bell rang louder. And now the drowsy man understood. At first he only groaned; then in a dull voice he called for help: Socorro, socorro.

The same scene is enacted at another cell:

Again, Que? And again the prayer and the bell. This one sobbed and whimpered like a child. Then he cried out for his mother: Madre, madre! And again: Madre, madre!

And in his description of the last man removed for execution that night, Koestler subtly indicates the complete inadequacy of political ideology in the face of the mysteries of life and death:

They went to the next cell. . . . He asked no questions. While the priest prayed, he began in a low voice to sing the Marseillaise. But after a few bars his voice broke, and he too sobbed. They marched him off. And then there was silence again.

No revolutionary triumphalism here, with heroes gladly going to their death in the knowledge that the cause will ultimately triumph.

Throughout Dialogue with Death, Koestler raises profound existential questions. He becomes almost mystical, foreshadowing his later interests; after his release, he dreams of the Seville prison. Often when I wake at night I am homesick for my cell in the death-house . . . and I feel I have never been so free as I was then. He continues:

This is a very curious feeling indeed. We lived an unusual life. . . . The constant nearness of death weighed us down and at the same time gave us a feeling of weightless floating. We were without responsibility. Most of us were not afraid of death, only of the act of dying; and there were times when we overcame even this fear. At such moments we were freemen without shadows, dismissed from the ranks of the mortal; it was the most complete experience of freedom that can be granted a man.

The man who wrote those words was not likely to remain a Communist (as he was when he wrote them). Indeed, it is clear that his initial attraction to Communism must have been religiousnot that he saw it as the best doctrine with which to oppose Hitler, as he claimed in his subsequent self-justification, or that it represented for him a supposedly pure, rational philosophy. When Koestler saw what Communism wrought, both materially and in mens souls, he realized that it could never answer his religious needs.

While he had those needs, he was sufficiently a man of the Enlightenment not to be able to subscribe to any traditional religion. In the 1960s, after all, he produced massive histories of science that commanded the respect of prominent scientists; yet he could not believe that science, at least as then practiced, contained all the answers that he sought. In his novel The Age of Longing, Koestler describes the plight of Hydie, a lapsed Catholic:

Oh, if only she could go back to the infinite comfort of father confessors and mother superiors, of a well-ordered hierarchy which promised punishment and reward, and furnished the world with justice and meaning. If only she could go back! But she was under the curse of reason, which rejected whatever might quench her thirst, without abolishing the urge; which rejected the answer without abolishing the question. For the place of God had become vacant, and there was a draught blowing through the world as in an empty flat before the new tenants have arrived.

Precisely Koestlers own predicament, and that of modern man. It is no wonder that, a few years later, he went to India and Japan to seek the mystical wisdom of Hinduism and Zen Buddhism, or that he sought evidence of mans non-materiality in experiments to prove the reality of extrasensory perception, only a short step from full-blown spiritualism.

Koestler was fully aware, from an early age, of the contradictions in his own character, which helps make him one of the great autobiographers of the last century. In Arrow in the Blue, the first volume of his autobiography, he sums himself up as an adolescent: The youth of sixteen that I was, with the plastered-down hair, and the fatuous smirk, at once arrogant and sheepish, was emotionally seasick: greedy for pleasure, haunted by guilt, torn between feelings of inferiority and superiority, between the need for contemplative solitude and the frustrated urge for gregariousness.

And at the end of The Invisible Writing, the second volume, Koestler says: The contradictions between sensitivity and callousness, integrity and shadiness, egomania and self-sacrifice which appear in every chapter [of the autobiography] would never add up to a credible character in a novel; but this is not a novel. . . . The seemingly paradoxical can be resolved only by holding the figure against the background of his time, by taking into account both the historians and the psychologists approach.

It is precisely because Koestlers life and work so deeply instantiate the existential dilemmas of our age that he is a fascinating figure, unjustly neglected, and too often dismissed as a sexual psychopath. He was not a naturally good man (far from it), but he was struggling toward the good by the light and authority of his own intellect; unfortunately, as Hume tells us, reason is the slave of the passions, and Koestler was an exceptionally passionate man.

Once I happened to find two first editions, very cheap, of Koestlers books in a secondhand bookshop that I haunt. Ah, said the bookshop owner, The Age of Longing and Dialogue with Death: a complete summary of human life, when you come to think of it.

Theodore Dalrymple is a contributing editor of City Journal, the Dietrich Weismann Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, and the author of many books, including Out into the Beautiful World and the recently published Grief and Other Stories.

Arthur Koestler (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
At the height of the 1964 race between Arizonas junior senator, Barry Goldwater, and President Lyndon Johnson, the cover headline of Fact magazines SeptemberOctober issue practically screamed: 1,189 PSYCHIATRISTS SAY GOLDWATER IS PSYCHOLOGICALLY UNFIT TO BE PRESIDENT! Inside, every page was given over to the feature, titled The Unconscious of a Conservative: A Special Issue on the Mind of Barry Goldwater.

Forgotten today, Fact even then was far from a major player on the journalistic scene. It had launched earlier that year and would survive just until 1967. Still, it enjoyed a status among the days progressive bien pensants far beyond what its limited circulation might suggest. Edited by the professions reigning provocateur, Ralph Ginzburg, its early issues had generated buzz with ahead-of-the-curve investigations of the tobacco and soft-drink industries, as well as American policy in Vietnam.

The issues introduction set the tone for the 63 pages to follow. Ginzburg described Goldwater as the product of a sadistic childhood, a paranoiac with an obsessive preoccupation with firearms who compulsively must prove his daring and masculinity, adding that psychoanalysts who find a connection between sadism and an anal character will not be surprised that bathrooms seemed to fascinate Goldwater.

The psychiatric evaluations that took up the next 40 pages were in response to a question that Fact sent to the nations psychiatrists from a list supplied by the American Medical Association: Do you believe Barry Goldwater is psychologically fit to serve as President of the United States? Ruth Adams of New York replied that she saw in the GOP candidate a strong identification with the authoritarianism of Hitler, if not identification with Hitler himself, and other responding psychiatrists echoed that theme. I believe Goldwater has the same pathological make-up as Hitler, Castro, Stalin and other known schizophrenic leaders, wrote Chester M. Johnson, Jr., of Long Beach, while Philadelphias Paul Fink observed that, like the Fuhrer, the Republican nominee appeals to the unconscious sadism and hostility in the average human being. G. Templeton, of Glen Cove, New York, warned that if Goldwater wins the Presidency, both you and I will be among the first into the concentration camps.

That the entire exercise was ethically dubious was apparent at the time. As longtime Goldwater advisor Stephen Shadegg noted in disgust, Those who presumed to reach a medical and psychiatric conclusion about Goldwater without ever having seen him or followed any other of the normal procedures required in a patient-physician relationship betrayed themselves as men unfit to practice any profession. But the feature drew widespread attention via the media coverage that it generated and full-page ads in the nations leading dailiesGoldwaters people rightly wondered how a modest publication afforded their $100,000 costand it undeniably did real damage.

Why did so transparent a hit job arouse so little indignation among Ginzburgs press colleagues? At the time, no sentient observer of the campaign would have had to ask. In your heart, you know hes right, ran the Goldwater slogan that fired up his legions of young supporters, but in progressive circles, there came the mocking rejoinder: In your guts, you know hes nuts. Ginzburg could not have played more precisely to the liberal view of conservatisms dark heart; just a month later would appear, to subsequent fame, Richard Hofstadters Harpers essay The Paranoid Style in American Politics, saying many of the same things more politely. Yet if conspiracy-obsessed zealots of the far Right often seemed to live in an alternate realityexemplified by John Birch Society founder Robert Welch calling Dwight Eisenhower a Red stoogeso did the innumerable liberals who imagined (as Hollywood several times put on film) that superpatriots were busily plotting military coups. With the Cold War at its hottest, the paranoia ran both ways, and liberals, too, saw in their foes a perfect model of malice, in Hofstadters phrase. Not only were conservatives wrong; they were moral primitives.

There was not the slightest question about where the media stood. As journalist Rick Perlstein noted in Before the Storm, his book on the 1964 race, the fifty reporters bumping along in triple seats in the hindquarters of [Goldwaters Navaho-named campaign plane] Yia Bi Ken were educated, sophisticated professionals. And they didnt think all that differently about Goldwater than the psychiatrists. The media hostility toward Goldwater varied from outlet to outlet only in its degree of subtlety. It is no accident that four years later, when Goldwater was testifying in the libel suit that he would win against Fact, Ginzburgs lawyer professed bafflement that his client had been singled out. Why didnt you sue the New York Times? he asked. Why didnt you sue CBS?

Any comparison of individuals and eras will be inexact, and in myriad waysbackground, life experience, demeanor, political philosophy, core valuesGoldwater and the current GOP nominee couldnt be less alike. For all the vitriol that came his way, no one ever accused Barry Goldwater of being a liar or otherwise lacking in honor; and his implacable conservative libertarianism was not only beyond question but the very reason so many despised and feared him. Still, in the midst of the 2016 presidential campaign, it is hard not to note the parallels with the Goldwater-Johnson race of 64. Like Donald Trump, Goldwater was a shoot-from-the-hip outsider who ran against two-party business-as-usual and what even then was referred to as the elites; who stunned pundits by dispatching his mainstream Republican opponents; and who found his defeated rivals claims of his manifest unfitness for high office taken up by his rival in the general election.

In the midst of the 2016 presidential contest, it is hard not to note the parallels with the Goldwater-Johnson race.

But the most striking echo of the Goldwater campaign is in a media that often functions as an adjunct to the Democratic campaign. Fifty-two years ago, such naked partisanship in the coverage of a national election was unprecedented, and many Goldwater supporters saw it as a violation of a public trust. That these days, such media behavior is nearly a given shows how much Americans expectations of journalists have changedwith enduring consequences both for the profession and for the nation.

If Barry Goldwater was not quite as unlikely a nominee as Donald Trump, he, too, was an accidental candidate. He had never lusted for the presidency and, even as the nominee, was never entirely sure he wanted it. I have no plans for it. I have no staff for it, no program for it, no ambition for it, he told Time in early 1963, even as a small cadre of conservative operatives and industrialists came together in a Draft Goldwater movement.

He let them proceed because he assumed that hed run against his old Senate colleague John F. Kennedy, whom he regarded as honorable. (For Barry Goldwater, as JFK memorably inscribed the portrait that photo buff Goldwater had taken of him, Whom I urge to follow the career for which he has shown such talentphotography!from his friendJohn Kennedy.) In fact, Goldwater hoped that he and JFK might travel the country together, engaging in a series of Lincoln-Douglas-style debates; though certain he wouldnt win, he relished the prospect of spreading the conservative creed. Kennedy also relished the possibility of facing off against Goldwater. People will start asking him questions, he presciently told his friend Ben Bradlee, and hes so damn quick on the trigger, hell answer them. And when he does, it will be all over.

Instead, Goldwater had to face Lyndon B. Johnson, who, as hed write in his autobiography, would slap you on the back today and stab you in the back tomorrowand who, dripping sanctimony and wrapping himself in the political equivalent of his sainted predecessors bloodstained toga, was an even surer bet to win but ran an unremittingly vicious campaign, anyway.

It was over even before it began, for Goldwater was effectively done in by the party establishment. His main rival for the nomination was New York governor Nelson Rockefeller, whod lost out to Richard Nixon in 1960. With his man-of-the-people touch and limitless funds for staff, advertising, and assorted sundriesthe day he announced, red roses were dispatched to every woman delegate to the previous GOP conventionRocky had seemed pre-anointed, until he made one of the great unforced blunders in political history. That in 1961 hed divorced his wife of 31 years and mother of his five children may have been a surmountable obstacle; after all, Adlai Stevenson had been divorced and twice nominated. But in May 1963, Rockefeller married 36-year-old Margaretta Happy Murphy, 18 years his junior and a looker, whose own divorce had just become final. Far worse, she surrendered custody of her four kids to her ex-husband. Pre-Happy, Gallup had Rockefeller leading Goldwater 43 percent to 26 percent. Suddenly, Goldwater led 40 to 29. Rockefeller, National Review publisher and earlier Goldwater supporter William Rusher drily observed, is the only candidate who has turned motherhood into a liability.

Though his name was on the 1960 bestseller Conscience of a Conservative (actually authored by Brent Bozell), Goldwater was still something of an unknown nationally. But that was not necessarily a negative, since his supporters would have a chance to fill in the blanks. And, already, observed J. William Middendorf II, the investment banker who served as the Draft Goldwater Committee treasurer, a survey theyd commissioned had established that voters tended to view Goldwater as warm, candid, and a man of strong convictions and that he was not thought to be connected to the radical right. 

Nor, before he ran for president, was the attitude of the press notably different. Since coming to the Senate in 1953, Goldwater had always been great copy; deeply conservative, yes, but in a town where most ate, slept, and drank politics, a man of interesting parts. He was a student of Native American culture and language, an expert in aeronautics whod flown every plane extant, and not only a skilled amateur photographer but also a ham-radio obsessive, with unseen pals around the globe. His was an American story if ever there was one: grandson of an itinerant Jewish immigrant peddler who established Phoenixs premier department store, which young Barry brought to new heights of success before turning to politics.

Reporters also couldnt help but like Goldwater personally. He was a mans mansaid what he thought, and cursed for emphasis. Even those who despised his ideas respected his keen sense of honor and love of country. Little wonder, as Perlstein remarks, that to peruse pre-1964 media profiles of Arizonas junior senator is to find eight or so years of his uninterrupted honeymoon with the press. But as generations of Republicans have learned, sometimes to their surprisesee Goldwaters Senate successor, John McCaincoverage changes according to need.

Rockefeller made it easy. His reeling campaigns objective, his chief consultant Stuart Spencer said later, became to destroy Barry Goldwater as a member of the human race. To that end, they set up an unprecedented oppo-research operation, rummaging through every corner of Goldwaters past and, notes Perlstein, arranging for friendly reporters to record for transcription every word Goldwater said in public. Agents would shout embarrassing questions at Goldwater, then shove a microphone into his face. . . . Reportersand operatives in the guise of reportersstrode into Goldwater headquarters to beg advance copies of speeches or, if need be, steal one off a desk.

In retrospect, Rockefeller might have saved his money, since Goldwater was a walking gaffe machine, producing fresh headline fodder almost daily. That he often claimed to have been taken out of contextand usually waswas beside the point. A year and a half after the trauma of the Cuban missile crisis, it was political suicide to suggest casually on national TV that one way to expose the Ho Chi Minh trail to American bombers might be defoliation by low-yield atomic weapons; or to point out that American forces in Europe might be cut by a third if senior NATO commanders were authorized to use tactical nukes in an emergency.

As damaging as the emerging image of the trigger-happy cowboy were his public comments on Social Security. While he cast them as speculations on ways the future viability of the program might be guaranteed, they generated headlines like this one, in the Concord Monitor, in the run-up to the New Hampshire primary: GOLDWATER SETS GOALS: END SOCIAL SECURITY, HIT CASTRO. In brief, while Goldwater may have been his own worst enemy, the press gave him a serious run for his money. I wont say that the papers misquote me, he observed, but I sometimes wonder where Christianity would be today if some of these reporters had been Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Closing a substantive meeting with prospective voters, Goldwater noted that he was glad to have had the opportunity to find out whats on your mind, and for you to find out I have one. Needless to say, nothing else from the meeting was reported.

Goldwaters supporters took the medias hostility personally. By the end of the campaign, reporters were routinely getting booed at events. So steady was the anti-Goldwater media drumbeat that, 15 years later, Goldwater made a point of singling out the one media heavy who publicly broke with the pack. Barry Goldwater is not my candidate, and I have done nothing to promote his Presidential ambitions, he quoted Detroit Free Press editor John S. Knight, but I do think the Arizona Senator is getting shabby treatment from most of the news media. Some of the television commentators discuss Goldwater with evident disdain and contempt. Editorial cartoonists portray him as belonging to the Neanderthal age, or as a relic of the 19th Century. It is the fashion of editorial writers to persuade themselves that Goldwaters followers are either kooks or Birchers. This simply is not so. The Goldwater movement represents a mass protest by conservative minded people against foreign aid, excessive welfare, high taxes, foreign policy and the concentration of power in the federal government.

Goldwater and his followers were equally beyond the understanding of the Republican establishment. Even as the GOP convention opened in San Francisco, with the Arizonans nomination looming as inevitable, they were still plotting to replace him with a moderate savior: Pennsylvania governor William Scranton.

From the start, Goldwater had been taken aback by the Republican vitriol directed his way. A loyal party man himself, hed often appeared on behalf of GOP moderates, eager for conservative support in tight races. Now, in San Francisco, he heard defeated rival Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge say that Goldwaters foreign policy would destroy everything we hope forincluding life itself; and also-ran Michigan governor George Romney urge the delegates to repudiate extremism of the right and the left. But the cruelest blow came from Scranton, whom Goldwater had served with in the Air Force Reserve, mentored politically, and was considering naming as his running mate. In an open letter challenging Goldwater to a debate on the partys direction, the Pennsylvania governor said that Goldwaterism has come to stand for nuclear irresponsibility . . . for being afraid to forthrightly condemn right-wing extremists . . . for refusing to stand for law and order in maintaining racial peace.

Thus provoked, Goldwater threw whatever modest caution he might have exercised to the winds. He capped off an already-angry convention with an acceptance speech bearing one of the most damaging lines in American political history. I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, he proclaimedhurling his tormentors favorite word in their collective faceand let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. Watching, Theodore White famously exclaimed, My God, hes going to run as Barry Goldwater!

In fact, the words were a paraphrase of Cicero, as updated by Claremont Mens College political theorist Harry Jaffa. But under the circumstances, they represented an upturned middle finger to Goldwaters enemies, including those in the press gallery. It seemed altogether fitting, then, that CBSs Daniel Schorr reported, before the convention was over, that the newly minted GOP candidate was planning a vacation in Bavariaas the start of a move to link up with his opposite numbers in Germany.

What Goldwater actually did following the convention was nearly as self-destructive. He replaced a skilled campaign staff with a crew of Arizona amateurs who quickly sidelined not just the political pros but also such key supporters as William F. Buckley. Under their watch, rudimentary advance work would go undone and thank-you letters to donors would never get sent; state and local GOP organizations would wind up even more alienated than they already were. The replacement staff even attempted to squelch a televised address by Goldwaters most effective surrogate, fearing its plainspokenness. Only through the nominees last-minute intervention did Ronald Reagan get the green light to make the speech that not only raised millions but also launched his own meteoric rise, later enabling George Will to observe memorably that Goldwater lost 44 states but won the future.

It was Goldwater himself who bore responsibility for another of the campaigns great blunders. Insisting that the campaign be about ideas and not personality, he adamantly refused to present himself as the likable and multifaceted human being that he was. He looked so forbiddingly grim in his own literature that he indeed seemed ready to launch World War III. Of course, in pushing such a narrative, the Democrats again could rely on the medias help. Ad man Tony Schwartzs anti-Goldwater daisy commercial, depicting an innocent little girl counting petals morphing into a nuclear countdown, may have been the most effective political spot ever devised; but whats largely forgotten is that it aired commercially only once because the Republicans immediately complained to the Fair Campaign Practices Commission. Its outsize impact was the result of its being ceaselessly replayed as news.

Not that the media portrait of Goldwater that increasingly came into focus as the campaign proceeded was entirely one-dimensional. Goldwater was not only trigger-happy; he was also a bigotone of only 27 senators whod voted in June against the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964. As Walter Lippmann, the lordly dean of American punditry observed of his Senate vote, Goldwater would nullify if he could the central purpose of the Civil War amendments, and would take from the children of the emancipated slaves the protection of a national union.

In that summer of 1964with the nation horrified by the massacre of three civil rights workers in Philadelphia, Mississippino issue was more starkly drawn than civil rights. It was the defining question of the era, and Goldwater would indeed come to regret his vote on the Civil Rights Actthough on moral, not political, grounds. For the political ramifications were obvious at the time. Having agonized over the issue, and deciding to vote nay based on his passionately held views on constitutional limits, he declared on the Senate floor: If my vote is misconstrued, let it be, and let me suffer the consequences.

Rather than seeking to explain the nuances of Goldwaters position, the press engaged in calumny by association, continually badgering Goldwater, for instance, to disavow the KKK. Goldwaters long and honorable record on civil rights was ignored. An early member of the NAACP, he integrated his familys store in the 1930s, well before it was the norm in Phoenix or in most of the North. After the war, he did the same for the Arizona Air National Guard, which he founded; and on his arrival in the Senate, he desegregated the cafeteria. He had voted for every prior civil rights measure.

Had anyone wished to report it, the contrast with Johnson in this regard could not have been more dramatic. As a Texas senator, LBJ never supported a piece of civil rights legislation, repeatedly voting against banning the poll tax and against making lynching a federal crime. As recently as four years earlierrunning simultaneously for vice president and reelection to the SenateLBJ had opposed civil rights in the Texas contest, even while supporting them nationally.

We have lost the South for a generation, liberal admirers of LBJ like to quote him as saying on signing the landmark act on July 2, 1964though there is no record of his ever having said it. And the outcome of the presidential race four months later certainly confirmed that a historic realignment was under way. Four years earlier, Nixon had won 32 percent of the black vote; Goldwater got only 6 percent. Aside from his home state, Goldwater would carry only the five of the deepest South.

Goldwater nevertheless went out of his way in the campaign to avoid stoking racial animosities, even as many on his side, and the other, did the opposite. Indeed, several days after Goldwaters nomination, the president was taken aback when the newly minted GOP candidate requested a private meeting on the racial situation. A police shooting of an unarmed black teen in New York had set off rioting in cities around the country; LBJ was certain that his opponent hoped to seize upon the events to embarrass him on law and order. Instead, Goldwater proposed that they take the issue of race off the table, in the interest of national unity. And with American troops engaged in combat, Goldwater similarly committed to avoid politicizing Vietnam. He followed through on this commitment the next month, when, after reports of an attack on Navy destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin by North Vietnamese PT-boats, Johnson sought unprecedented war-making powers. We cannot allow the American flag to be shot at anywhere on earth, affirmed Goldwater, if we are to retain our respect and prestige.

Given his own sentiments on Vietnamthat we should fight to win or leavethat was an easy call. But the sentiment was by no means universal. Even before suspicions surfaced that the attacks might be a put-up job and pretext for expansion of the war, there was reason to view Johnsons Vietnam policy with skepticism. I am pleading that the American people be given the facts, said Oregons Wayne Morse at the time, before casting one of two Senate votes against the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. The world would learn that Johnson had been planning all along to expand the warafter the election.

Goldwater proposed that they take the issue of race off the table, in the interest of national unity.

Certainly, Lyndon Johnsons recordand characterinvited close inspection. As Robert Caros magisterial multivolume biography would make clear, no previous occupant of the Oval Office had profited more handsomely from his long years in public lifenor, until the Clintons, would any afterward. Temperament? Every novice Washington reporter had heard the tales of Johnson the vulgarian and bully, terrorizing aides and associates, as theyd also heard of his rages and bouts of depression. Years later, having had a vantage point far closer than Facts experts, LBJ aide Richard Goodwin wrote in the New York Times that he became so concerned about the presidents frequently irrational behavior that, on his own, he consulted a psychiatrist about his bosss mental health. Later, he learned that another aide, Bill Moyers, had independently consulted two others. All three doctors offered essentially the same opinion: that Johnsons behaviorif the laymans descriptions we provided were accurateseemed to correspond to a textbook case of paranoid disintegration, the eruption of long-suppressed irrationalities.

And then there was Johnsons drinking. In his book Feeding Frenzy, political historian Larry Sabato quotes CBSs George Herman on watching with other reporters as a visibly wobbly LBJ slurred his way through a speech in Evansville, Indiana. When Herman asked a Secret Service agent if Johnson was drunk, he replied: If aged Scotch will make you drunk, hes drunk. Since, recalled Herman, the theme of that campaign against Goldwater was, in Lyndons inestimable words, Whose finger do you want to mash that button?  he called to New York for direction. Their response:  Oh, Christ, lets think about it, and well call you back, and that was twenty-five years ago and they havent called me back yet.

For all the attention given to Goldwaters purported recklessness, the man actually wielding powerrecklessly, as it would turn outgot no such scrutiny. And under his leadership, the nation would so quickly be wracked by turmoil that four years later, it would be his partys convention playing out against a backdrop of warfare in the streets.

Indeed, coverage of the president in the fall of 1964 was so uniformly positive, the LBJ in media accounts was almost indistinguishable from the man presented by his meticulously stage-managed campaign: a benign father figure, spreading ever more Great Society largesse across the land, even as he faced down his hard-hearted opponent, the would-be destroyer-of-worlds.

PRESIDENT URGES POLITICAL VISION, ran a typical New York Times headline, over a story that began: President Johnson dedicated himself today to the politics of excellence, restraint and vision. The purpose of politics, he said, must be to make mans extinction improbable, and his fulfillment inevitable.  On the same page, the Timess Goldwater story, ostensibly about the American Psychiatric Associations condemnation of the Fact feature, repeated Ginzburgs most damning claims.

Goldwater tried to draw attention to the burgeoning scandal involving LBJs protege, Bobby Baker, so prolific a political fixer that he was a millionaire by 26 on a salary of $20,000. But the president saw to it that a would-be Senate investigation on Bakers bribery and influence-peddling was put off until after the election, and then permanently. In any case, the press had as little interest as the public.

One scandalous occurrence might have moved the needle, or so Goldwaters increasingly desperate aides believed: the out-of-the-blue news, late in the campaign, that Walter Jenkins, Johnsons top aide, the man he called the vice president in charge of everything, had been arrested in a Washington, D.C., mens room on a morals chargeand, it soon emerged, it wasnt the first time. Since Jenkins was privy to a vast range of secrets, the thinking went, he would have been a prime target for blackmail. Knowing what he would do with such an opportunity, LBJ was shaken by the news and went into overdrive. Jenkins, reported to be suffering from exhaustion, was stashed away in a hospital, and, to reassure the public that thered been no security breach, the president tapped the safest possible figure to oversee the investigationJ. Edgar Hoover.

He neednt have worried. Goldwater told his people that he wouldnt exploit Jenkinss personal tragedy for political gain, and stuck to the promise. Decades later, when this episode was largely forgotten, Goldwater, with a homosexual grandson, emerged as a campaigner for gay rights, and found himself lionized by many whod once loathed him. What they could not see was that his guiding principlesindividual liberty and small governmenthadnt changed since 1964.

Theres no knowing if Goldwater would have made a good president. He once told John McCain that if hed been elected, you wouldnt have spent all those years in a Vietnamese prison camp. Youre right, countered McCain, it wouldve been a Chinese prison camp. Unquestionably, though, Goldwater was a terrible candidate; it isnt easy for a major party nominee to poll under 39 percent in a two-man race.

Still, if the GOP and its candidate were 1964s most obvious losers, what Goldwater would recall as that season of untempered abuse, vindictive falsehood, desertion of civility also carried consequences for his tormentors in the media that continue to reverberate today. At least forty percent of the people, as GOP national chairman Dean Burch noted at the time, feel subconsciously or consciously that the press has jobbed Goldwater. It is a lesson about bias, double standards, and the slope of the playing field that millions of Americans have had no reason to forget ever since.

Top Photo: A national magazines cover story, purporting to find Barry Goldwater psychologically unstable, undermined his presidential run. (TopFoto/The Image Works)
Maybe its because Ive been in the middle school girl trenches, and I understand the mechanics of middle school girl bullying, that I feel moved to defend New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio from the weaponized snickering that aims to erode his self-confidence and crush his presidential ambitions.

I get that hes an adult politician with a powerful job aiming for an even more powerful job, but it sort of feels like the New York political media clique wont let up until they make the poor guy cry. Of course, Im not referring to legitimate investigations into potential conflicts of interest or abuses of power. The more actual journalism the merrier!

Im talking about dozens of media outlets finding deep national significance in the actions of a couple of trolls at the mayors gym posting a warning that by entering these premises you agree not to run for President of the United States. Oh man, what a burn!

The political press, trembling with excitement, tore into the fresh opportunity to remind people that the mayor travels all the way to Park Slope from the Upper East Side  in a car!  to work out at his old neighborhood YMCA. Not that they typically need any real reason to do so. In an article about new environmental regulations that would literally change the face of New York by forcing the citys glut of energy-inefficient glass skyscrapers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Crains New York Business partially headlined the piece: De Blasio defends 11-mile drive to gym while promoting environmental plan.

Why has the driving to the gym issue become such an emblem of de Blasio's supposed aristocratic detachment? Yes, the optics would be better if he took the subway. But the previous mayor knocked off work early every Friday to visit his friends at Gregs Steakhouse in Bermuda via private jet. I challenge any of de Blasios critics to compare the carbon footprints of those two commutes.

To get some sort of perspective on why the political press seems fixated on inventing faux scandals at the expense of actual substantive reporting, I turned to the Columbia Journalism Review. Unfortunately, CJRs analysis had all the nuance and insight of a burn book  offering a compilation of the greatest empty hit pieces on de Blasio. After citing several zingers from reporters mocking de Blasio for accidentally dropping a groundhog on Groundhog Day in 2014, CJRs Alexandria Neason intones solemnly: If he cant recognize the look of skepticism among the citys press, maybe he should listen.

Its that sort of tsk-tsking and eye-rolling that makes me  someone who has never donated to, volunteered for or worked for de Blasio  want to urge him to run for president, just to show the cool kids they havent gotten under his skin.

Their latest angle  that he cant handle the responsibilities of being mayor and run for president at the same time  doesnt seem to apply to any of the other people who have jumped into the race. Perhaps no one thinks that being a senator is a demanding job and that only people out of work with little responsibility should run for president. (If you want a full-time candidate, Ive got a moody, road-tripping Gen Xer for you.)

So what is the real problem political reporters have with de Blasio? Since they were much more deferential to then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, my theory is that the problem with de Blasio is that hes not a multibillionaire with a net worth larger than many foreign countries. Perhaps, after covering a guy who could afford to launch million-dollar ad campaigns in nonelection years and hire political talent just to prevent his opponents from hiring them, New York reporters started to believe that insulation from political wear-and-tear was normal.

Bloomberg was someone who could simply buy off dissent by spreading private donations to vulnerable neighborhood groups around the city (many of whom had lost public funding as a result of the mayors budget cuts). In 2008, he made it clear that he expected those who had benefited from his private philanthropy to show up at public hearings in support of easing term limits that would allow him to stay on for a third term.

The traditional politicians are bought by special interest groups, but Bloomberg buys special interest groups, Cooper Union history professor Fred Siegel told The New York Times at the time, adding that Bloomberg had reversed the flow of money in politics to build the illusion of widespread support.

Bloombergs allies now seem to be in the business of building the illusion of widespread revulsion toward de Blasio by writing stuff in the Observer like, The man who has been routinely panned as the worst big city mayor in America has his eyes on a new gig: President of the United States. If you follow the link to worst big city mayor in America to find out who has routinely panned de Blasio, youll discover its the writer himself  Bloombergs former political and communications adviser Arick Wierson  doing the original panning in a separate article. Usually, when people call elite political punditry an echo chamber, they dont mean it quite this literally.

All of this isnt to say that there arent legitimate criticisms of the mayor on homelessness and affordable housing, on the state of the subways and buses. And, really, whats up with his attacks on e-bike delivery workers?

But when I survey progressives about their fundamental problem with de Blasio, I dont get a lot back. They know theyre not supposed to like him, that hes vaguely embarrassing, but cant tell me why exactly. He dropped a groundhog once?

If my theory is correct, and de Blasios real problem is being a nonbillionaire trying to divert resources back to the working class using the tools and levers of plain old regular democracy  as opposed to making problems go away with a private stash of money  then Im moved to stand up for our progressive mayor and his presidential ambitions.

Lets slow down the de Blasio hate train and hear him out.
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.
A.O. PRIMARIA MEA este in cautare de o companie IT sau de un intreprinzator individual pentru crearea si dezvoltarea unei pagini web a organizatiei
Early last year, Michael Wolffs book Fire and Furya rollicking, fly-on-the-wall account of dysfunction in Trumpworlddevoured so much press anticipation, and picked up so many pre-sales, that its publisher released it four days ahead of schedule. Wolffs next book, Siege: Trump Under Fire, is due out in four days, and the reception has so far been different: less buzzy, more reflective of factual errors and uncorroborated claims. More critics are raising questions about Wolffs reliability as a narrator.

Some of the explosive claims Wolff makes in Siegethat Steve Bannon called the Trump Organization a criminal enterprise; that Rupert Murdoch called Trump an asshole; that Fox News let Brett Kavanaugh see questions ahead of an interview during his Supreme Court confirmation fight (Fox News calls this claim pure fiction)have made headlines. Many reporters and critics covering the book, however, have expressed skepticism about its key claims. In particular, they are casting doubt on Wolffs assertion, written about this week in The Guardian, that Robert Mueller, the special counsel, drew up a three-count indictment charging Trump with obstruction of justiceand then decided to shelve it. In the book, to back up that story, Wolff refers to leaked documents (The Guardian claims to have viewed them), but Peter Carr, Muellers spokesperson, has denied that any such evidence exists. In The New York Times, Mark Landler pointed out other possible inconsistencies in Wolffs account of Mueller-related documents: aspects of their wording and legal basis contradict what we already know about Muellers inquiry. Andrew Weissmann, who, according to Wolff, led the supposed indictment team, wasnt, in fact, involved in examining Trumps possible obstruction. Erik Wemple, a media writer for The Washington Post, listed eight factors undercutting Wolffs claim about Mueller and only one in support of it: Wolffs assertion that his source is impeccable.

ICYMI: Who is Florida Man?

Wolff issued the defense of his source in an interview with Michael M. Grynbaum, of the Times. Grynbaum asked Wolff what efforts he had made to corroborate and fact-check his new book. Wolff said that he did not seek an interview with Trumpdoing so would have been a fools erranddespite reporting a new allegation, by a former staffer on The Apprentice, of Trumps sexual misconduct. The president is not a man who is going to suddenly at this point of his life fess up to being a sexual harasser, Wolff said. Nor did Wolff ask Fox about the Kavanaugh interview claim. I actually dont believe, if you know the answer, it is necessary to go through the motions of getting an answer that you are absolutely certain of, Wolff told Grynbaum. Several reporters reacted incredulously: Washingtonians Andrew Beaujon accused Wolff of contempt for the absolute basics of journalism; Ted Mann, a Wall Street Journal reporter, said failure to seek comment would get you fired from a high school newspaper.

Wolff told Grynbaum that his book went through fact-checking, but its not clear what that process entailed. The standards vary: as my colleague Alexandria Neason wrote early this year, non-fiction book publishersunlike most major magazineslack in-house fact-checking departments, and they dont tend to insist that writers seek out checkers externally. Some authors do, but even then, the vetting can range from calling subjects and third-parties for confirmation and insight to reviewing an authors notes without additional sourcing. As Neason points out, where errors in a magazine reflect on a masthead, errors in books dent only the authors credibility, not the publishers. Wolff acknowledged as much in his interview with Grynbaum: Its a distinction between journalists who are institutionally wedded and those who are not, he said. Readers, he added, will know Siege is only his account of the truth, not put together by a committee.

Discretion ultimately rests with readers. Ahead of its release last year, Fire and Fury topped Amazons best-seller charts. As of this morning, Siege pre-sales dont make the top 100. At number one? Muellers report.

Sign up for CJR 's daily email

Below, more on Michael Wolff and fact-checking:

Bannons canon: Siege relies heavily on Steve Bannon, who continued talking to Wolff even after Fire and Fury led to his ouster from the White House and Breitbart News. Wolff calls Bannon the Virgil anyone might be lucky to have as a guide for a descent into Trumpworld. In a review for the Post, however, Ryan Lizza notes, It takes 193 pages, but we eventually learn that Bannon hasnt talked to Trump since he was fired. In a review for the Times, Jennifer Szalai writes that Siege reads like a rhetorical gambita twisted bid to burnish Bannons anti-establishment legacy.

Siege relies heavily on Steve Bannon, who continued talking to Wolff even after Fire and Fury led to his ouster from the White House and Breitbart News. Wolff calls Bannon the Virgil anyone might be lucky to have as a guide for a descent into Trumpworld. In a review for the Post, however, Ryan Lizza notes, It takes 193 pages, but we eventually learn that Bannon hasnt talked to Trump since he was fired. In a review for the Times, Jennifer Szalai writes that Siege reads like a rhetorical gambita twisted bid to burnish Bannons anti-establishment legacy. Feeding frenzy: CNNs Oliver Darcy asked several journalism experts how reporters should cover Siege. Proceed with extreme caution! the Posts Wemple told him. Frank Sesno, of George Washington University, added: Before the media feast on and amplify its claims, they should fact- and logic-check to determine whats real, whats credible, and what shouldput charitablybe left on the cutting room floor.

CNNs Oliver Darcy asked several journalism experts how reporters should cover Siege. Proceed with extreme caution! the Posts Wemple told him. Frank Sesno, of George Washington University, added: Before the media feast on and amplify its claims, they should fact- and logic-check to determine whats real, whats credible, and what shouldput charitablybe left on the cutting room floor. Wolf (one f): Neasons piece on non-fiction fact-checking came after a number of errors were spotted in Merchants of Truth, the recent book by Jill Abramson, former editor of the Times, about the future of the news business. Last week, we saw another case for rigorous fact-checking: Naomi Wolf made a crucial error in her new book, Outrages, based on her misunderstanding of a legal term. A critic told Wolf of the mistake live on air during a BBC radio interview.



Other notable stories:

ICYMI: Former reporter creates Rate my Professor for newsrooms

Correction: A previous version of this post said Fire and Fury led to Steve Bannons ouster from Fox News. It should have said Breitbart News. The post has been updated.

Update: This post has been updated to include Fox Newss comment on Wolffs claim that the network let Brett Kavanaugh see interview questions ahead of time.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop.
A Grupo Aeromexico SAB airliner said to have been hit by a drone last December was actually damaged when a poorly done repair on the plane caused its nose to collapse and crack as it prepared to land.

An examination of the Boeing Co. 737-800s crimped nose cone by the companys forensic experts ruled out a collision with a drone or any other object, including birds, according to a report it submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board earlier this month. The document was reviewed by Bloomberg News.

Local media reports said the jetliner hit a drone as it neared Tijuana, Mexico, for a landing on Dec. 12. The planes nose cone, also known as a radome, was shown in photos with its front-left side caved in and cracked in multiple places.

The initial story created a stir because it would have been the first time a small consumer drone was implicated in a collision with a large jet. Within days, Londons Gatwick Airport was forced to shut for parts of three days after a drone was sighted flying near its runways. Similar, shorter-lived disruptions occurred at London Heathrow and Newark, New Jerseys Liberty International in the weeks afterward.

The NTSB initially became involved in the Tijuana probe because aircraft landing there fly through U.S. airspace, said William English, who is leading its investigation.

Later, when it became clear there most likely wasnt a collision, the safety board continued to work in support of the Mexican investigation, English said.

The dome covering the nose of the Aeromexico 737, which is made of relatively thin plastics, had been repaired improperly in 2017, according to a May 15 letter to the NTSB from Boeing.

The repair likely caused it to weaken over time and led it to collapse as air pressure changed during descent, according to the company. The indentation in the nosecone showed no evidence of an impact with a drone.

English and others from NTSB oversaw Boeings review.

The company also swabbed the area so that it could be tested for bird remains. An examination of the swab showed no indication of bird feathers or DNA, according to a Feb. 28 letter from the Smithsonian Institutions Feather Identification Lab.

Mexicos Communications and Transportation Ministry, in charge of the Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics that leads the investigation into the incident, didnt respond to requests for comment.

While the NTSB and aviation accident investigators in Canada and Israel have each documented instances of small drones colliding with aircraft  none of which have resulted in injuries  many reports of impacts or near-collisions have proven false or difficult to confirm.

Most of the reports to NTSB of possible drone collisions with other aircraft have proven unsubstantiated, English said. The agency has verified two collisions: a U.S. Army helicopter hit a small commercial drone in September 2017 near New York and a small drone grazed a hot-air balloon in Idaho last August.

The worlds largest civilian drone maker, China-based SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd., released a report earlier this month saying there is a glut of inaccurate information surrounding reports of incidents allegedly involving unpiloted aircraft.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
COLOGNE, Germany  Marvin Rockenwind was ambivalent about going to university, but it was considered a must at the elite high school he attended.

After six years, including once dropping out and then returning, Rockenwind left university for good. He then took an apprenticeship in computer programing that set him on a successful career path.

Today, Rockenwind, 32, is an IT consultant and team leader at a consulting company. Being in a field that often values experience over degrees has worked to his advantage.

Some on my team have a bachelors or master's degree, he said of the people he supervises.

Students who drop out of university in Germany, or other European countries with dual-education systems, have somewhat of a safety net: 3 to 3  year apprenticeships to train for good-paying jobs when higher education doesnt work out. While many in Europe do apprenticeships in high school, they can be done at any age. In the United States, pre-apprenticeships are offered in high school, often with no direct path to a good-paying job after graduation.

College dropouts in the U.S. also can pursue paid apprenticeships. However, with no dual-education system here, there are far fewer of them. With limited vocational education in the U.S., many who drop out of college dont know apprenticeships are an option. Many of these dropouts end up in dead-end jobs, while often saddled with some college debt to repay. In Germany, college is free.

There is a nascent movement to make vocational education in the U.S. as viable as it is Europe. Models include Early College Early Career, in which about 80 high school students in Greater Cleveland take college courses and do paid internships with manufacturers. Nationally, the Trump administrations goal is to both expand the number of apprenticeships and industries that have them. The Labor Department earmarked $150 million in grants to support the mission.

Cathrine Meyer, 23, was an engineering student often getting the equivalent of D grades. Counselors suggested she switch to an easier major.

So, she left college and started a technical product design apprenticeship last fall.

Meyers teacher at the Vocational College for Technology in Duren, Germany, Marcus Gompelmann, said he has had several students who left university for apprenticeships. There are even programs to nudge lagging college students to take apprenticeships, he said. They dont face the same pressures often forcing their American peers to drop out: exhausting financial aid or parental refusal to continue paying tuition.

Apprenticeships arent viewed as settling, because they often offer pathways to careers with salaries similar to those requiring degrees, Gompelmann said. For example, he said Meyer is positioned to have a promising career as a technical product designer when she finishes her apprenticeship in two years.

Is college best?

The American education system has often promoted college prep over vocational education because higher education is thought to offer the surest pathway to a good-paying job. Studies often dont confirm this, said Katherine Caves, a researcher at the Swiss Economic Institute in Zurich. She points to the work by Uschi Backes-Gellner at the University of Zurich showing that students arent disadvantaged by taking apprenticeships.

Essential to such outcomes is that the Swiss system creates pathways from vocational education to college, she said. About 70% of Swiss high schoolers take dual education, but more of them end up getting four-year degrees than their U.S. counterparts.

Nearly 36% of the U.S. population between 25 and 64 has at least a bachelors degree, Caves cited Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development data. Another roughly 10% have an associates degree. Nearly 43% of their Swiss counterparts have at least a bachelors degree.

In Germany, 57% of high schoolers are in dual education. Only about a quarter of the German population between 25 and 64 has at least a bachelors degree. Caves said that is because the German apprenticeship system is not as permeable as the one in Switzerland.

If the system is permeable you go from having one narrow pathway to higher/further/tertiary education to having lots of wider pathways that people can enter and exit multiple times, she wrote.

Perhaps the most ambitious new vocational model in the U.S. is CareerWise Colorado. It is the only state-level youth apprenticeship program, Caves said.

Those concerned with closing the skills gap in the U.S. are excited to learn about new approaches to create multiple pathways for students, she said. They acknowledged college wasnt for everybody, but really couldnt offer any viable alternative. Voc-Ed here, as its currently structured, often doesnt offer students a career path.

When the only way up in the education system is college, its always going to be the best thing you can do, wrote Caves, who is American. At the same time, when Voc-Ed is a dead-end road and it starts to be used as a repository for those kids, a responsible education reformer is probably going to want to get rid of it entirely.

See related story on how apprenticeships and college go hand-in-hand.

Read more in the Pathways to Prosperity series.
SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Mamma Mia. Just the songs name brings to mind the playful keyboard introduction and melody written by ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.

The infectious quality of that song can also be found in other ABBA delights, such as Dancing Queen, Take a Chance on Me, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do and Waterloo. Those songs and others from the 1970s have not only stood the test of 40 years, but have also brought joy to theater and movie goers.

The success of the 1999 Broadway musical Mamma Mia! with a book written by Catherine Johnson, led to the production of two films based upon it: Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again."

Among the first of the jukebox musicals based upon hit pop songs, Mamma Mia! was the first to incorporate an original story and the first to feature a female-centric cast. Putting those firsts aside, Mamma Mia! and the songs with which everyone likes to sing along are just plain fun.

Mercury Theatre Company, based at Notre Dame College, specializes in putting on fun productions during its annual summer run of four shows, and Mamma Mia!, opening June 7, was the show chosen to lift the lid on Mercurys 21st season.

The storyline centers on Sophie, a young woman about to be married in Greece, where her single, American mother is living. Sophie doesnt know which of three men with whom her mother had flings is her father. Unbeknownst to her mother, Sophie invites all three candidates to her wedding, with plans to finally pinpoint her real father and have him walk her down the aisle. The action that ensues forces her former girl-group singing mother to take stock of her feelings.

All throughout, audiences get a steady dose of ABBA numbers -- 24 songs in all.

Its a Greek comedy set in Greece, said Mercury Artistic Director and director of Mamma Mia! Pierre-Jacques Brault.

Brault directed Mamma Mia! in fall 2017 at Virginia Musical Theatre in Virginia Beach, Va., where he is a resident director.

It was a huge hit there, he said, noting that all four performances sold out. Brault has plans to again direct the musical in Virginia in 2020, but before doing so, he is putting it on the stage in South Euclid. He is one of four components of that Virginia success, along with three cast members, returning to stage Mamma Mia! for local audiences.

Another is Emmy-nominated actress Kera OBryon, of Richmond, Va., who portrays and sings the role of Sophies mother, Donna Sheridan. She also played the lead role in a 2016 production of Mame, which Brault directed.

Speaking about her character, OBryon said, She has a sense of humor, but the reality of her life has caused her to give up.

The return of her three former lovers, however, perks up Donna. It allows her to rediscover some of her youthful energy," OBryon said.

OBryon was nominated for an Emmy for portraying, in 2006, Louisa May Alcott in the TV movie Christmas and the Civil War.

Playing the role of one of the father candidates is Joe Monaughan, of Lyndhurst. Monaughan plays Sam Carmichael, who is divorced and gets back those old feelings when reconnecting with Donna. Donna feels the same toward Sam.

Said Monaughan in recommending Mamma Mia! to audiences: I think this is a great show for these times. We all need some light and laughter in our lives.

The cast of 26 not only sings, but has been going through its choreographic exercises in getting ready to entertain audiences with dance routines.

Mamma Mia! will be performed June 7-23 at Notre Dame College, 4545 College Road. Curtain times are 7 p.m. Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $16 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the door and here. Its rated PG.

Other Mercury productions this summer include Mary Poppins, Jr., featuring young actors, June 29 and 30; Chaplin: The Musical, July 5-21; and The Wizard of Oz, Aug. 2-18.

See more Sun Messenger news here.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A Lorain man and his former prison cellmate were sentenced Thursday to decades in federal prison for trying to orchestrate the killing of an Ohio woman in 2017.

Eduardo Rios Velasquez and former cellmate Angel Cordero tried to locate and kill the intended target on behalf of a person who asked them to do so, authorities said. Cordero was in prison when they hatched the plan and remains behind bars.

Cordero enlisted the services of a fellow inmate to find the targets address, and the inmate began speaking with federal law enforcement.

Authorities arrested Velasquez in July 2017 while he cut grass a few miles from the womans home in Lorain.

A jury in Youngstown found Cordero and Velasquez guilty in May 2018 of conspiring to commit murder for hire. The men, both 38, were also found guilty of a cocaine conspiracy charge related to the shipment of more than two pounds of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Ohio.

U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson imposed gave Cordero a 25-year prison sentence, which will run consecutive to a 40-year sentence he is already serving for a drug-related killing. Velasquez was sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison, as well as another two years for a probation violation.

Cordero helped carry out the plot while he was at a federal prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey. Prosecutors said he had a contraband cellphone to communicate with Velasquez and others outside the prison. He tried to convince another inmate to use his phone to help him track down the womans address.

Cordero told the other inmate that Velasquez was going to kill her because they believed she stole money they snatched during a robbery she helped set up. Velasquez was promised more than $20,000 for the contract killing, according to authorities.

A sentencing memo written by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian McDonough indicates the killing was to be done on behalf of a man named Leon. However, it does not appear that any Leon has faced federal charges in relation to the plot.

After talking to Cordero, the inmate spoke to his attorney, who reached out to the federal government. The inmate wore a wire for agents and initially texted Velasquez a fake address. However, the inmate became nervous and gave up the womans actual location after Velasquez told Cordero that the address was not showing up in a GPS, authorities said.

Agents searched Velasquezs phone during his arrest found a photo of the target's vehicle outside her house. Agents in New Jersey also searched Cordero's cell and found a cellphone hidden in his headphones, officials said.

Cordero was put in solitary confinement after prison guards discovered his cellphone. He was transferred out of solitary confinement on July 11, 2017 because of a clerical error.

Once released, Cordero told another inmate that he planned to have the inmate who helped him find the targets address killed, prosecutors said. That inmate, whom Cordero tried to get to kill the first cooperating inmate, also provided information to the government.

Both inmates later testified at trial.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Fridays crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Seven Cleveland Heights High School students and one adult will be charged in connection with a fight that broke out on the last day of classes at the high school, a city official said.

Five students and the adult will be charged with aggravated riot in the Friday incident, police said. Another student will be charged with failure to disperse.

The seventh student was released to a parent, but will be charged later through juvenile court, police said.

Cleveland Heights police officers were called to the school just after noon for a report of a fight. The found multiple people fighting, and others congregating on school grounds, police said.

One person was treated at the scene for difficulty breathing. A CHPD officer also suffered a minor arm injury, police said.

The school did not go into lockdown during the fight, a Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools spokeswoman said in a statement.

Police did not immediately say what led to the fight.

To comment on this story, visit Fridays crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A man died after being shot by someone in another car late Thursday as he drove through Clevelands St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, police said.

The 28-year-old man crashed his silver Porsche Cayenne into a parked car and a porch after being shot about 9:50 p.m. on Korman Avenue near East 74th Street, police said. He died after an ambulance took him to University Hospitals.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office will release his name once his family has been notified.

Investigators learned someone in a maroon vehicle shot at the mans car as he drove on Korman Avenue. The gunshots struck the man, who kept driving and turned onto East 74th Street, police said.

The man crashed moments later into a parked car and the porch outside an East 74th Street home.

Cleveland police officers found the man slumped at the wheel of the Porsche. The car had multiple bullet holes in it, police said.

No suspects have been identified in the case.

To comment on this story, visit Fridays crime and courts comments page.
MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Detectives arrested a man suspected of attacking an 88-year-old woman as she waited for a bus in Maple Heights, police sad.

The man has not yet been charged in the May 6 attack that seriously injured the Bedford woman, the Maple Heights Police Department said Thursday in a news release.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation identified the suspect through DNA evidence recovered in the case, police said. Detectives also obtained surveillance video of the attack, and received tips from the public after they released images of the man pulled from surveillance video from a nearby business.

The woman suffered serious head injuries in the attack, which happened just before 7:45 p.m. as she waited for a Greater Cleveland RTA bus on Turney Road near Dunham Road, police said.

The man walked up and spoke with the women before he suddenly struck her in the face, police said. He walked away after attacking her.

An ambulance took the woman to Marymount Hospital for treatment. She was later transferred to MetroHealth for trauma care, police said.

To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Special counsel Robert Mueller came down from the mountaintop, breaking his silence, and the spin from President Trump and U.S. Attorney General William Barr, on the report of his investigation findings.

Mueller reaffirmed what his two-volume report said: that Russia interfered in the 2016 election; that President Trump could not be exonerated of obstruction; and that Trump could not be indicted as a sitting president due to Department of Justice policy.

As set forth in the report, after that investigation, [of obstruction] if we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime -we would have said so.

Mueller explained, as he did in the report, that his investigation decided not to determine if Trump committed a crime because "under longstanding department policy, a present president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view. That too, is prohibited.

Barr had previously asserted that the DOJ policy against indicting a sitting president played no role in Muellers decision not to indict Trump or even determine if he committed a crime. Muellers statement Wednesday completely contradicted that false claim.

Its been overlooked, but its significant that Mueller stated indicting a sitting president is not only prohibited by DOJ policy, but also, that is unconstitutional. Actually, there has never been a final judicial determination that indicting a sitting president is unconstitutional. Right now, its just a D.O.J. policy, written in the Nixon era, that has never been challenged in court. Its doubtful the founding fathers who wrote the U.S. Constitution thought a president should be above the law.

Not a Hoax or Witch Hunt

Mueller refuted Trumps repeated claims that the investigation was a Witch Hunt and the allegations a Hoax.

The indictments allege and the other activities in our report describe efforts to interfere in our political system. They needed to be investigated and understood, and that is one of the reasons why the Department of Justice established our office. That is also a reason we investigated efforts to obstruct the investigation.

The matters we investigated were of paramount importance. It was critical for us to obtain full and accurate information from every person we questioned. When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation, or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of the governments effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable.

Its the Russian Interference, stupid.

Its the economy, stupid is the old political line. Wednesday Mueller seemed to be wanting to say to the President, Congress and nation, Its the Russia interference, stupid! Mueller began and ended his statement Wednesday by talking about the concerted Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"Let me begin where the appointment order begins and that is interference in the 2016 presidential election. As alleged by the grand jury in a indictment, Russian intelligence officers who were part of the Russian military launched a concerted attack on our political system.

They stole private information and then released that information... The releases were timed to interfere with our election and to damage a presidential candidate.

A private Russian entity engaged in a social media operation where Russians posed as Americans in order to influence an election."

And I will close by reiterating the central allegation of our indictments that there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election. And that allegation deserves the attention of every American.

Trump Freudian slip admits Russia helped elect him.

Trump had a Freudian slip, or maybe a Trumpian one, tweeting I had nothing to do with Russia helping me get elected.

Russia, Russia, Russia! Thats all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax...And now Russia has disappeared I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didnt exist.'

Trump quickly tried to washaway his twitter dropping, telling reporters later, Russia did not help me get me get elected. I helped me get elected. Russia had nothing to do with it at all.

Muellers final word?

Mueller wants his statement Wednesday to be his final word on the Russia/obstruction investigation. He said the report is his testimony. His message was: read the report; Russia interfered biggly; read the report, Trump not cleared of obstruction; read the report, Trump not indicted due to DOJ policy; next move is for Congress to make.

In his statement, Mueller said "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing.

The process many feel Mueller was referencing is the Congressional impeachment process. It was interpreted as Mueller signalling Congress to do its job after he did his.

As a result of Muellers statement, calls increased in Congress and on the campaign trail for the opening of an impeachment inquiry, at the very least.

Trump responded by saying impeachment is a dirty, filthy, disgusting word." For right now, it seems like Nancy Pelosi agrees with him. Trump got a Get out jail free" card from the DOJ, but Pelosi might not be able to keep the Get out of impeachment card off the Trumpopoly game board.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former CBS Evening News anchor Jeff Glor is staying with the network.

Glor, whose 18-month stint on the newscast ended earlier this month, will co-host "CBS This Morning: Saturday" alongside current hosts Dana Jacobson and Michelle Miller. He replaces Anthony Mason, who moved over to weekday mornings.

During the week, Glor will serve as a special correspondent with his feature stories and investigative pieces airing on various CBS newscasts. Hell also start a new regular feature called Who We Are, telling the inspiring stories of people across the country.

I have always wanted to do work that matters and still do. That is something that will never change," Glor said at the end of the May 6 newscast after CBS reshuffled anchors across the news division. Turns out, hell do it at the network hes worked for since 2007.

Glors first day in the mornings is June 22. His replacement on the CBS Evening News, Norah ODonnell, begins her new gig later this summer.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Writer-director Jeff Lipskys The Last boasts a challenging story, compelling dialogue and, perhaps most impressive of all, riveting performances. And yet, despite all of this, the whole is somewhat less than the sum of these many wonderful parts.

The film is held back by, well, the filmmaking. Its talky, overwritten and overlong. It is poorly paced, unimaginatively shot and there are more than a few technical glitches.

Still, it is well worth seeing because it reaches emotional depths in revelations that are as haunting as they are powerful. There is many a glimmer of greatness here, even if the film itself falls short of greatness.

In many ways, The Last feels more like a play than a movie. You can picture this on the stage, a stirring showcase for actors holding an audience enthralled with Lipskys moving monologues. You can sense the ideal end of act one at the hour point of a film that last just beyond two hours.

Indeed, The Last has the feel of a stage drama transferred to the screen without allowing for the change from one medium to another. Its stagy, even though it was written as a film.

Without much attention to inventive camerawork, The Last moves unimaginatively through a series of speeches and soliloquies, discussions and debates, conversations and confrontations. But, to be sure, there are mesmerizing moments  a lot of them. And these occur at a regular clip when the gifted actors and Lipskys writing catch fire at the same time.

The movie opens on a sunny day in Central Park. Members of the close-knit Dorman family have gathered with their friends for the first day of Rosh Hashanah. They symbolically cast away sins, tossing small pieces of bread into the water. They recite the traditional prayers.

One line from one prayer hangs heavy in the air, foreshadowing the darkness ahead: Let us cast away the sin of deception so that we will mislead no one in word or deed nor pretend to be what we are not.

There has been deception. Someone has been pretending. It isnt 28-year-old Josh (AJ Cedeno), who teaches special needs children and has embraced Modern Orthodox Judaism. It isnt his fiancee, music teacher Olivia (Jill Durso), a lapsed Catholic converting to Judaism.

It isnt Joshs acerbic and agnostic father, Harry (Reed Birney), a graphic artist. And it isnt Harrys wife, Melody (Julia Fain Lawrence), a Conservative Jew who sings in her synagogues choir.

No, the deceiver  the monster in their midst  is the one viewed as the most angelic: Joshs loving great-grandmother, 92-year-old Claire (played by 90-year-old Rebecca Schull, best known for her role as Fay Cochran on NBCs Wings).

During a day at the beach, in a sequence that lasts about 45 minutes (yes, like most everything in this film, it rambles on too long), Claire shocks Josh and Olivia with a series of revelations and confessions.

She tells them she wasnt a Jew victimized by Nazis. Shes actually a gentile who agreed to use her training as a nurse to assist a Nazi doctors experiments at Auschwitz. Posing as a Jewish refugee, she was allowed to settle in the United States after World War II.

It gets worse. She was anti-Semitic then and shes anti-Semitic now, even as she professes love and devotion for her family. And she still considers herself a proud member of the Nazi party. Oh, and one more thing. She has been diagnosed with brain cancer and has very little time left.

I am history, she tells them matter-of-factly as they stagger under the immensity of it all. I am a loose fragment of history.

Schull is given the most showcase chances in this film, and she makes the most of them. She delivers a spectacularly nuanced performance, both charming and chilling, and she provides the most intriguing reason to make time for The Last.

REVIEW

The Last

What: Writer-director Jeff Lipskys film about close-knit Jewish family rocked by a beloved matriarchs stunning revelations.

Rated: Not rated by the MPAA

Running time: 2 hours, 4 minutes

When: Friday, May 31.

Where: Cedar Lee.

Grade: B
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Police were investigating late Thursday night after a male was killed in a shooting in the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood.

Officers were called to the 1000 block of East 74th Street, which is south of St. Clair Avenue and west of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, at 10:50 p.m.

The unidentified male victim was taken to University Hospitals but died of his wounds, police say.

No further information was released early Friday morning.

To comment on this story, visit the crime and courts comments page.
MENTOR, Ohio  Police have arrested a suspect in Tuesdays robbery of a Huntington Bank branch.

Jon Schulz II, 41, of Mentor-on-the-Lake, was taken into custody Wednesday and has been charged with robbery, a second-degree felony, police say. He was arraigned Thursday and is being held in jail on a $300,000 bond.

Police believe Schulz is the man who entered the bank at 7341 Lakeshore Blvd. at about 10:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Police say no weapon was shown but did release any other details. An undisclosed amount of money was taken. There were no injuries.

The suspect left the scene driving north on Magnolia Drive in a smaller SUV that was silver or gray in color.

To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The authors of Jump-Starting America think boosting the nations economy means investing billions of dollars in technology hubs -- but not Silicon Valley, New York City, Boston and Seattle.

Among the top 10 cities for potential growth: Cleveland.

(A lot of these cities) are in the area pejoratively known as the Rust Belt, said co-author Jonathan Gruber, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

During the wealthy heyday of U.S. manufacturing, (these cities) got big, developed excellent educational institutions and still have highly educated populations who can do big things, but the high tech jobs arent making their way there."

The idea

Cities often turn to private businesses to jump-start their economy -- for example the high profile bidding war over Amazons second headquarters. Despite offering tax breaks and other perks, companies still land in already-crowded cities, with Amazon choosing New York City for HQ2.

These Superstar cities become overloaded with people, experiencing skyrocketing housing prices and crushing pressures on public transit. Amazon pulled out of New York after backlash over the incentives offered to the company.

Taking billions of dollars and furthering research topics of national interest will not only reestablish America as an advocate for science, but can jump start these underutilized cities and the nations economy, Gruber and co-author, MIT professor Simon Johnson, write.

Johnson and Gruber claim that a $100 billion federal investment each year would yield these benefits, including four million new jobs. They also suggest an independent commission responsible for picking where these research dollars would go.

Government-owned real estate would benefit from the economic growth in these cities, and Gruber and Johnson suggest profits be shared among all Americans.

The ranking

The Tech Hub Index System ranks cities for their potential based on factors like housing cost, crime rates, university science and engineering and education and concentration of educated young people, according to MITs Sloan School website.

Most of the top cities are in the Midwest and the Northeast, with Rochester, New York, in the No. 1 spot.

Cleveland is 6, below metropolitan areas like Columbus, ranked 4, and Pittsburgh, ranked 2. Cincinnati ranks 9 and the Akron-Canton area ranks out of the top 10, but at 14.

The full list, found on Jump-Starting Americas" website is:

Rochester, New York Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Syracuse/Utica-Rome, New York Columbus, Ohio Bloomington/Champaign-Urbana, Illinois Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio Ames/Des Moines- West Des Moines, Iowa Binghamton/Ithaca, New York Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson/Lafayette-West Lafayette, Indiana

On the website, visitors can play with the different factors to make their own list. Gruber said the ranking isnt meant to be definitive. In the authors ranking, education, population and lifestyle are the main three factors.

Cleveland-Elyrias stats are:

Population 25-64: 1,076,766

Percent of adults with a college degree: 30.32%

Top science grad programs: 5

Top science undergraduates 4

Patents per 1000 workers: 0.520

Percent of workers with less than a 30 minute commute: 64.26 percent

Violent crimes per 10,000: 3.32

Average house price: $182,174

Why it matters

Though the rankings are flexible, Gruber said lists like these should spark a little rivalry.

We think competition is natural and healthy, he said. Its been happening in a destructive way  which is tax breaks.

Instead on focusing on tax breaks for private businesses, the federal government providing money could incentivize cities to work on affordable housing strategies and access to education to attract research dollars, Gruber said.

Ohio has three cities in the top 10 potential tech hub ranking. Gruber said depending on the transportation between the cities -- like a high-speed rail -- the definition of a hub can include an entire state.

The public research and development approach is different from what Ohio is doing now. Ohios Third Frontier fund does pay into some research efforts at public universities, but it also focuses on boosting entrepreneurship in the state.

State-level funding is not enough for this type of economic boost, and Gruber said he hopes the book pushes people to contact their political leaders to advocate for federal funding.
Olivia Culkar of Brook Park has been captivated by sign language since an early age.

The 21-year-old, whose closet contains an old copy of The Art of Sign Language, its pages tattered from use, recalls developing an affinity for the language after befriending a deaf classmate, Jenny, in kindergarten.

When I met Jenny, I became fascinated by ASL (American Sign Language), Culkar said. Ive been in love with it ever since.

On May 16, she received an Associate of Applied Science degree in deaf interpretation services from Cuyahoga County Community College.

Culkar had classes with Jenny and her interpreter, Cindy Koontz, through her senior year at Berea-Midpark High School.

Koontz encouraged her language development by creating an ASL club and providing opportunities former to socialize with the deaf community.

Culkar started taking classes at Tri-Cs Western Campus in 2014 as a junior at Berea-Midpark.

Two years later she enrolled full time to pursue her own DIS (Deaf Interpretive Services) degree.

Exceptional grades have earned Culkar an Honors Program Fellowship, which covered her tuition for two full years.

That assistance, coupled with her early start, helped Culkar earn an Associate of Arts from the college in fall 2017.

Since that time, she has interpreted for shows at Cedar Point, Deaf Awareness Day at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the Tactile Carnival at the Cleveland Museum of Art and more, while still maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.

Culkar will transfer to Cleveland State University this fall to major in communications.

She hopes to work part time for an interpreting agency as she moves toward graduation and eventually, national certification.

Olivia is the daughter of Robert and Dorie Culkar of Berea.

Gold medalist: Faith Brown, a student at Berea-Midpark High School, enrolled in Baking & Pastry Arts at Polaris Career Center, captured a gold medal in creative cakes at a recent Community Leaders of America state culinary competition in Columbus.

Her winning creation was a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and Swiss buttercream.

Brown was among hundreds of students from around Ohio who took part in state events at regional, state and national levels for students enrolled in family and consumer sciences programs.

These competitions give students the opportunity to showcase their career-technical talents and skills in a hands-on setting.

Polaris took home two medals this year, including a silver medal in the culinary team event.

In this challenge, the team prepared a three-course meal featuring winter white vegetable soup, Hungarian chicken and rice pilaf and anjous pear galette with chantilly cream.

Deans List: Alyssa Roberts of Middleburg Heights has been named to the Deans Honor List at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio.

This recognition required Roberts to maintain a 3.75 minimum grade point average while carrying at least 12 credit hours during the spring semester 2019.

Haley Yahraus and Hannah Yahraus, both of Middleburg Heights, have been named to the Deans List for the spring 2019 semester at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

This status is granted to students who earned a scholastic average of 3.6 or better while carrying at least 12 hours of regularly graded classes.

Sarah Calvis, a Computer Science major at Grove City College in Grove City, Pa., has been named to the Deans List for the Spring 2019 semester.

Sarah is a 2016 graduate of Berea-Midpark High School and she is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. David Calvis (Julianne) of Berea.

Live animal show: Lizards, snakes and turtles will take center stage when Outback Ray brings these live critters for his educational hands-on program Outback Rays Amazing Animal Show, from 2-3 p.m. June 8 at the Cuyahoga County Librarys Middleburg Heights branch, 16699 Bagley Road.

Families are welcome (preschoolers must be accompanied by an adult).

Registration for this event is required.

Register by phone at 440-234-3600 or online at cuyahogalibrary.org.

Just for laughs: I couldnt resist including this tidbit from the Middleburg Heights Kiwanis May Newsletter:

Do you believe in life after death? the boss asked one of his employees.

Yes, sir, I do.

Thats good, because after you left work early yesterday to attend your grandmothers funeral,

she dropped by to see you.

Berea pantry hours: The Berea Community Outreach Food Pantry, 535 Wyleswood Drive (at front of Smith School), is open from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, call 440-826-4891.

Middleburg Heights pantry: The Middleburg Heights Food Pantry at 7000 Paula Drive is open to serve clients from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and 5 to 7 p.m. Thursdays.

SCAN sets hours: The SCAN Hunger Pantry, 398 W. Bagley Road, Suite 7, in Berea's hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second Friday of the month and from 4 to 7 p.m. on the fourth Friday of the month.

Read more stories from the News Sun.

Please email information (people photos, too -- include IDs) on items youd like to see included in Around The Town to richatsun@gmail.com.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The City Club of Cleveland is holding a forum today to discuss the 2019-2020 state budget, which is under debate by the Ohio Senate after a version cleared the Ohio House earlier this month.

The panelists are:

- John Corlett, president and CEO of the Center for Community Solutions, and former Medicaid director in ex-Gov. Ted Stricklands administration.

- State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, a freshman state lawmaker from Cleveland

- Alesha Washington, vice-president of government advocacy for the Greater Cleveland Partnership

The forum will be moderated by Karen Kasler, the Statehouse bureau chief for Ohio Public Radio and Television.

To watch the forum, which begins at 12:30 p.m., watch the video at the top of this post. The House budget proposal includes a broad-based tax cut and the elimination of Ohios bottom two tax brackets, an increase in the state age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21, additional funding for health programs and childrens services, increased funding for wraparound services for public-school students and new funding for water-quality programs.
Rotunda Rumblings

Thrown for a loop: A handful of tax exemptions, long derided by their critics as loopholes in Ohios tax code, are on the chopping block in the House state budget plan. As cleveland.coms Andrew Tobias writes, some include a sales tax cap on fractional-jet shares and an exemption on investment coins and bullion. But two of the biggest ones targeted in the House budget plan  a rollback of a business-income deduction and the elimination of the state-film tax credit  seem likely to be restored by the Senate.

Altering the alert: State Sen. Sandra Williams is sponsoring a new bill to tighten the requirements around the Alianna Alert that requires schools to notify families that their kids are absent, cleveland.coms Laura Hancock reports. The bill would require schools to alert families within 60 minutes that a child is missing, down from the current two hours, and could punish schools for not complying with the law.

The final frontier: Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, in response to an audience question at an investing conference in Cleveland this week, said Ohios Third Frontier program is running out of funding, cleveland.coms Emily Bamforth writes. I think those conversations are very fluid right now and where that (program) ends up for the future has yet to be seen, Husted said. Chamber of commerce groups have called on state officials to renew Third Frontier, a bond-finance fund that the state uses to fund technology startup firms.

Lets talk about text: 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.

Environmental liability: The Ohio House unanimously passed a bill Thursday that would waive state fees and penalties when people purchase remediated properties previously contaminated by hazardous waste. House Bill 168 would apply if the new owner made appropriate inquiries about the property and its history, if the new owner reports any new releases of hazardous materials and other standards similar to a federal law that exempts new owners from federal penalties. The bill is needed, supporters said, because people are reluctant to buy and develop land that was previously contaminated.

Sitting out: State Rep. Bernadine Kennedy Kent, a Columbus Democrat, announced shes not coming to work at the Ohio Statehouse or her legislative office until House leaders address what she claims is a hostile work environment, the Dispatchs Jim Siegel reports. Kents latest quarrel occurred when she tried to get into a meeting of the House Democratic Caucus, a group from which she was kicked out last year for using the electronic signatures of Ohio Legislative Black Caucus members without their permission on a letter to Columbus city officials.

Storm tracking: The DeWine administration has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to join state emergency officials in assessing storm damage in 10 Ohio counties caused by this weeks tornadoes. The move is the first step in seeking a federal disaster declaration, which would make Ohio eligible for federal assistance.

The Nan Plan: Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley will host a fundraiser today for South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a Democrat running for president, featuring Buttigiegs husband, Chasten. The Dayton event is expected to include 80 to 100 people. Afterward, Chasten Buttigieg will help kick off PRIDE weekend in the city.

Uncle Joe coming to town: Buttigieg isnt the only Democrat trying to win Ohio voters sympathetic to LGBTQ rights. As previously reported, former Vice President Joe Biden will be in Columbus Saturday night, speaking at a Human Rights Campaign dinner.

Know your role: Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown will be the headline speaker at a conference today in Cleveland hosted by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Titled Americas Role in the World: Why Leading Globally Matters for Ohio, the noontime event will also include a forum featuring former Republican Gov. Bob Taft, The Axios Foundation President Peter Ahern and Proctor & Gamble Associate Director Tara Hogan Charles.

Ryan on the run: U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Youngstown-area Democrat running for president, is taking another trip on his longshot bid for the presidency. Ryan has a full list of Iowa stops today and Saturday, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Des Moines and Ames.

Disgraced: A committee of Ohio State University trustees voted on Thursday to revoke the emeritus status of Richard Strauss, a late team doctor found to have sexually abused numerous athletes during his two decades there, according to WOSUs Kantele Franco. The full board of trustees on Friday could enact the revocation, a first in the universitys history.

KasichFest: Headliners for the 2019 Ozy Fest in New Yorks Central Park on July 20-21 include musician John Legend, comedian Trevor Noah, director Spike Lee, celebrity chef Rachael Ray and...John Kasich. The former Ohio governor is set to participate in a public discussion during the festival, as is 2018 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams.

Where gerrymandering meets the census: A man who has been described as the architect behind the GOPs successful gerrymandering effort after the 2010 census was also at the root of pushing for a citizenship question on the 2020 census. The reason: the question would help Republicans produce even more gerrymandered maps, according to the New York Times. The story is the tale of an estranged daughter accidentally coming across gerrymandering data compiled by her deceased father, Thomas B. Hofeller.

Buckeye Brain Tease

Question: What former Ohio member of Congress used to employ Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trumps original 2016 campaign manager? Email your response to capitolletter@cleveland.com.

The first correct respondent will be mentioned in next weeks newsletter.

Thanks for responding to last weeks trivia question: What 19th century congressman and Ohio gubernatorial candidate died when, while serving as the lawyer of a man accused of a shooting, he shot himself accidentally while attempting to demonstrate how the victims gun could have gone off accidentally?

Last weeks answer: Clement Vallandigham

Capitol Letter reader John Kohlstrand of Geneva, Illinois, was the first to send in the correct answer. Thanks to everyone who responded!

On The Move

Jon C. Walden has been named interim executive director of the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission following the retirement of David Williamson from the position. Walden is currently the commissions chief legal counsel and ethics officer.

Michael Morell has resigned from the board of directors for the Akron-based Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. to provide advice to unnamed 2020 presidential candidates, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal. Morrell, who advised Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, is a retired deputy director of the CIA and Cuyahoga Falls native.

Birthdays

Saturday, 6/1: Tod Ralstin, Ohio House operations assistant/document services; Charles Anderson, Ohios 27th governor (1814-1895)

Sunday, 6/2: State Sen. Nickie Antonio; state Rep. Ron Hood; Ali Sagraves, special assistant to Ohio House clerk / committee clerk

Straight From The Source

Im a lot closer today than I was yesterday.-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat running for president, during an appearance on NPRs 1A on the possibility of impeaching Republican President Donald Trump.

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.
Its hard to parse what Ohio legislative leaders were thinking when they exposed their Ohio Clean Air nuclear bailout bill for what it really is -- a blatant giveaway to nuclear and coal interests.

Last week, a House committee discarded green-energy provisions from House Bill 6. That doubled down on the Ohio ratepayer energy subsidies that would go primarily to benefit the Perry and Davis-Besse nuclear plants. And lawmakers then added a new section that could obligate many Ohio ratepayers to subsidize two coal-fired plants, as well.

Its even harder to figure out what House Speaker Larry Householder must have promised to get 10 Democrats to back the bill after too many Republicans balked at this special-interest giveaway, leaving him far short of the 50 votes he needed for House passage. (He got 53.)

For some, it was a local issue of jobs and taxes. Mentor-on-the-Lakes John M. Rogers represents large portions of Lake County, where the Perry plant sits; FirstEnergy Solutions has said it will close the plant in 2021 without subsidies.

But also voting yes were Joe Miller of Amherst, whose legislative biography identifies him as a passionate advocate for ... opportunities for green energy, and freshman Cleveland legislator Terrence Upchurch, whose biography says he went to Columbus to advocate for the neighborhoods he represents, including Glenville.

Just before Wednesdays House vote, HB 6 was amended by the rules committee, evidently to build in some specific inducements to hesitating lawmakers. Cleveland.coms Jeremy Pelzer reports the new provisions include one to guarantee clean air subsidies to six large solar installations whose construction already was approved by the state power siting board, and amendments capping nuclear subsidies if electricity prices rise and limiting the extent of property-tax devaluations for the two nuclear plants.

Yet none of that can mask what HB 6 has become: a platter of goodies for deep-pocketed special interests who spent liberally -- not just in advocating for this legislation but also on Householders efforts to get his supporters elected or re-elected to the Ohio House, so they could choose him as speaker.

One of those pals is Ohio House Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nino Vitale, a Republican from Urbana in southwest Ohio, who showed his disdain for those who could be hurt by the bills elimination of requirements that utilities help customers save on energy use by saying in an email that a little hunger in the belly or being a little cold on some really cold days" can be a good thing. Ouch.

Vitale also showed his contempt for alternative viewpoints during committee debate on HB 6 by ignoring the Democrats on the committee.

Householder -- who named Vitale to the committee chairmanship -- excused this misbehavior by suggesting that term limits have kept more seasoned lawmakers from office.

But the reality is that HB 6 is a priority bill for Householder and his team. Whatever it takes to get it across the finish line is likely OK.

Its now up to the Ohio Senate to guard the states interests, not just special interests. At a minimum, as our editorial board previously urged, senators should make this bad bill better, by preserving the states green-energy and energy-efficiency mandates and by eliminating Ohios unreasonable wind-energy setback rules.

About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization.

Have something to say about this topic?

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com.

* 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, & look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com.
CLEVELAND -- If you believe its a good idea for the most important person on the planet to be a soulless reprobate, then Donald Trumps your man in next years presidential election.

But dont lose sight of the price tag. Its higher than keeping the country on its path towards wrecking the climate, dismantling the Constitution and abandoning even the slightest pretense that this is a government where rule of law and checks and balances matter.

Because a second Trump term would only embolden Jew-hating, black-hating, immigrant-hating white supremacists to expand their reach and influence deeper into the fabric of American life.

If that makes you feel good about your country, do whatever possible to re-elect your president.

Consider the words of Richard Spencer, the nations most prominent neo-Nazi and white supremacist, founder of the alt-right movement.

In the June issue of The Atlantic, Spencer credited Trumps presidency as a contributing factor in the August 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia  where a young woman peacefully protesting the Klan-type rally was struck and killed by a car driven by a white supremacist sympathizer.

There is no question that Charlottesville wouldnt have occurred without Trump, said Spencer, as quoted in An Oral History of Trumps Bigotry, by David A. Graham, Adrienne Green, Cullen Murphy and Parker Richards. The alt-right, Spencer added, found something in Trump. He changed the paradigm and made this kind of public presence of the a alt-right possible.

In Charlottesville, hundreds of supporters of the neo-Nazi movement marched on the University of Virginia campus, many carrying torches and chanting things like, Jews will not replace us.

Nevertheless, after initially denouncing the violence in Charlottesville, Trump said there were very fine people on both sides of the demonstrations there.

I was proud of him at that moment, said Spencer.

As was every racist and anti-Semite in the country.

The Atlantic piece describes in detail how bigotry and racism have been part of Trumps personal and professional portfolio for at least 46 years.

The centerpiece of Trumps bigotry was his five-year trafficking in the lie that Barack Obama was born in Kenya and had subsequently presented a fake birth certificate.

Two months before the 2016 election, Trump acknowledged without apology that Obama was born in the United States. But in late 2017, The New York Times reported Trump was still spreading the despicable lie inside the White House.

The bottom line here is that Trump is emboldening acts of bigotry that should rattle the conscience of every American.

A recent report by the Anti-Defamation League concluded violent attacks against Jews doubled in 2018 over the previous year. While anti-Semitic incidents declined slightly last year, in 2017 they soared 57 percent over 2016.

Last fall, 11 people were massacred in a Pittsburgh synagogue, the deadliest attack on Jews in the nations history. In the aftermath of that hideous slaughter, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto -- the type of visionary political leader Greater Cleveland can only dream of -- specifically told Trump he wasnt welcome in the city.

Trump traveled to Pittsburgh, anyway.

Mark Pitcavage is the Columbus-based senior research fellow for the ADLs Center on Extremism and a nationally known expert the field.

Pitcavage told me that, in the past three years, the growth of white extremist groups in Ohio has reflected whats happening throughout the country.

He does not mince words in assigning much of the blame for that.

One reason for this is the Trump candidacy and presidency sparked a resurgence of white supremacy and especially caused the rise of the new segment of the white supremacist movement known as the 'alt-right, he said.

And why is that? Because, Pitcavage added, In his [Trumps] words, and in the policies of his administration that theyve enacted or tried to enact, they have certainly been doing things these people approve of. There are people in the movement who say, Donald Trump is not one of us, but hes good for us.

Is he ever! And in return for Trump being good for them, white supremacists have become probably the most loyal members of Trumps base.

Franklin Roosevelt warned Americans about fear.

Trump wields it as his weapon of choice -- fear of outsiders, of black people, brown people, people who look or sound different, people who lack Christian values.

Fear keeps Trumps base in line. When people call him on it, Trump lashes out.

Winston Churchill unknowingly described the man perfectly:

I have often noticed that when political controversy becomes excited, persons of choleric disposition and limited intelligence are apt to become rude.

Rude Trump certainly is, along with racist and repugnant.

On the day this nation honored its military veterans, the draft-dodger-in-chief stood on foreign soil (Japan) and sided with the murderous dictator of North Korea in attacking Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden.

It was just another one of those nauseating, anti-American moments that has come to symbolize this presidency, a moment Trump may come to regret.

Few things make Gov. Mike DeWine, Sen. Rob Portman and some other GOP officeholders more uncomfortable than having to defend Trump.

But as the 2020 campaign unfolds, all of them owe us more than the generic pablum they feed voters when asked why they support this malignant mans re-election.

We need to know why its a good thing to have a president white supremacists are so proud of.

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.
CLEVELAND -- Sunday marked four years since Cleveland officials sat down with U.S. Department of Justice lawyers to ink a settlement agreement, known as a consent decree, committing to make sweeping reforms to the Cleveland Division of Police.

As many Clevelanders know, the agreement came after mass protests, intense media attention over the killing of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams, and a scathing federal investigation. City officials had little choice.

The consent decree will last for at least another year, and likely more  as long as it takes the Cleveland Division of Police to demonstrate to the federal judge that it has been in compliance with the consent decrees requirements for two full years.

Emma Keeshin is the advocacy associate for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.

This final phase of the consent decree is where the rubber meets the road. Its when officers will need to be trained on the policies, follow them during their shifts, and face discipline when they violate them.

But thats not the phase the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is worried about. Because a federal judge, a team of monitors, and Justice Department lawyers are all watching, and have teeth to ensure such change happens. Were concerned about what happens after the consent decree ends.

To be clear, the committed Cleveland citizenry will continue advocating, but without formal avenues for residents to influence police policies and a well-funded, independent city oversight office, Cleveland risks losing the progress it has made.

Now is the time to create an agency of non-officers with the power to monitor the police for decades to come. With its power to pass budgets and legislation, Cleveland City Council must do exactly that. Otherwise, we all just place bets on what the Cleveland Division of Police will do post-consent decree.

The thing is, the ACLU of Ohio is not willing to take that gamble. And City Council shouldnt be either.

No government agency with the amount of power that police have  to detain, to hurt, to kill  should be allowed to police themselves. The risk for abuse of power is just too great. Not to mention, we already took that gamble, and it didnt go so well for us.

In 2004, Cleveland voluntarily entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, which DOJ terminated following a series of policy reforms. But as DOJ noted in its most recent investigation, many of those reforms were either not fully implemented or, if implemented, were not maintained over time. It took only eight years for DOJ to be called in again for the same problems.

Whatever it would cost to robustly fund an independent oversight office is but a fraction of what it would cost for the Cleveland Division of Police to exist without oversight: the millions of dollars in legal expenses for misconduct lawsuits; the pain of losing an officer because of a reckless colleague; the agony of residents who get the call that their best friend or son was killed by police; the time and money of residents who will be in counseling for the rest of their lives to cope with the post-traumatic stress caused by those who were supposed to serve and protect them.

The Office of Professional Standards and Civilian Police Review Board play an important role, although narrow. We hope that, once hired, the Inspector General, who reports to the chief of police, will also play an important role. But they are no substitute for a fully staffed, truly independent office that is also tasked with incorporating community input.

Seventeen years ago, the DOJ investigated the Cleveland Division of Police for the first time. Six years ago, the DOJ investigated the Cleveland police for the second time. Four years ago, Cleveland officials signed the consent decree that followed. Roughly two years from now, the consent decree will lift. When that happens, what mechanisms do we want in place to catch any deficiencies well before they rise to the level of a DOJ investigation?

Cleveland.com has widely covered the scandal at the Cuyahoga County Jail: overcrowding; violent abuse by guards; and too many people stuck there only because they cant afford to post cash bail, while their wealthier counterparts are rightfully allowed to return home while awaiting trial.

The reality is, no one ends up in a jail cell without first being arrested by a police officer. When jails are overcrowded, we must talk about policing, too.

So lets talk about it. Cleveland City Council must solicit deep and authentic feedback from the community and then make a plan for a civilian oversight structure that has the power, independence, funding, and courage to monitor, report on, and make changes to any police practices that fall short of what this community deserves. The time is now.

Emma Keeshin is the advocacy associate for the ACLU of Ohio.

***************

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, & look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com.
RUSSELL TOWNSHIP, Ohio

Fleeing and eluding, Chillicothe Road

Police clocked a silver SUV traveling 112 mph in a 45 mph zone at 10:09 p.m. May 21. The driver sped through a red traffic light at the intersection of Ohio 87 in excess of 100 mph. Two patrol cars attempted to stop it before alerting neighboring communities of South Russell and Bainbridge Township.

Traffic complaint, Braeburn Lane

After being dispatched at 5:12 p.m. May 22 for ATV riders on the street, police advised the drivers to not operate them on public roads.

Fireworks complaint, Fox Hollow Drive

A caller reported unsupervised children setting off fireworks at 5:58 p.m. May 22. An officer responded and spoke with the father, who said he was setting them off with his children. He was told to stop.

Unwanted guest, Cloveridge Road

Officers were dispatched at 1:45 p.m. May 23 for a citizen dispute. The resident did not want a woman on her property. The visitor was there to collect money owed to her. Police advised the visitor to leave and that the money owed was a civil matter.

Drunken driving, various roads

In two separate incidents May 25, drivers were cited for operating vehicles while intoxicated. At 6:30 p.m., a driver was issued three citations -- one for impaired driving, one for not having a seat belt fastened and one for a traffic violation. At 9 p.m., a motorcycle driver on Hemlock Point at Kinsman Road was cited for drunken driving.

Welfare check, Hemlock Point

After a man was video chatting with friends at 3 p.m. May 26 and stating that he was going to kill himself with a firearm, police were sent to his home. He agreed to go in a township squad to the hospital for an evaluation.

Read more news from the Chagrin Solon Sun.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Despite other groups reluctance to commit to Ohio for the 2020 election, one super PAC has listed the Buckeye State as one of its top priorities, including significant funding and staffing resources.

For Our Future, a super PAC affiliated with Democratic megadonor Tom Steyer and labor unions, listed Ohio and six other states as part of its plan to upend Republican President Donald Trump in next years election, including a budget as high as $90 million. That the group listed Ohio as a battleground is notable, with other PACs and observers frequently determining the state is a lost cause for Democrats.

The road to the White House still runs through Ohio, and For Our Future is gearing up for 2020, said Antonia Webb, State Director of For Our Future Ohio. As an organization, we are committed to building a permanent progressive infrastructure in Ohio, as well as mobilizing and empowering people and community organizations to drive change in their communities.

Along with Ohio, For Our Future listed Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Nevada as states that will be primary targets, including 4,000 paid staff.

Republican dominance in recent elections has softened many national Democrats willingness to invest significantly in Ohio. Trump won by more than 8-percentage points in 2016 and even with enthusiasm on their side, Democrats only statewide partisan victory in 2018 was Sen. Sherrod Browns re-election.

In March, Priorities USA, the largest Democratic super PAC in the country, downgraded Ohios importance in favor of states like Arizona and Georgia.

Texas is actually closer to the Democratic side than Ohio, said Priorities USA Chairman Guy Cecil in May, per Talking Points Memos Cameron Joseph.

But For Our Future Ohio spokeswoman Chelsea Kiene said there are plenty of signs Ohio can still be competitive.

For Our Future has been on the ground in Ohio since 2016 and has developed a well-organized progressive infrastructure that will be armed with the resources necessary to win in 2020, Kiene said. Furthermore, regardless of the election, For Our Future is also committed to building permanent progressive infrastructure in Ohio.

Kiene pointed to Trumps frequent visits to the state as well as the super PAC aligned with him  America First Policies  planning a significant investment as proof Republicans arent taking Ohio for granted. Trumps dipping approval ratings since his election combined with several key missteps in recent months could make him vulnerable, like the closure of the General Motors plant in Lordstown after Trump promised jobs would return to the area.

While For Our Futures strategy might seem at odds with the conventional thought of Democrats nationally, the decision comes down to the groups perspective on what the state means electorally.

The PAC was one of the largest Ohio-based independent expenditures in 2018 and has operated here since 2016. While winning Ohio  and the election  is obviously its preference, its strategy is different from a group like Priorities USA, which typically invests in states based on the climate of the current election year. When Priorities USA downgraded the states status, the reasoning was simply a matter of how Democrats get to 270 electoral votes the quickest and Ohio was not part of that plan.

Instead, For Our Future is focusing on creating a long-term organization in the state. Its not an all-or-nothing approach, but rather a concerted effort at keeping Ohio competitive, especially because of its importance to Republicans electoral chances.

At the very worst, investing in Ohio could force Trump and his allies to dedicate resources here that might otherwise be spent elsewhere.

Ohioans are waking up to the presidents phony populism, and his net approval in Ohio has decreased significantly since he took office, Kiene said. Theres a unique opening to continue to drive down Trumps popularity in Ohio as we move closer to 2020.
2017 Chrysler Pacifica BraunAbility is on display at the 109th Annual Chicago Auto Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois on February 9, 2017. Raymond Boyd | Getty Images

Fiat Chrysler's (FCA) proposed 50/50 merger with Renault could pave the way for a long-awaited M&A (merger and acquisition) boom in the sector, analysts have told CNBC. The tie-up looks to strengthen FCA's position in electric vehicle technologies but would also create the third largest global automaker by production, behind Volkswagen and Toyota. It's been lauded by many analysts, including Philippe Houchois, autos equity research analyst at Jefferies, who published in a note that there is nothing to dislike in a proposed merger that offers scope for synergies and restructuring. "(It's) hard to disagree with the logic (of the deal) and with net synergies. We are positive on both shares with proforma combination still at low end of sector," Houchois said. Gaetan Toulemonde, autos equity research analyst at Deutsche Bank, said in a note that it would allow both groups to share platforms and "capture economies of scale at a time when the industry needs to invest massively in CO2 reduction (and) autonomous driving."

The auto industry has long promised consolidation but has never fully delivered on market expectations. Now, under mounting pressure from structural changes including new technologies and stricter emissions standards, we could finally be on the brink of an M&A bonanza in the sector. "There is certainly scope for a lot of co-operation throughout the industry, either through a full merger such as Renault-FCA or just sharing R&D or sourcing," said Anna-Marie Baisden, Head of Autos, Macro Research at Fitch Solutions. And Arndt Ellinghorst, the head of global automotive research at investment banking firm Evercore ISI, told CNBC he "wouldn't rule anything out at this stage as we know from public statements that various players are open to consolidation." Daimler and BMW recently struck an agreement to pool their mobility services to create a new global player providing sustainable urban mobility for customers. They have also joined forces on autonomous driving. If they are forced to compete with another mega automaker in FCA-Renault, Daimler and BMW could perhaps even explore deepening their ties. "The recent FCA-Renault announcement confirms that the auto industry is changing and that cooperation will be one of the keys for future success. We are monitoring the next steps closely and certainly see the possibility that the merger can also create opportunities and potentials," wrote a Daimler spokesperson in an email to CNBC.

Angus Tweedie, auto equity research analyst at Citi agrees that closer collaboration between Daimler and BMW would seem very logical given their similar target markets and therefore commonality of components. Areas of difficulty would be the shareholder structure and there also seems some opposition at both companies from an operational perspective. Like all European deals, headcount reductions would be difficult, Tweedie added. Ford and Volkswagen have already forged a global alliance to develop commercial vans and medium-sized pickups together and have signed a memorandum of understanding to investigate collaboration on autonomous vehicles, mobility services and electric vehicles and have started to explore opportunities. On the prospect of a bigger deal down the line for the two giants, Fitch's Baisden said there was appealing logic. "Their strategies both focus on EVs and autonomy in the medium to long term and so with a challenging market that threatens their income, it would make sense." And don't forget about Peugeot. Multiple reports suggest the French carmaker was interested in doing a deal with Fiat Chrysler. If FCA consummates this deal with Renault, Peugeot will have to look elsewhere for merger opportunities.

Getty Images
Around the world, a host of governments and businesses are looking to reduce their environmental impact by embracing renewable sources of energy.



In the U.S., for instance, the Energy Information Administration expects non-hydroelectric renewables  think wind and solar  will be the "fastest growing source of U.S. electricity generation for at least the next two years."

While this may be beneficial to the planet, it does pose some challenges, not least when it comes to energy storage. This is because while sources such as solar and wind are renewable, they do not promise a constant stream of power.

It's within this context that storage systems are seen as being so important to renewables, as they enable the storage of energy when it's available and then its usage when required.

"To integrate large amounts of renewable energy into the power system two issues need to be solved," Ilka Jahn, a PhD candidate at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology, told CNBC's "Sustainable Energy."

"One is that, usually, the energy is not produced where it's needed, so that's a location problem," she explained. "And the second one is that the energy is being produced at a time when it's not needed, so that's a timing problem."



Jahn added that, to overcome this, two things could be done. "One is to build more transmission capacity, so new power lines." The second solution Jahn proposed was the building of more energy storage. "How you actually do that depends on the specific project and the specific requirements."

On the Swedish island of Gotland, which is home to dozens of wind turbines, researchers from several organizations  including major Swedish utility Vattenfall, Schneider Electric and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology  have worked on a project called Smart Grid Gotland, which wrapped up in 2017.

Among other things, the project aimed to integrate wind and other renewable sources into the network while still ensuring reliability.

To give one example of how innovation was used during the project, households on the island were able to monitor their energy usage 24 hours per day. Using technology, they could adjust their heater's settings so that it switched on when cheap, renewable electricity was available and turned off when prices went up.

"The Gotland project was a very interesting project in that it looked at how to repurpose an existing distribution grid into a smarter grid," Daniel Mansson, an associate professor at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, told CNBC.



According to the ETIP Smart Networks for Energy Transition, which was set up by the European Commission, one result of the Smart Grid Gotland project was that it showed how it was "possible to make better use of renewable energy by incentivizing consumers to lower their energy consumption at times of limited renewable production."



Given that Swedish authorities want 100% renewable electricity production by the year 2040, the results of projects such as Smart Grid Gotland will be watched with a great deal of interest.
Tariffs are bad for the economy but hopefully President Donald Trump can use them as a negotiation tactic in his trade fight to eventually bring tariffs down around the world, economist Art Laffer said Friday on CNBC's "Closing Bell."

"Tariffs are not a good economic solution to anything, honestly," said Laffer, who is expected to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump next month. "Are they a good negotiation policy? That's what we are going to find out. And I believe the president is a great negotiator, and I am very hopeful that it will be very successful in bringing tariffs down across the world."

Laffer is a former economic advisor to Trump and to President Ronald Reagan. He is known for the Laffer Curve, a theory that argues that increasing tax rates beyond a certain point becomes counterproductive for raising tax revenue.

The White House announced earlier Friday that Laffer, co-author of the book "Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Revive Our Economy," will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump on June 19. The administration described Laffer in the announcement as "one of the most influential economists in American history."

The world's two largest economies increased tariffs on one another earlier this month, with the U.S. making the first move by increasing duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese products from 10% to 25%. China announced plans to raise tariff rates on $60 billion in U.S. goods. The tactics amplified a trade fight that has rattled financial markets and threatened to drag on the global economy.

Separately, Trump announced late Thursday that he would implement a 5% tariff on goods from Mexico.

Despite the tariffs, Laffer said Trump is "doing a great job" and the U.S. economy will do well this year and in 2020 due to the president's efforts on deregulation and his 2017 tax cuts.

 CNBC's Matthew Belvedere contributed to this report.
While top business organizations have repeatedly slammed tariffs Trump levied on trading partners such as Mexico, Canada and China, a lawsuit would mark a major escalation in their opposition to White House trade policy.

Business groups more broadly are discussing the possibility of suing the White House, a source told CNBC. A decision on how to proceed is expected by Monday.

The powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce is mulling its legal options in response to the duties, the group's senior vice president of international affairs, John Murphy, told reporters Friday. Murphy said the group has no choice but to look into every option to push back against the tariff policy.

U.S. business groups are considering suing the White House over the Trump administration's new tariffs on Mexican imports.

A White House spokesman said in a statement that Trump is "taking action within his authority to protect our national security."

"Industry should be in communication with their counterparts in Mexico to encourage the Mexican government to work with the administration and stave off the dangerous crisis at our southern border as quickly as possible," the spokesman added.

On Thursday night, the president announced the U.S. would put 5% tariffs on goods from Mexico starting June 10. The Trump administration says it hopes the duties will force America's southern neighbor to curb illegal immigration  though Trump cited manufacturing jobs and trade deficits as motivation for the tariffs in Friday tweets. The White House said the duties would gradually rise to 25% by October 2019.

The surprise announcement Thursday sent U.S. stock markets tumbling Friday. Major U.S. indexes were down 1% in midday trading.

The tariff plan also raised fears about whether the U.S., Mexico and Canada can ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Trump sees the replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement as a top political and economic priority ahead of his 2020 reelection bid.

The duties could damage key U.S. industries such as auto manufacturing, and crucial 2020 electoral states such as Arizona, Michigan and Texas could feel particularly sharp pain from the tariffs.

The Chamber of Commerce's Murphy said the tariffs are a new obstacle for ratification of the USMCA.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.
"Mexico and China compete. When Mexico wins, China loses. When China wins, Mexico loses," Guajardo said on " The Exchange ."

The U.S. and China have been engaged in an escalating trade war. However, it was Mexico in Trump's sights on Thursday night, when he blindsided the U.S.' southern neighbor with the announcement that his administration will impose a 5% duty on all Mexican imports starting June 10. The tariffs will gradually increase to 25% in October, the White House said.

There's no doubt that President Donald Trump 's surprise new tariffs on Mexico are good for China, Jorge Guajardo, former Mexican ambassador to China, told CNBC on Friday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping smiles during the awarding ceremony in the Xingua University on April 26, 2019 in Beijing, China.

Trump said he was imposing the tariffs to stop illegal immigrants from coming through Mexico into the U.S. The announcement came just as the approval process for the new trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada started to get underway.

That's led to concern about the impact of Trump's latest tariffs on trade talks with China.

"How can you trust Trump to honor a deal?" Chris Krueger, Washington strategist at Cowen, said in a note.

Trump's latest move also emboldens Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is the "biggest winner" here, Guajardo said.

Xi has been under pressure because some in his government were accusing him of misjudging the U.S. in trade negotiations, he explained.

Now, "he could have proof to go back to the people of China and say 'China did not make any concessions to the United States and got the same result as Mexico,'" Guajardo said.

"So, without a doubt, yesterday was a great day for China."

Earlier this month, Trump accused Xi of backing out of talks and raised tariffs to 25% from 10% on $200 billion in Chinese goods. China retaliated by boosting duties on $60 billion in U.S. goods.

Since then, the two countries have been lodging trade threats against each other. China has reportedly halted U.S. soy purchases and threatened to cut off its rare earth minerals supply to the U.S. Meanwhile, the U.S. has blacklisted Chinese telecom giant Huawei, making it nearly impossible for the company to service customers.

 CNBC's Yen Nee Lee and Yun Li contributed to this report.
A case of Constellation Brands Inc. Corona beer sits on a shelf in a cooler during a delivery in Ottawa, Illinois, U.S., on Tuesday, April 2, 2019.

Shares of Constellation Brands dropped 5.8% Friday on the back of President Donald Trump's threat to slap tariffs on all Mexican imports.

The drop was the biggest one-day loss since Jan. 9 for the maker of Mexican beers like Corona and Modelo.

On Thursday night, Trump tweeted will impose a 5% tariff on all goods coming from Mexico starting June 10 "until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP."

Tweet

The White House then said in a statement that levies on Mexican imports would increase up to 25% if immigration issues along the U.S.-Mexico border persisted. Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded to the threat in a letter to Trump, saying: "Social problems cannot be resolved with taxes or coercive measures."

Tariffs on Mexican goods would dent Constellation Brands' stock and bottom line. According to Morgan Stanley, about 75% of its beer portfolio is "entirely imported" from Mexico. The bank also notes that a 5% tariffs on Mexican goods would shave off nearly 4% from the company's overall bottom line. A 25% levy, meanwhile, would slash Constellation Brands' profit by 19%.

BMO Capital Markets notes the impact could be bigger. An analyst at the bank estimates Constellation Brands imports 95%-to-98% of its beer from Mexico.

CNBC's Frank Holland contributed to this report.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.
Did you know you can buy diamond rings at Costco? And expensive ones, at that.

The warehouse retailer said during its latest quarter ended May 12 it got a sales boost thanks to a customer purchasing one of its rings for more than $400,000. It didn't say which ring, exactly, but a search on Costco's website reveals only one ring priced in the $400,000 range: A "Round Brilliant 10.03 carat VS1 Clarity, I Color Diamond Platinum Solitaire Ring." Costco's website shows 500 different rings for sale, many costing more than $50,000.

Costco said same-store sales were up 5.6% in the latest quarter, excluding any effects from gasoline prices and currency fluctuations. That was better than the 5.48% growth analysts were expecting, based on Refinitiv data.

Total revenue rose 7.4% to $34.74 billion, topping estimates for $34.71 billion.

But Costco shares were falling about 2% Friday morning, despite the upbeat earnings report, as investors fear the impact additional tariffs might have on its business.

"At the end of the day, prices will go up on things," CFO Richard Galanti told analysts on a post-earnings conference call. "We want to be the last to raise them. And when prices are going down, we want to be the first to lower them."

While people may associate Costco with selling things like bundles of toilet paper and giant boxes of cereal in bulk, its members also have access to other services to book vacations and buy cars. Many shoppers enjoy the treasure hunt experience Costco's stores offer, as eagle-eyed shoppers can often spot miscellaneous items there, which is one way the retailer makes it worth shoppers' while to trek to stores.

In selling diamond jewelry, Costco has promoted its wedding business for several years. Brides on a budget can buy everything from flowers to sheet cakes and invitations there.

Costco declined to comment any further on the ring sale.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC Friday that he believes Boeing's delay in assuaging public concerns following the grounding of the aircraft maker's 737 Max jets made things worse.

"I think that delay caused a lot of concern in the consumers' eyes," Bastian told "Squawk Box" co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin in an interview from Atlanta. "When you have a crisis like this, it's going to be newsworthy. And unfortunately, as I said, since they didn't get out far enough in advance of the story, the story was told about them rather than being able to manage the story."

However, Bastian also praised Boeing as a "great American company" with phenomenal engineering talent, saying he'd fly on a 737 Max. Delta does not have any its fleet.

American, United, and Southwest are the U.S. major airlines that fly 737 Max models. Since the mid-March grounding, carriers have had to cancel and re-book thousands of flights.

Aviation authorities around the world grounded the 737 Max planes following the crash of one of the jet in Ethiopia, which came less than five months apart from a crash in Indonesia. The two tragedies killed a combined 346 people.

After French and Ethiopian authorities said that data extracted from the black boxes showed similarities between the two crashes, Boeing chief Dennis Muilenburg publicly stated the company's "relentless commitment to make safe airplanes even safer." The statement came eight days after the second plane went down.

Boeing has faced criticism over the past few months over its response to public concerns. In March, Argus Research downgraded the plane maker to hold from buy, citing the company's management following the second deadly crash. "Boeing management has not been particularly pro-active in its response, and we think the shares are subject to downward pressure as the investigation plays out in the news."

Last week at a conference, Muilenburg apologized to the victims' families and addressed the public's concerns, as the company is gearing up for a potential August return of the jet.

"We know ... that the public's confidence has been hurt by these accidents and that we have work to do to earn and re-earn the trust of the flying public, and we will do that," Muilenburg said. "We are taking all actions necessary to make sure that accidents like those two ... never happen again."

Investigators believe the jet's MCAS flight control system, which automatically pushes the plane's nose down to prevent a stall, was involved in the two crashes. Boeing has said it completed software changes to the system to make it less powerful but the company has yet to validate it through recertification.
China continued to ramp up the rhetoric against the U.S. on Friday, with a former Chinese central bank chief saying that further escalation in trade tensions between Washington and Beijing could greatly hurt the global economy.

"The consequence of the China-U.S. trade war not only will be reflected in both countries, but will also extend to relevant regions, extend to the whole world," Dai Xianglong, a former governor of the People's Bank of China, said Friday morning at a press event in Beijing hosted by think tank China Center for International Economic Exchanges.

"If the China-U.S. trade war continues to grow larger, it may cause the global economy to decline, and may cause a global financial crisis," he said in Mandarin, according to a CNBC translation.

Retaliatory tariffs from China on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods are set to take effect Saturday, June 1. It comes in response to President Donald Trump's decision to raise duties on $200 billion in Chinese products to 25% from 10%.

The trade dispute between the world's two largest economies has roiled global markets for months with worries about the negative impact on growth. As negotiations took a turn for the worse this month, the fell more than 5%  on track for its first negative month since December. The Shanghai composite has struggled to climb, hovering near 2,900 after breaking above the psychologically key 3,000 level earlier this year.

Dai, who was PBOC governor from 1995 to 2002, said Friday that he expects the Shanghai composite will rise steadily above the 3,000 level, helped by China's coming market reforms. The index traded mildly lower, near 2,898, on Friday afternoon.

The former central bank chief also attributed recent weakness in the yuan to the market's reaction to trade tensions, while noting that Beijing would not devalue the currency in response. He said that fundamentals, such as economic growth and foreign exchange reserves, support a stable yuan.
Johnson & Johnson was ordered Friday to pay $300 million in punitive damages to a woman who blamed her rare asbestos-related cancer on the company's talc-based products, the company confirmed Friday.

Friday's decision brings the total award in the case to $325 million. The New York state jury earlier this month awarded $25 million to the woman, Donna Olson, 66, and her husband in compensatory damages. That same day jurors in a similar case in South Carolina cleared the company of liability.

"With this verdict, yet another jury has rejected J&J's misleading claims that its talc was free of asbestos," said Jerome Block, the lead trial attorney in the New York case. "The internal J&J documents that the jury saw, once more laid bare the shocking truth of decades of cover-up, deception and concealment by J&J of the asbestos found in talc baby powder."

J&J faces more than 13,000 talc-related lawsuits. The consumer products company, which makes everything from Tylenol to Aveeno lotions, denies allegations that its talc causes cancer. It said numerous studies and tests by regulators worldwide have shown that its talc is safe and asbestos-free.

"This trial suffered significant legal and evidentiary errors which Johnson & Johnson believes will warrant a reversal on appeal," J&J said in a statement to CNBC. "Decades of tests by independent experts and academic institutions repeatedly confirm that Johnson's Baby Powder does not contain asbestos or cause cancer."

"Of all the verdicts against Johnson & Johnson that have been through the appellate process, every one has been overturned," the company added.

J&J relaunched its iconic namesake baby product line last summer to reverse a decline in J&J's baby care unit. While trusted for decades, the 124-year-old brand had fallen out of touch with consumers, namely millennial moms, who opted instead for cleaner, natural products from trendy upstart brands.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
US President Donald Trump walking with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a break in talks at the second US-North Korea summit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel in Hanoi on February 28, 2019.

North Korea executed its nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of officials who steered negotiations for a failed summit between leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper said on Friday.

Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang, along with four foreign ministry officials after they were charged with spying for the United States, the Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the situation.

"He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping U.S. intentions," the source was quoted as saying.

The February summit in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, the second between Kim and Trump, failed to reach a deal because of conflicts over U.S. calls for complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and North Korean demands for sanctions relief.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the report. Previously, North Korean officials have been executed or purged only to reappear with a new title, according to media reports.

A spokeswoman at South Korea's Unification Ministry declined to comment. An official at the presidential Blue House in Seoul said it was inappropriate to comment on an unverified report.

The United States is attempting to check on the reports of the envoy's execution, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his visit to Berlin on Friday

When asked about reports of a "shakeup" of Kim Jong Un's negotiating team in a May 5 interview with ABC News, Pompeo said it did appear that his future counterpart would be somebody else "but we don't know that for sure."

A diplomatic source told Reuters there were signs Kim Hyok Chol and other officials were punished, but there was no evidence they were executed and they may have been sent to a labour camp for re-education.

The newspaper reported that other officials had been punished, but not executed.

Kim Yong Chol, Kim Jong Un's right-hand man and the counterpart to Pompeo before the Hanoi summit, had been sent to a labour and reeducation camp in Jagang Province near the Chinese border, the Chosun Ilbo reported.

Officials who worked with Kim Yong Chol have been out of the public eye since the summit, while seasoned diplomats who appeared to have been sidelined, including vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui, were seen returning to the spotlight.

A South Korean lawmaker told Reuters in April that Kim Yong Chol had been removed from a key party post.
Ivy League institutions like Harvard, Yale and Princeton come with prestige  but they also come with a hefty sticker price.

At Yale, tuition alone for the 2019-2020 school year is $55,500. After tacking on expenses like room and board, it costs nearly $76,000 to attend. That's before factoring in any grants, scholarships or financial aid that students may receive.

If attending a "big name" school means you're going to wind up with a lot of student loan debt, it may not be worth it, says self-made billionaire Mark Cuban: "There isn't a lot of value add from big name schools for freshman or sophomore classes, particularly when a motivated student can augment their studies with free online courses from the big names," he tweeted this week.

tweet

At the end of the day, whether you're considering an Ivy or not, "the most important criteria when choosing a college is affordability," the tech entrepreneur said. "Go to a school you can afford. A community college that offers transferable credits is always smart."

Cuban, now 60, started college at the University of Pittsburgh but transferred to Indiana University after his freshman year. He picked IU's Kelley School of Business without ever seeing the campus because it had the cheapest tuition among the top 10 business programs at the time, according to the school's website.

At Indiana, he worked various jobs, from giving dance lessons to hosting disco parties, to help pay for his tuition.
President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House, December 13, 2018. Jim Young | Reuters

President Donald Trump's bombastic rhetoric and surprise policy tweets are often greeted with skepticism. But he has repeatedly shown that even some of his most controversial threats are more than mere bargaining chips or bluster. Trump's most recent demand is that Mexico "STOP" the flow of illegal migrants into the U.S.  or face a 5% tariff on all goods coming into the country. TRUMP TWEET On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,.. A White House statement expanded on the president's announcement, saying that unless Mexico "substantially stops" the number of illegal entrants across the southern border the tariffs will grow steadily more severe, to as high as 25% by October. The reactions from experts and lawmakers broadly ranged from concern to cautious skepticism. Some suggested that Trump was simply using the threat of tariffs as a bargaining chip. But he has a track record of following through on his intentions  including his attempt to repeal Obamacare, which came one Senate vote short, or his decision earlier this month to hike tariffs on Chinese goods.

Although stocks sank Friday morning after the Mexico tariff announcement, J.P. Morgan analyst Nur Cristiani cautioned in a strategist note not to "press the panic button ... just yet." A New York Times economic correspondent tweeted that "Mexico has every incentive to call Trump's bluff on this." IRWIN TWEET Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Politico earlier this month that Trump merely "believes in tariffs as a tool to get a negotiation as opposed to being an end in themselves." To be sure, Trump has declined to act on some hard-line positions. He signed an omnibus spending bill in March 2018 that he had threatened to veto, saying it was "a matter of national security" while complaining that it was a "ridiculous situation." He had threatened to close "large sections" of the border, or even the entire border, unless Mexico stopped "ALL illegal immigration." That never happened. But as Trump's best-selling "The Art of the Deal" says, "If you don't deliver the goods, people will eventually catch on." And Trump has, indeed, followed through on many threats that were initially deemed extreme or impractical by his critics.

Tariff man

For instance, Trump has long held, and has freely expressed, protectionist views on trade. As president, he has described himself as a "tariff man," proclaimed that "tariffs are the greatest!" and called trade wars "good, and easy to win." His administration has imposed tariffs on neighboring allies Canada and Mexico. It is also locked in an intensifying trade dispute with China, in which both countries have slapped duties on hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of each other's goods. Despite the prior insistence from top White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow that Trump wants "free and open trade," The New York Times reported in May that, "Beyond an update to the United States agreement with South Korea, no other free trade deals have been finalized." The American Enterprise Institute's economic policy studies director, Michael Strain, told the Times that the more accurate explanation would be to take the president at his word that he is, indeed, a protectionist. Trump's threat to Mexico, which could jeopardize the trilateral free-trade deal to replace NAFTA, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA, is only the latest example.

AT&T and Time Warner

It goes beyond trade. As a presidential candidate, Trump vowed to block a pending merger deal between AT&T and Time Warner. But it wasn't clear to experts if Trump would follow through on that promise once he took office. "It's impossible to know at this point how real his populist rhetoric is going to be in terms of policy," said Public Knowledge's Senior Vice President Harold Feld in an Ars Technica interview at the time. But the Trump administration did fight to prevent AT&T's $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, kicking off a lengthy court fight that only ended in February after the Justice Department said it would not seek further appeals to block the merger. Democrats have requested documents that could show whether Trump sought to intervene in the government's review of the merger. The White House denied that request in April.

The wall and the border
President Donald Trump's threatened tariffs on Mexican imports could mean trouble for a revamped North American trade deal, Mexican trade official Guillermo Malpica told CNBC on Friday.

"This could be extremely problematic for USMCA if the tariff goes into effect," Malpica said, referring to the pact, which is known as the United States Mexico Canada Agreement. "Mexico still has to ratify this deal, too."

The legislatures of all three countries must approve the deal, which was struck by Trump and his counterparts in Canada and Mexico. The deal, an enhancement of the existing North American Free Trade Agreement, was already running into bipartisan resistance in the U.S. Congress.

Malpica, however, cautioned that Mexico won't retaliate against Trump's tariffs until the threat seems more serious.

Trump's announcement late Thursday of a 5% tariff on goods from Mexico is "so far only an announcement," said Malpica, head of the Trade & NAFTA Office. "We have to wait and see what the complete notification procedure from the U.S. to Mexico [is], and then assess how that would impact our commitments with the U.S."

Trump said late Thursday the tariffs on Mexico would be implemented beginning June 10. The Trump administration says it hopes the duties will force Mexico to curb illegal immigration  though Trump cited manufacturing jobs and trade deficits as motivation for the tariffs in Friday tweets. The White House said the duties would gradually rise to 25% by October 2019.

Malpica said it "is not a good idea to mix immigration and trade. ... We will continue our dialog with the United States on two separate tracks. Immigration and trade will be separate."

The move came as the U.S. and China attempt to strike a trade deal. The world's two largest economies increased tariffs on one another this month, with the U.S. making the first move by increasing duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese products from 10% to 25%. China announced plans to raise tariff rates on $60 billion in U.S. goods.

The Mexico tariffs may further undermine the chance of a trade resolution with China.

Malpica, speaking in an interview on CNBC's "Closing Bell," said Mexico officials were "disappointed" with the White House's announcement but that it didn't necessarily affect ongoing trade discussions. Mexico has also had "initial discussions" with trading partner Canada, Malpica said. "For them, it's also important to have a ratification soon."

"We try to separate the public discourse from the technical discussions [and] serious engagement among our parties," he added.

"Legally we are approaching this through the lens of NAFTA and [the World Trade Organization], and while we hope for a conciliatory resolution, there are going to be consequences under our legal trade rights," Malpica said. "According to the rules of international trade, we have the right [to] impose countermeasures."

 CNBC's Lori Ann LaRocco contributed to this story.
The outside of the Planned Parenthood Reproductive Health Services Center is seen in St. Louis, Missouri, May 30, 2019, the last location in the state performing abortions.

A Missouri judge on Friday issued an order that will keep the state's last abortion clinic from closing at midnight after Planned Parenthood warned Missouri was at risk of becoming the first state in nearly 50 years to lack an abortion provider.

The order from Missouri Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer, granting the clinic a temporary restraining order, ensures the clinic can remain open until at least Tuesday.

It comes amid a national battle over reproductive rights. A number of conservative legislatures, including Missouri's, have raced in recent weeks to pass restrictive abortion laws, sparking nationwide protests.

The legal matter addressed Friday, however, was not related to those laws, which have largely concerned how late in a pregnancy an abortion may be sought. Rather, the temporary order was connected to a dispute over the clinic's compliance with state health regulations.

The clinic, Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, was scheduled to lose its license at midnight.

Stelzer wrote that the clinic "demonstrated that immediate and irreparable injury will result if [its] license is allowed to expire."

No state has lacked a lawful abortion provider since 1974, the year after the Supreme Court decided the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, which outlawed state abortion bans.

The judge ordered that the license "shall not expire and shall remain in effect" until a later ruling on the matter and scheduled a hearing for Tuesday morning.

"This is a huge sigh of relief for the many patients who need access to safe, legal abortion in Missouri," Colleen McNicholas, an OB-GYN affiliated with the clinic, said in a statement. "The fight goes on. While temporary, we celebrate today, and tomorrow we go back to work to ensure access to abortion does not go dark at the last health center that provides abortion in Missouri."

The order comes as part of a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood against Missouri's health regulator, which inspected the facility in March. The Department of Health and Senior Services said it notified Planned Parenthood in early April that it was concerned about potential violations of state law. The clinic filed an application to renew its license May 16.

The department wrote in a release on Wednesday in response to Planned Parenthood's lawsuit that its concerns were related to one case in which "patient safety was gravely compromised." The department also noted concerns about "failed surgical abortions," "concerns about quality control and communication with a contracted pathology lab," and "failure to obtain informed consent."

The state has said that the clinic failed to comply, until recently, with regulations requiring pelvic exams and a law that requires the physician who does counseling prior to the abortion to also perform the abortion.

The regulator said it cannot renew the clinic's license until it interviews physicians who work at the clinic. Several of those doctors have refused to comply with interview requests, it said.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, said at a news conference this week that it would be "reckless" for a judge to permit the clinic to continue to provide abortions while its license remains under review.

"If you don't provide a standard of care that ensures the safety of women, you shouldn't be allowed to operate. It's that simple," he said.

Leana Wen, president of Planned Parenthood, has said the clinic complies with state laws and regulations and accused Missouri of imposing unnecessary hurdles to receiving abortions.

"Over the last 10 years the state of Missouri has imposed regulation upon regulation that has no basis in medicine," Wen, who is a physician, told CBS. "We've complied with all of them because we want to keep our health center open. These are things like making our hallways extra wide, forcing women to wait 72 hours  even having unnecessary, invasive pelvic exams."

In a statement issued Friday, Wen declared "victory for women across Missouri" but cautioned that "this fight is far from over."

"We have seen just how vulnerable access to abortion care is hereand in the rest of the country. We are glad that the governor has been prevented from putting women's health and lives in dangerfor nowand call on him to stop this egregious politicalization of public health in an attempt to ban all safe, legal abortion care in the state," Wen said.

Read the full order:
President Donald Trump's Treasury secretary and top trade advisor opposed his surprise plan to impose new tariffs on Mexican imports, according to a source close to the White House who said the idea was pushed by immigration hawk Stephen Miller.

The announcement came as Trump was "riled up" by conservative radio commentary about the recent surge in border crossings, according to the source.

Trump made the announcement Thursday night on Twitter. He said he will impose 5% tariffs on all Mexican imports starting June 10 and escalate them to 25% "until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP."

Anticipation that the tariffs combined with an escalating U.S.-China trade war could cool global growth sent equities sharply lower Friday, with the major U.S. indexes off by 1% in afternoon trading.

The opposition by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer marked a rare moment of unity from two top administration officials with starkly different economic ideologies.

Miller's role was confirmed by the source close to the White House and a person briefed on the matter.

Trump's move was announced as the administration's most prominent free-trade advocates  including economic aide Larry Kudlow and Vice President Mike Pence  were not around to argue against it. Pence was in Canada on Thursday. Kudlow, a former CNBC contributor, was undergoing surgery for a hip replacement, according to three sources.

Lighthizer's opposition to the tariffs was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal.

"Lighthizer is not happy," an unnamed administration official told the paper.

A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Jeff Emerson, a USTR spokesperson, said Lighthizer supports Trump's strategy.

Peter Navarro, a White House economic advisor, told CNBC earlier Friday that Trump's threat of new tariffs came in response to Mexico's "export" of "illegal aliens."

"Look at what we are trying to do. This is actually a brilliant move by the president to get Mexico's attention, to get them to help us, because so far they have just been standing by," Navarro said.
President Donald Trump speaks during the ceremony to present the Commander in Chief's Trophy during a White House event with the Army Black Knights in the Rose Garden.

The CNBC All-America Economic Survey finds either majorities or pluralities of the public say they don't care for tariffs against China, don't approve of Trump's handling of the Chinese trade negotiations and don't even care if a product is made in China. Most say they don't even see China as an economic threat.

"The notion that China is this massive economic monster that the U.S. has to contend with has clearly not permeated the public the way the Trump administration wants it to or thinks it has," said Hart Research Associates' Jay Campbell, Democratic pollster for the survey.

The survey finds Trump's trade policies have not cost him much in the way of support. It shows 40% of the public approves of the job the president is doing overall, with 50% disapproving, mostly unchanged from the March survey. The quarterly survey of 800 Americans nationwide has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The survey took place between May 22 and May 26, before Trump threatened to slap tariffs on Mexican imports.

Meanwhile 48% of the public approves of the job Trump is doing handling the economy, with 43% disapproving, largely unchanged from last quarter. But that's not the case for views on how the president handles trade negotiations with other countries, where 37% approve, 43% disapprove and 16% offer no opinion.

The numbers are worse for the president's border security and immigration policies, with 37% approving and 50% disapproving. They are about as bad again for Trump's handling of the U.S. relationship with China, with just 32% approving and 45% disapproving.

The Republican pollster for the survey, Micah Roberts of Public Opinion Strategies, says the data shows strong GOP support for the president overall and on the economy. But that support falls off by 20 to 30 percentage points on most of the president's trade policies, Roberts said.

Despite all the anti-China rhetoric from the administration, and retaliatory Chinese tariffs, just 34% say they are less likely to buy a product if it has a "Made in China" label. In 2007, when CNBC first asked the question, 52% cared. Now 57% say they don't care, up from 39% who said they didn't care in 2007.

Meanwhile, just 32% see China as an economic threat, up a bit from 25% in June, but down substantially from 49% in March 2016.

Negative views on trade take place against upbeat views on the economy. A 52% majority of Americans think the job market is better than it was two years ago, and a 39% plurality believe the housing market in their area has improved. A post-recession record 47% believe their wages will rise in the next year.

Stock market optimism among those surveyed has recovered but has yet to rise to the lofty levels of last fall. According to the survey, 41% of the public say now is a good time to invest, compared with 32% who say it's a bad time. The 9-point difference contrasts with a 26-point edge for optimism in October and a 17-point edge during most of the Trump administration.
Martin Shkreli, former chief executive officer of Turing Pharmaceuticals AG, arrives at federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York, on Monday, July 31, 2017.



Notorious "pharma bro" Martin Shkreli on Friday sued two directors and the ex-general counsel of his former biopharmaceutical company Retrophin, accusing them of using fraud to oust him as head of the firm in 2014.

Shkreli's lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Manhattan, is seeking damages of more than $30 million.

It was lodged within days of the 36-year-old Shkreli being transferred to a new prison in Pennsylvania, where he will continue serving a seven-year sentence for securities fraud related to his two defunct hedge funds and to Retrophin, which he founded after the funds financially collapsed.

The named defendants in the case are Retrophin's chairman of the board of directors, Gary Lyons, former company CEO Stephen Aselage, who currently is a director, and the firm's former top lawyer, Margaret Valeur-Jensen.

"After starting a biopharmaceutical company from scratch and turning it into a successful enterprise worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Mr. Shkreli was unceremoniously and illegally ousted from the company at the hands of Defendants," the suit claims.

"Defendants, who had little to do with the success of the company but were instead driven by their egos, jealousy, and greed, were successful in only one thing: creating and carrying out a scheme to oust Mr. Shkreli from the company for their selfish benefit," the suit says.

"Indeed, the only people who benefitted from Mr. Shkreli's ouster were the three Defendants and a few other people they recruited."

Shkreli's lawyer in the case, Edward Kang of Philadelphia, declined to comment when contacted by CNBC.

A spokesman for Retrophin declined to comment.

Valeur-Jensen did not immediately return a request for comment sent to her via her LinkedIn account.

Shkreli gained national infamy in 2015 after the company he founded after his ouster from Retrophin  Turing Pharmaceuticals  hiked the price of its drug Daraprim by more than 5,000%.

The medication is used to treat a parasitic infection found in pregnant women, babies and HIV patients. Turing is now known as Phoenixus AG.

In August 2017, a jury convicted Shkreli of three of eight criminal counts related to his hedge funds and to Retrophin. His $5 million release bond was revoked a month later after his trial judge ruled him to be a danger because of his offer, to his Facebook followers, of a $5,000 bounty for samples of Hillary Clinton's hair.

Since last year, he had been serving his criminal sentence in a low-security prison in Fort Dix, New Jersey.

But two months ago he was transferred to a federal jail in Brooklyn, New York, after The Wall Street Journal reported in March that he was still helping to "call the shots" at Phoenixus with the help of a contraband cellphone at Fort Dix.

This week, Shkreli was transferred to another low-security prison, in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, according to the Bureau of Prisons website.
Federal prosecutors, citing an ongoing criminal probe into manipulation of precious metals markets, on Friday were granted an additional five-month postponement of proceedings in one of two civil lawsuits that accuse J.P. Morgan Chase of such misconduct.

The cases pending in federal court in New York City were already on hold until May 31. Prosecutors had warned judges earlier this year that allowing the cases to go forward, which would include depositions of witnesses, would interfere with their investigation of alleged market manipulation by precious metals traders at the nation's largest bank. In its latest request for further delay in both cases, the U.S. Justice Department said that prosecutors have been "diligently" pursuing their probe since the original postponements were previously put in place.

On Friday, the judge overseeing a proposed class action, John Koeltl, granted the request to pause proceedings through Oct. 31. The judge overseeing the other suit, Paul Engelmayer, has not responded yet to the prosecutors' request for a similar delay in that case.

The criminal investigation is related to conduct already admitted to by former J.P. Morgan trader John Edmonds.

The 37-year-old Manhattan resident pleaded guilty in Connecticut federal court in October to working with other "unnamed co-conspirators" to manipulate the prices of gold, silver, platinum and palladium futures contracts over a seven-year span while employed at the bank.

Edmonds said in his guilty plea that he learned how to make bogus trade orders from senior traders at the bank  and that he used the strategy hundreds of times with the knowledge and consent of supervisors. That strategy, known as spoofing, involved placing orders in the precious metals futures market to distort the prices while actually never intending to execute the transaction.

Edmonds's sentencing was recently postponed for a second time to December, suggesting he is continuing to cooperate with prosecutors.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese automaker BYD has recently disclosed a set of teaser photos of the all-new BYD Qin sedan, which is said to sit below the Qin Pro. According to local media outlets, the all-new model is ready to hit the market in 2019 and is in all likelihood priced from around RMB60,000.

The all-new Qin maintains BYD family's iconic Dragon Face design language, while some nuances still could be found above the grillea slender silver trim is seamlessly flanked by matrix LED headlights, visually widening the front face. Air inlet openings are next to the bumper.

(All-new Audi A6L, photo source: FAW-Volkswagen)



At the rear end, the design in which a silver trim connects LED taillights is in tune with that of the front face. It is worth mentioning that its taillight cluster and flank indicators look somewhat similar to the Audi A6L.

The record from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that the all-new BYD Qin measures 4,675mm long, 1,770mm wide and 1,480mm/1,500mm long, which is a bit smaller than the existing model's size, while the wheelbase length (2,670mm) remains unchanged.

Under the hood, the all-new model is offered in two types of powertraininternal combustion engine or all-electric system. Fuel-burning version is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine that pumps out 80kW and 145Nm of peak torque. The pure electric version carries a 100kW electric motor that enables a top speed of 130km/h.
Saudi Arabia's king told an emergency Arab summit on Thursday that decisive action was needed to stop Iranian "escalations" in the region following attacks on Gulf oil assets, as American officials said a U.S. military deployment had deterred Tehran.

A Gulf Arab statement and a separate communique issued after the wider summit both supported the right of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to defend their interests after the attacks on oil pumping stations in the kingdom and tankers off the UAE.

But in a sign of regional tensions, Iraq, which has good ties with neighboring Iran and Washington, said it objected to the Arab communique, which stated that any cooperation with Tehran should be based on "non-interference in other countries".

"The absence of a firm deterrent stance against Iranian behavior is what led to the escalation we see today," King Salman told the two late night consecutive meetings.

The ruler of the world's top crude exporter said Shi'ite Iran's development of nuclear and missile capabilities and its threatening of world oil supplies posed a risk to regional and global security.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that the attacks on the four vessels near a major bunkering hub, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, were "efforts by Iranians to raise the price of crude oil around the world."

Riyadh accused Tehran of ordering the drone strikes, which were claimed by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Thursday that evidence of Iran's being behind the tanker attacks would be presented to the U.N. Security Council as early as next week.

Tehran denies any involvement.

Iraqi President Barham Salih, asking the gathering to support his country's stability, said that rising tensions with Iran could spark a war if not managed well and voiced hope that Iran's security would not be targeted.

Both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have said they do not want war.
Shares of Asian automakers dropped on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced fresh tariffs on Mexico.

By the trading day's end in Tokyo, shares of Nissan dropped 5.31%, while Toyota declined 2.85% and Mazda plunged 7.13%.

Similar losses were seen over in South Korea, where Kia Motors saw its stock fall 4.49%.

The moves came after Trump announced in a Twitter post on Thursday night stateside that the U.S. plans to impose a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports from June 10, until "the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied." The White House added in a statement that the tariffs could be increased if the immigration issue continues.

Mexico is used as a production base by many Japanese automakers. They manufacture vehicles such as cars and trucks in the North American nation for export, according to data from Mexico's auto industry association AMIA.

One analyst told CNBC that the "mostly likely response" by the automakers was to pass on the additional cost imposed by tariffs to consumers.

"President Trump needs to recognize it's not the Mexicans that are paying the tariffs," said Janet Lewis, head of Asia industrials research at Macquarie Capital Securities.

Lewis added that the sell-off seen in the shares of Asian automakers was not just related to the latest announcement of U.S. tariffs on Mexico, with some of the companies actually "not exposed" in a meaningful manner.

To illustrate her point, she cited the example of Mitsubishi Motor. The company's stock slipped 3.94% on the day, even though it "doesn't produce anything" in Mexico.

Instead, she said, there was sense of general unease surrounding the global trade landscape as investors considered the repercussions of a protectionist U.S. on the global economy.

Asked about where the greatest impact would likely be felt, Lewis said "the risk is greatest on supply chain more than the trade in completely built units coming across the border" due to the "extremely integrated" nature of North America's auto industry.

Up to now, investment decisions in parts were made without consideration for whether they were made in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, she said.

The latest moves by the Trump administration come on the back of a recent announcement that it will delay tariffs on cars and auto part imports for up to six months as it seeks to strike trade deals with the European Union and Japan.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made a direct appeal to the U.S. and China to "work together" and "reconcile each other's interests" on Friday.

Tensions between the U.S. and China  the world's two largest economies  have escalated in recent weeks. High-level negotiations for a trade deal stalled, and conflict between the two countries have increasingly turned toward technology centering on Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Speaking at the annual defense summit Shangri-La Dialogue, Lee said  according to a prepared speech  the world has to adjust to China's growing role on the international stage. The U.S., as the preeminent power, "has the most difficult adjustment to make," he added.

"But however difficult the task, it is well worth the U.S. forging a new understanding that will integrate China's aspirations within the current system of rules and norms," said Lee.

"The bottom line is that the U.S. and China need to work together, and with other countries too, to bring the global system up to date, and to not upend the system. To succeed in this, each must understand the other's point of view, and reconcile each other's interests," the prime minister said.

The three-day summit in Singapore gathers defense leaders around the world including U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and China's Minister of National Defense and State Councilor Wei Fenghe.
You don't need a million dollars to live a luxurious retirement if you're willing to leave the United States.

"Most people assume that a high-flying existence like that is the purview of the rich and famous alone," said Jennifer Stevens, the executive editor of International Living.

They're wrong, Stevens said.

The website for expatriates is out with a list of "5 Places to Live Like the Rich and FamousWithout their Bank Balance." Around 680,000 Americans currently receive their Social Security checks at a foreign addresses, yet the number of retirees abroad is likely higher since many people keep their U.S. bank account.

The average monthly Social Security check is $1,404, and more than 40 percent of single adults receive more than 90 percent of their income from that check, according to the government.

Here are the five destinations.
When Sonia Cheng became chief executive of Hong Kong-based Rosewood Hotel Group, she had a particular type of traveler in mind: herself.

Cheng was 30 at the time when one of her family's businesses, New World Hospitality Group, bought Rosewood from its Texan owner for $229.5 million in 2011, and appointed her CEO. She wanted to turn it into a brand that would appeal to affluent younger consumers. Having grown up in her family's hotel business  the Chengs are worth an estimated $22.5 billion, according to Forbes  she had traveled a lot and started her career as an investment banker in New York and Hong Kong.

"When I look at Rosewood, I see myself as a target customer. So, that makes it quite easy to kind of craft the experiences, because I would be looking at the lens of the millennial travelers," she told CNBC's "The Brave Ones."

When Rosewood took over management of the historic Hotel de Crillon in Paris in 2013, it spent four years renovating it, turning its Michelin-starred Les Ambassadeurs restaurant into a bar. At Rosewood Beijing, Cheng opened a Chinese hot pot restaurant, giving a traditional dish a high-end twist, aiming to "draw the crowd to the destination," she said.
South Korea readied on Friday to prevent an outbreak of African swine fever in its pig herd after the disease was found in North Korea, the latest Asian country to be hit by the virus' rapid spread.

The outbreak was confirmed at a farm in Jagang province in North Korea near the country's border with China on May 25, South Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement. More than 20 hogs were culled and more than 70 pigs died from the virus, the ministry said.

The highly contagious disease, which is fatal to pigs but does not affect humans, has spread rapidly across China since it was first detected in the country last August and has also been reported in Vietnam. There is no vaccine against it.

The South Korean government held a meeting on Friday to discuss ways to prevent the spread of the virus. Measures will include stepping up disinfection near the border areas between the two Koreas, the ministry said.

"Although the outbreak occurred in Jagang near North Korea's border with China, there is a possibility that the virus could spread to the South and we plan to carry out extra disinfection measures," Oh Soon-min, director general of the agriculture ministry said at a press briefing.
Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:

Big Lots  The discount retailer reported adjusted quarterly earnings of 92 cents per share, compared to a consensus estimate of 70 cents a share. Revenue was slightly above forecasts, although comparable-store sales were up a less-than-expected 1.5%. Big Lots also raised its full-year profit forecast.

Genesco  The apparel and accessories retailer earned an adjusted 33 cents per share for its latest quarter, well above the consensus estimate of 4 cents a share. Revenue beat forecasts as well, and a comparable-store sales increase of 5% beat the 0.6% consensus of analysts polled by Refinitiv.

Ford Motor, General Motors  These and other auto stocks are falling this morning following President Donald Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexican imports. GM is the largest automaker in Mexico with 14 plants, among the companies taking advantage of proximity to the U.S. border and lower labor costs.

Uber Technologies  Uber posted a loss of $1.01 billion in its first quarter as a public company, matching Wall Street's forecasts. Revenue was slightly above expectations and up 20% over a year earlier.

Gap Inc.  Gap earned an adjusted 24 cents per share for its latest quarter, 8 cents a share below consensus forecasts. The apparel retailer's revenue was also below forecasts, and a same store sales decline of 4% was larger than the 1.2% drop that analysts had been expecting. The same-store sales decline was most prominent at the Gap flagship brand.

Costco  Costco beat estimates by 7 cents a share, with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.89 per share. The warehouse retailer's revenue was also above forecasts. Comparable-store sales rose 5.5%, just under the consensus forecast for a 5.6% increase.

Ulta Beauty  Ulta reported quarterly profit of $3.26 per share, compared to a consensus estimate of $3.07 a share. The cosmetics retailer's revenue was slightly below forecasts, with comparable-store sales in line with estimates. Ulta also raised its full-year guidance.

Williams-Sonoma  Williams-Sonoma came in 12 cents a share above estimates, with quarterly earnings of 81 cents per share. The housewares retailer's revenue matched Street forecasts. Comparable-store sales were up 3.5%, more than double the 1.7% consensus estimate. Williams-Sonoma also raised its full-year earnings outlook.

Dell Technologies  Dell reported adjusted quarterly earnings of $1.45 per share, 24 cents a share above estimates. The computer maker's revenue came in below forecasts on slowing demand in China.

Amazon.com  Amazon is interested in buying Boost Mobile from T-Mobile US and Sprint, according to Reuters. T-Mobile and Sprint are planning to sell the prepaid mobile brand in order to get their planned merger approved by regulators.

Okta  Okta reported an adjusted quarterly loss of 19 cents per share, 2 cents a share smaller than Wall Street had expected. The maker of identity management software also saw better-than-expected revenue during the quarter, as subscription revenue grew 52% compared to a year earlier.

Kraft Heinz  Piper Jaffray upgraded the food maker's stock to "neutral" from "underweight," saying caution about the company's outlook is reflected in its current valuation. The stock has lost more than half its value over the past year.
President Donald Trump's surprise vow to slap new tariffs on Mexican goods has an unintended consequence: it further undermines the chance of a trade resolution with China.

The U.S. is set to impose a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports from June 10, Trump first announced in a Twitter post Thursday night. The move came as a shock as the White House just took a formal step to kick-start approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Trump's 180-degree turn on one of the largest U.S. trading partners is sending a ominous message to the international community that he can't be trusted, Wall Street policy analysts said, adding that China, already skeptical of Trump's reliability, is now less likely to sign a trade deal with him.

"We view this action as further deteriorating the U.S.-China trade fight. Chinese officials have stated their concern about the reliability of President Trump as a trading partner. These tariffs were announced the same day as significant advancement of the USMCA. If China does not believe a deal will stick, why negotiate?" said Ed Mills, public policy analyst at Raymond James, in a note.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Trump are set to meet at the G-20 summit in Japan next month, but the Mexican tariffs put into further doubt that a "substantive" meeting is possible, Mills added.

"Trump's readiness to hit a trading partner with new tariff threats soon after striking a trade deal will make China still more cautious about signing up to a deal that Trump then reneges upon, humiliating its leadership," Krishna Guha, policy strategy analyst at Evercore, said in a note. "Beijing will remain open to talking, but this cannot help prospects for an early breakthrough at G20."

U.S. stocks plunged on the new tariff threat and Chinese equities were hit overnight as well.

"How can you trust Trump to honor a deal?" Chris Krueger, Washington strategist at Cowen said in a note. "Mexico submitted USMCA this week for ratification...Trump's signature trade achievement was moving downfield...and he just threatened Mexico ... with unilateral tariffs on ALL Mexican goods exports to the U.S."

The U.S. and China have made tit-for-tat trade threats after negotiations fell through earlier this month. China reportedly stopped purchases of U.S. soybeans and threatened to cut off its rare earth supply to the U.S., while the U.S. blacklisted Chinese telecom giant Huawei, halting its ability to purchase American chips.

China said Friday that it will establish a list of unreliable entities of foreign companies and people that "seriously damage" the interests of domestic firms.

The heightened trade tensions rattled the stock market this month, with all major indexes posting their first negative month of 2019. The has fallen more than 6% in May, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost more than 1,200 points.
If you're looking to spend $1.9 million on a new vehicle, an Italian armored car based on a Ford F-550 chassis is probably not on your radar. Karlmann is trying to change that.

Reclining alligator skin back seats on the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

The company operates from Los Angeles, has a factory in Italy and is largely financed by Beijing-based International Automotive Technologies. Its first product, the Karlmann King, is a massive rolling lounge complete with recliners, a coffee maker, champagne flutes, a massive TV and a price tag that makes it the world's most expensive SUV.

The exterior door hatch on the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Karlmann King to debut at the New York Auto Show. Source: Karlmann King

On top of the stratospheric starting price, buyers can customize the King to their liking. Alligator-skin seats, real gold trim and specialty upholstery are all available for a price. Michael Nothdurft, Karlman's sales director, says a client in Africa ordered a Karlman King with a $3.5 million price tag.

View of the interior dash on the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

One big part of that additional cost: bulletproofing. Most King buyers opt for the bullet-resistant option, which adds at least $300,000 to the price depending on the level of protection clients want.

Enjoy coffee and champagne while riding in the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

The buyers of these bulletproof monster trucks range from clients in dangerous parts of the Middle East and Africa to real estate moguls and high-dollar watch traders in the United States. But for less security-conscious shoppers, Nothdurft stresses that the King is supposed to be a rolling work of art.

Reclining in the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

It's undeniably different than anything else you'll see on U.S. roads. It has extremely angular styling and is absolutely massive. "This car is the most emotional car that you can see at auto shows," Nothdurft told CNBC. "People either hate it or they love it."

The backseat control panel on the Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

The King is based on a Ford F-550 chassis. The F-550 a massive truck frame that Nothdurft says was chosen for its proven durability and ability to handle the weight of an armored luxury vehicle. The King maintains the 6.8-liter V-10, suspension components and transmission of the F-550 and is therefore limited to 87 mph. The interior, however, is bespoke.

The Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Adam Jeffery | CNBC

Karlman is looking to get a U.S. manufacturing line built in the next few months, but for now, the King is hand-built in Italy. For U.S. market cars, armoring takes place in the States. The company currently has 20 buyers lined up in North America, Nothdurft said. Buyers who order a King today should expect delivery in nine to 15 months.

The Karlmann King at the 2019 New York Auto Show. Adam Jeffery | CNBC
Union Pacific cargo train with multiple box cars approaching the camera as it prepares to cross a level railroad crossing near Jamestown, California, December 17, 2017.

A number of American companies could see their sales decline if trade relations between the United States and Mexico deteriorate as a result of the Trump administration's new tariffs.

CNBC screened the components of the S&P 500 by their respective revenue exposure to Mexico, revealing that Kansas City Southern, Union Pacific, PepsiCo and Nucor were among those with the highest proportion of sales. Those stocks were down 6.3%, 2.1%, 0.7% and 1.8%, respectively, on Friday.

President Donald Trump said Thursday night that he will impose a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports starting June 10 if Mexico doesn't take steps to secure its border with the United States, potentially undermining the recently negotiated deal between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

trump tweet

Trump's Mexico tariffs also represent the White House's latest attempt to pressure an economic partner through the use of trade levies, a tactic Trump has relied on throughout his negotiations with China. The administration imposed 25% tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports earlier this month following a breakdown in talks between Beijing and Washington.

While the aforementioned companies could be in for pain based on the percentages of their total sales coming from Mexico, other American companies that produce or source input in the country also sold off on Friday.

Shares of automakers, which import car components from Mexico, declined: Fiat Chrysler dropped nearly 5% after Friday's opening bell, while General Motors was down 3.8% and Ford skidded 2.7%.

GM and Fiat Chrysler import 29% and 24%, respectively, of the total parts for its cars and trucks from Mexico, according to a Deutsche Bank analysis. The firm added that Ford has the second highest total imported vehicles from Mexico at 17%, behind Fiat Chrysler.

Corona beer maker Constellation Brands, meanwhile, imports 75% of its beer portfolio from Mexico, according to Morgan Stanley. The brokerage added that the 5% tariffs on Mexican goods would shave off nearly 4% from the company's profits. Shares were down more than 6% on Friday.
White House trade advisor Peter Navarro told CNBC on Friday that President Donald Trump's threat of new tariffs on Mexico is tied to the president's declaration of a national emergency at the border and came in response to Mexico's "export" of "illegal aliens."

In the first public defense of the president's move from a top trade official, Navarro also pushed back on the notion that the tariffs were intended to bring more manufacturing jobs to the United States from Mexico, saying that the tariffs were "not at all" related to that goal.

"This is strictly about national security and threats to our economy from illegal immigration from a criminal enterprise," Navarro said in the interview on "Squawk on the Street."

But in a series of tweets posted nearly simultaneously with Navarro's appearance, Trump wrote that "In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA."

"Mexico must take back their country from the drug lords and cartels. The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!" he wrote.

Tweet1

Tweet2

In a surprise move, Trump announced Thursday night that the U.S. will slap escalating tariffs on Mexican imports, starting at 5% in less than two weeks, if the country does not take action to reduce unlawful immigration into the United States.

The legal justification for the move, Navarro said, was premised on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which requires a national emergency.

"Clearly we have that at the border," Navarro said.

"If you look at it from an investor's point of view and a corporate point of view, what we have in Mexico is the export, one of their high exports, of illegal aliens. And it's a criminal enterprise," Navarro said.

Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border in February after failing to secure funding from Congress for his proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Markets tanked on Friday amid worries that the threatened tariffs combined with an escalating U.S.-China trade war could send the economy into a recession.

Navarro urged investors to look at the situation "calmly."

"Look at what we are trying to do. This is actually a brilliant move by the president to get Mexico's attention, to get them to help us, because so far they have just been standing by," Navarro said.

WATCH: The full interview with Peter Navarro
Negroponte, who also served as U.S. ambassador to Honduras, Mexico, the Philippines and Iraq, said Trump's announcement put American exporters at "a certain amount of jeopardy."

John Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the second Bush administration and now vice chairman of consultancy McLarty Associates, said on CNBC's "Street Signs" that Trump's announcement was "ill-timed," given that the process to ratify the three-country trade deal  the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement  has just kicked off .

Mexico is America's third-largest goods trading partner . The U.S. exported $265 billion of goods to Mexico in 2018, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

Trump said in a White House statement Thursday night that the tariff is meant to address a "border crisis" that has resulted in America being "invaded by hundreds of thousands of people." He said if Mexico doesn't halt the flow of those undocumented migrants, the U.S. will progressively raise the overarching tariff to 25% by Oct. 1.

The fate of the updated trade deal between the U.S., Mexico and Canada was thrown into question after President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports starting June 10 .

Negroponte is hardly the only one predicting a tougher route for ratification of the USMCA, which is intended to be an updated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Some say that the deal could have had an easy passage through Mexico's Congress before Trump's latest threats, but it has become politically difficult for lawmakers to ratify it now.

Juan Carlos Hartasanchez, senior director at advisory firm Albright Stonebridge Group, said it seemed unlikely that the USMCA will be ratified this year.

"Many congressmen and senators in Mexico are going to be asking themselves whether or not they're in a position to ratify an agreement when they have a gun pointed to their heads. So it just becomes a very complicated situation," he told CNBC's "Street Signs."

It's not just Mexican lawmakers that will reconsider their stance on the trade deal, said William Reinsch, senior advisor and Scholl Chair in international business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The president's threat "will probably end up torpedoing the USMCA agreement," Reinsch told CNBC's "Squawk Box." He predicted that Mexico "will probably be forced to retaliate," while the Democratic-controlled House will also "react very negatively."

The House has had lingering concerns about the new three-party trade deal. After U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Thursday sent a letter to congressional leaders to kick start the process of approving the USMCA, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement suggesting that the deal lacks "strong enforcement provisions."

Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, told reporters the tariff wouldn't affect the approval of the USMCA. He insisted that the latest threatened tariff is "part of an immigration problem," and isn't related to trade.
A handful of U.S. states  including some that will play big roles in the 2020 election  will feel the brunt of the pain from President Donald Trump's new tariffs on imports from Mexico.

On Thursday night, the president said the U.S. would put 5% duties on all Mexican imports on June 10 to push its southern neighbor to curb illegal immigration. The tariffs will gradually increase to 25% in October, the White House said.

If Trump goes through with the duties, their effects will ripple across the country. America imported $346.5 billion in goods from Mexico last year, 10% more than in the prior year, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. But several key 2020 electoral states would take a particularly sharp blow from the tariffs.

Border state Arizona gets about 40% of its imports from Mexico, the highest share for any state. About 38% of Michigan's imported products come from Mexico, while about 35% of Texas' imports are from its southern neighbor.

Trump's surprise tariffs on Mexican goods could raise costs for companies and consumers in those three states, which the president carried in the 2016 election.

Michigan is a swing state that had voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Texas is a reliably red state, but nonetheless has several Republican lawmakers facing tough reelection campaigns next year. Arizona has been trending toward favoring Democrats.

The duties could have broader effects. They raise questions about whether the U.S. and Mexico can ratify updates to the North American Free Trade Agreement, a top Trump priority. Only Thursday afternoon, the Trump administration took a formal step to speed up congressional approval of the deal, dubbed the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA.

The Republican senators from Iowa  an electoral swing state reliant on agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada  warned of dire consequences from the tariffs. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley called Trump's plan a "misuse of presidential tariff authority" that "would seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA, a central campaign pledge of President Trump's." Sen. Joni Ernst, who is up for reelection next year, also said that "if the president goes through with this, I'm afraid progress to get this trade agreement across the finish line will be stifled."

Sen. Martha McSally, an Arizona Republican who will run to keep her seat in one of next year's most important Senate races, said in a statement that she does not "support these types of tariffs, which will harm our economy and be passed onto Arizona small businesses and families."

An aide to Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican hoping to hold his seat in 2020, said the senator "opposes this across-the-board tariff which will disproportionately hurt Texas." Both lawmakers' offices said they back Trump's effort to secure the border despite their opposition to duties.

Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat up for reelection next year, said in a statement he is "concerned about the impact of the president's proposal on Michigan workers and our auto industry." He added that "it's unclear how this will strengthen security" at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The most powerful Republican in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, gave a more tepid response. In a statement, the Kentucky lawmaker said "a healthy and vibrant economic relationship with Mexico is a vital source of our joint prosperity."

"Any proposal that impacts this relationship deserves serious examination and I look forward to discussing this plan in greater detail with my colleagues and the administration," he said.

Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas  another Republican who could face a tough reelection bid next year  did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

The tariffs would affect a range of products and industries. The top imports from Mexico include transportation equipment, computer and electronic products, and chemicals.

Business interest groups, from the National Association of Manufacturers to the National Pork Producers Council, criticized the tariff plan, raising fears about the prospects for USMCA ratification and retaliatory tariffs on American exports to Mexico.

On Friday, Mexico's National Farm Council said it supports "surgical" retaliatory duties targeting red states, according to Reuters.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the National Association of Realtors Legislative Meeting and Trade Expo in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, May 17, 2019.

President Donald Trump on Friday expanded the list of bilateral issues between the U.S. and Mexico that he claimed would be remedied by the imposition of tariffs on all imports from Mexico. The expanded list includes helping stem the opioid epidemic, and returning auto industry jobs to the United States.

The new issues effectively stretched the president's personal case for the tariffs beyond that of his own administration, which has insisted that any tariffs would only be intended to address the national emergency of undocumented asylum seekers crossing into the United States.

In a series of tweets Friday morning, Trump wrote that if his proposed 5% tariff on all Mexican imports were to go into effect on June 10, a policy unveiled less than a day ago, then not only would Mexico be forced to address the influx of migrants crossing its borders headed for the United States, but also that drug smuggling would decrease, that U.S. auto manufacturers would return stateside, and that the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico could be remedied.

TRUMP TWEET

TRUMP TEEET

The tweets put the president squarely at odds with the message coming from both acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and senior trade advisor Peter Navarro, the two most visible White House aides defending Thursday's tariff announcement so far.

A White House spokesman did not immediately reply to a request for comment from CNBC on the apparent disconnect between the president's messaging and that of his top aides.

Appearing Friday morning on CNBC, Navarro pushed back on the notion that the tariffs were intended to bring more manufacturing jobs to the United States from Mexico, saying that the tariffs were "not at all" related to that goal.

"This is strictly about national security and threats to our economy from illegal immigration from a criminal enterprise," Navarro said.

Trump's tweet about the auto industry jobs was posted nearly simultaneously with Navarro's appearance on CNBC.

Speaking on a conference call with reporters late Thursday, Mulvaney likewise insisted that the newly announced tariff threat was totally unrelated to ongoing negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico over a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, known as USMCA, that still needs to be ratified by legislatures in Mexico and the United States.

"These are not tariffs as part of a trade dispute," Mulvaney said on the call. "These are tariffs as part of an immigration problem. The USMCA is a trade matter and completely separate."

Also unclear Friday was what, precisely, Mexico would need to do in order to satisfy Trump's demand that the longtime U.S. ally do whatever it takes to see that the "illegal immigration problem is remedied."

TRUMP TWEET

The abrupt tariff announcement and the potential impact tariffs could have on the prices U.S. consumers pay for goods sent futures markets tumbling Thursday night, a slide that continued into Friday's trading day.

The United States imported $346.5 billion of goods from Mexico in 2018, an increase of 10.3% over the year prior, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The 2018 total accounted for 13.6% of overall U.S. imports that year.

 CNBC's Joanna Tan contributed to this story.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting on July 3, 2018 in London, England.

President Donald Trump praised Britain's former foreign minister Boris Johnson on Friday, days before Trump's three-day state visit to London.

"I actually have studied it very hard. I know the different players. But I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent. I like him. I have always liked him," Trump told The Sun newspaper.

Johnson is one of Britain's most globally prominent but domestically-divisive politicians, and is a potential replacement for Prime Minister Teresa May, who steps down as Conservative Party leader on June 7.

Johnson is a hard-line proponent of Brexit, recently argued that Britain must stick to an October 31 Brexit deadline and indicated he would take the U.K. out of Europe without a deal.

Trump has not endorsed any candidate to be the new UK prime minister, but told reporters on Thursday that he had great respect for Johnson and Nigel Farag, another high-profile Brexit supporter.

In the Sun interview, Trump said that other conservative lawmakers had sought his endorsement. "I could help anybody if I endorse them," he said.

Representatives for the White House and for Johnson did not immediately return request for comment from CNBC.

Read the full Sun interview.

CNBC's Willem Marx contributed to this report.
Statement from the President Regarding Emergency Measures to Address the Border Crisis

As everyone knows, the United States of America has been invaded by hundreds of thousands of people coming through Mexico and entering our country illegally. This sustained influx of illegal aliens has profound consequences on every aspect of our national lifeoverwhelming our schools, overcrowding our hospitals, draining our welfare system, and causing untold amounts of crime. Gang members, smugglers, human traffickers, and illegal drugs and narcotics of all kinds are pouring across the Southern Border and directly into our communities. Thousands of innocent lives are taken every year as a result of this lawless chaos. It must end NOW!

Mexico's passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States. Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries. Additionally, Mexico could quickly and easily stop illegal aliens from coming through its southern border with Guatemala.

For decades, the United States has suffered the severe and dangerous consequences of illegal immigration. Sadly, Mexico has allowed this situation to go on for many years, growing only worse with the passage of time. From a safety, national security, military, economic, and humanitarian standpoint, we cannot allow this grave disaster to continue. The current state of affairs is profoundly unfair to the American taxpayer, who bears the extraordinary financial cost imposed by large-scale illegal migration. Even worse is the terrible and preventable loss of human life. Some of the most deadly and vicious gangs on the planet operate just across our border and terrorize innocent communities.

Mexico must step up and help solve this problem. We welcome people who come to the United States legally, but we cannot allow our laws to be broken and our borders to be violated. For years, Mexico has not treated us fairlybut we are now asserting our rights as a sovereign Nation.

To address the emergency at the Southern Border, I am invoking the authorities granted to me by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Accordingly, starting on June 10, 2019, the United States will impose a 5 percent Tariff on all goods imported from Mexico. If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the Tariffs will be removed. If the crisis persists, however, the Tariffs will be raised to 10 percent on July 1, 2019. Similarly, if Mexico still has not taken action to dramatically reduce or eliminate the number of illegal aliens crossing its territory into the United States, Tariffs will be increased to 15 percent on August 1, 2019, to 20 percent on September 1, 2019, and to 25 percent on October 1, 2019. Tariffs will permanently remain at the 25 percent level unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory. Workers who come to our country through the legal admissions process, including those working on farms, ranches, and in other businesses, will be allowed easy passage.

If Mexico fails to act, Tariffs will remain at the high level, and companies located in Mexico may start moving back to the United States to make their products and goods. Companies that relocate to the United States will not pay the Tariffs or be affected in any way.

Over the years, Mexico has made massive amounts of money in its dealings with the United States, and this includes the tremendous number of jobs leaving our country.

Should Mexico choose not to cooperate on reducing unlawful migration, the sustained imposition of Tariffs will produce a massive return of jobs back to American cities and towns. Remember, our great country has been the "piggy bank" from which everybody wants only to TAKE. The difference is that now we are firmly and forcefully standing up for America's interests.

We have confidence that Mexico can and will act swiftly to help the United States stop this long-term, dangerous, and deeply unfair problem. The United States has been very good to Mexico for many years. We are now asking that Mexico immediately do its fair share to stop the use of its territory as a conduit for illegal immigration into our country.

The cartels and coyotes are having a greater and greater impact on the Mexican side of our Southern Border. This is a dire threat that must be decisively eliminated. Billions of dollars are made, and countless lives are ruined, by these ruthless and merciless criminal organizations. Mexico must bring law and order to its side of the border.

Democrats in Congress are fully aware of this horrible situation and yet refuse to help in any way, shape, or form. This is a total dereliction of duty. The migrant crisis is a calamity that must now be solvedand can easily be solvedin Congress. Our broken asylum laws, court system, catch-and-release, visa lottery, chain migration, and many other loopholes can all be promptly corrected. When that happens, the measures being announced today can be more readily reduced or removed.

The United States is a great country that can no longer be exploited due to its foolish and irresponsible immigration laws. For the sake of our people, and for the sake of our future, these horrendous laws must be changed now.

At the same time, Mexico cannot allow hundreds of thousands of people to pour over its land and into our countryviolating the sovereign territory of the United States. If Mexico does not take decisive measures, it will come at a significant price.

We therefore look forward to, and appreciate, the swift and effective actions that we hope Mexico will immediately install.

As President of the United States, my highest duty is the defense of the country and its citizens. A nation without borders is not a nation at all. I will not stand by and allow our sovereignty to be eroded, our laws to be trampled, or our borders to be disrespected anymore.
President Donald Trump applauds while delivering the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., May 30, 2019. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump plans to tell the British government in person that Washington may limit intelligence sharing with the U.K. if it allows Huawei to build part of its 5G high-speed mobile network, the Financial Times reported. Trump is set to embark on a three-day state visit to the U.K. in June, days before British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to resign from her post. According to American and British officials, Trump decided to raise the issue about Huawei after his aides had repeatedly failed to convince the U.K. government to restrict the involvement of the Chinese company, the newspaper said. A person involved in planning the trip told the FT that Trump was ready to make his objections known both in public and in private: "The president is preparing to repeat the message that Chinese involvement in 5G could pose significant challenges for US-UK intelligence co-operation." The White House did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment sent outside regular office hours.
Neither choice is a good one for GM or any other automaker importing models and parts from Mexico. Since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in the mid-1990s made producing cars in Mexico more financially attractive, the auto industry has increasingly added plants and assembly lines south of the border. That's turned Mexico into the world's sixth-largest country for auto production.

"What is GM's strategy going to be for handling these tariffs?" asked Michelle Krebs, an analyst at Autotrader. "I'm not sure GM knows if it should eat the cost, which would kill profit margins, or pass the 5% along to consumers which would raise prices and hurt sales."

Now the Blazer is one of many models potentially caught up in President Donald Trump's latest trade threat. If Trump makes good on his promise to put a 5% tariff on everything the U.S. imports from Mexico, GM will be stuck with a tough choice on the Blazer.

When General Motors took the wraps off the new Chevy Blazer in June, the company expected it to be a very profitable vehicle. After all, SUVs are in hot demand, the styling got high marks and the fact that it was being built in Mexico meant the profit margin would be fatter than usual.

GM's shares tumbled 4.3% on Friday. Ford dropped 2.3% and Fiat Chrysler shed 5.8%.

The majority of what's built in Mexico winds up being sold in the U.S., the total climbing to just under 2.7 million vehicles last year, according to the International Trade Administration.

When it comes to using Mexico as a production hub, no manufacturer has embraced Mexico more than GM. Last year, the automaker sold 690,865 Mexican-made Chevy and GMC models in the U.S., that's 27% of the domestic sales for those brands, according to Cox Automotive. Fiat Chrysler's Ram truck brand also has a huge production footprint south of the border. Cox Automotive says 39% of the Ram trucks sold in the U.S. were built in Mexico.

Neither Fiat Chrysler nor GM are commenting on Trump's new tariff threat, leaving the auto industry's trade association to comment on the potential impact. David Schwietert, CEO of the Auto Alliance said, "Any barrier to the flow of commerce across the U.S.-Mexico border will have a cascading effect  harming U.S. consumers, threatening American jobs and investment."

The president is hoping the threat will force Mexico to stop migrants from crossing the border. If not, he believes tariffs adding hundreds of dollars to the cost of a new vehicle will force automakers to move out of Mexico.

"In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry," Trump tweeted Friday morning.

Tweet

Industry analysts doubt that will happen.

"These decisions [on factory locations] predate Donald Trump, and that plant will be in place for 30 or 40 years. So it will long outlive him as well. So they have to make strong economic sense to make these plant investment decisions," said Kristin Dziczek of the Center for Automotive Research.

Krebs is also skeptical auto tariffs would force GM, Fiat Chrysler or any other automaker to close an existing plant in Mexico and replace it with a new facility in the U.S.

"Heavens no that is not going to happen," said Krebs, " It costs billions of dollars and takes years of planning to set up an auto plant. Automakers can't just move them around quickly."

 CNBC's Meghan Reeder contributed to this report.


Markets ended May in the red thanks to Trump's Mexico move.

On Friday, the Trump administration threatened to place 5% tariffs on all imports from Mexico starting June 10, calling into question its already fraught trade negotiations with China, support from U.S. businesses on the trade front and the backing of its own negotiators. Peter Navarro, one of the president's trade advisors, told CNBC on Friday that the threat was related to the administration's concerns around border security.

Experts are split on what this means for the stock market, and what could come next in this uncertainty-laden landscape.

Here are four of their takes on the development:

Krishna Memani, chief investment officer at OppenheimerFunds, said the market still appears to be pricing in a resolution on trade:

"At the end of the day, this is not a good move. But at the same time, I think it is worthwhile remembering the economy has enough momentum to kind of live through it. So, we will shave off - we are clearly increasing the risks, and the risks are really on the capital investment front far more than consumption.  So, I think that is really the key. That is, we are not just jeopardizing the growth today, we are jeopardizing future growth. And that is playing with fire. So, I think the expectation the market still has - if I had told you three months ago that we will have a full-fledged trade war and the markets would be down 5, 6%, I don't think you would have believed that. And I think what that is telling you is the fact that markets are still expecting that we'll reach some sort of a resolution."

Chase Consumer Banking CEO Thasunda Duckett said those in her area of the market are staying focused on U.S. consumers:

"When you look at the overall numbers at a macro level, you see unemployment continues to be low  it's at 3.6%  you see consumer confidence did spike up last month, so the overall health of the consumer is strong. But whenever you have market volatility like we have today, that's where it's just important for our advisors and our bankers to talk to customers and keep them focused on their goals and objectives."

Former U.S. Commerce Secretary William Daley didn't agree with tariffs being used to push a political issue:

"In the president's view, the Mexican government [is] not doing enough to stop people from coming to the border. Well, adding tariffs into an issue that is really a different issue than the economics that the deal with Mexico and Canada was negotiated over rather toughly over the last two years, I think, is just kind of throwing gas on a fire and hoping that something happens that's positive. But I don't see how it works well. First of all, it does, as we all know, hurt the consumers, hurt the suppliers, hurt the overall economy, and does it really get to the point where Mexico finds a way to stop people who want to come to the U.S.? I doubt it."

Steven Wieting, chief investment strategist at Citi Private Bank, said this will likely cause more market volatility:
President Donald Trump's surprise tariffs on Mexico will have a "very bad" impact on the United States, Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told CNBC on Friday.

Trump blindsided the U.S.' neighbor to the south with the announcement Thursday night that his administration will impose a 5% duty on all Mexican imports starting June 10. The tariffs will increase gradually, to as much as 25% in October, the White House said.

"It's going to hurt our ranchers, our agriculture people, our farmers. It's going to be devastating," Richardson said on "Power Lunch."

"It's a wrong policy because it's based on the president's impulse," added Richardson, who is also a former governor of the border state of New Mexico.

Trump said he was imposing the tariffs to stop illegal immigrants from coming through Mexico into the U.S. The announcement came just as the approval process for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, started to get underway.

If the tariffs are put in place, it would affect states across the U.S., which imported $346.5 billion in goods from Mexico last year, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

The state that gets the highest share of imports from Mexico is Arizona, at 40%. About 38% of Michigan's imports and about 35% of Texas' imports come from Mexico.

Mexico hasn't announced any planned retaliation. On Friday, Mexican trade official Guillermo Malpica Soto told CNBC's "Closing Bell" his country won't retaliate until the threat seems more serious.

Richardson said he expects that will happen.

"Mexico is going to have to retaliate if we pursue this foolish policy," he said. "It's going to affect our economy. It's going to affect the border."

Plus, the duties put the USMCA in "real jeopardy," Richardson added. If tariffs are imposed, "why [are] Mexico and Canada and the U.S. Congress going to want to approve this?"

 CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.
Shares of Gap (GPS) were tanking about 15% in the premarket, after the apparel retailer reported worse than expected adjusted quarterly earnings of 24 cents per share. Revenue and same-store sales also missed forecasts. The same-store sales decline was most prominent at the Gap flagship brand. (CNBC) Shares of Big Lots (BIG) were soaring about 12%, after the discount retailer reported adjusted quarterly earnings of 92 cents per share, compared to estimates of 70 cents. Revenue was slightly above forecasts. Big Lots also raised its full-year profit forecast. (CNBC)

On today's economic calendar , the government releases April personal income and consumer spending at 8:30 a.m. ET. The Chicago purchasing managers index is out at 9:45 a.m. ET. The University of Michigan's final May consumer sentiment index comes at 10 a.m. ET. (CNBC)

With the stock market on track for its first negative May since 2012, the final day of the month looks set to begin with more losses. Futures were pointing to a sharply lower open, following President Trump's announcement that he'd impose a 5% tariff on Mexican imports , beginning next month, if Mexico does not take action to "reduce or eliminate the number of illegal aliens" crossing into the U.S. (CNBC)

China continued to ramp up the rhetoric against the U.S. today, with a former Chinese central bank chief saying further escalation in trade tensions between Washington and Beijing could greatly hurt the global economy. (CNBC)



* Costco is looking at alternative sourcing and price hikes as tariffs loom (Reuters)

* Dell revenue misses as China softness hits server business (Reuters)

China's threat to curb exports of rare earth minerals to the U.S. could move the needle in an trade war as the world's two largest economies continue to jockey for leverage. U.S. consumption of rare earth compounds and metals relies heavily on imports. (CNBC)



* If we can't challenge China, no one can, warns operator of only US mine for rare earth metals (CNBC)

Trump plans to tell the British government that Washington may limit intelligence sharing if the U.K. allows Huawei to build part of its 5G high-speed mobile network. The president is set to embark on a three-day state visit there next month, days before British Prime Minister Theresa May is set to resign. (FT)

North Korea executed its nuclear envoy to the U.S. as part of a purge of officials who steered negotiations for a failed summit between leader Kim Jong Un and Trump in Vietnam earlier this year, a South Korean newspaper reported today.

Missouri's only abortion clinic is set to close today. Missouri is among a handful of states that passed anti-abortion laws in the past few weeks, potentially setting up a challenge for Roe v. Wade. (USA Today)

E-cigarette maker Juul Labs is considering opening U.S. retail shops that would only admit adults. A source told CNBC that if it happens, Juul would start in Texas, but cautioned no formal decision has yet been made. (CNBC)

The FDA will hear from CBD manufacturers, researchers, farmers, retailers, and more today as the agency holds its first public hearing looking at the sale of what's being touted as a magical elixir that can ease everything from inflammation to epilepsy. (CNBC)

Facebook (FB) is still running paid ads for prominent anti-vaccination groups, 10 weeks after the social media giant pledged to fight the misinformation. (WSJ)



* U.S. measles outbreaks hit highest level in more than 25 years (WSJ)

* Harvard study: People who use dating apps such as Tinder are more likely to have eating disorders (CNBC)

Uber Technologies (UBER) posted a loss of a little more than $1 billion in its first quarter as a public company, matching Wall Street forecasts. Revenue was slightly above expectations, and up 20% over a year earlier. (CNBC)

Amazon (AMZN) is reportedly interested in buying Boost Mobile from T-Mobile (TMUS) and Sprint (S), which are planning to sell the prepaid mobile brand in order to get their planned $26 billion merger approved by regulators.
Edward Lampert speaks during a news conference to announce the merger of Kmart and Sears in New York, Nov. 17, 2004. Gregory Bull | AP

Presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent a letter to Sears' former Chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert lambasting him for efforts to avoid repaying Sears for $43 million in severance fees. Lampert bought Sears out of bankruptcy last year through an affiliate of his hedge fund ESL Investments, Transform Holdco, after years of declines under his leadership as CEO and chairman. The deal, which saved the company from liquidation, also promised that Lampert would reimburse Sears severance costs for workers who lost a job in bankruptcy. Sears and Lampert have since sparred over what each party believes they are owed by the other as part of the deal. Lampert said in court filings that Sears fell short of what it owes him. To help make up the loss, he is requesting approval from the bankruptcy court judge to not pay back Sears for $43 million in severance fees. The two parties, though, now estimate severance costs to be closer to $20 million. Still, a spokesperson for Transform told CNBC that severance owed has already been paid. He stated, in part, "To be clear, employees of old Sears who lost their jobs during bankruptcy have already received their severance payments." He added, "Transform agreed to reimburse Old Sears for these severance payments in exchange for the receipt of certain assets. Old Sears has admitted that $55 million of those assets have not been transferred to Transform, although Transform believes the amount is larger. As a result, Transform is not obligated to reimburse Old Sears for having made the severance payments."

Still, in a letter sent Thursday, Warren, D-Mass., and Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., lashed out at Lampert. "The failure to make those payments would amount to a broken promise on your part, and a betrayal of hard-working Sears employees  some of whom have worked at the company for decades  who are relying on the severance that they have been promised to pay rent, care for children, and put food on the table," they said. The two referred to a written exchange between Lampert and Warren earlier this year in which the senator inquired about Lampert's plan to buy Sears' out of bankruptcy and the retailers' viability under his ownership. In Lampert's response, dated Feb. 19, he defended his management of Sears and assured Warren that his deal to buy the retailer would guarantee severance payments to employees who lost their job after it filed bankruptcy on Oct. 15 and did not rejoin the company. "But for the sale to ESL, these employees would be getting nothing," Lampert wrote. Spokespeople for Warren and Ocasio-Cortez couldn't immediately be reached to comment on Transform's claim that severance was already paid to the workers. An attorney who represents Sears also wasn't immediately available.

Mediation isn't free
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak about immigration reform in the Rose Garden of the White House on May 16, 2019 in Washington, DC.

A Chinese official tabloid editor followed by Wall Street for insight took a shot at President Donald Trump's latest threat to impose tariffs on all Mexican imports.

tweet

"Some day, the White House will be named 'tariff museum' by history," said Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, a tabloid under the People's Daily which is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China. He has been a prolific commentator on the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, followed by many Wall Street traders and market participants.

Hu called the U.S. "so imaginative" in using tariffs on Mexico to curb illegal immigration. Trump once called himself a "tariff man" to toughen his rhetoric amid intensifying tensions with China.

His comment came after the U.S. announced to slap a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports from June 10 and more duties will be added if Mexico does not take action to "reduce or eliminate the number of illegal aliens" crossing into the U.S., the White House said Thursday.

Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro told CNBC on Friday that Trump's threat tied to the president's declaration of a national emergency at the southern border.

Many policy analysts believe Trump's Mexican tariffs could hurt the chance of a China trade deal as he lost reliability to honor an agreement.

China said Friday it will establish a list of unreliable entities of foreign companies and people that "seriously damage" the interests of domestic firms. It also reportedly stopped purchases of U.S. soybeans and threatened to cut off rare earth supply to the U.S.
If You Go

What: "O, for a Muse of Fire," presented as part of the Summer Theatre Institute.

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Where: Warehouse Theatre at Stephens College, 104 Willis Ave.

Admission: Free. There will also be a livestream of the performance.

Other performances: This is the second of five performances in the Summer Theatre Institute. The remaining three are:
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.
Harper enters leadership race untainted by Mays Cabinet

Hammond also considering a bid  FT

Duncan Smith urges Party to trim crowded field  The Times

Grandees to tighten rules to stop self-promotion  The Sun

Mark Harper has become the twelfth Tory MP to enter the leadership race as he said he is the only candidate not tainted by serving in Theresa Mays government. The former chief whip admits he is the underdog in the race but said he has an edge against ministers who have shared the responsibility for Mrs Mays failure to deliver Brexit. In an interview with the Telegraph, Mr Harper said watching the other candidates over the past week convinced him to run. Weve seen basically the same faces saying the same things that theyve been saying for the last three years, he said. A number of them have tried to position themselves as fresh faces but Im afraid theyve sat around the Cabinet table sharing the responsibility with the Prime Minister.  Daily Telegraph

>Today: ToryDiary: This weeks winner in the Tory leadership contest is Gove

Contenders split over call to turn on the taps

The Conservative leadership candidates were split over austerity yesterday as five of them backed a report urging the new prime minister to turn on all the taps. A report by the modernising Tory think tank Onward said the government should stop reducing the national debt so quickly and spend almost 200 billion more over the next four years. It was endorsed by Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Matt Hancock and Esther McVey. The report by Neil OBrien, a Tory MP and former adviser to Theresa May and George Osborne, calls for a fiscal rule to commit the government to keep debt flat as a share of GDP.  The Times

Hunt and Hancock back radical bid to cut deficit  The Sun

Slash Corporation Tax to 12.5 per cent, say hopefuls  Daily Telegraph

Javid and McVey vow to slash taxes  The Sun

Chancellor at war with candidates over spending  Daily Mail

Mays successor urged to make case for capitalism  FT

CBI boss says Tories must be party of business  Daily Telegraph

Comment:

Candidates must look beyond tax cuts  Will Tanner, Times Red Box

>Yesterday:

as stop Boris campaign fails to gain traction

Ex-Mayor to unveil army of backers  The Sun

According to the latest survey by ConservativeHome, a website popular with Tory activists, 34 per cent of party members want Mr Johnson to be their next leader  putting him well ahead in the crowded race to succeed Theresa May. However, the nascent Stop Boris campaign has so far proved ineffective. The former foreign secretarys foes had hoped to thwart him in the first phase of the leadership contest  by persuading enough Tory MPs not to vote for him to go on the shortlist of candidates from whom party members will choose the leader. Such is the initial momentum in Mr Johnsons campaign that his critics have concluded he is all but certain to make the shortlist, and they are instead trying to rally round the candidate deemed best placed to beat him in the membership ballot.  FT

Comment:

Johnson will win unless he self-destructs  Iain Martin, The Times

>Today: MPs Etc.: Leadership election candidate MP support numbers: Hunt 29, Johnson 28, Gove 27, Raab 22, Javid 17, Hancock 11

>Yesterday: Alok Sharma MP in Comment: Why I am voting for Johnson

McVey backs parents in LGBT row

Esther McVey has been criticised by senior Conservatives after claiming that parents should be allowed to withdraw children from primary school lessons on LGBT relationships. The Tory leadership candidate was attacked by Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, and Justine Greening, the former education secretary who is the first openly gay female cabinet minister. In recent weeks, almost daily protests have been held outside Anderton Park primary school in Birmingham over lessons for youngsters on gay equality. Damian Hinds, the education secretary, has called for the protests to stop.  The Times

Candidates declare themselves feminists after Raab doesnt  The Times

Stewart could be banned from the USA over opium admission

Stewart says it was stupid  The Times

Trump to confront May over Huawei

Tory leadership hopeful Rory Stewart faces potentially being banned from entry into the United States after the International Development secretary admitted to smoking opium at a wedding party in Iran in an interview with The Daily Telegraph. US immigration policy allows for individuals who have committed offences involving drugs to be denied visas and admission. The drug is classed as Schedule II in the United States. The first offence carries a sentence of between five and forty years and the second between ten years and life with quantity playing a role.  Daily Express

Donald Trump will confront Theresa May over the security risk posed to Britain by the Chinese company Huawei during his visit next week, a senior aide to the president has said. John Bolton, the American national security adviser, said that the US was prepared to accept only zero risk in its federal telecoms network from Huawei and suggested that Washington was trying to convince its intelligence partners to follow suit. Mr Bolton indicated that he did not believe that Britain had reached a verdict on whether to use the company in its next-generation mobile network, despite reports that Mrs May favoured allowing it in non-core parts of 5G.  The Times

President indicates Johnson is his preferred successor to the Prime Minister  Daily Telegraph

Tory donors flee amidst Brexit paralysis

Party chief is top donor  The Sun

But the Conservatives still raise more than Labour  Daily Telegraph

Javid accused of exploiting Begum case

The UK Conservative party is struggling to attract money from financial backers, with donations falling dramatically in the first three months of this year, data from the Electoral Commission showed on Thursday. According to the data, the Conservatives received donations totalling 3.7m in the first quarter of 2019, down from 7.5m in the last three months of 2018. Prime minister Theresa Mays party raised 4.8m in the same period last year, but donations from Tory supporters have slumped amid concerns over her leadership, a lack of clear policy agenda and paralysis over Brexit. The Tories appear to have suffered a cash crunch as some funders hold off from making donations while she remains prime minister.  FT

The family of Shamima Begum have accused the home secretary of removing her British citizenship to further his political career. The 19-year-old jihadi bride was a pawn to the vanity of Sajid Javid and his ambition to get to No 10, the family say in a letter to him. Their lawyer demands that the home secretary reverse his decision to remove her citizenship and calls for an apology. Ms Begum, who left London to join Islamic State in 2015, was stripped of her UK citizenship in February after The Times found and interviewed her in a refugee camp in Syria. The decision was based on the belief that she had Bangladeshi citizenship through her parents.  The Times

The letter  The Times

>Today: Anthony Browne in Comment: Policy Gains from Brexit 10) Greater control of our borders

Whittingdale hits out at proposed internet rules

Johnson prosecutor branded electorate thick

Draconian new rules designed to make the internet safer for children could deliver a killer blow to British technology start-ups, a lobby group warns today. The controversial code, drawn up by the Information Commissioners Office, applies too broadly and will be a serious obstacle to growth, the group said. The Coalition for a Digital Economy, known as Coadec, also warned the code will destroy smaller firms. Yesterday former culture secretary John Whittingdale warned that they will have a chilling effect on smaller UK tech companies and that it was mad for the ICO to proceed with this at this stage.  Daily Mail

A Remain activist bringing a private prosecution against Boris Johnson over his Brexit campaign condemned the British people as thick just weeks after they voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum. In a filmed debate, Marcus Ball laughed when challenged about his opinions of the electorate and the referendum process. He then claimed voters were not capable of making complex decisions about whether or not to leave the European Union. In August 2016 video, Mr Ball, now 29, was asked by Tom Slater, founder of the Invoke Article 50 Now! campaign, whether he thought voters were thick and easily lied to or misled? Mr Ball, who founded Brexit Justice Ltd in December that year, grinned before replying: Yes, to my opinion.  Daily Telegraph

Wheatcroft slammed for similar views  The Sun

Comment:

The law has developed a worrying influence on politics  Fraser Nelson, Daily Telegraph

If were jailing liars, where does it stop?  Mick Hume, The Sun

Editorial:

Remainer baronesss Brexit tirade is staggering  The Sun

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Johnsons prosecution is just the latest push in a long campaign of Remainer lawfare

Hammond says second referendum might be only way out of Brexit deadlock

Barnier hints at backstop compromise  The Times

but he dashes hopes of re-negotiating the deal  The Sun

CBI warns of no-deal damage to business  FT

Philip Hammond has become the most senior Conservative to signal that he might be prepared to back a second referendum, piling pressure on Tory leadership candidates backing no deal by warning that they could lose a vote of no confidence. In a significant intervention, the chancellor said the only way of breaking the Brexit deadlock might be to put the decision back to the people, either through a general election or another referendum. His comments suggest there could be growing openness among some soft Brexit Tories to a second referendum, meaning a majority for it in the House of Commons would not be impossible if Labour were to shift its position to unequivocally back a peoples vote.  The Guardian

Analysis:

How a new leader can avoid a head-on collision with Europe  Peter Foster, Daily Telegraph

Ive seen Raab negotiate with Brussels, and theyre scared of him  Nick de Bois, Daily Telegraph

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Our survey. Eight in ten Party activists oppose a general election this year

as Corbyn dashes hopes of switch to backing another vote

Jeremy Corbyn dashed Remainers hopes he would finally throw Labours support behind a second referendum after rubbishing rumours of a U-turn. The Labour boss said a Peoples Vote was still some way off. Communication Workers Union General Secretary Dave Ward said working class people would feel abandoned if Labour formally backed another vote, adding: That is the biggest threat to getting labour elected. He blasted Remainers for trying to turn this into some kind of culture war, not an economic debate. And he warned that overturning Brexit would attract more support for far-right figures like Tommy Robinson. The Sun

Brexit has left the Labour leader a man out of time  Philip Collins, The Times

Row over Campbells expulsion continues

Pressure grows for u-turn  FT

Liberal Democrats and Brexit Party beat Labour and Tories in new poll

A close ally of Jeremy Corbyn has accused Alastair Campbell of orchestrating his own expulsion from Labour to provoke a row over the partys Brexit policy. The charge by Len McCluskey, general secretary of the Unite union, came as attempts to draw a line under the controversy floundered. Mr Campbell, Tony Blairs former spin doctor, was kicked out of the party after he said that he voted for the Liberal Democrats last week because of their support for a second referendum. More Labour figures lined up yesterday to announce that they too had voted against Labour in the European elections. Sources close to Cherie Blair said she had also voted for a rival party.  The Times

The Liberal Democrats have surged into first place ahead of the Conservatives, Labour and the Brexit Party, a poll has revealed. The pro-Remain party topped the Times/YouGov survey with 24 per cent, the first time it has been in the lead since 2010 under Sir Nick Cleggs leadership. Support for the Brexit Party, which came first in the European parliament elections on 31.6 per cent, dropped back. Twenty-two per cent of voters would back the party if a general election were held now, the poll found. The Tories and Labour were tied on 19 per cent, with the Greens on 8 per cent. It is unprecedented for two challenger parties to take the top places in a voting intention poll, according to Anthony Wells, of YouGov.  The Times

Swinson enters Lib Dem leadership race  The Guardian

Comment:

Scare tactics about the Brexit Party wont save Labour in Peterborough  Tom Harris, Daily Telegraph

Lib Dems must use their failed coalition to build a winning one  John Kampfner, Times Red Box

Editorial:

They have an historic opportunity again  The Times

Scottish Government faces devastating funding gap

T

Labour risks extinction in Scotland if it doesnt embrace Remain  David Martin, Times Red Box

There is no clamour for another independence vote  Alan Cochrane, Daily Telegraph

News in Brief:

Farage is the one figure in British politics who has learnt from his mistakes  Douglas Carswell, CapX

Am I underestimating opium-fiend Rory Stewart?  Iain Martin, Reaction

The strangeness of Hunts leadership campaign  Charles Moore, The Spectator

Five ways to fix broken Britain  Sunder Katwala, UnHerd

Innovation happens when the government stays clear  Andrew Boff, 1828

he Scottish Government is facing a 1 billion black hole in its budget over the next three years, according to official forecasts, prompting warnings of tax rises and spending cuts. The figure, revealed by the Scottish Fiscal Commission, is the result of budgets being adjusted to take account of the fact that Scotland now collects its own income tax, and is more dependent on its own economic performance. The economic watchdog said negative income tax reconciliations meant less money would be available for future budgets. According to its estimates, the budget will be reduced by 229 million next year, a further 608 million in 2020/21 and 188 million from the following year.  Daily Telegraph
Anthony Browne is a former director of Policy Exchange and a former Europe correspondent of the Times.

If there is one issue that caused Brexit more than any other, it is immigration  or more specifically, the ability of the government to control the borders.

The minor but politically iconic issue of having to pay child benefit to EU citizens working in the UK even though their children dont live here caused a media storm, and was at the centre of David Camerons renegotiation before the 2016 referendum. Then, when the referendum came, most pollsters suggest that freedom of movement was a major contributor to the Brexit victory.

The Government is now promising to end freedom of movement, and has proposed a new immigration system that is tougher on unskilled workers and more open for skilled workers, and makes no distinction between EU citizens and non-EU. But UK governments have struggled with many other immigration issues because of EU rules  ranging from access to benefits for the unemployed or lowly-paid EU citizens in the UK; the ability to impose conditions on speaking English on EU doctors; the expulsion of EU criminals, and the rights of EU citizens living in the UK to bring in non-EU spouses.

In some cases, the Government hasnt used powers that it actually has  but its regular tussles with the EU over immigration issues sends out the message to voters that it doesnt control the borders. However, come Brexit, Parliament will be able to decide the rules, and the Government will be able to enforce them. It will be clear to voters that their government has control, and hopefully that will help reduce political concerns over immigration.

Lets return to the issue that in part prompted the referendum  namely the paying of child benefits to children who do not live in the UK. The scale of it is small  33,000 children living outside the UK receiving, about 30 million from taxpayers  but what was more serious was that, despite the media storm, and despite the Government wanting to change the rules, Ministers were powerless to do so. This is not what voters want to hear, and it damages confidence in our political system as a whole.

As part of his renegotiation of UK membership of the EU, David Cameron got agreement partially to reduce (though not stop) these benefits payments to children living outside the UK. That change to the rules was dropped when the UK voted for Brexit. But once it happens, the Government and Parliament will have the power to stop the practice.

If the Government is more clearly in control of the borders, and there is reduced political concern about immigration as a result, it will be free to have a more pragmatic and economically beneficial policy. For example, the Government will only be able to justify its plans to relax rules for skilled workers from around the world if it is simultaneously introducing controls on unskilled EU workers.

Some people supported Brexit primarily because they believed it could lead to a more internationally balanced immigration system  rather than one with no restrictions, say, on Romanians and Bulgarians, but lots of restrictions on Australians. This is now in effect what the Government is planning. In short, Brexit isnt just about ending freedom of movement: by letting the Government control of our borders, it should lead to a better and fairer system overall.
Iain Dale: How will May cope with being written up as the worst Prime Minister in modern history?

Iain Dale presents the evening show on LBC Radio and is a commentator for CNN.

Some of my best ideas come to me while driving round the M25. Last Friday, after appearing on Good Morning Britain, I was a bit bleary-eyed, listening to the radio reports about Theresa Mays resignation announcement, when it hit me.

Given that it looked like there would be up to eight (so I then thought) candidates running, why not get them into the LBC studio for a hour long interview and phone-in?

So at 7.30am I texted all the candidates, or their media SpAds, to test what they thought of the idea. Rather to my astonishment, I got three candidates saying yes within five minutes. And so it continued. No one refused  and as I write we have ten of the eleven declared candidates signed up with definite dates.

However, given we dont know yet when the first ballot will happen, I am a bit worried that one or two candidates may have fallen by the wayside before I get to do the interview.

Im still hoping Boris Johnson will agree to be interviewed. His team havent said no, but they also havent said yes. I understand the reluctance of a frontrunner to do anything which might be considered a risk, but this is a contest in which every candidate has surely got to submit themselves to scrutiny.

I remember that in 2005 Michael Cockerell was mad keen to do a fly on the wall documentary on David Davis. I was and remain a huge admirer of Michaels work, but I told him right from the outset there was no way it was going to happen. He was very persistent, but I didnt weaken for the simple reason that no good could have come from it.

         

Watching May become a tad emotional last Friday was not an easy thing to watch for anybody. It was something many didnt think she was capable of, despite various reports of it happening on several occasions before.

Politicians are human beings, just like the rest of us. We all have breaking points. May has never been given to public displays of emotion, but there have been enough examples to show that she is far from the Maybot that people imagine her to be.

But just as it suited Margaret Thatcher to be known as the Iron Lady, I have always thought it rather suited Theresa May to be seen as someone who had a bit of iron in her soul (even if it is robotic iron).

I have no idea how you cope with ending your time in office with a reputation as the worst Prime Minister in modern history  because that is what she will be tarnished with, however fair or unfair such a verdict may be. Future historians may give her a kinder hearing than todays commentators are willing to, but I doubt it.

Since she is leaving office at the age of 62, I hope she finds something to do which will give meaning to her post- Number Ten days. Perhaps she will stay in the Commons. I hope she does, and is able to build a platform for herself. In this country, we have never been very good at utilising the talents and skills of former Prime Ministers. In America, they do.

They even get enough money from philanthropists to build their own presidential libraries to enable future generations to learn about their presidencies and to guard their reputations. Here, theres none of that.

OK, a Theresa May Prime Ministerial Library might not exactly set the pulses racing, but I wonder whether it isnt time for someone to set up a National Political Museum of some sort. Now theres a thought. Anyone got a spare 20 million?

         

It used to be: so whats going to happen with Brexit, Iain? Id get stopped in the street and asked that by random strangers  or by friends when frankly Id rather be talking about West Ham or anything else other than bleedin Brexit.

The question has now changed to: So is Boris going to win, Iain? As with Brexit, I have to reply that I havent got a clue. Its then followed up by: Who do you want to win then?

You want the truth? I dont know. Which is just as well, given I will be interviewing all the candidates. Ill be using the experience, just like listeners and viewers, to judge who I think is the right person to lead not just the Party, but also the country. We will make all the interviews available as podcasts and Youtube videos for any of you that cant listen to them live each evening.
A new report on cybersecurity says that more than 2.3 billion files are exposed and publicly available by misconfigured and non-secured technologies such as remote servers (including printers), network storage devices, and Amazon S3 buckets (cloud service components similar to file folders).

To simplify it at the consumer level, that data includes customer data such as passport scans and bank statements, as well as business information like intellectual property -- basically any file that may be stored or shared on the internet.

Digital Shadows Photon Research Team is the one shining the light on that staggering number -- a statistic made even more mind-boggling because that 2.3 billion total is a 50 percent jump (750 million files) from last years analysis.

Maybe the most staggering consumer concern that the Photon Team uncovered was some 4.7 million personal, medical-related files are being left out in the open -- including patient records, X-ray scans, and physicians notes. Health record data breaches are nothing new, but they are concerning nonetheless -- especially when the consumer counts on agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prevent cybersecurity attacks on medical devices.

Mining for gold

All indications point to consumers favorite digital hooligans -- cybercriminals -- as the force lurking in the background and conducting this grab-and-run mission.

It would appear threat actors are also attempting to monetize this exposure, theorizes Harrison Van Riper, a Strategy and Research Analyst with Digital Shadows. Within our data set, Photon detected  17 million files had been held hostage by various ransomware variants.

Data protection tips

The takeaway from this analysis is pretty simple: the consumer should always keep current backups and be prepared if and when a ransomware attack happens.

Consumers should be aware that network-attached storage (NAS) drives or other types of file-sharing technologies may not come pre-configured with strong security controls, like a unique and complex password or port blocking to prevent remote access, Riper said when ConsumerAffairs asked him what measures consumers can take to tighten down the clamps on their data.

If these unsecured or misconfigured devices are then connected to the internet, potentially for looking at photos or files by the individual when they are away from home or at the office, this exposure point can be easily identified. Taking a look at the security controls and configuration settings should be the first step when deciding to use a storage service or buy a storage device.
100%

Website gulf-daily-news.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery and Boostrap. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 687604 bytes (671.49 kb uncompressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-03-02, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
100%

Website risasinmas.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 346625 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 61422 bytes (59.98 kb uncompressed) and 12270 bytes (11.98 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-07-31, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
100%

Website tanzeem.org uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery and Boostrap. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 331251 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 176820 bytes (172.68 kb uncompressed) and 38288 bytes (37.39 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-08-24, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
100%

Website ticketnew.com uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 21660 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS. The main html page has a size of 392326 bytes (383.13 kb uncompressed) and 392325 bytes (383.13 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-10-23, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
Stock prices were up modestly in the morning, drifted down in the afternoon but rallied in the last hour, leaving the major indexes with small gains on the day. The S&P 500 index is down roughly five percent so far in May.

The technology sector was quiet today. Netflix had a gain of 0.76 percent while Amazon.com declined 0.16 percent. Software-maker salesforce.com was up 1.81 percent but chipmaker NVIDIA Corp. fell 0.88 percent. Eight of thirteen tech stocks on the index were up today.

Dollar Tree Inc. had the biggest gain on the Entrepreneur Index, rising 3.14 percent after reporting good financial results. The discount retailer beat revenue estimates and hit earnings targets with same-store sales growth of 2.2 percent slightly above expectations. The company lowered its full-year earnings forecast in part because of the impact of tariffs on Chinese-made goods. It also warned that further levies would have additional financial impact. The stock is up 8.8 percent this year.

Pest-control stalwart Rollins Inc. was also up sharply today, rising 2.19 percent. The stock is up 4.5 percent for the year. Other good gains on the index today included diversified manufacturer Danaher Corp.(1.66 percent), healthcare IT provider Cerner Corp. (1.28 percent) and O'Reilly Auto Parts (1.41 percent).

Wynn Resorts had the biggest loss on the index today, dropping 2.59 percent. Wynn is hyper-sensitive to China-related news as it derives more than 70 percent of its revenue from casinos in Macau and needs the Chinese government to renew its licenses to operate there. Earlier this week, the company paid a $35 million fine to the State of Massachusetts related to its handling of sexual allegations against former CEO and founder Steve Wynn.

Specialty retailer Bed Bath & Beyond fell 2.15 percent. Yesterday, the company announced it had reached a deal with activist investors who recently forced former CEO Steven Temares to leave the company. The investors will now support all the company's nominees for an expanded board and has dropped litigation against the company. BBBY is looking for a new CEO. The stock was up more than 70 percent this year through early April, as investors anticipated major changes at the struggling retailer. However, It has fallen more than 34 percent since April 10.

Other notable declines on the index included Capital One Financial (-1.22 percent) and Fedex Corp. (-0.98 percent). Oil and gas producer Hess Corp. was also down 1.28 percent after the price of oil fell nearly four percent today. Gap Inc. was down 1.1 percent on the day but fell more than ten percent in early after-hours trading. The retailer reported earnings after the market close.

The Entrepreneur Index collects the top 60 publicly traded companies founded and run by entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurial spirit is a valuable asset for any business, and this index recognizes its importance, no matter how much a company has grown. These inspirational businesses can be tracked in real time on Entrepreneur.com.

Related:

Dollar Tree Outperforms Quarterly Estimates but Lowers Annual Expectations

Entrepreneur Index and Victoria's Secret Shares Fall as Trade Concerns Affect Market

Treasury Bond Prices Jump While Stock Prices Fall



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Hemp supplied the paper on which the founding documents of American indepedence were written and was a reliable cash crops for generations of American farmers from colonial time until the plant was effectively outlawed as a result of big money politics during the Great Depression. Now that hemp is once again legal, it is again a lucrative cash crop during hard times in rural America.

What's different is that now it is not fiber but cannabinoids, and specifically CBD, that make hemp valuable. But what's the same is that farmers worry just as hemp fiber was muscled aside by big money invested in synthetic fibers in the 1930s, the big money of today will rush biosynthetic cannabinoids to market and squelch the potential of hemp to bring new economic vitality to farm country.

Today the FDA is holding a daylong public hearing on Scientific Data and Information about Products Containing Cannabis or Cannabis-Derived Compounds, which is really a daylong discussion about CBD, though it will have big implications for all cannabinoids as their potential is realized. The hemp industry will be amply represented and has a blunt message for regulators: CBD and all other cannabinoids, other than THC, are legal only when derived from American grown hemp.

Related: Facebook: Stop Censoring Hemp

The source matters, said Steve Bevan, chairman of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable and president of GenCanna, a fast growing hemp processor igniting an agricultural renaissance among Kentucky tobacco farmers seeking a new crop. That is the crux of the congressional intent. It is very clear this (CBD) is supposed to be an agricultural product for the benefit of Americas farmers. This is about developing an industry from the ground up that compensates farmers better than for other crops, where farmers are growing using organic and healthy techniques because they have. It's about a chance to reinvent things, to get in front of all the really big corporate interests so that a bunch of small folks, individual farmers and small emerging brands, have some room to grow.

Hemp was essentially outlawed by the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act (yes, they spelled marijuana with an h) at the successful conclusion of a well-documented power play by the paper industry and the emerging synthetic fiber industry. The resilient plant has been making a major comeback since 2014 when Congress allowed state supervised pilot programs. Hemp was fully legalized in the 2018 Farm Bill, which distinguished hemp with trace amounts of THC, the cannabinoid demonized for its intoxicating effects, from marijuana, which is basically the same plant but with much greater amounts of THC.

By legalizing hemp, Congress opened the door to a legal source of CBD. Bevan argues Congress intended for American hemp farms to be the sole source, to the exclusion of both CBD derived from marijuana containing more than 0.3 THC and from laboratories synthesizing it from yeast.

Related: Why Synthetic CBD Is (Probably) the Future of Cannabis Pharma

The Farm Bill carved hemp out from the Controlled Substances Act and allocated the legal production of hemp to American farmers, Bevan said. The main driver of the modern American hemp business is the cannabinoids derived from it, not including THC. Our message is that Congress intended this legalization of hemp to benefit the American farmer.

Unlike all other agricultural products, no government agency is systematically collecting data on how many acres of hemp are planted or what amounts are harvested, and there is no commodity market or futures exchange posting hemp prices. Nonetheless, hemp is widely seen as immense new opportunity that farmers are seizing, as exemplified by GenCanna itself. The company moved to Kentucky, historically a major hemp producer, after the 2014 Farm Bill allowed a hemp pilot project to be established.

In 2018 GenCanna contracted with about a dozen Kentucky farmers who grew hemp on a bit more than 900 acres. Its 2019 goal is to contract with roughly 50 Kentucky in hopes of getting at least 10,000 acres of hemp planted. The company is building a $40 million hemp processing facility that will create at least 80 new jobs in in Graves County, Kentucky, and has developed, in cooperation with the University of Kentucky, a hemp strain with zero THC that it intends to patent.

While the boom is all about CBD right now, hemp is rich in many other cannabinoids and the rest of the plant has countless uses, all of which Bevan sees as eventually driving even more rural economic development.

"As soon as we and the rest of the industry scales a little more we will take advantage of the fibers, the protein from hemp seeds, the hemp oil rich in essential fatty acids, but first there needs to be that agricultural base," Bevan said. "If you let the farmers grow the floral material for the CBD, you get the fiber for free, you get the seed for free, you get all of the ancillary benefits of that economic potential."

Other companies are making similiar investments in hemp processing and signing deals with farmers in other parts of the country. The industry taking root in farm country need the legal protection that Congress intended, Bevan argues.

Related: Pulling the Cork Out of the Processing Bottleneck Slowing the Hemp/CBD Boom

"The economic intent of this legislation is not to help some pharmaceutical development or Wall Street financial model," Bevan said. "The intent is very simple, to give farmers a new healthful crop that people want and understand. It seems pretty obvious to me those who step outside that clear intent are attempting to profiteer in a way that isn't in the best interests of the majority of people."

Related:

Farmers to FDA: Only CBD From American-Grown Hemp Is Legal

Facebook: Stop Censoring Hemp

Is There Actually Any CBD in That CBD Oil You Bought?



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Is one of your main goals for your life to start your own business? Maybe building your own business has been on your bucket list for a very long time? Don't begin with your current employer; you've already heard the success rate or lack thereof for new startup businesses.

We all have the success ratio of business failure seared into our brains. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 30 percent of businesses fail within their first year and around half of all businesses close-up shop within five years. Only a third of businesses will make it to their tenth anniversary.

There are a number of factors why so many businesses dont succeed. The leading cause is lack of profits and funding, meaning underestimating how much money is needed to fund a business. Does this mean that you should give up on your dream? Absolutely not. But you need the proper tools, resources and mindset before jumping feet-first into your new adventure.

Starting a business, 101.

Starting a business isnt easy -- though it seems like it's effortless when accomplished entrepreneurs share their success stories. We hear about founders who seem to quietly buy a website and turn it into a million-dollar business. In reality, starting a business involves careful evaluation, planning and several financial and legal activities. Let's quickly recap the steps you'll want to take before launching your business.

Evaluate yourself: When thinking about what steps you'll take before launching a business, consider what skills and expertise you already possess. As you examine what youre passionate about and the lifestyle you want to live -- pause ask yourself, Why do I want to start my own business?

Brainstorm business ideas: Begin thinking about what bothers you in the business sector and how you can fix it. Maybe you have the knowledge or expertise to improve an existing business idea. Are you aware of trends and find yourself always thinking ahead of the curve? Do you possess skills that you can apply to a new or existing industry? These questions will help you brainstorm additional business ideas.

Conduct market research: Market research will let you know if theres an opportunity to make a decent profit in differing areas. Extensive exploration and analysis of your market will help you determine what gives your idea a competitive advantage over other similar fields and industries. If possible, give potential customers a chance to interact with your product or service so they can provide feedback to you.

Write your business plan: Your business plan is a blueprint that will guide you throughout the life of your business. In a nutshell, it should discuss the purpose of your business, who your customers are, your long-term goals and how youll finance your business.

Make your business official: There are clear-cut areas to have locked down for a solid business:

Determine the structure of your business (LLC, corporation, or partnership).

Give your business a name.

Registering your business in your state and also federally.

Obtain a state and federal tax ID.

Acquire the proper permits and licenses.

Open up a business bank account.

Register for trademark, copyrights, or patents.

Be sure to get legal advice where needed.

Pick a business location: Thanks to technology, its possible to start a business remotely right from your home. For brick-and-mortar business ideas you'll want to think about demographics, accessibility, proximity to competitors, and the cost of rent and utilities.

Finance your business: How will you finance your business? There are numerous ways you can cover the economics of your new business including saving up the money and funding the business yourself. Many ask friends and family for help or obtain a grant or loan. Other options may be crowdfunding, trading equity, or working with Angel or Venture Capitalist investors.

Develop and improve your product or service: Seek frequent feedback from your target audience to determine what they like and what they dont or won't accept. Hire specialists who can help you turn your dream into a reality.

An essential ingredient for a winning business is your mindset.

Unlike becoming a doctor, electrician, mechanic or lawyer -- there are no standardized tests or certification to announce that you are now prepared to become a business owner. Even an MBA is woefully underwhelming in its claim for business preparation. While there are always classes that business owners will find useful, finding the right ones may take some time.

Your university can give you the classes or courses, and the information you desire in essential areas such as accounting, marketing basics, finances, etc. However, the fact remains that as a business owner, you'll need to develop the right mindset.

No matter how educated, experienced, or passionate you are -- having a winning business mindset will help you. Your mindset will make a difference in how you conduct your business and make personal decisions. Mindset determines how you keep yourself up, happy, motivated and driven.

Related: 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting an Online Business

The entrepreneurial equation.

According to Carol Roth in her influential book The Entrepreneur Equation, here are ten mindsets that every entrepreneur should develop before starting their own business:

Assess your motivation: Yes -- it is your business. But, you will have to answer to customers, partners, lenders, and investors.

Evaluate how you work with others: Even if youre a solopreneur -- you still will have to work with other people -- such as accountants, lawyers, customers, and freelancers. You will want to work together seamlessly with everyone you can in your new business; strengthen your communication and people skills.

Know your responsibilities: Starting and running your own business is a 24/7 job. Know how thats going to affect your personal life.

Sharpen your management skills: You need to know how to manage your team so that they can be more productive. Additionally, you'll need to know how to interact and work with vendors and suppliers. Having experience in your industry could assist with this.

Its not what you know, but who you know: Take stock of your network of professionals. Think about people who can connect you with differing business services -- like lawyers, as well as investors and lenders.

Be honest about your relationship with money: Financial management can make or break your business. If youre a careless spender, then youll probably have cash flow problems. Get control here first -- or youll be spending more than you're bringing in.

Assess your personality: Being a business owner means that you need to be flexible and prepared for the unexpected. If you get extremely stressed when things dont go as planned -- running your own business wont gel with your personality type.

Examine your competitors: A close assessment of your competition allows you to determine what makes you different and how you stand out from other businesses. This information and analytical thought can be used to build your brand.

Test your scalability: Successful business owners do not do everything on their own. They rely on automation and delegation. If your business sinks because youre not around -- then use your skill to have a successful career. Better a successful path of achievement than remaining a failed business owner, though you may "get" to have this passage under your belt, too.

Related: 4 Differences Between Solopreneurs and an Entrepreneur Working Alone

The best entrepreneurial guides and resources.

Starting and running your own business is no easy task. You work a ton of hours, have to face financial uncertainties, and you'll be putting out numerous fires. To make matters worse, youre probably doing all this work by yourself.

The goods news is that there is no shortage of guides and resources that can lend you a hand in starting and managing your business.

General information:

US Small Business Administration: The US SBA is a go-to resource for business owners. Here you can find most of the information you will likely need. You'll learn how to write a business plan, structure a business, register a company, and apply for a permit.

Entrepreneur: Entrepreneur.com is a well-respected publication that shares advice on starting and growing a business. Daily publishing guarantees the popular and up-to-date articles and guides that discuss everything from marketing to taxes to productivity.

The Self Employed: The Self-Employed.com is an excellent site where business owners can find advice about funding, taxes, and marketing their business.

Funding and financing.

Loans: If you need a loan check out sites like Kabbage, BlueVine, Fundbox or Small Business and Community Development Programs.

Grants: For grants, resources like The National Association for the Self Employed and Small Business Innovation Research Program are some of your best options.

Peer-to-peer leadership: Prosper and Funding Circle can connect you with peer-to-peer lenders.

Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding your business? Launch a campaign on Kickstarter or Indiegogo.

How to manage money: Evergreen Small Business provides advice on how small business can keep track of finances.

Legal: LegalZoom allows you to incorporate your business and is affordable.

Rocket Lawyer lets you create legal documents and ask lawyers questions.

Nolo has business forms, as well as guides on how to structure your business.

Atrium is a new upcoming law startup that helps small businesses. Help with everything legal.

Marketing:

Networking:

YEC can help you with professional networking. EO for the more seasoned entrepreneur. Be willing to help others.

Business Networking International (BIN) can help you get referrals by connecting you with other businesses in your community.

SCORE is an organization that pairs businesses with volunteer mentors. This institution helps business owners develop and grow their business. Theres also online resources and online courses.

LinkedIn Small Business requires a membership. Once joined, business owners can use LinkedIn to connect, promote, and network their business.

Volunteer Match can locate volunteer opportunities in your community.

Your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club.

The essential tools you need to start a business.

Finally, you need to use the right tools to help you grow and maintain your business. Thanks to technology, these tools are affordable, easy-to-use and can automate some of your most redundant tasks. While not an extensive list, here are some tools you should consider. I personally use each and every one of these tools and can speak to how amazing they are!

Expensify can easily track your expenses.

LivePlan can help develop a solid business plan.

WordPress is a free platform to build a customized website.

99Designs is a great site to find designers for your logo or website.

Fiverr and UpWork are excellent locations to find talented freelancers.

Aweber and MailChimp can be used to generate leads and run an email marketing campaign.

Hootsuite and Buffer automates your social media efforts, like scheduling posts in advance and engaging with followers.

Due or QuickBooks can make your accounting as painless as possible.

TurboTax lets you do your business and personal taxes yourself.

Trello is a project management system that lets you assign and mentor tasks.

G Suite is the foundation of your business and it comes with Gmail and Drive.

HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing platform that comes with CRM and marketing and sales suites.

Google Adwords and Facebook Ads can market your business online.

Google Analytics provides demographic and behavioral information about your audience, along with which marketing efforts are working.

With Calendar, you can share your calendar with others, as well as use machine learning to receive smart scheduling suggestions.

G2 helps with all your company reviews.

Intercom helps you to chat and market strategically to your potential customers.

For customer service, use Survey Monkey and FreshDesk.

LastPass remembers and stores all of your passwords.

Keeps in touch with clients and virtual workers via Zoom, Lifesize, Slack and Skype..

Gusto handles your HR and payroll needs.

Related: 10 Lessons to Learn From Failing Startups (Including My Own)

There are so many variables you'll face when building your new business. Go into your business knowing that you can do everything correctly and still come out on the short end -- with a failure. There are things for which you can't possibly prepare. Even those things will keep you up nights, they'll provide you with experience for your next go around.

Get tough; go for your new business with everything you have and don't hesitate. You will have many wins in building your business -- but nothing worth doing is effortless.

Related:

Here's How This Former UFC Champion Runs His Company Today

Do This Before You Look for an Investor (60-Second Video)

8 Ways to Power Your Bootstrapped Startup

Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com
BRIDGEPORT  Five days after a city cops out-of-town arrest on a domestic violence charge, officials have not disclosed his status within the Bridgeport Police Department.

Marco Brito, 45, who was sworn in as a Bridgeport cop in 2011, was charged with second-degree breach of peace at about 6:35 p.m. Sunday after a dispute with his ex-wife at his home in Seymour, police there said.

A message was left at Britos listed telephone number Wednesday  the same day Hearst Connecticut Media asked city officials whether any disciplinary action had been taken against Brito as a result of the arrest.

We will get back to you with the information (we) will gather shortly or tomorrow, Terron Jones, a police spokesman, said then. We do not have any information at this time.

Later Friday evening, Jones said Brito was hired as an entry level police officer on April 25, 2011, and has been employed by the city for eight years. His current annual salary is $68,416, Jones said. There was still no word on his current status with the department.

Meanwhile, Seymour police released some new information about Britos arrest  but not his booking photo, which they said was not taken after he allegedly became uncooperative while being processed.

Seymour Police Deputy Chief Roberto Rinaldi declined to release the police report on the incident, but answered a reporters questions about it.

He had a domestic with his ex-wife where it turned physical, at which time officers had probable cause to make the arrest, Rinaldi said.

There were no children involved or injuries to Britos ex-wife, he said.

It just had to do with some personal matters they have, Rinaldi said.

Seymour police said Brito refused to sign a uniform arrest report, or UAR, in the case file at Derby Superior Court. And Rinaldi said Brito was so uncooperative Seymour cops decided not to take his booking photo, or mugshot, which is common practice when police charge a suspect with a crime.

But the deputy chief said Brito did not receive special treatment because he is a police officer.

There are occasions that we dont take booking photos for certain reasons ... He was very uncooperative with us, Rinaldi said. Theres just times its not worth it.

Brito was released after his arrest on a $2,500 nonsurety bond. He appeared in court Tuesday, where a judge issued a protective order that is sealed from public disclosure and continued the case to July 11.
NEW CANAAN  The five Dulos children are safe and with family, the head of their school told hundreds at a prayer vigil for their mother at St. Aloysius Church on Thursday night.

Aaaron Cooper, head of New Canaan Country School, told the gathering of several hundred people that he has been in regular contact with each of the children since Jennifer Dulos disappeared last Friday.

Jennifer Dulos, 50, was last seen dropping off her children at the Frogtown Road school last Friday morning. Dulos was reported missing that night and her black Chevy Suburban was then found parked on the side of Lapham Road behind Waveny Park.

The park along with the neighborhood where Dulos rented a home on Welles Lane have been the focus of police searches this week. The search expanded Thursday to the area near a home owned by Dulos parents in Pound Ridge, N.Y.

New details of the investigation also emerged late Thursday. One source told the Hartford Courant police found blood in Dulos home on Saturday. A WFSB source said law enforcement is now treating the case as a homicide.

Jennifer Dulos has been involved in a two-year divorce case with her husband, Fotis Dulos. In court documents, she said she was afraid of her estranged husband and was fearful he would retaliate against her for seeking a divorce.

The Rev. Robert Kinnally, pastor of St. Aloysius, cautioned not to speculate, not to guess and not to listen to extraneous stories in a statement to the media prior to Thursdays vigil. He echoed those sentiments from the pulpit when opening the service, which occurred on Ascension Thursday in the Catholic faith.

Were gathering here to pray for Jennifer, to pray for her family, to pray for those who love her, to pray for this community, Kinnally said.

A second prayer vigil is planned for 6 p.m. Sunday at St. Marks Episcopal Church, 111 Oenoke Ridge.

Were pulling everybody together to pray and be present for us, for Jennifer, for her family, for the school and to keep hope alive, said the Rev. Elizabeth Garnsey, associate rector of St. Marks, whose children attend New Canaan Country School.

The service on Thursday brought together all the denominations in New Canaan to listen to readings from clergy.

Many of those who gathered did not know Jennifer Dulos.

Virginia Apy said residents had to do something in response to Dulos disappearance.

It was a beautiful service, another attendee, Beth Jones, said.

Maggie Pierce, a 40-year New Canaan resident, said she attended because she has a daughter a few years younger than Dulos.

It resonates, Pierce said.
NEW CANAAN  Blood was found during a search of the New Canaan home of Jennifer Dulos, whos case is now being treated as a homicide investigation, according to various law enforcement sources close to the investigation.

Traces of blood were found Saturday when detectives from the Connecticut State Police Western District Crime Squad was checking Dulos home for clues as to where the mother of five might be, law enforcement sources told the Hartford Courant on Thursday. Dulos was reported missing May 24.

Later Thursday night, WFSB reported that law enforcement sources close to the investigation confirmed the case is being treated as a homicide.

Sources told the Courant it appeared the area of the home where detectives found the traces of blood had been cleaned before detectives found it.

Its unclear whether investigators have matched  or at least tried to match  the blood with Dulos DNA. Police have said the missing person investigation into Dulos disappearance included a criminal competent, per protocol.

Dulos was reported missing by two friends around 7 p.m. May 24 after she missed an 11 a.m. appointment and a 1 p.m. appointment that day, sources told the Courant. Dulos had last been seen dropping her children off at school in New Canaan. She has five children.

Police found Dulos vehicle, a black Chevrolet Suburban, later that night near Waveny Park  one of many focal points of the investigation.

New Canaan Police Lt. Jason Ferraro said the search for Dulos crossed state lines into Pound Ridge, N.Y., on Thursday. The home is reportedly associated with the family.

After confirming that a search happened at a Pound Ridge home on Thursday, Ferraro said no additional information will be provided on that search.

But when it came to details mentioned in the Courants reporting, Ferraro had nothing to say.

Regarding the request for information/confirmation on the story released by the Hartford Courant no comment will be offered regarding any segments of the story, he said. As stated earlier this is an active and ongoing investigation and when appropriate more information will be released.

Two years before Dulos went missing, she was the subject of a 911 call to Farmington police, according to the Courant. The call was made by her then-husband, Fotis Dulos.

The 911 call took place on June 19, 2017 - the day before Dulos filed for divorce. She left the familys Farmington mansion with her children that day and moved to New Canaan.

I am worried about my wife and kids. They left to go to New York and I havent been able to get in touch with them, Dulos told the dispatcher during the more than four-minute June 19 call.

The 911 call is referenced in the nearly 500 pages of divorce records.

Officers responded to the home and spoke with Fotis Dulos, who told the officers the couple had quiet arguments, but never threats or violence, the Courant reported.

As of Thursday night, Dulos has not been found and no arrests have been made. Police continue to investigate and track down leads.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Joseph Farenga at 203-505-1332.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders explained his progressive policy ideas this week to a group of New Hampshire voters.



Sanders said his ideas come from his life experience.

"Knowing what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck, knowing what it is like to worry whether you're going to pay for the light bill or put gas in the car -- that's something that I do know," Sanders said. "I know that in my guts. That's not an intellectual thing. That is something I know and I feel. And that is something that is going on all over this country. I know what it's like for families to live under the stress of, 'My God, what happens if Dad gets sick and has to go to the hospital?'"

Sanders prefers to talk policy over biography, and voters asked what he would do if elected president, including whether he would limit the use of executive orders.

"The answer is yes," Sanders said. "You introduced the magic word the 'president,' so let me just say I think (President Donald) Trump is the most dangerous president in the history of this country. I think we should begin impeachment inquiries through the Judiciary Committee."

On foreign policy, Sanders bristled at the idea of using nuclear weapons to defend the country.

"The answer is not whether I'd be capable of blowing up the entire world. What kind of question is that?" Sanders said. "I would hope no president is ever in that position."

Voters said Sanders, who won the 2016 New Hampshire Democratic primary, is a known commodity, but some are looking for more details on how policies such as "Medicare for All" would work.

"My concern is he's advocating for 'Medicare for All,' when Medicare, the way it's structured, isn't that responsive," said Mary Woods, of Manchester.

The Vermont senator remains a top contender in New Hampshire, but some voters said they want to see the field winnowed down before making their choice.

"Maybe when it gets down to six or seven, I can probably figure out what I want," said George Matthews, of Nashua.
For many of us, having clean drinking water is something we take for granted.

Overall, the United States has one of the safest supplies of drinking water in the world.

But water crises in cities such as Flint , Michigan, and Pittsburgh have thrust water supply woes into the spotlight.

In fact, a recent study found that there are sites in 43 states where water is contaminated with toxic fluorinated compounds .

As part of an Infrastructure Report Card released in 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Americas drinking water a D.

In its research, the agency cited aging pipes  with many of the 1 million miles of pipes well past their lifespan. About 240,000 water main breaks happen each year.

In order to maintain and expand water service to meet demands for the next 25 years, $1 trillion is needed to maintain and expand service, according to the American Water Works Association.

From bathing to laundry and cooking, Americans use about 42 billion gallons of water each day.

Most (about 80 percent) of the countrys drinking water is sourced from areas such as lakes, rivers and oceans.

The remaining water is sourced from groundwater aquifers.

About 300 million Americans get their drinking water from a municipal water system.

The American Society of Civil Engineers report says a majority of systems are primarily funded through rate payers.

The investment has been inadequate for decades and will continue to be underfunded without significant changes as the revenue generated will fall short as needs grow, the report says.

But the report says that drinking water infrastructure doesnt stop at updating pipes, reservoirs and plants.

As watersheds continue to be impacted by shifting migration patterns, land use changes, consumption trends, and extreme weather, water infrastructure upgrades will be required to meet new demands. With proper planning, education and conservation utilities are making strides to ensure demand is met for decades to come, the report says. Water conservation and improvements in water-use efficiency appear to have gained a general acceptance among water utilities as a sensible practice of water management.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- BYD on May 28 launched the construction of its power battery production base at Ningxiang Hi-tech Zone in Chinas Hunan Province, according to local media outlets.

Involving a total investment of RMB5 billion and covering an area of 640mu (around 426 thousand square meters), the first phase of the new base is expected to generate an annual sales of roughly RMB10 billion and offer 2,000 posts for local residents.

The Ningxiang factory is designed to manufacture such core products as power battery cells and modules, and also develop relevant supporting businesses.



BYD has kept expanding its power battery manufacturing facilities in recent years. On February 22 of 2019, a NEV battery factory, which involves an overall investment of RMB10 billion, was officially put into construction in Bishan District of Chongqing. It is said that the automaker is going to set up 8 lithium ion battery production lines at the Bishan base, which is able to output 20GWh of power battery on an annual basis.

Apart from the bases in Chongqing and Ningxiang (a county-level city under the administration of Changsha), BYD still has three regional bases for battery power productionfactories in Shenzhen and Huizhou get a total capacity of 16GWh; Xining factory in Qinghai Province, which began production in last June, features a planned annual capacity of 24GWh; the Xi'an factory is still underway.
STORY LINK Pound Swiss Franc (GBP/CHF) Exchange Rate Sinks as Swiss Retail Sales Improve

GBP/CHF Exchange Rate Falls despite Dovish Swiss Economic Outlook

GBP/CHF Exchange Rate Falls as Brexit Fears Weigh Heavily on Sterling

GBP/CHF Outlook: Conservative Leadership and Brexit to Remain in Focus

Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues:

The Pound Swiss Franc (GBP/CHF) exchange rate is down and is currently trading around 1.2645Fr at the time of writing.The Swiss Franc (CHF) rose against the Pound (GBP) following the publication of the Swiss retail sales figures for April, which improved above the consensus of -0.8% to -0.7%.However, these figures were weaker than last years, providing some doubt for traders in the health of the Swiss economy.This has come after Ronald Indergand, the Swiss Government Economist, dovish said this week:Our current view for below-average growth in Switzerland this year remains our base-case scenario. The general environment has stayed the same and in some cases has deteriorated.The Swiss Franc has also benefited from its safe-haven status, as the US-China trade war raged on this week, with one Chinese official labelling US actions as naked economic terrorism.Dai Xianglong, the former Governor of the Peoples Bank of China, however restored faith in a resolution between the two superpowers, saying:Leaders of China and the U.S. will meet late next month in Japan and I hope there will be positive news [from the meeting].The Pound failed to gain following the publication of the UK GfK consumer confidence figures for May, which rose to an eight-month high at -10.Joe Staton, a GfK Executive, remained generally downbeat, however, saying:Consumers will need to be convinced in heart, head and wallet that Brexits murkiness has finally come to an end.Today also saw the release of the UK consumer credit figures for April, which increased by 0.942bn.However, with the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the future leadership of the Conservative Party, Sterling traders have remained jittery on fears of a possible no-deal exit from the European Union.Meanwhile the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned the Government of the dangers of a chaotic exist.Director General Carolyn Fairbairn, commented:Short-term disruption and long-term damage to British competitiveness will be severe if we leave without one. The vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no-deal, particularly our [small and medium-sized] members who cannot afford complex and costly contingency plans.Swiss Franc traders will be looking ahead to Monday next week for the publication of the Swiss consumer price index figures for May, which are expected to hold steady at 0.7%.These will be followed by the Swiss SVME purchasing managers index figures for May.Pound traders, meanwhile, will be looking to Mondays Markit Manufacturing PMI figures for May, which are expected to ease, likely weakening the GBP/CHF exchange rate.The GBP/CHF exchange rate is likely to remain subdued until Brexit and the uncertainty surrounding the Conservative leadership shows any signs of development.The Pound could fall further if there is increasing signs of a hard-Brexiter leader, with Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary, increasingly becoming the most favourable candidate.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

TAGS: Pound Swiss Franc Forecasts
Windber duo earns Female and Male Athletes of the Week for Dec. 17-23
By Marlene Stocks

Owner, Senior Transition Services

I love my house and my things. I will never leave! Its a classic lament spoken by older individuals who are confronted with the decision of moving from their current home of decades into the safety of a retirement community.

And so it was for Elsie, a feisty 98-year-old woman, who lived alone in a large two story house. She had no relatives to help her. She relied on the personal assistance she received from two special women  a caregiver who visited once a week and a trusted friend, Barbara, who also served as her power of attorney.

For a long period, Barbara tried to convince Elsie that the time had come for her to seriously consider moving from her house, which she had furnished with antique furniture and other collectibles she acquired over the years. The house had fallen into despair, as evidenced from the gaping hole in the living room ceiling that exposed the insulation, most likely caused by a water leak. Wallpaper was pealing off the walls; mold and dust filed the air as the rooms had not been thoroughly cleaned for some time.

Yet, Elsie insisted that she would remain in her beloved home amongst the treasures, even though her declining health prohibited her from climbing the steps to the bedrooms on the second floor. She compensated by setting up a bed in her living room where she slept.

Barbara knew that it was only a matter of time before a crisis would force Elsie to move. During the past winter, that fear turned into reality. Elsie fell. This fall occurred at the worst possible time  when the house had lost heat. She was found on the floor by her caregiver three days later and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Thankfully she survived the fall and the lack of heat. Elsie was told that she would never walk again, but that motivated her to prove the medical team wrong. She was resilient and after a careful rehab regimen and much determination, she did regain the ability to walk again.

This incident, which could have easily ended Elsies life, opened the door for a new one. Now with the strong recommendation of the hospitals social workers, who felt that Elsie could not safely return home, Barbara was able to convince Elsie that she needed to move into an environment where she would receive the proper care, better nutrition and socialization which she didnt have at her present home. And with that incentive, Elsie moved into a nearby retirement community.

Elsie has adjusted surprisingly well to her new environment. She enjoys the attention and personal care she is now receiving from the caregivers there. A few carefully selected items were taken from her house to her new apartment in order to recreate the feeling of home for her. But most miraculously, she hasnt asked about the remaining stuff in her house. The antique furniture, artwork, books, dishes, and clothing she purchased decades ago are no longer of any interest to her. They appear to be a part of her past, which no longer appeal to her.

Theres a sense of liberation from her stuff as she has carefully surrounded herself with the best items that fill her apartment with contentment and happiness. It can truly be said that less is more!

Marlene Stocks is the owner of Senior Transition Services, a senior move management company based in Huntingdon Valley. As a certified senior move manager, Marlene and her team provide their clients and families peace of mind by managing every detail of the clients move, as well as their content removal needs. Senior Transition Services has proudly served 950 families in the 5 county area and South Jersey since 2008. www.Senior-Transition-Services.com. 215-947-5490.
Millions will nod in recognition, I suspect, when I say that the following conversation is repeated in households all over the land, almost every evening of our lives: 'Anything on the box tonight, darling?'

'Nah! Nothing much.'

But, of course, this answer has never been less true. There is far, far more on the box tonight, and every night of the year, than there has ever been before.

I managed to sit through two whole series of Game Of Thrones before I stopped caring

Apart from the proliferation of terrestrial stations, multiplying like rabbits on aphrodisiacs, we can now choose our evening's viewing from a massive selection offered by catch-up services and subscription channels such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Sky's Now TV.

Netflix alone, finds a study this week for the media regulator Ofcom, lets us pick from a library of 32,600 hours of films and TV series. If we were obsessive enough to watch the lot, it would take us almost four years of continuous viewing, day and night, to get through it all.

And still we wouldn't be finished, since the American company invests some 9.5 billion a year in commissioning new programmes to add to our must-watch lists.

That's not to mention the 22,600 hours of viewing offered by its closest competitor, Amazon, or the 12,600 hours available from Now TV. Add the 10,120 hours on Channel 4's on-demand service, All 4, the 5,100 hours on BBC iPlayer and the 2,950 on ITV Hub and the expression 'spoilt for choice' hardly covers it.

So why is it that I, like so many others, experience increasing difficulty in settling down to anything seriously worth watching on TV?

Most emphatically, I assure you that I am not one of those old fogeys who regard television as an instrument of the devil  along with other manifestations of modern life such as online shopping and contactless payment cards.

Much as I loved Breaking Bad (above), do I really have the energy to sit through Better Call Saul, its much-praised prequel?

Neither would I describe myself as particularly picky when it comes to choosing what to watch.

On the contrary, I've always been a bit of a telly addict and  as Mrs U will testify  I'm prepared to sit through almost any old rubbish (though I draw the line at the likes of Love Island and Mrs Brown's Boys).

I even watched two whole series of Game Of Thrones before I began to feel I'd got the gist and stopped caring what happened to the Snows, the Starks, the Lannisters, Daenerys Targaryen and the rest.

Nor do I share the opinion of a fellow regular at the pub up the road from the Mail's HQ. Almost every lunchtime for at least the past 14 years, this dear friend has moaned that the golden age of TV died at about the time the BBC's 1967 dramatisation of The Forsyte Saga came to an end.

No, there's not only much more choice than in my youth, but it seems to me that among all the drivel there's also a great deal more first-class TV  slicker, more gripping, better scripted and more lavishly produced  than in the days when we had only two channels to choose from (or three, from the launch of BBC2 in 1964).

For me, one of the many attractions of my four-fifths retirement last December was that I'd be able to catch up on programmes my friends raved about  series such as The West Wing, Mad Men, The Crown, The Bridge and many more  series I'd missed when I was in full-time work, because there were simply not enough hours in the day.

It was with this in mind that I've kept renewing the year's subscription to Netflix given to me a while ago for my birthday by our third son (a very shrewd gift, that, since the boy has used it far more often than I have. For him, that's three years' viewing, so far, for the price of one!)

Though I could almost swear that I cancelled it ages ago, I also seem to have an active subscription to Amazon Prime, which I took out after falling for an introductory offer, tempted by free next-day deliveries of goods bought online.

A friend has threatened not to speak to me until I get round to watching Fleabag, starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Apparently, my Prime membership gives me to access to those 22,600 hours of programming.

But since I've never worked out how to watch an Amazon video on my TV, I've never taken advantage of it. (Which reminds me, I really must have another crack at cancelling that subscription  though if friends' experience is any guide, this is much more easily said than done.) As for Netflix, six months to the day since I gave up full-time work I find I watch it hardly at all. Like so many others, I occasionally scroll through the countless programmes on offer, without seeing anything that particularly catches my fancy.

It's a bit like the experience of dining in a restaurant where the menu is far too long. As a rule of thumb, the fewer the dishes on offer, the more care goes into preparing them and the tastier they are.

Even when I do happen upon a blockbuster show recommended by friends, my heart tends to sink.

Much as I loved Breaking Bad, which I watched week by week as it came out, do I really have the energy to sit through series 1-4 of Better Call Saul, its much-praised prequel?

To return to the restaurant analogy, I get the same sort of feeling on being presented with a giant-sized portion. No matter how tempting the dish, I find an overloaded plate turns what should be a treat into a daunting ordeal.

Yet like a great many others who use the streaming service only once in a blue moon, I can't quite bring myself to cancel my Netflix subscription. Put it down to stupidity, if you like, but I prefer to think of it as a deep-seated human fear of missing out.

God knows, the social pressure to spend our entire lives glued to the TV has never been stronger. As an experiment yesterday lunchtime, I asked a group of friends in the pub what I ought to be watching. All gave different answers.

One said I absolutely must watch Chernobyl. It was brilliant and I'd love it. Another said Brockmire (search me) should be right at the top of my list. Others recommended The Good Wife, The Trip, Happy Valley and Unforgiven.

Yet another of my fellow regulars suggested I was criminally insane not to have watched The Bridge, saying it was miles better than The Killing (which I did watch, and much enjoyed).

Another friend has threatened not to speak to me until I get round to watching Fleabag, rating it ten times more highly than the excellent Killing Eve, also by the multi-talented Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Oh, give an old man a break! In the old days, if we missed a programme, that was that. Either there would be no second chances, or we would have to wait for a repeat. In 2019, there's no such excuse. Yet who has the time to keep up?

Which brings me back to the greatest mystery of all. With countless such must-see programmes on offer, why is it that so many of us will tell each other tonight that there's nothing much on TV  and end up vegging out in front of Britain's Got Talent?
A bride, who is 21 years older than her fiance, has revealed her wedding struggles with her toy-boy groom as he insists she wears a traditional white dress.

Vanessa, 47, from South Africa, who admitted she was older than her fiance's mother, appeared on tonight's episode of TLC's Curvy Brides Boutique to hunt for her perfect wedding dress with friends Jo Cooke and Alison Law.

But her ideas of a perfect dress seem to differ from that of her groom, Nathan, 26, who wants her to wear a traditional white wedding gown.

South African born Vanessa ends up opting for a dress that she knows Nathan will love, as she calls the wedding 'his vision' and 'Nathan's baby.'

South African born Vanessa arrived at the boutique in Essex for help finding her husband's dream wedding dress

While bride Vanessa admitted she wasn't bothered about what she wears on the big day, Nathan insists she walk down the aisle in a traditional white gown

Visiting the boutique five months before the big day, she revealed husband-to-be Nathan is 'one of the kindest people' she's ever met.

Despite the 21-year-age gap, the couple say they fell for each other almost the moment they met.

Having met online, Vanessa invited Nathan over to do some chores at her home - and it didn't take long for sparks to fly between the couple.

Nathan revealed: 'I fancied Vanessa as soon as I met her - of course. I'm constantly bragging about Vanessa to all of my friends.'

The couple - who have a twenty one year age gap - met online, with Nathan saying he fell for Vanessa 'straight away'

'She knows a whole different amount of skills, photography, cooking, craft - these are all things that no one in my sort of age group knows anything about'

But having been married once before, she admits she isn't bothered about having a huge white wedding.

The couple have chosen the unconventional venue of their favourite local curry house for their wedding reception.

But in every other aspect, Nathan wants a traditional day, with Vanessa revealing:'The wedding is Nathan's baby.'

But she called the wedding 'Nathan's baby' and said she wasn't keen on having a big event to celebrate

Nathan couldn't hide his distain when his bride Vanessa admitted she wasn't planning on wearing white to the wedding

'Nathan wants all the bells and all the whistles and I don't.' And the groom can't hide his distain when Vanessa admits she isn't planning to wear white - despite him telling her he 'hopes' to see her in the colour on the day.

She explained: 'He wants me to wear a wedding dress. He wants a veil. He wants a train. He wants a tiara. I'm surprised he doesn't want to put me on top of the cake.'

When Vanessa arrives at the boutique, she tells the same thing to boutique owners Jo and Alison.

The bride told boutique owner Jo Cook that the wedding was 'Nathan's vision' and that she didn't want a train, a veil or any fuss

She said: 'Normally the wedding is all about the bride - this is Nathan's day. I've been married before. It's his vision.'

She shocked the wedding boutique owners by continuing: 'I'm older than his mum. By a month.'

Vanessa and her friends admit they all call him the 'sex hamster', collapsing into fits of giggles.

But when it comes to the dress, there's no messing about, with Vanessa saying: 'I don't want a veil, I don't want a train, I don't want fuss.

The bride ends up opting for exactly the kind of dress she knows Nathan will like - with plenty of lace, which he has hinted he loves

'That's the kind of thing I wouldn't like. But that's the kind of thing Nathan would like.'

And as the boutique owners begin to look through potential options, Vanessa has her groom's wishes on her mind.

She said: 'I know he loves lace. He has mentioned lace on so many occasions.'

But Jo and Alison are divided, saying:'I don't know if I'm pleasing Vanessa or Nathan at the moment.'

But when she tries on one strapless gown, she can't help but reveal she loves the princess dress

Admitting she 'feels pretty', Vanessa opts for a huge white princess gown, with plenty of lace - which she knows Nathan loves

The first dress leaves Vanessa chuckling and making jokes, so it's up to the boutique owners to find her something that she could feel confident in.

And the second gown she tries on leaves her in awe, as she reveals: 'I don't think I would have ever thought about myself in this kind of dress.'

But she knows Nathan will 'love' the princess dress, and she admits she may finally be coming round to the idea, saying: 'I love the way this dress makes me look. I feel pretty.'
Over the past 12 months the popularity of indoor plants has skyrocketed, with thousands of Australians flooding social media with snaps of lush greenery collections each day.

For those who want to embrace the trend but don't have time to care for the real thing, many homewares brands are now offering faux options so realistic you can barely tell the the difference.

There's a number of Australian brands selling them online - and they range from $39 to $199 depending on what you're after.

Over the past 12 months the popularity of indoor plants has skyrocketed, with thousands of Australians flooding social media with snaps of lush greenery collections each day

An added bonus is the fact that none of these plants will need any watering, pruning, fertilising or maintenance of any kind to retain their freshness.

Online store Zanui has a variety of affordable fake plants to choose from.

Send tropical vibes throughout your space with the realistic Artificial Areca Palm Plant for $199.95.

Mocka's Bird of Paradise Artificial Plant is a 'stunning piece of indoor greenery' and has a realistic appearance due to the fact that it was modelled off of the real deal

Another realistic option from the same store is the Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Artificial Plant for $99.95

The palm fronds are made of plastic and have been reinforced with wire for a strong but flexible design.

The website Mocka are also selling a variety of very realistic looking plants to help freshen up any room.

Their Bird of Paradise Artificial Plant is a 'stunning piece of indoor greenery' and has a realistic appearance due to the fact that it was modelled off of the real deal.

The Artificial Areca Palm Plant will set you back $199.95 (left) and the The Artificial Calathea Fasciata, Green will cost you $113.95 (right)

For $79.95 the fake house plant features the signature feathery leaves on the end of the long stalks.

Another realistic option from the same store is the Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree Artificial Plant for $99.95.

'With a bold and memorable silhouette, a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree is the it plant of interior design making it the statement plant everyone wants in their home,' the site says.

One popular item is the Faux Potted Trailing Succulent for $39 which is potted in a ceramic container

Another one shoppers can't go past is the Faux Crane Flower (left) and the Faux Fan Palm Tree for $199 which adds a touch of the tropics (right)

'Named for its large violin-shaped leaves that resemble a fiddle, our faux plant includes natural-looking details like the thick and leathery leaves with a beautiful dark green texture.'

Website West Elm have plenty to choose from in their range of faux plants too.

One popular item is the Faux Potted Trailing Succulent for $39 which is potted in a ceramic container.

Another one shoppers can't go past is the Faux Crane Flower which is more than a metre tall, adding instant drama and a touch of vibrant colour for $199.

Or there is the Faux Fan Palm Tree for $199 which adds a touch of the tropics.
Advertisement

CHIN UP! TROOPS ARE WAVED OFF ON D-DAY AND WELCOMED TO EUROPE

A dip, a skip, a toast to the troops  these heartwarming images, brilliantly enhanced with vivid colour, show there was plenty to smile about away from the battlefield

Learning the ropes: soldiers enjoy a skip with children before heading off to France

Doing the rounds: locals in east London give troops bound for Normandy a cheery send-off with bottles of milk

Come on in, the waters lovely: two US soldiers take a dip on a beach just days after the landings

Inky pinky parlez-vous: British soldiers aboard a boat on their way to the Normandy beaches enjoy the lull before the storm by swotting up on a tourist guide to France

Ill be mother: a British soldier shares his soup with a little girl in Caen

For you, the war is over: An injured German prisoner is wheeled through the streets of Cherbourg in a handcart, much to the disdain of French civilians

Say it with flowers: two RAF officers are presented with bouquets by appreciative children in France on 10 June, 1944

Got you: British troops parade a captured German soldier in a camouflaged armoured vehicle during the fighting for Caen

Normandys got talent: the first organised show for troops in Normandy following D-Day

SNAPSHOTS FROM HISTORY

Fit for action: A last-minute limber-up on the quayside for these American soldiers before boarding the boats that will take them across the Channel

Strike a light: A cheery local helps Churchill light his cigar as he and US general Cecil Moore drive through Cherbourg

Trunk calls: So-called lumberjills, who helped to step up homegrown timber production, pile up tree trunks for the saw mills

Action men: US troops complete their final training in a picture-postcard English village shortly before D-Day

On a clear day: RAF fighters escort Lancaster bombers through summer skies on a daylight operation over occupied France after D-Day

Play time: Three boys in northern France admire their new climbing frame, an abandoned German tank, in August 1944

Chocks away: British airborne pathfinders  who land first to mark drop zones  synchronise watches on 5 June at Harwell in Oxfordshire
Growing up, Marie Rose always suspected her mother Charlotte was a 'lady of the night' - and at the age of 12, she had her suspicions confirmed.

But far from being shocked and appalled by her mum's choice of career, the teenager said she 'couldn't be prouder' - and it's a sentiment that's only intensified as she's got older.

Marie, now 18 and a student at university, says her mother - who has been a sex worker since she was 17 - is her 'role model' and 'an amazing influence' on her and her friends.

Charlotte's partner Colin Chapman, a 50-year-old builder and author, is equally 'unfazed' by her job, and claims they are no different to any other 'conventional couple'.

The couple, who live together in Essex and share five children, have been in a relationship for three years and Colin insists he never gets jealous of 38-year-old Charlotte's sexual clients.

Despite the fact he's lost a number of friends and copped a fair share of backlash online, Colin insists his girlfriend's job is not an issue and 'shouldn't define who she is'.

Charlotte's daughter Marie said she wouldn't become a sex worker herself because she lacks the body confidence required to do the job

Marie admitted it was difficult growing up and not being able to spend as much time with her mum as she'd have liked to, as she regularly worked nights and weekends, but said they now have an incredibly close bond.

While she '100 per cent' respects the industry her mother works in, Marie said she wouldn't become a sex worker herself because she lacks the body confidence required to do the job.

Marie, who is studying youth work and community development, told FEMAIL: 'It's something that's crossed my mind to get a bit of cash, but I don't have the patience to create profiles and do all the social media involved.

'It really upsets me that people don't respect it as an actual career because it's so much hard work, there's so much admin that goes into it that people wouldn't have the patience for.

Colin Chapman, a 50-year-old builder and author, has been in a relationship Charlotte Rose, 38, for three years and the pair share five children

'It's like being a social media influencer, it's very hard, and I'm not that self-independent to do that sort of work.'

She added that one of the advantages of having a parent who's a sex worker is the amount of 'knowledge' she has gleaned about sex and relationships.

'We're so open with talking about relationships and sex. When it's come to boyfriends it's been very easy to talk to my mum, whereas it's something my friends have really struggled with, so I've often passed on knowledge from my mum to them,' Marie said.

'Because I'm at uni now, I have a lot of friends thinking about having a sugar daddy or doing webcam work and I definitely help them out with any information that my mum can give me to transfer to them.'

Marie, pictured as a child with Charlotte, said she struggled with the lack of quality time she was able to spend with her mother growing up, as she often worked nights and at weekends, but says they're now incredibly close

She added that her mother has helped her to 'accept myself and what I look like' and instilled a desire in her to want to help people.

Many of Charlotte's clients are men with disabilities, who have limited movement and communication skills.

'What she does has opened my eyes, made me less judgemental and more accepting,' Marie said. 'I would love to work for an international organisation that is helping people. Young kids mainly, up to the age of 25, with disabilities or mental health issues.'

While she is very accepting of her mother's career, which she insists has never spilled into their family home, Marie admitted she only told a very small circle of friends while she was at school.

Student Marie, pictured as a little girl, said her mother has helped her to 'accept myself and what I look like' and instilled a desire in her to want to help people.

'Mum originally told me that she was working with computers, so I used that line with other people, especially teachers when they asked me what she did,' Marie recalled.

'I kept it a secret for a while, only being open with my close friends, which I told at a rate of one a year! I felt that if I were to have told my teachers, they probably would have spoken to me or treated me a bit differently.

'The majority of my friends who I tell now think that she's a porn star, and I'm like, "No that's not what I said at all!"'

These days Marie prefers to use the term escort when describing what her mother does, and dislikes the word prostitute for it's 'negative connotations'.

Recalling the moment her mother told her what she does for a living when she was 12 years old, Marie said she already suspected her mother was an escort.

These days Marie prefers to use the term escort when describing what her mother does, and dislikes the word prostitute for it's 'negative connotations'

'She worked late and had clients at night, so my only thoughts were that she was doing that,' she admitted.

'She told me that she worked with disabled people a lot, and she gave a lot of them comfort. She said she does sleep with clients, but a lot of the disabled people just want company and comfort, and that she does therapy for relationships.

'I was just really proud of her, it put a smile on my face because I knew she was doing good for other people and I was always accepting of it.'

It was a conversation Charlotte didn't need to have with Colin, after they met for the first time at a Christmas party.

'I was well aware of who Charlotte was and what she did for a living, and it didn't faze me because I didn't have an issue with it,' he told FEMAIL.

When it comes to sex, which they tend to have three or four times a week on average, Colin said he and Charlotte go through the ' same highs and lows of anyone else in a normal relationship'

'For me there are two types of sexual relations. One of them is intimate, it's loving, it's within a relationship and special and meaningful; the other is more like scratching an itch, satisfying yourself sexually.

'Because I can understand both sides of it, which I do think men find easier to do than women, I don't see her work as a problem, because it's not loving or intimate.'

When it comes to sex, which they have three or four times a week on average, Colin said they go through the 'same highs and lows of anyone else in a normal relationship'.

He added that he wasn't perturbed by Charlotte's sexual history, claiming he too considers himself quite experienced and pointing out that often this is irrelevant when it comes to having a connection with your partner.

Colin and Charlotte are both active on social media and have been subjected to some pretty vile online abuse, with him branded a 'pimp' and her a 'w****', but Colin said receiving backlash from friends was far more hurtful

'Charlotte will come home from work sometimes tired, but that doesn't mean to say it's to do with her work, because she may have done training all day with no sexual contact,' he said.

'I may come home from work tired and not want it. I've always had a very high sex drive, it's been an issue for me in the past, but I think we've got a healthy balance in our relationship.'

While he never gets jealous of Charlotte's clients, Colin said she does sometimes resent her having to work unsociable hours.

'I will sometimes feel jealous of time lost. For example, I work a conventional Monday to Friday job, and I might be jealous if she has an overnight booking on the Saturday which would mean she's tired on a Sunday and it impacts on our time,' he explained.

'I'm jealous of the time I'm not getting with her rather than jealous of the fact she's doing what she's doing for work.'

Marie said she definitely missed her mother during her childhood, as she was always busy and stressed with work

To combat this, the couple make sure they book in quality time together, usually spent camping in their motor home.

'We like to go off grid, we go foraging for mushrooms and that becomes completely and utterly our time with no distractions,' Colin said.

'My favourite time, and where I feel I get Charlotte completely, is when we do things like the foraging because we're so engrossed in it. We're no different to what people would call a conventional couple, taking themselves away from life's distractions to get quality time together.'

Missing out on time spent together is something Marie also struggled with growing up. She explained: 'I definitely missed Mum a lot during my childhood. I didn't see her that much, she was always very busy with work and very stressed.

Colin said Charlotte has changed his perception of sex workers, as 'beneath labels, there are normal everyday people'

'I think it definitely made it harder for us to be close when I was younger, but now I've matured and I understand completely why she was the way that she was; she did her best to make sure my brother and I had a roof over our heads.

'She's definitely made me a much stronger person, especially because of what she does.'

Colin and Charlotte are both active on social media and have been subjected to some pretty vile online abuse, with him branded a 'pimp' and her a 'w****', but Colin said receiving backlash from friends was far more hurtful.

Charlotte began her career in the sex industry at the age of 17 and wants to be Britain's top sex guru

'I tell them it's double standards, because they look at porn, so they're objectifying a woman who's selling a sexual product, yet they claim my partner is wrong to sell a sexual product,' he said.

'I've lost a couple of friends, but the people that are most important to me are very happy. They know the real Charlotte, for who she is in real life.'

He said Charlotte has changed his perception of sex workers, as 'beneath labels, there are normal everyday people'.

'You strip it away and we're all the same,' Colin explained. 'We're all flesh and blood and we deserve the same respect as human beings as everybody else.'
Thousands of women have revealed the various objects they carry with them in order to make sure they stay safe while out running.

Amanda Deibert, a TV writer from Los Angeles, California, took to Twitter on Wednesday, May 29, to ask her followers what kind of things they take with them when they go for a run in case they ever need a weapon.

'One of my mom groups has a thread that is just women listing and recommending which kind of protection they take when them when they go out running (ie. pepper spray, alarm necklaces, whistles, etc) in case you wondered what being a woman is like,' she wrote.

Yikes! Thousands of women have revealed the various objects they carry with them in order to make sure they stay safe while out running in a viral Twitter thread (stock image)

Viral: Twitter user Amanda Deibert, a TV writer from Los Angeles, asked her followers what they use when they go out running

Interesting: Since Amanda shared the tweet, over 1,000 different female Twitter users have shared the different objects they carry with them when they go running

She followed the post with a subsequent tweet, asking her own female followers what they use when they're running alone, prompting more than a thousand women to respond.

One Twitter user said she takes certain precautions to make sure she is safe, explaining: 'I pick safer places to run, never one exit/entrance and I dont run at night. I have to change my lifestyle to remain safe & alive.'

Another user said she carries several items to make sure she's safe while out adventuring alone.

'I don't run, but I do hike a popular trail alone,' she said. 'I always have 2 knives on me. a 3.5" I hide between my shirt and backpack. A 6" I keep in my backpack.

'And I carry a very visible loud whistle around my neck. My cell phone is also attached to my arm and tracks my location,' she added.

Prepared: Many women said they carry knives, pepper spray or sharp car keys in order to protect themselves should they run into any trouble while out running alone

Similarly, another Twitter user said she supplied her daughter with a weapon should she ever come into trouble and need to defend herself.

'My daughter runs with a vest and we modified it to carry a knife which she knows how to use to devastating effect (thank you to my favorite cousin a retired SEAL),' she said.

One woman said she carries car keys as a means of protection.

'I have my car key in between my right hands index and middle fingers in a tight fist,' she said. 'Another note: I'm starting to go to a local school's track & every time my back is to the parking lot, i turn down my music and take out an earbud so i can hear anyone coming if i'm alone [sic].'

Similarly, another user said: 'This applies to running just as much as walking home late, but I put my keys in between my fingers wolverine style.

'I used to carry pepper spray, not anymore because a rookie cop in NYC gave me a difficult time that I can't carry it,' she added.

'Mace bracelet and a pocket knife,' another responded. 'It's funny how it doesn't even seem odd anymore that we need to have weapons to go on a run.'

However, one user admitted she is so scared to exercise outside alone that she has stopped running altogether.

Wow! Others said they don't carry anything with them, however, they inform a friend or family member that they're going out alone before they head out

'It has gotten to the point where I am afraid to run in new places. One of my favorite activities is now too frightening,' she explained.

Several others revealed they only ever go running in the company of their dogs.

'I bring my best friend with me,' one woman said, referring to her dog. 'I know he wouldnt let something happen to me.'

Someone else said she takes all five of her dogs with her if she goes running.

'I always run with my dog,' another user said. 'She's a big softie but having her with me makes me feel safe, and she also loves to run! It helps that she looks like a big wolf so people generally give her a wide berth.'

Several others said they tell a family member when they're heading out.

'I send a link to my SO when I'm on a run so he can access my location at any time but will also alert him if I stop moving for more than 5 minutes,' one woman explained.

'I also carry keys and pepper spray. Running as a woman is dangerous. It's gotta stop,' she added.

Similarly, another said: 'I don't carry anything, but I tell my fiance, send him my location and ask him to monitor it and check in if he doesn't hear from her in an hour.'

Understanding: Several men responded to the thread, with a few saying they consciously distance themselves from female runners if they're out exercising alone

Meanwhile, several male users responded to the thread. One user said he consciously distances himself from female runners while out running.

'I think about this a lot when I run (very early mornings when it's dark) and encounter solo female runners, particularly if I find myself behind the other runner,' he said.

'I always change route or cross the road to remove the sense of threat that I know my presence creates,' he added.

The user explained that he also regularly runs with a female friend as he said it makes her feel safer than when she runs alone.

He said: 'I also run often with a female friend and safety is a topic that always comes up. Just by my being there she is and feels safer, which is so depressing. It's such a stark reminder that while I personally have never had to consider safety, she does every time she goes out the door.'

Similarly, another male user said: 'I've said this before but i will say it again. When i am out running i intentionally run out into the street to give space to women on the sidewalk [sic].

'I don't view myself as scary or threatening but that is irrelevant to how many women feel out there,' he added.
Step aside Cadbury and Arnott's, there's a new chocolate on the block.

Australian confectionery brand Darrell Lea has launched a new range of chocolate block versions of its classic treats, including Rocklea Road and Batch 37 Liquorice.

The company said it's 'taking on the biggest names in chocolates head on' after transforming its iconic products into a block format for the first time in its 92-year history. The last chocolate released was its classic Rocklea Road.

Revamping the country's favourite flavours, the much-loved treats Peanut Brittle, Fruitier & Nuttier, Peppermint Partytime and Caramel Craving have also been given a chocolate makeover.

Darrell Lea has launched a new range of chocolate block versions of its classic treats, including Rocklea Road, Batch 37 Liquorice, Peanut Brittle, Fruitier & Nuttier, Peppermint Partytime and Caramel Craving

What are the new chocolate block flavours of Darrell Lea? Rocklea Road

Liquorice

Peanut Brittle

Fruitier & Nuttier

Peppermint Partytime

Caramel Craving Advertisement

Darrell Lea has developed a smooth 'melt-in-your-mouth' chocolate that will 'guarantee more crunch, chunks, goo, chew and yum' - and will be sure to delight chocolate aficionados everywhere.

Proudly made in Australia and using 100 per cent sustainably sourced cocoa, the blocks are all 'jam packed with top quality ingredients', such as almonds, cranberries, toasted coconut pieces, plump marshmallows and chewy caramel fudge.

'We make some of Australia's favourite confectionery products and we knew these would translate perfectly into a block format. We also thought we could improve on a few great flavour combinations ... so we did,' CEO of Darrell Lea, Tim York said.

'It's time the confectionery aisle got a shake up and we're excited to be doing it. There has been a lack of well made, quality products that are exciting to eat.

The company said it's 'taking on the biggest names in chocolates head on' after transforming its iconic products into blocks for the first time in its 92-year history

The company has given its iconic Liquorice Batch 37 a makeover for the first time in 92 years

'We are predominantly a liquorice business, which has dabbled in chocolate, but we plan to change that. Darrell Lea is now well and truly in core chocolate territory and it's a thrilling place to be.

'Australia has had a love affair with Darrell Lea for over 90 years and we are confident that this will continue with the product innovation we are exploring. We're proud of our new blocks range and we know Aussies will love it.'

Shoppers who got their hands on the products said they are loving the new chocolate range.

'I love your new blocks but I have an issue with the packaging. It's noisy. You open it up hoping not to share but everyone wonders what you opened and you're expected to share. Not right,' one woman joked.

Darrell Lea responded: 'We understand your pain. Every time we open them in the office, everyone flocks to them! So glad you're loving them though!'

Each purchase of the block will help contribute towards improving the livelihoods of cocoa farming communities, lifting them out of poverty, providing education, eradicating child labour and empowering women.

The new Darrell Lea chocolate blocks range is available across Australia at Woolworths at $5 each.
Popular brands of instant coffee have been judged on their taste and price by a group of Australian experts - and the cheapest supermarket option has won first place.

Consumer advocacy group Choice Australia compared five of the most purchased brands including Moccona, Nature's Cuppa, Coles and Nescafe.

And it was the Coles Fairtrade Organic Freeze Dried Coffee ($4) that came out on top with a score of 74 per cent, with tasters labelling it 'full-flavoured, full-bodied and satisfying'.

Well known brands of instant coffee have been judged on their taste and price by a group of Australian experts - and the cheapest supermarket option won first place

Coles Fairtrade Organic Freeze Dried Coffee ($4) came out on top with a score of 74 per cent

The coffee is ethically certified and is made from 100 per cent Arabica beans.

The judging panel said they would confidently 'serve to friends and visitors' and highly recommended the coffee to customers.

In second place at 72 per cent there was Moccona Barista Reserve Smooth Espresso ($10.29) which tasters called 'delicious, aromatic and an intense flavour that isn't overbearing'.

It was the second most expensive coffee they tried on the day.

Following that was Nature's Cuppa Organic Coffee, Nescafe Gold Original 5 and Caffe Aurora Medaglia D'oro Italian Style Freeze Dried Coffee, which all scored 70 per cent.

What are Australia's best instant coffees? 1. Coles Fairtrade Organic Freeze Dried Coffee (74%) 2. Moccona Barista Reserve Smooth Espresso (72%) 3. Nature's Cuppa Organic Coffee (70%) 4. Nescafe Gold Original 5 (70%) 5. Caffe Aurora Medaglia D'oro Italian Style Freeze Dried Coffee (70%) Advertisement

In second place at 72 per cent there was Moccona Barista Reserve Smooth Espresso ($10.29) and Nescafe Gold ($9.50) was a tie for third

Last on the list, the Caffe Aurora ($5) variety, was mostly described as robust by the tasters and 'rich' in that traditional coffee tang

Nature's Cuppa ($8) is made from 100 per cent organic Arabica beans, which is considered to be one of the creamiest, and therefore most desirable, roasts.

Meanwhile Nescafe ($9.50) has a very strong coffee taste to it but contains only three per cent finely ground roasted coffee.

Last on the list, the Caffe Aurora ($5) variety, was mostly described as robust by the tasters and 'rich' in that traditional coffee tang.

In Australia and New Zealand over 75 percent of retail brewed coffee is consumed as instant.
While many Australian homeowners clean their homes each week, there are many home items that are not being cleaned often - or deeply - enough.

The reason this is so important is that these items can quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria, mould and mildew - and if left untended can make you sick.

A build-up of grime can also prevent some items from working as well, a problem that can eventually result in costly repairs.

Items like microwaves, mattresses and washing machines can quickly become 'disgusting' when left uncleaned and need cleaning more often than you think.

To keep your microwave in good order, it's suggested you clean this appliance at least once a week (stock image)

1. Microwaves - Once a week

There is no point in putting off cleaning the microwave until its really dirty as doing so could see you damage your unit.

Food particles that get left behind can cause overheating which can cause your appliance to break down, according to the publication Wirecutter.

There is also the problem of old food becoming moudly making this appliance potentially unsafe to use.

One simple cleaning tip is to microwave a bowl of hot water for five minutes and allow the steam to loosen the baked on food.

Wipe out with a wet sponge to remove all traces of food and you'll be left with a gleaming device.

2. Vacuum cleaners - Once a month

Vacuum cleaners are designed to pick up dust and dirt from around the home but tiny particles can get lodged in the filter.

If this is the case, you may have noticed your appliance doesn't appear to be working as well.

To keep your machine in top condition, ensure you regularly wash the filter (if it is machine washable).

In the event the filters aren't washable, you will need to ensure you replace filters on a regular basis.

Top loaders need to have their filters properly washed out to avoid a build-up of gunk and grime (stock image)

3. Washing machine - Every use and monthly

The washing machine is one of the hardest working appliances in the home and needs regular cleaning to avoid the growth of bacteria.

After every use, it's suggested you keep the lid or washing machine door open to allow moisture to properly evaporate.

Top loaders should have their filters properly washed at least once a month to avoid a build-up of gunk and grime.

If you own a front-loader, it is recommended you wipe behind the big rubber seal on the door as often as possible.

This area is a prime breeding ground for mould and mildew because moisture and the residue of detergent often get trapped here. A regular wipe down can keep this in check.

Once a month, run a cleaning cycle  no clothes, hottest water possible, with chlorine bleach or a speciality cleaning product

4. Sofa - Every two weeks

Although it's hard to imagine it, the sofa can be one of the dirtier places in the home.

This is because food, dirt, dust and grime can get trapped in the woven threads and quickly become a breeding ground for bacteria and germs.

It's suggested you vacuum your sofa at least every two weeks and flip cushions at the same time.

Ensure any food stains are removed with spot cleaner straight away and invest in having your furniture professionally steamed at least once a year.

Regularly vacuuming mattresses means your less likely to be faced with a build-up of hair, dirt and dust (stock image)

5. Mattresses and pillows - A few times a year

Mattresses and pillow cases need attention more regularly than you might think as hair, dirt and dust can build up quickly.

While a thorough vacuum of your mattress will remove a lot of the grime, if you're concerned about dust mites, which can lurk on pillow cases, you will need to wash these.

When you do launder cases, the temperature of the water should be over 55 degrees Celsius. Check manufacturers instructions first.

A 'mortified' mother previously encouraged people to vacuum their mattresses regularly after discovering just how much dirt and dust was lurking under her bed sheets (pictured)

What are the best mattress cleaning tips? Vacuum it Start at the top of the mattress and work your way down in overlapping, narrow paths. Vacuum the sides the same way. Deodorise with baking soda Sprinkle your mattress well with baking soda and gently rub it in with a scrub brush, so it gets into the fabric where the stink lives. Let the baking soda sit for 10 minutes before proceeding to the next step. Repeat vacuuming By scrubbing the baking soda into your mattress, you've helped it bond with moisture and body oils in the top layers of material. Vacuuming it a second time pulls that moisture out, along with the cause of the odours. Treat stains Mattresses typically acquire three types of stains: blood, urine and 'other bodily fluids.' These need a paste of 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide mixed with 1 tablespoon each of liquid dish soap and table salt. Lightly spread the paste onto the stain and allow it to dry before scraping the residue off. Dab at any remaining stain with a white rag dipped into hydrogen peroxide, rotating the cloth as the stain lifts off. Source: Housewife How-To's Advertisement

6. Humidifier - Every third day

If you run a cool mist humidifier in your home, then you need to make sure you are cleaning the reservoir every third day.

It is suggested you clean this with water and always avoid soap or harsh detergents.

The filter will also need to be regularly cleaned. This should be soaked in cold water for 20 minutes and completely dry before it is used again.

Wick filters will need to be replaced every six months.

7. Dishwasher - Every six months

While a daily clean of your dishwasher is recommended, a deeper clean will ensure your appliance continues to function well.

Consumer watchdog CHOICE advises a bi-annual clean and suggests doing this by running the machine at its hottest cycle with nothing in it.

To help flush grease, limescale and deposits out of the pipes and remove foul odours, pour a couple of cups of vinegar into a bowl on the bottom rack before you set the machine to wash.

Checking the spray arms at this point is also important as food can become lodged inside the jets.

'If your manual advises it, remove the spray arms and poke a toothpick into the water exit holes to clear any obstructions and keep them flowing freely.'

8. Air purifier - Every two to four weeks

Air purifiers are devices which remove polluting particles such as dust, pollen, pet dander and mould spores from the air.

Wirecutter recommends cleaning the fibreglass pre-filter with a vacuum or with water once every two to four weeks and letting it dry completely before replacing it.

The publication advises replacing the pre-filter (the filter which catches most of the larger dust particles and pet hair) every six months.

Replace the HEPA filter (a more dense type of filter) every year.
Amanda Holden has transformed from a demure TV presenter to an all-out fashion superstar during her 13-year stint on Britain's Got Talent, a style expert revealed.

The reality show star, 48, first appeared on the judging panel in 'demure' and 'safe' cocktail frocks more than a decade ago - but now stuns in plunging gowns and barely-there creations.

Indeed Amanda's barely-there spiderweb gown was so risque this week that she drew Ofcom complaints - but rather than cover up she doubled down with a plunging creation for last night's finale.

Speaking to Femail today, celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage said that her style has gone from family friendly to risque: 'Her image used to focus on being wholesome and family friendly.

'But as the years have progressed the necklines have lowered and the splits have widened and she now presents us with a more overtly sexualised version of her self in an array of shocking gowns.'

The presenter revealed her ample cleavage in a plunging, midnight blue gown, adorned with white floral detail and sequins - drawing yet more criticism from fans of the family-friendly programme watching at home

Amanda, 48, has been a judge on Britain's Got Talent for 13 years but it was Wednesdays 'spiderweb' dress that viewers complained to the media watchdog about.

Lucas added: 'Im all for women dressing how they want to at any age and not being defined by what society tells them is acceptable in whatever decade they are in,but on the flip side Amandas disregard for the nature of the family show seems somewhat odd.'

Celebrity stylist Rochelle White explained Amanda has started to show more skin as her confidence has grown - as she shows no signs of stopping.

'She has changed her hair style and colour and started to invest in looks that complimented her body shape and she has really found her style.

'While she is much more comfortable in her own skin and I think that shows in what she chooses to wear today.'

Rochelle added: 'Amanda has really evolved her fashion over the years. When you're in the public eye it will have an effect on how you see yourself and how others see you.

Here Femail take a look at how her fashion has evolved over the years on the show...

2007, aged 36

Playing it safe: Amanda kept it formal for the first press photos of the show back in 2007, with a pretty cream slip with sash

2008, aged 37

Amanda Holden posed in front of a car wearing a union Jack dress split to the thigh for the publicity pictures for the second series of the show

Amanda posing with co presenter Piers Morgan, Simon Cowell, Stephen Mulhern and Ant and Dec in 2008 - she keeps it casual with a flattering red dress and black thick belt

2009, aged 38

Amanda wore this red silk fish tail dress with a bow and diamante detail on it when she was still finding her style

Amanda started to get a bit more daring in 2009 when she wore this gold short dress with feather detail

Sequins and sheer arms: This silver short dress had too much going on, with cuffs, a bikini design top and puffy arms

2010, aged 39

She quickly slipped back into something longer, wearing this long gold number with a halter neck for one of the live shows in 2010. Rochelle believes that this outfit was a move towards her new look and style saying: 'It is a safe and modest dress that shows off her elegant style'

2011, aged 40

The BGT presenter covered up, with long sleeves with this red dress and her hair scooped back

The long tow toned dress had gold detail over the shoulders and even had shoulder pads

2012, aged 41

Dare to bare: Back in 2012 she tried out the barely there style with this sheer dress with patterns with covered her modesty

In 2012 Amanda bared her chest in this black pencil skirt dress with pearl detail and a tulip waist

This Grecian style white dress with a cape coverted her legs and shoulder and had gold detail on it

2013, aged 42

In 2013 she changed her hairstyle and covered her arms and legs in this long white dress with rose detail - however she did show off her chest with a plunging neckline

Amanda paired bright yellow heels with this gold sequinned gown which had a bow at the neck and ruffles

Braiding her hair she wearing another long gown it zipped up at the front and had pocket details in the front

2014, aged 43

This safe gold dress in 2014 was an off the shoulder number showed off the presenters legs and arms

Going back to her staple long dresses she wore this purple dress with gold details at the top

With her fashion starting to evolve to what she wears today Amanda git it right with this plunging white dress

2015, aged 44

In 2015 Amanda went back to a mish-mash of weird styles, including this short dress which went long at the back

2016, aged 45

At one of the auditions she wore this long red strappy dress with a plunging neckline

2017, aged 46

2018, aged 47

2019, aged 48
A Persian cat that constantly looks angry is being dubbed the new 'Grumpy Cat' by his social media followers.

Louis, a six-year-old Persian cat from Austin, Texas, has amassed a devoted online following thanks to his irresistibly irritated face.

While his 3,000-strong Instagram fan club is still far short of the 2.7million enjoyed by the original Grumpy Cat, Louis' supporters believe he has what it takes to be the next big social media star.

Louis, a six-year-old cranky cat is being dubbed the new Grumpy Cat following the passing of the feline internet sensation earlier in May

Why the long face? Louis, a Persian cat from Austin, looks perpetually enraged, but is a very loving cat

The late Grumpy Cat passed away from an infection on 17 May at age seven. Her permanent scowl inspired countless memes, a best-selling series of books and a movie, passed away at the age of seven

Owner Michelle Alexis, 26, a medical scribe, said: 'Louis is a full breed Persian but people often ask if he has a genetic disorder because they think his facial features are an exception, but he is completely normal.

'People usually react saying he looks like a human old man! They love his big "marble eyes"that he squints often.'

Part of the reason behind Louis' grumpiness might be his love-hate relationship with Michelle's other cat Monae, who is a Lynx Point Siamese.

Louis (left) with owner Michelle and furry nemesis Monae. Michelle said Monae, a Lynx Point Siamese, bullied the poor Louis

Michelle said people asked if Louis' grumpy features were due to a disorder, but she said he was 'completely normal'

Even though he looks grumpy, Louis is a very loving and playful cat, owner Michelle said of the feline

In fact, Michelle says Monae has always had the upper hand over poor Louis.

Michelle said: 'When we got Monae she was a baby and Louis was a full grown cat, and yet she bullied him for two months straight.

'She even tackles and picks at him, but really she loves him. Louis is now referred to as the "new Grumpy Cat," but he is actually very sweet, happy and playful.

'He loves to snuggle and give head rubs, he will chase lasers and play with toys.'

Even coffee won't turn this frown upside down. Michelle said people often compare Louis to an old man

It ain't easy looking this grumpy. Michelle says her furry friend (pictured) even gives her head rubs

Louis seems a worthy successor to Grumpy Cat - real name Tardar Sauce - who passed away in 17 May from an infection.

The fickle feline shot to fame in 2012 in a YouTube video that received 15.7 million views, and went on to amass a $100M fortune for her former-waitress owner Tabatha Bundesen.

The internet sensation was born with feline dwarfism and an underbite, which caused her famous expression.

What do you think? Is this a worthy successor to world famous Grumpy Cat? The late feline earned his owner 100M since shooting to Fame with a Youtube video
A D-day veteran, who wants his song to be number one, warmed the heart of Good Morning Britain viewers this morning.

Jim Radford, 90, from Hull, was just 15 when he was unloaded on the beaches of Normandy to take back France from the Nazi German forces on 6th June 1944.

The Merchant Navy veteran appeared on GMB to promote his single 'The Shores of Normandy,' which he hopes we reach the top of the charts for D-Day remembrance day next week.

Viewers were touched by Jim's story, and took to Twitter to honour his service in the navy, calling him a 'decent honest patriotic veteran'.

Royal navy D-Day veteran Jim Radford appeared on Good Morning Britain today to promote his single 'The Shores of Normandy'

Jim, 90, hopes to see his single reach number one of the charts, ahead of Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran

Pictured: Jim as a member of the merchant Navy. He is pictured here as an 18 year old with the tug Empire Larch on which he served

Taking to Twitter viewers said: ' Jim Radford is a war hero.. a kid in that killing field... a decent honest patriotic veteran.'

'You're more than just a pop star Jim,' wrote another, 'you're a megastar!'

While others said: 'Jim witnessed things nobody, especially his age, should have done. He and all of those others, who survived who didn't have my TOTAL respect. Thank you for what you did for us,' another viewer commented.

One other reflected: 'Jim Radford, 90 years old and lived the toughest of childhoods known to man. Looks and sounds healthier than many men 30yrs his younger. I salute you Sir for all you've done for your country.'

Viewers were touched by Jim's story and his participation of D-Day. They also thanked him for his service

On GMB, Jim said of arriving in Normandy on D-Day: 'I don't think I was fearful. You know you're in a very dangerous situation, but there's a lot of adrenaline and you focus on what you have to do. '

Jim was determined to go to sea even though his older brother Jack was killed aged 18 when his ship was torpedoed.

Jim's haunting ballad The Shores Of Normandy  featuring lyrics about men who 'stormed the gates of hell' and 'died upon that blood-soaked sand'  was released only a week ago.

It has edged ahead of Sheeran and Bieber's joint hit I Don't Care in the online store's chart, regarded as a barometer of what could be a future official No 1.

Mr Radford, the youngest known D-Day veteran, was inspired to write the folk song about his experiences as a 15-year-old galley boy on a ship on June 6, 1944.

His newly recorded version is raising funds for the Normandy Memorial Trust's monument to the 22,442 men and women serving under British command who fell in the Battle of Normandy.

Jim, pictured on board HMS Belfast on the Thames in London. Jim served on the HMS Belfast in 1944 as a galley boy

He said of the chart success: 'I'm delighted. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be No 1 in any list. The more copies we sell, the more money we raise to build this memorial.

'We want people to remember all those good men. They deserve to be honoured and remembered. The thing that I remember most is seeing (the bodies of) those lads floating in the water  the ones who had to run up the beaches into the machine gun fire and never made it. I can still see their faces now.'

Mr Radford, who now lives in Lewisham, south-east London, served as a galley boy on Merchant Navy tug Empire Larch.

It helped to build the Mulberry harbour off Arromanches at Gold Beach which allowed the Royal Navy to transport troops, vehicles and supplies. Mr Radford had left school earlier in 1944 and, despite his older brother Jack being killed aged 18 when his ship was torpedoed, he was determined to go to sea.

The Merchant Navy was not officially allowed to sign up under-16s, but the young Jim found a towing company which 'seemingly didn't care about my age'.

The Shores Of Normandy can be downloaded from www.normandymemorialtrust.org or from online music stores

He recalled: 'Gold Beach was a terrible sight. I have never seen so many bodies before or since.'

Father-of-three Mr Radford, who went on to join the Royal Navy and became a peace campaigner, has been performing his song for years. The memorial, backed by Daily Mail readers, will be inaugurated in France on June 6.

The Shores Of Normandy can be downloaded from www.normandymemorialtrust.org or from online music stores.
Bemused shoppers have hit out at Marks and Spencer for selling pre-peeled garlic cloves in plastic pots.

The high street store has come under fire for the 'utterly absurd' packaging just weeks after pledging to reduce the use of plastic in its stores.

Campaigners are now urging the retailer to take greater strides in its efforts to become more eco-friendly.

Taking to Twitter, eagle-eyed customer Charley Samuelson posted a snap of the cloves, writing: 'Shocking, disappointing, unnecessary and utterly absurd use of single use plastics, Marks and Spencer.'

Shoppers noticed that m&S were selling pre-peeled garlic cloves and wrapping them in plastic instead (pictured)

She wasn't the only person to spot the product, with a flurry of posts calling out M&S for its wasteful packaging.

A Twitter user who writes under the username Beer Cavalier commented: 'Cheers Marks and Spencer for introducing new products pointlessly in plastic that doesn't even say if it's recyclable or recycled. Really with the times. #plasticwaste #plasticfree #plastic (sic).'

Hannah Shilliday wrote: 'Marks and Spencer because garlic doesn't have any sort of protective skin on it to begin with right? Cheers for your continued contribution to unnecessary plastic packaging.'

And Symposiast said: 'It's great to see Marks and Spencer's support of unnecessary plastic reduction; through this innovative new product idea - pre-peeled garlic in a plastic pot!'

Some consumers poked fun at the brand, rhetorically asking whether garlic didn't gave 'some sort of protective skin'

M&S recently pledged to become more sustainable and even began selling more than 90 lines of loose fruit and vegetables free from plastic bags.

As part of the trial, the chain also agreed to remove 'best before' dates from fresh food to slash wastage.

The upmarket store has also invested heavily in its Plant Kitchen range in a bid to appeal to vegan eco warriors.

Recently the retailer even turned its famous Percy Pig sweets vegetarian to keep in line with their sustainable and ethical image.

Environmental charity Friends of the Earth (FoE) accused the store of virtue signalling and insisted it has a long way to go.

One user pointed out the boxes did indicate whether they were recyclable or recycled, but the brand assure they were

Emma Priestland, plastics campaigner at FoE, said: 'Big retailers have done a lot of shouting from the rooftops when it comes to cutting down on the pointless plastic they use.

'Sometimes their words are backed up by action, but unfortunately we see many cases of businesses failing to break the habit and continuing to use plastic in ever more ridiculous ways.

'From garlic cloves in plastic pots to film-wrapped onions, people are right to call out retailers for such excessive use of packaging.'

She added: 'This is why we need government legislation to do away with pointless plastic.'

M&S said they introduced the pre-peeled garlic because of popular demand and that the boxes were both recyclable and reusable

Her comments follow reports that M&S packaging can now be found in the Malaysian jungle.

TV personalities Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Anita Rani made the horrifying discovery in the BBC documentary War On Plastic.

Previews from the show, which is due to premier on June 10, showed 20ft high mounds of plastic in the depths of the jungle - and plastic carriers from M&S, Asda and Waitrose were detected amongst the heap.

An M&S spokesperson said: 'Our peeled garlic clove pot was introduced in response to customer demand for convenient, pre-prepared scratch-cook ingredients.

'The pot is widely recyclable and has a resealable clip lid for maximum freshness and means it can easily be reused.'
Tom Hardy fans are in for a real treat, as you can now have one of him at home with you.

The actor, 41, originally from London, seemed delighted with a Royal Marine figurine of himself, which has been created by Green Wolf gear - a veteran owned company that sells collectable action figures and models.

The figurine, which costs 180, has been created with Tom's seal approval and all proceeds will support the REORG Jiu-Jitsu Foundation, a nonprofit launched in association with The Royal Marines Charity.

When the charity released pictures of the figurine fans went crazy for the doll and said they couldn't wait to get their hands on it.

The actor, 41, originally from the London, seemed delighted with a Royal Marine figurine of himself, which has been created by Green Wolf gear - a veteran owned company that sells collectable action figures and models.

The figurine has been created with Tom's seal approval and all proceeds will go to the Royal marines charity

The actor, who is an ambassador the REORG Jiu-Jitsu Foundation, happily posed with the figurine alongside a friend and supporter of the charity.

The figurine is dressed in a Royal Marines combat unit and comes with a green beret and even equipment.

Fans on social media loved the figurine, with one even joking: 'This is absolutely amazing!!! On point!!! Big pats on the back! Also can I get one in large?'

While another fan said: 'Pretty impressive!! And Tom's live approval'.

When the charity released pictures of the figurine fans went crazy for the doll and said they couldn't wait to get their hands on it

The limited edition figures will be available for for pre-order next Wednesday via the charity's website and the countdown will begin today. Pictured - Tom playing with the figure

Other fans said they couldn't wait to get one while another one said: 'I'm wanting this!' and then cheekily said: 'Any chance I can have it autographed too?'

The manufacturer explained how much detail went into the figure and revealed that the charity and Tom were 'on hand throughout the whole design process and gave their approval on equipment and the likeness of the head.'

The limited edition figures will be available for for pre-order next Wednesday, at a price of 180, via the charity's website.

In 2015 the Royal Marines made Tom an honorary member - training with the 45 Commando for two days.
Queen Letizia of Spain cut a relaxed figure in a denim skirt as she arrived at the Madrid Book Fair today.

The Spanish royal, 46, paired the knee-length skirt with an elegant white blouse for the outing to the annual event.

Appearing in good spirits, Letizia smiled as she browsed some of the stalls set up in the city's Retiro Park.

Polished yet practical: Letizia cut a relaxed figure in a denim skirt as she arrived at the Madrid Book Fair today

Personal touch: Letizia, a mother, of two, also took time to speak to a little girl in a pushchair who was wearing a mask over her face

The royal, a mother of two, also took time to speak to a little girl in a pushchair who was wearing a mask over her face.

A sweet photograph taken of the moment shows Letizia gently caressing the girl's cheek as she passed.

Queen Letizia delivered a masterclass in mixing a polished wardrobe staple with a casual classic by stepping out in her blouse and skirt today.

Touching: A sweet photograph taken of the moment shows Letizia gently caressing the girl's cheek as she passed

Book worm: The Spanish queen browsed the stalls and flicked through books at the annual fair

Annual event: Letizia was on hand to tour the book fair, which is in its 78th year

The knee-length skirt featured trendy contrast seams and tied with a flattering bow at the waist.

Meanwhile her floaty, feminine blouse cut at the shoulder, making the most of the royal's toned arms.

The style-savvy queen finished the look with a pair of pale blue chunky heels.

Plenty in common: Former journalist Letizia spoke to the head of a Spanish news agency

Stocking up? Letizia took a closer look at some of the books on display at the fair
She will attend Stanford University in California in the fall to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering

Brenda credited her success and motivation to her parents' hard work

worked in fields picking strawberries and cucumbers to support the family

worked in fields picking strawberries and cucumbers to support the family

Her parents immigrated from Mexico with a fourth grade educatio n and

Brenda Alvarez-Lagunas, 18, graduated from Mulberry High School in Mulberry, Florida at the top of her class

A high school valedictorian paid tribute to her migrant parents in her graduation speech this weekend, thanking them for working tirelessly by picking strawberries in fields while they raised her.

Brenda Alvarez-Lagunas, 18, took the podium at Mulberry High School in Mulberry, Florida on Saturday, bringing a basket of strawberries up on stage with her.

She went on to explain why the fruit has special significance for her, detailing the hard, back-breaking work her parents did to support her and her sister after they emigrated to the US from Mexico with a fourth grade education.

Working hard: Brenda Alvarez-Lagunas, 18, graduated from Mulberry High School in Mulberry, Florida, at the top of her class

At the beginning of her eight-minute speech, she asked fellow classmates and family members, 'Care for some strawberries?'

The student then jokingly acknowledged there were probably not enough strawberries for everyone, before saying, 'These are no ordinary strawberries, they're jewels.'

Brenda then picked up individual pieces of fruit to reference what each one symbolized for her.

'This one represents sweat, this one represents dirt... Oh, and these are aches and pains. In other words, they are my motivators,' she said.

She explained that her parents migrated to the US with just a fourth grade education to provide for their three children.

They spent days in the fields picking strawberries, cucumbers and sweet potatoes in the Florida heat.

'I am motivated by my mother's hands that are slowly losing feeling from years of arduous work in the dirt and fields. And I am motivated by the endless support that I had been given.

Incredible: She graduated with a 4.68 GPA and will attend Stanford University in California in the fall to study biomedical engineering

Motivator: The student, pictured with her mother, gave a now-viral graduation speech honoring her migrant parents and used strawberries to detail her points

'Yes, my motivation has been rooted in my migrant culture,' she said during her emotional speech, which reportedly brought tears to people's eyes in the audience.

'I am a daughter of two farm workers who have worked tirelessly from sun up to sundown,' she went on.

'As a young child, I remember being in the fields and watching my parents glazed in sweat, and their clothes dripping wet as if it just rained on them.

Supportive: Her parents worked in fields picking strawberries and cucumbers to support the family after migrating from Mexico

'Despite the beaming sun, and the body aches and pains, their smiles shone with every bucket of produce they carried,' Brenda said.

'I remember picking crops with them after school or on the weekends. And even I, a young, energetic youth, could not always handle the aches and pains of bending over, or the intense heat that embraced us.

'The moments I remember spending together as a family are stretched thin. As much as my parents wanted to provide their children with attention and care, they could not, simply because they spent their lives in the fields.

'I was often left in the care of my older sister, and when the family welcomed two new siblings, the caretaker role became mine.

'My siblings and I did not have the materialistic things that other children had. And we still don't. But what I gained was far more valuable.

'Instead, my parents gave special gifts. The gift of a strong work ethic. The gift of resilience. And the will to succeed.'

She said they would frequently tell her in Spanish, 'Your only way out of this lifestyle is through an education.'

Life was made more difficult for the family after Brenda's father was deported back to Mexico when she was in 7th grade, making her mother the sole provider.

Her family was soon drowning in debt, shrinking her possibility of affording a secondary education.

Emotional tribute: Brenda credited her success and motivation to her parents working hard in her valedictorian speech

Proud: 'Oftentimes, students like me, they're ashamed of their backgrounds,' she said. 'And, I wanted to change that. They shouldn't'

But Brenda didn't let setbacks stop her from accomplishing her goals and becoming the top student in her graduating class, with a 4.68 GPA.

'Current statistics say that I should not make it. I am from a single-parent household, and will be the first in my family to graduate from high school,' she said, explaining that her older sister got pregnant and dropped out.

'I have seen firsthand the challenges of not having an education, which is why I use all of these adversities as motivation for myself,' she said.

'I share this with you in the hopes that you realize that no matter what stereotypes or statistics are placed on you, you can overcome them.'

She went on to offer motivational words to her classmates, and single out her mother in the audience with a touching message in Spanish, telling her that her sacrifices were not made in vain.

Important: Brenda used strawberries in her speech to explain what they meant to her and why she thought of the fruit as her 'jewels'

Family: Life became more difficult for Brenda's family (pictured) after her father was deported back to Mexico. But she was still able to stay focused in school and accomplish her goals

When speaking to News Channel 8, Brenda revealed why she wanted to give a speech referencing her migrant background to her graduating class.

'Oftentimes, students like me, they're ashamed of their backgrounds,' she told the news organization. 'And, I wanted to change that. They shouldn't. Their upbringing made them who they are.'

Her valedictorian speech has since gone viral, with thousands of views online.

Despite the popularity of her story, Brenda confessed she wrote the speech for a larger purpose instead of just detailing her own life.

'When I was writing the speech, I know the purpose was to get representation to those who feel under-represented. It was never about me,' she said.

Brenda intends to attend Stanford University in California in the fall to study biomedical engineering.
Ikea has released TV-inspired furniture sets that let shoppers recreate living rooms from their favourite shows.

The promotional images, created by the brand's UAE branch, show how items from the retailer's regular range can be pulled together to create the homes seen in The Simpsons, Friends and Stranger Things.

Attention has been paid to every detail - with customers able to snap up everything from Homer's brown sofa to Monica and Chandler's lamps.

The items are all available from the Ikea catalogue - and prices won't break the bank either.

Pictured: The Friends' cast as seen in the iconic 90's show, in Monica's living-room. Ikea is selling all the items you need to recreate the series' set

The Swedish brand nailed the iconic living-room, which cost 3,240 Dhs (805, $1,015) to recreate from cushions to curtain

Buying all the items would range from 2,660 Dhs (575, $725) for The Simpsons set up to 5,620 Dhs (1,215, $1,530) for the Stranger Things pad - which comes with 17 different items.

The much-loved purple living room from Monica and Chandler's Friends apartment is brought to life with 18 different pieces, including sofas, curtains and lights.

The entire set - which also includes a coffee table and wall art - would set you back 3,240 Dhs (805, $1,015).

The Simpsons' edit is strikingly similar, right down to the tilted picture frame above the couch.

The original living-room from the Simpson, with it's big comfy couch waiting for Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa and Maggie to come watch some TV

Ikea got the Simpsons' set perfectly and even remember to tilt the frame above the couch to make it even more similar. It costs 2,660 Dhs (575, $725) for all of the items

The Simpsons pick also includes the purple corner table with the lamp and green phone and a round rug to lay in the middle of your room, Marge and Homer style.

Fans of Netflix original will also find their pick with a 'room for everyone' that bears a striking resemblance to the one seen in Stranger Things.

Everything is there, from the fairy lights on the wall to the alphabet letters - and even the carved pumpkins.

The set of Stranger Things as seen on the Netflix series. We think Winona Ryder would approve of the Ikea version
Ivanka Trump had a busy morning on Friday after visiting the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. the day before.

The 37-year-old first daughter and her three-year-old son Theodore were seen leaving their home straight from their garage in the back seat of a Secret Service vehicle.

Ivanka, who was dressed in a bright fuchsia blazer, was chatting on her cellphone and drinking from a white coffee mug as she was whisked off with her youngest child in tow.

On the go! Ivanka Trump, 37, and her youngest son Theodore were seen leaving their Washington, D.C. home straight from their garage in a Secret Service vehicle on Friday

Busy: The first daughter, who was dressed in a bright fuchsia blazer, was chatting on her cellphone and drinking from a white coffee mug in the back seat of the SUV

She wore her straight blonde hair loose around her shoulders and looked to be wearing a black and cream top underneath her jacket.

The White House senior adviser sat in the middle seat next to her little boy, who was strapped into his car seat and sucking his thumb.

Theodore was dressed in a red and navy blue outfit and seemed content gazing out the window while his mom took a call.

Ivanka was looking out the opposite window as she balanced her coffee on her lap with one hand and held her cellphone up to her ear with the other.

The mother-of-three seemed to be heading to work, though it's unclear where she was taking Theodore. It's possible that the little boy, who turned three at the end of March, was headed to school.

Mom on duty: The White House senior adviser sat in the middle seat next to her three-year-old son, who was strapped into his car seat and sucking his thumb

Work of art: The day before, Ivanka enjoyed a trip to the National Gallery of Art, where she happily posed in front of a Jackson Pollock painting at the museum

Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner's eldest children, Arabella, seven, and Joseph, five, didn't appear to be with them at the time.

The day before, she enjoyed a trip to the National Gallery of Art, where she happily posed in front of a Jackson Pollock painting at the museum.

The former model shared the snapshot on Instagram Thursday, writing: 'Blending in and blown away by Pollock @nationalgallery.'

In the snapshot, Ivanka is wearing a cream puffy-sleeve top with black polka dots and a form-fitting bodice that highlights her slim waist.

The mom paired the top with black jeans and leather pointed-toe loafers; she wore her hair loosely around her shoulders and topped off the look with bright red lipstick.

Ivanka also shared photos and footage of the inside the museum on her Instagram Stories Thursday during her visit.

Museum style: In the snapshot, Ivanka is wearing a cream puffy-sleeve top with black polka dots. The mom paired the top with black jeans and leather pointed-toe loafers

Strike a pose: 'Ruining the view but love the company,' she captioned this image, which was taken inside the gallery

'Remembering the great architect I. M. Pei,' she captioned a clip of herself walking through the gallery's East Building, which he designed.

When posting a photo of herself posing with a man and a woman inside the gallery, she wrote: 'Ruining the view but love the company.'

Ivanka also shared footage of sculptor Alexander Calder's work, writing: 'The largest Calder collection in the [world emoji]!'

While she was enjoying herself at the National Gallery of Art on Thursday, her husband Jared, 38, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the U.S. government's long-awaited plan for Mideast peace.

It came just hours after Israel was thrust into the political tumult of an unprecedented second election in the same year.

Jared and U.S. special envoy Jason Greenblatt stopped in Israel as part of a Middle East tour to rally support for next month's economic conference in Bahrain, which the White House bills as the first portion of its peace plan.

Enjoying the view: 'Remembering the great architect I. M. Pei,' she captioned a clip of herself walking through the gallery's East Building, which he designed

Largest collection: Ivanka also shared footage of sculptor Alexander Calder's work

Abroad: Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner (left) met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) about the Trump administration's plan for Mideast peace on Thursday

In brief joint remarks, Jared touted American-Israeli cooperation, saying, 'It's never been stronger.'

Netanyahu, playing down concerns that the Israeli parliament's dramatic dissolution on Thursday would further postpone the U.S. peace plan rollout, said, 'You know, we had a little event last night. That's not going to stop us.'

The unprecedented snap election campaign  the second this year  came after Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition and instead dissolved parliament.

In what seemed an improbable scenario just days ago, Israel's newly elected Knesset dissolved itself in an early morning 74-45 vote and set a new election date for September 17.

The parliament's disbanding comes just a month after it was sworn in and sets the stage for a second election in the same year

In what seemed an improbable scenario just days ago, Israel's newly elected Knesset dissolved itself in an early morning 74-45 vote and set a new election date for September 17.

Next up: Ivanka and Jared (pictured on Memorial Day weekend) are believed to be heading to the United Kingdom on Monday for President Donald Trump's first state visit

Tagging along: Trump is expected to bring his adult children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany (from left to right), and their spouses to meet with the Royal family next week

The parliament's disbanding comes just a month after it was sworn in and sets the stage for a second election in the same year

In what seemed an improbable scenario just days ago, Israel's newly elected Knesset dissolved itself in an early morning 74-45 vote and set a new election date for September 17.

The parliament's disbanding comes just a month after it was sworn in and sets the stage for a second election in the same year  a first in Israeli history.

Ivanka and Jared are believed to be heading to the United Kingdom on Monday for President Donald Trump's first state visit.

Trump is bringing his children and their spouses to meet with the Royal family during his three-day trip, despite only one of the couples holding official positions with the administration.

Reports indicate Ivanka and Jared  who both serve as White House advisers  will attend along with Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and his wife Lara, and Tiffany Trump, the president's only child with his second ex-wife Marla Maples.

The only Trump child missing would be Barron Trump, the 13-year-old son he shares with his wife, First Lady Melania Trump.

'President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump accepted the invitation from Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to visit the United Kingdom from June 3 to 5, 2019,' the White House said in a statement, without mentioning if other family members would attend.

'This state visit will reaffirm the steadfast and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.'
Rachael, who lives with her family in Salem, Oregon, uses her platform to promote acceptance of kids with Down syndrome

Both twins have recovered and are now living healthy at home with their family

Lottie's heart defect forced her to have open-heart surgery at four months old

A couple of new parents who were elated to discover they would be having twin girls  in spire of their Down syndrome diagnosis  are now spreading their message of acceptance to other parents.

Stay-at-home mother Rachael Prescott, 29, and her husband Cody Prescott, 32, from have four beautiful children in Salem, Oregon  including twin girls who both have Down syndrome.

While the condition certainly brings challenges, though, the Prescotts say it's a blessing, not a defect, and they are working to spread awareness about parenting children with Down syndrome.

Family: Rachael Prescott, 29, and her husband, Cody Prescott, 32, welcomed twin daughters who both had Down syndrome. Pictured is the whole family, including the couple's two sons

Adorable: The twins were named Annette, who is called Nettie (right), and Charlotte, who is called Lottie (left)

The couple has two sons, five-year-old Easton and three-year-old Hudson. They also have 15-month-old twin girls  Annette, whom they call Nettie, and Charlotte, whom they call Lottie.

At 15 weeks into Rachael's pregnancy, when the couple first found out they were having twins, Cody was elated. But Rachael felt unprepared as she knew there would be more monitoring and risks involved.

They were told from ultrasounds that Lottie had a heart defect known as atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD), which affects the blood flow from the chambers.

Although they were aware of a possible link between AVSD and Down syndrome, they decided to refuse further tests as it wouldn't make any difference to the love they would have for their twins.

The twins were born on February 1, 2018 and were diagnosed with Trisomy 21  the most common type of Down syndrome.

Difficult: Both twins were born with heart defects and Down syndrome. But Lottie had to have open-heart surgery (pictured before and after) for her defect

Not giving up: The parents from Salem, Oregon, decided early on they would not terminate the pregnancy no matter the defects that formed

Nettie had an atrial septal defect (ASD), a small hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart which healed on its own after she was born.

However, Lottie had AVSD, and needed open heart surgery. The requirement for heart surgery was for her to weigh 12lbs or be six months old. Her heart condition prevented her from gaining weight, so at just four months old she had an operation to closer her PDA  sealing a persistent opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart.

Having already undergone heart surgery with their son Hudson when he was two, the parents were nervous to repeat the experience again.

'Our first son Easton has no heart defects, but Hudson has a valve defect, an ASD and an VSD,' Rachael said. 'Our experience with him was stressful, however it turned out to be very useful as it prepared us somewhat for Lottie's surgery, which was a completely different monster.'

She continued: 'When we found out we were having twins, Cody felt lifted. However, I knew another child meant a more monitored pregnancy and risky labor, and so I felt less in control and very unprepared.

'Even after doctors discovered our girls each had heart defects in utero, we refused testing...We weren't bothered with the possibility of Down syndrome, for knew we would love our girls either way.

Staying positive: It was a difficult road for Lottie after she was born. Her sister, Nettie, grew out of her heart defect after birth

Stronger: The twins have both recovered and are now home with their family

'We did however find out their gender. We were just far too excited to find out.'

The birth was more difficult for Rachael with twins on the way.

'Unlike [with] our first two children, I needed to be induced and hooked up to a monitor that didn't allow leaving the bedside,' she explained. 'The girls were born in the operating room, and I felt blessed as there were no birthing complications and I was able to deliver naturally. And they came out just two minutes apart.

'The girls were quickly diagnosed as having DS, and they were greeted with celebration.'

Both twins had Trisomy 21. But the biggest problem was Lottie's heart, which required open-heart surgery.

'When Lottie finally had surgery, she encountered many problems, including sickness both bacterial and viral, multiple organs damaged, a collapsed lung, chylothorax, pulmonary hypertension and a miss-fitted ET tube,' Rachael said. 'This removed the typical road to recovery from our sight.

Priorities: Rachael uses her platform online to inspire acceptance among other parents if they also have children with Down syndrome

'We reached out for prayer, and the world responded; friends, family, acquaintances, and complete strangers blanketing our little girl with petitions to recover in health.

'Mountains were moved, her lung inflated, medications decreased, and after 35 days, we were elated to take our baby home.'

Now the girls are home acting as any other babies, crawling around, making messes, and playing with their brothers and dog, Max. Nettie doesn't require any medication at all, and Lottie only needs to take Synthroid for hypothyroid.

'They are two bouncy, fun, beautiful, crawling babies, who love playing with their older brothers and fluffy dog Max,' Rachael said.

'Lottie is observant, picking up quickly on sign language and communication, whereas Nettie leads in physical development, now cruising around our living room, and free standing.

'They are both spectacularly skilled at stealing our hearts and those of the world.'

Besties: 'We have loved every moment with our daughters, and they are the lights in our lives,' Rachael said about her children

Positive thinking: Rachael encouraged other parents to make it through medical hurdles during pregnancy. She said that strength was what got her to have her two daughters

Rachael shares her family's story to 61,000 followers on Instagram @doublingdownmom to spread awareness about parenting children with Down syndrome.

She stressed that Down syndrome should be celebrated, and that the majority of problems are in the public's perception of it.

'We have loved every moment with our daughters, and they are the lights in our lives,' she said. 'DS is nothing to fear, and everything to celebrate. The only difficult part in parenting children with DS is that the rest of the world has yet to understand the beauty and joy they radiate.

'There are negative stigmas that have led those who lack exposure to this people group to incorrect assumptions and imposing limitations on these individuals. And this is why we share our story.

'Society needs to turn from eradicating people with DS. We need to make a shift to teaching DS children that they can have the same love and desire to live life to the fullest as anyone else.

'My advice to other expectant parents: cling to hope through any medical hurdles and to joy always. Celebrate your children. Never hesitate to proclaim their worth and show the rest of the world that DS is not a defect  it is a blessing.'
Almost a third of NHS hospitals in England still allow smoking on their premises, according to an official report.

Health chiefs have called for hospitals across the country to stop people from lighting up on their grounds since 2013.

But a survey of NHS hospital trusts by Public Health England has found 31 per cent still allow smokers on their premises.

It remains legal to smoke on hospital grounds in England  despite it being outlawed in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and soon to be Wales.

Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust has a tannoy announcement system that plays anti-smoking reminders recorded by children at the press of a button (pictured: the sign at one of the hospitals ran by the trust)

Public health minister, Seema Kennedy, said she is determined' to see a smoke-free NHS by 2020.

She added: 'No-one should have to walk past a cloud of smoke in order to enter or leave their local hospital.

'I am encouraged by this new survey, which shows great strides have already been made towards a smoke-free NHS, I strongly urge all trusts to follow suit.'

Smoking is one of the biggest causes of death.

Professor Steve Powis, NHS England's national medical director, said: 'Quitting smoking has clear health benefits.

PHE said hospitals were making 'steady progress' towards becoming progress, based on the results of its poll of 145 acute trusts.

Health chiefs have called for hospitals across the country to stop people from lighting up on their grounds since 2013

Some 69 per cent of NHS acute trusts in England, 100 of them, now ban smoking completely on their grounds.

But up to 45 trusts have not yet enforced total smoking bans across hospital premises, according to the survey by PHE.

Of these, 11 did not respond to questioning but were told by PHE it would be assumed they did not have a smoking ban in place.

PHE did not name the trusts that still allow smoking on their premises because they were all promised anonymity for taking part.

However, it named some 'good examples' of smoke-free policies at trusts, including Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The trust, which serves around half a million patients, has replaced all of its smoking shelters with trees and plants.

Mid-Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust has a tannoy announcement system that plays anti-smoking reminders recorded by children at the press of a button.

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation uses a similar tactic, playing messages in a child's voice such as: 'My grandfather is receiving treatment in this hospital, please do not smoke.'

Health watchdogs NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, first started calls to ban smoking on hospital premises in 2013.

At the time, it said NHS hospitals in England should ban smoking on their premises and staff should be told not to help patients who want to smoke.

PHE's boss, Duncan Selbie, wrote to the chief executive of every English trust in 2016, asking for their commitment to work towards a 'truly smoke-free NHS'.

Mr Selbie said today: 'One in four hospital beds are occupied by a smoker and most of them want to quit.

'Many patients or visitors will be going through difficult times but smoking remains England's biggest preventable killer.'

Commenting on his agency's report, he added: 'It is time for the NHS to stop smoking within its hospital grounds, everywhere.

'It cannot be right that it is more acceptable in some hospitals to smoke at the front door than it is outside a pub.'

Smoking is on the decline in the UK with just one in six adults now regularly lighting up and 680,000 giving up the habit completely in 2016.

The proportion of adults who were smokers dropped from 19.9 per cent in 2010 to just 15.5 per cent in 2016 in England alone.
A teenager has told of how she suffered a brain injury after hitting her head on a toilet cubicle door during a sober night out.

Lottie Butler, from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, claims her life has been turned upside down since the accident last year.

The 18-year-old now struggles with the hidden effects of her brain injury, such as memory loss, difficulties concentrating and fatigue.

The sixth-form student said her school work now leaves her 'exhausted and tired' - and fears she won't be able to enjoy university when she goes.

Lottie Butler, from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, claims her life has been turned upside down since the accident last year

Recalling her accident, Miss Butler, out with her boyfriend at the time, said: 'I remember banging my head on the door as I left the toilet cubicle.

'Then the next thing I know, I was surrounded by the student unions emergency medical staff.

'It was really frustrating because everyone just assumed Id had too much to drink that night and thats why I fell and hit my head, when in reality I was sober.'

Doctors diagnosed her with a fractured skull and post-concussion syndrome, after suffering the injury.

Miss Butler, currently in the second year of sixth form, was unable to attend school for several months after her brain injury.

She said: 'The process of travelling there, socialising with friends and learning was just too exhausting.

The 18-year-old now struggles with the hidden effects of her brain injury, such as memory loss, difficulties concentrating and fatigue

WHAT IS POST-CONCUSSION SYNDROME? Post-concussion syndrome is a complex disorder in which various symptoms  such as headaches and dizziness  last for weeks and sometimes months after the injury that caused the concussion. Concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that usually happens after a blow to the head. It can also occur with violent shaking and movement of the head or body. You don't have to lose consciousness to get a concussion or post-concussion syndrome. In fact, the risk of post-concussion syndrome doesn't appear to be associated with the severity of the initial injury. In most people, symptoms occur within the first seven to 10 days and go away within three months. Sometimes, they can persist for a year or more. Post-concussion symptoms include: Headaches

Dizziness

Fatigue

Irritability

Anxiety

Insomnia

Loss of concentration and memory

Ringing in the ears

Blurry vision

Noise and light sensitivity

Rarely, decreases in taste and smell Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement

'Now, I find myself sleeping through days on end after being at sixth form for just a few hours.'

Miss Butler hopes to study psychology and sociology at university, but fears her ongoing battle may stand in her way.

'My education has suffered so much as a result of my fatigue. My attendance at sixth form is 40 percent which means I miss a lot of the content,' she said.

'Its really frustrating. Just because I look well physically, it doesnt mean Im not struggling.

'Im worried my fatigue will stop me from enjoying the typical university experience and everything that comes with it, from the long lectures to late nights partying.

'I dont want to undo the progress Ive already made, but I want to be able to do the same things other people my age do.'

Miss Butler decided to share her story as part of Headways Brain Drain: Wake up to fatigue awareness campaign.

Fatigue - or excessive tiredness - is one of the most commonly experienced effects of brain injury.

It is the most commonly cited effect of brain injury reported by the 11,000 callers to Headway's helpline each year.

A survey released as part of the campaign and to mark Action for Brain injury Week 2019 has shown the issue of chronic fatigue is widely misunderstood.

The charity claims this often leads to brain injury survivors feeling social isolated and being discriminated against.

Peter McCabe, the chief executive of Headway, said: 'It is clear that there is a distinct lack of understanding of pathological fatigue across the UK.

'As a society, we need to wake up and recognise the debilitating effects fatigue can have on people living with the long-term effects of brain injury.

'Its very concerning that so many of the people we support have told us they feel they have been unfairly treated due their condition.

'The effects of brain injury can be hidden and, as a result, widely misunderstood - even by the brain injury survivor themselves.'
Ms Truss said: 'We shouldn't moralise through the tax system and end up hitting those on lowest incomes hardest'

A senior minister has blasted England's Chief Medical Officer, accusing her of trying to 'moralise through the tax system' by recommending a levy on all unhealthy foods to tackle child obesity.

Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the plan by Dame Sally Davies to curb the spiralling crisis would unfairly target the poor.

Dame Sally, who once who once jokingly called herself 'chief nanny', wants parents to be encouraged to buy more fruit and vegetables.

She is conducting an urgent review of measures needed to meet the Government's target to halve the levels of fat youngsters by 2030.

Some 29 per cent of children aged two to 15 are now overweight or obese in England, with 16 per cent of them being obese.

Dame Sally told BBC News she did not want to increase the cost of the 'basket of food' parents buy to go up, adding: 'I want parents to be incentivised to buy healthy food. We need to make sure that fresh fruit and vegetables are cheap.

'Maybe we have to subsidise them by charging more, by taxing unhealthy food. Parents are then nudged to buy the healthy version because it's cheaper.'

But reacting to the story Ms Truss said: 'We shouldn't moralise through the tax system and end up hitting those on lowest incomes hardest.

'People have to be able to make their own decisions'.

England's Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, said reducing childhood obesity is a 'formidable challenge'. She is expected to publish her review by September

Her intervention came after Health Secretary and Tory leadership candidate Matt Hancock yesterday said 'we should not rest on our laurels' and called for her expert advice to help improve the plans.

'We have already gone further than any other country to reduce childhood obesity,' he said. 'Our reformulation programmes are world-leading.

'We are consulting on a number of new laws on advertising and promotions to make the environment healthier for our children.

'I have no doubt that these policies will be effective. What I do not underestimate is the scale of the problem we face and we should not rest on our laurels.'

Matt Hancock said 'we should not rest on our laurels' as the Government tries to put measures in place to reduce the number of obese children by half by 2030

HOW FAT ARE BRITISH CHILDREN? English children are fatter than ever  official data revealed last October that one in every 25 10 to 11-year-olds are severely obese, the fattest possible category. And out of around 556,000 children of primary school-leaving age in the UK, 170,000 are overweight to some degree, figures showed in May last year. More than one in five 11-year-olds are obese  equivalent to around 111,000 children  and being so fat means they are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer or have a stroke. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health say children should be weighed every year at school because 'danger is on the horizon' and the UK is lagging behind the rest of the EU in tackling obesity. Experts have also warned children gain weight 'at a drastic rate' when they're at school. Sugar in food is known to be contributing to the swelling waistlines of children, with huge amounts of popular foods crammed full of sugar. A sugar tax has reduced the effects of some soft drinks, but breakfast cereals can still contain more than 70 per cent of an entire day's sugar in a single bowl. Even a single can of Coca Cola (35g of sugar) or one Mars bar (33g) contain more than the maximum amount of sugar a child should have over a whole day. Advertisement

'By 2030, if we want to see a real improvement to our children's health we are going to have to use every tool in our arsenal,' Mr Hancock added.

'So today I have asked the Chief Medical Officer to report back on what else we can take forward.'

The Government's childhood obesity action plan was first published in 2016 and set out measures which could help slim the nation's children.

One of its flagship measures, the sugar tax on soft drinks, has already begun and raised 154million in its first six months.

Other initiatives include encouraging food and drink companies to reduce their sugar content by 20 per cent.

Food for sale in government-run buildings including leisure centres will be made healthier, and primary schools will make sure children get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day between lessons.

And low income families will continue to get Healthy Start vouchers for milk and fruit and vegetables, under the Government plans.

The Government is also considering banning energy drink sales to children and stopping junk food being advertised before 9pm.

Mr Hancock appeared determined to do more and will hope Dame Sally can recommend ways of improving the strategy and making it more likely to work.

Dame Sally said last year that voluntary agreements with the food industry had failed to sufficiently reduce sugar and salt consumption.

And, speaking in December, she also called for junk food to be taxed and vegetables subsidised to tackle the childhood obesity problem.

But the food industry has warned there is no evidence that additional food taxes can change consumer behaviours over the long-term.

'The scale of the challenge we face on childhood obesity is formidable,' Dame Sally said yesterday.

'There is no silver bullet to a problem decades in the making and we need to think outside the box.

'There are policies we know are effective, many of which this country is already putting into action. Now we must be bold and brave enough to keep going.

'I want the UK to be the healthiest country in the world  supporting all of our children to have the best possible start in life.'

Childhood obesity has risen since the 1990s, with 25 per cent of children between two and 15 being overweight or obese in 1995, the lowest in 14 years.

While the proportion of children who were fat hit its peak in 2004 when it was higher than a third at 34 per cent.

The figure was continuously higher than 30 per cent from 2001 to 2011 and again in 2014.

Children who are obese are more likely to be fat adults and thus be at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease or cancer.

The Chief Medical Officer's report is expected in September.
Mice fed faeces from human children with autism developed signs of having the disorder, scientists claim.

Rodents given the faecal transplants were less likely to socialise and more likely to develop repetitive behaviour.

Researchers were adamant their research didn't prove bacteria in the gut caused autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

A team of researchers at the California Institute of Technology said their research adds weight to the growing idea that gut bacteria may have a bearing on autism (stock image of bacteria)

However, they believe the findings could lead to new treatments for the disorder, such as probiotic drugs.

The study adds further weight to existing suggestions that gut bacteria may play a role in causing the spectrum disorder.

'This opens the possibility that ASD... may be treated by therapies that target the gut rather than the brain,' said lead researcher, Dr Sarkis Mazmanian.

Dr Mazmanian, from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), suggested it could even help other 'classical neurologic conditions'.

The researchers implanted the stool of children with autism into the stomachs of mice in a laboratory to investigate the gut bacteria theory.

WHAT DO SCIENTISTS KNOW ABOUT THE LINK BETWEEN AUTISM AND THE GUT? Research is ongoing into a possible link between autism and the types of bacteria which live in someone's gut. Shandong University in China this month published a study showing children with autism have a unique mixture of organisms living in their digestive system. The scientists found abnormalities may come from the children's mothers, whose gut bacteria may have an influence on the development of their baby's brain. And they suggested certain bacteria could block chemical messages in the brain, changing how it works. The gut bacteria may be useful as a target for treatments for autism, with scientists at Arizona State University finding symptoms can be reduced by implanting healthier organisms. In a study in the US state, 18 children have already had the severity of their symptoms slashed by 45 per cent after faecal transplants from children without the spectrum disorder. Many of the children in the study had their autism reclassified from severe at to 'mild to moderate' or even dropped off the spectrum altogether. Advertisement

While the gut bacteria  known as the microbiome  triggered autistic symptoms if it came from an autistic child, it had no effect when it came from a healthy child.

'There are many factors that make autism more complicated in humans than in mice,' Dr Mazmanian said.

'In mice, we can model the symptoms of the disorder but not reproduce it.

'However, this research provides clues into the role that the gut microbiota plays in neural changes that are associated with ASD.

'It suggests that ASD symptoms may one day be remedied with bacterial metabolites or a probiotic drug.'

As many as one in 60 children are thought to have ASD, which can affect their ability to communicate, understand things and control their emotions.

It is considered a disability, although how severe it is can vary massively between people and many sufferers are able to lead normal lives.

The cause of the mental disorder is not well understood and, as such, there is no way to cure people of it.

Mice which had symptoms induced were observed to be sniffing, pushing and wrestling with the other mice less often than normal, The Guardian reported.

They also squeaked less and were more likely to obsessively bury marbles in their cages, while the other mice would only bury a couple before giving up.

Obsessive, repetitive behaviour is a well-known sign of autism in people, as is a reduced ability or willingness to talk to and interact with others.

The scientists found they were able to reduce the mice's autism symptoms by feeding them certain chemicals (taurine and 5-aminovaleric acid).

Although they didn't want to give people 'false hope', they told The Guardian, the researchers suggested testing chemicals like this could one day be scaled up to humans.

The team's research was published in the journal Cell.
A woman who thought she had stray lash in her eye has revealed her terror after waking up without vision three days later.

Victoria Maddock, 27, had been suffering from blurry vision in her right eye which she had tried treating with eye drops.

But when she began to feel like she was 'looking through milk bottle bottoms' she immediately visited the local opticians.

She was diagnosed with iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome, involving swelling of the cornea and changes in the iris.

A build-up of pressure led her to develop glaucoma, a condition most common in people over the age of 70, leaving doctors shocked.

If it had been left any longer, Ms Maddock was told she could have lost vision in her right eye.

Ms Maddock, of Portsmouth, Hampshire, had surgery to drain fluid in her eye twice - the first time failing to work.

Victoria Maddock, 27, of Portsmouth, Hampshire, thought she had stray lash in her eye but woke up without vision three days later, leading to a diagnosis of glaucoma

Ms Maddock was diagnosed with iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome, involving swelling of the cornea and changes in the iris, after she was rushed to hospital. A build-up of pressure led her to develop glaucoma, and with both conditions most common in people in their 70s, doctors were shocked, Ms Maddock said. Pictured, her eye at an unknown date

Doctors booked Ms Maddock in to have eye surgery in November 2018

Ms Maddock, an admin worker for a construction site, said: 'If I had left it even days later, I could have lost sight in my right eye completely due to the build-up of pressure - it doesn't even bear thinking about.

'People think that glaucoma is an old person's disease, but I'm living proof that it can affect anyone at any age.

'I'm just so grateful that I didn't hold off any longer than I did to get it checked out by a specialist.

'For a few days my eye had been playing up and I thought nothing of it whatsoever.

WHAT IS IRIDOCORNEAL ENDOTHELIAL SYNDROME? The features of iridocorneal endothelial syndrome (ICE) include swelling of the cornea - the clear front part of the eye - abnormalities of the iris - the coloured part of the eye that contains the pupil - and a high risk of developing glaucoma. The cornea has many layers, the innermost layer being composed of endothelial cells. These cells are vital for keeping the cornea clear, as they pump out fluid from the cornea. In ICE syndrome, the endothelial cells are abnormal and they do not perform their role. It leads to vision becoming blurry. The cells can also multiply in numbers and migrate to areas where they don't belong. One of these areas is the drainage system of the eye, which is near the edge of the cornea, causing a build up of pressure. They can migrate onto the iris and cause the pupil to be misshapen, or sometimes even cause the iris to stretch so much that holes form. ICE syndrome usually affects women between the ages of 30-50, normally in one eye, according to Bright Focus Foundation. Advertisement

'Then one day I woke up and I couldn't see out of my right eye at all, it was like a thick film had been placed over it.'

Ms Maddock, who has worn prescription glasses for long distance since she was 18, was soon told by experts that the pressure in her right eye was worryingly high.

While normal eye pressure ranges from 12-22 millimetres of mercury (mmHg), Ms Maddock's measured 28mmHg - above 22mmHg is considered high.

Opticians insisted that she went straight to the city's Queen Alexandra Hospital, where she was quickly diagnosed with ICE syndrome.

The disease, of which there are no known statistics, normally affects women between 30 and 50 years old, according to Bright Focus Foundation.

Abnormal cells in the cornea, the film over the front of the eye, migrate across the eye towards the iris, the coloured part of the eye.

But Ms Maddock said: 'By the end of the initial assessment I was surrounded by a group of doctors, all insisting on taking a look at my eye, as it was so unusual to see ICE in someone my age.'

Symptoms include swelling of the cornea, abnormalities of the iris, and a high risk of developing glaucoma due to a build-up of pressure.

Glaucoma is when the optic nerve connecting the eye to the brain is damaged by a build-up of fluid in the front of the eye.

The risk of getting glaucoma increases with age. It is most common in those aged over 70, affecting 60million people worldwide.

Ms Maddock said: 'It was pretty nerve-wracking. No one could believe I had glaucoma so young. One doctor said she'd only read about cases like mine before.'

Ms Maddock, who has worn prescription glasses for long distance since she was 18, was told by experts that the pressure in her right eye was worryingly high. Pictured before

Ms Maddock, pictured with her mother, said the ordeal was nerve-wracking

Just when Ms Maddock thought her life was returning to normal, she needed to return for more eye surgery three months after the first when she woke up with blurred vision again

It is not possible to halt the progression of ICE syndrome, according to Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Centre.

Treatment is usually focused on managing the glaucoma to help reduce pressure in the eye.

With her eye pressure reaching as high as 36mmHg, doctors booked Ms Maddock in for a trabeculectomy on November 20, 2018.

The procedure removes part of the iris, allowing fluid to drain more easily - for which Ms Maddock had a general anaesthetic due to her 'crippling fear of needles'.

At first it seemed like the surgery had been a success, with Ms Maddock taking two weeks off work for her eye to recover before she could expose it to natural light.

Relieved to have her sight back, she was given another blow three months later when she woke up to the same terrifying scenario.

Ms Maddock said: 'I was just getting my life back on track when I woke up with the same symptoms all over again.

'I didn't waste a moment going straight to the emergency eye care clinic.

'There doctors confirmed that the cells in my eye had begun to migrate back into my iris, effectively reversing the surgery.'

Just a week later Ms Maddock was back on the operating table in the same hospital, where surgeons repeated the procedure, but under a local anaesthetic.

Ms Maddock is raising awareness of glaucoma in young people as she 'never in a million years' thought this would happen to her. Pictured with her boyfriend on an unknown date

She said: 'Because I couldn't see out of the eye it wasn't half as bad I thought it would be, despite my needle phobia.

Luckily, since the second operation, Ms Maddock's eye has remained stable.

Determined to help others with the same condition, Ms Maddock is working with eye research charity Fight for Sight to raise awareness of the prevalence of glaucoma, especially in younger people.

She is campaigning for more people to realise the need to have regular eye tests  a minimum of once every two years.

She said: 'I never in a million years would have thought this could have happened to me.

'I wear my glasses for watching TV and going to the cinema and that's about it.

'Now I've insisted all my friends and family get their eyes checked as soon as possible. It doesn't matter if you've got 20/20 vision, or if you're as blind as a bat  just go.'

According to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), glaucoma is so uncommon in young people that the Public Health Outcomes Framework indicator on avoidable sight loss due to glaucoma does not start counting people until they are over 40.

The RNIB's Specialist Lead for Eye Health, Dr Louise Gow said: 'Usually glaucoma develops in older adults, typically with a close family history or from certain high risk groups such as African-Caribbean ethnic background.

'Although it's possible to develop primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common adult form of glaucoma, before the age of 40  it is very rare.'
Surgeon Hendro Yuwono said coffee was a 'perfect' and 'cost-effective' dressing

Maggots are already used by the NHS to heal wounds, while the Ancient Egyptians believed in pouring honey into cuts.

And now doctors in Indonesia have revealed another unusual way of treating gashes to the skin  pouring coffee powder onto them.

Ground beans were used to treat a 63-year-old man with three diabetic foot ulcers after he refused to have an amputation.

Medics rubbed powdered arabica coffee into the man's open sores, bandaged his foot and, three months later, the injuries had completely healed.

A 63-year-old man in West Java had three diabetic ulcers on the top of his right foot covered with powdered coffee by doctors after he refused to have an amputation

Doctors at the Universitas Padjadjaran in West Java, Indonesia, poured 100g (3.5oz) of coffee onto the suffering man's swollen foot.

The team, led by Hendro Sudjono Yuwono, called it a 'cost-effective' way of treating the infected abscess on the top of the man's right foot.

After pouring the coffee powder into the wound and wrapping it in a dressing, the medics replaced it once per week.

A thin layer of powder was left on the broken flesh at all times, in order to stop the new growing cells from being disturbed.

'The coffee solution is reliable because coffee has the ability as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and strong antibacterial,' Mr Yuwono said.

He said various chemicals in the coffee, among them caffeine, could keep the wound cells healthy and help them to heal faster.

'The powdered coffee is a perfect wound dressing for any wound,' Mr Yuwono claimed.

Doctors were faced with treating the man's infected foot ulcers which had developed as a result of his diabetes  leg ulcers are a common problem for people with the condition

The man's foot was bandaged up with the coffee on his wounds and both the powder and dressing were replaced each week

After three months the man's ulcers had healed (pictured)  the doctor who wrote the case report, Hendro Yuwono, said coffee was 'a perfect dressing for any wound'

An added benefit of using coffee, Mr Yuwono said, was that it could quickly cover up the smell of an infected wound with a much more pleasant aroma.

'Ground coffee directly put into the wound [was] the most appropriate for countering the smell,' he wrote in the report.

'The coffee powder has a unique aromatic scent that eliminates the stinking wound in a second.'

To sum up, the medics suggested it was preferable to use coffee over modern dressings which needed 'repeated soaking and rubbing' and agitated the wound to lead to a longer, more painful and more expensive healing process.

Diabetic foot ulcers, which develop when nerve damage and poor blood supply stop cuts from healing, are common but can lead to severe complications.

If they become too large or deep people may need to have their foot amputated to prevent a deadly infection spreading through their body.

Mr Yuwono's paper was published in the American Journal of Medical Case Reports.
A mother has told how cut-price 'mummy makeover' surgery in Turkey almost killed her and left her with a gaping wound on her stomach.

Sheriah Harrison paid 5,000 for a tummy tuck, liposuction and a boob reduction. The procedures could cost in the region of 12,000 privately in the UK.

Days after flying home from Istanbul following the triple surgery, the 40-year-old was whisked to hospital for an emergency operation.

Doctors revealed Ms Harrison, of Cardiff, had the onset of sepsis, a life-threatening response by the immune system to an infection.

The civil servant spent almost a month in hospital following her ordeal. She still has an open wound in her stomach that needs to be dressed every day.

Sheriah Harrison paid 5,000 for a tummy tuck, liposuction and a boob reduction. The procedures could cost in the region of 12,000 privately in the UK

Ms Harrison pictured before the op while on holiday. It is unclear where she is in this photo

Pictured, her body straight after the cut-price operation in Turkey. She claims the bruising would die down over time

'It has disturbed me,' Ms Harrison said. 'It's been completely traumatising. I just can't live a normal life now and I'm devastated.

'I was really ill so I'm just glad to still be here now. It's just so dangerous and people don't realise what can happen.

'It's safer to pay extra. I would never advise anyone to do what I did. It was awful. It's like a game of Russian roulette and it could kill you.'

Ms Harrison wanted cosmetic surgery to remove stretch marks and excess skin she gained following pregnancy and childbirth.

The mother to Jay, 22, and Brandon, 19, said she 'hated' the way her stomach looked and would avoid photos and cover up.

She decided to have a tummy tuck and lipo at the same time as a breast reduction - to remove implants that ruptured after a boob job in 2002, aged 16.

Days after flying home from Istanbul following the triple surgery, the 40-year-old was whisked to hospital for an emergency operation (pictured, her stomach after the surgery)

Doctors revealed Ms Harrison, of Cardiff, had the onset of sepsis, a life-threatening response by the immune system to an infection

Ms Harrison flew out to Turkey on October 8 and went under the knife the next day at an unnamed clinic in Istanbul.

Just two days after the operation, Ms Harrison, who booked the surgery as part of a holiday package, claims her stomach became 'rock hard' and swollen.

WHAT IS A TUMMY TUCK? Known medically as an abdominoplasty, tummy tucks improve the appearance of the stomach. Surgeons remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen, and tighten connective tissues. The end result is a more toned look. Many women, and men, have the operation to boost their body image. A tummy tuck is also the go-to option for women who have given birth and have a prolonged 'mummy tummy'. The surgery repairs the rectus diastasis - two abdominal muscles than can separate during pregnancy. Figures show nearly 130,000 tummy tucks were performed in the US last year. There are nearly 3,000 performed privately in the UK each year. The Mayo Clinic states: 'Like any other type of major surgery, a tummy tuck poses a risk of bleeding, infection and an adverse reaction to anesthesia.' It can also cause fluid to build-up beneath the skin, known as a seroma. They can become infected. Advertisement

She said: 'I could feel it filling up with fluid. It was really swollen and I looked absolutely dreadful. It was getting bigger and bigger.

'I went back to see my surgeon and he said it was normal. But he drained 12 syringes worth of fluid from my stomach.

'He tried telling me it was normal but I could see it was infected. My stomach did go down after that so I just thought that perhaps it might have been normal.'

Her condition took a turn for the worse when she arrived back in the UK on October 15, six days after her surgery.

She had flu-like symptoms and blotchy skin, and looked 'absolutely dreadful', and so phoned for medical advice the next day.

Operators told her to go to the University Hospital of Wales immediately, as medics suspected she was suffering with an infection.

Her condition worsened over the next few days and she was rushed into surgery on October 19.

'I couldn't breathe properly and I was in so much pain,' said Ms Harrison, who claims to have complained to the clinic but received no reply.

'The swelling was putting pressure on my lungs. I went red and purple. The consultant said I was a mess. It was awful.

'I was terrified and my family were petrified. I thought I was going to die. I am lucky to be alive. The doctors said I was very lucky to have caught the infection when I did.

The civil servant spent almost a month in hospital following the ordeal. She still has an open wound in her stomach that needs to be dressed every day (pictured in hospital)

Ms Harrison wanted cosmetic surgery to remove stretch marks and excess skin she gained following pregnancy and childbirth (pictured before going under the knife in Turkey)

'They had to cut me open again because of how bad it was. They couldn't just drain it.'

Surgeons had to un-stitch her wounds and vacuum huge amounts of fluid out of her stomach, then leave the would open for cleaning.

She was allowed home in November, but was admitted twice more after developing infections in the following months.

Ms Harrison had to take six months off full-time work and was only able to work half days from January this year.

Doctors issued her with a vacuum pack to collect the fluid while it leaked from her stomach, and a nurse visited her at home for three months to pack the wound.

Since January, Ms Harrison has been able to dress the wound herself, but says the operation has ruined her life.

Ms Harrison had to take six months off full-time work and was only able to work half days from January this year (pictured, the scars on her stomach after the botched surgery)

WHAT IS BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY? Breast reduction surgery can help women who are unhappy with the shape, weight or droop of their breasts. The NHS does not routinely offer it for cosmetic reasons. Instead, it is only usually offered for women who have health issues because of the size of their breasts. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) claims around 6,000 of the operations were carried out in 2016. The procedure, which can cause scarring and an unusual shape, can cost up to 6,500 privately. It also carries the same risks as any type of major surgery, such as bleeding and infection. Advertisement

She said: 'I haven't been able to go outside of Cardiff or book any holidays. It has absolutely ruled my life and let me feeling horrible. It's been horrendous.

'I have felt constantly tired and lived on the sofa for months. I felt very run down. It left me unable to go anywhere at all.

'It's still having an impact on me now. I can't do anything that I used to do and I've gained about 10lbs.

'I've only just started power-walking to try to get active again. It's been really depressing and has restricted everything that I do.'

Ms Harrison will need plastic surgery in the future to remove thick scar tissue that has developed on her stomach.

She said: 'There's more than two inches of scar tissue on my stomach and it restricts my movement.

'I can't bend over or bend down to put my shoes on. It really hurts my waist.'

Ms Harrison has urged Brits to stay in the UK for surgery. She said: 'You see success stories but you don't really see stories like this.

'When you think you've got a good deal, think twice about it and seriously consider having the surgery here.'

Ms Harrison will need plastic surgery in the future to remove thick scar tissue that has developed on her stomach (pictured with her friends on her 40th birthday, before the op)

The NHS warns anyone considering cosmetic surgery abroad to research the clinic they are looking at.

'It's important to do your research if you're thinking about having cosmetic surgery abroad,' it says on its website.

'It can cost less than in the UK, but you need to weigh up potential savings against the potential risks. Safety standards may not be as high.'

The NHS also warns people seeking cosmetic surgery should 'be cautious of websites selling cosmetic surgery as part of a holiday'.
He was never expected to make it past two weeks old.

But five years later, Jude Peters is thriving, stunning doctors as he hits milestone after milestone.

His parents Hannah and Sully were told to prepare for the worst early on in the pregnancy.

Their obstetrician in Charlotte, North Carolina, said scans suggested their baby would have some form of skeletal dysplasia, but it wasn't clear to what extent.

Two days after he was born, he was diagnosed with a rare developmental brain disorder, which causes dwarfism, rhizomelic chondrodysplasia punctata (RCDP).

Sixty percent of 'Rhizo kids' don't make it to their first birthday, and another 30 percent don't make it to two. The condition impacts the development of their lungs, brain and skeleton so severely that it often proves fatal. Those who survive cannot eat, talk and walk.

Doctors said they would only have a couple of weeks with him, at best, but they would try to operate, putting in a feeding tube.

Jude Peters was diagnosed with RCDP, a rare brain developmental disorder, at two days old

Doctors told Sully and Hannah (pictured) to prepare for the worst; that he wouldn't live two weeks

After multiple surgeries, Jude was stable, and could have home treatment

Jude celebrated his fifth birthday in hospital, since he recently contracted an infection

To their astonishment, he made it to one, then two, then three, four, and this year, on April 17, he turned five.

He spent the day in hospital, surround by balloons and toys, since he had recently contracted an infection.

But today, on national RCDP day, his parents are celebrating how far he has come.

'He has defied the odds and has continued to be a fighter. Our miracle boy,' Hannah said.

'Regardless of all the medical challenges he has faced and still faces, Jude is filled with immense joy. He loves meeting new people and smiles every single day.'

Jude is wheelchair-bound and, due to his spinal stenosis, his joints are contracted, meaning he needs weekly therapy, which he loves and looks forward to.

He will inevitably face more operations, and they are always trying to learn about new treatments, attending an RCDP medical conference every year in Alabama, where they can meet with other families and medical experts.

Getting his treatment plan in place has been a years-long endeavor.

Jude is wheelchair-bound and, due to his spinal stenosis, his joints are contracted, meaning he needs weekly therapy, which he loves and looks forward to

He will inevitably face more operations, and they are always trying to learn about new treatments, attending an RCDP medical conference every year in Alabama, where they can meet with other families and medical experts

From the moment Hannah found out she had a 'high-risk pregnancy' she started blogging about it, not sure what it meant but sharing her discoveries publicly as she went on

When he was first diagnosed, few doctors in their area knew anything about his rare condition.

Hannah and Sully traveled to Wilmington, Delaware, to take Jude to AI DuPont Children's Hospital, which has a specialist unit for RCDP children.

That's where they got the official diagnosis, and they could begin etching out their plans.

'As soon as he was diagnosed, we posted on Little People of America's Facebook page asking if anyone had heard of this condition. Pretty quickly we had families that have children with this diagnosis reaching out,' Hannah said.

'We were devastated when Jude was diagnosed.

'The hardest part to cope with was hearing about the lifespan for RCDP kids, and also knowing that Jude would never be able to walk, talk or eat.

'It's heartbreaking for any parent. These past five years have had their ups and downs.

'However, we stand together with hope and faith and Jude has come such a long way.'

From the moment Hannah found out she had a 'high-risk pregnancy' she started blogging about it, not sure what it meant but sharing her discoveries publicly as she went on.

Hannah said the hardest part to cope with was hearing about the lifespan for RCDP kids, and also knowing that Jude would never be able to walk, talk or eat

These past five years have had their ups and downs

'Awareness is very important for children with rare diseases and we work hard at raising awareness for Jude and his Rhizo brothers and sisters,' Hannah said.

'We frequently hear that Jude's story has inspired people and brought them joy and given them hope in their own situations. We feel blessed that Jude's story has had such a positive impact. Our hope in sharing our story is that everyone can have joy like Jude.'

As for Jude, he is better than any medic predicted. He is constantly giggling and loves dancing.

'Overall, we have joy. Jude has learned to communicate and show us love in his own special and beautiful way.

Other kids are curious but are very drawn to Jude because of his big smile and joyful attitude. They are surprised that he is so small for a five-year-old

'Jude is a very loved little boy; we have been overwhelmed with the love, prayers and support from our friends, family, local press, community and online followers that we call Jude's Tribe.

'We hope that Jude will continue to live a happy life. Due to his compromised respiratory system, we have to be very careful with Jude because he catches viruses very easily. We work hard to keep him safe.

'Other kids are curious but are very drawn to Jude because of his big smile and joyful attitude. They are surprised that he is so small for a five-year-old.

'There is always hope. Live one day at a time. Never take anything for granted. Always find the joy in everything.

'Jude's favorite thing is dancing. Always take the time to live in the moment and make time for dancing. Never give up.'
Going to the hospital and having an operation performed on your wrong limb may sound like something from a comedy movie.

But the mistake may be more common than you think, according to researchers who claimed surgeons don't always confess to their errors.

Doctors tracked how many wrong side error incidents had been reported across 100 Spanish hospitals over the past decade.

They found 81 had been officially recorded during the time frame  but warned this figure was likely just to be the tip of the iceberg.

Going to the hospital and having an operation performed on your wrong limb may sound like something from a comedy movie. But the mistake may be more common than you think, according to researchers who claimed surgeons don't always confess to their errors

Studies have estimated one wrong side surgery per 100,000 procedures  but the academics suggested the rate may be closer to one in every 16,000.

Dr Daniel Arnal, from the Hospital Universitario Fundacion Alcorcon, Madrid, Spain, led the research analysing incidents between 2007 and 2018.

He said: 'The stark reality is due to the lack of reporting to incident databases, these figures most likely represent an underestimate of the true situation.

'However, the reporting of wrong side errors have led to substantial corrective measures to prevent their repetition in our hospitals.'

Almost half of the incidents (48 per cent) occurred in orthopaedic surgery, operations on bones, joints, ligaments and muscles.

Ophthalmology surgery  operations on the eye  was responsible for 28 per cent of all of the recorded wrong site errors.

WHAT IS A NEVER EVENT? Never events represent a fraction of the 4.6 million surgical procedures carried out each year and only occur in one in 20,000 cases of surgery. They include operating on the wrong body parts, mixing up organs and leaving surgical tools inside patients. Such incident have even led to deaths, including that of Frank Hibbard, who had undergone cancer surgery in October 2001 at Luton and Dunstable Hospital. Bungling medics left an 8cm-long piece of gauze inside his pelvis, which triggered a soft tissue cancer and led to the lorry driver's death, aged just 69. In 2015, Britain was called out for being one of the worst offenders for leaving items inside patients by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Advertisement

Most of the errors (45) involved anaesthetic being given on the wrong side of the body. Severe harm was caused on three occasions.

The remaining 36 revolved around the surgical procedure itself, according to the study presented at the Euroanaesthesia Congress in Vienna.

An analysis of how the mistakes happened revealed patients were to blame for around 20 per cent, and incorrect site marking responsible for 16 per cent.

Surgeons were distracted in eight per cent of the cases, and rushing was to blame for around 17 per cent of the errors.

The remaining were caused by medics not having a surgical safety checklist, or not using it correctly.

Dr Arnal added: 'Our findings highlight the need for adequate training and appropriate use of surgical check-lists.

'While these serious wrong side events are extremely rare, our mission should be to drive them down to zero.'

A never event is defined as a catastrophic hospital blunders deemed so serious that it should never take place, such as operating on the wrong body parts.

To avoid such a blunder, health officials advocate the use of standardised patient wristbands and the World Health Organization's Surgical Safety Checklist.

The WHO measure, introduced a decade ago, was launched as a tool to improve the safety of surgery and prevent unnecessary deaths.

It helps medics ensure they don't operate on the wrong patient, perform the wrong procedure or operate on the wrong part of their body.

The data was taken from incidents reported to SENSAR, the Spanish Safety Reporting System in Anaesthesia and Resuscitation.

The database covers 100 predominantly large hospitals across Spain, including one sin the Canary Islands, Madrid and Barcelona.
Immune protection passed on through a mother's milk could last for years longer than expected, according to scientists.

Tests on mice found mothers which had recovered from an infection could pass on their immunity through breast milk with long-lasting effects.

In one case, a baby mouse became protected from a worm infection for their entire lives, researchers said.

The finding, branded 'remarkable', added another element to their understanding of how mothers affect their children's health.

However, they did not say the discovery was a replacement for vaccines and instead suggested it could be used to improve jabs in the future.

Breastfeeding can pass on white blood cells from the mother to a baby, protecting the youngster from infections its parent has already suffered from (stock image)

Researchers at the University of Cape Town in South Africa said immunity was passed from the mother in different cells than they had first expected.

Resistance against disease was passed in white blood cells rather than in antibodies  bacteria- and virus-destroying proteins  as previously believed.

And whereas immunity was thought to only last for the breastfeeding period in order to protect newborns, the benefits lasted much longer in the mice in the study.

Recommended jabs for all children by the age of 18 Vaccinations for various unpleasant and deadly diseases are given free on the NHS to children and teenagers. Here is a list of all the jabs someone should have by the age of 18 to make sure they and others across the country are protected: Eight weeks old 6-in-1 vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and hepatitis B.

Pneumococcal (PCV)

Rotavirus

Meningitis B 12 weeks old Second doses of 6-in-1 and Rotavirus 16 weeks old Third dose of 6-in-1

Second doses of PCV and men. B One year old Hib/meningitis C

Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)

Third dose of PCV and meningitis B Two to eight years old Annual children's flu vaccine Three years, four months old Second dose of MMR

4-in-1 pre-school booster for diptheria, tetanus, polio and whooping cough 12-13 years old (girls) HPV (two doses within a year) 14 years old 3-in-1 teenage booster for diptheria, tetanus and polio

MenACWY Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

'To the best of our knowledge this is the first demonstration that infection prior to pregnancy can transfer life-long cellular immunity to infants,' said lead researcher, Dr William Horsnell.

'The work shows that exposure to an infection before pregnancy can lead to a mother transferring long term immune benefits to her offspring.

'This is remarkable and adds a new dimension to our understanding of how a mother can influence our health.'

There is no suggestion it may have the same effect in humans and further trials are needed.

Around three quarters of mothers in the UK breastfeed their babies, according to the NHS.

The health service said breastfeeding can reduce a baby's risk of infections, diarrhoea and vomiting, cot death, leukaemia or heart disease in adulthood.

Breastfeeding couldn't replace vaccines because it would require the mother to have and recover from all the diseases being vaccinated against.

In the UK babies are vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B, rotavirus and meningitis B.

The Cape Town researchers suggested their study could lead to children receiving immunity from their mothers before they're born.

Adam Cunningham, a professor at the University of Birmingham who was involved with the study, said: 'We are particularly interested in how these findings may help to design maternal vaccine strategies that provide longer term protection to children.

'This work shows that maternal exposure to an infection can permanently alter offspring immunity.

'Currently vaccination of mothers to protect infants against infection is very important in boosting protection from infection to newborns, however this protection is considered to be transient.

'Our work shows that this effect can also be permanent. This could lead to the design of new vaccines that will be able to be given to a mother to transfer long-term immunity to her children.'

The research was published in the journal Science Advances.
Hospitals are being forced to cancel operations because of 'absurdly complex' NHS pension rules, health leaders have warned.

NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said the problem has now reached 'crisis point'.

Senior doctors are effectively being 'incentivised to cut their hours or quit their jobs' due to the rules, she warned.

Her concerns were echoed by the British Medical Association (BMA), whose reps have met ministers to demand immediate action.

NHS pensions changes in 2016 have impacted high earners due to the introduction of a tapered annual allowance.

NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery said the problem has now reached 'crisis point'

It has cut the tax-free pension allowance of those earning more than 110,000 a year from 40,000 to 10,000.

If a doctor earns more than 110,000 any pension contribution they make above the 10,000 cap triggers a tax charge of 55 per cent.

This means NHS staff who accidentally breach the cap can be hit with bills of tens of thousands of pounds.

Doctors say that because they often work overtime it is more difficult for them to keep track of how close they are to breaking the 110,000 threshold.

They also cannot put their overtime income towards their pension  so by working extra they can bust their pension tax allowance, without making any savings.

Consultant-grade doctors earn a basic salary of 77,913 to 105,042 per year, according to NHS data.

Ms Cordery said: 'The problems caused by the way the annual and lifetime pension limits are working in the NHS have been mounting for some time.'

She added they 'are now reaching a crisis point', calling for policymakers to push through an 'immediate solution to the problems.

'Severe workforce shortages, combined with a relentless rise in demand for care, mean frontline staff are already overstretched,' Ms Cordery said.

'Yet many of our most senior and experienced staff, including doctors, are effectively now being incentivised to cut their hours or quit their jobs.

'In the last month, the number of trusts telling us they are having to postpone operations as a result of these issues has risen significantly.'

She added that hospitals have told NHS Providers they are 'worried about their ability to provide high quality, safe care' and meet key national targets.

WHAT IS THE NHS PENSION RULE? NHS pensions changes in 2016 have impacted high earners, such as NHS doctors, due to the introduction of a tapered annual allowance. It has cut the tax-free pension allowance of those earning more than 110,000 a year from 40,000 to 10,000. If a doctor earns more than 110,000 any pension contribution they make above the 10,000 cap triggers a tax charge of 55 per cent. This means NHS staff who accidentally breach the cap can be hit with bills of tens of thousands of pounds. Doctors say that because they often work overtime it is more difficult for them to keep track of how close they are to breaking the 110,000 threshold. They also cannot put their overtime income towards their pension  so by working extra they can bust their pension tax allowance, without making any savings. Consultant-grade doctors earn a basic salary of 77,913 to 105,042 per year, according to NHS data. Advertisement

Dr Rob Harwood, chairman of the BMA's Consultants Committee, agreed there is no 'quick fix' to the situation.

But he added the union have not seen any action from the Government 'to bring an end to the situation'.

He said it is now impact patients and their care 'as doctors simply cannot afford to work the extra hours to cover vacant shifts and reduce waiting lists'.

Dr Harwood said: 'The BMA is very clear on the solutions and mitigations that are needed to bring an end to this spiralling crisis.'

He added the union had, once again, written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock asking for an end to the tapered annual allowance.

'Without this crucial step, many trusts will soon see their most senior experienced doctors either reduce their hours or simply leave,' he added.

A poll for the BMA earlier this year found that many doctors were being driven to cut hours and retire early.

Six out of 10 of the 4,000 consultants in England revealed early retirement plans, with many blaming the penalties caused by pensions arrangements.

Fewer than one in 10 consultants (6.5 per cent) planned to continue working after the age of 65 and a third planned to halve their workload.

Sir Steve Webb, director of policy at Royal London and former pensions minister, slammed the tapered annual allowance.

He said: 'When complex pension tax relief rules means that doctors are retiring early or turning down shifts, the case for change becomes overwhelming.

'Doctors should be able to focus on their patients and not have to spend hours working out if by taking on more work they risk a huge tax bill.

'Merely tinkering with the NHS pension scheme would simply be a 'sticking plaster' solution.

'The root cause is the absurdly complex 'tapered annual allowance' which needs to be abolished as a matter of urgency.'

Earlier this month, Chancellor Philip Hammond said he was in talks with Mr Hancock on how to provide additional pension flexibility for NHS doctors.

He told Parliament the allowance is focused on the highest-earning pension savers to ensure the tax relief they receive 'is not disproportionate to that of other savers'.

'However, I do accept that there is some evidence that the annual allowance charge is having an impact on the retention of high-earning clinicians in the NHS,' he added.
Fears that rents are set to rise as a direct result of Government ban on tenancy fees from today could be justified, as landlord representatives claim agents are already reporting rising costs for renters.

A survey of 384 letting agents, carried out on behalf of letting agent trade body Arla Propertymark, has suggested a third of agents saw landlords hike rents in April, up from 30 per cent in March.

This could spell bad news for renters over the coming months, with prices in some areas of the country looking set to rise.

David Cox, chief executive of ARLA Propertymark, said: 'In order to remain profitable, landlords will increase rents to cover the additional fees they are now faced with and as a result, tenants will continue to feel the burn.'

Rics forecasts a 2 per cent rent rise at the national level over the course of the next year

However, the same survey also found that the number of properties available to rent per letting agency has increased over the year, meaning more choice for those looking to secure a rental property - and more pressure on landlords to accept lower rental offers.

The number of properties available to rent dropped marginally to 202 per letting agent branch in April from 203 in March, still the highest since records began in 2015. Year-on-year, supply is up 13 per cent, from 179 per branch in April 2018.

The findings follow a recent Residential Landlords Association study which found that a quarter of private landlords are looking to sell at least one property over the next year.

What is going on? The rise in the number of properties to let comes despite a rise in the number of landlords selling up.

This indicates that small time landlords with just one or two properties are quitting buy-to-let while landlords with larger portfolios of properties are actually expanding.

This is Money recently revealed that London-based landlords are leaving the capital in search of better yields in areas like the North and the Midlands.

The lower capital values in these areas mean that landlords can afford to replace one low yielding London property with two or more higher yielding properties outside of the capital.

Figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors published this month also suggest that overall tenant demand across the country is rising.

A third of letting agents told Arla Propertymark they saw landlords putting up rents in April

Does this mean rents are climbing?

One third of letting agents said they witnessed landlords increasing rents, up from 30 per cent in March, according to the Association of Residential Letting Agents.

Year-on-year, this figure is up from 24 per cent in April 2017, and 26 per cent in April 2018.

But this doesn't necessarily mean that a third of tenants have seen rent rises - only that a third of agents have seen one or more of their landlords increase rents.

The actual number of tenants experiencing rent rises could be much smaller.

The number of tenants successfully negotiating rent reductions did fall however, from 2.9 per cent in March to 1.9 per cent in April.

This is the lowest figure seen since May 2016 when it stood at the same level.

Overall, rents are projected to rise to by around 2 per cent at the national level over the coming 12 months, according to Rics, with growth then accelerating to an average of 3 per cent a year over the next five years.

New rules for buy-to-let

The Tenant Fees Bill, in force from today, sees a ban on landlords and letting agents in England charging tenants any additional fees when they sign up for a new rental property.

Fees are now limited to charges for replacement keys and late rent payments only.

Security deposits are capped at the equivalent of five weeks' rent, and holding deposits to one week's rent.

Government analysis suggests tenants will on average save around 300 every time they move house as a result of the ban.

The Tenant Fees Ban comes in on Saturday, and will stop tenants being charged additional fees

However, some have speculated that letting agents will pass some of these costs onto landlords, who in turn could raise rents to cover their higher costs.

Landlords are also worried about the proposed abolition of Section 21, which would ban 'no fault' evictions, where landlords can give tenants notice without having to give a reason.

The Government's proposal to scrap this has been seen as a major victory for campaign groups who have long argued that this would put an end to so called 'revenge evictions' by unscrupulous landlords.

Cox said: 'As predicted, April's findings have shown an upsurge in the number of landlords selling their buy-to-let properties.

He added: The Tenant Fees Act, coupled with the proposed scrapping of Section 21, is forcing landlords to either increase rents or leave the market altogether.'
It was a fairly glum week for cake icing maker Real Good Food after it received a hefty fine from the London Stock Exchange as the final act in a two-year ordeal over what was described as a pattern of 'unacceptable conduct' by its previous board.

The issues dated back to a severe profit warning in August 2017, which was quickly followed by the resignation of company founder and executive chairman Pieter Totte, a Dutch businessman who set up the group in 2003.

An LSE investigation discovered that while in June 2017 the group had predicted full-year earnings for that year of between 5-5.4million, this figure was materially contingent on the company winning a number of ongoing legal actions, a caveat Totte failed to disclose to shareholders, and following which the firm fell around 2.4million short of the mark.

Cake icing maker Real Good Food received a hefty fine from the London Stock Exchange

The company also neglected to inform investors of consultant fees paid to Totte and another former director between 2013 and 2016.

These failings, the LSE said, had stemmed from a 'culture of poor decision making' and breached several AIM rules, and as a result the company was slapped with a 450,000 fine, although it managed to reduce it to 300,000 in return for early payment.

Hugh Cawley, the firms current CEO following a major overhaul of its board and governance rules, said that it was now their intention to 'draw a line' under the incident.

Investors also seemed keen to consign the bitter period to the history books, with the shares rising 7 per cent over the week to 5.6p.

While director shenanigans had caused ructions for Real Good Food, energy firm Yu Group got a boost in the week from a share purchase by its CFO Paul Rawson, which sent the shares up 6.2 per cent to 172.5p.

Meanwhile, the numbers came in for online gambling firm Stride Gaming, which shot up 25.8 per cent to 146.5p after confirming takeover discussions with FTSE 250 Mecca Bingo owner Rank Group that could see it taken out at a 29 per cent premium to its Thursday close price.

In the miners, Xtract Resources soared 38.6 per cent to 1p after clinching a deal with partner Mutapa Mining and Processing to finance and conduct mining operations for hard rock deposits at its Manica project in Mozambique.

Rainbow Rare Earths was another junior explorer on the up, rising 60 per cent to 5.2p as investors flocked to non-Chinese rare earth stocks amid worries the Peoples Republic could choke off supplies as part of its trade dispute with the USA.

The AIM All-Share was down 0.3 per cent in the week at 957.8, while the FTSE 100 was down 1.8 per cent at 7,143.5.

In the fallers, clothing group Bagir was trousered, slumping 33 per cent to 1.5p, after revealing that it had not yet received $13.2million as part of an investment agreement with clothing giant Shandong Ruyi, and that the Chinese firm had requested an extension to change the terms of the partnership.

Customer engagement specialist Netcall was scrambled after purchasing delays from the NHS meant revenues for its current year would be lower than expected. The shares fell 25.7 per cent to 42p in response.

Fire and Rescue service provider AssetCo saw its shares scorched after the Court of Appeal granted permission for Grant Thornton to appeal certain aspects of a February judgment that ordered the auditor to pay the company 21million in damages, which sent the shares 6.2 per cent lower to 305p.

Elsewhere, offshore oil services group Nautilus was torpedoed on the news that it would seek to de-list from AIM, with the shares plunging 65 per cent to 1.6p.
Allianz will become the second biggest insurer in Britain after an 820million double swoop.

In a vote of confidence in the UK ahead of Brexit, the Munich-based insurance company is taking control of Legal & General and LV='s general insurance arms.

It will pay 242million for the L&G business and as much as 578million for the 51 per cent of the LV= general insurance operation it does not already own.

In a vote of confidence in the UK ahead of Brexit, Munich-based insurance company Allianz is taking control of Legal & General and LV='s general insurance arms

The raid will leave Allianz with 12m general insurance customers in the UK, a 9 per cent slice of the market and a business with revenues of more than 4billion a year.

Only British group Aviva has more clout in the UK.

General insurance includes a range of policies such as home, car and travel cover.

While reduced competition may lead to less choice for customers  and higher premiums  analysts said it would, in fact, spell bad news for rival insurers as Allianz uses its might to win new business amid a fierce price war in the industry.

UBS analyst Jonny Urwin said the move was 'bad news' for non-life insurers, adding: 'We believe this is the last thing UK insurers needed, in a fiercely competitive market, with particular pressure on UK motor insurance margins.'

Niran Peiris, Allianz's head of global insurance lines, said that with these two deals, they were 'pleased to demonstrate our further commitment to the UK market'.

Founded in Berlin in 1890, Allianz rapidly expanded beyond Germany. It opened a London office in 1893, and became Europe's largest insurer for the first time in 1973.

It agreed a joint venture with LV= owner Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society in 2017, giving it a 49 per cent share of the general insurance business operating under the LV= brand.

Allianz is now merging the L&G and LV= businesses. That means any customers who hold policies such as home, contents or pet insurance through L&G will see the branding change to LV= at some point over the next three years.

Allianz will continue to use the LV= brand until at least 2026.

Liverpool Victoria will still use the LV= brand itself as it focuses on life insurance and pensions. L&G's remaining insurance business will concentrate solely on life and critical illness protection.

Allianz will take on 800 employees from L&G and 3,500 from LV=, adding them to its 4,000-strong workforce in the UK.

Jon Dye, the boss of Allianz's UK arm, refused to rule out job cuts but added: 'These businesses are complementary, so it's certainly not a deal which is predicated on large numbers of job cuts.'

A number of insurers in the UK have already been complaining about increased competition and price wars squeezing their profitability.

Saga's shares are down 60 per cent since its profit warning in April, and Hastings has fallen 18 per cent since it noted increased competition in a late-April trading update.

City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority has added to the sector's jitters after launching an inquiry into insurance pricing practices, as it worries that existing customers are being charged far more than new ones.

L&G's shares fell 1.3 per cent, or 3.4p, to 256.6p. Allianz  listed on the German stock exchange  dipped 1.3 per cent, or 2.6, to 198.65.
EE is under fire after launching its 5G network using kit from controversial Chinese group Huawei.

The mobile firm, owned by BT, switched on its 5G service in six UK cities on Thursday to huge fanfare, including a concert headlined by rapper Stormzy in London.

But security experts said they had 'grave concerns' after it emerged Huawei's equipment was at the heart of the network.

EE, which is owned by BT, switched on its 5G service in six UK cities on Thursday to huge fanfare, including a concert headlined by rapper Stormzy in London (pictured)

Huawei is accused of being an arm of the Chinese state and critics claim its kit could leave Western countries vulnerable to spying.

It will be discussed next week by Theresa May and Donald Trump, who is expected to warn the US could scale back intelligence sharing if Huawei is not banned completely from Britain's 5G networks.

The Government has not yet decided whether the company will be allowed to supply equipment.

But John Hemmings, of the Henry Jackson Society think tank, yesterday accused EE of 'jumping the gun' and warned its 5G network covered Parliament and Whitehall.

Last month it was claimed May would only block Huawei equipment from being used in the 'core'  or main nerve centre  of 5G networks, defying US calls for a blanket ban.

Huawei has supplied transmission kit such as antennas for EE's 5G network as well as those of many of its rivals.

However, the Mail understands EE is also controversially using the technology in the core of its 5G network.

Declan Ganley, boss of tech firm Rivada, said this was 'a direct result of the current leadership vacuum in the Government'.

A BT spokesman said: 'The security of our networks is critical to both BT and our customers, and the Government and security services are fully aware of our 5G plans and technologies used.

There is no increased risk to our customers resulting from the launch of the first phase of 5G.'




Specialist: Scapa Group makes the sticky part of plasters and wound dressings

What is it?

Scapa Group makes the sticky part of plasters and wound dressings, as well as bonding products for industrial uses.

Based in Manchester, the business has production sites in Asia, Europe and the US.

What's the latest?

Last month, chief executive Heejae Chae decided to step down.

Shares plunged. Full-year results showed profits took a hit as Scapa closed sites to cut the fat from its business, but revenues were up.

Who backs it?

US investment giant Capital Group is one of the largest shareholders, while Australian investment firm Paradice also holds a substantial stake.

Why invest?

Thomas Becket at Psigma Investment Management says Chae oversaw Scapa's still-ongoing transformation from a dull industrial tapes business into a valued supplier of medical products.

His departure is a sign the company is set to turn a corner, Becket adds.

Why you shouldn't

As new management come in, Becket says there is a risk they might do a 'kitchen sink' job and unnecessarily shake up the business to make their mark.
Ubers quarterly results, albeit showing a massive loss, revealed the ride hailing giants food delivery business to be in rude health, suggesting its UK rival, Just Eat, may have a fight on its hands.

The numbers may also lend further credence to calls from dissident investors, including activist Cat Rock Capital, which wants Just Eat to merge with one of its UK competitors, while jettisoning some of its more capital intensive overseas ventures.

Uber Eats, according to the latest figures, is going great guns. Indeed, London broker Peel Hunt said it is the growth engine for the wider group. Net revenues for the first three months of 2019 were up 45 per cent year-on-year.

Dissident investors, including activist Cat Rock Capital, want Just Eat to merge with one of its UK competitors, while jettisoning some of its more capital intensive overseas ventures

Rather worryingly, the US firm appears to be targeting Just Eats heartland business  restaurants that do their own deliveries.

Shares fell 1.2 per cent, or 7.4p, to 602p. Peel Hunt thinks the stock, which was changing hands at more than 770p three months ago, is a sell down to 520p.

It was another pretty awful day for the FTSE 100, which closed 0.78 per cent, or 56.45 points, lower at 7161.71.

The index was laid low by two separate factors that can be traced back to one source  President Trumps America First policy.

The market was spooked when Washington turned the sanctions gun on Mexico.

Stock Watch - Charles Stanley The old stock market adage that its better to travel than arrive held true for Charles Stanley with a solid set of prelims used as an excuse to book profits on a stock that has risen 16 per cent in little over three weeks. The wealth managers switch out of banking four years ago appears to have been particularly well judged based on the latest results, which saw the group book a better-than-expected 11.6million of profits. The shares fell back 1.9 per cent, or 6p, to 311p.

A fight with its neighbour and largest trading partner was not on the agenda, said Neil Wilson, analyst at Markets.com.

The US presidents tariffs on Chinese goods also appear to be hitting the target, with the manufacturing sector in the Peoples Republic now contracting, according to official data.

The miners, led lower by copper giant Antofagasta (down 2.4 per cent, or 19.6p, to 782.8p) and Rio Tinto (off 2.3 per cent, or 108.5p, to 4536.5p), were hurt by the weak Chinese economic data.

After a week in which it lost 12 per centof its market value, Marks & Spencer was back in fashion and bounced 1.9 per cent, or 4.1p, to 225.2p.

Its share price had been driven down by a technicality that allowed investors to buy the rights to cut-price shares in the retailers 600million cash call.

The reversal of fortunes may be enough to keep M&S from falling through the trapdoor after the Footsie is re-calibrated next week, although it will be nip and tuck.

Likely to go down to the second-tier is discount airline Easyjet, which fell 2 per cent, or 18.4p, to 871.2p.

It has lost a quarter of its value in the last month after being buffeted by a Brexit-related hit to the travel market and higher jet fuel prices.

Distribution firm Bunzl, one of the top flights lesser known names, received a boost in the form of a Goldman Sachs upgrade, which drove the shares 1 per cent, or 21p higher, to 2115p.

On the second line, Capital & Counties shares (up 2 per cent, or 4.3p, at 217.6p) were resilient in the face of a setback after the value of the property firms stake in Earls Court Partnership was cut by 11 per cent. The joint-venture with Transport for London owns land around the demolished exhibition centre.

May proved the worst month of the year so far for oil prices with a glut of US crude and world trade tensions acting as a depressant.

Brent prices fell more than 4 per cent to less than $65 a barrel yesterday, dragging with it a bunch of second-tier producers and the companies that service them. Premier Oil, off 6.9 per cent, or 5.86p, at 78.74p, led the race to the bottom.

Among the small caps, news it was planning to de-list from AIM torpedoed shares in offshore oil services firm Nautilus Marine Services, which sank 66.7 per cent, or 3.1p, to 1.55p.
It's a well known jingle from an Australian classic soap opera that has found new meaning in a street tinged with tragedy.

'Neighbours, should be there for one another,' the old song goes. 'That's when good neighbours become good friends.'

For Melbourne brothers Daniel and Luke Mancuso, they have found more than just good friends, they have found a family.

Scroll down for video

Brothers Luke (left) and Daniel Mancuso receive another tasty meal from the 'Yiayia' next door. An Instagram page dedicated to her kindness has gone through the roof over the past week

Since a touching story by The Age's Tom Cowie was published last week, the boys - well, they're men - have been cast into the media spotlight for everything that is good in the world.

It began when they started an Instagram page dedicated to the elderly woman next door.

The Girl Next Door displays pictures and videos of the elderly Greek grandmother - or Yiayia as she insists on being called - passing the delightful meals and treats over the side fence of their Reservoir home.

'Thank you, Yiayia,' the boys say as the 73-year old passes another meal over.

When the story was published on May 24, the Instagram page had a little over 20,000 followers.

This week it sits just under 58,000 after news organisations across the globe picked up on the heart warming story.

'Thank you for sharing your story with the world. Yiayia and you both have created something beyond words. It gives me faith in humanity,' one woman commented on page.

Nina has known Daniel, 28, and his brother Luke, 26, their whole lives.

She and her husband Petros have lived next door to their grandmother since the 1970s - a home they now reside in.

While the simple story of neighbours being what neighbours traditionally were in Australia warms the heart, the Mancuso brothers themselves are both very special in their own right.

On December 20, 2017, their father Fernando Paulino was sentenced to spend at least 25-years in jail for murdering their mum Teresa.

Fernando Paulino would taunt his sons Luke and Daniel from the prison dock at the Supreme Court of Victoria. He must serve at least 25 years in jail for killing their mum

Ms Paulino (pictured) died from 16 stab wounds to her chest, stomach and back and had been bashed so ferociously she had a broken jaw and bleeding to the brain

On July 15, 2013 the bloody body of their 49-year old mum was found in the garage of the very home they now live in.

She died from 16 stab wounds to her chest, stomach and back and had been bashed so ferociously she had a broken jaw and bleeding to the brain.

The sentencing Justice Kevin Bell described Paulino as a cold and remorseless killer, who still denies any involvement in the murder.

On the night she died, Ms Paulino had enjoyed a meal with her boys at her sisters home.

It was a family ritual that continued well after she split from her brutish husband in January 2010.

After dinner, Daniel said he became worried when he returned to the home he shared with his father to find him missing and the lights and televisions left on.

Ms Paulino had gone home to her mothers house - where the boys now live - and had a shower in preparation for a date with her new boyfriend.

She was on the phone to a friend when she heard a loud bang outside and went out to investigate.

Moments later, Nina heard loud screams coming from next door.

Daniel Mancuso and his mum Teresa Paulino. Her estranged husband Fernando Paulino murdered her in the garage of her family home. Her sons Daniel and Luke have now turned that garage into a mancave

Her neighbour was dead.

'Yiayia and mum are not the same, they can't be,' Nina said. 'But their mother was an angel. She helped me a lot. So close to me.'

The boys were forced to endure an agonising Supreme Court trial where they were attacked by their father's barrister.

Dermot Dann, QC repeatedly called Luke a liar, suggesting he had not only exaggerated his evidence, but made it up.

Paulino continued to taunt his youngest son from the prison dock.

'You know I didnt do it Luke. You know that,' he shouted. 'You know I wasnt there. I was in the western suburbs ... Its tragic. Its horrific what happened to your mother, but I didnt do it.'

Paulino was brought to justice by the dedicated police work of former homicide squad detective Tony Harwood, who has paid tribute to the boys on social media.

'So proud of Daniel and Luke Mancuso - you boys continue to amaze,' he wrote.

Former Homicide Squad detective Sgt Tony Harwood (left) with Daniel and Luke Mancuso. The no nonsense detective helped bring down their murderous father and continues to support the boys in their journey

Daniel Mancuso leaves the Supreme Court of Appeal in Melbourne after his father appealed his sentence. He and his brother Luke had to endure a month-long trial in which they both came under fire from their father's barrister

The humble brothers remain unsure quite why the page has become so popular, but believe people love it because the content is so wholesome and about food.

'We get so many messages from people saying "this page has made my day", "this is so good". Some might say, "I lost my grandmother last year" or "I lost my yiayia five years ago", it hits the heart when you hear things like that,' Luke said.

With the popularity of their Instagram page booming, Daniel and Luke said they hoped to use the attention to raise money and awareness for people who have endured family violence.

They also hope their story will encourage others to develop connections with their neighbours.

'We take out her bins, we cut her grass, she cooks for us. You can develop that relationship with anyone, it doesnt have to be an old lady, it could be a young couple,' Luke told The Age.

Yiayias reaction has been priceless.

'Why am I put on show for feeding two people I call my grandchildren?' she told the boys.

The pair now have plans to produce memorabilia, including plates, aprons and cups, with all the proceeds going towards womens shelters and other charities.
A child's drawing of a notorious gang insignia has been labelled a sign of hopelessness for New Zealand's youth.

The abandoned picture was spotted in a car park in Napier, on New Zealand's North Island on Tuesday.

The drawing appears to be of the Mongrel Mob logo - which is New Zealand's largest street gang.

A child's drawing of a notorious gang insignia has been labelled a sign of hopelessness for New Zealand's youth.The gang, which has a violent reputation, has a prominent insignia featuring a bulldog with the words: Mongrel Mob around the outside

The gang, which has a violent reputation, has a prominent insignia featuring a bulldog with the words: Mongrel Mob around the outside.

Marty Sharpe, who spotted the drawing laying in a wet street, has shared his sorrow after finding it.

He called the drawing that has scribbled of yellow and a small swastika in the corner 'a sign of hopelessness'

He told Stuff the drawing was 'a quintessential case of a picture saying more than words ever could'.

'Kids who idolise and aspire to join a gang at such a young age are destined to join it.'

The gang, which is predominantly Maori, adopted symbols and calls from Nazi Germany in the early 1960s, including the swastika. The gang's rallying cry 'sieg heil' - which is German for 'hail victory'

The Mongrel Mob began in a court room in New Zealand when a judge called a group of men a 'bunch of mongrels' back in the 1960s.

They have grown ever since and now boast chapters across the country.

Figures from the Gang Intelligence Centre show the number of patched gang members and prospects hoping to join had increased by 1500 since 2015.

The gang, which is predominantly Maori, adopted symbols and calls from Nazi Germany in the early 1960s, including the swastika.

The gang's rallying cry 'sieg heil' - which is German for 'hail victory'.
A decorated Navy SEAL facing a murder trial in the death of an Islamic State prisoner has been freed from custody after a military judge cited interference by prosecutors.

Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, 40, was freed from base confinement in San Diego on Thursday, less than two weeks before he is due to go on trial for allegedly killing a wounded ISIS fighter in his custody and shooting two unarmed civilians in Iraq in 2017.

The unexpected move to release him drew gasps in a San Diego courtroom after Gallagher's lawyers presented evidence to get the case dismissed because of prosecutorial misconduct.

The judge, Captain Aaron Rugh, said he was freeing Gallagher as a remedy for prosecutors interfering with his Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

The judge hasn't yet ruled on whether to throw out the case or remove prosecutors for launching an unusual effort to track emails sent to defense lawyers and a journalist to find the source of news leaks in the politically charged case.

That hearing will continue on Friday.

Gallagher will be freed as his lawyers continue to argue that the case be dismissed.

Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher was freed from base confinement in San Diego on Thursday, less than two weeks before he is due to go on trial. He is pictured with his wife Andrew after leaving the courtroom

His release came just hours after he celebrated his 40th birthday with family and friends in confinement. His birthday cake was emblazoned with a photo of him and the inside was colored red, white and blue.

Gallagher's wife, Andrea, who has led a campaign to free her husband, put her hands to her face and burst into tears in court when the judge announced his decision.

Her husband, dressed in his Navy summer whites uniform, smiled broadly before leaning over to hug and kiss his wife.

The couple left the Navy courthouse holding hands, surrounded by members of the defense team.

'I feel like it's a small victory on the way to the larger victory,' Andrea Gallagher said outside court while her husband stood quietly by her side. 'He's now free because of the misconduct by these prosecutors.

'We have been utterly terrorized by this entire farce of a case.'

He declined to comment.

A spokesman for the Navy prosecutors wouldn't comment on Gallagher's freedom or developments at the hearing.

Defense attorney Tim Parlatore had accused prosecutors of a 'rogue, relentless, and unlawful cyber campaign' that may have violated attorney-client privilege and hurt Gallagher's ability to get a fair trial.

Evidence at the hearing showed prosecutors had enlisted a Naval Criminal Investigative Service intelligence specialist to conduct criminal background checks on three civilian lawyers, including Parlatore, and a journalist with the Navy Times who has broken several stories based on leaked documents.

The defense said most of the articles based on leaks have been favorable to the prosecution, yet the investigation did not target prosecutors or NCIS investigators.

Gallagher's wife, Andrea, who has led a campaign to free her husband, put her hands to her face and burst into tears when the judge made the shock announcement

Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of an injured teenage militant in Iraq in 2017 and attempted murder for allegedly picking off civilians from a sniper's perch

Efforts to get the case thrown out come as President Donald Trump considers pardoning several service members accused of war crimes, including Gallagher. Gallagher faces trial June 10.

Trump previously got Gallagher removed from the brig and transferred to better custody conditions at a Navy hospital. One of Gallaghers civilian defense attorneys, Marc Mukasey, also serves as a personal lawyer for Trump.

His release came just hours after he celebrated his 40th birthday with family and friends in confinement. His birthday cake was emblazoned with a photo of him and the inside was colored red, white and blue

During the hearing Thursday, Rugh indicated he was kept in the dark by prosecutors about the email monitoring.

Rugh said prosecutors told him privately they planned to embed code in what he believed to be a court document to help them find the source of leaks. But he said he didn't have the power to authorize such an investigative tool, and wasn't told they planned to plant the code in emails sent to defense lawyers or a journalist.

Rugh said he thought prosecutors were coordinating the investigation with the U.S. attorney's office in San Diego. Rugh said he wasn't aware that a federal prosecutor told the military prosecutor to make sure they had the judge's approval before launching the tracking effort.

Parlatore withdrew his motion to have the judge removed from the case after learning he had not authorized the scheme.

The lead prosecutor downplayed the move at a related hearing earlier in the day. Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak said the code embedded in the email recorded nothing more than where and when messages were opened by recipients.

Gallagher was freed from base confinement in San Diego on Thursday, less than two weeks before he is due to go on trial for allegedly killing a wounded ISIS fighter in his custody and shooting to unarmed civilians in 2017

Gallagher's wife Andrea has led a campaign to free her husband who has been charged with war crimes over the 2017 incident in Iraq

Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of an injured teenage militant in Iraq in 2017 and attempted murder for allegedly picking off civilians from a sniper's perch.

His platoon supervisor, Lt. Jacob Portier, is fighting charges of conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly conducting Gallagher's re-enlistment ceremony next to the militant's corpse.

Czaplak said the tracking ended May 10 after he was confronted by defense lawyers who discovered the code in an unusual logo of an American flag with a bald eagle perched on the scales of justice beneath Czaplak's signature.

Czaplak acknowledged the effort in a closed-door hearing three weeks ago. He disclosed no other details at the time.

On Thursday, Czaplak said the emails were similar to what marketers use to see when an email is opened and what device was used to open it.

'It's still a web bug and it's still unethical' countered defense lawyer Jeremiah J. Sullivan III, who represents Portier.

The judge in Portier's case, Capt. Jonathan Stephens, said from what he had seen the tracking effort wasn't able to view the contents of any emails.

Several experts testified that the code embedded in a signature line in the emails collected information on internet protocol addresses and could tell what web browser was being used, the duration it was open and could see if the message had been forwarded. But the information couldn't generally be used to identify a specific person or capture content.

Josiah Roloff, a data forensics examiner from Spokane, Washington, said the code is typically used by marketing companies and he's seen it used in undercover investigations. But he said he's never seen it used to target defense lawyers.
A man convicted of the sword-and-dagger murder of a pastor during a brutal robbery in the Christmas of 1991 was put to death by lethal injection in Alabama on Thursday after a final meal of four pints of ice cream.

Christopher Lee Price, 46, became the second inmate put to death in Alabama in two weeks after earlier avoiding another execution date amid disagreements between U.S. Supreme Court justices.

The execution was carried out at Holman prison, where Price, who was 19 at the time of the murder, was pronounced dead at 7:31 p.m.

Convicted in the killing of Bill Lynn, a north Alabama pastor slain by a sword and knife just days before Christmas, Price released a statement of apology through his attorney before the execution.

'A man is much more than his worst mistake,' he said while strapped to a gurney moments before the drugs began flowing.

'I am so terribly sorry to the victim and his family for my crime. Neither he nor his family deserved what I did. Nobody deserves that,' he had said in the statement.

Christopher Lee Price died by lethal injection Thursday night after a final meal of ice cream

Gov. Kay Ivey issued a statement saying Price had to be punished.

'Finally, the loved ones of Pastor Lynn can feel at ease knowing that justice has been administered. I pray that, after all these years later, his family can feel a sense of peace and comfort,' she said.

Relatives of both Price and Lynn were among the witnesses as the inmate was put to death shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a final request for a stay.

The execution had been delayed by more than an hour while the state awaited the court's decision, a prison official said.

Price lifted and lowered his head twice after the initial knockout drug began flowing, and his belly heaved five times. He didn't respond when an officer tested for consciousness by flicking his eyelashes and punching an arm.

Bill Lynn was killed in a 1991 robbery while preparing Christmas gifts for his family, The Tuscaloosa News reports

The color soon began draining from his face as additional drugs flowed through an intravenous line, and the process was over within minutes.

A statement from Lynn's family thanked friends and relatives for their support during a 'long and difficult journey.'

'We are praying to finally have peace,' said the statement, read by a prison official.

Price sought a stay based on a challenge to the state's method of using three drugs during lethal injections. The nation's high court, by a 5-4 vote, refused to halt the execution Thursday night. The conservative majority did not give a reason for denying the stay.

Price had asked to instead die by nitrogen hypoxia, an execution method Alabama has legally authorized but not developed. His lawyers argued the method, which kills by depleting the body of oxygen, would be less painful than lethal injection.

Price was suing over Alabama's execution practices, and the inmate's attorneys contend the state rushed to execute him two weeks before the trial date. State attorneys argued that Price was bringing up previously decided issues at the last minute just to seek a delay.

The inmate was set to be executed last month but the state death warrant expired at midnight before a divided U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay that blocked the lethal injection. The court subsequently released documents that showed its internal squabbling over the death penalty.

The Alabama Supreme Court then set a new execution date even though U.S. District Judge Kristi DuBose of Mobile had scheduled a trial set for June 10 to hear Price's challenge to Alabama's lethal injection process.

In a dissent Thursday, Justice Stephen Breyer wrote that the court should have delayed the execution until the trial could take place.

Price, pictured at the time of his arrest, released an apology through his attorney before the execution. 'I am so terribly sorry to the victim and his family for my crime. Neither he nor his family deserved what I did. Nobody deserves that,' he had

Alabama's lethal injection chamber at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, pictured 2002

Prosecutors said Lynn was at his home, getting toys ready for his grandchildren, when the power was cut. Lynn went outside to check the fuse box when he was killed, according to court filings.

Lynn's wife, Bessie Lynn, testified she was in an upstairs bedroom watching television when she heard a noise.

She said she looked out a window and saw a person dressed in black in a karate stance, holding a sword above her husband's head.

Lynn, a minister at Natural Springs Church of Christ, had returned home with his wife from a church service before the slaying.

When Bessie Lynn went outside to help her husband she said the two men ordered her back in the house. She was struck three or four times with a nightstick, The Tuscaloosa News reports.

They then demanded money and any jewelry and weapons they had. Bessie survived but was left wounds to her head, hands and chest.

Price was arrested several days later in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He admitted participating in the robbery but blamed the actual killing on another man.

Kelvin Coleman pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison, while jurors convicted Price of capital murder and a judge sentenced him to death.

Earlier this month, Michael Brandon Samra was put to death by lethal injection for his capital murder conviction in a quadruple killing near Birmingham. His lawyers didn't cite any complaints with the process following the execution.

Alabama executed one other inmate this year in February.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told graduates of Harvard University they must 'tear down walls of ignorance' and reject isolationism as they tackle global problems such as climate change and terrorism.

Merkel made the comments on Thursday while delivering the keynote speech at Harvard's 368th commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mostly speaking in German through an English interpreter, Merkel called for greater international collaboration and, while she did not name him directly, the comments echoed her past criticisms of U.S. President Donald Trump without directly naming him.

Addressing graduates and their families, Merkel decried the rise of 'isolationism' and 'protectionism.' She said those forces have undermined global trade, which she called 'the very foundations of our prosperity.'

'More than ever, our way of thinking and our actions have to be multilateral rather than unilateral. Global rather than national. Outward-looking rather than isolationist. In short, we have to work together rather than alone,' she said. 'You, dear graduates, will have a quite different opportunity to do this in the future than my generation did.'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured on Thursday at Harvard) has told graduates of Harvard University they must 'tear down walls of ignorance' and reject isolationism as they tackle global problems such as climate change and terrorism

Merkel made the comments on Thursday while delivering the keynote speech (pictured) at Harvard's 368th commencement ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Mostly speaking in German through an English interpreter, Merkel called for greater international collaboration and, while she did not name him directly, the comments echoed her past criticisms of U.S. President Donald Trump (pictured on Thursday) without directly naming him

Merkel did not meet with Trump during her U.S. visit but is meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Berlin today (pictured)

Much of her speech reflected on her time growing up in East Germany, behind the Berlin Wall and under oppression by the Soviets.

Merkel recalled the freedom she was granted when the wall fell in 1989, inspiring her to pursue politics and leave her career as a research scientist.

Today, she said, many threats come not from physical walls but from abstract barriers. She cautioned against 'walls in people's minds' that can prevent leaders from working together on global challenges.

'Walls of ignorance and narrowmindedness may exist between family members as well as between groups within society, between people of different skin colors, nations and religions,' she said. 'I would like to see us break down these walls.'

Merkel has spoken out against the rise of racism and nationalism in her country, saying Germany has to be more vigilant in responding to those movements because of the country's Nazi past.

She referenced that history at Harvard, saying Germany brought 'unimaginable suffering on Europe and the world' during World War II. But she also focused on the 'peaceful order' that world leaders achieved by uniting in the aftermath.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel shakes hands with Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow after delivering her speech on Thursday

Merkel has spoken out against the rise of racism and nationalism in her country, saying Germany has to be more vigilant in responding to those movements because of the country's Nazi past

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, places her hands together as she receives applause while being presented with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree as former Harvard President Drew Faust, left, and Harvard Provost Alan Garber, right, look on during Harvard University commencement exercises, Thursday, May 30, 2019, on the schools campus, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

'I firmly believe that we Europeans have united for the better,' she said. 'The relationship between Germans and Americans too demonstrates how former wartime enemies can become friends.'

Merkel did not meet with Trump during her U.S. visit but is meeting with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Berlin today. Her speech never directly referenced Trump but appeared to include several veiled digs at the president, who has had a frosty relationship with Merkel.

The chancellor spoke about the importance of truthfulness, saying leaders should not 'describe lies as truth and truth as lies.'

She said problems can be solved 'if we don't always act on our first impulses, even when there is pressure to make a snap decision, but instead take a moment to stop, be still, think, pause. Granted, that certainly takes courage.'

Much of her speech reflected on her time growing up in East Germany, behind the Berlin Wall and under oppression by the Soviets

Merkel recalled the freedom she was granted when the wall fell in 1989, inspiring her to pursue politics and leave her career as a research scientist

The chancellor spoke about the importance of truthfulness, saying leaders should not 'describe lies as truth and truth as lies'

Harvard President Lawrence Bacow, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel speak while sitting for a photograph before joining a procession though Harvard Yard at the start of Harvard University commencement exercises, Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The comment drew cheers from the audience, which applauded frequently though her speech. Merkel drew another wave of applause when she referenced her nation's goal to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Elected in 2005 as Germany's first female chancellor, Merkel is serving her fourth term, which runs through 2021 and which she says will be her last.

In a separate ceremony Thursday, Harvard awarded her an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. While conferring the degree, Harvard President Larry Bacow said of her, 'a wall came down and she rose up, leading her nation with strength and savvy, and guiding Europe through challenge and change.'

While speaking to graduates, Merkel described a passing of the torch from one era of leaders to the next. She said her generation would soon be doing nothing more than 'exercising leadership in history,' while today's college graduates lead into the future.

'I want to leave this wish with you: Tear down walls of ignorance and narrowmindedness, for nothing has to stay as it is,' she said.

As for what's next in her career, Merkel said it's 'completely open.' ''Only one thing is clear,' she said, 'it will again be something different and something new.'

Her speech never directly referenced Trump but appeared to include several veiled digs at the president, who has had a frosty relationship with Merkel
Dwight Luton was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to second-degree murder

A Florida man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing his wife, whose death was filmed by a security camera at the couple's home.

The Palm Beach Post reports 34-year-old Dwight Luton was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the 2017 death of 31-year-old Ashley Balius.

Riviera Beach police say Luton shot his wife while she sat in a car inside the couple's driveway and then called police saying Balius had shot herself.

Police say video from a home security camera showed the former firearms dealer point what appears to be a gun at Balius before she slumps over.

Responding officers found Balius with a gunshot wound to the side of her head.

A wrongful death lawsuit by Balius' parents against Luton is ongoing.

'Do you remember the family dinners, my birthday parties? You were part of our family,' Maegan Balius - cousin of the victim - said in court.

Reports said 34-year-old Luton was sentenced Tuesday. Pictured at an adjourned hearing

Luton's apparent lies surrounding the death were uncovered when investigators found the CCTV footage. Photo taken from his Facebook page showing him pictured with Balius

'Now all I see you as is a murderer.'

Riviera Beach police say Luton fatally shot Ashley Balius on March 7, 2017, inside a vehicle in the driveway of their home.

Luton's apparent lies surrounding the death were uncovered when investigators found the damning CCTV footage from the driveway of their home.

It showed the 34-year-old pull out what appeared to be a gun in the car, point it at his wife in the driver seat, and then the 31-year-old woman slump over.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman has ratcheted up the rhetoric against arch-nemesis Iran, calling on Arab states to confront its 'criminal' actions after attacks on oil installations sparked fears of a regional conflagration.

The king's remarks came at the start of two back-to-back emergency summits in the holy city of Mecca, which drew near-unanimous support for the Sunni kingdom from Gulf and Arab states - with the exception of Iraq.

The summits came a day after hawkish US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Iran was almost certainly behind this month's sabotage of four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE coast.

Tehran rejected the charge, and hit out at what it called 'baseless' accusations made at the summit, saying Saudi had joined the US and Israel in a 'hopeless' effort to mobilise regional opinion. It also accused Saudi Arabia of 'sowing divisions' in the region to Israel's advantage,.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman (pictured yesterday) has ratcheted up the rhetoric against arch-nemesis Iran, calling on Arab states to confront its 'criminal' actions after attacks on oil installations sparked fears of a regional conflagration

Saudi Arabia's King Salman spoke at the start of two back-to-back emergency summits in the holy city of Mecca

'Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi... rejected the baseless accusations by the heads of certain Arab countries ... and said "We see the Saudi effort to mobilise (regional) opinion as part of the hopeless process followed by America and the Zionist regime against Iran",' state news agency IRNA said.

Saudi Arabia, a staunch US ally, faces stepped-up drone attacks from Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, one of which resulted in the temporary shutdown of a major oil pipeline.

'The absence of a firm and dissuasive response to Iran's acts of sabotage in the region has encouraged it to continue and strengthen them in the way we see today,' the Saudi king said.

'Its recent criminal acts... require that all of us work seriously to preserve the security and achievements of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council),' the king added, referring to the attacks on Gulf oil installations.

The monarch also called on the international community to use 'all means' necessary to contain the Shiite power.

Saudi Arabia hosted the summits -- which will be followed by a third meeting on Saturday of heads of state from Islamic nations -- apparently to mobilise efforts to isolate Iran's regime amid fears of a military confrontation.

But Iraq, caught in the middle of its two allies, the US and Iran, opposed a final statement released by Arab countries, which condemned Tehran's behaviour in the region.

Iraq, which has offered to mediate between Washington and Tehran, recently warned of a risk of war amid escalating tensions.

On the eve of the summits, Riyadh blasted what it called Iranian 'interference' across the region and demanded 'firmness' over attacks on Gulf oil tankers and pipelines.

Tensions in the region spiked after the four ships were damaged in a mysterious sabotage attack off the coast of the emirate of Fujairah on May 12.

Foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim countries held preparatory talks on the eve of the summits

The vessels were attacked using 'naval mines almost certainly from Iran', Bolton told a news conference in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Iran rejected the accusation, calling it 'laughable'.

US experts are part of a five-nation team investigating the ship attacks.

Stepping up the war of words on Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Iran was trying to raise global energy prices through the attacks on oil installations.

The US has beefed up its military presence in the region, with the deployment of an aircraft carrier, B-52 bombers and 1,500 additional troops.

Bolton however said the extra US forces were sent to the Middle East as a 'deterrent' and that Washington's response would be prudent.

'We definitely desire a change in the (Iranian) regime's behaviour,' Brian Hook, US Special Representative for Iran, said Thursday.

Regional tensions have grown since US President Donald Trump's administration reimposed sanctions against Iran after Washington unilaterally pulled out of a multilateral 2015 nuclear accord signed with the Islamic republic.

But Trump appeared to soften his hawkish tone towards Tehran, saying during a visit to Japan on Monday that his government does not seek 'regime change'.

Through the summits, Saudi Arabia has sought to project a unified Arab front against Tehran in the face of bitter differences with neighbouring Qatar.

Qatar was represented at Friday's meetings by Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani, Doha's highest-ranking official to visit the kingdom since the start of a two-year-old Saudi-led boycott.

Through the summits, Saudi Arabia has sought to project a unified Arab front against Tehran in the face of bitter differences with neighbouring Qatar

Appearing tense, the Qatari official shook hands with the Saudi king but there was no indication of a thaw.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have enforced the economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar since June 2017, including bans on shipping, trade, direct flights, overflight and land crossings.

The alliance accuses Doha of supporting Islamist movements and backing Iran -- claims Qatar rejects.

The summits coincide with the last few days of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when Mecca throngs with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims.

The meetings take place at night, as Muslims break their day-long fasting at sunset and then go into several hours of special prayers known as Taraweeh.
Two of America's largest dollar store chains are breaking their promise of selling goods for just $1 due to pressure from Trump's rising tariffs with China.

Dollar Tree and Dollar General say that escalating trade tensions between Washington and Beijing will hit U.S. shoppers, despite reporting strong quarterly sales that sent their shares up about 6%.

Despite the earnings, executives say that levies would impact businesses and consumers and will cause the shops to raise their prices.

Dollar General said it expects increased tariffs to lead to higher prices even though it was working with vendors to mitigate the impact.

Dollar Tree and Dollar General are raising their prices this year amid escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and China

Dollar General said it expects increased tariffs to lead to higher prices even though it was working with vendors to mitigate the impact

'Even with these efforts, we believe our shoppers will be facing higher prices as 2019 progress,' Dollar General Chief Financial Officer John Garratt said.

Dollar Tree echoed that tariffs would effect the cost of prices in store, but has so far kept most prices at a buck, while competitors at Family Dollar and Dollar General have raised prices above that level.

'We expect that it will be impactful to both our business and especially to consumers in general,' Dollar Tree CEO Gary Philbin said Thursday.

Several retailers including Walmart Inc, Best Buy, Macy's and Ralph Lauren have also said that rising tariffs could impact their results this year.

Washington dramatically escalated its trade war with Beijing this month by hiking levies on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10% to 25% and U.S. President Donald Trump also threatened new tariffs on remaining $300 billion worth U.S. imports from China.

Both companies included the impact of the current tariffs in their full-year forecast.

Dollar General reported better-than-expected results and stuck to its full-year forecast to account for already announced tariffs.

Washington dramatically escalated its trade war with Beijing this month by hiking levies on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are pictured in November

However, Dollar Tree on the other hand cut its full-year earnings forecast to between $4.77 and $5.07 per share to include a 10- cent hit from store closures and a 5-cent impact from import freight costs.

It had earlier forecast full-year earnings in the range of $4.85 to $5.25 per share.

The companies, however, reported better-than-expected quarterly same-store sales growth as they drew in more customers, benefiting from remodeling stores and stocking more private label products.

Dollar General said it would open 975 stores in 2019 and remodel 1,000 outlets with upgrades, including self-checkout lanes for shoppers who can just scan products and pay through the store app on their phones.

Dollar Tree results also got a boost from a turnaround at its struggling Family Dollar brand. Same-store sales for the brand rose 1.9% in the first quarter, the best growth in two years, beating analysts estimates of a 1.1% rise, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

The company is in the process of revamping 1,000 Family Dollar stores with improved merchandise, including $1 items and adding coolers and alcohol to some of its stores.

'The steps being taken to improve performance at Family Dollar appear to be working,' managing director of GlobalData Retail Neil Saunders said.
President Donald Trump has vowed to impose a five percent tariff on all goods from Mexico - and claims he will only end it when 'illegal migrants' stop crossing the border into the U.S.

In a surprise announcement that could compromise a major trade deal, Trump tweeted news of the tariff on Thursday in a bid to pressure Mexico to do more to crack down in the surge of migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.

The tariffs will start at 5 percent on June 10 before jumping to 10 percent on July 1, 15 percent on August 1, 20 percent on September 1 and go up to 25 percent on October 1 unless Mexico takes steps to stop the surge.

'On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP,' he tweeted.

President Trump, pictured arriving at Andrews Air Force Base on Thursday evening, tweeted news of the 5 percent tariff on all Mexican imports on Thursday

'The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied at which time the Tariffs will be removed.'

In a follow up statement from the White House, Trump said the tariff's would permanently remain at 25 percent until 'Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens'.

Trump's move was a dramatic escalation of his battle to control a tide of illegal immigrants that has increased despite his efforts to build a border wall and take other steps.

U.S. officials said 80,000 people are being held in custody with an average of 4,500 arriving daily.

'If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the tariffs will be removed,' Trump said.

Mexico's deputy foreign minister for North America, Jesus Seade, said on Thursday that it would be disastrous if Trump goes through with his threat to impose the tariffs.

'It would be extremely serious... If this is put in place, we must respond vigorously,' Seade said.

Trump's announcement came a day after border agents in El Paso, Texas detained the largest single group of migrants they had ever encountered - 1,036 people. They are pictured above after being detained

The group of 1,036 people crossed the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in the early morning hours of Wednesday

Trump said he was acting under the powers granted to him by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

He campaigned for election in 2016 on a vow to crack down on illegal immigration and has been frustrated that the flow has increased in recent months.

'Mexico's passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States,' Trump said in the statement.

'Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries,' he said.

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, asked in a conference call with reporters which products from Mexico could be affected by the tariffs, said: 'All of them.'

Trump has accused the Mexican government of failing to do enough to halt the flow of Central American migrants who have been flowing to the U.S in search of asylum from countries including El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

He has been itching to take increasingly radical, headline-grabbing action on the issue, which he sees as critical to his reelection campaign because it energizes his base.

A US Customs and Border Protection CCTV video image shows the undocumented migrants crossing the Rio Grande River into El Paso, Texas on Wednesday

Trump tweeted a surveillance video of a large group of immigrants being wrangled by Border Patrol agents

But the sudden tariff threat comes at a peculiar time, given how hard the administration has been pushing for passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that would update the North American Free Trade Agreement.

It also comes less than two weeks after Trump lifted import taxes on Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminum, a move that seemed to clear an obstacle to passage of his North American trade deal.

The White House sees the deal, which was agreed to by the three nations' leaders in November, as the cornerstone of Trump's 2020 legislative agenda but it needs approval from lawmakers in all three countries for it to be ratified.

Trump's announcement came a day after border agents in El Paso, Texas detained the largest single group of migrants they had ever encountered - 1,036 people.

The group crossed the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in the early morning hours of Wednesday, illustrating the mounting problem that Trump's administration has been unable to get under control.

The El Paso group comprised of entire families, 39 single adults and 63 unaccompanied minors, all from Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador, according to US Customs and Border Protection.
The trade war between Beijing and Washington has not dampened Chinese people's passion for working in American companies.

More than 160 keen candidates are having to compete for one single position on average in Tesla, the U.S. electric carmaker.

Armed with their CV, packed lunch and enthusiasm, thousands of applicants swarmed to a Tesla job fair on Wednesday - all hoping to work for boss Elon Musk in his glitzy Chinese plant.

Scroll down for video

High competition: Candidates are seen lining up for interviews at a Tesla job fair in Shanghai

Dream jobs: The three-hour recruitment event was held on Wednesday near Telsa's new plant

Endless queues: Only 24 job openings were available but nearly 4,000 handed in their CVs

'Affordable cars must be made on same continent as customers,' Elon Musk wrote on Twitter. The CEO of Tesla is pictured at the groundbreaking ceremony of the factory on January 7

Unprepared for the large volume of visitors, organizers had to extend the job fair for extra three hours until 7pm in order to collect resumes from wannabe employees, according to Chinese financial newspaper 21st Century Business Herald.

Construction of the Chinese plant has been in full swing since January in Lingang, a high-end manufacturing park next to a harbor in south-eastern part of Shanghai.

The sprawling, 213-acre factory is expected to complete in July.

Only 24 job openings were available at Wednesday's fair and most of them were on the assembly lines, according to a job post from Tesla on Chinese messaging platform WeChat.

Hire me: Successful applicants will be assigned to work in six departments of the huge factory

Nothing's gonna stop us now: The job fair took place as the China-U.S. trade war escalates

Getting ready: Candidates are seen filling out application forms outside the recruitment hall

Huge success: So many people went to the event organizers had to push back the closing hour

The vacancies cover the factory's six departments, including the welding workshop, painting workshop, assembling workshop and logistics department.

Skilled workers had traveled from across China to attend the fair.

During the three-hour recruitment event, 3,977 jobseekers managed to hand in their CVs, according to the Development and Construction Management Committee of Linggang District, which supervised the fair.

Tesla's Chinese factory, which will cost about $2 billion to build, is a first step for the company to localize its production in the world's largest auto market

With an investment of more than 50 billion yuan ($7 billion), the plant is the largest foreign-invested manufacturing project in Shanghai's history and Tesla's first plant outside the U.S.

Occupying 213 acres near a harbor in south-eastern Shanghai, it is set to complete in July

Tesla intends to use the 500,000-vehicle-capacity plant to produce base versions of Model 3

With an investment of more than 50 billion yuan ($7 billion), it is the largest foreign-invested manufacturing project in Shanghai's history and Tesla's first plant outside the U.S.

Tesla intends to use the 500,000-vehicle-capacity plant to produce base versions of Model 3 and later also the Model Y.

'We think with the resources here we can build the Shanghai Gigafactory in record time and we're looking forward to hopefully having some initial production of the Model 3 towards the end of this year and achieving volume production next year,' Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the ground-breaking ceremony in January.

'Affordable cars must be made on same continent as customers,' Musk wrote on Twitter ahead of the event.

Tesla announced today it would price its China-made Model 3 vehicles from $47,529, 13 per cent cheaper than the imported version. A Model 3 is seen at the Shahghai Auto Show in April

A full-fledged auto assembly factory can take about two years to build but the Shanghai government has thrown its support behind the Tesla project, which would be China's first wholly foreign-owned car plant and a reflection of the government's broader shift to open up its car market.

Producing cars locally is also likely to help Tesla minimize the impact of the Sino-U.S. trade war.

China will start enforcing a tariff hike on 5,410 American products to up to 25 percent, affecting various daily items from condoms, lipstick to wine.

Trump has more than doubled punitive tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25 percent, and launched the process to hit nearly all remaining imports from the Asian country.

The escalating tariff battle has forced Tesla to lower prices of its U.S.-made cars in China, which has becoming increasingly important as the company seeks to offset softening demand back home.

Tesla announced today it would price its China-made Model 3 vehicles from 328,000 yuan ($47,529), 13 per cent cheaper than those imported into the country.

Model 3 was unveiled in China last month at the Shanghai Auto Show.
Advertisement

Benjamin Netanyahu has shown off a Donald Trump-signed map that includes Golan Heights as part of Israel.

The Israeli PM waved around the map during a TV appearance last night in a political move that comes as Israel is plunged into its second election of the year.

He said that Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner gifted him the map during his visit to the country.

The US President gifted scribbled the word 'nice' beside an arrow pointing to the annexed region.

Netanyahu has promised to name a community within Golan Heights after Trump after the president recognised the region as part of Israel in March, reversing more than 50 years of American policy.

It put the US at odds with the international consensus, which considers the land to be occupied Syrian territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shows off a map from Donald Trump that had been updated to incorporate the long-disputed Golan Heights as part of Israel

Trump signed the map which recognises Golan Heights - reversing more than 50 years of American policy - as part of Israel and scrawled the word 'nice', pointing to the annexed region

Addressing the nation, Netanyahu brandished the new State Department map that had been updated to incorporate the long-disputed Golan Heights as part of Israel.

Kushner and other architects of the administration's Middle East peace plan are traveling the region to build momentum for the long-awaited proposal.

'This map had not been updated since the Six Day War,' said Netanyahu, referring to the 1967 Middle East war.

The conflict saw Israel capture the Golan Heights from Syria, before it was later annexed in a move not internationally recognised.

'Well, it has been updated, it just got an update. ... That is to say, there are very important developments here,' the PM added.

He pointed to a note scribbled on the map, which he called President Trump's personal handiwork. 'Here is the signature of Trump, and he writes 'nice.' I say, 'very nice!''

The note on the map read: 'To Prime Minister Netanyahu  the new official US map of Israel.'

Trump holds a proclamation recognising Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights as he is applauded by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

President Donald Trump welcomes visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in Washington in March during the run-up to Israel's last election

Netanyahu has a penchant for television stunts. Last year, he hauled part of a downed Iranian drone to a European security conference to warn of accelerating Iranian entrenchment in Syria.

In 2012, he brought a cartoonish diagram of an Iranian bomb to the U.N. General Assembly to drum up global concern about Iran's nuclear program.

During his race for re-election this year, Netanyahu consistently leveraged his close friendship with Trump to win votes, touting various political gifts from the White House as evidence of his foreign policy prowess.

His crowning achievement came on the campaign trail when the Trump administration recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan, which upended decades of U.S. policy.
A fearless nine-year-old schoolboy is smashing climbing records by scaling some of the UK's most perilous rock faces to keep the promise he made to his dead mother.

Edward Mills, from Caithness, Scotland, is currently the youngest person to have tackled the mammoth 450ft ascent up the Old Man of Hoy sea stack.

And his climbing tour of the country is still ongoing as he looks to raise 50,000 for charity in memory of his mother Bekki who died from breast cancer in August last year.

Edward Mills (left with brother George), from Caithness, Scotland, is smashing climbing records by scaling some of the UK's most perilous rock faces to keep the promise he made to his dead mother (Bekki, right)

The nine-year-old is currently the youngest person to have tackled the mammoth 450ft ascent up the Old Man of Hoy sea stack (pictured)

Edward, who promised his mother he would never stop climbing, said: 'My mum was so proud of me when I started climbing, and I wanted to impress her, I wanted to be the boy that took challenges on and finished them.

'I reckon if she could see me now, she would hug me so tight I probably wouldn't be able to breathe, that's how happy she would be for me.'

'I climb with my dad a lot, we often just go outside and find rocks to climb just for fun - we also do competitions and climb at a mixture of different clubs.

'It felt amazing when we made it to the top of the Man of Hoy, we had planned it for years and my mum got a ferry to watch me do it.

'I love climbing, it feels free, and there's no better feeling than getting to the top of a difficult climb.'

Edward first started climbing aged two, when his dad Nathan, 46, took him to an indoor climbing centre.

His climbing tour of the country is still ongoing as he looks to raise 50,000 for charity in memory of his mother Bekki who died from cancer in August last year

Edward first started climbing aged two, when his dad Nathan (left), 46, took him to an indoor climbing centre

He now climbs every weekend in a variety of locations including Mid Clyth, Railay Beach, Toridon, Dunnet, Dartmoor and Latheron.

Nathan said: 'I'm so proud of Edward, the passion he shows for what he does is so wonderful to watch.

'The fact that he has raised over 40,000 for a charity that is so close to our hearts is a really beautiful thing, and I know his mum would be so proud of him.

'His commitment and enthusiasm is really wonderful to see, I hope that he does maintain his passion for climbing and that spark of desire to beat whatever challenge the next climb stays with him.

'Climbing really has been his passion and his life from those early days when we saw him up on the rocks on the beach on holiday, or up a tree to now where he is learning skills and techniques, the technical aspects I didn't even know existed.

Edward now climbs every weekend in a variety of locations including Mid Clyth, Railay Beach, Toridon, Dunnet, Dartmoor and Latheron

'His mum was suffering with breast cancer from as early as he can remember, and he knew that she liked how much of a challenger he was.

'Bekki was delighted with Edward's enthusiasm and his aptitude to climbing. She loved the outdoors and was very keen that we all did the same- and Edward's climbing formed part of that.

'Although not a climber herself she tried to learn as much as she could to help and encourage him in every way she could.

Edwards mum, Bekki, was able to watch Edward climb the world-famous Man Of Hoy, part of the Orkney archipelago off the north coast of

Scotland. The threateningly large boulder is renown amongst climbers and forms part of the list of notable climbs to be done by any climber.

Bekki (right) was a very outdoorsy person, who loved to be outside around nature, during different holidays they would see him climbing different walls for fun, which is where his rock climbing interest started

Bekki caught a ferry that sailed passed the rock as he was climbing, and then again when he made it to the top.

The climb Edward completed took five hours and is only recommended for experienced climbers.

Edward said: 'When we first went years ago to a climbing arena, they said I wasn't very good at it so I wouldn't be able to, so we just went to a different place and I kept practising.

'I'm definitely not afraid of heights, I only get a little scared if my foot slips when I'm up high, but not fully, because I have done lots of training.

'I want to continue to be a person that isn't scared to try, that's what my mum wanted for me, and it's something I will continue to do.

'It's also something me and my dad enjoy doing together, we climb all the time.'
A judge has ordered a Massachusetts bar to hand over CCTV from the night Kevin Spacey allegedly groped a teenager in 2016.

Judge Thomas S. Barrett ordered the footage be produced at a pretrial hearing in a Nantucket District Court on June 3.

The Oscar winning actor, 59, is accused of sexually assaulting the 18-year-old son of a former Boston TV anchor in The Club Car bar on the night of July 7.

Kevin Spacey (in court in January) is accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man in 2016

A judge has ordered CCTV footage from the night of the alleged incident (Spacey above with the bouncer at The Club Car in July 2016)

The judge has asked the bar's owners to hand over CCTV footage taken between 5pm and 3am that night. It's unclear if the footage will be shown or released at the hearing.

In the court filing Thursday, Barrett also granted the defense's request to examine texts and other records from the alleged victim's cellphone from July 7, 2016, to December 31, 2017.

But the judge denied several other defense requests, such as one for phone records of the accuser's mother.

The pretrial hearing is scheduled for Monday. In January, the Usual Suspects actor pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of indecent assault and battery, that comes with a up to five years in prison.

Spacey responded to the groping allegations in a motion obtained by DailyMail.com in January.

Spacey is accused of groping the teenager at The Club Car bar and restaurant on the night of July 7, 2016

In it, he stated that the teenager 'claimed he was a 23-year-old student studying business at Wake Forest University' after he 'sought out a friend for the specific purpose of introducing him to [Spacey].'

It went on to say the teen 'welcomed drinks from [Spacey], let [Spacey] put his arm around him near the piano while they did sing-a-longs and even left the bar to smoke with [Spacey].'

That behavior, combined with the fact that the teen gave Spacey his number, suggests 'mutual and consensual flirting', according to the motion.

The judge denied Spacey's requests for phone records of the accuser's mother (the Usual Suspects actor in January)

At no point in the document did Spacey deny groping the young man.

The motion states that once Spacey began to grope his accuser the teen 'did not object to the alleged touching, he did not ask [Spacey] to stop and he did not remove himself from the situation.'

In the initial filing the accuser said that this was because he froze, and suggested his lack of an erection as proof he was not enjoying the sex act.
The co-founder of an annual military advocacy event that draws hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists to Washington says bikers will descend on Washington in protest if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  who he calls an 'arrogant little b***h'  moves to impeach Donald Trump.

The 'Rolling Thunder' ride draws more than 500,000 riders, largely military veterans, each Memorial Day, but next year Americans will see multiple local events instead of one giant demonstration that snarls traffic and would bring the nation's capital to a standstill if it weren't held on a holiday.

Artie Mueller, who helped organize the first ride in 1987, thinks the threat of returning en masse as a response to a presidential impeachment, along with other 'patriotic Americans' who don't ride motorcycles, could change some minds in D.C.

He said during a speech Monday on the National Mall that Pelosi should lose her seat in Congress for presiding over a series of investigations that threaten to make the second half of Trump's first term an endless series of headaches.

Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Artie Muller, who founded and still leads the annual veterans' motorcycle gathering known as 'Rolling Thunder,' says the hundreds of thousands of bikers in his orbit could descend on Washington in protest if Donald Trump faces an impeachment process in Congress

Rolling Thunder draws more than a half-million bikers to D.C. in a show of military veterans' strength that would snarl traffic in the nation's capital if it were duplicated on a non-holiday

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (left) could be headed toward a Trump impeachment proceeding; Muller says the president is doing a great job but Pelosi is pestering him with 'bulls**t'

Hundreds of thousands of bikers gathered on the Pentagon's parking lot last Monday before taking part in the ride and parade to snaked across the Arlington Memorial Bridge and all through D.C.

'I would like to see Nancy Pelosi and her hypocrites work on the POW issue instead of bulls***ting [and] aggravating the President of the United States, who's doing a fantastic job,' he said.

Rolling Thunder's principal mission is to draw attention to claims that foreign governments have covered up the final fates of Americans who were prisoners of war or declared missing in action.

'When the hell are they going to wake up?' Muller told a crowd on Monday in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. 'It's not their children, their mothers, their fathers that are left behind in the POW camps.'

Now 74 years old, he served as a U.S. Army sergeant in the Vietnam War where he led a search-and-destroy team that occasionally burned down entire villages in the hope it would save American military lives, according to a 2003 New York Times profile. He is now Rolling Thunder's executive director.

Muller led a search-and-destroy team in Vietnam that he has said sometimes burned down entire villages where insurgents were thought to be lying in wait to kill American soldiers

The Arlington Memorial Bridge saw hours upon hours of constant motorcycle traffic last weekend as riders honored American prisoners of war and service members missing in action

Next year's Rolling Thunder will be a series of regional events instead of a single giant mobilization

The constant roar of motorcycle engines each memorial Day in Washington has turned a display of patriotism into an emotional experience every year

The Washington Examiner interviewed chapter leaders within the organization who said their members would participate in a mass mobilization to support Trump if one materialized. The newspaper reported that the past weekend's attendance was estimated at over 1 million.

Muller also defended Trump on Monday against Democrats' complaints that he angrily stormed out of last week's meeting with Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer because of the investigation drumbeat.

'He walks out of a meeting with Nancy Pelosi not because he's had a hissy fit like she said,' Muller insisted. '[It's] because he's tired of putting up with her bulls**t.'

'We should look at her and her family background,' he said, suggesting Washington's framework of lengthy investigations should be turned on its head.

'I have to look at it myself because somebody told me her family background. They're all a bunch of damn thieves,' he urged.

'Let's investigate Nancy Pelosi and throw her the hell out of Congress.'
Some 41 percent of college students say hate speech shouldn't be protected under the First Amendment, according to a new survey.

Just 58 percent said that hate speech should be protected under the amendment, which guarantees American's a right to freedom of speech, according to the survey of 4,407 students by the Miami-based Knight Foundation.

'There is a new class of students on college campuses, increasingly varied in background and ideology, who are grappling with the reach and limits of free speech and what it means in the 21st century,' said Sam Gill, Knight Foundation vice president for learning and communities.

'Studying their views is key to understanding the impact that they may have on rights that are fundamental to our democracy,' he added.

This chart illustrates the share of college students who think certain activities are always, sometimes or never acceptable

Opinions split dramatically along gender lines, with just 41 percent of college women saying that protecting free speech was more important that inclusivity, compared to 71 percent of college men.

More than two-thirds (68 percent) of respondents said they felt that students can't openly express their views due to a climate on campus that has people fearful of offending their peers.

Just 31 percent disagreed that such a climate exists.

These opinions of young Americans on the matter of freedom of speech are problematic  if well intended, said Ken Paulson, the director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University.

'Protecting hate speech is actually the reason we have a First Amendment,' he told DailyMail.com. 'We don't need protection for freedom of speech if everyone agrees with one another. The protection we need is for speech that others may find offensive.'

This graph illustrates the gender divide in opinions on whether people are generally too easily offended, or if they need to be more careful about the language they use

The survey comes as more colleges are opting to cancel or not invite controversial speakers to their campuses due to student outrage.

For example, Middlebury College in Vermont apologized to students earlier this year after getting a negative reaction to inviting a conservative speaker to campus. College officials also promised to do more to prevent invitations to such speakers going forward.

'The big difference between today and a decade ago is that the conservatives are the big driving force behind freedom of speech on campuses,' Paulson said.

The report also found that more than half (53 percent) are in favor of protecting freedom of speech, while 46 percent say it's important to 'promote an inclusive and welcoming society.'

'The Constitution was not designed to keep your feelings from being hurt,' said Paulson, also the former editor-in-chief of USA Today. 'It was designed so every American could say or do whatever they wanted and do so without being punished. To understand freedom of speech you have to understand that it's the minority being protected against the majority and the government.'

This graph illustrates what people of different religions think is more important - inclusivity or free speech

The survey also found that a majority of Mormon (81 percent), white evangelical Protestant (71 percent), white mainline Protestant (64 percent) and Catholic (62 percent) students felt that protecting free speech is more important than inclusivity.

By comparison, a majority of Jewish students (65 percent) and non-religious students (54) said that inclusivity is more important than free speech.

In addition, just 39 percent of college students knew that freedom of speech is protected by the Constitution, according to a separate 2017 survey of 1,500 students by the Brookings Institution and UCLA.

Some 44 percent said free speech was not protected and an additional 16 percent said they didn't know either way.

'There's no question that these young people are well intended and are doing exactly what their parents raised them to do,' Paulson said. 'You shouldn't offend people of other races and faiths you shouldn't go out of your way to hurt other peoples' feelings. But the Constitution is about being able to live life to the fullest and that includes being able to say whatever you want.'

'I'm absolutely convinced that the failure to honor and respect First Amendment freedoms comes from a lack of understanding,' he added. 'And all of our educators have to make a commitment to turn this around.'
A mother who allegedly led police on a 10km chase reaching speeds of up to 200km/h in her Mercedes Benz - while her toddler daughter sat unrestrained in the back - is asking for money to fund her lifestyle.

Margarita Tomovska, 27, quickly earned a name for herself as the 'Mercedes Mum' after appearing at court over the alleged pursuit in her $260,000 luxury car.

She attracted attention after turning up at Wollongong Local Court last year dressed in jewelled Gucci sunglasses, which retail for $1,725, a figure-hugging Balmain dress worth $2,400, and Christian Louboutin shoes.

Tomovska has continued to flaunt her designer clothes, luxury cars and frequent trips to the casino on social media, where she has attracted a significant following.

Now she is using that platform to beg for money to fund her lifestyle, claiming harassment from Raptor, a New South Wales Police strike force targeting bikies and related criminal activity, has stopped her being able to get a job.

Margarita Tomovska, 27, has asked her Instagram followers to help her raise $100,000 because Strike Force Raptor police 'have stopped her holding down a job'

Tomovska was arrested on November 13 after a 200km/h chase with police. Her toddler daughter was allegedly sitting unrestrained in the back of the car at the time

'I know you all dont know me but Im actually not a bad person,' she wrote on a GoFundMe page set up on Thursday night.

'These dogs are liers [sic] and have something against me for no reason as Im sure Im not the only one.

'They have made it very hard for me to maintain a job as no one would hire me due to the bullsh** from raptor and ACA combined.

'So I created this GoFund me to raise some support against the bullsh** that they have done to me and everyone else. Its about time we fight back. Enough is enough!

'Thank you in advance for your support.'

The mother-of-one encouraged followers to support her by sharing the link on her Instagram story.

Tomovska, 27, is now trying to raise $100,000 through donations, as she claims she is unable to maintain full time employment

The mother-of-one is regularly pictured with luxury cars and dressed in designer outfits

On Monday, she shared a photograph of herself at a poker machine, holding $8,000 worth of casino chips

She shared a closer picture soon after, holding the chips alongside her Louis Vuitton scarf and a Versace bag

Tomovska's car is worth about $260,000 new, and the Sutherland Shire woman regularly splashes thousands on designer clothing.

On Monday, she shared an image of herself sitting at a pokies machine at The Star in Sydney, wearing a Louie Vuitton scarf and shoes, and holding $8,000 worth of chips in her hand.

During the November 13 alleged pursuit on the Princes Highway in Helensburg, police said Tomovska reached speeds of more than 200km/h.

When she stopped after 10 kilometres, she and her male passenger were arrested.

Officers allegedly found an unrestrained three-year-old girl in the back seat.

The child wasn't hurt but she was in a distressed state and officers had to help calm her down, police said.

The man was released but Tomovska had her licence suspended.

The case will return to court in August.

A spokeswoman for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia Tomovska is not and has never been investigated by strike force Raptor.

She was pulled over by an officer from the strike force, but only because they had been patrolling the road at that time.
Tory leadership contenders have been warned that a no-deal Brexit would cause 'severe' damage to British business.

Confederation of British Industry (CBI) director-general Carolyn Fairbairn urged the next prime minister to reach an agreement with Brussels, warning that the 'vast majority of firms can never be prepared for No Deal'.

She said the next prime minister needed to listen to 'clear, detailed evidence' from businesses when deciding on their Brexit approach.

Esther McVey has said the UK needs to 'actively embrace leaving the EU without a deal', while Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab have both said they would work to renegotiate the terms on offer with Brussels but would make sure the UK leaves on October 31, with or without an agreement.

Mr Johnson famously said 'f*** business' as he campaigned to leave the EU in 2016 and rival Matt Hancock has fought him on the issue saying this week: 'To the people who say f*** business, I say f***, f*** business.

Director general of the CBI Carolyn Fairbairn has warned of the dangers of a No Deal Brexit

In an open letter to the 11 participants in the race for Number 10, Ms Fairbairn said: 'The next prime minister can only claim the Conservatives are the party of business if they secure a Brexit deal that protects the economy, jobs and living standards.

Boris Johnson famously said 'f*** business' as he campaigned to leave the EU in 2016

'Firms large and small are clear that leaving the EU with a deal is the best way forward.

'Short-term disruption and long-term damage to British competitiveness will be severe if we leave without one.

'The vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no-deal, particularly our SME (small and medium enterprise) members who cannot afford complex and costly contingency plans.

'We need compromise, consensus and honesty to resolve the Brexit impasse, quickly.

'Prolonged uncertainty is damaging our economy now  driving up costs and reducing sales.

'Stockpiling of raw materials and goods among SMEs is at a record high.

'Billions of pounds in investment are being diverted from the economy, harming future jobs and prosperity.

'The CBI urges the next Prime Minister to build their approach to Brexit from the bottom up  from the clear, detailed evidence of firms, on the ground, managing the day-to-day implications for jobs.

'Only then will the UK have the foundations for a world beating economy.'

Ms Fairbairn said Brexit was not the only concern for British business.

'Threats of renationalisation, continued doubts over vital projects like Heathrow, HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, and unreformed business rates are just a few of the other challenges that make investors think twice,' she said.

'It's time to restore the UK's reputation as the stable and trusted country to start and grow a business.
Leland Pankey has been charged with first-degree murder over the horrific death of his seven-year-old son, Caden McWilliams. He is currently serving a state prison sentence on unrelated charges

The father of a seven-year-old boy whose malnourished body was found encased in concrete has been formally charged with murder.

Leland Pankey, 39, is accused of killing his young son Caden McWilliams in July 2018, before concealing his remains inside a Denver storage facility.

On Thursday, Colorado prosecutors further charged Leland with child abuse resulting in death and tampering with a dead body.

Caden's corpse was not discovered until December 2018, when police began investigating Leland after his wife, Elisha Pankey, claimed that he had choked her and threatened to kill her.

He is currently serving a state prison sentence on unrelated charges.

Court records also released Thursday indicate that Elisha is cooperating with investigators as she faces her own charges over the death of little Caden.

Elisha reportedly told police that the family moved into a hotel at the end of May 2018 and she knew her husband was physically abusing and starving their son.

The remains of Caden McWilliams were discovered encased in concrete at a Denver storage facility five months after his death

Authorities say Elisha Pankey told a fellow inmate that her son died in July, months before his body was discovered encased in concrete inside a Denver storage unit

She also told cops that Leland kept Caden in a dog carrier 'a few days' before he died in mid-July.

Previously released court records reveal Elisha told a fellow inmate that she and Leland kept the boy in the carrier overnight despite his cries of being thirsty and hot.

Elisha said the boy was dead one morning and she believed he had suffocated, those records state.

The woman, who is not identified in the court records, told police that Elisha said she and Leland took the boy's body - still inside the animal carrier - to the storage unit and poured concrete over him.

They then wrapped the carrier in plastic trash bags.

n autopsy found signs that McWilliams was severely emaciated and evidence of injuries to his head, chest and limbs, some of which showed signs of healing

Caden's body was not discovery for five months, until after police began investigating Elisha's allegations of domestic violence against Leland.

An autopsy found signs that Caden was severely emaciated and evidence of injuries to his head, chest and limbs, some of which showed signs of healing.

The medical examiner also found the boy had 'cocaine metabolite and methamphetamine in liver tissue', according to CBS Denver.

Denver District Attorney Beth McCann called the young boy's death a 'truly horrific crime.'

'This case has been painstaking and painful for all involved, she said in a statement.

Leland is due in court on June 27.

Elisha is due back in court on Tuesday. She is represented by the state public defenders' office, which bars its attorneys from commenting on individual cases.
An Uber driver shot and killed a New Mexico passenger on St Patrick's Day during a heated argument over 'a large amount of vomit' in the car, prosecutors said in newly filed documents.

Court papers submitted by the Bernalillo County district attorney last week said the vomit and a dispute over a cleanup fee led to the fatal shooting of James Porter.

Police say driver Clayton Benedict killed Porter, 27, after stopping along a highway in Albuquerque on March 17.

New Mexico prosecutors say Clayton Benedict (left) shot and killed his Uber passenger James Porter, 27, (right) in March during a dispute over a vomit clean-up fee

In this March 17 2019 photo, Albuquerque Police officers investigate Porter's fatal shooting along southbound Interstate 25 near the Montano Boulevard on-ramp in Albuquerque

More than three months later, Benedict has not been charged in the slaying.

A charging decision may come in the next few weeks, district attorney spokesman Michael Patrick told Albuquerque Journal.

'Prosecutors are currently going over hundreds of documents and videos,' Patrick said.

Benedict picked up Porter and his boyfriend from a bar on the evening of St. Patrick's Day, according to a search warrant affidavit seeking details from Uber about Benedict's trips and other information.

The boyfriend, Jonathan Reyes, later told police the two had been at the bar since 2pm and although he typically doesn't drink, he had six or seven drinks that day.

Benedict - who had been driving for Uber for a year and a half while also working as a photographer - told detectives they were traveling south on Interstate 25 when Reyes threw up in the backseat.

Porter's boyfriend, Jonathan Reyes (pictured together, left and right), threw up in the backseat of Benedict's car after a St Patrick's Day celebration at a bar

'At this point, the other passenger and Clayton start to go back and forth about a potential "clean-up fee,"' the detective wrote in the affidavit. 'James is the male arguing/pleading with Clayton not to charge him for a "clean-up fee."'

That's when Benedict said he pulled over and asked the men to get out of the car. He said he ended the ride and gave Porter a review of 'one star.' He said Porter slammed the door, threw his sunglasses and hat at the driver, and the two argued outside the car.

Benedict claimed Porter (pictured) moved towards the driver's door and threatened to run him over with his own car, prompting him to open fire

Benedict said Porter was yelling and moved toward the open driver's side door, threatening to run Benedict over with his own car. Benedict said he fired 'an unknown amount of rounds' toward Porter.

The 27-year-old passenger collapsed to the ground with two gunshot wounds under his left armpit, which proved fatal.

Porter's family sued Uber and Benedict last month, writing in the complaint that the driver's 'actions were intentional, reckless and malicious such that an award of punitive damages against Benedict is justified.'

The San Francisco-based Uber told the newspaper in a statement that Benedict no longer has access to the Uber app as a driver.

Porter was a graduate of New Mexico State University who worked as an account manager at Hewlett Packard at the time of his death.

According to his obituary, Porter is survived by his partner, his parents, step-parents and four siblings.

Last year, an Uber driver in Denver was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a passenger on a Colorado highway.

Police have said driver Michael Hancock, 29, shot and killed Hyun Kim, 45, following an altercation in the car. Hancock's family has said he only shot in self-defense.
An Australian climber who collapsed while climbing Mount Everest has revealed the horrible injuries that almost cost him his life.

Gilian Lee, a Canberra public servant, was 7500m up Mount Everest when he suddenly collapsed and fell unconscious after complaining about chest pains.

There is little information surrounding how he was rescued, but it did involve a yak and a team of Tibetan alpine specialists who were doing repair work on the mountain.

Mr Lee has revealed on Twitter that he's suffering from liver problems as he recovers in a Kathmandu hospital.

Gilian Lee (pictured), a Canberra public servant, climbed 7500 metres up Mount Everest when he suddenly collapsed and fell unconscious after complaining about chest pains

Mr Lee is an IT specialist who describes himself as an 'average person chasing a long-term dream' of climbing the 14 highest peaks in the world without the help of oxygen or drugs.

He said on his personal blog that it has been a goal of his since leaving university.

'Rather than sitting around dreaming about it, I have started trying to achieve this mountaineering challenge,' Mr Lee wrote on his blog.

'Maybe I will succeed, maybe not, but it'll be fun, and painful, to try to pursue this.'

Mr Lee went to Twitter on May 21 and said he had severe chest pains after climbing 7016 metres up Mount Everest. He went silent for 10 days until he made a post stating 'I am alive.' He is currently recovering in a Kathmandu hospital

Mr Lee posted on Twitter on May 18 that his health had gone from 'good to bad' while he was 7016 metres up the mountain.

'Chest hacking phlegm cough will killer back throat. Salt gargle and ginger tea,' Mr Lee said on Twitter.

Three days later, Mr Lee said his condition was getting worse.

'Rough night at C1 due to persistent chest infection.'

His Twitter account went silent for 10 days until he updated his followers about his condition on Thursday night.

'I am alive. Something went amiss on the summit push after C2.'

'In hospital. Surprisingly mum is here, which is good to get medical advice.

'No phone and vision damage, Piecing what happened. Rest.'

On average five climbers die each year on the icy, narrow, oxygen-starved paths to the 8848 metre (29,029-feet) peak (picture of the extent of crowding near the summit of Everest. This season, 11 people died on the treacherous slopes where mountaineers queued sometimes for hours for their turn at the top

On average five climbers die each year on the icy, narrow, oxygen-starved paths to the 8848 metre (29,029-feet) peak.

This season, 11 people died on the treacherous slopes where mountaineers queued sometimes for hours for their turn at the top.

Nine climbers died on the Nepal side of Everest and two on the Tibet side.

The ridge to the Everest summit was clogged by more than 200 climbers on May 22 when it reopened after bad weather.

Teams waited for hours in freezing temperatures to reach the top and then descend.

The wait increased the risk of frostbite, deadly altitude sickness and simple exhaustion from depleted oxygen levels.

Some veterans say too many of the new wave of mountaineer tourists are ill-prepared for what remains a major test of body and soul. Others have called for a cut in the number of climbing permits, or tougher standards for guides (pictured, climbers walking past a dead body on Everest)

The traffic jam in the Everest 'death zone' has been blamed for at least four deaths this year.

Some veterans say too many of the new wave of mountaineer tourists are ill-prepared for what remains a major test of body and soul.

Others have called for a cut in the number of climbing permits, or tougher standards for guides.
A homeless man accused of having sex with a woman in the back of a bus has had his court case delayed over concerns for his mental health.

Ryan Jones, 21, allegedly had sex with a 31-year-old woman on a bus travelling in the Lake Macquarie region on a Friday morning in March.

He was also due to be sentenced on Thursday for unrelated shoplifting and theft offences.

But the Newcastle Local Court was told by his lawyer that his mental health issues had made conversation with him difficult.

Ryan Jones, 21, who is accused of having sex with a 31-year-old woman in the back of a bus (stock image) has had his court date for unrelated charges delayed due to mental health issues

Lawyer, Keppie Waters said the Jones was at Silverwater's mental health unit, but couldn't be taken to the center's videolink room to appear in court.

'I'm not in a position to advance the matter any further (today),' Ms Waters told the court.

The case has been adjourned to June 5 at Belmont court, where Jones' alleged sex romp partner, Wonder French, is also due to appear.

For the bus sex incident, in which he allegedly performed a sex act on his female partner, Wonder French, and took part in other sexual activities, Jones is facing six charges.

Jones is facing six charges including behaving in an offensive manner for allegedly having sex on the bus between 10am and 11am.

He allegedly performed a sex act on his female partner and participated in other sexual activities on the back seat of the bus.

Jones and his partner, Wonder French, 31, had not travelled far when they were kicked off the bus for allegedly having sex

The homeless and unemployed man has already indicated he intends to plead not guilty to the bus related charges.

Jones' absence from court follows the postponement of French's court date after she was to ill to face court earlier in the month.

French was due to appear at Toronto Local Court charged with offensive behaviour, inciting the commission of crimes, using offensive language and travelling on the bus without a valid ticket.

Magistrate David Price said court officers had received a call from French saying she was unwell and unable to attend court.

Mr Price said French had asked for more time to seek legal advice. He adjourned the case to June 5 at Belmont Local Court.

French claimed she was recovering after a recent stint in hospital to treat a leg infection, court documents said.
Labor's new leader Anthony Albanese has been warned to watch his back amid suggestions Bill Shorten wants his old job back.

Sources within the Labor Party have confirmed to Daily Mail Australia Mr Shorten still has ambitions to be Opposition Leader again, although he has strenuously denied this.

A day after being unanimously endorsed by the Labor caucus, Mr Albanese appeared on the Today Show.

Host Deborah Knight suggested his job was already in danger.

'And you better watch your back too because reports this morning that Bill Shorten has told allies he wants to return as Labor leader,' she said.

Ms Knight reminded Mr Albanese of the period between June 2010 and June 2013 when Kevin Rudd was replaced as prime minister by Julia Gillard, only for him to return to his old job.

Mr Shorten was behind both leadership coups as a Right faction powerbroker from Victoria.

This led to Mr Albanese becoming deputy prime minister in 2013 for three months in the second Rudd government.

'You were there for the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years,' Ms Knight said.

'How can you lead effectively, Albo, with a ghost of leaders past haunting you like this?'

Labor's new leader Anthony Albanese (left) has been warned to watch his back amid suggestions Bill Shorten wants his old job back. Today host Deborah Knight (right) suggested he 'better watch your back'

Mr Albanese said the Labor caucus had elected him unopposed.

'Look, we will be a united team. I've been elected unanimously by the Labor Party to lead,' he said.

Mr Shorten's office described any suggestion he wanted to return to the Labor leadership as 'bulls***', even though Labor figures have suggested to Daily Mail Australia and Nine newspapers he still had ambitions to be prime minister.

The former Opposition Leader tweeted a denial on Friday morning.

'The report in the SMH and the Age today is just wrong,' he said.

'As I said yesterday, I have and will work hard every day to keep our party united and make the case for Labor under Albo's leadership at the next election.'

Mr Shorten's office described any suggestion he wanted to return to the Labor leadership as 'bulls***', even though Labor figures have suggested to Daily Mail Australia and Nine newspapers he still had ambitions to be prime minister

Addressing the Labor caucus for the last time in Canberra on Thursday, Bill Shorten (left with his successor Mr Albanese) blamed corporate interests for the Opposition's surprise election loss

Addressing the Labor caucus for the last time in Canberra on Thursday, Mr Shorten blamed corporate interests for the Opposition's surprise election loss.

'Obviously, we were up against corporate leviathans, the financial behemoth, spending unprecedented, hundreds of millions of dollars, advertising, telling lies, spreading fear,' he told the party room meeting at Parliament House in Canberra.

'They got what they wanted. Powerful, vested interests campaigned against us through sections of the media itself.'

Asked about Mr Shorten's comments Mr Albanese, who hails from Labor's hard Left faction, agreed with the sentiment.

'There's no doubt that vested interests did play a role but we also have to accept our responsibility that some of the policies that we put forward clearly didn't connect with enough people,' he said.

Asked about Mr Shorten's comments Mr Albanese, who hails from Labor's hard Left faction, agreed with the sentiment about powerful vested interests

Following the May 18 election loss, Mr Albanese criticised the Shorten Opposition's plan to stop share owning retirees, who receive dividends, from receiving franking credits.

Labor was also punished electorally for vowing to scrap negative gearing tax breaks for existing properties, from January 2020, and halve the capital gains tax discount from 50 per cent to 25 per cent.

Influential Sydney radio 2GB breakfast broadcaster Alan Jones slammed Mr Shorten for blaming Labor's election defeat on vested interests and suggested he should have apologised to voters on election night.

'Bill, sorry mate, if you really wanted to get people back on side you'd say a simple thing,' he said.

Influential Sydney radio 2GB breakfast broadcaster Alan Jones slammed Mr Shorten for blaming Labor's election defeat on vested interests and suggested he should have apologised to voters on election night

'You'd say: "Can't argue with the electorate, they rejected us. They rejected me. So, this is what we've got to do. I think we have to change direction.

'"I think the electorate said we're going up the wrong road and I've taken us up the wrong road and I'm sorry about that.

'"Were going to turn back and change the road were travelling on".

'People would have said: "How good is that?"'

Mr Shorten this month became the first Opposition Leader to lose two consecutive elections since Kim Beazley in 2001.

However, Mr Beazley returned to the Labor leadership in 2005, after Mark Latham lost the 2004 election.

Mr Rudd overthrew him in late 2006, and went on to win the 2007 election.
Twitter users are dragging the Department of Energy after officials described natural gas produced in America as 'freedom gas' and 'molecules of freedom'.

Social media exploded with jokes and memes poking fun at the patriotic nickname for fossil fuels.

The 'freedom gas' mention appeared in an announcement highlighting the increase of exports of domestically produced natural gas from Texas.

'Increasing export capacity from the Freeport LNG project is critical to spreading freedom gas throughout the world by giving America's allies a diverse and affordable source of clean energy,' said Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menzes in the release.

But Twitter users joked that the government sounded silly, demeaning the American people by adding yet another bizarre word to the Trump administration' jargon.

Twitter users are poking fun at the U.S. Department of Energy after they called fossil fuels 'freedom gas' and 'molecules of freedom' on Thursday. This clever Twitter user created a map showing where freedom-rich shale, hardcore freedom, and freedom gas can be found underground

The Department of Energy rebranded fossil fuels as 'freedom gas' in a press release Thursday praising the increase of exports of domestically produced natural gas from Texas.

'Freedom gas has to be the best indication yet that the #American government thinks its citizens are monumentally stupid,' this Twitter user wrote

This Twitter user joked that freedom gas was actually just intestinal gas

Scientists were left stunned with the bizarre nickname on Thursday

Twitter users dragged the nickname comparing it to farts, 'freedom fries' and joking that there is freedom shale underground.

Some Twitter users joked that the phrase felt Orwellian - echoing the dystopian totalitarian state in George Orwell's book 1984 - and ridiculous

'It's official: We're too stupid to live,' one Twitter user joked.

One Twitter user even created a joke map showing where freedom-rich shale and freedom gas is found under ground. In that map the sun is labeled as 'repression rays' and windmills are dubbed 'carcinogenic noise windmills' poking fun at how Trump falsely claimed that wind turbines cause cancer.

'Freedom gas has to be the best indication yet that the #American government thinks its citizens are monumentally stupid,' one Twitter user commented on the bizarre announcement.

Another meme portraying characters from the Simpsons shows one man asking, 'You all your oil freedom gas' and Principal Skinner responding 'it's a regional dialect'.

Twitter exploded with memes and jokes about the Trump administration's unique new nickname

In the Thursday press release department officials announced the expansion at the Tenth Clean Energy Ministerial conference in Vancouver, Canada.

As if freedom gas wasn't enough, Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg went one further by referring to natural gas as 'molecules of US freedom' in his remarks.

He said: 'Increased supplies of US natural gas on the world market are critical to advancing clean energy and the energy security of our allies around the globe.

'With the U.S. in another year of record-setting natural gas production, I am pleased that the Department of Energy is doing what it can to promote an efficient regulatory system that allows for molecules of US freedom to be exported to the world.'

In the press release the department announced the expansion of the Freeport LNG Terminal, a facility on Quintana Island, that produces liquefied natural gas for export.

The expansion of the facility will support an estimated 3,000 new jobs in the area, from construction to engineering.

Liquefied natural gas is even more of a precious commodity due to the U.S.' ongoing trade war with China, when Trump raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports last year.

China responded by raising tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods and raised tariffs on liquefied natural gas by 25%.

The export order from will allow Freeport LNG to export up to 0.72 billion cubic feet per day of liquefied natural gas.

The U.S. Energy Department has described natural gas as 'freedom gas' or molecules of U.S. freedom.' Pictured is a natural gas drilling rig in Fairfield Township, Pennsylvania

Trump participates in a tour of the Cameron LNG export facility in Louisiana on May 14

Currently the facility can support exports of up to 5 billion cubic feet per day, but, with the expansion, that is set to double by 2020, the release states.

It wasn't the detail of the news release that grabbed attention but the concept of 'freedom gas,' which was a talking point on Twitter.

Twitter users drew similarities to french fries being labelled 'freedom fries' in 2003.

The House of Representatives made the change in their cafeterias when the French government opposed the US-led war in Iraq.

French politicians were quick to criticize the decision and others thought it made no sense as french fries are in fact Belgian.

However the much-loved carbohydrate side returned to American cafeterias with their original name three years later.

Energy Undersecretary Mark W. Menezes, (pictured), spoke of spreading 'freedom gas' throughout the world from U.S. facilities

@JenLucPiquant wrote: 'Utterly ridiculous. And apparently real. Please tell me this isn't real. :( The Department of Energy Is Now Calling Fossil Fuels Molecules of Freedom and Freedom Gas'

Another user @georgemonbiot claimed: 'In the 1920s, cigarettes were promoted as "torches of freedom", to encourage women to smoke. Now fossil fuels are being promoted by the US government as "molecules of freedom". With similar consequences for planetary health.'

@ameliawomack wrote: 'Looks like someone's been reading 1984!.'

@obsureaaron also claimed: 'AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Fossil fuels are now officially called "Freedom Gas" and "Molecules of Freedom". This is next level parody made into reality. S**t that makes "freedom fries" sound sensible.'

The statement is latest effort by the Trump administration to highlight one policy agenda  the expansion of the number of gas export terminals on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Earlier this month, Trump flew to Louisiana to christen a newly constructed portion of a liquefied natural gas export terminal there.

Three more terminals are under construction nationwide to help bring the recent boom of fracked gas to international buyers in South America, Europe and Asia.
A shamed NYPD officer accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill her estranged husband and her new boyfriend's child was indicated in court on Friday.

Valerie Cincinelli, 34, has been charged with two counts of murder for hire and one count of obstruction of justice after she allegedly concealed, destroyed and altered documents on two different iPhones, prosecutors said.

Cincinelli is accused of plotting to kill her estranged husband of four years, Isaiah Carvalho, 32, and the 14-year-old daughter of her new sugar daddy boyfriend, 54-year-old John DiRubba.

She was snared when DiRubba told police she had given him $7,000 to hire an assassin to kill the pair.

Valerie Cincinelli (pictured left in 2017 with ex-husband Isiah Carvalho and her daughter), 34, is accused of asking her current boyfriend to hire an assassin to kill her ex-husband. She received a 'Cop of the month' award in July 2017 (shown above)

She was snared when 'sugar daddy' John DiRubba (pictured at a separate court hearing on Tuesday) told police she had given him $7,000 to hire an assassin to kill the pair

DiRubba reportedly then worked with the FBI to help bring her down, even wearing a wire to help them gather evidence.

Cincinelli is then later accused of trying to cover her tracks by destroying an iPhone 6 and iPhone X Max which were used to order the alleged hit.

Earlier this month, authorities informed Carvalho that Cincinelli, the mother of his five-year-old son and a 12-year veteran of the force, had been plotting to kill him since February, court records state.

I didn't want to believe it, but apparently it's true,' Carvalho told ABC's Good Morning America. 'I didn't think she would be capable of it, but now I don't put anything past her.'

He was taken to a secret location and asked to pose hunched over in a car with broken glass scattered over him so they could dupe Cincinelli into thinking her hit man had been successful.

He told the broadcaster: 'It was absolutely insane... it was the craziest thing I've ever had to experience.'

Isaiah Carvalho said the FBI told him, '"We don't know how to tell you this, but your wife put a hit out on you." And my first response was, "Where's my son?"'

An undercover detective went to Cincinelli's home in Long Island last Friday to show her the photos and told her she needed to send an additional $3,000 to kill her boyfriend's daughter.

Afterwards, she began talking to her boyfriend - who was cooperating with the FBI - about their alibis, court records show.

Five months had passed since he filed for divorce from his wife, but he said there was not a heated custody battle for their son and he was stunned by her actions.

'We were about to reach an agreement, so I don't see why she would attempt to do this to me, or to my son for that matter,' Carvalho said in the GMA interview.

A week after Cincinelli's alleged assassination plot was uncovered, her husband said he was still struggling to come to terms with it.

'I'm still in shock,' Carvalho said. 'I'm still lost over this whole thing and I'm trying to process everything.'

If given a chance to speak to his wife again, Carvalho said he has only one question for her: 'why?'

Cincinelli's family have come out strongly for her, with her father Louis describing her unnamed boyfriend as a 'wacko pathological liar' and a 'bum.'

'I don't know what happened, but I do know my daughter and I knew this was not true when I first heard it,' Louis Cincinelli told ABC News.

The jailed cop's dad added that her boyfriend had previously accused Cincinelli of pulling a gun on him and threatening to kill him, but later recanted his story in open court and admitted that he made it all up.

Louis Cincinelli suggested that his daughter's boyfriend has framed her as payback for throwing him out of her house two weeks earlier.

Dad Louis Cincinelli suggested that his daughter's boyfriend has framed her as payback for throwing him out of her house two weeks earlier

Ex-husband Isiah Carvalho Jr (above) posed as dead in a photo that federal agents sent to Cincinelli's boyfriend, which he used to convince her the hit had been carried out

In a separate proceeding, mobster-wannabe DiRubba appeared in a Manhattan court on Tuesday accused of threatening to shoot a man over a diamond ring.

The 54-year-old is said to have stolen the diamond ring from the victim on January 16 while bragging about his ties to the Gambino crime family, a criminal complaint states.

Investigators say the victim got into DiRubbas car on East 39th Street, on Manhattans First Avenue, to sell him a diamond ring worth $54,832.

However, instead of making the transaction, DiRubba allegedly told the man he had a gun and the [other man] needed to get out of the car of he was going to shoot.

He supposedly added that he was connected to John Gotti  the late leader of the Gambino crime family  and that he would pay the man the following day.

DiRubba denied the charges and pleaded not guilty before Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Laurie Peterson.

Im very stressed out. I just want to get through one thing at a time, he told reporters outside the courtroom. I cant talk about it, its under investigation.

DiRubbas involvement with the murder-for-hire case dates back to February, when prosecutors say that mother-of-two Cincinelli urged him to find an assassin.

Cincinelli joined the New York police department in 2007 and worked out of the Queens 106th Precinct (above) in Ozone Park

But instead of going forward with the plot, he rushed to the FBI with the information and became a secret informant, according to charging documents reported by the New York Post.

On February 18, prosecutors say that Cincinelli moved forward with the plot by withdrawing $7,000 from a TD Bank branch, giving the money to the boyfriend to buy five ounces of gold coins to be used to pay the purported hit man.

Cincinelli, who has her own children with Carvalho, also wanted the supposed hit man to kill her new boyfriend's own teen daughter because she was in the way of their relationship, the court documents say.

The cop allegedly told her boyfriend to tell the hit man to 'run her the f**k over' to make the girl's death appear to be a hit-and-run.

The boyfriend strung Cincinelli along as the FBI gathered information, telling her that he was in contact with a hit man and the plot was moving forward.

Two weeks ago, the boyfriend told Cincinelli that the supposed hit man was stalking Carvalho at his workplace on Long Island, but the NYPD cop protested that the area was too upscale.

Instead, Cincinelli said he should be killed in 'the hood' or 'the ghetto' so 'it would not look suspicious,' court papers say.

Worried that two deaths close together would raise suspicion, Cincinelli advised her boyfriend 'to have the hit man kill [the teen] over the weekend and then wait a week or a month to kill' her husband, the documents said.

The investigation came to a head on May 17, when the Suffolk County detective told her that her husband had been found dead.

Cincinelli sobbed during the notification - but hidden devices recorded her response after the detective left her home.

She quickly began discussing her 'alibi' with the boyfriend, according to the court papers.

Soon after, a task force of FBI agents and NYPD Internal Affairs officers swooped in and arrested Cincinelli.

Records show Carvalho filed for divorce against Cincinelli last year and a court date had been set for June.

Prosecutors did not offer a motive for why Cincinelli wanted him dead.

If convicted of all counts Cincinelli could face up to forty years behind bars.

'Ms. Cincinelli asserts her innocence of these charges,' her lawyer James Kousouros told The NY Post. 'We are conducting a thorough investigation which we believe will illuminate the true facts as to what happened here, and Ms. Cincinellis innocence.'

She is set to reappear in court on Friday.
Billionaire Andrew Forrest is spearheading an effort to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, with the campaign claiming it has majority public support.

The national campaign was launched by the mining magnate on Friday in Tasmania, after it was found the state had the highest percentage of smokers.

'Nearly 90 per cent of adult smokers start as children," Mr Forrest said as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.

'By the time they reach 21, they are hooked and become lifelong customers of big tobacco.'

15,000 people die every year in Australia due to smoking related problems (file image)

Research from Mitchell Institute at Victoria University confirmed that Hobart suburbs had the highest rates of smokers in Australia.

The suburbs of Bridgewater and Gagebrook had a startling 40 per cent of residents smoking, compared with less than seven per cent in suburbs on Sydney's north shore, which had the lowest rates in the country.

Poll Should the smoking age be lifted to 21? Yes No Should the smoking age be lifted to 21? Yes 55 votes

No 35 votes Now share your opinion





Risdon Vale in Hobart was not far behind with 34 per cent of people smoking.

Mt. Druitt in Sydney's outer west, and the outer northern suburbs of Adelaide had the next highest rates.

Mr Forrest, whose Minderoo Foundation is funding the Eliminate Cancer initiative, launched the Tobacco 21 proposed legislation, which will be read for a second time in parliament in August.

Mr Forrest said the issue must be addressed urgently as hundreds of children experiment with cigarettes every day.

His group estimated 15,000 people die within the country each year from smoking related health problems.

Andrew Forrest (pictured) is hoping his Tobacco 21 plan will reduce the rates of smokers in the country

The Tobacco 21 plan claimed 73 per cent of Tasmanians supported raising the smoking age.

Eliminate Cancer advisor Bruce Mansfield said the campaign could be implemented throughout Australia.

'If we can show good evidence around the benefits from implementing T21 in Tasmania, we can call on the other states to implement it,' Mr Mansfield told The Australian.

'History tells us if they get to 21 without smoking, they are far less likely to start and could avoid becoming lifelong customers of big tobacco.'
When the New South Wales government controversially signed off on James Packer's towering Sydney waterfront casino, there was a telling clause inserted into the contract.

Stanley Ho - one of Asia's richest and most colourful billionaires - was not to play a role in the project.

But six years after the then Liberal premier Barry O'Farrell approved Crown's 'gargantuan' 271m tower, Mr Ho's eldest son announced he will buy a $1.7 billion stake in Packer's company.

Lawrence, 42 - the eldest son of Stanley and the second of his four wives, Lucina - is getting back into business with Packer, his 'brother for life', just as the Sydney casino creeps into the sky.

Stanley Ho, whose empire Bloomberg says has 'basically controlled' the casino city of Macau for decades, is not coming to Australia, but his legacy is. And some of the incredible stories surrounding the 'King of Gambling' and his family are sure to follow.

'Brothers for life': James Packer and long-time business associate Lawrence Ho - who will buy a 20 per cent stake in Crown. Above, with his wife Sharen and Packer's now-ex Mariah Carey

Mr Ho's family has dominated the Chinese Community Party-run city, on China's coast, for 50 years.

And that's due to Lawrence's larger-than-life father, Stanley, who, at age 97, has fathered 17 children among four wives, built more than 15 casinos, and amassed a $HK50 billion (AUS$9 billion) fortune.

Stanley was born into wealth and fled for Macau with relatives after Japan invaded Hong Kong in World War II.

In a sign of his early entrepreneurial skills, made a fortune spending those years smuggling food and luxury goods into China. He was only 24.

But it was in 1960s when Mr Ho began to change the sleepy backwater forever.

Mr Ho and associates won the city's first gambling licence and built his first casino of many. He slowly began transforming the former Portuguese trade colony into a Asian version of Las Vegas. Locals now describe him as the 'King of Macau' and 'King of Gambling'.

But Mr Ho been a controversial figure among authorities in the West.

In the past he has vehemently denied allegations, made by a US state's gaming authority, that he was linked to associates of the Triad. 'Triads' are the local term for mafia-style criminals.

Lawrence Ho's father is billionaire Stanley Ho, pictured above with his fourth wife Angela Leong On Kei (right). Mr Ho has 17 children to four women and transformed the island of Macau

Stanley Ho (above) made a fortune spending those years smuggling food and luxury goods into China. He was only 24

Mr Ho Sr told the South China Morning Post in 2000: 'These reports only say that I know some triad members.

'Well, maybe you have come across some. To be associated with or to know someone is completely different (from being one).'

When Lawrence and James Packer first went into business with the junior Mr Ho's business Melco in 2006, Australian officials were worried Stanley could get involved in Crown's projects. He stepped out of the way and resigned as chairman.

Mr Ho has generally avoided speaking about the key to his incredible business success.

He has, however, told some extraordinary tales about how the Macau authorities ensured the U.S. mafia never managed to take over city.

Mr Ho told former BBC former editor John Simpson: 'Well, two American gentlemen did come to Macau, and showed great interest in our casinos.

'Unfortunately, the police there are not like our police in Hong Kong - not so well trained, you know. They put these Americans in prison for some infraction.

Mr Ho has a fascinating life story. He smuggled luxury goods to China from Macau, started a kerosene and construction business and later became a casino tycoon

Left photo: Mr Ho Sr - seen here in a golden suit with wife Angela - one of the four women he calls his wives. Right: Mr Ho is a cousin of martial arts expert and actor Bruce Lee (right)

Stanley Ho recently retired from the company business - but is still in the building as 'chairman emeritus (above, leaving hospital after a surgery in 2010)

'And there some unfortunate things happened to them. It was all very difficult.

'One of them died there, and the other one had his elbow gnawed off by rats.

'The prisons in Macau aren't as well run as they are here, you see. Great shame.

One died in prison ... and the other one had his elbow gnawed off by rats Stanley Ho speaking to a BBC correspondent about the U.S. mafia suffering in a Macau prison

'He was in terrible pain, poor fellow, so of course he had to be sent home. it was the least we could do. After that, for some reason, no one else came to Macau from America'.

Stanley Ho only stepped back from the family business last year.

He has retired, but is still 'chairman emeritus', and there have been many stories written about what his complicated family will do with his business once he eventually dies.

(Neither Lawrence Ho or any of the other children have been accused of any criminal conduct.)

James Packer with Lawrence Ho and filmmaker Brett Ratner at the opening of a Melco Crown casino in Macau

Macau, a Portuguese colony, was put back on the map by Stanley Ho's casino empire - but the NSW government did not want him to have an interest in Crown's casino

Mario Ho Yau-kwan, another son of Stanley Ho, proposed to model Ming Xi Mengyao at a shopping mall... reportedly with 99,999 roses

Model Ming Xi, who will marry into the clan, after Mario Ho's lavish proposal

Several of Lawrence Ho's siblings and step-siblings are involved in the casino industry, and some live extravagant public lives.

Just a fortnight ago, Lawrence's step-brother Mario proposed to his model girlfriend Ming Xi at a Shanghai mall with 99,999 roses, media cameras and thousands of witnesses.

Lawrence Ho has led a decidedly more understated life. He was educated in Canada and has been a key part of the family business, running casinos in Macau and the Phillippines under Melco's banner.

'Brothers for life': James Packer and long-time business associate Lawrence Ho - whose Melco company will buy a 20 per cent stake in Crown

Both Crown and Melco were in a joint venture for 12 years, but that ended in 2016 after the Chinese government detained 18 of Mr Packer's employees.

Now Mr Ho has his sights set on working with Packer (who will maintain a 26 per cent stake) once again.

In a statement today, Lawrence Ho said he was excited for what is to come.

'I view Melco's investment in Crown as an incredible opportunity to purchase a strategic stake in what I believe to be Australia's premier provider of true integrated resort experiences,' he said.

As for Crown Sydney (pictured below), he hopes it will be an 'architectural icon for the city, the country and the world'.
Kim Jong-un has executed his envoy to the U.S. for 'betraying the supreme leader' as part of ruthless purge of officials after the dictator's failed summit with Donald Trump, it has been claimed.

Kim Hyok Chol is said to have been shot by a firing squad in March at Mirim Airport for being 'won over to the US,' during nuclear negotiations with Trump.

The top diplomat, who accompanied Kim on his private train ahead of the summit in Vietnam, was one of four senior foreign ministry officials executed at the airfield, a source told South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

The other officials were not named, but all allegedly became U.S. 'spies' after the failed second negotiations between Trump and Kim Jong-un ended abruptly in February.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this morning that Washington was checking the reports.

Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea's special representative for U.S. affairs, was reportedly executed by firing squad after he allegedly became a 'spy' for the US when talks broke down between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's counterpart Kim Yong Chol (left), Trump, and Kim Song Hye (right) who worked alongside Chol in Hanoi were both sent to forced labour camps for ideological re-education

Kim Hyok Chol, who accompanied Kim on his private train as nuclear envoy at the Vietnam summit with President Donald Trump in February, is said to have been shot at Mirim Airport (pictured) in March for being 'won over to the US,' during the nuclear negotiations

The other officials were not named, but all allegedly became U.S. 'spies,' after the failed second summit between Trump and Kim ended abruptly in February. File picture shows an armed North Korea guard patrolling a border fence

According to the reports, another senior official, Kim Yong Chol, who had been in nuclear discussions with Pompeo, was sent to a forced labour camp for ideological re-education.

Kim Song Hye, a woman who worked with Hyok Chol in talks with Pompeo was reportedly sent to another prison camp. The paper also said Kim Jong Un's interpreter Shin Hye Yong was sent to a prison camp for a mistake at the summit.

She failed to translate Kim's new proposal when Trump declared 'no deal' and walked away from the table, Chosun reported, citing another unnamed diplomatic source.

Shin was charged with making critical interpretation mistakes that included missing an unspecified 'last-minute offer' the North Korean leader supposedly made as Trump was about to walk out, Chosun reported.

News of the reported purge came as North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, mouthpiece of the ruling party, warned that officials who committed anti-party or anti-revolutionary acts would face the 'stern judgement of the revolution'.

Pyongyang has previously executed scapegoats to atone for high-profile political flops, and the most recent summit between Kim and Trump ended in failure, leaving the North Korean dictator embarrassed on the world stage.

However, both South Korean media and the government in Seoul have a history of reporting scoops about the inner workings of North Korea that turn out to be wrong.

Pompeo: US checking purge claims The United States is attempting to check on reports that a senior North Korean official involved in Pyongyang's non-proliferation talks with Washington has been executed, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. 'We've seen the reporting to which you are referring,' Pompeo told a news conference in Berlin in answer to a reporter's question. 'We're doing our best to check it out. I don't have anything else to add to that today.' Earlier on Friday, a South Korean newspaper reported that nuclear envoy Kim Hyok Choi had been executed as part of a purge of officials who steered negotiations for a failed summit between leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump. Advertisement

Supposedly executed officials have later appeared trotting alongside Kim on state TV after their reported demise.

The recent reports of purges would be the first-high profile killings the trigger-happy dictator has ordered since his uncle was reportedly blown to pieces by an anti-aircraft gun during his execution in December 2013.

Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong Un's uncle reportedly committed 'anti-party, anti-revolutionary acts.'

Kim Hyok Chol was the North's counterpart of U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun in the run-up to the Hanoi summit in February.

'He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping U.S. intentions,' the source was quoted as saying.

Hyok Chol was seen as a rising star but little was known about his expertise or the role he undertook during those talks.

Kim Hyok Chol is surrounded by the media as he arrives for talks with his US counterpart Stephen Biegun, in Hanoi ahead of the summit between Trump and Kim - he was reportedly executed by firing squad in March

Reports also claimed that Kim Jong Un's interpreter Shin Hye Yong was sent to a prison camp for a mistake at the summit. Kim and Donald Trump are pictured at the Hanoi summit in February walking in front of two unnamed women, believed to be translators

There was a great deal of media attention for the rising star (pictured being driven through Hanoi in February), but he was reportedly killed for spying and 'for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping U.S. intentions'

Kim Yong Chol, one of Kim Jong-un's closest aides and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's counterpart in crucial nuclear talks was sent to a forced labour camp to receive ideological re-education (pictured with Trump in June 2018 at the White House)

The North Korean leader is believed to be carrying out a massive purge to divert attention away from internal turmoil and discontent following the failed summit with President Trump

The other four executed alongside him included diplomats working on Vietnam relations, the Chosun report said.

The diplomatic source said the detention of Kim Song Hye, the woman who worked with Pompeo, was inevitable because she was a 'prime author' of the North's plan to secure sanctions relief in return for dismantling the Yongbyon main nuclear complex.

The idea was rejected by the Americans who demanded a comprehensive road map for denuclearisation.

Kim Jong-un's ruthless executions Kim Jong-un's reign of terror has included spates of killings, including his own uncle's execution in 2013 and the assassination of his half-brother at Kuala Lumpur airport in 2017. Over 400 officials are reported to have been executed or exiled since he took power in 2011, with reports of victims being blown up with anti-aircraft guns, burned alive with flamethrowers and hanged. In some cases, entire families of officials have been executed, it has been reported. His father had carried out executions in his early days to consolidate power, but Kim's killings have seen no let up since he took power eight years ago. Jang Song Thaek, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's uncle and a vice chairman of the National Defense Commission in February 2012 2012 Army commander Kim Chol was reportedly executed by a mortar shell in April 2012 after he allegedly disrespected the former leader Kim Jong-il during a period of national mourning. The commander's body was blown apart by a mortar shell after he was accused of 'drinking and carousing.' A month later another senior defence minister, Kim Yong Chun, was understood to have been executed using the same grisly method. 2013 Kim Jong-un's uncle Jang Song-thaek is understood to have forced his uncle to watch two of his colleagues being blown to pieces by anti-aircraft rounds in December 2013. The totalitarian regime said that Jang was a traitor who tried to overthrow the state Blood from the men spattered across his face and clothes, a defector claimed this month. Then his uncle was killed with a barrage from the eight AA guns. Kim was reportedly extremely drunk when he ordered the executions of Ri Ryong-ha and Jang Su-Gilone, two of his uncle's closest aides. All of his uncle's direct family were executed in the purge, including Jang Yong-chol who was the former North Korean ambassador to Malaysia, it was claimed. 2014 O Sang-hon, the deputy minister for public security, was reportedly tied to a stake and burned alive after Kim alleged corruption against him. Another eleven officials were reportedly rounded up and executed due to their persisting loyalty for Kim's late uncle Jang Song-thaek. He killed his husband's wife, Kim Kyong-hui. his blood-related aunt by poisoning after she continued to protest her husband's death. 2015 In May 2015, North Korea's vice-premier Choe Yong-gon was reportedly executed for disagreeing with Kim's forestry policy. An unnamed turtle keeper was also killed that month when he tried to explain to the leader how power shortages and starvation had lead to turtle deaths. Kim reportedly ordered his death by firing squad for the act of insubordination. 2016 In August 2016, it was reported Hwang Min, a senior agricultural official, and Ri Yong-jin, of the eduation department, were killed. Kim Jong Un has reportedly had officials burned at the stake, killed with flamethrowers, mortar shells and blown to pieces by anti-aircraft fire Ri Yong-jin had reportedly fallen asleep in a meeting, while Hwang Min was accused of challenging Kim's authority. Days later it was reported Kim Yong Jin, North Koreas vice premier for education, was executed by firing squad for having a 'bad attitude.' He is understood to have failed to maintain good posture during a public event. 2017 Kim Jong Nam (pictured), the exiled half brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un was assassinated in 2017 His half-brother Kim Jong-nam, 45, was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017. A post-mortem examination found that he had been killed with nerve agent VX, one of the most deadly chemical weapons on earth. His estranged brother lived abroad and was seen as an embarrassment to the family having previously been tipped to replace his father as leader. He had gone to a Swiss boarding school and fallen in love with western luxuries, rather than showing any desire to lead the Communist rogue state. A woman approached him in the airport, wiping an oily substance onto his face, before walking away. Moments later another woman cam and put her hands on his face. In less than 20 minutes he was dead. Advertisement

Kim Song Hye had also worked closely with Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader's younger sister and a senior party official whom Kim Song Hye accompanied to South Korea for the Winter Olympics last year.

Kim Yo Jong was also lying low, the paper reported, citing an unidentified South Korean government official. Chosun Ilbo said the sister may have been reprimanded by Kim or may even be suffering with pneumonia.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, declined to comment on the report.

There is now growing concern that the diplomacy that has blossomed since early 2018 could be replaced by a return to the animosity that in 2017 caused some of the most realistic fears of war in years as the North staged a string of increasingly powerful weapons and Kim and Trump traded intensely personal threats and insults.

Since the Hanoi nuclear summit ended in failure, North Korea has again tested weapons and boosted its belligerent rhetoric toward American and South Korean officials. Analysts believe this indicates Pyongyang is trying to show displeasure for the current impasse without destroying the diplomacy.

Heavily guarded: Kim Jong-un deploys a team of elite bodyguards to run alongside his car during diplomatic trips abroad

Kim Hyok Chol (centre), North Korea's interlocutor in negotiations with the Untied States, arrives at Beijing's international airport on his way to the Vietnamese capital Hanoi in February

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and Kim Yong Chol (right) - he was a top nuclear negotiator in Hanoi before being sent to the forced labour camp

Trump on the White House lawn with Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol (left) who is required to undergo ideological re-education

Seoul's spy service said it could not confirm Friday's report, while the presidential Blue House said that 'it's inappropriate to make hasty judgements or comments.'

If the report is wrong, it would not be the first time for South Korean media and officials.

South Korean intelligence officials in 2016 said that Kim Jong-un had Ri Yong Gil, a former North Korean military chief, executed for corruption and other charges.

North Korea's state media months later showed that Ri was alive and in possession of several new senior posts.

In 2013, the Chosun Ilbo reported that Hyon Song Wol, a famous North Korean artist the newspaper described as Kim's 'ex-girlfriend,' was executed in public along with several other performers over accusations that they filmed themselves having sex and selling the videos.

Hyon, the leader of Kim's hand-picked Moranbong all-female band, was very much alive and later emerged as a key member of Kim's government, accompanying him in his meetings with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

But the South Korean press do get it right.

Kim Song Hye had also worked closely with Kim Yo Jong (pictured), the North Korean leader's younger sister and a senior party official whom Kim Song Hye accompanied to South Korea for the Winter Olympics last year. Kim Yo Jong was also lying low, the paper reported, citing an unidentified South Korean government official

While many questioned the competence of the South Korean spy service after it failed to learn of the 2011 death of Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, before Pyongyang's state TV announced it, the intelligence agency saved face in 2013 by releasing its finding that Kim's powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was purged, days before North Korea announced his execution.

Kim Jong Un and Trump left the Vietnamese capital without a deal after they failed to reach agreement on rolling back Pyongyang's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

The North has since sought to raise the pressure and carried out two short-range missile tests in May.

In April, South Korea's parliamentary intelligence committee said Kim Yong Chol had been censured over his handling of the Hanoi summit, despite the fact he had recently been named a member of the State Affairs Commission, a supreme governing body chaired by Kim Jong Un.

The Chosun Ilbo itself incorrectly reported in 2013 that Hyon Song Wol, head of the North's Samjiyon Orchestra, was executed by firing squad for distributing and watching pornographic content.

And the Unification Ministry also mistakenly announced in February 2016 that Ri Yong Gil, chief of the general staff of the North Korean People's Army, had been executed.
Ben & Jerry's on Thursday announced its plans to make cannabis chemical-infused ice cream. The FDA is hosting a public hearing about legalizing the cannabis-chemical cannabidiol (CBD) on Friday

Ben & Jerry's wants to make a new CBD-infused ice cream flavor - but the company needs fans' help to get the cannabis product legalized.

The Vermont-based ice cream company hopes to add the marijuana plant extract cannabidiol (CBD) to its list of ingredients this year.

But first the Food and Drug Administration must approve the popular chemical additive, which is said to produce a relaxation and calming effect once consumed without getting people high like its psychedelic sibling tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Ben & Jerry's announced its plans to make CBD-infused ice cream on Thursday ahead of the FDA's public hearing about legalizing CBD, which will take place from 8am to 6pm on Friday.

The company encouraged fans to submit public comment in favor of legalizing CBD via the FDA's designated web page.

'You probably already know that were fans of all things groovy... So its no surprise that we cant wait to get into the latest food trend: cannabidiol, or CBD,' Ben & Jerry's said Thursday morning in a statement on its website. 'We are committed to bringing CBD-infused ice cream to your freezer as soon as its legalized at the federal level.'

Ben & Jerry's is pushing its fans to advocate for legalizing CBD at the hearing so it can proceed with its CBD-infused ice cream flavor

CBD stands for cannabidiol, a chemical compound made from the cannabis plant that is said to produce a 'relaxation and calming' effect once consumed

President Trump legalized a farm bill in December that made most CBD products legal under federal law. But the FDA still prohibits the use of the product in foods and drinks because it's an active ingredient in an FDA-approved drug, according to CNBC.

Ben & Jerry's appears to be the first major food company to publicly advocate for CBD legalization so it can capitalize on the nation's growing cannabis foods trend.

More than 76 percent of chefs ranked CBD and cannabis-infused drinks and food first and second among top trends in a 2019 National Restaurant Association poll even though technically putting CBD in food products is illegal at the federal level.

Rich cannabis product lovers and 'canna-curious' foodies in states like Washington and Colorado, which have legalized the use of recreational marijuana, have resorted to hiring private chefs that specialize in cannabis-infused food, according to CNBC.

Muscle Joint & Relief Cream is displayed at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition trade show in New York on Thursday. More than 76 percent of chefs ranked CBD and cannabis-infused drinks and food first and second among top trends in a 2019 National Restaurant Association poll even though technically putting CBD in food products is illegal at the federal level

A cookies and cream flavored protein bar marketed by JustCBD is displayed at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition trade show in New York on Thursday. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) will NOT get you high

A display of bottles for CBD sale is seen at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo) trade show in New York on Thursday

Gummy worms, containing 10 milligrams of cannabidiol, are displayed at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition trade show in New York on Thursday

Attendees receive free CBD gummy candy samples from "The Hemp Plug" (THP) brand at The Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo) trade show in New York on Thursday

The New York Post reports New York City's health department in February was forced to issue a public order for restaurant, bars cafes to stop selling CBD-infused products after a spike in the chemical's use following Trump's legalization order.

'Were doing this for our fans,' Ben & Jerrys CEO Matthew McCarthy said of their planned new CBD ice cream flavor in a Thursday statement. 'Weve listened and brought them everything from Non-Dairy indulgences to on-the-go portions with our Pint Slices. We aspire to love our fans more than they love us and we want to give them what theyre looking for in a fun, Ben & Jerrys way.'
One in five children who leaves primary school is now obese

CMO Dame Sally Davies said tax would nudge parents to buy healthier foods

Chicken nuggets, ice cream and Frosties could be taxed in obesity review

Chicken nuggets, ice cream and Frosties could be taxed under draconian plans to curb childhood obesity.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies may recommend a levy to persuade parents to buy healthier foods.

She has been asked by Health Secretary Matt Hancock to carry out an urgent review into how Britain can halve childhood obesity by 2030.

Such a tax would help nudge parents to buy healthier foods, she said, because they were cheaper as well as obviously better for them.

Chicken nuggets, ice cream and Frosties could be taxed under draconian plans to curb childhood obesity after the Health Secretary asked the country's Chief Medical Officer to carry out an urgent review

Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies may recommend a levy to persuade parents to buy healthier foods. She has been asked by Health Secretary Matt Hancock to carry out an urgent review into how Britain can halve childhood obesity by 2030

Dame Sally told BBC News: If you provide a healthy product on the supermarket shelves that will come in cheap.

'If its unhealthy theres a levy on top of it, which is equivalent to a tax, so parents are then nudged to buy the healthy version because its cheaper and they can see its healthy.

Breakfast cereals, chicken nuggets and ice cream  classed as ultra-processed foods  could be targeted, she said.

One child in five who leaves primary school is obese. Ministers have been criticised for failing to address the crisis.

Not a great taste: Breakfast cereals like Frosties have been classed as ultra-processed foods and could be targeted for tax in the review, according to Dame Sally

They announced a new childhood obesity strategy last summer, calling for compulsory calorie labelling on menus and a ban on discounted junk food.

Manufacturers have been set targets for reducing sugar and portion sizes. But the measures are voluntary and do not carry any sanctions.

Campaigners want mandatory food industry targets to cut calories and reduce portion sizes.

There are also concerns over the rising numbers of fast-food outlets, often located close to schools.
It might not be what they had in mind when they thought of migrating for the summer.

But three great white pelicans are making their way to their new home in London  in the back of a van from Prague.

The birds, called Sun, Moon and Star, are being driven 17 hours from a zoo in the Czech Republic to join a flock of pelicans in St Jamess Park, where a colony has been established since the 17th century.

Three great white pelicans are making their way to their new home in London's St James's Park  in the back of a van from Prague

The birds, called Sun, Moon and Star, are being driven 17 hours to reach the city. (Pictured) Two Pelicans standing in St James's Park - there has been a colony there since the 1600s

Their new home comes with stunning views of Buckingham Palace (Pictured)

Keepers loaded the pelicans, which have the second largest wingspan of all birds, into transport cages yesterday morning.

It is the third time Prague Zoo has sent pelicans to St Jamess, with Tiffany and Isla the last newcomers in 2013.

They followed male pelican Vaclav, who was gifted to the park in 1995. With two new males, Sun and Moon, and female Star, the flock now stands at six.

The birds were first introduced to St Jamess in 1664 as a gift to King Charles II. Since then, 40 pelicans have made the park their home.

Keepers prepare to load the birds into a van. It is the third time they have taken this species of bird, which has the second largest wingspan, to London

Pelican loaded up in the van and ready to go. The latest pelicans to make the journey were Tiffany and Isla in 2013
Draconian new rules designed to make the internet safer for children could deliver a 'killer blow' to British technology start-ups, a lobby group warns today.

The controversial code, drawn up by the Information Commissioner's Office, applies too broadly and will be a 'serious obstacle to growth', the group said.

The Coalition for a Digital Economy, known as Coadec, also warned the code will 'destroy' smaller firms.

The group, which represents UK technology start-ups, said the attempt to protect children online could backfire and prompt tech firms to suck up even more data about adults and children alike.

Former culture secretary John Whittingdale has warned the new proposals will have a 'chilling effect' on smaller UK tech companies

And, in a warning that will alarm many parents, it said the measures could restrict UK children to a sanitised version of the internet 'largely designed' by a handful of big companies.

Under the proposed ICO rules, web firms will be forced to introduce strict age checks on their websites  or treat all of their users as if they are children.

The code is so stringent that critics fear adults could end up being forced to demonstrate their age for virtually every website they visit  or have the services that they can access limited as if they were under 18.

They may have to log in every time they visit a commercial news website, browse holidays, read a blog, or access shopping sites.

Companies that do not stick to the new rule will face fines of up to 4 per cent of their global turnover. In the case of Facebook, this would be 1.67bllion.

Yesterday, in a strongly-worded letter to the Information Commissioner, Coadec's executive director Dom Hallas warned that 'most start-ups' would end up putting age gates in front of their websites.

He said the majority of firms cannot afford to launch standalone children's versions of their sites, and are unwilling to treat all their users as if they are children because their business models depend on being able to collect user data.

Treating all users as if they are children would 'render most business models irreparably damaged,' Mr Hallas said.

Only the biggest tech companies could afford to run parallel versions of their websites for children, so under-18s would effectively have their version of the web designed by a handful of companies.

'It will close off access to a huge number of start-up services to those under the age of 18,' the Coadec chief said.

In a warning that is likely to alarm many privacy campaigners, he added that the 'default' age-gating will 'mean a vast increase in data collection from all kinds of providers of online services  who would be required to seek age verification from all their users.'

The warning comes amid growing controversy over the proposed ICO rules, which could come into force as early as the autumn.

Yesterday former culture secretary John Whittingdale warned that they will have a 'chilling effect' on smaller UK tech companies and that it was 'mad for the ICO to proceed with this' at this stage.

An ICO spokesman said: 'We are aware of industry concerns. We'll be considering all the responses we've had as well as engaging further.'
A devastated friend of Courtney Herron claims police missed an opportunity to help the young woman days before she was killed.

The 25-year-old's body was found badly bashed in a park in Melbourne's inner-north on Saturday, after she reportedly attended a social event with her accused killer Henry Hammond, 27.

Jessica Bateman, who has been friends with Ms Herron since high school, said she could still be alive if police had helped reunite her with her family after picking her up with an acquaintance days before her death.

A devastated friend of Courtney Herron (pictured) claims police missed an opportunity to help the young woman days before she was killed

'Her mother had put out a missing persons report and police had picked her up with an acquaintance on May 14,' she told Today.

'They released her. They should have detained her and kept her so her mother could come pick her up.'

Ms Herron was free to leave and not collected by her family as she was 25.

Ms Herron had been battling a drug addiction and was homeless when she was killed.

However, a Victoria Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia Ms Herron had never been reported missing to police in Victoria.

Her mother Maxie has previously described how her daughter had been 'vulnerable'.

'She might have been 25, but she was so at risk. Believing, trusting, loving, but she was so vulnerable,' she told The Age.

Courtney Herron's life turned to turmoil when she ended up in a bad crowd and begun to use ice, her mother said

The last time Ms Herron saw her family was during Greek Easter and the 25-year-old briefly stayed with her grandmother before leaving abruptly in the middle of the night

Ms Bateman told The Project homelessness was the ultimate cause of Ms Herron's death but admitted sleeping rough was more difficult for women than men.

'Because women are more vulnerable than men being homeless and you know men can attack them, take advantage of them and it's just, especially when it concerns mental illness and drugs,' she said.

Ms Herron had been couch surfing for up to two years before her death.

Ms Bateman, who was raised in Melbourne, said she now fears for her own safety in the city she has grown up in.

'I dont feel safe at night anymore. I used to walk through parks but not anymore.'

Ms Herron is the fourth young woman to be killed in a public Melbourne place in the past 12 months, including the June rape and murder of aspiring comedian Eurydice Dixon, 22, in a neighbouring suburb.

Ms Herron had been couch surfing for up to two years before her death

The 25-year-old's badly bashed body was found in a park in Melbourne 's inner-north on Saturday

The death sparked widespread calls for action to improve public safety for women.

A silent vigil has been organised for the 25-year-old on Friday night, which thousands are expected to attend.

The vigil will be held at Royal Park in suburban Parkville, where Ms Herron's body was discovered.

Homeless man Henry Richard Hammond, 27, has been charged with Ms Herron's murder.

He remains in custody, his case will return to court on September 16.

The mother and grandmother of Melbourne woman Courtney Herron threw themselves onto the spot she was allegedly murdered on and cried to the sky for answers this week

Throwing their hands into the air and seemingly asking God to respond, family of the 25-year old made their way to Royal Park just before midday on Monday
A New Zealand television host has hit back at a viewer who wrote in to complain about her 'exposed cleavage'.

Seven Sharp's Hilary Barry responded to an email from a woman named Barbara who had criticised her decision to wear a low-cut top on air on Wednesday night.

She claimed viewers were being 'assailed' by Ms Barry's clothing while explaining breasts should be kept 'private'.

Scroll down for video

Seven Sharp's Hilary Barry hit back at a viewer who criticised her decision to wear a low-cut top on television

Ms Barry responded saying 'I'm just a middle-aged mother-of-two who slapped on some lippy and a pretty top to look presentable for the nation'

'Unfortunately it's become a worldwide trend which is mind boggling considering we have the #MeToo movement trying to stop women being treated as sex objects', the email read.

'It is a fact of nature that women's breasts are sex objects and should be kept private except at the beach or at an evening do. Hilary should be seen as a professional, intelligent and have taste and her breasts being accentuated does not give this image'.

Ms Barry, 49, shot back at her critic saying, 'they're just boobs.'

'Well, here's the thing Barbara. I'm just a middle-aged mother-of-two who slapped on some lippy and a pretty top to look presentable for the nation, and I'm sorry that you find my boobs offensive', she said.

'They're just boobs. They're just boobs, and half the population has them. Barbara has them'.

A clip of Ms Barry's response was posted on the network's Facebook page, garnering hundreds of supportive comments.

'Wear what you like Hillary!! Barb can always use the option of the off button!!' one user commented.

In October last year, Barry shared a photo of the Wellington Paranormal Team who she said were keeping her Royal Tour exuberance in check. 'Shame I didnt manage to keep my cleavage in check too', she said in a cheeky caption

The 49-year-old was praised for her response on Facebook. Ms Barry has previously hit out at her critics who have shamed her for her appearance in the past

Another said: 'Barbara, Barbara, Barbara (shakes head & sighs)...the MeToo movement is so NOT about covering up for fear of causing offence. The gorgeous Hils Baz has every right to wear whatever makes her feels good about herself without fear of judgement, or physical harassment.

'I personally think both presenters are in smart & apt attire, well covered in all the right places. Sexualising what you see says a whole heap more about you, than it does her my dear.'

Ms Barry has defended herself against viewers who have criticised her appearance in the past.

In February, a woman commented on a Facebook photo of the host saying: 'Check out those thighs... omg who is dressing these people'.

Ms Barry later replied with a closeup of the photo.

'Hey Glenys, here's a closeup of my thighs. I can send you a framed copy if you like, just reply with your address. Cheers, Hilary.' she wrote.

She uploaded a photo of her cheeky response to her Instagram page saying, 'Let's be proud of our thighs and hips and bums and bumpy bits.'
Eight years ago, he incurred the wrath of feminists by describing them as obnoxious bigots.

And earlier this week, Tory leadership contender Dominic Raab said while he championed equality, he was probably not a feminist.

While some applauded his honesty, others felt his stance makes him unfit to be Prime Minister.

Here a panel of Mail writers give their views and ask whether men can  or should  be feminists.

Leave it out, chaps: Male feminist Benedict Cumberbatch sporting a shirt that says 'This is what a feminist looks like'

Fellow male feminists Nick Clegg (left) and Ed Miliband (right). Here a panel of Mail writers give their views and ask whether men can  or should  be feminists

This is ONE fight best left to women

Bel Mooney is the Daily Mails advice columnist

Call me cynical, but I cant help being suspicious of men who shout: Im a feminist  of course I am! from the rooftops.

Id be wondering if they protest too much  and in private treat the women in their lives like doormats. Ive witnessed this many times: successful men who spout all the right ideas, boast about their well-educated wives brains  then expect the women to do the bulk of domestic organisation and childcare.

I became a feminist in the late Sixties when Left-wing men were notorious for espousing allegedly right-on, progressive views (those heroic suffragettes, womens global struggle, equal rights  you name it) while displaying the worst kind of sexism, especially when it came to sex itself.

Call me cynical, but I cant help being suspicious of men who shout: Im a feminist  of course I am! from the rooftops, writes Bel Mooney

The editors of the notorious Oz Magazine, for example, claimed to be avant-garde and were widely admired by the woke generation of the time  yet one issue featured Hells Angels, invited into the office to have sex with their women on the floor, while being photographed. Exploitative and vile.

These days, feminism is such a complicated area, riven with discord, as different groups of women slug it out (a sad spectacle but par for the course in this era of identity politics) that I think men are probably wise to keep out of it. Damned if they do, damned if they dont.

If a bloke claimed to be feminist, Id call him brave  even foolhardy. For in the current, fevered climate hes likely to be set upon and brow-beaten by a Twitter mob demanding a precise definition.

Third wave feminist? Fourth wave? Whatever, hell risk angering somebody or other.

Id prefer an enlightened modern man to state quietly that he absolutely believes in equality of the sexes but will respectfully leave the possession of the F-label to women.

As he returned in his overalls from making a treehouse for the grandchildren, I decided to ask my own husband if he was a feminist.

No he replied. Rather surprised, I asked why. Wouldnt it be called appropriation these days? Thats why Id better leave all that to you. Precisely.

What bloke would want to join the flag wavers?

Edwina Currie is a writer and former Tory MP

Ive never been a feminist. Not back in the 1960s when it was a fringe movement and definitely not now, when anyone challenging the prevailing virtues is howled down on social media. I admire Dominic Raab for having the gumption to say he wouldnt class himself as a feminist either. I admired him even more  and wholeheartedly agreed with him  when in 2011 he called some feminists obnoxious bigots.

As a Thatcherite Tory I believe passionately that everyone, regardless of background, gender, colour or any other feature, should be encouraged to achieve their full potential and thus to make their contribution to society.

Thats meritocracy and thats what Raab, rightfully, said he believes in.

Ive never been a feminist. Not back in the 1960s when it was a fringe movement and definitely not now, when anyone challenging the prevailing virtues is howled down on social media, writes Edwina Currie

What feminism does is to split our population into separate groups. That is divisive and often dangerous.

Then its claimed that its the fault of one lot that the other lot doesnt have exactly the same outcomes, which is frequently nonsense. Worse, many feminists seem to hate men, or to want to marginalise them, as with all-women parliamentary shortlists.

Why would those who claim to have experienced discrimination then want to practise it? Theres a name for that: hypocrisy. Can you blame some men for not wanting to stand alongside them?

I still ask questions like: why do women leaders not make it to the top of professions where women are employed in large numbers, as in teaching and the universities?

Why are women still so little interested in scientific and engineering careers?

But to blame the patriarchy for all that, as many feminists do so loudly and aggressively, and to shoot down objectors, is to destroy objectivity and candour. To feminist campaigners, a woman is only a success if her career paths ape those of men, as CEO of a big company, for example.

To me thats bizarre. This scenario downgrades the choices millions of women make at a key stage in their lives, in favour of that extraordinary experience, motherhood.

Perhaps, as a father, Mr Raab knows that womens lives are fulfilling in ways feminist campaigners dont appreciate.

So when they wave their flags and proclaim, we are all feminists now youll still find a few of us brave enough to say: Not me, sister.

Be a feminist - just don't expect THANKS

Julie Burchill is a writer, author and broadcaster

Of course a man can be a feminist as easily as a white person can believe in ethnic equality or a heterosexual can support gay marriage.

Whenever I hear a man say hes not a feminist  as Dominic Raab did  I always imagine that he must be inadequate in some way.

Imagine if someone said they didnt believe in equal rights for people of colour, or for homosexuals. But Raab added, confusingly, that he believes in equality and meritocracyIm all for working women making the very best of their potential  thats really important to me.

Of course a man can be a feminist as easily as a white person can believe in ethnic equality or a heterosexual can support gay marriage, writes Julie Burchill

How does this make him not a feminist? Considering that he commented in 2011 that some feminists were obnoxious bigots, I cant help thinking that hes one of those misguided souls whose knowledge of feminist theory begins and ends with The Worm That Turned.

That was the infamous Two Ronnies running joke in which a jack-booted Diana Dors and her leather-clad State Police took a lascivious delight in reducing men to the status of put-upon parlour maids. But, contrarily (thats women for you) I cant be cross at Mr Raab because Im also suspicious of men who make a big song and dance about being feminists.

Weve all met those right-on men brocialists who pretend to be feminists in order to creep up on gullible young women, plying them with cheap booze while quoting from The Female Eunuch.

Ive known of men who hit their wives and call themselves feminists and men who stupefy themselves on pornography and call themselves feminists. It was Peter Stringfellow, the owner of a lapdancing club, who famously said: Of course Im a feminist, my whole life has been around the beauty of women.

My advice to men is, yes, be a feminist, but dont push yourself to the front, dont expect shows of gratitude from the oppressed and especially dont expect sexual favours because of it.

Male feminists in general do need to pipe down and just help with the heavy lifting if they want us to trust them.

It's another way for men to feel superior

Virginia Ironside is a journalist, author and agony aunt

Thank goodness for Dominic Raab. If theres anything that sets my hackles rising more than being called a feminist  and Im not, and never have been  its some man claiming hes one, too.

I believe in equality but I dont feel terribly oppressed, thank you very much, and I come from a long line of powerful women.

Im acutely aware there are female populations across the globe who are still horrifically treated. But men suffer oppression and persecution, too, lest we forget. Men make up around 35 per cent of domestic abuse victims every year, for example.

Thank goodness for Dominic Raab. If theres anything that sets my hackles rising more than being called a feminist  and Im not, and never have been  its some man claiming hes one, too, writes Virginia Ironside

Yet, everywhere I look, crowds of smug woke gentlemen seem to be stumbling over themselves to proclaim themselves a flag-waving feminist.

Just the other day, while attempting to have a pleasant drink, I found myself seated next to a man who proudly announced himself a feminist like you.

Perhaps he simply meant to confer his support for equal rights for all. And who isnt on board with that? But any man who loudly declares himself a feminist falls into three types  none of them good.

First of all, we have the frightened rabbits. Theyre so terrified of female rage that they feel the need to signal as subtly as an air traffic controller that theyre NOT one of those boorish Y-chromosome tyrants.

Next up are the self-flagellating fellows who essentially despise themselves simply for being (by virtue of biology) members of the misogynistic overlord class.

Last  and certainly the least  we have the slimy wretches who declare themselves feminists simply (rather deviously, in fact) to prop up male superiority.

By proclaiming they want to look after and support us, they actually perpetuate the myth of female vulnerability and weakness.

Well, to all those male feminists out there, we dont need your protection. Give it a rest, we can look after ourselves.

Men act like they are scoring points

Julie Bindel is a writer, feminist and co-founder of Justice for Women

So, Dominic Raab has told us something every feminist on the planet already knew, that he most definitely is not one.

How do I know? Simple: Raab is a man. When I first met men, back in the early 1980s, who were insisting that they were feminists, I would tell them that it takes more than being able to knit and to show their emotions. Feminism is action, and challenging the status quo.

Men cannot be feminists, but they can be feminist allies.

Raab says he is a champion of equality and meritocracy which is great. However, feminism is not about equality, but liberation.

So, Dominic Raab has told us something every feminist on the planet already knew, that he most definitely is not one, writes Julie Bindel

Imagine half the House of Commons being female. The men would still shout louder, get more attention and wield more power. The job of feminism is to do away with patriarchy, so that men no longer feel entitled to behave in the way they have for millennia.

Equality would simply mean that women could behave as appallingly as men often do.

We need to change male behaviour in order to be truly liberated.

Being a feminist means recognising that males are privileged from birth, and females are afforded a lower status.

I know only a handful of men who would choose to give up that privilege without a fight, so, in order to appear woke, some men merely masquerade as feminist in order to score points.

The last thing feminists want to do is to alienate men who may wish to support our cause, but we certainly dont want them taking over either. Feminism is the only movement on earth that prioritises women and girls.

If we were to tell men that they can become feminist because they support our aims, they will soon be swooping down in superhero costumes, trying with one hand to rescue us, and taking the funding and the credit with the other. Feminism exists because men have long refused to give up the throne.

...And a woman who says we should all be feminists

Libby Purves is a broadcaster and writer

At best it was a daft answer, at worst a feeble attempt to placate the ever-shrinking proportion of sad old harrumphers in his party.

When asked: Are you a feminist? the sensible answer would have been: Yes. Isnt everyone? Next question please  something on policy, perhaps?

Rabbs statement that he probably wouldnt call himself a feminist follows his remark about some feminists being obnoxious bigots and men getting a raw deal.

The raw-deal line was plain silly  since it is depressingly clear who holds the most power, money and freedoms. As for the obnoxious bigots, it is true that some enthusiastic feminism has gone over the top into vicious nonsense.

At best it was a daft answer, at worst a feeble attempt to placate the ever-shrinking proportion of sad old harrumphers in his party, writes Libby Purves

But I defy you to find me any point of view which hasnt attracted its share of bigots and extremists. There are religious, political, Brexit, Remainer and animal rights ones. What were talking about is a freak of temperament, not exclusive to any opinion.

I will no more pay attention to the radical American feminist Valerie Solanas saying men are machines not even animals, than I will to Sir Bufton-Tufton saying the little ladies, God bless em, should stay at home.

Or to religious nuts prophesying damnation for gays.

Mr Raabs feeble grasp of reality was obvious in his excuse about having a working wife and his desire to help working women to make the most of their potential.

Feminism is not just about women becoming CEOs, or even a meritocracy. It is a wider respect for fairness in welfare, social structures, health.

It is considering womens needs even when they are not out there in power suits making the most of their potential but raising children or being carers.

It is acknowledging two things: that women and girls are as diverse as men with as many abilities, and secondly that there are physical differences. In a world that needs women as much as men, feminism is not a cult or an eccentricity.

Its plain common sense  for men and women.
The fighter pilots could hardly conceal their surprise as they tracked the object moving at incredible speed above the waves. 'Wow, what is that, man?' says one excitedly. 'Look at it fly!'

Infrared cockpit-camera footage taken on a later sortie by the same U.S. Navy squadron reveals another immensely fast-flying object, this one spinning in mid-air and moving against a 120-knot wind, again accompanied by commentary from totally baffled airmen.

Although the footage shows only one of these objects, a pilot is heard to say: 'There's a whole fleet' showing up on his monitors. And as the one in the film turns slowly in the air, a shocked voice chimes in: 'Look at that thing! It's rotating!'

Between the summer of 2014 and March 2015, it's now emerged, these unexplained objects were spotted almost every day over the skies off the U.S. East Coast.

Highly qualified U.S. Navy pilots  flying from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and training for active duty in the Persian Gulf  told their superiors the objects seemingly defied the laws of physics.

About 30-40ft long and shaped like a Tic Tac mint, they had no wings or rotors  in fact, they had no discernible means of propulsion or flight  and, yet, they could hover in the sky, slow suddenly and accelerate almost instantaneously to hypersonic speeds of a mile a second.

Between the summer of 2014 and March 2015 these unexplained objects were spotted almost every day over the skies off the U.S. East Coast

Radar showed they could fly as high as 80,000ft. One pilot compared their remarkable manoeuverability to a ping-pong ball bouncing off a wall. The resulting G-force would crush any humans inside.

A near collision was recorded in an official mishap report, when, in late 2014, the pilot of a Super Hornet fighter jet almost hit one of them. The pilot said it looked like a sphere encasing a cube.

'These things would be there all day,' said Lt Ryan Graves, a Super Hornet pilot of ten years' service. He and four other pilots reported their sightings to the Pentagon and to Congress, but only now have they spoken out publicly.

Their accounts  backed by the infrared camera footage and reports of a strikingly similar encounter that occurred a decade earlier  appear to have bounced the U.S. Navy into action.

Amid claims it has ignored or covered up sightings in the past, it has now been forced to admit it does investigate what it calls 'unexplained aerial phenomena', and that it has just introduced a formal, albeit secret, procedure for military personnel to report what the rest of us know as UFOs.

Former U.S. officials have welcomed the move, saying the government needs to take the issue seriously and remove the stigma attached to reporting incidents.

clearly this is not some giant hoax and, given the weight of evidence, it's hard to swallow the arguments of sceptics who say these newly publicised sightings can be explained by human error or equipment failure .

In which case, many experts agree, only two possible explanations remain: either someone or some country has secretly developed jaw-droppingly advanced technology, or the giant flying Tic Tacs don't come from this planet.

Highly qualified U.S. Navy pilots  flying from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and training for active duty in the Persian Gulf  told their superiors the objects seemingly defied the laws of physics

Nobody at the Pentagon is saying the objects were extraterrestrial, and scientists stress that more mundane explanations are often found for such incidents. (Last week, for instance, billionaire Elon Musk's company SpaceX, sent 60 satellites into orbit, prompting excited stargazers across the world to report UFOs.)

The pilots' evidence was sent for analysis at a secret Pentagon outfit called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, which investigates encounters between UFOs and U.S. military.

Angry that his government wasn't doing more to counter what could be a profound security threat, the boss of the Identification Program, Luis Elizondo, decided to release the footage of the UFO encounters into the public domain, and in 2017 resigned his post.

Mr Elizondo is believed to be the most senior U.S. official ever to say that the UFO phenomenon is real.

And now, two years on from his release of the footage, some of the pilots involved in the encounters appear to corroborate his view, speaking to the New York Times and makers of a forthcoming History Channel documentary series, Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation.

They say they only started noticing the UFOs after their Eighties-era radar was modernised. Initially, they ignored them, thinking they were false radar tracks.

However, they kept appearing as the carrier group sailed between Virginia and Florida, at varying altitudes, at immense speeds far faster than any fighter jet.

Whatever fuelled the UFOs, it was clearly much more advanced than anything known to the U.S. Navy. They were able to tear around the sky for 12 hours at a time, when a navy jet could only manage an hour before having to refuel, says Lt Graves.

A fellow pilot, Lt Danny Accoin, says he encountered the objects twice. The first time he picked one up on his radar, he set his plane to head towards it, albeit flying 1,000ft below.

Amid claims it has ignored or covered up sightings in the past, it has now been forced to admit it does investigate what it calls 'unexplained aerial phenomena', and that it has just introduced a formal, albeit secret, procedure for military personnel to report what the rest of us know as UFOs

Even though it was clearly visible on his radar, missile system and infrared camera, he couldn't see it through his helmet camera.

Then, the pilots started seeing the objects with their naked eyes. 'No distinct wings, no distinct tail, no distinct exhaust plume,' says Lt Accoin. 'It seems like they were aware of our presence, because they would actively move around us.'

Lt Graves said he once bumped into a squadron mate who had just returned from a mission 'with a look of shock on his face'. He told him he had 'almost hit one of those things' as he and another pilot flew just 100ft apart. Something suddenly flew right between them.

The pilots initially believed they had stumbled into a top-secret U.S. drone project, but, after the near miss, they reasoned the Pentagon wouldn't possibly behave so irresponsibly as to let them fly so close.

It's not the first time that U.S. Navy pilots have reported disturbing encounters in broad daylight with a 'giant Tic Tac'.

In November 2004, two Super Hornets were on a routine training mission over the Pacific, 100 miles out from San Diego, when a cruiser, the USS Princeton, radioed them and ominously asked if they were armed.

The ship had spent two weeks tracking strange, unidentified aircraft that appeared suddenly at an altitude of 80,000ft, then plunged towards the sea. At 20,000ft, they stopped and hovered before either disappearing out of radar range or shooting straight up again.

Cmdr David Fravor and his colleagues only had dummy missiles, but they were directed to the last known location of one of the objects. In the sea, they saw a large object just below the surface of the water, and another, 50ft above, hovering erratically. They described it as 40ft long, white, wingless and shaped like an oblong pill.

As Cmdr Fravor flew towards it, the second object rose to meet him at a fast speed and acceleration. Flying with the other pilot was an unidentified weapons systems operator, who is now a senior naval officer.

She told the History Channel: 'The hair on the back of my neck was standing up. I was thinking: 'I'm going to be watching a disaster here.' You're wondering: 'How can I possibly fight this?' '

Instead, the object suddenly peeled away at a speed that Fravor admits left him feeling 'pretty weirded out'.

He was even more 'weirded out' when the Princeton told him its radar showed the object had reappeared under a minute later, 60 miles away at the planes' precise rendezvous point.

How did it travel so fast, at a speed of 3,700 mph (the Super Hornet's top speed is 1,190 mph), and how did it know his rendezvous point? Another jet was swiftly sent up with an infrared camera and captured a grainy 90-second film of the 'Tic Tac' flying slowly, then zipping away fast.

Sceptics question whether there are bugs in the planes' imaging systems, or whether the pilots were tricked by atmospheric effects and reflections.

However, Kevin Day, the Princeton's senior radar operator at the time, says his screen showed well over 100 UFOs over the course of that week. 'Watching them on the display was like watching snow fall from the sky,' he says.

Cmdr Fravor says: 'There is a capability out there, I don't know where it's from. I'm not saying it's from outer space, but I'm not saying it's from here either.'

Some physicists have outlined how 'field propulsion' systems can move an object at astonishing speeds without any propellant, by creating external force fields so the space around the object moves rather than the object.

However, the theory is purely speculative  perhaps even less feasible than little green men in physics-defying spaceships.
The body of a father-of-two has been found days after his wife launched a desperate plea to find him when he didn't arrive at work.

Bruce Stewart said goodbye to his wife Melissa about 7.30am on Monday.

But the librarian never made it to the high school in Sydney's western suburbs where he worked.

His family have confirmed the 44-year-old's body was found on Wednesday in Hornsby, on Sydney's north shore, putting an end to a frantic search.

Bruce Stewart, 44, said goodbye to his loving wife Melissa (pictured together) then left his Ryde home in his blue Holden Astra sedan at around 7.30am

Mr Stewart's brother, Dave, said he feels like he has 'lost a part of himself' since learning of the news.

'Now a part of me is gone. I miss you,' he wrote alongside a series of family photos.

Donate to the family To support Melissa and her daughters, you can donate here Advertisement

A GoFundMe page set up by a friend reads: 'This week the world lost a kind and generous man.

'Bruce Stewart was a teacher, a friend, a brother, a friend, a son, and the centre of the universe for his beloved girls - his wife Melissa and daughters Phoebe and Greta.

'Melissa is currently on maternity leave with a young baby and a pre-schooler. In addition to unimaginable heartbreak, she is also facing the spectre of finances and raising the two girls alone.

'There is not much that those of us who love them can do to help with their grief, but we can lessen the fear.

'In honour of a man who always gave so much to anyone in need, we will take care of his beautiful girl.'

Mrs Stewart previously said he contacted friends after leaving home in his blue Holden Astra sedan, but was not answering her calls.

'He made brief contact with some close friends before not responding to any calls or messages, which is very, very unlike him,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'We are distraught. He is our world, a devoted father and husband, adored by all who know him, and we are desperate to find him.'

Police said his family were initially concerned for his welfare 'due to his current mental state'.

For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14
Julie Bishop has turned down well-paid 'glamour roles' in politics because she wants to prove herself in the private sector, he sister has claimed.

The former foreign minister was informally offered the position as governor by South Australian Premier Steven Marshall just weeks after failing to secure her position as Liberal leader.

But the 62-year-old has other plans and 'another career ahead of her', according to her sister MaryLou Bishop.

The former foreign minister was informally offered the position as governor by South Australian Premier Steven Marshall

'Right from the word go, she said ''I do not want the job'',' her sister MaryLou Bishop (left) said

'Right from the word go, she said ''I do not want the job'',' MaryLou told ABC Radio Adelaide's David Bevan.

'She wanted to prove herself in the free market, in private enterprise.'

On Friday, The Australian revealed Ms Bishop was in talks with Mr Marshall to take over the $315,000 a-year role. But she later turned it down.

'She would've been a public servant (if she became governor), it might be a glamorous public servant, but nevertheless you are answerable to the government of the day,' MaryLou said.

She added that Ms Bishop may return politics in the future and said her career so far had been 'constrained by the (Liberal) party'.

'Let her fly, let her do what she has to do, let's put another governor in place, whatever, and perhaps come back to her in 10 years' time when she's in her 70s, early 70s. She's amazingly fit, she doesn't look her age,' MaryLou said.

Ms Bishop has now signed up to Sydney firm Claxton Speakers International to help manage all her talks around the country and internationally (pictured with partner David Panton)

Ms Bishop has now signed up to Sydney firm Claxton Speakers International to help manage her talks around the country and internationally.

She will speak about topics including foreign policy, her person journey, leadership, global challenges and the fourth industrial revolution, the publication reported.

Ms Bishop could be paid up to $50,000 for each event.
Plans to put 50million smart gas and electricity meters in all homes and businesses by the end of next year are hopelessly behind schedule.

Official figures show a 6.7 per cent fall in the number of high-tech devices installed in the first three months of this year compared to the final three of 2018.

The cost of the project is also rising and is now expected to hit 11.5billion  with all energy customers footing the bill.

A total of just over 1million domestic smart meters were installed in early 2019 taking the total to 17.14million.

This is well behind the number needed by this stage to meet the 2020 target.

Plans to put 50million smart gas and electricity meters (stock) in all homes and businesses by the end of next year are hopelessly behind schedule

The situation is made even worse by the fact that more than 2million of the first generation devices no longer work.

The meters offer real-time information on energy use to home owners, helping them cut bills.

The data is also transmitted to energy companies, removing the need for estimated bills and meter readings.

It is claimed that when householders get real-time information they tend to make cutbacks, which leads to lower bills and cuts the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the installation programme is hugely expensive. Initial estimates suggested the meters would cost 374 per household, but this has gone up by an average of 17 and could rise again to 400.

As a result, the total cost is expected to go up 500million to 11.5billion and could, potentially, be substantially higher.

The ultimate aim of the programme is to install 50million of the devices in 30million homes and businesses across Britain by the end of next year.

The meters (stock) offer real-time information on energy use to home owners, helping them cut bills

But so far only 17.14million have been fitted in 16million properties. And the number of working meters is below 15million, as 2.3million of the devices are now classified as 'dumb'.

Citizens Advice chief Gillian Guy said: 'In order to hit their target, suppliers will need to install meters around three times faster than they did in the first three months of 2019.

The roll-out should be extended to 2023 and the Government should publish up-to-date information on the costs and benefits.

'A rush to install meters to hit the 2020 deadline risks giving customers a poor experience and undermining people's faith in this important technology.'

Peter Earl of Comparethemarket.com described the 2020 target as 'implausible'.

The body set up to promote meters (stock), Smart Energy GB, claimed it was making 'good progress'

He added the problem was made worse by larger suppliers insisting that customers install a smart meter when they sign up to some new tariffs  even though this could 'restrict access to some of the most competitive tariffs'.

But he said: 'It is absolutely critical that those homes yet to have been offered smart meters are issued with the newer model and that the old meters are replaced or updated.'

The body set up to promote meters, Smart Energy GB, claimed it was making 'good progress'.

It said: 'Every smart meter installed is a step closer to a smart energy system fit for the 21st century.

'Many more people are seeing the benefits of having a smart meter in their home or small business.'
They trained together, served together and jumped out over enemy territory together. Within hours, they died side by side.

So it is entirely fitting that Glen, the parachuting dog, will now join his heroic handler, Emile Corteil of the Parachute Regiment, as part of the magnificent new memorial to the 22,442 British servicemen and women who were killed during the liberation of France in 1944.

In a move that has been warmly welcomed by veterans, a designated area of the new 50-acre Normandy Memorial site will be dedicated to the animals killed in action that summer.

A parachuting dog, horses and carrier pigeons that fought in World War Two will be honoured by a new memorial in Normandy. (Pictured) Dog, Glen, is going to be remembered with his handler Emile Corteil. In the above image they are shown together

As well as Glen, the paradog of 9 Para, this spot will include mention of the horses and the carrier pigeons which transported vital messages back across the Channel. Next week, veterans and world leaders will gather at dawn on the 75th anniversary of D-Day to inaugurate the memorial at the very spot where tens of thousands of British troops came ashore in 1944.

Supported by the generosity of Daily Mail readers, the project has captured hearts around the world (though funds are still urgently needed). Until now, Britain has had no national memorial in Normandy.

To be certain that all the appropriate names are included, an expert panel has rigorously researched the Roll of Honour. But then came a question which stumped them all: What about Glen?

Walk through the stunning Commonwealth cemetery at Ranville, where 2,400 men lie buried, and there is one grave which always stops visitors in their tracks. It is that of 19-year-old Private Emile Corteil from Watford, who was killed during the first phase of D-Day.

His headstone is engraved with a particularly poignant inscription, chosen by Emiles heartbroken mother, Jessie: Had you known our boy you would have loved him too. Glen his paratroop dog was killed with him.

Emile Corteil and dog Glen, pictured. Both completed their parachute descent on D-Day but Emile was killed later that day and Glen died at his side

Next week, veterans and world leaders will gather at dawn on the 75th anniversary of D-Day to inaugurate the memorial at the very spot where tens of thousands of British troops came ashore in 1944

In a move that has been warmly welcomed by veterans, a designated area of the new 50-acre Normandy Memorial site will be dedicated to the animals killed in action that summer. (Pictured) Royal Marine Commandos move off Normandy beaches during an inland advance

What the inscription does not reveal  for it was a serious breach of military rules  is that Glen is actually in the same grave.

So it would have been rather unfair if Emile were to be included on the new memorial with no reference of any sort to the gallant Glen. As a result, the trustees for the memorial  who include the former head of the Army, Lord Dannatt  have agreed that Glen should be acknowledged on a memorial stone in the wildflower meadow alongside the main memorial.

Long-term, the trust wishes to recognise the sacrifice of all animals taken in to battle with the British Forces, says a spokesman.

The news has gone down well with the veterans. Its entirely right that theres a separate memorial for the animals lost in Normandy, says Tony Rampling, 93, who landed on Gold Beach with the Reconnaissance Regiment. The sacrifice was huge.

He is still troubled by the memory of his own painful attempt to despatch a badly wounded horse, using his Sten gun, at a crossroads near Falaise.

Glens inclusion will certainly please the veterans of the Parachute Regiment who suffered heavy losses defending the eastern flank of the invasion, following the capture of Pegasus Bridge.

A view of the 'Pegasus Bridge' over the Caen Canal, Benouville, in 1944. Two Horsa gliders that brought the 'coup de main' force in on the night of D-Day can be seen in the background

Until now, Britain has had no national memorial in Normandy. (Pictured) Juno beach in Normandy where allied forces landed on D-Day.

Paradogs were inseparable from their handlers. Though they would jump separately  in the same harness used for dropping bicylces  they were even trained to spread themselves across the parachute on landing to prevent it blowing away.

On being released, their roles would include flushing out the enemy, sniffing out mines and unexploded ordnance, finding wounded soldiers and carrying messages. They were also a huge boost to morale.

Emile and Glen were with a group of soldiers from 9 Para who had been dropped off-course in the middle of the night and were attempting to regroup with their unit for the famous attack on the Merville Battery on the morning of D-Day. Tragically, an RAF patrol mistook them for Germans. The bodies of Emile and Glen were later found together in a bomb crater, Emile still holding Glen by the lead.

They were taken for burial in Ranville where there was touching twist to the story. According to Mark Worthington, curator of Normandys Pegasus Memorial Museum, a furious row broke out. Emile was being buried by his comrade, Gordon Newton of 9 Para. Gordon himself later told me what happened next, says Mr Worthington.

The man in charge of the burial party was adamant that Glen was not to be interred. This officer gave the order that the dog was not to be buried with his master, Mr Worthington explains. At which point Gordon replied, Hes either going in with his master  or youre going in with him. That sorted it out.
Wealthy white parents are avoiding sending their kids to selective schools because they fear they will be an ethnic minority, according to an expert.

Christina Ho, a social scientist from the University of Technology, says Anglo families were choosing to send their kids to private schools while migrant families are choosing selective schools.

'We do have this self-segregation going on,' Dr Ho said.

And part of the reason appears to be based on the fear of being a minority.

New research shows that affluent white families in Sydney avoid sending their kids to selective schools, out of concern they will be in an ethnic minority group, and instead favour private schools such as The King's School in Parramatta

'A lot of Anglo families are saying, 'I would be a minority if I went to a selective school,' Dr Ho said.

The same concern impacts the schooling choices of rich migrant families, who previously preferred private schools.

As with Anglo families, they were now choosing selective schools because they were worried about being a conspicuous minority in private schools.

'We do have a lot of wealthy migrants in this country who are living in the eastern suburbs and north shore, who could potentially afford to send their kids to private schools but they are not.' said Dr Ho.

In NSW, more than 80 per cent of students in fully selective schools came from language backgrounds other than English (LBOTE).

Of the 99 schools with fewer than 10 percent LBOTE students, over half were private and in affluent areas.

The King's School (pictured) in Sydney's Parramatta still has a majority Anglo student make-up, but this is changing. From migrant student numbers of 31 per cent in 2015, this has risen to over 40 per cent

Dr Ho's research indicates that the process of self-segregation is leading to a wider problem across Sydney where many schools are more ethnically divided than the suburbs in which they are located.

'The increasing diversity of our communities is not reflected in our education system,' Dr Ho told msn.com.

The process of self-segregation worries Dr Ho who argues that when schools no longer reflect their local communities, students have less opportunity to develop cultural understanding.

She adds that the reason for the ethnic divide lies in policies that encourage parents to shop for schools, over selecting their local school.

Former King's School (pictured) student, Pranay Jha, the son of Indian migrants, said he felt isolated during his time at the school because he belonged to an ethnic minority

Pranay Jha, the son of Indian migrants, had the choice of attending a selective school or attending the King's School in North Parramatta on a scholarship.

His parents decided on the private school option, and Mr Jha, admits he felt isolated, and suffered from some cultural shame.

'I was surrounded by white people, and so to socially succeed in the school you needed to play down your ethnicity a lot,' he said.

Mr Jha also remembers being racially abused while playing sport and believes that if there had been more diversity at the school it would provide students from migrant backgrounds with a greater sense of solidarity.

However, the ethnic make-up of The King's School has changed since Mr Jha's graduation in 2015. At that time 31 per cent of students were LBOTE.

By 2018 the number had risen to over 40 per cent.
Rare sea creatures are to get more protection thanks to 41 new marine conservation zones around Britain's coast.

The new 'blue belt' areas cover 4,600 square miles of sea from Northumberland to the Scilly Isles, taking the UK total to 85,000 square miles.

Species that will benefit include eider ducks, basking sharks, stalked jellyfish, short-snouted seahorses and blue mussels. Rare plantlife will get new protection too.

Species including seahorses will benefit thanks to new protection from 41 marine conservation zones around Britain's coast

Activities banned vary from zone to zone but can include trawling, scallop dredging and other commercial fishing, along with wave or wind power development, flood defences and naval manoeuvres.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove yesterday said the new zones were 'another big step in the right direction, extending our blue belt to safeguard precious and diverse sea life for future generations'.

The WWF welcomed the news but said enforcement was vital or the initiative would be 'just empty words on a page'.

Defra has designated 91 marine conservation zones in three waves, with 89 in English waters and two in Northern Ireland offshore waters.

Michael Gove yesterday said the new zones were 'another big step in the right direction, extending our blue belt to safeguard precious and diverse sea life for future generations'

There are also five in Northern Irish inshore waters, one in Welsh waters, and 31 nature conservation marine protected areas in Scottish waters.

Joan Edwards, director of living seas at The Wildlife Trusts, said: 'It's fantastic news that now we have 91 marine conservation zones - they will form a vital series of underwater habitats which can be nursed back to health.

'We've been calling for the Government to give real protection to a network of diverse sea-bed landscapes since 2009 and over 22,000 people joined our call for better protection of our seas during last summer's consultation.

'Now we need to see good management of these special places to stop damaging activities such as beam-trawling or dredging for scallops and langoustines which harm fragile marine wildlife.'
An Alabama man who posted his resume online was tricked into sending weapons to Russia after falling for a 'work from home' scam.

Douglas Glover, 37, of Birmingham has now been jailed for 16 months after he unwittingly tried to send items including 50 high-capacity AK-47 magazines.

He reported to federal prison on May 14 after he agreed to plead guilty to a count of attempted unlawful exportation of firearms in exchange for other federal charges being dropped.

The Daily Beast broke the story on Glover's arrest on Thursday.

Douglas Glover, 37, of Birmingham Alabama pleaded guilty to attempted unlawful exportation of firearms in April and was sentenced to 16 months for sending packages labeled 'toy parts' that actually contained a total of 108 high-capacity magazines for AK-47 semi-automatic rifles

Glover told authorities in December of 2016 that he unwittingly started sending illegal goods after responding to a job ad on Monster.com

His ordeal began in December of 2016 when the US Postal Service intercepted a package being sent to Glover's house that contained an iPad purchased with a stolen credit card.

Postal inspectors went to Glover's home and asked him why he was receiving packages under someone else's name.

Glover told them he'd accepted a job he saw on Monster.com from a company supposedly called North Star Freight.

His boss, who went by the name 'Ginger M. Powers' tasked him with receiving packages before sending them back out to a Russian address.

Glover received $25 for every package he sent.

The investigators told Glover he was being used as a 'mule' in a 're-shipping scheme.'

'In such schemes, illegitimate businesses engage in various criminal conduct to move fraudulently purchased merchandise from the United States to foreign countries,' the investigators explained, according to court records.

'These illegitimate businesses complete this scheme by putting out advertisements to hire people to work from home and to receive packages from various couriers. The companies then instruct the "employees" to repackage or re-label and ship the... parcels out to various addresses, often overseas. The illegitimate businesses will often pay these "employees" for the acceptance, repackaging, and reshipment of these parcels.'

Glover accepted a plea deal in April at US Northern District Court of Alabama in Birmingham (pictured) in exchange for a reduced sentence

The feds told Glover not to send anymore packages and that he could be receive federal charges if he did.

The 37-year-old told emailed 'Ginger' about what happened and said he was quitting his 'job'.

'I hate to inform u, but i can not receive packages anymore. So i am quitting this position. Please stop shipment of any other packages,' he wrote, according to the Daily Beast.

But 'Ginger' responded with a slew of 'urgent' emails and eventually convinced Glover the federal agents he talked to were actually 'fraudsters' sending 'possibly fake email messages' to 'steal the packages he had been assigned to ship.'

A week later, Glover later told the postal inspectors finally hed have to talk with his Russian supervisors about the ordeal. Meanwhile, he resumed sending packages on December 16, 2016, but this time he wasn't sending harmless iPads.

Authorities said Glover also illegally shipped a box of 60 extended clips for glock handguns

A postal inspector told investigators a high-capacity magazine for an AK-47 military rifle fell out of the bottom of one of Glover's packages after some of the tape gave way.

'Because the tape that was used to seal the first package had detached from the box, the Postal Agent could see inside the box and was able to observe that it appeared to be full of AK-47 magazines without ammo,' prosecutors wrote in Glover's plea agreement.

A total of 108 30-round capacity AK-47 magazines were sent to Glover's address along with another box of 60 extended clips for Glock handguns and some car parts.

The boxes were labeled 'toy parts', but federal investigators said Glover later admitted knowing that the packages actually contained gun parts.

He was interviewed again by postal investigators in July of 2017 before an indictment was issued four months later.
A popular high school teacher who died suddenly and unexpectedly on Wednesday, had been suffering from flu-like symptoms for several days before her death, it has been revealed.

Domanique O'Reilly, 36, who taught at John Paul College at Kalgoorlie, in south-east Western Australia, had been off work with the symptoms, when the school received news of her death.

Ms O'Reilly, had also been hoping to return to work by Wednesday, but instead lost her life, causing shock throughout the school community.

The much-loved physical education teacher had only been working at the private school for a year, Perth Now reported.

Domanique O'Reilly, 36 (pictured), worked as a teacher at John Paul College at Kalgoorlie, in south-east Western Australia, before she passed away on Thursday

The mother-of-two is understood to have been suffering flu-like symptoms, according to 7news.

Perth Now reported that the popular teacher's death remains a mystery and will remain so until a coroner's investigation is completed.

Dr Charles Douglas of WA Country Health Service noted there was no indication a killer strain had infected Kalgoorlie.

'While weve identified a rise in the number of influenza cases in Kalgoorlie in recent weeks, this isnt an unusual occurrence for the colder months and signals the start of flu season,' he said.

The much-loved physical education teacher had only been working at the private school for a year, though had become unwell in the last few days

Australia is facing its worst flu season since 2009 and the winter season hasn't even begun.

There have been 57,761 notifications for influenza since the start of 2019, which is a drastic increase compared to previous years.

There have been 139 deaths this year as a result of influenza.

Mrs O'Reilly had established herself as a respected teacher with 13 years in the workforce behind her.

The 36-year-old had also taught students in the school's vocational education and training program.

Principal Bradley Hall noted that Ms O'Reilly had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly after feeling unwell.

Principal Bradley Hall noted that Mrs O'Reilly had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly

Being such a large presence in her school, the news of her death has rocked the community.

Counselling has been offered to students while friends of the family launched a GoFundMe campaign.

'Dom is a beautiful, full of life and caring soul who was always there for others and now its time to give back to her and her family,' the page read.

More than $1,300 has already been raised to help support Mrs O'Reilly's family during the tough time.

More than $1,300 has already been raised to help support Mrs O'Reilly's family during the tough time

'These funds will go towards not only her funeral arrangements but to the daily living of her husband Nathan and family and to help support her 2 young children, Brax and Charli, with their life and education, something so important to Dom being a teacher herself.'

Friends have flocked to the online fundraiser to share their condolences with the family.

'Our amazing Dom!' one person said.

'We dont have the words to tell you how shocked and saddened we are by this absolutely heart breaking news!

'You were one in an absolute million, one of the very best! Our worlds will never be the same without you, your sunshine spirit, passion for life, unconditional love and sassiness!!'

Another person said: 'Dom was a friend of my daughter and I watched her grow into a beautiful young woman and mother. My deepest sympathies to her husband, babies and family.'
A former Gloriavale member has spoken out against the religious cult as he continues his desperate quest to free his wife and children from the community.

John Ready, 40, was kicked out of the Gloriavale Christian Community in Haupiri, New Zealand, in 2017 after he was caught reading material that went against the church's views.

The isolated community of about 550 people follows a literal interpretation of the Bible's New Testament and spend their days doing unpaid work.

John Ready (right) 40, was kicked out of the Gloriavale Christian Community in Haupiri, New Zealand in 2017 after he was caught reading material that went against the church's views. He is now desperate to take his wife Purity (left) and ten children out

Since his departure, Ready has been desperately trying to get his wife Purity and their children to follow suit, but says the mum believes she will go to hell if she leaves.

'She is true to what she has been reared in, so I cannot blame her for her higher moral ground. It's like Stockholm syndrome,' he told the New Zealand Herald.

Despite his exit, Ready said it feels like hasn't fully escaped Gloriavale because his family is still living there.

He lives a 30-minute drive from the community, only seeing his children when their mum brings them to his four-bedroom home in Rotomanu on the South Island's west coast.

There, the kids get a taste of a relatively normal life, eating dinner together and going on family trips to the town swimming pool.

During the children's last visit, the dad said his youngest daughter Harmony, six, questioned why they couldn't stay at his home permanently.

Members of Gloriavale wear standardised clothing - women in long, blue dresses and often cover their hair with scarves, while men wear neckties, dark blue pants and light blue sleeved shirt

The community's Leader Neville Cooper set up Springbank Christian Community in 1965 but after the group increased in size, he bought a new property in 1991 and renamed the community Gloriavale

His separation from his wife even led him to miss the birth of his youngest son Andrew, who was conceived during one of Purity's visits.

'I want him to be free. I don't want my kids growing up in a tyrannical society', he said.

'I want them to have free choice, make decisions and learn from mistakes instead of someone else dictating to them. That's what I'm praying for'.

Ready was born and raised in Gloriavale after his parents, Clem and Sharon, moved to the compound when they were teenagers.

He met Purity, in 1998 when he was 20 and she was 18. He said their relationship was based on their true love for each other, rather than being arranged by the church group.

The pair had ten children, six girls and four boys: a 19-year-old girl who does not want to be identified, Charity, 17, Patience, 15, Jude, 13, Beth, 11, Uriah, eight, Harmony, six, Dawn, four, Nicky, two and three-month-old Andrew.

Ready is not the only member of his family to rebel against the church, revealing that his eldest daughter also left after she questioned one leader's treatment of a girl.

Hopeful Christian (left) formerly known as Neville Cooper, was the founder of Gloriavale Christian Community. He died in 2018

Old footage from a documentary shows a couple embracing while being carried to a consummation room where they are expected to lose their virginities

His daughter, who was 15 at the time, was called into sessions with the 'servants and shepherds' (SS) and was isolated for several months at a time.

Eventually, Ready was told to cut ties with her and to drop her off at a bus stop, but he took to stay with an aunt instead.

Gloriavale's treatment of his daughter ultimately led him to become upset with the community and he began to plan his escape.

Former members, called 'night raiders' sneaked into the Gloriavale, leaving behind contraband such as a copy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and cell phones.

The book was later discovered and Ready was fired and excommunicated, he told the publication.

Within his first months of freedom, he celebrated Christmas for the first time and learned basic skills such as budgeting and grocery shopping.

And despite being told he was banned from returning until he repented, Ready would keep in contact with his family by sneaking into their hostel.

He embarked on his quest to remove them from Gloriavale, nearly reaching his goal when a friend offered to help by giving them a free trip to Great Barrier Island.

Fully-dressed children are pictured playing in the pool at Gloriavale

But days before Purity and the children were scheduled to leave, SS sent them to Nelson and Ready was unable to locate his family.

Ready's friends, Kathryn and Marcus Tuck, who have become helpers of those looking to leave Gloriavale, have also tried their luck with Purity.

The couple visited the mum hoping to convince her to leave by explaining God wouldn't want her to abandon her husband.

The Tucks, instead, were banned from the community.

The couple told the publication Purity's situation was like 'battered wife syndrome'.

Gloriavale decline to comment when contacted by the New Zealand Herald who reported that its website states it does not respond to the media.
Hero policeman James Stuart McMillan (above) has been found not-guilty of raping a woman in early 2017

A hero policeman says he is looking forward to going back to work and 'getting his life back on track' after being found not guilty of raping a woman - hours after he received a bravery award for saving the lives of three people.

James Stuart McMillan was acquitted by the jury of seven men and five woman on Friday morning after a day of deliberations at the NSW District Court.

Senior Constable McMillan, 45, had been charged with raping the woman in room 216 of the Ibis Hotel at Darling Harbour on February 24, 2017.

Just hours before the alleged assault he had stood on stage to receive a bravery award from the NSW Police for saving the lives of three elderly people.

Three years earlier he and a colleague responded to a triple-zero call that a house was filling with deadly carbon monoxide, at which point they sped to the house, rushed inside and carried the trio to safety.

Senior Constable McMillan hugged his crying mother and father after the verdict was handed down and told Daily Mail Australia outside court he was ready to put the ordeal behind him.

Senior Constable McMillan (left) pictured with NSW Governor David Hurley (right), told Daily Mail Australia outside court after being acquitted that he was a 'relieved' man

After returning to the Ibis Hotel (pictured) he was alleged to have given the woman a massage before sexually assaulting her even as she said: 'If you don't stop, I'm going to yell out to your parents'

'Mate, I'm just relieved. Its been a long 18 months and just keen to get my life back on track,' the acquitted policeman said.

'I'm ready to get back to work, but I'll certainly go and celebrate with my family this afternoon - I couldn't have done it without them.'

The court had heard during the week-long trial that Senior Constable McMillan had travelled to Sydney with his parents and the woman for the awards ceremony where he was a guest of honour.

After receiving his award he and the woman went back to their hotel room where she alleged he raped her on the bed, continuing even as she said: 'Stop, stop'.

The court heard the woman claimed she even threatened to yell out to the parents of the policeman who were staying in the next room, just metres away.

But defence lawyer Kellie Stares told the jury in her closing statement on Wednesday that there was doubt over whether there had been 'penetrative sex'.

Senior Constable McMillan told Daily Mail Australia outside court that he was looking forward to celebrating with his family, who have supported him throughout the trial (pictured)

Ms Stares instead submitted to the court that Senior Constable McMillan had 'only touched her on the outside' of her genitals.

She also pointed to evidence the woman had continued to be in a sexual relationship with the policeman for months after the alleged sexual assault.

'This is inconsistent with how a genuine victim of rape would act,' Ms Stares told the court.

Ms Stares said that throughout the entire trip to Sydney the woman had appeared to be 'happy' in the company of both Senior Constable McMillan and his parents.

Text messages between the pair exchanged on February 25, 2017 - less than 24 hours after the alleged sexual assault - showed the woman inviting the policeman to her house.

'If you'd been sexually assaulted you sure as hell wouldn't want them to come around the next day,' Ms Stares told the jury.

At the time of the alleged rape, Senior Constable McMillan (right) was in Sydney with his mum (left), dad and the woman to attend the awards ceremony

The court also heard the policeman was not charged until six-months after the alleged offence.

This was because the woman did not go to police, instead during a later conversation with a police officer friend she mentioned that Senior Constable McMillan 'held her down' during sex.

That officer then informed her superior, who contacted the woman over Facebook to ask if she would like to make a complaint.

Senior Constable McMillan has been suspended by NSW Police while the matter has remained before the court.
A nursing assistant taking care of cancer patients stole their credit cards and spent thousands on cigarettes and booze.

Marissa Anne Welsby, 56, narrowly avoided jail after she stole about $3,900 over a three-month period while working at the oncology and haematology ward at Canberra Hospital.

The theft was uncovered after two patients reported their credit cards missing and several thousand dollars taken from their accounts, according to ABC News.

Marissa Anne Welsby (right), 56, narrowly missed jail after she stole $3,900 from patients she was looking after

One of the patients went in for a three-week stay for surgery and treatment in late 2017, in which time she kept her purse in the office of a nurse consultant.

After the patient left the hospital she quickly discovered $2,099.28 has been spent using her now missing credit card while she was being treated.

In January 2018 another patient checked her bank accounts while in hospital and also found her card missing along with several transactions that she didn't make.

'If we all took advantage of the vulnerable, the world would be a screwed up place,' the victim said.

One patient said while in hospital she quickly discovered $2,099.28 has been spent using her now missing credit card while she was being treated

Police tracked down Welsby using CCTV footage of her purchasing cigarettes, booze and groceries with the stolen credit cards in stores in Canberra's south.

The former assistant in nursing pleaded guilty to two charges of obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

Welsby's lawyer said she had led a difficult life marked by tragedy and became an assistant in nursing to help others.

He also said she had already lost her position at ACT Health and would most likely lose her current role.

Prosecutor Elizabeth West argued that the crimes took place while she was supposed to be caring for her victims - a sentiment that Magistrate James Lawton agreed with.

Magistrate James Lawton said her crimes were particularly aggravated due to the way she took advantage of sick people in her care

'The complainants trusted you and were in your care, and you've exploited that,' Magistrate Lawton said.

Ms West argued that due to the exploitation of people in her care the offence she be classed as mid-range and should serve a jail term.

Magistrate Lawton imposed an 18 month jail term, suspended with a three-year good behaviour bond.

The stolen funds have since been refunded to the victims by the Commonwealth Bank.

Welsby has been ordered to pay back the bank in addition to her sentence.
A 63-year-old inmate has been stabbed to death during a fight inside a California correctional facility.

The victim reportedly became embroiled in the brawl with two other inmates at the California State Prison, Sacramento, on Thursday afternoon before he was killed with a 'homemade weapon'.

The violent encounter occurred in an exercise yard, and prison guards were forced to deploy pepper spray and a blast grenade to stop the violence.

The inmate was transported to a nearby hospital, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

He was serving life without the chance of parole at the maximum-security prison. His name has not been released.

A 63-year-old inmate was stabbed to death during a fight inside California State Prison, Sacramento (pictured) on Thursday afternoon

However, authorities have released the names of the two inmates who suspected of the murder.

Suspect Joshua Kerr, 35, is serving a 22-year sentence for an attempted murder in Orange County.

He is also set to serve additional time for street gang activity and second-degree robbery, according to The Sacramento Bee.

The second suspect, Nicholas Mangelli, 28, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder.

It's the second time in three months that an inmate has been killed inside a California prison

It's the second time in three months an inmate has been killed inside a California prison.

Back in March, an inmate at Corcoran State Prison was reportedly tortured and beheaded by his cellmate.

The victim's fingers were severed, his eye was removed and part of his lung was cut out according to an autopsy report.
Nigel Evans, pictured, criticised some of the Tory leadership candidates' motives

Tory chiefs are considering changing party rules to prevent so many candidates standing in the race to succeed Theresa May.

Senior party figures fear that as many as 20 MPs could run, creating 'chaos' and delaying the process to find a new leader.

The Conservative party board  its governing body  and the 1922 executive committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss raising the number of nominations candidates need in order to stand. At present, MPs only need a proposer and a seconder to join the race.

Nigel Evans, who is joint executive secretary of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, accused some of the candidates of putting themselves forward despite having little support in the hope of securing a Cabinet job. 'Some people have put their names forward when they have not got a credible chance of winning,' he said. 'We could rather absurdly hit 20 candidates by the time nominations close.

'My view is that we should have not just a proper and seconder but a number of declared supporters for a candidate to be allowed to run. That would whittle the number down.'

Standing: Mark Harper, the former chief whip

He added: 'We do not hamper ambition, but we do not allow some candidates to take the mick and abuse the rules in order that they can get a Cabinet job after. The rules are clearly not fit for purpose as they currently stand.'

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said the number of nominations that candidates need should rise to '10, maybe 12'. Tory MPs will vote on the candidates in a series of knock-out rounds before they have whittled the list down to a final two, who party members will then get to choose from.

Last night, Mark Harper, a former chief whip, became the 12th Tory MP to enter the leadership race. He admitted he is an 'underdog' but said he is the only candidate not tainted by serving in Mrs May's government.

Eleven others MPs had previously declared that they are running: Cabinet ministers Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Rory Stewart, Matt Hancock and Michael Gove; junior ministers Kit Malthouse and James Cleverly; and former Cabinet ministers Andrea Leadsom, Esther McVey, Dominic Raab and Boris Johnson.

Former international development secretary Priti Patel is expected to become number 13.
A heroic motorist ripped a car door off its hinges in a desperate bid to save six teenagers trapped inside a mangled car after an horrific crash.

Neville Roser, 67, was first to reach the wreck seconds after the allegedly stolen car ran a red light and smashed into a pole north of Brisbane, on Wednesday.

A shaken Mr Roser on Friday described the 'sheer adrenaline' that kicked in as he pulled out three of the four passengers, aged 10 to 16, who were sitting on the back seat before finding Jacob Hopkins, 14, who later died in his arms.

'I can't believe I tore the door off, people told me I did it with one hand. I'm 67 years old, I'm not superman. It must have been pure adrenaline,' he said.

Neville Roser, 67, (pictured with his daughter Vanessa) was first to reach the mangled wreck seconds after the allegedly stolen car ran a red light and smashed into a pole

Mr Roser was waiting at the traffic lights on Anzac Avenue in Rothwell about 2.50pm on Wednesday and saw the silver Mazda 6 station wagon scream past.

'The car must have been doing well over 100km/h, it was like twisted around the pole,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

The father-of-seven blocked the intersection with his car then ran over to the wreck to look for survivors.

'There was a girl hanging out the window on the right back door and I knew I had to get her out so I pulled the door off and grabbed her,' he said.

Mr Roser handed the injured girl to a young man who arrived a few minutes later, then dragged out two more while another rescuer got the fourth.

The mangled wreckage of the horrific crash is pictured on Wednesday afternoon

Jacob Hopkins, 14, was a passenger in the Mazda SUV that police said ran a red light speeding through Rothwell, north of Brisbane, and was killed when it crashed

Three girls aged 10, 14, and 16 were crammed into the along with a 13-year-old boy. Mr Roser said no one in the car was wearing a seatbelt.

The retired musician rallied other motorists who had stopped to help to grab anything they could to staunch the bleeding and keep the victims alive.

He then dived back into the car and after pulling aside an airbag came-face-to-face with the mortally injured Jacob.

'I knew he'd suffered a massive brain injury and I was never going to be able to save him, so I had to move on,' he said.

'God himself couldn't have saved that kid. He took the biggest impact of the crash.'

Mr Roser went around to the driver's window and saw the 14-year-old boy with his hand and head sticking out a hole in the windscreen.

'I thought he was dead but he wasn't. The window was around his neck and I knew if he moved he would cut his throat and bleed to death. I tore the windscreen off with my hands,' he said.

'I told him to to look at my eyes and that I wasn't going to let him die. I said "you're going to be all right, just listen to me and don't move".'

Six children aged less than 16, including a 10-year-old girl, were crammed into the car and two are still fighting for life in hospital

The father-of-seven blocked the intersection with his car then ran over to the wreck to look for survivors

The injured boy said there was someone underneath him, but it turned out of be Jacob's lower body, who had been flug across the cabin.

Mr Roser said the victims mostly had facial injuries, one with a bad cut to her leg, and the driver had hurt his back but could still feel his legs.

Paramedics arrived and took over, and as the adrenaline faded, feelings of guilt over Jacob's death started seeping in.

'People have been calling me a hero, but don't heroes save people?' Mr Roser said as he tried to choke back tears.

'I don't feel like a hero, I just did what I needed to do. I wanted to save everyone.

'I was first to the car and I'm glad they listened to me and we stopped them bleeding out, but there were a lot of heroes there.'

Mr Roser said he has tried to talk through the experience with friends and family over the past two days, but was still traumatised and sleepless.

'It was horrific what I saw, it's a hard thing to take on. I've had a hard time of it, it keeps coming back,' he said.

'I really expected to see a lot of dead people in that car, but God-willing there was only one.'

The horror crash in Rothwell in the Moreton Bay region north of Brisbane was one of three fatal crashes in Queensland on Wednesday

This was the third time Mr Roser has been what stood between someone else and death, and said this was the worst of the three.

Last year he rescued a man who was crashed by a caravan and many years ago failed to save a nine-year-old boy who was bitten by a cobra in the Philippines while picking his breakfast.

He said he stole a car and rushed the boy to hospital but it was too late. All he could do was wrap him in a sheet and take him back to his village.

'I seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time a lot, or the right place at the right time. I don't want to go through that again,' he said.

Mr Roser said Jacob's family contacted him to say thank you and to learn about his last moments.

He said they asked him to go to the funeral but 'I don't know if I can because it will be so confronting'. He said he would meet with them but wasn't sure what to say.

Friends and family mourned the teenager as 'taken too soon' on social media in the hours after his death

Mr Roser urged people not to judge the group for allegedly stealing the car and driving it so recklessly as they were so young.

'It's a shame [Jacob] lost his life doing a stupid thing but they're just children. It's a terrible way to learn a lesson but I pray they all do,' he said.

'The kid who was driving, he's got to live with killing his friend - the charges will be nothing by comparison.'

The driver was charged with dangerous driving causing death, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, unlicenced driving, and running a red light.

The 10-year-old girl also allegedly drove the car at some point and was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Police alleged the car was stolen from a shopping centre in nearby Kallangur earlier on Wednesday.

Mr Roser said there was a new-looking set of keys, with other keys on a key chain, in the ignition, but he didn't know where they came from.

The underage driver allegedly lost control and slammed into an oncoming vehicle before he collided with a set of traffic lights

The driver was in a stable condition at Brisbane Children's Hospital, along with the passengers who were also stable.

The occupants of the other car involved in the crash, a woman, 26, and four young children, escaped serious injury.

On social media, Jacob declared himself part of the North Side Gang, in the neighbouring suburb of Redcliffe, and posed in numerous photos stamped with the group's name.

Friends and family mourned the teenager as 'taken too soon' on social media in the hours after his death.

'I can't believe it's real. All the s**t you got up to, you didn't deserve this. Always been that second family for you no matter what, we love you and only wanted the best for you,' a close friend said.

Another friend said Jacob was the 'strongest boy she knew'.

'Fly in the Dream Time, forever our memories are now stories. We love you mate we will never forget you,' they said.
Adani's plan to protect a rare bird has been approved by the Queensland government, with the Indian miner hopeful of resuming construction 'in weeks'.

The state Department of Environment and Science has ticked off on its proposal to protect the endangered black-throated finch, which lives on its central Queensland mine site.

A final decision to allow construction to resume is due by June 13, after approval is granted on groundwater management.

Scroll down for video

Adani's plan to protect a rare bird has been approved by the Queensland government, with final approval to start its contentious coal mine now one step away (pictured are protesters in Brisbane last month)

Adani Australia chief executive Lucas Dow expressed optimism on Friday about an imminent resumption of construction work.

He said the company was already working with contractors and suppliers to start work immediately, should the department also sign off on the groundwater plan.

'Ultimately, all things boding well, we should be away in weeks,' he told reporters.

The government decision followed climate change protests against Adani's proposed thermal coal mine, which caused Labor to be belted across regional Queensland at this month's federal election.

The Galilee basin, where Adani is proposing to built at Carmichael project, is an important remaining stronghold for the black-throated finch.

The department said Adani had made additional promises to strengthen its finch management plan.

They include population studies on the mine site, and monitoring systems to track how the bird fares.

'DES is also satisfied that Adani will engage appropriately qualified ecologists to undertake the company's survey and monitoring work in relation to the black-throated finch,' the department said in a statement on Friday.

Former Greens leader Bob Brown, who led a Stop Adani convoy to regional Queensland in the lead up to the federal poll, fears the finch is now doomed to extinction.

The state Department of Environment and Science has ticked off on the Indian mining giant's plan to protect the endangered black-throated finch, which lives on its central Queensland mine site

Former Greens leader Bob Brown, who led a Stop Adani convoy to regional Queensland in the lead up to the federal poll, fears the finch is now doomed to extinction

'The obliteration of the bird's stronghold in the Galilee Basin is the same as shooting them,' he said in a statement.

His convoy has been blamed on Labor's poor performance in central and north Queensland at the May 18 election.

Labor lost the Townsville-based seat of Herbert, suffering an 8.2 per cent swing against it, and was belted in the previously-marginal Nationals electorates of Capricornia and Dawson, where there were swings of more than 11 per cent against the Opposition.

While many voters were more focused on job creation, finch expert Dr April Reside said land clearing had left the finch with nowhere to live, with suitable habitat reduced to just 12 per cent of its original range.

Labor was belted across central and north Queensland with the Nationals member for Capricornia Michelle Landry (pictured right with Prime Minister Scott Morrison) receiving a swing of more than 11 per cent towards her

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week intervened to approve the finch management plan, following Labor's poor election performance in the Sunshine State.

She conceded Queenslanders were fed up with delays to state approvals and ordered the state's Coordinator-General Barry Broe to meet with the company and officials from her environment department and agree on approval deadlines.

Ms Palaszczuk belongs to Queensland Labor's minority Right faction, which supports the Adani mine.

Her deputy Jackie Trad, however, is the leader of the dominant Left faction which is opposed to the mine on environmental grounds.

Adani has vowed to resume the mine's construction as soon as its groundwater plan is approved.

Following a downsizing on original plans, Adani forecasts the project will create 1,500 jobs on the rail and mine project and another 6,750 indirect jobs.

'We're talking about 8,250 jobs created through the ramp-up and construction of the project that currently don't exist in Queensland,' Mr Dow said.
Univision has recovered the video of a tense interview with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro that was confiscated and led to the brief detention of its news staff before they were deported from the troubled South American nation.

The Spanish-language network showed excerpts on Thursday of the sit-down, which sent Maduro into a rage after he was peppered with a series of questions by journalist Jorge Ramos.

The interviewer and the camera crew flew to Venezuela in February to meet with the embattled leader at the presidential palace in Caracas.

However, the 17-minute conversation went awry when the journalist showed Maduro a video on an iPad shot a day earlier of young Venezuelans eating food scraps out of the back of a garbage truck.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Univision Privacy Policy

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro (left) and Univision lead anchor Jorge Ramos (right) have a heated exchange during an interview in February before the sit-down was abruptly terminated

Maduro detained Univision's crew after he was shown video footage of a man (pictured) eating food from a garbage truck

The journalist said the recovery of the video was 'a real triumph against censorship' and that the footage was returned by 'confidential sources' who cannot be named out of concern for their safety.

Ramos, one of the most influential Spanish-speaking journalists in the United States, said the video will be broadcast in full on Sunday.

A clip of the interview showed Ramos handing over a list of what he said were more than 400 'political prisoners' in Venezuela.

'Look, the Truth Commission,' said an angered Maduro as he quickly interrupted Ramos.

Univision's Jorge Ramos (pictured) shows a video he says his crew shot the previous day showing Venezuelan youth picking food scraps out of the back of a garbage truck in Caracas

Univision's February 25 interview with Nicolas Maduro was cut short by the Venezuelan leader, who was bothered by questions posed by the networks' lead anchor, Jorge Ramos

'No, don't give me anything because I am not going to take it. I can assure you. You take your garbage, buddy. Take your garbage, Jorge Ramos. Take your garbage, buddy.'

Ramos told Maduro that the names on the list were 'political prisoners' but the president accused Univision's lead anchor of baiting him.

'You are going to swallow your provocations with a Coca-Cola,' Maduro shot back.

Ramos and his team arrived in Venezuela on February 24. That same day he traveled to a local hospital to learn about the plight of the oil-rich nation's troubled health care system.

Ramos later came across three men eating crumbs of food they had picked from from a garbage truck near the presidential palace.

As Ramos filmed, a man told him, 'we need to remove the president and we want to take him out. We can't live like this eating from garbage.'

A trio of Venezuelan men pluck out food from a garbage truck near the presidential palace

Jorge Ramos (fourth from left) and his co-workers from Univision were accompanied to the airport in Caracas, Venezuela, by personnel from the Mexican and United States embassies

The images were shown to Maduro during the interview, sparking fury.

Ramos and network producer Maria Guzman were taken into a dark room by Venezuelan security officials and interrogated. They were ordered to give up the passwords to their cell phones and were also threatened with being taken to another site.

After their release, Maduro's security team wanted Ramos and his colleagues to board a bus but they refused and later left in their own vehicles.

The journalist and his team were deported from Venezuela on February 26.

The interview came during a tense moment for Venezuela, where Maduro is locked in a power struggle with opposition leader and Interim President Juan Guaido.
A little-known outdated road rule has left a motorist with a $50 fine.

Luke Bresland was stopped at the lights at the intersection of Roberts Road and Thomas Street in Subiaco, in Perth, on February 13, when he was approached by a window washer.

The window washer proceeded to clean Mr Bresland's window and was handed $1.50 for his service.

Shortly after, the lights turned green and the driver was on his way, but he was soon pulled over by a police officer.

'He asked me if I gave the guy some money back there, and I said yes, and he said are you aware that's illegal, and I said no,' Mr Bresland told Fairfax.

'He just came up and started washing my windows and I thought I'd just give him some money because he'd done it  I didn't ask him to.'

He said the police officer was unable to name the law which Mr Bresland had just broke and said he would receive a fine in the mail.

Luke Bresland was issued with a $50 fine for paying a window washer from his car window

Under the Road Traffic Code, 'a driver, or a passenger, in or on a vehicle shall not buy or offer to buy an article or service from a person who is on a carriageway' (stock)

A month later, Mr Bresland was issued with the $50 fine for the offence of 'buying a newspaper from a person'.

Under the Road Traffic Code, 'a driver, or a passenger, in or on a vehicle shall not buy or offer to buy an article or service from a person who is on a carriageway.'

A one unit penalty is issued for those who break the law.

Mr Bresland pleaded not guilty in the Perth Magistrates Court and was due to appear in court next month, but it has been revealed the charge was withdrawn.

State Traffic Inspector Vic Hussey told Gareth Parker on Radio 6PR's Mornings said the officer who issued the fine was spoken to and agreed the $50 fine was 'heavy handed'.

Mr Hussey said the law was still in place back when newspapers were sold to motorists on the streets, but related more to 'services' being offered.

Mr Hussey said the law was still in place back when newspapers were sold to motorists on the streets, but related more to 'services' being offered (stock)

'The officer was trying to address an issue and all of us have examined it... sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don't,' he told the program.

'The reality is it is an offence.'

He later added that the officer had 'stuffed up'.

Perth lawyer John Hammond told the publication that the offence is so rare, that not many lawyers have heard of it and said it should be removed.

'Should it be outlawed? Yes, but not by punishing the driver of the vehicle, who is often under pressure to accept the service or the service commences without any request,' he said.
Four men have been arrested after a bomb was found at a home in northern Victoria.

Police executed a search warrant at Macpherson Street, West Wodonga, on the Victoria and New South Wales border on Friday morning.

During the search, an improvise explosive device was found.

A bomb was found while police searched a home in Macpherson Street, West Wodonga (pictured), on the Victoria and New South Wales border on Friday morning

Local police remain at the scene as they await the Bomb Squad, a police spokeswoman said.

Police said there was no threat to public safety and the investigation is ongoing.

Volunteers have started sandbagging the area.

A resident in the area told the Herald Sun the home's occupants had lived there for years but they had little to do with them.

'I see them from time to time, working on their cars,' they said.

More to come
A disgraced Ohio middle school teacher who was convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old student inside a locked classroom has walked free from prison after just one year  following two failed attempts to be released early, officials revealed.

Jessica Langford, 33, a former math teacher at Miamisburgs Middle School was released on Tuesday afternoon having completed a one year sentence.

Langford must now register as a Tier three sex offender  Ohios highest classification  and serve a five year probation period.

The mother-of-one was convicted of sexual battery and unlawful sex conduct with a minor in April last year, nearly 12 months on from the sordid affair that took place behind the doors of a locked classroom in May 2017.

Jessica Langford, 33, a former math teacher at Miamisburgs Middle School was released on Tuesday afternoon having completed a one year sentence

The mother-of-one was convicted of sexual battery and unlawful sex conduct with a minor in April last year, nearly 12 months on from the sordid affair that took place behind the doors of a locked classroom in May 2017

At the trial, Langfords victim took to the witness stand and recounted for the court how their sexual encounter unfolded on the last day of school.

'We started kissing, she went in for a kiss and it escalated from there,' the teenager told the jury.

According to the boy, he and Langford went on to engage in multiple sex acts, including intercourse and oral sex, for 20-30 minutes until the school principal knocked on the door of the locked classroom.

Langford allegedly told the minor to hide under a table and left with the principal. She later came back and allegedly told the boy to 'stick to the story' that he was in the room stacking desks.

It felt uncomfortable...I thought it was wrong, the boy said of the classroom tryst.

Earlier in his testimony, the boy said he and Langford connected on Snapchat. When the teacher asked him why he reached out to her on the app, he said he replied that he wanted to have sex.

The defense questioned the students credibility, pointing to the fact that he had repeatedly denied having sex with the teacher a year previous.

As the jurys verdicts were being read aloud, Langford broke down in tears and continued sobbing at the defense table for several minutes

Langford must now register as a Tier three sex offender  Ohios highest classification  and serve a five year probation period

Langford, a married mother-of-one from Centerville, had taught math at Miamisburg Middle School for nine years, until she resigned her position in late May 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct had come to light

The now-16-year-old boy explained that he initially lied about his relationship with Langford in fear that his teenage girlfriend would break up with him for cheating on her.

Prosecutors said that Langfords actions and words in her text messages to the young teen were 'words and actions of guilt.'

Langford, a married mother-of-one from Centerville, had taught math at Miamisburg Middle School for nine years, until she resigned her position in late May 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct had come to light.

As the jurys verdicts were being read aloud, Langford broke down in tears and continued sobbing at the defense table for several minutes.

But during her time in prison, correction offcials described Landford as a model prisoner, citing her clean disciplinary record during her 12 months behind bars.

According to court documents, Langford tried unsuccessfully on two occasions to free herself from state custody earlier than the mandatory year issued by the judge.

Appealing as early as December, Langfords attorneys pleaded with a judge that the model prisoner had a young daughter and an ailing mother who were in desperate need of release.

Prosecutors however rebutted the appeals, insisting the letter of apology she read out in court was her chance to take responsibility for her actions  which she didnt seize.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has sent a mother who featured on the front cover of her Budget a personal message - after discovering she had moved to Australia.

Vicky Freeman had struggled to pay rent in Auckland and moved across the Tasman to live on the Gold Coast with her nine-year-old daughter, Ruby-Jean.

An image of her with her girl featured on the front cover New Zealand's 'Wellbeing Budget' booklet.

Scroll down for video

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has send a mother who featured on the front cover of her Budget booklet a personal message - after discovering she had moved to Australia

Noticing her old Getty stock image had been used to sell the Budget, Ms Freeman messaged Ms Ardern, the leader of a minority government, asking her on Instagram why her image was used.

To her astonishment, the 38-year-old Labour Prime Minister replied.

'Simple reason really - happiness. You both looked really happy,' she said.

From her new based in southern Queensland, Ms Freeman answered: 'We are.'

Under New Zealand Finance Minister Grant Robertson's second Budget, Kiwi taxpayers will be spending $26.5billion over the next four years on tackling suicide rates, child poverty, homelessness and domestic violence.

He announced the nation would redefine its measures of success beyond just economic indicators.

'We are not just relying on gross domestic product, but also how we are improving the wellbeing of our people,' Mr Robertson said on Thursday.

Vicky Freeman had struggled to pay rent in Auckland and moved across the Tasman to live on the Gold Coast with her nine-year-old daughter, Ruby-Jean. Despite that, an image of her and Ruby featured on the front cover of the 'Wellbeing Budget' booklet

Noticing her old Getty stock image had been used to sell the Budget, Ms Freeman messaged Ms Ardern, the leader of a minority Labour government, asking her on Instagram why her image was used

Australians have criticised the prospect of higher taxes and national debt.

Conservative commentator Rita Panahi told Sydney radio broadcaster Steve Price the big-spending would hurt Labour's re-election chances after just one term in office.

'This sort of silliness impresses some of the people sometimes for a little period but you eventually get found out and I think she's going to get found out,' she said.

'It's just going to be very ugly at the next election.'

Panahi also slammed the plan to let people live in public housing long-term regardless of their circumstances.

'If you're earning a decent salary then you've got other options, that government-subsidised housing should be for those who can't care for themselves,' she said.

'Some of the stuff they're talking about is just kooky... when you look at the substance often there's not much there.'

The new budget will see Ms Ardern splash $26.5billion over the next four years on tackling suicide rates, child poverty, homelessness and domestic violence

The high-spending budget has attracted attention across the globe - and has been savaged by critics amid fears it will lead to national debt and tax increases. Pictured are Greens leader James Shaw, Finance Minister Grant Robertson, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been criticised for her 'wellness budget' and 'unrealistic' climate change targets

New Zealand conservative commentator Mike Hosking said the centre-left government's budget was a 'marketing exercise that no one has fallen for'.

Budget 'hack' actually a government bungle When parts of Jacinda Ardern's budget were leaked by the opposition ahead of its release on Thursday, it led to cries of hacking. In fact, the row became so bitter that the police were called to investigate. Officers discovered the 'hack' was actually the result of bungling by Ardern's own government which allowed opposition MPs access to some parts of the budget. IT teams had set up a website for the budget ahead of its release, with all of the information hidden. What they didn't realise was that typing specific search terms into the website bypassed security and displayed some of the information, which the opposition then publicised. Police concluded that this activity was not illegal, and have declined to press charges. Advertisement

'One thing I always look for... is how much of other people's money is being used to prop up the lot of others. In other words, how many New Zealanders are beholden to the state,' he wrote in the New Zealand Herald.

'Here's your truth: it is an increasing and alarmingly large number.

'Put as much kumbaya, flowery BS around it as you want, but the growth targets, the debt targets, the surplus numbers, the income, and revenue are all that matters.'

The so-called 'Wellbeing Budget' has drawn attention from global institutions including the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Mr Grant defended the big spending.

'We are measuring our country's success differently,' he said.

'We are not just relying on gross domestic product, but also how we are improving the wellbeing of our people, protecting the environment and strengthening of our communities.'

While the usual financial measures were still there, the plan was laid out across key social welfare areas the government says need improvement based on international standards, and which it expects to regularly track in the future, such as child poverty.

In practical terms, a record $NZ1.9 billion ($A1.79 billion) of new spending over four years has been put towards mental heath programs and suicide reduction, and $NZ1.1 billion towards child welfare initiatives.

About $NZ5.5 million has also been set aside for mental health support for Christchurch after the March 15 mosque shootings in the city.

Jacinda Ardern's 'Wellbeing Budget' Total spend of $25.6billion over four years. Spending $1.9billion over five years on mental health, including $455million for mental health workers at doctors' clinics. Schools will receive a $150 payout per student if they get rid of voluntary donations, at a cost of $265.6million over four years. Beneficiaries to receive $47 more per week by 2023, costing $320.2million over four years. Spend of almost $1billion on child wellbeing. Advertisement

Another $NZ50 million is going towards boosting intelligence agencies, which have come under fire since the attack, while $NZ150 million has provisionally been allocated for gun buyback announced after the shootings.

But the opposition has labelled the budget a branding exercise with little change.

Despite the wellbeing focus, ministers have still found $NZ1 billion for investment in rail in a surprise announcement, under the banner of transforming the economy.

The defence force has been promised nearly $NZ470 million in new operational spending over four years, on top of $NZ1.7 billion earlier announced for new planes.

While expectations for New Zealand's economy have slowed over the past year, the national books are predicted to stay in the black to the end of the forecast period, backing a four-year spending allowance that increased from NZ$2.4 billion in the previous budget to NZ$3.8 billion on Thursday.

The government ran an operating surplus of $NZ3.5 billion over the past year and expects that to rise to $NZ6.1 billion by 2022/23.

But the government has warned of headwinds and GDP growth for the year to June dipped has to 2.4 per cent. It is forecast to rebound to 3 per cent in 2019/20 based on increased government spending.

While the budget immediately won praise from social agencies on Thursday, economists this week told the AAP that the approach taken had been less stringent than welfare rules already employed by some European countries.

'Every government has done work on health, education and policing ... I think it's more focused, and the rhetoric has been cleverer,' Victoria University wellbeing and public policy professor Arthur Grimes said.

However, just hours before Thursday's launch, New Zealand's Treasury admitted an error on its website allowed highly sensitive budget information to be accessed earlier by the public, having earlier suggested there had been an stolen.

The department this week said it had been 'deliberately and systematically hacked', after the country's centre-right National Party released details from the Labour-led administration's upcoming national accounts.

But on Thursday officials revealed a problem with a test website had actually meant some details from the budget could be found using a search on Treasury's website.

New Zealand conservative commentator Mike Hosking said the Labour government's budget was a 'marketing exercise that no one has fallen for'. Pictured: New Zealand Finance Minister Grant Robertson

Hours before the budget launch, National Party Opposition Leader Simon Bridges held a media conference calling for the resignations of Mr Robertson and Treasury head Gabriel Makhlouf for what he said had been deception and smears.

Mr Robertson and Ms Ardern both declined to discuss the saga on Thursday.

Melbourne radio 3AW host Tom Elliott said Australians who said they would move to New Zealand after the Coalition's shock election victory should stop gushing over Ms Ardern.

'I just want to put a few facts out there for everybody who thinks Jacinda Ardern is God's gift to government,' he said.

'New Zealand takes far fewer refugees per head of population than what Australia does. We are the nice country to refugees, New Zealand is not.

'They don't want immigration, or certainly not as much as they used to have. New Zealand is not the open and welcoming country it used to be.

'Teachers in New Zealand are complaining the government isn't paying them enough and they've gone on a mass strike. So while we sit there praising Jacinda Ardern to the high heavens, New Zealanders see things differently. Just think about that.'
Home Secretary Sajid Javid has been accused of 'human fly-tipping' over the decision to revoke the British citizenship of Islamic State bride Shamima Begum.

Her family also accuse Mr Javid of using the case to further his political career, and blame Britain for failing to protect her from being 'groomed' by ISIS.

Mohammed Akunjee, a lawyer representing Ms Begum's family has called for the decision to cancel her citizenship to be overturned and an apology offered.

The 19-year-old was one of three schoolgirls to leave Bethnal Green in east London to join the terror group in 2015 and resurfaced at a Syrian refugee camp earlier this year.

Mr Javid revoked the teenager's British citizenship in February in a move only permissible under international law if it does not leave the individual stateless.

The 19-year-old (pictured in a Syrian refugee camp with her baby that later died, left) was one of three schoolgirls to leave Bethnal Green in east London to join the terror group in 2015. Mohammed Akunjee (right) has called for the decision to cancel her citizenship to be overturned and an apology offered

Sajid Javid cancelled the teenager's British citizenship in February in a move only permissible under international law if it does not leave the individual stateless. Pictured: Begum giving an interview to the BBC from the Syrian refugee camp

In a letter Mr Akunjee says that Begum was 'born, raised, groomed and radicalised here in the UK' and should not be left for another country to deal with.

He says the 'cynical' decision was unlawful, 'unprincipled' and 'amounts to human flytipping.'

In a letter published by the Times, Mr Akunjee said: 'Your act represents the most profoundly egregious, capricious and politically-driven abuse of power.

'It was a unilateral, unprincipled response to the publishing of Mr Loyd's interview (with Ms Begum in a refugee camp), deployed as an artifice or device to further your own personal political objective of being Prime Minister.

Fifteen-year-old Amira Abase, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Shamima Begum, 15, were pictured at Gatwick airport in February 2015

The letter accuses Home Secretary Sajid Javid of making a `cynical decision

'Ms Begum was a pawn to your vanity. Her baby died.'

Sajid Javid accused of 'human fly-tipping' in letter from Shamima Begum's family An extract from the letter sent to Sajid Javid from Shamima Begum's lawyer Mohammed Akunjee: On 19 February 2019 you deprived Shamima Begum of her British citizenship on the ground that doing so was conducive to the public good and that Shamima was a dual British / Bangladeshi citizen. On behalf of Shamima Begums family we write inviting you - or your successor as Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) - to reverse your decision to deprive Shamima of her citizenship and to apologise to her and her family for the breaches of international and domestic law encompassed in that decision. Your act represents the most profoundly egregious, capricious and politically-driven abuse of power. It was a unilateral, unprincipled response to the publishing of Mr Loyds interview, deployed as an artifice or device to further your own personal political objective of being Prime Minister. Ms Begum was a pawn to your vanity. Her baby died. The decision to strip Shamima of her British citizenship was an unprincipled, knee-jerk reaction to the media furore generated by her speaking of the unedifying realities of living in ISIS controlled Syria. The statements she made to the Press could in no way justify the unlawfulness of your decision. Furthermore, by wielding the power to deprive a person of her citizenship contained in s40 of the British Nationality Act 1981 in the capricious way you have in this case, you have in effect created a two tier system of British citizenship. Your new system ranks those persons descended from immigrants (like yourself) below those descended solely from native British nationals. A graded hierarchy of citizenship applied to those born in the UK is a construct fundamentally offensive to the concept of citizenship itself. It is the responsibility of a British Secretary of State to deal with British problems. Rather than take responsibility for Shamima Begum and her son, you took a British problem and illegally dumped it on our innocent international neighbours. You have dishonourably left it to the Kurdish people to bear the financial and security burden of Shamimas safety and upkeep. You left them to minister to her sick child and to bury him. Through sleight of hand you have sought to burden the Bangladeshis with her in the longer term. Your cynical decision amounts to human fly tipping. Given the unlawfulness of the decision itself and the panoply of injustice caused by it, we invite you (or your successor) to reverse it and apologise to all concerned. Yours sincerely, Mohammed Akunjee, Farooq Bajwa & Co Solicitors Advertisement

Ms Begum, then heavily pregnant, was interviewed at the Al-Roj camp in northern Syria on February 13 this year and said she wished to return to the UK, as the self-styled caliphate collapsed.

Mr Akunjee wrote she feared about the quality of healthcare which would be offered to the then unborn child given her first and second child had both died.

The baby, named Jarrah, was born on February 16 and died of pneumonia on March 8, the letter said.

Stripping citizenship is only legal if the individual has a second one, and it was thought Ms Begum may have a claim in Bangladesh because of her family background, but Bangladeshi officials denied this.

The letter said: 'Shamima Begum's parents never contemplated a life for her in Bangladesh. They did not register her birth with the Bangladeshi High Commission.

'They did not take her to Bangladesh on holiday as a child. Indeed she has never visited the country.

'Rather, Shamima was born, raised, groomed and radicalised here in the UK.

'The suggestion that Shamima is to you genuinely a Bangladeshi citizen is unsustainable.'

It added: 'It is the responsibility of a British Secretary of State to deal with British problems.

'Rather than take responsibility for Shamima Begum and her son, you took a British problem and illegally dumped it on our innocent international neighbours.

'You have dishonourably left it to the Kurdish people to bear the financial and security burden of Shamima's safety and upkeep.

'You left them to minister to her sick child and to bury him. Through sleight of hand, you have sought to burden the Bangladeshis with her in the longer term.

'Your cynical decision amounts to human fly-tipping.'

In April it emerged that Begum had been granted legal aid to fight the decision to remove her citizenship.

In a decision blasted as disgusting and ridiculous by MPs, her lawyers successfully asked for taxpayers cash on her behalf.

It means taxpayers face a legal bill which could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund her fight to come back to the UK.

Begum will not be able to attend the case  which will be decided by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission  because she has been barred from returning to Britain.

Her account of her years with the group, which she joined aged 15, is that she was a devoted housewife focused on raising her children, who died of malnutrition.

Her husband Yago Riedijk, a Dutch fighter, said that Begum just sat in the house and that she would pose no danger if allowed back to the UK.

But an altogether different picture was painted for Theresa May and Sajid Javid.

A senior intelligence source told the Mail on Sunday ion April: She was involved and her former comrades have grassed her.

How Britain can strip citizenship from its enemies - as long as they are not 'stateless' International law forbids nations from making people stateless by revoking their only citizenship. Britain appears to believe that Ms Begum, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, holds dual citizenship. Under the 1981 British Nationality Act, any Briton can be deprived of their citizenship if it is 'conducive to the public good' - and they do not become stateless as a result. A 2017 government report on the issue said the Home Secretary has the power to 'deprive a person of British citizenship' if it would be 'conducive to the public good'. However, this only applies if the person would not be left stateless. If it is the case Ms Begum is a dual national, she could have her British citizenship stripped. Those who are outside of the UK have 28 days to lodge an appeal from the time they receive their Home Office letter. Advertisement

'She was literally stitching the vests, stitching them into the vests.

An anti-IS activist group Sound and Picture also claimed Begum was paid between 500 and 1,500 a month to serve in ISs morality police, enforcing laws such as womens dress codes.

It came at the same time it was alleged she had stitched suicide bombers into explosive vests, and carried a Kalashnikov rifle and served in a senior role in the ISs morality police as an enforcer of its laws.

MPs said the ridiculous decision to grant her legal aid demonstrated the need to reform the legal aid system.

Tory MP Philip Davies said: Its absolutely disgusting how we are funding this person who is someone who joined an organisation that wants to destroy our way of life and our country.

How she has been allowed to sponge off taxpayers money to get back into a country that she hates is absolutely ridiculous.

Tory MP Tim Loughton, former chairman of the home affairs select committee, said: This shows that the Home Secretary was right to strip her of British citizenship.

Playing the victim card when she has clearly been an active and willing participant in the most barbaric terrorist organisation in the world has now been exposed for the lie it was and the UK should have nothing to do with her.
A Korean tradie who threw his ex-girlfriend off a 23rd floor balcony and insisted she killed herself has been jailed for 16 years.

June Oh Seo, 38, had pleaded guilty to murdering Hee Kyung Choi, 34, in Sydney's Chatswood in October 2017, after earlier maintaining she killed herself by jumping off the balcony.

Her body lay in a laneway for 12 hours before Seo was arrested after a stand-off with police when he climbed onto a perspex balcony roof at the top of the block.

Ms Choi (pictured) was known as Emily and HK to her friends, was murdered by her former boyfriend June Oh Seo, 38, at Chatswood building in October 2017.

June Oh Seo, 38, had pleaded guilty to murdering Hee Kyung Choi, 34, in Sydney's Chatswood in October 2017

Seo appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday and was jailed for 22 years and six months with a non-parole period of 16 years and 10 months

Seo appeared in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday and was jailed for 22 years and six months with a non-parole period of 16 years and 10 months.

Earlier, the victim's Korean father, Jusuk Choi, described Seo as a 'shameless beast with a human face', telling the judge of the heartbreak caused to him, his wife and their son.

'Because of this pain, we are only hoping each day of living hell passes quickly so we can meet our daughter who we miss so much,' he said.

'Like many women before her, Ms Choi died because the man with whom she was involved did not accept her right to autonomy,' the judge said.

'The offender's crime is one seen with distressing frequency.'

Her boyfriend June Oh Seo (pictured), 37, sparked a 12-hour police seige at the apartment complex after police arrived to investigate reports of the woman's body in the alleyway

Ms Choi died after she fell from the 23rd floor of her apartment building. Police are still not sure how Ms Choi fell from the building

Ms Choi, who worked in the finance industry, and Seo, a painter, began an intimate relationship in March 2017 and travelled to South Korea the next month to meet each other's parents.

She had told her friends that Seo was possessive and controlling, and that he did not like her being with male friends or clients.

Ms Choi later asked him to move out of her apartment, which he did on August 13 but they still stayed in contact.

Seo, who initially told police Ms Choi had committed suicide, pleaded guilty to murder in December last year.

He has a history of domestic violence and had been verbally abusive, physically violent to his ex-wife, Sydney Morning Herald reported..

During the stand-off with police, Seo said: 'Hee Kyung is dead and if I get out of here I am going to get a death penalty' and 'I am going to spend the rest of my life in jail ... I want to finish myself here'.
Far-right Islamists have launched a vicious hate campaign against a prominent Sydney Muslim doctor for working with Jews in a charity to save sick children.

Jamal Rifi, a GP from Belmore in Sydney's western suburbs, was attacked after throwing his support behind Project Rozana, a multi-faith Australian charity that takes critically ill Palestinian children to Israeli hospitals for life-saving treatment.

His support of the charity has led to a vicious backlash in both Australia and Lebanon by Islamists who oppose Muslims and Jews working together as they say it 'normalises the Israeli occupation'.

Scroll down for video

Far-right Islamists have slammed Dr Jamal Rifi, a prominent Sydney Muslim, for supporting a multi-faith charity that takes critically ill Palestinian children to Israeli hospitals for treatment

Police are investigating the hate campaign against Dr Rifi, who is of Lebanese heritage, in which he has been accused of being a Zionist collaborator, a traitor to his community and a spy.

Information sent from Sydney resulted in an application by nine lawyers to a military court in Lebanon, falsely claiming he belongs to an organisation of Israel and is on the board of a 'Zionist' charity that attempts to create a liaison of confidence in a bid to develop a relationship with the enemy.

The application calls for his prosecution and possible imprisonment if he returns to visit family, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The application in Lebanon puts Dr Rifi in danger of his life if he returns to visit, he believes.

'If I go to Lebanon they will stop me there,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Friday.

'It's a death sentence for me.'

'To say that I'm working for the Zionists is like saying I am an enemy to my people.'

Dr Rifi is on the board of the Project Rosana charity alongside people of many other faiths and backgrounds.

Other prominent board members include Palestinian-Australian Nour al-Asmar, Jewish businessman Ron Finkel and Federal Member for Wentworth Devanand 'Dave' Sharma, who is of Indian heritage and served as ambassador to Israel.

Bullent Dellal, the chairman of SBS who has Turkish-Cypriot heritage is one of the charity's directors.

The hate campaign began this month when Al Akhbar, a media outlet in Beirut backed by Islamist group Hezbollah, launched a campaign distorting Dr Rifi's service, The Australian reported.

Iranian-backed Hezbollah, whose name means 'The Party of Allah', is active within Lebanon and has a goal of eliminating the state of Israel.

Far-right Islamists slammed Dr Jamal Rifi and Muslim MP Jihad Dib for inviting Muslims to a multi-faith charity fundraiser. The event in Sydney's inner-western suburb of Lilyfield raised $180,000 to help critically ill Palestinian children get treated in Israeli hospitals

Dr Rifi, 59, was smeared as an 'agent of Israel' which fed the alleged harassment by Australia-based Islamists on social media.

Dr Rifi said people in Sydney are scared by this kind of activity, saying it was threatening to tear at social cohesion.

He was again attacked for revealing the harassment on Friday.

'His favourite skill of turning on his community reporting to the mainstream community has not decreased,' wrote one Islamist who has repeatedly attacked Dr Rifi in the past but who cannot be named.

'We urge you not to support Project Rozana because it normalises the Israeli occupation.'

Dr Rifi rejected the allegation saying it was not 'normalising things'.

'We are just treating sick kids and providing them with transport.'

Dr Rifi was attacked again by far-right Islamists on Friday for 'turning on his community' by revealing the abuse directed towards him for supporting a multi-faith charity

The charity was named Project Rozana after Palestinian girl Rozana Salawhi who was saved by doctors at Israel's Hadassah hospital after falling from an apartment block near Ramallah in Palestine's West Bank, according to the charity's website.

A 'Zionist' is a person who believes in the development and protection of a Jewish state in Israel.

Moderate Muslims have been willing to work and live alongside Jews peacefully in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, but far-right Islamists have never accepted Israel's right to exist and for them calling someone a 'Zionist' is the same as calling them an enemy.

Project Rozana's first big fundraiser in Sydney this month brought together more than 320 Muslims, Jews and people of other faiths or none, and raised $180,000. `

Palestinian Ambassador in Australia Dr Izzat Abdulhadi put out a statement saying there is no relationship between the Israeli government and Project Rozana, the Daily Telegraph reported.

NSW Police said they were investigating the allegations and had referred the matter to the Engagement and Intervention Unit and Bias Crime Unit within the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command.

'Police have zero tolerance towards all bias-related crime and treat all matters seriously,' police said in a statement.
The sister of a woman who was found stabbed to death along with her boyfriend and teenage son in Virginia has revealed that the couple's two youngest children - a toddler and an infant- had been left alone with the bodies for days.

Virginia police are investigating a gruesome triple homicide that has rocked a tight-knit community in the state's northeast.

The bodies of Michael Coleman, 39, his partner Rachel Ozuna, 34, and her son Kyrrus Ozuna, 14, were discovered inside their Spotsylvania home on Wednesday morning by a relative who came by the residence after being unable to make contact by phone.

The bodies of Michael Coleman (center right), his partner Rachel Ozuna (center left) and her son Kyrrus Ozuna (left) were discovered inside their Spotsylvania home on Wednesday. Police are investigating the deaths as a triple homicide

Michael and Rachel's two-year-old son, Bean, and their two-month-old daughter, Izzy, were found alive inside the home. They were both dehydrated but unharmed.

Rachel's sister, Kaisha Ozuna, who lives in Utah, told KUTV that she tried contacting her sibling on Sunday, but could not reach her, raising the harrowing possibility that her surviving niece and nephew, who were spared by the killer, had been on their own inside the house for nearly four days.

Rachel's sister, Kaisha Ozuna, said she tried reaching out to her on Sunday but got no response

'The kids are safe,' said Kaisha Ozuna. 'Theyre being held at a hospital and, right now, were just trying to get out there so we can hold onto them.'

Relatives were planning to travel from Utah to Virginia on Friday to collect the children.

Kaisha explained that Rachel and her partner moved from Spanish For, Utah, to Virginia a couple of years ago.

She described the mother-of-three as an 'amazing person.'

'She was my go-to for everything,' she added. 'If I was having a bad day, she was the one I would call. We talked a lot.'

Kaisha said her nephew Kyrrus was a 'sweet kid' who excelled as an athlete and was loved by all, and Coleman was a good father and partner.

According to Kyrrus' classmate, he had just finished eighth grade at Thornburg Middle School, reported NBC Washington.

The trio were found by a relative at their home (pictured) on Wednesday morning

Video courtesy of WTVR

On Thursday, authorities revealed that the trio were killed with 'some sort of sharp instrument'.

Police have not released any information regarding a possible motive or suspect, and they say their investigation is in its early stages.

Ozuna worked as at Maple Canyon Family Dentistry, which released a statement on its Facebook page on Thursday mourning her loss.

'Words cant describe the sadness we feel as we mourn one of our own,' the post read. 'Rachel could brighten up a room anywhere she went. Our patients, our Maple Canyon family and the community love her and will miss her dearly. Praying for her family during this difficult time.'

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe account has been set up in order to transport Rachel and Kyrrus back to their native state of Utah for burial.

As of Friday morning, more than $12,000 has been raised.

Ozuna worked as at Maple Canyon Family Dentistry, which released a statement on its Facebook page on Thursday, describing her as a beloved member of staff

The creator of the GoFundMe has not been identified, but sated in the pages description that 'no reason imaginable is reason enough for these three to meet their end the way they did.'

Meanwhile, Rachel's grief-stricken father, Richard Ozuna, has taken to Facebook to share his distress over his daughter's violent death.

'I received the worst news a parent could could get that his child and grandchild what had been killed,' he wrote in a post on Wednesday evening.

He added: 'Doing our best to keep it together... thank you for the prayers.'

Michael Coleman and Rachel Ozuna were both found dead on Wednesday. The couple had only recently welcomed a young child together
Police suspect a woman who was found dead in her apartment after missing an international flight had been there for at least a week.

The body of Jelagat Cheruiyot, 34, was discovered by police on Wednesday when they visited the apartment at Osborn Park in Perth.

Ms Cheruiyot moved to Australia two years ago from Kenya.

Relatives of the woman, also known as Nancy, had raised concerns for her welfare after she missed an international flight and they were unable to contact her.

Jelagat Cheruiyot, 34, was discovered dead by police on Wednesday after her family became concerned for her when she missed an international flight

Police who initially attended the scene of her death declared it a murder after finding injuries on her body.

Neighbours also heard a man and a woman screaming at each other in the apartment last month, Nine News reported.

During the argument there were threats made with a knife.

Ms Cheruiyot's body was found at an apartment in Osborn Park in Perth and she is believed to have been laying dead for around a week

Forensic police found multiple injuries on her body and it was declared a homicide investigation

Police have interviewed the owners of a Hyundai Getz and a Mitsubishi coupe which they believe may have information about what happened to Ms Cheruiyot



Anyone with information regarding the murder is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
A woman falsely claimed her ex-boyfriend raped her to punish him for ending their relationship.

Esha Verma, of Wellington, NZ, lodged an official complaint with Rape Crisis only hours after showing up at her ex's house uninvited in an attempt to win him back.

The 37-year-old provided police a three-hour recorded interview detailing the date, time and details of the alleged sexual assault.

But police eventually found discrepancies in her claims, and after further examination, she confessed she lied in order to get back at her former flame.

The victim - who had his name suppressed by the courts - lived in anguish for more than a year as he pleaded his innocence, NZ Herald reported.

Judge Denys Barry described the agonising wait for exoneration as 'soul destroying', and said the victim was 'so overwhelmed with despair he contemplated suicide'.

Verma's legal team pleaded for a discharge without conviction in Wellington District Court for sentencing on Friday

The court heard the victim suffered constant emotional blackmail at the hands of Verma and was constantly anxious since the accusations.

He suffers nightmares and panics when he sees women who look similar to Verma in public.

The victim's mother provided a victim impact statement accusing Verma of doing 'the worst possible thing short of physically injuring him.'

'I believe you would have quite serenely sent [him] off to prison if the evidence hadn't outed you as a liar.'

Verma's legal team pleaded for a discharge without conviction in Wellington District Court for sentencing on Friday.

They said a conviction would limit her travel opportunities and could possibly lead to deportation.

She moved to New Zealand in 2010.

But the judge argued the possibility of deportation did not outweigh the seriousness of offending.

'There's no real remorse, no palpable empathy, and in fact in the wake of the guilty plea the defendant spent considerable energy in trying to deflect the blame back on to the victim.'

Judge Barry sentenced Verma to one year home detention, and put a protection order in place for the victim.

The judge said he would not be surprised if Verma attempted to seek retribution o or approach the victim based on her previous offending.
Nicola Sturgeon today insisted large-scale New Year's Eve parties in Scotland are still cancelled as English border pubs brace for as many as 100,000 Scottish and Welsh revellers to cross into England to celebrate on Friday. The Scottish First Minister announced a ban on large gatherings last week which torpedoed Hogmanay festivities and this afternoon she insisted the crackdown is necessary to slow the spread of the Omicron variant. Ms Sturgeon said it is 'prudent' and 'essential' to take action to reduce transmission of the disease in order to 'avoid the sheer volume of cases overwhelming us'. Some 15,849 positive cases were recorded in Scotland yesterday - the highest number of the pandemic 'by some margin' - while 679 people were in hospital, 80 more than the previous day. Ms Sturgeon's comments came as Boris Johnson said 'everybody should enjoy New Year but in a cautious and sensible way' as he stressed the data on Omicron shows it is 'obviously milder than the Delta variant'. Meanwhile, one of Mr Johnson's ministers s uggested Scots are welcome to come to England on December 31. Chloe Smith, the Work and Pensions Minister, said that 'we are one country and people are more than free to move around inside our country under the general law'.Chloe Smith, the Work and Pensions Minister, said that 'we are one country and people are more than free to move around inside our country under the general law'. Her remarks are likely to prompt a furious row with Holyrood after Deputy First Minister John Swinney this morning told Scots not to make the journey.
A stubborn grandmother was unaware she had won the lottery for several days because she refused to answer calls from unknown numbers.

The Tasmanian woman scored $200,000 as part of the guaranteed first prize in Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot draw 1329 on Tuesday.

But she did not learn of her fortune until Friday, after several failed attempts by lottery officials to contact her.

A stubborn grandmother was unaware she had won the lottery because she refused to answer calls from unknown numbers (stock image)

'I had no idea! I just came in to buy another entry. I can't believe it,' she said.

'I saw that I had a few missed calls, but I don't answer calls from unknown numbers.

'I might have to start picking them up from now on if it means I've won some money.'

The lucky grandmother bought her winning entry of four random numbers at the Kingston Town Lotto in Hobart.

She was in disbelief after hitting the jackpot because she had only started playing Lucky Lotteries a few months ago.

The woman said she would spend her prize money helping out her grandchildren.

Kingston Town Lotto owner Vanessa Irvine said customers were lining up to buy entries in the draw from the 'lucky store'.

'It's been a fantastic feeling telling all of our customers that we've sold a Lucky Lotteries 1st Prize,' she said.

The store has sold two division one winning entries and a top prize winning Instant Scratch-It but has not had a big win in one year.

The Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot prize will be $68.68 million for draw 1333.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder after a Brazilian food delivery driver man died of his injuries after being attacked in south-west London.

Iderval da Silva, 46, was found by emergency services with a head injury in Battersea, at 4.30pm on Saturday and died on Tuesday, Scotland Yard said.

Mr da Silva, who had a 26-year-old son, was punched and beaten over the head with a hammer.

Iderval da Silva, 46, moved to the UK from Brazil earlier this year. He was attacked on Saturday

Last night almost 200 moped delivery drivers rode through London in protest and remembrance of Mr da Silva.

After driving through Westminster to the Houses of Parliament they knelt in a circle on the green.

One from the Stolen Motorcycle Recovery group told the Evening Standard: 'People were were riding in support of the victim and to protest over the levels of crime suffered by delivery riders.

'Many are Brazilian and feel because they are foreign no-one really cares about them.'

Friends of Mr da Silva, who is Brazilian with Portugese citizenship, said he arrived in London three months ago and had been working for Uber Eats.

He was from Sao Paulo and had served in the Brazilian army and taught capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art.

His friend Silva Rodge, 41, told the Standard: 'He was the friendliest man I've ever met. He helped people and asked for nothing back. He would always have his hands open for anyone that needed help. He was alone and came to London to be close to his friends.

Moped and scooter food delivery riders at Parliament Square in solidarity after the murder of their colleague in Iderval da Silva, 46,

Father-of-one Mr da Silva taught capoeira and wanted to have his own martial arts studio

'He studied martial arts for 27 years and back home he used to teach it for free to young children. He loved riding a bike and it was a way for him to earn money and save for his dreams.

'He wanted to have his own studio and teach martial arts to young boys as a way to keep them off the streets.'

Mr da Silva was attacked outside a Brazilian restaurant in Charlotte Despard Avenue and found in the nearby Tesco car park, by teenagers attempting to steal his moped.

Mr Rodge, who helped organise the 'ride-out', told the paper: 'They've taken someone's life. We want justice because this is not only for the community of riders, it's for all of us. The purpose is to let people know we're not going to let it be swept under the carpet.'

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, leading the murder investigation, said: 'I am certain several people  probably local to the area  will know what happened and who was responsible for this attack on the victim and on their own community. I need them to come forward and share information with me.'

The 16-year-old, from Wandsworth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged last night and appear before magistrates in Wimbledon today. A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the incident, police added.
Newly released documents on the Jussie Smollett case have revealed that prosecutors told Chicago police detectives that a possible deal with the Empire actor was in the works a month before charges against him were dropped.

The 470 pages of files related to his case, which were only released on Thursday, show detectives investigating Smollett's claim he was the victim of a hate crime were told by Cook County prosecutors a deal with Smollett could include a $10,000 fine and community service.

Detectives had met with a prosecutor at the Cook County State's Attorney's office on February 28 to turn over their materials related to the investigation.

'ASA Lanier informed detectives that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the city of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service,' the police report reads.

At the time, Smollett had only been charged with one count of disorderly conduct. A week later, a grand jury charged him on 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct.

Police now say that they were told by Lanier the original deal, for the single count, included an admission of guilt.

When prosecutors decided to drop all 16 charges with no admission of guilt, they were stunned.

Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Risa Lanier told police detectives that a possible deal was in the works for Jussie Smollett a month before his charges were dropped. At the time, police chief Eddie Johnson expressed outrage over the decision

Smollett was charged with 16 counts alleging he lied to police when reporting he'd been the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in January. Prosecutors dropped charges on March 26 without Smollett admitting guilt

The detectives were closing the case at that point because an arrest was made and the alleged offender was being prosecuted, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on Thursday.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson then expressed outrage over the prosecutors' decision.

At the time, Johnson said he learned of the deal prosecutors made with Smollett when the deal was announced by lawyers, adding he didn't think justice was being served.

But the documents indicate that his detectives had been told by the prosecutors a few weeks prior.

The detectives had not passed the information to superiors.

'They didn't pass it on because they didn't know it (the case) was going to be handled the way it was,' the police spokesman said.

Police contend the black and openly gay actor staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity. He claimed he was attacked by Nigerian brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo

The Cook County state's attorney's office has not commented.

Johnson said he stood by his department's investigation.

'My job as a police officer is to investigate an incident, gather evidence, gather the facts and present them to the state's attorney,' Johnson said.

'That's what we did. I stand behind the detectives' investigation.'

The city of Chicago is seeking $130,000 from Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating.

The city claims about two dozen detectives and officers investigated the entertainer's report that he was attacked, resulting in a 'substantial number of overtime hours.'
A supervisor has been fined $13,000 after he helped set a young apprentice on fire by squirting him with extremely flammable liquid.

Supervisor Jeffery Mark Rowe, 47, and his co-worker Luke Daniel Chenoweth, 28, allegedly squirted the liquid at a 19-year-old apprentice while taunting him with a lighter at a construction site in Woodville, near Adelaide's CBD.

The pair allegedly continued to bully the apprentice by chasing him and threatening him with a lighter and they eventually squirted the liquid on his shirt and set him fire.

The SA Employment Tribunal convicted Mr Rowe on Friday over the March 2017 attack and fined him $12,000, as well as a further $1,000 in legal fees.

Supervisor Jeffery Mark Rowe, 47, and his co-worker Luke Daniel Chenoweth, 28, allegedly squirted the liquid at a 19-year-old apprentice while taunting him with a lighter at a construction site in Woodville, near Adelaide's CBD. The pair allegedly continued to bully the apprentice by chasing him and threatening him with a lighter and they eventually squirted the liquid on his shirt and set him on fire (stock photo)

Chenoweth allegedly initially sprayed the liquid on the apprentice's boot and ignited it with a lighter while they were all in the lunchroom.

The apprentice began to walk out of the lunchroom and Chenoweth allegedly squirted the liquid on the crotch area of his pants.

The apprentice feared he would be set on fire and ran to the other side of the lunchroom but was allegedly pinned to the wall by Chenoweth.

As the apprentice was begging him to set him alight, Chenoweth allegedly taunted the victim by continuously flicking his lighter but eventually let him leave the room.

Rowe and Chenoweth than allegedly squirted the flammable liquid on the apprentice's shirt and it ignited.

The supervisor grabbed the bottle from Chenoweth and squirted even more liquid on the apprentice's shirt.

The apprentice managed to escape the incident without any significant burns and Rowe was dismissed from his job from Tad-Mar Electrical.

'He could have sustained significant burns from the melting of the shirt on to his skin'; The SA Employment Tribunal(pictured) convicted Mr Rowe on Friday over the March 2017 attack and fined him $12,000 alongside covering an addition $1,000 in legal fees

In his judgement, Deputy President Magistrate Stuart Cole said the incident could have been a lot worse and the victim 'could have sustained significant burns from the melting of the shirt on to his skin'.

'Rowe was a supervisor and (the victim) was an apprentice. The imbalance of power and authority makes it harder for (the victim) to resist what he was subject to,' Mr Cole said as reported by The Advertiser.

SafeWork SA Executive Director Martyn Campbell said Mr Rowe's sentencing should show businesses that bullying, in any form, will not be tolerated.

'The behaviour of this supervisor was atrocious. In his supervisory role, there is an expectation he would immediately put a stop to this type of harmful action and certainly not engage in it himself,' Mr Campbell said.

Chenoweth has yet to plead to the charges.
The Heart Foundation has pulled a 'breathtakingly offensive' ad campaign, that suggested unhealthy people don't love their families, after a social media backlash.

The original campaign included a scene in which a mother put her child to bed while saying: 'Every time I told you I loved you I was lying  you are not my priority.'

The ad, launched last Tuesday, later removed that scene, while the rest of the controversial video remained the same.

But today, the Heart Foundation announced that the ads would no longer run.

The Heart Foundation has today pulled its confronting new ad campaign which had sparked controversy and a social media backlash

'To all the people who have been offended by our campaign, we apologise, and to all those who provided their feedback, we have listened,' Heart Foundation board chairman Chris Leptos said.

Heart Foundation Chief Medical Advisor, Professor Garry Jennings, speaking to the ABC, acknowledged that perhaps the ad 'went a little bit too far and has upset too many people.'

Scenes from the ad included a man addressing a gathering: 'in time this family will be filled with loss. But I won't care, because I'll be gone.'

In another scene a hospital-bound mother tells her child: 'It's not just my heart I don't care about.'

The social media backlash was swift, with people calling it 'breathtakingly offensive' and 'awful' and arguing that 'Shame is not a health promotion tool.'

A scene featuring a mother on her deathbed with a girl by her bedside was edited out earlier, but today the Heart Foundation announced the whole campaign had been pulled

Initially, the organisation stood by the extraordinary campaign - an effort to reduce the 18,000 families devastated by heart disease deaths every year.

'Heart disease doesn't just affect you,' the foundation posted on Facebook on Tuesday night.

And hours after the ads launch chief executive, John Kelly said that while the campaign was 'shocking' it was necessary for starting a conversation about heart disease.

But later that evening, when announcing the most controversial scene had been cut, Heart Foundation Victoria chief executive Kellie-Ann Jolly apologized 'if we've caused offence to anyone.'

'In time, this family will be filled with loss and sadness. But I won't care because I'll be gone,' this man tells his loved ones in the Heart Foundation's controversial ad

At that time Ms Jolly still believed the ad was necessary.

'This campaign is necessary because more than 200,000 Australians have died in the past five years, 600,000 Australians are living with heart disease, and 13 million Australians have three or more risk factors for heart disease,' she said.

The campaign had been dubbed cruel and heartless.

'You've not only failed at marketing but you've also failed at humanity. You've caused trauma to so many and stigmatised many more,' one person wrote on Facebook.

One man tweeted: 'Without question the worst advertising campaign ever devised.'

The confronting Heartless Words ad campaign (a scene from the ad is pictured) had been slammed by health professionals

The ad was pulled after a sustained backlash on social media

Others were offended by the 60 second ad.

'I have a genetic tendency to heart problems through inherited high blood pressure and inherited high cholesterol. I take medication, I have heart checks. I eat healthily, I exercise. I'll probably still get heart disease. How DARE you imply that I am irresponsible and uncaring,' one person tweeted.

One man posted: 'I am a heart attack survivor. This is the most insincere ad campaign I have seen. It is a total insult to all of us survivors who have ever supported the Heart Foundation.'

The ad hit a nerve for those who have lost loved ones to heart disease.

'My father died suddenly due to a heart attack when I was four. My grief was soon replaced by confusion and embarrassment. This ad would have exacerbated both,' one person tweeted.

The Heart Foundation has been inundated with public backlash on social media (pictured) over the ad

'I promised you my heart and I've given it away,' this man tells his wife in the ad, which was pulled today by the Heart Foundation

During its short run, the campaign was also slammed by experts, including Melbourne University youth mental health professor and Headspace founding director Patrick McGorry.

'So people are to blame for their illness? That's been precisely the basis for stigma in mental illness and addictions. Same for suicidal patients in emergency departments, where they are blamed and put to the back of the queue,' he tweeted on Tuesday.

La Trobe University cardiovascular researcher Professor Grant Drummond also raised concerns.

'The Heart Foundation do a magnificent job of raising awareness of cardiovascular disease and rasing money for research, but I'd have to say on this occasion they have been slightly off the mark,' he told The Age.

'Heart attacks and stroke don't just affect sedentary, overweight, unhealthy or elderly people.'

The Heart Foundation says the ad aims to start an important conversation between loved ones

People took to social media to complain about the Heart Foundation's ad campaign, which was pulled by the organisation today

'There many young, fit people who lead very healthy lives struck down by sudden heart attacks and strokes so it's really important we remove the stigma that it is all brought on by your own poor lifestyle choices,' he said.

Another health professional took to Facebook to slam the ad.

'Having treated patients and had family members with no identifiable risk factors, who have presented with a cardiac event, including arrhythmogenic cardiac arrest, I don't see how victim blaming relates to any type of message you want to convey,' they posted.

'The degree of trauma this advertisement subjects family members of patients who have died of sudden cardiac events, cannot be underestimated. I am unsure how this passed your internal screening and ethical procedures.'
World leaders will gather in solemn assembly next week above the sandy beaches of Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of the world-changing D-Day invasion of France.

It's typically a heartfelt tribute to alliance and sacrifice and a unified vow for enduring unity, outweighing any national or political skirmish of the moment.

That's what has some U.S. veterans and others worried about President Donald Trump's attendance.

The president has shown a repeated willingness to inject nationalistic rhetoric and political partisanship into moments once aimed at unity.

For Trump, there is no water's edge for politics, no veneer of nonpartisanship around military or national security matters.

The president, who did not serve in the military before becoming commander in chief, has feuded with Gold Star families, blasted political opponents on foreign soil, and mocked Sen. John McCain, a prisoner of war, for being captured by the enemy.

Solemn: This is the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, and behind it Omaha beach.THe cemetery will be the site for 75th anniversary commemorations for D-Day on Thursday

Pageantry: Trump - who gave the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs this week - has embraced military display and been a cheerleader for the Pentagon but has also had tense relationships with the families of fallen servicemen

D-Day: The commemoration attended by Trump marks 75 years since American soldiers stormed Omaha Beach, just a few hundred yards from what is now the cemetery. This was the view from an LCVP landing craft that dday

Greatest generation: Photographs from D-Day captured some of the dangers the soldiers faced as they were brought to the beach by Coast Guard landing craft. On this one a German machine-gun bullet had hit a hand grenade, causing fire on board

Path to victory: This was the scene on Omaha Beach in June 1944, after it was secured. It and the other Normandy beaches, taken by American, British and Canadian forces, became the landing point for hundreds of thousands of troops and the supplies they needed to fight through France

The biggest challenge: Army Rangers had to climb Pointe du Hoc to disable its artillery battery. This picture was taken after their bloody fight, which was so intense thought was given to calling in Marines to back them up

And now: The Germany artillery battery on Pointe do Hoc has been largely preserved to show the scale of challenge the Rangers faced

Trump's antipathy for the late senator was so well known that the White House this week requested that the Navy keep the USS McCain out of the president's line of sight during a recent trip to Japan, so as not to rile the president.

It's a pattern that is set to get more scrutiny in coming days, as Trump heads overseas for the D-Day memorial where he will be joined at the service by, among others, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat whom he has called 'crazy Nancy' and warned not to try to impeach him.

'It's unfortunate we have to be even concerned that this historic commemoration will be overly politicized, but this is the command climate he's created and the reality we have,' said Paul Rieckhoff, founder and former head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and now host of the podcast, 'Angry Americans.'

'We have to send our president. You go with the president we've got, and this is the president we've got. So we're rightfully holding our breath for an event like this.'

More than 9,000 Americans died in the D-Day operation that marked a turning point in World War II, beginning the Allied push to drive the Nazis out of France and eventually Europe.

On a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, rows of white crosses and the Stars of David stretch as far as the eye can see - markers of sacrifices.

The president missed the other significant military commemoration of his term.

In November, also in France, Trump scuttled plans to honor the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery.

Military childhood: Trump went to New York Military Academy, outside New York City, but then did not serve and had a string of draft deferments and finally a diagnosis of bone spurs to stop him being drafted

The White House said the president's helicopter could not make it to the site because of bad weather. It did not explain why Trump could not make the 50-mile drive. His absence set off howls from many veterans.

Trump blamed the Secret Service and the next day went to a different cemetery outside Paris.

In recent days, he visited Arlington National Cemetery and spent Memorial Day on a naval ship in Japan.

'You are the ones keep going and striving, and keeping America safe, and strong, and proud, and free,' Trump said during the visit.

He also wished everyone a 'Happy Memorial Day,' a greeting some find off-key for a holiday dedicated to honoring dead service members.

Ahead of the trip, the White House told the U.S. Navy to keep the warship rededicated in honor of Sen. McCain out of sight of the president.

The president denied knowing about the request but said the gesture was 'well-meaning' because he was no fan of McCain, a prisoner of war whom Trump once mocked by saying he preferred soldiers who 'weren't captured.'

Trump also sided with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un over criticism of former Vice President Joe Biden.

Some veteran groups were pleased that Trump was attending the D-Day commemoration but urged him to leave the political broadsides at home.

'In situations like these, it's best for President Trump to focus on his positive vision for reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs and advocating for a more restrained foreign policy,' said Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser for the conservative Concerned Veterans for America.

Plenty of previous presidents have embraced the military, identifying themselves with its power and patriotism.

But Trump's relationship with the armed forces - and the families of individual soldiers - has at times been uniquely fraught.

As a candidate, he feuded with the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq, and as president clashed with the mother of Sgt. La David Johnson, who died in Niger.

Tumult: Trump marked the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One in Paris in November 2018 with Emmanuel Macron - who will be at the D-Day commemorations - and Angela Merkel. But he did not go to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and his absence set off howls from many veterans

Strange meeting: Trump will not be alone at the D-Day commemoration; also present will be Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, who is facing calls from her own party to impeach him

Though Trump has been a boisterous cheerleader for the Pentagon, he is part of a recent trend of commanders-in-chief who did not serve in the military.

He received a deferment that allowed him to not serve in Vietnam War due to bone spurs, but has been unable to remember in which foot, leading to accusations of draft dodging, including this week from 2020 rivals.

'You have somebody who thinks it's all right to let somebody go in his place into a deadly war and is willing to pretend to be disabled in order to do it,' said Democrat Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who served as a Navy intelligence officer in Afghanistan. 'That is an assault on the honor of this country.'

And while a number of veterans groups have applauded Trump's efforts to improve mental and physical health care to former service personnel, many of those same organizations sharply criticized Trump's recent consideration to pardon several American military members accused of war crimes, including headline-grabbing cases of shooting unarmed civilians and killing an enemy captive.

'It is mind-blowing that these are the persons this administration is considering for pardons,' said Kristofer Goldsmith, an associate director for policy at Vietnam Veterans of America, one of several veterans' groups that oppose the pardons.

Trump considered issuing the pardons for Memorial Day but later said he may wait for some trials to conclude.

But his international trips have repeatedly been interrupted by distractions back home, and many around him fear that even a solemn World War II observance may not be enough to prevent the president from tweeting an attack at special counsel Robert Mueller or escalating tensions with his hosts, outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May or French president Emmanuel Macron.
Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater has posted the highest score so far at this year's Margaret River Pro to move into the third round.

Kelly Slater, 47, has wound back the clock with a dazzling display during his second-round heat at the Margaret River Pro surf event.

Slater finished last in his opening-round heat on Wednesday, forcing him into the dreaded elimination second round.

Kelly Slater, 47, (pictured above) has been crowned world champion an unprecedented 11 times

Slater scored the highest points in an elimination round at the Margaret River leg of the competition with a total of 16.50

But the 11-time world champion produced the goods when it mattered most in his three-man heat on Friday, tallying a two-wave total of 16.50 - the highest of the event so far.

Caio Ibelli (14.4) finished second to also secure a spot in the third round, but Australian Adrian Buchan (13.93) bombed out.

Caio Ibeli (above) finished second in the elimination round scoring 14.4 points

Australian Adrian Buchan (pictured above) was eliminated from the round scoring 13.93 points

Slater, Ibeli and Bunchan (pictured) were all placed in the elimination heat to battle it out

Wade Carmichael was another high-profile surfer to crash out in the second round, along with Jacob Willcox and Frederico Morais.

Slater will take on Brazilian Willian Cardoso in the third round when the men's competition resumes on Saturday.

Slater (pictured above) placed last after surfing in an opening round heat on Wednesday

'I needed a bit of a confidence booster.' Slater (pictured above) said

'I felt great. I felt loose and confident. Things went my way,' Slater said.

'I needed a bit of a confidence booster. In the first heat, I felt I surfed alright but didn't score well. Today's heat I just said, 'Let's just lay it all out here and see what happens'.

Slater (pictured above) recently made it to the semi finals of the WSL leg in Bali

Slater reached the semi-finals of the recent World Surfing League tour event in Bali, but said it was tough to be facing elimination so early at the Margaret River Pro.

'It's a little stressful,' Slater said.

'You feel like bottom of the barrel. Because you're like, 'Ok, I'm the bottom 12 guys and I'm the bottom four of those if I lose right here'. It's not good for your confidence.'

'I felt great. I felt loose and confident. Things went my way,' Slater said

'You feel like bottom of the barrel,' Slater said after placing last

'It's not good for your confidence,' Slater said

Australian wildcard Jack Robinson was the feel-good story of the day after topping his heat to move into round three.

Robinson missed the first round because he was on a flight back from Chile after competing in a qualifying series event.

The Margaret River local only arrived back in WA on Thursday, but showed no signs of jet lag on the way to posting a two-wave tally of 12.60 to beat Jack Freestone (10.83) and Carmichael (10.67).

Kelly Slater (pictured above) showed off his skills after scoring the highest points of the day

Slater (above) will take on Brazilian Willian Cardoso in the third round when the men's competition resumes on Saturday

'I slept a lot on the plane,' Robinson said.

'I'm feeling ok. I think I'm running on adrenaline.'

'I wasn't worried about missing the first round. It was just a bonus to surf here. I just kept calm and had fun out there.'

In the women's event, Australians Nikki van Dijk and Bronte Macaulay moved into the third round after finishing in the top two of their second-round heat.

Bronte Macaulay (pictured above) moved into the third round finishing in the top two of her heat
A foster carer who sexually preyed on seven children, some of whom were already traumatised, has been sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison.

Desmond Gore, 73, was found guilty in WA District Court of abusing four girls and two boys aged between six and nine in his care from October 2007 to August 2011.

A fifth girl he abused in 2014 was not a foster child, the court heard on Friday.

The 20 offences included five counts of sexual penetration and 12 counts of indecent dealing with a child.

Desmond Gore, 73, was found guilty in WA District Court of abusing four girls and two boys aged between six and nine while working as a foster carer (stock image)

Judge Christopher Stevenson said the victims were extremely vulnerable and Gore's crimes involved a degree of pre-planning, physical force and psychological threats.

During one rape, Gore put tape over a girl's mouth so she could but scream.

He threatened to hurt another girl if she told police about being raped.

Gore called that same victim a 'dirty s**t' and said no one would believe her because she was 'not worth it'.

She still complained but Gore was not charged at the time, the court heard.

In 2013, a box containing belongings from one of his victims contained a letter the girl had written that said: 'I feel safe when loved. I feel sad when I have sex with my granddad.'

But it was not until 2017 that the girl was able to disclose the offending to investigators.

Judge Stevenson said Gore caused harm, damage and destruction to the victims.

He said Gore was entrusted by the state and the victims' families, but instead acted on his sexual interest in young children.

'The age disparity is gross,' he said.

Judge Stevenson said Gore threatened some victims to silence them, taking full advantage of his absolute power over them.

'They should have been afforded love, care and nourishment so they could move forward from their disadvantaged background,' he said.

'Instead, you preyed upon them.'

Referring to the victim impact statements, Judge Stevenson said the children would require ongoing counselling, noting some were unable to trust adults and would not allow other foster carers to hug them.

Gore, whose wife was in court to support him, must spend at least 13 years and four months behind bars before he can be eligible for parole.
Kevin Ellis, 58, pictured outside Inverness Crown Court, where he avoided a jail sentence

A father-of-eight bigamist who married his third wife before being divorced from his second has avoided a jail sentence.

Bus driver Kevin Ellis, 58, from Buckie in Banffshire, Scotland, was still married to second wife Rosemary when he registered his marriage to Julia Budge.

Ellis's lies began to unravel when he told his wife he had designed a bespoke wedding for her - before she found he had bought the 29.99 Argos ring for a discounted price from a pawn shop.

Ms Budge, who met Ellis through an online dating site, thought he was 'the man of her dreams' when they exchanged their vows on Christmas Eve last year.

But she later discovered he had another wife and eight children, for whom he was paying maintenance.

Ms Budge said bus driver Ellis had now ruined her life.

His second wife Rosemary, meanwhile, claimed the 'fantasist' had left her in debt and 'lied to people about his background.'

Ms Budge said she now feared for any other partners Ellis may have, saying he moved around Britain.

She told the court he was originally from Kent, had lived in London and moved around Scotland, raising fears he may have wooed other unsuspecting women.

Speaking to a local radio station earlier this month, Ms Budge said: 'I had married the man of my dreams...now I hate him. If I could erase these years from my life I would. It was a couple of years of my life that were a complete nightmare.'

Ellis is believed to have fathered his eight children with three women.

Ellis, 58, from Buckie, Banffshire, was still married to second wife Rosemary when he registered his marriage to Julia Budge (pictured). Miss Budge later discovered he had another wife and eight children

Ellis's second wife Rose, who married him in 1994, said he had left her in debt and she 'felt sorry' for Ms Budge

Ms Budge, his former business partner in the Portland Arms Hotel in Lybster, Caithness, was seen sobbing after the hearing yesterday.

Ellis wooed Ms Budge with the ring that he claimed was a redesigned family heirloom.

Third wife Ms Budge (pictured outside court yesterday), said: 'I had married the man of my dreams... now I hate him. If I could erase these years from my life I would'

She said: 'When I exposed the ring as a fake, he called in the police. He claimed the guy who had made me a brand-new ring out of his grandmother's had stolen the original and charged him thousands of pounds.

'I believed what he was telling me was true. I could kick myself now. He didn't even pay 29.99  turns out he got it from a pawn shop in Inverness.'

Ellis's second wife Rose, who married him in 1994, said he had left her in debt and she 'felt sorry' for Ms Budge.

Rose, 56, met him shortly after he had left his first wife and four children.

They set up home and were married in Tunbridge Register Office in 1994 and had three children together, two boys - Ayrton, 24, Frazer, 20 - and one girl, Finleigh, 19.

The mother-of-three from Hastings said Ellis was 'strange but a charmer', adding: 'I'm glad he's not in my life as he was trouble.

'He's a fantasist and lied to people about what he did and his background.

'I'd have to bite my tongue and keep quiet or risk making him look a liar and a fool.'

Mrs Ellis added: 'I met him through and dating website and that's how we got together.

'I knew he was divorced from his first wife because I saw the paperwork and for a time things were okay. We were both working, him as a bus driver for Stagecoach and me as a professional carer.'

The couple have three children together in 1995, 1999 and 2000 but Mrs Ellis said she was concerned about his behaviour.

Ellis's second wife Rose Ellis, 56, met him shortly after he had left his first wife and four children

'He wasn't really committed to me and our three children,' she said.

'He was more interested in his cars, he loved Land Rovers and spent all his money and mine doing them up.

'He spent all the money I had and it was difficult trying to bring up three children when we had so little money.

'He was a nice man but he was such a liar, he just couldn't stop. He would lie about his past, saying he had been born in Scotland and stuff yet I know he was born in Whitstable.

'He was also a cad. He was always having affairs and I kicked him out a couple of times because I was sick of it and eventually he left me and the kids.

'He left with with so much debt I had to remortgage the house we lived in and he never remembered their birthdays or called or anything which was obviously upsetting for the children but he just didn't really care about them.

'Eventually the Child Support Agency tracked him down to Inverness and he did pay maintenance for them directly out of his wages.'

Mrs Ellis added: 'I first received a Facebook message from Julia, who was obviously in shock when I told her I was still married to him because we had never got a divorce.

'She wanted to see the paperwork and the childrens' birth certificates so I had to send them to her and she told me he had been telling her the children were adopted.

'I don't really mind what happens to him but it looks like he's finally got his comeuppance. I think he led her down the garden path.'

Ellis (outside court yesterday) was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and given six months to complete it

Speaking to Moray Firth Radio, before the sentencing Ms Budge, 49, said: 'Kevin always impressed on me not to entertain or listen to Rosemary if she ever tried to get in touch.

'I found her on Facebook and messaged her. She was great and I then phoned her. She said she was Kevin's wife and they had never got divorced.

'She told me he was father to her three children and he had two others. My world turned upside down and all I believed and trusted was worthless.'

She added: 'He told me he paid a lot of money to have this ring designed. I started searching on Google as I was doubting him.

'I was scrolling through all these pictures and I thought 'Wow there's my ring'. I clicked on it. Argos 29.99.

'He's a fantasist. I think he believes all his lies. I hate him and don't want him moving on to someone else.'

Defence solicitor Kevin Anderson said his client 'greatly loved' Miss Budge and claimed Ellis thought that his second wife 'had divorced him'.

During an earlier hearing at Inverness Sheriff Court, Ellis admitted that on December 24, 2018, he 'did bigamously marry' Miss Budge.

When Ellis returned to court yesterday, Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald said: 'This was not an attack on the institution of marriage. It is simply a fraud.

'You deliberately lied not only to your third wife, but also to the authorities when you were completing the paperwork.'

Ellis was ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and given six months to complete it. He refused to comment as he left the court.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is the fifth highest paid leader in the world, ahead of other high-profile figures like German Chancellor Theresa May and Vladimir Putin.

The Australian leader hauls in around AUD$538,000 dollars a year, seven times the average national wage.

Broken down, Mr Morrison earns around AUD$44,800 a month or a little over AUD$11,000 a week.

According to the Bureau of Statistics, the average weekly earning for a full-time worker is AUD$1,600.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is the fifth highest paid leader in the world, ahead of other high-profile figures like German Chancellor Theresa May and Vladimir Putin

That honour belongs to Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Long, who rakes in around AUD$2,328,000 a year

While Mr Morrison earns substantially more than the average worker, he is not the richest leader in the world.

That honour belongs to Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long, who rakes in around AUD$2,328,000 a year.

Mr Morrison follows closely behind US President Donald Trump, who brings in around AUD$578,000 a year.

Though Trump has donated his salary to numerous government agencies and not kept a cent for himself.

Agencies such as the Department of Education and Department of Veteran Affairs have each received a share of the president's paycheck.

While Mr Morrison sits closely behind the American president, his salary places him ahead of other world leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Ms Merkel is placed sixth on the list and brings in marginally less with about AUD$534,000.

Ms Ardern follows close on her heels and comes in at number seven with around AUD$491,000.

British Prime Minister Theresa May doesn't even make it onto the top 10 rich list, with a salary of only AUD$272,000.

British Prime Minister Theresa May doesn't even make it onto the top 10 rich list, with a salary of only AUD$272,000

Russian President Vladimir Putin is even further down with a measly salary of AUD$194,000

Russian President Vladimir Putin is even further down with a measly salary of AUD$194,000.

Though despite not making the rich list, Putin is said to have a net worth in the billions, making him one of the richest people in the world.

According to political analyst and Putin critic Stansislav Belkovsky, the Russian leader could be worth as much as US$70 billion.

Putin was estimated to be worth about US$40 billion in 2007, though Belkovsky believes that sum has jumped significantly.

He links the sum to Putin's shares in a number of oil and gas companies.

According to The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, he has a 4.5 per cent share in national gas giant Gazprom, 37 per cent share in Surgutneftegas and owns a major stake in a company that cannot be named for legal reasons.

Ms Merkel is placed sixth on the list and brings in marginally less with about AUD$534,000
Former president Barack Obama has claimed US gun laws 'don't make sense'.

The Democrat - who pushed for tighter restrictions during his two terms in office - said it was too easy 'to buy machine guns.'

Obama made the comments on stage during a sit-down interview at VTEX DAY, a digital convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Thursday.

Barack Obama has claimed US gun laws 'don't make sense' and said it's too easy to buy machine guns online

Speaking about the Sandy Hook school shooting that saw 20 children and six adults massacred, he described it as the 'hardest day of his life'.

'The worst thing for me was that I could not bring their children back or promise that we would change the laws,' he told the 10,000-strong crowd.

'Gun laws in the United States don't make much sense. Anybody can buy any weapon, anytime without, you know, without much if any regulation. They can buy over the Internet. They can buy machine guns.'

Obama's comments come just months after Brazil passed laws making it easier for people to buy and carry guns.

Obama made the comments on stage during a sit-down interview at VTEX DAY, a digital convention in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Thursday

Far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signed the temporary decree in January came amid a record wave of murders.

Obama - considered by many as the 'most anti-gun president in American history' - made several attempts to limit the size of gun magazines, expand background checks of gun buyers during his two terms in office.

But they all proved unpopular in Congress and failed to pass. The 44th US President has repeatedly described his inability to tighten gun laws as the 'greatest frustration of his presidency'.
Advertisement

Courtney Herron's mother has shared a moving tribute to her daughter as hundreds brave wet and cold conditions at the evening vigil in her memory.

Hundreds showed up at Melbourne's Royal Park despite the cold and rain for a silent vigil for the 25-year-old, who was allegedly horrifically bashed to death and left in the park last week.

Ms Herron's devastated mother, Maxi, looked to the sky pleading 'be happy baby', as hundreds of mourners gathered in the park.

She said her daughter was holding back the rain, after what had been a grey and wet Friday across the city.

'She is not crying, she is watching down. She is at peace. She is in the arms of her pappou saying "it's okay Mum I've shed my tears",' she told the crowd through tears.

Scroll down for video

Heartbreaking scenes show the devastated family of homeless woman Courtney Herron at Melbourne's Royal Park for a silent vigil on Friday

Courtney Herron's mother has shared a moving tribute to her daughter as hundreds brave wet and cold conditions at the evening vigil in her memory

Devastated family members have arrived at the scene of Courtney Herron's alleged murder ahead of an evening vigil in her memory

Hundreds have gathered in Melbourne's Royal Park for a silent vigil for the 25-year-old, who was allegedly horrifically bashed to death and left in the park last week

Posters, notes, flowers and gifts have been laid by mourners ahead of the silent vigil on Friday evening for Courtney Herron

Hundreds of people gathered in the rain and cold at Melbourne's Royal Park for the silent evening vigil for Courtney Herron

Ms Herron thanked those gathered for their outpouring of love.

'This outpouring of love is unexpected. My baby in life thought people didn't care, and that people were staring at her. But she is in heaven watching down, saying 'I am loved'.'

As she stopped speaking, rain poured down.

Heartbreaking photos show Ms Herron's family weeping as they mourned the death of the young woman, with flowers and tributes laid on the spot where her body was found.

Grandmother Connie kissed a photo of Courtney earlier at the makeshift memorial in Royal Park where dog walkers found her body last Saturday morning.

Family members also read some of the tributes that had been left at the site of Ms Herron's death.

Organisers of the vigil wrote on Facebook: 'All people deserve safety in this world. Sadly, once again we must mourn the loss of an innocent woman in a place known to so many of us.'

'Courtney Herron was an innocent woman who was allegedly taken from our world violently and prematurely. We cannot simply allow her death to go unnoticed and unmarked.'

'Once again we must stand together in remembrance of Courtney Herron and of the countless others who have been taken too soon. We cannot allow this pattern to continue.

'These women are innocent. They are allegedly murdered simply for being women. We cannot allow this to go unacknowledged or unmarked. We must join together to remember those we have lost and protect those who live in fear and in danger every day.'

Ms Herron's devastated mother, Maxi, looked to the sky pleading 'be happy baby', as hundreds of mourners gathered in the park

Maxi Herron said her daughter was holding back the rain, after what had been a grey and wet Friday across the city

Mourners gather for the Vigil for slain homeless woman Courtney Herron, at Royal Park in Melbourne on Friday evening

Mourners were given candles as they paid respects to Courtney Herron at Melbourne's Royal Park on Friday evening in the rain

Ms Herron's body was found badly bashed at the Melbourne park on Saturday, after she reportedly attended a social event with her accused killer Henry Hammond

Mourners pay their respects at Royal Park in Melbourne at the scene where Ms Herron's body was found

Heartbreaking scenes show family members gathering at the make shift memorial of Courtney Herron in Melbourne

Amid the rain, mourners offered their condolences to Ms Herron's family with tears and hugs, as the young woman's mother thanked people for attending the vigil

Organiser Jessamy Gleeson told ABC Radio they see the vigil as an appropriate space to honour Ms Herron's life.

'It's a way for us, as well, to generally draw attention to the fact that we keep doing these vigils. It's not a one-off for us,' she said.

'Our vigils are organised for ... every woman and child that is murdered at the hands of a man in Australia.

'At the moment, we're doing vigils almost every week.'

Ms Gleeson told reporters that the problem is Australia: 'It's not that Melbourne has a problem, it's that Australia has a problem and a lot of places have a problem.'

'The message I want politicians to hear is that we are tired of doing these vigils and there needs to be a big structural change in how we address violence against women,' she said.

'(Courtney) was a young women who was just going about her business in Melbourne and there was absolutely no reason for her life be taken.'

The hour long vigil began at 5.30pm at the place where her body was found by dog walkers on Saturday.

Devastating images show family members mourn the loss of young homeless woman Courtney Herron, who was found dead in a park last week

Mourners gathered at Melbourne's Royal Park and offered their condolences to the family of Courtney Herron

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp is seen at Royal Park on Friday evening for the vigil of murdered 25-year-old Courtney Herron

Mourners paid their respects at the park on Friday evening as hundreds turned out in the rain and cold for the candlelight vigil

Messages at makeshift shrine are seen at Royal Park in Melbourne, where Ms Herron was killed

Heartbreaking scenes of Ms Herron's family weeping as they mourn the death of the young woman

Ms Herron's body was found badly bashed at the Melbourne park on Saturday, after she reportedly attended a social event with her accused killer Henry Hammond.

The 27-year-old has been charged with the alleged murder of Ms Herron and remains in custody, with his case due to return to court on September 16.

Courtney's father, a lawyer named John, has remained mostly silent about his role in his daughter's life.

'It's just very difficult. I can barely speak about it,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

In a statement released on Thursday, he said his 'beloved daughter' was a victim of 'fatal assault'.

'My daughter's death is an unimaginable tragedy for our family. Please respect our right to grieve in private,' it read.

Ms Herron is the fourth young woman to be allegedly killed in a public Melbourne place in the past 12 months, including the June rape and murder of aspiring comedian Eurydice Dixon, 22, in a neighbouring suburb.

Mourners gather for the Vigil for slain homeless woman Courtney Herron, at Royal Park in Melbourne on Friday evening

Flowers and tributes have been laid at the spot where Courtney Herron's bludgeoned body was found last week

A poem was read out loud at Melbourne's Royal Park for Courtney Herron, less than a week after her body was found in the same area

Family members also read some of the tributes that had been left at the site of Ms Herron's death during the vigil on Friday

Hundreds turned up in the rain and cold for the silent candlelight vigil held at the place where Ms Herron's body was found

The death sparked widespread calls for action to improve public safety for women.

Even police officers have said the horrific crime showed that attitude towards women in Australia needed to change.

'What is it in our community that allows some men to think that it's still OK to attack women or take from women what they want?' Victorian police Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius said on Saturday.

'Violence against women is absolutely about men's behaviour.'

'The safety of women is something that must concern us all,' federal Minister for Women Marise Payne said, speaking about Ms Herron's death.

People embraced and many wept at the silent vigil held for Courtney Herron on Friday at the place her body was found

Ms Herron's grandmother was seen kissing a large framed photo of the 25-year-old and a poem was read on the family's behalf

People were seen holding candles and braving the rain and cold weather as a silent vigil was held for slain woman Courtney Herron

Tributes are seen ahead of the Vigil for slain homeless woman Courtney Herron, at Royal Park in Melbourne

Tragic images show family members weeping as they gather at the makeshift memorial for Courtney Herron on Friday
The children of a returning military dad were treated to a heart-warming surprise at a school assembly in this video.

The video takes place at Big Ridge Elementary in the US state of Tennessee, where pupils are gathered for what appeared to be a routine school assembly.

Addressing the rows of children at the school's gymnasium is school principal Kim Turner.

Returning soldier Justin Bunch, 34, surprised his children by dressing up as a school mascot at an assembly

At the start of the video she introduces the school's mascot Twister the Tiger, who runs out to applause from the pupils.

Unbeknownst to everyone in the audience, the man underneath the costume is in fact father-of-six Justin Bunch.

Mr Bunch, who serves in the military, had not seen his family for an extended period of time.

Mr Bunch pulled the stunt in front of pupils at Big Ridge Elementary in the US state of Tennessee

Mr Bunch removes his helmet to reveal himself as the man in the Twister the Tiger costume

Ms Turner proceeds to call out five members of the Bunch family one-by-one to come to the front of the assembly.

The heart-warming video ends with the family taking a group photo together

Siblings Brooke, 10, Hayden, 7, Ethan, 5, are called to the front of the assembly along with their cousins Mariano, 11, and Vada, 7.

Mr Bunch, 34, high-fives each of the five children as they join him at the centre of the gymnasium.

He then turns around and removes his Tiger helmet, revealing himself to his young children and their cousins.

After a momentary pause, the children rush to embrace Mr Bunch as pupils hoot and cheer in the background.

His two eldest sons Chad, 14, and Tyler, 12, also run over to hug their dad.

The group are then joined by Mr Bunch's wife Kasey, 32, who is carrying their two-year-old child Ayden, 2.

The heart-warming video ends with the family taking a group photo together.

Mr Bunch is stationed in Fort Stewart, Georgia, with the 526 Engineer Construction Company, 92nd Engineer Battalion, who he has been with since 2015.
Extinction Rebellion protesters who plan to disrupt Heathrow Airport with drones could face life behind bars, the Government has warned.

The environmental group has announced it will cause 10 days of disruption in July unless plans to expand the airport are scrapped.

Activists have held internal discussions about using drones to ground flights under plans described by Heathrow as 'reckless' and dangerous.

Climate change activists Extinction Rebellion are threatening to throw the holiday plans of thousands of Britons into chaos by flying drones over Heathrow Airport. The protesters previously tried to disrupt services at the airport on April 19

Groups of protesters held a demonstration outside Heathrow Airport in April

The security forces have deployed anti-drone systems around Heathrow airport following repeated drone sightings around Gatwick Airport in January which caused chaos

Several hours after the demonstration was announced on Friday, aviation minister Baroness Vere issued a stark warning that culprits will face 'the full force of the law'.

The Metropolitan Police has also said it will develop 'strong plans' to counter the group, which brought parts of London to a standstill during two weeks of demonstrations in April.

An initial one-day protest will go ahead on June 18 to 'pause' flights before a longer protest of 'up to 10 days' begins on July 1, Extinction Rebellion said.

'Extinction Rebellion demands the Government begins to act on its declaration of a climate and environment emergency by cancelling all Heathrow expansion,' a statement said.

The group described air travel as 'genocidal', adding: 'The addition of the planned third runway would make Heathrow the single biggest carbon emitter in the UK; to expand the airport at this critical point in history would be madness.

'We understand the action will cause disruption to a great number of holidaymakers, however we believe that it is necessary given the prospect of far greater disruption caused by ecological and societal collapse, if we don't act now.

'Holidaymakers are being given advance notice to change travel plans.'

Baroness Vere warned: 'Flying drones near an airport is a serious criminal offence and using drones to deliberately put people's safety at risk carries a maximum life sentence.

'No Government has done more to reduce carbon emissions, and Britain is at the forefront of global efforts to tackle climate change.

'Any illegal activity must be met with the full force of the law.'

The protesters said they would inform authorities in advance of the use of drones to avoid any risk to aircraft

In April, protesters gathered at the head of the tunnel leading into Heathrow's terminals

Airport authorities called in the military in January to help pinpoint drones which had been spotted around Gatwick and Heathrow airports

The Department for Transport has said Heathrow expansion will only go ahead within the Government's carbon reduction targets.

A Heathrow spokeswoman said the protest plans are a 'reckless action that if carried out could endanger the lives of the travelling public and our colleagues'.

'We agree with the need to act on climate change, but that requires us to work together constructively - not commit serious criminal offences just as hardworking people prepare to spend a well-earned holiday with their family and friends,' she said.

In April thousands of XR supporters blocked key routes in London as the group demanded the Government announce a climate emergency.

A small group of mostly teenage activists unfurled a banner at Heathrow near a tunnel which leads to Terminals 2 and 3, but flights were not disrupted.

The Met is pushing for more than 1,100 people to be charged over the April protests and said others who disrupt Heathrow this summer will face justice.

'We will be developing strong plans in response to this and will take firm action against any protester seeking to cause disruption at this location by committing criminal offences such as obstruction of the highway,' a spokesman said.

'The airport is part of our national infrastructure and we will not allow illegal activities of some protesters to cause disruption and misery to thousands of travellers.

'We would urge anybody intending to join this event with a view to committing criminal activity, whether peaceful or not, to strongly reconsider.'

Professor David Dunn, a drones expert at the University of Birmingham, said arresting suspects ahead of the protests could be the most effective way to stop disruption.

He compared the threat to a drone incident at Gatwick Airport in December which affected roughly 140,000 passengers and 1,000 flights.

'Gatwick was probably two drones. But the underlying question is: what do you do if you have multiple drones, multiple directions, multiple wave incursions? They have not really got an answer for that,' he said.
Police are hunting a man who raped a British teenager at a hotel sauna in Majorca.

The 15-year-old tourist, who was on holiday with her family, was alone at around 4pm on Monday when the sex attacker entered the sauna and forced himself on her.

Well-placed sources said the incident happened at the four-star Best Delta Hotel which is set in a family-friendly neighbourhood with cliff top walks in Llucmajor about 20 minutes from the Majorcan capital Palma.

The 15-year-old tourist, who was on holiday with her family, was alone when the sex attacker entered the sauna and forced himself on her in an unnamed hotel sauna in Llucmajor (stock picture) in the south of Majorca

A British holidaymaker was injured at the same hotel in April last year after falling off a cliff while he was taking a selfie.

Police are working on the theory that the aggressor had been watching the teenager and waited until she was alone before targeting her.

The youngster alerted hotel staff immediately after the sex attack and was taken to Son Llatzer Hospital in the Majorcan capital Palma for examination.

Well-placed sources said the incident happened at the four-star Best Delta Hotel (stock pictured) which is set in a family-friendly neighbourhood with cliff top walks in Llucmajor about 20 minutes from the Majorcan capital Palma. Staff at the hotel, which is part of a chain of hotels called Best Hotels, declined to comment

A spokesman for the Civil Guard confirmed the force was hunting an alleged rapist who targeted a British teenage holidaymaker, although he did not identify the hotel where it happened.

A source close to the investigation said: 'We are taking this extremely seriously and all efforts are being made to catch this man.'

The force did not release a description of the rapist, although he has been described as foreign.

Staff at the hotel, which is part of a chain of hotels called Best Hotels, declined to comment.

No-one was immediately available for comment at the group's HQ.

Hotel workers are understood to have been questioned as part of the ongoing police operation.

It is not known if the British girl and her family are still at the hotel.
Britain has subjected Julian Assange to an 'endless stream of psychological torture' according to a UN expert who visited the Wikileaks founder in prison and found his mental state had 'deteriorated'.

The UK, along with the US Sweden and Ecuador has engaged in a 'relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr Assange', according to Professor Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, who warned the Australian could not expect a fair trial in the US.

Prof Melzer concluded the the 'systematic judicial persecution' 'oppressive isolation', and 'deliberate collective ridicule' of Mr Assange amounted to 'cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture'.

It comes after Assange, 47, was moved to the hospital wing of Belmarsh prison and was found too unwell to appear by video-link as scheduled at Westminster magistrates' court. His lawyers reported is was not possible to have a normal conversation with him.

Professor Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, who warned the Australian could not expect a fair trial in the US

Mr Assange, pictured being removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy earlier this month, has been subjected to a 'relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation' according to the report

What is a UN special rapporteur and who is Professor Nils Melzer? The word rapporteur comes from the French for an investigator who reports to a deliberative body, and the UN has 37 special rapporteurs or independent expert each with their own country or thematic mandate from the United Nations Human Rights Council. Special Rapporteurs often conduct fact-finding missions to countries to investigate allegations of human rights violations, and can only visit countries that have agreed to invite them. Prof. Nils Melzer is the Human Rights Chair of the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. He is also Professor of International Law at the University of Glasgow. On 1 November 2016, he took up the function of UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. He served for 12 years with the International Committee of the Red Cross as a Legal Adviser, Delegate and Deputy Head of Delegation in various zones of conflict and violence. After leaving the ICRC in 2011, he held academic positions as Research Director of the Swiss Competence Centre on Human Rights (University of Zurich), as Swiss Chair for International Humanitarian Law (Geneva Academy) and as Senior Fellow for Emerging Security Challenges (Geneva Centre for Security Policy), and has represented civil society in the Steering Committee of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers. SOURCE: www.un.org Advertisement

Mr Assange lived inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for almost seven years before being dragged out last month and sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for a bail violation.

He now faces an extradition request from the US to face claims of violating the US Espionage Act by publishing classified military and diplomatic documents in 2010.

Mr Assange was too ill to appear at a court hearing in London on Thursday.

Prof Melzer, who visited Mr Assange in Belmarsh Prison in south London earlier this month, issued a strongly worded statement expressing 'alarm' that the US Department of Justice had laid 17 new charges, which carry up to 175 years in prison.

'This may well result in a life sentence without parole, or possibly even the death penalty, if further charges were added in the future,' he said.

Prof Melzer said he was 'gravely concerned' about the limited frequency of visits by Mr Assange's lawyers and his lack of access to documents, making it impossible for him to prepare his defence in the complex legal proceedings 'piling up' against him.

The Swedish authorities recently announced that they were reopening an investigation into a rape allegation, which Mr Assange has always denied.

Prof Melzer said Mr Assange had been transferred to the healthcare unit at Belmarsh because his psychological state had deteriorated.

'Since 2010, when Wikileaks started publishing evidence of war crimes and torture committed by US forces, we have seen a sustained and concerted effort by several states towards getting Mr Assange extradited to the United States for prosecution, raising serious concern over the criminalisation of investigative journalism in violation of both the US Constitution and international human rights law,' he said.

'Since then, there has been a relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr Assange, not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom, Sweden and, more recently, Ecuador.'

Julian Assange supporters outside Westminster Magistrates Court where the WikiLeaks founder was expected to appear via videolink from prison but was too unwell

According to the UN official, this included an 'endless stream' of humiliating, debasing and threatening statements in the press and on social media, and by senior political figures, and magistrates involved in proceedings against Mr Assange.

'In the course of the past nine years, Mr Assange has been exposed to persistent, progressively severe abuse ranging from systematic judicial persecution and arbitrary confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy, to his oppressive isolation, harassment and surveillance inside the embassy, and from deliberate collective ridicule, insults and humiliation, to open instigation of violence and even repeated calls for his assassination.

'It was obvious that Mr Assange's health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years.

'Most importantly, in addition to physical ailments, Mr Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma.

'The evidence is overwhelming and clear.

Pamela Anderson (seen taking a vegan lunch to Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy) has remained a staunch supporter

'Mr Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.

'I condemn, in the strongest terms, the deliberate, concerted and sustained nature of the abuse inflicted on Mr Assange and seriously deplore the consistent failure of all involved governments to take measures for the protection of his most fundamental human rights and dignity.

'By displaying an attitude of complacency at best, and of complicity at worst, these governments have created an atmosphere of impunity encouraging Mr Assange's uninhibited vilification and abuse.'

Prof Melzer appealed to the British Government not to extradite Mr Assange to America or to any other state failing to provide reliable guarantees against his onward transfer to the US.

He told the Press Association that extraditing Mr Assange to the US would be a 'grave violation' of his human rights because there was 'no chance' of him receiving a fair trial.

He added: 'In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution, I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time, and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law.'

Present at the five-minute hearing at Westminister Magistrates Court yesterday, which Mr Assange was too ill to attend, was his friend and supporter, award-winning leftwing journalist John Pilger.

The Evening Standard reported that, asked about Assange's health, Mr Pilger said he had gone through an 'extraordinary mental and physical ordeal'.

He said: 'Well he couldn't appear today because he was unwell. He's in the prison hospital.

Campaigning journalist John Pilger said his friend Mr Assange was very unwell

'When I saw him a couple of weeks ago he wasn't very well then.

'But then he's been in an embassy in a confined space without natural light for almost seven years.

'He needs a great deal of diagnostic care and rehabilitation. He's gone through an extraordinary physical and mental ordeal.

'And now he's having to go through this.'

He added: 'This is so shameful, so shameful that we are even here today to consider the extradition of a journalist for trying to protect his sources.'
Come September 1 it will be legal in Texas to carry brass knuckles in the name of self defense.

The state House of Representatives and the state Senate voted unanimously for the bill with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signing HB 446 into law on Saturday after a motion was filed late last year.

In an existing law, it is illegal to possess, manufacture, transport or sell a list of dangerous items including 'knuckles'. The list also includes everything from explosive devices to homemade guns.

In an existing law, it was illegal to possess, manufacture, transport or sell a list of dangerous items including 'knuckles'

But now, the weapon has been stricken off the list that was sponsored by nine male representatives including Jonathan Stickland who is a vocal anti-vax campaigner.

Rep. Joe Moody, a Democratic legislator from El Paso who also sponsored the bill, told the Texas Standard that the bill is about self defense.

'A young woman who has a keychain for self defense, certainly fits the statute of knuckles,' he said. ' And she was arrested for that.'

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 446 into law on Saturday, it comes into effect in September

Who are the nine yay-sayers? Rep. Joe Moody: Lawyer from El Paso, Texas, who is Speaker Pro Tempore of the Texas House of Representatives. He has represented District 78, based entirely in El Paso County, since 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Rep. Joe Moody is a lawyer from El Paso Rep. Jonathan Stickland: Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 92, which includes a portion of Tarrant County in suburban Fort Worth. Rep. Tom Oliverson: Anesthesiologist who is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 130. Rep. John Frullo: John Michael Frullo, Sr. is a businessman from Lubbock, Texas, who is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 84. Since 1993, Frullo has owned Midtown Printing Company in Lubbock. Rep. Steve Toth: Businessman from The Woodlands, Texas, who represents District 15 as a Republican. Rep. James White: Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 19, which encompasses Polk, Hardin, Jasper, Newton, and Tyler counties. Rep. John Wray: Lawyer, businessman, and politician from his native Waxahachie in Ellis County in suburban Dallas, Texas. Sen. Charles Perry: Republican member of the Texas State Senate from West Texas District 28 which contains two cities, Lubbock and San Angelo, and 46 mostly rural counties. Advertisement

Those types of arrests are 'certainly antithetical to our rights to self defense,' Moody added.

The Texas Penal Code defines the weapon as a hard substance wrapped around the fingers that can cause 'serious bodily injury or death by striking a person with a fist enclosed in the knuckles.'

Supporters of the bill said that the classification of knuckles as a prohibited weapon is 'unnecessary' along with that of the switchblade - which were removed from the same list in 2013.

Up until now, a knuckles offense was a class A misdemeanor punishable with up to a year in jail or by a maximum fine of $4,000, according to a bill summary published by the House Research Organization.

'Law abiding Texans who carry knuckles, perhaps as part of a novelty key chain, should not be vulnerable to jail time for possessing a legitimate self defense tool,' the summary says.

The key chain comment alluded to usually cat-themed novelty trinkets used for self defense, usually for women.

The bill was voted in 9-0 and no representative had any concerns about the approval of the weapon.

Moody said of the lifting of the switchblade ban: 'We recently also lifted the prohibition on switchblades.

'We aren't living in 'West Side Story.' Maybe at one point this was used to identify criminal elements, but it's just not the case anymore.'

In Harlingen, Texas in 2014 a man was charged with murder after police said he fatally beat another man with brass knuckles.

Also in 2014, three Michigan teens were charged in the murder of Michigan State University student Dustyn Frolka, 19, whose body was found partially-clothed on the side of a freeway in February.

Prosecutor Chuck Sherman said 18-year-olds Samantha Grigg and Tyrel Bredernitz worked with 16-year-old Brendan Heim to rob Frolka for drug money, but ended up beating him to death with brass knuckles.

There was a mixed reaction to the HB 446 tweak online. 'Good. Carrying of weapons for self defense should not be outlawed,' said another person. Another person wrote: 'Heck yea, wait till they do rocket launchers next.'
Brooke Brennan (pictured) was jailed for three years and four months

A couple who sprayed ammonia in a teenager's face grinned and waved at family members as they were jailed for a total of more than 20 years.

Joshua Prout, 19, suffered devastating eye injuries in the attack in Brighton, East Sussex which left him scarred for life.

He was sprayed with ammonia before Jordan Kelly, 28 and Brooke Brennan, 21, told him to hand over his wallet and phone.

A judge told Kelly his history of violence made him a danger to the public before caging him for 12 years with a five-year extension.

Her honour judge Christine Laing QC told his accomplice she needed to take her court appearance more seriously before jailing her for three years and four months.

Brennan, 21, barged Mr Prout before Kelly sprayed a liquid into his face - believed to be ammonia.

As his eyes and face burned from the corrosive alkali, the pair robbed him.

He stumbled into the road, narrowly avoiding being run over, and Kelly demanded his phone, bank card and PIN.

After handing over his belongings and the code to unlock the phone, Mr Prout made his way the nearest house and was then flown to hospital in an air ambulance.

Minutes later, Brennan tried to use his bank card to withdraw money at an ATM.

Lewes Crown Court heard the couple have a three-year-old son together.

The court heard Kelly, who has a history of robbery with violence, pressed something against his victim as he demanded his wallet and phone.

Daniel Stevenson for the Crown said: 'Kelly brought his left hard round and squirted liquid into his face.

'He nearly got struck by a car as he ended up in a road.

'Kelly pressed an object against him, he thought it was a knife.'

Kelly and Brennan, both from Brighton, swapped clothes in an effort to disguise themselves before making unsuccessful attempts to use the bank card.

In a victim statement described by the judge as moving, Mr Prout said every day has been a struggle since the attack.

Mr Stevenson said he has suffered mood swings, has not been able to work and his confidence has been knocked.

'He is scared of something happening to his remaining good eye,' Mr Stevenson said.

'His eye has bled which has scared him.'

The vision in his left eye is severely reduced and he will not recover.

'This is a very serious injury with a long lasting impact,' Mr Stevenson said.

Kelly and Brennan looked about them and grinned during the sentencing hearing.

Brennan even smiled at family members in the public gallery as she was taken down.

'The facts of this case - quite frankly - beggar belief,' the judge said.

'It would have been obvious he had no great wealth on him.

'You robbed him of what he had.'

The bank card was used to pay for goods totalling 11.60 and the pair made three failed attempts to withdraw money.

'In order to get those relatively minor pickings, you squirted him in the face with a corrosive liquid.

'For that you were prepared to cause him utterly devastating injury.

'He has suffered permanent and life changing injury.

The attack on Mr Prout demonstrated a significant escalation in his offending, the judge told Kelly.

'The casual manner in use of weapon which would cause devastating injury, your willingness to resort to that is of grave concern to me.

'You are entrenched in criminality,' the judge said.

She told Kelly: 'It is a significant aggregating feature you used the ammonia before demanding the items from him.

'A threat or punch would most likely have achieved your aim.

'The use of that substance caused far more harm than was needed,' Judge Laing said.

Jordan Kelly, of Brighton, East Sussex, was jailed for total of 12 years, with a five year licence extension

Brennan carried on with the robbery after seeing the devastating impact of the liquid sprayed into Mr Prout's face, the judge said.

'You are only 21 and likely to be somewhat immature with a three year old son,' the judge told her.

Both pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Kelly, who had two previous convictions for robbery and was out on licence when he attacked Mr Prout, was jailed for 12 years with a five year extended licence for the robbery and two further thefts from an off licence and another shop in Brighton.

He will serve at least eight years in prison.

Brennan was jailed for three years and four months.

His extended licence means he could spend 17 years in prison if he commits any further offence when he is released on licence.

Mr Prout was attacked at around 8pm on March 10 this year.

Kelly and Brennan both pleaded guilty in April.

Kelly admitted robbery and throwing a corrosive substance with intent.

Brennan admitted robbery.
He is known for his innovation in science, art and industry in the UK.

But Prince Albert should have been 'fulfilling the more traditional role' of single-mindedly supporting his spouse which he failed to do, historian Lucy Worsley has claimed.

A determined Albert 'kept those babies coming' which, she said, allowed him to pursue an ambition of becoming 'king in all but name'.

Historian Lucy Worsley said she believed Prince Albert, right, wanted his wife Queen Victoria, left, to be constantly pregnant so he could continue taking over some of her duties

She explained that while Victoria was busy having children he was able to take over some of her duties, consequently taking on some of her power.

Speaking at the Hay Festival she said: 'By child seven, Victoria realised that was enough. But Albert kept those babies coming.

'And that's because he could see that while she was busy with that, he could get on with making himself king in all but name.

'Taking over some of her duties, taking over some of her power.

'I sense that some of you are thinking 'No, I just don't believe this. Albert is a great man. He's brilliant, he's a polymath, he organised the Great Exhibition, he supported science and art and industry'.

'Well that is true, but I don't think he should necessarily have been doing those things.

'I think he should have been fulfilling the more traditional role of a Queen or a princess in this relationship, which was single-mindedly to support his spouse, which he didn't do.'

Miss Worsley suggested to a packed audience of 1,700 people that history is too kind to Prince Albert.

The truth, she said, is that he was a man who lacked emotional intelligence and manipulated Victoria for his own ends.

Historian Lucy Worsley, left, has written a book about Queen Victoria, right, in which she discusses the monarch's relationship with her husband and how he tried to assume some of her responsibilities

Miss Worsley, who has recently written the book Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow, said that to be fair to Albert, men in the 19th century were expected to be boss.

She added: 'I think Albert gets a good press from historians most of the time. Partly because he had a lot of the personal qualities that historians themselves admire.

'He was really interested in filing systems. He was a thinker, not a feeler. He definitely had a massive IQ.

'But today, in our leaders, I think we value something a bit different to that, we value emotional intelligence. That, I think Victoria had, and he didn't.'

Miss Worsley, chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces and a familiar face and voice on TV and radio, said that Victoria had nine children in quick succession and often suffered symptoms that would today be diagnosed as postnatal depression.

During the talk Miss Worsley was asked by an audience member how she thought Victoria would deal with the current Prime Minister and react to Brexit.

She responded: 'She was very European in her outlook. She would deal with it by identifying all the heads of state in the European Union and marrying her children to them.'
A Jack the Ripper historian has revealed she was likened to a holocaust denier after publishing a book on his victims.

In her controversial novel, The Five: The Untold Lives of Women killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold argues that the traditional narrative of all the women being prostitutes is incorrect.

She reveals a different side to the women - some of whom had children and were also trying to cope with severe illness and alcoholism.

The five Ripper victims were Mary Ann Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly. Each had their throats cut and four had their entrails removed during his three-month killing spree that began in 1888.

In her controversial novel, The Five: The Untold Lives of Women killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold (left) argues that the traditional narrative of all the women being prostitutes is incorrect. Pictured with Lesley Garrett at a Jack the Ripper panel discussion

Miss Rubenhold said the best-known and most popular of the victims was Mary Kelly - because she was beautiful and young which allowed for an element of titillation.

After arguing that three of the five were not sex workers, Miss Rubenhold received an absurd amount of backlash from Ripper fans, known as Ripperologists.

At the Hay Festival she was asked to elaborate on the response to her book.

I knew it was going to be controversial, but I had no idea how controversial, the author said.

There are people out there who feel they have ownership over these womens stories. And that fulfils an orthodoxy - weve spent years and years of our lives reading about this and these are facts.

She reveals a different side to the women - some of whom had children and were also trying to cope with severe illness and alcoholism

If I question those facts, god have mercy on me. The response Ive had to this has been unbelievable.

Miss Rubenhold explained that some people accused her of willfully hiding facts and being part of a larger conspiracy.

People have accused me of suppressing evidence, she said. That Ive wilfully hidden things that are fact - never mind the fact my book is filled with footnotes. So that makes absolutely no sense.

Im part of some big conspiracy now to hide this, because I have an agenda. I have an agenda because Im a feminist.

[They think] I set out to write this book in the most cynical way possible which is I know, lets make Jack the Ripper work for the Me Too age. Well, Me Too hadnt actually happened when I started writing the book.

And the other thing Im getting is that people are saying to me Im doing a gross disservice to these women, because actually they were all prostitutes and Im hiding the evidence.

Im saying that three of the five werent sex workers and Im lying [they say], and therefore Im being unfair to these women. Its absolutely insane.

After arguing that three of the five were not sex workers, Miss Rubenhold received an absurd amount of backlash from Ripper fans, known as Ripperologists

She said she was even likened to David Irving, an English author and holocaust denier who argued in his books that Adolf Hitler did not know about the extermination of the Jews.

Its absolutely absurd, she said. And its offensive. Its laughable. The amount of trolling - its constant.

The other thing - the two hour podcast - where I was compared to David Irving, the holocaust denier. Saying that my level of dishonesty matches his. I mean, come on.
Celebrities who share pictures with pet monkeys are 'morons' because 'primates are not domestic animals', a scientist has warned.

Ben Garrod, a Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement, claimed that any chimpanzees or monkeys purchased as pets would be 'dead within two years' as humans lack the ability to care for them properly.

He called for better regulations to be introduced to prevent people from buying the pets, adding that it was easy to do so online.

Prof Garrod told the Hay Festival that Justin Bieber, pictured with his monkey, is a 'super-moron'

He also condemned Rihanna, pictured feeding her pet monkey, for their choice of animal. Prof Garrod said current UK regulations on the ownership of exotic monkeys are too lax

Prof Ben Garrod, pictured, claimed it was far too easy for members of the public to buy exotic monkeys as pets and that many of the primates would be dead within two years as they need special care and are not easily domesticated

Professor Garrod explained that primates did not make good pets because there have not undergone a long domestication process.

Addressing an audience at the Hay Festival he said: 'Justin Bieber - the guy's a moron. Absolute super-moron.

'He got a pet monkey that he took from America to Germany and was like 'oh look, I've got my own pet monkey'.

'No, you can't do that. He got it confiscated off him and he said 'I'll just buy another one', the guy is an idiot.

'When you see celebrities like Rihanna and Justin Bieber and a few others with pet monkeys that's really bad and we should tell people it's bad.' He criticised anyone in the UK that was prepared to buy a primate as a pet and called for better regulation of the issue.

He added: 'I want you to be surprised that there are 4,500 monkeys in the UK kept as pets.

'There is no regulation to stop that. You can go on Google and actually Google 'baby monkey for sale UK' and you will find them.

'I Googled it last week and you can buy two in Manchester at the moment, two little Marmosets from South America for 1,500.

'They will be dead within two years because you won't be able to look after them.

'They are incredibly special animals that need very special care yet we keep them as pets - it's insane.'

Explaining the reasons they were such bad pets, Professor Garrod told the audience that primates had not been through the same domestication process that dogs, cats, hamsters and horses had.

He said: 'Some animals we've had a long experience with in our history of helping make them suitable as pets.

'Dogs - we first started domesticating wolves to become dogs 37,000 years ago.

'We've had 37,000 years of tweaking and changing and turning it from a beautiful, majestic, wolf into a Pomeranian.

'But we haven't had that with chimpanzees and other primates, like monkeys apes and lemurs.' Professor Garrod, of the University of East Anglia, drew on the issue in his new book The Chimpanzee and Me.

He wrote: 'Given that we're hard-wired to seek out, form and maintain social relationships and considering that baby primates like chimps look so undeniably cute... it's not a huge shock that primates have been considered perfect pets and have been kept around palaces, houses or apartments for years..' But, he said: 'Primates are not domestic animals.

'If there's one thing I would like to see in the next few years, it would be for the US and the UK to make it illegal to own a primate as a pet.

'It's wrong. We know it's wrong and it would be such an easy win for politicians.'
Alastair Campbell stepped up his war with the Labour leadership today - claiming that even Jeremy Corbyn's closest allies think it is 'bonkers' to kick him out of the party.

The former No10 spin doctor said John McDonnell and Keir Starmer had told him the decision to eject him for voting Lib Dem at the EU election should be reviewed.

The latest salvo came after Cherie Blair made it known she also did not vote Labour in the poll last week, and is instead thought to have supported the pro-EU Lib Dems.

Mr Corbyn is facing all-out mutiny from Remain supporters, who have been infuriated at his refusal full-heartedly to back a second Brexit referendum.

Former No10 spin doctor Alastair Campbell (pictured speaking to reporters at his London home this week) said John McDonnell and Keir Starmer had told him the decision to eject him for voting Lib Dem at the EU election should be reviewed.

Mr McDonnell (pictured earlier this month) agrees that the expulsion is 'bonkers', according to Mr Campbell

There has been an #expelmetoo backlash on social media, and deputy leader Tom Watson has branded the move - which is now being reviewed - 'spiteful'.

Mr Campbell, Mr Blair's former spin doctor, was ousted from Labour on Tuesday after he admitted backing the Liberal Democrats because, unlike his party, they were strongly in favour of a so-called People's Vote.

Mrs Blair's husband, former PM Tony Blair, has said he voted Labour but 'without any enthusiasm'.

Mr Campbell, who is appealing against his expulsion from the party, pointed to comments from Attorney General Baroness Chakrabarti yesterday saying there would be a review.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The reason there is no justification for this expulsion is because, as Shami Chakrabarti said yesterday, a tactical vote is not a reason for expulsion.

'The only evidence provided to me were three cuttings covering what I'd said after the event, after the polls had closed, after the results had come in.'

Defending comments on the eve of poll where he said he understood people who were not planning to vote Labour, he said: 'That's hardly campaigning for another party.'

'I have had it clearly spelt out to me from Keir Starmer, John McDonnell  I've heard it publicly from Shami Chakrabarti, Tom Watson and Emily Thornberry  they all think this decision is bonkers and they all think it should be reviewed.'

Mr Corbyn (pictured on a visit to Dublin yesterday) is facing all-out mutiny from Remain supporters, who have been infuriated at his refusal full-heartedly to back a second Brexit referendum

Sources close to Mrs Blair (file picture with husband Tony) made clear she did not support Labour in the polls last week - amid claims she too backed the Liberal Democrats. Tony Blair has said he voted Labour 'without any enthusiasm'

'Jeremy Corbyn talks about listening to members but he is actually only listening to a very, very small clique around him.

'Jeremy Corbyn needs to decide: is he going to listen to the many  the public, the members, the MPs  or listen to the few: Seamus Milne, Carrie Murphy, Len McCluskey and Andrew Murray?

'They are the people driving this and they are the people risking oblivion for the Labour Party.'
The terrifying moment a man is held at gunpoint in his own driveway by two thugs in balaclavas has been captured by security cameras.

The Gold Coast man had returned from a birthday party when he was ambushed in the driveway of his vehicle diagnostic business in an Arundel industrial park at 9pm on Thursday.

A masked gunman sprinted to the driver's window and threatened to shoot while another balaclava-clad man tried to open the passenger door after stalking the grey Mazda3 from Ivan Street.

'Get the f*** out!' one of the men yelled in the video obtained by 9News.

The driver escaped by quickly backing out of the driveway while the gunman was still hanging on to the half-open window and speeding down the road.

The Gold Coast man (pictured in car) had returned from a birthday party when he was ambushed in the driveway of his business in an Arundel industrial park at 9pm on Thursday

The man reported the incident to police at 1am on Friday.

He is scared the thugs will come back for revenge and wished to remain anonymous to protect himself.

Friends of the man told reporters they had no clue why he was targeted.

The car and crime scene have been searched for fingerprints and DNA by forensic investigators.

The traumatised victim will begin counselling next week to cope with his experience.

The Ivan Street business (pictured) is next door to a storage facility and a cafe. The thugs ran up the drive way from Ivan Street (pictured)
A student claims a Garnier cleansing product she used to remove make-up burnt her eye causing her to fear she would go blind.

Jade Inglis, 19, used the micellar oil-infused cleansing water earlier this month before she went to bed.

Despite noticing nothing unusual before going to sleep, the next morning she said she was forced to peel open her right eyelid as it was 'glued' shut with a sticky discharge and feared she'd go blind.

Doctors used a dye in Jade Inglis' eye to inspect the damage and the abrasion showed up as a glowing green mark

Jade, pictured in hospital, used the micellar oil-infused cleansing water earlier this month before she went to bed

Jade rushed to A&E where stunned hospital staff washed her eye out with a solution used on acid attack victims.

After using an orange dye to assess the damage, doctors discovered Jade had a chemical burn on her eyeball believed to be caused by the 6.99 micellar water.

The abrasion showed up under the dye as a glowing green mark.

Marine biology student Jade has allowed pictured of her shocking images to be published in order to highlight the potential dangers of beauty products.

Jade, from Cambridge, said: 'It felt like sunburn in my eye, the pain was excruciating.

'When my eye turned green from the dye I looked like Poison Ivy from the Batman films, thankfully it faded away after a few hours.

'I was terrified that I'd lose my sight when I heard I had a chemical abrasion on my eye - the first thing I was asked was whether it was permanent or not.

'They took the PH level of my eye - the level in my right eye was higher than may left - then they used a solution on my eye that I was told was used on acid attack victims.

'I had to lie there for 20 minutes with the tube inside my eye, it was horrific.

'It was held in place with a little sucker that looked like a toilet plunger around my whole eye. It was so uncomfortable, I've never felt anything like it before.

'They could see a really big abrasion on my pupil from the chemical burn, that's the green in the photo, and said it would heal by itself.'

Jade called 111 as there were no GPs open on a Saturday and was told to go to A&E where stunned hospital staff washed her eye out with a solution used on acid attack victims

Jade was given pain relief and antibiotics and sent home but was forced to make another trip to A&E during a trip to visit her boyfriend in Sheffield two days later when there was no improvement.

Garnier's micellar oil-infused cleansing water boasts it is for dry and sensitive skin, it 'cleans and nourishes' and is suitable for use on face, eyes and lips.

The Garnier website blurb reads: 'For the first time Garnier Micellar technology is formulated with oils. The micelles (cleansing agents) capture impurities like a magnet and lift away dirt from the skin, whilst the oils instantly dissolve all types of make-up.'

Garnier's micellar oil-infused cleansing water (which Jade is holding in the picture) is advertised as being for dry and sensitive skin and suitable for use on face, eyes and lips.

Anglia Ruskin University student Jade is now urging Garnier to pull the product from shelves so no-one else suffers the same painful injury she has.

Jade said: 'If it can happen to me it can happen to anyone, I don't want anyone else going through the pain that I have - it was horrific.

'I'm not allergic to anything and as it's only happened in one eye it's clearly a chemical burn and not an allergic reaction. The bottle says it's a product for face, eyes and lips.'

A Garnier spokesperson said: 'Micellar Oil-Infused Cleansing Water, like all of the products in our Garnier range, undergoes rigorous testing to ensure it is safe to use, even on sensitive skin.

'Our consumer advice team is currently in conversation with Jade to understand the facts around her specific experience'.
This is the dramatic moment a wounded hippopotamus fights off five lions to survive a vicious attack.

The video was taken by park ranger Daniel Bailey, 28, at the South African MalaMala Game Reserveand shows what he described as 'never before seen footage'.

The hippo, who was already wounded from a previous altercation with a fellow hippopotamus, was looking for a drink of water when it all kicked off.

This is the dramatic moment a wounded hippopotamus fights off five lions to survive a vicious attack

Two lions were lounging near the water hole, but quickly jumped up into action after seeing the 3.5-tonne hippo.

After a tense stare-off, the pair of lions call over three lionesses who are accompanied by four cubs.

The pack soon gets to work, as all five adult lions surround the scarred and weary hippopotamus and jump on its back.

The already wounded hippopotamus was looking for water when it was spotted by nearby lions

The pack of lions went to work by surrounding the hippo and started to bite and jump on its back

Mr Bailey said he had never seen an attack like this one before.

'This just isnt the norm, lions hunting a hippo,' he said.

'Seeing an injured giant and a lack of water, I think the lions thought it was an easy chance to take something down that big, that would provide food for their pride for a long time.

Field Guide Daniel Bailey, 28, took the video at the South African MalaMala Game Reserve and described it as 'never before seen footage'

'I believe I wont get to experience a similar scenario to this again.'

The hippopotamus stood its ground during the attack and shook off some of the lions to make his way to the body of water.

While one remaining attacker gnaws on his backside, the hippo continues to move forward and to resist the onslaught.

After a brief skirmish, the hippopotamus managed to shake off the last lion and position itself in water

The bustling creature soon shakes off the last of the lions and stares off the pack, while brandishing its massive teeth.

After being defeated a first time, the lions don't dare to attack the hippo again.

The final lion walks away defeated as the hippo gets comfortable in its natural aquatic habitat

Mr Bailey said: 'The only chance the lions had, would have been to really exhaust it by severing its spinal column over the course of many hours.

'I believe that because the hippo was close to some kind of water, its natural habitat, it was able to shrug them all off and become comfortable with its positioning.

'The lions seemed to become out of their depth very quickly.'
Kim Kardashian has visited a convicted quadruple murderer on death row

Kim Kardashian has visited the notorious San Quentin prison and met with a convicted killer on death row who she is trying to free.

The reality TV star spent two hours talking with quadruple murderer Kevin Cooper on Thursday and is convinced he has been framed, according to TMZ.

The 61-year-old has been awaiting death since 1983 for the grisly murders of two parents, their ten-year-old daughter and her friend in Chino Hills.

Cooper has always proclaimed his innocence.

In October, Kim asked then-Governor of California Jerry Brown to look into Cooper's case because of evidence Cooper was set up, prompting Brown to order DNA testing.

California's new Governor, Gavin Newsom - who is staunchly against capital punishment - ordered additional testing in February.

Kim was said to have visited Cooper so they could get to know one another while waiting on the results.

A source said she stayed at San Quentin (pictured) for several hours meeting inmates and staff

Cooper was sentenced to death for the slaying of Douglas and Peggy Ryens, their 10-year-old daughter Jessica, and 10-year-old Chris Hughes, who was staying at their house in Chino Hills in San Bernardino County.

During Cooper's appeal, testing of evidence, including a t-shirt believed to have belonged to the killer, was found to have his blood - and test tube preservative on it.

This indicated the blood on the shirt had been put there from inside a test tube of Cooper's blood, not splattered on during the quadruple murder.

Family photo of Peggy, Doug, Jessica and Joshua Ryens, who was the lone survivor of a hatchet attack in 1985

Advocates argue that the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department tampered with DNA evidence to frame Cooper and that this evidence  found on a t-shirt Cooper says he never wore  should be retested.

Witnesses also said they had seen three white men driving - what was believed to be the family car - away from the home, but cops focused on Cooper instead.

The California man has been fighting to have evidence in his case re-examined for years.

Five judges even agreed that he was wrongly convicted, but he remained behind bars.

Kim Kardashian has freed as many as 17 inmates by secretly funding a criminal justice campaign, it was revealed last month.

The reality TV star began her social justice bids by petitioning President Donald Trump over the release of Tennessee grandmother Alice Marie Johnson in June last year.

Since the 63-year-old was pardoned by Trump after meeting Kim at the White House, she has joined campaigns to get other prisoners released.

Some of Kim's campaigns have been well-publicized, such as former sex slave Cyntoia Brown, Jeffrey Stringer and Johnson, who spent 21 years in prison for a non-violent drug offense.

Brown was arrested in 1983 and convicted in 1985 for the gruesome murders of two children and two adults - but he has always maintained his innocence

In May, Kim helped get Stringer from Miami out of prison after he was locked up for more than two decades for a low-level drug case.

The reality star tweeted that she helped fund his case after he had been sentenced to life in prison.

Kim also joined celebrities such as Cara Delevigne and Rihanna in calling for Brown, who served 12 years in prison for killing a man who paid her for sex when she was just 16, to be released.

The Buried Alive Project has tweeted updates of those it has helped and claimed to have aided 17 prisoners, including Terrence Byrd, Jamelle Carraway of Illinois and Eric Balcom from Florida.

And Kim has been secretly funding the project over the last few months, according to TMZ.

Kim Kardashian with Alice Marie Johnson, who was pardoned by President Trump after he met with the reality star at the White House last June

Kardashian met Trump (pictured) to highlight the case of Alice Johnson, prompting her release

Byrd served 25 years in a federal prison for drug possession charges, Balcom was sentenced to life without parole over a drugs charge when he was 29 and Carraway served 11 years of a life sentence for cocaine possession.

After her successful campaign to get Johnson out of jail, Kim became interested in criminal justice.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star has since registered with the California State Bar to study law to become a fully-fledged lawyer.

Kim must also complete 60 college credits and then work as an apprentice at a law firm in San Francisco with the intention to take the Bar Exam in 2022.
An ally of Jeremy Corbyn was suspended today after being recorded claiming the Israeli embassy and 68 rabbis in London are behind a conspiracy to engulf Labour and its leader with anti-Semitism claims.

Peter Willsman, a member of Labour's ruling NEC executive committee, claimed that Israel have planted agents in the party with the purpose of damaging its reputation.

In a recording obtained by LBC, Mr Willsman says: 'It's almost certain who is behind all this anti-Semitism against Jeremy. Almost certainly, it was the Israeli embassy.

'They caught somebody in the Labour Party who it turns out in an agent in the embassy.'

Last year Willsman was given 'equalities training' for ranting about Jews but kept his job after apologising - but the decision to keep him in the party caused mass protests.

Today he was suspended - a Labour spokesman said: 'Peter Willsman has been suspended from the Labour Party, pending investigation'.

MailOnline understands he is also barred from serving on the NEC until the probe is complete.

Peter Willsman, a member of Labour's ruling NEC executive committee and ally of Jeremy Corbyn, has been recorded blaming the Israeli embassy of ramping up the anti-Semitism crisis

Tom Watson says Willsman had to be suspended if the party is serious about anti-Semitism

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson had led the calls for him to be investigated.

Alastair Campbell claims even John McDonnell thinks kicking him out of the party for voting Lib Dem is 'bonkers' Alastair Campbell stepped up his war with the Labour leadership today - claiming that even Jeremy Corbyn's closest allies think it is 'bonkers' to kick him out of the party. The former No10 spin doctor said John McDonnell and Keir Starmer had told him the decision to eject him for voting Lib Dem at the EU election should be reviewed. The latest salvo came after Cherie Blair made it known she also did not vote Labour in the poll last week, and is instead thought to have supported the pro-EU Lib Dems. Mr Corbyn is facing all-out mutiny from Remain supporters, who have been infuriated at his refusal full-heartedly to back a second Brexit referendum. There has been an #expelmetoo backlash on social media, and deputy leader Tom Watson has branded the move - which is now being reviewed - 'spiteful'. Mr Campbell, Mr Blair's former spin doctor, was ousted from Labour on Tuesday after he admitted backing the Liberal Democrats because, unlike his party, they were strongly in favour of a so-called People's Vote. Mrs Blair's husband, former PM Tony Blair, has said he voted Labour but 'without any enthusiasm'. Advertisement

He said: 'The fact that a member of Labour's governing body feels he can continue to make such offensive remarks after being warned for similar outbursts previously shows how serious the problem of anti-Semitism is in our party.

'The general secretary must make good on the promise that was made following Mr Willsman's previous outburst that he would face disciplinary action if he engaged in similar conduct again. He must be suspended from the NEC and from party membership immediately.'

Critic and Labour MP Owen Smith said today: 'How on Earth is this man a member of our party, let alone our ruling executive?'

Willsman has claimed that the Israeli embassy have been orchestrating a Labour smear campaign to whip-up anti-Semitism allegations.

He said that Labour members in open warfare with the Labour leader on the issue are actually working directly and indirectly for the Jewish state.

In an extraordinary rant he said that Israeli officials had told 68 rabbis to say that anti-Semitism was 'widespread and severe' within the Labour Party.

The recording has led to calls for him to be suspended or expelled from the party - or quit.

Essex Labour MP Wes Streeting said: 'Willsman should resign from the NEC and subject to disciplinary action by the Labour Party immediately.

'Is it any wonder that the Labour Party is under investigation by the EHRC?

'His views have been known and tolerated by those at the top of the Party for too long.'

Welsh Assembly member Alun Davies, who once sat in the NEC, agreed, saying: 'This is absolutely the case. I witnessed it at first hand on the NEC. It is appalling.'

Today's leaked audio was made in January in Oxford when he met the American-Israeli author Tuvia Tenenbom. He was in the UK to write a book about the British and its politics and asked Willsman if he could organise an interview with Jerem Corbyn.

He told LBC today: 'It was shocking. It was surprising, but that's the reality.

'He's a nice guy, he has a great sense of humour, he's knowledgable. But Like Jeremy Corbyn - I met Jeremy and he's also a nice guy, very fatherly - but they suffer from a disease of really hating the Jews.'

Last July Willsman was secretly taped ranting that 'Jewish Trump fanatics' invented the anti-Semitism storm engulfing Labour.

After the recording emerged he apologised - but denied there is a big problem within his party.

In an angry diatribe at a meeting of Labour's ruling executive committee, Peter Willsman, a strong supporter of Mr Corbyn, said he was 'amazed' there was evidence party members hated Jews.

Labour MP after Labour MP says he should be thrown off the NEC and suspended from the party

In the extraordinary rant he claimed 'some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump  they are Trump fanatics and all the rest of it' before shouting: 'So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up duff information without any evidence at all.'

In March Momentum's Jon Lansman claimed Pete Willsman threatened to 'do him in' in a feud over anti-Semitism.

In the messages Mr Lansman, who is Jewish, brands hard-Left rival Mr Willsman a 'hateful, embarrassing dictator and crank'.

He says Mr Willsman 'waited two hours outside a room in which I was engaging in a telephone conference to threaten me when I emerged, 'I am going to do you in' '. He says they were Mr Willsman's 'precise words'.

Mr Willsman avoided being thrown off the NEC in September after he was recorded saying that Jewish 'Trump fanatics' were 'making up' anti-Semitism allegations in Labour, comments condemned as 'sickening' by moderate Labour MPs.

Mr Willsman was furious when Mr Lansman's Momentum withdrew its support for him in NEC elections in September.

He survived after Mr Williamson came to his rescue, urged Labour members to vote to keep Mr Willsman on the NEC and brushed aside the furore over his 'fanatics' outburst.
An Air New Zealand plane has been struck by lightning shortly after take-off, forcing the pilot to dump fuel and return to Auckland.

Flight NZ42 was en route to Tahiti on Friday night when passengers heard a 'huge, loud bang and a shake', before it had to turn around.

The flight departed Auckland at 7.10pm local time and was struck after just ten minutes in the air, but was safely returned to Auckland by 8.30pm.

Flight NZ42 was en route to Tahiti on Friday night when passengers heard a 'huge, loud bang and a shake', before it had to turn around (pictured: the flight path)

A passenger on board the flight told Stuff the aircraft dumped fuel while in the air and began its journey back to Auckland.

After it was hit by the lightning, the plane circled off the coast of the Bay of Plenty before it was back at the airport.

Passengers said they were aware of what had happened but was told by the crew that there was bad turbulence.

'There was a bright flash and a loud bang and you could tell straight away we'd been hit by lightning,' one of the passengers said.

'You could tell by the look on the faces of the cabin crew that it wasn't normal.'

Air NZ released a statement saying there had been a disruption on board the flight, but urged that lightning wasn't uncommon.

Flight NZ42 was en route to Tahiti on Friday night when passengers heard a 'huge, loud bang and a shake', before it had to turn around (stock image)

'Lightning strikes are not uncommon. Aircrafts are designed with this in mind and our pilots train for this scenario,' the statement said.

The aircraft is due to be inspected by engineers and customers will be moved to alternative services.

A passenger said many had been booked onto a flight set to take off on Saturday night, 24 hours later than their intended departure time.
Advertisement

Incredible photos from the turn of the 20th century were included in a bold and spectacular Parisian exhibit designed to promote racial equality in the wake of the American Civil War.

Around 120 years ago African American scholars, writers, and intellectuals faced a race against time to build and present a display which would be seen by tens of millions of people and had the potential to alter the course of history.

In 1899, African American lawyer Thomas Calloway had an idea for an exhibit for the upcoming 1900 Exposition Universelle (World Fair) in Paris.

Realizing that eyes across the globe would be on the City of Lights - and the magnificent metal tower under construction by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel that would serve as its entrance - Calloway thought the grand event would be an ideal platform to showcase African American society nearly four decades after the end of lawful slavery.

He immediately turned to Librarian Daniel Murray and his former university classmate and prominent intellectual activist W.E.B. Du Bois to help curate his much anticipated 'Exhibit of American Negroes'.

The remarkable photographs included a class of smartly dressed black academics graduating at Howard University, Washington DC, a sisterhood of nuns outside a New Orleans church, and a group of hardworking journalists at the Planet newspaper, Richmond, Virginia.

In addition to photographs and portraits of a cross section of the African-American population, the exhibit included books written and patents held by black creators, and dozens of charts, graphs and drawings outlining the demographics and economic situation of black people in 1900.

A musical ensemble from the US. This photograph was exhibited at the 1900 Exposition Universelle (World Fair) in Paris. Music would be a release for many equal rights activists over the coming decades. With just four months to go before the start of the Exposition, Thomas Calloway demanded and received Congressional approval and $15,000 to create his vision

A black student stands alongside his white peers conducting a lab experiment. This image was used in the exhibit to promote racial equality more than 30 years after the American Civil War

A group of African Americans prepare for church. A call for resources was announced and a huge amount of material - predominantly photographs - flooded Thomas Calloway's office, each offering a small snapshot of life in the US for black citizens at the end of the 1800s

Impeccably dressed black students with top hats and tails graduating from their law class at Howard University, Washington DC in 1900

Described as 'the only negro store of its type', Mr Gardner proudly stands outside his repair shop in Chicago. The exhibit showed a disproportionate amount of African Americans were in low-skilled and low-paid agricultural work where their intellectual prowess would often be wasted

Sisters of the Holy Family, New Orleans. The American Civil War had seen an end to slavery which was legally abolished in 1865. These photos were captured around three decades later

Press time: staff work on the latest edition of the Plant newspaper in Richmond, Virginia. A weighting was given to photos showing high achieving black Americans, as the exhibit makers wanted to promote their fellow 'negroes' as just as worthy and accomplished as their white peers

Sgt. John Lawson with his war medals. There was a collection of portraits of African American subjects included in the exhibit

An African American music tutor plays his trade. Unfortunately the exhibit, though hailed as a wonder in Paris, did not deliver the social change the organizers had hoped for

Black students in a science lab at Howard University. The exhibit hoped to challenge the notion that African American people were 'inferior', as scientists at the time suggested. At the time, prevailing scientific thought suggested African Americans were inherently inferior to Anglo-Americans and Du Bois, Calloway and Murray were keen to dispel this prejudiced preconception

A nursing student wearing a starched white uniform, seated in a rocking chair, reading. The exhibit hoped to show how far the black community had come since the abolition of slavery

Mr Dodson, a jeweler in Knoxville, Tennessee. A huge percentage of black workers were employed in low-paid agricultural work as work in other sectors was rarely forthcoming

Boys and girls, some happier than others, pose on a porch for a portrait. Although widely acclaimed by Exposition Universelle attendees and judges as a success, the exhibit only drew a small number of headlines in Europe and even fewer in the United States

Prominent intellectual activist W.E.B. Du Bois was a key curator for the exhibit. He was disillusioned by its lack of impact in the US, where it barely registered with the American media

A photo of the award-winning exhibit in Paris 1900. Despite the rush - and Du Bois almost unable to attend his own exhibition due to a lack of funds - 'The Exhibit of American Negroes' opened in the Palace of Social Economy at the Exposition Universelle

This portrait of an African American woman was also included in the portrait section. In the course of its eight-month run, the exhibition was visited by over 50 million people and won numerous awards including a gold medal

Visual data was also available at the exhibit. This piece, compiled by Atlanta University, shows how slavery numbers dropped rapidly after the North won the Civil War. Other examples showed the high levels of poverty the majority of the African American community endured

A publication from the turn of the 19th century celebrates 'The Exhibition of American Negroes'. The organizers admitted they were deflated their hard work had not been more widely recognized. Race relations remained a core concern for many Americans throughout most of the 20th century. Today the Exhibit of American Negroes is housed at the Library of Congress in the USA
Advertisement

Two illegal tower blocks in China were yesterday demolished in an impressive controlled explosion involving 1.1 tonnes of dynamites.

The high-rises, both unfinished and 20 storeys, were blown into smithereens within 15 seconds in a city centre after being left untouched for nine years, according to a local newspaper.

There are numerous illegal buildings like these in China, a phenomenon that has caused much headache to authorities in the rapidly urbanised country.

It's begun: The first building starts to collapse during a controlled demolition involving 1.1 tonnes of dynamites in China

Quickly disappearing: The two buildings in the city of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, were deemed illegal by the authorities

Structures can be deemed unlawful by Chinese authorities when the developers erect them on plots without planning permission or breaking rules during the construction process.

The controlled explosion took place yesterday afternoon near a busy junction in the city of Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province.

The two towers, eight metres apart from each other, had been built by residents of the Changzhai Village through raised funds, reported local Dahe Newspaper.

Reduced to rubble: They go down one after another in quick succession after experts carefully planned the explosion

Where is the mask? The 15-second demolition kicks up a dust storm in the city centre where a high-end complex will be built

Ground was broken in 2006 and the core part of the construction was completed in 2010, the report said.

Soon after, authorities ordered the project to be halted, but the report did not explain why the structures were deemed illegal.

Zhengzhou city planners said on Wednesday that the buildings had been earmarked for demolition to make room for a new project initiated by the government.

'This explosion has used the largest quantity of dynamites in the residential projects in Zhengzhou. [The amount] was seven times more than what we had used to blow up rocks,' Fang Guifu, chief engineer of the demolition project, told Dahe.

Blink you'll miss it! The dust quickly rises into the air before being subdued by mist blasted out from eight huge cannons

Aftermaths: The government plans to build a high-end residential complex, luxurious hotels and huge shopping malls here

Before the explosion, workers drilled 7,263 holes on the structures before embedding 1.176 tonnes of dynamites, 9,160 detonators and 3,500 metres (2.1 miles) of detonating fuses. They also dug ditches around the site in a bid to reduce the impact to nearby buildings.

The two towers were brought down one after another in rapid succession.

Mist cannons were at the scene to reduce air pollution.

Dust control: Authorities sent eight cannons to blast mist into the air to improve the air quality after the explosion (file photo)

Carrying a huge water at the back, those dust-control machines are often used in fighting smog in China.

Yesterday, a fleet of eight of them blasted mist into the air to disperse the dust over busy streets right after the explosion.

The Zhengzhou government is planning to build a high-end residential complex, luxurious hotels and huge shopping malls in the area.
A topless waitress who boasted about selling drugs with her boyfriend and making $50,000 a week is appealing her 14-month prison term.

Nateesha Jennifer Barlin, 24, will fight the sentence after it was handed down to her at court in Gosford, on the New South Wales Central Coast, on Thursday.

Magistrate Peter Barnett sentenced her to 14 months' jail with a six month non-parole period after she pleaded guilty to concealing a serious indictable offence, The Daily Telegraph reported.

She lodged an immediate appeal on the severity of the sentence and was released on bail to front court at a later date.

Nateesha Jennifer Barlin, 24, will appeal her 14-month sentence after it was handed down to her at court in Gosford on Thursday

According to agreed police facts tendered to court, Barlin was aware her boyfriend Dylan Shaw was allegedly supplying drugs

According to agreed police facts tendered to court, Barlin was aware her boyfriend Dylan Shaw was allegedly supplying drugs.

Barlin knew the 25-year-old was allegedly using the fake name Tony Rhino as a Facebook account to bring in customers, the facts state.

Shaw allegedly directed them to use the encrypted app Wickr before customers put their money into the bank account of Luxe Lashes and Beauty - Barlin's company.

The drugs would then be allegedly sent via post.

Shaw allegedly supplied drugs to undercover police between March and June 2018, and a listening device was planted in one of the cars of Shaw's alleged mules.

The agreed police facts state that Barlin spoke with an alleged supplier about how much money the pair were making on a weekly basis.

'He's being smart about it and he's moving about 2 kilos a week and we're making 50 grand a week. We pick up the occas (ounces) we make $1,000 each one.

'Most people are buying them for 5.9 but we're buying them for 5 so we're $900 in front.'

In the conversation, Barlin said Shaw was going to buy her a Rolex watch and five handbags for her birthday.

The 14-month jail sentence comes after she managed to avoid jail time for importing steroids earlier this month.

Barlin and Shaw had pleaded guilty to importing steroids and human growth hormones between October 2014 and October 2016.

The pair were initially being assessed for intensive corrections orders in June 2018, after a judge was convinced Barlin and Shaw showed remorse for their actions.

Barlin knew her boyfriend was allegedly using the fake name Tony Rhino as a Facebook account to bring in customers

An conversation between Barlin and a supplier was recorded, after police planted a listening device in one of the cars of Shaw's alleged supplier

But one month later, police discovered $179,000 in a hidden compartment in Shaw's car at Belmore.

His two alleged suppliers were also caught with $25,600 cash and 586.6 grams of cocaine.

Shaw was sentenced in early May 2019 to at least 11 months behind bars for his role in the importation and distribution of steroids, testosterone and human growth hormones.

Shaw has yet to enter a plea over the alleged commercial supply of prohibited drug as the matter is slated for a mention in court on June 13.

Barlin still managed to avoid jail time and was given an 18-month Intensive Corrections Order (ICO) on top of 300 hours of community service and a $500 fine.
Iran has revealed an underground missile bunker packed with bombs in footage broadcast on its state television network as a rousing message to its people.

The clip shows a long tunnel deep under the earth stuffed full of weapons, trucks and parts appearing to belong to the Qiam-1 ballistic missile system.

Outside the grand entrance to the bunker hang huge posters of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani.

The clip shows a long tunnel deep under the earth stuffed full of weapons (pictured), trucks and soldiers

The clip shows soldiers removing the casing from a part of weapon (pictured) using a motorised crane, before attaching it to the lower half of the bomb

Below it, sliding doors pull away and a ramp drops to allow access to the dimly-lit tunnel.

The footage cuts to soldiers removing the casing from part of a weapon using a motorised crane, before attaching it to the lower half of the bomb.



It is mounted on a trolley and moved to a cavernous area where it is winched up to point towards the sky.

Chaotic scenes then shows the missile fired, with the camera in the tunnel engulfed in flames and smoke.

Outside the grand entrance to the bunker hang huge posters of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani (pictured)

The vast tunnel network was shown on Iranian television in an apparent rousing message to its people

The missile is mounted on a trolley and moved to a cavernous area where it is winched up to point towards the sky

Chaotic footage shows a missile fired, with the camera in the tunnel engulfed in flames and smoke

An exterior shot - from the surface - sees the missile leave through a spherical hole in the ground before rocketing away from the desert location.

Today, Iran's foreign ministry rejected accusations made at an ongoing summit of Muslim countries, after regional rival Saudi Arabia said Iran's behaviour threatens regional stability and security.

A foreign ministry spokesman said the accusations were part of an ongoing program against Iran being pursued by the US and Israel, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

Saudi Arabia has 'continued to sow division between Islamic countries and in the region, which is the wish of the Zionist regime,' foreign ministry spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi said.

Saudi King Salman ratchets up the rhetoric against Iran at the start of back-to-back Gulf and Arab summits in Mecca, condemned by Tehran as a bid to 'sow division' in the region to Israel's advantage

Ibrahim al-Assaf originally made the comments early on Thursday at a meeting of foreign ministers of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jiddah ahead of a series of summits in the kingdom.

Al-Assaf said the alleged sabotage of boats off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and a drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels required the region to 'make more efforts to counter the terrorist acts of extremist and terrorist groups.'

Iran has denied being involved in the attacks, but Al-Assaf added: 'We should confront it with all means of force and firmness.'

Norwegian oil tanker Andrea Victory, another of the four damaged boats, pictured with a large dent in its stern

But a US official claimed last month Iran used explosives to blow holes in four ships - including two Saudi tankers - anchored in the Persian Gulf.

Asked about the sabotage, which one tanker association suggested was caused by a 'weapon', US President Donald Trump warned that Tehran would 'suffer greatly' if it enraged Washington, predicting a 'bad problem for Iran if something happens'.

It comes at a delicate time in relations between Iran and the West, with tensions between Washington and Tehran soaring this month over the US deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf over an unexplained threat.

The White House announced it was going to send the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and the bombers to counter Tehran

A B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is seen through night vision coming in for a landing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar earlier this month

Relations further soured on Wednesday when Supreme Leader Khamenei said his country would not negotiate on issues related to its military capabilities.

During a meeting with university professors, Khamenei said 'Negotiations on defensive issues means that we give up our defensive capabilities.'

He said negotiating with the US would bring nothing but harm.

During a meeting with university professors, Supreme Leader Khamenei said 'Negotiations on defensive issues means that we give up our defensive capabilities'

However, he did say Iran is not looking to acquire nuclear weapons 'not because of the sanctions or America,' but because nuclear weapons are forbidden under Islamic Sharia law.

The Iranians said they would restrict their nuclear program in the 2015 Iran Deal, but US President Donald Trump's administration slammed the agreement because they said it did not prevent weapons development.

President Trump famously called it the 'worst deal in history.'

And Iran later announced it was backing away from it, which had seen the country limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Iran has set a July 7 deadline for Europe to offer better terms to the unravelling nuclear deal, otherwise it will resume enrichment closer to weapons level.
Boyson was seen smiling as he left the Mdway Magistrates' court today

Katie Price's partner Kris Boyson has appeared in court today accused of threatening a police officer after a row with a photographer.

The incident is alleged to have taken place a day after Price was arrested by police who found her slumped in a drunken state in the back of her pink Range Rover.

Boyson, of Gravesend, Kent, is charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence.

He entered a not guilty plea at Medway Magistrates' Court in March and was set to face trial at the same court today.

But the hearing was told new audio evidence had come to light which meant the case needed to be adjourned.

Personal trainer Boyson appeared in court without his former glamour model partner.

He sat patiently in the dock listening to proceedings dressed in a white shirt, grey cheque suit and grey trousers.

Chairwoman of the bench, Mandy Ellis, said the case had been adjourned 'in the interests of both sides'.

The alleged victim of the incident, near Boyson's home in Gravesend, Kent, on October 11 was a Pc Blundell, according to court records.

Kris Boyson (pictured arriving at court today) is charged with using threatening, abusive, insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause fear of or provoke unlawful violence

Boyson, 30, is in a relationship with model and reality star Katie Price, 40 (pictured together in July last year)

It was said to have followed 30-year-old Boyson arguing with a photographer.

Price was arrested in her car in Greenwich, south-east London, in the early hours of October 10.

The 41-year-old former glamour model was later convicted of being nearly twice the legal limit while in charge of the vehicle, and she was banned from driving.

Boyson's new trial date has not been set but a case management hearing will take place before any new trial.

He was granted unconditional bail.
Swim instructor Jessica Kretz, (pictured), was arrested and charged with child neglect on Tuesday after a boy, 3, almost drowned while under her supervision in a Florida pool

A Florida swim instructor has been charged with child neglect after a three-year-old boy slipped underwater for more than two minutes while under her supervision.

Park Maitland School worker 34-year-old Jessica Kretz was arrested this week.

She is the only instructor charged in the incident which happened on July 9, 2018, although three others were present. Maitland police say she was supervising the boy and knew that he couldn't swim.

Police released surveillance video Thursday that shows the boy grabbing a flotation device, walking to the pool steps and getting into the water.

He got onto the flotation device but it slipped out from under him.

The footage showed him struggle before he slipped underwater.

He continued to struggle under the water, before going still.

Kretz later notices the boy and pulls him from the water, as another supervisor performs CPR on him.

Attorney Larry Gonzalez, with Morgan & Morgan, filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of the boy's family in November, alleging negligence by the school.

He claimed that swim instructor Jessica Kretz, 34, was in the middle of the pool at the time of the near drowning.

The boy, 3, (seen circled in red), gets into the pool with a flotation device but it slips away from him and he then struggles with his head under water, unnoticed by other adults in the water

The boy is seen frantically bobbing up and down in the water for approximately two minutes

He said there were also three other instructors in the water with the other children.

He claims the teachers came within feet of him multiple times, but they weren't paying attention to what was happening.

'This is a small pool and they are not paying attention at all. Completely dropped the ball,' Gonzalez told News 6.

'This entire time the teachers who are supposed to be watching him are on the other side of the pool,' he said.

According to the Maitland police incident report, the pool is 21 feet wide and 34 feet long. It has a consistent depth of three feet, eight inches.

Kretz notices the child after more than two minutes and takes him out of the water

Another supervisor then performs CPR on the child as Kretz goes on to call 911 for assistance

The police incident report states that Kretz knew the boy couldn't swim.

In the civil lawsuit, Gonzalez claims the school was negligent. He adds the camp was supposed to teach the children how to swim, but the instructors didn't do their job.

'There's just a complete lack of supervision for two full minutes. They don't even glance back to check on him. It's shocking, really,' he said.

She has filed a not guilty plea, according to court documents.Gonzalez said the boy is still suffering from health issues following the near drowning.

'He is continuing to see doctors. He has continued to seek care because he is still having significant issues, both cognitive, physical and mental issues to this day, and we're almost a year later,' he said.

In an email, the school's attorney Dennis O'Connor said he could not comment on the pending civil lawsuit.

According to court documents, the school has denied any negligence in the civil matter.
This is the moment a group of angry vegan protestors clashed with butchers as they demonstrated at a shopping centre.

The animal rights campaigners staged a sit in outside the meat stalls - even setting up police-style tape around themselves.

The group - known as Direct Action Yorkshire - are an offshoot of an international campaign to promote veganism.

This is the moment a blind vegan activist falls to the floor amid a demonstration outside a butcher shop in a Sheffield shopping centre

Angry shoppers remonstrated with the protesters who sat down in front of a line of butcher stalls at the Moor Market in Sheffield

One man, objecting to the protest held up a sign claiming: 'Sorry we killed the cow... but it was eating your dinner'

Within seconds, a blind vegan activist topples to the floor following an alleged confrontation off camera.

But police have closed the investigation after examining CCTV evidence.

The man - wearing a 100 per cent vegan T-shirt and carrying a white stick - scrabbles around on the ground as he tries to get up.

The protest took place at Moor Market in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and members of the public soon rallied round to challenge the vegan group.

As he points a finger at the group, one can be heard saying: 'The state of you putting all these people out of a job. You are a disgrace.'

Another person shouts: 'Meat is not murder' and a butcher can be seen parading around the group with a sale sign.

Meanwhile an elderly gentleman waves a sale sign for sirloin steak at the protesters whilst an unknown voice shouts: 'Want to see my meat b****?'

One protester can be heard shouting: 'They are sentient beings just like us.

'They deserve to be safe and free from harm just like us. They have a capacity to experience grief or joy just like us.

'So why make them suffer? They deserve to be happy and healthy just like us.

'Just like our beloved pets. Why love one and not another?'

As the crowd jeer the protesters in the incident on Saturday around 11am, one member of the market can be seen putting his hand around an activists shoulders, whilst others shout 'Get a job.'

The protest took place in front of Mick's Grade A Meats but it is understood that staff from the butchers were not involved.

There are at least six butchers in the market - which is famous for its high quality produce.

Protestor Belinda White, 48, said the group were left shaken by the reaction.

She added: 'There's a long strip of butchers at the Moor Market so it was a really good place to do a demonstration.

'The whole point is to go to place that normalise abuse, promotion and sale of beings.'

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: 'Officers received reports of an assault at The Moor Market in Sheffield. It was reported that a 53-year-old man was pushed to the floor by his backpack. The victim didn't sustain any injuries.

'Officers interviewed witnesses and reviewed CCTV footage in the surrounding area.

'There was no evidence to support the investigation, which has now been closed.'

The Moor Market has been contacted for comment.
Advertisement

The first picture of the tourist boat that capsized on the Danube and killed at least seven people has been released by the Hungarian Water Rescue Services.

Divers are still battling to find the missing bodies from the boat wreck that killed at least seven South Koreans and left 21 more passengers missing.

Visibility in the raging river, where the water is moving at 10mph, has been described as 'practically zero' with officials saying it is 'impossible to get close' to the Mermaid on the riverbed 20ft below the surface.

Such is the strength of the current, there are fears some of the missing victims could already have drifted as far as Serbia, 115 miles to the south, and hopes are fading that anyone else will be found alive.

The first picture of the trapped tourist boat that capsized on the Danube and killed at least seven people has been release by the Hungarian Water Rescue Services. The boat is seen lying at the bottom of the river

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, visited the site of Wednesday's accident and met with rescue and search officials before holding talks.

'We have to prepare for a protracted search,' Szijjarto said he was told by Budapest river police, adding that authorities were also expecting help from Serbia, where the Danube flows after leaving Hungary.

'It is not unimaginable that we will need to depend on them in the coming days.'

The 89ft sightseeing vessel, which was carrying 35 including more than 30 South Korean tourists, was struck from behind by the 440ft Viking Sigyn 'floating hotel' outside the city's parliament building during a fierce rainstorm and flipped over in just seven seconds.

Just seven were pulled alive from the freezing water while seven people have been confirmed dead.

The captain of the Viking Sigyn, identified only as Yuriy C, 64, has been arrested by police, who suspect him of 'endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident'.

This morning, a South Korean team joined rescue attempts as Hungarian Prime Minister asked for a thorough investigation into what is one of the country's worst ever boating accidents. Pictures also emerged of family members of some of the victims of the accident arriving at Ferenc Liszt International Airport.

Divers are battling to reach the wreckage of a tourist boat that capsized on the Danube killing at least seven South Koreans and leaving 21 more passengers missing

Visibility in the raging river, where the water is moving at 10mph, has been described as 'practically zero' with officials saying it is 'impossible to get close' to the Mermaid on the riverbed 20ft below the surface

Family members of victims of the boating accident on the Danube river have been arriving at Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest today

Family members of victims of the disaster were seen at Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest this morning

This morning, a South Korean team (pictured) joined rescue attempts as Hungarian Prime Minister asked for a thorough investigation into what is one of the country's worst ever boating accidents

Seven South Korean tourists are dead and 21 are missing, including a six-year-old girl, after a river cruise boat crashed into another vessel and sank on the River Danube amid torrential rain in Hungary. Police showed security camera footage from a bridge that showed the Mermaid (left) and the Viking (right) colliding. A police chief said the Mermaid 'sank within seven seconds'

The Viking hotelship is berthed on the River Danube in downtown Budapest following the collision with the smaller tourist vessel the previous evening

The collision took place at about 9.15pm close to the Parliament building in Budapest. The Mermaid was found a few hours later near the Margaret Bridge

Rescue teams have taken up positions on the surface above the sunken tourist boat and divers have attempted to approach the wreckage, but the flooding river meant conditions were poor and the work could take a long time, the government said.

'One is shaken by this ... an accident happened where passengers had almost no chance for survival,' Orban told state radio, offering condolences to relatives of the victims.

'I have asked the authorities to carry out a strict and thorough investigation,' he said.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha arrived in Budapest on Friday to get first-hand information on the rescue efforts and help the process. She thanked her Hungarian counterpart for the intense search and rescue operations.

'I hope this level of effort can be sustained,' she told a press conference. 'We strive to ensure no corpses are lost from the wreckage or the riverbed, and expanded the search parameters to that end.'

In addition to those killed, 21 people are officially listed as missing, but officials had little hope they would be found alive more than 36 hours after the accident.

The search area extended to Serbia, downstream from Hungary, because the river could have carried bodies that far by now, Hungarian Foreign Minster Peter Szijjarto said.

'Conditions are completely against us,' he said. 'It is impossible to get close to the wreckage. Visibility is zero, the Danube flows at 15 km per hour (9.3 miles per hour). The wreckage is six metres (20 feet) underwater.'

The boat was cruising during a rainstorm on Wednesday evening when the accident occurred and sank with 33 South Korean tourists and tour guides and two Hungarian crew aboard.

Seven South Koreans were rescued, seven died, and 19 South Koreans were among the 21 people still missing.

Seven South Korean tourists on board the Mermaid died and 21 are still missing, including a six-year-old girl, with searches still ongoing through the night in the Hungarian capital more than 24 hours after the disaster

A woman gazes out onto the Danube as search boats continue to patrol the water after nightfall in the Hungarian capital

Wellwishers light candles and place flowers on Margaret Bridge, which was near the scene of the boat sinking on the Danube

As night fell the Hungarian Parliament, near the scene of the boat crash, was lit up, with floral tributes laid on a bridge

Candles were lit on the bank of the Danube where two boats crashed and one sunk leaving seven dead in Budapest

A crane ship was docked near the wreck in preparation for recovery operations.

'The task is almost impossible,' an industrial diver helping the recovery team told Reuters. 'The water is high, with strong currents and reduced visibility. Right now the team is trying to find a way to submerge again.'

Survivors of the boat tragedy described their horror after seeing passengers in the fast-flowing water - but no rescuers coming to help them.

A 31-year-old survivor, who only gave her surname as Jung, told a South Korean news agency: 'The current was so fast and people were floating away but the rescue team did not come.'

A 66-year-old American tourist who was on board the 442ft Viking Sigyn said passengers weren't aware of what had happened until they saw bodies in the water.

Ginger Brinton said: 'We were on our balcony, and we saw people in the water, screaming for help. We never felt any bump. We didn't realise. We just saw people in the water. It was just terrible.'

Footage shows the larger boat colliding with the 89ft Mermaid, which had 35 people on board, including two crew, amid torrential rain shortly after 9pm on Wednesday.

Police officers are pictured by the River Danube in Erd, Hungary last night, looking for passengers who were on board the Mermaid when it sank in central Budapest

Sightseers look onto the River Danube in the centre of Budapest as searches for the missing tourists continue

A woman is pictured in tears after a boat sank in the River Danube last night, leaving seven South Korean tourists dead and 21 missing

Diving teams are pictured on rescue boats on Thursday as the search continues for the missing Mermaid passengers

The Viking appears to hit the Mermaid from behind, before the smaller Soviet-era vessel spun sideways on impact.

The Mermaid then capsized before sinking in just seven seconds on a fast-moving stretch of the river which has swollen during heavy downpours throughout May.

Seven passengers were said to be in a stable condition in hospital despite suffering hypothermia from the frigid water which was around 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). One person was found some two miles from the scene of the crash, but rescuers say the chances of finding further survivors is 'minimal'.

Pal Gyorfi, from the Hungarian national ambulance service, said this was 'not just because of the water temperature, but the strong currents in the river, the vapour above the water surface, as well as the clothes worn by the people who fell in.'

Hungarian police yesterday launched a criminal investigation into what is one of the country's worst boat accidents.

The wreckage of the 70-year-old Mermaid - which was refurbished in the 1980s - was found on the riverbed after several hours of searching near the Margaret Bridge, one of the main crossings connecting the two parts of the Hungarian capital.

A total of 33 South Koreans were on board with none wearing life jackets, officials from the country said, adding that seven were known to have died.

Impact: Footage taken from a bridge shows the two vessels moments before their collision. Hungarian police said on Thursday they have launched a criminal investigation into one of the country's worst boat accidents that left seven South Korean tourists dead and 21 others missing

The 86ft Mermaid tourist cruise ship in an undated photo outside the Hungarian Parliament on a previous journey in fairer weather

Divers and technical teams are seen on the banks of the River Danube in the centre of Budapest on Thursday following the tragedy on Wednesday evening

Abrasive damage can be seen on the hull of the Viking hotelship after it struck the other boat - an eyewitness reported seeing a larger vessel run into the back of the smaller tourist vessel

A crane ship docked near the wreck early on Thursday in preparation for recovery operations. Officials say 21 people remain missing and hopes are fading that any of them will be found alive

Pal Gyorfi, from the Hungarian national ambulance service, said the prospects of finding the remaining 21 missing people are minimal

Army divers have joined police in the search, but the operation has been complicated by high water levels and a fast-moving current after weeks of heavy rainfall.

Three bodies have already been found several kilometres south of the disaster site, police said.

A captain of a boat that was near the accident told online daily 24.hu he saw two elderly women being pulled out of the water.

'I am still in shock. I have never seen such horror in my life,' the unnamed man was quoted as saying.

'We were at the parliament when we heard that people were in the water - everyone stopped right away and started helping out.'

How boat disasters have hit Europe in the past The Danube crash is the latest major river boating accident in Europe. Here is a list of previous disasters. Deadliest On July 10, 2011, 122 people drowned when a tourist ship broke up during a storm on Russia's mighty Volga river, east of Moscow. Built in 1955 and overcrowded, the ship took only a few minutes to sink. Some 80 passengers were saved. Previous case on the Danube On October 23, 1996, eight people died after their barge, which was flying a Slovak flag, hit a flood barrier and sank on the Danube, in Austria's capital Vienna. Elsewhere in Europe On June 11, 2018 in Russia eleven people were killed in an accident on the Volga when a catamaran collided with a barge. Five people were rescued. On July 31, 2011 in Russia a pleasure boat sank after colliding with a barge on the Moskva river. Two people died and six disappeared. On September 15, 2005 in Russia at least eight people disappeared after their overcrowded boat capsized on the powerful river Yenisei near the port of Dudinka in Russia. On June 3, 2000 in central France an overcrowded dinghy capsized on the river Yonne near Sens, leaving three people dead. The dinghy, which had a capacity of 12, was carrying 36 people. On May 29, 2000 in Portugal six crew members on a Norwegian freighter disappeared when the vessel collided with a Korean cargo ship on the Tagus river, west of Lisbon. Advertisement

Police showed journalists security camera footage from a bridge showing the collision.

'The footage shows that before the collision the Mermaid turned towards the Viking Sigyn cruise boat, for some reason, the Viking then turned the small boat over, and it sank within seven seconds,' police colonel Adrian Pal told a press conference.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and President Janos Ader have sent their condolences to Seoul. 'We are with the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers in these most difficult times,' Orban said, according to his spokesman.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the authorities would work with the Hungarian government to investigate the cause of the accident.

'What's most important is speed,' Moon said in Seoul.

The Mermaid started to take on water before it was flipped over and started sinking as heavy storms raged in the Hungarian capital, local media reported.

'Our services have recorded the death of seven people,' Pal Gyorfi, a spokesman for Hungarian emergency services, said early Thursday morning.

'Seven people have been taken to hospital in a stable condition with hypothermia and shock symptoms,' Gyorfi added.

'A further 21 people are missing,' a Hungarian police spokesman Kristof Gal told AFP.

'Police are searching the river throughout the entire length of the Danube in Hungary south of where the incident took place,' he said.

Earlier, the news website Index.hu said one of those rescued was found near the Petofi Bridge, which is about two miles south of Parliament.

Local media reported that one of the bodies was found several miles south of the collision location, although Gal declined to confirm.

The temperature of the river water is between 10 and 15 degrees. The search for the missing with the help of divers and police shining lights continued through the night.

Members of the public are pictured watching the search operation near Margaret Bridge on the Danube in Budapest on Thursday

Passengers were pictured leaving the Viking Cruises Sigyn floating hotel yesterday - hours after a crash that left at least seven dead

The river flows south, meaning that survivors were likely to be swept through the well-populated, historic part of the city. Pictured: Passengers leave the Viking on Thursday

Hungarian police are pictured on board the Viking. Officers have questioned the Ukrainian captain of the Viking, but no details have been released

Seoul will closely co-operate with Hungarian officials so that the rescue efforts can proceed swiftly and effectively. Pictured: A South Korean rescue team prepares to leave for Budapest

A team of South Korean officials left for Hungary on Thursday to assist with the rescue operations and support passengers and their families

A sonar is being used at Margaret Bridge during a search operation on the River Danube in Budapest, Hungary on Thursday. The Mermaid is on the river bed after capsizing

Candles and flowers are pictured being laid by tourists and locals in memory of the seven South Koreans who died

A woman throws a flower from the Margaret Bridge during a search operation on the River Danube in Budapest, Hungary

The Very Good Tour agency senior official Lee Sang-moo (left) bows to make an apology during a press conference at its headquarters in Seoul, South Korea

A film crew working from a bridge south of the accident site also used reflector lights to help light up the water through the gloom and pouring rain, reported local media.

Heavy rainfall since the beginning of May has led to high water levels and a fast-moving river current, complicating rescue efforts.

The accident happened on a popular part of the Danube river for pleasure trips, from where passengers can view the city and parliament building illuminated at night.

The boat was regularly serviced and had no apparent technical faults, Mihaly Toth, a spokesman for Panorama Deck that owned the vessel, told the Hungarian news agency MTI.

'It was a routine sightseeing trip,' said Toth.

'We know nothing about how it happened, the authorities are investigating, all we know is that it sank quickly,' he said.

Access to the river has been blocked by the authorities, according to public television.

Dozens of rescue personnel, including from the military and divers, were involved in the search. Employees from the South Korean Embassy in Budapest were assisting Hungarian officials in identifying those rescued and the deceased.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in instructed officials to employ 'all available resources' to support the rescue efforts in Hungary.

Moon's spokeswoman, Ko Min-jung, said in Seoul that Moon also ordered the launch of a government task force led by Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and for officials to maintain close communication with the family members of the South Korean passengers.

A military ship takes part in the search operations for survivors on the River Danube on Thursday morning

A fire brigade rescue boat takes part in the search operations for survivors on the River Danube in downtown Budapest, Hungary on Thursday morning

Dozens of rescue personnel, including from the military and divers, were involved in the search. Employees from the South Korean Embassy in Budapest were assisting Hungarian officials in identifying those rescued and the deceased

Firemen stand at Margit Bridge, where the wreck of a sightseeing boat was found in downtown Hungary

Policemen investigate onboard the Viking hotelship on the River Danube early on Thursday

Emergency services raced to the scene of the accident, which happened during heavy rain

Emergency vehicles are picture on the bank of the Danube in central Budapest after a search for survivors was launched

Hungary boat sinking strikes nerve in South Korea five years after 2014 ferry disaster that killed more than 300 The sinking in Hungary is touching a nerve in South Korea, where many are still traumatised over a 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, mostly students. The grief is compounded by claims by some South Korean tour agents and travellers that there were past safety issues on the Danube River where the accident happened. A total of 33 South Koreans were on the small boat enjoying the night view of Budapest on Wednesday evening despite a downpour. A preliminary investigation showed none was wearing a life jacket when the boat collided with a larger cruise ship on the river, according to the South Korean government and their tour agency in Seoul. Nearly a day after the sinking, seven people had been confirmed dead on Thursday, seven had been rescued, and 19 South Koreans and two Hungarian crewmembers were listed as missing. While the exact cause of the collision still wasn't known, some said there could have been a lack of safety awareness, as in the sinking of the ferry Sewol in South Korea five years ago that was blamed on a culture that has long sacrificed public safety standards for profit and convenience. The Sewol, which was overloaded with poorly secured cargo, sank while sailing to the southern South Korean resort island of Jeju, killing 305 people, including 250 high school students. The sinking in Hungary is touching a nerve in South Korea, where many are still traumatised over a 2014 ferry sinking (pictured) that killed more than 300 people, mostly students The Sewol, which was overloaded with poorly secured cargo, sank while sailing to the southern South Korean resort island of Jeju, killing 305 people, including 250 high school students Lim KyoungJae, head of a Seoul-based travel agency who has taken South Korean tourists to Budapest about five times in recent years, said he would have seriously considered whether to go ahead with the boat tour in the strong rain. 'Heavy rain must have made the current of the river faster and caused low visibility,' Lim said. 'If you don't have a good night view, then you really don't need to take a boat ride.' Many sightseeing boats on the Danube turn their lights low to have a better night view of the city. If that was the case for the boat that capsized Wednesday, Lim said those navigating the larger cruise ship may have found it difficult to see the small boat sailing nearby. The South Koreans' tour agency, Very Good Tour, said the boat trip was part of a package tour to Europe. It said the agency went ahead with the excursion after the tourists agreed on it. 'Other boats were making tours too and we decided to go on after passengers agreed,' senior tour agency official Lee Sang-moo said. 'Our company humbly accepts all the responsibility that is ours.' After the capsizing, South Korean President Moo Jae-in cancelled all of his scheduled events and ordered officials to mobilize all available resources to support rescue efforts in cooperation with the Hungarian government. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and divers who took part in the rescue work when the Sewol sank were to fly to Hungary later Thursday. The Sewol sinking triggered an explosion of anger over the previous government's botched rescue efforts and regulatory failures The swift government reaction was in sharp contrast to that after the Sewol sinking, which triggered an explosion of anger over the previous government's botched rescue efforts and regulatory failures. South Korean investigators found that the Sewol's crew had overloaded the vessel with 185 cars when it had room for only 97. Crewmembers failed to properly fasten the vehicles and containers so they could squeeze in more cargo. Although the captain reported 657 tons of cargo, investigators said the real amount exceeded 2,140 tons, which likely prevented the vessel from regaining balance after making a sharp turn. Rescue officials then missed a series of opportunities to save most of the passengers before the ship completely sank about three hours after crewmembers lost control. Rescuers saved 172 people, including the ferry's captain. He is now serving a life prison sentence after a court found him guilty of homicide through willful negligence because he fled without issuing an evacuation order. The public uproar over the Sewol's sinking was so large that it contributed to the ouster of Moon's conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who is currently serving a lengthy prison term over a separate corruption scandal. Advertisement

A team of South Korean officials left for Hungary on Thursday to assist with the rescue operations and support passengers and their families. Kang was also to travel to Hungary.

The ministry in a briefing Thursday said that the Seoul government will closely cooperate with Hungarian officials so that the rescue efforts can proceed swiftly and effectively. It said the tourists were not wearing life jackets.

The Very Good Tour agency said the tourists left South Korea on May 25 and were supposed to return June 1.

Most of them were family groups, and they included a six-year-old girl. Her status wasn't immediately clear but she did not appear on a list of survivors provided by the tour agency.

Senior agency official Lee Sang-moo disclosed the identities of the seven rescued South Koreans - six women and one man, aged between 31 and 66. The company is arranging for family members of the tourists to travel to Hungary as soon as possible.

Cruise line operator Viking said one of its ships, the Sigyn, was involved in the collision. It said no one aboard the Viking ship was injured, and that it is co-operating with the authorities.

The boat that sank was identified as the Mermaid, which is described on the sightseeing company's website as 'one of the smallest members of the fleet.' It has two decks and a capacity for 60 people, or 45 for sightseeing cruises.

Mihaly Toth, a spokesman for the Panorama Deck boating company, said the Mermaid was on a 'routine city sightseeing trip' when the accident happened.

He told state television that he had no information about any technical problems with the boat, which he said was serviced regularly. Hajoregiszter.hu, a local ship-tracking website, lists the Hableany as having been built in 1949 in what was then the Soviet Union.

Policemen and fire crews are pictured on the bank of the Danube as rain fell on Wednesday night

At least seven people have died and 21 are missing after the sightseeing boat they were on sunk in the River Danube in Budapest yesterday evening

A rescue boat sits by a jetty on the River Danube waiting to be dispatched to search for survivors

The Margit Bridge - or Margaret Bridge - connects the two halves of the city, Buda and Pest, with a large recreational island in the middle of the Danube. It is the bridge just north of the famous Chain Bridge, a suspension bridge originally built in the 19th century that, like the Parliament, is a major tourist draw in the heart of the city.

The river flows south, meaning that survivors were likely to be swept through the well-populated, historic part of the city.

Index.hu reported that other riverboats shined spotlights into the water to aid with the search, and that a film crew operating on the Liberty Bridge farther down the river directed its lighting equipment toward the Danube to assist.

In recent years, Budapest has emerged as a popular destination for film, television and other commercial video production.

Budapest has enjoyed a boom in overseas tourism in recent years. Long-haul flights from as far away as Dubai and Beijing increasingly fly visitors from Asia and the Middle East to the Hungarian capital, a relatively affordable but history-rich European destination.

Budapest's airport said it handled a record number of travelers in 2018, with passenger numbers surging more than 13 percent to 14.9 million.
This young boy found himself in a jam that required firefighters, a car jack and a screwdriver to get out of.

A video taken at the Jinguang Elementary School in Datong City, China shows a pupil with his head stuck in between two concrete pillars.

When looking closely at the space between the pillars, it appears the space could be no wider than a handful of inches.

A school pupil in Datong City, China became stuck in between concrete pillars at his school

It is unclear how exactly the child was able to fit into the tiny space in the first place.

However, what is clear is that the small school pupil is in a state of emotional distress.

His crying can be heard amidst conversations between the firefighters.

In the video, he is helped by firefighters that are using a car jack to increase the space between the two pillars.

Firefighters used a car jack and a screwdriver to widen the distance between the pillars and free the boy

The jack is being slowly opened by one of the firefighters, while another man tries to chip away some of the concrete from one side.

After a final push from the firefighters, the boy's head comes loose and he is dusted off by the men at the scene.

The 28-second video has now gone viral in China and has more than 5 million views

It is unknown how long his head was stuck in between the pillars.

The video, which has now gone viral in China, has more than 5 million views.
A seven-year-old boy who fell from a rollercoaster is fighting for his life in hospital, police said today.

The youngster was taken to Leeds General Infirmary with head injuries following an incident at the Lightwater Valley theme park, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, yesterday.

Witnesses said the boy plunged up to 15ft from the Twister ride at the attraction, with one saying they heard loud screams before seeing a child on the ground.

North Yorkshire Police initially described his condition as 'non-life threatening' but have now said it's deteriorated to 'critical'. The exact nature of his injuries aren't known.

The force said in a statement this afternoon: 'On arrival at hospital, the child was assessed and found to have injuries that would not have been apparent at the scene of the incident.

'The child remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.'

Lightwater Valley said today: 'We have been informed by North Yorkshire Police that the medical condition of the child involved in the incident at the park yesterday has deteriorated overnight and he is now in a critical condition.

'We are devastated by this news and our thoughts are with the family.

'While the Health and Safety Executive investigation is continuing, we will support them and be guided by their advice.'

Mr Philo and an off-duty police officer were among the first two people at the scene. The child was injured at Lightwater Valley in North Stainley, North Yorkshire

Yesterday it emerged hero father Jon Philo jumped over a barrier to help and was pictured alongside an off-duty police officer checking on the child.

Mr Philo, who was at the resort with his son, said that he would not forget 'the scary sight' after coming across the seven-year-old, who he said had facial injuries.

He added that the injured boy's mother was stuck on the ride and screamed as she looked down at her son.

The seven-year-old was motionless when Mr Philo arrived at the scene but he was later told that the boy didn't suffer life-threatening injuries and was alert when he arrived at hospital.

Mr Philo pictured with paramedics as they attend to the boy who fell from the roller coaster at Lightwater Valley

Mr Philo told MailOnline: 'I was the guy wearing the red-hooded top whom got to the scene first after jumping the barrier along with an off-duty police officer.

'We were both obviously shocked at what we saw and were immediately concerned with how the boy was, as he was motionless when I got there.

'I would like to say the speed in which the emergency services swarmed to the scene was amazing and all did their job brilliantly and the off-duty officer and another lady, whom was constantly updating the boys mum (whom was stuck on the ride) were both truly legendary.'

Taking to Facebook, Mr Philo added: 'Maxwell (his son) and I tried out the Lightwater Valley Theme Park [and were] queuing for the twister rollercoaster ride when we both witnessed a young boy get thrown about 30 feet from the ride.

'Shocking scenes but I had no other thought than to jump over the fences and climb over the rollercoaster tracks with the coaster still in motion to be the first one on the scene.

North Yorkshire Police officers at the Twister rollercoaster yesterday following the accident

'I was followed by an off duty police officer and we were shocked at what we saw. The boy had facial injuries, which I wont forget in a hurry, he had also been recently released from hospital.

'My first thought however after seeing him was not good, as he was motionless. Very scary moment. I have to say, the off-duty officer and his wife whom helped were amazing and the staff that eventually arrived did their bit.

'I was however very proud of my boy for helping the paramedic guide the air ambulance where to land and his patience whilst I was with the boy for over an hour.'

The seven-year-old boy was airlifted to hospital after falling in the horror accident during the half-term holidays.

He was allegedly left hanging from the back of the moving carriage at Lightwater Valley theme park in North Yorkshire, while his mother screamed beside him.

It comes 18 years after Durham University student Gemma Savage, 20, died when two cars collided on the same Twister ride, which was then called Treetop Twister.

Mark Charnley, 46, who was visiting from his home in Cumbria with his wife Clare, 42, and two daughters, said the boy was hanging out of the back of the ride.

He said: 'Me and my eldest daughter were in the queue for the Twister ride, which is like a rollercoaster but with individual spinning carriages.

'We were about ten minutes from the front of the queue when we saw the little lad hanging out of the back of his carriage.

In June 2001, student Gemma Savage died when two cars collided on the Twister ride

'His head was well behind the back of it and he was out of his restraints. He was in the carriage with his mum, who was screaming hysterically.

'Everyone in the queue was shouting for the ride operator to stop the ride for about ten to 15 seconds but they didn't seem to have noticed. Then the boy must have fallen about 15ft.

'We jumped over the barrier to try and help and one man identified himself as an off-duty police officer and he sort of took over.'

Lara-Susan James, who had just joined the queue for the rollercoaster with her children, said a group were shouting at the operator to stop the ride.

She said: 'It was at that moment I realised something was wrong. I saw the operator apply the emergency stop. My husband pointed to the fallen kid on the ground, saying they had fallen out.

'When the ride stopped, the family jumped the barriers and went to the kid. I ushered our kids away as I don't want them to hear or see any more.'

Earlier, Simon Moran, a father visiting the park, tweeted: 'Just saw a kid fall off the Twister rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley. Ride shut down. Ambulance called.'

The boy was injured but airlifted to a nearby hospital in a non life-threatening condition

An aerial view of the Twister rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire

Photographer Mr Moran, who works in content development for Getty Images, added: 'He mustn't have been strapped in right, or too small for ride.

My son was 'given the option' of a safety belt, says police officer A police officer who visited Lightwater Valley theme park yesterday said his 10-year-old son was 'given the option' of whether to put a safety belt on when riding the Twister rollercoaster. Jimmy Cowan, 43, said there was a bar that came down over him, his son and his son's friend when they sat on the ride - but the seatbelts were 'optional'. The father from Manchester said: 'I went to Lightwater Valley with my son and his friend yesterday. On the Twister ride there was a bar that came down over us and also something like a car seat belt to go around us. 'The attendant there told us the belts were optional, so we didn't have to put them around us if we didn't want to. Obviously I clipped my son in and if I hadn't he'd have been sliding all over the cart. I find it really odd they have belts there but still give people the option to wear them, why not make it compulsory?' Mr Cowan added: 'When I saw what happened on the ride today my stomach turned. Your mind starts racing and thinking of what could have happened. It's such a sad situation.' Mr Cowan said he saw attendants on the Twister ride turning two children away because they didn't meet the height requirements. Advertisement

'As it went down the fast bit towards the 'souvenir' camera, he slid out and over top of carriage. Fell face down about 20 to 30 feet to ground. '

Mr Moran posted a series of photographs of visitors at the park, which has more than 35 rides, watching as paramedics arrived in an air ambulance.

The park's website states that passengers must be more than 1.5m (4ft 11in) to ride Twister unaccompanied, and more than 1.2m (3ft 11in) if they are with an adult.

The park's pricing is based on height rather than age, with restrictions posted at the entry gate and on each ride entrance.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said yesterday: 'Police were called to reports of a medical incident involving a child at Lightwater Valley theme park near Ripon at 11.30am.

'The child, a six-year-old boy, who was conscious when officers arrived at the scene, has been taken to hospital.

'His condition is not believed to be life threatening. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been notified. Officers remain at the scene.'

A spokesman for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance added: 'I can confirm that we attended and transported a child to Leeds General Infirmary'.

And a Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'Yorkshire Ambulance Service received an emergency call just before 11.30am this morning to an incident involving a child at Lightwater Valley Theme Park, Ripon.

'A rapid response vehicle, an ambulance and an air ambulance were dispatched to the scene and the patient was flown to hospital for further care.'

The air ambulance is pictured airlifting the boy who allegedly fell from the rollercoaster

The Twister rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley theme park near Ripon is pictured today

Police attended the theme park in North Yorkshire at around 11.30am this morning

Mr Moran tweeted: 'Just saw a kid fall off the Twister rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley'

Lightwater Valley (pictured today) attracts 500,000 visitors a year, and was founded in 1969

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they attended, while the Health and Safety Executive said it was aware. The cause of the accident is not yet known.

A Lightwater Valley spokesman said: 'We can confirm that following an incident on one of our rides this morning, a child is receiving treatment at a local hospital.

'Emergency services have confirmed the child was conscious when they arrived at the scene and his condition is not believed to be life threatening.

'The ride remains closed at the current time but the rest of the park is still open.'

The spokesman later added: 'We can confirm that Health and Safety Executive (HSE) personnel are now on-site and we are assisting them as required.

'We take the health and safety of our visitors very seriously and are committed to providing support to the affected family.

'We will continue working closely with the HSE and emergency services. The ride concerned will remain closed until a full investigation has taken place.'

Paramedics arrived at the theme park in North Yorkshire in an air ambulance today

Simon Moran, a father visiting the park, tweeted a series of pictures of the scene

Paramedics attend to a boy who allegedly fell from the rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley

Visitors watch on as an air ambulance arrives at Lightwater Valley theme park

In June 2001, Miss Savage, of Wath upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, died when two cars collided on the same Twister ride, which was then called Treetop Twister.

Five years later, French firm Reverchon Industries SA was found guilty of breaches of health and safety law after the death of the 20-year-old student.

It was convicted of failing to ensure safe design and construction, and failing to give information necessary to ensure the ride was safe when open to the public.

Leeds Crown Court heard in 2006 that a wiring fault, which should have been found during the quality control testing process, meant the control system was not safe.

A decade later at the park in July 2016, carer Paul Marshall saved a man in his 50s with learning difficulties from falling 85ft from the Black Pearl pirate ship ride.

He grabbed hold of the unnamed man's wrists to stop him falling after a safety bar on his seat appeared to open as the ship ride tipped at its highest point.

And in 2015, a teenage theme park worker spoke of her terror after a colleague activated the ride as a joke while she checked it and she had to cling on for her life.

A file picture of the Nineties girl band Honeyz who opened the Twister ride in May 2001

The Twister rollercoaster at Lightwater Valley theme park is pictured in this file photograph

Lightwater Valley, which attracts around 500,000 visitors a year, gives the following description for the ride on its website: 'The track is full of seriously tight turns, giving riders the impression that they might not make it around the next corner, with the threat of plummeting into the treetops being a constant source of tension for parents (and amusement for the kids).

'With serious amounts of anticipation, tight turns and swift drops, watch out for the ride cars unhooking on the lower level as the spinning steps up a gear.'

The park, which was founded in 1969 by Robert Staveley and initially evolved from a small farm attraction, bills itself as the 'ultimate family adventure' on its website.

'With over 35 rides and attractions for thrill seekers of all ages, Lightwater Valley is bursting with young, family fun and thrill adventures for the whole family,' it says.

A section describing the rides and attractions adds: 'Spin through the air in the grip of the Eagle's Claw, hurtle through deep, dark forests aboard Europe's longest roller coaster The Ultimate and venture into the underground world of Raptor Attack.

'See the park from a whole different viewpoint aboard Black Pearl and then hop on Apollo and take a spinning ride above the tree tops.'

** Were you at Lightwater Valley? Please email amie.gordon@mailonline.co.uk **
Furious Nigel Farage today claimed a bombshell poll showing the Lib Dems top underplayed the Brexit Party surge.

Mr Farage fumed that his party was 'hidden' from voters in the shock survey, which put it in second place - although still ahead of the Tories and Labour.

The YouGov findings are the latest evidence of a major political earthquake in the wake of dramatic European elections, and sent Westminister into overdrive.

Sir Vince Cable's unashamedly pro-EU Lib Dems received 24 per cent support  their best showing for years.

The Brexit Party, which came top in the European election, was close behind with 22 per cent.

A survey of how Britons might vote in a general election shows the main political parties in joint third place  behind the pro-Remain Lib Dems and Nigel Farage's Brexit Party

Mr Farage fumed that his party was 'hidden' from voters in the shock survey, which put it in second place

The Conservatives and Labour were tied on a dismal 19 per cent.

But Mr Farage dismissed the poll results as skewed against his party - pointing out that it was not listed as an option.

Instead, those surveyed were initially asked to choose between the Tories, Labour, Lib Dems, SNP, Plaid Cymru and 'other'. Only if they chose 'other' were they prompted with further options including the Brexit Party.

Corbyn says new poll is 'some way off' Jeremy Corbyn deepened Labour's Brexit woes last night as he said a second referendum was 'some way off'. Speaking in Dublin, he resisted pressure to begin campaigning for a public vote. He said the only way to break the deadlock would be a general election or a second referendum after negotiating a softer Brexit deal. And Mr Corbyn would not say definitively that remaining in the EU would be on the ballot paper in a public vote. He said: 'We don't back a rerun of 2016. That happened. That is gone. If Parliament comes to an agreement, then it's reasonable, and if Parliament wishes it, there should be a public vote on it but that is some way off.' The Labour leader is under pressure from John McDonnell and Diane Abbott to back a second vote. But others on the Left oppose it. Advertisement

Mr Farage tweeted: 'You Gov have released a poll showing the Lib Dems top in the country, with @brexitparty_uk second.

'They did not have the BP option on the list and we were hidden in others. Looks like an establishment attempt to suppress the truth.'

YouGov takes the approach of only 'prompting' initially for the main parties, and offering smaller parties if people choose 'other'.

In a blog post today, research director Anthony Wells said: 'This may seem unfair to some people (and has often been a source of complaint from supporters of smaller parties), but is based on what actually gets elections right.

'In the past, prompting for smaller parties has tended to overstate their support when compared to actual elections, and the two-stage approach to prompting has produced more accurate results.

'However, there comes a point when a small party becomes a big party, when they should be included in the main prompt.

'This can be a difficult decision, and one that YouGov takes time and care to call correctly, thoroughly testing any changes before they go ahead.'

Mr Wells said the firm started prompting for Ukip before the 2015 general election and were testing whether the same thing should be done for the Brexit Party.

He pointed out that YouGov and other polling companies overstated support for the Brexit Party before the European elections.

The Lib Dems came second in last week's European Parliament elections after attracting the support of hundreds of thousands of Remain-supporting Labour voters infuriated by Jeremy Corbyn's fence-sitting over a second referendum.

The Brexit Party came top, punishing Theresa May's party for failing to deliver Britain's departure from the EU.

Nigel Farage (pictured) could be heading for further poll success as a new survey showed his Brexit Party in second place ahead of Labour and the Tories at a Westminster election

The survey for The Times reveals the depth of the crisis the main parties face in the wake of the deadlock over Theresa May's Brexit deal.

The news came as the head of the Confederation of British Industry  a key Remain cheerleader during the referendum debate  wrote to all 11 Conservative leadership candidates urging them not to leave the EU without a deal.

Yesterday, Chancellor Philip Hammond opened the door to a second referendum, warning it may be the only way to break the impasse among MPs.

Now Cherie admits she voted Lib Dem too Labour was in retreat last night over its expulsion of Alastair Campbell after it was revealed that Cherie Blair also voted Liberal Democrat in last week's elections. The wife of the former prime minister told friends she was 'appalled' by the party's ejection of the former No 10 communications director, sources revealed. She is said to have broken ranks  unlike her husband, Tony Blair, who said earlier this week he had voted Labour  'without any enthusiasm'. Mrs Blair is one of the latest high-profile figures to have gone public to say they voted tactically in order to shift Jeremy Corbyn off the fence on Brexit It emerged last night that up to 30 Labour peers did not vote for the party in the recent European elections. And yesterday Baroness Boothroyd, the former Labour MP and Commons Speaker, revealed she had not voted Labour for the first time in her life. She said expelling Mr Campbell was 'daft and insensitive'. Yesterday Baroness Chakrabarti, the shadow attorney general, revealed Mr Campbell's expulsion was under review. Advertisement

He said that if they remained divided on Brexit, another vote could be needed  and he suggested that rather than let a new Tory prime minister pursue No Deal, he would vote to bring down the Government in a confidence vote.

A new leader will take charge after party elections this summer, replacing Theresa May as Prime Minister.

Mr Hammond said that if Parliament blocked No Deal and did not vote for a Brexit agreement, the country would be trapped in limbo until another public vote was held.

He said he would prefer to leave with a deal agreed by MPs, but added: 'If we do get to the point where Parliament has to admit it cannot resolve this issue it will have to be remitted back to the people.

'I am not sure that a general election can resolve the question for the simple reason that both the main political parties are divided on the issue.

'This is a division that runs not between the parties but within the parties, and it isn't clear what the manifesto position of the major parties would be and how we would resolve the internal disagreements.'

He hinted that he might rebel against his party if it was the only way to stop No Deal, adding: 'I have never voted against the Conservative whip. But the national interest trumps the party interest, and if I am presented with a difficult choice I will act in what I believe is the best interest of this country.'

Meanwhile, CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn sent an open letter to Tory leadership candidates calling for an end to the Brexit crisis, and warning that no amount of work will prepare firms for No Deal. It will be seen as a rebuke to candidate Boris Johnson, who dismissed corporate protests against Brexit with the words: 'F*** business.'

Sir Vince Cable's Liberal Democrats are predicted to garner 24 per cent  their best showing for years, according to the YouGov survey (pictured, Mr Cable with winning MEP candidates)

She said her 190,000 members desperately wanted an end to Brexit turmoil, adding: 'Leaving the EU with a deal is the best way forward. Short-term disruption and long-term damage to British competitiveness will be severe if we leave without one.

'The majority of firms can never be prepared for No Deal, particularly our small and medium-sized members who cannot afford complex and costly contingency plans.'

Ex-chancellor George Osborne said yesterday that as Tories showed no willingness to compromise on Brexit, the party's new leader may have to choose between No Deal or staying in the EU, adding: 'That's the looming choice for the party and the country.'

Chancellor Hammond goes to war with Tory MP hopefuls as Gove and Hunt back report calling for 190bn treasury spending splurge

Five Tory leadership candidates clashed with Philip Hammond last night as they backed a report calling for radical tax cuts and steep increases in spending.

Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt were among the contenders to endorse the report  by a centre-Right think tank  which calls on the Government to 'turn on all the taps'.

It says ministers should boost school spending to record levels, recruit thousands more police officers and slash corporation tax to Irish levels.

The report, which also calls for a significant slowdown in the pace of austerity, was also supported by Matt Hancock, Sajid Javid and Esther McVey.

But yesterday morning, Mr Hammond warned that 'radical' tax cuts could be unaffordable.

Five Tory leadership candidates clashed with Philip Hammond (pictured yesterday) last night as they backed a report calling for radical tax cuts and steep increases in spending

Barnier: Brexit is about 'nostalgia' Michel Barnier sparked fury yesterday by claiming 'typically British' nostalgia for the Empire was behind the Brexit vote. The EU negotiator said Britons felt 'abandoned' by cuts, and suggested City figures wanted to leave because they did not like EU rules. In an interview with the New York Review of Books he said Leavers voted for 'the hope for a return to a powerful global Britain, nostalgia for the past  nostalgia serves no purpose in politics'. Last night, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told the Daily Mail: 'Michel Barnier is fundamentally wrong. If anything, it's nostalgia for proper democracy.' And Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted that Leave voters stood for 'self government, audited financial statements and the accountability of bureaucrats'. Advertisement

In a strongly-worded intervention, the Chancellor cautioned against the 'reckless promises of the populists'.

The report by the Onward think tank suggested a significant loosening of Mr Hammond's rules to hold down debt as a share of GDP  saying it will unlock 190billion.

Under current plans, government debt is set to fall from 83 per cent to 73 per cent GDP in the next five years.

Report author Neil O'Brien, a Tory MP, said a new rule should aim to have debt flat or falling as a share of GDP, rather than reduce it so quickly. His report listed six key tax-and-spend priorities, such as increasing the number of police and prison places, and taking per-pupil school funding to a record high.

Mr O'Brien said future chancellors should set a roadmap to cut corporation tax to the Irish rate of 12.5 per cent, and suggested raising the National Insurance threshold to 13,000 for people with children  a tax break that would be worth 1,100 for a two-earner couple.

The report also called for changes to the benefit system to increase incomes for low-wage working households by up to 4,300 a year.

This diagram shows where the various Tory leadership candidates stand on Brexit

Tory MP 'posts tweet instructions' Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns appeared to post instructions on how she was told to react to the poll bombshell. She tweeted a message in support of Dominic Raab which began with the words: 'On the back of the Times poll tonight. We need to tweet...'. She later deleted the tweet and replaced it with just the message. Backing Mr Raab, she called him the 'man with a plan' to deliver Brexit. Advertisement

Mr O'Brien said: 'It's time to turn on all the taps and make sure poorer families and poorer areas really feel the benefit of a growing economy.'

Environment Secretary Mr Gove said: 'We need to show that it's the Conservatives who offer the best alternative to Jeremy Corbyn as we set out a positive vision for the future of the UK.'

Health Secretary Mr Hancock said they had to deliver high pay and raise living standards to 'keep the hard-Left out of Downing Street' and 'win the case for capitalism'.

He also committed to raising spending on research and development to 3 per cent of national income by 2025.

Mr Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, who has already suggested cutting corporation tax to Irish levels, said: 'This is an inspiring vision.'

Insisting that the Tories will only succeed with a 'positive, uniting vision', Home Secretary Mr Javid added that the report was 'a really important contribution'.

Michael Gove (left) and Jeremy Hunt (right) were among the contenders to endorse the report  by a centre-Right think tank  which calls on the Government to 'turn on all the taps'

Miss McVey, the former Work and Pensions Secretary, said: 'This has exactly the type of thinking we need to rebuild our Party, reconnect with the public and take the fight to Corbyn's Labour Party.'

Leadership contender Dominic Raab has already pledged to cut income tax by a penny a year, which critics claim would cost 25bn.

But Mr Hammond said: 'On the Left, the Labour Party characterises business as the real enemy. On the Right, the argument for radical tax cuts, deregulation and smaller government is gaining ground  just as our population demographics are making them harder to do.'

He said a gap had opened up in Britain and other developed countries between the 'theory of how a market economy and free trade creates and distributes wealth, and the reality experienced by many ordinary people'.

Mr Hammond added: 'We ignore that gap at our peril because if we do not address it, it will be filled with reckless promises of the populists.'

Trump says he could meet his 'friends' Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage during state visit to the UK next week praising them as 'big powers'

Donald Trump has declared he could meet his 'friends' Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage during his state visit to the UK next week.

The US president heaped praise on the two politicians as 'big powers' - saying Mr Farage's Brexit Party had won a 'big victory' in the EU elections last week.

The comments will fuel Downing Street fears that Mr Trump is set to deepen Theresa May's humiliation by wading into domestic politics.

Mr Johnson is the favourite to take Mrs May's job this summer after she finally resigned admitting she had failed to deliver Brexit, while Mr Farage's fledgling party hammered the Tories at the polls.

Mr Farage said he would be 'happy to' get together with the president, although there are no formal plans in place.

It is understood Mr Johnson - who will need to weigh up whether the tacit endorsement from Mr Trump will help or hurt his chances - has not been invited to a meeting.

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn, Donald Trump said he 'may' hold talks with Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage during his three-day trip to the UK

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn, Mr Trump said he 'may' hold talks with the pair during his three-day trip.

'Nigel Farage is a friend of mine. Boris is a friend of mine,' Mr Trump said.

'They are two very good guys, very interesting people.

What is happening during Trump's state visit to the UK? Monday, June 3 The Queen, joined by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, officially welcome The President and Mrs Trump at Buckingham Palace. Royal Gun Salutes fired in Green Park and at the Tower of London. Private lunch at Buckingham Palace for the President and First Lady, hosted by Queen with Duke of Sussex Tour of Westminster Abbey, where President will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. Afternoon tea with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Clarence House. Full state banquet at Buckingham Palace Tuesday, June 4 Business breakfast meeting at St James's Palace with Theresa May and Duke of York. Talks at No10 Downing Street followed by lunch with Mrs May, and a joint press conference. President and Mrs Trump host a return dinner at Winfield House, official residence of the US Ambassador. Wednesday, June 5 National Commemorative Event for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Portsmouth, alongside over 300 D-Day veterans. Advertisement

'Nigel has had a big victory, he has picked up 32 per cent of the vote starting from nothing.

'I think they are big powers over there, I think they have done a good job.'

Asked if he was supporting Mr Johnson and Mr Farage, Mr Trump said: 'They are friends of mine but I haven't thought about supporting them... I have a lot of respect for both of those men.

Mr Farage told MailOnline he would be 'perfectly happy' to meet Mr Trump, but no plans were yet in place.

'We will have to see,' he said. 'I would be perfectly happy to, of course I would.

'I last saw him a couple of months ago on the other side (of the Atlantic).'

It is understood that Mr Johnson - the front runner in the race to take over from Mrs May as PM - has not yet been invited to a meeting.

But a government source said: 'If you're the US president and you want to see someone, you find a way to make it happen.'

On his previous visit to the UK last July, Mr Trump embarrassed Mrs May by hailing the qualities of Mr Johnson, who had just resigned as foreign secretary.

The president said Mr Johnson was 'a very talented guy' who would make a 'great prime minister'.

He said at the time: 'I was very saddened to see he was leaving government and I hope he goes back in at some point. I think he is a great representative for your country.'

Mr Farage was famously the first senior UK politician to meet Mr Trump after he was elected as president - posing together by the golden elevator in his New York penthouse.

The US president heaped praise on the two politicians as 'big powers' - saying Mr Farage's Brexit Party had won a 'big victory' in the EU elections last week

Mr Farage was famously the first senior UK politician to meet Mr Trump after he was elected as president - posing together by the golden elevator in his New York penthouse

There were claims that Mr Trump wanted the MEP to be made the UK ambassador to the US, although the idea was dismissed by the UK government.

Any meetings will have to be slotted into a packed schedule for the Trumps as they are given the full red carpet treatment.

Royal gun salutes will fire at the Tower of London and in Green Park to honour the US President and First Lady Melania Trump.

The Queen, 93, is hosting no fewer than four official events in tribute to Mr Trump, and Prince Charles and the Duke of York will be heavily involved too.

The President will also have lunch with Mrs May at Downing Street in one of her final ceremonial duties as Prime Minister.

Mr Trump is bringing four of his five children with him, including son Barron, 12, and his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Model Chloe Ayling broke down today as she told an Italian court of the moment her 'Black Death' kidnappers stuffed her in a duffel bag and threatened to sell her as a sex slave - with the bidding starting at 300.

The tearful 21-year-old appeared before a court in Milan via video link from London for the first time to be quizzed about her abduction.

She was expected to face accusations that she helped stage the kidnapping to boost her modelling career.

But within minutes of starting to give her evidence she broke down in tears as she described being grabbed and drugged by a man wearing a balaclava who said he was part of a shadowy gang called Black Death.

The model described how at one point during her ordeal she offered sex to one of the gang members in a desperate bid to escape.

Chloe Ayling (in green) gives evidence via video link to a Milan courtroom from Westminster Magistrates Court in London

The model refused to attend in person saying she was too afraid to face her alleged kidnapper

An Italian police officer has previously demonstrated how Ms Ayling could have been kept in a bag

A court usher handed her a tissue as she covered her face with her hand and gently sobbed.

Clearly distressed, Ayling said: 'I tried to get away. There was a hand over my mouth and I could not breathe. I was trying to get the hand off my face, but I could not fight much longer.

'Straight away I felt drowsy and I fell to the floor unconscious. When I started to wake up I was in a restricted space, I was in a black duffel bag.

'I had tape all around my mouth and I had handcuffs on my wrists and handcuffs on my ankles.

Chilling images show the model, 21, drugged on the floor before she was kidnapped

'I was only wearing my bodysuit. I had been stripped of my clothes. I had my socks on and a hole had been cut in the bag so I could breathe.

'At first I didn't know where I was but then as the drugs wore off I could hear the noise of a car and realised I was in a bag in the boot of a car.'

Ayling said she was told by Luckas Herba that he was a leader of a group known as 'Black Death' and that she had been kidnapped to be sold as a sex slave.

'He said there would be an auction and the opening bid was 300,' Ayling told the court.

'I was told that after they had finished with the girls they are passed around to their brothers and relatives and then they are fed to the tigers.'

Ayling said she was told the gang targeted women leaving nightclubs and they had many women whose parents had no idea where they were.

But prosecutor Paolo Storari reminded her that in a police statement she said the opening bid was 75,0000.

Ayling added: 'Yes, that is it, I remember'. She went on to say Herba had told her there was a 300,000 ransom that had to be paid to secure her release.

'I said that my family would not be able to pay 300,000, but that Phil (her agent) could do it. Then I gave three names that could have paid that amount.'

Asked if Herba organised auctions for kidnapped girls, she replied: 'Yes, for people in the Middle East. He told me, "the younger the person, the more he is paid. If she is a virgin even better, it costs much more".'

Ayling told the court Herba did not agree with her kidnapping but to secure her release he would have to pay half of the 300,000 ransom to the Romanians who ran the Black Death group. Herba said he did not have that sort of money.

She was giving evidence at the trial of Michal Herba (pictured) who is accused of helping his brother kidnap the model

Ayling, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was lured to Milan for a fake photoshoot before being drugged, handcuffed and bundled into a suitcase during a six-day ordeal in July 2017

Questioned about the 'Black Death Group', Ayling said Herba boasted that he had killed people by poisoning them

'Lucasz said that the group also dealt with other things such as killing people,' she said.

Ayling, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was lured to Milan for a fake photoshoot before being drugged, handcuffed and bundled into a suitcase during a six-day ordeal in July 2017.

She was driven over 100 miles to a remote rented farmhouse in the Piedmont region where the bothers claimed they worked for a gang called Black Death.

The model was today giving evidence at the trial of Michal Herba, 38, who is accused of helping his brother Lukasz with the abduction.

Lukasz was jailed last June for her kidnap and Ayling was not called on at the trial.

Ayling was told she did not have to give evidence at his trial  despite Herba's claim that she had come up with the idea of being kidnapped to help boost her glamour modelling career.

But lawyers for Michal, who is charged with the same offence of kidnap, successfully petitioned the court to force Ayling to be crossexamined and asked about her alleged role in the kidnap.

The Herba brothers (Michal, pictured) claim Ayling came up with the idea of being kidnapped to help boost her glamour modelling career

The model had refused to attend in person saying she was too afraid to face her alleged kidnapper, but was quizzed via a video link from Westminster Magistrates Court in London.

After almost an hour of technical difficulties in setting up the video in London, Ayling appeared on screen.

Dressed in green top, black jacket and with her with hair piled in a bun, the model sat in front of a computer screen at a desk in the London courtroom.

Michal Herba sat alongside his lawyer listening intently to Ayling give her version of events.

The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant told the court about the day she was kidnapped and described how she took a taxi from her hotel to a studio where she was supposed to be taking part in a photo shoot.

She said: 'On 11 July, 2017, I left my room at the hotel and a taxi driver drove me to the studio. When I arrived to the studio it was 8.45am.

'Since it was very early and I didn't know which door to enter the studio, I found one but I didn't know it was the wrong one.

'Then I called the contact name in the contact email I had received and someone answered. The one who answered told me to come in if I wanted.

Michal's brother Lukasz Herba (pictured) was jailed last June after being found guilty of kidnapping the then 20-year-old

'I said it was locked, but he said, 'No, it's open.' So I tried to open another door and managed to enter.

'Once inside the corner, I heard silence and I didn't see anyone. There were two doors - one on the left and one at the end of the corridor.

'The door to the left said 'study' in capital letters. It was a little open, I opened it completely to be able to enter, but at that moment someone touched me from behind.

'Someone put an arm around his neck and covered my mouth with his other hand. Since they had closed my mouth, I couldn't breathe and tried to take that hand off my face. Then another man came in, wearing a balaklava and trying to grab my right arm.

'I tried to resist, but since I had my hand on my face, I couldn't get any strength. So this person injected me with something in his right wrist. Immediately I felt dizzy and fell to the ground, I fainted.

'After I woke up I was in a restricted space. It was a canvas bag or duffel bag. There was tape over my mouth.





'I did not know where I was, took me while to come around after the drug and heard the car engine.'

Ayling said that her relationship with Luckas Herba began by just talking. But she said the conversation soon turned sexual and she used it to her advantage.

'He made sexual suggestions and I said if you release me then something can happen. I could see his reaction was positive.' she said.

Ayling said he told her to go to the bathroom and get in the shower and not talk to him any more. He said he was sexually frustrated.

Earlier, Ayling had said she spent the first night sleeping on the floor of a remote farmhouse where she was chained to a chest of draws.

By the second night she was sleeping alongside Herba. 'We spent most of the time talking. We did a lot of talking.'

Lawyers for Michal successfully petitioned the court to force Ayling (pictured) to be crossexamined and asked about her role in the kidnap

The model said she had been 'completely brainwashed' into believing her life was in grave danger from the Black Death group.

Quizzed why she walked hand in hand with Herba and went shopping for a pair of shoes she was again asked why she did not try to escape.

She said: 'I thought I would be killed. I was completely brainwashed. He (Herba) was the only person to rely on and set me free. I did not want to cross him

'I was brainwashed. No one can understand what I was feeling at the time. Even if I were free of Lukasz I would not be free of Black Death.

Ayling said she did not eat for the first four days she was held captive.

It was only after she began eating the same food as Herba that she realised she would not be poisoned.

Lukasz Herba was found guilty a year ago of kidnapping Ayling and holding her hostage for six days.

The Polish born national had claimed that Ayling was a willing participant in the abduction as she wanted to boost her modelling career.

Doubts about Ayling's story surfaced after they were captured on CCTV film walking hand in hand in the remote Italian village where she claimed to have been held.

After the verdict Ayling said she had been vindicated  but was quick to seize on her fame by joining the cast of Celebrity Big Brother.

She also wrote a book about her experience, but when modelling work failed to flood in turned to working for a 2 a minute sex chat line.

The 21-year-old is still linked to the Studio 66 site where callers can talk to Ayling by paying the premium rate.

At Herba's trial prosecutors said he was working in tandem with his younger brother Michal.

Ayling was quick to seize on her fame by joining the cast of Celebrity Big Brother a year after the kidnapping

They had lured Ayling to Milan with the promise of a photo shoot but on arriving at a studio was drugged with Ketamin and bundled into a canvas bag.

In her witness statement Ayling said she did not try to escape as she feared for her life.

She was freed unharmed after six days when Herba dropped her off at the British Embassy in Milan. He was arrested almost immediately as he tried to flee.

Herba presented a pathetic figure at his trial as he repeatedly changed his story over the kidnapping.

His lawyer Katia Kolakowska had wanted to question Ayling, but a judge ruled it out saying she had made a detailed witness statement. Herba is appealing against his sentence.

Today, Ayling was told she would have to make a second appearance before the court after Michal Herba's defence lawyer was not given the opportunity to cross examine her.

The state prosecutor spent so long taking Ayling through her kidnap ordeal that the court in Milan adjourned for another day.

The model was sat giving evidence from Westminster Magistrates Court for over five hours with just a 45-minute break.

The trial was adjourned until Wednesday June 5th.
Union chief Len McCluskey today warned Jeremy Corbyn not to make Labour a pro-Remain party as the Liberal Democrats snaffle their voters and lead in a shock new election poll.

The Unite general secretary said a second referendum would only 'pump more poison' into Britain and a lurch towards one would be 'electorally suicidal'.

He also urged Mr Corbyn to ignore 'Remain zealots' after 'pointless' European elections because the party would lose dozens of MPs in the north and Midlands.

Writing for HuffPost UK he said: 'There is absolutely no route to a Labour victory as a Remain party.

'A further referendum will only pump more venom into the body politic. So then we are left with simply cancelling Brexit. For Labour to embrace such a position would be not just electorally suicidal, it would represent a profound rupture in our movement's democratic traditions'.

He added: 'There is no way round it  leading the charge for Remain and relying on returning Lib Dem or Green voters, rather than continuing to respect the referendum result, will see Labour losing dozens of constituencies it has held since World War Two and longer, and put key marginals we must win way out of reach'.

Union boss Len McCluskey warned Jeremy Corbyn today: 'There is absolutely no route to a Labour victory as a Remain party'

A survey of how Britons might vote in a general election shows the main political parties in joint third place  behind the pro-Remain Lib Dems and Nigel Farage's Brexit Party

Mr McCluskey recently accused Mr Corbyn's deputy leader Tom Watson of plotting to throw him out of office if Labour doesn't come out for remain.

Labour and the Tories were hit by an opinion poll bombshell last night in the wake of their EU election humiliation.

A survey of how Britons might vote in a general election showed the main political parties in joint third place  behind the pro-Remain Lib Dems and Nigel Farage's Brexit Party.

Barnier: Brexit is about 'nostalgia' Michel Barnier sparked fury yesterday by claiming 'typically British' nostalgia for the Empire was behind the Brexit vote. The EU negotiator said Britons felt 'abandoned' by cuts, and suggested City figures wanted to leave because they did not like EU rules. In an interview with the New York Review of Books he said Leavers voted for 'the hope for a return to a powerful global Britain, nostalgia for the past  nostalgia serves no purpose in politics'. Last night, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told the Daily Mail: 'Michel Barnier is fundamentally wrong. If anything, it's nostalgia for proper democracy.' And Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted that Leave voters stood for 'self government, audited financial statements and the accountability of bureaucrats'. Advertisement

Sir Vince Cable's Liberal Democrats garnered 24 per cent  their best showing for years, according to the YouGov survey. Close behind was Nigel Farage's Brexit Party with 22 per cent  even though it has only been in existence for six weeks.

However, the Conservatives and Labour were tied on an unprecedented 19 per cent. The Lib Dems came second in last week's European Parliament elections after attracting the support of hundreds of thousands of Remain-supporting Labour voters angry at their party's equivocal stance on a second Brexit referendum. The Brexit Party came top, punishing Theresa May's party for failing to deliver Britain's departure from the EU.

Its strong showing in the poll indicates that millions of people would also consider voting for them at Westminster.

The survey for The Times revealed the depth of the crisis the main parties face in the wake of the deadlock over Mrs May's Brexit deal.

It was the first time the Lib Dems have topped a poll since 2010, with Nick Clegg as leader. The Greens were behind the two main parties on 8 points.

Anthony Wells, of pollsters YouGov, told The Times it was unheard of for two challenger parties to take the top places in a voting intention poll.

Nigel Farage (pictured)is upset with the YouGov poll saying it was weighted against the Brexit Party

Mr Corbyn deepened Labour's Brexit woes last night as he said a second referendum was 'some way off'.

Speaking in Dublin, he resisted pressure to begin campaigning for a public vote.

He said the only way to break the deadlock would be a general election or a second referendum after negotiating a softer Brexit deal.

And Mr Corbyn would not say definitively that remaining in the EU would be on the ballot paper in a public vote.

He said: 'We don't back a rerun of 2016. That happened. That is gone. If Parliament comes to an agreement, then it's reasonable, and if Parliament wishes it, there should be a public vote on it but that is some way off.'

The Labour leader is under pressure from John McDonnell and Diane Abbott to back a second vote. But others on the Left oppose it.
A remarkable note written by royal mistress Wallis Simpson to film star Judy Garland expressing her regret she could not join her and Edward VIII for dinner has sold for more than 3,000.

The message was written in an amended version of the ballad Over The Rainbow, the song Garland famously sung in The Wizard of Oz.

Sat at the table of New York restaurant The Colony alongside the then Duke of Windsor, Wallis wrote: 'Somewhere up in the Plaza/ Way up high/ There's a gal that we miss/ Oh me, oh my, oh my/ etc - etc - etc'.

A note written by royal mistress Wallis Simpson to Judy Garland expressing her regret she could not join her and Edward VIII for dinner has sold for 3,250. The message was written in an amended version of the ballad Over The Rainbow, the song Garland famously sung in The Wizard of Oz

The note, on the headed notepaper of The Colony restaurant, was signed by her, the Duke of Windsor and their dining companions that night.

The message reached Garland and was later referred to in her official biography that was published 20 years later.

The movie star kept the note, that was written in 1955 - 19 years after Edward abdicated the throne to marry Wallis - in a memory book for years.

It was acquired 15 years ago by a British collector who has now sold it with Chiswick Auctions, of London.

They expected it to go for 600 but it sparked fervent interest, and eventually sold for more than five times its estimate.

Valentina Borghi, a books and manuscripts specialist at Chiswick Auctions of west London, said: 'This is a funny note that Wallis Simpson wrote when Judy Garland was unable to join her and Edward for dinner one evening in 1955.

The note, on the headed notepaper of The Colony restaurant, was signed by Mrs Simpson, the Duke of Windsor and their dining companions that night. The message reached Garland and was later referred to in her official biography that was published 20 years later. Above: Ms Garland as Dorothy with her character's dog, Toto, in 1939

'Wallis wrote a variation of the famous song from the Wizard of Oz and sent it to Judy Garland after getting those at the table to sign it.

'These people included her husband and other high ranking members of New York society.

'Wallis Simpson was a very witty woman and possibly after a glass or two of champagne, thought it was a good idea to write this.

'But is appears she ran out of steam quite quickly because she only wrote the first verse of the song.

Although Wallis and Edward were 'prolific' in giving their signatures, the note was described as 'unique' by Valentina Borghi, a manuscripts specialist at Chiswick Auctions of west London

'We know Judy Garland kept the note but it left her estate many years ago and now belongs to a British collector.

'Both Wallis and Edward were prolific in giving their signatures but this item is truly unique.'

The other signatures on the note are for Babe Paley, the wife of the president of broadcaster CBS, Bob Young, president of the Penn Central Railroad, Bill Paley, chief executive of Columbia Broadcasting and composer Charlie Cushing.
Media giants Netflix and Disney are being urged to boycott Northern Ireland as the abortion row in Hollywood spread to the UK.

The powerful broadcasters have come under pressure from pro-choice campaigners to stop filming there because of it's strict laws on terminating a pregnancy.

In the US both Netflix and Disney have joined more than 100 film stars by threatening to withdraw from the state of Georgia over a proposed abortion ban.

But women's rights groups in the UK have pointed out that many actors and the two media giants had been happy to work in Northern Ireland, where woman who have an abortion can face life in jail.

Kerry Abel, chairman of the Abortion Rights charity in the UK said filmmakers should consider Northern Ireland in 'the same light' as Georgia.

In the US both Netflix (pictured, its offices in Los Angeles) and Disney have joined more than 100 film stars by threatening to withdraw from the state of Georgia over a proposed abortion ban.

Disney (pictured, the firm's HQ in Burbank, California) has come under pressure from pro-choice campaigners to stop filming in Northern Ireland

The film industry has boomed in Northern Ireland since it was chosen as the setting for Game of Thrones.

Recent movies have included The Lost City of Z, and High-Rise.

Ms Abel told the Daily Telegraph: 'Those benefiting from tax breaks in Northern Ireland, the likes of Netflix and Disney, should know that women who pay their taxes are not getting access to healthcare on the NHS for their abortions.

'If they think that it is not acceptable to operate in Georgia they should consider Northern Ireland in the same light.'

Abortions are illegal in Northern Ireland except in cases where a woman's health is at risk, or if having a baby would leave her a 'physical or mental wreck'.

The row over new anti abortion laws has sparked mass protests across the US. Pictured: Activists in Montgomery, Alabama

The film industry has boomed in Northern Ireland since it was chosen as the setting for Game of Thrones (pictured)

In 2017 almost 1,000 women from Northern Ireland travelled to England and Wales to terminate their pregnancies.

According to the Telegraph it is understood that Netflix executives believe the situation is different in Northern Ireland because women have been denied abortions there for hundreds of years, while women in Georgia stand to have their rights taken away.

Georgia's Republican governor Brian Kemp signed the 'heartbeat bill' into law on May 7 and it is due to take effect on January 1 if it survives court challenges.

The passage of the bill in Georgia has sparked outrage in Hollywood, as it is the country's top movie-making location with a film industry worth 7.5billion a year and which generates 92,000 jobs.

Chief content officer Ted Sarandos (left) said that Netflix would 'rethink our entire investment in Georgia 'if legislation known as the 'heartbeat bill' came into effect. Walt Disney Co Chief Executive Bob Iger (pictured with the actor Chris Hemsworth, right) said it would be 'very difficult' for the company to keep filming in Georgia if the abortion law went through

The popular Netflix series Stranger Things was filmed in Georgia

Producers of movies including box-office smashes Black Panther, The Hunger Games and Avengers: Infinity War have been lured there by tax breaks.

Actors including Amy Schumer, Ben Stiller and Alec Baldwin have signed a letter warning they would 'do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state for women.'

Netflix have said it will be 'rethinking' its entire operation and would wok with groups to contest the law in court.

It currently has five projects filming in the state: The Liberator, Christmas on the Square, Holidate, Season 2 of Insatiable and Season 3 of Ozark.

On Wednesday hundreds of abortion-rights advocates took to the streets to protest the anti-abortion legislation. Protesters pictured on May 22

Protestors walk to the Alabama State Capitol on Sunday in protest about new anti abortion laws

The money-spinning hit series Stranger Things has previously used Atlanta and Jackson in Georgia as locations for filming.

Netflix executive Ted Sarandos said: 'We have many women working on productions in Georgia whose rights, along with millions of others', will be severely restricted by this law.'

Disney's chief executive Bob Iger said: 'Many people who work for us will not want to work there and we will have to heed their wishes. We are watching it very carefully.'

Yesterday WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal become the latest major Hollywood players to threaten to boycott Georgia as a filming location should its new restrictive abortion law be upheld.

WarnerMedia, which includes HBO, Turner, and Warner Bros. among its subsidiaries, is currently filming HBO's 'The Outsider' and 'Lovecraft Country,' and Warner Bros. film 'The Conjuring 3' in the state.

Production will also soon begin on a money-spinning Suicide Squad sequel.

Georgia governor Brian Kemp signing the 'heartbeat bill' into law

In a statements, WarnerMedia said: 'We will watch the situation closely and if the law holds we will reconsider Georgia as the home to any new productions.

'We operate and produce work in many states and within several countries at any given time and while that doesn't mean we agree with every position taken by a state or a country and their leaders, we do respect due process.'

Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal said in a separate statement: 'If any of these laws are upheld, it would strongly impact our decision making on where we produce our content in the future.

'We fully expect that the heartbeat bills and similar laws in various states will face serious legal challenges and will not go into effect while the process proceeds in court.'

Georgia is one of eight states to pass anti-abortion legislation this year for the purpose of inducing the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark case that established a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy.
Two Palestinian teens were shot dead by Israeli police, one after stabbing two people, as thousands of Muslims flock to Jerusalem during Ramadan.

A 19-year-old man was shot dead after he allegedly stabbed two Israeli civilians near the Damascus Gate on Friday - one was critically wounded, the other was in a stable condition.

Later, Abdullah Ghaith, 16, was killed as he tried to scale the heavily fortified separation barrier from Bethlehem into Jerusalem, the police said.

Tens of thousands of worshippers were flocking to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque for noon prayers on the last Friday in the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

Israeli medics carry the body of a 19-year-old Palestinian suspected of carrying out two stabbings near the Damascus Gate on Friday

Relatives of Palestinian teenager Abdullah Ghaith look at his body at a hospital in Hebron, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank

Ghaith's father, Louai Ghaith, said his son had been trying to enter Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque for the holy day.

Ghaith's body was brought to a Bethlehem hospital, where his distraught family identified him.

'He was going to fulfil his religious duty, he was going to worship,' Ghaith said. 'They killed him... with a bullet to his heart, like a game, and 16 years I've been raising him.'

In a separate event, Israeli police said they shot dead the 19-year-old Palestinian suspected of carrying out two stabbings near the bustling main entrance to the predominantly Palestinian part of the Old City.

Police said one Israeli was in critical condition, while the second was in moderate condition. The suspect, police added, was shot by security forces while running through the Old City's Muslim quarter.

The stabbings occurred just hours before busloads of Muslim worshippers were to arrive from both Israel and the West Bank for Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, located in the Old City.

Relatives of Abdullah Ghaith reacts at a hospital in the Hebron after he was shot dead by Israeli police on Friday

COGAT, the Israeli defence body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said it eases tight movement restrictions on Palestinian residents of the West Bank travelling to Jerusalem for Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Women of all ages can enter for the occasion, as well as men over the age of 40 who undergo a background check.

Younger Palestinian men must request an entry permit from the military, which are difficult to obtain.

In other countries across the Middle East, rallies are set to take place Friday to mark Quds, or Jerusalem Day, an annual event held on the last Friday of Ramadan.

This year's protests come as the Trump administration is pushing an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan whose details remain unknown.

On Sunday, Israel marks its own 'Jerusalem Day,' when it celebrates capturing the Old City in the 1967 Mideast war and annexing it.

Israeli security forces monitor the entrances of Jerusalem's Old City following a knife attack early on Friday

Tensions run high during the holiday, as a nationalist Israeli marches pass through Damascus Gate and the Muslim quarter. Israeli police said the area would be heavily patrolled to keep the parade from erupting into violence, as has happened in the past.

Most of the international community has not recognised Israel's annexation of the eastern part of the city, which the Palestinians claim as their capital for a future state.

Jerusalem is the third holiest site in Islam, after the cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
Dutch far-right politician and anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders said Twitter has temporarily blocked his account following remarks he made about a political rival.

Wilders, who faces threats against him by Islamists, relies heavily on Twitter to communicate with his supporters.

He has 811,000 followers, second only to Prime Minister Mark Rutte among Dutch politicians.

Geert Wilders (pictured) said Twitter has temporarily blocked his account following remarks he made about a political rival

He said in a statement today: 'Twitter often tolerates death threats against me, but not a factual tweet by me about a colleague. Madness!'

A spokesman for Wilders' Freedom Party sent a screenshot of his account showing the ban, which was due to expire in about eight hours.

The far-right politician and anti-Islam campaigner (pictured casting his ballot in the European Election) relies heavily on Twitter to communicate with his supporters

The tweet that led to Wilders' block referred to D-66, a progressive centre-left party as 'suckers ...who import ever more Islam and then weep crocodile tears over the consequences, such as honour killings'.

A Twitter spokesman said: 'We don't comment on accounts for privacy and security reasons.

'Our Hateful Conduct policy expressly prohibits the promotion of violence, direct attacks or threats towards people in certain protected categories.'

Wilders is currently appealing a 2016 conviction for inciting discrimination for an incident in which he led followers in chanting they wanted 'fewer! fewer! fewer' Moroccans in the Netherlands.

How did Geert Wilders raise tensions in Holland after launching a cartoon competition for people to submit drawings of the prophet Muhammad? Tensions in the Netherlands rose dramatically last year after far-tight politician Geert Wilders launched a cartoon competition for people to submit drawings of the prophet Muhammad. Mr Wilders reacted angrily when Hardi N, an Iraqi-born jihadi alleged to be the ring-leader of the foiled plot, was freed in 2014 on his return to Holland from Syria and was set free by the Dutch courts. Judges allowed the suspected jihadi to walk the streets and be monitored with an electronic tag. In August last year, a 19-year-old Afghan with a German residence permit stabbed and injured two American tourists at Amsterdam's busy Central Station before being shot. The Dutch prosecutor said he had chosen the Netherlands for the attack believing Islam to be 'frequently insulted' in the country. The Amsterdam attack came after a Taliban call for attacks on Dutch troops after Mr Wilders organised the Prophet Muhammed cartoon competition as many Muslims consider images of the prophet to be blasphemous. The likelihood of a terror attack in the Netherlands 'remained substantial', the Dutch anti-terror agency NCTV said at the time, with terror threat levels then at level four out of five. The day before the attack on August 31, Mr Wilders cancelled the competition following death threats and large-scale protests in Pakistan. Terror-related arrests in September came three months after two men were arrested in Rotterdam on suspicion of preparing attacks in France and in the Netherlands. Prosecutors said earlier they were 'close' to launching their attack but there had been no mention of what the target in France might have been. In the Netherlands the pair arrested in July are said to have staked out and 'identified several possible targets' in Rotterdam, including 'a police station and the Erasmus Bridge', the country's second largest. Advertisement

He was acquitted of hate-speech in a closely watched trial in 2016 but convicted after the judges said in their verdict: 'The inflammatory character of the way in which the statements were made have incited others to discriminate people of Moroccan origin.'

But they added that there was 'insufficient evidence' that his words at an election rally in 2014 amounted to incitement to hatred.

Wilders is currently appealing a 2016 conviction for inciting discrimination

The judges also dismissed the prosecution's request to impose a 5,000 euro fine on the far-right MP.

'In this case, the most important question is whether Wilders has crossed a line. This judgement has answered that question,' the judges said in their verdict.

'Therewith, the chamber finds that justice has been done. Consequently, no punishment is imposed.'

At the time, Wilders used his favoured tool Twitter to react, tweeting a number of responses to the verdict as well as posting personal message on his YouTube account.

Wilders made it clear immediately that he intended to appeal his conviction, as he believed it was 'a big loss for freedom of speech'.

Wilders, who was not present at the trial, commented on the character of the judges who delivered his verdict in 2016
Queensland Police have accidentally stumbled across a cannabis crop after arresting a group of vegan activists accused of storming a farm earlier this year.

While searching a unit in Rocklea, Brisbane in relation to the March 23 incident, police last night found cannabis plants valued at more than $30,000.

A 38-year-old man was charged with six drug related offences and also questioned and charged in relation to the trespass incident at the Millmerran farm, police said.

Scroll down for video

While searching a unit in Rocklea, Brisbane in relation to the March 23 incident, police last night stumbled across a cannabis crop valued at more than $30,000

The man will appear in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on June 25.

The discovery comes after police put into action several search warrants and charged 14 people in relation to the incident at the Brisbane farm.

Some of the activists have already appeared in court and a number of fines have already been issued, ranging from $500 to $1,300, police said.

The Millmerran incident was just one of several animal rights protests on farms and abattoirs, which prompted the state government to give police and biosecurity officers the authority to issue on-the-spot fines of $652.17 to activists on top of penalties for trespassing.

As part of their investigation, Queensland Police on Friday released footage of the incident in an attempt to get those involved to come forward.

'If you are in this vision, you are encouraged to contact police,' Detective Inspector Troy Pukallus of the Major and Organised Crime Squad (Rural) said.

Some of the activists who took part in the March 23 protest (pictured) have already appeared in court and a number of fines have already been issued in court, ranging from $500 to $1,300

The shocking discovery comes after police put into action several search warrants and charged 14 people in relation to a trespassing incident at the Millmerran farm

'This is your one opportunity to do it at your own volition, before we come knocking on your door.'

Police have also warned the general public about the seriousness of trespassing and discourage those who may be thinking of trying something similar.

'Unauthorised entry by animal activists to places where animals are kept in Queensland occurs without regard for animal welfare, biosecurity, food safety and workplace health and safety risks,' Detective Inspector Pukallus said.

'This activity will result in prosecution,' he said.

Anyone with information about the Millmerran incident has been urged to come forward on contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Advertisement

Drone footage has captured the devastation that rising water levels have caused in Arkansas on Friday - with houses destroyed and trees submerged as flash flooding continues to plague the region.

A levee breached on Thursday along the Arkansas River, prompting a flash flood warning and the mass evacuation warning for 160 homes in the Dardanelle area, around 60 miles northwest of Little Rock.

While hundreds of homes have been flooded so far in and around Fort Smith, Arkansas' second-largest city, while nearly 1,100 homes have flooded across the Oklahoma border in Muskogee County, according to local officials.

Residents float sandbags down Highway 61 to fight rising floodwater from the Mississippi River from reaching their homes on May 31, 2019 in Barnhart, Missouri on Friday

David Nibarger walks across Highway 61 through floodwater from the the Mississippi River as he leaves his home with his dog Tiny under his arm on May 31, 2019 in Barnhart, Missouri. The middle-section of the country has been experiencing major flooding since mid-March especially along the Missouri, Arkansas

David Luck pushes a boat load of sandbags down Highway 61 for residents to fight rising floodwater from the Mississippi River on Friday May 31

Footage of Fort Smith shows water levels so high that the elevated highways are just meters away from being submerged, something that would prove disastrous for rescue operations and all but trap residents in the flooded areas.

'This has been massive for me. Totally devastating,' said Kenny Ward, a 53-year-old former Marine who sheltered with dozens of other flooded-out residents at the Evangel Temple Assembly of God Church in Fort Smith.

Ward said he had been living in a tent along an Arkansas River tributary before floodwaters forced him out a week ago. His tent, housing his clothing, medication, sleeping bag and birth certificate, was surrounded by waist-high water when he returned to the site three days ago.

Ryan Sizemore (right) David Luck bring a boat load of sandbags down Highway 61 to fight rising floodwater from the Mississippi River from reaching Sizemore's home on May 31, 2019 in Barnhart, Missouri

Ryan Sizemore brings a boat load of sandbags down Highway 61 to fight rising floodwater from the Mississippi River from reaching Sizemore's home on May 31, 2019 in Barnhart, Missouri

Ward said he spent the next five days helping to fill sandbags for his neighbors who were trying to protect their homes.

Thomas Lindley said floodwaters reached the roof of his home three days ago in nearby Moffett, Oklahoma. Lindley said he doesn't have flood insurance and didn't know how he would recover.

'I'm just trying to get some relief aid or another job,' he said. 'That's all we can do.'

Drone footage has captured the devastation that rising water levels caused in Arkansas on Friday following flash flooding - with houses destroyed and trees submerged after a levee breach overnight

Traffic moves over the I-540 bridge as the Arkansas River floods along Adams Street Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Van Buren, Arkensas. Hundreds of homes have been flooded so far in and around Fort Smith, Arkansas' second-largest city, while nearly 1,100 homes have flooded across the Oklahoma border in Muskogee County, according to emergency management officials

In nearby Van Buren, Arkansas, officials warned that a levee protecting a mostly rural area on the western edge of the state was 'showing signs of significant leakage and deterioration.'

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service said Friday the river's level at Tulsa has dropped almost 4 feet from Wednesday's crest and will continue to recede through the weekend.

Emergency management officials in Tulsa, Oklahoma, say they are seeking volunteers wearing boots and heavy leather work gloves to help residents remove debris and clean up their flooded homes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says a hydroelectric dam at a reservoir northwest of Tulsa has reduced flow as the reservoir drains floodwaters from recent heavy rainfall, aiding the river's decline.

The Arkansas River floods Harry E. Kelley River Park Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Fort Smith, Arkansas

The Arkansas River floods along Adams Street Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Van Buren, Arkansas. Officials warned that a levee protecting a mostly rural area on the western edge of the state was 'showing signs of significant leakage and deterioration'

All other levees in Arkansas appeared to be in good shape as the river level remained at a historic crest Thursday, according to Col. Bob Dixon of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

But he said local officials should have a plan in place in case a levee fails, because the flooding was expected to persist for days  if not weeks.

'My concern is, they are designed for a temporary load and they are holding a lot more water than they have been tested on before,' Dixon said.

Meanwhile, portions of the raging river showed signs of receding upstream in northeastern Oklahoma as the Corps scaled back releases from a hydroelectric dam near Tulsa, about 104 miles northeast of Fort Smith.

The Arkansas River rises at Murray Lock and Dam in Little Rock, Arkansas on Thursday, May 30, 2019. Flooding along the Arkansas River has prompted the closure of some outdoor attractions near Bill Clinton's presidential library in downtown Little Rock

Traffic gets backed up on the Bayview Bridge as vehicles are rerouted in Quincy, Ill Thursday, May 30, 2019, after it was closed due to rising Mississippi river waters. The bridge connects Illinois to Missouri via U.S. Route 24

Powerful storms that dropped more than 20 inches of rain on parts of the region over the past month have overwhelmed the Keystone Lake reservoir, which drains a watershed of about 22,000 square miles in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Lt. Col. Adam Weece said releases from the dam into the swollen river have fallen from a high of 275,000 cubic feet per second on Wednesday to 230,000 cubic feet per second.

'We've been stepping down the release overnight. It's a gradual process,' Weece said, noting that the Corps plans to reduce flow to 100,000 cubic feet per second by Tuesday.

The river's level in Tulsa crested Wednesday afternoon and had fallen by almost 2 feet by Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

A police officer directs vehicles in Quincy, Ill., Thursday, May 30, 2019, after the Bayview Bridge was closed due to rising Mississippi river waters. The bridge connects Illinois to Missouri via U.S. Route 24

The Arkansas River floods the area near the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Thursday, May 30, 2019

The Arkansas River floods Harry E. Kelley River Park in Fort Smith Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Fort Smith, Arkansas

The Arkansas River floods Harry E. Kelley River Park in Fort Smith Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Fort Smith, Arkansas

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday that more than 500 homes and thousands of acres of farmland have been affected by the flooding.

'When you see it from the air, the breadth of the flooding, you realize the historic area we're in in terms of the Arkansas River,' the governor said at a news conference after viewing the flooding by helicopter with members of the state's congressional delegation.

'We've never seen this before. We've never had to deal with this before, so there are a lot of unknowns,' the governor said.

Staff sergeant Curtis Webb, left, and other soldiers with the Arkansas National Guard, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Field Artillery helps stand watch as the Arkansas River floods Harry E. Kelley River Park Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Fort Smith, Ark. The Arkansas National Guard was deployed along the Arkansas River to help residents deal with the flooding

Food waters have reached dangerous levels as pictured in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday

At least one death in Arkansas has been blamed on the flooding. In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker activated the National Guard to respond to recent severe flooding there.

In Tulsa, Oklahoma's second largest city, Mayor G.T. Bynum warned that the city's 70-year-old levees were being tested 'in a way that they have never been before'.

'Please prepare for the worst-case scenario that we've had in the history of the city,' he said on Tuesday. So far, he added, the 20-mile levee system, which protects some 10,000 people, was working as designed.
Reis Morris, 29, from Notting Hill, threatened Matthew Hogan, the London Fire Brigade site manager after a row about the poor condition of materials covering the burnt tower block

A Grenfell campaigner who held a fire chief by the throat in a row over material used to cover the burned-out tower has been jailed for two months.

Reis Morris, 29, who had lost a family member during the blaze on June 14, 2017, first sent Matthew Hogan a message complaining about the condition of the material, Hendon Magistrates' Court heard.

Morris, from Notting Hill, London, later grabbed the fire chief by the throat as they stood at the base of the tower block, and told him: 'I can keep on squeezing'.

He attacked Mr Hogan at a vigil in April this year for those who died in the blaze.

After the 2017 fire Morris had also threatened Kensington and Chelsea council deputy leader Kim Taylor-Smith, telling her 'I'm coming for you'.

Mr Hogan is employed by the London Fire Brigade and was in charge of the area after the inferno that claimed 72 lives.

Sharon Michaels, prosecuting, said Morris approached Mr Hogan at the entrance to the site and became aggressive, demanding to know why nothing had still been done about the covering.

Ms Michaels said: 'Mr Hogan felt he was intimidating him.

'Mr Morris then put both of his hands around Mr Hogan's throat and squeezed his hands a little, but said: 'I can keep on squeezing'.

'Mr Hogan said the squeezing did not cause him pain or suffocation, but it appeared to him that Mr Morris was trying to get across the message that this was a warning.'

Morris, who knew people who had died during the blaze at the tower (pictured) on June 14, 2017, sent Mr Hogan a message complaining about the condition of the material before attacking him

Martin Davidson, defending, said: 'Mr Morris grew up in the shadow of Grenfell.

'He has lived in that address his whole life, he knew some of the deceased in that fire.

'He has been a very active campaigner since that incident.

'He is a very active campaigner but what happened on the day is that feelings and tensions ran overboard, he lost his temper, as simple as that.

'The complainant and Mr Morris are now on good terms.

'They have mended their grievances.'

Morris was spared jail for threatening Councillor Taylor.

He later received a community order, then increased to a suspended sentence of six weeks for breaking its conditions.

Magistrate Lillian Ibbett told Morris they had no choice but to activate his suspended sentence.

She said: 'We have to bear in mind that you committed a similar offence against a person working in a similar capacity at Grenfell Tower.

'We have born all these factors in mind, we have also born in mind that you have pleaded guilty.'

Morris admitted using threatening words with intent to cause fear of violence.

He was given an extra two weeks for the second incident and jailed for a total of eight weeks.

Morris was also ordered to pay 100 prosecutions costs, 150 victim surcharge, and 100 compensation to Mr Hogan.

He was also given a restraining order from contacting Mr Hogan or entering the boundaries of Grenfell Tower.
A female pedophile who filmed herself sexually abusing a four-year-old boy in bondage situations has blamed her boyfriend for asking her to live-stream it.

Heather McDorman, 31, from Missouri, said she live-streamed the abuse to Zachary Hamby, 28, so that he could watch on his iPhone.

She was arrested while taking photos of girls in adjacent restroom stalls while she stood on a toilet at the South County Mall in March 2018 - she also claimed, at Hamby's request.

McDorman confessed to five counts of production of child pornography and two counts of attempted production of child pornography on Thursday in St Louis County.

Heather McDorman, 31, (left) from Missouri, said she live-streamed the abuse to Zachary Hamby, 28, (right) so that he could watch on his iPhone

Hamby has pleaded not guilty to the same charges and faces a hearing next month to determine whether he is mentally impaired, the St Louis Post reported.

McDorman also admitted to attempting to take pictures of youngsters at other public restrooms across the county, including at a Walmart and a church.

Detectives found pictures on her phone of a young boy in bondage and of a young girl.

McDorman also pleaded to taking photos of youngsters in adjacent bathroom stalls while at the at the South County Mall (pictured) in March 2018

Under the terms of her plea deal, both the prosecution and the defense will recommend a 25-year term of imprisonment.

McDorman claims to suffer from depression and PTSD, as well as being tormented by flashbacks of an unspecified event.

She will be sentenced on August 30.
Attorney General Bill Barr defended President Donald Trump's charge that the FBI and Justice Department spied on his 2016 presidential campaign, calling it a 'perfectly good word' that shouldn't be declared off bounds because the president uses it.

'It's part of the craziness of the modern day that if the president uses a word it all of a sudden becomes off bounds. It's a perfectly good English word. I'll continue to use it,' he told CBS' 'This Morning.'

'I guess it's become a dirty word somehow. It has never been for me,' he noted.

Attorney General Bill Barr defended President Donald Trump's charge that the FBI and Justice Department spied on his 2016 presidential campaign

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said his campaign was spied upon

Barr, in his first sit-down interview since Robert Mueller delivered his statement on his report, admitted he disagreed with some of 'legal analysis' in the special counsel's findings and said 'things are just not jiving' in his internal probe of how the Russia investigation started.

The attorney general also said he doesn't have a problem with spying - as long as it's legal.

'I think there's nothing wrong with spying. The question is always of whether it's authorized by law,' Barr said.

Trump has accused President Obama's administration of spying on his 2016 presidential effort.

Some officials - including current FBI Director Chris Wray - have objected to the president's use of the term 'spying' when referring to the counterintelligence investigation of the Trump campaign, arguing their work had been authorized by U.S. courts.

The FBI was investigating whether Russian officials have infiltrated Trump's camp.

Barr is looking into how all this began and Trump has given him extraordinary powers to do so - including the ability to declassify intelligence secrets as he sees fit.

FIRESIDE CHAT: Attorney General Bill Barr contradicted a central claim of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's press statement Thursday

Barr is investigating allegations that Trump's campaign was spied upon - a claim the president has made repeatedly without offering proof.

The attorney general himself testified to the Senate in early April that he believed the president's campaign was spied up.

And he told CBS News that as he looks into the matter, he's getting more questions than answers.

'Like many other people who are familiar with intelligence activities, I had a lot of questions about what was going on. I assumed I would get answers when I went in and I have not gotten answers that are at all satisfactory and, in fact, have probably have more questions and some of the facts I've learned don't hang together with the official explanations of what happened,' he said.

When pressed for details Barr would only say: 'That's really all I will say, things are just not jiving.'

As for his relationship with the president, Barr said the two men speak directly and he doesn't consider a tweet from Trump a presidential directive.

'I'm not on Twitter and every once in a while a tweet is brought to my attention. My experience with the president, we have a good working relationship. If he has something to say, I believe he'll tell me directly. I don't look to tweets as direct or official communications with the department,' he said.

But the White House has a different view on the matter - officials have said the president's tweets are official statements.

'The President is the President of the United States, so they're considered official statements by the President of the United States,' then-White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters in June 2017, a few months after Trump took office.

The attorney general also sounded unfazed by his critics.

'I am at the end of my career,' he told CBS News. 'Everyone dies and I am not, you know, I don't believe in the Homeric idea that you know, immortality comes by, you know, having odes sung about you over the centuries, you know?'

Special counsel Robert Mueller speaks at the Department of Justice Wednesday, May 29, 2019, in Washington, about the Russia investigation

'There was no crime. There was no misdemeanor,' Trump said, asked if he expected to be impeached

Barr also told the network he believes Mueller could have decided to indict President Trump if he had evidence the president committed a crime.

Barr was able to get in a form of cross-country rebuttal hours after Mueller stunned the nation by finally breaking his silence on his 448-page report and its conclusions  including his in-depth investigation into whether the president obstructed justice.

'I personally felt he could've reached a decision,' Barr told CBS News in an interview from Alaska, where he held a roundtable with native tribes just as Mueller was making his bombshell statement.

'The bottom line was that Bob Mueller identified some episodes. He did not reach a conclusion. He provided both sides of the issue, and his conclusion was he wasn't exonerating the president, but he wasn't finding a crime either,' he said.

Mueller had said the opposite: arguing that guidelines by DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel prohibited him from indicting the president while in office. He further argued it would be unfair to Trump to say he committed a crime, since Trump would not be able to defend himself through the criminal process absent a charge and a trial.

'That is unconstitutional,' Mueller said  emphasizing that the fundamental reason not to charge Trump didn't have to do with guilt or innocence, but rather those foundational factors.

'By regulation it was bound by that department policy,' said Mueller. 'Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider.'

Mueller explains why he didn't make a decision on charging Trump 'And as set forth in the report, after that investigation, if we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime. The introduction to the volume II of our report explains that decision. It explains that under long-standing department policy, a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that, too, is prohibited. A special counsel's office is part of the department of justice, and by regulation, it was bound by that department policy. Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider. Advertisement

Asked about Mueller's view, Barr told CBS: 'The opinion says you cannot indict a president while he is in office, but he could've reached a decision as to whether it was criminal activity.'

Then Barr backed off. 'But he had his reasons for not doing it, which he explained and I am not going to, you know, argue about those reasons,' he said.

The attorney general also conceded the two men did not agree on the legal analysis of the special counsel's findings.

'I think Bob said he was not going to engage in the analysis. He was not going to make a determination one way or the other. We analyzed the law and the facts and a group of us spent a lot of time doing that and determined that both as a matter of law, many of the instances would not amount to obstruction,' Barr said.

'In other words we didn't agree with the legal analysis, a lot of the legal analysis in the report. It did not reflect the views of the department,' Barr added. 'It was the views of a particular lawyer or lawyers and so we applied what we thought was the right law.'

The two men, who have been friends for years and whose wives attended bible study, have been thrown into conflict by conditions of the Mueller probe. Mueller appeared to upbraid Barr in a March letter disputing how Barr characterized his report. And, on Wednesday, an aide distributed a document that revealed a split on how the charging issue was handed.

When Mueller didn't make a determination on whether Trump committee a crime, Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein stepped in and decided not to charge Trump. They made their determination within 48 hours of Mueller turning in his report.

Barr also responded to a common interpretation of Mueller's remarks: that he was setting the table for Congress to further probe what he uncovered in impeachment proceedings. Mueller, in his remarks, noted that 'the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting President of wrongdoing.' That process is impeachment.

'The Department of Justice doesn't use our powers of investigating crimes as an adjunct to Congress,' said Barr, in footage that aired hours after called impeachment a 'disgusting' word. Barr is currently engaged in a fierce standoff with congressional Democrats who are demanding the release of the full, un-redacted Mueller report.

Barr also defied a subpoena and refused to show up for a House Judiciary Committee hearing after Democrats dug in on demanding committee lawyers ask questions of the attorney general for an extended period.

The attorney general said he would leave if up to Mueller as to whether the special counsel should testify before Congress.

'It's up to Bob, but I think the line he's drawing, which is he's going to stick to what he said in the report is the proper line for any department official,' Barr said.

Numerous Democrats took Mueller's comments Wednesday as an opportunity to call for the start of impeachment proceedings.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Democrats are demanding access to an un-redacted version

Asked Thursday if he expected to be impeached, Trump responded: 'I don't see how ... It's a dirty, filthy, disgusting word ... It's a giant presidential harassment.'

Then he referenced the impeachment clause of the Constitution, which states that Congress may impeach the executive for 'high crimes and misdemeanors'  a phrase that is neither precisely defined nor limited.

'There was no high crime. There was no misdemeanor,' Trump said.

Mueller told the country in a dramatic statement Wednesday that, 'If we had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said that.'

The line directly contradicting President Trump's claim that he was 'completely exonerated' by the report. Trump and the White House responded that Mueller's remarks meant it was 'case closed.'
Police missed 'opportunities galore' to stop the deadly rampage of the London Bridge terrorists, the inquest heard today.

The lawyer for the victim's families, Gareth Patterson, QC, said police did not find crucial clues which could have prevented Khuram Butt, 27, and his conspirators killing eight people.

Butt's home was raided by police in mid-2016, around a year before the attack, following an accusation of fraud.

Police raided the home of London Bridge terrorist Khuram Butt, pictured, almost a year before the attack which claimed the lives of eight people

Butt and his co-accused Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba drove this van, pictured moments before the attack, at pedestrians

The trio hired this van to mow down innocent people as they enjoyed an evening out in the London Bridge area

Khuram Butt, pictured, tried to take out a loan for 14,000 before launching the fatal terror attack, while Rachid Redouane, right, was believed to be part of a militia which toppled Colonel Gaddafi in 2011

But detectives did not seize all of his computers or find radical material stored on the digital devices.

Butt had stopped using his smartphone and attempted to take out a 14,000 loan in the weeks before the terror attack.

Khuram Butt's phone was seized by police eight months before the attack, and revealed a series of extremist searches, as well as difficulties in his marriage.

The phone had two documents called 'Tinder tips' and 'Millennial Dating App' which gave advice about online dating.

His fellow plotter, Rachid Redouane, who had split up from his wife five months earlier, had also been on a dating site, receiving a message from a potential match on Muslims4Marriage.com on May 23, 11 days before the attack.

Butt had also been looking at 'female celebrities in sexual poses and lightweight news articles about female celebrities,' according to a report by DS Simon Ager of Scotland Yard's SO15, Counter-Terrorism Command.

He had sent messages to a Whatsapp group in which he complained about the sexual revolution of the 1960s and looked forward to 'big breasted' maidens in paradise.

Mr Patterson said his changes in behaviour showed he was preparing a terror attack.

Butt, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, drove a van into pedestrians and stabbed others in the London Bridge area on 3 June 2017.

Mr Patterson asked acting DCI Wayne Jolley: 'Do you agree that the sudden stopping of using a phone might be of interest to you?'

'It depends on the context,' replied the officer.

Mr Patterson said: 'One possible observation is, why is he going quiet all of a sudden?'

Youssef Zaghba was stopped by Italian police in Bologna where he told them he was going to the Middle East as a 'terrorist' before quickly changing his answer to 'tourist'

Mr Jolley reiterated the fact that the police were acting on available intelligence.

Addressing the loan, the QC said: 'Might that have been him seeking to make provisions for his wife after he was gone?'

Mr Jolley said that the application was never completed and forms relating to the loan were delivered after the attack.

The lawyer continued, stating: 'There were opportunities galore for this attack planning to be picked up prior to the beginning.'

Mr Jolley said that police were acting on the evidence that they had and added: 'The intelligence would have been assessed.'

The court also heard that Butt was arrested in mid-2016 in relation to an alleged fraud.

Mr Patterson asked whether officers had found any terror related material when they seized his computers to investigated the supposed fraud.

'They were not all examined,' replied DCI Jolley.

Mr Patterson highlighted a news article that claimed that Redouane had been a member of the militia that toppled Colonel Gaddafi in 2011.

Butt, pictured here on CCTV, was arrested in mid-2016 in relation to an alleged fraud

The graphic above shows the various points in the London Bridge and the surrounding areas which were affected

This map shows the route the terrorists took as they murdered eight people in central London

This map shows the progress of the London Bridge attackers near the scene of the violence

'As you're aware, newspaper articles are not evidence,' replied Mr Jolley.

The lawyer asked whether his team had followed up the lead.

'Yes, and he had no links to Libya. We've done our best and we have no evidence that he was linked to Libya,' continued the police officer.

The court heard that Zaghba was stopped by border police at Bologna airport trying to travel to Turkey so that he could cross the boarder into Syria.

When officers asked Zaghba why he was heading to the Middle East Zaghba replied, 'To be a terrorist,' before correcting himself, saying, 'To be a tourist.'

The Italian border force did attempt to refer him to UK police but bungled the report but by flagging him incorrectly, explained DCI Jolley.

Mr Patterson explained that digital evidence of pro-jihad material was found on Zaghba but again, Italian police failed to pass it on to British authorities.

'None of that information was ever shared with the authorities in this country,' the barrister said.

DCI Jolley replied: 'Correct, not until post-attack.'

Mr Patterson said there was evidence of Zaghba being a committed and longstanding extremist dating back to his childhood and 9/11.

'He was drawing picture of the twin towers as his father shouted, 'Allah Akbar.'

Earlier in the inquest, Mr Patterson told the coroner: 'It was in the middle of 2015 that MI5 and the police began an investigation into Mr Butt.

'The intelligence received at that stage was that he was aspiring to carry out an attack on the UK.'

Butt, Redouane and Zaghba were shot dead by police less than 10 minutes after their murderous attack began.

Mr Belanger, Christine Archibald, 30, Xavier Thomas, 45, Kirsty Boden, 28, James McMullan, 32, Sara Zelenak, 21, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, were all killed in the attack.

The inquest continues.
Actor Magda Szubanski was among hundreds of mourners who attended a vigil for Courtney Herron on Friday evening in the Melbourne park where her body was found.

Speaking to The Project after the vigil, Ms Szubanski compared a string of horrific violent crimes against women in Melbourne to gun violence in the United States.

'We're all in this together and we need to find solutions, because the rate of this, it's almost to the point now where it's our version of mass shootings,' the 58-year-old actor said.

Actor Magda Szubanski was among hundreds of mourners who attended a vigil for Courtney Herron on Friday evening

The body of Courtney Herron, 25, was found in Melbourne's Royal Park last Saturday morning

'Male violence is perpetrated against woman but it is also perpetrated against themselves... We have to be less adversarial... We need to find common solutions and reach out to one another.'

Ms Szubanski said that there was a growing air of concern in Melbourne about the frequency of crimes against females.

Ms Herron's death is less than a year after another woman was found dead in a Melbourne park.

Eurydice Dixon's body was discovered in Princes Park in Carlton North in June last year, just a few kilometres away.

The 22-year-old was raped and murdered while walking home from the city at night.

Aiia Maasarwe, 21, allegedly suffered a similar fatal attack on her walk home near La Trobe University on January 15.

Speaking to The Project after the vigil Ms Szubanski compared the recent spate of horrific violent crimes against women in Melbourne to gun violence in the United States

Ms Herron's death is less than a year after another woman was found dead in a Melbourne park

In April, Natalina Angok's body was found dumped in Chinatown, allegedly killed by her one-time partner Christopher Allen who has been charged.

Friday's vigil for Courtney, held in Melbourne's Royal Park, was organised by We Keep Vigil - a group that organises vigils for women who have been the victims of violence in Australia.

The group has organised 20 vigils in the last five months.

Melanie Raymond from Youth Projects, an organisation that provides services for at risk youth, told the program that services for homeless youth are inadequate.

'Homelessness services are at breaking point... having to turn people away or refer them to places that they know are not very good... We all have to work together to put a stop to this,' she said.

Courtney's father John Herron released a statement on Friday expressing his family's pain over the loss of their daughter.

'Our beloved Courntney was the victim of a fatal [alleged] assault... My daughters death is an unimaginable tragedy for our family,' the statement read.

'We need to find common solutions and reach out to one another,' Ms Szubanski said




Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has taken a rare swipe at China today, warning there could be a 'flashpoint' in the South China Sea.

He voiced rare frustration with the superpower, urging progress on a code of conduct for the contested waters.

Duterte was delivering a speech at an economic forum in Tokyo, but veered off script with remarks about the resource-rich sea, over most of which China claims sovereignty despite competing claims from the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and Vietnam.

'I love China... but it behooves upon us to ask, 'is it right for a country to claim the whole ocean?' he said.

Beijing and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have for years tried to hammer out a code of conduct to govern the disputed waters, but the process has been slow.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte veered off topic during a speech in Japan to complain about Bejing's claims in the contested South China Sea

'I am sad and bewildered - not angry, because I cannot do anything,' Duterte said. 'I just hope China will come up with this 'conduct' soon.

'The longer it takes,' he said, the greater the chance the sea would be a 'flashpoint of troubles', adding that France, Britain, and the United States are already 'testing the waters'.

Duterte, aiming to attract trade and investment from the Asian superpower, has mostly withheld his early criticism of Beijing's expansive claims to the sea - a point of regional contention because trillions of dollars of goods pass through it.

But in April he warned Beijing to back off from a disputed island in the sea, suggesting the possibility of military action if China touched it.

In a major victory for Manila, an international maritime tribunal ruled early in Duterte's presidency that China's claims to the area have no legal basis.

President Duterte (fourth left) and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (third right) speak during a meeting in Tokyo today for the Future of Asia conference

However, he has largely set aside that ruling and backed off on their once tense territorial dispute over the sea, prompting criticism at home that he has been soft on China.

'China says, 'this is our land, this is our sea. Anyone who goes in there will just have to contend with us. Maybe with arms',' Duterte told the Future of Asia forum.

'My country is very small. I cannot afford to go to war with anybody, not only with China.'

Duterte also voiced worries about the escalating trade war between Beijing and Washington, saying it could only harm the world economy.

'It is creating uncertainty and tension,' he said.
Inmates at a Minnesota prison saved the life of a fellow prisoner who was attempting to kill himself by jumping from a balcony.

At just after 7pm on Wednesday evening at the Ramsey County Jail in St. Paul, a man was threatening to hurl himself 25-feet from a ledge on the second floor of the cell block.

The inmate would either have been killed, or have at the very least been seriously injured, but a group of three prisoners rushed to help him by moving a laundry cart underneath him, cushioning his fall.

A prisoner at the St.Paul jail was threatening to kill himself by jumping from a balcony

A trio of inmates urged the man not to jump and pushed a laundry cart to him

Deonte Blackwell, left, Rodolfo Delangel, center, and Austin Dirkx, right, were all on hand and able to help

Sheriff Bob Fletcher praised the trio who raced into action.

'Thank you gentlemen, you're heroes,' said Fletcher. 'You saved a guy's life.'

'We are not judged by whether or not we are in here, but what's in our heart,' Fletcher told the three men, Deonte Blackwell, Austin Dirkx and Rodolfo Delangel.

Blackwell, who is in jail for a DWI, was one of those who jumped into action.

'My natural instinct was to catch the guy,' Blackwell said to Fox9. 'I ran over and grabbed the laundry bin and said "don't do it!"', he recalled.

The three men frantically ran across the hall and begged the man not to jump from the railings

An alternative view shows the three inmates shouting at the fellow prisoner to stay where he is

The man ignored the pleas and he ended up jumping from the second floor straight into a cart

Deonte Blackwell is pictured pushing a laundry cart similar to the one that broke the man's fall

Surveillance video shows the man plummeting towards the ground and landing in the cart

'I'm moving the bin like he's trying to avoid it,' Blackwell said as other inmates yelled at him not to jump.

Despite the pleas, the inmate jumped. Blackwell caught him perfectly as he landed in a hamper filled with towels. The man's only injury was a twisted ankle.

'I think there's a hero in everybody,' Blackwell said.

Dirkx, who is also in prison in for DWI, said: 'We're not all bad, here some of us have good hearts.'

Incredibly, the prisoners managed to position the cart so they were able to catch the man

Sheriff Bob Fletcher, right, called the trio who raced into action 'heroes'. He is pictured here shaking the hand of Deonte Blackwell who will be released next month

The three inmates, who are due to be released next month, were all personally thanked by the Sheriff for their heroics which undoubtedly saved a man's life

'Just because we are locked up doesn't mean that life is not important,' said Rodolfo Delangel who is serving time for drug possession and faced deportation.

All three men are due to be released next month. The sheriff has agreed to give them each some extra money for use in the commissary.

Suicide attempts at Ramsey County Jail are not unusual - they happen around once a month.

A corrections officer stopped a man from jumping a couple days ago. Two years earlier, another prisoner jumped from the same balcony and died from a head injury.

Next week the Ramsey County Board is expect to approve $800,000 in funds to build barriers for the second floor.

The total cost of the barriers will be $1.6 million and construction should be completed by 2021.

If you or anyone you know is feeling suicidal call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255.
A shamed NYPD officer accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill her estranged husband professed her innocence to him in court, saying 'You know I didn't frickin' do this.'

Valerie Cincinelli, 34, has been charged with two counts of murder for hire and one count of obstruction of justice after she allegedly concealed, destroyed and altered documents on two different iPhones, prosecutors said.

Cincinelli is accused of plotting to kill her estranged husband of four years, Isaiah Carvalho, 32, and the 14-year-old daughter of her new sugar daddy boyfriend, 54-year-old John DiRubba.

NYPD officer Valerie Cincinelli, (left), who is accused of killing her ex-husband Isaiah Carvalho, (right), told him she was innocent at a court hearing on Tuesday, saying 'I didn't frickin' do this'

Valerie Cincinelli (pictured left in 2017 Isaiah Carvalho and her daughter), 34, is accused of asking her current boyfriend to hire an assassin to kill her ex-husband. She received a 'Cop of the month' award in July 2017 (shown above)

At the hearing in a Nassau County courtroom on Thursday, Cincinelli addressed the court via speakerphone and spoke directly to her ex-husband, saying: 'Isaiah, can you hear me?.

'Hello, can you hear me? You know I didnt do this. You know me for how many years? You frickin' know me. You know Im a good mom.'

Carvalho sat in silence and stared down at a courtroom table while Cincinelli spoke, New York Daily News reported.

The two were married four years ago, and Carvalho sued his wife for divorce last year in Nassau County Supreme Court.

At that point, she was cheating with John DiRubba, who contacted the FBI and wore a wire against Cincinelli after she asked him to locate a shooter to kill the pair in February.

Cincinelli was snared when 'sugar daddy' John DiRubba (pictured at a separate court hearing on Tuesday) told police she had given him $7,000 to hire an assassin to kill the pair

During the hearing, Cincinelli claimed that she was only charged and not convicted when an order of protection was granted to her son, 5, after her May 17 arrest was discussed.

'Your honor, its an allegation,' said Cincinelli, 34, who remains incarcerated inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

'And Im going to be found not guilty. I assure you that. Its just going to take a little time.

'I raised (my son). Ive done everything for him, and I didnt do anything wrong. Its an allegation.'

Her husband declined to discuss the case against his wife, who was indicted on Thursday on two counts of murder for hire and one for obstruction of justice.

Cincinelli is also accused of trying to cover her tracks by destroying an iPhone 6 and iPhone X Max which were used to order the alleged hit.

Earlier this month, authorities informed Carvalho that Cincinelli, the mother of his five-year-old son and a 12-year veteran of the force, had been plotting to kill him since February, court records state.

'I didn't want to believe it, but apparently it's true,' Carvalho told ABC's Good Morning America. 'I didn't think she would be capable of it, but now I don't put anything past her.'

Isaiah Carvalho said the FBI told him, 'We don't know how to tell you this, but your wife put a hit out on you. And my first response was, "Where's my son?"'

He was taken to a secret location and asked to pose hunched over in a car with broken glass scattered over him so they could dupe Cincinelli into thinking her hit man had been successful.

He told the broadcaster: 'It was absolutely insane... it was the craziest thing I've ever had to experience.'

An undercover detective went to Cincinelli's home in Long Island last Friday to show her the photos and told her she needed to send an additional $3,000 to kill her boyfriend's daughter.

Afterwards, she began talking to her boyfriend - who was cooperating with the FBI - about their alibis, court records show.

Five months had passed since he filed for divorce from his wife, but he said there was not a heated custody battle for their son and he was stunned by her actions.

'We were about to reach an agreement, so I don't see why she would attempt to do this to me, or to my son for that matter,' Carvalho said in the GMA interview.

A week after Cincinelli's alleged assassination plot was uncovered, her husband said he was still struggling to come to terms with it.

'I'm still in shock,' Carvalho said. 'I'm still lost over this whole thing and I'm trying to process everything.'

If given a chance to speak to his wife again, Carvalho said he has only one question for her: 'why?'

Cincinelli's family have come out strongly for her, with her father Louis describing her unnamed boyfriend as a 'wacko pathological liar' and a 'bum.'

'I don't know what happened, but I do know my daughter and I knew this was not true when I first heard it,' Louis Cincinelli told ABC News.

The jailed cop's dad added that her boyfriend had previously accused Cincinelli of pulling a gun on him and threatening to kill him, but later recanted his story in open court and admitted that he made it all up.

Louis Cincinelli suggested that his daughter's boyfriend has framed her as payback for throwing him out of her house two weeks earlier.

Ex-husband Isiah Carvalho Jr (above) posed as dead in a photo that federal agents sent to Cincinelli's boyfriend, which he used to convince her the hit had been carried out

In a separate proceeding, mobster-wannabe DiRubba appeared in a Manhattan court on Tuesday accused of threatening to shoot a man over a diamond ring.

The 54-year-old is said to have stolen the diamond ring from the victim on January 16 while bragging about his ties to the Gambino crime family, a criminal complaint states.

Investigators say the victim got into DiRubbas car on East 39th Street, on Manhattans First Avenue, to sell him a diamond ring worth $54,832.

However, instead of making the transaction, DiRubba allegedly told the man he had a gun and the [other man] needed to get out of the car of he was going to shoot.

He supposedly added that he was connected to John Gotti  the late leader of the Gambino crime family  and that he would pay the man the following day.

DiRubba denied the charges and pleaded not guilty before Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Laurie Peterson.

Im very stressed out. I just want to get through one thing at a time, he told reporters outside the courtroom. I cant talk about it, its under investigation.

DiRubbas involvement with the murder-for-hire case dates back to February, when prosecutors say that mother-of-two Cincinelli urged him to find an assassin.

Cincinelli joined the New York police department in 2007 and worked out of the Queens 106th Precinct (above) in Ozone Park

But instead of going forward with the plot, he rushed to the FBI with the information and became a secret informant, according to charging documents reported by the New York Post.

On February 18, prosecutors say that Cincinelli moved forward with the plot by withdrawing $7,000 from a TD Bank branch, giving the money to the boyfriend to buy five ounces of gold coins to be used to pay the purported hit man.

Cincinelli, who has her own children with Carvalho, also wanted the supposed hit man to kill her new boyfriend's own teen daughter because she was in the way of their relationship, the court documents say.

The cop allegedly told her boyfriend to tell the hit man to 'run her the f**k over' to make the girl's death appear to be a hit-and-run.

The boyfriend strung Cincinelli along as the FBI gathered information, telling her that he was in contact with a hit man and the plot was moving forward.

Two weeks ago, the boyfriend told Cincinelli that the supposed hit man was stalking Carvalho at his workplace on Long Island, but the NYPD cop protested that the area was too upscale.

Instead, Cincinelli said he should be killed in 'the hood' or 'the ghetto' so 'it would not look suspicious,' court papers say.

Worried that two deaths close together would raise suspicion, Cincinelli advised her boyfriend 'to have the hit man kill [the teen] over the weekend and then wait a week or a month to kill' her husband, the documents said.

The investigation came to a head on May 17, when the Suffolk County detective told her that her husband had been found dead.

Cincinelli sobbed during the notification - but hidden devices recorded her response after the detective left her home.

She quickly began discussing her 'alibi' with the boyfriend, according to the court papers.

Soon after, a task force of FBI agents and NYPD Internal Affairs officers swooped in and arrested Cincinelli.

Records show Carvalho filed for divorce against Cincinelli last year and a court date had been set for June.

Prosecutors did not offer a motive for why Cincinelli wanted him dead.

If convicted of all counts Cincinelli could face up to forty years behind bars.

'Ms. Cincinelli asserts her innocence of these charges,' her lawyer James Kousouros told The NY Post. 'We are conducting a thorough investigation which we believe will illuminate the true facts as to what happened here, and Ms. Cincinellis innocence.'
Former Congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul says Julian Assange could die in prison and blames the apparent deterioration in the WikiLeaks founder's heath on how he is being treated by the US and UK governments.

Speaking on 'Ron Paul Liberty Report, the 83-year-old accuses the US government of pursuing Assange and says they would like to either challenge him with a death penalty or a life time in prison 'for being a journalist.'

The Libertarian calls Assange's a 'tragic story' and describes his health as 'very very bad,' commenting that friends of the whistleblower are worried that his health may not hold up.

Assange, 47, has been moved to the hospital wing at Belmarsh prison and has been found too unwell to appear by video-link as scheduled at Westminster magistrates' court.

His lawyers reported it was not possible to have a normal conversation with him.

U.S. authorities accuse Assange of violating the Espionage Act over the publication of secret documents.

Sweden wants to question him about sexual misconduct allegations.

An independent expert for the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council who visited Julian Assange (pictured above) in a London prison says that he 'showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture'

Paul also compares Assange's plight to the case of Otto Frederick Warmbier, an American college student imprisoned in North Korea in 2016.

In June 2017, Warmbier was released by North Korea in a vegetative state and died soon afterward.

Paul goes on to ask what the ramifications would be if Assange is much sicker than is being revealed and dies in prison as the result of how his case has been handled by Washington and London.

'If he had a terminal disease or something happens to him, good, bad, or whatever and he dies in the prison, how would we look a lot different to the North Koreans on the surface?' Paul questions.

Ron Paul asks what the ramifications would be if Assange is much sicker than is being revealed and dies in prison as the result of how his case has been handled by the U.S. and British governments

Nils Melzer, the special rapporteur on torture, visited Assange on May 9 with two medical experts in examining potential victims of torture and ill-treatment. Melzer said it was 'obvious' that Assange's health had been affected by 'the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment' he faced for years

Paul's claims come as an independent expert for the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council who visited Assange in prison says he 'showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture.'

Nils Melzer, the special rapporteur on torture, visited Assange on May 9 with two medical experts in examining potential victims of torture and ill-treatment, as reported by The U.N. human rights office on Friday.

The UK, along with the US and Ecuador, has engaged in a 'relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr Assange', Melzer said.

He added it was 'obvious' that Assange's health had been affected by 'the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment' he faced for years.

Assange, 47, was moved to the hospital wing at Belmarsh prison where his lawyers reported it was not possible to have a normal conversation with him

He has been found too unwell to appear by video-link as scheduled at Westminster magistrates' court. His lawyers reported it was not possible to have a normal conversation with him

In 'Ron Paul Liberty Report,' Paul goes on to slam the American media and journalists for their lack of reporting on Assange's health problems, adding that news of his ill health came out via a Swedish newspaper.

Paul adds there is 'not much good journalism around any more' and that by not doing more reporting on Assange, journalists 'don't want to protect their right to be a journalist.'

Paul goes on to slam the American media and journalists for the lack of reporting on Assange's health problems, adding that news of his ill health came out in a Swedish newspaper. Assange supporters outside Westminster Magistrates Court pictured above

Paul defends Assange's leaking of information saying it is 'not like he spied for the enemy.'

'His crime was telling us the truth,' Paul says. 'He was telling the truth, he was revealing information ... he is a whistleblower in the form of a journalist,' Paul added.

Assange lived in Ecuador's Embassy in London in 2012 until he was arrested in April after Ecuadorean officials withdrew his asylum status.
The markets closed plunged on Friday afternoon after President Trump doubled down on his threat to impose steep tariffs for Mexico.

Trump put his opening bid at 5 percent and said he'd gradually increase them until Mexico takes a harder line on immigration. He gave Mexico less than two weeks to comply.

The move was said to be opposed by his top trade rep and his treasury secretary.

He wants the border country to break up caravans and take Central American migrants into custody before they reach the United States, his press secretary told reporters at the White House after a Fox News appearance.

'We've been giving them advance warning for months,' she declared, claiming that anyone, including Republican lawmakers, claiming to be surprised has been 'living under a rock.'

Trump said he'd gradually increase them, until Mexico takes a harder line on immigration

The market reacted poorly to Trump's pledge to put 5 percent tariffs on Mexico on June 10

The markets opened 270 points down on Friday morning, after President Trump threatened steep tariffs on Mexico

President Trump added to his spokeswoman's explanation in tweets that prodded the Mexican government to curb cartel activity, too.

'In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA. Mexico must take back their country from the drug lords and cartels. The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!' he stated.

Tariffs are also about reducing the trade deficit with Mexico, he claimed in a follow-up message on Friday morning.

'This has gone on for many years & nothing has been done about it. We have a 100 Billion Dollar Trade Deficit with Mexico. It's time!' he argued.

Trump was responding to a senior Republican senator's complaint that his anticipated action is a 'misuse' of presidential trade authority and tariffs should not be weaponized to combat illegal immigration.

'Trade policy and border security are separate issues. This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent. Following through on this threat would seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA, a central campaign pledge of President Trump's and what could be a big victory for the country,' Sen. Chuck Grassley said.

Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Trump's renegotiated trade deal with Canada and Mexico, also known as the USMCA.

His Iowa colleague, Sen. Jon Ernst, also said, 'If the president goes through with this, I'm afraid progress to get this trade agreement across the finish line will be stifled.'

As Trump warned of new tariffs as a tactic to force Mexico to capitulate on immigration, his administration sent Congress a notice that it was pulling the trigger on its trilateral trade deal. It sent Congress a draft that it has 30 days to consider, before a vote can be held.

His vice president had been in Canada earlier in the day, meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the trade deal, when Trump announced in White House statements and tweets from his personal account that he was bringing the hammer down on Mexico.

The timing suggested the move was sudden and that Mike Pence had been blindsided, but Sanders said Friday that he was aware of it when he left for Canada.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador meanwhile dispatched his foreign secretary to Washington to try to stop the president from following through on his threat to impose penalties on Mexican goods on June 1, unless the country makes unspecified progress on his demands.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Friday afternoon that the delegation was said to be on its way and was yet to arrive in D.C.

She denied that Trump's action was rushed and advisers like U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer were against the tariffs.

Conway said that Lighthizer is 'doing an excellent job' negotiating trade deals that will be better for American workers.

'Ambassador Lighthizer supports the president's agenda,' she asserted. She said he would continue to push the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal forward, as well as an agreement with China.

A source told CNBC that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin was not in favor of the tariffs that were expected to serve as a set back for the president's trade deal.

Pence told reporters traveling with him Thursday, 'I don't want to comment on what may or may not occur.

'Whatever action the president may take in the days ahead, will be about addressing the immediate humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border. But we really believe that if Congress will close the loopholes, if our neighbors to the south will do more, we can address this crisis, and we can move forward and improve the trading relationship between our three countries for generations to come,' he said.

Sanders said the USMCA is a 'great deal' that Congress 'should move forward with' separately from the tariffs, which she argued he has the 'legal authority' to implement.

She was unable to provide a measure for progress for the kind of progress that would forestall the tariffs on Friday at the White House, where reporters stopped her in front of the West Wing on her way back inside from her television appearance.

'They have absolute ability and authority to do a lot more than they are doing,' she said, referencing an 'outrageous' numbers of migrants. 'They see this. They have the ability to stop it.'

She said the repatriation of Central American migrants, before they arrive in the United States, is the main ask - namely the caravans that take several weeks to make their way from Mexico to the U.S.

Trump said tariffs will start at 5 percent on June 10 and rise to 10 percent on July 1, unless Mexico halts mass migration into the United States, which is always worse in summer months.

'Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries,' he said in a statement announcing the tariffs.

He further threatened to increase tariffs to 15 percent on August 1 and 20 percent on September 1 with a final deadline of October 1 to avoid 25 percent tariffs.

'On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,' he said in Thursday night tweets, 'at which time the Tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow.'

Trump's surprise threat to take action - which he'd vaguely referenced earlier in the day a major announcement on the border - caused markets to tumble on Friday.

As the Dow plunged, the president continue to tweet about immigration, insisting he was right to take immediate action to halt it.

'Hard to believe that with the Crisis on the Border, the Dems won't do the quick and easy fix. Would solve the problem but they want Open Borders, which equals crime!' he said.

Trump claimed, 'Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!'

'The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied at which time the Tariffs will be removed.'

Trump's announcement came a day after border agents in El Paso, Texas detained the largest single group of migrants they had ever encountered - 1,036 people. They are pictured above after being detained

The group of 1,036 people crossed the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in the early morning hours of Wednesday

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused him of 'sowing chaos' and urged him to work with lawmakers on immigration reform.

'We hope that the president will join us in bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform, be strategic about our trade relationships and recognize the importance of the U.S.-Mexico relationship,' Pelosi said. 'Yet again, the president is sowing chaos over the border instead of delivering solutions for American workers and for American consumers.'

Trump's tariffs plan is an escalation of his pledge to stem a tide of illegal immigrants that has increased while he's been in office, despite his having taken dramatic steps like building a border wall and cutting aid to Central America to keep migrants from coming to the U.S.

An average of 4,500 illegal immigrant are arriving daily, constituting a crisis on the border, the administration says.

'Mexico's passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States,' Trump said in a statement announcing the tariffs.

Business leaders urged Trump to call off the planned action on Friday.

'Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move,' Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said. 'These tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border. Instead, Congress and the president need to work together to address the serious problems at the border.'

Jay Timmons, chief executive officer of the National Association of Manufacturers, said the proposed tariffs 'would have devastating consequences on manufacturers in America and on American consumers' and his organization is lobbying Trump's top advisers to reconsider.

A US Customs and Border Protection CCTV video image shows the undocumented migrants crossing the Rio Grande River into El Paso, Texas on Wednesday
The Delaware woman who was severely beaten at a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic says that she blames herself for the horrifying incident.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley relived her January attack during an interview with CBS This Morning.

'It's very difficult, very difficult reliving,' Lawrence-Daley said. 'I could hear footfalls behind me. And before I could turn around, he plowed into the back of me.'

Scroll down for preview

Tammy Lawrence-Daley relived the horrifying hours of her January attack at the Majestic Elegance resort during a Friday interview

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

CBS Interactive Privacy Policy

The 51-year-old had been on vacation with her husband at the Majestic Elegance Resort in the Dominican Republic when she says that she went out alone to get a snack at 10.30pm.

She claims that the man pushed her from behind and she tried to fight him off, only to lose consciousness as he beat her.

'When I came to, it was to him beating me,' Lawrence-Daley said. 'About the head. Kicking me and beating me.'

Lawrence-Daley claims that the man pushed her from behind and she tried to fight him off, only to lose consciousness as he beat her at the Dominican resort

She said: 'You just have a feeling of safety and a feeling of, you know, paradise, but this can happen. It has happened and it will happen again.'

Lawrence-Daley was found hours after the attack in an underground crawl space.

She spent days in a local hospital and underwent months of physical and emotional therapy. A rape kit was administered but too much time had past for there to be definitive results.

She said: 'You just have a feeling of safety and a feeling of, you know, paradise, but this can happen. It has happened and it will happen again.'

And while she is thankful to be alive, Lawrence-Daley does blame herself for the attack.

Lawrence-Daley was found hours after the attack in an underground crawl space. She spent days in a local hospital and underwent months of physical and emotional therapy.

'I just, if I didn't go down there by myself, it wouldn't have happened,' Lawrence-Daley said. 'I wouldn't have put my family through that.'

She would later state in an interview with People: 'I internalize this. 'This is my fault, I got myself into this situation. I feel horrendous that I put my husband and my friends through this situation. Their lives are changed forever, as well as mine.'

The person responsible for the attack has not been found and Lawrence-Daley said that police investigation led nowhere. The hotel has not taken responsibility for the attack.

'I really hate the way they handled everything,' she said.

'Im at the point where I feel strong enough that I want to get this information out there because women need to understand they cant walk around by themselves. I hate to say that, but its the truth. What I went through, I would never wish on anyone.'

And the mother-of-two shared that her life has been altered by the attack.

'I always said the one thing I loved about myself was my smile,' she said. 'I always have a smile for everybody, I love my sense of humor and that's the one thing that guy stole from me. He stole my smile and that just kills me.'

She has since returned to her job as a finance manager but shared that she now has to stay in a personal office.

'I do have issues today reacting to men and them coming at me, even in a friendly manner  My head is on a swivel,' she said. 'I'm looking out the corner of my eye, I'm turning around. I can't walk down corridors without having panic attacks.'

Lawrence-Daley had been staying at the all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana with her husband Christoper and another couple when the attack occurred.

In a lengthy Facebook post detailing the attack, Lawrence-Daley shared photos of her gruesome, bruised and bloodied facial injuries.

The mother-of-two said she spent five days in a local hospital recovering and had to have surgery to repair her injuries - some of which she is still reeling from four months later.

Lawrence-Daley claims she was attacked by a hotel employee because she remembers seeing him in a uniform with the resort logo on it. She has accused the resort of refusing to claim responsibility for the incident.

DailyMail.com has contacted Majestic Elegance for comment.

She said the attack occurred on her second day at the resort at about 10.30pm when she stepped out of her room to get a snack and take photos of the moon from the beach.

She recalls telling her husband that she would be back in five minutes but Lawrence-Daley said she ended up going missing for eight hours.

The mother-of-two said she spent five days in a local hospital recovering and had to have surgery to repair her injuries - some of which she is still reeling from four months later

Lawrence-Daley said she remembers being 'plowed into from behind' and felt her attacker's arms around her as he pulled her into a nearby unlocked maintenance room.

'I fought with everything I had at that moment. He was too strong. The next eight hours brought me pain and fear,' she said.

Lawrence-Daley said she can remember being strangled multiple times and that she repeatedly fell unconscious.

She said her attacker later dragged her down concrete stairs to an underground waste water area in what she says was an attempt to hide her body and mask the sound of the attack.

'I was kicked in the head, I was beaten with a club. And then strangled again for the kill; at which time he disposed of my body into an area I refer to as the 'hole',' she said.

'I was unconscious multiple times during this savage attack, so I have no idea what else was done to me during that time. Somehow I survived.'

She claims her husband and friends went to the front desk three times after she went missing before security started to look for her.

In her Facebook post, Lawrence-Daley said the hotel security took a quad bike down to the beach assuming she was 'drunk somewhere'.

'I went missing at 10.30 and was found over eight hours later. It was hell,' she said.

Lawrence-Daley claims she was attacked by a hotel employee because she remembers seeing him in a uniform with the resort logo on it. DailyMail.com has contacted the resort for comment

Tammy (above with her husband and two sons) said the attack occurred on her second day at the resort at about 10.30pm when she stepped out of her room to get a snack and take photos of the moon from the beach

Lawrence-Daley said she remembers being 'plowed into from behind' and felt her attacker's arms around her as he pulled her into a nearby unlocked maintenance room

After being found the following day, Lawrence-Daley said she spent five days in a local hospital to have surgery for her undisclosed injuries.

'I am still dealing with several issues, including nerve damage, as well as, all of the medical expenses since being home,' she said.

'Majestic Elegance claims no responsibility for the attack since I couldn't identify the attacker even though he was wearing a uniform with the resort logo and hit me directly in front of the unlocked maintenance room and dragged me down concrete stairs to a basement so that no one could hear or find me.

'Police did find evidence of the blood smeared mop handle and a maintenance hat in the area I was found but this means nothing in these countries.'

She said she was speaking out about her ordeal in a bid to warn other travelers to be wary.

'This man thought he killed me, but he failed. He is still out there, a predator, waiting for his next victim. Only the next woman may not be so fortunate. Please, please do not walk alone. These attacks are happening too frequently and the criminals are not being prosecuted even though evidence is found.

'Victims are not being compensated for medical or pain and suffering, and the resorts are not held liable. Majestic Elegance didn't offer to reimburse us for our vacation, let alone my current medical bills.

'When you are in unfamiliar places, or even in familiar places, please remember be smart, be safe.'
A Nebraska man has been sentenced to two years in prison for having sex with, and marrying, his 21-year-old biological daughter.

Travis Fieldgrove, 40, learned his fate on Thursday, a month after pleading no contest to a charge of attempted incest in Hall County.

Fieldgrove and his daughter, Samantha Kershner, were both arrested on incest charges in February in Hastings, Nebraska, after police received a tip about their sexual relationship.

Police said the father and daughter both admitted to having a romantic and sexual relationship, even though they knew they were biologically related, and Kershner said she competed for her dad's affection with her half-sister.

Travis Fieldgrove, 40, appeared in Nebraska court on Thursday (pictured) to be sentenced to two years in prison for having sex with his own daughter

Fieldgrove (left) and his daughter, Samantha Kershner, 21 (right), were arrested in February on incest charges after police received a tip about their sexual relationship

They got married in October 2018 - just one month after finding out police were investigating them.

At his sentencing hearing on Thursday, Fieldgrove's defense attorney, Jeff Loeffler, told the court his client is 'very embarrassed' by what happened and wishes it never happened.

He also said Fieldgrove suffers from a brain injury and is not 'high-functioning guy,' reported NTV.com

Judge Mark Young sentenced the father to prison, calling him 'a person who's never contributed to society.'

With credit given for time served, Fieldgrove will spend only eight months behind bars, followed by a year of post-release supervision, reported Kearney Hub.

Kershner first met her biological father three years ago, and during that time maintained a normal relationship with him, but that later change

During that time, Fieldgrove will be prohibited from contacting his daughter.

Kershner has pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of false reporting, a misdemeanor, and is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

They met for the first time three years ago when Kershner, then aged 17, told her mother she wanted to know who her father was.

Kershner and Fieldgrove met and maintained a father-daughter relationship for three years.

They told police they had sex for the first time in September last year. The pair would not reveal how their father-daughter relationship turned sexual.

According to charging documents, Kershner told police that she had a 'jealous competition' with her half-sister about who could have sex with their father first.

Kershner's mother notified police about their relationship in September.

The father and daughter had sex in September 2018 and got married a month later

Fieldgrove married his daughter the following month at the Adams County Courthouse after they found out they were being investigated for incest.

Marriage licensing requirements where they married state that both parties need to provide the full names of their parents before it can be approved.

Fieldgrove is not listed as Kershner's father on her birth certificate.

When they were questioned by police, Fieldgrove said he didn't believe Kershner was his daughter because his name wasn't listed on the certificate.

A paternity test that Fieldgrove and Kershner agreed to have in January found that there was a 99.999 percent probability that he was her father.

Lincoln Journal Star reported that Fieldgrove still faces a separate incest charge in Adams County.
Tech giants including Apple, Google and WhatsApp have urged Britain's spy agency to scrap controversial plans to eavesdrop on encrypted chat conversations.

The proposal by GCHQ has been condemned as a 'serious threat' to cyber security and 'fundamental human rights.'

More than 50 companies, civil society organisations and security experts have united to voice concern over the proposals.

They said that if it was implemented, 'it will undermine the authentication process that enables users to verify that they are communicating with the right people,' and 'increase risks that communications systems could be abused or misused.'

The proposal by GCHQ (pictured) has been condemned as a 'serious threat' to cyber security and 'fundamental human rights.'

The so called 'ghost protocol' was first mooted by two top intelligence officials in November last year.

Ian Levy, the technical director of the UKs national cyber security centre, and Crispin Robinson, head of cryptanalysis - or codebreaking - put forward the plan.

The technique would avoid breaking any encryption, but would instead require encrypted messaging services to effectively 'copy in' the message to a third party.

They insisted that it was no more intrusive than wiretapping non-encrypted communications.

Earlier this month, Norfolk Police Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the UK lead for child protection, said tech firms should make a digital key for police to unlock encrypted messages in 'exceptional circumstances' such as child abuse or terror cases.

WhatsApp is one of 50 firms that have urged Britain's spy agency to scrap controversial plans to eavesdrop on encrypted chat conversations

Speaking at the Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse, he said: 'If I know and you know that somebody is abusing a child or sharing abusive imagery, then you surely give up your right to privacy.'

Mr Levy and Mr Robisnson said in November: 'In a world of encrypted services, a potential solution could be to go back a few decades.

'It's relatively easy for a service provider to silently add a law enforcement participant to a group chat or call.'

It stated that 'what we're outlining here is just to start discussion' and 'more detailed work is needed'.

But in an open letter, critics have now argued the proposal 'creates serious threats to digital security' and risks damaging the public's trust.

Google has put its name to the letter that said if the so called 'ghost protocol' was brought in 'it will increase risks that communications systems could be abused or misused'

They said: 'If implemented, it will undermine the authentication process that enables users to verify that they are communicating with the right people, introduce potential unintentional vulnerabilities, and increase risks that communications systems could be abused or misused.

'These cyber-security risks mean that users cannot trust that their communications are secure, as users would no longer be able to trust that they know who is on the other end of their communications, thereby posing threats to fundamental human rights, including privacy and free expression.

'Further, systems would be subject to new potential vulnerabilities and risks of abuse.

'Beyond undermining current security tools and the system for authenticating the communicants in an encrypted chat, GCHQ's ghost proposal could introduce significant additional security threats.

'There are also outstanding questions about how the proposal would be effectively implemented.

'By requiring an exceptional access mechanism like the ghost proposal, GCHQ and UK law enforcement officials would require messaging platforms to open the door to surveillance abuses that are not possible today.'

Responding to the open letter, Dr Levy said: 'We welcome this response to our request for thoughts on exceptional access to data - for example to stop terrorists.

'The hypothetical proposal was always intended as a starting point for discussion.

'It is pleasing to see support for the six principles and we welcome feedback on their practical application.

'We will continue to engage with interested parties and look forward to having an open discussion to reach the best solutions possible.'
A mother in Burlington, Vermont accused a bus driver of kicking 17 school students of color off his bus on May 23, although the bus company denies it was race-related.

Rebecca Mack made a complaint to Green Mountain Transit (GMT) after the driver, transporting students home from Edmunds Elementry and Edmunds Middle Schools at around 3pm last Thursday on bus No. 914, ejected a group of children who were singing and clapping.

'These children just experienced something that was scary, sad, and confusing and unjust,' Mack told NBC5.

Scroll down for video

Rebecca Mack, mother of two of the students thrown off the bus, told NBC5 she believed they were targeted because of their skin color

Mack claimed the driver of a Green Mountain Transit bus (pictured) carrying school students on May 23 ejected a group of children of color who were singing and clapping

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Hearst Privacy Policy

Mack said she believes the group, which included two of her own children, were targeted because of their race.

'The bus driver targeted the students of color on the bus, threatened to call the police, and made all students of color exit the bus while white students remained seated,' Mack wrote in a widely-shared Facebook post.

She said the students, aged between five and 13, had been clapping and singing at the back of the bus before the driver pulled over and forced them to get off.

Some children were scared by the driver's threats and one ran off so fast he lost his shoes, according to Mack.

The mother said she saw some of the 'sad, confused and angry' students after they had been ejected. They asked her to film them explaining what had happened.

'As a mother and community member, I am outraged at what I saw,' Mack said.

'I do not want my children, or any others, growing up to believe that they will endanger themselves by being joyful, by singing out loud, because of the color of their skin.'

The concerned mother posted her complaint to GMT on Facebook and her post was widely shared

The Burlington School District's Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee opened their meeting Tuesday with a public forum discussing the incident

The transit company is investigating the incident and the driver is on paid leave. But GMT said his decision to kick the students off his bus was not based on race

GMT denied that race was a factor in the driver's decision to kick the students off his bus, but said the driver did not follow company protocol.

The transit company said the driver is on paid administrative leave while the company completes its investigation into the incident.

Footage from cameras on the bus revealed that contrary to the initial allegation, several of the students that the driver kicked out were white and many of the children who were allowed to stay on the bus were students of color.

That's according to local media outlet Seven Days, which reports GMT allowed its reporters to view the video, which emerged on Monday.

'This is a really diverse group of students. I can pretty much say without a doubt I don't feel like it was racist,' Jamie Smith, GMT's marketing and public affairs manager, told Seven Days.

'It's pretty clear that he dismissed what he felt was a group that was distracting. He wasn't targeting students.'

The company said the driver, who identifies himself as Nate in the footage, has worked for GMT for several years and often picks up students on this same route.

'Looking at the video so many times, I can tell you that he did not follow several [protocols] and so we are going to look into that,' GMT general manager Mark Sousa told Seven Days.

He declined to specify which rules the driver broke until the internal review is complete.

Burlington School District agreed with GMT's conclusion after reviewing the footage and speaking to students.

'It would be unfair to conclude without a thorough investigation that the actions of the bus driver were based solely on racial bias,' school district spokesperson Russ Elek said in a statement.

'The bus driver did not follow GMT procedures for this type of scenario. And GMT reports that they have no procedures that would call for the removal of students off a bus.'

Over the summer, GMT and the district will work on how to educate 'students, parents, and drivers around safe and respectful behaviors and expectations,' the statement read.

GMT board president Tom Chittenden apologized and promised to discuss the incident at the next board meeting on June 18.
Former Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor, convicted of fatally shooting dead an unarmed woman in 2017, plans to ask a sentencing judge for no prison time at all

Attorneys for the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of fatally shooting an unarmed woman in 2017 plan to ask a sentencing judge for no prison time.

If that's not granted, they're seeking less prison time than state sentencing guidelines recommend.

Mohamed Noor's lawyers filed a motion Thursday asking for a 'dispositional departure' when he is sentenced June 7 for third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk Damond, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Australia. She had called 911 to report a possible rape.

The Star Tribune reports Noor's attorneys say he would be amenable to probation, in part citing his attitude in court and remorse.

'The Grounds [sic] for the dispositional departure are his particular amenability to probation, cooperation, attitude in court and remorse,' said the motion.

The defense wrote that the basis for a durational departure are the 'less onerous nature of the offense.'

The maximum prison term for third-degree murder is 25 years. The maximum sentence for second-degree manslaughter is 10 years.

State sentencing guidelines call for a prison term of about 11 to 15 years for third-degree murder for defendants who have no criminal history.

The officer is appealing the charges, with his lawyers claiming Noor did not act with a 'depraved heart' and was instead trying to 'defend his partner and himself'.

Damond, a dual US-Australian citizen was to due be married to her fiance, Don (pictured) was fatally shot outside her home in Minneapolis by police officer Mohamed Noor

Damond had called police to her home on July 15, 2017, believing a woman might be getting raped outside her home. She was shot after she approached the squad car, 'spooking' the officers inside (pictured is Noor's partner Matthew Harrity performing CPR on Damond after the shooting as Noor paces nearby)

'The evidence at trial failed to support finding that Mr Noor acted with a depraved heart,' Noor's lawyers wrote in the filing.

'When Officer Noor fired that night he was not acting with depraved mind seething with wanton passion to cause mischief.'

'Mr Noor reacted to a dark alley in the middle of the night, a thump on the squad car, a voice, a body appearing at the driver's side window, the startled announcement of fear by Officer Harrity as he reached for his firearm, and his observation that the person in the window was raising their right arm,' the lawyers wrote.

'Mr Noor's actions to defend his partner and himself, in the context of that night, are not evidence of the depraved mind envisioned by Minnesota courts for the last hundred years.'

Noor (pictured in his mugshot) was found guilty of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter last month, but was acquitted on the highest charge, second-degree murder

Bodycam footage released earlier this month shows Noor moments after the shooting, looking sweaty with his head in his hands

Damond, 40, formerly of Sydney's northern beaches, was home alone in Minneapolis just before midnight on July 15, 2017, when she heard a woman's screams.

She called 911 and when Noor's police squad car arrived in the alley at the rear of her home she approached the vehicle.

Noor and Harrity testified that Damond startled them, they feared an ambush and Noor said he made the split-second decision to shoot across his partner and out the car window at Damond.

Damond, wearing a pink T-shirt, pajama pants and bare feet, was shot in the abdomen and died soon after.

Damond's family filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and received a record $US20 million ($A29 million) settlement.

Noor, 33, who was sacked from the police force after being charged last year, is in custody ahead of his sentencing. He is a Somali immigrant who had only been an officer for 21 months before the shooting.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned the U.S. will not share vital intelligence with countries that use Huawei infrastructure as he meets Merkel.

Pompeo delivered the stark message in Berlin, as Germany has so far joined Britain, France and the Nethelands in defying Washington's calls to boycott the Chinese telecoms firm.

On the first leg of a five-day European tour, Pompeo said at a press conference in Berlin: '(There is) a risk we will have to change our behaviour in light of the fact that we can't permit data on private citizens or data on national security to go across networks that we don't have confidence (in).'

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas reiterated that Germany was not prepared to exclude any company from bidding but said any firm that could not meet security standards would be rejected.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo give statements to the media prior to talks at the Chancellery in Berlin on Friday

Chinese telecoms firm Huawei has repeatedly denied Washington's claims they are a vassal of Beijing which poses and espionage threat

Pompeo urged close ally Britain this month not to use Huawei's technology to build new 5G networks because of concerns it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying.

But Prime Minister Theresa May ignored his warning, forging ahead with plans to have Huawei technology in 'non-core' infrastructure equipment.

In the States. federal agencies and their contractors are prohibited from using Huawei equipment on national security grounds.

A bill passed last summer in Washington cited concerns around ties between the telecoms firm and Beijing.

Washington considers the firm a vassal of the Chinese Communist government which they believe could infiltrate sensitive data.

Huawei's technological advancement is considered so great, experts in the U.S. believe it could steal secrets even if its equipment was only running on 'non-core' parts of a network.

Huawei, the world's largest telecoms network gear maker, has repeatedly denied it is controlled by the Chinese government, military or intelligence services.

But despite America's emphatic warnings, many European countries have struggled to resist the manufacturing quality and low prices the Chinese firm represents.

German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas (left) and Pompeo after meeting with Merkel - Maas reiterated that Germany was not prepared to exclude any company from bidding but said any firm that could not meet security standards would be rejected

Pompeo and Merkel on Friday - they also diverge on the Iran Deal, which America pulled out of last year but which European co-signatories like Germany are still keen to make good on

Last month, the Netherlands' leading mobile network carrier KPN chose Huawei to provide the equipment for its 5G venture, the Washington Post reported.

The are providing stiff competition to their European rivals, Sweden's Ericsson and Finland's Nokia.

German Chancellor Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte have not got on board with America's blocking of Huawei.

Macron said his 'perspective is not to block Huawei or any other company. France and Europe are pragmatic and realistic.'

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, responding to claims about Huawei made by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Canada on Thursday, said the United States had yet to prove that Huawei's products presented a security risk.

'We hope that the United States can stop these mistaken actions which are not at all commensurate with their status and position as a big country,' said spokesman Geng Shuang.

Pompeo (left) and Maas outside the German Chancellery in Berlin on Friday after talks

The United States is at odds with its German allies on a host of issues, from trade to military spending and nuclear non-proliferation.

Pompeo's visit had been scheduled earlier this month, but was called off at the last minute as tensions rose over Iran, on whose nuclear programme Berlin and Washington differ.

Pompeo also urged Germany to follow Britain in proscribing Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group and boost military spending.

Merkel had herself just flown back from the United States the night before after delivering a speech to graduating Harvard students in which she exhorted them to 'tear down walls of ignorance' and to stand for truth over lies - words widely interpreted as veiled criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump.

'The U.S. is and remains our most important partner outside Europe,' Merkel told reporters ahead of the meeting. 'We have many issues to discuss, since the world is not at rest,' she added, mentioning the challenge of preventing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and hindering Iran's 'aggressive actions'.
An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to murder, corpse abuse and other charges in the killing and dismemberment of his former girlfriend, whose remains were found in a freezer.

Arturo Novoa, 33, entered his pleas Thursday on dozens of felony counts in the Youngstown-area case.

Novoa was charged in the slaying of 28-year-old Shannon Graves, whose limbs were found in July 2017 in a freezer at a property in Campbell, just outside Youngstown.

Novoa (left), 33, pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend and storing her in the freezer. Katrina Layton (right), 36, was also arrested by Youngstown police for helping aide Novoa

Shannon Graves (above), 28, was last seen alive in February 2017 and was the girlfriend to 33-year-old Novoa

She was was last seen alive in February 2017 and was Novoa's girlfriend.

Graves was struck in the head several times with a heavy object before Novoa dismembered her body and placed her remains in trash bags which he then stored in a freezer in the basement.

Novoa also burned the torso and skull of Graves by pouring sulfuric acid on them.

Novoa's sentencing is scheduled for June 14 where he expected to be jailed for life.

Youngstown Prosecutor Dana Lantz said Novoa was living in Graves' apartment with Katrina Layton, 36, who allegedly began driving Graves' car, caring for her dog and even using her cell phone

Novoa asked his landlord if he could move the freezer down to the landlord's basement because his electricity had been shut off and 'he didn't want his freezer full of meat to spoil,' at the property located in Campbell, WFMJ reported.

The freezer was padlocked which made the landlord's wife suspicious about its contents.

She discovered Graves' remains inside several trash bags. She then called the police.

Graves, 28, had been added to the Ohio Attorney General's Missing Persons' website months earlier after concerns about her well-being. She had missed her own birthday, Easter, and Father's Day.

Arturo Novoa, 33, pleaded guilty to hiding his girlfriend's body in a freezer while living with Katrina Layton, 36, who then allegedly assumed her identity

Novoa and Katrina Layton, 36, hid the body in a freezer stored in the landlord's basement

Novoa was charged in the death of Graves, his one-time girlfriend, two years ago on Youngstown's west side

'Basically, Miss Layton moved in with Mr. Novoa and started living her life,' prosecutor Dana Lantz said. 'She didn't hold herself out to be Shannon, she just lived her life, using her phone, caring for her dog.'

'Shannon's friends called her Starr and descried her as having a heart of gold, an angel on earth, supportive, outgoing, thoughtful and fun,' Graves sister, Debbie DePaul, told WFMJ.

'Shannon has been missed and will always be missed. You can't replace a spirit like hers. She is loved by so many.'

She said at the time that it was unlike her sister to be gone for so long without contacting them.

DePaul is thankful Novoa will pay for his crimes. 'I'm happy with as much time as he can get in prison. The way we started and where we are today, it's just by the grace of God, but her (Shannon Graves) hands have been in it.'

In a related case, prosecutors are asking a judge to vacate a plea deal for Layton who has been charged with helping hide the remains.

Layton told police she bought the freezer from a Walmart store in early July, and supplied the extension cord to plug it in at Novoa's building.

Layton has admitted to witnessing the murder, and then allowing Graves' body to be dismembered in her garage. She even admitted to helping move the body.

Prosecutors now allege she lied to investigators and ultimately violated any kind of plea deal that had previously been agreed.

Graves' dismembered body was found months later, stuffed into a freezer at a home in Campbell, Ohio
Sacha Baron Cohen has taken a swipe at Twitter, blaming the social media platform for the rise of extreme right wing politics and the election of President Trump.

The comedian, best known for his bumbling character Borat, said the social media platform is 'eroding democracy' because disinformation spreads as quickly as the truth.

Discussing the state of politics in a wide ranging interview with fellow actor Don Cheadle for Variety Magazine, the British-born Jewish comic suggested that society might now be in a 'post-truth age' where 'there are so many different sources of truth, that no one knows what facts are anymore.'

Discussing the state of politics in a wide ranging interview with fellow actor Don Cheadle for Variety Magazine, the British-born Jewish comic suggested that society might now be in a 'post-truth age' where 'there are so many different sources of truth, that no one knows what facts are anymore'

He blamed this for the rise of Trump, claiming that 'it allows people who are spreading lies to actually seem like they are legitimate,' before adding 'Trump without Twitter probably would not have become president.'

Cohen, 47, then suggested the reason Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had face-to-face meeting with the president was because he knew how important Trump's endorsement of the platform is.

'They can't get rid of extreme right Twitter accounts because it might affect some of the Republican base,' Cheadle suggested, in response to Cohen.

'What's fascinating about that is he's sitting opposite the president,' Cohen continued. Adding: '[Trump's] actually the biggest celebrity endorser of his corporation.'

If Twitter was to 'get rid of the racists' on its platform, said Cohen, 'they're going to have less Twitter subscribers.'

Earlier this month, Twitter said it had suspended more than 160,000 accounts in the second half of 2018 for violating its policies related to the promotion of terrorism.

'They can't get rid of extreme right Twitter accounts because it might affect some of the Republican base,' Cheadle suggested, in response to Cohen

Cohen, 47, then suggested the reason Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had face-to-face meeting with the president was because he knew how important Trump's endorsement of the platform is

Cohen, 47, then suggested the reason Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had face-to-face meeting with the president was because he knew how important Trump's endorsement of the platform is

'It's OK to not give those people who want to murder people for being different absolute rights,' the British-born performer says.

'We're living in a society now where the space that we grew up in  which is the idea that society is getting better, where black people can get full rights, they can vote, where people are equal despite their differences  that concept is being disintegrated.

'Democracy is being disintegrated. That's terrifying to me.'

Before sheepishly adding: 'I'm going to say all this with the caveat that I'm a comedian, that I don't really know what I'm talking about. This is just the stuff that's going on in my head.'
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi still isn't ready to impeach Donald Trump but 50 members of her Democratic caucus  and one lone Republican  are out for the president's political blood.

Outside liberal groups say it's time too, but even after special counsel Robert Mueller essentially called on Congress to pick up where his investigation left off, Pelosi isn't budging.

An NBC News reporter shared the network's latest head-count on Friday morning, noting that the 51 pro-impeachment lawmakers include 11 members of the powerful Judiciary Committee.

That's where any impeachment inquiry would begin.

But Pelosi is carrying on as she has since taking the speaker's gavel in January, promising the House will methodically pursue its investigations of Trump  wherever they lead.

What to do? Nancy Pelosi is facing more calls from her caucus to impeach Trump but believes it would be dangerous for the party's 2020 prospects to buckle to the pressure

Daring the Democrats: Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said he's not urging impeachment yet, 'though the president seems to be doing everything in his power to get me there'

Unwelcome message: Greg Staton told constituents that he now backs impeachment, adding to the tide of pressure on Pelosi

This is her balancing act: toggling between mounting pressure from other Democrats and her own political instincts.

She's sticking with her plans for a more measured, 'ironclad' investigation that makes it clear to Americans the choices ahead. It's uncharted territory for the speaker, and this Congress, with both high risks and possible rewards ahead of the 2020 election.

Trump declared his own challenge on Thursday. He called impeachment a 'dirty, filthy, disgusting word' and said courts would never allow it.

'Many constituents want to impeach the president,' Pelosi acknowledged shortly after Mueller's remarks Wednesday. 'But we want to do what is right and what gets results.'

Her calculus is political as well as practical, knowing that even if Democrats in the House have the votes to approve articles of impeachment, the Republican majority in the Senate is hardly likely to vote to convict him.

Opinion polling does not favor impeachment, and a full-blown but failed effort might well help the president win re-election. Rather than go it alone, she is urging Democrats to build the case so the public is with them, whatever they decide.

'Nothing is off the table,' Pelosi said, 'but we do want to make such a compelling case, such an ironclad case.'

It has been this way for weeks. As more and more Democratic lawmakers -- and presidential candidates -- call for impeachment proceedings, Pelosi is urging restraint. Those around her say she's feeling no pressure.

On Wednesday, many Democrats took Mueller's words as an invitation to impeach.

House progressives like this group engaged in a pro-abortion protest last week are all in favor of impeachment  other than the gun-shy Pelosi

Mueller told the country, as he said in his 448-page report last month, that while charging the president with obstructing justice was 'not an option' under Department of Justice guidelines, he also did not exonerate Trump.

Instead, Mueller said, 'the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting President of wrongdoing.' Without saying the word, Mueller was pointing to impeachment.

More presidential hopefuls -- Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and John Hickenlooper -- quickly called for impeachment proceedings. Half the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee want an inquiry. And dozens of other House Democrats, not just the liberal left flank, are on board.

At a town hall meeting that night, Rep. Pramila Jayapal told voters in Seattle, said the road ahead 'weighs on me.' She is among those who want formal impeachment proceedings.

'Not everybody in the caucus is there yet, that is why Speaker Pelosi has a difficult role and she has been trying to figure out exactly how we will move forward,' she told the audience.

'The more the president obstructed justice ... the more certain we are going to be headed in a direction that I think many of us have already come out for -- and that is an impeachment inquiry.'

More joined Thursday, including Rep. Greg Stanton, a freshman congressman from Arizona who said, 'This conclusion will be unpopular with some, but it is the right thing to do.'

At a town hall in Henderson, Nevada, presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, who favors impeachment, said, 'Nancy Pelosi does not have an easy job.'

But this isn't entirely new for her.

She witnessed the efforts to impeach Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton and, as speaker a decade ago, tamped down cries to impeach George W. Bush over the Iraq War.

Also, the voices for impeachment make up just a slim fraction of the broader Democratic majority in the House. Many of the others represent more conservative districts and face re-election where Trump has significant support.

Back home during a visit to a supermarket in Peoria, Illinois, Rep. Cheri Bustos fielded questions on health care and other issues, an aide said - but impeachment didn't come up.

Mic drop: Mueller's dramatic public statement Wednesday means the question of what to do with his investigation's findings and evidence is entirely in the hands of Congressional Democrats

In each other's hands: Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump's political futures are entwined by the question of impeachment

Most of Pelosi's top lieutenants are following her lead.

Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said Thursday in California he's not urging impeachment yet, 'though the president seems to be doing everything in his power to get me there.'

Schiff warned that impeachment is not a 'cure all.' He said, 'Impeachment doesn't remove this president. There is only one way to remove this president, and that's by voting him out of office.'

Six committees in the House are pushing ahead with investigations of Trump's actions -- his business dealings, his actions during the Russia probe, his running of the government -- and many of their inquiries are moving into legal battles where, so far, courts are siding with Congress against blocking efforts.

At the same time, the House is trying on other fronts to hold Attorney General William Barr and others in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoena requests for documents and testimony.

The actions will test the Supreme Court's decision, some 100 years ago that Congress has an oversight role as part of the nation's system of checks and balances, in ways that could set precedent for years to come.

One Democrat on the Judiciary panel, Val Demings of Florida, a former police chief who favors opening an impeachment proceeding, explained in an earlier interview, that she and others are 'just trying to figure it out.'

'During the civil rights movement I'm sure the time probably wasn't right politically, but we did in our hearts what we knew was right,' she said.

With Mueller now unlikely to testify before Congress, Democrats are being denied a star witness who could focus Americans' attention in a high-profile way.

Billionaire Tom Steyer, a leading impeachment advocate, says time is narrowing for Pelosi to launch impeachment hearings before the 2020 political campaign.

For so long, Democrats were waiting for Mueller's report. Now, Steyer said Mueller has spoken and provided them the way forward. Rather than being risky, Steyer said in an interview Thursday, the politics are on the side for impeachment.

'Justin Amash got a standing ovation,' he said, referring to the Michigan Republican who broke ranks with the GOP and joined calls for impeachment. 'Americans like truth tellers. Americans like people who stand up for their values.'
Teenager Mary Jacobs was under orders to marry her cousin and live the rest of her life pumping out a dozen or more children in a polygamous secretive cult known as The Order.

Instead, she is now happy married to the love of her life and has two beautiful children.

Mary broke her silence to tell about her brave escape from a forced marriage in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com.

Mary knew she had one chance for escape. The then 17-year-old had to make an early morning bolt from the home where she lived with her mother and 15 siblings, and run a quarter of a mile across a public park, where her boyfriend and his parents would be waiting for her.

Anything could go wrong. She hadn't eaten or even drunk water for days as punishment, but the price of failure was too much to consider. If she didn't succeed, within days she would have to commit to marry her cousin as soon as she turned 18.

As she ran as hard as she could across Millrace Park in Taylorsville, a southern suburb of Salt Lake City, she stumbled and started to vomit. But there was nothing in her stomach to bring up. Somehow a burst of adrenaline kicked in and she pulled herself to her feet and ran on.

Mary had finally made it to the outside world, away from The Order, a highly-secretive polygamous cult on the very fringes of Mormonism. She knew her parents and their powerful relatives would soon be out searching for her, but at last she had hope.

Mary Jacobs escaped the Order, a highly-secretive polygamous cult on the very fringes of Mormonism in Utah, aged 17 on June 15, 2013, with the help of her now-husband Bryan Nelson (pictured together). Mary broke her silence to tell about her brave escape from a forced marriage in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com

To escape, Mary had to make a bolt from the home where she lived with her mother and 15 siblings, and run a quarter of a mile across a public park, where Bryan and his parents would be waiting for her. If she didn't succeed, within days she would have to commit to marry her first cousin David Kingston as soon as she turned 18. Pictured: Mary's graduation photo

For the next five months she would hide in a rented room in Las Vegas before finally she turned 18 and could be her own woman away from the people who had tried to control her every move from the day she was born.

She did marry on her 18th birthday, but it was to the man she loved, the man who had orchestrated her escape. Now, nearly six years later, they are the parents of two adorable boys, living just a few miles from the suffocating strictures of the cult.

Mary's story and the alleged criminal background surrounding hundreds of her relatives will be told on CBS's Whistleblower on Friday night, but DailyMail.com can tell the full story of how she escaped to marry her true love unlike so many girls in her family who have been forced into teen marriages to uncles, cousins or other relatives.

'My whole life was controlled by The Order,' Mary - now Mary Nelson, 23, - told DailyMail.com. 'They have their own elementary school, they have their own stores, they have their own bank. Everything is enclosed.

'They decide where you work, they decide what you go to school for, they decide who you marry. Everything is decided for you.'

'If I was still there I would be married and would have had several children. I would have been my cousin's second wife.'

Mary escaped on June 15, 2013. She and her husband Bryan Nelson, 32, are still working to bring down The Order. Two of her cousins are currently in jail awaiting trial in a $511 million fraud case. The FBI is actively working on other connected cases.

It all started early in 2013. Mary was taking business classes at Salt Lake Community College. Her future was already mapped out for her. She would work at The Order's internal bank.

'My whole life was controlled by The Order,' Mary told DailyMail.com. 'They have their own elementary school, they have their own stores, they have their own bank. Everything is enclosed. They decide where you work, they decide what you go to school for, they decide who you marry. Everything is decided for you.' Pictured: Mary in an old family photo

Mary is the niece of Paul Kingston, the head of The Order, a group that runs a church known as the Latter Day Church of Christ. Paul, a grandson of the group's founder, has 27 wives and more than 300 children, Mary said. Her own father David Kingston has 18 wives and around 200 kids. 'I am the daughter of his fifth wife,' she said. I am the fourth of her 16 children.' Pictured: Mary with her father in a collage of family photos

Mary's father David (left and right) spent four years in jail for marrying his 15-year-old niece. After that, The Order insisted that members had to wait till the girl was 18 before they were allowed to marry. Then the women often have a child a year for as long as they are physically able

WHAT IS THE ORDER? The Order has its roots in the Great Depression of the 1920s when Mary Nelson's great-great-grandfather Charles Kingston broke with the Mormon Church over the question of polygamy. Kingston claimed he was following the word of Mormon founder Joseph Smith, a firm believer in plural marriage. His son Elden Kingston founded the Davis County Cooperative Society which over the years morphed into the Latter Day Church of Christ or LDCC, and The Order. Elden was followed by his son John and John's son Paul Kingston, now 59, took over the reins in 1987. Mary is the niece of Paul Kingston (pictured), the head of The Order, a group that runs a church known as the Latter Day Church of Christ Beneath Paul are six of his brothers, including Mary's father David, who are the Pillars of the church. Below them are Numbered Men, who are each assigned a number in the order they will enter heaven. Because the group's leaders often have dozens of wives who each had up to 20 children The Order has grown massively over 90 years. But men who are not so closely related to the leaders get the short end of the stick. Many never marry because there are simply not enough women to go round as the leaders have so many wives. 'The numbers just don't add up,' lawyer Mark Pugsley told DailyMail.com. Unlike many other fundamentalist sects, members of The LDCC do not stand out. 'They hide in plain sight,' said Bryan Nelson. They wear modern clothes, and use computers, cellphones and other modern conveniences. They attend college to get the education necessary to work in the 300 or so companies run by The Order. 'We weren't allowed to wear shoulderless dresses or skirts more than two inches above the knee, but that was about it,' Mary told DailyMail.com. 'If we went swimming it had to be a one-piece, never a bikini.' But over the years, accusations of child marriage and abuse against leaders has been widespread. Mary's father was found to be married to a 15-year-old when she ran naked from a house to a public phone box and dialed 911. The girl's father beat her so severely for trying to escape that she passed out after counting 28 lashes. Now The Order is facing its stiffest test with the trial of Jacob and Isaiah Kingston for defrauding the government. Pugsley said many fundamental Mormons see nothing wrong with taking money any way they can from the government. 'Back in the early 1900s the government prosecuted polygamists so Mormon church leaders developed a philosophy of screw the government because it is persecuting us. 'That persists today, they have the ethos of 'bleed the beast.' When it comes to the government, they believe they are justified in taking its money.' Advertisement

Bryan saw her sitting at a table studying at the college, and on a dare from a friend, went to talk to her.

'I thought she was absolutely beautiful,' Bryan, told DailyMail.com. 'We hit it off right away and that was the beginning of us dating.'

But he could tell there was something wrong, her stories of her home life didn't add up. 'She wasn't completely honest about everything. She made up a persona for herself,' he said.

They managed to go on dates, to the movies or restaurants. 'I had to be very, very secretive,' Mary said. 'I would tell my mom I had to go study at the college. It was because I was attending college that we got away with seeing each other.'

If they went for dinner it would be at restaurants that Mary knew members of The Order would never go. When Bryan dropped her off after a date it would have to be at the park never at her home.

'She would say: ''Don't worry I will tell you more about why I am doing this later on.'' I had no idea what The Order was,' Bryan said. ''I just thought she had really controlling parents or a very abusive father  which both ended up being true just not in the way I thought.''

Eventually Mary told him the truth. She was the niece of Paul Kingston, the head of The Order, a group that runs a church known as the Latter Day Church of Christ.

Paul, a grandson of the group's founder, has 27 wives and more than 300 children, Mary said. Her own father David Kingston has 18 wives and around 200 kids. 'I am the daughter of his fifth wife,' she said. I am the fourth of her 16 children.'

David spent four years in jail for marrying his 15-year-old niece. After that, The Order insisted that members had to wait till the girl was 18 before they were allowed to marry. Then the women often have a child a year for as long as they are physically able.

The Order, which was formed between the World Wars, has grown at an alarming rate. The Federal Government estimates there are now 7,000 members. Bryan believes that is a conservative figure and there are actually around 10,000.

'I would say that 80-85% of them are Kingstons,' said Mary, who went by the name Jacobs as that was a name her mother Katharine chose in an attempt to fool outsiders so they wouldn't know virtually the whole group is one big family.

She didn't even know David was her father till she was 13 and he suddenly announced she and her siblings should start calling him dad, not Uncle David.

No one in her family could know about her romance with Bryan. But inevitably the secret got out. She had managed to connect her iPod to cellular service and in May 2013 a younger brother saw her texting Bryan.

Mary said: 'He told my mom and she got my dad involved and that's when they found out about me dating someone on the outside.

'My dad put me on a three-day fast, no food or water, to charge my spiritual batteries, and get in line with what Heavenly Father wants. He told me my goal was to be engaged by the end of two weeks to David Kingston, my cousin.

'I had to sleep in my mom's bed and she held my hand at night so she would know I was there and I couldn't go anywhere without her.'

She even had to use a restroom with no door so she could be constantly watched.

At work she was assigned a computer with no Internet access. She wrote Bryan a letter, saying her goodbyes because she was having to marry someone else, and secretly transferred it to another computer and sent it. 'I had to be really quick on that,' she said.

That is when Bryan knew he had to help. He got a message to her that he would hide a phone under a car in Mary's driveway so they could stay in sporadic contact.

Mary has no contact with any member of her family. Some have tried to reach out to her to find out how they too could escape, but after brief conversations the lines of communication have gone cold

Pictured: Mary's mother's home in Taylorsville, a southern suburb of Salt Lake City, where she had to sneak out and escape from in 2013

Mary ran as hard as she could across Millrace Park in Taylorsville (pictured), but she stumbled and started to vomit. Somehow a burst of adrenaline kicked in and she pulled herself to her feet and ran on

'I knew the phone was going to be there in the morning, so I asked my mom if I could go use the restroom and instead of going to the one I was supposed to use, I went to one right by an outside door.

'I ran outside, got the phone, put it in my pocket and then went into the bathroom. While I was using the bathroom, my mom knocked on the door and asked 'What are you doing here, Mary? You are supposed to be using my bathroom.'

If her mother had found the phone, Mary would have been hauled before her Uncle Paul. 'I would have been in big trouble,' she revealed.

With the help of Bryan's parents, Dan and Mariana Nelson, they hatched the escape plan. Around 5 in the morning on the day before Father's Day, Mary would make her escape. If anything were to go wrong, both knew it was over.

Bryan rented two cars, so they could transfer her from one to the other, Once she had made it across Millrace Park, Bryan's father Dan sped her off to a safe house.

Within minutes of Dan returning home Mary's mother was at his door. 'My parents played it that they didn't know what she was talking about  didn't even know who Mary was,' said Bryan.

Dan then drove Mary the 400 miles to Vegas. 'We had rented a room in a house for cash, with a whole different name and persona so nobody would know who she was,' said Bryan.

With the help of Bryan's parents, Dan and Mariana Nelson, they hatched the escape plan. Around 5 in the morning on the day before Father's Day, Mary would make her escape. If anything were to go wrong, both knew it was over. Mary says she still loves her mother. 'I know she is brainwashed. She was born into the same situation that I was'

Now, nearly six years after Bryan helped Mary escape, they are the parents of two adorable boys, living just a few miles from the suffocating strictures of the cult

They chose Vegas because Nevada has lax rules about teenage runaways. If they had stayed in Utah, Mary's parents would have had a good chance of forcing her to return home.

If that had happened, Mary believes, she would have been placed in detention under the pretense that she had drug or alcohol problems.

She stayed in Vegas for five months until November 19, her 18th birthday. Then she finally returned to Utah for a courthouse marriage to the man who had got her out.

In court papers, Marys mother has previously said she worried about the nine-year age gap between Bryan and Mary and said her daughter had told her she started having sex with Bryan when she was 16.

Bryan insisted to DailyMail.com that they waited until they were married.

Katharine Jacobs also denied making Mary sleep in her bed or forcing her to use a toilet without a door. She also said there was no plan to compel her to marry her cousin.

Attempts to reach Katharine were unsuccessful. Kent Johnson, a spokesman for the LDCC did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

Now Mary has no contact with any member of her family. Some have tried to reach out to her to find out how they too could escape, but after brief conversations the lines of communication have gone cold.

She says she still loves her mother. 'I know she is brainwashed. She was born into the same situation that I was.

'But as for my dad, he knows exactly what he is doing and he knows it is not religious it is just a form of control. He is the reason I can't have anything to do with my family.'
The scandal over the expulsion of Alastair Campbell arrived at Jeremy Corbyn's front door today after his wife crowed over his departure from Labour.

Laura Alvarez revelled after Tony Blair's former spin doctor was thrown out of the party for voting Lib Dem in the European elections under a Facebook post titled: 'Good riddance'.

Ms Alvarez, a Mexican-born former banker turned coffee bean importer, wrote under it: 'The man who supported the illegal war in Iraq has gone'.

And in a post on a pro-Corbyn group discussing Tom Watson's pursuit of a second referendum she said: 'Alastair Campbell always sabotaged the leadership of the LP [Labour party], but now he moved to support the Liberal Democrats'.

Ending her attack with an accusation Mr Blair's former right-hand-man is right-wing, she said: 'Maybe he can help them to develop more austerity policies'.

Labour refused to comment today - but did not deny the Facebook posts are genuine.

Jeremy Corbyn kisses his third wife Laura Alvarez after winning the Labour leadership in 2015. His wife weighed in to the debate on Alastair Campbell's expulsion

Ms Alvarez, a former banker, accused Mr Campbell of sabotaging numerous Labour leaders and hopes he turns his attentions to the Lib Dems after he voted for them

Former No10 spin doctor Alastair Campbell (pictured speaking to reporters at his London home this week) said John McDonnell and Keir Starmer had told him the decision to eject him for voting Lib Dem at the EU election should be reviewed.

Alastair Campbell has hit back and accused Mr Corbyn and his wife of re-writing history to ignore his support for leaders going back decades.

Labour has refused to comments on Ms Alvarez's comments - but did not deny she had made them

He said: 'I guess "always sabotaged the Labour leadership" means that chez Corbyn, Foot, Kinnock, Smith, Blair, Brown, Miliband have all been excised from the history books. Labour began with JC'.

Mr Corbyn's third wife, who is 20 years younger than the Labour leader, met the Islington MP in 1999 when she flew to Britain after her seven-year-old niece was abducted by her father following a custody battle.

Marcela went to Tony Benn for help and was introduced to Corbyn, MP for Islington North. She said: He made calls and did everything he could to help. Without his assistance I would never have been reunited with Jasmin.

In 2012 they married on a 400-year-old estate to the south of Mexico City. While her siblings and parents attended the ceremony and champagne reception, it is understood that Corbyn was accompanied by a single friend, and none of his family.

His first wife Labour councillor Jane Chapman called time on their union after growing fed up with her husbands obsession with politics and attending committee meetings.

A recent biography of Mr Corbyn said: They rarely went out together. Dinner invitations were refused. Chapman spent lonely evenings in their small flat with Mango the dog and Harold Wilson the cat as her only companions while Corbyn met political cronies.

His second wife, fiery Chilean campaigner Claudia Bracchitta, drew the line after 12 years of marriage at his refusal to allow the eldest of their three sons to go to grammar school. Mr Corbyn himself attended a fee-paying school followed by a grammar school.

Professor Jane Chapman, the first wife of Jeremy Corbyn, says their marriage failed because of his obsession with politics. His second wife Claudia split up with him because of a row over wanting to send their son to a grammar school, like the Labour MP had

Ms Alvarez with Diane Abbott, with whom her husband reportedly had a brief relationship with in the 1970s and rode around communist East Germany together on a motorbike

Although Corbyn was separated from his first wife Dr Chapman, she recalled this week how Abbott confronted her at her home and told her to get out of town.

As for Ms Bracchitta, Corbyns elder brother Piers has hinted they split before the school row, having fallen out of love with each other after finding attractions elsewhere.

Asked if his brother was unfaithful, Piers said: Something like that must have been going on when they finally split up, but I dont know who was bad first.

In 1999, the year of Corbyns divorce from Ms Bracchitta, he met his current wife Ms Alvarez. They live in a 1million Islington home together and spend time together down at their allotment.

Earlier today Mr Campbell stepped up his war with the Labour leadership today - claiming that even Jeremy Corbyn's closest allies think it is 'bonkers' to kick him out of the party.

The former No10 spin doctor said John McDonnell and Keir Starmer had told him the decision to eject him for voting Lib Dem at the EU election should be reviewed.

The latest salvo came after Cherie Blair made it known she also did not vote Labour in the poll last week, and is instead thought to have supported the pro-EU Lib Dems.

Mr Corbyn is facing all-out mutiny from Remain supporters, who have been infuriated at his refusal full-heartedly to back a second Brexit referendum.

Mr McDonnell (pictured earlier this month) agrees that the expulsion is 'bonkers', according to Mr Campbell

There has been an #expelmetoo backlash on social media, and deputy leader Tom Watson has branded the move - which is now being reviewed - 'spiteful'.

Mr Campbell, Mr Blair's former spin doctor, was ousted from Labour on Tuesday after he admitted backing the Liberal Democrats because, unlike his party, they were strongly in favour of a so-called People's Vote.

Mrs Blair's husband, former PM Tony Blair, has said he voted Labour but 'without any enthusiasm'.

Mr Campbell, who is appealing against his expulsion from the party, pointed to comments from Attorney General Baroness Chakrabarti yesterday saying there would be a review.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The reason there is no justification for this expulsion is because, as Shami Chakrabarti said yesterday, a tactical vote is not a reason for expulsion.

'The only evidence provided to me were three cuttings covering what I'd said after the event, after the polls had closed, after the results had come in.'

Defending comments on the eve of poll where he said he understood people who were not planning to vote Labour, he said: 'That's hardly campaigning for another party.'

'I have had it clearly spelt out to me from Keir Starmer, John McDonnell  I've heard it publicly from Shami Chakrabarti, Tom Watson and Emily Thornberry  they all think this decision is bonkers and they all think it should be reviewed.'

Mr Corbyn (pictured on a visit to Dublin yesterday) is facing all-out mutiny from Remain supporters, who have been infuriated at his refusal full-heartedly to back a second Brexit referendum

Sources close to Mrs Blair (file picture with husband Tony) made clear she did not support Labour in the polls last week - amid claims she too backed the Liberal Democrats. Tony Blair has said he voted Labour 'without any enthusiasm'

'Jeremy Corbyn talks about listening to members but he is actually only listening to a very, very small clique around him.

'Jeremy Corbyn needs to decide: is he going to listen to the many  the public, the members, the MPs  or listen to the few: Seamus Milne, Carrie Murphy, Len McCluskey and Andrew Murray?

'They are the people driving this and they are the people risking oblivion for the Labour Party.'
There is no guarantee the government's delayed $2.1 billion light rail project will reduce travel times for commuters, and there is no clarity on when it's going to be finished.

The Sydney Light Rail project has already been delayed by 12 months, but is expected to open partially in December.

While it's been advertised that it will drastically cut travel time for commuters, documents released by Transport for NSW reveal they have no idea what the time will be.

Scroll down for video

There is no guarantee the government's delayed $2.1 billion light rail project will reduce travel times for commuters

The Sydney Light Rail project has already been delayed by 12 months, but is expected to open partially in December.

In documents obtained by Nine News, a letter states the government has 'no forecast times' for the peak services.

Transport for NSW's Marg Prendergast sad there are still tests being completed and it is still being worked out based on traffic and traffic lights.

'The vehicle testing you're seeing out there now by day and by night, we will actually use that to test the run times of different points,' she said.

However, Shadow Transport Minister Jodi McKay said the government should know the information, especially since the project has been four years in the making.

It's believed the project will aim for a maximum travel time of 40 minutes between Kingsford and Circular Quay - but an express bus does the route in just 20 minutes.

'The light rail has more consistent and reliable travel times and doesn't have the variability that buses have when it gets stuck in congestion,' Ms Prendergast said.

While it's been advertised that it will drastically cut travel time for commuters, documents released by Transport for NSW reveal they have no idea what the time will be

While the light rail is expected to open in December this year, it is only set to carry passengers between Randwick to Circular Quay.

The branch line to Kingsford along Anzac Parade is a long way from completion - early agency reports have hinted work could continue until March of 2020.

It is understood the project, from Sydney's CBD to eastern suburbs, has cost $2.1 billion.

The original budget was $1.6 billion when major work commenced in October of 2015.

Under the original time frame, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian was meant to cut the ribbon on the completed project ahead of the state election in March.

In documents obtained by Nine News, a letter states the government has 'no forecast times' for the peak services

Earlier this year, 110 businesses and residents were said to have launched a class-action lawsuit against Transport for NSW seeking a combined $400 million in compensation.

Lawyers have since claimed the compensation is for 'economic and psychological trauma.'

When complete, services are tipped to run every four minutes in peak hours in Sydney's CBD and every eight minutes to and from Randwick and Kingsford.
Marlon Dale Coy, 56, was sentenced on Thursday in Santa Cruz County

An arsonist who set the destructive 2017 Bear Fire in northern California has been sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Marlon Dale Coy, 56, was sentenced on Thursday in Santa Cruz County, California, offering the court no apology or explanation for his bizarre actions on October 17, 2017.

The 391-acre Bear Fire left one person injured, and destroyed five RVs, 17 cars, four buildings and two houses.

At trial, the court heard that Coy started the fire as part of a paranoid plot to defend his girlfriend Julia Cabibi's mountain shanty in Boulder Creek, where the couple lived together.

After an alleged burglary at the home, witnesses said that Coy hired members of Norteno, a Mexican criminal gang, to defend the property - but his plot was too depraved even for the hardened gangbangers.

At sentencing on Thursday, Coy did not offer an apology or explanation for his bizarre actions

Fire crews battle the Bear Fire in October 2017. Witnesses say Coy set the fire after gang members he'd hired to defend his mountain compound defied his order to rape a neighbor

A gang member testified at trial that he was alarmed when he met Coy earlier in the day and saw him playing with a venomous rattlesnake.

'He had a rattlesnake in his car, playing around with it and slapping it around,' the witness testified, according to the Mercury News.

Despite Coy's odd behavior, the gang members agreed to take the job protecting his trash-filled mountain stronghold, and followed him up into the hills to the property.

In a convoluted tale that confused Coy's own attorneys, the witness told how as they were driving up the dirt road to the compound, Coy became agitated at another car coming down the mountain that blocked the narrow road.

Coy jumped out of his car with a pistol and ordered the two men in the oncoming car out of the vehicle, the witness said. Eventually Coy relented and allowed the men to leave.

Later in the day, the witness said that Coy spotted a male and female neighbor near his driveway, and shocked the hardened gang members when he ordered them to strip the couple, rape the woman, and kill her.

'I don't want to talk about it because it's sick,' the witness said at trial. 'I told my boys, 'This dude's cuckoo.''

Coy's girlfriend Julia Cabibi (left and right) lived with him in the mountain stronghold. She is not charged in the fire but faces separate weapons and assault charges

The Norteno gangbangers say they flatly refused Coy's sickening order, grabbed his .22 pistol before they could turn it on them, and tried to flee the property.

Outraged that his order wasn't carried out, Coy flew into a frenzy and began setting fires about the property, the witness said.

'I see him with a stick and he was probing into the (ground) like a little gremlin,' the witness said. 'It was red. It ignited real fast.'

The fire quickly spread to neighboring properties, spurring an evacuation.

Burning for 10 days, the fire cost some $7 million to contain.

Coy was arrested, as was his girlfriend Cabibi.

She is not charged in the fire, but still faces charges of carjacking, assault with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm and illegal possession of ammunition stemming from a separate incident in September 2017.

At the sentencing on Thursday, Coy was ordered to reimburse Cal Fire more than $2 million for battling the blaze.

The money will also pay medical costs for injured fire fighters, and undetermined damages to six property owners for their loss.

At Thursday's hearing, Coy was ordered to reimburse Cal Fire more than $2 million

It is unclear whether Coy will ever be able to pay the reparations, however.

'CDC (California Department of Corrections) will make efforts to get that money back. So, any time money's put into his account or any time he earns money they will take some of that money and set aside for the victims,' Assistant District Attorney Michael McKinney told KSBW-TV.

Homeowners Marvin and Debbie Hinshaw don't expect to get any money. The fire cost them $500,000 in damages.

'Us? We're probably not going to get anything out of it, except the satisfaction to know he went to jail,' said Marvin.

Debbie added: 'Just nice when the judicial system works with justice and fairness, 'cause he got the right sentence.'
Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led coalition against ISIS said they have unintentionally killed more than 1,300 civilians in Iraq and Syria since 2014.

In its monthly civilian casualty report, the coalition - made up mainly of the US, the UK, France and Iraq in Syria - said it had carried out 34,502 strikes since its air campaign against IS began when the terrorist group took over large swathes of territory.

Eight months ago, the coalition stated that it had inadvertently killed 1,100 civilian deaths and is currently still assessing 111 further allegations of deaths caused by their actions.

A picture taken in eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor shows explosions following shelling by the US-backed forces on the Islamic State group's embattled holdout of Baghouz, on March 11

However, Airwars - a not-for-profit 'transparency project' - place casualties at nearly 13,000, including over 3,500 named victims, with Amnesty International also having previously called for clarity over numbers.

In the month of April this year, CJTF-OIR (Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve) carried over 122 open reports from previous months and received seven new reports.

In 2017 alone, however, activists said that more than 1,600 civilians were killed in US-led coalition air and artillery strikes during the offensive to oust the Islamic State group from Raqqa, Syria - nearly 10 times higher than coalition estimates.

The coalition said their campaign caused 180 deaths but Airwars and Amnesty International urged them to 'end almost two years of denial' about deaths of this nature.

The two humanitarian groups said they conducted their own research at 200 strike locations and managed to identify 1000 victims.

A picture taken on July 9, 2017, shows smoke billowing following an airstrike by US-led international coalition forces targeting Islamic State (IS) group in Mosul, Iraq

At the time, a coalition spokesperson told the BBC that 'any unintentional loss of life during the defeat of [IS] is tragic. However it must be balanced against the risk of enabling [IS] to continue terrorist activities, causing pain and suffering to anyone they choose'.

The spokesperson added that the force 'methodically employs significant measures to minimise civilian casualties'.

The 111 open reports are based on local media reports and Airwars reports. CJTF-OIR has dismissed several other Airwars reports due to lack of information of the time, location and details to assess its credibility.

Since April 30, regime and Russian fire has killed 288 civilians including 67 children in northwest Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

A picture taken on March 14, 2018 shows a view of destruction surrounding the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Hour (L) in the old city of Mosul

A September deal was supposed to avert a full-out regime offensive on Idlib province and adjacent areas held by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

But the regime and its Russian ally have since late April ramped up deadly air strikes and rocket fire on the jihadist stronghold - killing 948 people in total, including fighters on both sides.

On Thursday, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by telephone told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin it was important to 'apply the ceasefire without delay in order to focus once again on finding a political solution' to the Syrian conflict.

The conflict has killed more than 370,000 people since it started in 2011. Airwars says between 3,2704,767 civilian deaths were a result of Russian action.

They suggest Turkish action in Iraq and Syria has killed 406744 innocent victims.

Previous active belligerents of the coalition include The Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Jordan.
 In Robert Bernstein Obit, AFP Inappropriately References His Judaism | Main | CNNs Zakaria Indulges Palestinian Propagandist Hanan Ashrawi 

May 31, 2019

After Broadcasting Holocaust Denial, AJ+ Feigns Innocence

After Al Jazeera created and posted a video questioning "the truth of the Holocaust," officials at the Qatari media giant took a page from the New York Times' book, blaming employees who were working "without due oversight." (The Times had blamed its recent anti-Semitic cartoon on "a single editor acting without adequate oversight.")

The video, by Al Jazeera's pseudo-progressive AJ+, dismissed the Nazi murder of six million Jews as dubious "Zionist claims." According to a translation by MEMRI, the video claimed that

the number of victims of the Holocaust remains one of the most prominent historical debates to this day. People are divided between those who deny the annihilation, others who think that the outcome was exaggerated, and others yet who accuse the Zionist movement of blowing it out of proportion in the service of the plan to establish what would later be known as the 'State of Israel.'

According to an article on Al Jazeera's website, "Dr. Yaser Bishr, Executive Director of Digital Division, stated that Al Jazeera completely disowns the offensive content in question and reiterated that Al Jazeera would not tolerate such material on any of the Networks platforms."

But that's not true. It has long tolerated Holocaust denial, and has played an important role in spreading it. In 2009, for example, Al Jazeera broadcast Yousef Al-Qaradawi's speech about Hilter's "punishment" of the Jews: "By means of all the things he did to themeven though they exaggerated this issuehe managed to put them in their place. This was divine punishment for them."

"Allah willing, the next time will be at the hand of the believers," Qaradawi continued.

Al Jazeera viewers were also treated to Qaradawi calling for a new genocide: "Oh Allah, Take This Oppressive, Jewish, Zionist Band Of People; Oh Allah, Do Not Spare A Single One Of Them; Oh Allah, Count Their Numbers, And Kill Them, Down To The Very Last One."

In 2007, Al Jazeera aired broadcast a speech by Hamas leader Khaled Mashal in which he delivered a similar message to the AJ+ Holocaust-revisionism video: "I want to make it clear to the West and to the German people, which is still being blackmailed because of what Nazism did to the Zionists, or to the Jews. I say that what Israel did to the Palestinian people is many times worse than what Nazism did to the Jews, and there is exaggeration, which has become obsolete, regarding the issue of the Holocaust. We do not deny the facts, but we will not give in to extortion by exaggeration."

So much for Yaser Bishr's claim that Al Jazeera "would not tolerate" Holocaust denial. See more at MEMRI.



Posted by gi at May 31, 2019 10:35 AM

Guidelines for posting

This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material.

Post a comment
Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning has been jailed since May 16 for civil contempt for refusing to testify against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

Lawyers for former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning are renewing efforts to get her released from a northern Virginia jail.

Manning's lawyers filed court papers Friday asking a federal judge to reconsider his decision to send Manning to the Alexandria jail for refusing to testify to a grand jury investigating WikiLeaks.

The motion argues that a new indictment of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on espionage charges makes Manning's testimony irrelevant.

'What remains to be seen is whether the government can claim with a straight face to have an ongoing need for her testimony,' lawyers Moira Meltzer-Cohen, Sandra Freeman, and Christopher Leibig wrote in their motion, which says Manning is suffering physically as a result of her incarceration and is in the midst of losing her home because of the financial effect it is having on her.

Manning spent seven years in a military prison for delivering a trove of classified information to Assange prior to her May 16 arrest

In their Friday motion, Manning's attorneys said, 'What remains to be seen is whether the government can claim with a straight face to have an ongoing need for her testimony'

Manning has been jailed for civil contempt since May 16. She could remain in jail for up to 18 months - the length of the grand-jury term. Judge Anthony Trenga also ordered fines of $500 a day to kick in after 30 days of confinement and $1,000 a day after 60 days.

This follows a two-month jail term earlier this year for refusing to testify to a previous grand jury.

Manning's lawyers say the fact prosecutors have obtained a superseding indictment under the Espionage Act against Assange is particularly significant. In particular, they say it is unlikely that any additional charges against Assange will be filed because the US faces a June 12 deadline for finalizing its extradition request for Assange to Great Britain, and bringing new charges after that deadline could complicate the effort to obtain his extradition.

'After the submission of the extradition packet, the need for Ms. Manning's testimony will diminish ... precipitously,' the lawyers wrote.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was indicted on May 23 for violating the Espionage Act by seeking out classified information

Assange was arrested and dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London on April 11 after seeking asylum and residing there for seven years

Joshua Stueve, spokesman for the US Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Virginia, which is prosecuting Assange and seeking Manning's grand-jury testimony, declined comment Friday.

Under federal law, a recalcitrant witness can only be jailed for civil contempt if there is a reasonable belief that incarceration will coerce the witness into testifying. If the jail time has no coercive effect and is purely punitive, the recalcitrant witness is supposed to be released.

Manning has said she believes grand juries in general are an abuse of power and that she would rather starve to death than testify.

Judge Trenga, in sending Manning to jail, said there is no dishonor in testifying to grand juries, which are referenced specifically in the US Constitution, and that he hoped time in jail would allow Manning to reflect on that.

Uormer Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning (center) speaks with reporters, after arriving at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia on May 16. Under federal law, a recalcitrant witness can only be jailed for civil contempt if there is a reasonable belief incarceration will coerce the witness into testifying

Manning's lawyers argue that if jail time has no coercive effect and is purely punitive, a recalcitrant witness such as her is supposed to be released

Manning, in response, penned a lengthy letter to the judge reiterating her rationale. She included a lengthy history on the use of grand juries around the world, and says that many Western countries have abandoned the system because it operates in secret and in a one-sided fashion to the benefit of prosecutors against those accused.

'I am positive that the founders never intended the grand jury to function like those we see today,' Manning wrote.

Manning spent seven years in a military prison for delivering a trove of classified information to Assange. Her 35-year sentence was then commuted by then-President Barack Obama.
Huawei has ordered its employees to cancel meetings with American contacts and sent U.S. citizens working at its headquarters packing, a report claims.

Their chief strategy architect Dang Wenshuan is quoted as saying American staff were turfed out of the Shenzen office two weeks ago after President Donald Trump blacklisted the Chinese telecoms firm.

The Trump administration added Huawei to a trade blacklist, making restrictions that will make it extremely difficult for the company to do business with U.S. counterparts, earlier this month.

A workshop at Huawei headquarters with American personnel was rapidly halted after the announcement and the foreigners were told to take their laptops and leave, the Financial Times reported.

Employees walk in front of a building dubbed the 'White House' at the Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen - American staff were ordered to pack their bags two weeks ago, a report claims

U.S. President Donald Trump takes part in a welcoming ceremony with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing three years ago - tensions have flared over the telecoms giant

The moves come amid growing U.S.-China tensions over trade and technology in which Huawei, the world's largest telecoms firm, has been a main target.

On Wednesday, China filed a lawsuit in the States challenging the constitutionality of a law that limits its sales of telecoms equipment.

Huawei is now fighting to maintain access to major markets for next-generation communications as the US claims the company threatens international cyber-security.

The US and China are embroiled in a protracted trade dispute and tariff war that began last July following complaints from Donald Trump that China steals from or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology while unfairly subsidising Chinese businesses.

The most recent round of negotiations earlier this month ended with no agreement, after Mr Trump more than doubled duties on 200 billion dollars (158bn) in Chinese imports.

China responded by raising tariffs of 5% to 25% on 60 billion dollars (47.4bn) worth of American goods.

Huawei's main Shenzhen campus is a sprawling, lavishly landscaped mix of glass office towers, labs and training centers

Soon after, the US Commerce Department placed Huawei on its 'Entity List,' effectively barring US firms from selling its technology without government approval.

Huawei relies heavily on US components, including computer chips, and about one-third of its suppliers are American.

The move has already affected the company's US partnerships.

Google said it would continue to support existing Huawei smartphones, but future devices won't carry its flagship apps and services, including maps, Gmail and search - a change that will likely make Huawei phones less appealing.

Song said the US is setting a 'dangerous precedent'.

'Today it's telecoms and Huawei,' he said. 'Tomorrow it could be your industry, your company, your consumers.'
An average of three Indigenous Australians have taken their own lives every week since the start of this year.

Seventy-seven Aboriginal people have committed suicide in the five months to May, with seven taking their lives in the past week alone.

Of the deaths, 74 people were living in poverty, 71 in social housing and three were living rough.

Half of the deaths have been of people below the age of 26, while 20 have been of children as young as 12, The Australian reported.

Seventy-seven Aboriginal people have committed suicide in the five months to May, with seven taking their lives in the past week alone (stock image)

One week later and on the other side of the country in Perth, 14-year-old Rochelle Pryor took her own life shortly after posting she had been bullied

Fifteen-year-old Jade Collard was the first victim of the horrific trend, after she took her own life on New Years Day.

The teenager had been staying with her mother at Townsville, in northern Queensland, for Christmas.

She was rushed to hospital but died two days later. She would be one of eight Indigenous children who would take their lives in a three week period.

'We need to keep sharing these stories to let people know this is real  real kids and real families left behind,' Jade's sister Josephine said.

'I see more deaths on the news and it is so hard it is heartbreaking.'

Jade had told her mother Julia Hill-Collard in 2017 of mistreatment she had suffered at the hands of an older relative when she was only eight years old.

A concerned Ms Hill-Collard took her daughter to the police station to make a statement.

Though blowback from the extended family forced the pair to flee with Jade's older brother.

The trio left their Bunbury home for Rockingham as detectives investigated the matter.

A male relative was charged, but as the matter was getting close to trial the case was formally dropped for several reasons in September the same year.

Diary entries had also been found in Jade's phone describing moments of unhappiness.

The first entry was made on August 29, 2017 - Miss Hill-Collard said that was the same date prosecutors told Jade they didn't think they could successfully convict the relative.

CHILD SUICIDES AMONG THE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY In January, five Aboriginal girls committed suicide within two weeks. Rochelle Pryor, 14, from Perth, took her own life shortly after posting she had been bullied. Within nine days, a 15-year-old girl from Western Australia died after committing suicide, followed by a 12-year-old girl in Pilbara. In East Kimberley, a 14-year-old girl also took her life. A second 12-year-old girl from Adelaide also died from suicide that month. Around the same time, it was reported a 12-year-old indigenous boy from Brisbane was rushed to the hospital following a suicide attempt. Five young indigenous girls took their own lives across Australia in January (pictured Rochelle Pryor, from Perth, took her own life after a cry for help on social media) Advertisement

One week later and on the other side of the country in Perth, 14-year-old Rochelle Pryor took her own life shortly after posting she had been bullied.

Rochelle wrote: 'Once I'm gone, the bullying and the racism will stop.'

Only one friend replied and later that night her father Geoffrey found her unconscious in her bedroom.

The schoolgirl died in hospital nine days later on January 10.

To National Indigenous Critical Response Service former co-ordinator Gerry Georgatos the deaths of the girls are proof of the deepening suicide crisis.

Mr Georgatos said he has met with families who lost a nine-year-old child to suicide, and in one case, a child of the tender age of six had attempted to take their own life.

'It should be steadfastly unimaginable that a six-year-old can contemplate ending their life but it's the grim reality and our political and moral obligations should be to authentically prioritise and abate this crisis,' he said.

Mr Georgatas revealed the latest rates of suicide and noted a third of the deaths have occurred in Queensland.

Forty per cent of the children who took their lives in the last year were Indigenous Australian.

Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles noted the state's Suicide Prevention Health Taskforce had already held three roundtable meetings to discuss how to tamp down on the growing rates.

'The ideas from those roundtables have included resources to support culturally capable health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers and carers, culturally informed and co-designed hospital emergency department environments and implementation of culturally safe referral pathways for Indigenous people,' Mr Miles said.

Already peak medical bodies like the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation have demanded the suicide rate be placed high on the national agenda.

Leading Indigenous doctor Mark Wenitong shared the sentiment and said not enough services had been provided to help reduce the rates.

Last month, the government revealed $461million would be spent on youth mental health - but only $5million over four years would go towards indigenous youth suicide.

For confidential support in Australia LIFELINE: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au . Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley is cementing relationships with key senators and will hold a fundraiser for Sen. Joni Ernst in Iowa, reigniting rumors she could be planning a run for higher office.

Haley, who resigned her post last fall, has the distinction of being one of the limited number senior Trump Administration officials to go out on her own terms, not followed by scandal or brushed off by presidential tweets.

As a former South Carolina governor, she also has executive experience that puts her on the list of potential contenders to seek the presidency four years after the next election.

In June, she attends Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst's annual Roast 'n Ride event, a key stop on the Iowa political circuit.

Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley attends a fundraiser for Sen. Joni Ernst in Iowa next month, fueling speculation she could be planning a 2024 run for president

The event features an optional motorcycle ride for veterans, followed by a 'family fun pork roast'  but also presents an opportunity to forge relationships with Iowa caucus-goers and decision makers.

She also spoke to Trump and his son-in-law, senior advisor Jared Kushner, about campaign with Trump in 2020, Politico reported.

Haley also has been stepping out, with a speech in Michigan this week, and a reported $500,000 fundraiser for a quarter of Republican senators in New York City. They included Arizona Sen. Martha McSally, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, and West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, along with Ernst.

During her tenure at the UN, Haley drew attention for pushing Russia sanctions and blasting Russian election interference, at a time when Trump was publicly pushing new cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to the economic club of Grand Rapids, Haley picked up a theme that Trump has tried out on the campaign trail: blasting socialism.

President Donald Trump predicted that Haley would make 'a lot of money' when she left her post last year

'Capitalism is the greatest force for ending poverty and lifting up human beings in history,' said Haley . 'America's dangerous flirtation with socialism is in colleges, in the media and in Congress. We have an obligation to remind everyone that if you care about global poverty, you should support capitalism.'

She was joined on stage by Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner. She created a group called Stand for America, which sketches out brief policy positions on immigration and socialism.

President Donald Trump walks with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley during his arrival at the United Nations during the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2018 in New York City

'In an era of global terrorism, human trafficking, massive drug smuggling, and foreign criminal gangs, public safety demands that we do all we can to prevent anyone from entering our country illegally. That means we must get serious about border security,' she says, picking up an issue that Trump touts regularly, including with Thursday's announcement that he will slap tariffs on Mexican products unless they stop illegal immigration across the border.

The president said the tariffs will remain in place 'until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP.'

When she left her past last year, Trump predicted she would go on to 'make a lot of money.'

He also lauded her performance, saying, 'I think it's become maybe a more glamorous position than it was two years ago. Maybe, I wonder why, but it is. She's made it a very glamorous position.'
The least affordable city for renters isn't Sydney or Melbourne, but rather surprisingly Perth, a new study has found.

New data has revealed single parents and low-income earners in the Western Australian capital are struggling to meet housing costs.

Perth has been officially dubbed 'Australia's least affordable city', according to Curtin University's Getting Our House in Order report.

Scroll down for video

The least affordable city for renters isn't Sydney or Melbourne, but rather surprisingly Perth (pictured), a new study has found

The study looked at 3,600 people across Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.

Rental prices for houses on the cheaper side haven't dropped despite the property market softening in Perth, Nine News reported.

This means more than half of low-income earners and single parents are spending more than 30 per cent of their weekly wage on rent and utilities such as gas and water.

However, one-in-five tenants are paying more than 40 per cent of their weekly income on housing essentials.

Young single mother Amy Schober has described her living situation as simply 'impossible'.

'Cost of living is really high, I feel like my wage isn't getting increased accordingly. And being a parent is just tough,' she said.

Rental prices for houses on the cheaper side haven't dropped despite the property market softening in Perth

Professor Alan Duncan (pictured) from Curtin University said choices available for rental properties are priced poorly compared to their incomes

While rent is significantly cheaper in Perth than in cities on the eastern side of Australia, the addition of bills makes Perth the country's worst city when it comes to affordability.

Professor Alan Duncan from Curtin University said choices available for rental properties are priced poorly compared to their incomes.

'Whilst typical rents and prices of houses have been falling, that's really not trickling down to those at the lower end of the income spectrum who are finding it less easy to afford the rents on offer.'

Professor Duncan said for the title of least affordable city to change, Perth needs to see a greater range of properties available on the market.

Researchers have called on the state and federal government to help those struggling to get by with financial assistance.
A 14-year-old boy who was allegedly driving a car when it crashed and killed his teen friend was photographed making gang signs and eating KFC from his hospital bed.

The Waterford West teen and a 10-year-old girl, who were both allegedly involved in the car theft, were pictured eating fast food at Queensland Children's Hospital on Friday.

Jacob Hopkins, 14, was a passenger in the Mazda SUV that police allege ran a red light speeding through Rothwell, north of Brisbane, at 4pm on Wednesday.

Four girls aged 10, 13, 14 and 16 - were passengers and taken to hospital along with the alleged driver - all are now in a stable condition.

Jacob and the accused driver were allegedly members of the so-called Northside Gang known for its distinct gang sign - a single finger covering or near ones face.

A 10-year-old girl (pictured) who allegedly helped steal a car that crashed and killed a teen was seen eating KFC from her hospital bed

The 14-year-old boy (pictured) who allegedly drove the car before it crashed was seen making gang signs associated with Northside Gang

A 10-year-old girl (pictured left) and a 14-year-old boy (pictured right) who were allegedly involved in the crash enjoyed a KFC meal from their hospital beds

Jacob declared himself part of the North Side Gang, in the northern Brisbane suburb of Redcliffe, and posed in numerous photos stamped with the group's name.

In photos he made the same hand gestures as the two hospital-bound children.

Friends and family mourned the teenager as 'taken too soon' on social media in the hours after his death.

'I can't believe it's real. All the s**t you got up to, you didn't deserve this. Always been that second family for you no matter what, we love you and only wanted the best for you,' a close friend said.

Another friend said Jacob was the 'strongest boy she knew'.

'Fly in the Dream Time, forever our memories are now stories. We love you mate we will never forget you,' they said.

Jacob's friends (pictured) paid tribute to him by doing Northside Gang's signature hand gesture - a single finger pointed to the sky

Jacob Hopkins, 14, was a passenger in the Mazda SUV that police allege ran a red light speeding through Rothwell, north of Brisbane, and was killed when it crashed

The mangled wreckage of the horrific crash is pictured on Wednesday afternoon

Police alleged the Mazda SUV was stolen from a shopping centre in nearby Kallangur earlier on Wednesday.

The alleged driver of the vehicle, a Waterford West teen, 14, and one of the girls suffered critical injuries when they were taken to the Queensland Children's Hospital.

The occupants of the other car involved in the crash, a woman, 26, and four young children escaped serious injury.

A Rothwell resident told the Courier Mail he saw distraught family members at the crash scene yelling, 'my kids could be in there'.

Kimmy Delaporte described the collision as was of the 'most traumatic car crashes' she had ever seen, while Beverley Brady said it was the stuff 'nightmares were made of'.

Queensland Ambulance senior operations supervisor Matt McGregor told the publication all patients taken to hospital suffered serious injuries.

'The injuries patients sustained include fractures, possible internal injuries and spinal injuries,' he said.

The intersection of Anzac Avenue and Wattle Road was closed for several hours while Forensic Crash Unit officers examined the horror scene.

Friends and family mourned the teenager as 'taken too soon' on social media in the hours after his death
BMX star Ryan Taylor urged teenagers to put down their knives as he did a series of daredevil stunts for an anti knife crime charity.

Taylor, who was asked to represent Team GB at the 2020 Olympics, teamed up with The Wickers, as part of a campaign to reduce violence in the capital.

Watched by scores of youngsters at St. Mary of Eton Church in Hackney Wick, he performed for an hour doing a whole host of spectacular jumps over his specially adapted Mercedes 4x4.

BMX star Ryan Taylor performs a spectacular stunt in support of an anti-knife crime charity

A boy poses with a mountain bike at the event which was to raise awareness of the Bikes Up, Knives Down campaign

To rousing cheers, he leaped over volunteers from The Wickers to raise awareness of his Bikes Up, Knives Down campaign.

Last summer, Taylor was joined by wheelie maestro Jake100, and 4000 teenagers who brought central London to a standstill as they rode together to protest the rise of violent crime plaguing the capital's youth.

This August, both Taylor and Jake100 - whose combined followers on social media exceed half a million - will ride on behalf of The Wickers in the Prudential 100 - a 100 mile bike ride for charity.

Taylor, who lives in East London, said: 'We are all working and pulling together, it is not a single person who is going to solve this problem. Our message is 'don't stab your future' - bikes up, knifes down.'

Wickers Charity fundraiser, Brogan Smith, said: 'The Wickers are a Hackney based charity that aims to reduce gun and knife crime in East London.

The star, seated on his bicycle, shakes hands with a young admirer as part of the event

Ryan Taylor, far right, throws his bike in the air in exhilaration while posing with children

The star poses with scores of youngsters at St. Mary of Eton Church in Hackney Wick

'We currently have an outreach of over 205 children per week. Our goal is simple, we want to show these children there is a better life out there.

'We are a non-profit organisation and we rely entirely on donations. On Sunday the 4th August, Jake and Ryan are riding the Prudential 100 on behalf of the Wickers.'

Ryan quipped: 'Just to let you guys know a BMX is a smaller sized bike with 20 inch wheels - so I wont be sitting down at any time, I literally have to stand up and pedal for 100 miles!

So if you want to donate a pound, or 100 pound, or whatever you can, head over to our Just Giving Page.'
A Dutch birdwatcher held by Islamic State-linked militants was killed Friday during a firefight between his kidnappers and soldiers in the southern Philippines, according to the military, which said he was shot by his captors as he tried to escape.

Ewold Horn had been held since 2012 by the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group and was fatally wounded as soldiers fought a 90-minute gun battle with the jihadists on their stronghold, Jolo island.

The Dutch foreign ministry confirmed Horn died in an 'exchange of fire', adding that it was investigating the exact circumstances of his death.

Soldiers prepare to evacuate wounded and dead bodies as pursuit operations continue in Patikul of the province of Sulu, after the fight between soldiers and kidnappers of IS-linked militant Ewold Horn

Philippine Brigadier General Divino Rey Pabayo said in a statement that 'Horn was shot by one of his guards when he tried to escape from the Abu Sayyaf during this morning's gunfight'.

The military's account could not be independently confirmed.

The southern Philippines is home to numerous armed groups, several of which are linked to the decades-old insurgency aiming to create a Muslim homeland in the Christian-majority nation's deep south.

Horn was on an expedition to photograph rare birds on the remote Tawi-Tawi island group in the southern Philippines when he was abducted by unknown gunmen and turned over to the Abu Sayyaf.

Dutchman Ewold Horn poses for photo in Tawi-Tawi prior to his abduction in Tawi-Tawi

Horn was seized along with Lorenzo Vinciguerra, a Swiss national who managed to escape in 2014 during a gunbattle between soldiers and his captors.

'We express our deep condolences to Mr Horn's family and loved ones,' Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

'We vow to pursue his killers to the ends of the earth until they are brought to justice.'

A handout photo made available 31 May 2019 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines - Joint Task Force Sulu shows Filipino soldiers inspecting a temporary shelter, where Ewold Horn, a Dutch photographer, was held hostage by Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf group militants

Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for some of the worst terror attacks in Philippine history, including repeated kidnappings of foreigners, who are often held for huge ransoms.

Philippine officials assert the group was behind the deadly January bombing of a Catholic cathedral on Jolo island during Sunday mass that was the worst attack to hit the nation in years.

The bombing was claimed by the Islamic State, which has worked to maintain a presence in the Philippines as its caliphate crumbled in the Middle East.

Abu Sayyaf was active in the Philippines years before linking up with Islamic State, and has supported its violent activities with kidnapping.

Bird watchers Swiss Lorenzo Vinciguerra (C), Dutchman Ewold Horn (L), and Filipino guide Ivan Sarenas (R) prepare their meal in Tawi-Tawi prior to their abduction.

The group has held hostages over the course of years as it negotiated ransoms, but has also shown a willingness to kill its captives.

Abu Sayyaf beheaded German hostage Jurgen Kantner, 70, in 2017 after its demands for a roughly $600,000 (475,590) ransom were not met.

Two Canadian hostages kidnapped from yachts moored at a marina on a tourist island in the southern Philippines were also beheaded in 2016 after demands for ransoms of similar amounts went unfulfilled.

The military said Friday that the group was believed to hold at least two Filipinos and a Vietnamese national, but it could not be sure they were still alive.

It added that a woman named Mingayan Sahiron, which the army identified as the second wife of a top Abu Sayyaf leader, was also killed in Friday's gunbattle.
University of California-Santa Cruz computer science professor Dimitris Achlioptas, (pictured), is on leave amid complaints of abusive racially and sexually charged remarks toward students including calling a Muslim graduate student a 'terrorist'

A California University professor has been placed on leave amid accusations he called a Muslim student a 'terrorist' and an 'Ay-rab.'

The incident is said to have happened last summer and the student left the school due to his 'immense anguish' over his treatment.

It is alleged the University of California-Santa Cruz took more than six months to take action after a student appealed for witnesses.

In an email to the engineering school dean obtained The Mercury News, the Muslim student accused computer science and engineering professor Dimitris Achlioptas of calling him a 'terrorist' and an 'Ay-rab' on more than one occasion.

According to the complaint, the professor said the student looked like he should be on a 'most wanted' poster because of his beard.

He also made sexually loaded remarks about his genitals and sexuality and questioned his intelligence.

The document mentioned several students, professors and others who witnessed some of the alleged behavior.

A second graduate student claimed to witness the 'terrorist' remarks in a December complaint to administrators.

That male student, who has chosen to remain anonymous, also leveled his own accusations against Achlioptas abusive, belittling and sexually loaded remarks toward him.

The two students told The Mercury News that they did not want to give their names for fears it would harm their career.

Alexander Wolf, dean of the universitys engineering school, (pictured), said it is investigating allegations that 'are serious and troubling' and the professor is now on leave

The Muslim student said he had to restart his studies at a university in another state.

In a statement Wednesday, Marlene Tromp, campus provost and executive vice chancellor, and Alexander Wolf, dean of the universitys engineering school, said the university is investigating allegations that 'are serious and troubling.'

They also said that the professor is now on leave.

The statement added: 'When UC Santa Cruz first became aware of such allegations, we alerted the appropriate campus offices for follow-up and investigation.

'We understand our communitys alarm that our silence on this matter signals tolerance. This is simply untrue.'

They added that 'the safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority, and we treat allegations of misconduct by anyone  faculty, staff, or students  with seriousness and care.'

Achlioptas' lawyer Michael J. DeNiro said said the university looked into alleged violations of Title IX, a part of federal law banning sex discrimination in education, and against the universitys Faculty Code of Conduct.

DeNiro said the university concluded that a Title IX investigation was not warranted. He claimed that a probe of alleged violations of the faculty code is ongoing.

'My client has confidence in the integrity of due process at UCSC, and is confident that he will be exonerated when the investigation that he violated the Faculty Code of Conduct ends.'

He said Achlioptas would not be commenting on specific allegations because individuals who made them 'are bound to keep the matters being investigated in confidence.'
The Russian version of the Elton John biopic Rocketman has reportedly had all gay scenes cut from the movie.

Any representation of men kissing or performing sex scenes in the film have been removed, according to a Russian journalist who saw a preview.

The edits have seen around five minutes of the running time hacked out of the original version, film critic Anton Dolin said.

Conservative Russia has so-called 'anti-gay propaganda' laws which bans gay sex scenes in cinema since 2013.

Some of the films references to drug-taking have also been removed, according to reports.

Dolin said key parts of the movie were censored and even the ending caption was altered to meet the country's strict rules.

Taron Egerton as Elton John and Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin Rocketman. Scenes involving gay sex were reportedly cut from the Russian version

Elton John with David Furnish and Taron Egerton (far left), who plays the musician in the Rocketman biopic. References to Elton and David's marriage and their children were reportedly censored from the Russian version of the film

In the Russian version a caption and photograph at the end referring to Elton living with his husband David Furnish and raising their two sons, Zachary and Elijah, had been cut out.

Instead the edited film simply says he founded an AIDS foundation and continues to work with his musical partner, Bernie Taupin.

A joint statement from Elton John and the filmmakers said: 'We reject in the strongest possible terms the decision to pander to local laws and censor Rocketman for the Russian market, a move we were unaware of until today.

'Paramount Pictures have been brave and bold partners in allowing us to create a film which is a true representation of Eltons extraordinary life, warts and all.

'That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people.

'We believe in building bridges and open dialogue, and will continue to push for the breaking down of barriers until all people are heard equally across the world.'

Dolin described the cut as 'nasty' and added 'Sorry, Sir Elton', in a social media post about the deleted scenes.

He posted on Facebook: 'All scenes with kissing, sex and oral sex between men have been cut out.

'The most nasty thing is that the final caption has been removed from the finale.

'The movie took only five minutes out, but it's very noticeable. It's about a principled five minutes, very important for artistic purposes.'

Dolin also alleges that Paramount studio representatives were present at the edited premier screening in Russia yesterday.

Elton John (right) and his husband, Canadian producer David Furnish, on the red carpet upon arriving for the UK premiere of the film Rocketman in London earlier this month

Drug-taking scenes were also removed from the Elton John film. Pictured Taron Egerton as Elton John in the biopic

The Russian Culture Ministry did not order the scenes to be cut and instead the movie was edited by the distributor Central Partnership to comply with Russian laws, according to the Moscow Times.

A spokesman from the Central Partnership told the paper: 'Changes were made to the film to comply with the legislation of the Russian Federation.'

Film critic Yegor Moskvitin, who had seen the original Rocketman at the Cannes Film Festival, told the Moscow Times: 'Several scenes had indeed disappeared from the Russian version.'

Elton John has himself said the studio wanted to tone down the sex and drugs in the movie but he wanted the biopic to be an accurate representation of his early life.

In an article for the Guardian, he wrote: 'Some studios wanted to tone down the sex and drugs so the film would get a PG-13 rating. But I just haven't led a PG-13 rated life.'

In the past Elton John offered to meet with Vladimir Putin to discuss LGBT rights after pranksters called him pretending to be the Russian president, but the meeting has yet to take place.
The jury in the trial of a woman who won a beauty pageant called 'Miss Hitler' and is accused of being a member of a banned neo-Nazi terror group has been dismissed after failing to reach a verdict.

Alice Cutter, 22, is accused of being a member of National Action along with her fiance Mark Jones, 24, both of Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, West Yorkshire.

They deny being members of the far-right group after it was banned at the end of 2016.

Two other men, Garry Jack, 23, from Shard End, Birmingham, West Midlands and 18-year-old Connor Scothern, of Nottingham, have also pleaded not guilty to the same charge.

Alice Cutter (pictured), is accused of being a member of banned neo-Nazi terror group National Action

Miss Cutter's ex-partner Mark Jones (pictured holding a gun) is also accused of being a member of National Action

The jury in the case of the former 'Miss Hitler' beauty pageant contestant (pictured holding a gun) was dismissed after failing to reach a verdict

Daniel Ward, Connor Scothern, Garry Jack, Alex Deakin and Adam Thomas are pictured performing a Nazi salute in Dudley on October 22, 2016

Prosecution barrister Barnaby Jameson QC told the trial judge at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday that the Crown would be seeking a retrial of all those involved.

The jury in the case of a former 'Miss Hitler' beauty pageant contestant accused alongside three others of being a neo-Nazi terrorist has resumed deliberations.

Prosecutors have alleged all were active members in the group, which was banned in part because of members' voicing support for the murder of MP Jo Cox in June 2016.

The jury has been deliberating for more than 33 hours.
Nearly 140 dogs were rescued from a fetid multimillion-dollar California mansion by animal control officers in hazmat suits on Thursday, authorities say.

Orange County police were anonymously tipped off at around 2:20pm about possible animal cruelty at the huge home within a gated community in the 3800 block of East Woodbine Road.

Rescuers were shocked to find 136 sick and starving dogs living in deplorable conditions in the house and it took them hours to carry out the many animals one-by-one.

Scroll down for video

Animal control officers had to wear hazmat suits to rescue 136 dogs from the fetid California home

Orange County police got an anonymous tip about possible animal cruelty at the palatial home within a gated community in the 3800 block of East Woodbine Road

The people living in the mansion, Jo (left) and Edward (right) Reitkopp were cited for misdemeanor animal cruelty, although those charges could later be upgraded to felonies. She is involved in Republican Party politics and he is an attorney

Heartbreaking footage shows the parade of ragged pups being brought out by the hazmat-clad rescuers.

Covered in feces, urine and fleas, many of the neglected animals had obvious health issues.

They were mostly small breeds, including Shih Tzus and Maltese, and ranged from puppies to old dogs.

Rescuers said the stench inside was unbearable and the two-story house was quickly red-tagged and declared uninhabitable.

'There was very little furniture inside of that residence, and there was dog excrement, urine all over, inside, on the floor,' Sgt. Phil McMullen of the Orange Police Department told CBSLA.

'It appeared to be unlivable. The smell was unbearable for me. Im surprised how people can live in that situation.'

The neglected dogs, mainly Shih Tzus, were covered in their own feces and many were clearly ill

Authorities said the stench inside the home was unbearable and the dogs were in every room

The dogs were put in an Orange County Animal Care truck and taken to a local vet for medical assessment

The homeowners, Edward and Jo Reitkopp, were cited for misdemeanor animal cruelty, KTLA reported.

But the case is ongoing and officials said those charges could later be increased to felonies.

Ed Reitkopp is an attorney, and Jo is an organizer for President Donald Trump, according to the station.

It appears the home was being used as a puppy mill.

Neighbor Lisa Paul said she bought a Shih Tzu puppy from the woman in 2010, but it had health problems and died at four years old.

Paul told KTLA she was shocked to find out the dogs had been living in filthy conditions.

Two of the neglected dogs sit in an animal control truck. They are being treated at a local vet and are expected to be put up for adoption

Neighbor Lisa Paul said she bought a Shih Tzu puppy from Jo Reitkopp in 2010, but it had health problems and died at only four years old

The Reitkopp's multi-million dollar mansion has been red-tagged and declared uninhabitable

'When I walked up and I saw it was this house, I just broke down crying,' she said.

'It really upsets us, it's inhumane, a tragedy, it's sad,' another local resident told KTLA.

It is unclear what condition the rescued dogs are in, but they are receiving veterinary care and are expected to be put up for adoption.

'It's all hands on deck. We have staff here right now making sure that every single dog is properly cared for, comfortably housed, and then we're going to be monitoring them,' Mike Kaviani from Orange County Animal Care told KTLA.
Leaked data suggests that hundreds of unaccompanied migrant children currently being held at Border Patrol detention facilities are there beyond the legal time limit.

The report, which was obtained by the Washington Post, also indicated that some of the minors detained are under the age of 12.

Federal law and courts specifically stipulate that children can't be held at the detention centers past 72 hours after they have been apprehended by the Border Patrol.

The shocking numbers were released a week after it was reported that six undocumented migrant minors have died in the custody of U.S. immigration officials since September 2018.

Data obtained by the Washington Post suggested that hundreds of unaccompanied immigrant children that are being held custody at Border Patrol detention facilities remain there beyond the 72-hour legal time limit

A woman (pictured) crosses the Rio Bravo in Mexico on her way to the U.S. border. Waves of migrants requesting asylum at the border entry points also include unaccompanied minors

Since October 2018, U.S. Border Patrol has arrested close to 45,000 unaccompanied children

The law requires the children to be transferred to the care of the Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]. The Office of Refugee Resettlement is in charge of providing longer-term shelters for the minors.

A slow response from the federal government has led to migrant minors being held in custody for an average of four days, a clear violation of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 that states that unaccompanied children must be transferred to HHS within 72 hours 'except in exceptional circumstances.'

However, the constant flow of migrants across the Mexico-United States border has flooded the agency's detention centers.

A government official told the Washington Post that the number of minors in custody beyond the 72 hours could be as high as 1,000.

Migrant children rest on cots at a refugee center in Texas

A government official told the Washington Post that 1,000 minors in custody have kept under custody for over 72 hours, a clear violation of federal law

According to another source, there are more than 250 children under the age of 12 that have been in detention for around six days.

Officials from HHS confirmed to the Washington Post that the agency is aware of the issue and is working to have the children assigned to its shelters.

The agency also said it is only responsible for the children once come into their custody from Border Patrol.

However, Department of Homeland Security officials indicated that the minors are not being promptly transferred to the shelters by HHS.

Since October 2018, the Border Patrol has arrested close to 45,000 unaccompanied children. There were 13,200 unaccompanied minors in custody as of May 19.

DailyMail reached out to CBP and HHS for comment.
Tony Blair's eldest son posed for a selfie with the Liberal Democrats deputy leader today as he became the latest figure with links to New Labour to appear to back the resurgent Remainer party.

Euan Blair let Jo Swinson launch her campaign to replace the outgoing Sir Vince Cable at the offices of his start-up company We Work in central London.

She used the high-profile event to blast the leadership of Labour under Jeremy Corbyn and rule out going into a coalition with him.

It came the day after Mr Blair's mother Cherie Blair, 64, was reported to have voted Lib Dem in the European elections.

And Alastair Campbell, his father's former spin doctor, was thrown out of the Labour Party on Tuesday after admitting he voted for Sir Vince Cable's resurgent party in Thursday's poll.

Speaking at the firm's plus offices in Marylebone, Ms Swinson ruled out propping up either the Conservatives or Labour in their current forms: "Currently, the leadership of those parties is so fundamentally opposed to our core values that that (a coalition) isn't possible.'

Her launch came as a shock new poll saw the Lib Dems storm into the lead in terms of general election voting intention, with the Brexit Party second and Labour and the Tories tied in third.

Jo Swinson (centre) took a selfie with Mr Blair (right) and his fellow WhiteHat co-founderSophie Adelman and Euan Blair, along with Lib Dem MEP Antony Hook

The quartet later sat down for a discussion in the offices of at WeWork in Marylebone, London

Sophie Adelman and Euan Blair were visited by Jo Swinson at WeWork, which was set up last year

Mrs Blair yesterday joined the revolt against Labour. Sources close to her made clear she did not support Labour in the polls last week - amid claims she too backed its unashamedly pro-EU rivals.

The intervention was effectively a challenge to Jeremy Corbyn to kick her out, as he faces all-out mutiny from Remain supporters.

Her husband, former PM Tony Blair, has said he voted Labour 'without any enthusiasm'.

There has been an #expelmetoo backlash on social media, and deputy leader Tom Watson has branded the move - which is now being reviewed - 'spiteful'.

Mr Campbell was ousted after he admitted backing the Liberal Democrats because, unlike his party, they were strongly in favour of a so-called People's Vote.

Today's event came five years after Euan was reported to be thinking about becoming a Labour MP.

He was linked with the seat of Bootle, Merseyside, just a stones throw from his mother Cheries childhood home.

Peter Dowd was eventually chosen and has been the MP since 2015.

Sources close to Mrs Blair (file picture with husband Tony) made clear she did not support Labour in the polls last week - amid claims she too backed the Liberal Democrats. Tony Blair has said he voted Labour 'without any enthusiasm'

Alastair Campbell (left) speaks to the media outside his home in north London after he was expelled from the Labour Party for admitting he voted for the Liberal Democrats. Jeremy Corbyn's deputy Tom Watson (right) called the decision 'spiteful' yesterday

Ms Swinson, 39, who served as a minister in the David Cameron/Nick Clegg coalition between 2010 and 2015 government, did not totally rule out joining a coalitions.

But she demanded fundamental political reform as the price of support.

She said: 'Strategically, for solving the problems within our politics, we need to change the broken way in which we do things.

'One of the key things that needs to happen as we address the political chaos is, we need to change our electoral system.

'That's part of what's going wrong. In any future discussions with any leaders that are not so diametrically opposed to our values, that fundamental political reform has to be front and centre.'

She added: 'There's no way we can go forward in the future in those type of arrangements without securing that political reform.'

Speaking at the firm's plus offices in Marylebone, Ms Swinson ruled out propping up either the Conservatives or Labour in their current forms

The Lib Dems were last in a coalition between 2010 and 2015 under the leadership of Sir Nick Clegg (left, with Prime Minister David Cameron) before being almost wiped out

A new Lib Dem leader will be in place on July 23 after Sir Vince Cable announced his decision to stand down earlier this year, and Ms Swinson will face competition from former cabinet minister Sir Ed Davey.

Ms Swinson used an appearance on the BBC's Question Time to confirm the leadership bid.

The East Dunbartonshire MP said stopping Brexit was a fight that could be won and there was growing support for a people's vote.

She added: 'The Lib Dems are committed to stopping Brexit and we are optimistic given the recent European election results.

'There's an appetite among many people in the country, looking at the Brexit shambles, to say: 'This nonsense has to stop.'

'We have to win the battle in Parliament and that is through cross-party alliances.

'Parliament does not want a no-deal exit. That has been crystal clear. Parliament is going to have its say.

'So this is absolutely a fight we can win and the way to do this is to get the coalition of support for a people's vote.'



A survey of how Britons might vote in a general election shows the main political parties in joint third place  behind the pro-Remain Lib Dems and Nigel Farage's Brexit Party

Furious Nigel Farage today claimed the bombshell poll showing the Lib Dems top underplayed the Brexit Party surge.

Mr Farage fumed that his party was 'hidden' from voters in the shock survey, which put it in second place - although still ahead of the Tories and Labour.

The YouGov findings are the latest evidence of a major political earthquake in the wake of dramatic European elections, and sent Westminister into overdrive.

Sir Vince Cable's unashamedly pro-EU Lib Dems received 24 per cent support  their best showing for years.

The Brexit Party, which came top in the European election, was close behind with 22 per cent.

Ms Swinson's rival for the leadership launched his campaign with a plan to call on the Queen to stop a no-deal Brexit.

Sir Ed said he would propose a 'cross-party humble address to Her Majesty, requiring the Prime Minister to revoke Article 50 if we got to the cliff edge.

'I hope Jeremy Corbyn will join me in that address.'

A humble address is a direct communication from the House of Commons to the Queen, calling on the Government to comply with a request. If approved, humble addresses are considered to be binding on the House.

Sir Ed, the party's home affairs spokesman, said: 'Under my leadership, the Lib Dems will continue to lead the fight to stop Brexit, nothing is more urgent in British politics today.'

The Conservatives and Labour were tied on a dismal 19 per cent.

But Mr Farage dismissed the poll results as skewed against his party - pointing out that it was not listed as an option.
An ex-RAF serviceman has been named as the third British citizen to have died in the Dubai plane crash earlier this month.

Christopher Stone, 59, was today revealed as one of the fatal flight's four victims killed when the Diamond Aircraft DA62 plane on May 16.

The father-of-one's 'devastated' family are 'united in grief' and have paid tribute to a 'lovely person' who was always laughing and smiling.

In a joint statement, they said: 'The family is devastated by what has happened and are struggling to come to terms with the fact that we will never see Chris again.

Christopher Stone, 59, was today revealed as one of the fatal flight's four victims killed when the Diamond Aircraft DA62 plane on May 16

The father-of-one's 'devastated' family are 'united in grief' and have paid tribute to a 'lovely person' who was always laughing and smiling

'United in grief, we send our love to the other families involved and like them, we ask for the chance to mourn in peace.'

The former RAF airman, who leaves behind daughter Iesha, joined the force aged 16 before moving to live in Malaysia.

The news of his death comes weeks after another RAF servicemen was named among the dead.

David Phillips, a former wing commander from Newcastle served as an air traffic control examiner in the Air Force and had more than 3,000 hours of flying experience before he died.

Tributes to Mr Phillips - who was affectionately known as 'Spot' - were paid online, including by the 83 St Georges Squadron Air Training Corps.

A spokesman for the corps wrote: 'It's with heavy heart that we have to inform you of the death of our Commanding Officer Flt Lt David Phillips.'

And William Blackburn, from the Isle of Man, also died along with a South African.

Mr Blackburn's family described him on Tuesday as a 'beautiful soul' who told them a few days ago: 'If I die in flight then at least I'll die doing what I love.'

Full statement from Christopher Stone's family Our family now feel ready to confirm that sadly Christopher Stone was the 4th person aboard the Dubai air crash on May 16. Chris was a lovely person, always laughing and smiling. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. The former RAF airman, who leaves behind daughter Iesha, joined the force aged 16 before moving to live in Malaysia At the age of 16 he joined the Royal Air Force and has since spent all of his time in or around aeroplanes. After leaving the RAF he continued to work in this field. His travelling led him to settle down in Malaysia where he leaves behind his beloved daughter Iesha, of whom he was immensely proud. The family is devastated by what has happened and are struggling to come to terms with the fact that we will never see Chris again. United in grief, we send our love to the other families involved and like them, we ask for the chance to mourn in peace. We miss you so much Chris. God Bless! Advertisement

William Blackburn, 26, from the Isle of Man, was identified as one of three Britons killed when their DA62 plane crashed in Dubai (Mr Blackburn pictured with a DA62 plane)

Mr Blackburn (centre, with his family) was described as 'a beautiful soul who touched many hearts', and who said that dying in a plane would mean 'dying doing what I love'

The crash has been put down to a technical fault on board the plane, but the exact cause is still being investigated

In a statement given to local station Manx Radio, the family said: 'We were blessed with the most beautiful soul and he touched so many hearts.

'We have all our amazing memories now to cherish, and so much support to get us through. The Island's community is just amazing. We have been lucky to have him in our lives.'

He served as an air traffic control examiner in the Air Force and had more than 3,000 hours of flying experience before he died.

David Phillips, a former RAF wing commander, has been identified as one of the three Britons killed in the UAE last week when their plane crashed near Dubai airport

Mr Phillips was an air traffic control examiner, served as a Commanding Officer in the Air Training Corps and had more than 3,000 hours of flying experience

The 83 St George's Squadron ATC paid tribute to Mr Phillips - who was affectionately known as Spot - following his death

The crew, who were employed by Flight Calibration Services, based in Kent, were working to improve the runway at Dubai's airport when tragedy struck.

Initial indications suggest the crash was the result of a technical malfunction, though an investigation is sill underway.

The two-year-old aircraft had been operating out of the Middle East since October.

Dubai's international airport is one of the world's busiest aviation hubs.

The crashed aircraft, a Diamond DA62, pictured, was owned by Flight Calibration Services. The company won a competition to calibrate the navigation aids at Dubai Aiport in November

The aircraft was calibrating navigation equipment at Dubai international airport, pictured

At the time of the crash, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said: 'We are working closely with the Emirati authorities following reports of a small aircraft crash in Dubai.'

US engineering and aerospace company Honeywell said it had hired Flight Calibration Services and the DA42 plane for work in Dubai.

In a statement, Honeywell said: 'We are deeply saddened by today's plane crash in Dubai, and our heartfelt condolences are with the victims' families.'
Genetic tests carried out by medical professionals are revealing that up to one-in-10 people in the UK dont have the father they think, a top health boss has revealed.

Ian Cumming, Chief executive of Health Education England, said that the situation is raising a number of difficult questions for the health services.

The Chairman of the NHS Leadership Board for England also explained that people are not currently told if genetic tests within families highlight a case of paternal discrepancy as it was simply an incidental finding of the procedure.

But, with whole genome sequencing likely to be widely available in the next 10 years, he said it was a 'moral quandry' that needed solving.

Genetic tests are revealing that up to one-in-10 people in the UK have a different father to the one they think they do, a top health boss has revealed

Speaking at Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, he said: The other issue which, this is a true figure out of Manchester University, if you look at people that have had genetic tests within families for reasons other than trying to work out paternity, for one-in-10 people your dad isnt who you think it is.

Now, at the moment this is an incidental finding of genetic tests, we dont tell people because its an uncertain finding.

Are we going to tell people thats not your dad or are we going to keep that information to ourselves within the health service?

I dont think that would be acceptable ethically in this country.

Research released in 2005 looked at paternal discrepancy  when a child is identified as being biologically fathered by someone other than the man who believes he is the father.

Rates varied between studies carried out from 0.8 per cent to 30 per cent.

Ian Cumming, chief executive of Health Education England, said that people are currently not told about the discrepancies. But in the next 10 years this may change

It also found that those who conceive younger, live in deprivation, or are in long term relationships - rather than marriages, or in certain cultural groups - were at a higher risk of having a child with paternal discrepancy.

At the time the study warned that increasing paternity testing and use of DNA techniques in clinical and judicial procedures meant more cases were likely to be identified.

The issue was raised during a discussion about long-term changes the NHS must make to keep up with a changing society.

Professor Cumming said one thing that needed to be considered was the increasing demand for and ability to carry out whole genome sequencing.

While it allows the ability to warn people they have a genetically increased risk of developing certain illness, such as breast cancer, it also raises moral questions about when and whether to tell patients.

He explained: Within the next 10 years we will probably be whole genome sequencing 100 per cent of the population who wish to be sequenced.

That will start giving us all sorts of information about probability of people developing particular conditions, particular diseases.

It will allow us to predict when they may happen. It may in cases allow preventative actions to be taken.

Certainly it will allow individuals to be kept a closer eye on.

But it is not without controversy, if we are able to predict someone has an increased chance of developing breast cancer when do you tell them?

Do you tell their parents when theyre born? Do you tell them when theyre 12, 14, 16, 18?

Do people want to know? Theres a whole host of complexity around the ethics of this.

The NHS may carry out genetic tests to diagnose a condition, establish whether someone is likely to develop one or determine if they carry a genetic mutation.
Commuters in New York were sent into a panic on Friday morning after a firecracker sparked fears that they were under attack.

Passengers on the F train at 23rd Street Station in Manhattan were feared for their lives when someone reportedly lit the explosive and tossed it into the train before escaping in 'maniacal laughter'.

The incident took place in a rear carriage and law enforcement is looking into whether the perpetrator or perpetrators were actually on the train.

But many who heard the crackle and boom around 9.30am had no idea what was going on in the heat of the moment. Some left their belongings - including valuables, bags and even shoes - as some mistakenly believed a gun was involved.

At least one lit firecracker was thrown on the New York Subway F train at 23rd Street Station in Manhattan, New York at 9.30am Friday. A witness said perpetrator fled in 'maniacal laughter'

Video footage from a witness shows cramped carriages attempting to disperse. 'Stop pushing! Were all trying to get off,' one is heard screaming.

Passenger Amelia Vogler wrote on Twitter afterwards that there was 'maniacal laughter from perpetrator' as the explosive was tossed into car 9342 at the back of the train nearby the stairs for access to the busy L train.

'My left ear is messed up now,' she said about the loud incident. 'Nothing makes you contemplate your own mortality on a Summer Friday commute more than an explosive device being thrown mere inches from you in a subway car.'

Others who had no idea what caused the chaos, assumed it was gunfire.

Passengers reported seeing a service dog caught up in the frightening incident.

'Two Subway cars of people just stampeded into the car I was on (F train) as it pulled into 23rd. People terrified, crying, hollering "GUN!", crushing forward towards the doors, panicked. I helped people in front of me get out, tried to protect them from the push from behind,' one man posted on Twitter.

'I got pushed down and stepped on, then pulled up by someone and we helped each other get out. First responders all over the place now, doesn't seem like anyone was hurt except for bumps and bruises. I'm good, rattled, couple scratches...pissed. WALKING to midtown.'

Social media images showed how the packed train reacted to hearing a crackle and boom

One woman was even seen without her shoes after the rush hour commuter fled in a panic

This is the panic in the train pic.twitter.com/b6j7RDwRkT  steven (@iiiM_Steven) May 31, 2019

'I was just walking down into my stop (23rd St uptown FM) and all of a sudden this stampede of people come running out yelling RUN because apparently there was someone on the train with a gun?? Hooray America happy Friday,' one Twitter user wrote.

Authorities believe a group of teenagers were responsible for the horrifying incident.

Captain Tony Fidacaro, Commanding Officer of District 2, said Friday afternoon: 'Unknown individuals set off what appears to be a firework or firecracker.

'This caused numerous people to get out of the train and platform.'

Amid the hysteria a 52-year-old woman was injured and later sent to hospital.

She is in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital.

Amid the hysteria a 52-year-old woman was injured and later sent to hospital in an ambulance

Passengers were taken off the train and out of the Subway station and a 52-year-old woman was injured and taken to hospital where she was in stable condition

Commuters heard a crackle and boom and left their valuables behind to run from the scene

What's believed to be firecracker residue was pictured on the floor of the train by a passenger

The woman was not directly physically harmed by the explosive but she twisted her knee.

It was as 'several people fled upstairs' but the officer was unable to confirm how many passengers were involved simple that it was 'a lot'.

A Twitter user wrote: 'One thing is for sure: New Yorkers dont stand around and wait to figure out whats going on. They M-O-V-E.'

Dave Calhoun wrote: 'People came flooding in from the next carriage screaming and set off a chain reaction of fear. Apparently someone let off a firecracker or something. Shoes, bags, screaming.Seems most people ok. Someone broke an ankle.'

'Any incident that happens at rush hour is always dangerous,' Fidacaro said. He added: 'No other injuries are associated with the incident at this time.'

Whether the alleged firecracker was tossed while the train was at the station near Sixth Street or in between stops was under investigation Friday afternoon.

The suspect or suspects then fled the scene in Chelsea during the busy commuting time

Some passenger thought they heard gunfire on the train as some witnesses posted online

It was later cleared up that it was a firecracker but by then many had panicked and got hurt

Police are also looking into whether it was a single firecracker or if there were multiple thrown.

The disruption was not only scary for New York commuters but caused delays.

Fidacaro said people did not go into another cars on the train but were taken off the Subway and brought upstairs where they left the station.

Following the chaos, northbound F trains were running express from W 4 St-Washington Sq to 34 St-Herald Sq. Some of them were running on the G line from Bergen St to Court Sq then via the E line to Jackson Hts-Roosevelt Av.

Riders were advised to expect delays on B, D, F and M trains. Northbound M trains were ending at Chambers Street.

'This is criminal, dangerous and abhorrent behavior,' NYC Transit President Andy Byford said. 'We are working with the NYPD to ensure whoever did this is brought to justice.'

He added that the perpetrators were 'mindless idiots' and said it was 'stupid, reckless, mindless, moronic behavior.'

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call 911 with any timely information or contact NYPD or FDNY.

Following the chaos the northbound F train was disrupted as were services on the B, D, F

Authorities said on Friday believe a group of teenagers is responsible for the incident
A young woman who escaped from a polygamous and incestuous breakaway Mormon sect has broken her silence to tell how she tipped off the FBI to the group's alleged $511million tax scam.

Mary Nelson, 23, spoke out in a new episode of Whistleblowers set to air on Friday night, describing how she fled the group at age 17 with her 26-year-old secret boyfriend Bryan Nelson, whom she went on to marry.

Growing up in the Kingston Clan, known by members as 'The Order', in Salt Lake County, Utah, Nelson says that her father had 18 wives, and that she had more than 200 siblings.

Mary Nelson, 23, spoke out in a new episode of Whistleblowers set to air on Friday night, describing how she fled the group at age 17 with her secret boyfriend Bryan, now her husband

Nelson says that her father had 18 wives and at least 200 children. The family is seen above

When her family found out about her secret boyfriend Bryan, a fellow student at Salt Lake Community College, Nelson says that her mother disapproved and began watching her like a hawk.

The sect, founded in 1935 by Charles Kingston, developed genetic theories that inbreeding could be used to 'purify' and 'perfect' the Kingston family bloodline.

Nelson, seen as a teen, says she ran away in 2013 when ordered to marry her cousin

In 2013, when she was 17, Nelson said that her family ordered her to marry her own cousin, who was also 17.

'They'd give you instructions. They say, 'Don't ask questions,'' she said in the new episode.

Nelson claimed in a lawsuit she later filed that her mother made her sleep in bed with her to prevent her from sneaking out, and the only bathroom she was allowed to use was one attached to her mother's bedroom and had no door.

In a sworn affidavit responding to the suit, Nelson's mother denied taking such extreme measures to watch her daughter or that there was any plan for the then-teen to wed a cousin. The suit was settled confidentially.

When she was 17, Nelson planned her escape with the help of her then-boyfriend Bryan and his father, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

She tossed her purse out of the window of her mother's home in Taylorsville, and dashed across Millrace Park to a rendezvous point where Bryan and his dad were waiting with a car.

As she hid lying down in the back seat, they drove to a waiting rental car in the parking lot of a grocery store to switch vehicles in case they were being followed.

Couple decide to expose sect's alleged malfeasance

Asked why they decided to turn whistleblowers, Nelson responded: 'We didn't know that that's what we were. We knew that something had to change.'

It was Bryan who hatched the plan to expose alleged malfeasance among the sect.

He said that the more he heard about the way the group operated, the more convinced he became that there was criminality involved.

'It was more like an organized crime family,' said Mary Nelson told Whistleblowers.

Nelson told him of her work as a teen in the group's private 'bank', an office where members deposited paychecks and came to withdraw any money they needed.

Nelson is seen working in the group's private 'bank', an office where members deposited paychecks and came to withdraw any money they needed

She admits now that she was routinely instructed to commit forgery while she was working at the office.

'So, we were given just stacks and stacks of checks, and just signing them, signing them and they would just deposit that and just whatever account they needed,' she said in the new episode.

The largest company affiliated with the group was Washakie Renewable Energy, founded by Mary's first cousins Isaiah and Jacob Kingston.

'So, when Mary was telling me -- this is the biggest company that the Order has, I started to immediately suspect fraud,' Bryan explained.

The couple came forward and told FBI agents what Mary knew.

FBI and IRS launch massive probe into The Order

An investigation was launched, and in 2016 federal agents raided several businesses affiliated with the Kingston clan, including Washakie Renewable.

The FBI and IRS alleged that the businesses were involved in an elaborate money laundering scheme, funneling money to fund the lavish lifestyles of prominent sect members, while others lived in poverty.

Isaiah and Jacob Kingston founded Washakie Renewable Energy, believed to be the sect's largest and most profitable business

Nelson's first cousins Isaiah Kingston (left) and Jacob Kingston (right) have been indicted in what prosecutors allege was a theft of $511 million from the government

Prosecutors say that Washakie Renewable was running an elaborate tax scam, cooking the books to make it look like it was producing mass quantities of renewable biofuel, and claiming a tax credit for each gallon.

The two brothers and three other people have been indicted in what prosecutors allege was a theft of $511 million from the government.

Prosecutors say much of that money was hidden in Turkey, while some was used to buy expensive mansions and cars, including a 2010 Bugatti Veyron, which has a sticker price of $1.7million.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty, and the brothers are expected to go on trial in July in federal court in Salt Lake City.

Until then, the Kingston brothers remain in jail ahead of the trial.

Fears of retaliation ahead of the trail

Nelson is expected to testify at the Kingston brothers' trial, and she and Bryan say they live in fear of retaliation.

The government alleges the brothers hired an enforcer to intimidate and harm potential witnesses, who may very well be Mary and Bryan Nelson.

Court documents reveal text messages from Jacob Kingston mentioning the 'enforcer' he allegedly hired, where he asks about 'bulk discounts' and a '2 for 1' deal, plus other comments that appear to point to the couple.

The couple say they have been harassed and stalked ahead of the trial.

'So, it began with just like cars parked down the street right, just watching us,' Bryan Nelson recalled. 'Then all of a sudden, there was vandalism. Then there was a brick thrown through our window.'

I'm still very, very scared,' said Mary Nelson.

Nelson said that her reason for speaking out 'is to show the people [in The Order] what they're living and who they're following is ... not true'

'My motivation for doing all this,' Mary Nelson told the Tribune, 'is to show the people [in The Order] what they're living and who they're following is ... not true.'

'And you can have a life outside of The Order, and you can have a good life and you can do everything that you ever wanted to without having somebody giving you the OK to having all that control over you,' she said.

In response to a CBS request for comment and an interview, the Kingston group said they 'condemn in the strongest terms fraudulent business practices and stress that this behavior goes completely against our beliefs and principles.'

In addition, they say 'business owners who are members of the [the group] have the autonomy to make their own business decisions.'

The sect has repeatedly said through the years that it encourages all of its members to follow the law.

The episode, 'Polygamy, Power and Profits: The Case Against the Kingstons,' airs Friday, May 31 at 8pm ET on CBS.
Helena Atay has been jailed for 14 years for the manslaughter of Atakan Atay last year

A one-time 'mum of the year' champion who was commended by Simon Cowell has been jailed after stabbing her husband to death in the middle of a row.

Helena Karine Atay, 42, plunged a five-inch kitchen knife into the heart of Atakan Atay, 45, at their home in Birtley, Gateshead, last year.

The mother-of-two stuck the blade just below his tattoo which read 'Sophie My Endless Love' - a reference to their two-year-old daughter who died from cancer in 2010.

Although a four-week trial cleared Helena of murder, she was convicted of manslaughter on the grounds that she did not intend to kill her husband.

Following the 'tragic case', she was today sentenced to 14 years behind bars.

Prior to Sophie's death, Helena campaigned tirelessly to raise 500,000 to pay for pioneering treatment for her sick daughter in the United States.

This fundraising drive won her the local paper's annual Mum Of The Year competition and saw the X-Factor boss pledge 100,000 to her cause.

After the stabbing on October 18, officers attended the scene and spoke to Helena, who initially tried to deflect attention away from herself, saying Atakan had enemies and business partners he had fallen out with - and that she had heard him arguing on the phone.

Helena Karine Atay was given the 'Mum of the Year' award for her campaign to raise money for daughter Sophie to get treatment for neuroblastoma in the US

After Atakan had died, she is told she is going to be arrested on suspicion of murder and replies: 'Oh really, he's not okay.'

Sitting on her bed in handcuffs, talking to a police officer, she goes on to say: 'Look, an argument that got out of hand.'

When asked if that's what happened, she replies: 'I'm not going to tell you. I'm not a f****** killer, that's it, and I've got to live with that now.'

The footage proved to be a crucial piece of evidence in discounting Atay's primary defence - that she was acting in self-defence.

Atay had previously been given the local paper 'Mum of the Year' award after her campaign to raise 500,000 for her toddler daughter Sophie to get treatment in the US for neuroblastoma.

Tragic Sophie lost her fight for life in 2010 when she was just two, before she could start the treatment in America but a family campaign for more research into the disease was taken to Downing Street.

After Atakan had died, Helena is told she is going to be arrested on suspicion of murder and replies: 'Oh really, he's not okay'

Atay said to her dying husband 'there's Sophie', 'we're going to get you an ambulance. I'm really sorry. I love you so much'

The businessman was only able to utter the words 'nine nine nine please' while struggling to breathe during a 17 minute call he made to the emergency services after the attack, which has been played in court, last October.

After he fell silent, his wife, who is known as Karine, could be heard telling him: 'You're lying. I would never do that to you Atakan. I would never hurt you.'

She also said to her dying husband 'there's Sophie', 'we're going to get you an ambulance. I'm really sorry. I love you so much.'

Mr Atay, who had business interests in a hotel and a convenience store named after the couple's late daughter, died after receiving two stab wounds, one of which punctured his heart.

Atay said on the night he was killed, Atakan and she had argued when she tried to leave the house for more drink

Atay said in a statement she had been strangled to the point where she feared she would pass out in an attack by her husband the year before.

She said on the night he was killed, Mr Atay and she had argued when she tried to leave the house for more drink, that he was 'angry' and had kicked her in the leg and hurt her arm.

Atay claimed she was 'terrified' her husband was 'really going to hurt her'.

She told jurors during the trial she stayed in the marriage as she feared her husband may take their children back to his homeland in Turkey and was worried how she would survive.

She told the court: 'I was scared, scared of the children going, scared of how I would survive, I didn't know how I would survive.'

Prosecutor John Elvidge QC claimed Atay 'exaggerated' her husband's past behaviour and that then trouble had started that night because she wanted to go out and get alcohol.

Mr Elvidge said the accused mum could be 'volatile, confrontational, aggressive and threatening' in drink and had been in trouble because of it in the past.

He said her alcohol problems date back to before the tragic death of the couple's young daughter.

Mr Elvidge told jurors: 'The prosecution says that on the night of October 18 2018, as on previous occasions, her craving for alcohol led Karine Atay to seek to leave the matrimonial home.

'There was a confrontation but not a grave one until she chose to pick up a knife and use it against her unarmed husband, deliberately and unlawfully stabbing him more than once, delivering a fatal wound that penetrated into his heart and caused his death.'

Atay was cleared of murdering Atakan and convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of lack of intent.

Jurors heard she stabbed him in the heart with a kitchen knife up to the hilt.

Detective Chief Inspector Sharon Chatterton said: 'Karine attempted to paint a picture of Atakan as a controlling and violent husband but we believe this has been greatly exaggerated to excuse her behaviour and avoid a conviction.'

Ms Chatteron said: 'We have worked closely with the family since Atakan's death and we have witnessed first-hand the devastation it has caused for everyone.

'It is a tragic case that has left two young children without a father and with a mother who will now spend time in prison.

'Atakan was described to us as a kind and loyal man who, along with his family, experienced some very difficult times.

'This included his daughter losing her fight to cancer in 2010, his father passing away and Atakan himself suffering from some serious health matters.

'I cannot even begin to imagine how difficult the loss of Sophie would have been for the family but it is clear that Karine and Atakan struggled in the years after Sophie's death.'

She said: 'The sentence handed down by a judge today won't bring Atakan back to his family but I hope it can bring them some closure and help them to move on with the rest of their lives.'
A man in Argentina was rescued from an armed robbery when his two pet dogs raced out of his SUV and charged at the suspects.

The victim, whose name was not reported, was cleaning his SUV Wednesday afternoon in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Quilmes when the two armed men ambushed him.

CCTV camera from the homeowner's residence showed both the suspects calmly walking on the sidewalk before they split up.

One of the men continued to stroll along the sidewalk while the other one paced through the middle of the quiet street before he suddenly attacked the victim.

A homeowner (right) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, survived a robbery attempt Wednesday

One of the two armed suspects rushed at the dog owner and aimed a gun at his head. Both are pictured to the right

The man is seen on the video rushing the dog owner from behind and placing him in a choke hold before pointing a gun at his head.

In the midst of the commotion, two boxer terriers rushed out from the vehicle to aid their best friend.

Video footage showed the heroic pooches running after the surprised gunmen down the street.

The footage shows one of the fleeing suspects firing his weapon at the dogs.

Fortunately, neither canine was wounded.

No arrests have been made.
A young man died after being hit by a car while riding an electric scooter just after they were launched in the Swedish city of Helsingborg.

According to Swedish police the 27-year old man was riding a rented scooter in the city centre late Thursday when he was hit by a passing car.

Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, he succumbed to his injuries early the next day, police reported.

A young man died after being hit by a car while riding an electric scooter just after they were launched in the Swedish city of Helsingborg. Stock picture

The scooter rental operator VOI, which had only begun renting scooters in the southern Swedish city on Wednesday, confirmed that one had been involved in the accident.

'We are fully cooperating with police in the ongoing investigation,' the company said in a statement.

Like elsewhere around the world, electric scooters have quickly become popular in Swedish cities.

They have also stirred controversy - seen both as a traffic hazard and nuisance when users leave them carelessly on pavements.

According to The Local , the A&E department at Malmo University Hospital has noted a regular stream of patients coming in with injuries from electric vehicles. Stock picture

City officials have struggled with how to handle the trendy mode of transportation that depending on its top speed could be considered either a bicycle or a moped in Sweden.

The Swedish Transport Agency is now calling for a ban on electric scooters.

According to The Local, the A&E department at Malmo University Hospital has noted a regular stream of patients coming in with injuries from electric vehicles.

Hans Cassepierre, an expert at Sweden's Transport Agency, told Swedish news agency TT that the dangers of the electric scooters have been apparent for some time.

'Unfortunately we've been waiting for a serious accident, and it is of course especially tragic when someone dies,' Cassepierre told TT.

He also warned that the electric vehicles often travel faster than their advertised maximum speed.
A pair of Japanese schoolgirls chased down a suspected groper on a station platform and were helped by a man who tripped him up.

Video taken from the platform of Akabane Station in Tokyo shows the man dodging commuters as he makes a desperate attempt to flee the chasing girls.

A girl can be heard shouting 'don't run away' as he weaves between onlookers on the busy platform.

A Japanese businessman runs through Akabane Station in Tokyo being chased by two schoolgirls accusing him of groping

A man in a suit, seeing the chase, then decides to stick out a leg and trip the fleeing businessman near the top of a staircase.

His fall to the floor allows the girls to catch up with the man and confront him when he was later detained by an attendant.

When police arrived, one of the girls who had chased him reported that the man had groped her breasts while they were on the train, according to Sora News 24.

A girl can be heard shouting 'don't run away' as he weaves between onlookers on the busy platform

A man in a grey suit, seeing the chase, then decides to stick out a leg and trip the fleeing businessman near the top of a staircase

Tokyo Metropolitan Police said the businessman in his 30s was charged with indecent assault against a minor.

The phenomenon of 'chikan', sexual harassment in Japan, is a big problem in the country and often occurs on trains.

The victims are often schoolgirls, so much so that one recently wrote a book about her experience of chikan which began at the age of 12.

A 2001 survey found two thirds of female high school students in Tokyo had been groped on trains.

The alleged chikan falls to the floor, allowing the two young schoolgirls to catch up with him and report him to an attendant
Sir Philip Green is charged with four counts of assault relating to a US pilates instructor's allegations

Sir Philip Green has been charged with four counts of misdemeanour assault in the US after a pilates instructor alleged the Arcadia mogul touched her inappropriately.

Pima County Attorney's Office, Arizona, revealed that the fashion mogul faces allegations that could see him jailed or fined.

He stands accused of repeatedly assaulting 37-year-old Katie Surridge, who says Sir Philip spanked and grabbed her backside during classes in the Canyon Ranch luxury resort in Tucson in 2016 and 2018.

The mother-of-three said in a police interview that the 'creepy old man' had 'vigorously' slapped her bottom up to 10 times in January 2016, later adding that he had made her feel 'almost like a prostitute'.

Sir Philip has strenuously denied the allegations, as his lawyers said that 'there is no allegation of any sexual assault or misconduct made by the prosecution.'

It comes after Lord Hain said in the House of Lords that Sir Philip has had hundreds of grievance claims lodged against him, including grabbing breasts and slapping bottoms.

Ms Surridge has said she was worried about frustrating a 'high roller' at the resort but decided to speak to management, who said they spoke to Sir Philip and reassured her it would not happen again.

But she told police that Sir Philip came back for another class in January 2018.

The pilates instructor (pictured) has alleged that the Arcadia fashion mogul touched her inappropriately

'This time, instead of slapping my butt, he puts his hands, like, he wraps his hands around my waist and then grabs my butt cheek and just puts his hand there and just holds it there as he's hugging me,' she said.

He went on to make uncomfortable comments and pat her exposed stomach as she demonstrated an exercise, she alleged.

'And then the session ended and I immediately went upstairs to (management's) office and I was in tears and I said, 'He was told never to touch me again and here he is touching me again',' she told police.

A court date has been set for June 19 when Green will enter a plea. But the 67-year-old will not be expected to attend the hearing and the charges will be dealt with by his American lawyer.

It is understood Green has no plans to defend himself in person, but would travel to the US if required.

The charges are not serious enough for Green to be extradited to the US from his Monaco mansion. Last night Green vehemently denied the allegations.

Responding to the claims last night, Green's lawyer Ian Burton, a senior partner at top London firm BCL, said he was 'surprised and disappointed these charges have been made'. He added: 'Sir Philip strenuously denies the allegations.'

In the US crimes are a misdemeanour or a felony. Most serious crimes such as murder are felonies, which carry a longer jail term. More everyday matters like theft are misdemeanours. Some crimes can be either  such as assault

One witness corroborated Ms Surridge's (pictured) allegation and said he grabbed her bottom as if 'testing a piece of fruit'

Pictured: The ranch at which Sr Philip is alleged to have assaulted the mother-of-three repeatedly

Ms Surridge (pictured) claimed Sir Philip had made her feel 'almost like a prostitute' by repeatedly 'spanking' her and making lewd comments

A homeowner at the resort, described by police as an independent witness, gave an account to the detective of what she claims to have seen in 2016. Kimberly Khoury said Sir Philip grabbed her with his 'octopus-like hand'.

'I see his hand go reach out and, like, pat her buttocks,' Ms Khoury told the officer. 'And then pat it again and like, grab her buttocks. And then she kind of moved, like, startled a little bit. And took like a step away. And then he removed his hand and brought it back.

'I can't tell you what we talked about because I was so focused on what was happening with his ... uh, his octopus-like hand.'

They continued talking before he grabbed Ms Surridge's bottom again, Ms Khoury alleged.

She continued: 'And like, slaps, you know, spanks it, whatever, so like, taps it. And then grabs again and this happened in the course of like a minute-and-a-half, or two minutes.

'He did that three or four times. It was pretty clear that, to me, that she wasn't welcoming the behaviour.'

Sir Philip (pictured with his wife, Lady Green, and his daughter, Chloe, at the 70th Cannes Film Festival) has previously denied the allegations

Ms Khoury, who was 54 at the time of the police interview in February, said she found it 'disturbing' and spoke to senior management at the ranch.

Before the charging decision had been revealed, Sir Philip declined to comment on the statements made to police.

He said: 'I haven't seen any papers, so I don't know what papers you're talking about, or when they came, or what you've got. So, as far as I'm concerned, I've got no comment to make.'

How Mail broke the news to Philip Green BY RUTH SUNDERLAND Ive had a lot of tricky chats with Sir Philip Green over the years but none more awkward than last night when I found myself telling him that criminal charges had been filed against him in the US for smacking the bottom of a pilates instructor. Sounding shell-shocked and hesitant, unlike his usual ebullient self, the tycoon told me he was not aware that criminal charges had been made. So, I asked him, am I the first person to tell you that you have been charged? He replied that he wasnt aware that he had been  and then, with an uncharacteristic refusal to talk, or even to indulge in his usual salty language  he referred me to his lawyer. The voluble tycoon, who normally assaults the ears of his listeners with torrents of words, had clammed up. He did, however, splutter indignantly when I asked him whether he had actually committed the assaults. Through his lawyers, he strenuously denies it. What a contrast with a day earlier, when I had been discussing with him his plans to try to rescue his Arcadia store chains from going under. Sir Philips manner then was sensible and business-like  no doubt he is desperate to avoid a repeat of the bad publicity when his former BHS empire went bust. My call could not have come at a worse time for Sir Philip. He knows if he is to save Arcadia he needs to win the agreement of the Pensions Regulator, his landlords and other creditors for his proposals by Wednesday. Now his efforts to stop Topshop and his other brands going to the wall have been overshadowed by yet more allegations of his conduct towards women. No wonder he sounded rattled. Advertisement

Sir Philip, 67, has previously denied the allegations investigated by the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

A spokesman for Sir Philip, issued by Arcadia, said: 'Sir Philip strenuously denies these allegations and is disappointed that the charges have been filed in his absence and they are minor categories of misdemeanour in the United States.

'Sir Philip is not personally required to attend before the court at the forthcoming hearing and will be represented by his lawyer.

'Contrary to previous suggestions in the media there is no allegation of any sexual assault or misconduct made by the prosecution.'

Deputy county attorney Lauren Deakin said this evening: 'Philip Green has been formally charged with four misdemeanour assault counts (ARS 13-1203 (A) (3) knowingly touching another person with the intent to injure, insult, or provoke).

'These are class three misdemeanours. Each count has a potential sentence of up to 30 days in the Pima County jail, a fine of not more than 500 dollars, and up to one year of probation.'

Topshop boss Sir Philip Green allegedly grabbed women's breasts and thighs, slapped their bottoms and had hundreds of grievance cases against him, a peer claimed in the House of Lords on May 23.

Sir Philip previously 'categorically and wholly' denied the claims. Lord Hain said he was revealing the account of a victim for the first time as he defended the use of parliamentary privilege.

The peer quoted an alleged victim, saying: 'He was touching and repeatedly slapping women staff's bottoms, grabbing thighs and touching legs.

'Hundreds of grievance cases were raised with HR. The company lawyer who interviewed me then lied. Sir Philip screamed and shouted at staff ''to go to psychologists''.

'Victims went to an employment tribunal but were told it would not get anywhere so settled with an NDA (non-disclosure agreement).

'Some were worn down with spiralling legal costs costing them a fortune. He broke some in the end. It was horrible ... He is still doing exactly the same thing. It is rife, it happened all the time. I saw him grab the breasts of others. This has gone on for long time.'

Sir Philip (pictured on a yacht in Monaco during the Grand Prix) stands accused of repeatedly assaulting the pilates teacher

'He repeatedly spanked me and fondled my bottom. I felt like a prostitute'

The fitness instructor at the centre of the allegations said Sir Philip Green made her feel 'almost like a prostitute'.

Katie Surridge, 37, said she was working at a luxury spa resort in Arizona where the fashion mogul owns a home when he repeatedly touched her bottom and made sexual comments, despite being warned to stop.

Mrs Surridge, a married mother, waived her right to anonymity in February to reveal details of the two incidents to a newspaper after it emerged police in the US were investigating.

Katie Surridge, 37, said she was working at a luxury spa resort in Arizona when Philip Green allegedly spanked her

At the time, Green's spokesman strongly denied the claims and added that the matter had been investigated by the ranch but 'nothing was found against Sir Philip and the matter dropped'.

Last night his lawyers again denied the claims, saying: 'They are charges of simple assault. There is no suggestion they are sexual in nature.' Mrs Surridge told how Green repeatedly 'spanked' her.

When she complained, he is said to have told her: 'You Americans are so uptight.'

'I felt very taken advantage of and like, you know, just a piece of meat there at his disposal,' she told The Daily Telegraph.

'It feels completely sexual in nature. And the way  the noises, and the 'oh, you naughty girl'. Like  ughh  I can hear him saying it right now.'

Mrs Surridge had worked at the ranch, where rooms cost $1,000 (765) a night, since 2006. Her husband of ten years also worked there at the time.

She said the first incident happened on January 5, 2016, when Green entered her studio after a pilates class. She said he slapped her bottom 'up to ten times' before demanding a private pilates session. He is also said to have told her: 'I need you to stretch me.'

Ms Surridge (pictured) claimed Sir Philip had made her feel 'almost like a prostitute' by his actions

She said he asked her to demonstrate exercises on the equipment, before touching her inappropriately on his way out of the room. 'I felt disgusted and I felt ashamed,' she said, adding that Green made her feel 'almost like a prostitute'.

'I'd never had someone do that to me. Never. I mean, not even in like a bar setting, people aren't smacking my butt.

'And here I am at work, just trying to teach pilates, and my butt's being spanked. If he was just somebody on the street, you know, who was trying to grab me, I would have punched him.'

Another guest who witnessed part of the incident complained to management. She said she saw Green 'fondling' Mrs Surridge's bottom repeatedly.

'I could see his hand touching her buttocks,' she said. 'He didn't just do it once, it wasn't just like a pat on the butt  which would be bad enough  he would pat her butt and then feel her butt and then he'd move his hand away, and Katie would try to move a little, and then he did it again, and then he did it again. It was bizarre really.'

It is understood Green was spoken to. Mrs Surridge said he appeared 'uncomfortable' when she saw him the next day and allegedly told her: 'I've been taken to the principal's office.'

She said the second incident happened on the afternoon of January 9 last year, when Green returned to her studio. She had not seen him since the first alleged incident. Recalling the day, she said: 'He came in and gave me the greeting, kind of kissed each cheek, and then he slid his arms around my waist, kind of slow.

'Then he put his hands on my butt cheek and just held it there, a just awkwardly long amount of time, and had his hand on my butt, just resting there.

'And then I tried to pull away and then he like grabbed me and pulled me back in.'

Mrs Surridge claimed that as she began to show Green how to use the complicated pilates equipment, he began to make sexual comments and touched her bare midriff.

She said the need for resort staff to keep VIP guests happy meant she felt she had no choice but to put on a brave face.

'You keep the peace,' she said. 'And so it was me trying to act as appropriately as I could, and as professionally as I could, given what I was dealing with.'

She said that when she was on her stomach demonstrating another exercise 'he came up behind me, grabbed my hips and was like, 'Oh, keep going'.'

She added: 'When I was putting his feet in the straps he commented, 'Oh, you always like to tie men up, you've always been like that, you naughty girl'.' Mrs Surridge said she tried to tell him to 'behave,' telling him 'eyes on your own paper' but he ignored her.

After the 45-minute session, she said she ran to her manager's office. 'I've only cried a couple of times at work. This was one of the times that I was full on, like a baby, just crying, like, how could this happen to me again?'

She told her bosses she would never again work with Green but said the next day a female client was in her studio, bending over while touching her toes and he said: 'Oh, you put her in this position just for me, didn't you?'

Mrs Surridge made another formal complaint and an investigation was launched.

Green was visited at his home and told not to enter the resort buildings until the investigation was complete, it was reported. But she was told that legally he could not be barred from the resort because he owned a home there.

He then texted her trying to arrange a phone call, but she ignored him, she said.

Mrs Surridge said her experiences led to some of the female staff warning each other to keep away from Green on his annual visits. 'Everyone's kind of like, brace for impact and cover your behind because you know, he's coming,' she said.

Lawyers for Green said last night: 'We are surprised and disappointed these charges have been made. They are charges of simple assault. There is no suggestion they are sexual in nature as has previously been suggested by the media.

'Sir Philip strenuously denies the allegations.'
A Kentucky man facing the death penalty for murdering his five children claimed he heard a 'creepy, demonic, gremlin voice' telling him to kill them.

Court-appointed psychiatrist Dr Richard Frierson took the stand on Thursday in the trial of Timothy Jones Jr in South Carolina.

Jones allegedly murdered his sons Nahtahn, Elias and Gabriel, and daughters Merah and Abigail on August 28, August 2014 and then drove for days with their bodies in his SUV.

Dr Frierson claimed that Jones found his son Nahtahn, 6, dead in bed and then went to a convenience store to buy cigarettes, Greenville News reported.

Earlier that night, an angry Jones had punished Nahtahn by making him do physical exercises to the point that the child died, he told police.

On the way back from the store, he heard the demonic voice of a a 'creepy, gremlin' telling him to kill his other four children, claiming it was better that they die rather than be left with their mother if he went to prison for killing Nahtahn.

Timothy Jones Jr (pictured left in court last Wednesday) allegedly murdered his sons Nahtahn, Elias and Gabriel, and daughters Merah and Abigail in 2014

Court-appointed psychiatrist Dr Richard Frierson claimed a father on trial for murdering his five children heard a 'gremlin voice' that told him to do it, and was taking a cannabiniod called Spice which could have contributed to to Frierson's erratic behavior

He then returned to his mobile home in the Red Bank community in Lexington Countyand and strangled Merah, 8; Elias, 7; Gabriel, 2; and Abigail Elaine, 1, according to Jones confession to police.

'He heard a demonic voice, a creepy, gremlin voice that told him, "Kill the kids." He described the voices as being inside his head, being very brief.'

Jones said he believed if he went to prison for killing Nahtahn, the four remaining children would be left alone because their mother 'did not want them' and it was better that they die.

'I knew I had schizophrenia. I was psychotic,' Jones later told Frierson during a mental health evaluation.

'I thought it was better for me to take their lives. I cut off their windpipes, kissed them and took their lives . . . Im not a murderer. Id rather know where theyre at,' he claimed.

He has pleaded not guilty to their murders by reason of insanity. Friersons findings were at odds with the defenses earlier contention that Jones was delusional and schizophrenic.

They argued he 'didnt 'know right from wrong' at the time of killings and had no control over his actions.

Frierson added: 'He made a decision in a conscious choice to kill them. He felt, in his way, morally justified which is different from not knowing its morally wrong to do so.'

Jones punished his son Nahtahn, 6, (pictured), by making him do physical exercises until he died and then wen to a grocery store to buy cigarettes, he allegedly told police

Jones then allegedly used a belt to strangle his one-year-old daughter Abigail (left) and two-year-old Gabriel (right)

Eight-year-old Merah (left) watched her father kill her seven-year-old brother Elias (right) and was then strangled herself

Trial Judge Eugene 'Bubba' Griffith appointed Frierson as an independent examiner to evaluate Joness mental condition.

Joness mental state will be vital for the jury to consider when deciding a verdict, according to Greenville News.

Jones, 37, a former software and computer engineer at Intel, 'clearly knew moral and legal right from moral and legal wrong' when he killed his five children, Frierson claimed.

He did not diagnose Jones as being schizophrenic. However he claimed Jones had been using substantial amounts of a potentially mind-altering drug popularly known as Spice, or cannabiniod, a synthetic form of marijuana, on the night he killed his children.

In the same month that the children were killed, the Department of Social Services received a call that Jones (pictured during his trial) was only feeding his five children a 20-piece McNugget meal that he made them split for dinner

In the month before the killings, he spent $230 on Spice, according to Joness credit card receipts.

He said: 'He used incredible amounts of Spice. He says up to five times a day. At work, he would go outside on breaks to use Spice.'

Frierson said that he diagnosed Jones with a 'substance-induced psychotic disorder from Spice.'

'I think Spice contributed incredibly to what happened,' Frierson testified, explaining that Joness use of the drug gave made him have paranoid thoughts. 'He was paranoid, yes.'

But, Frierson testified, 'voluntary use of drugs is not a defense' in a criminal case.

Timothy Jones Sr told the court earlier this week that he believed his son was in the equivalent of a 'cult' and wasn't 'worthy' to have children

Timothy Jones Sr said he believed his son became deeply religious. He recalled that he once walked in on his son spanking his daughter before he started preaching to her

Prosecutors said Jones loaded the children's bodies into his SUV, drove around the Southeast and searched the internet about hiding bodies in landfills and countries that had on extradition agreements with the U.S.

Jones eventually abandoned the bodies, each in its own garbage bag, in a vast Alabama forest about a week after the killings. Shortly afterwards, he was arrested during a routine traffic safety check in Mississippi.

The trial heard that Jones was making almost $70,000 a year when he moved to Lexington County and began working at Intel.

He subsequently moved his family to a run-down mobile home out in Lexington as he wanted them to experience country life.

Joy Lorick, a former babysitter for the family who went on trips with them to Disney World and Myrtle Beach, said she saw Jones spank his kids on the trip

Chrystal Ballentine testified she started babysitting for Jones just after turning 17 and quickly became his live-in girlfriend. She claimed she could hear him beat his children through the walls of their home

He hoped to be able raise goats, chickens and other farm animals and 'wanted space', Frierson testified.

The previous day the trial heard from Timothy Jones Sr who claimed that his son changed after he served a year in prison for cocaine possession, burglary, and car theft.

Shortly after his release in 2003, Jones joined a Pentecostal church in Chicago.

Timothy Jones Sr said he believed his son was in the equivalent of a 'cult' as he became deeply religious.

Timothy Jones Sr also revealed he begged his son not to marry the children's mother, Amber Kyzer, saying he didn't think Jones was in the right place to get married. He also didn't believe Kyzer or Jones were 'worthy' to raise children.

Jones Jr became emotional during his trial last Wednesday and wiped tears from his eyes

Jones' father said his son's religious beliefs caused ongoing issues with the children.

Timothy Jones Sr said he had always feared his son would turn out like his mother, who is now in a mental institution.

'It came true,' Timothy Jones Sr said, adding that when he sat in on an interview with investigators following Jones' arrest that 'it wasn't my son'.

Also taking the stand was Joy Lorick, a former babysitter for the family who went on trips with them to Disney World and Myrtle Beach.

Lorick said she witnessed Jones spanking Nahntahn, six, and Gabriel, two, with a belt on the Disney trip, which occurred just a few weeks before they and their siblings were murdered.

Thornsberry said her former daughter-in-law, Cynthia (pictured far left) was 'as nutty as a fruitcake, or a bed bug'

After killing the children at their home (pictured), authorities said Jones wrapped their bodies in plastic and put them in his SUV, driving aimlessly around the Southeast US for most of nine days

Jones eventually left the children's bodies on a hilltop (pictured) in Camden, Alabama

She said the children also begged her not to tell Jones when she fed them because then he would not feed them, according to WACH.

Lorick couldn't hold back tears as she revealed how she would still feed the children oatmeal and later asked her friend Christina Ehlke, who also worked as a babysitter for the family, to make sure to feed the siblings.

In the same month that the children were killed, the Department of Social Services received a call that Jones was only feeding his five children a 20-piece McNugget meal that he made them split for dinner.

Lorick said that Jones believed that 'women should be seen and not heard'.

She recalled the day Jones became furious when he found someone had painted eight-year-old Mera's fingernails because he said women were supposed to wear long skirts and not have flashy accessories.

Lorick said Jones also made Gabriel eat alone when he wouldn't close his mouth to chew.

Jones, pictured in police custody in September 2014, was arrested after driving for days with his children's bodies in his SUV

Chrystal Ballentine testified she started babysitting for Jones just after turning 17 and quickly became his live-in girlfriend.

She said he became 'over-angry' about small things and didn't try to calm himself before disciplining the children and claimed she could hear him beat his children through the walls of their home.

Ballentine said her relationship with Jones started to sour when he started controlling what she wore.

She said the last straw was when Jones looked like he was going to spank her daughter, who was not yet a year old, when she knocked over a drink while grabbing a table to try to walk.

Lorick had called the Department of Social Services in August 2014 after she saw that Eli had a black eye.

The babysitter told the court she was not aware that DSS had put a safety plan in place that forbade Jones from using corporal punishment on his children.

DSS Supervisor Sherry Henry said she made two separate safety plans with Jones in May and August of 2014.

Jones was reported in May after a teacher at the children's school reported that Nahtahn had come to class with bruising on his neck and arm.

The father told Jones that Nahtahn had 'destroyed' a train set that he and Elias had worked on so he 'spanked' him.

The prosecution rested its case last Wednesday after calling more than 30 witnesses, including Kyzer, who broke down in tears on the stand and exclaimed 'Oh God, my babies.'

She said he claimed his estranged wife was unfaithful to him, that she was doing a poor job homeschooling their children, and that she did not wish to participate in marriage counselling.
A multi-national operation discovered a unfinished cross-border tunnel under a parking lot in Nogales.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP] said Friday that its agents and the Mexican Federal Police uncovered the underground passage way that was linked to a storm drain that runs into the United States from Mexico.

The tunnel's discovery comes a day after President Donald Trump announced he would impose tariffs on all Mexican imports, beginning at five percent starting on June 10 and rising to as high as 25 percent in coming months until Mexico substantially reduces the flow of illegal immigration.

A Mexican Federal Police agents looks on as his partner examines an incomplete tunnel allegedly built by smugglers looking to ship drugs and ferry migrants to the United States

A Mexican law enforcement agent searches through an incomplete, secret cross-border tunnel that stretched five feet into Mexico

Law enforcement agents from the neighboring nations came across the dirt filled shaft while conducting a tunnel sweep Wednesday.

According to CBP press release, the entrance to the tunnel was located several meters under street level inside a drain.

The tunnel was intended to serve as clandestine corridor transnational criminal organizations involved with the illegal shipment of drugs.

Historically it's been its only purpose but smugglers that resorted to using the tunnels as a method of ferrying undocumented migrants across the border.

A joint operation between agents from the U.S. and Mexico discovered a tunnel that ran 75 yards west of the Port of Nogales, DeConcini Crossing, and extended 12 feet into the U.S. and five feet into Mexico

The tunnel ran 75 yards west of the Port of Nogales, DeConcini Crossing, and extended 12 feet into the U.S. and five feet into Mexico.

U.S. Border Patrol and the Mexican Federal Police also seized digging and cutting tools but no immediate arrest were made.

A CBP official told DailyMail that there have been 213 cross-border tunnels built discovered since May 1990.

Agents discovered digging and cutting tools but no arrests have been made

Of the 213 tunnels, 121 have been found in the Tucson Sector.

There have been 113 tunnels unearthed in Nogales, which has always been a favorite smuggling transit path due to its close proximity to Mexico.

'The [cartel have] resorted to extreme measures in their attempt to smuggle their narcotics into the United States such as tunneling and flying narcotics on ultralight aircraft,' the CBP official said.

'In years past we have seen migrants utilizing tunnels however in almost every case that was after US Border Patrol had discovered the tunnel and was waiting to remediate it.'
California wildlife authorities say DNA tests confirm that a mountain lion killed in a San Diego County nature preserve this week is the animal that injured a four-year-old boy hours earlier.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday a mountain lion genetic profile obtained from samples collected from the boy is identical to the profile of the lion killed by officers.

The DNA was extracted from material found on clothing and bandages from the boy and from scrapings from the mountain lion's claws.

A closed sign is posted at a trailhead to the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve after an animal attack in San Diego, California

Lt. Scott Bringman of the Department of Fish and Wildlife says DNA tests confirm that a mountain lion killed in a San Diego County nature preserve this week was the one that hurt a boy

The victim was in a group of 11 adults and children on Monday, in Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve, a 3,700-acre strip of nature meandering through neighborhoods about 20 miles north of downtown San Diego, when he was attacked.

The boy was in the middle of the group, which scattered at the time of the attack, Bringman said.

The boy was hospitalized and treated for head injuries that were not life-threatening, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Lt. Scott Bringman said at a press conference.

Despite a trail closed sign, a woman starts her jog at a trailhead at Los Penasquitos Canyon

'The father, should be commended, he threw rocks and the animal left the scene,' Bringman said.

San Diego Fire-Rescue reported the attack to Fish and Wildlife, whose officers found mountain lion tracks.

'While they were at the scene, the mountain lion came to the location about 7 o'clock at night,' Bringman said. 'The animal did not appear to be scared of the wardens, which is an indication the animal is habituated, so at that point in time, the animal was euthanized.'

The mountain lion, described as an 80-pound adult female, was then tested for DNA from the victim while the boy's clothing and bandages was tested for DNA from the lion.

Bringman said it's been more than 20 years since a mountain lion attacked a person in San Diego County.

'It's extremely rare,' he said, noting that the animals are present but rarely seen.

The boy was extremely lucky because an 80-pound lion can do major damage, Bringman said.

The four-year-old boy suffered head injuries in the San Diego County nature preserve

'Luckily the dad was there and fended off the animal,' he said.

Children have previously been attacked by Southern California mountain lions. Two well-known incidents occurred in 1986 at Ronald W. Caspers Regional Park in Orange County.

A five-year-old girl, Laura Small, was mauled that March and a six-year-old boy, Justin Mellon, was grabbed by a lion the following October.

He was rescued by his father, who used a hunting knife to drive the animal away.

Urban sprawl has increasingly encroached in areas where Southern California mountain lions live. Still, they are rarely seen by people.

The lions move constantly and each has a large home range. With some regularity, they are killed by traffic as they try to cross freeways.

They also face such threats as rodent poisons and inbreeding due to being hemmed in by development.

California wildlife authorities say a mountain lion genetic profile obtained from samples collected from the boy is identical to the profile of the lion killed (file photo)
Maleah Davis' stepfather has confessed to killing her and dumping her body on the side of a road in Arkansas, hundreds of miles from her Texas home where a black bag that was giving off a 'foul odor' was found this morning.

Derion Vence made his confession to Quanell X, a community activist who was representing Maleah's mother, on Friday. He is now being flown to the spot in Arkansas where he says he dumped her.

Before he arrived, authorities in Hope, Arkansas, found a black garbage bag which they say is giving off a foul odor.

It is unclear if they found it as a result of his confession or if it the discovery prompted Vence's confession.

Police will not confirm if it contains Maleah's remains.

Derion Vence made his confession on Friday. He claimed to have killed his young stepdaughter 'by accident' and dumped her body hundreds of miles from their home

Vence is seen leaving the family's apartment with a blue laundry basket carrying a large black trash bag on May 3. It is the day he claimed they were all kidnapped

Vence is taking police 300 miles from Houston to Hope in Arkansas where he says he dumped her body

The Houston Police Department, which has not commented on the case for more than a week, would not confirm that he had made the confession when contacted by DailyMail.com.

A police department in Arkansas confirmed that Vence was on his way with them on Friday.

'What happened to Maleah was an accident,' Quanell X told The Houston Chronicle. 'He says it was an accident. And he confessed to me where he dumped her body.

'He was very specific with the amount of distance and time.

'When I was able to leave and look it up on my phone, he was to the point on the distance and time.

'He said that he pulled over in Arkansas, got out of the car, walked to the side of the road, and dumped the body off the road.'

He said he had met with the director of Equusearch, which works with the police in missing persons cases, to find her.

'I think it's true enough that I have an airplane lined up at 3 p.m. to fly a detective, and several officers to go up there and go ahead and start the search.'

The director did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries on Friday.

The confession comes nearly a month after Vence reported Maleah missing on May 4.

He stumbled into a hospital with his one-year-old son claiming all three of them had been kidnapped by Hispanic assailants the day before while driving to the airport to pick up Maleah's mother, Brittany Bowens.

Maleah Davis' mother Brittany Bowens' former spokesman, Quannell X, (shown with her) says Vence made the confession to him on Friday. Police have not yet confirmed it

In what is believed to be the final image of Maleah alive, the four-year-old is shown entering the apartment in a pink tutu

Maleah Davis is shown walking into stepfather Derion Vence's home in Houston but was not seen again

Vence and his one-year-old are shown on May 3, the day he said all three of them were kidnapped, but there is no sign of Maleah

Another surveillance photo shows Vence entering the hospital with his one-year-old son the day on May 4, after he said they were all taken captive

Vence's far-fetched version of events claimed the kidnappers let him and his son go but kept Maleah.

Police quickly poked holes in it, saying he was not telling the truth, but they had been unable to produce any leads since.

Surveillance footage also emerged of Maleah entering his home on April 30 but she was never seen again.

Vence was seen leaving the family's apartment with a blue laundry basket carrying a large black trash bag on May 3.

Police then found blood in his car.

Quanell had been representing Bowens - who maintains she had nothing to do with her daughter's disappearance - but he distanced himself from her earlier in the week, claiming she too had changed her story.

The silver Nissan Vence was driving when the alleged attack took place was found on Thursday at a shopping center in Missouri City, Texas, off Highway 6

Bowens says she was out of state when Maleah vanished. Rather than call 911 when her ex failed to turn up for her, she waited for someone else to collect her.

She then claimed that he had done 'something' with her daughter in revenge against her for dumping him and calling him homosexual.

Quanell has since claimed to have found his own evidence that Vence was molesting Maleah.

He insists that Bowens did not know.

Maleah was taken out of her mother's care last year amid claims of domestic abuse.

She required surgery on a brain injury that her mother says she got by falling over.
Advertisement

Islam's holiest city is abuzz with pilgrims in the final days of the fasting month of Ramadan, despite tight security for high-profile gatherings of Muslim and Arab dignitaries.

Stunning aerial photos show the throng of worshippers who have made the journey to Mecca for the religious celebration.

Mecca sees an influx in the last 10 days of Ramadan, which is considered to be the holiest month in the Muslim calendar.

Pilgrims from all over the world spend the days praying in the Grand Mosque as well as other places of worship in the holy city, entry to which is forbidden for non-Muslims.

Worshippers gathered around the Kaaba, a building at the centre of Islam's most important mosque.

It is the site to which all Muslims around the world face when they pray, laying down white mats and kneeling before Allah.

Thousands of Muslim worshippers have gathered in the holy city of Mecca as the fasting month of Ramadan comes to an end

The worshippers lay down white prayer mats and prostrated themselves in front of the Kaaba, which all Muslims pray towards all around the world

The Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca is a site of pilgrimage for millions of Muslim, particularly during Ramadan, one of the holiest months in the calendar

Pilgrims from all over the world spend the days praying around the Kaaba as well as other places of worship in the holy city, entry to which is forbidden for non-Muslims

At a palace overlooking the Grand Mosque, Saudi Arabia's King Salman hosted back-to-back emergency summits of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Arab League in the early hours today

Many Muslims spend the last ten days of Ramadan praying. During the holy month, Muslims must refrain from eating from dawn until dusk

The holiday of Eid marks the end of Ramadan and is expected on June 4 but varies due to the Islamic lunar calendar
An amateur conjuror's girlfriend is facing jail after helping him hide a decomposing corpse in the loft of their London home. (Pictured) Gary Hopkins, 37, was convicted of the murder of 17-year-old Abdi Ali in 2017

An amateur conjuror's girlfriend, who helped him hide a decomposing corpse in the loft for eight months, is facing years in jail.

Stacy Docherty, 28, also assisted with cleaning up bloodstains after 37-year-old Gary Hopkins killed Abdi Ali by battering him with a claw hammer and stabbing him with a six-inch knife as he slept on the sofa of their flat in Enfield, north London.

The body, which was occasionally brought down to show friends, was wrapped in a duvet, had plastic bags put over the head and winched into the loft using a noose made out of cables.

Appearing in the dock wearing cornrows and a large crucifix, Docherty admitted one charge of perverting the course of justice.

A further charge of preventing lawful burial was left to lie on file.

Hopkins was found guilty of murdering Ali, who was a 'cuckoo' drug dealer that sold heroin, earlier this year.

Stacy Docherty, 28, also helped clean up bloodstains after her boyfriend battered Ali (Pictured) to death with a claw hammer and stabbed him with a six-inch knife as he slept on the sofa of their home in Enfield, north London

The hatch to the attic in Hopkins' Edmonton home where the insect infested body was hidden. It was wrapped in a duvet before being winched into the loft using electric cables

What is cuckoo-ing? This is when drug dealers use both physical and emotional threats to establish a base for selling drugs in someone's home. It is often linked to trading known as 'county lines', when dedicated mobiles are used to connect both urban and rural drug dealing networks. The National Crime Agency estimates there are 2,000 such operations in the UK. It has been suggested that they are linked to a rise in knife crime. Advertisement

Her defence told the Old Bailey today that she has been involved in various programmes while in prison.

Bernie Richmond, defending, said: The real thrust of our mitigation is, of course, the progress she has made since.

During the trial, the jury heard that despite Alis family desperately searching for him, the teenagers insect-infested corpse lay undiscovered until the following summer when a friend of the couple tipped off detectives.

Stacie Collard had been invited to have a look at the body but lost her nerve as she climbed the loft ladder and went to the police.

Ms Collard told the jury that Docherty later said Ali was killed because he had a debt of 60 to a guy and hadnt bought Christmas presents for the children.

Thats why I believe it was done, she added.

She said she felt as if she pushed Gary into it all; she felt like it was all her idea and she pushed him into it.

Ms Collard told jurors she shared the grisly secret with her partner later that day and the two went to Hatfield Police Station to report it the following Monday.

Hopkins stabbed Abdi repeatedly in the chest with a six-inch blade at his flat in north London

He also smacked the teenager over the head with a claw hammer (Pictured)

'The Magician' fashioned a noose from cables and hoisted the teenager into the attic

Police later found Mr Alis body wrapped in a black and red coloured duvet cover with black plastic bags pulled over his head.

Hopkins and Docherty, both of Hartmoor Mews, Enfield, north London, each denied murder but Hopkins was convicted following 16 hours of deliberation after a four-week trial.

He admitted perverting the course of justice and preventing the lawful burial of a body before the trial started.

Docherty wept as she was cleared of murder and manslaughter but jurors were unable to agree verdicts in respect of the other two charges.

The Recorder of London, Judge Nicholas Hillard QC, remanded Hopkins in custody ahead of sentence on 27 June.
Ivanka Trump came out against the anti-vaccination movement on Friday when she urged people to get their children the measles shot.

'Parents and guardians, the importance of vaccinating your children cannot be overestimated,' she wrote on Twitter.

She added a siren emoji to her post and pointed to a Wall Street Journal article on how U.S. measles cases have hit their highest level in more than 25 years.

Ivanka Trump came out against the anti-vaccination movement

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the new numbers on Friday.

There have been 971 cases of measles reported in the US so far this year, which means more people have caught the disease in the last five months than in any entire calendar year since 1992, which saw 963 reported cases.

Officials said if the number of cases continues at its current trend, the U.S. will lose its designation as a country that has eliminated measles.

'Measles is incredibly contagious,' CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said in a statement. 'We need to act together now to stop this outbreak before there are even more serious consequences.'

Most of the measles cases this year are connected to two outbreaks in New York: in New York City and Rockland County, where the highly contagious disease is spreading among unvaccinated children in ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities.

But cases have also hit anti-vaxxer communities in 22 states.

President Donald Trump has also urged people to vaccinate their children.

'They have to get the shots. The vaccinations are so important. This is really going around now. They have to get their shots,' he said in April.

It was a change in position for the president, who in the past argued too many vaccinations could lead to autism - a myth that science has debunked.

'Autism has become an epidemic,' Trump said in a September 2015 GOP primary debate. 'Twenty-five years ago, 35 years ago, you look at the statistics, not even close. It has gotten totally out of control.'

'I am totally in favor of vaccines,' he added. 'But I want smaller doses over a longer period of time. Same exact amount, but you take this little beautiful baby, and you pump  I mean, it looks just like it's meant for a horse, not for a child, and we've had so many instances, people that work for me.'

Shortly after he was elected president, Trump met with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - a prominent anti-vaccinator - about a leading a new government commission on vaccine safety and scientific integrity.

Kennedy Jr., the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, met with Trump at Trump Tower in January 2017 to discuss the matter.

The idea caused alarm among the scientific community given that Kennedy has repeatedly touted discredited links between vaccines and autism.

The commission never came to light.

President Trump has encouraged people to vaccinate their children - a change in his previous stance on the issue

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a campaigner against vaccines, met with Trump on the issue in January 2017

Earlier this month, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Joseph P. Kennedy II - the siblings of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - along with their niece Maeve Kennedy McKean, wrote in an op-ed for Politico that their relative was wrong.

'We love Bobby,' they wrote. 'However, on vaccines he is wrong.'

'And his and others work against vaccines is having heartbreaking consequences. The challenge for public health officials right now is that many people are more afraid of the vaccines than the diseases, because they've been lucky enough to have never seen the diseases and their devastating impact. But thats not luck; its the result of concerted vaccination efforts over many years. We dont need measles outbreaks to remind us of the value of vaccination.'

Redfield, the CDC director, reminded people vaccines do not cause autism.

'Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greater danger is the disease that vaccination prevents,' he said.

A person with measles will infect 90 percent of unvaccinated people in their vicinity, and the virus can live up to two hours in a space where an infected person had breathed or coughed.

In most people, measles 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 reported this year.

The CDC recommends a combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine for everyone over a year old, except for people who had the disease as children. Those who have had measles are immune.

The CDC said U.S. measles cases have hit their highest level in more than 25 years

The CDC recommends a combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine for everyone over a year old

The current measles outbreak in the US started in Ukraine, which has a large measles outbreak at the moment, and often hosts holiday-goers from Israel, where vaccine rates are low.

Travelers brought the virus back to Israel, and soon it was picked up by unvaccinated Orthodox Jewish children from Brooklyn, who, as many do, were in Israel visiting their relatives.

The virus came to Brooklyn, Washington, upstate New York, California, and quickly spread.
A New Jersey man who confessed to raping and stabbing to death his 11-year-old neighbor sat stone-faced in front of the victim's outraged family as he was sentenced on Friday to life in prison.

Andreas Erazo had pleaded guilty in February, days before he was to go on trial for the 2017 killing of Abbiegail Smith in Keansburg, Monmouth County.

Smiths body was found on a roof near the apartment building where she and the 20-year-old Erazo lived. Erazo initially claimed he fatally stabbed the girl in the neck because he thought she was an intruder.

Scroll down for video

Stone-faced killer: Andreas Erazo, 20, showed no remorse on Friday when he was sentenced to a life prison term for the murder of 11-year-old Abbiegail Smith

Erazo will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence, or more than 63 years, before he becomes eligible for parole. Smith, 11, was his neighbor in Keansburg, New Jersey

Smiths mother, Carol Bennett (center), addressed Erazo in court, telling him to burn in hell for what he had done to her daughter

During Friday's emotionally charged sentencing hearing, Abbiegail's mother, Carol Bennett, lashed out at her daughter's killer in her searing victim impact statement.

Addressing the convicted murderer directly, Bennett said: 'Burn in hell for all of eternity for raping and murdering my precious daughter,' reported Asbury Park Press.

Erazo showed no emotion as Bennett and her sister spoke in court. He was given a chance to speak, but declined.

Bennett described the defendant as 'demonic' and argued that no punishment would be sufficient enough for him.

'Not even torture and death would be justice,' she continued. 'You disgust me. Ever since you took my baby's life, you have shown no remorse, and this just says how wicked you are.'

Smith was reported missing on the evening of July 12, 2017, from her home in Keansburg, New Jersey (pictured)

The fifth-grader's body was found wrapped in a comforter on a roof. Erazo initially claimed he fatally stabbed the girl in the neck because he thought she was an intruder

Bennett, flanked by her sister, Cecille Bennett-Downy, later addressed reporters outside the courthouse, drawing attention to Erazo's impassive demeanor throughout the hearing.

'He didn't have anything to say for what he did to my daughter,' Bennett said. 'She didn't deserve this type of death... but I'm just leaving Andreas Erazo in the hands of God, because Abbie is now with God while he surely will be with the devil,' reported ABC 7 NY.

Smith was reported missing on the evening of July 12, 2017. Police found her body 15 hours later wrapped in a comforter on a rear roof outside the window of her then-18-year-old neighbor, Erazo.

The fifth-grader's father, Kenroy Smith, lives in Jamaica where he was deported in 2001 after a marijuana arrest.

He and Abbiegail's older sister, Kennish Smith, were denied temporary visas to attend the girl's funeral, despite Kenroy's public plea to President Donald Trump.

Erazo will have to serve 85 per cent of his sentence, or 63 years, nine months and three days, before becoming eligible for parole.

Erazo was also sentenced to 50 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault, which will run concurrently to the life sentence.
A 600lb drug dealer had to be sentenced in an ambulance that was designated as a courtroom because moving him from the vehicle would 'endanger his health and well-being,' an Ohio judge said.

Kirk Lenell Smith, 42, pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking and being a felon in possession of a gun on Wednesday outside the Hamilton County Courthouse. The sentencing occurred at the loading dock.

Smith is believed to weigh more than 600 pounds and the decision to hold the proceedings outside were deemed the easiest by Common Pleas Judge Tom Heekin.

Kirk Lenell Smith, 42, pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking and being a felon in possession of a gun on Wednesday outside the Hamilton County Courthouse

'Moving Kirk Smith from the ambulance would endanger his health and well-being,' Heekin said as he read from a document, Cincinnati.com reports.

He was sentenced to two years in prison (mugshot from 2009)

Heekin sentenced Smith - who had a blood oxygen monitor on his left index finger - to two years in prison.

The judge had one foot inside the ambulance as he spoke with Smith, with his court reporter setting up at the edge of the ambulance.

Smith was only able to give brief answers that consisted of one or two words. And when asked if he wanted to make a statement, the man is said to have attempted to but was unable to speak.

According to Sgt. Ryan Hudson with the Cincinnati Police Department, police first got information that Smith was selling drugs from his Hartwell residence in April 2018.

'We received a Crimestoppers tip and some information from the community that an individual up on Rosewood in Hartwell -- the activity was consistent with drug trafficking,' he explained to Local 12.

The ambulance took Smith from the courthouse to the prison after he was sentenced

Police raided Smith's home in April 2018 and found surveillance cameras, drugs and a gun that he was not allowed to own

Police raided Smith's home and found surveillance cameras, drugs and a gun that he was not allowed to own. They could not physically arrest him but did read him his rights.

'It was obvious that there were people running for him because he's so large, as I mentioned 600 to 700 pounds, he wasn't able to move around freely,' said Hudson. 'It made it kind of tough on us to maneuver or almost get him out of the house that particular day. In fact, it was impossible.'

A co-conspirator - named Isaac Collins - was convicted of trafficking in marijuana.

Smith was taken straight to prison from the courthouse.
A Missouri judge issued a temporary order Friday ensuring the state's only abortion clinic can continue providing the service, acting just hours before the St. Louis Planned Parenthood facility's license was set to expire.

Both parties will be back in court on Tuesday to continue the legal battle.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services had not renewed the clinic's license, citing concerns with 'failed abortions,' compromised patient safety and legal violations at the clinic. Agency officials also insisted upon interviewing additional physicians at the clinic as part of an investigation.

Planned Parenthood pre-emptively sued this week to prevent a potential gap in abortion coverage. St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer heard arguments Thursday.

His ruling prevents Missouri from become the first state without an abortion clinic since the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized the procedure nationwide.

A protest rally over recent restrictive abortion laws outside of Columbia City Hall in Missouri

Stelzer took no sides in the order issued Friday afternoon, instead saying an additional hearing was necessary.

'A (temporary restraining order) does not purpose to pass upon the merits of a controversy or dispose of any issue,' he wrote.

However, he also said that Planned Parenthood had met the legal standard, proving that harm would result without a temporary restraining order.

Planned Parenthood 'has demonstrated that immediate and irreparable injury will result if petitioner's license is allowed to expire,' the judge wrote.

'Today is a victory for women across Missouri, but this fight is far from over,' said Planned Parenthood President and CEO Leana Wen.

'We have seen just how vulnerable access to abortion care is here  and in the rest of the country,' she added. 'We are glad that the governor has been prevented from putting women's health and lives in danger  for now  and call on him to stop this egregious politicalization of public health in an attempt to ban all safe, legal abortion care in the state.'

The temporary stay comes as restrictions on the procedure will become more stringent now that Missouri Governor Mike Parson has signed a bill banning abortion at eight weeks of pregnancy without any exceptions for rape or incest.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has cited concerns that include compromised patient safety and violations of state laws and regulations.

Planned Parenthood officials say Missouri is 'weaponizing' the licensing process.

The health department said inspections in March uncovered deficiencies. The agency cited 'at least one incident in which patient safety was gravely compromised.'

It also cited what it called 'failed surgical abortions in which women remained pregnant,' and an alleged failure to obtain 'informed consent.' The department did not elaborate on the allegations.

Planned Parenthood attorney Jamie Boyer told Stelzer that the state's concerns have been resolved, but the health department won't renew the license unless it can interview five contract physicians about seven instances of patient care that were flagged by the inspection.

Boyer said that while both staff physicians at the clinic have been interviewed, the contract doctors refuse to do so, partly out of concern they'll say something that could lead to criminal charges due to Missouri's restrictive abortion laws.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, is shown here during a press conference in which he said it would be 'reckless' for a judge to take action to keep open the only abortion clinic left in the state due to what he described as health and safety deficiencies at the St. Louis facility

Abortion-rights supporters march May 30, 2019 in St. Louis. A judge heard an hour of arguments Thursday on Planned Parenthood's request for a temporary restraining order that would prohibit the state from allowing the license for Missouri's only abortion clinic to lapse at midnight Friday

'Planned Parenthood, with the exception of the interviews, has bent over backward' to work with the state, Boyer said.

Assistant Attorney General John Sauer said the request to interview the doctors is reasonable.

'The facility has the ability to say, 'You guys have to cooperate,'' Sauer said.

The hearing happened as abortion rights supporters rallied elsewhere in downtown St. Louis Thursday.

The nearest clinics performing abortions are in a Kansas suburb of Kansas City and in Granite City. The Kansas clinic is about 260 miles from St. Louis.

Missouri is among half a dozen states that have passed sweeping anti-abortion measures in recent months.

Missouri already had some of the most restrictive abortion regulations in the nation, including a requirement that doctors performing abortions have partnerships with nearby hospitals.

A total of 2,910 abortions occurred in 2018 in Missouri, according to provisional data provided by the state health department. That includes 433 abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy and 267 at six weeks or earlier.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren made an appearance on The Breakfast Club radio program, and found herself compared to Rachel Dolezal for her past claims of having Native American ancestry.

The Massachusetts Democratic presidential candidate got grilled repeatedly about her past claims of native ancestry  something she now says she should not have done. She repeatedly stated she is 'not a person of color' and not a member of any native tribe.

"It's what I believed. Like I said, it's what I learned from my family," she said, when pressed by host Lenard Larry McKelvey, who goes by Charlamagne tha god.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren was compared to Rachel Dolezal during an appearance on The Breakfast Club radio program. Dolezal ran an NAACP chapter and said she identified as black even though she had two white parents

'You kind of sound like the original Rachel Dolezal,' he told her at one point, referencing the former college teacher who served as chair of a chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and said she identified as black even though she admitted she was born to white parents.

In the interview, Warren repeated her talking points about her situation, even when pressed for direct answers.

Presidential hopeful Senator Elizabeth Warren faced a series of questions about her previous claims of Native American heritage

In this March 20, 2017, file photo, Nkechi Diallo, then known as Rachel Dolezal, poses at the bureau of The Associated Press in Spokane, Wash. The former NAACP leader in Washington state, her life unraveled after she was exposed as a white woman pretending to be black

'Why'd you do that?' asked cohost Charlamagne tha god

'I learned about my family the same way most people learn about their family, from my mama and my daddy and my aunts and my uncles,' she said. 'And it's what I believe.'

'But I'm not a person of color. I'm not a citizen of a tribe,' she told Charlamagne, turning to him during the interview. 'And I shouldn't have done it.'

Asked if she would do it over if she had the chance, Warren responded: 'I can't go back. But I shouldn't.'

Then she called for ending student loan debt and funding historically black colleges.

Charlemagne asked if she had earned any benefits through the claim, which Warren denied, citing a Boston Globe investigation.

'How long did you hold onto that?' he asked her. 'Why'd you do that?'

'It's what I believe,' she responded.

'When did you find out you weren't?' he followed. Warren didn't respond directly, nor did she mention a genetic test she took that caused an uproar after showing she had a tiny fraction of native ancestry.

'I'm not a person of color. I'm not a citizen of a tribe,' she repeated.

'You kind of sound like the original Rachel Dolezal a little bit,' he told her. 'Rachel Dolezal's  white woman pretending to be black,' he said.

'This is what I learned form my family,' Warren repeated.

In February, Warren apologized for past claims of native ancestry, and called the head of the Cherokee nation to apologize.

Her 1986 application for the state bar in Texas, obtained by the Washington Post, showed she put down her race as 'American Indian.'

President Trump has repeatedly mocked Warren as 'Pocahontas,' even as she tried to distinguish herself from the sprawling Democratic field by rolling out policy proposals.
A 33-year-old father has won a court case against a private parking company that illegally fined him 2,500 over trips to see his sick two-year-old daughter.

Recruitment professional Myke Parrot and his wife Gemma, 34, were hit with several fines between February 2014 and July 2018 after leaving their car in West Middlesex University Hospital's parking area.

However, when UK Parking Control Ltd took them to court the case was thrown out as it emerged the company's contract to run the NHS Hospital's parking expired in November 2012.

A 33-year-old father has won a court case against a private parking company after it illegally tried to fine him 2,500 over trips to West Middlesex Hospital for his two-year-old daughter. (Pictured) Myke Parrot with wife Gemma, 34, and their daughters, aged two and four

A judge threw out the case, brought by UK Parking Control Ltd, after it emerged the company's contract to run the hospital parking ran out in November 2012. It was claiming for fines issued to the father between February 2014 and July 2018

Speaking after the victory at Brentford County Court Myke, who has another daughter aged four, said: They are a gang of cowboys. They tried to bully and intimidate us until the day of the court case.

'We were not going to give in to their threats and I am glad we didn't.

'This has been a nightmare because they are a multi-million pound company and I have not got any legal experience.

'The way these private companies act is despicable. I hope more people stand up to them and don't pay them.'

A submission to the court, seen by MailOnline, also said that the signs warning of parking charges were 'illegible, scarce, impossible to read from a moving vehicle and also conflicting (in what they said)'.

A copy of one of the parking charges that the company issued to Myke that was submitted to court

Triumphant Facebook post: Myke posted online about his victory at Brentford County Court

'It is not until you are 100 metres through the main entrance that the first main sign is featured', they said.

'I would argue that when you arrive at the hospital with a seriously ill baby daughter (as has been the case when parking at this hospital in the past), then searching a car park to read the small font containing terms and conditions is the last thing on your mind.'

UK Parking Control Ltd was suspended by the DVLA in April last year following allegations of 'data misuse'.

In 2015 the company, which had a turnover of 11million last year, admitted faking time stamps on tickets to catch out legally-parked drivers.

Photos, aiming to catch out driver Neil Horton, show the same car boot open in both of them despite a two-hour difference between the photos.

The company says online it runs University, Leisure, Residential and Commercial car parks.

MailOnline contacted the UKPC and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for comment.
A new Netflix documentary looks into the story of a Brazilian TV host who ordered hitmen to kill people so he could film the crime scenes to boost ratings.

Wallace Souza, 58, was the host of crime show Canal Livre, which became the most-watched news show ever in Amazonas, a state in north-west Brazil.

It featured Souza, in a studio, preaching against rampant crime in the state and also often had exclusive footage of arrests, crime scenes and drug seizures.

One clip even showed a reporter approaching a freshly burned corpse, covering his nose with his shirt and remarking that 'it smells like barbecue'.

Souza was eventually accused of ordering murders before alerting TV crews so they could get to the scene before detectives.

Wallace Souza, 58, was the host of crime show Canal Livre, which became the most-watched news show ever in Amazonas, a state in north-west Brazil

The ex-policeman turned state senator also allegedly ran a drug smuggling ring and used his killers to eliminate his rivals.

His story will be revealed in Killer Ratings, a true crime television documentary series that was released on Netflix today.

According to the allegations against him, Souza secretly had drug dealers set on fire and even ordered gangland hits by moped riders, before 'solving' the crimes on his weekly show.

He said the allegations were absurd and that he and his son were being set up by political enemies and drug dealers under threat from his relentless crime coverage and crusading legislative probes.

Souza insisted that his news crews got to murder scenes first by using police informants and radio scanners monitoring police channels, and by following the coroner's van from the city mortuary.

He said: 'I was the one who organised legislative inquiries into organised crime, the prison system, corruption, drug trafficking by police, and paedophilia.' He continued to protest his innocence until he death from a heart attack in 2010, while awaiting trial.

According to the allegations against him, Souza secretly had drug dealers set on fire and even ordered gangland hits by moped riders

Souza once said: 'We have to put an end to the scourge of crime and to the politicians who do not fight it.

'The only good delinquent is a dead delinquent.'

His police career ended in disgrace when he was accused of being involved in a college exams fraud scheme.

He moved on to become a TV star in and participated in house raids armed with pistols, winning a legion of fans.

At the start of each episode, he would say: 'Nowadays everyone is killing.'

However, police soon realised that his show Canal Livre would get to crime scenes before them and that their reports would be extremely detailed.

Police intelligence chief Thomaz Augusto Correa at the time: 'Crimes were committed in order to create news for the group and for the programme.'

Souza's former bodyguard, Moacir Jorge da Costa, was arrested in 2009 and he confessed the truth about his employer.

This led to the arrest of 15 drug traffickers, believed to be led by the charismatic host, as well as Souza's son, several senior police officers and a show producer.

Da Costa even claimed that Souza and his son were involved in a plot to murder a federal judge.

Souza was charged in October 2009 and expelled from the assembly, stripped of his seat and kicked out of the Partido Popular party.

However, he always maintained his innocence, even when police raided his house and uncovered more than 100,000, and an arsenal of high-calibre assault rifles and spent bullet casings.

Detectives thought the casings may have been removed from crime scenes.

Souza went on the run before eventually giving himself up and dying of a heart attack.
A Marine has fired his weapon while on active duty along the U.S.-Mexico border in California after reportedly being attacked inside his vehicle by three people.

According to officials, the ambush reportedly occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning near the city of El Centro, approximately seven miles from the southern border.

John Cornelio, a spokesman for U.S. Northern Command, which oversees the military's mission on the border, said the matter is under investigation.

He confirmed that the Marine discharged his weapon but said he could not provide details until the investigation is completed.

Cornelio confirmed that there were no reported injuries, but he did not disclose the identity of the Marine.

The military are investigation after a Marine patrolling US-Mexico border said he was attacked by three people inside his vehicle on Wednesday morning

On Friday, Breitbart reported that the Marine claimed 'a group of three unknown individuals approached his Mobile Surveillance Camera vehicle, opened the door, and attempted to pull him from the car'.

'During the struggle, the Marine fired his pistol one time, striking the forward-looking infrared display unit mounted on the dash. The attackers fled at that point.'

The Marine is among about 2100 active duty troops assigned to support the Border Patrol along the southwest border. Among their major tasks is assisting Border Patrol with vehicle-mounted surveillance cameras.
Advertisement

A model of a WWII Spitfire has crashed in a forest in Poland shortly after taking off, killing its 41-year-old pilot.

The plane came from a private museum dedicated to the 303 Squadron in Silesia and it crashed in the nearby village of Napoleon.

The cause of the crash is not yet known but it is believed it occurred not long after taking off and was heading to the city of Plock.

A model Spitfire has crashed in a forest in Poland, killing the 41-year-old professional pilot who was the only person on board

There were 16 Polish squadrons in the RAF during the War and the 303 was the highest scoring of the Hurricane squadrons during the Battle of Britain

The 41-year-old professional pilot was the only person on board and an investigation into the accident has already begun, according to RMF24.

The 303 Squadron museum is dedicated to artefacts from modern Polish aviation with a particular emphasis on WWII.

There were 16 Polish squadrons in the RAF during the War and the 303 was the most successful fighting unit in the Battle of Britain in terms of enemy aircraft shot down.

The Polish were keen to fight but initially the RAF would not let them fly operationally because few of them spoke English and there was concern about their morale.

The plane crashed in the forest in the village of Napoleon in Silesia shortly after taking off. The cause of the crash is not yet known

The plane came from a private museum of the 303 Squadron which celebrates Polish aviation and their contribution to WWII

But having come through the Polish and French campaigns during the War, what RAF commanders did not realise was that many Polish pilots were far more experienced than their English counterparts.

As the Battle of Britain wore on, the shortage of trained pilots became a serious problem and the Polish exiles were accepted.

Squadrons 302 and 303 were formed in July 1940 and 303 was based at RAF Northolt in South Ruislip.

They fought superbly, gunning down 203 enemy aircraft for the loss of just 29 pilots.

Investigations have begun into the cause of the crash which occurred half a kilometre away from any buildings

Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, head of RAF Fighter Command, said if it had not been for the Polish squadrons, the Battle of Britain could have ended very differently

The 303 Squadron became the most successful Fighter Command unit in the Battle of Britain having shot down an incredible 126 German aircraft in 42 days.

One member of the 303, Czech Sergeant Josef Frantisek, was also the top-scoring pilot with 17 confirmed victories.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding, who led Fighter Command, said: 'Had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say that the outcome of the Battle would have been the same.'

A Polish Air Force Spitfire in action shows the detail of the replica plane which crashed in Poland today. Polish pilots had been well trained in formation flying and had greater experience than their British counterparts
An Illinois woman lied about her credentials in order to obtain a job working for the public defender's office and she was only found out after working on 80 cases, prosecutors have claimed.

Kelcie Miller, 26, joined defense teams on dozens of criminal cases from October 2018 until this month, but her Madison County Public Defender's Office colleagues claim she used a fake Illinois Attorney Registration Card.

The Edwardsville woman is also alleged to have made up other information to get on the cases after the graduate of Valparaiso University in Indiana and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville failed her bar exam twice.

Seven months after starting work with the county, a judge a discovered she didn't have a license to practice law after checking the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission database when a court reporter asked to confirm the spelling of her first name.

Kelcie Miller, 26, was charged with one count of theft of government property worth over $10,000, plus one count of false impersonation of an attorney, and one count of forgery

Miller graduated from Valparaiso University, Indiana and Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

'Only three days left of class!': She posted an image of her law-related items November 2017. But her former boss claimed she failed her bar exams twice

She was fired by public defender John Rekowski said, and her colleagues turned her in to police.

Rekowski said he will be checking credentials properly from now on, Belleville News-Democrat reported.

'I have hired I don't know how many people over my 35 years. I have never asked to see a law license,' Rekowski said. 'I've never been lied to about it I just had no reason to ever think that anybody would do this. The big lie sometimes is better than the small one.'

Rekowski said the cases she worked on will be reassigned and those involved will have to be notified.

Despite her alleged lies, Miller - who wrote on social media that she was an assistant public defender - never had complaints about her job.

'I love my job': She joined Madison County Public Defender's Office in October 2018

Miller was fired last week when a judge couldn't find her on a legal database. Public Defender John Rekowski claimed she lied about having license to practice

Rekowski said there was 'never anything that stood out to make me question her abilities'.

She mainly worked on plea bargains in non-violent felony cases earning $57,000 annually. Now those who pleaded guilty in deals will have to be notified about Miller.

Miller was charged with one count of false impersonation of an attorney, and one count of forgery.

Miller was also charged with one count of theft of government property worth over $10,000, stemming from the salary and benefits she accepted during the time.

It's claimed Miller used a fake Attorney Registration Card to obtain her job for seven months

After the three felony charges she remained in custody at the Madison County Jail on a $100,000 bond Friday

'This is a sad reminder that just when you think you've seen it all, someone lowers the bar even further,' Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons said in a statement Thursday.

'Along with many specific individuals who were deceived in their legal representation, the taxpayers of Madison County are also the victim of a theft of a substantial amount of money. We will work tirelessly to recover what was stolen from the taxpayers and to restore justice to the many victims and, hopefully, with our efforts, we can restore the balance in our criminal justice system.'

He called the allegations 'some of the most unusual Ive ever seen in over 20 years practicing law'.

A contempt of court charge for practicing without a licence can result in a $5,000 fine imposed.

Bosses of the person practicing without a license can also face charges if they were aware of the misconduct.

After the three felony charges she remained in custody at the Madison County Jail on a $100,000 bond Friday.
Kevin Spacey's lawyers claim the man accusing the actor of groping him at a Nantucket bar in 2016 deleted text messages

Kevin Spacey's attorney is accusing the man who says the actor groped him at a Nantucket bar in 2016 of deleting 'exculpatory' text messages.

Defense attorney Alan Jackson says in court documents filed Friday that Spacey's accuser went 'to great lengths to remove text messages that he believes did not fit his narrative.'

Jackson wants the court to order prosecutors to hand over a 'complete and unaltered' forensic copy of the accuser's cellphone.

Judge Thomas S. Barrett granted the defense's request to examine texts and other records from the alleged victim's cellphone from July 7, 2016, to December 31, 2017.

But the judge denied several other defense requests, such as one for phone records of the accuser's mother.

Spacey's lawyer is also seeking any communications about the case made by a top prosecutor in the Cape & Islands District Attorney's Office who disclosed that his sister is friends with the accuser's mother.

An email seeking comment was sent Friday to a spokeswoman the prosecutors' office. An attorney for Spacey's accuser declined to comment.

Spacey is accused of groping the teenager at The Club Car bar and restaurant on the night of July 7, 2016

A judge has also ordered CCTV footage from the night of the alleged incident (Spacey above with the bouncer at The Club Car in July 2016)

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday.

On Thursday, the judge also ordered the Massachusetts bar to hand over CCTV from the night Spacey allegedly groped a teenager in 2016.

Judge Barrett ordered the footage be produced ahead of Monday's pretrial hearing.

The Oscar winning actor, 59, is accused of sexually assaulting the 18-year-old son of a former Boston TV anchor in The Club Car bar on the night of July 7, 2016.

The judge has asked the bar's owners to hand over CCTV footage taken between 5pm and 3am that night. It's unclear if the footage will be shown or released at the hearing.

The judge denied Spacey's requests for phone records of the accuser's mother (the Usual Suspects actor in January)

In January, the Usual Suspects actor pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of indecent assault and battery, that comes with a up to five years in prison.

Spacey responded to the groping allegations in a motion obtained by DailyMail.com in January.

In it, he stated that the teenager 'claimed he was a 23-year-old student studying business at Wake Forest University' after he 'sought out a friend for the specific purpose of introducing him to [Spacey].'

It went on to say the teen 'welcomed drinks from [Spacey], let [Spacey] put his arm around him near the piano while they did sing-a-longs and even left the bar to smoke with [Spacey].'

That behavior, combined with the fact that the teen gave Spacey his number, suggests 'mutual and consensual flirting', according to the motion.

At no point in the document did Spacey deny groping the young man.

The motion states that once Spacey began to grope his accuser the teen 'did not object to the alleged touching, he did not ask [Spacey] to stop and he did not remove himself from the situation.'

In the initial filing the accuser said that this was because he froze, and suggested his lack of an erection as proof he was not enjoying the sex act.
Two men were charged with federal hate crimes in Dallas over a violent spree of kidnapping and robberies which involved targeting gay men on Grindr.

Daryl Henry, 22, and Daniel Jenkins, 20, were charged with multiple counts related to a a series of attacks where victims were allegedly lured to an apartment through the gay dating app and ordered to hand over their valuables, officials said.

The men allegedly created fake profiles and pose as gay men to lure 'dates' to a vacant apartment in December 2017.

Daniel Jenkins, (left), and Daryl Henry, (right), were charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to commit hate crimes, kidnapping, and carjacking over a 2017 crime spree

On December 11, 2017, the suspects held five victims against their will in an apartment at the complex.

Some of the victims said they were beaten, robbed, sexually assaulted and called homophobic slurs, the Department of Justice said in a statement.

The alleged victims ranged in age from 19 to 57.

Four of them say they were physically assaulted, three were sexually assaulted, and some victims were called gay slurs.

One of the suspects is also accused of urinating and wiping human feces on at least one victim.

The suspects also forced the victims at gunpoint to relinquish their possessions, including their wallets, money, car keys, cars, drivers licenses and identification cards, credit and debit cards, and cellphones.

The indictment alleges that Jenkins and Henry caused bodily injury to four victims because of their actual and perceived sexual orientation.

The suspects allegedly created fake profiles on the dating app Grindr to lure gay men to an apartment in Dallas where some were physically and sexually assaulted

Jenkins and Henry have been charged with kidnapping these four victims and Jenkins with kidnapping two additional victims, carjacking two victims, and using a firearm in connection with the carjackings.

Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said the charges are an example of the districts zero tolerance for hate.

She told ABC News: 'Criminals are using apps like Grindr to single out victims based on their sexual orientation. My office is committed to rooting out these despicable crimes motivated by hate.'

Both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison for the hate crime and kidnapping charges, five years for the conspiracy charge, and a fine of up to $250,000 with respect to each charge if they are convicted.

Jenkins also faces up to 15 years for the carjacking charges and a mandatory minimum of at least seven years in prison, plus a $250,000 fine for each firearms charge.
As much of the country basks in early summer sunshine, we are just weeks away from the third anniversary of that momentous June day when the British people stood up and told that the world that it was time for the UK to leave the European Union.

As politicians we are supposed to serve our electors. We asked them for their decision. They gave it in good faith.

And as I said at the time, MPs and government had a duty to get on and deliver on the result.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid is vying to replace the outgoing Theresa May as leader of the Conservatives and Prime Minister

'MPs and government had a duty to get on and deliver on the result,' writes Tory leadership contender Sajid Javid (pictured outside the Home Office)

To seize all the opportunities offered by leaving the EU, and go out into the world as a fully independent nation, in control of our destiny once more.

Three years later  and after local, national and European elections in which too many good, honest Conservatives have been voted out of office  the British people's frustration and the need to make good on the referendum result have never been greater.

The responsibility of doing so will fall to the next leader of the Conservative Party  and if he or she fails in that task, we risk irreparable damage to the very fabric of our democracy.

Whoever they are, they will have a duty to be straight with the British people. And they will need a plan for getting the job done.

Not empty slogans and fiery rhetoric, but an honest, credible set of proposals that recognises the significant challenges we face  and which will deliver results not in the Parliament and EU we would like to see, but the Parliament and EU that are before us today.

The Home Secretary is one of 12 contenders ,including Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, in the race for Downing Street after Theresa May announced her intentions to stand down

There's no point dwelling on how we got into the stormy seas that now surround us.

What matters is how we steady the ship and plot a course to the bright horizon we all want to reach  and I'm the right person to do it.

I spent a career in business doing international deals. I know how to make them happen and how to get the best out of negotiations, and I've used those same skills in government to get things done at home and build bridges with other countries.

Now, I'm ready apply those skills to the biggest challenge this country has faced since 1945  and I have a detailed plan for doing so.

First, we must unite as a party to get a deal through in this Parliament. Some argue we should have a second referendum.

Others, a general election. Some even suggest revoking Article 50. Well, in the words of a great British Prime Minister who knew how to get what she wanted from the European Commission: No, no, no.

'Three years later  and after local, national and European elections in which too many good, honest Conservatives have been voted out of office  the British people's frustration and the need to make good on the referendum result have never been greater', writes Mr Javid

'Some even suggest revoking Article 50. Well, in the words of a great British Prime Minister who knew how to get what she wanted from the European Commission: No, no, no', writes Sajid Javid, quoting Margaret Thatcher

The voters have been asked their opinion more than enough times. Never in this country's history have we asked people to go to the polls a second time without implementing their verdict from the first.

Another vote before we leave would be disastrous for trust in politics, and cause the kind of chaos that risks handing Jeremy Corbyn and his hard-left supporters the keys to No 10.

Second  we need to prepare fully for No Deal. This isn't because I want it. But we have to accept the reality of our situation.

The EU's insistence that negotiations happen under a ticking clock mean, come October 31, that is what we face if we don't have a deal.

As Prime Minister I would immediately step up No Deal preparations. We would aim to keep the impacts to a minimum.

But, while too much apocalyptic language has been used, we have to be honest. It wouldn't be painless. So, as part of preparations we would have a broad, bold No Deal Budget ready.

'We need to prepare fully for No Deal. This isn't because I want it. But we have to accept the reality of our situation', writes the Home Secretary

This would also show the EU we are ready  so when we turn up to negotiate, they know we are not afraid of walking out.

Third  we must focus on what we need to get a deal which can be agreed. That means accepting the realities of the parliamentary arithmetic, and what is practically possible.

We know the only thing that has got through our Parliament successfully is the Withdrawal Agreement with backstop provisions amended to include a time limit or exit clause.

So, fourth  I would work directly with Ireland so we can amend the backstop. The backstop is important to the EU because it is important to Ireland. So that's where our efforts need to focus.

And there's something big in our favour. We both want the same thing  as now, an invisible and frictionless border.

What's currently missing is trust in our ability and determination to deliver that. That requires two things.

Someone who could work with them constructively building a strong relationship of personal trust. And a credible solution.

I've looked at this in the Home Office, tasking a team from Border Force to look at what we'd need in place.

Mr Javid (pictured with his wife Laura) believes that a revised deal needs to be put before Parliament

They were clear the technologies already exist to avoid a hard border, and important work in being undertaken by the Alternative Arrangement Commission on this front. What we need is the trust and will on both sides to make this work a reality.

Of course, some will say this isn't possible. I understand that caution. But in practice this is a feasible plan.

And I think we will see more engagement as a new Commission takes place and we get closer to October.

Others will ask why Ireland should pay for the consequences of the UK's decision to leave.

That's a fair point, so as Prime Minister I would agree to cover the cost to Ireland of delivering this.

It's a small price to avoid No Deal  and the risks that would bring to the hard-won peace.

Fifth  we'll need to take this revised deal though Parliament. There is no getting around the fact that the timing for negotiations and then getting legislation through will be challenging.

But I would take every step possible to ensure we leave with a deal by October 31.

This is an honest, realistic plan to get a deal through. I have to be straight  delivering it won't be easy.

But if we succeed  and I believe we will  then this is the path that will lead our great country to a still greater future.

As Prime Minister I would have a clear position. We should leave on October 31. And if we cannot get a deal we should, with great regret, leave without one, having done everything we can to minimise disruption.

Of course, the arithmetic of a minority government is inescapable. As the recent comments of the Speaker demonstrated, it's simply not credible to promise you can deliver a No Deal if Parliament is set against it.

And anyone who promised this would risk driving us to a pre-Brexit general election this year.

A disaster first and foremost for our country and public trust in democracy, but also for our party.

That's why we need a leader who can unite the party, and country, behind a credible plan  and then go and actually deliver it.

I believe this is that plan.

And I know I am that leader.
Bill Cosby has dropped his countersuit against seven women who accused him of sexually assaulting them.

Court papers filed Friday show the four-year defamation case in Massachusetts is now over.

Cosby's insurer, AIG, had settled with the women last month for an undisclosed sum.

The 81-year-old comedian had objected to the settlement, which his spokesman Andrew Wyatt, previously said AIG executed 'without the knowledge, permission and/or consent of Mr. Cosby', who vowed to pursue his counterclaims.

Court papers filed Friday show Bill Cosby's Massachusetts defamation countersuit against seven women who accused him of sexually assault is now over

The women involved in the defamation case include (from left to right) Therese Serignese and Tamara Green

(From left to right) Barbara Bowman and Angela Leslie also have accused Cosby of sexually assaulting them

On Friday, Wyatt said his famous client dropped the case 'to focus on other matters.'

Cosby is serving a three to 10-year sentence in Pennsylvania for drugging and molesting a Andrea Constand back in 2004.

The women involved in the defamation case were model Tamara Green, single mom Therese Serignese, former waitress Linda Traitz, late actress Louisa Moritz, teen actress-turned artist Barbara Bowman, former publicist and journalist Joan Tarshis and actress Angela Leslie.

All seven women came out publicly accusing Cosby of sexually assaulting them after a video of comedian Hannibal Burress joking about Cosby's longstanding rape allegations went viral on social media in 2014.

(From left to right) Linda Traiz and Joan Tarshis also were named in Cosby's recently-dropped defamation suit

Late actress Louisa Moritz was the final woman named in Cosby's suit. She died earlier this year

When Cosby denied assaulting the women, they sued him for defamation.

The details of the parties' settlement were confidential.

Cosby's spokesman previously confirmed a settlement had been reached, but said AIG was paying the women, not Cosby, according to the New York Times.

Lawyer Joe Cammarata representing the seven women says his clients believe they are 'truth tellers.' He had planned to take Cosby's deposition if he pursued his countersuit.

'The clients are happy that Mr. Cosby has dismissed his counterclaims against them,' Cammarata. This brings this matter to an end' Cammarata said in Friday interview with the Washington Post.

Cosby must still deal with a sexual battery complaint that was filed against him by a model named Chloe Goins, who has accused the comedian of drugging and assaulting her at the Playboy Mansion back in 2008, according to WaPo.

Former supermodel Janice Dickinson has filed a suit against Cosby, accusing him of defamation. He could also be forced to stand trial for assault claims made by Judy Huth, a California woman who accused Cosby of sexually assaulting her when she was still a minor.
Echoing Margaret Thatcher, Sajid Javid vows today that he is ready to take Britain out of the EU without a deal if he cannot win concessions from Brussels.

Setting out his Brexit plan in an article for the Daily Mail, the Tory leadership contender rules out holding another referendum, an early general election or revoking Article 50.

'In the words of a great British prime minister who knew how to get what she wanted from the European Commission: No, no, no,' he writes.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid is vying to replace the outgoing Theresa May as leader of the Conservatives and Prime Minister

'The voters have been asked their opinion more than enough times. Never in this country's history have we asked people to go to the polls a second time without implementing their verdict from the first.'

His 5-point blueprint 1. 'No, no, no' to a second referendum, early general election or revoking Article 50. 2. Prepare fully for No Deal, including an emergency Budget, to show EU we are not afraid of walking away. 3. Accept deal will only get through Parliament if Irish backstop is amended to include time limit or exit clause. 4. Build trust with Dublin and agree to cover cost of implementing new border technology. 5. Get revised deal through Parliament by October 31  or leave without one, having done everything to minimise disruption. Advertisement

In his first major intervention since launching his campaign, Mr Javid reveals a five-point plan on Brexit which he describes as an 'honest, credible set of proposals that recognises the significant challenges we face'.

He says he would immediately ramp up preparations for No Deal if he becomes prime minister to show he is serious about walking away.

This would include holding an emergency Budget to lay out for the first time details of the tax cuts the Government would introduce if the EU continues to play hardball.

He makes clear that his preference is to strike a deal  but the only way to get this through the Commons is to amend the backstop, which sank Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement.

He says he believes the technology exists to avoid a hard border in Ireland without needing the backstop  and adds he will even offer to pay tens of millions to Ireland to help pay for the equipment needed, in a bid to break the deadlock.

The Home Secretary is one of 12 contenders ,including Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, in the race for Downing Street after Theresa May announced her intentions to stand down

Mr Javid, 49, says this would be 'a small price to pay' for resolving the border problem and rebuilding trust damaged by two years of fractious relations.

However, he insists that he would also accelerate work to get the country ready for No Deal.

'This would show the EU we are ready ... so when we turn up to negotiate they know we are not afraid of walking out,' he writes.

Mrs May's would-be successors are split on Brexit. Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey have all pledged to leave on October 31 come what may, while Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock have warned of the dangers of doing so.

Michael Gove is the only one of the leading contenders yet to spell out his plans.

In Mr Javid's pitch to Tory MPs and party members, he vows to 'take every step possible' to get an agreement in place in place by the next deadline. 'We should leave on October 31,' he writes.

Setting out his Brexit plan in an article for the Daily Mail, the Tory leadership contender rules out holding another referendum, an early general election or revoking Article 50

'If we cannot get a deal we should, with great regret, leave without one, having done everything we can to minimise disruption.'

But he warns that the parliamentary arithmetic was 'inescapable', adding: 'It's simply not credible to promise you can deliver a No Deal Brexit if Parliament is set again it.'

Is Amber backing her beach buddy Gove? Amber Rudd prompted speculation she will back Michael Gove for prime minister yesterday after posting this picture of them together on a beach. The Work and Pensions Secretary said she was 'thrilled' that Environment Secretary Mr Gove had designated Beachy Head East a conservation zone. It is one of seven new 'Blue Belt' marine conservation zones created across the East of England. More than 420 square miles of sea will be protected as part of the drive to give rare species a better chance of survival. Among the species and habitats that will benefit are long-snouted seahorses, tentacled lagoon worms and blue mussel beds. Hastings MP Miss Rudd tweeted: 'Great Hastings news. Thrilled Defra and Michael Gove backed my campaign.' It came as Tory MP Bob Seely said he would back Mr Gove, adding: 'Gove is best able to deliver [Brexit]  he may be the only leader who can.' Advertisement

Mr Javid, who backed Remain in the referendum but has since positioned himself as a firm Leaver, says he can 'unite the party and the country'.

His bid to win over Brexiteers has been boosted by the arrival of former Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliott, who is running his campaign.

Mr Javid became the first home secretary from an ethnic minority background when he was appointed last April.

The son of a Pakistani bus driver from Rochdale, he was a managing director at Deutsche Bank before being elected to Parliament as the MP for Bromsgrove in Worcestershire.

He has long been a devotee of Mrs Thatcher, and has a picture of the former prime minister above his desk at the Home Office.

Yesterday he won the endorsement of justice minister Edward Argar. Writing on the Conservative Home website, Mr Argar said: 'Sajid has an inspiring story of how he got ahead in life and what our country means for him  he is the embodiment of the Conservative values of aspiration and hard work, and of modern British identity.

'The reason many voters never consider voting for us is because they don't believe we understand their needs or share their values.

'That's why Sajid's working-class background, with a family who relied heavily on public services, will be such an asset in the next election.

He says he believes the technology exists to avoid a hard border in Ireland (Prime Minister Leo Varadkar pictured) without needing the backstop  and adds he will even offer to pay tens of millions to Ireland to help pay for the equipment needed, in a bid to break the deadlock

He has long been a devotee of Mrs Thatcher, and has a picture of the former prime minister above his desk at the Home Office

'The drive that took him to university, and into a highly successful business career, is also exactly the kind of spirit and skill we need as a country to fully seize our post-Brexit opportunities.

'Sajid is someone with extensive experience in both the private sector and in Government, having held four different Cabinet roles.

'This is the sort of man who could do the job of being our prime minister from day one.'

The London Chamber of Commerce yesterday said no prime minister can guarantee avoiding No Deal, and must be ready for it.

Chief executive David Frost said: 'Business needs to be confident that Government is still preparing for a No Deal Brexit.

SAJID JAVID: 'NO, I won't back second referendum, NO, I won't call a general election, NO, I won't revoke Article 50,' says leadership hopeful as he launches PM bid with Thatcher war cry

By Sajid Javid for the Daily Mail

As much of the country basks in early summer sunshine, we are just weeks away from the third anniversary of that momentous June day when the British people stood up and told that the world that it was time for the UK to leave the European Union.

As politicians we are supposed to serve our electors. We asked them for their decision. They gave it in good faith.

And as I said at the time, MPs and government had a duty to get on and deliver on the result.

'MPs and government had a duty to get on and deliver on the result,' writes Tory leadership contender Sajid Javid (pictured outside the Home Office)

To seize all the opportunities offered by leaving the EU, and go out into the world as a fully independent nation, in control of our destiny once more.

Three years later  and after local, national and European elections in which too many good, honest Conservatives have been voted out of office  the British people's frustration and the need to make good on the referendum result have never been greater.

The responsibility of doing so will fall to the next leader of the Conservative Party  and if he or she fails in that task, we risk irreparable damage to the very fabric of our democracy.

Whoever they are, they will have a duty to be straight with the British people. And they will need a plan for getting the job done.

Not empty slogans and fiery rhetoric, but an honest, credible set of proposals that recognises the significant challenges we face  and which will deliver results not in the Parliament and EU we would like to see, but the Parliament and EU that are before us today.

There's no point dwelling on how we got into the stormy seas that now surround us.

What matters is how we steady the ship and plot a course to the bright horizon we all want to reach  and I'm the right person to do it.

I spent a career in business doing international deals. I know how to make them happen and how to get the best out of negotiations, and I've used those same skills in government to get things done at home and build bridges with other countries.

Now, I'm ready apply those skills to the biggest challenge this country has faced since 1945  and I have a detailed plan for doing so.

First, we must unite as a party to get a deal through in this Parliament. Some argue we should have a second referendum.

Others, a general election. Some even suggest revoking Article 50. Well, in the words of a great British Prime Minister who knew how to get what she wanted from the European Commission: No, no, no.

'Three years later  and after local, national and European elections in which too many good, honest Conservatives have been voted out of office  the British people's frustration and the need to make good on the referendum result have never been greater', writes Mr Javid

'Some even suggest revoking Article 50. Well, in the words of a great British Prime Minister who knew how to get what she wanted from the European Commission: No, no, no', writes Sajid Javid, quoting Margaret Thatcher

The voters have been asked their opinion more than enough times. Never in this country's history have we asked people to go to the polls a second time without implementing their verdict from the first.

Another vote before we leave would be disastrous for trust in politics, and cause the kind of chaos that risks handing Jeremy Corbyn and his hard-left supporters the keys to No 10.

Second  we need to prepare fully for No Deal. This isn't because I want it. But we have to accept the reality of our situation.

The EU's insistence that negotiations happen under a ticking clock mean, come October 31, that is what we face if we don't have a deal.

As Prime Minister I would immediately step up No Deal preparations. We would aim to keep the impacts to a minimum.

But, while too much apocalyptic language has been used, we have to be honest. It wouldn't be painless. So, as part of preparations we would have a broad, bold No Deal Budget ready.

'We need to prepare fully for No Deal. This isn't because I want it. But we have to accept the reality of our situation', writes the Home Secretary

This would also show the EU we are ready  so when we turn up to negotiate, they know we are not afraid of walking out.

Third  we must focus on what we need to get a deal which can be agreed. That means accepting the realities of the parliamentary arithmetic, and what is practically possible.

We know the only thing that has got through our Parliament successfully is the Withdrawal Agreement with backstop provisions amended to include a time limit or exit clause.

So, fourth  I would work directly with Ireland so we can amend the backstop. The backstop is important to the EU because it is important to Ireland. So that's where our efforts need to focus.

And there's something big in our favour. We both want the same thing  as now, an invisible and frictionless border.

What's currently missing is trust in our ability and determination to deliver that. That requires two things.

Someone who could work with them constructively building a strong relationship of personal trust. And a credible solution.

I've looked at this in the Home Office, tasking a team from Border Force to look at what we'd need in place.

Mr Javid (pictured with his wife Laura) believes that a revised deal needs to be put before Parliament

They were clear the technologies already exist to avoid a hard border, and important work in being undertaken by the Alternative Arrangement Commission on this front. What we need is the trust and will on both sides to make this work a reality.

Of course, some will say this isn't possible. I understand that caution. But in practice this is a feasible plan.

And I think we will see more engagement as a new Commission takes place and we get closer to October.

Others will ask why Ireland should pay for the consequences of the UK's decision to leave.

That's a fair point, so as Prime Minister I would agree to cover the cost to Ireland of delivering this.

It's a small price to avoid No Deal  and the risks that would bring to the hard-won peace.

Fifth  we'll need to take this revised deal though Parliament. There is no getting around the fact that the timing for negotiations and then getting legislation through will be challenging.

But I would take every step possible to ensure we leave with a deal by October 31.

This is an honest, realistic plan to get a deal through. I have to be straight  delivering it won't be easy.

But if we succeed  and I believe we will  then this is the path that will lead our great country to a still greater future.

As Prime Minister I would have a clear position. We should leave on October 31. And if we cannot get a deal we should, with great regret, leave without one, having done everything we can to minimise disruption.

Of course, the arithmetic of a minority government is inescapable. As the recent comments of the Speaker demonstrated, it's simply not credible to promise you can deliver a No Deal if Parliament is set against it.

And anyone who promised this would risk driving us to a pre-Brexit general election this year.

A disaster first and foremost for our country and public trust in democracy, but also for our party.

That's why we need a leader who can unite the party, and country, behind a credible plan  and then go and actually deliver it.

I believe this is that plan.

And I know I am that leader.
They have been waiting 75 years for this moment.

And five days from now, the dwindling band of brothers who took part in the greatest military operation of all time will have their first sight of the monument to their 22,442 comrades who never came home.

Today, the Mail is proud to give its generous readers this exclusive glimpse of the stirring statue that will form the centrepiece of the new Normandy Memorial.

It has just been erected on the spot where so many young men charged ashore and gave their all. Now under wraps and round-the-clock protection, it will be formally unveiled on Thursday  the anniversary of D-Day  in front of veterans, bereaved families and world leaders including the Prime Minister and the French President.

Five days from now, the dwindling band of brothers who took part in the greatest military operation of all time will have their first sight of the monument to their 22,442 comrades who never came home

Here we see three British soldiers charging up the beach and into the hellish unknown, their camaraderie beautifully captured in bronze.

Standing 9ft tall and weighing several tons, the three figures are not based on any individuals and deliberately carry no legible regimental markings or insignia.

The great D-Day invasion of France on June 6, 1944 involved hundreds of thousands from all the Services and the Merchant Navy, too.

The ultimate purpose of this colossal multinational endeavour, however, was to put Allied infantry on French soil and keep them there.

That is why the award-winning sculptor David Williams-Ellis has distilled the essence of D-Day into this powerful and dynamic study of that quintessential hero  the ordinary British soldier doing his duty.

'They are in standard battle dress and in my mind one is a lance corporal and the other two privates,' said Mr Williams-Ellis, who spent months researching every aspect of the invasion and talking to many veterans before embarking on this great undertaking.

'There is no rank on them, it's just a suggestion. I wanted it to be a scene expressing camaraderie and leadership. I will leave the viewer to judge which is the lance corporal.'

Award-winning sculptor David Williams-Ellis has distilled the essence of D-Day into this powerful and dynamic study of that quintessential hero  the ordinary British soldier doing his duty. Pictured are allied soldiers landing on a Normandy beach on D-Day

He has also sought to represent the three main fighting components of a standard infantry section. One figure is armed with a Bren light machine gun, one has a Sten machine gun and the third clasps the trusty Lee Enfield .303 rifle.

'He is just about to get the rifle into his shoulder and fire,' said Mr Williams-Ellis. 'I wanted to create something that really had energy.'

The statue is the first phase of a memorial that will not be completed for at least another year. Spread across a 50-acre site at Ver-sur-Mer, overlooking a ten-mile stretch of sand codenamed 'Gold Beach', it will feature stone columns engraved with the names of every serviceman under British command who perished in the invasion and the subsequent 77-day Battle of Normandy.

Among the women honoured will be two brave nurses who were still tending to the wounded when their hospital ship, the Amsterdam, was sunk off Juno Beach.

Every other allied country involved in the landings has long had a national memorial on French soil. Not so Britain  until now. The omission has been a source of disappointment to the veterans who are still raising funds. For them, Thursday's inauguration ceremony will be a very happy milestone.

An imposing site overlooking 'Gold Beach' in the town of Ver-sur-Mer has been chosen as the location for the British D-Day memorial

'Anyone who talks to the veterans and to the loved ones of those who fell can be under no illusion about how much this memorial means to them. Now it's really happening,' said Lord Dannatt, the former Chief of the General Staff and a trustee of the Normandy Memorial Trust.

The project has been made possible thanks to a 20million grant from the Treasury's Libor Fund (of penalty fines from errant banks) plus donations from the philanthropist Michael Spencer and thousands of Mail readers. However, a further 7.5million is still urgently needed to complete it.

Let no one say that this is now 'history' or that it is time to 'move on'. Here at the Mail, we have been bowled over by the response to our campaign, as have the trustees and volunteers at the trust.

Take this enchanting letter from Margaret Betts, of Stone, Staffordshire, who kindly sent a donation in honour of her father, Private Daniel McLoughlin, who died on July 12, 1944.

'I was 18 months old then so never really knew my dad except in photographs my mum gave me,' she writes. 'She told me how he saw me three or four times before he left for Normandy so that is nice to know he was able to hold me in his arms.' Margaret took her widowed mother to visit his grave many times before her death in 2009. She now looks forward to visiting the memorial with Daniel's grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

'I'm 76 and I've missed my father every day of my life,' she tells me. So many donations have come from people who never knew their uncles or fathers; many more from those eternally grateful that a loved one or forebear made it back alive.

To understand how the events of 1944 resonate to this day, just listen to some of the heartbreaking messages and testimonies on the memorial's website. They include the stories of men like Squadron Leader Jack Collins DFC and Bar, from Newcastle, a Typhoon pilot who was killed leading 245 Squadron over Caen in 1944.

His son Mike Collins was four when he died. He talks movingly of his excitement, as a toddler, on seeing his father's picture in the paper, not realising it was a report of his death. Like all the relatives of those who fell, Mike now cannot wait to see the memorial take shape and to see his gallant father finally included on the Roll of Honour.

'I am very proud of my father and his colleagues,' says Mike. 'We will remember them.' And so  with your help  we shall.

All donations to normandymemorialtrust.org or cheques to The Normandy Memorial Trust, c/o The Secretary, 56 Warwick Square, London SW1V 2AJ.
Jeremy Hunt last night denied he had 'flip-flopped' on Brexit.

The Foreign Secretary faced a backlash from Leave supporters this week after warning Brexit might have to be delayed again to avoid a 'suicidal' No Deal departure.

Rivals accused Mr Hunt of a U-turn, as he had previously argued the country would 'flourish and prosper' after Brexit even without a negotiated agreement.

The comments saw him lose ground among party moderates, with Michael Gove reaping the rewards.

Jeremy Hunt last night denied he had 'flip-flopped' on Brexit after warning it might have to be delayed again to avoid a 'suicidal' No Deal departure

Yesterday Mr Hunt fought back, insisting that No Deal must be kept on the table.

He told the BBC: 'My position has not changed on Europe at all.' The Foreign Secretary was also buoyed by an endorsement from Mr Gove's own ministerial deputy, Robert Goodwill.

He also revealed he had received more than 100,000 in donations for his leadership bid from both sides of the Brexit divide.

Mr Hunt's aides said he was attracting backing from businessmen impressed by his entrepreneurial background.

Appearing on Nick Robinson's BBC podcast, Mr Hunt said: 'I said that once the referendum had happened we must respect it.

We must keep No Deal on the table  I've been very clear that ultimately if there was a choice between No Deal and no Brexit, and you could only chose between those two, I would choose No Deal.'

Rivals accused Mr Hunt of a U-turn, as he had previously argued the country would 'flourish and prosper' after Brexit even without a negotiated agreement

Mr Hunt also warned against taking a 'hardline approach' in Brexit talks, adding that the UK had 'made mistakes' in the negotiations with the EU so far.

'If you take a very hardline approach to get out of this crisis, you will get a very hardline response from the other side, and you're not going to solve it,' he said.

Mr Hunt also insisted he had the right personality for the top job, saying: 'I don't think you should confuse external modesty with inner toughness.'

Environment minister Mr Goodwill yesterday said Mr Hunt 'has been remarkably good at every job he has done, particularly given all the incoming flak he has had to take'.

Mr Hunt has also benefited from a surge in donations. He has been given 25,000 by Terence Mordaunt, co-owner of the Bristol Port Company.

In January, the pro-Leave businessman  who has given 135,000 to the Conservative Party  said he feared Brexit may never happen.

The comments saw him lose ground among party moderates, with Michael Gove reaping the rewards

Mr Hunt has received 10,000 from Remain-supporting Ken Costa. The London-based South African banker is a long-time Conservative donor who backed David Cameron in 2005

Mr Hunt has also received 10,000 from Remain-supporting Ken Costa. The London-based South African banker is a long-time Conservative donor who backed David Cameron in 2005.

Another Remain supporter, Andrew Law, the chief executive of hedge fund Caxton Associates, has given him 10,000.

A source said: 'People recognise that Jeremy's entrepreneurial background is exactly what is needed to unite the party and the country.'

Multi-millionaire Mr Hunt made his fortune setting up the university guide Hotcourses.

The donations will be declared in his next declaration in the register of members' interests, which is due to be published next week.
The young Syrian girl who captured the world's attention after tweeting about the civil war has spoken about the need for 'urgent action' for refugees.

Bana Alabed, now nine, was evacuated from war-torn Aleppo along with her family in 2016.

Her tweets in English documented the airstrikes, hunger, destruction and death surrounding her life in Syria.

Bana Alabed, nine, came to global attention with her tweets about the realities of living in Syria during the civil war

The now Turkish citizen has warned about the need for 'urgent action' for world peace and to prevent the horrors of the Syrian war being repeated, pictured in Aleppo in 2016

Bana's tweets brought more global attention to the plight of Syrians and showed a human face to the conflict

Bana, who now lives in Turkey but says she misses her old life in Syria, said: 'When the war started, everything changed. I was afraid that I, or another member of my family, would die.'

The girl, who was just seven when she started her Twitter account, lost her friend Yasmin in the war and often went without food or water.

She told Anadolu Agency: 'Refugee children all over the world, especially in Syria, have suffered a lot from bombings and conflicts.

The young refugee was listed as one of Time's 25 most influential people on the internet in 2017

Bana's tweets about the harsh realities of the Syrian conflict received huge global attention

The schoolgirl stands among the rubble in Aleppo where she saw one of her best friends die

'We must try to bring peace to their countries, so they can return to their homes.'

Bana had a two-day journey from Syria to Turkey with many other refugee children where she was greeted by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on her arrival.

She said: 'I told myself I have to remain calm when delivering my message from the children of Syria, which is to let children everywhere live in peace.'

She was often feared dead if she didn't tweet regularly and her followers constantly sent messages of support

The inspirational young girl now boasts 324,000 followers on Twitter and is calling for 'urgent action' to bring an end to the conflict in Syria and elsewhere

Bana often tweeted about her near escapes from death with constant bombing in Aleppo

Turkey is housing more refugees than any other country in the world and nearly 3.6million of them are from Syria.

Despite now being a Turkish citizen, Bana dreams of returning to her home in Syria and rebuilding the country.
Donald Trump could meet Boris Johnson during his official state visit - as Downing Street are reportedly relaxed about how the US President spends his free time.

Mr Trump has previously described the former foreign secretary as a 'friend' and said he was a 'very talented guy' who would 'make a very good prime minister'.

The meeting could take place on Tuesday, when Mr Trump's schedule is lightest, and he is expected to spend time at Winfield House, the US ambassador's residence in London, according to The Times.

High ranking White House officials are currently organising the President's 'executive time' which is thought to include a meeting with Boris Johnson.

British officials have been asked whether is would be problematic for a meeting between a candidate for Tory leader and the US President to take place.

But, while No 10 are nervous about protests that might be provoked by the three-day visit, they are thought to be relaxed about what Mr Trump does with time not dictated by the packed itinerary.

Mr Trump has already thrown his support behind Boris Johnson, claiming the favourite for the Tory leadership would do a 'very good job'.

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn yesterday, Donald Trump said he 'may' hold talks with Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage during his three-day trip to the UK

In an interview, he said that Mr Johnson, a hard Brexiteer, would be an 'excellent choice' as leader before adding that he had studied the Tory leadership race 'very hard'.

The latest comments come after an impromptu press call in Washington yesterday, where Mr Trump paid a glowing tribute to Mr Johnson, describing him as a 'big power'.

His team are believed to have told British officials that the president wants to schedule in some 'executive time', particularly during his stay at Winfield House.

Any meeting with Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage or other Tory leadership hopefuls is expected to take place then.

A Downing Street source told the Times: 'Who the president meets during his visit is a matter for him.'

Mr Trump also told the Sun: 'I actually have studied it very hard. I know the different players.

'But I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent. I like him. I have always liked him. I don't know that he is going to be chosen, but I think he is a very good guy, a very talented person.

'He has been very positive about me and our country.'

The US president heaped praise on Mr Johnson, and it looks as if he will meet with the Foreign Secretary

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson is widely seen as the favourite in the Tory leadership race

The president's comments come despite Theresa May still being the current leader of the party and it could make their 'business meeting' awkward

The president also claimed that several Tory leadership candidates have asked for his endorsement, although he said that Michael Gove was not one of them.

Mr Trump also revealed that he 'likes' foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Mick Mulaney, acting Chief of Staff at the White House, is thought to have requested the meeting during the planning stage of the state visit.

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn yesterday, Mr Trump said he 'may' hold talks with Mr Johnson or Mr Farage during his three-day trip.

'Nigel Farage is a friend of mine. Boris is a friend of mine,' Mr Trump said.

'They are two very good guys, very interesting people.

'Nigel has had a big victory, he has picked up 32 per cent of the vote starting from nothing (in EU elections).

'I think they are big powers over there, I think they have done a good job.'

The US president is set to touch down in London on Monday.

Royal gun salutes will fire at the Tower of London and in Green Park to honour the US President and First Lady Melania Trump.

The Queen, 93, is hosting no fewer than four official events in tribute to Mr Trump, and Prince Charles and the Duke of York will be heavily involved too.

His team are believed to have told British officials that the president wants to schedule in some 'executive time', particularly during his stay at Winfield House

The President will also have lunch with Mrs May at Downing Street in one of her final ceremonial duties as Prime Minister.

Mr Trump is bringing four of his five children with him, including son Barron, 12, and his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.

Any meeting with Mr Johnson that does take place will have to be held away from the official itinerary.

Mr Johnson is the front runner to take Prime Minister Theresa May's job this summer after she finally resigned admitting she had failed to deliver Brexit.

But the contest is becoming increasingly chaotic after former chief whip Mark Harper became the twelfth candidate to throw his hat into the ring.

There is also the possibility that Mr Trump will meet with Nigel Farage during his visit.

He praised the Brexit Party leader during the same press call where he shared his admiration for Mr Johnson.

Mr Farage told MailOnline he would be 'perfectly happy' to meet Mr Trump, but no plans were yet in place.

'We will have to see,' he said. 'I would be perfectly happy to, of course I would.

'I last saw him a couple of months ago on the other side (of the Atlantic).'
President Trump's former lawyer John Dowd left a secret voice message to the attorney for former National Security Advisory Mike Flynn asking for a 'head's up' if he had any information that 'implicates' the president, according to an unsealed document.

Dowd also pointed out Trump and 'his feelings toward Flynn,' in a call that was referenced in the Mueller report, which investigated possible obstruction of justice by Trump.

The Justice Department released the transcript of a November 22, 2017 voicemail Dowd left with Flynn lawyer Rob Kelner at a time when Flynn was deciding whether to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigators.

'I'm sympathetic; I understand your situation,' Dowd says in the message, which Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered released and which the government put in a court filing Friday.

One of President Trump's lawyers asked an attorney for National Security Advisory Mike Flynn for a 'head's up' regarding any incriminating information

Robert Kelner

He said it wouldn't surprise him if 'you've gone on to make a deal with, and, uh, work with the government'  something Flynn ultimately decided to do.

He said he understood Flynn could probably not be part of a joint defense agreement where defendants share information.

'If, on the other hand, we have, there's information that. .. implicates the President, then we've got a national security issue, or maybe a national security issue, I don't know ... some issue, we got to-we got to deal with, not only for the President, but for the country,' he said, CNN reported.

John Dowd called a lawyer for Mike Flynn in November, 2017 and reminded him of Trump and his 'feelings' for Flynn

President Donald Trump's former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, his attorney Robert Kelner and his wife Lori Andrade arrive at federal court in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018

President Donald Trump asked advisors to tell Flynn to 'stay strong,' according to the Mueller report

Dowd signed off on the message: 'Thanks, Pal.'

Special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian election interference included excerpts from the call.

Trump lawyer John Dowd's voice message to Flynn lawyer Robert Kelner 'Hey, Rob, uhm, this is John again. Uh, maybe, I-I-I'm-I'm sympathetic; I understand your situation, but let me see if I can't ... state it in ... starker terms. If you have ... and it wouldn't surprise me if you've gone on to make a deal with, and, uh, work with the government, uh ... I understand that you can't join the joint defense; so that's one thing. If, on the other hand, we have, there's information that. .. implicates the President, then we've got a national security issue, or maybe a national security issue, I don't know ... some issue, we got to-we got to deal with, not only for the President, but for the country. So ... uh ... you know, then-then, you know, we need some kind of heads up. Um, just for the sake of ... protecting all our interests, if we can, without you having to give up any ... confidential information. So, uhm, and if it's the former, then, you know, remember what we've always said about the President and his feelings toward Flynn and, that still remains, but-Well, in any event, uhm, let me know, and, uh, I appreciate your listening and taking the time. Thanks, Pal.' Advertisement

Flynn is awaiting sentencing after providing what prosecutors said was extensive cooperation.

Flynn shared with the government a number of instances 'that could have affected both his willingness to cooperate and the completeness of his cooperation,' two U.S. attorneys said in a sentencing document last year.

Judge Sullivan also ordered that Flynn's conversations with former Russian ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak be posted, but they remained under seal.

According to the Mueller report, Flynn began cooperating with Mueller's office in late November, 2017.

Does'd call came on Nov. 22, the same day Flynn withdrew from a joint defense agreement with Trump.

Flynn's lawyers returend the message the following day and said they were no longer in a position to share information under any sort of privilege  acknowledging the joint agreement was over. Flynn's lawyers said Trump's personal counsel 'was indignant and vocal in his disagreement,' according to the report.

'The President's personal counsel said that he interpreted what they said to him as a reflection of Flynn's hostility towards the President and that he planned to inform his client of that interpretation,' according to the report, which cited an interview with Flynn's counsel.

Flynn's lawyers took it as an attempt to make them reconsider' their position.
Infamous Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli who is currently serving time in Federal prison for defrauding investors has filed a lawsuit on Friday claiming this time that its him thats been duped.

The 36-year-old claims two directors and the ex-general counsel of his former biopharmaceutical company Retrophin fraudulently ousted him as head of the firm five-years-ago.

Shkreli believes former CEO Stephen Aselage, Chairman Gary Lyons and Retrophin's former top attorney Margaret Valeur-Jensen tricked him into signing a document that surrendered his stake in the company, causing him to miss out on more than $30 million in profits.

Martin Shkreli who is currently serving time in Federal prison for defrauding investors has filed a lawsuit on Friday claiming to have fallen victim to fraud

Shkreli believes (left to right) Ex-Chairman Gary Lyons, former CEO Stephen Aselage and Retrophin's former top attorney Margaret Valeur-Jensen tricked him into signing a document that surrendered his stake in the company, causing him to miss out on more than $30 million in profits

After starting a biopharmaceutical company from scratch and turning it into a successful enterprise worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Mr. Shkreli was unceremoniously and illegally ousted from the company at the hands of Defendants, the complaint begins.

Defendants, who had little to do with the success of the company but were instead driven by their egos, jealousy, and greed, were successful in only one thing: creating and carrying out a scheme to oust Mr. Shkreli from the company for their selfish benefit.

Indeed, the only people who benefited from Mr. Shkrelis ouster were the three Defendants and a few other people they recruited.

Filed in a Manhattan federal court on Friday, the lawsuit comes days after Shkreli was moved to a new prison in Pennsylvania where he will serve the remainder of his seven-year sentence for securities fraud, relating to two hedge funds and Retrophin - which he founded in 2011 after both of the funds collapsed.

Through his attorney, Shkreli claims that all three of the defendants paid themselves over $35 million in bonuses after he was ejected from the board

The shamed pharmaceutical entrepreneur claims the trio paid themselves $35 million in bonuses after ousting him, in order to fund their retirement plans

Shkreli is currently serving a seven-year sentence for securities fraud, relating to two hedge funds and Retrophin - which he founded in 2011 after both of the funds collapsed

Through his attorney, Shkreli claims that all three of the defendants paid themselves over $35 million in bonuses after he was ejected from the board.

Having fully funded his retirement with the illegal ouster, Mr. Aselage has since retired with an extraordinary retirement package and is ready to wash his hands of the company, the lawsuit continues.

Before he does, however, both Mr. Aselage and his co-Defendants Mr. Lyons and Ms. Valeur-Jensen must face the consequences of their actions and compensate Mr. Shkreli for the damage they caused.

The brazen lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages.

Dubbed the Pharma Bro for his maverick persona and often questionable conduct, Shkreli achieved national infamy in 2015 when he boosted the price of life-saving AIDS drug Daraprim by more than 5000%.

He then persisted to troll his critics online until his conviction in August 2017.

Dubbed the Pharma Bro for his maverick persona and often questionable conduct, Shkreli achieved national infamy in 2015 when he boosted the price of life-saving AIDS drug Daraprim by more than 5000%.

Recently, he's spent time in solitary confinement while the US Bureau of Prisons investigated whether he violated rules forbidding inmates from conducting business behind bars and possessing cellphones.

Shkreli is alleged to have used the illegal device to regularly update his social media pages and is even said to have fired the company's chief executive in February.

The probe was launched after the Wall Street Journal reported that Shkreli - once dubbed the most hated man in America - had secretly been contacting executives at his company, Phoenixus AG, using a contraband smartphone.

If found guilty he could find himself behind bars for an additional year.
The close relationship between Theresa Mays government and Huawei was laid bare last night as Donald Trump prepares to fly to the UK.

The Daily Mail can reveal that since she became Prime Minister, ministers have held no fewer than 14 meetings with officials from the Chinese tech giant.

Mrs May herself held a meeting with a Huawei boss, and Matt Hancock  now a candidate to replace her as Tory leader  has met officials four times.

Last month Mrs May sparked a transatlantic row after it emerged that she is considering allowing Huawei limited access to help build the UKs new 5G network.

The Daily Mail can reveal that since she became Prime Minister, ministers have held no fewer than 14 meetings with officials from the Chinese tech giant

The US believe the Chinese government is using the company to spy on Western countries, and they have warned that it could threaten Britain and Americans intelligence-sharing relationship.

The concerns are expected to be raised by President Trump during his state visit.

The investigation also reveals that the Tories close relationship with Huawei goes back even further than Mrs Mays time in office, with both David Cameron and George Osborne having met officials from the firm when they were in government.

Last night Conservative MP Bob Seely said: This is a concerning number of meetings.

Its clear theres a major lobbying exercise under way, and I would love to know what was said and what was promised at these meetings.

Between July 2016, when Mrs May took over as Prime Minister, and September last year, there were 14 meetings between government ministers and Huawei officials. That works out at around one meeting every two months.

Mrs May herself held a meeting with a Huawei boss, and Matt Hancock  now a candidate to replace her as Tory leader  has met officials four times

The Prime Minister met Huawei Group chairman Sun Yafang in February 2018, during a trip to China. At the meeting, the company agreed a new 3billion commitment to the UK. At the time, Mrs Sun said: Over the coming years we look forward to continuing to collaborate with our customers and partners to help keep the UK at the very forefront of the digital age.

Records show that in October 2017, Damian Green, who was then Mrs Mays de facto deputy, had a meeting in Britain with Huawei to discuss current and potential investment in the UK. Mr Hancock met officials from the firm four times, three times as Culture Secretary and once as a junior minister in the culture department, between October 2016 and June last year. Subjects discussed included technology and the impact of Brexit on the telecommunications sector.

Mr Hancocks predecessor as Culture Secretary, Karen Bradley, met the firms officials three times between August 2016 and October 2017. At the last meeting, they discussed 5G and Huaweis investment plans.

The present Culture Secretary, Jeremy Wright, had an introductory meeting with Huawei last September.

Ben Gummer, the former Cabinet Office minister, met Huawei officials in October 2016 to discuss Huaweis business dealings in the UK. And Greg Hands, the former international trade minister, met them to discuss investment in the UK. Culture minister Lord Ashton held two meetings with officials, in November and December 2017.

Separately, the register of members interests shows that Therese Coffey, a junior environment minister, accepted a 400 donation from Huawei in October 2016 in the form of a conference business dinner.

A government spokesman said ministers regularly engage with a wide range of telecoms stakeholders.

The security and resilience of the UKs telecoms networks is of paramount importance, he said. We have robust procedures in place to manage risks to national security and are committed to the highest security standards. Huawei is not in any sensitive networks, including those of the Government.
Donald Trump has expressed his surprise at comments made by the Duchess of Sussex about him when he was elected President in 2016.

The president said that 'I didn't know she was nasty' after he was told that Meghan once called him as 'misogynistic' and 'divisive'.

However, shortly after the comments Mr Trump heaped fulsome praise on the new mother, saying that she would make a 'very good American Princess' and that he hopes she will 'succeed'.

His kind words for Meghan are a departure from his usual approach to critics, and he seemed keen to move past the Duchess of Sussex's comments that were made to a US talks show in interview in 2016.

The President also says he 'hopes she's OK' after giving birth to baby son Archie just weeks ago.

Speaking ahead of his visit to the UK on Monday, Mr Trump also said he had not realised Meghan would not be present among the Royals meeting him, who will include Prince Charles, the Queen and Prince Harry.

President Donald Trump has revealed his surprised at the 'nasty' comments made about him by the Duchess of Sussex

Officially, Meghan will be missing the state visit because she is on maternity leave with baby Archie, however sources claim her absence is to avoid a potentially awkward clash with the US president.

Meghan was a vocal supporter of Hilary Clinton and during a 2016 interview, said that 'you don't want to live in the kind of world that he [Trump] is painting'.

Speaking about the Duchess' comments to the Sun, President Trump said: 'I didn't know that. What can I say? I didn't know that she was nasty.'

However, he later added that he was glad to see her as part of the royal family, saying: 'It is nice, and I am sure she will do excellently. She will be very good. I hope she does (succeed).'

During an interview with Larry Wilmore on the Nightly Show in 2016, Meghan said: 'We film Suits in Toronto and I might just stay in Canada.

'Yes, of course, Trump is divisive, think about female voters alone, right?

'I think it was in 2012 the Republican Party lost the female vote by 12 points.

'That is a huge number and with as misogynistic as Trump is, and so vocal about it, that is a huge chunk of it.

'You're not just voting for a woman if it's Hillary (Clinton). Yes you're voting because she's a woman, but certainly because Trump has made it easy to see that you don't really want that kind of world that he's painting.'

Meghan looks set to miss the state visit as she is still on maternity leave following the birth of baby Archie

President Trump also revealed that he was looking forward to meeting the Queen, describing it as a great honour.

He added that he would be willing to discuss climate change with Prince Charles and defended his decision to pull the US out of the Paris climate change agreement last year.

Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, Harry and even Prince Andrew will spend time with the US President during his three-day visit.

A private lunch on Monday will see the Queen and Prince Harry meet the president, but the Duchess of Sussex will stay at home with baby Archie.

President Trump revealed how he was looking forward to meeting the Queen again on his state visit (pictured with the Queen in 2018)

After this, Mr and Mrs Trump, accompanied by Prince Andrew, will visit Westminster Abbey, where the President will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.

They will then be taken on a short tour of the Abbey.

The day will continue with the President and First Lady joining The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall for tea at Clarence House.

In the evening, The Queen will host a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace and both Her Majesty and the President will make speeches.

The following morning, the President and Theresa May will co-host a business breakfast meeting, attended by The Duke of York, at St James's Palace, with senior UK and US business leaders.

Mr Trump is reportedly bringing his grown up children with him when he visits the UK - daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both advisers to the President, along with her siblings Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump.

Arriving on June 3, President Trump will be welcomed by the Queen at Buckingham Palace (left). The president will also have tea with the the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (right) at Clarence House

The president has also thrown his support behind Boris Johnson, claiming that the favourite for the Tory leadership would do a 'very good job'.

Mr Trump looks set to meet with the former foreign secretary during his state visit to the UK, after previously describing him as a 'friend'.

The meeting between the US President and the former Foreign Secretary is being organised by high-ranking White House officials, according to reports.

In an interview, he said that Mr Johnson, a hard Brexiteer, would be an 'excellent choice' as leader before adding that he had studied the Tory leadership race 'very hard'.

The latest comments come after an impromptu press call in Washington yesterday, where Mr Trump paid a glowing tribute to Mr Johnson, describing him as a 'big power'.

Mr Trump is reportedly bringing daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, both advisers to the President, along with her siblings Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump

Prince Harry will join the Queen for a private lunch with Donald Trump but Meghan is set to stay at home with baby Archie

Full details of Trump's state visit to Britain have now been revealed, including all the royals he will meet over the three days

His team are believed to have told British officials that the president wants to schedule in some 'executive time', particularly during his stay at Winfield House in London on Tuesday, which is the US ambassador's residence.

Any meeting with Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage or other Tory leadership hopefuls is expected to take place then.

Some British officials are said to be worried at any controversies Mr Trump may cause during his visit, though Downing Street has is believed to be relaxed.

A Downing Street source told the Times: 'Who the president meets during his visit is a matter for him.'

Mr Trump also told the Sun: ''I actually have studied it very hard. I know the different players.

'But I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent. I like him. I have always liked him. I don't know that he is going to be chosen, but I think he is a very good guy, a very talented person.

The US president heaped praise on Mr Johnson, and it looks as if he will meet with the Foreign Secretary

'He has been very positive about me and our country.'

The president also claimed that several Tory leadership candidates have asked for his endorsement, although he said that Michael Gove was not one of them.

Mr Trump also revealed that he 'likes' foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Mick Mulaney, acting Chief of Staff at the White House, is thought to have requested the meeting during the planning stage of the state visit.

Speaking to reporters on the White House lawn yesterday, Mr Trump said he 'may' hold talks with Mr Johnson or Mr Farage during his three-day trip.

'Nigel Farage is a friend of mine. Boris is a friend of mine,' Mr Trump said.

'They are two very good guys, very interesting people.

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson is widely seen as the favourite in the Tory leadership race

The president's comments come despite Theresa May still being the current leader of the party and it could make their 'business meeting' awkward

He may also meet with Nigel Farage who was famously the first senior UK politician to meet Mr Trump after he was elected as president - posing together by the golden elevator in his New York penthouse

'Nigel has had a big victory, he has picked up 32 per cent of the vote starting from nothing (in EU elections).

'I think they are big powers over there, I think they have done a good job.'

How Trump's state visit to Britain will unfold Monday June 3 President Trump and his wife Melania will arrive in the morning and be officially welcomed by the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at Buckingham Palace. He will have a private lunch with the Queen and view a special exhibition of items of historical significance to the United States from the Royal Collection. Later, with the Duke of York, Mr and Mrs Trump will visit Westminster Abbey for a tour, and the president will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. Charles and Camilla will host Mr Trump and the First Lady for tea at Clarence House, followed by a state banquet at Buckingham Palace that evening where both the Queen and Mr Trump will make speeches. Tuesday June 4 Mr Trump and Prime Minister Theresa May will co-host a business breakfast meeting with senior UK and US business leaders. The event at St James's Palace will also be attended by the Duke of York. The US leader will hold talks with Mrs May at 10 Downing Street, after which they will give a press conference. Mr and Mrs Trump will host a dinner at Winfield House - the official residence of Woody Johnson, the US ambassador to the UK - in Regent's Park, which will be attended by Charles and Camilla, who will represent the Queen. Wednesday June 5 Mr and Mrs Trump will join the Queen and Charles at Southsea Common in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Later, after the UK visit has come to an end, The President will travel to the Republic of Ireland to stay overnight at his Doonbeg hotel and golf resort in Co Clare and during his visit there he will meet Irish premier Leo Varadkar. Advertisement

Mr Trump will have lunch with the Queen and enjoy a lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace on the first day of his visit.

As well as Her Majesty, two future kings and a host of senior royals will be out in force to meet the US President, but he can also expect to see protestors, the 'baby Trump' blimp, and 10,000 police on the streets around the country during his visit, which comes ahead of the 75th anniversary commemoration of D-Day.

A ceremonial welcome in the gardens of Buckingham Palace and a grand white-tie state banquet in the ballroom all await the American leader after he touches down in the UK.

Staff will spend the next three days laying the table for Monday's state banquet - as napkins are folded like dutch bonnets, six glasses are set out per guest and a special cushion is placed on the Prince of Wales' chair.

The state banquet has taken six months to plan and will see 170 guests sit down in Buckingham Palace's ballroom on Monday evening.

The dress code is tiaras and white tie, or national dress, and the guests, invited due to their ties with the US, will eat from priceless dinner sets.

Their plates will be placed exactly 18 inches apart - precisely measured by staff - and glasses and chairs will all be the same distance away from the table edge.

Each guest will have six glasses - for water, a champagne toast, red and white wines, dessert wine and port.

The Queen always inspects the horseshoe-shaped table herself in the afternoon before every state banquet, making her way round the room and checking the preparations with the Master of the Household, Vice-Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt.

Surrounding the table will be 19 stations, each manned by four members of staff - a page, footman, under butler and a wine butler.

Despite the palace cellar holding 25,000 bottles of wine, the Government will be paying for the alcohol served during the banquet, a spokesperson for the Windsors confirmed today.

And staff will use a traffic light system and detailed diagrams to seamlessly serve the correct dietary requirements.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, will have lunch with the Queen and enjoy a lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace during the course of a three-day state visit beginning on Monday

A detailed plan of what Mr Trump will do during his state visit to the UK. He is expected to meet the Queen, Theresa May, and attend a lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace

The Prince of Wales will have a bowl of olive oil rather than a butter pat and a cushion to help with his back pain.

Speeches take place at the start at 8pm when the Queen and Mr Trump will both make a speech and propose toasts to one another, followed by the playing of the national anthems.

And the end of the banquet will be signalled by 12 pipers processing around the room - a tradition started by Queen Victoria.

Donald Trump and Melania will then join the Queen for coffee.

Members of the royal family wear sashes and badges known as orders if they have been given them in recognition of royal service.

Donald Trump's state banquet has taken six months to plan and will see 170 guests sit down in Buckingham Palace's ballroom on Monday evening. Pictured during a visit to Windsor Castle in July 2018

Just before the banquet begins, members of the royal family will be lined up, usually in the White Drawing Room, to be personally introduced to Mr Trump and First Lady Melania.

Then, in the Music Room, the Queen and the American couple will be formally introduced to and shake hands with each and every guest as they file into the ballroom.

The Queen and the president will then make their way into the room side by side.

The monarch will be seated next to Mr Trump at the top end of the vast U-shaped table, along with Mrs Trump, Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The President and First Lady will be given a tour of the Royal Collection to see items relating to the UK's history with the US

The Trumps will tour Westminster Abbey, where the US president will lay a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior

On Tuesday Mr Trump will meet with Theresa May at St James's Palace (pictured) over a business breakfast

Other royals will be spread around the table between the distinguished guests.

The Queen, who is now 93, is said to be a brisk eater and the banquets are not a lingering affair.

A string orchestra usually provides the musical backdrop.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of activists are preparing to paralyse London with mass demonstrations during the state visit next week.

More than 20,000 police officers will be deployed at 20 separate events planned across the country in a security operation expected to cost about 18million.

The main protest will be held in central London on Tuesday with organisers claiming a quarter of a million will march from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square. Scotland Yard has given them permission to protest just yards from Downing Street while the US President has lunch there with Prime Minister Theresa May.

The 6m tall baby blimp of Donald Trump was flown as a protest against his visit last year

A U.S. military helicopter flies in low on its way to land at the U.S. ambassador's residence, at Winfield House today

Flags and flowers are installed along the Mall and outside Buckingham Palace ahead of the visit

Two groups  Stand Up To Trump and Stop Trump  are co-ordinating protest groups for what they are calling a 'carnival of resistance'. They have laid on coaches to bring thousands of supporters to the capital from cities and towns across the UK.

A spokesman for Stand Up To Trump said: 'We will be bringing central London to a standstill. By the time he leaves he will know, and the world will know, that people here reject him and his toxic politics.'

Stop Trump added: 'We will make it clear to the British Government it's not OK to normalise Trump's agenda and the fear it has sparked.'

The protesters, who are being led by a ragbag army of hard-Left activists and Corbynistas, are planning to fly an offensive 20ft blimp depicting the President as an angry baby. It was previously flown during Mr Trump's visit last year after London's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan licensed its use.

Last night the mayor's office once again granted permission for it to be flown over the capital, although protesters still need final approval from the Metropolitan Police before it is launched.

Today workers in cherry pickers installed Union Jack flags along the length of the Mall in preparation for the visit.

Scotland Yard's elite counter-terrorism specialist firearms unit who train with UK special forces are pictured here

Donald Trump will travel in a motorcade of around 20 mostly armoured black SUVs when he arrives for his UK state visit

A 16ft talking robot of Mr Trump sitting on a gold toilet, which has been shipped to the UK from China, is also expected to make an appearance. It depicts the US leader with his trousers round his ankles while tweeting, and emits breaking wind noises and recordings of some of Trump's provocative soundbites, including 'no collusion', 'you are fake news' and 'I'm a very stable genius'.

Thousands of protesters are also expected to stage a demonstration outside Buckingham Palace during the royal banquet on Monday night being held in honour of the US President.

The Women's Peace Council is staging a rally called The People's Banquet because it does not believe Mr Trump 'deserves this red carpet treatment'.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry yesterday announced that she would be attending the main rally and urged her supporters to join her.

Using the slogan #StopTrump, she said she is marching because the US President 'is destroying all the values that have always united Britain and America'.

Hundreds of thousands of activists are preparing to paralyse London with mass demonstrations during Donald Trump's state visit next week

A giant robot of Donald Trump sitting on a gold toilet is on its way to the UK after being shipped from China for protests against the US president's state visit

Dawn Butler MP, Labour's women and equalities spokesman, issued a rallying call to activists, saying: 'If you do one thing next week, it's come out on your lunch break and stand up against Trump.

'Stand up against all of the hatred that he uses to elevate himself and say, 'Not here, not in our country. We don't want it and we don't want you.' '

The 2018 anti-Trump protest was led by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, but the party remained tight-lipped last night over whether he is planning to attend Tuesday's rally. Mr Corbyn has already turned down the Queen's invitation to the royal banquet at Buckingham Palace.

There are fears that fierce anti-Trump sentiment could turn violent, and Met police chiefs are concerned that activists may adopt similar tactics used at the Extinction Rebellion protests, which brought misery to thousands in April when large parts of the capital were closed for days by protesters.

Workers erect a fence a Winfield House in Regent's Park, London, as the UK prepares to welcome Donald Trump. Preparations are being made across the capital for the president's arrival

Road blocks are assembled around Winfield House in Regent's Park, London, were security measures are being enforced ahead of Donald Trump's arrival

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: 'It's a concern, because we would not want that type of activity to happen again. I am never going to sit here and tell you that type of incident will never happen again, because there are some things we can do in policing and some things we can't.'

The Met said officers have met organisers of the main anti-Trump protest and have banned demonstrators from walking the entire length of Whitehall to allow the President's motorcade to enter Downing Street without hassle.

During last year's visit, Mr Trump spent only a few hours in London and so avoided most of the protesters, although he did acknowledge he had been made to feel unwelcome and suggested he might never visit London again.

On this occasion he will almost certainly see  and hear  thousands of anti-Trump activists.
British conservationists are being trained to breed wildcats in captivity so they can be reintroduced back into rural parts of Cornwall, Devon and central Wales.

Despite looking like their domestic counterparts, wildcats are untameable animals that are closer in their behaviour to big cats like leopards.

Extensive culling by gamekeepers led to wildcats not being seen in England and Wales in around 150 years, although a small population remains in Scotland.

Such was their renowned ferocity, that one 15th-century hunting author noted: If any beast has the devils strength in him, it is the wildcat.

Although free-range farmers might lose the odd chicken to reintroduced wildcats, experts think they would be less disruptive than foxes and could help control pests.

Scroll down for video

British conservationists are being trained to breed wildcats in captivity so they can be reintroduced back into rural parts of Cornwall, Devon and central Wales

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT EUROPEAN WILDCATS? Larger than their domestic counterparts, European wildcats are descended from the relatively tamer subspecies of African wildcat. Wildcats will eat birds, rabbits and rodents  but typically not lambs. It is a common misconception that the felines prefer dense forest  in fact, they like well-hedged farmland. Wildcats are found across continental Europe, in Turkey and the Caucus. They have not been seen in southern England since the 16th century, although some remain in Scotland. Culling by gamekeepers radically reduced their numbers. Now, they may be bred for release in rural Cornwall, Devon and mid Wales. Advertisement

Big cat expert and wildcat breeder Marianne Hartmann has been training British conservationists in the methods she used to reintroduce wildcats into Bavaria.

Target rural areas for reintroduction in the UK include those in Cornwall, Devon and mid-Wales, which would be the best suited habitats for the wildcats, a feasibility study by the Vincent Wildlife Trust has suggested.

It is a common misconception that the felines prefer to live among dense forest  in fact, they like to reside across well-hedged farmland.

Despite their reputation as beasts with 'the devils strength', to quote the writings of one 15th century hunter, culling has wasted wildcat populations.

They have not been recorded in the south of England since the 16th century, although a small population still remains in Scotland.

However, this clowder of cats has become unviable, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with only 30 member left in the population that shows a high level of hybridisation with domestic cats.

'Theres nothing left of the Scottish population,' ecologist Derek Gow, who has successfully reintroduced beavers and water voles in the UK, told the Guardian.

Mr Gow has recently set up a wildcat breeding facility in Devon.

Experts think that the hybridisation of the wildcats in Scotland occurred because gamekeepers so diminished the population through culling that the male wildcats were forced to mate with feral cats to survive.

'Its been a good effort,' Mr Gow said of efforts to support the Scottish population.

'But this is the last-chance saloon and we need to do things completely differently and have a big viable captive breeding population,' he added.

'We need to start doing this kind of restoration right now and on a much grander scale than weve ever contemplated before.'

Despite looking like their domestic counterparts, wildcats are untameable animals that are closer in their behaviour to big cats like leopards

The initial step in the reintroduction will be to breed enough wildcats in captivity to sustain a long-term release operation.

'We need to bring animals from Swiss and German zoos, build up a stock and have captive cats that are capable of producing 150 kittens a year,' said Mr Gow.

Wildcats are already being bred by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

In Germany, Ms Hartmann had initially supplied 100 captive-bread wildcats to support a reintroduction programme that ultimately put around 700 of the felines back into the wild.

The project has even seen the burgeoning cat population expand across into the Czech Republic.

Extensive culling by gamekeepers led to wildcats not being seen in England and Wales in around 150 years, although a small population remains in Scotland

Ms Hartmann has much advice for prospective breeders on how to handle the easily-stressed animals  such as talking softly to them and offering more dens in enclosures in which the felines can hide and feel safe.

Her methods appear highly successful, with Ms Hartmann's queens producing an average of four kittens per litter.

Most captive wildcats only birth one or two young at a time.

She trains the kittens to hunt using an automated feeder that releases dead mice on elastic cords.

Learning to time their pounce on the bouncing prey help the cats hone their killer instinct and practice the death-inducing bite they inflict on their preys' necks.

As with the Scottish wildcat population, the primary hurdle to be overcome in reintroducing wildcats elsewhere in the UK will be preventing hybridisation with feral domestic cats.

Conservationists will need to remove large numbers feral cats from the chosen reintroduction areas before the wildcats can be set loose.

According to Ms Hartmann, however, hybridisation risks are overstated, as male wildcats mostly kill any domestic cats they encounter, rather than mating with them, unless they are unable to find a female wildcat to partner with during mating season.

Although free-range farmers might lose the odd chicken to reintroduced wildcats, experts think they would be less disruptive than foxes and could help control pests

Larger than their domestic counterparts, European wildcats are native to the continent and descended from the relatively tamer subspecies of African wildcat.

'Wildcats look like the kitty at home but they are like leopards,' said Ms Hartmann.

'Ive been working with leopards for many years and the only difference is size, and that leopards can get tame.'

'If you hand-raise lions or tigers, they remain tame for the rest of their lives.

'Wildcats cannot be tamed under any circumstances. This is very special.'

A code of best practice for reintroduction projects is being developed by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

However, a license to release wildcats in England will not be required as the animals can still be found in the wild in Scotland.

'The movement and release of any species in England, including wildcat, should follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature guidelines,' said a Defra spokesperson.

'These guidelines ensure there are clear environmental and socioeconomic benefits to gain from releasing the animals, and that their welfare is maintained.'

It is a common misconception that the felines prefer to live among dense forest  in fact, they like to reside across well-hedged farmland

While farmers might be initially alarmed at the prospect of untameable cats roaming across the British countryside, Ms Hartmann said that wildcats never attack lambs.

They would pose a threat to free-range chickens, she noted, however such activity would be less destructive than foxes, as the cats only take single birds at a time.

In contrast, wildcats preference for hunting pests like rabbits and rodents could be beneficial for farmers.

'Wildcats are no kind of threat to people who are not subsistence farmers and we are not subsistence farmers in this country,' said Mr Gow.

Target rural areas for reintroduction in the UK include those in Cornwall, Devon and mid-Wales, which would be the best suited habitats for the wildcats, a feasibility study by the Vincent Wildlife Trust has suggested

According to Ms Hartmann, the hurdles to reintroducing wildcats are 95% politics, 5% conservation and nothing to do with the animals themselves.

'The most promising programme is in England and Wales,' she said.

'The wildcat was there historically, there is habitat left and the most challenging thing is the feral cats,' she added.

'If you manage to control that, it can be a big success.'

'But a reintroduction is a lifetimes work. Its 20 to 30 years. Its not just releasing animals.'
Apple could be preparing to outdo its rivals by making its own folding phone.

A patent submitted by the company shows a double folding screen that can either be bent back on itself or folded inward from either end.

The design means the device could also be used as a tablet when unfurled.

iPhone submitted a prototype last year which folds in the middle and since then Huawei, Samsung and Lenovo have all launched foldable devices.

Scroll down for video

Apple is one-upping its competitors with an innovative phone design that not only fold once but twice. The image shows a possible design

In a US patent spotted by Apple Patently, the company filed to protect both single and multifold devices.

The document includes 37 drawings covering different technical features and folding configurations.

A patent submitted by the company shows a double folding screen that can either bend back on itself (pictured, top) like a fan or fold inward from either end

The diagrams detail how the folding mechanism will work and states it is a hinge which rotates to allow the screen to fold together.

It will be able to go from a 180 degree angle to 90 degree angle, it claims.

Another diagram shows that the screen can be folded backwards so that it wraps around the 'back' of the device.

In this form, the screen forms a triangle, and two people seated on either side of the folded display could view the same content when it is balanced on two edges.

Last year, a prototype of an iPhone that folds in the middle like a book was submitted by Apple although no folding devices have been officially announced by the firm. A possible design of this is shown above

On its website, Patently Apple described what these multi-folding phones could look like: 'The flexible cover layer may be formed from a ceramic material (e.g., glass, strengthened glass, sapphire, zirconia) to provide some measure of protection for the flexible display from impact or other potential damaging contact.

'The flexible cover layer may also provide structural support for the display along both the folded and non-folded regions of the device. As used herein, a cover layer may also be referred to as a cover sheet or simply as a cover.'

'In general, a foldable electronic device can be folded to accommodate a variety of form factors. For example, a foldable electronic device may be used in an unfolded configuration to allow use of an entire display area.'

The new designs from Apple are unlikely to be restricted to just an iPhone and could also be applied to an iPad, MacBook or even an Apple Watch.

In a US patent spotted by Apple Patently , the company has has applied for both single and multifold devices in its latest of patent submissions. The image shows the hinge that would allow the device to fold

The document shows the rotating hinges (pictured) that would be used to convert the devices between a flat screen tablet and smaller phone.

Beyond the sketches, the patent provides few details around how the device would actually work.

The designs have been made into real looking images such as that by Dutch industrial designer Roy Gilsing, a product developer who has worked for clients such as Rabobank, Colgate-Palmolive and Fresh n Rebel, according to the site foldable.news.

'At our request, he designed the imaginary iPhone X Fold, a sleek handset with two displays. The outer display features a 1:3 aspect ratio and the inner, foldable display has a 2:3 aspect ratio', the website wrote.

A previous patent by Apple titled 'Flexible Display Devices' was filed on October 12th, 2018.

Apple previously filed a patent for a phone with a bendable screen. LetsGoDigital used the patent sketches to create 3D concept images of what Apple's folding phone could possibly look like

As many pointed out, these designs are unlikely to be restricted to just an iPhone. They could also be applied to an iPad, MacBook or even an Apple Watch. Pictured are 3D renders of former designs

WHAT FOLDING PHONES ARE THERE AND WHAT ARE THEIR ISSUES? Samsung Galaxy Fold The Samsung Galaxy Fold is considered a market leader but has suffered some issues with reliability. Reviewers found it was bubbling and breaking around the hinge. Huawei Mate X It stole the show at MWC 2019 and was regarded by many to be superior to the Samsung. It has been curtailed by the recent Huawei exile from Google which has seen the Chinese firm's android license get revoked. Oppo foldable It hasn't formally been released yet but the Oppo foldable phoneclosely resembles the Huawei device. A prototype was also unveiled at MWC. Motorola Razr A different take on the foldable dynamic comes from the Motorola Razr. It folds vertically in a new version of the iconic flip phone. It was formally announced in April and a release date has not yet been set. Advertisement

As with any patent, it's unclear whether Apple actually plans to develop these devices.

It emerged as just about every major device maker has detailed plans to manufacture a folding phone of some kind.

Samsung released its own folding phone, called the Galaxy Fold, tomorrow.

The Korean tech giant first teased the device last year, showing off a secretive phone that folds open to become a tablet and, when folded closed, is compact.

Chinese tech firms TCL, ZTE and Xiaomi have either debuted or have detailed plans to release a folding phone.
Godzilla  the famous radiation-altered dinosaur from Japanese film  has evolved 30 times faster than real-world creatures since its first film appearance in 1954.

Researchers compared the so-called 'King of the Monsters' rate of evolution with that of 2,500 animals.

When Godzilla first rampaged through Tokyo it was only 164 feet high (50m), but has reached 393 feet (120m) tall in 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters', released on May 31, 2019.

The fictional beast, researchers argue, has grown alongside our increasing collective fears over topics from nuclear war to environmental destruction.

Scroll down for video

When Godzilla first rampaged through Tokyo it was only 164 feet (50m) high (pictured left) , but grew to 328 feet (100m) in the eighties (pictured, centre ) before finally reaching 393 feet (120m) tall (pictured right) in 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters', released on May 31

Using the United States' military spending as proxy for humanity's global anxieties, the researchers found a strong correlation between our growing collective fears and the increase in Godzilla's body size between 1954 and 2019

Godzilla  the famous radiation-altered dinosaur from Japanese film  has evolved 30 times faster than real-world creatures since its first film appearance in 1954 (Pictured: Godzilla's new, larger body size in 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' which was released on May 31, 2019)

WHAT IS GODZILLA? Godzilla first roared onto our screens in October 1954, when he was woken from his slumber and given terrible power by through exposure to a nuclear bomb test. Rampaging through Tokyo, Godzilla sought revenge against mankind for destroying its deep-water ecosystem. Godzilla served as a cautionary metaphor against the indiscriminate destructive power of nuclear weapons and a symbol of nuclear holocaust from a Japanese perspective. Eight months before Godzilla premiered, a US nuke test on Bikini Atoll released dangerous levels of fallout over hundreds of miles. This caused acute radiation sickness on a Japanese trawler and tainted tuna that reached Japanese homes. It is noticeable that the prehistoric behemoth has almost consistently been growing in size across the subsequent 34 films in the Godzilla franchise. Advertisement

Godzilla first roared onto our screens in October 1954, when he was woken from his slumber and given terrible power through exposure to a nuclear bomb test.

The then 164 feet (50 metres) tall beast served as a cautionary metaphor against the indiscriminate destructive power of nuclear weapons and a symbol of nuclear holocaust from a Japanese perspective.

Eight months before Godzilla premiered, a US nuke test on Bikini Atoll released dangerous levels of fallout over hundreds of miles, causing acute radiation sickness on a Japanese trawler and tainted tuna that reached Japanese homes.

It is noticeable that the prehistoric behemoth has almost consistently been growing in size across the subsequent 34 films in the Godzilla franchise.

The Godzilla of the eighties movies had grown to 262 feet (80 metres), for example, and by the recently-released film 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' the giant beast had reached 393 feet (119.8 meters) tall.

Comparing the rate of Godzilla's apparent growth over the last 65 years, anthropologist Nathaniel Dominy and biologist Ryan Calsbeek of Dartmouth College, Hanover, calculated that the monster has evolved 30 times faster than real-life animals.

If, as described on-screen, Godzilla were a ceratosaurid dinosaur from over 145 million years ago then the monster 'represents a sensational example of evolutionary stasis, second only to coelacanths among vertebrates', the researchers said.

Like Godzilla in the first movie, coelacanths were once though extinct before being found alive, almost unchanged from their prehistoric form.

Unlike the real-life prehistoric fish, however, the fictional creature has undergone dramatic changes since its initial appearance.

'Godzilla has doubled in size since 1954,' Professors Dominy and Calsbeek said.

'This rate of increase far exceeds that of ceratosaurids during the Jurassic, which was exceptional,' they added.

'The rate of change rules out genetic drift as the primary cause. It is more consistent with strong natural selection.'

The researchers calculated the evolutionary pressure on Godzilla based on existing genetic studies into the evolution of lizards, comparing the result with the average rate of evolution seen in an analysis of 2,500 wild animals in the present day.

It is noticeable that the prehistoric behemoth has almost consistently been growing in size across the subsequent 34 films in the Godzilla franchise

Researchers compared the so-called King of the Monsters' rate of evolution with those calculated by a study of the evolutionary pressure on 2,500 wild animals

'It would be a mistake to dismiss Godzilla: King of the Monsters as mindless pap or escapist fantasy,' Professors Dominy and Calsbeek write in their paper.

'It is the 35th film in a series stretching to 1954, easily the longest in world cinema history,' they add.

'Icons are always a reflection of their times, and few have enjoyed such longevity.'

For the authors, the franchise's enduring success is a testament not just to the peculiar beauty of the destruction Godzilla causes, but also for the ever-changing metaphor that the king of the monsters has become.

'What began as a pointed anti-nuclear fable has since evolved into a broader allegory for human folly and our reckless disregard for the natural environment,' they added.

When Godzilla first rampaged through Tokyo in the fifties it was only 164 feet high, but has reached 393 feet tall in 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters', released on May 31, 2019

Using the United States' military spending as proxy for humanity's global anxieties, the researchers found a strong correlation between our growing collective fears and the increase in Godzilla's body size between 1954 and 2019.

'Whether reacting to geopolitical instability, a perceived threat from terrorists, or simply fear of the other, many democracies are electing nationalist leaders, strengthening borders, and bolstering their military presence around the world,' the researchers said.

'We suggest that Godzilla is evolving in response to a spike in humanitys collective anxiety,' they added.

'The monster is more than a metaphor. It is a fable with a lesson for our times,' Professors Dominy and Calsbeek conclude.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal Science.
A stunning 3D reconstruction of a Pictish fort has been revealed which brings an ancient Scottish settlement back to life.

The remote fort dates back approximately 1,700 years and sits atop a 20-foot-high sea stack and was first excavated in 2015.

Analysis of the outcrop found it was likely cut off at high tide and researchers at the University of Aberdeen visualised what it would look like if still attached to the mainland.

It was found on top of the Dunnicaer sea stack close to Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, and appears to have been built with stone imported from elsewhere in the country.

The site is near the ruins of Dunnotar Castle which is an important Pictish settlement in Scotland's history in its own right.

Scroll down for video

Analysis of the outcrop found it was likely cut off from the mainland at high tide and researchers at the University of Aberdeen visualised what it would look like if still attached to the mainland (pictured)

The video illustrates what it would look like if the settlement had never become separated from the mainland.

The archaeologists recruited a team of experienced mountaineers to scale Dunnicaer's sheer drops.

Partial remains of houses were found on the cliff edge, which shows that much of the settlement had fallen into the sea.

Remnants of turf and timber structures with preserved floor layers and hearths were also discovered.

It also suggests space was at a premium as some hearths were built on top of one another.

Evidence of Roman pottery and glass was also found, indicating the inhabitants had strong connections to the empire.

It appears the site was eventually abandoned in the late fourth or early fifth century and the population migrated to nearby Dunnotar.

Dunnotar swelled in numbers and became regarded as the elite centre of Pictish society by the seventh century.

It was lost for centuries as the vertical drops and jagged cliffs made it unassailable.

A group of youths from Stonehaven conquered the stack in 1832 and found a host of decorated and carved Pictish symbol stones.

The rebellious teens threw some of them into the sea and the priceless artefacts had to be recovered at a later date.

Pictish symbol stones are a unique tradition of carving that may have denoted high status names.

The radiocarbon dates for the settlement suggest that these stones may be amongst the earliest in the carving tradition.

Professor Gordon Noble from the University oif Aberdeen, said in 2015: 'Being youths, they did what youths do and threw them down into the sea.

The video illustrates what it would look like if the settlement had never become separated from the mainland. The archaeologists recruited a team of experienced mountaineers to scale Dunnicaer's sheer drops

Remnants of turf and timber structures with preserved floor layers and hearths were also discovered. It also suggests space was at a premium as some of the hearths were built on top of one another

WHAT WAS DUNNOTAR CASTLE? Dunnotar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress on the northeastern coast of Scotland. It is about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries. It is thought the population swelled when the sea stack of Dunnicaer became separated from the mainland and the inhabitants either bolstered the ranks of Dunnotar or founded it. A Scottish force under William Wallace captured the castle in 1297. The English garrison inside took refuge in the church, but Wallace burned the church with the soldiers inside, and destroyed the castle. It also had visits from famed monarchs Mary Queen of Scots and James VI. The castle slowly fell into disrepair and an effort to save its remains was mounted in 1925. Advertisement

'One of them returned later to collect one of the stones and since then a few others have been found. They had rough designs carved into them.'

When Dr Noble and his team from the Northern Picts project conducted a five day excavation on the top of the site, they uncovered the remains of what appears to be a rampart wall.

They also found post holes and the remains of a hearth that appears to have been within a house built inside the fort. They even found charcoal still in the stone fire place.

Mr Noble said there may have been a settlement built on the land behind the fort, although as the Picts largely built their homes from wood, it would be hard to find many remains.

Professor Gordon Noble said more recently: 'We always knew that Dunnicaer was a site of major significance but carrying out an archaeological survey was hampered by the inaccessibility of the site.

'Thanks to the help of mountaineering experts, we were able to carry out some extreme archaeology!'

The small fort was discovered on top of Dunnicaer sea stack (shown above) and would have given the inhabitants a strong defensive position

The Dunnicaer sea stack sits just off the east coast of Scotland close to Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire

The researchers also found evidence for post holes (above) that were used in the fort ramparts during the dig in 2015

In order to reach the site, the team had to employ the services of professional rock climber Duncan Patterson, who climbed up the sea stack and put ropes in place.

'It is plausible that, although already in an eroded state, the outcrop would have been significantly bigger in the time of the Picts, making it a suitable site for a settlement,' he added.

'This video helps to fully visualise how the fort may have looked in the fourth century which we think helps to further bring to life the lives of the Picts, who are so poorly understood because of the lack of historical records.

'We're so glad we have been able to do the dig on Dunnicaer at this time. Coastal erosion is a huge threat to archaeological sites of this kind and the remaining stack will continue to erode.'

The Picts were a group of tribes that lived in eastern and northern Scotland.

Although best known for the carved stones and jewellery they left behind, it is thought that they were farmers but also engaged in sea raids.

The archaeologists discovered the fort on Dunnicaer after following up reports that Pictish stones had been found there when some local youths climbed up the sea stack.
Using Twitter to debate may be responsible for a drop in the quality of public discourse, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that Twitter use among students correlated with a drop in test results of between 25 to 40 per cent.

Experts say that the drop was most noticeable among higher-achieving students, and that the use of social networking sites had impaired their performance.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said last year that his firm is responsible for 'building a systemic framework to help encourage more healthy debate, conversations, and critical thinking.'

But the finding may confirm what many people have already claimed - that social media is not the best place for a well-informed discussion.

Using Twitter to debate may be responsible for a drop in the quality of public discourse, a new study suggests. Researchers found that Twitter use among students correlated with a drop in test results of between 25 to 40 per cent

Researchers from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan studied the performance of around 1,500 students attending 70 Italian high schools during the 2016 to 2018 academic year.

They were given a novel written in 1904 by Italian Nobel laureate Luigi Pirandello to study.

The text - The Late Mattia Pascal - satirises issues of self-knowledge and self-destruction.

Half of the students were encouraged to discuss and analyse the text on Twitter, with lecturers adding their own responses to enliven the debate.

The remaining 50 per cent used more traditional classroom-based seminars to pour over the work.

Those who used Twitter suffered the drop in performance when it came time for tests.

'It's quite detrimental,' said the university's economic policy professor Gian Paolo Barbetta, in an interview with The Washington Post (WP).

'I can't say whether something is changing in the mind, but I can say that something is definitely changing in the behaviour and the performance.'

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (pictured) said last year that his firm is responsible for 'building a systemic framework to help encourage more healthy debate, conversations, and critical thinking'

While it may seem unfair to hold Twitter - a platform built on snappy short form messages - to account for failing to boost academic performance, the site is already in use by hundreds of Italian schools.

These institutions have created a forum, dubbed TwLetteratura, for discussions on great works of literature.

Experts behind the paper say the findings suggest we should all be more wary about using Twitter to debate the issues of the day.

Professor Barbetta told the WP that people will take a shortcut if it's given to them.

'But a shortcut won't take you to the destination in this case,' he added. 'It will take you somewhere different.'

The full findings of the study were published in a working paper put out by the university and have not yet been peer reviewed.


One of the former leaders of a covert government program meant to investigate the nature of 'unknown aerial phenomenon' is opening up about some of the strange and often unexplained accounts.

In an upcoming History Channel documentary featuring former head of the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), Luis Elizondo details his involvement with the Pentagon's UFO research program in a blockbuster New York Times report from 2017.

In the Times' report, Elizondo revealed that he left the secretive $22 million government program after what he has termed excessive secrecy and internal opposition to the project.

Scroll down for video

Luis Elizondo, pictured above, headed a secretive government program meant to investigate the nature of UFO's and will open up about his involvement in a History Channel documentary

According to Elizondo, who spoke to Live Science ahead of the documentary's premier tonight at 10 pm ET, the goal of his participation is to kick start a frank conversation about the phenomenon witnessed by the now defunct program and other reports like it.

Included in that discussion, are various puzzling reports of aircraft that seem to defy the laws of gravity as humans know them, traveling and maneuvering at speeds unparalleled by current technology.

In a recent New York Times report, a former Navy official described some of those sightings which he said occurred between 2014 and 2015.

The mysterious craft, which he said looked like a spinning top, had no visible signs of propulsion but were able to reach 30,000 feet at speeds well faster than sound.

'These things would be out there all day' Lt. Ryan Graves, an F/A-18 Super Hornet pilot told the Times.

Unexplained aircraft often defy the laws of gravity, traveling at speeds well beyond the limits of human aerospace technology. In a New York Times report, a former Navy official described some of those sightings ( one shown) which he said occurred between 2014 and 2015

'Keeping an aircraft in the air requires a significant amount of energy. With the speeds we observed, 12 hours in the air is 11 hours longer than wed expect.'

Likewise, Elizondo said, these sightings of seemingly impossible aircraft were not uncommon. In an interview with Live Science, he said that some of the ships reported by the agency far exceeded the known limits of gravitational force.

While human technology tops out at about 16 to 18 G's, the craft seemed to ignore those rules.

'These things that we were observing were pulling 400 to 500 G's,' Elizondo told Live Science.

'They don't have engines or even wings, and they are able to seemingly defy the natural effects of Earth's gravitational pull.'

Elizondo stops short of saying the unknown craft are the result of extraterrestrial beings, but underscores the need to investigate phenomenon, citing its implications on national security.

Willingness to talk about unexplained phenomenon has seemed to broaden in the U.S. military with new guidelines on reporting sightings

'We trust the American people to know that North Korea has nuclear warheads pointed at Los Angeles, yet we don't trust them with the knowledge that there's something in our skies and we don't know what it is? That seems counterproductive to me,' Elizondo told Live Science.

Elizondo's appearance in the History Channel documentary marks the latest step toward an increasing willingness on the part of the U.S. government and others to acknowledge and investigate the existence of UFO's.

Recently, the U.S. Navy also unveiled new guidelines on collecting information about UFO sightings which they said are designed to make it easier for sailors to report UFO sightings amid fears that the objects could actually be 'extremely advanced Russian aircraft.'

Earlier this month, a U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson reportedly confirmed the Pentagon's interest in UFO's to the New York Post, citing the agency's investigation of 'unidentified aerial phenomena' in an unprecedented use of UFO-like terminology.
A U.S. judge ordered Facebook Inc to give shareholders emails and other records concerning how the social media company handles data privacy after the company's lawyers argued users 'have no expectation of privacy.'

In a 57-page decision on Thursday, which followed a one-day trial in March, Vice Chancellor Joseph Slights of the Delaware Chancery Court said shareholders demonstrated a 'credible basis' to believe Facebook board members may have committed wrongdoing related to data privacy breaches.

The ruling comes despite contention from Facebook's attorney, Orin Snyder, that users have no legal right to privacy, as reported by Law360.

'There is no invasion of privacy at all, because there is no privacy,' Snyder said, according to the outlet.

Scroll down for video

A US judge has ordered Facebook to turn over internal records regarding data privacy and access to user data in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which erupted last year

The decision relates to a massive data breach in which 87 million users were compromised by the British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica without their knowledge.

Slights noted that Facebook had at the time of the 2015 Cambridge Analytica breach been subject to a U.S. Federal Trade Commission consent decree that required it to bolster its data security measures.

The breach was not revealed until March 2018.

'Evidence presented at trial provides a credible basis to infer the board and Facebook senior executives failed to oversee Facebook's compliance with the consent decree and its broader efforts to protect the private data of its users,' Slights wrote.

The ruling comes after shareholders sued Facebook last September to obtain records related to Cambridge Analytica and other breaches, and said that upon finding wrongdoing, they might sue company officers and directors through a so-called derivative lawsuit.

Derivative lawsuits are brought on behalf of companies, with money recovered from officers and directors, or their insurers, going to the companies themselves.

Facebook declined to comment on Friday. Daniel Rehns, a lawyer for the shareholders, also declined to comment.

Facebook's share price sank 19 percent, wiping out $120 billion of shareholder wealth, last July 26 after the Menlo Park, California company posted disappointing results in the first full quarter since the Cambridge Analytica breach was revealed, and said it was spending more on security measures.

Cambridge Analytica, hired by U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, used profiling techniques to predict and influence voter behavior.

It shut down after the breach was disclosed, and several U.S. and European regulatory probes into Facebook ensued.

Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told a U.S. Senate panel in April 2018 that his company discovered the Cambridge Analytica breach in 2015, but neither conducted an audit nor told users and the FTC, Slights wrote.

Slights denied some of the shareholders' record requests as over broad.

In a footnote, he said his decision stopped 'well short' of concluding that Facebook officers or directors engaged in wrongdoing, and any such determination 'awaits another day.'
Facebook's AI is getting better at identifying revenge porn, but the company still falls short when it comes to how it treats victims of the crime.

The social media giant doesn't plan to notify victims if an intimate image of them has been shared nonconsensually on the site, according to the Daily Dot.

Instead, the offending images are simply reviewed and removed by a specially trained team of Facebook employees, while the victim largely remains in the dark.

Scroll down for video

Facebook still falls short when it comes how it treats revenge porn victims. It doesn't plan to notify victims if an intimate image of them has been shared nonconsensually the site

HOW CAN YOU REPORT REVENGE PORN? If you see an intimate image on Facebook that looks like it was shared without permission, you can report it by using the 'Report' link that appears when you tap on the downward arrow or '' next to a post. Trained staff from Facebook's community operations team will review the image and remove it if it violates their Community Standards. Facebook will then use photo-matching technologies to help thwart further attempts to share the image on Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. The social media firm also liaises with safety organisations to offer support to people affected by this behaviour. Advertisement

In 2017, Facebook started using photo-matching technology to crack down on revenge porn.

After its reviewers detect revenge porn on the site, they label it with a special hash, or 'digital fingerprint,' to make sure that it cannot be shared again, a Facebook spokesperson told the Daily Dot.

Then, in March, Facebook launched new AI and machine learning tools to detect intimate photos and videos posted without the subject's consent.

Once the images are flagged, they're sent to human moderators for further review.

'By using machine learning and artificial intelligence, we can now proactively detect near nude images or videos that are shared without permission on Facebook and Instagram,' Antigone Davis, Facebook's global head of safety, wrote in a blog post announcing the new tools.

'This means we can find this content before anyone reports it, which is important for two reasons: often victims are afraid of retribution so they are reluctant to report the content themselves or are unaware the content has been shared.'

These features build on a previous pilot program, launched in 2018, wherein Facebook began letting users 'securely' send in naked photos they fear might be posted publicly.

After creating a hash for the image, Facebook said it would delete the images from its servers.

After Facebook's specially trained reviewers detect revenge porn on the site, they label it with a special hash, or 'digital fingerprint,' to make sure that it cannot be shared again

'This program gives people an emergency option to securely and proactively submit a photo to Facebook,' Davis explained.

At the time, Facebook said it had received 'positive feedback' from victims and advocacy organizations, so it was expanding the pilot program to more areas.

But by failing to notify users if they've been a victim of revenge porn, Facebook may not be doing all it can to tackle the issue.

'I understand why Facebook wouldn't want to be involved in proactively reaching out to victims,' Kelsey Bressler, a member of Badass Army, a non-profit helping victims of revenge porn, told the Daily Dot.

Doing so would require a modicum of 'bedside manner,' she added.

Facebook also may not want to notify users as they believe it could shield them from the potential emotional distress of learning someone attempted to upload one of their intimate images to the site, Gizmodo noted.

However, with users trusting the site to handle their nude images, many believe it's only fair that it notify them when the offending photo is detected.

Facebook could create an opt-in feature where users can elect to be notified when a non-consensually uploaded intimate photo is detected, that way they wouldn't be forced to receive those updates automatically, Gizmodo said.

For now, it doesn't appear that Facebook intends to roll out such a tool anytime soon.
Liverpool players have arrived at John Lennon Airport and boarded their plane to Madrid ahead of Saturday night's Champions League final.

The Reds take on Premier League rivals Tottenham at the Wanda Metropolitano in the competition's first all-English final since 2008.

Jurgen Klopp and his playing staff were spotted arriving at Liverpool's airport just before midday on Friday before they boarded their flight to the Spanish capital.

Virgil van Dijk and Gini Wijnaldum led the Liverpool players onto their plane on Friday morning

Manager Jurgen Klopp looked relaxed ahead of a second successive European Cup final

Rhian Brewster (L) and Alisson (R) pictured on the tarmac as they waited to board the plane

Star man Sadio Mane was all smiles before the flight as he flashed a pose to the cameras

Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold had his headphone in as he climbed the stairs to the plane

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (C), Andy Robertson (L) and Jordan Henderson (R) board the plane

LIVERPOOL 23-MAN SQUAD FOR THE FINAL Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, Brewster, Fabinho, Firmino, Gomez, Henderson, Kelleher, Lallana, Lovren, Mane, Matip, Mignolet, Milner, Moreno, Origi, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Robertson, Salah, Shaqiri, Sturridge, Van Dijk, Wijnaldum. Advertisement

Mohamed Salah greeted the fans waiting for them outside the terminal building and high-fived some of them as he made his way inside.

The Egyptian forward will be hoping he fares better in this season's final than in Kiev 12 months ago when he was forced off injured in the first half against Real Madrid.

Defender Virgil van Dijk was first off the bus and he strolled past the fans while listening to music.

He joined fellow Dutchman, and Liverpool's hero from the thrilling semi-final victory over Barcelona, Gini Wijnaldum as they boarded the plane.

Captain Jordan Henderson was also pictured arriving and he will be desperate to get his hands on the European Cup on Saturday night.

Klopp looked particularly relaxed on the eve of the big game and the German even cracked a huge smile as made his way from a bus onto the plane.

Mohamed Salah greeted fans waiting outside the terminal building as he made his way in

Captain Henderson will be hoping to get his hands on the Champions League trophy

Veteran midfielder James Milner appeared to be checking his documentation was all in order

Robertson also greeted the fans as Liverpool looked sharp in their black club tracksuits

Liverpool will be greeted by thousands of their own supporters when they touch down in the Spanish capital this afternoon.

The clubs received a combined allocation of 32,000 tickets for the final but it is estimated 100,000 fans from both teams have made the journey.

Liverpool owner John W Henry paid tribute to the club's loyal supporters on Friday morning ahead of the final.

Speaking on Sky Sports, the American owner said: 'If I have a message, it's for the fans. When I think of how special Anfield is and how special Liverpool is, everywhere you go around the world, people are talking about and looking at Liverpool.

'It's basically in my mind because of the fan base, similar to the Boston Red Sox.

'We have such an incredible fan base that it's such a literate and passionate fan base that when you watch what goes on at Anfield it makes you want to root for this club.'
Tourists jetting off to a Spanish holiday hotspot are being told to 'go away' by locals - who are writing it on walls to get their message across.

Graffiti saying 'tourists go away' and 'flamenco is not a show' has appeared on walls in Albaicin in the city of Granada in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia.

Other daubing saying 'tourists won't buy up Granada' and 'tourists, Granada is not a postcard' were also spotted in the picturesque district, declared a World Heritage Site in 1984 due to its Medieval Moorish past dating back to the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada.

Graffiti saying 'tourists go away' has appeared on walls in Albaicin in the city of Granada in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia

An American tourist said: 'It is a shame the city is being spoiled like this'

A spokesperson for the neighbourhood association Bajo Albaicin told local media that an increasing number of messages, predominantly written in English, have appeared over the past two weeks.

The association has some sympathy for the underlying message about overtourism, but said: 'If you want to defend Albaicin, you cannot do anything worse than spray graffiti.'

An American tourist interviewed by local media said: 'It is a shame the city is being spoiled like this. We came here 30 years ago and it has changed a lot, but it is still beautiful.'

According to local media, over 27,000 visitors come to Granada every day and the area is reliant on tourism.

Anger: This piece of graffiti declares that 'flamenco is not a show'

Granada, pictured, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1984 due to its Moorish past

However, residents often complain of rising costs and say that mass tourism damages the local way of life.

The police suspect that an organised movement is behind the increase in anti-tourism graffiti, but said that no one has reported being accosted or insulted yet, according to local media.

Reports also said that one suspect has been identified from the CCTV cameras in the area even though he was masked and 'knew what he was doing'.

No arrests have been made yet and the investigation is ongoing.
The sceptic in me is convinced producers have a rush of spring pregnancies so they can deliver (as it were) birth storylines at Christmas (trying to upstage baby Jesus?).

Lisas Belle in Emmerdale (Christmas Day, 1998), the same day as EastEnders Liam Butcher; Sallys Rosie in Corrie (Christmas Eve, 1990), and David (Christmas Day, 1990)  the list is long.

Louises pregnancy in EastEnders is currently overshadowed by Phil, Gemmas in Corrie by the news that shes expecting quads, and, worst of all, Emmerdales Victoria is pregnant after being raped.

Family planning is never high on soaplands priorities, and the number of women who accidentally become pregnant far exceeds the number who find themselves unable to conceive.

In real life, the latter is a devastating situation for many, often leading to a breakdown in relationships with partners, psychological damage and depression.

Its admirable our popular dramas explore crucial issues central to peoples lives; but I have to ask why everyone continues to ignore flamin Brexit. Maybe its second only in popularity to leaflets about contraception.

EASTENDERS

FAIRM-LY PLANNING

When Kat mentions Kushs desire to go for custody of Arthur, all hell breaks loose (pictured)

You cant help feeling that if Walford folk were banned from eating, there would be fewer arguments. Whenever anyone suggests a nice fairm-ly meal, chaos ensues.

This week is no exception when Kat enlists Stacey to prepare a meal in the hope of sorting Kush and Martins feud. Does Stacey know where the cooker is? Will anyone be able to excavate Kat from her fake leopard skin in order to get her into an apron?

Well never find out, because when Kat mentions Kushs desire to go for custody of Arthur, all hell breaks loose.

DELUDED CUPID You are very good together. Audrey to Sarah, about her and Gary, Corrie Advertisement

Despite Kat having deterred Kush from pursuing his plan, Stacey turns on her and tells her shes no longer fairm-ly.

Id say thats a huge blessing  not least for everyones stomachs that were on the verge of being subjected to the SS  Slater Supper.

There are also tensions between Phil and Louise when he suggests paying for a termination. He hopes that if Ben can use Lexi to reveal the difficulties of parenting, shell change her mind.

Er, what does Phil know about parenting? He doesnt even have the nous to recognise that his own son would be happier if he were six feet under.

CORONATION STREET

FOURS A CROWD

The news she is expecting quads comes as a big surprise to Gemma (pictured, with Chesney)

The news she is expecting quads comes as a big surprise to Gemma, but unless there is a family of wannabe showbiz parents expecting the same in Manchester my guess is it wont happen.

Despite Chesney and Gemmas desire to give all four babies a chance, the show looks as if it might be building up to a selective termination storyline.

Also, Granada, which makes the show, doesnt have enough in its coffers for Rita to acquire a new cardigan, so theyre not going to be able to stretch to everything times four. And where will they all sleep?

RESTRAINED CELEBRITY Yer daft wee woman! Yer coulda killed me. Lorraine Kelly to Gail, after an archery accident, Corrie Advertisement

Rita admits her flat is too small (its too small for her jewellery, let alone more humans) and shes too old to cope with four babies (although it would be less work than getting that wig going in the morning).

Leanne finally sees the light over Nick, when he admits he stole Audreys money.

David does the decent thing and transfers the barbers shop into Audreys name, but will it be enough, after Ken recommends that forgiveness is the only remedy.

He should know. Violent, alcoholic son, killer step-daughter, adulterous jailbird wife  and thats on top of him having to forgive himself for all his transgressions.

Favourite current storyline: the horse syndicate, and Tim enjoying talking to Tiny. Joe Duttine (Tim) and Sally Dynevor (Sally) can breathe life into the most unlikely storylines. Love them.

EMMERDALE

SHES BEHIND YOU!

ayas back, lurking in the shadows like an extra in The Shining. Hoping for a chance to speak with Jacob, her plot is foiled when Eric (pictured with Maya)

She was never going to go quietly. Yes, Mayas back, lurking in the shadows like an extra in The Shining. Hoping for a chance to speak with Jacob, her plot is foiled when Eric spots her and delivers an ultimatum: he calls the cops or she tells Jacob she no longer loves him.

For a man suspected of killing his wife following the plane crash of 1993, Id recommend staying well below the cops radar. Will Maya admit defeat? Will she heck.

Apparently, shes not going anywhere fast and its going to get a lot worse before it gets better. A bit like her hair.
The grandson of terminally ill serial killer Ivan Milat brutally shut down a request to appear on The Kyle and Jackie O Show this week.

Adrian Milat told a KIIS FM producer he would 'rather take a paper cut to the scrotum than talk to some bimbo and fat lard on the radio', referring to co-hosts Jackie 'O' Henderson and Kyle Sandilands.

Adrian then described his cancer-stricken grandfather, who is serving life without parole for murdering seven backpackers in the late '80s and '90s, as a 'cockroach'.

Ivan Milat is battling throat cancer and reportedly only has months to live.

'Why would I talk to some bimbo and a fat lard?' Ivan Milat's grandson Adrian brutally shut down Kyle and Jackie O when asked to discuss the terminally ill serial killer this week

KIIS FM producer Ashleigh Smith shared Adrian's full response to her message via the show's official Instagram account on Friday.

'I'd rather take a paper cut to the scrotum than talk to some bimbo and fat lard on the radio about any topic - let alone that cockroach Ivan, who is about as important [and] interesting to me as dried dog s**t,' he wrote.

'Thank you Ashleigh, but I will have to decline your offer. Thank you for your understanding. Best wishes.'

The Kyle and Jackie O Show had contacted Adrian to ask if he wanted to discuss his notorious grandfather, who is back in the headlines due to his ailing health.

Brutal: KIIS FM producer Ashleigh Smith shared Adrian's full response (above) to her message via The Kyle and Jackie O Show's official Instagram account on Friday

Adrian, who is the son of Ivan's daughter Lynise Milat, said of his grandfather in an interview with the Herald Sun earlier this week: 'Mate, I couldn't give the slightest f**k about that c**t or whether he lives or dies to be frank.

'Better off dead anyway and save the taxpayer some dinero [money].'

Ivan Milat was seen for the first time in a decade on Tuesday, when he was transferred from Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney's Randwick to Long Bay Prison.

The psychopath had spent the previous two weeks being treated for throat cancer and has a life expectancy of three months.

Rot in hell: Ivan Milat (pictured) was seen for the first time in a decade on Tuesday, when he was transferred from Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney's Randwick to Long Bay Prison

Police are desperate for Ivan to make a deathbed confession about other unsolved murder cases in New South Wales, but believe it's unlikely to happen.

'He has shown no remorse and I don't think he will ever tell the truth of what really happened,' the former NSW Corrective Services Commissioner said this week.

'He looked in the mirror and told himself 100 times a day he was innocent. He's a grub.'

Ivan Milat is only able to drink soup and weighs just 64kg due to his declining heath.

Last days: The psychopath had spent the previous two weeks being treated for throat cancer and has a life expectancy of three months

THE IVAN MILAT MURDERS

Between 1989 and 1992, seven young backpackers went missing while hitch-hiking on the outskirts of Sydney, New South Wales. Their bodies were all discovered in the Belanglo State Forest, near Bowral, south of Sydney, and found to be victims of serial killer Ivan Milat. The victims were: Victorians Deborah Everist and James Gibson, both 19, who were last seen in December 1989, and who were each stabbed multiple times. German Simone Schmidl, 20, who disappeared in January 1991 and died from multiple stab wounds, including a knife through her spinal cord. German Gabor Neugebauer, 21, who was gagged and shot six times and his 20-year-old girlfriend Anja Habschied, who was decapitated after they disappeared in January 1992. Britons Caroline Clarke, 21, who was shot 10 times as if she was target practice and Joanne Walters, 22, who was stabbed. Last seen in April 1992. Ivan Milat received seven life sentences for the murders and will die in Goulburn's Supermax prison. Advertisement

Serial killer: In 1996, Milat was convicted of killing seven backpackers and dumping their bodies in the Belanglo State Forest, south of Sydney. Pictured in 1997

In 1996, Milat was convicted of killing seven backpackers and dumping their bodies in the Belanglo State Forest, south of Sydney.

But despite a mountain of evidence against him, he has never confessed.

Milat has spent the past 23 years in Goulburn's Supermax prison, the strictest in Australia.

He has left the prison on just two other occasions - once in 2001 for a court appearance and once in 2009 when he cut off one of his fingers.

Milat is serving seven life sentences, which are all to be served consecutively and without the possibility of parole.
Australian actress Ruby Rose and model Catherine McNeil ended their relationship nearly nine years ago.

And on Friday, the Batwoman star, 32, proved that she and her ex-fiancee are still on friendly terms, as she wished her a happy 30th birthday.

Ruby took to her Instagram story to share a number of sweet throwback snaps of the pair together, gushing about her former flame.

Sweet: Ruby Rose (pictured) wished her former fiancee supermodel Catherine McNeil a happy 30th birthday on Friday

'Happy birthday to my favourite person,' Ruby wrote, underneath some snaps of the pair.

She then added alongside a picture of them posing with at a zoo: '17 years later and our friendship is still closer than ever.'

She added in her posts: 'Forever my favourite idiot. Welcome to thirty.'

Close: 'Happy birthday to my favourite person,' Ruby wrote, underneath some snaps of the pair

Gushing: She then added alongside a picture of them posing with at a zoo: '17 years later and our friendship is still closer than ever'

Time to celebrate! She added in her posts: 'Forever my favourite idiot. Welcome to thirty'

The snaps showed the pair posing together throughout their rise to fame, with a number of the photographs rarely seen by fans.

A number of the shots show the two women looking very playful with each other, with it proving the strength of their bond.

Ruby finished: 'See you soon Angel,' before writing a self-deprecating comment on a photo of the pair: 'Lollllll (sic) when we met my poor eyebrows.'

Strong bond: Ruby and Cat proved just how close they are in a number of the rarely seen snaps

No hard feelings! The former couple are known to be close, with the pair recently seen relaxing on a private boat in Sydney near Castle Rock Beach in January

The former couple are known to be close, with the pair recently seen relaxing on a private boat in Sydney near Castle Rock Beach in January.

At the time, Ruby shared a series of photos and short clips of the bikini-clad pair, who were clearly in high spirits during the sun-soaked trip.

In one photo, the two women can be seen sitting next to each other on a boat.

Bikini babes! At the time, Ruby shared a series of photos and short clips of the bikini-clad pair, who were clearly in high spirits during the sun-soaked trip

'Best start to my Sydney trip,' Ruby wrote, obviously thrilled to be in Cat's company.

'I made a NY plan to see as much of Australia and as many of my friends as possible because I just don't get back here enough,' she added, with Ruby being based in the US for her career.

Another video showed Ruby playfully teasing Cat over her fear of seaweed: 'I miss her hahah,' she captioned it.

It was revealed Ruby and Cat were engaged back in January 2010, but they called it off in July that year.
Rob Kardashian treated his nearly seven and a half million Twitter followers to a sweet video message he got from his two-year-old daughter Dream.

The 32-year-old uploaded a heartwarming clip this Thursday showing Dream talking to the camera while being prompted by a woman off-screen.

'Hi, Daddy. I wanna say night-night, Daddy. I love you. Sweet dreams. Ill play tomorrow. Good night!' said the toddler.

Proud papa: Rob Kardashian treated his nearly seven and a half million Twitter followers to a sweet video message he got from his two-year-old daughter Dream

Rob shares his child with his ex-fiance Angela Renee White, who goes by Blac Chyna and has recently struck up a friendship with Wendy Williams.

While Wendy's talk show this month, Chyna revealed that she has had liposuction, four boob jobs - one of which was a reduction - and buttock augmentation.

Chyna shared that she met Rob through his elder sister Kim Kardashian, whose daughter North, five, was playmates with Chyna's son King Cairo, six.

At the time, Chyna was engaged to King Cairo's rapper father Tyga - who went on to date Rob and Kim's then teenage little sister Kylie Jenner.

'Hi, Daddy': The 32-year-old uploaded a heartwarming clip this Thursday showing Dream talking to the camera while being prompted by a woman off-screen

Chyna maintains that she and Tyga remained co-parents living in the same mansion after their relationship fell apart - but this arrangement was not to last.

To hear her tell it, she was 'thrown out' of their home after Tyga took up with Kylie, throwing her a 17th birthday party while he himself was 24.

When Chyna became a single woman, Rob started pursuing her on Instagram, and she was skeptical, thinking his family were 'trying to set me up to, like, go with the brother. Like, I'm not falling for that.'

Baby mine: Rob shares his child with his ex-fiance Angela Renee White, who goes by Blac Chyna and has recently struck up a friendship with Wendy Williams

Then she found herself in Little Rock over New Year's 'hosting a party,' and with no friends around she got lonely enough to give him a ring.

They struck up her relationship and he relocated to her Los Angeles home, where she helped him increase his self-esteem, including by 'losing the weight.'

Rob and Chyna - who used to have a one-season reality show together - set to work conceiving their child, whom he initially hoped would be a son.

Family matters: Little Dream has a six-year-old half-brother called King Cairo, whom Chyna shares with her ex-fiance Tyga

When Wendy asked whether Tyga or Rob was 'the better lover,' Chyna initially asked to 'choose neither,' but on further prodding picked Rob.

Rob and Chyna had a sensational breakup in 2017 that included his getting suspended from Instagram after he posted revenge porn of her to the site.

She has been locked in a legal battle with various Kardashians ever since, claiming among other allegations that the family leaned on E! to cancel Rob And Chyna.
One of Australia's most notorious celebrity agents has revealed the staggering amount of money reality stars earn for sponsored Instagram posts.

Max Markson, who represents several Married At First Sight and Love Island alumni, claimed that his clients can earn up to $10,000 for a single social media deal.

Appearing on the Mumbrellacast podcast on Thursday, the English-born publicist said: 'I'm getting people [advertisers] ringing up, wanting to spend money.'

Big bucks! Celebrity agent Max Markson has revealed that MAFS stars like Ines Basic (left) and Jessika Power (right) can earn $5,000 to $10,000 through a single Instagram advertising deal

He continued: 'I'm charging $5,000 for three posts and three [Instagram] Stories, or $10,000.'

Max added that one of his clients, Love Island 2018 winner Grant Crapp, pocketed $5,000 for promoting a hair removal device last year.

His other clients include MAFS' Jessika Power, Ines Basic and Cyrell Paule, who have also been spruiking products on Instagram in recent months.

Money makers: Max's clients include Jessika Power (left) and Love Island winner Grant Crapp (right), who have cashed in on their reality TV fame with countless sponsored posts

In Jessika's case, Max boasted that she once received '12 million impressions' in a single week on Instagram, which translates into dollar signs for potential advertisers.

'These are phenomenal numbers,' he explained.

However, while Jessika may be bringing in the big bucks right now, Max warned that most reality TV stars only have a short window of time to capitalise on their fame.

Smooth moves! Last year, Grant pocketed a cool $5,000 for promoting a hair removal device

'It might only be 12 months and then there will be another fresh set,' he said, referring to Married At First Sight participants.

With the most recent season of MAFS concluding just two months ago, Max's clients still have plenty of time to make money.

Jessika is advertising various fashion and beauty products to her 211,000 followers, while Ines has collaborated with brands like Booby Tape and The Bondi Collective.

Lucrative: Despite her villainous portrayal on MAFS earlier this year, Ines Basic has still raked in plenty of cash by promoting brands like Booby Tape (pictured)

While the clock is ticking for this year's MAFS cast, some reality stars have managed to turn their 15 minutes of fame into a long-term career.

Keira Maguire, who rose to fame on The Bachelor in 2016, is still earning a living years later as an online influencer, earning over $1,500 for each sponsored post.

The majority of last year's Love Island Australia cast are also now full-time Instagram models, including Cassidy McGill.

Career: Keira Maguire (pictured), who rose to fame on The Bachelor in 2016, is still earning a living years later as an online influencer, earning over $1,500 for each sponsored post

Last week, Cassidy complained to her followers about 'pressures' of making a living on social media.

'I want to defend this stigma around having social media as a job. Everyone thinks we get paid to do f**k all. It's not easy!' she said in a video shared to Instagram.

'It's a tough job, we get paid well, but we have a lot of pressure and a lot of feedback to continuously go off.'

Cassidy explained that she works around the clock replying to comments, thinking of creative ideas for posts, going to events and recording videos.

'I want to give myself a pat on the back, and my fellow influencers, it's a damn hard job [but] we're lucky,' she concluded.
She's been busy traveling lately with trips to the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France and the Bottlerock music festival in Napa in Northern California.

And on Thursday, Alessandra Ambrosio treated her 10-year-old daughter Anja and seven-year-old son Noah to a trip to the Harry Potter attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.

This as cops were called to deal with a naked man who was sunbathing on the beach in front of the model's Santa Monica beach house.

Model mom: Alessandra Ambrosio treated her 10-year-old daughter Anja and seven-year-old son Noah to a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday

Too exposed: This as cops were called to deal with a naked man who was sunbathing on the beach in front of Alessandra's Santa Monica beach house

Nude sunbathing is not allowed on Santa Monica's public beaches, although it's clear from the photos the man did keep his shoes on for his tanning session on the sand.

When approached by law enforcement, he apparently told them he was naked because he was drying his wet clothes, according to TMZ.

The cops weren't having it though and after handing him his clothes, stood and watched while he dressed and then headed off without further incident.

Bagging rays: Nude sunbathing is not allowed on Santa Monica's public beaches, although it's clear from the photos the man did keep his shoes on for his tanning session on the sand

911: Santa Monica PD responded to the nude sunbather

Tall story: When approached by law enforcement, he apparently told them he was naked because he was drying his wet clothes, according to TMZ

Gave orders: The cops made the man go fetch his clothes

Covering up: The cops stood and watched while the sunbather dressed

On his way: The man, still shirtless, then headed off without further incident

Meanwhile, Alessandra, 38, was having a happy time at the theme park with her kids.

She was snapped giving son Noah a piggy back while daughter Anja dressed up in an oversized yellow Despicable Me Minions hoodie.

The Brazilian beauty also flashed the peace sign as she snapped selfies with Anja in front of Hogwarts at Universal's The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter.

She then posted the pics on Instagram with the caption: 'Hogwarts , Class of 2019 !!! We all have magic inside of us.'

Magic: Meanwhile, Alessandra, 38, was having a happy time at the theme park with her kids

Fun time: The Brazilian beauty also flashed the peace sign as she snapped selfies with Anja in front of Hogwarts at Universal's The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

Alessandra shares her two children with former fiance Jamie Mazur.

She announced in March 2018 that she and the American businessman had parted ways after 13 years together.

The former Victoria's secret Angel is now dating fashion designer Nicolo Oddi.

Hands on: The former Victoria's Secret Angel was snapped giving son Noah a piggy back
La La Anthony has joined the cast of the Beverly Hills 90210 reboot.

The 36-year-old Power actress has been signed up for a recurring role as the wife of Brian Austin Green, according to Deadline on Thursday.

She's the first non-90210 alum to officially join the cast of the new series.

New role: La La Anthony has joined the cast of the Beverly Hills 90210 reboot (pictured May 2)

Anthony will portray Greens wife, Shay, a superstar hip-hop/pop artist, reports the website.

Her character is breadwinner of the family, while her Mr. Mom husband watches over their three kids.

Shay has become used to being the center of attention, but can still be surprisingly down to earth, according the Deadline.

Coming back: The BH90210 series isn't exactly a reboot, or a sequel, but more of a meta take on the franchise that brings back the original stars

In the original Beverly Hills, 90210 finale, Brian Austin Greens character David married Tori Spellings Donna, although in the CWs followup series 90210, Donna revealed that she and David had separated shortly after the birth of her daughter.

The BH90210 series isn't exactly a reboot, or a sequel, but more of a meta take on the franchise that brings back the original stars.

The original Beverly Hills 90210 stars Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green and Tori Spelling will play heightened versions of themselves in the series, not their previous 90210 characters.

Signed up: The 36-year-old Power actress will play a recurring role as the wife of Brian Austin Green, according to Deadline on Thursday (pictured May 6)

The show will feature the actors who - having gone their separate ways in the 19 years since the series went off the air - reunite when there is talk of a reboot.

Sadly their co-star Luke Perry tragically passed away from a stroke at just 52-years-old in March.

Meanwhile, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering and Jennie Garth were spotted earlier this week on the set of Fox's BH90210 which is currently filming in Vancouver.

Poolside: Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling were spotted earlier this week on the set of Fox's BH90210 which is currently filming in Vancouver

Filming: Spelling had someone fix her dress and microphone on set

Reunited: Actor Ian Ziering was also on set

Showrunner Patrick Sean Smith and several senior writers backed out of the show.

A report from Variety claimed that the writers left due to issues with unspecified stars, though another source claimed they were unhappy with an executive overseeing the series.

Paul Sciarrotta has been named the new showrunner along with series creators Chris Alberghini and Mike Chessler.

Fox announced the six-episode event series will premiere Thursday, August 7 to kick off the network's 2019-2020 TV season.
They married 21 years ago on Wednesday.

And Cindy Crawford, 53, and Rande Gerber, 57, took to social media to celebrate their anniversary with a set of throwback photos.

Rande chose a snap of himself and his wife on the beach, while Cindy shared their wedding photo.

Their love: On Wednesday, Cindy Crawford, 53, and Rande Gerber, 57, took to social media to celebrate their anniversary with a set of throwback photos

With his photo caption, Rande surely made his bride smile.

'I didnt just choose the most beautiful girl in the world, I chose the girl that made my world more beautiful. Happy anniversary my Angel!,' he wrote.

Meanwhile, Cindy expressed her love for her life partner as well.

'Happy to be celebrating this day 21 years ago! Happy anniversary @randegerber. Cant imagine this journey with anyone else. I love you!'

Memories: Cindy shared a photo from their wedding

The happy couple looked to have celebrated their special day with an evening out, according to a selfie Cindy shared of the duo. Rande also gifted his wife with a beautiful bouquet of peach roses.

Cindy officially began her career at 17, after she places runner-up as part of a contest held by Elite Model Management, who would later represent her.

The star proved that she was more than just beauty, as she graduated valedictorian of her high school in 1984, and earned a scholarship to Northwestern University.

But Cindy put aside her chemical engineering studies after the first quarter, in order to pursue modeling full-time.

Date night: The happy couple looked to have celebrated their special day with an evening out, according to a selfie Cindy shared of the duo

'21 years!': Rande also gifted his wife with a beautiful bouquet of peach roses

Cindy would eventually go on to be one of the world's top supermodels, gracing the covers of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, ELLE and Vanity Fair, among others.

In 1991, she married Richard Gere, 56, but they split in 1995. She went on to marry current husband Rande Gerber in 1998.

The couple are parents to son Presley, 19, and Kaia, 17, both of whom are models.
On Sunday's episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Khloe Kardashian admitted that she had some deep-seated issues with her mother's boyfriend, Corey Gamble.

But on Thursday, Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner, 63, stepped away from the drama, going vintage shopping with her mother Mary Jo and her former son-in-law Scott Disick, 36 in Agoura Hills.

The mother of four stepped out looking positively professional in a black pantsuit adorned with gold buttons.

Relaxing day out: on Thursday, the Kris Jenner stepped away from the drama, going vintage shopping with her mother Mary Jo and her former son-in-law Scott Disick in Agoura Hills

Kris paired the look with a gold choker necklace and gold shades.

The businesswoman carried her phone in her hand as her hair was perfectly coiffed in her classic pixie cut.

Her 84-year-old mother followed behind her as she was seen leaving a vintage store in Agoura Hills, a city just west of Calabasas.

Positively profesh: The mother of four stepped out looking happy in a black pantsuit adorned with gold buttons

French fun: Her 84-year-old mother followed behind, sporting a black and white ensemble with her blouse featuring a repeated print of the Eiffel tower

Mary Jo also looked stylish as she sported a black and white ensemble with her blouse featuring a repeated print of the Eiffel tower.

The feisty grandmother accessorized with retro round sunglasses and a shiny black belt that matched her shiny black shoes.

Her hair was curled in an adorable bob as she held Scott Disick's hand through the store's parking lot.

Scott was dressed down in white trainers, light denim pants and a plain grey hoodie.

Drama: The relaxed day out stood in stark contrast to the week's KUWTK episode (pictured May 26)

The relaxed day out stood in stark contrast to the week's KUWTK episode.

In the episode, Khloe Kardashian admitted that she had some deep-seated issues with her mother's 38-year-old boyfriend, Corey Gamble.

The drama started after Kanye West, 41, sent a text message to Gamble.

'Kanye texted Corey something really rude. Kanye was like, "I think it's weird, like, we've never met his family''...,' Kim, 38, said during a family get-together with Khloe, 34; Kourtney Kardashian, 40, and Scott Disick, 36, in her mother's kitchen.

Admit it: In the episode, Khloe Kardashian admitted that she had some deep-seated issues with her mother's 38-year-old boyfriend, Corey Gamble

Family affair: 'Kanye texted Corey something really rude. Kanye was like, "I think it's weird, like, we've never met his family''...,' Kim said during a family get-together with Khloe, Kourtney and Scott Disick in her mother's kitchen

'Of course, we've all felt that way and thought that, but for Kanye to just so bluntly say that to him? I feel like that was the wrong choice to make at that time,' Kim said in a confessional.

Kourtney noted that Kanye acts 'very paternal' with the family and 'tries to take care of all of us'.

But Khloe agreed with Kanye, saying he was right, they don't know anything about Corey. 'We've never ...We don't know anything about Corey like that,' Khloe said.

Khloe added in a confessional: 'Corey does tend to be pretty secretive, so me and all of the kids, we just, we've been more on guard.'

Confession: Khloe added in a confessional: 'Corey does tend to be pretty secretive, so me and all of the kids, we just, we've been more on guard'

Disrespect: Kris thought it was disrespectful of Khloe to agree with Kanye, telling her daughter's his text was partially their fault

She also revealed that she didn't think their relationship would last.

'After my mom got her divorce, I was like, ''Okay, this probably isn't going to last'',' Khloe said in a confessional 'I just didnt feel the need to get that connected or attached. Then when I saw time progressing and the relationship was still there, we tried to get to know him, but he has not been receptive in this whole thing.'

Kris thought it was disrespectful of Khloe to agree with Kanye, telling her daughter's his text was partially their fault.

Not a chance: The reality star also revealed that she didn't think their relationship would last

Talking s***: 'You guys sit and talk s*** to Kanye. And, if you talk s*** to Kanye, he's going to put that up here and run with it,' she said pointing to her head.

'You guys sit and talk s*** to Kanye. And, if you talk s*** to Kanye, he's going to put that up here and run with it,' she said pointing to her head.

'I want you to recognize when you do question my relationship with Corey, this isn't OK and this hurts feelings... Corey is really taking care of me like no one ever has my entire life,' Kris told her daughter.

Kris began dating tour manager Corey four years ago, but she insists that she has no plans to marry again.

They were last seen together at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Four year affair: Kris began dating tour manager Corey four years ago, but she insists that she has no plans to marry again
She kicked off the European leg of her Caution World Tour in Dublin's 3Arena venue earlier this month.

And Mariah Carey enjoyed a short break from her busy schedule as she enjoyed a rare outing with her twin children Moroccan and Monroe, eight, in Paris, France, on Thursday evening.

The Vision of Love hitmaker, 49, looked effortlessly chic as she slipped her famous curves into a flattering maxi dress, which featured gold knitted detailing throughout.

Quality time: Mariah Carey enjoyed a short break from her Caution World Tour as she enjoyed a rare outing with her twin children Moroccan and Monroe, eight, in Paris, France, on Thursday

Maintaining her typically stylish display, the songstress boosted her frame in a pair of black chunky heels.

The Glitter actress upped the fashion ante as she accessorised with a pair of oversized bug-eye sunglasses.

With her tresses styled into a slick bun, the former American Idol judge complemented her beauty with light strokes of neutral-toned make-up.

Off-duty chic: The Vision of Love hitmaker, 49, looked effortlessly stylish as she slipped her famous curves into a flattering maxi dress, which featured gold knitted detailing throughout

Off she goes: Maintaining her typically chic display, the songstress boosted her frame in a pair of black chunky heels

All in the details: The Glitter actress upped the fashion ante as she accessorised with a pair of oversized bug-eye sunglasses

The award-winning artist shares her two children with actor Nick Cannon, 38, who she was married to from 2008 till 2016.

Mariah's sighting comes after she delivered a passionate performance at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall.

During her set on stage, the mother-of-two shared a tender moment with her twin children Moroccan and Monroe as they joined in with the superstar to sing her greatest hits.

The Ex Files: The award-winning artist shares her two children with actor Nick Cannon, 38, who she was married to from 2008 till 2016 (pictured together in 2012)

The pop sensation, who is known for her elaborate outfits, donned a colourful array of dresses, which included a strapless black gown and a dazzling pink princess dress.

Mariah, who kicked started her tour in Canada and the United States, performed her last London show on Sunday.

In addition to performance in the French capital on Saturday, the musician will take on Hamburg, Aalborg, Barcelona, Bordeaux and Amsterdam before heading back to Canada in July.
Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac left his colleagues in stitches during Friday morning's broadcast when he encountered a David Koch lookalike on the road.

Sam had ventured to one of Australia's coldest towns, Waratah, and stopped in his tracks upon spotting a tall, moustachioed gentleman standing in the crowd.

While the man was just a local with an uncanny resemblance to Kochie, that didn't stop the roving reporter from teasing the man about his convincing 'disguise'.

The Sunrise panel struggled to maintain their composure as Sam walked up to the lookalike and said: 'You might be wondering, "Why isn't Kochie on today?"'

'That's because he's in Waratah! It's great to see you Kochie,' he added, before pointing out the man's moustache saying: 'The disguise is pretty convincing!'

Luckily for Sam, the local was happy to play along with the joke, shrugging his shoulders and saying: 'I tried to get away with it...'

'The disguise is convincing!' Watch the hilarious moment Sunrise weather presenter Sam Mac encounters a moustachioed David Koch 'lookalike' on the road, leaving his co-hosts in stitches

Pictured: The real David Koch, who does not have a moustache

Sam then hilariously asked the man to imitate Kochie by saying, 'How'd you like to win some cash?' which is one of his signature catchphrases.

'Oh, he's good... just terrific!' Sam laughed, while struggling to keep a straight face.

He was reporting live from Waratah, a suburb of Newcastle, where temperatures have already dropped to below freezing.

Funny moment: Samantha Armytage and Natalie Barr couldn't stop laughing back in the studio

The weatherman was recently announced as a nominee for this year's Gold Logie.

He is nominated alongside Amanda Keller, Costa Georgiadis, Eve Morey, Rodger Corser, Waleed Aly and Tom Gleeson.

Gleeson's nomination comes after he controversially fronted a last-minute joke campaign backing Grant Denyer to win the Gold Logie last year, but it inadvertently became successful.

Lookalike larks: Sam then hilariously asked the man to imitate Kochie by saying, 'How'd you like to win some cash ?' which is one of his signature catchphrases

Grant's win surprised many in the industry, as they had expected A Current Affair host Tracy Grimshaw to win the trophy.

Many celebrities publicly criticised Gleeson's campaign, including actor Russell Crowe, who made it clear that he believed Tracy should have won.

Some stars are now calling for a 'total revamp' of the Logies, claiming the voting system is rigged and has been for decades now.
The Final Mission: Foxys War

Rating:

Ambulance

Rating:

Former special forces soldier Jason Fox let slip a backstage telly secret on The Final Mission: Foxy's War (C4) when he met an old friend in a Kabul bar and revealed what he was doing back in Afghanistan.

Producers at Channel 4 had asked him where in the world he most wanted to make a documentary, he said, with an incredulous glint in his eye.

Foxy's shows generally involve putting celebrities through SAS training camps or riding blindfold through Mexican slums on his way to interview a hitman for the drug cartels.

Given a free choice, of course he didn't say, 'Please can I spend another fortnight up to my neck in mud and leeches,' or, 'Most of all I'd love to be shot at with sub-machine guns by 13-year-olds out of their heads on cocaine.'

Instead, he blagged the channel into flying him to Helmand Province where he had spent three years on combat tours.

Former special forces soldier Jason Fox (pictured) let slip a backstage telly secret on The Final Mission: Foxy's War (C4), writes CHRISTOPHER STEVENS

Then he called every old pal in the country. The bloke in the bar, Kosh, had done well for himself: when Foxy knew him, Kosh was a translator for British forces, but now he is a senior government minister.

Another chum, high up in the Afghan security forces, took Foxy out on night patrol. This looked good on green night-vision video, but the cameraman didn't seem to be enjoying himself.

With sadistic nonchalance, the presenter told him that, if bullets started to fly, their only chance of survival was to dive for cover.

Foxy was discharged from the military in 2012 with a diagnosis of PTSD, but it was obvious he'd love to be back in action.

Life on Civvy Street was all very well, he said, but 'the hecticness of war is a little bit more therapeutic'.

Searching for evidence that Allied intervention has left Afghanistan a safer place, he joined a group of young female mountaineers  women who would not have been allowed out of doors, much less to do dangerous sports, under the Taliban regime.

Foxy (pictured right) was discharged from the military in 2012 with a diagnosis of PTSD, but it was obvious he'd love to be back in action, writes CHRISTOPHER STEVENS

It was obvious they found nothing therapeutic, or even remarkable, in the constant shadow of war. Wading through snow drifts in a high gully, one brave woman remarked that there were land mines all round them.

Not to worry, she added  the snow had probably rusted them solid. That's all right, then.

For 94-year-old Mac, wartime hadn't been all bad. He proudly told paramedic Paul, as a new series of Ambulance (BBC1) began, that he'd served with both the RAF and the Royal Navy, and was stationed out in Fiji.

'Ah . . . the dusky maidens,' he chuckled, and waggled his hips in imitation of a dancer in a grass skirt. If you can still waggle your hips at 94, you're doing something right.

This episode focused more than usual on the call handlers, the highly professional men and women who answer the 999 calls and whose calm, clear advice can save lives in the critical moments before ambulance crews arrive.

Too often, this observational documentary is unable to follow stories through to the end.

This time, though, we began with an emergency call taken by Laura, a new recruit who courageously coped with her own emotions while helping an anguished husband whose wife of 44 years had suffered a seizure in bed.

The response team did all they could, but it was clear there was little hope. After the dash to hospital, we even sat with the paramedics as they talked through the tragedy. It was all profoundly moving.
Tammin Sursok's accent has completely changed since she left Home and Away in 2004, leaving many fans surprised and confused.

The 35-year-old, who now flips between an Australian and U.S. twang when she speaks, addressed her unusual voice on Instagram this week.

In response to a follower who pointed out how 'goes in and out' of different accents, Tammin offered an explanation for her distinctive speech.

'Stop asking about it!' Tammin Sursok (pictured) revealed on Thursday why her accent has changed completely since leaving Home and Away in 2004

Tammin, who was born in South Africa, lived in Sydney for 15 years before relocating permanently to Los Angeles well over a decade ago.

She explained that her changing accent is simply down to having lived in various parts of the world for significant periods of time.

'Finally someone who gets it! I lived in Australia for 15 years and have lived in the USA for 14 years,' she wrote.

Changing voice: Tammin explained on Instagram that her changing accent is simply down to having lived in various parts of the world for significant periods of time

'Now you can stop asking about it. Also I was born in South Africa!'

Born in Johannesburg, Tammin and her family immigrated to Sydney when she was just four years old.

In 2000, Tammin landed her first acting gig, playing Dani Sutherland in Australian soap Home and Away.

Remember this? In 2000, Tammin landed her first acting gig, playing Dani Sutherland in Australian soap Home and Away. Pictured with Kip Gamblin, who played Scott Hunter

She stayed in the role until 2004, and was even nominated for a Most Popular New Female Talent Logie in 2001.

By 2006, Tammin had relocated to Los Angeles and is now best known for her roles in U.S. dramas The Young and the Restless and Pretty Little Liars.

She married film producer Sean McEwen in 2011, and the couple share two daughters: five-year-old Phoenix and newborn Lennon.
Australia's most notorious talent agent Max Markson has revealed the one person he will never represent.

Despite having worked with countless controversial figures in the past, Markson told the Mumbrellacast podcast on Friday that terror suspect David Hicks is someone he would never associate himself with.

'He was in Guantanamo Bay jail,' the English-born publicist explained. 'He was fighting for the opposite side against the Australian Army.'

'I'm Jewish and he's anti-Semitic': Australian talent agent Max Markson (pictured) has revealed that he would never work with terror suspect David Hicks

Markson added: 'I'm Jewish and he's anti-Semitic.'

Hicks, who grew up in the working-class suburb of Salisbury in northern Adelaide, converted to Islam in 1999 before relocating to Afghanistan in 2001.

He was captured in Afghanistan later that year, and was detained at the U.S.-run Guantanamo Bay in Cuba until 2007.

Arrest: Australian-born David Hicks (pictured) was captured in Afghanistan in 2001 and was detained at the U.S.-run Guantanamo Bay in Cuba until 2007

He claimed to have been beaten, sexually abused and tortured while detained.

In 2007, he pleaded guilty to 'providing material support for terrorism' and was transferred to Australia to serve his remaining sentence. He was released later that year.

In 2015, his terror conviction was quashed by a U.S. military court.

Overturned: In 2015, his terror conviction was quashed by a U.S. military court

While Markson refuses to work with Hicks, the publicist has been involved with a number of controversial figures over the years, including Pauline Hanson, Charlie Sheen, Bill Clinton and Married At First Sight's Tracey Jewel.

However, his most notorious client is arguably right wing media personality Milo Yiannopoulos.

Markson represented Milo during his Australian Troll Academy Tour in 2017, and he told Mumbrellacast on Friday that it was an incredibly successful venture despite the negative publicity surrounding Yiannopoulos at the time.

Controversial: Markson has worked with a number of controversial figures before, including One Nation politician Pauline Hanson (pictured)

Winning! In 2018, Markson represented Charlie Sheen on his Australian speaking tour

'The tour was actually successful,' Markson said. 'They took over $1.2million dollars, we sold over 12,000 tickets. It was packed out everywhere.'

'The people coming to see him wanted to see him,' he added.

Yiannopoulos was due to return to Australia earlier this year for a handful of shows, but his visa was rejected by the Department of Home Affairs on 'character grounds'.
Sacha Baron Cohen is coming clean and taking the blame for the failure of Pamela Anderson's short-lived marriage to Kid Rock.

The British comedian and actor has confirmed longstanding rumors that it was the Baywatch beauty's role in his 2006 film Borat that put the nail in the coffin of her relationship with the musician.

Baron Cohen, 47, told The Daily Beast's Matt Wilstein the split came after Kid Rock attended a screening of his movie in which Borat comes up to Anderson at a book signing and tries to get her into a 'traditional marriage sack' and take her back to Kazakhstan.

My fault: Sacha Baron Cohen has taken the blame for the failure of Pamela Anderson's short-lived marriage to Kid Rock. He says the couple split after Kid Rock watched his film Borat

After seeing Borat at a private screening, Kid Rock apparently launched into an angry tirade against the blonde actress and pinup allegedly calling her 'a whore' and 'a slut'.

Baron Cohen said that he had texted Anderson after the screening and asked what her husband had thought of the film and her cameo in it.

'She texted back, Hes getting divorced,'' the Golden Globe winner explained.

'I was like, 'why?' And she goes, The movie. And I thought it was a joke, but then a few weeks later they got divorced and they put as a reason for divorce, Borat,' he said.

Caught on camera: In the 2006 movie, Baron Cohen played Kazakh TV personality Borat who is in love with the Baywatch star, and he approaches her while she's doing a book signing

Planned: Borat tried to get Anderson into a 'traditional marriage sack' to take her back to Kazakhstan. He confirmed she was in on the gag, 'Otherwise it would have been kidnapping'

Anderson and Kid Rock tied the knot on a yacht moored of Saint-Tropez in the South of France on July 29, 2006.

She filed for divorce on November 27, two weeks after Borat was released in theatres.

Baron Cohen also confirmed that Anderson had been in on the gag and that when he approached her at the book signing, she knew he was an actor playing a role.

'Otherwise it would have been kidnapping,' he joked.

In the film, that earned an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay, Baron Cohen starred as a TV personality from Kazakhstan who travels to the USA to report on what makes America great.

Taking the blame: Baron Cohen mused: 'She lost two things. One, she lost a tiny bit of bone from her jaw. And secondly, she lost a husband'

Pamela's Relationship Timeline *The Baywatch star married Motley Crue's Tommy Lee in February 19, 1995. Following a tumultuous marriage, they divorced in 1998 *Hot on the heels of the divorce, Pamela got engaged to model Marcus Schenkenberg. However, they split shortly after in 2001 *Pamela married Kid Rock in 2006 but they divorced a year later *In 2007, Pamela married poker player Rick Salomon. Their marriage was annulled in 2008 *In 2014, Pamela and Rick decided to give their marriage another shot. However, the union only lasted a year *Pamela has been dating French professional footballer Adil Rami since 2017 Advertisement

Along the way, trailed by a documentary film crew, Borat falls in love with the Baywatch beauty and sets off on a mission to find her and marry her.

'We did that scene twice, actually,' Baron Cohen said of the 'marriage sack' scene.

'The first time we did it at a book signing and I grabbed her over my shoulder and ran out with her and no one did anything. I was like, what kind of fans are these?'

He said that during the second time they tried it, the people around them did in fact come after them and in the melee, Anderson accidentally 'clipped her jaw.'

Baron Cohen mused: 'She lost two things. One, she lost a tiny bit of bone from her jaw. And secondly, she lost a husband.'

The filmmaker is currently doing publicity for his Showtime series Who Is America? ahead of the Emmy nominations being announced.

Splitsville: Anderson and Kid Rock tied the knot on a yacht moored off Saint-Tropez on July 29, 2006. She filed for divorce on November 27, two weeks after Borat was released in theatres
The Block's Suzi Taylor has confirmed she is attending rehab to undergo treatment for alcohol-related issues and mental health problems.

The 47-year-old looked downcast outside The Sydney Clinic in Bronte on Monday, just hours after reports surfaced that she was involved in troubled NRL star Greg Inglis' recent 'three-day party bender'.

Suzi had spent the Magic Round weekend in Brisbane with Inglis, whose girlfriend and family were frantically searching for him after he 'disappeared'.

Seeking help: The Block's Suzi Taylor was pictured outside a Sydney clinic on Monday after confirming she is attending rehab to address mental health problems and alcohol dependence

Suzi appeared to be deep in thought as she arrived at the private mental health hospital, which offers treatment for mood disorders and substance abuse.

She was dressed casually in a striped top and jeans, and ran her hands through her long dark hair while walking up the stairs into the facility.

Suzi has checked into rehab to address her mental health problems and alcohol dependence, a friend confirmed to the Gold Coast Bulletin on Sunday.

Treatment: Suzi appeared to be deep in thought as she arrived at The Sydney Clinic in Bronte

They explained that Suzi has been struggling with depression for many years now, in addition to 'personal family matters' and 'external pressures'.

'She has never got over the breakdown of her marriage, having to move cities and being separate from her family and children,' the friend added.

Shortly before going to rehab, Suzi made headlines after becoming embroiled in a partying scandal involving rugby league star Inglis.

The journey begins: Suzi was dressed casually in a striped top and jeans, and ran her hands through her long dark hair while walking up the stairs into the facility

Troubles: Suzi has been struggling with depression for many years now, in addition to 'personal family matters' and 'external pressures', according to a close friend

Inglis disappeared during the Magic Round last Friday, leaving his girlfriend Alyse Caccamo, family and South Sydney Rabbitohs officials frantically searching for him.

He had travelled from Sydney to Brisbane on the Thursday as a Rabbitohs club ambassador but vanished for three days.

The sportsman later resurfaced at a luxury riverside mansion alongside Suzi and two other friends on Saturday night, according to The Sunday Mail.

Three-day bender: Shortly before going to rehab, Suzi made headlines after becoming embroiled in a partying scandal involving rugby league star Greg Inglis (pictured)

Suzi denied anything untoward happened between her and Inglis, adding that she was 'devastated' by some of the suggestions being made.

A source close to the reality star, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, claimed that Suzi had simply been helping a 'friend in need'.

'The relationship between Suzi and Greg is purely platonic, nothing more. It was not a random meeting in a pub,' they said.

'[Suzi] gave [Inglis] a safe place to stay and made sure all his family and loved ones had a contact for him. He was in a safe environment away from the spotlight and external pressures.'
Karl Stefanovic's new wife Jasmine Yarbrough has been in the process of changing her surname for the past couple of weeks.

And if her latest Instagram post is anything to go by, it looks like the 35-year-old may have finally completed the process.

Stepping out with the former Today Show host at Sydney's Gold Dinner on Thursday, the blonde beauty flaunted her latest handbag which featured her new initials on it, 'JS.'

Name change! Karl's wife Jasmine Yarbrough debuted her new surname on Thursday, after getting her initials 'JS' embossed on her handbag (the couple are pictured at their Cabo wedding in December)

Taking to Instagram, the shoe designer shared a snap of her leather bag, which she placed on the decorated dinner table.

At the top of the bag, just under the handle, were her new initials in gold.

'J. S,' Jasmine captioned the photo, before tagging the brand, The Daily Edited.

Showing it off! Taking to Instagram, the blonde shared a snap of her leather bag, which she placed on the decorated dinner table

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph earlier this month, Jasmine confirmed she was opting for the surname Stefanovic: 'I'm changing everything over at the moment.'

She added: 'I'm getting there slowly. There's a lot to do.'

Meanwhile, it's been reported that newlyweds Karl and Jasmine are hoping to start a family soon, with Karl having a second vasectomy reversal surgery.

A 'well-placed source' told Woman's Day magazine in April that the pair were thinking about starting a family.

Family plans? It has been reported meanwhile, that newlyweds Karl and Jasmine are hoping to start a family soon, with Karl having a second vasectomy reversal surgery

'They are both so clucky right now. They don't know if the reversal has worked this time and it can take months sometimes [for fertility to resume].'

The news comes after the magazine reported that Queensland-born Jasmine is ready to have a child.

The Mara & Mine co-founder has apparently been talking 'non-stop' about babies.

'All she talks about is having a baby. She even has a Pinterest file dedicated to baby stuff,' a source said at the time.
Radio host Grant Denyer has claimed he once turned down Pamela Anderson when she invited him to a party.

Speaking on 2DayFM Breakfast with Grant, Ed & Ash on Friday, he alleged the Baywatch star asked him to accompany her to an event after he interviewed her in 2003.

Grant, 41, said he 'freaked out' at the offer and made up an excuse not to go because he believed Pamela, 51, had a 'mischievous look' in her eye.

'I freaked out!' Grant Denyer (left) has claimed he turned down Pamela Anderson (right) after she invited him to a party with a 'mischievous look' in her eye 16 years ago

'I did an interview with her and at the end of it, she goes, "Hey, do you want to go a party with me after this?"' Grant said.

'And I flat-out freaked out and made up an excuse because I was so scared. I turned into a 10-year-old. I was 25 and single-ish... well single enough.'

The Gold Logie winner continued: 'I said [to Pamela], "I cant make it because Ive got to catch a flight," or something.

'Its one of the biggest regrets of my life because she had this look in her eye and I didnt know what was going to happen.'

Hmm! 'I did an interview with her and at the end of it, she goes, "Hey, do you want to go a party with me after this?"' Grant claimed. Pictured: Pamela with Kid Rock in 2003

Stage fright: Grant continued, 'I flat-out freaked out and made up an excuse because I was so scared. I turned into a 10-year-old. I was 25 and single-ish... well single enough'

Grant's radio co-host Ash London was skeptical that Pamela had any romantic interest in her 5ft 4in colleague.

'I guarantee she didnt have a look in her eye!' she said, to which Grant replied: 'No, she did, and it was mischievous! I was afraid.'

The Celebrity Name Game host made the bold claim before Pamela was scheduled to appear on the breakfast radio program as a guest.

He begged his colleagues, 'Dont say anything!', in case she tried to dispute his version of what happened 16 years ago.

Family life: Grant rose to fame as a weatherman on Sunrise, meeting his now-wife Cheryl on set in 2005. They married in 2010 and have two daughters together, Sailor and Scout

Grant rose to fame as a weatherman on Sunrise, meeting his now-wife Cheryl on set in 2005. They married in 2010 and have two daughters together, Sailor and Scout.

He won a Gold Logie last year, despite the fact the show he was nominated for, Family Feud, had just been cancelled by Channel 10.

He is currently the host of a new quiz show on the network, Celebrity Name Game.
Channel Seven is notorious for airing sexually explicit Lifetime movies on Friday afternoons.

And this week's offering of Blue Lagoon: The Awakening was no different, with the film containing a scene in which a teenage couple have sex on the beach.

The made-for-TV drama, starring Australian actress Indiana Evans, tells the story of two young lovebirds stranded on a tropical island.

Not again! Channel Seven aired yet another naughty midday movie on Friday. Pictured: A sex scene from 2012's Blue Lagoon: The Awakening

Released in 2012, Blue Lagoon: The Awakening features several scenes showing Indiana in a bikini as well as some more explicit moments.

At one point, her character Emmeline gets intimate with her high school boyfriend Dean (played by Brenton Thwaites) in the ocean.

They later head to a sheltered area on the beach and have sex, before being shown lying next to each other naked once the act is completed.

Romps: Blue Lagoon: The Awakening, starring Australian actress Indiana Evans, tells the story of two young lovebirds stranded on a tropical island

Emmeline then asks Dean about her performance, before confessing that it was her first ever sexual experience.

Under the 2010 Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice, mature-rated content can be legally broadcast between the hours of 12pm and 3pm on a weekday.

This 'classification zone' is in addition to the more widely-known 8.30pm-5am watershed for films above a PG rating.

Sex on the beach! In one scene, Indiana's character Emmeline gets intimate with her high school boyfriend Dean (played by Brenton Thwaites) in the ocean

Blue Lagoon: The Awakening, based on the novel The Blue Lagoon and its previous film adaptations, premiered in the U.S. on Lifetime in 2012.

Indiana's appearance in the film came after her departure from Home and Away, in which she starred as Matilda Hunter for four years.

Channel Seven has aired several raunchy movies in the midday slot recently including Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret and The Anna Nicole Smith Story.

Explicit: The teenage couple later head to a sheltered area on the beach and have sex
Pamela Anderson has urged Australia 'to do more' for jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Appearing on 2DayFM Breakfast With Grant, Ed & Ash on Friday, the 51-year-old former Baywatch star said that Prime Minister Scott Morrison needs to bring the Queensland-born journalist back home to Australia.

'[Assange] is in terrible circumstances right now,' she said. 'I'm surprised Australia hasn't done more for him.'

Scroll down for audio

'Fight for him': Pamela Anderson has urged Australia 'to do more' for jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange

She then urged Morrison to 'get Julian home.'

'Fight for him,' she continued. 'It hasn't been easy, and he's an Australian citizen. Australia should be very proud of him.'

She added: 'He needs all the protection he can get because he's going to be in terrible danger.'

Despite his dire predicament, Anderson said that Assange,'is willing to risk his life to expose people who are corrupt in governments.'

'He needs all the protection he can get': The former Baywatch star said that Prime Minister Scott Morrison needs to bring the Queensland-born journalist back home to Australia

She then defended WikiLeaks itself, championing the organisation for exposing war crimes to the public.

'I hate it when people say that WikiLeaks is endangering anybody's life,' she said.

'How many countries, how many civilians, how many wars have to happen for people to blame the people that are really killing people?'

The actress-turned-activist also warned that the freedom of the press will be at stake if Assange isn't freed.

'It's the big guy picking on the underdog and we all have to rally behind him, because you can see how it's changing.

Risking it all: Despite his dire predicament, Anderson said that Assange 'is willing to risk his life to expose people who are corrupt in governments'

'All over the publishing [world], how everything is being changed. Freedom of the press is just going away, and this is the first exposure into what's really happening, so of course they want to shut him up and keep him locked up.'

On Wednesday, it was revealed Assange was too ill to appear in court for a US extradition hearing over hacking and espionage charges.

He is said to have suffered 'dramatic weight loss' and continued ill health since being jailed for 50 weeks for skipping bail back in 2012.

He has been moved to the hospital wing of Belmarsh prison amid 'grave concerns' for his health after spending seven years holed up in Ecuador's London embassy.

WikiLeaks said this week that his health had deteriorated so much that he is now incapable of even holding a conversation.

'They want to shut him up and keep him locked up': The actress-turned-activist also warned that the freedom of the press will be at stake if Assange isn't freed

Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks' jail for breaching bail when he failed to surrender to police in 2012.

The Wikileaks founder was convicted of the bail breach after entering the Ecuadorian embassy and claiming political asylum while wanted over allegations of sexual offences in Sweden, which he denies.

Assange is also fighting extradition to the United States where he is wanted for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks.

He sought political asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012 after the leaks of hundreds of thousands of classified US diplomatic cables on his whistleblowing website.

Arrest: Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks' jail for breaching bail when he failed to surrender to police in 2012. (Pictured in 2017)

The US Justice Department has indicted Assange on 18 counts that relate to his 'alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States', it said.

He is accused of working with former US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 'unlawfully obtaining and disclosing classified documents related to the national defence', a statement said.

The Justice Department said that by publishing unredacted versions of the leaked files, Assange put 'named human sources at a grave and imminent risk'.

After a federal grand jury returned the indictment, WikiLeaks swiftly issued a tweet describing the move as 'madness'.
She's in the midst of an acrimonious split from husband Kevin Hunter.

But despite this, Wendy Williams looked as pleased as punch on Thursday, as the 54-year-old was snapped leaving the set of The Wendy Williams Show in NYC.

The talk show host even flashed a new piece of jewelry for waiting photographers - a flower ring with which she replaced her wedding band.

All smiles: Wendy Williams looked as pleased as punch on Thursday, as the 54-year-old was snapped leaving the set of The Wendy Williams Show in NYC

Wearing her favorite shoes as of late, a simple pair of white Keds, Wendy stepped out looking happier than she has in a long time.

She was dressed in a classic long V-neck black cotton dress and a black hooded sweatshirt that appeared a size or two too big for her.

A lover of luxury accessories, Wendy rocked a huge white quilted leather Chanel bag slung over one shoulder.

The bling ring: The talk show host even flashed a new piece of jewelry for waiting photographers - a flower ring with which she replaced her wedding band

At the office: Wendy was back to work on Tuesday after a long holiday weekend following accusations from her estranged ex that she is 'poisoning' their son against him

Casual vibes: Wendy rocked a simple long V-neck black cotton dress and a black jacket that appeared a size or two too big for her

The star is in the midst of getting back on track in her recovery from drug and alcohol addiction while dealing with the end of her 21-year marriage.

Wendy's estranged ex, Kevin Hunter, reportedly blames his former wife for the souring of his relationship with their only child, Kevin Jr., which lead to a physical altercation.

Kevin Jr., 19, reportedly punched his father in the face last week and was subsequently arrested for assault following an argument over the couple's divorce.

Accusations: Wendy's estranged ex Kevin Hunter is claiming that the talk show host 'poisoned' their only son, Kevin Jr., against him

Kevin Sr. later accused Wendy of 'poisoning his relationship with their son' TMZ reported.

The altercation is allegedly just the latest in simmering tensions between father and son, according to the gossip site.

'Kevin Sr. has made several attempts in recent weeks to spend time with his son to repair the relationship, but he got the cold shoulder,' said TMZ's sources.

The fractured relationship reportedly stemmed from an ongoing affair between Hunter Sr. and his mistress Sharina Hudson.

Altercations: Last week the 19-year-old (pictured right in 2017) was arrested after allegedly striking his father in the face

DailyMail.com broke news of the ongoing tryst in April - and the scandal led Williams to file for divorce from her husband of 22 years.

Hunter had been living the high life with his mistress in a secret hideaway in New Jersey after she gave birth to their daughter, all while the TV host has been battling an addiction to alcohol and pills brought on by their affair.

Wendy also banned Kevin -a former Executive Producer on her show- from The Wendy Williams Show set and fired him as her manager.
They were spotted making glamorous appearances at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month.

And Monica Bellucci, 54, and Nicolas Lefebvre, 36, were back on the red carpet on Thursday as they attended the ELLE Charity Gala in Madrid, Spain.

The Bond girl cut a stylish figure as she posed next to her beau in a quirky mixed-print maxi dress at the luxury Intercontinental Hotel.

Lovebirds: Monica Bellucci, 54, dazzled in a quirky floral print dress as she joined her boyfriend Nicolas Lefebvre, 36, at the ELLE Charity Gala in Madrid, Spain on Thursday

Monica paired her gown, which had polka dot flared sleeves and a darker floral print towards the bottom of the skirt, with a black velvet clutch bag.

The mother-of-two completed her ensemble with oversized silver hoop earrings and opted to wear her sleek brunette locks loose around her shoulders for the event.

French native Nicolas looked dapper in a classic black suit and an open-collar white shirt as he joined his beau at the cancer research fundraiser.

Statement: The Bond girl cut a stylish figure as she posed next to her beau in a quirky mixed-print maxi dress

Beauty: Monica paired her gown, which had polka dot flared sleeves and a darker floral print towards the bottom of the skirt, with a black velvet clutch bag

Stylish: The mother-of-two completed her ensemble with oversized hoop earrings and opted to wear her sleek brunette locks loose around her shoulders for the event

Monica and Nicolas are thought to have been dating since May 2017, four years after her split from ex-husband Vincent Cassell.

The actress first confirmed she was seeing someone in an interview with Paris Match last November, but stayed coy about her partner's identity.

Admitting they had been dating a while and things were going well, she said of her new man: 'The man I share my life with doesn't have the same job as me, but he travels a lot. His rhythm of life complements mine.'

Wow: Monica was seen making a stylish arrival to the venue as she emerged from the car

Standing tall: Monica added to the stylish look with a pair of peep-toe heels

Confirmed: Monica and Nicolas are thought to have been dating since May 2017, four years after her split from ex-husband Vincent Cassell

Coy: The actress first confirmed she was seeing someone in an interview last November, but stayed coy about her partner's identity

Asked whether she would consider getting married again, the former Bond girl kept her cards close to her chest.

She said: 'When you've been married twice before, you need to take time to think about it before starting over, to understand why it happened and why you divorced. Let's just say I'm in a learning phase at the moment.'

Monica was married to fashion photographer Claudio Carlos Basso from 1990 until 1994, and then Matrix star Vincent Cassel from 1999 until 2015.
She's previously addressed her love of designer clothes and luxury handbags.

And Sofia Vergara proudly displayed her expensive taste as she stepped out in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles on Thursday dressed in a black lace cami top and distressed denim jeans.

The Modern Family star, 46, carried a large classic Chanel bag over her shoulder and added extra pizzazz to her look with statement drop-leaf earrings.

Stylish: Sofia Vergara, 46, looked effortlessly glamorous as she stepped out in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles on Thursday dressed in a black lace cami top and distressed denim jeans

The Colombian's wide-leg trousers were cropped in length and featured dramatic rips throughout.

Showing off her flirty side, Sofia slipped into a lacy black top with thin straps, leaving her lean arms on display.

And in true Sofia style, she added to her 5ft7in frame with a pair of black platform cross-over stilettos.

Chic: The actress proudly displayed her expensive taste as she carried a large classic Chanel bag over her shoulder and added extra pizzazz to her look with statement drop-leaf earrings

The four-time SAG Award winner wore her brunette locks straight and middle-parted and sported a mauve pout for her outing.

Missing from Vergara's side were her second husband Joe Manganiello and her 26-year-old son Manolo from her first marriage to high school sweetheart, Joe Gonzalez.

Meanwhile, Sofia revealed in August's Harper's Bazaar that she tells her agent: 'What would you prefer? Me popping champagne bottles and doing drugs and wasting money or buying bag?'

Much-loved character: She was named the highest paid actress in 2018, racking in an impressive $42.5 million, according to Forbes, thanks to her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the ABC hit, Modern Family

'These are valuable,' even joking that if necessary, her son Manolo, 26, would be able to sell some to pay for college.

And while the four-time Golden Globe nominee makes an impressive $500,000 per episode to play lovable housewife, Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on Modern Family, she recently spoke out about wanting to make an affordable clothing line.

'I love fashion, I love jeans, I love women. I like buying clothes and I have access to a lot of things, but I have always imagined what I could create at a lower price than what I already buy,' she told PopSugar.
He is happier than ever following a tumultuous year of personal woes.

And Ant McPartlin was unable to wipe the smile from his face as he exited the fourth Britain's Got Talent semi-final following another successful night of hosting on Thursday.

Joining the host, 43, as he left the Hammersmith Apollo, was his girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett, 42, who stunned in a pretty green floral dress.

Happy: Ant McPartlin was unable to wipe the smile from his face as he exited the fourth Britain's Got Talent semi-final following another successful night of hosting on Thursday

The TV presenter had changed out of his smart hosting attire and changed into a casual red plaid shirt and a pair of blue jeans.

He was joined by Anne-Marie who opted to wear a pretty green floral dress, while wearing her blonde locks in loose curls.

Ant's former PA turned girlfriend has been supporting him at every live show thus far.

Their romance has gone from strength to strength since they started dating last year, shortly after his split from his wife.

Smitten: Joining the host, 43, as he left the Hammersmith Apollo, was his girlfriend Anne-Marie Corbett, 42, who stunned in a pretty green floral dress

Trendy: The TV presenter had changed out of his smart hosting attire and changed into a casual red plaid shirt

Ant previously credited girlfriend Anne-Marie for 'saving his life', after battling addiction, a drink-drive conviction and divorce.

Last year, the embattled star took a lengthy hiatus from screens to battle his addiction woes during which Holly took over his presenting role on the ITV reality show, which was given the Reality & Constructed Factual award.

Ant and Dec are set to celebrate 30 years of working together this year after first appearing on TV screens in teen drama Byker Grove and their BAFTA nods are a clear welcome - particularly for Ant following his recent woes.

Ant made a return to television screens earlier in May for the new Britain's Got Talent as he makes a comeback to the showbiz circuit following a tough year.

New relationship: Ant previously credited girlfriend Anne-Marie for 'saving his life', after battling addiction, a drink-drive conviction and divorce

He was arrested for drink-driving in March last year and his presenting partner Dec hosted the live Britain's Got Talent shows solo.

Ant's ex wife Lisa was granted a divorce him during a 30-second hearing at the Central Family Court in October last year.

The I'm a Celeb host and his teenage sweetheart had been together for 23 years; they were married in 2006 but announced their split in January last year.

The former flames first met in Newcastle in 1994 before they went onto exchange vows at a stunning country house in Buckinghamshire, in 2006.
Sharon Osbourne is set to appear on Who Do You Think You Are? to probe her history, despite her tumultuous relationship with nearly all of her family.

The TV personality, 66, will be delving into her family's past however it is unclear whether she will be looking into her father Don Arden or mother Hope, both whom she has publicly lamented over the years.

Sharon was seen at various filming locations including Tunbridge Wells in Kent earlier this week allegedly shooting for the show, according to The Mirror.

Digging: Sharon Osbourne is set to appear on Who Do You Think You Are? to probe her history, despite her tumultuous relationship with nearly all of her family

The former X Factor judge was estranged from her father for 20 years before they reunited shortly before his death in 2007.

She has previously described him as an 'evil old b******', and recalled a time when she was crying and shaking because he was threatening to kill her.

There relationship was so turbulent that Sharon even attempted to run her father over, while Ozzy sat next to her in the passenger seat of the car.

Tumultuous: The TV personality, 66, will be delving into her family's past however it is unclear whether she will be looking into her father Don Arden (right) or mother Hope, both whom she has publicly lamented over the years

Rocky: There relationship was so turbulent that Sharon even attempted to run her father over, while Ozzy (right) sat next to her in the passenger seat of the car

Sharon's music mogul father sued her for millions when she persuaded her now husband Ozzy to leave her dad's record label, Jet Records.

Don reportedly made friends with Joe Pagano - who was a member of the Genovese, one of the five big Mafia families in New York - and Sharon made sure that her three children had nothing to do with Don and simply told them their grandfather was dead so they did not have to meet him.

She previously said: 'I told them that because I didn't want him anywhere near them and I certainly didn't want them seeing him.

Music mogul: Sharon's music mogul father sued her for millions when she persuaded her now husband Ozzy to leave her dad's record label, Jet Records

Family: Don reportedly made friends with Joe Pagano - who was a member of the Genovese, one of the five big Mafia families in New York - and Sharon made sure that her three children had nothing to do with Don and simply told them their grandfather was dead so they did not have to meet him

The mother-of-three also endured a rocky relationship with her Irish mother Hope, who she recently admitted was behind her initial decision to get plastic surgery.

She said she started getting plastic surgery because she looked like her mother and 'I didn't want to look like my mum'.

When she heard about her mother's passing she said it was a 'shame', but Sharon previously admitted she 'didn't like her mother at all' and they had 'no friendship'.

Sharon had differing relationships with her two grandmothers, on her mother's side she explained that she disliked her 'incredibly ugly' gran.

Turbulent: The mother-of-three also endured a rocky relationship with her Irish mother Hope, who she recently admitted was behind her initial decision to get plastic surgery

While she recalled found memories of her paternal grandmother who would cook for her and tuck her into bed at night.

However despite her dark history with her ancestors, Sharon shares a close bond with her husband Ozzy and their three children, Jack, 33, Kelly, 34, and Aimee, 35.

Sharon recently broke down in tears while discussing her suicide attempt during an appearance on Loose Women, where she revealed Ozzy saved her after she made an attempt on her life.

Not a fan: Sharon had differing relationships with her two grandmothers, on her mother's side she explained that she disliked her 'incredibly ugly' gran

Frightened: Sharon revealed that three years ago, during a 'very bad time' in her life, she attempted suicide and was found by Ozzy who rushed her to hospital and the former X Factor judge added that her children - were 'terribly cross' with her and 'frightened'

The music manager candidly discussed her mental health battle and her 23-year long dependency on antidepressants, which she confessed she 'could not live without'.

Sharon revealed that three years ago, during a 'very bad time' in her life, she attempted suicide and was found by Ozzy who rushed her to hospital.

The former X Factor judge added that her children - were 'terribly cross' with her and 'frightened'.

Sharon said: 'Three years ago, I had a very bad time in my life and I just thought I'm going to bail, I can't take it anymore. I just can't take the pressure. It's not just me, many people feel this way.

'My husband found me and took me to the hospital ... yes, they [the kids] were terribly cross and heartbroken and frightened and everything that goes with it.

'When I was in treatment, there was two girls whose mother had committed suicide - two separate girls - and the damage that was left for them. I would never do it again.'
Rebel Wilson has been lazing on board a luxury yacht - and reminding fans of what they're missing.

The Pitch Perfect star took to Instagram on Wednesday to share footage of her lolling on board the vessel while being gently rocked from side to side with the lapping waves.

In the short clip, Rebel, 39, is perfectly coordinated in a black and white bathing suit, a white visor and a pair of large-framed black sunglasses.

Showing fans what they are missing! Rebel Wilson (pictured), 39, posted footage of herself lolling on board a luxury yacht in glorious sunshine on Wednesday... before getting 'drunk with land sickness'

Clearly in a reflective mood, the blonde comedian captioned the clip: 'Yesterday was fully loving yacht life - today seem drunk with "land sickness" but I'm trying - tomorrow some other cool s**t will happen!'

She added: 'Life is short people, go out and crush it!'

Rebel did not explain what she meant by 'land sickness', but fans assumed it was a reference to her being back on shore and missing her time on the peaceful ocean.

Fun! The star took to Instagram to share footage of her lolling on board the vessel while being gently rocked from side to side with the lapping waves

Rebel's well-intentioned words didn't go down well with all her followers, however, with one writing: 'We can't all just crush it every day Rebel... some of us have work ):'

The prompted one fan to defend the Hollywood star, writing: 'Have you been in any movies? She's been working since 2003.

'It always kills me people like you always leaving negativity because you don't have what she worked for. So. Keep working.'

Rebel's well-intentioned words didn't go down well with all her followers, however, with one writing: 'We can't all just crush it every day Rebel... some of us have work ):'

Others were more concerned with Rebel's health, especially with the hot sun baring down on her back as she lay on her stomach atop the boat.

They wrote: 'Don't forget to put sunscreen on!!!'

Fans were not surprised to see the Bridesmaids star in such a good mood - she enjoyed a friendly reunion with her ex-boyfriend Mickey Gooch Jr. in Cannes earlier this week.


He starred as Tyrion Lannister in Game Of Thrones, which came to a dramatic conclusion earlier this month.

And Peter Dinklage, 49, appeared in high spirits as he headed out to dinner at the Madeo Restaurant in Beverly Hills, California with a female friend on Thursday.

The Avengers: Infinity War star kept things low-key as he stepped out in faded black skinny jeans and a leather bomber jacket after enjoying an Italian meal.

Pals: Peter Dinklage, 49, appeared in high spirits as he headed out to dinner at Madeo Restaurant in Beverly Hills, California with a female friend on Thursday

Peter, who appeared in the HBO fantasy drama for eight years, paired his simple ensemble with a yellow and black plaid shirt and wore brown suede Chelsea boots.

The Station Agent actor completed his look with a pair of silver-framed sunglasses tucked into the top of his shirt.

His pal cut a chic figure in straight-cut jeans and a loose-fitting grey blazer as she walked alongside the father-of-two.

Casual: The Avengers: Infinity War star kept things low-key as he stepped out in faded black skinny jeans and a leather bomber jacket after enjoying an Italian meal

Low-key: Peter, who portrayed Tyrion Lannister in the HBO fantasy drama, paired his simple ensemble with a yellow and black plaid shirt and wore brown suede Chelsea boots

Peter has been married to playwright and director Erica Schmidt, 43, for 14 years, having eloped to Las Vegas in 2005.

They are the proud parents of a daughter born in 2011 and a second child, who they haven't revealed the name and sex of, born in 2017.

In the past, news outlets have referred to Peter's eldest daughter as Zelig, though he has denied that it's her real name  without confirming her name.

Peter has won three Emmys for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones.

Chic: Peter's dinner companion cut a chic figure in straight-cut jeans and a loose-fitting grey blazer as she walked alongside the father-of-two

Performance: Peter has won three Emmys for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones

The actor is one of a few who survived from the first season to appear in the eighth and final series, which came to a dramatic conclusion on May 19.

Following on from his eight-year run on Game of Thrones, Peter is set to lend his voice to the animated sequels The Croods 2 and The Angry Birds Movie 2.

The actor has also obtained the rights to the Joe R. Lansdale novel The Thicket, which he'll also star in.
She has already come under fire for her incredibly racy dresses which has prompted a series of Ofcom complaints.

But Britain's Got Talent viewers were left raging yet again, as they accused Amanda Holden, 48, of being pretentious and bragging about spending 'a week's wage on Louboutin heels' on Thursday's semi-finals.

The fury came after magician Graeme Mathew asked if could borrow the judge's shoes for a trick - leaving Amanda obviously nervous to hand over her prized possession.

'Pretentious!' BGT viewers were left raging as they accused Amanda Holden of bragging about spending 'a week's wage on Louboutin heels' on Thursday's semi-finals

Graeme cheekily told her: Amanda, you had a little bit of dirt on your left shoe, youre letting the side down. But dont worry, Im going to clean it for you, using magic. Can I borrow your left shoe?

Apprehensive, Amanda was seen removing one luxury heel, before informing the contestant: 'Youre going to be nice to my shoe, thats like a weeks wages on that shoe.

Fans vented their fury of the situation as they took to Twitter:

'So @AmandaHolden worried about her fancy red bottom shoe. "Weeks wages they cost" she said, while we have children going hungry, families unable to survive on a daily basis. Families would love to have that weeks wage to fund their home.'

'A whole weeks wage on 1 shoe on Amandas wage! I dread to think how much them shoes cost! #bgt.'

Oh no! The fury came after magician Graeme Mathew asked if could borrow the judge's shoes for a trick

'Youre going to be nice to my shoe!' Amanda was left obviously nervous to hand over her prized possession

'Children going hungry!' Fans vented their fury of the situation as they took to Twitter

'Graeme, I think Amanda wants her shoe back now #BritainsGotTalent.'

'Amanda Holden saying Youre going to be nice to my shoe. Thats like a weeks wages on that shoe. Oh, sorry Miss Louboutin! She had to put that in there. #BGT.'

'A weeks wages on shoes?!?!#bgt #bgt2019 #BritainsGotTalent.'

'Has 'Amanda Holden really just told that magician to be careful with her shoe as its worth a weeks wages. a bit pretentious really...'

'As if Amanda Holden has just told a contestant to be careful with her shoe cos it's worth a week of his wages, wtf.'

Meanwhile, Amanda has come under fire for her revealing ensembles on the show, with many complaining to Ofcom.

Viewers had complained to the media watchdog about her 'inappropriate' and revealing 'spiderweb' outfit, but Amanda once again dared to bare in another revealing number during Thursday evening's semi-final.

In trouble: Amanda has come under fire for her revealing ensembles on the show, with many complaining to Ofcom

Not happy: Her outfit choice didn't go unnoticed by viewers at home, who took to Twitter in their droves to critique her 'inappropriate' wardrobe attire

The TV star revealed her ample cleavage in a plunging, midnight blue gown, adorned with white floral detail and sequins - drawing yet more criticism from fans of the family-friendly programme watching at home.

Her outfit choice didn't go unnoticed by viewers at home, who took to Twitter in their droves to critique her 'inappropriate' wardrobe attire.

Some viewers were keen to stick up for the BGT judge, however, insisting she shouldn't be 'shamed' for her sartorial choices.

On Monday night, she made an impression in thigh-skimming gown by Ziad Nakad, showing off a liberal amount of leg thanks to the asymmetric hemline.

On Tuesday, the blonde beauty had also risked a wardrobe malfunction in a cut-out number by Jennifer Clair.

Wow: On Monday night, she made an impression in thigh-skimming gown by Ziad Nakad, showing off a liberal amount of leg thanks to the asymmetric hemline

Statement: On Tuesday, the blonde beauty had also risked a wardrobe malfunction in a cut-out number by Jennifer Clair

Racy: On Wednesday night, she dared to bare in the revealing, spider web number which attracted the Ofcom complaints

On Wednesday night, she dared to bare in the revealing, spider web number which attracted the Ofcom complaints.

The latest in the long line of revealing outfits comes as the star commented on the widespread uproar over her outfits in a candid interview with The Sun.

She said: 'My t*ts seem to become the show's biggest talking point every year.'

Playfully revealing her husband Chris Hughes had given the busty outfits his approval, she added: 'We've had plenty of complaints apparently, but none from home, let me tell you.'

In total, Ofcom received 22 complaints about Wednesday's Britain's Got Talent  nine of which about Amanda's dress.

An Ofcom spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We are assessing these complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.'

Hilarious! Meanwhile, elsewhere in the episode, viewers were left amused as contestant John Archer didn't realise host Ant McPartlin had extended his arm out for a handshake

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the episode, viewers were left amused as contestant John Archer didn't realise host Ant McPartlin had extended his arm out for a handshake.

After Ant was left 'hanging' for ages, fans of the show couldn't help but express the hilarity of the situation.

'Some say Ant is still waiting for that handshake... #BritainsGotTalent.'

'OMG when john was walking away and didn't give Ant a handshake and he stood there with his hand out #BritainsGotTalent.'

'ANTS HANDSHAKE GOT IGNORED. I AM DECEASED #BritainsGotTalent.'

'Everyone just saw Ants handshake get left hanging, right? #BritainsGotTalent.

'Ahahahahaha bless ant when he got pied with the handshake off john #bgt.'
She's set to pick up the Impact Award at the Critics' Choice Real TV Awards next month.

And Leah Remini, 48, looked in good spirits as she stepped out in Los Angeles on a rare date night with her husband, Angelo Pagan, 51, on Thursday.

The former Scientologist emerged from The Wiltern theatre wearing a stylish all black ensemble following her appearance on Chelsea Handler's sit down comedy show.

Happy Couple: Leah Remini, 48, looked in good spirits as she stepped out in Los Angeles on a rare outing with her husband, Angelo Pagan, 51, on Friday

Her husband opted for a smart-casual look in faded denim jeans, a white T-shirt, trainers and a long grey overcoat.

The couple have been married since 2003 and share daughter Sofia, 14.

Their outing came just hours after the star announced that she was to be the first recipient of the Impact Award, in recognition of her documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.

She wrote on Instagram: 'Im honored and grateful to be the first recipient of the @CriticsChoice Real TV Awards Impact Award for #ScientologyTheAftermath.

All in black: The former Scientologist emerged from The Wiltern wearing a stylish all black shirt and trouser ensemble following her appearance on Chelsea Handler's sit down comedy show

Celebrating: Their outing came just hours after the star announced that she was to be the first recipient of the Impact Award, in recognition of Scientology and the Aftermath

'Thank you to the Broadcast Television Journalists Association; Joey Berlin, the President of the Broadcast Film Critics Association; and, as always, @RinderMike and the team at @AETV.

'And a special thank you to our brave contributors, who this award truly belongs to. Airing June 9 on @vh1. #CriticsChoice'

The documentary series, which is now in its' third season, follows Leah as she investigates the Church of Scientology alongside co-host Mike Rinder.

Thankful: She wrote on Instagram, 'Im honored and grateful to be the first recipient of the @CriticsChoice Real TV Awards Impact Award for #ScientologyTheAftermath

The actress spectacularly quit the Church in 2013 after being a member for 30 years.

Leah previously confessed to LaPalme Magazine that she is 'constantly harrassed' by members of the Scientology community, who are 'trying to intimidate' her.

'People on our show are harassed constantly, especially me,' she said.

She continued: 'Members of the Church go to my mother's restaurant, confront my little sister, and my step kids in San Francisco, trying to intimidate us.

'These abusive scare tactics are what they call a religion!'

Co-hosts: The documentary series, which is now in its' third season, follows Leah as she investigates the Church of Scientology alongside co-host Mike Rinder

Other notable members of the church include A-List celebrities such as Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley.

Back in 2015, Leah made shocking claims about her family during an interview on The View.

Host Joy Behar read from Remini's new book Troublemaker in which the actress writes: 'I am selfish and self-centered ... have physically threatened people ... my husband is a serial cheater and my mother was a slut.'

The comments about her husband Angelo may reflect the fact that he was reportedly still in a relationship when the pair first met.

However, she has never elaborated on the claims since.

Notable member: Tom Cruise is a notable member of the Scientology community
She is no stranger to sharing a sizzling bikini snap.

And Elizabeth Hurley looked sensational once again as she took to Instagram to share another smouldering swimwear shot on Friday morning.

The actress, 53, showcased her age-defying physique in a barely-there leopard print two-piece as she posed up a storm beside a pool while on holiday.

Fierce: Elizabeth Hurley looked sensational once again as she took to Instagram to share another smouldering swimwear shot on Friday morning

The model flaunted her more than ample assets in the tiny bikini top complete with gold ring detailing, which she teamed with a pair of equally skimpy bottoms.

Elizabeth opted for a glamorous daytime look with a heavy coat of make-up, including a sultry grey smokey-eye and a slick of pink lip gloss.

She stunning brunette wore her tumbling locks in loose waves, while forgoing any accessories and keeping the attention on her stylish bikini.

Sweet: ours before she posted her snap, her lookalike son Damian Hurley, 17, shared his own holiday shot on social media with this 33,500 followers

Hours before she posted her snap, her lookalike son Damian Hurley, 17, shared his own holiday shot on social media with this 33,500 followers.

Damian posted a smiley selfie where he wore his wavy locks in a loose natural style and accessorised with a stylish cross pendant necklace.

Elizabeth and her son's summer snaps comes after they welcomed their beautiful new puppy Ava to Instagram, telling fans 'happy days were here again'.

Ava's addition to the family comes just weeks after Liz and her son Damian's beloved Labradors Emily, 16, and Raja, 11, passed away.

Cute! Liz's summer snap comes after she welcomed her beautiful new puppy Ava to Instagram, telling fans 'happy days were here again'

Elsewhere, the Hampshire native also spoke to Harper's Bazaar about her statement designer gown at the Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere in 1994.

Elizabeth reflected on the night she wore the dress as she admitted she was 'unprepared' for the impact the ensemble holds in today's fashion industry.

While she made a bold style statement during the glitzy evening with her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant, the Royals star confessed the process of achieving the striking look was less than glamorous.

'Unprepared for impact': This comes after the beauty candidly spoke to Harper's Bazaar about her iconic Versace gown at the Four Weddings and a Funeral London premiere in 1994 (pictured)

The honey-blonde beauty shared: 'I was so unprepared for what happened that night.

'I urgently needed to find a dress to wear for Hughs premiere, and in those days I had no idea about fashion.

'I remember going to an office where they literally fished a dress out of a white plastic bag. I took it home and did my own hair and makeup, fighting Hugh for the mirror, which wasnt even full-length, in our tiny one-bedroom flat.'

Sexy! While she made a bold style statement during the glitzy evening with her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant, the Royals star confessed the process of achieving the striking look was less than glamorous

The mother-of-one, who dated screen star Hugh, 58, for 13 years until 2000, added: 'It was all very unglamorous compared to how things get done these days.'

Liz revealed she can still fit into the racy pin ensemble she wore nearly three decades ago.

Speaking on maintaining her figure, the Aria star detailed: 'I dont exercise, but I am very active. But just because it still fits doesnt mean I would wear it today it wouldnt be appropriate!'
She has just returned from an exotic family getaway in the luxury Turks And Caicos islands.

And Sam Faiers, 28, was keen to showcase her golden glow at her high-street fashion collaboration with Quiz Clothing on Friday afternoon.

The Mummy Diaries star showed off her abs in a white Bardot crop top and shorts as she posed for photographers at the Quiz flagship store in the Bluewater Shopping centre in Kent.

Sun-kissed: Sam Faiers, 28, was keen to showcase her golden glow in her ab-flashing white co-ord as she promoted her collaboration with Quiz Clothing on Friday afternoon

Sam looked effortlessly glam in a chic white two-piece from her new Quiz range.

The ex-TOWIE personality styled her brunette tresses in gorgeous loose waves and kept her makeup glowing with a subtle smoky eye and pink glossy lip.

Showing off her pink manicured nails, Sam accessorised her look with simple gold accessories, a chunky belt and wore a patterned ribbon bow in her hair.

Adding a touch of glitz to her sunshine style, the mother-of-two teamed her outfit with a pair of cream satin wedges and clutched a neutral coloured straw bag.

Quiz Collaboration: The Mummy Diaries star turned heads in an all white ensemble as she posed for photographers at the Quiz flagship store in Bluewater Shopping Center in Kent

Sam has just finished wrapping up the last series on the Mummy Diaries, which aired earlier this month.

The Faiers family watched Sam's sister Billie marry Greg Shepherd in a breathtakingly beautiful Maldives beach ceremony.

Fans saw the ins and outs, ups and downs and excitement ahead of their wedding, including Billie's dad Dave nearly missing the big day after he was too inebriated to fly and was escorted off his plane to the Maldives.

In the 90-minute special the couple finally said 'I do' in front of 95 guests, after five years together and over a year of planning to reach the big moment.

Stunning: The ex-TOWIE personality styled her brunette tresses in gorgeous loose waves and kept her makeup glowing with a subtle smoky eye and pink glossy lip

The mother-of-two shares her family life on her Instagram account. She regularly shares snaps of her other half, Paul Knightley and their two children, Paul, three, and Rosie, 18 months.

Sam's latest venture with Quiz Clothing is a 37-piece collection that channels Sam's glamorous style.

The range includes a selection of midi dresses, cute playsuits, flirty mini dresses and the summer essential: the short suit.

Quiz Clothing described the collection: "Bold colours and statement prints are at the heart of this range with an array of pink polka dot, royal blue tie dye, lemon & floral and coral. With prices starting from 14.99 and sizes ranging from 6-18, the Sam Faiers Collection is the go-to collection for every summer occasion."

Family life: The mother-of-two regularly shares snaps of her other half, Paul Knightley and their two children, Paul, three, and Rosie, 18 months




Blanca Blanco loves to try on different looks - she has been everything from a mermaid to Marilyn Monroe for her fun photo shoots.

And this week the Woman On The Edge actress has taken inspiration from Uma Thurman's character Mia Wallace from the 1994 film Pulp Fiction.

The beauty, who dates Deer Hunter actor John Savage, wore a black wig like Uma had on in the Quentin Tarantino movie.

Fun with a wig: Blanca Blanco loves to try on different looks and she was at it again this week for photographer Filip Shobot

Dramatic: The Woman On The Edge actress has taken inspiration from Uma Thurman's character Mia Wallace from the 1994 film Pulp Fiction

She did it first: Thurman was in her twenties when she played sex symbol Mia Wallace in the hit movie Pulp Fiction

Blanco, who was raised in Washington state, also had on a black blazer with matching underwear and that's it.

She left her top and pants at home it seems. But the looker did add stunning black pointy patent leather pumps with a YSL on the heel.

The Hollywood siren was posing for photographer Filip Shobot.

This comes after Blanco made a splash at the Cannes Film Festival in several colorful dresses that were head-turning.

A new style: The beauty, who dates Deer Hunter actor John Savage, wore a black wig like Uma had on in the Quentin Tarantino movie

Risque: Blanco, who was raised in Washington state, also had on a black suit with no top underneath

She attended a screening for The Traitor, an Italian-language biopic of Sicilian mafioso-turned-government-witness Tommaso Buscetta.

Blanca also hit the red carpet South Korea's The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, which will get a US remake produced by Sylvester Stallone, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The brunette bombshell rose to notoriety last year when she attended the Golden Globe Awards in a crimson Atria Couture gown.

Fun heels: The siren also wore YSL heels in black patent leather

It works for her: Blanco has said she works out one hour every day to stay fit

Showing off a lot: The Mission Possible star showed off her backside

Blue mood: She also had on heavy blue eye makeup that made her look dramatic

Nice snaps: The star was also seen in black and white images that looked frame worthy

Her wardrobe choice flew in the fashion of the evening's fashion trend, which was to wear black in order to signal support for the Time's Up movement.

Amid a storm of online backlash, Blanca insisted to Fox News: 'I love red. Wearing red does not mean I am against the movement.'

Said she: 'I applaud and stand by the courageous actresses that continue to break the cycle of abuse through their actions and fashion style choices. It is one of many factors leading women to a safer place because of their status. I am excited about the #TimesUp movement; true change is long overdue.'

Cannes she do it? The star stunned at the screening of The Traitor"during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 23 in Cannes, France

So much pink: Here she is seen at the Le Belle Epoque event in Cannes on May 20

Her pal: Blanca posed with fashion designer Christophe Guillarma at The Heart Fund event on May 21

She wrote in The Hollywood Reporter that she made sure to bring the gown with her when she fled her home before the Woolsey Fire destroyed it last year.

'I grabbed maybe six dresses, my passport and my bunny. But I did save my Golden Globes dress,' she dished in the trade publication.

Blanca's upcoming movie releases include The Dog Of Christmas, a children's comedy that also stars John, whom she has been with for over a decade.

She is also appearing with John in Ovid And The Art Of Love, which transplants the Augustine Roman poet's biography to Detroit in the modern day.

John and Blanca will co-star with Jamie Lee Curtis in Spychosis, an action comedy co-written by Roseanne Barr's ex-husband Tom Arnold.
He recently concluded his six-year long role as Grey Worm on HBO's landmark series Game of Thrones.

And Jacob Anderson cut a casual figure as he filmed a new project for MTV in Islington, London on Friday.

The British actor, 28, sported a dark green bomber jacket with a grey t-shirt and black jeans for the day of filming.

At work: Jacob Anderson, 28, cut a casual figure as he filmed a new project for MTV in Islington, London on Friday

Along with Game of Thrones, Jacob's most recent acting credit was a role in the horror film Overlord which followed a group of American soldiers the day before D-Day during World War II.

Jacob was recently asked about his opinion on the Change.org petition signed by over 800,000 Game of Thrones fans who felt the final season was made in a hurry.

'That sucks!' the actor said simply when he was asked about the petition by TMZ in New York.

Since its first episode eight years ago the HBO show about noble families vying for the Iron Throne has picked up just about every award going on the way to becoming a global ratings smash and a cultural phenomenon.

Show: Jacob was recently asked about his opinion on the Change.org petition signed by over 800,000 Game of Thrones fans who feel the final season was made in a hurry

Opinion: 'That sucks!' the actor, who played Grey Worm, said when he was asked about the petition by TMZ in New York

The sixth and final episode in its much vaunted farewell season concluded with the expected death of Daenerys Targaryen.

It also featured the surprise anointment of crippled Bran Stark to King of Westeros and the rather symbolic destruction of the Iron Throne.

Elsewhere Sansa Stark was declared Queen in the North, with Winterfell maintaining its traditional independence, making Bran the 'lord of the Six Kingdoms and the protector of the realm.'

Casual: The British actor sported a dark green bomber jacket with a grey t-shirt and black jeans for the day of filming

But fans were predictably divided about the outcome, and indeed a season that has been mired by editing gaffes, shaky screenplays and disappointing story arcs.

Evidently unimpressed with Bran's rapid promotion to ruler of Westeros, one viewer shared a meme of a man struggling in a wheelchair with the accompanying caption: 'Bran on his way to claim the throne'.

The death of Daenerys at the hands of Jon Snow and Drogon's reaction touched the hearts of viewers, including Twitter user @emiliacIarked who posted: 'the most heartbreaking part of this scene is the way drogon nudges daenerys. he has lost both his brothers and now his mother. he deserves so much better. nobody speak to me ever again.' (sic)
She is 39 weeks pregnant with her first child with fiance Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson.

And on Friday, Laura Byrne, 33, showed just how close she is welcoming her baby with a classic 'bump' picture on Instagram.

The former Bachelor star, clad in a faded denim jacket, body-hugging blue dress and knee-high black suede boots, held a hand to her bulging belly as she posed smiling for the photo.

Any day now! Laura Byrne (pictured) showed off her very big baby bump at 39 weeks pregnant on Friday... as she prepares to give birth to her first child with fiance Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson

The glowing mum-to-be cheekily captioned the post: 'Urban woman in search of good lighting and bagels.'

Laura could indeed treat herself to a few bagels - she has not let pregnancy stand in the way of her workouts with Matty, it was revealed yesterday.

The jewellery designer proudly showed off her bump in a gym photo shared by Matty to Instagram on Thursday.

The glowing mum-to-be cheekily captioned the post: 'Urban woman in search of good lighting and bagels.' Pictured with Matty Johnson

Matty joked in the photo caption: 'When your gym buddy is 39 weeks and wants to exercise... no excuse is valid!'

Despite Laura's impending birth, the brunette beauty looked a picture of health and happiness as she posed in a striped black-and-white vest and black sweat pants.

She held an orange resistance band between her hands as her radio host fiance took a mirror selfie of the two of them at their local gym.

Laura could indeed treat herself to a few bagels - she has not let pregnancy stand in the way of her workouts with Matty, it was revealed yesterday. Laura proudly showed off her bump in a gym photo shared by Matty to Instagram

Laura and Matty J fell in love on The Bachelor in 2017 and as well as starting a family, the pair are set now set to wed, following Matty's surprise proposal in April.

He popped the question at a private beach in Fiji and shared a romantic video of the memorable moment to social media.

'There's absolutely no one else I'd rather grow old and senile with. I can't wait to start a family together and now I can't wait to be your husband!' he wrote.

Matty joked in the photo caption: 'When your gym buddy is 39 weeks and wants to exercise... no excuse is valid!'




Paris Jackson is one supportive girlfriend.

The 21-year-old daughter of Michael Jackson spent her evening cheering on her boyfriend Gabriel Glenn and his band during a performance in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The outing comes as sources close to the couple claims they're already 'talking marriage,' according to Page Six.

Supportive: Paris Jackson spent her evening cheering on her boyfriend Gabriel Glenn and his band during a performance in Los Angeles on Thursday amid claims they're thinking about marriage

Insiders told the outlet that Paris and Gabriel have already 'exchanged promise rings.'

'They're not planning on getting married soon,' the source said, 'but that's the longterm plan.'

On Thursday, Jackson was spotted stepping outside of a Los Feliz neighborhood venue to grab a quick smoke break with her beau.

The model glowed in a layered bohemian look with a pair of torn bell bottom jeans, a purple cropped tank and a coral scarf.

'They're not planning on getting married soon,' a source told Page Six, 'but that's the longterm plan.'

Retro style: The model glowed in a layered bohemian look with a pair of torn bell bottom jeans, a purple printed tank and a coral scarf

She rocked her traditional layers of necklaces and a pair of earrings as accessories and kept her sun-kissed sandy brown hair down.

Paris opted for flat sandals and carried a beat-up back pack and an armful of coats.

Her boyfriend Gabriel performed with his band Trashdog at Highland Park Bowl while his lady love watched from the crowd.

Paris didn't appear to take the stage that night, despite also having a band with Glenn called The Soundflowers.

In love: The couple, who has been together since 2018, has reportedly already exchanged promise rings

Paris, who's sibling to Prince, 22, and Blanket, 17, took to Instagram recently to share that she and Glenn being named 'fashion's grooviest new couple' in a Vogue piece that praised them for their 'groovy aesthetic.'

She had one edit for the fashion publication, crossing out the phrase 'new' in a headline that described Glenn as her 'new boyfriend,' as the couple has been together since April of 2018.

Last month, Paris called Glenn 'the light of my life' in celebrating her first anniversary with the musician.

'Thank you for making me the happiest and luckiest girl in the world,' she wrote. 'Happy anniversary baby ... can't wait for another trip around the sun.'
He's forged a successful career in the food business following his best friend status with Kim Kardashian.

And Jonathan Cheban, 45, was in his element as he proudly accepted a delivery of a lifelike looking cake in London on Friday afternoon.

The TV personality had the cake made to celebrate him becoming the most influential food blogger at the World Blogger Awards in Cannes last week.

Good enough to eat: Jonathan Cheban celebrated his win at the World Blogger Awards by getting a lifelike cake of his face made and delivered to London by jet

Ready to party! The TV personality became the most influential food blogger at World Blogger Awards in Cannes last week and had the 'decadent' cake made to celebrate his success

A source close to Jonathan has revealed that he had turned his face into a cake to celebrate his recent award with friends.

They said: 'Jonathan was recently awarded the most influential food blogger in the world at an event in Cannes and so to celebrate when he got to London he commissioned a decadent cake of himself to share with friends.

'He was renting a 70,000 a week penthouse in Mayfair and had cake maker, The Bake King, from Cheshire work 48 hours straight to create this ready for his arrival.

'Jonathan even put on a jet for Ben the Bake King to hand deliver the cake and then he was driven from the airfield to drop it off with Jonathan.'

Extreme Cake Makers: A source said: 'The cake maker The Bake King from Cheshire worked 48 hours straight to create this ready for Jonathan's arrival in London'

The source added: 'Anything Jonathan wants he gets no matter what time of the day it is or the cost. Hes even been known to leave a restaurant in London and fly to Paris for lunch when they didnt have his favourite special on the menu that day.'

Ben Cullen The Bakeking from Channel 4s Extreme Cake Makers specialises in creating amazing bespoke cakes.

He is famous for his masterpiece bakes, including movie characters like Iron Man, The Joker and Jigsaw and life-like dishes of pizza and McDonald's meals.

Masterpiece bakes: Ben Cullen The Bakeking from Channel 4s Extreme Cake Makers specialises in creating amazing bespoke cakes

Travel in style: Jonathan even put the cake on a jet for Ben the Bake King to hand deliver and then he was driven from the airfield to drop it off with Jonathan

Jonathan has been savvy about his entrepreneurial skills, as he has made a name for himself as a food specialist, not by cooking meals but rather by purchasing them in restaurants.

He's a food critic for millennials who would not bother checking out Pete Wells' column for The New York Times.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Jonathan described himself as a 'modern-day food critic.'

Food God: Jonathan has made a name for himself as a food specialist, not by cooking meals but rather by purchasing them in restaurants

Entrepreneur: Jonathan is a food critic for millennials who would not bother checking out Pete Wells' column for The New York Times

The reality star elaborated: 'I want to go to a place where somebody sends me this insane cotton candy burrito and Im like, this is amaaazing.

'I was like, "I feel like this is the time for me".

'And then I was like, "Whats my thing?" I eat all day. I love to eat. My whole day revolves around food", he added.
She recently scooped the coveted Best Actress prize at the British Academy Television Awards for her much-praised role as Villanelle in Killing Eve.

And, Jodie Comer was unrecognisable as she transformed into game character Molotov Girl to film scenes for upcoming action comedy Free Guy in Boston, Massachusetts, on Thursday.

The Scouse actress, 26, had ditched her usual long blonde tresses for a shorter cropped brunette wig and slipped into a pair of black leather trousers and braces atop a crisp white shirt.

Who's that girl? Jodie Comer, 26, was unrecognisable as she transformed into character to film scenes for upcoming movie Free Guy in Boston, Massachusetts, on Thursday

The My Mad Fat Diary actress channelled her inner vigilante as she slipped into skin-tight leather trousers complete with knee pads and gun holster on her thigh.

She ensured the striking trousers stayed in place with the help of black braces which stood out against her white shirt and burgundy neck-scarf.

A bullet-proof vest was visible beneath her low-cut shirt, and Jodie stood confidently in a pair of edgy knee-high boots.

Leather finger-less gloves and a pair of ombre sunglasses completed her dramatic costume.

A different look: The Killing Eve actress had ditched her usual long blonde tresses for a shorter cropped brunette wig

Edgy: Jodie slipped into a pair of black leather trousers and braces atop a crisp white shirt

Screen star Jodie is preparing to make her hotly-anticipated Hollywood debut alongside Ryan Reynolds, 42, who plays bank teller Guy in the virtual reality-style plot.

According to Boston.com, Free Guy 'is slated to film in Boston during May, June, and July'.

Free Guy stars Reynolds 'as a lonely bank teller who discovers he is a background character in the massive open-world video game Free City and eventually must save his virtual world,' says the site.

Alongside Jodie and Ryan, Get Out's Lil Rel will play a fellow background character who doesnt believe the claims that they are living inside a video game.

A bullet-proof vest was visible beneath her low-cut shirt, and Jodie completed her dramatic costume with leather finger-less gloves and a pair of ombre sunglasses

Breakout role: Jodie is best known for playing deadly assassin Villanelle in BBC America's series Killing Eve

Impressive: She recently scooped the coveted Best Actress prize at the British Academy Television Awards for her much-praised role as Villanelle in Killing Eve

Stranger Things star Joe Keery - who played Steve Harrington in the cult science-fiction series - will serve as a programmer.

Over the past year, Jodie has won critical acclaim for her portrayal as merciless Villanelle in Killing Eve, who spent the last series being hunted by MI5 security officer Eve Polastri - played by Sandra Oh.

The Justice star has mastered her villainous roles in TV after playing stony-hearted University graduate Kate Parks in award-winning series Doctor Foster.

Just earlier this month, Jodie was awarded the Best Actress gong for her leading role in Killing Eve.
She came, she saw, she wore a crop top.

Miley Cyrus is celebrating the release of her newest album She Is Coming with a slew of racy shots on social media.

The songbird debuted her album at the stroke of midnight on Friday and took to Instagram with a belly baring shot.

She Is Coming: Miley Cyrus is celebrating the release of her newest album with a slew of racy shots on social media on Friday

'SHE HAS ARRIVED ! #SHECAME,' Cyrus captioned the post.

In the photo the 26-year-old hitmaker is kneeling and giving the camera a sultry look as she undoes a pair of distressed jeans.

Spritzed down to look wet, Miley's blonde waves fell over her shoulders and her solid abs shimmered in a small white crop top.

Crop tops have become a bit of a theme surround the new EP. Miley rocks one on the black and white album cover.

Baring all: The 26-year-old has veen embracing the crop top style to showcase her fit frame lately

Needs a break: The star has been heavily promoting the new EP and was spotted relaxing back stage in Spain before a performance during her album release party

She also stepped out in a torn LV white crop, a denim skirt and white cowboy boots with her husband Liam Hemsworth in Spain on Friday.

Understandably exhausted from the released of her new music, Miley shared some fun shots where she was laying on the ground backstage at a music venue and posing in the trendy ensemble.

Miley's sixth studio album Younger Now was released in 2017 and her latest work is her edgiest yet.

One track, D.R.E.A.M. stands for Drugs Rule Everything Around Me is a nod to the iconic 1993 Wu-Tang Clan single C.R.E.A.M., aka Cash Rules Everything Around Me.

Veteran: The EP marks Miley's seventh studio album

Listen up: She Is Coming features the tracks Mother's Daughter, Unholy, her song with Ghostface Killah, D.R.E.A.M., Cattitude featuring RuPaul, Party Up the Street and The Most

Cyrus has been teasing the new music for some time now and played a snippet of her number Bad Karma in the car on the way to the Met Gala at the beginning of this month.

The Party in the U.S.A rocker described her new album as a combination of where she has been and where she is going.

She Is Coming features the tracks Mother's Daughter, Unholy, her song with Ghostface Killah, D.R.E.A.M., Cattitude featuring RuPaul, Party Up the Street and The Most.

The six track EP is the first of three planned that Miley will release by the end of the year, She Is Here and She Is Everything.

More to come: The album is the first of three EP's that the hit maker plans to release by the end of the year, the follow ups are She Is Here and She Is Everything

Apt: Miley's website is now full of themed merch for her new album, including a $20 condom with 'SHE IS COMING' written across the wrapper

Worth it: The pop star is hawking a $30 t-shirt with a photo of herself chowing down on a banana

Double-entendre: Another $30 t-shirt on the merch site features an image of Miley pulling her fly apart, accompanied by text reading: 'SHE CAME'

Hello, operator? Miley is pictured answering a pink old-fashioned rotary phone on the front of a hoodie that sells for a grand total of $60

Seen from the back: A $50 hoodie on the merch site reads: 'I LOVE MY P**** THAT MEANS I GOT CATTITUDE' on the front, a nod to her She Is Coming duet with RuPaul
50% voters determine all future?

Ref.:
She usually spends her mornings presenting on Good Morning Britain.

But, Charlotte Hawkins ventured out of the ITV studios to host for ITV Racing at Epsom Race's Ladies' Day at on Friday.

The presenter, 44, looked stunning in a blush pink dress with floral print, which she teamed with an extravagant matching fascinator.

Blush beauty: Charlotte Hawkins ventured out of the ITV studios to host for ITV racing at Epsom Race's Ladies' Day at on Friday

The stunning dress featured elaborate mauve brocade detail, before flowing in a layered A-line skirt.

The star boosted her height with a pair of berry court shoes.

The television personality kept it simple as she opted for the bare faced makeup look and wore her blonde hair up in a chic updo.

Charlotte was later spotted applying some more lipgloss before taking to her hosting duties for ITV racing alongside fashion journalist Mark Heyes.

Other stars at the event included Vogue Williams, Lucy Fallon, Jorgie Porter, Samira Mighty, Vick Hope, Ella Rae Wise and Olivia Bentley.

Simple but stylish: The television personality kept it simple as she opted for the bare faced makeup look and wore her blonde hair up in a chic updo

Presenting duties: Charlotte hosted for ITV racing alongside fashion journalist Mark Heyes

Girls day: Other star's at the event included Vogue Williams, Lucy Fallon, Jorgie Porter, Samira Mighty, Vick Hope, Ella Rae Wise and Olivia Bentley

Charlotte's outing is the second time that the star has turned heads with her glamorous off duty style in the last month, following her appearance at the BAFTA's.

The presenter channeled her inner Jessica Rabbit at the event, as she displayed her enviably toned physique in a black plunging strapless gown, featuring a daring thigh-high slit.

However, while Charlotte's outfit choice was a winner in the style stakes, Good Morning Britain lost out on the Britain's News Coverage nomination at the event.

The blonde beauty's co-host Piers Morgan hit out at BBC bosses and claims they failed to mention the fact the programme had received any nominations.

He said it had been a 'big deal' to have been nominated for so many awards and highlighted that many BBC viewers would have 'no-clue' that they had lost the award, due to the lack of coverage.

GMB had been nominated for News Coverage, for its programme 'On a Knife Edge?' and its exclusive with Thomas Markle.

Glamorous: Charlotte turned heads with her glamorous off duty style, following her appearance at the BAFTA's earlier this month
She has already been labelled 'pretentious' for bragging about her Louboutin heels, after her racy dresses on Britain's Got Talent garnered Ofcom complaints.

And Amanda Holden was flashing her expensive wardrobe again as she stepped out in 450 Gucci trainers on Friday as she headed out of Global radio studios in London.

The Britain's Got Talent judge, 48, appeared in high spirits in the expensive ensemble, which also included a 300 Gucci belt - after she gloated about spending 'a week's wage on designer heels' on Thursday's semi-finals.

Expensive: Amanda Holden was flashing her expensive wardrobe again as she stepped out in 450 Gucci shoes on Friday as she headed out of Global radio studios

Opting for a something a little less revealing, Amanda kept things chic in a white blouse and jeans, following viewers complaints about her 'inappropriate' and revealing 'spiderweb' outfit.

The judge wore her hair in a casual up do, and showed off her natural beauty with minimal makeup.

Amanda finished the expensive ensemble with statement sunglasses and toted a stylish black bag across her body.

It come after viewers were left raging and accused Amanda of being pretentious after she bragged about her incredibly costly designer Louboutins.

Costly: The Britain's Got Talent judge, 48, appeared in high spirits in the expensive ensemble, which also included a 300 Gucci belt

Pricey: Opting for a something a little less revealing, Amanda kept things chic in a white blouse and jeans

The fury came after magician Graeme Mathew asked if could borrow the judge's shoes for a trick - leaving Amanda obviously nervous to hand over her prized possession.

Graeme cheekily told her: 'Amanda, you had a little bit of dirt on your left shoe, you're letting the side down. But don't worry, I'm going to clean it for you, using magic. Can I borrow your left shoe?'

Apprehensive, Amanda was seen removing one luxury heel, before informing the contestant: 'You're going to be nice to my shoe, that's like a week's wages on that shoe.'

'A weeks wages!': It come after viewers were left raging and accused Amanda of being pretentious after she bragged about her incredibly costly designer Louboutins

'Pretentious!' The fury came after magician Graeme Mathew asked if could borrow the judge's shoes for a trick

Fans vented their fury of the situation as they took to Twitter:

'So @AmandaHolden worried about her fancy red bottom shoe. 'Weeks wages they cost' she said, while we have children going hungry, families unable to survive on a daily basis. Families would love to have that weeks wage to fund their home.'

'A whole weeks wage on 1 shoe on Amanda's wage! I dread to think how much them shoes cost! #bgt.'

'Graeme, I think Amanda wants her shoe back now #BritainsGotTalent.'

Wow: On Monday night, she made an impression in thigh-skimming gown by Ziad Nakad, showing off a liberal amount of leg thanks to the asymmetric hemline

Statement: On Tuesday, the blonde beauty had also risked a wardrobe malfunction in a cut-out number by Jennifer Clair

Racy: On Wednesday night, she dared to bare in the revealing, spider web number which attracted the Ofcom complaints

'Amanda Holden saying 'You're going to be nice to my shoe. That's like a weeks wages on that shoe'. Oh, sorry Miss Louboutin! She had to put that in there. #BGT.'

'A weeks wages on shoes?!?!#bgt #bgt2019 #BritainsGotTalent.'

Meanwhile, Amanda has come under fire for her revealing ensembles on the show, with many complaining to Ofcom.

Viewers had complained to the media watchdog about her 'inappropriate' and revealing 'spiderweb' outfit, but Amanda once again dared to bare in another revealing number during Thursday evening's semi-final.

Not happy: Her outfit choice didn't go unnoticed by viewers at home, who took to Twitter in their droves to critique her 'inappropriate' wardrobe attire

The TV star revealed her ample cleavage in a plunging, midnight blue gown, adorned with white floral detail and sequins - drawing yet more criticism from fans of the family-friendly programme watching at home.

Her outfit choice didn't go unnoticed by viewers at home, who took to Twitter in their droves to critique her 'inappropriate' wardrobe attire.

Some viewers were keen to stick up for the BGT judge, however, insisting she shouldn't be 'shamed' for her sartorial choices.

On Monday night, she made an impression in thigh-skimming gown by Ziad Nakad, showing off a liberal amount of leg thanks to the asymmetric hemline.

On Tuesday, the blonde beauty had also risked a wardrobe malfunction in a cut-out number by Jennifer Clair.
Halle Berry may be over 50-years-old, but she certainly doesn't look it.

On Friday the beauty came off as half her age as she went to a meeting in Los Angeles wearing a backpack and hipster sunglasses.

And John Wick: Chapter 3  Parabellum actress also flashed sculpted arms thanks to daily workouts with her personal trainer.

Black don't crack: Halle Berry headed to a business meeting in Los Angeles looking youthful on Friday

The 52-year-old actress donned a patterned black tank top that showed off her shoulders.

She paired the look with baggy, black harem pants and gladiator sandals.

Looking for some semblance of anonymity, the Catwoman star pulled her light brown tresses back into a loose ponytail while sporting clubmaster Ray-Ban sunglasses.

She accessorized with a long gold necklace, black earrings and a black leather backpack as she carried her phone and an energy drink in her hands.

Out in LA: Looking for some semblance of anonymity, the Catwoman star pulled her light brown tresses back into a loose ponytail while sporting clubmaster sunglasses and Sarah Flint sandals

And Berry was committed to the hippie vibe, both in fashion and online.

Just one day prior the Gothika star took to Instagram to send a message about love to her followers.

The post features white text on a plain black background.

Peace and love: Just one day prior the Gothika star took to Instagram to send a message about love to her followers

'In a world full of hate, be love,' it reads.

In her most recent film, which was released in theaters on May 17th, Berry plays Sofia, an assassin and close friend of John Wick in the third installment of the popular franchise.

During an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden back in March, the mother of two announced that she would be starting a new film in June, but she did not disclose any details about of the role.
She welcomed her first child with boyfriend Lee in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

And Chantelle Connelly has now shared the name of her bundle of joy as well as that giving birth almost led to her 'going into cardiac arrest.'

The Geordie Shore star, 29, has named her newborn, that was delivered by an emergency C-section, as Ricardo.

Traumatic: Chantelle Connelly, 29, has now shared the name of her bundle of joy as well as that giving birth almost led to her 'going into cardiac arrest'

The star opened up on the traumatic birth in an interview with The Sun.

The reality TV star revealed that ahead of giving birth, she had been having contractions for a couple of days that became more and more painful.

The star shared that when she arrived at the hospital she was only 2cm dilated and was told she was unable to receive an epidural until it she was at 4cm.

Chantelle told the publication: I went back two hours later, crippled in agony with the pain and they decided to give me an epidural and break my waters.

New arrival: The Geordie Shore star has named her newborn, that was delivered by an emergency C-section, as Ricardo

The next thing, it just went pear-shaped. My mum and partner, Lee, were like: Chantelle, are you okay? - all I could remember is that I felt like I was going to sleep.

My mum is a nurse and knows exactly what the monitor was saying, my blood pressure had dropped to around 60, my mum said I could have gone into cardiac arrest, that is what I was slipping into.

The reality star also revealed that the medical team rushed to her in order to flush her system to get the epidural out.

Proud grandma: Chantelle's mum announced the birth of Ricardo by sharing a picture of a sign which said 'Newcastle Birthing Centre', she said: 'My beautiful grandson born 6 minutes past. 6 weighs 6lb 6oz.'

Chantelle also shared that she was rushed to theatre, where she had to be put to sleep in order for her son to be saved.

The Newcastle native's mother announced the birth of Ricardo by taking to Instagram on Tuesday.

Sharing a picture of a sign which said 'Newcastle Birthing Centre', she said: 'My beautiful grandson born 6 minutes past. 6 weighs 6lb 6oz.

'Chantelle doesn't know he's here yet had an emergency section she is still in theatre they had to put her to sleep she wl wake up to this beautiful little bundle,' followed by several heart emojis.

Allison had also taken to the social media platform earlier on Tuesday, as she said: 'Chantelle in labour. Baby b here soon today. Can't wait,' followed by heart emojis.

Earlier this month, Chantelle looked every inch the doting mother-to-be as she attended her baby shower at the Vermont Hotel in Newcastle.

MailOnline contacted Chantelle's representative for comment at the time.

Chantelle announced she was expecting her first child with boyfriend Lee after a whirlwind romance in November.

Baby news: Chantelle announced she was expecting her first child with boyfriend Lee after a whirlwind romance in November

She was forced to hit back in January after trolls claimed that she had faked her pregnancy.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, the star shared a comment that had been left and her very choice words in response.

The follower had written: 'There was a post months ago about her being pregnant before I even fell pregnant.

'I've got a bump and was fat as well, she is like a stick with no bump. She ain't pregnant, it's sick how people can like about s**t like this.'

Chantelle commented beneath the screenshot: 'Wow get on this sick, hating, fat f*** saying I'm lying about being pregnant cause I ain't fat b****** like herself.'

She then shared a picture of her baby scan from December 29, writing: 'My beautiful baby boy'.

In her final slam to haters, she then shared a picture of herself at five months pregnant, with her stomach exposed to show she still has abs.

Chantelle wrote: 'My baby bump at five and a half months. No wonder b****es be hating.'

Hitting back: Chantelle hit out at claims that she faked her pregnancy earlier this year after followers were left baffled by her small baby bump




Lily Collins lucked out after paying a visit to her stylist in Los Angeles on Friday.

The 30-year-old was seen carrying an overstuffed shopping bag full of goodies as she walked to her car alone.

The actress had on a casual outfit that included a bulky denim jacket with white cropped jeans and mule slip on shoes.

Casual and comfortable: Lily Collins lucked out after paying a visit to her stylist in Los Angeles on Friday and ended up hauling tons of goodies back to her car

Successful trip: It seems as if she had made off with freebies from fashion designers

Collins was seen leaving her stylist with arms full of garments and a white shopping bag packed full of stuff.

She carried a large black satchel and wore round sunglasses with her long brunette hair down.

The actress has been pretty busy lately with films like her Netflix role in the Ted Bundy film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and recently being cast in the new television series, Emily in Paris.

A good look: The actress had on a casual outfit that included a bulky denim jacket with white cropped jeans and mule slip on shoes

Collins also shared a photo of a recent shoot from The Hollywood Reporter where she was among many other actors being highlighted.

'Talking the good old millennial TV days with @hollywoodreporter  from Freaks and Geeks to 7th Heaven. You 90s kids get it...' she said in her post.

Billie Lourd and Shay Mitchell, were just some of the 30 stars included in the class photo.
She has been cast as the narrator in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's iconic musical.

And Sheridan Smith, 37, did not disappoint as she took to the stage to give a preview performance from the revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Friday night's episode of Britain's Got Talent.

The performer led the way in a sparkling blue jumpsuit that put her assets on full display thanks to its plunging neckline.

Scroll down for video

Talented: Sheridan Smith, 37, took to the stage to give a preview performance from the revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Friday nights episode of Britain's Got Talent

The actress, who performed alongside Jason Donovan who has secured the role of Pharaoh and Jac Yarrow as Joseph, continued to wow by sporting a voluminous quiff and West End worthy make-up.

Taking to the stage by storm, the beauty showcased her vocal talents as she belted out Any Dream Will Do alongside the choir and company.

Fans took to Twitter share their joy at the performance and of Sheridan's talents. One wrote: '@Sheridansmith1 absolutely loved seeing you on the BGT stage tonight, you are a woman of so many talents! Fab fab fab! Xx'

Others contributed: 'Wow. Sheridan Smith singing and dancing. excellent too.' and 'Brilliant performance Sheridan.'

Dazzling: The performer led the way in a sparkling blue jumpsuit that put her assets on full display thanks to its plunging neckline

All-star line-up: The actress performed alongside Jason Donovan who has secured the role of Pharaoh and Jac Yarrow as Joseph

One fan who appreciated her costumes typed online: 'Sheridan smiths boobs look amazing. #BGT.'

The live performance got a lot of viewers excited about the show returning to the West End show that is returning to The London Palladium theatre in June.

An excited fan shared on social media: ' Great to see a sneak preview of @JosephMusical on @BGT tonight! It looks amazing, loving the new arrangements & fresh take on the show! @jacyarrow is going to make a brilliant Joseph, and it was great to see @Sheridansmith1 back on stage too! Can't wait to see it in full in July.'

Star: Sheridan continued to wow by sporting a voluminous quiff and West End worthy make-up

Classic hit: Taking to the stage by storm, the beauty showcased her vocal talents as she belted out Any Dream Will Do alongside the choir and company

'Wow! The cast of @JosephMusical were INCREDIBLE! So excited to see this in the West End! @Sheridansmith1 @JDonOfficial @jacyarrow' added another.

Another musical lover typed: 'I really, really, really want to see Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat! The cast absolutely smashed it on #BGT Adore @Sheridansmith1 & @JDonOfficial @JosephMusical, fab casting!'

Sheridan's role in Joseph marks her return to the West End stage since her role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl at The Savoy Theatre in 2016.

Impressed: Fans took to Twitter share their joy at the performance and of Sheridan's talents

Pleased: One fan was impressed by the starlet's plunging outfit

Following the performance, Jason and Sheridan were spotted leaving the Hammersmith Apollo - where Britain's Got Talent's live show's are filmed - in a shared taxi.

The duo did not change out of their stage costumes as they dashed home after their fantastic performance.

Jason Donovan, who previously starred as the lead character of Joseph 29 years ago recently opened up about the famous show returning.

Back to business: Sheridan's role in Joseph marks her return to the West End stage since her role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl at The Savoy Theatre in 2016

Anticipation: Twitter users voiced their joy for the iconic show returning to the West End

Home time: Following the performance, Jason and Sheridan were spotted leaving the Hammersmith Apollo - where Britain's Got Talent's live show's are filmed - in a taxi

Back again: Jason Donovan, who previously starred Joseph 29 years ago, has bagged the role of Pharaoh in the show that will run at the London Palladium from 27 June

He said: ''You never know the measure of a moment until it becomes a memory, and what a moment that was for me.

Joseph was a ground breaker in 1991, and what a blast it will be to be back on the prestigious Palladium stage and be part of it all again with a brand new cast in this re-imagined 2019 production.'

The Neighbours star then jokingly added: 'Im looking forward to breathing new life into Pharaoh and Im so relieved he doesnt wear a loin cloth!'

Wow! Sheridan showcased her assets as she relaxed in the back of a car after the show

Home time: The star headed home following a successful performance on BGT

Glam: Sheridan sported a glamorous coat of make-up including a bold red lip

The co-production between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice follows the biblical story of Joseph, who is Jacob's favourite out of his eleven sons.

Sold into slavery by his brothers out of jealousy, Joseph begins to work for Egyptian tycoon Potiphar before he's thrown into jail after refusing his wife's advances.

During his imprisonment, the character learns that is able to interpret dreams and his newfound skills helps him to become the Pharaoh's right-hand man.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will have a strictly limited 11-week run at the London Palladium from Thursday 27 June.

Looking good: Jason appeared to love his costume so much he kept it on after the show
What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas - just as Diplo and Joe Jonas.

The 40-year-old DJ has hit back at the singer's claim he 'ruined' his Las Vegas wedding to Sophie Turner by live-streaming it on Instagram without their permission.

Diplo  who's real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz  fired back on Instagram with a jab, writing 'the only thing' that ruined the wedding' was the fit of Joe's light grey suit.

Awkward: Diplo posted a grab of DailyMail.com's story about Joe Jonas' interview on Friday. The DJ took at jab at the singer's wedding suit, writing: 'The only thing that 'ruined' the wedding was your fit'

Shots fired: Diplo hit back at claims that he 'ruined' the celebrity wedding by broadcasting their nuptials to his millions of followers on social media; seen in March

The middle Jonas child saw Diplo's post and simply commented on the photo with a rolling eyes emoji.

Joe, along with brothers Nick and Kevin, appeared on the UK radio program Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp, where he said the wedding was, 'lit.'

When it was mentioned that Diplo 'ruined' the secretive affair by posting a live stream of the ceremonies on Instagram, Joe responded with a playful dis of Diplo and his constant Instagram habit.

Having fun: Joe, along with brothers Nick and Kevin, appeared on the UK radio program Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp , where he said the wedding was, 'lit'

Blasting Diplo: Joe Jonas opens up about Diplo 'ruining' his secret wedding with Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner

'Diplo did. Yeah, he ruined it. I love Diplo, but he loves his Gram more than a 13 year old,' Joe, 29, joked. 'He posts every five seconds. He literally live-streamed with dog face filters. We just laughed. We loved it. We thought it was ridiculous.

'I just loved that he was walking into the chapel and he's like, "Gonna hit this wedding real quick,"' he joked.

Sophie confessed to Porter Edit that although she thought the DJ's Instagram antics were 'funny' she feels it's 'tricky' when 'people live stream it' and would have preferred to keep her newlywed status secret for longer.

The Dark Phoenix actress went on to explain that she would have 'kept it a secret' as she feels marriage is a 'private thing' about celebrating love rather than holding a lavish ceremony.

Sophie speaks: Turner also addressed Diplo essentially becoming the unofficial 'wedding photographer' during a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show

'Marriage is a private thing between two people and I think that's how it should always be,' she said. 'It's not about the dress, it's not about the food. It's about being husband and wife, and being dedicated to each other forever.'

The wedding took place four weeks ago, but with Joe and the rest of his brothers preparing to go on tour starting in August, Joe and Sophie have not gone on their honeymoon yet.

'You know, we've got plans that we'll be hush-hush about, but yeah, we'll make time for that,' Joe replied.

Turner also addressed Diplo essentially becoming the unofficial 'wedding photographer' during a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show.

'Well, we didn't choose him to be our wedding photographer, he just kind of decided to live stream it,' Turner said on the UK program.

JoBros: The Jonas Brothers' Happiness Begins tour kicks off August 7 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, with the brother traversing North America for three months

JoBros on stage: The Jonas Brothers perform an intimate gig for Banquet Records at PRYZM Kingston in London in support of their upcoming album Happiness begins

Norton added that they are planning a 'big party' to celebrate their nuptials as well, but Turner was coy, only stating, 'Potentially.'

Norton went on to joke that the party is, 'In France, 15th of July, just outside of Montpellier,' before admitting that he had no idea where it was, but Turner admitted, 'That was a pretty good guess.'

Turner is currently promoting her new X-Men movie Dark Phoenix, which is slated to hit theaters June 5 in the UK and June 7 in the US.

The Jonas Brothers' Happiness Begins tour kicks off August 7 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, with the brother traversing North America for three months.

The tour concludes December 14th at the Forum in Los Angeles.

New album: Happiness Begins will be The Jonas Brothers' fifth studio album

Coming soon: The album Happiness Begins is slated to debut June 7, the same date Dark Phoenix hits theaters, the new movie from Joe's wife Sophie Turner
Her parents are a British acting institution and period drama veterans.

And now the daughter of Imelda Staunton, 63, and Jim Carter, 70, is following in their footsteps and is set to be the break-out star of ITVs new Downton in Delhi.

Bessie Carter, 25, will step into the limelight in Beecham House, which is set in India at the turn of the 19th century and will air over the summer.

Nothing has been revealed about her role as Violet Woodhouse but early images suggests she holds a loftier position than that occupied by her father as Mr Carson, the butler in Downton.

Bessie Carter (far right), 25, will step into the limelight in Beecham House, which is set in India at the turn of the 19th century and will air over the summer

And the Downton connection doesnt end there as Lesley Nicol, who plays Abbey cook Beryl Patmore, has shifted upstairs to appear as the snooty Mrs Beecham.

The first trailer for the six-part drama, from Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha, was released yesterday, whetting the appetite of viewers with teases of sultry moments, fisticuffs and tragedy.

It follows the fortunes of former East India Company officer John Beecham, played by Tom Bateman, 30, who arrives at his new family mansion in Delhi to seek his fortune as a trader.

Along with him are his interfering mother, played by Miss Nicol, and an English governess and love interest played by Dakota Blue Richards, 25.

And the Downton connection doesnt end there as Lesley Nicol, who plays Abbey cook Beryl Patmore, has shifted upstairs to appear as the snooty Mrs Beecham

Her parents will also be in cinemas in September in the eagerly awaited Downton Abbey film, which reunites all of the main characters and sees Miss Staunton join the cast as a new character

Miss Carter, who graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2016, might be still be a relative unknown but her star is on the rise.

She has had roles in Howards End, Doc Martin and Cranford on TV and will be on the big screen in November in The Good Liar, opposite her father plus Dame Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen.

Her parents will also be in cinemas in September in the eagerly awaited Downton Abbey film, which reunites all of the main characters and sees Miss Staunton join the cast as a new character.
Teen Mom 2 star Jenelle Evans and her husband David Eason lost custody of their three children after he shot and killed the family's French Bulldog in April.

Now her 30-year-old husband has abruptly cut off a visitation with his children.

He left the supervised visitation with the Jenelle, 27, and their children after his 11-year-old daughter Maryssa refused to see him, according to Us Weekly.

Walk out: Jenelle Evans, 27, and David Eason, 30, had their visitation with their children disrupted after he 'stormed out' when his daughter Maryssa, 11, wouldn't see him, according to Us Weekly; (L-R) Ensley Eason, Jenelle, Maryssa and David pictured February 8

'Maryssa didnt want to see her father and David stormed out of the meeting center,' a source told the publication.

She's Eason's daughter from a previous relationship, though the former reality couple also lost temporary custody of her following the act of violence last month.

The couple also lost custody of their other three children, Jace, nine, Kaiser, four, and Ensley, two, on Tuesday.

Jace and Kaiser are both from Jenelle's previous relationships, whereas she and David share Ensley.

No thanks: 'Maryssa didnt want to see her father and David stormed out of the meeting center,' a source told the publication

Gone: She's Eason's daughter from a previous relationship, though the former reality couple also lost temporary custody of her following the act of violence last month; David and Maryssa pictured with Kaiser (front) and Jace (yellow shirt)

After receiving the cold shoulder from his own daughter, David seems to have lashed out and threatened to abandon his daughter for good.

'He said hes done with Maryssa, and that she can stay with her grandmother for good,' a source told The Ashley's Reality Roundup.

He also reportedly stated that he would be dropping off any of her remaining belongs at her maternal grandmother's house, where she currently resides.

In a huff: 'He said hes done with Maryssa, and that she can stay with her grandmother for good,' a source told The Ashley's Reality Roundup; (L-R) Maryssa, Jenelle and Ensley

During the hearing temporarily revoking their custody, the judge told Evans that she 'failed to protect the children while they were in her care,' a source told Radar.

'Jenelle was sobbing in court ... [she] believed that her lawyer was going to be able to get her children back and she seemed stunned when this happened.

'Jenelle is standing by David,' as 'despite what happened, she has no plans to leave him,' the source added.

In a statement to The Hollywood Gossip, the former reality star confirmed the information, saying, 'I love being a mother and David and I will get through this. We are staying strong and united.'

Jenelle's mother Barbara Evans previously had custody of her oldest son Jace, but she'll now also assume custody of her daughter Ensley.

Her ex Nathan Griffith will take over full custody of their son Kaiser.

Taking over: Jenelle's ex Nathan Griffith assumed full custody of their son Kaiser, though followers accused him of rubbing it in her face after he posted a photo of the two swimming

Griffith was accused by some of his followers of rubbing the loss of custody in Jenelle's face.

'Just because I post a picture; does not mean Im being vindictive, just because I say something; does not mean Im pointed it directly at someone and just because I dont say anything; does not mean I have anything to hide,' he tweeted on Wednesday.

'Not everything, actually almost nothing I do or say is Has to do with Jenelle. I dont care who she is or what status she has. Just like myself I view her as a normal person that just happens to be an ex and the mother of child. Nothing else! I post because I want to. I post pictures because I like them and I want others to like them.'
Meek Mill has received an apology after accusations of racism.

The Las Vegas Cosmopolitan Hotel released a statement on Friday in which they took responsibility for any wrongdoing.

This all began when the 32-year-old rapper accused the casino of racial discrimination last weekend, after they threatened to arrest him for trespassing when he was not allowed into their day club.

Though the hotel has previously said it was to do with capacity not race, the hotel has now given rapper Meek the public apology that they promised.

Will he accept the apology? Las Vegas casino, The Cosmopolitan Hotel, released a statement on Friday in which they apologized to Meek Mill, after he was refused entry to their day club before he called them 'racist'

Taking full responsibility for the situation, their statement said that they apologized regarding how everything was handled.

'We apologize to Meek Mill for how we handled the situation on Saturday, May 25, as we did not act in a respectful manner and were wrong,' they began.

'Meek Mill has not had any prior incidents on our property. The Cosmopolitan has zero tolerance for discrimination and we pride ourselves on providing an inclusive environment.'

Continuing on, they welcomed the artist back to their hotel as a guest.

Taking full responsibility: Th casino's statement said that they apologized regarding how everything was handled

Stay tuned: TMZ reported on Friday: 'Meek is expected to post soon that he accepts the apology, and we're told the threat of a lawsuit will disappear'

'We look forward to welcoming Meek Mill back to the resort.

TMZ reported on Friday: 'Meek is expected to post soon that he accepts the apology, and we're told the threat of a lawsuit will disappear.'

The apology letter comes after the rapper accused the casino of racism last weekend.

In a video released by TMZ on Saturday, the Going Bad rapper was seen in a confrontational chat with security where they alleged that he had been in some kind of physical altercation during a previous visit to the casino, to which he claimed, 'impossible'.

When he and his own security pressed the casino employee for details about the alleged altercation, he backtracked and said he didn't know the fine details and would need to contact the vice-president for further information.

Will they loose busness? The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas is one of the most popular resorts, being perfectly central on the strip

Drama: In a video released by TMZ on Saturday, the Going Bad rapper was seen in a confrontational chat with security where they alleged that he had been in some kind of physical altercation during a previous visit to the casino, to which he claimed, 'impossible'

Speaking out: The rapper took to social media to blast the casino for racially profiling him

'This comes from way higher up than me,' one guard allegedly said, according to Meek's lawyer Joe Tacopina.

The rapper took to social media to blast the casino for racially profiling him.

'If you come from our culture you should never step foot in the cosmopolitan hotel they just really racist as hell,' he wrote. 'Something really has to be done in Las Vegas what they doing to black people!'

'They telling black rappers they are banned from properties they own without incident ... they just told me I was trespassing and I will be arrested I stepped in that hotel once at a jayz party without incident!' he added in a subsequent tweet.

Is this true? Meek's lawyer has since claimed that he spoke with 'a well-placed person inside the hotel' who told him that a group of Vegas hotels have been attempting to keep rappers off their premises

He followed up his outraged posts with a legal threat to the casino.

'I needs lawyers ASAP yall not gone treat me like Im just a rapper and expect me to be quiet.'

Meek's lawyer has since claimed that he spoke with 'a well-placed person inside the hotel' who told him that a group of Vegas hotels have been attempting to keep rappers off their premises.

He labeled the alleged actions 'racist,' saying, 'They wouldn't ban Vanilla Ice.'

According to TMZ, they report that lawyer Joe has also said O.J. Simpson and Snoop Dogg's people have reached out to him since to say that they had been mistreated by the Cosmopolitan Hotel as well.

Their was also a previous statement that said Meek was refused as they had been over capacity - another things he blasted the casino over.
Advertisement

Nova's Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli and wife Lisa's classic Federation semi-detached home in Sydney's Queens Park, will go to auction next week.

And first reported in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, the asking price has been reduced from $2.5 to $2.3 million.

Domain previously said the couple are wanting to 'upgrade' their family home, and have been looking at areas in the eastern suburbs, including Bellevue Hill, Vaucluse and Paddington.

On the move: Nova's Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli, 39, and wife Lisa (pictured in November 2017) have dropped the asking price of their semi-detached home in Sydney's Queens Park, from $2.5 to $2.3 million

The charming home, listed by Phillips Pantzer Donnelley agents, is located on Rawson Avenue and is only a three-minute stroll to Centennial Park.

Occupying two levels, the space offers open-plan living and dining areas, and is equipped with a sunny courtyard.

The home contains four bedrooms, two fully-tiled bathrooms, polished hardwood floorboards and light-filled interiors.

Open-plan living: The charming home is only a three-minute stroll to Centennial Park and occupies two spacious levels

Perfect for entertaining: The space offers open-plan living and dining areas, and is equipped with a sunny courtyard

A Caesarstone kitchen with an island bench and walk-in pantry, is perfect for those wanting to entertain at home.

Michael, 39, and Lisa met at the Nova studios in Sydney, and Michael said it was love at first sight for the pair.

'Speaking to New Idea in November last year, he recalled: 'I was ordering a chicken wrap downstairs and she was getting a sandwich and our eyes connected.'

'I looked at the sandwich, looked back at her, she looked back at the sandwich, then at me and it was like, 'Oh my God, do we just love food or do we love each other?''

Design: The home features polished hardwood floorboards and light-filled interiors

Profit: Michael and Lisa purchased the four bedroom, two bathroom home in 2014 for $1.87 million

Michael added that once they were back in the office, he was desperate to try and talk to her.

'I'd walk the long way from the studio past her desk and there were a couple of comments made that I was wearing out the carpet in front of her desk,' he said.

'I'd walk the long way from the studio past her desk and there were a couple of comments made that I was wearing out the carpet in front of her desk,' he said.

The couple wed in 2013 and share two sons, Ted, four, and Jack, two.
NASA will launch rockets into space from a private Australian spaceport in 2020 in a global first.

Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory will become the first privately-owned site outside the US to launch NASA rockets.

Equatorial Launch Australia, which will operate the ASC near Nhulunbuy, said the deal was a significant indicator that Australia is ready to play an increasing role in space activity.

"This is the single most important event to date in putting the Australian space industry on the global map and will open the doors to growth and job opportunities in the Australian space industry," ELA chief executive Carley Scott said in a statement.

"NASA has not launched from a non-government launch site anywhere else in the world.

"The decision by NASA to partner with ELA in Australia firmly embeds Australia as a serious part of the global space sector."
Parental leave practices for new mothers and fathers vary widely on Wall Street, where hours are long and workloads are high

Wall Street fathers won a major victory on Thursday, with JPMorgan Chase agreeing to pay $5 million to male employees who felt discriminated against over parental leave.

The leading US bank in terms of assets reached an agreement with plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit accusing it of not granting them the same rights as mothers.

The complaint covered the period from 2011-207 and was filed jointly by the Ohio branch of the American Civil Liberties Union and the Outten & Golden LLP law firm on behalf of JPMorgan Chase fathers.

Derek Rotondo, an employee who became a father, was the first to raise the issue, accusing the bank of not granting him the same parental leave rights provided to female employees.

"I love my children, and all I wanted was to spend time with them when they were born," Rotondo said in a statement from the ACLU.

"I'm proud that since I filed my charge, Chase has clarified its policy to ensure that both male and female employees who wish to be the primary parental caregiver have equal access to those benefits."

Rotondo says that he tried to take 14 weeks of parental leave as a "primary caregiver" after his son was born, but the human resources department told him that policy was only available to mothers -- the only parents their policy considered to be the primary parent and eligible to take up to 16 weeks of 100 percent-paid leave.

- Policies vary -

Fathers, on the other hand, were considered co-parents and only eligible for more than two weeks of leave if they could prove their partner was "incapacitated" or already back to work, according to the ACLU,

In 2017, Rotondo filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for gender discrimination, and Chase ultimately granted him the 16 weeks of parental leave.

Chase will train its staff to implement new gender-neutral parental leave policies

"We are pleased to have reached an agreement in this matter and look forward to more effectively communicating the policy so that all men and women employees are aware of their benefits," Chase representative Reid Broda said. "We thank Mr Rotondo for bringing the matter to our attention."

And in addition to the $5 million it will pay out, Chase will now train its staff on how to handle the new gender-neutral leave policies.

The case points an awkward spotlight on Chase, the largest bank in the US with $2.39 trillion in assets, according to Forbes.

In 2016, the company became one of the first major businesses in the country to offer 12 to 16 weeks of paid parental leave, and last year non-primary caregivers' leave increased from two weeks to six.

Parental leave practices vary widely on Wall Street, where hours are long and workloads are high.

Bank of America offers up to 26 weeks of parental leave to all new US biological and adoptive parents, with 16 of them paid.

And Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo both allow for 16 weeks of paid parental leave to US employees considered primary caregivers, regardless of gender, with the other parent eligible for four weeks' paid leave.

Citigroup allows US employees who become mothers to take 16 weeks paid while a second parent or adoptive parents can take eight weeks.
Rights groups and refugee advocates have protested over the Australian government's overseas detention scheme

Papua New Guinea has deployed paramilitary police to a refugee encampment on Manus Island amid "daily" suicide attempts and rising tension there, a senior officer told AFP Friday.

Manus Provincial Police Commander David Yapu said the unit -- which has a reputation for brutal tactics -- was deployed to the site where hundreds of migrants stuck on Manus are camped after trying to reach Australia.

Under Canberra's hardline policy, the would-be refugees have been refused access to Australia and moved to the remote island and the Pacific nation of Nauru, where they have remained in limbo for years.

They had hoped that an expected win for Australia's opposition Labor Party in May 18 elections would open up new options for resettlement.

But the election saw the surprise return to power of the conservative coalition of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the architect of the tough overseas detention regime.

The election outcome prompted a rash of suicide attempts among despondent asylum-seekers on Manus.

Morrison has boasted of "stopping the boats" and defended his policy saying it saved lives by discouraging people from making the journey to Australia.

"The deployment of a Mobile Squad Unit to the Manus Island recently has been part of the efforts to assist in reducing the attempted suicides at the East Lorengau Refugee Centre," Yapu told AFP.

"The deployment of the unit is for three months."

According to Yapu, there have been more than a dozen serious attempted suicides by refugees, but what he described as minor attempts have been occurring almost daily.

Those who have "attempted suicide is usually by weapons, overdose on medicines and hanging."

"It's become a concern to us, and that's one way of us addressing it."

The deployment of more than a dozen heavily armed police from a unit that has in the past been accused of rape and murder signals escalating tensions on Manus.

It is sure to cause concern to human rights groups, who have already pilloried the Australian government's policies and the use of Mobile Squad Units in quashing previous refugee riots.

Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz Adam, back in Manus after recently receiving a human rights prize in Geneva, on Thursday tweeted that at least 31 men had tried to commit suicide since the May 18 vote.
Israeli security forces close Damascus Gate after a Palestinian stabs and wounds two Israelis, one critically, in the latest Palestinian attack in the walled Old City of annexed east Jerusalem

More than 200,000 Muslims took part in the final Friday prayers of Ramadan at Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of annexed east Jerusalem, as Israel heightened security following a Palestinian stabbing attack.

The religious authority in charge of the compound, the third holiest site in Islam, said in total 260,000 worshippers took part in the midday prayers.

The prayers came only hours after a Palestinian teenager stabbed two Israelis inside the Old City before being shot dead by Israeli security.

In a separate incident, another Palestinian teenager was shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank as he sought to sneak into Jerusalem, reportedly to pray at Al-Aqsa.

In Jerusalem itself, a 19-year-old Palestinian stabbed one Israeli near the Damascus Gate and another near Jaffa Gate on the other side of the walled Old City, police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said.

"Police units that responded at the scene saw the attacker with a knife. The attacker was shot and killed," Rosenfeld said.

Palestinians attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem

The Palestinian health ministry later named him as Yusef Wajih from Abwein village in the central West Bank.

A video released by police showed a man running through the streets and stabbing two Orthodox Jews.

One of the Israelis wounded was a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed at the exit of a synagogue. A photograph of the teenager in a hospital bed was released by a government spokesman.

The other victim, a 47-year-old man, was in serious condition, according to the hospital.

Later Friday, Israeli police said a Palestinian "armed with a knife" had been arrested in the flashpoint city of Hebron in the West Bank.

The arrest took place near a key holy site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

- Worshippers gather -

Jerusalem's Old City has been the scene of numerous stabbings of Israelis by Palestinian assailants in recent years, though a relative calm has existed for several months.

After the latest attack, gates to the Old City were briefly sealed before being reopened as thousands thronged towards the mosque.

Inside the mostly uncovered mosque compound, water was sprayed on worshippers to keep them cool in the baking Jerusalem sun, with temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Israeli security forces control access to Jerusalem's Old City following a knife attack

Despite a heavy police presence, there were no reports of further incidents.

The Al-Aqsa mosque compound is a key religious and political symbol for Palestinians. It is also sacred for Jews, who refer to it at the Temple Mount.

The attack came just two days before Israelis hold a major march to mark Jerusalem Day, the annual commemoration of the capture of east Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967.

It was later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community.

In December 2017, US President Donald Trump broke with decades of bipartisan policy to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in a move that prompted the Palestinians to cut all contacts with his administration.

Israel insists the whole of Jerusalem is its "eternal, indivisible capital". The Palestinians demand the city's eastern sector as the capital of their long promised state.

- Trump's gift -

On Thursday evening, Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem as part of a Middle East tour before Washington unveils its long-awaited plan for Israel-Palestinian peace.

Kushner, accompanied by Trump envoy Jason Greenblatt, arrived in Jerusalem after earlier stops in Morocco and Jordan.

He is a key architect of the peace plan that the White House says it intends to present in the coming weeks, which was previously delayed for an Israeli general election on April 9.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displays a map of Israel -- signed and approvingly annotated by Donald Trump -- showing the Golan Heights as inside the Jewish state's borders, his latest gift from the US president

After Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government, Israel is set to hold another vote in September and the plan is widely seen as too sensitive an issue to introduce during a political campaign.

The Palestinian leadership has rejected the peace plan without seeing it, saying Trump has shown himself to be blatantly biased in favour of Israel.

They cite moves including declaring the disputed city of Jerusalem Israel's capital and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian aid.

Trump has also handed Netanyahu other diplomatic coups, notably US recognition of Israel's 1981 annexation of the strategic Golan Heights captured from Syria in the Six-Day War.

On Thursday, Kushner delivered Netanyahu a gift from Trump, a map of Israel signed and approvingly annotated by the US president showing the Golan as inside the Jewish state's borders.
More than 30 African countries have banned plastic bans as a way to tackle plastic waste due to its non-biodegrable nature

A plastic bag ban comes into force in Tanzania on Saturday, as Africa leads efforts to stem the tide of plastic blighting the farthest reaches of the globe, and depths of the ocean.

Tanzania is banning the importation, production, sale and use of plastic bags, becoming the 34th African country to implement such restrictions, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).

"Let me be clear on this, once it reaches June 1, the government is not planning to add any more days and we will not tolerate anyone who will be caught using them. No plastic bag will be allowed in the country," Tanzania's vice-president Samia Suluhu Hassan said when announcing the move in April.

Tanzania -- whose wildlife is a popular tourist draw -- has also issued a notice to travellers that they will have to "surrender" plastic bags in their possession before entering the country.

"The government expects that, in appreciation of the imperative to protect the environment and keep our country clean and beautiful, our visitors will accept minor inconveniences resulting from the plastic bags ban," said the statement.

According to local media, anyone caught manufacturing or importing plastic bags and plastic wrappings could get a fine of one billion Tanzanian shillings ($430,000, 390,000 euros) or face imprisonment for up to two years.

Possession and usage can lead to a fine of $87 or imprisonment for seven days, or both.

- Degrees of success -

Globally, 127 countries have some sort of plastic bag legislation, 91 of which include a ban or restriction on manufacturing, importation and retail distribution, according to UNEP.

Africa has 34 of these countries, followed by Europe with 29.

UN officials say the success of African plastic bag bans varies from country to country

Patrick Mwesigye, UNEP's regional co-ordinator for resource efficiency told AFP that the degree of success of the bans varied in Africa.

Rwanda's plastic bag ban has been in place for over a decade and is considered one of the most successful.

"But Rwanda had an advantage that there wasn't much manufacturing of plastics," in the country when the ban was implemented, said Mwesigye.

Countries with manufacturing and import industries, where jobs are impacted by bans, have struggled more to enforce them.

"In Kenya... it has been very effective. Still you have some plastic smuggled from neighbouring countries" like Uganda, he said.

Kenya's 2017 plastic ban imposed particularly harsh laws, with fines of up to $38,000 (32,000 euros) and four-year prison sentences.

However in reality, while there have been waves of arrests, fines and jail terms have been far less than proscribed.

Mwesigye said some countries put bans in place before ensuring there were suitable alternatives in place, while monitoring and practical enforcement were also a challenge.

- Scourge of single-use plastics -

Joyce Msuya, UNEP's Acting Executive Director, praised Tanzania for joining the nations implementing the ban.

In Africa, 4.4 million tonnes of plastic are found in oceans and seas every year, according to United Nations figures from 2010

"It is critical that bans now be complemented by efforts to identify effective alternatives to single-use plastics...".

The world currently produces more than 300 million tonnes of plastics annually, and there are at least five trillion plastic pieces floating in oceans, scientists have estimated.

Most of the items polluting oceans and landscapes and causing horrendous deaths for the creatures that live there, are made to be used once and thrown away, such as bags, straws and food packaging.

In March nations failed to agree to a timetable to phase out all single-use plastics, opting instead to "significantly reduce" their production.

Neither the United States, Canada or Australia have national plastic bag regulations -- although some American states like Hawaii or California have implemented bans.

The European Union in March voted to ban a dozen forms of single-use plastics from 2021.
No caption

Thousands of Iranians joined annual rallies in support of the Palestinian cause on Friday, rejecting a US peace plan President Donald Trump has dubbed the "deal of the century".

The Quds (Jerusalem) Day commemorations, which are held on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, were launched by Iran's revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and are held by pro-Iranian groups across the region.

Demonstrators burnt US and Israeli flags and effigies of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

They held up posters reading "Quds, the eternal capital of Palestine" and "no to the deal of the century."

The long-awaited "deal", which has yet to be unveiled by its architect, Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, has already been rejected by the Palestinians, who say Trump's policies have shown him to be blatantly biased in favour of Israel.

High-ranking officials attended the Tehran rally, including President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and parliament speaker Ali Larijani.

"Undoubtedly, the deal of the century will become the bankruptcy of the century," the state news agency IRNA quoted Rouhani as telling reporters at the rally.

Iranians burn an effigy of US President Donald Trump, whose plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouahani says will become the "bankruptcy of century"

On his arrival in the White House more than two years ago, Trump proclaimed his ambition to secure a final accord ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But the odds of his succeeding where every previous US president -- Republican as well as Democrat -- has failed appear particularly low.

Palestinians have broken all contacts with the Trump administration since he recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017.

Kushner, who was in Jerusalem on Friday on the latest leg of a regional tour to sell the plan, has looked to an alliance with Saudi Arabia against Iran as a way to gain Arab support.

The US is expected to roll out the economic aspects of the peace plan at a conference in Bahrain on June 25-26.

The US State Department confirmed on Thursday that it would go ahead despite a snap Israeli general election set for September.
More than three-quarters of the territory of Central African Republic is in the hands of militias

The 3R militia group, blamed for the massacre of more than 50 civilians in the Central Africa Republic this month, has pledged to lay down its arms within the next two weeks, the country's interior minister said Friday.

Militia leader Bi Sidi Souleymane, also known as Sidiki, "gave his word on disarming his troops, which should take place within two weeks from this Friday," Henri Wanzet told a news conference at the airport in Bangui.

Wanzet had met with the 3R leader in Niem-Yelewa, in the west of the country, along with other government ministers and representatives of a UN mission in Central Africa Republic (CAR) and the African Union.

"We met Sidiki who acknowledged his group's responsibility for the massacre," Wanzet told reporters.

The massacre on May 21 in villages near the northwestern town of Paoua, close to the border with Chad, was the worst single loss of life since the government and 14 militias signed a deal in February aimed at restoring peace to one of Africa's most troubled countries.

According to a UN source, the 3R group -- which gets its initials from "Return, Reclamation and Reconciliation" and claims to represent the Fulani, one of the country's many ethnic groups -- hosted a meeting with the villagers and then gunned them down.

The militia has already handed over three members to the authorities, describing them as rogue elements who murdered the civilians, but the government has maintained an ultimatum for the group to surrender six other suspects and dismantle its roadblocks.

On Thursday, 3R agreed to take down the roadblocks, and Wanzet said the group had now also agreed to search for the other suspects "who have fled the country."

The UN mission Minusca backed by Portuguese special forces are to oversee the dismantling process, mission deputy chief Kenneth Gluck said Friday.

In early February, warring sides signed a peace agreement negotiated in Sudan's capital Khartoum with groundwork done by the African Union from 2017, the eighth deal aimed at resolving conflict in the CAR since 2013.

In the patchwork of ethnic and religious communities making up the country, 3R claims to represent the Fulani people, who traditionally include the semi-nomadic herders of west and central Africa.
By David Brunnstrom

BERLIN, May 31 (Reuters) - The United States raised the pressure on Western allies in a war of attrition over next-generation networks on Friday, saying countries that allow China's Huawei to build their telecoms infrastructure could be cut off from crucial intelligence data.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued the warning after meeting Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of Germany, which has so far stood with Britain and France in declining calls to ban the state-owned manufacturer from the 5G networks now being built.

In the latest sign of escalating trans-Atlantic tensions over trade and security, Pompeo, on the first leg of a five-day European tour, said that while countries would take a "sovereign decision" on which equipment to use, that decision would have consequences.

"(There is) a risk we will have to change our behaviour in light of the fact that we can't permit data on private citizens or data on national security to go across networks that we don't have confidence (in)," he told a news conference.

Pompeo later met Chancellor Angela Merkel for brief talks before flying on to Switzerland, describing Germany as "a great, important partner and ally of the United States".

Merkel herself had just flown back from the United States the night before after delivering a speech to graduating Harvard students in which she exhorted them to "tear down walls of ignorance" and to stand for truth over lies - words widely interpreted as veiled criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The U.S. is and remains our most important partner outside Europe," Merkel told reporters ahead of the meeting. "We have many issues to discuss, since the world is not at rest," she added, mentioning the challenge of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and hindering Iran's "aggressive actions".

Pompeo urged close ally Britain this month not to use Huawei's technology to build new 5G networks because of concerns it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, responding to similar comments on Huawei made by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Canada on Thursday, said the United States had yet to prove that Huawei's products presented a security risk.

"We hope that the United States can stop these mistaken actions which are not at all commensurate with their status and position as a big country," said spokesman Geng Shuang.

The United States is at odds with its German allies on a host of issues, from trade to military spending and nuclear non-proliferation.

IRAN AGREEMENT

Pompeo's visit had been scheduled earlier this month, but was called off at the last minute as tensions rose over Iran. Berlin and Washington differ on the best approach to Iran over its nuclear programme.

Under a 2015 nuclear agreement with major powers, which Washington withdrew from last year, Tehran accepted curbs on its uranium enrichment programme in exchange for the removal of most international sanctions.

Iran's decision this month to backtrack from some commitments under the accord - in response to U.S. measures to cripple its economy - threatens to unravel the deal.

The German Foreign Ministry said on its website: "Germany and the U.S. agree: For the security of the region, it is crucial that Iran does not come into possession of nuclear weapons."

Maas stressed during his talks with Pompeo that "as long as Tehran adheres to the agreed rules, the agreement makes the region safer," the ministry added. A German envoy seeking to preserve the nuclear deal visited Iran last week.

But in comments on Iran in an interview to run in German daily Bild on Saturday, Pompeo said: "We hope Germany does more ... The (Iranian) regime is an expansionist theocracy. Free democracies have a duty to protect the world from this threat."

Pompeo also took a swipe at the German government for failing to reach a NATO target of spending 2% of national income on defence, telling Bild: "The most serious consequence is in the hands of the German population."

"The federal government has given the promise of 2% and the people should demand that the government keeps its promise," he said in usually blunt comments towards a NATO ally.

(Reporting by Paul Carrel and Joseph Nasr in Berlin, Ben Blanchard in Beijing Writing by Thomas Escritt Editing by Frances Kerry and Stephen Powell)
After Prime Minister Narendra Modis swearing-in ceremony, did you wake up this morning to check if the sun indeed rose from the East? No, not to check the dawn of a new democracy  but because Bollywoods biggest foes seem to have buried the hatchet at the oath ceremony.

Actor Kangana Ranaut and filmmaker Karan Johar finally have a common denominator  Narendra Modi.

Yes, the same man who was recently called the 'Divider-in-Chief' by an American magazine with a penchant for giving OTT adjectives to Indian political leaders (they once called Manmohan Singh an underachiever).

But now, the Johar-Ranaut rivalry seems to have simmered down to low-flame, courtesy Narendra Modi  Uniter-in-Chief.

Ancient Her-story

The Johar-Ranaut feud started on a caffeinated note at the filmmakers talk show, Koffee with Karan, in 2017. The actor attended the show with Saif Ali Khan, to promote their movie Rangoon and confirmed what we suspected about Johar all along, being a rich brat who loves to star other rich brats to play rich brats in his movies about rich brats. Touche!

Ranaut also called him out for making fun of her accent and gave him a moniker that he just can't shake off  'Flagbearer of Nepotism'.

Naturally, even though the episode must have racked up massive TRPs, Johar wasn't too kicked about it.

Later that year, Kangana attended a show hosted by the filmmaker and the duo proceeded to hug it out for the cameras, but that was just a ruse of sorts because when asked what Karan offers to his guests, she replied dryly, Zeher pilata hai, mujhse puchho (Karan serves poison to his guests, ask me).

Even today, the Kalank filmmaker continues to be a favourite topic for her sister Rangoli Chandels caustic tweets.

Karan not only takes huge percentage of every artist earnings who he launches or works with and sends to Matrix bt also tells them what to wear and who to sleep with, percentage I understand lot f Hollywood production houses do that but always forcing actors to patch up...(contd) https://t.co/NN9HMx3mpA  Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) May 26, 2019

'Modi wave' in Bollywood

But right when we thought swords would be drawn, the Modi wave played peacemaker. While Kangana has often spoken about her respect for the Prime Minister, calling him the the rightful leader of this democracy" and cooking pakodas to celebrate his win, Karan Johar was part of the Bollywood delegation that met Modi to discuss the film industry's needs.

And finally, the Modi wave managed to calm down Bollywood's stormy waters! But will it last? Take a look:

Ranaut and Johar are mum on the issue but the actors sister may have a clue that good tidings are ahead when she posted a slew of smiling emojis, saying Modi managed to bring the two feuding stars together.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">???????????????? <a href="https://t.co/l7wPIxIKwV">https://t.co/l7wPIxIKwV</a></p> Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rangoli_A/status/1134100549480009734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2019</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Talk of unlikely alliances at a time of one party-rule!

Also read: Kaho Na War Hai! Why is Hrithik Roshan playing sad victim? Again?
 American Consumer News, LLC dba MarketBeat 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

326 E 8th St #105, Sioux Falls, SD 57103 | U.S. Based Support Team at [email protected] | (844) 978-6257

MarketBeat does not provide personalized financial advice and does not issue recommendations or offers to buy stock or sell any security.



Our Accessibility Statement | Terms of Service | Do Not Sell My Information



 2021 Market data provided is at least 10-minutes delayed and hosted by Barchart Solutions. Information is provided 'as-is' and solely for informational purposes, not for trading purposes or advice, and is delayed. To see all exchange delays and terms of use please see disclaimer. Fundamental company data provided by Zacks Investment Research.
11 hours ago

FuelCell Energy Goes Up In Smoke

Clean Energy FuelCell Energy, Inc Struggles To Execute FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) is an interesting play on green energy technologies but the Q4 results prove only one thing, the market for this technology is tenuous because the technology itself is still in development.

Read Article
The following companies are subsidiares of Global Payments: ACTIVE Network - Communities and Sports, Active Network (HK) Limited, Active Network IPICO (CA) Inc., Active Network IPICO (US) Inc., Active Network IPICO Holdings (US) LLC, Active Network IPICO Holdings (US) LLC, Active Network IPICO Innovation Inc., Active Networks LLC, AdvancedMD, Athlaction Intermediate LLC, Athlaction Topco LLC, AuctionPay, Comercia Global Payments Entidad de Pago S.L., DEBITEK INC, Digital Dining LLC, Dinerware LLC, DolEx Europe S.L., Educational Computer Systems Inc., Ematters Australia Pty Ltd., Equifax Credit Services LLC, Ezi Holdings Pty. Ltd., Ezi Management Pty Ltd., Ezidebit, Ezidebit (NZ) Limited, Ezidebit HK Ltd., Ezidebit Pty Ltd., GP Finance LLC, GPC Financial Corporation, GPS Holding Limited Partnership, GPUK LLP, Global Payment Holding Company, Global Payment Systems Asia-Pacific (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd., Global Payment Systems LLC, Global Payment Systems of Canada Ltd., Global Payments - Caixa Acquisition Corporation S.a.r.l., Global Payments - Realex Payments Holding Limited, Global Payments - Servicos de Pagamentos S.A., Global Payments Acquisition Corp. 1 B.V., Global Payments Acquisition Corp. 2 B.V., Global Payments Acquisition Corp. 3 B.V., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 2 LLC, Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 2 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 3 LLC, Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 3 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 4 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 6 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 7 LLC, Global Payments Acquisition Corporation 7 S.a.r.l., Global Payments Acquisition Corporation HK Holding Limited, Global Payments Acquisition PS 1 C.V., Global Payments Acquisition PS 2 C.V., Global Payments Acquisition PS 3 C. V., Global Payments Acquisition PS1-Global Payments Direct S.e.n.c., Global Payments Asia-Pacific (Hong Kong Holding) Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific (Hong Kong) Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific (India) Private Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific (Shanghai) Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific (Singapore Holding) Ltd., Global Payments Asia-Pacific Lanka (Private) Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Macau Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Maldives Private Limited, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Philippines Incorporated, Global Payments Asia-Pacific Processing Company Limited, Global Payments Australia Pty 1 Ltd., Global Payments Australia Pty 2 Ltd., Global Payments Canada GP, Global Payments Canada Inc., Global Payments Card Processing Malaysia Sdn. Bhd, Global Payments Check Recovery Services Inc., Global Payments Check Services Inc., Global Payments Direct Inc., Global Payments Europe d.o.o. Sarajevo, Global Payments Europe s.r.o., Global Payments Gaming Canada Inc., Global Payments Gaming International Inc., Global Payments Gaming Services Inc., Global Payments Integrated, Global Payments Limited, Global Payments Process Centre Inc., Global Payments South America Brasil-Servicos de Pagamentos S.A., Global Payments UK 2 Ltd., Global Payments UK Ltd., Global Payments s.r.o., Greater Giving Inc., Heartland Acquisition LLC, Heartland Payment Solutions Inc., Heartland Payment Systems, Heartland Payment Systems LLC, Heartland Payroll Solutions Inc., IPICO South Africa (Pty) Ltd., JumpForward LLC, Maximum Solutions LLC, Merchant Services U.S.A. Inc., Modular Data Inc., NDC Holdings (UK) Ltd., NDPS Holdings Inc., PCAmerica LLC, Pay and Shop Limited, PayPros LLC, Payment Processing, Payroll 1 Inc., Realex Payments, SICOM Systems, Sabrir Invest S.L., Sentral Education, Spolecnost pro informacni database a.s., Storman Holdings Pty Ltd., Storman Software Inc., Storman Software Limited, Storman Software Ltd., Storman Software Pty Ltd., TeamPages Inc., The Active Network (Asia) Pte. Ltd, The Active Network (Aus-NZ) Pty. Ltd., The Active Network (EU) Ltd., The Active Network Ltd., The Active Network Ltd. (Chengdu), The Active Network Ltd. (Xian), Total System Services, TouchNet Information Systems Inc., UCS Terminal Joint Stock Company, United Card Service Joint Stock Company, VEPF III AIV VI-C Corp., VEPF IV AIV VII-C Corp., VFF I AIV IV-C Corp., Web Active Corporation Pty Ltd., Xenial, Xpient LLC, eWAY, eWay Europe Limited, eWay Payments Asia Pte Ltd., eWay Payments Inc., eWay Payments New Zealand Limited, eWay Payments North America Inc., and eWay Payments Pty Ltd..
Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services to institutional, retail, and high net worth investors. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, balance sheet management, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. It operates through approximately 1,400 bank branches and 4,800 automated banking machines in Canada and the United States. The company was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, 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.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc is a healthcare company, which engages in the research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical medicines, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceuticals R&D; Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare. The Pharmaceuticals segment focuses on developing medicines in respiratory and infectious diseases, oncology, and immuno-inflammation. The Pharmaceuticals R&D segment focuses on science related to the immune system, the use of human genetics and advanced technologies, and is driven by the multiplier effect of Science x Technology x Culture. The Vaccines segment produces pediatric and adult vaccines to prevent a range of infectious diseases including, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, typhoid, influenza, and bacterial meningitis. The Consumer Healthcare segment develops and markets brands in the oral health, pain relief, respiratory, nutrition and gastro intestinal, and skin health categories. The company was founded in 1715 and is headquartered in Middlesex, the United Kingdom.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Johnson & Johnson: 3Dintegrated ApS, ALZA Corporation, AMO (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., AMO ASIA LIMITED, AMO Australia Pty Limited, AMO Canada Company, AMO Denmark ApS, AMO Development LLC, AMO France, AMO Germany GmbH, AMO Groningen B.V., AMO International Holdings, AMO Ireland, AMO Ireland Finance Unlimited Company, AMO Italy SRL, AMO Japan K.K., AMO Manufacturing Spain S.L., AMO Manufacturing USA LLC, AMO Netherlands BV, AMO Nominee Holdings LLC, AMO Norway AS, AMO Puerto Rico Manufacturing Inc., AMO Sales and Service Inc., AMO Singapore Pte. Ltd., AMO Spain Holdings LLC, AMO Switzerland GmbH, AMO U.K. Holdings LLC, AMO US Holdings Inc., AMO USA LLC, AMO USA Sales Holdings Inc., AMO United Kingdom Ltd., AMO Uppsala AB, APSIS, AUB Holdings LLC, Abott Medical Optics, Acclarent Inc., Actelion Ltd, Actelion Manufacturing GmbH, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Australia Pty. Limited, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Korea Ltd., Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Mexico S.A. De C.V., Actelion Pharmaceuticals Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Actelion Pharmaceuticals UK Limited, Actelion Pharmaceuticals US Inc., Actelion Registration Limited, Actelion Treasury Unlimited Company, Akros Medical Inc., Albany Street LLC, Alios BioPharma, Alza Land Management Inc., Animas Diabetes Care LLC, Animas LLC, Animas Technologies LLC, AorTx Inc., Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, Atrionix Inc., Auris Health, Auris Health Inc., Backsvalan 2 Aktiebolag, Backsvalan 6 Handelsbolag, Beijing Dabao Cosmetics Co. Ltd., BeneVir BioPharm Inc., Berna Rhein B.V., BioMedical Enterprises Inc., Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd., Biosense Webster Inc., C Consumer Products Denmark ApS, CNA Development GmbH, CSATS Inc., Calibra Medical LLC, Campus-Foyer Apotheke GmbH, Carlo Erba OTC S.r.l., Centocor Biologics LLC, Centocor Research & Development Inc., ChromaGenics B.V., Ci:Labo Customer Marketing Co. Ltd., Ci:z Holdings, Ci:z. Labo Co. Ltd., Cilag AG, Cilag GmbH International, Cilag Holding AG, Cilag Holding Treasury Unlimited Company, Cilag-Biotech S.L., CoTherix Inc., Codman & Shurtleff Inc., Coherex Medical Inc., ColBar LifeScience Ltd., Company Store.com Inc., Conor MedSystems, Cordis International Corporation, Cordis de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Corimmun GmbH, DR. CI:LABO COMPANY LIMITED, Darlain Trading S.A., DePuy France, DePuy Hellas SA, DePuy International Limited, DePuy Ireland Unlimited Company, DePuy Mexico S.A. de C.V., DePuy Mitek LLC, DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., DePuy Products Inc., DePuy Spine LLC, DePuy Synthes Gorgan Limited, DePuy Synthes Inc., DePuy Synthes Institute LLC, DePuy Synthes Leto SARL, DePuy Synthes Products Inc., DePuy Synthes Sales Inc., Debs-Vogue Corporation (Proprietary) Limited, Dr. Ci:Labo Co. Ltd., Dutch Holding LLC, ECL7 LLC, EES Holdings de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EES S.A. de C.V., EIT Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH, Ethicon Biosurgery Ireland, Ethicon Endo-Surgery (Europe) GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc., Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC, Ethicon Holding Sarl, Ethicon Inc., Ethicon Ireland Unlimited Company, Ethicon LLC, Ethicon PR Holdings Unlimited Company, Ethicon Sarl, Ethicon US LLC, Ethicon Women's Health & Urology Sarl, Ethnor (Proprietary) Limited, Ethnor Farmaceutica S.A., Ethnor Guatemala Sociedad Anomina, Ethnor del Istmo S.A., FMS Future Medical System SA, Finsbury (Development) Limited, Finsbury (Instruments) Limited, Finsbury Medical Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics International Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics Limited, GH Biotech Holdings Limited, GMED Healthcare BV, Global Investment Participation B.V., Guangzhou Bioseal Biotech Co. Ltd., Hansen Medical Deutschland GmbH, Hansen Medical Inc., Hansen Medical International Inc., Hansen Medical UK Limited, Healthcare Services (Shanghai) Ltd., I.D. Acquisition Corp., Innomedic Gesellschaft fur innovative Medizintechnik und Informatik mbH, Innovalens B.V., Innovative Surgical Solutions LLC, J & J Company West Africa Limited, J&J Pension Trustees Limited, J-C Health Care Ltd., J.C. General Services BV, JJ Surgical Vision Spain S.L., JJC Acquisition Company B.V., JJHC LLC, JJSV Belgium BV, JJSV Manufacturing Malaysia SDN. BHD., JJSV Norden AB, JJSV Produtos Oticos Ltda., JNJ Global Business Services s.r.o., JNJ Holding EMEA B.V., JNJ International Investment LLC, JNJ Irish Investments ULC, JOM Pharmaceutical Services Inc., Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy (Holding) Limited, Janssen BioPharma Inc., Janssen Biologics (Ireland) Limited, Janssen Biologics B.V., Janssen Biotech Inc., Janssen Cilag C.A., Janssen Cilag Farmaceutica S.A., Janssen Cilag S.p.A., Janssen Cilag SPA, Janssen Development Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Diagnostics LLC, Janssen Egypt LLC, Janssen Farmaceutica Portugal Lda, Janssen Global Services LLC, Janssen Group Holdings Limited, Janssen Holding GmbH, Janssen Inc., Janssen Irish Finance Company UC, Janssen Korea Ltd., Janssen Oncology Inc., Janssen Ortho LLC, Janssen Pharmaceutica (Proprietary) Limited, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Janssen Pharmaceutica S.A., Janssen Pharmaceutical, Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Janssen Products LP, Janssen R&D Ireland, Janssen Research & Development LLC, Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Scientific Affairs LLC, Janssen Supply Group LLC, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Janssen Vaccines Corp., Janssen de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag, Janssen-Cilag (New Zealand) Limited, Janssen-Cilag A/S, Janssen-Cilag AG, Janssen-Cilag AS, Janssen-Cilag Aktiebolag, Janssen-Cilag B.V., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Lda., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Ltda., Janssen-Cilag GmbH, Janssen-Cilag International NV, Janssen-Cilag Kft., Janssen-Cilag Limited, Janssen-Cilag Manufacturing LLC, Janssen-Cilag NV, Janssen-Cilag OY, Janssen-Cilag Pharma GmbH, Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceutical S.A.C.I., Janssen-Cilag Polska Sp. z o.o., Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd, Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag s.r.o., Janssen-Pharma S.L., Jevco Holding Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Johnson & Johnson (Angola) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (Egypt) S.A.E., Johnson & Johnson (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Ireland) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Jamaica) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Kenya) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Mozambique) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (New Zealand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Thailand) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (Trinidad) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Vietnam) Co. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson - Societa' Per Azioni, Johnson & Johnson AB, Johnson & Johnson AG, Johnson & Johnson Belgium Finance Company BV, Johnson & Johnson Bulgaria EOOD, Johnson & Johnson China Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Thailand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer B.V., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Holdings France, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer NV, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Services EAME Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Del Paraguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson Dominicana S.A.S., Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc., Johnson & Johnson European Treasury Company, Johnson & Johnson Finance Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Finance Limited, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Foundation Scotland (NON-PROFIT), Johnson & Johnson Gateway LLC, Johnson & Johnson Gesellschaft m.b.H., Johnson & Johnson GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Guatemala S.A., Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc., Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions Inc., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Commercial and Industrial S.A., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Consumer Products Commercial Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson Hemisferica S.A., Johnson & Johnson Holding GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Holdings K.K., Johnson & Johnson Inc., Johnson & Johnson Industrial Ltda., Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC Inc., Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation Limited, Johnson & Johnson International, Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson International Financial Services Company, Johnson & Johnson Japan Inc., Johnson & Johnson K.K., Johnson & Johnson Kft., Johnson & Johnson Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Korea Selling & Distribution LLC, Johnson & Johnson LLC, Johnson & Johnson Limitada, Johnson & Johnson Limited, Johnson & Johnson Luxembourg Finance Company Sarl, Johnson & Johnson Management Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical (China) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Proprietary) Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Suzhou) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical B.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics Group - Latin America L.L.C., Johnson & Johnson Medical GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical NV, Johnson & Johnson Medical Products GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Pty Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical S.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.C.S., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.p.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical SAS, Johnson & Johnson Medical Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Servicios Profesionales S. de R.L. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC, Johnson & Johnson Morocco Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson Nordic AB, Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pakistan (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Panama S.A., Johnson & Johnson Personal Care (Chile) S.A., Johnson & Johnson Poland Sp. z o.o., Johnson & Johnson Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Pty. Limited, Johnson & Johnson Research Pty Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Romania S.R.L., Johnson & Johnson S.A., Johnson & Johnson S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson S.E. Inc., Johnson & Johnson S.E. d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson SDN. BHD., Johnson & Johnson Sante Beaute France, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., Johnson & Johnson Servicios Corporativos S. de R.L. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision India Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson UK Treasury Company Limited, Johnson & Johnson Ukraine LLC, Johnson & Johnson Urban Renewal Associates, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson de Argentina S.A.C. e. I., Johnson & Johnson de Chile Limitada, Johnson & Johnson de Chile S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Colombia S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Costa Rica S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson de Uruguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Venezuela S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Ecuador S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Peru S.A., Johnson & Johnson do Brasil Industria E Comercio de Produtos Para Saude Ltda., Johnson & Johnson for Export and Import LLC, Johnson & Johnson s.r.o., Johnson and Johnson (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson and Johnson Sihhi Malzeme Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, La Concha Land Investment Corporation, Latam International Investment Company Unlimited Company, LifeScan, MDS Co. Ltd., McNEIL MMP LLC, McNeil AB, McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co., McNeil Denmark ApS, McNeil Healthcare (Ireland) Limited, McNeil Healthcare (UK) Limited, McNeil Healthcare LLC, McNeil Iberica S.L.U., McNeil LA LLC, McNeil Nutritionals LLC, McNeil Panama LLC, McNeil Products Limited, McNeil Sweden AB, Medical Device Business Services Inc., Medical Devices & Diagnostics Global Services LLC, Medical Devices International LLC, Medical Industrial do Brasil Ltda., Medos International Sarl, Medos Sarl, MegaDyne Medical Products Inc., Menlo Care De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Mentor B.V., Mentor Deutschland GmbH, Mentor Medical Systems B.V., Mentor Partnership Holding Company I LLC, Mentor Texas GP LLC, Mentor Texas L.P., Mentor Worldwide LLC, Micrus Endovascular LLC, Middlesex Assurance Company Limited, Momenta Ireland Limited, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc., NeoStrata Company Inc., NeoStrata Company Inc., NeoStrata UG (haftungsbeschrankt), Netherlands Holding Company, NeuWave Medical Inc., Neuravi Inc., Neuravi Limited, Novira Therapeutics, Novira Therapeutics LLC, NuVera Medical Inc., OBTECH Medical Sarl, OGX Beauty AU Pty Ltd, OGX Beauty Limited, OMJ Holding GmbH, OMJ Ireland Unlimited Company, OMJ Pharmaceuticals Inc., Obtech Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals NV, Ortho Biologics LLC, Ortho Biotech Holding LLC, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical LLC, Orthotaxy, Orthotaxy, PMC Holdings G.K., PT Integrated Healthcare Indonesia, PT. Johnson & Johnson Indonesia, Patriot Pharmaceuticals LLC, Peninsula Pharmaceuticals LLC, Penta Pty. Limited, Percivia LLC, Perouse Plastie, Pharmadirect Ltd., Pharmedica Laboratories (Proprietary) Limited, Princeton Laboratories Inc., Productos de Cuidado Personal y de La Salud de Bolivia S.R.L., Proleader S.A., Pulsar Vascular Inc., Regency Urban Renewal Associates, RespiVert Ltd., RoC International, Rutan Realty LLC, SYNTHES Medical Immobilien GmbH, Scios LLC, Sedona Enterprise Co. Ltd., Sedona Singapore International Pte. Ltd., Sedona Thai International Co. Ltd., Serhum S.A. de C.V., Shanghai Elsker For Mother & Baby Co. Ltd, Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Ltd., Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Sightbox LLC, Sodiac ESV, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Company, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Partnership, Spine Solutions GmbH, SterilMed, SterilMed Inc., Surgical Process Institute Deutschland GmbH, Synthes Costa Rica S.C.R. Limitada, Synthes GmbH, Synthes Holding AG, Synthes Holding Limited, Synthes Inc., Synthes Medical Surgical Equipment & Instruments Trading LLC, Synthes Produktions GmbH, Synthes Proprietary Limited, Synthes S.M.P. S. de R.L. de C.V., Synthes Tuttlingen GmbH, Synthes USA LLC, Synthes USA Products LLC, TARIS Biomedical, TARIS Biomedical LLC, TearScience Inc., The Anspach Effort LLC, The Vision Care Institute LLC, Tibotec LLC, Torax Medical Inc., TriStrata Incorporated, UAB "Johnson & Johnson", Vania Expansion, Verb Surgical, Verb Surgical Inc., Vision Care Finance Unlimited Company, Vogue International, Vogue International LLC, Vogue International Trading Inc., WH4110 Development Company L.L.C., XO1, XO1 Limited, Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd., Zarbee's Inc., and Zarbee's Naturals.
The following companies are subsidiares of Xylem: Aanderaa Data Instruments AS, Beijing United Gas Meters Co. Ltd., Bellingham & Stanley Ltd., Bombas Flygt de Venezuela S.A., CMS Research Corporation, EmNet LLC, FARADYNE Motors LLC, Faradyne Motors (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Flow Control LLC, Flowtronex PSI LLC, Fluid Handling LLC, Godwin Holdings Ltd., Goulds Water Technology Philippines Inc, Grindex AB, Grindex Pumps LLC, HYPACK Inc, Heartland Pump Rental & Sales Inc., IMT b.v., Jabsco Marine Italia s.r.l., Jabsco S. de R.L. De C.V., Lowara UK Ltd, Lowara Vogel Polska SP ZOO, Lowara s.r.l., MJK Automation ApS, MultiTrode Inc., Multitrode Pty Ltd, Nova Analytics Europe LLC, O.I. Corporation, PCI Membrane Systems Inc., Pension Trustee Management Ltd, Pims Pumps, Portacel Inc., Pure Technologies, SELC Electronics Ltd, SELC Group Ltd., SELC Ireland Ltd, Safe Sea Services FZC, Sensus, Sensus (UK Holdings) Ltd., Sensus Australia Pty Ltd, Sensus Canada Inc., Sensus Chile SA, Sensus Espana SA, Sensus France Holdings SAS, Sensus France SAS, Sensus GmbH Hannover, Sensus GmbH Ludwigshafen, Sensus Italia SRL, Sensus Japan Kabushiki Kaisha, Sensus Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sensus Maroc S.A.., Sensus Metering Systems (Fuzhou) Co. Ltd., Sensus Metering Systems (LuxCo 1) S.A R.L., Sensus Metering Systems (LuxCo 2) S.A R.L., Sensus Metering Systems (LuxCo 3) S.A R.L., Sensus Metering Systems (LuxCo 4) S.A R.L., Sensus Metering Systems (LuxCo 5) S.A R.L, Sensus Metering Systems IP Holdings Inc., Sensus Polska sp. zoo, Sensus Precision Die Casting (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd., Sensus SPA, Sensus Services Deutschland GmbH, Sensus Slovensko a.s., Sensus South Africa (Proprietary) Ltd., Sensus Spectrum LLC, Sensus UK Systems Limited, Sensus USA Inc., Sensus de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Sensus metrologicke sluzby s.r.o._Slovakia, Sensus Ceska republika spol. s r.o., Sentec Limited, Smith-Blair Inc., Texas Turbine LLC, Tideland Signal Corporation, Tideland Signal EMEA B.V., Tideland Signal LLC, Tideland Signal Limited, Tirinstal Investments Ltd, UGI Global Limited, Valor Water Analytics, Visenti Pte. Ltd, Water Asset Management Inc., Water Process Limited, Watercompany, Xylem (China) Company Limited, Xylem (Hong Kong) Limited, Xylem (Nanjing) Co. Ltd, Xylem Analytics (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Xylem Analytics Australia Pty Ltd., Xylem Analytics France S.A.S., Xylem Analytics Germany GmbH, Xylem Analytics IP Management GmbH, Xylem Analytics IP Management SCS, Xylem Analytics LLC, Xylem Analytics UK LTD, Xylem Australia Holdings PTY LTD, Xylem Brasil Solucoes para Agua Ltda, Xylem Canada Company, Xylem Delaware Inc., Xylem Denmark Holdings ApS, Xylem Dewatering Solutions Inc., Xylem Dewatering Solutions UK Ltd, Xylem Europe GmbH, Xylem Financing S.a.r.l, Xylem Germany GmbH, Xylem Global S.a.r.l, Xylem Holdings S.a.r.l., Xylem IP Holdings LLC, Xylem IP Management S.a.r.l, Xylem IP UK S.a.r.l., Xylem Industriebeteiligungen GmbH, Xylem Industries S.a.r.l., Xylem International S.a.r.l., Xylem Lowara Limited, Xylem Luxembourg S.a r.l., Xylem Management GmbH, Xylem Manufacturing Austria GmbH, Xylem Manufacturing Middle East Region FZCO, Xylem Middle East Water Equipment Trading & Rental LLC, Xylem Russia LLC, Xylem Saudi Arabia Limited, Xylem Service Hungary Kft, Xylem Service Italia Srl, Xylem Services Austria GmbH, Xylem Services GmbH, Xylem Shared Services Sp. Z.o.o., Xylem Technologies & Partners S.C.S, Xylem Technologies GmbH, Xylem Water Holdings Limited, Xylem Water Limited, Xylem Water Services Limited, Xylem Water Solutions (Hong Kong) Limited, Xylem Water Solutions Argentina S.R.L., Xylem Water Solutions Australia Limited, Xylem Water Solutions Austria GmbH, Xylem Water Solutions Belgium, Xylem Water Solutions Chile S.A., Xylem Water Solutions Colombia SAS, Xylem Water Solutions Denmark ApS, Xylem Water Solutions Deutschland GmbH, Xylem Water Solutions Espana S.A., Xylem Water Solutions Florida LLC, Xylem Water Solutions France SAS, Xylem Water Solutions Global Services AB, Xylem Water Solutions Herford GmbH, Xylem Water Solutions Holdings France SAS, Xylem Water Solutions India Private Limited, Xylem Water Solutions Ireland Ltd., Xylem Water Solutions Italia S.R.L, Xylem Water Solutions Korea Co. Ltd., Xylem Water Solutions Magyarorszag KRT, Xylem Water Solutions Malaysia SDN. BHD., Xylem Water Solutions Manufacturing AB, Xylem Water Solutions Metz SAS, Xylem Water Solutions Mexico S.de R.L. de C.V., Xylem Water Solutions Middle East Region FZCO, Xylem Water Solutions Muscat LLC, Xylem Water Solutions Nederland BV, Xylem Water Solutions New Zealand Limited, Xylem Water Solutions Norge AS, Xylem Water Solutions Panama s.r.l., Xylem Water Solutions Peru S.A., Xylem Water Solutions Polska Sp.z.o.o., Xylem Water Solutions Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Xylem Water Solutions Rugby Limited, Xylem Water Solutions Singapore PTE Ltd., Xylem Water Solutions South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Xylem Water Solutions South Africa Holdings LLC, Xylem Water Solutions Suomi Oy, Xylem Water Solutions Sweden AB, Xylem Water Solutions U.S.A. Inc., Xylem Water Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Xylem Water Solutions UK Limited, Xylem Water Solutions Zelienople LLC, Xylem Water Solutions(Shenyang) CO. Ltd, Xylem Water Systems (California) Inc., Xylem Water Systems Hungary KFT, Xylem Water Systems International Inc., Xylem Water Systems Japan Corporation, Xylem Water Systems Philippines Holding Inc., Xylem Water Systems Texas Holdings LLC, Xylem Water Systems U.S.A. LLC, YSI (China) Ltd., YSI (Hong Kong) Ltd., YSI (UK) Ltd., YSI Incorporated, YSI Instrumentos E Servicos Ambientais Ltda., YSI International Inc., YSI Nanotech Limited, and ylem Analytics Germany Sales GmbH& Co. KG.
The following companies are subsidiares of Dominion Energy: 96WI 8me LLC, Alamo Solar LLC, Align RNG Arizona LLC, Align RNG Arizona-Snowflake LLC, Align RNG California LLC, Align RNG California-Corcoran LLC, Align RNG Grady Road LLC, Align RNG LLC, Align RNG Magnolia LLC, Align RNG North Carolina LLC, Align RNG North Carolina-Bowdens LLC, Align RNG Utah LLC, Align RNG Utah-Milford LLC, Align RNG Virginia LLC, Align RNG Virginia-Waverly LLC, Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, Azalea Solar LLC, BOE Holdings Inc., Blackville Solar Farm LLC, Blue Ocean Energy Marine LLC, BrightSuite Home LLC, BrightSuite Inc., BrightSuite Solar CT Inc., BrightSuite Solar SC Inc., BrightSuite Solar VA Inc., Buckingham Solar I LLC, CEA Americus LLC, CEA CO-Fort Morgan LLC, CEA Clovis LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Colorado LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Georgia LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Idaho LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Nevada LLC, CEA Dairy RNG New Mexico LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Texas LLC, CEA Greely LLC, CEA Mason LLC, CEA TX-Dimmitt LLC, CID Solar LLC, CNG Coal Company, CNG Power Services Corporation, Carolina Gas Transmission Corporation, Catalina Solar 2 LLC, Clean Energy Asset USA LLC, Clean Energy Enterprises Inc., Clipperton Holdings LLC, Consolidated Natural Gas Company, Correctional Solar LLC, Cottonwood Solar LLC, Cove Point LNG LP, Cove Point LNG Limited, DE Arlington Solar LLC, DE Fluvanna Solar LLC, DE Hanover Solar LLC, DE Henrico Solar LLC, DE King William Solar LLC, DE Louisa Solar LLC, DE Newport News Solar LLC, DE Powhatan Solar LLC, DE Virginia Beach Solar LLC, DECP Holdings Inc., Dairy RNG Holdings LLC, Dairy RNG NY LLC, Dairy RNG NY-Curtin LLC, Dairy RNG OH LLC, Denmark Solar LLC, Dominion ACP Holding Inc., Dominion Alternative Energy Holdings Inc., Dominion Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, Dominion Capital Inc., Dominion Cogen WV Inc., Dominion Energy Fuel Services Inc., Dominion Energy Gas Distribution LLC, Dominion Energy Generation Marketing Inc., Dominion Energy Inc., Dominion Energy Kewaunee Inc., Dominion Energy Marketplace LLC, Dominion Energy Nuclear Connecticut Inc., Dominion Energy Overthrust Pipeline LLC, Dominion Energy Payroll Company Inc., Dominion Energy Questar Corporation, Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline LLC, Dominion Energy Questar Pipeline Services Inc., Dominion Energy RNG Holdings II Inc., Dominion Energy RNG Holdings Inc., Dominion Energy Services Inc., Dominion Energy Solar CA LLC, Dominion Energy Solutions Inc., Dominion Energy South Carolina Inc., Dominion Energy Southeast Services Inc., Dominion Energy Technical Solutions Inc., Dominion Energy Technologies II Inc., Dominion Energy Technologies Inc., Dominion Energy Terminal Company Inc., Dominion Energy Wexpro Services Company, Dominion Equipment III Inc., Dominion Equipment Inc., Dominion Fairless Hills Inc., Dominion Fowler Ridge Wind LLC, Dominion Gas Projects Company LLC, Dominion Generation Inc., Dominion Greenbrier Inc., Dominion High Voltage Holdings Inc., Dominion High Voltage MidAtlantic Inc., Dominion Investments Inc., Dominion Keystone Pipeline Holdings Inc., Dominion Keystone Pipeline LLC, Dominion MLP Holding Company III Inc., Dominion Mt. Storm Wind LLC, Dominion Nuclear Projects Inc., Dominion Oklahoma Texas Exploration & Production Inc., Dominion Person Inc., Dominion Privatization Florida LLC, Dominion Privatization Georgia LLC, Dominion Privatization Holdings Inc., Dominion Privatization Kentucky LLC, Dominion Privatization Maryland LLC, Dominion Privatization Pennsylvania LLC, Dominion Privatization South Carolina LLC, Dominion Privatization Texas LLC, Dominion Privatization Virginia LLC, Dominion Products and Services Inc., Dominion Projects Services Inc., Dominion Resources Capital Trust III, Dominion Retail Gas Holdings Inc., Dominion Solar Construction and Maintenance LLC, Dominion Solar Gen-Tie LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings I LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings II LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings III LLC, Dominion Solar Holdings IV LLC, Dominion Solar Projects A Inc., Dominion Solar Projects B Inc., Dominion Solar Projects C Inc., Dominion Solar Projects D Inc., Dominion Solar Projects I Inc., Dominion Solar Projects II Inc., Dominion Solar Projects III Inc., Dominion Solar Projects IV Inc., Dominion Solar Projects V Inc., Dominion Solar Projects VI Inc., Dominion Solar Projects VII Inc., Dominion Solar Services Inc., Dominion State Line LLC, Dominion Voltage Inc., Dominion Wholesale Inc., Dominion Wind Development LLC, Dominion Wind Projects Inc., ESCT-SA-Suffield LLC, Eagle Holdco Solar LLC, Eagle Solar LLC, Eastern Shore Solar LLC, Enterprise Solar LLC, Escalante Solar I LLC, Escalante Solar II LLC, Escalante Solar III LLC, Four Brothers Solar LLC, Fremont Farm LLC, Granite Mountain Holdings LLC, Granite Mountain Solar East LLC, Granite Mountain Solar West LLC, Greenbrier Marketing Company LLC, Greenbrier Pipeline Company LLC, Greensville County Solar Project LLC, Hardin Solar Energy LLC, Hecate Energy Cherrydale LLC, Hecate Energy Clarke County LLC, Hope Gas Inc., Imperial Valley Solar Company (IVSC) 2 LLC, Indy Solar Development LLC, Indy Solar I LLC, Indy Solar II LLC, Indy Solar III LLC, Innovative Solar 37 LLC, Iron Springs Holdings LLC, Iron Springs Solar LLC, Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas, Maricopa West Solar PV LLC, Moffett Solar 1 LLC, Moorings Farm 2 LLC, Mulberry Farm LLC, Mustang Solar LLC, PSNC Blue Ridge Corporation, PSNC Cardinal Pipeline Company, Pavant Solar LLC, Phone House, Pikeville Farm LLC, Prairie Fork Wind Farm LLC, Public Service Company of North Carolina Incorporated, QPC Holding Company LLC, Questar Corporation, Questar Energy Services Inc., Questar Field Services LLC, Questar Gas Company, Questar InfoComm Inc., Questar Southern Trails Pipeline Company, Questar White River Hub LLC, RE Adams East LLC, RE Camelot LLC, RE Columbia Two LLC, RE Kansas LLC, RE Kent South LLC, RE Old River One LLC, Richland Solar Center LLC, Ridgeland Solar Farm I LLC, SBL Holdco LLC, SCANA, SCANA Communications Holdings Inc., SCANA Corporate Security Services Inc., SCANA Energy Marketing LLC, SCANA Pharmacy LLC, SRFI LLC, Scana Corporation, Scott-II Solar LLC, Seabrook Solar LLC, Selmer Farm LLC, Siler Solar LLC, Sol Madison Solar LLC, Somers Solar Center LLC, South Carolina Fuel Company Inc., South Carolina Generating Company Inc., Southampton Solar LLC, Summit Farms Solar LLC, Sussex Drive Solar Project LLC, TA - Acacia LLC, TWE Myrtle Solar Project LLC, The East Ohio Gas Company, Trask East Solar LLC, Tredegar Solar Fund I LLC, VP Property Inc., Virginia Electric And Power Company, Virginia Power Fuel Corporation, Virginia Power Nuclear Services Company, Virginia Power Services Energy Corp. Inc., Virginia Power Services LLC, Virginia Solar 201 Projects LLC, Wakefield Solar LLC, Wexpro Company, Wexpro Development Company, Wexpro II Company, Wilkinson Solar LLC, Wrangler Retail Gas Holdings LLC, and Yemassee Solar LLC.
Croda International Plc creates, makes, and sells specialty chemicals in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Asia, and Latin America. The company operates in four segments: Personal Care, Life Sciences, Performance Technologies, and Industrial Chemicals. It offers adhesives; crop protection additives and adjuvants, seed enhancement and animal health chemicals, chemical bio-stimulants, and specialty additives for agricultural films; and lubricant additives, coatings and polymers, vehicle cleaning chemicals, and products for automotive textiles and fibers, as well as specialty additives for plastics, and battery and catalyst industries. The company also provides specialty ingredients for self-tanning, color cosmetics, bath and shower, deodorants, anti-perspirants, depilatories, men's grooming, and oral hygiene, as well as skin, hair, sun, body, and baby care applications; construction chemicals and bitumen additives; dietary supplements; and advanced materials, and polymer additives for electronics and devices. In addition, it offers chemistries, emulsifiers, fuel and power generation additives, and polymer additives; food additives; specialty polymer additives for furniture and wood applications; household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products; lubricants; oleochemicals; and packaging, print, and paper chemicals. Further, the company provides paints and coatings; active pharmaceutical ingredients; thermal management products; plastic and rubber products; skin health products; hygiene and industrial nonwovens, botanical extracts, tissues, and textile auxiliaries; and water treatment chemicals. Additionally, it offers bio-based phase change materials for buildings and ventilation, clothing and healthcare, electronics and devices, food and refrigeration, energy storage and recovery, temperature controlled packaging, and vehicles and automotive applications. The company was incorporated in 1925 and is headquartered in Goole, the United Kingdom.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of EnerSys: ABSL Power Solutions Inc., ABSL Power Solutions Ltd., Acumuladores Industriales EnerSys SA, Alpha Alternative Energy Inc., Alpha Broadband Services Inc., Alpha Innovations Industria e Comercio de Produtos Eletronicos Ltda., Alpha Innovations Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Alpha Mexico Network Power S.A. de C.V., Alpha Tech Energy Solutions India Private Limited, Alpha Technical Services Ltd., Alpha Technologies Ltd., Alpha Technologies Pty. Ltd., Alpha Technologies Services Inc., Alphatec Technologies (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Argus Research Ltd., Batterias Hawker de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Battery Power International Pte Ltd., Coppervale Enterprises Inc., DCPM Engineering Sdn Bhd, EH Batterien AG, EH Europe GmbH, EH Global Holdings GmbH, EH Swiss Holdings GmbH, ENAS Industrial Batteries Morocco Sarl, EnerSys (Chaozhou) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (China) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Chongqing) Huada Batteries Company Limited, EnerSys (Jiangsu) Huada Batteries Company Limited (94.7%) *, EnerSys (Luxembourg) Finance Sarl, EnerSys (Yangzhou) Huada Batteries Co. Ltd., EnerSys A/S, EnerSys AB, EnerSys AD, EnerSys AE, EnerSys AS, EnerSys Advanced Systems Inc., EnerSys Argentina S.A., EnerSys Asia Limited, EnerSys Australia Pty Ltd., EnerSys BV, EnerSys BVBA, EnerSys Battery Private Limited, EnerSys Brasil Ltda., EnerSys Bulgaria EOOD, EnerSys Canada Inc., EnerSys Capital Inc., EnerSys Cayman Euro L.P., EnerSys Cayman Holdings L.P., EnerSys Cayman Inc., EnerSys Delaware Inc., EnerSys Delaware LLC I, EnerSys Delaware LLC II, EnerSys Delaware LLC III, EnerSys Delaware LLC IV, EnerSys Delaware LLC V, EnerSys Energy Products Inc., EnerSys Europe Oy, EnerSys European Holding Co., EnerSys GmbH, EnerSys Holdings (Luxembourg) Sarl, EnerSys Holdings UK Ltd., EnerSys Hungaria Kft., EnerSys India Batteries Private Ltd., EnerSys JSC, EnerSys LLC, EnerSys Ltd., EnerSys Malaysia Sdn Bhd, EnerSys Mexico Holdings LLC, EnerSys Mexico Management LLC, EnerSys Participacoes Ltda., EnerSys Reserve Power Pte. Ltd., EnerSys S.r.l., EnerSys SARL, EnerSys SNC, EnerSys South East Asia Pte. Ltd., EnerSys de Mexico II S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys de Mexico S de R.L. de CV, EnerSys s.r.o., EnerSys sp. z o.o., EnerSystem Chile Ltda., Enersys Aku Sanaya Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Esfinco LLC, Hawker GmbH, Hawker Power Systems Inc., Hawker Powersource Inc., Hawker Systems GmbH & Co. KG., ICS Industries Pty Ltd, ICS Industries Pty Ltd., ICS Sheet Metal Pty Ltd., Industrial Battery Holding Ltda., International Communication Shelters Australasia Pty Ltd., Lancord Pty Ltd., Lenmic Pty Ltd., MIB Energy Sdn Bhd, N Holding AB, National Infrastructure Pty Ltd., National Infrastructure Services Pty Ltd., NaviSemi Energy Pte Ltd., NaviSemi Inc., New Pacifico Realty Inc., NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery Company LLC, NorthStar Battery DMCC, Outback Power Technologies Inc., Powercom (NSW) Pty Ltd., Powersonic S de R.L. de CV, Purcell Systems, Purcell Systems Inc., Purcell Systems International AB, Quallion LLC, Riverfront Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., Shenzhen Huada Power Supply Mechanical & Electrical Co. Ltd. , SiteTel Shanghai Co Ltd., SiteTel Sweden AB, Telecomponents & Supply (Hong Kong) Ltd., The Enser Corporation, UTS Holdings Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (JB) Sdn Bhd, UTS Technology (PG) Sdn Bhd, YCI Inc., and Yecoltd S. de R.L. de CV.
The following companies are subsidiares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise: 3Com International Inc., 3PAR Inc., Apogee, Aruba Networks Inc., Aruba Networks International Cayman, Aruba Networks International Limited, BlueData Software, Cloud Cruiser, Cloud Technology Partners, Cloud Technology Partners Inc., Compaq Computer (Mauritius), Compaq Trademark B.V., Cray, Cray Inc., EDS World Corporation (Far East) LLC, EYP Mission Critical Facilities Inc., H3C Holdings Limited, HP Enterprise Services Australia Pty Ltd, HP Financial Services (Australia) Pty Limited, HP Financial Services (Chile) Limitada, HP Financial Services (Japan) K.K., HP Financial Services Arrendamento Mercantil S.A., HP Financial Services Company (Korea), HP Financial Services International Holdings Company, HPE Government LLC, HPFS Global Holdings I LLC, HPFS Global Holdings II LLC, HPFS Rental S.R.L., Hangzhou H3C Technologies Co. Ltd, Hewlett Packard Caribe BV LLC, Hewlett Packard Colombia Ltda., Hewlett Packard Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Hewlett Packard Enterprise B.V., Hewlett Packard Enterprise B.V. Amstelveen Meyrin Branch, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Canada Co., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Canada Co. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Canada Cie, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Costa Rica Limitada, Hewlett Packard Enterprise GlobalSoft Private Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise India Private Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Ireland Limited, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Luxembourg SCA, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Polska sp. z o.o., Hewlett Packard Pathfinder LLC, Hewlett Packard Taiwan Ltd., Hewlett-Packard (Israel) Ltd., Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn. Bhd., Hewlett-Packard (Nigeria) Limited, Hewlett-Packard (Schweiz) GmbH, Hewlett-Packard (Tanzania) Limited, Hewlett-Packard (Thailand) Limited, Hewlett-Packard ApS, Hewlett-Packard Argentina S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Australia Pty Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Belgium SPRL/BVBA, Hewlett-Packard Bermuda Enterprises LLC, Hewlett-Packard Brasil Ltda., Hewlett-Packard Bulgaria EOOD, Hewlett-Packard Caribe B.V., Hewlett-Packard Caribe Y Andina B.V. LLC, Hewlett-Packard Chile Comercial Limitada, Hewlett-Packard Cyprus Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Hewlett-Packard Egypt Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Financial Services (India) Private Limited, Hewlett-Packard Financial Services Canada Company, Hewlett-Packard Financial Services Company, Hewlett-Packard France SAS, Hewlett-Packard G1 SPV (Cayman) Company, Hewlett-Packard Gesellschaft mbH, Hewlett-Packard Ghana Limited, Hewlett-Packard GmbH, Hewlett-Packard Guatemala Limitada, Hewlett-Packard HK SAR Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Hellas EPE, Hewlett-Packard Holdings Ltd., Hewlett-Packard International Bank Designated Activity Company, Hewlett-Packard International Bank Public Limited Company, Hewlett-Packard International Sarl, Hewlett-Packard Italiana S.r.l., Hewlett-Packard Japan Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Korea Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Leasing Limited, Hewlett-Packard Limited, Hewlett-Packard Luxembourg Enterprises LLC, Hewlett-Packard Macau Limited, Hewlett-Packard Manufacturing Ltd, Hewlett-Packard Marigalante Ltd., Hewlett-Packard Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Hewlett-Packard Middle East FZ-LLC, Hewlett-Packard Mocambique Limitada - Sociedada em Liquidacao, Hewlett-Packard Nederland B.V., Hewlett-Packard New Zealand, Hewlett-Packard Norge AS, Hewlett-Packard OY, Hewlett-Packard Operations Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Hewlett-Packard Peru S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Philippines Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Portugal Lda., Hewlett-Packard SARL, Hewlett-Packard SIA, Hewlett-Packard Servicios Espana S.L., Hewlett-Packard Singapore (Sales) Pte. Ltd., Hewlett-Packard South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Hewlett-Packard Sverige AB, Hewlett-Packard Technology Center Inc., Hewlett-Packard Teknoloji Cozumleri Limited Sirketi, Hewlett-Packard The Hague B.V., Hewlett-Packard Venezuela S.R.L., Hewlett-Packard Vision Limited, Hewlett-Packard d.o.o., Hewlett-Packard s.r.o., Limited Liability Company Hewlett Packard Enterprise, MapR Technologies, New H3C Technologies Co. Ltd., Niara Inc., Nimble Storage, Nimble Storage Inc., Nimble Storage Israel Ltd, Nimble Storage Japan GK, Nimble Storage UK Limited, Plexxi, RedPixie, SGI (Silicon Graphics), Sapphire Holding Co, Scytale, Shanghai Hewlett-Packard Co. Ltd., Silver Peak, SimpliVity, Sinope Holding B.V., Trilead, UAB ES Hague Lietuva, and Unis Huashan Technologies Co. Limited.
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..
Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is a publicly owned asset management holding company. The firm specializes in early stage, acquisition, distressed investments, short-term financing to mid-market companies, corporate carve-outs, recapitalizations, convertible, senior and mezzanine financings, operational and capital structure restructuring, strategic re-direction, turnaround, and under-performing midmarket companies. The firm invest in attractive businesses through the public debt and equity markets or by providing financing. The firm invest in Business services, Industrials and Residential sectors. Through its subsidiaries, the firm invests in the property, power, and infrastructure sectors. Its property business includes owning and managing office properties, developing master planned residential communities, and offering clients bridge and mezzanine lending, alternative assets funds, and financial and advisory services. Through its subsidiaries, the firm operates hydroelectric power facilities, interconnections and transmission facilities in Northeast North America, and development of wind power in Canada. Through its subsidiaries, it invests in specialty funds including private equity and makes direct investments in real estate, energy, and resource assets. The firm launches and manages equity and fixed income mutual funds. It also manages real estate and hedge funds. The firm invests in equity and fixed income markets across the globe. It also invest in British Columbia, United States, Brazil, Australia, Chile, Uruguay, New Zealand. It prefers to invest between $2 million and $500 million in its portfolio companies. The firm also prefers to take both minority and majority stakes in its companies. It was formerly known as Brascan Corp. Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is based in Toronto, Canada with additional offices in Bogota, Colombia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Calgary, Canada, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Gatineau, Canada, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, London, United Kingdom, Melbourne, Australia, Montreal, Canada, Mumbai, India, New York City, Perth, Australia, Shanghai, China, and Sydney, Australia.

Read More
iShares Russell 2000 ETF's stock was trading at $125.92 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IWM stock has increased by 77.1% and is now trading at $222.99.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A  Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited.
Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. engages in the acquisition and operation of multifamily properties in select targeted markets throughout the United States. It operates through the following segments: Multifamily Communities, Financing, New Market Properties, Preferred Office Properties, and Others. The Multifamily Communities segment consists of company's portfolio of owned residential multifamily communities. The Financing segment refers to the portfolio of real estate loans, bridge loans, and other instruments deployed by the company to partially finance the development, construction, and prestabilization carrying costs of new multifamily communities and other real estate and real estate related assets. The New Market Properties segment covers portfolio of grocery-anchored shopping centers, as well as the financial results from the retail real estate loans. The Preferred Office Properties segment relates to the portfolio of office buildings. The Others segment includes deferred offering costs. The company was founded by Leonard A. Silverstein and John A. Williams on September 18, 2009 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Read More
The following companies are subsidiares of Sealed Air: A.P.S. (Holdings) Limited, AFP Trading (China) Co. Ltd., AFPTOH LTD, APS Automated Packaging Systems GmbH & Co. KG, APS Verwaltungs-GmbH, Air Ride Pallets Hong Kong Limited, Austin Foam Plastics Inc. (dba AFP Inc.), Automated Packaging Systems, Automated Packaging Systems Asia Holding Company Limited, Automated Packaging Systems Comerciale Importacao do Brasil Ltda., Automated Packaging Systems Europe, Automated Packaging Systems LLC, Automated Packaging Systems Limited, Automated Packaging Systems Southeast Asia Co. Ltd., B+ Equipment, B+ Equipment SAS, Beacon Holdings LLC, Biosphere Industries, BluPack (New Zealand), Blue Dot Packaging Pty Ltd., Cactus (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Cryovac (Malaysia) SDN. BHD, Cryovac Brasil Ltda., Cryovac Holdings II LLC, Cryovac International Holdings Inc., Cryovac LLC*, Cryovac Leasing Corporation, Cryovac Londrina Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal  Embalagens Ltda., Cryovac-Sealed Air de Costa Rica S.R.L., DELTAPLAM Embalagens Industria e Comercio, Diversey, Diversey J Trustee Limited, Diversey Trustee Limited, Entapack Pty. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packaging Co. Ltd, Fagerdala (Shanghai) Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shanghai) Polymer Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Thailand) Limited, Fagerdala (Xiamen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Leamchabung Limited, Fagerdala Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Mexico Supply Chain S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Packaging Inc. (Indiana), Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd, Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Ltd., Getpacking.com GmbH, Invertol S. de R.L. de C.V., JSC Sealed Air Kaustik, KRIS Automated Packaging Systems Holding Company, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal Limited, Nelipak Holdings, Pack-Tiger GmbH, Polyrol Limited, Polyrol Packaging Systems LLC, ProAseptic Technologies S.L., Producembal- Producao de Embalagens LTDA, Reflectix Inc., SLD Air Packaging Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Saddle Brook Insurance Company, Sealed Air (Asia) Holdings BV, Sealed Air (Barbados) S.R.L., Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE, Sealed Air (Canada) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Limited, Sealed Air (Israel) Ltd., Sealed Air (Korea) Limited, Sealed Air (Latin America) Holdings II LLC, Sealed Air (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sealed Air (New Zealand), Sealed Air (Philippines) Inc., Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Sealed Air (Ukraine) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Pty.) Limited, Sealed Air Americas Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Sealed Air Argentina S.A., Sealed Air Australia (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Real Estate Pty Ltd, Sealed Air B.V., Sealed Air Belgium N.V., Sealed Air Central America S.A., Sealed Air Chile SpA, Sealed Air Colombia Ltda., Sealed Air Corporation (US), Sealed Air Cyprus Ltd., Sealed Air Denmark A/S, Sealed Air Finance B.V., Sealed Air Finance II LLC, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Funding LLC, Sealed Air General Trading LLC, Sealed Air GmbH (Germany), Sealed Air GmbH (Switzerland), Sealed Air Hellas SA, Sealed Air Holding France SAS, Sealed Air Holdings (New Zealand) Pty. Ltd., Sealed Air Holdings South Africa Proprietary Limited, Sealed Air Holdings UK I Limited, Sealed Air Holdings UK Limited, Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Sealed Air Hungary Ltd., Sealed Air Investment and Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Japan G.K., Sealed Air LLC, Sealed Air Limited (Ireland), Sealed Air Limited (UK), Sealed Air Luxembourg (I) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg (II) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Management Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Sealed Air Multiflex GmbH, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) I B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands Holdings V B.V., Sealed Air Norge AS, Sealed Air OY, Sealed Air Packaging (India) Private Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Packaging LLC, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging S.L.U., Sealed Air Peru S.A.C., Sealed Air Polska Sp. Zoo, Sealed Air Pty Limited, Sealed Air S.A S., Sealed Air S.r.l., Sealed Air South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Sealed Air Svenska AB, Sealed Air Taiwan Limited, Sealed Air UK Limited Partnership, Sealed Air US Holdings (Thailand) LLC, Sealed Air Uruguay S.A., Sealed Air Verpackungen GmbH, Sealed Air de Mexico Operations S. de RL. de C.V., Sealed Air de Venezuela S.A., Sealed Air s.r.o., Shanklin Corp, Shanklin Corporation, TTS-Ciptec, TXAFP Asia Pacific Ltd., TXAFP GP LLC, and Trigon Industries.
According to analysts' consensus price target of C$2.10, Source Energy Services has a forecasted upside of 37.3% from its current price of C$1.53.

4.4 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Source Energy Services has received 148 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Source Energy Services has received 73 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Source Energy Services has received 66.97% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Source Energy Services and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe SHLE will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe SHLE will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

Previous

Next
Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates in Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farm operations in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Read More
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..
The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC.
The following companies are subsidiares of Centene: APS Parent Inc., AWC of Syracuse Inc., Absolute Total Care Inc., AcariaHealth Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #11 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #12 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #13 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy #14 Inc., AcariaHealth Pharmacy Inc., AcariaHealth Solutions Inc., Access Medical Acquisition LLC, Access Medical Group of Florida City LLC, Access Medical Group of Hialeah LLC, Access Medical Group of Lakeland LLC, Access Medical Group of Miami LLC, Access Medical Group of North Miami Beach LLC, Access Medical Group of Opa-Locka LLC, Access Medical Group of Perrine LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa II LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa III LLC, Access Medical Group of Tampa LLC, Access Medical Group of Westchester LLC, Accountable Care Coalition Direct Contracting LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Chesapeake LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health Centers II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Community Health Centers LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers III LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers IV LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers V LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers VI LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Elite Providers VII LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Florida Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Georgia LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Maryland LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Maryland Primary Care LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Mississippi LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of New Jersey Inc., Accountable Care Coalition of North Texas LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northeast Georgia LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northeast Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Northwest Florida LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Prime Health LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health II LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health III LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Quality Health LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Physician Partners LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Texas Inc., Accountable Care Coalition of Southeast Wisconsin LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Tennessee LLC, Accountable Care Coalition of Texas Inc., Agate Resources Inc., AirLogix, Ambetter of Magnolia Inc., Ambetter of North Carolina Inc., Ambetter of Peach State Inc., America's 1st Choice California Holdings LLC, American Progressive Life and Health Insurance Company of New York, Apixio, Apixio Inc, Arch Personalized Medicine Initiative LLC, Arkansas Health & Wellness Health Plan Inc., Arkansas Total Care Holding Company LLC, Arkansas Total Care Inc., B2B Gestion Integra S.L.U., B2B Salud S.L.U., Bankers Reserve Life Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Blackcrow Asistencia Medica S.L, Bridgeway Health Solutions LLC, Bridgeway Health Solutions of Arizona Inc., Buckeye Community Health Plan Inc., Buckeye Health Plan Community Solutions Inc., CCTX Holdings LLC, CMC Real Estate Company LLC, CT Poprad s.r.o., CT Presov s.r.o., Calibrate Acquisition Company, California Health and Wellness Plan, Cantina Laredo Clayton LP, Cardium Health Services, Care 1st Health Plan of Arizona Inc., Care1st Health Plan Administrative Services Inc., Carolina Complete Health Holding Company Partnership, Carolina Complete Health Inc., Casenet LLC, Casenet S.R.O., CeltiCare Health Plan Holdings LLC, CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts Inc., Celtic Group Inc., Celtic Insurance Company, Cenpatico Behavioral Health LLC, Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona LLC, Cenpatico of Arizona Inc., Centene Center I LLC, Centene Center II LLC, Centene Center LLC, Centene Company of Texas LP, Centene Europe Finance Company Limited, Centene Health Plan Holdings Inc., Centene Institute for Advanced Health Education LLC, Centene International Ventures LLC, Centene Investments LLC, Centene Management Company LLC, Centene Venture Company Alabama Health Plan Inc., Centene Venture Company Florida Inc., Centene Venture Company Illinois Inc., Centene Venture Company Indiana Inc., Centene Venture Company Kansas Inc., Centene Venture Company Michigan Inc., Centene Venture Company Tennessee Inc., Centro Inmunologocia De La Comunidad Valenciana S.L., Centurion Correctional Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, Centurion Detention Health Services LLC, Centurion LLC, Centurion of Arizona LLC, Centurion of Delaware LLC, Centurion of Florida LLC, Centurion of Kansas LLC, Centurion of Minnesota LLC, Centurion of Mississippi LLC, Centurion of New Hampshire LLC, Centurion of Pennsylvania LLC, Centurion of Tennessee LLC, Centurion of Vermont LLC, Centurion of West Virginia LLC, Centurion of Wyoming LLC, Chrysalis Medical Services LLC, Clinica Santo Domingo De Lugo S.L., Collaborative Health Systems IPA LLC, Collaborative Health Systems LLC, Collaborative Health Systems of Maryland LLC, Collaborative Health Systems of Virginia LLC, Comfort Hospice of Missouri LLC, Comfort Hospice of Texas LLC, ComfortBrook Hospice LLC, Community Medical Group, Community Medical Holdings Corporation, Comprehensive Health Management Inc., Comprehensive Reinsurance Ltd., Coordinated Care Corporation, Coordinated Care of Washington Inc., Country Style Health Care LLC, Discare CZ a.s., District Community Care Inc., Dr Magnet s.r.o., Elche-Crevillente Salud, Envolve Benefits Options Inc., Envolve Captive Insurance Company Inc., Envolve Dental IPA of New York Inc., Envolve Dental Inc., Envolve Dental of Florida Inc., Envolve Dental of Texas Inc., Envolve Health, Envolve Holdings Inc., Envolve Inc., Envolve Optical Inc., Envolve PeopleCare Inc., Envolve Pharmacy IPA LLC, Envolve Pharmacy Solutions Inc., Envolve Total Vision Inc., Envolve Vision Benefits Inc., Envolve Vision IPA of New York Inc., Envolve Vision Inc., Envolve Vision of Florida Inc., Envolve Vision of Texas Inc., Essential Care Partners LLC, Exactus Pharmacy Solutions Inc., Family Nurse Care II LLC, Family Nurse Care LLC, Family Nurse Care of Ohio LLC, Fidelis Care, Forensic Health Services LLC, Foundation Care LLC, Godgrace Asistencia Medica S.L., Golden Triangle Physician Alliance, Grace Hospice of Austin LLC, Grace Hospice of Grand Rapids LLC, Grace Hospice of Illinois LLC, Grace Hospice of Indiana LLC, Grace Hospice of San Antonio LLC, Grace Hospice of Virginia LLC, Grace Hospice of Wisconsin LLC, Granite State Health Plan Inc., Growly Asistencia Sanitaria S.L., HHS Texas Management Inc., HHS Texas Management LP, Hallmark Life Insurance Company, Harmony Behavioral Health IPA Inc., Harmony Behavioral Health Inc., Harmony Health Management Inc., Harmony Health Plan Inc., Harmony Health Systems Inc., Health Care Enterprises LLC, Health Net Access Inc., Health Net Community Solutions Inc., Health Net Community Solutions of Arizona Inc., Health Net Federal Services LLC, Health Net Health Plan of Oregon Inc., Health Net LLC, Health Net Life Insurance Company, Health Net Life Reinsurance Company, Health Net Pharmaceutical Services, Health Net of Arizona Inc., Health Net of California Inc., Health Plan Real Estate Holdings Inc., HealthSmart Benefit Solutions Inc., HealthSmart Benefits Management LLC, HealthSmart Care Management Solutions LP, HealthSmart Information Systems Inc., HealthSmart Preferred Care II LP, HealthSmart Preferred Network II Inc., HealthSmart Primary Care Clinics LP, HealthSmart Rx Solutions Inc., Healthy Louisiana Holdings LLC, Healthy Missouri Holdings Inc., Healthy Washington Holdings Inc., Heritage Health Systems Inc., Heritage Health Systems of Texas Inc., Heritage Home Hospice LLC, Heritage Physician Networks, Home State Health Plan Inc., HomeScripts.com LLC, Hospice DME Company LLC, Hospinet S.L., Hospital Polusa S.A., Hospital Povisa S.A., Hudson Accountable Care LLC, IAH of Florida LLC, Illinois Health Practice Alliance LLC, Infraestructuras y Servicios de Alzira S. L., Integrated Care Network of Florida LLC, Integrated Mental Health Management LLC, Integrated Mental Health Services, Interpreta Holdings Inc., Interpreta Inc., Iowa Total Care Inc., Kentucky Spirit Health Plan Inc., LBB Industries Inc., LifeShare Management Group LLC, LiveHealthier Inc., Louisiana Healthcare Connections Inc., MH Services International Holdings (UK) Limited, MHM, MHM Correctional Services LLC, MHM Health Professionals LLC, MHM Services Inc., MHM Services of California LLC, MHM Solutions LLC, MHN Government Services LLC, MHN Services LLC, MHS Consulting International Inc., MHS Travel & Charter Inc., MR Centrum Melnick s.r.o., MR Poprad s.r.o., MR Zilina s.r.o., Magnolia Health Plan Inc., Managed Health Network, Managed Health Network LLC, Managed Health Services Insurance Corporation, Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Maryland Collaborative Care Transformation Organization Inc., Mauli Ola Health and Wellness Inc., Medicina NZ spol s.r.o., Meridian Health Plan of Illinois Inc., Meridian Health Plan of Michigan Inc., Meridian Management Company LLC, Meridian Network Services LLC, MeridianRx IPA LLC, MeridianRx LLC, MeridianRx of Indiana LLC, Michigan Complete Health, Mid-Atlantic Collaborative Care LLC, Nebraska Total Care Inc., Network Providers LLC, New York Quality Healthcare Corporation, Next Door Neighbors Inc., Next Door Neighbors LLC., North Florida Health Services Inc., Northern Maryland Collaborative Care LLC, Novasys Health Inc., OB Care, OB Klinika, Ohana Health Plan Inc., Oklahoma Complete Health Inc., One Care by Care 1st Health Plans of Arizona Inc, Operose Health (Group) Ltd., Operose Health (Group) UK Ltd., Operose Health Ltd., OptiCare Health Systems - Managed Vision Business, PANTHERx Rare Pharmacy, Panther Pass Co LLC, Panther Specialty Holding Co LLC, Pantherx Access Services LLC, Pantherx Specialty LLC, Parker LP LLC, Peach State Health Plan Inc., Penn Marketing America LLC, Pennsylvania Health and Wellness Inc., Phoenix Home Health Care LLC, Pinnacle Home Care LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Illinois LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Indiana LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Kalamazoo LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Missouri LLC, Pinnacle Senior Care of Wisconsin LLC, Premier Marketing Group LLC, PrimeroSalud S.L., Pro Diagnostic Group A.S., Pro Magnet CZ s.r.o., Pro Magnet s.r.o, Pro RTG s.r.o, Progress Medical A.S., Prowl Holdings LLC, QCA Healthplan Inc., Qualchoice Life and Health Insurance Company, Quincy Coverage Corporation, R&C Healthcare LLC, RMED LLC, RX Direct Inc., Rapid Respiratory Services LLC, Ribera Lab S.L.U., Ribera Salud II, Ribera Salud Proyectos S.L., Ribera Salud S.A., Ribera Salud Tecnologias S.L.U., Ribera Slaud Infraestructuras S.L.U., Ribera-Quilpro UTE, Salus Administrative Services Inc., Salus IPA LLC, Secure Capital Solutions 2000 S.L.U., SelectCare Health Plans Inc., SelectCare of Texas Inc., Seniorcorps Peninsula LLC, Servicios De Mantenimiento Prevencor S.L.U., SilverSummit Healthplan Inc., Social Health Bridge LLC, Social Health Bridge Trust, Specialty Therapeutic Care GP LLC, Specialty Therapeutic Care Holdings, Specialty Therapeutic Care Holdings LLC, Specialty Therapeutic Care LP, Sunflower State Health Plan Inc., Sunshine Health Community Solutions Inc., Sunshine Health Holding LLC, Sunshine State Health Plan Inc., Superior HealthPlan Community Solutions Inc., Superior HealthPlan Inc., The Practice Properties Limited, The WellCare Management Group Inc., Torrejon Salud S.A., Torrevieja Salud S.L.U., Torrevieja Salud UTE, Traditional Home Health Services LLC, Trillium Community Health Plan Inc., U.S. Medical Management Holdings Inc., U.S. Medical Management LLC, UAM Agent Services Corp., US Script, USMM Accountable Care Partners LLC, Universal American Corp., Universal American Financial Services Inc., Universal American Holdings LLC, WCG Health Management Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of America, WellCare Health Insurance Company of Kentucky Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Louisiana Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Nevada Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of New Hampshire Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of New Jersey Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Oklahoma Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Washington Inc., WellCare Health Insurance Company of Wisconsin Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Arizona Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Connecticut Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Hawaii Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of New York Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of North Carolina Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Southwest Inc., WellCare Health Insurance of Tennessee Inc., WellCare Health Plans, WellCare Health Plans of Arizona Inc., WellCare Health Plans of California Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Kentucky Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Massachusetts Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Missouri Inc., WellCare Health Plans of New Jersey Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Rhode Island Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Tennessee Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Vermont Inc., WellCare Health Plans of Wisconsin Inc., WellCare National Health Insurance Company, WellCare Pharmacy Benefits Management Inc., WellCare Prescription Insurance Inc., WellCare of Alabama Inc., WellCare of Arkansas Inc., WellCare of California Inc., WellCare of Connecticut Inc., WellCare of Florida Inc., WellCare of Georgia Inc., WellCare of Illinois Inc., WellCare of Indiana Inc., WellCare of Kansas Inc., WellCare of Maine Inc., WellCare of Michigan Holding Company, WellCare of Mississippi Inc., WellCare of Missouri Health Insurance Company Inc., WellCare of New Hampshire Inc., WellCare of New York Inc., WellCare of North Carolina Inc., WellCare of Ohio Inc., WellCare of Oklahoma Inc., WellCare of Pennsylvania Inc., WellCare of Puerto Rico Inc., WellCare of South Carolina Inc., WellCare of Texas Inc., WellCare of Virginia Inc., WellCare of Washington Inc., Wellcare Health Plans Inc., Western Sky Community Care Inc., Windsor Health Group Inc., Winning Security S.L., Worlco Management Services, and nirvanaHealth LLC.
Mount Calvary Baptist Church, located in Ivy, is celebrating its 150th anniversary on Sunday during the morning worship service and at 3 p.m. with Pastor Stanley Woolfolk and The Evergreen Ministry.

The church was organized in 1869 by a group of predominantly black parishioners who had been worshiping at St. Pauls Episcopal Church and had been forced to sit in the basement during services.

Dissatisfied with this segregation, they built their own church on 1 acres given to them by a member of the congregation, William Kenney, who was given the land by his former master. Kenney designed the church and acted as supervisor to the congregation, who built the church. The Rev. Timothy Woodfolk served as the churchs first pastor, and the church became affiliated with the Piedmont District Association in 1890.

The original church building was nationally recognized for a carving of a hand on the steeple and carved facings that adorned the steeple frame. After years of wear by ice, snow and rain, the hand was destroyed. A new one was carved and given to the church by Alice Ivory in 1985. The original hand and faces can be found on display in the fellowship hall.
RICHMOND  Authorities searching for a missing Cumberland County woman discovered human remains and a work truck linked to the case in Mecklenburg County on Thursday.

Police said earlier this week that they were looking for Cumberland resident Amy Renee Fabian, 43, in the South Hill and Mecklenburg area. She had not been seen since a man was found dead in her home early last Friday.

A suspect in the man's killing, George W. Knisley IV, 41, of Carroll County, Md., was arrested last Friday night after a police chase in Raleigh, N.C. He has been charged with first-degree murder and is suspected in Fabians disappearance, the police said. He is Fabian's ex-boyfriend.

The man found dead in Fabian's house was Matthew T. Broyles, 29, of Powhatan County. Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller described Broyles and Fabian as friends.

Police said they believe Knisley left Fabians home in the truck, a 2002 white Ford F-350 that had been reported stolen in Maryland last Thursday.

The remains and the truck were found shortly before 11 a.m. in a wooded area off state Route 138, less than a mile from U.S. 1, state police said in a news release Thursday night.
This is, quite frankly, the way things have been done for the past 30 years or so, and it is past time we admit what havoc this has wrought. It has resulted in cynicism, a precipitous erosion in standards of behavior ("Well, their guy did it, so ours can, too"), and widespread contempt for public figures generally.

It would be a marked improvement for us to start by agreeing to hold all public figures  not just the ones we personally agree with  to the same standards.

But we also must avoid the inclination to deny the achievements of anyone of current or historical significance unless they pass some moral purity test. History has shown that, humans being what they are, this is doomed to failure, whether such impossible standards are imposed by right-wing puritans or Politburo leftists. Accomplishments become a source of dread rather than a sense of achievement, as the achiever knows it is only a matter of time before the mob piles on, looking for chinks in the armor. (Social media at its worst is a contemporary example of this.) Such an approach leaves us with no one to look up to, admire or emulate.
Pennsylvania, however, is not faring well at all. The report calls its actions woefully inadequate. It has seen no reduction in nitrogen runoff. "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and that is also true for the partnership working to restore water quality across the region," CBF President William C. Baker said. "Today, unfortunately, Pennsylvania's link is not only weak, it is broken."

The CBF says it will be making recommendations as to what the states can do in areas where shortfalls were identified. We hope the states follow them.

We understand the process is costly and cumbersome, but the Chesapeake Bay is not only a scenic gem beloved by boaters, swimmers, fishermen and tourists; it is home to 3,600 species of plant and animal life, including about 350 species of fish. It's also a major food source and economic powerhouse: More than 500 million pounds of seafood are harvested from its waters every year. The costs of restoring the bay to health are well worth it.

Richmond Times-Dispatch

Editor's note: Editorials shared from other newspapers are offered in an effort to disseminate additional opinion and information, and do not necessarily represent the views of The Daily Progress.
I write to recommend Kathy Galvin as the Democratic nominee for the 57th District of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Kathy has served the public locally for 12 years on the Charlottesville School Board and City Council. This experience in and knowledge of local issues are invaluable in arguing in the Virginia House for matters that concern us here at home. That retiring Del. David Toscano has endorsed Kathy speaks to her unrivaled qualifications.

Kathys performance on Charlottesville City Council during recent tumultuous times is particularly noteworthy. While fully supporting more symbolic actions such as removal of the Confederate statues, Kathy kept her eye on the ball by continuing to advocate for practical, constructive community concerns such as affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and educational enhancements for all citizens. Kathy did her homework, delving into the necessary but often overlooked minutiae of zoning and construction requirements in planning for new or upgraded housing and infrastructure.

Kathys support is based on her long service and residence in our area. It depends on individual citizen input and donations rather than on a huge hedge fund-associated contribution.
South Africa: SA to enhance relations with Malawi

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) has commended President Cyril Ramaphosas chosen Cabinet for the 6th administration. On Friday, the agency expressed its confidence in the men and women appointed to various portfolios, saying it is confident that they have the necessary tools to adequately tackle the country's challenge... See more
After years of rapid growth, full-time online education for K-12 students appears to be plateauing amid ongoing concerns about poor performance, financial mismanagement, and inadequate regulation and accountability structures.

Thats according to new research from the National Education Policy Center, a longtime critic of the virtual school sector.

A collection of reports released by the group this week says that as of the 2017-18 school year, there were 501 full-time virtual K-12 schools in the U.S., enrolling more than 297,000 students. That represents less than 1 percent enrollment growth over the previous year, according to the study, titled Virtual Schools in the U.S. 2019 .

The researchers behind the study call for further curtailing the expansion of the sector, citing a broad range of concerns.

When it comes to academic outcomes, for example, the body of evidence is overwhelming in its critical conclusion that virtual schools are performing terribly, with no signs of improvement, the NEPC report says.

Furthermore, little is still known about how the schools actually operate, including the curricula and instructional models they use, the researchers argue.

And policymakers have continued to struggle to effectively regulate the sector, NEPC contends, citing a recent decrease in legislative activity around full-time virtual schools and ongoing confusion and disagreement over basic issues such as how the schools should be funded and how attendance should be tracked.

Until these questions can be adequately addressed, policymakers should limit or consider a moratorium on [virtual schools] growth, the report concludes.

Longstanding concerns over virtual schools

Concerns over full-time online education are nothing new.

NEPC has been releasing reports raising similar issues for almost a decade. Groups such as the Center for Research on Educational Outcomes at Stanford University have documented the overwhelming negative impact  of such schools on student learning. And a 2016 Education Week investigation dove deep into sector-wide problems with both management and student performance.

Still, proponents of full-time online schools point to continued strong demand from parents. They also highlight ways that virtual schools are different from traditional brick-and-mortar schools, arguing they should be judged by their own set of standards.

Theres also a separate-but-related world of blended schools, which rely on a mix of online and face-to-face instruction. The NEPC report also looks into this world, saying about 300 such schools in the U.S. serve a total of nearly 133,000 students, often with better results than their full-time online counterparts.

The result of such debates and fragmentation within the sector has been widespread confusion and general inaction.

A review of all the bills introduced in state legislatures in 2017 and 2018, for example, found that the same types of bills are getting introduced over and over again, often with limited success.



Progress has been sporadic at best when it comes to altering the funding structures for virtual schools, imposing enrollment limits, figuring out how to define student attendance, and ensuring that sanctions for poor performance are actually enforced.Fifty-four of the 85 bills introduced in 2017 failed to get enacted into law. Fewer bills were introduced and past last year.

Policymakers continue to struggle to reconcile traditional funding structures, governance and accountability systems, instructional quality, and staffing demands with the unique organizational models and instructional methods associated with virtual schooling, the report reads.

Virtual schools by the numbers

Heres the landscape NEPC describes:



39 states now have virtual or blended schools.

Fewer than half of full-time virtual schools are publicly funded, privately managed charter schools. But these schools tend to be far larger than their district- or state-run counterparts, accounting for 79 percent of the students enrolled in full-time online schools.

K12 Inc. remains the largest for-profit operator in the sector, with 73 full-time online schools enrolling more than 88,000 students.

Full-time virtual schools average 44 students per teacher, compared with 34 students per teacher in blended schools and 16 students per teacher in public schools overall.

When it comes to performance on state accountability systems, there are a few relatively promising signs: In Wisconsin, for example, 71 percent of the states 24 virtual schools received a rating of acceptable, with 3 receiving the highest rating possible, NEPC found.

More common, though, are places like Colorado, where 57 percent of the states 23 virtual schools were rated unacceptable.

District-run virtual schools and those not run by a for-profit educational management organization tended to be rated better on state accountability systems.

Despite the overall sobering picture such numbers paint, the NEPC researchers say they remain optimistic that these new modes of [education] delivery can work. They call for more experimentation inside the context of traditional schools and classrooms.

They also call for more sustained, better-funded research into the workings of the schools, to help inform policy.

More than twenty years after the first virtual schools began, there continues to be an inadequate research base of empirical, longitudinal studies to guide the practice and policy of virtual schooling, the report says.

See also:

for the latest news on ed-tech policies, practices, and trends.
TheMathCompany to grow and expand their reach to customers around the world", said Arihant Patni an Entreprenuer, Venture Capitalist.

Bengaluru: TheMathCompany, a data science firm, based in Bengaluru and Chicago, is excited to announce funding from Arihant Patni, from the Patni Computers.

Since its inception in September 2016, TheMathCompany works with over 30 fortune 500 clients and is one of the fastest growing Artificial Intelligence & machine learning start-ups in the world. The funding will be utilized to expand TheMathCompany's footprint globally, build next generation platforms and enhance customer experience.

Founded by industry leaders, Sayandeb Banerjee, Aditya Kumbakonam and Anuj Krishna, TheMathCompany employs over 250 data scientists, data engineers, and visualization experts. The company has clients from industries like CPG, Retail, Insurance and Banking, across the US, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Europe and the Middle East.

This will be the Series A round of funding for TheMathCompany, in tune with their estimated revenue of USD 10 Million.

"In Arihant, we have found not just a financial investor, but also a strategic partner who brings along with him the experience of setting up and scaling global enterprises. Together, we are excited to embark on this journey in building a world-renowned next-gen data and analytics organization. We are changing the way organizations go about enterprise-wide transformations, by defining and executing comprehensive and robust analytics strategies. We are glad to have a partner with the experience and the ambition to work with us towards this vision", said Sayandeb Banerjee, Co-founder and CEO of TheMathCompany.

"Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning solutions are redefining business processes and generating immense business value. TheMathCompany has seen tremendous growth in a short span and the founders have a unique vision towards enhancing enterprise intelligence, combined with deep expertise in this space. Having been part of the evolution of Patni computer services, transforming the software delivery space, I see similar potential in

TheMathCompany to grow and expand their reach to customers around the world", said Arihant Patni an Entreprenuer, Venture Capitalist.

"This is not just a financial investment but a relationship with a team that shares my passion for data science and a commitment to backing the team in the future. I believe their strategy and commitment to customer satisfaction would help the company scale and it gives me great pleasure to be part of the growth", added Arihant.
New Delhi: Breaching a largely male bastion, India's new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday became the first woman in 48 years since then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to hold charge of the key ministry.

Sitharaman, who became the first full-time woman Defence minister in the first tenure of the BJP government, will also head the Corporate Affairs ministry in the new cabinet. Indira Gandhi -- who handled the Defence ministry in 1970-71 -- as prime minister had also held additional charge of the Defence ministry.

"Congratulations to @nsitharaman on her new role as Finance Minister. As the first woman to helm this crucial portfolio full time, she's shattered the glass ceiling by all means," Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti tweeted.

Sixty-year-old Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, was at the helm of affairs when India conducted the Balakot air strike following the Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed group in which around 49 security personnel were killed. Sitharaman took over as Defence minister in September 2017, taking over from Arun Jaitley who was holding the portfolio as additional charge.

One of BJP's chief spokespersons before its ascent to power, Sitharaman is an alumnus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the London School of Economics. She worked as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) with Price Waterhouse in London. During this time, she also briefly worked with the BBC World Service. On her return to India, she served as deputy director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad.

Sitharaman joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2008, and was made a member of the National Executive. She was nominated as party spokesperson in March 2010 and has been a full time party worker since then. She was inducted in the Union Cabinet on May 26, 2014 as minister of state (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry.
While Shah Rukh is pitching Aryan to Hollywood producers, buzz also suggests that his son may debut behind the scenes as an assistant director to Karan Johar, for his upcoming film.

With those enviable looks and Khan charm, it was long ago predicted that Aryan will step into Bollywood and take ahead Shah Rukh Khans romantic legacy. But the actor in the making showed little interest to face the camera and was rather keen to get behind the scenes. And while Aryan is studying at a film school in California, buzz suggests that Shah Rukh Khans first born is gearing up for a starry debut.

According to a recent report, Shah Rukh has been showing pictures of Aryan to Hollywood producers, in a bid to bag a big debut for his boy. The report further adds that SRK has been warned to not allow Aryan to sign up for on a superhero film, that has interested the star kid. It remains to be seen if Aryan opts for a global career with Hollywood or a glamorous one in Bollywood.

While SRK is mulling over Aryans career it seems like doors to Dharma Productions are forever open for the Khans. Shah Rukh and Karan Johar are thick friends it is believed that Aryan could well debut behind the scenes as an assistant director to Karan Johar, for his upcoming film. The next offering from KJo is the mega-budgeted period drama Takht, preparations of which have already begun in full swing at the Dharma office. Takht features an ensemble cast of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Anil Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal, Bhumi Pednekar and Janhvi Kapoor. And with the addition of Aryan Khan to the team, our excitement for Takht has doubled!

Just yesterday, sharing the excited preps for the Mughal era movie, Karan Johar accidentally revealed that Takht will hit the screens in December 2020.
Mumbai: Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor took fans down the memory lane with their sizzling chemistry from the film 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.' As the film clocks six years of its release, the duo can be seen 'goofing around' by dancing on the peppy track 'Balam Pichkari' from the film.

The fans can catch Naina and Bunny back in action in the adorable video shared by the 'Piku' actor on Instagram, which seems to be shot inside a vanity van, capturing the duo in a lively mood. Both the actors can be seen grooving on the hit track 'Balam Pichkari'.

"Naina and Bunny goofing around.....," she captioned the post.

Deepika is winning hearts with her black ensemble and completing the look with a neat bun whereas Ranbir is looking dapper in a formal white shirt and black pants.

While the two might have parted ways but Deepika still shares a great bond with her ex and his family. Some time back the 'Bajirao Mastani' actor during her trip to New York had spent some quality time with veteran actor Rishi Kapoor who is undergoing medical treatment since last year.

Neetu Kapoor had shared pictures on Instagram where she termed the actor as "adorable Deepika Padukone."

"Such a fun evening with adorable Deepika Padukone ... gave a lot of love n warmth," she wrote.

Both the actor started dating each other during the shooting of the film, 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' in 2008 where the 'Padmavat' actor even got the initials of her boyfriend inked on her neck. Later they both parted ways and Deepika tied the knot with Ranvir Singh

The romantic drama film revolved around a shy and nerdy medical student Naina Talwar, essayed by Deepika, who eventually falls in for her former classmate Kabir Thapar aka Bunny, essayed by Ranbir, during their hiking trip to the Himalayas. The film also starred Kalki Koechlin and Aditya Roy Kapur in pivotal roles.

The film which was directed by Ayan Mukerji and produced by Karan Johar had hit the screens on May 31, 2013.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Deepika is busy shooting for Megha Gulzar's 'Chhapaak' while Ranbir is in Varanasi with Alia Bhatt for Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra.
Mumbai: After the humongous worldwide success of his 25th release Maharshi, Mahesh Babu announces his the 26th film of his career, 'Sarileru Neekevvaru' on the occasion of his legendary father Krishna's birthday. The film is all set to release on Sankranti 2020, making the occasion even more celebratory for the fans.

The announcement of the film was very unique as Superstar Mahesh Babu released the first poster of the film 'Sarileru Neekevvaru' at 12 am sharp. Superstar Mahesh Babu is known for his superhit films and the announcement of his 26th film has also set the bar high with this unique way.

Superstar Mahesh Babu took to his official social media handle and announced his 26th release Sarileru Neekevvaru and wrote, "Sankranti 2020... All geared up!!!  #SarileruNeekevvaru @AnilRavipudi @AnilSunkara1 @SVC_Official @GMBEnts".

Mahesh Babu celebrated the success of his recent release Maharshi with his family and what better than a vacation! The actor celebrated the grand success of his 25th film by taking a break with his loved ones.

Mahesh Babu's 26th film Sarileru Neekevvaru is all set to hit the theatres on Sankranti 2020.
It is the third time the Czech capital has sent such birds to the picturesque open space by Buckingham Palace, where pelicans first arrived in 1664 in the guise of a gift from the Russian ambassador to King Charles II. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay)

Prague: Three great white pelicans were crossing Europe by van on Thursday en route to their new home in a central London park, where they will become part of a centuries-old tradition with royal connections.

Sent by Prague Zoo, Sun, Moon and Star are to live next to a small lake in St James Park, close to Queen Elizabeths London residence.

It is the third time the Czech capital has sent such birds to the picturesque open space by Buckingham Palace, where pelicans first arrived in 1664 in the guise of a gift from the Russian ambassador to King Charles II, according to charity The Royal Parks. It says the sociable birds can roam freely but usually stay close to the lake.

Prague Zoo sent four in 1995, and three more in 2013, its director Miroslav Bobek said. We were first asked for them in the nineties because we were one of the first to successfully breed white pelicans, he said.
Home minister Amit Shah gestures as he arrives to attend a meeting with the newly-named cabinet in New Delhi on Friday. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday put his team in place with the number two Cabinet position of home minister going to his trusted lieutenant and debutant Amit Shah while incumbent Rajnath Singh was moved to defence.

The big surprise came with the crucial and high profile finance ministry going to Ms Nirmala Sitharaman, who is now the first full-time woman finance minister of the country. In the previous term, she had become the first full-time woman defence minister.

The other debutant Cabinet inductee, Mr S. Jaishankar, expectedly, got the external affairs portfolio to replace Sushma Swaraj who had opted out of Lok Sabha elections due to health reasons.

Ms Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his family bastion of Amethi, will be the new women and child development minister. She will also retain the textile ministry, according to a communique issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Mr Jaishankars innings in the government is a rare instance of a career diplomat taking charge of the external affairs ministry.

A new Jal Shakti ministry, in which the erstwhile ministries of water resources and drinking water and sanitation will be merged, has been formed with Mr Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at its helm.

With the induction of Mr Shah and Mr Jaishankar, there are two new faces in the all-powerful Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which is chaired by the Prime Minister and is the final decision-making body on matters related to countrys security, including defence policy and internal security. The CCS also includes defence and finance ministers.

Ms Sitharaman succeeded Arun Jaitley who opted out of the new government on health grounds.

She will have a deputy in Anurag Thakur, a first-time minister of state in the Modi government. Both are considered close to Mr Jaitley.

The Prime Minister will retain the department of personnel and training, atomic energy and space as well as all important policy issues and portfolios not allocated.

Considered one of the best performers during the first term of Modi government for his expeditious project implementation, Nitin Gadkari will continue to be the minister for road transport and highways and has also been given charge of the Ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises in which the government is aiming to generate as mush employment as possible.

Piyush Goyal, who had presented the interim budget ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, has been given the commerce and industry ministry in addition to his old charge of railways.

However, the coal ministry has been taken away from him and given to Pralhad Joshi, a new entrant into to the Modi Cabinet. Mr Joshi will also be the minister of parliamentary affairs and mines.

Ravi Shankar Prasad will continue as minister of law and information technology. In addition, he was allocated telecom, a portfolio he commanded in the first half of Modi 1.0 government.

Odisha strongman Dharmendra Pradhan retained his petroleum portfolio and has also been given charge of the steel ministry.

Former Uttarkhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank is the new human resource development minister while Bihar ally and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswam remains consumer affairs minister.

The agriculture ministry has been allocated to Narendra Singh Tomar who also got the rural development and panchayati raj portfolios.

Prakash Javadekar has been given the ministries of information and broadcasting as well as environment.

Lone Delhi MP in Modi Cabinet, Harsh Vardhan, will be the health and family welfare minister. He will also head ministries of science and technology and earth sciences.
Narendra Singh Tomar said nearly 14.5 crore farmers are expected to benefit from the scheme. (Representional Image)

New Delhi: In the first Cabinet meeting, the government on Friday decided to extend PM-Kisan scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers in the country costing Rs 87,000 crore a year and also announced over Rs 10,000 crore pension scheme for 5 crore farmers, thereby fulfilling the poll promise.

Announcing the two key decisions, new agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Modi 2.0 government has announced landmark decisions for the farming community.

Meanwhile, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said the first session of the Lok Sabha will be held from June 17 to July 26, with the regular budget to be presented on July 5.

The new Cabinet of the Narendra Modi government on Friday held its first meeting in which decisions were taken with regard to the welfare of farmers, small traders and children of defence and security personnel.

Terming the decisions to be landmark, Union inf-ormation and broadcasting minister Prakash Jav-adekar said: In less than 24 hours after taking oath, the government has started functioning and taking important decisions. It has started implementing promises made in the BJPs manifesto.

During the meeting chaired by Mr Modi, the very first decision was with regard to enhancing the rates of scholarship in the Prime Ministers Sch-olarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund and extend the facility to the children of state police personnel also.

In another important decision, the Cabinet appr-oved the extension of the Prime Minister Kisan

Yojana to all farmers. Announcing the decision, Union minister of agriculture and farmer welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said nearly 14.5 crore farmers are expected to benefit from the scheme.

Besides, the Cabinet approved a new Central Sector Scheme, the Prad-han Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana, which will provide income support to small and marginal landholder farmer families with cultivable land holdings of up to 2 hectares, across the country, by way of Rs 6,000 per year. The ongoing scheme aims to cover around 12.5 crore small and marginal farmer families. This is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for small and marginal farmers in which the Central government and farmers have to contribute on the basis of 50:50.

Mr Javadekar said the path-breaking scheme would provide a pension cover to a large section of farmers in which the Centre would spend Rs 10,774.5 crore for a period of three years. He added that the Cabinet has also cleared a special scheme for Control of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis, common amongst livestock.

The Cabinet cleared pension scheme for traders in which three crore retail traders and shopkeepers are expected to benefit.

With regard to scholarships for the wards of defence and security personnel, the Cabinet appr-oved an increase in the rates of scholarship from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 per month for boys and from Rs 2,250 to Rs 3,000 per month for girls.
Hyderabad: Ms Nirmala Sitharaman broke through another glass ceiling when she was named Union finance minister on Friday. She is the second woman finance minister after the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi held the portfolio in 1970-71.

She will also head the corporate affairs ministry in the new Cabinet.

Ms Sitharaman, 60, daughter-in-law of the Telugus and claimed by three southern states, was also the first woman to hold the defence portfolio in the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after Mrs Gandhi.

She was at the helm when India conducted the Balakot air strike following the Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed group. Incidentally, she took over the defence ministry from former finance minister Arun Jaitley, who was then holding additional charge.

Ms Sitharaman, who hails from Tamil Nadu and is elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, stayed at Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, and ran a school for some time. She is the wife of Mr Parakala Prabhakar from Narasapuram, AP, former communications adviser to the previous Naidu government.

The portfolio has been previously held by former Presidents R. Venkataraman and Pranab Mukherjee and the Prime Ministers Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Morarji Desai, Rajiv Gandhi and V.P. Singh as well.

Ms Sitharaman is an alumnus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the London School of Economics. She worked as senior manager (research and analysis) with Price Waterhouse in London and with the BBC World Service. On her return to India, she served as deputy director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad.

Ms Sitharaman joined the BJP in 2008 as a common worker and served many positions in the party including as one of the chief spokespersons.

She was inducted in the Union Cabinet on May 26, 2014 as minister of state (independent charge) for commerce and industry and later elevated to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Mehbooba Mufti congratulated the new finance minister. Congratulations to @nsitharaman on her new role as Finance Minister. As the first woman to helm this crucial portfolio full time, shes shattered the glass ceiling by all means, she tweeted.
Hyderabad: India is not a dharma satram (free place to stay) for everyone; we will conduct a census to find out who are Indians and who are intruders in the country, said G. Kishan Reddy, who was appointed Union minister of state for home on Friday. He will be deputy to Union home minister Amit Shah.

Mr Reddy is the second politician from the state to hold the position, after Ch Vidyasagar Rao, who is now Governor of Maharashtra. Mr Rao held the position in the Vajpayee government.

Speaking to this newspaper hours after he was appointed minister, Mr Reddy said the Centre will concentrate on preparing the National Citizens Register (NCR). He went on to claim that Hyderabad city had become a safe zone for terrorists. Wherever in the county a terrorist incident happens, its roots are in Hyderabad, Mr Reddy said.

He said people from Myanmar and Bangladesh were staying in the Old City illegally and the Union home ministry will take action on this.

He said that the police force will be strengthened and modernised. The supporters of terrorists will be permanently eliminated. Our main goal is countrys integrity, unity and security, Mr Reddy said.

In the next five years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi we will go forward with the slogan of Sab ka saath sab ka vikas. He said he would see that all states were treated equally and try to create cordial relations between the two Telugu states.

He said that he is always available to the people of his Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency.

When asked what help Telangana can expect from the home ministry, Mr Reddy said that after taking charge he will hold a review meeting with officials and then he will be able to say what help he can give Telangana.

He said if there are any pending assurances made to Telangana state at the time of bifurcation, he will try to resolve them.

He said his goal is his party coming to power in Telangana state in 2023.
Bengaluru: While upholding the new rule that disallows admission under RTE quota seats in unaided private schools, when a government or private aided school is available in the neighbourhood, the Karnataka High Court has rejected a batch of petitions challenging the legality of the government's new rule.

Several organisations, and parents of children seeking admission under the RTE Act and RTE Students and Parents Association had sought directions to declare the amendment of Rule 4 of the Karnataka Right of Children to free and compulsory education Rules 2012, notified on January 30, 2019 as null and void on the ground that it is a violation of fundamental rights of children guaranteed under Article 21 A of the Indian Constitution.

The government had contended that allowing admission in unaided private schools under RTE quota, when government schools were located in the neighbourhood, will be destroy the very purpose of the RTE Act.

Kappatgudda forest

The High Court has upheld the state government's move in notifying Kappatagudda forests as a wildlife sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The state government had previously notified Kappatagudda as a conservation reserve and later in May this year, the state declared it as wildlife sanctuary. The state notified it following series of protests citing flora, fauna, geomorphological and ecological importance which needs to be protected and conserved.

Missing voters

HC issued a notice to Election Commission of India, and State Chief Electoral officer following a PIL filed by Shivakumar Hosamani, of Samarpana Cultural and Social Service Organisation. The PIL, states that 1.83 lakh names were deleted from the list in Bengaluru after the May 2018 elections.
PM Modi greets Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena ahead of their bilateral talks at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Sri Lanka on an official visit starting June 9, visiting Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena told reporters on Friday. Mr Modi will visit Sri Lanka after he completes his visit to Maldives, the Sri Lankan president said.

Hailing the Indo-Sri Lankan ties that he said were over 2,600 years old, Mr Sirisena said, We are awaiting the PMs arrival. It is a great honour and prestige.

It is, however, clear that Sri Lanka is treading carefully on the issue of Indo-Pak tensions. In response to a question on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism aimed at India, Mr Maithripala described Sri Lankan foreign policy as neutral, adding that Sri Lanka wanted to befriend all nations and not have any enemies. We will try to mediate to find a solution, he said, commenting on a scenario of a dispute arising between two other nations. The comments indicate that Sri Lanka wants to maintain an even-handed approach regarding both India and Pakistan. Nevertheless, Mr Modi's visit to both of India's southern maritime neighbours, Maldives and Sri Lanka, is significant as it comes so soon on the heels of his huge electoral victory. The visits are also significant, given Chinas efforts to increase and maintain its influence in both the Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, in response to another question, Mr Maithripala described both regional groupings BIMSTEC and SAARC as significant.

The Sri Lankan president was in India to attend PM Modis swearing-in ceremony on May 30.
New Delhi: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena admitted on Friday that Indian intelligence agencies in April this year had informed their Sri Lankan counterparts about a terror threat in the island but that in a great shortcoming, his country's then defence secretary and then Inspector-General of Police (IGP) had failed to inform him about the threat for a full 12 days till he left the island for an overseas official visit on April 16.

On April 21, serial blasts in five-star hotels and Churches had rocked colombo and nearby areas killing scores of people. The two officials have since been sacked. The visiting Sri Lankan President was interacting with reporters in New Delhi.

A clear report had been sent by Indian Intelligence agencies to the state agencies of Sri Lanka about the possibility of an attack. This information was passed on April 4. ... Letters were exchanged. On April 16, I left the island (on an official visit). I was in the island (Sri Lanka) for 12 days (from April 4 to 16). However, none of the defence chiefs (defence secretary and IGP) informed me regarding receipt of

such Intelligence. Had I known, I would never have left the island. Had I known, I would have taken action. It was a great shortcoming from our defence chiefs. I have taken action to remove the (then) Defence Secretary and IGP from their offices, the Sri Lankan President said, adding that had he knownabout the alert, he would not have allowed so many lives to be lost and would have taken necessary action.

On who had carried out the blasts, the Sri Lankan President said, It is very clear that attacks on Sri Lanka was perpetrated by an Islamist extremist group. The President said the suicide bombers who carried out the attacks came from rich families and some had even obtained doctorates. He also pointed out that the Islamic State (IS) had claimed responsibility for the blasts. President Sirisena said those Sri Lankan extremists who had carried out the attack in his country had earlier travelled abroad and obtained training in areas where international terror groups were operating. But in response to a question, he said that he had not received any information that these terrorists had travelled to India earlier and that there was no link.
New Delhi: Former foreign secretary S. Jaishankar was on Friday appointed Indias external affairs minister (EAM) and assumed office in the evening succeeding Sushma Swaraj who had on Thursday been left out of the Cabinet of the Modi gove-rnment in its second term in office. The new EAM has his task cut out, for several challenges await him, the foremost being Indias troubled relations with Pakistan.

The two countries were on the brink of war  after the Pulwama terror attack on February 14  when India launched air-strikes on February 26 against a JeM terror camp at Balakot in Pakistans KPK province.

Significantly, Mr Modi is expected to come face to face with Pakistan PM Imran Khan at the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan on June 13 and 14. New Delhi will, therefore, need to devise a strategy on how to deal with Pakistan.

On China, Mr Jaishankar  a former envoy to Beijing  will be expected to undertake

preparatory work at top levels for the second informal summit between Mr Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping that is expected to take place in India in October this year. Ties between the two Asian giants improved considerably after the first informal summit between the two leaders in Wuhan in China last year.

Mr Jaishankars contribution to close ties with the United States is also expected to stand him in good stead when India negotiates with the United States on various issues.
New Delhi: Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, on Friday skipped his scheduled appearance before the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case probe, citing his health. The agency, sources said, has now asked him to appear next week on June 4 to answer questions emerging from some fresh evidences brought out in the case.

Mr Vadra was grilled for several hours on Thursday when the investigating officer of the case recorded his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Vadra made public comments on social media on Thursday saying it was the 11th time he appeared before probe agencies and has been subjected to 70 hours of questioning so far. I maintain my belief in the Indian judiciary. I have and will adhere to all summons/ norms of government agencies. I have deposed 11 times with questioning of approximately 70 hours. In future also, I will cooperate, till my name is cleared of all false allegations, Mr Vadra said.

Mr Vadra appeared before the ED multiple times in connection with this case and also in another money laundering cases related to alleged irregularities of land allotment in Rajasthans Bikaner.

The agency recently sought cancellation of the anticipatory bail given to him and also opposed his plea for foreign travel. A court Wednesday reserved for June 3 its order to allow Mr Vadra to travel abroad or not.

The ED had told the Delhi high court that it required Mr Vadras custody as he was not cooperating in the investigation and the trial court had not discussed the gravity of the offence in its order that gave relief to the high-profile businessman. The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him. The agency had told a Delhi court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth five million GBP and the other valued at four million GBP, six other flats and more properties.
In his personal capacity, Prasad has worked on Solid Waste Management (SWM) and his decade-long struggle against the usage of lakes for idol immersion has finally led the BBMP to get tough on those who flaunt the rules.

A group of school boys who got together to plant trees in their neighbourhood would go on to become one of Bengaluru's most prominent citizen-led groups. Friends of Lakes and its founder, Ram Prasad, have become instrumental in rejuvenating the city's dying lakes. Recently, an offer from the BBMP to help clean a pond in Cubbon Park led to the discovery of seven, 100-year-old wells, all dilapidated. Ram Prasad tells Aksheev Thakur about the Million Wells Recharge campaign and how it has brought the traditional well-diggers, the Manu Vaddar community, back into relevance.

It was the year 1989 and most schoolboys his age spent their evenings grazing their knees as they played out on the streets. Ram Prasad, known today as the co-founder of the proactive citizens group Friends of Lakes, was no ordinary 12-year-old, though. Growing up in Vidyaranyapura here in Bengaluru, he had found his passion  the environment, by the time he hit his teens. Nobody imagined them, not even Prasad himself, that small-scale environmental activity, focussed on one neighbourhood, would, in 2011, become Bengalurus largest citizen-led lake revival groups.

I spent my childhood with friends, playing at the banks of lakes. Our environmental activity then was mostly about conservation or planting trees in Vidyaranyapura, recalls Prasad.

The childhood days with friends were spent playing at the lake shores and environmental activities were mostly related to the conservation or planting of trees in Vidyaranyapura. Even then, we called the groups Friends of Lakes (FoL) and Friends of Trees (FoT).

The friends re-grouped in 2011 and Friends of Lakes was formed once more, to protect and rejuvenate lakes in Vidyaranyapura and Doddabommasandra. We are an informal group with a clear-cut, focussed agenda towards conservation of water bodies and their biodiversity, he says. Even the informal fabric of the group was intended, an experiment they tried under the able guidance of S. Vishwanath (Zenrainman, as he is fondly known), of the rainwater club and Biome, Prasad explains. FoL now has 22 lakes under its ambit, with many citizens under its fold. The group has also earned the trust of government officials.

As there is no money involved, only true, passionate volunteers joined the group to strengthen it technically, scientifically and professionally. Our credibility is testimony to the fact that we have no monetary ambitions, Prasad points out.

It was a difficult goal to have and Prasad rightly takes pride in the fact that FoL has remained a democratic organisation. To the point where on some occasions, volunteers were allowed to go ahead and make a decision despite his opposition to it. Selfless voluntarism and passion for the environment can save biodiversity, he reflects. Research and environmental organizations like ATREE, Biome, CDD, Water Institute of Bengaluru University, CMRIT and CII have played an integral role in the success of FOL, Prasad says.

In his personal capacity, Prasad has worked on Solid Waste Management (SWM) and his decade-long struggle against the usage of lakes for idol immersion has finally led the BBMP to get tough on those who flaunt the rules.

Waste was being diverted into lakes and that brought me face-to-face with the issue of Solid Waste Management, which is plaguing the city, says Prasad, referring to Ganesh Chaturthi, when idols are immersed in nearby water bodies. I suggested that separate ponds be used for idol immersion. The BBMP agreed and decided on a pilot project in Yelahanka, which proved very successful. It was then replicated across the city and the Kalyanis are now an important part of lake rejuvenation, he adds.

The knowledge he has gathered over the years makes him an able advisor, not only to a citzens group in Africa but also to the government of Jammu and Kashmir!

Now, as Bengaluru struggles through the throes of an acute water shortage, Prasad and Vishwanath have found a way out. Thats how the Million Wells Recharge campaign was born. Together, they successfully recharged the hundred-year-old wells in Cubbon Park, a shining example of the campaigns success.

India Cares Foundation wanted to clean the pond in the park and while we worke don it, we found seven wells, all dilapidated, he says. Recharging the well has made t hem understand that it could work as a strategy for flood mitigation too. The project also brought the Manu Vaddar community, the traditional well-digging community, to the limelight.

Now, Friends of Lakes shares a friendly rapport with the BBMP, a factor that has never stood in the way of him criticising the civic agency when required. Prasad blames the lack of coordination between Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), BBMP and the Storm Water Drain Department for the mess that the lakes are in, today.

The mess is shown in the way rejuvenation is done. The agency should have environmentalists, hydrologists, Geologists etc in their technical department. This is where FoL comes in with a crucial role in the rejuvenation of lakes and also to spread literacy on issues of water security.

I am trying to give as much as I can to this city. My aim is to get the city at least 20 rank in the Swacch Survekshan results in 2020, he concludes.

Last week, he was awarded the Environment Conservation Award by the Rotary Club of Bangalore.
He said, 'It will be my endeavour to continue the efforts and provide the nation with a Navy that is strong, capable and which is ready to meet any security challenge in the maritime domain.' (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: Admiral Karambir Singh on Friday took over as the Chief of the Naval Staff succeeding Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is retiring after over four decades of service.

"It is a matter of great honour and pride for me to take charge as the 24th Chief of Naval Staff. My predecessors with their perseverance have made sure that the Navy has a very solid foundation and reaches new heights," Singh told reporters here.

He said, "It will be my endeavour to continue the efforts and provide the nation with a Navy that is strong, capable and which is ready to meet any security challenge in the maritime domain."

Singh also expressed gratitude to his predecessor, Lanba, for his service to the nation.

"I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Sunil Lamba, the outgoing Chief of Naval Staff, who has put 42 years of illustrious service to the nation. He provided us with great leadership."

Lanba said, "It has been a great honour and privilege for me to have commanded the finest Navy over the past three years. The Navy is mission deployed and combat ready to provide maritime security in areas of interest. I am happy to hand over the Navy to my successor, a capable Admiral Karambir Singh."

Vice Admiral Bimal Verma had challenged the appointment of Singh as the new Navy Chief. He had questioned the government's decision of overlooking him for the post despite him being the seniormost officer in the force. However, the Defence Minister had rejected Verma's plea on May 17.

Verma then challenged the Defence Ministry's decision before the Armed Forces Tribunal.

On May 29, the Tribunal had on deferred the hearing in the case and said that Vice Admiral Karambir Singh can take charge as the Navy Chief on May 31.

Hailing from Jalandhar in Punjab, Singh graduated from Barnes School at Deolali in Maharashtra before joining the National Defence Academy (NDA).

As a helicopter pilot, he has flown Chetaks and Kamovs. He commanded four ships -- the ICG Chandbibi (patrol craft of Indian Coast Guard), INS Vijaydurg (missile ship), INS Rana and INS Delhi (destroyers), at various stages of his career.

Singh served as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at the headquarters in New Delhi before moving to Vishakhapatnam last year as the Eastern Naval Commander. He also headed the Port Blair-based Andaman and Nicobar Command for almost three years.
The judge noted in his order that 'nothing was revealed from the case diary and the post-mortem report that it was a clear-cut murder'. (Photo: ANI)

Mumbai: No evidence was found to indicate that Payal Tadvi, the junior doctor at a government hospital here who allegedly committed suicide, had been killed, the Mumbai Police's crime branch told a court on Friday.

The court, which refused to extend police remand of the three accused, noted that the case diary and the autopsy report did not suggest that it was a "clear-cut" case of murder.

Tadvi (26), a post-graduate student at B Y L Nair Hospital, allegedly hanged herself in her hostel room on May 22, as she was reportedly fed up of being ragged by the three accused who were her seniors.

It was also alleged that the accused had hurled casteist slurs at her. The prosecution, seeking police remand for the accused when they were arrested, had suggested that it could be a case of murder.

However, the crime branch, which took over the case on Thursday, told the court that it has not "come across any material to call it a murder".

The accused -- Bhakti Mehere, Hema Ahuja and Ankita Khandelwal -- were produced before Additional Sessions Judge R M Sadrani at the end of their police custody on Friday.

Seeking their further custody, the investigating officer said it was required for the recovery of the suicide note.

Police also wanted to confront them with the witnesses, he said, adding that the accused were not co-operating with the investigation.

"We (crime branch) did not get time to probe... Hence, we should be given seven days' custody," said special public prosecutor Raja Thakre.

However, defense lawyer Abad Ponda said none of the witnesses had stated that a suicide note existed and the custody cannot be extended just because another investigating agency has taken over, he argued.

The judge noted in his order that "nothing was revealed from the case diary and the post-mortem report that it was a clear-cut murder".

No substantial evidence was collected in the last two days, nor was the suicide note recovered, for which purpose custody had been sought earlier, the judge said.

The grounds on which the prosecution sought further police remand were not "sufficient", the court said, sending the three accused in judicial custody till June 10. After Tadvi ended her life, her family alleged that the accused, who were her seniors, tormented her and hurled casteist abuse at her.

Tadvi belonged to a scheduled tribe. The accused were booked under The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, anti-ragging act as well as for abetment of suicide under IPC section 306.

Meanwhile, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Friday set up a "fact-finding mission committee" to "evaluate the background situation and the critical factors that led to the unfortunate suicide of Tadvi", it said in a statement.

Its fact-finding team will submit a report to the IMA National President within a week, it said, adding that "IMA does not condone any discriminatory behavior".
'With the help of the BJP, he ran the government in Bihar for seven long years. But, the moment he realised that he can run the government independently, he kicked out our party,' he said. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: BJP leader Gopal Narayan Singh on Friday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for turning down his party's offer of one spot in the Cabinet just a few hours before the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi and his council of ministers.

"Nitish only thinks for his own benefits. He is very selfish and takes decisions for his own benefits. He is very selfish," said the Rajya Sabha MP.

"With the help of the BJP, he ran the government in Bihar for seven long years. But, the moment he realised that he can run the government independently, he kicked out our party. No alliance partners are protesting for Cabinet berths. I feel that people in Bihar will also point fingers at Nitish Kumar for his move," he lashed out.

The JD(U) on Thursday decided to not be a part of Narendra Modi's new Cabinet, saying it would not accept the BJP's offer of only one ministerial berth.

"They (BJP) wanted only one person from JD(U) in the Cabinet, so it would have been just symbolic participation. We informed them that we do not need it (Cabinet berth)," JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar had said after a meeting of party leaders.

Kumar, who later attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony, had stated, "It is not a big issue. We are fully in the NDA and not upset at all. We are working together. There is no confusion."

Read: Don't want any symbolic participation in the government: JD(U) chief Nitish

JD(U) won 16 seats in Bihar in the recently concluded Lok Sabha, while BJP bagged 17.

Despite being a part of the National Democratic Alliance, the party was also not part of the last central government. The BJP, however, is sharing power in the Bihar government with its leader Sushil Kumar Modi as the Deputy Chief Minister.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading.
Among the leaders who attended the ceremony were Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: Congress on Thursday posted a tweet as the members of Prime Minister Narendra Modis new cabinet were being sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

"Congratulations to PM @narendramodi and his new cabinet ministers. We wish them the best & look forward to working with them on the growth & development of India & all its citizens," the post read.

Congratulations to PM @narendramodi and his new Cabinet Ministers. We wish them the best & look forward to working with them on the growth & development of India & all its citizens.  Congress (@INCIndia) May 30, 2019

Among the leaders who attended the ceremony were Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

In the 17th Lok Sabha elections, Congress won just 52 seats across the country and BJP won 303.

On May 23, when the votes were counted, the Congress had tweeted out another congratulatory message to the BJP.

"Congratulations to @BJP4India & @narendramodi on a decisive victory. The people of India have made their decision & we respect their mandate. We'd like to thank all our workers for their hard work. We wish the new govt the best & look forward to working towards India's future," it read.

Congratulations to @BJP4India & @narendramodi on a decisive victory. The people of India have made their decision & we respect their mandate. We'd like to thank all our workers for their hard work. We wish the new govt the best & look forward to working towards India's future.  Congress (@INCIndia) May 23, 2019

Rahul Gandhi, in another tweet stated that he accepted "the verdict of the people of India".

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading.
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 24 cabinet ministers, nine minister of state with independent charge and 24 ministers of state made up the 58-member team. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The new Cabinet ministers and their portfolios were announced on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space; and all important policy issue; and all other portfolios not allocated to any minister

Rajnath Singh: Minister of Defence

Amit Shah: Minister of Home Affairs

Dr S Jaishankar: Minister of External Affairs

Nirmala Sitharaman: Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs

Nitin Gadkari: Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Piyush Goyal: Minister of Railways; and Minister of Commerce and Industry

Smriti Irani: Minister for Women and Child Development; and Minister of Textiles

Ravi Shankar Prasad: Minister of Law and Justice, Minister of Communications, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank: Minister of Human Resource Development

Ramvilas Paswan: Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

Jitendra Singh: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, MoS PMO, Ministry of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public grievances & pensions; MoS in the dept of atomic energy & MoS in dept of space.

Gajendra Singh Shekhwat: Minister of Jal Shakti

Dr Harsh Vardhan: Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Minister of Science and Technology; and Minister of Earth Sciences

Prakash Javadekar: Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Information and Broadcasting

DV Sadananda Gowda: Minister of Chemical and Fertilisers

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: Minister of Minority Affairs,.

Pralhad Joshi: Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines.

Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey: Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

Narendra Singh Tomar: Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj

Harsimrat Kaur Badal: Minister of Food Processing Industries

Arvind Sawant: Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise

Arjun Munda: Minister of Tribal Affairs

Giriraj Singh: Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries

Kiren Rijiju: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports; Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The first meeting of the new Union Cabinet will take place on Friday at 5:30 pm, a government official said.

Read | Modi sarkar 2.0: Old, new faces in PM's cabinet; portfolios to be out today

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 24 cabinet ministers, nine minister of state with independent charge and 24 ministers of state made up the 58-member team.

President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Modi and ministers at the function which was attended by heads of government and representatives from BIMSTEC countries, besides Prime Minister of Mauritius and President of Kyrgyzstan.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading.
New Delhi: On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 24 cabinet ministers, nine minister of state with independent charge and 24 ministers of state made up the 58-member team.

The first meeting of the new Union Cabinet will take place on Friday at 5:30 pm, a government official said.

President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Modi and ministers at the function which was attended by heads of government and representatives from BIMSTEC countries, besides Prime Minister of Mauritius and President of Kyrgyzstan.

Here is the list of the Cabinet ministers that sworn-in:

Rajnath Singh: During the first term of Modi government, he served as the Home Minister of India. He previously served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and as a Cabinet Minister in the Vajpayee government. He has also served as the President of the BJP twice, 2005 to 2009 and 2013 to 2014.

Amit Shah: He has been the BJP president since 2014. Shah is among the rapid achiever among the BJP workers. At an early age, he joined politics. During Modis tenure as Gujarat CM, Shah was the confidant and his right hand. In 2014, his political career took a major jump when he was appointed as the president of the BJP.

Nitin Gadkari: He has held various portfolios including the Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. He earlier served as the President of the BJP from 2010-2013.

DV Sadananda Gowda: He is the former chief minister of Karnataka who was shunted from ministry to ministry during Modis first term. His induction in the cabinet came as a surprise to many political observers in Karnataka.

Nirmala Sitharaman: During Modis first term, she served as the Minister of Defence of India since 2017. She is India's second female defence minister. Sitharaman also served as a national spokesperson for the BJP

Ram Vilas Paswam: He is an eight-time Lok Sabha member and president of the Lok Janshakti Party. Paswan did not contest the 17th Lok Sabha election, but is set to take the route to Parliament through the Rajya Sabha.

Narendra Singh Tomar: He played a key role in implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, as union minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, and Mines in the 2014 cabinet.

Ravi Shankar Prasad: He is a first-time member of the Lok Sabha from Patna Sahib. He defeated former BJP colleague Shatrughan Singh, who contested as Congress candidate.

He has held several ministerial portfolios, including the law and justice and electronics and information technology, in the first term of the Narendra Modi government.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal: She is from the Shiromani Akali Dal. Badal was elected for the third consecutive time from Bathinda, where she defeated Congress Amarinder Singh. During Modis first term, she was the minister for food processing.

Thwarchand Gehlot: He is a Dalit face of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2014, he was appointed as the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

S Jaishankar: He is a former Indian diplomat and served as a Foreign Secretary from January 2015 to January 2018. He had previously served as Indian Ambassador to the United States (20142015), China (20092013) and the Czech Republic (200104), and as High Commissioner to Singapore (200709). Jaishankar also played a key role in negotiating the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement.

Ramesh Pokhriyal: He has been elected from the Hardwar Lok Sabha constituency for the second time. At the age of 50, he became the fifth and the youngest chief minister of Uttarakhand in 2009 and held the position until 2011.

Arjun Munda: He is a three-time chief minister of Jharkhand and is considered one of the most prominent tribal leaders in the state.

The 51-year-old won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Khunti constituency by defeating Congresss Kalicharan Munda by 1,445 votes.

Smriti Irani: She won the Amethi seat and defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi by around 55,000 votes. This is the first time she has won a Lok Sabha election.

She has held portfolios including Information and Broadcasting, Human Resource Development and Textile ministry.

Harsh Vardhan: He is a two-time MP from Delhis Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency. He defeated Congresss J P Agarwal by over 200,000 votes. After his victory from Chandni Chowk in 2014, he was inducted in the Modi cabinet and given the high-profile Health Ministry. In 2017, he was given additional charge of the Environment, Forest and Climate change ministry.

Prakash Javadekar: Over the last five years, he has held a number of ministries including the Human Resource Development, Environment, Forest and Climate change and Information and Broadcasting.

Piyush Goyal: He has emerged as the BJPs go-to man in the last five years. He has also held additional charge of the finance ministry when Arun Jaitley was unwell and tabled the interim budget ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Dharmendra Pradhan: He played a key role in the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a scheme of distribution of gas cylinders to women who are below the poverty line, and living in rural areas.

After he became Union minister in 2014, Pradhan became the most visible face of BJP in Odisha. Pradhan also helped guide the BJPs social media strategy during the polls.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: He is a prominent Muslim face of the saffron party and is a two-time Rajya Sabha MP. He served as Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and as Minister of State for Minority and Parliamentary Affairs in the first Modi government.

He has served as vice-president, general secretary and spokesman of the BJP.

Pralhad Joshi: He is a four-time MP from Dharwad in Karnataka and was overlooked for a ministerial post in the first term of the Narendra Modi government in favour of two other Brahmin leaders from the state, Ananth Kumar and Anantkumar Hegde

Mahendra Nath Pandey: He is an Indian politician who has been a Member of Lok Sabha for Chandauli since 2014. He is the president of the party's Uttar Pradesh unit. He has also served as Union Minister of State for Ministry of Human Resource Development between 2016 and 2017.

Arvind Sawant: He is known for his good oratory skills and an ability to develop relations across parties. He is a Shiv Sena member and defeated Congresss Milind Deora by a margin of over 100,000 votes.

Giriraj Singh: He won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Bihars Begusarai by defeating CPI candidate Kanhaiya Kumar by over 420,000 votes.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: He emerges as a giant killer in the recent general elections, He defeated Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlots son Vaibhav Gehlot by 270,440 votes.

Those who took oath as Ministers of State include Faggan Singh Kulaste, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Arjun Meghwal, General (Retd.) V K Singh, Krishan Pal Gurjar, Raosaheb Danve Patil, Ramdas Athawale, Babul Supriyo, Sanjeev Balyan, Anurag Thakur, Pratap Chandra Sarangi among others.

Among the names which were a part of the last government but didn't take oath this time were Suresh Prabhu, Menaka Gandhi, J P Nadda, Radha Mohan Singh Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore and Satyapal Singh.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading.
The Twitter and Facebook handles of Modi were updated with new display pictures (DP), minutes before PM began to take oath. (Photo: Twitter)

New Delhi: As the stage was set for Narendra Damodardas Modi to take oath as the Prime Minister of India along with the swearing-in of a fresh cabinet on Thursday, Modi's social media also saw a change.

The Twitter and Facebook handles of Modi were updated with new display pictures (DP), minutes before PM began to take oath.

In the new DP, Modi can be seen wearing a light blue shirt and his signature outfit 'Modi jacket'; whereas a picture was taken from the day of the election result was set as the cover.

The cover is the image of him greeting the massive crowd of supporters who were cheering him for the landslide victory in 2019 general elections.

PM Modi is one of the most popular leaders on social media, with more than 47 million followers on Twitter.

The BJPs supreme commander, Narendra Damodardas Modi, began his second stint as Prime Minister in a grand ceremony held at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.

The first meeting of the new Cabinet will take place at South Block at 5 pm on Friday.

Nearly 8,000 guests, which included the Bimstec leaders, politicians, corporate bosses and Bollywood stars, attended the swearing-in-ceremony, making it one of the biggest events ever held at Raisina Hill.

The grand swearing-in ceremony was attended by several Opposition leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analysis et al. Happy reading.
In his second coming as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has produced surprises in his choice of the senior tier of ministers, and not a few outside of it. None of these induce the suggestion that the choices made will necessarily make for greater efficiency. The chances are that the PMO will be more powerful than ever before.

The second most important inference is that Amit Shah will persist in his role as the second leg of the Modi-Shah diarchy. Only, as Union home minister, he comes now with enhanced powers. Within the BJP-RSS system, he may be deemed as Mr Modis successor whenever that time comes.

Given his previous experience in Gujarat as minister of state for home, he knows how the police system works and also knows only too well how to use the home department to further political ends. Further, no matter who succeeds him as BJP president, Mr Shah will continue to have his say in the ruling partys organisational affairs.

The very detailed consultations  by all accounts many hours long, spread over days  the PM had with him on the choice of the Union council of ministers before Thursdays swearing-in attests to his new stature. Mr Shah is clearly the second man in the Cabinet, ahead of Rajnath Singh, the new defence minister, and Nitin Gadkari, who retains his old job with the added responsibility of small and medium industries, although the latter two leaders were BJP presidents before Mr Shah. Mr Singh was called right after Mr Modi to take the oath by President Ram Nath Kovind, but is still not the real number two evidently.

Nirmala Sitharaman as the new finance minister is a total surprise. She is diligent and has been commerce minister at the minister of state level. But the finance ministry has a 360-degree view of the economy, and in India agriculture has special focus in this regard. The upshot is that the PMO will have greater oversight of this pivotal portfolio than during the tenure of Arun Jaitley.

The induction of former foreign secretary S. Jaishankar as the new minister of external affairs minister causes considerable surprise as he is a rank outsider to politics. Traditionally, the ministers of home, finance, defence and external affairs have been heavyweight politicians as they constitute the CCPA (Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs) or the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security). The present ministers of finance and external affairs cannot be said to be in the category of the politically weighty. But Ms Sitharaman and Dr Jaishankar may be expected to proffer heavy duty backroom work and expertise, with innovation left to the PM himself.

There are other surprises too, such as the dropping of Sushma Swaraj (though she didnt contest the Lok Sabha polls), Maneka Gandhi, Rajyavardhan Rathore, and the fobbing off of crucial ally JD(U) with one position in the Cabinet, which the latter disdainfully rejected. This might lead to some political turbulence.
They would be there

You thought, always in your care.

They grew and drifted away

Even, or as rapidly, as our hairs grew grey

And they in turn, I suppose, will find

That memories are all we leave behind

From Confessions of Kanwal Singh by Bachchoo

British politics in May-June 2019 has deteriorated into situation comedy and farce. In a 2016 referendum, Britain voted by 51.89 per cent against 48.11 per cent in favour of leaving the European Union. David Cameron, who called the referendum and campaigned to remain, lost and resigned.

His home secretary, Theresa May, who also campaigned and voted to remain, didnt. Instead she stood for the prime ministership, was elected and took charge of a government which she emphatically and enthusiastically said would take Britain out of the European Union. She insisted she was, above all, a democrat.

What, gentle reader, would be the vague Indian parallel? India holding elections, the BJP winning and Amit Shah declaring that he was now defecting to the Congress? Perhaps not.

Philip Hammond, another Cabinet member who voted remain, was appointed by Theresa May to be the chancellor of the exchequer. He was a remainer who has issued dire warnings about the state of Britains economy outside the European Union  now in charge of managing the disaster he predicts.

Theresa May negotiates the terms on which Britain can leave the EU. This Withdrawal Agreement is put to Parliament and defeated by huge margins three times. Most of the dissenters who defeat this bill are from the PMs own party. After the third resounding defeat she proposes negotiations with the Opposition Labour Party, asking them what they would like incorporated or changed in the Withdrawal Bill and using Opposition votes to oppose her own party and pass it.

What would the Indian parallels be? Is it as though Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a Uniform Civil Code and was defeated by RSS-leaning members of his own party who may have wanted the bill applied to all communities except Hindus? And then the government goes to Rahul Gandhi to form a coalition with the Congress?

How would Mohan Bhagwat react? And would Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and P. Chidambaram threaten to break up the Congress Party if talks went ahead with the BJP? (Yes, political-analyst-smarta***-reader, I know: this is probably an absurd parallel  but I bet you get my drift!)

In every circus there comes a point when they send in the clowns. In the circus of UK politics that point has arrived. Theresa May, defeated repeatedly in Parliament and having gained in some quarters the distinctive title of the worst Prime Minister in British history, has announced that she will resign on the 7th of June. On the 3rd to the 5th, she will host Donald Trumps controversial state visit to Britain. (Lame-ducks and crooked flamingoes anyone?)

Her resignation has resulted in a flood of aspirants for her job, the winner to become PM without a general election.

To date 11 MPs have staked their claim to the leadership and will compete in a contest within the parliamentary Tory Party which will then choose two of the 11 as the finalists. These finalists will then be subject to a ballot by the 150,000 members of the Tory Party in the country. Britain has 64 million people but these members  0.2343 per cent of the population  will choose the person who will move into No 10 Downing Street and attempt to steer the country out of the EU  a break which will be one of the most significant moves in Britains recent history. If this person succeeds in crashing out of Europe with no deal, Scotland will have a referendum to leave the UK and declare independence.

Is it like goodbye Khalistan, long live Chinese Arunachal and independent Tamil Nadu? (Yes okay, smarta***-analystji  but Im sure you get my point!).

One of the contenders for the crown and a clear frontrunner in polls of the Tory membership is one Boris Johnson. During the referendum campaign and for years after he insistently told the British public that leaving the EU as he advocated would bring back 350 million per week which he would invest in the National Health Service. The statistic has been carefully examined and found to be an utter falsehood. Now, in the thick of the campaign to become Prime Minister, Mr Johnson is being taken to court for repeatedly deceiving the public during a democratic exercise. The precise offence in law is not clear and Mr Johnson will no doubt use that as a defence. But the lawyers who are suing him in this civil case contend that the punishment for the crime of such deception is life imprisonment. So, if things go their way, Mr Johnson will move, not to 10 Downing Street but the comfort of a cell in one of Her Majestys penal hotels.

Since the referendum, the leadership of the Labour Party which advocates leaving the European Union has been at variance with the majority of Labour MPs and probably the majority of Labour Party members.

On the 23rd of May, Britain went to the polls to elect the British members of the European Parliament of which the UK is still a member. The vote was seen as a sort of referendum on leave and remain.

The new Brexit Party with only one policy  leaving the EU  won 29 of the 74 seats. The Labour leadership sat on the fence and the fence being very narrow, they paid the painful price. Millions of traditional Labour voters deserted the party and voted for the Liberal Democrats or the Green Party, both of whom strongly support remaining in the EU.

One prominent Labour figure, Alistair Campbell, former Labour government spokesman, admitted on BBC TV that he had voted for the Liberal Democrats. He was promptly expelled, through an e-mail notification, from the Labour Party.

Now, gentle reader, find the fanciful Indian parallel yourself. I am at a loss
The company argued that such a proposal would undermine security and threaten users' right to privacy.

Encryption technology is the backbone of modern communication and the UK intelligence agency GCHQ reportedly wants to break it on the name of surveillance.

The agency has proposed that law enforcement should be added as a 'ghost' participant in every encrypted messaging conversation. To this, tech giants including Apple, Google, Microsoft, and WhatsApp have expressed their strong opposition, The Verge reports.

In an open letter, the company argued that such a proposal would undermine security and threaten users' right to privacy and their trust in encrypted messaging service.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Warren had called for an impeachment inquiry the day after the April 18 publication of special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report. (Photo:AP)

Washington: Democratic White House hopeful Elizabeth Warren said Thursday that if Donald Trump were not protected by his presidential status, he would be "in handcuffs and indicted" for obstructing the investigation into Russia's 2016 election interference.

The progressive US senator from Massachusetts, one of the leading Democrats for the party's 2020 nomination, was the first presidential candidate to speak out in favor of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump.

"If he were anyone other than president of the United States, he would be in handcuffs and indicted," Warren said on ABC talk show "The View."

Warren had called for an impeachment inquiry the day after the April 18 publication of special counsel Robert Mueller's 448-page report on Moscow's election interference.

Following a nearly two-year probe, Mueller concluded in his report that there was no evidence of outright collusion between Trump and Moscow.

He also said that, having detailed at least 10 possible acts of obstruction by Trump, it was not possible to say the president committed no crime.
Though the victim was rushed to a local hospital after the flames were extinguished, he died today morning, the US Park police said in a statement. (Representational Image)

Washington: A 33-year-old Indian man died Thursday after he set himself on fire on a lawn near the White House on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported quoting police officials.

The man who set himself ablaze was identified as Arnav Gupta, a resident from Bethesda in Maryland and suffered from 85 per cent burn injuries, Daily Mail reported. According to police sources, Gupta was hallucinating at the time after he consumed the drug K2 a form of synthetic marijuanathat had been laced with Phencyclidine (PCP). However, the motives behind the incident remain unclear.

At approximately 12:20 pm a man lit himself on fire on the Ellipse near 15th and Constitution Ave., Secret Service personnel are on scene assisting @NatlParkService and @usparkpolicepio in rendering first aid, according to a tweet by the US Secret Service.

Though the victim was rushed to a local hospital after the flames were extinguished, he died today morning, the US Park police said in a statement.

Police further said that Guptas family had reported him missing since Wednesday morning. Montgomery Country Police said the family was concerned about the victims physical and emotional welfare.

Authorities are trying to identify the accelerant which was used and to determine whether a car belonging to Gupta was parked in the area. The investigation meanwhile, has been taken over by the Washington DC police officials. A video of the incident was recorded which was posted on Twitter.
Prime Minister Modi was on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind. (Photo:AP)

Washington: The US has welcomed the post-election statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on inclusiveness, saying his re-election was a "clear" mandate for his vision of a strong, inclusive and prosperous India that plays a leading role on the global stage.

Prime Minister Modi said last week that his government will now begin "a new journey to build a new India with new energy" and reached out to minorities, saying the ruling alliance must win their trust and work without any discrimination.

"We certainly welcome Prime Minister Modi's post-election statements that have emphasised inclusivity that no one should be left behind, that there should be no distinction between Indian citizens, that the government should rule with the trust of everyone," a senior State Department official told a group of reporters hours after PM Modi was sworn in for the second five-year term in office.

Also See: Modi sarkar 2.0: Key highlights of swearing-in ceremony

Prime Minister Modi was on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind.

The BJP's overwhelming victory was historic, the official said, adding that it was the first back-to-back majority wins since 1971.

"It provided a clear mandate for Prime Minister Modi and for his vision of strong, inclusive and prosperous India that plays a leading role on the global stage," the official, who did not want to be named, told news agency Press Trust of India on Thursday.

The recently-concluded election in India was an extraordinary democratic lesson in which 600 million voters out of 900 million eligible voters - literally one in eight people living on this globe participated, the official said.

In a news dispatch from New Delhi, The Washington Post said that now that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sworn in, the hard part begins: delivering on his promises and meeting the heady expectations for his second term.

"While much of the election campaign focused on questions of national security, voters also are looking to PM Modi to accelerate economic growth and deepen progress on development issues," the daily wrote.

The Wall Street Journal said the ruling BJP is planning gradual changes to the economy after winning back-to-back majorities, focusing on streamlining rather than overhauls which many economists and executives say would put India on a higher growth trajectory.
Trump's announcement came a day after border agents in El Paso, Texas detained the largest single group of migrants ever. (Photo:AP)

Washington: Washington will impose a five percent tariff on all goods from Mexico starting June 10, a measure that will last until "illegal migrants" stop coming through the country into the US, President Donald Trump said Thursday.

"On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5 per cent Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP," Trump tweeted.

"The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied, at which time the Tariffs will be removed," he wrote.

Also Read: Trump supporters begin construction of private US-Mexico border

Trump's announcement came a day after border agents in El Paso, Texas detained the largest single group of migrants ever encountered by Border Patrol Agents -- 1,036 people.

Yesterday, Border Patrol agents apprehended the largest group of illegal aliens ever: 1,036 people who illegally crossed the border in El Paso around 4am. Democrats need to stand by our incredible Border Patrol and finally fix the loopholes at our Border! pic.twitter.com/6K1rIUzorM  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

The group crossed the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in the early morning hours of Wednesday, illustrating the mounting problem that Trump's administration has been unable to get under control.

The number of migrants apprehended has topped 100,000 a month in recent months.

They are mostly people fleeing poverty and violence in Central America to ask for asylum once they arrive on US soil.

"Mexico's passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States," the White House said in a statement.

"Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries. Additionally, Mexico could quickly and easily stop illegal aliens from coming through its southern border with Guatemala."
Known as MRAPs, for Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected, the vehicles are sturdy but present a very visible target. (Representational Image)

Kabul: At least four Afghans were killed and four US troops lightly wounded when a car bomber attacked a US military convoy in Kabul on Friday, officials said.

The blast, which was claimed by the Taliban, occurred around 8:40 am (0410 GMT) when an explosives-laden vehicle drove into the convoy that was travelling in eastern Kabul, according to interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi.

"Unfortunately in the attack, four of our countrymen were martyred and three others wounded - they were passers-by," Rahimi said.

A spokesman for Resolute Support, the US-led NATO mission in Afghanistan, said four US service members had suffered minor injuries.

When US forces move about in Kabul, they typically travel in tall, heavily reinforced tactical vehicles that can provide good protection against bombs.

Known as MRAPs, for Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected, the vehicles are sturdy but present a very visible target.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgent group was behind the attack, which he claimed to have killed "10 officers and soldiers of invading forces".

The Taliban frequently exaggerate claims after attacks.

The blast came one day after an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up outside an Afghan army military academy, killing at least six people.

It also followed a meeting between the Taliban and Afghan opposition figures in Moscow this week that yielded no tangible results.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of the holy month of Ramadan, but the Taliban rejected the offer and violence continues apace across the country.
Shanghai: Shanghai wine importer Alex Chen has spent the last 10 days moving all his American wines  from chardonnays to zinfandels  out of warehouses in the citys free trade zone before they are hit with an extra tariff that kicks in on Saturday.

On both sides of the Pacific, importers and exporters are scrambling as further tariffs of 15 per cent come into effect, on top of the 10 per cent duties imposed last September. The new tariffs will force them to raise prices, take a further hit on margins, or, if they can, find alternatives.

Chen figures he has stock to last three months, after which  barring an easing in the increasingly bitter US-China trade war  he plans to focus on partnerships with wine suppliers from places such as Chile or Australia.

Also Read: Trade War: China accuses US of 'naked economic terrorism'

Chinas added tariffs on American wines would leave no margin for importers like his firm, Alexander Wine Co., he said. This will collapse the market for US wines.

The 10-month-old trade war between the worlds two largest economies escalated early this month, with US President Donald Trump imposing a new round of tariffs, prompting China to respond and forcing companies in the cross-fire into a scramble to raise prices or shift strategy.

Harlan Stone, chief executive of Connecticut-based Metroflor, said he sent e-mails to his distributors to inform them of his plans to raise prices on his China-made vinyl flooring by 13.5 per cent after Trump hiked tariffs on Chinese goods on May 9.

Stone said he and his distributors had shouldered the initial 10 per cent tariff last year. Over the long term, we believe the market can absorb the 10 per cent, but we know the marketplace cant absorb the additional 15, said Stone, who sources the luxury vinyl tile he sells in the United States from factories on Chinas eastern coast.

This will go straight to the consumer and no one knows whether their buying habits will stay the same. There is a risk.

FINDING ALTERNATIVES

The trade war is changing the flow of global goods, with US companies shifting purchases of affected products including furniture, refrigerators and car tires to countries such as Vietnam and South Korea, analysis by S&P Global Market Intelligences trade data firm Panjiva showed last month.

Trump, incensed by a surge of illegal immigrants across the southern border, vowed on Thursday to impose a tariff on all goods coming from Mexico, threatening to further disrupt global trade flows.

Chinese purchases of US products have also suffered. Total US agriculture product shipments to China dropped 44 per cent, or USD 2.1 billion, in the first quarter of 2019 versus the same period in 2018, according to the United States Department of Agriculture data.

Those figures include a 45 per cent drop in US breakfast cereal shipments, and a 34 per cent decline beef imports, and a 20 per cent cut in US pork purchases. Imports of pet food dropped 35 per cent, wine and beer fell 20 per cent, and Chinese purchases of US tree nuts such as almonds dropped 47 per cent.

Some importers in China told Reuters they were opting to source more pork and beef from countries including Argentina or Spain, as selling US products grew less competitive.

Shanghai-based wholesaler Gusto Fine Foods scrapped plans to put Berkshire pork from the United States on the list of produce it offers to high-end restaurants and hotels in China last year after the tariffs hit.

The importer told us right away that due to tariffs, the next time you buy it from me, my cost is going to go up 30-40 per cent, said Dmytro Soroka, Gustos operations manager.

And we were like, forget about that one, there are other pork suppliers out there. Theres Spain, theres South America  The price going up will only make other products that we carry from different origins more interesting to our customers.

Others, such as US wine distributors with a focus on China, said they were finding it tough to be optimistic in the current climate.

Michael Honig, president of Napa Valleys Honig Vineyard & Winery, said prior tariff increases undid 10 years of investment in China. In 2016, his small family winery sold about 1,000 cases in China. That dropped to zero last year.

We had this wonderful trajectory up, now its down in the basement, said Honig, who worries US producers could be locked out of the competitive Chinese market for years. David Amadia, president of Ridge Vineyards, which sells about 2 USD of its 90,000-case production to China, said the suddenness of the latest round of retaliatory tariffs left him no time to send shipments ahead of the deadline.

Instead, he may work with his importer to shift supplies to Hong Kong, where wine is duty free and 2018 US exports totalled USD 130 million. Thats become the fall-back for wineries, Amadia said.
Neither the Defence Secretary, nor the Inspector General of Police nor any other officer had informed the President about a warning letter received from a friendly foreign country. (Photo:AP)

Colombo: Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday evening denied reports that he had prior knowledge of the Easter Sunday bombings, which targeted several high-end hotels and three churches, killing over 250 people across the country on April 21.

Colombo Page cited a statement, issued by the President's Media Division, as saying that the President, on April 8, had convened a monthly meeting with the Inspector General of Police and other senior police officers.

However, in the over two-hour long meeting, none of the police officers informed the President that advance reports on a possible terrorist attack had been received.

Also Read: SL PM Wickremesinghe vows to stop ISIS terrorism rising again

Neither the Defence Secretary, nor the Inspector General of Police nor any other officer had informed the President about a warning letter received from a friendly foreign country about the impending April 21 terrorist attack, the statement said.

The statement came after Defence Secretary, General Shantha Kottegoda, and Chief of State Intelligence Service, Sisira Mendis, gave evidence before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Thursday.

The PSC, which was appointed to inquire into the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, met for the first time yesterday at the parliament complex.

In the meeting, Defence Secretary while explaining the process of the National Security Council and activities of the National Intelligence Units said that the entire State intelligence service was not weakened by the arrests of few intelligence officers as alleged.

Kottegoda also explained that the first intelligence information pertaining to the existence of extremist groups in Sri Lanka was revealed in 2014 and if the action had been taken, the April 21 attack could have been averted.

He said although intelligence information was revealed early on the extremist organisations and relevant parties had been informed, they were not banned. If they had been banned it could have prevented the situation from rising to this magnitude.

When asked whether he is satisfied with the current security situation in the country and whether the state is ready to ensure no such events will happen in the future, the Defence Secretary said that as an immediate solution, the threat has been neutralised 99 per cent but it is not a problem that can be eliminated within a month or two.

"This is just a short-term solution. We need to have long-term solutions. That includes border security and other measures. Not only the Defence Ministry but other ministries, will also have to jointly work together for a long-term solution," Kottegoda was quoted as saying.

He further stressed that current Intelligence Units are not weakened, adding that Intelligence Units can be further developed and strengthened.

In addition, the President today also stated that there were media reports of a statement made by the Head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), while giving evidence at the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to look into the April 21 terrorist attacks.

The media reports stated that the National Security Council did not meet after February 2019.

With media reports unofficially on the proceedings of the NSC, it was decided to establish an NSC with a new format and this has been in operation for more than one year. The new NSC has been meeting every two weeks and, on some occasions, the President has convened the meetings of the NSC every week, the statement added.

The deadly serial attacks were carried out by the local Jihadi group National Thowheed Jammath (NTJ) which is linked to the ISIS (Islamic State).
Vehicular traffic in the heart of the city was disrupted for hours on Thursday as autorickshaw drivers went on a snap strike from Town Hall to Freedom Park against the alleged harassment by the traffic police.

The drivers alleged the traffic police harass them too much and that they are fined up to Rs 5,000 for not renewing the display licence.

The traffic police take photographs of autos parked in the auto stands and upload them to generate fine. Whenever we go for renewal of licence and display board, they ask us to pay the fine to get it renewed. We show the display board but renew only the driving licence. There are a lot of irregularities in the RTO, said T N Srinivasa, general secretary of Autorickshaw Drivers Union.

Shankar, another driver, said: All autorickshaw drivers are poor, and most of us do not have houses. The government had announced Rs 30,000 subsidy for shifting from two-stroke auto-rickshaws to four-stroke and even announced Rs 32 crore in the Budget. But due to the officials negligence, the money was not utilised.

For financial help, we have to contact private financiers who charge

nearly 36% interest per annum. The government has to help us to take loans from banks. There are no facilities and benefits for the auto drivers from the welfare board, Srinivasa said.
A 26-year-old woman flying to Kuwait via Dubai to visit her husband has been accused of submitting fake travel documents.

Durgabahavani Batthina, from Thondangi, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, was to take the Emirates flight EK-565 from the Kempegowda International Airport on May 29.

When she produced her passport and other travel documents for immigration clearance, officials of the Bureau of Immigration (BOI) suspected something amiss in her visa and found discrepancies in her husband's details. Questioned about her family credentials, she said her husband, Vijaya Kumar Batthina, works in Kuwait and produced a copy of his passport, civil ID card and resident permit.

But when BOI officials cross-checked Vijay's passport number, they found that it belonged to one Kurrapothula Chandrashekar, who had travelled from Chennai to Kuwait last December. Durgabahavani pleaded innocence but admitted that she had procured the travel documents from Rajkumar, a travel agent from Kothapeta, East Godavari.

Following a complaint from the BOI, police have booked Durgabahavani and Rajkumar for cheating and forgery.
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has pledged the Islamic republic is "too great to be intimidated by anyone" in a late night meeting with clerics.

"God willing we will pass this difficult period with glory and our heads held high, and defeat the enemy," Rouhani said late Monday as he met Sunni clerics to mark the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, the official government website dolat.ir said.

He was speaking after four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, were reportedly attacked off the UAE coast on Sunday, in a sign of mounting regional tensions.

Iran has called for an investigation into what it called an "alarming" incident.

Iran and the United States have engaged in a war of words in recent weeks since Tehran began to roll back commitments set out in a landmark 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

US President Donald Trump withdraw the United States from the deal last year and has unilaterally reimposed stringent sanctions on Iran.

Last month, Washington designated Iran's revolutionary guards as a "foreign terrorist organisation", the first time that part of a foreign government has been branded as such.

The dispatch of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group plus an amphibious assault ship, a Patriot missile battery and B-52 bombers by the US to the region has triggered fears of possible military clashes.
Papua New Guinea dispatched assessment teams to get a full picture of the damage caused by a violent 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck an island chain off the north coast overnight.

An AFP reporter and residents of New Britain said electricity was still out and radio stations were off air even after 12 hours of the quake, but there appears to be no major structural damage or loss of life.

"We didn't really have that much damage thank goodness, just ornaments falling down and that kind of thing," said Ellen Morgan, a manager at Kokopo Beach Bungalows.

Officials at the nearby port of Rabaul said there was no major damage to the facility, which is operating as normal.

Papua New Guinea's poor communications infrastructure, lack of roads and difficult terrain mean that sometimes it can be days before the full impact of a natural disaster is known.

A spokesman for the National Disaster Centre in Port Moresby told AFP they had dispatched a team to uncover the full extent of the damage.

"Assessment teams have been deployed to the area but we have not heard from them yet, so we have nothing to report."

The United Nations estimated that around 120,000 people live within 50 kilometres of the epicentre.

The terrifying quake late Tuesday sent residents running from their homes for safety and sparked fears of a tsunami.

It occurred around 11 pm (1300 GMT), some 44 kilometres (27 miles) northeast of Kokopo on New Britain island, the US Geological Survey said.

"It was massive, absolutely massive. Very scary," Megan Martin, the managing director of the Rapopo Plantation Resort in Kokopo, told AFP.

Some locals reported seeing the tide recede by metres after the earthquake, but fears of a devastating tsunami do not appear to have materialised.

Kokopo is no stranger to natural disasters. It sits in the shadow of nearby Rabaul, which was devastated by twin volcanic eruptions in 1994.

Earlier this year, weeks of heavy rains killed at least nine people, with many more families left homeless without access to safe drinking water.

Papua New Guinea is well within the Pacific "Ring of Fire" a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

Just weeks ago a 7.2-earthquake knocked items off shelves in Port Moresby -- far from the epicentre -- and was felt as far away as Australia.

A 7.5-magnitude quake hit the rugged highlands region in February 2018 that triggered landslides, burying homes and killing at least 125 people.

The risk from quake-triggered tsunamis is also a real danger in PNG.

In July 1998, an offshore tremor generated a massive oceanic surge that swamped the country's northern coast, killing more than 2,000 people.

Along the South Solomon trench, an area of the Pacific that includes Papua New Guinea, there have been more than a dozen quakes of magnitude 7.5 or more recorded since 1900, according to USGS data.
CHESTER  Delaware County Council and the county Redevelopment Authority launched an initiative for Qualified Opportunity Zone investment in the county with a stakeholder education meeting Thursday morning. More than 50 persons representing government, business, labor and non-profit interests visited Talen Energy Stadium for a three-hour program outlining the federal tax incentive.

This facility (Talen Energy Stadium) would not have been built without economic development programs this is another of those opportunities, said county council Chairman John McBlain in his opening remarks. I pledge to you that the County of Delaware is open for business.

The opportunity zones were created as part of the Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to provide incentive for private investment in targeted census tracts. The incentive allows taxpayers with capital gains to invest them in equity funds for business development in the zones with deferred, or potentially complete forgiveness of, federal taxes on gains from the investment.

According to data presented by event speaker Tim Wachter, of the Erie, Pa.-based Knox Law Public Strategies, unemployment rates are 1.6 times higher in opportunity zone census tracts than the average U.S. census tract, with median family incomes 37 percent lower than their respective areas or states median. Average poverty rates are more than 32 percent, compared to an about 17 percent for the average tract.

Opportunity zone designation fell to each states governor, with the Wolf administration designating six census tracts in the county. Four in the southern section cover Chester for the length of the city bounded by the Delaware River to West Sixth Street; the Central Business District and central city from Madison to Kerlin streets and Sixth Street to Interstate 95; and the boroughs of Trainer and Marcus Hook. In the eastern section of the county, two zones cover the Baltimore Avenue corridor of Clifton Heights and Lansdowne.

I think its a valuable tool that could very well be the catalyst for finally getting this development done, because you can bring  investors in that are going to save money, said Pat Killian, director of the Delaware County Commerce Center, following the forum.

Speakers for the event included Wachter and representatives of the Ridge Policy Group, a Washington, D.C.- and Harrisburg-based government relations firm founded by former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. Knox Law Public Strategies and the Ridge Policy Group have been contracted by the county Commerce Center for consulting and lobbying services, respectively.

At the end of last year it became obvious to us that we needed some assistance, said Killian. Following a request for proposal in February, six-month contracts were awarded in April to both firms, according to Killian.

The decision came as President Donald Trump issued an executive order in December 2018 creating the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, comprised of the heads of roughly 15 federal departments and agencies and chaired by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, to identity and streamline federal resources applicable to opportunity zones.

(Council agencies) are all considering roughly 150 actions to better target streamline and coordinate these federal programs in opportunity zones, HUD Regional Administrator Joseph J. DeFelice, of the Philadelphia office, told the audience as he referenced an April order from Trump creating a council action plan. Currently federal agencies direct and target their programs according to many different priorities and requirements. This lack of coordination and targeting leads to cumbersome applications, gaps in knowledge, waste and widely disbursed and ineffective benefits, he said, quoting the April order.

The Thursday forum began the process of educating stakeholders in the opportunity zone tax policy, federal council member agencies and overlapping state benefits.

One of the challenges that municipalities and counties face in doing this is (the tax incentive) is not a program, said Wachter. We dont often have site control; were not serving as developers; were only facilitators, he said, noting the importance of stakeholder education to ensure that those with site control and developers and business owners are engaged and want to be aggressive about (investment).

Wachter said the next steps will be to gage feedback from Thursdays program and develop a plan specific to Delaware County. Well see what percolates up to the top, he said. Then we can craft a program or a policy initiative around that to support it and help facilitate the investments.
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP  Korean and Vietnam war veterans received special recognition by U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., during a medals ceremony at Ridley Township Public Library.

More than 20 local war heroes were honored with special decorations for their service to the country, going back to the Korean conflict in 1950.

Ridley Park resident Stanley Thoams Hencinski received the Good Conduct Medal, the United States Army Occupation Medal (Germany) and the National Defense Meda, for his honorable and faithful service to the country. Hencinski was accompanied by his son, Robert, and granddaughter Leilani, as he was personally awarded his medals by Toomey.

Robert Sauder and Charles Datte were honored with the Korean Ambassador for Peace medal. Datte died in 2009 and his medal was collected by his daughter, Ann, at the ceremony.

Special Vietnam veteran lapel pins were also bestowed on about 20 veterans who served at least one day of active duty in the Vietnam conflict between Nov. 1, 1955 and May 15, 1975.

The care of veterans is a cause Toomey said he is fighting for, especially their medical care.

Providing recognition, he added, is another area that he is mindful of.

He noted that the Korean War is sometimes called the forgotten war, but in evaluating the prosperity of South Korea today as a democratic society (and ally to the U.S.), Toomey said the veterans helped secure their freedom to allow it to be free.

Vietnam, on the other hand, was a contentious social issue, leaving more than 50,000 American soldiers dead.

The men and women who served in Vietnam were serving this country and defending our freedom just as men and women did in the other wars that we have been involved in, said Toomey.

To rectify this, Toomey introduced with then-Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017, a bill signed into law by President Donald Trump to declare March 29 National Vietnam War Veterans Day. It is a day that the American flag should especially be displayed, according to the bill summary.

As of Thursday, Toomeys office has honored more than 6,000 Vietnam-era veterans with the lapel pins and presented 900 Korean Ambassador of Peace medals.

Datte said the recognition given to her father makes her cry.

Its heartwarming theyre recognizing all of these people, she said, holding up themedal awarded to her father for serving in the U.S. Army, 106th Infantry. Compared to how Vietnam vets were originally treated when they returned to the homeland, Thursdays ceremony was changing the ways of giving people gratitude, she said.
News

featured

Crews to close lanes on Scripture, Bonnie Brae for roundabout construction

Jeff Woo/DRC Dentons city engineer decided that construction of a roundabout at Scripture and Bonnie Brae needed to be done before the rest of the Bonnie Brae widening project gets underway to better handle the traffic detours that are to come. Officials explained the project to the neighborhood Thursday night, now that the construction contract has been awarded. The roundabout is supposed to be finished by the start of school in the fall.

Denton has been pushing through so many road construction projects recently that city officials liken the experience to ripping off a bandage.

But one of biggest tugs is yet to come.

Beginning Monday, June 10, crews will close the intersection at Bonnie Brae and Scripture streets. From University Drive to Interstate 35E, Bonnie Brae will open to local traffic only.

The closure will last 12 weeks to the end of August. And, when the work is done, the city will have its first true roundabout intersection, at Scripture and Bonnie Brae.

The citys traffic engineer, Pritam Deshmukh, said the closure will help crews work quickly and safely to finish the job.

We want to get done and be out of this area, Deshmukh told about two dozen residents at a neighborhood meeting Thursday night.

The $3.4 million project is expected to reduce the crashes and injuries within this heavy juncture at the foot of McKenna Park and Rayzor Ranch Town Center.

But some residents remained skeptical. Denton has some traffic circles, but none engineered to both slow motorists and keep large volumes of traffic moving. True roundabouts are also designed to provide safer crossings for pedestrians and cyclists with their own islands and dedicated zones.

Deshmukh said the intersection could be equipped with extra crossing lights, but because motorists must slow to 15 mph at the roundabout, they will be able to more readily see and stop for bicyclists and pedestrians.

The official detour for the construction project sends motorists down University Drive to I-35E, but some residents are concerned it wont be used by locals. Denton drivers like the quick jog from north to south on Bonnie Brae Street, and they might pick their own route through the neighborhood, residents said.

Many motorists detoured to Stanley, Thomas and Ector streets during recent closures for utility work along Bonnie Brae Street.

Residents at the meeting are also concerned about several smaller street construction projects planned in the area, including the rebuilding of Thomas and Scripture streets.

The citys streets department isnt supposed to start those projects until the work on the roundabout is nearly done, Deshmukh said.

In addition, Deshmukh said engineers would monitor traffic and adding calming devices if neighbors report that motorists are still cutting through the neighborhood after a week or two.

Although the city plans to close Old Bonnie Brae Street as part of McKenna Park improvements, the engineers will keep the old bypass open during construction so that neighborhood traffic westbound on Scripture can turn right, get past the construction zone, and proceed onto northbound Bonnie Brae.

The closure likely means re-routes for DCTA buses, too. Both Route 7 and UNTs Discovery Park buses travel Bonnie Brae Street. The closed area includes stops at Panhandle, Emery and Charlotte streets.

DCTA spokeswoman Adrienne Hamilton said the agency is aware the road work is coming, but officials are still gathering information before announcing any possible service changes.

We ask that all DCTA riders are sign up for our Rider Alerts and visit RideDCTA.net to stay up-to-date on any agency service updates, Hamilton said.

City Engineer Todd Estes told City Council members several weeks ago that the roundabout is part of the long-range, phased plan to widen Bonnie Brae Street from end to end. The engineering staff recommended that the roundabout be completed before any other work is done between University Drive and I-35E in order to ease traffic congestion during the widening.

The city will hold one more public meeting about the project before work begins, from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 6, at the Denton Civic Center, 321 E. McKinney St.

Motorists can practice driving a test roundabout between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the citys Service Center, 901 Texas St.

More information can also be found at ImprovingDenton.com.
2019 Premio Puerto Vallarta Recipients Announced

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - Every year on May 31st, as part of the city's anniversary celebrations, the Premio Vallarta awards are given to those citizens who have acted for the benefit of the community in one way or another.

At a recent plenary session of the city council, the list of 2019 Premio Vallarta winners was approved, and the awards will be delivered on Friday, May 31, during the solemn session on the occasion of the 101st anniversary of Puerto Vallarta as a municipality and its 51 years as a city.

The Premio Vallarta is the highest award granted by the municipality to the inhabitants of this port. Awarded to Vallartenses by birth or adoption who have resided in the city for at least five years, the prize recognizes eminent merit or distinguished and exemplary behavior relevant to deeds or services performed for the town and its inhabitants, as well as heroic acts. This year's recipients include:





This year's "Ignacio Luis Vallarta Ogazon" prize, which is awarded in recognition of exemplary conduct or trajectory for the benefit of the municipality or its inhabitants, will be given to the Amapas Neighborhood Association for its constant support and contributions to the city.

The former rector general of the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) and former rector of the Centro Universitario de la Costa, Marco Antonio Cortes Guardado, will be awarded the "Teresa Barba Palomera" prize, for his great cultural contribution to the municipality.

Renowned Puerto Vallarta painter, Javier Nino Rodriguez, will be awarded the 2019 "Manuel Lepe Macedo" medal, awarded to those who have excelled in the field of the arts.

Finally, the "Francisca Rodriguez Rodriguez" award, which is granted to distinguished members of the teaching profession, the leaders and/or benefactors of public education, will be delivered to Centro Universitario de la Costa Professor, Claudio Rafael Vazquez Martinez, who was also proposed for the "Manuel Lepe Macedo" award.

The 2019 "Jesus Palacios Robles", "Francisco Medina Ascencio", "Guadalupe Sanchez Torres", "Alfonso Diaz Santos" and "Agustin Flores Contreras" Premio Vallarta awards were declared deserted, as no potential candidates were submitted for consideration.

The Premio Vallarta has been awarded to the public annually since 1998. The areas that are recognized are: culture, sports, education, politics, lawyers and prominent cultivators of social sciences, economic development and institutional loyalty.

Awards, recognition and incentives are granted to individuals or legal entities for outstanding activities and performance of their assigned duties and any exceptional act that benefits the municipality or its inhabitants.
SALT LAKE CITY  What is touted as the world's largest clean energy storage project destined to deliver 1,000 megawatts of energy is bound for Utah's Millard County and will change the U.S. energy grid in the West.

The Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems and Magnum Development initiative was officially unveiled Thursday by Gov. Gary Herbert at the Energy Summit in an event headlined by U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.

"The Utah Advanced Clean Energy Storage Project will generate enough power to meet the needs of 150,000 households. Thats the equivalent of about 21 percent of the total households in Utah," Herbert said.

"This investment shows that Utah is not only blessed with unique energy resources, but also benefits from wise policy and an ability to forge unprecedented partnerships that help drive innovation," he said.

In a media briefing later in the morning, Mitsubishi Vice President Thomas Cornell said the initiative is massive.

"This is an epic project for us," he said, adding it will fuse unique technology that creates renewable hydrogen and compressed air in a "condominium test bed" that will occupy 50 acres adjacent to existing salt caverns operated by Magnum.

The Governor's Office of Energy is high on technology, confident there is a hungry market for the power generation in places like California.

The energy storage technologies include:

 Renewable hydrogen.

 Compressed air energy storage.

 Large-scale flow batteries.

 Solid oxide fuel cells.

Herbert also announced the first deployment in North America of innovative software at the Enel plant at Cove Fort, Millard County, where electric pumps 1,700 feet underground extract geothermal fluid. The software monitors the pumps, using technology that detects anomalies and predicts maintenance recommendations, ensuring zero energy losses.

That type of technology, via NarrativeWave software, feeds into a goal Perry mentioned at the summit to bolster geothermal resources 26-fold by 2050.

The annual energy summit convened by Herbert is a conference and trade show that is the largest event of its kind in the Intermountain West, drawing more than 1,100 attendees and 70 speakers from around the globe.

On Thursday morning, it also drew protesters who gathered outside the Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City.

During a panel discussion featuring Herbert, Perry, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and Dominion President and CEO Thomas Farrell II, the protesters got onstage holding banners and began singing.

Police allowed them to protest for a few minutes before they were escorted out, and afterward, the panelists engaged in a discussion prompted by the interruption.

Herbert said he appreciated their "youthful enthusiasm" and stressed a clean energy future can't happen overnight.

Perry said "to keep it in the ground" isn't very fair to developing countries.

"What does it mean to a young woman in Africa who does not even have a light bulb to read? How do we help the rest of the world clean up its environment?"

But one of the organizers, Brooke Larsen, said she thought their message was well-received, both inside the summit and out on the street where they gathered with signs and held a press conference.

The session continues into the afternoon, where more details about Utah's space in the energy world were expected to unfold.
SANDY  While contaminated water made 239 people sick in February, Sandy took too long figuring out who was impacted by the fluoride overfeed and too long to inform them, according to a new report.

"A notice not to drink the water until residents had completely flushed their home systems delivered to a larger notification area at an earlier time would have alleviated many of the harmful impacts. The stated rationale that city employees wanted to avoid a 'panic' was not warranted," the state-mandated report says.

The findings of law firm Parsons, Behle and Latimer, which were released by the city Thursday, also say that despite the disorganization and miscommunication, the city didn't actually hide information from the public.

Additionally, the man most visibly caught in the fallout from the incident, Sandy public utilities director Tom Ward, was reinstated Thursday following more than three months of paid leave after the outside investigation found that the city's response to the fluoride overfeed "was within industry standards."

The report highlights confusion and miscommunication in discussions among city officials that led to many affected residents not being notified until two days after the city learned a large area was contaminated.

On Feb. 7, two days after the contamination occurred and after some residents first reported bad-tasting water, a Sandy employee discovered a pump at a non-operating well had been switched on during a heavy snow storm, sending undiluted fluoride into the water. That employee immediately texted another worker, "I just came to check it. It was the only thing that made sence (sic)" and "We overdosed them," the report states.

On Feb. 13, eight days after the contamination happened, Ward learned that the area affected was much larger than originally believed. According to the report, Ward then wanted to send out a press release but "because of concerns about creating additional news stories or causing panic outside the affected area, a decision was made not to do a press release," the report states.

"Wards understanding was the matter was decided by Deputy Mayor (Evelyn) Everton. But, Deputy Mayor Everton reported that she only indicated she did not see the need for a press release if those affected were being notified," according to the report.

Everton told the Deseret News Thursday the delay in the press release was a result of a "miscommunication" between her and Ward.

"In hindsight, I wish that we would've taken the time to discuss releasing the press release. And I think my big takeaway from this event is something that I will improve in the future, is that we'll make sure to take advantage of the media to get that information out earlier," Everton said.

She added that public utilities workers "were really just more focused on flushing the system to remove more of the fluoride. That was their No. 1 goal, to restore clean drinking water," she added.

The Feb. 5 incident, which sent undiluted hydrofluorosilicic acid into part of the city's drinking water system, affected 1,500 households, schools and businesses, and sickened 239 people, according to a report by the law firm in April. The concentrate in its undiluted form is classified as a hazardous, poisonous material that, while it contains fluoride, also contains arsenic, lead, copper, manganese, iron and aluminum. It is a byproduct from phosphate mining operations.

The latest report notes that Sandy officials began warning just 24 homes intitially, then 90 homes, and confusion over how many homes were impacted ensued when the size of the affected zone "tripled."

"Because no record was kept of the households notified during the initial notification on Feb. 7, an exact number was not known and there was confusion about how many homes were visited, with estimates from one dozen, to two dozen, and up to around 60," according to the report.

After discovering the problem, public utilities workers flushed the water system and went about notifying residents in the area affected. Utilities workers who were interviewed for the report indicated they were focused on flushing the system as quickly as possible. Workers also went door to door, talked to residents and posted flyers at homes in the affected area. But some residents weren't home, and many didn't answer their phones, the report states.

After the city learned a much larger area was affected, it waited two days to hold a press conference and distribute a news release, and did so "at the behest of the state," the report states.

"Had Sandy made a media announcement after the initial high level of fluoride was discovered, it could have avoided some of the issues discovered in the wake of the event," the report concluded.

"In addition to the citys technical non-compliance with regulatory requirements, the totality of the circumstances revealed by this investigation suggest that the city may have either underestimated or downplayed this event," according to the report.

After the incident, Sandy was hit with three drinking water violations by the Utah Division of Drinking Water on March 4.

Attorneys in the report recommended that the city:

 Involve news media early on in an event of that kind

 Establish a "comprehensive public notification system"

 Create a public notice template that's pre-approved with the Division of Drinking Water

 Centralize reporting of water complaints

 Update its public utilities emergency response plan

As for the newly reinstated public utilities director, the report says he "generally conveyed thoughtfulness" during the debacle and has "accepted responsibility" for his department's response.

"We are glad to have Tom Ward back directing the Public Utilities Department," Mayor Kurt Bradburn said in a statement Thursday. "It is easy to look back at an event with hindsight and want to make different decisions, but I believe Tom made the best choices with the information he had at the time."

Other Sandy employees interviewed by the firm, including the mayor and deputy mayor, also "conveyed a sense of commitment to serving Sandy residents and concern that they were making correct decisions and taking appropriate actions to best serve those residents," the report concludes.
Publishing terrorist content on social media platforms isnt only dangerous for its ability to radicalize and promote violence; it also increases a sense of division and mistrust within society.

Now, companies and governments are working together to create safer online spaces, and they should follow through on the pledges recently made in the Christchurch Call pact in France earlier this month. At stake is the capacity to limit the radicalization of terrorists, create a safer worship environment for people of faith and enhance trust across religious differences.

Recent attacks on Mother Emmanuel AME Church in South Carolina, the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Shrine of St. Anthony in Sri Lanka, and on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, have elevated the visibility of violence against religious groups and highlighted ongoing needs for safety.

Targeting of houses of worship is an age-old phenomenon, says Robert Pape, professor of political science at the University of Chicago specializing in international security affairs. But as Deseret News reporter Gillian Friedman writes, something is different about recent acts of violence.

Whats different is the rise of social media, whose role in these events is dangerous for several reasons. It creates incentives for more violence by offering infamy to perpetrators, and it sows distrust within societies. Most obviously, however, it allows radical ideas to float around in like-minded communities often shrouded in anonymity. This phenomenon is at play both in the recruitment tactics of ISIS and in the promotion of violence within fringe conspiracy groups where hatred trumps rational engagement.

The attack in Christchurch, which left 51 people dead, is one of the most extreme examples of this. The shooter livestreamed the violence, broadcasting the footage around the world before Facebook could take it down. The video lived on, popping up again and again from other Facebook and YouTube users despite the two companies working overtime to stop the video from reproducing. The shooter reportedly had been radicalized by reading far-right content online and digitally published his own manifesto with similar rhetoric before opening fire in two mosques.

The response from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was quick and decisive. She called upon the news media to avoid reporting the shooters name and orchestrated a swift move toward stricter gun control in New Zealand.

But beyond her borders, she is creating a framework for better collaboration between governments and company leaders. In Paris this month, Ardern convened world leaders and social media representatives to address the need for content moderation and new practices for covering terrorist events. While the pact is nonbinding, it signals a step in the right direction for new rules  both public and private  that can address this issue.

In addition to reducing the likelihood of another attack, the commitments in the pact could reduce the negative effects that often come after violent tragedies. By focusing on victims instead of perpetrators and by judiciously moderating content, new practices could increase empathy instead of sowing fear and mistrust between religious and secular communities.
SALT LAKE CITY  Signers inked a historic agreement Thursday at the Governor's Energy Summit, potentially opening up natural gas markets for Western states and the Ute Indian Tribe by looping in the Wyoming Pipeline Authority.

The potential to get cleaner liquefied natural gas to overseas markets could be a financial boon to struggling rural counties in the West and the Ute tribal nation, which have generally been left behind in today's thriving economy.

The Western States and Tribal Nations Agreement, expanded to include the authority, was marked by a ceremonial signing at the Grand America Hotel. It includes signatures from tribal leaders and representatives from the Colorado counties of Garfield, Mesa, Moffat and Rio Blanco.

"We're very pleased that stakeholders across the region see the importance of accessing our domestic resources to not only benefit families and businesses here at home but also abroad. The natural gas across the West will be tantamount to achieving both our economic and environmental goals," said Andrew Browning, chief operating officer of the Consumer Energy Alliance, a partner in the effort.

Laura Nelson, Gov. Gary Herbert's energy adviser and executive director of the Governor's Office of Energy Development, said the addition of the Wyoming Pipeline Authority is a critical development to the partnership.

"Their collaboration effectively expands the partnership across Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and tribal nations to promote the development of, and access to, our unparalleled Western energy resources and to growing economies overseas, all while providing for environmental outcomes. Were proud to see, here in Utah, yet another opportunity to achieve win-win results by advancing strategic partnerships.

The Western States and Tribal Network was formed following the release of a report in April that detailed the abundant natural gas resources in the Piceance and Uinta basins in Colorado and Utah.

Participants aim to update the report with more information on infrastructure capacity with an eye at serving international liquified natural gas markets.

Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, one of the panelists at Thursday's summit, said the agreement is another step for securing an export market.

"Wyoming has abundant natural gas, and we have worked long and hard to maximize the value of that resource for Wyoming residents. This coalition allows us to partner on additional efforts to develop gas responsibly and ensure it is used to meet the energy needs of America and the world."

Shaun Chapoose, of the Ute Tribe Business Council, said the addition of the pipeline authority promotes tribal self-determination and economic development.

The Thursday agreement builds on other export agreements the region is pursuing. Last August, Utah signed a cooperative energy agreement with Mexico's state of Baja California.

That memorandum of understanding explores transport options for a port terminal at the Port of Ensenada, which could send coal and liquified natural gas to foreign markets.

The Ensenada port, according to the energy office, is one of the most commercially dynamic exchange locations in the world, with connections to 64 ports in 28 countries. In the coming years, the port is slated to expand to El Sauzal, 5 miles north, creating potential for greater export opportunities for Utahs commodities.

The agreement cemented a joint effort between Colorado and Utah, which are part of the Western States Regional Natural Gas Initiative.

At Thursday's energy summit, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said exporting liquid natural gas and cleaner Utah coal into Asian and Indian markets would be huge for those countries in terms of lowering emissions.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that U.S. liquified natural gas export capacity will more than double by the end of this year, with the country trailing only Australia and Qatar.

For the United States, that is a huge achievement since it only got into the market three years ago when Louisiana shipped its first cargo, according to the administration.

All of the exports  at 3.6 billion cubic feet per day  are concentrated in the Gulf Coast region at present, but the West is looking to break in.
SALT LAKE CITY  If you've been told you're a visual learner  or an auditory or tactile one  you're not alone.

But it's not true, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association in the Journal of Educational Psychology Thursday that shows the vast majority of people believe in the long-debunked notion that individuals inherently learn a certain way.

Belief in so-called "learning styles," presumably set at birth and largely impervious to change, has proven to be a myth that's practically unshakable, although experts say it can hamper actual learning. Studies over the course of many years have failed to find strong proof that people have different learning styles.

But parents and teachers continue to build lessons around them, lead researcher Shaylene Nancekivell, a visiting scholar at the University of Michigan, told the Deseret News.

You can see that dividing people into these buckets can be really really detrimental.  lead researcher Shaylene Nancekivell

The downside to catering to unproven ideas about how an individual learns is that it prevents using evidence-based, best-practice teaching strategies that have been proven effective, she said.

Instead, people may waste time and money to use services, products and methods that target learning styles that are not real, said Nancekivell. And beliefs about learning styles can discourage students and stunt education because of the mistaken notion that people are programmed at birth to learn a certain way, which in turn predicts their future success in both school and the workplace.

"If I think I can't learn with my hands, I might not think I am able to learn a trade as a career," Nancekivell said. "You can see that dividing people into these buckets can be really really detrimental. Even in the short term, if I choose only to study in my 'learning style,' then I am probably not studying using best practices and that's not great for my learning outcomes."

In a press release from the association, Nancekivell noted that learning styles might be an appealing concept because it matches how people think about behavior. "People prefer brain-based accounts of behavior and they like to categorize people into types. Learning styles allow people to do both of those things."

Unpacking fiction

Nancekivell and her colleagues conducted a pair of online experiments with nearly 700 participants to identify levels of belief in learning styles. They found the belief ubiquitous, with more than 9 in 10 people believing the best learning occurs when people are taught in the way that they learn best, whether by sight or sound or touch.

Nancekivell said the research found two groups of believers: "Essentialists," who see learning style as "something you are born with, you can't really change and it predicts your life and career outcomes." The second group also believed in learning styles, but saw more flexibility and overlap, as well as environmental influence, rather than learning styles set at birth in stone.

The research didn't find differences in belief in based on study subjects' age, race, gender, parental status, income or other demographics.

Its also a good excuse for parents to blame teachers and schools for their childrens poor study habits and for schools and teachers to blame makers of learning materials.  Paul A. Kirschner, professor emeritus of educational psychology at the Open University of the Netherlands

"Previous research has shown that the learning styles model can undermine education in many ways," the American Psychological Association noted in a press release announcing the new study.

"Educators spend time and money tailoring lessons to certain learning styles for different students even though all students would benefit from learning through various methods. Students study in ways that match their perceived learning style even though it won't help them succeed. Some teacher certification programs incorporate learning style into their courses, which perpetuates that myth for the next generation of teachers. Academic support centers and a plethora of products are also focused on learning styles, despite the lack of scientific evidence supporting them," the release said.

Downside to styles

The real problem is that (belief in learning styles) robs children of opportunities to learn by branding or pigeonholing them as belonging to a specific group that cannot do certain things," Paul A. Kirschner, professor emeritus of educational psychology at the Open University of the Netherlands, told Newsweek.

Its also a good excuse for parents to blame teachers and schools for their childrens poor study habits and for schools and teachers to blame makers of learning materials, he said.

Kirschner also wrote an article in Computers & Education, Stop propagating the learning styles myth, in 2016.

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers published a study debunking learning styles in 2018, according to Phys.org. Their study found teaching efforts tailored to a subject mattered, rather than emphasis on how students learn.

"Instead, there were specific study strategies, such as practising microscope work and using lecture notes, that were associated with better grade performance, regardless of students' learning style. Other activities, such as using flash cards, were associated with poorer performance, perhaps because they were a sign of learning by rote rather than deeper learning," the article said.

Wired magazine has also tried to bust the myth of unchanging learning styles:

"Convincing evidence for learning styles would show that people of one preferred learning style learned better when taught material in their favored way, whereas a different group with a different preference learned the same material better when taught in their favored fashion. Yet surprisingly few studies of this format have produced supporting evidence for learning styles; far more evidence (such as this study) runs counter to the myth. What often happens is that both groups perform better when taught by one particular style," wrote Christian Jarrett.

"This makes sense because although each of us is unique, usually the most effective way for us to learn is based not on our individual preferences but on the nature of the material were being taught  just try learning French grammar pictorially, or learning geometry purely verbally," he wrote.

Nancekivell's co-authors on the new study, also from the University of Michigan, are Priti Shah and Susan A. Gelman.
SALT LAKE CITY  Newly released data shows Utah is one of 38 states that contributed to a steep nationwide decline in CHIP and Medicaid enrollment in 2018, coming in as the third highest in the nation.

A national study by Georgetown University Health Policy Institute pointed to a correlation between this decline and an increase in the number of uninsured children.

"We know that what has driven the trends in lower uninsured rates (prior) to 2017 is higher participation in Medicaid and CHIP," Edwin Park, co-author of the study, said Thursday in a phone interview.

Park noted, "What we are concerned about is that a substantial reduction in Medicaid and CHIP likely means that many of these kids are going to end up uninsured."

A previous study by the institute marked 2017 as the year the nation experienced its first increase in the rate of uninsured children in close to a decade.

According the study, Utah's rate of uninsured children surpassed the national average and follows a similar trend in terms of Medicaid and CHIP enrollment in 2018.

The new study places Utah's rate of decline for enrollment in the federally funded programs at 7.3 percent.

Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful, who advocated for partial Medicaid expansion during this year's legislative session, said he hopes that the expansion will help bring down the number of uninsured children and families in the state.

Ward noted that a decrease in Medicaid enrollment alone was not necessarily cause for concern.

"If those numbers have gone down because the economy is doing better and people have jobs that put them at a high enough income rate that they dont need Medicaid because theyve got a regular job, that that is awesome," he said.

However, Ward said, "if it goes down because people who otherwise ought to qualify cant get to it because the red tape is too thick for them, that is bad, we dont want that."

The study rules out economic growth as a significant factor influencing declining enrolment in the federal programs.

"These enrollment declines arent closely correlated to economic conditions," said Park, noting that "some of the states with the largest enrollment declines may have had reductions in the unemployment rate and some of them may have had increases in the unemployment rate.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Utah's rate of unemployment was 3.1 percent at the beginning of 2018 and remained steady until the end of the year. In October, November and December it rose to 3.2 percent before dropping back down to 3.1 percent at the beginning of 2019.

Unemployment was one of a number of factors the study used to determine the statistical relevance of economic growth on declining enrolment in Medicaid and CHIP.

The study noted that historically, CHIP and Medicaid growth have slowed rather than declined during periods of economic growth.

According to the study, another factor considered when excluding economic growth as a variable were reports from the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of the Actuary.

The study noted that both offices "consider changes in economic conditions in assumptions used to project Medicaid and CHIP enrollment." However, neither predicted a decline in enrollment for the programs in 2018.

Rather than economic growth, the study points to policies at the state and federal level as factors influencing the rate of enrollment in the federal programs.

It lists cuts in marketing, outreach and grants for consumer assistance; the lapse in CHIP funding that occurred at the end of 2017; as well as the "chilling effect of anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies" as potential impacts.

Ward said he believes immigration policy could impact the rate of uninsured children by leaving people in a state of "limbo."

"One of the things that makes me either sad or upset is that we haven't resolved the issue (of immigration) on a national level," he said, noting that "we've been debating possible solutions, not just for years but decades."

Ward said "I really feel like it's important that we come to some solution nationally so that people could have clarity about their lives."

State specific impacts are not discussed in the study. Nor does it elaborate on potential impacts of Medicaid expansion at the individual state level.

Park noted, however, that the five top states in the study, in terms of declining enrollment rates in the programs, are all states that have not opted into full Medicaid expansion.

A separate report from Georgetown University Health Policy Institute found that states with a Medicaid expansion program that extended to parents with income below 138 percent of the poverty line saw less of an increase in the rate of uninsured children.

Kelly Whitener, an associate professor at Georgetown who provides technical assistance for Voices for Utah Children's Finish Line Project, said the partial Medicaid expansion approved by Utah lawmakers could have a positive impact on future numbers.

"Extending coverage to include more parents than have traditionally been covered in the state could help bring more kids in," she said, noting that "we do see in the research that when parents have coverage children are more likely to have coverage."

However, she said some of the increased enrollment that might be expected due to Medicaid expansion in Utah could have been thwarted by confusion about the partial expansion program.

"You had Prop. 3 and then you had a lot of legislative debate" she said, referring to the voter-approved initiative on Medicaid expansion that was replaced by a partial expansion bill.

"I could see where it would become very confusing for families," she said.

Ward dismissed the notion that debate on the replacement bill could have a negative impact on Utah's enrollment rates for CHIP and Medicaid.

"When I talk with individuals about why they do or don't enroll in Medicaid I cannot even recall a person who made their decision based on the public debate about the issue," he said.

Kolbi Yong, Utah Department of Health spokeswoman, said it is too early to determine if the partial Medicaid expansion had an impact on enrollment numbers for the program that was implemented at the beginning of April.

The five states with the most decline:
The New York State Education Department has put the brakes on a school districts planned trial run of new facial recognition software aimed at improving school safety, after civil liberties advocates raised alarm bells about the programs impact on student privacy.

The Lockport City school district, located near the Canadian border, had been scheduled to go through a planned test of the new system next week. But the state education department wants the district to more carefully evaluate the system to be sure that student data will be protected with the addition of the new technology,

The department is in contact with the district. We have made it clear, the Department has not approved the testing of the system planned for next week and we told the District not to commence the testing of the technology until we receive information that assures us that student information will be properly protected, a state department spokesman said in an email. The Lockport Union-Sun&Journal first reported the news.

If the state hadnt hit the pause button, the Lockport City School District would have become one of the first school systems in the country to try out facial recognition software. The district had planned to use Aegis software, created by a Canadian-based company, to alert district officials if someone on a flagged list of individuals showed up at one of the districts eight schools. The district had planned a test-run of that system next week, and hoped to have it fully in place by next school year.

The software can also detect ten different types of guns, according to the Union-Sun&Journal. If the system spotted one, law enforcement would be alerted.

Who might be flagged under the system? Students who have been suspended, staff suspended or on administrative leave, certain sex offenders, anyone prohibited from entering district property or anyone believed to pose a threat, according to the Union-Sun&Journal .

The district covered the cost of the software using $1.4 million of a $4.2 million state grant.

Lockport City schools did not respond to requests for comment from Education Week.

Software that can pinpoint individual faces on a surveillance video is highly controversial, even though its already been purchased by law-enforcement agencies throughout the country. In fact, it helped officials in Maryland identify the shooter at an Annapolis, Md., newspaper last year.

But facial recognition software has run into big criticisms from civil rights and privacy advocates , who worry about the implications of storing faces in a database, and potential biases in the software itself. In fact, the city of San Francisconear the heart of Silcon Valleyrecently banned the use of the technology .

Facial recognition tech is notoriously inaccurate, said Stefanie Coyle, an education counsel for the New York Civil Liberties Union, the states American Civil Liberties Union affiliate, in an interview with Education Week. In particular, she said it has trouble identifying people of color, women, and children.

And then there are the privacy concerns, particularly for children who cant opt-out of the new system and are required by law to attend schools.

Obviously, a concern with any sort of tech like this is vulnerabilities to hacking or cyber security, she said. If your credit card is hacked, you could ask for new one but you cant get a new face, Coyle said. Were talking about [the things] most sensitive and personal about you, collected and stored in a way that could be vulnerable.

Shes also worried that student facial data could be handed over to immigration officials. There are just so many unanswered questions about this sort of tech, it just seems so unwise to deploy it on kids.

And she has concerns about district officials plans to use the system to support its discipline policies, by flagging kids who are suspended.

The districts superintendent, Michelle Bradley, told the Union Sun&Journal that she understands that the system has detractors. But, she said, its an allowable use of state school safety funding.

I would say for the Lockport City School District, while its controversial, its not prohibited and the most important thing is we believe weve established boundaries in the use of this, Bradley told the paper. We have a policy that intends to protect privacy. We have identified a small group of individuals who will be placed in a database.

Image: Getty Images
City to Recognize Amapas Neighborhood Assoc. May 31

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Every year since 1998, the city's May 31 anniversary celebrations have included an awards ceremony in which individuals and organizations are recognized for outstanding activities and exceptional acts that benefit the municipality or its inhabitants.

Called the 'Premio Vallarta,' the awards are given to seven people in different categories: arts, culture, sports, education, social assistance, tourism and ecology.

On May 31, 2019, the "Ignacio Luis Vallarta Ogazon" Premio Vallarta will be presented to a representative of the Amapas Neighborhood Association (ANA) in public recognition of the non-profit's 10 years of successful work.

After learning that ANA had been selected as a prize winner during a city council meeting led by municipal president Arturo Davalos Pena on May 9, ANA President Sylvia Toy said:

"It will be an honor to be recognized by the City of Vallarta for our many years of support, participation, and contribution to our beloved city. ANA is very proud to be worthy of recognition this year. It is a great tribute to the work and dedication of former ANA President Tom Swale, who passed away suddenly a year ago. His vision of creating a safer and more beautiful Amapas continues to this day as the ANA has reorganized to continue our work."

Here are a few of the milestones for which ANA has earned this special recognition:

2009 - Donation of a Patrol Car to assist with safety and security in the colonia

2010: Creation of the Taxi Safe program, which helps police officers investigate tourist safety issues

2013: Creation of the Plan Parcial for District 9  Refurbishment and renovation of the Civil Defense and Fire Brigade substation in Conchas Chinas

2014: Construction of planters and additional lighting on Calle Pulpito  Completion of lighting along Highway 200 to improve safety

2015: Construction of Calle Hortensias to increase access to the colonia

2016: Installation of the blue trash barrels that contain trash and keep it off the streets

2017: Provision of English classes to 100 Tourist Police over a three-month period  Implementation of the VEA program (WhatsApp) for immediate communication with police on patrol in Amapas  Completion of the first section of the Highway 200 sidewalk

2018: Completion of the Caballito stairway to improve access to the beach

2019: Completion of the entire Highway 200 sidewalk in Colonia Amapas to improve pedestrian safety  Planned construction of stairs along Pilitas street to improve beach and neighborhood access

Everyone here at Banderas News congratulates the Amapas Neighborhood Association for being recognized and thanks them for their beneficial work in our community.
SALT LAKE CITY  There were no proposed fixes to the state's tax structure discussed during the first meeting Thursday of a new legislative task force formed after lawmakers backed away last session from imposing sales taxes on services.

And there won't be until the Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force has held eight town hall meetings throughout the state, starting in Brigham City on June 25 and ending in Utah County on July 30.

"We want public input. This is just not our problem. It's everybody's problem," Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, the task force's Senate co-chairman, told the more than 100 people gathered at the Capitol for the late-afternoon meeting.

Hillyard expressed concern that last session's legislation adding sales taxes to a wide range of services while cutting sales and income tax rates may dominate the town hall meetings.

Unless participants in the town hall meetings bring new ideas to the table, "that's all we'll talk about," he said. "We don't want to get into that. We'll listen to the suggestions, but we're not going to debate."

The House co-chairman, House Majority Leader Francis Gibson, R-Mapleton, said the bill that was scrapped by legislative leaders amid protests from the public shouldn't be the focus going forward.

"There's some consternation that HB441, the taxation of services, is where we're starting," Gibson said. "That is not where we're starting. We'll actually look at all ideas. There will be many ideas that are discussed."

He said after the meeting the task force will not meet to discuss proposed tax changes until after the town hall meetings are completed. But Gibson said there still could be a proposal in time for a special legislative session.

"I don't think we're going to be held to any timeline," he told a reporter, adding that once the task force meetings start up again in August, they will likely continue at least through September, when a final progress report is due.

"If the time frame allows, there might be a special session," Gibson said.

Groups as diverse as the conservative Utah Eagle Forum and the left-leaning Alliance for a Better Utah have called for tax reform to be dealt with in the regular, 45-day legislative session set to start in late January.

During their nearly hour-long meeting, the legislators and tax experts on the task force approved a statement of goals following presentations on the impact of lagging growth in sales tax revenues as consumer spending shifts from goods to services.

Their purpose, the statement said, is to "assure sustainable, adequate and flexible funding to meet the needs of Utah citizens, including education, public safety, social services, transportation, recreation and environmental quality."

Also approved was a schedule for the town hall meetings that includes stops in Salt Lake County on June 27, in Richfield on June 28, in St. George on June 29, in Davis or Weber counties on July 8, in Roosevelt July 9, and in Moab on July 20.

Specific times and locations for the meetings have yet to be determined.

What the task force didn't do Thursday was hear from the public.

"This is a kickoff meeting to discuss the process of the task force," Gibson said in announcing at the start of the meeting there would be no public comment. "This isn't a meeting where any specific policy options will be discussed."

That decision frustrated several groups who'd hoped for a chance to address to the task force, including the Alliance for a Better Utah and the recently formed Utah Legislative Watch.

"This is something thats going to affect everyone in the state," said Lauren Simpson, Alliance for a Better Utah policy director. "So it's critical that the public has an oppportunity to weigh in not just on the policy, but the process itself."

Utah Legislative Watch's Dalame England said she was disappointed there was no public input taken. The group had issued a news release describing "out of control government growth" as the real problem facing the state.

"We can fix in 10 minutes the way we collect taxes," England said, possibly by raising the sales tax rate and dropping income taxes, or by restoring the full sales tax on food while giving the poor an income tax credit.

The new group is also opposed to tackling tax reform in a special session.

"That's something that's pretty noteworthy," Simpson said of the agreement among such political divergent groups that tax reform needs to wait for a general legislative session.

"We might have different policy priorities," Simpson said. "But where were aligned is if were going to do something as far-reaching and all-encompassing as tax reform, we have to take our time."
SALT LAKE CITY  Imagine, the Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto proposed to the congregation before her, a worship service with no LGBTQ participants.

How many organ benches would be empty, Bishop Oliveto wondered aloud. How many choir lofts, youth groups, and pews?

Would this wake up religious communities enough to see that we are offering not only our lives and our prayers, but our talents and service to God, even when we are not allowed to bring our full selves to the pulpit and the pew? Bishop Oliveto, the first and only openly lesbian bishop in the United Methodist Church, asked attendees of the annual Utah Pride Days Interfaith Service.

Would this open the eyes of our fellow believers to see that we, too, are members of the faith community?

The service at Christ United Methodist Church on Thursday evening united members of a wide range of religions, from Buddhists to Presbyterians to Pagans, for a common goal: acknowledging and bridging what Utah Pride Center Executive Director Rob Moolman described as an imaginary gap that exists in public discourse between LGBTQ identity and faith identity. The service featured a sermon from Bishop Oliveto, who presides over 400 Methodist congregations in Utah, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, as well as prayers and musical performances from other local congregations.

The message underlying the event, as stated in the service's Call to Worship: "We are here, and we have always been here."

"Too many religions have deemed us acceptable if we hide who we are, or who we love, or even worse, seek to change our very God-given nature," Bishop Oliveto said, adding, "Religions have wounded too many of our queer kin and made them wonder if they have any place in the family of faith."

For Bishop Oliveto and other Methodists, debate over the relationship between faith and LGBTQ identity has been a source of particular tension in recent months.

Fifty-three percent of Methodist clergy and lay leaders from around the world in February voted to affirm the churchs stance against non-celibate gay clergy and same-sex marriage, rather than adopt a new plan that would let local and regional church bodies determine their own positions on such issues. Its expected that the controversial vote, which strengthened enforcement measures for those who perform same-sex marriages or ordain non-celibate gay clergy, could lead some more liberal Methodist churches to leave the denomination in the coming months and years.

Bishop Oliveto briefly alluded to the vote in her sermon on Thursday, as well as referring more broadly to "this time of regression against the gains we've made in LGBTQ rights." But rather than focus her sermon around more recent events, she shared an anecdote from the United Methodist Church's General Conference in 2012. Shortly after that conference, Bishop Oliveto said, she received a call from a former parishioner who asked her to unbaptize him due to the "homophobic rhetoric" he'd heard there.

The call, Bishop Oliveto told congregants, broke her heart.

"Because to me, as a Christian  no matter what the world says, no matter what the church may decide, we are loved," she said.

Pride activities will continue into the weekend with the Utah Pride Festival at Washington Square Park all day Saturday and Sunday, a Pride March and Rally at the state Capitol on Saturday afternoon, and the Utah Pride Parade downtown on Sunday morning.
I was in Washington, D.C., for meetings and media appearances this week. Going to our nations capital in the summertime is always an adventure. The weather is sweltering and the influx of summer tourists makes traveling and moving in and around the city challenging, even exasperating. Yet, there are always lessons to be learned, wonderful people to meet and a sense of history to recognize and remember. Yes, the swamp still matters and has meaning.

I arrived at my hotel at 2 a.m., just hours before former special prosecutor Robert Mueller delivered his first, and what he hoped would be his last, words on the investigation into Russian election meddling that he has led the past two years. Sadly, I think this is the just the beginning of the dog days  not of summer, but of more Mueller.

The angst and frustration looming over our capital city is palpable. The partisan divide was evident in the instant certainty with which political talking heads and analysts spewed their interpretation of what Mueller did and didnt say, what it means for the president, those running for president in 2020 and members of Congress. Absent in the discussion has been any reference to what it means for the American people or the people of the world.

It is easy to buy into the mood and become mired in the malaise and flustered and frustrated with all that is wrong in Washington. But walking out of the Capitol onto the National Mall changes everything. Very few of the tourists here were focused on, or even aware of, Muellers statement. They were focused on other things  the positive lessons of the swamp.

This week, just as on a similar trip last year, I saw thousands and thousands of people from around the world coming to this awful, hot, humid place, from Taiwan and South Africa, the nations of Europe and South America and from every state in the union. These people clearly werent coming for the weather. They werent coming to see members of Congress. They werent coming for the food. They werent even coming for our historic buildings, which, by comparison with those in Asia or Europe, arent all that old or impressive.

I have often asked myself, Why do millions of people every year come to Washington and walk around in a kind of quiet reverence, speaking in hushed tones with eyes filled with wonder and awe?

The answer, of course, is that the people come because this patch of swamp on the Potomac is a place where the principles of freedom, liberty and opportunity loom large. And people come just for the chance to experience such principles for themselves or to ensure their children or grandchildren know why this place and this nation matter.

People come because this patch of swamp on the Potomac is a place where the principles of freedom, liberty and opportunity loom large.

The swamp always surprises me. I always learn something when I visit  often from unexpected places or people. I attended meetings of the U.S-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, including White House briefings on trade and immigration issues. The focus in these meetings was finding common ground and solutions that would bless the lives of citizens in both countries. I attended a dinner honoring those leaders from Mexico and America who have been good neighbors in promoting peace, prosperity, understanding and cooperation.

The dinner began with a Jewish rabbi offering a thought and a prayer. He quoted Simeon ben Zoma who asked and answered, Who is wise? One who learns from all people. Who is strong? One who conquers his negative inclination. Who is rich? One who is happy with what he has. Who is honorable? One who honors all of mankind. These are clearly messages consistent with the founding of the nation.

Messages from the swamp come in many forms. I would not have guessed I would learn such wisdom from a Jewish rabbi while attending a U.S.-Mexico business meeting. Members of Congress, their staff, media and others who work in our capital would do well to think about such principles and then apply them. Even just deploying the principle of honoring all people rather than maligning or demeaning political foes would do wonders for the country.

Despite all our faults and failings as a nation  in our politics, rhetoric and behavior  the principles infused in Washington still ring out, and ring true, as freedoms last, best hope on earth. The nations capital is, at its best, a place for people of all ages and from every land to experience principles and the hope that burns in every human heart.

The swamp still matters and has meaning, not because of the people who work here, but because of the principles that are enshrined here. And it matters for the millions who flock here from the four corners of the earth just for the opportunity to see and experience it for themselves.
PROVO  A former Scout leader convicted nearly a decade ago of sexually abusing a 13-year-old Boy Scout has been arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography.

Bruce Marvin Quick was arrested on Wednesday on his 56th birthday for investigation of 20 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Provo police served a search warrant on Quick's home on Wednesday. After detectives arrived, they called Quick and requested he return to his house, according to a Utah County Jail report. When he arrived, officers seized his cellphone.

"Upon reviewing the data download of Bruce's cellphone, there were just over 98,000 images recovered from the data download. Upon reviewing a small amount of the 98,000+ total images, I identified 100 images of child pornography. The 100 images were of juvenile males approximately between the ages of 10 and 16 years old," the arresting officer wrote in the report.

In 2000, Quick was convicted of two counts of sex abuse of a child, pleading guilty to one count and no contest to the other, according to court records. Both counts were reduced to second-degree felonies. Quick was sentenced to nine months in jail.

Quick, a Boy Scout leader at that time, was convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old Scout.

Utah County Attorney Kay Bryson argued at the time that Quick "should be treated as a pedophile."

"Most of the child pornography found on the data download of Bruce's cellphone were juvenile males around the same age as the juvenile male Bruce was previously charged with sexually abusing," the new report states. "This is a concern  as Bruce has shown a pattern of acting out and viewing juvenile males around the same age many years apart."

Police have asked that Quick be held without bail or a "substantially" high bail.
SALT LAKE CITY  Utah Sen. Mitt Romneys strategy for handling the Republican Party and President Donald Trump  remains in between a rock and a hard place.

Politico published a profile of Romney Friday morning, which looked inside the Utah senators strategy for working with President Donald Trump.

Romney has made a pledge to be independent from Trump, but also step in line with the president, who has received support from Republican voters.

Romney said hes always caught in the middle when it comes to politics.

People on the left: Youre not hard enough on the president. People on the right: Youre too hard on the president. The lane that Ive chosen has almost no one in it, Romney told Politico. Theres a long history and a family trait of saying what you believe and not worrying about what other people think.

Some interesting tidbits from the profile:

Romney said hes likely to run again even though some politicians feel hes on some sort of a six-year kamikaze mission against Trump.

As he put it: If I get everything done in one term, well, Ill probably not be looking for another term, Romney said. But its very unlikely. So its far more likely that Ill be here more than one term given the agenda that I have."

Romney supports Trumps policy to be tough on China and his hawkish approach to Iran.

Romney supports Trumps traditional Republican policies.

Hes by and large followed the Republican playbook. So Ill be with him. The places where Im not with him from time to time will be matters of conduct or communication that I think are highly divisive or misogynistic or anti-immigrant, Romney says of Trump. In places like that, I think its important for my own personal integrity to stand up and say, No, I disagree with that.

Read more: Inside Romney's Trump strategy (via Politico)

It's not president, but Mitt Romney seems satisfied settling in as a senator (via Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY  The Utah Transit Authority is joining forces with Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah, to push for more federal funding to pay for additional electric-powered buses.

"Buses aren't cheap and electric buses are quite a bit more than a regular diesel bus"  about $1 million each compared to $500,000, UTA Board Chairman Carlton Christensen said.

The transit agency used a $5.4 million federal grant to buy five electric buses for routes in downtown Salt Lake City and now hopes to add to its fleet with more money from Washington, D.C., Christensen said.

That's where McAdams comes in. The freshman congressman has asked the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to double the assistance available for the low- and no-emissions bus grant program in this year's funding bill.

"We want to clean our air, reduce our emissions, improve our air quality here in Utah. This is a great program," McAdams said, that not only encourages new ridership, it also makes for a cleaner-operating transit system.

Christensen and McAdams held a news conference Friday to talk about efforts to expand federal funding for the program.

UTA has taken delivery of three of the five electric buses purchased with the previous grant, Christensen said, noting it takes more than a year to receive the buses once they're ordered.

The new buses are expected to go into service in August, he said, in the Salt Lake City area as part of an agreement UTA entered into with the city to enhance transit service.

"They work well in that kind of an environment and the city was very interested in having them operate within the city," Christensen said, although the transit agency would like more electric buses for other routes.

"We're certainly looking for additional grants that would allow us to continue to add electric buses to our fleets," he said. UTA is currently building a new facility behind its downtown headquarters to better service electric and other alternative fuel buses.

McAdams said the bus grant program "has been put to great use here in Utah. We'd love to see it continue to expand."
Cookie banner

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019.

By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.
SALT LAKE CITY  A man who served prison time for hitting and killing a teen boy faces new weapons and drug-related charges.

And police say the investigation began because a Uintah County resident found a boat abandoned in his yard.

Jeffery Lloyd Bascom, 35, of Jensen, was charged Wednesday in 8th District Court with three counts of possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a second-degree felony; and drug possession, a class A misdemeanor.

On May 11, a homeowner who lives along U.S. 40 called police to report a boat had been left on his property, according to court records.

"During the course of the investigation a backpack belonging to the defendant was located in an aluminum boat that he abandoned on the other person's property. A container of marijuana wax was found in the backpack along with magazine loader containing 60 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition," according to charging documents.

Further investigation revealed two handguns and a rifle, all loaded, the charges state. Bascom is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his previous conviction.

In 2012, Bascom was driving his pickup truck in Vernal and was distracted by his cellphone when he drifted onto the shoulder of the road and hit 15-year-old Thomas "Tommy" Lavelle Clark, who was walking with a friend. Tommy died the next day.

After the accident, Bascom engaged in self-destructive behavior, relapsing after being clean from drugs for a year and later stealing an ATV, driving it as fast as it could go and crashing it. When he was sentenced for Clark's death in 2013, Bascom's jaw was still wired shut from the injuries he sustained.

In a 2015 parole hearing, he told the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole: "I didn't know how to live after (Tommy's death)."

During that hearing, Bascom also said it was still hard to talk about the incident. He said at the time that he was done with drugs.
FARMINGTON  A Layton man is facing criminal charges after police say he caused more than $400,000 in damage to a Davis County hospital by breaking a sprinkler head.

On July 9, 2018, Danny Chavez, 27, "while a patient in the psychiatric ward at Davis Hospital, broke a fire suppressant sprinkler head located in his room," according to charging documents.

"The water caused substantial damage to multiple floors of the hospital. According to hospital personnel, the total damage came to $439,912.72," the charges state.

In March, Chavez was sentenced to up to five years in the Utah State Prison on a conviction of theft by deception. In 2013, he was convicted of attempted drug possession, according to court records. And in 2011 he was convicted of felony burglary.
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS  Hark Lay Wales was one of three enslaved men to enter the Salt Lake Valley with the first Latter-day Saint pioneer company in July 1847. He died about 40 years later and until now, his grave was left unmarked.

A group of people gathered to place a gravestone in his name and honor his legacy at Union Cemetery on Memorial Day.

Remembering Wales this way has been a team effort, said Amy Tanner Thiriot, a historian who helped with the project.

"Hark Lay Wales was separated from his pregnant wife and son when his owners took him to California in 1851," Thiriot wrote in an email to the Deseret News. "Extensive research has suggested that he has no living descendants, so its been meaningful to work with Utah AAHGS, descendants of his owners, and many others to make sure his contributions to the success of the Latter-day Saint settlements in Salt Lake City and San Bernardino are not forgotten.

Utah's African American community, including civic and religious leaders, members of the Utah branch of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), descendants of the Crosby-Lay family and others remembered Wales' life with speeches, music and the unveiling and dedication of his new grave marker.

Speakers included Pastor Marlin Lynch of the Kingdom Huddle; Jeffrey Thomas, Utah's first African American battalion fire chief; Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, Utah's first female African American legislator; David Hollins of Omega Psi Phi, a historic black fraternity; and Sheri Orton, a representative of the Crosby-Lay family.

Yahosh Bonner, who stars as Latter-day Saint African American pioneer Green Flake in an upcoming film, and others shared their musical talents at the event.

Robert S. Burch, president of the Utah AAHGS and Genesis Group Family History director, dedicated the grave.

Not only is this memorial is long overdue, but it serves to unify the community members past and present, said Alice Faulkner Burch, who conducted the program.

"This is an event that says we come together as community to recognize and remember all those who worked for the future that we are," Burch said. "I am honored to be part of doing this for Hark. He had a rough life; I understand rough. Hark has been forgotten all these decades. He is forgotten no more. Many persons have joined together in love and unity to make this happen."

Wales represents a bigger picture of slavery, Rep. Hollins said.

"I think we often forget that there were slaves in this state," she said. "For me he represent the many untold stories of slaves that were in this state, those people who were forgotten or never honored in graves that we will never know anything about. For me he represents a bigger picture of what was taking place during that time period. It's important to honor him with this headstone as a way to honor all of those slaves who were buried in unmarked graves and whose stories we may never know."

According to a life history written by Thiriot, Wales was born into slavery around 1824. His owner was John Crosby (1783-1840) of Monroe County, Mississippi. When Crosby died, Hark was one of three slaves he left for his daughter, Sytha Crosby.

Sytha Crosby, along with most of her family and some of their slaves, joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although her husband, William Lay, did not.

The Lay family sent Hark and three other slaves ahead of the family to prepare a home in the west. Two of the slaves died of exposure to winter conditions along the way. Hark Wales and Oscar Crosby survived and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley on July 22, 1847.

Wales lived in the Salt Lake Valley for about four years before his owners took him to California, separating him from his pregnant wife Nancy and young son Howard Egan Wales.

In 1856, Wales learned he was free. He returned to Utah in the early 1870s and made his home in a small black community in Union Fort and mined in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Wales died in at some point in the 1880s and was buried in an unmarked grave in the Union Pioneer Cemetery, next to other African American Latter-day Saints like Green and Martha Flake and others.

The gravestone was placed in cooperation with the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, the caretakers of the cemetery. A GoFundMe.com campaign was started to help pay for expenses.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that Pastor Marlin Lynch conducted the program and that Tarienne Mitchell spoke. Alice Faulkner Burch conducted, Pastor Lynch gave remarks and Mitchell was not a speaker in the program.
Xem them

...

Tin bai cuoi cung

Khong con du lieu e load
SALT LAKE CITY  Utah freshman Sen. Mitt Romney is making it clear he expects to serve more than one term in the Senate.

"If I get everything done in one term, well, I'll probably not be looking for another term," Romney told Politico in a story posted Friday. "But it's very unlikely. So it's far more likely that I'll be here more than one term given the agenda that I have."

His office declined to comment further.

Romney, 72, a former Massachusetts governor and the GOP's 2012 presidential nominee, had little trouble last year winning a six-year term serving in the seat vacated by Orrin Hatch after 42 years in office.

Considered one of Utah's most popular politicians after leading the successful 2002 Winter Olympics, Romney was forced into a primary by state GOP delegates against a former state senator, Mike Kennedy.

But Romney easily beat Kennedy in the primary election, 73 percent to 27 percent, and went on to defeat the Democrat in the race, Jenny Wilson, now the Salt Lake County mayor, with nearly 63 percent of the vote.

His comments about another run are part of a larger story titled, "Inside Romney's Trump strategy," about how Romney is handling his fellow Republican in the White House, a man he labeled a fraud and a phony during the 2016 presidential race.

As Romney has said many times before, he told the online political news source that he'll go along with President Donald Trump when they agree on issues and speak out against his actions when necessary.

"He's by and large followed the Republican playbook. So I'll be with him," Romney told Politico. "The places where I'm not with him from time to time will be matters of conduct or communication that I think are highly divisive or misogynistic or anti-immigrant."

He added that in those situations, "I think it's important for my own personal integrity to stand up and say, 'No, I disagree with that.'" Romney also said that probably won't influence Trump's thinking.

Talk of another run for the Senate is described in the story as "a rebuttal to those in the Capitol who privately wonder if he's on some sort of a six-year kamikaze mission against Trump."

Recently, Romney made news by saying he wasn't ready to endorse a second term for Trump.

"I have not made any decision on that front, so we'll wait. This is way too early for that," Romney said during an interview in May with CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."
Lotta Maija (@lottamaija) is a young pattern designer and illustrator from Finland, whose work has quickly found an international audience. Her fruity and floral patterns have appeared on everything from Slowdown Studios throw to the latest swimwear collection by Swedish Whip Appeal Collective, with more exciting collaborations on the horizon. As Lotta works as a marketing designer for Finnish furniture brand Hakola by day and focuses on collaborations and personal projects by night, its safe to say that she has no trouble keeping busy.

Lottas creative headquarter is her home in Helsinki, a 280-square-foot studio apartment that she rents in a calm and quiet turn-of-the-century building, just a stones throw away from the citys busy shopping streets. Over the three years that Lotta has lived there, the tiny studio has become a much-needed haven and home base. I still lived in Italy when my mother went to see the apartment on my behalf and convinced the owner to choose me as a tenant, even though I wasnt even back in Finland yet, Lotta explains coming by the apartment while completing an internship abroad. I only saw a few dark photos but fell in love with the high ceilings and the calm residential location.

The past few years is the longest period of time that Lotta has been based in any one place. Creating a home has been, as it so often is, a process. She has decorated her home step by step, slowly adding more and more plants and essential pieces, with some of her own prints and defining colors thrown into the mix. A big turning point was when Lotta agreed, after much convincing from her parents and friends, to move her bed up the loft above the kitchen. I realized how much more room I could have and how different the space would feel if I slept on the loft  moving my bed up there changed my apartment altogether. I even bought a sofa, which feels like a very grown-up thing to do! she says. Scroll down to see how Lotta has turned a small space into the sweet and functional home that feels, believe it or not, spacious! Sofia

Photography by Sofia Tuovinen

Image above: View of Lottas living room from the entrance of her 280-square-foot studio apartment. Lottas own patterns often include luscious pink and green hues, which she has also used throughout the decor in her home.

1/17 The rattan cabinet from IKEA is where Lotta stores materials, fabrics, and traditional garments brought back home from Japan. It also adds to the natural, down-to-earth feeling that is is repeated throughout her small studio.

2/17 A process video showing how Lotta creates her art. She begins with light sketching and completes the work with juicy colors.

3/17 The throw hanging on Lottas wall was made in collaboration with Slowdown Studio. I painted those pears and plums on the porch of our summer house last year. The pears are melting because it was the hottest summer ever recorded in Finland, she explains.

4/17 Lotta in the living room, in front of the Dupree throw that she designed for Slowdown Studio. Ive been decorating my home step by step, she says. At first, decorating was slower because I was still a student and couldnt really afford anything. After graduation Ive had resources to bring my inspirations to life and decorate more.

5/17 This is my favorite corner  I love the different green colors, the rattan cabinet and all the orange. The bush lily plant on top of the cabinet is a gift from my aunt and its now making its second set of babies, Lotta explains. The print on the wall is called Mandariini and was created by Lotta for Anouk Studio.

6/17 What I love most about my home is the ceiling height that makes my little place more spacious!  Lotta Maija

7/17 There can never be too many plants and having a pink armchair makes everything feel better, Lotta says. After graduating from university, the velvet chair was the first quality piece of furniture that Lotta invested in.

8/17 The rope shelf is by Hakola and features some of Lottas favorite souvenirs from her trips and time abroad.

9/17 My favorite memory in my home is the first evening when I finally got the keys in my hand.

10/17 The vintage kimono that hangs in the living room is one of Lottas most cherished items. I found [it] at the bottom of a huge pile of kimonos at a vintage market when I lived in Japan. I love the pattern of this particular one. Its very Scandinavian and yet Japanese at the same time, and it differs a lot from traditional kimono patterns, she explains.

11/17 When I was a teenager, I daydreamed of having wide windowsills like these. I got the pink poodle family from my grandmother, Lotta shares.

12/17 The dining table also serves as Lottas work desk. I need to have a functional home and that is highlighted in this apartment because its quite tiny, she notes. The sago palm by the window is Lottas favorite plant.

13/17 The staggering 13-foot ceiling height allows for a sleeping loft, which has been built above the kitchen cabinets. The loft can be accessed by climbing up a ladder.

14/17 One of Lottas latest floral illustrations in the making.

15/17 Lotta has kept her loft simple, with few distractions. This is where I read, sleep and write in my diary. Ive decided never to bring my phone up here, she reveals.

16/17 View of the kitchen from the sleeping loft. This is the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning. I love all the green plants! Lotta exclaims.

17/17 Even though Lottas apartment is small, it has everything she needs for the moment. Im renting, which means that I cant renovate or make changes to the apartment. As visuality means the world to me I have tons of materials, colors and ideas that Id love to bring to life, but cant. Im saving those ideas for my forever home that I hope to own at some point in the future, Lotta shares.
Hrithik Roshan is all set for bringing his revenge thriller Kaabil to the Chinese audience. The Sanjay Gupta directorial would be releasing in China on 5th June and the actor has already landed in China to promote the film ahead of its release.





Hrithik recently posted a picture on social media announcing his arrival in China where he can be seen holding an animated posted of Kaabil as the driver beside him looked on with a curious expression on his face. He captioned the picture, Hes probably wondering why Im so happy ? .KAABIL in CHINA. .Ground zero. ( as you can tell )..Just landed in Beijing. Feels like the start all over again. Thank you to all my fans in india and China and everywhere else for making this incredible experience happen ! Love you all so much ! .And congratulations team KAABIL !! Xiexie ni de ai CHINA!





Interestingly, Chinese audience are as blown away by Hrithik as we are. They have bestowed Hrithik with the nickname Da Shuai which means extremely handsome and we definitely do not disagree. Previously, Aamir Khan also received this heartfelt honor when the Chinese audience nicknamed him Mi Shu which means Uncle in Mandarin.
Google used images clicked and tagged by Google Maps users to feature Popular Dishes for restaurants in Google Maps.

You clicked it, tagged it and Google created a feature thanks to your contributions. For months, Google has been asking Google Maps users to tag restaurant dishes by clicking pictures and adding names to them. Through this, Google created a bank of information to offer a new feature called Popular Dishes in apps. Google Maps will now show popular dishes from a restaurant, based on the images clicked, tagged and reviewed by users. This is an approach Google has used since a long time to train its image recognition algorithms. Remember identifying street signs in reCAPTCHA? That probably helped Google create image recognition features for lens or event its autonomous cars.

Coming back to Google Maps, now when you search for a restaurant on the app, you can head over to its Menu tab (not available for all restaurants) to see the Popular Dishes section right on top. The section features user clicked images in square tiles, with options given for the number of pictures and reviews for that dish at the bottom. Tapping on the dish will present all the user reviews in a list, accompanied by the names of these users. Some of these reviews are also generated by Googles Local Guides, people who share reviews, photos, and knowledge about the places around them on Google Maps. Local Guides are also rewarded with points for tagging and reviewing dishes on Maps.

Theres also an option to edit reviews and mark changes like wrong dish names, inappropriate dish name and dish not served here. Moreover, Google Map users can tap the + button to add their own images of dishes as well as tag them to help Google better its Popular Dishes recommendations.

At the end of the day, this feature is made possible because of contributions from people around the world who want to help others using Google Maps. So if you want to pay it forward to the next diner, simply take a photo of your meal (before youve scarfed it down!) and add a dish name so others can know whats good on the menu, Google noted in a blog post.

Popular Dishes is now live on Google Maps for Android devices worldwide and will be rolled out to iOS users in the coming months.
Microsoft and Sony have been butting heads in the war for console domination for over a decade now. However, the Japanese company seems to have taken a lead this generation thanks in-part to its quality of exclusive titles. Games like Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End, Horizon: Zero Dawn, God of War and Spider-man have been lauded as some of the best games of this console generation, Microsofts lineup has been average at best, with Forza and Halo series being some of the best exclusives that the Xbox One has to offer. Now though, it looks like Microsoft will be going to E3 2019 all guns blazing. The companys Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer tweeted that the company plans to unveil a total of 14 first party games at this years E3. He also said that this was the most number of first party titles the company has ever shown off at E3.

Microsoft has been acquiring game studios for the past few years now. The company now owns some very notables studios like Ninja Theory, Playground Games, Undead Labs and more. Microsoft has placed these studios under the umbrella of Xbox Game Studios.

Just finishing our final E3 rehearsal here with the team in Redmond. Feel really good about the briefing. Lots to show. We have 14 Xbox Game Studios games in the show this year, more first party games than we've ever had in the show. Fun times. #XboxE3  Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) May 30, 2019

Spencer hasnt yet revealed which games will be revealed at E3, but it is safe to assume that Halo: Infinite and Gears 5 should be among them. There are also rumours that the company may unveiled a new game in the Fable series. We also expect to hear about Microsoft's next generation of console at E3.

Sony, on the other hand, will be absent from this years E3. The Japanese company is expected to unveil some more information or even launch a brand new console. Mark Cerney, Lead Architect of the upcoming PlayStation suggests that the new console will offer support for 8K gaming and ray-tracing.

While Sony and Microsoft have been rivals for quite a while, the two have announced a partnership to develop future cloud-gaming solutions. While the news came as a surprise for many gamers, there were a few who were as surprised as the Sony PlayStation Team who weren't informed of the development before hand.

E3 2019 kicks off from June 11 and will go on till June 14.
Google had scrapped all Huawei devices from its Android Q Beta program page.

A week after delisting all the Huawei devices from Android, Android Enterprise program, and Android Q Beta program webpages, Google has taken a U-turn to relist the Huawei Mate 20 smartphone on its Android Q beta website. It is speculated that the inclusion is temporary and the device could remain on the platform till the completion of the 90-day respite.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the US Department of Commerce gave 90-day license to Huawei a day after the US Government blacklisted the company. The permit would allow the company to conduct business and provide updates for all Huawei and Honor smartphones that are already in the market. Relisting the Huawei Mate 20 on the Android Q page could mean that the phone will also get the Android Q betas that Google may launch in the near future.

Before making a come back on the Android Q page, Huawei made a return to the company lists of SD Association and Wi-Fi Alliance. Just like from Googles Android-related pages, Huaweis company name was also removed from their respective lists following the ban. The ban apparently pressurised all major US equipment and services suppliers to cut trade ties with the Chinese tech giant.

Huawei is reportedly developing its own OS, which may be called the Ark OS. The company has trademarked three names with European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). These names were apparently registered on May 24 and include HUAWEI ARK OS, HUAWEI ARK, ARK and ARK OS. The company was also reported to be in talks with Aptoide as Google Play Store alternative for apps for future smartphones.
Subscriber content preview

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT

Associated Press

iStock photo [enlarge] Rhode Islands tallest building has mounting maintenance needs after six years of vacancy.





PROVIDENCE, R.I.  Providence's iconic Superman Building, Nashville's Music Row and a North Carolina nightclub that served the black community during segregation have been included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual list of the nation's most endangered historic places, the private nonprofit announced Thursday.





. . .
Subscriber content preview

By MELISSA RAYWORTH

Associated Press

AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File [enlarge] Fields of wildflowers in Lake Elsinore, California, were overrun by tourists this spring seeking the perfect photo. A tweet from Lake Elsinore City Hall said the impact "caused unnecessary hardships for our entire community."





In Paris, the Louvre Museum closed for a day this week because workers said the crowds were too big to handle. In the Himalayas, climbers at Mount Everest are concerned that the peak has gotten too crowded, contributing to the highest death toll in years.





. . .
Subscriber content preview

NEW YORK (AP)  Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says a new memorial glade at the World Trade Center site helps us fulfill our duty to those who were sickened or died after responding to the Sept. 11 attacks.

Recovery workers who themselves are ill were among the hundreds of people attending Thursday's dedication ceremony.





. . .
Subscriber content preview

WASHINGTON (AP)  Fewer Americans signed contracts on homes in April compared with the prior month, potentially signaling that rising prices have outweighed recent declines in mortgage rates.

The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that its pending home sales index fell 1.5% to a reading of 104.3. Pending sales declined 2% over the past year.





. . .
Reliance Jio cuts nearly 5,000 jobs, including 500-600 regular ones

Mukesh Ambanis telecom venture Reliance Jio Infocomm has reportedly laid off around 5,000 employees, a large number of them contractual workers, as part of the telcos cost-reduction exercise. Reports say about 500-600 regular employees were also affected by the cost reduction exercise.

The job-cuts come in the aftermath of a fall in the operating margin of Jio in the January-March quarter, according to some reports.

Redundancies were reported mostly in the customer support department while other departments that remained staff-heavy included supply chain, human resources, finance, administration, and networks.

We are expanding our consumer businesses and Jio continues to be a net recruiter in the industry. We also work with contractors who may be hiring staff on fixed time contracts for our various project construction activities. Given we continue to recruit actively, the question of a cost pressure led action is not relevant, a Jio spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Jio employs some 15,000 to 20,000 workers in its payroll across the country while the actual number of people dependent on Jio would be much larger. These also include employees that are employed by a staffing firm hired by Jio.

Jio reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) margin of 39 per cent for the January-March 2018-19 quarter, down 5 basis points from the previous quarter, while its total expenses rose nearly 8 per cent quarter-on-quarter, mainly on the back of higher network operating costs, finance expenses, and depreciation and amortisation charges.

Typically, the employee costs range 5-6% among telecom operators and companies working to control costs tend to drop the axe first on the workforce rather than improving the services.

Reliance Jio is the only company that has been making profits in the Indian market. Moreover, the company enjoys financial support from cash-rich Reliance Industries besides a favourable regulatory environment.

It was because of Mukesh Ambanis financial muscle that Jio with its aggressive pricing strategy, could make it a success in the $50 billion Indian telecom market.

The aggressive strategies of Reliance Jio had resulted in a consolidation in the sector with some of the big ones also merging and retrenching employees in the process. An estimated 75,000 jobs have been lost in the telecom sector in 2017 alone, due to financial stress faced by companies and ,more people are expected to lose jobs in the coming years as consolidation progresses.
Billboards were erected in Gaoth Dobhair and at the Croithli bridge on Friday to launch a campaign to get elections reintroduced for the board of Udaras na Gaeltachta.

Micheal Choilm MacGiolla Easbuig said that he feels that it is time the government reintroduced democracy to the Gaeltacht and announced elections to the board.

Abolished

In 2011, the former minister of State, Dinny McGinley told the Dail that abolishing elections for Udaras na Gaeltachta would save the State half a million euro.

Speaking in Irish, Mr McGinley said one of the options for appointing board members could improve local authorities with a Gaeltacht in their region nominating board appointees. The minister could also appoint members with expertise.

Independent councillor, Micheal Choilm Mac Giolla Easbuig said that the Udaras budget has been cut from 25 million in 2008 to 6 million in 2011.

Language Planning Committee

Since then, Udaras has initiated a new strategy, the Language Planning Committees.

Mr MacGiolla Easbuig said: All the experts have told us that this is our last chance to preserve the Gaeltacht and there is neither rhyme nor reason to the fact that there are no elected members of the board of Udaras na Gaeltachta to steer this important project.

Fluent Irish speaker

The fluent Irish speaker, who insists on speaking in Irish at all times during Donegal County Council meetings, said that it is time to elect a board. He added that the meetings of the board should be broadcast live so that the people of the area could see for themselves how business was being carried out.

We will be pressurising them to make sure that all board meetings are open to the community and that they would all be broadcast live on the internet so that people can see how the board makes decisions on the important challenges facing the Gaeltacht community.
Local students Alannah McDaid from Clonmany and Lorna Curran will be among some of Irelands future fashion designers who will showcase their latest designs next month as part of the much anticipated Ulster University Graduate Fashion show.

The prestigious event, which has seen many now successful students take part in the past, will take place at the iconic St Annes Cathedral in Belfast on Tuesday June 4, where final year students work will show their unique style and individual vision. With some truly inspiring and creative pieces including knits, prints and jaw-dropping silhouettes in the mix, the students will no doubt wow the national industry employers in the audience.

Ahead of the event Lorna said: From the conceptual idea in my head, to putting pen to paper and sketching a five piece collection, before uncountable and pain-staking hours at a sewing machine, its cathartic to come full circle as we prepare for our pieces to come alive on real life models, with creative hair and make up to create a full fashion theatre experience.

"It brings the whole project full circle and it has certainly helped me learn the importance of things like commerciality versus creativity for example, so it is such a fantastic way to finish our degree and help launch our fashion careers.

Student Lorna will see her collection Matriarchy modelled on show presenter and producer Cathy Martins CMPR Models with hair perfectly styled by the inventive team at MACC HAIR and beautiful make up looks created by the talented artists at Paddy McGurgans Make Up Pro store.

Tickets are on sale now at just 18 per ticket and are available from https://getinvited.to/ulsterevents/ulster-university-fashion-show-19/

A full length image of Lorna's work,

below, work by Alannah McDaid
Final year students of Art, Design and Architecture display their talents at the 2nd inaugural Creative Showcase at IT Sligo this week. Paintings, sculptures and architectural conceptions were mixed with live performing art and theatrical designs alongside innovative product designs.

Over 80 students are exhibiting at the week-long event offering exciting new ideas across several disciplines. The students were given creative briefs to; develop products, design theatre sets, re-interpret buildings and towns and to freely express themselves through the arts.

Sixteen students were recognised for their outstanding achievements this year including four students who have been longlisted by the RDS Visual Arts Awards. This year the Abbey Theatre was so impressed with the level of theatre design they have for the first time awarded two bursaries to IT Sligo students. Kirsty Ryan and Robert Ryan, will spend the next year working at the Abbey gaining valuable experience in one of the worlds most famous theatres.

In the Architecture category, International student, Richelle Kong from Malaysia, won the Outstanding Design Studio Award and Robyn Wogan from Navan was awarded the Joseph Downes Dissertation Award for their conceptual designs of Bundoran Surfing Club.

In Creative Design, Donegal student, Bernard Martin was awarded Academic Excellence Award for his design of a magnetic safety camera for farm machinery and a soft-drinks refill station to reduce plastic waste.

Throughout the Creative Showcase many students tackled the issue of single use plastic. Gabriella Luca won Environmental Sustainability Award for her Virtual Water footprint campaign, highlighting the hidden amount of water used to produce everyday products.

In Interior Architecture, Sarah Jane Likely was awarded for Excellence in Design & Representation for her conceptual design of a Boutique hotel for Sligo Gaol.

In Fine Art, four students were recognised for their outstanding talent; Victoria Perry, Catherine Conte, Una Dunphy and Una Morris, while best actor went to Sligo woman, Leanne Brett.

Speaking at the launch, Head of Faculty, Una Parsons praised the talent of the students;

Looking at the display of talent on show here is just awe inspiring. Across all aspects of Design, Architecture and the Arts, the students have done themselves and IT Sligo proud.

IT Sligo Creative Showcase will run until Wednesday June 5.

Performing Arts Student, Chris Slattery, from Carlow, performs Waiting for Godot on the main concourse of IT Sligo as part of the 2019 Creative Showcase.
Rt Rev Ken Good lowered his crozier slowly onto the communion table in a Raphoe school on Thursday evening and his 17-year ministry as leader of the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe came to an end. He had chosen the Royal and Prior Comprehensive School as the location for the Ascension Day Service of Holy Communion which brought the curtain down on his episcopacy.



Hundreds of friends and colleagues of Bishop Ken and Mary Good had travelled from across the Derry and Raphoe dioceses, as well as from Lurgan, Wicklow, Cork and even further afield, to be part of the occasion.



The Roman Catholic Bishop of Raphoe, Most Rev Dr Alan McGuckian, the Methodist minister, Rev Richard Johnston, and Rev Dr Brian Brown of the Derry and Donegal Presbytery joined serving and retired Church of Ireland clergy, and diocesan readers, from the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe at Thursday evenings service, which took place in a huge marquee erected specially for the occasion in the school grounds.



The preacher, Rt Rev Ken Clarke, who is Bishop Goods brother-in-law, said it was an incredible honour to share in a very important night for the Good family and for the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe.



Referring to the first reading, Acts: 1:4-11, the Preacher thanked God for a Bishop and his wife who had caught the vision that the ascended Christ shared with his disciples. You know as well as I do, Bishop Clarke said, that for 17 years Ken and Mary have not only shared this vision but sought to live it out. You have come to know some of Bishop Ken Goods great strengths. This will be no surprise to the people of this Diocese when I tell you that one of his strengths is clarity of vision. Another of his strengths is beginning something and completing it. Another of his strengths is to run faithfully and finish well.



Who does that remind you of? It reminds me of Jesus. The Ascension speaks of all of those things. The Ascension is the completion of a task. The Ascension is the completion of a job well done and now Christ returns to heaven having completed his work on earth.



Bishop Clarke applauded his brother-in-laws commitment to team work and the Diocesan vision statement, Transforming Community, Radiating Christ. What a vision for any Church, he said. This is the vision of the ascended Christ. God has gifted Bishop Ken and Mary in living out this vision among you for the past 17 years. I know that after our Service tonight, some farewell gifts will be given to the Bishop and his wife. Do you know the best farewell gift you can give them (they havent asked me to say this, by the way)? Do you know the best farewell gift we can give them? Keep on keeping on. Be committed to this vision and live it out. Radiate Christ wherever we are, 24-7. Transform communities. Never side-line the vision of the ascended Christ, the vision the Goods have shared with us.



Bishop Clarke said one of the biggest challenges facing the Church today was the need to come down from our ecclesiastical and parochial mountains, leave our narrow cultural pedestals and win the world for Christ. He urged the congregation to radiate Christ wherever they were and to make a difference in the lives of other people  their families, their neighbours, in their places of work, wherever they were, transforming communities and building the Kingdom of God. I get excited about this vision, he said, and that is the task of every diocese in the world, of every church in the world, of every parish. We need more of the Father Heart of God. We need to weep as he weeps over those who are not yet reached with the Good News of Jesus.



Do you know that in this marquee this evening the potential in the life of every Christian here is indescribably exciting? the Preacher continued. There is potential in each one of us and the vision of Bishop Ken and Mary is that that potential will be released and unleashed into the Ireland of today and wherever God leads us. Bishop Clarke said the challenge on all who claimed to be Christian was to stop looking aimlessly, whether it was upwards or downwards or inwards. And he spoke to the congregation about the challenge of the Ascension. Jesus Christ gave himself away, Bishop Clarke said. What about us? Am I living purposefully and passionately for Christ, making the most of the time? Have I caught his vision? Am I moving in his call in my life? Am I running faithfully, living obediently, giving generously, determined to finish well? Am I committed to living a life which is all about giving, serving God, serving others, laying down my life for Christ and his Good News  the Gospel.

Bishop Ken Good lays his crozier on the communion table, to symbolise the ending of his episcopal ministry



In this Service of Holy Communion, we thank God from the bottom of our hearts for the Son of God, the ascended Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us; and rightly, we also thank God, especially tonight, for two of his followers, Bishop Ken and Mary Good, who have given of themselves in this Diocese, not keeping their lives but losing them in giving them away. Friends, thats what you and I are called to do and called to be: to give our lives to him; to live our lives for him; and to live like him. Why do we stand here looking into the sky when we have the high call and the high privilege of living lives that are all about giving away?



Mrs Good had earlier taken part in the Service, delivering the first reading  the Ascension Reading  from Acts 1:4-11. The Gospel was read by the Dean of Raphoe, Very Rev Arthur Barrett, who coordinated Thursdays service.



Prayers of thanksgiving for the Goods ministry were read by the Archbishops Commissary, Ven Robert Miller, and the Archdeacon of Raphoe, Ven David Huss. The Prayers of the People were read by Elaine Sproule and Whitby McClay. Music for the occasion was provided by the Mark Ferguson Band, Rev Peter Ferguson, and Derry and Raphoe Mothers Unions choir (accompanied by Rev Canon Paul Hoey). And Bishop McGuckian, Dr Brown and Rev Johnston delivered a joint blessing.



The most poignant moment in the service came near the end when Bishop Good stood before the congregation, holding his crozier out before him horizontally, and lowered it slowly onto the communion table, symbolizing the ending of his episcopal ministry.



(l-r) Rev Dr Brian Brown of the Derry and Donegal Presbytery; Bishop of Raphoe, Most Rev Dr Alan McGuckian; Archbishops Commissary, Ven Robert Miller; Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Ken Good; the Archdeacon of Raphoe, Ven David Huss; Rt Rev Ken Clarke (Preacher); the Dean of Raphoe, Very Rev Arthur Barrett; Rev Richard Johnston (Methodist); the Dean of Derry, Very Rev Raymond Stewart.



After the Service, a superb supper was served in an adjoining marquee before well-wishers returned for the presentation of gifts. These included significant donations to the Goods nominated charities, International Justice Mission  which campaigns to end slavery  and the mental health charity Aware.
Ive been thrilled to see (ACOMs) evolution and what differences its beginning to make in the quality of healthcare in Alabama and throughout this country, Hawkins said. We are pleased to be a part of that and pleased to be able to provide quality students who are well-prepared to make a difference in the health professions.

Lenz noted ACOMs partnership with Troy began in 2010 when he arrived to set the foundation of the school. He reached out to Dr. Don Jeffrey, the vice-chancellor of the Troy-Dothan campus, to discuss how the schools could benefit each other.

What resulted was a program that provided ACOM students a chance to earn a masters degree in business administration while attending ACOM for their medical degree. Lenz said the partnership with Troy from the beginning has affected medicine in critical areas as eight of the 11 graduates of both Troy and ACOM practice family medicine now.

Meanwhile the relationship with ACOM has sharpened Troy Universitys pre-medicine program, Lenz said, noting his staff has been able to suggest improvements that produce a better candidate for medical school. Hawkins said 90 percent of May 2018 Troy graduates who applied for medical school gained admission and continue in their programs.
Please DOUX follow us

Doux Reviews

has been on the web since 2004 and features thousands of episode reviews of the best classic and current television shows as well as many book and movie reviews
Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) is this years host for the 2019 EdTech Conference which began yesterday May 30 and continues today Friday May 31. EdTech is the annual conference of the Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA) and is a significant event in the Irish learning and teaching calendar.

The focus of this years EdTech conference is the integration of educational technology in the higher and further education sectors. The theme for this years conference is: The Digital Transformation of Irish Higher and Further Education - Real or Imagined? Strategy, practices, and active learning pedagogies for a digital era.

Speaking about the conference, Paul Gormley, Chair of the Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA) commented:

The EdTech conference provides a dynamic platform for policy-makers, strategists, researchers and practitioners to engage with: national and international strategic and operational approaches to digital transformation; research-led technology-enabled innovations; and trends and challenges in developing pedagogies in a digital age.

In choosing DkIT as this years hosts, ILTA committee members Lisa ORegan and Lisa Donaldson commented, in particular, on the excellent campus facilities and how they are ideally suited to hosting major events such as EdTech.

Speaking about the opportunity to host, Gerry Gallagher, eLearning Development Co-ordinator at DkIT commented:

The conference with up to 250 attendees will be an excellent opportunity to showcase the DkIT campus, the exemplary work that is going on in technology enhanced learning within the Institute and, of course, the town of Dundalk and its environs.

The conference has invited two national policy experts in educational Digital Transformation strategy to deliver a capstone keynote address. Dr. Ruaidhri Neavyn (Higher Education Authority Advisor) and Mary Lyons (Director of National Innovation, SOLAS) will set out a vision of what Digital Transformation might look like as we move forward in this digital age.

International Digital Transformation experts Professor Keith Smyth (Professor of Pedagogy and Head of the Learning and Teaching Academy at of the University of the Highlands and Islands), and Dr Sheila MacNeill, Independent Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Digital Learning at Glasgow Caledonian University and Chair of ALT (Association of Learning Technology) will present plenty of disturbing dilemmas as they consider the challenges, possibilities and implications that digital technology and practice bring to higher education particularly in relation to physical and virtual learning spaces and the extension of higher education as a public good.

Keith and Sheila are co-authors with Bill Johnston of the recently published book, Conceptualising the Digital University: The Intersection of Policy, Pedagogy and Practice. The book Keith is known for developing the openly licensed 3E Framework for technology-enhanced learning. He blogs at www.3eeducation.org. Sheila is active on social media, and shares her thoughts and work regularly via her blog (www.howsheilaseesit.net).
Not content with being members of the nations favourite hip-hop crew through their recent exploits on Irelands Got Talent, now three local dancers, Lonan Murphy, Nicole Ellis and Caitlin Rooney have added the title of World champions to their list of honours.

Following on from the success of their TV appearances with Dublin-based Fly Youth, the Dundalk natives headed to Cancun in Mexico last week to compete at Dancers Paradise an Invitational only Hip Hop World Event (a first for a European crew) against dancers from Australia, Canada and the USA amongst others.

The trip to Mexico followed months of gruelling training sessions and, to raise funds for the trip, lots of fund-raising including a Race Night, bag-packs and raffles! In addition to this they received very generous sponsorship from local businesses and public representatives from around the town and beyond.

They travelled with the support and blessing of their schools and as a result helped put Ireland on the map once more. The crew also joined in the many fun events while in Mexico, winning the tug of war, dance off and lip sync battles.

The dancers and their crew won the hearts of the locals and other competitors who initially had given them no hope only to be floored by their winning performance. Indeed, so taken by the warmth and friendliness of the travelling Irish contingent that many at the event said that they would love to visit Ireland to see it for themselves.

The three dancers returned to Dundalk on Tuesday morning still flying high and thrilled at their success both in winning the competition and also in showing the world that Ireland truly has got talent.
A basement in Braganstown House in Castlebellingham, dating back to 1790, is to be restored to its original condition following a decision by Louth County Council to grant the architect William Fagan permission to do so.

Owned by Louth billionaire Larry Goodman and his wife Kitty since 1971, work had been carried out in the house that was deemed to be unauthorised by Louth County Council.

The development which was approved on May 27 includes the repair, upgrade, modification and improvement works consisting of firstly retention permission for removal for the purposes of recasting of non-original plaster work and joinery to replicate originals as replaced in the 1970s and replacement of plasterboard ceilings installed in the 1990s

The refurbishment is also set to include a lath and plaster ceiling to the entrance hall at ground floor level and on part of the landing area at first floor level." Further retention permission was sought for the "temporary removal of the front door and associated joinery for the purpose of restoration and for the reinstatement of original first floor levels in the 1860s extension areas to the house and replacement of the current steel supported staircase encased in timber.

Larry Goodman has been making his money through the beef processing industry since 1960, including on the 700 acre farm at Braganstown House, where he rears several hundred head of cattle for beef. He founded the meat exporting business ABP Food Group and has also invested heavily in other business ventures such as Irish Agricultural Feed Co.
Mens sheds in Louth have been encouraged to apply for a new round of funding by Dundalk councillor John McGahon.

A total of 500,000 has been allocated by the Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring to continue to support the work of Mens Sheds groups throughout Ireland.

Cllr McGahon said : This capital funding will enable individual Mens Sheds to purchase equipment or to carry out minor works to improve their premises through the provision of small grants.

Mens Sheds have become central to some 400 communities throughout Ireland. They provide an invaluable service by helping to tackling social isolation which in turn strengthens local communities here in Louth

This years round of funding is a recognition of the contribution these groups are making to life in Louth and all around Ireland.

The fact that all men in the locality have a place to go to share their experience and make friends is hugely important as we need to continue to help each other out with the issues that we may be facing.

Companionship and a sense of place is vital to our mental wellbeing, and the Sheds provide a space where healthy connections are made and nurtured.

I want all of the Mens Sheds groups in Louth affiliated to the Irish Mens Sheds Association to avail of this funding.

A number of Womens Shed groups have also emerged in our communities in recent times. In order to support this positive development the Minister has decided to make this funding available to these groups and I urge them to apply.

I cannot overstate the importance of working collaboratively with other Womens Sheds in order to progress. The Irish Mens Shed Association (ISMA) is an excellent example of strength in numbers and the Department has supported them in their development.

Cllr. McGahon concluded:

Individual Sheds should submit applications to their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC)  the deadline for applications will be advertised soon on the departments website (www.drcd.gov.ie), along with application details.
CEO and Founder, Luke Dutton, of new product COAT shares his startup story. A lot of the time new businesses are founded out of the realisation of a gap in the market from either a personal or professional perspective. Luke Duttons businesses is no exception and COAT was founded when there was no product solving his own problem. COAT is a portable coat hook for stowing garments while on the go. Pick up tips from Luke in our interview  his product pitch, the challenges and how he overcame them as well as his words of advice for other startups hoping to grow in the coming years. Dynamic Business:When was Coat launched/founded?

Luke: The initial light bulb moment for a portable coat hook occurred in Feb / March 2016. COAT was conceived out of pure necessity, as many things are. At the time Id recently resumed working in the city after taking six months off work to be a stay at home dad. I get the train to and from work, it was hot and I was adjusting to being back in a suit. The train home was hot one afternoon and Id taken my jacket off and was holding it. I had my phone in one hand, jacket in another and was mildly annoyed there was nowhere I could hang my jacket to free up a hand.

I looked around and noticed a lot of other people doing the same. The first seed for COAT was planted. The second was being out with friends one afternoon not long afterwards and myself and a friend were holding not only our jackets but our wives jackets too. We were at a bar and were reminiscing how in London most bars have hooks under the bar for your jacket that always resonated with me as being very convenient.

The combination of these experiences led me to search on line for a portable hook of some sort, a similar concept in theory to hand bag hooks for women when they dont want their bag to go on the floor. To my surprise there was nothing online that was portable in nature, plenty of hooks of various styles, shapes and uses but nothing truly portable that could go with you in your pocket. It was then the idea dawned on me that in order to obtain what I wanted, I may have to develop the idea and potentially the product myself. So I did.

Dynamic Business: How has Coat grown since it was founded?

Luke: COAT has grown from an initial idea or concept to a merchantable product and more importantly a brand, albeit a very young one. The journey from initial idea, to concept, development and now to production has been one with many ups and downs, of challenges and frustrations but also very satisfying. Being a perfectionist by nature I can push hard at times where I dont see compromise as an option. That has served me well during product development and particularly as we entered initial production.

Dynamic Business: What is your pitch?

Luke: Convenience, Comfort and Confidence.

COAT is there to hang your jacket when you need it, hence the first two Cs. The last C is for confidence, confidence in the fact that as opposed to the inappropriately shaped chair or bar stool, COAT gets your jacket out of the way and hung safely and securely.

Dynamic Business: What makes your business unique/sets you apart from your competitors?

Luke: Id say the product itself and the talented people (I should say expert technical consultants) dedicated to bringing COAT to market. A start up bringing a new product to market is a well-trodden path however I have come to realise theres a reason a lot of people either choose not to pursue something or dont necessarily succeed in effectively getting to market. Corporate RND budgets are big for a reason, nothing is cheap hence were pleased to hit that milestone in getting to market and having a unique product to talk about and offer.

Dynamic Business: What are some of the challenges you faced when you initially established your business and how did you overcome them?

Luke: The first challenge was literally who to speak to in order to help develop my idea. There were a few consulting firms offering an end to end product development / commercialisation service however I was struggling with who to trust as I didnt want to broadcast my idea to unknown consultants. Cost was another key challenge in terms of knowing how to minimise cost, or at least drive value from consultants.

I ultimately adopted a step by step or incremental approach with my product developer (4Design). The strategy solved the challenges, in that I could sample their work (and quality) gradually and establish trust in their professionalism and engineering ability.

Dynamic Business: Where do you see Coat in 5-10 years?

Luke: In 5-10 years time wed love COAT to be a part of peoples everyday lives as a portable hanging solution. We have big aspirations for how far and wide wed like COAT to be as a product and a brand, but the first step is educating people to the benefit of COAT as a viable add on product when acquiring clothing and bags. Theres enormous scope in terms of the product itself in terms of evolution and enhancement. The opportunity in terms of market depth and breadth is also very attractive which can be somewhat blinding at times, however our focus for now is establishing our brand and building awareness.

What strategies do you use to market your business?

Luke: Were using social media and traditional PR. We see huge value in strategic partnerships and are always looking for partners that COAT will align with. Being new to the market with a new product were engaging with experienced market insiders who are helping with our marketing strategy and key messaging to ensure COAT as a new product is understood.

What tips and advice would you give to other startups?

Luke: Its tough so its important to remember that if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Its cliche but very true. If youre starting up a business, you need to ensure that youre doing it for the right reasons too, of course. Hang in there and be prepared to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. If you really believe in your idea back yourself to navigate through some hard times. Seek out advice yet remember that its ultimately your call and dont delegate the tough calls and try to enjoy the ride too!
In three years Dominique Grubisa went from being millions of dollars in financial debt to having a turnover of $12 million dollars in the 2017-2018 financial year with her company DG Institute.

Prior to 2008, Dominique and her husband Kevin were thriving with a seven figure business in renovating and selling property. The global financial crisis hit and their 15 properties at that time, bad investment and some litigation that went wrong resulted in the couple drowning in millions of dollars in debt.

She used her expertise as a qualified lawyer to focus on debt law and utilised her commercial skills. She was able to negotiate, reduce debt and use the law as a holding strategy and make arrangements with several creditors.

After appearing on television to speak about debt, she was contact by thousands of people for help. Dominique realised there was a gap in the market to help Australians grow wealth through property education and established DG Institute.

Over the past couple of years she has expanded the suite of services to cater for her clients broader wealth creation and wealth protection requirements. She now holds her own workshops and events.

DB: How important is mindset for success in business? How do you stay positive when everything goes wrong?

Dominique: Mindset is everything.

Some of the worst things that have happened to me have turned out to have greatest benefit to me later. So when I face obstacles and even failures, Ive learned to say, Thats interesting.

Im not Pollyanna positive. I dont believe in that. I try to have a growth mindset, always striving for something bigger and better.

And I work on myself. The person you become is your success. You attract your success. You have to become worthy of it.

Im interested in the Stoic thinkers, and they say there are just objective facts and your view of them. Look at the facts, take their measure and focus on finding a solution. The challenge is to morph the problem into something better.

The Stoics say good times dont last and bad times dont last. Theyre all part of a larger journey.

DB: What are biggest lessons you have learned in terms of minimizing risks in business in future?

Dominique: To think you can ever be totally risk-free is naive. Business is risky by nature because life is risky. Usually the size of your rewards is proportional to the size of the risks you take.

The best way to mitigate risk is to be prepared. Theres always an element of surprise and chance, but if youre prepared you can respond with a clearer head.

DB: What have been the key 3 things that have been essential to DG Institutes success?

Dominique:

People will pay for a migraine problem. Theyll spend whatever they need to for treatment because its painful. Find their migraine problem and help them with it.

Debt is a migraine problem, and theres not much information, support or community out there for people in debt.

Your biggest critics and complainers can be your biggest blessing because they point out faults you knew about but werent doing anything about. They can be like your personal trainer motivating you to get off the lounge.

When I was first advising people, they would say, My accountant says its not possible to My lawyer said no. My broker says I cant. Their experts didnt get it. That was frustrating, but it motivated me to find lawyers and accountants and mortgage brokers who did get it, and who understood the best strategies. I brought them in-house. Now were a one-stop shop with integrated services. So those nay-sayers helped me build DG Institute.

Challenge the Status Quo. (Thats one of the values on our wall at DG Institute.)

Were doing disruptive change. For example were doing peer-to-peer lending and marketplace lending to give investors new options.

You asked for three tips but Ill throw in a fourth tip for free. Keep plugging away. Set a goal and do something every day. Grow constantly.

How did you turn the realization of the gap in the market into an established business? How long did it take and how did you get those first clients on board?

Dominique: I started advising people how to invest successfully in properties. This month I launched Business Turnaround, eight years in the making.

This is a step by step process that identifies small to medium sized businesses with owners keen to sell and turns them around for profit or sale.

I was after an investment approach my clients would understand and would provide regular cash flow to compliment the often single point in time returns from investing in property.

I have a three-state roadshow next month and two workshops later in the year.

What are your key pieces of advice for anyone in debt going through a similar experience right now?

Dominique: Compartmentalise! A debt problem doesnt define you. Its not who you are. It shouldnt be your full-time focus.

You feel society condemning you.

Dont focus on it all the time. Deal with it, then pack it away. When I was in debt, if I got a letter Id do what I had to, but then Id put it away and focus on my future, which was building a business.

Dont worry about it all the time. I know thats easy to say, but I found you worry so much that you just cant worry any more. You say, What shall we do? Oh, its the weekend, lets go to the beach.

The Stoics had a saying: amor fati. Love your fate! You cant see the silver lining when its all happening but embrace everything that happens and look for solutions.
For those of you who have an ear to the ground on American economic trends (or just listen to a lot of NPR Marketplace), youve probably heard the whispers of a recession heading our way, starting as early as this year.

Everyone remembers how hard their finances were hit back in 08  no one better than small business owners, some of whom lost everything during that time. Even top economists cannot predict how big an impact the next recession will have on small American businesses, rendering it difficult for business owners to prepare adequately.

The fallout of the great recession proved to be devastating not only for small business owners, but also for the employees who depended on them for steady income, and for the vendors who worked with them.

With the next recession on the horizon, small business owners need to start planning now and consider what they can do today (save money, rearrange finances) to cushion the blow that inevitably will come down the line.

To understand what this looming recession may mean for business owners, first we need to understand what typically comes with an economic downturn and learn from the patterns of the financial crisis of 2008.

How the Past Recession Affected Small Businesses

More than anyone else during an economic recession, small businesses are hit the hardest and face the longest recovery time. Luxury services typically are made obsolete first, since most of the population falls into financial survivor mode and eliminates products or services deemed nonessential. Overall, budget restrictions, a lack of preparedness, and limited spending can make it nearly impossible for a small business to continue to operate.

One of the main reasons small businesses suffer so greatly during recessions is because the majority run on a firmly controlled cash flow that the smallest deviation can undermine. Money is immediately handed off from owners to pay for the next most pressing expense.

If a customer, or multiple customers, delay purchases or payments, it can cause the whole operation to slow down. For example, small businesses with a few large, high-spending clients can go under instantly, should even one client decide to part ways. The combination of these factors can make it extremely difficult for a business to keep its head above water during a recession.

In the financial crisis of 2008, cash flow became the biggest problem for small business owners for the duration of the recession and the recovery period thereafter. That largely was due to banks withholding lending options from small businesses. Why? Because small and medium businesses are considered riskier ventures, and generally are less profitable than larger operations, making lenders wary about a return on their investment.

The lack of viable lending options in the hour of these business owners greatest need made a significant impact on the rapid decline of the health of many businesses across the nation.

Exactly How Bad Is It Going to Be?

Well, to be perfectly honest, it is tough to call how bad the next recession is going to be. With a volatile political climate and the fluctuation of the global trade market in the past year, the economic repercussions are still difficult to decipher.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The most recent government shutdown was a doozy for the economy, thrusting market watchers into a panic. Based on this observation, it would not be far-fetched to think that the next recession could be caused in part by political divisions and the hubris of those in power trying to prove a point.

Should the United States fall into another economic crisis, the divide between red and blue lawmakers may run so deep that the normally swift decisions to ease the initial blow of a recession could be slowed down, throwing the economy into further turmoil.

In some ways, we now have more foresight into predicting how and when the next recession will hit, but we might be less prepared to work with those across the aisle to deal with it quickly enough.

In that case, business owners must take early action to ensure the preservation of their businesses, the job security of their employees, and the communities they serve, not waiting to be rescued by those in powerful positions. As the saying goes, prepare for the worst and you will never be disappointed. Below, we will cover the most important things that small businesses can do to prepare for a 2019 recession.

1. Take On More Diverse Clients

Yes, this may be one of the more obvious tips for business owners to prepare for a potential economic slowdown, but it is still important and likely the first thing that should be done when signs of trouble are on the horizon. As mentioned earlier, if a small business relies on one or two big clients to bring in a chunk of the revenue and those clients also are hit by the recession, it can lose the bulk of its business and not have much to fall back on. By taking on a greater number of smaller customers from different fields, business owners can afford to take a hit if they lose a couple and survive without much issue.

Diversifying the pool of regular customers by searching for new relationships with previously unexplored companies and vendors will help ensure that cash flow does not slow down to a trickle or stop completely during hard times. Remember to not put all your eggs in one basket!

2. Nurture Your Business Relationships

Speaking of building new relationships, all business owners absolutely must build and maintain great relationships with the merchants and vendors they work with, or at the very least, keep amicable, open lines of communication with them.

When a crisis shakes up the economy, small and medium businesses need to hold on to each other for support if both parties want to make it through the storm. Compromises must be made between vendors and business owners during these times, and it certainly makes things easier to have those conversations when parties are used to communicating openly.

Say, for example, you are a small business owner and you need to break up your payments to a vendor in more manageable chunks. It is going to be less awkward to convince the vendor to work with you on a more sensible payment plan if you already have a strong relationship.

Being able to have a conflict-free conversation with your suppliers will help lessen the stress that comes along with being a small business owner during a recession. They need you as much as you need them.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

3. Lean Into Marketing

Yes, you heard that right! During tough times, a lot of small businesses go into panic mode and cut marketing from their budget first because it is seen as the most expendable expense, but they may be shooting themselves in the foot. Big mistake!

Look at this from the consumers side of things: Their lives also have been thrown into a panicked state, and they also have been trying to act quickly. This may affect their buying habits, as frugality becomes paramount.

If anything, this is the best time to secure a new wave of customers by promoting your products or services with prices that are just below the competition. Go tell it on the mountain, and watch as the new business rolls in.

4. Setting Aside a Rainy Day (Or Longer) Fund

Business owners should give serious consideration to setting aside funds for a potential recession, just as they would for any other potential economic disaster. Smaller enterprises usually operate on modest profit margins, making it hard to set money aside for a rainy day, but by starting to set aside money now, business owners can alleviate stress and scrambling for funds in the future.

This, of course, may not be possible for every business, especially newer ones that do not have much of a cushion to start with. In that case, there is no time to start like the present! Taking a look at your business spending patterns will help you identify areas that can be slimmed down in order to funnel those funds to a reserve for financial emergencies.

5. Look Into Alternative Financing Options

In 2008, banks refused most small business owners seeking loans that had less than stellar credit, while bailing out larger companies because they were viewed as less of a financial risk. That mistake cost tens of thousands of Americans their jobs.

Between 2007 and 2009, large companies lost 7 percent of their job forces; small businesses lost 11 percent. With the history of small businesses creating about two out of three new jobs in the private sector workforce, banks denying loans to small businesses likely spun the recession further out of control.

Luckily, a plethora of alternative lending options have emerged since then, which can help small businesses stay afloat despite less-than-perfect business credit scores. In addition, alternative lenders can connect with business owners to find payment plans that work for them and get money into their accounts far more quickly than traditional lenders. That can be especially helpful for businesses surprised by a financial crisis.

Overall, the most vital things to take from the above: Diversify your client base; maintain your business relationships; dont completely cut your marketing budget; try to set emergency funds aside; and look for financing options that will help your business weather any storm. Be prepared, and your business will be spared.
Blog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)
It was supposed to be operational six months ago, part of Floridas wide-ranging effort to prevent the next school shooting: a sprawling new database that would merge peoples social media posts with millions of records on individuals who have been bullied, placed in foster care, committed a crime, or even been mentioned in unverified tips made to law enforcement.

The plan, however, has sputtered, an Education Week investigation found.

The two biggest reasons: bureaucratic delays, plus concerns over exactly how much sensitive information can legally be shared in the way lawmakers envisioned.

Documents obtained by Education Week via open-records requests show that over the past year, state agencies have discussed the possibility of sharing a breathtaking amount of data. That included more than 2.5 million records related to Floridians who received involuntary psychiatric examinations, records for over 9 million people placed in foster care, diagnosis and treatment records for substance abusers, unverified criminal reports of suspicious activity, reports on students who were bullied and harassed because of their race or sexual orientation, and more.

A data template provided by the Florida Department of Education in response to an open-records request suggests the scope of the database has since been narrowed, the result of worries that sharing some of those records might violate state and federal privacy laws. Officials from the department have not provided substantive responses to multiple requests over several weeks for information and clarification.

Nor have state education officials responded substantively to multiple requests to clarify the status of their effort to hire a company to monitor Floridians social media posts for possible threats. Earlier this year, the department scrapped and then restarted its bid process on the initiative, despite already being months behind a state-imposed deadline.

As the nations most aggressive attempt to date to expand digital surveillance in the name of school safety has run into hurdles, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has fumed. In February, he called the states halting progress unacceptable, part of an executive order demanding that the data repository be up and running by Aug. 1, before the start of the new school year.

Privacy advocates, however, say that kind of demand for immediate action, without a full consideration of the potentially harmful implications of such powerful surveillance tools, is what caused Floridas troubles from the start.

It was never a good idea to try to implement a database this big, in this time frame, said Amelia Vance, the director of education privacy at the Future of Privacy Forum, a Washington think tank that has been closely tracking Floridas response to the Parkland shooting. The lack of forethought and consideration for what this will mean for individual children is really troubling.

Widespread Data Collection

Education Weeks investigation found that across the country, social media and related monitoring services used by schools are generating vast torrents of informationsome of which is alarming, but much of which is ambiguous, irrelevant, or ridiculous.

The Future of Privacy Forum is one of 40 organizations to sign on to a set of principles for school safety, privacy, and equity  that warns of the dangers of such widespread data collection and surveillance in the name of school safety.

The concerns are exponentially more pronounced in Florida, thanks to an oft-overlooked provision of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, passed last year in the wake of the Parkland school shooting.

The law mandates that the state departments of education and law enforcement coordinate to develop a centralized integrated data repository that provides access to timely, complete, and accurate information from a variety of state agencies, plus social media.

To figure out what data should be included, the state education department surveyed more than a half-dozen Florida agencies, as well as a few school districts, according to documents obtained by Education Week.

The department outlined scenarios it said might indicate a potential school shooter, despite the lack of clarity in the field as to whether any such profile can be considered reliable. In a request sent to multiple state agencies, the department said it wanted to know about any data that might show feelings of anger and persecution; a desire for revenge; a history of substance abuse, violence, or mental illness; school disciplinary problems; and access to weapons. The agencies were asked to describe the records in their possession that might help identify such potential warning signs, as well as any legal barriers to sharing that information.

The scope of the data discussed in the responses from state agencies was eyebrow-raising:

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement cited numerous relevant databases it administers, maintains, or has access to. One of them, known as InSite, is meant to be the states criminal intelligence information sharing platform and includes suspicious activity reports, tips, and other information that needs to be verified before law enforcement agencies can rely upon it.

The states child welfare department described records covering 9 million people since 2004, including foster-care placement information and data collected by child protective services investigators. The information could be shared into the data repository, the department wrote, so long as the only other agencies involved were the departments of education, juvenile justice, and law enforcement.

Floridas Baker Act Reporting Center said it had more than 2.5 million records of involuntary psychiatric examinations done since 2000. It was also generating data on petitions and orders for involuntary psychiatric placements. But HIPAA, the nations main health-information privacy law, likely precludes release of such information, the center wrote.

The state Department of Children & Families said it had more than 5.6 million records on 3.3 million distinct clients, covering substance abuse and mental health outcome, demographic, and service data, as well as client treatment records. HIPAA would likely restrict sharing, the department wrote, as would state statutepossibly unless the Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act was amended.

Floridas Department of Juvenile Justice sounded an optimistic note about its ability to share information on the 422,000 youth in its database, including details of their offenses committed and supervision received.

The Florida Department of Education likewise cited a wide range of potential data: Students course schedules. Their participation in scholarship and dropout-prevention programs. Whether theyve ever been homeless. Their immunization status. Possibly the Individualized Education Plans of students in special education, and any history of restraint and seclusion. Whether a student had ever been bullied or harassed based on their protected status, such as disability, race, or religion.

And a handful of school districts responded with a wide range of information that might be relevant, including information on student health services, disciplinary histories, and survey responses. State and federal data-privacy laws could, however, be a barrier to sharing much of that information, the districts wrote.

Critics expressed alarm at the states approach, saying it appeared driven by narrow concern for what was legal, with little apparent consideration for what was appropriate and ethical.

It sounds like a fishing expedition for information about Floridians, said Rachel Levinson-Waldman, a lawyer with the liberty and national security program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University law school.

Far-Reaching Approach

Officials from the state education department did not respond substantively to requests for an interview or more detailed information.

A data template spreadsheet, dated July 30, 2018, and provided by the education department, suggests that officials settled on a somewhat more limited range of data to populate the states initial data repository.

Among the information outlined in the template:

Data from the state education department on a wide range of behavioral and disciplinary incidents, including gang involvement, alcohol or drug possession, physical attacks, sexual assaults, and vandalism.

Information from the state education department on students identified as victims of bullying and harassment based on their protected status.

A wide range of criminal history information, including the InSite activity reports for which law enforcement requires further verification.

Information from the Florida Department of Children and Families on individuals histories of foster care placement.

State officials proposed that the system would be accessible to each Florida school districts threat assessment team. In order to make the effort legal under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, the teams members would need to be designated as school officials.

Liberal use of the school officials exception to FERPA in a wide variety of other contexts has prompted criticism from privacy advocates. Earlier this year, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the federal education department sought to clarify the conditions that must be met in order for law-enforcement officialsincluding the school resource officers who are often part of districts threat assessment teamsto be classified in this way.

The current status of Floridas effort to stand up its new centralized integrated data repository is unclear. State education officials did not provide more detailed information in response to multiple requests for clarification.

Experts who manage and study other such integrated data systems around the country have previously expressed concern about Floridas far-reaching approach, telling Education Week last year that such systems should not be used for surveillance.

Privacy advocates also worry that data ostensibly collected for the purpose of helping children may now be used to monitor and punish them.

This could deter people from reporting bullying, harassment, and substance abuse problems, said Vance of the Future of Privacy Forum. It undermines basic privacy principles, and it could undermine the trust that people need to have in government programs.

Social Media Monitoring

Further complicating matters, all the state records identified for inclusion in Floridas new data repository are required to be merged with information generated by monitoring social media statewide.

To date, though, Floridas process for selecting a vendor to provide that service has been rife with problems.

In its Intent to Negotiate document, first released last August, the state education department said it wanted a service that could provide around-the-clock, real-time monitoring of sites including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, Vimeo, and Tumblr. The department also said it wanted the ability to target searches using specific keywords and geographic areas.

The purpose, state education officials wrote, was to help school districts monitor threats of violence against students, employees, and schools, as well as signs of bullying, thoughts of suicide, and other issues regarding a students well-being.

Eight companies submitted initial bids. One promised real-time situational awareness of active-shooter situations. Another touted its leadership teams experience serving the U.S. Government in intelligence gathering, active monitoring, analytics, and near-perfect actionable intelligence to keep our children and communities safe.

The state education department announced Dec. 10 that it would award a contract worth an estimated $4.5 million over six years to a company called Abacode. Officials liked that the company was looking ahead to new threats on the horizon.

Imagine if a malicious actor took over a schools information page or cloned the school principals account and promulgated disinformation for the purpose of spreading panic or staging a physical attack, Abacode wrote in its bid.

Less than two weeks after the award was announced, however, a company called Social Sentinel, which already claims hundreds of K-12 school districts as clients, (including 15 in Florida) protested the decision, in part because unclear language in the state education departments initial invitation to negotiate led respondents to quote prices that were calculated in dramatically different ways.

The state responded by cancelling its award to Abacode and announcing its intent to rebid the project. Social Sentinel protested that, too. The urgency of preventing the next Parkland meant it should immediately get the state contract, the company argued, because it is the national leader on social media monitoring for school safety and was already in use by hundreds of school districts in 30 states, including 15 in Florida.

During an administrative hearing, a judge disagreed. The state education departments decision to cut its losses was reasonable under the circumstances, Judge Robert E. Meale wrote. The move to rebid the contract could proceed.

State education officials did not respond to multiple requests to clarify the current status of the bid process.
A recent photo of a group of teachers smiling and holding a noose at a Palmdale, Calif., elementary school has caused understandable outrage about the racial sensitivity of educators. As someone who has worked in hundreds of districts across the countryincluding Palmdaleon issues of racial literacy and cultural awareness, I must say that the noose incident was not surprising. While many districts have not had a noose incident, they can still be teeming with racially hostile staff, creating a challenging learning environment for students of color.

Here are several pivotal steps that schools and school leaders should consider to create a more racially inclusive and healthy environment:

1. One-time diversity professional development is not enough. Many districts and schools commit themselves to a speaker who comes in once to discuss diversity, equity, or implicit bias, and then moves onto other compliance or curricular issues. Harmful attitudes, beliefs, and ignorance are hard to eliminate. Therefore, schools must commit themselves to sustained and intentional professional learning around race, racism, implicit bias, school-induced trauma, and other equity-focused efforts. This work needs to be sanctioned and supported at the district level where all schools and staff are part of the learning. Even if some teachers resist, and object to professional development on racial climate, and make comments such as we dont need this type of training, or this training is a waste of time, leaders need to double down and insist that everyone can improve in this area and proceed with the work that must be done.

2. Leaders need to lead. School leaders must play a pivotal role in having hard conversations and creating brave spaces to disrupt racist thinking and practices at their schools. Many leaders operate from a reactive point of view and not a proactive one. Leaders should be talking to their staffs regularly about how to create racially supportive schools and classrooms. Leaders must challenge their teachers around deficit-based thinking about students of color, and must let teachers know that there is zero tolerance for teachers when it comes to race-based jokes or pranks.

3. Bystanders need to speak up. In many schools, teachers often make racially inappropriate comments, say dismissive things, or state jokes that are racially insensitive. Their colleagues remain silent, do not disrupt such comments, laugh at them, and do not repudiate their colleagues for making offensive comments. Bystanders who remain silent in the face of inappropriate comments, gestures, jokes, and behaviors made by colleagues are complicit in creating hostile learning communities. Bystanders need to demonstrate the courage to call their colleagues to task about inappropriate behaviors.

4. Racially diverse staff must be heard. In many schools, teachers and staff of color are all too aware of the hostile racial climate that exists in a school. Many speak up about how they and their students are subjected to racially inappropriate work environments. When such comments are made, leaders must listen to them, believe them, and take steps to address themimmediately. However, educators of color should not be expected to do the emotional labor of fixing or addressing such issues.

5. Parents and students deserve a say. Our most important stakeholders, students and parents, are frequently not listened to about school climate. Many students are aware of teachers who make disrespectful or racially demeaning comments. Many students are keenly aware of teachers who engage in differential treatment of students based on race. When school leaders receive recurring complaints about particular staff members, they must listen and act. Moreover, many parents and caregivers are also aware of teachers who are often dismissive and disrespectful of parents of color. Leaders must create spaces to bring together parents and caregivers and listen to their experiences with certain school personnel.
To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020.
TT 2019: Opening race day moved to Sunday

The opening race day for TT 2019 has been moved from Saturday to Sunday because of a lack of qualifying time.

TT Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson has confirmed that due to the amount of qualifying time already lost due to bad weather this week, the first TT Race day, originally scheduled for Saturday, will now take place on Sunday with Saturday becoming an additional day of qualifying.

The revised schedule for the weekend is as follows:

SATURDAY 1st JUNE 2019

10.15: Barrule Park, Ramsey to Bungalow closed

10.30: Bungalow to Creg Ny Baa closed

11.00: Rest of the TT Course closed

11.40: Superbike/ Superstock/ Supersport/ Newcomers (except Lightweight)

13.10: Sidecar qualifying

14.50: Supersport/ Lightweight/ All Newcomers

15.45: Sidecar qualifying (1 lap)

16.10: Superbike/ Superstock (1 lap)

16.30: TT Zero (1 lap)

17.30: Roads open except Mountain section

18.30: All roads open around the Course

SUNDAY 2ND JUNE

12.00: Barrule Park, Ramsey to Bungalow closed

12.15: Bungalow to Creg Ny Baa closed

12.45: Rest of the TT course closed

13.30: RST Superbike Race

15.50: Locate.im Sidecar TT Race

17.30: Roads open except Mountain section

18.30: All Roads open
School districts across the country struggle to hire staff that reflect changing student demographics. But could the answer to that ongoing problem lie in developing a strategy to hire more principals of color?



A working paper by Jason Grissom, an associate professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University, and Brendan Bartanen, a doctoral student at the university, strongly suggests yes.

They found that having a black principal at a school increased the likelihood that newly-hired teachers would be black by 5 to 7 percentage points, and that changing from a white principal to a black principal increased the percentage of black teachers by 3 percentage points on average. Black teachers stayed in their roles longer in schools led by black principalsreducing black teacher mobility by 2 to 5 percent, they said.

Over time, changing a schools leader from a white to a black principal increased the proportion of black teachers in a school after five years by 5.3 percentage points in Missouri and 5.2 percentage points in Tennessee, the two states that were the subject of the research on how principals race affect the racial makeup of school staff.

The increase in the share of black teachers was accomplished through an increase in the hiring and retention of black teachers. Both black and white principals were more likely to hire teachers who are the same race as they are. That was more evident among teachers who were transferring from one school to another than with novice teachers, the researchers found.



They also found evidence to suggest that having black teachers increased achievement in math for black students. And even in the absence of hiring a black teacher, there were positive math gains for black students under a black principal.

The paper, School Principal Race and the Hiring and Retention of Racially Diverse Teachers, was published this month by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University.

It does suggest that hiring more black principals could be one way to get to increased diversity of the workforce in a school, Grissom said. Certainly we see that in Missouri and in Tennesseewhen black principals come in, the composition changes.

School districts are grappling with how to diversify the educator workforce as student demographics change. While students of color make up the majority of those enrolled in public schools, the educator workforce looks very different. About 80 percent of teachers are white and only about 20 percent of principals are people of color.

Whats Behind The Numbers?

Theres a ton of things happening here. Both black and white principals are relying on their networkswhich tend to be segregated by raceto find candidates for teaching positions. But networks alone dont quite explain the pattern of same-race hiring for both black and white principals. The pattern continued for principals and teachers for whom the researchers were unable to establish a connection.

And it also wasnt that black principals were simply taking black teachers from their previous schools with them when they went to lead a new school, they said.

It seems to be a little bit more nuanced than that, Bartanen said.

Principalsboth black and whitewere hiring candidates who tended to have higher qualifications, more experience, and higher ratings on effectiveness measures like observations and evaluations, they said.

Are black teachers choosing to go to schools that are helmed by black principals?

Bartanen said they cant say for certain based on the data they had access to, but there is some suggestion from the data that theres teacher-driven behavior at play.

Higher-quality teachers may be choosing to apply to schools or move to schools where they are going to have a same-race principal, Bartanen said. It seems to be that principals are, in part, making the decisions because they are facing a labor market where they are more likely to get applications from higher-quality, same-race teachers.

That begs the question, should there be concern about racial bias in the selection and hiring process?

A study by Diana DAmico, a professor at George Mason University, which was published in 2017, argued that racial bias could be one of the reasons for the small percentage of black teachers in the teaching workforce. The study, on the Fairfax County, Va., school district, said there was discrimination in the districts hiring process, with black teacher-applicants less likely to receive job offers even when they had on average more experience and advanced degrees than white applicants.

But Grissom said he and Bartanen did not have enough data or insight into the application and hiring processlike what made teachers more likely to apply for a jobto answer that question. However, data from Tennessee showing that both black and white principals hired teachers who were better qualified indirectly points to that not being the case, Grissom said.

At least indirectly, its not consistent with the idea that people are hiring purely on the basis of race, Grissom said. Instead, what we think is happening is that people are drawing on hiring networks, for example, and they are getting qualified people.

Relying on their networks, however, shapes the applicant pool and may also affect decisions made thereafter, he said, but its not happening in a way that is producing or that means that they are hiring people who are less effective by the measures that we have in our data.

As for why black principals appear to have an effect on black students math achievement even in the absence of hiring a black teacher, Bartanen said that it could be similar to the ways that principals, regardless of race, impact schoolsthrough indirect means like creating a positive culture and climate in buildings.

But there may be additional ways that black principals had influence on academic results. Changing discipline policies could be one example. Another could be through role-modeling, similar to the way that black teachers influence black students behaviors, Bartanen said.

This role modeling effect seems to be an important reason, for instance, why black students do better with black teachers, Bartanen said. I think you can make the same argument for principals, particularly since the principal is the leader of the building; they are seen as someone in a position of authority.

Targeting Pipelines

So what can districts learn from this?

First, there are some limitations to the study. The educator workforce in both states is less diverse than the rest of the country, so Grissom cautions against generalizing the data.

Still, he said, the research suggests that hiring principals of color could be a strategy to increase the percentage of teachers of color who work in school districts.

Leadership diversity is important by itself, Grissom said, but we document in the paper that there are achievement differences for black students that are associated with the presence of a black principal.

There is this connection between leadership diversity and differential outcomes for kids, he continued. There is also this connection between...leadership diversity and teacher diversity. There are multiple ways that leadership diversity appears to be important. I dont think we have been thinking enough about diversifying the leadership workforce in public schools, and we should be thinking about that. What districts do about that is a really hard question.

Leadership diversity must be an important part of any discussions that districts are having about staffing and talent development, he said. In some ways, district leaders face fewer hurdles when it comes to leadership diversity because, by and large, they already know where the candidates are going to come from: the teachers of color in their districts.

District leaders must be strategic about spotting and developing that talent, Grissom and Bartanen said. Educator preparation programs can also play a role in helping districts recruit, train, support and retain principals of color by developing closer relationships with districts that want to diversify their leadership workforce and creating partnerships between the two.

Its not going to be just one strategy, Grissom said. There are multiple actors that are going to have to be involved.

While district leaders may not be able to change the demographic makeup of their states teacher pool in the short term, they can think about how to attract the teachers of color who are already working in the state to their districts, Bartanen said. One way to do that is by hiring principals of color, he said.

What our analysis suggests is that given that pool of teachers throughout a state...having a diverse principal workforce can actually serve to increase the diversity of the district even without increasing the [teacher] pipeline, he said. Its not just thinking about the pipeline of who goes into teaching, but also we have who we have... As a district leader, what can I do given the pool of teachers in my state? What can I do to get more teachers of color into schools that presumably my students of color can benefit from?

Of course there is a kind of chicken or egg argument here. The logic is that one way to attract more teachers of color is to hire more principals of color. But because principals are primarily drawn from the teaching ranks, that could create a supply problem since teachers of color are in short supply.

Next Steps for Districts

A next step for districts might be drilling down into how individual principals make hiring decisions because some are clearly more successful than others in finding and retaining qualified teachers of color, Grissom said.

Additional work is needed to understand the hiring process and what its like in schools that are led by black principals. Not only were black teachers more likely to stay in those schools, but in Tennessee, they reported higher job satisfaction and had more positive perceptions of their bosses, he said.

There is something about their job experience thats different, Grissom said. We need to understand a lot more about what is different about those experiences. I think we are just scratching the surface here, and there is a lot more to understand about how black teachers experiences are shaped and formed by the presence of a principal of color.

Image: Getty
Arab leaders meet in Mecca

Saudi Arabia's King Salman opened an emergency summit of Gulf Arab leaders in the holy city of Mecca with a call for the international community to use all means to confront Iran.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman opened an emergency summit of Arab leaders in Mecca with a call for the international community to use all means to confront Iran.

SUADI ARABIA URGES INTERNATIONAL ATTEMPT TO THWART IRAN

Iranian attacks on Gulf targets must be met with 'strength and firmness,' Saudi Arabia's King Salman tells Gulf leaders at summit.

The summits came a day after hawkish US National Security Advisor John Bolton said Iran was almost certainly behind this months sabotage of four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE coast. Iran rejected the charge.

Tensions have also spiked between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks, with the US sending an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of arming Yemeni rebels behind the pipeline attack. Iran denies being involved in the incidents.

In his opening remarks, King Salman called on the international community to thwart Iran's behaviors and for "using all means to stop the Iranian regime from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, harboring global and regional terrorist entities and threatening international waterways." "I would like to reconfirm our absolute rejection of the American attempts to bring down international law and international legitimacy under what is called the 'Deal of the Century'," Salman said, adding that it attempts to replace "land for peace" with "land for prosperity".

Iraq, meanwhile, struck a sharply different tone. President Barham Salih said in his remarks that Iran is a Muslim country and neighbor. "We do not hope for its security to be targeted since we are sharing 1,400 kilometers of border and a number of relations," he told the gathering of Arab League heads of state.
Ex-defence secretary hopes to enhance status in early elections

At a Thursday press conference, Avigdor Lieberman expressed hope that his party would win at least 17 Knesset seats in the upcoming election.

Avigdor Lieberman, head of Israels right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, hopes to consolidate his position in snap elections slated for Sept. 17.

EARLY ELECTIONS

The Knesset (Israels parliament) on Wednesday called for early elections after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government. Under Israeli law, Netanyahu, who is also leader of Israels Likud party, had until midnight Wednesday to form a workable coalition. Seventy-four lawmakers approved the assemblys dissolution while 45 voted against the move.

Reasserting his pro-settlement stance, Lieberman also stressed his refusal to allow Benny Gantz, leader of Israels centrist Blue and White coalition, to hold the post of prime minister.

He also reiterated calls to demolish the Palestinian West Bank village of Khan al-Ahmar and impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of terrorism.

Netanyahu, for his part, accuses Lieberman of misleading voters and forcing a snap election. The upcoming poll will be Israels second general election this year. On April 9, Netanyahu secured a record fifth term as premier after his Likud party won 36 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
One Palestinian refuee killed in West Bank

According to the witnesses, 16-year-old was killed while trying to enter Jerusalem to perform Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa.

A Palestinian teenager was killed Friday and another injured by Israeli army troops in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources.

ONE PALESTINIAN KILLED

A Palestinian medical source at a hospital in the West Bank city of Beit Jala said that two young Palestinians had been brought to the hospital after having been shot by Israeli soldiers.

One of them died shortly after arrival, the source told Anadolu Agency, adding that the second was currently in stable condition.

The same source identified the slain Palestinian as 16-year-old Abdullah Ghaith from the Fawwar refugee camp near the West Bank city of Al-Khalil (Hebron).

Witnesses told Anadolu Agency earlier that the two youths had been shot while trying to cross the separation barrier between Bethlehem and Jerusalem to perform Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli authorities have banned Palestinian men under 40 from entering Jerusalem on Fridays during Ramadan unless they have special permits.
Peskov: Putin discusses Syria with Security Council

Russian President Vladimir Putin voices concern over attacks by terrorist militants, says spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Syrias Idlib province with the country's security council Friday.

CONCERNS ABOUT THE ATTACKS HAVE BEEN VOICED

Putin voiced concern over "the ongoing attacks and shelling by terrorist militants", said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Turning to the S-400 air defense system deal between Russia and Turkey, Peskov reaffirmed that it is being implemented. He said he did not have information on Russias alleged refusal to sell the S-400 system to Iran and called on the media to carefully verify such reports.

Turkey decided in 2017 to purchase the S-400 system following protracted efforts to purchase air defense systems from the US with no success. Following Ankaras example, other countries have launched negotiations with Russia on purchasing the S-400 system.
Suicide attack killed 4 in Kabul

The attack comes a day after an identical assault by Daesh militants on the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul that killed six people.

A suicide car bombing aimed at a US military convoy killed at least four civilians in the Afghan capital Kabul, an official confirmed on Friday.

FOUR DEAD THREE INJURED

The attack took place in the Wazeer Qala area on a highway to the city of Jalalabad to the east of Kabul during the morning rush-hour, Interior Ministry Spokesman Nusrat Rahimi told Anadolu Agency.

A suicide car packed with explosives rammed into an armored US military convoy, killing four civilians in the vicinity and injuring three others, he said.

The NATO-led Resolute Support mission has yet to comment on the attack, though the local BBC Pashto reported at least four American soldiers were also injured in the bombing claimed by the Taliban.

In a statement posted on the social media, the insurgents claimed that 10 foreign soldiers have been killed and two armored vehicles destroyed.
Trump signed the invasion map

As the Trumps son in law visited Jerusalem to promote his Middle East peace plan, Jared Kushner gifted Netanyahu a map that showed the annexed territory of the Golan Heights as part of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed off a new State Department map of Israel autographed by Trump during a televised statement, telling viewers that it marks the Golan Heights as part of Israel and that Trump had written "Nice" on it.

INVASION MAP

Trump sent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a signed map of Israel with the disputed Golan Heights incorporated into Israel territory.

Netanyahu said the map was a gift from Trump's son in law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who is visiting Jerusalem as part of a swing through several countries in the region.

This map had not been updated since the Six Day War, Netanyahu told reporters, referring to the 1967 Middle East war, after which Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria. He pointed to a note scribbled on the map, which he called Trump's personal handiwork. "Here is the signature of Trump, and he writes nice. I say, very nice."




Trump threatens tariffs on Mexican trade in response to migrants

Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States will impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods coming from Mexico starting on June 10 until illegal immigration across the southern border is stopped.

Donald Trump said Thursday that Washington will impose 5 percent tariffs on Mexican goods to increase pressure to stem a "sustained influx of illegal aliens."

"SUSTAINED INFLUX OF ILLEGAL ALIENS"

The new penalties will go into force June 10 and will continue until "the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico," Trump said in a statement. The tariffs will hike to 10 percent July 1 "if the crisis persists," Trump said vaguely, and will continue to increase 5 percent each month until they hit 25 percent in October.

"Tariffs will permanently remain at the level of 25 percent unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory," he said. "Should Mexico choose not to cooperate on reducing unlawful migration, the sustained imposition of Tariffs will produce a massive return of jobs back to American cities and towns."

The president has pursued a hardline approach to migration, both legal and illegal, since coming to office, and has particularly singled out Mexico for what he says is a lack of action to stem migrant flows from Central America where people are fleeing destitute conditions including rampant poverty and gang violence in the hopes of securing asylum in the US.

Trump is using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose the tariffs. It allows presidents to impose import duties during a national emergency, which Trump declared in February to free up funds for his long-promised border wall on the US-Mexico border.

Critics, primarily Democrats and legal groups, however, have insisted no such emergency exists, viewing the declaration as an act of political theater for the president to play to his base. It is unclear how the duties will affect a trilateral free trade agreement the US agreed to with Canada and Mexico last year, but which has yet to be ratified. The Trump administration has been seeking to have it pass Congress so that the North American Free Trade Agreement can be replaced.
Turkish airstrikes hit PKK terror targets in N.Iraq

The Turkish Armed Forces launched Operation Claw against the PKK terror group on Monday.

Turkish airstrikes on Friday hit PKK terrorist targets in northern Iraq as part of the ongoing Operation Claw, officials said.

THE SHELTERS OF TERRORISTS HAS BEEN DESTROYED

The jets pounded weapon positions, shelters, and ammunition depots used by terrorists in Zap region, the National Defense Ministry said in a tweet.

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 some 40,000 people, including women and children.
US and China trade war accelerates

China threatened to unveil an unprecedented hit-list of unreliable foreign firms, groups and individuals that harm the interests of Chinese companies.

China on Friday announced it would release its list of foreign "non-reliable entities".

"NON- RELIABLE ENTITIES"

According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, foreign entities that "conduct straggling efforts on Chinese companies" will be added to the list, the state-run daily Global Times reported.

The step comes amid an ongoing US-China trade war that witnessed both sides increasing tariffs on the other's exports while Washington banned its companies from doing business with Chinese tech giant Huawei.

Chinas retaliatory tariffs on $60 billion US goods will come in effect on Saturday following Washington's previous tariffs of 25 percent on $200 billion of Chinese goods. Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson Gao Feng told reporters in Beijing today that the move came "after some foreign entities violated market rules and the spirit of contracts to block the supply or take other discriminative measures against Chinese companies." "It damaged the legitimate rights of Chinese entities and jeopardized China's national security," he argued.

The so-called "non-reliable entity list" list will include foreign entities, individuals and companies that block and shut the supply chain, or take discriminatory measures against Chinese companies. Companies whose actions endanger the business of Chinese companies will also be added to the list. Gao, however, said: what will happen to those included in the list will be announced in the near future."
WASHINGTON, May 31, 2019 -- Every winter, thousands of tourists head north hoping to catch a glimpse of the luminous auroras dancing in the sky. In this episode of Reactions, we're sharing tips on how to increase your chances of seeing one and breaking down the chemistry behind the colors of this awe-inspiring wonder: https://youtu.be/8S_LPFOa-zs.

###

Reactions is a video series produced by the American Chemical Society and PBS Digital Studios. Subscribe to Reactions at http://bit.ly/ACSReactions, and follow us on Twitter @ACSreactions.

The American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. ACS does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive press releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Follow us: Twitter Facebook Instagram
Chestnut Hill, Mass. (5/31/2019) - Boston College Assistant Professor of Chemistry Jia Niu is one of 10 researchers from across the U.S. to be named a Beckman Young Investigator, which carries with it a four-year, $600,000 grant to support the chemist's research into sustainably-oriented polymers.

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation selected its 2019 class of Beckman Young Investigator Awardees from more than 300 applicants from U.S. colleges and universities.

"I am very grateful to the Beckman Foundation for providing this generous support," said Niu. "This is tremendous encouragement to our research team, including talented and hard-working postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers."

Niu's research group is interested in developing novel precision macromolecules with tailor-made structures and sequences, and applying them to address pressing needs in biomedicine, materials, and environmental sciences.

With the support from the Beckman Young Investigator Award, Niu said his team will develop a new platform technology for creating new sustainable polymers with precisely controlled backbone structures, thereby generating novel materials that can self-assemble, become elastic, or can be responsive to external stimuli.

BC Professor and Chairman of the Department of Chemistry Marc Snapper praised the selection of Niu among the most promising early-career scientists in the country. Niu is the first BC faculty member to receive a Beckman Young Investigator Award.

"The department is incredibly proud of this prestigious recognition that Professor Niu has received," said Snapper. "We hope we can continue to provide a supportive environment that allows impressive scholars like Jia to thrive."

Niu's fellow recipients are from UCLA, Dartmouth College, University of North Carolina, Harvard University, Caltech, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University. They were selected following a three-part review led by a panel of scientific experts.

"The awardees exemplify the Foundation's mission of supporting the most promising young faculty members in the early stages of their academic careers in the chemical and life sciences, particularly to foster the invention of methods, instruments and materials that will open up new avenues of research in science," the foundation said in a news release.

This year's award offers $600,000 in funding over four years to each of the recipients.

"Our new 2019 BYI awardees are tackling a broad range of challenges, from production of sustainable plastics and batteries, to new rapid genetic screening techniques for cancer therapies, to modeling of magnetic quantum materials, among others," said Dr. Anne Hultgren, Executive Director of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. "We're very excited to welcome these exceptional scientists to the Beckman family, and look forward to seeing their progress over the next few years."

###

Located in Irvine, California, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation supports researchers and nonprofit research institutions in making the next generation of breakthroughs in chemistry and the life sciences. Founded in 1978 by 20th century scientific instrumentation pioneer Dr. Arnold O. Beckman, the Foundation supports United States institutions and young scientists whose creative, high-risk, and interdisciplinary research will lead to innovations and new tools and methods for scientific discovery. For more information, visit beckman-foundation.org.
An international team of researchers has discovered a new and much safer way to treat a type of leukaemia that mainly affects children: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)

An international team of researchers has discovered a new and much safer way to treat a type of leukaemia that mainly affects children: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).

Published this week in Science Translational Medicine, the research is a joint effort of Children's Cancer Institute (Australia), VIB-KU Leuven (Belgium) and UK Dementia Research Institute (England), and is an important breakthrough in the effort to find safer ways to treat T-ALL

"Children with T-ALL are at high-risk of a poor outcome and so are given very intensive chemotherapy,' said Dr Charles de Bock, Team Leader at Children's Cancer Institute. 'Many of these children suffer long-term effects of this aggressive treatment. There is therefore a great need for new therapies that can minimise these effects."

The breakthrough involves drugs called gamma-secretase inhibitors, which work by inhibiting the action of the enzyme 'gamma-secretase', an important driver in many cases of T-ALL. Previously, gamma-secretase inhibitors were found to be unsuitable as a treatment for children because of their toxicity. However, this latest research appears to have found a way around the problem.

In an interesting twist, Alzheimer's disease researchers have been studying the same enzyme, as it is known to be involved in the processing of amyloid-beta which is strongly linked to neurodegeneration. Professor Bart De Strooper, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research and UK Dementia Research Institute, and a collaborator on the T-ALL research, explains: "Gamma-secretase is a complex that exists in very different versions. Clinical trials have been performed using non-selective inhibitors that target all versions of the complex equally. We wanted to explore whether inhibiting specific versions could fine-tune the treatment and reduce side-effects."

Dr de Bock and fellow cancer researcher, Dr Roger Habets, VIB-KU Leuven, looked closely at gamma-secretase in cells, finding that the relative abundance of different versions of the complex was strikingly different in leukemia cells compared with healthy cells. This led to a range of laboratory experiments which showed that targeting just one version of the complex stopped T-ALL from growing, without causing the toxicity previously associated with this class of drugs.

Dr de Bock is optimistic about the rapid translation of this research into the clinic. "Historically, these types of drugs have had very limited success due to their toxicity. Now, for the first time, we have provided proof that selectively targeting a specific version of the gamma-secretase complex is both effective and safe."

"In the future, it may even prove possible to use this approach for other types of cancer, and potentially some other diseases" he added.

Originally trained in Australia, de Bock spent several years at VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology before joining Children's Cancer Institute in January 2019 to establish his own research team. In his new role, he hopes to significantly improve understanding of how T-ALL develops, as well as continue working on new therapies.

"I'm passionate about seeing our research translate into better outcomes for people with cancer," said de Bock. "There's not a day in the lab that I don't feel excited about what we are going to find out next."

###

Habets et al (2019). Safe targeting of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia by pathology-specific NOTCH inhibition. Science Translational Medicine

Media Contact:

Children's Cancer Institute:

Ashleigh Addison

ash@uptowncomms.com

Phone: 0418 274 428

About Children's Cancer Institute

Originally founded by two fathers of children with cancer in 1976, Children's Cancer Institute is the only independent medical research institute in Australia wholly dedicated to research into the causes, prevention and cure of childhood cancer. Forty years on, our vision remains unchanged - to save the lives of all children with cancer and to eliminate their suffering.

The Institute has grown to now employ nearly 300 researchers, operational staff and students, and has established a national and international reputation for scientific excellence. Our focus is on translational research, and we have an integrated team of laboratory researchers and clinician scientists who work together in partnership to discover new treatments which can be progressed from the lab bench to the beds of children on wards in our hospitals as quickly as possible.

These new treatments are specifically targeting childhood cancers, so we can develop safer and more effective drugs and drug combinations that will minimize side-effects and ultimately give children with cancer the best chance of a cure with the highest possible quality of life.

More at http://www.ccia.org.au

About VIB

Basic research in life sciences is VIB's raison d'etre. VIB is an independent research institute where some 1,500 top scientists from Belgium and abroad conduct pioneering basic research. As such, they are pushing the boundaries of what we know about molecular mechanisms and how they rule living organisms such as human beings, animals, plants and microorganisms. Based on a close partnership with five Flemish universities - Ghent University, KU Leuven, University of Antwerp, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Hasselt University - and supported by a solid funding program, VIB unites the expertise of all its collaborators and research groups in a single institute. VIB's technology transfer activities translate research results into concrete benefits for society such as new diagnostics and therapies and agricultural innovations. These applications are often developed by young start-ups from VIB or through collaborations with other companies. This also leads to additional employment and bridges the gap between scientific research and entrepreneurship. VIB also engages actively in the public debate on biotechnology by developing and disseminating a wide range of science-based information. More info can be found on http://www.vib.be
New research presented at this year's Euroanaesthesia congress (the annual meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology) in Vienna, Austria (1-3 June) shows that commonly used anaesthetic drugs still work, even after exposure to the extreme environmental conditions of the Antarctic. The study was conducted by Professor Major Ricardo Navarro-Suay of Hospital Central de la Defensa "Gomez Ulla", Madrid, Spain (who serves in the Spanish Armed Forces) and colleagues.

Anaesthetists can find themselves working in a wide range of situations and challenging conditions where the supply of medicines can be interrupted or drug efficacy could be altered by environmental factors. This can introduce uncertainties into planning how anaesthetics will be used during a procedure, which in turn can impact patient safety.

The authors studied the effects of exposing four commonly used anaesthetic drugs (fentanyl citrate, etomidate, rocuronium bromide and suxamethonium chloride) to Antarctic weather conditions to determine whether these compounds could be safely and reliably used in such environments.

To evaluate the impact of environmental factors on anaesthetic drugs, the four selected drugs were subjected to the extreme polar climate of Deception Island in Antarctica, with vials of each drug left outside in clear plastic bags (see poster) but nothing to protect them from the bitterly cold conditions.

Measurements were taken of the maximum and minimum values of; daily temperature, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, amount of sunlight, rain, and solar radiation. Drug vials were then examined at 24, 48, and 72 hours for damage to the container itself, any changes or deterioration of the medicine inside, and a detailed chemical analysis was performed to measure any loss of potency of the compounds using high resolution liquid chromatography.

The team found that despite being exposed to Antarctic conditions for up to 72 hours, the drugs were well within the allowed margins of security (99-110%). To explain further how a result of 110% could be achieved, Major Navarro-Suay says: "Sometimes a drug can be changed or improved with weather conditions, like light or cold. The drug administration security interval is from 95 to 110% so these results show we could employ these drugs safely to patients under the extreme conditions like the polar weather found in Antarctica."

He concludes: "This chemical analysis shows that using the common anaesthetic drugs fentanyl, etomidate, rocuronium bromide and suxamethonium chloride appears safe even in this extreme environment in Antarctica."

###
Nicotine and caffeine withdrawal can cause unnecessary suffering to patients in intensive care units (ICUs), and could be leading to unneeded laboratory testing and diagnostic imaging such as X-rays and MRIs, according to a systematic review of clinical and observational studies involving 483 adults.

The findings are being presented at this year's Euroanaesthesia congress (the annual meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology) in Vienna, Austria (1-3 June).

"Nicotine and caffeine are some of the most commonly used and highly addictive substances in modern society, but they are often overlooked as a potential source of significant withdrawal symptoms when abruptly discontinued in ICU", explains Associate Professor Maya Belitova from University Hospital "Tsaritsa Yoanna" - ISUL, Sofia, Bulgaria who led the research.

"Withdrawal symptoms including nausea, vomiting, headaches, and delirium can last for up to 2 weeks. These symptoms resemble conditions such as meningitis, encephalitis, and intracranial haemorrhage--this may confuse clinical diagnosis and result in unnecessary tests which can cause patient harm, cost a lot of money, and waste time."

In Europe, up to 27% of the population smokes, and more than half drink coffee. The systematic review, synthesising all the available evidence from the scientific literature, included 12 studies investigating withdrawal symptoms and treatment in ICUs between 2000 and 2018, involving 483 adults (aged 18-93).

Results showed that acute nicotine withdrawal substantially increases agitation (64% smokers vs 32% non-smokers) and the number of tracheal tube and intravenous line displacements caused by agitation in ICU patients (14% smokers vs 3% non-smokers).

However, nicotine substitution therapy was shown to contribute to the development of ICU delirium (severe confusion and disorientation)--which is associated with prolonged intubation, increased length of stay, and greater risk of dying.

Abrupt caffeine withdrawal leads to drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and can increase rates of ICU delirium. Caffeine benzoate has been successfully used to treat headaches but substitution in the ICU has a limited evidence base.

"ICU patients may benefit from nicotine substitution or caffeine supplementation, but with little evidence for their effectiveness, this should be left up to the judgement of treating physicians", says Professor Belitova. "There is lack of evidence on abrupt caffeine withdrawal, its complications and therapeutic options. Future research should focus on acute caffeine withdrawal as an independent risk factor for agitation and delirium in ICU and on available treatment options."

###
Child deaths have fallen in Brazil following complete smoking bans in public places, according to a new study.

Its authors, from Imperial College London, the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA), and Erasmus Medical Centre in the Netherlands, estimate that strengthening smoke-free legislation between 2000 and 2016 in Brazil averted over 15,000 deaths in children under one year old.

The new research is published today, World Health Organisation World No Tobacco Day, in the journal Tobacco Control.

Children are particularly harmed from exposure to smoke. In the womb, it affects foetal development and can increase the risk of pre-term birth or low birth-weight. Infants and children exposed to second-hand smoke have a higher risk of respiratory infections, asthma, and sudden infant death.

The new research is the first to analyse the impact of different types of smoking bans on child health in a middle-income country. Its authors argue that governments elsewhere should act to strengthen smoke-free legislation, to help protect children's' lives. Only 20 percent of the world's population is covered by complete smoking bans. ?

In 2014, Brazil implemented comprehensive smoke-free legislation across the country, banning smoking in all public areas that were partly or completely enclosed, including bars and restaurants. The study found this was associated with a 5.2 per cent reduction in infant mortality and a 3.4 per cent reduction in neonatal mortality, after taking into account underlying trends and other factors which could affect child health.

The researchers also found complete bans were more effective than partial ones in reducing infant deaths. Prior to 2014, 17 states in Brazil introduced partial bans - for example allowing smoking rooms and smoking in partially-enclosed restaurants and bars - and nine adopted complete bans, covering all partly or completely enclosed public areas. Partial legislation was associated with a 3.3 per cent reduction in infant mortality, but no significant change in neonatal mortality.??

Scientists think that smoking bans reduce infant deaths by reducing the incidence of health problems directly linked to smoke exposure or smoking during pregnancy, such as sudden infant death syndrome and respiratory infections.

The differences in legislation in the different parts of Brazil before 2014 enabled the researchers to analyse how the trends in infant mortality rates varied as different types of smoke-free legislation came into play. Using the exact timings of the legislation allowed them to attribute changes in child health to smoking legislation rather than some other factor, such as a change in healthcare policy.

Dr Thomas Hone, the lead author on the study from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said: "You can see from Brazil's example how much of a difference we can make to children's health by completely banning smoking in public places. Unfortunately most of the world's people still aren't covered by comprehensive smoking bans. It's appalling that so many babies and children are being harmed by second-hand smoke when a relatively easy measure could help to prevent this."

Dr Andre Szklo from the Brazilian National Cancer Institute, said: "Children have the right to be protected against the harms caused by smoking. We call on governments around the world to introduce comprehensive smoke-free laws to protect child health."

Across Brazil, reductions in childhood deaths were greater in areas that were poorer or had lower levels of education, suggesting the smoking ban also contributed to reductions in health inequalities in Brazil.

To reach their conclusions, the researchers looked at data on all live births, infant deaths and neonatal deaths in Brazil between 2000 and 2016.

###
During the day, we experience a series of physical, mental and behavioural changes know as circadian rhythms. These changes are governed by a central clock, located in the hypothalamus, which lies in the centre of the brain. This clock is responsible for synchronizing our tissues to ensure that their functions are coordinated and that they work with the same clock.

Scientists at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) have revealed that although each tissue receives information from the central clock in order to coordinate its functions, each one also has the capacity to respond independently to variations in light and to detect changes in light intensity between the day and night.

Published in two papers in the journal Cell, the studies confirm that this autonomy allows tissues to maintain minimal functions even when another tissue in our body is failing. "The results of these studies are likely to be particularly relevant during aging and in diseases in which high tissue interdependence would lead to a general deterioration of the organism," says Salvador Aznar Benitah, head of the Stem Cells and Cancer Laboratory at IRB Barcelona.

Until now, there was no suitable animal model in which to test whether the clock regulating all our organs and tissues is coordinated by the brain or, as has been observed, whether these organs and tissue are capable of responding directly to the cyclic environmental changes that occur every day. This study, which has been conducted by IRB Barcelona, in collaboration with Paolo Sassone-Corsi's team at the University of California, Irvine (US), has been possible thanks to a new mouse model that has allowed researchers to isolate the communication of each tissue from the rest.

The first authors of this work, postdoctoral fellow Patrick Simon Welz and "La Caixa" PhD student Valentina Maria Zinna, both at IRB Barcelona, compared the circadian rhythms of the epidermis and liver of this mouse model--in which there is no communication between different tissues--with those of healthy mice and mice with an impaired central clock. Using this approach, they confirmed the autonomy of both kinds of tissue to respond to the variation in light that occurs as the day progresses.

The central clock communicates with the entire body

As already mentioned, although each tissue is autonomous, this does not imply the absence of communication with the rest of the body. "We confirmed that the central clock communicates from the brain with the rest of the body, providing useful information to ensure its correct function, informing, for example, the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas that it is time to eat and allowing them to prepare for digestion. But when this communication fails, each organ is able to know what time it is and thus to perform their basic functions," explains ICREA researcher Salvador Aznar Benitah.

"Our results have important implications for health," adds Aznar Benitah. Our current lifestyle exposes us to light when we should be in darkness. Given that each organ is able to respond independently to light, body functions that should occur during the day take place at night. This daily phase difference or social jet-lag might be responsible for premature aging and the development of certain pathologies.

###

The studies have been supported by the European Research Council (ERC), the Catalan Government, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (previously called MIMECO), the Botin Foundation, Banco Santander Universidades, the EU's Horizon 2020 Framework programme, and the "La Caixa" Banking Foundation.

Reference article:

Welz PS#, Zinna VM, Symeonidi A, Koronowski K, Kinouchi K, Smith JG, Guillen IM, Castellanos A, Prats N, Caballero JM, Sassone-Corsi P# and Benitah SA#.

Bmal1-drive tissue clocks respond independently to light to regulate homeostasis.

Cell (2019) DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.05.009

Kevin B. Koronowski1*, Kenichiro Kinouchi1*, Patrick-Simon Welz2, Valentina Maria Zinna2, Jiejun Shi3,4, Muntaha Samad5, Siwei Chen5, Jacob G. Smith1, Jason Kinchen6, Wei Li3,4, Pierre Baldi5, Salvador Aznar Benitah#, and Paolo Sassone-Corsi1#.

Defining the autonomy of the liver circadian clock.

Cell (2019) DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.04.025
In a new study published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, scientists from King's College London have found that young children with severe eczema infected with Staphylococcus aureus (SA) bacterium, are at a higher risk of developing a food allergy.

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a bacterium that can be found in the nose and the skin of healthy individuals.

However, SA is more common in sufferers of eczema, especially severe eczema.

When someone has an allergy, their immune system mistakes a harmless substance (such as eggs or peanuts) as an intruder and overreacts in response. Their body produces a molecule or else antibody known as Immunoglobin E (IgE).

When IgE encounters the intruder on the skin or within the body it releases chemicals, such as histamine that cause the allergic reaction.

The team of scientists found that young children with severe eczema who are infected with SA produce more IgE against peanut, egg and milk indicating they have a food allergy to each of these.

These children were also more likely to have their egg allergy persist at the age of 5 or 6 years in comparison to children that did not have SA present.

Lead author Dr Olympia Tsilochristou from King's College London said: "This is significant as most children with egg allergy usually outgrow this at an earlier age.

"We do not know yet the exact mechanisms that lead from eczema to food allergy however our results suggest that the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus could be an important factor contributing to this outcome."

These results build on the earlier ones from the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) study which demonstrated that infants who were at a high-risk of developing peanut allergy but consumed a peanut?containing snack throughout the study were prevented from later developing a peanut allergy.

In this current study, scientists found that children with SA on their skin and/or nose were more likely to develop peanut allergy despite them being fed with peanut from early ages as part of the LEAP study protocol.

Co-author Professor du Toit said: "These findings indicate that SA may have reduced the chance of young infants gaining tolerance to peanut, even if peanut was eaten in early childhood."

Professor Lack, who conceived and led the LEAP study, said that "SA could be considered as an additional risk factor for the development of food allergy."

###
MONTREAL, QC (30 May 2019)

Treatment guidelines for managing anaphylaxis in children should be reassessed, according to a new Canadian study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

Involving nearly 3,500 patients, it is the largest study to assess the clinical outcomes of pre-hospital treatment of anaphylaxis, including the use of epinephrine autoinjector, antihistamines (such as diphenhydramine known most commonly as its brand name Benadryl) and corticosteroids. Of the patients examined, 80 percent were children aged 1 to 17 years.

"We found that steroids, which are part of the treatment plan for managing anaphylaxis, can have a negative effect on patient outcomes," says AllerGen researcher Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the MUHC.

The researchers found that admission to the intensive care unit or the hospital ward was nearly three times more likely in cases where anaphylaxis was treated with steroids in the pre-hospital setting (e.g.: at home, at school, or with the paramedics).

"Although we could not comment on the use of steroids in the emergency department (ED) specifically, our results suggest that their role in anaphylaxis management guidelines should be reassessed," adds Dr. Ben-Shoshan, who is also an assistant professor of Pediatrics at McGill University.

The researchers analyzed data from nine EDs in five provinces across the country between 2011 and 2017, as part of AllerGen's nationwide Cross-Canada Anaphylaxis REgistry (C-CARE) project. C-CARE is led by Dr. Ben-Shoshan and is the first prospective study on anaphylaxis to assess the rate, triggers and management of anaphylaxis in different provinces and settings.

Anaphylaxis, a sudden and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, was defined in the study as a reaction affecting at least two organ systems (e.g.: problems breathing, hives on the skin, and/or a sudden drop in blood pressure).

The study also highlighted the benefit of using an epinephrine autoinjector to manage anaphylaxis.

"Our study shows, for the first time, that the use of an epinephrine autoinjector in the prehospital setting has a significant positive impact on the clinical management of anaphylaxis," says first author Sofianne Gabrielli, an AllerGen trainee and a research associate at the RI-MUHC. "We looked at the use of both epinephrine and antihistamines and found that when an epinephrine autoinjector was used before arriving at the hospital, patients were nearly five times less likely to require multiple doses of epinephrine in the ED to control anaphylaxis. This protective effect was much more significant than the protection achieved with antihistamines."

According to the researchers, these results suggest that current anaphylaxis management practices should be modified, at least as applies to the pre-hospital setting, to exclude steroids and to call for the administration of antihistamines only in conjunction with epinephrine in all cases of anaphylaxis.

"It is concerning that less than one-third of reactions were treated with an epinephrine autoinjector prior to arriving at the hospital," comments Jennifer Gerdts, a study co-author and Executive Director of Food Allergy Canada, a non-profit charitable organization that educates, supports and advocates for Canadians with food allergies and those who care for them.

"The findings from this study reinforce the need to equip individuals with the knowledge and confidence to assess the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, and to treat it swiftly with an epinephrine autoinjector when it occurs. Our current Give and Go campaign is one educational initiative intended to achieve this, but much more is required to understand and address this significant gap."

Among the study's other findings:

Less than one-third (31 percent) of anaphylactic reactions were treated with epinephrine before arriving at the hospital. Antihistamines were used in 46 percent of cases and steroids in 2 percent of cases in the pre-hospital setting.

The majority of the anaphylactic reactions were caused by food (79 percent), while 5 percent were caused by drugs and 2 percent by venom.

The most common food triggers causing anaphylaxis were peanut (21 percent), tree nut (15 percent), egg (7 percent), and milk (7 percent).

The majority of anaphylactic reactions were of moderate severity (74 percent) and the most common settings in which reactions occurred was at home (55 percent).

###

About AllerGen NCE Inc.

AllerGen NCE Inc. is a national research network dedicated to improving the quality of life of people suffering from allergic and related immune diseases. Funded by the Government of Canada through the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Program, the Network is hosted at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON.

About the Research Institute of the MUHC

The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and healthcare research centre. The Institute, which is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, is the research arm of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) - an academic health centre located in Montreal, Canada, that has a mandate to focus on complex care within its community. The RI-MUHC supports over 460 researchers and close to 1,300 research trainees devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental, clinical and health outcomes research at the Glen site and the Montreal General Hospital site of the MUHC. Its research facilities offer a dynamic multidisciplinary environment that fosters collaboration and leverages discovery aimed at improving the health of individual patients across their lifespan. The RI-MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de recherche du Quebec - Sante (FRQS). rimuhc.ca.

Media contacts:

Kim Wright

Director, Communications & Knowledge Mobilization

AllerGen NCE Inc.

Tel: 905-525-9140 ext. 26641

kimwright@allergen-nce.ca

Julie Robert

Communications --Research

Public Affairs and Strategic Planning

McGill University Health Centre

Tel: (514) 934-1934 ext. 71381

julie.robert@muhc.mcgill.ca
Scripps Research analyzed pharmacy insurance claims from over 35 million Americans, finding 'continual, marked, annual increases' of popular brand-name drugs, with price jumps often timed with competitors.

LA JOLLA, CA  After reviewing tens of millions of insurance claims for the countrys 49 most popular brand-name prescription drugs, a team from Scripps Research Translational Institute found that net prices rose by a median of 76 percent from January 2012 through December 2017with most products going up once or twice per year.

The substantial price increases were not limited to drugs that recently entered the marketplace, as one might expect, or to those lacking generic equivalents. In addition, the increases often were highly correlated with price bumps by competitors.

The researchers concluded that the current rebate system, which incentivizes high list prices for drugs and relies heavily on privately-negotiated rebates to pharmacies, plays a central role driving up costs for consumers. The byzantine and secretive rebate system, they noted, prevents consumers from making informed decisions about purchasing medications.

The study appears in the latest issue of JAMA Network Open.

Its no secret that health care prices are growing exponentially in the United States, but what has been less clear is the extent to which certain prescription drugs are contributing to that trendespecially when prices are clouded by a complicated rebate system, says lead author Nathan Wineinger, PhD, director of biostatistics at Scripps Research Translational Institute and assistant professor in Scripps Researchs Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology. By looking at price data for the most popular brand-name drugs, we found striking and consistent price increases occurring at regular intervals, regardless of competition in the marketplace.

The Scripps Research team obtained the prescription data from a proprietary Blue Cross and Blue Shield data set known as BCBS Axis, which includes commercial insurance claims from more than 35 million Americans covered by independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies in the United States.

With a focus on the 49 most popular brand-name drugs with pharmacy claim data available for the entirety of their five-year research window, Wineinger and his team, led by Eric Topol, MD, conducted a high-dimensional data analysis to examine each claims total price. This was represented by the total out-of-pocket costs paid by the insured consumer and the amount paid by the insurer.

Researchers determined that prices of top-selling branded prescription drugs increased by a median of 9.5 percent annually, which equates to a doubling in price every seven to eight years. And they found that pairs of brand-name drug competitors that treat similar conditionssuch as Humira and Enbrel, both for rheumatoid arthritisdemonstrated highly correlated price increases.

Its bad enough to see the relentless increase in drug prices, but this work underscores it is occurring without transparency or accountability, says Topol, founder and director of Scripps Research Translational Institute and executive vice president of Scripps Research. It is especially concerning to see drugs in the same class having increases that appear to be coordinated.

Wineinger explains that a prescription drugs list price is typically set by the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug, reflecting the payment shared by the insurer and the patient who buys the product at a pharmacy. However, drug companies increasingly offer rebates to organizations called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, which negotiate with pharmacies and insurance companies to determine which drugs are offered as preferred formulary options to insurance plan members.

Those rebates are returned to the pharmacy at a later date, paid out by drug companies based on the total sales volume of their products, and cannot be linked directly to any individual purchase. This makes prices especially difficult to track.

Some drug companies have defended list price increases by reasoning that rebates have increased at a similar clip. However, the researchers found that is not the case, and concluded that increases in list prices and a greater reliance on rebates are making drugs more expensive overall.

Accountability and transparency are essential to developing a better understanding of rising pharmacy costs, said Maureen Sullivan, chief strategy and innovation officer for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA). The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association developed the Alliance for Health Research to engage researchers in collaborative efforts to explore critical health care issues and enable valuable insights that can benefit consumers and the medical community.

###

BCBSA, comprised of the independent insurers, established the Blue Cross Blue Shield Alliance for Health Research to engage researchers in collaborative efforts to explore critical health care issues in order to improve the health of Americans. In addition to Scripps Research, participants in the BCBS Alliance include Harvard University, Princeton University, Rice University, Stanford University, University of California Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Oklahoma and Yale University.

Authors of the study, Trends in Prices of Popular Brand Name Drugs in the United States, 2012-2017, are Nathan Wineinger, PhD; Eric Topol, MD; and Yunyue Zhang, all of Scripps Research.

This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Healths National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences [UL1 TR002550 Clinical and Translational Science Award].
Taking on a hiking trail or a cobblestone street with a prosthetic leg is a risky proposition - it's possible, but even in relatively easy terrain, people who use prostheses to walk are more likely to fall than others. Now, Stanford University mechanical engineers have developed a more stable prosthetic leg - and a better way of designing them - that could make challenging terrain more manageable for people who have lost a lower leg.

The cornerstone of the new design is a kind of tripod foot that responds to rough terrain by actively shifting pressure between three different contact points. As important as the foot is a tool, the team developed for quickly emulating and improving their prototypes.

"Prosthetic emulators allow us to try lots of different designs without the overhead of new hardware," said Steven Collins, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and a member of Stanford Bio-X. "Basically, we can try any kind of crazy design ideas we might have and see how people respond to them," he said, without having to build each idea separately, an effort that can take months or years for each different design.

Graduate student Vincent Chiu, postdoctoral researcher Alexandra Voloshina and Collins describe the construction and first tests of their prosthetic emulator in a paper published in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

Adjusting to the terrain

Around half a million people in the United States have lost a lower limb, with effects that go beyond simply making it harder to move around. People with a leg amputation are five times more likely to fall in the course of a year, which may contribute to why they are also less socially engaged. A better prosthetic limb could improve not just mobility but overall quality of life as well.

One area of particular interest is making prosthetic limbs that can better handle rough ground. The solution, Chiu, Voloshina and Collins thought, might be a tripod with a rear-facing heel and two forward-facing toes. Outfitted with position sensors and motors, the foot could adjust its orientation to respond to varying terrain, much as someone with an intact foot could move their toes and flex their ankles to compensate while walking over rough ground.

But the engineers knew that perfecting the design would be tough - even with simple designs, a conventional approach can take years or more. "First you have to come up with an idea and then you prototype it and then you make a nice machined version," Chiu said. "It could take several years, and most of the time you find out that it doesn't actually work."

Accelerating design

Chiu and his team thought they could accelerate the process by developing an emulator, which flips the design process on its head. Rather than building a prosthetic limb someone could test in the real world, the team instead built a basic tripod foot, then hooked it up to powerful off-board motors and computer systems that control how the foot responds as a user moves over all kinds of terrain.

In doing so, the team can put their design focus on how the prosthesis should function - how hard one toe should push off while walking, how springy the heel should be and so forth - without having to worry about how to make the device lightweight and inexpensive at the same time.

So far the team has reported results from work with one participant, a 60-year-old man who lost his leg below the knee due to diabetes, and the early results are promising - making the team hopeful they can take those results and turn them into more capable prosthetics.

"One of the things we're excited to do is translate what we find in the lab into lightweight and low power and therefore inexpensive devices that can be tested outside the lab," Collins said. "And if that goes well, we'd like to help make this a product that people can use in everyday life."

###
Some teenagers harbor catastrophic changes to their genomes that can lead to lung cancer later on in life, even if they never smoke

Catastrophic rearrangements in the genome occurring as early as childhood and adolescence can lead to the development of lung cancer in later years in non-smokers. This finding, published in Cell, helps explain how some non-smoking-related lung cancers develop.

Researchers at KAIST, Seoul National University and their collaborators confirmed that gene fusions in non-smokers mostly occur early on, sometimes as early as childhood or adolescence, and on average about three decades before cancer is diagnosed. The study showed that these mutant lung cells, harboring oncogenic seeds, remain dormant for several decades until a number of further mutations accumulate sufficiently for progression into cancer. This is the first study to reveal the landscape of genome structural variations in lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and lung adenocarcinoma is its most common type. Most lung adenocarcinomas are associated with chronic smoking, but about a fourth develop in non-smokers. Precisely what happens in non-smokers for this cancer to develop is not clearly understood.

Researchers analyzed the genomes of 138 lung adenocarcinoma patients, including smokers and non-smokers, with whole-genome sequencing technologies. They explored DNA damage that induced neoplastic transformation.

Lung adenocarcinomas that originated from chronic smoking, referred to as signature 4-high (S4-high) cancers in the study, showed several distinguishing features compared to smoking-unrelated cancers (S4-low).

People in the S4-high group were largely older, men and had more frequent mutations in a cancer-related gene called KRAS. Cancer genomes in the S4-high group were hypermutated with simple mutational classes, such as the substitution, insertion, or deletion of a single base, the building block of DNA.

But the story was very different in the S4-low group. Generally, mutational profiles in this group were much more silent than the S4-high group. However, all cancer-related gene fusions, which are abnormally activated from the merging of two originally separate genes, were exclusively observed in the S4-low group.

The patterns of genomic structural changes underlying gene fusions suggest that about three in four cases of gene fusions emerged from a single cellular crisis causing massive genomic fragmentation and subsequent imprecise repair in normal lung epithelium.

Most strikingly, these major genomic rearrangements, which led to the development of lung adenocarcinoma, are very likely to be acquired decades before cancer diagnosis. The researchers used genomic archaeology techniques to trace the timing of when the catastrophes took place.

Researchers started this study seven years ago when they discovered the expression of the KIF5B-RET gene fusion in lung adenocarcinoma for the first time. Professor Young-Seok Ju, co-lead author from the Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering at KAIST says, "It is remarkable that oncogenesis can begin by a massive shattering of chromosomes early in life. Our study immediately raises a new question: What induces the mutational catastrophe in our normal lung epithelium."

Professor Young Tae Kim, co-lead author from Seoul National University says, "We hope this work will help us get one step closer to precision medicine for lung cancer patients."

The research team plans to further focus on the molecular mechanisms that stimulate complex rearrangements in the body, through screening the genomic structures of fusion genes in other cancer types.

###

This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), Suh Kyungbae Foundation, the College of Medicine Research Foundations at Seoul National University and others.

Figure:

Smoking-unrelated oncogenesis of lung cancers by gene fusions

Publication

Jake June-Koo Lee, Seongyeol Park et al., Tracing Oncogene Rearrangements in the Mutational History of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell 177, June 13 2019, online publication ahead of print at May 30, 2019 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.05.013

Profile: Prof Young Seok Ju, MD, PhD

ysju@kaist.ac.kr

http://julab.kaist.ac.kr

Associate Professor,

Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering (GSMSE),

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea

Profile: Prof Young Tae Kim, MD, PhD

ytkim@snu.ac.kr

Professor

Seoul National University Cancer Research Institute

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea
New research confirms that an algorithm, called CTS5, can accurately identify patients who are at a significantly low risk of their breast cancer returning at a later stage. In doing so it means some patients may need to take hormone therapy for five years, rather than 10, something that researchers say could have a huge impact both psychologically and physically.

The large majority of breast cancer patients will be prescribed at least five years of hormone therapy after having standard treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy) to lower the risk of cancer returning.

After five years, oncologists along with patients have to decide whether extending this type of therapy is worthwhile and appropriate. Hormone therapy can have significant side effects for some patients, including weakness of bone, blood clots, exacerbation of menopausal symptoms and the psychological burden of continuous treatment.

CTS5 was published in 2018, in a study that confirmed its prognostic value. However it had yet to be tested in a 'real world' setting, i.e. not on selected clinical trial patients, and on both pre-and postmenopausal women. The CTS5 test is the only available clinical prognostic tool for determining late distance recurrence.

In this new study researchers at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Queen Mary University London used the CTS5 to analyse data from 2428 non-trial patients at The Royal Marsden. The results will be presented at this weekend's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.

The study confirmed that CTS5 was effective at predicting relapse of breast cancer after 5 years. The CTS5 test was able categorise a group of 2428 female breast cancer patients into three clear risk groups: high, medium and low. Importantly 41% of the postmenopausal women - 700 patients - were found to be at a significantly low risk of their breast cancer returning five to 10 years after their initial five year hormone therapy treatment. This risk is so low, researchers concluded; it would not warrant extending endocrine therapy to ten years. In contrast to the previously published tests on CTS5, this new analysis took into account pre-menopausal female patients as well as post.

Lead author Dr Juliet Richman, Clinical Research Fellow at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust said: "Our analysis demonstrates that this tool works well in a varied population of breast cancer patients. This is crucial; in order for it to be useful in a clinical setting we need to know that CTS5 will be accurate for a variety of women.

"We can establish those who are at a very low risk of their breast cancer recurring, and say they would be extremely unlikely to benefit from extending hormone therapy past five years. In doing so they can avoid the possible side effects - both physically and psychologically - of continuing treatment."

Senior author Dr Ivana Sestak, Queen Mary University of London said: "It is incredibly important to determine which women are at high risk of late recurrence, so that they can continue hormonal treatment. In addition to predicting late recurrence in postmenopausal women, for the first time we were able to show that CTS5 also predicts late recurrence in premenopausal women. And by testing the model on actual hospital data of women treated for their early stage breast cancer, we were able to demonstrate that the use of our calculator is feasible in the real world.

"Our online calculator is freely available for oncologists around the world to use to determine their patients' risk of late recurrence. It is very easy to use and only requires information that is readily available to clinicians. We are now investigating further whether the tool could be used by research nurses, helping to free up clinicians' time."

Further research is needed to confirm that female patients who continue on hormone therapy after having a high CTS5 score, then benefit from this extension.

###

CTS5 is for use in a clinic setting or with the guidance of an oncologist, and can be accessed here: http://www.cts5-calculator.com

Notes to editors

Clinical validity of CTS5 for estimating risk of late recurrence in unselected, non-trial patients with early ER+ breast cancer will be presented in a poster presentation by Dr Juliet Richman on Sunday 2nd June 2019 8am US CDT /2pm UK BST at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting.

For further information, interviews or the poster contact Hannah Bransden, Senior PR & Communications Officer, Hannah.bransden@rmh.nhs.uk / 0207 811 8244. A patient case study is available

CTS5 was published online in 2018, with researchers from Queen Mary University leading on its development

The online calculator was tested in a trial patient population and results published by Royal Marsden and Queen Mary University researchers: 'Integration of Clinical Variables for the Prediction of Late Distant Recurrence in Patients with Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer Treated With 5 Years of Endocrine Therapy: CTS5' by Dowsett et al: http://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2017.76.4258

About The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Marsden opened its doors in 1851 as the world's first hospital dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment, research and education.

Today, together with its academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, it is the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe. It is a centre of excellence with an international reputation for ground-breaking research and pioneering the very latest in cancer treatments and technologies.

The Royal Marsden, with the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), is the only National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre for Cancer. This supports pioneering research work carried out over a number of different cancer themes.

Since 2003, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has funded the latest developments in cancer research, diagnosis, treatment and patient care. Over recent years, supporters of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity have funded facilities including the Oak Centre for Children and Young People, the da Vinci robots, the CyberKnife radiotherapy machine and the Reuben Foundation Imaging Centre.

HRH The Duke of Cambridge became President of The Royal Marsden in 2007, following a long royal connection with the hospital.

The Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research is a world-class facility, working with the latest technology to set a benchmark for cancer research around the world. The centre is funded by supporters of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, including a generous donation from Ralph Lauren.

About Queen Mary University of London

Queen Mary University of London is a world-leading research-intensive university with over 25,000 students representing more than 160 nationalities. A member of the prestigious Russell Group, we work across the humanities and social sciences, medicine and dentistry, and science and engineering, with inspirational teaching directly informed by our research.

In the most recent exercise that rated research in the UK, we were ranked 5th in the country for the proportion of research outputs that were world-leading or internationally excellent. We offer more than 240 degree programmes and our reputation for excellent teaching was rewarded with a silver in the 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) awards.

Queen Mary's history dates back to 1785, with the foundation of the London Hospital Medical College. Our history also encompasses the establishment of the People's Palace in 1887, which brought accessible education, culture and recreation to the East End of London. We also have roots in Westfield College, one of the first colleges to provide higher education to women.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lauren Pittelli, Principal



Baker Logistics Consulting Services, Inc.



Phone: (312) 971-0680



E-mail: lauren.pittelli@bakerlcs.com



Website: www.bakerlcs.com



-

Baker Logistics launches independent trade consultancy to assist companies in building profitable international business.

Service helps business compete for new revenue and manage costs, while navigating a challenging trade environment.

Elmhurst, IL 5/30/19

Baker Logistics Consulting has launched a new service to provide shippers, importers, exporters, forwarders and other market participants cost-effective international transportation, trade and customs compliance services. Founded and staffed by experienced industry leaders, Baker combines a practical approach to problem solving with independent, objective analysis.

Baker's consulting practice areas include: new international 3PL start up, transportation rate negotiations and procurement, transport optimization, 3PL selection, fairs and exhibitions and export and import trade compliance. Clients can also benefit from customized training on trade compliance and transportation topics as well as interim leadership and contract management services.

"Our consultants all have over twenty years of leadership experience in the international trade and transportation industry. The knowledge, experience and relationships we've developed can't be beat. Plus, when we say we've been there - we've actually been there", said Lauren Pittelli, Principal of Baker Logistics Consulting.

International trade activity makes up 26% of U.S. GDP, and creates one in five jobs. "We want to provide high quality, actionable information for businesses to stay ahead of the curve" said Pittelli. "With so much going on in international trade today, it's hard for clients to know how to proceed. Thanks to our unique offering, we know that Baker will be a trusted resource in a world where international trade is more challenging every year. Our ultimate goal is to help companies flourish as they reach more markets".
Friday, May 31, 2019

Mexican Tariffs - how big a problem will they be?

President Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on all goods from Mexico starting on June 10th. The tariffs are meant to be "punishment" for allowing asylum seekers to cross into the U.S. from the Mexican border, and begin at 5%, increasing 5% per month until reaching a maximum of 25% in October. In reaction to this second trade war, stock markets have fallen sharply around the globe and in the U.S..

The impact of this threatened trade war would be felt most strongly in the U.S. automotive sector. Automobile manufacturing has a complex supply chain involving parts sourced from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The U.S. imported $59B in auto parts and 2.7 million cars worth an additional $52B last year from Mexico, according to US government trade statistics.

Detroit's Big Three auto manufacturers have already absorbed large cost increases due to Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs. So, it's likely that the cost of the latests tariff increases will be passed on to U.S. consumers. Last year General Motors warned the Trump administration that the auto tariffs proposed at that time would result in job losses, as demand waned.

Prior to today's announcement there was hope that the new NAFTA, USMCA, might be ratified by Congress prior to the Presidential election. The announced unilateral action makes prompt ratification unlikely.

"If diplomatic solutions or the USMCA do not resolve the threat, we believe that court challenges will be filed to prevent the tariffs from taking place. Until then, importing from or exporting to Mexico will be high risk", said Lauren Pittelli, Principal of Baker Logistics Consulting. "It's too early for importers or exporters to make substantial changes to their supply chain. But, we do recommend that our clients minimize their risk by reducing the size of their import purchase orders and shortening the validity period of client quotations".

"For a medium term solution, we typically recommend use of a Free Trade Zone on the border to avoid duty payment until goods are pulled out of the zone. I checked on the situation in El Paso, and was told by Marcos Lozano, owner of LCS LLC, that at yesterday's El Paso-Ciudad Juarez Industry Summit, zone operators all reported being maxed out. Processing times have also increased, creating a capacity crunch"

Baker Logistics Consulting has launched a new service to provide shippers, importers, exporters, forwarders and other market participants cost-effective international transportation, trade and customs compliance services. Founded and staffed by experienced industry leaders, Baker combines a practical approach to problem solving with independent, objective analysis.

"We want to provide high quality, actionable information for businesses to stay ahead of the curve" said Pittelli. "With so much going on in international trade today, it's hard for clients to know how to proceed. Thanks to our unique offering, we know that Baker will be a trusted resource in a world where international trade is more challenging every year. Our ultimate goal is to help companies flourish as they reach more markets".
Clarity Child Guidance Center is facing a major financial setback that could potentially restrict access to affordable mental-health care for the regions youngsters.

Located in the South Texas Medical Center on Tom Slick Drive, Clarity is the only nonprofit in South Texas providing inpatient, outpatient and crisis-care services for children. More than 8,000 children, ages 3 to 17, annually receive treatment at the center, regardless of their families ability to pay.

But administrators are wrestling with a 69 percent cut to one of its largest grants. In response, theyre preparing for a leaner budget and ramping up fundraising efforts.

Annual funding from the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County usually exceeds $1 million, but this fiscal year the center will receive $336,393.

Our immediate goal is to replace the United Way funding, so were hoping to get close to $700,000 in community donations just to fill that gap for operating expenses, said new CEO Jessica Knudsen, who started Feb. 4.

Knudsen said she knew about the financial crunch coming into the job.

A social worker for 20 years, she was previously an administrator of a mental-health facility in North Carolina and a teacher in the Rio Grande Valley.

On ExpressNews.com: After two decades, San Antonios primary mental health center for children is getting a new leader

She was hired after former administrator Fred Hines retired. Hines oversaw a $22 million capital improvement project that was completed in 2016.

The expansion included an increase in beds from 40 to 66, the opening of the 24-hour Crisis Assessment Center and a new outpatient clinic on the citys West Side.

But the reduced grant forced Knudsen to make tough choices just weeks into her new position.

We did have to do a reduction in force  thats kind of the financial reality, she said. We had to cut some mid-management positions. The center eliminated 15 positions.

Knudsen said shes looking for ways to cut costs without jeopardizing the facilitys high patient-to-staff ratio, which exceeds the state minimum. We will protect this at all costs, she said. Its the foundation of what we do.

The centers federal tax returns and its last two financial audits show that while expenses reached nearly $30 million in 2018, revenues have lagged. The center exceeded revenues by $1.1 million last year, $4.4 million in 2017 and $3.9 million in 2016.

Knudsen said tightening the budget will become more difficult as the need for mental-health services grows and longtime funding sources shrink.

Nearly 20 percent of children in the United States experience mental, behavioral or emotional problems, according to the center. The majority  60 percent  dont receive the care they need.

Clarity accepts commercial insurance and Medicaid, but funding for services can get complicated, especially when insurers only agree to pay for partial treatments  such as a three-day stay instead of a recommended six days at the facility.

Were going to keep somebody regardless of what the insurance company says, Knudsen said. But it has a financial impact. We have to find another way to get these services paid for.

Donations and major grants can help fill the gaps in funding.

Last month, the local United Ways board approved $15 million in grants for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. About 50 groups received funding  but some longtime recipients received much less or nothing.

Jonathan Gurwitz, chair of United Ways Partners for Community Change Committee, said the $336,393 awarded to Clarity this year is likely to remain the same until 2024.

A decline in workplace donations and a national shift in how millennials give to philanthropic causes, Gurwitz said, contributed to the United Ways decision to change how its makes grants.

The United Way formed councils to determine the most pressing problems facing Bexar County residents.

The councils focused on three main categories: early childhood education, student success and adults and families. The latter focuses on family violence, economic mobility for low- and moderate-income adults, and adults with disabilities and their caregivers.

On ExpressNews.com: United Way San Antonio has a new way to dole out millions

These were the areas that we needed to focus our limited campaign dollars to achieve maximum impact in the community, Gurwitz said. Partner agencies, he added, knew well in advance that there was no longer any guarantee of funding.

Clarity Child Guidance Center, which has gone by several names over the years, has historically relied on the United Way funding.

The center was founded 133 years ago as a Protestant Home for Destitute Children in San Antonio. Eventually, the orphanage transitioned into a residential treatment center and then a psychiatric hospital.

One of the facilitys most endearing traditions started in the 1970s when food services director Arnold Parker baked a giant chocolate chip cookie. Before long, a platter-sized cookie was presented to every child who completed inpatient treatment at the hospital. The tradition continues to this day.

In 2010, the hospital merged with an outpatient child counseling provider.

On ExpressNews.com: New online resource helps military families deal with child mental health issues

Under the name Clarity Child Guidance Center, the nonprofit now operates an inpatient psychiatric hospital, provides daytime hospitalization services and outpatient therapy at a clinic and its main campus at the Medical Center. The center partners with UT Health San Antonio physicians.

Charmaine Morehead, Clarity vice president for marketing and development, said despite the financial shortfall, the center is also developing a transitional clinic with walk-in hours.

The organization is seeking sponsorships for its Step Into the Light: A Night of Clarity gala, which will be Sept. 12 at Pearl Stable.

Geekdom, a workspace firm for startups at 110 E. Houston Street, organized a donation drive for Clarity this month, calling for members of San Antonios tech district to bring in toiletries and new underwear for the children.

Knudsen said Clarity is trying to enlarge its donor base and get the word out in the community of the services it provides.

I think our impact is immeasurable. Were a nonprofit thats dedicated to changing the lives of children and keeping them safe, she said. I know some people dont give because they think it wont make an impact, but that $10 could pay for an assessment of a child in crisis.

Laura Garcia covers the healthcare industry in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her stories and more local coverage on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | laura.garcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @Reporter_Laura
CORPUS CHRISTI  If you need anymore evidence that the shale revolution has turned the U.S. into one of the biggest oil exporters, look to the Port of Corpus Christi.

Last week, port officials, politicians and business leaders there celebrated a $400 million-plus harbor-dredging project that will allow large oil tankers to fully load millions of barrels of oil at local docks before embarking for Asia, Europe and other ports around the world. The work began in April.

The project will deepen and widen the 36-mile channel, which flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

This is a momentous occasion for the Port of Corpus Christi as we will have the deepest draft channel in the entire U.S. Gulf, Port of Corpus Christi CEO Sean Strawbridge told a crowd of 500. That means more exports of Texas energy, American energy, to our allies and trading partners around the world.

The dredging, first proposed 29-years ago when the port was a big importer of oil, will increase the depth of the ship channel to 54 feet from 47 feet and its width to 500 feet from 430 feet. The project will also allow for two-way oil tanker traffic.

The Port of Corpus Christi currently exports around 700,000 to 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day, vying with Houston for the title of top U.S. oil export port. When the dredging is complete at the end of 2022, Strawbridge said, the port expects more than 3 million barrels of oil to be exported daily.

Related: San Antonio's CPS Energy: More green energy, but coal stays in the mix

The federal government banned oil exports to all countries, except Canada, from 1975 through late 2015. The oil shale boom in Texas and across the country eased the United States dependence on foreign oil and led to the break in trade policy.

As the U.S has expanded oil exports over the last four years, energy companies have grown more optimistic about the industrys outlook. Experts predict that, despite the growing use of electric vehicles and the increasing reliance of wind and solar power, the worlds dependence of fossil fuels wont be ending anytime soon.

Strawbridge said 19 capital projects at the port  including marine terminals, storage facilities and other projects to increase oil exports  are either under construction or in the planning stages. Port officials said that means 2,500 more jobs in a port that already employes 48,000 workers.

With billions of dollars from investors at stake, competing companies aiming to take advantage of the export boom  including several with San Antonio ties  have already begun to tout their competitive advantages.

Multiple oil storage and marine facility companies are building at the Corpus Christi port, and three pipeline companies are constructing pipelines from the booming Permian Basin in West Texas to the Corpus Christi area.

San Antonio-based EPIC Midstream Holdings LP, Plains All American, and a joint venture called Gray Oak Pipeline LLC, owned by Phillips 66 Partners and Andeavor, are all building pipelines.

While San Antonios NuStar Energy owns 9,800 miles of pipeline, it is staying out of the rush to build pipelines from West Texas to Corpus Christi. Instead, it is focusing on exporting the oil it receives from other pipeline companies.

Related: Texas Power Brokers: Oil exports are top of mind for Corpus Christi port CEO

NuStar is significantly expanding its storage and marine facilities in the North Beach section of the port.

Our investment in the facility has given us a first-mover advantage, said Danny Oliver, NuStars senior vice president of business and corporate development.

NuStar also bought out its next-door neighbor at the port, Martin Midstream Partners LP, in 2016 for $93 million.

Oliver said the purchase gave NuStar the ability to expand its oil storage tank farm and the rights to build a new dock, which is now open. Two of the companys four docks at its facility can handle Suezmax tankers, which can transport up to a million barrels of oil. The NuStar complex, he added, is fully operational.

The problem for NuStar is that because of the ports current 47-foot depth, it can only partially load the Suezmax tankers, to no more than 90 percent of its capacity. To completely fill the tankers, additional oil has to be loaded onto the vessels in deeper Gulf of Mexico waters.

Dredging the channel to 54 feet will solve the problem, which will mean additional revenue for NuStar. However, its North Beach facility is in the section of the dredging project thatll be finished last. The dredging isnt expected to be complete until the end of 2022.

Meanwhile, a competing company, Lone Star Ports  a joint venture between one of the worlds largest private equity firms, the Carlyle Group, and the Berry Group, a Corpus Christi construction company specializing in oil and gas projects  sees an opening.

The company is investing $1 billion in a storage and marine facility on Harbor Island at the Corpus Christi port, several miles from the Gulf Mexico. The project is funded largely by institutional investors such as public pension plans, foundations and endowments, primarily in the U.S.

That portion of the channel is scheduled to be dredged first, with completion expected as soon as early 2020.

Lone Star Ports has set an opening date for October 2020, at which point the Suezmax ships could be fully loaded from its two-dock facility  two years before NuStar Energy would have that capability.

We will have a competitive advantage  its a big logistical win, said Lone Star Ports CEO Jeremiah Ashcroft III. We will be ready for the next wave of crude.

Ashcroft said Lone Star Ports has also raised an additional $400 million to do its own port deepening after the initial dredging work is complete.

He said the company plans to deepen the channel to 75 feet, allowing for Very Large Crude Carriers  as theyre known in the industry  to dock at its facility, vessels that can handle twice as much oil as the Suezmax tankers.

Those ships can cut the per-barrel cost of transporting oil in half, Ashcroft said, making it more economical for oil shipments to Europe and Asia.

Lone Star Ports, however, would need approval from the Army Corps of Engineers to complete its project, an approval process that can be burdensome.

Another competitor to NuStar and Lone Star Ports, Moda Midstream, is based in Houston but backed by San Antonio-based private equity firm EnCap Flatrock Midstream.

EnCap has invested at least $750 million, most of it from institutional investors, in Moda.

Moda purchased its 900-acre Corpus Christi marine facility from Occidental petroleum in August 2018 and has been upgrading and renovating docks and adding storage tanks so it can partially load Very Large Crude Carriers.

Moda Midstream CEO Bo McCall said in a written statement that the facility is open and loading oil tankers.

He said the Corpus Christis ports proximity to the Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas are advantages that Moda considered in deciding to open its export facility.

randy.diamond@express-news.net
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., say they agree that former members of Congress shouldn't become lobbyists, and they may be working toward a bill to stop the practice.

It's common practice in Washington that life after Congress often leads to a cushy job lobbying former colleagues. While ethics laws forbid members of Congress from registering as lobbyists for a year (for a House member) or two (for a senator) after they leave office, the laws are loosely enforced and rife with loopholes.

Ocasio-Cortez tweeted an analysis from the watchdog group Public Citizen that found that nearly 60% of former members from the last Congress are lobbying or influencing federal policy in some way, including former Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., whom she defeated in a primary.

"I don't think it should be legal at ALL to become a corporate lobbyist if you've served in Congress," Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

Shortly thereafter, Cruz retweeted her in a surprising cross-party show of unity.

"Here's something I don't say often: on this point, I AGREE with @AOC," Cruz tweeted. "Indeed, I have long called for a LIFETIME BAN on former Members of Congress becoming lobbyists. The Swamp would hate it, but perhaps a chance for some bipartisan cooperation?"

Ocasio-Cortez responded: "@tedcruz if you're serious about a clean bill, then I'm down," she said. "Let's make a deal."

About 20 minutes later, Cruz responded: "You're on."

Then, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, former chief of staff for Cruz, told the duo he wanted in. Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, agreed.

Roy tweeted at Ocasio-Cortez that his staff would be reaching out to hers. "Let's do this," he said.

Craig Holman of Public Citizen called the exchange "refreshing."

"Cruz and AOC willing to work together on revolving-door abuses is quite a surprise, but it looks real," he said. "They are talking about sponsoring legislation to impose a lifetime ban on members of Congress ever serving as paid lobbyists once they retire from public service. I don't know how politically feasible this legislation would be, but it is a great starting point for some meaningful ethics reforms."

Earlier Thursday, hours before she'd tweet back and forth with Cruz, Ocasio-Cortez had remarked on what people think it takes to find bipartisan ground.

She shared a video of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson saying he agreed with her that people with criminal records should be able to get housing.

"So often, bipartisanship is marketed as: a) something only 'centrist moderates' are capable of, or b) giving up your principles to 'get things done,' " Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. "I couldn't disagree more. You don't have to abandon your principles to agree. Being curious about other people's values helps, too."
Published May 31, 2019

Fourth of six parts

George Thomas Wade Jr. had been spreading the gospel as a missionary on African training farms and in bush villages for six years when his Southern Baptist supervisors learned a horrifying secret: The supposedly devout man of God was molesting his own daughter.

George Thomas Wade, Jr.

A supervisor met once privately with the girl, who was attending boarding school in Johannesburg, and later consulted leaders based 7,500 miles away at the Richmond, Va., headquarters of what's now called the International Mission Board. Wade promised to stop, the supervisor said. His daughter said she was told to forgive Wade and was sworn to secrecy.

No one told Wades wife, also a missionary, what he had done, court records show.

His daughter was never again asked about the abuse, which continued, even after she attempted suicide at 15.

I felt stupid for having told anything to anybody, she later testified. The concern was for my father. ... It didnt matter what happened to me.

The practice of the Southern Baptist mission board  the worlds largest sponsor of Protestant missionaries  has been for years to keep misconduct reports inside the hierarchy of the organization, a Houston Chronicle investigation reveals. The board is a massive charitable organization that as of 2018 fielded more than 3,600 missionaries and team associates overseas and managed an annual budget of $158 million or more, nearly all tithes from members of churches that belong to the Southern Baptist Convention.

By the time Wades wife, Diana, finally learned of the cover-up, her husband had abused three children, causing what she described in a letter to her employers as the most shattering and devastating time in my life. Wade was prosecuted and went to prison for child abuse in Alaska. He was later arrested again in Georgia in 1997 and remains a registered sex offender.

The Chronicle found a long trail of alleged cover-ups involving sexual misconduct or crimes committed abroad by a small number of Southern Baptist missionaries, all salaried employees of the mission board. Collectively, five men were credibly accused or convicted of abusing about 24 people, mostly children, court records, documents and interviews show.

These new revelations come as the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest and most influential coalition of Protestant churches in the United States, is wrestling with a burgeoning sexual abuse crisis as it prepares for its national meeting in Birmingham, Ala.

The missionary cases followed a similar pattern: Leaders were informed of alleged abuse but made no public statement to immediately alert others and often delayed or took no action to remove an accused offender. In at least three of five cases, survivors allege that the boards failure to act gave perpetrators the opportunity to harm more people, according to court records, correspondence and interviews.

Nationwide, other major Protestant groups have hired consultants to devise new policies that better fit a modern world with an enhanced awareness of the dangers of charismatic predators who misuse charitable fronts to hide child abuse, sex tourism, child pornography or pedophilia.

REACH OUT: Do you know of abuse by a missionary? We want to hear your story

But the practice of relying on church insiders to privately investigate allegations of sexual abuse involving missionaries still prevails at the IMB, though leaders repeatedly promised to address failures and enact reforms. Copies of policies, letters, court documents and interviews show that the board refused to change despite being repeatedly confronted by survivors and their families:

 In 1992, Wades wife, the daughter of a Southern Baptist pastor, reluctantly filed a lawsuit in Richmond, claiming the board failed in its promise to protect her children. A jury awarded $1.5 million in damages. But the board appealed, the Supreme Court of Virginia overturned the verdict and the board did not alter its policies.

 In 2004, the IMB established a hotline for abuse victims after another major scandal erupted over ex-missionary William Mac McElrath, who publicly admitted to molesting his colleagues children during decades in Indonesia. Since then, the board has received 100 calls to the hotline, spokeswoman Julie McGowan told the Chronicle. But McGowan said she could not provide further information or statements about related board action.

In an email addressed to McElraths victims, the boards attorney promised to handle future allegations openly. We want to affirm our commitment to promptly and completely investigate any new charges of sexual abuse made against missionaries and to terminate and publicly expose any missionary found guilty of such abuse, the letter from June 2002 says.

But the board broke that promise only five years later, its own records show. Thats when Anne Marie Miller, of Fort Worth, first told the IMB that missionary Mark Aderholt allegedly initiated sexual contact with her when she was a teenager, according to affidavits. The IMB substantiated her complaint but said nothing publicly and did not contact police.

Current IMB policy calls for zero tolerance of child abuse and asks for anyone who has personally experienced abuse or sexual harassment to bring this conduct into the light by means of a secure report to IMB leadership. The policy still does not require officials to report child abuse to police, though that soon could change.

In 2018, the IMBs outgoing president formed a task force and hired a Minneapolis-based law firm, Gray Plant Mooty, to review its conduct and policies after Aderholts arrest.

Mark Aderholt

In late May, the firm provided an update, recommending sweeping changes to how the IMB handles sexual abuse allegations  including reporting allegations to law enforcement in the United States and abroad even if the law doesnt require it. The IMBs current elected president, Paul Chitwood, pledged that the board would adopt those recommendations, but he did not provide a timeline.

Its unclear when or whether the mission board will release a full report on past failures, including who could have been complicit in enabling alleged abusers over decades. In addition to the president, the IMB is overseen by a board of trustees, who also are sworn to secrecy under its policies.

Mission board leaders turned down requests for an interview; McGowan responded to questions via email.

IMB leaders believe it is absolutely critical for the IMB and for churches to have guidelines related to child abuse and sexual harassment, which underscores IMBs commitment to a serious, rigorous examination of its policies and practices, she said.

Allegations in Africa

The board has never responded publicly to accusations of a cover-up of alleged abuses by a Texas-based missionary described in a 1993 book written by another longtime former missionary, Dee Ann Miller.

Miller, now 72, was born into the Southern Baptist world. Her father and grandfather were both pastors. By age 10, she knew she wanted to be a missionary, one of the few leadership opportunities open to women.

She and her husband, Ron, were thrilled to be appointed to Malawi in 1978. There she met Gene Kingsley, a missionary since 1960.

She visited his house in May 1984 and he hugged her, as usual. Then, Kingsley assaulted me, quickly and skillfully pulling me a foot off the floor, continuing to tighten his arms as I struggled and he groped until I yelled, commanding him to put me down, Miller said in an email to the Chronicle.

PART 1: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders resist reforms

Miller, who had worked with abuse cases as a psychiatric and public health nurse, reported him to a member of the personnel committee. Nothing happened. Two years later, she decided to make a written complaint, after learning others in her mission family also had reported being inappropriately touched or worse.

Her complaint went up the chain of command to leaders in Richmond. Miller said as far as she knew Kingsley was permitted to resign rather than be terminated.

Miller described in interviews and in her book how two other women, as well as a teenaged girl, also complained but said those reports were initially ignored and inadequately investigated.

Miller said she was told there was a policy change, but she didnt see any evidence of it.

I pushed for people to take action, Miller said. Nobody did anything.

Kingsley died in Texas in 2016.

Some of the same supervisors took a similar approach when George T. Tom Wade Jr., another missionary in Africa, was accused of child sexual abuse: Say nothing, and send the alleged abuser back home quietly.

Like Miller, Wades wife, Diana, was the daughter of a multigenerational Baptist family and loved being a missionary, court records show. She discovered that her husband was a pedophile in June 1985, after the family returned to Alaska. She was shocked to learn that her supervisors already had known for at least three years that her husband was abusing their eldest daughter.

By the time Diana Wade discovered the truth, her daughters life was falling apart: She was pregnant at 17 and planning marriage when she announced why her father should not perform or attend the ceremony.

Diana Wade immediately called police. Tom Wade was convicted of five counts of felony sex abuse of a minor in Alaska. In 1985, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison, records show.

She also filed for divorce, a step her church considered an unpardonable sin but that she considered necessary to protect her children, letters to her employer show. She sought compensation for counseling and medical bills to address mental and emotional scars (that were) much more devastating than any physical effects.

To her shock, her requests were denied. And she and her estranged husband were both forced to resign, letters show.

I am deeply hurt. ... I find it difficult to accept that because of what Tom alone did ... my calling and commitment and ministry are of no account and are to be thrown away along with his, she wrote.

SEARCH OUR DATABASE: Look at Southern Baptist church officials who were convicted or pleaded guilty

Diana Wade filed a lawsuit alleging that the mission board had broken contractual promises to protect her family and increased harm to her children by concealing her husbands criminal behavior. A jury decision favored the family. But the Wades lost in 1991 after the board appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court. Mission board leaders were forced to address the allegations publicly only because of the lawsuit.

Board officials never said whether they later investigated if other children were abused by Wade, a missionary in Kenya and Botswana from 1976-84. In all five cases the Chronicle investigated, it was unclear if missionaries whod been accused of  or admitted to  abusing missionary children were investigated to see if they abused local children.

Trouble in Taiwan

Allegations of cover-ups involving child abuse werent confined to the missionary hierarchy in Africa.

In 1984, 15-year-old Harriet Sugg told a pastor at her Taiwan boarding school that a missionary molested her. The pastor called the principal, who called her parents, both missionaries, to the school. She was sitting in the headmasters office when she first told them what happened, said Sugg, who contacted reporters after reading the Chronicle investigation, Abuse of Faith.

The man she accused, Walter Dildy, was friends with Suggs parents and worked as the schools maintenance director. She called him Uncle Walter. When Sugg was 9, she said Dildy called her over from the playground and took her upstairs to a bedroom in another familys house.

Walter Dildy pleaded guilty in 1994 to misappropriation of more than $10,000 by a fiduciary. He was never convicted of sexual abuse.

He said, Im going to show you what wed do if we were both grown-ups,  Sugg said.

After Sugg complained, Dildy was sent back to the United States and resettled in Texas. She thought he would be treated and get better.

The good thing is, my mission leaders believed me, said Sugg, now a 50-year-old teacher in Florida. From the distance of years, I see the action wasnt enough.

The mission board released no information to the public about Dildy, who died recently. Board archives show he and his ex-wife were based in Taiwan from 1977-86.

Dildy wound up in Houston, where he worked as a pastor at First Baptist Church Recreation Acres. In 1994, Dildy accepted a plea deal for deferred adjudication on a charge of misappropriating approximately $16,000 in church funds.

His second wife and widow, Kay, told the Chronicle she had heard child abuse allegations about her husband but called them lies invented by his ex-wife, a former missionary who has since died.

The board responds

The mission board was forced to make public statements about abuse allegations involving a different former missionary in 2002  three decades after William McElrath, a longtime Indonesia missionary, first privately told employers that he had abused colleagues children, McElraths own letters show.

Linda Davarth, 55, had lived in Indonesia since she was 8 with her brother and missionary parents at the same time as McElrath. Known as Mac, he was a gifted writer who played the banjo. He always seemed to have a child on his lap. When Davrath was 9, in 1972, McElrath sat her on his lap at a playground and fondled her.

It took until she was 14 for her to tell her parents. Her father, she said, immediately reported what happened to a mission board official in Indonesia. Nothing happened.

All the adults knew about it, and no one did anything, Davarth said.

By the time Davarth reported McElrath in 1977, mission board leaders had already heard similar accusations, letters and other records show. In 1973, he confessed to molesting another child and a note was placed in his file, but mission leaders let him continue to serve. In 1978, another incident caused the organization to restrict McElraths interactions with children. Still, he remained in the field, board records and correspondence provided by victims shows.

Linda Davarth

Finally, in 1995, Davarth and several others wrote Jerry Rankin, mission board president from June 1993 to July 2010, complaining about McElrath. That same year, the board fired McElrath for immoral lifestyle unbecoming to a missionary.

McElrath separately sent letters to members of six missionary families he described as impacted by his actions  both parents and children.

Please forgive me for having touched you too intimately when you were a child many years ago, he wrote in sharp cursive to Linda Davarth. I deeply regret having abused a family-like situation.

Davarths brother, Eddy Ruble, later exchanged letters with Rankin.

Jerry Rankin, president of the International Mission Board during two major abuse accusations.

Rankin, as a former missionary in Indonesia, had served with McElrath and admitted hed heard ugly rumors. As board president, he advocated for keeping the incident within a small circle.

I see no constructive purpose by making a general accounting of (this) matter to all our missionaries and to Southern Baptists in general, Rankin wrote to Ruble.

After leaving Indonesia, McElrath and his wife moved to Raleigh, N.C., and joined a Southern Baptist Church in North Carolina. He regularly worked with children, taught piano lessons and helped raise his blind niece. (In his 2002 open letter to family and friends, McElrath said he informed that churchs senior pastor about what he had done as a missionary, but denied abusing children after 1973.)

When survivors learned in 2002 that McElrath was still involved with children, they again contacted the mission board. The agenda of a June 2002 meeting notes that they wanted to publicly share their stories, create an independent advisory committee, notify law enforcement and monitor all perpetrators after termination.

The IMB subsequently issued an unusual news release.

Even though wrong behavior took place nearly 30 years ago, the scars and repercussions are very real and painful," Rankin told Baptist Press. "We are firmly committed to reaching out to victims and dealing decisively with violators."

Five years after the IMB promised survivors it would publicly expose any missionary found guilty of such abuse, the board quietly investigated another missionary, Aderholt, for sexual abuse. Internal investigators concluded that he had more likely than not had an inappropriate sexual relationship with an underage girl, Anne Marie Miller. But the information was not shared with the public or police.

By then, Aderholt, who went to Hungary in 2000 as a missionary, had become the IMB's regional strategy associate in Central Europe. According to his own resume, he had visited 29 countries. Aderholt resigned before the board could meet about whether to fire him, documents show. He listed two top IMB personnel as references and became associate director and chief strategist of the South Carolina Baptist Convention.

The board released information about the reason for his resignation only after Miller publicized the allegations and went to police in 2018. Aderholts attorney did not respond to requests for comment. Aderholt was subsequently charged in Tarrant County with sexual assault of a child under 17 and with two counts of indecency with a child by contact. The case is pending.

In April 2019  12 years after Miller first complained  the IMB made its first appeal for information from anyone who had known Aderholt as a missionary.

READ THE REST OF THE SERIES:

Part 1: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders reject reforms

Part 2: Southern Baptist churches hired ministers accused of past sex offenses

Part 3: All too often, Southern Baptist youth pastors take advantage of children

Tell us your story

Do you have information about sexual misconduct in Southern Baptist churches? Help us investigate by telling us your story. Fill out our confidential questionnaire here.



Support our journalism

Help our journalists uncover the big stories. Subscribe today.

Lise Olsen is deputy investigations editor and senior investigative reporter at the Houston Chronicle. Olsen has more than 20 years' experience specializing primarily in crime, corruption, worker safety and human rights. Follow her on Twitter @chrondigger and reach her by email at lise.olsen@chron.com.

Sarah Smith is a reporter on the metro desk covering housing and nonprofits. Before joining the Chronicle, she worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where she also investigated sexual abuse and cover-ups in the independent fundamental Baptist movement. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. Follow her on Twitter @sarahesmith23 and reach her by email at sarah.smith@chron.com.

Jon Shapley is a staff photo and video journalist for the Houston Chronicle. A native Houstonian, he joined the Chronicle in 2015. He previously worked at the NPR affiliate in Austin, as well as monthly magazines in Austin and San Antonio. He can be reached at jon.shapley@chron.com.

Design by Jordan Rubio and Jasmine Goldband

***
San Antonios sidewalks might lose the rush and whir of electric scooters sooner than expected.

A scooter-riding prohibition on sidewalks likely would have been imposed this fall, but the City Council voted to speed it up Thursday. By June 30, legal ridership will be limited to streets, along with bicycles and other traffic.

Council member John Courage said he saw no good reason to wait, and most of his colleagues agreed.

I think the safety factor is very clear here, Courage said at the councils weekly session. Waiting until October is just waiting for accidents to occur.

But dont expect tough fines or a city-wide crackdown by vigilant scooter police.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Council member Roberto Trevino seemed to speak for a majority when they said they werent seeking strict overnight enforcement that might send an unwelcome message to the tourists who make up a large part of the scooter-riding population.

They recommended that police use discretion and spoke of the need for educating the public about the no-sidewalks rule, which cities across the country have adopted in response to a transportation phenomenon that took nearly all of them by surprise.

Since last October, when the city embarked on a pilot program that permitted some 16,100 dockless vehicles, various Council members have said scooters endanger sidewalk pedestrians and create visual clutter even when parked.

Thursdays amendment to the citys scooter ordinance passed 9-1, with Council member Manny Pelaez dissenting. The June 30 ban will apply to riding on sidewalks. Riders and scooter company wranglers still can park, drop or otherwise abandon the vehicles on sidewalks for the time being. But more changes are coming.

The Council on Thursday extended the permits of the seven companies currently operating scooters in the city and gave informal approval for city staff to proceed with a request-for-proposals (RFP) process that by October will reduce the number of companies to three and impose a set of requirements on them.

Council member Shirley Gonzales, who was out of town Thursday, has been a consistent scooter supporter and opponent of using the RFP process to regulate them. She has often said their companies and customers shouldnt be made to jump through any more legal hoops than automobile drivers.

While I am in agreement with many of the specific parts of this program, she said in a statement after the Councils action Thursday, there are still areas regarding helmets, curfews, RFPs, staff training and enforcement where we should remain watchful as this program unfolds.

Pelaez, who said his District 8 constituents were uniformly opposed to scooters, said he voted against the sidewalk ban because he believed it was unworkable in just 30 days.

How does anyone expect us to enforce that? Itll be summer. Do we expect all the tourists to know the rules? I dont see any army of police with ticket books writing citations. I think we just set ourselves up for failure, he said.

The major points of the RFP, expected to be issued June 7, include:

The three companies permited to rent scooters will operate a total of 5,000 dockless vehicles and be guaranteed 1,666 each.

The chosen companies will pay the city an annual permit fee of $100 per vehicle and a one-time fee of $25,000, which the city says will be used to pay for more police overtime, education programs and administrative costs.

Companies must place on the scooters visible notification that riders must be over 16 and must not ride in tandem or on sidewalks, including the River Walk, or go more than 15 mph.

Operators will be asked to submit information on vehicle maintenance, rider user agreements, insurance coverage, procedures for reporting accidents, vehicle safety features, policies on parking, and use of geofencing to restrict scooters in places like city parks.

The RFP requirements contain no mention of making helmets mandatory, a measure supported by scores of emergency care physicians who say helmets have saved thousands of bicyclists and motorcyclists lives. Since scooters arrived in dozens of American cities last June there have been at least nine riders killed in various types of collisions.

On ExpressNews.com: Did we actually sign that? The rise of e-scooters and the lawsuits that followed

Council member Ana Sandoval said she wanted helmets to be mandatory, but she didnt think a majority on Council would back her up.

If were concerned about safety, she said to her colleagues, then helmets are absolutely essential, but I dont see support for that here.

All Council members have said they strongly encourage riders to use helmets, as do the scooter companies themselves. Two major scooter injury health studies - one involving two UCLA hospitals and the other conducted by the Austin health department with the Centers for Disease Control - have shown that more 40 percent of scooter injuries involved the head.

On ExpressNews.com: Can San Antonio convince  or force  e-scooter riders to wear helmets?

City staff and Council members agree that there should be incentives to get the scooter companies to figure out a way to distribute helmets free of charge. Trevino said he plans to work with a local doctor to distribute 800 free helmets.

No scooter company has publicly pushed for mandatory helmets, believing it would be a competitive disadvantage with young riders.

There was also support on Council for removing the current 11 p.m. curfew on scooters. Several said they were sympathetic to late-night workers who needed cheap transportation, but the downside, with the new sidewalk ban, would be more riding in the streets after dark. San Antonio Fire Department records show the frequency of scooter accidents increases significantly late at night.

Companies will have 45 days to submit their RFP proposals to the city. Then an evaluation committee will spend most of August and into September interviewing finalists.

By early October, city officials hope to have the three winners selected from a crowd of at least 14 applicants, including the likes of Bird, Lime, Lyft, Razor, Spin, Jump and San Antonio-based Blue Duck.

Bruce Selcraig is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read his stories on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | BSelcraig@express-news.net
The Docket is weekly podcast with courts and crime reporter Elizabeth Zavala as she breaks down the trials in the Bexar County courthouse. The Docket is produced by Joy-Marie Scott and Chance Dorland.

Listen and subscribe on: Apple Podcasts Google Play Stitcher TuneIn iHeart Radio All Episodes

A San Antonio man wept after he was found not guilty this week in the deaths of two people at a West Side apartment in 2016.

Luis Antonio Arroyo, 42, was tried again on lesser charges after court proceedings ended in a mistrial last year.

The jury acquitted Arroyo on two counts of murder in the deaths of Rodney Spring, 47, who was shot once in the back, and Quickether Jackson, 36, who was shot five times and stabbed three times, on Jan. 21, 2016.

Previously, he had been tried for capital murder.

Arroyo was moved to tears when visiting state District Judge Mark Luitjen read the not guilty verdicts on both counts.

On ExpressNews.com: Accused San Antonio killer weeps as judge announces not guilty verdict in brutal shooting, stabbing

Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
YARDLEY BOROUGH >> Yardley Borough has always loved its ducks. From day one, the boroughs location on the Delaware River has made it the perfect stop over site for migrating waterfowl. And then theres the Delaware Canal and the historic towpath, where waterfowl enjoy congregating, and also Yardley Boroughs picturesque Lake Afton, a quiet nesting spot for ducks of all...
A man awaiting trial on a murder charge was accused of killing another inmate with his bare hands Thursday at the Bexar County Jail, officials said.

Shandrick Van Anthony Buckley, 31, is now facing a murder or capital murder charge, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said at a news conference.

Salazar said a detention deputy noticed blood pooling underneath a door of a unit while making cell checks at about 1:28 p.m. in the maximum security area of the jail.

He found an unresponsive inmate in the cell with severe facial and head injuries and Buckley asleep in his bunk bed, Salazar said.

On the Express-News: Years before he was accused of setting his girlfriend on fire, S.A. man made firebomb

The deputy called for backup as he entered the cell to take custody of Buckley and administer first aid to the inmate, the sheriff said.

Medical personnel continued life-saving measures, but the inmate was pronounced dead at 1:47 p.m., the sheriff said.

The 31-year-old inmate has not been identified because next of kin had not been notified, authorities said.

Salazar said the victim, believed to be a former member of the Aryan Brotherhood, was moved to maximum security because he suffered minor injures during a physical disturbance with two other inmates earlier that the day, Salazar said.

He had been in jail for charges of fraudulent use of identification, credit card abuse, abuse of a controlled substance and a theft charge.

The fact that he was a former gang member is what allowed him to be placed in this area, Salazar said.

Buckley, who is African American, does not have a history of being a gang-related inmate. He has been in jail since September 2017, accused of stomping another man to death.

Because of the space issues, Salazar said there are only so many locations that the inmates can be placed.

Nothing showed up that would make these folks incompatible to be together, Salazar said.

Salazar said Buckley does not appear to have mental problems.

I think were just dealing with an extremely violent individual that goes off unprovoked and attacks people, Salazar said. Its difficult to do because while everybody in this building is innocent until proven guilty, it still goes to show what theyre completely capable of without provocation and without warning.

Salazar said the Texas Rangers are now investigating the inmates death, which is a requirement of the Sandra Bland Act.

Weve got, quite frankly, a young deputy that is quite shaken up over this and were handling him appropriately, Salazar said. Once weve made sure that he is OK, well continue to process with the Texas Rangers.

He said the detention deputy was performing checks as he should have been and that inmates were where they were supposed to be.

Im proud of how he reacted in this situation, going into that situation, making the arrest and then without hesitation administering first aid, Salazar said.

There were no security cameras that captured the incident, but Special Emergency Response Team deputies who were called to the scene did have cameras, Salazar said.

Salazar said no weapons were found in the cell and that the inmate appears to have been beaten with bare hands.

Buckley was in maximum security because of an alleged assault on a deputy earlier in the week, authorities said.

He had just been processed through the Central Magistrates Office and charged with assault of a public servant causing bodily injury Wednesday afternoon, according to county records.

Salazar said Buckley is now being moved to the most maximum, secured area that we have in the jail. Salazar said.

Heres the problem with that area: its got a limited capacity, Salazar said. Were going to have to move another inmate out to make room for him, another inmate who is probably deserving of being in this maximum solitary area.

Buckley is also accused in the death of Jose Gustavo Hernandez, 55. Hernandez died on Aug. 28, 2017, more than two weeks after Buckley allegedly stomped on his head repeatedly, according to a previous report. The attack was caught on security camera footage by Haven for Hope Security, who found Hernandez unconscious on Aug. 9, 2017, near the Union Pacific railroad tracks behind the shelter.

The sheriff said the increase in violent disturbances at the jail is a result of the violent crimes task force apprehending suspects accused of high-level felonies.

Everythings working out the way it should. Its just that these folks, because of the violent nature of the offenses that theyre here for, theyre not making bond, Salazar observed. Theyre staying here and thats where our jail population continues to climb. Its not going down.

Jacob Beltran is a reporter covering San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA
A botanical center spotlighting species of trees that have contributed to San Antonios history and evolution would be a peaceful and noble addition to the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River, officials said Thursday, as a plan for the center was unveiled Thursday.

Everything is very early in its development, but its an exciting opportunity to look at this coming together, said Suzanne Scott, general manager of the San Antonio River Authority. It would be a wonderful place for people to visit along the banks of the river, if we can find a location that could be in close proximity.

The center, an arboretum similar to those in other cities, would be the first of its kind in San Antonio, providing another place of beauty and engagement along the ecologically restored Mission Reach, near the Spanish colonial missions that make up the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas.

Scott said the authority is working with Bexar County and Texas A&M University-San Antonio to locate a potential site where trees could thrive and be accessible from trails on the Mission Reach.

On ExpressNews.com: Historic Hot Wells site opens to the public

The plan was announced by County Judge Nelson Wolf at his annual State of the County luncheon hosted by the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

Some 23,000 trees were added to the 8-mile section of the river known as the Mission Reach. There are now 90 species that were planted there or that have sprouted since the project was completed in 2013.

We really need an arboretum to explain the significance of the most wonderful plants weve got, Wolff told the nearly 400 business and civic leaders and others at the luncheon.

Former Mayor Henry Cisneros, who appeared with Wolff at the event, has been credited with the concept, having visited arboretums in Houston and other U.S. cities. Cisneros said A&M-San Antonio is interested in doing something thats peaceful and noble on the Mission Reach as part of its offerings in horticultural education.

Wolff said later that he envisions a public-private project developed on 30 to 50 acres to highlight the importance of trees in an urban environment.

That is by far the biggest plant that weve got, the one that makes the biggest difference in our environment, and we dont really pay a lot of attention to it. We go plant our little flowers and do that kind of stuff, Wolff said.

On ExpressNews.com: Controlled burn set for Mission Reach

The site with the most potential for an arboretum appears to be along or just south of the southern part of the Mission Reach, on open land near Mission San Juan or Mission Espada, he said.

Scott said the project would have educational and cultural dimensions, connecting tree species to San Antonio history, including use by indigenous people for medicinal and ceremonial purposes.

Historians have documented human occupation on the river dating up to 12,000 years, noting use of species such as pecan for food by native people, and the presence of cottonwood and cypress as part of San Antonios historical landscape.

Being in the World Heritage area, and linking it to how San Antonio would have looked at the time of our founding and what kind of trees would have been here, it kind of made the connections really exciting from an educational perspective, but also from a stewardship perspective for the community, Scott said.

Scott Huddleston covers Bexar County government and the Alamo for the San Antonio Express-News. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | shuddleston@express-news.net | Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
AUSTIN  The new mothers contracted infections. They overdosed on drugs. Their hearts failed. They committed suicide.

The women died in different ways, but all perished within a year of giving birth. Rising rates of maternal mortality spurred Texas leaders in 2017 to reauthorize a special task force to study the deaths and figure out what to do.

But at the end of this years legislative session, public health advocates are frustrated that lawmakers left Austin without adopting the task forces top recommendation: giving women access to health care for a full year after they give birth.

The Legislature agreed to spend $15 million over the next two years on postpartum depression and substance abuse treatment for some low-income women. But a far more sweeping and higher cost plan to expand Medicaid coverage for all eligible new mothers failed, despite having support from Republicans and Democrats.

Were disappointed state leaders basically ignored the needs of uninsured moms and uninsured low wage workers this session, by not taking action on bills to extend postpartum coverage, said Adriana Kohler, a senior health policy associate for the Austin-based advocacy group Texans Care for Children.

On ExpressNews.com: Most pregnancy-related deaths preventable, state report finds

Texas had been considered worst in the country for maternal mortality, until a recent study revealed the numbers were inflated due to bad data. Still, the states task force found roughly 80 percent of pregnancy deaths in 2012 may have been prevented with proper intervention.

Roughly half of births in Texas are paid for by Medicaid, but new mothers lose the government-subsidized coverage two months after delivery  a critical time to have access to health care, according to the 2018 report by the states Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force.

More than half of pregnancy-related deaths occurred two months after delivery, according to the task force, which studied deaths from 2012 to 2015.

Women with private insurance werent immune and accounted for roughly 20 percent of the fatalities, the report found. But nearly 60 percent of new mothers who died had been on Medicaid when they gave birth, the task force found.

The bill on its way to Republican Gov. Greg Abbotts desk would give the states Health and Human Services Commission $15 million to develop a postpartum benefit package for an estimated 10,000 low-income women, according to the bills fiscal note. The package could include treatment for depression, substance abuse, asthma and smoking cessation, but would be provided through the states Healthy Texas Women program. It remains to be seen exactly what the benefits will include and who will receive them.

At this point, we are hopeful that there will be sufficient funding and a significant benefit package for these women once they drop off Medicaid, said Dr. David Fleeger, president of the Texas Medical Association.

The bills sponsor, Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, didnt respond to request for comment. At a hearing in March she called Senate Bill 750 a potential solution to what we have seen, in giving more coverage to women after the two months they have Medicaid.

Related: Texas pregnancy-related deaths inflated, new study finds

The funding, however, will likely cover only some of the roughly 136,000 pregnant women on Medicaid in any given month. And pregnant women who relied on Medicaid for their diabetes medication or other prescription drugs could still lose those benefits in the transition, some public health advocates said.

Other bills filed by Republicans and Democrats to expand the states Medicaid coverage for new mothers from two to 12 months, post delivery failed. The change would have cost the state upwards of $75 million a year, according to a fiscal note. The legislation passed the House, but died after not receiving a public hearing in the Senate.

Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, chalked it up to politics. Republicans dont want to be viewed as expanding Medicaid, he said.

Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas, and Rep. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place, who filed bills to extend Medicaid for new mothers, didnt respond to requests for comment.

Allie Morris covers politics and policy in Austin. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amorris@express-news.net | Twitter: @MorrisReports
Diego Bernal had reservations about leaving City Council in 2014.

Then-state Rep. Mike Villarreal had decided to step down from the Texas House to run for mayor of San Antonio, providing Bernal with an enviable, special-election opportunity to advance himself politically.

The move, however, wasnt as obvious for Bernal as it might have seemed. Over the course of three years on the council, representing downtown and a big chunk of the citys urban core, the civil-rights attorney and electronic musician had grown to love the close connection that municipal officeholders get to share with their constituents.

But Bernal ultimately opted to run for the House seat, in large part because he saw it as an opportunity to impact the quality of public education in Texas.

Bernal got his validation over the past week, in the form of House Bill 3, an $11.6-billion school finance reform and property tax relief bill passed last Saturday by both houses of the Texas Legislature.

As the vice-chair of the House Committee on Public Education, the San Antonio Democrat played a major role in revamping the way this state goes about funding its schools, a long-discussed, much-needed development thats been a notoriously tough nut for lawmakers to crack.

Its really exciting, Bernal said. And I think youre going to start to see tremendous results in a short period of time.

HB 3 injects $6.5 billion of new money into Texas schools, raising the base funding per student by nearly 20 percent (from $5,140 to $6,160), delivering pay raises for teachers and funding statewide full-day pre-kindergarten education. It also provides taxpayers with $5.1 billion in property tax relief by shifting some of the funding burden away from local school districts.

Bernal credits someone who didnt participate in this years session, former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, with paving the road for the school-finance breakthrough and recognizing early on that Bernal could be a key contributor to the education debate.

After Bernals first legislative session, in 2015, he visited every school in his district and wrote a report about what hed learned. Straus took note of Bernals work.

So, as someone who was a sophomore, even though I hadnt served a full session prior, he selected me to be vice-chair of Pub Ed, Bernal said. Which I think shocked everybody, including me.

That assignment put Bernal in close proximity to Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, the chairman of the Public Education Committee and a universally recognized savant when it comes to crunching school-finance numbers.

I was able to get into the orbit of the high-level conversations to work alongside people who had decided that education was their primary focus in the Legislature, Bernal said. And then to take a run at some sort of change in school finance.

That run initially manifested itself in House Bill 21, a 2017 attempt to pump more money into Texas public schools. While most of that funding got stripped out of the bill in the Senate, the process led to the creation of a 13-member Texas Commission on School Finance, which included both Huberty and Bernal.

(The commission) really helped me develop an appreciation for how diverse the state is, Bernal said.

When I think of public education, I think of my own experience, SAISD and my district, but I have to admit I couldnt fully comprehend the differences and the challenges that you might find in a very rural, almost isolated part of the state. It helped me with that.

Bernal said the daily work of the commission  holding public meetings and collecting hours of testimony from policy experts and education professionals  had the effect of sanding away commissioners stubbornly held political agendas.

That process led to commission agreement on the need for free, full-day pre-K, one of Bernals prized objectives.

On the early childhood component, there was no question, no one could argue that full-day, high-quality pre-K was not the closest thing to an educational equalizer that exists, Bernal said. It was undeniable.

Bernal cites his own educational experience, going from West Side public schools to the University of Michigan, as a catalyst for his work on public education. He said he quickly realized that his college classmates were not innately smarter than the kids hed known in San Antonio public schools. The only differences involved the opportunities theyd been given.

I also came to believe that if you think of all the problems that we have in our community, education is the one thing that if you add to those issues, they all get better, he said.

If youre working on education, it has a positive effect on health care and health outcomes. It has a positive effect on poverty. It has a positive effect on discrimination. It has a positive effect on the economy, on jobs, on wages. There are very few things that have that kind of potent power.

@gilgamesh470

Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called WikiLeaks a nonstate hostile intelligence service. Apparently Julian Assange agrees. In its new 18-count indictment of Assange for multiple violations of the Espionage Act, the Justice Department notes that Assange told former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning that WikiLeaks had originally described itself as an intelligence agency for the people.

Now, at long last, the head of that enemy intelligence agency is facing a possible 175 years in a federal penitentiary for his theft of American secrets.

The damage Assange has done is unfathomable. In 2010, he exploded what he called his thermonuclear device  releasing a tranche of more than a quarter-million classified State Department diplomatic cables, all unredacted. According to the indictment, those cables included names of persons throughout the world who provided information to the U.S. government in circumstances in which they could reasonably expect that their identities would be kept confidential. These sources included journalists, religious leaders, human rights advocates, and political dissidents who were living in repressive regimes and reported to the United States the abuses of their own government, and the political conditions within their countries, at great risk to their own safety.

The indictment cites specific examples of sources WikiLeaks burned inside China, Iran, Iraq and Syria. Moreover, Assanges decision to release 90,000 Afghanistan war-related activity reports also revealed the identities of at least 100 Afghans who were informing on the Taliban.

Assanges stolen classified documents didnt just find their way to the Taliban; the indictment points out that WikiLeaks copies were also found in Osama bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. During the raid that killed the al-Qaida leader, U.S. forces recovered a letter from bin Laden to another member of the terrorist organization al-Qaida in which bin Laden requested that the member gather the DoD material posted to WikiLeaks as well as a response from that al-Qaida operative providing him with the secret U.S. government documents Assange had provided.

Indeed, Assanges disclosures nearly blew the bin Laden operation. Just one week before the raid, Assange released his Gitmo files which contained information that could have tipped off bin Laden that the CIA was closing in on him. One of Assanges stolen documents  the file on Abu Faraj al-Libi, al-Qaidas captured operational commander  revealed that Faraj had reported on al-Qaidas methods for choosing and employing couriers, as well as preferred communications means; that he had received a letter from UBLs designated courier who was the official messenger between UBL and others in Pakistan; and that in mid-2003, (Faraj) moved his family to Abbottabad, and worked between Abbottabad and Peshawar, Pakistan. The CIA tracked down bin Laden to Abbottabad by following his courier, thanks, in large part, to information provided by Faraj. Fortunately, the special operations forces did not give bin Laden time to figure it out.

The indictment leaves out much of the damage Assange did, such as his 2014 release of classified CIA documents exposing how CIA operatives maintain cover while traveling through airports; his 2016 release of documents detailing European Union military operations to intercept refugee boats traveling to Europe from terrorist-infested regions along the Libyan coast; and his 2016 exposure of top-secret documents describing NSA intercepts of foreign government communications.

Some are concerned that the newest Assange indictment will help set a precedent to go after investigative journalists who publish classified information. But unlike reputable news organizations, Assange did not give the U.S. government an opportunity to review the classified information WikiLeaks was planning to release so they could raise national security objections. So responsible journalists have nothing to fear.

Regardless, Assange is not a journalist. He is a spy. The fact that he gave stolen U.S. intelligence to al-Qaida, the Taliban, China, Iran and other adversaries via a website rather than dead-drops is irrelevant. He engaged in espionage against the United States. And he has no remorse for the harm he has caused. He once called the innocent people hurt by his disclosures collateral damage and admitted WikiLeaks might get blood on our hands. Sorry, he does not get to aid and abet our enemies, put countless lives at risk and then hide behind the First Amendment. The Justice Department is right to indict him for his crimes.

@marcthiessen
One of the most memorable lines etched into the American landscape about Pearl Harbor came from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who uttered, December 7, 1941  a date which will live in infamy.

On June 6, 1944, 2 years later, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower launched the amphibious invasion of the beaches of Normandy, France.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, in which more than 175,000 troops (57,500 U.S.) stormed the shoreline, ultimately liberating Western Europe from the tyrannical grasp of Nazi Germany.

Many of the soldiers who spilled blood on the French coastline were Mexican Americans.

According to Rudolfo Acunas classic Occupied America (fifth Edition), an estimated 750,000 Mexican Americans served during World War II in Europe and the Pacific, and proportionately received more Medals of Honor than any other ethnic group.

One of the first books to mark this brave distinction among Mexican Americans was Raul Morins Among the Valiant (1963), with an introduction by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Morin, who served in the U.S. Armys 79th Infantry Division, chronicled the heroics of Mexican Americans during WWII and Korea.

And yet watching Stephen Spielbergs WWII epic Saving Private Ryan, youd be hard-pressed to find a single Mexican American, even though the film was lauded for its accurate portrayal of the Normandy invasion. Hollywood doesnt account for omission of facts, but historians are duty bound to accurately record and interpret them. Its troubling that many Mexican Americans, both men and women, were left in the shadows of an incomplete WWII history.

But their once-forgotten voices and omitted historical accounts have been historicized by Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, a University of Texas at Austin professor of journalism. Her Voces Oral History Project is the preeminent Latino oral history archive in the United States.

Rivas-Rodriguez recently gave an interview with Texas Public Radios Fronteras elaborating on what inspired her to archive more than 1,000 interviews of Mexican American World War II and Korean War veterans. Her recordings date to 1992, when she interviewed Pete Tijerina, founder of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, or MALDEF, about the history of Mexican American civil rights.

According to Tijerina, the fight for civil rights began with activists arriving home from war. This forgotten generation battled not only for victory abroad but also at home. For the first time, many Mexican American veterans felt like Americans. Their plight was unique. At home, especially in Texas, they were labeled Mexicans, despite being born and raised in the United States. When they entered the military, however, they identified as American soldiers, fighting side by side with Anglo troops for one unifying cause  wiping out fascism and Nazism.

In Rivas-Rodriguezs book, Mexican Americans and World War II, one veteran, Armando Flores, disclosed how one cold morning his commanding officer yelled at him for having his fists in his pockets. American soldiers stand at attention, on a cold day, or a hot day. They never keep their hands in their pockets. Flores, who was from Texas, recounted, Nobody had ever called me an American until that time.

Unfortunately, many Mexican Americans were classified as unpatriotic and un-American, as were generations before them. But all that changed during the U.S. involvement in World War II, as many were seen as American as the next Anglo soldier.

Rivas-Rodriguez adds that military personnel did not know how to classify Mexican Americans racially in a black-and-white social system, leaving many of them unaccounted. Because many were classified as white, the broadly estimated 750,000 is at best a conservative number.

Perhaps the next Hollywood film will rectify the lapse of judgment. The contributions of Latinos in World War II should not go unnoticed, for they truly are the greatest generation.

Alfredo Torres Jr. is an adjunct professor of humanities at Palo Alto College and a copy editor at Catch the Next Inc. (New Haven, Conn.).
It could have been worse is a fairly low bar, but state lawmakers cleared it this session.

Thats an improvement from two years ago when lawmakers wasted their time  and your money  fighting over bathrooms for transgender people. Simply, we know it could have been worse because it has been worse.

That doesnt absolve legislators for putting the chokehold on cities, urban counties and school districts by stringently capping property tax growth for these entities. The 3.5 percent cap on cities and urban counties almost certainly will undermine core services in Texas fast-growing metro areas. Even worse, they wont provide meaningful property tax relief because schools are the primary drivers of property tax bills.

To address this latter concern, lawmakers have placed a 2.5 percent cap on property tax growth for school districts, which will ease some future taxpayer pain, but will likely undercut the increase in state funding for schools.

So-called property tax reform was a deeply flawed achievement. But, again, it could have been worse. School districts, cities and urban counties can still go to voters to break these arbitrary caps; they will have to make pitches as they do now with bond programs.

Increasing school funding was an overdue achievement. That agreement includes $6.5 billion to provide much-needed teacher raises and all-day prekindergarten for eligible students (potentially opening the door for shifting pre-K 4 SA funds to another purpose). It also includes an additional $5.1 billion to lower property taxes.

But even here, there are flaws. Several lawmakers have raised credible concerns that the increased state funding is not sustainable, which only magnifies the stringent caps placed on districts.

One of the most important developments for this city was the approval of $200 million in funding for a new State Hospital of San Antonio. This is a desperately needed project that will modernize the hospital, create a much more humane environment for care and provide additional bed space (though still not enough) for patients from 55 counties  but mostly Bexar. The project will cost about $320 million, so more funding will be needed next session. This initial $200 million guarantees it.

The much-maligned Driver Responsibility Program is dead. This program was created with good intentions, fining bad drivers to fund trauma care, but it had hellish implications. It ended up trapping low-income drivers in debt and leading to 1.4 million Texans having their licenses suspended. This had two main effects. It kept some drivers from paying their fines and getting their licenses in good order, which made it hard to get to work; or many drivers stayed behind the wheel.

Ending the Driver Responsibility Program has long had bipartisan backing, but the hang-up has always been trauma care funding. State lawmakers have proposed a $2 annual automobile insurance fee; increasing a portion of state traffic fines from $30 to $50; and increasing fines for driving while intoxicated. We would have preferred funding trauma care from the general fund, but there is freedom for judges to waive or reduce fees based on indigence.

State lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott missed an opportunity to embrace criminal justice reform this session. Faced with a chance to move away from the unfair practice of cash bail, they instead focused on legislation known as the Damon Allen Act that would have, at best, improved the system on the margins. At worst, as we saw at one point in the House, the legislation was used as a vehicle that would have locked up more people. By doing nothing, state lawmakers have abdicated reform to federal courts, but that is better than passing an inadequate or bad bill.

Speaking of bad bills, legislation that would have banned cities from lobbying failed, and so did legislation that would have kept the city of San Antonio from moving the Cenotaph on Alamo Plaza a mere 500 feet. This would have undercut the Alamo Master Plan, which will do wonders to provide proper reverence to the Shrine of Texas Liberty.

On the social issues front, things were relatively quiet. The so-called Chick-fil-A bill, introduced before the airport controversy in San Antonio, will prevent government action against a person or business due to religious affiliation. But language that could have been used to antagonize the LGBTQ community was stripped away. And a bill that would have allowed therapists and other such caregivers to refuse to help LGBTQ people rightfully died in the Senate.

So, a mixed bag, but we imagine school finance will again be an issue, and the state hospital must be completed next session. On bail reform, since the Legislature failed to act, Bexar County must be the impetus for change.
The photo in Sundays paper of President Donald Trump with the smiling farmers and ranchers raised the question, And who are the socialists here? They all seem particularly happy to receive federal funds to offset losses in their agricultural trade with China.

Trump caused the tariff war and now needs to pay back those who suffer from what he caused. Are his supporters also looking forward to their Social Security payments and Medicare coverage? And yet I suppose theyll attack any Democrat who suggests more government aid elsewhere.

Mark Gilbertson, Seguin

Buy the burger, 2020

As a Donald Trump supporter, I despise about 20 percent of what Trump does  most having to do with his behavior and revolving door. The other 80 percent is far and away better for the country than anyone of the gimmecrats running against him.

Its kind of like ordering a $10 burger. You enjoy the heck out of 80 percent of it but have a hard time swallowing the last 20 percent. Still worth the money to buy another one in 2020.

Johnny E. Smith, Selma

Refugees have rights

Can we please stop confusing refugees with immigrants? They are not the same. The number of immigrants trying to enter this country illegally has dropped steadily since 2000. The recent increase has been in refugees presenting themselves and asking for asylum, which they have a legal right to do. The Trump administration treats them like criminals but, in fact, they have committed no crime and have broken no laws.

The practice of referring to refugees as immigrants or migrants seems intended to blur this crucial legal and moral point. Refugees have a legal right to present themselves at the border and request asylum, and they have the right to have their cases heard. In most cases, refugees are fleeing serious threats to their lives and their families. Theyre like people trying to get out of a burning building.

John Maxstadt, Laredo

Dems just dont care

I cannot believe that with all the problems facing the United States of America, the Democrats address nothing except trying to win the next election by going after our president.

Obviously, they do not care about the U.S., only their political party  it is beyond my comprehension how they just do not care.

Patricia J. Wood

More equal

Re: FAA now eyeing airport ouster, Front Page, Saturday:

Lets see if I understand this  our City Council wants to protect San Antonios reputation for inclusion and equality, which is to be accomplished by excluding and discriminating against business owners who believe in the traditional form of marriage.

This reminds me of the quote in George Orwells Animal Farm: All people are equal, but some people are more equal than others.

Thomas Hardin
NEWS FLASH

Operator TAV Macedonia is looking to attract more passengers from neighbouring Albania to use its services at Ohrid Airport. The company's management met with tour operators and agencies in Elbasan in central Albania and has urged for the introduction of a shuttle bus service between the city and St Paul the Apostle Airport. The two are some sixty kilometres apart. "Ohrid Airport is really close to Elbasan, only an hour and a half by car, and yet the two cities do not have regular bus lines. Albania, especially Elbasan, is within our catchment area and holds great potential for Ohrid Airport", TAV Macedonia Airports Coordinator, Nejat Kurt, said. Ohrid Airport has seen its passenger numbers soar during the first quarter of the year, with figures up 63%. During the summer season, it is served by Wizz Air, Edelweiss, Germania Flug, Pegasus, Onur Air, Corendon Airlines, Brussels Airlines, TUIFly, Nordica, Enter Air, LOT and Helvetic, with Eurowings to launch operations later this month.
BRIDGEPORT  Talk of Bridgeports School Volunteer Associations demise was premature.

After a year of warning the school system that the office which puts 800 school volunteers into city classrooms annually would cease to exist without district support, enough cash has been raised to run the program one more year.

Good news, Marge Hiller, former director of the Bridgeport Public Education Fund, told the school board this week. Through the generosity of many, enough money has been raised to continue the work of the School Volunteer Association for one more year.

The office is funded on $175,000, enough to support a director and administrative assistant who work to get volunteers into 550 classrooms weekly. The volunteers read, tutor and mentor. The organization also coordinates groups and businesses that want to support the schools.

Funding for the positions were cut from the districts 2018-19 operating budget and the organization used funds it had saved through donations to stay alive this year.

Anne Gribbons, the director of the organization, said the new donations came from volunteers, board members, companies, churches, foundations and grants. One of the largest gifts was $40,000 from the Bridgeport Rotary Club.

The Rotary Club celebrated its 100th anniversary this year and decided to make a major contribution as part of the celebration, Gribbons said.

Nearly $25,000 more was raised through a swim event. Jatin Mehta, 79, a volunteer and association board member who is battling cancer, swam laps in exchange for donations.

He is an inspiration to all of us who know him, Gribbons said.

Additional donations are welcome, she added, which will help the organization buy books for the read aloud event. The books are then donated to classroom libraries.

Donations should be mailed to School Volunteer Association of Bridgeport, 280 Tesiny Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06606. For more information, call 203-275-1120.
FAIRFIELD  Police are seeking the publics help in identifying a man who robbed a Fairfield Dunkin Donuts early Tuesday morning.

The robbery happened around 2 a.m. Tuesday when a black man, who police described as having a thin build, in his 40s, wearing a red jacket and hat, walked in to the Dunkin Donuts at 593 Post Road and demanded the money out of the cash register.

The man implied he had a gun, though no weapon was displayed, and he threatened to shoot the cashier, police said.

An undetermined amount of cash was taken from the register, police said.

By the time police arrived, the man had fled the scene. A K9 track of the suspect was unsuccessful.

No one was injured in the incident.

Detectives are still investigating the robbery. They ask anyone with information to contact the Detective Bureau at 203-254-4840.
The ongoing African swine fever problem in the world's largest pig producing country, China, is increasing the demand for other proteins besides pork.

With recent forecasts suggesting Chinese pork production could fall by over 10 million tonnes, other proteins are needed to fill the supply gap.

Chinese production will likely increase and reports already show growing poultry feed demand, according to AHDB Pork.

However, breeding stock availability is currently limited. Most traditional suppliers of grandparent stock are banned due to Avian Influenza controls.

Although Poland was re-opened towards the end of 2018, this will not support production until the end of this year.

Increased import levels are also expected, with market access recently opening to a number of countries.

Official trade data records Chinese imports of fresh/frozen poultry already increasing 40% (+42,000 tonnes) year on year in the first quarter.

This compares with a 3% increase in fresh/frozen pork (+10,000 tonnes). When offal is included, pig meat imports have actually fallen by 8%, driven by a fall in offal shipments from the US.

AHDB Pork says it is probable that pork import demand will pick up more significantly later in the year.

Increased demand for poultry

With tightening protein supplies, poultry imports may also grow further. The USDA anticipates Chinese chicken meat imports could rise by nearly 70% this year.

Globally, the increased demand from China may help support prices in the global poultry market this year.

Rising import demand is also expected from other key importers, including Japan, Mexico and the EU. Global exports are therefore forecast to grow 3% overall, to 11.6 million tonnes.

However, developments in global trade restrictions will also be important, and Avian Influenza remains a concern.
Around 6,400 hectares, much of it forestry land, has been converted into starter farms to encourage new entrants to the Scottish farming industry.

The release of public land will benefit up to 24 farmers and is part of a Scottish government scheme to identify and make available land for new entrants.

As well as helping them into farming, the scheme assists existing farmers to make their businesses more sustainable by renting them additional land.

The land has been made available from public bodies such as Forestry and Land Scotland, Crown Estate Scotland, Scottish Water, Highland and Islands Enterprise, East Lothian and Highland Councils.

Among the people benefiting is Callum Lindsay, a farmers son who has long wanted to establish his own farm but has not been able to because of high land prices.

Mr Lindsay, whose home farm is not big enough to support both him and his parents, has been awarded 40 hectares of public land at West Torrie, near Callander, on a five-year tenancy.

He said that due to the high price of land and the shortage of ground available to rent for livestock, it is becoming 'increasingly difficult' to get established.

This 5-year tenancy is a golden opportunity to establish myself in the industry, a start that would not be achievable if I had to buy my own land.

Availability of land in Scotland

The availability of land remains one of the primary barriers to attracting new entrants to farming.

And with the average age of Scottish farmers at 58, attracting new entrants is seen as essential.

Scotland's Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said overcoming these challenges is 'vital for the future sustainability of the industry'.

I am delighted to announce up to 24 farmers will benefit from the release of public sector land across Scotland  bringing the total number of farmers to 94, he said.

The forestry estate alone has already identified more than 2,800 hectares of land for potential lease to aspiring farmers, with many other public organisations doing likewise.

Mr Ewing added: By further opening up public sector land, I hope that we can provide more opportunities to get onto the first step of the farming ladder.

The move has faced some criticism from environmental activists, who say more forestry land is needed for climate change mitigation.
The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category
For a long time, Ambareesh's fans awaited the release of Amar. His and Sumalatha's son Abhishek made his debut in cinemas with Nagashekar's romantic flick. When the Rebel Star Ambareesh was alive, he had told that he was surprised when Abhishek expressed his desire to work in films. Similarly, fans also seemed excited to watch what this star kid had to offer. Today, as Abhishek's first film Amar released across Karnataka, Sumalatha shared the sweetest note welcoming her son to the world of cinemas.

The actress wrote on her social media handle, "The thrill of 1st day 1st show at #NartakiTheatre, #Majestic, Bangalore is unparalled. This is the same historic place where legends have been created, same place where #Ambareesh's 100th movie #HongkongnalliAgentAmar ran for 100 days !! May you strive to follow those legendary footsteps Welcome to the amazing world of cinema..the great Kannada Film Industry."

Amar Movie Review: Another Typical Love Story With Different Twists; Abhishek Reminds Of Ambareesh!

Meanwhile, Amar has received mixed reviews from the audience. The romantic piece helmed by Nagashekar doesn't stand any different from other typical love stories, except for a few twists. But, the music and cinematography highlight the film.
Sri Reddy has been one such actress who has been embroiled in controversies. Her statements regarding casting couch had left the film fraternity shocked and she unleashed allegations against some of the top names of Tollywood.

A whole lot of rumours had surfaced that Sri Reddy will be one among the contestants of the highly popular reality show Bigg Boss Telugu. The third season is expected to commence next month but it seems like those rumours regarding Sri Reddy's entry to Bigg Boss Telugu are not true.

Now, speculations are rife that Sri Reddy will be a contestant of Bigg Boss Tamil Season 3, which will also commence in June. The rumours doing the rounds suggest that Sri Reddy had shown her interest in taking part in Bigg Boss Telugu but the makers weren't interested. If the reports are to be believed, it was then that the actress approached Bigg Boss Tamil and the team later okayed. However, neither Sri Reddy nor Bigg Boss Tamil team has given any confirmation to this.

Bigg Boss Tamil is as popular as Bigg Boss Telugu and both the previous seasons were huge hits. Bigg Boss Tamil Season 3 will also be hosted by Kamal Haasan and the promos of the same have already come out in online circuits.

(Source: Tollywood.net)

READ: Sri Reddy's Words About Mahesh Babu Gains Big Attention Of Fans!
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2019) - WeirFoulds LLP (the "Acquiror") has filed an early warning report (the "Early Warning Report") advising of its acquisition of subordinate voting shares (the "SV Shares") of Bhang Inc. (the "Company").

On May 24, 2019, the Company filed Articles of Amendment consolidating the Company's common shares ("Common Shares") on a 1:10 basis and re-designating the Common Shares as SV Shares. The Company also completed a debt settlement transaction, whereby SV Shares were issued as partial consideration to creditors in satisfaction of outstanding debt (the "Debt Settlement Transaction"). Pursuant to the Debt Settlement Transaction the Company issued 535,640 SV Shares (the "Debt Settlement Shares") to 1200124 Ontario Inc. ("1200124"), a company controlled by the Acquiror, at a deemed price of $0.50 per SV Share as partial payment of debt in the amount of $267,820.00 owed by the Company to the Acquiror. In total, the Company issued an aggregate of 950,000 Debt Settlement Shares under the Debt Settlement Transaction, including the 535,640 SV Shares issued to the Acquiror, with the balance of the other Debt Settlement Shares issued to other creditors of the Company.

Prior to the acquisition of Debt Settlement Shares, the Acquiror held 323,807 Common Shares of the Company, representing approximately 9% of the then issued and outstanding Common Shares of the Company. As a result of the Debt Settlement Transaction, the Acquiror holds a total of 870,026 SV Shares, on a post-consolidation basis, representing approximately 19% of the Company's issued and outstanding SV Shares.

This news release is being issued as required by National Instrument 62-104 - Take-Over Bids and Issuer Bids. A copy of the Early Warning Report can be obtained at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile.

For further information, please contact:

Michael Dolphin, Partner

WeirFoulds LLP

Telephone: 416-947-5005

Fax: 416-365-1876

E-mail: mdolphin@weirfoulds.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45190
LONDON and PHILADELPHIA, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Standards Australia has entered into a new distribution agreement with Techstreet, a Clarivate Analytics company, to deliver greater access to content supporting innovation, safety and compliance in industries and communities across Australia.

Under the new agreement, Techstreet will become an additional distributor of Standard

Australia's content, including Australian Standards and other technical documents such as ISO and IEC materials.

Users will soon be able to access Standards Australia content through a new webstore and through a subscription service to Techstreet Enterprise, Techstreet's standards management platform.

Techstreet Enterprise provides easy, immediate access to one of the world's largest collections of industry codes and standards, plus web-based workflow tools to help standards users manage mission-critical information and make better decisions faster.

Richard Brooks, Standards Australia's Chairman, said the organisation explored a number of Australian and global publishers and distributors before appointing Clarivate's Techstreet as a new partner.

"Clarivate is a market leader in this space, with extensive experience in the distribution of technical content. We are excited about bringing choice to how customers access standards in Australia," Mr. Brooks said.

"This is an exciting step in improving access to Australian Standards, while allowing our organisation to build internal capability and develop external partnerships to deliver new methods of distribution."

"Ultimately, improving how we distribute our content ensures we serve our public purpose - to help industries work safely, sustainably and more effectively."

Todd Fegan, Vice President of Techstreet, said the company is extremely excited to expand its efforts to deliver more options and easier access to users of Standards Australia's content.

"We're pleased to become a distributor of Standard Australia's content and deliver better solutions together to help support Australian innovation and compliance," Mr Fegan said.

"For many years, Techstreet has been a trusted provider of industry codes and standards. We will continue our commitment to enhance our online library of engineering standards and related documents to create ongoing value for our customers."

Specific details of the changes as a result of this announcement will be outlined in coming weeks, including how to access the new webstore. In the meantime, Sales enquiries for subscription customers should be directed to Andrew O'Brien, Head of Sales, Australia.

Clarivate Analytics plc (NYSE: CCC; CCC.WS) is the parent company to several established brands in Australia supporting a range of scientific and technical publishing markets and houses one of the world's largest and most comprehensive collections of industry codes and standards. Its brand portfolio includes Web of Science, Techstreet, Derwent, Compumark, Cortellis and MarkMonitor.

For more information please contact:

Scott McGrath Andrew O'Brien Standards Australia Clarivate Analytics +61 429 809 337 +61 402 918 215 scott.mcgrath@standards.org.au Andrew.obrien@clarivate.com

About Standards Australia

Standards Australia is an independent, non-government, not-for-profit organisation. We are the nation's peak non-government standards development organisation. The work of Standards Australia and our contributors from industry, government and the consumer sector enhances the nation's economic efficiency, international competitiveness and contributes to a safe and sustainable environment for all Australians.

For more information, please visit www.standards.org.au.

About Techstreet

Techstreet serves those who invent, build, test and maintain virtually everything on which the world depends. Techstreet keeps technical professionals connected to 550,000+ industry codes and standards, in partnership with 150+ standards publishers. Techstreet standards and management tools help corporations, government, and academic institutions achieve national and international compliance, global competitiveness, and speed to market with better, safer products and services.

For more information, please visit www.techstreet.com/pages/subscriptions.

About Clarivate Analytics

Clarivate Analytics plc (NYSE: CCC; CCC.WS) is a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics to accelerate the pace of innovation. Clarivate has built some of the most trusted brands across the innovation lifecycle, including the Web of Science, Cortellis, Derwent, CompuMark, MarkMonitor and Techstreet. Today, Clarivate Analytics is on a bold entrepreneurial mission to help our clients reduce the time from new ideas to life-changing innovations.

For more information, please visit www.clarivate.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and oral statements made with respect to information contained in this release may contain forward-looking statements regarding Clarivate Analytics. Forward-looking statements provide Clarivate Analytics' current expectations or forecasts of future events and may include statements regarding anticipated synergies and other future expectations. These statements involve risks and uncertainties including factors outside of Clarivate Analytics' control that may cause actual results to differ materially. Clarivate Analytics undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
All Star Minerals PLC ("All Star")

Final Results

The Company hereby notifies shareholders that the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2018 have now been approved by the Company's board.

Summary Financial Statements are set out below. A full copy of the Annual Report will be available shortly on the Company's website, www.allstarminerals.co.uk

The Directors of All Star are responsible for the content of this announcement.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014, and has been arranged for release by Tomas Nugent, Chairman of the Company.

ENQUIRIES:

All Star Minerals Plc

Tomas Nugent

Chairman

07963 455663

NEX Corporate Adviser

Cairn Financial Advisers LLP

Liam Murray

0207 213 0880

REVIEW OF THE BUSINESS - Chairman's Statement

The past twelve months have been a period in which the Company has witnessed continued positive momentum by reviewing potential transactions and working towards finding a suitable transaction.

The board of All Star has continued to review options as to how best advance the Company forward. Going forward, discussions will continue to be held regarding transactions and it is hoped that a suitable transaction will be identified in due course.

As a Company with a listing on the NEX Exchange Growth Market, our access to capital is predominantly through UK investors, whether that be private client brokers or sophisticated and high net worth individuals. This funding route has continued to be a very tough environment for raising capital during the past twelve months.

The Company's principal asset since relinquishing and selling its Australian assets is its shareholding in investee company, NQ Minerals Plc. Throughout 2018, All Star continued holding 5,519,545 shares in the Company, which equated to 1.64% ownership of the Company at year end.

The shareholding was valued at 579,553 at 31 December 2018. The board of All Star looks forward to the performance of its investment over the course of 2019.

FINANCIALS

The financial results for the 12 month period to 31 December 2018 shows a loss after taxation of 110,369 (2017: loss of 175,026). The increase in value of NQ Minerals' shares and lower general corporate overheads meant that the Company recorded a smaller loss for the period versus 2017.

The basic loss per share from continuing operations was 0.01p (2017: loss per share of 0.02p).

The Directors do not recommend the payment of a dividend.

PRINCIPAL RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES FACING THE COMPANY

The principal risks faced by the Company are as follows:

- The ability to raise sufficient funds to continue to execute the Company's strategy; and



- The performance of the investment in NQ Minerals plc which is an overseas mining and exploration company.

OUTLOOK

I believe that All Star could be enhanced through a number of different means. If that was to occur, it would completely change the current corporate structure of the Company and benefit shareholders.

However, in the interim the Company's working capital position still requires careful management.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow board members, shareholders and our advisers for their continued support and patience over the past twelve months. In what overall has been another pleasing period, the Company has continued with its transition and is shaping for the future.

Tomas Nugent

Executive Chairman

31 May 2019

INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

2018 2017   Administrative expenses

Other operating income (85,719)

1,350 (149,026)

- Finance costs (26,000) (26,000) LOSS BEFORE TAX (110,369) (175,026) Income tax expense - -

LOSS FOR THE YEAR

(110,369) (175,026) 2018 2017   LOSS PER SHARE expressed in pence per share Basic

Diluted (0.01)

(0.01) (0.02)

(0.02)   LOSS FOR THE YEAR (110,369) (175,026) OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss:

Fair value movement: available for sale investments



137,989



27,598 137,989 27,598 TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR 27,620 (147,428)

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

Issued capital

 Share premium

 Other reserves

 Accumulated losses

 Total equity

 Balance at 1 January 2018 428,433 1,773,610 748,050 (2,892,994) 57,099 Comprehensive income for the year Loss for the year - - - (110,369) (110,369) Other comprehensive income Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss:



Fair value movement:

available for sale

investments











-











-











137,989











-











137,989

Total comprehensive income for the year -



- -



- 137,989



137,989 -



(110,369) 137,989



27,620 Balance at 31 December 2018 428,433 1,773,610 886,039 (3,003,363) 84,719 Issued capital

 Share premium

 Other reserves

 Accumulated losses

 Total equity

 Balance at 1 January 2017 410,369 1,646,674 720,452 (2,717,968) 59,527 Total comprehensive income for the year Loss for the year - - - (175,026) (175,026) Other comprehensive income

Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss:



Fair value movements on

available for sale

investments - - 27,598 - 27,598

Total comprehensive income for the year

-





-

-





-

27,598





27,598

-





(175,026)

27,598





(147,428) Transactions with owners, recorded directly in equity Issue of shares 18,064 126,936 - - 145,000 Balance at 31 December 2018 428,433 1,773,610 748,050 (2,892,994) 57,099

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2018

2018 2017   ASSETS NON CURRENT ASSETS Property, plant and equipment - - - - CURRENT ASSETS Trade and other receivables - - Cash and cash equivalents 7,935 39,086 Available for sale financial assets 579,553 441,564 587,488 480,650 TOTAL ASSETS 587,488 480,650 EQUITY

ISSUED CAPITAL AND RESERVES Issued share capital 428,433 428,433 Share premium 1,773,610 1,773,610 Other Reserves (per SOCIE) 886,039 748,050 Accumulated losses (3,003,363) (2,892,994) TOTAL EQUITY 84,719 57,099 CURRENT LIABILITIES Borrowings 179,210 153,210 Trade and other payables 323,559 270,341 502,769 423,551 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 587,488 480,650

CASHFLOW STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

2018 2017   CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Total loss (110,369) (175,026) ADJUSTMENTS TO RECONCILE TO LOSS FROM OPERATIONS Interest expense 26,000 26,000 ADJUSTMENTS TO RECONCILE LOSS FROM OPERATIONS 26,000 26,000 LOSS FROM OPERATIONS (84,369) (149,026) CASH FLOWS BEFORE CHANGES IN WORKING CAPITAL (84,369) (149,026) INCREASE IN WORKING CAPITAL Decrease in trade and other receivables - 2,811 Increase in trade and other payables 53,218 40,016 INCREASE IN WORKING CAPITAL 98,451 42,827 CASH FLOW USED IN OPERATING ACTIVITIES (31,151) (106,199) NET CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Gross proceeds from issue of equity share capital - 124,500 NET CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES - 124,500 (31,151) 18,301

Cash and cash equivalents brought forward

39,086

20,785

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AS AT 31 DECEMBER

7,935

39,086

The independent auditor's report has highlighted a material uncertainty in relation to going concern. Due to the consideration of factors such as the Company's ability to raise funding, the audit opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.
Karelian Diamond Resources plc

("Karelian Diamonds" or "the Company")

31 May 2019

Requisition of Extraordinary General Meeting

Karelian Diamonds (AIM: KDR) the diamond exploration company announces that it yesterday received a document at its office dated 29 May 2019 regarding a proposed requisition for an Extraordinary General Meeting ("EGM") of the Company (the "Document"). The Company's lawyers have advised that the Document did not constitute a valid EGM requisition, but the Company expects that a valid EGM requisition will be received at some point.

The stated objects of the Document are to remove the following directors of the Company, Professor Richard Conroy, Maureen Jones, Seamus FitzPatrick, Dr Sor?a Conroy and Louis J Maguire and to appoint Alan Osborne, Stephen Grimmer, Martin Doyle and Kevin Taylor as Directors. The Board has been in communication with certain of the authors of the Document and have previously communicated to them that they do not believe the proposed change of board is in the interests of Company's shareholders as a whole.

Should a valid EGM requisition be received, a further announcement will be made and a circular to shareholders and notice of EGM would be prepared.

For further information please contact :

Karelian Diamond Resources plc Tel: +353-1-479-6180 Professor Richard Conroy, Chairman Allenby Capital Limited(Nomad) Tel: +44-20-3328-5656 Nick Athanas/Nick Harriss Brandon Hill Capital Limited (Broker) Tel: +44-20-3463-5000 Jonathan Evans Lothbury Financial Services Tel: +44-20-3290-0707 Michael Padley Hall Communications Tel: +353-1-660-9377 Don Hall

www.kareliandiamondresources.com
Regulatory News:

EUTELSAT 7C, Eutelsat Communications' (Paris:ETL) newest high-power broadcast satellite, has arrived at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana where it will be launched as a co-passenger on an Ariane 5 rocket on 20 June.

Built by Maxar Technologies, the 3.4 tonne satellite will serve markets across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Turkey through 49 36-Mhz equivalent Ku-band transponders. It will be co-located with EUTELSAT 7B at 7 East, increasing capacity for this dynamic neighbourhood by 19 transponders. EUTELSAT 7A will be relocated as part of Eutelsat's fleet optimisation strategy.

The launch is scheduled for 20 June during a launch window opening at 21:43 UTC and closing at 23:30 UTC.

The satellite will go into full commercial service at the end of 2019 following all electric orbit raising and in orbit tests.

About Eutelsat Communications

Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 7,000 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,000 men and women from 46 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service.

For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com

www.eutelsat.com - Follow us on Twitter @Eutelsat_SA

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005157/en/

Contacts:

Media

Marie-Sophie Ecuer

Tel.: 33 1 53 98 37 91

mecuer@eutelsat.com

Christina Darvasi

Tel.: 52 55 26 29 58 47

cdarvasi@eutelsat.com

Jessica Whyte

Tel.: 33 1 53 98 37 91

jwhyte@eutelsat.com

Investors

Joanna Darlington

Tel.: +33 1 53 98 35 30

jdarlington@eutelsat.com

Cedric Pugni

Tel.: +33 1 53 98 35 30

cpugni@eutelsat.com

Alexandre Enjalbert

Tel.: +33 1 53 98 35 30

aenjalbert@eutelsat.com
31 May 2019

Acron Holds Annual General Meeting on 30 May 2019

The shareholder meeting approved Acron Annual Report, accounting (financial) statements and profit and loss distribution for 2018. Acron's 2018 RAS net profit was RUB 10,810,366 thousand. The shareholders resolved to declare 2018 dividends in cash at the rate of RUB 135 per outstanding ordinary share. The total amount to be distributed as dividends is RUB 5,472,090 thousand. The record date for persons entitled to dividends is set for 11 June 2019.

The shareholders elected Acron's Board of Directors as follows:

1. Nikolai Arutyunov

2. Vladimir Gavrikov

3. Georgy Golukhov

4. Alexander Dynkin

5. Yury Malyshev

6. Alexander Popov

7. Vladimir Sister



Three independent directors will sit on the elected Board of Directors: Yury Malyshev, Vladimir Sister and Nikolai Arutyunov, who was named senior independent director. The general meeting also set the amount of remuneration to independent members of Acron's Board of Directors.

The shareholder meeting also approved:

Crowe Russaudit as the auditor to approve accounting (financial) statements prepared in accordance with accounting laws of the Russian Federation

KPMG as the auditor to approve financial statements prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

The general meeting elected the Internal Audit Team consisting of Valentina Aleksandrova, Irina Dudicheva, Elena Zubrilova, Elena Potapova and Tatiana Khrapova.

At the meeting of the elected Board of Directors following the general meeting, Alexander Popov was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors, Vladimir Gavrikov was elected Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Vladimir Kunitsky was appointed CEO. The Board of Directors also formed the Managing Board consisting of Vladimir Kunitsky (Chairman), Vice President for Finance and Economics Dmitry Balandin, Finance Director Alexey Milenkov, Vice President for HR and Special Projects Irina Raber, Vice President Overseas Dmitry Khabrat and Vice President for Domestic Business and Agricultural Projects Alexander Lebedev.

MediaContacts:

Sergey Dorofeev

Anastasiya Gromova

Tatiana Smirnova

Public Relations

Phone: +7 (495) 777 08 65 (ext. 5196)

Investor Contacts:

Ilya Popov

Investor Relations

Phone: +7 (495) 745 77 45 (ext. 5252)

Background Information

Acron Group is a leading vertically integrated mineral fertiliser producer in Russia and globally, with chemical production facilities in Veliky Novgorod (Acron) and the Smolensk region (Dorogobuzh). The Group owns and operates a phosphate mine in Murmansk region (North-Western Phosphorous Company, NWPC) and is implementing a potash development project in Perm Krai (Verkhnekamsk Potash Company, VPC). It has a wholly owned transportation and logistics infrastructure, including three Baltic port terminals and distribution networks in Russia and China. Acron's subsidiary, North Atlantic Potash Inc. (NAP), holds mining licenses for 11 parcels of the potassium salt deposit at Prairie Evaporite, Saskatchewan, Canada. Acron also holds a minority stake (19.8%) in Polish Grupa Azoty S.A., one of the largest chemical producers in Europe.

In 2018, the Group sold 7.3 million tonnes of various products to 67 countries, with Russia, Brazil, Europe and the United States as key markets.

In 2018, the Group posted consolidated IFRS revenue of RUB 108,062 million (USD 1,723 million) and net profit of RUB 13,318 million (USD 212 million). Acron's shares are on the Level 1 quotation list of the Moscow Exchange and its global depositary receipts are traded at the London Stock Exchange (ticker AKRN). Acron employs approximately 11,000 people.

For more information about Acron Group, please visit www.acron.ru/en.
31 May 2019

EARLY EQUITY PLC

("Early Equity" or the "Company")

Interim Results

Executive Director's Statement

I am pleased to present the unaudited interim results for the Company for the six month period ended 28th February 2019.

Results and Review of Business

The loss for the period was GBP68,045 (2018: GBP109,865) representing a loss per share of 0.01p (2018: 0.01p). The losses primarily reflect the costs associated with maintaining a public listing and administration costs.

The value of our investment portfolio increased to GBP1,257,406 (2018: GBP1,013,769) due to further investments and our overall net asset value increased to GBP1,624,475 (2018: GBP1,541,744)

On the 22ndFebruary 2019 the Company announced that it acquired 60% of the issued share capital of MEI Home (M) Sdn. Bhd (Meihome) for a total consideration of One Million Five Hundred Thousand RinggitMalaysia(RM1,500,000), which is approximately GBP281,955.

During the period, the Company raised a total of 187,500 by way of subscription.

Post Balance Sheet Events

There have been no material events, transactions or developments within the post balance sheet period.

Change from investment Company to Operating Company

With my appointment on the 1st March 2015 and subsequent appointment of Tee Lian Hing on the 1stAugust 2016 the Company gained access to the Asian Market through our network and skills in direct marketing and online sales. Early Equity's investment strategy was initially not geographically or sector focussed, however since 2015 has played to its strengths in Asia.

In December 2015 Early Equity's current strategy began to evolve when it acquired an initial 32% stake in Yicom with a further 15% stake acquired in August 2017 (totaling the current stake of 47%). Yicom is the sole importer and patent holder of a series of healthcare products from various countries and in particular China. Following this acquisition, the Management have focused more specifically on developing the sales of products in Asia, with a focus on Malaysia, Thailand and China. Products include food and beverage, skincare products and nutritional health supplements. This was followed up by an acquisition of a 4% minority holding in Early Infinity in August 2017, which is the core distribution company which Yicom uses to sell its products.

As the health supplements and distribution model has developed and shown signs of strong growth, the Company has expanded its involvement and the Early Equity management team has become more involved in the activities of Yicom and EI and has made further acquisitions in the sector.

As a result of the acquisition of MEI Home the Board have reviewed the activities of the Company. Whist to date the Company has acted as an investment company with a generalist acquisition policy in recent years the acquisitions have tended to be in one generic area. Most of the businesses have a focus on products for the Asian market with an emphasis on direct and indirect sales of health supplements and medical devices.

In addition to the investments the Company has made the Board is now working on a more active basis with the Directors of the existing investments of Yicom, EI Holdings and MEI Home. As a result the Board has agreed to enter into joint venture agreements to reflect the management time spent on these activities. In addition, as the Executive Directors are now engaged with the operations the Company has notified NEX Exchange that it now believes it should be treated as an operating company, not an investment company for the purpose of the NEX Exchange Rules.

The Company proposes to look for buyers of its activities which do not fall into the sphere of health supplements, direct and indirect marketing and medical devices. The Board will update investors as to the progress of these activities in due course.

Outlook

The Company is pleased to report that year on year, Yicom Global Sdn. Bhd. (Yicom) has continued to increase its network and sales volumes. The growth is represented by increased sales in Malaysia and also by EI Holdings expanding their global network of sales agents. EI Holdings are now operational in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Hongkong and Japan.

The Board hope to benefit from increasing revenue streams generated by ongoing dividend income from Yicom and MEIhome.

The Board are continuing the process of applying for a Standard Listing of the Company's Ordinary Shares on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to take this opportunity to thank shareholders and professional advisers for their continued support of the Company.

Chua Siew Lian

Executive Director

CONSOLIDATED INTERIM STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

FOR SIX MONTHS TO 28 FEBRUARY 2019

6 months to

28 February 2019 6 months to

29 February 2018 CONTINUING OPERATIONS GBP GBP TURNOVER/DIVIDEND INCOME 38,561 16,014 OTHER INCOME - - ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES (110,836) (88,348) OTHER OPERATING (EXPENSES) GAIN 5,639 (34,342) FINANCE COSTS (1,409) (3,189) (LOSS) BEFORE TAX (68,045) (109,865) INCOME TAX - (LOSS) FOR THE YEAR / PERIOD (68,045) (109,865) OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME / (LOSS) Loss on fair value changes of available-for-sale financial assets - - Reclassification of fair value gain on disposal

of available-for-sale financial assets - - OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME / (LOSS) FOR THE YEAR / PERIOD - - TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE LOSS FOR THE YEAR / PERIOD (68,045) (109,865) BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE (0.01)p (0.01)p

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 28 FEBRUARY 2019 6 months to

28 February 2019 6 months to

29 February 2018 GBP GBP INVESTMENTS Available-for-sale financial assets 1,257,406 1,013,769 CURRENT ASSETS Trade and other receivables 47,460 6,127 Cash and cash equivalents 276,970 428,837 Other Receivables 42,796 98,361 367,226 533,325 CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables (24,717) 100 Accrued Expenses 21,678 5,250 Deferred Tax Liabilities 3,756 - Provision for Taxation (560) - (157) (5,350) NET CURRENT ASSETS / (LIABILITIES) 367,069 527,975 NET ASSETS 1,624,475 1,541,744 REPRESENTING:- Share capital 1,159,623 972,123 Share premium 1,496,090 1,496,090 2,655,713 2,468,213 Non-controlling interest 59,284 - Fair value reserve 142,983 133,364 Accumulated losses (1,233,505) (1,059,833) SHAREHOLDERS FUNDS 1,624,475 1,541,744

The interim financial information for the six months ended 28 February 2019 is neither audited nor reviewed, but has been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in the Company's annual report and accounts for the year ended 31 August 2018.

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the announcement.

--ENDS-

Enquiries:

Early Equity Plc

Greg Collier

Tel: +44 (0)78 3018 2501

NEX EXCHANGE CORPORATE ADVISER:
This latest installment of the program, and the third in Ethiopia, is based out of Mekelle at the Don Bosco Poly Technic College, which operates under the Technical Vocational Education and Training Center (TVET). IVECO will provide the institution and its professors with the practical equipment, tools and training to offer a certified course that will qualify young trainees for a future career in the automotive sector.

Mekelle, May 31, 2019

Supporting local communities around the world is one of the core areas through which CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI) approaches Sustainability, a field in which it is recognized as a global leader in its industry. One example of this approach is the TechPro2 technical youth training program, which first launched globally within CNH Industrial in 2011. It fosters the professional and social development of young people by providing them with advanced technical training to give them the skills and tools they will need for a bright future.

Together with its program partner, Fondazione Opera Don Bosco, a non-profit organization based in Milan, Italy, the Company hosted the opening of a new program on May 30 at the Don Bosco Poly Technic College. in Mekelle, Ethiopia. The event saw representatives from CNH Industrial, its commercial vehicles brand IVECO and the Salesians of Don Bosco welcome members of local government, media and students to the inauguration of this important educational initiative for the community.

CNH Industrial will provide equipment and knowhow in a donation to the school that includes a heavy-duty truck, which is commercialized for Africa as well as other markets. This donation ensures that the students will have a 360-degree learning experience with the opportunity to work with the engine, manual transmission, gearbox and other components. Didactic materials are also being provided, together with support from IVECO whose expert staff will provide teachers from the College with the necessary training to conduct the course.

Upon successful course completion, with a duration of one year, the first group of close to a dozen students will receive a specialized certification in vehicle maintenance. Furthermore, CNH Industrial and IVECO will provide the qualifying students with internship opportunities within the IVECO dealer network in Ethiopia, where they will gain valuable on-the-job experience and the opportunity to seek direct employment.

"For us at CNH Industrial, every edition of TechPro2 represents an important experience, one that goes beyond financial contribution and the transfer of know-how. They allow us the unique opportunity to see students grow both professionally and into mature young adults. The enthusiasm transmitted by the students is of inestimable value and we are truly honored to contribute to this," said Daniela Ropolo, Head of Sustainable Development Initiatives for Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia.

"We are thrilled that CNH Industrial and its IVECO brand have taken this important project to heart. The TVET in Mekelle is a strategic training center for us and we can confirm that with IVECO, and the efforts of many other stakeholders, we have given life to a great project that I am sure, will be of great value for many young students who require adequate training to build a future for themselves, their families and for the country," said Don Giuliano Giacomazzi, Supervisor of the Salesians of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna and a member of the Council of Fondazione Opera Don Bosco.

This is the third TechPro2 site in Ethiopia for CNH Industrial and the latest of many training courses that Fondazione Opera Don Bosco has brought to fruition in Ethiopia through its support of socio-educational projects that help young people and children living in the poorest areas of the world. The two previously-established TechPro2 programs, dedicated to agricultural equipment and commercial vehicles, are based in Addis Ababa at Bosco Children P.R.P.S.C. (Preventive and Rehabilitative Program for Street Children).

CNH Industrial is present in Ethiopia with IVECO AMCE (Automotive Manufacturing Company of Ethiopia) a joint-venture between IVECO and the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, which was established in 1975. This local product assembly plant is based in Addis Ababa and employs some 200 people.

Company brands IVECO, Case IH, CASE Construction Equipment, New Holland Agriculture and New Holland Construction are retailed via their respective dealer networks.

More information on TechPro can be found at: techpro2.com/en/homepage

For more on Sustainability at CNH Industrial visit: cnhindustrial.com/sustainability

Sign up for news alerts from CNH Industrial and its brands: media.cnhindustrial.com/AMEA-ENGLISH/Subscribe

CNH IndustrialN.V.

Media contacts:

Nan Nie Alessia Domanico Corporate Communications Manager AMEA Corporate Communications AMEA

Tel: +86 21 2082 2201 Tel: +39 011 007 4002

E-mail: media.amea@cnhind.com

Attachments
F&C Commercial Property Trust Ltd - Change of Name

To: Company Announcements

From: F&C Commercial Property Trust Limited (now called BMO Commercial Property Trust Limited)

Date:31 May 2019

LEI: 213800A2B1H4ULF3K397

Change of Name

F&C Commercial Property Trust Limited (the "Company") announces that it will change its name to BMO Commercial Property Trust Limited with effect from 3 June 2019. Shareholder approval was granted at the AGM on 30 May 2019 to change the Company name which will be aligned with the name of the Investment Manager.

The Company's trading instrument display mnemonic ("TIDM") will change from FCPT to BCPT. The ISIN and SEDOL numbers will remain unchanged.

The Company's shares will trade under the new name on the London Stock Exchange with effect from 8.00 a.m. on 3 June 2019.

The Company's website address will be amended to reflect the change of name and will be available at www.bmocommercialproperty.com from 3 June 2019.

Shareholders are unaffected by the change of name and existing share certificates should be retained and will remain valid. Any new share certificates issued will bear the name BMO Commercial Property Trust Limited. The investment policy and process remain unchanged with Richard Kirby as Fund Manager.





All Enquiries:



The Company Secretary

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

Trafalgar Court

Les Banques

St Peter Port

Guernsey

GY1 3QL



Tel: 01481 745436

Fax: 01481 745085


DIDCOT, UK / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2019 / Altus Strategies Plc (AIM: ALS & TSX-V: ALTS), the Africa focused project and royalty generator, announces that the Company's Annual General Meeting ("AGM") will be held at 3.00 p.m. BST on Thursday 27 June 2019 at the Company's registered office at The Orchard Centre, 14 Station Road, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7LL, United Kingdom.

The Notice of AGM, Annual Report & Accounts and Form of Proxy have been posted to all registered shareholders. These documents will also be available on the Company's website at www.altus-strategies.com.

The Record Date for the Notice of Meeting, the Beneficial Ownership Determination Date and the Record Date for Voting (if applicable) is 23 May 2019.

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: info@altus-strategies.com 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 project and royalty 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.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

**END**

SOURCE: Altus Strategies Plc

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/547256/Notice-of-Annual-General-Meeting
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2019) - Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. (TSXV: SCZ) (the "Company" or "Santacruz") reports on the operating and financial results from the Veta Grande Project in Zacatecas, Mexico and the Rosario Project in San Luis Potosi, Mexico for the first quarter of 2019. The full version of the financial statements and accompanying management's discussion and analysis can be viewed on the Company's website at www.santacruzsilver.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All amounts are in thousands of US dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Q1 2019 Highlights

Consolidated mining operations resulted in a loss of $1,846 (Q1 2018 - loss of $806), a $2,393 improvement over Q4 2018;

Consolidated cash cost per silver equivalent ounce sold decreased by 55% and 57% to $20.64 as compared respectively to Q1 2018 and Q4 2018

"During the first quarter we saw again a significant improvement in our mining operations as our quarter over quarter revenues from mining operations and reduced production costs demonstrate. This trend of increased metal production, reduced production costs and improved cash flow from mining operations has continued into Q2 and is expected to continue for the rest of the year," stated Arturo Prestamo, Chief Executive Officer of Santacruz. "These positive operations developments reflect the results of our ongoing exploration program and mill operational efficiencies at Veta Grande as well as significant mine development works being carried out at both Veta Grande and Rosario. They confirm that the operations initiatives and strategies put in place by our Operating Team, headed by Mr. Carlos Silva, COO, are working."

Selected operating and financial information for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2019, December 31, 2018 and March 31, 2018 is presented below:



2019 Q1 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 Financial





Revenue - Mining Operations 2,490 1,258 753 Revenue - Mining Services 790 1,466 2,413 Gross (Loss) Profit (4) (514) (3,073) (117) Impairment - (1,486) - Net Loss (1,846) (4,239) (806) Net Loss Per Share - Basic ($/share) (0.01) (0.03) (0.00) Adjusted EBITDA (4) (921) (2,404) (209) Operating





Material Processed (tonnes milled) 42,904 53,396 48,068 Silver Equivalent Produced (ounces) (1) 257,138 237,542 154,175 Silver Equivalent Sold (payable ounces) (2) 195,976 106,757 59,648 Production Cost per Tonne (3) ($/t) 83.23 89.97 52.97 Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent ($/oz.) (3) 20.64 48.32 45.94 All-in Sustaining Cost per Silver Equivalent ($/oz.) (3) 24.38 56.19 55.84 Average Realized Silver Price per Ounce ($/oz.) (2) (5) 15.10 14.40 16.78

(1) Silver equivalent ounces produced in 2019 have been calculated using prices of US$15.25/oz., US$1,281/oz., US$0.94/lb. and US$1.20/lb. for silver, gold, lead and zinc respectively applied to the metal content of the lead and zinc concentrates produced by the Company. Silver equivalent ounces produced in 2018 have been calculated using prices of US$17.00/oz., US$1,295/oz., US$1.00/lb. and US$1.35/lb. for silver, gold, lead and zinc respectively applied to the metal content of the lead and zinc concentrates produced by the Company.

(2) Silver equivalent sold ounces have been calculated using the realized silver prices stated in the table above, applied to the payable metal content of the lead and zinc concentrates sold by the Company.

(3) The Company reports non-IFRS measures which include Production Cost per Tonne, Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent, All-in Sustaining Cost per Silver Equivalent and Average Realized Silver Price per Ounce. These measures are widely used in the mining industry as a benchmark for performance, but do not have a standardized meaning and may differ from methods used by other companies with similar descriptions.

(4) The Company reports additional non-IFRS measures which include Gross Profit (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA. These additional financial disclosure measures are intended to provide additional information.

(5) Average realized silver price per ounce is prior to all treatment, smelting and refining charges.

Financial Results

The Company realized an average silver price of $15.10 per ounce during Q1 2019 which represents a 10% decrease from Q1 2018 and a 5% increase from Q4 2018.

The Company recorded a net loss of $1,846 in Q1 2019 compared to a net loss of $806 in Q1 2018 and a net loss of $4,239 in Q4 2018. The net losses for all three periods were positively impacted by the operating results from mining services.

Revenues in Q1 2019 of $3,280 include mining operations of $2,490 (Q1 2018 - $753; Q4 2018 - $1,258) and mining services of $790 (Q1 2018 - $2,413; Q4 2018 - $1,466). The $790 of mining services revenues recorded in Q1 2019 reflects a short-term decrease in service requirements from Carrizal.Mining. Management anticipates that it will resume providing mining services to Carrizal Mining during Q3 2019.

The Company recorded a gross loss from operations of $514 during Q1 2019 (Q1 2018 - loss of $117; Q4 2018 - loss of $3,073). During these periods the mining operations resulted in gross losses of $1,304, $2,129 and $4,539 for Q1 2019, Q1 2018 and Q4 2018 respectively while mining services resulted in gross profits of $790, $2,012 and $1,466 for the same periods. On a project basis, Veta Grande recorded a gross loss from mining operations of $976 in Q1 2019 (Q1 2018 - loss of $1,152; Q4 2018 - loss of $2,313) and Rosario recorded a gross loss of $328 in Q1 2019 (Q1 2018 - loss of $977; Q4 2018 - loss of $2,226).

Management expects that results from operations will improve in Q2 2019 and thereafter as preliminary production estimates for April 2019 indicate that the consolidated production for the Company was 20,300 tonnes processed resulting in 125,600 silver equivalent ounces being produced, sourced as to 13,600 tonnes and 82,170 silver equivalent ounces from Veta Grande and 6,700 tonnes and 43,430 silver equivalent ounces from Rosario.

Operational Results and Costs

Cash cost per ounce in Q1 2019 was $20.64 per payable ounce of silver sold, a decrease of 55% from $45.94 per ounce in Q1 2018 and a decrease of 57% from $48.32 per ounce in Q4 2018. The decrease in cash cost in Q1 2019 reflects improved head grade and metal recoveries at Veta Grande resulting in increased silver equivalent ounces produced.

All-in Sustaining Cost per ounce in Q1 2019 was $24.38 per payable ounce of silver sold, a decrease of 56% from $55.84 per ounce in Q1 2018 and a decrease of 57% from $56.19 per ounce per ounce in Q4 2018. The changes occurred for the same reasons as those relating to the cash cost per ounce changes referenced above.

About Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.

Santacruz is a Mexican focused silver company with two producing silver projects (Veta Grande Project and Rosario Project) and two exploration properties (Minillas Property and Zacatecas Properties). The Company is managed by a technical team of professionals with proven track records in developing, operating and discovering silver mines in Mexico. Our corporate objective is to become a mid-tier silver producer.

'signed'

Arturo Prestamo Elizondo,

President and CEO

For further information please contact:

Arturo Prestamo

Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.

Email: info@santacruzsilver.com

Telephone: (011) (52) 81 8378 5707

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

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. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events, that third party mineralized material to be milled by the Company will have properties consistent with management's expectations, that the Company will receive all required regulatory approvals, and that future metal prices and the demand and market outlook for metals will remain stable or improve. 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, which could result in lower revenue, higher cost, or lower production levels; delays and/or cessation in planned work; changes in the Company's financial condition and development plans; delays in regulatory approval; risks associated with the interpretation of data (including in respect of the third party mineralized material) regarding the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law.

Rosario Project

The decisions to commence production at the Rosario Mine, Cinco Estrellas Property and Membrillo Prospect were not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, but rather on a more preliminary estimate of inferred mineral resources. Accordingly, there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with this production decision. Production and economic variables may vary considerably, due to the absence of a complete and detailed site analysis according to and in accordance with NI 43-101.

Veta Grande Project

The decision to commence production at Veta Grande Project was not based on a feasibility study on mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Accordingly, there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with this production decision. Production and economic variables may vary considerably due to the absence of a complete and detailed site analysis according to and in accordance with NI 43-101.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45191
DISCUSS BOARDROOM DIVERSITY WITH MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS





According to the 20182019 NACD Public Company Governance Survey, more than half of companies have goals to diversify board composition. NACD has released the Director Tip Sheet: Discussing Boardroom Diversity With Major Shareholders to help inform director-investor conversations about board diversity and composition. This tip sheet, created with input from the investor community, offers information on

investor representative contacts;

questions investors and/or management may discuss with board leadership;

helpful tips from the investor community and NACD; and

research on current boardroom practices.

NACD has established NACD NXT, a multiyear initiative, to provide boards with the tools, case studies, leading practices, and education necessary to discuss and improve board diversity and board recruitment practices. The entire NACD NXT toolkit, including the tip sheet and other resources like Investor Perspectives on Board Diversity, offers invaluable guidance on boosting your board's diversity of skills, experience, age, gender, and race/ethnicity among other attributes.

The NACD NXT toolkit is only available to NACD members; however, you are invited to download a complimentary copy of the Director Tip Sheet: Discussing Boardroom Diversity With Major Shareholders by completing the form.




Une manifestation des Camerounais de la diaspora en France getty images

The Government of Cameroon will soon embark on a European tour, to meet Cameroonians living in the diaspora, where they are expected to expatiate on the ongoing unrest in the North West and South West regions.

They would be in Brussels, Belgium on the 5th of August from 3pm to 5pm, where they would give a statement on the increasing violence in the Anglophone regions.

Cameroonian embassies have begun mobilising citizens, ahead of these visits. Cameroon's delegation will be led by the Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso. He would be accompanied by the Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella and the attache to the Prime Minister's office, Tanyitiku Enoh Achuo.

The Government of Cameroon is convinced that many don't know the stakes of the ongoing crisis, and have been deceived by social media and separatists propaganda.

Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella during a recent briefing with diplomats in Yaounde, accused separatists of carrying out most violent attacks in the Anglophone regions and rejected reports that four thousand people were in need in the affected regions. He also said government was already attending to the needs of internally displaced persons and called on the international community to back off the current problem, faced by Cameroon.

This is not the first time the government of Cameroon has embarked on a foreign trip to galvanise support against the uprising in the Anglophone regions. Another mission led by Minister Laurent Esso took place in 2017, few months after the crisis started.
According to Technavio Research Report "Global Distance Learning Market by type (traditional distance learning and online distance learning) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America) is expected to grow by USD 90.37 billion, at a CAGR of 9% from 2019-2023".

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005216/en/

Technavio has published a new market research report on the global distance learning market from 2019-2023. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Free sample report contains market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more - Request for Samplehttps://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=Distance%20Learning%20Market%20by%20Type%20and%20Geography%20-%20Global%20Forecast%20and%20Analysis%202019-2023&type=sample&src=report

Growing popularity of online microlearning to boost market growth

With rising digital literacy and increasing smartphone penetration, online microlearning has emerged as a popular methodology in the distance learning market. The increased use of bite-sized learning modules and short-term learning activities with a growing emphasis on personalization and adaptive learning will drive the market in the long run. Microlearning also offers concise and relevant content while helping to address the knowledge gaps among the students. Furthermore, colleges and universities are targeting a broader target audience by providing short-term certification programs in conjunction with their traditional degree programs. Therefore, with the growing number of higher education institutions adopting microlearning with their existing curriculum, the global distance learning market is anticipated to witness surging growth during the next few years.

Traditional distance learning will garner the highest share

Traditional distance learning is expected to garner the highest share of the market due to the growing popularity of executive education in emerging as well as advanced economies. Educational institutions in advanced and emerging economies are increasingly offering distance learning degrees along with the conventional courses. Distance education is also gaining traction among students owing to advantages such as easy accessibility, flexibility in terms of time and location, and affordability. Also, traditional distance learning is also cost-effective as compared to conventional regular degrees involving on-campus housing and boarding costs.

"The traditional distance learning market held the highest share during 2018 due to the increased enrolments from unconventional students, including working professionals. Furthermore, supportive government initiatives in both emerging and advanced economies will eventually increase the credibility of distance learning degrees in the forthcoming years," says a senior research analyst at Technavio

Speak to Research Expert @ https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=Distance%20Learning%20Market%20by%20Type%20and%20Geography%20-%20Global%20Forecast%20and%20Analysis%202019-2023&type=customization

Distance learning to witness fastest adoption in the APAC region.

APAC will witness the fastest distance learning market growth in the forthcoming years. Factors including the growing internet penetration and increased number of distance online degree offerings in higher education institutions are positively impacting the distance learning market in the region. Some of the key markets for distance learning in the APAC region include India, China, Australia, and South Korea. The cost-effectiveness and flexibility of online degrees will further encourage students to enroll for the online distance learning degrees during the forecast period. Therefore, the rising number of smartphone users, coupled with increasing internet penetration, will boost the growth of the online distance education market in APAC in the upcoming years.

Few Major Players for the Distance LearningMarket are:

Arizona State University

Aston University

University of Exeter

University of Missouri System

University of Wisconsin System

Browse Industries Reports Diversified Consumer Services

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. It provides detailed market research reports that provide clients with actionable insights to help them identify market opportunities and design effective strategies to optimize their market position.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio boasts of an extensive report library comprising of over 10,000 reports, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than a hundred 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. Technavio helps companies to assess their competitive position 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/20190531005216/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

www.technavio.com
Researchers will present new data broadening the capabilities of AllerGenis' next-generation food allergy diagnostics

Data-driven food allergy diagnostics company, AllerGenis, LLC today announced its activities at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Congress 2019 being held from June 1st through 5th in Lisbon, Portugal, with the theme of bringing precision medicine into the field of allergy and clinical immunology. Consistent with this theme, the company will present new research results demonstrating the efficacy of its precision diagnostic technology in stratifying food allergy patient populations, and will hold a symposium detailing the advancements of precision medicine in the field of food allergies.

The symposium, titled "The Utility of Epitope Mapping: A High Resolution, Precision Diagnostic Platform to Longitudinally Subtype, Assess, and Manage Patients in Food Allergy," will be held Monday, June 3rd, at 12:45 WEST and will showcase the potential of AllerGenis' next-generation epitope mapping technology in enhancing the ability of providers to assess and monitor food allergic patients over time. The symposium will be presented by Hugh Sampson, MD, FAAAAI, Director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

AllerGenis' poster presentations will showcase its latest epitope mapping research breakthroughs, which aim to validate the diagnostic assay's capabilities and its viability with multiple allergens and illustrate the depth of actionable data possible with AllerGenis' technology solutions. The accepted abstracts are now available online on the EAACI Congress 2019 website, and the presentations are detailed below:

Poster Title: Predicting Eliciting Dose at Food Challenge Using Epitope Mapping in Peanut-Allergic Children Session Title: Diagnosis and treatment of food allergy Session Date Time: Sunday, June 2nd, 2019 from13:30 15:00 WEST Session Number: PDS 04 Location: Poster Discussion Zone A Poster Title: Epitope-Specific Antibody Profiling in Food Allergy Using Novel Multiplex Immunoassay: Design and Validation Session Title: Mechanisms of food allergy Session Date Time: Monday, June 3rd, 2019 from 12:15 13:45 WEST Session Number: TPS 28 Location: Thematic Poster Exhibition (on exhibition floor) Poster Title: Epitope-Specific Antibody Binding on Major Hen's Egg-White Allergen, Ovomucoid, Using Novel Multiplex Immunoassay Session Title: Profiling food allergens Session Date Time: Monday, June 3rd, 2019 from 15:45 17:15 WEST Session Number: PDS 19 Location: Poster Discussion Zone C Poster Title: Discovery and Validation of a High-Performance Diagnostic Test for Peanut Allergy Session Title: New trends in allergy diagnosis Session Date Time: Tuesday, June 4th, 2019 from 10:30 12:00 WEST Session Number: LB PDS 06 Location: e-Poster Area D (FIL)

About AllerGenis

Established in 2017 and located in Hatfield, PA, AllerGenis develops precision, data-driven diagnostics to help healthcare providers more accurately and safely diagnose, assess, and monitor patients with food allergies. The company was founded out of a collaboration between Genisphere, provider of the 3DNA platform for targeted drug delivery, and Hugh Sampson MD, of the Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Food Allergy Institute of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. AllerGenis' proprietary epitope mapping technology is based on immunological research by Dr. Sampson and leverages Genisphere's expertise in improving sensitivity of diagnostic tests. AllerGenis is creating the largest food allergy knowledge base populated by individual patient epitope signatures derived from epitope mapping, clinical history, and patient-reported outcomes to gain clinical insights.

For more information, visit AllerGenis.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005051/en/

Contacts:

For journalist enquiries please contact Azeem Zeekrya at azeem.zeekrya@hdmz.com (preferred) or phone (312) 506-5244.



For investor enquiries please contact Russ Fein at Corporate Fuel Partners at russ@corporatefuel.com or phone (646) 572-0421.
Foster Grant, The Original American Sunglass Brand, is celebrating its 90th Anniversary with the launch of a special anniversary capsule collection

SMITHFIELD, Rhode Island, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FGX International, a leading eyewear designer and marketer, is celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Foster Grant brand with the launch of a special anniversary collection of sunglasses with styles reflecting the nine decades of the brand's existence and a nod to what comes next. The 90th Anniversary collection is sold exclusively on FosterGrant.co.uk, starting today.

The Original American Sunglass Brand, Foster Grant's rich & storied history dates back to 1929, when the first pair of sunglasses was introduced to America and sold on the Atlantic City boardwalk for just ten cents. Today, 90 years later, there are more pairs of Foster Grant sunglasses sold in the U.S. than any other sunglass brand.

During the gilded age of Hollywood, Foster Grant catapulted to fame with their now-iconic advertising campaign, "Who's That Behind Those Foster Grants," featuring numerous Hollywood stars such as Raquel Welch. Advertising Age named this campaign one of the Top 100 Ad Campaigns of all time. Many famous faces have donned Foster Grant eyewear, and since 2014, actress and musician Kat Graham has been "behind those Foster Grants."

Foster Grant has maintained its star power over the past nine decades with a commitment to delivering real style with classic and fashion-forward looks at affordable prices. A lot has changed in 90 years of fashion, except for the name on the sunglasses.

"This is such an exciting moment in time for Foster Grant," said Anthony Di Paola, Chief Executive Officer, FGX International. "The impact that Foster Grant has had on the world of eyewear over the last 90 years is unmatched, and the most exciting part is we are truly just getting started."

The 90th Anniversary Collection is available now at www.fostergrant.co.uk for a limited period. The collection retails at 29.99 and includes a style inspired by each decade, spanning the 1920's through the 2000's.
Seattle, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 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 CBD cosmeceutical boom and how The Yield Growth Corp. is positioned for success.

As a new industry, the next few months will be pivotal for the development of the cannabis market. With laws changing every month in jurisdictions around the globe, the room for growth is huge as the industry continues to mature. A recent study by Statista showed that in 2018, the global sales of hemp amounted to $3.74 billion, and predicts that number to reach $5.73 billion by 2020.

"This is a cannabis revolution and the market opportunity is tremendous. We may never see an opportunity like this again in our lifetimes," says Penny Green, CEO of the Yield Growth Corporation (CSE: BOSS) (OTCQB: BOSQF) (FSE: YG3).

Click here to receive an investor deck and corporate updates

Within this market, a segment which used to be niche is quietly becoming mainstream; cosmeceutical CBD products. As the value of cannabis is higher once it is processed into other products such a topicals, and the estimated value of the global wellness market at $4.2 trillion, the business opportunity is incredible. Penny Green recognised this trend, and ensured her company was on track to capitalize on it.

North American Market

Yield Growth quickly focused their branding towards a specific demographic. Its subsidiary and consumer flagship, Urban Juve, is a luxury skincare line which makes natural skincare products infused with hemp, inspired by ancient Ayurvedic knowledge. In May 2019, Yield Growth announced new U.S.A. retail contracts with spas and wellness and luxury shops. These partnerships with upscale and sophisticated retailers are in line with the company's high-end branding.

Since December 2018, Urban Juve has secured over 100 retail locations across the U.S.A and Canada, and Yield Growth hopes to have 1,000 retail locations as part of its North American retail distribution. Additionally, in May 2019, Urban Juve's new online e-commerce platform went officially live, which allows for both B2B and B2C sales. This platform will give the company greater reach than ever before, and will allow them to maximise on the CBD cosmeceutical market early on.

In April 2019, Yield Growth announced an alliance with online beauty commerce company ipsy. With over 3 million monthly members, ipsy is the world's largest beauty community. Urban Juve products will be featured in the monthly glam bags, which will introduce the company to targeted subscribers. As the leading online beauty commerce giant, with over half a billion content views every month and connections with over 8,000 digital content creators, this partnership sets Urban Juve ahead of the competition for CBD infused beauty products.

In a move to further increase awareness of the company, Yield Growth announced that it has secured one of five Platinum Partner positions for the prestigious Lift and co. Cannabis Expo which will be held in Toronto, June 2019. The expo will be attended by more than 20,000 delegates and visitors, and will give the company a chance to "strengthen consumer and trade appreciation for our products, brands, services and technologies," said Penny Green.

Click here to receive an investor deck and corporate updates

Bold and Innovative Products

Wright and Well, another subsidiary of Yield Growth, also produces cannabis infused products, but rather than just using hemp root and seed oil, its products also contain very high levels of THC and CBD, intended for pain relief. As cannabis is not legal on a federal level in America, the brand will launch in Oregon, and will initially offer 9 products, from topical creams to oils, via a distribution network of 400 cannabis stores. Going forward, the company hopes to expand to other states in which cannabis is legal, such as California, Washington and Nevada, and is also in discussion with facilities in Canada and Latin America.

Global Market

Yield Growth's intention is to disrupt the wellness market, not just in North America but globally. The Chinese market is a huge one to target, with annual cosmeceutical sales growing from $275 billion yuan in 2013 to a staggering $373 billion yuan in 2018, according to data from Statista.

In April 2019, Urban Juve entered into an agreement with WeChat, the most popular messaging service in China with over one billion monthly users worldwide. This partnership with consultant Pontier Services will allow the sale of the company's products within the app. Yield Growth also announced that Urban Juve products are being sent to China for sale through high-end Popsquare kiosks, which will rotate through six popular shopping malls in Hong Kong. This three month agreement will begin in June 2019 and will last three months.

Click here to receive an investor deck and corporate updates

Just the Beginning of the Boom

With the cannabis industry still in its infancy, and new markets opening up around the world, the boom of CBD cosmeceuticals has only just begun. This industry is set to be a huge one, and Yield Growth is taking bold strides to be at the forefront of this exciting and profitable opportunity. With strong roots in North America, and discussions under way to become a key player in the Asian beauty market, Yield Growth looks prepared to be a key contender in CBD cosmeceuticals.

For more information, visit the company's website at: https://yieldgrowth.com/

Click here to read the full article:

https://www.cannabisfn.com/?p=2519872&preview_id=2519872&preview_nonce=3dd4c1cf35&_thumbnail_id=2517760&preview=true

About CFN Media

For Visitors and Viewers

CFN Media's Cannabis Financial Network (CannabisFN.com) is the destination for savvy investors and business people profiting from the worldwide cannabis industry. Viewers will see breaking news, exclusive content and original programming involving the people, companies and investments shaping the industry.

For Cannabis Businesses & Companies

CFN Media is a leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the cannabis industry. We help private, pre-public and public cannabis companies in the US and Canada attract capital, investors and media attention.

Our powerful digital media and distribution platform conveys a company's message and value proposition directly to accredited and retail investors and national media active in the North American cannabis markets.

Since 2013, CFN Media has enabled the world's preeminent cannabis companies to thrive in the capital and public markets.

Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany

Disclaimer

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/

Contact

CFN Media

Frank Lane

206-369-7050

flane@cannabisfn.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45178
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2019) - Nano One CEO, Mr. Dan Blondal, (TSXV: NNO) (OTC PINK: NNOMF) (FSE: LBMB) is pleased to announce that Nano One has been approved for $5 million from Sustainable Development Technology Canada ("SDTC") to support Nano One's "Scaling Advanced Battery Materials" project.

"This project will support scale up activities with industrial partners and collaborators," said Mr. Blondal, "and we are thrilled to have SDTC's approval. Nano One's project proposal to SDTC involves five multinational manufacturers and European automakers contributing at various stages of research, development, piloting and commercialization. We are currently finalizing the terms of the project financing agreement."

SDTC is an independent federal foundation that funds companies with the potential to transform the environmental and economic prosperity of Canada. SDTC's support and championing of Canadian entrepreneurs - in the form of funding, knowledge and ecosystem connectivity - makes a difference in today's hyper-competitive global market for clean technologies. By taking a pan-Canadian approach, in partnership with the best peers and experts, SDTC is the benchmark for sustainable development innovation programming globally.

"As communicated previously," Mr. Blondal added, "Nano One is engaged with Pulead Technology and Saint-Gobain and we are pleased to announce that Volkswagen Group Research will join our consortium as a project contributor. Details on the other two project contributors remain confidential. We are inspired to be working with such accomplished global leaders and look forward to accelerating our activities with the support of SDTC."

The SDTC proceeds will be non-dilutive and non-repayable and they will be directed at the expansion of Nano One's business and technical activities with its partners. The goals are to expand the laboratory, pilot plant and staffing to support the advancement of next generation lithium ion battery cathode materials, used in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. Nano One is jointly developing industrial scale processes with its partners for the commercial production of these materials.

Leah Lawrence, President and CEO of SDTC, said "to lower greenhouse gas emissions, we must make it easier for Canadians to adopt new clean technologies. Nano One is leading that change through its low-cost production of high performance lithium ion battery materials, which are broadly used in electric vehicles, energy storage and consumer electronics."

"SDTC is globally recognized for their expertise in cleantech investment. They have a competitive selection process and they have performed rigorous due diligence of the Nano One consortium application" said Mr. Blondal. "As this will be Nano One's second round of SDTC support, it represents a strong endorsement of Nano One's track record and strategic relationships. Nano One has recently completed the SDTC funded Demonstration Pilot Plant Project and we are honoured to have earned SDTC's confidence for renewed support toward these partnership and growth activities."

Nano One Materials Corp.

Dan Blondal, CEO

For information with respect to Nano One or the contents of this news release, please contact John Lando (President) at (604) 420-2041 or visit the website at www.nanoone.ca.

About Pulead

Established in 1999 by Oriental Investment Co. Ltd and Peking University, Pulead Technology Industry is one of China's leading Li-ion battery cathode producers. Together with its strategically positioned subsidiaries and JVs in cathodes and separators as well as in upstream lithium resources and downstream large format battery packs, Pulead is becoming a key player in the Li-ion battery supply chain. www.pulead.com.cn/en/

About Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and solutions which are key ingredients in the wellbeing of each of us and the future of all. They can be found everywhere in our living places and our daily life: in buildings, transportation, infrastructure and in many industrial applications. They provide comfort, performance and safety while addressing the challenges of sustainable construction, resource efficiency and climate change. Saint-Gobain recorded 41.8 billion in sales in 2018, is operating in 67 countries and has more than 180,000 employees. To learn more about Saint-Gobain go to www.saint-gobain.com and follow on Twitter @saintgobain

About Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, SKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN. Each brand has its own character and operates as an independent entity on the market. The product spectrum ranges from motorcycles to small cars and luxury vehicles. In the commercial vehicle sector, the products include ranges from pick-ups, buses and heavy trucks. The Group operates 120 production plants in 20 European countries and a further 11 countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa. Every weekday, around 642,292 employees worldwide produce nearly 44,170 vehicles, and work in vehicle-related services or other fields of business. The Volkswagen Group sells its vehicles in 153 countries. With its "TOGETHER - Strategy 2025" future program, the Volkswagen Group is paving the way for the biggest change process in its history: the realignment of one of the best carmakers to become a globally leading provider of sustainable mobility. www.volkswagenag.com.

About SDTC

SDTC is a flagship program, and our funding of Canadian entrepreneurs has created jobs, growth, and long-term prosperity for Canada. SDTC is a lean organization with a big impact. Since its inception, SDTC has invested over $1 billion in more than 300 companies, creating 12,000 jobs. Our companies have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 13.8 megatonnes annually. SDTC's efforts have been focused on small- and medium-sized enterprises, recognizing that this is where we can make the biggest impact. Our funding gives companies the critical boost they need to advance their projects in the challenging stages of pre-commercial development and demonstration. For more information, please visit sdtc.ca

About Nano One

Nano One Materials Corp ("Nano One" or "the Company") has developed patented technology and pilot scale demonstration for the low-cost production of high performance lithium ion battery cathode materials used in electric vehicles, energy storage and consumer electronics. The processing technology enables lower cost feedstocks, simplifies production and advances performance for a wide range of cathode materials. Nano One has built a demonstration pilot plant and is partnering with global leaders in the lithium ion battery supply chain, to advance its NMC, LFP and LMN cathode technologies for large growth opportunities in e-mobility and renewable energy storage applications.

Nano One's pilot and partnership activities are being funded with the assistance and support of the Government of Canada through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and the Automotive Supplier Innovation Program (ASIP) a program of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada ISED. Nano One also receives financial support from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). www.nanoone.ca

Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the execution of the Company's plans which are contingent on the receipt of grant monies and the commercialization of the Company's technology and patents. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'believe', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'plan', 'intend', 'continue', 'estimate', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'ongoing', or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing; including the receipt of grant monies from SDTC, ASIP, NRC-IRAP and the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. 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. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that is incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45193
CEO Neil Costigan to Join Panel 'The Changing Nature of Attacks and Attackers' to Discuss the Importance of Behavioral Biometrics in the New Threat Landscape

BehavioSec, the first vendor to pioneer behavioral biometrics, is attending Money20/20 Europe on June 3-5, 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands at the Amsterdam RAI. Money20/20 focuses on the mission of creating a simpler, fairer, faster and more inclusive financial system for individuals, businesses and society as a whole, bringing together more than 350 speakers to deliver the next frontier of Financial Services. BehavioSec CEO Neil Costigan will join the panel discussion, "The Changing Nature of Attacks and Attackers," where he willdiscuss cybersecurity and risk management in an age where online commerce and trust are threatened by cybercrime threats continually bypassing traditional password authentication and anti-fraud measures.

Money20/20 attendees can visit BehavioSec at booth H92 throughout the event. BehavioSec will meet with customers and industry partners, brief media and analysts and present demos of the company's Behavioral Biometrics Software Platform. Already in use with some of the biggest global brands in FinTech and financial services, BehavioSec's software provides continuous online authentication of account holders by analyzing their unique physical behaviors, like typing patterns, cursor movements and touchscreen inputs.

"Traditional, one-time authentication measures like thumbprints and passwords can no longer protect and enable digital transformation in the financial services sector," said Costigan. "With today's constantly evolving attacks bypassing even once reliable multi-factor authentication methods, financial service organizations must find new ways to prevent fraud and cyber attacks without slowing down usability and functionality. Presenting at Money20/20 gives us the opportunity to show the success of behavioral biometrics in combating account takeover fraud in this new threat landscape."

Join BehavioSec's Neil Costigan at the following session:

What: The Changing Nature of Attacks and Attackers Who: Neil Costigan, CEO, BehavioSec (Speaker) Dr. Yinglian Xie, Co-Founder and CEO, DataVisor (Speaker) Max Laemmle, Founder and CEO, Fraugster Limited (Speaker) Andrew Jamieson, Technology Security Director, UL (Moderator) When: Wednesday, June 5, 2019 from 14:10 p.m. to 14:50 p.m. CEST Where: Industry Transmutation Stage at RAI Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

As CEO of BehavioSec, Costigan leads the company's work delivering innovative behavioral biometric technology protecting consumer transactions, payments and financial firms from fraud and theft. He has more than 25 years' of entrepreneurial and technical leadership experience in venture-backed startups, and global technology corporations spanning the U.S., and EU. A cryptographer by training, his career expanded to include software development, executive leadership and entrepreneurship. He holds an extensive portfolio of patents and serves as Principal Investigator for BehavioSec's U.S. DOD DARPA projects.

Prior to BehavioSec, Costigan was VP for R&D at Smart Card manufacturer Gemplus (now Gemalto) and Co-founder/CTO at PKI specialists Celo Communications (Celo). Neil holds a PhD (2009) for his thesis on Elliptic Curve Cryptography on Modern Processor Architectures and has developed a number of commercial security applications. He frequently presents and presents on innovation, cryptography and network security.

Follow BehavioSec for more details and the latest in behavioral biometrics technology:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Facebook

About BehavioSec

BehavioSec is the first vendor to pioneer behavioral biometrics. The company's Behavioral Biometrics Platform is widely deployed across Global 2000 companies for its proven ability to dramatically reduce account fraud and data theft. Founded in 2008 out of groundbreaking academic research, BehavioSec technology allows companies to continuously verify digital identities with superior precision, in real-time. Strengthened with the leadership of serial entrepreneurs and experienced industry professionals, the BehavioSec team now spans the world, providing security while preserving a rich digital experience throughout web and mobile apps. BehavioSec is the only enterprise-grade vendor used in global deployments with some of the largest companies, reducing manual review whilst safeguarding millions of users and billions of transactions. BehavioSec investors include Forgepoint Capital, Cisco, ABN AMRO, Conor Ventures and Octopus Ventures. BehavioSec is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and has global operations throughout Europe and Asia Pac. For more information, visit www.behaviosec.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005032/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Savannah Young

+1 (703) 877-8111

pr@behaviosec.com
BOISE, Idaho, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Southworth Associates announced it has acquired Scott Gilbert'sMississippi based, behavioral health consulting firm, IOP Consulting. Additionally, Southworth Associates announces that Chad Grimm, former CEO of Longbranch Healthcare, will be joining Scott and Ben. This new partnership will increase the size and capabilities of Southworth Associates. Key goals include expansion of existing services such as monitoring, interventions, conferences and development of strategic consulting services and technological tools. The acquisition also includes the purchase of a proprietary behavioral health financial management application; developed by, Scott Gilbert and Chad Grimm.

Benjamin Seymour of Southworth Associates released the following statement: "I am excited to have Scott, Chad and the IOP Consulting team coming on board. Since taking over in 2017, I knew Southworth needed more bandwidth to tackle the new projects and goals of the company. It's no secret behavioral health is in a large transition and rebuilding phase. We see opportunities to help providers tell the story of how they help the patients they serve. The over-arching goal is to make Southworth Associates a resource for not only families, but providers as well."

About IOP Consulting

Founded in 2005, IOP Consulting has specialized in billing and industry strategy, in-network contract negotiation and has served as a "go to" resource for owners and operators in the behavioral health space. Founder Scott Gilbert has owned, operated and sold multiple facilities. He has opened facilities for owners and investors across the US and Europe.Scott Gilbert is revered by many to be an expert in behavioral healthcare.

About Chad Grimm

The foundation of Chad's career began in sales for a number of fortune 500 companies. After a successful career in the surgical device industry, Chad chose to couple his business experience with his passion for helping individuals with substance use disorders. Chad went on to manage a national intervention firm and eventually create a consulting group focused on family case management. In 2017, Chad was recruited for a behavioral health start-up, Longbranch Healthcare, where he served as CEO.

About Southworth Associates:

With the company motto "Lending a Hand Any Time, Any Place", Southworth Associates provides recovery services focused on doing everything in their professional ability to help others. Services include interventions, case management, monitoring, and sober companions. The company values providing hope to those affected by behavioral health disorders; while offering tangible solutions for superior outcomes. They do this through specialized case management services and comprehensive support for patients after discharge.

Contact:For more information, contact Southworth Associates main office: 208-323-9555
Eagle Alpha today announced the launch of a new partnership with Lowenstein Sandler to meet the legal and compliance challenges associated with the on-boarding and use of alternative data. The partnership is pivotal to addressing the issues encountered in the ever-evolving alternative data space.

"Reputation is paramount to our clients. Keeping abreast of the legal and compliance considerations regarding alternative data is becoming increasingly important, but also challenging. Eagle Alpha is pleased to announce today that we have partnered with a leading legal investment management practice to respond to these legal and compliance challenges" said Emmett Kilduff, Founder CEO of Eagle Alpha.

Eagle Alpha's Data Strategy solution includes Category Workshops, Case Studies and will now include a Legal Compliance component. The partnership will focus on four new items to reduce legal risk:

Webinars: monthly webinars on specific topics "Ask the experts": Eagle Alpha clients can submit anonymous questions to be answered by lawyers at Lowenstein Sandler Podcasts: monthly podcasts on specific topics Insights: periodic publications on specific topics

"Our new initiative with Eagle Alpha is a great opportunity to address the hedge fund industry's concerns with respect to alternative data, and to do so on a variety of platforms, commented Peter Greene, Partner and Vice Chair of the Investment Management Group at Lowenstein Sandler. "We look forward to elevating our level of support to the fund community."

About Eagle Alpha

Eagle Alpha was established in 2012 to provide alternative data solutions to buyers and vendors of alternative data.

Solutions for buyers include Data Sourcing, Data Analytics, Data Strategy and Bespoke Projects. To learn more about Eagle Alpha's solutions for buyers (buyside, private equity and corporates) visit eaglealpha.com.

Solutions for vendors include Free Profiles, Sales Referrals (Standard), Vendor License, Sales Referrals (Exclusive), Dashboards and Joint Ventures. To learn more about Eagle Alpha's solutions for vendors visit sellaltdata.com.

About Lowenstein Sandler

Lowenstein Sandler is a national law firm with over 300 lawyers working from five offices in New York, Palo Alto, New Jersey, Utah and Washington, D.C. The firm represents clients in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular strengths in the areas of technology, life sciences and the private fund industries. The Investment Management Group provides the full spectrum of legal services to private funds, including hedge funds, private equity funds, distressed debt funds, credit funds and venture capital funds.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005214/en/

Contacts:

Emmett Kilduff, CEO of Eagle Alpha

Email: emmett.kilduff@eaglealpha.com

Mobile: +353 86 7772198



Peter D. Greene, Partner, Vice Chair, Investment Management Group, Lowenstein Sandler

Email: pgreene@lowenstein.com

Office: +1 646.414.6908
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.
TORONTO, Ontario, May 31, 2019 /CNW/ - Citron Hygiene LP (Citron) has entered the washroom services market in the UK having acquired 1st Class Hygiene (1st Class) from the Fantham family, headquartered in Leicestershire, England. The acquisition closed on May 1st, 2019. 1st Class has been operating for over twenty years and provides a comprehensive range of washroom hygiene, pest control services and related products.

This is Citron's second acquisition within the UK. In July 2018, Citron acquired Admiral Cleaning Services Limited also based out of Leicestershire, England. With Admiral, an industry leading facility supply distributor, 1st Class now provides the infrastructure to expand washroom and pest control services to an expanded group of customers, building out a wonderfully robust offering for this market. Both entities have now been rolled up into Citron Hygiene UK Limited. "We are excited to be executing on our global vision and welcome 1st Class to the Citron team" Peter Farrell, CEO of Citron stated. "With this acquisition comes the opportunity to welcome a new group of Team Members who are very experienced in the service industry and provides a great foundation for Citron to grow its innovative washroom and pest control platforms in the UK."

On behalf of the Fantham family, Paul Fantham noted, "As we looked to expand our business in the UK, we were introduced to Peter and the extended Citron team and couldn't help but feel excited about their plans, both in the UK and globally. Citron became the obvious choice for our family to partner with." Both Paul and Philip Fantham will join Citron in leadership roles within Citron's UK organization and be an integral part of building the Citron's brand within the UK.

About Citron Hygiene

Citron Hygiene is a leading provider of commercial Washroom & Food Service Hygiene, Pest Control Solutions, as well as a broad range of Chemical and other Facility-basedProducts & Services. With over 40 years of extensive industry experience, we are headquartered in Toronto, Ontario with offices across Canada, the United States, and the UK.

Citron Hygiene is committed to Building healthy spaces by combining proprietary products and processes, certified and dedicated staff, and trusted, best-in-class vendor-partners to deliver unparalleled, holistic health and hygiene solutions. The design and delivery of everything we do, reflects our deep understanding of commercial facilities, our singular focus on customer needs and goals, and our abiding respect for the environment and its sustainability.

Media & General Inquiries: Jenna Hayes, Marketing & Communications Manager, jhayes@citronhygiene.com
Sisiku Ayuk Tabe et son gouvernement Archives

Many who believe in separation and independence of a new state called Ambazonia, have been expressing disgust and frustration over the current leadership tussle at the helm of the movement.

The battle between President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe who has been locked up behind bars two years ago and the interim Dr. Sako Ikome has led many to wonder if things could ever be better, even after independence. They have been expressing their frustrations over social media, as followers of both parties have been attacking one another, with some coming up with defamatory information about both parties.

When President Ayuk Tabe was arrested by the regime, an interim government was appointed, led by Dr. Sako. However, the increased infighting and greed between members in the diaspora and constant cries of the population on abuses caused by Ambazonia fighters on the ground, pushed Sisiku Ayuk Tabe to dismantle the government.

He issued a statement from his jail cell at the Yaounde Central Prison in Kondengui, sacking Dr. Sako.

Seemingly the news about his sacking didnt go well, as supporters denied the order and have finally announced that Sisiku has been impeached.

Staunch supporters of Sisiku have dismissed news of his impeachment, accusing Dr. Sako of having embezzled funds meant for the struggle by spending lavishly in hotels and on cars.

As pressure mounts for an inclusive dialogue to hold towards an end to the ongoing crisis, many are of the opinion that separatists wouldnt be able to present a leader at the dialogue table.

Journalist and political analyst Fah Elvis on a political debate show over Douala based Media Prime TV on Wednesday, opined that in the future, none of the separatists would be deemed fit to represent the others at the dialogue with the Republic of Cameroon, due to the struggle of power within them. He said the ongoing unrest might not end anytime soon, due to the leadership tussle.

As these Ambazonia leaders continue to fight amongst them, the government is busy lobbying support from civilians desperate to see an end to the ongoing war.
SpendEdge, a leading provider of procurement market intelligence solutions, has announced the completion of their free downloadable article on the key benefits of financial risk assessment. The article offers detailed insights into the different types of financial risks faced by companies in the petroleum industry. The article also gives a comprehensive overview of how conducting financial risk assessment can help companies address various credit, liquidity, and operational risks.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005381/en/

Key Benefits of Financial Risk Assessment. (Graphic: Business Wire)

With increasing market volatility in the UK, challenges for companies in different industries are on a rise. Companies are exposed to a variety of commodity and currency risks and susceptible to different financial risk factors. Energy companies are no exception. In fact, they are at an operational disadvantage as operating costs for them are comparatively higher. Download this free resource to know how we helped a petroleum company overcome all such challenges and save millions.

Conducting financial risks assessment is a tiresome task and requires a huge amount of data. Request a free demo to know how our experts can help you visualize data in real-time.

Key Benefits of Financial Risk Assessment

Gain Additional Cash Flows

Conducting financial risk assessment helps companies to efficiently disinvest stakes and monetize unexplored reserves. It disposes assets and enables companies to gain additional financial flexibility by delivering cash flows. In addition, it improves the growth rate of companies.

To know how companies can manage their financial risk and achieve additional cash flows, download the complete article here.

Manage Credit Risks

Often the financial and economic downturn impacts the financial stability of a large number of medium and small-sized businesses and retail customers associated with companies. Financial risk assessment solutions identify all such doubtful accounts of businesses and manage them, preventing significant losses for companies.

Addressing credit risks is vital for companies to ensure the growth of companies. Request a free proposal to access our complete portfolio of financial risk assessment solutions.

Improve Asset Allocation

Assessing financial risks helps companies to develop a risk profile and rate themselves into categories ranging from 1 to 7. This enables companies to improve financial planning and devise investment strategies that can improve the asset allocation of companies.

Get in touch with our analyststo know how companies in the petroleum industry are gaining a competitive edge by efficiently managing different types of financial risks.

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Want to gain more information? We're here to help you out! Tell us more about your business challenges.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005381/en/

Contacts:

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

US: +1 630 984 7340

UK: +44 148 459 9299

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us
Hilton Marks 100th Anniversary by Uncovering the Most Significant Moments of the Last Century across Culture, Politics, Science and Human Endeavour

This week, the world's first global hotel company, Hilton (NYSE: HLT) celebrates its 100th anniversary. Founded in 1919 in rural Texas, Hilton now has a global reach of 5,700 hotels in 113 countries and territories, and its hotels have provided the backdrop to many of the world's iconic moments. In celebration of its global relevance and pioneering impact on the hospitality sector, Hilton today reveals 100 moments that have shaped the modern world.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005397/en/

Hilton Reveals 100 Moments That Shaped the World (Photo: Business Wire)

The international survey which polled 7,000 people, voted the conclusion of the second World War, which opened the world up to a new era of recovery and reconnection, as the most impactful moment of the last century, followed by the first organ transplant in 1954 and the first heart transplant in 1967.

"Our founder Conrad Hilton believed in the power of international travel to foster world peace and encourage human connection. For the past 100 years, our hotels have been the stage for some of the world's most iconic events, from the first 'Bed-in for peace' which took place at Hilton Amsterdam 50 years ago, to the world's first mobile phone call that took place in front of The New York Hilton Midtown in 1973[i]," said Simon Vincent, EVP President, Hilton, EMEA. "Hilton is woven into the fabric of the communities in which we operate, and over the past century, we have welcomed 3 billion guests through our doors, employing 10 million Team Members and contributing $1 trillion in economic impact."

The top 10 moments that shaped the world were ranked as follows:

1. The end of WWII and post-war recovery (1945)

2. The first organ transplant (1954)

3. The first heart transplant (1967)

4. The introduction of penicillin (1942)

5. Man's first steps on the moon (1969)

6. The fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification of Germany (1989)

7. The first human in space (1961)

8. The first vaccine against tuberculosis (1927)

9. The first artificial heart (2015)

10. The first chemotherapy treatment (1956)

Moments reaching the top spot across other categories include; the first television in 1927 (technology), the first movie to incorporate sound in 1927 (culture), the first electric refrigerator in 1927 (food and drink) and the invention of the first solar panels in 1954 (sustainability).

Since the opening of its first hotel, Hilton has pioneered the industry and transformed guest travel through its own iconic moments. From introducing room service, in-room televisions, the mini-bar and airport hotels, last year Hilton became the first hospitality company to set science-based targets to reduce its environmental impact. The company was also the first to implement computerised reservation systems and roll out Connected Room the first hotel room allowing guests to unlock their doors and control their lights, thermostat and TV with a smartphone app. Hilton properties even invented the brownie and the pina colada.

At country level, British respondents voted overwhelmingly (51%) for the founding of the National Health Service in 1948 as the most significant moment for the UK in the last century. Women being granted the right to vote in 1928 and the first world wide web connection in 1990 followed in second (27%) and third (19%) place as the moments that have shaped the nation.

For more information on Hilton's 100th Anniversary visit https://newsroom.hilton.com/100

[i]https://www.cnet.com/news/the-first-call-from-a-cell-phone-was-made-46-years-ago-today/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005397/en/

Contacts:

Rachel Aitken

RAitken@webershandwick.com
Interests of directors of Acacia Mining plc in Acacia Mining plc shares (excluding options and awards set out in item 2 below): Name Number of ordinary shares Percentage of issued ordinary share capital (%) Rachel English 17,383 0.00423887 Andre Falzon 9,000 0.00219466 Options and awards held by directors of Acacia Mining plc in Acacia Mining plc shares: PETER GELETA Performance based restricted share units ("PRSUs"). PRSUs comprise nil cost options over ordinary shares of Acacia Mining plc, which vest on the fifth anniversary of the date of grant, subject to the assessment of Acacia Mining plc's total shareholder return performance against the constituents of the EMIX Global Gold Index. Date of award Number of ordinary shares to which PRSUs relate Vesting date 16 February 2016 224,772 15 February 2019 Nil cost options ("NCOs") Date of award Number of ordinary shares to which NCOs relate Vesting date 26 April 2017 195,163 25 April 2022 26 February 2018 1,077,731 25 February 2023 26 February 2019 696,664 26 February 2024 OTHER DIRECTORS Deferred share units ("DSUs"). Acacia Mining plc's DSU plan provides its non-executive directors with the option to receive some or all of their annual fees in return for a deferred right to a cash payment, payable only after a participant ceases to hold office with Acacia Mining plc. Cash payments under this plan are calculated by reference to the fair market value of Acacia Mining plc's ordinary shares at the time of payment and remain subject to market fluctuations in the context of Acacia Mining plc's share price until the time of payment. Name of director Number of ordinary shares to which DSUs relate Rachel English 14,156 Andre Falzon 15,559 Michael Kenyon 41,683 Steve Lucas 12,570 Interests of directors of Acacia Mining plc in Barrick Gold Corporation shares (excluding options and awards set out in item 4): Name of director Number of ordinary shares Percentage of issued ordinary share capital (%) Adrian Reynolds 612 0.00349319 Stephen Galbraith 165 0.00009418 Options and awards of directors of Acacia Mining plc in Barrick Gold Corporation shares STEPHEN GALBRAITH Restricted share unit awards under long term incentive plan (cash-settled; after tax settlement proceeds used to acquire shares) Number of ordinary shares to vest Date of grant Exercise price Vesting date 4,544 13 February 2018 Nil 13 February 2020 4,543 13 February 2018 Nil 13 February 2020 3,911 11 February 2019 Nil 11 February 2020 3,910 11 February 2019 Nil 11 February 2021 3,911 11 February 2019 Nil 11 November 2021 Interests of connected advisers of Acacia Mining plc in Barrick Gold Corporation shares Name of connected adviser Number of ordinary shares Percentage of issued ordinary share capital (%) Lee Munder Capital Group (a Royal Bank of Canada fund manager) 30 0.00000002
Leo Huang talks about Yealink's latest developments, past performance, future plans and so much more

XIAMEN, China, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Yealink, a renowned name in the unified communications industry ranks at No.1 internationally, in the SIP phone supplier market. The company is devoted to producing only the very best quality products.

With 18 years of industry experience under their belt and a broad, high-quality product portfolio, Yealink has sold over 15million IP phones in over 140 countries. Today almost 1 person out of every 500 people on this planet uses a Yealink product to ease collaboration and boost productivity.

Recently, during Yealink's exciting global roadshow, Leo Huang, revealed the secrets of Yealink's success. (Leo has been overlooking the sales and marketing departments of Yealink for over 14 years).

Leo Huang delightedly shared the emerging industry trends and advancements as well as talked about Yealink's R&D investments to realize their vision of easy collaboration and high productivity.

He stated that Yealink has witnessed a rapid growth in the past 5 years, in terms of both the market share and sales revenue. The company maintained a double-digit average annual revenue growth throughout, with a compound growth rate of 41.6%. In 2018, Yealink's annual revenue was estimated to have reached 260million USD.

With a consistently strong position in the UC industry, the company has been investing steadily in R&D. In the past few years, Yealink has invested millions of US dollars to establish a top-tier EMC lab and an audio lab. In 2018 alone, Yealink invested over 14 million USD in R&D.

These investments have facilitated their ability to attain the latest technical innovations and meet the ever-changing demands of the market.

Yealink has thrived immensely in a short span. According to Leo, one of the key reasons for their success attributes to the fact that their primary focus has always been on meeting customer needs in a fast-growing enterprise world.

During his speech at the roadshow, Leo Huang mentioned that upkeeping their reputation for developing high-quality products is something Yealink takes very seriously. Their strategic partnership structure with the likes of AT&T, Verizon, BT, and Microsoft is undeniably another major factor that contributes to Yealink's success.

When asked about Yealink's future plans, Leo Huang stated that in 2017, Yealink officially ranked at No.1 in the SIP Phone market, with the largest market share of 26%, the highest shipment, and the highest user satisfaction rate. But they don't plan to stop here.

With their continuous contribution to R&D, the quality of products and services, support of Yealink's esteemed partners and the faith of their customers, Yealink believes the future belongs to them. Leo envisions Yealink to be the leader in innovation as well as user experience.

About Yealink Inc.

Founded in 2001, Yealink (Stock Code: 300628) is a leading global provider of enterprise communication and collaboration solutions, offering video conferencing service to worldwide enterprises. Focusing on research and development, Yealink also insists on innovation and creation. With the outstanding technical patents of cloud computing, audio, video and image processing technology, Yealink has built up a panoramic collaboration solution of audio and video conferencing by merging its cloud services with a series of endpoints products. As one of the best providers in more than 140 countries and regions including the US, the UK and Australia, Yealink ranks No.1 in the global market share of SIP phone shipments (Global IP Desktop Phone Growth Excellence Leadership Award Report, Frost & Sullivan, 2018). For more information, please visit: www.yealink.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/893392/Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/893407/Leo_Huang.jpg
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2019 / EnviroLeach Technologies Inc. (CSE: ETI, OTC: EVLLF, FSE: 7N2), an E-Waste technology company, today announced that CEO and President Duane Nelson will present at the 9th annual LD Micro Invitational on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at 7:40 AM PST. Vice President of Corporate Development Todd Beavis and Vice Chairman of the Board Mel Lavitt will also be in attendance.

EnviroLeach is of special interest to both environmental and technology investors, as it is about to launch the world's first commercial plant designed to extract precious metals and recycle E-Waste in an ecologically-friendly process.

The presentation will be webcast live and will be available for replay at the investor relations section of EnviroLeach's website at www.enviroleach.com. For additional information or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Nelson, please contact your LD Micro representative or MKR Investor Relations at enviroleach@mkr-group.com.

The LD Micro Invitational will take place June 4th and 5th in Los Angeles at the Luxe Sunset Bel Air Hotel, will feature 230 companies, and will be attended by over 1,000 individuals.

View the EnviroLeach profile here: www.ldmicro.com/profile/ETI.CN

Profiles powered by LD Micro - News Compliments of Accesswire

Investor Relations Engagement

EnviroLeach is also pleased to announce that it has engaged institutional investor relations specialists MKR Investor Relations, Inc. (MKR) to lead its shareholder communications program. MKR will assist in providing a proactive investor relations program with the goal of raising EnviroLeach's exposure within the institutional investment community.

"MKR is a recognized leader in building institutional ownership for technology companies," said EnviroLeach CEO Duane Nelson. "So, this engagement should be viewed as both a sign of our confidence in the future, and as evidence of our commitment to differentiate ourselves as a true technology company. We look forward to working with MKR to introduce ourselves to their large network of investors."

About EnviroLeach Technologies Inc.

EnviroLeach Technologies is a technology company engaged in the development and commercialization of environmentally-friendly technologies for the recovery of precious metals in the E-Waste and Mining sectors. Using its proprietary non-toxic, water-based, and near neutral pH treatment process, EnviroLeach extracts precious metals from mining ores, concentrates, and E-Waste using only FDA approved additives at ambient temperatures.

Backed by a staff of highly experienced scientists and engineers, and based on years of research, including independent validations and pilot scale test programs, EnviroLeach's technology is poised to become the world standard in eco-friendly extraction of precious metals in both the conventional mining and E-Waste sectors.

Further information is available on the EnviroLeach web site: https://enviroleach.com

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space.

What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into several influential events annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and micro-cap universe.

For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com for more information.

Forward Looking Statements

This News Release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. Statements contained herein that are not based on historical or current fact, including without limitation statements containing the words "anticipates," "believes," "may," "continues," "estimates," "expects," and "will" and words of similar import, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, information with respect to our Research and Development activities, the accuracy of our capital and operating cost estimates; production and processing estimates; the results, the adequacy of EnviroLeach's financial resources and timing of development of ongoing research and development projects, costs and timing of future revenues or profits and adequacy of financial resources. Wherever possible, words such as "plans", "expects", "projects", "assumes", "budget", "strategy", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "targets" and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative forms of any of these terms and similar expressions, have been used to identify forward-looking statements and information. Statements concerning future revenue or earnings estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking information. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the expectations and opinions of EnviroLeach's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The CSE has not approved or disapproved of the information contained herein.

Contact Information:

EnviroLeach Technologies Inc.

Todd Beavis

info@EnviroLeach.com

MKR Investor Relations Inc.

Todd Kehrli or Mark Forney

Analyst/Investor Contact

(323) 468-2300

enviroleach@mkr-group.com

SOURCE: EnviroLeach Technologies

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/547287/EnviroLeach-Technologies-Inc-To-Present-at-the-9th-Annual-LD-Micro-Invitational
GAITHERSBURG, Maryland, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- To kick off 2019, Lo Village has released their first single of the year, "Show and Tell." The group spent most of 2019 in the studio and on stages across the New York City and DMV areas, performing at well-known venues including SoHo House Manhattan and Baltimore Soundstage.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/895806/LoVillage_ShowAndTell.jpg

While recent show goers have had the unique opportunity of hearing unreleased music during the trio's live performances, "Show and Tell" is debuting publicly for the first time today. An accompanying music video for the single is slated to premiere on the Lo Village YouTube channel next week.

The track provides listeners a rare glimpse into the group's perspective on the low periods we all go through, with tidbits of personal experiences tucked into each artist's verse. "Show and Tell" is unique in that it highlights the fiery R&B soul of Lo Village and conveys a vulnerability from the trio that we rarely see.

"Show and Tell" is a more melodic track that is noticeably different from Lo Village's 2018 work, showcasing the group's growth. With artist development as one of Rebel Music's top priorities for the year, "Show and Tell" gives listeners a taste of what is to come as the group continues to progress and prepares to launch their third EP later this year.

The upcoming EP will be the trio's first full length project since releasing "For the Birds," which featured hit single "Lil Mama," in 2017. Fans can expect to see more unconventional beats and melodies, unique flows, subliminal messaging within the lyrics and more hard-hitting visuals that Lo Village has become known for.

Stay up to date on the Rebel Music website and all social platforms.

CONTACT: Bethany Thomas, 301-379-0792, bethany@rebelmusiccollective.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/895807/Rebel_Music_Collective_Logo.jpg
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2019) - Royal Road Minerals Limited (TSXV: RYR) ("Royal Road" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed the previously announced acquisition (the "Acquisition") of Northern Colombia Holdings Limited ("NC Holdings") from Compania Kedahda Limited (the "Seller"), an affiliate of AngloGold Ashanti Limited ("AngloGold Ashanti"). NC Holdings, through its subsidiaries, owns Exploraciones Northern Colombia SAS ("ENC"), which holds or has rights to a title package (collectively, the "Titles") comprised of mining concession agreements covering approximately 35,747 hectares of land, and the rights with respect to applications that have been made to acquire mining concessions over approximately 168,841 hectares of land, in prospective mineral belts in the Narino, Cauca and Antioquia departments of Colombia.

Highlights of the Acquisition

High quality, Appraised and Prioritized Title Package. The Titles were assembled as a result of systematic exploration, appraisal, prioritization and the purposeful reduction of land holdings by AngloGold Ashanti since the inception of its activities in Colombia in 2004.

The Titles were assembled as a result of systematic exploration, appraisal, prioritization and the purposeful reduction of land holdings by AngloGold Ashanti since the inception of its activities in Colombia in 2004. Increased Future Optionality. The Acquisition significantly increases the Company's portfolio of potentially Tier 1 exploration assets and provides the Company with various options for joint-venture and cash generating transactions in Colombia.

The Acquisition significantly increases the Company's portfolio of potentially Tier 1 exploration assets and provides the Company with various options for joint-venture and cash generating transactions in Colombia. Advanced Exploration Potential. The Acquisition provides the Company with access to drill-ready potentially Tier 1 projects on granted concession agreements within its present area of interest and elsewhere in prospective mineral belts throughout Colombia.

The Properties

The Titles are grouped into two blocks, the Southern Block, which is located contiguous with Royal Road's existing 3500 square kilometers of exploration rights in Narino Province and the Northern Block, which covers the well-known Middle Cauca Belt. There are 16 currently identified individual gold project areas located within the title package and numerous underexplored areas which management believes host significant geologic potential. Royal Road's initial focus will be on granted titles containing targets that can be moved to the drilling-stage as soon as possible. Some of these targets are as follows:

The La Llanada project area in Narino Province, characterized by very high stream sediment sample results and comprising several currently known high-grade vein-gold systems.

The El Tambo intrusion-related gold project in Cauca Province, where AngloGold Ashanti reported an area of steep-moderate dipping quartz-veins, up to 3 meters wide, over 3 kilometers in strike length and 600 meters in total zone-width and with rock chip results returning up to 77 grams per tonne gold (based on a reported 182 combined panel and grab rock-chip samples ranging from below detection limit and with a mean of 2.2 grams per tonne gold).

The Guinter sheeted quartz-calcite-sulfide vein project area in Antioquia. The vein system has been mapped over 6 square kilometers, AngloGold Ashanti drilled 10 scout diamond drill holes for a total of 5662 meters at the project and reported best intersections of 56 meters at 1.1, 14 meters at 1.8 and 20 meters at 1.8 grams per tonne gold (not true thickness). Based on geological observations management believe there is volume potential in mineralized stratabound horizons and potential for higher-grade mineralization where veins link and interact similar in style to the nearby Buritica and Anza projects.

The title package contains numerous porphyry-style occurrences and two-well known porphyry copper and gold projects that, whilst not drill-ready, will be the short-term focus for the Company's social and permitting teams:

The El Molino porphyry gold project is an outcropping gold porphyry system located in Cauca Province. Both the potassic core and quartz-sericite halo of the system are exposed on surface. AngloGold Ashanti previously reported sheeted gold veinlets returning rock-chip samples of up to 184 grams per tonne (based on a reported 493 combined grab and panel samples ranging from below detection limit with a mean of 2.5 grams per tonne gold).*

The Caramanta region in Antioquia, where AngloGold Ashanti reported three copper and gold bearing porphyry bodies and rock-chip results of up to 47 grams per tonne gold and 3.3% copper (based on 255 combined grab and panel samples ranging from below detection limit with a mean of 0.65 grams per tonne gold and 0.07% copper).*

* Grab samples are selected samples and are not necessarily indicative of the mineralization hosted on the property:

The foregoing exploration information and data contained in this news release was not prepared by the Company or the qualified person named below. Neither the Company nor such qualified person has independently verified the foregoing exploration results and data and the Company cautions that there is a risk that further exploration will not produce similar results.

Acquisition Details

All figures are in United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Under the terms of the stock purchase agreement dated March 4, 2019, between the Company and the Seller, the Company purchased from the Seller all of the issued and outstanding shares of NC Holdings. NC Holdings indirectly holds, through two wholly owned subsidiaries, all of the issued and outstanding shares of ENC, which is the holder of the mineral concession Titles and is the assignee of the rights to any Titles that are granted to AngloGold Ashanti Colombia S.A., an affiliate of AngloGold Ashanti, pursuant to title applications made by the assigning company to the National Mining Agency of Colombia (Agencia Nacional de Mineria).

In consideration for the purchase of the shares of NC Holdings, the Company paid the Seller a purchase price of $4,655,462 on completion of the Acquisition. In addition, the Company granted the following contingent considerations to the Seller:

If at any time after the closing of the Acquisition, the Company completes a technical report pursuant to NI43-101 that discloses for the first time an inferred mineral resource of not less than one million gold equivalent ounces on a specific area within the lands subject to any of the Titles held by the Company or any of its affiliates, such specific area shall be designated as a "Specific Project", and the following provisions shall apply with respect to each such Specific Project identified:

An amount equal to $5,000,000 shall be payable within 90 days following the date on which such technical report for the Specific Project is completed; and

a further amount equal to $5,000,000 shall be payable within 90 days following the date on which a feasibility study for such Specific Project is completed and delivered to the Seller; and

a further amount equal to $5,000,000 shall be payable within 90 days from the commencement of commercial production for the Specific Project; and

a further aggregate amount equal to $20,000,000, payable in four equal installments of $5,000,000 on the date that is 90 days following the end of each of the Company's four consecutive fiscal quarters immediately following the commencement of commercial production for the Specific Project.

If at any time the Company completes a feasibility study that discloses for the first time an inferred mineral resource of not less than five million gold equivalent ounces on a Specific Project, the Seller shall have a one-time option (the "Feasibility Option") to purchase a 75% interest in the Specific Project for a purchase price in an amount equal to the sum of the following amounts:

An amount equal to three times the aggregate sum of all exploration expenditures up to and including the feasibility study funded by Royal Road Minerals; plus

An amount equal to the aggregate sum of all exploration expenditures funded by Royal Road Minerals for that Specific Project from the feasibility option date until the completion of the transfer of the purchased interest.

If the Seller exercises the Feasibility Option for a Specific Project, then the Company will no longer be required to pay the payments on and following commercial production for the Specific Project for which the Seller has exercised the Feasibility Option.

The Company's board of directors reviewed and considered a significant amount of information and considered a number of factors relating to the Acquisition with the benefit of advice from the Company's senior management and the Company's financial, legal and technical advisors. This process led the Company's board of directors to unanimously determine that the Acquisition is in the best interests of the Company. In the course of its deliberations, the Company's board of directors also identified and considered certain risks (and potentially negative factors in connection with the Acquisition). In addition to the various risks identified under the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual management's discussion & analysis (MD&A) for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 and its interim MD&A for the three months ended March 31, 2019, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, the Company will also be subject to the following selected specific risks, among others, as a result of the completion of the Acquisition:

(a)The Company may not realize all of the anticipated benefits from the completion of the Acquisition. These anticipated benefits will depend, in part, on whether the Company can obtain the necessary government approvals and permits to carry out sub-surface exploration activities on the Titles consisting of granted exclusive concession contracts, and to convert the Titles consisting of applications for a mining concession agreement into mining concession agreements. There is a risk that the Company will not be successful in obtaining such approvals, permits and concession agreements over all of the targeted areas or at all.

(b) The Company's ability to exploit the acquired mineral interests is subject to risks related to the mining rights regime in Colombia and the regulation of the mining industry. Specifically, some of the concession contracts have been suspended on several occasions, due to public safety issues related to the previous armed conflict in Colombia. Currently seven of the 18 granted concession contracts remain under suspension due to force-majeure. The Company will not be able, and is not required, to perform any mining activities within the areas specified in the contracts until the suspensions expire or the Company elects to remove them from suspension. In the Company's view, mining activity with respect to the suspended concession contracts will most likely not be possible for at least one year and perhaps longer. Also, with respect to the Titles under application, until and unless the applications are converted into concession agreements for a particular target area (and, if applicable, assigned to a Colombian operating subsidiary of the Company pursuant to the Acquisition agreements), and all other requirements imposed under Colombian law are satisfied, the Company will not be able to proceed with sub-surface exploration activities in the relevant targeted area.

(c)There are areas excluded from exploration and mining activity. The areas included in some of the concession contracts, overlap with areas which, subsequent to granting of the concession contracts, have been excluded from mining activity (such as National Parks, Paramos, Forest Reserves).

(d)Illegal mining activities have been identified in certain areas of the concession contracts.

(e)The Company may not realize the anticipated benefits of its new assets for other reasons. For example, the Company may be subject to significant operating risks associated with its expanded operations and portfolio of projects and will be subject to a broad range of environmental laws and regulations and associated costs and liabilities.

The information in this news release was approved by Dr. Tim Coughlin, BSc (Geology), MSc (Exploration and Mining), PhD (Structural Geology), FAusIMM, President and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Road Minerals Limited and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control:

The following information was made available to the Company by AngloGold Ashanti.

Sample preparation and analyses are conducted according to standard industry procedures. Rock samples are crushed, split and pulverized prior to analysis of Gold by fire assay and Atomic Absorption and multi-elements by ICP-AES and ICP-MS after four acid digestion. Stream sediment samples are sieved to -200 mesh and analyzed for Gold by fire assay and ICP AES and multi-elements by ICP-AES and ICP-MS after aqua regia digestion. Analytical performance is monitored by means of certified reference materials (CRMs), coarse blanks, coarse and pulp duplicate samples. Surface samples have been prepared, for the most part, in ALS Chemex preparation lab in Colombia and analyses have been completed in ALS Chemex Lima.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary statement:

This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") including statements relating to the Acquisition and those describing the Company's future plans and the expectations of its management that a stated result or condition will occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or developments in the Company's business or in the mineral resources industry, or with respect to the Acquisition, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based on assumptions about, among other things, future economic conditions and courses of action, and assumptions related to government approvals, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The words "plans", "prospective", "expect", "intend", "intends to" and similar expressions identify forward looking statements, which may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. Forward-looking statements of the Company contained in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to, those related to the Acquisition, the Company and the Company's plans exploration plans.

The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. There is no guarantee that the anticipated benefits of the Acquisition and the Company's business plans or operations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: economic market conditions, anticipated costs and expenditures, government approvals, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with Canadian provincial securities regulators or other applicable regulatory authorities. Forward-looking statements included herein are based on the current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions of the Company management and, in part, on information provided to the Company by Anglo Ashanti and its affiliates, and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change.



For further information please contact:

Dr. Timothy Coughlin

President and Chief Executive Officer



USA-Canada toll free 1800 6389205

+44 (0)1534 887166

+44 (0)7797 742800

info@royalroadminerals.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45199
Winners also Announced for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's $1M Bonus Prize for Underwater "Sniffer" Technology

Today, XPRIZE, the global leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, has announced winners in the $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, a global competition to advance ocean technologies for rapid, unmanned and high-resolution ocean exploration and discovery.

The results were revealed at an awards ceremony hosted at the world-renowned Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, part of the Oceanographic Institute, Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation. The grand prize winner, receiving a total of $4M, was GEBCO-NF Alumni, an international team based in the United States, while KUROSHIO, from Japan, claimed $1M as the runner-up:

GEBCO-NF (International) Led by Rochelle Wigley, Ph.D. and Yulia Zarayskaya, Ph.D., the 14-nation team integrated existing technologies and ocean-mapping experience with a robust and low-cost unmanned surface vessel, the SeaKIT, along with a novel cloud-based data processing system that allows for rapid seabed visualization, to contribute towards comprehensive mapping of the ocean floor by 2030.

(International) Led by Rochelle Wigley, Ph.D. and Yulia Zarayskaya, Ph.D., the 14-nation team integrated existing technologies and ocean-mapping experience with a robust and low-cost unmanned surface vessel, the SeaKIT, along with a novel cloud-based data processing system that allows for rapid seabed visualization, to contribute towards comprehensive mapping of the ocean floor by 2030. KUROSHIO(Yokosuka, Japan) Led by Takeshi Nakatani, Ph.D., the team integrated technologies from their partners to create a surface vessel and software platform that can operate with different autonomous underwater vessels, which increases the versatility of their technology.

The $1M National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bonus Prize for teams to develop technology that could detect a chemical or biological signal underwater and autonomously track it to its source was split between junior high school team Ocean Quest from San Jose, California, claiming $800K as the winner, and Tampa Deep Sea Xplorers, from Florida, taking $200K as runner-up.

"Currently, more than 80 percent of the world's ocean is unmapped, and I'm proud to have worked alongside the people who will change this as a part of this XPRIZE," said Executive Director of the Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, Jyotika Virmani, Ph.D. "Our vision is that these new technologies will enable the discovery of new ocean species, underwater resources, geological features, and safer methods of exploring the deep sea, while illuminating the mysteries of the deep and discovering what has remained unknown since the dawn of time."

Additionally, the judges unanimously recommended a $200K "Moonshot Award" for Team Tao from the United Kingdom for its unique approach to seafloor mapping, even though they did not meet the criteria of the competition.

"The Ocean Discovery XPRIZE teams' accomplishments are a true reflection of XPRIZE's core belief that incentivizing the crowd will drive innovation and investment, leading to a massive shift in the state of the market," said Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE. "It is an honor to celebrate the winning teams GEBCO-NF Alumni, KUROSHIO, Ocean Quest, Tampa Deep Sea Xplorers, as well as Team Tao for their unprecedented, radical approach. We look forward to watching these pioneers shape the future of ocean exploration and discovery."

To determine winners, the panel of independent judges reviewed data from field testing conducted in Kalamata, Greece and Ponce, Puerto Rico. In Kalamata, teams had up to 24 hours to map at least 250 km2 of the ocean seafloor at 5m horizontal resolution or higher. The gold-standard high-resolution baseline maps, against which the team maps were judged, were provided by Ocean Infinity and Fugro, while Esri, the global leader in geographic information system (GIS) software and geodatabase management, donated its award-winning ArcGIS Online platform for the teams and judges to use.

"At Shell, we are firm believers in the power of ideas and the value of collaboration to solve big problems," said Martin Stauble, Shell's Vice President Exploration North America and Brazil. "We are proud to be part of the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE. This prize energized teams from across the globe and stimulated innovation, technology and learning, all in support of providing data for a better understanding of our oceans. We hope that the XPRIZE results will be a catalyst to create a step-change in the speed and quality of data that companies, research institutes and society can use."

As part of the total $7M prize purse, four teams opted to compete for the $1M NOAA Bonus Prize. In a field test in Ponce, Puerto Rico, teams needed to demonstrate that their technology can "sniff out" a specified object in the ocean by first detecting and then tracing a biological or chemical signal to its source. The judges determined that no single team was able to trace the signal to its source in the timeframe allowed, so the prize was divided among the two teams that came the closest.

Last year, nine finalist teams were awarded an equal share of the first $1M of the $7M prize purse, in recognition of their progress-to-date and to support the teams' continued technological development.

"NOAA is proud to support this important competition that is accelerating the development of new unmanned tools capable of tracking chemical and biological signals in our ocean," said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., acting NOAA administrator. "The cutting-edge technologies that have emerged as a result of the NOAA Bonus Prize will help fuel a growing Blue Economy and inspire future innovation."

As part of its post-prize impact work, XPRIZE announced a partnership with Seabed 2030, a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) to inspire the complete mapping of the world's ocean by 2030 and to compile all bathymetric data into the freely-available GEBCO Ocean Map.

Additionally, and in anticipation of World Oceans Day on June 8th, XPRIZE will launch a science fiction ocean anthology featuring 19 original short stories and artwork set in a future when technology has helped unlock the secrets of the world's oceans.

For more information, visit oceandiscovery.xprize.org.

About XPRIZE

XPRIZE designs and operates multi-million-dollar, global competitions to incentivize the development of technological breakthroughs that accelerate humanity toward a better future. Active competitions include the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE and the $5 Million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE. For more information, visit xprize.org.

About Royal Dutch Shell

Shell has been a technology pioneer for more than 100 years, and has come up with many industry-transforming "firsts" to deliver energy its customers and partners need. Since 2007, Shell has spent more than $1 billion annually on research and development. In 2014, our research and development expenditures were $1.2 billion. Shell's technical and engineering staff amount to more than 43,000.

Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges. For further information, visit www.shell.com.

About National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a science-based federal agency within the Department of Commerce with regulatory, operational and information service responsibilities with a presence in every state and U.S. territories. NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources. For more information, visit www.noaa.gov.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005539/en/

Contacts:

Eric Desatnik Katherine Schelbert

310.741.4880 eric@xprize.org

katherine.schelbert@xprize.org
Regulatory News:

TechnipFMC (NYSE: FTI) (PARIS: FTI) announces today that Olivier Piou, former Chief Executive Officer of Gemalto N.V., and John Yearwood, former Chief Executive Officer of Smith International, Inc., have been named to its Board of Directors, effective June 1, 2019.

Doug Pferdehirt, Chairman and CEO of TechnipFMC, stated "I am pleased to welcome John and Olivier to the Board as the first new members since our merger. Both bring proven leadership and the global perspective gained as the CEO of an international public company. Olivier's extensive knowledge of digital enterprise development will be invaluable as we continue to execute on our digital transformation strategy. John's deep knowledge of manufacturing and oilfield services will support the continued differentiation and growth of our businesses. Because of their diverse experiences, John and Olivier are a strong complement to our Board of Directors and will further strengthen the Board's breadth of talent and competencies."

Mr. Piou will serve on the Strategy Committee and Mr. Yearwood will serve on the Compensation Committee. Both will serve on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

About Olivier Piou

Mr. Piou, 60, was the Chief Executive Officer and Board member of Gemalto N.V., an international digital security company, from 2006 to 2016. Gemalto was formed through the combination of Axalto N.V. and Gemplus International. Mr. Piou served as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Axalto N.V. from its 2004 initial public offering until its combination with Gemplus in 2006. Mr. Piou began his career at Schlumberger Limited where he held progressively senior positions covering technology, marketing, and operations in Schlumberger's Oil Gas and Technology businesses over the course of 23 years. Mr. Piou currently serves on the Board of Directors of Nokia Oyj and Valeo S.A. He previously served on the Boards of Directors of Alcatel-Lucent (2008 to 2016), Axalto N.V. (2004 to 2006), and Gemalto N.V. (2006 to 2016). Mr. Piou holds a Master's Degree in engineering from Ecole Centrale de Lyon, France.

About John Yearwood

John Yearwood, 59, was Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chief Operating Officer of Smith International, Inc., which was a supplier of services and manufactured products to oil and gas exploration and production companies, from 2009 to 2010 when Smith International merged with Schlumberger Limited. He served as Smith International's Executive Vice President and President of Completion and Production from September to December 2008. Prior to joining Smith International, Mr. Yearwood spent over 26 years at Schlumberger in a succession of executive leadership positions, including President, North and South America Oilfield Services; Vice President, Finance, WesternGeco, and Oilfield Services Controller. Mr. Yearwood currently serves as the Lead Director of Nabors Industries Ltd. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Sabine Oil Gas Corp. Mr. Yearwood holds a Bachelor of Science Honors degree in Geology and Environment from Oxford Polytechnic, subsequently renamed Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom.

About TechnipFMC

TechnipFMC is a global leader in subsea, onshore/offshore, and surface projects. With our proprietary technologies and production systems, integrated expertise, and comprehensive solutions, we are transforming our clients' project economics.

We are uniquely positioned to deliver greater efficiency across project lifecycles from concept to project delivery and beyond. Through innovative technologies and improved efficiencies, our offering unlocks new possibilities for our clients in developing their oil and gas resources.

Each of our more than 37,000 employees is driven by a steady commitment to clients and a culture of purposeful innovation, challenging industry conventions, and rethinking how the best results are achieved.

To learn more about us and how we are enhancing the performance of the world's energy industry, go to TechnipFMC.com and follow us on Twitter @TechnipFMC.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005508/en/

Contacts:

Investor relations

Matt Seinsheimer

Vice President Investor Relations

Tel: +1 281 260 3665

Email: Matt Seinsheimer

Phillip Lindsay

Director Investor Relations (Europe)

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3429 3929

Email: Phillip Lindsay

Media relations

Christophe Belorgeot

Senior Vice President Corporate Engagement

Tel: +33 1 47 78 39 92

Email: Christophe Belorgeot

Delphine Nayral

Director Public Relations

Tel: +33 1 47 78 34 83

Email: Delphine Nayral
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2019) - Critical Control Energy Services Corp. (formerly TSX: CCZ) ("Critical Control" or the "Corporation") announces that all the motions put forth at its annual and special meeting held in Calgary on May 27, 2019 were approved by the holders of common shares and Series A preferred shares.

Each of the following director nominees proposed by management of the Corporation was elected as follows:

Votes For (%) Dennis Nerland 99.97 Alykhan Mamdani 99.98 Gary Bentham 99.99 Kevin Lo 99.99 Sergei Tchetvertnykh 99.99

A resolution to amend the articles of the Corporation to create a Series B preferred share as set forth in Schedule A to the Management Information Circular of the Corporation dated April 18, 2019 was approved by special resolution. 99.83% of the Common shareholders and 99.92% of the Preferred Shareholders voted in favour of the amendment.

A resolution to approve a plan of arrangement between 2209021 Ontario Inc., Alykhan Mamdani and the Corporation (the "Arrangement) was approved. 99.77% of the Common shareholders and 99.83% of the preferred shareholders voted in favour of the Arrangement.

The detailed terms of the Arrangement are set forth in Schedule B to the Management Information Circular of the Corporation dated April 18, 2019. The terms include the following:

A private placement by Alykhan Mamdani and 2209021 Ontario Inc. to fund the Arrangement. The election by shareholders to elect to (i) receive cash of $0.08 per common share and $0.42 per preferred share; (ii) receive 1 new common share for each 5.25 old common shares; (iii) receive 2 new common shares for each Series A preferred share; and/or (iv) receive 1 new Series B preferred share for each Series A preferred share.

Pursuant to the terms of the Arrangement, those shareholders who did not submit a valid election or who own fewer than 500 preferred shares or 2,625 common shares will receive cash consideration.

The completion of the Arrangement is subject to final approval by the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta. The hearing to seek the final order approving the Arrangement has been set for June 4, 2019.

About Critical Control

Critical Control provides solutions for the collection, control and analysis of measurement and operational data related to oil and gas wells across North America. We provide services to capture the data, cloud-based software to visualize and manage it, and the business intelligence to make quicker and more informed operational decisions.

For further information

Alykhan Mamdani

President & CEO

Tel (403) 705-7500

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45202
Victim sits in front of burned home Facebook

The Governor of the North West region, Adolphe Lele Lafrique has announced that a group of separatists(still to be identified), attacked a Lake Nyos resettlement camp in Wum, Menchum Division, burning down 40 houses.

According to the governor, some separatists attacked Upkwa village in Wum, where they also violently tortured the population, slaughtered some of their animals and looted property between the night of Thursday May 30 and Friday May 31, around 1:00 am.

The community in distress, is inhabited by one of Cameroon's indigenous groups, Fulanis, who have constantly been attacked by armed separatists in the area. They have often been accused of selling out separatist hideouts and activities, to the forces of law and order.

Following this attack, an investigation has been opened by the governor, who assures that perpetrators of the act will be apprehended and subsequently face the law. He used this opportunity to call on perpetrators and other separatists, to drop down their weapons now and report to the disarmament centre in Bamenda, where they would be trained and reintegrated into the society.

An adhoc committee has been created to identify victims of the attack. This committee led by the Senior Divisional Officer of Menchum Division,Kamga Charles is expected to assess body injuries, and damaged properties of the victims, for immediate humanitarian assistance.

The population of the North West region have been called upon to collaborate with security and administrative officials of the region, so that perpetrators of such acts as well as destabilisers of peace and Cameroon's national integrity, be identified and apprehended.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2019) - Ethos Gold Corp. (TSXV: ECC) ("Ethos" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of $225,000 (the "Offering"). The Company will issue 1,125,000 units (each a "Unit") at a purchase price of $0.20 per Unit. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a purchase price of $0.40 per share for a period of two years from the date of the closing of the Offering.

Dr. Quinton Hennigh will be subscribing to the Offering. As announced in the Company's May 17, 2019 press release, Dr. Hennigh joined Ethos as a technical advisor to oversee the Company's drill campaign to test a Carlin-type gold target at Iron Point, 22 miles east of Winnemucca, Nevada. Stated Craig Roberts, P.Eng., President and CEO of Ethos: "We are very pleased to have Dr. Hennigh on board as a shareholder of Ethos and we look forward to working with him in drill testing the Carlin-type gold target at Iron Point. We anticipate announcing the date for commencement of drilling at Iron Point shortly."

The proceeds of the Offering will be used the Company's exploration projects and for general working capital. The Offering is subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), and securities issued in the Offering will be subject to a 4-month hold period. No finder's fees are payable in respect of the Offering.

Ethos also announces that it has granted, under its Share Option Plan, incentive stock options to certain directors, officers and consultants of the Company to purchase an aggregate of up to 600,000 common shares exercisable for a period of up to five years from the date of grant at a price of $0.20 per share. This grant is subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Ethos Gold

Ethos Gold is exploring the La Purisima gold project (earning 100%) in Chihuahua Mexico, the Iron Point Carlin gold project (earning 50% from Victory Metals Inc.) 22 miles east of Winnemucca, Nevada, and the Perk-Rocky copper-gold porphyry project (earning 100%), 220 km west of Williams Lake, British Columbia. La Purisima is a near surface, bulk tonnage, oxide gold target, and a maiden drill program will commence shortly. Iron Point is a Lower Plate hosted Carlin style gold target, and a planned program of three vertical holes to test this target will commence shortly under the supervision of Dr. Quinton Hennigh. Perk-Rocky is a copper-gold porphyry target, and an exploration program including detailed airborne geophysics and ground mapping and sampling will commence shortly. Ethos also owns approximately 8% of the equity of Carlin Type Holdings Ltd., a private company earning into 100% ownership of three Nevada exploration projects, including two deep Carlin type targets (Carlin East and Selena). Ethos is also earning into the Pine Pass and Ursula vanadium projects (100% earn-in) in north-central British Columbia. In March 2019 Ethos received notice from the Province of British Columbia that the mineral tenures making up its Pine Pass vanadium project are included in an area under consideration for an immediate moratorium on development proposals and possible inclusion in an expanded environmental protected area, and Ethos is now waiting on the resolution of this issue before finalizing plans for further work.

Ethos currently has cash of approximately C$6.5 million and 54.8 million shares issued.

For additional information please contact Tom Martin at E: tmartin@ethosgold.com P: 1-250-516-2455 or view the Company's website, www.ethosgold.com and the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Ethos Gold Corp.

Per: "Craig Roberts"

Craig Roberts, P.Eng., President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions:

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to, among other things, the Company's plan to undertake the Offering and the contemplated use of the proceeds. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include, possible, accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities for sale, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities. Any public offering of securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus containing detailed information about the company and management, as well as financial statements.

THIS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR

DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/45208
Hudson lends her formidable knowledge and expertise to all-star panel on compliant marketing within EU's General Data Protection Regulation

LONDON, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In the months since the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was first enacted, the threat of fines, data breaches, and loss of customer trust looms large for chief marketing officers. At the upcoming European Data Protection Summit London, Love Hudson, alongside other industry experts, will discuss how marketers can find success in a post-GDPR world at the summit's panel 'Marketing Challenges and Opportunities One Year into GDPR'.

An expert at tackling GDPR-related challenges, Hudson is uniquely positioned at the convergence of where data, marketing, and compliance meet. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded high-performing marketing campaigns as the client and as the vendor; Hudson understands how complex it is to effectively execute compliant and action-driven campaigns across borders, vendors, and channels.



In her previous role as Director of Customer Success at Salesforce, Hudson led a compliant, action-driven platform integration for multiple major Fortune 500 companies (her work resulted in an invitation to join an international steering committee on data governance and information security).



Hudson previously served as the Global Director of Programmatic Marketing & Data Governance with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG): in this role, she oversaw all global digital marketing across North and Latin America, Greater China, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. She partnered with IHG's general counsel to create and implement data capture and storage policies that aligned with each country's regulations alongside IHG corporate policy.



The European Data Protection Summit, on June 3rd, will be held at 133 Houndsditch, London. Panelists joining Hudson for the discussion include Nicola Roviaro, Head of Data Privacy, EMEA for Google, Kevin Kiley, Vice President of OneTrust, and Rowenna Fielding, Data Protection Lead for Protecture.



For additional information or to schedule an interview, call +1 404-539-1892 or visit https://mardatadvisors.com .



About Love Hudson

An evangelist for results over sleek reports, Love Hudson equips marketers with the tools needed for marketing success in today's increasingly privacy-driven landscape. Alongside Robert Maggio, who previously served as Coca Cola's Program Director of Master Data Harmonization, Hudson co-founded Mar Dat (a consultancy focused on actionable, repeatable, and protected data-driven marketing plans that are in full compliance with all applicable regulations and protocols).

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/895975/Love_Hudson_Mar_Dat.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/896042/Mar_Dat_Logo.jpg
Byju's said the growth in revenue was fuelled by deeper penetration across India and significant growth in the number of paid subscribers

Online education start-up Byju's has reported total revenue of Rs 1,430 crore for the year ended March 2019 and claimed that the firm has turned profitable on a full-year basis, a media report said.

The ed-tech firm, according to Business Standard, said the growth in revenue was fuelled by deeper penetration across India and significant growth in the number of paid subscribers.

Byju's has tripled its total revenue to Rs 1,430 crore for the year ended March 2019, up from Rs 490 crore revenue reported in FY18, Mint said. The report, citing the firm, said it is working on creating learning programs in different regional languages to expand its reach.

Byju's has reportedly seen its paid user base grow to 2.4 million from 1.26 million in June 2018. "60 percent of our students are from outside the top 10 cities. This high adoption rate is a clear indication that online learning is fulfilling a crucial need and is here to stay, Byju Raveendran, CEO of Byjus, was quoted as saying by The Economic Times.

In January this year, Byjus acquired US-based Osmo, the award-winning playful learning system for creating healthy screen time experiences for $120 million.

Byju's has been growing at 100 percent for the last three years. It has aggressive plans for international market expansion and will continue to make big investments in technology that will help to further personalise learning for students, the company management had said in January.

In December 2018, Byju's closed a $540 million (Rs 3,865 crore) in funding round led by South African media giant Naspers.

Launched in 2015, Byjus Learning App offers personalised learning programs for school students in grades 4-12 in India. It also offers training for preparation of different entrance and competitive examinations like CAT, JEE, IAS, GRE, and GMAT.

It has 30 million students cumulatively learning from the app. The app creates personalised learning programs for individual students based on their proficiency levels and capabilities which help them learn at their own pace and style.

The online education start-up in July 2017 had raised an undisclosed amount in funding from China's Tencent Holdings. In March that year, Byjus had also raised an undisclosed amount from Belgium-based investment firm Verlinvest. Tencent has been aggressively investing in internet-driven companies across the globe.

In 2016, IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, had invested an undisclosed amount in Byju's.

With PTI inputs
The grounding of Jet Airways has also impacted the aviation industry's capacity by as much as about 14 percent

In the ongoing crisis involving the now-grounded Jet Airways with no clear bidder for the debt-laden airline, the SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar is expected to meet with Aviation Secretary in Narendra Modi's new government that is on its second term.

Lenders of Jet Airways, led by State Bank of India (SBI), were reported to likely take a final decision on the fate of the now-grounded airline in the next two weeks, a media report said.

Sources tell @awnusharma SBI Chairman will meet Aviation Secy today on Jet Airways resolution plan pic.twitter.com/lSuk1X4nHq  CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) May 31, 2019

The grounded carrier shuttered its operations on 17 April and the lenders, led by SBI, are still scouting for investors to revive the airline, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 8,000 crore. While founder Naresh Goyal and his family own 51 percent of Jet Airways, 31.2 percent have been pledged with the lenders.

According to Mint, lenders are yet to receive a formal offer from the Hinduja Group, which had recently said it was evaluating the opportunity to invest in the airline. The report added that lenders have agreed to take a significant haircut and any new investor is expected to seek anywhere between 80 percent to 90 percent haircut from the banks.

According to Moneycontrol, talks between Etihad Airways, the Hinduja Group, and London-based AdiGro Aviation to revive Jet Airways have entered a crucial phase. The report, citing sources, said lenders are now flexible while restructuring Jet Airways' over Rs 8,000 crore debt.

The Hinduja Group reportedly received the approval of the major stakeholders of Jet Airways such as its founder Naresh Goyal and Etihad Airways to go ahead with the bidding process.

While the State Bank of India-led (SBI) lenders' consortium is still working on ways to revive the once-storied Jet Airways, the civil aviation ministry has already awarded the carrier's slots at various airports to other airlines on a temporary basis.

Advantage IndiGo, SpiceJet

Jet Airways troubles have allowed IndiGo and other carriers such as SpiceJet to raise prices on some routes, offsetting some of the losses they faced last fiscal year because of high fuel prices and intense competition.

IndiGos passenger yield, a measure of airfares, rose 12 percent during the quarter. Interglobe Aviation Ltd, the owner of Indian budget airline IndiGo, forecast a strong year ahead after the collapse of Jet Airways Ltd helped the company report a five-fold jump in fourth-quarter profit.

The grounding of Jet Airways has also impacted the aviation industry's capacity by as much as about 14 percent, and this has resulted in a 4.2 percent fall in domestic air traffic to 10.99 million in April, according to a note by ICRA rating agency.

The domestic passenger traffic remained on an upswing between July 2013 and March 2019, after witnessing year-on-year de-growth in June 2013, the ratings agency said in the note last week.

The moderation in capacity, which started in February when the now-defunct Jet Airways began grounding its fleet in a staggered manner and, which eventually led to shuttering of operations around mid-last month, has also resulted in an increase of 30-40 percent in airfares in March as compared to September last year, ICRA said.

--With PTI inputs
Sitharaman joins the finance ministry at a time when the economy is facing challenges of slowing growth, dipping exports and mounting non-performing loans

New Delhi: As ambiguity over finance minister portfolio ended with Nirmala Sitharaman at the helm, analysts Friday said that now narrative in markets will be about economic policies that will be adopted to revive and stimulate the slowing economy.

They further said that simplification of GST and measures to revive consumption will be among key tasks to be addressed by the new government.

Sitharaman Friday created history again when she became the first full-time woman Finance Minister of India, and now will have to steer the country out of an imminent economic slowdown and address challenges like job creation, mounting bad loans and stimulating investment.

"The ambiguity of portfolio allocation is now removed, so this is good for the market in a sense. We will get to see new finance minister Nirmala's proposals and approach in the budget due in about a month," said Jagannadham Thunuguntla, Sr VP and Head of Research (Wealth), Centrum Broking Limited.

"Emergence of clarity is what was important, and now narrative in markets will be about the economic policies that will be adopted to revive and stimulate the slowing economy," he said.

Sitharaman joins the finance ministry at a time when the economy is facing challenges of slowing growth, dipping exports and mounting non-performing loans.

"This allocation has come as a surprise, but I would say Nirmala has done a fairly good job as defence minister and she has proved her acumen. She has worked under the finance ministry as MoS, has domain knowledge as she has economics postgraduate and has also worked in the sector, so all the main boxes are ticked," said Garima Kapoor, Economist, Elara Capital.

Sitharaman in the Modi 1.0 government became the first full-time woman Defence Minister and in the second term she is now the first full-time woman Finance Minister.

"Simplification of GST, measures to revive consumption, recapitalisation of PSU Banks and addressing the dislocation in financial sector esp NBFCs remains key tasks to address," Kapoor added.

"Sitharaman is eminently qualified to steer India's economy which is facing multiple headwinds of slowing consumption impulses, moribund private capex cycle and anemic exports," said Ajay Bodke, CEO PMS, Prabhudas Lilladher.

Unprecedented squeeze in liquidity due to the crisis in NBFC sector and a consequent spike in risk aversion has severely impacted aggregate demand he said adding that sectors such as real estate, automobiles, consumer goods etc need an immediate respite.

"With limited fiscal manoeuvrability it remains to be seen how she can inject a strong dose of fiscal stimulus to revive animal spirits," Bodke added.

Romesh Tiwari, Head of Research, CapitalAim said, "Nirmala Sitharaman as the new finance minister is the right choice given her academic background in economics. She will have to face challenges of a slowdown in domestic consumption and liquidity issues."

Sitharaman is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and London School of Economics.
Domestic equity benchmarks gave up early gains, with the BSE Sensex dropping over 200 points and the NSE Nifty slipping below the 11,900 mark in afternoon session tracking losses in power, metal and financial stocks

Mumbai: Domestic equity benchmarks gave up early gains, with the BSE Sensex dropping over 200 points and the NSE Nifty slipping below the 11,900 mark in afternoon session tracking losses in power, metal and financial stocks.

Market turned volatile as the government announced the portfolios for new cabinet ministers, traders said.

Amit Shah has been named the new Home minister, Rajnath Singh the new Defence minister and Nirmala Sitharaman the new Finance minister.

The 30-share index was trading 228.36 points, or 0.57 percent, lower at 39,603.61.

In similar movement, the broader NSE Nifty was down 64.65 points, or 0.54 percent, at 11,881.25.

Top losers in the Sensex pack include, Vedanta, Yes Bank, Tata Motors, ITC, M&M, NTPC, Kotak Bank, Tata Steel, Hero MotoCorp and SBI, falling up to 3 percent.

While, Asian Paints, TCS, Coal India, HCL Tech, IndusInd Bank and Infosys rose up to 2 percent.

Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar has got the external affairs ministry while Smriti Irani will be the new women and child development minister along with retaining the textile ministry, according to a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will retain Department of Personnel and Training, Atomic Energy as well as all important policy issues and portfolios not allocated.

Modi was sworn in on Thursday as prime minister for a second term, helming a 58-member team of ministers, including him and BJP president Amit Shah who makes his debut in the Central government.

Besides volatility on account of allocation of portfolios, investors are also cautious ahead of March quarter GDP data, scheduled for release later in the day, traders said.

On the currency front, the rupee appreciated marginally to 69.85 against the US dollar.
The victims of pellets in Kashmir have also formed an association to press the state government to abandon the use of the deadly weapon which sparked the epidemic of dead eyes in 2016.

A teenage labourer from north Indian state of Bihar has become the unlikeliest addition to the never-ending horror of pellets in Kashmir. The victim, Mohammad Shahanbaj, 17, a resident of Bihar, was caught in clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in south Kashmir last week, resulting in pellet injuries to his eyes.

According to sources, the victim has suffered varying scale of damage caused by the metallic balls in both his eyes which are going to be operated by doctors. The victim came to Kashmir earlier this month along with three others from his village and they were putting up in a rented room in Bellow village of the restive south Kashmirs Pulwama district.

Last Friday, after offering the congregational afternoon prayers, Shahanbaj, left his rented accommodation in Pulwama when he was asked by his friend to accompany him to the market to collect ration. When Shahanbaj reached there, he found a large group of protesters being chased by police amid clashes and sloganeering.

After the killing of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind chief Zakir Musa, scores of people were injured in government forces action to quell protests at several places in the Kashmir Valley. Hundreds have been injured since then as at least two encounters were foiled by protesters in southern Kashmirs Pulwama and Shopian districts.

He ran away from the crowd and sheltered himself behind the shop, said Mohammad Shahwaj, his brother, in Bellow village. But when he came back, the forces fired directly at him. He was hit by pellets in both eyes.

Musa, the most wanted militant in Kashmir, was killed in a gunfight with government forces recently in Dadsara village of Tral in south Kashmir. Since then, anti-India and pro-freedom protests and gunfight have continued in both north and south Kashmir. On Thursday, two militants were killed in Sopore area of north Kashmir.

A resident of Patharaha, Ghurna in Araria region of Bihar, the 14-year-old was shifted to Pulwama hospital by the locals of Pulwama who found him lying semi-conscious. According to doctors, he remained unidentified till the time his fellow labourers from Bihar started searching for him.

They found him on a hospital bed here. A Kashmiri family, where he was living on rent, took care of him during his stay at a Srinagar hospital till the time his brother Shahwaj arrived from his home, a doctor at Pulwama hospital, where the victim was initially referred, said.

The pellet shotguns have blinded hundreds of youngsters in recent years, yet the government has done little to take corrective measures, despite calls for banning the weapons that are traditionally used in bird hunting.

The rampant use of pellets as a crowd control weapon, especially since the 2016 mass uprising in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, has become a focus of public anger in Kashmir. Introduced by the Omar Abdullah administration at the peak of the 2010 protests, the shotguns have become synonymous with the horrors of the Kashmir conflict.

According to doctors at the tertiary care SMHS hospital in Srinagar where the majority of the pellet victims with eye injuries are treated, more than 1,500 patients have been treated at the hospitals ophthalmology department since 2016.

These patients have a varying degree of injuries with many of them facing a loss of vision in one or both eyes. Because the metallic balls tear through the eyes, they damage the optic nerve, making it difficult to regain the vision, said a senior doctor at SMHSs ophthalmology department.

Global human rights groups, as well as the independent rights activists based in Kashmir, have repeatedly urged the state administration to ban the use of the shotgun. But, in absence of any effective crowd control weapon, the pellet horror continues in Kashmir.

The victims of pellets in Kashmir have also formed an association to press the state government to abandon the use of the deadly weapon which sparked the epidemic of dead eyes in 2016.

If I tell my parents about his situation, they will die of shock, Shahwaj said, He can only see five percent with his left eye. He has lost the sensation of colour. Doctors are not hopeful. He is being operated on Monday and we dont have much money for his treatment.
The alleged attack in Dewas was so aggressive that the person who died was killed on the spot after a large stone hit him on the head.

Dewas: A freak incident during a wedding celebration briefly flared up communal tensions in Madhya Pradeshs Dewas district on Wednesday.

A Dalit wedding procession was allegedly attacked by some people while it was passing in front of a mosque in Pipalarwa village. One person died and several others sustained injuries in the attack that took place at 9 pm.

Wedding party under attack

It was all quite sudden. The wedding procession of Shaktiman, who is from Awalataj village of Dewas district, was on its way to the brides home. When it was passing in front of a masjid, some people started pelting stones on us, injuring several baaraatis in the attack. This happened right outside the local police station. So a few of us approached the cops for help, said Rajesh Malviya, a resident of Shujalpur who was part of the procession and sustained injuries in the attack.

Members of the Dalit community alleged that a mob beat them up within the police station premises as well.

The alleged attack was so aggressive that the person who died was killed on the spot after a large stone hit him on the head. The deceased has been identified as Dharmendra Shinde.

Dalit activist Deepak Vaishnav, who was present at the spot, said, Shinde was trying to intervene, asking the mob to calm down. He was actually trying to understand the reason behind their anger, but they appeared in no mood to heed his pleas and attacked him.

Another local Dalit activist, Manoj Parmar, said, The groom belongs to the Ravidas community. We dont know who exactly carried out this attack and why. The miscreants threw large stones at us. More than 10 people sustained injuries; two among these were grievously wounded.

The two seriously injured have been identified as Rajesh Malviya and Ajay Ashtay. They are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dewas, and their condition is said to be stable at the moment. The other injured are being treated at the local dispensary.

Parmar added that he will stay in the village until the administration provides proper security to the residents. Villagers, too, have written a letter to officials demanding increased security and justice.

Administration swings into action

According to the police, the procession party took shelter at the police station after the attack was mounted. A policeman confirmed that the mob tried to beat the procession members within the police stations premises, and hence, personnel had to use mild force to disperse the attackers.

The administration said that to maintain law and order and ensure the communal flare-up doesnt escalate, more than 50 policemen are being deployed in the area. This area falls under Sonkutch tehsil. We have imposed Section 144 here to keep the peace. The SP and other officers from the district administration are camping in the locality, said Shrikant Pandey, Dewas Collector.

He added that he also is at the incident spot to keep an eye on the goings-on, and that the administration is talking to locals and trying to defuse the situation.

However, despite the administration imposing Section 144 in the area, hundreds of people turned up for Shindes last rites. Locals even staged a protest with his dead body. Authorities are trying to reason with members of both communities, taking help from local leaders and activists.

Case filed, compensation announced

Based on the complaints lodged by Dalit activists, an FIR has been registered against 11 identified and some unidentified people.

The administration has taken a proactive step to maintain law and order. We have already arrested four people in connection with the attack. We are getting complaints from both parties, and appropriate action is being taken, said Pandey.

Also, the administration is giving an immediate relief of Rs 4.12 lakh to the deceaseds family.

(The author is a Bhopal-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com)
Narendra Modi takes oath of office with 57 minister, many notables missing from the list, PM will hold courtesy meetings with all BIMSTEC leaders today, Mamata loses cool as alleged BJP supporters chant Jai Shri Ram; here are the day's top stories

Narendra Modi takes charge as PM, inducts 57 ministers in government

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath Thursday night along with 57 MPs who will be part of his Council of Ministers. The list includes several first-time ministers, the most prominent among them is BJP president Amit Shah. Around 4 pm on Thursday, he had made calls to leaders who will be ministers in the new government. On the other hand, veteran leader Sushma Swaraj sat out of a BJP government for the first time. Modi, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari and Amit Shah have taken oath at a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar also joined the ministerial ranks.

The BJP has also made space for all its key allies. Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Shiromani Akali Dal, Ram Vilas Paswan from Lok Janshakti Party and Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant are among some top names. However conspicuous by their absence were allies like Janata Dal (United), which has chosen to stay away from the government despite good show in Bihar and Anupriya Patel's Apna Dal. Patel was a minister in the previous NDA government.

Mamata loses cool yet again over 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee lost her cool on Thursday when a group of men shouted "Jai Shri Ram" as her motorcade was passing through the troubled Bhatpara area of North 24 Parganas district.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo was on her way to Naihati to participate in a sit-in against violence on her party workers after the Lok Sabha poll results.

In a video, which has gone viral on the social media, some men are seen shouting "Jai Shri Ram" as Banerjee's motorcade was passing through the Bhatpara area, a scene of violence between the BJP and the TMC since the declaration of the poll results.

The area is the stronghold of the newly-elected BJP MP Arjun Singh, who had defected to the saffron party from the TMC weeks before the Lok Sabha election. Singh defeated TMC's Dinesh Trivedi in the polls.

An infuriated Banerjee came out of her car and asked her security officials to note down the name of the men. "What do you think of yourself? You will come from other states, stay here and abuse us? I will not tolerate this. How dare you all abuse me? All of your names and details will be noted down," she was heard saying.

After the chief minister got into her car, the men chanted "Jai Shri Ram" again, prompting her to disembark from the vehicle once more.

Modi drops several old guards from Cabinet; suspense continues on who gets which portfolio

Modi took the oath of office with 25 cabinet ministers, nine ministers of state with independent charge and 24 ministers of state. Now all eyes are on who gets which portfolio in this new government. The announcement is expected Friday evening after the first meeting of the newly formed Cabinet today.

While many top guns faced the axe, nine new faces have been inducted in the cabinet. Anurag Thakur, Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi, former Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal were among the first time ministers. Notable names missing from the list were of Sushma Swaraj, who did not contest elections on health grounds, and eight-time MP Maneka Gandhi, six-time MP Radhamohan Singh, Mahesh Sharma, Jayant Sinha, Jual Oram, Ram Kripal Yadav, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Suspension of preferential trade status for India under GSP is "done deal", says the US

The Trump administration has said it is not going back on its decision to terminate India's designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the key GSP trade programme, terming the suspension a "done deal". The Generalized System of Preference (GSP) is the largest and oldest US trade preference programme and is designed to promote economic development by allowing duty-free entry for thousands of products from designated beneficiary countries.

On 4 March, President Donald Trump announced that the US intended to terminate India's designation as a beneficiary developing country under the GSP programme. The 60-day notice period ended on 3 May. A formal notification is now expected anytime. India was the largest beneficiary of the programme in 2017 with $5.7 billion in imports to the US given duty-free status and Turkey the fifth largest with $1.7 billion in covered imports, according to a Congressional Research Service report issued in January.

Modi to hold bilateral meetings with BIMSTEC leaders

Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral meetings with representatives of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation member nations on Friday. The meetings will be held at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Modi is likely to begin his day by meeting Mohammed Abdul Hamid, President of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh at 10:30 am. Following this he will meet Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena at 10:50 am. At 11:10 am he will meet Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius. The prime minister will then meet Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli at 11.30 am. At 11:50 am the prime minister will hold the last of the meetings with BIMSTEC leaders. He will hold discussions with Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Google Maps will help you discover popular dishes at restaurants

Google is sending out an update to Google Maps that will use machine learning and AI to highlight popular dishes at a restaurant. All the popular meals will be listed in its overview section and it can be further tapped to know more about the dish. Currently, the feature is only rolling out to Android users

Jaypee Infra insolvency: Creditors decide to vote on NBCC bid from today

Creditors of Jaypee Infratech on Thursday decided to put on vote NBCC's bid to acquire the debt-laden realty firm even as the state-owned firm did not dilute certain conditions in its offer including relief from future tax liabilities, sources said. The voting under the insolvency process, run by Jaypee Infratech's Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) Anuj Jain, will start from Friday (today) and continue till 10 June, they added.

As many as 13 banks and over 23,000 home buyers have voting rights in the committee of creditors (CoC). Buyers have nearly 60 percent votes. For the bid to be approved, 66 percent voters should be in favour of the deal.

NBCC did not dilute its conditions related to exemption from future tax liabilities and seeking permission from Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), sources said.

Pakistan look to put behind woeful ODI form in World Cup opener against West Indies

Two-time champions West Indies face 1992 winners Pakistan in the second match of the ICC Cricket World Cup at Trent Bridge on Friday. Having lost their 10 ODIs in the lead up to the World Cup, Sarfaraz Ahmed's team will be hoping to start World Cup afresh. Pace spearhead Mohammed Amir is likely to make his World Cup debut after missing out the 2011 and 2015 editions due to his five-year ban. West Indies will rely on their batting might with aim of beginning the tournament on a positive note.

With inputs from PTI
Digital preservation and translation of manuscripts has expanded and democratised access

In an 1816 sonnet, the English Romantic poet John Keats describes an autobiographical episode of looking at the English translation of the Greek poet Homer, the revered author of epics Iliad and Odyssey. Oft of one wide expanse had I been told, confesses Keatss narrator, yet did I never breathe its pure serene.

Though widely read and rigorously curious, akin to some watcher of the skies, Keats had received no formal literary or classical training, and couldnt read Homer in the original. Thus, experiencing Chapmans translation speak out loud and bold from the 1616 folio was like the thrill of having a new planet swim into his ken.

Others in his environment, who had not suffered the same limitations of access to classical texts, had little appreciation for his discovery. The flamboyant and aristocratic Lord Byron was among them, lampooning Keats for contriv[ing] to talk about the Gods without Greek. Another contemporary dismissed him as a vulgar Cockney poetaster.

Democratising access

At the time, this democratisation of knowledge and access to the classics without the attendant linguistic training had its detractors. Two centuries later, On First Looking into Chapmans Homer remains relevant. For knowledge is far from democratised, and the institutions  archives, museums and universities  keeping it confined to a privileged few have regularly adopted new technologies, such as intellectual property regimes, to guard their turf.

Fittingly, these same institutions have also taken the lead in expanding access to their resources to the wider public. Digital preservation, translation, and annotation of old manuscripts have made them available to those who cannot physically travel to the First World institutions that house them.

For example, the University of North Carolinas Documenting the American South project is an online repository of texts (oral, image, audio) from its holdings. These include the English translation of the 1831 biography of Omar Ibn Said, a Muslim man enslaved in North Carolina, which is the only surviving Arabic text written by an American slave. Earlier this year, the manuscript written in Saids hand was digitised and made available through the Library of Congress.

Closer home and to the contemporary moment, the 1947 Partition Archive  a global digital museum accessible to everyone  has digitised and preserved more than 30,000 photographs, family portraits, and physical objects to complement their collection of oral histories about Indias Partition. Accompanying Google maps help graph the journeys on to physical space and contemporary borders.

New tools, new questions

This democratisation is not confined to preserving and uploading manuscripts. Digitally available texts can now be subjected to questions through an expanded toolkit. For example, my students in a course on Twentieth Century South Asia at the University of Virginia used geospatial visualisation and mapping to annotate historical maps and lay them on top of one other.

The exercise made students appreciate maps as palimpsests, and drove home a central argument in the course that national and inter-state borders in postcolonial South Asia are forged, not natural, and results of recent historical processes. In an exclamation that reminded me of Keatss excitement, one student commented after the exercise, I understand now that maps dont come as facsimiles from heaven!

A manifesto for the digital age

The burgeoning discipline of digital humanities  an approach to humanistic enquiry employing digital tools  has extended and reformulated old questions of access and use for these new media.

In Digital Humanities Manifesto 2.0, a collaborative document produced in a seminar at the University of California at Los Angeles in 2008, the authors declare that the ground beneath our feet has shifted. We now inhabit a universe in which print is no longer the exclusive or the normative medium in which knowledge is produced and/or disseminated; instead, print finds itself absorbed into new, multimedia configurations.

For these authors, the collaborative, open, and diffused Wikipedia is the best model: it represents a truly global, multilingual authorship and editorial collective for gathering, creating, and managing information.

And, heres their clincher: Wikipedia wasn't invented at/as a university.

Lets rejoice, but remain critical

We need to remember that not all digital archives and tools are free. Many remain paywalled or exclusive to the institutions and their partners. For example, the 1947 Partition Archive has only been able to make a fraction of its interviews publicly available through Stanford University Librarys Digital Repository. The ArcGIS software that my students in the US used for their map exercise is prohibitively expensive for most public institutions outside the developed world. Training in the languages of computer programming  though less exclusive than a training classical languages in Keatss timeis also not equally available to everyone.

I write this as I am myself making a move from studying and teaching in the United States to India. My experience of working with students on three continents, including many who dont have access to formal university education, study in under-resourced institutions, or work with constraints imposed by state censorship or extra-legal proscriptions on information access, has made me sensitive to the relative usefulness and limitations of different digital tools.

The most valuable part of a digital humanities approach to learning is the space it provides to think critically about and through texts and tools, and not take them as value-neutral.

(Swati Chawla is a historian and digital humanist trained at the Scholars Lab at the University of Virginia)
Destiny Home Orphanage CIN

The need to give a better home for orphans hosted by Destiny Home, has pushed the founder Ella Russ, along with other collaborators to nurse plans towards a more spacious and good environment for orphans by erecting a new building to house them.

It is as a result of this that Destiny Home has organised a fund raising for the construction of a new center this May 32, to attract philanthropists or persons of goodwill who would invest to change the living standards of children they host at the centre.

Destiny Home bought a plot of 500 metres square along the Douala-Yaounde road in March 2018. Their construction project will take place in two phases. The first phase which will cost 25 million francs, is to enable them achieve at the foundation level, offices, the refectory, internal and external kitchen, a store room, a study hall, a reception room, an office and four toilets.

A room in Douala cost not less than 25000FRS, not to talk about a hall that will host more than 15 persons. It is expensive to rent, as explains the founder of Destiny Home.  The fact that we have been moving from one place to another, and then rent is very expensive, and other bills too, said Ms. Russ.

Founded on December 4, 2004, the centre based in Sable, Akwa Nord, Douala 5 district, is a non-profit centre, created to support and supervise the most disadvantaged children in the society. According to the founder Ella Russ, they began by helping single-moms.

Later on, following strict decisions from the ministry of Social Affairs, which doesnt allow a centre to host both mother and child, they went for the vulnerable which is the baby. The centre serves as a transit zone for many parents who cant take care of their children.

Children in the centre come from known and unknown sources, sent to them by the Ministry of Social Affairs. She regrets that although the centre has been existing for over 15 years, many still dont now about it, and they haven't been fortunate to receive wide range support. She however mentioned some companies and female groups who have been supporting them in one way or the other. She also revealed that since its existence, the Ministry of Social Affairs has supported the orphanage with 350,000 FRS.

More than 500 guests are attending the fundraising. The centre unlike other orphanages, is handled like a normal family house, which has a mother, aunts and uncles as well as children. It currently has 15 children.
The prime ministers criticism of the state of the media rests on a hollow basis, for the media is a problem only when it is critical.

There is a curious romance to power, especially power freshly consolidated, and the hubris it casts in the minds of those who wield it. Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent address to first-time Members of the Parliament (MP) and MPs of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in general offers an illustrative example, replete as it was in contemptuous images of contemporary media and its supposedly endemic negativity.

In a piece following precisely the interpretation that the speaker would have intended, Modis vituperative, if not unseemly, words are held as a clarion call to the Indian media to abandon its pursuit of sensationalism and subjectivity by wearing, at long last, the mantle of the fourth estate as democracys most critical and durable watchdog.

It is difficult to disagree with the maudlin appeal of the sentiment. Since the brisk incursion of private hands into the journalistic medium, the media has reached unexplored, even unseen quarters of the nations democracy and recovered experiences that would otherwise have remained obscured. It has taken more people into a conversation than would otherwise have been possible, broadening the range of who and whose experience can participate in the public.

Social media, which, the Firstpost piece tells us, was not the object of Modis disparagement, has democratised this peopling still further. It is equally true, however, that this reaching has come at an onerous cost  financed, by and large, by templates of viewership and readership, the media has also been all too happy to give into brazen sensationalism, crafting acrimonious issues where none existed and more often than not, obscuring matters most worthy and most desperate for public attention.

After the privatisation, the governments were able to erase its direct presence in the working of the media, but they use the mass communication that private media offers to clever political purpose. The ills of the media may indeed be many, but given the rich plurality of public opinion, who is to arrogate to herself the right to mediate what objective and subjective coverages are?

Indeed, there is a delicious irony when this is done by Modi or, for that matter, votaries of his government and his party  ignoring, for now, the perilous blurring of any difference between the two. Since 2013 when Modis first prime ministerial campaign took a certain shape, it has been well-known, even if scarcely acknowledged, that Modis ruthless electoral machinery is, for lack of a better term, well-oiled.

While oppositional formations, both party-based and otherwise, have faced habitual tax censures, the media did not need even tacit threat. Although many of those were also forthcoming in the deeply troubling events that, for instance, weakened NDTV and created Republic TV, to learn which line to tread and which line to refuse to toe. Throughout his richly-decorated campaign this year, Modi had at his easy command not only a full channel devoted to his campaigning, but also disproportionate coverage, enthusiastic support from most quarters of the media, and interviews featuring avowedly candid, apolitical questions unbecoming of watchdogs.

While one can imagine that many would like to know how Modi eats his mangoes and whether he keeps a batua, to think, in this acknowledgement, that there is something rotten in the media that the prime ministers criticism can help remedy is perniciously misleading.

By no means, of course, is this a defence of the Congress or its equivalently ill-willed UPA governments  it is, after all, from them that the BJP borrows many of its tricks and machinations. But any criticism of contemporary medias deplorable affinity towards sensationalism cannot stop at former governments and other parties. In its bitterly fought state and national campaigns, the BJP has repeatedly turned a sentence into a sensation -- the cases of Mani Shankar Aiyars neech remark and more recently, Sam Pitrodas evidently distasteful words are salutary. Decrying sensationalism, then, demands not just a clarion call to the media, but honest, maximally unbiased introspection.

The prime ministers criticism of the state of the media rests on a hollow basis, for the media is a problem only when it is critical. Despite repeated onslaught in the forms of tax censures and exorbitant defamation suits, a pocket of dissent and criticism, however, fractured and far between, has evidently survived.

It appears in many guises  the purveyor of negativity, the presstitutes, and more succinctly, the Khan Market gang. Such an introspection as afore-suggested would tell us that if the media is to have a future at all, it will have to be in independent-minded individuals and media organisations that keep the government  any government  on its toes. This was felt most dearly, as Asad Zaidi explains eloquently, when the widely felt need for free and independent broadcast media (free from and independent of government control) was systematically confused with and led to the rise of, the privatised and corporatized electronic media. It is to this frustrated radical desire that the media, perhaps when all else is devastated, will have to turn towards.
According to the IMT Ghaziabad Director Dr Ashish Bhattacharya, the land for this business school was allotted in 1976-77 by the then Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA)

Ghaziabad: In a move which may become a cause of concern for over 800 students of IMT Ghaziabad business school, the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has cancelled the land allotment of a part of the premier business school of north India.

According to GDA officials, a notice has been served to the business school for vacating the land measuring about 11,503 square yards, on which an illegal construction has allegedly been done.

The notice as seen by this reporter reads, The land size of 11,583 square yards should be vacated within 15 days and handed over to the GDA or the business school should produce the lease deed or receipt of the land.

According to the IMT website, the business school was founded by Mahendra Nath, father of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath in 1970. The business school started its operations in 1980. The college website even claims that it is one of the best private business schools in India.

IMT caught between disputes?

According to the IMT Ghaziabad Director Dr Ashish Bhattacharya, the land for this business school was allotted in 1976-77 by the then Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) and a piece of land which fell between the allotted pieces of land was disputed.

The business school received an assurance from the GDA that the disputed piece of land will be allotted to the campus once the disputes are over. The dispute was basically between the GDA and farmers over land acquisition and the rate of compensation. The land was later allotted to the Lajpat Rai Education Society which runs the business school, says Bhattacharya.

Based on the records available with the education institute, I can say that the society started bargaining for the price after the land allotment once the dispute was over. Meanwhile operations were started by the business school on the same land, Bhattarcharya adds.

Got the vacation notice 25 years ago

He further said that the college started its operations in 1980 but in 1994, a notice by the GDA was served to the college asking them to either vacate the land or pay the demanded amount of money for taking the land on lease.

Nothing happened even after 15 days and the operations were running smoothly and based on this, I can presume that there is a chance that the money was paid to the GDA, but the society has failed to produce and lease deed or receipt. There is a chance that the society has not paid for it but the college will try its best to retain the land, he says.

The college director further adds that the education institute is very likely to knock the doors of the court as the matter is related to the future of about 800 students who are residing in the hostel which is constructed on that land.

We are hopeful that the court will intervene and pass an order in our favour as the matter is related to an educational institute, and we are not doing any commercial activity on this land, he says, adding that presently, 1,400 students are enrolled with the IMT Ghaziabad campus.

The college director also clarified that other than this, the college has not received any notice from any university, authority or individual.

The political plot

Complainant Rajendra Tyagi, who is a corporator in Ghaziabad and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that he had written a letter to the Principal Secretary Housing and Governor Ram Naik in this matter.

The governor acting on my complaint had written a letter to the chief minister asking him for a CBI probe in this case. The Meerut University has also constituted a committee to probe this incident. This allotted land is also allotted for the Lajpat Rai College but not for the IMT. The IMT acquired this land and made this college, Tyagi says.

Lajpat Rai College comes under Meeruts Chaudhari Charan Singh University.

He further states that the 59045 sq yards of land on which this college is running were allocated to the Lajpat Rai College but not for the IMT and LR College has kept this land on mortgage in the Meerut University for permanent affiliation.

The officers have cancelled the land allotment to save their services because nothing is possible without them. There is no title of this land and then the question as to how its map got passed by the GDA arises, the BJP corporator alleged.

The BJP leader also said that the land belonged to the state-run Chaudhary Charan Singh University (CCSU) and he has all the necessary documentary evidence to prove that the IMT grabbed it through fraudulent means.

The institute has been running its distance learning centre on the plot allotted to them by the UPSIDC whereas the main campus is built on this land which is owned by CCSU's Lajpat Rai College, he claimed.

GDA secretary Santosh Kumar Rai confirmed that the land allotment has been cancelled and on being asked why it took them 25 years to cancel this allotment he said he was busy with the Supreme Court hearing at that moment.

(The author is a Lucknow-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com)
The scientific and economic rationale of an extremely expensive manned space mission is unclear. The resources could be used for unmanned missions, satellite development

On the 12th of April, 1961, at 6.07 am GMT, the Soviet spacecraft Vostok 1 was launched from the Baikonur space facility in south Kazakhstan. A 27-year-old pilot of the Soviet Air Force, Yuri Gagarin, was blasted off into a low- earth orbit and orbited the planet for 108 minutes before landing on the Kazhak steppe. This was the beginning of the era of manned space flight.

The space era had started four years earlier with the Soviet satellite Sputnik. This was also the beginning of the space race between the USA and the USSR. The Apollo programme, part of the American effort to catch up with the Soviets in the space race, was launched in 1960, and in 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on another heavenly body.

Indias tryst with space started modestly with the launch of sounding rockets from Thumba in Kerala. The Indian space establishment, initially led by the visionary industrialist-scientist, Vikram Sarabhai, has evolved steadily into a giant scientific and technological complex. Established in 1969, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today employs more than 18,000 people directly and runs more than a dozen research and manufacturing centres.

By almost any benchmark, our space establishment has performed remarkably well. Although initially it was dependent on technology from the US and the USSR (and later Russia), it has managed to indigenously develop some of the most complex and advanced technologies in the field. These include its workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the cryogenic engine required for its marquee launch vehicle GSLV.

ISRO has also demonstrated its technological capabilities in the field of satellite fabrication and launch. In 1975, it designed and manufactured Indias first satellite Aryabhatta, which was launched by the Soviets. Since then, it has deployed many communications, remote-sensing, broadcasting, navigation and scientific satellites. In addition, the vast satellite network is also being used for military purposes. ISRO is currently one of the cheapest options available globally for launching commercial satellites. The two extraterrestrial missions, the lunar orbiter Chandrayaan 1 in 2008 and the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) in 2014 have been the crowning glories of Indias five decades of engagement with space. These unmanned missions were not just state of the art technologically, they also showcased ISROs ability to undertake complex missions at a fraction of the cost of the other space powers. Thus, the total cost of the Mars mission was around $75 million, about a tenth of what NASA spent on a similar mission. The scientific payoffs of the satellite programme as well as these unmanned extraterrestrial missions were substantial. Buoyed by the success of these efforts, ISRO is planning future missions not just to the Moon and Mars but also to the Sun, Venus and even Jupiter.

However, what has grabbed the headlines is ISROs plan to put humans into space in 2022. On the 15th of August, 2018, the Prime Minister, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, declared that India would send humans into space by the 75th anniversary of our independence in a programme termed Gaganyaan. With this, India hopes to join the select club of Russia, USA and China who have put humans into space. Soon after the PMs speech, ISRO was granted Rs 10,000 crore for the programme. The missions three-member crew will orbit the earth for about a week at a height of around 300-400 km.

Manned missions are, of course, more prestigious but also far more expensive and technologically challenging. They are expensive because unlike unmanned missions, one has to ensure that the crew comes back safely to earth. This means having a crew module with extra redundancies built in as a precaution against equipment failure. This in turn implies that the launch vehicle has to carry the extra weight of the crew module which means a whole new generation of launch vehicles which can carry the heavier payload. ISRO has already successfully developed and launched GSLV Mk3 which has this capability. Incidentally, this launch vehicle will also allow ISRO to launch heavier satellites.

The crew module being planned would splash down in the Arabian Sea after its mission is complete. When the module re-enters the atmosphere, the atmospheric friction generates a lot of heat. To keep the crew safe requires a special design for the module as well as specialised materials for the heat shield. These are being developed and a prototype has been tested. ISRO plans two unmanned missions to test all the systems before launching the manned mission in 2022.

The total cost of the mission will certainly be more than the Rs 10,000 crore. The question then is whether it is worth spending so much on a manned mission. There is of course the issue of national pride which such achievements bring with them. Apart from this nebulous and hard to measure benefit, it turns out that there is almost nothing which a manned mission can achieve that cannot be achieved by an unmanned mission, at a fraction of the cost. The usual benefits cited are carrying out experiments, developing materials with novel properties and growing protein crystals in the microgravity environment in space. However, the International Space Stations experience in this regard has been less than satisfying and the advertised benefits have not materialised. The other benefit cited is technology transfer to industry. Here too, the oft cited examples are of Velcro and Teflon being developed by NASA. It turns out that neither of these was developed by NASA. There is, however, one area in which humans in space can outperform robotic machines- the deployment and repair of instruments in space. The best example of this was the repair of the Hubble Space telescopes mirror in 2009.

Thus apart from a boost to our national pride, the scientific and economic rationale of an extremely expensive manned space mission remains unclear. The resources might have been better used for many unmanned missions as well as satellite development. However, we as a nation dont seem to have any issues with our elected leaders spending more than Rs 3,000 crore on a made-in-China bronze behemoth so that we can boast of the tallest statue in the world. By that yardstick, the Gaganyaan mission is certainly money well spent.
Modi government 2.0 took shape with BJP president Amit Shah, who played a key role in his party's triumph, making his debut in the central government.

New Delhi: Modi government 2.0 took shape on Friday with BJP president Amit Shah, who played a key role in his party's electoral triumph, making his debut in the central government as India's new home minister while incumbent Rajnath Singh was moved to defence.

Joining them in the 'Big Four' are Nirmala Sitharaman, the outgoing defence minister, who is India's new Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, and surprise inductee, former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, who got the External Affairs portfolio.

Both Sitharaman, the first full-time woman Finance Minister of India, and Jaishankar, a rare instance of a career diplomat taking charge of the External Affairs ministry, have studied in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University.

With the induction of Shah and Jaishankar, there are two new faces in the all-powerful Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is the final decision-making body on matters related to country's security, including defence policy and internal security.

Besides the prime minister, the ministers of defence, home, external affairs and finance are members of the committee.

Sitharaman steps into the shoes of Arun Jaitley who opted out of new government on health grounds. She has a deputy in Anurag Thakur, a first-time minister in the Modi government. Both are considered close to Jaitley.

The prime minister retains the Department of Personnel and Training, Atomic Energy and Space as well as all important policy issues and portfolios not allocated.

Modi was sworn in on Thursday as prime minister for a second term, helming a 58-member team of ministers, including him and BJP president Amit Shah who makes his debut in the central government.

Giant slayer Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his family bastion of Amethi, is the new women and child development minister along with retaining the textile ministry, according to a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Nitin Gadkari, considered one of the best performers during the first term of Modi government for his expeditious project implementation, continues to be the minister for road transport and highways and has also been given charge of the ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises.

Piyush Goyal, who was presented the interim budget earlier this year and was expected to take over from Jaitley, has been given the Commerce and Industry ministry in addition to his old charge of Railways. However, the coal ministry has been taken away from him and given to Prahlad Joshi, a new entrant in Modi government.

Joshi is also the minister of parliamentary affairs and mines.

Goyal said improving passenger experience and modernising the railways will be his focus areas.

"I am happy that there will be continuity in the work that we had begun in the first stint. The many work that we have started will be continued. I hope that we will be able to improve the passenger experience as well as the process of loading of goods," Goyal said.

Ravi Shankar Prasad continues as minister of law and information technology. He also gets telecom, a portfolio he commanded in the first half of Modi 1.0 government.

A new ministry of Jal Shakti has been created and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is its minister.

Ujjwala-man Dharmendra Pradhan retains his petroleum portfolio and has also been given charge of the steel ministry.

Former Uttarkhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhariyal 'Nishank' is the new Human Resource Development minister while Bihar ally and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswam remains consumer affairs minister.

The agriculture ministry has been allocated to Narendra Singh Tomar who also gets the rural development and panchayati Raj portfolio.

Prakash Javadekar has been given the ministries of Information and Broadcasting as well as Environment.

DV Sadananda Gowda is the minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Narendra Singh Tomar the new minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal continues to be the minister of Food Processing Industries, Thawar Chand Gehlot is the new minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Former diplomat Hardeep Puri is the new minister of state with Independent charge of Civil Aviation while former IAS bureaucrat R K Singh retains the ministries of Power and Renewable Energy in the same capacity.

Eight-term BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Santosh Kumar Gangwar is MoS with Independent charge for Labour and Employment.

The BJP capped a massive mandate by winning a total of 303 seats while the NDA has 353 MPs in the recently elected 17th Lok Sabha.
A 20-year-old Muslim youth was beaten up, verbally abused and paraded by the owner of a mobile shop in Madhya Pradesh's Kurawar for asking for the original box of a mobile phone

Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh: Just less than a week after the horrific incident of hate crime in Madhya Pradeshs Seoni district where a Hindu man was beaten and forced to thrash his Muslim friends, including a woman, another alleged hate crime related incident surfaced in the states Rajgarh district recently.

A 20-year-old Muslim youth was beaten up and verbally abused by a group of men belonging to another religion on 28 May.

The victim identified as Sameer Ullah, a resident of village Kotri-Kalan in Kurawar town of Rajgarh district, had gone to buy a new mobile phone at a shop run by Rinku Mishra. According to Sameer, after buying the phone, he asked Rinku for the box of the phone, and that's when things turned ugly as Rinku with some of his friends started hurling communal abuses at him.

The argument turned violent soon as Rinku and three of his friends beat Sameer viciously. Sameer was beaten with batons and empty cold drink bottles.

Sameer is recuperating at a private hospital in the state capital of Bhopal, where he was referred to by the Rajgarh Civil Hospital. Sameer sustained serious injuries on his head and limbs.

Survivor claims religion-based abuse

"I had demanded the right cover box of the mobile phone I purchased. When I told them my name for writing in the receipt, they mocked me and started making religion-specific remarks and when I protested, they started beating me up, said Sameer when this reporter met him at the hospital.

Sameer also claimed that he was robbed of Rs 76,000, which he had got after selling crops, by the attackers.

Hateem Khan, Sameers cousin alleged that his brother was "paraded and beaten across Kurawar like police takes procession of criminals".

"He had just reached to buy a new mobile phone and Rinku started hurling religion-specific abuses at him when he demanded the right box of the new handset," claims Khan.

Sameer was beaten with batons, cold drink bottles and belts inside and outside the shop. He tried to run away, but they chased him down. Following the incident, Sameer with the help of his relatives, reached Kurawar Police Station to lodge a complaint. Post his complaint, an FIR was registered under sections 294, 232, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal code (IPC).

Rinku, the prime accused in the case, and one more person was arrested on Tuesday night while two others were arrested on Wednesday.

Police deny hate crime angle

However, based on the preliminary investigation, the police, prima facie, ruled out the hate-crime angle in the case, and instead said that it was Sameer who had initiated the clash.

Pradeep Sharma, superintendent of police, Rajgarh district said, "Sameer Ullah had himself reached the Kurawar police station to lodge the FIR. The scuffle started over the box of the mobile phone and it was Sameer Ullah who first slapped Rinku. Following which, Rinku and others thrashed him.

"I dont think its a case of mob lynching and was just a scuffle as Sameer himself had reached the police station to lodge a complaint," Sharma added.

When asked about the religion-specific abuse as Sameer claimed, Sharma said, Sameer did not say anything about it while lodging his complaint and without his signature, the FIR could not have been completed."

No counter FIR has been lodged by the second party concerned in the case either.

State governments apathy towards minorities

Rajgarh is a pocket borough of former chief minister and Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh, who recently lost the Lok Sabha election from Bhopal against BJPs Sadhvi Pragya Thakur.

Earlier, in February this year, the ruling Congress government in Madhya Pradesh had invoked the National Security Act (NSA) on three Muslim youths hailing from Khandwa district, over alleged involvement in cow slaughter. On 2 February, the Khandwa police had arrested Azam, Nadeem and Shaqil on charges of cow slaughter.

Similar action was taken against two youths  Mehboob Khan and Rodmal Malviya  by the police in Agar-Malwa district on 6 February for illegal transportation of cows. Justifying the action, state home minister Bala Bachchan had said, "The actions will continue if cases of cow killing come to fore."

Former union minister and senior Congress leader, P Chidambaram had disapproved of the NSA action by the Madhya Pradesh government.

The author is Bhopal-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters
Narendra Modi government 2.0 LIVE Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought in 24 new faces to the council of ministers, striking a balance in regional representation while also taking care of the states that are set to go to polls in the near future.

Auto refresh feeds

The names included in the Council of Ministers show that the BJP tried to pull a balancing act as far as regional representation was concerned. The second Narendra Modi-led government has the maximum representation of 10 faces from the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who represents Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, followed by seven from Maharashtra and six from Bihar. Modi gave representation to members from Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand as the states will be going to polls later this year.

Speculations about Amit Shah getting the next finance ministry portfolio may have caused the markets to react positively. Perhaps this the extension of a warm welcome to its own member. Amit Shah's official profession, according to his affidavit, is share trading and even his father was a stock trader who had his own terminal.

The prime minister is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with BIMSTEC leaders from 10.30 am onwards so it is expected that before leaving for Hyderabad House, where the meetings will take place, he will send the portfolios communication to President House for formal notification of the same.

"We have no clue of what this guy knows or his financial knowledge, said a trader at a private bank, who declined to be identified. The market will take some time to understand his views."

"The hallmark of this government is that theres more PMO (prime ministers office)-driven strategy and guidance, said Jayesh Shroff, co-founder of investment advisory firm Cask Capital. So, to that extent, you dont need a proper technocrat to run the finance ministry - you need someone who can get things done."

Several investors and traders said they did not expect Indian markets to react much if Shahs appointment was confirmed, believing his ability to get things done would offset his lack of financial experience.

The former foreign secretary, a surprise pick in the Modi government, carries with him more than three decades of diplomatic experience. A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar is the son of late K Subrahmanyam, one of India's leading strategic analysts. Jaishankar was also a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

A potential replacement for Sushma Swaraj could be former foreign secretary, S. Jaishankar, who took an oath as a cabinet minister. A former ambassador to the United States and China, Jaishankar led Indias diplomatic corps during Modis first term before retiring in early 2018 and subsequently joining the Tata Group conglomerate.

Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral meetings with representatives of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation member nations on Friday. The meetings will be held at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Modi is likely to begin his day by meeting Mohammed Abdul Hamid, President of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh at 10:30 am. Following this he will meet Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena at 10:50 am. At 11:10 am he will meet Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius. The prime minister will then meet Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli at 11.30 am. At 11:50 am the prime minister will hold the last of the meetings with BIMSTEC leaders. He will hold discussions with Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan.

In the coming days, the prime minister would also decided on the various cabinet committees such as Cabinet Committee on Security, Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs and Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs. The Union Council of Ministers was sworn-in Thursday evening.

The first meeting of the new Union Cabinet is likely to be held Friday evening around 5.30 pm, official sources said. They said as of now there is no fixed agenda. The possible date of convening the Parliament session could be decided, they added. The newly-elected Lok Sabha members have to be administered oath.

The first-time parliamentarian, who is being fondly called as 'Odisha's Modi', has already created a buzz in social media where photos show him in his modest house and bathing at the village well.

However, Sarangi's association with active politics and electoral victories has not affected his lifestyle as he continues to live in a mud and bamboo house and rides a bicycle to most places, even during his earlier poll campaigns. He has dedicated his life to social work and uplift of the poor and lives like an ascetic.

The BJP leader, who has had a long associating with the Rastriya Swayamsevak Sangh, made his maiden entry to Lok Sabha by winning from Odisha's Balasore constituency defeating sitting BJD MP and industrialist Rabindra Kumar Jena by 12,956 votes in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

He lives in a thatched house, rides a bicycle and spends a major portion of his MLA pension to support education of poor children. For 64-year-old Pratap Sarangi, who once nurtured the desire to be a monk and lives an austere life, his hard work and dedication to people appear to have earned him a berth in the new Narendra Modi Government.

He recently shot to fame due to his extremely simple life style. A bachelor, Sarangi is said to be spending the major portion of his MLA pension to support education of poor children in his area.

"I am fortunate that PM Modi has placed his trust in me and I consider politics as a medium to serve the nation. Our party stands for  nation first, party second and self last. I will try my best to win the trust of Modi ji and common people," said Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi.

The two leaders held deliberations on diversifying cooperation for the mutual benefit of citizens of both the nations, it said.

"Getting down to work after the oath-taking ceremony...PM @narendramodi held wide-ranging talks with President Sooronbay Jeenbekov of the Kyrgyz Republic," the prime minister's office tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday held wide-ranging talks with Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov who was here to attend the swearing in ceremony of the new government.

Bihar chief minister said his party was and will remain with the NDA and hold no grudges over the Cabinet berths. However, in all subtlety the key NDA ally did say that they conveyed to the party that his party doesn't need any 'symbolic representation' in the government. If the BJP makes an offer which is proportionate to our strength then the JD(U) will think about it.

Amit Shah has taken up the Ministry of Home Affairs, a portfolio he held in Gujarat Cabinet as well. Before him, Rajnath Singh held the key protfolio which is essentially responsible for internal security and the general law and order situation in the Union of India.

Lok janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan has retained his old portfolio, that is Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Likewise, Harsimrat Kaur Badal will also continue as the Minister for Food Processing industries.

Union minister Smriti Irani will retain her old portfolio of textiles, apart from which she has been awarded additional charge of the women and child development ministry, a charge which was earlier held by eight-time MP Maneka Gandhi.

He was also the education minister of Delhi. He represents Chandni Chowk in Delhi as a Member of Parliament.

Before taking the national centre stage, he was active in Delhi politics and was even touted to be the partys chief ministerial candidate in the Assembly elections of 2014. Qualified as an Ear Nose and Throat specialist, Harsh Vardhan was also briefly in charge of the health ministry in the Delhi government.

Har Vardhan has replaced JP Nadda as Minister of Health and Family Welfare amid speculations that the latter will replace Amit Shah as BJP national president with his induction into the Cabinet. Harsh Vardhan has also retained his earlier protfolios: Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Earth Sciences.

In 2014, he won the Lok Sabha election from Gwalior and was made a cabinet minister, heading several ministries including mines, steel, labour and employment and rural development and panchayati raj. He returned to Morena in the 2019 election, winning by a margin of over 1.13 lakh votes.

After a brief stint as a Rajya Sabha member, Tomar was elected to the Lok Sabha from Morena in 2009.

Narendra Singh Tomar has been appointed as the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Tomar will also retain his Rural Development and Panchayati Raj ministries.

He has retained the two important ministries in the Modi cabinet that he held charge of  Law and Justice and Electronics and IT  with the addition of Communications as well.

Winning his maiden election against colleague-turned opponent Shatrughan Sinha from Patna Sahib seat in Bihar by more than 2.84 lakh votes, 65-year-old Prasad is among the few BJP leaders who have been a minister in every NDA government that came to power at the Centre in last two decades.

From a counsel holding the brief for the deity 'Ram Lalla' in the Ayodhya title suit to a moderniser spearheading the 'Digital India' initiative and clamping down on contentious practices like instant triple talaq, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad has worn many hats.

Ravi Shankar Prasad bags three key portfolios, to be incharge of Law and Justice, Communications, Electronics and IT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be in-charge of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, apart from all important policy issues and all other portfolios not allocated to any minister.

Naqvi, who took oath as a cabinet minister on Thursday, has retained the Minority Affairs Ministry. In the previous dispensation, he was credited with major reforms in the Haj policy. During his tenure, the Haj subsidy was done away with under a new policy and women were allowed to go on the pilgrimage without Mehram or a male companion.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledging 'sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas' mantra, his cabinet's lone Muslim face Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will have the responsibility of winning the hearts of minorities and taking forward the 'development without appeasement' policy.

Pradhan, 50, is serving his second consecutive term in the Rajya Sabha to which he was first elected in 2010. He was elected to the Lok Sabha from Deogarh, Odisha in 2004.

Pradhan, known as the Bharatiya Janata Party's face in Odisha also held the portfolio of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in the last government. While skill development has been given a new face, Pradhan has been given additional responsibility of the steel sector that requires special nurturing from the new minister given sluggish market conditions and an onslaught of cheap steel imports.

Rajya Sabha member and BJP candidate from Odisha Dharmendra Pradhan will have an expanded role in the new Modi government with the former Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister retaining this key Ministry while given additional charge of the Steel Ministry.

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank gets the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which was earlier held by Prakash Javadekar.

"Whatever responsibility I have been given I will work to take it forward following prime minister's road map. I have already managed this portfolio in Bihar then I will like working in this portfolio once again," Giriraj Singh told ANI after being appointed as Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries

With Maharashtra BJP president Raosaheb Danve joining the Union Council of Ministers, the state unit of the ruling party is likely to get a new face to lead it in the Assembly elections scheduled later this year. BJP sources said a meeting of the state unit is likely to be held soon to decide Danve's successor.

State ministers Chandrakant Patil (Revenue), Subhash Deshmukh (Co-operation) and Ranjit Patil (MoS Home), all hailing from the politically-significant Maratha community, are among the names being talked about in party circles as possible successor to Danve.

Danve, re-elected from Jalna in North Maharashtra for a fifth term, was Thursday inducted in the new Modi team as a Minister of State. He has been given the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution portfolio, which he handled earlier also as part of the first Modi government. The 64-year-old BJP MP served as Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution from May 27, 2014 to March 5, 2015. He quit his ministerial post after being appointed state BJP president.

The development comes after Modi held a 30-minute meeting with Maithripala Sirisena today, which is when the Sri Lankan president reportedly extended the invite to Modi. Sirisena reacted to the development and said, "PM Modi's visit is very important to us, we are neighbors and friends, this relationship between India and Sri Lanka dates back over 2,600 years. We're eagerly awaiting for his arrival, it's a great honor for the people of Sri Lanka."

While his visit to the Maldives would underline the primacy of neighbours and Indias neighbourhood in foreign policy during Modis second term in office, the brief stop in Colombo is expected to convey Indias solidarity with Sri Lanka in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings in April.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi could make a short visit to Sri Lanka on his way to or back from the Maldives in early June, during his first visit overseas in his second term.

Covering his arrival, a news channel displayed the picture of Tshering Wangchuk, chief advisor of Bhutan's interim government, with Tshering's name, while another channel telecast Tobgay's image, addressing him as the current Bhutanese premier.

Former Bhutan premier Tshering Tobgay has criticised some Indian TV channels for "insulting" his country by using the wrong photographs of current Prime Minister Lotay Tshering in their coverage of his arrival to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

The first meeting of the new cabinet will take place soon.

And the same for girls has been increased to Rs 3,000 per month from the current Rs 2,250.

The first decision taken by the NDA 2 was a hike in the scholarships under the National Defence Fund. The scholarship for boys in the NDF has been increased to Rs 2,500 per month from Rs 2,000 per month.

ANI further quoted sources as saying that the Parliament session for the budget will be held from 17 June to 26 July. The election for the Speaker will be held on 19 June.

The first meeting of the new cabinet will take place soon.

New education policy is part of government's 100-day plan. The new policy will focus on revamping the primary education system.

Our Governments first decision dedicated to those who protect India! Major changes approved in PMs Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund including enhanced scholarships for wards of police personnel martyred in terror or Maoist attacks. https://t.co/Vm90BD77hm pic.twitter.com/iXhFNlBCIc

And the same for girls has been increased to Rs 3,000 per month from the current Rs 2,250.

The first decision taken by the NDA 2 was a hike in the scholarships under the National Defence Fund. The scholarship for boys in the NDF has been increased to Rs 2,500 per month from Rs 2,000 per month.

All farmers will get Rs 6,000 a year under PM-KISAN. Cabinet has okayed extension of this scheme.

The annual benefit of Rs 6,000 has now been extended to all farmers.

"A total of Rs 87,000 crore will be provided to farmers under the PM-KISAN Yojana," Narendra Singh Tomar, agriculture minister, said at a press conference in New Delhi.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar: Cabinet has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri-Kisan yojana to all farmers. Nearly 14.5 crore farmers will benefit from the scheme. pic.twitter.com/a20kEzwhxS

ANI further quoted sources as saying that the Parliament session for the budget will be held from 17 June to 26 July. The election for the Speaker will be held on 19 June.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar: President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint session of parliament on 20th June. Economic Survey will be released on 4th of July. pic.twitter.com/xCyNPIWRn4



Narendra Modi government 2.0 Latest Updates: The first decision taken by the new Union Cabinet was a hike the scholarships available under the National Defence Fund.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought in 24 new faces to the council of ministers, striking a balance in regional representation while also taking care of the states that are set to go to polls in the near future. In doing so, the prime minister also managed to bring down the overall average age of the council of ministers to a little under 60 years, a shade younger than the previous lot, who had an average of 62 years. Another notable point of the Cabinet berth allotment is the major shakeup in the top four ranks, caused primarily by the absence of Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj and the induction of Amit Shah and S Jaishankar. Rajnath has been shifted from home to defence ministry with Shah filling up that space. Nirmala Sitharaman has been shifted to finance and S Jaishankar will take over the ministry of external affairs after working in the ministry as India's foreign secretary.

Nirmala Sitharaman Friday assumed charge as Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs hours after portfolios were announced.

Piyush Goyal, reassigned the charge of the crucial railway ministry, is likely to focus on safety, generation of non-fare revenue, track renewal, modernisation and increase in the production of state-of-the-art coaches in his second stint at the helm of the national transporter, official sources said Friday. Goyal, who had pushed for generating resources through non-fare revenue, had hit a stonewall during his last stint, but the minister is likely to drive this idea as he believes that this will bring in additional funds to boost the beleaguered railways' finances.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be in-charge of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, apart from all important policy issues and all other portfolios not allocated to any minister.

Former foreign secretary, S. Jaishankar, replaced Sushma Swaraj as the Minister of External Affairs. A former ambassador to the United States and China, Jaishankar led Indias diplomatic corps during Modis first term before retiring in early 2018 and subsequently joining the Tata Group conglomerate.

The former foreign secretary, a surprise pick in the Modi government, carries with him more than three decades of diplomatic experience. A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar is the son of late K Subrahmanyam, one of India's leading strategic analysts. Jaishankar was also a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

Smriti Irani was rewarded with the Women and Child Welfare ministry, a charge she will take over from her party colleague Maneka Gandhi. She will also retain her previous portfolio of textile industries. Meanwhile Piyush Goayal, a key minister in the Modi Cabinet during the previous term, will again head the Railway Ministry. A chartered accountant by profession, he will also handle the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The list of portfolios allocated to the various ministers is finally out. There is a major shake up in the top Capinet ranks. Rajnath Singh who held the Home Ministry earlier has now got the defence ministry. Nirmala Sitharaman, the former defence minister will succeed Arun Jaitley as the finance minister. Meanwhile, Amit Shah has taken up the Ministry of Home Affairs, a portfolio he held in Gujarat Cabinet as well.

Bihar chief minister said his party was and will remain with the NDA and hold no grudges over the Cabinet berths. However, in all subtlety the key NDA ally did say that they conveyed to the party that his party doesn't need any 'symbolic representation' in the government. If the BJP makes an offer which is proportionate to our strength then the JD(U) will think about it.

"They made us an offer of one seat in the council of ministers like other NDA allies. I conveyed this to the party and everyone was of the opinion that a small symbolic representation it is not required. We are anyway with the NDA. But if they talk about a symbolic representation then we will think about it. But we are not holding any grudges," Nitish said.

The details of portfolio allocation will be out shortly and the Cabinet ministers are expected to take charge before today's meeting in the evening. In the coming days, the prime minister would also decided on the various cabinet committees such as Cabinet Committee on Security, Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs and Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs. The Union Council of Ministers was sworn-in Thursday evening.

The first meeting of the new Union Cabinet is likely to be held Friday evening around 5.30 pm, official sources said. They said as of now there is no fixed agenda. The possible date of convening the Parliament session could be decided, they added. The newly-elected Lok Sabha members have to be administered oath.

Speculations about Amit Shah getting the next finance ministry portfolio may have caused the markets to react positively. Perhaps this the extension of a warm welcome to its own member. Amit Shah's official profession, according to his affidavit, is share trading and even his father was a stock trader who had his own terminal.

The prime minister is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with BIMSTEC leaders from 10.30 am onwards so it is expected that before leaving for Hyderabad House, where the meetings will take place, he will send the portfolios communication to President House for formal notification of the same.

The names included in the Council of Ministers show that the BJP tried to pull a balancing act as far as regional representation was concerned. The second Narendra Modi-led government has the maximum representation of 10 faces from the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who represents Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, followed by seven from Maharashtra and six from Bihar.

The Modi government 2.0 also has three ministers each from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka followed by two each from West Bengal, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. The voters had given the BJP a clean sweep in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana.

The states of West Bengal and Odisha gave massive gains to the Bharatiya Janata Party as it won 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha in the national election.

West Bengal, where Assembly polls are due in 2021, gave the saffron party 18 MPs. However, it is being represented by only two ministers-- Babul Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhuri.

Odisha, where the BJP won eight seats, is being represented by Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Chandra Sarangi. Pradhan has been elected to the upper house from Bihar.

The new Council of Ministers has representation from almost all the states, except Andhra Pradesh and the north-eastern states of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura.

Besides Modi, the ministers representing Uttar Pradesh are Rajnath Singh, Smriti Irani, Mahendra Nath Pandey, Sanjeev Balyan, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, V K Singh, Santosh Gangwar, Hardeep

Singh Puri and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. The BJP won 62 seats in the state while its ally bagged two.

Ministers from Maharashtra include Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar, Piyush Goyal, Arvind Sawant, Danve Patil, Ramdas Athawale and Shamrao Dhotre while those from Bihar Bihar include

Ram Vilas Paswan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Giriraj Singh, R K Singh, Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Nityanand Rai, while those.

Uttar Pradesh sends the maximum of 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha, Maharashtra and Bihar send 48 and 40 MPs respectively.

Modi gave representation to members from Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand as the states will be going to polls later this year.

Jharkhand is being represented by Arjun Munda while Naqvi, who is a Rajya Sabha member from the state, hails from Uttar Pradesh. Despite the BJP bagging all seven parliamentary seats in Delhi, only Harsh Vardhan-- the winning MP from Chandni Chowk-- could find place in the Modi 2.0 cabinet.

Also inducted into the cabinet were Nirmala Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka who hails from Tamil Nadu and with V Muraleedharan, who represents Kerala in the Council of ministers but has been elected to the upper house from Maharashtra.
An experimental jazz outfit uses music to stay relevant while transforming Indian society

In March last year, Kolkata jazz guitarist and composer Bodhisattwa Ghosh was in the ICU battling a bacterial infection that almost took his life. It sent him back into dangerous health territory again in September. In his mind, though, he was still thinking of music.

The opening track to the band Bodhisattwa Trios The Grey Album  which released earlier this year  is called The Void. Its actually about what I felt when I was in the hospital. I didnt know if I was going to come out of it, Ghosh says. Written during his hospital stint, the guitarist put together handwritten notes and voice notes of melodies, basslines and drums. Once Ghosh had recovered, he presented The Void to his band members  keyboardist and synth bass player Arunava Chatterjee, aka Shonai, and drummer Premjit Dutta  at a rehearsal and they worked on it.

The sinister track swivels in and out of grooves and guitar leads, but retains the trios avant-garde and experimental treatment of jazz  one that includes baffling time signatures as well as explosive energy. In its third album, The Bodhisattwa Trio revels in raw sound, but also leans into post-production effects that you rarely hear from Indian bands, much less jazz acts. Ghosh says the music is always considered abstract but mentions that there is always an intention to have a message. Whenever I write original music, it has to be about something. Even if its lyrical or non-lyrical, it represents a certain theme, he says.

Their latest music video, for example, is Shame (Death of a Nation), which Ghosh says is about the difficulties and hurdles that come in the way of ordinary citizens. As an Indian, and a complete minority, we see how political ethos is affecting our life in general, as an experimental jazz artist. I can see nothing but hurdles, obstacles, complete neglect and disinterest, he says. Ushered in by the dirge-like piano of Shonai, the eerie track is punctuated by Ghoshs droning guitars and on-the-edge drumming by Dutta. Thematically, Ghoshs idea was to split the album into two parts [and then a bonus third segment featuring Cronos (The Final Visit) to tie in all their records] to show chaos to creation and then creation back to chaos, with conflict at the centre of it all. He says in his album press note: Whether it is a single individual, or humanity as a whole, nothing can be defined by pure good or pure evil [black and white]. The mould of our very existence is one filled with conflicts, doubts and duality. Hence the name The Grey Album.

The sparse but fuzzy third track, Degrees of Freedom, moves into lightheaded territory as it closes, being that transition track. You wont find any particular concrete head or melody in it. Were moving independently in the system but the musical choices were making are completing the composition, Ghosh says. American Dream, meanwhile, launches into bouts of futuristic jazz, drawing from electronic music and rock.

It might be difficult to believe at first, but the Bodhisattwa Trio can and has pulled off its sonic experimentations to wildly positive reception at recent India tour shows in New Delhi and Bengaluru. They did it despite living in different cities. With Shonai moving to Delhi for his job, rehearsals were completely shut out. We did extensive homework, each of us. If you heard the album, you wont be disappointed and if you buy the album, you wont be disappointed with the live gig, Ghosh says. Plus, the few shows theyve played in South East Asia, including Kuala Lumpurs premier jazz venue No Black Tie in March. In the audience for the show was American post-bop pianist Kirk Lightsey, who was scheduled to play two shows later in the week. The trio was understandably chuffed to meet a veteran like Lightsey. Ghosh says, These kind of experiences are very important. The more we expose ourselves to incredible artistes like him, we get a better picture of where we stand with our music in the world  what to do with it and what not to do with it.

The processes are already underway, partly because The Grey Album was released by Croatian label Intek Music but also due to the trios past European sojourns. Starting June 14, The Bodhisattwa Trio head out for a 25-day Europe tour, playing clubs and festivals in Germany, Poland, Croatia and Slovenia. Theyre about 10 shows down performing new material and Ghosh says theyre really feeling the music. Ever the jazz musicians, things are going to shapeshift yet again. He says, Now I feel the soundscape might change because well start having our interpretations in the music.

(Anurag Tagat is a Bengaluru-based music journalist and senior writer at Rolling Stone India)
Fulfilling its poll promise, the Modi 2.0 government approved a proposal to extend the benefit of Rs 6,000 per year under the PM-KISAN scheme to all farmers in the country

New Delhi: Fulfilling its poll promise, the Modi 2.0 government approved a proposal to extend the benefit of Rs 6,000 per year under the PM-KISAN scheme to all farmers in the country.

The decision was taken in the first Cabinet meeting of the new NDA government, which came back to power, winning over 350 seats. In its manifesto for 2019 general elections, the BJP had promised to extend the scheme to all farmers.

A highly placed source said, "The Cabinet today approved the extension of the PM-KISAN scheme to all farmers".

The Rs 75,000 crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) was announced in the interim budget, under which the government decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three equal installments) to an estimated 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares.

Already, 3.11 crore small farmers have so far received the first tranche of Rs 2,000 each under the PM-Kisan scheme and 2.75 crore peasants have got the second instalment as well, as per the official data.
An encounter is underway between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian. Three terrorists have been neutralised in the operation which started in the Dragad Sugan area of the Shopian district on Friday morning.

An encounter is underway between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian. two terrorists have been neutralised in the operation which started in the Dragad Sugan area of the Shopian district on Friday morning. According to CNN News18, one more body has been recovered from the site, taking the toll to three.

Two to three top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba are believed to be trapped. A Para Commando of the army was injured in the gunfight during the initial firing, reports said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in south Kashmir's Dragad Sugan following a tip-off about the presence of militants, a police official told PTI. As the forces carried out searches, militants fired upon them, leading to the encounter, the official said.

More details are awaited.

With inputs from agencies
The website of the Delhi wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was hacked on Friday morning. Reports said that the hackers replaced pages of the website with recipes of beef dishes, along with the message: Hacked by 'Shadow_V1P3R'.

The website of the Delhi wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was hacked. Reports said that the hackers replaced pages of the website with recipes of beef dishes, along with the message: Hacked by 'Shadow_V1P3R'.

The navigation bar on the homepage was edited to replace the word BJP with the word Beef. The text, 'About BJP', was changed to About Beef; 'BJP History' was changed to 'Beef History'. The hacking, according to India Today, took place when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers were being sworn-in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday evening.

The Delhi unit of the BJP tweeted later in the day confirming that there was "some unusual activity on our website" and that they are fixing the situation.
L-R: Tameh, Prof Ngomo & Prof Abangma Atia Azohnwi

Meeting in Buea to prepare for the imminent National Education Forum, teachers in the South West Region agreed that the problems plaguing the Anglo-Saxon subsystem of education can be best resolved if three key decisions are taken.

The data collection seminar at the Dorothy Limunga Njeuma Amphitheatre of the University of Buea, Wednesday, May 29, 2019, brought together a cross-section of education stakeholders in the South West Region.

Among the sticky issues raised were demands for the creation of an autonomous English Education Board that will be charged with managing the destiny of all facets of Anglo-Saxon education.

The only way we can protect the Anglo-Saxon education system in a bilingual Cameroon is by creating an autonomous English Education Board, stop the culture of concours (competitive entrance exams) and also grant Anglophones autonomy in managing their own training schools. There is a deficit in technical teachers in Anglophone schools. But training schools for these teachers end up being flooded by Francophones who graduate to teach in French schools instead, the education stakeholders said.

The education stakeholders were agreed that with the Anglo-Saxon educational system protected by an English Education Board, they will not be bordered if the form of state is unitary-decentralisation, regionalism or federalism.

Professor Abangma James Arrey, President of the University of Buea Chapter of the National Union of Teachers of Higher Education (SYNES) and Tameh Valentine, National President of Teachers Association of Cameroon (TAC) were the conveners of the data collection seminar on behalf of the Ministry of Higher Education.

Opening the seminar, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buea, Professor Ngomo Horace Manga said the organisation of the National Education Forum is inspired by the grievances presented by teachers in the country.

He said Cameroons educational system must be tailored to meet with its development and growth aspirations taking into consideration population growth and environmental factors.

Proposals at this data collection seminar must respond to the Growth and Economic Strategic Paper. The development of skills that support the growth of the country should be the driving force so as to produce quality graduates at all levels of the educational ladder, Prof. Ngomo said.

The former Secretary General at the Ministry of Higher Education said the educational system must be one which equips graduates with a sense of duty for country because their own education is paid by the taxpayer.

Our graduates at all levels of the educational system must obligatorily give back to the community and the advancement of the country. You [educational stakeholders and experts] must clearly say if our economy should be agrarian or industrial. The educational system must give the guidelines for our emergence, Prof. Ngomo said.

On his part, TAC President Tameh Valentine told teachers, PTA members, school proprietors and administrators, educationists, among other education stakeholders that the National Education Forum to be held in the days ahead is not a product of the revolution in the restive North West and South West Regions.

It is not the crisis that brought about the idea of the National Education Forum. This forum had been in gestation since 2007. In 2011, government said there was no money to hold the forum. Now that the forum is here, let us suggest a blueprint for the countrys education with open minds, Tameh said.

The forum was attended among others by Ntoko Ntube Wilfred, Hon. Dr. Ayuk Arrey Peter and the former registrar of the Cameroon GCE Board Andrew Azong-Wara.
The biggest USP of Jaishankar is that he was not only the chief architect of the India-US nuclear deal, and thus close to the American officials, but also has a very good equation with the Chinese after having served in Beijing as ambassador.

Born 9 January, 1955 in New Delhi, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was appointed the Minister of External Affairs. He is an India Foreign Service officer who served as a former India ambassador to the US, foreign secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, along with with several others key positions.

He graduated from Delhi University's St Stephen's College and holds masters degrees in political science and international relations. He also has a PhD in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University with a specialisation in nuclear diplomacy. His father K Subrahmanyan was the author of Indias nuclear doctrine.

Jaishankar joined the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in 1977. His first international posting was to Moscow where he served as the third and then second secretary at the Indian Embassy.

In 1985, he was appointed as the first secretary in the Indian Embassy in Washington. During his tenure with the MEA, he worked as first secretary and political advisor to the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka (1988), commercial counsellor in the embassy to Hungary (1990).

The biggest USP of Jaishankar is that he was not only the chief architect of the India-US nuclear deal, and thus close to the American officials, but also has a very good equation with the Chinese after having served in Beijing as ambassador.

In 2015, he was made the foreign secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and retired from the post in January 2018. During his tenure in the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar was responsible for India's open engagement with the US-led Western world, keeping aside the now irrelevant stance of non-alignment, India's embrace of "regional initiatives" by focussing on regional initiatives like BIMSTEC, after SAARC remained a non-starter after 2016.

He is also responsible for the upswing in India-Israel relations as Modi became the first prime minister to visit the Jewish state. At the end of the three-day visit, India had upgraded its relationship with Israel to a strategic partnership.
Janab-iAliyyah was buried in Paris, but Awadhis recall their queen's faith in Hanuman

A few hundred years ago, a way of life emerged in the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh. Aptly called the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, it grew into an identity of its own for the people of the region who revered both the rivers and the two cultures that emerged from the west and the east. This subculture of peaceful coexistence became a metaphor for mutual respect of religious and social identities.

A testament to the historical continuity of fusion of Hindu and Muslim cultures, the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb is still evident and relevant in locally celebrated festivals and micro-traditions. Unique to Awadh and Lucknow, Bada Mangal is a festival that takes an obscure snippet of history and makes it a lesson in tolerance and celebration, its history forgotten, much like that of the female protagonist in its story.

While much is always written about this tehzeeb, the loss thereof, the pioneering women behind the promulgation of this culture are often not given their due. While Begum Akhtar, Ismat Chughtai, Qurratulain Hyder, Shivani and Attia Hosain are still names that some of us are familiar with, there are female heroines, from Muslim and Hindu families who have instituted, fought for and left behind legacies of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.

One such Awadhi heroine was Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah (also known as Malika Kishwar).

When Shuja-ud-Daula, the third Subedar-Nawab of Awadh, with his capital in Faizabad, was busy making efforts to extend his dominion up to Bihar, by supporting Shah Alam II, and subsequently Mir Qasim, his queen Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah was busy trying to stabilise her place in the zenana. Shuja-ud-Daula had been recognised as the nawab after the death of his father, by the Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur in 1753.

Until that point, Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah had been childless, and the British East India Company had already started making appearances on Awadhs margins. The rumbles of the impending Doctrine of Lapse (which came much later) had already started by this time. Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah desperately wanted a child, preferably a male heir who would consolidate Awadhs fortunes and indeed ensure her own position of power in its palace.

Unlike other queens of her time, Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah is said to have been a queen with strong connections among the people of Awadh. She is also said to have had deep-rooted faith in how the tehzeeb would be the glue that held Awadh together in the fragmented realities that would follow the dominion of the British East India Company. She would often travel across the breadth of Awadh and on one of her trips, Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah decided to get some work done along the ever-meandering Gomti, in Lucknow.

On a Tuesday night, during Awadhs hot summer, Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah dreamt of a divine presence commanding her to build a temple honouring Lord Hanuman. The dream had also pointed her to an exact place where she would find an idol of Lord Hanuman. The Shia Muslim queen had grown up espousing the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb. The next morning, she ordered the excavation of the site and when the idol was found, she is believed to have personally supervised the construction of the temple that had since come to be called Purana Hanuman Mandir  the area around it came to be known as Aliganj (as a tribute to Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah).

The kissas (folklore) of Purana Lucknow, claim this day was a Tuesday during the Hindu month Jyestha. The Sanskrit word Jyeshtha translates to The Eldest and is the name of the 18th nakshatra or lunar mansion in Vedic astrology and is associated with Indra, chief of the gods. The ruler/lord of Jyeshtha is Buddha (Mercury).

Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah is said to have been blessed with a son soon after she started praying to Lord Hanuman every Tuesday of the Jyeshta. And as another gesture of grand Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, she named her first-born son Mangat Rai Firoz Shah.

With her new-found faith in Hanuman, Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah commissioned a replica of the original idol during the holy month of Ramzaan that year. She tasked Jathmal, one of her commanders to bring the other statue to be installed in another temple in Faizabad, so that she could visit it more often. Jathmal made arrangements for its transport back to Faizabad on an elephant. At some point en route from the Gomti in Lucknow to the Saryu in Faizabad, the elephant stopped in its tracks and refused to budge. The day is also said to have been a Tuesday in the Jyestha month. A year later, again during Ramzaan in 1753, the construction of the Naya Hanuman Mandir was completed.

Since then, Bada Mangal has been celebrated on every Tuesday of Jyestha, as the summer intensifies in Awadh. Across temples dedicated to Lord Hanuman, the kapata (doors) of the sanctum sanctorum are closed for a snaan (bath) of the idol, vastra dharan (clothing) and shringaar (beautification). It is said that the first vastra and shringaar of both the temples had come from Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah. After the completion of the ceremonies the temple doors are opened to the devotees just before midnight and remain open till the early hours of Wednesday.

Years later, when Wajid Ali Shah was imprisoned at Fort William in Calcutta, Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah would make the long journey to England alone, to seek an audience with the Queen of England, determined to win back that which was her familys by right.

But here, in Awadh, each year, thousands of devotees continue to celebrate Bada Mangal at the Purana and Naya Hanuman Mandirs among other temples that have been constructed since. In the cacophony of blaring speakers belting locally created bhajans inspired by hit Bollywood songs, mingled with the sound of snarling traffic and the chaos around Lucknow, one may easily miss this ode to the delicately nuanced and ever graceful Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb. However, it continues to make its presence felt in the peaceful coexistence and tolerance which have thus laid the foundations of innumerable mosques and temples in the area.

And while one of Awadhs many heroines, Begum Janab-i'Aliyyah, may lie buried in an unmarked grave in the hillside cemetery of Pere Lachaise in faraway Paris, this year too, despite the rhetoric of religious insularity and polarisation of vote-bank politics, in the middle of the holy month of Ramzaan, faiths will coalesce during Bada Mangal and this day will continue to serve as a reminder that here in Awadh, a Shia-Muslim queen could have faith in a Hindu deity.

(Neha Simlai is an international consultant working on environmental sustainability and development themes across South Asia)
N Kalyan Raman's translation of Poomani's Vekkai, based on a true story, unfolds over seven days of father and son sleeping in caves, wandering through farms, and laying low in cemeteries to avoid getting caught by men who are hunting for the boy after he murders the powerful local landlord, Vadakkuraan

A 15-year-old commits murder. He then absconds with his father, hiding in the hills, following which they get themselves caught by the police. Uncomplicated and explicit, Sahitya Akademi awardee Poomanis modern Tamil classic, Vekkai explores the vulnerability of a bucolic existence damaged irreparably by violent conflicts over class and poverty. Through Heat, writer and translator N Kalyan Raman has rendered a compelling translation of the story that was first published in the 1980s.

Chidambarams tale, based on true incidents, unfolds over a span of seven days, during which the father and the son flee from their village, after the son murders the powerful local landlord, Vadakkuraan. The father's urge to protect his son and keep him safe makes them sleep in caves, wander through farms, and lie low in cemeteries, as they dodge the men baying for the boy's blood.

Among other things, Heat is also a portrayal of how the power structure operates in our rural areas. What happens in the novel could happen anywhere in India," Raman says.

However, in Poomani's narrative, the challenges encountered by the duo, as they calculate their options while facing adversity, take precedence over political representations of oppressive class structures. What Poomani shows us is even more precious  the tenderness, dignity, honour and courage still alive in them, before and after the calamity," the translator points out.

He effectively brings the authors ideas into the English translation, which is filled with striking descriptions of the harsh landscape of rural Tamil Nadu that mirrors the apprehensions of the father and son on the run.

To the best of their abilities and judgment, good translators try to re-create the complex web of responses that they as readers have had to the source text, versions that will establish a setting liable to elicit those responses in others.  Sympathy for the Traitor: A Translators Manifesto by Mark Polizzotti.

That's how he "roughly" tackles any literary text, Raman says. He stays close to his reading of the original work to ensure that its inherent qualities make it to the translation.

As for translating Heat, Raman, who has previously worked on acclaimed stories like Perumal Murugans Poonachi says, What I read about Poomani and his work made me realise that he was a very important chronicler of the subaltern life who should reach a nationwide audience". He was also impressed by the writer's "humane approach and political vision" that are foundational to Poomanis fiction about rural life.

Vekkai was first published when the author was in his thirties. Despite being widely acclaimed, it's only now, over three decades later, that the book has finally received its English translation. It is indeed unfortunate that many such classics, which need to be translated simply because they represent important new voices, do not reach a wider audience," Raman says. The world would be all the better for it, he believes.

On the subject of Tamil to English translations, he continues by saying that so long as it's considered a project "based on happenstance and not prioritised on the basis of open discussion among the wider community, including writers, critics, translators and teachers", the situation is unlikely to change for the better any time soon.

Local idioms have always confounded translators, who are looking to find literal equivalents in a different tongue, while retaining the essence of the original words. And one of the major challenges faced by Raman, especially while working on Vekkai  which is essentially a novel on subaltern life  was the local idiom. Not only did it comprise the vocabulary, but also the way in which the locals lived and interacted with each other in everyday life.

There is a certain brevity to their encounters with natural phenomena  how they experience sunrise and sunset, wading through a stream, trudging up a hill or moving through a cluster of palm trees. It colours their mood and influences what they say, he says. As a translator, I had to be alive to these connections, he adds.

In what is Poomani's first ever English translation, Heat effectively captures the experiences of the father and son traversing the rural landscape to save their lives.

In speech, I had to use phrasal verbs and idioms from English, a departure from my usual practice to bring fluidity and inflection to the characters speech, he explains. Normally, such usage ends up sounding culturally anomalous. But Poomanis stripped down naturalist mode accommodated these idioms at a basic human level.

Raman further talks about the loosening of cultural shackles for the English language over the last 70 years. While initially used by the British as a tool for colonisation, the language has gone on to narrate stories from diverse cultures across the world, and is no longer synonymous with the white gaze, which becomes apparent in stories written by the likes of VS Naipaul, Chinua Achebe, and Salman Rushdie.

Even so, certain words in his translation have been footnoted, such as names of local flora  like kamalai and sirattai, as they are very specific to the region. And yet, terms like mundasu  wrapping ones head with a towel to cover the ears and keep the hair down  were not translated to English, as the meaning was clear from the context.

Its not that such terms were untranslatable, but the translation would have been unwieldy, interrupting the narrative flow, Raman says.

On Heat

In the story, Chidambaram grows up in a happy household with his doting mother, his older brother, and his loving cousin Janaki. However, there are inescapable undercurrents of oppression inflicted by the local powers-that-be, and the young boy wakes to the gradual realisation that he and his people are up against the powerful who can get away with anything, including murder.

His father would tell him stories of his youth of how a day in his life involved fighting the landlord, back in his village, until there came a time when he was forced to run away, abandon his home and never return. This inspires and urges his son, Chidambaram, to fight back, and when everything the boy holds dear starts to fall apart, he is, as the translator aptly suggests, engulfed by a 'heat' that was his lot from before he was born.

He sees his father being pressured by the powerful forces. Then his brother is killed, and there is no scope for obtaining justice from the state or society," Raman says.

Armed with a sickle and consumed with the thirst for vengeance, he decides to chop off landlord Vadakkuraans arm. Instead, he ends up killing him. Therefore, even before his father, Chidambaram avenges the death of his brother who had been murdered by Vadakkuraan.

One is almost immediately compelled to ask whether Chidambarams crime was justified. By killing a man who had been inflicting trouble on his village and family, did he commit an act of vengeance or justice? What had drawn a young boy like him to such extreme violence?

In their world, Raman explains, if they hurt you and get away unscathed, they will hurt you again. Who knows, Chidambaram himself could have been killed next...Once the deed is done and the landlord is killed, being vulnerable to their enemies and the armed might of the state, all their efforts are focused on coping with the situation and keeping safe, and most importantly, living to fight another day. They are composed in the face of adversity

Poomani peels off the layers that lie beneath that one act, and offers a glimpse into Chidambaram's life as the story progresses. He has more to him than that moment of vengeance.

As Raman notes, Heat is a masterpiece and there is much in it to discover."

Heat, an English translation of Poomani's Vekkai by N Kalyan Raman has been published by Juggernaut
As illegal wildlife trade flourishes along new trade routes to China, the endangered pangolin is disappearing from Sindh, one of Pakistans biggest provinces By Shahid Shah The pangolin's scales are its enemy, says Javed Ahmed Mahar, conservator at the Sindh Wildlife Department. "[The scales are] used in traditional Chinese medicines, thus it is being smuggled from the province [for sale in China], Mahar explains. The pangolin's scales are made out of keratin, the same substance as that of human fingernails. Mahar says that some were so strong they are used to make crude bulletproof jackets as well. In the past the pangolin, also known as the scaly anteater, lived across the forests of the Sindh province. But since the colonial period, Sindh has been turning its forests into farmlands. This slow transformation over the last century-and-a-half has turned Sindh into the province with the best irrigation system in Pakistan, but 80 percent of its forests have disappeared. As a result, the pangolin population has moved to the less irrigated, muddy areas of Koh-e-Sulaiman in western Sindh, bordering Balochistan. Mahar estimates that only 5 percent of Pakistans pangolin population now remains in Sindh, with the rest in Punjab and Kashmir. One of the challenges of dealing with the shy mammal is that there are very few estimates of its number. There are eight species of pangolin across the world, and one, the Indian pangolin, is indigenous to Pakistan as well. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) notes, There is virtually no information available on population levels of any species of the Asian pangolin. There is a lack of research on population densities and on local, national and global populations. It goes on to state that, In Pakistan, research over the last three years into the ecology of this species in the Potohar Plateau, Punjab province, has documented rapid population declines locally as a result of illegal killing to obtain scales for international trade. Fear and persecution Sometimes the creature is killed simply because it looks strange. Ghulam Sarwar Jamali, a former official of the Sindh Wildlife Department, said that people react in fear to the sight of the pangolin, given its unusual shape and scaly skin, and often attack it. It is harmless, but people think it will attack them, he said. In a study, one of the very few conducted in Pakistan, respondents expressed an unreasoning fear of the mammal. Of the 268 interviewed, 86 percent respondents thought that Indian pangolins excavate graves and feed on human dead bodies. As a result, most respondents would try and kill the creature if they found it in the forest.

(Above image: Reuters. For representation only.) Authorities fail to stem illegal trade The far graver threat, though, is poaching for the smuggling of its parts to China. In October 2018, Sindh Wildlife Department teams raided an area of the port city of Karachi and seized 16 bags filled with pangolin scales. One person close to the trade said that pangolin scales fetched $3,000 per 20 kg in the Chinese market, more than the annual average income. This makes it hard to enforce laws designed to stop the illegal trade. About 80 percent of the scales captured during the raid never reached the department, disappearing en route, and the rest were stolen from the custody of the department along with other evidence, said Mahar. However, the courts have never initiated any inquiry into the disappearance of the pangolin parts, no one has ever been prosecuted for the theft, and the department officials from whose custody the scales and other goods were stolen have escaped any censure. The work of the forest department is also hampered by the fact that wildlife departments in Pakistan are overwhelmed. The Sindh Wildlife Department has sole responsibility for protection and conservation of local as well as migratory animals and birds in the province, but they do not have the resources to manage this, Funds are not enough even for wildlife conservation, said one official. As a result the department does not carry out any survey of the fauna it is supposed to be protecting, whether the pangolin or any other animal. Small-scale surveys are being conducted only on migratory birds, said the official. Without such data the department is completely dependent on anecdotal knowledge when it comes to the distribution of the animals, their number, and the level of their decline. Demand driven by China? Some officials say that pangolin meat is being sold in the local market, as people coming from China like it. A large number of Chinese people are staying in Karachi, working on projects related to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). But these allegations have never been formally investigated or proven. International concern over the pangolin, the most trafficked animal in the world, is revealing new data about trafficking of pangolin parts, even if the government departments are still slow to act. WWF Pakistan recently conducted a detailed survey whose draft was shared with the author on pangolins in the country. The survey was conducted in animal markets to assess the scale of pangolin trade from different cities in Pakistan (Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi/Islamabad and Muzaffarabad), and the route and processes through which they were trafficked.

(Above image: AP.File Photo. For representation only.) The WWF surveyed 239 shops, including bird and pet stores, herbalists, street vendors from Rawalpindi, Lahore, Peshawar, Muzaffarabad and Karachi. It was observed that all were involved in the illegal trade of all species of wildlife, including Indian pangolins, and other CITES listed species. Derivatives of mammals, reptiles, birds, and invertebrates are being sold by street vendors and herbalists. These medicines are commonly sold in the form of powder and ointments and used to cure muscular and joint pain and are believed to have aphrodisiac properties, the report said. Karachi and Lahore hosted the highest numbers of shops dealing in illegal wildlife trade followed by Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Muzaffarabad. Airports in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi are critical to the international pangolin trade. The China and Afghanistan borders are also highly strategic places where there is high potential for this trade. So far, though, limited surveillance has meant that there is no evidence whether these borders are being used for this purpose. Riaz Hussain, a wildlife zoologist and a member of the IUCN Special Survival Commission Pangolin Special Group, said, Massive smuggling of pangolins has been recorded from Kashmir and Punjab to China. We got cases registered against 50 such people involved in the smuggling. Whether it was due to this, or other factors, smuggling has gone down a bit in Punjab in recent years. Hussain, who is also Chairman Zoology Department, Horizon Postgraduate College Chakwal, said that there was no government protection of the pangolin in Pakistan. In October 2018, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Environment to look at this matter and a draft was prepared, but no follow up meeting was held. He said that practically no action has been taken. But before the big challenges are dealt with, the public perception of the animal has to change. A few years ago a local Sindhi newspaper, Kawish, ran a story that a dangerous animal was caught by people. The animal photographed was a pangolin. Abdul Ghaffar Bhutto, a teacher of zoology, wrote to the editor of that newspaper to complain, explaining that the pangolin is an innocent anteater. There needs to be a better understanding of the animal and its plight both among the general public but also among the media, Bhutto said, with its portrayal as a dangerous animal putting it in further jeopardy. Shahid Shah is a Daniel Pearl and Geo Journalism fellow reporting on economic, development, climate, agriculture and water issues. The Third Pole is a multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there. This report was originally published on thethirdpole.net and has been reproduced here with permission.
As India scrambles to tackle a poor monsoon, it can learn from missteps of Maharashtra in its attempt to become drought-free

Little beads of dew formed under the searing sun dripped off the ice-cold bottles of water Vishnu Sonawane bought at a roadside kiosk near his house, one for each of the crisp Rs 20 notes he handed over. In Delhi or Mumbai, his purchase would have been everyday signified nothing but thirst. In the small village of Loni, though, bottled water is only bought for guests. Sonawane and his family of two depend on a 20-litre jug dropped home by a private water supplier who pumps it up from the bowels of the earth every two days.

This summer, Beedthe Maharashtra district where Sonawanes village is locatedhas found itself facing one of the worst droughts the region has ever seen. In April, the state government reported that the 964 dams that feed the Marathwada region are holding just 5.68% of their live storage capacity. Even from 200 metres below the earth, borewells sometimes dredge up only brackish sludge, which even cattle wont drink. Farmers have burned down fruit orchards after the trees withered, and driven their animals to distant fodder centres. Entire villages are emptied of young people, who have travelled to western Maharashtra in search of work.

In 2014, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced that Maharashtra would be drought-free in five years. In Beed alone, 16,701 works for water storage and conservation worth Rs 365.89 crore have been completed in a staggering 1,010 villages. But the plan has failedand not for want of trying or money. Now, as Prime Minister Narendra Modis government begins its second term, its receiving grim meteorological warnings of nationwide monsoon deficit. The story of what happened in Beed, though, perhaps, be its guide on how not to fight a drought.

THE MECHANICS OF THIRST

Through its 145 years of recorded meteorological history, Marathwada has had 22 droughtsone, on average, every six years. In 1971-72, 1984-85 and 2014-15, the rains failed for two years running. Theres a difference, though, between the failure of the rains and the intensity of the hardship it causes.

In a 2015 paper, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorologys Ashwini Kulkarni pointed out that the 54% rainfall deficit of 1972 was far worse than in 2015. Yet, there was less hardship in 1972: villagers were able to tap groundwater to sustain resources like orchards and cattle. Put simply, poor rainfall doesnt necessarily lead to a savage drought. When a meteorological drought manifests into an agricultural drought, it means there is something wrong with your policies, says HM Desarda, an economist and former member of Maharashtras state planning board.

In 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government was elected in part on the back of rural rage against an Rs 35,000-crore corruption scandal in irrigation projects administered by the erstwhile Congress-Nationalist Congress Party regime. Farmers had been driven to suicide in large numbers even as politically well-connected contractors siphoned off funds meant for public works. Fadnavis response was the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan (JSA)an ambitious initiative tying together 14 existing programmes with the aim of recharging underground aquifers by storing as much rainfall as possible. The JSA involved, among other things, constructing cement embankments, or check-dams, across streams, digging ponds around farmland, desilting and deepening local rivers.

The target was to make 5,000 villages drought-free every yearperhaps, the most ambitious of its kind anywhere in the country. And, with the wisdom hindsight always brings, that was perhaps the genesis of the problems. In essence, the JSA sought to multiply the scale of establishedbut unsuccessfulpractice to fight drought. In Maharashtra, successive governments have invested in building storage structures, hoping they ensure droughts do not cripple water-scarce areas.

Governments have always responded to public anger by creating highly-visibleand therefore capital-intensivestructures. The focus has always been on what is visible, explains Himanshu Kulkarni, secretary, Advanced Centre for Water Resources Development and Management.

KJ Joy, a senior fellow at the Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management, notes that Marathwadahome to half of all of Maharashtras damsalready has more storage capacity than the best-case run-off from the rains. That, he explains, is the reason why many dams, canals and wells arent filled even when there is rainfall. But, he explains, because the situation is so grim, people still feel that building new structures is the answer. In spite of the good intentions, though, the JSA would end up pouring much cash down the drainagain.

DOWN THE DRAIN

Three years after the JSA was launched, Sonawane and other Loni villagers saw excavators and earth-moving machines roll across their barren land. Inside two months, the contractors had punched deep pits in the flat, rocky land. Trenches were dug, and earth check dams built to ensure any rain that fell would be stored instead of running down the watershed into Bindusara, Purna, Sindhphana, and Shivnathe small, season rivers that drain into the Godavari watershed.

Last summer, from June to September, Marathwada received 534.6 mm of rainfall against its normal year average of 682.9 mm. Forty talukas of 76 did even worse, experiencing 30%-50% rainfall deficit. Government data shows the new storage created did little: in 1,200 villages, groundwater levels had depleted by 203 metres by October, 2018; by 1-2 metres in another 1,948 villages.

The land the government did all the work on never holds water, Sonawane claims despairingly. Besides, its 3 km away from our farmland, and so it wouldnt help us even if it did. Astik Kumar Pandey, Beeds district collector, has a different explanation: There hasnt been any rain, he argues, which is why theres no water in the storages. Earlier this year, state revenue minister Chandrakant Patil claimed that the government had seen the problem coming, and put in place emergency measures like enhanced fodder stock and new drinking-water pipelines. Loni village, though, demonstrates theres a larger issue at play: in the absence of careful planning, the mindless digging of earth achieves little. For groundwater recharge projects to work, careful planning is needed based on detailed mapping of run-off patterns and soil characteristics across the entire watershed.

Farmers are often the best source of knowledge about soil and waterso successful projects are often those which marry engineering skills with local knowledge. In Beed, that has rarely been the case. No one in the village ever discussed the JSA work plan in a Gram Sabha, says Sudhakar Satpute, a farmer from Selu village, where four cement embankments were made on a local canalall to little effect.

It isnt the case that JSA work is of uniformly poor quality. In 2018, the Aurangabad High Court directed the state government to submit a report on the impact of the JSA An expert committee led by former bureaucrat Johny Joseph found that groundwater had risen in the six villages it studied statewide. They added that this was because works were of good quality and done scientifically. The need for speed, however, means that hasnt always been the outcome. In many villages, structures have proved to be of poor quality, breaking after a single, severe rain. In some places, check dams have been built without levelling or deepening the streams on which they stand; in others, they have been filled with rock instead of concrete. Far too often, contractors have been left to get on with the work without scientific or engineering supervisionlet alone local involvement.

Perhaps, the JSAs biggest limitation was that it fought shy of confronting the elephant in the fields: sugarcane. Even though sugarcane is grown on just 6% of Marathwadas farmland, it consumes over 70% of the regions water. Experts agree that switching cropping patterns to less water-intensive crops would have a dramatic impact.

In Kanerwadi and Palaskheda villages, dialogue led by non-governmental organisation Manav Lok sparked gram sabhas and unanimously decided not to grow sugarcane. Pits were made in every house to ensure percolation of wastewater underground. As a result, the village wells remain recharged unlike most others in the region. The big success happened because people were involved in decision-making, says Chavan Govindras, a village schoolteacher. But this is a rare success story. Sugarcane farmers benefit from an organised system which guarantees them a market with fixed pricesa legacy of the long pre-eminence of sugar barons in the states political system. Till that system is fixed, sugarcane will continue to seduceand bleed Marathwadas aquifers

THE CORRUPTION FRUIT

Theres one flower that blooms on Beeds parched, suffering land: corruption. Loni resident Geetaram Sonawane, Vishnus brother, moved Right to Information Act requests on the JSA works in their village. He discovered that 40 works worth Rs 1.07 crore had been builtbut only 27 actually materialised on ground. Even a government elected to stamp out corruption has had to face up to the grim reality that monitoring thousands of small projects is almost impossible.

The patterns of corruption in JSA came out clearly from Parli block in Beed last year after a first information report (FIR) was filed over the alleged nexus between contractors and district agriculture department officials. An enquiry by the vigilance committee inspected 883 works worth Rs 8.64 crore. Out of this, they found that works worth Rs 4.83 crore didnt happen at all. They added that for 26 works, total recovery of funds is needed. Out of these 26 works, 17 simply dont exist on ground.

Incredibly, the economic wing department of the police, which is investigating the case, has not been able to find even one out of the 138 contractors named in the FIR. Four agriculture department officials out of 24 arrested received bail in May. The senior-most official named has been promoted, one has died, and five have retired. Lack of effective administrative oversightwhich appears to vary widely by regionappears to lie at the heart of the problem. The Parli block investigation founded cases of works allocated without tendering. There were cases where the same project was granted to separate contractors; others where payments were made without work being done.

In neighbouring district Latur, a contractor filed a PIL in the Aurangabad High Court alleging large projects were being parcelled out between select contractors using an enabling provision that allows for projects worth less than Rs 3 lakh to be sanctioned without tenders.

This new years eve, Fadnavis wrote in a Marathi newspaper of the JSAs success: Rs 8,000 crore spent on works in 16,500 villages, creating 24 lakh thousand cubic metres of potential storage capacity, enough to irrigate up to 34.1 lakh hectares. He has reason to be proud: theres no state government in India which has achieved anything like as much in so little time. But in Loni village, the earthmovers have begun rolling again on the same land which was dug up three years ago. This time, the forest department is digging holes in the ground to plant trees.
By inducting Shah in the Union Cabinet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yet again publicly displayed the kind of trust and confidence he has in him.

In the first week of November 2010, Amit Shah was forced to make New Delhi as his second home. A two-judge bench had heard an urgent petition by the CBI on a weekend and directed him to leave his home state Gujarat by next morning.

Staying out of a room in Gujarat Bhawan in the national capital he displayed tremendous grit and patience, using his time to learn the contours of national polity, strength and weaknesses of organisational structures of all mainstream parties including that of his own, the BJP and more particularly of the Congress. In the next two years, the legal cases against him were over with a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court. Soon after he was back to where he belonged, his home state of Gujarat and then he shifted his attention to national politics.

In the last six years, first as general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh (2013-14) and then as national president of the BJP since July 2014, under the overall leadership of Narendra Modi, he took the party to newer heights. His efforts resulted in the second consecutive full majority government at the Centre for the BJP. Moreover, the party is also ruling in 16 states along with its allies besides breaking new grounds in the east and in the North East.

In 2014, BJP ruled only six states and by last year it was ruling in 20 states, forcing the Congress to slide to such numbers that it couldnt even be officially recognised as opposition party in the Lok Sabha for the second consecutive time and consequently may be deprived of the post of Leader of the Opposition.

Modi called him the hero of 2014 and 2019 victories. Shah had proved all sceptics wrong, who mocked him when he talked about sweeping the polls in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 parliamentary elections and in the 2017 Assembly elections.

His idea of panna pramukh (page in-charge, an in-charge of each voter list page for a polling booth) ruined the electoral arithmetic of SP-BSP-RLD coalition in Uttar Pradesh. It breached Mamata Banerjees fortress by securing around 20 seats in West Bengal. He gave new energy and appetite to the party workers to fight and win all elections from panchayat to Parliament.

By inducting Shah in the Union Cabinet, Modi has yet again publicly displayed the kind of trust and confidence he has in him.

Though he took the oath of office after Rajnath Singh but make no mistake that he will be the de-facto number two in the government. In the last five years, the accepted popular perception around him was that he is the second most powerful person in the country. Since the declaration of results on 23 May, he had been constantly with the prime minister be it at the BJP headquarters or in Ahmedabad or in Varanasi. The process of formation of the new Council of Ministers as also the allocation of their portfolios was an exclusive affair between the prime minister and him. The portfolios of the newly sworn-in ministers are not in the public domain yet. No third person in this huge organisational structure apparently has a clue about the selection process.

Incidentally, the first confirmation of Shahs induction in the Union Cabinet came from Jitu Vaghani, Gujarat state BJP chief. Vaghani gave that breaking news through a tweet on Thursday afternoon.

One man one post norm of his party, would require him to quit the party presidents post.

But the timing of it is entirely dependent on him, whether he would like to leave that post now or after the conclusion of three Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand that are due later this year.

Shah may handover the party's reins to JP Nadda, who was health minister in the first term of Modi government but was not administrated oath of ministerial office on Thursday) or to someone else. Whoever he or she may be it is unlikely that the Shah's clout in the party will diminish even by an ounce even if he doesn't head it. Shah is likely to remain the guiding force of the organisation.
Shvi Sena leader Arvind Ganpat Sawant, the re-elected Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai-South, took charge of the Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise

Shiv Sena leader Arvind Ganpat Sawant, the re-elected Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai-South, took charge of the Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise.

Sawant's contest with Congress candidate Milind Deora in the 2019 elections was one of the most closely-watched races to the Lower House of Parliament.

Sawant is en route to becoming a first-time minister. He is believed to have been given a seat in the Council of Ministers in the new Modi government. The 68-year-old deputy leader of the Shiv Sena is set to replace Anant Geete as the only member of his party to hold a berth in the Modi government.

The Shiv Sena leader has served two terms as an MLC in the Maharashtra Legislative Council and has also been a spokesperson of the Shiv Sena. In the 16th Lok Sabha, he was a member of the Estimates Committee, Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Sawant, who has a B.Sc degree, was an engineer with MTNL till 1995 when he retired from the post. This was after he was nominated to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the governor's quota when the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government came to power in the state in 1995.
Amid political uncertainty within the party following the severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress has barred its spokespersons from representing the party on news channel debates for a month.

New Delhi: Amid political uncertainty within the party following the severe drubbing it received in the Lok Sabha elections, Congress on Thursday barred its spokespersons from representing the party on news channel debates for a month.

Taking to Twitter, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala requested all media channels and its editors to not place any Congress representatives on their shows.

.@INCIndia has decided to not send spokespersons on television debates for a month. All media channels/editors are requested to not place Congress representatives on their shows.  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 30, 2019

This came after Rahul Gandhi, who became the Congress president in 2017, offered to step down from his post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on 25 May, taking moral responsibility for the party's dismal performance in the recently concluded 17th general elections.

However, the CWC unanimously rejected his offer to resign.

So far, several top leaders have met Rahul and urged him to continue to lead the party. Sources said that despite senior members making serious attempts to convince the 48-year-old party chief to rethink his decision, he remains unfazed.

These leaders, sources said, maintained that Congress cannot afford to have someone new at the helm to rebuild the organisation at this juncture, and that the responsibility for the defeat is collective and not individual.

The Congress won 52 seats in the recent general elections, which is just eight more than 2014, in the outgoing Lok Sabha.

The NDA, on the other hand, registered a massive victory, winning 352 seats to retain power. The BJP alone won 303 seats  its highest tally ever.
Irani isnt an actor-turned-politician who just come out of nowhere and turned Amethis 39-year-old political affiliations on its head.

The Modi 2.0 cabinet has arrived. Smriti Irani, who was the youngest cabinet minister in 2014 was assigned the high-profile Human Resource Development ministry. She is now been granted the charge of two ministries -- Textile and Women and Child Development. Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Shiromani Akali Dal clan has also earned herself a second consecutive term in the cabinet. She has retained charge of the Minister for Food Processing. Nirmala Sitharaman, the second woman to head the defence ministry after former prime minister Indira Gandhi is back in the cabinet as the finance minister.

Irani isnt an actor-turned-politician who just come out of nowhere and turned Amethis 39-year-old political affiliations on its head. After losing to the Congress chief Rahul Gandhi by over a lakh votes in 2014, Irani, the losing candidate, she lodged herself in a rented house in Amethi, worked with the farmers, with the women, with the youth and made herself available to the locals round the clock. Old loyalties for the first family faded away and she unseated Gandhi with over 55,000 votes, etching her story in unerasable ink on the canvas of Indian political history. Despite having lost in 2009 to Kapil Sibal in Chandni Chowk and controversies and criticism shrouding her role in multiple ministries in the cabinet, an unfettered Irani marched on.

Shortly after Irani was made human resource minister in 2014, a controversy over the inconsistency in the affidavit detailing her educational details became a subject of speculation and her critics surfaced. She rolled back Delhi Universitys Four Years Undergraduate Program, barely a year into its initiation. When she was made Textile Minister, in an exclusive interview, she told Firstpost that the change in her portfolio wasnt a demotion as it was being made out to be by the media.

Had I remained in the HRD, my view of administration would have remained myopic. My previous ministry offered me a social sector overview of the country, but education is just one social aspect. This new assignment gives me a more expansive economic perspective on India as it involves dealing with a high-end industry and large corporations, small and medium scale enterprises, and weavers and artisans, she had shared with Firstpost.

Of approximately 40 schemes, 22 used to be surrendered each year. To ensure that authorised funds reach the weavers, Iranis ministry enrolled them in Direct Benefit Transfer schemes and eliminated middle-men. For instance, NGOs that had been receiving government funds for years were asked to disclose details of the communities they had been supporting.

Soon enough, Irani was handed over the Information & Broadcasting Ministry. Within 24 hours of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announcement of a new guideline of suspending a journalists accreditation the moment, there is a complaint of fake news, the Prime Minister's Office intervened and withdrew the ill-conceived order that posed a threat to the functioning of democracy. Under her leadership, the ministry had issued a press release on Monday that amended guidelines for journalists' accreditation, stating that if a journalist is found to have created and/or propagated fake news, his or her accreditation will be suspended or permanently cancelled.

In the cabinet reshuffle in May 2018, the ministry was handed over to Rajyavardhan Rathore. Her role in multiple ministries have been a roller-coaster ride but her preparedness to work on the ground on policy reform combined with her relentless campaigning and connect with voters has enabled her to retain her space in the cabinet.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the only woman minister who isnt from the BJP and represents the Shiromani Akali Dal, was a crucial insertion into the Cabinet in terms of political representation to the party that was in power in Punjab in 2014. Despite SADs loss to the Congress, the Badals have retained the Bathinda seat from where Harsimrat Kaur had contested. When India has slipped six positions in the India World Hunger Index despite being the second largest producer of food, Firstpost had spoken to Badal.

"When I took charge of the ministry (in 2014), I noticed a lot of policy promise but no ground impact. From 2008 to 2014, only two Mega Food Parks were operationalised. In two years, I have operationalised six," Badal had said. She had spoken about moving forward in a targeted fashion and setting up infrastructure for farmers and sanctioning cold chains. The Badals were facing anti-incumbency since the assembly elections of 2017 but Harsimrat managed to retain her seat and also BJPs footing in Punjab.

Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries in the outgoing cabinet, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti was conferred with the title of Mahamandaleshwar of Niranjani Akhara at the Kumbh in Prayagraj earlier this year. The title is the highest level of Hindu spiritual guardianship. Her consecutive berth in the cabinet is a continuity of the unapologetic representation of Hindu forces in decision-making roles.

The two new entries are Renuka Singh Saruta, 58, who was sworn in as a Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Deboshree Chowdhury, a first-timer who will serve as a minister of state in Ministry of Women and Child Development. Saruta served in Raman Singhs government, which was overthrown by the Baghel-led Congress government in 2018 Vidhan Sabha elections.

Her insertion is expected to greatly improve the Central governments outreach to the tribals in Naxal-infested Chattisgarh. The eviction of tribals from the forest area, blocking access to forest produce and related issues were being raised by various organisations in the run-up to the state elections. Saruta serves as the vice-president of the partys ST cell and represents the powerful Gond community. Sarguja is the other tribal belt aside from Bastar.

While the grand old party was able to make inroads into Bastar, Sarguja in the Vidhan Sabha election. In the national election too, the Congress retained its stronghold over Bastar but Sarguja is still with the BJP and Sarutas acceptance by the locals has played a key role in swinging the tribal vote in favour of the BJP in the constituency. Both Bastar and Sarguja fall in the red corridor.

The strongest possible reason for the induction of Chowdhury from West Bengal is to further alternate women leadership to Mamata Banerjee's. The BJP made deep inroads in TMCs bastion and won 18 seats. The Trinamool Congress took great pride in fielding 17 (out of 42) women candidates. Encouraging women from non-political backgrounds to join politics and cashing in on their familiarities, be it actress Mimi Chakraborty from the Jadavpur seat from where Mamata had once ousted the Left or Nusrat Jahan from communally sensitive Basirhat on the India-Bangladesh border. Along with Chowdhury, the other woman parliamentarian from the state is Locket Chatterjee. While Chatterjee won by a margin of 73,362 votes against her TMC counterpart Ratna De Nag, while Chowdhury won by 60,574 votes against TMCs Kanhaiya Lal Agarwal.

Those who have been left out this time are veteran leaders Uma Bharti, Sushma Swaraj and Maneka Gandhi. Former External Affairs Minister, Swaraj had announced her decision not to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Bharti, the former sanitation minister also didnt contest the polls and was made the BJPs national vice-president. With party president Amit Shah moving to the cabinet, she could be given a greater role within the party leadership.
Modi can have as many as 80 ministers in the 543-member Lok Sabha. As per the Constitution, the total number of Union ministers, including the Prime Minister shall not exceed 15 per cent of the number of members in the Lok Sabha.

Narendra Modi was on Thursday sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of India for the second term helming a 58-member ministry with BJP chief Amit Shah making his debut as a Union minister and former foreign secretary S Jaishankar emerging as a surprise pick while party veteran Sushma Swaraj was among the former ministers who were kept out of the Council of Ministers.

Besides Swaraj, who did not contest the elections citing health issues, eight-time MP Maneka Gandhi and former minister of women and child development, six-time MP Radha Mohan Singh who handled the crucial agriculture portfolio have not made the cut. The decision to keep Radha Mohan out seems to be influenced by the fact that over the last five years, the farm sector has been ravaged by a severe agricultural crisis that led to farmers' suicide and protests across the country. Maneka, news channels have reported, could be the pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, Swaraj, who is not a minister in the BJP government for the first time, may have excused herself on health grounds.

Mahesh Sharma, Jayant Sinha, Jual Oram, Ram Kripal Yadav, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, were among others failed to make the cut despite winning their respective seats. Anantkumar Hegde, a Hindutva leader from Karnataka who is known for his controversial statements, was also dropped.

Suresh Prabhu and JP Nadda (both Rajya Sabha) also did not find a place. Speculation is rife that Nadda, who was made BJP's Uttar Pradesh incharge, may succeed Shah as BJP's national president.

Uma BhartiMinister of External Affairs

Notable names missing from Modi's Council of Ministers Portfolios they held during the last term Anantkumar Hegde MoS for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Arun Jaitley Minsiter of Finance Jayant Sinha MoS Civil Aviation JP Nadda Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jual Oram Minister of Tribal Affairs Mahesh Sharma MoS (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism Maneka Gandhi Minister for Women & Child Development Radha Mohan Singh Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore MoS Youth Affairs and Sports Ram Kripal Yadav MoS Rural Development Suresh Prabhu Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Sushma Swaraj Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation

Arun Jaitley, who held the finance portfolio, had already opted out of the government for health reasons.

Key BJP ally JD(U) stayed out of the government in what appears to be a sign of differences with the saffron party over the number of ministerial berths offered to the party.

"We are not joining the government. This is our decision," Pavan Varma, who is also the general secretary of the Janata Dal (United), told PTI. The JD(U), will, however remain part of the NDA.

In a grand ceremony with overtones of a US presidential inauguration, heads of state and government, chief ministers, India Inc honchos, Opposition leaders, BJP members and showbiz stars rubbed shoulders as they watched President Kovind administer the oath of office. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi were among those who were present.

The two-hour ceremony is the largest event to be held in Rashtrapati Bhavan, officials said.

Modi can have as many as 80 ministers in the 543-member Lok Sabha. As per the Constitution, the total number of Union ministers, including the Prime Minister shall not exceed 15 per cent of the number of members in the Lok Sabha.

This is the second time Modi took the oath at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Modi was sworn in by the then President Pranab Mukherjee in 2014 in the presence of over 3,500 guests including the heads of SAARC countries.

Earlier, Chandra Shekhar in 1990 and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 were sworn in at the sprawling forecourt.

With inputs from PTI
Des policiers anti-emeutes a Douala archives

Nationwide protests christened white march organised by the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) of incarcerated Professor Maurice Kamto planned for tomorrow Saturday June 1, 2019 have been banned in some parts of the country.

The Divisional Officers of Douala I and IV have each within the sphere of their competence banned any such protests citing security reasons.

The Divisional Officer of Douala I, Tchakui Noundie Jean-Marie said the seditious nature of the protest could disturb public peace in his area of jurisdiction and thus banned the protests while promising sanctions against defaulters.

It is strictly forbidden to hold a public march scheduled for Saturday, June 1, 2019 by Mr. Melago Dongmo Filbert Roger, interim Divisional Secretary of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) in Douala I. The seditious character of the demands necessitating the protest may well jeopardise public law and order.

On his part, the Divisional Officer of Douala IV, Ekoa Mbarga Jean-Marc, said the request for authorisation submitted by Kamta Joseph of the CRM does not conform with the provisions of law given that the applicant filed to indicate his home address.

The senior civil administrator also expressed fears that such a protest may clash with funeral processions and as such obstruct the smooth flow of traffic. He said authorising the protests will put public order in jeopardy. Ekoa Mbarga equally cautioned that defaulters will face the heavy arm of the law.

He charged all police commissioners, brigade commanders and heads of gendarmerie posts in Douala IV to execute his May 28 order to the latter.

The nationwide rallies by members of the CRM are meant to press for the release of their national president Maurice Kamto who has been in detention since January this year. Kamto emerged second in the October 7, 2018 presidential elections but has since claimed he won, decrying widespread irregularities and an overhaul of the electoral laws.
Jitendra Singh took charge on Friday as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, and Department of Space, on Friday

Jitendra Singh took charge on Friday as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, and Department of Space, on Friday. He was given the same ministries in the Council of Ministers formed under Narendra Modi's leadership in 2014 as well.

Singh, a first-time MP was given the charge of the high-profile Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions ministry  it has administrative supervision over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Singh won the Udhampur seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls against Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad and was re-elected from the constituency in the recently concluded 2019 general election.

Having joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2009, he the party's national executive member and was the chief spokesperson for the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP state spokesperson Balbir Ram Rattan, Kathua District general secretary (Organisation) Inderjit Sharma, and vice-president Narain Dutt Sharma along with other district leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have praised Singh's work citing the development of the Kathua, Bani, Basohli and Billawar have witnessed. They said that the prestigious Ujh Multipurpose Project, which remained hanged for 40 years, got started with the efforts of Singh. The foundation stone for Keediyan-Gadiyal Bidge was also laid down by Singh and also inaugurated by him after its completion in record time.

Before entering politics, Singh was a professor of diabetes and endocrinology, a consultant, clinical practitioner, author of eight books, and a newspaper columnist. He is the ex-chairman for the National Scientific Committee Diabetes and the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India.
Former foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was given charge of the new External Affairs ministry in the new Modi Government on Friday, the first career diplomat to handle the key portfolio

New Delhi: Former foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was given charge of the External Affairs ministry on Friday, the first career diplomat to handle the key portfolio.

Considered an expert on China and the US, the new External Affairs minister's moves will be keenly watched to see whether he brings any changes in India's approach in dealing with a hostile Pakistan.

Jaishankar, who takes charge of the ministry nearly 16 months after he retired as foreign secretary, will also have to deal with overall expectations of expanding India's global influence and stature, particularly in key multilateral forums like G-20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and BRICS.

However, a major focus of the ministry under his leadership is likely to be on further boosting India's trade and defence ties with the US, Russia, France, Japan, and the European Union as well as with the countries of the neighborhood. Another challenge for him will be to further strengthen India's ties with China, badly hit by the Doka La standoff in mid-2017.

The 64-year-old  who is not a member of either the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha at this point  is also likely to push for deepening cooperation with the African continent where China is fast expanding its influence and presence. Getting the long-awaited membership of the UN Security Council and Nuclear Suppliers Group is expected to be another area of interests of the new government.

India has also been trying to enhance ties with the Gulf region as well as the hydrocarbon-rich Central Asia, and Jaishankar is set to ensure continuity on it.

Jaishankar, son of the late Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam, one of India's leading strategic analysts, was a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

The deal, initiated in 2005, took several years to craft and was signed by the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh in 2007.

Jaishankar's appointment as foreign secretary in January 2015 evoked a sharp reaction from various quarters over the timing of the government's decision to remove Sujatha Singh. He had earlier served as India's Ambassador to the US and before that to China.

A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar played a key role in resolving the crisis following the incursion in Ladakh's Depsang and the Doka La stand-off, handling the tough negotiations with Beijing. Among other positions, Jaishankar has been India's High Commissioner to Singapore and Ambassador to the Czech Republic. Last year, Tata Group appointed Jaishankar, who was Indian foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, as its president for global corporate affairs, within three months of his retirement from the government service.

A graduate of St Stephen's College, Jaishankar is an MA in Political Science and an MPhil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Jaishankar is married to Kyoko Jaishankar and has two sons and a daughter. In 2019, Jaishankar was conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of the country.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant and other members of his Cabinet congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his new team on taking the oath, marking the beginning of the second successive BJP-led NDA government

Panaji: Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant and other members of his Cabinet congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his new team on taking the oath of office, marking the beginning of the second successive BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.

They also congratulated BJP Member of Parliament from North Goa, Shripad Naik over his induction in the second Modi cabinet, saying it was a proud moment for the coastal state. State BJP leaders led by Sawant and coalition partners, including the Goa Forward Party (GFP), participated in the grand swearing-in ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday evening.

Naik (66), who was part of the first Modi government, was reinducted in the Council of Ministers for a second inning, retaining representation from the tiny tourist state, which has two Lok Sabha seats. He had served as Minister of State (Independent charge) for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy) in the first term of the Modi government.

The five-time MP from North Goa defeated state Congress president Girish Chodankar by a margin of over 80,000 votes in the 2019 general election.

"Proud moment for Goa as Shri @shripadynaik takes oath in #ModiSarkar2. I congratulate Shripad Bhau and thank the Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodiji for giving Goa representation in Union Council of Minister once again," Sawant tweeted. In yet another tweet, he said "Congratulations to all Union Council of Ministers on taking oath in #ModiSardkar2. Lets unitedly work towards building a New India. #ModiSwearingIn."

Deputy Chief Minister and GFP leader Vijai Sardesai were among state ministers who participated in the ceremony and then met Naik to wish him.

Sardesai tweeted "Called on and wished @shripadynaik, Minister Designate in @narendramodi cabinet tonight at New Delhi. Hope the independent charge of the portfolio that he is allotted takes him and #Goa #forward." He was accompanied by Water Resources Minister Vinod Palyekar and Rural Development Agency Minister Jayesh Salgaonkar.

Other members of the Sawant cabinet, including Health Minister Vishwajit Rane (BJP), Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte (Independent) and Art and Culture Minister Govind Gawade (Independent) also attended the function.

"I met Shripad Naik in Delhi today (Friday) morning and wished him over his induction. It is a proud moment for the state of Goa," Rane told PTI over the phone from Delhi. "He is a very humble person. Through him, Goa and the country will progress."

"We are looking at a great inning of his during the next five years, which will take the country to greater heights under the leadership of Narendra Modi," he added.
The 57-year-old parliamentarian brought a private bill for ban on cow slaughter in Parliament way back in 2000. Moreover, he was the junior coal minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2003.

A five-time lawmaker Prahlad Singh Patel, who has been a strong votary of the ban on cow slaughter, has got a place in the Union council of ministers once again after 15 years. He has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Culture (Independent Charge).

An Other Backward Class (OBC) leader from Madhya Pradesh, Patel, was brought in place of senior BJP leader Uma Bharti, who did not contest the Lok Sabha polls. He got elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1989.

The 57-year-old parliamentarian brought a private bill for ban on cow slaughter in Parliament way back in 2000. Moreover, he was the junior coal minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2003.

Patel had parted ways with the BJP in 2005 to join Umar Bharti's outfit  Bharatiya Jan Shakti Party  but returned to its fold after three years contesting the elections from Damoh Lok Sabha seat from where he was re-elected in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He defeated his nearest competitor Pratap Singh of Congress with a margin of 3,53,411.

A four-time MP, Patel was a member of several committees in the previous Narendra Modi government like Committee on Public Undertakings, Committee on Government Assurances Member, Standing Committee on Rural Development Member.

He was also a member of Executive Council of VV Giri National Labour Institute and member of the Consultative Committee in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Patel holds BSc, LLB, MA (Philosophy) degrees. He started his political journey in 1980 as the president of the Jabalpur University Students' Union. He subsequently held powerful positions in the BJP's youth wing in the state.

Patel, a strict vegetarian and a deeply religious man, is among the few politicians who have done the 'Narmada Parikrama', a walk along the banks of the river, considered sacred.
Formerly the Minister of Home Affairs of India, Rajnath Singh was appointed as the defence minister in the Narendra Modis cabinet sworn in on Thursday

Formerly the Minister of Home Affairs of India, Rajnath Singh was appointed as the defence minister in the Narendra Modis cabinet sworn in on Thursday.

Known as a key negotiator within his party, Rajnaths political career spans over 45 years, and the veteran leader rose through the ranks from the grassroots. As BJP President in 2013, he was instrumental in declaring Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate, despite strong opposition from veterans like LK Advani.

According to his website, he had a brush with the RSS in his student life, and it was through the organization that he stepped into politics and joined Jana Sangh in 1974.

From a district president of the Jana Sangh in 1975 to a legislator from a small town Mirzapur in 1977, and to Uttar Pradesh chief minister, BJPs national president, and a Union minister, Rajnath comes with immense organizational, political and administrative experience.

Singh has on two occasions served as the president of the BJP  from 2005 to 2009, and 2013 to 2014.

In 1984, he became the Uttar Pradesh president of the BJP's youth wing BJYM, in 1986, its national general secretary and subsequently national president of the BJYM in 1988. Later, he became state president of Uttar Pradesh BJP.

He was elected a member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative council in 1988 and became education minister of the state in 1991. During his tenure as education minister of Uttar Pradesh, he established some landmarks by introducing the Anti-Copying Act and Vedic Mathematics in the syllabus and correction of various portions of history textbooks.

A professor of Physics by profession, Singh also held the portfolios of Surface Transport and Agriculture in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1999 and during this period, he got the opportunity to initiate the National Highway Development Programme, a dream project of then Prime Minister Vajpayee.

He has been thrice elected to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and twice to the Rajya Sabha. In October 2000, he became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and was twice elected as legislator from Haidargarh constituency in Barabanki. In 2002, he became National General Secretary of the BJP.

On 24 May, 2003, he became Union Minister of Agriculture and subsequently for Food Processing. During this period he initiated a few epoch-making projects like Kisan Call Centre and Farm Income Insurance Scheme.

Singh was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Ghaziabad in 2009. In the 17th Lok Sabha he represents the prestigious constituency of Lucknow, previously held by BJP patriarch Atal Bihari Vajpayee, having defeated his nearest rival  Samajwadi Party's Poonam Sinha  by over 3.4 lakh votes.
Besides his political career, Athawale has been the editor of a weekly magazine called Bhumika and is a founder member of Parivartan Sahitya Mahamandal. He has served as president of Parivartan Kala Mahasangha, the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Foundation and the Bauddha Kalawant Academy

A prominent Dalit face, Ramdas Athawale was appointed the Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. He earlier served as a junior minister (MoS) in Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and represents Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha. Previously, he was the Lok Sabha MP from Pandharpur. He is the president of Republic Party of India (A) and was born in Agalgaon in Sangli district of Maharashtra.

He has been a trade unionist and is known more for his blunt remarks and popular laughter-evoking speeches in Parliament and outside. He has been part of NDA since 2011 after he quit the NCP-Congress alliance.

Following a split in the Dalit Panther movement in 1974, Athawale joined Arun Kamble and Gangadhar Gade in leading a rump in Maharashtra. His involvement with a faction of the Republican Party of India eventually led to an association with the Indian National Congress (INC). Athawale represented Mumbai North Central in the 12th Lok Sabha during 1998-99 and was elected to serve a second term in the 13th Lok Sabha of 1999-2004. A third term, in the 14th Lok Sabha, followed from 2004-2009.

He left the Nationalist Congress Party-INC alliance in 2011 after having lost in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, when he contested the reserved Shirdi constituency. Thereafter, he led the RPI party, joined the alliance of Shivsena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2011 and contested Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in an alliance.

Interestingly, Athawale established a children's wing of the RPI(A) in September 2017 and appointed his son, then aged 12, to be its leader.

He courted controversy in 2016, when he demanded firearms for Dalits for self-defence in the backdrop of suicide by a Dalit research scholar in Hyderabad University, Rohith Vemula. He also played a significant role in 'Marathwada Vidyapeeth Namantar'  a Dalit movement for renaming the Marathwada University after Ambedkar.
Raosaheb Danve, a five-time MP who was a Union minister for a short period during the first term of the Modi government, returned as a minister of state.

Maharashtra BJP chief Raosaheb Danve, a five-time MP who was a Union minister for a short period during the first term of the Modi government, returned as a minister of state in the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.

Danve, who rose from the ranks within BJP, was Minister of State for Rural Development in 2014.

But after then state BJP president Devendra Fadnavis became Maharashtra chief minister, Danve took over reins of the party's state unit.

The 64-year-old BJP MP served as Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution from 27 May, 2014 to 5 March, 2015. He quit his ministerial post after being appointed state BJP president.

With inputs from PTI
Bureaucrat-turned-politician and second time Lok Sabha member RK Singh Friday took charge of power and new and renewable energy ministries and stressed that focus of Team Modi 2.0 will be on reliable and sustainable '24X7 Power for All'

New Delhi: Bureaucrat-turned-politician and second time Lok Sabha member RK Singh Friday took charge of Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and stressed that focus of Team Modi 2.0 will be on reliable and sustainable '24X7 Power for All'. He has also been appointed as Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

"Our focus will be on 24X7 power for all. We want to provide reliable and sustainable power to all. The sustainable means the commercial viability of power supplied to consumers," Singh told reporter while taking charge here.

About the 100-day agenda, the minister said he will soon be briefed about this along with other ministers.

The previous NDA regime had envisaged 24x7 Power for All from 1 April, 2019. The government has also worked in that direction and provided electricity connection to over 2.6 crore families under the Rs 16,320-crore Saubhagya scheme.

In Team Modi 1.0, Singh was the Minister of State for Power, and New and Renewable Energy. He was instrumental in the launch of household electrification scheme Saubhagya.

According to data from the power ministry, around 2.63 crore families were provided electricity connections under the scheme.

About the challenges in the renewable energy sector, Singh said he is aware of the challenge and the government would maintain the pace of growth in the clean energy segment which recorded an unprecedented success in the past five years.

Singh also played a major role in scaling up India's renewable energy capacity. India has set an ambitious target of having 175 GW of renewable energy, including 100 GW of solar energy and 60 GW of wind energy by 2022. India achieved 78 GW of clean energy, including 28 GW of solar and 36 GW of wind energy as on April 2019.

Singh joined the Indian Police Service in 1974 and then Indian Administrative Service in 1975. He was district magistrate of East Champaran from 1981 to 1983 as well as the district magistrate of Patna from 1983 to 1985.

Singh has been elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Arrah for the second time. He won the seat by a margin of 1,47,285 votes defeating Raju Yadav of CPM in the recent polls.
There is a dovetailing of vision between India's new foreign minister S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra when it comes to shaping Indias destiny as a leading power and projection of that power in a bipolar Asia

Narendra Modi has kept up his propensity for surprise by inducting Subrahmanyam Jaishankar into the Cabinet. When the 1977 batch IFS officer took the oath on Thursday to be part of the NDA-2s Council of Ministers, there were wide expectations that he would be handed the Ministry of External Affairs portfolio. More so because Sushma Swaraj, who had been handling the responsibility during Modi governments first term, had expressed her desire to opt out this time.

Jaishankar is not the first career diplomat to be appointed as Union External Affairs Minister. That honour belongs to K Natwar Singh in UPA-I. However, the technocrats lateral entry into the highest level of government is a bold move, and the reasons behind Modis decision are worth exploring.

Jaishankar, who retired in January 2018 as foreign secretary of India (serving his term with a years extension since January 2015), is widely acknowledged as an astute thinker, a policy wonk and an exceptionally talented diplomat who brings domain expertise and years of experience to the table. His handling of the Doklam crisis in 2017, when India stared down Chinese bullying tactics with resolve and pragmatism, received extensive appreciation.

Excellent news for Indian foreign policy. https://t.co/5929WudHE1  Rory Medcalf (@Rory_Medcalf) May 31, 2019

A wise and well-considered choice. Wishing Dr. Jaishankar the very best. Challenges await, but he is well-equipped by his undoubted professional and intellectual abilities to handle them with great distinction. https://t.co/VaK9TRpPRN  Nirupama Menon Rao,  ,  (@NMenonRao) May 31, 2019

His appointment makes it evident that Modi places a premium on merit above other considerations.

The BJP alone has 303 MPs in the Lower House of the Parliament. Along with NDA allies, the prime minister had 353 lawmakers to choose from to handle the EAM portfolio. This is a problem of plenty. There must have been covert pulls and pressures on Modi and his trusted general Amit Shah to accommodate more names. We find, however, that the Council of Ministers includes 24 Cabinet ministers, nine Ministers of State with independent charge and 24 Ministers of State. Modi has kept for himself Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space portfolios.

The Council of Ministers isnt a bloated one, and it carries the imprimatur of a leader who enjoys complete dominance over his party and government. Modi has clarified that BJP, in the spirit of compromise and cooperation will take its allies along, but no amount of arm-twisting may work as JD(U) chief and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar found out when his party refused to accept one Cabinet berth and preferred not to be a part of the government. It is unlikely that Modi will bend over to give in to his demands.

To this context  where allotment of berths follows a different algorithm than a please all policy  now add the fact that Jaishankar, a technocrat who has no experience in politics and is not a member of any political party, has been made a foreign minister and a member of the Cabinet Committee on Security. This points to Modis confidence in Jaishankar and conviction in his own decision. This is close to the kind of leadership that Modi had promised, and people had expected while handing him an unprecedented mandate.

The induction of Jaishankar into the Cabinet and trusting him with a key portfolio also tells us something about Modis character. For that, we need to rewind a few days to the time when he delivered a post-victory speech at the Parliaments Central Hall to the new MPs.

The prime minister, while offering advice to first-time lawmakers to navigate the power corridors of Delhi, urged them not to be entrapped in coterie culture and be careful in selecting people to invest their trust. He advised them to put their faith only in people whom they have known for a long time and not newly minted companions who may seem overtly friendly.

Modis note of caution for MPs was aimed primarily at degrading the coterie culture and intricate network of patronage that define power broking in Lutyens Delhi, but it also gives us a glimpse into the mind of a man who even after five years at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, remains obsessively suspicious of power brokers.

This is where Jaishankars appointment becomes most interesting. This is a technocrat whom Modi clearly trusted and developed enduring faith in his abilities that started when Modi, then chief minister of Gujarat, had visited China during Jaishankars tenure as Indias ambassador to the country. The bonding that developed between the two deepened further when Jaishankar, during his stint as Indias ambassador to the US, helped smooth the passage for Prime Minister Modis visit to the country following a decade-long visa ban.

The change in trajectory of India-US relationship coincided with Jaishankars tenure as Indias envoy to Washington DC and he should get a fair amount of credit for the upswing in bilateral relationship and close strategic partnership between the two nations. Little wonder that Modi had broken convention to appoint Jaishankar as Indias top diplomat in 2015 by dismissing Sujatha Singh, his predecessor. Not surprising to note again that Jaishankar, whose term as foreign secretary was supposed to end in 2017, was given an years extension by the Modi government.

According to a Livemint article, "Modi was also reportedly insistent that Jaishankar travel with him on almost all his foreign trips prior to his retirement in January 2018". Jaishankar repaid the trust shown by not only handling the Doklam crisis with elan but also propagating Modis vision of India as a leading power and a source of stability in the Indian Ocean Region. His role in stabilising Indias relationship with China, delivering on Modis Act East policy through maritime security and collaboration with nations around Indian Ocean littoral and adopting a hawkish approach towards Pakistan has also been documented.

Two things, therefore, are clear. One, Jaishankar enjoys Modis trust and two, there is a dovetailing of vision between the two when it comes to shaping Indias destiny as a leading power and projection of that power in a bipolar Asia. In hindsight, this was perhaps the most obvious decision but one that not many had foreseen.
Sanjeev Kumar Balyan has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries as a junior minister (MoS).

Sanjeev Kumar Balyan has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries as a junior minister (MoS).

Balyan won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Muzaffarnagar seat with a slim margin of 6,500 votes against Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh.

In 2014, Balyan had defeated Bahujan Samaj Party's Kadir Rana by a huge margin of over four lakh votes from the same seat. After the 2014 polls, he was appointed the minister of state for agriculture and food processing in the NDA government.

While in the 2009 general election, Kadir Rana of BSP won Muzaffarnagar seat when he defeated RLDs, Anuradha Chaudhary.

Balyan was also one of the BJP leaders accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

In June 2018, a court in Muzaffarnagar had issued non-bailable warrants against several politicians, one of whom was Balyan.

In 2014, Balyan was appointed as minister of state for Agriculture and food processing in the NDA government under Narendra Modi. Later in July 2016, he was moved to be the Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, under Minister Uma Bharti.
Professor Emmanuel Yenshu Facebook

Pentecostals are a dangerous group. They breed intolerance. When you cant understand another person, it is dangerous because you stop short of going to war with that person.

Emmanuel Yenshu Vubo, Professor of Sociology and Dean of the Faculty of Social & Management Sciences at the University of Buea says the only difference between Pentecostals and the Boko Haram sect is that they have not taken up arms to install their beliefs.

He says Pentecostals are a new religious group that is revivalist and come up with the traditional argument that people must live pure lives.

...They are a brand of puritans. The other brand of puritans is evangelicals who argue that we must follow only the gospel as Jesus Christ preached. Evangelical puritans include among others the Presbyterians, Baptist and Methodist, Yenshu says.

He adds that Pentecostals are a renewal group who believe in the Holy Spirit  that the Holy Spirit can change lives.

The sociology professor posits that Pentecostals are intolerant and some even go to the extent of arguing that faith is not compatible with science and will resist blood transfusion.

The puritans are intolerant towards others. If taken to the extreme form, like does Pentecostalism, anything that is not theirs is considered evil. They have a term for it which does not exist in the bible. They call it Paganism. Paganism is part of the dichotomy between people. This breeds a form of intolerance.

In that light, the attitude of Boko Haram which says we should not learn western education is very much the same like the Pentecostals who say that we should not follow traditional customs. Anyone who accepts Pentecostalism considers every other person a pagan, Yenshu opines.

He insists that Pentecostals are intolerant and that their difference with Boko Haram is that they have not taken guns to war to oblige others to follow their idea.

Hear him: This intolerance is not good for our society. If I am doing something that you dont understand, instead of understanding it, you brand it and create an ideological wall against it. We are living in a plural world where many people believe in different things. What you believe in is competing with what others believe in.

Yenshu advises traditional rulers  Fons and Chiefs  not to get too strongly into politics and religion because Politics and religion divide people.

Yenshu says Fons should not get into the issues of politics and religion. A Fon should have his political and religious leanings as private engagements. We

Fons have to know that they are the symbol of their tradition. As individuals, they can choose to have faith in some other religion as an individual but respect the beliefs of all others.

You either leave the throne or practice Christianity or you make a few modifications to tradition and practice both, Yenshu advises.

He says you cannot guide the stool with its traditional privileges and want to refuse the obligations.

To Pentecostal leaders, Yenshu says a convert of a church should not be advised to renounce something. The Ten Commandments in the bible are clear about what we should do. They talk about not worshipping other gods. You should not cancel every other thing because you are the fon.
Sushma Swaraj, who was a notable omission in the new NDA government, Thursday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving her an opportunity to serve people of India as External Affairs Minister.

New Delhi: Sushma Swaraj, who was a notable omission in the new NDA government, Thursday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving her an opportunity to serve people of India as External Affairs Minister. Taking to Twitter over an hour after the swearing-in ceremony ended, Swaraj prayed that the Modi government in its second term functions with glory.

"Prime Ministerji  as External Affairs Minister, you have given me the opportunity in the last five years to serve the countrymen and Indians abroad and accorded me a lot of respect at a personal level. I am grateful to you. I pray to God that our government functions gloriously," she said in a tweet in Hindi.

Swaraj leaves a legacy of an easily-accessible external affairs minister who helped the Indian diaspora in distress with her quick response to requests for help on Twitter.

Some of the key ministers in the previous Modi government, including Swaraj, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Maneka Gandhi, Radha Mohan Singh and Jayant Sinha are not part of the new dispensation. Swaraj had opted out of fighting the Lok Sabha elections due to health reasons.

Her interaction with the diaspora on social media, established her as someone who can be reached in distress with just the click of a mouse.

Several path-breaking measures such as the passport infrastructure expansion and enhanced engagement with the East were the highlight of her tenure. Swaraj, 66, became the External Affairs Minister in 2014 when Modi's first cabinet was sworn-in on 26 May.
The Trump administrations attempts to create another West Asia crisis should worry India

Indias ambassador to the United States, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, announced on May 23 in Washington DC that New Delhi had ended all oil imports from Iran amid pressure from the Trump administration. India had already sharply decreased its imports from Iran and bought 1 million tonnes of crude in April, the last month before Washington stepped up its pressure campaign against Tehran. Thats it; after that, we havent imported any (oil), he said.

In 2018, a team of US officials in New Delhi prepared to address Indias concerns on two important issuesIran sanctions and Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act regarding Indias purchase of S-400 missile defence system from Russia. The American representatives, with shirt sleeves folded up, an aggressive posture, told Indian analysts across the table that while some compromise could be achieved, they were looking for New Delhi to stop all trade with Iran soon.

Fast-forward to May 2019, and India now stands at that juncture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has won his second term with a thumping victory, and the diplomatic dance being played by India between Iran and the US will become one of the first major foreign policy challenges of his new tenure. The US, an increasingly pivotal partner for India, offers a challenge not just to Indian bilateral ties, but its idea of strategic autonomy.

Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale earlier this year said that Indias alignment today is issue-based, not ideology-based, giving it diplomatic flexibility and decisional autonomy. This thinking is now being tested.

Indias relations with Iran are in the Trump administrations crosshairs. While New Delhi managed to save the Chabahar Port project from US ire, oil imports played the role of the fall guy as Washington DC moves troops to West Asia amid an increasingly precarious geopolitical situation. India, which imports nearly 70% of its annual crude requirements, historically had Iran as one of its top three suppliers. Oil is the single-most important commodity, political or economic, between New Delhi and Tehran. Remove oil from the picture, and India-Iran trade ties are laid bare bone with little else to ride home about for now.

Over the past few days, tensions between the US and Iran have escalated significantly. After Gulf states accused Tehran of trying to sabotage their oil tankers operating in the region, the White House announced military deployment along with supplying billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan. This claim in itself is highly contested; with other than intelligence reports being highlighted by the US, little other concrete evidence has been presented, raising concerns of another American misadventure in the region.

This brewing crisis has many in New Delhi jilted, over both the supply of crude oil to India and, in general, a significant hike in global crude prices. However, more than oil itself, what concerns India equally, if not more, is its space in the global order and how it chooses to position itself in an increasingly transactional world. That is, not an out-and-out ally of the US, attempting to maintain its strategic autonomy.

Under Iran sanctions during the P5+1 negotiations with Tehran a few years ago, the Islamic country dropped down to seventh position as India hedged its energy security bets. This showcased that oil security is possible to achieve within Irans neighbourhood with both Iraq and Saudi Arabia seeing increased oil imports from India back then, and others such as Nigeria also chipping in to cover the deficits. Despite this, India went out of its way to protect its historic and civilisational relations with the home of Shia Islam.

New Delhi holds good experience on how to manage itself amid US  Iran tensions. Tehran, as it did last time, is pushing India to increase its investment flow into its economy with a question mark hanging over Europes alternative plans to open financial highways that would work despite American sanctions. Previously, India continued to purchase Iranian crude, the kind around which infrastructure such as the Mangalore refinery was built (Iran has a specific kind of crude oil known as heavy crude) specifically to cater for Iranian supplies despite sanctions.

To game the sanctions, India continued to purchase oil from Iran while depositing money into a bank account in Kolkata. At its peak, the account at a branch of UCO Bank held more than $6 billion in dues to the Iranians as Tehran was being pushed by Western powers (and India) to commit to what we today know as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), committed to by Iran and UN Security Council members and Germany, and abandoned later by the Trump administration. In essence, today Iran stands on a higher moral pedestal than the US on this issue.

During the JCPOA negotiations and the time before that, Tehran applied similar pressure on India, as it would now, to increase economic presence and purchase more oil on extremely favourable terms and conditions. While India accommodated the American whims, it also gave space to Tehran, allowing Irans Bank Pasargad to open a branch in Mumbai, a move previously not entertained by India in order to pacify the US. This time, however, the openly bullish nature of the US has pushed India to highlight the fact that its bilateral relations with Tehran, while having some room for manoeuvre to accommodate American concerns, are sacrosanct to its own national interests.

The looming economic concerns for India do not necessarily come from American pressure on New Delhi to rein in oil imports, but on the Trump administrations irresponsible attempts to create another crisis in West Asia suggesting Iran as an imminent threat, stoking fears of another Iraq War-like situation where US started a conflict on false pretexts. The US withdrawal from the JCPOA has created a problematic situation in Iran, where moderates who propagated the deal now find themselves facing the ire of conservatives and anti-US mullahs to reverse Irans outreach to the West and recede back into its anti-Western posture, which has prevailed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

For the new Modi government, which was staking its claim once again in New Delhi at the time of writing, playing by the rules of new global diplomatic challenges, weaponisation of international trade, threats to multilateralism and global diplomatic institutions are the challenges that wrap around the USIran kerfuffle, and by association, the globalised Indian economy as well.

Kabir Taneja is associate fellow, Observer Research Foundation, and leads their West Asia initiative
All countries suffer third-country pressures on bilateral ties. India is no exception

Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his second term at a time when US President Donald Trump is mounting severe and comprehensive pressure on Iran. In this context, Modis nightmare would be the outbreak of armed hostilities between the two countries. It would threaten Indias energy security60% of Indias oil imports pass through the narrow passageway of the Strait of Hormuz. It would also adversely impact the welfare of nine million Indians living in the Arabian Peninsula countries and truly dislocate Indias economy.

While Trumps Iran policy is contributing to an enormous escalation of tensions in West Asia, the chance of a serious armed conflict is remote. Nevertheless, US actions in Indias immediate and extended neighbourhood are currently, as they have in the past, impacting its interests. They are particularly complicating Indian approaches towards Afghanistan and Pakistan apart from Iran.

It is ironic that both the US close ties with Iran prior to 1979 and enduring hostility thereafter have cast shadows on Indo-Iranian ties. The Shahs Iran was a US ally and, along with Pakistan and Turkey, a member of the US anchored Central Treaty Organisation, created to contain the Soviet Union; it was also largely negative towards non-aligned India because of US and Pakistani orientations.

Ayatollah Khomeini and his clerical successors remain essentially inimical to the Great Satan. US conservatives of the Trump variety want to cripple Iran, especially its economy and foreign relations, to accomplish regime change. Their chosen instruments are sanctions to prevent the export of Irans hydrocarbons and inhibit its international financial transactions. Thus, foreign companies which enter into commercial ties with Iran in the hydrocarbons sector, among others, do so at the risk of breaking contacts with US related entities. No company, including Indian, wishes to face such a possibility.

India seeks connectivity through Iran to Afghanistan and beyond. It is developing the Chabahar Port for this purpose. The US too wants that land-locked Afghanistan does not remain dependent on Pakistan for access to the seas. Hence, it has kept the Chabahar Port development outside the ambit of sanctions. However, Trump is mercurial and if he decides to sanction the Chabahar project as well, there is little that India will be able to do.

The days of US all-out support for Pakistan are gone. Trump has now a nuanced approach. He is keeping Pakistan under economic pressure through the International Monetary Fund and the Financial Action Task Force mechanisms so that it pushes the US agenda in Afghanistan. The principal objectives are to get the Taliban to give up relations with global Islamist terror, abandon violence and agree to negotiations with the Afghan government for a peace deal. The Taliban is not obliging on the latter two points.

The Taliban and Pakistan consider themselves victorious in the Afghan conflict. Encouraged by Pakistan, the Taliban are determined to reach peace only on their terms. India has good reason to suspect the Taliban and would have liked the group to be eliminated. As that is not possible, it has to come up with a new strategy to deal with it. It is groping for one, delaying the inevitableestablishing an open channel of communication.

The recent designation of the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar has to be seen as a product of US-China dynamics. It was, of course, a signal to Pakistan toomeant to show that the terrorist game against India has gone for far too long and has become dangerous because of Indias doctrine of pre-emption. That is good news for India. But the difficulty is: will it last and what will be the future bills that the US will present? For now, it demanded that India stops importing Iranian oil. India obliged. This may hurt nationalistic sentiment but is no great strategic loss.

In the complex web of international relations, all countries have to navigate their way through third-country pressures on their bilateral ties. India is no exception.

Vivek Katju is a retired Indian Foreign Service officer
The elevation of V Muraleedharan as a minister in the Narendra Modi government at the Centre shows that Bharatiya Janata Party's failure to win a seat in the Lok Sabha election has not deterred the party leadership from pursuing its mission to 'conquer' the southern state of Kerala.

The elevation of V Muraleedharan as a minister in the Narendra Modi government at the Centre shows that Bharatiya Janata Party's failure to win a seat in the Lok Sabha election has not deterred the party leadership from pursuing its mission to 'conquer' the southern state of Kerala.

The prime minister's decision to give the ministerial berth to a leader belonging to the majority community also reinforces the party's focus on a Hindu consolidation for making the much-needed electoral breakthrough in the state where it has been able to win only one Assembly in its electoral history seat so far. Modi had sought to attract the minorities by rewarding Alphonse Kannanthamanam, a Christian, with a ministerial position in his first term.

However, the bureaucrat-turned-politician failed to bring in the Christian community, which accounts for 18 percent of the state's population, close to the party. In fact, he could not ensure the support of the community for himself. Alphonse ended third in the Christian-dominated Ernakulam constituency with a vote share of just 14.24 percent.

BJP had shifted its focus to the majority community after faithful rose in protest against the Supreme Court verdict lifting the ban on menstruating women from entering the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district. The party had viewed this as a golden opportunity to increase its footprint in the state, where Hindus constitute about 56 percent of the population.

The defeat of the BJP candidates in Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur where the ripples of the Sabarimala issue were felt more, was seen as a defeat of its strategy to ride high on the religious sentiments. The state leadership of the party has, however, refused to see the poll debacle as a defeat of this strategy.

The BJP core committee of the party that reviewed the election results concluded that the party could not get the full benefit of the Sabarimala issue as the faithful sought to use their votes to punish the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for its attempt to implement the Supreme Court verdict without considering their religious sentiments.

The panel, however, viewed the increase in the vote share of the party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from 10.81 per cent in 2014 to 15.56 per cent in 2019 as a gain from the Sabarimala issue and its scope for future electoral gains.

The committee claims that the faithful would rally behind the saffron party when the Modi government implement its electoral promise to find a legislative solution to the issue and help the party in the Assembly election due in 2021.

Party sources admit that the party could not get the votes of a substantial number of the faithful, especially the upper caste Nairs, as the party had failed to take any steps to counter the 28 September Sabarimala SC verdict.

Sunnykutty Abraham, a senior journalist based in Thiruvananthapuram, said that the party would have got the support of the faithful if the party had either filed a review petition against the verdict or forced its government to issue an ordinance shielding the customs and traditions prevalent in the hill shrine.

He pointed out that the faithful had reposed their faith in the Congress-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) as its government had opposed the entry of women between the age of 10 and 50 in the temple when the apex court took up the petition seeking the entry of the prohibited women in Sabarimala.

Senior BJP leaders hope that the induction of Muraleedharan in the Union ministry may clear the apprehensions in the minds of the faithful. By inducting Muraleedharan, the party is also eyeing the Left cadres since the party had witnessed the largest flow of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers into the party during his term as state president between 2010 and 2016. He was able to wean in the communist cadres, who started deserting the CPM in the wake of ideological disarray in the party in the 2010s.

A drive, he spearheaded during 2014-2015, saw the BJP's membership rising from 5 lakh to 20 lakh. BJP strategists believe that the flow will increase now as the Left had suffered one of its biggest poll debacles in the state. The party is focusing more on the communist cadres as it was able to make electoral gains in the other communist bastions of Tripura and West Bengal by providing an ideological alternative to the Left workers.

The BJP does not find much scope in attracting workers from the UDF since their backbone is the minority community, who are still apprehensive of the Hindutva ideology of the party. The opposition coalition has been able to sweep the state this time due to the consolidation of minorities, who account for 46 percent of the state's population, in its favour,

Born on 12 December, 1958 in Kannur district, Muraleedharan had entered politics through Akhila Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He spent a major part of his political career in providing ideological orientation to the party workers. The leader who served as the All India convener of BJP training cell in 2005 was appointed as state vice president in 2006 with the main task of strengthening the ideological base of the party.

Muraleedharan has been able to expand the grass root base of the party in the state by providing systematic training to the workers. His elevation to the Modi ministry is believed to be a reward to the role he played in strengthening the party.

He had also played important roles at the national level. He has served as all-India secretary and general secretary of ABVP and vice-chairman and Director General of Nehru Yuva Kendra. He also served as the chief coordinator of the committee chaired by the Prime minister for celebrating the golden jubilee of Indian Republic in the year of 2000.

As the office bearer of Nehru Yuva Kendra he received national attention for creating National Reconstruction Corps, which later came to be called Rashtriya Sadbhawana Yojana.

Induction of Muraleedharan in the Modi ministry may silence the party critics, especially the LDF who have been accusing the Modi government of adopting a step-brother treatment towards Kerala because of the party's failure to win any seat in the state.
Reuters

By Guy Faulconbridge

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain may not have made a final decision on allowing China's Huawei a restricted role in building parts of its 5G network, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said on Thursday.

The Trump administration, which has sanctioned Huawei and tried to block it buying U.S. goods, has told allies not to use its 5G technology and equipment because of fears it would allow China to spy on sensitive communications and data.

Britain's National Security Council, chaired by Prime Minister Theresa May, met to discuss Huawei last month and a decision was made to block Huawei from all core parts of the 5G network but to give it restricted access to non-core parts.

A final decision by the British cabinet of senior ministers was due to have happened in recent weeks but May's pledge to step down as prime minister has stalled the process, sources said. She is expected to be out of office by the end of July.

When asked if the United States would like the next British leader to take a tougher stance on Huawei, Bolton said discussions with London were continuing but that Trump would probably raise it when he visits next week.

"I'm not sure that this decision has reached the prime ministerial level in final form. I mean we are still talking," Bolton told reporters in London. "People are talking back and forth."

"Everybody is catching up to the dangers posed, especially in 5th-generation telecommunications systems, by equipment from Huawei and potentially others that can allow foreign governments a back door into telecommunications systems," he said.

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.

"WOBBLY"

Huawei, founded in 1987 by a former engineer in China's People's Liberation Army, denies it spies for Beijing, says it complies with the law and that the United States is trying to smear it because Western companies are falling behind.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Britain on a visit this month that it needed to change its attitude towards China and Huawei, casting the world's second largest economy as a threat to the West similar to that once posed by the Soviet Union.

"Now is not the time for either of us to go wobbly," Pompeo said in a speech on the so-called special relationship, paraphrasing what former prime minister Margaret Thatcher once famously told late U.S. President George H.W. Bush.

Britain has said it will announce the findings of a review into 5G suppliers to parliament once the work has been completed, though May's imminent departure from office has slowed the process.

Bolton said the issue of Huawei and 5G came down to a risk assessment but he repeated the fundamental view of the United States that the division between core and non core is less clear when it comes to 5G networks.

"5G really is not so easily divisible into core elements and peripheral elements," Bolton said.

"How much risk are you prepared to accept that a foreign power is reading your mail all the time at their will?" Bolton asked. "When it comes to our government systems, the United States has said zero is the level of risk we will accept."

The world's leading intelligence-sharing network - the anglophone Five Eyes alliance of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and New Zealand - will not use technology from Huawei in its most sensitive networks.

For Britain's spy masters, the riddle of Huawei is only a part of the wider challenge of securing 5G networks and what they see as the much more fundamental threat from China's dominance in certain globalised technologies of the future.

(Writing by William James and Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Stephen Addison and David Evans)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Reuters

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) will hear a landmark privacy case regarding the transfer of EU citizens data to the United States in July, after Facebooks bid to stop its referral was blocked by Irelands Supreme Court on Friday.

The case, which was initially brought against Facebook by Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems, is the latest to question whether methods used by technology firms to transfer data outside the 28-nation European Union give EU consumers sufficient protection from U.S. surveillance.

A ruling by Europes top court against the current legal arrangements would have major implications for thousands of companies, which make millions of such transfers every day, including human resources databases, credit card transactions and storage of internet browsing histories.

The Irish High Court, which heard Schrems case against Facebook last year, said there were well-founded concerns about an absence of an effective remedy in U.S. law compatible with EU legal requirements, which prohibit personal data being transferred to a country with inadequate privacy protections.

The High Court ordered the case be referred to the ECJ to assess whether the methods used for data transfers - including standard contractual clauses and the so-called Privacy Shield agreement - were legal.

Facebook took the case to the Supreme Court when the High Court refused its request to appeal the referral, but in a unanimous decision on Friday, the Supreme Court said it would not overturn any aspect the ruling.

The High Courts original five-page referral asks the ECJ if the Privacy Shield - under which companies certify they comply with EU privacy law when transferring data to the United States - does, in fact, mean that the United States ensures an adequate level of protection.

Facebook came under scrutiny last year after it emerged the personal information of up to 87 million users, mostly in the United States, may have been improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.

More generally, data privacy has been a growing public concern since revelations in 2013 by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden of mass U.S. surveillance caused political outrage in Europe.

The Privacy Shield was hammered out between the EU and the United States after the ECJ struck down its predecessor, Safe Harbour, on the grounds that it did not afford Europeans data enough protection from U.S. surveillance.

That case was also brought by Schrems via the Irish courts.

Facebook likely again invested millions to stop this case from progressing. It is good to see that the Supreme Court has not followed, Schrems said in a statement.
Reuters

(Reuters) - Canadian telecom provider Rogers Communications Inc's vice chairman, Philip Lind, said on Thursday that Huawei Technologies Co should be banned from Canada's 5G network, Bloomberg reported.

While Huawei is cheaper and sophisticated compared with other alternatives, its close relationship to the Chinese government is troubling, Lind told BNN Bloomberg in a TV interview.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are expected to discuss about the dispute with China over Huawei during a meeting in Ottawa on Thursday.

U.S. has accused Huawei of being tied to China's government, and has effectively banned U.S. firms from doing business with the company for national security reasons.

The dispute, which also involves Canada, has left Ottawa expressing frustration at what it sees as a lackluster response from the United States to harsh Chinese measures.

In December, Canada arrested Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wangzhou, on a U.S. warrant. Subsequently, China arrested two Canadians on charges of espionage and stopped imports of key commodities from the G-7 country.

(Reporting by Debroop Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by James Emmanuel)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Reuters

The United States may no longer share sensitive security information with nations that install next-generation networks, like those made by Chinas Huawei, that it regards as insecure, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.

Pompeo issued the warning after meeting his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Berlin, which has so far stood with European partners in resisting US calls to ban the state-owned manufacturer from 5G mobile networks now being built.

While he said all countries would take their own sovereign decisions on which manufacturers to use, the United States would continue to warn them of the risks, including the possibility that Washington would have to withold information.

(There is) a risk we will have to change our behaviour in light of the fact that we cant permit data on private citizens or data on national security to go across networks in that we dont have confidence (in), he told a news conference.

(Also Read: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claims 'Huawei is an instrument of the Chinese government')

Pompeo is expected to continue pressing the issue in a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel on his delayed trip to Berlin, the first stop in a five-day European trip that will also take him to Switzerland, the Netherlands and Britain.

Pompeo urged close ally Britain this month not to use Huaweis technology to build new 5G networks because of concerns it could be a vehicle for Chinese spying.

The United States is at odds with its German allies on a host of issues, from trade to military spending and nuclear non-proliferation.

Pompeos visit had been scheduled earlier this month, but was called off at the last minute as tensions rose over Iran, on whose nuclear programme Berlin and Washington do not see eye to eye.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, responding to similar comments on Huawei made by US Vice President Mike Pence in Canada on Thursday, said the United States had yet to prove that Huaweis products presented a security risk.

We hope that the United States can stop these mistaken actions which are not at all commensurate with their status and position as a big country, said spokesman Geng Shuang.

Pompeo also urged Germany to follow Britain in proscribing Lebanons Iran-backed Hezbollah group and boost military spending.

He also said that the United States was attempting to verify reports that a senior North Korean official involved in Pyongyangs non-proliferation talks with Washington had been executed.
The OnePlus 7 Pro features a 90 Hz display, an additional telephoto camera (3X optical zoom), an ultra-wide-angle camera, 12 GB RAM and a slightly bigger 4,000 mAh battery that comes with faster 30 W charging.

If you understood any of the hardware features that I mentioned in the above paragraph, the OnePlus 7 Pro most certainly is for you!

The OnePlus 7 features a smaller 6.41-inch display, dual-cameras, a slightly smaller battery with fast enough charging. Its also smaller and lighter (182 grams) than the 7 Pro (206 grams), which makes it easier to hold and use.

So, if the basic camera performance is pretty much on par with the OnePlus 7 Pro, why would you want a 7 Pro? Or should you upgrade to a 7 from a 6 or a 6T? Read on to find out.

Whats new over the OnePlus 6T?

Theres a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset inside with a faster Adreno 640 graphics, which means that your games will run a lot cooler, take up less power (from your battery) and may even see a slight performance bump over the OnePlus 6T.

Theres faster UFS 3.0 storage but you really wont notice the difference unless you get a high from sniffing PC RAM modules. The faster storage will simply make transferring files and photos faster with a slight possible bump in game load times. And thats about it!

A gigantic improvement over the past OnePlus smartphones is the dual speaker setup. Its loud and really clear and I didnt mind watching my favourite Netflix shows without headphones plugged in. These dual speakers are loud enough to fill a bedroom with music and are good enough to show off at a quick team conference call. In short, they are a big contrast to the tiny bass-less speakers on past OnePlus phones.

Another major improvement is the Screen Unlock. I was using a OnePlus 6T McLaren edition over the past few days before I switched to the new OnePlus 7 and its easy to conclude that Screen Unlock is way faster and a lot more reliable than the previous generation. At times, it almost felt like the phone wasnt even authenticating my digit and just unlocking the device (but that was not the case).

The biggest improvement over the 6T is the new (and quite popular) 48 MP rear camera, but more about it a bit later.

The finer details

The finer stuff that OnePlus owners will appreciate is the new (but linear) vibration motor which feels as good as the one on the OnePlus 7 Pro (even though they are different). Its a drastic jump from buzzing and jarring motor from the 6T and previous OnePlus devices, that I would instantly turn off because they felt horrible while using the phone, especially with the virtual navigation keys.

Theres finally a better, brighter display that is a lot brighter than the one on the 6T. Its not as fast as the 90 Hz unit on the 7 Pro, but you would only be missing it if you play a lot of games. Its also a lot more colour accurate than the 6Ts display so the reds look more red and less orange, whether its an app, game videos or photos.

The stale stuff that will make you want to upgrade to a OnePlus 7 Pro

What I really hate about the OnePlus 7 is that it skips on the matte finish options that were available with the 6T. You get a simpler (albeit elegant) Mirror Gray or Red finishes but they are both glossy which means they will catch fingerprints. However, what you get with that smudgy, glossy finish, is a bit more grip as compared to the slippery matte finish. Currently, the matte-finished option is only available with the pricier OnePlus 7 Pro and that too just in Nebula Blue.

The design is almost indistinguishable from the OnePlus 6T to the untrained eye (or the casual shopper). There are minor differences like the placement of the SIM ejector cavity, the bigger receiver speaker grille at the top and of course that chunky camera protrusion at the back. Else, its pretty much the same as the OnePlus 6T. So if you are looking for a new design, you could look at the upcoming Asus Zenfone 6 (flip camera) or the Oppo Reno 10X Zoom edition (shark-fin raising camera + matte-finish design). Else you can spend another Rs 17,000 for the bezel-less OnePlus 7 Pro if you dont want to switch brands.

Is the 48 MP camera worth it?

OnePlus promises superior (read improved) imaging with the OnePlus 7. A quick comparison with the OnePlus 6T shows that image quality has improved drastically over the 6T. It is, however, no match for the Google Pixel 3a (starts from Rs 39,999) overall. Save for some areas.

The details and exposure has improved drastically over the OnePlus 6T, but are still on the lower side when compared to the crisper Pixel 3a. So whether you shoot a Portrait shot or a regular shot with no bokeh, you will get lesser details along with a softer focus on your subject as the beautification is always hard at work whether its on or switched off.

When it came to landscapes the OnePlus 7 actually shot better exposed and more colour accurate photos than the Pixel 3a even though the colour tones were not as accurate when it came to portraits. What I liked with the OnePlus Portrait shots was that the applied blur effect was not as aggressive and unrealistic as the Pixels blur effect.

You can click arrow buttons below to browse through our camera samples gallery or click here to head to the Flickr album.

In low light, things are kind of a mixed bag. As long as theres some street lighting around (100 lux), you get some decent low light shots. Switch to Nightscape and the results are quite impressive given this smartphones pricing and are almost Pixel-like as you can see from the resized samples below.

When it comes to video there are improvements over the 6T, but its not as stabilised and more importantly colour accurate (teal green instead of blue?) as the Pixel 3a. Selfie videos, however, are more stabilised and sharper on the OnePlus 7. So yes, that 48 MP camera on the OnePlus 7 is worth it. But it does not offer the flexibility of lenses that you get with the 7 Pro.

What about the battery?

That slightly smaller 3,700 mAh battery (in comparison to the 7 Pro), in theory, should last longer considering that its connected to a lower (read sensible) FHD display, instead of a power-hungry 90 Hz QHD+ unit on the 7 Pro. Theres no faster Warp charge like on the OnePlus 7 Pro (which is also not as fast as the Huawei P30 Pro) but it keeps up with the old OnePlus promise of a days worth of power with just a half an hour (30 minutes) of charging. The phone easily lasted me through a standard workday just in case you were wondering.

Buy the OnePlus 7

Buy the OnePlus 7 (Rs 32,999 onwards) if you dont care about 90 Hz displays and 12 GB RAM.

Buy the OnePlus 7 if you want a lighter and a smaller smartphone over the 7 Pro.

If you are not sure whether to go for either OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7 pro, do wait for our upcoming Asus Zenfone 6 and Oppo Reno (Rs 39,999) reviews to be out to see how all these phones compare.

Go for the Pixel 3a (Rs 39,999) if the camera or software updates are the only details that matter to you. The Pixel 3a may be a better camera, but it's not exactly future-proof with 4 GB of RAM.

Stick to your OnePlus 6T if gaming performance is all that matters to you.

And get a OnePlus 7 Pro only if you have the money to spare as you wont really be missing the wide-angle and zoom cameras and that 90 Hz display, unless you have used one. To top it off they are not all that great at Rs 48,999 either.

Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.
Press Trust of India

A century ago, a few adventurous astronomers pointed their telescopes at the skies, observing one of the most famous solar eclipses that helped transform our understanding of the universe forever.

The event helped verify Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity which underpins critical modern technologies such as the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS).

The theory is essential for the correct operation of GPS systems, which in turn are relied on in many common applications including vehicle satellite navigation (SatNav) systems, weather forecasting, disaster relief and emergency services.

"This observation not only confirmed a fundamental theory of nature, and enhanced our understanding of nature in a great way, but also showed the genius of Einstein," Sudip Bhattacharyya, Associate Professor at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai told PTI.

"It was as if, he said something bizarre, made an outlandish theory, and nature was obliged to obey it! Bhattacharyya said.

However, the world had to wait decades before the applications of such a blue skies result could be realised.

On 29 May, 1919, astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington verified Einstein's theory by observing the apparent deflection of stars from their normal positions during a solar eclipse.

This happens because, according to Einstein's theory, the path of light is bent by gravity when it travels close to a massive object like our Sun. This effect is measurable during a solar eclipse when the Sun's light is blocked by the Moon. At such times, the light from the background stars closest to the edge of the Sun is bent, and so these stars appear to be in slightly different positions compared to when they are observed at other times.

"A century ago astronomers confirmed the general theory of relativityin the process transforming our understanding of the universe forever," said Professor Mike Cruise, President of the Royal Astronomical Society.

"The work of Einstein and Eddington is an amazing example of international collaboration in the aftermath of the first world war, and a visible demonstration of how science can overcome barriers in these turbulent times," Cruise said.

The result was based on measurements taken by two UK-led expeditions, one to the island of Principe off the west coast of Africa, and the other to Sobral in Brazil. Two sites were chosen to increase the chances of success and to ensure good conditions for viewing the eclipse.

"The experiment redefined the way humanity evolved. It measured a very tiny effect which, however, was absolutely massive in its impact," Ayan Banerjee, Professor at The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata told PTI.

"This is both in terms of our understanding of nature, as well as the technology we live on these days. The seeds of the Google maps in our phones were sown by Eddington a hundred years back," Banerjee said.

The expeditions were jointly funded by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), the Royal Society, and the Royal Irish Academy. When the results were announced at a joint meeting of the RAS and Royal Society in November of the same year, it made Einstein world famous within days.

"It is quite rare in the history of science, that someone predicts so conspicuously unconventional, and it was confirmed by experiment or observation, that too in a matter of a few years," Bhattacharyya said.

"On the 100th year of his prediction, gravitational waves, another prediction of his theory, were discovered (in 2015). And on the 100th year of the confirmation his theory, a black hole was first directly observed (this year), he noted.

One hundred years later, scientists the world over are celebrating to mark the event.

The Royal Astronomical Society is hosting solar observing events at Burlington House in London this week, and the library will display historical images and documents related to the 1919 eclipse.

Other celebratory activities will be taking place in the UK, Portugal, Principe, Sobral and around the world.
Nimish Sawant

Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange, 47, who was recently arrested outside the Ecuadorian embassy where he was staying since 2012, has been charged in the United States under the Espionage Act on 17 counts.

The 17 charges basically accuse Assange of receiving and unlawfully publishing the names of classified sources from the secret military and diplomatic documents in 2010. Assange who is currently serving a 50-week jail sentence in the UK, for jumping bail on another case, is facing extradition requests from the US and Sweden. After Assange was arrested in London, the Swedish authorities also sought his extradition in a rape case involving Assange from 2010. UK Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, will take a call as to which country gets a higher precedence in the extradition.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seen on the balcony of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, Britain, May 19, 2017. Reuters

Why is Julian Assange being charged?

In 2010-11, Wikileaks had published a trove of documents online, sourced by then intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning by accessing the Pentagon's secure networks. Assange is being accused of motivating Manning to continue the theft of classified documents and even helping her out with cracking the password hash to a military computer.

On publishing these secret documents, the US Justice Department claims that Assange revealed the names of human sources and put a lot of human lives of officers operating on the field at grave risk. This, despite repeated requests from the US State Department to not publish those leaked documents.

"Assange personally and publicly promoted Wikileaks to encourage those with access to protected information, including classified information, to provide it to Wikileaks for public disclosure," said the indictment report.

John Demers, the head of the Justice Departments National Security Division, said that contrary to some people's belief, Assange was not a journalist and therefore not immune from prosecution for his actions.

"No responsible actor, journalist or otherwise, would purposefully publish the names of individuals he or she knew to be confidential human sources in a war zone, exposing them to the gravest of dangers," said Demers. This is contradictory to the fact that Assange has received over 15 awards for his work, many of them in the capacity of journalistic work.

Manning was arrested in May 2010 and convicted by a court-martial in 2013. Former US President Barack Obama cut down Manning's 35-year sentence to 7-years, but Manning is back in jail now for repeatedly refusing to testify before a grand jury that is investigating Assange.

What does the Espionage Act state?

The Espionage Act was passed in the US in June 1917, shortly after the US entered World War I.

According to the Act, "The Espionage and Sedition Acts made it a crime to interfere with the operations of the military to promote the success of its enemies and prohibited many forms of speech perceived as disloyal to the United States of America."

What happens if Julian Assange is convicted?

According to Wikileaks, if Assange is convicted he is looking at many decades of jail time, as many as 175 years, as each of the charges carries a jail term of 5-10 years.

What does Wikileaks have to say?

Wikileaks has dismissed these charges calling it an attack on national security journalism and the First Amendment which promises free speech.

According to Wikileaks, the charges relate to disclosing war crimes and human rights abuses by the US government, including "Collateral murder video, Iraq War Logs, Afghan War Diaries, Cablegate and the Guantanamo Bay Detainee Manuals" which were published between 2010 and 2011.

WIKILEAKS RESPONDS TO ESPIONAGE ACT INDICTMENT AGAINST ASSANGE: UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK ON FREE PRESS pic.twitter.com/F0iUyr0R7F  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) May 24, 2019

Wikileaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson stated, "This is the evil of lawlessness in its purest form. With the indictment, 'the leader of the free world' dismissed the First Amendment  hailed as a model press freedom around the world  and launched a blatant extra-territorial assault outside its borders, attacking the basic principles of democracy in Europe and the rest of the world."

The defence attorney for Julian Assange has stated, "The fig leaf that this is merely about alleged computer hacking has been removed. These unprecedented charges demonstrate the gravity of the threat the criminal prosecution of Julian Assange poses to all journalists in their endeavour to inform the public about actions that have been taken by the US government."

Why are these charges raising questions on the freedom of the press?

The charges against Assange are raising a lot of questions about how it could set a precedent for any investigative journalist working on stories that could reveal US secrets.

In a strongly worded editorial, The New York Times states, "It is a marked escalation in the effort to prosecute Assange, one that could have a chilling effect on American journalism as it has been practised for generations. It is aimed straight at the heart of the First Amendment."

The war on Julian #Assange is now a war on all. Eighteen absurd charges including espionage send a burning message to every journalist, every publisher. The target today is #Assange. Tomorrow it will be you on the New York Times, you on the BBC. Modern fascism is breaking cover.  John Pilger (@johnpilger) May 23, 2019

Assange acquired documents from a government source, Manning, which demonstrated many wrongdoings of the US government. This is being held against him and he is being charged with espionage for this. In American history, there have been many cases such as the Pentagon Papers, which involved doing precisely this kind of public-service journalism. A kind of journalism where the public benefitted from learning what was going on behind closed doors. The First Amendment in the US protects the press from being pulled up for precisely these things.

If Assange is convicted under the Espionage Act for his publishing of secret US documents, it could mean a serious blow to investigative journalism in the US and with data related to the US government. The whole argument regarding Assange not being a journalist also does not make much sense as the work done by Wikileaks is investigative journalism which has been published by reputed news organisations such as The New York Times and The Guardian.

The Trump administration has given more than enough examples since 2016 of randomly accusing news organisations of being 'fake news'. With a precedent set by convicting Assange under the Espionage Act, the Trump administration could further prevent any kind of investigative reporting which involves disclosing US government secrets.

There is no doubt that Assange's methods were controversial, as in some of the documents some important names were not redacted before publishing. He has also been accused of being a Russian stooge when prior to the 2016 US Presidential elections, Wikileaks published a stash of Democratic emails which had allegedly been stolen and provided to Wikileaks by the Russian government.

But charging him for espionage puts him in the same league as "foreign spies seeking to undermine a nation's security," according to NYT which stated, "Assange is no hero. But this case now represents a threat to freedom of expression and, with it, the resilience of American democracy itself."

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has said that this indictment establishes "a dangerous precedent that can be used to target all news organisations that hold the government accountable."

What is Twitter saying about the charges against Assange?

The Department of Justice just declared warnot on Wikileaks, but on journalism itself. This is no longer about Julian Assange: This case will decide the future of media. https://t.co/a5WHmTCDpg  Edward Snowden (@Snowden) May 23, 2019

Countless organizations confirmed that Julian #Assange is a journalist. It is undeniable. A journalist, registered. A publisher, awarded. The case against @wikileaks is a threat against investigative journalism, globally.  Renata Avila (@avilarenata) May 23, 2019

Julian Assange has just been charged with 17 new counts under the Espionage Act. None of this is about 2016, the election or allegations in Sweden. This is about attacking journalism and the public's right to information about war crimes done in their name with their dollars. https://t.co/Go6lYWVPmO  jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) May 23, 2019

Put simply, the Trump admin's unprecedented charges against Julian Assange and WikiLeaks are the most significant and terrifying threat to the First Amendment in the 21st century. Our statement on the shocking news out of the Justice Department: https://t.co/HBhAGaMYyo  pic.twitter.com/sWX5RB2hcD  Freedom of the Press (@FreedomofPress) May 23, 2019
By Stanis Bujakera KINSHASA (Reuters) - The body of Congo's longstanding opposition figurehead and statesman Etienne Tshisekedi arrived home on Thursday to a packed and emotional welcome after a two-year wait in a Belgian morgue because of a ban on his return. Thousands of people came to the airport in Kinshasa, the capital, to sing and chant as the coffin of the charismatic politician was wheeled through the crowds, draped in a light-blue Congolese flag. Tshisekedi, beloved for his lone stand against a series of autocratic leaders and whose son, Felix, was elected president in a disputed December vote, died while on medical leave in Brussels in February 2017

By Stanis Bujakera

KINSHASA (Reuters) - The body of Congo's longstanding opposition figurehead and statesman Etienne Tshisekedi arrived home on Thursday to a packed and emotional welcome after a two-year wait in a Belgian morgue because of a ban on his return.

Thousands of people came to the airport in Kinshasa, the capital, to sing and chant as the coffin of the charismatic politician was wheeled through the crowds, draped in a light-blue Congolese flag.

Tshisekedi, beloved for his lone stand against a series of autocratic leaders and whose son, Felix, was elected president in a disputed December vote, died while on medical leave in Brussels in February 2017.

Fearful of the unrest that his body's return might spur, the government of former President Joseph Kabila, who ran Democratic Republic of Congo for 18 years before stepping down in December, had not allowed Tshisekedi's body to return home.

News of Tshisekedi's death alone spurred violent clashes in Kinshasa between supporters and police.

But Felix Tshisekedi's unexpected rise to the presidency has lessened the controversy of his father's return. Opposition critics say Felix's victory in the December poll was part of a deal with Kabila under which Kabila would relinquish power but retain control over key functions of government, a claim both leaders deny.

"Etienne Tshisekedi represents Congo's political struggle," said opposition politician Francois Mwamba on his return. Another support said, "Our President is our hero."

Etienne Tshisekedi was a pivotal figure in Congo, whose history has been marked by civil war and coups. His activism and bravery in the face of leaders like Mobutu Sese Seko won him widespread support, and he drew huge crowds.

He served as a minister under Mobutu before founding the UDPS, the first organised opposition platform in what was then Zaire, in 1982. Tshisekedi was named prime minister four times in the 1990s, but never lasted more than a few months as he and Mobutu repeatedly clashed.

Before his death, Tshisekedi had become a lightning rod for opposition to Kabila's refusal to step down, despite his mandate running out in 2016, but he failed to mobilise thousands onto the streets to oust Kabila.

(Reporting by Stanis Bujakera; Writing by Edward McAllister; Editing by Leslie Adler)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
In a surprise announcement that could compromise a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is slapping a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican imports, effective 10 June

Washington: In a surprise announcement that could compromise a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is slapping a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican imports, effective 10 June, to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the US border.

He said the percentage will gradually increase  up to 25 percent  until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied. Trump made the announcement by tweet after telling reporters earlier Thursday that he was planning a major statement that would be his biggest so far on the border.

On 10 June, the United States will impose a 5 percent Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied, he wrote, at which time the Tariffs will be removed.

Trump has accused the Mexican government of failing to do enough to halt the flow of Central American migrants who have been flowing to the US in search of asylum from countries including El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

And he has been itching to take increasingly radical, headline-grabbing action on the issue, which he sees as critical to his re-election campaign because it energizes his base.

But the sudden tariff threat comes at a peculiar time, given how hard the administration has been pushing for passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that would update the North American Free Trade Agreement. It also comes less than two weeks after Trump lifted import taxes on Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminium, a move that seemed to clear an obstacle to passage of his North American trade deal.

The White House sees the deal, which was agreed to by the three nations leaders in November, as the cornerstone of Trumps 2020 legislative agenda. But it needs approval from lawmakers in all three countries for it to be ratified.

Daniel Ujczo, an international trade lawyer based in Ohio, said the move puts lawmakers who want to vote yes in an awkward spot because companies in their home states and districts end up paying the tariffs. He also said the plan, if implemented, could slow down the deals ratification in Mexico.

Still, he and others wondered whether Trump  who has a habit of creating problems and then claiming credit when he rushes in to solve them  would actually go through with the threat. This seems more theatre and tactics than a strategy to solve the migration crisis and rebalance North American trade, he said.

Indeed, on a briefing call with reporters Thursday evening, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said there were several things Mexico could do to prevent the tariffs from kicking in. He said the White House had specifically refrained from setting specific benchmarks but would be looking at progress on a day-to-day and a week-to-week basis.

Were going to judge success here by the number of people crossing the border and that number needs to start coming down immediately, in a significant and substantial number, he said. He also insisted that tariffs were completely separate and apart from the USMCA because one pertained to trade and the other immigration.

The two are absolutely not linked, he claimed. Jesus Seade, the trade negotiator for Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrader, called the matter most serious but also downplayed it as an unlikely possibility. It is no secret to anyone that Trump is very active in his use of Twitter, and he launches many tweets that are later changed, he talks about something else and things stay there, he said.

Trumps tariff threat comes at a time when Mexican authorities have been stepping up their efforts, carrying out migrant raids and detaining thousands of people traveling through the country en route to the US.

The crumbling city of Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border, has become the epicenter of the crackdowns. Thousands of migrants have been stranded in the city because the Mexican government isnt providing them visas that allow them to travel. Authorities this week have also been clearing out parks of camping migrants and raiding hotels where immigrants were staying.

Mexican authorities raided and largely broke up the last major migrant caravan, detaining hundreds of immigrants from Central America. And the Mexican government has allowed the US to return hundreds of asylum seekers from Central America and other countries to force them to wait their cases out in Mexico  in one of only a few immigration policies that have not been immediately struck down by the courts.

The White House said Trump would be using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement the tariff, and described a quickly escalating scheduled of increases.

If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the Tariffs will be removed, the White House said in a statement. But if Trump is not satisfied, the 5 percent figure will increase to 10 percent on 1 July, to 15 percent on 1 August, to 20 percent on 1 September and to 25 percent on 1 October, the White House said.

Tariffs will permanently remain at the 25 percent level unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory, the statement read. During a visit to Canada on Thursday to promote the trade deal, Vice President Mike Pence voiced optimism, vowing it would be passed this year.

Asked by reporters about the impact of possible new tariffs, Pence said that both Mexico and Congress need to do more and that Trump is determined to use his authority to call on them to do so.

That could include closer cooperation and entering into a safe third country agreement that would designate Mexico as a safe haven for asylum-seekers and make it difficult for those who enter Mexico from later claiming asylum in the US  something Mexico is reluctant to agree to.
The Centre-right and centre-left took a beating in the EU elections. What else is in store?

Europe has voted for its shared 751-seat parliament and contrary to the hype, there was no European revolution. The far-right did not take charge. Euroscepticism did not triumph. In fact, voter turnout surged to a 20-year high and the 28-country European political project might have never been so popular among its peoples.

So, what is the European story told by the elections, held from May 23 to 26 and billed as the worlds second-biggest democratic exercise after Indias? It is one of hope for change and the pattern was different in the 28 European Union (EU) member-states.

A common thread in northern Europe was the strong showing by the Greens, who received nearly 21% of the vote in Germany; 16% in Finland; 15% in Ireland; 13.3% in France; 10.5% in The Netherlands as well as high scores in Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria. In Portugual in the south, a Green party won its first European parliamentary seat. The Greens tally stands at 70, up from 51 in the last parliament.

The anti-immigrant far-right did well in Italy, Hungary and France, as did Polands governing nationalist Law and Justice Party.

In Britain, the anti-EU Brexit Party led by Nigel Farage got the largest single share of the vote, with a clutch of pro-EU parties also polling equally strongly.

The European Parliaments traditionally dominant centre-right and centre-left blocs lost their combined majority, one they had held for 40 years. When the new parliament meets for the first time on July 2, it will be more diverse  with more representation from the far-right and the far-left, liberals as well as the Greens. This may set the scene for some surprises  and much wrangling  when it comes to Europes five top jobs. The presidents of the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament and European Central Bank have to be chosen, as well as Europes foreign policy high representative or the blocs foreign minister.

For much of the world beyond European shores, the EUs legislative processes are incomprehensible. Do the European parliamentary elections really matter? If so, how? The parliament could be said to be the EUs only truly democratic institution ever since direct elections were introduced in 1979. It represents 512 million European citizens but its power is derived from the assent it must give to proposed legislation. This can have far-reaching effect. The outgoing parliament, for instance, agreed to ban single-use plastics and helped shape General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into force last year. GDPR not only addresses data protection and privacy for individuals in the EU and the European Economic Area but also the export of personal data to other parts of the world. This matters to countries like India, whose companies need to show GDPR compliance in order to do business with Europe.

Members of the European Parliament also typically vote on a range of matters that materially affect the lives of ordinary people. These include workers rights, mobile phone roaming charges, health and safety regulations and pesticide use.

The parliament also has 23 committees, which deal with areas such as security and defence, human rights and international trade. Key policy debates on these issues with ramifications for the wider world  are likely to be very different in the newly elected parliament compared to earlier ones, when a centre-right and centre-left political consensus ruled and there was a certain predictability of outcome.

The new parliaments nationalists and far-righters make up something that has been called the less EU camp, one that believes in rolling back the blocs authority and returning as much power as possible to member states. How this happened is interesting. Three years after the United Kingdom narrowly voted to leave the EU, continental politics is indelibly marked by the shambles of Brexit. After watching Britains painful contortions, twisting and turning in the wind as it seeks to leave the EU without suffering a massive economic shock, there has been a decided fall on mainland Europe of Brexit-style, anti-EU sentiment.

Other than the Brexit Party in the UK, the EUs most trenchant critics successfully campaigned in this election for reform of Europe, not its outright rejection. It is another matter that the planned reform is meant to weaken European institutional authority on issues such as human rights abuses and the rule of law.

But ahead of the parliamentary elections, Frances far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, and Italys League, led by Matteo Salvini, did not promise a referendum to leave the EU. Instead, they vowed to work from within towards a Europe of nations, albeit branded with a far-right agenda.

Differences among the far-right parties, however, make it all but certain there will be little agreement on anything but Islamophobia and restricting immigration. They differ on Russia, deficit spending, free-market liberalism and globalisation, just for starters.

What this means is the new European Parliament will be a more fractious body and European politics just got a lot less predictable.

(Rashmee Roshan Lall is an international affairs columnist based in London)
This is Pelosi's balancing act: toggling between mounting pressure from other Democrats and her own political instincts. Shes sticking with her plans for a more measured, ironclad investigation that makes it clear to Americans the choices ahead

Washington: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi still isnt ready to impeach President Donald Trump.

Even after special counsel Robert Mueller essentially called on Congress to pick up where his investigation left off, Pelosi isnt budging. Scores of her Democratic lawmakers do want to start impeachment proceedings. Outside groups say its time. But Pelosi is carrying on as she has since taking the speakers gavel in January, promising the House will methodically pursue its investigations of Trump  wherever they lead.

This is Pelosis balancing act: toggling between mounting pressure from other Democrats and her own political instincts. Shes sticking with her plans for a more measured, ironclad investigation that makes it clear to Americans the choices ahead. Its uncharted territory for the speaker, and this Congress, with both high risks and possible rewards ahead of the 2020 election.

Trump declared his own challenge on Thursday . He called impeachment a dirty, filthy, disgusting word and said courts would never allow it. Many constituents want to impeach the president, Pelosi acknowledged shortly after Muellers remarks Wednesday. But we want to do what is right and what gets results.

Her calculus is political as well as practical, knowing that even if Democrats in the House have the votes to approve articles of impeachment, the Republican majority in the Senate is hardly likely to vote to convict him.

Opinion polling does not favour impeachment, and a full-blown but failed effort might well help the president win re-election. Rather than go it alone, she is urging Democrats to build the case so the public is with them, whatever they decide. Nothing is off the table, Pelosi said, but we do want to make such a compelling case, such an ironclad case.

It has been this way for weeks. As more and more Democratic lawmakers  and presidential candidates  call for impeachment proceedings, Pelosi is urging restraint. Those around her say shes feeling no pressure. On Wednesday, many Democrats took Muellers words as an invitation to impeach.

Mueller told the country, as he said in his 448-page report last month, that while charging the president with obstructing justice was not an option under Department of Justice guidelines, he also did not exonerate Trump.

Instead, Mueller said, the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting President of wrongdoing. Without saying the word, Mueller was pointing to impeachment.

More presidential hopefuls  Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and John Hickenlooper  quickly called for impeachment proceedings. Half the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee want an inquiry. And dozens of other House Democrats, not just the liberal left flank, are on board.

At a town hall meeting that night, Rep. Pramila Jayapal told voters in Seattle, said the road ahead weighs on me. She is among those who want formal impeachment proceedings. Not everybody in the caucus is there yet, that is why Speaker Pelosi has a difficult role and she has been trying to figure out exactly how we will move forward, she told the audience.

The more the president obstructed justice ... the more certain we are going to be headed in a direction that I think many of us have already come out for  and that is an impeachment inquiry. More joined Thursday, including Rep. Greg Stanton, a freshman congressman from Arizona who said, This conclusion will be unpopular with some, but it is the right thing to do.

At a town hall in Henderson, Nevada, presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, who favors impeachment, said, Nancy Pelosi does not have an easy job. But this isnt entirely new for her. She witnessed the efforts to impeach Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton and, as speaker a decade ago, tamped down cries to impeach George W. Bush over the Iraq War.

Also, the voices for impeachment make up just a slim fraction of the broader Democratic majority in the House. Many of the others represent more conservative districts and face re-election where Trump has significant support.

Back home during a visit to a supermarket in Peoria, Illinois, Rep. Cheri Bustos fielded questions on health care and other issues, an aide said  but impeachment didnt come up. Most of Pelosis top lieutenants are following her lead.

Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House intelligence committee, said Thursday in California hes not urging impeachment yet, though the president seems to be doing everything in his power to get me there.

Schiff warned that impeachment is not a cure all. He said, Impeachment doesnt remove this president. There is only one way to remove this president, and thats by voting him out of office.

Six committees in the House are pushing ahead with investigations of Trumps actions  his business dealings, his actions during the Russia probe, his running of the government  and many of their inquiries are moving into legal battles where, so far, courts are siding with Congress against blocking efforts.

At the same time, the House is trying on other fronts to hold Attorney General William Barr and others in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with subpoena requests for documents and testimony.

The actions will test the Supreme Courts decision, some 100 years ago that Congress has an oversight role as part of the nations system of checks and balances, in ways that could set precedent for years to come.

One Democrat on the Judiciary panel, Val Demings of Florida, a former police chief who favors opening an impeachment proceeding, explained in an earlier interview, that she and others are just trying to figure it out.

During the civil rights movement Im sure the time probably wasnt right politically, but we did in our hearts what we knew was right, she said. With Mueller now unlikely to testify before Congress, Democrats are being denied a star witness who could focus Americans attention in a high-profile way.

Billionaire Tom Steyer, a leading impeachment advocate, says time is narrowing for Pelosi to launch impeachment hearings before the 2020 political campaign. For so long, Democrats were waiting for Muellers report. Now, Steyer said Mueller has spoken and provided them the way forward. Rather than being risky, Steyer said in an interview Thursday, the politics are on the side for impeachment.

Justin Amash got a standing ovation, he said, referring to the Michigan Republican who broke ranks with the GOP and joined calls for impeachment. Americans like truth tellers. Americans like people who stand up for their values.
Pakistans army has sentenced a general to life imprisonment for spying and ordered the death penalty for a brigadier and a civilian officer convicted in the same case, a military statement said on Thursday.

Islamabad: Pakistans army has sentenced a general to life imprisonment for spying and ordered the death penalty for a brigadier and a civilian officer convicted in the same case, a military statement said on Thursday.

Following a closed-door military trial, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa endorsed the sentences on the three for espionage (and) leaking sensitive information to foreign agencies in detriment to national security, the statement said.

Retired Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal was jailed for a life term, meaning he will serve 14 years in prison under Pakistani law. Retired Brigadier Raja Rizwan was sentenced to death alongside Wasim Akram, a civilian doctor employed by an army organisation.

The army did not give further details about the information that was allegedly leaked by the three men or say to whom it was disclosed. It was not clear if the two military officers had already retired from service before the case against them began.

Pakistans army has its own laws and courts, and military officers accused of wrongdoing are always tried behind closed doors. Rulings can only be challenged or reviews in accordance with military procedures.
At Shangri-La Dialogue 2019, China will offer its deliberative response to the pushback by democratic nations against its unsavoury methods. Xi's defence minister, who himself arrived in Singapore on Wednesday, will be at the conference to listen to the cacophony of complaints. He will also answer questions from the audience.

Singapore: It is exactly one year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi put India at the forefront of a new India-Pacific policy to help contain China's aggression in East and Southeast Asian waters. And what an eventful year it has been.

It has been a year since the divide between the liberal West and China has widened to a chasm. Since April, a new potential faultline has opened with rising US-Iran tensions, making the annual Asian defence summit in Singapore, the Shangri-La Dialogue, the focus of world attention this year.

Delivering the keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last year, Modi announced a startling departure from India's equidistance between competitive big powers. He drew upon civilisational history to include Indian Ocean waters "from Africa to the Americas" within India's historical sphere of influence.

The rollout of the new India-Pacific policy was finely coordinated, with the US, Britain, France and even German defence officers committing to maintaining the current "rules-based world order" in the congested sea lanes of the region. When contacted, the Indian High Commission did not comment. High Commissioner Jawed Ashraf did not respond to questions on the one year of the India-Pacific policy.

The Chinese have been militarising islands claimed by neighbours and, armed with an ultra-modern navy and long-range missiles, are aggressively pushing for more strategic depth in what they consider their backyard. India's role in these sea lanes has gone back decades, especially in the Malacca Straits and beyond to Africa, where the Indian Navy has patrolled to clear pirates and ensure the security of trade routes. The US Navy has, since WWII, patrolled the Asia Pacific waters to maintain the sea trade framework put in place by the Allies.

It is not lost on the Chinese that Modi has come back to power stronger than ever since his path-breaking speech last year. Also, his more muscular defence policy, which was a dominant theme in the recent national elections, has won a ringing endorsement from the Indian voter.

This year, the three-day Dialogue, attended by the Indo-Pacific defence ministers, military officers and security professionals, kicks off on Friday (31 May).

Attending for the first time will be Chinese defence minister General Wei Fenghe. General James Mattis, a star speaker at last year's event, has been replaced by Patrick Shanahan, the acting US Defence Secretary. Unlike Mattis, he is not known to say "no" to President Donald Trump.

The keynote speech will be made by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday evening. Singapore, like the rest of China's neighbours from Australia to Myanmar, has been struggling to respond to growing Chinese soft and hard pressure, especially since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2012. Lee's speech is being billed as a historic one in Singapore's bicentennial year. Exactly 200 years ago, a British colonial officer, Sir Stamford Raffles, transformed a small fishing village into a regional trading hub that has since gone on to become a unique, prosperous nation.

For Singapore, whose small size limits its options on either side of a big power tussle for dominance, the stakes are high. This small city-state primarily depends on trade. So peace and trust between the US and China is more than a matter of nuanced policy: It is life and death.

Lee's keynote speech, during which he will call for better US-China relations, assumes added importance because he will be handing over power to a new generation of leadership after elections either late this year or the next. This new Prime Minister will be the first in Singapore to not have been chosen by the legendary Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore. The Singapore patriarch died in 2015.

While Singapore has had astounding success by hewing to studied Swiss-like neutrality between superpowers, it owed a lot to the late Lee's towering personality and the respect he commanded across the world.

In the years since his death, his successor once-removed and son, Lee Hsien Loong, has had more mixed success. Relations with China hit a low point in 2016 when Singaporean armoured vehicles, being transported back after a military exercise in Taiwan, were detained at a Hong Kong port. The following year (2017), Lee was not invited to the inaugural conference of the Belt and Road Initiative, Xi's signature infrastructure project that serves China's geostrategic aims.

The Chinese were upset that Singapore was playing a leading role in trying to get President Barack Obama to ink a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact, which was conceptualised to be the world's largest free trade pact that would exclude China. In the end, though, Obama failed to get it done. This was a setback for Singapore. However, Lee was invited to the second Belt and Road Initiative conference in Beijing this year, and Singapore plays a key role in the financing of BRI projects.

But it was not just the failure to get TPP done. Under President Obama, Singapore and all other countries in the region suffered one more near-catastrophe: the steady decline of US military power, just when China was moving in. Obama's reassuring "Asia pivot" turned out to be a specious phrase meant more for a mention in legacy documents. The US military, suffering from huge budget cuts, had fewer ships and fewer "freedom of navigation" passages through contested waters. The low point for the US Navy came in 2017, when USS McCain lost 10 sailors in a collision with an oil tanker in Singapore waters. Equipment had malfunctioned through lack of maintenance.

Obama pulled back from the region, leaving small nations in the Asia Pacific to fend for themselves. Nations like Japan, despite a military pact with the US, have since 2014 reacted to the Chinese threat by exploring ways to strengthen their defences. Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Japanese government has made amending its pacifist Constitution a top priority to enable it to counter Chinese aggression in the East China Sea.

Larger nations like the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia have tried to amend trade deals with China to better protect their sovereignty. Sri Lanka and the Maldives, under new governments, have reversed their pro-China policies. Australia and Singapore have passed laws aimed at discouraging Chinese soft power from altering domestic infrastructure and public networks.

President Donald Trump, however, has brought an entirely new set of problems. The trade war with China has a direct effect on sentiment, though there is a possibility that some small nations may gain at China's expense when things settle down. It all depends on where the chips fall.

In the meantime, there is a growing military tension. The US is pushing hard on every front. Huawei has been banned from supplying its products to federal agencies in the US. Similar voices in the United Kingdom and Germany to keep the Chinese company out of the new 5G network have become strident.

The ongoing Iran crisis complicates an already tense situation. If tensions continue into next year, world growth, already forecast to decline by the year-end by the WTO, could stall. Alongside, military tensions could easily splinter the world into two competing camps, with China, Russia, Iran, perhaps Turkey, on one side and the west on the other. A situation not unlike that in early-20th Europe  then the seat of world power  before the Great War.

At Shangri-La Dialogue 2019, China will offer its deliberative response to the pushback by democratic nations against its unsavoury methods. Xi's defence minister, who himself arrived in Singapore on Wednesday, will be at the conference to listen to the cacophony of complaints. He will also answer questions from the audience. A lot will be riding on him: China may have overplayed its hand under Xi but the Chinese cannot afford to "lose face" by conceding this.

At home, there is some disquiet caused by the ongoing trade war and Xi's overbearing, personality-led style of leadership. As the first post-Deng Xiaoping leader not anointed by the patriarch, there is considerably more pressure on him. Besides, the depth of his commitment to his ideology is truly astonishing. Xi has not only inscribed his "Thought' into the Party Constitution but has also claimed a Mao-like status by declaring the start of a "new era" under his leadership. In a carefully formulated speech to the party Congress in 2017, Xi declared that China's first stage of development, started by Mao, was now complete. And that China, now in an "intermediate" stage, should teach its methods to the world. And play a bigger role in world affairs.

Since he took over, the world has seen the kind of role Xi had in mind. A much more active military seeking to control strategic locations, large infrastructure loans to poor countries through deals with sometimes corrupt leaders and eventual takeover of assets and networks. And using state-owned companies and Chinese citizens abroad to spy on free market economies.

The Chinese never start a war without overwhelming odds in their favour  except to defend their core Communist ideology. But it is unknown to what extent Xi's hands may be forced by the powerful PLA generals eager to play with their shiny new toys. And whether the boiling tensions spill over into military conflict or not, subversion is a long game the Chinese have always played. To fight without fighting is the Chinese way.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, struggling to stem a surge of illegal immigrants across the southern border, vowed on Thursday to impose a tariff on all goods coming from Mexico starting at 5% and ratcheting higher until the flow of border-crossers ceases. Trump said in a statement that the tariffs would start at 5% on June 10 then go to 10% on July 1, 15% on Aug

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, struggling to stem a surge of illegal immigrants across the southern border, vowed on Thursday to impose a tariff on all goods coming from Mexico starting at 5% and ratcheting higher until the flow of border-crossers ceases.

Trump said in a statement that the tariffs would start at 5% on June 10 then go to 10% on July 1, 15% on Aug. 1, 20% on Sept. 1 and go up to 25% on Oct. 1 unless Mexico takes steps to stop the surge.

Trump's move was a dramatic escalation of his battle to control a tide of illegal immigrants that has increased despite his efforts to build a border wall and take other steps.

U.S. officials said 80,000 people are being held in custody with an average of 4,500 arriving daily.

"If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the tariffs will be removed," Trump said.

Mexico's deputy foreign minister for North America, Jesus Seade, said on Thursday that it would be disastrous if Trump goes through with his threat to impose the tariffs.

Trump said he was acting under the powers granted to him by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. He campaigned for election in 2016 on a vow to crack down on illegal immigration and has been frustrated that the flow has increased in recent months.

"Mexicos passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States," Trump said in the statement.

"Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries," he said.

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, asked in a conference call with reporters which products from Mexico could be affected by the tariffs, said: "All of them."

(Reporting by Steve Holland and Eric Beech; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn Friday, calling for closer bilateral ties and cooperation under regional frameworks.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) shakes hands with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn in Beijing, May 31, 2019. [Photo: gov.cn]

Hailing the profound traditional friendship, Li said China supports Cambodia in choosing a development path in accordance with its national situation.

China stands ready to enhance the synergy of development strategies with Cambodia, promote cooperation in key areas and jointly build a China-Cambodia community with a shared future, said Li.

He said China is willing to intensify coordination and collaboration with Cambodia under the frameworks of China-ASEAN and Lancang-Mekong cooperation and forge ahead with negotiations for the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, so as to safeguard a stable environment for the development in the region.

China backs Cambodia to host the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in 2020, Li added.

Prak Sokhonn, who is paying an official visit to China from May 30 to June 1, said Cambodia appreciates China's long-term assistance and is willing to further strengthen high-level exchanges and mutual support on regional and international issues and promote the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.
Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) has a rare opportunity to gain market share in the U.S. electronic cigarette market now that its heated-tobacco IQOS device has been approved for sale by the Food and Drug Administration.

Other e-cig manufacturers are losing share to industry giant Juul Labs, which is the runaway leader with a 69% share. But the IQOS, unlike traditional e-cigarettes, uses real tobacco. The leaves are heated until they create a vapor that the user inhales, which makes the experience closer to the taste and sensation of smoking. That seems likely to lure more customers away from devices that simply heat a nicotine-infused liquid, like the Juul.

The product will be marketed as Marlboro HeatSticks (a plain variant and two menthol variants) under a licensing agreement with tobacco giant Altria (NYSE:MO), providing immediate brand awareness. Moreover, because the JUUL vapor device is under intense regulatory scrutiny due to its reported popularity among teens, the heated tobacco product may gain a lot of ground.

Taking advantage of industry dynamics

The U.S. is a market opportunity with 40 million smokers and one of the largest e-cig markets in the world. Traditional cigarette smoking is on the decline. Altria estimates domestic cigarette volumes will decline between 3.5% and 5% this year -- and that's on top of the 4.5% industry decline in 2018. The company's own cigarette shipment volume declined 5.8% last year, so it is counting on the IQOS to be a big winner. Philip Morris noted that Altria Group subsidiary Philip Morris USA "has the market expertise and infrastructure to ensure a successful launch."

Altria has hedged its bet by investing $12.8 billion in Juul Labs. This move won the company no fans at the FDA, where regulators saw it as undermining both companies' commitment to reducing teen access to electronic cigarettes. Yet the investment gives Altria the inside track on what could arguably be the two biggest cigarette alternatives on the market: the industry leader's proprietary e-cigarette technology and heated tobacco.

The FDA ruling in IQOS is big news, however, the device is not a guaranteed winner.

There's a reason Juul is winning

First, consider Juul itself. Around 11 million U.S. adults use electronic cigarettes, and a third of them do so daily. Juul has been able to garner a disproportionate share of the market thanks to its proprietary formulation of nicotine salts from Pax Labs (the company Juul was spun out from) that reportedly delivers a nicotine hit almost identical to what smokers get from traditional cigarettes.

Since the process uses benzoic acid, smokers say it provides a smoother taste than other e-liquids, even those that also have nicotine salts dissolved in them. So users already have a product that gives them what they're really looking for from cigarette alternatives: a smooth, quick hit of nicotine.

Also, the Juul device has a sleek, modern design that looks like an elongated thumb drive. While that is also what supposedly makes it popular with teens, in a society that ostracizes smokers and vapers, the more readily concealable design is attractive to adults, too.

Last, Philip Morris' initial massive success in Japan with IQOS, which looks like a traditional cigarette when it's out of the heating unit, has yet to be replicated anywhere else in the world where the IQOS has been introduced. That has to do with Japan's unique market where e-liquids are regulated as a pharmaceutical ingredient, which effectively bans e-liquids and the competition.

But Philip Morris has since hit a wall in Japan. Having converted the early adopters, it now must persuade other smokers to try the device. In the first quarter, it saw a 6.7% decline in IQOS shipment volumes in Japan. And even in Europe, where volumes more than doubled, its market share of heated tobacco devices stands at just 2%.

Not a done deal

Although Philip Morris International may peel off U.S. customers from Juul now that it can market its heated-tobacco device, it could be just as likely that the IQOS simply crowds out the other devices on the market without doing much damage to the industry leader.

The one wild card is whether the FDA grants it a reduced-risk label. Currently, although many people believe that heated tobacco devices cause less harm than traditional cigarettes, manufacturers cannot make that claim. If the IQOS can be marketed as a reduced-risk device, that could alter the playing field, though there's no timeline on when a decision might be made.

The U.S. e-cig market is already relatively mature. And though there are tens of millions of smokers who may yet convert to e-cigs, they can just as easily turn to Juul as to IQOS. Since many users already believe e-cigs are safer for them than cigarettes, there might not be enough distinctiveness in simply heating tobacco for Philip Morris to successfully pry away as many users as it expects.
When it comes to the hottest and fastest-growing industries on the planet right now, marijuana is either at or near the top of the list. Having produced "only" $5.4 billion in legal sales in 2015, per Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, Wall Street foresees $50 billion to $75 billion in worldwide annual sales by 2030. That could mean a compound annual growth rate of more than 19% over a 15-year period.

Knowing the opportunity at hand, investors have bid a number of pot stocks considerably higher since the beginning of 2016. But what many investors may not realize, or could be purposefully ignoring, is the fact that share-based dilution has been seriously distorting their returns.

Raising money is the marijuana industry's necessary evil

Prior to the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada, access to non-dilutive forms of financing, such as secured loans and lines of credit, were extremely few and far between for marijuana companies. Instead, if pot stocks wanted to raise money, they often needed to turn to the secondary market by selling their common stock or issuing convertible debentures (debt notes that can be converted to common stock at a later date, if the noteholder chooses to do so).

If there's a positive here to having limited capital-raising options, it's that raising money in the secondary market has always done the trick for marijuana stocks. Unfortunately, it's also led to pretty persistent share-based dilution.

Here's the issue: Regardless of whether a company sells its own stock, offers convertible notes, or sells options and/or warrants, the end result is that a company's outstanding share count rises immediately, or over time. This has the effect of weighing on the value of existing shareholders, and it can make it considerably tougher for a publicly traded company to generate a meaningful per-share profit.

Making matters worse, with consolidation picking up in the cannabis industry, and pot stocks demonstrating time and again their unwillingness to make deals that involve large cash components, common stock issuances have become the typical "currency" to finance these deals.

Share-based dilution has crushed pot stock investors since the beginning of 2018

Just how bad has share-based dilution been for investors? First, let's take a closer look at how market caps have increased since Dec. 31, 2017, for a handful of popular pot stocks, then examine how this compares to the actual share-price movement in these companies over the same time frame.

Since the end of 2017, and through this past weekend (May 26), here's a glimpse at how much the market caps of some of the most popular marijuana stocks have increased:

Aurora Cannabis NASDAQ:ACB)

Cronos Group NASDAQ:CRON)

Auxly Cannabis Group OTC:CBWTF)

Canopy Growth NASDAQ:CGC)

Based on these figures, the assumption would be that investors who've held onto these names for 17 months should be rolling in the green. But there's a pretty big gap between market-cap increases and the actual share-price performance of these same stocks since Dec. 31, 2017.

Aurora Cannabis: Up 9%

Up 9% Cronos Group: Up 99%

Up 99% Auxly Cannabis Group: Down 55%

Down 55% Canopy Growth: Up 88%

As you'll note, most investors would have made money, but the return on their investment is substantially lower than the aggregate value that's been added in terms of market cap.

What gives?

Aurora Cannabis, the most popular marijuana stock of all, has been notorious for using its common stock as collateral to make acquisitions, as well as to fund a handful of organic construction projects. In 19 quarters (less than five years), Aurora Cannabis has issued roughly 1 billion shares of stock. Thus, while its market cap continues to climb as the result of acquisitions, its share price goes virtually nowhere for its existing investors.

The same can be said for Auxly Cannabis Group, which was primarily a cannabis royalty company until somewhat recently. In order to provide up-front capital to its licensed partners, as well as fund its own push into wholly owned grow farms, Auxly has regularly sold shares of its common stock. These share issuances are what's primarily responsible for its share price falling 55% in 17 months.

Meanwhile, Cronos Group and Canopy Growth have delivered more impressive returns, with major equity investments accounting for the improved shareholder returns. Canopy Growth secured a $4 billion equity investment from Modelo and Corona beer maker Constellation Brands in November 2018, while Cronos Group closed on a $1.8 billion equity investment from tobacco company Altria in mid-March. With both deals leading to share issuances, Canopy and Cronos saw their market caps soar overnight. But getting back $4 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively, in cash helped buoy their share prices.

Mind you, this isn't to say Canopy and Cronos aren't guilty of traditional share offerings to bolster their cash on hand. However, they've been far less guilty than Aurora Cannabis and Auxly Cannabis Group in terms of persistent share-based dilution, and this is reflected in the difference in overall share performance.

As much as pot stock investors would like to dismiss share-based dilution as no big deal, the data shows otherwise.
When she was 18, Pratiksha Rigley came to study in the U.S. from Zambia, where education was considered a luxury reserved only for the wealthy. Today, known as "Dr. Rigley" to her students and their parents, she considers education a gift she works tirelessly to bestow every day on the families that attend one of the five Primrose Schools she owns with her husband Noel Rigley.

With five Primrose Schools open and three more under construction in the Dallas area, the Rigleys are the 2019 American Dream MVP Award winners for achieving remarkable success in their new country.

"There is so much opportunity in this country if you just work hard, show up, and say yes to opportunities," she says. "We always say yes to opportunities and then figure out how to do it."

As the face of the business, she focuses on daily operations and marketing, while her husband oversees the finance and construction of their growing portfolio of Primrose Schools. She credits their success to a strong work ethic.

"I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I can outwork almost anybody," she says. "My husband Noel is even more disciplined. He has five degrees--four master's and a Ph.D.--and he never stops learning."

The couple met in Weatherford, Oklahoma, where she graduated from pharmacy school at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. She built a career as a retail pharmacist, managing up to 34 stores and honing skills that have served her well as a franchisee.

After the birth of their second daughter, she decided to combine her operational and management experience with her passion for education, and in 2008 they opened their first Primrose School.

As a working mom, she knows firsthand what it's like to drop off kids in the care of others. She strives to make each school feel like a home away from home, with fresh flowers and a welcoming face always up front to open the door for parents. Leadership at each school has funds specifically budgeted to reach out at their discretion--whether providing a care package for someone in need or visiting a mother with a new baby in the hospital and sending a pizza home with the father caring for another child at home.

"We do the little things every day," she says. "The little things have to be just as important as the big things."

Pratiksha and Noel, who was born in India, together have created a culture of caring in their schools. For the past 3 years, the couple has been honored with the Platinum Award from Save the Children, given to their schools for raising the most money for the organization, the brand's primary charitable partner.

The Rigleys are also committed to serving others without fanfare. As part of their commitment to "travel with a purpose," they often contribute in meaningful ways when they visit a place of need. Most recently, after a journey to Southeast Asia, the couple donated money for an additional classroom to be built in a monastery housing orphans of Myanmar violence against the Rohingya.

"It doesn't matter where we travel in the world, the day we land on U.S. soil we are always so glad to be home," she says. "This is such a great nation, and we are both so grateful for the people of the U.S. and just being in this country."

Name: Pratiksha Rigley

Title: Franchisees

No. of units: 5 Primrose Schools, 3 under construction

Age: 51

Family: Husband Noel, daughters Maya and Meira

Years in franchising: 10

Years in current position: 10

Personal

Formative influences/events:

I've been fortunate to have so many strong female role models who have made a tremendous impact on my life. My mother was my earliest influence. She immigrated to Africa from India and is undoubtedly the most resourceful person I know. Even during times of shortages, she would always find creative ways to provide for our family. She encouraged me to be persistent, especially when it came to education. She used to tell me, "Make sure you study. Education will always be with you." That inspired my lifelong love for learning. I see the same determination and discipline that she had in my daughters. I'm blown away by how hard they work. I watch them succeed, and it makes me want to work even harder. Becoming a mom was a life-changing event for me. Never one to compromise in any aspects of my life, I had to find a way to have a meaningful career while remaining present for my family. My previous career in corporate retail came at a cost. If I were to grow in that role, I needed to work longer hours and spend time away from my young daughters. Primrose Schools offered a perfect balance for me. With Primrose, I have the flexibility to prioritize time with my family, while I pursue a career where making a difference in the lives of others is at the core of what I do. I was a mom who needed a safe and trusted place where my children would receive a quality education while I worked. I have great empathy for the moms and dads who entrust our schools with their children because I know exactly how they feel. Even though my daughters are now responsible young women, the parent in me never stops. I am constantly thinking about ways I can be the best mom I can for them, and I know the parents we serve have similar experiences. As parents, we sometimes feel guilty when leaving our children to take care of other needs, but as a Primrose franchise owner, I'm hoping to help ease that guilt and give parents the peace of mind that comes from knowing their children are well taken care of and happy. As I've grown from a Primrose parent to a multi-unit franchise owner, my relationship with Jo Kirchner, CEO of Primrose Schools, continues to bring greater meaning to my life. Specifically, her relentless drive to make a difference in the world by serving organizations like Save the Children continues to inspire me to give back to my own community.

Key accomplishments:

In Zambia, where I grew up, education is a luxury. As an immigrant from Africa, my greatest accomplishment was coming to the U.S. for school. My education set the stage for my entire life and influences everything I do today.

Work week:

A typical work week for me includes spending about 30 percent of my time working in my schools, 20 percent of my time managing our business's finances, 20 percent actively growing my leadership team and staff, and the remaining 30 percent working to improve and create new systems to better run our schools. It is so important to find that work/life balance when owning and operating your own business, which is something that was attractive about Primrose Schools. As a franchisee, I was able to spend more time with my children as they grew and could find the right balance because of the flexibility the franchise provided. In addition to taking family time, I also spend several hours a week focusing on how I can better serve my community. Giving back fuels my soul and is an example I want to instill in my daughters. My motto is "Good, better, best. Never let it rest, until your good is better, and your better is best."

What are you reading?

Michelle Obama's Becoming, but I always have about six to eight books by my nightstand. I'm a voracious reader and love simultaneously reading a variety of books on topics like motivation, early education, business, and travel.

Best advice you ever got:

Be present in the moment. People feel most valued when you're completely focused on them. I intentionally put my phone away when I'm interacting with teachers and staff at my schools or spending time with my family. It's an ongoing effort because I constantly have work to do, but it's very important to me.

Management

Business philosophy:

With everything Noel and I do, we first ask, "Is this decision in the best interest of the children and our staff?" We never make decisions based on the bottom line. It's all about the people and doing the right thing.

Management method or style:

I empower my team and give them room to fail. The safety of the children always comes first; in this area, we must be perfect without exception. In secondary areas, I believe it's okay to make mistakes. This is how we grow and become better. I have very open, trusting relationships with my leadership and staff, and we're able to give each other constructive feedback and know that it comes from a place of genuine care.

Greatest challenge:

Our challenges are twofold. As a multi-unit owner, I have to find ways to be present at my schools without being there all the time. In addition, retention is not only an industry-wide challenge many early education and care providers face, but a national challenge for employers in many industries as the job market becomes even more competitive. Relationship-building is key to reach my team and energize them. I take their feedback seriously and make a point to follow through on recommendations from all team members, so they know they are a greater part of the vision we have for our schools.

How do others describe you?

My team recently said that my strengths include organization, people skills, multi-tasking, and goal-orientated leadership. They say that I am able to visualize a final result and develop a clear path to attain that result. My team also says I'm passionate about developing other people and helping them reach their highest potential.

How do you hire and fire, train and retain?

Culture is a huge part of success in any industry, and we live it out every day. We sat down as an entire team and mapped out our company culture together. My overall strategy is that I'm always recruiting. Everywhere I go, I look for positive people who love children, have certain skill sets, and, most important, share our values and mission of forging a path that leads to a brighter future for all children. Retaining employees is tied directly to management. It's our responsibility to establish a positive and healthy work environment and make our staff feel they belong and are valued, which often makes them stay. All employees are looking for companies that will invest in them and offer a path for them to grow.

bottom line

Annual revenue:

$9 million (approx.).

2019 goals:

Each year I write out my schools' goals for enrollment and retention, but this year is a little different. As we build three new schools, we're mentoring our leadership team and using my "Plus One" philosophy to train employees to be ready to step in when needed. Our overall goal is to maintain the excellence in our existing schools and set up our new schools for the same success.

Growth meter: How do you measure your growth?

You can't build new schools if your existing schools aren't excellent. Our growth meter is not based on the number of schools we hope to open. We are more interested in the quality of our schools and programs, as well as the satisfaction and quality of life for both my staff and the families we serve. We were very intentional with this year's growth and have taken the necessary steps to prepare for the new schools.

Vision meter: Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years?

Projecting 10 or even 5 years out is somewhat elusive for me, as I approach my work one day at a time and seek to improve from yesterday. Every year, I want to be better as a business owner, wife, mother, and daughter. I focus on how I can be present for my family and inspire the people who work for me. Two things I know the next few years will hold are the opportunity to continue to watch my daughters grow, and more time for travel and service. The three topics I'm most passionate about are education, children's issues, and the worldwide advancement of women. I want to find more ways to advocate for these causes locally and internationally.

What are you doing to take care of your employees?

I'm easily accessible for all my employees. We host regular leadership meetings and team-building activities, and I try to make every event personal and special. I stay connected with them through team days and celebrations, and I find small, personal ways to make them feel appreciated, whether it's giving them seasonal goody bags throughout the year or giving new moms extra vacation time around the holidays. It's about doing little things all the time to show them how much we care. We also pay for our teachers' continued education and child development diplomas. When we reach our enrollment goals we award bonuses. We also give retention bonuses and celebrate 5-year and 10-year anniversaries with gifts.

What kind of exit strategy do you have in place?

It's not something we're thinking about currently because we're in growth mode. But Noel and I place such an emphasis on recruiting and developing our team that we are confident our schools are operating day-to-day under leaders who share our values. By helping our staff reach their goals, we will eventually be well positioned to take a step back when we are ready to do so.

MVP Questions

Why do you think you were recognized with this award?

We're not only interested in running successful schools, but also in caring for our community and the people who work for us. Primrose Schools is a trusted brand with a great story. They're always making me a better business owner and person through their strong mission and values.

How have you raised the bar in your own company?

We're outside-the-box thinkers. Noel and I have bought older buildings, gutted them, and turned them into thriving schools with excellent reputations. We've built schools in smaller communities in Texas, like Waco and Temple, and inspired other franchise owners to have an open mind to investing in smaller markets. We have had such a positive experience as Primrose franchise owners that we were able to encourage 11 other enterprising and service-focused friends to become franchise owners with the brand. Inside our schools, we go all-out and treat our families like guests. We are never complacent with our programming. If new and better options are available for our students, we are eager to implement them in all our schools.

What innovations have you created and used to build your company?

Our innovation lies within our consistency. We created a team outside of the traditional roles found within a single Primrose school to help us manage and oversee the daily operations of each school. Our team has developed systems that make our work more efficient and streamline our processes. Our trust in this team has helped us manage the day-to-day operations even when we're not around. We ensure consistency across the board, from our daily balanced menus to the quality of our employees. You can walk into any of our schools and have the exact same experience, which is not easy to do.

What core values do you think helped you win this award?

We serve others with passion and integrity and work as a team by being present and supportive.

How important is community involvement to you and your company?

We constantly seek out ways to give back to our community and are proud of the servant leadership culture we've established in our schools. We create opportunities for our leadership, staff, teachers, children, and families to stay actively involved in the community through canned food drives, donation drives, and giving events. Compassion and nurturing a desire to give without expectation are elements that set the Primrose Balanced Learning approach apart from other teaching methods.

What leadership qualities are important to you and your team?

We look at people for who they are. Are they genuine and caring? I can teach any employee skills for a job in early education, but they must have high energy, natural leadership skills, and a standard of excellence that aligns with our culture and values. I need to trust every employee to protect the children we serve and the brand my husband and I love so much.
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Reports Increases in Total Revenues and Pre-Tax Income in First Quarter Fiscal 2019

Reaffirms Annual Total Revenues and Pre-Tax Income Guidance

For the first quarter of fiscal 2019:

Total Revenues increase to $84.4 million from $83.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2018

Pre-Tax Income rises to $2.4 million from $0.6 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2018

ST. LOUIS - (BUSINESS WIRE) - May 31, 2019 - Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW) today reported results for the first quarter, 13-weeks ended May 4, 2019.

Sharon Price John, Build-A-Bear Workshop President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, We have had a solid start to the year with growth in total revenues, expansion in gross margin and disciplined expense management resulting in a $1.8 million increase in first quarter pre-tax income compared to the same period in the prior fiscal year. Other highlights in this years first quarter include a significant increase in commercial revenue as strategies to diversify revenue streams by leveraging the power of our brand continued to gain traction. We also delivered our sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit e-commerce growth as initiatives in both gifting and affinity programs gained momentum. In addition, we continue to focus on our Count Your Candles birthday program which has consistently driven new guest acquisition and Bonus Club membership. As we expected, a stronger slate of family-centric movies had a positive impact on sales of products tied to the films, and we saw traffic levels at Build-A-Bear Workshop stores outpace national trends although still slightly negative versus the prior year. Sales growth in North America was partially offset by ongoing double-digit sales declines in our largest international market, the United Kingdom, which is expected to have uncertainty throughout the year.

Although we will be up against heavy promotional activity that occurred last year, we are encouraged by the positive trends thus far in the second quarter and expect to benefit from additional movie releases slated throughout the year. Furthermore, we are actively working to expand a number of key relationships that are expected to positively impact the business. Overall, we remain confident that the ongoing implementation of our strategy to leverage the power of the Build-A-Bear brand will result in long-term profitable growth and enhanced value for our shareholders, concluded Ms. John.

First Quarter 2019 Highlights (13 weeks ended May 4, 2019 compared to the 13 weeks ended May 5, 2018):

Total revenues were $84.4 million compared to $83.2 million in the fiscal 2018 first quarter;

Consolidated net retail sales were $81.0 million compared to $81.4 million in the fiscal 2018 first quarter;

Retail gross margin expanded 90 basis points to 45.2%, this increase was mainly driven by merchandise margin expansion and lower occupancy costs;

Selling, general and administrative expenses (SG&A) were $35.8 million, or 42.4% of total revenues, compared to $36.3 million, or 43.7% of total revenues, in the fiscal 2018 first quarter;

Pre-tax income was $2.4 million compared to $0.6 million in the fiscal 2018 first quarter;

Income tax expense was $1.2 million with an effective tax rate of 50.3% compared to $0.3 million with an effective rate of 45.2% in the fiscal 2018 first quarter. The income tax expense in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 was higher than the statutory rate primarily because no tax benefit was recorded on losses in certain foreign jurisdictions; and

Net income was $1.2 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to $0.4 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, in the fiscal 2018 first quarter.

Store Activity:

In the first quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company did not open any new stores, reformatted two stores and closed 5 locations. As of May 4, 2019, the Company operated 366 corporately-managed locations, including 307 in North America and 59 outside of North America. In addition, the Company ended the first quarter of fiscal 2019 with four seasonal locations compared to two seasonal locations at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2018. The Companys international franchisees ended the quarter with 90 stores in 12 countries.

Balance Sheet:

At quarter end, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $20.2 million, an increase of $1.4 million compared to the prior year quarter end and had no borrowings under its revolving credit facility. Total inventory at quarter-end was $56.0 million compared to $49.4 million at the end of the fiscal 2018 first quarter due to an increase in inventory related to the timing of new movie launches as well as in-transit inventory to support new product introductions. In the first quarter of fiscal 2019, capital expenditures totaled $2.7 million and depreciation and amortization totaled $3.5 million.

On February 3, 2019, the Company recorded lease liabilities of $177.5 million upon adoption of the new lease accounting standard, also referred to as ASC Topic 842, based on the present value of remaining lease payments. A corresponding right-to-use asset of $150.8 million was recorded on the balance sheet which was net of accrued and prepaid rent, deferred lease incentives and impairment charges. Impairment charges of $7.4 million (net of tax) were recorded as a reduction to retained earnings in adopting the new standard. The recognition of rent expense and payments associated with these lease assets and liabilities will not result in material differences to operating income or cash flows compared to the previous accounting rules, nor does it impact the Companys bank agreement covenants.

Fiscal 2019 (52 weeks ended February 1, 2020 compared to the 52 weeks ended February 2, 2019)GAAP Expectations for the Company currently include:

Total revenues to increase in the range of mid- to high-single digits;

Pre-tax income to be slightly positive, reflecting the increased sales as well as improved gross profit margin;

Capital expenditures to be in the range of $13 to $15 million; and

Depreciation and amortization to be in the range of $15 to $17 million.

The Company notes that the above guidance assumes that there are no material changes to current tariff rates or policies.

Todays Conference Call Webcast:

Build-A-Bear Workshop will host a live internet webcast of its quarterly investor conference call at 9 a.m. ET today. The audio broadcast may be accessed at the Companys investor relations website, http://IR.buildabear.com. The call is expected to conclude by 10 a.m. ET.

A replay of the conference call webcast will be available in the investor relations website for one year. A telephone replay will be available beginning at approximately noon ET today until midnight ET on June 7, 2019. The telephone replay is available by calling (844) 512-2921. The access code is 13691030.

About Build-A-Bear

Build-A-Bear is a global brand kids love and parents trust that seeks to add a little more heart to life. Build-A-Bear Workshop has more than 450 stores worldwide where Guests can create customizable furry friends, including corporately-managed stores in the United States, Canada, China, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom, and franchise stores in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) posted total revenue of $336.6 million in fiscal 2018. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section of buildabear.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains certain statements that are, or may be considered to be, forward-looking statements for the purpose of federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements that reflect our current views with respect to future events and financial performance. We generally identify these statements by words or phrases such as may, might, should, expect, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, intend, predict, future, potential or continue, the negative or any derivative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All of the information concerning our future liquidity, future revenues, margins and other future financial performance and results, achievement of operating of financial plans or forecasts for future periods, sources and availability of credit and liquidity, future cash flows and cash needs, success and results of strategic initiatives and other future financial performance or financial position, as well as our assumptions underlying such information, constitute forward-looking information.

These statements are based only on our current expectations and projections about future events. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including those factors discussed under the caption entitled Risks Related to Our Business and Forward-Looking Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on April 18, 2019 and other periodic reports filed with the SEC which are incorporated herein.

All of our forward-looking statements are as of the date of this Press Release only. In each case, actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking information. We can give no assurance that such expectations or forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. An occurrence of or any material adverse change in one or more of the risk factors or other risks and uncertainties referred to in this Press Release or included in our other public disclosures or our other periodic reports or other documents or filings filed with or furnished to the SEC could materially and adversely affect our continuing operations and our future financial results, cash flows, available credit, prospects and liquidity. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data) 13 Weeks 13 Weeks Ended Ended May 4, % of Total May 5, % of Total 2019 Revenues (1) 2018 Revenues (1) Revenues: Net retail sales $ 81,048 96.0 $ 81,425 97.9 Commercial revenue 2,754 3.3 1,019 1.2 International franchising 560 0.7 740 0.9 Total revenues 84,362 100.0 83,184 100.0 Cost of merchandise sold: Cost of merchandise sold - retail (1) 44,421 54.8 45,385 55.7 Cost of merchandise sold - commercial (1) 1,264 45.9 479 47.0 Cost of merchandise sold - international franchising (1) 439 78.4 332 44.9 Total cost of merchandise sold 46,124 54.7 46,196 55.5 Consolidated gross profit 38,238 45.3 36,988 44.5 Selling, general and administrative expense 35,808 42.4 36,337 43.7 Interest expense, net 20 0.0 5 0.0 Income (loss) before income taxes 2,410 2.9 646 0.8 Income tax expense 1,213 1.4 292 0.4 Net income (loss) $ 1,197 1.4 $ 354 0.4 Income (loss) per common share: Basic $ 0.08 $ 0.02 Diluted $ 0.08 $ 0.02 Shares used in computing common per share amounts: Basic 14,612,575 14,582,573 Diluted 14,738,240 14,722,989

(1) Selected statement of operations data expressed as a percentage of total revenues, except cost of merchandise sold - retail, cost of merchandise sold - commercial and cost of merchandise sold - international franchising that are expressed as a percentage of net retail sales, commercial revenue and international franchising, respectively. Percentages will not total due to cost of merchandise sold being expressed as a percentage of net retail sales, commercial revenue or international franchising and immaterial rounding.

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (dollars in thousands, except per share data) May 4, February 2, May 5, 2019 2019 2018 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 20,238 $ 17,894 $ 18,881 Inventories, net 56,004 58,356 49,423 Receivables, net 8,836 10,588 8,968 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 8,587 12,960 11,493 Total current assets 93,665 99,798 88,765 Operating lease right-of-use asset 145,025 - - Property and equipment, net 65,357 66,368 76,410 Deferred tax assets 3,241 3,099 4,102 Other intangible assets, net 607 731 950 Other assets, net 2,224 2,050 2,427 Total Assets $ 310,119 $ 172,046 $ 172,654 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 20,996 $ 22,551 $ 12,965 Accrued expenses 7,608 10,047 8,739 Operating lease liability short term 29,769 - - Gift cards and customer deposits 19,026 21,643 17,007 Deferred revenue and other 2,006 1,936 1,893 Total current liabilities 79,405 56,177 40,604 Operating lease liability long term 139,407 - - Deferred rent liability long term - 18,440 17,697 Deferred franchise revenue 1,580 1,625 1,142 Other liabilities 1,287 1,490 1,794 Stockholders' equity: Common stock, par value $0.01 per share 149 150 151 Additional paid-in capital 69,550 69,088 66,908 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (12,120 ) (12,018 ) (11,546 ) Retained earnings 30,861 37,094 55,904 Total stockholders' equity 88,440 94,314 111,417 Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity $ 310,119 $ 172,046 $ 172,654

BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Unaudited Selected Financial and Store Data (dollars in thousands) 13 Weeks 13 Weeks Ended Ended May 4, May 5, 2019 2018 Other financial data: Retail gross margin ($) (1) $ 36,627 $ 36,040 Retail gross margin (%) (1) 45.2 % 44.3 % Capital expenditures (2) $ 2,733 $ 3,030 Depreciation and amortization $ 3,512 $ 4,115 Store data (3): Number of corporately-managed retail locations at end of period North America 307 292 Europe 58 57 Asia 1 1 Total corporately-managed retail locations 366 350 Number of franchised stores at end of period 90 96 Corporately-managed store square footage at end of period (4) North America 712,782 715,197 Europe 83,344 79,236 Asia 1,750 1,750 Total square footage 797,876 796,183

(1) Retail gross margin represents net retail sales less cost of merchandise sold - retail. Retail gross margin percentage represents retail gross margin divided by net retail sales. Store impairment is excluded from retail gross margin. (2) Capital expenditures represents cash paid for property, equipment, other assets and other intangible assets. (3) Excludes e-commerce. North American stores are located in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. In Europe, stores are located in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark. In Asia, the store is located in China. Seasonal locations not included in store count. (4) Square footage for stores located in North America is leased square footage. Square footage for stores located in Europe is estimated selling square footage. Seasonal locations not included in the store count.

Contacts:

Voin Todorovic

Investor Relations

Build-A-Bear Workshop

(314) 423-8000 x5221

Media Relations

PR@buildabear.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005108/en/

Source: Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.

###

Comments:

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Disqus
Gloria Jeans Coffees Ranked a Top 3 Coffee Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine

Specialty Coffee Innovator Since 1979 Named a 2019 Top Food Franchise

May 31, 2019 // Franchising.com // SANTA FE SPRINGS, California - Gloria Jeans Coffees - U.S.A, an innovator in the specialty coffee segment providing fresh, premium blends and award-winning roasts, was recently ranked #3 in the coffee category in Entrepreneur magazines Top Food Franchises list. This list recognizes the top 200 food-based companies, ranked within their respective categories, (such as Baked Goods, Pizza, and Sandwiches) based on data submitted for Entrepreneurs Franchise 500 ranking.

Gloria Jeans sources 100 percent of its coffees directly from exotic locations across the globe, with every bean roasted in its Southern California headquarters which includes a test kitchen for ongoing R&D and a complete roasting and processing facility managed by the companys two fulltime roasters. With a commitment to the guest experience, Gloria Jeans was also recently ranked a top three national coffee chain in customer service, along with Starbucks and Peets Coffee, in a recent consumer survey conducted by Newsweek.

After over 40 years being in the business, and being the first to offer specialty flavored coffee, were honored to be ranked as the third best coffee franchise in the industry by Entrepreneur Magazine! said Sam Ferreira, president of Gloria Jeans Coffees - U.S.A. Were only as good as our franchisees, and were proud to have a franchise family that goes above and beyond to provide the ultimate guest experience. With at least four new locations set to open by the end of the summer, were not slowing down one bit, and were confident we will continue to be acknowledged as a top franchise opportunity in the tremendously popular coffee category.

Entrepreneurs 2019 Top Food Franchises rankings were determined using the companys Franchise 500 formula, which is a comprehensive evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Gloria Jeans Coffees position on the list shows is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity and position as a leading coffee franchise investment.

To view Gloria Jeans Coffees and the other Top Food Franchises, pick up the June issue of Entrepreneur, available now on newsstands. For the coffee franchises full menu and locations, please visit www.gloriajeans.com.

About Gloria Jeans Coffees - U.S.A.

Gloria Jeans Coffees - U.S.A. is an innovator in the specialty coffee segment, providing customers fresh, premium blends and award-winning roasts. Gloria Jeans Coffees was founded in 1979 in a small town outside Chicago by the companys namesake, Gloria Jean Kvetko. What began as a small gift shop soon became a nationwide franchise concept and in 2014, Retail Food Group - USA (RFG), a multi-brand retail food franchisors and leading wholesale coffee roaster, acquired Gloria Jeans Coffees with plans to grow the brand through franchising. Gloria Jeans delectable menu also offers ice-blended chillers, mochas, lattes, hot cocoa, a variety of baked goods and pastries, whole beans and retail merchandise. An established brand on the rise, Gloria Jeans was included in Franchise Times 2018 Top 200+ Franchise Chains, ranked a Top 3 Coffee franchises in Entrepreneur Magazines 2019 Annual Franchise 500 List, and the company also took home nine awards at the prestigious 2018 Golden Bean Competition, the worlds largest coffee roasters conference and contest honoring the best coffee roasters in North America. For more information on Gloria Jeans Coffees, visit www.gloriajeans.com. To inquire about franchise opportunities, visit www.gloriajeans.com/franchise.

Media Contact:

Chelsea McKinney

Powerhouse Communications

(949) 261-2216

chelsea@powerhousecomm.com

SOURCE Gloria Jeans Coffees

###

Comments:

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Disqus
Rakness said the expert, from Envista Forensics, would explain to him what had already been done, in terms of extracting evidence from the defendants computer, what should have been done and if everything was done right.

My client is indigent and incarcerated and asking for funds to do that, the defense attorney said, mentioning the same firm was used in the Madison case, costing about $7,500.

Durrer acknowledged the complexity of the Champlin case involving technical issues and forensic analysis of electronic devices. The judge approved $8,500 for the expert assistance and told Rakness he could petition the court for more funds in the future, if needed.

As for the final motion, to block mention at trial of the defendants prior bad acts, Durrer said he would take it under advisement. Rakness argued it would be highly prejudicial to bring up Champlins prior conviction in front of the jury, especially at the beginning of the trial.

The danger here is the jury would take the fact of a prior conviction and decide this case based on that, he said. Its a critical issue.
In order to qualify for the funds, the co-op will need to produce and maintain a lease for at least 9,000 square feet of space in the city, invest at least $500,000 in the store, open by the end of 2020 and hold regular community-oriented events. It will also be required to submit annual reports saying it has met those criteria. If the co-op fails to meet all of them in two consecutive years, the city may terminate the performance agreement by sending written notice to the co-op and the EDA.

Co-op board members have signed an agreement with Lee Plaza LLC, which owns the strip shopping center at the corner of Charles and Princess Anne streets. It gives them until June 17 to decide if they want to open a local food cooperative in a roughly 9,000 square-foot space in the shopping center, which is within the Downtown/Princess Anne Street Tourism Zone. Other Lee Plaza tenants include Hard Times Cafe and Captain Ds restaurants.

If the board decides to execute the lease, renovations can begin in what is now the Kabul Mart so the co-op can open a store there next year. Kabul Mart, which sells groceries and halal meats, is looking for a smaller location in Fredericksburg or Stafford County.
LEBANON  Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest (COMP-NW) held its fifth commencement ceremony on Friday morning, sending 104 newly minted doctors into the world.

The occasion was marked by the presence of the only two women who have served as Oregon governors, Barbara K. Roberts  the states 34th governor  and current Governor Kate Brown.

This morning represents a truly historic moment, as we are honored by having the only two female governors of the state of Oregon on our stage together today, said COMP Dean Paula Crone. In fact, this may be the first time this has occurred on any university commencement stage across the country. Both of these women have served as role models and as examples to many of us. Their influence and their impact are far-reaching.

Both Roberts and Brown were granted honorary degrees during the ceremony and both then addressed the faculty, students, family members and civic leaders who had assembled for the occasion.

Brown noted her connection to this years graduating class as her niece, Meagan Kristine Smith, is a member of the class of 2019 and will be serving her residency in family medicine at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Wash.

This is a place where through a co-mixture of caffeine, adrenaline and perspiration you are transformed from a regular person into a doctor of osteopathic medicine, Brown said.

She encouraged graduates to believe they can make a difference in the world, pointing to former Oregon State Sen. Alan Bates of Medford as an example.

Bates, who died in 2016, was a doctor of osteopathic medicine with a busy practice who also found time for public service. He was a state representative from 2000-2004 and a state senator from 2005 until his passing. Before joining the Legislature, Bates served as the chairman of the Health Services Commission and played a key role in the creation of the Oregon Health Plan.

Brown remembered how during legislative sessions, Bates would work in Salem during the week and then return to Medford to see patients all weekend.

And then on Monday morning, he would drive back to Salem and do it all over again, she said.

But his practice wasnt limited to his own patients. Bates also served as the unofficial doctor for the Legislature and his timely intervention helped save lives on at least a couple of occasions.

Brown urged the graduates to see Bates life as an example of multifaceted service.

Theres no question that one person, one dedicated person with good ideas, can change the world. Sen. Bates was that person and so are you, she said.

Roberts asked the members of the class to be willing to stand alone if circumstances and their conscience require.

Im talking about the kind of personal courage it takes to speak out when you stand alone on an issue, she said.

She told the audience how she was introduced to the public sphere as a mother in the mid-1960s. She was told that her son Mike, who is autistic, did not have to be provided with a public education.

Roberts began traveling to the Legislature weekly where she lobbied for a change in the states education laws and practices. She was inexperienced in the world of politics, but through her perseverance, Oregon passed the first special education rights law for children with emotional disabilities.

I had changed my sons life and changed his future. My law, Oregons new law, change the lives of hundreds and eventually thousands of Oregons children and their families and my own life was never the same, Roberts said. That first political success for my son cemented my belief that if your cause is just and you are determined enough, and sometimes even brave enough, one person can make a difference.

The class of 2019 included 53 men and 51 women. With this fifth class, COMP-NW has now graduated 501 doctors.

The ceremony stopped to note the 500th graduate, Lebanon High School alumnus Morgan Cameron Wimmer. The granddaughter of Lebanon physician Robert Wimmer, she will serve her residency in family medicine at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis.

She is thankful for the impact the medical school has had on her hometown.

I see the economy booming. I see kids becoming interested in science, Wimmer said. I see so many more charity activities. Its wonderful. I dont think they even realize how much theyve done for Lebanon.

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.
In a show of solidarity, two unions that have separate beefs with Oregon State University administrators joined forces to hold a lunchtime rally on Thursday at Weatherford Hall, one of the most iconic buildings on the Corvallis campus.

Well over 100 people turned out for the event organized by the Coalition of Graduate Employees, which represents some 1,800 student workers, and Service Employees International Union Local 083, which represents around 1,300 classified staff. Members of United Academics of OSU, the universitys newly organized faculty union, were also on hand to show support.

The rally was held against the backdrop of significant belt-tightening at Oregon State, which slashed $7.5 million from this years budget and may be facing additional cuts next year in the face of stagnant support from the Legislature. The universitys Board of Trustees is scheduled to vote today on the budget for 2019-20.

Many of those in attendance wore T-shirts announcing their union affiliation and sported buttons with slogans such as Give Us an Ed Raise or Workers and Students Are In It Together as they lined up for a free lunch of burgers and brats provided by the SEIU.

The graduate students were there to protest the impacts of the universitys new responsibility centered management budget model and a series of austerity measures that have led to some classes being eliminated while others pack in larger numbers of students. As a result, the union says, some graduate teaching assistants are shouldering growing workloads and others could lose their assistantships altogether.

Meanwhile, the service employees' union is objecting to the universitys position in contract negotiations. For instance, while the union is calling for a 10% pay raise and regular step increases, the administration wants a 0.5% pay hike in the second year of a new contract and a freeze on step increases for the life of the contract. The two sides also differ on insurance premiums, protection against cuts to retirement benefits, vacation caps and other issues.

Speaking through a bullhorn, SEIU Local 083 President Leonora Rianda fired up the crowd by contrasting the high cost of living in Corvallis with the stagnating wages and growing workloads of classified workers and student employees.

Its time to start talking back. Lets talk back, lets talk loud and lets be angry, she said.

Lets show management that were together in this.

Fellow union officer Deborah Carroll, who works in the campus library, was even more adamant.

If you want justice, stand up and fight for yourself, she said. This campus is too laid-back! If you dont fight for yourself, theyre just going to screw you!

Several members of the grad students union then took their turn with the bullhorn, sharing stories of struggle as they try to make ends meet on limited pay while juggling a full-time class load with heavy teaching responsibilities.

Union member Lzz Johnk couldnt hold back the curse words as they talked about the disparities between administrators earning six-figure salaries and students who cant afford food or rent.

If theres a (freaking) food bank on your campus or students who dont have housing, thats (messed) up, they said.

Grad student Sam Burns, a union steward in the Department of Applied Anthropology, said people have told him hes greedy for demanding more pay.

Right, he said. Im so greedy I believe I should be able to pay my rent every month.

Burns read from a three-page list of grievances compiled by CGE in regard to the universitys new budget model and the cuts being made across campus, drawing jeers from the audience when he talked about rising workloads, stagnant pay and looming layoffs.

Onlookers cheered when he laid out the unions demands, including a move away from the new budget model, smaller class sizes and salary cuts for high-paid administrators.

Burns then handed the document to Senior Vice Provost Susan Capalbo, who was attending the rally as the administrations representative.

We support employees and value them, she told a reporter. Graduate students and classified (workers) are critical to our objectives and our mission.

Rianda wrapped things up by asking audience members if they were ready to go on strike if need be, drawing the loudest cheers of the day.

Thats what I wanted to hear, she said.

We dont want to do that, she added, but we will if we have to.

Reporter Bennett Hall can be reached at 541-758-9529 or bennett.hall@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter at @bennetthallgt.

Love 9 Funny 2 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.
If you build your New Jersey beach house on stilts it has a better chance of surviving a hurricane and its storm surge. Thats obvious.

But how much better a chance than a house on a foundation? Can you measure it? How do you demonstrate it?

Those were questions Daniel Cox, an Oregon State University civil and construction engineering professor, and his research team were trying to answer with an experiment that culminated in a mini-hurricane Thursday at the Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory.

Cox and his team built two 1/6-scale plywood houses. An airgun with staples and brads was used to assemble the houses, which were designed to resemble those on the Jersey shore. One was yellow and on a foundation. The other was orange and raised the equivalent of 5 feet above grade. Yes, the color scheme was intentional. And it also was clear that the yellow house was going down first.

But it took awhile. The researchers started with small waves, which did not appear to be threatening the structural integrity of the houses. They then cranked up the pressure to waves that would be the equivalent of 4 feet on a full-sized house.

At that point yellow house already was showing signs of some distress and was missing some panels on its first floor. Orange house was pretty much intact, which surprised Cox.

It didnt take the "4-foot" waves long to seal the deal. About five or six waves in, yellow house left its moorings and soon was buffeting about in the surf, leaving behind an extensive debris field.

Team members in waders and rubber boots got into the pool and used buckets and a fishing net to scoop up the remains of yellow house and brought it onshore for further study. Both houses contained recording instruments such as an accelerometer, a video camera, pressure gauges and a flow meter.

Theres a lot of debris here, Cox said, who also noted surprise at how quickly yellow house fell apart. There was no sign that it was going to go  and then it was just gone.

Orange house, meanwhile, stayed upright, weathering the storm surge with just a few of its first-floor panels revealing damage.

We know elevated structures are good, Cox said. We just wanted to know how much better they were. And it was nice to be able to do (the experiment) side by side.

Cox also noted that there were variables that must be considered when drawing conclusions. The age of the structure and materials corrosion are also factors.

With different storm surges and different wave heights you get progressive damage, he said. Now, well work up the results and try to figure out what to do going forward.

Contact reporter James Day at jim.day@gazettetimes.com or 541-758-9542. Follow at Twitter.com/jameshday or gazettetimes.com/blogs/jim-day.

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.
Here we go again. Talk of another meeting between President Trump and Chairman Kim to avert a nuclear Armageddon. Then Russian leader Vladimir Putins proposal for a renewed six-nation conference. We find ourselves swinging between a skeptical reaction and a hope for a sensible resolution. Peace envoys came and went, leaders shook hands for photo-ops then walked away, and the arms race and saber rattling continue.

We are the children and grandchildren of the Cold War. Our two countries, Vietnam and Korea, have experienced the most costly wars of the second half of the 20th century. Generations in our families have died from bullets and bombs, and we survive to hear that it was all for the sake of freedom and democracy, while so many tragic stories remain untold. We have lived where DMZ means demilitarized zones, ironically bordered by barbed wires and dotted with mines, and have been raised to live in fear and distrust of our own people on the other side. Parts of our countries are still unsafe from unexploded bombs and mines from past wars. And now, we are paying more taxes to build more bombs and missiles.

We are constantly bombarded by the media and governmental agencies telling us who the good and bad guys are. We have studied the analyses of think-tanks, historians and policy makers; learned, from one side, what the domino theory and the strategy of containment was all about; and from another side, that a strong military is needed to combat neocolonialism and imperialism. But we have also seen our human capital and resources wasted in military hardware when food and schools and better health care are sorely needed.

We believe that the tension in the Korean peninsula can be reduced only if both sides reduce their military arsenals, and that economic competition and prosperity do not have to be linked to military deterrence. We also remember what President Eisenhower said in 1953: Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger but are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not just spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its science, the hopes of its children.

Our small countries will always be seen as parts of a strategic area where China, Russia, and America contest for regional or global supremacy. Communism was the issue then; geopolitical and economic dominance, backed by uncontestable military power, is the new world order, but the danger is still the same. Our self-determination and human rights mean very little in this dangerous chess game. For now, neither Vietnam nor any other country can stop China from militarizing the South China Sea. China fears a unified Korea will present a great challenge to its power, as Japan already does. Chairman Kim will continue to keep his nuclear and ballistic arsenal as long as he sees threats coming from the United States and its allies.

Weve heard too often that those who do not learn history are bound to repeat it. We have learned our history too well, but only to feel more frustrated. For as long as there is bad faith and hypocrisy in the hearts of men, and as long as the greed of the military-industrial complex commands the hands of our leaders, we and our children will continue to bear the effects of the Cold War. Yet, Eisenhowers words resonate in our minds. So we demand that our world leaders take the first responsible step: stop a new arms race. Now.

Chinh Le lives in Corvallis. Professor Yeonshik Kim, from Kyungpook National University College of Social Sciences/Journalism and Mass Communications in Korea, is an exchange scholar presently at Oregon State University.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Big EDM fan whos a bit of a Star Wars buff? This is quite possibly your dream come true.

Les Dunes Electroniques is a festival held in the Tunisian desert on a Star Wars film site, which was used in the prequels as Anakin Skywalker's home.

The festival will run for 30 hours straight over September 21st and 22nd, with a lineup of both local Tunisian artists and international artists to be released soon.

The ticketing website reads: "Famed for being the setting of Luke Skywalkers hometown of Mos Espa in the original Star Wars film franchise, the location of this 30-hour rave is like none other, with sand dunes and traditional Tunisian domed houses in the backdrop of the festivals two stages, which will host 30 of the best acts from Tunisia and the global underground electronic music scene,"

"Organised by the folks behind Plages Electroniques in the French Riviera and celebrating its third birthday this summer, Les Dunes Electroniques turns three has already begun making waves to transform the global image of Tunisia and puts it on the festival map,"

Check out the teaser trailer for the fest above.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot Might Disappear In Next 20 Years News oi-Vishal Kawadkar

Jupiter might lose its most remarkable feature - the great red spot. The spot is actually a humungous storm which is twice the size of our Earth. It was first spotted observed 300 years ago and might present long before that.

Years Of Storm

The Great Red Spot is a huge storm that has been going on for several hundred years. It was first spotted by Giovanni Cassini, an Italian astronomer, during the 1600s. When it was first observed, the shape of the storm was oval and it was bigger as well.

The spot's diameter is around 40,000 km and could be easily spotted from a telescope. Even though the spot is big, it's slowly shrinking in size.

How Long Will It Last

Persisting for centuries, the spot might completely disappear forever in the next 20 years, scientists say. It's unclear what's the reason behind the huge storm, but according to NASA scientist Glenn Orton, it could be due to a collision between the spot and a vortex to the south.

Orton said, "Some observers implied that these [blades] were induced by the arrival of vortices in a jet just south of the GRS moving from east to west that enters a dark area surrounding it that is characterized by deeper clouds, known as the 'Red Spot Hollow'.

Orton told Business Insider that the storm has shrunk by as much as 17 degrees since the 1800s when the Great Red Spot when it would have been 35,000 miles in diameter, which is four times the Earth's diameter.

Orton said, "While the spot's unique location has kept the storm raging for what researchers believe could be centuries, even the mightiest of storms in our solar system are bound to run out of gas eventually."

Life Near The Gas Giant

It has already been figured out that Jupiter's environment is too harsh to sustain life, however, its biggest moon Europa is considered as one of the potential places where life could exist in the future. NASA's Hubble Telescope found more evidence of water on the surface of Europa.

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
US, Croatian, Slovenian forces participate in logistics-focused exercise

By Pvt. Laurie Ellen Schubert May 30, 2019

Slunj, Croatia -- Every year, thousands of European armed forces participate in multiple exercises with the U.S. to help improve interoperability and stability of the region.

Exercise Immediate Response 19 is a multinational exercise co-led by Croatian Armed Forces, Slovenian Armed Forces and U.S. Army Europe. From May 10 through June 7, 2019, throughout the Republic of Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary, the logistics-focused exercise is designed to test and improve movements of allied and partner forces and equipment rapidly from one location to another.

During their first two days in the Republic of Croatia, U.S. Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), participated in medical training, live fire exercises, cold-load air assault and a joint forcible entry.

On the first night of the exercise, 173rd IBCT Sky Soldiers began to train the minute their feet hit the ground.

"In Udbina we had the night exercise with the American Army and we were quite impressed at how fast, how aggressive and the quality of the exercise and the attack," said Croatian 2nd Lt. Marina Miskovic, fire support platoon leader.

These attack simulations allowed the U.S. Army to train with forces that have different strengths and assets. According to Miskovic, the Croatian military also had the chance to see how an opposition force would attack them while defending their positions.

"For the Croatian [military], the advantage is that obviously, this is their terrain," said 1st Sgt. Jeremy Lemma, 1-503rd PIR, 173rd IBCT (A). "They had excellent covered and concealed positions."

The first night the Sky Soldiers had to reach three objectives. Aided by night optical/observation devices (NODs), they covered the battlefield both on foot and with the new Army Ground Mobility Vehicle.

During the first operation involving live fire exercises, U.S. and Croatian forces enhanced their training by wearing multiple integrated laser engagement system equipment that helps identify when a target has been hit. This is a two-way feedback system that helps simulate more realistic training.

The main operation of IR 19 involved Sky Soldiers performing an air assault operation into Military Training Area Eugen Kvaternik, Slunj, Croatia. Part of the air assault involved slingloading humvees and the AGMVs to CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

U.S. and Croatian forces also traversed the field to make contact at different locations on MTA, Slunj.

"Our advantage was [that with] our flexibility as an airborne unit, we had mobility," Lemma said. "We were able to employ some small ambushes, very decentralized, move around the battlefield, and engage the enemy with essentially guerilla style tactics."

With two different military forces on the battlefield, there were many moving pieces to the exercise that Sgt. 1st Class Felix Sanchez, an infantryman, helped assess and keep the exercise moving.

"We conducted some raids, some ambushes, some real life training out here," Sanchez said.

His job during the training was primarily to assess casualties, which he did for both U.S. and Croatian forces.

The full combat simulation, medical exercises, air assault, the new implementation of the Army Ground Mobility Vehicle, and the establishment and integration of a multinational battalion resulted in an intense and active training that both Miskovic and Lemma said taught the Soldiers valuable lessons on the battlefield.

"Here, we had a special mix of operations," Miskovic said. "We had attacks, we had defenses, we had patrolling, and during those types of exercises and operations we tried to strengthen the cooperation and to see what are the main advantages and the main disadvantages between us and the U.S. Army."

Immediate Response 19 is one of many joint exercises conducted in Europe. Although the training was for the Soldiers to grow in their expertise on the field, it also fostered stronger partner capabilities, deterring any potential adversaries.

"We are really amazed with this," Miskovic said. "It was a great exercise, and honestly we've had so much fun."

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Defense Ministry dismisses reports of fishing boats' laser attack in South China Sea

Global Times

By Liu Yang and Guo Yuandan Source:Global Times Published: 2019/5/30 22:23:09

Foreign media accusation of Chinese fishing boats firing laser beams at Australian helicopters in the South China Sea is not consistent with the facts, said Wu Qian, spokesperson of Chinese Ministry of National Defense, on Thursday.

The Australian side should reflect before accusing others, Wu said at a routine press conference.

Chinese fishermen have the right to operate in Chinese territorial waters and to sail through open seas, Wu noted.

Wu's remarks came after Australian media reports on Wednesday claimed that Chinese fishing vessels shot laser beams at Australian navy helicopter pilots when they were conducting exercises in the South China Sea, forcing them to land as a precaution.

However, the reports did not provide evidence of the alleged attack. Australian news website abc.net.au reported that it has not yet been confirmed if the vessels were Chinese-flagged.

A Chinese military expert who asked not to be named told the Global Times that China's fishing vessels are not advanced enough to have laser beams.

Another anonymous military expert told the Global Times that a laser beam would require vast amounts of electricity to power, and it is impossible for a fishing boat to provide such power.

Even if something was shot at the helicopters, it was probably only flashlights, as the aircraft flew too low and too close to ships, the anonymous expert said.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Future John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) Reaches Key Milestone

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS190530-01

Release Date: 5/30/2019 9:04:00 AM

From Program Executive Office, Aircraft Carriers Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The future John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) reached a key milestone on May 29, when the island house was lowered onto the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at the Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding division.

Weighing in at 588 tons, the 56-foot-long, 33-foot-wide island will sit atop the flight deck and serve as the command center for flight deck operations aboard the second aircraft carrier in the Gerald R. Ford class. It will house the navigation bridge, primary flight control, radar and other systems.

The landing of the island on an aircraft carrier is analogous to "stepping the mast" aboard a sailing ship or the topping out of a skyscraper.

"With the island landing, John F. Kennedy takes on that distinctive and unmistakable profile of an aircraft carrier," said Rear Adm. Brian Antonio, program executive officer for Aircraft Carriers. "It symbolizes nearing the end of structural work and the start of bringing the ship to life, transitioning steel and cable to a living ship and crew."

The May 29th ceremony date marks the 102nd birthday of the late President Kennedy, and is also the date that the carrier's name was officially announced in 2011. Caroline Kennedy, former U.S. ambassador to Japan, is the Ship's sponsor for both aircraft carriers named after her father. The first (CV 67), was a conventionally-powered carrier that served from 1968 to 2007.

While USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) was the heaviest and most complete carrier at launch, Kennedy is projected to be even heavier before she is floated off the blocks for her next phase of construction.

"Improvements in build strategy and material procurement are enabling John F. Kennedy to be constructed with approximately 18% fewer production hours than those needed for CVN 78," said Capt. Phil Malone, program manager for the CVN 79/80/81 program office (PMS 379).

Program Executive Office (PEO) Aircraft Carriers is responsible for the total life-cycle management of the U.S. Navy's Fleet of 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, from construction to inactivation. PEO Aircraft Carriers focuses on the design, construction and delivery, and life-cycle support of all aircraft carriers, as well as the integration of new systems into aircraft carriers.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






A Quarter-Century of Naval Partnership: US, Thailand Kick off 25th CARAT Exercise

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS190530-07

Release Date: 5/30/2019 1:03:00 PM

By Petty Officer 1st Class Gregory Johnson, Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific Public Affairs

SATTAHIP, Thailand (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, and Royal Thai Navy and Marine Corps kicked off the 25th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) during an opening ceremony at Sattahip Naval Base, May 29.

CARAT, the U.S. Navy's oldest and longest-running regional exercise in South and Southeast Asia, strengthens partnerships between regional navies, and enhances maritime security cooperation throughout the Indo-Pacific. The Royal Thai Navy has been a part of the annual CARAT series since the exercise began in 1995.

"Thailand is a key partner and an enduring ally," Rear Adm. Joey Tynch, commander, Task Force 73, said. "Every opportunity we have to train with our Thai partners is an investment in our relationship, as well as our capabilities. Over 25 years, CARAT continues to evolve and remains the premier venue for the U.S. and partner navies to work together and address shared maritime security concerns."

"CARAT represents the good relationship between the Royal Thai Navy and U.S. Navy," Rear Adm. Paisarn Meesri, commander of Frigate Squadron 2, said.

Hundreds of Sailors and Marines from both nations will come together this year to participate in the exercise's 11 days of onshore and at-sea training.

The exercise features a robust sea phase with surface warfare maneuvering tactics, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) drills, mobile dive and salvage training, gunnery exercises, submarine tactics, explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), and minesweeping and maritime patrol operations.

The shore phase will involve hands-on training in VBSS led by the U.S. Coast Guard, combat marksmanship, riverine tactics, medical training, jungle warfare and subject matter expert exchanges in medicine, aviation, law, EOD and maritime domain awareness (MDA).

"The Royal Thai Navy recognizes the importance of MDA," said Capt. Yuthanavi Mungthanya, Royal Thai Navy MDA lead. "This topic will be very worthwhile for both navies. We will be able to discuss and share about MDA in an open environment."

Additionally, outreach events throughout the duration of the exercise in local schools and community centers, along with joint band performances at multiple venues by the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet Band and the Royal Thai Navy Band, will increase ties with the community.

"With the inaugural CARAT Thailand exercise having occurred in 1995, this year marks a remarkable quarter-century of mutual commitment in ensuring maritime security and stability. We understand how important it is to work together and learn from each other, which allows us to function as a unified and effective maritime force," Capt. Matt Jerbi, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 7, said. "We are proud to once again train with our friends from the Royal Thai Armed Forces as we operate side-by-side in sophisticated and challenging evolutions."

U.S. assets participating in CARAT Thailand 2019 include staff from Commander, Task Force 73 and Commander, Destroyer Squadron 7, USS Patriot (MCM 7), USS Pioneer (MCM 9), USNS Salvor (T-ARS 52), USS Antietam (CG 54), USNS Millinocket (T-EPF 3), Marine Rotational Force-Darwin Task Force, U.S. Navy 7th Fleet Band, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 and Naval Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit 6.

"The crew of Pioneer is excited to participate in CARAT 2019. We've been training as a team to succeed in mine warfare, and CARAT is an excellent opportunity to challenge ourselves," said Lt. Cmdr. Bobby Wayland, commanding officer of Pioneer. "Many of my Sailors have not worked with the Royal Thai Navy before and are looking forward to sharing ideas during the exercise."

The CARAT exercise series remains a model of cooperation that has evolved in complexity and enables partner navies to refine operations and tactics in response to traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges. Its continuing relevance for a quarter of a century speaks to the high quality of exercise events and the enduring value of maritime cooperation among allies and partners in South and Southeast Asia.

CARAT builds upon other engagements in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands including Pacific Partnership, the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission, Maritime Training Activity Malaysia, Maritime Training Activity Philippines, Pacific Griffin with Singapore and Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT), which involves nearly a dozen partner nations. These engagements bring like-minded naval forces together routinely based on shared values and maritime security interests.

As U.S. 7th Fleet's executive agent for theater security cooperation in South and Southeast Asia, Commander, Task Force 73 and Destroyer Squadron 7 conduct advanced planning, organize resources, and directly support the execution of CARAT and other engagements in the region.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






7th Fleet Flagship Strengthens Partnerships Throughout Indo-Pacific

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS190530-06

Release Date: 5/30/2019 10:49:00 AM

From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and embarked U.S. 7th Fleet staff returned to Yokosuka May 29, after visiting 11 ports and strengthening partnerships in nine Indo-Pacific nations.

Blue Ridge departed Yokosuka Feb. 4, and covered more than 22,000 nautical miles as it made port calls in Otaru and Sasebo, Japan; Busan, South Korea; Manila, Philippines, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia; Laem Chabang, Thailand, Hong Kong; Jakarta, Indonesia; Singapore; and the U.S. territory, Guam.

While away from Yokosuka, the 7th Fleet Staff coordinated numerous exercises and operations throughout the Indo-Pacific. Most recently, Blue Ridge participated in the first of its kind exercise, Pacific Vanguard, which brought together U.S., Australia, Japan and Republic of Korea maritime forces to strengthen interoperability.

During each port visit, Blue Ridge provided a venue for professional exchanges with regional navies, conducting more than 30 senior leader engagements, staff talks in Thailand and the Philippines, and a maritime cooperative activity with the Philippine Navy.

"Blue Ridge provides a unique platform from which we conduct the important business of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. "We've made great progress on our priorities in this region thanks to the tireless effort and professional expertise of everyone on the flagship during its time at sea."

While at sea, Blue Ridge joined multi-national sanctions enforcement patrols, sailing in the East China Sea to monitor illicit ship-to-ship transfers.

As part of a regular series of exchanges and exercises with the Royal Malaysian Navy, Blue Ridge took part in the 2019 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition, a biennial maritime and aerospace exhibition in Langkawi, Malaysia. Blue Ridge concluded the port visit by participating in a pass and review conducted by Malaysia's Prime Minister.

Seventh Fleet Band, held 36 live performances at local schools, development centers, malls and military engagements throughout the deployment for a total audience of 11,000.

"Our team's efforts to accomplish its mission have been amazing," said Capt. Eric Anduze, Blue Ridge commanding officer." Our engagements have been spot on, and this has been a wonderful experience for all of our Sailors to participate in a lifetime's worth achievements."

Outside of the operations, Blue Ridge managed to serve over 350,000 meals, handled over 15,000 pounds of mail and gave almost 1,800 haircuts to the crew.

Service members aboard Blue Ridge engaged with local communities, volunteering 10,000 hours of community service in 26 community outreach events at orphanages, elderly homes, civic centers and schools.

The Blue Ridge team consists of more than 1,000 service members, compiled of ships company, embarked 7th Fleet staff, Marines from Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Pacific (FASTPAC), Seventh Fleet Band and the "Golden Falcons" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12.

Blue Ridge has been forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan for 40 years. As the flagship for Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, Blue Ridge is vital in maintaining partnerships in the 7th Fleet area of operations.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






SNMG1 Ships Visit Stockholm

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS190530-05

Release Date: 5/30/2019 10:22:00 AM

By Lt. Lyndsi Gutierrez, Standing NATO Maritime Group One Public Affairs

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (NNS) -- Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) ships departed Stockholm, Sweden, May 27, following a port visit during a routine patrol in the Baltic Sea.

Visits by the commander of SNMG 1, Rear Adm. Edward Cashman, U.S. Navy, and the SNMG 1 commanding officers to the Royal Palace were conducted, as well as shipboard events with the Swedish Royal Navy and the Swedish Defense University.

While at the Royal Palace, Rear Adm. Edward Cashman, commander of SNMG1, inspected the Swedish Royal Guard and met with local military and civilian officials. Cashman was also invited to speak to students at the Swedish Defense University. The students then toured USS Gravely (DDG-107), the SNMG1 Flagship.

"Sweden is a founding nation of NATO's Partnership for Peace program and has been a world leader in peace and security operations around the world." said Cashman. "This visit enables us to maintain working relationships with Swedish Royal Navy, while also giving the Sailors from the SNMG ships the opportunity to experience the beautiful and historic city of Stockholm."

SNMG1 Sailors connected with the Swedish Navy by providing tours of HMS Westminster (F237), ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbon (F-102) and SNMG1 Flagship, USS Gravely. ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbon was also open to local residents for tours over the weekend.

Culinary specialists from the Royal Palace visited HMS Westminster for a tour of the ship. Following the tour, they helped the duty chefs prepare dinner for the crew while exchanging culinary tips and comparing notes on food preparation in their respective countries.

"We hope to continue to enhance military-to-military cooperation and interoperability through exchanges like the one we did with the chefs from the Swedish Royal Palace," said Chef Christopher Hooper-Callcut of HMS Westminster. "It was great training to all of us being able to share our experiences and learn new culinary skills."

The Sailors were able to take a break from operations and enjoy some time off the ship, visiting the local area and taking part in city sightseeing tours sponsored by the Swedish Navy.

SNMG1 is currently composed of the U.S. flagship guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely, British frigate HMS Westminster, Polish guided-missile frigate ORP General K. Pulaski (FrR 232), Turkish frigate TCG Gokova (F-496), Spanish frigate ESPS Almirante Juan de Borbon, and German navy replenishment tanker FGS Rhoen (A 1443). SNMG1 is one of four standing maritime task groups composed of ships from various Allied countries, which form the core maritime capability of NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). The standing maritime forces provide a continuous maritime capability to execute NATO missions across the spectrum of operations, demonstrate solidarity, and strengthen diplomatic and professional links among naval forces.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Chilean Chief of Naval Operations Visits San Diego

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS190530-02

Release Date: 5/30/2019 9:11:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Natalie Byers, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Vice Adm. Marcelo Gomez Garcia, commander, Chilean Navy Operations, visited San Diego May 23 to gain additional familiarization with U.S. Navy operations on the West Coast.

While in San Diego, he met with Vice Adm. John D. Alexander, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet to discuss the importance of a continued, strong naval partnership between the U.S. and Chile, as well as future exercises and operations involving the two countries working together.

"I very much appreciate Vice Adm. Gomez taking the time to visit San Diego and observe some of the great things our Navy does here," said Alexander. "Being able to meet in person is invaluable when it comes to strengthening partnerships. We have a longstanding partnership with Chile and have routinely worked with their navy. The Chilean Navy played a critical role during Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2018 when they served as the combined maritime forces component commander and we have operated and exercised with them in the Pacific for a good number of years. Our meeting was a great opportunity to discuss ways to continue building on our successes together."

Gomez also observed the Undersea Rescue Center conduct routine training with the Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) from aboard the Military Sealift Command-chartered MV HOS Dominator, a submarine support ship. The SRC is a McCann rescue chamber designed during World War II and still used today.

"We were very honored to have this opportunity to host Vice Adm. Gomez," said Cmdr. John Babick, Submarine Squadron 11 deputy for Undersea Rescue. "Submarine rescue is a critical mission area, and our continuing partnership with the Chilean navy is an outstanding demonstration of how international partners working together can ensure that the undersea rescue community is always ready to respond to a disabled submarine and rescue the survivors."

URC and the Chilean Submarine Force have a strong relationship in submarine rescue through the Diesel Electric Submarine Initiative (DESI). Chile is the newest DESI participant and has conducted seven stateside deployments since 2007.

During each deployment, URC and the deployed Chilean submarine conduct CHILEMAR, a bilateral exercise designed to demonstrate interoperability between the United States submarine rescue systems and Chilean submarines, which includes a search and rescue phase. August of 2018 marked the eighth exercise of its kind and is conducted off the coast of San Diego biennially, with the exception of CHILEMAR VII which took place in 2017 off the coast of Talcahuano, Chile.

U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S. 3rd Fleet works constantly with U.S. 7th Fleet to complement one another and provide commanders capable, ready assets across the spectrum of military operations in the Pacific.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Russia refutes Bolton's claim of Iran's role in UAE oil tankers attack

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 03:27PM

Russia says it does not trust claims by US National Security Advisor John Bolton that Iran was engaged in recent "sabotage" attacks targeting vessels off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.

On Wednesday, Bolton alleged that the May 12 incident involving four commercial vessels near the port of Fujairah had been caused by Iranian naval mines, without providing any evidence to substantiate his claim. "I think it is clear these (tanker attacks) were naval mines almost certainly from Iran," claimed the American official, speaking at a press conference in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov fundamentally questioned the remarks in an interview with Sputnik, which the Russian news agency published on Thursday.

"We've seen countless situations when Americans adjusted certain facts or events to political orders and their own narrow national beliefs of what happens and how it happens, and how something should be done," Ryabkov said, adding, "This is not even the UK 'highly likely,' this is something worse. They are just presumptuously imposing their opinion on the whole world or at least trying to do so."

The Russian official also warned that such unfounded statements served to escalate standing tensions. "Such policies are especially dangerous in the Middle East."

"This is why we will continue calmly making effort to ensure that common sense eventually prevails," he noted, and advised adoption of "a more sensible approach" where "responsible officials engage in diplomacy rather than propaganda."

Later on Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry rejected Bolton's claim as "ridiculous." Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Moussavi said Bolton and "other warmongers" had to know that the Islamic Republic would patiently and vigilantly work to prevent them from fulfilling "their ominous schemes to create chaos in the region."

Bolton has earned notoriety as the most hawkish figure in the US administration, openly promoting military conflict with Iran and other countries.

Iran has called Bolton a member of the anti-Iran B-Team -- also featuring Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- which is trying hard to target the people of Iran with "economic terrorism."

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been supportive of the US's policy of "maximum pressure" against Iran, which has seen Washington returning its sanctions against Tehran, and militarizing the region.

Earlier in the year, the Arab states vowed to make up for potential shortages of Iran's crude after the US avowed an intention to try to reduce Iran's oil exports to "zero" as part of the policy.

Russia supports Japan's plan to tone down US-Iran tensions

Meanwhile, a Japanese official said on Thursday that Russia has expressed support for Japan's plan to play a role in easing tensions between Iran and the US.

The Japanese official made the remarks to during a media briefing after a meeting of Japan and Russia's foreign and defense ministers.

Traditionally Japan has had friendly ties with Iran," the official said, adding, "There were comments from the Japanese side that Japan aims to play a role by taking advantage of such ties. The Russian side made a very positive comment in response."



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taliban say progress made in Afghan talks in Moscow but no breakthrough

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 02:34PM

The Taliban say "decent progress" has been made in talks with senior Afghan politicians in Moscow but that there has been no breakthrough towards ending two decades of the US occupation of Afghanistan.

Mohammad Sohail Shaheen, the chief spokesman for the Taliban delegation, told reporters in the Russian capital Thursday that the meeting was the latest step in efforts to reach a peace settlement.

"We are satisfied, that was successful negotiations, and we hope to continue this tempo in the future," he said after the meeting.

The spokesman also repeated the Taliban demand that US-led forces leave Afghanistan for any possible peace deal.

"We will be firm: withdraw the foreign troops, we will be firm that there should be a stable government in Afghanistan and that all Afghans should have participation in future government."

Shaheen went on to say that a ceasefire proposal had been discussed during the talks.

One member of the Taliban delegation also said Russian officials as well as religious leaders and elders had asked for a ceasefire.

"Still some more meetings to take place in this regard but most probably we may not announce a ceasefire," he said.

Speculation has been growing that the Taliban could agree to a temporary ceasefire over the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the fasting holy month of Ramadan next week.

The meeting in Moscow was opened on Tuesday by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said his country sees peace as the only possible scenario of settlement in Afghanistan.

Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Taliban delegates reiterated their position that no ceasefire could be possible while foreign forces remained inside Afghanistan.

Mohammad Karim Khalili, the head of the Afghan High Peace Council the main body charged with pursuing peace efforts, said dozens of people were being killed in fighting every day and it was time for a "dignified and just mechanism" to end the bloodshed.

Even as the meetings took place, an attack in Kabul that killed at least six people underlined the violence that continues unabated across the country.

Separately, Afghan special forces freed 28 people held in a Taliban prison in the southern province of Zabul.

In recent months, the Taliban have stepped up attacks in their so-called spring offensive amid direct talks with the United States, rejecting calls by US chief negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad to lay down arms.

A sixth round of talks between the US and Taliban recently ended in the Qatari capital Doha with no tangible progress.

The Taliban have said peace negotiations were stumbling over the fundamental question of when foreign forces would depart the war-ravaged country.

The Taliban have been talking for months with US diplomats to agree the withdrawal of more than 20,000 foreign troops from Afghanistan.

The administration of President Donald Trump is now negotiating with the Taliban in an attempt to discourage the group from attacking US troops.

Moscow appears to be gaining influence in the ongoing process. Last month, the US announced that Washington had reached a consensus with China and Russia on the key formula for a peace deal it is negotiating in Afghanistan.

The Taliban's five-year rule over at least three quarters of Afghanistan came to an end following the US invasion in 2001. However, 18 years on, Washington is seeking truce with the militants, who still control large swathes of land in the country.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Six killed in blast at Kabul military academy

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 10:21AM

A bomb attack in the Afghan capital of Kabul has left at least six people dead and several others wounded.

Afghan police and security officials said the casualties took place when an assailant blew himself up at the entrance to a military training center in the west of the capital city on Thursday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one official said the attacker detonated his explosives after being prevented from entering the Marshal Fahim National Defense University  one of Afghanistan's main officer training academies  to the west of Kabul, according to Reuters.

The official said the blast occurred as cadets were leaving the college, killing six people and wounding six others.

Hours later, Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility for the Kabul explosion.

War-wracked Afghanistan has been struggling to stop scores of deadly attacks by the Taliban militant group almost across the country over the past months.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks on security installations in their so-called spring offensive despite being involved in direct talks with the United States, rejecting calls by the US's chief negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad to lay down their arms.

A sixth round of talks between the US and Taliban recently ended in the Qatari capital, Doha, with no tangible progress. The Taliban have said peace negotiations were stumbling over the question of when foreign forces would depart the war-ravaged country, if they would at all.

The Daesh terrorist group is also present and carries out attacks in Afghanistan.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Venezuela government-opposition talks fail in Norway

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 07:50AM

Representatives of the Venezuelan government and opposition have failed to reach an agreement in Norway to resolve the Latin American country's political and economic crisis.

The end of the Norway-mediated talks in Oslo was announced without an agreement on Wednesday.

The talks failed after opposition delegates repeated calls for Venezuela's democratically-elected President Nicolas Maduro to step down and allow a transitional government to organize new presidential elections.

Still, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said the representatives of Venezuela's government and opposition had shown "willingness" to make headway.

"The parties have demonstrated their willingness to move forward in the search for an agreed-upon and constitutional solution for the country, which includes political, economic, and electoral matters," the ministry said.

Norway also called on both sides to show discretion in public comments so as not to damage the process.

Nevertheless, opposition figure Juan Guaido threatened to call for street protests after the talks failed.

In an earlier statement, Guaido's office claimed that the opposition remained willing to continue with the mediation as long as conditions were right but said it would not drop its demand for new elections.

Norway's Foreign Ministry announced in March that it was ready to act as a mediator or facilitator of talks between the Venezuelan government and opposition.

The negotiations came amid a political stalemate after months of street demonstrations and a botched coup.

Tensions worsened in January, when Guaido unilaterally declared himself "interim president" of Venezuela. With prodding by the US, he later spearheaded the failed coup.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Jordan king meets Kushner, urges formation of Palestinian state with E al-Quds as capital

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 05:24AM

Jordan's King Abdullah II has called for the formation of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 boundaries with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital, in what appears to be at odds with Washington's upcoming proposal on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He made the remarks in a meeting with a US delegation headed by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, along with Middle East Envoy Jason Greenblatt, in Amman on Wednesday.

King Abdullah II, who acts as the custodian of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem al-Quds, expressed his commitment to the so-called two-state solution.

The Jordan king had "stressed the need to step up all efforts to achieve comprehensive and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem [al-Quds] as its capital ... in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions," the Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Jordan's official Petra news agency reported that the two sides had exchanged views on "regional developments, especially efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."

Greenblatt also tweeted that he had a "constructive meeting" with King Abdullah II that included "a good conversation about regional dynamics."

The US delegation is meeting with top officials in Morocco, Jordan and Israel this week before it unveils the economic portion of the so-called "deal of the century" during a conference in Manama, Bahrain, on June 25-26.

On Tuesday, Kushner and Greenblatt held talks with Morocco's King Mohammed VI on the Manama forum, which has been boycotted by all Palestinian factions.

The Palestinians have also rejected the US Middle East initiative as "the slap of the century" because it is said to hugely favor Israel.

On Tuesday evening, Jordanian activists held a protest near the heavily-fortified American embassy in Amman to denounce Kushner's visit and Trump's plan on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The demonstrators chanted slogans such as "The deal of the century will not pass," and "Down with the US."

They also held placards reading, "No to the deal of the century," and "Go back home Kushner."

Addressing the crowd, Abdul Hamid Thunaibat, leader of the Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, called on the government to adopt a clear position regarding its participation in the Bahrain conference.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have said they will send delegations to the event and Israel's Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon has said he will also intend to attend.

Turkey: No deal without independent Palestine

Separately on Wednesday , Turkish foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu emphasized that any deal without the formation of an independent Palestinian state would be rejected.

Speaking at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Cavusoglu urged the body's member states to join forces for the establishment of a sovereign Palestine, saying, "This is a responsibility that falls first and foremost on our shoulders."

All OIC member states, he added, need to renew their commitment to preserving the status quo of Jerusalem al-Quds, which remains a red line.

"I am therefore confident that any peace deal which does not envisage the creation of an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital is bound to be rejected by the OIC community," the top Turkish diplomat said.

The so-called Middle East peace process was dealt a major blow in December 2017, when Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the "capital" of Israel. He also moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the Israeli-occupied city in May 2018.

Angered by Trump's contentious move, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Palestine would no longer recognize the US as a mediator in the decades-long conflict with Israel.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Afghan Politicians, Taliban Cite 'Tremendous Progress' During Moscow Peace Talks

By RFE/RL May 30, 2019

Senior Afghan politicians and the Taliban said they made progress during peace talks in Russia, although they did not make any significant breakthrough.

The May 28-30 talks in Moscow came amid international efforts to end the nearly 18-year war in Afghanistan.

In a May 30 joint statement, the sides said they held "productive and constructive" talks focusing on a possible cease-fire, the "strengthening of the Islamic system," and "women's rights."

"Both sides have had tremendous progress, but some issues require further discussions," the statement read.

Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban's negotiating team, said that "spectacular progress" was made on issues including the withdrawal of international forces and a future political settlement.

However, Ata Mohammad Noor, a powerful regional leader, expressed some disappointment.

"Our expectations were higher," Noor said. "Our main message was on the cease-fire; a cease-fire could be the beginning of peace."

The sides met in Moscow on May 28 for a ceremony during which Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

The three-day meeting was the second hosted by Russia in recent months.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy seeking a peace deal with the Taliban, has held several rounds of talks with the militants in Qatar.

The sides have made progress, but the Taliban has so far rejected direct negotiations with Kabul.

Khalilzad has welcomed Russia's peace efforts, although some U.S. officials have said Moscow was promoting itself as a power broker to challenge the U.S.-backed peace process with the Taliban.

The Taliban, which continues to stage daily attacks across Afghanistan, now effectively controls or influences about half of the country.

With reporting by AP and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-politicians -taliban-cite-tremendous-progress-during -moscow-peace-talks/29972871.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






IS Claims Deadly Blast Near Afghan Military Academy

By RFE/RL May 30, 2019

A suicide bombing at the entrance to a military training center in Kabul has killed at least six people and wounded six, police and security officials say.

The attacker detonated his explosives on May 30 outside the Marshal Fahim National Defense University, to the west of the Afghan capital, police said.

The Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, the IS-linked online Amaq News Agency announced.

The explosion occurred as cadets were leaving the college, which is one of Afghanistan's main officer-training academies.

The suicide bomber, who was on foot, blew himself up when a soldier challenged him, Kabul police spokesman Firdaws Faramarz said.

The attack occurred around noon, a time when students typically leave school early during the month of Ramadan.

It also occurred as Taliban representatives met senior Afghan politicians in Moscow amid efforts to reach a settlement to end the almost 18-year-long conflict.

Mohammad Sohail Shaheen, the chief spokesman for the Taliban delegation, told reporters after the meeting, "We are satisfied, that was successful negotiations, and we hope to continue this tempo in the future."

Meanwhile, officials in the eastern province of Maidan Wardak said that 200 Taliban fighters launched an assault on the Chak district late on May 29.

Provincial police chief Mohammad Wais Samimi said that the situation there was now under control after troops backed by air support pushed back the attackers.

The police chief said that 45 Taliban militants died and 50 others were wounded during the clashes, while Afghan security forces suffered no casualties.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said three militants and 12 Afghan soldiers had lost their lives.

Also on May 30, the Afghan Defense Ministry said that its commandos had freed 28 prisoners from a Taliban prison in the southern Zabul Province.

Among them were 16 civilians and 12 members of the security forces, who were taken for medical check-ups, the statement added.

Two Taliban militants were killed during the rescue operation, the ministry said.

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/blast-near- afghan-military-training-center-kills -at-least-six/29971888.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






Hungary May Scrap Swedish Jet Deal for US F-35 Over War of Words - Report

Sputnik News

11:43 30.05.2019

The Swedish government has unleashed a series of attacks against Hungary over its resistance to multiculturalism, perceived lack of feminism, and political correctness.

Hungary is considering scrapping its lease agreement for Jas 39 Gripen and replacing the 14 Swedish fighter jets with US-made F-35, which may cost Sweden billions of kronor and thousands of job opportunities, the Swedish news outlet Fria Tider reported.

The bilateral lease agreement is now at stake over Sweden's "constant smear campaign" against the Hungarian government. Specifically, Hungary is considering replacing the lease agreement with a $1 billion deal with US firm Lockheed Martin. The choice is between the latest model of the F-16 or the fifth generation F-35. Sweden's future on the Hungarian defence market currently looks gloomy.

"The Swedes have been digging their own grave with their many anti-Hungarian attacks. It is conceivable that we are buying F-35s instead", a senior Hungarian government official told the Hungarian news outlet Direkt36 referring to the Gripens and the frequent criticism coming from the Swedish government regarding the rule of law and human rights in Hungary.

Sweden recently waded into a war of words with Hungary, as Social Minister Annika Strandhall likened Hungary's family policy, where tax relief is provided to families with many children, to Nazism. Strandhall tweeted that this policy "reeked of the 1930s". Following the incident, the Hungarian government summoned Sweden's Budapest Ambassador Niclas Trouve in protest against the Swedish government's comparison between Hitler's Germany and Hungary.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has also contributed to the souring of Hungarian-Swedish relations by repeated criticism of Budapest's reluctance to accept mass immigration. Recently, Lofven has threatened to strangle the flow of EU support to Hungary and Poland for "violating the EU's basic values" and refusing to accept refugees. Lofven also suggested that the democratic rights in Hungary were "limited".

Even the Swedish opposition has been highly critical of Hungary. In February, Moderate party leader Ulf Kristersson took the initiative to exclude the Hungarian government party Fidesz from the EU party group EPP in an opinion piece in Aftonbladet. Among other things, he accused the Hungarian government of anti-Semitism for criticising billionaire George Soros' involvement in immigration politics.

Meanwhile, the Swedish mainstream media have been constantly attacking Hungary for "undemocratic", "authoritarian" and even "dictatorial" ways, "right-wing populism" and "xenophobia".

The Jas Gripen is Saab' top-tier fighter jet, which Sweden is pinning its export hopes on. Gripen C/D fighters are currently in service with two NATO-members nations, the Czech Republic and Hungary, as well as South Africa and Thailand. According to Fria Tider, since its inception in 1982, the Jas project has cost SEK 200 billion. Hungary's departure from the cooperation would deepen the dent.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Maduro Says Government Holding Secret Talks With Opposition for Couple of Months

Sputnik News

11:27 30.05.2019(updated 11:33 30.05.2019)

MEXICO CITY/BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said that another round of negotiations with the opposition concluded in the Norwegian capital on Wednesday, noting that secret talks have been actually underway for a couple of months.

"[On] May 29, the second day of dialogue with the opposition ended in Norway. Minister [for Communication and Information] Jorge Rodriguez, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza and [Miranda state] Governor Hector Rodriguez were present there", Maduro said late on Wednesday, as quoted by his press service.

The president pointed out that he considered the dialogue with the opposition to be constructive, adding that the covert talks were underway for quite a while.

"I appointed a delegation, we have been secretly negotiating for two or three months, and now we have sat [at the negotiating table] in Norway. I want a peace agreement for Venezuela. I ask for support from the country, Chavism and the motherland  Our path is a dialogue, respect for the constitution, peace, democracy, development and problem-solving", Maduro said.

The communication centre for the opposition-run Venezuelan National Assembly speaker, Juan Guaido, meanwhile, said that "the meeting ended without agreements."

"We are grateful to the government of Norway for their will to help resolve the chaos which is gripping the country. We are ready to continue [to work] with them", the centre added.

The statement comes after on Wednesday, Oslo announced that it had hosted another round of talks between the Venezuelan government and opposition.

The Norwegian government said that "the parties have demonstrated their willingness to move forward in the search for an agreed-upon and constitutional solution for the country, which includes political, economic and electoral matters."

Oslo also urged them to "show their utmost caution in their comments and statements regarding the process."

Venezuela has been suffering from a severe political crisis since late January when US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido illegally proclaimed himself interim president in a bid to oust Maduro from power.

Washington and its allies around the world have endorsed Guaido and called on Maduro to step down. China, Bolivia, Russia, Turkey and numerous others have, in turn, voiced their support for Maduro as Venezuela's only legitimate president.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Moscow Mistrusts Bolton's Claims Iran 'Almost Certainly' Attacked Oil Tankers

Sputnik News

11:39 30.05.2019(updated 11:45 30.05.2019)

TEHRAN (Sputnik) - Moscow does not trust US National Security Adviser John Bolton's claims that Iran is "almost certainly" behind the recent attack on oil tankers in the UAE and qualifies this as a US attempt to impose its opinion on the whole world, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with Sputnik.

"We cannot take what our US colleagues say for granted. We've seen countless situations when Americans adjusted certain facts or events to political orders and their own narrow national beliefs of what happens and how it happens, and how something should be done. This is not even the UK 'highly likely', this is something worse. They are just presumptuously imposing their opinion on the whole world or at least trying to do so," Ryabkov said.

The minister stressed that such statements did not promote normalisation but were just fueling tensions.

"Such policies are especially dangerous in the Middle East. This is why we will continue calmly making effort to ensure that common sense eventually prevails and confrontation gives way to a more sensible approach, while responsible officials engage in diplomacy rather than propaganda," Ryabkov added.

Bolton said on Wednesday that Iran had "almost certainly" engaged in the sabotage attack against four oil tankers off the UAE coast, which took place on May 12, leaving no casualties and no environmental damage.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry refuted accusations as baseless, accusing Bolton and "other warmongers" of plotting against Iran.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US F-35 Jet Production at Risk if China Cuts Rare Earth Exports Amid Trade War

Sputnik News

11:11 30.05.2019(updated 11:15 30.05.2019)

The ongoing trade war between the United States and China may take a dramatic turn for the Pentagon if Beijing, the leading supplier of rare earths, chooses to give Donald Trump a taste of his own medicine and imposes tariffs on the minerals essential for the manufacture of everything: from military equipment to high-tech products.

The US-made fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter may fall victim to the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing as Chinese media outlets have speculated over a possible ban on sales of rare earths  elements critical to the production of cutting-edge weapons and high-tech products  in retaliation for US tariffs, according to Bloomberg.

Chinese authorities haven't officially announced they will restrict rare earths sales to the United States, but media outlets, for instance the People's Daily, heated up tensions by pointing at Washington's somewhat uncomfortable reliance on those elements from China, which accounts for roughly 95 percent of global output, per Bloomberg.

"Will rare earths become a counter weapon for China to hit back against the pressure the United States has put on for no reason at all? The answer is no mystery. Undoubtedly, the US side wants to use the products made by China's exported rare earths to counter and suppress China's development. The Chinese people will never accept this! We advise the US side not to underestimate the Chinese side's ability to safeguard its development rights and interests. Don't say we didn't warn you!" Reuters cited a People's Daily commentary, headlined "United States, don't underestimate China's ability to strike back".

The Global Times' Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin also believes that China may use its position as key supplier of rare earths if the trade war further escalates:

Beijing has yet to comment on the said assumptions, but the speculation is growing that China may pull the plug, thus targeting Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, each of which requires about 920 pounds of rare earth minerals, according to a 2013 report from the US Congressional Research Service.

In light of these reports, the US Defence Department has presented a report to Congress on rare earth minerals in a bid to mitigate US dependence on China.

A 2018 US government report, titled "Assessing and Strengthening the Manufacturing and Defence Industrial Base and Supply Chain Resiliency of the United States", highlighted the Pentagon's reliance on Chinese supplies.

"Rare earths are critical elements used across many of the major weapons systems the US relies on for national security, including lasers, radar, sonar, night vision systems, missile guidance, jet engines, and even alloys for armoured vehicles".

Earlier this month, the US Trade Representative's office revealed a list of additional Chinese goods worth $300 billion that would be targeted by increased 25 percent tariffs. US President Donald Trump also issued an executive order that added Chinese telecom giant Huawei and its 70 affiliates to a trade blacklist, thus barring the company from acquiring technology or components from American firms without the US government's consent.

Beijing, in turn, warned that it would slap penalties on $60 billion worth of American products in retaliation for higher US taxation (from 10 percent to 25 percent) on Chinese goods.

China and the US have been embroiled in a trade dispute since the Trump administration introduced 25 percent tariffs against up to $50 billion worth of Chinese goods in June 2018 in order to fix what he claimed was "unfair trade practices". Since then, both sides have exchanged several rounds of tit-for-tat measures.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Saudi Arabia Calls for 'All Means of Force' to Confront Attacks Blamed on Iran

Sputnik News

09:30 30.05.2019(updated 10:24 30.05.2019)

Two Saudi oil tankers and two other vessels were targeted earlier this month near Fujairah, one of the seven Arab emirates, in what the UAE's Foreign Ministry has described as "acts of sabotage".

During a meeting of foreign ministers for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Thursday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf called on Muslim nations to "confront" vessel attacks off the UAE coast that the United States has blamed on Iran with "all means of force and firmness".

The minister said the alleged sabotage of ships and a recent drone attack on a Saudi oil pipeline require "more efforts to counter the terrorist acts of extremist and terrorist groups".

Saudi Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has claimed in a tweet that the drone strike was "ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Houthis", but Iran has denied its involvement.

Al-Assaf's call to action comes just a day after US National Security Advisor John Bolton said that "it is clear" that those attacks on four oil tankers in Fujairah earlier this month were "naval mines almost certainly from Iran".

Bolton then continued by saying that additional US troops in the Middle East had been sent to "act as a deterrent".

"The point is to make it very clear to Iran and its surrogates that these kinds of actions risk a very strong response from the United States".

Reacting to Bolton's accusations, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi dismissed them as "ridiculous".

"But, Mr Bolton and other warmongers need to know that the strategic patience, high vigilance and full defence readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which emanates from the strong resolve of its great nation, will not let them fulfill their ominous schemes to create chaos in the region", Mousavi said.

In a parallel development, US President Donald Trump has confirmed Washington's intention to beef up the country's military presence in the Middle East and that the Pentagon will deploy 1,500 more troops in addition to the aircraft carrier strike group, Patriot missiles, B-52 bombers and F-15 fighters already dispatched.

In the wake of his announcement, Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif described the deployment of US military reinforcements to the Middle East as a "threat" to international peace, per the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

"The increase of the American presence in our region is very dangerous and constitutes a threat to international peace and security that must be faced".

As tensions with the US soar, Zarif has signalled Iran's readiness to clinch a non-aggression pact with its immediate neighbours in the Persian Gulf.

A few days later, the country's ambassador to France, Bahram Qassemi, told a French parliamentary conference that it was important for all nations in the region to take steps towards a more stable Middle East and blasted some countries for their reluctance to heed "Iran's call to reduce tensions and take efforts to consolidate peace and stability in the region".

On 12 May, four oil tankers  two Saudi, two others alleged to belong to Norway and the UAE  were targeted in what Abu Dhabi described as "acts of sabotage" near Fujairah.

Shortly after, several unnamed US officials told AP that "Iranian or Iranian-backed proxies" are believed to be responsible for the incident, but Tehran has denied any involvement and urged for an investigation, cautioning against any "conspiracy orchestrated by ill-wishers".

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Top General Claims Chinese President Xi Broke Promise on South China Sea

Sputnik News

07:24 30.05.2019(updated 07:25 30.05.2019)

The US military's top general said Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping reneged on promises not to militarize the South China Sea and called for "collective action" to hold Beijing responsible.

General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that there was a need to enforce international law, yet noted he was not calling for military action.

"The fall of 2016, President Xi Jinping promised President Obama that they would not militarize the islands. So what we see today are 10,000-foot runways, ammunition storage facilities, routine deployment of missile defence capabilities, aviation capabilities, and so forth," he said in a talk on US security and defence at the Brooking Institution, noting that China "walked away from that commitment."

The general claimed that "the rule of law, international laws, norms and standards" are at stake in the South China Sea dispute as much as in any territorial dispute in the world, and ignoring China's actions that are as he says not in compliance with international rules, norms and standards would lead to setting a new standard.

"I'm not suggesting a military response. What needs to happen is coherent collective action to those who violate international norms and standards. They need to be held accountable in some way so that future violations are deterred," Dunford said.

The South China Sea is a major transit route which is also rich in fishing stocks. The territory is a hotspot of disagreement between China and a number of other regional countries  Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The US has sent navy vessels through the areas claimed by China as "international freedom of navigation operations," yet otherwise has found responding difficult.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Exercise Northern Edge 2019 comes to a close

By Airman First Class Caitlin Russell, Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs / Published May 30, 2019

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska (AFNS) -- Approximately 10,000 Airmen, Marines and Sailors journeyed back to their respective home stations following participation in exercise Northern Edge 2019, May 13-24.

The fully integrated, large-scale exercise provided realistic and comprehensive joint training opportunities in and around Alaskan land and airspace, as well as in and above the Gulf of Alaska. NE19 participants trained on defensive counter-air, close-air support and air interdiction of maritime targets.

"The exercise has given us the confidence that when presented with a tough scenario, we'll fight through it and dominate it," said Brig. Gen. Daniel Heires, Northern Edge 2019 exercise director. "It is important for all of our joint partners to be able to train to current and future developing capabilities in a robust combat operational environment, so that we'll be able to respond to any crisis at a moments notice."

The training during NE19 benefits all participants and provides service members a chance to prove they are ready to face any contingency. This year, the exercise also included the Navy aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt as a participant.

"We cannot understate the importance of having the carrier as part of the exercise," Heires said. "The carrier strike group is an essential part of our power projection but no force fights alone. You have to integrate it with the air components and applicable land components. So, having the carrier here has allowed us to focus on how we integrate the carrier in a full spectrum operation."

With the joint training completed, exercise leadership will use the information gathered to measure the current combat capabilities. The analysis determines how well the services integrated and equipment performed in the Alaskan environment. The information is then used in joint publications that all the services use to improve interoperability.

Aircrews completed more than 1,400 sorties, spent 3,900 hours flying and delivered approximately 15.1 thousand gallons of fuel throughout the exercise.

"Northern Edge, first and foremost, is used to replicate our most challenging Indo-Pacific theater scenarios," said Lt. Col. Ty Bridge, Pacific Air Forces exercises division deputy division chief, assigned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. "To be able to perform joint interoperability, tactics and procedures, and to be able to utilize the entire capabilities available to the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex and Gulf of Alaska."

Bridge said the goals for the exercise were to assess advanced equipment and future operations and to put those plans through significant rigor to ensure that what is being proposed is effective and allows service members to hone their skills.

Major participating units included U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Marine Corps Forces Pacific, Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, Air Force Materiel Command, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and U.S. Naval Reserve.

Exercise Northern Edge is one in a series of exercises that enables joint forces to better prepare for potential future crises in the Indo-Pacific region.

"My confidence in our future ability to dominant the air, land and sea fight, have never been higher," Heires said.



NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






USAFE commander discusses regional security with Arctic air chiefs during Arctic Challenge 19

By USAFE - AFAFRICA Public Affairs, United States Air Forces in Europe  Air Forces Africa Public Affairs / Published May 30, 2019

KALLAX AIR BASE, Sweden (AFNS) -- The commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Force Africa met with the air chiefs of Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway to discuss regional security and exercise planning during Arctic Challenge 19 at Lulea, Sweden, May 28.

Gen. Jeff Harrigian worked with the air chiefs on a path forward for future ACE exercises, including a focus on developing realistic scenarios for the Airmen on the ground and in the air.

"Cooperation, partnership and trust are key components to regional security. The Arctic region is vitally important and provides our Airmen with exceptional airspace to operate in as we fly and learn from our allies and partners," Harrigian said.

ACE 19 is one of Europe's largest air force exercises, with 140 aircraft and approximately 4,000 participants from nine nations. The United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Germany and Switzerland are also participating in ACE 19.

"Interoperability is key, learning from one another and integrating our air forces is critical if we have to go into combat together as a unified force," Harrigian said.

"Our friends in the Arctic region possess highly technological and interoperable militaries, making them exceptional partners. By continuing to develop our strategic relationship through combined activities like ACE, we support a unified strategy, enhance our unity of effort and support collective defense and deterrence."

ACE 19 is scheduled to continue through June 4. In addition to Lulea, Sweden, allied air forces are also participating from rland and Bod, Norway and Rovaniemi, Finland.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Hill AFB F-35As transition to Mountain Home during runway closure

By Micah Garbarino, 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published May 30, 2019

HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah (AFNS) -- The 34th Fighter Squadron and 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit will transition F-35A Lightning II operations to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, as the runway at Hill AFB closes for construction.

More than 250 Airmen from the active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings and up to 24 aircraft will make the trip over a two-month period.

Hill AFB's runway is undergoing a $43.6-million repair and expansion. The unit will continue flying there until the current phase of runway construction is complete, which is scheduled for early August.

While at Mountain Home AFB, the squadron will conduct normal operations, as well as participate in exercises and integrate with other Air Force units.

They are scheduled to fly every weekday that is not a holiday or scheduled down day. The majority of the flying will take place around the base and the range complex with no flying projected near Boise, Idaho, or its surrounding areas.

The 34th FS also operated out of Mountain Home in June 2016 during a mock deployment used to gauge readiness prior to the Air Force declaring initial operational capability for the F-35A.

The 34th FS departs as the 4th FS is deployed to the Middle East and the 421st FS is deployed to Europe. This is the first time all three squadrons have been gone since the wing received the F-35A in 2015.

The 388th and 419th FW are the Air Force's only combat-capable F-35 units, maintaining the jets in a total force partnership that utilizes the strengths of both components.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Air Force confirms Wright-Patterson AFB to host F-35 support organization

By 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs / Published May 30, 2019

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- Outgoing Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson confirmed the selection of Wright Patterson Air Force Base, to host the F-35 Hybrid Product Support Integrator Organization.

The decision confirms completion of the strategic basing process which in December 2018 identified Wright-Patterson AFB as the preferred location and an environmental assessment which found no significant impact.

The F-35 Hybrid Product Support Integrator organization is already operational in Crystal City, Virginia, where it was established in 2016 as part of the F-35 Joint Program Office. There are currently HPSI personnel at 16 locations globally.

The HPSI is the Joint Program Office's sustainment execution arm for the entire F-35 fleet to include joint and international partner aircraft. It is focused on the delivery of readiness and sustainment performance for the F-35 user while reducing life-cycle costs.

A planning team with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is now preparing for the HPSI organization's reception and beddown at Area A of Wright-Patterson AFB.

When fully staffed, the F-35 Hybrid Product Support Organization will comprise 440 people, with most located at Wright-Patterson AFB. It will include representatives of the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, partner nations and industry personnel who will all report to the Product Support Manager in the F-35 Joint Program Office.

The F-35 HPSI will integrate support across the supply chain, maintenance, sustainment engineering, logistics information technology and training disciplines. It delivers global support for fielded F-35s while preparing for future force expansion.

The HPSI lead will be an Air Force general officer or senior executive service member. The JPO expects to announce the F-35 HPSI director soon. In the interim, the organization is being led at the Crystal City location by Royal Air Force Air Commodore Charles "Doc" Docherty.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UN Chief Names US Diplomat as His Somalia Envoy

By Margaret Besheer May 30, 2019

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday named a new envoy for Somalia, nearly five months after his previous representative was declared persona non grata and expelled.

Career U.S. diplomat James Swan will be Guterres' special representative and head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

Swan will replace South African Nicholas Haysom, who in January was ordered by the Somali government to leave the country, just four months after taking up his post.

The government was upset about a letter Haysom sent to authorities raising the case of Mukhtar Robow, a former al-Shabab leader who has moved into politics and sought to participate in elections in the South West State.

The national electoral commission banned Robow from running, while the South West State electoral body said he could be a candidate. Robow was arrested in December, and violent protests ensued both for and against the decision.

Swan has spent most of his career working on Africa issues, most recently as U.S. ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He is no stranger to Somalia, having been the U.S. special representative for that country from August 2011 to July 2013. According to the U.S. State Department website, in that role Swan led U.S. diplomatic, security and stabilization initiatives that resulted in Washington's recognition of a Somali government for the first time in 20 years.

Swan has also served as U.S. ambassador to Djibouti and was deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 2006 to 2008, overseeing U.S. policies and programs in 23 African countries. He has also served in U.S. missions in the Republic of Congo and Cameroon.

A U.N. spokesman said Swan would be deployed to Somalia as soon as possible.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Cameroon: NGOs Exaggerate Separatist Crisis

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka May 30, 2019

Cameroon is accusing the international NGOs of exaggerating the crisis in the country's two English-speaking regions. Separatists there have been fighting the government troops since 2017, alleging years of marginalization by authorities of the mostly French-speaking country.

External relations minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella said Thursday his country has been the object of ceaseless attacks from international NGOs, rights groups and aid agencies over its handling of the separatist movement.

This week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told lawmakers in Paris that he is disturbed by the growing loss of human life in the regions.

On Wednesday, Refugees International said the Cameroonian government has refused to recognize the severity of the crisis and that international donors may be forced to reconsider their contributions.

The United Nations estimates at least 1,800 people have been killed and more than 530,000 displaced since fighting broke out in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions in 2017. It says about 1.3 million people are in need.

Mbella Mbella said the figures are exaggerated to give the impression Cameroon is not able to handle the situation.

He said the government, with the assistance of its international partners, has distributed humanitarian assistance including goods of basic necessity, school books, planting seeds and building material to 75,000 of the 150,000 internally displaced persons.

Mbella Mbella did not give a number for those who have died but said it was Cameroon's duty to lead peace efforts to ensure that stability and peace return to the regions.

He said the government is capable of doing that as a sovereign state without the intervention of other nations.

He said although it has been accused of committing atrocities, the Cameroon military has only been protecting its citizens from separatist fighters and defending the territorial integrity of the country. He said the military has been very professional in executing its task against what he termed barbaric fighters.

Mbella Mbella accused some rights groups of wanting to destabilize Cameroon by giving an impression the crisis is escalating and the government is not doing enough to resolve it.

One of the groups accused was Human Rights Watch.

Ilaria Allegrozzi, a central Africa researcher for HRW, was refused access to Cameroon last May, on the grounds she did not give proper information about the crisis.

She says the group should be allowed to do its work, which is essentially to promote human rights.

"We have tried to establish and open frank dialogue with the government and we will continue to do so. By enabling human rights organizations to operate without obstacles and without difficulties, Cameroon would demonstrate its willingness to allow rigorous and independent scrutiny of its efforts to adhere to international human rights law," Allegrozzi said.

Alice Nkom, a local human rights lawyer, says humanitarian needs are rising by the day because the crisis is worsening and the military option taken by President Paul Biya is not a good one.

"He is still deaf and dumb when it is about peace or dialogue. He wants to use soldiers and give them the mandate to do what they can do with guns," Nkom said.

Biya has said he is open to dialogue with the separatists but will not discuss the division of Cameroon. He has branded the separatists as terrorists.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Trump Unleashes Again on Special Counsel Who Didn't Charge Him

By Steve Herman May 30, 2019

While reiterating his claim that the special counsel's report fully exonerates him, U.S. President Donald Trump is attacking the head of that investigation, former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Robert Mueller, as a conflicted prosecutor.

Mueller "should have never been chosen" to head the special investigation because he "is a true never-Trumper," the president told reporters Thursday morning on the White House South Lawn, a day after Mueller made his first public remarks on his probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

"He's somebody who didn't like Trump," the president added, claiming he spurned Mueller's desire to again run the FBI.

Trump, subsequently on Air Force One during a flight to Colorado, tweeted that Mueller was among those who visited him in the Oval Office seeking to be named FBI director.

There is no indication Mueller expressed wanting to return to his old job and he has never publicly stated a political opinion of the president.

The president also said there had been a business dispute previously between himself and Mueller, and claimed that the special counsel "loved" James Comey. Comey was fired by Trump as FBI director and the president referred to him on Thursday as Mueller's "best friend."

"Some of the worst human beings on Earth," who were supporters of his 2016 general election opponent, Hillary Clinton, worked for Mueller on the two-year investigation, claimed Trump.

Mueller on Wednesday said there was "insufficient evidence" to charge Trump with a "broader conspiracy" during the 2016 election, while stressing the investigation did not exonerate the president of wrongdoing.

"If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said that," Mueller said Wednesday at the Justice Department.

Mueller's final report uncovered nearly a dozen potential instances of obstruction of justice but he reiterated Wednesday that charging Trump was not an option his office could consider under Justice Department guidelines.

Mueller's remarks prompted additional Democratic Party lawmakers, including some of the nearly two dozen running for president, to call for the House of Representatives to launch an impeachment inquiry into the president's activities and his 2016 election campaign.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has resisted the growing pressure for such a drastic move.

"You don't bring an impeachment unless you have all the facts," she told the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Wednesday. "We won't be swayed by a few people who think one way or another who are running for president  as much as I respect all of them  and they have the freedom to be for impeachment," added Pelosi.

Trump told reporters before boarding the Marine One helicopter "there was no high crime and no misdemeanor. So how do you impeach on that?"

Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution states: "The President, Vice President and civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from Office on Impeachment, for and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other High Crimes and Misdemeanors."

The president, in a 17-minute exchange of questions and answers with reporters on Thursday, told reporters he finds impeachment "a dirty, filthy, disgusting word."

Trump also asserted on Thursday that under Article II of the U.S. Constitution he has "presidential powers that you wouldn't believe" shielding him from any obstruction of justice charge.

Mueller during his statement the previous day to reporters announced the closure of his office after concluding in late March the extensive investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether Trump had obstructed justice.

"You know who got me elected? I got me elected," said Trump. "Russia didn't help me at all."

The Russians, "I think, helped the other side," asserted the president.

Those remarks came minutes after Trump had tweeted what many interpreted as an acknowledgment that Moscow, in fact, helped get him elected:

Mueller was appointed as special counsel in May 2017 after Trump fired Comey. Mueller was tasked with investigating any links or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia and whether Trump later interfered with the investigation.

In his statement, Mueller sought to play down reported friction with the attorney general over the manner in which the report was released to Congress and the public.

Barr initially sent a four-page summary of the report's principal conclusions to Congress, followed by a redacted version of the full report last month. The Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee later voted to hold Barr in contempt of Congress for failing to release the full report along with the underlying evidence used to prepare it.

Mueller said that while he asked the attorney general to release "certain portions of the report "to Congress early on, he did "not question the attorney general's good faith" in deciding to make the entire report public at a later date.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Pompeo: Iran Attacked Oil Tankers in Gulf to Raise Crude Oil Prices

Sputnik News

00:54 31.05.2019(updated 01:22 31.05.2019)

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that the apparent attacks on four oil tankers located off the coast of the UAE's Fujairah earlier this month were "efforts by Iranians to raise the price of crude oil around the world."

On May 12, four oil tankers  two Saudi, one Norwegian and one Emirati  were damaged while in the UAE's exclusive economic zone in the Gulf of Oman. The US is calling the damage sabotage.

"These were efforts by the Iranians to raise the price of crude oil throughout the world," Pompeo told reporters before leaving for a trip to Europe, Reuters reported.

Pompeo last week told CNBC that the Trump administration has taken measures to ensure that oil prices don't spike as the US tries to bring Iran's crude exports to zero.

Speaking Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, US National Security Adviser John Bolton also accused Iran of attacking the tankers.

"It's clear that Iran is behind the Fujairah attack. Who else would you think would be doing it? Someone from Nepal?" Bolton told journalists at a press briefing at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi. One day later, Bolton stated that evidence that Iran committed the attacks would be presented to the United Nations Security Council next week.

Since US President Donald Trump took office, the US has announced a variety of sanctions against Iran, lately targeting the country's oil industry in an effort to completely block Iran from exporting oil. The Trump administration also withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), more commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Pentagon to Prohibit Cooperation With Russia in Space Launches - Document

Sputnik News

16:17 30.05.2019(updated 20:38 30.05.2019)

Russian State Space Corporation Roscosmos on Thursday condemned the Pentagon's decision to ban the use of Russian carrier rockets for launching US spacecraft considering this move as a clear sign of unfair competition.

"The Roscosmos State Corporation condemns this decision by the US Defense Department and considers it as another manifestation of Washington's unfair competition on the international space services market," Roscosmos press service said.

It was earlier reported that the US Department of Defense (DoD) will start implementing a ban on certain commercial satellite services from Russia after 2022, a document scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on May 31 revealed on Thursday.

"DoD has adopted as final, without change, an interim rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement sections of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018," the document said.

"One section imposes additional prohibitions with regard to acquisition of certain foreign commercial satellite services, such as cybersecurity risk and source of satellites and launch vehicles used to provide the foreign commercial satellite services, and expands the definition of 'covered foreign country' to include Russia."

According to the document, the new restrictions will be applied to the acquisition of certain foreign commercial satellite services and launch vehicles starting from 31 December 2022.

Besides Russia, the list of countries that fall under the term "covered foreign country" includes China, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, and Syria.

Last November, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Director Jim Bridenstine said that the relationship between Russia and the United States in the arena of space remained as strong as it had ever been despite occasional disputes.

The senior official noted that NASA wanted to keep that relationship with Roscosmos strong.

Despite the crisis in bilateral relations over the course of the past years amid disagreements on a number of global issues, including Syria and Ukraine conflicts, as well as the probe into the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, space has remained an area of fruitful cooperation of the two countries.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






North Korea accuses US of 'evil ambition' in talks

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 12:36AM

North Korea has accused the United States of showing bad faith in negotiations by conducting nuclear and missile tests as well as military drills on the Korean Peninsula.

In a statement issued by the North Korean Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, Pyongyang also slammed the continuation of US sanctions and warned that "use of strength is not at all a monopoly of the United States."

According to the statement, Washington conducted a subcritical nuclear test on February 13, just days before a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"The US has thus showcased its ulterior intention that it seeks a strength-based solution of the issues, though outwardly it advocates for dialogue," the statement said.

It also criticized Washington for its joint military drills with South Korea and test launches of intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

"All the above clearly shows that the June 12 ... Joint Statement is not within the consideration of the United States and there is no change at all in the American evil ambition to conquer [North Korea] by force," the Foreign Ministry statement added, referring to Trump and Kim's first summit in Singapore in June last year.

"The US should better bear in mind that its hostile acts will only bring about the result of adding tension to the already unstable Korean Peninsula and inviting adverse current," it stressed.

The statement comes after Pyongyang announced on Friday that it is halting its negotiations with the US over its nuclear and missile programs until Washington changes its zero-sum approach toward Pyongyang.

The second and the last round of talks between the two countries, which was held in Vietnam's capital Hanoi in February, failed after Trump walked away from the summit, claiming that Kim had insisted on the removal of all sanctions on North Korea in return for its denuclearization. Pyongyang rejected that account, stressing that it had only asked for a partial lifting of the bans.

Washington has imposed rounds of unilateral sanctions and spearheaded multilateral ones against Pyongyang since 2006 over its nuclear and missile programs. The bans have mostly targeted Pyongyang's exports, including coal, iron, lead, textiles, and seafood, while also hindering the imports of crude oil and refined petroleum products.

Soon after the diplomatic engagement with the South, North Korea took a number of unilateral goodwill measures, including suspending all nuclear and missile testing.

None of those measures were reciprocated by America.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen appointed the head of the country's constitutional court as Austria's first female chancellor Thursday to lead an interim government until elections later in the year.

Brigitte Bierlein, president of the Austrian constitutional court, speaks to the media during a press conference with Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria, 30 May 2019. [Photo: IC]

Brigitte Bierlein will now be tasked with forming a cabinet after the previous government collapsed spectacularly over the so-called "Ibiza-gate" corruption scandal.

"I will seek to win Austrians' trust," Bierlein said alongside Van der Bellen in a televised statement Thursday, saying she would hold talks with political parties and civil society organisations in the coming days.

She said that Clemens Jablons, a previous president of the Supreme Administrative Court, was "ready to take up the posts of vice-chancellor and justice minister".

She added that she would put forward diplomat Alexander Schallenberg for the post of foreign minister.

"If this is surprising for you, it is for me as well," Bierlein told journalists gathered for the statement.

Van der Bellen called Bierlein a "prudent, far-sighted and highly competent personality".

Bierlein, 69, has been president of the constitutional court since last year and previously held several other prominent positions as a judge and prosecutor.

The appointment comes after Sebastian Kurz became the first chancellor in Austrian history to be thrown out of office by a no-confidence vote of MPs on Monday.

Opposition MPs brought the motion as they said Kurz had to take responsibility for the scandal which brought down his government.

The crisis began with the publication of hidden-camera footage in which former Freedom Party (FPOe) leader and Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christan Strache appeared to offer public contracts to a woman posing as a Russian investor in exchange for help in the 2017 parliamentary election campaign.

The video led Strache to resign and prompted Kurz to end his coalition with the FPOe and call snap elections.

Kurz's centre-right People's Party (OeVP) won an impressive 34.6 percent of the vote in Sunday's European parliament elections and at the moment looks on course to easily re-emerge as Austria's largest party at the upcoming elections.
Iran denies allegations on intervention in other countries

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, May 30, IRNA -- Iran denied on Thursday allegations made by Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf about what he described as Iran's interference in the affairs of other countries.

Reza Najafi, the Director of Peace and International Security Department of Foreign Ministry, who leads the Iranian delegation to the foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca, expressed hope that the OIC meeting would focus on the main priority of the Muslim world which is the Palestinian issue.

He stressed that Iran categorically rejects the allegations.

As one of the founding members of OIC, he noted, Iran hopes that the meeting, which is being held in the holy month of Ramadan, would further strengthen unity among the Muslim Ummah.

9341**1424

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Iran's security chief: US-hatched 'deal of century' will be failure

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 05:52PM

Iran's security chief says a US-devised plan targeting the Palestinian nation, dubbed "the deal of the century," will definitely end in failure.

"The deal of century will be defeated at the hands of the resisting people of Palestine," Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), told a conference held in the Gaza Strip under the title of "No to Deal of Century" on Thursday.

The United States has kept the plan, which it says is aimed at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, under wraps. Leaked information, however, indicate that it features serious violations of the Palestinian's age-old demands.

Shamkhani said the plan aims at "complete elimination of Palestine," speaking via video link at the event, which was held in Gaza City in the coastal enclave with senior leaders of Palestinian resistance groups in attendance.

Using the scheme, Washington is trying to abuse the "ignorance, laxity, and the treacherous nature" of some of its vassal states to "permanently do away with the issues of the Palestinian refugees' return [to their homeland] and formation of an independent Palestinian state," he added.

Also joining the conference were Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas resistance movement, Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian resistance movement's leader in Gaza, and Ziyad al-Nakhaleh, the leader of the Islamic Jihad resistance group.

The conference came in the run-up to International Quds Day.

The late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, gave the designation to the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in honor of the Palestinian cause. Every year, the occasion witnesses million-strong pro-Palestinian rallies across the world by those who heed the call.

The day was so named, Shamkhani said, as a token of support for anti-Israeli resistance until the ultimate liberation of the entirety of the occupied Palestinian territories.

"Iran stands with all the nations that resist oppressors," Iran's security chief said, citing Imam Khomeini as saying, "As long as there is oppression in the world, there is struggle too. And as long as there is struggle, we stand up too."

"In line with the viewpoint of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, we once again in the Islamic Republic insist on supporting the resistance, especially in the occupied Palestine, and will not cease this support despite all hardships, political pressures and economic sanctions, as the Islamic Republic considers supporting the resistance fighters a religious obligation," Shamkhani added.

The Iranian official then highlighted how the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979 was followed by creation of resistance movements that defeated Israel in all their confrontations with the regime, liberating Gaza and southern Lebanon. He saluted the resistance fighters, who brought about the victories.

'Resistance until end of occupation'

Further in the conference, the leader of Hamas Movement in the Gaza Strip, Yehya al-Sinwar, said the US-devised "deal of the century" will not go ahead.

He also asserted that the Palestinian resistance front will not abandon the Palestinian cause, including liberation of all Israel-occupied territories, most notably the holy city of Jerusalem al-Quds.

"We will not sell al-Quds We believe liberation of al-Quds will come soon," he noted.

The Hamas leader urged all Muslims to participate in International Quds Day rallies on Friday, and thanked the Islamic Republic for its support for Palestinians in the face of Israeli aggression.

The resistance outfits, Sinwar said, are undaunted by Israeli threats and military equipment, noting how Palestinians had managed to develop missiles domestically.

'Tel Aviv in cross-hairs if Gaza hit'

Leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziyad Al-Nakhaleh, also addressed the conference, warning the Israeli regime against resorting to renewed military aggression against the enclave.

He said the resistance will be targeting Tel Aviv if the regime attacks the Gaza Strip, adding, "We will target Israel with more missiles if a new war erupts."

"In every battle, we will impose a new equation on enemy," Nakhaleh stated.

He asserted Palestinians' rejection of all US plots targeting the Palestinian cause, adding that Palestinians are all united in the cause of thwarting American conspiracies.

Leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad also welcomed the stance of Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, against "the deal of the century," and denounced an upcoming US-sponsored event in Bahrain aimed at promoting the economic aspects of the plot.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Vows to Respond With Military Force if Iran 'Attacks American Interests'

Sputnik News

16:32 30.05.2019(updated 18:08 30.05.2019)

The development comes just a few weeks after the United States deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Persian Gulf in what White House National Security Adviser John Bolton described as a "clear and unmistakable message" to Iran.

US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said on Thursday that Washington would retaliate with military force if Iran "attacks" American interests in the Middle East.

"If we are attacked we will respond with military force. We have redeployed our forces in the region. We think that this redeployment has a deterrent effect on possible erroneous calculations of the regime", he said.

Hook also said that the US is waiting for the results of an investigation into alleged attacks on four vessels, including two Saudi oil tankers, off the UAE's coast earlier this month, which have been blamed on Iran by Washington and its allies, before discussing a proper response.

Hook on EU's Mechanism to Bypass US Sanctions on Iran

The US is ready to impose sanctions on the EU's Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges, or INSTEX, designed to bypass American penalties against Iran, Hook said.

In addition, he expressed doubt that Tehran would be able to build a "mirror mechanism" in order to ensure that transactions were conducted on their part. The US also does not see corporate demand for work with this mechanism, Hook specified.

His comments were made just a day after Bloomberg cited a letter penned by the Treasury Department's undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, Sigal Mandelker, as saying that the Trump administration would ban the mechanism from the US financial system if it comes into force.

Bolton Warns Iran Against Making 'Big Mistake'

In a parallel development, White House National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Thursday that it would be a "big mistake" if Iran or "its surrogates attacked" American interests, and that a "quick response" and the dispatch of US military assets in the Persian Gulf served to "deter" Tehran.

Bolton continued by claiming that the Iranian "threat is not over" and added that the United States was not pursuing a policy of regime change in the Islamic Republic.

The national security adviser then blasted Iran for "threatening" Washington and its allies as "unacceptable behaviour" which has to stop if they want to negotiate.

The Trump administration has piled pressure on Tehran since withdrawing from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, last May and reinstating all sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Earlier this month, the US upped the ante by deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Gulf to send a "clear and unmistakable message" to Iran. In addition, President Donald Trump has confirmed that the Pentagon will deploy 1,500 more troops to the region.

Tehran, meanwhile, announced that it would partially suspend its commitments under the nuclear deal, having set a 60-day deadline for the five remaining signatories to the deal  Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany  to ensure that Iranian interests are protected or else the country would resume enriching uranium at higher levels.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Trump Adviser Bolton: Iranian Threat Persists Despite US Actions

By VOA News May 30, 2019

U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said Thursday the U.S. has helped prevent Iran from undertaking acts of aggression but warned the threat from Tehran still exists.

"I don't think this threat is over, but I do think you can make at least a conditional claim that the quick response and the deployment of and other steps that we took did serve as a deterrent," John Bolton told reporters in London.

Trump announced last Friday he would send 1,500 more troops to the Middle East, just days before Bolton announced that an aircraft carrier and bombers were dispatched to the Persian Gulf region. Bolton said the moves were in response to "clear indications of threats from Iran to American forces in the region."

Bolton, a hawk who has pushed for military force against Iran, also said he was not seeking a "policy of regime change in Iran." The statement came in response to a question about whether he and Trump disagreed on the issue.

Recent media reports suggested Trump is displeased with Bolton about how to limit Iran's influence in the Middle East. During his recent trip to Japan, Trump maintained he was not pushing for a regime change. Earlier this week, Trump joked to The New York Times, "We'd be in four wars by now" if Bolton determined U.S. foreign policy.

Trump further distanced himself from Bolton on Thursday, telling reporters he would be willing to negotiate with Iran on a nuclear agreement. Trump claimed Iran wants to make a deal after becoming a "weakened nation" due to the imposition of U.S. sanctions.

But Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he would not negotiate on issues related to his country's military capabilities. He added that Sharia law, not U.S. sanctions, is the reason Iran is not trying to acquire nuclear weapons.

Tensions between the two countries have further escalated this month, stoked by U.S. suspicions of Iranian military activity. Without evidence, Bolton claimed on Wednesday that naval mines "almost certainly from Iran" caused explosions recently on four oil tankers in the Gulf.

Many Trump critics blame the heightened tensions on his administration's withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal, designating part of Iran's military a terrorist group, and reimposing stiff sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Pakistan Arrests Second Pashtun Lawmaker Over 'Attack' On Troops

By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal May 30, 2019

A second Pakistani lawmaker accused of being behind an alleged attack on a military post has been arrested, a provincial spokesman said.

Shaukat Yousafzai, a spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, said parliament member Mohsin Dawar was captured in a raid in North Waziristan on May 30. However, local sources said Dawar turned himself in voluntarily.

The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), which was co-founded by Dawar and campaigns for civil rights for ethnic Pashtuns, said troops killed 13 civilians when they opened fire on May 26 on unarmed people who were gathering to protest heavy-handed tactics by the security forces.

The military accuses Dawar and another member of parliament, Ali Wazir, of being involved in an attack on a checkpoint in the volatile region. Wazir was arrested but Dawar fled at the time.

The army said three activists were killed in the violence.

The army had reportedly barred Pakistani television channels from covering the rallies, but phone videos were posted on social media apparently showing unarmed protesters breaching a barbed-wire barricade placed on a road, before gunfire scatters them.

The violence was the most serious incident in a long-running confrontation between the authorities and the PTM, which has vowed to remain nonviolent.

Human Rights Watch in a statement on May 30 called on Pakistan to "impartially investigate" the deaths of the protesters on May 26.

"Upholding the rule of law is critical for maintaining security and protecting human rights in North Waziristan," said Brad Adams, Asia director of the New York-based rights body.

Pakistan's government should "uphold rights of region's Pashtun population," the statement adds.

On May 29, an international media-freedom watchdog urged Pakistani authorities to immediately release a reporter who was detained while covering the North Waziristan protest.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a May 28 statement that Gohar Wazir, a reporter working for the private TV station Khyber News, was detained in the town of Bannu after reporting on the PTM protests.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan- arrests-second-pashtun-lawmaker-over- attack-on-troops/29972291.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






Russia rejects US claim of violating nuclear test ban treaty

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 09:43AM

Russia has categorically dismissed a claim by the United States that Moscow may be conducting nuclear tests in violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Lieutenant General Robert Ashley, the head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, claimed on Wednesday that Russia was "probably not adhering to" the CTBT by conducting low-level nuclear testing at a site in the Arctic.

"We categorically reject these allegations," Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said, adding that the allegation resembled a "well-planned, concerted attack not only on Russia but on the arms control regime and the whole strategic stability architecture."

The Russian diplomat also expressed surprise that the allegation had not been brought up during bilateral consultations but had been leveled through the media.

The CTBT, which bans nuclear weapons testing anywhere in the world, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996. The multilateral treaty sets out nuclear disarmament as a principle.

Russia ratified the treaty in 2008 but the US has yet to do so.

The US allegations were made amid growing tensions between Washington and Moscow.

US President Donald Trump suspended a bilateral pact with Russia  the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)  in February and threatened full withdrawal in six months. His Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, signed a decree in response, suspending Moscow's participation in the nuclear arms treaty.

Under the treaty, both sides had been banned from creating ground-launch nuclear missiles with ranges from 500 kilometers to 5,500 kilometers. The pact also led to the elimination of nearly 2,700 short- and medium-range missiles.

Following the US move to suspend its obligations under the treaty, Russia warned that the collapse of the agreement would spark an arms race.

Putin, however, said Moscow would not deploy any new missiles unless Washington did so.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S., Russian Diplomats Discuss Ways For Syria To Rejoin 'International Community'

By RFE/RL May 30, 2019

Top U.S. and Russian diplomats are considering measures that could eventually allow Syria "to move back into the international community" if it agrees to a series of steps to help end the country's long civil war.

Jim Jeffrey, the U.S. special representative for Syria engagement, on May 29 told reporters following a closed-door UN Security Council session that Washington and Moscow were studying a "step-by-step approach" to ending the eight-year war, but he added that a resolution will require "hard decisions."

The comments appeared to indicate new U.S.-Russia engagement to find a peaceful solution to the war that has led to the involvement of the United States and its allies, along with Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the Islamic State (IS) and other extremist groups.

Jeffrey cautioned that the U.S.-Russian engagement "is just a potential way forward," pointing out that there had been no progress yet in Syria regarding actions demanded by the United Nations and the U.S. administration.

Jeffrey said that during talks earlier in May in the Russian resort city of Sochi, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed a plan that "would allow a Syrian government that adheres to [UN Resolution] 2254 to move back into the international community."

"In terms of working with the Russians in Sochi, we believe that there is a sincere interest in finding a solution to this conflict," Jeffrey said.

"But this is going to take hard decisions -- hard decisions not only by us, but hard decisions by the Russians and hard decisions, most of all, by the Syrian regime," he added.

Russia, along with Iran, has provided crucial support to help the government of President Bashar al-Assad remain in power, while the United States and Turkey have backed differing rebel groups in the civil war.

UN Resolution 2254 of June 30, 2012, calls for peace talks, the drafting of a new constitution, and UN-supervised elections.

"So far, we haven't seen steps such as a cease-fire in Idlib [and] the convening of a constitutional committee that would give us confidence that the Assad regime actually understands what it must do to end this conflict."

At the onset of the civil war, the United States had said Assad must be removed from power, but it subsequently backed off that demand.

Jeffrey said he met separately with envoys from Security Council members Russia, Britain, France, and China and that there was a "sincere interest in finding a solution to this conflict."

UN envoy Geir Pedersen stressed that U.S.-Russia cooperation was key to delivering a Syrian peace deal but that the Damascus government must also cooperate.

"Without that, we risk what I call a 'no war, no peace' scenario where things will continue to be complicated and we will not see a Syria that is a normal part of international society in the future," he said.

More than 400,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced since the war began in March 2011 after a crackdown on anti-Assad protests.

With reporting by AFP and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-russian- diplomats-discuss-ways-for-syria-to-rejoin- international-community-/29971597.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






Germany in Secret Talks With US on Military Support in Syria  Report

Sputnik News

19:41 30.05.2019

Ahead of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Berlin, the German outlet Spiegel reported that Washington has been urging Berlin to support a buffer zone in northern Syria. The zone is meant to shield the Kurds, whose militia has been supported by the US, from both Turkey and the government forces of Bashar Assad.

The German government has signalled during months-long secret talks with the US that it would be prepared to take part in securing a safe zone in northern Syria, Spiegel reports. According to the outlet, Berlin has suggested that the mission of the German Armed Forces, Bundeswehr, in Jordan could be extended for this purpose.

The mandate for a German deployment called "Camp Sonic" to remain at a Jordanian Air Force base in order to counter Daesh expires in October. It includes specially equipped "Tornado" jets that are assisting the US-led anti-Daesh coalition with reconnaissance and aerial refuelling over Syria. However, as the German outlet points out, it is still unclear what assistance the German Air Force can provide for the safe zone.

Spiegel reports that the US has repeatedly unofficially requested that Germany remain involved in Syria since the Munich Security Conference in mid-February. During secret talks of the anti-Daesh coalition's key members, US acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan reportedly briefed the allies on the US plans for a buffer zone between northern Syria and Turkey in order to protect the Kurds fighting on the American side from both Ankara and Damascus.

The Chancellor's Office, Foreign Ministry, and Defence Ministry have reportedly agreed that the US should not be alienated over the Syria issue. But as the German government cannot deploy ground troops, Spiegel reports, Berlin has come up with an idea to provide airspace security. The secret negotiations reportedly continued at the highest levels after the conference and involved Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen and Germany's top diplomat Heiko Maas.

Although a consensus might have been reached in the international talks, the notion could face hurdles in Germany. It was earlier agreed within the coalition government of the Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union, and the Social Democrats that the Jordan mission would end in 2019. While the CDU indicated that it could support an extension, the SPD has vehemently rejected the idea.

US forces have been operating in Syria leading an international anti-Daesh coalition, a mission which has not been authorised by either the Syrian government or the UN Security Council. Moreover, Washington has been supporting the Kurdish-led militia controlling the territories to the east of the Euphrates and opposing the Syrian government.

In December 2018, Trump declared that he would withdraw US troops from Syria following the defeat of the Daesh* terrorist group in the Arab country. Later, he claimed that creation of a 30-kilometre buffer zone in northern Syria could protect the Kurds and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) from an alleged attack by Turkey. The SDF leadership is spearheaded by the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey claims is an arm of the Kurdistan Workers Party. The party has been blacklisted by Ankara as a terrorist organisation.

*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State), a terrorist group banned in Russia and a number of other countries

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Syria: Thousands of children 'hemmed in' by 'brutal and gratuitous' spike in violence

30 May 2019 - A marked escalation in fighting has put tens of thousands of children in northwest Syria at "imminent risk of injury, death and displacement", the United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF) chief warned on Thursday.

Executive Director Henrietta Fore said in a statement that over the past few days, intensifying violence, had left children "hemmed in" especially in villages in northern Hama and southern Idleb, driving many families from their homes while "others are unable to move to safer areas".

This latest escalation follows months of rising violence in the area, which has reportedly left at least 134 children dead and more than 125,000 displaced in 2019 alone. And with nearly 30 hospitals under attack, the spike in violence has forced some of UNICEF's healthcare partners to suspend their lifesaving operations.

Moreover, approximately 43,000 children are currently missing school. Final exams in parts of Idlib have been postponed, "affecting the education of 400,000 students", she continued.

Although UNICEF's partners are on the ground in the northwest, working to reach children and families with mobile health clinics, vaccines, psychosocial support and sanitation supplies, she said that these "quick fixes" can "go only so far" in mitigating the humanitarian fallout from the "brutal and gratuitous violence".

"Children bear no responsibility for this war, yet they suffer its carnage and consequences more than anyone", stressed the UNICEF chief.

Ms. Fore urged parties to the conflict in the northwest and across Syria to "make every effort to protect children and the infrastructure they depend on", including hospitals and schools.

"Parties and those who have influence over them should also forge a comprehensive and lasting peace that finally brings this war to an end, for the sake of Syria's children and the very future of the country and the region", concluded the UNICEF Executive Director.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Cabinet passes draft amendments for military parental leave

ROC Central News Agency

2019/05/30 14:52:26

Taipei, May 30 (CNA) In its latest effort to boost Taiwan's fertility rate, the Executive Yuan passed two draft amendments Thursday designed to make it easier for military officers to apply for parental leave, including halving the minimum length of service required to permit such leave.

Currently, Article 9-1 of the Act of Assignment for Officers And Non-commissioned Officers of the Armed Forces stipulates that military officers can apply for leave without pay to care for children under the age of 3 if they have been in service for at least a year.

If passed by lawmakers, the draft amendment will cut the minimum length of service to just six months, allowing more military officers to be able to stay home to take care of their children.

In addition, military officers will also be eligible for parental leave during the trial period of cohabitation with a child under the age of 3 whom they plan to adopt, the bill states.

Meanwhile, another draft amendment to the Act of Merit for Officers and Non-commissioned Officers of the Armed Forces was also passed to protect the rights of military officers applying for parental leave.

The bill is designed to revise Article 2 of the act, which states that an evaluation will only be made on a military officer's job performance if he or she has served for more than six months consecutively in a given year.

The draft amendment removes the "consecutive" requirement, giving greater flexibility to military officers applying for leave to take care of their children or to accompany their spouses on overseas missions.

According to the Ministry of National Defense's preliminary estimation, the draft amendments are expected to benefit between 800 and 1,000 military officers per year, said Pai Chieh-lung (), director-general of the ministry's Department of Resource Planning.

Deputy Minister of National Defense Shen Yi-ming () said the amendments are part of the government's efforts to encourage people to have more children. He also stressed that the ministry will not be biased against military officers who have applied for parental leave when evaluating their job performance.

In the U.S.-based World Population Review's latest Fertility Rate by Country report, Taiwan ranked bottom among 200 countries, with a total fertility rate of 1.218 children per woman.

Japan and South Korea occupied the 179th and 194th spots with a total fertility rate of 1.478 and 1.323 children per woman, respectively.

(By Stacy Hsu)

Enditem/J

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






MAC discourages Taiwanese from attending Straits Forum in China

ROC Central News Agency

2019/05/30 22:32:28

Taipei, May 30 (CNA) The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday urged citizen of Taiwan not to attend the upcoming Straits Forum in China, which the council sees as part of Beijing's scheme to ultimately annex Taiwan through its "united front" strategy.

Since Chinese President Xi Jinping () laid out his goals for Taiwan's unification with China in January this year under Beijing's "one country, two systems" formula, China has been making every effort to achieve those goals through what it calls "democratic negotiations" via cross-Taiwan Strait exchanges, MAC Vice Chairman Chen Ming-chi () said in a regular press briefing.

The annual Straits Forum, slated for June 15-21 in Fujian's Xiamen City, is being used by China to drum up support among Taiwan's people and create an atmosphere conducive to its "one country, two systems" unification formula, according to Chen.

While people and groups from Taiwan are advised to not take part in the event, any Chinese personnel linked to the forum will not be permitted to enter Taiwan, if they attempt to visit this year, Chen said.

He also warned that Taiwanese groups and citizens are not permitted to sign agreements or memorandums of understanding, strike illegal deals, or forge alliances with Chinese authorities, in conflict with national interests.

That regulation also applies to public functionaries in the central and local governments and any affiliated companies, he said.

Applications by retired high-ranking government officials and active local government officials to participate in seminars in China that advocate the "one country, two systems" formula or that involve the so-called "democratic negotiations" will be turned down by Taiwan authorities, Chen said.

(By Flor Wang and Miao Zong-han)

Enditem/AW

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Taiwan conducts live-fire drill

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 10:02AM

Taiwan's military has carried out an annual, live-fire, anti-landing military exercise, simulating operations to ward off an amphibious attack on its southern beaches.

The drill, held annually under the name of Han Kuang, was conducted in the southern county of Pingtung on Thursday, with fighter jets launching strikes and warships opening fire, along with more than 3,000 troopers, in an attempt to destroy an enemy beachhead.

During the exercise, the largest in Taiwan, warplanes practiced landing on main highways to refuel and rearm.

The drill simulated defense against an attack by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

"The military force of the Chinese Communist Party has continued to expand, without giving up the use of force to invade Taiwan," said Taiwan's defense minister Yen Teh-fa, while observing the drills.

Yen also accused Beijing of intending to "destroy regional stability and cross-strait security."

The defense minister's comments followed a rise in cross-strait tensions. During recent months, China's army has conducted extensive exercises with warships, bombers, and reconnaissance aircraft near self-ruled Taiwan, moves Taipei has perceived as attempts at intimidation.

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, and almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty under a policy known as "One China."

The United States, while formally practicing "One China," remains a close ally of Taipei, providing weapons to it.

Taiwan and the mainland separated amid a civil war in 1949. China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Back in January, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that Beijing reserved the right to forcefully bring the island under its control but would strive to achieve peaceful "reunification."

However, Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen has time and again said that she wants to maintain the status quo with China.

Taiwan, home to 23 million people, would be extremely outgunned in any potential war with China.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






US Playing With Fire in Taiwan Strait, Undermining Relations - Chinese Ministry

Sputnik News

20:05 30.05.2019(updated 20:06 30.05.2019)

BEIJING (Sputnik) - The United States' actions in the Taiwan Strait are precarious and are undermining US-Chinese relations as well as regional stability, Chinese Defence Ministry Spokesman Wu Qian said.

"The American side has been recently making vain attempts to enslave China with the hands of the Chinese themselves, these are unrealistic dreams  With these actions the United States is playing with fire and undermining the continued development of Chinese-American relations, as well as peace and stability in the region", Wu said during his briefing.

He also stressed that Taiwan was a part of China and therefore was something that fell within the national interest. Wu noted that since the "One China" policy had been accepted by the whole international community, it was also the foundation for US-Chinese relations.

The statement comes after Taiwanese national security chief David Lee reportedly met with his US counterpart, John Bolton, during his 13-21 May visit to the United States. On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the talks and said Beijing was against any official meetings between the United States and Taiwan.

On 20 May, the Chinese Defence Ministry said that the US guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG-88) had entered the waters adjacent to Chinese territorial islands and reefs in the South China Sea without Beijing's permission. China characterised these actions as provocation, while the US side said everything had been done as governed by international law.

Taiwan is an island nation off the southern coast of China that has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan maintains that it is an autonomous state, having political and economic relations with numerous other countries that recognise its sovereignty.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






U.S. warns Turkey against negative consequences of S-400 delivery

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:32, May 30, 2019

WASHINGTON, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Turkey would face U.S. sanctions if it completes the delivery of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system, U.S. State Department warned on Wednesday.

"We're willing to engage with the Turkish Government but our position remains the same that Turkey will face very real and very negative consequences if it completes the delivery of the S-400," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said at a pressing briefing.

The consequences include suspension of procurement, industrial participation in the F-35 fighter jets program, and potential sanctions because of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), she noted.

"These are very serious, these are very real, and I think our position remains quite consistent on that," she added.

U.S. President Donald Trump on the same day spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on phone about the S-400 issue, the White House said in an earlier statement.

Turkish Presidency's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter that during the phone call, Erdogan reiterated Turkey's offer to set up a joint working group to address U.S. concerns about Ankara's purchase of the S-400 air defense system.

The White House statement, however, made no mention of Erdogan's working group proposal.

Washington and Ankara have been sparring for months over the latter's purchase of the Russian-made S-400.

The United States argued that Russian missiles on Turkish territory could gain valuable intelligence on the technical systems of the U.S.-made stealth F-35 jets.

Turkey has insisted that it is not going to give up its 2.5-billion-U.S. dollar contract with Russia.

U.S. media CNBC reported last week that Washington had given Ankara just over two weeks to give up its S-400 deal with Russia or risk severe penalties and lose the possibility of buying U.S. F-35.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Monday dismissed reports that the United States had issued an ultimatum, adding the S-400 would arrive in following months.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Turkey says airstrikes 'neutralized' 19 PKK terrorists in northern Iraq

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 03:47PM

Turkish warplanes and attack helicopters have "neutralized" 19 PKK militants in a string of airstrikes targeting their hideouts in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, Anadolu news agency reports.

The Turkish military generally uses the term "neutralize" to signify that members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) have been killed, captured or wounded.

"Four more PKK terrorists have been neutralized as part of ongoing Operation Claw in Hakurk region of northern Iraq," the state news agency quoted the National Defense Ministry as saying Thursday.

"Therefore, the number of terrorists neutralized so far as part of the operation has risen to 19" during the past four days, it added.

Turkish jets also destroyed weapon pits, shelters and ammunition stores used by PKK militants in the Avasin-Basyan and Metina regions of northern Iraq as part of the cross-border push, which commenced on Monday.

The Turkish air force has been carrying out operations against the PKK in Turkey's troubled southeastern border region as well as in northern Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Turkey, along with the European Union and the United States, has declared the PKK a terrorist group and banned it. The militant group has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region since 1984.

The PKK accepted a shaky ceasefire with Ankara, but the truce collapsed in July 2015. Attacks on Turkish security forces have continued since then.

More than 40,000 people have been killed during the three-decade conflict between Turkey and the militant group.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Turkish court gives life sentences to 56 ex-soldiers over 2016 botched putsch

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 03:40PM

A court in Turkey has handed down aggravated life sentences to dozens of former soldiers on charges of involvement in the July 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which the Ankara government blames on US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Judicial sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Ankara's 17th High Criminal Court passed the rulings against the ex-military personnel on Thursday.

The sources added that the court also sentenced 18 other defendants to life behind bars for their roles in Turkish Army Aviation Command during the botched putsch.

During the botched putsch, a faction of the Turkish military declared that it had seized control of the country and the government of Erdogan was no more in charge. The attempt was, however, suppressed a few hours later.

Ankara has since accused Gulen of having orchestrated the coup. The opposition figure is also accused of being behind a long-running campaign to topple the government via infiltrating the country's institutions, particularly the army, police and the judiciary.

Gulen has denounced the "despicable putsch" and reiterated that he had no role in it.

"Accusations against me related to the coup attempt are baseless and politically-motivated slanders," he said in a statement.

The 78-year-old cleric has also called on Ankara to end its "witch hunt" of his followers, a move he says is aimed at "weeding out anyone it deems disloyal to President Erdogan and his regime."

Turkish officials have frequently called on their US counterparts to extradite Gulen, but their demands have not been taken heed of.

Turkey has been engaged in suppressing the media and opposition groups suspected to have played a role in the failed coup.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of having links to Gulen and the failed coup. More than 110,000 others, including military staff, civil servants and journalists, have been sacked or suspended from work over the same accusations.

The international community and rights groups have been highly critical of the Turkish president over the massive dismissals and the crackdown.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Current deal only option to avoid no-deal Brexit, EU warns UK

Iran Press TV

Thu May 30, 2019 04:56PM

The European Union's top negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier has warned that next government in London would not be allowed to renegotiate the terms of a divorce agreement signed between Brussels and current Prime Minister Theresa May.

Barnier said on Thursday that the next conservative-led government in Britain should know that the only option to avoid a disorderly-Brexit at the end of October would be to pass the current deal which May and the EU signed in November.

"If the UK wants to leave in an orderly manner, this treaty is the only option," said Barnier.

The comments come as most of the candidates who seek replace May as UK prime minister have vowed to take a tough line against the EU and force it change the terms of the current Brexit deal. They believe the EU would bow under pressure and come up with a new solution as it would also be harmed in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

However, Barneir said that would not be the case as repeatedly elaborated by top EU officials after May failed on three occasions to go through the British parliament with her Brexit deal until a previous withdrawal deadline in April to leave the EU.

"If the choice is to leave without a deal  fine. If the choice is to stay in the EU  also fine. But if the choice is still to leave the EU in an orderly manner, this treaty is the only option. This is all that our legal constraints allow," he said.

Experts have warned that a no-deal Brexit could seriously harm trade and business in UK and cause the economy to shrink up to 10 percent. However, pro-Brexit lawmakers in the ruling Conservative Party believe there would be short-term impacts on the economy but Britain will emerge more powerful in several years time.

May announced on Friday that she will step down as prime minister on June 7, allowing a race in the Tory party to choose a next leader and prime minister.

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






UK Special Forces Sent to 'Capture or Kill' Daesh Leader Al-Baghdadi  Reports

Sputnik News

13:47 30.05.2019(updated 13:54 30.05.2019)

The world's most wanted man  Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi  has on numerous occasions been reported to have been killed or seriously wounded, but is believed to be alive and on the run.

The British Army's Special Air Service (SAS) forces have been deployed to Iraq for a "kill or capture" mission to track down the location of the self-proclaimed Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Mirror reported.

Around 30 SAS and Special Boat Service troopers have reportedly teamed up with American Special Forces following Easter bombings on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, which left 253 killed, including dozens of foreigners, out of concern that Western states could be targeted next. They are said to also be assisted by Iraq's "Golden Division" special forces.

"Al-Baghdadi is a very important figurehead for Islamic State [Daesh*] and getting him is a very high priority. His leadership of Daesh has been punctuated with some of the vilest acts of violence against human beings by terrorists. It would be good to capture him, but this may be unlikely given some of the areas he is thought to be hiding as they are almost no-go areas for western troops", the media outlet cited a former intelligence officer as saying.

It's been reported that RAF drones, equipped with four Hellfire missiles, are also being deployed on 12-hour surveillance missions.

"It is not known where al-Baghdadi is, but every suspicious movement on the ground is being monitored and, even though he is the most careful of the high-value targets, he will make a mistake. They always make a mistake in the end  and then he will be either trapped or killed", another senior source was quoted as saying.

The Defence Ministry has, however, refused to comment on special forces missions.

Baghdadi, who remains the world's most wanted man, is believed to be alive and at large, even though he has repeatedly been reported to have been killed or gravely injured.

On 29 April, numerous media outlets reported that the Daesh leader made his first appearance, after five years of keeping a low profile, in a video in which he admits the terrorist group's defeat in the battle for Baghouz in March. The footage was allegedly made in early April; however, its authenticity is yet to be verified.

Most recently, The Sun reported, citing Zaid Hamis, co-founder of the BrassTacks threat analysis think-tank, as claiming that al-Baghdadi may be hiding in Afghanistan. The assumption is at odds with the general belief that the notorious terrorist is hiding in the Western Desert in Iraq's province of Anbar.

Al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance in the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2014, having declared a cross-border "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria, after capturing vast territories in both countries. The United States is offering a whopping $25 million reward for information leading to his capture or death.

*Daesh, also known as ISIS/IS/Islamic State, is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.

 Sputnik

NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address






Ukrainian Lawmakers Refuse To Dismiss PM Hroysman

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 30, 2019

KYIV -- Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has rejected Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman's resignation after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on May 20 called on the government to step down.

Only 97 lawmakers voted on May 30 in favor of Hroysman's resignation -- far short of the 226 votes needed to accept Hroysman's resignation.

The vote came the same day as Zelenskiy's office announced that the president had formally asked the parliament to dismiss Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak, and Security Service chief Vasyl Hrytsak.

The president's office added that a move to dismiss Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko was pending.

A day after his inauguration, Zelenskiy issued a decree disbanding the parliament and calling snap elections in July, and proposed changes in the electoral process.

However the Verkhovna Rada, at a May 22 emergency session, voted against debating amendments proposed by Zelenskiy, underscoring the challenge he faces from the very start of his five-year term.

The two votes against the president's proposals appear to highlight a standoff between lawmakers and Zelenskiy, a political novice who has no formal support in the current parliament.

With reporting by Reuters, TASS, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian- lawmakers-refuse-to-dismiss-pm- hroysman/29972249.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






Four Killed In Military Helicopter Crash In Western Ukraine

By RFE/RL May 30, 2019

KYIV -- An Mi-8 military helicopter crashed late on May 29 during a training exercise in western Ukraine, killing three crew members and their commander, Ukraine's military has said.

The press service said that contact with the helicopter was lost at 11:27 p.m. local time (2027 GMT/UTC) on May 29.

Rescue services and law enforcement agencies worked at the scene of the crash overnight and continued on May 30.

Representatives of the Defense Ministry, the General Staff, and the Ground Forces command was en route to the site.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reacted to the crash on Twitter, writing, "It's not a good morning."

Zelenskiy said he had ordered General Ruslan Khomchak, the Ukrainian army chief, to "investigate the circumstances of the tragedy under his personal control."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/military-helicopter-crash -in-western-ukraine/29971864.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






Stamford, Conn., May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Green Street Power Partners, LLC (GSPP), a leading commercial solar developer, owner and operator, closes on tax equity investment and long-term debt financing for a 17.5 megawatt community solar portfolio in Minnesota. The portfolio will consist of commercial and industrial customers. The portfolio represents GSPPs initial foray into the Minnesota market. GSPP will own and operate the solar assets long-term. The portfolio, consisting of 4 different sites, is expected to be fully operational between now and Q3 of 2019.



GSPP secured tax equity financing for the project from Rockwood Group, through its partnership with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America and ~$25M in long-term debt with Celtic Bank, a top-ten nationwide SBA lender headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.



Guardian Life Insurance and Rockwood Group have proven to be ideal partners in this transaction. Their focus on long-term, sustainable investments aligns well with the funding opportunities we have to offer at GSPP, stated Scott Kerner, CEO of GSPP. We are excited about securing this investment from such reputable firms and we look forward to continued growth within this new partnership.



"Celtic Bank is excited that it will expand its lending portfolio with this group of community solar projects in Minnesota stated Jasna Filipovic, VP of Renewable Energy & Specialty Finance at Celtic Bank. These solar farms will both significantly increase solar production in the state and reduce energy costs to households. We are grateful to GSPP and our partnership in these great projects."



The clean energy generated by the four projects in this portfolio will offset over 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. GSPP continues to experience rapid growth as they expand into the Midwest commercial solar market. With this most recent addition to its portfolio, GSPP now has over 70 MW under management and will generate power in 10 states.



About Rockwood Group

Rockwood Group is a national investment and asset management firm that provides innovative financing through public/private partnerships and access to capital markets for economic development and energy-related projects. Rockwood focuses on understanding, meeting and exceeding the specific needs and objectives of our investor partners and the communities in which we invest. Rockwood Management Corporation is owned by its employees through an employee stock ownership plan. To learn more visit: www.RockwoodAM.com.



About Celtic Bank

Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Celtic Bank is a privately owned industrial bank chartered by the State of Utah. Celtic Bank specializes in small business finance, helping business owners with working capital, expansion, acquisition, construction, equipment financing, renewable energy finance, real estate purchases and refinances, and more.



About Green Street Power Partners

Headquartered in Stamford, CT, GSPP is a national developer, financier, owner and operator of solar energy systems for businesses, schools, nonprofits and municipalities across the country. As they expand their solar coverage, GSPP consistently provides the best available solar technology coupled with an unwavering commitment to customer service. For more information on GSPP, email info@gspp.com or visit gspp.com.


Dublin, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Practical Implementation of GCP in Veterinary Field Studies" conference has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This seminar will take many aspects of animal health and veterinary research and development through a typical clinical trial, and pay attention to compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) as outlined in the two guidelines on safety and efficacy produced by FEDESA and the CVMP.

The course will address a typical case study where a practical approach will be made to setting up, running and monitoring clinical trials followed by an audit of these studies to satisfy the stringent requirements seen in Europe. Standard documentation utilised for recording data, performing audits and a typical protocol will be supplied for use in the company attendees' own laboratories.

Why you should attend

Understand the regulatory requirements and study design

Know how to design protocols and apply them

Take away practical advice on how to set up clinical trials

Clarify the pharmacovigilance requirements

Gain a better understanding of data handling and appropriate' statistics

Discover how to produce the final report

Assure quality in laboratory field studies

Who Should Attend:



Personnel involved in the animal health industry who are responsible for monitoring clinical veterinary studies and setting up protocols and studies, both in laboratory and field environments, to comply with GCP

Quality assurance professionals who are required to audit these types of studies

Clinical project managers and regulatory affairs personnel who will benefit by gaining an overview of the conduct of studies, the regulatory requirements and European perspectives

Agenda:



Programme Day One



The Regulatory Requirements and Study Design

Overview of GCP status covering VICH guidelines

An indication where trials must comply

Ethical aspects of GCP in all studies

Field study vs laboratory studies - regulatory GCP and GLP compliance

European anomalies

Project planning and timescales

Types of trials

Project design and teamwork

A case study

Protocol Design and Application

Protocol production and approval

Protocol content and special points for inclusion

A case study

Setting up Clinical Trials - A Practical Case Study

Case report form design and supportive documentation

Investigator selection

Responsibilities of the Monitor and the Principal Investigator

Test material

In-life activities

Study close-out and reporting

Principal differences between laboratory and field studies

Pharmacovigilance Requirements and Considerations

Recent regulatory developments

Impact on clinical studies

17.00 Close of Day One



Programme Day Two



Data Handling and Appropriate' Statistics*

Review of the current CVMP statistics guidelines

Types of data

Types of statistics

Evaluation of data

A case study

Producing the Final Report

Data and QC

Archiving data

A case study

Assuring Quality in Laboratory and Field Studies

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) writing, use and review

The QA function

Interaction between GLP, GCP and GMP in veterinary studies

Pre-study involvement

Protocol review

Audit planning

In-life audit

Sponsor/site trial master file review

Discussion will take place throughout the two days



Speakers:



Marie-Pascale Tiberghien

Technical marketing activities

Bayer



Sue Lester

Founding Director

Triveritas



Julian Braidwood

Veterinary Surgeon and R&D Director

Triveritas



For more information about this conference visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bjt3qi

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
Boston, Mass., May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over 575 elementary school students from across Massachusetts were celebrated at the New England Aquarium for their achievements and perseverance with ST Math, a conceptual mathematics program based on the neuroscience of learning. Mass STEM Hub, a program of the One8 Foundation, organized this event in collaboration with MIND Research Institute and the New England Aquarium.



ST Math is a visual instructional program that builds a deep conceptual understanding of math through rigorous learning and creative problem solving to engage, motivate and challenge PreK-8 students toward higher math achievement. ST Math was developed to be effective with and engaging for all students - including English Language Learners, learning disabled and high-achieving students. In ST Math classroom games, students solve visual mathematical puzzles with JiJi  the beloved penguin of ST Math games.



According to Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), less than half of middle school students are proficient in math. But, ST math has proven to help students advance in math understanding, achievement and most importantly confidence that they are good at math and interest in doing math. And their growing understanding shows in state testing scores. In a comparison of MCAS results from the 2013/14 and 2016/17 school years, ST Math schools that implemented with high fidelity outgrew their counterparts in statewide math performance rank by 7.4 percentile points.



Its great for the kids to do [math] without words. I see a lot more perseverance. I see children who are picking up concepts prior to being taught them in the classroom so when we come into that part of the curriculum, they already have a great base of knowledge to go back to, noted Bernadette Bazzett, 4th grade teacher from Whitin Intermediate School in Uxbridge, MA.



MIND Research Institute has partnered with the One8 Foundation to support 114 Massachusetts schools to offer ST Math programs for all students, seeking to expand high-quality elementary math.



Our collaboration with Mass STEM Hub has amplified our efforts to mathematically equip all students, said Karin Wu, Executive Vice President and Executive Director of Social Impact at MIND Research Institute. In addition to making our highly effective and engaging visual instructional program, ST Math, accessible to schools across the Commonwealth, the staff at One8 Foundation has also provided us with the strategic guidance necessary to develop and execute on first-rate implementation, teacher support, and data evaluation. As we strive towards transformative impact, we are very grateful for One8 Foundations continuous partnership.



During the celebration event at the New England Aquarium, students explored the Aquarium with their teachers, viewed an IMAX movie, and engaged in ocean-themed math games. One game called How Much Water? challenged students to estimate the worlds amount of potable water and reflect on strategies for water conservation.



The New England Aquarium aims to provide experiential STEM learning opportunities - like todays event with Mass STEM Hub and MIND Research Institute- to help young people develop knowledge and skills they can apply to conservation. We were thrilled to help celebrate student achievement in ST Math, meanwhile helping to inspire the next generation of environmental problem solvers, noted Billy Spitzer, Vice President for Programs, Exhibits, and Planning at the New England Aquarium.



Students engagement with ST Math was most apparent when they met JiJi. Students were ecstatic to meet JiJi in person and to see the penguin exhibit at the New England Aquarium.



We do our JiJi time at the end of the day. Thats one of the hardest time of the day to for kids to stay focused [but] we have kids working up to the bell, they dont want to go home, noted Heath Squires, 6th grade teacher from Union Hill School in Worcester. [There is] such genuine enjoyment and buy in from the kids.



To choose students to attend the celebratory event at the New England Aquarium, schools considered both perseverance and achievement. 31 schools came from across the state from as far north as Haverhill, as far south as Westport, and as far west as Worcester.



Mass STEM Hub partnered with MIND Research Institute and the New England Aquarium to create this opportunity to celebrate students perseverance and accomplishments.



The goal of todays event was to celebrate the hard work of students and teachers, specifically members of our first ST Math cohort, commented Katherine Skrivan, Director of Mass STEM Hub. We could not be prouder of the quality work in ST Math classrooms across the state.



About One8 Foundation and Mass STEM Hub



One8 Foundation is committed to expanding access to high quality STEM and applied learning to Commonwealth schools. Mass STEM Hub is a program of the One8 Foundation and its mission is to provide schools with access to and support for the next level of STEM education that engages students and prepares them to succeed in a rapidly changing, high tech world. This year the One8 Foundation and Mass STEM Hub helped scale ST Math curriculum to114 schools in Massachusetts enabling students to learn mathematics visually and conceptually. The Foundation and Mass STEM Hub have helped scale Project Lead The Ways K-12 curriculum in engineering, computer science and biomedical science to over 35,000 students in Massachusetts. www.mass-stemhub.org



About MIND Research Instititute



MIND Research Institute is a neuroscience and education social impact organization, dedicated to ensuring that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the worlds most challenging problems. MIND is the creator of ST Math, a visual instructional program that builds deep conceptual understanding of math through rigorous and creative problem solving to engage, motivate, and challenge Pre-K-8 students toward higher achievement. ST Math incorporates the latest in learning and the brain, promoting mastery-based learning and mathematical understanding. Longitudinal and broad-based studies across diverse population groups continue to demonstrate ST Maths efficacy in building lifelong learners prepared for success in STEM fields. ST Math currently reaches more than 1.2 million students and 56,000 teachers at 4,300 schools in 47 states. For more information, visit stmath.com.

Attachments
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orezone Gold Corporation (TSXV:ORE) (Orezone or the Company) is pleased to announce that on May 24, 2019 the Company hosted an estimated +3,000 people in celebration of the recent start of construction of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) at the Companys flagship Bombore Gold Project (Bombore or the Project) in Burkina Faso.



Patrick Downey, the Companys President and CEO commented, The support Orezone has received from the local communities and the Burkina Faso government is a true testament to the strength of the partnership we have built and continue to build as we develop the Bombore Gold Project. The overwhelming turnout for the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony shows the visible support and project approval from the local communities and all levels of government.

In addition to members of the local communities, delegates from the Burkina Faso government included: the Prime Minister; the Minister of Mines; the Minister of Roads and Infrastructure; the Special Presidential Advisor for Energy and Mining Affairs; the Governor of the Central-Plateau Region; the High Commissioner of Ganzourgou and the Mayor of the rural district of Mogtedo where the project is situated.

Andre Baya, Managing Director for Orezone Bombore SA, commented, We were honoured by the presence of major Ministers and countless other officials including the Presidential Advisor, representing the President but also by the large representation of community members. Altogether, this is a testimony to the excellent relationship that Orezone has developed with its neighbours and the Burkina Faso Government.

Following a few speeches, marked by the blessing of the Mayor for the success of the Project, the Prime Minister started a bulldozer as the symbolic first shovel of the RAP construction. During the ceremony, the homes constructed to date in the resettlement areas as part of the RAP were visited and inspected with all parties very pleased with the workmanship of the local contractors.

Mr. Downey continued, The Phase I RAP is progressing on schedule and towards completion by the end of 2019. The support of the local communities for Bombore is integral to the successful development of the Project. The Company continues to invest in local livelihood restoration programs and community assistance projects with a focus on local hiring and training, education, business promotion and social and health aspects.

During Phase 1 of the RAP, Orezone will resettle 377 households from several local traditional villages.

The Bombore Project remains on track for first gold pour in 2021. During construction and operation of Bombore, over 600 workers will be employed with a targeted local employment rate in excess of 95% and the mine will deliver substantial economic benefits to the country in terms of tax revenue, employment and infrastructure development.

About Orezone Gold Corporation

Orezone is a Canadian company with a successful gold discovery track record and recent mine development experience in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Company owns a 90% interest in Bombore, a permitted, low cost, development stage gold project in Burkina Faso, situated 85 km east of the capital city of Ouagadougou, adjacent to an international highway.

For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (778) 945-8977 or visit the Companys website at www.orezone.com .

Orezone Gold Corporation

Patrick Downey,

President and Chief Executive Officer

Vanessa Pickering

Manager, Investor Relations

Tel: 1 778 945 8977 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663

info@orezone.com / www.orezone.com

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.



Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements", as defined in applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements") which include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, expectation with respect to the Project, the RAP, Governmental Approvals for the Project and first gold pour in 2021.

Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to predict or control could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Annual Information Form on file with certain Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. If the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4dd791b9-c275-44a3-aaea-aead051f37c1

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/85779b7a-3ea8-4acd-806d-e62a509c5027

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d253e923-4b12-41c7-b631-560c063f3b88

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a9100497-1e83-4c4f-87ae-bcd8b9b9baa7
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Teck Resources Limited (TSX: TECK.A and TECK.B, NYSE: TECK) (Teck) announced today the signing of a US$2.5 billion limited recourse project financing facility to fund the development of the Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 (QB2) project.



Compania Minera Teck Quebrada Blanca S.A. (QBSA), which holds the QB2 project and will be the borrower under the financing, is indirectly owned 60% by Teck, 25% by Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (SMM), 5% by Sumitomo Corporation (SC), and 10% by Empresa Nacional de Mineria (Enami).

The US$2.5 billion project finance loans will be provided directly, or guaranteed, by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Export Development Canada, Export-Import Bank of Korea, German Government for the Untied Loan Guarantee Program (UFK), KFW IPEX-Bank GMBH, Bank of Montreal, BNP Paribas S.A., ING Bank N.V., Mizuho Bank, Ltd., MUFG Bank, Ltd., and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.

Teck, SMM, and SC will guarantee QBSAs obligations under the 12-year facility on a several basis until project construction is complete. The financing is anticipated to close before the end of the third quarter and first borrowing under the facility is not expected to be required until late 2019.

Rothschild & Co Canada Inc. acted as financial adviser to QBSA.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information as defined in the Securities Act (Ontario). The forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the anticipated timing of closing of financing, timing of first borrowing and timing of Tecks equity contributions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Teck to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to be materially different include unanticipated issues in satisfying closing conditions on the schedule indicated in this release, as well as unanticipated changes to assumed schedules or costs that may affect timing of first borrowing and Tecks equity contribution.

Teck does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date of this document or to revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated events, except as maybe required under applicable securities laws.

About Teck

Teck is a diversified resource company committed to responsible mining and mineral development with major business units focused on copper, steelmaking coal, zinc and energy. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols TECK.A and TECK.B and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TECK. Learn more about Teck at www.teck.com or follow @TeckResources .

Investor Contact:

Fraser Phillips

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Strategic Analysis

604.699.4014

fraser.phillips@teck.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascent Industries Corp. (CSE: ASNT) (Ascent or the Company) is providing this bi-weekly default status report in accordance with National Policy 12-203 Cease Trade Orders for Continuous Disclosure Defaults (NP 12-203).



On May 16, 2019, the Company announced that its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018, including the related management discussion and analysis, and CEO and CFO certifications (collectively, the Annual Filings) were not filed by the required filing deadline of April 30, 2019.

As previously reported, Ascent is currently involved in proceedings under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (the CCAA Proceeding). Ascent is required to file bi-weekly default status reports in accordance with NP 12-203 until such time that the CCAA Proceeding is concluded or until the default in making the Annual Filings is remedied.

The Company reports that since its news release of May 16, 2019, there have been no material changes regarding the information contained in that news release. Further, there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed. The Company confirms that, since its news release of May 16, 2019, there have been no failures by it in fulfilling its stated intentions with respect to satisfying the provisions of the alternative information guidelines under NP 12-203, and the Company intends to file the Annual Filings as soon as possible.

About Ascent Industries Corp.

The Companys operations currently include facilities Oregon and Nevada in the United States. In the United States, the Company holds licences in Oregon (for processing and for distribution of cannabis to any licenced entity in the state) and in Nevada (for cultivation and for production, processing and wholesale distribution of cannabis). In Europe, Agrima ApS, a Danish company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Ascent, has established European headquarters and is pursuing multiple jurisdictional licences.

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (THE CSE) HAS NEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. NEITHER THE CSE OR ITS MARKET REGULATOR (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE CSE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, the uncertainty involved in the timing of the completion of the Annual Filings or the timing and granting of an MCTO by applicable regulatory. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, Ascent assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

For further information:

Mark Lotz

ir@ascentindustries.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Liberty Gold Corp. (LGD - TSX) (Liberty Gold or the Company) is pleased to announce voting results from the Companys Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 30, 2019 (the Meeting). A total of 122,186,124 common shares were voted, representing the votes attached to 58.95% of all outstanding common shares. Shareholders voted in favour of the election of all director nominees. The percentage of votes cast for each is as follows:



Total number of votes cast: Votes for: Dr. Mark ODea 97,650,686 96.7% Mr. Cal Everett 97,650,686 99.7% Mr. Donald McInnes 97,650,686 94.4% Mr. Robert Pease 97,650,686 99.8% Mr. Sean Tetzlaff 97,650,686 96.7%

The reappointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as auditor of the Company, was also approved by the shareholders.



Voting results are released in accordance with Toronto Stock Exchange requirements. Detailed voting results for the Meeting are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

ABOUT LIBERTY GOLD

Liberty Gold is focused on exploring the Great Basin of the United States, home to large-scale gold projects that are ideal for open-pit mining. This region is one of the most prolific gold-producing regions in the world and stretches across Nevada and into Idaho and Utah. We know the Great Basin and are driven to discover and advance big gold deposits that can be mined profitably in open-pit scenarios. Our flagship projects are Goldstrike, Black Pine and Kinsley Mountain, all of which are past producing open-pit mines, where previous operators only scratched the surface.



For more information, visit www.libertygold.ca or contact:


Oslo, 31 May 2019

Highlights in the quarter

Gross production decreased by 6.7 % in Q1 2019 compared with the previous quarter. In the same period, revenues remained stable due mainly to Vikingos temporarily shut in, partly offset by higher services sales.

On 5 February the Vikingo well came back on stream. Thanks to an agreement with Perenco, production from Vikingo is now being transported through a nearby pipeline.

Reperforation of Puli C wells produced encouraging results, indicating potential enhanced recovery opportunities. These tests are currently being verified through further testing.

Interoils net comprehensive loss in Q1 2019 was USD 1.7 million, compared with a USD 6.2 loss in Q4 2018.

Subsequent events

Interoil announced the acquisition of majority interests in one exploration and two production concessions in Argentina. Recoverable conventional reserves in these licenses are estimated to exceed 8 million barrels, and they also have a significant potential of unconventional oil and gas.

The total agreed consideration amounts to USD 13 million, of which 3.9 million will be settled in cash and USD 9.1 million through issuance of a new shares.

Constructive discussions continue with SLS Energy regarding cooperation for drilling of further wells in the LLA 47 block in Colombia.

Due to the delays suffered for reasons outside Interoils control, the ANH granted a 362-day extension on the LLA-47 contract. As a result, the exploration contract now runs until February 7th, 2021.

See attached quarterly report for further information.

For further reference, please find attached three additional documents with more information about the three concessions that Interoil recently acquired in Argentina and an overview of unconventional development in Argentina.

Please direct any further questions to: ir@interoil.no.

***************************

Interoil Exploration and Production ASA is a Norwegian based exploration and production company - listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange - with focus on Latin America. The Company is operator of several production and exploration assets in Colombia. Interoil currently employs approximately 50 people and is headquartered in Oslo.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act

Attachments
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CUV Ventures Corp. (TSX-V: CUV) (the Company) is pleased to announce that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Red Chapina S.A, on May 30th 2019. The MOU, signed by CUV CEO, Steve Marshall and, Daniel Asturias, CEO of RedCHAPINA, outlines a mutual desire to deploy a joint tech task force to establish the technical requirements for the RevoluPAY e-Wallet family remittances and, cash advances for visiting tourists, to be collected at over 2000 pick-up points in association with www.RedChapina.com in El Salvador, Guatemala and, shortly, across all Mexico. The parties have agreed to work on a Definitive Agreement (DA) concerning bilateral commissions, the technical linking of payments settlement systems and, the mechanism for the instant delivery of worldwide remittances and, tourism focused cash-advances. The Company would also like to thank Advisor, Emilio Morales, for his assistance in forging this potentially valuable relationship with RedCHAPINA. The MOU with RedCHAPINA compliments the previously signed MOU with Grupo Eficacia, meaning that, should both negotiations conclude favorably, RevoluPAY users in El Salvador and Guatemala will be able to both obtain cash from over 2000 RedCHAPINA outlets and, pay groceries and other retail items at over 650 supermarkets and stores associated with Grupo Eficacia.



About RedCHAPINA

RedCHAPINA, headquartered in Guatemala, currently provides logistical payment deliveries for many of the worlds largest remittance companies. RedCHAPINA has direct agreements with over 2000 physical cash delivery bureaus across the length and, breadth of El Salvador, Guatemala and, soon, more locations across all Mexico, servicing: major cities, smaller towns and, villages.

Pending Remittance Focused Definitive Agreements

The Company has been diligently preparing the legal framework and, contracting required, to conclude the definitive agreements with: Easy Pagos, Grupo Eficacia and, now RedCHAPINA. The corporate attorney at RevoluPAY S.L Barcelona has advised management that a final agreement version will be available to sign by all parties starting from Friday 7th of June. The Company has maintained close contact with all parties while the final definitive agreement, compliant with intricate international legislation, was being drafted and, expects to provide shareholders with an outcome, in each pending MOU case, very soon.

Top 40 International Bank Negotiations Progress Favorably

Shareholders were advised on June 29th 2018 that the Company had signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with a Top 40 International Bank concerning the integration of the banks remittance disbursement platform into the proprietary RevoluPAY App. The said bank operates extensively in 16 Central and South American Countries that collectively receive approximately 70 Billion USD in annual remittances. Subsequently, on the 17th December 2018 an executive from the International Bank made a personal visit to the RevoluPAY headquarters in Barcelona. Under instruction from the International Banks headquarters, on the 29th of May 2019, the regional director of the International Bank visited RevoluPAY headquarters in Barcelona to commence preparations for the opening of bank accounts to be ultimately utilized for the remittance flows through RevoluPAY. The Company is now awaiting the date of a final visit by the international compliance division of the Bank. Should the said final compliance visit result positive, the outcome would engender the final signing of the bilateral agreement between the International Bank and, RevoluPAY S.L., for immediate commencement of Remittance Flows through the RevoluPAY App to all of the aforementioned countries.

RevoluPAY New Payment Request Functionality

Over the past 6 months, RevoluPAY has received requests from numerous Expedia and Booking Holdings promoted properties who use the RevoluPAY VCC Card cashing system, for these property owners to be able to solicit client payments at a distance using the RevoluPAY app. Many of the aforementioned properties operate proprietary websites and, carry-out direct marketing to guests, which invariably result in a need for the properties to solicit Payment Requests worldwide. The proposed system allows the property owners to generate a digital invoice through the RevoluPAY Merchant App and, send this invoice directly through the RevoluPAY app to a phone contact or, via: sms, email, social media or instant messenger platforms. The receiver would then click the invoice and make the payment in seconds with their phones RevoluPAY app. RevoluPAY programmers have now concluded a final working version of the Payment Request add-on, which will be deployed in the next RevoluPAY Merchant App update.

PlayandTrain Worldwide Payments and Donations Commence

On March 25th 2019, shareholders were informed that RevoluPAY had become an official financial partner for the Play And Train Association www.playandtrain.org in Europe. PlayandTrain have now completed the incorporation of RevoluPAY into their website and, have successfully received donations and payments through RevoluPAY. Play and Train currently has over 25,000 members, including the family, of people with disabilities. The primary focus of the contract between Play and Train Association and, the wholly owned subsidiary RevoluPAY, is to utilize the Companys RevoluPAY Apple and Android multinational payment app, as a means to settle: Association Member monthly dues, Association Merchandizing sales, Event Crowdfunding, International and, National Association Donations. RevoluPAY plans to continue to work with other private and, governmental associations, in the future.

About RevoluPAY

The Companys flagship technology is RevoluPAY, the Apple and Android multinational payment app. Built entirely in-house, RevoluPAY features proprietary, sector specific, technology of which, the resulting source code is the property of the Company. RevoluPAYs built-in features include: Leisure payments, travel payments, retail and hospitality payments, remittance payments, real estate payments, pay-as-you-go phone top-ups, Utility Bill payments, etc. RevoluPAY is powered by blockchain protocols, and, is squarely aimed at the worldwide multi-billion dollar leisure sector and, + $595 billion family remittance market. RevoluPAY is operated by the European wholly owned subsidiary RevoluPAY S.L located in Barcelona. RevoluPAY S.L operates under European E-money - Directive 2009/110/EC through a licensed electronic money institution or EDE Banking Licensed entity.

RevoluPAY Presentation

About CUV Ventures Corp.:

CUV Ventures Corp. is a multi-asset, multidivisional publicly traded Canadian company deploying advanced technologies in the; Online Travel, Vacation Resort, Mobile Apps, Money Remittance, Mobile phone top-ups, Invoice factoring, Blockchain Systems, and Fintech app sectors.

Our flagship technology is RevoluPAY, the Apple and Android multinational leisure payments and remittance app, powered by blockchain protocols, and aimed at the worldwide + $595 billion family remittance market. Click here to read more.

For further information on CUV Ventures Corp. (TSX-V: CUV) visit the Companys website at www.cuvventures.com. The Company has approximately 144,873,000 shares issued and outstanding.

CUV VENTURES CORP.

Steve Marshall

______________________

STEVE MARSHALL

CEO

For further information contact:

Don Mosher

CUV Ventures Corp.

Telephone: (604) 685-6465

Toll Free: 800-567-8181

Facsimile: 604-687-3119

Email: info@cuvventures.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Last week, members of the Patrick Henry Community College board unanimously gave their approval for a new program.

The three-semester precision machining program is now slated to launch this fall. The program will function as the first year of the two-year precision machining program that Danville Community College offers. Officials from PHCC say that creating this transfer pathway to DCC from PHCC will make a high-demand well-paying career more accessible to Henry and Patrick County residents.

By starting at PHCC, Martinsville, Henry and Patrick County residents can stay local for all but two semesters of this two-year program, said PHCCs precision machining program adjunct faculty Justin Durden. They can take advantage of local scholarships and get two certificates and two credentials without having to leave town.

Precision machining involves computer drafting and detailed metalworking to create custom parts from raw materials. These skills are in high demand for local companies because skilled machinist can save companies time and money. Program graduates typically make more than $40,000 a year.

Job boards reveal that within a 75-mile radius of Martinsville there are over 100 precision machining jobs that go unfilled every graduation cycle. With DCC and PHCC combined, the graduation rate of precision machinists in this area is projected to be no more than 60 students per graduation cycle.

There are more job opportunities than there are graduates, and there are new companies coming locating in this area every year, says Instructor Durden. This high demand means that many students receive job offers before they even graduate.

Although the program is not enrolling applicants yet, interested students should contact PHCCs workforce division at (276) 656-0260 or email rdurden@patrickhenry.edu.
Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones joined other area leaders and residents Tuesday morning in a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially welcome King Cropp Food to the River District. The restaurant is located at 621 Main St.

Jones said restaurant owners Chris King and Darcy Cropp, who also operate a food truck, have a passion for the best food with the best ingredients.

The Cropp and King families have been on a food journey since Chis and Darcy started dating in Saluda, North Carolina, Jones said. Their common love for growing and eating fresh local food started them on this food concept in Asheville with a farm stand selling eggs, herbs, and other vegetables that they grew.

Today, the couple owns a farm in the Providence, North Carolina, community, where they grow many of the ingredients for their restaurant and food truck. They also purchase ingredients from local farmers for a seasonally influenced menu.

Both families welcome you and thank you for being a part of the celebration today, the mayor said. They hope you find your way here from time to time to enjoy lunch, dinner and take the opportunity to experience all they have to offer.

The restaurant is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and it is open for dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

The River District includes the downtown and historic tobacco warehouse areas. Nine years ago, the City launched the River District Development Project to provide new amenities and to repurpose empty buildings for residential units and for starting or expanding businesses including restaurants and shops.

Today, private investment is taking place as hoped, and it is outpacing public investment by more than threefold, with $35 million in public seeding and investment and $150 million in private investment.
BEDFORD -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that each soldier who stepped onto the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944, had an invitation to hell.
MONTREAL, May 31, 2019 - AM Resources Corp. (TSXV: AMR) (Frankfurt: 76A) is pleased to announces it closed its previously announced non-arm's length acquisition of a 60% indirect interest in the La Esperanza asphaltite property in consideration of the issuance of 4,700,000 common shares (the "Acquisition").

"We are really pleased to have finally cleared all regulatory hurdles and to be now focusing on developing La Esperanza, which is a perfect strategic extension of our Rio Negro project. We believe that this acquisition should be immediately accretive to earnings, and will allow us to undertake our crossover into precious metals", said Adriana Rios Garcia, Interim President and CEO of AM.

Management Change

The Corporation also announces that Ms. Adriana Rios Garcia, COO, has been appointed interim President and CEO, effective May 30, 2019, taking the place of Dominic Voyer, who resigned as President and CEO but will remain a director of the Corporation.

The Corporation expresses its appreciation to Mr. Voyer for his service to the Corporation and wishes him success in his future endeavours.

All securities issued in connection with the Acquisition will be subject to a statutory hold period until October 1, 2019.

ABOUT AM RESOURCES CORP.

AM Resources Corp. is a mining exploration Corporation with interests in coal and natural bitumen projects in Colombia. AM is betting on Colombia's excellent mineral potential and favourable climate to pursue its new Colombian venture. The Corporation is also engaged in gold brokerage activities in Colombia through its subsidiary, AM Resources Corp. Trading Corp.

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.

www.am-resources.com

SOURCE AM Resources Corp.
When Houstons Deer Park petrochemical facility exploded in a fireball in March, thick black smoke billowed thousands of feet into the air. Residents were terrified. But local officials assured them that there was no health threat because the plume lofted the toxic chemicals far above the danger zone.Then, four days later, after fire crews finally were able to put out the blaze, the same city officials issued an emergency order telling the residents to shelter in place. Now everyone was confused. Why would they need to take shelter after the fire had been extinguished?The explanation was that a cloud of benzene, a dangerous carcinogen, had escaped. The risks were so grave, in fact, that an agency of the federal government -- the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- closed the Houston ship channel, one of the nations biggest waterways, disrupting shipments of gas and grain.Such disasters make tough calls for all levels of government. Those in charge often have just moments -- or at most, hours -- to make decisions that affect thousands of lives. Too often, they dont have the technical information they need, and those on the front lines sometimes have the least of all. At Deer Park, the local fire department didnt know for more than an hour after the initial explosion just which chemicals were burning.That kind of uncertainty makes it hard for citizens to know whom to trust -- and they often have very long memories, especially if they think local leaders under- or over-reacted in the past. Building trust begins with the very first message from the authorities. In an emergency, theres no do-over. They have to get it right, right away. In the Deer Park emergency, they did get it right, but it was hard to convince residents that was the case.Every emergency sets the stage for the next, and the next is sometimes right around the corner. Just weeks after Deer Park, another tank farm exploded, this time in nearby Crosby, killing one worker, letting loose toxic chemicals and leading to another shelter-in-place order. The issue of whom to trust came up all over again.No one wants to put citizens at risk, so the authorities often reach for an extra cushion of safety by recommending an abundance of caution. But that too can be dangerous. No note of caution is ever free, whether its keeping kids inside school following an explosion or ordering an evacuation from a brush fire. When Hurricane Rita threatened Houston in 2005, the evacuation created a massive gridlock and ended up killing almost as many people as the storm itself. The public saw a serious overreaction. And when citizens conclude that the government overreacted, theyre likely to disbelieve what theyre told the next time around.That cascades into a bigger puzzle. In disasters churning with technical complexity, are locals up to the job? Following the Deer Park explosion, a Dallas-area state representative, Tony Tinderholt, argued for legislation at the state level to set certain standards for those emergency operations and decision points. Relying on the locals, he feared, wouldnt be enough.Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton countered by saying his team had responded well to the tank farm emergency. I dont think legislations going to solve this, he said, whether it be here on the state level or in Washington. Disasters, he insists, always begin as local events, and local officials have to respond first.But the tank farm was an international operation, owned by a Japanese company, and it had been cited for multiple safety and environmental violations by both federal and state officials. Its hard for the locals to own the solution when there are so many other players involved.The messy boundaries of responsibility apply to many different emergency situations. Last year, a single click by a lone state government worker in Hawaii mistakenly sent out a mass alert that warned the island was under a missile attack. The warning seemed plausible enough -- it came at a time when tensions between the U.S. and North Korea were high, and the North Koreans had just test-fired a rocket with the range to hit Honolulu. Tourists and residents scrambled to find shelter, and a Catholic bishop solemnly gave his parishioners absolution of their sins. It took 38 minutes for state officials to figure out how to correct the false alarm. Gov. David Ige had forgotten his Twitter password.In this area, the federal government makes policy. But local and state governments are on the front lines of implementing it and, more important, explaining it. The willingness of citizens to follow instructions -- for a live disaster and for the next one as well -- depends on how skillful the explanations are.Going forward, three things are certain. The locals will have more such jurisdictional problems to deal with. It will be difficult for them to hit the right notes. And its getting easier for those at other levels to second-guess them, given the complexity of the problems and the huge cost of making a mistake. All of this vastly complicates the core problem of trust.
Like everyplace else, Nevada has named a number of things as official state symbols. Theres Lahontan cutthroat trout, sagebrush and desert tortoise (the state fish, flower and reptile, respectively), along with 19 other official state designees.But while the other 49 states may have official flora and fauna, only Nevada can boast a state element.Thanks to the efforts of a fifth-grade class in Carson City, Gov. Steve Sisolak recently signed a measure naming neon as the official element of the state. The students helped write the language in the bill and lobbied lawmakers, arguing that neon has been no less important to Nevada than trout and tortoises, and deserves to be similarly recognized.
The Trump administration's plan to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census continues to draw controversy.Bipartisan experts warn that the question would dissuade immigrant communities from participating, resulting in gross undercounts and denying states and localities significant resources.On Thursday, The New York Times reported onshowing a Republican political strategist and an architect of the citizenship question suggested it would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites. Thecalled it the most explicit evidence to date that the Trump administration added the question [...] to advance Republican Party interests.But the citizenship question isn't the only aspect of next year's Census that has experts worried.At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Census officials and immigration advocates voiced their concerns about the failure to engage citizens without internet access and underfunding of Census workers and offices. Those potential shortcomings compound worries about how the process could disadvantage states and localities.This will be the first Census in which most households are encouraged to participate online. But many of the IT systems that will be used are untested, noted Greta Byrum, co-director of the Digital Equity Laboratory at the New School in New York City."The overwhelming public focus on the high-stakes citizenship question has taken priority in our national conversation," Byrum said, "and as a result we are behind in addressing safety and security and functionality concerns surrounding the digital transition.""You just assume people can get online, and that's not a safe assumption to make," she toldafter the hearing.Byrum worries about a botched rollout akin to what happened initially with HealthCare.gov for the Affordable Care Act, noting that the Government Accountability Office recently flagged more than 500 Census cybersecurity vulnerabilities.Another concern is a reduction in federal resources.The Census Bureau plans to halve the number of its local offices across the country and reduce the number of enumerators -- workers who follow up with people who dont respond to Census requests. Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League and chair of the 2010 Census Advisory Committee, has worked on the Census three times. He said he has never been more concerned about getting an accurate count.Tuesday's hearing was held at LaGuardia Community College in New York, a city that's especially hard to count. Julie Menin, the citys Census director, called it "an arduous and complex task at best, given its 8.6 million residents, "high concentration of apartment buildings, the prevalence of new or transient populations, as well as the rich diversity of our population, with close to 40 percent of our residents being foreign-born and more than 200 languages spoken.In any jurisdiction, an undercount of residents would impact the amount of federal aid that place receives for years."The consequences for New York City and New York state of a lesser Census count would be simply catastrophic, said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. New York, as a state, would be sicker, hungrier, less well-educated and less successful as a result.Its not just Democratic states that stand to be harmed by an undercount. As previously reported , this outcome could hurt red states like Arizona and Texas, where cities have growing minority populations."Everyone is supposed to be counted, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said at Tuesdays hearing, but not everyone does get counted, and that leads to certain communities having their schools underfunded, having their infrastructure underfunded, and ensuring that some communities don't get the health care they need.""Despite the critical importance of an accurate Census count, we have an administration in Washington that seemingly wants to manipulate the count, said Democratic New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney. Simply put, if you're not counted, you're not represented.
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, vetoed a bill to join a national compact to elect presidents by popular vote, saying that the bill would diminish the state's political power. If Nevada had joined the "National Popular Vote Interstate Compact," which has been adopted by 14 states and D.C., it would mean that the state would award its Electoral College votes to the presidential candidate who won the popular vote nationally.Sisolak wrote in a letter to the speaker of the Nevada Assembly that the bill would allow the state's electors to "disregard the will of the state's electorate" if a candidate won the national vote but lost in Nevada. He also said that joining the compact "could leave a sparsely populated Western state like Nevada with a greatly diminished voice in the outcome of national electoral contests.In a statement, Patrick Rosenstiel, the senior consultant to National Popular Vote, said "we will continue our bipartisan work in every state until the National Popular Vote proposal takes effect and every American voter is politically relevant in every presidential election."The pact's objective can only be achieved when the states that adopt the legislation collectively have 270 or more electoral votes. So far, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington state and the District of Columbia have signed up for the pact. The number of electoral votes between the group amounts to 189.
SPEED READ:

Baltimore suffered a ransomware attack nearly a month ago and has yet to restore critical networks.

The city refuses to pay the hackers and is asking the federal government for financial aid.

Ransomware attacks on governments are on the rise -- and becoming more sophisticated.

The Length of Recovery

Cyberattacks on local governments are on the rise -- and theyre becoming more sophisticated. The latest case in Baltimore, where the city is still struggling to restore critical networks more than three weeks after being hacked , could be a harbinger of things to come.Already this year, at least 24 municipalities have reported ransomware attacks, including Amarillo, Texas; Augusta, Maine; Imperial County, Calif.; Garfield County, Utah; Greenville, N.C.; and Albany, N.Y. Thats on pace to surpass last years total of 53, according to data collected by the tech company Recorded Future As city governments become more sophisticated themselves and rely more on AI [artificial intelligence] machine learning ... that creates more vulnerabilities in the network, says Carl Ghattas, a former executive assistant director for the FBIs national security branch and now an executive director for Ernst & Youngs government consulting practice. Combined with the fact that actors are becoming more sophisticated themselves, these types of attacks are likely to continue if not increase.Ransomware attacks, in which hackers take systems hostage and demand a ransom, began around 2013 when cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin provided a secure and untraceable way of collecting the money. Since then,169 ransomware incidents haveaffected state and local governments, according to Recorded Future.Meanwhile, hackers are starting to shift away from phishing scams that rely on a city employee to open an email and click on a link or document that gives hackers access to a system. Instead, theyre gaining direct access to governments' systems throughpassword-generating software.In Baltimore, hackers exploited a cybersecurity tooldeveloped by the National Security Agency. They paralyzed part of the citys computer network, causing delays in home sales, online payments and other major services. Hordes of experts in the federal and private sector are working on restoring the network with no end in sight. The city is taking the somewhat unusual step of asking the federal government for financial help to cover the cost.Ransomware demands are typically small -- anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. Baltimore, however, is being held hostage for 13 Bitcoin, or about $100,000. But governments generally don't pay them so as not to encourage more attacks.The lasting impact of cyberattacks varies depending on their scale and a governments preparedness.Some cases are minor: When the St. Louis Public Library was hacked in 2017, the library had backups for the encrypted files and refused to pay the ransom.But in Bingham County, Idaho, a ransomware attack that same year brought down the countys website and disrupted 911 calls and emergency dispatch communications. Officials worked for weeks to rebuild the countys computer infrastructure and avoid paying the $28,000 ransom. In the end, they paid a $3,500 ransom after determining that would be cheaper than buying new servers.One of the most devastating attacks was last year in Atlanta . The hack disrupted Wi-Fi service at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, the world's busiest air traffic hub, for more than a week and halted online payments to the city for weeks. It took months for Atlanta to fully restore its systems.While most agree that governments cant create a foolproof defense against cyberattacks, there are certain things that help in the aftermath. Step one, says Ghattas, is having a response plan to minimize disruption to services and protect data.Recovery often takes longer when there is not a tight cohesive strategy in place to deal with a cyberattack, he says.Cyber insurance also helps ease concerns about paying for the response. In Baltimores case, it didn't have cyber insurance -- even though it was hit by a ransomware attack last year that affected city phone systems. That's not good for the city's credit, says a Moodys Investors Service report.[The] citys lack of investment in cybersecurity -- when it had already fallen victim to a similar attack -- will likely result in significant out-of-pocket expenses, wrote analyst Nisha Rajan.For now, Baltimore is experimenting with manual workarounds for transactions typically done electronically. The city has declined to say how long it will take for services to return to normal.Even when a government does everything right, it can take months for a full recovery. In a separate report, Moodys highlighted Alaskas Mat-Su Borough, a community of 104,166 people just north of Anchorage, which suffered a ransomware attack in July 2018. It wasnt until February of this year that the system was essentially restored.Luckily, the impact on residents was minimal. Moodys applauded the boroughs rapid and coordinated response that involved protecting as much information as possible, maximizing transparency with residents to minimize reputational damage, and maintaining essential services and revenue collection.The community also had cyber insurance, which helped curb financial losses.
(TNS)  The Maine Attorney Generals Office and all of the state's district attorneys have hired Tyler Technologies to update the computer systems for the states new electronic record keeping.The same company won a $15 million contract in 2016 to computerize all the paperwork for Maine courts. Prosecutors needed to find a way to work with the new system, called Odyssey.The first thing we needed to do was see what software we needed to purchase that would allow us to interface with the courts as smoothly as possible, and using the same company that designed the court system, that just makes sense, said District Attorney Andrew Robinson, who handles cases in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties.The Maine Legislature approved funding for a modernized electronic filing system years ago, and implementation will take multiple years. The states top judge decided last year that the the public will be able to access that system online for a fee, which is similar to the electronic system used by federal courts.Robinson said the eight prosecutorial districts in Maine pooled their resources 20 years ago to purchase a case management system, but it was not equipped for the new demands from the court. He worked on the committee that studied options to update or replace that system, and this month he helped choose Tyler Technologies as the vendor for all of the district attorney offices.The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development awarded them a $1.5 million grant to pay for the upfront costs, Robinson said. The annual fees shared between all the prosecutors offices in the state will be less than $70,000, which Robinson said is a savings of more than $100,000 each year.Officials from Tyler Technologies said they are excited to bring their system to more users in Maine. The company is headquartered in Texas but has an office in Yarmouth, Maine that employs more than 800 people.The state of Maine has taken a very efficient approach and wisely recognized the ability and the opportunity to bring these two systems together, said Robert Schott, director of sales for the Odyssey system.Odyssey is used by 14 statewide court systems, including Maine, and 700 county courts.In 2017, three men filed a class-action lawsuit against a Tennessee sheriff, Tyler Technologies and other defendants. They blamed the Odyssey system for keeping them in jail longer when they should have been released. When the reported about that lawsuit , company officials said the problem is not caused by Odyssey, but by antiquated government computers and jail systems.A company spokeswoman said this month that the Tennessee county remains a Tyler Technologies customer.Tyler has not identified a defect, and no defect has been reported to Tyler, that would tie an issue in Odyssey to the allegations in plaintiffs lawsuit, Jennifer Kepler wrote in an email. Tyler is confident the plaintiffs remaining claim against Tyler is without merit, and Tyler will continue to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.News outlets including The Washington Post and Courthouse News have reported about trouble with Tyler Technology systems in other states, including California. Earlier this year, the Mercury News reported that a group of California police unions complained that the Odyssey made it difficult for them to find bench and arrest warrants, endangering their officers. But the newspaper also reported the court and the company said the warrant backlog is not related to a malfunction with the computer system.Kepler said lawsuits are rare for the company.We take our clients concerns very seriously, and nearly always reach a satisfactory resolution well before escalation of a legal nature, she wrote. On rare occasions, Tyler clients have been named in lawsuits, with Tyler named as a defendant or co-defendant. These lawsuits have historically been without merit, usually involving mistaken beliefs about Tylers role in the clients technology landscape and/or a misunderstanding of the contractual scope.In Maine, Robinson said he would be concerned if the new technology had adverse impacts on people in the criminal justice system, but he felt confident in the software.Tyler Technologies is a leading producer of software that is used by public agencies, he said. Given the amount of work that they do, there was nothing that was brought to our attention that made us feel that we werent making a good decision by partnering with them and the judicial branch.
Washington CIO Jim Weaver is taking a sort of back-to-basics approach to IT in the state. While he has an eye out for emerging technologies that may be on the horizon, his first six months on the job have been spent focusing on evaluating what services Washington Technology Solutions currently has to offer agencies, what can be streamlined and optimized, and what is ready to drop off the roster.At the National Association of State Chief Information Officers Midyear conference earlier this month, Weaver described the importance of focusing on good governance and efficiency. We need to focus on repeatable processes that can be executed routinely, he said, adding that a migration of email to Microsoft Office 365 is a first step toward better IT. If new technology doesnt bring value to agencies to help them better serve citizens, hes not interested."We talk about people, process and technology, Weaver said, We have the people, now we need to get to executable processes so we can bring a technology solution to bring it all together.
When someone calls the Chattanooga, Tenn., Fire Department, theyll come. The problem is, people are calling for everything  to get them a glass of water, help them on and off the toilet, get them the remote control. One man called 85 times in a month.After enduring that month and the mans 85 such calls for what the department labels as lift assists, Capt. Skyler Phillips, the EMS coordinator for the department, thought it was time to figure out why it was happening and what could be done about it. He contacted several agencies, including the United Way, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga social work program and the Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability. Oh, and he contacted the insurance case manager for the man whod called 85 times.None knew of the situation but vowed to help. Phillips now hopes Chattanooga can be an example for developing a mechanism for being proactive and taking care of the aging population and people with disabilities before they call 911 for basic assistance.The fire department doesnt have paramedics and isnt a transporting agency, Phillips said. And the calls for a lift assist could lead to disaster if a real emergency call comes in when firefighters are helping someone get off the toilet.The biggest downside, other than the population is aging [and] disabilities are progressing, Phillips said, is that our guys are elsewhere when an actual emergency comes in. Theyre on a lift assist and a fire comes into the fire station. Now weve got a delayed response because of something that we would like to try to take care of on the front end instead of the back end.So, Phillips is developing a program of sorts, not a typical paramedicine program because the department is not a transporting agency, but the first steps toward alleviating the lift assists and getting help for the people who need it prior to them having to call 911.The man who called 85 times? Once his case manager found out about all the calling, she became proactive and began tending to his needs. The calls eventually stopped.So now, with his parallel paramedicine program Phillips is trying to reach the aging population and people with disabilities who are beginning to have problems and get a head start on what their needs are and how to fulfill those needs before things get out of hand like before.Most of the paramedicine programs that you hear about are transporting agencies and were not, Phillips said. So were having to reshape the wheel, so to speak.Firefighters, when not 100 percent, need to be put on light duty. So, the plan is that when Chattanooga firefighters are on light duty, they will be visiting the aging populations and those with disabilities to find out how they can help. They will be equipped with forms being developed by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students as part of the students internship.The light-duty firefighters will be doing safety checks  looking for loose wires, faulty smoke detectors, making sure handrails are intact, and the like, and documenting all this on the forms. The interns will go through the forms and determine individual needs of those people and then connect the people with needs to the agencies that can help.We can be the liaison for people who dont know the services exist with the services who dont know the people exist, Phillips said.Last year, the department fielded 1,320 non-emergency calls for lift assists. In 2013, that number was 435. So far this year, the number of calls for lift assists is 1,400 as of last Friday.The fire department is the greatest reactive organization in the world, Phillips said. If we could just be more proactive, we could then try to eliminate that delay when an actual emergency comes in.
(TNS)  An Indiana company and its subsidiary have agreed to pay $900,000 and take steps to better secure patient data, the state attorney general says, to settle a lawsuit brought last year by attorneys general in 16 states including Minnesota.The states share of the financial settlement is $30,000, according to a spokesman for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who announced the agreement Thursday.First filed in December, the lawsuit alleged that the Indiana company failed to adequately protect health and personal information for 3.9 million individuals, including about 8,000 in Minnesota, during a data security incident in 2015.Plaintiffs and defendants have agreed to the courts entry of this final consent judgment and order without trial or adjudication of any issue of fact or law, and without admission of any facts alleged or liability of any kind, wrote Judge Robert L. Miller of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana in an order dated May 28. The parties have reached an agreement hereby resolving the issues in dispute without the need for further court action.In a news release, Ellison identified the companies as Medical Informatics Engineering, Inc., and its subsidiary NoMoreClipboards LLC. The attorney general said in the release: MIE violated Minnesotans trust by failing to meet its obligations to safeguard patients health and personal data.The attorneys general alleged that hackers exposed basic data security flaws at the company and stole protected health information. Ellison said in a news release that the settlement calls on the company to implement a data security program, maintain a monitoring program to detect malicious acts and accept five years of independent, third-party monitoring.A separate consumer class-action lawsuit is seeking direct relief for consumers, according to the news release. A spokesman for Ellison said the $30,000 goes into the states general fund.
Delaware made a push to expand broadband access through a new partnership with a Maryland-based Internet service provider Bloosurf.State officials and high-speed wireless network company executives penned a contract on May 30 solidifying the deal.The Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI) estimates about 127,000 homes and businesses will benefit from the three-stage project . The state will pay $2 million to add routers at 14 Internet towers and for new fiber-optic lines in Kent and Sussex counties. Delaware will have ownership of the routers for seven years, according to the deal. Once installation is completed sometime in 2021, residents can expect minimum speeds of 15 megabits per second.Chief Information Officer James Collins said Internet access is now a necessity like other public utilities.Without it, kids cant do their homework and businesses are unable to operate effectively in the information age, Collins said in a release. The Carney Administration has made it a priority to bridge both the accessibility and affordability gaps of high-speed broadband to ensure that all Delawareans benefit from the unprecedented access to information and collaboration technology affords.Gov. John Carneys office and DTI issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in July 2018 with the goal of eliminating broadband deserts in Kent and Sussex counties within two years after selecting a vendor. Bloosurf will be required to provide reach to 75 percent of the targeted areas, according to the RFP. The three phases consist of a fiber backbone, a wireless rural broadband pilot project and the expansion of rural wireless broadband.Bloosurf founder and CEO Vincent Sabathier said during the signing that he expects his company to reach 84 percent of residents and businesses outlined in the agreement.Bloosurf will leverage DTI funding, DivComm towers, its know-how, its assets and its strategic partnerships to design, deploy and operate a LTE- advanced network, Sabathier said in a prepared statement. This network will significantly enhance coverage and speed in rural areas. We will also work closely with the state to make this new service affordable to low-income families.Carney said his constituents use the Internet to do almost everything and they need fast, affordable service to be successful in the modern economy.This initiative will connect Delawareans in rural areas that have long been underserved by high-speed internet service  or not served at all, Carney said in a release. We are pleased to be moving forward to additional progress.
(TNS)  Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday laid out a detailed plan for how she would like to divert more than one-third of the states projected record $1.4 billion kicker tax rebate.Brown has previously said she would like to cap taxpayers kickers at $1,000 and use the roughly $500 million that would be saved to reduce the impact of public pension costs on government budgets.Under that plan, the majority of Oregon taxpayers would still receive their full kicker rebate next year.In a briefing with reporters Thursday, Brown said she would like to use $250 million of the money to help with public pension costs to K-12 schools, $220 million for rural housing and $29 million to improve rural broadband.I put this proposal out to stimulate conversation, Brown said. I think its fiscally responsible and makes common sense.Oregons unique kicker rebate law dictates that any time the state collects 2 percent more revenue than forecast at the start of the budget cycle, it must return all the extra income tax to taxpayers.Oregons kicker tax rebate could grow to record $1.4 billionWith economists predicting a recession on the horizon in 2020, Oregon taxpayers might not receive that kicker tax rebate in 2020. Democrats in the Legislature appear interested in diverting it to the state's rainy day fund.Brown said she has presented her proposal to leaders in both parties in the Legislature, where Democrats hold a supermajority in each chamber. The governor did not indicate she had lined up the two-thirds majorities necessary to divert part of the kicker, which would require at least two Republicans in each chamber.We know it would require a super-duper majority, Brown said.Convincing even lawmakers from her own party to hold back some of the sizable income tax rebates that would otherwise be headed to taxpayers in 2020 could prove challenging. Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, did not offer to line up the 18 Democratic and two Republican votes necessary in the chamber. Give me 20 votes was Courtneys response to Browns proposal, according to his spokeswoman Carol Currie.So far this session, lawmakers have failed to dedicate any substantial cash to make a dent in the long-term pension deficit. For example, three-quarters of the savings in a pension bill the House passed on Thursday come from extending the minimum payment schedule on the deficit by another eight years. That bill does redirect 0.75 to 2.5 percent of public employees current contributions to a 401(k) style savings plan to the pension fund, to which they do not currently contribute.Browns proposal would not pay down the $27 billion deficit in the pension fund. Rather, she wants to put the money into a side account to help K-12 schools cover their escalating mandatory contribution rates to the pension fund, spokeswoman Kate Kondayen said. She said the governor is open to other approaches. The governor did not say how much her plan would help schools.House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, was busy Thursday wrangling the votes to pass the controversial package of pension changes, including the employee contributions. She did not have time to review the governors proposal and wasnt able to take a position on it, her spokesman Danny Moran said.The governors appeal to Republicans who represent much of rural Oregon also did not appear to have won them over.Senate Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger Jr. of Grants Pass said voters  rather than lawmakers  should decide whether to redirect a portion of the tax rebates to the priorities Brown outlined.For the legislature to claw back kicker money, we need the blessings of Oregonians, Baertschiger said. Given previous polling weve looked at, I think Oregonians want their kicker money.House Republican Leader Carl Wilson, also of Grants Pass, expressed skepticism in a press release. Our state income tax revenue is at an all-time high, Wilson said. This is no time to begin skimming off money that hard-working Oregonians have earned. Invariably, when we return to our districts our constituents tell us they dont want Salem politicians to mess with their kicker.Asked where else leaders might come up with the significant cash needed to pay down the pension deficit, Baertschiger did not offer other ideas. I just havent heard of a viable system to deal with the (pension unfunded liability), he said.
(TNS)  A bill that has received majority support in both houses of the Legislature would create the toughest state Internet privacy law in the nation, prohibiting carriers such as AT&T and Spectrum from selling Maine customers personal data without their permission.On Wednesday, the House voted 96-45 in support of the bill, with nine Republicans voting with Democrats in the majority. Previously, it passed with a majority in the Senate via a voice vote.The House amended the bill to delay its effective date until July 1, 2020, in order to give Internet service providers time to prepare for the new rules. The amendment would need to be accepted by the Senate before being sent back to the House and Senate for enactment, then on to the desk of Gov. Janet Mills.The opt-in nature of the bill, which would require Internet service providers to obtain express consent from customers to sell their personal data, would set it apart from other state Internet privacy laws. The Maine bill would closely mirror a former Federal Communications Commission rule that was nullified by President Trump in 2017 via executive order, thus opening the door for Internet service providers to start selling their customers personal data to third parties.Like the FCC rule before it, the proposed Maine law also would prohibit any Internet service provider from making the sale of customer data part of its mandatory terms of service. It also could not charge higher fees to customers who refuse to opt in, or penalize them in any way.Supporters of the Maine bill say large telecommunications providers, which provide essential services, are boosting their profits by selling their customers sensitive personal information such as real-time location data. They said personal information flowing across the web should be regarded as the private property of Internet users.The Maine State Chamber of Commerce opposes the bill, saying it is bad policy to pass such restrictions on a state-by-state basis. It also suggested that the proposed law would create a false sense of privacy because it would only apply to Internet service providers and not to other companies that do business on the web.The chamber said it prefers a bill passed recently in California that applies to Internet service providers as well as other technology firms such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook. But that law is weaker than the one proposed in Maine in the sense that the California law requires consumers to opt-out, or specifically request that their data not be sold.The Maine bills sponsor, Sen. Shenna Bellows, D-Manchester, said she already is laying the groundwork for a follow-up Internet privacy bill aimed at the likes of Facebook and Google in the next legislative session. Still, she said Internet service providers are distinct in the sense that it is impossible for the typical consumer to avoid them.You can use the Internet without using Facebook, Bellows said. You cant use the Internet without using your Internet service provider.Bellows also noted that using Facebook or Google is free, and that some consumers consider it a fair exchange to allow those services to sell certain customer data to generate revenue. Internet service providers charge money for their services and are capable of generating healthy profits without selling customer data, she said.Bellows said large providers such as Verizon and Xfinity have access to a tremendous volume of customer data, but unlike other services that facilitate private communications, there is no law prohibiting Internet providers from sharing or selling the information that passes through their hands.When you put a letter in the post office, you assume that the letter belongs to you, she said. You would never assume that the post office would say, That letter now belongs to me. I can sell the contents of that letter.'Ben Gilman, general counsel for the Maine State Chamber, said the proposed Maine law isnt comprehensive enough and will not fully protect consumers private data. He said it would give Mainers a false sense of security that their private information was safe.If were going to do it, it needs to be comprehensive in nature, Gilman said, adding that it should ideally be done at the federal level.Still, Gilman struggled to explain why a bill that is essentially aimed at regulating a type of utility must also apply its restrictions to end users of that utility in order to be effective. When asked how the proposed law is different from, say, a regulation that applies to phone companies but not every business with a phone number, he replied, I think its different because its the Internet, and its in widespread use by everyone.The bills omission of any restrictions on free services such as Facebook and Google is also intended to shield the proposed law from potential lawsuits, lawmakers have said. It would only apply to Internet service providers that collect revenue from Maine residents, an attempt to avoid running afoul of the U.S. Constitutions interstate commerce clause.American Civil Liberties Union of Maine Advocacy Director Oamshri Amarasingham said the problem Maines Internet privacy bill would address is not academic or hypothetical. She said there are established reports of Internet service providers selling sensitive customer data, such as AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint selling real-time customer location data to bounty hunters.My Internet provider sees everything I do online, Amarasingham said. The wealth of information Internet providers collect is unlike anything weve ever seen before.
Locating the car's power source, and breaching the boxes/casing

Using copious amounts of water to continuously cool the car battery, in addition to conventional fire suppression tools and tactics (like firefighting foam)

Keeping the car away from structures after the incident, because of the danger of re-ignition

Still, fighting electric vehicle car fires can be tricky

Copious amounts of water

What's next

(TNS)  When a Tesla Model S crashed into a palm tree and caught ablaze just outside of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last February, firefighters struggled to extinguish the flames and the car reportedly re-ignited multiple times.Similar stories of electric vehicles bursting into stubborn flames have cropped up from Florida and California to Austria and China While electric cars are transforming commuting, the new technology also is turning into a safety challenge for first responders.According to researchers, lithium-ion batteries are prone to a phenomenon known as thermal runaway  a process where battery temperatures sharply increase to the point where they catch on fire or explode. A survey of fire departments across metro Detroit found that most first responders have limited first-hand experience with the issue, coming across few instances of electric car fires  if any.Instead, fire officials told thethat they've been keeping up through training, along with using online and mobile resources to map strategy.Rochester Hills Fire Chief Sean Canto said the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has put together alternative fuel vehicle safety training for fire departments , which is considered "best practices" within the industry.Those include:Auburn Hills Assistant Chief Antonio Macias said a big part of responding to roadway accidents is recognizing the vehicle and knowing where to access and how to cut the car's power source.For example, Macias said electric car batteries are often placed in "inconspicuous places," which can be difficult for first responders to access. He added that firefighting foam isn't effective unless it's able to penetrate the car battery's case.Royal Oak Fire Chief David Cummins said first responders use mobile apps that can help them quickly learn how to locate and properly disable a car's power sources. Among them, he said, is the NFPA/Moditech AFV EFG (Alternative Fuel Vehicle Emergency Field Guide).Alfie Green, chief of training for the Detroit Fire Department, said mobile apps are a huge help, especially because the color of the wiring in cars hasn't been standardized.Green said the city focuses on training to keep firefighters up to date on the latest "idiosyncrasies" with various car models.The biggest tool in fighting electric vehicle fires is the most basic: Water.But it takes lots of it  "copious amounts," Macias said.The response is needed, he said, because the batteries need to be cooled to keep them from re-igniting."You don't want to mix water and batteries, but unfortunately this is where you got to go," Macias said.Cummins said that while the hazards involved in responding to an electric vehicle arent dissimilar to an ordinary car fire, these batteries pose a unique challenge."The one marked difference would be that if the batteries are involved, some metals in the batteries may react violently with water," Cummins said.In Detroit, all the city's fire engines carry at least 500 gallons of water and will hook up to hydrants for more  plenty to tackle lithium-ion batteries, Green said.Paul Wells, interim fire chief for the city of Birmingham, agreed that "full protective gear and copious amounts of water" are part of the protocol for electric car fires, but added that it's important to understand that "every car is a little different."What's important, Wells said, is to fight any car fires from a safe distance and to "take extreme caution" with any electric hazards.Bloomfield Township Assistant Fire Chief John LeRoy agreed, noting that "with electric vehicles, the fire may start days after an accident if damage has occurred to the battery or the battery casing."He added that electric vehicles involved in accidents should be kept 50 feet away from any buildings or other vehicles after an accident.As technology evolves, fire officials said it's crucial that departments keep a dialogue with automakers regarding vehicle safety.In Auburn Hills, Macias said his department received product-specific emergency response guidelines  specifically, Power Points about self-driving vehicles."The more that we can work together and give them ideas about how we might be able to mitigate the incident without causing them more cost on production... the safer we will be," Macias said.Warren Fire Commissioner Skip McAdams said his department puts a big emphasis on continuing education.McAdams said Warren fire personnel attended a class put on by Macomb Community College in 2017 that used General Motors and other brands' electric vehicles to teach firefighters best responses to accidents involving these types of cars.The department also plans to put personnel through another hands-on training session in late summer or early fall, which McAdams said will be incorporated into their annual classroom training schedule.R.C. Riesterer, Troy assistant fire chief and fire marshal, said first responders need to be nimble as technology evolves.Canto echoed this, and said alternative fuel vehicles, like electric cars, have pushed fire departments to change."We have to adapt to what the future brings us," Canto said.
(TNS)  A shutdown of Philadelphia court computers was in its second week Wednesday with no answers as to why it happened, when it will be fixed, or how much it will cost.Officials said the websites and computer programs were shut down May 21 as a precaution after a virus was found on a limited number of computers , but they have not linked the shutdown to cyberattacks that reportedly have hit municipal computer systems in other U.S. cities.The First Judicial District continues to work closely with City OIT [Office of Innovation and Technology] to ensure the safety of our systems after being alerted of potential malware, according to a statement by courts spokesperson Gabe Roberts. As a precautionary measure the FJD website, employee email accounts, and electronic filing (e-file) have been temporarily suspended.While there is no definitive timetable for when systems will be fully operational, IT professionals are working diligently to restore services, the statement said, noting that all of the citys courts remain open as scheduled.The statement did not explain what type of malicious software may have been found.To safeguard other systems, the city court system and the Office of Innovation and Technology shut down certain court IT functions to fully review and clean the operating systems, a city spokesperson said last week. This is a necessary step to contain the virus.The shutdown has had a greater impact on civil cases than criminal ones. Online criminal dockets , which are on a statewide portal system, are still accessible.But the online civil docket search is not functioning and law firms that handle civil cases have had to send employees or bike couriers to City Hall to file motions and other documents with regularity this week and last.Outside Room 296 in City Hall, where filings are done in civil Trial Division cases, Tevin Heilig, a mail room clerk at a Center City law firm, said Wednesday that things were calmer than Tuesday.It was hectic, Heilig said, describing a line that stretched out the door and had people complaining.Amber Iannuzzi, a paralegal at another Center City law firm, hurried out of the City Hall filing room Wednesday after trying to attach a legal document to a pretrial motion she filed Tuesday.But they cant find the original motion, she said, apparently because it was in a pile among other hand-delivered documents. The stacks are ridiculous, she said.Its affected everything, she said of the computer shutdown. We have a trial beginning Monday.Roberts said it was not known whether what is affecting Philadelphias court computer systems might be related to what has been happening in other cities.In Baltimore, the New York Times reported , a cyberattack has frozen thousands of computers and disrupted citywide services. The Baltimore attack, on May 7, was a classic ransomware assault, the Times wrote.A key component of the malware used by the cyberattackers on Baltimore came from a cyber tool developed by the National Security Agency, which was stolen in 2017 and has been used by hackers around the world, the newspaper said.Hackers seem to have found a sweet spot in Baltimore, Allentown, Pa., San Antonio, and other local American governments, where public employees oversee tangled networks that often use out-of-date software, thereported.According to the First Judicial District, Trial Division civil filings are being accepted in person in Room 296 of City Hall; Municipal Court civil filings at the Widener Building, 1339 Chestnut St., 10th floor; Family Court filings at 1501 Arch St., eighth and 11th floors; and criminal filings in the Stout Center for Criminal Justice, second floor.
Flavio Briatore has slammed the strategy mistake made by Ferrari in Monaco.

To save tyres, Charles Leclerc - fastest in the final practice session - was kept in the pits after a single run in Q1 and therefore qualified near the back of the grid.

Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri this week apologised personally to the Monaco-born driver.

But Briatore, the former Renault driver, says there is no excuse for that sort of basic mistake.

"I doubt even my boy would make such a mistake," he said, referring to his 9-year-old son. "Everyone knows the Monaco track gets faster with every second."

The Italian said Ferrari's biggest problem in 2019 is that the car is not being developed quickly enough.

"They don't have a slow car, it's just that the others are improving, even Red Bull," Briatore told Rai.

Briatore was also quoted by Movistar as saying of Ferrari's current situation: "It's always the same story.

"Ferrari making mistakes and Mercedes taking advantage."
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) announced a $1.36-million settlement with Tesoro Refining & Marketing, LLC for violating the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS). The LCFS requires that regulated fuel producers report the carbon generated in the production of transportation fuels sold in California. In this case, the company misreported 1.9 billion gallons of gasoline, diesel, biodiesel and ethanol, including underreporting 403 million gallons of LCFS deficit-generating fuels.

In March 2017, Tesoro notified CARB that the company had misreported fuel data from 2011 to 2016. The inaccurate information spanned 24 quarterly reports. Tesoro formally acknowledged the mistake in a letter outlining the problems, and worked with CARB to account for all the fuel provided and correct their reports. Because of the companys cooperation, the settlement is for far less than the maximum possible penalties.

The money from the fine will be deposited in the state Air Pollution Control Fund where it can be appropriated by the legislature for air quality and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction efforts.

The LCFS encourages the use of cleaner, low-carbon fuels in California. It also encourages the production of those fuels, and therefore, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The LCFS standards are expressed in terms of the carbon intensity (CI) of gasoline and diesel fuel and their various substitutes. CI is calculated based on the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of a fuel. Those emissions include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide and other greenhouse gas contributors. This life cycle assessment examines the greenhouse gas emissions associated with each step of the production, transportation and use of a given fuel, sometimes referred to as well-to-wheel analysis.

Under the LCFS, fuel producers generate deficits or credits based on an annual baseline CI. Fuels with a CI above the baseline create deficits; fuels with a CI below the baseline generate credits. Companies with credits can sell them to companies with deficits.
GREENSBORO  Members of the Guilford County Association of Educators on Thursday voiced their disappointment and frustration with the lack of funding they expect to receive from the county and state next fiscal year.

At a press conference outside the Guilford County Courthouse, educators said the proposed budgets in both chambers of the General Assembly are lacking in a number of areas, such as setting a $15 per hour base wage for school employees.

Shana Richards pointed out that the state has declined to fund the position of guidance counselors at the ratio of 1 counselor to every 250 students as prescribed by the American School Counselors Association. Richards, a guidance counselor at Southwest High School, said she has about 330 students assigned to her.

Association members were also frustrated that there isn't enough money to address basic needs at some schools.

Karen Meacham, a teacher at Stokesdale Elementary, talked about how some classrooms have air conditioning  and some don't  which makes it hard to administer state-mandated tests.
Osareh, a biology and biotechnology major, is the first student from UNCG to receive the award. Her mentor is John Kiss, dean of the college of arts and sciences, and a longtime NASA research contributor.

***

Carly Malcolm of High Point was awarded a Study Abroad Grant worth $1,000 from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi  one of the nations oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Malcolm is one of 75 students nationwide to receive the award.

The grants are designed to support undergraduates, both members and nonmembers from campuses that have Phi Kappa Phi chapters, as they seek knowledge and experience in their academic fields by studying abroad.

Currently a senior majoring in Spanish language and international health at Clemson University, Malcolm will use the grant to study abroad at Universidad Blas Pascal in Cordoba, Argentina.
GREENSBORO  Police said a Greensboro man shot in late December has died and they are now investigating the aggravated assault as a homicide.

Officers responded about 5:30 a.m. Dec. 22 to 1514 Kindley St. and found 33-year-old Anthony Devaris Walker with gunshot injuries, police said in a news release. He was taken to a hospital where he died Thursday, police said.

No suspect information is available, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000 or text the tip to 274637 using the keyword badboyz.
RALEIGH  A Mebane dentist has agreed to pay nearly $730,000 to the state in a Medicaid fraud case, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein said in a news release.

The settlement against Zhanying Guo and her dental practice, Complete Dental Care of Mebane, alleges the practice submitted fraudulent claims to the state's Medicaid program between 2013 and 2018, Stein's office said Thursday in a news release.

According to the allegations, claims submitted to Medicaid were not medically necessary, had no supporting clinical documentation, were not performed, or were performed in violation of Medicaid policy.

Guo and her practice agreed to pay $728,450 in damages and penalties, according to the release.

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.
GREENSBORO  A man died Friday morning in one of two, separate overnight shootings.

Police spokesman Ron Glenn identified the victim in the fatal shooting as 28-year-old Steven Anthony George.

Officers responded at 2:54 a.m. Friday to a reported shooting at 1814 Woodmere Drive and found George suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics took him to an area hospital where he died.

A juvenile at home during the shooting was unharmed and is now in the care of family, police said.

George's death marks the city's 17th homicide this year.

Police do not have information about the suspect or a motive at this time.

Glenn said police don't believe the Woodmere shooting is connected to an earlier shooting that injured another man on Tomahawk Drive.

Officers responded at 11:04 p.m. to reports of a shooting near a park and found one man with gunshot wounds, police said in a release. He was stable with serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital, police said.
GREENSBORO  After about a year of negotiations with its insurance company, Guilford County Schools said late Thursday it will get $10.1 million for the damage to three schools in the April 2018 tornado.

The three elementary schools  Erwin Montessori, Hampton and Peeler Open  have been sharing space with other district schools since shortly after the tornado.

The schools were not in good shape prior to the tornado, so we knew going into negotiations that securing enough money to replace them wasnt likely, Scott McCully, the districts chief operating officer, said in a release.

All three schools received poor ratings from a review of district facilities by Tampa, Fla.-based MGT Consulting Group released earlier this year. The company looked at not just the physical condition of schools and their property, but also whether the buildings meet the needs of a modern education.

Given the condition of these three schools before the tornado, McCully said the district was pleased with the settlement.
Photo: Contributed

The BC Dragoons are getting a new boss.

A change of command and change of appointment parade will be held Saturday at the Vernon Military Camp, on the Sicily Parade Square, from 2 to 3 p.m.

Sicily Square is located inside the camp and is not the one next to the ball diamonds on the west side of the base.

Lt. Col. Mike McGinty will relinquish command of the regiment by passing on the regiment's most prized possession to Lt. Col. Mead.

Symbolizing the regiment's loyalty to crown and country, and also commemorating the deeds and sacrifices of the members of the regiment who have gone before, the Guidon is a sacred object, and consequently, all members of the regiment and other service personnel afford the Guidon the utmost respect.

The British Columbia Dragoons is an armoured reserve unit within the 39 Canadian Brigade Group. Its primary role is reconnaissance.

The parade will also showcase the Canadian Armys new Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle or TAP-V.
NEW CANAAN  As crews continued to search for Jennifer Dulos as her missing person case entered its seventh day Friday, residents speculated about the case that has put their town in a national spotlight.

But while buzz, theories and questions about Dulos disappearance raged online and were caught in whispers throughout town Friday afternoon, law enforcement searched in Hartford for answers.

Dulos, 50, was last seen dropping off her children at New Canaan Country School last Friday morning. The mother of five was reported missing that night  May 24  around 7:30 p.m.

Shes just gone, said Chris, a New Canaan resident, while sitting on a bench on the towns Main Street. Theres no bloody scene, theres no nothing, shes just gone. This was obviously premeditated and planned. I hope theyre able to catch who did this, because as times marches on, it becomes murkier and murkier.

Chris sat with Charlotte, a former New Canaan resident, and the two talked about the case that dragged national media outlets to the small, affluent and otherwise quiet neighborhood.

The real national news story is that this happens every day, Charlotte said. If it happened in any other town, this would not be national news. (Women disappear or are killed) all over the world all the time and its only getting attention because it involves a woman in a wealthy town. If she was a person of color, or from another socioeconomic background, no one would (care).

A source close to the investigation told Hearst Connecticut Media that investigators found blood in Dulos rented Welles Lane home last Saturday, May 25.

The search for Dulos  which has been mainly focused in her New Canaan neighborhood, Waveny Park and Pound Ridge, N.Y.  made its way to Hartford Friday afternoon.

Detectives from the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crimes Squad are currently in the Hartford area assisting New Canaan Police Department with search efforts, state police confirmed around 4:20 p.m. Friday.

The agency declined any further comment on the matter and said additional information would come from New Canaan police and the Stamford States Attorneys Office.

Richard J. Colangelo, the Stamford States Attorney, declined to comment.

The Hartford Courant reported about two dozen state troopers and firefighters searched the area of Adams Street and Oakland Terrace along Albany Avenue Friday afternoon. A crew searched a storm drain in front of Scotts Jamaican Bakery, but found no evidence, Hartford Fire Deputy Chief Harry Tulier told the Courant.

A WFSB source said Thursday that law enforcement were treating the case as a homicide. But Ferraro said Friday the investigation remains a missing person and criminal case.

Investigators from the New Canaan Police Investigations Unit as well as the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad continue to work in partnership on both the missing person case as well as the criminal case, Ferraros statement said.

Police searched a property on Mallard Lake Road in Pound Ridge, N.Y. on Thursday, which records show is owned by Jennifer Dulos late father Hilliard Farber. The home is about a 15-minute drive from Dulos New Canaan rental home. Ferraro confirmed the search in Pound Ridge but wouldnt disclose any more information.

On Friday, New Canaan police handed out flyers for about three hours in the area of Lapham Road behind Waveny Park, where Dulos black Chevy Suburban was found last Friday night after she was reported missing.

A source close to the investigation said divers planned to search the nearby shallow pond in Waveny Park, which is said to be about 3 feet deep.

And while police continued to hunt for answers, Dulos estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, declined to comment to a Hearst Connecticut Media reporter from his Farmington home on Friday.

Jefferson Crossing, a stones throw from the Avon town line, was quiet Friday afternoon. According to a sign posted at the entrance to the private road, the street was developed by the Fore Group, a business operated by Fotis Dulos.

Fotis Dulos came to the door but motioned through a window that he didn't want to speak. He then bowed as if to say, thank you.

A neighbor walking her dog on a nearby street said she didn't know the couple personally but was following developments in the case.

It's worrisome to think that we have a possible murderer around, said the woman who declined to give her name. I hope they find her.

One business associate, whose name was listed on the Fore Group signs but didn't want to be named or interviewed, said, I know both of them, we're very concerned. Our hearts go out to the kids.

Divorce, 911 call

Dulos has been involved in a two-year divorce case with Fotis Dulos. In court documents, she said she was afraid of her estranged husband and was fearful he would retaliate against her for seeking a divorce.

Jennifer Dulos mother, Gloria Farber, has been in her own legal battle with Fotis Dulos. Farber and her late husbands estate have filed a lawsuit against Fotis Dulos, accusing him of failing to repay $1.7 million in loans he used to purchase properties and build homes for his business, The Fore Group.

When reached by phone on Friday, Gloria Farber declined to comment.

Police searched a property on Mallard Lake Road in Pound Ridge, N.Y. on Thursday, which records show is owned by Jennifer Dulos late father Hilliard Farber. The home is about a 15-minute drive from Dulos New Canaan rental home.

Ferraro confirmed investigators searched the area on Thursday but said no additional information will be provided on that search.

Two years ago, Jennifer Dulos abruptly left the Farmington home with her children and moved to New Canaan before filing for divorce the next day. Her sudden departure prompted Fotis Dulos to call 911, saying he was worried about my wife and kids, according to audio of the more than four-minute call obtained by the Hartford Courant.

The 911 call is referenced in the nearly 500 pages of divorce records. The records also mention how Fotis Dulos initially believed his wife left with the children for her parents home in Pound Ridge.

As part of the divorce proceedings, Jennifer Dulos filed for an emergency order for full custody that was denied in July 2017. While the divorce is still in litigation, Jennifer Dulos was awarded sole physical custody of the children after a judge last year found Fotis Dulos to be an unhealthy influence on the children.

A status hearing in the divorce case that was scheduled for Wednesday at the Stamford courthouse was postponed. On Tuesday, a court-appointed guardian ad litem filed a motion for a hearing regarding the safety of the children. A date has not been set for the conference.

Children safe

Dulos was last seen dropping off her children at New Canaan Country School last Friday morning. She was reported missing that night.

Fotis Dulos requested on Wednesday for a judge to allow him to see his children.

A motion filed by his attorney, Michael J. Rose, said the children have been staying at Farbers New York City apartment under the watch of an armed guard the family hired. Fotis Dulos was turned away by the guard when he tried to visit his children Wednesday night, a police source told the New York Post.

A statement released Friday by Carrie Luft, a spokeswoman for Dulos family, emphasized that the Dulos children are OK.

Please be assured that Jennifers five children are safe and well cared for, the statement said.

The statement from Luft praised the support and love from the community and thanked law enforcement agencies that have been working around the clock for any piece of information about Dulos

It concluded with the family telling Dulos they love and miss her and remain hopeful that shell return home safely.

And while the statement from Luft indicated that family and friends remain hopeful Dulos will return home safe, community members are planning to gather for another vigil this weekend.

There was one in New Canaan Thursday night that brought out hundreds of people.

On Sunday, there will be another vigil at the Hartford Golf Club at 7:30 p.m., organized by parents from Renbrook School in West Hartford and the Farmington Montessori School in Farmington. Victoria Hodson, one of the organizers, said they wanted to support Dulos family, who attended both schools.

While Dulos family and friends are hopeful shell return, local residents expressed confusion and frustration about a lack of information about the case.

I just think the investigation is going slowly, said Dana, a New Canaan mother who was shopping in the town Friday afternoon. I think there are a lot of holes. A lot of people I talk to feel like theres no consistency. There are a lot of unanswered questions.

But others were more understanding of police being tight-lipped.

I think the police department is being very wise in trying to be measured in their response because theres probably a lot of pressure on them to give information out, New Canaan resident Chris said. The goal is to catch the person and have a case that can stand up to justice.

Anyone with information can contact the New Canaan Police Tip Line at 203-594-3544.
Casey Anthony says she is planning to make a movie that details her partying and murder trial acquittal in 2011, a new report says.

In the video above, Anthony reacts to the 10-year anniversary of her daughter's disappearance.

The Daily Mail reported Thursday that the movie will be called "As I Was Told." Anthony told the Daily Mail the name stems from her being told to cover up her the death of her daughter, Caylee.

Caylees remains were found in a wooded area near her familys Orange County home in 2008. Anthony was acquitted of murder in 2011.

She subsequently moved to South Florida, where she has, for the most part, been living a low-key, uneventful life.

Anthony said she is working on the movie now so she can get her side of the story out, the report said.

I just feel my truth needs to be out of me. I need to close the book, Anthony told DailMail.com.

The report said the movie should be finished next year and will be filmed in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.

The film will be a low-budget production featuring amateur actors, the report said.

Read the full report here.
An Oklahoma City woman could be looking at years in prison after charges were filed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is accused her of giving doctors false information about her 10-year-old daughter's medical condition.

Neighbors said 35-year-old Alisha Newman moved to Oklahoma City in the last year, but they haven't seen her in the last week or so. They also said they don't see her often, but they have seen her daughter in a wheelchair.

Court documents state Newman brought her daughter to a hospital in Wisconsin in early May. Doctors said the girl had an infection and was "severely ill."

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the girl was was diagnosed as being in severe shock and experiencing acute renal failure, organ damage and acidosis.

Five weeks before that visit, Newman's daughter was in an Oklahoma hospital for 21 days because of another serious infection, doctors told investigators.

Newman told doctors in Wisconsin that her 10-year-old girl was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, hypertension and mitochondrial disease. She also said her daughter had a pacemaker and feeding tube.

According to the probable cause affidavit, doctors ruled out muscular dystrophy when Newman took her daughter to a Milwaukee hospital in 2016. After looking into the girl's medical history, doctors said they found a pattern: Newman was going to hospitals in six states, leading to the girl getting "misdiagnosed and undergoing several unwarranted medical procedures" that threatened her life.

The doctors also noticed that, when the girl was in a hospital in Oklahoma, Newman put a Do Not Resuscitate order in place. Medical staff members were concerned about why a functional and healthy child with no terminal diseases had such an order in place, according to court documents.

The doctors concluded Newman's daughter was a victim of "factitious order by proxy" because of her mother. Newman has been charged with one count of child abuse and neglect.

Factitious disorder is also known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, in which a parent makes up, exaggerates or induces a condition for an otherwise healthy child, sometimes as a means to gain sympathy or attention.

"This is a case that, in essence, involves a continuing course of conduct and offense that has lasted the entirety of this child's life," Milwaukee County Deputy District Attorney Matthew Torbenson told Fox 8. "This was a life-threatening, life-altering situation for this poor 10-year-old child."
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods entering from Mexico unless it stopped the flow of illegal immigration to the United States, a dramatic escalation of his border threats that could have sweeping implications for both economies.

The White House plans to begin levying the import penalties on June 10 and ratchet the penalties higher if the migrant flow isn't halted. Trump said he would remove the tariffs only if all illegal migration across the border ceased, though other White House officials said they would be looking only for Mexico to take major action.

After the 5 percent tariffs are imposed on June 10, the White House said it would increase the penalties to 10 percent on July 1 and then an additional 5 percent on the first day of each month for three months. The tariffs would stay at 25 percent "until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory," a statement by the president said.

The economic consequences of Trump's new plan could be swift and severe. Tariffs are paid by companies that import products, so U.S. firms would pay the import penalties and then likely pass some costs along to consumers. Mexico exported $346.5 billion in goods to the United States last year, from vehicles to fruits and vegetables. And many manufactured items cross the border several times as they are being assembled.

White House officials did not immediately explain how driving up the cost of Mexican goods might stem the flow of migrants. If the tariffs damaged the Mexican economy, more of its citizens would try to cross the border to find work in the United States, experts said.

"Mexico is our friend and neighbor, a partner in trade and security," said Glenn Hamer, chief executive of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "The president's announcement is baffling and, if carried out, will be terribly damaging."

Mexico vowed a response that could pitch the Trump administration into a full-scale trade war with one of its largest trading partners. This comes just days after the White House and China imposed stiff penalties on each other's exports.

At a news conference, Mexico's deputy foreign minister for North America, Jesus Seade, said the threatened tariffs would be "disastrous" and added that Mexico would respond "strongly."

In a letter sent Thursday evening, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador addressed Trump in harsh terms, a marked change from the diplomatic posture he's tried to adopt since being elected last July.

"President Trump, social problems can't be resolved through taxes or coercive measures," he wrote.

Lopez Obrador said he would send his foreign minister to Washington on Friday "to arrive at an agreement that benefits both nations."

But even as Lopez Obrador suggested that there was a diplomatic solution, he unloaded on Trump for his administration's immigration policy."How did a country of fraternity for all the migrants in the world become, from night to dawn, a ghetto, a closed space," where migrants are stigmatized and mistreated, Lopez Obrador wrote. He went on: "The statue of liberty is not an empty symbol."

Trump has often tried to use tariffs and other import penalties as a way to pressure countries into changing behavior, but he has not yet done it on such a scale. In addition, he wrongly has said the cost of tariffs are shouldered by the countries that he targets.

Even some White House officials were caught off guard by the announcement, though planning within the West Wing escalated on Thursday afternoon. Vice President Pence was in Canada on Thursday, meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about ratifying an updated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico, but it's unclear if Trump's newest tariff threat could upend those discussions.

White House officials believe Trump has powers under a 1977 law to impose tariffs on all imports from certain countries if he cites a "national emergency." And several months ago, Trump declared a national emergency along the Mexico border because of a surge in migrants crossing into the United States.

But the 1977 law has never been used to impose tariffs in this way before, and Trump's new actions could face legal challenges because of the scope of companies that would be impacted.

The new tariff threat combines two of Trump's favorite issues - immigration and trade - and comes as he has struggled to score victories on either one.

A central element of Trump's campaign was his assertion that the United States was being "invaded" by people across the Mexico border, a sentiment that resonated with many supporters. He has tried to rework trade rules and build a wall to stop the flow of migrants, but so far his efforts have failed to stem the surge of people crossing the border. Crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border, driven by Central American migrants seeking asylum, have peaked to their highest level in more than a decade.

One senior White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said there is broad support across the administration to push Mexico further by using tariffs to force action. Other aides, however, tried to talk Trump out of the idea, arguing that the threat would scare global markets and undermine passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, which was just sent to Congress on Thursday by the White House. The trade deal aims to curb the type of tariffs Trump is now threatening to impose on Mexico.

"Trade policy and border security are separate issues," Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement. "This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent. Following through on this threat would seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA, a central campaign pledge of President Trump's and what could be a big victory for the country."

The president teased his plans on Thursday morning, telling reporters outside the White House that he was preparing a "big-league statement" about the border surge, without going into detail.

"We are going to do something very dramatic on the border because people are coming into our country," Trump said.

On Wednesday, more than 1,000 Central Americans crossed into the El Paso, Texas, area to surrender to U.S. authorities, the largest group of migrants that U.S. border agents have taken into custody at a single time. Trump tweeted a video of the apprehension late Thursday, declaring that "Democrats need to stand by our incredible Border Patrol and finally fix the loopholes at our Border!"

Deportations by Mexican authorities have increased threefold compared with the same period last year, according to the latest statistics, but the vast majority of Central American migrants appear to be successful at evading arrest en route to the U.S. border.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador campaigned last year on a promise to decriminalize migration and told audiences it was not Mexico's job to assist the United States with the "dirty work" of deportations.

Trump has backed down on previous threats aimed at Mexico. He abandoned his oft-repeated campaign promise to make that country pay for a border wall. Trump is now using the powers of his national emergency to redirect U.S. taxpayer funds for the construction of replacement fences and barriers along the border.

In late March, Trump said he would immediately shut down the entire border if the Mexican government didn't take more steps to prevent the flow of migrants, only to announce a week later that he would delay any action for a year. White House officials had spent days frantically trying to design how such a shutdown would be implemented.

The draft trade agreement sent to Congress on Thursday would, if ratified, replace the 1994 NAFTA deal. The draft allows Trump to send a final agreement in 30 days, a timeline intended to pressure House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who along with other Democrats wants changes to the agreement before any vote.

The top imports from Mexico include vehicles, electrical machinery, machinery, mineral fuels, and optical and medical instruments, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The United States also imports a large amount of agricultural products from Mexico.

A March 2019 report from the Congressional Research Service said that the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act had never been used before "to place tariffs on imported products from a specific country" but that it could be interpreted as giving the White House that power.

Along the Mexico border, U.S. agents have detained more than 100,000 migrants for each of the past two months, and the numbers in May are expected to be the highest yet.

In recent months, smuggling organizations have been moving large numbers of migrants from southern Mexico using "express buses" that reach the U.S. border in a matter of days. The buses make few stops and have lowered the costs for migration, making the journey faster, easier and cheaper for would-be customers.

U.S. officials say corrupt Mexican officials are allowing the buses to pass through highway checkpoints and in other cases facilitating their travel to the border by providing security escorts.

Mexican officials have said they're doing everything they can to regulate the migration surge, and they provide police escorts in some cases to prevent criminal organizations from kidnapping and extorting families traveling with small children.

A Mexican official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic negotiations, said trade-related talks with U.S. officials have remained "positive," and noted that Lopez Obrador was also preparing to send the trade deal to lawmakers for approval. The official declined to say whether the White House has conditioned the deal on a migration crackdown by Mexican authorities.

- - -

The Washington Post's Kevin Sieff in Mexico City and Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report.
Joe Biden has a past that threatens his prospects with black voters - from his long-ago stance against busing to his mismanagement of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' Senate confirmation hearings to his onetime support of the 1994 crime bill. Now he's running for president in a crowded 2020 Democratic field that includes three black candidates, all of whom will need strong African American support to secure the party nomination.

So far, though, polling shows Biden with a dominant share of black Democrats' support. An average of two Quinnipiac polls of Democratic-leaning voters, one taken right after Biden declared his candidacy and another released in late May, found him well ahead of the other candidates, with 46 percent among African Americans nationally. Compare that with an average of 10 percent for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., 7 percent for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and 11 percent for the three black candidates combined.

Biden certainly owes some of this early success to his tenure as Barack Obama's vice president. But a fuller explanation has to do with the politics of pragmatism. When it comes to presidential races, black voters, perhaps more than any other demographic, vote not for what might be gained but according to what might be lost.

Voters are generally risk averse, preferring candidates they know over those who may be more exciting but unfamiliar. This holds particularly true for black voters: A study published last year in Public Opinion Quarterly noted that black voters are especially inclined to choose established candidates and efficiently assess contenders based on their perceived ability to preserve hard-won civil rights and racial equality gains.

This approach isn't new, but President Donald Trump has intensified it. His disapproval rating among African Americans was 84 percent in a late-April YouGov poll, compared with only 9 percent approval. In a CNN/SSRS poll taken around the same time that grouped together all voters of color, 96 percent of nonwhite Democratic or Democratic-leaning voters reported that defeating Trump was extremely or very important to them in determining whom to support in the primary race; in a contemporaneous Quinnipiac poll, 61 percent of nonwhite Democrats said they believed that Biden had the best chance of doing so. Next best was Sanders, at 10 percent. If you were to go by Twitter or cable news coverage, you might conclude that minority communities are consumed by "identity politics." But voters of color, including black voters, are squarely focused on getting Trump out of office. Biden, for now, is the beneficiary.

This is unwelcome news for the rest of the primary field, especially Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey, who should otherwise have an inside track with black voters. In a 2006 paper, Yale University economist Ebonya Washington found that "Black voter turnout increases by 2.3 percentage points for every Black Democrat on the ballot."In a 2007 paper in the American Journal of Political Science, Tasha Philpot and Hanes Walton Jr. discovered that no bloc supports black female candidates like black female voters. And my own research has found that a candidate's race is especially meaningful to black men's vote choice. Political scientists have long known that black voters share a sense of "linked fate," a term used by University of Chicago political scientist Michael Dawson to describe "the degree to which African Americans believe that their own self-interests are linked to the interests of the race."

But when it comes to 2020, the politics of pragmatism make this descriptive representation less important to black voters than voting out the president. One African American voter told The New York Times, "Ms. Harris seems like a decent person, but I just don't think she'd have a chance" as a black female candidate, "and I don't want to throw away my vote." Rosemary Lawrence, a 75-year-old black woman in Charlotte, North Carolina, told The Washington Post she was impressed by Warren's policy agenda and admired Harris and Booker, but she thought Biden was best positioned to beat Trump.That sentiment isn't merely a desire to vote for a winner. (And clearly, it's not just black Democrats who see Biden as a good bet to unseat Trump.) It's the idea that too much is at stake in 2020 to indulge personal preference.

We've seen these politics before. Black Virginians favored keeping Gov. Ralph Northam,a Democrat, in office following his blackface controversy, rather than risking the possibility that the Republican speaker of the state House of Delegates would assume the office in his place. And at the end of 2007, Hillary Clinton had far more support among black primary voters than Obama did. Among black women, CBS News reported at the time, she held a 15-point lead, something Democratic strategist Donna Brazile attributed to familiarity and Clinton's perceived chance of victory. "Most black women simply believe Clinton can win," she said. The next year, after Obama won the Iowa caucuses and tied for New Hampshire delegates, the sense that his candidacy wasn't just aspirational - that he could actually snag the presidency - coincided with black support shifting away from Clinton and toward him.

The desire to win is understandable, given the intensity of the distrust, if not outright antipathy, toward Trump among black voters. His hand-waving at white nationalists; his nominations of judges with a history of championing racially discriminatory policies; his support for restrictive voting measures; his efforts to undermine Obamacare, a program that remains popular with African Americans; his hypocritical approach to criminal justice - backing sentencing reform while remaining indifferent to police misconduct - are some of the reasons American Americans want the president gone. A Quinnipiac poll taken last August found that 87 percent of black respondents did not think that Trump treats people of color with the same amount of respect as he treats white people, compared to only 7 percent who did. In particular, the insults the president has directed at a number of high-profile black women - Reps. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., journalists Abby Phillip, Yamiche Alcindor and April Ryan - are interpreted not merely as Trump's failure to govern in their interest but also as a mark of his personal hostility.

Another strong sign for Biden is his showing among black voters 45 and over, who constituted a majority of the 2016 black vote.The black voter turnout rate reached historic levels in 2008 and again in 2012, helping to reelect Obama, even, according to Census data, as African Americans 25 to 44 voted at about the same rate, and those under 25 voted at a significantly lower rate. Older voters also tend to be more conservative, and older black voters are more risk averse, as evidenced by a 2008study by University of Louisiana at Monroe political scientist Joshua Stockley showing that over-60 black voters were less likely to support Obama over Clinton.

None of this reflects poorly on other candidates' appeals to black voters. (For instance, Warren's policy-heavy pitch tackling racial disparities in housing, health care and education is starting to show positive results, especially with black female voters, as recently reported by The Associated Press.) And there's no guarantee that Biden will hold his advantage once the debates and primaries begin. Should his campaign falter, the politics of pragmatism will drive black voters to look elsewhere for the best opportunity to win the White House. Candidates who are putting in the work today position themselves to absorb any black support that Biden leaks.

But for now, a viable Biden campaign is likely to remain the practical choice for most black voters. Pragmatism may not inspire, excite or check all the boxes on voters' wish lists, but it may be what transforms Obama's second-in-command into the country's commander in chief.

- - -

Johnson is a senior fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy.
Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATE: 3:15 p.m.

The Alberta government says wildfires raging across the northern part of the province have forced about 10,000 people from their homes.

The updated figure was given after a day of hot temperatures and gusty winds lead to rapid growth of several blazes burning out-of-control.

About 5,000 people have been out of their homes in and around High Level for more than a week and a series of smaller communities, including Wabasca, the Bigstone Cree Nation and Chipewyan Lake Village, have fallen under evacuation orders since Wednesday.

People in Slave Lake, a town that was partially destroyed in a 2011 blaze, have been told to be prepared to leave with eight hours notice because of a blaze that the mayor says is burning about 30 kilometres away.

Smoke from the fires has enveloped points south, including Edmonton, in a thick, acrid, haze that has limited visibility and made it difficult to breathe.

The government says weather forecasts for the next two weeks will make fighting the fires difficult.

A wildfire prompted an evacuation alert on Thursday for a northern Alberta town that was partially destroyed in a 2011 blaze.

Slave Lake Mayor Tyler Warman said the fire was not an immediate threat and people weren't being forced out like they were more than a week ago in High Level, 485 kilometres to the north.

He said the flames were still about 30 kilometres away from Slave Lake as of midday, but officials wanted residents to be prepared to leave.

"We've got a fire, that started around the same time as the High Level one, that's been north of town for a while," Warman said. "The wind conditions and the extreme dryness have pushed some of it closer to town."

Slave Lake was the latest community to be put on evacuation alert, as several fires raged out-of-control in northern Alberta and blanketed areas to the south in an acrid haze.

Many of the 5,000 people forced out of the High Level area on the Victoria Day long weekend are being housed in Slave Lake.

An evacuation order was issued Thursday afternoon for the hamlet of Marten Beach, about 20 kilometres north of Slave Lake, due to the fire.

"The MD has declared a local state of emergency because of that, but we're not panicked at this point," said Warman, who was a town councillor and firefighter during the 2011 wildfire that raced through part of Slave Lake.

He said the fires are bringing back memories.

"We are more prepared than we have ever been. We're more cautious than we have been in the past."

Earlier in the day, residents of Chipewyan Lake Village, about 450 kilometres north of Edmonton, were also ordered to leave because of a fire that threatened to cut off access to the area.

And different fires forced evacuations from the hamlet of Wabasca, the Bigstone Cree Nation and Northern Lights County.

The Chuckegg Creek fire raging near High Level won't stop growing.

"(It) went on a pretty serious run yesterday where it grew 80,000 hectares in about 24 hours and travelled a little more than 22 kilometres between noon yesterday and 4 a.m. this morning," said Derek Gagnon, a provincial information officer. "The average speed would then be around 23 metres per minute."

"We had really strong winds out of the north that combined with really dry fuels on the ground."

The fire covered 2,300 square kilometres Thursday, but crews were still managing to keep the flames out of the town.

High Level Mayor Crystal McAteer, Reeve Josh Knelsen of Mackenzie County and Dene Tha' First Nation Chief James Ahnassay issued a joint statement late Wednesday on Facebook.

"We know that many of you are very anxious to hear about what is happening with the wildfire and the situation in our communities. Many of you have been out of your homes and away from your work for a long time." they wrote.

"The danger to High Level remains, and the danger to communities in Mackenzie County and the Dene Tha First Nation has increased. Four more areas were evacuated ... More than 600 of our neighbours had to leave their homes."

Environment Canada issued a special air-quality statement for the Alberta capital region, warning that people might experience coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath.
We are far enough into the Trump administration to know how the script usually plays out when a Cabinet officer or high-ranking staffer is on the outs with the president. First, Trump asks everyone within his orbit what he thinks of the imperiled official. Second, reports of Trump's dissatisfaction hit the press. Third, those stories often contain incidents of Trump mocking the official on the chopping block. Fourth, Trump denies everything and claims it to be fake news. Fifth, Trump fires the person.

To be fair, sometimes the script is not that rote. Staffers like Gary Cohn and Don McGahn managed to infuriate the president but depart on their own accord. The same was true of Nikki Haley. Rod Rosenstein managed to wheedle his way back into Trump's good graces. And sometimes the gap between Step Four and Step Five can be long and agonizing. John Kelly was on the outs with Trump for much of 2018 but managed to hang around until December.

This brings us to national security adviser John Bolton. Reports about dissatisfaction with Bolton have been percolating for a while now. As Bolton husbanded control of the national security decision-making process, resentment among other policy principals has grown. There have been multiple accounts of friction between Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that have little to do with policy and everything to do with style. After the failed transition in Venezuela, The Washington Post's Anne Gearan, Josh Dawsey, John Hudson and Seung Min Kim reported, "The president's dissatisfaction has crystallized around national security adviser John Bolton and what Trump has groused is an interventionist stance at odds with his view that the United States should stay out of foreign quagmires."

Now, Bolton faces the dreaded confirmation of Trump dissatisfaction in the form of a Peter Baker and Maggie Haberman story in the New York Times. The good parts version:

"Unlike General McMaster, Mr. Bolton figured out how to brief Mr. Trump in a more effective way, according to administration officials, but the two have never bonded on a personal level, which is so important in this White House. Mr. Trump is not fond of Mr. Bolton, according to a half-dozen advisers and associates, and he makes no secret of it in private....

"One person close to Mr. Trump said the situation resembled the moment when the president turned on Rex W. Tillerson, his first secretary of state, but still took another six months or more to push him out. Others expressed doubt that Mr. Trump would get rid of Mr. Bolton before next year's re-election campaign....

"For his part, Mr. Bolton has privately expressed his own frustration with the president, according to several officials, viewing him as unwilling to push for more transformative changes in the Middle East. At the same time, his allies said he had been misunderstood, cast as favoring military action in Venezuela, for instance, when in fact they say he does not."

So, is Bolton on the way out? Color me skeptical, for a few reasons. First of all, Trump will find it difficult to get rid of Bolton through measures short of firing him. Trump will often try to humiliate an official into departing the administration. This tactic does not have a high success rate anyway, but will definitely not work on the national security adviser. As Baker and Haberman note, Bolton "does not appear to care much about being liked." He does not crave Trump's approval and can likely tolerate any abuse thrown in his direction.

More importantly, this is Bolton's last bite at the policymaking apple. It would be hard for him to win a Senate-confirmable position even now, so it is national security adviser or bust for him. At 70 years old, he will hold on to power until someone physically ejects him from the White House.

Second of all, Trump is more constrained in his options that it might seem at first glance. If Trump fires Bolton, he will be on his fourth national security adviser in his first two-and-a-half years in office. That is not a good look for a commander in chief who wants to claim in 2020 that his administration is running so smoothly.

The Post's David Ignatius was spot-on in writing May 28 that "Trump is already in full campaign mode. In his quest for reelection, he doesn't want to be seen to fail in anything. He wants to sound tough (popular) so long as it doesn't get him into a war (unpopular)." This means he does not want to get dragged into a war of John Bolton's creation. It also means, however, that he does not want the political headaches that would come with dispatching his third national security adviser in as many years. He is also unlikely to want to go through the process of finding Bolton's successor.

My speculation would be that Bolton will be sticking around for the next few months at least. He is not going to quit. Trump's reluctance to be seen as the captain of an anarchic ship will make him more reluctant to fire Bolton than he otherwise would be. Which means we are likely to see the president undercutting his national security adviser - and vice versa - for the rest of 2019. Meanwhile, the other great powers in the world will be popping their popcorn and settling in to watch the spectacle.

_ _ _

Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Samsung already launched Marvel superhero-themed cases for the Galaxy S10 family earlier this year, to coincide with the release of Avengers: Endgame. Now though the Korean company has decided to expand its Marvel cooperation further.

We're still talking about superhero themed cases, but now you can find these for the Galaxy A40, A50, and A70 as well. Despite the fact that Samsung websites aren't listing them yet, these are official Samsung cases, created with Marvel's blessing.



Samsung x Marvel Galaxy A series cases

The cases are now on sale at multiple third-party online retailers, and have quietly arrived without an official acknowledgement from Samsung - aside from one announcement from the company's Philippine arm, but that only mentioned cases for the Galaxy A50.

In Europe, Netherlands-based retailer Coolblue has the models you can see above - themed after Avengers, Spider-Man, Captain America, and Iron Man. These are made for the A50 and A70. Amazon Germany, on the other hand, lists the same models for the Galaxy A40 as well.

The price of any of these cases is 29.90, which is certainly not cheap, but in line with what you should expect from official accessories, not to mention that for the creation of these Samsung also has to pay royalty fees to Marvel.

Via
TCL promised back in February to introduce phones with foldable displays and is already making the first crucial step. The company purchased LTPS equipment from Japan and South Korea for its plant in Wuhan, China, where it is expected to start producing AMOLED panels by Q4 2019 through its display division called Huaxing Optoelectronics.

The TCL management said it is confident in Huaxing reaching double-digit growth both in annual sales and profit. The LTPS-LCD production for Q1 2019 reached $27.2 million, ranking third in the world among companies with a single plant. The company also said it has reached an agreement with some top-class phone manufacturers.

TCL Group is aiming to shake up not only the smartphone business but the smart TV as well. Reports about an incoming Huawei Smart TV earlier have been backed by industry insiders, claiming precisely Huaxing will manufacture the 65 panels, while the 55 model would be handled by BOE, another Chinese display manufacturer that is already working with Huawei on the production of Mate 20 Pro screens.

Via
ZTE was having some troubles in 2018 with breaching embargoes and following orders, but it appears the company is back on track for the 5G revolution. After the Axon 10 Pro 5G smartphone was announced at MWC in Barcelona and 2,5 months later launched in China, now the phone made its way outside its home market.

The first country that will receive the 5G flagship is Finland, where ZTE is partnering with local carriers on the 5G switch, expected to happen later this year.

The Axon 10 Pro 5G is available for purchase in the Northern European country, but so is the non-5G variant - the vanilla Axon 10 Pro. Currently offered on Elisa, both devices can be purchased with several monthly plans with 0% interest.

The regular Axon 10 Pro costs 599, while the 5G unit is 899. There are two differences between the handsets - the first is obviously the Snapdragon X50 modem, the other is the memory combo - 6/128 GB vs. 8/256 GB.

According to sources, the Axon 10 Pro 5G is also available in Dubai, although there is no info which carrier or retailer will offer the device. In a press release, ZTE stated that it is deploying 5G field tests with mainstream carriers in a total of eight countries, including Austria, Australia, China, Finland, Spain, and Italy.

Source 1  Source 2 (in Finnish) | Via (in Chinese)
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- It took a little longer than expected, but was well worth the wait.

After a year of construction, the new Woodys Roadside in Ocean Springs opened for business last weekend. Although they are still putting the finishing touches on the new facility -- including tearing down the old one to create more parking -- the interior of the new 9,000 square foot restaurant and bar is up and running.

When owner Jeff Glouner spoke to The Mississippi Press in June 2018, he had hoped to be operating out of the new facility by January. But -- surprise! -- Mississippi coast weather had other ideas.

But no matter. Glouner said it was worth the wait.

We love the way it looks, he said this week. When the parking lot is done, the landscaping finished, all the lighting is in, well be real happy with it.

The original Woodys Roadside opened in October 2011 and quickly became a popular dining and cocktails destination. The original building was only about 3,000 square feet, but the restaurants success led to three expansions, as well as the opening of a second location in Biloxi.

Once the original location is demolished -- and parking and landscaping complete -- the outdoor dining area will open where patrons can dine al fresco under oak trees trimmed with lighting. Glouner also said the upstairs dining/bar area should be operational by next weekend.

Were at about 85 percent, he said. Were just kind of waiting on them to get the (old) building down and get the paving done to open the patio. We dont want people out there when weve got landscaping and paving going on.

Glouner said having the main dining and bar areas open is plenty to keep his staff busy and holding off on the outdoor and upstairs dining is giving them a chance to settle in to the new facility.

Its giving the kitchen staff a chance to acclimate to a new kitchen before we increase the seating, he said.

Once fully operational, the new Woodys will be able to seat about 300 guests, Glouner said. The original plans for the new building called for more than that, but adjustments were made.

We opted to take out some seating to make it more spacious, he said. That was one of the things about the (original) Ocean Springs location is the seating was very cramped, so were allowing (the new facility) to be more relaxed.

Woodys Roadside is open Sundays through Thursdays from a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the bar remaining open until midnight.
Photo: Contributed

The head of Tourism Kelowna believes the industry will grow only if everyone in the Central Okanagan gets on board.

Thats the word from president and CEO Lisanne Ballantyne, as her organization and other stakeholders are celebrating Tourism Week in Canada.

The visitor economy can only continue to grow with the support of residents and a strong local understanding of the economic and social benefits that tourism delivers, Ballantyne said in a press release.

The future of tourism will have to be co-created with residents, business, and visitors in mind.

Tourism Kelowna reports more than two million people visit the Central Okanagan each year, making it a $1.25 billion industry thanks to $337 million in tourist spending. There are approximately 12,000 jobs in the local tourism industry, and $142 million in tax revenues are created annually.

For more on this story, visit Okanagan Edge.




Haiti - News : Zapping...





"Ti Papi" Gang Leader arrested

Wednesday gang leader Jean Paul Benissoit aka "Ti Papi" who operated in the Nan Raquette neighbourhood, in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets was arrested. "Ti papi" has several crimes to his credit including the recent murder of a police officer, according to Maxime Augustin, the Commissioner of the Government of Croix-des-Bouquets, who said that this individual had been apprehended to the prosecutor in possession of a 9 mm pistol.



A former FADH Colonel riddled with bullets

Thursday, in Petion-ville, the former Colonel Ramus Sainvil of the Haitian Army and former Police Chief, was gunned down abord his car with 9 bullets by gunmen on his motorcycle. Ramus Saint-Vil succumbed to his injuries at the hospital confirmed the commissioner Jean Gospel Monelus "My friend leaves for Peace, you were a man who respected the law that always said want to fight against corruption, you who did not want to do of politics, why did they shoot you down ?" said Edmonde Supplice former leader of the FUSION party.



Deputies ready to ratify the PM

Kenscoff Deputy Alfredo Antoine said that 63 deputies, after met Prime Minister Lapin, are ready to ratify the General Policy of the appointed Prime Minister, in order to endow the country with a legitimate Government. According to him no legal provision can prevent the lower house from organizing the meeting even if the Senate session is deadlocked.



New Police Commissioner in Petion-ville

A new Police Commissioner has been installed in Petion-ville. This is Paul Medard Jean Louis, former Commander of the Intervention and Maintenance Corps (CIMO), who will replace Commissioner Gospel Monelus who has spent more than a year in this position.



Varreux : construction of a container terminal

The Ambassador of France accredited to Haiti, Jose Gomez visited the Varreux terminal where French companies, Bollore and Vinci, work hand in hand with Haitian teams to build a container terminal, an important asset for the development of Haiti.



DR : Consular visit to a correction center

The Head of the Consulate General of Haiti in Santiago, Mrs. Judith Exavier, accompanied by Reginald Carrenard, Vice-Consul, Head of the Department of Migrant Services accompanied by members of the staff of the Consulate, paid a visit to the Correction and Rehabilitation Center Rafey/hombre. The purpose of this visit was to provide moral, psychological and patriotic support to Haitian detainees. Hygiene kits, snacks and sandals were distributed to our countrymen with the assurance that the Consulate will continue to support them.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Dave Clausen and his daughter Autumn Lineweaver, who co-own Clausen and Sons General Contractors. with Pat Newton, stand Tuesday under the sign of their business.

Clausen and Sons General Contractors company, a third-generation family business, is continuing its 59-year tradition of building in northern Montana and supporting Montana families.

"It's been fun watching our organization grow over the years," co-owner Dave Clausen said.

Clausen and Sons started in Malta in 1960 as Clausen Wholesale, when Clausen's father, Pete Clausen, started the company. At the time, Pete Clausen owned a Ford dealership and a gas distribution company but wanted to get into construction, mostly doing farm work and erecting metal buildings. When Clausen started the business he became a licensed Behlen Building Systems dealer, which they have continued for 59 years.

Dave Clausen said he was 12 years old when he first started working for his father, working during the summers between school years, helping build grain bins and buildings.

He said his family would regularly vacation in Zortman during the summer and in 1972 decided to move their business there. His father also sold the Ford dealership and the gas distributing company when the business was moved.

In 1975, Pete Clausen changed the name of the company to Clausen and Sons. The town had a mining boom in 1979 and Clausen and Sons quickly got on and begun building plants, shops and offices for the growing industry. Clausen added that the company still did a large number of work for farm businesses as well, such as in Chouteau, Hill, Blaine and Phillips counties. In 1993, the business moved to Havre, to a small shop behind the Tilleman Ford Dealership. Clausen and Sons was still doing half commercial and half farm construction at that time.

"Farm business has been our mainstay," Clausen said.

Clausen and Sons also did a lot of business during the gas boom in Montana, traveling as far as Wyoming and Idaho to construct buildings for gas companies, he said.

The construction company has built a good relationship with different companies, such as Nemont Telephone Company, he said. Clausen and Sons has been that company's exclusive builder for constructing buildings in Glasgow, Williston, Plentywood, Scobey and Billings. Clausen said they have also done a lot scattered all across northern Montana for Triangle Communications and NorthWestern Energy.

He said that some of the buildings they have worked on that people may recognize around town include Northern Hospital, Tilleman Motor Co., Independence Bank and the Havre Border Patrol Station.

"We've done a lot of buildings around town," he said.

Autumn Lineweaver, Clausen's daughter and project manager for the company, said that the U.S. Border Patrol station was a great success for Clausen and Sons.

Dave Clausen said that after 9/11 54 Border Patrol stations were scheduled to be built. Clausen and Sons won the bid for two of those contracts, in Malta and Havre. He added that out of the 54 buildings Clausen and Sons was the only company that was able to complete the projects by the planned time.

Lineweaver said that the company also has done a number of other building projects for Border Patrol.

"We do a little bit of all kinds of stuff over the years," Clausen said. "You have to be, to be our size business in this area. You just can't specialize in one exact thing."

Clausen and Sons does a wide range of work themselves, such as concrete work, traditional structural work, metal roofs and metal buildings.

Clausen's brothers, Robert and Brent, were also involved with the family business, with Robert Clausen overseeing the company until the late 1970s when he left to pursue another career path. Dave Clausen said that shortly after Robert left, his brother Brent followed. After his brothers left, his father decided to retire in 1993, he said.

At the time that his father retired, Dave Clausen already owned half of the company and he and his partner, Pat Newton, bought his father's remaining shares.

When Dave Clausen was younger, his father was not heavily involved in the actual construction but was handling more of the business side. Dave Clausen headed his first crew when he was 17, he said, and the people under him were older, but he had experience and knew how to work with blueprints and building plans.

He didn't get heavily involved until the 1980s, after he attended a little bit of college at Montana State University in Bozeman, later he would transfer to MSU-Northern but did not leave with a degree. He added that he was needed at the family business.

He has good memories working with his father, working on different jobs together after he came back from college, driving and talking as they headed to the job sites together.

His father had taught him a number of things in the time they spent together he said.

"You're going to have problems, you deal with them and meet them face first, head on and keep going deal with them get them done," he said.

Lineweaver said that she remembers working with her father from a young age, starting to go with him to job sites when she was 5 or 6 years old. She added it is something that she enjoys doing with her sons.

"It's kind of funny because I can remember doing the same thing with my father," she said.

She said that she was working with her father with her sister, Charlotte, for a number of years from junior high school through high school and her college years. Her sister did not get involved with the business later on.

"I've always enjoyed working with my father. That's one of the neatest things about him is he's always about even keeled and has a good head about him," she said.

After graduating from Carroll College and attending some law school she decided in 2008 to return to work with her father with her husband, Curt.

Working with her father is something she enjoys.

"I hate it when he's not here," she said.

Clausen added that he hates it when she isn't there, as well.

Lineweaver said that she is excited for the future and to see if her children want to get involved with the business as she has.

Clausen said that he enjoys working with his family and has loyal employees.

"It's a business you can see - what your progress is most days. End of the day you see a structure there," he said. "... You leave a mark when you're done. Hopefully it's a positive impact, with what you have built for an owner or a company. It's a sense of satisfaction."
Havre Police Department

A caller at Pepin Park reported Thursday at 9:50 a.m. a boom box was sitting next to the entrance sign.

--

Ronald Dean Moccasin III of Havre, 34, was arrested on three Justice or City court warrants Thursday at 10:12 a.m. on 10th Street West.

--

Jordan Nash Windyboy of Havre, 35, was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license during a vehicle stop on Third Street at 10:52 a.m. Thursday.

--

Levi Douglas Humphreys of Havre, 25, was arrested on a charge of shoplifting after a caller at a First Street business reported the theft of pills Thursday at 1:03 p.m.

--

An arrest was made related to fake $100 bills at an 11th Street West business Thursday at 1:33 p.m. No details on charges were provided.

--

Ida Laurie Ahenakew of Box Elder, 45, was arrested on charges of obstructing a peace officer or other public servant and shoplifting after a caller at a First Street business reported a shoplifter Thursday at 4:04 p.m.

--

Officers investigated an incident related to a vehicle stop on Park Road at 10:47 p.m. Thursday.

--

Officers investigated a domestic disturbance reported on Montana Avenue at 1:40 a.m. today.

Hill County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff's deputies had no investigations or arrests listed in the dispatch log.

Havre Fire Department

Emergency medical personnel responded to three calls Thursday and two this morning.

Havre Animal Shelter

The shelter this morning held four medium-hair cats, two long-hair cats, one 12-week-old medium hair kitten and a medium-hair 9-month-old kitten all of unknown gender, two medium-hair male cats, one short-hair female cat and two medium-hair female cats. Four cats are also at the shelter for the trap-spay/neuter-release program.

--

The Havre shelter also held this morning two female mixed-breed dogs, a male mixed-breed 26-week-old puppy, a female shepherd-Labrador retriever dog, a male shepherd dog and a female mixed-breed 7-month-old puppy.
Many of the ideas and Scriptures used in this article are from the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn.

Many of us are dissatisfied with the decisions some government officials make. Eventually God will establish His perfect government in Heaven. There will not be sin on the New Earth. Satan and demonic forces will not be on the New Earth. The devil will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur and tormented day and night for ever and ever. Currently, Jesus calls Satan the prince of this world and Paul calls Satan the god of this age. Those designations are temporary.

Daniel t...
Out our way, the days can grow dry and hot, especially when the rains are slow in coming. Up in the summer pasture on the Tiger Ridge, the reservoir begins to shrink as the grass turns dry and yellow by fall when it is time to move the herd. If it has been an especially dry summer, by fall roundup the cattle are desperate for water. That was why it was so hard to move them away from the nearly dried-out water hole that fall when Charley and I had to call in reinforcements to move them to the fall pasture. They were thirsty and though there was little water left and it would soon be gone, th...
HENLEY Bridge could be lit up for good  with official backing  following a row over unauthorised lighting.

Oxfordshire County Council is supporting a proposal by Clive Hemsley to replace the LED lights he installed without permission in March last year with a permanent, higher-quality arrangement.

The council was set to remove the lights during a routine inspection in November but changed its mind after talks with the artist, who argued his scheme had widespread support and was similar to bridge illuminations elsewhere. Now the council has provisionally agreed to back a planning application by Mr Hemsley to South Oxfordshire District Council and Wokingham Borough Council, the planning authorities responsible for the 18th-century crossing.

Mr Hemsley, of Hart Street, Henley must also obtain listed building

consent as the bridge is Grade I listed.

The council says it does not condone his decision to attach two strings of 800 white LED lights to both faces of the bridge.

However, it wants to encourage tourism and promote historic buildings so it will support the application as long as it is supported by the planning authorities and statutory consultees like Historic England and Henley Town Council.

Its officers must also agree a way of attaching the lights without damaging the stonework. The current ones were affixed using an adhesive resin which Mr Hemsley says can easily be detached.

He says he would replace them with festoon LED lights, which are larger and resemble old-fashioned light bulbs, lining the bridges five arches at 18in intervals.

He hopes to submit his plans in the next few weeks and says the lights could be in place by Christmas if they are approved.

He must find funding for the upfront cost as well as maintenance, which he says will be thousands of pounds and much more expensive than the old lights, but he will pay for the installation himself if necessary.

Mr Hemsley said: Im delighted with how things are going. The political paperwork will probably take six months but youve got to have a goal or these things take forever and it should be possible to get it all done this year.

It will be a complicated process as Ive got eight forms to complete but at least this has the county councils backing.

Weve got to go through how its going to be safely attached and things like that, which will probably involve another half a dozen meetings.

It wont be a retrospective application for the current lights. It will look to put up something similar but much better and we can worry about funding when we get to it. For now, its just about getting it cleared.

Mr Hemsley said the councils change of heart was due to a petition created by a Henley resident which about 2,500 people signed.

In his talks with highways officers, he pointed out that 15 bridges in central London will soon be permanently lit up under an art project backed by the citys Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Mr Hemsley is currently designing a similar scheme for Marlow which has been granted planning permission but said he would not complete this until lighting was in place in Henley.

He said: Im so grateful to everyone who signed that petition because theres no way there would have been a change of attitude without it. Its all down to the people of Henley and thats where my loyalty lies.

I received only two negative letters about it while hundreds of people told me they loved it.

There has been been a bit of backwards and forwards with the county council but they were very friendly and helpful.

They are aware of the importance of branding and raising awareness and this should promote tourism which will benefit local business. Its a great result as they had threatened a prosecution but now I could end up being the bridgekeeper rather than facing the jailkeeper!

Henley town, district and county councillor Stefan Gawrysiak said:

Weve always said that if councillors want to keep lights on the bridge then its acceptable as long as they arent causing any structural damage.

Henley Mayor Ken Arlett said: Its fair to say there jas been a lot of public support for lights on the bridge, subject to the finer details.

Some people like them as they are while others like the idea but would prefer a different look.

Well have to wait and see what people say when the application comes in.

A county council spokesman said: We understand the local desire for permanent lights on the bridge at Henley and are definitely supportive of the idea.

With it being an historic bridge, we just need to make sure the relevant requirements can be met and we will continue to discuss the initial opportunity with Mr Hemsley.
Photo: Contributed A small fire burns in the Savona area, west of Kamloops.

UPDATE: 5:40 p.m.

Eight fires have been sparked by a lightning storm that rolled through B.C.'s Interior Thursday afternoon, and more could be on the way.

Fire information officer Taylor MacDonald says the fires have been sparked throughout the Kamloops Fire Centre, including four in the Savona area, two near Princeton, one near Lillooet and one near Clearwater.

The lightning is still striking in some areas, and MacDonald says the eight are just those the BC Wildfire Service has confirmed at this time.

"There is the possibility of holdover fires, where lightning may have struck today, but we may not be able to find out what's happened until later, because it may stay low into the ground," MacDonald said.

Thursday afternoon, ground crews, helicopters and air tankers responded to a group of fires near the Savona area, west of Kamloops, and MacDonald said they'll be responding to others as needed.

UPDATE: 5:10 p.m.

Several wildfires have been sparked by lightning in B.C.'s Interior Thursday.

Following a small spot fire discovered Thursday just west of Kamloops, on the north side of the Thompson River, the BC Wildfire Service has identified three new lightning-caused fires in the area.

The largest of the four is burning an area of 4.5 hectares in Painted Bluffs Provincial Park. The other three, near Eagle Hill, Hardy Hill and Six Mile Hill Road, are an estimated 0.01 hectares.

Farther north, three new fires have been sparked just west of Clearwater. The spot-sized McDonald Summit fire is believed to have been sparked by lightning, while the 0.4-hectare Lac Des Roche fire is believed to be human-caused.

The BC Wildfire Service does not have a suspected cause for the spot-sized Bridge Lake fire though.

ORIGINAL: 4:20 p.m.

BC Wildfire Service is reporting a new fire start northwest of Kamloops on Thursday.

The "Savona" fire is believed to be lightning-caused and is listed at .01 Ha in size.

This comes after a fire near Sicamous ignited a water bomber response on Wednesday.

Temperatures in the region are expected to soar this week so heightened activity can be anticipated.
A dog owner who did not know he was breaking the law when he carried out a painful procedure to partially remove the tail of a Jack Russell puppy, has been spared jail.

Vincent Matthews (54) told a judge he loved his pets like they were his children and he had been taught "tail docking" by his grandfather when he was aged just eight.

However, he did not know the crude practice was illegal, Dublin District Court was told yesterday when he was fined 99 and ordered to contribute 100 toward prosecution costs.

Matthews, of Coultry Close, Ballymun, Dublin, pleaded guilty to four counts under the Animal Health and Welfare Act.

Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) inspector Tony McGovern said he went to Matthews's home and noticed a female pup about 10 weeks old. "Part of the tail had been removed from the terrier," he told the court.

Matthews said he had removed it by using an elastic band which was put around the dog's tail. "And in three or four days the tail fell off," the court heard.

Mr McGovern told Judge Anthony Halpin this was an old procedure mostly done on hunting dogs.

He said nowadays it must be done by a vet but only for hunting dogs to prevent their tails getting caught on fencing.

He agreed with Gareth Robinson BL, prosecuting, that a report said "it would have caused the dog some suffering".

The accused said the procedure was known as foxing.

Asked by Judge Halpin if he had anything to say, Matthews said he had been breeding dogs since he was eight. "I didn't know I was breaking the law," he said, adding "I've never been cruel to dogs."

He said he had four other terriers who were well fed and he kept plenty of food and fresh water for them in his house. They were also brought to the park regularly, he said, adding: "I love them like my children.

Foxed

"My grandad always told me a Jack Russell was not a Jack Russell until it was foxed."

Judge Halpin said he found it "distasteful" how the elastic band restricted the pup's blood flow, causing the tail to fall off.

The dog would have been in some distress, he told Matthews, who replied "God, bless you" as he was spared a sentence and given a fine.

The pup whose tail was reduced to a 4cm stump was later rehomed by the DSPCA.
Photo: The Canadian Press

The spring session in B.C.'s legislature is wrapping up amid more political turmoil as Premier John Horgan rejects calls to replace Speaker Darryl Plecas.

Horgan says he hasn't been officially approached by the Opposition to replace Plecas with a Liberal member, but his answer in any case would be still be no.

Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson told the legislature on the last day of the spring session that Plecas has embarked upon "intrusions" of employees of the legislature, including examining their workplaces.

Plecas didn't deny the allegations and told reporters that he's head of security at the legislature and wants to ensure people's data is secure.

The NDP is governing with the support of the three Green party members in the legislature and Plecas was tossed out of the Liberal caucus shortly after taking the job as Speaker in 2017.

A report by Plecas alleging misconduct and overspending by two top legislative officials resulted in former clerk Craig James taking early retirement, while sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz was cleared but remains on suspension amid a police investigation.
Former Dublin gang boss John Gilligan, who was arrested while attempting to board a flight from Belfast with more than 22,000 in cash, was trying to flee the country following a death threat, a court has heard.

Gilligan was arrested last August by Border Force officers before he boarded a flight to Spain at Belfast Airport. Approximately 22,280 (19,648) was recovered in a suitcase.

The 67-year-old, of Greenfort Crescent, Clondalkin, Dublin, is charged with attempting to remove criminal property from the North.

He was due to contest the money-laundering charge at Coleraine Magistrates' Court, in Co Derry, yesterday.

Criminal

However, the case was adjourned following an agreed application by the defence barrister and the prosecutor.

Sean Devine, defence barrister for Gilligan, told the court that his client was travelling out of Belfast because his life was under threat. Mr Devine also said that one of the issues was whether the money that was recovered was criminal property.

Deputy district judge Peter King said that was what the Crown had to prove.

"It's a high hurdle for the Crown to get over," he added.

Mr Devine said correspondence he received from authorities in the Republic last month said Gilligan was involved in "drugs-related activity" two decades ago.

The barrister added that he was not sure whether gardai were aware of the immediacy of the death threat.

"This is a case where the emphasis is going back to the material from the mid-1990s," he added.

"It seems that Irish authorities say he was involved in drug-related activity in the mid-1990s so therefore this money must be related to that."

Mr Devine also said a garda superintendent gave details about a previous threat in 2013 that was relevant to the case.

"The reasons he was leaving and had to live a chaotic lifestyle as he did, was because he has survived previous assassination attempts," he added.

The judge scheduled a hearing for next month. He added that it was "regrettable" that the case had to be adjourned.

It had not confirmed whether Gilligan would be eligible for legal aid.
A 23-year-old criminal who was shot dead outside a Swords gym died of traumatic head injuries, an inquest has heard.

Convicted drug dealer Zach Parker, of Jugback Green, Applewood, Swords, was blown away with a shotgun last January 17, Dublin Coroner's Court was told at the opening of the inquest.

A post-mortem carried out by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster showed the cause of death was a traumatic head injury due to gunshot wounds.

Detective Inspector Eddie Carroll, of Coolock Garda Station, said the case was under investigation.

He applied for a six-month adjournment of the inquest.

"We are still at the early stages of this investigation," he told the court.

Mortuary

"I am hopeful we will have made significant progress in six months' time, but I cannot guarantee the file [for the Director of Public Prosecutions] will be completed."

Parker's parents, Siobhan and Stephen Parker, attended the opening of the inquest.

Ms Parker gave evidence of the formal identification of her son to Garda Miriam O'Donovan at Dublin City Mortuary in Whitehall.

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane adjourned the inquest until November 15.

"I am going to mention this case again in six months and we will be advised as to how the investigation is proceeding," the coroner told the Parker family.

"My deepest condolences to you and to all the family on your tragic loss," she said.
Photo: Tolko

Vernon-based lumber company Tolko is temporarily suspending operations at its Athabasca OSB division in Slave Lake, Alta., due to a wildfire evacuation alert.

All employees, other than those who have been identified as essential to asset protection, have been evacuated and sent home. With the town on an eight-hour evacuation notice, we want people to be prepared in case a mandatory evacuation order is issued, says company vice-president Jim Baskerville. The safety of our employees and their families is our priority.

Essential employees will initiate fire suppression activities to protect the mill and will co-ordinate efforts with the town, municipal district and province as the situation develops.

Tolko will remain in communication with employees through managers and social media.

Vernon-based Tolko is a leading North American manufacturer of lumber, plywood, veneer, oriented strand board, co-products, biomass power and specialty wood products.
There is a story to be told at Pentictons Skaha Bluffs, and a local filmmaker wants to be the guy to do it.

Dave Mai is in the running for a grant through the Telus Storyhive program that would allow him to produce Higher Perspective, a film examining the climbing community and the photographers at Skaha Bluffs.

We are trying to tie in this history of the bluffs as well, how it came from just a bunch of wild dudes in the forest into a provincial park and thousands of climbing routes, Mai said.

With the area exploding in popularity, the film will also look at the impact the influx of people have had on the area. Mai pointed to a rash of break-ins in the parking lot early on, which was addressed by the Skaha Bluffs Park Watch Society.

Its about the whole community that has come together to make this world-renowned climbing place, Mai said.

Most people come here for the wines and vines and the beaches, but there is this whole other hidden sub community," he said, adding the park is absolutely packed with climbers on long weekends.

Mai is the director behind another documentary released last year on ice climbers in the Okanagan.

The Storyhive competition awards funds to the pitches with the most number of votes. A jury also selects others for funding.

You can vote for Higher Perspective here. Voting closes midday Friday.
Collierville, with an estimated population of 51,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, has about 9,150 students enrolled throughout the districts nine schools.

While I wasnt necessarily looking to make a move, I am thrilled about this opportunity, Lilly said. I truly believe it is a great fit for me and for my family. Its going to be tough to leave considering the many relationships I treasure here and the great things our district is accomplishing.

The Bristol Tennessee Board of Education will appoint an interim director on June 17 to serve until a search can be completed for a new director, the Bristol news release states.

We wish Dr. Lilly well in his new position, said Board Chairwoman Jill Harrison, who told the Bristol Herald Courier she was approached by Lilly about the Collierville position. Dr. Lilly and his family have been a part of our school system family for many years, and we will miss their presence in Bristol.

Harrison said the Bristol board will start a search process immediately.

We are committed to finding the most qualified leader possible to serve our district as the next director of schools, she said.
The Collierville Board of Education has selected Dr. Gary Lilly as its new superintendent.

The board met this evening and chose Lilly, who has served as the superintendent of Bristol Tennessee City Schools since 2009.

Collierville is a suburb of Memphis with an estimated population of about 51,600, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and about 9,000 students enrolled throughout the districts nine schools, according to the Collierville Schools website.

Lilly had been named among four finalists for the job.

Jill Harrison, chairwoman of the Bristol Tennessee Board of Education, said Dr. Lilly had approached her and told her that he was a finalist for the position.

Nelson Pyle, vice chairman of the board, said Lilly had approached him and the other members of the board to inform them of his finalist status.

Both Harrison and Pyle said Lilly did not discuss other details with them, including the appointment of another superintendent for BTCS if he was offered and accepted the new position.

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.
Several council members were quick to say they were not interested in raising real estate taxes but did ask about ways to squeeze funds from other places.

Eads reminded the council that the citys debt expenses will increase dramatically in four years because the council refinanced bond debt for The Falls.

Amid discussion over the three schools, Perrigan said the PPEA funding model might be modified and applicable to a smaller, 450-student facility at another site, but the savings would be much less and the city would have to acquire land.

The savings would only be about $422,000 with a payment of roughly $900,000, Perrigan said. With PPEA, our payment and our savings were about the same, but it changes when you go away from that model. To do the model it seems everybody is the most fond of  renovate Stonewall Jackson and build a new school for Highland View [and] Washington-Lee students [you get a] rough estimate of $560,000 [difference]; now youre talking about a 5-cent property tax increase in the city.

Mayor Kevin Mumpower said the council and the community need to make some decisions about budget priorities.
In our private deliberations, the majority of Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee at the time divided into those who strongly opposed the effort to find impeachable conduct whatever the facts, several members who indicated they were open to persuasion if the evidence was clear and convincing, and a few who held their cards very close to their vests.

Democratic members seemed divided between those who were strongly in favor of impeachment and those who had to be persuaded  among the latter were those from Southern states where Nixon had strong support.

In the end, six Republicans nonetheless felt compelled to place loyalty to the rule of law above our political affiliation and political futures. We concluded that Nixon clearly had engaged in obstruction of justice and abuse of power.

The silence of Republicans today in the face of presidential behavior that is unacceptable by any reasonable standard is both striking and deeply disappointing.
Chelsea Powrie

A Penticton mother has spent over $28,000 in travel and medical costs to help her baby hear, because his single-ear cochlear implant surgery isn't covered by government healthcare.

Cori McCormick's son Ashton was only a few days old when she learned he might have some trouble with his hearing in his left ear. It was thought to just be fluid in the ear that would go away on its own, but as the weeks passed, it became apparent something was wrong.

"It's a severe to profound hearing loss in his left ear," McCormick said. "And I said, okay, what does that mean, what does that look like, and [the doctor] said well, there's really nothing we can do, he's completely deaf in one ear."

Ashton has full hearing in his right ear, but the lack of hearing in the other side could have severe implications for his development.

"The problem is in noisy situations, he can't pull out one voice or one noise from the background noise. And it is like spending your whole day listening to 10 people talk to you all at once," McCormick explained. "It's very hard for these kids, and it's exhausting for them. Research has shown they have trouble in school, they have trouble with friends. They're just tired, it's a lot of work."

She started looking for options for single-ear cochlear implants, and was dismayed to find that in Canada, the process was only in the clinical trial stage, and it was half a country away in Toronto. Cochlear implants for both-side deafness have become common, but not so for single-side deafness.

"Yes, there's this clinical trial, yes, Ashton qualifies, he meets all the criteria, but there's a cost to it," McCormick said.

The cochlear implant alone costs $16,000, and it was out of pocket, since the implant is in a trial phase. Ashton was just the third B.C. child to undergo the implantation and surgery, which, by the time the whole procedure and follow up appointments are done, will require 15 to 18 trips to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. Ashton still has around eight more trips to go.

On top of that, McCormick had to worry about childcare for her four older kids. But it was all worth it for the progress Ashton has made with his implant so far.

"He's starting to turn to sounds and localize where the sounds are coming from, which is amazing for us," she said. "He'll respond to his name, and he'll come when you call him."

Ashton's implant involves a magnet surgically implanted beneath the skin of his skull which an exterior apparatus curled around his ear attaches to. He wears a mesh cap over his head to keep him from pulling the apparatus off.

At 20 months old now, Ashton is thriving.

"It's great, it's going to help him with everything as he grows up, from being able to tell what direction a car is coming from to being able to hear his teachers in his classroom," McCormick said.

In the meantime, though, her costs are mounting, and the Penticton Elks have stepped in to try to help out.

They are holding a silent auction from June 3 - 9 at the Elks Club at 343 Ellis Street, where the public can bid on items with proceeds going to Ashton and his family. They also have a GoFundMe, which can be found here.

McCormick hopes her story will help spread the word about this cochlear implant trial to other parents who may have a child with single-side deafness, since she says it is "still widely unknown in B.C."
Hospitals seeing a spike in COVID cases, fewer clinicians to help them

Our teams are doing everything they can, but we continue to see patients die," said Malik Joshi, president and CEO of Meritus Health.
An article recently came across my news feed that gave me pause. A new restaurant will be opening in Kamloops with a unique dress code. As the name suggests, the Teenie Bikini Bistro will serve typical pub-style fare served by  wait for it  bikini girls.

How is this still a thing? And how does this pass the smell test for workplace discrimination?

Recently, I was in a Red Robin that typifies these concerns. While having lunch, I noticed that all nine servers on the floor were women, likely under the age of 25. All seven of the line cooks that I could see through the kitchen were men. Coincidence? In other popular chain restaurants, you may have one token male server among a crowd of female counterparts wearing tight skirts and low-cut tops.

The Bikini Bistro, in my opinion, takes this to another level. While the restaurant explicitly states it is looking for female servers (i.e. men need not apply), I can only assume that its hiring practices will also exclude the older worker (are you over 30?), the disabled worker, and religions that may require a headscarf. Gender, age, disability and religion are all prohibited grounds of discrimination in British Columbia.

Hiring practices aside, I also have concerns about their oversexualized dress code and the obvious potential for sexual harassment. My understanding is that the Teenie Bikini Bistro will not be having cabana boys in speedos serving your plate of nachos. Only women will be subjected to an overtly sexualized uniform, which creates a distinct work environment based on gender. Only women will be subjected to the slobbering patrons, the unwanted touching and the sexualized jokes.

Im reminded of comments made by the Ontario Human Rights Commission in celebration of International Womens Day, where the OHRC Commissioner stated:

Employers must make sure their dress codes dont reinforce sexist stereotypes. They send the message that an employees worth is tied to how they look. Thats not right, and it could violate the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Unfortunately, for a practice that is so widespread, there is precious little case law addressing gender-based discrimination in the service industry. One B.C. case, however, serves as an interesting precedent for the Bikini Bistro. In Mottu v. MacLeaod and others, 2004, a case dealing with a beer barrel server in a popular nightclub:

"Dress code requirements based on sex have been found to constitute discrimination on the basis of sex. Ms. Mottu chose not to wear an outfit that was gender specific and that she believed was sexual in nature. I compare this to the fact the male bartenders and door staff were not required to wear something that was gender-specific or carried sexual connotations. I find this constitutes discriminatory conduct and that the actions of the respondents on and after the incident ... constitute discrimination against Ms. Mottu in the terms of her employment based on her sex."

I agree. And the Bikini Bistro should take careful note.

David M. Brown, Kent Employment Law, Kelowna
Photo: The Canadian Press A Hungarian Army rescue ship is seen under Margaret Bridge during recovery operations in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, May 30, 2019.

Hungarian police detained the captain of a cruise ship that collided with and sank a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists, as rescue crews geared up to raise the vessel from the bottom of the Danube River in the heart of Budapest while scouring the waters for 21 people still missing.

Seven people are confirmed dead and seven have been rescued, all of them South Koreans, Hungarian officials said. Hungary's state TV reported that all those rescued have been released from the hospital except one who is being treated for broken ribs.

Officials said preparations to bring up the 70-year-old boat, which was built in the former Soviet Union, could take days.

Police, who launched a criminal investigation into the incident, said late Thursday that they had detained and questioned the Ukrainian captain of the larger vessel.

The 64-year-old man is suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident. In line with Hungarian laws, the suspect was identified only as Yuriy C., referencing his first name and the initial letter of his last name. Police proposed the arrest of the Odesa resident, described earlier by police as an experienced sailor.

So far, only seven of the 35 people onboard, that included 33 South Koreans, are known to have survived the incident near the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. Seven others are confirmed dead and 21 remain missing.

A South Korean group on a package tour of Europe  including 30 tourists, two guides and a photographer were on an hour-long sightseeing tour of Budapest when their boat collided with a Viking cruise ship during a downpour Wednesday evening.

Nineteen South Koreans and two Hungarian crew members  the captain and his assistant  remain missing.

A map released by Hungarian police showed the locations and times the seven bodies were recovered, with one body found nearly 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) downstream, nearly 2- 1/2 hours after the collision.

"Those contributing to the search will continue to do everything possible ... along the full Hungarian stretch of the Danube's coasts in the interests of locating the missing persons," Budapest police said in a statement, adding that the river was flowing at speeds of 9-11 kilometres (5.6-6.8 miles) per hour.

A crisis management team from the South Korean government arrived in Budapest late Thursday, as well as representatives from the South Korean tourist agency which organized the ill-fated trip.

"The most important emphasis of our government is the protection of Korean nationals overseas," Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary Oh Sai Juengh said upon his arrival in Budapest.

The sunken boat was located early Thursday near the Margit Bridge, not far from the neo-Gothic Parliament building on the riverbank.

Video released by Hungarian police showed the sightseeing boat, identified as the Hableany (Mermaid), travelling closely side by side and in the same direction as a German-built Viking cruise ship as they approached the bridge Wednesday night.

The Hableany then appeared to steer slightly to its left, into the path of the 135-meter (443-feet) long cruise ship, which continued to sail on at the same speed. The two collided and the sightseeing boat was then seen tipping on its side between the bridge's two supports.

"As the Viking comes into contact with (the Hableany), it overturns it and in about seven seconds, as it turn on its side, it sinks," Police Col. Adrian Pal said.

Pal said it's unclear what caused the Hableany to steer into the path of the Viking. He said several people aboard the Hableany fell into the water after the collision. The South Korean government said none of those on board was wearing a life jacket.

Police said rescue operations were hampered by the rain and the fast flow of the rising Danube. The search for the 21 missing extended far downstream, even into Serbia, where the Danube goes after leaving Hungary.

The river, which is 450 metres (500 yards) wide at the point of the accident, was fast-flowing and rising as heavy rain continued in the city. Water temperatures were about 10 to 12 degrees Celsius (50-53 Fahrenheit).

Hajoregiszter.hu, a local ship-tracking website, lists the Hableany as having been built in 1949 in the former Soviet Union. The Viking Sigyn was built this year, according to cruisemapper.com.

CCTV footage recorded on Wednesday night showed that the river was busy with boats of different sizes travelling in both directions.
(JNS)Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) is standing by comments she made recently that include saying that Palestinians enabled a safe haven for Jews after the Holocaust, thereby reiterating her support for a one-state solution.

Theres always kind of a calming feeling I tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestorsPalestinianswho lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some peoples passports, Tlaib said on Yahoo News Skullduggery podcast. And just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time. And I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away, and it was forced on them.

American Jewish scholars immediately weighed in on a correction of the historical record.

Congresswoman Tlaibs ignorance is exceeded only by her gall. Had she read no further than Wikipedia, she would know that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Amin al-Husseini, collaborated with both Italy and Germany by making propagandistic radio broadcasts and by helping the Nazis recruit Bosnian Muslims for the Waffen-SS, Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish History in the department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University, told JNS.

Those interested in facts, rather than distortions and propaganda, should consult Klaus Gensicke and Alexander Fraser Gunns The Mufti of Jerusalem and the Nazis: The Berlin Years, or the very readable book by David Dalin and John Rothmann, Icon of Evil: Hitlers Mufti and the Rise of Radical Islam, he continued.

More widely seen was the backlash from public officials, including U.S. President Donald Trump.

Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust. She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says? tweeted Trump on Monday.

The latest comments by Rep. Tlaib are ugly and disturbing. But sadly, they represent a consistent position of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told JNS on Monday. Worse, the Democrat leadership continues to tolerate this hate-filled and anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Allowing this destructive language to continue unchecked goes directly against American ideals, he continued. It is time Democrat leaders finally take a stand in denouncing these vile statements.

.@RashidaTlaib says the Holocaust gives her a calming feeling calling for a 1 state solution putting Jews in the minority & out of power of their own country. This is a heart filled w darkness & how the Holocaust began in 1st place, tweeted Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.). on Sunday.

.@RashidaTlaib says the Holocaust gives her a calming feeling calling for a 1 state solution putting Jews in the minority & out of power of their own country. This is a heart filled w darkness & how the Holocaust began in 1st place. Listen @ 28 min mark. https://t.co/7ZEYSnxV4b.

Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) May 12, 2019

Answering a ? re her push for a 1 state solution removing Jews from power in Israel, Tlaib said thinking about the Holocaust gives her a calming feeling bc of a safe haven Palestinians provided to Jews. Its a sick take & rewrite of history. The proposal is horribly wrong too, tweeted Zeldin on Monday.

There is no justification for the twisted and disgusting comments made by Rashida Tlaib just days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance, said House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) in a statement.

Surely now @SpeakerPelosi & @LeaderHoyer will finally take action against vile anti-Semitism in their ranks. This must cross the line, even for them. Rashida Tlaib says thinking of the Holocaust provides her a calming feeling, tweeted House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon simply tweeted, .@RashidaTlaib, your words are both grossly #antiSemitic and ignorant. You should take some time to learn the history before trying to rewrite it.

Tlaib fired back at critics on Sunday evening: Policing my words, twisting & turning them to ignite vile attacks on me will not work, she tweeted later on Sunday. All of you who are trying to silence me will fail miserably. I will never allow you to take my words out of context to push your racist and hateful agenda. The truth will always win.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) defended Tlaib on Monday.

If you read Rep. Tlaibs comments, it is clear that President Trump and Congressional Republicans are taking them out of context, he told JNS. They must stop, and they owe her an apology.
Join other Orlando professionals after work on Monday, June 3, at the Citrus Club downtown for Central Florida Connects, a relaxed networking and social event in an opulent setting. Enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvres and a drink in a fun and friendly atmosphere for a $15 donation, with all proceeds benefitting the Jewish Pavilion. Guests can also participate in a whiskey tasting and a raffle with high-appeal prizes such as Orlando City tickets, concert tickets, hotel stays and great wines.

The event is being hosted by the Citrus Club Leadership Alliance, a board group of emerging leaders within the Citrus Club. Jewish Pavilion board member Carina Gerscovitch is spearheading the event, in partnership with the Jewish Chamber of Commerce, an Orlando-area networking group. Although the name of the event has changed from previous years, it has been a highly popular and successful party for the past two years under Gerscovitch's leadership and attracts a large and diverse crowd, making for a lively evening.

The June 3 event will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Parking in the Citrus Club's garage is free after 5:30 p.m. If you won't already be near downtown, a great and hassle-free option is to take SunRail to the Church Street station; the Citrus Club, at 255 S. Orange Ave., is a 4-minute walk from the station.

Presale tickets are $15, or $10 for Citrus Club members, and are available online at JewishPavilion.org/central-florida-connects. Tickets will also be available at the door for $20. All proceeds from the event will support the Jewish Pavilion's mission of connecting eldercare community residents and their families with a caring Jewish community that provides life-enhancing resources and experiences. For more information about the Jewish Pavilion or about Central Florida Connects, call the Pavilion at 407-678-9363.
Photo: The Canadian Press The White House is shown soon after President Donald Trump's arrival from a trip to Colorado, Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Washington.

In a surprise announcement that could derail a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is slapping a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.

He said the percentage will gradually increase  up to 25%  "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

The decision showed the administration going to new lengths, and looking for new levers, to pressure Mexico to take action  even if those risk upending other policy priorities, like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal that is the cornerstone of Trump's legislative agenda and seen as beneficial to his reelection effort. It also risks further damaging the already strained relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, two countries whose economics are deeply intertwined.

Trump made the announcement by tweet after telling reporters earlier Thursday that he was planning "a major statement" that would be his "biggest" so far on the border.

"On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP," he wrote. "The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded in a public letter late Thursday, telling Trump that "social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures" and alluded to the United States' history as a nation of immigrants. "The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol," he wrote. He also said he was dispatching his foreign relations secretary to Washington on Friday to try to negotiate a solution.

In his growing fury over an increase in border crossings that he has likened to an "invasion," Trump has blamed Mexico for failing to stop the flow of asylum seekers from countries like El Salvador and Honduras who pass through its territory. And he has been itching to take increasingly radical, headline-grabbing action on the issue, which he sees as critical to his 2020 campaign because it energizes his base.

But the sudden tariff threat comes at a peculiar time, given how hard the administration has been pushing for passage of the USMCA, which would update the North American Free Trade Agreement. It comes less than two weeks after Trump lifted import taxes on Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminum, a move that seemed to clear an obstacle to its passage, and the same day that both Trump and Lopez Obrador began the process of seeking ratification. The deal needs approval from lawmakers in all three countries before it takes effect.

"The tariffs certainly put the USMCA on ice," said Gary Hufbauer, an expert in trade law at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, who panned the move but said Trump does have the legal authority to impose the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by citing a national emergency.

"The drama is legal, but it's preposterous," he said.

Daniel Ujczo, a U.S.-based international trade lawyer, said the threat would likely slow the deal's progress in Mexico and put U.S. lawmakers who want to vote "yes" in a difficult position because companies in their districts will end up paying the tariffs.

Still, Ujczo and others wondered whether Trump  who has a habit of creating problems and then claiming credit when he rushes in to solve them  would go through with the threat.

"This seems more theatre and tactics than a strategy to solve the migration crisis and rebalance North American trade," Ujczo said.

It wouldn't be the first time Trump has punted on an immigration threat. In late March, Trump threatened to shut the entire U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico didn't immediately halt illegal immigration. Just a few days later, he backed off the threat, saying he was pleased with steps Mexico had taken in recent days. It was unclear, however, what Mexico had changed.

Indeed, on a briefing call with reporters Thursday evening, administration officials said Mexico could prevent the tariffs from kicking in by securing their southern border with Guatemala and entering into a "safe third country agreement" that would make it difficult for those who enter Mexico from other countries to claim asylum in the U.S.
JERUSALEM (JTA)-NASA released a photo of what it says is the crash site of Israel's Beresheet lunar lander.

The image taken some 56 miles from the surface of the moon by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on April 22, 11 days after the crash, shows a dark smudge that indicates the point of impact.

A light halo around the smudge could have formed from gas associated with the impact or from fine soil particles blown outward during Beresheet's descent, which smoothed out the soil around the landing site, making it highly reflective, NASA said in a statement.

Closer view of the crash.

The statement also says that NASA knew the coordinates of the landing site due to radio tracking of Beresheet. NASA was able to compare 11 images taken over a decade of the area with three images taken after the crash to determine the site of the crash.

NASA is working to determine if the Laser Retroreflector Array it installed on Beresheet to conduct research after it landed on the surface of the moon survived the impact and is still operational.

The results of an investigation into its crash will be published later this month. A preliminary investigation conducted by SpaceIL, which planned and executed the space shot, determined that a command issued to correct the force and angle at which the craft was landing led to an unpredicted shutdown of its main engine.
(JNS)New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker seems to think that America has been supporting the creation of a Palestinian state pretty much since time immemorial. Hes badly in need of a history lesson.

Booker made his latest comments in an interview with David Axelrod on his podcast, The Axe Files.

Axelrod was former President Barack Obamas chief campaign strategist, and Palestinian statehood was a central plank in Obamas ideology. So its no surprise that Axelrod would ask Booker a question slanted in favor of that goal. But Booker is well-educated on Israel affairs, and as such, should have known better than to give the absurd and false answer that he gave.

This part of the podcast discussion began with Axelrod asking Sen. Booker what he thought of the fact that some young members of the House, of color, have raised concerns about the Palestinians, about Israeli policy toward the Palestinians.

Axelrods wording was an outrageous distortion. The young members of the House to whom he is referring are Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. They are not concerned about Israeli policy. They oppose Israels existence.

Omar has repeatedly made openly anti-Semitic comments, accusing American Jews of being loyal to Israel and paying members of Congress to support Israel. Omar and Tlaib proudly support the BDS movement, whose goal is to destroy Israel.

Tlaib has said again and again that she wants to see Israel eliminated and replaced by a Palestine, which, of course, would have an Arab majority. She calls it the one-state solution. For the Jews, its the no-state solution.

In any event, Sen. Booker tried the maneuver that is standard practice among many liberal critics of Israel these days. He told Axelrod: Some of the harshest critics of Israeli policy right now are Israeli Jews. In other words, those Jews are attacking Israel, so I can, too.

That is a completely disingenuous argument because Israel just had an election, and 90 percent of Israelis voted for parties that oppose creating a Palestinian state. The only parties running that called for a Palestinian state (aside from the Arab candidates) were the left-wing Labor and Meretz parties. They won a combined total of 10 out of 120 seats.

Things went from bad to worse with Axelrod. He then asked Sen. Booker whether or not the opportunity for the two-state solution thats stood for a generation has a future.

Stood for a generation. Thats the kind of deliberately slippery language that advocates of Palestinian statehood use in order to legitimize their demand. In other words, this has always been American policy, so it should still be American policy, and anybody who deviates from it is a dangerous extremist.

But it hasnt stood for a generation. President Dwight D. Eisenhower didnt call for creating a Palestinian state. Neither did presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan or George H.W. Bush. Neither did Bill Clinton nor Jimmy Carter ever publicly call for a Palestinian state while they were president.

The first president to publicly call for a Palestinian state was George W. Bush in 2002, though he conditioned it on the Palestinians electing a new leadership and permanently abandoning terrorism. Needless to say, the Palestinians never met those conditions. The first president to call for creating a Palestinian state without preconditions was Barack Obama.

Sen. Booker answered Axelrods misleading question by saying, I worry about this administration. You hear the presidents comments; he doesnt even seem to understand the history of that commitment to a two-state solution ... 

Clearly, Cory Booker is the one who needs to understand the history. He needs to understand that the idea of unconditionally creating a Palestinian state is a recent invention, and the idea that it is longstanding American policy is a falsehood ginned up by advocates for Palestine.

Sen. Booker also needs to have a look at the map. The two-state solution he has embraced would mean reducing Israel to an absurd width of just nine miles at its midsection. More narrow than Washington, D.C. Rendering an American ally indefensible is not good for America, Israel or the cause of Mideast peace.

Lets hope Booker and his aides read up on this subject a bit more before he speaks about it further. They might be surprised by what they find.

Stephen M. Flatow, an attorney in New Jersey, is the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. He is the author of A Fathers Story: My Fight for Justice Against Iranian Terror.
JERUSALEM (JTA)Recent assertions made by Rep. Rashida Tlaib regarding the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel have no foundation in the historical record.

In this imagined version of history, after the Holocaust, the Jews were awarded a consolation prizethe establishment of Israelat the expense of those already living there.

Asserting that Israels creation was a direct response to the Holocaust overlooks the ancient and ceaseless connection of the Jewish people to Israel, as well as the modern Zionist enterprise that returned an exiled and oppressed people to their ancestral home. It also ignores the existence of a vibrant pre-World War II Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine, whose population was severely circumscribed because of the virulent opposition by local Arabs to the very idea of Jews returning to the Land of Israel.

Throughout Europe following the Nazi rise to power, a great many Zionists were deeply frustrated by the quotas set for aliyah by the British, and they later became victims of the Holocaust, having never had the opportunity to realize their dreams of reaching the Land of Israel. It is impossible to even begin to divine what their contribution could have been to Israel, the Jewish people and to the world.

Tlaibs framing also disregards the British governments prewar proposal to partition Mandatory Palestine, which was designed to reconcile the competing desires of Jews for a Jewish state in their historic homeland and the desire of Arabs for Palestine to be completely Arab. This plan, which never came to fruition, was painfully accepted by the Jewish leadership and categorically rejected by the Arabs. One could argue that had that partition been accepted, it might have set the stage for the earlier establishment of a State of Israel and thus may have actually provided a haven for Jews who were facing the Nazi onslaught. But it was not, and so it didnt.

The false notion that the Palestinians are paying for the Holocaust presumes that the world granted the Jews a state primarily because it felt overriding guilt and sympathy. Serious scholars concur that politics, not morality, motivated support for the Jewish states creationguilt and sympathy at most played a minor role in the establishment of the State of Israel, if at all.

On the international scene, the three most prominent actors in the establishment of the State of Israel were the British, the Soviets and the Americans.

The British, exhausted from their protracted struggle against Hitler and his allies, had no interest in continuing to administer Mandatory Palestine. They had long since diminished their commitment to establishing a Jewish national home, and they felt helpless in coping with the ongoing violence initiated by the Arabs in Palestine.

For his part, Stalin can be accused of many things, but excessive sympathy for Jews and Zionism is not one of them. As the Cold War was taking root, it was his aim to destabilize the Middle East. It was primarily against this background that the emerging Soviet bloc supported Israels creation.

As for President Truman, historians differ over the extent to which sympathy for the Jews indeed motivated him. At best, his attitude toward Jews and Israel over the years was ambivalent. Trumans State Department advisers vociferously opposed the establishment of a Jewish state, and Truman himself at times gave voice to the kind of anti-Jewish rhetoric that was then rather common in America. Generally it is believed that in the 1948 presidential election, Trumans need to win New York state with its large Jewish population played a pivotal role in his swift recognition of Israel. It is plausible that a certain element of sympathy for Holocaust survivors also contributed to his policy shift.

Distortions of the historical record are often found in shallow political discourse, but they should not have a role in sincere efforts to discuss the past and advance peace in a highly complex region like the Middle East. To foster actual and lasting coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians, we must strive first to understand the complexities of the situation, including their roots. Without such an understanding, there is no chance whatsoever of developing innovative strategies that nurture peace.

Dr. Robert Rozett is senior historian in the International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem, and is the author of Conscripted Slaves: Hungarian Jewish Forced Laborers on the Eastern Front (Yad Vashem, 2013).

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
Lately, I have been awestruck, not by the increasing number of anti-Semitic incidences, acts, statements and publications spewing forth from supposedly educated and responsible people in government, academia, the arts, and other respected organizations, but by the ever increasing number of public apologies for the use of anti-Semitic tropes and other hate speech directed toward Jews and Israel.

I am equally astounded by the completely incomprehensible attitude of some Jews and Jewish organizations who rush to accept, forgive and in some cases excuse these anti-Semites for the hate they are peddling, and for apologies that appear very far from sincere.

Most of these anti-Semitic outbursts are not random or the result of uneducated minds, but deceitful, calculated attacks on the Jewish people to alienate the general society from the Jewish community and to attack the existence of the State of Israel.

Saying you are sorry does not cut it; especially when the apology is disseminated to a much smaller audience than the original transgression for which the apology is offered. The anti-Semites objective of spreading hatred of Jews and Israel is not in any way diminished or neutralized by the apology.

Furthermore, the apology and acceptance immunizes the hater for a repeat performance dressing up the hate in another costume and another context.

We have seen this with the recent publication by the respected New York Times which published a political cartoon of a blind President Trump wearing a yarmulke (skull cap worn by orthodox Jews) being led by a dog with a Jewish star dangling from its collar. To emphasize the hate point even more, the dogs face was depicted by a derogatory caricature of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus face.

This is only the last (as of this writing) in a long line of anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist articles and political cartoons published by the paper for which the New York Times has previously retracted or apologized, but which did not stop its continued assault on Jews and Israel.

After much protest and criticism, the The NY times did withdraw the political cartoon and issued a mea culpa apology, but blamed the publication on a low-level editor.

This begs the question: Was it possible that no one in the operational chain from creation of the hateful caricature to ultimate publication objected to the anti-Semitic implication of this political cartoon or did this low-level editor have the final word on its publication? Apparently, there was not a single objection or criticism along the chain of command; and thus, this hateful piece of journalism was able to reach the public unscathed with its anti-Semitic tropes and hateful message.

By attributing the mistake in publication to a low-level editor, the New York Times institutionally absolved itself for any blame or responsibility, thus rendering its apology insincere, false and worthless. Respectable is no longer an adjective to be associated with the New York Times.

In an a Internet post dated Sept. 14, 2014, on PsychologyToday.com titled, The Nine Rules for True Apologies, Dr. Harriett Lerner, a staff psychologist and psychotherapist at the Menninger Clinic for several decades and currently in private practice, explained in part that a true apology does not include shifting blame or responsibility, or focusing on the hurt caused. Most importantly, she opined a true apology must be backed by corrective action and not be repeated.

Make the apology for the anti-Semitic publication or hateful statement, say your sorry and blame it on an institutional mistake; retract it to a smaller audience, play on the misguided good intentions of the Jewish people to forgive. Then continue to spread irrational and false reasons to hate the Jews and Israel. This is the crux of the anti-Semitic methodology of apology.

If you wish to comment or respond you can reach me at melpearlman322@gmail.com. Please do so in a rational, thoughtful, respectful and civil manner.

Mel Pearlman holds B.S. & M.S. degrees in physics as well as a J.D. degree and initially came to Florida in 1966 to work on the Gemini and Apollo space programs. He has practiced law in Central Florida since 1972. He has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando; was a charter board member, first Vice President and pro-bono legal counsel of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida, as well as holding many other community leadership positions.
Dear Editor:

I just read Christine DeSouzas article in the Heritage Jewish News regarding anti-Semitic material being taught in the Orange County Public School System (Orange County School Board made aware of anti-Semitic curriculum, May 10, 2019). Laurie Cardoza-Moore, president, Proclaiming Justice To The Nations, spearheaded a group of concerned citizens in bringing this anti-Semitic material to the attention of the Orange County School Board.

Now we must all follow up with the School Board chair, Theresa Jacobs, and let her know the community is watching this issue closely and will apply pressure until the offensive material is removed from Orange County classrooms.

The School Board may come back and say these are State Standards and they have no control over the content. To the best of our knowledge this is false. The School Board has the authority to unilaterally remove offensive material from distribution regardless of State and CPALM standards.

Teresa Jacobs can be contacted by mail at Orange County School Board, P.O. Box 271, Orlando, FL 32802.

Alan Kornman

Oviedo
NEW YORK (JTA)-The Tony Award nominations announced Tuesday were dominated by "Hadestown," a musical about the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice that garnered 14.

One among the "Hadestown" nods was for best director for Rachel Chavkin, who is Jewish. She also had been nominated in 2017 for directing "Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812."

Sam Mendes is also nominated for best direction of a play for his work on "The Ferryman." He's known for his work on the James Bond films "Skyfall" and "Spectre," and won an Academy Award for directing "American Beauty."

David Yazbek, whose show "The Band's Visit" swept the Tonys last year, was tapped again in the best original score category for "Tootsie," an adaptation of the 1982 film starring Dustin Hoffman.

Also nominated in that category is Adam Guettel, the grandson of famed American Jewish composer Richard Rodgers. Guettel is up for his score for Aaron Sorkin's "To Kill a Mockingbird" adaptation. (Fun fact: Guettel told The New York Times in 2003 that his last name rhymes with "shtetl.") Sorkin, also Jewish, who adapted the famed Harper Lee novel for Broadway and directed the show, was snubbed.

Actress and comedy legend Elaine May received her first Tony nomination-for best leading actress in a play. She stars in Jewish playwright Kenneth Lonergan's "The Waverly Gallery," his semi-autobiographical play about a family dealing with the declining health of its matriarch. May launched her career performing with her father in a Yiddish theater company, and has gone on to a storied career as a comedian, director and screenwriter-notably forming a famous comedy duo with the late Mike Nichols.

Lila Neugebauer, who directed "The Waverly Gallery," was snubbed in the directing category. On why she was drawn to the play, she told The Interval, "I am a Jewish Upper West Sider and a child of a psychotherapist. The people in 'The Waverly Gallery' are a bunch of Jews who live on the Upper West Side or Greenwich Village, and the two parent figures are both psychiatrists."

Actor Brandon Uranowitz garnered his third Tony nomination for best featured actor for his role in the play "Burn This." (The other two were for roles in musicals: "An American in Paris" and "Falsettos.")

Actor Gideon Glick is nominated in the same category for his work in "To Kill a Mockingbird." Glick got his start on Broadway as a senior in high school when he starred in "Spring Awakening."

"This was a probably the most research I've ever done because it's circumstances I'm not accustomed to," Glick told Backstage magazine about his role. "I'm a gay Jew from the East Coast, and all of a sudden I'm playing this Southern dandy from Bayou Blue, Louisiana."

David Korins, the set designer for "Beetlejuice," received his third Tony nomination. His first? For his work on a little show called "Hamilton."

Sound designer Nevin Steinberg, who worked with Korins on "Hamilton," received a nomination with Jessica Paz for their sound design of "Hadestown."

Jules Fisher has been nominated more than 20 times for his work as a lighting designer, and 2019 brings yet another nomination: for his work in "Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus," with co-designer Peggy Eisenhauer.

The awards take place June 9.
On June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty, an unarmed intelligence ship reporting to the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the auspices of the National Security Agency, was ambushed by unmarked jet planes. Rockets and machine gun fire erupted, napalm hit the deck, and a torpedo blew a 40-foot hole in the starboard side of the vessel. Lacking any means of defense, the sailors were powerless. In the end, 34 American sailors and translators lost their lives and another 174 were woundedmany for life.

Israel confessed to the attack but called it an accident and a mistake.

Blood in the Water: How the US and Israel Conspired to Ambush the USS Liberty, by investigative writer Joan Mellen, presents evidence suggesting complicity between U.S. and Israeli intelligence in the attack on Liberty and the more than 50-year-long cover-up.

Using interviews with more than 40 survivors, knowledgeable political insiders and even some CIA officers who refused to be complicit in the cover-up, along with Soviet archives of the period, Mellen details the intensity and horror of the sustained attack and the deliberate targeting of Libertys antennae and satellite dish, undermining any credibility that Israels aggression was not intentional.

Through exhaustive research, Mellen aims to unearth answers to questions that have lingered for more than 50 years: What were the underlying motives for the attack? Was this a false flag operation conducted in the midst of the Six-Day War? Is it conceivable that Israel initiated the operation without a green light from the U.S.?

For the sake of justice, truth and the murdered and surviving sailors, Blood in the Water is a must-read that shares compelling evidence of a horrifying truth.

Joan Mellen is the bestselling author of 24 books, including A Farewell to Justice, her biographical study of Jim Garrisons New Orleans investigation into the Kennedy assassination. She has written for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Baltimore Sun. Mellen was a professor of English and creative writing at Temple University in Philadelphia before retiring in 2018 after 50 years. She lives in Pennington, New Jersey.

Blood in the Water: How the US and Israel Conspired to Ambush the USS Liberty,

publisher: Prometheus Books,

released December 2018

and is available from Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.
Phish performs on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Oct. 10, 2016. The band members are, from left: Page McConnell on keyboard, Trey Anastasio on guitar, Jon Fishman (barely pictured) on drums and Mike Gordon on bass.

(JTA)-Gary Stein remembers the first time someone played a Phish song for him in high school. It was "Divided Sky," an intricate 11-minute tune that shows off the group's diverse jam rock chops.

Stein, who's now a 30-year-old history doctoral student living in Los Angeles, quickly became infatuated with the band, which takes cues from the Grateful Dead and a host of other genres, from prog rock to bluegrass.

Unfortunately for Stein, that was right around the second time that Phish broke up, in 2004. But the group reunited in 2009, and Stein was more than ready to see them live. He traveled from New York to see three consecutive reunion shows in Hampton, Virginia, and over the proceeding couple of years he estimates he saw them play over 60 times. Since 2009, in total, Stein has been to over 100 Phish concerts.

Stein was brought up Orthodox, and he still keeps a kosher home, observes most Jewish holidays and has a Shabbat dinner on Friday nights. But he describes the live experience of a Phish concert as equally transcendent, if not more so, than any religious experience he's ever had.

"There are many of those moments during a show when you just close your eyes and you just feel like you're where you're supposed to be with the people you're supposed to be with, and I think that music takes you to that place," Stein said. "Phish is basically my religion more than anything else."

Stein is far from alone.

Phish, which formed at the University of Vermont in 1983, has cultivated one of the most dedicated rock fan bases in the world, thanks in part to their virtuosic live improvisation-like the Grateful Dead, Phish is known for their extensive instrumental jams and never playing the same show twice. There's a grassroots "Phishhead" subculture that revels in bootleg concert recordings (the band encourages fans to record their shows), show set lists and band merchandise. Many fans regularly follow the band across parts of the country, essentially "touring" with them, seeing several of their shows in a row.

It's also widely known-at least within the Jewish community - that Jews are very overrepresented among the faithful.

So over the weekend, at the inaugural academic conference on Phish culture, which took place at Oregon State University, there was a panel dedicated to Jews and Phish. The full title-"People of the (Helping Friendly) Book: Jews, Judaism and Phish"-alludes to the Helping Friendly Book, which appears in the story of Gamehendge, the fictional setting of many Phish songs. Gamehendge is inhabited by a race of people called Lizards and doubles as a nice encapsulation of the wacky humor present throughout the band's catalog.

One of the scholars who probed the connections between Jews and Phish on Sunday was Oren Kroll-Zeldin, an assistant professor of Jewish studies and other subjects at the University of San Francisco. He lays out a series of factors that brought the two worlds together over time. The first tangible cultural nexus was hippieish summer camps that were permeated by Phish and its music through the late 1980s and '90s. Kroll-Zeldin notes that a large percentage of American Jews have formative experiences at Jewish summer camps, from which Jewish social networks-they are more tightly knit than many realize-disseminate a specific culture.

Then there are the liberal arts colleges and universities in the Northeast where Phish also thrived at that time-and where Jews are also represented in disproportionate numbers.

But more generally, Kroll-Zeldin points to the broader disillusionment with mainstream Jewish institutions that young Jews began showing in the '80s and '90s-citing multiple Pew Center surveys on Jewish culture.

"I think the key finding of my research is that Phish is one of many vehicles through which Jewish fans connect on a meaningful level with their cultural Jewish identity," Kroll-Zeldin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "Phish provides an alternative venue to build Jewish community and Phish shows become a site where fans can have meaningful Jewish experiences outside the confines of traditional Jewish life."

Phish fandom-and for many, the specific experience of attending Phish concerts-filled a spiritual void that began to open up in that younger Jewish generation. That was certainly the case for Aimee Weiss, a 33-year-old who works for a private grantmaking organization in New York City. Like many of her peers, she first heard Phish at Jewish summer camp. She doesn't know exactly how many Phish shows she has seen, but guesses "under three figures."

"For a time (pre-my Phish days), more traditional Jewish infrastructure and practices brought me safety, meditation, mental healing, etc. My relationship with Judaism has changed of late," she said in an email. "In the absence of deeply meaningful and more traditional Jewish spaces, I sought to fill the spiritual vacuum. When the setting and your headspace are just right, a show fulfills what I used to go to shul for."

Rabbi Josh Ladon, the West Coast education director for the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, who was part of the conference panel with Kroll-Zeldin, conducted a study of Jewish clergy who say Phish has influenced their sense of Jewish spirituality or community. Among the 340 responses, many pointed to Phish's live improvisation in addressing the spiritual quality of their concerts. Improvisation takes agency and creativity, Ladon said-concepts that respondents brought back to their Jewish religious lives.

"They're projecting and saying this improv is really important to my spiritual life because it requires me when I'm listening to be mindful ... it requires me to take seriously the possibility of things not working out the way they were intended," Ladon said. "There is something about when you go to a Phish show, many people know what's going on, and people [in the survey] write about that feeling of wanting to have their synagogue community to understand what's going on [during a service]."

Phish has even helped Jews feel and become more Jewish, as documented in articles Ladon came across in his research and his own study. The most well-known example is the reggae rapper Matisyahu, who went through an intense Phish phase before becoming Orthodox, seeing around 50 of their concerts. Ladon said some of his respondents said they became Modern Orthodox rabbis in at least some small part because of Phish's influence on their spirituality. One even became haredi.

Two members of the band-bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman, whose surname inspired the band name-are Jewish. In a possible nod to their Jewish fan base, the band is known for playing live versions of "Avinu Malkeinu" and "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUw4TY9H4-g

For Ladon, Jewish Phish fandom is an important manifestation and representation of modern Jewish American life-and it's not the only place that Jewish scholars should be looking to in order to explore contemporary Judaism. He points to the huge Kabbalat Shabbat held at the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada, for example.

"Jews in America are living their lives as part of a broader culture, and so to understand deep notions of Jewish spirituality," he said, "you have to look at not just sources constructed by Jews who are rabbis and inside the Jewish world, but also see how the spiritual experiences of broader modern American culture can influence it."
Seniors at The Mayflower in Winter Park were treated to a very special program of Israeli folk and Jewish music that focused on themes related to the founding and history of the Jewish state. Paul Stenzler, a Jewish Pavilion board member and past president, and Terri Fine Stenzler lead a monthly Shabbat morning service at the facility, and they designed the program after a recent discussion with their regular Shabbat attendees.

They were saying it would be nice to have programming for both Jews and non-Jews, said Terri. Paul proposed a musical program, and after some thought they realized that Israel Independence Day would be a perfect fit.

Paul, a veteran guitarist and performer, had performed many Israeli songs in the past and was very familiar with them. Terri prepared a short talk about the birth of Israel to introduce the program, and she introduced each of the songs with an explanation and encouraged audience participation and clapping along. We emphasized right from the beginning that this was not a religious event and we encouraged all faiths to come, said Paul.

The result was a program that was uplifting, entertaining and educational all at once, and the interfaith audience responded with great enthusiasm. They loved it! said Paul. We got so much good feedback afterwards from the residents. Theyre really interested in learning and listening.

Terri opened the program with a summary of the events of Friday, May 18, 1948the day Israel declared its independence and the new Jewish state was bornand explained the significance for both Jews and non-Jews. She also described the Israel Declaration of Independences seven claims to entitlement to a state upon which the document is based. Then she introduced the first song.

The songs we sang, if you went to summer camp you would have learned them, said Terri. They opened with HaFinjon, a well-known song about a ceremonial coffee pot that Jewish pioneers who hoped to found a Jewish state in Israel sang around campfires after a day of work. As Terri explained, the song uses the symbol of the shared coffee to express the rekindling of hope and strength by the new Israeli settlers.

Residents sang along to many of the most familiar songs, such as Hevenu Shalom Aleichem and Yerushalayim Shel Zahav. Paul also led a traditional hora, which Terri explained played a foundational role in modern Israeli folk dancing that became a symbol of the reconstruction of the country.

Meanwhile, Jewish Pavilion program director Susan Bernstein had to keep adding chairs to accommodate residents who dropped in to the already crowded room as the program commenced. It was a wonderful program that everyone thoroughly enjoyed, said Bernstein. I really appreciate the effort that Paul and Terri put into preparing and presenting this program, and it was clearly a labor of love.

With such an enthusiastic reception to their program, the couple is making arrangements to do a version of the program again this summer at Cascade Heights in Longwood. As with their regular Shabbat program, the Stenzlers found it to be an enriching experience.

It was very spiritually uplifting for both Terri and mebut it always is when we go there. Its like a family, said Paul. And its so special when we can do it together. Its just a wonderful experience for both of us.
BOSTON (JTA)A fire outside the suburban Boston home of a rabbi that serves as a Chabad center is being investigated as a possible hate crime.

Police in Arlington, Massachusetts, have asked for the publics help in identifying a person caught on a neighbors video camera walking away from the home Saturday night around the time of the fire.

Firefighters put out the small fire that burned the shingles off one side of the Center for Jewish Life in Arlington-Belmont, home to Rabbi Avi Bukiet, his wife and their three children.

Police and town officials have no evidence yet that the location or its Jewish homeowners were targeted because of their religion, but are leaving open and actively investigating the possibility of a hate crime, according to a statement from Julie Flaherty, the towns acting chief of police, and Christine Bongiorno, director of the Health and Human Services Department.

Police have added extra patrols to the home and the area.

Arlington, which is less than 10 miles northwest of Boston, has seen a number of anti-Semitic and racist incidents in recent years, including a widely reported incident one year ago in which 14 juveniles admitted to painting anti-Semitic and homophobic graffiti and vandalism at the public high school.

Rabbi Bukiet agrees that the police should not yet sound the alarm that this is a hate crime, but expressed his concern that he and his family were targeted.

In my heart of hearts, it feels that this was something that was perpetrated because we are the Center for Jewish Life, Bukiet told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. But I cant say yet for certain and will wait for the town to complete its investigation.

The center, the towns only synagogue, holds regular Shabbat services and has a childrens school, according to Bukiet, who said they are continuing their activities but with added security, including plainclothes police.

Bukiet has been heartened by the tremendous outpouring of support from townspeople, religious leaders of all faiths and from Bostons Jewish community leaders.

We are not stopping, we are not slowing down, Bukiet said. We have to show we are here and united and we not going anywhere, he said.

Fire and police personnel had responded to an automatic fire alarm at his center. After smelling smoke and hearing the alarm, the Bukiet family left the house and waited for the Fire Department in the familys car, according to the towns official website.
Photo: The Canadian Press Joint Task Force Sulu, Philippine secure an area where they encountered Abu Sayyaf bandits as pursuit operations continue in Patikul, Sulu province, southern Philippines, Friday, May 31, 2019.

A long-held Dutch hostage was fatally shot by his militant captors Friday when he tried to escape during a gunbattle in the jungles of the southern Philippines, military officials said.

Ewold Horn was killed when he made a dash to freedom during a fierce firefight between the Abu Sayyaf militants and army troops in Sulu province's mountainous Patikul town, military commander Brig. Gen. Divino Pabayo Jr. said.

At least six militants were killed and 12 others were wounded in the nearly two-hour firefight, in which eight soldiers were also wounded, the military said. Among those killed was the wife of Abu Sayyaf commander Radulan Sahiron, a militant long wanted by the United States and the Philippines for banditry and assaults.

Pabayo condemned Horn's killing and the militants' "utter disregard for human rights."

Government forces "tried our very best to safely rescue him from his captors" and suffered injuries themselves, Pabayo said.

Horn's body was recovered by government forces near a river about 100 metres (330 feet) from the scene of the battle, military officials said. Troops stumbled on the militants while hunting Abu Sayyaf fighters who carried out an attack that killed two children and wounded seven other villagers in a Patikul village about a week ago.

Horn and a Swiss tourist, Lorenzo Vinciguerra, along with Filipino guide Ivan Sarenas were kidnapped by gunmen during a birdwatching trip in the southernmost province of Tawi Tawi, near Sulu, in 2012. Sarenas escaped by jumping into the sea while they were being taken by motorboat to Jolo shortly after they were abducted.

Vinciguerra escaped two years later when he hacked a rebel commander and then was shot and wounded by another militant as he fled in a dramatic escape as government forces were firing artillery rounds toward the militants in Patikul.

Vinciguerra said he asked Horn to join his escape. "I talked to him and asked him to join me, but he refused," Vinciguerra said in December 2014.

Although the militants have demanded huge ransoms for hostages in the past, Sahiron kept Horn close by him for years in the hope that military aircraft would not drop bombs on his camps and risk endangering the life of a European hostage, a military official who has helped monitor the militants for years told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak about military matters publicly.

Sahiron's emissaries had recently expressed a willingness to hold talks about Horn's fate but demanded that all government forces withdraw from Patikul town before any negotiations, a demand that Philippine authorities could not grant because of the security implications, the official said, without elaborating.

The Abu Sayyaf, an offshoot of the decades-long Muslim separatist insurgency in the south, has been blacklisted by Washington and Manila as a terrorist organization for involvement in kidnappings, beheadings and deadly bombings.

The group was founded in the early 1990s on Basilan island, near Jolo. An unwieldy collective of Islamic preachers and outlaws, it vowed to wage jihad, or holy war, in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, but lost its key leaders early in combat, sending it on a violent path of extremism and criminality.

About 320 armed Abu Sayyaf fighters remain in the south, some of them aligned with the Islamic State group, Sulu military spokesman Lt. Col. Gerard Monfort said.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman (center) next to Pastor Mario Bramnick (bottom left), president of Latino Coalition for Israel, at the Aish Hatorah World Center in Jerusalem on May 15, 2019.

(JNS)-U.S. Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman fired back at The New York Times on Wednesday over an article castigating him for claiming that Israel was "on the side of God" while speaking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the upcoming U.S. peace proposal.

Speaking to a group of evangelical faith leaders at the Aish Hatorah World Center, overlooking the Western Wall plaza and the Temple Mount, Friedman said that, "apparently, there was nothing more offensive I could have said to The New York Times."

The event, organized by the Latin Coalition for Israel, led by Pastor Mario Bramnick, was also attended by First Lady of Guatemala Patricia Marroquin, Guatemalan Ambassador to Israel Mario Bucaro Flores and former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon.

The Times called Friedman's comments "the latest sign of an anything but evenhanded approach to the conflict by the Trump administration," and noted that Palestinians were "slack-jawed" at Friedman's remarks. The article claimed that the "Palestinians [were] complaining that Mr. Friedman was representing the interests of Israel's right-wing government more than those of the United States."

The article quoted critics of Friedman's statements, including former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer, and Palestinian negotiators Saeb Erakat and Hanan Ashwari, the latter of whom was recently denied an entry visa to the United States.

Friedman defended his remarks, saying that "billions of people around the world accept the Old Testament as part of their faith." He explained that the Old Testament chronicles the Jewish people's initial arrival and subsequent exiles from the land of Israel.

"Most of the prophecies are about the return of the nation of Israel to their land. And it is happening in our lifetime," Friedman said, adding that "just being in this room is evidence that the prophecy of Ezekiel and others have come true."

"So where am I off in saying that God is on the side of Israel?" Friedman asked. "The fact that God has fulfilled his prophecies and delivered the people of Israel to their land is demonstrably true."

Following the lead of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has continuously criticized mainstream media outlets, and Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer, who recently called the Times a "cesspool of hostility" to Israel, Friedman fired back sharply at the paper, stating, "If anyone speaks to the editors of the Times, they should tell the Times to spend a little less time to defending terrorists and spend a little more time defending the truth."
(JTA)-In December 1992, about nine months before the first Palestinian-Israeli peace accords were signed on the White House lawn, Hanan Ashrawi met with President George H.W. Bush in the Oval Office.

Now, 26 years later, she can't even enter the United States.

Ashrawi, a longtime Palestinian spokeswoman and a current member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, tweeted Monday that her application for a U.S. visa was rejected.

"It is official! My U.S. visa application has been rejected," she wrote. "No reason given. Choose any of the following: I'm over 70 & a grandmother; I've been an activist for Palestine since the late 1960's; I've always been an ardent supporter of nonviolent resistance."

Ashrawi is the most recent and most prominent of at least three Palestinian activists to be barred from entering the United States this year. In February, activist Osama Iliwat was denied entry at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York and sent home. In April, Omar Barghouti, the co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting Israel, was not allowed to board a flight to the United States at the direction of the U.S. government.

Iliwat and Barghouti held valid U.S. visas. In March, Iliwat was told he was being deported due to a desire to immigrate to the U.S., which he calls spurious. Like Ashrawi, both Barghouti and Iliwat said they do not know why they were denied entry. Iliwat told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Customs and Border Protection officials questioned him over the course of eight hours about his activism before canceling his visa.

Barghouti said he was denied entry due to his advocacy of an Israel boycott, and blamed Israel for motivating the Trump administration to ban him from speaking to American audiences. He also was traveling to attend his daughter's wedding.

"[T]his ban seems to be an ideologically and politically motivated measure that fits in with Israel's escalating repression against human rights defenders," Barghouti wrote in a column in The Guardian. "With this denial of entry, Israel appears to have once again enlisted the Trump administration to do its bidding, this time to repress Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights defenders."

Ashrawi said that after a lengthy bureaucratic process through the U.S. Embassy in Amman, where she applied for her visa, she was informed that her application was declined. She said that the embassy conveyed that the decision came from Washington, not the local consular staff. She is still awaiting a written notice of the rejection.

"They said Washington has decided," she said. "They didn't say the consular office in Amman has decided. I don't think it's a bureaucratic mixup at all. I'm convinced it's purely political."

The State Department told JTA that it evaluates visa requests on a case-by-case basis and visas are denied based on U.S. law. Customs and Border Protection does not comment on individual denials of entry.

But former officials and experts said that the string of denials suggests there may be a de facto ban on Palestinian activists, especially as President Donald Trump's team prepares to publish its plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Experts stressed, however, that they do not know concretely of any change in policy.

"The Trump administration has not announced any change in U.S. policy when it comes to entry of Palestinians to the United States," said Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace and a former U.S. foreign service officer in Jerusalem. "One [denial] could be just a random happenstance, two could be a coincidence. Three, it's reasonable to ask whether or not there hasn't been a de facto shift in U.S. policy that is denying visas to Palestinians to come to the U.S. based on their political views, which would be deeply troubling."

Visa denials are up across the board since Trump took office, said Greg Siskind, an immigration lawyer, and are particularly high for people from Arab and Muslim countries. But he said U.S. officials have broad latitude in deciding who to admit to the country.

"There may be policies that are going on, but there may be things that are not specific to any one nationality," he said. "It may very well be that they have been individually targeted.

Siskind said individual examiners have a great deal of discretion and there is no appeals process.

"It could just be fluky," he said, "if there's one examiner who knew who she was and they're going to create problems with her."

But Friedman said that in her experience, an everyday bureaucratic mix-up would be less likely for someone like Ashrawi.

"Someone with the stature of Hanan Ashrawi doesn't just go through the regular diplomatic process," she said. "It gets noted. She's had a visa for years. She travels here often, and over a long period of time. To not give her a visa this time is a significant change."

If the activists are being barred due to their ideology, it wouldn't be the first time that has happened in the United States, according to a report by the American Civil Liberties Union. The report says the country has sought to prevent speakers from entering based on their ideology since at least the Cold War. Previous activists who were barred from entering include Pierre Trudeau, who later became Canada's prime minister, and Mahmoud Darwish, the Palestinian poet.

"The thing all these people have in common is their activism on behalf of freedom for Palestinian people," said Diala Shamas, a staff attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights, a legal advocacy group that advocates for Palestinian causes. "It's troubling to see that we are in a place where the U.S. administration is choosing to revoke them from coming to the U.S. to speak, to advocate, to meet with Americans."

Ashrawi's denial is a bad move in light of the impending peace plan, said Daniel Shapiro, the U.S. ambassador to Israel under President Barack Obama. The Palestinian Authority stopped working with the administration following Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Shapiro said the U.S. should be seeking opportunities to hear from Palestinians.

"The administration says it wants to mediate the conflict, but in order to do that it needs to have a dialogue with both sides," Shapiro told JTA, referring specifically to Ashrawi's case. "You would think they'd be looking for ways to facilitate communication with Palestinians rather than closing them off."

Liberal American Jewish leaders also have protested the actions.

T'ruah, a liberal rabbinic human rights group, said barring Palestinians "only fosters hopelessness and extremism." Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, tweeted about Ashrawi that "We don't need to agree with her (I often don't) to recognize the value of hearing from her."

If U.S. policy has changed, some suggest, it would be in line with an effort by the Trump administration to ratchet up pressure on the Palestinians ahead of the expected release of the peace plan-especially because the Palestinians refuse to engage.

Trump has closed the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C., as well as the Jerusalem consulate that served as the de facto U.S. diplomatic mission to Palestinians. It has cut $10 million of foreign aid that was supporting coexistence programs between Israelis and Palestinians; frozen $25 million in funding to Palestinian hospitals in eastern Jerusalem; halted all funding to the United Nations refugee agency that aids Palestinians; and slashed more than $200 million for humanitarian and development assistance in the West Bank and Gaza.

"There is a certain degree of personal vindictiveness probably because there's an attempt at discrediting the [Palestinian] leadership and increasing the pressure," Ashrawi said. "It's part of a punitive mentality that's ongoing, and I really think it's not very mature."

Rabbi Jonathan Greenberg, a senior fellow at the Haym Salomon Center think tank, believes the U.S. was right to deny Ashrawi's visa because of the Palestinian Authority's record. He tweeted that the Palestinian Authority is "incentivizing and rewarding terrorism, sanctioning public Jew-hatred, and not holding elections."

"The visa denial to Hanan Ashrawi is totally appropriate and should've been policy in every Western capital for every PLO leader since the Second Intifada," he tweeted. "Otherwise they enjoy the perks of recognition with none of the costs."

But even members of the Trump administration have called on Ashrawi to visit the U.S. Jason Greenblatt, the president's special representative for international negotiations, tweeted in February that Ashrawi is welcome at the White House.

"Dr. Ashrawi- my door is always open to the PA & Palestinians to speak," Greenblatt tweeted. "In fact, I've met many Palestinians over the past 14 months & continue to. I'm happy to meet anytime- you, Saeb & all your colleagues are ALWAYS welcome to visit me at the @WhiteHouse to speak in person."

Greenblatt, however, has no authority over visa applications.
A program run by Nefesh B'Nefesh assists young women who immigrate to Israel without their families and sign up for national service.

JERUSALEM-Miriam Serkez, 20, a medic in this capital city with the Israeli emergency medical service Magen David Adom, immigrated recently from New Jersey.

Serkez's job is part of her national service in Israel-an alternative to military service for religious women. She wasn't forced to do this work. As a recent immigrant who came to Israel on her own, Serkez could have avoided serving.

"It's hard for some of my friends to understand what I'm doing," Serkez said. "National service is not a concept in America. There you finish high school and go into college. There's no giving back."

As a volunteer medic, Serkez works eight-hour shifts, sometimes starting as early as 6 a.m.

"We get sent to anything and everything, usually car accidents," Serkez said. "A few months ago there was a terrorist attack on Har Habayit"-the Temple Mount. "This morning I did CPR on someone."

One morning prior to her shift, Serkez treated a severely injured accident victim right in front of her own apartment building, running outside in her pajamas and stabilizing the bleeding woman until an ambulance arrived.

To become a medic, Serkez enrolled in a 230-hour course taught by Magen David Adom. The fact that it was all in Hebrew was a big challenge.

"I almost dropped out. Every night I had to stay up translating everything," Serkez recalled.

For young women who make aliyah, or immigrate to Israel, on their own, the experience can be fraught with loneliness, financial pressure and bureaucratic difficulties.

"These girls need someone to be there for them, both on a personal level to help them with their day-to-day lives, and also on a bigger level to advocate for them," said Na'ama Degani-Rabin, who coordinates a program meant to ease the transition into their new lives.

Called Ori, the program serves some 150 women aged 18-21. Approximately half are from North America, and the remainder are from France, Australia, Italy, South Africa and a few other places. Most are religious.

Launched in September and still in its pilot phase, the program is run by Nefesh B'Nefesh, which assists North American Jews with aliyah and absorption in Israel in partnership with Israel's Ministry for Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth Le'Israel and the Jewish National Fund-USA. Ori is modeled on Nefesh B'Nefesh's services for lone soldiers.

As lone "b'not sherut"-the Hebrew term for young women who do national service-the young women get some extra assistance, such as a slightly larger housing stipend, some financial aid and 15 extra days off, which many of the women use to visit their parents overseas for the High Holidays. In addition, Ori sets up the women with adoptive families in Israel, organizes social events, helps them navigate Israel's government bureaucracy and runs workshops on subjects like how to manage a budget.

"In Hebrew, 'Ori' means 'my light' and these girls bring a lot of light to Israel," Degani-Rabin said. "Also, earlier this year, Ori Ansbacher" -a 19-year-old religious Israeli woman doing her year of National Service-"was murdered near Jerusalem. She talked about spreading the light of goodness in the world, so we named the program in tribute to her."

Jodi Fishbein, 19, made aliyah in December 2017 from Livingston, New Jersey. For now, she shares an apartment with another American, a Belgian and five native Israelis.

Thanks to her superb English speaking and writing skills, Fishbein landed a National Service position at the Foreign Ministry, where she has a ghostwriting job in the director general's office dealing with countries with whom Israel doesn't have formal diplomatic ties.

She describes the job as a lifelong dream.

"I grew up in a very Zionist house, where everyone was pushing a very Zionist agenda. But it was conceptual, not practical," said Fishbein, one of four siblings. "I'm interested in advocating on behalf of Israel. As a religious Jewish woman, I wouldn't have the opportunity to do that in America, at least not at the government level."

Michal Engel, 20, a native of New York's suburban Long Island, went to Israel nearly two years ago to attend a religious seminary in Jerusalem's Old City. When her gap year ended, she decided to stay for good and officially made aliyah. For her national service, she landed an assistant teaching job at an elementary school in this city's Talpiot neighborhood.

Engel said some religious Jewish women like her are reluctant to do military service.

"In the army, you don't get put where you really want to be put," she said. "These girls want to express themselves in a different way and use their skills in order to serve their country."

Unlike many of the lone b'not sherut, Engel has no family in Israel-not even distant cousins. But she has no complaints about the situation.

"My job is beyond amazing," she said. "Every day I come, I'm happier. Working in a school with these kids gives me the love and support that I lack without my family here."

This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with Nefesh B'Nefesh, which in cooperation with Israel's Ministry of Aliyah, The Jewish Agency, KKL and JNF-USA is minimizing the professional, logistical and social obstacles of aliyah, and has brought over 50,000 olim from North America and the United Kingdom over the last 15 years. This article was produced by JTA's native content team.
(JNS)A guest lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles, last week labeled Zionists as white supremacists, reported Jewish Journal on Tuesday.

A Jewish student in the class, Shayna Lavi, recalled to the Journal that San Francisco State University Arab and Muslim ethnicities professor Rabab Abdulhadi, told the some 100 students in the mandatory anthropology lecture on May 14 that U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was attacked by AIPAC and all these pro-Israel organization because [Omar is] Muslim, and that America and Israel have shared values of killing people, colonialism and white supremacy.

Abdulhadi has an extensive anti-Israel history that includes calling the presence of pro-Israel students on campus a declaration of war against Arabs and Muslims.

Lavi told Abdulhadi that she was personally offended that the professor categorized pro-Israel students, Zionists and Jewish students as white supremacists.

Thank you. Thats your opinion but youre wrong, responded Abdulhadi. I stand with Jews who do not support Israel and I hope that Jews will disalign themselves with white supremacy.

Associate Professor Kyeyoung Park dismissed a crying Lavi and instructed her to come to her office hours following the lecture without giving a formal apology.

Viktorya Saroyan, another student, told the Journal that she was furious that Abdulhadi caused Lavi to cry. In response, Saroyan sent an email to Vice Chancellor for Equity, Inclusion and Law Jerry Kang about what happened. It was forwarded to the Discrimination Prevention Office, to which Lavi also forwarded a complaint on May 16.

I am someone who is not a part of the Jewish community; regardless I wish to speak up, Saroyan wrote in the May 14 email. This was hate speech, there is no other way of classifying it. Watching an educator belittle a student to tears with such blatant ignorance leaves me to question the values UCLA wishes to uphold.

[Abdulhadi] can say whatever she wants, but she shouldnt be in the classroom, Lavi told the Journal. The keynote speaker for [Students for Justice in Palestine] shouldnt be a mandatory speaker for all students.

An offensive point of view

Ricardo Vazquez, associate director of media relations at UCLA, told the Journal that several students expressed concern that Abdulhadis lesson went beyond legitimate criticism of the State of Israel [and] into anti-Semitism. The University is committed to academic freedom, as well as building an inclusive learning environment without discrimination and harassment. Senior leadership are aware of the concerns and are working together to learn more and to find a satisfying resolution. In accordance with university procedure, allegations of discrimination or harassment have been conveyed to the Discrimination Prevention Office.

The Anti-Defamation League, StandWithUs and the Simon Wiesenthal Center condemned the incident to the Journal.

Students should be exposed to a wide range of ideas, but if the guest lecturer equated Zionism with white supremacist ideology, as is alleged, that is not just an offensive point of view, said ADL Los Angeles regional director Amanda Susskind. It is indefensible, ignorant and revisionist.

SWC associate dean and director of global social action agenda Rabbi Abraham Cooper said the lesson was another example of propaganda thinly disguised as academic/intellectual discourse, and that Abdulhadi had no interest in engaging a student who dared to respectfully challenge her rabid anti-Semitism.

This professor is notorious for spreading hate about Israel and the Jewish people, and for whitewashing anti-Semitic rhetoric as merely criticism of Israel or anti-Zionism,  said SWU executive director of research and strategy Max Samarov. We are proud of the students who had the courage to speak out and support their efforts to educate the class about anti-Semitism.
(JNS)The United States and Israel on Wednesday called for UNRWA, the U.N. agency that oversees the Palestinian refugees, to cease operations.

We need an additional $1.2 billion for our activities in 2019. We dont believe the future of Palestine refugees should be framed in decades of UNRWA, said Pierre Krahenbuhl, the UNRWA representative, at a U.N. Security Council special discussion about the agency. They deserve a better political future. Until then, we will continue to operate.

UNRWA has been empowering the refugee problem for years, instead of trying to solve it while adopting a unilateral political position, responded Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon. The organizations schools have been transformed into terror and incitement infrastructures, with textbooks distributed on the ground denying Israels existence, and underground tunnels dug by Hamas.

One UNRWA textbook offers a revisionist history of Israel as part of its goal to incite violence against Israelis.

Since the Zionist movement established in 1856 its first settlement, known as Montefioriyyah [Mishkenot Shaananim, built by Sir Moses Montefiore before the emergence of modern Zionism], south-west of the Jerusalem city wall, the series of division [actions] in Palestine has not stopped, according to an UNRWA-funded social-studies book for ninth-graders.

It [i.e., the Zionist movement] established settlements that included training centers and arms depots. After the Catastrophe [Nakba in Arabic] of 1948 it ruled over more than 78% of Palestines territory, continues the text. More than 850 thousand Palestinians were made to emigrate and they and their families lived in refugee camps in Palestine and in the Diaspora. Nothing of it [Palestine] was left, except the Gaza Strip and the West Bank that were occupied [later] in 1967.

Palestine has never been a state.

UNRWA failed to rehabilitate the Gaza Strip and succeeded only in inciting violence against the State of Israel. UNRWAs mandate must come to an end, added Danon.

Danon then said to Krahenbuhl, UNRWA, like any organization, must have clear goals. What are those goals? How long will it take to reach them? And how much will it cost?

Danon demanded that council members receive the representatives answers within six months.

It is time to face the reality that the UNRWA model has failed, said U.S. special envoy for Mideast peace negotiations Jason Greenblatt. Year after year, budget shortfalls threatened essential services to Palestinian mothers and children. And year after year, Palestinians in refugee camps were not given the opportunity to build any future; they were misled and used as political pawns. We need to start a conversation about planning the transition of UNRWA services to host governments and international or local non-governmental organizations.

UNRWA was established by the U.N. General Assembly in 1949 to assist Arabs who became refugees during Israels War of Independence the previous year.

The United States cut its funding to UNRWA in September.
The Sackler name is on a number of institutions, including this wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

NEW YORK (JTA)-In the 1930s, Mortimer and Raymond Sackler both traveled to Scotland for medical school because, they said, American universities wouldn't admit them as Jews.

Eighty years later, academic and cultural institutions the world over are deciding whether to reject the Sackler brothers' children-not because of their religion but because of their actions.

Mortimer and Raymond Sackler are the late patriarchs of a family under fire now for its central role in the opioid addiction crisis, which has led to hundreds of thousands of American deaths. The brothers' giant pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, is the manufacturer of OxyContin, one of the leading opioids on the market.

Mortimer died in 2010 and Raymond in 2017. Now their widows, along with five of their children and one grandchild, are being sued by three states for allegedly committing a range of fraudulent and deceptive practices in the marketing of OxyContin. Purdue reached a $270 million settlement with the state of Oklahoma in March.

Before becoming notorious for painkillers, the Sacklers were noted for their philanthropy. So a range of museums and schools are grappling with what to do with the wings, schools and chairs named for them. A couple of Jewish institutions, including Tel Aviv University, face that dilemma as well.

(A third Sackler brother, Arthur, died in 1987, when his brothers bought out his shares-nine years before OxyContin was introduced in 1996. Arthur's family, which has also given philanthropically, has distanced itself from OxyContin.)

The Sackler brothers were born to Jewish immigrants from Poland and Ukraine.

Arthur Sackler, the oldest, was born in 1913 to Jewish immigrant grocers in Brooklyn. Mortimer and Raymond were born, respectively, in 1916 and 1920. The brothers became psychiatrists: Arthur earned his degree at New York University, the others attended medical school in Scotland.

Arthur lived in Manhattan, Mortimer in London and Switzerland, and Raymond in Greenwich, Connecticut.

They turned a small pharmaceutical company into an empire.

In 1952, the brothers bought Purdue-Frederick, a small New York City drug company, which later became Purdue Pharma. At the time it produced laxatives.

But everything changed in 1996 when the company began to market OxyContin, a prescription painkiller. The drug was marketed as safer than alternatives because of its so-called controlled release, which gradually released the drug into the patient's bloodstream rather than doing so all at once.

According to a 2017 feature on the family in the New Yorker, the Food and Drug Administration said the drug was less prone to addiction than alternatives because of the controlled release. That was despite Purdue declining to do any clinical studies on the drug's addictiveness, according to the New Yorker.

OxyContin was prescribed broadly for a wide spectrum of pain, and has made the Sacklers America's 19th richest family with a combined net worth of $13 billion, according to Forbes. As recently as last year, eight Sacklers sat on Purdue's board.

But recently, as the human toll of the addiction crisis has become evident-in large part, investigators complain, because the dangers of addiction to OxyContin were downplayed or kept hidden-the Sackler name has become synonymous with controversy. Now the number of Sacklers on the board is zero, and they are being sued for aggressively and deceptively marketing an addictive drug.

Lawsuits in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut charge that the Sacklers dispatched an army of marketers to portray OxyContin as a safe pain treatment despite knowing of its addictive potential.

"The basis for this reduced abuse liability claim was entirely theoretical and not based on any actual research, data, or empirical scientific support, and the FDA ultimately pulled this language from OxyContin's label in 2001," states the complaint from New York state filed in March. "Nonetheless... Purdue made reduced risk of addiction and abuse the cornerstone of its marketing efforts."

The litigation, as well as reporting on the issue, has shown that Richard Sackler, Purdue's former president, sought to shift blame to addicts for the growing addiction crisis. In an email sent in 2001, he wrote that "we have to hammer on the abusers in every way possible. They are the culprits and the problem. They are reckless criminals."

The New Yorker, as well as other detailed articles on Purdue and the addiction crisis, has found evidence that the company engaged in a variety of misleading practices. Purdue allegedly misled doctors about the drug's addictive potential and recommended dosage, encouraging doctors to prescribe OxyContin when it was not needed.

"He told the company we are going to measure our performance by prescription strength, giving higher measures to higher strength," said Barry Meier, author of the book "Pain Killer," regarding Richard Sackler, on The New York Times podcast The Daily. "This was a family that... was not only counting every pill that was being sold but making sure that every pill that was sold was the highest strength of that pill because it would bring in the highest amount of dollars."

In addition to Richard Sackler, the suits name his father Raymond's widow, Beverley, his brother Jonathan and son David, who all served on the board. The suits also name Mortimer Sackler's widow, Theresa, his daughters Kathe and Ilene, and his son Mortimer David Alfons Sackler. Those three children served on Purdue's board.

And some beneficiaries are rejecting their donations.

The Sackler family has used its wealth to fund education, research and the arts. Family members have donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Tate Modern in London and the Louvre in Paris. They have funded institutes at Columbia and Yale universities, among others.

And in the Jewish world, there's the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University and dozens of other Sackler divisions at the school, as well as the Sackler Staircase at the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

Some of the institutions that have accepted Sackler largess said they will no longer do so, including the Berlin museum, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City and the Tate. The National Portrait Gallery in London, together with the family, canceled a planned donation this year.

But Tel Aviv University said that for now, it will not be changing the medical school's name-nor those of more than 30 entities at the school named after the family. As recently as 2013, Israel's United Nations ambassador honored the Sacklers for their support of Tel Aviv University.

"Sackler is nothing short of a brand name at Tel Aviv University," then-university President Joseph Klafter said, according to a news release. "Practically every step you take on campus will lead you to a Sackler-supported unit."

Will that change now? According to a spokeswoman, the donation was made to the medical school 50 years ago. As for the others, the university is going to wait and see. Institutions rarely have the mechanism to return gifts already spent, but some have clauses saying that donors' names can be removed if the money was "derived illegally or through a socially unacceptable manner."

"The Sackler family donated 50 years ago to establish the medical school," she wrote in an email. "The subject has yet to be resolved in American court."
Herman Wouk, the famed novelist who first became a household name for his 1951 Pulitzer Prize winning The Caine Mutiny, died last week nearly 70 years after achieving fame. Besides his long career as a writer he was also a lifelong Zionist.

This fact of Wouks love affair with the State of Israel has been completely absent from the many articles celebrating his literary career and marking his passing, less than two weeks before what would have been his 104th birthday. In this small space we will attempt to rectify that. Again and againfrom his 1959 first nonfiction work This is My God: The Jewish Way of Life through his pair of books about modern Israel The Hope (1993) and The Glory (1994) until his second nonfiction book, published in 2000, The Will to Live On: This is Our HeritageWouk focused much of his literary abilities on Israel.

Perhaps no line in any of his books demonstrates his love of Israel more than this one from This is My God: The first time I saw the lights of the (Israeli) airport in the dusk from the descending plane, I experienced a sense of awe that I do not expect to know again in this life. Wouk, an Orthodox Jew, synthesized his love of Torah with his love of the reborn Jewish state.

And his view of Zionism is also clearly laid out in This is My God: Zionism is a single long action of lifesaving, of snatching great masses of people out of the path of sure extinction.

Forty years later in The Will to Live On Wouk, as he inter-wove Jewish history and shared stories of his personal interaction with David Ben-Gurion, Yitzhak Rabin, and other leading Israeli generals and politicians, showed that his love of Israel was clearly undiminished. The resurgence of Jewry in the Holy Land is nothing but phenomenal, he wrote.

Wouk had been a U.S. Naval officer during World War II and his love of the Israeli military and respect for its accomplishments was a large part of his Israel novels The Hope and The Glory.

Those two books can be juxtaposed with his pair of famous World War II novels The Winds of War (1971) and War and Remembrance (1978). In his Israel novels the heroine Natalie Jastrow undergoes a long and tortured journey from American Jewish girl to Holocaust victim to Zionist.

Wouk penned the introduction to the 1980 English version of Self Portrait of a Hero: The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu. Yonis brothers, Benjamin and Iddo Netanyahu, put together the book. My parents like his were Zionists, writes Wouk. Later in the introduction he explains his connection to Israel. Like most American Jews we believe in Israel and support it, buy Israel Bonds, make frequent trips there; I give speeches for Israeli causes and so forth, and then relates how the book allowed him to better understand his own sons desire to make his home in the modern Jewish state.

The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Jerusalem Post as well as wire services and other newspapers all managed to leave Zionism out of their summations of Wouks life. Whether deliberate or not, this missing piece of his life surely matters as one simply cannot understand Wouk without realizing the central place Zionism occupied in his life, no less than his love of Torah and his deep faith.

Wouks passion for the well-being of his fellow Jews and for Israel should serve as a reminder to American Jews of how the Greatest Generation also bore witness to the horrors of the Holocaust and the rebirth of Israel. Those who reflected on what they saw were forever changed. Wouk loved Israel and America and we should emulate that attachment to the Land of the Free as well as to the reborn Jewish State.

Postscript: Self Portrait of a Hero is a must read; it contains Yoni Netanyahus letters to family and friends from 1963 when he first entered high school in the Philadelphia suburbs to just days before the rescue of hostages at Entebbe. His intellect, patriotism, compassion, dedication to duty and leadership are all on full display, amplifying the loss of someone who had just turned 30. The book had a profound effect on Wouk and if you have not read it do yourself a favor and read it and you too will be forever changed by it.

Moshe Phillips is national director of Herut North Americas U.S. division; Herut is an international movement for Zionist pride and education and is dedicated to the ideals of pre-Word War Two Zionist leader Zeev Jabotinsky. Heruts website is https://herutna.org.
(JNS)Theres an old joke that tells of a person who has been accused of being a self-hating Jew. His response is to tell his accuser that he doesnt hate himself. Its other Jews he hates. Thats an apt introduction to the controversy over cartoonist Eli Valley.

For the last decade, Valleys densely packed, grotesquely illustrated multi-panel cartoons have been spewing anti-Zionist propaganda over the Internet. His work used to appear in Jewish publications like The Forward and Tablet online magazine, but no longer. Still, he remains a popular figure among those who hate Israel and who spread hatred about the Jews. Thats why Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace invited him to speak and exhibit his work at Stanford University this week as part of their Palestine Awareness Week.

That invitation ignited a bitter debate on the campus that largely centered on his dubious conception of art. His leftist sponsors promoted the event by putting up posters featuring his offensive illustrations attacking Jews, Republicans and Israel by covering up announcements from a Stanford Republican group. That, in turn, prompted a response from some in the GOP group who posted copies of anti-Semitic cartoons from the Nazi Der Sturmer publication and invited students to try to spot the difference. The point being that Valleys work is largely indistinguishable from classic Nazi Jew-hatred.

Predictably, that prompted howls of protest from Valleys Israel-bashing hosts, who claimed it was the Republicans who were spreading anti-Semitism by putting up the Der Sturmer cartoons to demonstrate the comparison to his cartoons. Jewish Voice for Peace eventually apologized for putting up Valleys cartoons on campus, but its members also doubled down on their support for his work and their commitment to the event. Valley then spewed even more hate on Twitter about a Stanford Jewish student having the chutzpah to write in the school paper explaining that the cartoonist peddles anti-Semitism. The artist was also angry that New York Timess columnist Bari Weiss, whom Valley libeled as a McCarthyite, tweeted her support for those standing up to him.

The important point about all of this isnt about who should or should not be allowed to speak at Stanford or what kind of flyers should be posted on dorm bulletin boards. The problem is the notion that its OK to use Nazi-style imagery to promote political opinions that are aligned with the stands of contemporary Jew-haters.

Valleys use of the Der Stermur style is not an accident. Like all too many on the far left, he thinks that U.S. President Donald Trump and conservative Republicans are Nazis, and that their Jewish supporters are Nazi collaborators. But he also believes that Israel is a fascist apartheid state and spares no effort to depict everyone with whom he disagreeswhether it is Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or even liberals who are not opposed to Israels existenceas Nazi monsters.

He claims that his use of the same tropes as Der Sturmer is legitimate because his work is parody. But thats a distinction without a difference in cartoons that are thick with allusions to blood libels, and in which Jews and Jewish rituals are depicted in the most horrifying manner. He believes its just fine to use Nazi imagery in order to skewer Zionists, so as to show the Jews that they are wrong to want to defend their state and oppose anti-Semitism. Some of his defenders agree and see him as an almost prophetic figure pointing out the sins of Jews who are heedless of their faults.

But that argument breaks down when you consider that the cause he is advocatingthe delegitimization of Jewish rights and the elimination of the one Jewish state on the planetis itself inherently anti-Semitic. Its not just that his cartoons look like Der Sturmer. The message embedded in them about demonic Jewish figures and their allegedly evil deeds is also very much in line with the point of Der Sturmers Nazi propaganda. Much like Jewish Voice for Peace, which promotes blood libels against pro-Israel Jews, Valleys illustrations are an attempt to give Jewish cover to Jew-hatred.

Like fellow anti-Semite, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Valley also likes to play the martyr, claiming that he is being persecuted for telling the truth, and smearing his opponents as opponents of free speech or violence because they have the temerity to speak up against him. But criticism of his work is no more a McCarthyite attack than attempts to call out Omar for her anti-Semitism is Islamophobia.

More importantly, Valley thinks that its somehow wrong to compare his work to the Nazis when white-nationalist shooters are killing Jews in synagogues. But while theres no proof that neo-Nazis are looking at his vile pictures, his claims of innocence ring hollow. He may not share all of the beliefs of white nationalists, but if they did look at his work, then theyd discover they have a lot in common with him with respect to Israel, Jews and his views of pro-Israel non-Jews like Trump and Meghan McCain.

Valley has every right to publish his filth and to speak wherever he is invited. The right to free speech covers obnoxious speech; its just not the kind of language we admire.

Still, that doesnt give those who publish or defend Valleys work a pass for legitimizing his repugnant anti-Semitic trash. That is especially true for progressives who say they support Israel, but not its governments policies. Like the Hamas terrorists, Valley recognizes no such distinctions. In his world, Israel is evil and so are the liberals, as well as the conservatives, who love it.

That places all people of good willJews and non-Jews alikeunder obligation to denounce his use of Nazi-style imagery for purposes that serve the interests of contemporary Jew-haters. He deserves to be treated with the same contempt as the white nationalists who still revere the Der Sturmer stereotypes that he has so disgracefully revived.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNSJewish News Syndicate. Follow him on Twitter at: @jonathans_tobin.
(JNS)The first anniversary of the U.S. embassys move to Jerusalem sparked multiple articles in the Israeli press declaring it a failure for both U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. From the left-wing Haaretz to the centrist Times of Israel, headlines trumpeted the fact that only one minor country, Guatemala, has followed Americas lead. And even that might prove fleeting, as several candidates in next months Guatemalan election have pledged to return the embassy to Tel Aviv.

All this is true, but it also misses the point. And it thereby obscures the real and lasting gains of the embassy move.

To understand why, its worth recalling Americas own history on this issue. In 1995, Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, which ordered the embassy relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It was approved by overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both the House (374-37) and the Senate (93-5). And in every subsequent election, every presidential candidate, whether Republican or Democratic, pledged to honor this directive.

Yet despite this consensus, it still took more than 20 years for the move to happen. Successive presidents, both Republican and Democratic, proved reluctant to defy international opposition. Consequently, they exercised a provision of the law allowing the move to be postponed due to national security considerations. These presidential waivers were renewed every six months for more than two decades.

In contrast, recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital was never been mooted as a possibility by any other country in the world. Outside America, not a single mainstream party, whether liberal or conservative, ever considered an embassy move, much less actively supported the idea.

Expecting other countries to go from having never even thought about moving their embassies to actually doing so in the space of just 12 months was always fatuous. Indeed, I warned a year ago that Jerusalem isnt going to be flooded with new embassies anytime soon. If it took America more than two decades to move its embassy despite a bipartisan consensus that was codified in legislation, it will clearly take time for countries that have only just started considering the issue to reach the point of being ready to actually make the move.

What Trumps decision did accomplish, however, was to break the global taboo on thinking and talking about this idea. Never again will recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital be an inconceivable option. Indeed, in many countries, it has already become a hotly debated one. And the more the idea is discussed, the more realistic the possibility becomes.

A few countries have already gone beyond talk and taken preliminary steps down the path to full recognition. For instance, Australia didnt move its embassy, but it did recognize western Jerusalem as Israels capital last year. That disappointed many Israelis, who view the entire city as Israels capital. But its a major advance from where Israel was pre-Trump, when not a single country in the world recognized any part of Jerusalem as its capital.

Similarly, Hungary opened a trade office with diplomatic status in Jerusalem this year. As the Times of Israel noted in its otherwise dismissive anniversary article, this is the first time in almost four decades that a European country has had a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, thereby defying Security Council Resolution 478 from 1980, which urged countries that have established diplomatic missions at Jerusalem to withdraw such missions. Hungary thereby broke an important barrier.

In several other countries, action is actively being debated. In the Czech Republic, for instance, the president vocally supports moving the embassy while the prime minister opposes it. In Romania, the prime minister supports it but the president opposes it. Canadas opposition Conservative Party has promised to move the embassy if elected, while the ruling Liberal Party opposes doing so. Brazils new president campaigned on moving the embassy, but then backtracked post-election, just as U.S. presidents did for 20 years. And the list could go on.

Finally, even in countries where no action of any sort is yet under discussion, it has at least become acceptable for politicians to say openly that Jerusalem is and should be Israels capital. Italian Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, for instance, said in December that Jerusalem should be recognized as Israels capital. A year earlier, Belgian Secretary of State Philippe de Backer (whose position is equivalent to a deputy cabinet minister) told a local Jewish paper, There is no doubt that Jerusalem is Israels capital.

Trumps decision also accomplished something else important: It permanently slayed the myth that recognizing Jerusalem would spark massive violence in the Arab world. The U.S. embassy move sparked no violence anywhere except among Palestinians, and even that was short-lived. Consequently, no country contemplating such a move in the future will be deterred by fear of a bloody reaction.

One might still wonder why Netanyahu essentially set himself up for failure by repeatedly asserting over the last year that many other countries would move their embassies in Americas wake. He surely knew how unlikely this was; hes nothing if not a realist. So why didnt he focus on the modest but genuine gains the move did produce rather than inflating unreasonable expectations?

The answer is that he had no choice but to set the bar unrealistically high because that was the only way to maximize the real benefits of Trumps decision. No country will ever be more pro-Israel than Israel itself. Thus had Israel implied that it didnt expect other countries to move their embassies, no country would even have considered doing so. And that would have strangled the important public debates the decision sparked.

By any realistic standard, the embassy move has been a resounding success. In the space of just one year, countries around the world have gone from a situation in which recognizing Jerusalem was unthinkable to one in which it is being discussed, debated and even acted upon. And as long as this trend continues, its only a matter of time until actual embassy moves follow.

Evelyn Gordon is a journalist and commentator living in Israel.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib suggesting that her people made way for Jews in Palestine is dishonest and whitewashes the historical reality that the leaders of the indigenous Arab population of Ottoman and British controlled Palestine colluded with the Nazis to exterminate the Jews of Europe and Palestine.

Her recent remarks beg anyone of decency to call out the lie and state the facts.

Tlaib, presents a revisionist history and false narrative that the Jewish people have no legitimate claims to the Land of Israel and that Jewish restoration to the Land is not only not our prophetic return, but is an alleged occupation by foreigners whose very presence displaces and discriminates against her ancestors, the supposedly indigenous Palestinian people. Her narrative is so full of holes, it makes one wonder if Swiss cheese is not really Palestinian cheese.

Recently however, Tlaib took fake history to a new level by overlaying this false narrative with a new level of Holocaust denial by taking credit on behalf of her ancestors for making way and creating a safe haven for Jews fleeing Nazi Europe. In fact, it was their Mufti, Haj Amin el-Husseini, the leader of her ancestors, who collaborated with the Nazis to support their genocide.

She wants you to believe that the Palestinians are the real victims of the Holocaust. She uses the Holocaust to delegitimize Israel. Among her tactics is the invention that Israel was established because of the Holocaust. These are ploys used by Palestinians for decades so much that it could be called their national pastime. Shes in good company. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas doctorate is in Holocaust denial.

Yet, by her account, the entire Palestinian people should be honored at Israels Holocaust memorial as Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jews.

Lets set some facts straight and revise Tlaibs sick revisionist history.

Who are the Palestinians?

First, lets talk about her ancestors, who the Palestinian people were, and are today.

The term Palestine only came into being after the Romans conquered Israel, and destroyed the Second Temple. The Romans themselves documented that the Land, then divided in provinces such as Galilee, Judea, etc., was Jewish territory. They changed the name to Palestine to add insult to injury of the Jews military defeat.

Over the centuries, Palestine saw many conquering forces. In modern times, Palestine was controlled successively by the Ottomans (Turkey) and the British. In fact, under the British, the only people referred to as Palestinian were the Jews.

My father and grandparents were three of some 600,000 Palestinians, Jews who became Israelis in May 1948 with the restoration of Jewish sovereignty to the Land of Israel.

The British referred to the Arabs merely as Arabs, without any particular cultural or geographic distinction. And while many of the Arabs were indeed indigenous, Tlaib hijacks history, overlooking facts. The reality is that with the return of the Jewish people to Israel, as promised prophetically, the Land flourished. Consequently, Arabs flooded Israel in search of economic opportunities.

Underscoring this, when visiting Palestine in 1867, Mark Twain described it as a desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weedsa silent mournful expanse... A desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action... We never saw a human being on the whole route... There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of the worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.

Arabs thriving in Palestine

In late Ottoman Palestine until WWI, and then British Mandatory Palestine, the number of Arabs increased more than 200 percent, from 532,000 in 1890 to 1.18 million in 1947. Between 1890 and 1914 alone, the Arab population increased by more than 100,000, from 487,000 to 595,000. From 1922 to 1931 the Arab population increased from 660,000 to 849,000. Theres no way that this was from natural growth.

Not only did Tlaibs ancestors not make way for Jews, but as many as half of them are not even indigenous. This is not to delegitimize the reality of millions of Arabs living in the biblical Land of Israel then or today. But lets at least be honest that millions are descended from immigrants who came to the Land to benefit from the prosperity that came with the Jewish peoples return. Not only did they not make room as if giving up land, their population doubled, and they thrived.

How did Palestinian Arabs treat the Jews, and how is that related to the Holocaust?

Tlaibs new form of Holocaust denial underscores the lie that Jews only came to Israel as a result of the Holocaust. Yet decades before, Jews started returning, our rights there were recognized in 1917 in the Balfour Declaration.

While there may have been coexistence and a recognition that the Arabs prosperity horse was hitched to the Jewish return, by in large, the Arabs were antagonistic and even hostile to the Jews. Violence was the norm. The massacre of 67 Jews in Hebron, and the survivors subsequent expulsion in 1929 and the Arab uprising of 1936-1939 set the tone.

If Tlaibs ancestors had indeed been welcoming, tens of thousands or more Jews would have in fact sought refuge there. But because of the Arabs hostility, the British issued the White Paper, which restricted Jewish immigration to only 75,000 over five years, precisely at the time that the Nazis began to invade Europe and begin the genocide of the Jewish people. Numerous ships full of hopeful immigrants were turned away and interred, like the famous Exodus ship filled with Holocaust survivors.

The Arab Mufti conspired with Hitler not just to oppose a Jewish state, but to bring the genocide to the Arab world. Hitler promised, Germanys objective would then be solely the destruction of the Jewish element residing in the Arab sphere.

Tlaib talks about wiping out of the Palestinians is also nonsense as the numbers show. During a war that they started, and lost, rather than accepting two states in 1947, or any time since, many Arabs were displaced and became refugees. Many died in war just as Israeli Jews died, but they were never wiped out. Tlaib wants you to think that her ancestors suffered the same fate as the Jews of Europe, not only fake history but a complete hijacking of the Holocaust.

A culture of victimhood

Had the Arabs accepted Israel, there would have been no war, no refugees or displacements, and two states living side by side. During the 1947-1949 war Arabs were told to leave by their own leaders. As five Arab armies converged intoxicated with hate to annihilate it, they believed that they would return to take back their land, and that of the Jews.

Its timely to share this now as Palestinian Arabs just observed the nakba or catastrophe of Israels independence. Their actual disaster is their rejection of Israel because what was true then remains true todaythat Arabs can thrive in partnership, living as neighbors with Jews. Rather than portraying a narrative that Israel is evil that has no legitimacy, they should have then, and still should, aspire to live in peace.

Tlaib perpetuates a lie of multiple dimensions and does not serve the interest of peace, or of her people, or her constituents in Michigan. Rather, she desecrates the U.S. Congress with her hateful brand of Holocaust denial and historical revisionism.

U.S.-born and educated Jonathan Feldstein immigrated to Israel in 2004. Throughout his life and career, he has fellowshipped with Christian supporters of Israel and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel. He writes a regular column for Standing With Israel at charismanews.com and other prominent web sites. He can be reached at firstpersonisrael@gmail.com.
Photo: The Canadian Press Specialist Peter Mazza, left, and trader Stephen Gilmartin work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

U.S. stocks tumbled on Wall Street Friday after the U.S. announced plans to expand its trade war to Mexico.

The slump all but guarantees that May will be the first monthly loss for the market in 2019.

The new front in the trade war is hitting automakers particularly hard. Many of them import vehicles into the U.S. From Mexico.

Technology stocks led the decliners. They have been hurt the most over escalating rhetoric and tariffs in the U.S. trade war with China. Cisco fell 2.2 % and Apple fell 1.2%.

Banks were among the sharpest decliners as higher bond prices pushed yields lower. Investors have been shifting more money into bonds over concerns that economic growth will be crimped by the ongoing trade war. Lower bond yields make loans less profitable for banks. Citigroup fell 2% and Bank of America fell 1.7%.

Energy companies are sinking under the weight of falling oil prices. The price of crude oil slid 3%. Chevron fell 1% and Valero Energy fell 3.6%.

Utilities eked out gains. The sector is considered less risky by investors and a safer haven for money when economic growth seems threatened.

Investors have been fleeing to safer holdings all month. The shift to utilities and bonds quickened earlier in May after the U.S. and China broke off negotiations. The U.S. then pushed more tariffs on Chinese goods along with a ban on technology sales. That prompted retaliatory tariffs from China and threats over other key resources.
(JCPA)The shadow battle between Hamas and the Israeli intelligence services continues at full throttle, despite the discovery several months ago of an Israeli special forces unit operating in the Khan Yunis area that Hamas claimed was involved in special intelligence activity.

Fatah elements in the Gaza Strip say that following the recent round of hostilities Hamas is very worried that precise intelligence in the hands of the Israel Defense Forces led to strikes on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets. They claim that this intelligence was provided by Palestinian agents and collaborators working in the field who passed information to Israel.

Israel is managing to run agents in Gaza in spite of the heavy punishments imposed by Hamas on anyone who collaborates with Israel, which usually involve a speedy military trial and executionan example to be seen and feared.

Hamas is now using the month of Ramadan to play on the religious sentiments of collaborators in Gaza. On May 17, Hamass security site, Al-Majd, issued a call to all collaborators to repent and return to the bosom of the Palestinian people.

Apparently, what is bothering Hamas is the sophisticated method used by Israeli intelligence to recruit agents and collaborators in the Gaza Strip without leaving any fingerprints, and without them even knowing they are working for the State of Israel.

Hamas website Al-Risalah published an article on May 19, written by Rami Abu Zubaydah, titled: Be on the alert for recruitment from behind the scenes!

The article details the cunning methods used by Israeli intelligence to recruit Gaza residents, who innocently believe they are not passing on information beneficial to Israel. Those recruited transfer the information via social media networks or through research and business sites.

According to the author, Israeli intelligence is recruiting agents through deception, and paying them for their services. These Palestinian agents believe they are working for a TV channel or news site, a research institute, a humanitarian aid organization, an international organization or a positive Internet campaign.

These recruitment campaigns are run through a third party using slogans that are pleasant to the ear.

The method of the unwitting courier or unwitting agent is not new. Israeli intelligence services are not the only ones employing it. Other intelligence services also use this method, and it is hard to uncover if well planned in advance.

Unlike the recruitment of agents and collaborators through regular means, where the recruit knows very well that he is connected to a certain intelligence body, with the unwitting spy technique the recruit knows nothing and does his work in all innocence. Therefore, when unmasked, he is shocked when he learns he has been working as an enemy agent.

It is possible that Israel has increased its usage of this method for recruiting spies following a large wave of arrests carried out by Hamass security apparatus in Gaza, part of an attempt to locate the network of collaborators that aided the Israeli special forces unit in the Khan Yunis area.

Human intelligence, or HUMINT in intelligence terminology, is an indispensable method of gathering intelligence. It is impossible to rely only upon technological means alone to create the complete intelligence picture needed to successfully deal with the terrorist organizations in Gaza.

Israeli intelligence generally uses every breach to gather precise information on Gazas terrorist groups. One striking example of this was the assassination of Hamed al-Khoudary, a money courier and member of the Hamas military wing. He was killed during the recent round of hostilities while driving in his car in central Gaza City.

Sometimes the simplest intelligence information provided by an unwitting agent without his knowledge is what creates the success of an intelligence operation.

The author of the article on the Al-Risala website warns Gaza residents not to give out any free information on social media networks that could serve the Israeli enemy. However, according to expert security sources, it is very easy for holders of Facebook and Twitter accounts to get led astray on social media.

Yoni Ben Menachem, a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television, is a senior Middle East analyst for the Jerusalem Center. He served as director general and chief editor of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.
CLEMSON, S.C.  Libby Houston Hoyle (Queener) was inducted May 18 into the 2019 class of the A. Frank Lever County Extension Agent Hall of Fame. She is joined in this years group by three other long-time Clemson Extension professionals.

Hoyle is being recognized for exceptional service to the citizens of South Carolina during her 35 years as part of the Clemson Cooperative Extension staff. Hoyle is a 1969 graduate of Bunker Hill High School, received her BS in Home Economics from Limestone College and earned a Masters Degree at Winthrop University.

Hoyle began her career working several years in county extension programs serving South Carolina youth through 4-H and teaching low-income families food choices and preparation techniques to improve nutrition and save money. Later, as an Extension specialist, she was the Voice of Clemson Extension to residents of South Carolina as she hosted the popular Your Day program broadcast statewide on SC Public Radio.
I sent a letter to Congressman McHenry about Article I of the United States Constitution.

The Constitutional Right to Declare War is in Article I. The last time war was declared by the United States was World War II. The Vietnam War and the invasion of Iraq were NOT constitutionally declared wars. The Korean War was and is a United Nations War. Even the Soviet Union voted for that war.

Also Article I covers the Power of The Purse.

It is time for all members of Congress to learn the Constitution and that includes Senator Tom Tillis. It is a shame that members of Congress are totally unknowlegable of the Constitution.

Robert Read

Hickory, NC
Actor Priyanka Chopra has met her friend and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and her son Archie, say reports. According to a report in The Sun , Priyanka and husband Nick Jonas met them over the weekend at Frogmore Cottage, Berkshire, England.

It also claimed that Priyanka and Nick picked up a number of baby gifts from the posh jewellers, Tiffany & Co. One of the gifts was a sterling silver bubble blower worth $250.

Also read: Ranbir, Alia to shoot Brahmastra inside Varanasi forts. See pics

The reports quashed previous rumours that she was upset with Meghan for skipping her wedding to Nick last December in India. A PageSix report claimed earlier this year that Priyanka did not attend Meghans star-studded baby shower in New York because she was upset.

Priyanka, however, had refuted the rumours on American show, Watch What Happens Live! When asked whether she was upset that Meghan Markle skipped your wedding to Nick Jonas? Priyanka laughed and responded said, Oh my God. No its not true.

Priyanka returned to the US a while back after spending some time in India in March. She completed the shoot of her upcoming Bollywood film Sky Is Pink that also stars Farhan Akhtar. The film is directed by Shonali Bose. Since then Priyanka has wowed audiences with her appearance at this years Met Gala Show and later at her debut at Cannes.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Actor Shah Rukh Khans daughter Suhana is in Kolkata attending her cousin Alia Chhibas wedding. After a picture from the mehendi ceremony comes a fresh one from the wedding.

Gauri Khans niece Alia Chhiba shared this picture on Instagram.

Posing with Alia, Suhana looks every bit a star in an olive green sari. Sharing the picture, Alia wrote: Cant believe Im married. Suhana has matched her sari with a halter neck blouse in maroon and green. Minimal makeup, hair left loose and oxidised earrings with maroon stones, give her diva-like appeal. Alia is dressed in a bright green sari with heavy jewellery.

Suhanas mother Gauri too shared a picture and wrote: Shaadi hai ... bride was the best dancer. In it, she is seated on a chair with her relations around her. In another picture, Suhana is part of a group photograph with family members. Alia is the daughter of Gauris brother Vikrant.

The first pictures of Suhana to emerge online from Alias wedding ceremonies was from her mehendi function. Dressed in a dull green salwar kameez, Suhana was all grace. A later function showed her wearing a dull green but embroidered lehenga choli.

Also read | Veeru Devgan prayer meet: Ajay Devgn consoles daughter Nysa, Kareena Kapoor, Salman and Amitabh Bachchan pay respects

Suhana is currently based in London where she is pursuing higher studies. She is often seen in Mumbai and is routinely photographed by paparazzi every time she steps out with her besties  actor Ananya Panday and Sanjay Kapoors daughter Shanaya. Though Suhana is reportedly interested in joining Bollywood as an actor, her father Shah Rukh, has made it clear that she will have to train to be an actor. Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, he had said she will go to an educational institute for three-four years to train in acting after finishing school.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
President of the students union of a Delhi Universitys college allegedly killed himself by hanging from a ceiling fan on Thursday afternoon, the police said.

Police said that the 22-year-old student leader, Utkarsh Sharma took the extreme step at his home in south Delhis Nanakpura.

According to the police, the reason behind the step is yet to be ascertained. the No suicide note was recovered from the body or the house. An inquest proceeding under section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been initiated, police said.

Deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Devender Arya said Utkarsh was a third-year student of BA (Political Science) at Delhi Universitys Ram Lal Anand College. Sharma was the president of the students union in the college. He lived in Nanakpura in a government flat which was allotted to his parents who are central government employees, the DCP said.

Police said Sharma was alone at home as his parents had gone to attend a relatives wedding in Uttar Pradesh. His elder brother lives with his wife in Delhis Palam area.

Arya said the police control room received a call in the afternoon regarding a man who hanged himself at home. A team reached the house and found the man lying in the drawing room with a cloth around his neck.

The victims brother, Udit told the police that he had come to check on Utkarsh as he was not answering theirs parents call since morning. Udit found the house locked from inside. He then broke open the door and found his brother hanging. Except for the ligature marks around his neck, no other visible injuries were found on the body, said Arya.

Police said they are speaking with Utkarshs family members and his friends to ascertain if he was stressed because of some personal reasons. The principal of the college could not be reached for a comment.
Photo: Nasa

The smoke that has been drifting into the Okanagan from Alberta can now be seen from space.

The images captured by satellite and shown on Nasa's worldview website, show how the smoke has worked its way west on the jet stream.



Alberta is beset by early season wildfires which began on March 1. The images show how the entire province looks to be completely engulfed in smoke. There are five large areas of satellite hot spots that are visible in this natural-colour satellite image collected by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite on May 29.

The five areas are the Steen River area, the High Level area, the Peace River area, the Slave Lake area, and the Wood Buffalo National Park. All areas have been designated as fire danger at the level extreme with the exception of the Wood Buffalo National Park which was designated very high.

The province of Alberta has seen more than 500 wildfires since March 1, officials said.

 with files from CTV News Vancouver

via GIPHY

Contributed
Shatakshi Tiwari from Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College in Chinyalisaur, Uttarkashi district topped Uttarakhand board for class 12, the results for which were declared by Uttarakhand Board of School Education on Thursday. The 16-year-old girl scored 98% with 490 marks out of 500. She believes that having a clear target ahead helped her succeed.

Staying motivated and having a clear goal helps keep you energised and it encourages you to work more, said Tiwari, who is preparing for JEE Main and wants to become astrophysicist.

She said that she studied on her own for the exams and relied solely on her teachers for extra help. She scored full marks in Mathematics and 99 in both Chemistry and Physics.

Tiwari travelled 40km every day to school and back home but that did not deter her from spending the rest of the time on studies. I used to wake up early in the morning and sleep late. I made a calendar and marked the dates in which I had to revise the lessons. I forget things that I learn very easily so I had to keep on revising to memorise each topic, she said.

My school principal always wanted us to rank in the state merit list. He wanted me to top the school; I am happy that I fulfilled his wish and topped the state, said Tiwari.

Her father Anup Tiwari is a civil engineer and her mother Sunita Tiwari works with the health department. She is very hardworking. She started her preparation from the beginning of class 11. She has been methodical in her studies which helped her a lot, said her father.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The festival of Eid is all about vibrancy and ethnic fashion. From shimmery dupattas to salwar suits embroidered with zari, the ensemble choices by Muslim women have always been extravagant.

According to fashion designer, Pearl Uppal Kachru of Talking Threads, the designs, layers and styles of clothes should allow women to express their individualities yet remain true to the values that define them. Keeping that in mind, to help you pick your perfect outfit for Eid, we chose a melange of ensembles to make your festive celebrations a stylish one.

Indo Chic

Its bohemian and traditional, just like the two colours running parallel to each other on this ensemble. Actor Sonam K Ahuja in designer Sabyasachis outfit, is ideal for any outdoor Eid celebration. We love how she has complemented the outfit with some traditional Indian jewellery.

Haute Pink

No festival is complete without a sari. Actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra rocks this fuschia pink ruffled sari with a belt designed by Vvani. The vibrant colour adds exuberance to the festivities and the stylish silhouette will make for a chic evening wear.

Pretty Pastels

Handcrafted with meticulous details like sequins, block printing and dori embroidery, this ethnic flowy green anarkali designed by Devnaagri, when paired with Kota tissue dupatta is a perfect pick for Eid. The ensemble worn by actor Alia Bhatt truly celebrates the essence of the festival in style.

All About Deets

This burgundy farshi palazzo suit by Talking Threads features rose gold zardozi, gota patti and crystal hand embroidery. The kurta and farshi (wide-legged palazzo pants) are crafted in chanderi with its dupatta crafted in pure silk. The lightweight handwoven chanderi gives a regal touch to the outfit, making it ideal for an Eid party. Also, the intricate hand embroidery adds to the simple silhouette.

Suit Up

This ivory ensemble features a gharara, one of the most sought after bottom wear this festive season. The gharara worn by actor Bhumi Pednekar has been stitched in chanderi fabric with a golden print and has gota embroidery and mirror work. Since its a traditional gharara in a much more comfortable fit in terms of ghera (circumference), it is extremely versatile. From an Eid lunch to an evening party, it can be worn anywhere, which is why its ideal for Eid, says designer, Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor.

Black Magic

A simple silhouette complemented with some prints can never go wrong. Keeping it simple here, is actor Vidya Balan in Vaisavi Shahs design. The black salwar suit teamed with a printed dupatta makes for fine festive wear.

For the festivities

Fashion designer Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor lists a few ideas you could try out for an Eid party:

-High-raised salwar sets with pastel embroidery and light mirror work would be perfect for an Iftaar party at a friends home. Even a long simple kurta with a heavier dupatta could do wonders.

-For a bigger event, a heavy gharara with a beautifully draped dupatta and some regal Nizam jewellery would really bring out the whole Eid vibe. Modern silhouettes can be saved for resorts whereas festivals deserve an old world charm.

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter

.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
India has removed restrictions on its airspace along the Pakistan border. According to a senior official of the state-owned Airports Authority of India (AAI), the 11 entry and exit points for Pakistan were opened on Friday afternoon and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was informed about it.

However, flights will be able to use the airspace only when Pakistan also opens the airspace from its side. We have informed ICAO and now they will hold consultations with Pakistan. The day Pakistan decides to remove restrictions, flight operations will resume, the official added. According to a senior official of the Indian Air Force (IAF), the temporary restrictions were in place on the direction of the IAF.

The closure of Pakistans airspace for nearly three months has hit travellers and airlines from Afghanistan and Central Asia the hardest. Pakistan shut its airspace to commercial flights originating in India or transiting through Indian airspace soon after Indian jets targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammed facility at Balakot on February 26. The air strike was carried out in retaliation to the suicide bombing of a CRPF bus by JeM at Pulwama in Kashmir that killed 40 troopers.

Pakistan on Thursday extended the ban till June 15. In the case of Central Asian airlines, the duration of flights from the region to New Delhi has increased by up to four hours as airlines have to fly via destinations such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Kazakhstans Air Astana, which had four flights a week to New Delhi, has suspended its operations to India till May 31. People familiar with developments said Air Astana stopped the flights as the higher costs made them financially unsustainable.

Uzbekistan Airways has maintained its flights to Amritsar, Delhi and Mumbai while Turkmenistan Airways has suspended flights to Amritsar, the people cited above said.

The closure of Pakistani airspace has led to a sharp increase in fares for passenger flights, and made imports and exports costlier as cargo planes too have to make lengthy detours.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi who won the Lok Sabha election from Wayanad in north Kerala with a record margin of over 4 lakh votes will visit his constituency for two days on June 7 and 8 to thank voters, district Congress committee president I C Balakrishnan said.

This will be his first public meeting after the partys rout in the general elections. He was supposed to visit the constituency this week but it was delayed due to the uncertainty over his resignation. He is also scheduled to open two offices of the local MP in the constituency.

The Congress-led UDF won 19 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala. It was the largest haul of seats in any state for the Congress.

We are planning at least five road shows in Wayanad and Malappuram districts. But everything depends on the clearance of the Special Protection Group, said Balakrishnan. Monsoon is expected to hit the state in the first week of June and Wayanad usually gets a good spell of rain.

Gandhi is also likely to meet relatives of a farmer who committed suicide last week. He had called them to express his condolences last week and wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan pointing out how he died when moratorium on farm loans was in place.

V Dinesan from Panamaram, ended his life on May 25 by consuming pesticide. His relatives said he was upset with his debts and other liabilities. Two co-operative banks had sent revenue recovery notices after he failed to repay loans. Dinesan was a pepper farmer, but he could not dispose his produce after prices of spices plummeted, they said.

The party has also advised leaders not to flock the constituency during his visit. Hope these leaders will understand the situation and not fuel further embarrassment to him. He will also study problems of Wayanad in detail and help solve some of these. For this he will meet many block-level leaders, said another leader, who did not want to be identified.

Agrarian crisis has been stalking the hill district for many years. It produces some of the best spices and its black pepper is world famous for its aroma and flavour. Farmers said prices of pepper came down drastically after large-scale imports from Vietnam and other countries.

Gandhis victory fuelled much hope in the district which is reeling under farm crisis. During a road show in April he had promised farmers to help alleviate their sufferings.

Another problem crippling Wayanad is the ban on night traffic along the road that cuts through Bandipur tiger reserve. The Supreme Court had imposed a ban on night traffic through the road that connects Wayanad with Mysuru in neighboring Karnataka. During his campaign Gandhi had said he would explore possibilities to help end the ban which invited wrath of conservationists. People in Sultan Bathery and other small towns complained that due to night ban their areas turned ghost cities after evening.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed the allocation of portfolios in his new government on Friday, the key appointments reflecting both the newly acquired bench strength of the ruling coalition and his confidence in the ability of the core members of his team to hit the ground running and measure up to the challenges ahead.

Modi, 68, who presided over his first Cabinet meeting in the evening, handed the four crucial portfolios of home to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, defence to Rajnath Singh, finance and corporate affairs to Nirmala Sitharaman and external affairs to former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, the surprise inclusion in the Cabinet lineup.

Sitharaman, 59, was defence minister in the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and replaces Arun Jaitley, who ruled himself out of Modis new team citing health reasons.

Rajnath Singh, 67, was home minister in Modi 1.0 and Jaishankar, 64, comes in for Sushma Swaraj, who was omitted from the lineup

In another key appointment, Modi named Piyush Goyal, who was railway minister in the previous government , as the new commerce minister, replacing Suresh Prabhu, another significant omission. He also retained railways.

The appointments reflect the fact that this NDA government doesnt suffer from a dearth of talent  a charge it often faced in its previous incarnation because of the surfeit of portfolios handed over to a handful of politicians including, at one point, both finance and defence to Jaitley.

All five ministers face significant challenges in the months ahead and have their task cut out at the start of the second term of the Modi government, which won a landslide mandate in the April-May general elections, and whose composition reflects the Prime Miinisters confidence that they will be up to the task.

Shah has to deal with Kashmir, where state assembly elections are due after the fall of the Mehbooba Mufti government in June 2018 when the BJP walked out of a coalition government.

Rajnath Singh will have to oversee the induction of the Rafale jet fighters, whose purchase became controversial because of Opposition allegations of corruption, ensure that the modernisation of the armed forces continues apace and India is ready for any future aggression.

Both external and internal security needed a fresh approach with a certain amount of continuity. That will come in with Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh as the home minister and defence minister, said Sidharth Mishra, president of the Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice.

Sitharaman has to tackle declining economic growth, ensure continued investment inflows and generate jobs. She is the first full-fledged woman finance minister of India. Late former prime minister Indira Gandhi held charge of finance as an additional portfolio between 1970 and 1971.

Sitharamans appointment as finance minister was unexpected, observers said.

It is a big surprise and very unexpected news, said Yogesh Nagaonkar, founder and chief executive of Rowan Capital Advisors in Mumbai. The initial expectation of the market from her would be to see how she addresses liquidity concerns. We need to have good liquidity in the market to achieve growth.

Jaishankar, a former envoy to the United States and China and who was part of a troika with Modi and national security adviser (NDA) Ajit Doval in shaping foreign policy in the early years of the Modi administration, will have to keep relations with both on an even keel and steer the future course of ties with Pakistan.

The de facto arrangement that existed between the PMO [Prime Ministers Office] and the external affairs ministry when Jaishankar was the secretary of the ministry has now become a de jure agreement, Mishra said.

Jaishankar, 64, is the second career diplomat to become foreign minister after Natwar Singh, who quit the foreign service to contest elections. Jaishankars appointment as minister means the government will have to either nominate him to the Rajya Sabha or he will have to be elected to one of the Houses of Parliament.

It shows that the prime minister is serious about foreign policy, and secondly, that he is entrusting it in the hands of a professional, Lalit Mansingh, a former foreign secretary, said.

Goyal faces the task of boosting exports to shore up domestic economic growth and avoiding negative fallout on India from the flare-up of trade wars such as the one that has been raging between the US and China. Jaishankar and he will also need to work together to cool trade frictions with the US following repeated criticism by President Donald Trump of what he claims are high Indian tariffs.

In other portfolio allocations, Modi, who in a tweet following Thursday nights swearing-in ceremony described his new team as a blend of youthful energy and administrative experience, kept the road transport ministry with Nitin Gadkari and gave Smriti Irani, who made a mark in the Lok Sabha elections by defeating Rahul Gandhi in the Congress bastion of Amethi, women and child development minister. Irani also retained the textiles ministry she held in the previous government as well.

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank was appointed human resource development (HRD) minister in place of Prakash Javadekar, who got environment as well as information and broadcasting. Former diplomat Hardeep Singh Puri, a minister of state with independent charge, also received additional charge of civil aviation apart from housing and urban affairs.

Pokhriyals good equation with leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the BJP, was seen as one of the key factors behind his inclusion in the Modi government.

Nishanks appointment as HRD minister sends a signal that the RSS will continue to have a say in the working of the crucial ministry, said Mishra of Centre for Reforms, Development and Justice.

He is a tactical politician with a certain amount of experience in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. He will be able to withstand pressure from within and outside the parivar, Mishra said.

Veteran Ravi Shankar Prasad retained law and justice; and electronics and information technology. He also got charge of communications. Harsh Vardhan will be health minister, and Narendra Singh Tomar will oversee agriculture apart from rural development and panchayati raj.

The 25-member Union Cabinet held its first meeting at 5.30 pm on Friday, and in its first decision approved changes in the PMs Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund to enhanced scholarships for children of police personnel killed in terror or Maoist attacks.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Arvind Sawant, 67, is known in Shiv Sena for his good oratory skills and an ability to develop relations across party lines. These are the qualities which have helped him grow in the party. A Parliament member from Mumbai South, Sawant defeated Congresss Milind Deora by a margin of over 100,000 votes.

Sawant defeated Deora in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as well. He went on to have 98.5% attendance in the Lok Sabha and participated in 287 debates.

Sawant joined the Shiv Sena in 1966 as a teenager and was appointed a group head (the lowest post in the partys hierarchy) two years later. He graduated from the Bombay University before working in Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL). He was instrumental in forming an MTNL union.

When the Sena-BJP government came to power in Maharashtra, Sawant was nominated to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in 1996. He was again nominated to the upper house of the state legislature in 2004.
At first meet, PM Modis Cabinet clears 3 poll promises to farmers, traders

At its first meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet on Friday decided to extend the Rs 6,000 per year assistance to all farmers, farm minister Narendra Singh Tomar announced after the meeting. The cabinet also agreed to roll out pension plans for farmers and traders.

The three decisions, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javdekar, demonstrates that the Modi government had started delivering on its promises from day one.

Also Watch | Day 1: Modi govts landmark moves for farmers, traders; Budget on July 5

It has not even been 24 hours and the first meeting has happened and decisions taken, Javdekar said. Tomar added that the decision to lift the cap on farmers with larger than 2 hectare plots of land demonstrates the commitment of the Modi government to farmers, he said.

PM Modis last government had started the direct cash support programme as part of efforts to placate growers struggling with weak crop prices. Nearly 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares were entitled to receive Rs 6,000 in three equal installments. Fridays decision will imply that the potential list of beneficiaries will go up by 2 crore, to 14.5 crores.

Tomar told reporters that the extension of the Rs 75,000 crore scheme would benefit an additional 2 crore farmers. It will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 12,000 crore.

In 2 more schemes that would also boost rural consumption, the minister said the Cabinet had cleared plans to start contributory pension schemes to cover small and marginal farmers as well as traders above the age of 60.

Five crore traders are expected to join the scheme in the next three years, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar. All shopkeepers and self employed persons as well as retail traders with GST turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged between 18-40 years can enrol for the scheme, an official statement said.

Tomar expressed optimism that states that had not provided a list of eligible beneficiaries under the Rs 6,000 cash handout scheme would send the names to the Centre.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
The number of people who died in Barabanki due to consumption of adulterated liquor is expected to go up to 22, after the district administration ordered an investigation into the death of four others who died on May 27.

The post-mortem examination of four people who died in Ramnagar on Monday was not performed. Their family members have claimed that they died after consuming spurious liquor from the same registered shop, Udai Bhanu Tripathi, district magistrate of Barabanki, said on Thursday.

We have decided to examine all four cases to ascertain the exact cause of death, he added.

Of the said four, two persons  Rajendra, 50, and Vinay Pratap  were cremated without informing the officials while the other two died in hospital. A team of doctors examining these cases will submit their report by Friday, said the DM.

As of now, the authorities have confirmed 18 deaths due to consumption of adulterated liquor. Besides, 56 others were taken ill and rushed to government hospitals in Lucknow and Barabanki.

Doctors feared that many of the victims who fell ill could lose eye sight because of methyl alcohol poisoning.

All the victims had purchased liquor from an authorised shop that sold country-made liquor. As per preliminary investigation, officials found that the adulterated liquor was mixed with the stock of country-made liquor.

Taking cognisance of the incident, the state government suspended around 15 police and excise department personnel. Six people, including an excise inspector and the owner of the registered shop, have been arrested so far by police.

A magisterial probe ordered by the DM was also underway.

We are focusing on the manufacture and supply chain of spurious liquor and the people involved in it. Separate FIRs will also be lodged against such people, said the DM.

Meanwhile, the kin of the deceased continued to bear the brunt of the tragedy. Ramvati, wife of Shiv Kumar, a daily wager of Raniganj village who died along with his father and two brothers after consuming spurious liquor, met the district magistrate and sought help.

All earning members of our family were killed in the tragedy. I want the government to provide us some assistance for our survival, she said.

The DM assured her of help, said sources.
Disappointed at Bengals underrepresentation in Prime Minister Narendra Modis new cabinet, BJPs state unit chief Dilip Ghosh said on Friday that he raised the issue with the partys senior leaders in Delhi.

Earlier Bengal had two MPs and both were ministers (of state). This time there are 18 MPs from Bengal and yet, the number of ministers (of state) has remained at two. I have raised the issue with Ramlal ji, the partys general secretary in charge of organisation. He agreed that the number appeared on the lower side, Ghosh said at a press conference in Kolkata after returning from Delhi.

Although Ghosh did not conceal that he was disappointed, he said that the state will get more prominence in the cabinet in the future.

Last time (in 2014), Bengal MPs did not become ministers from the beginning. But this time, they have been co-opted in the cabinet right from the beginning. Wait and you will see more, said Ghosh, who himself was elected to Lok Sabha from Midnapore.

Asansol MP, Babul Supriyo and Raiganj MP, Debasree Chaudhuri have been made ministers of state in Prime Minister Modis new cabinet of that was sworn in on Thursday. While Surpiyo was named MoS for environment, forest and climate change, Chaudhuri was made the junior minister of women and child development ministry.

Supriyo was a minister the last time, too. The other minister from Bengal in the last cabinet, S S Ahluwalia, has not been given a berth this time.

Also read: PM Modi allocates portfolios: Read full list here

Wait a bit. The BJP is a national party that has to accommodate the needs and aspirations of all the states. I am sure that the party will value the sentiments of the people of Bengal, said BJPs Bengal election management committee convenor, Mukul Roy in Delhi.

Bengal was a focus state for the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It won 18 seats in the state where its best show earlier was only two seats.

Party president Amit Shah has publicly acknowledged that it is because of Bengal that BJP could cross the 300 mark (in the Lok Sabha). Bengal will not be deprived, the leaders have assured us, remarked Ghosh.
Bureaucrat-turned-politician R K Singh has been inducted into Prime Minister Narendra Modis council of ministers again. The former Indian Administrative Services officer who was a minister of state in the power ministry in the 2014 Lok Sabha contested and won from Arrah, in Bihar. This time around, he has been sworn in as a cabinet minister.

Known as a tough bureaucrat, Singh shot into the limelight when on October 30, 1990, he ordered the arrest of Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart Lal Krishna Advani, when the veteran leaders Rath Yatra was on its way to Ayodhya from Somnath, Gujarat.

At the time, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was the chief minister of Bihar. Singh was the then district magistrate of Samastipur. Singh has also served as the Union home secretary from 2011 to 2013.

A graduate in English literature, Singh also holds a law degree. When Nitish Kumar became Bihar chief minister in 2005, Singh, was made principal secretary and was instrumental in improving the road network in the state.
Photo: Alberta Wildfire

An official with the Metis Settlements General Council says 14 homes in a northern Alberta Metis community have been destroyed by an aggressive wildfire and there are concerns that more properties may be consumed.

Blake Desjarlais, the council's director of public and national affairs, says fire authorities confirmed the number late Thursday after surveying the evacuated Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement.

The homes are widely scattered in the settlement's northeast, but Desjarlais says Paddle Prairie's hamlet is also at risk and the total number of properties destroyed could rise depending on fire conditions.

He says none of the homes was insured and it's hoped the Alberta government will bring in modular housing to accommodate displaced owners.

The province said Thursday the Chuckegg Creek wildfire had grown to 2,300 square kilometres.

Authorities also said the number of northern fire evacuees had swelled to roughly 10,000 from about 5,000.

"It's like a burnt piece of toast up there," said Desjarlais as he described the path of destruction in Paddle Prairie. "The whole land has been scorched."

About 800 people live in the settlement, which is about 760 kilometres northwest of Edmonton and has an estimated 245 houses.
After a good harvest last year, cherry growers in Kashmir are staring at losses due to unseasonal changes in the weather.

Despite the cherry crop bloom, the growers are worried that the production in the state could decline by 30% this season, especially due to frequent hailstorms in the regions where cherry is grown in abundance.

With nearly 2,713 hectares of land are under cherry cultivation in Jammu and Kashmir, the state accounts for a significant part of the countrys cherry production. Besides Tangmarg and Lar in north Kashmir, cherry is also grown in some parts of Srinagar; Baramulla and Shopian districts in south Kashmir.

The state had witnessed a bumper crop in 2018, which fetched them good revenue. Officials in the horticulture department said the production had reached around 11,289 and 11,789 metric tonnes in 2017 and 2018, respectively. The cherry harvesting season begins from mid-May and lasts up to the first week of July. Many parts of the Valley were hit by hailstorms in May.

Horticulture department deputy director Manzoor Ahmad Dar said long spell of cold and frequent hailstorms this year had damaged cherry crop in Kashmir. We took precautions to minimise the losses and educated cherry growers on steps to save their yield, he said. Kashmir produces four varieties of cherry  Double, Makhmali, Mishri and Italy. The demand for cherries comes mostly from outside the state, with almost 90% of the exports headed to different parts of the country, especially metropolitan cities. Mishri and Makhmali varieties are highly sought after due to their taste and natural colour, though some growers use chemicals for early ripening.

Nazir Ahmad Khan, who owns a kiosk at Asias second largest fruit market at Sopore, said the arrival of different varieties of cherry had already begun. We have been told by growers that the production this time is less, especially in Baramulla and some areas of Srinagar, which witnessed heavy hailstorm couple of times in the past few months, he said.

Khan, who also owns several apple and cherry orchards in Handwara area of north Kashmir, said the bloom was good but rain and hailstorm damaged cherry crop at many places. Last year, we had a bumper crop and this year the production could go down by more than 25 to 30%, he said.

Bashir Ahmad Bashir, president, Fruit Growers Association, Parimpora, said, Cherry is the first cash crop for the growers of the Valley and many consider its yield as good omen for the fruit season. This year, the cherry arrival is already delayed due to the uncertain climate. We hope the yield will not decline this year as hundreds of growers are dependent on cherry. Last year also the rates were low due to good harvest. He said 80-90% yield was being exported to various parts of country. Already five to six trucks are being dispatched daily to different markets across the country, especially Mumbai, where cherry is in good demand, he said.

He said a large share of cherries produced here is bought by canners. Apart from fewer yields this year, the air freight has also increased from 24 to 34 per box. With the highway also not in good shape, the prospects of good earning appear bleak, he added.
Dharmendra Pradhan has been made the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Minister of Steel in the new Cabinet of PM Narendra Modi.

Among the youngest cabinet ministers in the previous Narendra Modi government, 49-year-old Dharmendra Pradhan played a key role in the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a scheme of distribution of gas cylinders to women who are below the poverty line, and living in rural areas.

The scheme was touted as one of the factors in the big victory of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the recent general elections. His ministry distributed seven crore LPG connections to the rural poor free of cost in less than three years of the launch of the scheme.

Pradhan, an anthropology post-graduate from Bhubaneswars Utkal University, rose to prominence thanks to his father and union minister Debendra Pradhan. He became an MLA in 2000 and then an MP in 2004 from Deogarh Lok Sabha constituency of Odisha. He became Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar in 2012 and then from Madhya Pradesh in 2018.

After he became Union minister in 2014, Pradhan became the most visible face of BJP in Odisha as he airdashed to the state almost every weekend to put up a challenge against the formidable Naveen Patnaik, who was recently sworn in as the chief minister of Odisha, for the fifth time.

Under Pradhans watch, BJP put up a creditable performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Odisha, winning 8 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats, a huge rise from one seat in 2014. The same performance, however, could not be repeated in the assembly polls that were held simultaneously, in which Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal swept.

Pradhan also helped guide the BJPs social media strategy during the polls.
Dr Jitendra Singh, 62, the Bharatiya Janata Party winner from Udhampur-Doda, defeated Vikramaditya Singh of the Congress by a margin of over 350,000 votes.

A diabetologist, who earned his doctors degree from Stanley Medical College in Chennai, Singh was the chief spokesman of Jammu and Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party before being elected to the 16th Lok Sabha.

In the previous government, Singh was a minister of state for the Prime Ministers Office. This time around too, he has been sworn in as minister of state with an independent charge.

He shot to light in 2008, over the land row agitation that lasted 61 days, at a time when the atmosphere became extremely polarized. During the turmoil, Singh, a good orator, emerged as a prominent voice of Jammu.

An author of eight books and a newspaper columnist, he often blames National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party leaders for the political situation of the state.

After the suicide attack in Pulwama, in which 44 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed, a war of words between National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and Singh erupted.

Singh called politicians from Kashmir apologists and Abdullah reacted saying no one should play politics over dead and injured soldiers. The war of words continued over social media platform, Twitter.

However, Singhs younger brother Devender Singh Rana is a close confidant of National Conference leader Dr Farooq Abdullah, who won from Srinagar in the recent general elections, as well as his son Omar Abdullah.

Earlier, he had also said studios have been set up in Pakistan to promote propaganda but the Centre is taking effective steps to counter them.
A gunfight broke out between the security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmirs Shopian district early on Friday, reports said.

News agency IANS quoted unnamed police sources as saying that security forces surrounded an orchard area in Dragad-Sugan village of the district after they received information about the presence of militants.

As the security forces came closer, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering an encounter which is underway. Additional forces have been rushed to the area to ensure to flush out the militants from the orchard area, the source was quoted as saying.

On Wednesday, a 20-year-old man was killed and 30 people were injured as civilians clashed with security personnel near a site of a gunfight in Pinjoora in Shopian.

A joint team of police and Indian Army had launched a cordon and search operation in Pinjoora on specific information about the presence of militants there.

As the forces were busy in the operation, the gunfight with militants holed up in the village began.

Clashes erupted close to the firefight site as villagers tried to march towards it to allegedly give a safe passage to militants.
Hardeep Singh Puri, a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer who served as the country permanent representative to the United Nations in 2014, on Friday took charge as minister of state with independent charge of the ministries of housing and urban affairs, civil aviation and commerce.

In the last 10 years of the UPA [United Progressive Alliance] government from 2004 to 2014, the expenditure of urban schemes was 1,57,703 crore. Under our government, for key PM Modi ji-led schemes; Swachh Bharat Mission, National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and PMAY which began in 2015 to 2019, the expenditure on these urban schemes stood at 9,07,286 crore which is six times the expenditure in just four years, this is what the PM through his flagship programmes has been able to do in the urban sector, Puri said.

Puri, who was the Bharatiya Janata Partys candidate for Punjabs Amritsar, was defeated by his Congress rival Gurjit Aujla by over 100,000 votes.

Puri will be the second IFS officer to be part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) governments cabinet after former foreign secretary S Jaishankar who took charge as union minister of external affairs. Former IFS officers such as Natwar Singh, Mani Shankar Aiyer and Brajesh Mishra were among diplomats who went on to have important political careers.

In November, Puri along with Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, had crossed over to Pakistan to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony of Kartarpur corridor linking Pakistans Gurudwara Darbar Sahib with Indias Dera Baba Nanak shrine.

Puri oversaw key NDA governments politically important schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Swachh Bharat Abhyan and the Smart Cities mission.
The Narendra Modi governments new agenda for the crisis-ridden farm sector is being geared towards achieving the single goal of doubling agricultural incomes  a legacy of its first term in office.

Prime Minister Modi had ambitiously promised a 100% jump in farmers incomes between 2017 and 2022, but farmers have been hobbled by unprofitable sales and even negative returns on some crops, as farm produce continue to sell below federally fixed rates known as minimum support prices (MSPs).

A three-pronged agenda is likely to be taken up, one that will aim to overhaul the MSP regime and warehousing and agricultural markets as well as widening of income support to farmers, an official said on condition of anonymity.

Also Read | PM Modi, 57-member team of ministers begin second innings

Niti Aayog, the state-run policy think-tank, is working on a set of recommendations with interministerial inputs for the Prime Ministers Office, the official said. The recommendations will propose reforms in appropriate areas, the official said.

Niti Aayog has reviewed the MSP regime, going into reasons why the PM-AASHA scheme of the previous government wasnt effective in ensuring MSPs for all 23 crops. It has prepared a new set of mechanisms to ensure farmers get MSP rates in the non-cereal segment, the official said, without specifying the crops.

MSPs are meant to act as floor rates, thereby helping avoid distress sales. According to data from rating and research company CRISIL Ltd, during 2017-18, of the 14 major crops which account for 80% of the total area sown in the country, eight crops , including pulses and oilseeds, traded below MSPs.

To double farm income, the government will count on a likely shift towards an income-transfer approach, the official said. The income support scheme, PM-KISAN, is likely to be expanded to cover all farmers, for which initial estimates are being calculated.

This is a manifesto promise, so we have to be ready with the basic framework, the official said.

Under PM-KISAN, small and marginal farmers with less than two hectares of land are to receive 6,000 a year in three equal instalments. It is intended to benefit 120 million farmers.

Also Read | 5 frontbenchers gone, Lok Sabha has new-look seating plan

On the production side, the government will likely unveil a mission to ramp up production of oilseeds, similar to the mission on pulses undertaken in the previous term.

On the infrastructure side, the official cited above said proposals are being devised to expand the countrys agri-warehousing infrastructure to boost farm incomes. For this, a national warehousing network along national highways is being considered that will be interlinked with agricultural markets.

MSPs work only when there is sufficient procurement (or buying of farm produce) by government agencies so that it can mop up most of the surplus brought to the markets. Under PM-AASHA, the government had signed off on a combination of measures: the price support scheme, the so-called price deficiency payment scheme and allowing of private firms to act as a buyer on behalf of the government on a trial basis.

These measures failed because the levels of procurement were insufficient to lift market rates fully, said economist R. Mani of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

The new proposals are aimed at ensuring that the government is able to quickly and effectively intervene in private markets when prices fall so that the rates for farmers improve, the official cited above said. The government is likely to expand its procurement operations in states where they have been traditionally weak.

MSPs are effectively implemented only in Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh for wheat and Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Haryana for rice. Farmers in other states hardly benefit from MSPs, as there is either a very small or no presence of government procurement agencies.

The 70th round of the National Sample Survey for 201213 revealed that only 32.2% of paddy farmers and 39.2% of wheat farmers in the country were aware of MSPs, while only 13.5% of paddy farmers and 16.2% of wheat farmers sold their produce to government agencies.

According to economist Ashok Gulati, doubling of farmers income would require agriculture to grow between 13% and 15% a year in the remaining four years until 2022, in contrast to a trend growth of just 3%.
Four militants and an associate were killed in two different encounters in Shopian and Awantipora in south Kashmir on Friday, police said.

Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants and a third individual, who police said went missing on Thursday afternoon and was allegedly an associate of the militants, were killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmirs Shopian district on Friday.

Two other militants were killed in the evening in another encounter in Midoora area of Awantipora in Pulwama district. It was the sixth in Kashmir since Tuesday.

Two terrorists were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. The identities and affiliation of the killed terrorists is being ascertained Citizens are requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials, the police said in a press release about the Awantipora encounter.

The gunfight in Shopian had erupted in the morning after a joint party of police, army and CRPF launched a search operation in the orchards of Draggad-Sugan village of Shopian in the morning following inputs about presence of militants there.

A police spokesman said that during the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the search party. The exchange of fire continued intermittently during the day leading to killing of three individuals.

In the ensuing encounter, two listed terrorists along with the other one who was part of this group were killed. Bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter and handed over to the legal heirs, the spokesman said.

Also read: 1 killed, 80 injured in Valley clashes

The police, in a tweet, said that the third individual is considered to be an active associate of this group.

The slain men were identified as Abid Manzoor Magray alias Sajju Tiger and Bilal Ahmad Bhat, both residents of Pulwama while the third man was Jasim Rashid Shah, a resident of Malnar in Shopian.

The police said that the group was affiliated with the proscribed outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.

Abid and Manzoor 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 spokesman said.

Jasim, as per the records and inputs available with police coupled with the family version was missing since yesterday afternoon and was part of this group, the police spokesman said.

Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were seized from the site of encounter.

Also read: 2 militants killed in Anantnag encounter

The encounter in Awantipora was is sixth in Kashmir since Tuesday in which six militants have been killed so far besides an alleged militant associate and a civilian.

Last week, security forces gunned down the Valleys most wanted militant commander Zakir Musa, 25, who had formed Al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind in south Kashmir.

The frequency of gunfights has increased in Kashmir valley has increased after the Lok Sabha elections. So has the number of militant deaths since May 10. There were just four encounters between the security forces and militants between April 11 when Baramulla voted in the first phase of general elections and May 6 when the polls ended in the Valley.

A total of 98 militants have been killed in various encounters across Kashmir so far this year.
Prakash Javadekar, who took over as information and broadcasting minister on Friday, said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government cherished press freedom and the partys pioneers were at the forefront of the struggle against emergency rule in 1975-77, when the press was gagged.

Press freedom is the essence of democracy and we not only recognise it, we cherish it, Javadekar told journalists after taking charge. In the history of free India, only once this freedom of press was curtailed, and that was in 1975 during emergency brought by the then Congress government.

He termed the emergency period that lasted 21 months a black period for the media, when there was everyday censorship and complete curtailment of press freedom. We fought against it under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, (Lal Krishna) Advani ji, Javadekar said.

The 68-year-old, minister who has also been given charge of the environment, forest and climate change ministry, was information and broadcasting minister for six months when the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014.

He, asked the media to balance freedom with responsibility. With freedom comes responsibility, and I am confident that the media will understand that, he said.
BJP leader Gopal Narayan Singh on Friday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for turning down his partys offer of one spot in the Cabinet just a few hours before the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi and his council of ministers.

Nitish only thinks for his own benefits. He is very selfish and takes decisions for his own benefits. He is very selfish, said the Rajya Sabha MP.

With the help of the BJP, he ran the government in Bihar for seven long years. But, the moment he realised that he can run the government independently, he kicked out our party. No alliance partners are protesting for Cabinet berths. I feel that people in Bihar will also point fingers at Nitish Kumar for his move, he lashed out.

The JD(U) on Thursday decided to not be a part of Narendra Modis new Cabinet, saying it would not accept the BJPs offer of only one ministerial berth.

They (BJP) wanted only one person from JD(U) in the Cabinet, so it would have been just symbolic participation. We informed them that we do not need it (Cabinet berth), JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar had said after a meeting of party leaders.

Kumar, who later attended Prime Minister Narendra Modis swearing-in ceremony, had stated, It is not a big issue. We are fully in the NDA and not upset at all. We are working together. There is no confusion.

JD(U) won 16 seats in Bihar in the recently concluded Lok Sabha, while BJP bagged 17.

Despite being a part of the National Democratic Alliance, the party was also not part of the last central government. The BJP, however, is sharing power in the Bihar government with its leader Sushil Kumar Modi as the Deputy Chief Minister.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed.)
The Narendra Modi government designated Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) as a terrorist group this month after intelligence inputs suggested that its leaders in Dhaka have joined hands with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayebba (LeT) to expand the groups activities in India. JMBs chief Salaudin Salehin, through its official media Al-Ehsar has already announced the terror groups India chapter JMH for expansion of its jihadist activities in India.

According to senior home ministry officials, the JMB had plans to make permanent bases within 10 km of the India-Bangladesh border (on the Indian side) in the districts of West Bengal, Assam and Tripura.

The terror group, which espouses the ultra-hardline ideologies of the Islamic State, has also been spreading its network in South India with the overarching motive of establishing a Caliphate in the Indian sub-continent.

Also read: PM Modi, 57-member team of ministers begin second innings

This was revealed during the interrogation of Jahidul Islam, who along with his 12-member action team was arrested in connection with the 2018 Bodhgaya blast.

According to Islam, who hails from Bangladesh, Gaya and other iconic Buddhist centres in India were the intended targets of the JMB as a part of their revenge for the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and to express solidarity with Rohingya Muslims.

Interrogation reports accessed by the Hindustan Times reveal that JMB cadres have increasingly been using madarasas in Burdwan and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal for training of their militant cadres.

Their training programmes include sessions on fabrication of shaped improvised explosive devices (IEDs), religious indoctrination, and physical exercises including target practice.

According to a home ministry report, the JMB has spread rapidly in Assam with the terrorist group organizing capsule courses under the cover of Tablighi Jamaat, a proselytising group, to train local Muslim youth and radicalize them.

The report confirms three-day courses at Larkuchi under Mukalmuwa police station, at Jogipara in Darrang district, at Barpeta district, and one-day courses at Borigoan mosque and at Panpara in Barpeta district. The JMB was proscribed by Bangladesh on February 23, 2005 while India banned it on May 23.

Also read: Amit Shah, Jaishankar among first-timers in PM Modis council of ministers

The report says that in mid-2016 JMB chief Salaudin directed some of his cadres to impart bomb training to Samim of Assam and Maulana Yusuf of Bardhaman at Dhubri in Assam. The JMB group assembled for training in Dhubri but were prevented from doing so by local Muslim house owners. Five cases were registered in Assam against the JMB.

The JMBs network is especially active in all Muslim majority districts of Assam and in West Bengal as these areas are close to their strongholds in northern and north-western Bangladesh. Activities of JMB have also been noticed in Jharkhand, especially Sahebganj and Pakur district. The group uses cross-border matrimonial alliances as a way to establish bases in India.

The terror network of JMB, which has also been banned by UK, came to light after an accidental bomb blast in Burdwan on October 2, 2014, in which two JMB jihadists were killed and another injured. Even after the crackdown by central security agencies, four JMB cadres of Bangladesh origin were arrested by Kolkata special task force in July 2018.

Interrogation of the accused revealed that they were using India as a base to procure arms and ammunition through local dealers to destabilize the Sheikh Hasina regime in Dhaka.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Photo: BC Legislature

Who would you vote for in a provincial election if one were called today?

The answer, it seems, not only depends on who you ask, but when you ask them, where you ask them and how you ask them.

Castanet readers bucked the results of a provincial online survey by Vancouver-based Research Co., returning the BC Liberals in a hypothetical election by a wide margin. And, somewhat surprisingly, the BC Conservatives put in a strong second-place showing.

The results may reflect the small-c conservatism of the B.C. Interior, but are in stark contrast to the provincial poll.

Castanet readers chose the BC Liberals with a leading 41.26%. The BC Conservatives were supported by 31.32%, the governing NDP by 18.35%, and the BC Greens by 9.08%.

A total of 8,209 votes were cast over 24 hours, making the results significant, if not scientific.

By contrast, the Research Co. poll, based on 800 responses, showed 39% of decided voters would cast a ballot for the BC NDP, versus 30% for the BC Liberals, 21% for the BC Green Party, and 9% for the BC Conservatives.

Research Co. president Mario Canseco notes on the poll, conducted May 20 to May 22 that data was "statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia." He ascribed a margin of error to the poll of +/- 3.5 percent, 19 times out of 20.

The Pew Research Center in the U.S. says the accuracy of any poll depends on how it was conducted.

"Most of Pew Researchs polling is done by telephone. By contrast, most online polls that use participants who volunteer to take part do not have a proven record of accuracy.

"There are at least two reasons for this. One is that not everyone in the U.S. uses the internet, and those who do not are demographically different from the rest of the public. Another reason is that people who volunteer for polls may be different from other people in ways that could make the poll unrepresentative. At worst, online polls can be seriously biased if people who hold a particular point of view are more motivated to participate than those with a different point of view."

Meanwhile, Canada's Abacus Data Inc. notes public confidence in polling is weak at best.

It found in 2017 that only 30% consider poll accuracy excellent or good, while 19% say it is poor.

This is hardly a ringing endorsement of either the accuracy or the professional ethics of those of us who work in this field," said Abacus's Bruce Anderson.

"Our reputation is constantly being tested ... we cant assume the broader public isnt watching, reading, or listening to our work with a critical mind.
Born in Bihars Lakhisarai district, 66-year-old Giriraj Singh won the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Bihars Begusarai by defeating Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Unions (JNUSU) former president and Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate Kanhaiya Kumar by over 420,000 votes.

He first became a member of Parliament in 2014 from Nawada and was appointed the minister of state (independent charge) for micro, small and medium enterprises in the first Narendra Modi government.

When Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar walked out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over Modis prime ministerial candidature candidate in 2013, Giriraj was among the 11 ministers that were dropped from the Bihar cabinet.

Singh triggered a political controversy on April 18, 2014 when he said during a public address that those opposing Modi have no place in India and should instead move to Pakistan. In October-November 2016, he was embroiled in another controversy when he urged Hindus to produce more children to increase their population.

During the Lok Sabha campaign, the Election Commission issued Singh a notice for allegedly seeking votes on communal lines. He had said those who couldnt chant Vande Mataram would never be forgiven by Indians.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi got the Ministry of Minority Affairs in the new Cabinet of prime minister Narendra Modi.

Naqvi is a two-time Rajya Sabha MP. The 62-year-old is a prominent Muslim face of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was elected to the Upper House from Jharkhand in 2016. Born in Allahabad, Naqvi was just 17 when he was detained at Naini Central Jail under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency in 1975. However, it was not the only time Naqvi was imprisoned. He went to jail over three dozen times for several national movements.

He was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Rampur in 1998. He served as minister of state for information and broadcasting in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and as minister of state for minority and parliamentary affairs in the first Modi government.

After Najma Heptullas resignation on July 12, 2016, he got independent charge of the ministry of minority affairs. He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in 2010, and then again in 2016 from Jharkhand.

He has served as vice-president, general secretary and spokesman of the BJP.
A man who was an accused in a murder case was hacked to death by his rivals right in front of scores of people on the busy Hyderabad-Mumbai national highway on the outskirts of Hyderabad Friday morning, police said.

The deceased was identified as Mahamood, a fruit vendor aged around 40 years who hailed from Musheerabad in Hyderabad.

A video of the gory incident that went was widely shared on social media showed one of the two assailants repeatedly hacking victim on his head and neck with his dagger. They left the place only after ensuring that he was dead.

The video also showed buses, trucks and other vehicles which had stopped on the highway a few metres away from the spot where the man was being attacked.

Nobody dared to intervene to stop the deadly assault on Mahamood who was shouting for help. Some of the onlookers even filmed the incident on mobile phones.

It was only after the assailants fled the scene on a two wheeler that the locals rushed towards the victim who already succumbed to the brutal attack. They informed the Patancheru police immediately.

Preliminary enquiries revealed that the murder was due to an old rivalry. The deceased was an accused in a murder at Lakdaram village of Siddipet district five months ago. The killers are believed to be his relatives. We are investigating the case, the police said.

In September 2018, a Dalit youth Perumalla Pranay was brutally hacked to death by a hired killer in front of a hospital in Miryalaguda.

In the same month, a man was hacked to death in broad daylight on Attapur main road. The victim died on the spot after a gang of four attacked him with an axe.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Union minister Narendra Tomar rubbishes away claims that allowance for farmers is too less.

The Union minister urged state governments to send consolidated lists of farmers who are eligible for the allowance.

Budget to be presented on July 5, economic survey to be released on July 4th: Union minister Prakash Javadekar

Union minister announces pension for small and medium enterprises, who do not come under GST and have a turnover of lower than 1.5 crore, says Union minister Prakash Javadekar. He says, more than 5 crore farmers will benefit, and unorganised sector workers to shall reap the benefits of this farmer.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar addresses the media after cabinet meet

Union Minister Javadekar announces Centres plan for vaccination of livestock and at animal husbandry based small and medium enterprises. He further adds that State Governments have to send a consolidated list and Centre shall take care of release of funds.

Union minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar addresses the media

Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar confirms pension for farmers above 65 years of age.

Union Ministers leave after first cabinet meeting ends. Cabinet briefing to be held at Shastri Bhawan shortly.

Union ministers Amit Shah, Piyush Goyal and Rajnath Singh leave after cabinet meeting.

Delhi: Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal leave after #UnionCabinet meeting. pic.twitter.com/2mM2KXHPRo  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman leaves after cabinet meeting

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, and Giriraj Singh greet each other after first cabinet meeting

Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, and Giriraj Singh share a light moment after first cabinet meeting. First cabinet briefing to follow soon.

Delhi: Visuals of Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Giriraj Singh after Cabinet meeting. #UnionCabinet pic.twitter.com/KgVydlK8UQ  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

PM Modis cabinet takes its first decision after cabinet meeting

PMs scholarship scheme goes through major changes. Wards of police personnel who were martyred in terror or Maoist attacks will receive enhanced scholarships.

Our Governments first decision dedicated to those who protect India!



Major changes approved in PMs Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund including enhanced scholarships for wards of police personnel martyred in terror or Maoist attacks. https://t.co/Vm90BD77hm pic.twitter.com/iXhFNlBCIc  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 31, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for the cabinet meeting

Other ministers have also arrived for the first cabinet meet after PM Narendra Modis successful re-election.

Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for the #UnionCabinet meeting. pic.twitter.com/PGFJ3VS8ge  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman has also arrived for the first cabinet meet.

Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS PMO Dr Jitendra Singh arrive for the #UnionCabinet meeting. pic.twitter.com/KSnfkLPaV7  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

Dr. Jitendra Singh takes charge as Minister of State, Prime Ministers Office

He was previously assigned with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region from 2014-2019

Delhi: Dr. Jitendra Singh takes charge as the Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office. #UnionCabinet pic.twitter.com/5FDIQ0YaPe  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

PM Modi gets ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions and department of atomic energy

In the new cabinet, Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister and also in-charge of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space; and all important policy issues; and all other portfolios not allocated to any minister.

Dharmendra Pradhan takes charge

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan today took charge of petroleum and natural gas ministry and steel ministry.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat takes charge as minister for Jal Shakti

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has taken charge as the minister for Jal Shakti, at Shram Shakti Bhavan, in New Delhi.

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank takes charge

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank took charge as Human Resource Development minister. Prahlad Singh Patel, minister of state (Independent Charge) of the ministry of culture, will assume office on Monday.

Nirmala Sitharaman takes charge as finance minister

Nirmala Sitharaman has taken charge as finance minister in PM Modis new cabinet.

Mahendra Nath Pandey is minister of skill development and entrepreneurship

Mahendra Nath Pandey has been appointed as the minister of skill development and entrepreneurship in the new cabinet.

Pandey, who served as a Union minister of state (MoS) in the Ministry of Human Resource Development between 2016 and 2017, was given the responsibility of the BJPs Uttar Pradesh unit in 2017 after the partys massive win in the assembly elections.

Pralhad Joshi to head three ministries

Pralhad Joshi will take charge as minister of parliamentary affairs; minister of coal; and minister of mines in the new cabinet.

Arvind Sawant gets minister of heavy industries and public enterprise

In PMs new cabinet, Arvind Ganpat Sawant has been appointed as the minister of heavy industries and public enterprise.

Harsh Vardhan is health minister

Harsh Vardhan has been appointed as the health minister in the new cabinet.

In the recently concluded general elections, Vardhan defeated Congress candidate Jai Prakash Agarwal by a margin of 2,28,145 votes.

In 2014, he had won the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat defeating Congress Kapil Sibal, who was then the Union Minister of Law and Justice.

Prakash Javadekar to head two ministries

In the new NDA government, Prakash Javadekar will take charge as minister of environment, forest and climate change; and minister of information and broadcasting.

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank to head HRD ministry

In PM Modis new cabinet Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will be taking charge of Human Resource Development ministry, while Narendra Singh Tomar will be minister of agriculture and farmers welfare; minister of Rural development; and minister of panchayati raj.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal retains ministry of food processing industries

Harsimrat Kaur Badal has been assigned as the in-charge of ministry of food processing industries.

Wife of Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal and daughter-in-law of five-time Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, she retained the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat for a third consecutive term.

Ravi Shankar Prasad to head three ministries

Ravi Shankar Prasad has been appointed as minister of law and justice; minister of communications; and minister of electronics and information technology.

Made a minister in the Modi government when it came to power in 2014, he held various key portfolios including communications, information technology, and law and justice.

Dharmendra Pradhan is minister of petroleum and natural gas; and minister of steel

Dharmendra Pradhan has been appointed as minister of petroleum and natural Gas; and minister of steel in PM Narendra Modis new cabinet

Pradhan, who held important portfolios like Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development in the previous NDA government, was the prominent face of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in just concluded Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha.

Piyush Goyal to head commerce ministry

In PM Modis new cabinet, Piyush Goyal will head the Commerce ministry apart from Railways, the communique said.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi retains ministry of minority affairs

As portfolio of PM Modis new cabinet has been announced, Rajya Sabha member Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi amd Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has been assigned charge of ministry of minority affairs.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998, and subsequently given the post of Minister of State of Information and Broadcasting in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He was given additional charge of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs from 2001 to 2003.

From 2003 to 2008, Naqvi served as a member of Haj Committee, and from March 2003 to February 2004, as Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Functioning of Wakf Boards.

He became Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs on May 26, 2014 in Narendra Modi government. Later in July 2016, he got independent charge of the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Ramvilas Paswan appointed minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution

In PM Modis new cabinet, Ramvilas Paswan has been given charge of minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.

Paswan has been a Union Minister since the mid-90s except for brief spells. He was the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from 2014.

Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank gets education ministry

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has been appointed education minister in place of Prakash Javadekar who gets Environment as well as Information and Broadcasting.

Sadananda Gowda appointed minister of chemicals and fertilizers

D.V. Sadananda Gowda has been appointed as Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers. he was the statistics and programme implementation minister in the previous cabinet.

Nitin Gadkari retains road transport ministry

In PM Modis new cabinet, Nitin Gadkari has retained the road transport ministry, Smriti Irani who had made a mark in the Lok Sabha elections by defeating Rahul Gandhi in the Congress bastion of Amethi has been given Women and Child Development, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank the education minister and Prakash Javdekar the minister for Information and Broadcasting.

S Jaishankar is new external affairs minister

The portfolios for PM Modis cabinet were announced on Friday. S Jaishankar has been announced as the new external affairs minister.

S Jaishankar is widely acknowledged as the surprise entry in PM Modis team. He was part of a troika with Modi and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval that shaped foreign policy in the early years of the previous Modi government.

Finance goes to Nirmala Sitharaman

In PM Narendra Modis new cabinet, Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed as the Finance Minister in Prime, according to a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique.

Amit Shah gets home ministry, Rajnath Singh defence

Amit Shah, the big entry in Prime Minister Narendra Modis freshly-minted Cabinet, has been given the Home Ministry, Rajnath Singh has been moved to Defence Ministry.
The Centre is mulling a new version of its flagship Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme that will focus on educating women about their rights, an official of the women and child development (WCD) ministry has said.

The Beti Bachao scheme, which aims to address skewed gender ratio as well as to empower young women, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22, 2015 at Panipat, Haryana.

The new version of the scheme will lay stress on educating women about their legal, financial and civil rights, the official cited above said.

The idea behind BBBP was to disseminate [information about] the dangers of gender-based sex selective elimination [and] to ensure the survival of the girl child and to encourage her participation in education. In its newer form, the outreach will tell a woman about her legal rights in a marriage, her right to free primary education, and about proper sanitation, the official said speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Also read: Mix of old and new faces in PM Modis NDA 2.0

While the scheme is yet to be named, officials said that the overlying plan for the Beti Bachao programme was a decadal one, according to instructions from the Prime Ministers Office.

Between 2015 and 2019, funds to the tune of ~650 crore have been spent on the Beti Bachao scheme which combines the efforts of the WCD, health and human resource development ministries.

Health secretary Preeti Sudan, who was the architect of the original BBBP scheme, says that it is a positive move to take the scheme forward. The aim of the scheme was to ensure a womans empowerment in a life-cycle continuum module. To take it to the next level is a great idea, but I will urge those involved to ensure that they do not just talk to the women alone, and involve everyone around her, Sudan told HT.

Also read: Amit Shah, Jaishankar among first-timers in PM Modis council of ministers

During a cabinet meeting held after announcement of Lok Sabha poll results, Maneka Gandhi, who held the WCD portfolio in the outgoing council of ministers, also reiterated to PM Modi about the need to implement the National Policy for Empowerment of Women, an official of the ministry told HT.

The draft policy, pending with the PMO since 2016, recommends reservation between 33% and 50% for women in local government bodies, state assemblies and the Parliament, a transport system exclusively for women in medical emergencies, and changes in legal provisions to ensure womens right to immovable property.
A nine-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly raped by a 28-year-old man on Thursday in Kempty area of Uttarakhands Tehri Garhwal district, police said. The accused, said to be from the upper caste, is absconding.

Four years ago, the girls older cousin was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by upper-caste men in the same village. Police said accused Vipin Pawar has two children and runs a grocery store in the village where both he and the girl live. The girl, whose family belongs to the labour class, is a student of class 6.

The incident happened on Thursday morning around 10.30 am when the girl was going to fetch water. Her parents were out on work at the time of the incident, said inspector ML Jakhmola of Kempty police station, who is handling the investigations. He said the accused, whose shop falls on the way to the water source, stopped the girl, gagged her and took her to an empty room adjoining his shop where he raped her. He then warned her to keep mum and let her go.

The inspector said the girl was crying when her mother returned home in the afternoon. On her mothers persistent queries, she told her what had happened. The girls family lodged a complaint against the absconding accused at around 10.30 pm on Thursday after which a case was registered under relevant sections of the India Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he said.

The girl was taken to a Dehradun hospital for medical tests on Friday. We are searching Vipins relatives place in Dehradun where he is suspected to be hiding. We are probing his last mobile phone location,he said.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who had declined to take the single cabinet berth offered to his party in PM Modi team, on Friday insisted that the decision by the Janata Dal (United) did not reflect fissures in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. But Kumar laid the ground rule for his party joining the government as an alliance partner. The representation of allies in the central government, he said, should be proportional to their strength in parliament.

The BJP, however, Kumar said, had offered one seat as a symbolic representation in the coalition government at this stage. In an alliance, our feeling was that there should be a proportional representation, the chief minister told reporters at Patna airport on his return from Delhi.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the JD(U) and was present for the oath-taking ceremony on the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan

WATCH | No need for symbolic presence: Nitish after JD(U) opts out of Union Cabinet

The JD(U), which rules Bijhar in alliance with the BJP and won 16 of the 40 seats in the state, wanted a bigger share in the council of ministers and had conveyed its demand to the BJP, which won 17 seats. It was not part of the Modi government in the last tenure and had walked out of the Congress Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance in Bihar in 2017 to be part of the NDA.

Nitish Kumar denied media reports that his party had haggled for three seats instead of one.

A BJP leader said the JD (U) insistence on proportional representation was about greater numbers. He said the BJP leadership had explained to Nitish Kumar that the symbolic representation formula for allies had been worked out to ensure that government formation was not held up for lack of consensus with certain allies.

It had been clearly conveyed to the JD(U) that more ministers would be inducted at a later stage.

Another BJP ally, the Uttar Pradesh-based Apna Dal, was also not given a spot in the council of ministers. Tamil Nadus ruling AIADMK, which is part of the NDA, was also missing from PM Modis team. But this is being linked to differences within AIADMK on its nominee.

Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel, who won the Lok Sabha seat from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, was a minister of state for health in the previous government, but was not given a ministerial position this time. She said that the question on her exclusion should be directed at the Prime Minister.

Apna Dal (S), which has a clout among a section of the other backward classes (OBC), won two seats in UP in alliance with the BJP. The saffron party won 62 seats in the state, trouncing the opposition alliance.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday he had not received any report from the countrys security agencies that the suicide bombers behind the Easter Sunday attacks had travelled to India.

I have not received any reports which say that they have travelled to India. My officers have not reported any connection to India up to now, Sirisena told a news conference at which he spoke in Sinhala.

His remarks were in contrast to comments by the Sri Lanka Army chief, Lt Gen Mahesh Senanayake, during an interview with BBC earlier this month. Senanayake said some bombers responsible for the attacks that killed more than 250 people had travelled to Kashmir, Kerala and Bengaluru either for training or to establish links with other organisations.

Sirisena, who was in Delhi for Prime Minister Narendra Modis swearing-in along with other leaders from member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec), said he was not informed by Sri Lankas defence chiefs about an alert sent by Indian intelligence agencies more than a fortnight before the April 21 bombings.

Noting that he was in Singapore at the time of the attacks, Sirisena said a clear report had been sent on April 4 by Indian intelligence agencies to their Sri Lankan counterparts about a possible attack. Letters and correspondence were exchanged between the defence secretary and inspector general of police on this issue, he said.

I was in Sri Lanka from April 4 to April 16However, none of the defence chiefs informed me about the receipt of such intelligence. Had I known of this possibility, I would never have left the countryThat is why I have taken action to remove the defence secretary and inspector general of police, he added.

Sirisena said Sri Lanka was supported by India, Britain and the US in investigating the attacks.

The investigation found that the perpetrators operated under an international organisation. The Sri Lankan terrorists had obtained training in countries where international terrorist groups are operating, he said. The terrorists were from wealthy families and no evidence had been found so far of them being financed by outside sources, he added.
A journalist of an Odia daily in coastal Balasore district was grievously injured after illegal sand miners allegedly attacked him on Wednesday night while he was returning home from office.

Pratap Patra, a reporter of leading Odia daily Samaj, was attacked on his head, chest and hands with sharp weapons at Gunapur Chhak on Baliapal-Kamarda road of Balasore, 230 km north of Bhubaneswar at around 9 pm. Baliapal police station inspector in-charge Prabhu Kalyan Acharya said the journalist survived as he was wearing a helmet.

Patra was first rushed to Community Health Centre at Baliapal by some locals and then shifted to the district headquarters hospital in Balasore. His condition was stated to be stable.

The bike-borne miscreants chased him and rained blows on his head and body with sharp weapons. His helmet broke after taking the initial blows. He suffered gashes on his head, chest and hand. The miscreants also snatched away his mobile phone and gold necklace before fleeing from the spot, said Acharya

The inspector said no FIR has been lodged so far, but the police have taken up the matter and started an investigation.

Patra told the police that he had reported about the sand mafia in Balasore a few days ago which angered some people. Police said the journalist received threats over last few days. The journalist later told the local press that he knew the attackers and handed over a list of names to the police.

The National Green Tribal in January had passed an order asking the Balasore district administration to stop illegal sand mining near the Subarnarekha river. Due to heavy demand of sand in different parts of Odisha for developmental and welfare projects and demand of quality sand in neighboring states, the mafia reportedly scooped away tonnes of sand causing severe damage to embankments and roads.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with various heads of states on Friday, a day after taking over at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was attended, among others, by several foreign dignitaries.

PM Modis first bilateral meeting, amongst the five scheduled for Friday, was with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena at the Hyderabad House in Delhi, according to ANI.

The Prime Minister thanked President Sirisena for his gesture of attending the oath ceremony and also for his good wishes. He conveyed his governments continued commitment to further foster friendly bilateral ties with Sri Lanka.

This comes after the Sri Lankan leader, along with representatives from fellow member-states of BIMSTEC, attended Modis swearing-in ceremony on Thursday.

The PM next met his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth who extended his warm felicitations. PM Modi reiterated his commitment to further strengthening the fraternal and enduring bilateral ties between the two countries.

The PM met President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sooronbay Sharipovich Jeenbekov, on Thursday, marking his first bilateral meeting as the Prime Minister for a second term right after the oath-taking ceremony.

After a massive mandate in the elections, Modi took oath as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term, inducting confidant and BJP President Amit Shah into his Cabinet along with the surprise inclusion of former foreign secretary S Jaishankar. While he retained most of his earlier Cabinet ministers, seniors like Suresh Prabhu, Maneka Gandhi and Radha Mohan Singh were dropped.
Photo: Twitter

Relentless flooding persisted in the U.S. Friday, sending communities underwater and damaging or overtopping levees on three major rivers in two states.

The fast-flowing Arkansas River smashed a 40-foot hole in a levee in rural western Arkansas, causing water to spill into a nearby community. In northeast Missouri, a levee was overtopped on the Mississippi River, and another levee was topped on the Missouri River in the central part of the state.

The flooding has been ongoing for days because of heavy rainfall upstream. In Arkansas, officials were warning of more potential problems on an already strained levee system.

"These levees were not built to sustain this high a flow for this long, and we are seeing problems and there more than likely will be more," Laurie Driver, spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District.

In Arkansas, the levee breached at Dardanelle, about 60 miles northwest of Little Rock. Yell County officials had anticipated the breach and urged residents in the nearby Holla Bend area to evacuate Thursday.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said crews went door to door to recommend evacuation for about 160 homes.

Yell County Emergency Manager Jeff Gilkey told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that rapid currents from the river ripped a 40-foot section from the levee. Aerial video posted by the sheriff's office Friday showed water pouring through the hole.

"There was nothing we could do to stop it," Gilkey said.

National Weather Service data showed a dip in the water level at Dardanelle, likely due to the breach. A flash flood warning was issued early Friday for the area, and forecasters said residents should be prepared for rapidly rising water. Local officials said they were uncertain where the water would end up.

"Water is going to do what it wants to do," Yell County Judge Mark Thone told reporters at a news conference. "We're just trying to head this off."

The levee breached because of ongoing flooding along the Arkansas River, which began in Oklahoma. Late Thursday night, President Donald Trump approved the state's request for a disaster declaration in 16 counties affected by the flooding. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the declaration will help the state minimize the loss, but added that "this is far from over."
Piyush Goyal was given charge of the Railways Ministry along with Commerce and Industry in PM Narendra Modis Cabinet.

Piyush Goyal has emerged as the Bharatiya Janata Partys go-to man in the last five years. A Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, the 55-year-old leader has proved his mettle both as power minister and railway minister, pushing total electrification of the country and promoting rail infrastructure projects. Goyal also held additional charge of the finance ministry when Arun Jaitley was unwell and tabled the interim budget ahead of the 2019 general elections. Mentored by late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajapayee, he comes from a political family with close links to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

An alumnus of the Don Bosco School, Matunga, Goyal completed his Chartered Accountant standing second in the country and law degree from the University of Mumbai.

He started his professional career as an investment banker and served as a government nominated Director on boards of State Bank of India and Bank Of Baroda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make an official visit to Sri Lanka on June 9 after completing a trip to the Maldives, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday.

Prime Minister Modis visit is very important to us. We are neighbours and friendsWe are eagerly awaiting his arrival, he told a news conference after his meeting with the Indian premier at Hyderabad House.

Modi is expected to travel to the Maldives during June 7-8 for the first bilateral visit of his second term, people familiar with developments said last week.

Normalcy was restored in Sri Lanka within three weeks after the Easter Sunday bombings of April 21 that killed more than 250 people, and tourists were returning while many countries had revised their negative travel advisories, Sirisena said.

Asked about reports of Chinas growing influence in Sri Lanka, Sirisena said relations between the two countries were focused on trade and economic ties and there is no room for further influence by China.

Sirisena was in New Delhi with leaders of other states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) to attend Modis swearing-in, and they held separate meetings with the Indian premier.

During their meeting, Sirisena and Modi noted terrorism continues to pose a threat to humanity and committed themselves to closer cooperation for peace and security in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region.

Modi and Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid expressed satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral ties. Modi accepted an invitation to visit Bangladesh and said the bilateral relationship remained of the highest priority to India. He also emphasised the importance of raising ties to a new level to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Bangabandhu Mujibur Rahman in 2020, and the 50th anniversary of Bangladeshs liberation in 2021. Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Modi expressed satisfaction at progress in implementing bilateral projects and initiatives.
Ram Vilas Paswan was given the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in PM Narendra Modis new Cabinet.

An eight-time Lok Sabha member, Ram Vilas Paswan, 72, is also president of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), a partner in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Paswan did not contest the 17th Lok Sabha election, but is set to take the route to Parliament through the Rajya Sabha.

An inveterate politician, Paswan has been a minister at the Centre in coalition governments under both the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Despite forming the LJP out of the Janata Dal (United) in 2000, Paswan joined the Atal Bihari Vajpayees NDA government, of which the JD(U) too was a part.

He severed ties with the NDA after the Gujarat riots in 2002 to join the UPA in 2004.

Paswan was minister of chemicals and fertilisers between May 23, 2004 and May 22, 2009 in Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs government. Paswan had to pay the price for severing ties with the Congress in 2009. With the LJP wiped out, Paswan hit a political trough, having lost the Hajipur Lok Sabha seat that year. Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad helped him to the Rajya Sabha in 2010. He embraced the NDA again in 2014. He held the portfolios of mines, communications and information technology, railways and labour and welfare, before joining the Narendra Modi government in 2014. He was last a cabinet minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, 63, was made the Minister of Law and Justice, Minister of Communications and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology in PM Narendra Modis new Cabinet.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, a lawyer by profession, is a first-time member of the Lok Sabha from Patna Sahib, where he defeated former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) colleague Shatrughan Sinha, who contested as a Congress candidate.

Prasad had been a member of the Rajya Sabha since 2000. A law graduate from Patna University, Prasad came into prominence when he became the main lawyer in a public interest litigation against former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad in the so-called fodder scam, in which vast amounts of money were embezzled from the state treasury for ostensibly procuring fodder and medicine for livestock. Prasad took active part in student agitations during the 1970s, organising protests against Indira Gandhis government during her emergency rule in the mid-1970s. Prasad has held several ministerial portfolios, including the law and justice and electronics and information technology, in the first term of the Narendra Modi government.
Rohtang Pass, the 13,050 feet gateway to Lahaul and Spiti Valley, opened for tourists visiting Kelyong and Leh on Thursday.

However, for those intending to visit Rohtang top, the mountain pass will open on June 1.

For tourists traveling towards Kelyong, Pangi and Leh, the pass is open from today (Thursday), while those who want to exclusively visit Rohtang, it will open on June 1, said Kullu deputy commissioner Yunus Khan.

The road to the pass was opened by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on May 19.

Yunus said tourists visiting beyond Rohtang should possess valid booking voucher of hotels, home stay or camping sites  duly registered with the states tourism department  in Keylong, Pangi or Leh.

After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, permits to 1,300 vehicles are being issued for each day. The pass will remain closed every Tuesday for maintenance purpose, he said.

The permit to go beyond Rohtang would be issued at Manali sub-divisional magistrates office from 10am to 5pm and congestion charges of 50 would be charged.

In case of violation of the permit conditions, offenders would be liable to pay penalty of 5,000 as environmental compensation and the vehicle would be blacklisted.

Permit will be issued keeping in view the conditions and related problems of the area.

The administration has also fixed timings for vehicles. Heavy vehicles ferrying essential commodities will be allowed from 5am to 5:30am.

Small goods carrier and government vehicles will be allowed from 5:30am to 7:30 am.

Tourist vehicle going up to Rohtang will be allowed from 7:45 am to 10 am while those going to Lahaul and Pangi will be permitted to travel from 10am to 11am.

The vehicles coming from Lahaul to Manali will be released from 9am to 11am from Koksar post. Rohtang Pass, on the Manali-Leh highway, receives heavy snowfall and is shut during winter, cutting off the residents of Lahaul Spiti from the rest of the state for many months.

A large number of Lahaul residents, living in the Kullu-Manali area, use the Rohtang Pass to commute between Kullu and Lahaul valley.
Santosh Gangwar, 70, is a veteran parliamentarian who lost from his traditional Bareilly seat just once in 2009 ever since his electoral debut in 1989. He has won the Lok Sabha election eight times.

An active member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he was first elected as an MP from Bareilly in 1989 and represented the constituency for six consecutive terms till 2009.

He was defeated by Congresss Praveen Singh Aron, but wrested back his seat in 2014 and retained it in 2019.

Gangwar also went to jail during the Emergency. Born in a family of farmers in Tiulya villag, Gangwar attended the Agra University and Rohilkhand University from where he completed his BSc and LLB, respectively.
Assam Police is investigating a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer posted in the state after his subordinates filed multiple complaints of sexual harassment between 2008 and 2017 against him, officials familiar with the development said on Friday.

The three complaints against Abu Sufian (50), presently serving as deputy inspector general, Railways, were forwarded to the internal complaints committee (ICC) for enquiry in April, more than two months after they were sent to the Director General of Police, Assam, in January 2019. Sufian, originally an Assam Police Service officer, was promoted to the IPS in 2012.

Violet Baruah, a deputy inspector general who is the presiding officer of the ICC said, The ICC of the Assam Police under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act, received complaints from three women. The accused is a serving official and the enquiry is on, she said, without naming the accused. A senior member of the ICC confirmed Abu Sufian is being investigated.

According to a police official closely involved with the developments, the matter came to light in January when a woman constable approached the commanding officer of one of the battalions where she is posted, on how she was sexually harassed by Sufian in 2017. After two more victims came out with details of sexual harassment, their complaints were forwarded to the DGPs office in January.

According to the first victims complaint, Sufian, then the commanding officer of the Assam Police Battalion in question, started harassing her soon after she joined in 2017. Her complaint notes how Sufian would call her to his chambers and make lewd gestures. He would ask me to kiss him and openly ask for sex, the complaint reads, adding that he even threatened her with dire consequences if she refused to give in to his demands.

The complaint claims that Sufian offered Rs 50,000 and when she declined it, he unzipped and exposed his private parts.

I could only come out and complain in 2019 because he was still serving as the commanding officer after the incident, the survivor said.

Another survivor, who also served under Sufian, detailed how in 2008 when she was four months pregnant, Sufian, then the commanding officer of the battalion, called her to the chambers and asked for sex. He told me that if I slept with him he would cancel all my field duties this womans complaint reads, adding how Sufian even advised her to go for an abortion.

When she protested, Sufian reportedly posted her on guard duties which entailed carrying a heavy rifle and standing for long hours. The survivor claimed that when she could not perform the duties due to her pregnancy, Sufian placed her under suspension.

According to the complainant, she was made to walk six kilometers to attend the roll call every day, despite being under suspension and in an advanced stage of pregnancy. Fearing dismissal, she obeyed. Sir, I remained under suspension for the entire period of my pregnancy because I refused to love Mr Abu Sufian, the complaint reads.

The third complainant claims that Sufian, then the commanding officer of the Assam Police battalion she was serving in, started making sexual advances in 2008-09 .The complaint notes one instance when she was grabbed by her waist and had to rush out of the room. The complainant says that after the incident, Sufian grew hostile. This survivors complaint claims she had to lose her job because of Sufians harassment.

Sufian, meanwhile, said he is not aware of any incidents or complaints. I do not have knowledge of any such incidents. I do not know about any complaints. Nobody has told me, who gave you these details? he said.

Kuladhar Saikia, Director General of Police, Assam refused to comment.
The Tamil Nadu government on Friday filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against a Madras high court order quashing the land acquisition process for the 10,000-crore Chennai-Salem eight-lane expressway.

The apex court agreed to hear the matter on Monday after the state government sought an urgent hearing. Land acquisition for the 277-km greenfield expressway, for which a government order (GO) was issued in May 2018, had resulted in massive protests by farmers in five districts  Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Thiruvannamalai, and Kancheepuram a month later.

Green activists too joined them as the project threatened the ecologically sensitive Kalroyan hill range of the Eastern Ghats. The CM had assured that his government would not appeal against the April order of the high court.

Arul Arumugham, convenor of the movement against the expressway project, criticised the move by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led state government, saying it had made false promises to woo voters before elections. DMK president MK Stalin has also urged the government to withdraw the appeal petition.
Amid demands for Rahul Gandhi to continue as Congress president, the party has tasked a two-member team, comprising Congress secretary Zubair Khan and KL Sharma, to find reasons for the defeat of Rahul in Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Sharma, who is the representative of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli, has closely worked in Amethi as well.

Khan and Sharma, who reached Amethi on Thursday, met District Congress Committee (DCC) office bearers. They are likely to meet party leaders of five assembly segments in the next two to three days and expected to submit their report to the party leadership soon.

Yes, the two-member committee has reached Amethi and begun interacting with party leaders of Amethi. The committee will continue to hold interaction by the weekend and submit its report soon, said a senior Congress leader of Amethi.

DCC Amethi president Yogendra Mishra has offered to resign from his post owning moral responsibility for the Congress presidents defeat in Amethi, till now considered to be a bastion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Both Khan and Sharma were not available for comments. Other party leaders, however, said besides pointing out the alleged misuse of official machinery and money power, the committee has also been informed about the lapses and weaknesses at the organisation level that failed to counter the BJPs campaign against Rahul in the constituency.

Irani, who had lost the seat to Rahul in 2014, continued to visit the constituency and focused on strengthening the party organisation. Posters calling Rahul Gandhi Missing MP came up more than once in Amethi.

A section of farmers whose land was acquired for Samrat Cycles and other projects often held demonstrations and tried to show black flags to Rahul Gandhi. A black flag to a member of Nehru-Gandhi family was considered unthinkable till a few years ago in Amethi.

Local party leaders are also learnt to have told the committee members that the Congress did not get support of local units of SP-BSP alliance in Amethi.

Although the SP-BSP alliance did not field its own candidate and supported Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, the alliances votes were transferred to Irani instead of the Congress president and this led to his defeat by a margin of about 50,000 votes, said another party leader.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
If there was one discordant note in the celebration of government formation, it was the Janata Dal (United), or JD (U), refusing to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government after being offered a single cabinet berth.

JD (U) won 16 of the 17 seats it contested in Bihar and so was unhappy with the formula worked out by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to give a single cabinet berth to each ally in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), regardless of the number of seats won.

HT has learnt that the BJP tried to convince the JD(U), till even a few minutes before the ministers being sworn in took the stage, but to no avail. BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav spent half the day trying to convince Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to change his mind, but the latter stood firm, a senior JD (U) leader said on condition of anonymity.

Kumar didnt mince words when he spoke to reporters in Patna a day after he attended the swearing-in ceremony.

He (BJP president Amit Shah) said we are only giving one seat for all allies; we heard them. it seemed he wanted to give only symbolic representation (to allies). We thought it was not necessary. It should be proportional representation, he said.

In an apparent swipe at his alliance partner, Kumar said, No one should have any confusion that the victory which was registered by NDA in Bihar is the victory of the people of Bihar. If somebody is claiming that this is his personal victory, then they are delusional.

Kumar also denied that the JD (U) had asked for three seats. HT has learnt that this was the partys expectation after it won 16 seats. Once the BJPs offer of a single seat came, JD (U) leaders at various levels decided to reject it.

As one JD (U) leader pointed out, it was unfair that the Shiromani Akali Dal, with 2 MPs, should get the same cabinet representation as the JD (U).

Incidentally, the Shiv Sena, with a larger number of MPs at 18, also got a single cabinet berth, something it is unhappy with as well.

However, none of the alliance partners is in a position to make much of a fuss because the BJP has a clear majority with 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

We are not upset or angry; in Bihar we are working together to run a government to end backwardness, said Kumar.

While the ministers list was announced on Thursday, JD (U) leaders looked at the brighter side and said this also ensured that the JD (U) isnt not subsumed by the BJP.

A BJP leader, when asked for his reaction, said, We dont take this negatively. We are working with the JD (U).

(With inputs from Anil Kumar)
The principal scientific advisor to the Prime Minister is putting together a team of young researchers who would act as sounding boards for new ideas and help implement the countrys scientific missions, according to a senior official.

The Prime Ministers Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC) has 21 members, including senior researchers and government officials, who help develop and implement various missions. The consultative team of early and mid-career researchers will provide a fresh perspective and generate new ideas and mission, the official attached to the office of principal scientific advisor said.

Instituted in September 2018, PMSTIAC comprises nine science experts, 11 ex-officio secretaries from different ministries, and a member nominated by PSA. The PMSTIAC has identified nine missions of national importance, including deep sea exploration, generating energy from waste, decoding the diverse human genomes and economically viable electric vehicles. The team will include at least 100 scientists from academia, research labs, industry, and NGOs.

We are putting in place consultative groups of early-mid-stage researchers, with connect to their field and its community. We will sound them out regularly, mainly through web-based interactions. We hope to have at least 100 members, and a third turning over each year. Social- scientists, economists, and those from civil society, also please apply, tweeted principal scientific advisor Prof K VijayRaghavan. Scientists from outside India can also apply.

The modalities on conducting the brainstorming sessions are still being worked out. These sessions could be held online or regional meetings could also be arranged. There will be three or four brainstorming sessions each year, said the official.

People interested can send in their bio to psa.gov.in. The first list will be ready by July 1.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Actors Sonam K Ahuja and Varun Dhawan have praised Mumbai-based dance group V.Unbeatable, who got a standing ovation from the judges of the reality show Americas Got Talent. Shared on Twitter on May 28, the video of their performance has garnered more than 2.26 million views - and counting.

Varun, who has performed with the group at the Wagah border, shared the dance routine which V.Unbeatable performed on the show, judged by Gabrielle Union, Howie Mandel, Julianne Hough and Simon Cowell.

Got a chance to dance with this team at the Wagah border for Street Dancer 3. They are unbelievable, tweeted Varun.

Got a chance to dance with this team at the Wagah border for #sd3 they are unbelievable https://t.co/jvaLPX4sNS  Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) May 30, 2019

Sonam also shared the video and wrote: This is beyond amazing. Theyve come such a long way and are loaded with talent!

This is beyond amazing. They've come such a long way and are loaded with talent!  https://t.co/mpQE4nyQq5  Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamakapoor) May 30, 2019

The group, which comprises of 28 members aged between 12-27, danced to the Bollywood number Malhaari from the Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone starrer Bajirao Mastani, during their audition round in Americas Got Talent.
Does life keep to a script? The short answer is no. In the 14th century, Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, sets his compass for India. He lands in the Americas. A century later, a ship helmed by another man, shows the world another way, other than the Silk Road, to enter India; Vasco da Gama docks his vessel in Calicut.

In the late nineteenth century, Raja Ravi Varma, an artist in the kingdom of Travancore, enters court to do portraits of his patron, the king. Also patronised by the British, he picks up the Western style of composition using perspective and realism, and re-emerges as the painter of mythical and epic figures.

Ardeshir Vakil, Bombay cinematographer of the silent era of the Hindi film industry, puts his faith in sound and directs Alam Ara (1931), Indias first talkie. In the 50s, French critics gathered around a journal, the Cahiers du Cinema, call out the French canon and start making their own films, ushering in the New Wave . At around the same time, a junior visualiser with a British advertising firm, Satyajit Ray, ditches advertising and starts looking into a film camera....

In short: people all over the world push their toes into all sorts of shoes so as to run in new directions. In life, there are no false starts, only new beginnings. Every jolt, break, or change, is the opportunity to try something fresh as there is always a world beyond the one we know. We profile five people who start over and greet their new life with spirit, resolve and a sense of adventure.

Noor Enayat

A partner with a PR and marketing firm in Delhi, she thought she was bisexual till her relationship with a person of the same gender changed her life

Noor Enayat at her home in New Delhi (Paroma Mukherjee / HT Photo)

Ive been lucky to belong to an open-minded family where heterosexual relationships may have been the norm and the normal way to be, but I was aware of homosexual relationships being lived. One was aware of family friends who had an alternative sexuality, but that fact was considered irrelevant.

Till I entered college, I dated boys. We pecked each others cheeks, held hands, and may be exchanged a kiss or two. Must say I found it the most boring thing under the sun. All the men I dated I was attracted to them as individuals, but sexually, I felt nothing.

In college, I became friends with a classmate. It was a deep friendship, and one day, the underlying attraction played itself out. It was not the first time we had been alone, but there was that moment, a time and a sense of comfort, and we went ahead with what we were feeling. It just felt right emotionally and physically. With my experience with her, I began to realise things about myself. That I had, and continued to notice women more than men, that I didnt remember the boys from school, yet I remembered all the girls, and that I had grown accustomed to the norms of a certain world, which was open  in that it had not suppressed the expression of the desire of one woman for another, but it had not acknowledged that either. And it had seemed all right to me, until then. There was relief, and also the thrill of feeling alive for the first time.

We were together for two years. I saw no reason to lie anymore about who I was. I have had relationships exclusively with women since then. But for the first few years, I thought if not straight, Im certainly bisexual, because I was still trying to fit in and be socially acceptable. In 2005, a male friend, one day, told me that Do you realise you are in fact gay. Please just come to terms with it.... Over the years, Ive introduced my partners to my family, and while it took them a while to understand, they are okay with it now.

What I do in my bedroom is my business. Im queer, but I say that with a sense of freedom by being able to reclaim the original meaning of the word  someone at odds with what is considered normal. If queer is a slur for everyone who is not straight, I embrace it. I also embrace it because I dont conform to a certain expected queer dynamic  that I should dislike or hate the straight world and only hang out with queer people. Some of my closest friends are straight men and women, as are, of course, queer people. Im as assimilated in both worlds. My sexuality does not define who I am, its merely a part of me.

Vedant Bharadwaj

After dastango Ankit Chadhas death, musician Vedant Bharadwaj, based in Chennai, had to rethink his act by forming collaborations with other artistes

(L-R) Artistes Ankit Bharadwaj and Ankit Chadha first met each other when they were performing at the Kabir Festival in Mumbai (Photo: Vedant Bharadwaj)

I first met Ankit Chadha when we were both performing at the Kabir Festival in Mumbai. We were introduced by its organiser Falguni Desai, a lawyer. Ankit was by then quite well-known in dastangoi circles. He was at the time, planning a dastan on Amir Khusrau, the great Persian poet whose contribution to the qaawali and ghazals was immense.

Ankit felt his dastan would be incomplete without music, even though dastangoi, which is dramatised storytelling, does not traditionally include music. So I came into the picture and our collaboration began. Because I am a musician and I would be playing an instrument, further changes were made to the dastangoi structure; instead of the showy Lucknowi kurta-pyjamas we wore ordinary ones, for instance, so that I would have ease while holding the banjo. We travelled together for work and our friendship grew. There were running duels on who could crack the worst PJs.

Praarthanaa, which explored the idea of death in the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, was Ankits last dastan. In Khusrau, besides Ankit and me there were other collaborators, but for Praarthanaa, Ankit thought it would be better to keep this small, just we two. Both of us chose songs that Gandhi would sing at his evening prayer. Last April, we had recorded the Praarthanaa show  his narration, my songs. Ankit died in an accident a month later.

In July when I did Praarthanaa at the Sabarmati ashram to commemorate its 100 years  it was both our dream -- I played Ankits rcorded voice on stage. I found it very difficult to keep my emotions under control because just soon after Ankit speaks out, as it were, I have to begin my song. Himanshu Bajpayi, a long-time collaborator of Ankits, now does Ankits part as well when he does Khusrau. This year, I did Praarthanaa with Falguni, who had never performed on stage. So all of us had to begin afresh and we did that by keeping Ankit in the middle.

When she did Praarthanaa, I didnt expect her to sound like Ankit but she felt inspired enough to do this. The important thing is when we perform this work, Ankit lives. When we are on stage and do a performance in which Ankit was such an important part, we dont just hear his voice, we also imagine him being there.

Tejshree Savara

A lawyer, law stopped being her prime focus, when she opened her NGO and company for dog products in Delhi

Tejshree Savara with a stray which is looked after by her foundation (Photo: We Exist )

I come from a family of lawyers and I practised law over a decade. I started off in oil and gas, which wasnt my cup of tea, and then moved to art and antiquities law. Ive always had dogs around me. One day I went out to feed a pack of strays that stayed in front of my house when someone chucked a stone at them. And the thought crossed my mind  they should scream and say we exist.

Eventually when I started my NGO, thats what I named it, The We Exist Foundation, a year ago. I do consultancy off and on but law has stopped being my prime focus. My dogs are the centre of my life now. I structured the two companies -- The NGO and the for-profit company through which we sell dog products  such that one would feed the other. The fund raising I do is to look after my strays and indies. I didnt do this because I just find them cute or cuddly.

There were times when people said, You have studied so much and spent so much on your studies and now to give it all up to do something so niche.... Its just that I felt that commitment so none of that matters anymore. And I dont feel like I gave up anything. When someone adopts a dog of mine and I see it going into a home, or Im able to convert someone to look at a dog with kindness that seems worth more to me than any cheque I would get end of the month.

But being an entrepreneur isnt easy. I had to re-wire myself, teach myself how to run a business from scratch. There were days when I felt I wanted to shut it down. And then one little pup would walk up to me or jump into my arms and I would think they are not going to stop loving me no matter what, how can I stop doing this for them?

Neena Gupta

The veteran actress discusses her new innings and how she went through a period, before Badhaai Ho, when she had no work

Actress Neena Gupta played a leading in the sleeper hit of 2018, Badhaai Ho (Aalok Soni / HT PHOTO)

For a long time after my wedding in 2008, people who saw me in Mumbai were surprised. There was an impression that I had moved to Delhi, because thats where my husbands family was based. It wasnt true. I wasnt working because I wasnt getting any meaningful roles.

I did not like the television roles I got as they were unrealistic, and I hardly got any film offers. I was not yet 50. This period was really hard for me; after working continuously for over 20 years, I had nothing. I busied myself helping my daughter [Masaba Gupta] with her fashion design business and kept engaged in other interests like dance and music.

But my primary profession is acting and without it there was an emptiness that was really hard to deal with. I would go on vacation, but there was this restlessness even then. Holidays never feel as good when youre not actually taking a break from work.

I did whatever little interesting work came my way, and then I did the short film Khujli [in the web short, which was released in 2017 and quickly went viral, Gupta and Jackie Shroff play a middle-aged couple beginning to experiment in the bedroom].

People seemed surprised that I was working again. I wanted to change that impression. So in July 2017, I put up a post on Instagram chiefly to clarify [the post stated simply I live in Mumbai and working am a good actor looking fr good parts to play.] At the time, I was new to Instagram and only had about 11,000 followers. But Masaba shared the post and then people began to really take note of it, or maybe it was good luck, but I started getting offers again.

The first person who approached me after the post was director Anubhav Sinha with the film Mulk (2018). Then came Badhaai Ho (2018). Ayushmann Khurrana said I was too hot to play his mother but I asserted that I am an actor and I can pull off any look. The role in Khujli helped in that.

I was doing my first big role in a mainstream film in 10 years, but once in the studio, it felt like Id never been away. They say if you learn to swim once you never forget, the same can be said about acting. The world of Indian cinema, though, is different now. There is so much opportunity to play interesting characters, to play realistic women too. My next film is Panga, where I play the mother of a woman kabaddi player. It feels great to be back to work and the recognition after Badhai Ho was very encouraging. But sometimes I wish I was younger now, when things have changed so much, with good stories being told.

Jose Covaco

Radio personality-turned MTV VJ-turned Vine video maker-turned YouTuber-turned video-based social media comic based in Mumbai

Artiste VJ Jose Covaco has changed course many times in his career (Satish Bate / HT Photo)

Honestly, Ive been around for so long and done so many things, Ive blocked out parts of my life. I know the world sees me as someone whos done so many things, but look back. I was in radio for a whole 10 years, starting out as a trainee. I was pretty content  you never have to dress up for a radio job. Id have stayed there happily had there not been an opportunity in TV.

I was at MTV for a whole five years before it hit me that I couldnt hack it any more. Who knows when the worlds going to end, right? I was already making videos on my phone, the world was moving on to social media. So I chucked my contract, the job, the salary and moved to comedy videos.

Ive been lucky. Ive been less busy and more productive in this phase of my life. I dont even have to leave my home for some of the videos. TV has too many cooks. An idea is CCed to 15 people on email, who book the conference room for a meeting, and then spend 1 crore on a video that 400 people will ultimately watch. It doesnt really let you be yourself.

Here, Im the ideator, creator and executor  and everything is quick. Radio teaches you to create content from nothing, no budget, no cast, just an idea. And to keep it as simple as possible, like misheard lyrics, or the video gag that the new 2,000 notes were so advanced , they were embedded with microchips.

We did one very popular video about Bandra stereotypes, in five or six minutes, but thats because wed been preparing for it our whole lives. I know the work is hard to classify. Its not stand-up, its not satire, Im not doing impressions. But Ive never worried about that. I just wonder if its funny and if I can pull it off.

Like everyone, I was less scared as a younger person. From radio to TV, I asked myself, Will I enjoy this? From TV to social media, I said, Will I be able to do this?

If my video is sponsored, I work extra hard because people expect to be entertained for free. But most of my work gets produced, and is enjoyed, for its casual silliness precisely because I have the time for it. I now have a sort of manager, my friend Cyril Dabreo. Hes the reason I can sleep until 2 pm, have people say, Dude you havent returned my calls, and still do brand partnerships, review gadgets and keep making stupid videos.

(Interviews by Paramita Ghosh, Dipanjan Sinha and Rachel Lopez)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Your commute on the air-conditioned (AC) local is set to become dearer by 5 to 15, depending on the distance you travel, after the Ministry of Railways on Thursday decided to end the discounted fares. The revised fares will be charged from June 1.

The cost of a monthly pass will increase by 50 to 165. No difference of fares will be collected on season tickets that have already been issued, said a Western Railway (WR) spokesperson, on condition of anonymity.

According to WR officials, a single journey fare will cost a minimum of 65 instead of 60; while a single journey between Churchgate and Virar will cost a maximum of 220 instead of the current fare of 205. For a monthly pass, commuters will have to spend a minimum of 620 instead of 570, while the maximum amo-unt will be 2,205 instead of 2,040.

The first AC local was introduced on WR on December 25, 2017. The discounted fares were valid for only six months, but the ministry extended the offer thrice in two years, the latest extension coming last month. The offer was valid till May 31, 2019.

The revised fares also include supplementary charges like MUTP (Mumbai Urban Transport Project) and GST (Goods and Services Tax).

WR officials said since the introduction of the AC local, 54.58 lakh passengers have travelled on it, which has helped generate a revenue of 23.92 crore.

Activists, however, were unhappy with the fare hike. The Railways should lower the fares to optimise utilisation, said AV Shenoy, a transport expert.
A 26-year-old man, who fled police custody from Jaunpur while travelling on a train on May 28, was arrested nearly 750km away in Ghaziabad after a police informer spotted him having parathas at a dhaba on Hapur Road Thursday.

The police said a sub-inspector and four constables were suspended after the suspect had fled custody.

According to police, Rinku Yadav was arrested by the Mau police three months ago in connection with possession of seven quintals of cannabis. On May 27, he was taken by the Mau police to Auraiya by train, to appear for a hearing in a murder case in which Yadav was an accused.

Police said before Yadav was arrested in connection with possessing quintals of cannabis, he was also arrested with another consignment of seven quintals of cannabis in West Bengal.

The suspect, around 4am on May 28, gave the policemen accompanying him the slip, while on the train to Mau. He got off at Shahganj railway station in Jaunpur and fled from there. After he escaped, a man hunt was launched to locate him, but Yadav could not be found, Shlok Kumar, superintendent of police (city), said.

The police said the man later arrived in Ghaziabad to meet some of his accomplices who are part of a gang that is involved in the peddling of narcotics.

The police said the man reached Karhera in Ghaziabad and was spotted by a police informer while he was having parathas in a dhaba on Hapur Road.

The dhaba is well known for its parathas and the suspect was having them when the informer noticed him. The informer identified the suspect and informed the police. A police team later followed and arrested Yadav from a petrol pump near Madhuban Bapudham area, a police officer said.

The police sources said that the suspect is native of Auraiya and also owns a house in Karhera, Sahibabad.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
A large quantity of narcotics and other contraband were seized by the Bihar administration, following raids in 58 prisons across the state on Thursday.

The raids were conducted to put a leash on illegal activities of gangsters who run their extortion and contract killing rackets conveniently from prisons. There were also reports that some high-profile gangsters were running their kidnapping and contract killing rackets with the help of mobile phones from the Beur, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Buxar and Motihari central jails.

The raids were conducted on directions of the home department, which had received complaints of some criminals operating from behind bars and uploading photos and comments on social networking sites. Reportedly, the raids were carried out without prior information of the prison authorities to maintain the integrity of the process.

A home department official said that steps were taken to refurbish security in and around the jail premises and orders were issued to district administrations to raid respective prisons across the state to fine-tune the jail administration and break the nexus between criminals and prison officials.

It was a statewide operation during which police teams carried out raids on a large number of prisons as part of a drive to unearth prohibited and dangerous items, said IG (Prisons) Mithilesh Mishra.

Though the cops are yet to divulge information about the articles seized during the search operation, an official in the home department said that many prohibited items such as sharp weapons, mobile phones, narcotics, liquor, cigarette packets, lighters and cash were recovered from several prisons during the raids.

There have been several instances of prisoners with criminal records threatening other inmates with sharp weapons. In many cases, inmates have killed themselves using such sharp weapons.

Guilty prison officials will be subjected to disciplinary action on account of their laxity, which led to the entry of prohibited items inside the jail premises, the home department said. FIRs have also been lodged against prisoners who were found to possess prohibited items.

Rupak Kumar. superintendent of Beur central jail, claimed that no incriminating items were found in the central jail during the search by Patna DM Kumar Ravi and SSP Garima Mallik.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Modern warfare has become the by-product of modern technological advancement and eventually, you have to imbibe the skills and face this techno-driven warfare squarely and effectively, said Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa.

Air Marshal Dhanoa was addressing cadets after the passing out parade of the 136th course at National Defence Academy on Thursday.

The improvement in the range and power of fire-arms and combat-gear; the introduction of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; and the advent of sophisticated electronic and night-fighting capabilities has transformed the range and tempo of warfare, Dhanoa said.

Air Marshal Dhanoa said extensive use of digitised communication and high-tech sensors at the operational level; real time battlefield-surveillance; target acquisition and reconnaissance has made it complex and multi-dimensional. Eventually, you have to imbibe the skills and face this techno-driven warfare squarely and effectively.

The passing out parade was held at NDAs Khadakwasla campus near Pune on Thursday. A total of 291 cadets graduated from the Academy as they passed through the portals of the prestigious Khetarpal Parade Ground.

These were 218 cadets from the Army, 34 cadets from the Navy and 39 cadets from the Air Force. These included, 15 Army cadets from the friendly foreign countries.

The foreign cadets belonged to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Tajikistan, Maldives and Papua New Guinea.

Reminiscing his days as a cadet, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said, NDA has always been very close to my heart. It has emerged as an iconic institution, a global brand of excellence promoting the cause of jointmanship and camaraderie.

Divisional Cadet Captain Sandeep Koranga won the Presidents gold medal for standing first in the overall order of merit. Battalion Cadet Adjutant Divyam Dwivedi won the silver medal for standing second in the overall order of merit, and Battalion Cadet Captain SKS Chauhan won the bronze medal for standing third in the overall order of merit.

Kilo Squadron bagged the prestigious Chiefs of Staff Banner for being the Champion Squadron which was presented during the parade.
It is 11 am in Beed, 300 km from Pune in Maharashtras drought-hit Marathwada region. Just last week, the city witnessed two sunstroke deaths as the mercury crossed 45 degree Celsius.

Unmindful of the intense, 40 degrees Celsius heat, Sunita Wadmare, a middle class homemaker, starts walking in search of a private borewell to fetch water as the Beed municipal corporation has been supplying water just once in 15-20 days.

This is the reality in Beed for the average resident amidst the severe water crisis caused by the ongoing drought.

The day for many in the districts 22 lakh population, of which 2.4 lakh resides in Beed city, starts by searching for water from borewells. Those who dont have borewells have to plead with their neighbours for water.

The washing of clothes is dependent on the availability of water, said Sunita.

Almost every house in Beed has large water drums to store water and the Wadmare family has four barrels of 300 litres capacity each to store water for household consumption. The first 10 days after a fresh round of water supply run smoothly, but managing the water stock in the next 10 days becomes difficult.

There are many like Sunita in Beed who are forced to take bath every alternate day as a result of the water scarcity.

Usha Jadhav who resides in the Shivajinagar area said her family does not use the toilet due to the acute water shortage. We cannot use 5-10 litres of water for flushing as we have to purchase water.

Usha said that women wait for the darkness of the night to defecate in the open. She constructed a toilet at her residence in December under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, but that is not being used.

As a result of the acute water scarcity, the residents of Beed are entirely dependent upon private water tankers and pay Rs 250-300 for 1,000 litres of water.

These tankers are filled at various private wells and borewells in and around the city. Also, the sale of bottled water has increased manifold. Hotels and restaurants in the city have been left with no option but to offer packaged drinking water to customers. Since March, hotels and restaurants have stopped giving filtered drinking water to customers in view of the water shortage.

A political bastion of the late BJP leader Gopinath Munde, Beed, in the 1997 EAS Sarma Committee Report had figured in the top 100 rapidly growing backward districts in the country. However, two decades later, Beed continues to languish because of poor management, consistent drought and lack of transport connectivity.

Among the worst drought-affected regions of Maharashtra, Beed has been hit by 50% rainfall deficit according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune. Of the 11 talukas in Beed district, seven have had 30-50% rainfall deficit and the remaining four showed more than 50% rainfall deficit during the 2018 monsoon.

About 80% of the population of 22 lakh lives in the villages and rainfall-dependent agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the people. While the district has an annual average rainfall of 666.36 mm, it received around 334.70 mm rainfall during the 2018 monsoon.

Beed district, including the 2.4 lakh people in the city, are directly dependent on the Bindusara dam and the Majalgaon irrigation project which provides water supply to Beed city throughout the year. However, this season, the Bindusara dam is almost dry and the city is relying on the dead water stock of the Majalgaon project. According to the civic administration, the city needs 28 MLD (million litres per day) of water per day; however, as of now the administration is able to provide just 19-20 MLD of water. Consequently, the entire city is dependent on private water tanker operators to procure water.

While the residents have been complaining that the civic administration has failed to provide water tankers to meet the water demands of the city,

As a result of the 50% rainfall deficit, the sources of water in the district have failed to recharge and have virtually dried up due to the rise in temperature. Many borewells in the city have water stock at a depth of 300-500 feet and are almost dry.

People have to pump for around half-an-hour to get one handa (an urn of 10-12 litres) water from hand pumps.

The residents have complained that the private water tankers have been delivering highly polluted water that is not fit for drinking. This water is being used for the washing of utensils and clothes.

According to the Ground Water Survey and Development Agency (GSDA), by March-end, all the 11 talukas in Beed district showed groundwater depletion and 943 villages had groundwater depletion of more than one metre.

To mitigate this water crisis, Beed District collector Astik Kumar Pandey has written to the Ahmednagar district collector seeking permission for water-filling points in Ahmednagar district, as the availability of water in Beed district has exhausted.
Asad Kamran, 24, a painter and an architect of Karachi, enjoys comparisons between Mumbai and his city; two cities, which have, he says, worked against and with the hangover of the British Raj. The other divides -- of war, history and politics -- which have kept relations between Indian and Pakistan fraught, he would rather not dwell on. In 2019, after the Pulwama attack in J&K, the All Indian Cine Workers Association announced a ban on Pakistani artistes. The Pakistan government reciprocated by barring the screening of Indian films in its theatres.

Cinema 73 housed in a garage painted black, seats around 40 and has a movie shown every Sunday at 7.30pm. Its audience is the middle- and upper-middle-class residents of apartment blocks that emerged in the Karachi of the 80s, domestic helps, and their kids. But thanks to social media, the news of both Pakistani and Indian movies being shown in this neighbourhood has travelled, and numbers may grow. In an interview to Vice India, Asad has clarified that while state institutions may ban, in our personal capacity, we should still be able to enjoy art from across the border.

On March 3, a Sunday, Asad, opened his community cinema to the public with the screening of Gully Boy  Pad Man and Hamid were shown on subsequent Sundays. Asad has skirted the piracy question by streaming the films from YouTube and Netflix.

People see the value of a beautiful film with a thought-provoking message, says artist Asad Kamran. (Photo courtesy: Asad Kamran)

When Asad inaugurated the community cinema, he stated in his introduction that art has the ability to transcend barriers and restraints that politics often creates. Cinema 73 is a response to my surroundings, and will hopefully be a precedent for individuals and artists to create their own spaces in their own communities, to talk about things that affect them. I am making my own voice count through an artistic expression that is Cinema 73, says the University of Edinburgh graduate. Cinema, he feels, has the ability to form human connections through the screen.

Does cinema take precedence over your other artistic interests?

I have been eclectic in my interests. Architecture gives me logic; painting instills in me creative freedom. I exist in between the two disciplines. I have held multiple art shows in Karachi and in Istanbul, have worked at an architecture firm till recently, and now I operate a community cinema as well. It all ties in together.

What is the story behind the name Cinema 73?

I live across the Arabian Sea, in a community called Seaview Township. The block I live on is number 73, hence the name. Seaview is the public beach strip of Karachi, and this is where south Karachi touches the Arabian Sea, which is also shared by the city of Bombay.

What motivated you to build a community theatre?

My academic thesis was titled, Digital Karachi -- Understanding the City through Social Media/Media. My research was heavily inspired by the work of the Pakistan Chowk Community Centre, which is based in the old town of Karachi, with an emphasis on reclaiming public squares. I also looked at the work of Karachis The Tentative Collective, which has a fascinating project called Mera Karachi Mobile Cinema. I would say these two initiatives were central to my research which led me to founding Cinema 73.

The first Indian film you showed was Gully Boy. How did the audience react?

People see the value of a beautiful film with a thought-provoking message. But the song Doori from Gully Boy seemed to be the trigger that led to the inception of Cinema 73. Koi mujhko ye bataaye/ Kyun ye doori aur majboori/ Iss duniya ki kya story/ Kiske haath mein iski dori. Right mein building aasmano ko chhu ri/ Left mein bacchi bhookhi sarkon pe so ri/ Kaisi yeh majboori. Bombay and Karachi, both are dynamic and young. They are so close and yet extremely far....

Is your theatre also a space where you discuss subjects that are controversial in both countries?

There are often conversations that take place among movie watchers after the screening. I overheard children talking about womens hygiene after watching Pad Man, and endangered Markhors [the national animal of Pakistan] in the north of Pakistan after watching the computer-animated film Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor. We also played Hamid (an Indian film on Kashmir), which was also appreciated by the audience. After multiple screenings, there has been a normalisation of Cinema 73 now. The neighbourhood kids show up before the cinema doors even open up!

From the Indian films you have watched or the books on India you may have read, which Indian city draws you the most?

I am reading Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, which really excites me to visit Bombay! I have also watched Beyond the Clouds, and that too made me really want to visit India. It seems like a country, which is so close yet beyond my reach. I have heard stories of people with grandparents buried in India, and have not been able to visit their graves. We share such an intertwined history. Imagine a subcontinent with open cultural exchange. Thats of course the idealistic artist in me speaking.

You must have made friends with Indian students at Edinburgh.

I was fortunate enough to indulge in conversations about culture, movies and society with friends from India. There was camaraderie among us. I remember watching the film Swades one night, and the conversations it led up to about belonging, borders, nostalgia and home. Shout out to Maithili, Tarini, Karan, Anisha, Rishabh, Arunav, Aniket!

Favourite Indian actors: Ranveer Singh, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Favourite Indian actresses: Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut

Favourite Indian films and TV serials: Rajneeti, Guru, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Zoya Akhtars films in general. In TV, shows like Mirzapur and Made in Heaven

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Birmingham-based Rajinder Kumar and his Southall-based associate Abol Bosher have been jailed for a total of 13 years and four months after they were found with 18 kilos of class A drugs with a street value of 2 million and 50,000 cash.

Kumar, 31, and Bosher, 35, who were arrested last year following an operation by the joint National Crime Agency and Met Police Organised Crime Partnership (OCP), have been jailed for five years and four months, and eight years respectively. Both pleaded guilty in court.

Matt McMillan of OCP said: Drugs fuel crime and exploitation and these lengthy sentences reflect the severity of Bosher and Kumars offences. It should act as deterrent for those involved in the supply of drugs.

In Leicester, east Midlands, the police have issued an appeal for public help to locate Joginder Singh, 30, who is wanted in connection with a report of a sexual offence in 2017. The local police have carried out extensive inquiries and now appealing to the public.

Detective constable Andy Moore said: We have carried out numerous lines of enquiry to locate Singh and are appealing for your help in finding him.Do you recognise him or do you know where he is? If you have any information at all regarding his whereabouts we urge you to get in touch.

Meanwhile, a serving Indian-origin officer of Scotland Yard has been dismissed without notice following the conclusion of a misconduct hearing. Dipesh Mistry, attached to the South West Command Unit, was dismissed without notice at the conclusion of the hearing on May 30.

The panel found that Mistry had breached the standards of professional behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct. Two further allegations relating to honesty and integrity were not proven.

This relates to his arrest by police in Germany on September 30, 2017, following the allegation of assault at Oktoberfest in Munich, the Yard said, adding that the panel found gross misconduct was proven in relation to discreditable conduct.
Pakistans army has sentenced a general to life imprisonment for spying and ordered the death penalty for a brigadier and a civilian officer convicted in the same case, a military statement said on Thursday.

Following a closed-door military trial, army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa endorsed the sentences on the three for espionage (and) leaking sensitive information to foreign agencies in detriment to national security, the statement said.

Retired Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal was jailed for a life term, meaning he will serve 14 years in prison under Pakistani law. Retired Brigadier Raja Rizwan was sentenced to death alongside Wasim Akram, a civilian doctor employed by an army organization.

The army did not give further details about the information that was allegedly leaked by the three men or say to whom it was disclosed. It was not clear if the two military officers had already retired from service before the case against them began.

Pakistans army has its own laws and courts, and military officers accused of wrongdoing are always tried behind closed doors. Rulings can only be challenged or reviews in accordance with military procedures.

(The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text, only the headline has been changed.)
Mohsin Dawar, a parliamentarian who leads the Pashtun protest movement, was taken into custody on Thursday in North Waziristan, in the wake of violent clashes with police that left at least three people dead.

A check post in Boyya area was attacked during a protest organized by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) in Kharqamar on Sunday. The armys media wing said Dawar and another lawmaker Ali Wazir were leading the group which attacked the check post. Dawar and the PTM leadership had denied that the group opened fire and accused the army of initiating violence. Following the clash, Wazir and eight others were arrested and subsequently remanded into counter-terrorism department custody while Dawar, who had received minor injuries during the Kharqamar incident, was declared at large.

An FIR registered against the lawmakers and seven others said the protesters hurled stones at the army post and that armed supporters of Wazir and Dawar attacked the security post and opened fire.

ADDITIONAL ATTORNEY GENERAL QUITS

Pakistans additional attorney general Zahid Ebrahim resigned to protest the governments filing of references against some senior judges of the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court - a development he described as reckless attempt to browbeat the judiciary.

President Arif Alvi had reportedly directed the Supreme Judicial Council to inquire into the judges undeclared foreign assets.

7 ANTI-VACCINATION SCHOOLS SEALED

Seven private schools in Pakistans Khyber-pakhtunkhwa province have been sealed for inciting mass hysteria against the polio vaccination drive and discouraging parents from cooperating. The provincial government found the management of these schools guilty of spreading hate against polio vaccination, Babar Bin Atta, Prime Minister Imran Khans focal person on polio eradication programme, said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Pakistan is one of the three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where polio is still endemic. Attempts to eradicate the disease have been seriously hampered by deadly targeting of vaccination teams in recent years by militants, who oppose the drives, claiming the polio drops cause infertility.
The United States on Thursday said Indias suspension from the list of countries benefiting from a duty-free import scheme that was announced in March is a done deal, but left the door open for restoring the benefits when India yielded, conceding more access to its markets to American firms.

Previewing Trump administrations vision for US-India ties under Prime Minister Narendra Modis new government, a senior administration official also warned of the very serious Turkey-like conversations if India goes ahead with its planned purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems.

The official began by welcoming, pointedly, Modis post-election remarks that have emphasized inclusivity  that there should be no distinction between Indian citizens, and went on to describe the relationship between Modi and Trump as warm, and the one between two countries as resilient.

The officials remarks on the duty-free import scheme, Generalized System of Preferences, that it is a done deal and its time to move on runs counter to the understanding in India, broached and bolstered by officials, that there is still a window of opportunity for negotiations to prevent termination t from going into effect.

There is every reason to believe that the GSP suspension will move forward, the official said. The next step, 60 days from the March notification to congress of the administrations intention to suspend or withdraw/GSP benefits for India, is a presidential memorandum, which has been due since May 4.

That does not rule out, the official added, that in the future if India was able to achieve the reforms in market access that we need under this programme to restore the benefits.

For the present, the official went on, I think we need to be looking forward to how do we relaunch an ambitious set of discussions between our trade teams to address these outstanding irritants.

The chief irritant is access to certain Indian markets. The United States announced plans to withdraw Indias GSP benefits on March 4 citing Indias failure to provide an assurance it will provide equitable and reasonable access to its markets  mainly, for now, dairy and medical devices  to American companies. This is the key trade irritant for the United States, along with Indian data-localization (mandating foreign IT companies to store Indian operations data on India-based servers) and e-commerce rules (regulating online retailers supply chains to prevent monopolistic practices).

India has been the largest beneficiary of the GSP programme, which allows certain imports from 120 countries to enter the United States at zero tariff. It sold an estimated $6.3 billion worth of goods to the United States under this programme in 2018 , according to a new report by the Congressional Research Service, a non-partisan source of research, analysis and projections for US lawmakers.

Withdrawal of zero-tariff benefits would subject these products, presuming their volumes remain unaffected, to $190 million, according to official Indian estimates. But people familiar with these discussions fear the new tariff would make these products costlier for US importers, who could then switch from Indian suppliers to those who can supply for less, minus the tariff, to keep down their prices.

The message to the new Modi government was equally tough on its planned purchase of Russian S-400s. You can take a look at the very serious conversation taking place with our NATO partner Turkey and same concerns will apply should India proceed with its S-400 purchase, the official said.

The United States has threatened to deny Turkey, a NATO ally which has pursued plans to acquire S-400s disregarding American warnings, the latest defense hardware including F-35, the cutting-edge next generation American-made fighter aircraft in the western alliance.

Defense purchases, the official said framing US objection to Indias Russian acquisitions in a broader strategic framework, are no longer a routine a la carte shopping spree. At the highest level of military technology cooperation and transfer, the official sad, its more about with whom you are inter-operable, with whom you are sharing information platforms. India has signed a bunch of agreements with the US in recent years that dramatically increase defense ties, with an undeclared emphasis on drawing India away from its historically largest supplier of defense equipment, the Soviet Union, now Russia.

The underlying US message is: India needs to choose.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold a summit meeting on June 29, when Putin visits Japan for a meeting of leaders of the Group of 20 nations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

Senior officials and political leaders from both countries have held talks frequently in recent months to discuss ways to put an end to an decades-old territorial dispute and conclude a peace treaty.

With eyes on the Russia-Japan summit meeting at the time of the G20 summit in Osaka, we made checks on the state of progress in Russia-Japan relations, Lavrov told reporters after meeting his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono.

Lavrovs comment, in Russian, was translated into Japanese at a joint news conference with Kono.

Japan claims a string of Russia-controlled western Pacific islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and Southern Kuriles in Russia.

The territorial row over the island chain, seized by Soviet troops at the end of World War Two, has upset diplomatic relations ever since, precluding a formal peace treaty between the two countries.

Lavrov also said talks with Japan on five joint economic activity projects on the disputed islands were proceeding at a good pace, without elaborating.

Abe and Putin in 2016 agreed to launch talks on joint economic activities on the islands as a step toward concluding a peace treaty.
White House officials had asked for the warship USS John S McCain to be moved out of sight during US President Donald Trumps visit to Japan last week, according to a news report that cited email exchanges about the extraordinary move.

Trump said on Thursday he wasnt aware of such a move. I wasnt a fan, he told reporters, referring to late senator John McCain. I didnt know a thing about it. I would never have done that... Somebody did it because they thought I didnt like him. They were well-meaning, I will say.

USS John S McCain is named after late senator McCains father and grandfather, and his name was added to it a month before he passed away in 2018.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the move, cited an email sent to US Navy and US Air Force by the Indo-Pacific Command official who said, referring to conversations with the White House, the USS John McCain needs to be out of sight.

I GOT ME ELECTED, RUSSIA DIDNT HELP ME

Trump assailed special counsel Robert Muellers motives on Thursday, a day after Mueller rebuffed Trumps claims that the Russia investigation had cleared him of committing a federal crime of obstruction of justice.

Trump told reporters, Russia did not help me get elected. You know who got me elected? You know who got me elected? I got me elected. Russia didnt help me at all.

(With inputs from agencies)
An unexpected, bloody charge toward the enemy to take a key bridge at La Fiere helped shape D-Day operations.

L ike many military history buffs, I am an aficionado of maneuver. I love to see one side in battle surprise the other, showing up unexpectedly on a flank, or both flanks, or even bursting into the rear areas, overrunning headquarters and supply dumps and map depots. The ability to surprise, to confound, to shock: this is the art of true generalship.

The problem is, the more I study World War II, the more I see the other side of this coin. The war featured repeated moments when maneuver was impossible or ineffective, or when the overall situation called for something much more drastic.

For Exhibit A, let us wander back in time to June 6, 1944. When we recall D-Day, we usually think of amphibious landings on the coast, but thats not what were looking at here. We are inland, in a tiny hamlet in the Norman countryside named La Fiere. Its not much: a handful of buildings, a manor house, a watchtower, a church.

Location is everything, however, and La Fiere happens to command a key bridge over the Merderet River. Even prior to the coastal landings on D-Day, the town is the scene of fighting. The Allies have landed paratroopers in the sector, units of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division. The nighttime drop is a mess, with men scattered all over the place. Some drop to their death directly onto German defenders; others into the flooded plain on both sides of the Merderet, where they drown.

As a result, a simple missionto seize and secure the bridge at La Fiereturns into a days-long slugfest. The fighting is at close quarters and extremely bloody. After three days of fighting, the bridge is neither seized nor secure.

The little bridge is crucial to the success of Operation Overlord. Heavy American forcesthe 4th Infantry Division, armor, heavy artillery, and equipmenthave landed on Utah Beach, and they need to roll forward. If the Germans hold the bridge, the Americans will be penned up on Utah. The entire scheduleincluding the crucial drive on the big port of Cherbourgwill be thrown off. In this business, timing is everything, and wasting time almost always increases the death toll.

And thats why 82nd Airbornes assistant division commander, Brigadier General James M. Gavin, comes to a decision. Grabbing every man he can find from the 325th Glider Infantry and 507th Parachute Infantry Regiments, he orders them to charge across the bridge and causewayan up-the-middle thrust into the teeth of the German defenses. No dancing, no fancy footwork. Gavin senses its time for action, and he knows that fancy wont cut it.

With a great yell, U.S. troops charge the bridge. Its mass on mass: American soldiers vs. German bullets and mortar rounds. Its bloody, its raw, its primal. Its the very reason they invented the word carnage.

It also works. Perhaps its the moral effect on the German defenders as they suddenly come face-to-face with the possibility that these crazy-seeming Americans will stop at nothing. German fire slackens as the defenders begin to slip away from their positions. American troops take the bridge and charge over the causeway, braving enemy fire, with Gavin right there in their midst.

The victory comes at a steep price. As Gavin later described the scene, I looked back down the causeway. It was covered from the church to as far as I could see with bodies. I could have walked back to the bridge and never stepped on pavement. But its a remarkable win, and a crucial one.

Theres a time for maneuver, sure: misdirection, double reverses, end-arounds. But as the charge at La Fiere reminds us, never underestimate the power of running up the middle. Robert M. Citino, World War IIs Fire for Effect columnist, is the National World War II Museums Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Historian 

This story was originally published in the August 2019 issue of World War II magazine. Subscribe here.
American laws barring interracial sex and marriage were model for the anti-Jewish Nuremberg laws

James Whitman is a historian and professor at Yale Law School. His 2017 book, Hitlers American Model, explores how racist legislation enacted by the United States influenced development of the Nazi-era statutes on race and citizenship in Germany that came to be known as the Nuremberg Laws.

How did you come to this topic? Im not the first to wonder if the Jim Crow era influenced the Nazis, but I looked a little harder than

other people had and found what I think was real influence. I began by pulling Mein Kampf off the shelf; I found a passage in which Hitler describes America as the one state that is making progress toward creation of a healthy racial order. And I thought there must be more.

Explain this startling link. Upon taking power in 1933, the Nazis wanted to establish a race-based legal regime that in essence would reduce Jews to second-class citizens and ban, indeed criminalize, sex and marriage between Jews and Germans. This led to the Nuremberg Laws, enacted in 1935 and informed by what the Nazis termed material of interest in American law.

Nazis saw the United States as a pioneer? In regard to citizenship, the first Nuremberg laws, as they are usually described, related to the de facto second-class citizenship accorded African Americans. Technically, the United States could not deny African Americans citizenship. However, in practice, especially but not exclusively through the deprivation of voting rights in the latter 19th century, blacks in America were subjected to forms of second-class citizenship that were of real interest to Nazi lawyers. Far right-wingers in Germany had been interested in this for a long time. After the Spanish-American War, the United States also created a legal form of second-class citizenship for the people of the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and other conquered territories. These populations couldnt be granted citizenship, but constitutional law had no provision under which to designate second-class citizenship. In decisions called the Insular Cases, the Supreme Court created a new statusnon-citizen nationalwhich still exists. Nazi lawyers were very interested in these American innovations.

What else did the United States pioneer? In the early 20th century, the idea that interracial marriage was morally objectionable or dangerous was very widespread in the world. But the United States stood out as the creator of laws cracking down on interracial sex, interracial marriage, and their perceived danger. American willingness to come up with these legislative schemes reflected something that we still see in the USA todayan innovative legislative energy rarely found elsewhere. To the Nazis, this approach was intriguing, even exciting.

How did they learn about American race law? In 1935, 45 Nazi lawyers came to America on a study trip. One man in particular was instrumental in collecting knowledge about American race law. In 1933-34, Heinrich Krieger was an exchange student at the University of Arkansas Law School. On his return to Germany, Krieger became the main source informing the Nazi investigation that produced the Nuremburg Laws. In 1936, Junker & Dunnhaupt, a Berlin publisher sympathetic to the Nazis, brought out Kriegers Das Rassenrecht in den vereinigten StaatenRace Law in the United States. Its quite an interesting book.

Nazi studies went beyond Jim Crow. Our memory of race law in America is mostly of the South and the treatment of American blacks there. But American racial law involved a much broader swath of the country, and affected many populations beyond the black population. Thirty states had anti-miscegenation statutes banning interracial marriage, targeting not only blacks but Asians and to some extent Native Americans. These laws interested the Nazis, who also were intrigued by American immigration law. In the late 19th century, the United

States restricted immigration, particularly from China and Japan, and in the 1920s imposed national immigration quotas that Hitler praised in Mein Kampf. Those immigration laws, like anti-miscegenation laws, belonged to a national pattern of effort aimed at maintaining the white Anglo-Saxon character of the United States that went well beyond anything going on in the South.

Yet the Nazis officially opposed lynching. That is one of the most dramatic and frightening observations. After Hitler took power, lynchings occurred in Germany, but the Nazi Party leadership was not in favor of lynching. They favored control of institutions and state-managed actionhence the Nuremberg Laws and the Final Solution.

What is the takeaway? America was so much the leading racist jurisdiction that even Nazis looked here for inspiration. They wanted nothing to do with American liberal and humanitarian currents, but when it came to race law, they saw the United States as a country that had started down a path that they wanted to walk to the final destination. Thats important for Americans to understand: we cannot wish away the fact that Nazis could see aspects of American law as pioneeringand in some measure inspiring.

What was so inspiring? Nazis liked the relatively politicized character of American law.

Whats an example? Americas openness to imposing relatively harsh measures on interracial marriage, and the broader theme of American criminal justice. Before coming to power the Nazi party and other far right groups in Germany had very little success shaping legislation there, especially criminal legislation. The Nazis didnt want an American-style democracy, but they liked laws that the American legislative process produced. We have a long tradition, in many aspects of society, of deferring to the political process. American racists had much more success in shaping legislation here because the American process is more open to democratic political influence. American criminal law is the product of tough-on-crime politics. Elected officials here made and make criminal law policy with remarkable little regard for what trained criminal lawyers and criminologists believe would be the sound approach. And thats part of what appealed to the Nazis, who eventually overruled the moderate approach advocated by trained German lawyers, who supported basic doctrines like the presumption of innocence.

White supremacy and court battles over executive actions are front and center. Did you expect this? What I learned makes me more uneasy about American institutions than I used to be. I finished the proofs of the book the day before the 2016 election, having no idea how much these questions would remain on the menu. The institutions that we hope will hold up are the institutions that produced the laws that the Nazis found so interesting.
Though World War I hostilities came to a formal end on Nov. 11, 1918, the parting shots in that long and cataclysmic struggle did not come until seven months later. They did not sound on the former Western Front, whose trench-scarred fields had soaked up the blood of millions between 1914 and the signing of the Armistice of Compiegne. The final shots were triggered within the confines of a broad, sheltered bay in Scotlands remote Orkney Islands.

That bay, a refuge for ships since the Viking era 1,000 years ago, is named Scapa Flow (from the Old Norse word skalpafloi, meaning bay of the long isthmus). As it was the designated anchorage of the British Royal Navys Grand Fleet during World War I, layered anti-submarine defensesblockships, mines, nets and boomssealed off the 125-square-mile body of water. Those defenses were effective at keeping enemy wolf packs out, though on June 5, 1916, the armored cruiser HMS Hampshire had just left the sheltered harbor when it struck a mine laid in the open sea by the German submarine U-75. Hampshire sank by the bow within 15 minutes. Among the 737 crewmen and passengers lost with the British warship was Secretary of State for War Herbert Lord Kitchener, who had been en route to Russia on a diplomatic mission.

The next warships to sink in the Orkneys would be German.

As Britain came to dominate the worlds oceans in the 19th century, it adopted a two-power standard, calling for a Royal Navy equal in strength to the next two largest foreign fleets combined. By the early 20th century, however, Germany had invested so heavily toward bolstering its navy that in 1912 Britain abandoned the two-power standard and called for the navy to achieve and maintain a 60 percent superiority to the second largest national fleet. When World War I broke out two years later, the Royal Navy was arguably the most capable fleet in the world, but the Imperial German Navy was right behind it.

By August 1914 Germany had 15 battleships, four heavy battle cruisers, 63 light cruisers of various types, 90 destroyers, 115 torpedo boats and 31 submarines. While some of those vessels were lost during the conflict, the vast majority remained afloat at wars end. In addition to calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the terms of the armistice required the release of Allied prisoners of war, laid out the process through which Germany would ultimately be forced to pay reparations, and mandated the withdrawal of German forces behind the Rhine River and the surrender of German aircraft, warships and military materiel. In keeping with the latter edict, the surviving ships of the German High Seas Fleet were ordered to Scapa Flow to await final disposition. The last of its 74 vessels arrived at the remote anchorage in January 1919.

That the Imperial German Navy had ceased hostilities was beyond question. But the armistice was a cease-fire and not a formal surrender, thus the ultimate fate of the German warships would remain an open question until the June 28 signing of the Treaty of Versailles, whose terms would go into effect on Jan. 10, 1920. In addition to the five principal Allied powersBritain, France, the United States, Italy and Japanthe signatories included more than a dozen associated allies and co-belligerent countries. Many had a vested interest in the ultimate disposition of the vessels of the former German fleet. The United States and Britain preferred the warships be broken up for scrap, while weaker alliesparticularly the French and Italianssought to divvy up the fleet for a significant net increase in their respective navies. As each had contributed substantial manpower and wealth toward the war effort, they felt the ships would provide a measure of compensation.



Rear Admiral Hans Ludwig von Reuter commanded the interned fleet at Scapa Flow. (Bundesarchiv)

One of Britains foremost postwar goals was to remain in possession of the worlds largest navy, and the transfer of former German warships to other nations could well alter the naval balance of power. The British were especially concerned about any increase in the size or quality of the French navy. Though France and Britain had been allies in the late war, they had been staunch enemies through the Napoleonic wars a century earlier and still saw one another as an imperial competitor. For their part, the British were unwilling to accept the possibility of a French fleet anywhere near comparable to the Royal Navyor, for that matter, the qualitative naval improvement of any potential adversary. The British position, coupled with the bickering among those nations hoping to obtain former enemy vessels, ensured the 74 German warships would remain isolated at Scapa Flow for months after the signing of the armistice. It was a time of deprivation and despair for the crewmen who remained aboard, and the conditions ultimately prompted them to take desperate action.

When Admiral Franz von Hipper, commander of Germanys High Seas Fleet, refused to lead his warships into internment at Scapa Flow, the task fell to Rear Admiral Hans Ludwig von Reuter. The 49-year-old career officer and distinguished veteran of some of the wars most significant naval battles had an unenviable task. Reuter was to oversee the bottled-up fleet and ensure the welfare of the thousands of men remaining aboard until the negotiators at Versailles decided the fleets fate.

Through midsummer 1919 the vast majority of the 20,000 Germans who had sailed the ships to Scapa Flow were repatriated. For the roughly 1,800 men of the skeleton crews left to tend the fleet, life was decidedly dull and unpleasant. The German sailors were essentially prisoners of their respective vessels, forbidden by the British from either going ashore or visiting one another. Food was not provided by the British, but instead arrived from Germany twice a month and was at best of middling quality. Recreational opportunities were little to nil, morale was horrible, and the real possibility of mutiny preyed on the minds of the German officers.

When he led the fleet into Scapa Flow, Reuter likely hoped at least some of the interned vessels would be repatriated with his sailors after the treaty was finalized. Based on his since revealed communications via courier with the German high command, however, the admiral came to learn the Allies intended to permanently allocate the entire fleet. Given his proud family tradition of military service to the Fatherland, Reuter could not in good conscience allow such a humiliation, and on June 18 he issued orders to his subordinate captains to begin preparations for the scuttling of every German vessel in Scapa Flow.

The plan called for crewmen to simultaneously open their ships sea cocks, flood valves, portholes, watertight doors, hatches and torpedo tubes, thus allowing the largest possible volume of water to enter each vessel until its buoyancy was overcome. While simple in theory, the specifics took significant time to implement. Fortunately for Reuter, the British unknowingly abetted the effort. In addition to the restrictions placed on German sailors movements, British sailors were only allowed to visit the German vessels on official business. Furthermore, any such visits had to be announced well in advance, so the Germans knew exactly when the British would be coming aboard and scheduled their preparations accordingly.

As soon as Reuter made his intentions clear to the captains of the individual vessels via semaphore and signal lights, their respective crews set to workopening watertight doors and condenser covers, loosening porthole latches and boring holes through bulkheads. One German captain recorded having set his sea cocks on a hair-trigger turning and placed large hammers beside key valves. Working both feverishly and furtively, the Germans completed their preparations within a few days, all within hailing distance of thousands of British sailors.

All that remained was for Reuter to order the scuttling plan into action.



Their tug tied up alongside, British sailors ham a bit before refloating a scuttled German torpedo boat. The man posing precariously atop the port side bridge wing is holding on to a guy wire bracing the mast. (Popperfoto, UllStein Bild, Getty Images)

At 10 a.m. on June 21, just days before the British intended to seize control of the High Seas Fleet, Reuter gave the flag signal his men had been anticipating. As the British remained wholly unaware of what was transpiring, the German crews were able to carry out their admirals order with alacrity and without interference. Around noon, as the first vessels started to list at anchor, every ship proudly hoisted the Reichskriegfahne, the Imperial German ensign, an act forbidden under the terms of the armistice.

After opening their ships to the sea, the crews took to lifeboats, pushing away amid roiling clouds of steam and great spouts of seawater. A party of Orkney schoolchildren on an outing in a small steamer had an unforgettable view of the enemy fleet going down at anchor.

Only then did the British realize something was horribly amiss. Vice Admiral Sir Sydney Fremantle, commander of the naval force guarding Scapa Flow, quickly dispatched all available watercraft, filled with armed sailors and Royal Marines, with orders to keep German crewmen aboard their vessels and either prevent the warships from sinking or beach them. Predictably reluctant to remain aboard warships already awash, and likely not understanding the commands shouted in English, German sailors continued to board their lifeboats. The late-arriving British sailors and marines were incensed at what they regarded as the dishonorable and illegal destruction of the surrendered fleet. Though the Germans were unarmed and posed no real threat, some of the British opened fire, wounding 16 enemy sailors and killing 10including Captain Walter Schumann of the battleship Markgraf. These unfortunates were the final casualties of World War I.

Reuters operation to deny the German vessels to the victorious Allied nations largely succeeded. Of the 74 German ships in Scapa Flow, 15 of the 16 battleships and armored heavy cruisers, five of the eight light cruisers and 32 of the 50 destroyers sank. The remaining warships either stubbornly remained afloat or were beached by the British. The 1,774 Germans who survived the days events were picked up and taken ashore. Fremantle promptly issued a general order declaring they were to be treated as prisoners of war for having broken the terms of the armistice. They were sent to POW camps in Britain. While most were soon repatriated, Reuter and several of his senior officers remained imprisoned in Britain until released in January 1920.

Though Reuter was vilified in Britain, his countrymen feted the returning admiral as a hero who had preserved the honor of the Imperial German Navy. Despite his newfound fame, he was left without a suitable command, as the Treaty of Versailles severely restricted the size and manpower of Germanys postwar armed forces. Forced into retirement, he pursued local politics and wrote a book about the events at Scapa Flow. One more honor remained. In the summer of 1939 Reuter was promoted to the ceremonial rank of full admiral in the Kriegsmarine, Nazi Germanys reconstituted navy. On Dec. 18, 1943, the admiral who had sunk his own fleet died of a heart attack at the age of 74.

John Miles is a native Texan and retired U.S. Marine officer who writes for a number of periodicals and delivers historical presentations throughout the American South. For further reading he recommends Scapa Flow: The Account of the Greatest Scuttling of All Time, by Ludwig von Reuter; The First World War and the Paris Peace Agreement, by Karel Schelle; and The Grand Scuttle: The Sinking of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919, by Dan van der Vat.
The course of World War II would have been very different without Rolls-Royces immortal Merlin engine.

The British Overseas Airways Corporation flight from Stockholm, Sweden, landed at an airfield in Leuchars, northern Scotland, one of several hundred round trips the airline made between the two cities. But this was no ordinary flight. The year was 1943, and although the plane carried civilian markings and the pilot and navigator were nominally civilian employees of BOAC, it was a de Havilland Mosquito bomber. And the passenger who emerged, stiff from being crammed into an improvised bunk in the bomb bay of the unpressurized aircraft, was physicist Niels Bohr, 1922 Nobel Prize winner and pioneer in nuclear fission research.

Bohr had determined that the uranium isotope U-235 could create a chain reaction, and therefore could be used to construct a powerful atomic bomb, findings he detailed at a January 1939 conference in Washington, D.C. By 1943 the Nazi roundup and deportation of Jews in Denmark put Bohr at great risk, as his mother was Jewish. Word leaked that he was about to be arrested and would face a stark choice: Join Adolf Hitlers atomic weapon project or be sent with his wife and son to almost certain death in a concentration camp.

With the help of the British secret service, Bohr had been smuggled to neutral Sweden. On December 6 he flew from England to the United States to join the Manhattan Project.

The Mosquito was the only aircraft fast enough to evade German fighters patrolling the North Sea to intercept the BOAC flights, which conveyed clandestine personnel and precision supplies such as ball bearings. The Nazi atomic bomb project ultimately fizzled, but it might have ended differently if Bohr had been in charge, coerced by threats to his family.

Of course, he might never have been rescued if Britain had lost the ferocious aerial struggle for its existence in the summer of 1940. If the close-run Battle of Britain had gone the other way, Great Britain, with much of its armor, trucks and heavy weapons left behind in the evacuation of Dunkirk, would have been in a precarious position. The effect of a possible British capitulation on subsequent events in Russia, North Africa, Normandy and the Far East can only be imagined.

Two months after Bohrs harrowing flight, on December 13, 1943, North American P-51B Mustang fighters accompanied 710 U.S. Army Air Forces bombers on a mission to Kiel, Germany. The 980-mile round trip was the first fully escorted long-distance raid of the war, and the beginning of successful daylight precision bombing and the progressive destruction of the Luftwaffe.

These three momentous eventsBohrs rescue, Germanys defeat in the Battle of Britain and Americas long-distance fighter escort missionshad one thing in common: They were all made possible by the same aero enginethe magnificent Rolls-Royce Merlin. Without the inspired genius of a gifted mathematician and the dedication of a small group of engineers who developed the Merlin, the world today might be a very different place.

The Merlins origins date back to the 1920s, with the 21-liter V12 Kestrel, the first Rolls-Royce production engine to be supercharged. Strongly influenced by the Curtiss D-12, the Kestrels basic design was so sound that its derivatives, in various sizes and versions, were produced to the end of the companys piston engine era. Its enlargement to 37 liters resulted in the Buzzard, from which a 1929 racing version, called simply R by Rolls-Royce, eventually developed 2,500 hp. The R gave Britain victories in the Schneider Trophy seaplane races three years in succession, a world air speed record of 407.5 mph and possession of the trophy in perpetuity. Significantly, the winning planes were designed by Reginald J. Mitchell and built by the Supermarine Company. Thus the stage was set for the engineers and designers of Rolls-Royce and Supermarine to create, five years later, the immortal Spitfire.

The R also powered cars to world land speed records, ultimately achieving 357 mph in 1938, and a boat to a world water speed record of 142 mph in 1939. As a result, before World War II the engine held or had held all three world speed records, on land, water and in the air.

Despite popular lore, the Merlin was not a derated R; instead it was the most important development of the Kestrel, enlarged to 27 liters. Another myth holds that the engine was named after the wizard of Arthurian legend, but in fact it simply followed Rolls practice of naming its inline aero engines after birds of prey. The merlin is a species of falcon with thin, pointed wings that allow it to dive at high speeds. It was an appropriate choice in view of the engines future use.

The first engines, called PV-12 for Private Venture 12-cylinder (as no government funds had been allocated to the design), were ready for bench testing in 1933, rated at 790 hp. The engine, now uprated to 950 hp, first flew in 1935 in a Hawker Hart, Sydney Camms last biplane and a forerunner of his Hurricane.

Type testing revealed a host of problemsparticularly in the cylinder head design, bearings and gearswhich had to be corrected for the engine to become a practical power plant. By the mid-1930s it was still unreliable, repeatedly failing the civilian 50-hour type test. It seemed the Merlin would never be successful.

It should be remembered that at the time Rolls-Royce was a relatively small company, employing fewer than 7,000 people. Simultaneously with the Merlin, it was also working on several other piston aero engines and a marine Merlin for use in fast patrol boats. In 1938 the company would also undertake development of gas turbine (jet) engines. By 1945 Rolls employed more than 55,000 people.

With war clouds gathering and aircraft manufacturers clamoring for the new engine, they continued to improve the Merlin, following Sir Henry Royces 1915 principle of identifying the weakest link by gradually increasing the engines speed and load, redesigning the problem component and going on to demand even more, even if this meant running it to destruction. Other than dynamometers, instrumentation of the period was rudimentary. But the company had technicians and mechanics of exceptional talent and experience in the testing shops, who, like Royce, had worked their way up through long apprenticeships. They could tell instantly when the sound of an engine changed, and detect the onset of detonation (knocking) by holding a short piece of steel between their teeth and resting the other end on the cylinder block of an engine running at full throttle. Thus the Merlin experienced a steady increase in power output that, in 12 years, would more than double its original rating while retaining reliability.

Rolls-Royce was extremely fortunate in being able to lure the brilliant young Stanley Hooker away from the Admiralty Research Laboratories in 1938. An Oxford graduate in mathematics, he had also done postgraduate work on fluid dynamics, and would become probably the worlds greatest expert in fluid- and thermodynamics applied to supercharging. In Hookers hiring interview at the Derby plant, Works Manager Ernest W. Hives questioned him on a technical point. I explained as best I could, recounted Hooker, and then he said, leaning forward, Youre not much of an engineer are you? I had to agree, and he replied: Never mind, this place is full of the best engineers in the world and they will teach you.

On joining Rolls-Royce, Hooker was surprised to learn that supercharging science was scanty, despite aircraft engines having used pressure boost since before World War I. All the formulas being used to design superchargers were based on parameters derived by the Royal Aircraft Establishment that he found to be inaccurate. Hooker approached the head of the Experimental Workshop and asked to see a supercharger. Which supercharger? he was asked. Any one will do, because Ive never seen one before. He was then taken to a test rig. This is a Merlin engine. This is the front end where the propeller is bolted on, and this contraption at the back end is the supercharger with the gears that drive it. And its your job to make it do better.

As a new employee, and a mathematician to boot, Hooker was at first hesitant to question the work of Rolls engineers who had produced the giant supercharger that enabled the R engine to win the Schneider Trophy and set a new air speed record. He checked and rechecked his calculations: The figures were unassailable. Redesigning the rotor and diffuser would yield an immediate 15-percent increase in efficiency, and that would only be the start. Within a few months Hooker, who had never previously seen an aero engine either, added 30 percent more power to the Merlin. (He went on during the war to turn the rudimentary Whittle turbojet into a production engine, raising its thrust from 1,800 pounds to 5,000. By the time he retired in 1967, after being knighted by the queen, Sir Stanley Hooker had been deeply involved in the design of almost every modern British aero engine, including those for the Concorde supersonic airliner and the Harrier jump jet.)

Many brilliant engineers worked doggedly, and in some cases into early graves, to develop the Merlin, but it was Stanley Hooker who, by applying advanced scientific principles to the flow and compression of air, was most responsible for boosting its power from 1,025 hp at the beginning of WWII to well over 2,000 hp at the end. The Merlin consistently outperformed considerably larger aero engines.

The exhaust-driven supercharger, or turbocharger, seems to offer something for nothing, utilizing otherwise wasted heat energy from the engines exhaust to drive the supercharger, instead of the power-consuming geared method. It was the preferred system of boost for high-altitude operations for American military radial aircraft engines in WWII. Rolls-Royce had experimented with turbocharging on its Condor III engine as far back as 1923.



Repairmen put their backs into their work as they manhandle a damaged Spitfire Mk. IX at a forward airfield in Normandy in June 1944. (IWM CL 0186) Repairmen put their backs into their work as they manhandle a damaged Spitfire Mk. IX at a forward airfield in Normandy in June 1944. (IWM CL 0186)

In discussions about its possible use with the Merlin, Hooker pointed out the lack of suitable locations for a turbocharger on the Hurricane, Spitfire or Mosquito, and proposed that exhaust energy could be utilized in a much simpler way. Experiments with exhaust stack designs had produced a short ejector shape imparting reaction (jet) thrust that added aircraft speed equivalent to an additional 150 hp. This would be lost in turbocharging. He predicted that the turbochargers main benefitmaintaining power at high altitudecould be obtained by using two superchargers in series, driven by the same engine gears. In fact the Merlin 61, the first equipped with a two-stage supercharger, increased the Spitfire IXs ceiling from 30,000 to 40,000 feet and its top speed by 70 mph.

The appearance in September 1941 of the new Focke Wulf Fw-190A, with its 42-liter BMW radial engine, came as a nasty shock to the RAF, as it easily outclassed the Merlin 45powered Spitfire V in speed and climb. But within weeks, Rolls was producing the Merlin 61. Only two-thirds the size of the Fw-190s engine, it nevertheless produced more power, especially at high altitudes, where most of the action took place. Equipped with the Merlin 61, the new Spitfire IX regained the upper hand, surprising Luftwaffe pilots with its performance surge, since the two Spitfire types looked almost identical. Air Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst, a top WWII RAF fighter pilot, vividly recalled his first flight in a Spitfire IX, particularly the astonished look on the face of an Fw-190 pilot as Broadhurst climbed past him with ease.

In a similar horsepower race with the Merlin (and later Griffon), the 34-liter Daimler-Benz DB 601which powered the early Spitfires main adversaries, the Messerschmitt Me-109E and Fgrew into the 36-liter, 1,475-hp DB 605 in the 109G. But by then the Spitfire IXs Merlin 61 was producing 1,560 hp, soon to become 1,710 in the Merlin 70. Daimler-Benz finally enlarged the 600 series into the 44.5-liter 603. With only 40 more horses than the Merlin 70, and too heavy for any of the Luftwaffes single-engine fighters, it was relegated to twin-engine aircraft. The similar Jumo 211 V12 from the other major German engine manufacturer, Junkers, fell halfway in size between the DB 601 and 605 at 35 liters, but by 1942 was only yielding 1,400 hp.

Germanys comparatively deficient engine power has been mistakenly blamed on the scarcity of high-octane fuel. But Britain entered the war with aviation gasoline of around 87-octane regular, while Germany already had 100-octane. By 1942 the Germans had raised this to 150. Rolls had tested the Merlin with 100-octane gasoline, and found it would happily motor on with manifold pressure raised from 43 to 48 inches of mercury, boosting output by 135 hp, but this was of academic interest as there was no 100-octane fuel in the RAFs storage tanks. Fortunately, the Esso tanker Beaconhill arrived from the United States just before the Battle of Britain, bringing enough of the new fuel to serve the Hurricanes and Spitfires throughout the conflict. With higher permissible boost pressures, the additional speed and rate of climb were decisive. Without it, what was in the words of the Duke of Wellington (referring to the 1815 Battle of Waterloo) a damned close-run thing might well have turned the other way.



Illustration John Batchelor, all rights reserved Illustration John Batchelor, all rights reserved

Direct fuel injection in the Daimler-Benz engines yielded a temporary advantage. In combat a Messerschmitt pilot, pursued by an early Hurricane or Spitfire, could push the stick forward and dive, while the same maneuver would cause the Merlin to cut out due to mixture leaning from negative G. The carburetors float would respond to what it now thought was down, flooding the engine for several secondsand several seconds can mean life or death in aerial combat. RAF pilots would roll inverted and pull back on the stick to keep positive G, but by that time their quarry had frequently escaped.

Beatrice Tilly Shilling, a scientist at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, designed a simple flow restrictor to solve the problem. Resembling a metal washer, it allowed a maximum fuel flow of what was required at full throttle. The device became known at the Rolls factory by the somewhat indelicate name Miss Tillys Orifice. Luftwaffe pilots, accustomed to escaping by diving, now experienced a nasty surprise on finding the pursuing Hurricane or Spitfire still behind them. Later models of the Merlin used in fighters utilized Bendix or Rolls-Royce single-point fuel injection into the eye of the supercharger impeller, and Miss Tillys Orifice eventually passed into legend.

Radial engine proponents point out that liquid-cooled power plants are more vulnerable to battle damage: While a radial often continued to run even with a cylinder shot completely off the crankcase, a bullet in the cooling system of its inline counterpart could bring the flight to a rapid end. But well-designed liquid-cooled engines like the Merlin could run for long periods beyond normal operational limits without overheating, as liquid cooling is more efficient than air cooling, particularly for the cylinder head and valves. And they could operate at higher altitudes, reducing risk from anti-aircraft fire.

Far from being delicate and temperamental, as some round engine devotees maintain, the Merlin proved time and again that it could take abuse and still bring wounded aircraft home. Accounts of its fortitude are legion, including heavy bombers returning with half their engines disabled by flak or fighters, using throttle and boost far beyond the specified maximums for hundreds of miles. For example, one bomber pilot wrote, I had to return from Nuremburg in a Wellington on one engine and used maximum boost and revs on a Merlin X for five hours with no sign of distress. In another incident, an Avro Lancaster pilot who lost an engine just after takeoff pressed on to Stuttgart, fully loaded with fuel and bombs, using climb power on three engines for the whole trip.

The Merlin served in all war theaters, with all Allied air forces including the Sovietsand was the only British engine to be used in American warplanes. In fact, it was in the P-51 Mustang that the Merlin, produced under license as the V-1650 by the Packard Motor Car Company, gained perhaps its greatest renown.

American precision daylight bombing of key targets deep inside Germany, by unescorted heavy bombers of the Eighth Air Force, began badly. By late spring of 1943, Luftwaffe strength was growing and its fighter tactics were improving. Bomber losses reached 14 percent during the April 17 raid on Bremen. In July 128 bombers were shot down, with 1,280 crewmen either killed or taken prisoner, and half the surviving aircraft had suffered battle damage.

The assumption that bombers, flying in mutually defensive formations, could penetrate Germany without fighter escort all the way to the target was proving to be a disastrous repeat of the Luftwaffes experience against Britain three years earlier. It persisted in the face of all the evidence for the same reason: There were no suitable long-range fighters. The Republic P-47s radius, even with drop tanks, was only 400 miles. The twin-engine Lockheed P-38 had the range, but in a dogfight was outperformed by well-handled single-engine fighters, just as the Messerschmitt Me-110 had been in 1940. Losses in raids on Schweinfurt and Regensburg on August 17 reached as high as 20 percent, and a return raid on Schweinfurt on October 14 resulted in an intolerable 27 percent loss34 percent if planes scrapped on their return were countedforcing the Eighth Air Force to suspend raids until a solution could be found.

Even if a factory was hit, it was almost impossible to destroy the vital machine tools and presses. Once wreckage was cleared away, production often restarted within days. Despite temporary disruptions, German fighter production continued to increase until the wars last months. The Germans simply decentralized their fabrication and assembly to smaller, satellite plants and cottage industry sites.

The Allison V-1710, the only American inline engine used in WWII, was very similar to the Merlin in several ways, but lacked the power development potential and altitude capability, relegating the RAFs early Allison-powered Mustangs to low-level photoreconnaissance. In a marriage made in heaven, five P-51s were fitted with Merlin 65s at Rolls-Royces research airfield at Hucknall in 1942, transforming a good fighter into a superb one, faster than the Fw-190 and Me-109 at all altitudes and superior to both in virtually all respects. Carrying 270 gallons of fuel internally and two 75-gallon drop tanks, the Packard Merlinpowered Mustangs had an endurance of 7 hours. They could escort the B-17s and B-24s to any target in Germany, and outfight any Luftwaffe plane on the way there and back.



Mechanics work on one of four Merlins powering an Avro Lancaster bomber of No. 207 Squadron at RAF Bottesford airfield, Lincolnshire, in June 1942. (IWM TR 0020) Mechanics work on one of four Merlins powering an Avro Lancaster bomber of No. 207 Squadron at RAF Bottesford airfield, Lincolnshire, in June 1942. (IWM TR 0020)

Legendary 357th Fighter Group ace Clarence Bud Anderson wrote of the Merlin-equipped Mustang in his memoir To Fly and Fight, The Merlin had great gobs of power, and was equally at home high or low, thanks to a two-stage, two-speed supercharger. Bob Goebel, who flew Mustangs with the 31st Fighter Group in the Mediterranean theater, explained the superchargers operation in Mustang Ace: The P-51 had a two-stage blower in the induction system that was controlled automatically with a barometric switch. Around 17,000 feet, when the throttle had been advanced almost all the way forward just to maintain normal cruise, the blower would kick into high, the manifold pressure would jump up, and the climb could be continued to 30,000 feet.

Although bomber losses dropped dramatically with the Mustang escorts, Maj. Gen. James H. Jimmy Doolittle believed the Eighth Air Force was committing the same mistake Hermann Goring had in the Battle of Britaincompelling the escorts to stay close to the bombers instead of allowing them to range free, around and ahead of the formation. On assuming command of the Eighth on January 6, 1944, he noticed a sign at VIII Fighter Command headquarters: THE FIRST DUTY OF THE EIGHTH AIR FORCE FIGHTERS IS TO BRING THE BOMBERS BACK ALIVE. Doolittle ordered it changed to: THE FIRST DUTY OF THE EIGHTH AIR FORCE FIGHTERS IS TO DESTROY GERMAN FIGHTERS. The bombers would be bait to trap the Luftwaffe, the objective being the total destruction of its fighter arm and the achievement of Allied air superiority over Europe, in preparation for D-Day and to enable U.S. and British aircraft to bomb key targets at will.

Soon whole fighter groups were allowed to freelance, and the Luftwaffe hunters became the hunted. Communication experts in England monitored German radio transmissions and vectored the Mustangs in to attack enemy fighters as their formations assembled. Free-ranging Mustangs destroyed German fighters, including Messerschmitt Me-262 jets, on the ground or during takeoff and landing. In February and March 1944, the Luftwaffe lost 4,236 aircraft. Although German fighter production rose from 24,807 in 1943 to 44,000 in 1944, lack of fuel and relentless pressure by the Allied air forces overwhelmed the Luftwaffe. Pilots were being killed faster than they could be replaced, and by the time of the last major Allied raid on April 25, 1945, the once-dominant force had virtually ceased to exist.

Without the P-51 Mustang, and its Merlin engine, the Allies could not have achieved air superiority over Europe in 1944. The Normandy invasion might have been delayed or even failed, and the war could have dragged on into 1946. The prospect of a strong Luftwaffe, equipped with thousands of piston engine and jet fightersnot to mention scores of Arado Ar-234 jet bombersis unpleasant to contemplate. Instead, as Albert Speer, Hitlers armaments minister, told the Japanese ambassador at the outset of the escorted bombing campaign, For the first timeraids, which might deal a really fatal blow to Germany, have begun.

The 1939 Merlin Mk. I was rated at 950 hp. By 1945 the Merlin RM17SM had been flight-tested at a continuous 2,200 hp, with 2,640 hp available for short periods. No other engine achieved such a remarkable power increase while continuing to run reliably. Some 160,000 Merlins were produced during WWII, more than 100,000 in Britain, the rest by Packard in the U.S. They were used in more applicationsair, marine and landand appeared in more marks (50) and power ratings (21) than any other engine. They powered aircraft of more purposes (nine) and types (31). Today Merlins continue to propel many warbirds in the U.S., Britain and elsewhere, and the engines throaty growl can still be heard at airshows around the world.

In an ironic coda to the Merlin story, the final variant of the Me-109, the Spanish-built Hispano Aviacion HA-1112-M1L Buchon, was equipped with the 1,600-hp Merlin 500-45 engine. Remaining in service until December 1965, it was later used, disguised as Me-190Es and Gs, in films such as Battle of Britain, Memphis Belle and The Tuskegee Airmen. And so the circle was completed: 30 years earlier, a Rolls-Royce Kestrel had powered the prototype Messerschmitt Bf-109V1.

Nicholas ODell served in the RAF from 1958 to 1962. For further reading, he recommends: Clash of Wings, by Walter J. Boyne; Allied Piston Engines of World War II, by Graham White; and Not Much of an Engineer: An Autobiography, by Sir Stanley Hooker and Bill Gunston.

Originally published in the September 2009 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here.
A Frenchman honors D-Day and the U.S. Army Rangers.

Born in the wars aftermath, Jean-Marc Lefranc, president of Frances D-Day Commemoration Committee, has a lifelong connection to D-Day and World War II. The son of a French resistance fighter, Lefranc, 72, grew up in the town of Grandcamp-Maisy, a mere three miles from Pointe du Hoc. Early on D-Day, men of the U.S. Armys 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions scaled the 100-foot cliff there to seize the German defensive position at the top. Says Lefranc: My father instilled in me the sacrifice the Allied soldiers made.

How will the 75th Anniversary compare to previous commemorations?

In one particularly important way: most of the survivors of World War II are in their nineties. This will likely be the last time a large group of veterans will visit Normandy. Three hundred British veterans who landed on Gold Beach are attending. There will also be American, Canadian, Belgian, Polish, Norwegian, and Danish veterans. Private Charles Norman Shay, a 94-year-old veteran and member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, will be in attendance. On D-Day, he served as a medic on Omaha Beach.

Tell us about your familys wartime experiences.

In 1944 my dad was 23 years old. He was sent to work in Germany but managed to escape. He made it to Paris and enlisted in the FFIthe French Forces of the Interior, the French Resistance fighters.

The first Allied air bombing near our home began on May 26. The worst was the night of June 5-6. There was bombing, gunfire from American warships, and many boats. From our home, my family could see smoke in the distance. Everyone in all the coastal towns was afraid. They hid in trenches and in basements. Nobody was out in the streets. They didnt know what had happened, but very quickly understood that it was the invasion.

When did you first visit Pointe du Hoc?

I had gone with my parents when I was very young. It was dangerousnot just because of unexploded ammunition, but because of the cliffs height. At that time there was no barbed wire, no protection to avoid falls and rockslides. But my strongest memory is from age 10: my friends and I went there to fish for shrimp and octopus. The base of the cliff was filled with bullets and grenades. One friend died from an explosion.

Youve become closely involved with the Rangers. How did that come about?

I was a committee member at the 40th anniversary of D-Day in 1984; at the time there were lots of surviving Rangers. Leonard Bud Lomell of the 2nd Rangers was the first Ranger off the landing craft to be shot; he told me about the mission at Pointe du Hoc. There were other brave men such as Lieutenant Sidney Salomon, 2nd Rangersthe inspiration for Tom Hankss character in Saving Private Ryan. He had 37 men in his landing craft. After we crossed the beach and climbed the cliff, I only had nine men left, he told me. Nine out of the 37.

The 45th anniversary was held in Grandcamp-Maisy; I was the mayor then. We had 350 active-duty Rangers and about 80 veterans and family members. I asked a fisherman to loan me a boat. He brought the Rangers aboard and we sailed toward Pointe du Hoc. When it came into sight they cried. Since then Ive had a long friendship with the Rangers.

Do they keep in touch?

Yes; many Rangers and their families have vacationed at my home. One day I got a letter from Louis Lisko, a radio operator for the 2nd Rangers Headquarters. He was the Ranger historian. In his letter he wrote that he had cancer and that when he died he wanted his remains to be sent to me. I spread his ashes on Pointe du Hoc on June 6, 1999. It was very emotional. His wish was to rest forever with his comrades in arms.

You were instrumental in building a Ranger museum.

In 1989, I attended the Ranger reunion in Washington, DC, and gave a speech at Arlington National Cemetery in which I promised to build a Ranger museum in Normandy. We chose a location facing the sea so the beaches of June 6 could be visible. Musee des Rangers opened in Grandcamp-Maisy in October 1990. Rangers donated their souvenirs: daggers, Lugers, a Colt .45, swastika flags, a portrait of Hitler, and other artifacts. The museum closed in 2015 under a new town council; they didnt have enough visitors and lost money. Bad management was to blame; I did not agree with its closure.

Any plans to reopen it?

No. Its very sad. The new mayor is not interested in the Rangers. I have two possibilities: make a deal with the chairman of the Pointe Du Hoc Committee for a new museum or send all the Ranger artifacts to the Lewis Army Museum at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; its the home of 2nd Rangers, a good place for the artifacts. Or maybe Ill run for mayor in 2020.

Not long ago, the cliffs around Pointe du Hoc were in danger of collapsing.

The cliffs and memorial site had to close in 2001 due to safety concerns from decades of erosion. At that time, I was on the Ranger Council and president of the environmental commission in charge of the restoration. I worked with numerous French agencies and obtained the funds to restore the site. In addition, the American Battle Monuments Commission spent $6 million to stabilize the cliff and the observation post.

How long did it take to stabilize the site?

Ten years, beginning in 2001. The observation post and bunkers used by the Nazis were very dangerous. We had to pour concrete at the base near the cliff because of the erosion. The Rangers were getting old and were upset they couldnt visit. We reopened to the public in March 2011 for the 67th anniversary. A new project will begin next year to build bridges so people dont walk on Pointe du Hoc. Its a special place.

What keeps you involved?

There is a spirit in Normandy that is not the same as anywhere else in France. Because we are very close to veterans and their history, I stay in touch with the minister of education. Each year they bring 10- to 18-year-old French schoolchildren to Normandy. We speak to the teachers and prepare ceremonies so they can learn what happened. They meet witnesses and people who were there. By attending the ceremonies the children can understand more clearly what happened. With the knowledge and importance that they learn, they can pass on the stories to younger generations.

Last year, you became the only Frenchman inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame. What does that mean to you?

It was too much. It was a great honor to be alongside American soldiers. Two of the men inducted had been killed in action in Vietnam and Afghanistan. Seven other living Rangers received the medal. And meI did only my job and no more. Im just a French citizen. 

This story was originally published in the June 2019 issue of World War II magazine. Subscribe here.
T his week sees the start of the London Festival of Architecture, a month-long showcase of the best the city has to offer in design.

Londons rich architecture, from its historic buildings to its cutting-edge contemporary creations, provides a perfect backdrop for the festival, which has a packed programme of more than 500 events held all over the capital.

The festival connects more than 300 event organisers with the thousands of Londoners and visitors who want to experience and understand the city more.

Whether its the Lego Challenge at the Royal Academy, seeing behind the scenes at the Crystal Maze Experience or a walking tour of brickwork in London Bridge, there are plenty of activities to get involved in.

For those who have ever wondered what an architect actually does, this will be the opportunity to find out. Across London in June architects will be opening their doors every Friday night as part of the festivals Studio Lates, showcasing their projects and explaining the process of design.

Each Friday different areas will see a number of practices opening to the public, starting with Clerkenwell on 7 June.

Throughout the month a number of exciting and surprising new installations will be seen across the city.

This year there will be gilded angels suspended above St Pauls tube station, a grim underpass will be transformed into a riot of colour, and the City of London will become home to a series of miniature landscapes.

Like the festival, architecture is at its best when it is transformative, perhaps a little disruptive, and gets people looking at their city in new ways. Join in this month and see what architecture can do.

London Festival Architecture's transport-themed exhibits 1 /12 London Festival Architecture's transport-themed exhibits Harbinder Singh Birdi on Crossrail and public art June 20: Harbinder Singh Birdi, partner at Hawkins\Brown Architects in Farringdon, discusses the design of Crossrail stations including Tottenham Court Road, and the integration of conceptual art. Boats, Bridges and Boundaries Throughout June: MBNA Thames Clippers family event invites you to design boats and bridges inspired by the river and the Bauhaus movement. Yinka Ilori: Happy Street From June 22: Be one of the first people to see a new large-scale public artwork from Yinka Ilori come to life, in what was previously a gloomy underpass in Nine Elms. Old Kent Road guided walks June 8 and 9: Action OKR leads guided walks to discover neglected landmarks, hidden histories, a wealth of industry and a multitude of multicultural communities Thames Connections, Past Present and Future June 19: Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands annual debate investigates and analyses our connections to the Thames and its crossings, past, present and future. Mark Titchner: Me. Here. Now. June 7: Join artist Mark Titchner in the vaulted walkway beneath London Bridge station to view his work, entitled Me. Here. Now. Crossing Borough Boundaries June 30: Sarah Wigglesworth Architects celebrate their 25th anniversary with a cycle tour of London, visiting a selection of buildings designed by the practice across the city. Walk the Low Line June 15 and 17: A guided tour exploring south Londons new walking destination, the Low Line, along the base of the Victorian railway viaduct running through Bankside, London Bridge and Bermondsey. Passenger, Jessica Wilson June 26-29: A conversation between two passengers on a bus is the starting point for this epic, unfolding story that takes audience and actors through Londons Royal Docks. Gerard Assi Photography

London Festival of Architecture highlights week 1:

All Along the Dock Edge

1-30 June

An intriguing and leisurely self-guided walk developed by artist Anna Gibb, revealing the rapidly changing face of the Royal Docks.

Does Empathy Have Boundaries?

4-11 June

An exhibition by Bow Arts exploring how architecture can shape or overcome the citys emotional, mental, social, cultural, economic and ideological boundaries.

Yinka Illori: Types of Happiness

1-23 June

A solo exhibition by one of Londons most exciting artists and designers, inspired by his commission by the LFA and Wandsworth Council to redesign a gloomy underpass in Nine Elms.

Polyform x Rich Stapleton

1-30 June

Artist and photographer Rich Stapleton takes over Polyforms Kings Road showroom with images exploring the boundaries arising in Londons architecture.

Cremation Stories

6 June

How is Londons architecture shaped by boundaries between the living and the dead? Join Frederick W Paine funeral directors alongside leading architects and academics to find out more.

St Bartholomews Hospital at Smithfield

5-7 June

A tour of St Bartholomews Hospital  a fascinating location including architecture from the middle ages to the present day.

Studio Lates  Clerkenwell

7 June

Architecture practices across Clerkenwell throw open their doors to the public for the London Festival of Architects.

What Where: Crossing Boundaries in the Architecture of Sala Beckett

1-30 June

An exhibition at Roca London Gallery, inspired by the work of Samuel Beckett and exploring architectures ability to transcend boundaries.

Tamsie Thomson is the director of the Festival of Architecture
Pipeline

31 May 2019

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced today its first property in Nebraska, a complete rehabilitation of the historic Blackstone Hotel and former office building. The project is scheduled to open in the spring of 2020.

Located in the popular and vibrant Blackstone District of Omaha near several iconic American companies, including Berkshire Hathaway, Mutual of Omaha, Ameritrade, and the Kiewit Corporation as well as the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the century-old property will feature 205 guestrooms, a steakhouse and the reimagined celebrated Cottonwood Room bar. A swimming pool in a resort-style setting and almost 11,000 square feet of meeting space including the restored famed rooftop Grand Ballroom round out the project.

In collaboration with two prominent Omaha developers, Clarity Development Company and GreenSlate Development, Kimpton will help to create a world-class hotel that embraces its place in the community and the history of Omaha.

Built in 1916 in the heart of the city, the building is rich with history. One of the earliest structures in Nebraska listed on the National Register of Historical Places, it was once the premier hotel for travelers going between Chicago and San Francisco. Richard Nixon announced his presidential run from the Grand Ballroom in 1967 and in its heyday, the Orleans Room was the most famous restaurant in the city, as well as the birthplace of the Reuben sandwich.

Leo A Daly and DLR Group will lead the architecture and interior design process in partnership with Kimpton's design team, Global Senior Vice President of Design Ave Bradley and Design Director Jennifer Porterfield.

The Kimpton Omaha property is owned by the principals of Clarity and GreenSlate and their local investment partners, and will be managed by Pivot Hotels & Resorts, the lifestyle and luxury operating division of Davidson Hotels & Resorts.
Pipeline

31 May 2019

Hyatt Place Fort Worth/Alliance Town Center is expected to open in September 2019. The new, five-story, 130-room hotel will offer business and leisure travelers an open, intuitive design, casual atmosphere, and practical amenities, such as free Wi-Fi, 24-hour food offerings and a 24-hour fitness center.

Hyatt Place Fort Worth/Alliance Town Center will be steps from the best shopping and dining in north Fort Worth. Located six miles from Alliance Airport (AFW), the hotel also will be a short drive from the Texas Motor Speedway, Tanger Outlets and Fort Worth Stockyards.

Hyatt Place Fort Worth/Alliance Town Center will offer:
Event

The faculty, students, administrators, and alumni of the NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality thank you for your support at the 40th Annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference.

Save the date to join the global leaders in lodging development, investment, and finance, June 2-4, 2019, at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City.

Conference Chair Jonathan M. Tisch, Conference Vice Chair Jeffrey Stewart, and the Executive Planning Committee will develop another extraordinary program for the 2019 NYU Hospitality Investment Conference.

The NYU Hospitality Investment Conference features general sessions, workshops, and networking events to provide data, analysis, perspectives, insights, and opportunities. During this two-day conference, leading lodging executives, investors, developers, analysts, and economists will participate in robust discussions on diverse and timely international industry topics such as cap ex, demand segmentation, design, development, the economy, finance, forecasts, franchising, IPOs, legal issues, lifestyle and luxury markets, management agreements, OTAs, politics, residential and vacation ownership, transactions, and more.

41st Annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference is organized by
Press Release

31 May 2019

Minneapolis - Radisson Hotel Group announced the signings of two new-build Radisson hotels in Brazil in partnership with Atlantica Hotels. The hotels span the country from the Pinheiros District in Sao Paulo to the northeastern coast in the Flecheiras Village. Each hotel will feature the new Radisson design, which includes a comfortable natural look and feel that encourages a balanced environment. Radisson hotels provide opportunities to create experiences that center around social spaces, food and drink, guest rooms, meetings and wellness through the brands signature amenities.

Advertisements

Radisson Hotel Sao Paulo Pinheiros will be located in the Pinheiros District, which is an area known for its unique art galleries, live music venues and innovative bistros and gastropubs. The hotel will offer 152 guest rooms and suites. Guests will be able to enjoy a fitness center and an onsite restaurant. Construction on the hotel is anticipated to begin Q3 2019 with plans to open in Q4 2022.

Radisson Hotel Flecheiras will be built near the beautiful beaches along Brazil's northeastern coast. The hotel will feature an onsite restaurant, fitness center, outdoor pool and meeting space. The hotel is expected to break ground Q2 2019 and is anticipated to open Q1 2024.

"We are so proud to continue growing our portfolio with Atlantica Hotels with these fantastic additions," said Terry Sanders, Chief Development Officer, Americas, Radisson Hotel Group. "We are focused on growing our presence in Latin America as we continue driving awareness of our incredible brands, allowing more guests to experience our superior hospitality at our exceptional hotels."

Atlantica Hotels is a licensee for Radisson Hotel Group's brands in Brazil including: Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED and Park Inn by Radisson. The two companies have enjoyed a longstanding relationship in Brazil that now includes 14 hotels in operation.

Radisson Hotel Group is celebrating 30 years in Latin America. Radisson Paraiso Hotel Mexico City celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year. This was the first Radisson to open in Mexico, which led the expansion of Radisson Hotel Group's portfolio of hotels throughout Latin America.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  One of the country's biggest life insurers is investing heavily on training financial advisors, which they said would be the key to getting more Filipinos covered by insurance.

The Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company (Philam Life) has received a 3-billion investment from its parent firm AIA Group Ltd. for its newest business strategy, through which they expect to reach more Filipinos in this largely-untapped market.

"At the moment, the protection gap is there's only 2 percent that have some sort of insurance coverage," newly-minted Philam Life chief executive officer Kelvin Ang told CNN Philippines.

Ang said this translates to 1.5 trillion in value. Philam Life expects the protection gap in the Philippines to nearly double to 2.7 trillion by 2020.

Their solution is to personalize Philam Life's approach to pitching their insurance products to the public to better explain the dire need to be covered.

"I think in terms of addressing financial needs, there's a need to customize to every individual. Everyone has a different situation and needs," Ang said.

"That is why we were early on talking about qualfied financial advisors. To be able to provide that advice, (they have to) look at every individual, understand the needs of the household and plan the right allocation  how much goes to protection, savings, and how much the investment," he added.

Financial literacy remains the biggest concern, Ang said, with a majority of Filipinos unable to appreciate the insurance business.

Philam Life is the third-biggest life insurance provider in the country with premium incomes worth 22.37 trillion as of end-2018, accounting for a tenth of the industry. It is the biggest insurer in terms of assets valued at 246.75 billion, according to the Insurance Commission.
Press Release

31 May 2019

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Comfort hotels, franchised by Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH), continues its nationwide expansion with the opening of two hotels in Brooklyn and Long Island City, N.Y.

Advertisements

The newly built hotels are the latest to open as part of the brand's multi-year transformation, featuring updated room and public space designs, as well as the new Comfort logo. The Comfort brand has more than 300 properties in its pipeline, 80 percent of which are new construction. More than 60 Comfort hotels are expected to open this year in major cities across the United States, including Dallas; Nashville, Tenn.; Pittsburgh; San Antonio; and San Diego.

"Comfort hotels are designed to serve business travelers more than ever before, so it's fitting that these new hotels are opening in the New Yorkarea, the business capital of the world," said Anne Smith, vice president, brand management, design and compliance, Choice Hotels. "Guests and developers are raving about Comfort's new look, from the lobby and rooms to the brand identity. The investment we've made with franchisees in our transformation journey ensures travelers visiting Comfort hotels for both business and leisure leave with lasting impressions."

Comfort Inn Prospect Park - Brooklyn, N.Y.

Located at 150 20th St. in the South Slope area of Brooklyn, guests of the 84-room Comfort Inn Prospect Park-Brooklyn can easily access many of New York's top businesses. Industry City, the World Trade Center, and Wall Street firms like JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs are all just a short subway ride away.

Comfort Inn - Long Island City, N.Y.

The 94-room Comfort Inn at 37-35 21st Street is in one of New York's emerging neighborhoods. The hotel is the latest newcomer to the redeveloped industrial area of Long Island City, home to corporate offices of JetBlue Airways, Silvercup Studios, and Altice USA. The NYC Subway's F-train is nearby and gets into midtown Manhattan in 2 short stops, perfect for visitors to explore the Empire State Building, Central Park, and more.

"I am pleased to see these great Comforts opening across New York," said Brian Quinn, head of development, new construction brands, Choice Hotels. "Entering these new markets demonstrates our commitment to both franchisees and guests in locations that matter."

Comfort hotels are designed to meet the needs of business and leisure travelers with amenities that make for a refreshing stay, including:

Modern guestrooms with premium pillows, bedding and bath amenities.

Open lobbies with space to work or socialize.

Complimentary hearty and healthy breakfast, featuring the brand's signature waffles, eggs, breakfast meats, pastries, yogurt, and fresh coffees and teas.

Free Wi-Fi and business centers.

24-hour fitness centers.

100-percent smoke-free.

The Comfort Inn Prospect Park-Brooklyn was developed by Prospect Brothers Realty, LLC and the Comfort Inn in Long Island City was developed by Surjeet Kaur and Balbir Sandhu.

"Guests will love the Comfort Inn Prospect Park-Brooklyn's contemporary features and premium location close to so many of New York's top businesses," said Wu Chen of Prospect Brothers Realty, LLC, whose affiliate is developing the hotel. "We're thrilled to establish a presence here with Choice Hotels, whose commitment to the brand and support has been invaluable all the way through the opening process and beyond."

For more information on Choice Hotels development opportunities, visit www.choicehotelsdevelopment.com/comfort/.
Press Release

31 May 2019

Deutsche Hospitality is extending its cooperation with "Arbeit und Leben", a continuing training institution that is funded by the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) and the German Association of Adult Education Centres (DVV). The intention is to collaborate more closely on training content, a task for which Deutsche Hospitality makes staff available. CEO Thomas Willms also presented Ludwig Pufal, Head of Vocational Education and Training at the institution, with a cheque for 40,000 for the project "Integrated Training Support".

Advertisements

"Employees are the heart and the soul of our hotels"

"Employees are the heart and soul of our hotels and of the sector as a whole," stated Thomas Willms at a special ceremony for the handover of the cheque staged at the IntercityHotel Frankfurt Sud on 29 May 2019. "Arbeit und Leben helps young people to gain a foothold in the hotel and restaurant branch and assists them in their professional development. We are proud to support this institution and to make our own small contribution towards countering the shortage of skilled workers."

According to the 2018 Report on Vocational Education and Training, the overall trainee drop-out rate in all catering-related occupations was between 43.6% and 50.6% in 2016. This is one of the highest proportions of training contract dissolutions in any sector. The average rate of contract dissolutions across all recognised training occupations was 25.8%. Some occupations recorded drop-out levels of as low as between 4% and 8%.[1] The "Integrated Training Support" project aims to offer direct assistance to trainees with special needs in order to allow them to continue to train as qualified staff in the hotel and restaurant sector. Tailored instruments are being developed for this purpose. These are aimed both at the trainees themselves and the companies.

"Partnership extends beyond donation"

Ludwig Pufal, Head of Vocational Education and Training at ARBEIT UND LEBEN, stated: "It's great to have an international partner such as Deutsche Hospitality, which is also heavily involved at a regional level within Germany. This partnership extends beyond the donation itself. We will be able to work together in a specific way to help young people establish themselves in the world of work on a permanent basis."

The collaborative arrangements between Arbeit und Leben and Deutsche Hospitality were launched as long ago as 2015, when a group of young Spaniards underwent training in the occupations of hotel specialist and cook. A cooperation agreement has been in place ever since. Around 300,000 young people and adults benefit from the provision offered by Arbeit und Leben. In 2019, the number of staffs employed at Deutsche Hospitality exceeded the 10,000 mark for the first time. Around 10,590 persons currently work for the group worldwide.

[1] Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF (Ed.), 2018 Report on Vocational Education and Training, pp. 81 ff.
Opinion Article

31 May 2019

The television upfronts are an odd thing for marketers.

On one hand, they're kind of antiquated: the idea of major advertisers and buyers gathering in person every year in New York to watch live presentations about the networks' upcoming programming lineups feels a bit unnecessary in this digital age.

On the other hand, they're immensely useful: in addition to relaying information about shows, the upfronts continue to provide insight about how the television industry is faring, and how content and advertising are evolving more broadly.

Given that media is in such a state of flux, this year's upfronts, which took place during the third week of May, were especially valuable in drawing attention to a number of important trends and changes.

Specifically, brands of all types would benefit from keeping these six key learnings from the 2019 television upfronts in mind:

1. Television is in a (very important) transitional period

In their upfronts roundup, AdAge noted that a key theme this year was that "the industry is in a very uncomfortable limbo."

Variety had a similar takeaway. As they put it, "This may be remembered as TV's gap yeara transitional period between the way things used to be and the way they're going to be."

Essentially, every media company tried to do some version of the same thing this yearhighlight that their traditional linear television networks are healthy, while also showing that they're working hard during this very important time to position themselves well for a digital-first, on-demand future.

2. Stay tuned for (lots of) new streaming services

Whereas in recent upfronts, media companies talked about a wide range of digital initiatives, this year the focus was mainly on one thing: owned streaming services.

Disney, NBCUniversal, and Warner Media all are launching their own direct-to-consumer streaming services in the near future and each devoted significant time to talking about these plans.

Moreover, the biggest news to come out of the upfronts didn't concern a particular show or network, but was rather the announcement that Disney struck a deal with Comcast to take full control of Hulu by 2024.

These coming-soon-but-not-quite-here-yet shifts in the streaming landscape are a large part of why things at the upfronts felt in limbo/transitional this year.

3. Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon are (literally) at the door

Why are media companies rushing to launch their own streaming services?

Mostly because they're deeply worried about viewers shifting en masse from television to online platforms such as Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video.

As Jimmy Kimmel joked during the ABC/Disney presentation, "F*ckin' Netflix, they even signed the Obamas!This is getting badBut the good news is, if you look under your seats, you'll find a cyanide capsule. Wash it down with some Whiskey Cavalier."

Although the big online platforms didn't do their own presentations, it was clear that the traditional networks feel the competitive threat. In the case of Amazon, the idea of these tech firms waiting just outside the door was literalthe company parked a Marvelous Mrs. Maisel-themed food truck right in front of venues during the upfronts and served meals to hungry advertisers.

MDG Advertising

4. The big media companies are getting (much) bigger

In addition to streaming, another important theme of this year's upfronts was media consolidation.

After 15 months of work, Disney completed its massive $71 billion purchase of 21st Century Fox and over the past year, firms such as Comcast's NBCUniversal also bulked up.

This move toward the big getting even bigger could be felt at the upfronts. As AdAgeput it, "Walt Disney, Warner Media, NBCU and even CBS were eager to scream, 'Look how big we are.' After its acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets, Disney, unsurprisingly, had the most to show off, though it was a bit jarring to see posters for shows like FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia adorned with a Disney logo."

5. Big data and better ad targeting are (slowly) coming

For years, advertisers have been promised that the combination of Big Data and more sophisticated technology will enable television spots to be better targeted, measured, and incorporated into multi-platforms campaigns.

To be fair, the industry has been making quite a bit of progress on this. Still, the upfronts highlighted that things like universally accepted modern measurement standards for television are still works in progress.

As Forbes noted, "The TV business has invested heavily to bring to the linear TV world digital-like use of data to identify and deliver more precise audience segments. We have OpenAP (now 2.0) from Fox, Viacom and NBCU; Xandr from AT&T/Warner Media; NBC's newly christened AdSmart (in partnership with Sky); and Disney's proprietary analytics platform. Unfortunately, insights drawn from any of these initiatives were little on display at the upfronts."

6. Television advertising still matters (a lot)

Finally, amidst all of the discussion about digital disruption, it's important to keep this in mind: television remains immensely popular and ad spend continues to increase in aggregate.

As Variety highlighted in its upfronts preview, "The money committed in advance for commercials in traditional shows has increased in each 'upfront' market for the past three yearsthe nation's broadcast and cable networks saw advance ad commitments increase 5.2% to more than $20.7 billion in 2018."

In other words, marketers of all types should continue to strongly consider television as part of their media mix. Ultimately, while evolutions such as streaming, consolidation, and Big Data may change things quite a bit in the coming years, the underlying appeal of the medium to both audiences and advertisers should remain steady long into the future.

Get the full story on how the TV industry is evolving.

Contact MDG Advertisingtoday at 561-338-7797 or visit mdgadvertising.com.

MDG Advertising, a full-service advertising agency with offices in Boca Raton and Brooklyn, NY, is one of Florida's top hospitality branding firms. MDG's capabilities include branding, logo design, creative, print advertising, direct mail marketing, media buying and planning, radio and TV advertising, outdoor, newspaper, digital marketing, website design and development, online video advertising, infographic development, email marketing, video marketing, mobile marketing, content marketing, social media marketing, paid search marketing, and SEO. To learn about the latest trends in travel advertising and branding, contact MDG Advertising today at 561-338-7797 or visit mdgadvertising.com.
Opinion Article

31 May 2019

I walk into the hotel, wheeling my luggage and briefcase behind me. I am taken aback by the spacious and open modern lobby. I approach the front desk, and Carlos greets me with a smile. We have a friendly exchange - how are you doing, did you have a good flight, how do you like our city - that kind of thing. I ask for a restaurant recommendation for dinner, and he tells me about a fascinating off-the-beaten-path bistro that has excellent reviews. I thank him, and he says, "No problem."

Advertisements

And there it is. Hanging like a lead balloon. No problem.

What's the problem with "no problem?" It's an inherently negative response and, to certain people, off-putting. It has the potential to stagnate the conversation. Instead, offer up a polite and courteous, "you're welcome."

Here's the problem with "no problem." It assumes that I have a problem to begin with. That I come to you with something I need to have solved. That you are the answer to, well, my problem. Let's make sure we're on the same page. I didn't come to you with a problem. I don't have a problem.

Until we have a problem, save "no problem" for when we do have a problem. We have a problem when the toilet in my hotel bathroom doesn't work. We have a problem when a $23 mini-bar charge for a beer and a candy bar shows up on my checkout bill, and I never partook of said goodies. We have a problem when you accidentally serve my dinner in my lap. When you resolve these issues, you may say "no problem," however a "you're welcome," accompanied by a smile will do nicely.

Your customers don't go through their days with service problems they need to have solved. The social construct we engage in is one of service, not problem-solving. Service is not a problem.

When I hear "no problem," my mind goes to the negative. The word problem, used in a service context, sullies the exchange between us. One might go so far as to say that it creates an unnecessary power exchange. When you say "no problem" that puts you in a superior position to me, if you will. It's as if you've swooped in to save the day by removing "a problem" from my life (mind you, a problem that doesn't exist). Congratulations, you have elevated yourself to "hero" status.

I visit my favorite coffee shop and order a plain cup of coffee. "Room for cream?" the young barista asks. "Yes, thank you," I reply. "No problem!" No, there is no problem. All I want is a simple cup of coffee. It's not a problem that I want coffee. It's not a problem that I want room for cream. When I say, "thank you," say "you're welcome."

Bill Flanagan of MTV fame, shared his opinion about "no problem" on CBS Sunday Morning back in 2013. You can watch what Bill has to say at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2E8wmUff5w. He observes that people born before 1980 use "no problem" to say, "you're welcome." Is this a generational thing? Bill thinks so. He says there are times when it's permissible to use "no problem." I agree. When there's a problem.

Whether you agree or disagree with "no problem" and when it's appropriate to use it, you are always safe with "you're welcome." "You're welcome" is right in any situation that requires a response to "thank you." If you're interested in changing your "no problem" habit, put a rubber band around your wrist. Every time you think about saying or say, "no problem," snap the rubber band.

Still not convinced? Use "no problem" for a week. The next week, say "thank you" exclusively. Compare your customer's and client's reactions. I'd love to hear you're your experiences and observations. You're welcome.

 2019, Roger Wolkoff. Reprint rights granted so long as all URLs are made live.

Does your organization, association, or team need help working through change? Are you looking for positive experiences for your employees and customers? If you answered "yes" then you need to work with Roger Wolkoff. He will help you discover how emotional intelligence paired with authenticity improves communication, ups productivity, and positively influences culture. Visit https://www.rogerwolkoff.com/ to connect with Roger and work with him to help you deliver results and grow your bottom line.
"I wanted to make my version of The Chronic," is how Denzel Curry ended his interview with us as he spoke at length about his latest project, ZUU. On Friday morning, the 24-year-old released his highly-anticipated followup to TA13OO, and although it's only been out for a few hours, fans are already calling out their favorite tracks. There are many standouts on ZUU, and taking into consideration the versatility of the tracks, it's difficult to choose which favorite is...well...a favorite.

On "BIRDZ", along with many other songs on the record, Curry purposefully chose Flordia artists to collaborate with. Maybach Music's Rick Ross joins forces with Curry on the track and the two maintain an untouchable energy throughout. The two proud Florida artists boast about their city as they spit rhymes about not caring about the world's opinions of them.

Speaking on the lyricism of ZUU, Curry told us, "Yeah. I didnt make it overly complex. TA1300 was overly complex. Too many complex bars within it. I just wanted to keep it simple and plain. Straight to the point. Just get down to business. Forget the dilly-dallying."

Quotable Lyrics

Pray I keep it all, like the Sunday Service, uh

My pastor making dollars like he Erick Sermon

Lord forgive me for my tendencies, yeah

Got an evil plan for my mini-mes, yeah
Jussie Smollett's probably one of the most disgraced actors in Hollywood these days. Although he maintained his innocence and the charges were dropped, the court of public opinion hasn't absolved him on sin. Earlier today, the court finally released his full case file which consisted of over four hundred pages of interviews, records, and logs. The Osundairo brothers said that they regret their role in the actor's alleged attack host but in the documents, Smollett explained why he didn't think they were behind them.



Dominik Bindl/Getty Images

With the Smollett's case file now available to the general public, there's a specific excerpt from an interview done with Smollett after the Osundairo brothers were taken into police custody. He was shown two photos of the brothers, once he identified as his trainer, his friend, and an extra on Empire.' The other photo Smollett wasn't able to identify. The documents reads, per The Blast, Victim [name redacted] realized that the photos he viewed were of the persons that were in custody at this time. Victim [name redacted] said it cant be them, They are black as sin.' He added, They are straight so we dont have any problems with women or men. They did not owe me any money, I dont owe them any money. We have a good relationship.

Although the charges were dropped, the City Of Chicago sued him over investigative costs.
Ariana Grande's last album, thank u, next had a heavy trap influence to it. From the single "7 rings," which might be the first pop song to be accused of biting three different hip-hop songs, to the titular track, Grande brought her sparkling pop princess dynamic with a hip hop twist of sorts. You probably would've expected more rappers to remix some of the songs on the album but there hasn't really been many of them. However, Lou The Human appeared to take a liking to the album's closing track.

Lou The Human returns with a remix of Ariana Grande's "breakup with you girlfriend, i'm bored." The rapper's new track follows the release of "Insanity Rough." The rapper kicks off on more of a melodic tip before getting into his flow and bodying the beat.

Peep his remix.

Quotable Lyrics

I be all up in your city like a crazy bummin'

My blood homie told me tell 'em that's the way we bummin'

I be crazy blunted, crashin' the Mercedes frontin'

Trash the Jamie cup and tell the cops there was a lady comin'
Ever since the initial reports that Empire actor Jussie Smollett had been attacked in Chicago, the story has devolved into a complicated web of lies and "he said she said" accounts of what really happened. Smollett was eventually accused of lying about the whole thing and was hit with 16 charges. On March 26th, all of these charges were dropped which shocked the Chicago Police Department who had put so much hard work into investigating the case.

According to new public records, it has been revealed that Chicago prosecutors actually asked the police to stop their investigation into the Smollett case which is something they have no authority to do, according to Page Six. In the report, it states that the prosecution never even asked for the evidence surrounding the case, which just further adds to the accusations that the prosecution acted with less than good intentions. Police eventually followed the prosecution's orders, which came directly after the 16 charges had been laid.

Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx has been subpoenaed over the case and how she handled the whole thing. With this in mind, it's important to note that Smollett is unlikely to return to Empire, despite all of his charges being dropped.

It's clear that regardless of the legal precedent being set here, the damage has already been done to Smollett's image.
Multiple women have stepped forward and accused Russell Simmons of sexual misconduct, but the media mogul has adamantly denied that he engaged in any inappropriate behavior. An anonymous woman only identified as Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Simmons in March 2018. She claims that she was with her son at a rap concert when Simmons approached her and invited her backstage. She says she later attended an afterparty at a nightclub and it was there that Simmons allegedly asked if she would accompany him to a hotel room. She states he told her he had to leave because he had to get something out of the room. While there, she claims he threatened her, pushed her on the bed, and forcibly sexually assaulted her.

Jane Doe initially didn't include a date when the incident occurred, but later stated in documents that it was some time in 1988. She is suing for $10 million. Simmons denied ever assaulting the woman and his lawyer, Patricia Glaser, has been petitioning the court to toss out the suit because the two-year statute of limitations had expired. Attorneys for both sides have been fighting tooth and nail, but it looks as if they will see each other in court on August 15.

In a sworn statement to the court, The Hollywood Reporter states Simmons has made the following declaration under penalty of perjury in a civil suit: "I am horrified at the false allegations made against me in the Complaint. I do not know and I have never heard of Plaintiff. Her allegation that I committed sexual battery and threatened to rape her son is absurd, shameful, and untrue. I have never had non-consensual sex with Plaintiff or anyone else."



Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

In a motion for summary judgment, Glaser calls Jane Doe's accusation "false and salacious fiction... nothing more than a calculated scheme by Plaintiff to tell a lie so big and so scandalous that it would attract news coverage (as it has) in the hopes that Mr. Simmons would pay her money to make it disappear (as he has not, and will not)."

Simmons also makes a case in his motion that Jane Doe in the past has pleaded guilty to prostitution and has filed bankruptcy. "In short, Plaintiff has no corroboration or credibility in what we believe to be an effort to publicly extort Mr. Simmons," writes Glaser. Jane Doe has accused Simmons of moving to Indonesia to avoid prosecution as it is a country with no extradition treaty with the United States.

The Def JAm co-founder previously provided us with a statement that reads: "The anonymous accusers assertion that Mr. Simmons is hiding out in Bali, a country that does not have any extradition treaty with the United States, is false, as are her other accusations against Mr. Simmons, which she claims took place 31 years ago. Likewise, the accusation that Mr. Simmons has traveled to Bali many times over the years, but in the midst of multiple accusations last year, has not yet returned is also false. The fact is Mr. Simmons has been in and out of the United States six times in the last year and will be back for his childs graduation. The accuser, who has been convicted of a crime, is hoping to hit the lottery in this case, asking at least $10 million based on these false allegations."
Wendy Williams has been embroiled in a very public break up from her estranged husband Kevin Hunter for a while now and it's been getting pretty ugly. The whole break up was initiated after it was revealed that Kevin had been cheating on her throughout half of their relationship which ultimately pushed Williams over the edge. Most recently, her son, Kevin Hunter Jr, was arrested after he punched his dad in the face for the way he treated his mother. It was a pretty honorable thing to do, although Hunter Sr is now blaming Williams for "poisoning" her son.

Regardless of how you feel about Wendy Williams and the situation, you have to feel for her in a way as this is a horrible situation that absolutely no one would want to be privy to. Recently though, Williams looks like she's been happier than ever and is moving on from the whole mess. Just yesterday, Wendy was spotted leaving her show in New York City with some fresh bling on her left hand.

Instead of her wedding band, Williams wore one of her favorite blinged out flower rings. While her marriage has been essentially over for a while now, the ring is symbolic of how she's decided to move on and that she won't remind herself of someone who's caused her so much pain in the past.

For Williams' sake, we just hope there aren't any more altercations between her son and her estranged husband.
Is there really any guest who would deny Joe Rogan an appearance on his podcast? The much-beloved podcast host had hip-hop fans wagging at the mouth for a possible Kanye West episode, although the absence of such a podcast sounds like it's more because Joe Rogan doesn't feel as though Kanye is in the right place mentally right now to even do it-- it's more of a Joe lack-of-desire than a Kanye one, perhaps. The guy did just go on David Letterman's new Netflix show, after all.

Nonetheless, if you're one of Joe's millions of subscribers, you woke up this morning to a new episode in your Podcast library that features none other than Wiz Khalifa. We all know that Joe Rogan smokes a blunt or two from time to time, although, when put in the presence of Wiz, that's light work. The rapper divulges he smokes an ounce a day, in comparison to Joe's paltry one-joint (maybe) a day. This revelation leaves Joe shook.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

The unlikely pair don't stay on the topic of marijuana and related drugs for too long though, although Wiz does reveal that Amber Rose is using CBD to help cope with her pregnancy pains. As anyone knows if they've seen Wiz on Instagram this past year, the rapper has gone through quite a physical transformation. The two bond over Muay Thai discussions, talking about where and how they train, with Wiz detailing how training in Muay Thai has helped him beyond just the obvious physical aspects. Khalifa discusses his current health protocol, which involves meal prep (for inquiring minds, he does confirm "I'm single" on the podcast, and thus there is no lady at home to cook him meals), as they delve further into fitness talk.

In true Joe Rogan fashion, the conversation spans more than two hours. There is plenty to sink your teeth into here, watch below and enjoy.

For more of Joe Rogan's best hip-hop moments, check out our list here.
The protests for and against the fur ban in New York City has brought out many celebrities, including Safaree Samuels. The Love & Hip Hop New York star recently made a public declaration that he is pro-fur by giving a speech that was so impassioned, he made the local news. Samuels stated that thousands of people would lose their jobs if fur was banned, while others argued that the ban was an attack on urban communities because it has been a cultural staple among minorities.



Greg Doherty/Getty Images

On the opposing side of the picket line is RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan who wrote a letter to city council members, asking that they approve a bill that "prohibits the sale or offer for sale of fur apparel, except used fur apparel and fur apparel that is worn as a matter of religious custom." PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) shared RZA's letter to councilmember and co-chair of the Black, Latino/a, & Asian Caucus, Ydanis Rodriguez. RZA says that black people showing off their socio-economic status by wearing fur is a thing of the past.
Juul Labs, the nations largest e-cigarette maker, is looking to open its first U.S. shops in Houston and Dallas, renewing concerns among public health officials who have long waged campaigns against smoking.

The San Francisco company has not made a final decision to open its own stores, but has hired two employees for the Texas stores, according to a company representative.

We havent made a decision to open retail locations, but are exploring it, the spokesman, who declined to be named, said. Houston and Dallas are at the top of the list.

Public health officials worry Juuls expansion into brick-and-mortar retail threatens decades of anti-smoking campaigns that have changed social norms and perceptions around smoking tobacco. Although cigarette use has been declining over the decades, e-cigarette use has surged in recent years, particularly among teenagers and young adults drawn to electronic gadgets, vaping contests and fruity flavors of smoke.

We are definitely concerned, said Sherri Onyiego, a Harris County Public Health doctor and medical director for chronic disease prevention. E-cigarettes may be less harmful than cigarettes, but it doesnt mean that theyre harmless or safe. The Juul store would be potentially another access point for kids.

Early adoption

E-cigarettes  battery-powered devices that vaporize liquid nicotine into an aerosol mist that can be inhaled, or vaped  entered the U.S. market around 2007 and have grown more popular over the past five years.

Last year, more than 3.6 million youth nationally, including 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students, reported using e-cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 11 million adults in the U.S. use e-cigarettes, according to the CDC.

Juul dominates the U.S. e-cigarette market with a nearly 76 percent market share last year, according to Nielsen convenience store data. Wells Fargo Securities projects $9 billion in e-cigarette sales in 2019.

Juul claims e-cigarettes can help adult tobacco smokers quit. However, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid, and research is mixed on its effectiveness.

Juul e-cigarettes, which look like an USB flash drive and start from around $35 for a device, contain a high level of nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can disrupt sleep patterns, affect moods and cause birth defects among pregnant smokers. A single Juul pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes, according to the CDC.

State legislatures are raising the legal smoking age to combat the growing popularity of e-cigarettes. The Texas Legislature earlier this month passed a bill raising the smoking age statewide to 21 from 18, except for military personnel. Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to sign the bill into law. Juul has been in support of these so-called Tobacco 21 legislation.

Limiting access

If Juul moves forward with its U.S. stores, the company would scan identification cards at the door and only admit adults ages 21 and older, the Juul representative said.

Juul would only sell only tobacco, mint and menthol products in its stores, keeping sales of its mango-, cucumber-, fruit- and cream-flavored tobacco products to its e-commerce website. There also would be measures to detect bulk buyers looking to sell Juul products to minors, he said.

The store policy would be 21 and up, regardless of local laws, according to the spokesman. We want to encourage more adult smokers to switch off of regular smoking, but also make sure young people cant get their hands on these things.

Juul is looking to open its Houston store in the former American Apparel location off Westheimer in Montrose, according to Desiree Edge, an employee of Aesop, which is in the same shopping center. The retailer was told of the plan by a representative of the landlord.

Lewis Property Co., which owns and leases the shopping center, did not respond to requests for comment. Juul would not confirm any locations it is considering in Houston, nor give a timeline for its possible brick-and-mortar expansion.

Edge, a Montrose resident for nearly 15 years, said she was disappointed to hear Juul is looking to open a store in her neighborhood, about a mile from her fourplex home. The 33-year-old mother of three school-aged children, including an 11-year-old son who will attend nearby Lanier Middle School, said she is worried that the Juul store will increase e-cigarette use among teenagers, who eat at restaurants and go thrift shopping along Westheimer.

Im pretty devastated, Edge said. Im worried about the children. These things look like a flash drive so its easy to hide. The addiction and acceptability of these things, thats whats concerning to me.

paul.takahashi@chron.com

twitter.com/paultakahashi
The Supreme Court of Texas has refused for the second time to dismiss a libel action against the Corpus Christi Caller-Times in a case Texas media groups have been watching closely.

In doing so, the court affirmed a lower courts ruling that 25 articles about alleged improprieties at the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce published between February and June 2008 were not entitled to dismissal on the grounds that they were substantially true. The Caller-Times had argued that the articles accurately reflected the accusations of others on a matter of public concern. The 13th Court of Appeals disagreed, and last weeks SCOTX decision affirmed that decision.

The 23-page opinion, written for the court by Justice John Devine, returns the case to Nueces County for trial.

The ongoing lawsuit also includes the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, but the Chamber was not involved in the current appeal.

The longstanding lawsuit was filed in 2008 by Terry Carter, the civic organizations former chief executive officer. The original suit accused the Caller-Times and its parent company, Scripps Texas Newspapers (now Scripps NP Operating) of defamation, conspiracy and interference with his employment contract.

Carter resigned from the Corpus Chamber in April 2008 amidst allegations that he had manipulated Chamber finances in late 2007 to make the organization appear profitable at year-end when it was not. The financial maneuvers, reported by the Caller-Times - with on-the-record sources and frequent explanations and denials by Carter - came as Carter was seeking a raise, a bonus and an extension of his contract with the Chamber.

The reports, quoting a letter from the organizations treasurer to other Chamber officials, suggested that Carter had scrambled at the end of 2007 to report a positive net income for the organization. To do so, he had deferred his own salary and folded dues payments from 2008 into those of 2007. And by doing so, he was able to report net operating income of $40,425 in lieu of an actual $61,782 operating loss.

In addition, Carter was cited for moving more than $18,000 from a Chamber building fund into its operating budget, a move - it was alleged - that could have caused the Corpus Chamber to lose its tax-exempt status as a non-profit organization.

An audit later confirmed the budget machinations but characterized them as misstatements that had been corrected by management.

Carter has maintained that the newspapers publisher and executives resented his appearance before the Corpus Christi city council in mid 2017, during which he was perceived to oppose $40 million in city tax incentives for the development of a shopping mall. Caller-Times publisher Patrick Birmingham, a member of the Chamber board, publicly resigned his position over Carters stance regarding the mall development.

Although the newspaper was alerted to the Carter controversy by an outside party, Carter argues that newspapers focus on him, in particular an editorial effectively demanding his resignation, was driven less by his handling of the Chamber budget than the politics over the mall.

The unsigned editorial linked Carters skewed budget to an effort to qualify himself for a bonus - a charge, made by several Chamber officials, that proved mistaken. The editorial, citing the papers own accounts of the controversy, also decried the intimidation, secrecy and duplicity of the situation and demanded that Carter explain himself or allow the Chamber to move on without him.

The Caller-Times argues that the editorial was strictly opinion; and opinion is protected speech. But the Supreme Court reasoned that the editorial linked itself to the articles that came before it, and that any defamation should be gleaned from their collective effect.

We disagree with the newspapers claim that it was simply reporting allegations by third parties, wrote Justice Devine. The gist of the editorial was that the statements in the prior articles regarding Carters shifting of funds for his own financial gain and intimidation of his critics were true, not that they were merely the accusations of others.

Of particular concern to media organizations has been the failure before the courts of two traditional defenses relied on by the Caller-Times. Five years ago, SCOTX rejected the newspapers argument that Carter - CEO of the citys most important business lobbying organization - was a public figure by definition. As a public figure, Carter would have to show actual malice motivated the publication of articles about the controversy.

In this, the newspapers second appearance before the Supreme Court, the Caller-Times argued that as an important civic organization, the Chambers internal imbroglio should be subject to First Amendment protections for important public controversies.

In a jointly-filed friend of the court brief, the Texas Press Association - along with the Texas Association of Broadcasters and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas - agreed. The media groups said that by not protecting newsworthy allegations - whether they prove true or not - media groups will find themselves under a profound disincentive to consider coverage of even the most obvious public controversies.

This is not a case where a plaintiff has a legitimate claim to redress for harm caused by negligent or malicious falsehoods; it is a case where a plaintiff seeks to punish speech that contributes to meaningful debate because he simply didnt like being the subject of the debate, the media groups wrote.

The SCOTX case is No. 17-0046 Scripps NP Operating dba The Corpus Christi Caller-Times v. Terry Carter

By Allen Pusey

In a case closely-watched by Texas media groups, the Supreme Court of Texas has refused for the second time to dismiss a libel action against the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

In doing so, the court affirmed a lower courts ruling that 25 articles about alleged improprieties at the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce published between February and June 2008 were not entitled to dismissal on the grounds that they were substantially true. The Caller-Times had argued that the articles accurately reflected the accusations of others on a matter of public concern. The 13th Court of Appeals disagreed, and last weeks SCOTX decision affirmed that decision.

The 23-page opinion, written for the court by Justice John Devine, returns the case to Nueces County for trial.

The longstanding lawsuit was filed in 2008 by Terry Carter, the civic organizations former chief executive officer. The original suit accused the Caller-Times and its parent company, Scripps Texas Newspapers (now Scripps NP Operating) of defamation, conspiracy and interference with his employment contract.

Carter resigned from the Corpus Chamber in April 2008 amidst allegations that he had manipulated Chamber finances in late 2007 to make the organization appear profitable at year-end when it was not. The financial maneuvers, reported by the Caller-Times - with on-the-record sources and frequent explanations and denials by Carter - came as Carter was seeking a raise, a bonus and an extension of his contract with the Chamber.

The reports, quoting a letter from the organizations treasurer to other Chamber officials, suggested that Carter had scrambled at the end of 2007 to report a positive net income for the organization. To do so, he had deferred his own salary and folded dues payments from 2008 into those of 2007. And by doing so, he was able to report net operating income of $40,425 in lieu of an actual $61,782 operating loss.

In addition, Carter was cited for moving more than $18,000 from a Chamber building fund into its operating budget, a move - it was alleged - that could have caused the Corpus Chamber to lose its tax-exempt status as a non-profit organization.

An audit later confirmed the budget machinations but characterized them as misstatements that had been corrected by management.

Carter has maintained that the newspapers publisher and executives resented his appearance before the Corpus Christi city council in mid 2017, during which he was perceived to oppose $40 million in city tax incentives for the development of a shopping mall. Caller-Times publisher Patrick Birmingham, a member of the Chamber board, publicly resigned his position over Carters stance regarding the mall development.

Although the newspaper was alerted to the Carter controversy by an outside party, Carter argues that newspapers focus on him, in particular an editorial effectively demanding his resignation, was driven less by his handling of the Chamber budget than the politics over the mall.

The unsigned editorial linked Carters skewed budget to an effort to qualify himself for a bonus - a charge, made by several Chamber officials, that proved mistaken. The editorial, citing the papers own accounts of the controversy, also decried the intimidation, secrecy and duplicity of the situation and demanded that Carter explain himself or allow the Chamber to move on without him.

The Caller-Times argues that the editorial was strictly opinion; and opinion is protected speech. But the Supreme Court reasoned that the editorial linked itself to the articles that came before it, and that any defamation should be gleaned from their collective effect.

We disagree with the newspapers claim that it was simply reporting allegations by third parties, wrote Justice Devine. The gist of the editorial was that the statements in the prior articles regarding Carters shifting of funds for his own financial gain and intimidation of his critics were true, not that they were merely the accusations of others.

Of particular concern to media organizations has been the failure before the courts of two traditional defenses relied on by the Caller-Times. Five years ago, SCOTX rejected the newspapers argument that Carter - CEO of the citys most important business lobbying organization - was a public figure by definition. As a public figure, Carter would have to show actual malice motivated the publication of articles about the controversy.

In this, the newspapers second appearance before the Supreme Court, the Caller-Times argued that as an important civic organization, the Chambers internal imbroglio should be subject to First Amendment protections for important public controversies.

In a jointly-filed friend of the court brief, the Texas Press Association - along with the Texas Association of Broadcasters and the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas - agreed. The media groups said that by not protecting newsworthy allegations - whether they prove true or not - media groups will find themselves under a profound disincentive to consider coverage of even the most obvious public controversies.

This is not a case where a plaintiff has a legitimate claim to redress for harm caused by negligent or malicious falsehoods; it is a case where a plaintiff seeks to punish speech that contributes to meaningful debate because he simply didnt like being the subject of the debate, the media groups wrote.

The SCOTX case is No. 17-0046 Scripps NP Operating dba The Corpus Christi Caller-Times v. Terry Carter.
Houston's biggest industries may be scrambling to manage escalating costs next month if President Donald Trump follows through with his threat to place tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico, Houston's largest trading partner.

The president on Thursday night tweeted that the U.S. will impose a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican goods on June 10, which would gradually increase until the influx of immigrants and asylum seekers at the Mexican border ceases. The announcement rattled financial markets and economists alike on Friday, as the Dow fell more than 300 points and local experts fretted over the macroeconomic shocks that could ripple throughout Texas.

If the tariffs are implemented, the impact to Houston's economy would be profound. Since the creation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993, the Mexican and American economies have become increasingly integrated. In the auto sector, parts travel back and forth until a finished automobile rolls of the assembly line. Mexican avocados move north, passing cotton from Texas heading south.

Trade between Houston and Mexico averages $23.4 billion per year, according to estimates from the Greater Houston Partnership, and about 75 percent of U.S.-Mexico land trade, worth approximately $343 billion in 2015, crosses through a Texas port of entry, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Mexico has been Houstons top trading partner for 19 of the last 20 years, said Patrick Jankowski, an economist at the Greater Houston Partnership, a business-financed economic development group. Anything that potentially disrupts our ability to do business with Mexico has a negative impact on the Houston economy and Houston job growth. You may see it when your neighbor loses his job or when you lose an order.

Texas and Houstons economy at risk

If Trump adds a tariff to products coming from Mexico, the prices of all manner of goods in the U.S. is likely to increase, from automotive parts, to gasoline, to beverages and produce.

Border states like Texas are expected to be most impacted. Trade between Mexico and Texas was more than $187 billion in 2017, making Mexico Texass largest export market.

With concerns over weakening global economic growth and tensions between China and the U.S. already ratcheting up, the potential for trade tensions in Mexico as well stokes even more uncertainty for businesses and consumers, which could slow spending throughout the business chain. While prices are unlikely to increase overnight, experts said, the impact would ripple throughout the Houston economy.

Mexico is an integral part of the U.S. supply chain in a number of industries, not to mention agricultural trade in both directions and the same for energy, said Bill Reinsch, a former undersecretary of commerce during the Clinton administration and now an adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Theyre our biggest trading partner.

Whatever the ultimate financial hit from the tariffs, the Trump administration maintains there is a greater impact of illegal immigration through benefits paid to migrants and jobs losses for American workers.

Americans are paying for this right now. Illegal immigration comes at a cost, a senior official in the White House said Thursday evening.

Texas affected: As exports boom, trade uncertainty pressures Texas economy

The value of trade between Houston and Mexico has gradually expanded since 2016, primarily due to the growth in the price of fuels, oil and refined products. In the last year, trade between the local economy and the Mexico increased 22.7 percent, up to $24.6 billion.

In the midst of discussions around a re-negotiated trade deal with Mexico, the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, many in Texas fear the new tariffs could derail talks. Eddie Aldrete, chairman of the Texas-Mexico Trade Coalition, called the announcement by the President a step backward in the efforts to ratify the agreement.

And, with the U.S.-China spat ongoing, some businesses had looked to Mexico in the interim to shift parts of their supply chain to avoid exposure to China. They viewed Mexico as a stable place to shift manufacturing, since the U.S. had appeared to be nearing the end of its trade negotiations with the country.

We were about to have USMCA, and Mexico seemed like a really safe place to establish the supply chain, Jankowski said. (The treat of tariffs) creates a great deal of uncertainty as to how the U.S. is doing business overseas.

TOMLINSON: Democrats should pass NAFTA 2.0 for the good of the nation

Consumers pockets pinched

Local economists said the impact to consumer goods from Mexico, such as fruits and beverages, would likely not be felt immediately in June, but would pinch pocket books later in the year if the tariffs indeed increase as Trump threatened.

Grocers that import fruits, vegetables and other food products from Mexico will have to determine whether to eat the cost of the tariff or pass it through to consumer products. Businesses mostly said they did not know how they would respond to the tariffs yet, and would have to wait to see which products would be impacted.

One or two items, we can absorb the cost, Joe Kelley, the Houston division president for Kroger. An awful lot of the time, you eat the cost. It affects the supply of goods, the cost of goods and the price at the shelf.

There is likely to be a pass-through effect this summer if the tariffs go into effect, economists said, particularly in Texas, where supply chains are more integrated with Mexico than other states.

Consumers are going to wind up paying more, ultimately, as it works through the supply chains, said Jesse Thompson, a business economist for the Dallas Fed. We get a lot of produce from Mexico, and theyre going to be affected.

But more than anything else, consumers will be most impacted by the shaken confidence in the economy, experts said. If the threat of tariffs make people more hesitant to spend money, a significant slowdown of the U.S. economy could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Build a little here, a little there

Fuels, oil and refined products, iron or steel, and motor vehicles and parts make up the bulk of imports from Mexico to Houston, and would likely prove the most costly for the local economy.

The most impacted sector for Mexico would be manufacturing, according to analysts from JP Morgan Chase, which could in turn threaten Houstons manufacturers that trade with Mexican companies. Several manufacturers, particularly in the automotive industry, ship parts back and forth from Texas to Mexico on a daily basis, completing one part of the vehicle in one country and finishing it in the other. Essentially, companies may have to pay tariffs multiple times in order to assemble a single product.

Cross-border manufacturing operations are an important part of corporate strategy to achieve competitively priced goods in the U.S., according to recent analysis by Jesus Canas, a senior business economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

"They need these inputs every day, so if we have disruptions that worries me a lot," said Canas in an April interview with the Houston Chronicle. "(Disruptions) eventually could damage the competitiveness of Texas businesses."

More than half of U.S.-Mexico trade volume is made up of intermediate goods, which are items used to produce finished products. This means that the competitiveness of U.S. exports depends partly on Mexican imports, according to the Dallas Feds analysis.

Trade groups on Friday responded to the Presidents tweet, condemning the potential for tariffs and noting that it would hurt Texas businesses due to the impacts on these intermediate goods.

The auto sector relies upon the North American supply chain and cross border commerce to remain globally competitive, said David Schwietert, president and CEO of Auto Alliance, an advocacy group for automakers.

Mark Silvey, a spokesman for PPG, the parent company of painting and coating company Metokote, which provides industrial coating to automotive manufacturers, said the company is concerned that the proposed tariffs would have a considerable impact on manufacturers in America.

PPG is supportive of balanced trade agreements across North America, due to our manufacturing presence and sales footprint across the U.S., Mexico and Canada, Silvey said. Many industries, particularly the automotive industry, have benefited from free trade.

Oil hit first

The tariffs could also represent a potentially serious blow for the Texas oil and gas sector, in particular raising costs for Gulf Coast refineries configured to process heavier grades that rely on Mexican crude.

With sanctions on Venezuela limiting the amount of heavy crude inputs to Houston refineries, these companies may have to absorb any new cost increases on Mexican goods, as it is difficult for refineries to reconfigure their facilities to use much more of the lighter domestic crude oil being produced in West Texas.

U.S. refineries imported more than 660,000 barrels of oil from Mexico in February, more than any nation besides Canada, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

"Refineries can switch over to lighter feedstocks of crude, but it's less efficient and less profitable, for sure," said Bill Herbert, managing director at Houston-based Simmons Energy.

The President's threat already hit oil and gas on Friday as oil prices fell to their lowest levels since February. The U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell as low as $53.05 on Friday, its lowest in three months and down more than $3 from Thursday's close.

With global demand growth for crude half of what was forecast over the last three months of 2018, the potential for continuing price declines is high, Herbert said.

"People are running for the hills and asking questions later, and I don't think that's going to stop until we get a cessation in the rhetoric from the White House," he said. "Oil prices have been falling since mid to late-April. It's predominantly trade and growing fears of economic deceleration."

Mexicos response

Already the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is considering legal action to stop the tariffs, the groups senior vice president of international affairs, John Murphy, told reporters in Washington Friday.

In the scenario that the President doesnt back down from his promise to implement the tariffs, some say it will do little to correct the immigration system.

"Immigration will not be resolved by tariffs," Aldrete, the chairman of the Texas Mexico Trade Coalition, said. "Illegal immigration is an issue that impacts both Mexico and the United States and is, therefore, an issue we need to work on together, side by side."

In the worst case scenario, economists fear that Mexico could retaliate against the U.S., similar to how China has responded.

So far, following the Trump's tweet, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded with a letter requesting the matter be resolved with dialogue. Mexicos foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said he will meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo next week.

erin.douglas@chron.com and james.osborne@chron.com

 With assistance from Jordan Blum, Paul Takahashi and Lynn Brezosky
If House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic allies are sincere about doing what's best for our nation, they will pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement expeditiously and without amendment.

In the current environment of toxic politics, though, where neither side wants to allow the other a victory, there is every reason to fear that Democrats will put party over nation.

Mexico and Canada are our largest trade partners, taking one-third of U.S. exports. This multilateral trade supports 12 million jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 30 million small businesses export $427 billion in goods and services to Canada and Mexico.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Trump strikes a smart deal with Canada and Mexico to refresh NAFTA

This level of trade is only possible because we have the North American Free Trade Agreement. President Donald Trump may complain about how NAFTA allowed thousands of jobs to leave the United States, but the deal created far more new, higher paying jobs for American citizens than it took away.

Trump was right about one thing, though, NAFTA badly needed updating. The labor and environmental provisions were lousy, and the Internet was little more than a novelty when President George H.W. Bush negotiated the deal in the early 1990s.

The USMCA is indisputably a vast improvement over NAFTA. But the same kinds of Democrats who tried to block that deal are still complaining the trade deal doesn't go far enough on labor and the environment.

If we're being fair, though, no treaty will ever satisfy these activists, because the UMCA is an international instrument negotiated between sovereign nations. By definition, a treaty is a compromise, not an unconditional surrender of national interests.

The USMCA has the most robust labor and environmental protections of any treaty ever negotiated by any set of nations. To help quiet Democratic protests in Washington, Mexican senators even took the additional step in April of approving a new labor law that gives workers the right to vote on unions and labor contracts through secret ballots.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador formally sent the treaty to the Senate on Thursday for ratification, where he expects his party to act quickly.

Vice President Mike Pence met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday to strategize on ways to move the USMCA forward. Trudeau formally introduced the treaty for ratification on Wednesday and is trying to win Parliament's approval before it adjourns for elections this fall.

If Canada's lawmakers do not ratify by the end of June, the next Parliament will decide the USMCA's fate. Trudeau's Liberal Party is trailing in the polls due to a corruption scandal, and Canada's Conservatives would likely expect an extensive rewrite of the treaty.

Trump submitted a Statement of Administrative Action on Thursday, formally asking Congress to pass the legislation necessary to bring the USMCA into force, despite Pelosi saying she needed more time.

Left-wing Democrats, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren ,want Congress to reject the good to demand the perfect. In truth, though, they are engaging in an intellectually-dishonest political maneuver to embarrass Trump at the expense of the American business community.

Trump has not helped by using the USMCA as a political tool, said David Gantz, a fellow in trade and international economics at Rice University's Baker Institute. Trump initially refused to drop steel tariffs on Canada and Mexico as part of the deal, and now he refuses to cooperate with Democrats as long as they are considering his impeachment.

"For Ms. Pelosi, I think it's much more important to let those investigations go forward than it is to ratify the USMCA," Gantz said.

The USMCA, though, is the kind of issue where professional politicians must put away their partisan talking points to do what's best for the country.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Trash talking NAFTA puts the Texas economy at risk

The new treaty will help workers in all three countries by raising wages for autoworkers and smoothing out trade wrinkles created by the Internet. The deal extends intellectual property protections for everything from music to pharmaceuticals.

More importantly, the USMCA keeps trade flowing between all three countries at a time when Trump is challenging China to conform to international standards.

"If you really want the U.S. in North America to be able to compete with China, it's probably not a good idea to be America alone," Gantz added.

Trump negotiated a good deal for the United States. Our most important trading partners are doing their part. Pelosi is the only holdup, fearful of irritating her left flank.

Pelosi and the Democrats need to do the right thing: Ratify the USMCA now.
A Singapore-flagged tanker named the Marvel Crane left Cameron LNG early Friday morning carrying the Louisiana facility's first export shipment of liquefied natural gas.

Developed by San Diego utility company Sempra Energy and four overseas partners, crews recently completed the first of three production units known as trains.

Production from the facility will be dedicated toward fulfilling long-term contracts with customers in Europe and Asia. However, any liquefied natural gas made during the weeks-long startup process can be sold on the global spot market through shipments known as commissioning cargoes.

Marvel Crane left the Hackberry, La., facility with a commissioning cargo from Train 1. Although a destination was not immediately clear, the LNG tanker remains in the Gulf of Mexico where its cargo can be sold anywhere on the global market.

"This achievement brings Cameron LNG, one of Sempra's five strategically located LNG infrastructure projects, one step closer to commercial operations," Sempra North American Infrastructure Chief Executive Carlos Ruiz Sacristan said in a statement. "Seeing the first tanker depart loaded with U.S. LNG produced at this world-class facility is significant for our company."

Era of Exports: Sempra Energy begins startup process for Cameron LNG

Used to stabilize production and test the performance of equipment, commissioning cargoes are considered a critical step in the startup process for LNG plants. Commercial operations are expected to begin in mid-2019 after the facility receives authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Sempra owns 50.2 percent of Cameron LNG. Its partners include French energy company Total, Japanese industrial conglomerate Mitsui & Co. and Japan LNG Investment  a joint venture between Mitsubishi Corp. and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha.

Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox

FERC officials have given crews until September 2020 to complete the second and third production units at the Louisiana facility. Once all three are in operation, Cameron LNG will be able to make nearly 12 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas per year.

Those production figures translate roughly to about 1.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day, enough energy to power 8.5 million U.S. homes for a day.
As far as swashbuckling stories go, Alexandre Dumas The Three Musketeers is as sharp as the swords at the heart of its story. Following three flashy and fantastical fighting heroes, the 17th-century-set tale has seen multiple adaptations  from the stage to film and even video games.

But regardless of the many versions, sword-wielding combat remains an essential element to its appeal, and thats especially true in the version being mounted at the Alley Theatre that runs through June 30.

Recently at the theater , actors vaunted across a detailed two-story set with two grand staircases, practicing lines  and sword fights. These look complicated; even when performed slowly, it can be difficult for a viewer to keep up.

At one point, a 10-person fracas involves the staircase, leaps across the stage and precise swinging and blocking. It is certainly impressive, especially when the plays fight director, H. Russ Brown, explains that the cast members werent all experienced when rehearsals began.

Even though we had actors of varying abilities, we have been able to keep the preconceived concepts for fighting that we came in with, he said.

Ken Ludwigs The Three Musketeers When: Through June 30 Where: Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Ave. Details: $28-$101; alleytheatre.org See More Collapse

'SPAMILTON': The 'Hamilton' spoof is almost as good as the real thing. Our critic's review, on HoustonChronicle.com.

Brown is talking about the bouts that he, along with his assistants, Troy Beckman and Justin Gibbons, have designed. And he has some experience to back it up: In addition to being the head of theater/artistic director at College of the Mainland in Texas City, he runs a stage-combat company, Armed 2 Da Teeth!

Of course, Brown said, its altered along the way because weve made discoveries in the scene work or learned more about a characters fighting style.

Safety first

He says that it is important to make every fight scene nearly perfect and safe for the stage  after all, it is live and has to repeated every night, unlike the movies, which have so much CGI assistance.

You really have to worry about safety because one slightly false move throws off the next move, said actress Julia Krohn, who plays Milady, the straight-edge antagonist of the Musketeers, as well as the Old Woman and Sophie Delacroix. She uses different weapons throughout the play, including a hidden dagger.

It was harder when we first started, like learning a line, said actor Shawn Hamilton, who plays DArtagnans father as well as Rochefort and Stanley, but now when we do it, its like playing back a tape. Now, its more about the speed and keeping it safe.

During planning of the 15 combat sequences  nine of which are sword fights  Brown says it became important to focus on how the battles fit into the greater story of the play.

One of the things Ive truly appreciated about this process has been how much our director (Mark Shanahan) and the Alley realized how integral the fights were to the storytelling process, he says.

Hamilton says the character dictates how the fight is structured and that it has to be something the audience will enjoy. Its like a dance, he said. Its not about fighting, its about movement and extensions and making it beautiful.

When fighting is like dancing

He also says adding comedy makes the action flow, something Shanahan has emphasized. Theres a great comic rhythm that Mark has put into the show, and its about putting that comedy into the fights, too. It helps tell the story.

But the time and effort that go into those fight sequences is exhausting. I wasnt loving it the first week; it was like a first week at fat camp, Hamilton said, joking about the weight he lost while working on the production.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houston's METdance loses its home, leaps into a shaky future

While discussing the challenges of remembering all the choreography, especially in the first weeks, Hamilton acts out different sword-fighting moves and parries. And youre able to do the moves when its at half speed or slowed down, but once its full speed, youre like, Save my life, Im just trying to do it as best as I can! and it becomes a full workout.

Krohn concurs, underscoring the heft of the weaponry. Theyre not that heavy, but when youre moving your arm and blocking, youre like, This is a workout!

Though Hamilton had performed stage combat and swordplay earlier in his career, other actors, including Krohn, are having a first-time experience with The Three Musketeers. She admits she was scared at first, but after nearly four weeks of rehearsals, she has become much more comfortable.

What I hoped is that, like dance, the combat would become second nature, and I was obviously always aware that it comes with different fight partners in the play, she says.

Choosing the movements  in other words, designing a fight sequence  is something Brown explains as a process of layering.

When you have multiple opponents and are making sure everybody can move across the stage safely, you want to utilize the space and carefully plan and track where each fighter is going, he said.

There are specific moments in the fights that are focused on  including a few comedic lines in that 10-person sword fight  and the choreography is designed to showcase those moments to the audience, with grand movements and sweeping gestures.

Because what Brown wants is for the audience to leave the theater on a swashbuckling high.

I want people to just be swept away on a high adventure and maybe tap into their own backyard, playing (sword fighting) with sticks, he said. I want them to have that sense of thrilling fun and maybe feel a little lighter because of it.

Christopher Panella is a Houston-based writer.

PREVIEW: Get experts picks for concerts, kids stuff, fine arts, movies and more delivered to your inbox weekly.
Members of Princeton Boychoir, who are currently celebrating their fifth anniversary season, appeared with Michael Buble in his recent NBC special, "Christmas in the City," which aired Dec. 6. Ranging in age from 9 to 13 years old, this group...
The first time they step into William Forsythes installation Nowhere and Everywhere at the Same Time No. 2, some people race, thinking they must hurry to avoid disrupting the more than 200 stainless-steel plumb bobs that swing from the ceiling of the MFAHs Cullinan Hall, about 2 inches above the floor.

But theres no reason to rush. Visitors will even find a few open, safe spaces within the dangling lines, which hang from mechanized grids that slide, changing the positions of eight sections that control the lateral, often counterpoint movement of the swinging plumb bobs. A rhythmic, percussive sound  almost like a hissy exhale  happens as the pistons slide, run by a system of digitally controlled, unseen air compressors.

Visitors now instinctively also pull out their cellphones, looking for Instagram moments, something they have come to expect each summer when the museum fills its wide-open Law Building gallery with an interactive summer exhibit. Last year people climbed up, through and under the Starn twins room-eating Big Bambu, and various years before that, they relaxed on the floor underneath fantastical video by Pipilotti Rist and entered a sparkly Infinity Room by Yayoi Kusama.

But, surprise. Nowhere and Everywhere seems purposefully difficult to photograph, forcing visitors to focus on their physical experience and perhaps reminding them, as Forsythe has said, that the body is a thinking tool. Gaze at the meditative motion of the pendulums for a few minutes, and you might also just be hypnotized.

William Forsythe: Choreographic Objects When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 12:15-7 p.m. Sundays, through Sept. 15 Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet Details: $16-$19 (includes general admission), kids 12 and younger free; 713-639-7300, mfah.org See More Collapse

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Four finalists named in 2019 Ima Hogg Competition

Forsythe, a renowned maker of process-driven, experimental ballet and theater works, began his career as a dancer in America and built his concepts during decades of directing Germanys Stuttgart Ballet, and then Ballett Frankfurt, before founding The Forsythe Company. He closed that operation in 2015 and came back to the U.S., taking a teaching position at the University of Southern California.

His dances are always in demand. Houston Ballet recently took on Forsythes complex Artifact Suite, and his signature In the middle, somewhat elevated has been in its repertoire for years. Though his vocabulary-changing, challenging ballets explore the mechanics of movement with finely tuned bodies on stages, Forsythe turns out to be equally interested in how the rest of us navigate the space we occupy every day.

Nowhere and Everywhere belongs to a large body of choreographic objects he has designed for museums, galleries and other public arenas for more than 20 years. The MFAHs first presentation of Forsythes work also includes City of Abstracts, a video wall built from a grid of small monitors with motion-capture technology that whimsically distorts the motions of everyone who passes through the museums entry lobby; and two smaller delights: The video Analogon rests atop a pedestal that looks suspiciously like a garbage can near the admission desk. The interactive Towards the Diagnostic Gaze, tucked into a small vestibule behind Nowhere and Everywhere, consists of a feather duster on a slab of granite with the instructions, Hold the object absolutely still. (Spoiler alert: You cant.)

Visitors can also watch a short series of videotaped lecture demos by Forsythe on monitors in the museums library that illuminate his concepts, including using the body to draw or avoid imaginary lines in space.

Not sculpture but choreography

Is this sculpture? No, says Julian Richter, a cheerful German trained in theater, not dance, who has installed Forsythes objects for 18 years. The artwork is the movement, he says. Forsythe would never say this is visual art. Its choreography, and hes a choreographer working in this field with his strategies.

As mind-bending as that may sound, curator Alison de Lima Greene resisted giving viewers much explanatory wall text. The work is understood on a very intuitive level, she says. People can spend as much time as they want.

In a video for the ICA Boston, where the show originated last fall (and included other works), Forsythe explains that his swinging pendulum system is in fact choreography, and visitors are both invited into it and asked not to interfere with it.

By negotiating it, you actually become part of it, and in some senses you are choreographing your own role within the choreography, he says. There is a very interesting relationship between cause and effect, and the work is just as interesting from the outside as from the inside.  If you only listen to it, youre going to notice patterns and probably try to figure out the effect of those patterns on the room youre observing. When youre in it, you are feeling the effect but not seeing the effect.

MORE IN ARTS & THEATER: Complexions Contemporary Ballet will summon David Bowie's spirit with "Stardust"

In a catalog for the Boston version of the show, curator Eva Respini describes Forsythe as an insatiably curious polymath who draws from literature, music, mathematics, neuroscience and philosophy. She notes that over the past decade, dance and live art have been a growing presence in visual-art spaces across the globe. Across the street from the MFAH, visitors to the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston are often treated to performances that respond to exhibitions; the MFAH and the Menil Collection have also incorporated dance into shows.

But those performances tend to be supplemental attractions to bring in more or different audiences. Forsythes work engages visitors more directly. Though we dont need to be told how to move, he teases us into behaviors that may become revelatory  by painstakingly framing, editing and directing our encounters. (He once referred to this as ambushing amateurs to arrive at a truly democratic way of organizing dance.)

Perfect chaos

He wanted the video wall City of Abstracts placed in the lobby for a reason, to create a chance encounter. Its a public space where people are already moving. Nothing artificial added, Richter says. We catch them before they think, and they have this physical impact before they start reflecting about it.

The motion-capture technology turns bodies into spiraling forms, on a slight delay; people inevitably go for cause-and-effect, trying to control the forms they see reflected in the mirrorlike monitors. The more they move, the snakier it gets.

Then they face the hall with the swinging plumb bobs. Its so big and beautiful, to make them stop thinking, Richter adds. Its just a trick, you know?

Greene installed benches along the Cullinan Hall walls to encourage visitors to slow down, pay attention and realize Nowhere and Everywhere is not just a labyrinth but a beautiful object in the space.

She appreciates how Nowhere and Everywhere emphasizes the architecture of the room by Mies van der Rohe, much like the first summer installation she curated there five years ago with Jesus Rafael Sotos bright-yellow and white The Houston Impenetrable. Given the transparency of Forsythes work, viewers also see the literal theatricality of the big gallery, which resembles a proscenium stage with curved walls.

Forsythes objects are about temporality as well as motion, Greene says. Were used to durational video art: You have to sit down and watch it from beginning to end. Here, the duration is at a quieter level.

Though City of Abstracts and Analogon are in a free-admission zone, Nowhere and Everywhere and Towards the Diagnostic Gaze require a ticket. Greene says that helps the museum supervise visitors more carefully, controlling the number of people inside the installation if necessary. It also gives it some gravitas because we dont want people just to think of this as just a fun house.

The pendulums are on a 30-minute cycle. At the beginning of the day, its a very slow start, like sunrise, Greene says. You ask yourself, am I seeing something move, or just imagining it? Then it really starts swinging.

The height and spread of the piece is highly calibrated to the proportions of the room, like Forsythes dances. Even the volume of the acoustic element  those moving pistons  is calculated. You have to find some kind of perfect chaos, Richter says. All the works are like this. Its very much coming from the ballets.

Failure required

And what happens if someone gets tangled in one of the pendulums? Theres a very strong electrical charge, and they get thrown across the room! Green jokes.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Stepping into the fight club of the Alley's "The Three Musketeers"

Richter laughs. They will try it only one time, he says, then explains that failure is another of Forsythes concepts, and not a negative. Its needed. If you avoid failure, you will never get anywhere.

When Everywhere and Nowhere debuted in 2005, it was activated by a professional dancer. No more.

A group of dancers from Houstons High School for the Performing and Visual Arts experienced Everywhere and Nowhere the morning the show opened to help the museum create a video. They were told just to be themselves, without performing. That set up a potential to fail.

Their natural reaction is to dance, explains their teacher, Courtney Jones. She gave them a few phrases of movement and some improvisational prompts to try if they got stuck  change directions, your level or your tempo, and so forth.

Its a good challenge for these young artists who are so ready to tell their stories, she says.

The first child into Nowhere and Everywhere looked like she wanted to perform, keenly aware of being watched but also dazzled  and fearless.

Children are the best, Richter says. Theyll walk with eyes closed.

molly.glentzer@chron.com

PREVIEW: Get experts picks for concerts, kids stuff, fine arts, movies and more delivered to your inbox weekly.
Theres no shortage of barbecue joints opening in Houston. Recent high-profile launches such as Feges BBQ, Pinkertons Barbecue and Blood Bros. BBQ have only added to the bounty of our smoked-meat options.

For the typical Houston diner, these openings may appear to be a case of entrepreneurs forming a bold idea, getting a loan or other funding and debuting a storefront to great fanfare. In some cases, it may even seem like an overnight success.

But the path to barbecue success is far from simple or perfunctory. Indeed, if you talk to any restaurateur, youll learn banks arent keen on giving out loans for new restaurants. Its a high-risk business, and most funding of this type comes from wealthy investors rather than conservative financial institutions.

Still, most barbecue entrepreneurs arent rubbing shoulders with millionaires on a daily basis. Launching a startup usually means self-funding with no outside capital.

Keep up with dates and locations of up-and-coming local barbecue pop-ups Khoi Barbecue: instagram.com/khoibarbecuehouston JQ's Tex Mex BBQ: facebook.com/jqstexmexbbq Eddie O's Texas Barbecue: facebook.com/EddieOsBBQ See More Collapse

So how did all these hot new barbecue joints get their start? Humbly, to say the least. In most cases, they started with a smoker, a table and a tent. Then they found an existing business to partner with  usually a gas station, bar or brewery  that allowed them to set up a temporary or pop-up stand on the weekend. Using Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram, they got the word out about the location and time for future pop-ups.

Of course, the benefit of this arrangement is that there is a low barrier to entry  it takes very little capital and logistical planning to get the business off the ground. And that facilitates the process that every aspiring commercial pitmaster must go through: finding a way to get his or her barbecue in front of the dining public to see if its good enough to establish a fan base.

These pop-up barbecue joints can be found all over Greater Houston on any given weekend, and form the basis for the thriving ecosystem that is producing the extraordinary number of new brick-and-mortar joints.

I first encountered Patrick Feges and Erin Smith of Feges BBQ when they popped up at Liberty Station bar several years ago. Blood Bros. BBQ originally popped up at the owners other business  Glitter Karaoke Bar  and would move on to other locations such as Lincoln Bar on Washington. Grant Pinkerton of Pinkertons Barbecue set up his table, tent and smoker in various parking lots throughout West University Place when he was just starting out.

The concept of pop-up barbecue restaurants has a long history in Houston. The citys Third and Fifth Wards have always been known as barbecue wards, and backyard barbecue sessions would often migrate to the front yard, where a table would be set up and the cook would feed his neighbors for a nominal fee.

Pitmaster Ray Busch of Rays BBQ Shack credits a local man named Rivers Falls as his mentor. Falls was known as the Barbecue Man of Third Ward and sold barbecue from his house on Ruth near Almeda in the 1970s.

Another local pop-up tradition is known as shade tree barbecue, in which an aspiring pitmaster sets up a table and smoker under the shade of a tree along a busy thoroughfare. This is how one of the citys barbecue institutions  Burns Original BBQ  got started. Patriarch Roy Burns set up a table and smoker in his own Acres Homes neighborhood and went on to open a brick-and-mortar on De Priest in the 1980s.

Today, the pop-up tradition is alive and well. In just the past few weeks, Ive visited pop-ups for Khoi Barbecue at Baileson Brewing in Rice Village, Eddie Os Texas Barbecue at D&T Drive Inn in the greater Heights and JQs Tex Mex BBQ at 4J Brewing in Spring Branch.

Each one reminds me of the quality and enthusiasm I found years ago at pop-ups for Feges, Blood Bros. and Pinkertons. It may only be a few more years before this new crop of Houston barbecue entrepreneurs opens their own joints.

J.C. Reid is the Chronicle's barbecue columnist. He also is the co-host of BBQ State of Mind, a podcast covering barbecue news from Texas and around the world, and co-founder of the Houston Barbecue Festival. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook, or send barbecue tips and questions to jcreid@jcreidtx.com.
Texas Higher Education Commissioner Raymund Paredes said the 86th Legislative session  the last hell work before he resigns in August  has been an overall success for higher education.

On a conference call with media, Paredes said he was pleased with many of the higher-education bills that passed.

Paredes considered the passing of Senate Bill 25, which will aim to streamline the process that will allow a student to transfer from a two-year college or technical institute to a four-year university and reduce costs, a success. The transfer bill, which could save the state at least $55 million, will require students to declare majors earlier and file degree plans, provide advising, and will reorganize prerequisites, core and lower-level courses  all which will help students identify which courses are transferable and help them graduate in a timely manner without losing credits or unnecessary money.

Paredes said the transfer bill, which also aims to help students graduate with manageable debt, is not a final solution, but its a very significant step down the road.

Well be working on transfer issues for the foreseeable future, he predicted.

RELATED: Bill to improve college transfer process, other higher-ed bills make their way to governor for approval

The higher education official also praised Senate Bill 1504, which increased funding of certain universities by allocating* more than $100 million from the since abolished Texas B-On Time program. The funds, will be distributed through a formula created by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to colleges with at-risk undergraduate students who are economically disadvantaged and/or academically under-prepared.

Colleges that receive the money must spend it on essential academic support services, such as advising, tutoring or mental health services that will help students finish their education.

That investment in poor students, I think, is exactly the right thing to do, as the population continues to increase, Paredes said, and is necessary to the coordinating boards goal 60x30TX, which aims to educate 60 percent of people in the state between the ages of 25 and 34 by 2030.

RELATED: Raymund Paredes, Texas Higher Education Commissioner, resigns

Paredes said he was also pleased with the $80 million increase in investment in the Texas Grant Program  the largest grant program in the state, which totals $900 million for the biennium. House Bill 3808, which will allow the coordinating board to expand and develop more efficient work-study programs and paid internships, is also a real commitment to both helping students in need and the 60x30TX plan, by helping students develop marketable skills and get the training needed for after college.

Ive been saying for a couple sessions now that we have to create other means of financial aid support for students beyond the Texas Grant Program, Paredes said.

He added that work-study offers dual investment, in which major corporations hire students and the universities provide matching funds to help pay for internships. This means well be able to stretch our financial aid dollars further.

With the goal of reducing the amount of debt students graduate with, Paredes said the coordinating board will still work to offer open education resources options, which will give students an accessible, low-cost alternative to textbooks, which have increased in price over the years.

Paredes served for 15 years and said hell miss the work, the board, lawmakers, university officials and employees. But after he steps down, he said he wants the coordinating board to do a better job of letting residents know how higher education has improved throughout the state within the last two decades. Six state universities are now considered tier-1 research universities, he said.

We need to make sure that families know how good our institutions are, he said, especially as many state lawmakers have expressed that several of their constituents leave the state to go to college.

Its fine if they do it for the right reasons, but sometimes they make choices that are puzzling to me when there are institutions in the state that are better than the ones they decided to attend and less expensive, he said.

Brittany.Britto@chron.com
In her 30 years working for NASA in both Houston and Washington, D.C., Alotta E Taylor has seen her share of change.

White spacesuits were swapped for updated orange ones. Astronauts days-long shuttle missions turned into months aboard the International Space Station. Funding has been increased, cut and increased again.

While much is different, Taylor, who serves as the director of strategic integration and management for NASAs Human Exploration & Operations Mission, said one thing has remained constant: the space agencys affection for Snoopy.

Since the 1960s, the Peanuts character has served as an unofficial ambassador for NASA, gracing promotional posters and serving as the namesake for two Apollo 10 modules. His name even is attached to one of the agencys most prestigious awards.

People love Snoopy like they love the astronauts, Taylor said. Put them together, and it has staying power.

MISSION MOON: How 50 years of space exploration defined Houston, only on HoustonChronicle.com.

The Silver Snoopy Award Origin: The award was created as part of an industry-wide safety program in the wake of the Apollo 1 tragedy in 1967 that killed three astronauts. Purpose: The prize is awarded by astronauts to employees or contractors who made significant contributions to flight safety and mission success. Elite honor: The award is a coveted commendation bestowed on fewer than 1 percent of NASA employees and contractors. To the winner: Recipients receive a tiny, sterling silver pin - each of which has traveled to space - a commendation letter and a certificate. The pins depict Snoopy carrying an old-fashioned oxygen case, ears flopping beneath his clear bubble helmet. See More Collapse

Peanuts creator Charles Schulz began penciling space-exploration themes into his comic strips as early as 1959, most showing Snoopy in a zippered space suit with his head squeezed into a clear helmet.

Snoopys relationship with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration began when George Mueller, associate director for manned spaceflight, decided there was a need for an industry-wide safety program after a fire swept through the command module of a Saturn rocket during a launch rehearsal in 1967, killing astronauts Ed White, Roger Chaffee and Virgil Gus Grissom.

Mueller enlisted the help of Al Chop, a marketing official with the program, to find a symbol that had a little spark, according to Houston Chronicle archives.

Enter Snoopy.

After all, of all the Peanuts characters, Charlie Browns beagle arguably was the most qualified to be an astronaut. One of his most well-known alter egos was as the World War I Flying Ace, facing the notorious Red Baron in aerial combat.

Snoopy was eminently qualified. He is a watchdog. Astronauts are snoops in exploring space and the moon, Chop told the Chronicle in May 1969. And, Snoopy was the only dog with flight experience, even if it was from the top of his dog house.

A coveted commendation

Chop created the Silver Snoopy Award, a prize awarded by astronauts to employees or contractors who made significant contributions to flight safety and mission success. It is a coveted commendation bestowed on fewer than 1 percent of NASA employees and contractors.

Recipients receive a tiny, sterling silver pin  each of which has traveled to space  a commendation letter and a certificate. The pins depict Snoopy carrying an old-fashioned oxygen case, ears flopping beneath his clear bubble helmet.

Vaneza Lopez was honored for restarting a supply chain that had been dormant for more than 20 years. Her pin flew aboard Space Shuttle Mission STS-102, which launched March 8, 2001, and was piloted by James Vegas Kelly, who gave her the award. Lopez, who acts as a liaison between the space program and manufacturers as a material program manager for NASA contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, said she was surprised to find Kelly and her family waiting in a conference room to give her the award.

I had heard of the Silver Snoopy in the past, Lopez said. I wasnt familiar with the history of why Snoopy until I read the pamphlet that came with it.

In the 1960s, it was not just the award that made Snoopy synonymous with NASA. Posters of the black-and-white dog lined the hallways in space centers across the country, encouraging employees to keep safety at the forefront of their work while inspiring excitement for the moon mission. Photos from that era show Apollo astronauts rubbing a stuffed Snoopy dolls nose as they walked down the catwalk for missions.

The connection became so pervasive that astronauts and employees on the Apollo 10 mission, which preceded the moon landing, named their lunar module Snoopy and the command ship Charlie Brown.

Looking ahead

Melissa Menta, senior vice president of marketing and communications for Peanuts Worldwide, said Schulz was honored by NASAs use of his characters.

I think he thought it was the ultimate sign of patriotism, although it wasnt just a U.S. initiative  it was a global initiative to get to the moon, Menta said. He couldnt believe Snoopy was part of it.

NASA is looking to revive the relationship ahead of the planned Artemis missions, which aim to send people to the moon again by 2024.

Already, Peanuts Worldwide has created promotional posters for the new mission. Earlier this year, it rolled out a Peanuts-themed curriculum to primary school teachers to create lessons focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.

Taylor, with NASA Headquarters, said folks should expect more Snoopy-themed paraphernalia in the coming weeks and months to mark the moon landing anniversary and the upcoming Artemis missions.

People just love Snoopy.

shelby.webb@chron.com

twitter.com/shelbywebb

SPACE JUNK: Sign up for Mission Moon updates and out-of-this-world space news.
A former Charles Manson follower linked to a string of gay hate crimes in the 1980s won an appeal and has been let off death row, but under a new plea deal will still spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Marlin Enos Nelson, a 50-year-old Harris County man who once professed a hatred of gay people, was originally sentenced to die for the 1987 murder of a telephone switchman who picked him up for sex, according to court records.

But in 2013, an appeals court decided that flawed jury instructions at his 1988 trial could have unfairly netted him a death sentence, so the judges overturned his punishment while leaving in place the guilty verdict.

In recent weeks, a Harris County criminal court judge approved a plea deal that includes a life sentence for the original slaying, plus 10 years, 20 years and a second life sentence for a trio of other decades-old crimes. The stacked sentences will keep him behind bars for life.

We dont want him to ever get out of prison, said Dane Schiller, spokesman for the Harris County District Attorneys Office.

Nelsons defense attorney did not respond to a request for comment, but Pat Hartwell  a death penalty abolitionist and one of Nelsons supporters  said the outcome was long overdue.

It is not a victory per se  a victory would have been to never put him on death row, she said. He came from an entirely screwed-up childhood. The man should have never been convicted in the first place.

History of hate

Born in Mississippi in 1968, Nelson had just turned 20 when he was sentenced to death for the killing of James Randall Howard.

In the summer of 1987, the 35-year-old telephone switchman brought Nelson back to his apartment in Montrose, where Nelson stabbed him 15 times in the back and beat him in the head with a 10-pound bar. Then, he ransacked the apartment, taking off with jewelry and fleeing in the slain mans new Honda.

During trial, prosecutors told the jury about Nelsons youth prison record, including claims in his Texas Youth Commission files indicating he was a follower of cult leader Charles Manson. The state attorneys also detailed a slew of alleged crimes in Nelsons past, including another murder, a stabbing and a few dozen assaults, mostly targeting gay people.

At one point, Nelson tried killing a 66-year-old gay man by lodging a steak knife in the back of his neck, records show

When I hit him I thought about what happened to me when I was 11 years old and I was molested, Nelson told police after the knifing. I been hating queers ever since that happened.

Aside from the childhood rape briefly referenced in trial, Nelson had a traumatic history of physical abuse, incarceration, neglect and drug use. The jurors, however, only heard some of the mitigating evidence that might have persuaded them to vote against a death sentence.

Though court records indicate Nelson admitted his guilt in Howards slaying, he never said he intended to rob the man  and it was that robbery that made the killing eligible for a death sentence.

Still, a Harris County jury found him guilty then sentenced him to die. For more than two decades afterward he continued fighting his conviction and sentence, claiming there wasnt enough evidence against him, that state courts didnt fully review his appeal and that his earlier attorneys hadnt effectively represented him.

Then in 2013, a state appeals court overturned his sentence as one of many so-called Penry cases named for Johnny Paul Penry.

Penry  a former Texas death row inmate now serving multiple life sentences  was spared the ultimate punishment after his case twice went to the U.S. Supreme Court, netting a pair of decisions that touched on flawed jury instructions. During the punishment phase of a capital trial, the courts said, juries needed to be specifically instructed on the role of mitigating evidence.

Its not enough that a defendant be permitted to present evidence that could spare his life, Robert Dunham of the Death Penalty Information Center told the Chronicle last year. The jury has to know what it can do with that evidence.

As with the other Penry cases, Nelson won consideration for new punishment. Its not clear why it took six years to resolve Nelsons case, even after the appeals court decision. Neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys on the case offered clarification.

Since life without parole wasnt an option in Texas when Nelson was first sent to death row, prosecutors had to stack a variety of charges  including escape, cocaine possession and aggravated robbery  to ensure that he would he would stay behind bars forever and not have a shot at parole.

The most serious of those  aggravated robbery  stems from another 1987 killing, just days before Howards murder. That August, a 42-year-old man picked up Nelson at a bus stop on Aldine Bender. Nelson, then 19, bludgeoned him to death at his apartment with a crescent wrench and a hammer.

In this months plea deal, Nelson agreed to a life sentence for that crime. He agreed to 20 years for the drug charge and 10 for the escape, and he waived his right to appeal those sentences.

Other cases impacted

Under her tenure, District Attorney Kim Ogg has agreed to life sentences for a handful of other former death row prisoners.

In April 2017, Randolph Mansoor Greer was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences, also as a result of Penry issues. Three months later, Robert Campbell got a life sentence after courts decided he was too intellectually disabled to execute.

Next came Duane Buck, who was resentenced to life in prison after a U.S. Supreme Court decision reversed his punishment in light of allegations of racist expert testimony. Then Calvin Hunter was spared a death sentence over claims of false expert testimony, and last year Michael Wayne Norris was resentenced in another Penry case.

Even though Ogg ran as a reformer and has backed away from the use of capital punishment, she's still opted to pursue a death sentence in at least eight pending cases.

Her office has also asked for execution dates for four convicted killers, three of whom have already been executed. One, Dexter Darnell Johnson, is scheduled to die in August.
The ominous, percussion-driven music that filled a large room at METdances Midtown studios Tuesday sounded like it could have been made for a movie about space aliens. The companys nine dancers seemed to be battling an unseen force as they pushed and pulled their way through tight, continuously changing groups.

They were rehearsing their latest commissioned piece by nationally-known choreographer Kate Skarpetowska, which premieres Friday at Miller Outdoor Theatre. But they might as well have been telling their own story.

As of Friday, METdance is homeless, unable to keep its head above water with oppressive rent in Midtown and cash flow problems that have lingered since Hurricane Harvey. Its the first time in 40 years I havent had a dance studio to go to, said executive director Michelle Smith, who founded METdance 24 years ago by rebranding the Delia Stewart Dance Company and Center, which she previously led.

The METs predicament is the latest in a string of crises that have forced several excellent small performing arts groups in Houston to relocate, regroup or shutter in the past three years. Horse Head Theatre ceased operations in February; while 4th Wall Theatre was saved by an angel after it announced it was closing. Mildreds Umbrella, Landing Theatre and Classical Theatre Co. have also been forced out of inner-city spaces.

The MET gambled  and has lost  on a huge investment. Six years ago, it spent $500,000 to build out the METdance center in an 11,000-square foot space at 2808 Caroline where it also had a 10-year lease that cost $15,000 a month in rent and expenses. The company performs elsewhere, so its concerts are not impacted.

But it stands to lose a more significant chunk of earned income, because addition to its professional dance company and two youth companies, it operates Houstons second largest dance school, after Houston Ballets. It also rented out its four studios to other companies, and that loss is causing a ripple effect through the local dance community.

Its a huge loss, said choreographer Jane Weiner. They were the hub, and the most generous studio renters in town. They wanted everybody to succeed.

RELATED: Small theaters face closure as affordable space heads for the exits

Weiner closed her own Hope Stone Studio five years ago. We didnt know how to move forward and stay fiscally responsible, she said, and without the studio, we werent sure who we were. I was lucky because I got to close the door and disappear for a while. She eventually revived Hope Stone as a more nomadic, project-based organization, and she taught classes at the MET in trade for using the studios for her rehearsals. She rented space there most recently from early January through March.

It was a great location, and the spirit was great, Weiner said. Its sad that weve become a market city over a people city, without the realization that having them in Midtown was the best thing for our city. Houston Ballet was a recipient of the METs largesse, too: When its building was flooded by Harvey, the MET opened its studios to them for a reduced rate.

Attendance at the MET school dropped pecipitously after the storm and still has not recovered fully, Smith said. Persistent water damage in one studio also cost potential revenue. Now, the MET is more than $38,000 in arrears to landlord Jon Deal, whose company bought the building last July.

Ironically, Deal is widely considered one of the most arts-friendly landlords in town. Along with several partners, he built out the sprawling art studio compounds at Sawyer Yards, Spring Street and Winter Street just west of downtown. After leaders of Houstons arts community pleaded with him to help solve the METs situation , he offered the company free rent for the summer if it first paid its back rent.

Smith said the offer came too late, after an order to vacate was issued. Her board decided it had bled enough money into the space, and not just because of the high rent. The MET, which may have been insufficiently insured, lost a $100,000 walnut dance floor to water damage and was not reimbursed for an air conditioner it lost during a fire at Weights and Measures, the restaurant that fills much of the buildings ground floor.

There was nothing in the METs lease to negotiate, because the company was already paying significantly less than market rent  about $1.50 per square foot total, including expenses for common areas such as the parking lot and entry, Deal said. If I thought there was light at the end of this tunnel, Id help out. But they bit off more than they could chew.

Commercial rents in Midtown have risen dramatically in the past five or six years, now averaging nearly $25 a square foot, according to the real estate services firm NAI Partners.

Chuck Still, the executive director of the MATCH, the three-year old Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston at 3400 Main built to support small arts groups, peers longingly at adjacent lots MATCH leaders could have bought a few years ago. When this property was built, nobody knew if the MATCH would work, he said.

Now the MATCH, which has four theaters, a rehearsal room and offices for small companies, is full to the brim. Still was only able to accommodate the MET serendipitously, because DiverseWorks canceled a summer show it had planned for the MATCH gallery six weeks out.

I tell people no all the time, Still said. I could fill two more spaces, easily.

Rather than cancel their summer programs, Smith and artistic director Marlana Doyle have also rented studios at the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and University of Houston. And they are shopping for a new, semi-permanent space that will likely be outside Loop 610, where rents are more affordable.

ARTS & THEATER: Complexions Contemporary Ballet will summon David Bowie's spirit with "Stardust"

The schools students come from across the Houston region, Doyle said, sounding more optimistic than Smith. METdance is not a building. Its people, she said. This building is not sustainable. It was an albatross from the beginning.

Still, she said, the professional dance company, which spends about $100,000 a year to create works and pay its nine contracted dancers, cant operate without a home.

Smith doesnt yet know how she and the MET board will solve a cash crunch that is likely to linger at least until July, when they collect tuition for summer intensive sessions attended by students from across the U.S. The company has posted a plea for funds on its website.

The MET organization receives about 30 percent of its funds from public and private sources  primarily the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Houston Arts Alliance and the Houston Endowment. Thats at least 10 percent less than five years ago, making the company more dependent than ever on earned income from its classes and programs.

Doyle notes that recent collaborations with classical music groups, including the Houston Symphony, have enabled METdance to expand its footprint in recent seasons. While they all need financial help from somewhere, shes of the mind that companies can also help each other out, sharing resources and donors.

There are a lot of supporters for the arts, Doyle said. Its just a matter of finding the right ones.

molly.glentzer@chron.com

PREVIEW: Get experts picks for concerts, kids stuff, fine arts, movies and more delivered to your inbox weekly.
A school bus driver accused of driving while intoxicated near Spring has been identified.

Linda Sue Godejohn, 55, was released on a $100 bond Friday morning after her arrest Thursday afternoon, court records show. Deputies with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office allege Godejohn had just dropped off the last of several teenagers on their last day of school at YES Prep when she was pulled over at a CVS pharmacy parking lot at Aldine Westfield Road and Hirschfield Road around 2:15 p.m.

Constable Mark Herman said witnesses called 911 claiming that Godejohn was swerving in and out of lanes in the bus and even almost tipped it over on a hard turn.

When deputies confronted her in the parking lot, she "flunked miserably" on a sobriety test, Herman said.

"The way she was driving the bus, thank goodness our deputies were able to get on it," Herman said.

Godejohn was charged with misdemeanor DWI, narrowly escaping a felony DWI charge since she had dropped off the last of her students moments before she was pulled over. Godejohn was employed by First Student Bus Company, which is contracted by YES Prep Public Schools.

"All of First Student Bus Company's drivers undergo regular finger printing and rigorous background checks," according to a YES Prep Public Schools statement. "If she is formally charged, she will never again be behind the wheel of a YES Prep-contracted bus."

Under Texas law, Godejohn is facing up to 6 months in jail and a possible fine up to $2,000, if she's convicted.

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
In the final days before the Legislature gaveled out last Monday, lawmakers pushed through a slew of little-noticed bills that are set to better equip agencies and local governments for future storms, while aiding southeast Texas in its ongoing recovery from Hurricane Harvey.

Amid a session focused on fixing Texas property tax and school finance systems, the Legislature approved bills to reform how storm-damaged homes are appraised, tap state reserves for flood control projects and warn homeowners when nearby dams release floodwaters.

Some of the myriad flood-related bills sent to Gov. Greg Abbotts desk this session lay the groundwork for future sessions, requiring agencies to create maps and plans. Others allocate funds for shovel-ready projects.

In some cases, lawmakers ran out of time, forcing them to try again when the Legislature convenes in 2021.

You cant future-proof every region of the state. Its almost impossible, said Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston. But we can mitigate. We can plan better. And I think we did a good job of addressing those needs in response to Harvey, and also planning for future disasters, whether its floods, hurricanes, tornadoes.

Walles district includes north Houston and unincorporated Harris County, areas hit hard by Harvey. One of his bills sent to Abbotts desk would seek to overcome red tape that prevented many low-income residents from receiving food through a federal nutrition assistance program after Harvey.

Here are some other key bills that made it through the Legislature this session:

Disaster reappraisal

After Harvey wiped out thousands of southeast Texas homes, many residents continued to pay property taxes based on pre-Harvey values. This session, a handful of lawmakers filed legislation aiming to change that.

Among the legislation that passed both chambers is a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters, would let state lawmakers provisionally lower tax rates on storm-damaged property. Temple Rep. Hugh Shines accompanying House Bill 492 would set exemption rates from 15 to 100 percent of a propertys appraised value, depending on the severity of the storm damage.

Abbott already has signed into law Senate Bill 812, which aims to prevent Harvey victims from getting taxed out of rebuilt or replaced homes.

Before the legislation, some homeowners who rehabbed their homes through a U.S. housing department block grant program would see their properties reappraised as if they had added improvements to an undamaged home.

SB 812, authored by Sens. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, and Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, changes the tax code to protect victims of Harvey and future storms from those sudden jumps in their property tax bills.

Notifying residents of risk, emergencies

Senate Bill 339, authored by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, would require home sellers to disclose when a property is located within a flood-prone area, including in emergency lake beds behind the Barker and Addicks dams known as flood pools.

Thousands of residents discovered after Harvey that they lived within flood pools, where at least 9,000 homes flooded from the storm. Huffmans bill also applies to homes located in floodways and 100- and 500-year floodplains, or if the seller ever has filed a claim for flood damage to the property.

The bills final language is intended to cover just about any property that sits in an area prone to flooding, Huffman said, even if the chances are slim that anything will happen. When people make probably the biggest investment of their life  homeownership  they should have all the relevant information, she said.

Still, some properties are exempt. A bill by authored by Walle would have required landlords to tell renters if they are leasing in certain flood-prone areas, but the legislation died in a Senate committee.

Meanwhile, under a bill authored by Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, owners of state-regulated dams with gates used to regulate flood waters, such as Lake Conroe, would have to notify downstream communities when releasing water into spillways.

Many homeowners downstream of the Lake Conroe dam were inundated when the San Jacinto River Authority released billions of gallons of water without notice a few days after Harvey made landfall.

Another bill authored by Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, would require certain state agencies to update their hurricane preparedness plans each hurricane season, and for the General Land Office to conduct a public information campaign with details about state and federal housing assistance that would become available after a major storm.

The bills written by Metcalf, Huffman and Miles have been sent to Abbotts desk.

Matching funds and flood planning

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and other officials along the Gulf Coast wasted no time after Harvey pressing lawmakers to tap the state savings account, or rainy day fund, to provide the local match for federal disaster recovery grants.

About 21 months later, the Legislature approved Senate Bill 7, which would devote $838 million to the local match in various grant programs. Another $840 million would go to the Water Development Board for flood project grants and mapping.

The total amounts to far less than a prior version of the bill, which proposed to draw $3.26 billion from the rainy day fund. Nonetheless, several last-minute changes to the bill assuaged some concerns of Houston officials.

We have a very conservative state government, Walle said. So, I think we, obviously, would love to have done more, but the politics are such that there was a willingness to tap the rainy day fund  but you also have other needs.

Harris County has a number of projects within its $2.5 billion flood bond that could be eligible for state matching funds under SB 7, said Russ Poppe, executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District. State officials have yet to write project guidelines, however, so it is hard to say how much aid the county could receive, Poppe said.

Still, any state funding would free up some of the bonds roughly $900 million devoted to local matching funds; county commissioners would then be able to approve new uses for those bond funds, stretching the borrowed dollars further than original expected.

Abbott is expected to sign Senate Bills 7 and 8 into law.

I know initially folks wanted us to do a special session, Huffman said. But a lot of money was spent up front, and now this session, the Legislature paid it back through various appropriations.

Lawmakers also approved bills intended to mitigate the effects of future storms and speed up government response to disasters. State Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, authored legislation that would have Texas Division of Emergency Management develop a task force focused on planning to streamline and expedite recovery at the local level.

Another bill by Morrison would help remove administrative red tape that has typically slowed state and local emergency management. The bill would require the emergency management department to compile a plan to help local governments execute contracts for commonly needed post-disaster services.

Sand mining and debris removal

Lawmakers also directed their focus to the buildup of sand and sediment in the San Jacinto River and Lake Houston, which experts say reduced the capacity of the waterways to retain Harvey floodwater. Members of the sand mining industry dispute this.

Among the legislation devoted to sand mining is state Rep. Dan Hubertys House Bill 907, which, if signed into law, would force sand miners to pay stiffer penalties if they fail to register with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The legislation targets unregistered sand miners who operate illegally along waterways and become accustomed to paying the defined penalties and relocating their operations, said Huberty, R-Humble. The bill would double the penalty for unregistered miners and allow the commission to inspect miners without warning within three years of the company receiving notice of a violation.

Meanwhile, legislation by state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, and state Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, would require the states emergency management division to create a plan by the start of 2020 to clear and dispose of debris from disasters. The language in Kolkhorsts bill is part of a broader disaster response plan.

Both bills are awaiting Abbotts signature.

jasper.scherer@chron.com
Late night TV news is no longer the sole domain of English language stations. The May 2019 Nielsen ratings show that Noticiero Telemundo Houston dominated the competition, with a rating of 2.7 among adults 25-54, according to a news release from KTMD.

Spanish language competitor Univision Noticias 45 came in second for late night news, with a rating of 1.7 in the same age group, according to the release. Univision was also the top rated newscast at 5pm among Adults 25-54, according to Nielsen.

Telemundo General Manager Tony Canales said the station's 10 p.m. newscast delivered twice the audience of any English language local late night newscast in each key demographic.

"Houston is the most diverse city in the country and media consumption reflects that fact, considering that currently most Houstonians now get their 10P news 'en Espanol'," said Canales.

AT KHOU: Meteorologist expecting second child

KTRK Eyewitness News at 10 p.m. had the next highest late night news viewership, with a 1.3 rating in the 25 to 54 demo. ABC 13 Houston also had the highest rated 4 p.m. newscast.

KPRC Channel 2 News was the front-runner in most other newscast, taking the top-rated at 5 a.m., 6 a.m., midday, and 6 p.m.

While KHOU 11 News consistently came in third place, the station made major strides overall in increased viewership. It saw a 64 percent increase in its 5 a.m. audience, 127 percent at noon, and a 96.7 percent jump at 4 p.m.

"Even as we continue to work on a better presentation, for KHOU, it's about the journalism. The people in our community deserve clean information so they can make informed decisions in their lives. We're committed to getting it to them," said Robert Springer, President and General Manager of KHOU.

Danny Hermosillo is the Digital News Editor for Chron.com | Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @Dannyherm1| Email him at Danny.Hermosillo@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message
An Amber Alert announced the news: an adorable girl with a gap-toothed smile, standing 3 feet tall and weighing 30 pounds, was gone.

The story of missing 4-year-old Maleah Davis spread rapidly. Strangers rallied to her cause and relatives became central to a mystery that drew national attention.

READ MORE: The search for Maleah may have come to an end

Everyone had questions: Did her mother's fiance kill her? Could she have been abducted?

People saw in this missing girl their own daughter, granddaughter or niece. Someone wrote on a balloon, "4ever Houstons Baby Girl."

Finally, on Friday, answers started to emerge. The monthlong search for the Houston girl took police to southwestern Arkansas, where investigators found the remains of a child in a black garbage bag along the side of Interstate 30. Police believe they have found Maleah, though they are awaiting DNA confirmation.

Questions persist, however, about the tumultuous last months of little Maleah's life leading up to her disappearance on May 3.

How Child Protective Services, lawyers and judges handled her case continues to be scrutinized, with advocates saying more information needs to be shared. Jamey Caruthers, senior staff attorney with Children at Risk, said something in the child's custody case may have been missed.

"It is a failing of the system," Caruthers said. "Whether that was unforeseeable failing or not, I just don't know."

Maleah's brothers, ages 2 and 6, who have been unaware she was missing, remain with relatives. A judge has barred Maleah's mother, Brittany Bowens, and her ex-fiance, Derion Vence, from seeing them. And while Vence remains behind bars on charges of tampering with a corpse, he reportedly told activist Quanell X early Friday that he killed the child accidentally.

It was Vence's alleged confession  and his description of where he had dumped the body  that led police to the roadside in Arkansas.

A cubby of her own

Maleah Lynn Davis, born Feb. 6, 2015, is among the more than 375 missing children from Texas, and the 58th child missing from Houston, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. She was last seen wearing a light blue Under Armour jackets, blue jeans and gray, pink and white tennis shoes, according to the center's website.

The middle of three children, Maleah liked pink, preferred toy cars over dolls and called Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony her best friend, her 26-year-old mother told KHOU.

Maleah and her older brother shared the same father, Craig Davis, also 26. A child support order from 2016 made Bowens the primary caregiver, but Davis could see the kids on certain weekends, Thursdays and holidays.

For the last few years, Maleah's mother had been seeing Vence, who supported the family, his father told a YouTube blogger. They were engaged, according to court testimony.

Vence delivered mail for 14 months in Rosharon, a small community in Brazoria County, until he left the job in August 2018 for undisclosed reasons, according to the U.S. Postal Service. He was also part of a company linked to several rap songs, including one on SoundCloud titled, "Murda Murda."

Bowens and Vence had a younger child together, and the family of five had moved in recent months to an apartment in Alief after living for a time with Bowens' mother. Maleah attended a nearby day care, where she had a cubby in her name. Sometimes she sat with her mom as she dressed, Bowens recalled in another interview.

She'd had a rough times, court records indicate. In August, months before she vanished, Maleah landed in a hospital with a cut to her head after taking what her mother said was a fall from a chair onto a marble table. She initially got stitches, but had to return to the hospital after her eyes began rolling back into her head, according to records.

She was taken to Texas Children's Hospital, where doctors removed part of her skull to relieve pressure from bleeding on the brain  typically a life-saving procedure, according to the records.

During the procedure, surgeons found a blood clot from what appeared to be an older injury, along with recent bleeding, records show. Doctors didn't believe such damage came from one fall, and the state took temporary custody of the children.

Bowens completed a parenting class while Vence's mother cared for the children; all three children were returned to their mother in February. A caseworker wrote in records before they were given back that the doctor "could not confirm whether or not injuries were caused by abuse."

CPS oversight appears to have been spotty after the children went home, however. The agency is allowed up to six months of supervision after a child is returned, with a caseworker expected to visit weekly for the first eight weeks and then at least monthly, spokesperson Tiffani Butler wrote.

In court last week, Bowens recalled that CPS visited maybe two or three times after the children came back to live with her.

On April 8  roughly eight weeks after the kids returned  the caseworker wrote that the agency sought to be dismissed from the case.

Mounting evidence

On April 11, Bowens' father died. A former machine operator, he lived in Springfield, Massachusetts, according to his obituary.

Bowens, one of his three surviving children, left her children with Vence to attend the funeral at the end of the month. She expected him to pick her up at the airport when she returned home May 3, police said.

Quanell X, a community activist with a history of convincing suspects to turn themselves in to police, briefly represented the mother, and told reporters she had seen signs that Vence may have been physically abusing the children. But she testified in court last week that she had severed her relationship with Quanell and that what he had said wasn't true.

Vence has no criminal history. In interviews, Bowens said she trusted and loved him. She testified in court that he did not abuse her, but she told the judge that she confronted him at the airport as she was leaving about feared infidelity and text messages he had exchanged with someone else.

Vence was not at the airport to pick her up when she got back from her four-day trip to Massachusetts. He turned up the next day at a hospital with a knot on his head, claiming he'd been abducted on his way to the airport with Maleah and his then-1-year-old son after stopping to check his tires. The boy was with him but Maleah was not.

He could not explain what had happened over the previous 24 hours, but said Maleah was missing when he regained awareness. Police didn't dismiss his story outright, but it began to fall apart as evidence emerged.

On the day Bowens was expected to return home  the same day police indicate that Maleah went missing  a neighboring security camera recorded Vence leaving the apartment building about 1:40 p.m. with a laundry basket containing a bulging, black trash bag. He walked as if it were heavy, police observed.

He then hauled away cleaning supplies, including bleach.

About 6:30 p.m., Maleah's father arrived to pick up his son for the weekend. Bowens did not typically let him take Maleah, according to testimony, but Davis asked to see the girl anyway and was told by Vence she had the flu.

Vence then left home about 6:40 p.m. with only the youngest boy in tow, according to the surveillance video. The next day, he and the boy were dropped at the hospital in the same car  Bowens' vehicle  that he told police he had taken to the airport. It's not clear who was driving, but a cab driver spotted the car later in a parking lot.

The laundry basket was still in the trunk, and two police dogs detected the smell of a decomposing body, officials said. At the apartment, a Houston homicide detective found blood that someone had tried to clean up. The blood matched the DNA on Maleah's toothbrush, police said.

Police arrested Vence May 11 on the charge of tampering with a corpse.

Demanding answers

Maleah joins a list of children for whom Houston has grieved.

There was Josue Flores, 11, stabbed to death in 2016 as he walked home from school.

Jayden Lopez, 4, who was identified months after his body was found dumped in 2017 on a Galveston beach.

Jazmine Barnes, 7, shot one morning last December in her mother's car.

The outpouring for Maleah grew each day as investigators searched homes, fields and wooded areas looking for the child. Volunteers with Texas EquuSearch combed the areas where Vence had delivered mail and in the areas around the family's apartment.

Strangers wept for her at balloon releases, while others formed Facebook groups to follow the case. Police Chief Art Acevedo said flatly he believed Maleah was murdered, rejecting Vence's claim that she was abducted. And advocates pushed for reform, saying CPS could have prevented her disappearance.

On Mother's Day, about 10 days after she disappeared, stuffed animals piled up like a barricade in front of her apartment door.

Yet the family faced hostility from the public. At a court hearing for Vence after his arrest, strangers mobbed Bowens, with one yelling, "Why isn't she locked up?" Bowens made the rounds on television, explaining how hard it had been for her to eat, sleep or focus while her daughter was missing.

Then came Quanell X's reports that Vence had admitted killing the child and discarding her body in Arkansas, about a five-hour drive from Houston. The remains were discovered Friday afternoon in a black plastic garbage bag like the one Vence had been seen carrying out of the apartment.

The remains have since been returned to Houston, where DNA tests are underway.

Long recovery

Rickie Bradford, a Christian hip hop artist, is among those with local advocacy group Parents Against Predators who protested in Maleah's defense in the past month, demanding to know why the judge returned her home.

"If there was a valid reason, we just want to know it," he said.

Lisa Mikosh, chief operating officer of another local group, Justice for Children, also questioned the CPS decisions.

The agency, which prioritizes family reunification, has been scrutinized in recent years for high turnover among caseworkers and failure to check on children adequately. The Legislature in 2017 passed bills trying to alleviate that.

"How come nobody's asking about CPS involvement, and why was the child returned?" Mikosh said. "Other than the adults around her, who let this child down?"

And evidence about the family continues to emerge in an ongoing custody dispute over the children.

Last Wednesday in the windowless courtroom, Associate Judge Ryan Salfiti focused on the two children left behind. The boys had marked birthdays the week before in the care of other relatives  the youngest, who was with Vence's mother, turned 2 on May 19, while the older boy, who just finished first grade, turned 6 on May 21. He is living with his Davis' sister, who sleeps on her sofa so he can have the bedroom.

Bowens told the judge then she was not yet ready to care for the boys again but wanted to visit. She thought about them daily, she said.

"I'm all they know," she said.

Davis, who has his son's first name tattooed on one arm and Bowens' name on another, wants custody of his son. Before custody is determined, however, the boy will see a therapist, the judge ordered.

The 6-year-old had seen his sister on the news, Davis said, but didn't know what was happening.

"There goes my sister," he said.

The boy had a nightmare recently in his aunt's home  sitting up repeatedly, with his eyes closed, shaking his head.

"No," he screamed. "No."

emily.foxhall@chron.com
A woman confronted multiple suspects with a gun Thursday night after they forced their way into her southeast Houston home, according to Metro Video.

The woman was shot in the arm after she and the suspects exchanged gunfire, Metro Video reported. She was taken to a hospital in stable condition. It's unclear whether any suspects were shot.
Outrage over Texas voter ID law was reignited in San Antonio on Thursday after the citys 97-year-old former mayor was turned away from a polling site for lack of identification.

Lila Cockrell was one of more than 12,000 people who flocked to the polls Wednesday to vote in San Antonios mayoral runoffs, but she didnt get to cast a ballot when she couldnt present an authorized form of ID.

Im 97, I dont drive anymore, said Cockrell, San Antonios first female mayor. I havent been on a cruise or anything in years.

Jacque Callanen, the elections administrator in Bexar County, said the incident was unfortunate, but officials dont have the same discretion they had in the past.

It was uncomfortable for the election officials to tell her, No. Obviously, they knew who she was, Callanen said. But the law is the law. The election officials did what theyre supposed to do.

There previously was a method for election officials to account for people they know personally, Callanen said. But that discretion was removed as the state tightened ID requirements.

There was always a provision when someone came into vote that if election officials knew who that person was, they just checked a box if they didnt have an ID, Callenen said. Thats how it used to be. They took that provision away.

On ExpressNews.com: Early voting for mayor runoff hits record numbers

The episode sparked indignation among officials in San Antonio, a Democratic stronghold where Texas stringent voting requirements have long been met with skepticism and legal challenges.

Henry Cisneros, another former mayor, called the situation with Cockrell a horrible incident while speaking at a North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Thursday.

She was sent home and not allowed to vote, said Cisneros, whose tenure at San Antonio City Hall came between Cockrells two stints as mayor, noting her age and her well-known position as former mayor. Theres something wrong with our system here when something like that happens.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who succeeded Cockrell as mayor in 1991, echoed that sentiment.

You know, that is such a crying shame, he told the Express-News after the luncheon. I wish there was a way to get around that. Something should have been done to help her. Its just terrible.

On ExpressNews.com: Court upholds revised Texas voter ID law

Texas controversial voter ID law, first passed in 2011 and then amended after a federal court declared it unlawful, requires residents to bring one of seven forms of identification to the polls. Acceptable forms include a Texas drivers license, passport and Texas Department of Public Safety-issued personal identification card.

After the law was struck down, lawmakers included an exception in 2017 for people who cant reasonably obtain an ID. Those voters can sign whats called a reasonable impediment declaration and bring a utility bill, bank statement or paycheck to prove their identity.

Lydia Camarillo, the president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, said Cockrells experience underscores how the voter ID law makes it more difficult for people to vote.

Im not surprised that it happened, Camarillo said. Im surprised that it happened to someone as distinguished as our former mayor.

The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project was one of the groups that challenged the voter ID law in court. While most arguments focused on the disproportionate affect on Latino and black voters, Camarillo said elderly people are also affected.

The law carries a hidden cost because advocates cant quantify how many eligible voters are turned away and dont return to vote, Camarillo said.

Clearly, our former mayor has the right to vote, she said. Im sure there are other folks who may have been impacted, and I hope this story serves to remind them that they have the right to vote (too).

Cockrell said she brought her voter registration card to the early voting polling site Wednesday but did not have an ID.

On Thursday, Cockrell located her passport, which should enable her to vote, even if its expired. Voters can use expired documents as long as theyre not more than four years out of date, but that limit doesnt apply to people over 70.

Officials from the Texas Department of Public Safety also went to her Terrell Heights condo Thursday to help her submit paperwork for a DPS-issued ID.

Those state officials declined to comment when asked about their efforts.

Cockrell, who was mayor from 1975 to 1981 and then again from 1989 to 1991, said she takes the right to vote seriously. She said shell return to the polls again when she can get a ride.

The still-spry mayor even offered some insight into the race.

Runoffs are always tricky, no matter who the leader was in the first round, she said. What it amounts to is who gets back to the polls.

Early voting for the runoffs continues through Tuesday although polls will be closed Sunday. Election day is June 8.

Staff writer Scott Huddleston contributed to this report.

Dylan McGuinness covers City Hall and local politics in San Antonio. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | dylan.mcguinness@express-news.net | Twitter: @DylMcGuinness
Theres a grownup in the House.

And his name is Dennis Bonnen. The first-term speaker of the Texas House did more this legislative session than accomplish long-sought, hard-fought school finance reform and property tax relief.

The Republican from Angleton led as a statesman rather than a partisan with the kind of integrity, common sense and backbone that we only wish were commonplace in Austin.

How refreshing it was to see Bonnen in recent days dismiss the hard right zealots and professional agitators at groups such as Empower Texans, Texas Right to Life and Texas Gun Rights, whose sole purpose seems to be sowing the same destruction under the pink dome that weve seen ravage Capitol Hill.

They arent worth responding to, Bonnen told reporters this week. If we passed every pro-life bill filed in the history of the state, they would say we had not done enough. You will never please or appease those folks and Im sure as hell not going to waste my time trying.

Without calling out Gov. Greg Abbott, Bonnen also decried the kind of infighting and politics of retribution that go on within the Republican Party during election season and beyond. Abbott took aim at state Rep. Sarah Davis of West University Place, actively campaigning against her in the primary, after she failed to walk in lock step with his legislative agenda two sessions ago.

We can only hope that Abbott is taking note of Bonnens example, which should move him to reassess his own leadership profile. Currently, it relies too heavily on pandering to extremists and petty attacks on Republicans and Democrats alike who disagree with him.

Case in point: Abbott has wasted no time in vetoing several uncontroversial measures with bipartisan support that happened to be authored by Senate Democrats who blocked confirmation of his longtime aid David Whitley as Secretary of State. No matter that Whitley presided over a voter purge debacle that mistakenly flagged 25,000 registered voters as noncitizens when they were in fact citizens.

It may be too lavish a wish that Abbott will suddenly begin putting the good of the state above special interests, simply because he saw Bonnen get away with it. But we do hope the governor will notice that maturity, fairness and backbone can be effective strategies as well.

Bonnen had big shoes to fill when he succeeded former House Speaker Joe Straus, another Republican widely respected for his bipartisan, statesmanlike approach. But anybody concerned that Straus departure signaled a field day for the hard right was mistaken.

The new speaker made good on his vows to let the will of the House prevail and to prioritize bread-and-butter legislation on education and taxes over divisive social issues. By most accounts, Bonnen was accessible, professional and laser-focused on top priorities but not to the extent that he micromanaged committee chairs. Importantly, he seemed to make members feel heard, even those with differing views and difficult personalities.

Perhaps miraculously, Bonnen remained civil  at least publicly  with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a tea party demagogue who often seemed to revel in opposing the moderate Straus.

Patrick was clearly at a loss without his foil this session and may have felt pressure to go along with the program rather than picking fights over bathroom bills and the like. Bonnen also had the mandate of the 2018 midterms to consider: Democrats picked up 12 House seats and voters had made it clear that Republicans who failed to govern would be vulnerable.

Whats most hopeful about Bonnens leadership this past session is that it seemed to be contagious.

Republican members seemed modestly emboldened to speak out against radical forces that for years seemed to only tighten their stranglehold on the GOP.

For starters, it was Alabama  mercifully, not Texas  that led to the way on an outright abortion ban intended to challenge Roe v. Wade at the Supreme Court.

In a last-minute move, lawmakers in our gun-loving, Republican dominated Legislature thumbed their noses at the National Rifle Association in approving a modest but important $1 million public safety campaign on gun storage. No word on whether Abbott has the guts to stand up to the NRA and let the law stand without a veto.

In perhaps the most heartening move, lawmakers stripped a measure that would have given Abbott $100 million from the states savings account to expand surge operations on the border. State Rep. John Zerwas, a Richmond Republican who serves as the Houses chief budget writer, said the infusion of surge funding was a bit redundant.

Hes right. Texas has little to show for diverting hundreds of millions to the border.

The 2019 Legislature wasnt without its disappointments. No session ever is.

But there was a feeling of accomplishment as the session ended this year, and much less acrimony. One reason why is surely the way Bonnens responsible leadership found willing converts. We hope it lasts.
Regarding A plea to HISD from Teach for America member (Opinion, Tuesday): For a number of years I served on the Teach For America Houston Advisory Board. During that time I visited numerous elementary, middle and high school classrooms with TFA teachers. All the schools I visited were in some of Houstons most underserved communities.

I always left these visits amazed at the enthusiasm, attention and engagement exhibited by the students and teachers. I also heard success stories of students who started the school year at least one year or more below grade level and by the end of the school year were at, or above, grade level.

These new TFA corps members, all recent graduates from some of the top colleges and universities from across the country, had signed a two-year commitment to teach in some of our most underserved communities. Although these recent college grads could have easily pursued lucrative careers in their fields, many found teaching so rewarding that they continued to teach, and all the TFA corps members become lifelong advocates for education.

It is baffling to me that the HISD board would not renew the districts contract with TFA.

Ed Smith, Houston

Board hurts students

Regarding HISDs F for effort (Editorial, May 26): I have been following the chaos within HISD for some time.

Now, to make matters worse, the school board votes not to allow principals to hire teachers from the Teach For America corps. As the article states, these gifted young people have been teaching in the Houston Independent School District for 30 years and the benefits they have brought are beyond measure. They are young, idealistic, gifted and smart. Above all they are willing to go into the most underserved schools, work hard and care deeply about their students.

We all have heard stories about how one special teacher can change the direction of a childs life. Who knows how many children will lose out on this chance, simply by a school board decision that makes absolutely no sense.

Kathy Grundy, Houston

China not backing down

Regarding The latest: China media suggest rare earth use against US (HoustonChronicle.com, Wednesday); When President Trump tries to say something he thinks will put a scare into China and force them to the bargaining table, our stock market tumbles.

When China retaliates to put a scare into him, our stock market tumbles.

We dont read about Chinas economy stumbling when something is said. Do they just not fear his threats? When will he realize that he does not have the power here? Those tactics may work in the corporate world, but not when he is dealing with a major world power. He should sit down with China and get things worked out. Im tired of seeing my hard-earned savings eroded daily.

Frank Mayer, Spring
Apple Inc.s former head of App Store approvals said hes worried about competition between the company and developers, and even recalled board member Al Gore asking about a controversial app approval.

Phillip Shoemaker, who ran app reviews from 2009 to 2016, made the comments in the latest episode of Bloombergs Decrypted podcast ahead of Apples annual developers conference in early June. He also opened up about the personal toll of being the App Stores regulator.

Before a developer can sell an app on the App Store, it must be approved by Apples app review team. There are over 2 million apps on the store, but many have been rejected since it opened in 2008.

You are whats stopping an app from getting on the store and potentially making money for this developer to put food on the table and send their kids to school, Shoemaker said. It broke my heart every time I had to make those calls.

APP INDUSTRY: Apple's app ecosystem begets thousands of Texas jobs, but court case looms

In the early days, Apple had three reviewers look at each app. That led to long review times, which eventually decreased after the process shifted to one set of eyes, he said. Phil Schiller, Apples senior vice president of marketing who oversees the App Store, pushed for humans to review all apps, rather than just automated tools, to limit improper or buggy apps, Shoemaker said. Still, he said theres a lot of stuff in the store that shouldnt be there. Apple declined to comment.

App reviewers worked in small conference rooms with Macs, iPhones, and iPads to test applications. Reviewers would come in each morning, pick 30 to 100 apps from a web tool, and download them devices for testing. It was a job that required long hours, Shoemaker recalled. Apple has hired more reviewers since then, and the work spaces in California are more open and collaborative now.

It broke my heart every time I had to make those calls.

Apple made sure that Shoemakers review team treated all third-party developers equally, even if they were giant technology companies supplying important apps for iPhones and iPads. I was calling out Facebook all the time on Twitter, he said. Even though they were one of these privileged developers, they had some of the worst code at the time.

Shoemaker also spoke about Apple not approving the Google Voice calling service in the early days of the iPhone. He said there was concern inside Apple that companies like Google or Facebook could create a slew of apps that would replace core iPhone functions.

WWDC PREVIEW: New home-grown apps, features coming to WWDC

That was a real thing. I mean the fear that somebody would come along, a Facebook, a Google, whomever and wipe off and remove all of our items, he said. Once they started using these other apps, they'd be thinking more about Google now. Ultimately, Google Voice and similar third-party calling services were approved for Apples App Store.

Shoemaker also discussed Apples own applications competing more with apps from outside developers. This wasnt a problem in the early days of the iPhone because many of the things Apple did were so new. Nowadays, the company sometimes adds in-house software to the iPhone that is similar to existing offerings from other providers. There is now a conflict as Apple goes into these spaces that are ripe with competition, he said. I'm really worried about the competition.

Apples Worldwide Developers Conference is where the company must strike a delicate balance between partnering and competing with developers. Shoemaker described preparations for the annual event, saying its likely chaos at Apple right now as the company finalizes presentations and other details. He also discussed the early days of the Apple Watch App Store and how it could improve with a store built into the watch itself.

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
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.
Was PledgeMusic Lining Their Own Pockets?

In this latest chapter in the saga of the still-smoldering wreckage that is PledgeMusic, Mario Putzar examines some of the underlying causes that led up to the platform's current state of crisis, many of them eerily similar to another music direct-to-fan platform (now also defunct), Sellaband.

____________________________

Op-ed by Mario Putzar of Music and Crowdfunding

An essay about the end of Pledgemusic, Sellaband and of music crowdfunding

Almost ten years after being founded, one of the last pillars of music crowdfunding is starting to crumble. Even when those behind Pledgemusic, especially its co-founder Benji Rogers, vehemently denied operating music crowdfunding, the platform was always being mentioned in the same breath as the former (Sellaband, MyMajorCompany, AKAmusic) and current (Indiegogo, Kickstarter) leaders of the branch. As early as the summer of last year, artists proclaimed that Pledgemusic still owed them money which was collected from fans.

In light of the already announced bankruptcy, this is another chapter for music crowdfunding which is sadly coming to a close now. Moreover, it reminds us of the eerily quiet conclusion of Sellaband just a few years earlier. The parallels are astonishing and at the same time surprising. Musicians are not being paid. There have been wordy apologies and stalling strategies from the side of the platform, but these are never followed by any real results. The funds from the supporters were apparently never kept separate from the operating capital. Catastrophic crisis management, lost trust, coupled with a management incapable of getting a handle on things will lead to the obvious and inevitable end of Pledgemusic. I still hope Pledgemusic will disabuse me.

But no one learned from the Sellaband debacle. Maybe or perhaps because Sellaband died a quiet death.

What went wrong and what were the causes of the crisis of Pledgemusic  an initial analysis:

ARTIST ARE NOT GETTING PAID

It is obvious that the financial management of Pledgemusic was not able to manage the funds from supporters (Pledgers) properly, as deemed appropriate for a prudent businessman, and pass on the funds to the artists. It is even more surprising when taking into consideration that the managing of such financial funds makes up a large part of Pledgemusics business model. This is not only sad, but also frustrating for the artists who were not able to finalize their projects or who were forced to finance them by investing even more time and effort. Let us hope that there is still something left for the artists at Pledgemusic.

What are artists options now:

Back in February, Sound Royalties advertised effectively that it would give out advance payments to artists  in the form of a credit. Each and every artist should decide whether or not they need an intermediary (crowdfunding) platform that charges a fee of up to 15%. Perhaps, they would be better advised to use their own internet presence and social media channels for a more personal version of crowdfunding or for pre-sales. This seems to be both more secure and more promising. For those of you who do not want to go without a crowdfunding platform, you should take advantage of an established player in the market: Kickstarter and Indiegogo could be some alternatives. But, each and every artist should examine in detail how the financial funds are managed and, when in doubt, contact the platform directly. Use Bandcamp`s pre-order tool . At least you are established and equipped with a decent fanbase.

FUNDS FROM THE SUPPORTERS HAVE VANISHED

Supports are just as affected considering that they trusted their hard earned money to Pledgemusic and are now quite probably waiting for an album or their rewards in vain.

Sellaband set up a notarial escrow account when it was founded where the funds from supporters (Believers) should have been deposited until the successful conclusion of a project and it was time to pay the artists. These funds were thus kept strictly separated from the operating capital of Sellaband. However, towards the end, these safety measures were also circumvented by Sellaband so that artist were not paid and the funds from Believers vanished. Pledgemusic finds itself in the exact same situation in that there is currently no apparent separation between such funds and the operating capital.

Moreover, Sellaband did not quite understand how to score using the escrow account and stop the (double) bankruptcy. An escrow account seems to have never even been an option for Pledgemusic.

The separation of operating and crowdfunding funds is essential for the crowdfunding model and should be demanded by both the artists as well as the supporters. Otherwise, there will always be cases like Sellaband and Pledgemusic in the future and the funds from supporters will still not reach the artists but line the pockets of the platforms.

By the way, every Pledger should write off their funds pledged and use the last days of the platform to secure their album downloads. That is all that can be done.

WORDY APOLOGIES FROM THE PLATFORMS

 and stalling is often done, but is still not a useful tactic. Neither Sellaband nor Pledgemusic was successful in finding acceptable solutions for both the artists and the fans during the corresponding crises. Sellaband already got so little attention during the (last) crisis that the deceived artists did not get nearly as much public attention as the artists from Pledgemusic do now. There were also artists from Poland, Australia and Germany who were less well-known beyond Sellaband and who feared for their reputation.

Unfortunately, it seems that the legal steps to assert claims were not very successful due to the fact that Sellaband no longer had any assets. The statements given by Pledgemusic and co-founder Benji Rogers did little to console the artists and the supporters. They were, under no circumstances, capable of regaining lost trust.

LOST TRUST

The most damaging thing for artists and fans (apart from the lost money), but also for Pledgemusic and crowdfunding as a whole, is the loss of trust. Crowdfunding platforms, as intermediaries between fans and artists, cannot limit themselves to the artistic or communicative element of crowdfunding. This discussion has been going on for years, especially when another Kickstarter project turns out to be a fraud. The handling and management of financial funds is a crucial part of the business. Trust is of the utmost importance. An almost year-long payment problem, which is talked about in large parts of the music industry, is associated with a considerable loss of trust. The breaking point has now been reached with Benji Rogers announcement of the bankruptcy. It is doubtful that this lost trust in music crowdfunding can be regained. The damage has been done and is difficult to repair.

If UK Music now demands that the British government should order an investigation into the Pledgemusic case, then it is only fitting. Unfortunately, the umbrella association only represents the side of the artists, so that the interests of the supporters are probably not in the focus and will fall by the wayside.

The consequences:

In the future, crowdfunding platforms will have to consistently manage operating capital and funds from supporters separately. These funds simply do not belong together. Notaries or trustworthy trustees must be appointed as administrators of crowdfunding funds. Entrusting the platforms with this separation did not work out in at least two cases now. The separation of funds must be communicated in a transparent manner and must be verifiable at all times. This open communication should be possible. Verification is certainly difficult, but not impossible. Consideration should be given to setting up an advisory board to monitor the platform and, in particular, the financial transactions related to crowdfunding projects. The advisory board should consist of representatives for the artists and supporters. The CEOs of the platforms must be assisted by financial professionals who are responsible for the management (and separation) of the funds.

Pledgemusic (and also other music crowdfunding platforms) have always advertised with their expertise and contacts in the industry. As we can now see, this is only part of the success. The economic know-how and experience in the field of finance is just as important. Maybe the public pressure in the case at hand leads to a fundamental change in crowdfunding platforms dealing with the funds of supporters and artists.

Share on:
Five Williams Seniors Awarded Hubbard Hutchinson Fellowships

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Williams College Office of Fellowships has awarded Hubbard Hutchinson Memorial Fellowships to five graduating seniors pursuing careers in the arts: Leonard Bopp (music), eva henderson (art), Story Ponvert (creative writing), Thomas Robertshaw (theater) and Nicholas Wallach (dance).



The Hubbard Hutchinson Memorial Fellowship is a cash award established in 1940 that is granted to a member or members of the graduating class to support their continued work in the creative and performing arts. Prizes of $25,000 are awarded in the categories of writing, art, dance, theater and music.



Bopp, a music and English major from Schenectady, N.Y., will study orchestral conducting at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance this fall. He began studying conducting with Adam Glaser as a student at The Juilliard School Pre-College Division. A conductor, composer, and trumpet player, Bopp has served as assistant conductor of the Berkshire Symphony, the student director of the I/O Contemporary Music Festival, and music director of the Chamber Orchestra of Williams. In addition, he is the founder and artistic director of the Blackbox Contemporary Music Performance Ensemble, a New York-based new music ensemble dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration and critical engagement in cultural and political discourse through creative work. He has studied at masterclasses with Ulrich Windfuhr in Hamburg, Germany, and with Johannes Wildner in Vienna, Austria. Bopp has also worked as an assistant to Nico Muhly and performed with the composer/vocalist Kate Soper.



Henderson, a studio art and comparative literature major from Cold Spring, N.Y., will continue to develop her work in the visual and literary arts with the goal of becoming a full-time artist. Having interests in writing, painting, clothing embroidery, and tattooing, she hopes to eventually pursue an M.F.A. In the meantime, with support from the Hutchinson fellowship, she looks forward to pursuing her interests outside of an academic setting. She has exhibited her work at Williams College and in the Berkshire Art Association Fellowship Show at the Lichtenstein Gallery in Pittsfield, Mass. In addition, she performed at the Bushwick Troutman Art Festival in Brooklyn, N.Y. At Williams, she won the Frederick M. Peyser Prize in Painting, was named a Class of 1960s Scholar, and was an artist-in-residence at the Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives. She also won a Berkshire Art Association Fellowship.
Despite a court ordering his release on 21st May, Al-Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein is still being held in Egypt after the authorities launched a new investigation against him. He has already spent nearly 900 days in custody without any charge. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemns the decision as an outrageous violation of press freedom and fundamental human rights.

A Qatar-based journalist and an Egyptian national, Mahmoud Hussein was initially arrested on 23rd December 2016, while on vacation with his family. Since then he has been detained facing accusations of incitement against state institutions and broadcasting false news with the aim of spreading chaos. Yet he never faced formal charges or a trial.

Following a court decision to release him under precautionary measures, Mahmoud Hussein was transferred from his prison to a holding cell on 25th May, allegedly as part of the release formalities. However, he was returned to jail the next day, without any explanation. According to his family, the authorities have launched a new investigation against him.

Reports say at least 23 journalists are currently in jail in Egypt.

The IFJ President Philippe Leruth said: Egyptian authorities behaviour towards Mahmoud Hussein is shameful. It is a clear violation of the journalists human rights, as he has been detained for nearly 900 days without any charge and is being kept in custody in spite of the courts decision. We call for his unconditional and immediate release.
The Sudanese authorities have closed Al-Jazeera's office in Khartoum and withdrawn the work permits of all its staff members, the TV channel said. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Federation of African of Journalists (FAJ) have condemned the move against the Qatari broadcaster as an attack on freedom of information and called for an immediate end to the clampdown on media.

Sudanese protesters gather for a sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum on May 19, 2019. Credits: Mohamed el-Shahed / AFP

The decision was taken by the Sudanese military council following a protest outside the defence ministry in central Khartoum and which Al-Jazeera broadcast footage of.

They told us that the military council had decided to close the Al-Jazeera networks office and withdraw its licence. We gave them the material and the office, said Al-Musallami Al-Kabbashi, the director of the stations Khartoum office, in a statement on Friday 31 May.

Journalists and media were seriously harassed and threatened when the massive public protests against President Omar al-Bashirs rule and demands for his removal erupted. Since protests began, the government has increased pressure and threats against media by closing offices, banning the publication of articles and editorials, arbitrarily arresting journalists and withdrawing work licenses.

After the ousting of president Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, attacks against media freedom continued as the military council tries to silence reporting of the protests of civilian groups calling for a limited military representation in the transitional government.

Philippe Leruth, IFJ president, said: Al Jazeera offices closure in Khartoum is an attack against press freedom and independent journalism. Its a wrong signal in the difficult context in Sudan where a new democracy is being built. Press freedom is an essential element of democracy and we call on the Sudanese authorities to cancel this decision and let all journalists working in the country operate freely and respect their professional ethical duties.
bmr





Not even Mother Teresa wouldnt manipulate Libor if she was setting it and trading it  Tom Hayes

The EU Benchmarks Regulation (BMR) is the first of its kind in the world  and its causing a lot of confusion.

The London Inter-bank Offered Rate (Libor)-rigging scandal, which saw traders collude over a number of years to manipulate financial benchmarks in their favour, severely damaged public perceptions of the financial industry.

The scandal is a strange one in that there were  as those implicated argue  no clearly identifiable victims. The mortgage payments of buy-to-let investors, private bank clients and subprime borrowers may have been adversely affected, but conversely others will have benefited.

Regulators feel very strongly that this argument misses the point, and that without standards, processes and procedures governing benchmarks, such misconduct will continue to fester. Enter the BMR.

How did it come about?

Markets have everyones favourite Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) chief executive to thank for the BMR: Martin Wheatley.

The infamous/famous Wheatley Review of 2012 recommended that Libor be reformed, and that regulators introduce criminal sanctions for benchmark manipulation.

That proposed reform suggested shifting administration of the rate from the now-defunct British Bankers Association to a new unknown administrator, improvements to the calculation methodology, and enshrining administration and submissions in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 as regulated activities.

While agreeing to rig a rate in exchange for a curry is clearly a governance issue, regulators felt that there were systems and control issues too. Benchmarks themselves  Libor in particular  needed reforming just as much as the people in charge of them.

The feeling is that the Senior Managers & Certification Regime, which aims to improve culture in financial services  a notoriously difficult thing to regulate, did not go far enough when it comes to benchmarks.

How does it work?

Technically, the BMR places the burden of compliance on the users of benchmarks rather than their providers. Once its fully implemented, EU-based benchmark providers will only be able to use financial benchmarks that have received prior authorisation from the European Securities and Markets Authority (Esma). If they cant find the provider on the approved register, they cant use the rate.

But technically is the operative word there. Most financial benchmark providers make money out of others (mostly asset managers) using their benchmarks  so the burden is, arguably, still on the provider.

As for whats actually required, sources say its not too rigorous: internal oversight, controls and accountability frameworks and the regulation of methodologies and input data.

The BMR makes it formal, but its all about a standard of care which is very reasonable, says Adam Schneider, partner at Oliver Wyman. If benchmark administrators are operating in EU markets its very much in their interest to get authorised  and I hope those working in indexes understand that.

The initial scoping exercise was significant, too: firms at the larger end of the scale can have 500 or more prop indices in operation. And because its such a complex area, the number of people in that organisation who fully understand the index is likely to be limited, potentially even to just the desk that operates it.

Next up was establishing exactly who was using the indices, where they were, and what they used it for. According to sources, many fell at the first hurdle.

Late last year consultants were still receiving questions on how to establish benchmark users.

What about non-EU benchmark providers?

While most major providers see benchmarks as a core tenet of their business  or a revenue-generating element, at least  some do not.

Theres an enormous number of people who havent realised theyre administrators yet, particularly on the buyside, a market participant close to the Libor reform process told IFLRs sister publication Practice Insight late last year. The moment you customise someone elses indices, you are an administratortheres an awful lot of people on the buyside who dont seem to understand this.

The BMR outlines three potential routes for third country providers: endorsement, recognition, and equivalence.

First, equivalence, which is a relatively well-understood regulatory concept, and is being pursued by lawmakers in Australia and Singapore.

Both remaining routes require a significant level of expertise and experience  and risk appetite. While recognition is considered a stepping stone to equivalence, endorsement is more far-reaching and significantly riskier for the endorser.

Given that indices on the whole is a relatively new industry, its not clear how many people even exist in the EU with that level of understanding.

As an endorser you take on the entirety of the legal risk for that benchmark, and Im not sure theres many willing to do that, says a director at a firm considering providing these services.

And it can be significant risk. Another source at a large benchmark administrator said that understanding of what constitutes indices manipulation is still severely lacking at certain operators. We found once we started offering these services that traders would ask us all the time to fiddle the index because they dont like the way its going, he says. These desks are under extreme pressure to enhance performance  and this is widespread.

So far there are just over 66,000 third-country benchmarks to have received authorisation; the vast majority of which are in the US.

What benchmarks will be regulated?

The main principle of the BMRs scope is the end purpose of the benchmark. For an index to be considered a benchmark, it needs to be referenced by either a financial instrument which is traded on a trading venue (a Mifid annex is cited here) or via a systematic internaliser, a financial contract, or an investment fund.

The figure also has to be published or made available to the public, which the regulator considers an indeterminate number of persons. Thats obviously vague  some believe this was deliberate  and can be interpreted in a whole range of ways.

When will it be implemented?

As with many EU regulations, there have been various phases to the BMR. Some were effective from January 1 2018; the whole hog was initially intended for January 1 2020. But in a slightly embarrassing concession from EU lawmakers, that date was pushed back to 2022 for critical and third-country indices.

I think some of the regulators themselves also acknowledged that they couldnt meet the deadline either, says Rick Redding, chief executive of the Index Industry Association. Some providers were actually a little upset about the delay as theyd spent so much time and money getting ready, but I think it was the right move.

At that point not a single Asian benchmark provider had signed on.

What about Brexit?

The eternal question.

Of the 36 EU-based benchmark administrators on the Esma register so far, exactly half are in the UK  so Brexit is incredibly pertinent.

The FCA has created its own UK Benchmarks Regulation and launched its own benchmarks register to replace the Esma database in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Are there opportunities?

As with any key piece of regulation, there are winners and losers. Potential losers include third-country benchmarks who lack the time, resource or backing from management to seek Esma authorisation.

There are plenty looking to maximise the opportunities, too, by offering third country benchmark administrators a route in to the EU via either recognition or endorsement.

Its a risky business though. Endorsers take on the entirety of the legal risk for that benchmark  which many are not too keen on.

Were talking to some people about it, but carefully weighing the level of exposure against the providers willingness to give us full governance access, one such firm told Practice Insight last year.

 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQs.

Share this article
Imperial Valley News Center

FDA puts R3 Stem Cell, LLC on notice for marketing unapproved stem cell products for treating serious conditions

Scottsdale, Arizona - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent an untitled letter to R3 Stem Cell, LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona, and its chief executive officer, David Greene, M.D. The company, through its affiliated centers or clinics throughout the U.S., offers unapproved stem cell products to treat a variety of diseases and conditions, such as Lyme disease, diabetes, Parkinsons disease, stroke, kidney failure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The products offered by R3 Stem Cell, LLC are not approved by the FDA.

The FDA has notified each of R3 Stem Cell, LLCs more than 50 affiliate centers or clinics of this action.

We continue to see companies and individuals use questionable marketing campaigns to take advantage of vulnerable patients and their families with unproven claims about their unapproved stem cell products. The reality is that at this time, there isnt enough evidence to support the use of stem cells for purposes other than reconstitution of blood formation and the immune system, said FDA Acting Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. Weve made it clear to the industry and the public that while we are taking a risk-based approach to regulatory actions, the FDA will continue to protect patients from the most egregious actors in this field. We will prioritize appropriate regulatory actions against those who place peoples health at risk by promoting unapproved products.

In the FDAs review of the R3 Stem Cell, LLC website, the agency found that the company promotes stem cell therapies for numerous diseases or conditions, such as dementia and Parkinsons disease, and directs patients with ALS, diabetes, kidney failure, Lyme disease, Parkinsons disease and stroke to certain R3 Stem Cell Centers of Excellence for stem cell treatment. The untitled letter notes that the company advertises that a variety of other conditions can be treated at R3 Stem Cell Clinics, including rheumatoid arthritis, spinal stenosis, and trigeminal neuralgia (nerve pain).

It appears that the products offered by the company would be regulated as drugs and biological products under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act. Prior to marketing, such products require a demonstration that the products are safe and effective for their intended uses. Manufacturers who fail to comply with FDA requirements may be subject to enforcement action, such as seizure, injunction, or prosecution.

We encourage firms to engage with the FDA about regulatory oversight of this field and work with the agency for appropriate development, including designing clinical trials, to explore the safety and potential benefits of these products. We intend to step up our oversight of those sponsors who have not engaged the regulatory process in the proper development of their stem cell products that are regulated as drugs, devices, and/or biological products under the statutes and existing regulations, and whose products create more significant potential risks because of the way that theyre manipulated or delivered, said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Over the past year, the FDA has sent 46 manufacturers and health care professionals regulatory correspondence, including todays untitled letter. We have also sent warning letters, and we have two court cases pending. Were committed to taking appropriate steps to address those that jeopardize public health.

As highlighted in 2017 with the release of the FDAs comprehensive regenerative medicine policy framework, the FDA is applying a risk-based regulatory approach to the oversight of regenerative medicine products, taking into account how products are being administered as well as the diseases and conditions for which they are intended. The agency noted that it intends to exercise enforcement discretion for certain products until November 2020 with respect to the FDAs investigational new drug application and premarket approval requirements when the use of the product does not raise reported safety concerns or potential significant safety concerns.

The FDA offers opportunities for engagement between potential manufacturers and the agency, such as through the INTERACT program, to facilitate product development. It also encourages the use of its expedited programs whenever applicable, in addition to the collaborative development of products as discussed in a New England Journal of MedicineExternal Link Disclaimer perspective authored by the FDA.

Health care professionals and consumers should report any adverse events related to treatments with R3 Stem Cell, LLC products and/or other stem cell treatments to the FDAs MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program. To file a report, use the MedWatch Online Voluntary Reporting Form. The completed form can be submitted online or via fax to 1-800-FDA-0178. The FDA monitors these reports and takes appropriate action necessary to ensure the safety of medical products in the marketplace.
"I have an idea."

My wife is sick of hearing that one. Not because my ideas aren't entertaining (they are), or because they don't solve real problems (they do), but because she knows I'll likely spend the next several days, weeks, or months talking about it.

Ideas are fun. And most entrepreneurs, like me, spend countless hours pursuing ideas before they ever make a single dollar.

In the early days of Groupon, I spent four months dividing up hypothetical equity in a spinoff idea that was sure to make me a gazillionaire.

Another time, I dedicated 200 unpaid hours to documenting procedures for a franchise you'll never hear of.

I've flown across the country for speculative meetings, paid designers and developers money I'll never get back, and made gorgeous business plans that live in a dark corner of my office.

At least I've failed enough for one great thing to happen: I'm now very efficient at failing.

So before you waste years of your life and thousands of dollars, here's how to do as little work as possible to get your idea up and running.

Build a basic brand.

A well-executed brand can cost thousands of dollars and take years to fully develop. But when you're first starting out, you don't need anything too extravagant. There are tons of sites that can help you create the basics for cheap--like a logo, business cards, letterhead, you name it.

Once you get up and running and start making a little bit of money, you can revisit building out a more comprehensive and thoughtful brand.

Create a website.

I once spent $18,000 and three months on a website design that never launched. I'm guessing if your idea is just getting up and running, dishing out $18,000 for a website probably isn't your top priority.

For a less expensive website that still looks impressive and unique, you can use Strikingly, Wix, or Squarespace. With easy to use templates, you'll be ready to debut your site and start taking pre-orders.

Pre-sell.

There is no better way for people to show interest in your project than to take out their credit cards. A few years ago, my brother and I decided to import organic coffee from Honduras. It was a crazy idea, but before we even sent an email to the coffee plantation, we started taking pre-orders.

If you want an easy way to take pre-orders, try Celery. You can build an easy order form and collect pre-sales. In just a couple of days, we took enough pre-orders to fund our entire first batch of coffee. Shopify or even Kickstarter can help you take pre-orders, too. No time wasted there.

Find influencers.

Once your site is live and you're ready to take orders, it's time to get the word out. One of my favorite tools is BuzzSumo. With a quick search of any topic, you can instantly see where the most popular content is being shared on the web, and who the most influential people are on social media for that topic.

Anytime I launch a new idea, I do a little homework and try to connect with someone that can help me get the word out. Clarity.fm can help you connect with experts in your field, too. Why limit your exposure to just the people you already know?

Make a press kit.

If your idea is getting any traction, you might be lucky enough to get some press. Take 10 minutes now to look prepared and build a digital press kit using Evernote or Google Docs.

Start by creating a simple document with your company name, contact information, logo, tagline, key features, and a few sentences about you and the business. If you have photos or headshots, include those too. Then, copy the public link and share it with the world.

So, tens of thousands of dollars and dozens of failed ideas later, I think I've figured it out. Don't stop chasing those exciting side projects. But, get them up and running as fast as you can and waste as little time as possible.
With summer around the corner, intern hiring season is in full swing. And some companies are taking the opportunity to mix their candidate search with a dash of marketing. Last year, travel news site The Points Guy hired interns to travel the globe and take pictures of the office mascot. Interns lucky enough to have nabbed the "World's Sweetest Internship" will perform the tough task of eating candy at the Mars Wrigley Confectionery company this year. (Applications are already full for that one.)

From offering newbies a chance to nap on the job to making them full-time beer evangelists, here are four of this year's best summer internships.

1. Sleeping on the job

Summer interns at mattress retailer Mattress Firm will spend 30 hours a week napping, snacking, and watching Netflix at the company's headquarters in Houston, Texas, in order to test (and promote) the comfort level of its beds, according to the company's job posting.

Mattress Firm's interns, or "snoozeterns" as the company calls them, will document the experience for the company's social media channels, posting videos on topics like "How to Make Your Bed" and "How to Pick the Perfect Pillow."

While the opportunity is paid, the company says its snoozeterns can earn academic credit "if this internship meets your university's qualifications."

2. Living the 'Natty Light Lifestyle'

Anheuser-Busch's beer brand Natural Light is looking for an intern who can embody "the Natty Brand lifestyle." According to its recruitment video, a Natty Light intern will attend sporting events, travel to "cool places," and promote Natty Light beers through its social channels and guerrilla marketing. And, of course, drinking beer is a key part of the job. This paid internship, which is based in New York City, is restricted to individuals over the age of 21.

3. 'Cannabis Career Immersion'

Publicly-traded cannabis company Green Thumb Industries is offering its first-ever "Cannabis Career Immersion" internship this summer. According to the company's job posting, its two paid interns will get hands-on experience in all aspects of the cannabis industry relating to production, marketing, and sales.

The Chicago company, which sells medical and recreational cannabis in U.S. states where it's legal, says it is looking for interns over the age of 21 who are "passionate about the plant." Interns will work out of the company's Chicago headquarters and must be Illinois residents to apply.

4. Globetrotting for Days (Inn)

Days Inn is offering one lucky summer intern $10,000 and a $150 daily stipend to visit its hotel locations around the world, documenting the journey through photographs for Instagram and blog entries for a travel guide on the company's website.

The hotel chain is letting its intern choose where to visit from a selection of more than 1,700 hotels in the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America, and Asia for the two-week internship. All hotel and airfare costs are covered.

EXPLORE MORE Best Workplaces COMPANIES
There was a time, when Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was running the company, that secrecy was paramount at the tech giant's headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The secrecy allowed for Apple to move quickly on new technologies without tipping off its competitors. In many cases, it also created far more hoopla around its announcements than was warranted.

As time has gone on, something has changed in the technology industry. Secrecy still matters at Apple, Google, and elsewhere, but it's become much harder to actually keep things secret. And in some even more surprising cases, companies themselves have revealed their plans before official launches.

Nowhere is the death of secrecy more apparent than after evaluating the recent spate of iPhone 11 rumors.

Over the past few days, reports have emerged that Apple is ditching its 3D Touch feature for the iPhone 11. Those reports were followed by the latest set of renders, or graphical depictions, of what the iPhone 11 might look like when Apple launches it later this year. Those renders are often based on leaks from the supply chain. In other words, they're usually pretty accurate.

"Supply chain sources" regularly appear in news stories these days, talking to reporters or industry analysts about what companies like Apple have planned for the future. Even the companies themselves mistakenly leak information on their websites, share design plans with accessories makers before they should, and fail to keep their employees quiet.

Like it or not, in the technology industry, rumor-mongering has become big business. There's a steady stream of people willing to hand over their knowledge to reporters, leak videos, and otherwise share what they know.

And companies trying to stop the rumors from surfacing are now facing many more reporters and industry analysts seeking those rumors than ever before. Needless to say, today's technology world isn't conducive to keeping things quiet. So, what can you do?

You could follow Apple's example and try to maintain secrecy as much as possible. Apple has ignored opportunities to talk about future plans and thought better of commenting on rumors. It simply lets the rumors happen and hopes they'll go away.

The problem is, as the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max launch of last year showed, the rumors are often accurate. In many cases, they reveal everything Apple has planned before it can do it.

Other companies have taken a different tack.

Samsung has often used the media to share details on its future plans. It's not uncommon for Samsung executives to comment on when a smartphone will launch or discuss the kinds of features it might have. The company will even use its mid-tier devices to test features it plans for future high-end smartphones.

By the numbers, Samsung is the world's top smartphone maker. The strategy doesn't appear to be negatively affecting its business.

OnePlus, a boutique Chinese smartphone maker, has created its own viral content and rumors to boost interest in its future handset launches. The company's CEO even engaged media outlets in interviews about its most recent handset, the OnePlus 7 Pro -- before he took the stage to unveil it.

Whereas once, secrecy was everything, now it's a marketing tool. And the companies that use it best--either to double down or let details leak--are often the most successful.
People come up with ideas all the time -- and many of them don't become great businesses. Perhaps the idea has already been invented and patented. Maybe licensing is too expensive to go forward. If the idea is entirely dependent on something that isn't available to the mainstream yet, you can't even begin development.

Before founding his third company, Phil Libin had discussions about creating a "ribbon of information" that would capture the stream of someone's life. Eventually, that research led to a billion-dollar company, Evernote.

Mastrad, a company founded in 1994 that had its IPO in 2006, has done a combination of licensing and direct distribution for their products. Both companies have filed extensive patents throughout their years of operating.

How can you determine if your idea is worthy of moving forward for funding? Here are a few things to consider:

Market potential

Quite simply, this is how many people your product affects. You want to understand exactly who the target market of your product is so you can clearly identify the size of their spend in that category. That way you can show the potential return on any investment that someone puts in your company.

For example, when creating a new line of IoT (Internet of Things) cooking thermometers, French company Mastrad needed to consider the "Smart Kitchen Appliance" market, which was roughly $890 Million in the U.S. in 2018.

Team viability

Have you ever wondered why many of the funded teams have similar backgrounds, whether educational or work history? Investors like to know what they are getting. They need to know the team can do what it says it can do, and past history of success-- be it through personal experience or institutional credibility-- goes a long way.

For Evernote, Libin looked to people he already knew, like his college friends, family, and myself, to help build his vision.

Future earnings potential

In line with understanding your customer demographics, you also need to know the financial trends of that market. Learn what they spent in that (and related) categories for the past five years, and project out to the next ten. If it's not a nice big upward trend, it isn't interesting. In the world of VC funding, "steady is deadly."

For companies in the FoodTech industry, like Mastrad, the growth potential can be enormous right now. The market was $520 Million in 2014, and it's projected to hit $3 billion by 2024.

Investor interest

Too many people go to the wrong investors to ask for money. If the person you are talking to is interested in FinTech and you are a FoodTech group, the deal won't close no matter how nice you are.

Even the most minimal research on your potential investors will help you to understand their expertise. As Warren Buffet says, you shouldn't invest in businesses you don't understand, so approaching people who don't have an understanding of your industry is likely to get you turned down.

Investor Mood

Even if you have everything else lined up perfectly, you still might not get funded because you caught the investor on a bad day, and they saw your deal negatively because of that. They've got 20 other options in the pipeline so it's not a big deal to them.
Google works hard to keep the 121,000 contractors it employs separate from its permanent employees. The two groups wear different colored badges, contractors are barred from some meetings, and they aren't provided employee perks such as health insurance and vacation time. The company apparently put these measures in place to make the status of its contractors as non-employees legally clear. Even so, it's still risking a major labor lawsuit in Google's home state of California.

Last December, contractors at Google sent an open letter to CEO Sundar Pichai, demanding the same benefits as full-time employees, and also to be included in company communications and meetings. These temps, vendors and contractors, "TVCs" in Google lingo, now make up more than half the company's workforce. Google employs about 102,000 full-time employees worldwide compared with its 121,000 contractors, according to a recent New York Times report. The TVCs are typically employed through a temp service or outsourcing company, meaning that Google does not employ them directly, giving it yet another layer of legal protection.

But that might not be good enough. According to several employment lawyers, the search giant is still at risk of a huge lawsuit in which the TVCs could claim they should properly have been classified as employees, at least within California.

The misclassification of employees as contractors is a common practice and a thorny issue that's led several large employers, including Microsoft, Federal Express, and Lyft to pay settlements in the tens and sometimes hundreds of millions. After a wave of such lawsuits in the 1990s and early 2000s, the federal government has relaxed enforcement of these rules.

But the state of California has moved in the opposite direction, tightening its policies about who is and isn't a contractor. In a watershed case last year, Dynamex lost an appeal to the California Supreme Court over misclassification of its delivery drivers. In its decision, the court laid out a three-pronged "ABC" test for determining whether someone working as a contractor is actually an employee instead. In this test, to be legally classified as a contractor, a worker must be outside the employer's control, perform work that is outside of the employer's usual business, and have a business or profession where that worker performs similar tasks for other clients. For the worker to legally be defined as a contractor, all three must be true--and the burden of proof rests with the company.

"The Dynamex decision should have caused every company in this state to reconsider, or at least review, their independent contractor engagements," declares Robert Dominguez, assistant general counsel and human resources consultant for human resources service company Engage PEO. "Post-Dynamex, California companies would be wise to adopt the default position that any individual they hire should be classified as an employee and the use of an independent contractor should be rare. And if your business relies on armies of independent contractors, chances are you are significantly exposed."

According to a Bloomberg report, contractors at Google serve food, write code, drive shuttle buses train artificial intelligence, and perform numerous tests of Google products. Whether Google could meet the outside-usual-business prong of the ABC test seems unclear. But since contractors make up well over half of Google's workforce, it could be tough to sell a judge on the idea that all these people are doing work outside of Google's usual activities. From the outside, it also looks unlikely that Google could pass the part of the ABC test that requires contractors to have a separate business of their own with other clients for whom they do similar work.

Is Google a joint employer?

Google seems to be well aware of the danger, which is why the company so carefully separates its TVCs from its regular employees, and why it leaves most communications with its contractors to be handled by whatever agency employs them. But even that might not be enough to protect Google from lawsuits by individual contractors, or even a huge class-action suit. "It minimized the danger, but Google can be deemed a joint employer with the agency especially if they maintain the employee as a temp contract employee for too long," says Angela Reddock-Wright, founder and managing partner of the Reddock Law Group, which specializes in employment law.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and whether the TVCs, having sent their letter and apparently gotten no response from Pichai, take the next step and initiate legal action. Of course, Google, which took on much of the publishing industry over its book scanning project, does not necessarily shy away from court battles. (During part of that lengthy case, I was president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, which contributed amicus briefs to the case in support of Google's adversary, the Authors Guild.)

Meantime, in light of recent legal action around the question of contractors' legal status in the gig economy, it's worth reviewing your own policies when dealing with contractors. Contractors who work part-time, or away from your premises, could still be considered employees, depending on the work that they do and the particular rules of your state. Keep in mind that California is not the only state to use the ABC rule.

The Economic Policy Institute estimates that up to 20 percent of businesses are misclassifying at least one contractor who should be considered an employee. The potential liabilities could be huge, including back pay for overtime and penalties in the tens of thousands of dollars per employee.

Hiring people on a contract basis might bring savings on taxes and benefits, and give you more flexibility to cut those people's work hours or fire them if necessary. But you're likely to regret it if you wind up in court.
Yesterday, in an interview on CBS Evening News, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg offered a surprising apology for the 346 lives lost in recent crashes of the company's 737 MAX aircraft in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

During the course of the interview, Muilenburg said, "I do personally apologize to the families." He continued,

As I've mentioned earlier, we feel terrible about these accidents, and we apologize for what happened. We are sorry for the loss of lives in both accidents... We are sorry for the impact to the families and the loved ones that are behind--and that will never change, that will always be with us. I can tell you it affects me directly as a leader of this company, it's very difficult.

What's most surprising to me about this apology is that Boeing's CEO didn't do the one thing that every great apology does: take responsibility for the thing that caused the problem in the first place. In the interview, Boeing's CEO did not apologize for the role that his company's troubled 737 MAX aircraft played in the twin air disasters.

Of course, any apology, no matter how well delivered, isn't going to make up for what happened.

Many observers believe that the aircraft itself was to blame for the crashes. In fact, in a statement issued in April, Muilenburg seemed to indicate as much. According to Muilenburg, "it's apparent that in both flights the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, known as MCAS, activated in response to erroneous angle of attack information."

A month ago, however, Muilenburg backtracked on fixing blame on the 737 MAX aircraft. In response to a reporter's question, he inferred that the pilots may have been to blame for the crashes when he said, "in some cases, those procedures were not completely followed."

In her book No One Understands You: And What to Do About It, social psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson suggests that apologies are very powerful things. Says Halvorson, "Done right, they can resolve conflict, repair hurt feelings, foster forgiveness, and improve relationships."

Will Muilenburg's apology accomplish all this? Only time will tell.

Warren Buffett is an expert at offering apologies when he makes a mistake that affects his shareholders' investments. His leadership style matches the style of his apologies, which is self-critical, honest, and genuine.
Presenteeism appears to be on the rise and hurting productivity for companies, according to a couple of new studies.

One study, done by United Kingdom health insurer Vitality, found that more than 40 percent of employees polled said their workplaces were affected by health problems and employees lost about 12.5 percent of their productivity due to presenteeism. This loss of productive time (along with another 1.2 percent for actual absence) translates to about 35.6 days of lost productivity per year per employee.

Unlike absenteeism, where you are actually absent from work, presenteeism is defined by Vitality as "being present at work but being limited in some aspects of job performance by a health problem and thus experiencing decreased productivity and below-normal work quality."

The health problem could be physical or mental. Basically, if you are overly distracted by a health issue at work, you are physically present, but not really being productive at work.

Meanwhile, the Health and Well-Being at Work Survey Report by the UK's Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) also found evidence of unhealthy trends in the workplace. The CIPD report states that 83 percent of respondents observed presenteeism in their organization while 25 percent said the problem had gotten worse since the previous year.

Presenteeism is especially prevalent in people with mental health issues because they are less obvious than physical ailments. If you have a broken leg, it is more obvious than if you are dealing with depression.

Even if people are diagnosed with a mental health issue or overwhelming stress due to work and receive time off work for it, they might opt to go to work instead. Vitality's research has uncovered that these are the biggest factors when it comes to presenteeism.

Apart from being detrimental to employees, presenteeism also affects businesses because employees who are physically present but not really mentally there are less productive than people who are ready to work.

It is on the rise likely because dealing with people via technology makes it more difficult to tell if someone is dealing with a mental disorder, according to the Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for UK electronics retailer Dixons Carphone, Kesah Trowell, who was quoted in a BBC article about presenteeism.

So, how can a business make sure its employees are not only present physically, but present mentally enough to be productive, as well?

Try these three ways of limiting presenteeism in your business:

1. Recognize mental health on par with physical health.

Mental health should be considered just as important for an employee as physical health and employees should be made aware of this so they feel comfortable talking with managers about any issues they may be experiencing. Whether they get a diagnosis from a doctor or they are merely feeling overwhelmed by work stress, the mental health of employees should be acknowledged and dealt with as seriously as any physical ailments would be.

The degree to which companies recognize employee mental health can be a factor in whether they stay with your company. The BBC article outlined how engineering recruiter Sarah Mitchell-Hume was diagnosed with depression and ultimately left her job because she didn't feel like she had any support there.

Retaining top talent for your business means not only recognizing them when they are at their best, but supporting them when they are not.

At the business my wife and I founded, we always encourage our employees to be open and honest to us about what's going on in their lives if they need some time off to deal with it. We'd rather have them completely focused on the job rather than only half there.

2. Have a wellness program designed for mental and physical health.

Often, physical well-being leads to mental well-being. If your wellness program targets physical activity, there is a good chance that it will also help people feel better mentally. In that same BBC article, another employee who worked in technical support, Dale Garbacki, lost his wife and his work performance suffered.

After he spoke to a manager about why he was putting in minimal effort, the company started him on a work-sponsored fitness program and it has helped turn things around for him. The company he works for, the aforementioned Dixons Carphone, has also started sponsoring the UK's biggest long distance run to help employees with their physical and mental wellness.

You can help employees in this regard by always making sure they feel comfortable talking with managers about issues outside of work affecting their performance and staying active and healthy, which helps with their mental health.

Another thing you can consider is subsidizing stress tests for employees to see if they have elevated levels of stress hormones. These can act as as an early indicator of possible issues.

3. Consider offering mental health benefits.
Robert Pattinson has been confirmed as the next Batman.

Variety reports that the actor  best known for playing teen heart-throbs in the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises  has signed on to take over the role. Warner Bros later confirmed the news.

Pattinson beat Nicholas Hoult, who was previously in the running, for the coveted position.

Deadline reports that Pattinson will play the Caped Crusader in a trilogy of films, with Matt Reeves (Dawn of Planet of the Apes) writing and directing the first.

Recommended Why Robert Pattinson is an inspired choice to play Batman

Ben Affleck retired from the role earlier this year, having played the character in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad and Justice League.

Affleck explained: I tried to direct a version of it and worked with a really good screenwriter, but just couldnt come up with a version, I couldnt crack it, he said. 

So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it. They got some really good people so Im excited.

Best films of 2019 (so far) Show all 49 1 /49 Best films of 2019 (so far) Best films of 2019 (so far) The Favourite Macabre and fraught though The Favourite gets, this isnt so much a film about sex or power as it is about plain mischief. Its a hilarious, buffoonish pleasure, right down to the sets and costume design, and a breeze to spend 120 minutes with. Christopher Hooton Fox Searchlight Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Beautiful Boy Casting Chalamet as Nic was a very clever move. The young actor from Call Me by Your Name and Lady Bird has a natural charm and charisma. He still engages an audiences curiosity and sympathy even when his behaviour is at its most selfish and erratic. Geoffrey Macnab Amazon Studios Best films of 2019 (so far) The House by the Sea Guediguians storytelling style is deceptive. At first, it seems as if this is low-key social realism in the Dardennes or Ken Loach mould, albeit set on the French Riviera. Gradually, though, we realise how stylised and theatrical his approach really is. Geoffrey Macnab Best films of 2019 (so far) Stan & Ollie Director Jon S Baird, whose previous film was scabrous Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth, wrings every last drop of pathos he can from his material. This is very much a case of the tears of the clowns. Geoffrey Macnab Entertainment One Best films of 2019 (so far) Vice Vice is bravura storytelling. McKay isnt only taking us through Cheneys life and career but is giving us a whistle stop tour through US politics from the Nixon administration almost right to the present day. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Can You Ever Forgive Me? Playing Lee Israel, McCarthy manages something very special: she makes a character who is odd, obnoxious, difficult and alcoholic seem lovable and even heroic. The rest of the world is at fault, not Lee. Geoffrey Macnab Fox Searchlight Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Green Book "Green Book flatters the audience about its own good sense and tolerance. It deals with racism and homophobia but still has a fairytale, fantasy feel to it. Whatever humiliations Don endures on their road trip, we know no real harm will ever come to him as long as Tony is at his side. Geoffrey Macnab Universal Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Velvet Buzzsaw The golden age of bonkers horror movies is gloriously evoked by Netflixs latest feature length presentation. Beginning as a satire of the arts world, Velvet Buzzsaw swiftly and gleefully descends into a savage splatter-fest, smeared in paint, viscera and garishly-bright blood. Ed Power Netflix Best films of 2019 (so far) If Beale Street Could Talk The setting is New York in the 1970s. Anyone who has watched Martin Scorseses Taxi Driver knows this was an era of violence, corruption and sleaze on a monumental level, but [Barry] Jenkins somehow makes the city seem like a modern-day Eden. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) All Is True Written by Ben Elton and directed by its star Kenneth Branagh, the film plays so fast and loose with the playwrights final years that they neednt have bothered fitting Branagh with a prosthetic nose  accuracy is clearly not the priority here. Alexandra Pollard Sony Pictures Classics Best films of 2019 (so far) The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is the doomed progeny of a celebrated genius  brilliant but slightly stunted by the knowledge they will never live up to their predecessor. Clarisse Loughrey Warner Bros. Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Piercing Nicolas Pesces sleek and stylish horror comedy is repulsive and funny by turns. In adapting Ryu Murakamis cult novel, Pesce strikes just the right balance between humour and Grand Guignol-style shock tactics. Geoffrey Macnab Universal Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Capernaum "The best moments here are remarkable. Labaki elicits an astonishing performance from her young lead. Hes an irrepressible figure with such an inbuilt sense of moral decency the film seems upbeat and optimistic, even at its darkest moments. Geoffrey Macnab Sony Pictures Classics Best films of 2019 (so far) The White Crow "Ralph Fiennes combines thriller elements with poetic flashbacks to ballet legend Rudolf Nureyevs childhood and keeps a tight focus on the dancer. When he is most at risk, Nureyev makes decisions with his artistic future more in mind than his personal safety. As Fiennes reminds us again and again in what is his best film yet as a director, the 'white crow' will do anything to put himself in the limelight, the one place he is convinced he belongs." StudioCanal Best films of 2019 (so far) Border "Border reverses the perspective taken by most other horror films. In more conventional genre fare, Tina and Vore would be portrayed as malevolent outsiders, but in the world conjured up by director Ali Abbasi, the humans are the monsters. Tina is the innocent  a visionary who hardly understands her own powers but who can sense human venality and corruption wherever it appears." TriArt Film Best films of 2019 (so far) Fighting with My Family "Certain scenes feel very trite and predictable but the film gets you in a choke hold early on and wont let you go. It is far more gripping than its subject matter might suggest. Who ever would believe a story about a wrestling family from Norwich could have quite such heart and resonance?" James Field Best films of 2019 (so far) Us "Doppelgangers abound in Jordan Peeles weird, creepy and ingenious new horror film. As in his Oscar-winning 2017 feature Get Out, Peele leavens matters with ironic humour but the joking becomes increasingly uncomfortable once the main characters come face to face with dark shadows of themselves which wish them extreme harm." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Avengers: Endgame "The Avengers cycle comes to a rich and very satisfying conclusion with Endgame, surely the most complex and emotional superhero movie in Marvel history. At 181 minutes, this is a veritable epic, but with so many characters and plot strands, it fully warrants its lengthy running time." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Eighth Grade "Its a rare and precious feeling when a film completely dismantles you. Eighth Grade  the directorial debut of US comedian Bo Burnham  breaks down every delusion we have about ourselves and burrows deep into those parts weve made such an effort to lock away. You may cry. You may shudder as every awkward social interaction thats kept you up at night replays in your head all at once. You may feel the sharp pain associated with those moments when you feel completely isolated from the world. Burnham may have crafted a simple story about the most ordinary of teenage girls, but it speaks with the emotions of a true cinematic epic." A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Vox Lux "Natalie Portman gives her fiercest, most memorable performance since Black Swan in Brady Corbets enjoyably subversive satire about a troubled pop star whose loss of innocence mirrors the fall from grace of the US itself. Portmans character, Celeste, is certainly one of the most objectionable figures she has played: a pampered, hard-drinking drug-taking floozy whose appearance and high-handed behaviour rekindle memories of Liz Taylor and Joan Crawford at their monstrous worst." Neon Best films of 2019 (so far) High Life Robert Pattinson gives one of his most striking performances as Monte, the death-row criminal in outer space, tricked into making a voyage described at one stage as a class-one suicide ride. The former Twilight star makes his shaven-headed, gaunt-faced character seem hyper naturally sensitive and feral at the same time. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Amazing Grace Amazing Grace is as uplifting a film as you will see all year. Its a concert movie filmed over two nights and featuring Aretha Franklin, the first lady of soul, performing gospel standards in a church in Los Angeles in 1972, with a huge backing choir and an enthusiastic congregation. Neon Best films of 2019 (so far) Aladdin Disneys live-action remake of its 1992 animated feature is a rip-roaring, old-fashioned matinee-style spectacle that turns out far better than we had any right to expect. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Booksmart Olivia Wilde is a visually inventive director, who keeps the tempo here so brisk that we hardly notice how glib the storytelling sometimes becomes. We can tell exactly how the film will end, but it still feels original both in its screwball energy and in the deft way it continually reverses stereotypes and gender cliches. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Late Night Late Night is a caustic satirical comedy that turns into an unlikely tearjerker. Its by turns snide and uplifting, and often very funny too. Its writer/producer/star Mindy Kaling makes vicious observations about the inanity, narcissism and corruption of the mainstream US media at the same time as she celebrates the professionalism of many of those who work within it. The film has a glorious performance from Emma Thompson and a very sly one from Kaling. Thompson is at her most imperious as Katherine Newbury, a legendary entertainer, the only female in a male-dominated field, but one whose career is beginning to slide. Geoffrey Macnab Amazon Studios Best films of 2019 (so far) Gloria Bell Gloria Bell is somewhat exhausting  both unbearably intimate and at a constant remove  but it is endlessly pulled back into focus by Moore, who has a firm understanding of the delicate balance between contentment and yearning, joy and pain, recklessness and spontaneity. In a remake that could have felt indulgent in the hands of people less skilled, she more than justifies its existence. Geoffrey Macnab Curzon Best films of 2019 (so far) Toy Story 4 "The brilliance of the new film lies in the surefooted way it caters both for children too young to have seen its predecessors and for adults whove grown up (or grown older) watching the previous instalments. It takes some kind of genius for the Pixar animators to give such a searing emotional charge to a story in which one of the main characters is a single use plastic spork retrieved from the trash." Pixar/Disney Best films of 2019 (so far) In Fabric In Fabric feels like Peter Strickland at his most free and playful, drawing as much from the British sense of humour  dry and morbid to a fault  as from Italian glamour. Curzon Artificial Eye Best films of 2019 (so far) The Flood "Perhaps The Flood isnt quite the urgent, profound film a crisis of this scale deserves, but in a culture where refugees are so rarely shown any empathy in mainstream media, maybe this is the film we need right now." Best films of 2019 (so far) Midsommar "Ari Aster's follow-up to Hereditary serves up much of the same: its a break-up movie wrapped up in pagan horror. Its also bound to be one of this years most memorable films, proving that Aster is far from a one-hit wonder." A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) The Lion King "The Lion King is undoubtedly a technological marvel that, much like Avatar, will come to be viewed as a milestone in special effects history, yet its just as interesting to see how all this innovation has been employed." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Varda by Agnes "For a film thats almost entirely narrated by Agnes Varda's own voice, it doesnt feel driven by ego, but by pure intellectual and emotional curiosity." Best films of 2019 (so far) Animals "Animals treats its subjects with patience and generosity. Youll find no life lessons here. Its main characters are free to pursue their desires, to whatever end." Best films of 2019 (so far) Blinded by the Light "Blinded by the Light offers not only a reminder of Springsteens lyrical genius, but of how hes always served as a beacon for the disenfranchised." Warner Brothers Best films of 2019 (so far) Good Boys Lined up against some of this years other more heartfelt offerings, including Booksmart, Good Boys offers further proof that putting a little humanity in our comedy always gets the best results. Best films of 2019 (so far) Hustlers "Hustlers is an electrifying response to the deluge of stories weve had over the years about very rich, very bad dudes. Finally, we can turn the tables on every film thats used women, specifically strippers, as decorative accessories to drape over businessmen as they conduct their illicit backroom meetings. Or, failing that, to shake their out-of-focus tits in the background of a shot." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) For Sama For Sama is one of the most profoundly intimate depictions of the Syrian conflict ever put to film. Its the push to help those on the outside process something so incomprehensible in the depth of its horrors. Republic Film Distribution Best films of 2019 (so far) Ad Astra The real drama here is not whether or not apocalypse can be avoided but whether Brad Pitts character can reconcile himself with his father and overcome his own extreme emotional repression. In other words, in spite of all the jargon and the hardware, this is an intimate family melodrama at heart. Thanks to Pitts performance and Grays delicate direction, it turns into a very moving one. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) The Farewell Wrapped up in all the intricacies of immigrant identity and family politics, The Farewell is a comedy of warmth and bracing honesty. Simply put, its one of the best films of the year. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Judy This is Renee Zellwegers Judy. It doesnt belong to Rupert Goold, its director. Nor does it belong to Tom Edge, its screenwriter. Its a performance of such overwhelming force that it wrests authorship from every other hand that guided the films creation. Pathe Best films of 2019 (so far) Ready or Not As absurd and self-indulgent as Ready or Not can get, it doesnt mess around with its social commentary. The class system is the game we never asked to play, dont get a fair chance at, and have no hope of winning. Its a timeless metaphor. 20th Century Fox Best films of 2019 (so far) A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Despite its mouthful of a title, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is an utter delight  proof that good storytelling and strong craft are what matters, however familiar the packaging. Studio Canal Best films of 2019 (so far) The Beach Bum Clearly, Harmony Korine is steered by his attraction to the theatrical, the absurd and the grimly nihilistic. The Beach Bum is all of that and absolutely none of it, too  a leisurely, neon-soaked stroll through chaos and hazy bohemia, full of slapstick and pathos. It is as much Korines most mature film as it is his most juvenile. Neon/Vice Best films of 2019 (so far) The Last Black Man in San Francisco Its a beautiful, frightening and tragic vignette of the urban nightmare, though The Last Black Man in San Francisco isnt really an angry film. Its less of a rallying cry against gentrification than a rumination on the kind of pained acceptance those who suffer its effects must face. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) The Irishman Scorseses signature camerawork goes down like a glass of fine whisky, as smooth and as elegant as youd expect. The violence arrives in short, sharp shocks. Steven Zaillians screenplay even nails the mobster patter, with arguments about fish, tardiness, and business shorts that feel destined to one day be quoted to death. Netflix Best films of 2019 (so far) Le Mans '66 The films greatest trick is saved for its final reel. For much of its running time, youd be easily fooled into thinking Mangold had made a grand ode to the American dream. Its a film about an immigrant worker who, through perseverance and toil, gains the respect of one of the richest men in the country. And then the rug is pulled right out from underneath you. Le Mans 66 may relish in the high life, but its final moments feel devastatingly hollow. AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Marriage Story The film never loses its sense of humour and absurdity. Somehow, in spite of the bleakness of the subject matter, it feels more redemptive than despairing. Best films of 2019 (so far) The Report Adam Driver plays Jones, Annette Bening Senator Feinstein, and director Scott Z Burns captures the events in a cold, rigorously factual, and largely dispassionate manner. But thats the point. The Report chooses to value the truth over bombastic displays of morality. AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Knives Out Casting an ensemble film is a little like perfecting a cocktail blend, balancing flavours until they sing together in harmony. Knives Out hits the mark here: the actors all feel well-suited to their roles and they bounce off each other with ease. Lionsgate

Pattinson has edged away from starring in major franchise films in recent years, having breakout roles in High Life, Good Time and, more recently, the Cannes breakout The Lighthouse.
Hundreds of millions of people could be left without access to water as climate breakdown causes Asias vast glaciers to shrink, researchers have found.

When the rains fail, glaciers in the high-mountain regions around the Himalayas are a life-saver, releasing 36 cubic kilometres of water  the equivalent of 14 million Olympic swimming pools  to drought-prone areas every summer.

Glacial loss in the region has been going on for a few decades. However, the rate has increased  between 2000 and 2016, glaciers were shrinking 1.6 times faster than the period between 1951 to 2007.

A lot of the climate projections suggest the melt will continue to accelerate, lead researcher Dr Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), told The Independent.

Using climate projections, Dr Pritchard believes the glacier melt will start to slow in around 2050.

World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures A girl carries jerry cans to fill them up with drinking water at a camp for the displaced people of Hodeidah in Yemen Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures Bathers in Iceland's Blue Lagoon hot springs Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures Locals collect water from an underground mains line in Caracas, Venezuela Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures A man searches for scrap metal in contaminated sewage water in 'the Mine', an area of the largest rubbish dump of Guatemala City Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures Water is released as heavy rain falls at the Pubugou Dam on the Dadu river Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures A woman watches from her window as floodwater rises after the river Calder burst its banks in Hebden Bridge Getty World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures Boys play in the foam covering the heavily polluted Yamuna in New Delhi, India Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures A man catches a 200lb Pacific bluefin tuna while spear fishing off the coast of San Diego, California Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures Residents fill containers full of drinking water from a tanker in New Delhi Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures Pallets of unused water bottles sent as aid are left a year after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures A 350ft artificial waterfall on the Liebian International Building in Guiyang, China AFP/Getty World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures Rohingya refugees crew a fishing boat in the Bay of Bengal Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures A fish farm near the Siberian town of Nazarovo Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures A drought in New South Wales leaves farmland Reuters World Water Day 2019 - our relationship with water in pictures Locals wait on a roof after Cyclone Idai detroyed their town of Beira in Mozambique AFP/Getty

He added: As we start to get drought stress hitting, there will be crop failures and a loss of livestock. It could cause people to migrate and if you cant migrate, it might cause conflict as people will need to fight with their neighbours for food.

This will hit areas such as the fertile Indus Valley, which has been inhabited by human civilisations for many thousands of years and today feeds 237 million people.

The increase in glacier melt is also causing a glut of water to come down, causing an increase in water consumption.

Hydroeconomies such as agriculture and hydropower plants are being built based on this water lasting.

This will cause an added shock to the system when the melting slows, said Dr Pritchard.

Populations in the high-mountain Asia region are particularly vulnerable to water shortages and in the past century, drought has caused more than 6 million deaths.

Dr Pritchard said changes to glacier melt could be profoundly destabilising for this region. A total of 800 million could be at risk.

The study, published in the journal Nature, used climate datasets and hydrological modelling to calculate the volume of glacier water entering and leaving the regions major river basins.

The high-mountain region of Asia, known as the Third Pole, encompasses the Himalayas, Karakoram, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Tien Shan, Kunlun Shan and Alai mountains.

The area is home to 95,000 glaciers in total and fulfils most of the annual municipal and industrial needs of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
An area almost eight times the size of London has been designated as a series of protected blue belt zones in the seas around Englands coastline, the government has announced.

The 41 marine conservation zones will cover 12,000 square kilometres (4,600 square miles) of Englands seas and range from the coast of Northumberland to the seas south of the Isles of Scilly.

The areas are designated to help protect a diverse group of species, such as eider ducks, basking sharks and short snouted seahorses.

With the newly announced zones, the UKs full blue belt of protected sites will span 220,000 square kilometres (85,000 square miles) around the seas of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Conservationists described the announcement as fantastic but warned that good management of the 41 areas was needed to protect wildlife.

Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Show all 20 1 /20 Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Long-billed Curlew Long-billed curlews are found around the UK coast in winter and will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Lobster Lobsters are found all around the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Seahorse Seahorses are found along the south coast of England and Wales and will be protected by several conservation zones PA Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Starfish Starfish are found all around the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Herbythyme Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Cuttlefish Cuttlefish are found around all of the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones PA Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Cuckoo wrasse Cuckoo wrasse are found all around the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Lapwing Lapwings are found on the south west coast in winter and will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Catshark Catsharks (previously known as dogfish) are found all around the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones PA Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Hermit Crab Hermit crabs are found all around the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones S. Rae Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Common eider Berwick to St Mary's conservation zone off the Northumberland coast has been proposed to protect the common eider Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Common mussel Common mussels are found around all of the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Sea urchin Sea urchins are found around most of the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Kittiwake Kittiwakes are found around most of the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Tombot Blenny Tompot blennys are found on the south coast and will be protected by several conservation zones PA Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Crabs A variety of crabs are found around all of the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones PA Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Black-headed gull Black-headed gulls are found around all of the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Spotted ray Spotted rays are commonly found on the west coast of the UK and are found around all of the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Rock goby fish Rock goby fish are found in rocky outcrops all around the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Fulmar Fulmars are found around all of the UK coast will be protected by several conservation zones Getty Species to be protected by "blue belt" conservation zones Sea Bass Sea bass are commonly found around the south and west UK coast and will be protected by several conservation zones Getty

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has designated 91 marine conservation zones in three waves since 2013, bringing the total number of Marine Protected Areas in the UK to 355.

Joan Edwards, director of living seas at The Wildlife Trusts, said: "It's fantastic news that now we have 91 marine conservation zones - they will form a vital series of underwater habitats which can be nursed back to health.

"Now we need to see good management of these special places to stop damaging activities such as beam-trawling or dredging for scallops and langoustines which harm fragile marine wildlife."

The new designation follows a consultation, which included local fishermen, marine conservation experts and 48,000 responses from the public.

All 41 of the proposed sites have been designated and protections have been expanded at 12 existing sites.

Michael Gove, the environment secretary, said: "The UK is already leading the rest of the world by protecting over 30 per cent of our ocean - but we know there is more to do.

"Establishing this latest round of marine conservation zones in this 'year of green action' is another big step in the right direction, extending our blue belt to safeguard precious and diverse sea life for future generations to come."

The Marine Conservation Zones around the British coastline (The Wildlife Trusts)

The protected areas include a Holderness offshore site, which has a mosaic of habitats that protect crabs and lobsters, and an Orford inshore site off the Suffolk coast, which is an important nursery and spawning ground for fish.

However, although the UK has protected nearly 30 per cent of its waters, some conservationists warned that the protections do not go far enough.

Alec Taylor, head of marine policy at WWF, argued that these areas are poorly monitored and we have little evidence that wildlife is benefiting."

He said: "We need proper management of activities within the boundaries of all marine protected areas and strict enforcement of safeguarding laws. Only then can we secure a future where people and nature thrive."

Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, from the Marine Conservation Society, agreed, adding: The government must now invest in proper management of these sites and keep them free of all activities that damage the seabed so that our spectacular marine wildlife can recover from decades of destruction and degradation."

Agencies contributed to this report
Ben and Jerry's has announced its plans to release a CBD-infused ice cream  as soon as the product becomes legalised in the US.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently prohibits adding CBD (cannabidiol)  a non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the marijuana plant  to food and drinks.

However, on Friday 31 May the FDA is holding a public hearing during which the "scientific data and information about the safety" of CBD-infused products will be discussed.

Ben and Jerry's has submitted a comment to the FDA in support of the legalisation of CBD-infused foods and beverages.

Matthew McCarthy, CEO of Ben and Jerry's, explained that the company has devised a CBD-infused ice cream in light of high demand from fans.

"We've listened and brought them everything from non-dairy indulgences to on-the-go portions with our pint slices," McCarthy said.

"We aspire to love our fans more than they love us and we want to give them what they're looking for in a fun, Ben and Jerry's way."

Ben and Jerry's is encouraging customers to submit comments to the FDA in support of the legalisation of CBD-infused food and drink products on the federal level.

Despite the prohibition of CBD-infused foods and beverages, several companies have been taking advantage of the trend in recent years.

David Klein, who founded The Jelly Belly Company in 1976, recently launched a line of CBD-infused jelly beans.

However, Jelly Belly later released a statement clarifying that it is not involved in the production of Klein's CBD-infused jelly beans, and that sale of the products "would currently be illegal for Jelly Belly" according to the FDA.

Where is cannabis legal in the US? Show all 11 1 /11 Where is cannabis legal in the US? Where is cannabis legal in the US? Alaska Recreational cannabis use was made legal in Alaska in 2014 Getty Where is cannabis legal in the US? Washington Washington was among the first states to legalise cannabis in 2012 Getty Where is cannabis legal in the US? Michigan Recreational cannabis use was made legal in Michigan in 2018 Getty Where is cannabis legal in the US? Massachusetts Recreational cannabis use was made legal in Massachusetts in 2016 Getty Where is cannabis legal in the US? Colorado Colorado was among the first states to legalise cannabis in 2012 Getty Where is cannabis legal in the US? Vermont Since January 2018 it has been legal to posses up to one ounce and two cannabis plants in Vermont. Commercial sales are not legal Getty Where is cannabis legal in the US? California Recreational cannabis use was made legal in California in 2018 Getty Where is cannabis legal in the US? Illinois Recreational cannabis use was made legal in Illinois in 2019 Getty Images Where is cannabis legal in the US? Oregon It was made legal in Oregon to possess up to one ounce of cannabis in 2014 Getty Where is cannabis legal in the US? Maine Recreational cannabis use was made legal in Maine in 2016 Getty Where is cannabis legal in the US? Nevada Recreational cannabis use was made legal in Nevada in 2016 Getty

Several social users expressed their excitement over the prospect of a CBD-infused ice cream.

"I just read that Ben and Jerry's is working on a CB ice cream. Hell yes!" one person tweeted.

"Ben and Jerry's is superior," another person remarked in response to the news.

"Oh yes this is why I loooovvveeee this brand," someone else commented on Instagram.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

For all the latest news on CBD, click here.
A fallout between China and the US, and between Google and Huawei, takes in many of the world's biggest and most powerful organisations. But it could also have a substantial impact on something very small indeed: the phone sitting in your pocket.

Anyone who has a Huawei phone or might buy one in the future could be hit by the argument. And it could make vast differences to the rest of the Android market, too.

The current issues have come about because of a US ruling that told companies in the country that they could no longer work with Huawei, because of the ongoing dispute between the two countries.

One of those companies is Google. Their Android operating system is a central part of Huawei phones  leading to confusion and concern about whether those phones will keep working as the two companies are forced to cut off contact.

So here's everything you need to know  whether you already have a phone, or were looking forward to buying one in the future.

Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Show all 8 1 /8 Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Karl Theodor Bridge in Heidelberg, Germany Getty Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Replica Karl Theodor Bridge in Huawei City, China Getty Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Heidelberg, Germany Getty Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Replica Heidelberg in Huawei City, China Getty Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic Getty Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Replica Cesky Krumlov in Huawei City, China Getty Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Heidelberg, Germany Getty Europe replicated in Huawei City, China Replica Heidelberg in Huawei City, China Getty

I have my Huawei phone already. What now?

For now, not much will change and there's no reason to panic. (Besides, there's very little us normal people can do; customers are largely powerless in this entire argument.)

Existing devices are for the time being unaffected. Both Google and Huawei have stressed that there is not anything to worry about for at the moment.

"For Huawei users' questions regarding our steps to comply with the recent US government actions: We assure you while we are complying with all US gov't requirements, services like Google Play & security from Google Play Protect will keep functioning on your existing Huawei device," Google tweeted from the official Android account.

Similarly, Huawei has promised that it "will continue to provide security updates and after sales services to all existing Huawei and Honor smartphone and tablet products covering those which have been sold or are still in stock globally".

But it's important to stress all of this is very much about the present. With time, you might start to see some differences in the way your phone works, when compared with other Android phones.

Huawei's statement specifically refers to "security updates"  not, notably, operating system updates. Google updates Android every year or so, often bringing breakthrough new features, and there has been some suggestion that these might not come to Huawei devices.

Should I buy a Huawei phone?

There are, obviously, a whole host of considerations to make when buying a new phone. But the fallout between the two companies complicates the entire process, and so is definitely worth thinking about before buying a new handset.

There can hardly have been a worse time to think about getting a Huawei phone. As well as the worry for the future caused by the current problems, there has been issues in the supply of new phones, meaning that there might not be the latest and up-to-date models you expect when you go to buy one.

But ultimately the same considerations apply for new phones as they do for anyone who currently has one. The phones are likely to be OK for now, but might not be in the future.

Whether you opt to buy one will be a question of whether the various things that have led people to like Huawei handsets  their relatively cheap price and new features, primarily  is enough to make up for that worry.

Should I look forward to new Huawei phones in the future?

This is likely to be the most significant difference that the fallout will make. While there have been a whole host of assurances about current phones  which have probably been required to avoid mass concern  much less has been said about those that are coming in the future.

As such, it's harder to work out how much of a change there will be. But it's almost certain to be substantial.

Huawei is no longer able to easily work with Google on future updates, so it will be somewhere between difficult and impossible for those phones to come out with proper versions of Android. Those phones are likely to be delayed or cancelled.

New phones have been pulled from announcements, too, suggesting this is already making a difference. EE and Vodafone both said that they will be launching their 5G networks without the phone Huawei specifically made for 5G, for instance.

Some of these phones might eventually make it to market with an open source version of Android. A version of the operating system is actually available for anyone to use, and so Huawei might opt to do that  but it comes without a whole host of features and apps that are in the usual build.

In the long term, Huawei will probably release its own operating system and software, and comments from the company about being ready for this possibility suggest that work might already have begun. So with time there may be entirely new Huawei handsets, with no Android at all  but we are unlikely to see those immediately.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 30)  Reelected Senator Cynthia Villar is not closing the door on the Senate presidency amid talks of a possible leadership change in the 18th Congress.

In a chance interview with reporters on Thursday, Villar said no one has asked her to seek the leadership post, now held by Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III. Villar, but added it is something to think about in the future.

"If ever in the future tinawag nila ko at mag-meeting, then thats the time I think about it kasi ang dami ko pang ika-catch up na gagawin," Villar said.

"I have to think about it kasi malaki ring responsibility 'yan. I should be ready for it if ever I will like it," she added.

In an earlier interview with another network, Senator-elect Imee Marcos confirmed hearing "some kind of move" to elect Villar as Senate President. Incoming Senator Francis Tolentino earlier claimed there is likely to be a new bloc composed of candidates backed by regional party Hugpong Ng Pagbabago, including Villar. When asked if they will support Sotto, Tolentino said it still needs to be discussed.

Villar was elected for a second term in the May 13 elections, topping the "Magic 12" which was dominated by administration allies like her.

The 17th Congress adjourns on June 7. It will reconvene as the 18th Congress on July 22, when the election of new leaders could happen.

Senators have since reaffirmed their support for Sotto, praising his leadership. Senator Grace Poe even said she will leave the majority bloc and join Sotto in the minority if ever he is ousted.

Sotto himself believes he has the support "of at least 15 or 16" senators. He would need 13 votes to stay as Senate President.

CNN Philippines' Eimor Santos contributed to this report.
Regulators have allowed water, energy, broadband and telephone networks to overcharge customers by 24.1bn over the past 15 years, according to stark figures from Citizens Advice.

The revelation comes after an initial investigation unearthed 7.5bn of overcharging for connection to key services. Research has now found this is just the tip of the iceberg.

In 2017, Citizens Advice found Ofgem made errors in setting price controls for energy networks, resulting in energy customers being overcharged 7.5bn over an eight-year period. After the charity highlighted these concerns, three energy network companies returned a total of 287m to consumers.

But now the charity has found the same errors have been made by Ofgem over a much longer period and by regulators in other markets including water, broadband and phone networks.

This research shows that misjudgements by the regulators Ofgem, Ofwat and Ofcom have meant customers have been paying far too much for the pipes and wires that connect their homes to essential services over the last 15 years.

These sectors include companies that face little, or no, competition to drive down their prices. Instead, regulators tell the network companies how much they can charge by setting a price control. Customers then pay the charges for these networks as part of their water, energy, broadband and phone bills.

These overpayments partly occurred because regulators made forecasting errors. They predicted that costs, such as debt, would be higher than they became. Regulators also over-estimated how risky these businesses were for investors.

Citizens Advice is now calling for both widespread compensation and a fundamental change in the way these calculations are made.

Instead of forecasting costs, regulators should use available market data to calculate costs and adjust their estimates of investment risk, it argues. This would avoid consumers paying too much in future.

While several energy and water companies have taken steps to return some money to customers, Citizens Advice is calling for all firms to provide a voluntary rebate to their customers. If they dont, it says the government should step in.

Regulator error has meant customers have been charged too much by energy, broadband and phone networks for far too long, says Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice.

At a time when so many people are struggling to pay their essential bills, regulators need to do more to protect customers from unfair prices. They have started to take steps in the right direction but it is vital they continue to learn from their past mistakes when finalising their next price controls.

Companies need to play their part in putting this multibillion pound blunder right. They must compensate customers where they have been paying over the odds. If they dont, government needs to intervene.

In a statement responding to the research, the energy regulator Ofgem said: Ofgem remains determined to drive the best deal possible for consumers. Overall, energy network regulation has delivered for consumers, with 100bn invested, power cuts halved, record customer satisfaction and reduced costs.

While we do not agree with Citizens Advices estimate of excess profits, we welcome their report and recommendations. We will continue to work closely with them and wider stakeholders to apply lessons learnt from previous price controls for the next price control period."

Last week, Ofgem confirmed its methodology for calculating their next set of price controls, including a lower return on equity of 4.3 per cent and a lower allowed return on debt. This would lead to customers bills being reduced by 6bn over five years from 2021, calculations it says Citizens Advice supports.

Meanwhile, households were warned they could be hit with an average annual energy bill rise of almost 210, or 20 per cent, as 60 fixed dual fuel energy tariffs come to an end this week, according to switching service Weflip. Charities have called for immediate action to better support energy customers in vulnerable circumstances.

An independent report published this week says urgent action is required by all energy companies, regulators and government as well as price comparison websites  with support from consumer groups and charities  to better identify customers in vulnerable circumstances and improve the help and support given to them.

Joanna Elson, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, who served as a member of the Commission for Customers in Vulnerable Circumstances, which produced the report, said the charity is increasingly hearing from people struggling to meet everyday household costs.

She said: This report puts the energy industry firmly under the spotlight. Significant work is needed to improve support for energy customers in vulnerable circumstances. As the report notes, there is good practice out there, but this support is inconsistent and varies greatly across the sector.

Training frontline staff to identify customers in vulnerable circumstances is a crucial first step, while actions such as committing to not use High Court Enforcement Officers, can also make a big difference for the most vulnerable.

There is also an important role for the third sector to play alongside suppliers through greater partnership working. This could be through signposting to debt or energy saving advice, and helping people access financial help and other essential costs.
The ability to precisely edit DNA and swap genes in or out with unprecedented precision has the power to transform virtually every field.

People with haemophilia have come off life-long clotting medication, and the first genetically engineered corals could help these factories of the ocean survive rising temperatures and acidification.

But the application of this technology to create modified, or entirely new organisms that are then released into the environment and become fixtures of the gene pool carries a raft of ethical questions and uncertain risks.
The increase in the far-right terror threat facing the UK and other western nations has been attributed to factors including migration, polarisation, economics and social media.

But one of the most vital drivers has been overlooked  money.

Twenty years ago, the British far right was defined by small political groups like the British National Party and the National Front, who relied on membership fees and street activism to fund small-scale activity in the UK.

But the advent of online crowdfunding has enabled anyone with a reactionary view to build a fan base online for free, ask for donations and convert the money into unprecedented international reach.

That reach enables extremist ideas to be spread around the world, through slick social media operations and videos of the likes that inspired the terror attacks in Christchurch, Finsbury Park and Pittsburgh.

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

Tommy Robinsons meteoric rise is one of the starkest examples of the funding shift. The English Defence League, which he co-founded in 2009, became notorious for its violent and provocative street protests but gained little international attention.

After Robinson left in 2013, he faded into obscurity until he started working as a correspondent for Canadian website Rebel Media.

His post was part-funded by a fellowship from US tech billionaire Robert Shillman, and brought him new audiences in Canada, the US and English-speaking countries around the world.

When Robinson decided to go it alone as an independent reporter in early 2018, he started crowdfunding his work and was able to hire his own staff for filming and publicity.

By the time he was jailed in May last year, he had acquired fans including Donald Trump Jr, who condemned his imprisonment as more international backers threw money at Robinsons cause.

One year on, Robinson has attempted to enter politics as a member of the European parliament and has vowed to continue attempting to politicise his supporter base.

Robinson was cited in a new report as among the figures demonstrating the dangers of overlooking international funding networks that are fuelling the modern far right.

Analysts at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) said the extremist milieu  both on- and offline  on which extreme right-wing terrorism feeds needs money to sustain itself.

 Finsbury Park terror attack: One year on

Author Tom Keatinge said that the extreme right wing was openly benefiting from crowdfunding and deep-pocketing donors across the ocean in a way that would be unthinkable for Islamist groups.

Finance plays an important role in enhancing the promotional activity of extreme right-wing groups, from creating propaganda to organising marches and events to maintaining websites supporting and promoting extremist literature and exchanges of ideas, the report said.

Senior law enforcement practitioners have suggested that non-violent extremism is often the first step in a process of radicalisation that ends in terrorism, which is why financial analysis into nonviolent extremism should not be overlooked.
Far-right extremists are building international funding networks allowing them to spread hatred while being overlooked by authorities, new research has warned.

Analysts at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) found that despite an increase in extreme right-wing attacks, efforts to disrupt terrorist financing was still focused on Islamists.

A report said a lack of work to find the source of money flows and stop them had allowed prolific extremists and groups to build huge platforms in the UK, US and Europe.

It cited Tommy Robinson, white nationalists Generation Identity and neo-Nazi terrorist group National Action among the British actors profiting from international connectivity.

We may call this domestic extremism, but there are clearly international links and thats where banks and others need to be aware that just being on the lookout for Islamist financing is not enough, author Tom Keatinge told The Independent.

The far right in the UK Show all 10 1 /10 The far right in the UK The far right in the UK British Union Jack flags are reflected in the sunglasses of a protester during a protest on April 1, 2017 in London Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images The far right in the UK A man holds a St George's Cross flag at a demonstration organised by the far-right group the English Defence League in central London on June 24, 2017 Tolga Akmen/AFP The far right in the UK A man is pictured with police officers at a demonstration organised by the far-right group the English Defence League (EDL) in central London on June 24, 2017 Tolga Akmen/AFP The far right in the UK A Neo-Nazi chats amicably with a police officer at a demonstration organised by the far-right group the English Defence League in central London Tolga Akmen/AFP The far right in the UK Supporters of the far-right group Britain First wave flags as they march and rally in central London on April 1, 2017 following the March 22 terrorist attack on the British parliament Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP The far right in the UK Police walk ahead of supporters of the far-right group Britain First marching in central London on April 1, 2017 Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP The far right in the UK Protesters hold placards and British Union Jack flags during a protest titled 'London march against terrorism' on April 1, 2017 in London Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images The far right in the UK A woman wearing a Donald Trump campaign hat hugs another woman during a protest titled 'London march against terrorism' on April 1, 2017 Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images The far right in the UK A protester waves a British Union Jack with an 'England' tattoo on his arm during a protest on April 1, 2017 in London Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images The far right in the UK Anti-Semitic demonstrators attend a rally on Whitehall in central London on July 4, 2015 Jack Taylor/AFP

As we see the rise in threat from the extreme right, the question is are we also thinking about where these groups and individuals get their money?

Increasing international links were highlighted by the New Zealand terror attack, when it emerged the Australian man accused of massacring Muslims was inspired by pan-European group Generation Identity and donated money to its Austrian branch.

Mr Keatinge, who is the director of Rusis centre for financial crime and security studies, said the funds gathered allowed fringe groups to expand their reach with potentially deadly effect.

The Finsbury Park attacker was inspired by far-right posts online, as was a man who plotted to bomb a London mosque and another who drove a van at a curry house because he wanted to kill a Muslim.

You dont need much money to commit some of these attacks, but it facilitates the spreading of hate and raises the terror threat, Mr Keatinge said.

What funding enables is better organisation. People go from being an individual with extreme view to being able to organise and gain publicity.

The more someones cause is promoted, the more opportunities they have to then ask for money  its a reinforcing circle.

Researchers said Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had profited from both significant support from foreign donors and crowdfunding from individual donors around the world.

 Tommy Robinson could face up to two years in prison in fresh contempt of court proceedings

The Middle East Forum, a Philadelphia-based think tank, said it had spent roughly $60,000 (48,000) on Free Tommy demonstrations in London last year.

In a media interview during his failed campaign to be elected as a member of the European parliament, Robinson suggested the MEF had paid 78,000 in legal fees for his ongoing contempt of court case, but the think tank has not confirmed the sum.

Robinson was also a beneficiary of a fellowship from US tech billionaire Robert Shillman that bolstered his salary from Canadian website Rebel Media, where he worked from early 2017 until February last year.

Ezra Levant, founder of the Rebel, has been covering Robinsons ongoing legal case and crowdfunding for activists to travel to Britain to counter mainstream media reporting.

Recommended Tommy Robinson freed from prison richer and with increased popularity

Robinson has also sought funding from Israeli backers and visited the country.

In a leaked video where he boasted about scoring drugs, Robinson claimed to have spoken to Benjamin Netanyahu, adding: I got my Zionist card out and said I am a Zionist and I bought us everything. Shalom motherf***er.

Earlier this month, he posted a photo on his Telegram channel wearing a hat emblazoned with the Israeli flag with the caption: I need your shekels.

Robinson has continued to ask for donations from British supporters by claiming money was needed for causes including his MEP campaign, a bus, protests, security and legal claims.

He received almost 20,000 of donations in Bitcoin alone during his two-month imprisonment last year and in October revealed there was still a pot in excess of a few hundred thousand pounds left.

Robinson portrayed himself as a member of the working class during his attempt to become an MEP, but his familys home is currently on the market for 915,000.

Situated in an affluent village, a listing said the home had no expense spared and featured underfloor heating, an annex and hot tub.

Researchers said that bans by private companies such as Paypal could dent fundraising efforts (Getty)

Following his defeat in the European elections, Robinson said he would come back harder  our movement needs to be politicised.

Mr Keatinge, the director of Rusis centre for financial crime and security studies, said crowdfunding allows extremists to build international platforms that spread hate to wider audiences.

Crowdfunding is a vulnerability in the system, its a way the internet presents funding opportunities that have not previously been conceived, he added.

The internet allows you to do things faster, cheaper and at greater scale than ever before.

But researchers said that Paypals decision to close accounts used by Robinson, Generation Identity and other far-right figures could dent their fundraising.

Mr Keatinge said that while governments find politically difficult to clamp down on extremism that falls short of terrorist activity, private companies can make decisions based on their reputation rather than the law.

The report found that some groups were attempting to evade crackdowns by selling their own merchandise and ticketing events, including the neo-Nazi Blood and Honour music network.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

It said that National Action has become reliant on more discrete peer-to-peer transactions, while other groups turn to cryptocurrency after being banned by traditional payment processors.

Researchers warned that a coordinated and harmonised approach is needed across the public and private sector to stop extremists diverting to new funding channels.

It is clear that the terrorist or extremist right-wing threat in the UK and other western countries is likely to grow in the years ahead, the report concluded. Developing a financial analysis and understanding of these groups, their activities and facilitators is imperative.
Julian Assange has been psychologically tortured and should not be extradited to the US, a United Nations official has said.

Nils Melzer, the UN special rapporteur on torture, said the WikiLeaks founder would not receive a fair trial after visiting him in a British prison.

He said that although Assange was not being held in solitary confinement at HMP Belmarsh, limited legal visits and a lack of access to documents make it impossible for him to adequately prepare his defence.

Mr Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture, Mr Melzer said.

I condemn, in the strongest terms, the deliberate, concerted and sustained nature of the abuse inflicted on Mr Assange and seriously deplore the consistent failure of all involved governments to take measures for the protection of his most fundamental human rights and dignity.

Key moments for Julian Assange Show all 9 1 /9 Key moments for Julian Assange Key moments for Julian Assange The situation today Assange was arrested after Metropolitan Police officers were invited into the Ecuadorian embassy on April 11 2019. How did it come to this? Ruptly TV Key moments for Julian Assange The break Assange shows the front page of the Guardian on July 26 2010, the day that they broke the story of the thousands of military files leaked by WikiLeaks AFP/Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Wanted A warrant for Assange's arrest was issued in August 2010 for counts of rape and molestation in Sweden AFP/Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Ruling The UK's Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that Assange should be extradited to Sweden to face trial Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Sanctuary Following the ruling, Assange was given asylum by the Ecuadorian governement over fears that his human rights would be violated if he were extradited, he has since remained in the embassy in London Getty Key moments for Julian Assange A friend in Pam Friend Pamela Anderson delivers lunch to Assange at the embassy in October 2016. She has since spoken against his arrest Getty Key moments for Julian Assange Arbitrarily detained A UN panel found in 2016 that Assange had been arbitrarily detained and that he had not been able to claim his full right to asylum. It urged Sweden to withdraw the charges against him Getty Key moments for Julian Assange The cat ultimatum Last year, the Ecuadorian embassy threatened to revoke Assange's internet access unless he stopped making political statements online and started taking better care of James, his pet cat. Assange accused Ecuador of violating his rights Reuters Key moments for Julian Assange Arrest Assange was arrested on April 11 2019. Ecuador revoked his asylum status and invited the Metropolitan Police in to the embassy to arrest him. Reuters

He was accompanied during his prison visit on 9 May by two medical experts, who found that Assanges health had been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years.

They found that Assange showed symptoms of extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma.

The strongly-worded statement came a day after Assange was unable to attend a court hearing because of ill health.

Westminster Magistrates Court heard that the Australian detainee was not very well and had been moved to the prisons medical ward.

A judge scheduled another hearing on 12 June and said it may take place inside HMP Belmarsh, where Assange is serving a 50-week prison sentence for breaking bail conditions.

He fled to the Ecuadorian embassy in 2012, after losing a legal battle against extradition to Sweden for a rape investigation.

But Ecuadorian authorities revoked Assanges political asylum in April and invited British police to arrest him, before issuing statements accusing him of violating international conventions and unacceptable conduct.

Swedish authorities reopened its probe after Assange was arrested and may attempt to have him extradited a second time to face the allegations, which he denies.

Swedens deputy director of public prosecutions said a court will consider detaining Assange in his absence on Monday.

 Julian Assange: Swedish prosecutors reopen investigation into rape allegation made against Wikileaks co-founder

If the court decides to detain him, I will issue a European arrest warrant concerning his surrender to Sweden, Eva-Marie Persson added.

In the event of a conflict between a European arrest warrant and a request for extradition from the US, UK authorities will decide on the order of priority. The outcome of this process is impossible to predict.

The US Department of Justice initially announced that Assange was charged with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion by helping Chelsea Manning crack a password for government systems.

The breach resulted in WikiLeaks publishing a slew of leaked diplomatic cables, battlefield reports and footage from Iraq and Afghanistan that included evidence of war crimes and torture in 2010.

The US Department of Justice filed 17 more charges against Assange last week, accusing him of violating espionage laws by seeking, obtaining and disseminating classified information that could harm the national security of the United States.

Mr Melzer said he was alarmed by the new charges and said they could result in a life sentence without parole or possibly even the death penalty if further allegations are added.

My most urgent concern is that in the United States, Mr Assange would be exposed to a real risk of serious violations of his human rights, he added.

The UN official claimed that since 2010, there has been a relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Assange in the US, UK, Sweden and by Ecuadorian officials.

Mr Assange has been exposed to persistent, progressively severe abuse ranging from systematic judicial persecution and arbitrary confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy, to his oppressive isolation, harassment and surveillance inside the embassy, and from deliberate collective ridicule, insults and humiliation, to open instigation of violence and even repeated calls for his assassination, Mr Melzer said.

Pro-Assange protesters outside Westminster Magistrates Court today (AP)

The collective persecution of Julian Assange must end here and now.

Jeremy Hunt, the British foreign secretary, said Mr Melzers assessment was wrong.

Assange chose to hide in the embassy and was always free to leave and face justice, he wrote on Twitter.

The UN special rapporteur should allow British courts to make their judgements without his interference or inflammatory accusations.

In official letters sent earlier this week, Mr Melzer urged the US, British, Swedish and Ecuadorian governments to stop statements and activity prejudicial to Assanges human rights and dignity.

He directly appealed to the British government not to extradite Assange to the US or any country that would allow such a transfer.

The UN said the UK was reminded of its obligation to ensure Assanges unimpeded access to legal counsel, documentation and adequate preparation commensurate with the complexity of the pending proceedings.

Britains Ministry of Justice has denied giving Assange exceptional treatment and said that although HMP Belmarsh is notorious for holding terrorists and murders, it also serves as a low-security local prison for people awaiting trial and those on short sentences like Assanges.

Nationwide rules state that prisoners cannot access the internet other than for educational or resettlement purposes, and cannot be emailed directly.

A UK government spokesperson said: The UK has a close working relationship with UN bodies and is committed to upholding the rule of law. We support the important work of the special rapporteurs mandate and will respond to his letter in due course, but we disagree with a number of his observations.

Judges are impartial and independent from government, with any judgment based solely on the facts of the case and the applicable law. The law provides all those convicted with a right of appeal.
Police missed opportunities galore to prevent the London Bridge attack, a court has heard.

Inquests into the atrocity have been told how ringleader Khuram Butt had been under MI5 surveillance, was a close associate of hate preacher Anjem Choudary and had appeared in a television documentary on jihadis.

But he was not prevented from launching a terror attack that left eight people dead on 3 June 2017.

Butt, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba ploughed a hired van into pedestrians on London Bridge before stabbing dozens of people in a rampage around Borough Market that only ended when they were shot dead by armed police.

Gareth Patterson QC, representing the families of six victims, told an inquest that there had been opportunities galore to spot the trio were planning the attack.

London Bridge Terror Attack Show all 16 1 /16 London Bridge Terror Attack London Bridge Terror Attack Armed police on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police Officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed police on Borough High Street as police deal with a 'major incident' at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency services near the scene of the incident Screengrab London Bridge Terror Attack People run down Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency services arrive at the scene near Borough market at London Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency personnel on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack A second helicopter lands on London Bridge as police are responding to three incidents in the capital, amid reports that a vehicle collided with pedestrians on London Bridge, Scotland Yard said. Officers are dealing with reports of stabbings in Borough Market, where armed officers attended and shots were fired. They are also at an incident in the Vauxhall area PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London REUTERS London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack A police officer escorts members of the public to safety at London Bridge Getty Images London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters

He suggested that it would have taken a significant period of time for the trio to become so close and trust each other in order to plan an attack.

Mr Patterson said the Old Bailey had heard of several instances where the three extremists were together and that there was evidence of contact between them in January 2017.

All three men attended the Ummah Fitness Centre in Ilford, which was run by a senior member of the militant al-Muhajiroun network who was linked to a network of safe houses for British jihadis and terror training camps in Pakistan.

Butt and Redouane had visited each others homes and Butt had possibly been trying to buy a gun, the court heard.

Mr Patterson said the pair were in contact with each other again and again for months, including at the gym, by telephone and at a barbecue at Butts home weeks before the attack.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, the investigating officer, denied that police had missed opportunities and said officers would have been working with the intelligence they had.

Mr Patterson said three identical knives were bought by Redouane the day after the barbecue, adding: Any reasonably competent investigation should have been looking at Redouane at this stage, I would submit.

Det Ch Insp Jolley told the court: That would depend on the intelligence at that time.

The inquest heard that Zaghba  who previously told Italian police he wanted to be a terrorist in Syria  had been going to the same gym, had telephone contact with Butt and visited his home.

 Footage released of London Bridge victim who used skateboard to fight terrorist

Mr Patterson said: All of these things, when pulled together, I would suggest, is crying out to be looked at.

He also told the court that all three men were at the gym in May in the dead of night, speaking together in the street in what he described as a highly suspicious conversation after dumping their phones.

Mr Patterson said the classic anti-surveillance technique showed the attack planning was there to be detected.

Recommended Timeline of MI5 investigations into UK terror attackers revealed

A reasonably competent surveillance, I would suggest, would have had Butt monitored up to that point, he added.

But when Richard Horwell QC, representing the Metropolitan Police, asked the police officer whether there was any evidence of attack planning in the months before the atrocity, Det Ch Insp Jolley replied: Not that we uncovered, sir, no.

The Old Bailey previously heard that Butt had been a prominent member of the banned Islamist group al-Muhajiroun since at least 2013.

Described as Britains most prolific and dangerous extremist group, supporters have carried out atrocities including 7/7 London bombings  which targeted the Tube and buses  and the murder of Lee Rigby. Many of its supporters have fought for Isis, al-Qaeda and the Taliban abroad.

The court heard that Butts views were so far off the scale that his brother-in-law reported him to a counter-terrorism hotline in September 2015.

The Ummah Fitness Centre in Ilford, where the three London attackers met days before the atrocity (AFP/Getty Images)

A documentary aired in January 2016 showed Butt joining a public prayer towards a black flag associated with Isis, alongside a man who later joined the terrorist group in Syria.

He went to Choudarys home for dinner while the hate preacher was supposedly under bail conditions ahead of a trial for inviting support for Isis.

Butt was also arrested numerous times, including on suspicion of fraud and for abusing a researcher from the Quilliam counter-extremism think tank in 2016 and calling him an apostate.

The court was also told that Zaghba had held extremist views from childhood, celebrating the 9/11 attacks and displaying Isis flags on his Facebook page.

He was stopped by Italian police at Bologna airport in March 2016 on suspicion of attempting to travel to Syria and told them he wanted to be a terrorist.

Xavier Thomas, 45, Christine Archibald, 30, Sara Zelenak, 21, Sebastien Belanger, 36, James McMullan, 32, Kirsty Boden, 28, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, died in the attack, which lasted less than 10 minutes.

The inquest into their deaths will be followed by a separate inquest, heard by a jury, into the deaths of the three attackers.
Jeremy Corbyn has been warned the Labour party could be wiped out unless it comes up with a "coherent" Brexit stance as the pro-EU Liberal Democrats topped a shock new poll.

Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell said the party would be "complicit" in ushering Boris Johnson into Downing Street and paving the way for a no-deal Brexit if it did not back a Final Say vote.

The Labour leadership is under pressure to stem the flow of Remain voters to pro-EU parties at the recent European Parliament elections, where the party slipped to third place.

Labour supporters of a second referendum had hoped Mr Corbyn was moving towards explicitly backing a Final Say, after he appeared to warm to the idea of a public vote on any deal.

However the Labour leader resisted pressure from shadow cabinet colleagues to campaign for a new referendum, saying he would try to renegotiate a deal with Brussels.

European election 2019 UK results Show all 9 1 /9 European election 2019 UK results European election 2019 UK results Brexit Party European election 2019 UK results Liberal Democrats European election 2019 UK results Labour European election 2019 UK results Greens European election 2019 UK results European election 2019 UK results Plaid Cymru European election 2019 UK results Scottish National Party European election 2019 UK results Change UK European election 2019 UK results UKIP

It comes as a YouGov poll put the Lib Dems on 24 per cent, ahead of the Brexit Party on 22 per cent and the Tories and Labour neck and neck on 19 per cent.

The survey for The Times marks the first time the Lib Dems have topped a general election poll since the height of Nick Clegg's popularity in 2010.

Mr Campbell, who was expelled from Labour for voting Lib Dem in an act of Brexit protest, told the Today programme: "We can either talk about my membership and my expulsion or actually talk about what is happening in the Brexit debate in our country.

"Why the Labour party is being virtually annihilated in these elections and is now seeing the Lib Dems of all people ahead in the polls.

"The Labour party has not had a clear, coherent, credible position on Brexit and until it gets that, it is not going to win back the support of many, many people that it has lost."

He added: "Unless the Labour party adopts a credible, coherent position, commits to a people's vote, then they will be complicit in helping Boris Johnson become prime minister and crashing out with no deal."

Mr Campbell, who is appealing his expulsion, said his lawyers believed there was a case for "discrimination" as other Labour grandees have not been kicked out for voting for other parties.

He also claimed shadow cabinet members such as Keir Starmer and Emily Thornberry had told him the decision is "bonkers and they all think it should be reviewed".

In a sign of deep tensions over Labour's Brexit stance, Unite leader Len McCluskey warned that supporting another referendum would be "electorally suicidal".

"A further referendum will only pump more venom into the body politic. So then we are left with simply cancelling Brexit  revoking Article 50.

"For Labour to embrace such a position, as some seem now to be inching towards, would be not just electorally suicidal, it would represent a profound rupture in our movements democratic traditions, he wrote in a piece for HuffPost.

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson, who has entered her party's leadership race, welcomed the poll showing the Lib Dems could win a general election held tomorrow.

She said: "There's clearly an appetite for the liberal values we stand for.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

"There's a huge job to build and grow that wider liberal movement and that's what I'm determined to do and that's why I'm running to be leader of the Lib Dems."

Asked if she could see a Lib Dem prime minister, Ms Swinson told Today: "I think we should be very ambitious".

However YouGov's Chris Curtis warned the party against getting too carried away with the surge in support they have enjoyed since the European elections.

He said: "The Cleggmania of 2010 faded fast, with the party falling back in the final weeks of the campaign and ending up with just 1 per cent more of the vote than they had won five years prior."

:: YouGov surveyed 1,736 British adults on May 28-29.
A member of Labours ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) has been suspended from the party after a recording emerged of him blaming antisemitism allegations on the Israeli embassy.

Pete Willsmans comments in a private meeting sparked outrage among the partys MPs, with one branding them grotesque.

The row blew up days after the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) launched a virtually unprecedented formal investigation into allegations of anti-Jewish prejudice within the party.

On the tape, obtained by LBC radio, Mr Willsman can be heard saying that complaints over antisemitism were being whipped up to damage Jeremy Corbyn, and alleging that party staffers were working indirectly for the Israeli embassy.

He claimed that the embassy had organised a group of 68 rabbis to complain in an open letter last year about severe antisemitism within the party.

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

The Labour MP Ruth Smeeth, who is herself Jewish, said: This man shouldnt be in the Labour Party, never mind a member of our ruling body. Appalling views like this are precisely why the EHRC are investigating the Labour Party for anti-Jewish hate.

A Labour spokesman said that the party takes all allegations of antisemitism extremely seriously and that Mr Willsman had been suspended from the party pending investigation.

During his suspension, he will be barred from attending NEC meetings or performing any other functions as a member of the body, where he sits as a representative of constituency Labour parties.

Mr Willsmans re-election to the NEC last September sparked controversy after the emergence of a recording in which he claimed that many Jewish people were Trump fanatics.

The left-leaning Momentum movement dumped him from its list of nine preferred candidates for the election, saying his remarks were deeply insensitive and inappropriate.

LBC said the recording was made in January when Mr Willsman met American-Israeli author Tuvia Tenenbom, who was in the UK to write a book about the British.

He can be heard saying that the rich control the papers and control everything else and that they are concerned that Labour will increase their taxes.

And he adds: One of those things about antisemitism is they use that to whip people up. They use anything. It is all lies, its all total lies and they just whip it up.

Mr Willsman said it was almost certain that the Israeli embassy was behind the antisemitism allegations that have been dogging Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

They caught somebody in the Labour Party who it turns out was an agent of the embassy, he said.

The people that are in the Labour Party doing it are people who are linked. One of them works indirectly with the embassy. So obviously, I wouldnt be bothered to find out, but my guess would be they are the ones whipping it up all the time.

Mr Willsman went on to object to the rabbis open letter referring to a widespread and severe problem of antisemitism in the party, insisting that there had been only 70 cases out of 600,000 members.

Thats rubbish they are coming out with, he said.

 Anti-semitism protesters shout 'Corbyn Out' during demo at Labour HQ

The Labour MP Stella Creasy said: Anyone who supported Willsman for the NEC after the first revelations needs to hang their head in shame. They indulged this hatred. He must now surely be gone from Labour and we have to have an independent complaints system now.

Another MP, Neil Coyle, described Mr Willsmans words as grotesque, while Wes Streeting said: Is it any wonder that the Labour Party is under investigation by the EHRC?

His views have been known and tolerated by those at the top of the party for too long.

A Labour spokesman said: The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms. All complaints about antisemitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.
Prominent Labour figures have warned the Corbyn project faces ruin if the party leader does not shift his position on Brexit.

With Labour slumping into third place in the European elections and falling behind the pro-EU Liberal Democrats in a Westminster poll, one MP said the party would pay a heavy price for its equivocal position on EU withdrawal, while another warned of a clear and present danger to its future.

Former spin doctor Alastair Campbell said Labour would be complicit in ushering Boris Johnson into Downing Street and paving the way for a no-deal Brexit unless it backs a Final Say vote.

And the head of a left-wing pro-Remain campaign group said the shocking poll figures showed that the leaderships policy of constructive ambiguity had now run its course and risked leaving the Corbyn project in ruins.

Labour supporters of a second referendum had hoped Mr Corbyn was moving towards explicitly backing a Final Say after he signalled increased readiness to support a public vote in the wake of the partys 14 per cent showing in the EU elections.

Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Show all 15 1 /15 Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage has spent his political career campaigning for the UK to leave the EU. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson's support for Brexit took many by surprise before the EU referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to agree on a withdrawal deal. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises This was taken from a 2012 speech delivered by Mr Davis. He does not currently support a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson now supports a hard Brexit and resigned from the cabinet in 2018 over Theresa May's strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The US recently issued trade negotiation objectives for future talks with the UK. The country made clear that it expects access to the UK's agriculture industry, reviving the debate about chlorinated chicken. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage does not support the current campaign for a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Despite this quote, in February 2019 Boris Johnson said a no deal Brexit "may yet be the best option for the UK". Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to begin negotiating a deal regarding their future relationship. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May announced that the UK would be leaving the Single Market in her Lancaster House speech in January 2017. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May triggered Article 50 on 29 March 2017. Her withdrawal deal is yet to be passed. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises A classic from the 2015 general election campaign. David Cameron resigned on 24 June 2016, following the EU referendum result. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises David Davis resigned from his post as Brexit secretary in July 2018 after disagreeing with Theresa May's negotiation strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Michael Gove was one of the most influential Leave voices during the EU referendum campaign. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent backbencher, does not support a second Brexit referendum. He has called the use of this quote "fundamentally dishonest" as it was taken from a 2011 speech discussing the option of referendum before David Cameron entered negotiations with the EU. Such a vote was never held. Twitter/Led By Donkeys

But the Labour leader resisted pressure from shadow cabinet colleagues to campaign for a new referendum, saying he would try to renegotiate a deal with Brussels.

In a sign of the deep tensions within the party, Unite leader Len McCluskey warned that supporting another referendum would be electorally suicidal.

Now a YouGov poll putting Labour equal with Tories on 19 per cent in general election voting intentions, behind the Lib Dems on 24 and the Brexit Party on 22, has sparked fresh fears that the European results may reflect more than just a protest vote.

Mr Campbell, who was expelled from Labour for voting Lib Dem in an act of anti-Brexit protest, said the party had been virtually annihilated in last weeks election.

The Labour party has not had a clear, coherent, credible position on Brexit and until it gets that, it is not going to win back the support of many, many people that it has lost, he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Stephen Doughty, a pro-Remain Labour MP, said: These polls show exactly why the time for equivocation and triangulation is long past. It is crucial Labour now takes a definitive position to support putting any Brexit deal to the people for their final say, with an option to remain.

Its what our voters and our members want. Labour must lead the fight against this disastrous Brexit that the Tories have led us to, and stand resolute in the face of the populist right. To fail to do so would be a mistake of historic proportions for the country and our party will pay a heavy price.

Mary Creagh, a former shadow cabinet minister, said it was very worrying to see that just 47 per cent of those who voted Labour in 2017 told pollsters they would do so again.

There was a clear and present danger that the party may not be able to woo back switchers, she said.

It shows the futility of trying to please both sides on Brexit, the Wakefield MP told The Independent. We were punished in the local and European elections as our voters and members deserted us to back the Lib Dems and Greens, even in northern areas that voted Leave, such as Wakefield where the Lib Dem vote trebled.

Mr Corbyn has suggested that the partys policy on Brexit could be reviewed at the next annual conference in September  just a month ahead of the 31 October deadline for leaving the EU with or without a deal.

But the national organiser of the Another Europe is Possible group, Michael Chessum, said this would be too late.

 Alastair Campbell admits voting for Lib Dems: 'I didn't vote Labour for the first time in my life'

These polling figures are shocking and ought to scare the whole of the left, he said. Labours electoral base is being eaten by a centrist party. It's the opposite of the leftward turn that Corbyn's leadership is trying to achieve.

Constructive ambiguity has run its course. Leading left figures  John McDonnell and Diane Abbott  are following the members towards a clear anti-Brexit position. The small number of people in the Labour machine still fighting to deliver Brexit are isolated, but their strategy is still dangerous. If they win out, the Corbyn project faces ruin.

Frontbencher Clive Lewis  who quit the shadow cabinet in 2017 to vote against triggering the Article 50 process  said Labour was in an unacceptable situation.

Voters have not bought into Mr Corbyns position, he said. People now want clarity from the Labour Party. It is painful to watch. Many of these are voters who have voted for a party other than Labour for the first time and their support for that other party will solidify over the coming days and months unless we act.

And one of Labours most forthright supporters of leaving with a deal, Stephen Kinnock, said Labour was suffering from a lack of clarity on the single issue dominating British politics.

One way or the other, we have got to deal with Brexit, he said. We should either have given whole-hearted full-throated support for a referendum or stuck to our original position. By trying to face both ways we just lose peoples support and we lose their respect.

A Labour spokesperson declined to comment, saying that the party does not respond to polls.
Former chief whip Mark Harper has become the 12th candidate to enter the Tory leadership race, claiming he offers fresh thinking.

A dozen Conservatives have now declared their intention to fight for the top job after Theresa May resigns as Tory leader on 7 June.

Mr Harper, the MP for Forest of Dean, has not served in Mrs Mays government  a distinction he said sets him apart from his rivals.

Weve seen basically the same faces saying the same things that theyve been saying for the last three years, he told the Daily Telegraph.

A number of them have tried to position themselves as fresh faces but Im afraid theyve sat around the Cabinet table sharing the responsibility with the prime minister.

Who is standing to be the next prime minister? Show all 3 1 /3 Who is standing to be the next prime minister? Who is standing to be the next prime minister? Boris Johnson - 157 votes PA Who is standing to be the next prime minister? Michael Gove - 61 votes Getty Who is standing to be the next prime minister? Jeremy Hunt - 59 votes PA

I am quite happy to acknowledge that in this contest I am the underdog.

Mr Harper, who campaigned for Remain in 2016, suggested a further delay to Brexit beyond 31 October could be needed if the next prime minister wanted to renegotiate the Brexit deal  something some of his rivals have already ruled out.

Meanwhile, all the candidates in the Tory race have been warned of the dangers of a no-deal Brexit by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

The organisations director-general Carolyn Fairbairn used an open letter to say the next prime minister must seek an agreement with Brussels as the vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no-deal.

One of Mr Harpers Tory leadership rivals, Esther McVey has said the UK needs to actively embrace leaving the EU without a deal.

Frontrunners Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab have both said they would work to renegotiate the terms on offer with Brussels but would make sure the UK leaves on 31 October, with or without an agreement.

In her open letter to the participants in the race for Number 10, the CBIs Ms Fairbairn said: The next prime minister can only claim the Conservatives are the party of business if they secure a Brexit deal that protects the economy, jobs and living standards.

Firms large and small are clear that leaving the EU with a deal is the best way forward.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Short-term disruption and long-term damage to British competitiveness will be severe if we leave without one.

The vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no-deal, particularly our SME (small and medium enterprise) members who cannot afford complex and costly contingency plans.

We need compromise, consensus and honesty to resolve the Brexit impasse, quickly.

Press Association
The state health department visited again after the units closure, and found that the immediate jeopardy to patient health and safety was gone, but Rush was still out of compliance, according to an April letter from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to the head of Rush University Medical Center. Rush has until June 30 to come into compliance or could risk no longer being able to participate in Medicare.
Donald Trumps much-anticipated state visit is set to dominate the dying days of Theresa Mays government.

The trip, offered as a sweetener to the US president in Ms Mays early premiership, could now be a humiliating experience for the prime minister as Mr Trump looks to her potential successors.

Boris Johnson is seen as the frontrunner of the 12-strong race, which began in earnest when Ms May finally named her departure date last week.
Governor John Bel Edwards has signed Louisianas abortion ban into law, making the southern state the fifth to enact a law prohibiting abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, typically as early as six weeks, which is before most women know theyre pregnant.

Alabamas law, which bans abortions from the moment of conception, surpasses these states in severity. But like that law, Louisianas new ban does not contain any exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest.

Governor Edwards is the first Democrat to back one of the many attempts to overturn Roe v Wade with deliberately unconstitutional language currently sweeping the US.

Like all the bans, it will not take effect immediately, and abortion remains legal and accessible in Louisiana for now. However, restrictive laws already in place, which work around the Supreme Court decision to make abortion difficult to access, leave the state in an already precarious position.

Mr Edwards has been open about his stance against abortion rights throughout his career, and was clear that he would sign the bill when it reached him.

Recommended How you can support women in the American states banning abortion

Though differing on abortion rights from most of his party, he was still supported by the Democratic National Committee. In a statement celebrating his election in November 2015, then-DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz wrote: John Bel Edwards commitment to expanding quality health care to hundreds of thousands of Louisianans  is a message that Democrats all across the country can run on and win with in 2016.

The bill was also sponsored by a Democrat, state senator John Milkovich. Nola.com reports that Louisiana legislators overwhelmingly supported the ban, with a 79-23 House vote and 31-5 Senate vote.

A tweet from Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, which covers Louisiana, called Thursday a dark day in Louisianas history.

But as our supporters showed today, the tweet said, we will never stop fighting these attacks on our reproductive rights and freedoms. Louisianans deserve better.
NBC Universal and WarnerMedia will reconsider working in Georgia if the states highly restrictive abortion ban goes into effect.

The companies on Thursday became the latest in wave of major media firms to formally push back against the states so-called heartbeat law, which bans abortions after six weeks. On Wednesday, the Walt Disney Company said the abortion ban meant they too would reconsider locating production in Georgia.

If the new law holds we will reconsider Georgia as the home to any new productions, a spokesperson for WarnerMedia said. As is always the case, we will work closely with our production partners and talent to determine how and where to shoot any given project.

NBC Universal also phrased their announcement as a possibility, suggesting that it was assuming the bill, which was written to be unconstitutional in one of several Republican-led attempts to challenge Roe v Wade, will not actually go into effect.

We fully expect that the heartbeat bills and similar laws in various states will face serious legal challenges and will not go into effect while the process proceeds in court," NBCUniversal said in a statement on Thursday. "If any of these laws are upheld, it would strongly impact our decision-making on where we produce our content in the future.

Recommended Republicans encourage nationwide support for Alabama abortion ban

Georgia is a major filming location, and calls for boycotts from the Hollywood sector began immediately after Governor Brian Kemp signed the states abortion ban into law. Along with these three major companies, Netflix and several smaller studios have threatened or committed to filming elsewhere.

Nine states have so far passed abortion bans similar to Georgia's, amid fury and calls for boycotts around the nation.

In neighbouring Alabama, where an even more restrictive abortion ban was passed shortly after Georgias, the University of Alabamas largest donor, Hugh Culverhouse Jr, called for a boycott of the state on Wednesday.

The University, which named its law school after Mr Culverhouse, is now contemplating returning his $21.5m in donations.

Governor John Bel Edwards, an anti-abortion rights Democrat, signed Louisianas abortion ban into law on Thursday. While not quite the production location that Georgia is, efforts to end filming for television and movies are already being discussed.

Additional reporting by Reuters
A Tennessee man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for urinating on a Kelloggs cereal conveyor belt.

The US attorneys office in Memphis says 49-year-old Gregory Stanton was sentenced Friday in federal court. Mr Stanton pleaded guilty in November to tampering with consumer products.

The urination took place at a Kelloggs facility in Memphis, Tennessee facility in 2014. A graphic video of the incident was uploaded onto WorldStarHipHop in 2016.

Law enforcement and the Food & Drug Administration investigated the situation.

Americans expect and deserve the highest standards of food safety and wholesomeness, and the integrity of the US food supply is too important to be thwarted by the illicit acts of any individual, said Acting Special Agent in Charge H Peter Kuehl, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office in a statement to WREG Memphis on the sentencing.

FDA remains fully committed to the vigorous prosecution of criminals who tamper with or taint the U.S. food supply in any manner, he added.

According to an indictment, the video shows Mr Stanton, who was a contract worker at the Kelloggs plant in April, 2014, urinating into a bucket and dumping the contents into the Raisin Bran production line.

According to WREG Memphis, the video was shot during a period in which the company and its workers union were engaged in a dispute, and those employees involved were locked out.

The AP reports that Mr Stanton also recorded himself urinating into a production line a month after the first video was taken.

At the time of the video reveal, Kelloggs said in a statement that Rice Krispies Treats, Rice Krispies Treats cereal and puffed rice cake products were potentially affected by the incident.

In a statement, Kelloggs said it is pleased Stanton was brought to justice.
Donald Trump is considering barring anyone who transits through a third country from seeking asylum at the border of the United States, Amnesty International have said.

This would mean anyone other than Mexicans and Canadians would effectively be prevented from seeking asylum in the country.

This latest policy is a disgusting example of the lengths the Trump administration will go to to deny people protection, Charanya Krishnaswami, Amnesty International USAs advocacy director for the Americas, said, citing reports.

On Thursday, Politico reported that a draft proposal barring asylum to people from a third country was being circulated among the president's Homeland Security advisors.

Seeking asylum is a human right, full stop. Instead of taking sensible steps to fix this crisis of their own making, [the Trump administration] choose to further their agenda of hate and fear.

To effectively close the border to Central Americans and the vast majority of people seeking asylum not only violates human rights obligations, but is also fundamentally cruel," Ms Krishnaswami said.

Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Show all 14 1 /14 Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Immigrant children, many of whom are separated form their parents, are housed in Texas' tent city Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A two-year-old Honduran asylum seeker cries as her mother is searched and detained near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented migrants ride on the top of a freight train referred to as the beast, or La Bestia Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A cage inside a US Customs and Border Protection detention facility in Texas Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy All new agents must complete a months-long training course at the New Mexico facility before assuming their posts at Border Patrol stations, mostly along the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence A group of young men walk along the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border fence in a remote area of the Sonoran Desert Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence in the US Man looks through US-Mexico border fence into the US in Tijuana, Mexico Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence US Border Patrol agent Sal De Leon stands near a section of the US-Mexico border fence while stopping on patrol on in La Joya, Texas Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy US Border Patrol instructor yells at trainees after their initial arrival to the academy Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Memorial service in Guatemala Families attend a memorial service for two boys who were kidnapped and killed in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala. Crime drives emigration from Guatemala to the United States, as families seek refuge from the danger Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Arrests on the border Undocumented immigrants comfort each other after being caught by Border Patrol agents near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Detention holding facility A boy from Honduras watches a movie at a detention facility run by the US Border Patrol Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican farm workers Mexican migrant workers harvest organic parsley at Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colorado Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican family in Arizona A Mexican immigrant family sits in the living room of their rented home in Tuscon, Arizona. The family that Arizona's new tough immigrant law had created a climate of fear in the immigrant community. Getty

Mr Trump has also announced he will place tariffs on all Mexican imports in a latest attempt to address a border crisis and crack down on illegal immigration.

Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades, Mr Trump tweeted on Friday. [It] makes a fortune from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done, he said.

Mr Trumps comments follow an announcement that a 5 per cent tariff will come into effect from 10 June and gradually increase up to 25 per cent until the illegal immigration problem is remedied, the US President said.

The legislation may threaten the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade deal that is currently is in the process of being updated.

In February, Mr Trump declared the situation on the Southern border of the United States to be a national emergency, citing an invasion of drugs, gangs and people crossing into the country.

During his election campaign and time in office Mr Trump has sought funds to build a wall on the border, a campaign which has been popular with his supporters.

The announcement also comes amid growing calls for the president's impeachment, following FBI special counsel Robert Mueller's surprise statement on Wednesday in which he suggested only Justice Department policy prevented his team from charging a sitting president with a crime.
In a press conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Vice President Mike Pence said he believes the relationship between the US and Canada has never been stronger.

The two met in the Canadian capital to discuss a new trade agreement, which the Prime Minister called a win-win-win.

President Trump and I believe the relationship between the United States and Canada has never been stronger and that is a reflection of his leadership and your leadership, Mr Pence told Mr Trudeau.

The two met to discuss a new trade agreement, which the prime minister called a win-win-win.

We have an historic opportunity to strengthen the economic ties between our two nations with the passage of the USMCA, Mr Pence said during the press conference.

The vice president was reportedly hoping the meeting would help drum up support for the agreement, which seeks to replace NAFTA, and still needs approval from several key lawmakers in Canada, Mexico, and the US.

However, Mr Pences return from Canada was met with an abrupt Twitter announcement from President Trump that he would be imposing a 5 per cent tariff on all Mexican imports until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP.

The tariff will gradually increase until the illegal immigration problem is remedied, the presidents tweet continued.

In his own press conference, Mr Trudeau said he also brought up a non-trade issue during his meeting with the vice president: Mr Pences support of the anti-abortion legislation currently sweeping the US.

I highlighted to the vice president that there was a significant amount of concern amongst Canadians about the new anti-choice laws being passed in a number of states, Mr Trudeau told reporters. This government will always be a strong supporter of womens rights and a womans right to choose.

It was a cordial conversation, he continued, but it is one in which we have very different perspectives.
The US Justice Department has released a transcript of a phone call from Donald Trumps attorney John Dowd to Rob Kelner, Michael Flynns lawyer, in which Mr Dowd sought information about Flynns discussions with special counsel Robert Mueller.

The transcript comes from a phone call that took place on 22 November 2017. It was submitted on Friday to a federal court following a judges order to release portions of Mr Muellers investigation into potential obstruction.

In the phone call, Mr Dowd says hed like to state his position on Mr Kelners situation in starker terms.

He later adds, remember what weve always said about the president and his feelings towards Flynn and, that still remains.

Excerpts of the conversation were first revealed in special counsel Robert Muellers report on the Russia investigation last month.

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

The report says that after Flynn began cooperating with the investigation, a lawyer working for Mr Trump left a message for Flynns attorneys.

The lawyer reminded the attorneys that the president had warm feelings for Flynn and asks for a heads-up if Flynn knew damaging information about the president.

Flynn is awaiting sentencing after admitting to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States.

The Independent has reached out to Mr Kelner and the Justice Department for comment.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Hey, Rob, uhm, this is John again. Uh, maybe, I-I-Im-Im sympathetic; I understand your situation, but let me see if I cant ... state it in ... starker terms. If you have ... and it wouldnt surprise me if youve gone on to make a deal with, and, uh, work with the government, uh ... I understand that you cant join the joint defence; so thats one thing. If, on the other hand, we have, theres information that. .. implicates the President, then weve got a national security issue, or maybe a national security issue, I dont know ... some issue, we got to-we got to deal with, not only for the President, but for the country. So ... uh ... you know, then-then, you know, we need some kind of heads up. Um, just for the sake of ... protecting all our interests, if we can, without you having to give up any ... confidential information. So, uhm, and if its the former, then, you know, remember what weve always said about the President and his feelings toward Flynn and, that still remains, but-Well, in any event, uhm, let me know, and, uh, I appreciate your listening and taking the time. Thanks, Pal.
The Trump administration plans to launch a new human rights panel with a focus on natural law, sparking fear among experts it could be an attempt to upend a host of protections, including for women and LGBTQ+ people.

Titled the Commission on Unalienable Rights, the new body will provide Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, with advice and recommendations concerning international human rights issues.

The Commission will provide fresh thinking about human rights discourse where such discourse has departed from our nation's founding principles of natural law and natural rights, the State Department announced on Thursday.

The terms natural law and natural rights are sometimes invoked by conservatives espousing Christian values, and, according to director of the ACLU human rights programme Jamil Dakwar, have a history of association with racism and discrimination.

The panel, described as necessary and in the public interest by the department, is expected to meet at least once a month.

Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Show all 7 1 /7 Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Doctors and mothers killing babies At a rally in Wisconsin in April 2019, Mr Trump made this extraordinary claim. The baby is born, the mother meets with the doctor, they take care of the baby, Mr Trump said. They wrap the baby beautifully and then the doctor and the mother decide whether they will execute the baby Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "China rapes our country" At a rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2016, Mr Trump said this in reference to the US trade deficit with China: "we cant continue to allow China to rape our country and thats what theyre doing. Its the greatest theft in the history of the world" Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "EU formed to take advantage of US" At a rally for the midterm elections in October 2018, Mr Trump called the EU a "brutal" alliance that "formed to take advantage of us" AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I will build a wall and Mexico will pay for it" Mr Trump first made this claim at the launch of his presidential campaign back in 2015: "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words" AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "Horrible, horrendous people" At a Republican rally in Pennsylvania on August 3 2018, President Trump deemed all journalists in attendance "horrible, horrendous people". He later denounced the "fake, fake, disgusting news" for falsely reporting that he was late to his meeting with the Queen when visiting Britain AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody" Mr Trump said this in reference to his popularity during a rally in Iowa in 2016 AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I wish I could punch him" Mr Trump said this in reference to a protester who was escorted out of his rally in Las Vegas on 22 February, 2016. There was often violence between protesters and supporters at Trump's campaign rallies AFP/Getty

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Politico quoted Mr Pompeo as saying the panel would help connect up what it is were trying to achieve throughout the world, and how do we make sure that we have a solid definition of human rights upon which to tell all our diplomats around the world.

It was a project that I wanted to proceed on, and its an important review of how we think about human rights inside of our efforts in diplomacy, he said.

He added the panel would be deeply connected to the departments existing bureau dedicated to human rights, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

Mr Dakwar told The Independent the commissions mandate was vague and even suspicious, particularly its invocation of fresh thinking and natural law.

It invokes questions about whether this administration is interested  to make maybe torture permissible, or expand the use of the death penalty, redefine what human rights are to limit the use of them in the context of womens rights and the access to their bodies, and in the context of reproductive rights.

He added the idea of Christian values has been used in the past to discriminate against minorities including women and people in the LGBTQ+ community.

 Allan Lichtman says Democrats need to impeach Trump to win 2020 election

Mr Pompeo would likely use it as an attempt to circumvent the development of human rights and, like the White Houses use of alternative facts, attempt to introduce alternative human rights.

The commission comes after two years in which Donald Trump and his aides have demoted human rights as a core issue when conducting foreign policy.

It has largely ignored human rights abuses by allies such as Saudi Arabia, and has generally only invoked them to put pressure on adversaries such as Iran.

As well as rolling back funding for groups abroad which focus on female reproductive rights, the administration has also curtailed rights domestically, including for immigrants and LGBTQ+ people.

Washington DC director at Human Rights Watch, Sarah Margon, said the commission was concerning and that the White Houses recent history doesnt lend itself to a productive conversation that expands human rights.

If you look at the way this administration has engaged in human rights over the past 18 months to two years there is no real reason to be hopeful," she said.

The State Department failed to respond to The Independent at the time of publication.
 Close Donald Trump talks of 'ridiculous' immigration laws ahead of announcing Mexico tariffs

Donald Trump has announced he will be imposing a five percent tariff on all goods incoming from Mexico that will gradually increase unless Americas southern neighbour moves to bring an end to US-bound illegal immigration.

Ahead of his visit to the UK next week, Mr Trump has praised Conservative leadership contender Boris Johnson and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage as good guys and said he may meet with them in London.

The president has meanwhile continued his criticism of outgoing FBI special counsel Robert Mueller and accused him of nurturing a personal vendetta while also contradicting the White House regarding the USS John S McCain, a US Navy destroyer he denies asking to have moved out of sight in Japan during his recent tour as a snub to the late war hero the vessel is named after.

Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
This summer, the TSA is also sending some of its employees to work with the Department of Homeland Security at the southern U.S. border. The employees who volunteered to work at the border amount to about 1 percent of the TSAs workforce, said Howell, who doesnt expect there to be a big impact on wait times at airports.
Twelve people have been killed and six others wounded after a disgruntled employee opened fire at a municipal centre in Virginia Beach, the citys police chief has said.

Police said the suspect, a long-term and current employee at Virginia Beach Municipal Centre fired indiscriminately and was killed when officers responded to the incident.

Virginia Beach police chief James Cervera told reporters an officer was among the six wounded, adding that he was basically saved by his bulletproof vest.

Theres no way to describe an incident such as this, said Mr Cervera.

At the same conference, Virginia Beach mayor Robert Dyer said: This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The shooting happened at the Virginia Beach Municipal Centre, a campus of city offices and agencies, which includes the police department. The shooting happened in Building Number 2, which includes offices for planning and public works.

This day will not define Virginia Beach, said Virginia Beach councilman Aaron Rouse at the press conference. We will come together. We show the strength of our city.

Officials told WAVY that one patient was taken to Sentara Pincess Anne hospital. They were brought by a helicopter reserved for severe injures. Five other patients were taken to Virginia Beach General, seemingly with lesser injuries.

This is a tragic day for Virginia Beach and our entire Commonwealth, wrote Virginia governor Ralph Northam on Twitter. My heart breaks for the victims of this devastating shooting, their families, and all who loved them. I am on my way to Virginia Beach now and will be there within the hour.
North Korea has reportedly executed several officials who carried out talks during the failed second US-North Korea summit in February.

South Korean media said on Friday the hermit nation had executed Kim Hyok-chol, its special envoy to the United States, along with a number of foreign ministry workers.

Kim Yong-chol, is also said to have been subjected to forced labour and ideological education, the Chosun Ilbo reported.

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is believed to be carrying out a massive purge to divert attention away from internal turmoil and discontent, the newspaper said.

Kim Hyok-chol was investigated and executed at Mirim Airport with four foreign ministry officials in March, an unnamed North Korea source told the news outlet.

North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits Show all 16 1 /16 North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, portraits of former supreme leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are required by law to be hung in the home, the classroom, the factory and all manner of other private and public places Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the classroom AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the living room AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the maternity ward of the hospital Alamy North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On board the ship Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the ballot box Mannen av bord North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the office AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the bridegroom Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On the Pyongyang subway Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits On a government building Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the teacher training facility AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the home AFP/Getty North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the military parade Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits In the hall Reuters North Korea's pervasive leaders: the Kim portraits At the Chinese border AFP/Getty

Kim Hyok Chol had been negotiations counterpart to US special representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun before the summit in Hanoi.

Shin Hye-yong, the interpreter for Kim Jong-un at the meeting, is also said to have been detained in a political prison camp, for undermining the authority of the leader by making a critical interpretation mistake, Chosun reported.

Meanwhile, Mr Kims sister, Kim Yo-jong, who aided the leader in Hanoi, is also said to be lying low.

Some previous South Korean reports of North Korean purges and executions have later proved inaccurate.

North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary on Thursday that Acting like one is revering the Leader in front [of others] but dreaming of something else when one turns around, is an anti-Party, anti-revolutionary act that has thrown away the moral fidelity toward the Leader, and such people will not avoid the stern judgment of the revolution.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

There are traitors and turncoats who only memorise words of loyalty toward the Leader and even change according to the trend of the time, the commentary said.

It is the first time since the December 2013 execution of Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong-uns uncle, that expressions hinting at purging such as anti-party, anti-revolutionary and stern judgment have appeared in Rodong Sinmun.
China has reportedly detained or threatened dozens of people as part of a wave of persecution targeting those seeking to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Tuesday will be the 30th anniversary of the infamous crackdown, which saw the Chinese army kill hundreds, possibly thousands, of protesters taking part in student-led pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijings central square.

Discussion or even acknowledgement of the 1989 incident has for years been suppressed by Chinese authorities in an attempt to erase collective memory of the bloodshed.

Amnesty International accused Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, of using the same tired political playbook in cruelly persecuting those seeking the truth about the tragedy.

The Chinese government must accept that no amount of suppression will ever erase the horror of the wholesale slaughter that took place in and around Tiananmen Square, said Roseann Rife, East Asia research director of the charity.

Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Show all 12 1 /12 Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Man blocks tank A tank driving down a road nearby Tiananmen Square is blocked by an unidentified man on 5 June. The picture is seen around the globe as a protest against the previous days events, when tensions that had been building for months came to a head... Bettmann Archive via Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Hu Yaobang dies - 15 April Former general secretary of the Communist Party Hu Yaobang dies aged 73 of a heart attack. He was a leading reformer of the Chinese system who the public saw to be unfairly removed from government. Citizens flock to Tiananmen Square to mourn him. Mourning soon turns to anger as they dwell on the state of China. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Protests spread - 17 April In the days after Hu's death, university students around China are organising. On 17 April, thousands of students march on Tiananmen Square to demand democracy and greater freedoms. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events "We must a clear stand against disturbances" - 26 April So begins the editorial on the front page of the People's Daily, the Chinese state newspaper, on 26 April. The editorial goes on to attack the protesters as anti-party and anti-government. Protesters read a clear message that the government is against them and call for the editorial to be retracted. Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Protests spread further - 4 May Thousands more students in five cities across China join the protests. Head of the Communist Party Zhao Ziyang tells a meeting of bankers that the protests are sure to subside. Pictured are journalists from the China Daily newspaper showing support in Tiananmen Square. Protesters were calling for freedom of the press, among other rights common to democracies Reuters Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Hunger strikes begin - 13 May Hundreds of students begin hunger strikes, upping the stakes of the protests. Pictured: Paramedics remove a student protester who has been on hunger strike on 17 May 1989 AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Zhao visits Tiananmen Square - 19 May Now doubting that the strikes will subside without intervention from the government, party head Zhao Ziyang visits Tiananmen Square and urges students to end the hunger strike. Chinese premier Li Peng briefly joins Zhao but leaves soon after arriving. Zhao was removed from office later in the day. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Martial law declared - 20 May Chinese premier Li Peng declares martial law. Soldiers move in on Tiananmen Square but many are held up by protesters. Soldiers are ordered not to fire on civilians. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Protests continue - 22 May to 1 June On 22 May, a military helicopter drops leaflets above Tiananmen Square that instruct protesters to leave immediately. Despite this, protests continue while the army withdraws. Reuters Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Soldiers move in to clear the square - 3 June On the evening of 3 June, soldiers advance with force. Protesters are warned that the troops have the right to use any methods necessary to clear the square. AFP/Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Soldiers open fire - 4 June In the early hours of the morning, some troops begin to shoot dead protesters who defy their efforts to clear the square. Pictured: A man is covered in blood after the People's Liberation Army open fire on protesters in Tiananmen Square Getty Tiananmen Square massacre: Timeline of events Man blocks tank - 5 June A tank driving down a road nearby Tiananmen Square is blocked by an unidentified man. The picture is seen around the globe as a protest against the previous days events. Bettmann Archive via Getty

Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD), a US-based group supporting activism in China, said a number of activists had been taken into custody to silence any expression or thwart any action this year.

The group said it had documented cases involving 13 people who had been detained or forced into disappearance, including dissident writer Shen Liangqing, who was allegedly seized while walking his dog on charges of picking quarrels.

CHRD said Mr Shen was denied food, water and the use of a toilet for 24 hours.

On 28 May, six artists from Beijing went missing while on a national conscience tour, according to the wife of one of the men, Zhui Hun. Mr Zhui was also detained for picking quarrels and police confiscated his artwork, his wife said.

Authorities also reportedly put three activists on forced travel to prevent them from taking part in any demonstrations or from speaking out. One activist, Ou Biaofeng, has allegedly been removed to Guizhou and Yunnan provinces for at least two weeks accompanied by security officers.

Human Rights Watch said a number of Tiananmen mothers  women whose children were killed in the crackdown  had been restricted from travelling or placed under house arrest.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Wang Yaqiu, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said the Chinese authorities still refuse to recognise the atrocities committed 30 years ago and had failed to compensate victims and their families.

Concealing the truth of 4 June and strengthening the rule of high pressure throughout the country will only inspire the determination of human rights activists to pursue human rights and justice, she said.

In a statement, Amnesty International said: The Chinese authorities must end a wave of persecution targeting those seeking to commemorate the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown.
A quote assigned to Stalin famously rejected the importance of voters: its who counts them that matters. In contemporary Russia, how they are counted is, it would seem, just as important.

Last week, a new poll by state pollsters VTsIOM revealed a worrying state of affairs for the Kremlin. Only 31.7 per cent of respondents said they trusted their president. The new baseline, which represented a 13-year low, led usually loyal publications to conclude that Russians were close to losing patience with Vladimir Putin.

Fast forward to Thursday, and the Kremlins press secretary Dmitry Peskov was fielding questions about the polling. Was the president worried about falling levels of trust? Mr Peskov, audibly irritated, answered that the polling was not consistent with figures he had seen.

How can trust fall, but electoral rating increase?  We await their analysis of the correlation of figures.

Overnight, VTsIOM answered the spokespersons call and issued an update to its polling figures. The headlines changed: in fact, 72.3 per cent of Russians trusted Vladimir Putin.

Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Show all 22 1 /22 Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police officers detain a protester in Moscow AFP/Getty Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny addresses supporters AFP/Getty Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police push protesters back during Pushkin Square AP Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Pro-Kremlin activists and opposition supporters scuffle in Moscow AFP/Getty Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Alexei Navalny during the rally Rex Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian riot police officers detain opposition leader Alexei Navalny AFP/Getty Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police arrest a participant of a liberal opposition rally EPA Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Alexei Navalny being carried away by police Rex Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Opposition supporters shout slogans AFP/Getty Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police officers detain a participant AFP/Getty Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Demonstrator carries a poster depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin during a massive protest rally in St.Petersburg AP Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police carrying struggling opposition leader Alexei Navalny AP Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police detain a protester at a demonstration AP Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Policemen detain opposition supporters REUTERS Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia A fighter of National Liberation Movement, left, clashes with protesters AP Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police officers detain a participant AFP/Getty Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police arrest a participant of a liberal opposition rally EPA Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Policemen detain an opposition supporter Reuters Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police officers detain a cossack during an unauthorized anti-Putin rally AFP/Getty Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police detain a protester in Pushkin Square in Moscow AP Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Protesters attend a rally in St. Petersburg AP Anti-Putin protests: hundreds of demonstrators arrested in Russia Russian police officers run towards protesters AFP/Getty

The difference in figures, pollsters said, was down to methodology and a rephrased question. Last weeks poll was done with open lists, allowing voters to name the politician they most trusted. The new poll used closed lists, and instead asked people what they thought about individual politicians.

Before we limited ourselves to non-personalised questions about trust in politicians, and that got in the way of people expressing their opinion, said Valery Fedorov, VTsIOMs director.

We hope that the new picture will be clearer to our audience and to the journalistic community.

VTsIOM is Russias largest polling organisation, but with close links to the Kremlin, is not considered reliable on key data. That was not always the case, and in the 1990s its team of sociologists were well-regarded. But early in Mr Putins presidency, most of the previous team walked out, claiming intolerable pressure from the Kremlin.

The private organisation they founded in response, the Levada Centre, has since been labelled a foreign agent under controversial NGO-funding laws.

Levada Centres present-day director Lev Gudkov told The Independent that its own independent polling mirrors both sets of VTsIOMs findings, but at 5-10 percentage points lower. Levada also uses a split methodology of open and closed lists, he revealed.

But the veteran pollster offered a fundamentally different interpretation on what the results said about the true level of Vladimir Putins support.

We always ask people to name politicians they trust, and we do this for the simple reason that it gets us closer to the situation wed see if we had competitive elections, he said. Levada Centres most recent figures roughly mirror VTsIOMs 32-72 split  with 30 per cent trusting the president on open lists (where responders name politicians themselves) and 65 per cent on closed lists.

That 65 per cent is essentially a reflection of the monstrous propaganda we have in Russia, and almost approximates to forced voting, Mr Gudkov said.

Regardless of the methodology used, polling trends show a concerning picture for the Kremlin.

In the 10 months since August, Mr Putins rating has dropped more than 20 per cent and is showing little sign of bouncing back. The shift coincides almost exactly with the introduction of controversial reforms to raise the pension age. But it also reflects a wider malaise connected to sanctions, low oil prices, falling real-term wages (13 per cent down over the past five years) and a restriction of civil rights.

Given that background, the raw polling data was not altogether terrible news, said the independent political expert Maria Lipman. They still showed a general acquiescence, if not great enthusiasm, for the idea of Mr Putin as president. They also showed the president remained, by far, the countrys most trusted and popular politician.

Instead, the Kremlins sensitive response probably reflected the negative publicity generated around the poll, she said.

Of course, they will be worried about the hype. And they will have hated the headlines about Putins trust at a historical low.
Donald Trump has announced he will place tariffs on all Mexican imports in a latest attempt to address a border crisis and crack down on illegal immigration.

A 5 per cent tariff will come into effect from 10 June and gradually increase up to 25 per cent until the illegal immigration problem is remedied, the US president said.

The move, aimed at controlling a wave of tens of thousands of asylum seekers, including many Central American families fleeing poverty and violence, risks devastating economic relations with the countrys biggest trade partner for goods.

The United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our country, STOP, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

The decision is a direct challenge to Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

If the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, the tariffs will be removed, Mr Trump later added in a statement.

Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Show all 14 1 /14 Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Immigrant children, many of whom are separated form their parents, are housed in Texas' tent city Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A two-year-old Honduran asylum seeker cries as her mother is searched and detained near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Undocumented migrants ride on the top of a freight train referred to as the beast, or La Bestia Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border A cage inside a US Customs and Border Protection detention facility in Texas Reuters Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy All new agents must complete a months-long training course at the New Mexico facility before assuming their posts at Border Patrol stations, mostly along the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence A group of young men walk along the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border fence in a remote area of the Sonoran Desert Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence in the US Man looks through US-Mexico border fence into the US in Tijuana, Mexico Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US-Mexico border fence US Border Patrol agent Sal De Leon stands near a section of the US-Mexico border fence while stopping on patrol on in La Joya, Texas Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border US Border Patrol Academy US Border Patrol instructor yells at trainees after their initial arrival to the academy Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Memorial service in Guatemala Families attend a memorial service for two boys who were kidnapped and killed in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala. Crime drives emigration from Guatemala to the United States, as families seek refuge from the danger Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Arrests on the border Undocumented immigrants comfort each other after being caught by Border Patrol agents near the US-Mexico border Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Detention holding facility A boy from Honduras watches a movie at a detention facility run by the US Border Patrol Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican farm workers Mexican migrant workers harvest organic parsley at Grant Family Farms in Wellington, Colorado Getty Undocumented immigration across the US-Mexico border Mexican family in Arizona A Mexican immigrant family sits in the living room of their rented home in Tuscon, Arizona. The family that Arizona's new tough immigrant law had created a climate of fear in the immigrant community. Getty

Mr Obrador responded in a public letter saying social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures. He also alluded to the United States history as a nation of immigrants. The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol, he wrote.

The legislation may threaten the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade deal that is currently is in the process of being updated.

Many congressmen and senators in Mexico are going to be asking themselves whether or not theyre in a position to ratify an agreement when they have a gun pointed to their heads. So it just becomes a very complicated situation, Juan Carlos Hartasanchez, senior director at advisory firm Albright Stonebridge Group, told CNBC.

In February, Mr Trump declared the situation on the southern border of the United States to be a national emergency, citing an invasion of drugs, gangs and people crossing into the country.

During his election campaign and time in office, Mr Trump has sought funds to build a wall on the border, a campaign that has been popular with his supporters.

Many experts have criticised the announcement. The drama is legal, but its preposterous, Gary Hufbauer, an expert in trade law at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said.

Others have suggested Mr Trump may be posturing to appeal to his voter base. This seems more theatre and tactics than a strategy to solve the migration crisis and rebalance North American trade, Daniel Ujczo, a US-based international trade lawyer, said.

The announcement also comes amid growing calls for the presidents impeachment, following FBI special counsel Robert Muellers surprise statement on Wednesday in which he suggested only Justice Department policy prevented his team from charging a sitting president with a crime.
Emirates is set to launch the worlds shortest Airbus A380 flight.

The United Arab Emirates-based airline will fly twice a day between Dubai and Muscat from 1 July. The journey is scheduled to take an hour and 15 minutes.

At just 211 miles long, the journey is less than half the number of passengers that the superjumbo typically carries.

Both A380s flying to Muscat from Dubai will have three classes, with a total capacity of 519.

There will be 429 seats in economy, 76 flat beds in business and 14 first class private suites on the upper deck of the A380.

Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane Show all 12 1 /12 Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane First class lobby of the A380 2014 model AFP/Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane Lounge bar on the A380 2015 model AFP/Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane First class suite of the A380 2014 model AFP/Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane First class compartment of the A380 2007 model AFP/Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane The 1st class bar and lounge of the A380 2004 model AFP/Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane Business class compartment of the A380 2007 model AFP/Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane Business class bathroom of the A380 2010 model Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane Bar on the A380, 2016 Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane First class suite of the A380 2014 model AFP/Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane First class suite of the A380 2014 model AFP/Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane First class compartment of the A380 2014 model AFP/Getty Inside the A380: the world's largest passenger plane Business class seating on the A380 2016 model Getty

The airline currently flies a Boeing 777 between the two cities.

The introduction of the A380 services to Muscat means more of our customers will have the opportunity to experience our industry leading products onboard, and will also enhance choice and travel preferences as they plan their journeys, said Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, divisional senior vice president of the Commercial Operations Centre.

Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni, CEO of Oman Airports, called it an extraordinary event for a giant aircraft at Muscat.

The shortest flight in the world is between Westray to Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, which takes just 90 seconds. The plane that operates the route has just eight seats.

From December, British Airways will operate a daily round-trip between Dammam in Saudi Arabia to Bahrain, which are just 54 miles apart. The route will be served by a Boeing 777 with four classes.

The longest flight in the world is between New York and Singapore, clocking in at 9,534 miles. The journey takes around 18 hours and crosses 12 time zones.
For all the talk of a Brexit Party revolution, a Green emergence, and the sweeping rise of populists across Europe, one story seems to have dipped very slightly under the radar. In Germany, Jewish men and boys have been instructed by a government official not to wear a traditional kippah, or skullcap, in public, to reduce the chance of falling victim to abuse or attack.

In the UK, meanwhile, the expulsion from the Labour Party of Alistair Campbell for declaring he had voted Liberal Democrat in the EU elections clouded over the news that the party will be formally investigated by the UK Equalities and Human Rights Commission. The equalities watchdog will investigate whether the party has unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish.

Earlier today, Pete Willsman, a member of Labours National Executive Council, was suspended for suggesting that the accusations against the party were being spread by people working for the Israeli government.

For a long time now, accusations of prejudice and attacks against the Jewish communities on the continent have been levelled squarely at Muslims, especially in France and Germany. The increase in their occurrence, it was claimed, came in correlation with the increasing number of migrants making their way to Western Europe from the Middle East and North Africa, fleeing war in Syria, Iraq and Libya, fuelling support for parties bent on curbing the influx of people.

There is some evidence of religious tensions, at least in isolation, such as the brutal murder of an elderly Jewish women in Paris in November last year by a young Muslim man, or the firebombing of a kosher supermarket three years after a similar attack carried out in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shootings.

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

But the recent warnings made by Felix Klein, the German commissioner on antisemitism, have also led to suggestions that the rise of the parties opposing the migration, such as Germanys AfD and Hungarys Fidesz, had done nothing to curb incidences of antisemitic attacks. In fact, as the parties have grown in popularity, so too have the number of incidents, and the general feeling of unease in the Jewish community.

According to Germanys interior ministry, hate crimes motivated by antisemitism rose 20 per cent in the past 12 months. France 24, meanwhile, reported that French antisemitic attacks rose a staggering 74 per cent in the same period. Almost 90 per cent of European Jews, meanwhile, feel that antisemitism has increased in the past decade, according the EU polling.

The simple fact of the matter is, for Europes Jews, prejudice exists seemingly on all sides of the political spectrum. Muslim antisemitism is shielded to some extent by the political centre. The massive increase of Muslims from the MENA region has inadvertently created a community at the heart of the continent who have inevitably brought with them a certain level of prejudice. It is an antisemitism with its roots in religious divides, but exacerbated by the political reality of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Responsibility must be taken for this.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The response to the centrist order, however, both from the left and the right, has proven equally ruinous, with both sides citing racist tropes about Jewish interference, be it via George Soros and banking or the state of Israel itself, as obstructions to each ones political agenda.

What these movements show, from the AfD to Corbynism, is that notions of defending European culture, or attempting to build a more inclusive society, come at the expense of Jews. This is a far more deeply rooted problem than attributing blame to any one group: it demonstrates that, at its core, all the major reactionary political movements of our time rely on scapegoats, just as those that went before did.

Far from offering anything new, right and left wing populists in Europe blame the same group they always have done. Europes great shame, for all we claim to learn, and to progress, still haunts us. Apportioning blame does not help; it is down to all sides to recognise it is a failing all are complicit in.
I was in Kabul a decade ago when WikiLeaks released a massive tranche of US government documents about the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen. On the day of the release, I was arranging by phone to meet an American official for an unattributable briefing. I told him in the course of our conversation what I had just learned from the news wires.

He was intensely interested and asked me what was known about the degree of classification of the files. When I told him, he said in a relieved tone: No real secrets, then.

When we met later in my hotel I asked him why he was so dismissive of the revelations that were causing such uproar in the world.

He explained that the US government was not so naive that it did not realise that making these documents available to such a wide range of civilian and military officials meant that they were likely to leak. Any information really damaging to US security had been weeded out.

In any case, he said: We are not going to learn the biggest secrets from WikiLeaks because these have already been leaked by the White House, Pentagon or State Department.

The children wounded in Yemen's war Show all 15 1 /15 The children wounded in Yemen's war The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Ali Ashwal / Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Save the Children The children wounded in Yemen's war Save the Children

I found his argument persuasive and later wrote a piece saying that the WikiLeaks secrets were not all that secret.

However, it was the friendly US official and I who were being naive, forgetting that the real purpose of state secrecy is to enable governments to establish their own self-interested and often mendacious version of the truth by the careful selection of facts to be passed on to the public. They feel enraged by any revelation of what they really know, or by any alternative source of information. Such threats to their control of the news agenda must be suppressed where possible and, where not, those responsible must be pursued and punished.

We have had two good examples of the lengths to which a government  in this case that of the US  will go to protect its own tainted version of events. The first is the charging of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage Act for leaking 750,000 confidential military and diplomatic documents in 2010.

The second example has happened in the last few days. The international media may not have always covered itself in glory in the war in Yemen, but there are brave journalists and news organisations who have done just that. One of them is Yemeni reporter Maad al-Zikry who, along with Maggie Michael and Nariman El-Mofty, is part of an Associated Press (AP) team that won the international reporting Pulitzer prize this year for superb on-the-ground coverage of the war in Yemen. Their stories included revelations about the US drone strikes in Yemen and about the prisons maintained there by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The US government clearly did not like this type of critical journalism. When the Pulitzer was awarded last Tuesday in New York, Zikry was not there because he had been denied a visa to enter the US. There is no longer a US embassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, but two months ago he made his way to the US embassy in Cairo where his visa application, though fully supported by AP and many other prestigious institutions, was rejected.

 Pamela Anderson: Julian Assange prison visit 'very difficult'

After AP had exerted further pressure, Zikry made a second application for a visa and this time he was seen by a counsellor at the embassy. He reports himself as asking: Does the US embassy think that a Yemeni investigative journalist doing reporting for AP is a terrorist? Are you saying I am a terrorist?

The counsellor said that they would work on his visa or, in other words, ask the powers-that-be in Washington what to do. So, I waited and waited  and waited, he says. And, until now I heard nothing from them.

Recommended Iran rocked as former mayor confesses on TV to alleged murder of wife

Of course, Washington is fully capable of waiving any prohibition on the granting of a visa to a Yemeni in a case like this, but it chose not to.

Can what Assange and WikiLeaks did in 2010 be compared with what Zikry and AP did in 2019? Some commentators, to their shame, claim that the pursuit of Assange, and his current imprisonment pending possible extradition to the US or Sweden, has nothing to with freedom of expression.

In fact, he was doing what every journalist ought to do and doing it very successfully.

Yemeni experts on the conflict say that Houthi arms acquisition today has likewise little to do with Iran

Take Yemen as an example of this. It is a story of great current significance because in recent days senior US officials have denounced Iran for allegedly directing and arming the Houthi rebels who are fighting Saudi and UAE-backed forces. Action by these supposed Iranian proxies could be a casus belli in the confrontation between the US and Iran.

Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, says that Iran has provided the Houthis with the missile system, the hardware, the military capability that they have acquired.

John Bolton, the national security adviser, said on Wednesday that Iran risked a very strong response from the US for, among other things, drone attacks by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia for which he holds the Iranians responsible.

These accusations by the US, Saudi Arabia and whoever is their Yemeni ally of the day that the Houthis are stooges of Iran armed with Iranian-supplied weapons have a long history. But what do we know about what Washington really thinks of these allegations which have not changed much over the years?

This is where Wikileaks comes to the rescue.

The US embassy in Sanaa may be closed today, but it was open on 9 December 2009 when Stephen Seche, the US ambassador, sent a detailed report to the State Department titled: Who are the Houthis? How are they fighting? Citing numerous sources, it says that the Houthis obtain their weapons from the Yemeni black market and by corrupt deals with government military commanders. A senior Yemeni intelligence officer is quoted as saying: The Iranians are not arming the Houthis. The weapons they use are Yemeni. Another senior official says that the anti-Houthi military covers up its failures by saying that the weapons [of the Houthis] come from Iran.

Yemeni experts on the conflict say that Houthi arms acquisition today has likewise little to do with Iran. Yemen has always had a flourishing arms black market in which weapons, large and small, can be obtained in almost any quantity if the money is right. Anti-Houthi forces, copiously supplied by Saudi Arabia and UAE, are happy to profit by selling on weapons to the Houthis or anybody else.

In an earlier period, the embassy study cites sensitive reporting  presumably the CIA or another intelligence organisation  as saying that extremists from Somalia, who wanted Katyusha rockets, had simply crossed the Red Sea and bought them in the Yemeni black market.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Revealing important information about the Yemen war  in which at least 70,000 people have been killed  is the reason why the US government is persecuting both Assange and Zikry.

The defiant Yemeni journalist says that one of the key reasons why this land is so impoverished in that tragic condition it has reached today is the US administrations mass punishment of Yemen. This is demonstrably true, but doubtless somebody in Washington considers it a secret.
Even by his own vain, erratic, rambling, bombastic standards, the latest Trump tweets are astonishing. I wouldnt wish to misquote the president of the United States, so here they both are, in all their succinct majesty:

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5 per cent Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied..

at which time the Tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow.

So thats how America governs itself these days. And I thought Britain was a mess.

Its difficult to know where to start with this. Why not with how idiotic, illogical, counter-productive, arrogant, ignorant and economically illiterate it all is? Why impoverish Mexico when all it will mean is more economic migrants trying to get into America? What then, Mr President, will you do?

Ah yes, we know the answer, because the details are that the tariffs will keep going up in 5 per cent steps until they hit 25 per cent. Then, when Mexicos agricultural and industrial exports to its largest market have been decimated, and only then, will Trump stop increasing the punishment meted out to Mexico. At which point Americas exports to Mexico will also have been destroyed  because Mexicans can't afford them and because of retaliatory tariffs  and everyone will be the poorer. A lesson in the benefits of free trade and the evil of poeticism right there, and one that will be blithely ignored by Trump.

Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Show all 7 1 /7 Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies Doctors and mothers killing babies At a rally in Wisconsin in April 2019, Mr Trump made this extraordinary claim. The baby is born, the mother meets with the doctor, they take care of the baby, Mr Trump said. They wrap the baby beautifully and then the doctor and the mother decide whether they will execute the baby Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "China rapes our country" At a rally in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2016, Mr Trump said this in reference to the US trade deficit with China: "we cant continue to allow China to rape our country and thats what theyre doing. Its the greatest theft in the history of the world" Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "EU formed to take advantage of US" At a rally for the midterm elections in October 2018, Mr Trump called the EU a "brutal" alliance that "formed to take advantage of us" AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I will build a wall and Mexico will pay for it" Mr Trump first made this claim at the launch of his presidential campaign back in 2015: "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words" AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "Horrible, horrendous people" At a Republican rally in Pennsylvania on August 3 2018, President Trump deemed all journalists in attendance "horrible, horrendous people". He later denounced the "fake, fake, disgusting news" for falsely reporting that he was late to his meeting with the Queen when visiting Britain AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody" Mr Trump said this in reference to his popularity during a rally in Iowa in 2016 AFP/Getty Most shocking remarks made by Trump at campaign rallies "I wish I could punch him" Mr Trump said this in reference to a protester who was escorted out of his rally in Las Vegas on 22 February, 2016. There was often violence between protesters and supporters at Trump's campaign rallies AFP/Getty

The truth is that the immigrants are not coming into the US because the Mexicans aren't bothering to patrol their own borders. To go back to an old Trumpism: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best," he said then. "They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

First, Mexico doesnt send anyone. The migrants are, predominantly, not coming from Mexico at all, but from the nations in crisis to her south, most obviously from Venezuela. If the president wants to break Mexicos economy in the same away that Chavez and Maduro have wrecked Venezuela, then he should not be surprised if his tariff war on Mexico only ends up with Mexicans joining the Venezuelans and others trying to smuggle themselves into the US.

The underlying fallacy in all of Trumps thinking is that controlling migration is all about physical borders, walls and draconian punishments. They help, of course, but the reality is that he could implement a shoot-on-sight policy across the border and even that would not stop desperate human beings from fleeing to the safety and opportunity they see in America.

It has always been thus. Maybe Trump should ask himself why his grandfather and his wife and millions of others over the centres came to America. Was it because of lax border rules or because they wanted to make a better life? How so many entered illegally? How many made arduous and painful journeys across continents to reach freedom, just as now? The Vietnamese boat people? The refugees from Cuba?

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The most effective way to push migration from the south to the US onto a downward trajectory is to even up the living standards either side of the Rio Grande. That is what free trade and free movements of investment  globalisation  does. Its what the Nafta tried to do, before Trump scrapped it.

Making Mexicans poorer does not make America secure and great again. When will the madness end?
Garda are investigating after a man died following a hit and run in Dublin (PA)

A man has died following a hit and run involving a HGV in Dublin.

The incident happened on the Swords Road (N1), at the Collins Avenue Junction just after midnight on Friday.

The victim, a man aged in his twenties, was rushed to Beaumont Hospital but was later declared dead.

The garda described the incident as a hit and run.

A spokesman said the HGV believed to be involved in the incident failed to remain at the scene.

It is reported to have been a white-coloured vehicle which was travelling from Whitehall in the direction of Donnycarney.

The force has urged anyone with information, or who may have been in the area of the collision between 12.15am and 12.30am on Friday, to contact them.

We are interested in speaking to anyone who may have dashcam or CCTV footage or anyone with information on the movements/whereabouts of the HGV believed to be involved in this incident, a garda spokesman said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Santry Garda Station on 01 666 4000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Michael Scott has been charged with murder Photograph: Hany Marzouk

(Inset) Michael Scott has been charged with the murder of Chrissie Treacy, who was found dead at her farm in Portumna

A MAN charged with murdering an elderly woman has said that her death was "a genuine accident," a court has heard.

Michael Scott (54) has been charged with the murder of Chrissie Treacy, from Portumna, Co Galway on April 27 2018.

The 75-year old, who lived alone at Boula in Portumna, was found dead at her farm over a year ago.

Scott appeared before a special sitting of Loughrea District Court this evening.

Expand Close Michael Scott has been charged with murder Photograph: Hany Marzouk / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Michael Scott has been charged with murder Photograph: Hany Marzouk

Detective Sergeant Paul Duane gave evidence of arresting Scott.

The detective sergeant told Judge Gerard Furlong that in reply to the charge Scott said: I did not murder Chrissie Treacy. A genuine accident.

Scott, who was dressed in a striped shirt with rolled up sleeves, did not speak during the brief hearing which lasted less than four minutes.

Judge Furlong remanded Scott in custody to appear before Loughrea District Court next Wednesday.
Cattle eating silage on Hook Head during the drought in summer 2018

A dramatic increase in feed costs in 2018 due to adverse weather led to a 31pc decrease in dairy farm incomes and a "historical" 22pc drop in cattle-rearing incomes last year, according to the Teagasc National Farm Survey.

Storm Emma swathed the country snowfall in March last year, followed swiftly by an extraordinarily dry summer, weather events that severely affected farm incomes.

Dairy farms incurred the largest income reductions, with average dairy farm income falling by 31pc to 61,273, compared with the 2017 level of 88,829. This is mainly due to concentrate feed use, which increased by almost one-third to over 1,300kg per cow.

Average family farm income on cattle-rearing farms dipped to an estimated 8,318 in 2018, a reduction of 22pc on the 10,642 in 2017, with a sharp rise in production costs the main driver.

Teagasc director Gerry Boyle noted that it was a "historically low income" drop for cattle-rearing farmers and added that there would be an inevitable reduction in suckler cow numbers over the coming years on the back of dairy expansion.

Meanwhile, Teagasc economist Emma Dillon said she believed cattle incomes for 2019 would be static but views the outlook for dairy as more positive.

Expand Close Dairy Farmer Patrick Murphy celebrates the arrival of rain at his dairy farm at Timoleague, West Cork. Picture Denis Boyle / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Dairy Farmer Patrick Murphy celebrates the arrival of rain at his dairy farm at Timoleague, West Cork. Picture Denis Boyle

"Dairy farm income has been particularly volatile over recent years due to price and weather-induced shocks, so overall for 2019 the weather has been better and milk price is holding up and the outlook in terms of global supply is fairly positive.

She said global trends for dairy product prices were negative but was overall things were positive for the sector. "On cattle rearing, I think it will remain fairly static to be honest," she said.

Sheep farms also experienced an income reduction in 2018, with higher-than-normal levels of feed and fertiliser use. Average sheep farm income fell from 17,357 in 2017 to 13,769 in 2018, a reduction of 21pc.

While crop yields on tillage farms were well below average trend yields, farmers benefited from a large jump in harvest prices in 2018 relative to 2017.

Expand Close Karol Winters surveys the damage at Winterheights, Taghmon, after sheds collapsed / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Karol Winters surveys the damage at Winterheights, Taghmon, after sheds collapsed

In spite of the low yields, this price increase was large enough to boost the average income in tillage farms in 2018, which was 42,678, an increase of 18pc on the 2017 figure of 36,048.

Across the sector as a whole, the average family income in 2018 declined by 21pc dropping from 29,774 in 2017 to 23,483.

However, the average on individual farm systems continues to vary greatly.

Despite last year's challenges, new investment on Irish farms was up 9pc mostly on dairy farms with an average of 31,671 per farm. This led to an average level of debt of 118,446, an increase of 10pc on 2017.

However, investment on cattle and sheep farms was down to 19pc and 26pc respectively. Cattle-rearing farms' level of vulnerability also rose to 43pc and sheep to 44pc, compared to just 13pc of dairy and 18pc of tillage operations.
The US will soon start to up its pressure on the EU to include agriculture in the ongoing trade talks, trade analysts have predicted.

Analysts at the Eurasia group say that the deadline will be "impossible to achieve", given the EU is currently in post-election mode, and that horse-trading for top jobs at the Commission has only just begun.

They predict that the "greater access to the EU's agricultural markets is one of the key reasons the US agreed to the talks and will be critical for securing congressional approval for any agreement," the group said in a note earlier this month. "So, although agriculture is not part of the EU's negotiating mandate, the implicit understanding is that the subject needs to be discussed at a later stage when enough progress has been made on less controversial topics."

Shelved

France opposed the opening of even limited trade talks with the US in April, (over the US pulling out of the Paris climate agreement), though it did not stop the talks going ahead.

Activists and citizens have a tradition of opposing EU-US trade talks, as they did with the former Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which was shelved after President Donald Trump's election in 2016.

While ongoing negotiations are limited to product conformity and tariffs on industrial goods - a strict mandate agreed in April - tensions are likely to boil over when a separate deadline for concluding a deal on car tariffs comes up in six months' time.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has just announced a $16bn emergency aid package for US farmers, the second such fund since last July. The money is to help with the fallout of ongoing trade tensions, particularly with China.
IT could could take 10 years to resolve the 14.3bn Apple State aid battle between the European Commission, Ireland and the tech giant, the Public Accounts Committee has been told.

Following a two-year probe, the Commission ruled in 2016 that Apple had benefited from illegal State aid totalling 13.1bn.

The case is the biggest illegal State aid ruling ever by the European Commission.

Challenging it has already cost the State 7.1m, the Committee heard. Last year, the tech giant transferred the disputed 13.1bn-plus interest of 1.2bn to Ireland, with the money being held in escrow.

Apple and Ireland are appealing the State aid allegations, arguing that Apple never benefited from illegal aid.

The funds will be held in escrow until such time as the appeals are completed.

The Government last year appointed BNY Mellon to manage the Apple escrow account.

European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager - tipped to be the Commission's next president - said in 2016 that "Apple's tax benefits in Ireland are illegal" and reliefs granted to the company by Ireland had "artificially reduced Apple's tax burden". But it could now take years before there's a final outcome from the appeal.

Derek Moran, secretary general of the Department of Finance, said: "This could take many years. We had an expectation of having a preliminary hearing this side of the summer, but that hasn't happened.

"In my experience, by the time this gets through the full process of litigation, up to and including the ECJ [European Court of Justice], this will probably be several years," he added.

Asked by Fine Gael TD Peter Burke, who's a member of the Public Accounts Committee, if it could be a decade before it's resolved, Mr Moran said he is aware of a separate case that has been running for longer than that.

"I certainly know of one State aid case that is significantly more than a decade," he said.

That relates to another State aid case taken against Ireland by the Commission in relation to the Aughinish Alumina plant on the Shannon.

Mr Moran said the State has already paid 7.1m in costs in relation to the Apple case. That includes 3.7m on establishing an escrow fund for the Apple cash. An additional 3.4m has been paid in legal fees.

Mr Moran said that 90,000 has also been paid in translation costs, while there had been 65,000 in other costs.

He added that at this stage the Department of Finance does not have a "fixed projection" in the likely ultimate legal and other costs.

But he said the final legal cost to the State has "the potential to be significantly more" than the 3.4m already incurred.
A HIGH Court judge has granted a stay until October on his decision that a fund is entitled to a total 65m judgment against a businessman and his wife after being told that discussions are under way between the sides.

Mr Justice Michael Twomey has granted the stay to October 15 after being told that Promontoria (Gem) DAC had agreed to consider the proposals advanced by Stephen Murphy.

The judge also noted there are funds held for Mr Murphy in an account.

On that basis, and while finding Mr Murphy and his wife Margaret, of Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, had not made out an arguable defence to the summary judgment application entitling them to a plenary hearing, he said that he would grant the stay.

He said the sides could update the court in early October as to whether a settlement had been reached.

The fund had sought judgment for some 48.3m against Mr Murphy, and for some 17.2m against Ms Murphy arising from borrowings from Bank of Ireland between 2002 and 2010 for property acquisition and development in Ireland.

The loans were later transferred to the National Assets Management Agency (Nama) which, under the terms of a settlement with the couple, had agreed to release its charge over the family home and limit its recourse against them.

Nama later transferred its rights and interest in the loans, including the settlement agreement, to Promontoria.

As a result of an alleged breach by the couple of the terms of the settlement agreement, the fund later issued a demand for repayment and ultimately issued proceedings for summary judgment.
Gross profits at Paddy Cosgraves Web Summit have risen to 16m on revenues of almost 29m, the companys latest accounts show.

The accounts for 2017 report an after-tax profit of 3.1m at Manders Terrace, the firm that incorporates Web Summit, Collision and other event brands created by Mr Cosgrave.

Expand Close Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrave

The figures represent a steady rise in turnover and profitability in recent years as the company has expanded the number and scale of its conferencing activities.

The accounts also show a rise in employment at the firms Dublin headquarters, to over 160 people.

The average pay at the company, according to the accounts, stood at just under 43,000 while directors pay was 337,000.

Mr Cosgrave owns the majority of the Web Summit, with co-founders David Kelly and Daire Hickey each owning a very small percentage. No dividend was taken during 2017, according to Mr Cosgrave, while all earnings were retained for reinvestment.

In an open letter (see below) timed to accompany publication of the accounts, Mr Cosgrave suggested that the company may now be a unicorn, meaning a private company with a valuation of over 1bn. However, there is no external valuation attributed to the firm as it has not sought a public listing or taken investment that might give an indicative value on the company. Dublin-based customer software firm Intercom is currently Irelands only tech unicorn company, valued at 1.01bn after its last funding round.

Mr Cosgrave said that there are no plans to seek external investment or a public listing.

Web Summit is not a public company, nor has [it] any intention to go public, he said.

Web Summit remains a private tech company, and is entirely employee owned.

He said that the company turned down a 150M offer from one of the worlds leading public companies in business events in 2014. And he said that the companys long term aim is to build software for other events, to disrupt the trillion dollar events business.

Our accounts for our Irish operations show that Web Summit continues to invest and hire in Ireland, despite all our conferences now taking place outside of Ireland.

The company has just held its North American conference, Collision In Toronto, where it attracted over 25,000 delegates.
A JOINT venture between Irish renewables firm BNRG and France's Neoen for a 12MW solar farm in Co Kildare has been refused permission by An Bord Pleanala.

The planning watchdog said the planned development would be contrary to the proper planning of the area.

BNRG and Neoen intended to build the solar farm at an agricultural site just over 4km from Kildare town.

The development was refused by the local council on the grounds that the location was a "special landscape".

An Bord Pleanala said the development would "seriously injure" the visual amenities of the area and would conflict with the development plan objective to protect the landscape.

"The proposed solar farm would form a prominent and obtrusive feature in the landscape, which would be highly visible in views from its environs and which would adversely impact on the character of the local setting," said the planning watchdog's inspector.

In 2017, BNRG and Neoen formed a joint venture to develop as many as 23 solar projects in the south and the east of the country. The solar farms were intended to be generating more than a combined 200MW of electricity when complete. It was expected they would cost a total of 220m to develop.

BNRG Renewables has already developed 230m of solar projects in the UK and mainland Europe. It also has a pipeline of projects in Australia and Latin America. Last year, it commenced construction of 10 solar projects in Oregon that will deliver combined output of 35MW.

The company, founded by David Maguire and Neil Holman, has also been developing a project in Maine in the US. It expects to have completed 150MW of projects in the US by the middle of next year.

Last year, BNRG Renewables opened the 14MW Laurel Hill solar farm in Co Down.

Meanwhile, Terra Solar has been granted permission by An Bord Pleanala for a 50MW solar farm in Co Kerry.

The proposal had been objected to by individuals including environmentalist Peter Sweetman. He has also objected to plans by chip giant Intel for a new $4bn (3.6bn) manufacturing facility at its campus at Leixlip in Co Kildare. The project has been approved by Kildare County Council, but is almost certain to be appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

The planning watchdog said the Terra Solar project in Co Kerry, which will be 3.5km from Listowel, should be allowed, subject to a number of conditions. It had been rejected by the local council.
THE Skeffington Arms hotel in Galway recorded pre-tax profits of 319,542 last year after a "superb year" for the business.

Revenues increased by 17pc to 7.29m in the 12 months to the end of September last.

The company's directors described the 2018 performance as "outstanding". They state that they expect growth in the foreseeable future. The company's fixed assets were also revalued during the year showing a 3m gain in value. The hotel business also includes the operation of the Skeff late bar and the DNA nightclub. Numbers employed by the business stood at 97 with staff costs totalling 2.7m. Directors pay increased marginally to 281,913. Separate accounts for a sister hotel firm, Callanan Hotel Ltd which operates the Prince of Wales hotel in Athlone, show that it recorded operating profits of 311,129 in the 12 months to the end of September last. This followed revenues dipping marginally from 4.68m to 4.58m. The accounts show that the business recorded revenues of 1.65m from its Karma nightclub while hotel and bar revenues stood at 2.92m.
Bank of Ireland, AIB and its subsidiary EBS, Ulster Bank and KBC Bank are the lenders in line for hefty penalties. (stock image)

It is going to be an expensive year for our tracker mortgage-stealing banks. Following the record fine of 21m imposed on Permanent TSB for denying customers the right to a good-value tracker mortgage, another five banks can expect to be fined similar amounts.

Bank of Ireland, AIB and its subsidiary EBS, Ulster Bank and KBC Bank are the lenders in line for hefty penalties.

The total fines bill for the six lenders is likely to top 100m. It follows enforcement actions taken against them by the Central Bank.

Subprime lender Springboard was also fined 4.5m in 2016 for tracker regulatory breaches.

Some 15 lenders were ordered by the Central Bank back in 2015 to trawl through their books to see if they had wrongly taken trackers off their customers.

That came years after the Irish Independent first broke the story of the banks unfairly depriving their customers of trackers - and the failure of banks to warn customers signing up for fixed rates that they could lose their tracker.

So it is now a full 10 years since this publication exposed the scandal that we are finally seeing decent fines being handed out.

It has been a long and tortuous battle to expose the shortcomings of the banks, with many denials and deflections along the way.

Only when the Oireachtas Finance Committee, under the chairmanship of John McGuinness, got stuck into the banks, with tracker case witnesses breaking down, did the Central Bank take the issue seriously.

Even then, it had to be pushed into action by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.

The scandal, which directly resulted in more than 100 properties being taken by banks, is set to cost the State's lenders 1bn in fines and the cost of restoring customers to tracker rates, paying refunds and compensation.

We have now reached the point where 40,000 customers have been acknowledged by the banks and the regulator as having been affected.

It is the largest consumer scandal this country has experienced, with the exception of the bank bailout.

And there are probably another 10,000 cases where the banks are still holding out.

Bank of Ireland is refusing to admit that about 200 of its current and former staff are due tracker redress.

What this means is that we can by no means draw a line under the scandal.

Much though the banks and the regulator would like it to be all over, the tracker scandal has a bit to go yet.
A string of banks is set to be heavily fined over the tracker mortgage scandal after a record punishment was handed down to Permanent TSB.

The regulator has reprimanded and fined Permanent TSB 21m. It said this was due to "serious failings to 2,007 tracker mortgage customer accounts which were impacted for the period between August 2004 and October 2018".

Being denied trackers was behind the loss of 12 family homes, and there were 19 buy-to-let properties taken by the bank as a result of the tracker failure.

The Central Bank said the bank did unacceptable harm to its tracker mortgage customers. Along with the fine, Permanent TSB has had to pay 54.3m in redress and compensation and put the 2,000 customers back on the attractive tracker rates.

It is the first of six banks to be fined over the handling of tracker cases.

Bank of Ireland, AIB and its subsidiary EBS, Ulster Bank, and KBC Bank can also now expect hefty penalties, which could mean more than 100m will be paid by the lenders in fines.

It will also raise fears that ultimately customers could pay in the form of extra fees.

The cost of fines and redress for 40,000 customers of all banks is set to top 1bn.

The Central Bank said the original fine for Permanent TSB was 30m, but this was reduced by 30pc as the bank made a settlement with the regulators, effectively accepting the fine.

Permanent TSB was reprimanded as it failed to warn some of its customers about the consequences of decisions they might make relating to their mortgage. This was when customers chose to opt out of their tracker rates for a period, but were not told they might lose the valuable tracker rate if they did this.

The bank, which is 75pc owned by the State, was also accused by the Central Bank of operations and systems failings. The Central Bank said: "PTSB made a decision to deny certain customers their entitlements to the correct lower tracker rate between 2009 and 2010 unless the customer specifically requested it, or queried or complained."

It was also accused of an incorrect legal interpretation of contractual terms and conditions.

The Central Bank's director of enforcement Seana Cunningham said a mortgage is the single most significant financial commitment most people will make in their lifetime.

"Consumers must have confidence that lenders are acting in their best interests, particularly given the complexity of mortgage documents they need to understand in order to make the best decision.

"Firms must fully adhere to all legal and regulatory obligations, including the Central Bank's Consumer Protection Codes that we have put in place to ensure that consumers are treated fairly by the firms we regulate."

Reacting to the fine, Permanent TSB chief executive Jeremy Masding said: "On behalf of Permanent TSB, I apologise unreservedly to all customers affected by the tracker mortgage issue, and for the distress caused as a result."

Mr Masding was not in charge at the time the breaches happened, from 2004 onwards. But he denied the bank had been dragging its feet over remedial action and said customers would have been compensated even without Central Bank intervention.

David Guinane was chief executive from November 2007 to February 2012, according to his LinkedIn account.

Calls to Mr Guinane for a comment were not answered.

It is understood the Central Bank has not ruled out individual fines.

Fianna Fail finance spokesperson Michael McGrath said culture change is needed in the country's banks.

He added: "The most striking thing about today's announcement from the Central Bank is that yet again there is no individual accountability for Permanent TSB's scandalous treatment of some of its customers.

"There are many outstanding tracker cases that remain unresolved. Some of them are in what might be described as a grey area, given the ambiguity in the mortgage documentation. I would like to see the Finance Minister and the Central Bank explore the option of using the revenue from the tracker fines to establish a fund to support the customers in that category.

"We also now need Government to prioritise the legislation to give effect to the recommendations in the Central Bank's 'Behaviour and Culture of the Irish Retail Banks' including the introduction of a senior executive accountability regime."
The country's biggest housing development site Poolbeg will be sold within weeks, according to the National Asset Management Agency (Nama).

The sale of the Poolbeg West Special Development Zone will unleash a long-promised development that aims to relieve some of the housing shortages in Dublin.

The SDZ was announced in May 2016 and was hailed by then-housing Minister Simon Coveney, who said he expected it to be delivered at a pace that would "take people by surprise".

The plan was appealed to An Bord Pleanala, which reviewed the proposals and did not approve it until April this year.

"We are now actively working on a strategy to bring that to the market in the next six to eight weeks," Nama chief executive Brendan McDonagh told a press conference at which the agency announced its 2018 financial results.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe hailed the plans to finally move ahead with the development, which he said "has the potential to provide in a very integrated manner 3,500 new homes".

"This site is one of the last remaining large-scale residential development opportunities still available near Dublin city centre and 25pc of all new homes there will be either social or affordable housing," Mr Donohoe said.

Nama has so far funded the development of more than 10,000 housing units and aims to deliver 20,000 over its lifetime.

Overall, the Government has plans to increase new home builds to 25,000 a year by 2020 and to provide 50,000 new social housing units by 2021 from a 2016 base.

Official data for social housing show that there are 70,000 people across the country on waiting lists, although critics say that number has been massaged downwards by the use of private-sector rentals that do not provide permanent housing.
A boy accused of murdering Ana Kriegel told a friend he believed his co-accused was trying to set him up because he'd made him call for the schoolgirl, a trial has heard.

The friend also said Boy B told him he saw Boy A get Ana into a headlock and try to get her on to the ground.

Boy B told him he'd "freaked out" and ran away.

The accused, who were aged 13 at the time, have pleaded not guilty before the Central Criminal Court to murdering Ana Kriegel at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road in Lucan, Co Dublin, on May 14 last year.

One of the accused, Boy A, has also denied a charge of aggravated sexual assault.

Yesterday, the jury heard from a number of juvenile witnesses. They gave their evidence via videolink.

One of them said he'd spoken to Boy A on one of the days after Ana went missing. Asked to describe Boy A's appearance, the witness said Boy A appeared "a bit agitated" and "more aware and fidgety".

Asked by prosecution counsel Brendan Grehan SC how Boy B appeared, the witness said he was "fine" and "calm and collected" like he always was.

The witness also said Boy A told him that he, Boy B and Ana had been in the park on the evening she disappeared.

The witness said Boy A told him that Boy B had left, and it was just him and Ana in the park.

Boy A said he'd then left Ana, and a short time later he'd gotten jumped and beaten up by two 20-year-olds.

A friend of Boy B's told the jury that he was speaking to Boy B some time in June 2018 and asked him: "What do you think about the whole Ana thing?"

The witness said Boy B told him he'd something to tell him, and asked him not to tell anyone else. The friend said Boy B told him that he, Boy A and Ana had been in the park and they had gone to explore the abandoned place on the evening she went missing.

The youth said Boy B told him that Ana and Boy A walked in front of him and went through a door or window. Boy B then said he saw Boy A and Ana get into a "semi-physical" argument, or "small scrap", which got "more and more violent".

The youth said Boy B told him that Boy A then got Ana into a headlock and tried to get her on to the ground.

The teen said Boy B told him that Ana was fighting back and trying to push him [Boy A] off her. She was also trying to kick and punch Boy A in the arm and leg, the witness said.

He said Boy B told him he'd "freaked out" and at that point he'd run away.

Cross-examined by Damien Colgan SC, for Boy B, the friend said Boy B had told him earlier that same day that he believed Boy A was "trying to snake him" and was going behind his back and "building a case against him".

The friend said Boy B told him he thought Boy A was trying to set him up because he'd "made him call for Ana".

He accepted he had not told gardai about this conversation with Boy B until November 2018, after he'd discussed the matter with his parents.

The friend also said he'd forgotten about it.

In her evidence, Dr Orla Dempsey, a crime and policing analyst in An Garda Siochana, said Ana's phone was "pinged" and it was last active at 5.32pm on May 14, 2018, using the mast at Fort Lucan/Tinker's Hill near Lucan.

Dr Dempsey said there was no call traffic on Boy A's phone that same day but data usage on his phone indicated that between 5.14pm and 5.36pm on May 14, 2018, the phone used the cell site at Fort Lucan/Tinker's Hill.

Dr Dempsey agreed that this mast at Fort Lucan/Tinkers hill would "cover a large general area".

The trial continues on Tuesday.
Remembered: Family members hold photographs of the people who were killed at Ballymurphy over three days in August 1971. Photo: PA

The British army's former head yesterday insisted there was a gun battle between the IRA and soldiers at Ballymurphy in 1971.

Retired general Mike Jackson (75) was a captain in the Parachute Regiment on deployment in Belfast at the time 10 civilians were shot in Ballymurphy in August 1971.

Mr Jackson was giving evidence to an inquest at Belfast Coroner's Court into the deaths of the civilians, who included a mother of eight and a Catholic priest.

Two men - John Laverty and Joseph Corr - were killed in the early hours of August 11.

Mr Jackson, who said his role at the time was community relations and press liaison, told the inquest he was part of an army movement down Whiterock Road towards Springfield Road in the early hours of August 11, aimed at dismantling barricades.

He recalled a gun battle between the army and the IRA, which he said lasted two to three hours and involved 20 gunmen.

While he did not see the battle, he said he heard the shots, including the "distinctive thumping noise of a Thompson submachine gun", a weapon then associated with the IRA.

"I have absolutely no doubt that the IRA was firing on soldiers and soldiers were firing on the IRA," he said.

Claims that IRA gunmen were in the area at the time have been disputed during the inquest hearings. A newspaper article published later on August 11 described Mr Laverty and Mr Corr as gunmen.

Their families have insisted they were not gunmen.

And the inquest heard that guns were not found when their bodies were recovered.

Mr Jackson told the inquest he accepted it was likely he was a captain quoted by the newspaper, although he did not recall giving the interview.

Pressed on why the pair had been described as gunmen, Mr Jackson said he would have been fed information from soldiers on the ground, by radio or face to face.

"In retrospect, of course I should have said 'alleged'," Mr Jackson told the inquest.

The shootings at Ballymurphy came following the introduction by the Stormont administration of the controversial policy of internment without trial.

Mr Jackson added: "Let me say to the families who so long ago lost their loved ones: for me it's a tragedy.

"It's a tragedy which is hugely regrettable but I would also say anybody who loses their lives as a result of violent conflict is also a tragedy.

"I too have lost friends, so be it. My sympathies to you and I'm sorry that it is only now after so long that you feel you can come to terms."

Mr Jackson also told the inquest the British army does not "do conspiracies".

He made the comment in response to questioning from Michael Mansfield QC, counsel for the family of Mr Corr.

The inquest continues.
Ian Bailey who was convicted in absentia by a French court of the murder of the French film producer, Sophie Toscan du Plantier Pic:Mark Condren 31.5.2019

A COURT in France has found Ian Bailey guilty of killing French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier in west Cork in 1996.

The court handed down a sentence of 25 years and says it will issue a new warrant for Mr Baileys arrest.

Presiding judge Frederique Aline said there is sufficient evidence to convict Mr Bailey (62), despite the fact that he wasnt prosecuted via the Irish courts.

Mr Bailey, a former journalist, has consistently denied the charges.

After deliberating for around five hours, presiding judge Frederique Aline and two other judges returned the verdict, recapping the details of what she described as an extremely violent murder.

She said that due to the violence of the crime, it was undeniable that Ms du Plantier had been killed with homicidal intent.

Expand Close Sophie Toscan du Plantier / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Sophie Toscan du Plantier

The trial that has been labelled a farce by Frank Buttimer, Mr Bailey's lawyer.

Speaking on RTE Radio One, Mr Buttimer said he was not surprised by the verdict. I am not surprised, I predicted this would be a rubber-stamping exercise. The lawyer went on to say this was a "gross miscarriage of justice."

"They will seek the removal of the innocent Mr Bailey, to serve a sentence for a crime that he did not commit," he added.

Mr Buttimer pointed out that in 2012, the Irish Supreme Court decided that Mr Bailey could not be extradited for the crime for which the French have now put him on trial, so called trial, and found him guilty.

The lawyer said that Mr Bailey has always been in jeopardy of being arrested if he left the country ever since the European Arrest warrant was applied for in 2008. In fact, hes been protected by Ireland its always been the case that hes been a prisoner since 2008."

Had he gone back to his mothers funeral for example in and around 2011 he would have been arrested... because of the European Arrest Warrant, for his removal to France for some kind of criminal prosecution investigation then, would have caused that triggering effect.

The charges against Mr Bailey were brought by the French courts in July 2016, when a second request for extradition was made by French authorities. It was rejected by the Irish courts.

Most of Ms du Plantiers family were there to hear the verdict, though her elderly mother did not attend Friday. She had been in court the preceding three days.

On Thursday her son, brother, aunt and uncle made emotional please for justice.

Her son, Pierre-Louise Baudey Vignaud spoke of the insulting way his mother was portrayed in the press at the time of the murder.

French Public Prosecutor Jean-Pierre Bonthoux said the verdict should be a first step in a process that should eventually lead to Mr Bailey being tried in person, and a new warrant issued for his arrest.

I hope one day to see Mr Bailey in this court, and to see his lawyers defend him, Bonthoux told the Paris criminal court on Friday morning.

Mr Bonthoux Mr Baileys absence - and that of his legal team - was a form of cowardice, and blasted him for using the media to mount his defence.

It would be laughable if it werent so tragic, Mr Bonthoux said. Mr Bailey is making fun of us.

Mr Bailey was tried in absentia for the murder of Ms du Plantier, who was beaten to death with a heavy object - either a flat stone or a breeze block, police believe - on the night of 22-23 December 1996.

She had been staying alone at her remote holiday home in Toormore, near Schull, Co. Cork, and police believe she answered the door to her attacker, before trying to flee the house. Her body was found a small distance away, near the side of a road.

More to follow
An imprisoned jihadist's battle against the revocation of his Irish citizenship went to the High Court yesterday.

The challenge was brought by Algerian-born Ali Charaf Damache, who is serving a 15-year sentence in the US for providing material support to Islamic terrorists.

He was told in October that the Justice Minister intended to revoke his citizenship on the grounds he had failed in his duty of loyalty and fidelity to the State. Yesterday, Mr Justice Richard Humphrey said that he would reserve judgment in the case of the 54-year-old jihadist to a later date.

Damache came to Ireland in 2000 and lived in Waterford, gaining citizenship in 2008 after marrying an Irish woman. He would later be linked to al-Qa'ida and a jihadist cell plotting attacks in Europe and southern Asia.

He conspired with Colleen LaRose, a Pennsylvania woman known as Jihad Jane, in a plot to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks in retaliation for a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad as a dog.

Ireland refused to extradite him to the US, but he was arrested in Barcelona and extradited in 2017. Last July, he pleaded guilty in Philadelphia to materially assisting an Islamic terrorist conspiracy.

If he loses Irish citizenship, Damache faces being deported to Algeria, where he claims he fears he would be mistreated, at the end of his sentence.

Sunniva McDonagh SC, for Damache, told the court Section 19 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act was repugnant to the Constitution.

Lawyers for the minister argue the proceedings are premature as it is only once the process has been completed that the grounds to challenge it may be evident.
And crime went down, right? Yes, crime rates went down, but a debate immediately rose up as to whether and how the crime bill had something to do with it. Was it the attack on root causes that liberals preferred or was it the tougher sentencing that conservatives wanted?
A man jailed for raping a young woman with down syndrome has been refused extra time in which to bring an appeal against his conviction.

Faisal Ellahi (37), originally from Haripur in Pakistan, was found guilty of rape and sexual assault by a jury at the Central Criminal Court following a five week trial.

Ellahi had denied the charge claiming the victim had actively participated in a sexual encounter with him, having become separated from her mother.

Giving evidence in his defence, he claimed he didn't know she had a mental impairment and looked normal to him.

He said people with mental impairments in his native country were kept at home or in hospitals and that they wore name badges to indicate they were disabled.

Sentencing him to 13 years imprisonment in March 2016, Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the frightening, appalling, disgusting and depraved offence committed by Ellahi had "demolished" years of work in helping the woman lead an independent life.

The judge complimented the victim's mother on her dignity and fortitude in meeting the case and wished the family well in the future as they seek to restore the woman to her independence.

Ellahi lodged an appeal against his conviction one year and seven months outside of the 28-day limit provided for criminals to lodge an appeal. He claimed he was distraught and overwhelmed by the jurys verdict, and lacked the emotional strength to deal with the appeal procedure.

However, he was refused extra time to bring an appeal against his conviction today.

President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham said the court had regard to the long delay and to the fact there didnt appear to be any ground of appeal that had a real prospect of success.

He said prosecution evidence was compelling and the defence case strained credibility to, and beyond, breaking point.

Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, said the interests of victims had to be considered and the victims position in this case was particularly acute.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Caroline Biggs SC, said the victim was entitled to assume the case had long since completed.

The Central Criminal Court heard that the woman was out with her mother that day but that they became separated.

In her interviews, the woman said a man found her on the street and pushed her into a corner before saying come with me. She said the man told her he was going to help her before taking her by the hand to a house. He didn't help me, she said. I was confused and scared and sick.

The court heard evidence from 16 women who were approached by Ellahi in the area around the time of the rape.

One women who lived across the road from him said he tried to force his way inside her home after she returned from a night out.

Ellahi gave evidence in his own defence in which he admitted propositioning many women as he walked the streets near his Dublin home.

He said he would stop women and ask them to come home with him for consensual fun. He said he also used prostitutes.

Ellahi moved to Ireland in 2005 where he found work as a security guard. He was unemployed at the time of the rape and spent his days walking the streets, the court heard.
Struck off: Michael Lynn is expected to be tried next year. Picture: Collins

Struck-off solicitor Michael Lynn has lost his latest legal challenge ahead of a trial next year for alleged theft of almost 30 million.

Mr Lynn (50) of Carlton Square, Maynooth, Co Kildare, is due to stand trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court next year on 21 counts of stealing the money from seven financial institutions.

In two of the sample charges, Mr Lynn is accused of stealing 4.1 million from Irish Nationwide on April 4, 2007 and 3.6 million from Ulster Bank on October 20, 2006.

He left Ireland in 2007 but was extradited from Brazil last year, after spending four-and-a-half years on remand at the Cotel prison, in northwestern Brazil, as he fought his extradition back to Ireland.

Ahead of his extradition, Brazilian authorities sought assurances from Ireland that any time Mr Lynn spent in prison awaiting extradition would be deducted from any potential prison sentence here, and that he would not serve more than 30 years in prison here, if found guilty. The assurances were required as part of the Brazilian extradition process.

His lawyers challenged those assurances, arguing that they couldn't be given due to the separation of powers. Counsel for Mr Lynn, Padraig Dwyer SC, told the Court of Appeal that a favourable outcome of the case might strengthen Mr Lynns attempts to prohibit his upcoming trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

However, dismissing the case on Friday, President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham said it seemed a matter of absolute certainty that account will taken of the time Mr Lynn has spent in custody, if found guilty.

Furthermore, he said there was no possibility whatsoever of Mr Lynn being required to spend more than 30 years in prison, if found guilty.

He said Brazilian law viewed such a sentence as analogous to cruel and inhuman punishment. But there was no recorded case of anybody being sentenced to more than 30 years in prison in Ireland.

In the most unlikely event that were to happen, he said Mr Lynn could appeal. There was also remission to consider and the fact the Executive are entitled to release a prisoner at any stage, the judge said.

Mr Justice Birmingham said he rejected Mr Lynns arguments. Mr Justice John Edwards and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy fully agreed with his decision.

A recommendation for free legal aid was granted.

During the hearing, Mr Justice Birmingham said letters sent on behalf of Mr Lynn to the DPP, from a former solicitor, were intemperate in the extreme  to put it mildly.

In one of the letters, a former solicitor of Mr Lynn told the DPP that his client was an innocent man and the State were trying to nail Mr Lynn with robust bloodlust.

It wasnt the sort of language one finds in correspondence from an officer of the court, Mr Justice Birmingham said.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sean Gillane SC, submitted that Mr Lynns legal challenge was moot or pointless. If it wasnt moot, it was unstateable, misconceived and contrived.
The Supreme Court has dismissed Facebook's appeal over a High Court decision to refer key issues concerning the validity of European Commission decisions approving EU-US data transfer channels to the Court of Justice of the EU.

The referral was made by the High Court in proceedings by the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) arising from complaints by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems the transfer of his personal data by Facebook to the US breached his data privacy rights as an EU citizen.

Expand Close Data privacy activist Max Schrems filed the original complaint / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Data privacy activist Max Schrems filed the original complaint

The core issue the Supreme Court had to decide in Facebook's appeal is whether there is any actual right to appeal over a referral decision.

Today, the five judge court said, while the court can, with significant limitations, entertain an appeal over a High Court decision which includes a referral, the court cannot entertain an appeal over the actual referral decision itself.

The court cannot entertain an appeal against the High Court decision to make a reference or against the terms of reference, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Frank Clarke, said.

It is for the referring court, and that court alone, to decide whether to make a reference and whether to amend or withdraw that, he said.

He was however satisfied the court could entertain an appeal against the facts found by the High Court and should overturn those if it can be established they are not sustainable in accordance with the relevant Irish jurisprudence.

However, in this case, Facebooks criticisms related to the proper characterisation of underlying facts rather than the facts themselves, he said.

If there had been any actual finding of facts not sustainable on the evidence before the High Court in accordance with Irish procedural law, he would have overturned it but no such matter had been established on this appeal, he ruled.

In those circumstances, the court would not make any order overturning any aspect of the High Court judgment.

Facebooks appeal concerns an October 2017 High Court judgment by Ms Justice Caroline Costello and her subsequent referral in May 2018 of issues for determination by the CJEU.

The judgment was given in a case brought by DPC Helen Dixon, arising from the complaints by Mr Schrems, against Facebook Ireland - because Facebooks European headquarters are here - and Mr Schrems.

No formal orders were sought against them and the core issue concerned the validity of data transfer channels known as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

Ms Justice Costello directed a referral to the CJEU of 11 issues concerning the validity of European Commission decisions approving the SCCs.

Facebook argued before the Supreme Court last January it is entitled to appeal the referral.

It also disputed several of the High Courts findings, including that the DPC had well founded concerns about mass indiscriminate processing of data by US government agencies under programmes authorised there.

The US government was involved in the appeal as an amicus curiae, assistant to the court on legal issues.

It supported Facebook's argument that no reference to the CJEU is required in light of the Privacy Shield agreement between the EU and US and the European Commission's determination the US ensures an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred under the Privacy Shield.

Lawyers for the DPC said she has concerns whether the measures provided for under the Privacy Shield are comparable to the remedy available to EU citizens for breach of data privacy rights under Article 47 of the EU Charter.

Mr Schrems opposed the appeal with his lawyers arguing Facebook had failed to identify an error by the High Court.
Gardai and Army personnel searching an area on Waterville Road, Blanchardstown.

Specialist soldiers have been carrying out searches as part of a Garda crackdown on feuding gangs in Dublin.

Military personnel were drafted in after a loaded firearm fitted with a silencer was recovered from a wooded area in Blanchardstown earlier this week.

The operation was targeting a criminal gang involved in the violent Corduff feud in the west of the city.

Up to 20 members of an Army Engineer specialist search and clearance team helped gardai yesterday during the follow-up search off Waterville Road.

The units searched for almost eight hours from 8am yesterday until 3.45pm.

Gardai found a number of shotgun cartridges.

A spokesman for the Defence Forces said the public should notify gardai and keep a safe distance if they encountered suspicious items or hazardous substances.

Gardai had feared that more weapons were being hidden in the wooded area by a crime gang led by a 22-year-old criminal.

The gang are currently involved in a feud with former associates of the notorious Westies gang, which has resulted in a spate of shootings and petrol bomb attacks.

Gardai and military personnel were seen at the site yesterday afternoon equipped with metal detectors, slash-hooks and pitchforks.

The thorough searches are being carried out following the finding of a firearm on Tuesday.

Violent

It is suspected the weapon, a Makarov handgun loaded with seven bullets, could have been used in a retaliation attack by the crime gang.

The violent feud is not believed to be linked to the spate of murders in Dublin over the last week.

Gardai suspect the firearm recovered belonged to associates of a man recently targeted in a drive-by shooting

On Tuesday of last week, a gunman opened fire in a reckless drive-by shooting shortly after 9pm in the Mulhuddart area. A 23-year-old criminal, closely connected to the mob boss feuding with former Westies associates, was the intended target.

In total, three shots were fired at his car, and sources have said his young baby was in a child's seat in the back of the vehicle at the time of the attack.

A 22-year-old woman was also walking towards the car when shots were fired in the drive-by gun attack but was not injured.

Dozens of firebomb attacks, shootings and punishment beatings linked to the ongoing feud have been carried out in recent months.
Aid queue: Many in the war-ravaged population of Syria rely on food handouts from foreign agencies such as this one in Baghouz earlier this year. Photo: Reuters

A former employee of Irish aid agency Goal is facing charges of theft, bribery and witness tampering following an investigation into alleged corruption in US-sponsored aid programmes in Syria.

The US has sought the extradition of former Goal logistics officer Ernest Halilov, who was arrested in the Ukraine last October.

The Turkmenistan national faces a range of charges, according to an indictment that has been unsealed in the District of Columbia.

Among the allegations he is facing is that he bribed a procurement manager at Goal, giving her cash to furnish her apartment in January 2016.

It is also alleged that the following month he paid for her to go on an overnight shopping trip, where she was picked up in a Mercedes Benz, brought to a five-star hotel in Mersin, Turkey, and given a credit card to spend around $1,500 (1,347). According to the indictment, this was done in exchange for confidential information about the bidding process for a flour contract.

It is claimed the contract was awarded to two bidders affiliated with Mr Halilov.

The indictment says the procurement manager, whose identity was not revealed in the indictment, was asked for her mother's bank account information so Mr Halilov could wire money without it being traced directly to her. However, the cash was never sent because Goal cancelled the contract before he did it.

Mr Halilov is understood to have worked with Goal for 16 years before departing the aid agency in April 2016.

The charges follow an investigation by the US Inspector General into "alleged supply chain irregularities", including bid-rigging, relating to US-sponsored aid programmes in Syria.

Goal was rocked by the investigation in 2016, which prompted the temporary suspension of US funding for certain aspects of its aid programme in Syria.

The suspension was soon lifted after the US Agency for International Development (USAID) accepted assurances about changes to Goal's corporate governance and internal controls.

However, the charity endured a rocky patch after the probe was announced.

The Irish Government held back millions of euro in funding for a period while it sought clarification on the investigation. There were also several departures from the organisation, some linked to the probe and others not.

The most high profile was former chief, and now Fianna Fail MEP, Barry Andrews, who stepped down after concluding Goal needed "a fresh start in terms of leadership".

There is absolutely no suggestion he was involved in the alleged corruption.

The crisis led to uncertainty over the future of the aid agency, with auditors saying in January 2017 there was "material uncertainty" due to a dependence on donors.

Subsequent talks about a merger with Oxfam collapsed without a deal.

However, the organisation managed to weather the storm and stabilised itself financially.

If extradited, Mr Halilov is facing two counts of theft and bribery in a federally funded programme and three counts of tampering with a witness.

A Goal spokesperson said: "While Goal is not a party to these legal proceedings, we welcome the fact that progress is being made in bringing this matter to a conclusion.

"It is important that the rigour of the law is brought to bear on any individual who damages the important work being done by humanitarian organisations."

The spokesperson added: "Goal has learned significantly through this challenging period and has taken comprehensive steps to bolster its management framework and practices. In the past year alone, Goal has reached over five million people through its work in emergency response, food security, nutrition and livelihoods programs."

According to the indictment, as well as the alleged bribing of the procurement manager, Mr Halilov is also alleged to have bribed an agent who was working for Goal and two other non-governmental organisations.

It is alleged that between 2011 and 2012, while she was an agent for Goal, this person altered bid requests for contracts with Goal at Mr Halilov's instruction.

It is claimed Mr Halilov was allowed select "his vendor" for "high-value" contracts the agent was responsible for.

It is claimed the agent received money, a car, apartment furniture, electronics and plane tickets from Mr Halilov.
The former councillor father of Limerick hurling star Cian Lynch has launched an astonishing attack on his home parish.

Sean Lynch, who lost his council seat over the weekend, has accused people from his village of Patrickswell, Co Limerick, of giving him "the two fingers".

It comes after the former detective garda councillor saw his hopes of retaining his local authority seat for Fianna Fail dashed.

"This has been a huge disappointment for everybody. We have done so much for the village of Patrickswell. And they gave us the two fingers," he said.

Mr Lynch, who helped bring to justice some of the feuding criminal elements in Limerick, even suggested there may have been an anti-Garda sentiment to his rejection at the polling booths.

"Patrickswell didn't come out and vote for me. They didn't come out and support me. They got a huge amount of things. It means nothing to them," he said.

"We have done so much for the villages of Patrickswell and Clarina, and they have given us the two fingers.

"They didn't want someone who was decent, a hard worker."

Mr Lynch, a detective garda at Roxboro for almost 30 years, said there was still a feeling of anti-Garda sentiment in the village.

"Patrickswell has history. There is an element there," he said.

"You must remember what happened to Jerry McCabe, that's not gone away.

"There is a big anti-Garda audience out there," he added.

Det Gda Jerry McCabe was shot dead by IRA forces in 1996 in the neighbouring village of Adare.

"Limerick City West has failed us - we are decent people, we have never done wrong to anybody," said Mr Lynch.

"Our door was always open, no matter who the people were. We've helped so many people. But unfortunately they have come out and spoken and unfortunately they've made a wrong call."
A cup of blueberries a day may help keep cardiovascular disease at bay.

New research led by the University of East Anglia, in collaboration with colleagues from Harvard, has concluded that eating 150g of blueberries daily reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 15pc.

The findings in the 'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition' revealed researchers looked to see whether eating blueberries had any effect on metabolic syndrome, a condition affecting one-third of westernised adults.

It involves at least three of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, low levels of "good cholesterol" and high levels of triglycerides.

The study investigated the effects of eating blueberries daily in 138 overweight and obese people, aged between 50 and 75.

No benefit was found from a smaller 75g (half cup) daily intake of blueberries, say the researchers.

Blueberries are high in naturally occurring compounds called anthocyanins which are responsible for the red and blue colour in the fruits.

Other studies have shown they can improve some markers of heart disease.
Scene of the Fatal Hit and Run on the Swords Rd at Whitehall near the Collins Rd Junction.

Scene of the Fatal Hit and Run on the Swords Rd at Whitehall near the Collins Rd Junction.

Scene of the Fatal Hit and Run on the Swords Rd at Whitehall near the Collins Rd Junction.

A man has been arrested in relation to a fatal suspected hit-and-run incident in north Dublin last night.

The man killed in the suspected hit-and-run has been named locally as Gerard Whyte (21).

A man (50s) was arrested this evening and is currently being detained at Ballymun garda station.

The HGV articulated truck has also been recovered.

Mr Whyte was struck down by an articulated lorry at approximately 12.20am on the Swords Road (N1) in Whitehall at the Collins Avenue Junction in the north of Dublin city last night.

He was then taken to the nearby Beaumont Hospital, where he later died. The road was closed overnight to facilitate a garda forensic investigation, and has since been re-opened.

The HGV vehicle did not stop at the incident and is reported to have been travelling from Whitehall, in the direction of Donnycarney in the northside of the city. The vehicle was white and was not carrying a trailer at the time.

Gardai say the HGV believed to be involved in incident was turning left from the Swords Road onto Collins Avenue and did not remain at the scene.

A photo of the HGV believed to be involved was released earlier by gardai.

It is described as white in colour.

A neighbour of Mr Whyte said he was "extremely shocked" to hear about the young man's death.

"I only found out what happened after I came home from town today,' he said.

"Although I didn't hang around with him I would have known Gerard from the area.

"I was just so surprised and extremely shocked when I found out he died last night."

Dublin City Councillor Artane-Whitehall Patricia Roe described the loss of the young man as 'absolutely horrific'.

"It's shocking and we're very upset for him and his family," she said.

"Because it's a hit and run, it makes it so much worse and I think the driver should go to the guards."

"I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to his family," she said.

The councillor explained that Swords Road is prone to heavy congestion.

"It's such a busy road here, there's traffic all day and night because of the airport and HGVs come in from the port," she added.

"This is the second busiest road in Ireland and myself and others campaigned to take HGVs off our roads after a young boy was killed at a crossing 20 years ago," she explained.

"We're so used to hearing ambulances, we hear them all the tie and we don't even notice them anymore," she concluded.

Gardai have requested for anybody with information who was in the Collins Avenue Junction area at the time to contact them and are appealing to drivers who may have dash cam footage or information of the movements of the HGV believed to be involved in the incident.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Santry Garda Station on 01 666 4000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Perhaps frustrated that a majority of the country is unwilling to read more than a tweet or two at a time, Mueller summarized  out loud, like a podcast!  the key results of his investigation, which were: Russia very much, definitely, absolutely interfered in the 2016 election in an effort to help get Trump elected; there was insufficient evidence to show a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians; DOJ rules prohibited him from reaching a conclusion about whether the president committed a crime; and, most importantly, If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. (SPOILER ALERT: They didnt say so.)
Killed: John Heneghan (33), from Co Mayo, and Caitlyn Holtzman (32) on their wedding day

The grieving families of an Irishman and his American wife who lost their lives after their car was struck by an alleged drunk driver have said their deaths are 'senseless and devastating'.

John John Heneghan (33), originally from Tourmakeady, Co Mayo, and his wife Caitlin J. Holtzman (32), originally from Pennsylvania, were killed as they drove to a wedding in Upstate New York last week.

The couple were travelling with three other people and were parked at a traffic junction when their car was struck by a vehicle driven by Dickie Winn (58).

Mr Heneghan and Ms Holtzman died at the scene. The other three passengers - two Irishmen and an Amercian woman - were seriously injured in the incident which occurred Clifton Park, close to the city of Albany in Upstate New York.

The couple - who were married in Co Mayo four years ago - were living and working in New York City.

An obituary to the couple was posted overnight, with their families asking that people make donations in their name to Mothers Against Drink Driving (MADD) in lieu of flowrs.

The deaths of these two wonderful young people are senseless and devastating, the obituary said, adding they were "beloved by family and friends around the globe".

"Both the Heneghan and Holtzman families are requesting that in lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a contribution, please make a donation in there names to MADD," the obituary reads.

"Donations will be used to combat drunk driving," it added.

The obituary said the couple's lives will be celebrated during a service at 1pm on June 8th at the Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey Pennsylvania. Following the memorial in the US, a Funeral Mass/Memorial Service will be held in John John's native Tourmakeady. Arrangements for this mass will be announced at a later date.

"JohnJohn graduated from Colaiste Mhuire, Tourmakeady, Ireland in 2004 and later attended Limerick Institute of Technology. His early career involved international opportunities finally to include the US. After coming to America, his construction career spanned working for several firms in the Manhattan area. JohnJohn was currently a Project Supervisor for AECOM Tishman in New York," the obituary said.

He is the son of Thomas and the late Mona Heneghan, also from Tourmakeady, and is survived by his father Tom, brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Mrs Holtzman was born in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and was the daughter of Donald and Claudia Holtzman.

"Caitlin graduated from Lower Dauphin High School, Hummelstown, PA in 2005. She attended The Pennsylvania State University and graduated in 2009 with bachelor degrees in Business and Communications. She earned her masters degree in communications from Northwestern University in 2011. Caitlin owned her own media company, Mediablage. Throughout her brief career, Caitlin worked with clients from around the world," the obituary said.

She is survived by her parents and her grandmother, cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

The couple met while Mr Heneghan was working in the US and married in Ireland in 2015.

Donations can be made here
The late HPV vaccine campaigner Laura Brennan told of how she was targeted with "horrendous" abuse as she actively encouraged young women to take the vaccine.

Laura, who was from Co Clare, was just 26 when she passed away from cervical cancer last March.

Expand Close Champion: Laura Brennan campaigned for HPV vaccine. Picture: Fennells / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Champion: Laura Brennan campaigned for HPV vaccine. Picture: Fennells

A new one-off RTE documentary entitled 'Laura Brennan - This Is Me' features the young woman discussing some of the negative comments she received about her campaigning in the months before her death.

She was diagnosed with the disease in December 2016, and came to public prominence when she appeared on the Late Late Show.

She actively campaigned for young women to take the vaccine - after her death, the HSE said her work and activism in highlighting the vaccine led to a huge surge in young women taking it.

When she first contacted the HSE in 2017, uptake amongst young women stood at 51pc.

By March, that figure had increased to 70pc.

While her impact was hugely positive, the young woman was the subject of some online abuse.

Expand Close Laura Brennan on The Late Late Show / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Laura Brennan on The Late Late Show

She said that online comments against her and her campaign to promote the HPV vaccine were especially harsh because of her young age.

People have said horrendous things about me for having such a strong voice," she says in the documentary.

"If you are passing comments like that you are ignorant to what is actually going on and you dont understand it.

In the comments and calls she received, a number of people called her brainwashed, said her illness deserved and told her she did not have a clue what shes supporting.

She also mentioned the most extreme side of the backlash: I have had friends who received death threats.

Despite the negativity from some parts of the public, Ms Brennan kept a remarkably positive outlook throughout the months before her passing..

Cancer can change your body in a lot of ways, and it can change your thinking in a lot of ways. But it was never going to change who I am.

She added: I was born with a voice and now I am using that voice to try and do some good with it.

In September 2017, she was told her cancer was incurable, leading Laura to decide to focus on the present and not dwell too much on the future.

I dont look at time and Im not counting down the hours or the days.

"There is no reason why I should feel like oh my time is running out and I dont have a bucket list'.

"Cancer showed me who wanted to be in my life. It really taught me who my real friends are," she said.

The documentary follows the final chapters of Laura's life in the months before her death.

In contrast to some of the negative comments that her activism received there was also a huge show of gratefulness and solidarity.

After her death, and under the hashtag #ThankYouLaura, many people took the chance to thank her for her work to protect the next generation and changing minds and possibly saving lives in the future.

Her reference will save the lives of so many other girls and women in our country. She will help us reach our goal of eradicating cervical cancer in Ireland. Thank you Laura, said another video message.

The Brennan family said Laura was "a light in the life of everyone who knew her; a wonderful daughter, sister and friend. We are lost without her."

The family praised the work she did in the last 18 months to help protect other young women like herself from the cancer that has taken her life.

Health Minister Simon Harris paid tribute to Ms Brennan, saying "the State owes her a debt of gratitude".

And the HSE said: "Laura has defined courage and generosity as she supported our work to ensure girls get the HPV vaccine, and are protected from this terrible cancer."

* 'Laura Brennan - This Is Me' airs exclusively on the RTE Player from today
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has called on the Culture Minister to clarify if she played any role in the compensation case lodged by Maria Bailey.

Josepha Madigan is under pressure to distance herself from the controversy which has engulfed Fine Gael for almost two weeks.

Her family's law firm acted for Ms Bailey but it is not clear whether the minister provided any advice on the case.

"In situations like this, the best thing to do is just say it like it is," Mr Martin said.

"Whatever transpired whenever they discussed it a few years ago, Josepha should just be candid about that and give what happened. Yes or no."

Ms Madigan stepped away from Madigan Solicitors in 2017 but has refused to say whether she advised her colleague prior to that.

The comments from the Opposition leader came after Fine Gael appointed a barrister to investigate the case.

David Kennedy has been asked to establish "all the facts" surrounding Ms Bailey's fall from a swing in the Dean hotel in July 2015.

Sources say he will be able to interview any party members he feels is necessary before reporting back directly to the Taoiseach.

Speaking to the Irish Independent at the Bloom festival, Mr Martin said: "Obviously the Fine Gael party has appointed a senior counsel to get a comprehensive account of it but the backdrop here is compo culture and soaring increases in insurance costs to businesses and individuals."

He said a lot of small businesses "are saying to us that they can't survive with insurance costs. So that's the context and why I think Fine Gael, and Josepha and Maria, need to understand that and make a clean breast of it.

"It's reflective of their detachment from the lives of people and from reality," Mr Martin said.

Fine Gael's director of elections John Paul Phelan yesterday admitted Ms Bailey's case negatively affected their vote last Friday.

But he said: "I think it would have had a much deeper effect in a general election context.

"In the local election, where your local small business person may be standing for election, I don't think it came in as big a factor."

Speaking on Independent.ie's 'Floating Voter' podcast, Mr Phelan revealed he spoke to the TD on Saturday morning, the same day it was revealed she ran a 10km race three weeks after her fall.

"I was speaking to Maria on Saturday morning about election results in her area. As if to disprove the argument about her [that she cost the party votes], our vote went up and our seats went up in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council," Mr Phelan said.

However, he said he was cautious about commenting on the controversy because as a member of Fine Gael's national executive he may yet have to consider whether the TD is sanctioned.

"I've looked at some of the horrific social media comment over the past week. She's obviously getting it in the neck," he said.
The Defence Forces have lost a third of their personnel in five years - the biggest retention crisis they have ever faced.

On current trends, the Defence Forces will not reach their authorised strength of 9,500 until 2035.

Now an organisation representing officers has called for a new retention strategy and an independent pay review body to recognise the unique nature of military service.

Almost nine out of 10 Defence Forces personnel earn below the average public sector wage, with at least 90 qualifying for the fixed income supplement to help them feed their families.

An upcoming report from the public pay sector commission is expected to show disappointing recommendations that will make no impact on the numbers leaving.

The extent of the crisis was revealed yesterday by the leader of RACO - which represents officers in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps - in a presentation to the Oireachtas committee on foreign affairs, trade and defence.

RACO general secretary Comdt Conor King accused the Department of Defence of being either unwilling or unable to introduce any credible retention policy to stem the exodus of trained personnel from the forces.

He called the department's approach to representation divisive, dismissive and sometimes subversive, leading to an adversarial and dysfunctional industrial relations climate.

The public pay commission report, due to go before the Cabinet next month, is confined to suggesting increases to allowances because of restrictions imposed in the commission's brief.

Its publication, according to RACO, is likely to act as a catalyst for further departures.

Comdt King said the Central Statistics Office continually reported that the military was the lowest paid public sector employees.

At the same time, it is the most trusted public service organisation in the State, with a "trust score" of 82pc.

He pointed out that 3,200 personnel had left the Defence Forces between 2014 and 2018, which represented an "astonishing" 34.7pc of the average strength for those years.

He added that 82pc of those leaving were premature voluntary retirements.
EU leaders will not sanction another Brexit extension unless the UK holds a general election or second referendum, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned.

During a private meeting, the Taoiseach "politely" told UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corybn that there was a "hardened view across the EU".

He also emphasised that Theresa May's replacement as British prime minister would not be able to renegotiate the backstop as the Withdrawal Agreement was "closed".

"The chances of a further extension are pretty slim," Mr Varadkar said.

The UK is now scheduled to leave the EU on October 31, with or without a deal.

Mr Corbyn was in Dublin yesterday for a series of meetings with politicians and President Michael D Higgins. He is under mounting pressure to back a second referendum but so far says he will only do so if a Brexit deal is passed by the House of Commons.

It comes as US President Donald Trump said he had great respect for the frontrunner in the race to take over No 10 Downing Street, Boris Johnson.

He described the controversial Tory as "a friend".

Mr Trump, who will visit the UK and Ireland next week, declined to say who he supports among the various Conservative Party candidates to succeed Mrs May.

"Nigel Farage is a friend of mine. Boris is a friend of mine," Mr Trump told reporters at the White House. "I like them ... but I haven't thought about supporting them. Maybe it's not my business to support people, but I have a lot of respect for both of those men."

Mrs May is scheduled to leave office on June 7.

Mr Johnson has said the UK should be prepared to enact Brexit without a deal in order to force the EU to offer it better terms.

However, Mr Varadkar has indicated that a new prime minister should not go to Brussels to try to negotiate a new Withdrawal Agreement.

He said there was a very narrow set of circumstances under which the EU would consider changes to the document agreed with Mrs May.

"The only way that could ever change is if there was a fundamental change in red lines from the next UK prime minister or UK government. For example, a decision to stay in the customs union or single market," the Taoiseach said.

He added there could "potentially" be a further extension if there was a general election in the UK or a second referendum.

The Taoiseach "very much emphasised" that the Withdrawal Agreement, including the backstop, was "closed".

Mr Corbyn said yesterday that the Tory leadership contest - and the prospect of a "no-deal zealot" becoming prime minister - means the issue has to go to the UK public. But in a sign that he would be prepared to work with Tory moderates to prevent a no-deal Brexit, possibly by tabling a confidence motion to bring down the government, Mr Corbyn said he'd do "whatever is necessary".
A MINISTER has admitted to experiencing a brain fart while outlining the new rules behind counting in the European elections on radio.

On RTEs Morning Ireland last Tuesday, John Paul Phelan said the transfers of the final candidate eliminated would not come into play in the constituencies set to gain an extra seat after Brexit.

But as barristers and returning officers in Dublin and Ireland South were wading through the relevant legislation, Mr Phelan reappeared on radio to clarify he had gotten the situation completely wrong.

Speaking on Independent.ies Floating Voter podcast, the Minister for Electoral Reform has said he was embarrassed by the cock up.

I had a kind of a brain fart on Morning Ireland. I admit to it. I doubted myself, he said, adding that it was pretty horrific.

Mr Phelan explained that a number of people had been circulating an outdated version of the legislation on social media.

I cocked up spectacularly so. Ill be careful about who I take legal advice from in the future.

It was a stupid mistake to make but who hasnt had one of those, he said.

In the podcast, the Carlow/Kilkenny TD also discusses the fallout from the Maria Bailey controversy.

He says as Fine Gaels director of elections he was getting feedback from candidates around the country and none of them were very happy.

However, he adds: I think it would have had a much deeper effect in a general election context.

Speaking about the senior minister in his department, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, he says the suggesting that young people should be excited about co-living was perhaps unfortunate.

Mr Phelan also discuss the failure of plebicites for directly-elected mayors in Cork and Waterford. And he outlines plans to fast-track an election for a mayor in Limerick.

Responding to cricitism of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar by ex-minister Alan Shatter in his new book, Mr Phelan suggests its a case of the green-eyed monster.

Mr Shatter claims the Taoiseach was not obsessed with his media image and not collegial.




When Glasnevin's red brick houses were built in the 1890s and early 1900s, the suburb became a nationalist Catholic Ballsbridge. Catholic Emancipation in 1829 had opened the way for nationalists to be properly educated, to develop in elected politics and to move into positions of prestige and power. Those who amassed wealth and influence in its aftermath wanted to leave the squalor of the city centre and its tenements for new homes. But heading south of the river took them into the Unionist Council run suburbs of Rathmines, Ranelagh, Ballsbridge. Donnybrook and Terenure.

So instead they headed to the city's then northern outskirts just outside Drumcondra. By the early 1900s residents of Glasnevin included esteemed professionals like Professor of Mathematics John Enright who taught at the fledgling UCD. He was among the first of the college's early graduates to return and teach there. In 1911 Professor Enright lived at 91 Botanic Road with his wife Mary, and their three young children along with a live-in servant and a nurse maid.

Enright, who is listed in The Atlas of Irish Mathematicians, studied at UCD from 1897, when fellow students included one James Joyce (from 1898) and one Padraig Pearse (also from 1898). A good number would become the founders and architects of the Irish State.

But fast forward 100 years to 1998 and many of Glasnevin's red bricks had become run down. The old Enright house at No 91 was bought in that year by builder Padraig Deeley and his wife Patricia, who had, like so many Irish people, emigrated to the USA during the recession that preceded the Celtic Tiger.

Expand Close Scandi Victorian: The Deeleys brightened a period house with light colouring on original restored features / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Scandi Victorian: The Deeleys brightened a period house with light colouring on original restored features

"We'd looked at a few houses the previous year, and suddenly the market was taking off," says Padraig. "We saw the same properties had gone up 50 grand in a year, and we thought: "We'd better buy in soon or we'll be left behind. The elderly lady who was selling No 91 was living alone in just one part of the back of the house. It was really run down, the roof was leaking and there was a lot of damage. But the other side of it was that this was a really spacious house. There was just so much space. And I could see that it had been very well built to begin with. The floors and the joinery were solid. The doors were thick and straight and solid after 100 years. It had all its original coving and its fireplaces. So we bought it. But in the beginning it was inhabitable."

The Deeleys moved their young family in jointly with their parents. "We had three kids under the age of two and we spent one week living with Patricia's parents and then the next living with my parents until the job was done," says Padraig, who took five and a half months off to work on the house himself. "I did absolutely everything and believe me it needed everything done to it. It was six days a week. I started at the top with the roof and worked my way down through the floors."

His job meant that he had experience with and indeed enjoyed working on period properties. Even so it was tight in the end. "We had pretty much run out of money by the time I got to the kitchen. But we squeaked over the line." His creative wife Patricia, who has on occasion tackled interior design jobs, stepped in to take on the decor. "I have to say that Patricia really has great taste and a true flair for interiors. She can mix and match all sorts of bits and pieces she picks up and get really great results."

Since the Deeleys undertook their most important big restoration job in the 1990s, they have raised a family of four children on its four floors. Now as they fly the nest, they're downsizing and No91 is being placed on the market through Quillsen, seeking 825,000.

A soft Scandi approach to the interiors with light-painted floor boards and bright colours and with all the original features cleaned up and on show means this is a bright, airy and at the same time, colourful home right down to its bright pink double front door.

Accommodation includes a hall with original boards and stained glass panels, rails and covings. There's a lounge with double doors into the family room, both with original boards and marble chimney pieces with tiled insets. There's a separate dining room with a wood burning stove opening into the home office where Professor Enright might have teased out his complex equations.

Expand Close The front double doors painted in pink / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The front double doors painted in pink

The Shaker style galley kitchen leading into a utility and on the first return is bedroom five and a bathroom. The first floor has four more bedrooms with built in wardrobes and an ensuite bathroom and there's an attic room upstairs.

The reduced Deeleys in residence are now planning the restoration of a smaller period red brick in the area.
The holiday plans of thousands of ferry passengers have been thrown into doubt due to engineering problems on Brittany Ferries' flagship vessel.

The company announced that the Pont-Aven ferry, which has been out of service since the middle of his month, will now be out of action until June 14.

The cruise ferry sails from Cork to Roscoff in France.

However, it will not sail this weekend and next weekend - just as the busy summer season gets under way.

It is the second summer in a row that holidaymakers taking ferries to France have faced disruption.

Last year Irish Ferries cancelled some 5,700 bookings between Ireland and France after the arrival of its WB Yeats ferry was held up by several months.

The vessel had been commissioned from a German shipyard but was hit by delays.

The National Transport Authority has ordered that Irish Ferries pay compensation to affected customers. However, the company is challenging this in the High Court arguing the situation was not of its making and it was unable to secure another ferry to operate the planned sailings.

Brittany Ferries has announced work to repair the fault on the Pont-Aven, which was taken out of service on May 17, was taking longer than expected.

"It has now become apparent that this work will take longer than initially planned, whilst replacement parts are delivered and installed, and comprehensive checks are carried out," the company said.

The Pont-Aven will not resume sailings until Friday, June 14.

For passengers, that means sailings on the Cork/Roscoff route have been cancelled for this weekend and next, along with a number of sailings to the United Kingdom on the company's Plymouth/Santander and Plymouth/Roscoff routes.

A total of some 6,500 customers will be affected by the cancellations.

Brittany Ferries said it will offer alternative sailings to passengers where available.

Passengers will be given a full refund if the alternative dates are not suitable.

It said it is contacting customers in date order and prioritising those with the "most imminent departures".

Additional sailings will be operated on the Plymouth/Roscoff route, and some Cork/Santander rotations will be diverted to Cork/Roscoff, it said.

"An alternative sailing will be offered where it is available, but if no suitable alternative is available then a full refund will be offered," it added.

Customers have been advised to wait to be contacted by the ferry operator.

However, many passengers have taken to social media to complain about not being able to reach customer service agents.

"We recognise that many customers have struggled to get through on busy lines and that we haven't been able to respond as quickly as we would have liked to concerns via email and on social media," the company told the Irish Independent.

"For this we apologise and we thank everyone for their patience and understanding."

"On behalf of everyone at Brittany Ferries I would like to apologise profusely for the further delays to the return of our flagship 'Pont-Aven', and the disruption that this will cause to travel plans," said the company's chief executive Christophe Mathieu.

The company's technical teams have been working "round the clock" with the Damen shipyard in Brest in France to carry out repairs to the ship's starboard-side steering gear, said the company.

Brittany Ferries' Cork to Roscoff route is a popular summer holiday service that last year celebrated its 40th anniversary.

In 2018, the company also added a Cork to Santander route Ireland's only direct ferry link with Spain.
A whopping 85pc of voters questioned for the RTE exit poll after last week's elections professed themselves to be "delighted" at their perception that Ireland has become more liberal in recent years.

The same exit poll, of course, dramatically over-estimated support for the Green Party and when the votes were counted, just about five out of every 100 people who bothered to vote opted to give a Green candidate their first preference. Early talk of a 'Green wave' didn't quite materialise and the more tired and emotional commentators who took to social media to proclaim a 'Green tsunami' will be hoping they found the delete button before someone else managed a screen-grab.

Exit polls always come with a health warning, but the data is unlikely to be that far off when it comes to how self-consciously liberal we perceive our brave new Ireland to be.

Confirming that the dog-whistle racism that is a feature of elections in other EU states has gained very little ground in Ireland, 72pc of those polled agreed that, on the whole, immigration has benefited Irish society.

That result is unsurprising since liberal attitudes often go hand-in-hand with openness to immigration.

But what, I wonder, would test the limits of that openness? What would push tolerance of immigrants? Are certain types of immigrants more welcome than others? When might self-described progressives not be open to what is clearly progressive?

Well, Irish Twitter provided an interesting test case this week reacting to the election of the first black woman in Ireland to a local authority.

Let me say at the outset, social media is not the real world. It does, however, offer a glimpse into the sort of things people think but would be too shy or embarrassed to say to their friends in the pub on a Friday night. People - sometimes reassured by the cloak of anonymity - are happy to use platforms like Twitter to express their less acceptable opinions.

Yemi Adenuga, a first-time candidate originally from Nigeria, first came to fame in Ireland along with her family as stars of the TV3 hit 'Gogglebox'. Having now secured election in Navan (yes, not leafy Dublin 4) she is set to make her mark on local politics and took to Twitter to express delight at the result.

Many of the reactions were positive, but there were many notable exceptions to this. More than a few middle-aged men in particular (many of whom, to judge by their profiles, work in the tech sector) took it upon themselves to scold Ms Adenuga for her tweet.

Her perceived crime? Well, Ms Adenuga is religious and decided to include God in her 'thank you' tweet.

While journalists tend to clam up and awkwardly change the subject every time Katie Taylor mentions God, social media users instead go straight for the jugular.

One irked tweeter replied to Ms Adenuga to warn her brusquely: "Lay off the religious stuff." Another was equally curt, telling the new councillor to "leave the religion out of politics". Still someone else - with more than a hint of racism - replied with the simple message "please leave the God stuff back in Nigeria".

I could go on with variations of much of the same, which all amounts to white (mostly male) self-perceived liberals scolding a black woman - who has just made history - for wearing her heart on her sleeve.

If these men weren't so busy monitoring politicians' religious beliefs, they might look in the mirror long enough to hear their inner liberal shout 'check your privilege!'.

What, I wonder, would the reaction be if, instead of God, Ms Adenuga said it was yoga, or mindfulness or reiki that played a part in her victory?

What people need to understand is that it's a feature of immigration to Ireland that many of the 'new Irish' come from deeply religious backgrounds.

Devotion to St Ann - the mother of the Virgin Mary - which had been a feature of Dublin Catholicism since the Middle Ages, had virtually died out by the end of the 20th Century. Along came Polish immigrants and revived the tradition and Catholic families from Poland and Lithuania are now the backbone of parishes up and down the country. In the caring professions, many nurses and care assistants come from the deeply Catholic Philippines and Catholic parts of India like Kerala.

Equally, African immigrants have brought their religion with them. As well as swelling congregations at mainstream denominations, virtually every reasonably-sized town in Ireland now has at least one African church.

In 2006, there were 20,798 Orthodox Christians in Ireland. By 2016, that had trebled to 62,200.

And it's not just more Christians that immigration is bringing to Ireland. Other religious groups have seen dramatic rises too. In 2006, for example, there were 32,539 Muslims living in the Republic. Fast forward to 2016 and that figure had risen to 63,400. The same is true for Hindus, who more than doubled from 6,082 in 2006 to 14,300 in the 2016 statistics.

The trend is the same across the board: in 2006 the number of people recorded as having 'other stated religion' as their faith was 8,576 - by 2016 this had risen dramatically to 97,700.

The fact is that immigration makes Ireland more religious, not less religious. While one in 10 Irish people now describes themselves as having 'no religion', the great majority of immigrants come from religious backgrounds.

If we're to be a truly progressive society and half as liberal as we think we are, we're going to have to get used to more public displays of religious faith from immigrant communities coming of age.

Unbowed by the scandals that have engulfed the Church here, religious immigrants are proud to profess their faith. Anyone who is really progressive will welcome this rather than cringe.

Michael Kelly is editor of 'The Irish Catholic' newspaper
The production process for the new quartet of spirits is similar to that of making bitters  a maceration of botanicals in a high proof grain spirit is created, strained and, in the case of liqueurs, proofed down with water and sugar. They obtained the distillers license needed to produce spirits, (you dont need one when making bitters, which are classified as a nonpotable food product) and got down to business creating Heirloom Liqueurs, which expand to Chicago in June.
I've never really liked small talk. I can manage it with people I know but when it comes to complete strangers, I respond less than favourably to any attempt to engage in idle chit-chat.

It was at its worst during my twenties. Fellow passengers who tried to spark up a conversation on the train, or randomers at the bar who wanted to exchange a little harmless banter, were met with a confused eyebrow raise. If they insisted on pursuing it, a curt, conversation-killing reply usually sufficed.

I have, it must be said, mellowed a little over the years. But I can still really sympathise with the Finns, who are now taking classes to learn how to engage in conversations with complete strangers.

You see Finland is a nation full of people who, like myself, don't really see the point of small talk.

A place where silence, not the inane chatter of the unacquainted, reigns supreme. In this uncommunicative utopia, no one feels obliged to pollute the clean Nordic air with brainless banter.

But it seems that the Finns, rather than being taught the error of their ways, are being encouraged to think differently about what exactly warrants the opening of one's mouth.

Small talk tutor Karla Nieminen told the 'Wall Street Journal' recently that she advises her Finnish pupils to "lower your standards; not every conversation you have has to be clever. You can comment on food, any music that is playing, even the weather".

Imagine having to be told that the weather is something worthy of comment to a complete stranger. Hard, I know, in a country where it is something of a national sport.

If the Finns are willing to dip their toes into the pleasantries pool, surely we could, as a nation, try to learn something from them. Mandatory classes in the art of keeping quiet would surely be of benefit to society as a whole? Form an orderly queue, people, and keep the chit-chat to a minimum.

App sounds the alarm against metro molesters

Sometimes, though, this reticence to speak in public can be taken to a whole new level. With a trip to Japan planned for later on this year, I've found myself swotting up on the social and cultural quirks of the Land of the Rising Sun. And there is plenty to study.

Did you know, for instance, that taxi doors in Japan open automatically? Or that the country's vending machines sell so much more than snack food, with pre-worn women's knickers being one of the more niche offerings you can buy?

While reading about how exactly to slurp your noodles and the A to Z of capsule hotel etiquette, I came across a piece about a long-standing issue with groping on those famously overcrowded Japanese trains.

They even have a name for it -chikan - and its prevalence means that women-only carriages have been available on the Tokyo metro for almost 20 years.

But now Japanese women are turning to technology in the fight against metro molesters, downloading an app that lets them alert fellow passengers to the presence of a groper.

You're probably assuming the Digi Police app sets off a loud alarm. But in reality, pressing the "repel groper" icon simply creates a message reading: "There is a groper here. Please help," that you can show to other passengers.

If this doesn't have the desired effect - and, let's face it, it's hard to see how it would - press it again and the phone blasts out "Please stop!"

Japanese women have apparently been reluctant to call out for help, and so the app has proved popular against the metro molesters.

I think when I find myself in Tokyo, I'll stick to using my lungs, rather than an app, to deal with any groping incidents.
Dr Munjed Farid al Qutob (Letters, May 30) is quite right when he writes, The taste of discrimination and exclusion is bitter and sour.

Those who practise discrimination against another human being, for any reason, show their absolute ignorance of the world at large.

Sadly, Western (Christian) education omitted many of the great scientists, physicians, literati and mathematicians who originated in the Middle East, and in particular Persia.

The lack of exegesis on the existence of these highly educated people, outside of university teaching, along with the absence of a proper explanation of the Islamic religion (forever painted in Western films as mysteriously dangerous), created a bias, or what the good doctor terms Islamophobia, in innumerable people.

We, who are of Ireland, should be well aware of the dangers of all discrimination, as in the early days of independence, sections of the Catholic Church opted to brainwash their young charges in a vain attempt to create an Irish (island) Catholicism  narrow thinking and little knowledge of the great big world.

The tragedy for many people is they imagine learning stops when you complete schooling, whereas it is merely the beginning of an even greater adventure.

Knowledge is power.

Declan Foley

Berwick, Australia

Make politicians pay price of their illegal harassment

When will we be able to hold politicians to account for their bullying, harassment and intimidation of private or public citizens who appear before their committees?

Time and time again, we see political upstarts stepping outside their remit and acting, as the Supreme Court stated in its judgment of Angela Kerinss appeal, unlawfully.

The Supreme Court judgment found the Public Accounts Committees (PAC) treatment of Ms Kerins was unlawful and that it acted outside its remit and breached the terms of the invitation it extended to Ms Kerins to appear before it.

Ms Kerins felt that some of the PAC members had been involved in a witch hunt and it was a form of vendetta against her.

The Supreme Court, in its summation, found PAC was involved in significant and unremedied unlawful action.

In 2014, Mary Lou McDonald of Sinn Fein was one of the more robust questioning members along with Independent Shane Ross, who interrogated Ms Kerins and other Rehab group members.

Ms McDonald didnt accept that they forced a decent woman out of her job and she absolutely rejected that while being interviewed by Sean ORourke on RTE Radio 1 in 2014.

While Ms Kerins will seek further damages in the High Court, as is her right, and will also have her legal fees paid in full, the Irish taxpayer will have to once again foot a hefty legal bill because of the actions of a few politicians.

There is a fine line between questioning someone regarding the structures, be it financial or otherwise, of an organisation partially or fully funded by the taxpayer, and an outright attack on that persons personal standing within the organisation.

What should happen is that those members of that committee in 2014 should be individually held to account and pay a fine relative to their participation in this inquisitorial flogging of an individual, to offset the legal fees incurred by Ms Kerins and paid for by the State.

But, as we know, this wont happen and once again the Irish taxpayer will take the hit.

Christy Galligan

Letterkenny, Co Donegal

Leavers should have faith and back a second vote

I absolutely agree with Eamonn Kitt (Letters, May 30), that Nigel Farage should not fear a second Brexit referendum.

I, too, voted to leave the EU in 2016 and would so again.

However, I firmly believe it is important a second plebiscite be held on the subject as Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain.

Many people were too young to vote, plus there are those who have changed their minds and even those who didnt vote should have a final, binding choice.

I am happy to accept the outcome  preferably leave  but the present uncertainty does not augur well for the future.

Dominic Shelmerdine

London, UK

A little nip could solve the growing pains of our lawns

We are now in the midst of lawnmower season.

I suggest that a decent measure of whiskey be applied to lawns. The grass then grows  half cut.

Tom Gilsenan

Beaumont, Dublin
St. Joseph's Secondary school student Shane Lynch and Luke O'Hanlon from Dundalk, were the lucky winners of a free 4-day educational trip to Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg. Shane will be accompanied on his trip by 23 other students from across Ireland and 3 supervising teachers.

They will spend one full day at the European Parliament in Strasbourg where they will take part in a youth parliament (Euroscola) with students from across EU member states.

The winning students entered the weekly Graduate.ie online citizenship & democracy competition.

They answered questions about democracy & local government, environment & waste management, health & wellbeing, financial literacy, sport, careers, courses, etc. by clicking on links to sponsors websites.

They submitted their answers to Graduate.ie and computer randomly selected weekly winners, one of which was Shane Lynch.

Shane's trip is all expenses paid and has been kindly funded by Louth County Council.

School principal Mr. Savage commented that this is a fantastic opportunity for the students involved to experience learning outside the classroom and will give them a wonderful chance to gain new skills, new attitudes and new ways of thinking.

Cllr. Reilly thanked all the students that took part in the Graduate.ie programme and said he was delighted for Shane.

He said that the Graduate.ie programme is an excellent platform for students to learn about local democracy and many other very important topics. While taking part in the weekly quiz students learn about various organisations, who they are and what they do.
Students from FCJ Bunclody who are finalists in the Eco Unesco Young Environmentalists competition

A group of students from FCJ Bunclody are doing their bit to fight against climate change and as a result have won a major national competition.

The students travelled to Dublin on Thursday for the final of the Eco Unesco Young Environmentalists Awards where, having been interviewed by a panel of three judges, they came away with the overall award in the Climate Change senior category.

The students say climate change is an issue affecting everybody and commenting on the matter to this newspaper a spokesperson for the school said efforts to combat it [at official level] have been 'shockingly poor'.

However, the Transition Year students have decided to take matters into their own hands and in doing so also entered the competition.

The initiative is aimed at empowering young people to play their part in improving the world and links the school projects with carrying out global goals.

The FCJ students decided to take on the issue of single-use plastic and in particular focussed on food packaging and waste.

'They felt this was a huge issue,' said a spokesperson from the school.

'They felt they could take a few simple measures to reduce the amount of single use plastic used in their school, local community, and the surrounding areas,' he added.

The students undertook the challenging endeavour in late September and have worked very hard in the interim.

Such was the enthusiasm and passion that they instilled into their campaign that they won their way through to last week's final.

'They delivered a pitch in Europe House to a panel of judges who were highly impressed with their idea and the students felt that it went very well,' said the spokesperson.

To-date, the students have spread awareness to their fellow students, parents, teachers, friends, family and members of their wider community about the urgent need to address the problem.

They also showed people how they themselves can make some simple but very positive changes.

'They have teamed up with Wexford County Council to extend the Conscious Cup Campaign throughout Bunclody,' said the spokesperson.

'They have supplied businesses with reusable cups and had them sign a pledge to try and use them to reduce the amount of disposable coffee cups going to waste,' he added.

The students also held a massive litter pick on all the roads leading into Bunclody, gave out reusable fruit and veg bags, and informed the public on how and why to use them.

They also carried out multiple surveys, ran poster competitions and many more promotions with a view to getting their message across.

Securing the prestigious Eco Unesco prize underlined their ability to convey an extremely positive and important message to everyone in the community.
The huge crowd at the coffee morning in aid of Ronald McDonald & Crumlin Hospital

The organisers of a recent fundraising event that was held in the IFA centre in Enniscorthy have thanked everyone who supported it.

The coffee morning event was organised by Rose-Marie and Colm O'Loughlin to raise money for Ronald McDonald House (RMH)and Crumlin Hospital.

Speaking to this newspaper about the event Rose-Marie expressed gratitude to 'everyone in the community' who went along on the day.

'There is a little bit of money still coming in but we think it will around 6,000 that was raised which is great,' she said.

The couple also held a similar fundraiser last year which raised 7,000 and they are extremely grateful to the people who support the event.

'A lot of people from Monageer and Boolavogue went along as well as people from Enniscorthy and some from Wexford,' said Rose-Marie.

The event was held from 10.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Rose-Marie said it was very busy with people coming in throughout the day.

'It was a good social event too because people stayed and chatted,' she said.

The idea for holding the fundraiser came about as one of their three children, Darragh, was born with a heart condition.

'Shortly after he was born Darragh was transferred to Crumlin and six days after being born he had his first heart surgery,' she said.

Darragh spent a lot of time in hospital and while he is now doing well he still needs medication and monitoring.

However, Rose-Marie and Colm are very appreciative of the help they received from RMH while they stayed with Darragh while he was in hospital in Dublin.

'He was in hospital between June and October and we got a room in Ronald McDonald House which was a great help to us,' said Rose-Marie.

'That made a huge difference for us because it meant as weekends we could bring the [other] kids up and it helped us balance family life,' she added.

'Ronald McDonald House definitely made that easier to do.'

The couple said they are very appreciative of the support their fundraising events have received from within the local community.

The money raised from the event will go towards RMH and the heart centre at Crumlin hospital.
It was a proud moment for parents of the latest crop of Mercy Mounthawk students to make the grade as they marked the end of an era in their lives with a special graduation ceremony at St John's Church on Friday afternoon.

With the Leaving Certificate just around the corner, the students were undoubtedly relieved to have an excuse to leave the books behind for one afternoon as they donned their best garb, met up with their friends and posed proudly with their certificates after the ceremony.

Over 230 students graduated on the day, with emotions unsurprisingly high as they bid farewell to their school days.
I saw a Wood Mouse the other day while on the nature trail. Nothing strange about that, you may say. Maybe not, but I thought it was unusual as the rodent was out in broad daylight in the middle of the day.

When I say I saw it, what I mean is that it saw me first and what I saw out the corner of my eye was the sudden movement as with explosive acceleration it darted from a standing start to the safety of cover in the undergrowth. That said, I did get enough of a fleeting glimpse to know it was a Wood Mouse.

We have two species of mouse in Ireland: the Wood Mouse and the House Mouse. The names suggest that the former is found in woods and the latter is found in houses, but it is not as simple as the names suggest.

The Wood Mouse is very widely distributed and is a generalist, found in all habitats including houses. It has orange-brown fur on its sides and back and a white belly. Its eyes are large and jet black. Its ears are also large and are almost hairless. Its nose is pointed, and it has long whiskers.

The big dark eyes, the large ears and the golden fur give it an appealing appearance. The fact that is clean and odourless adds to its appeal as an attractive little creature.

The distribution of the House Mouse is poorly understood but it is known that it is closely associated with people and their buildings. It is found in cities and towns and in rural buildings. Its strong association with people is evidenced by the fact that House Mouse populations on offshore islands die out very quickly when people abandon their island homes and relocate to the mainland.

The fur of the House Mouse varies in colour, but it is generally grey. Its eyes and ears are small, and its head is narrow giving its face a 'mean' expression. It uses its urine to scent mark its surroundings, so it is smelly. Consequently, houses with an infestation of mice are non-smelly if the invader is the Wood Mouse but have a distinctive 'mousey' smell if the culprit is the House Mouse.

The House Mouse is an introduction that arrived in Ireland with immigrating people. Genetic studies show that our stock has closest genetic affinities with populations in Scandinavia, Scotland and England.
Anne was desperately upset. 'Finn has never done anything like this before. It's so unlike him!' Her five year old Black Labrador had just snapped at her three year old son.

Finn had been the 'baby before a baby', a common syndrome with young couples who don't yet feel ready to have a baby together, and who decide to get a pet. Myself and my wife did this pre-children: we even went so far as calling our new kitten 'Baby' because he was a tiny, vulnerable, baby-like creature. If anyone at the time had told us that he was some sort of baby surrogate, we'd have scoffed at them. Yet two years later, we had our first child. There was definitely something going on there that we weren't fully aware of.

Anyway, Anne and her husband Jim adored Finn: he was a classic Black Labrador, intelligent, friendly, good-looking and good-natured. He had become the centre of their lives, until, of course, their first baby arrived a couple of years later.

They took the usual precautionary steps to make sure that Finn adapted to the new situation. In the weeks leading up to the birth, they played the sound of a baby crying on their sound system at home , they introduced Finn to babies belonging to friends, and they tweaked his daily routine to make it more like it would be when the baby was born. He went for fewer walks, he was given a bit less attention, and his daily activities were less one-on-one than they had been before. Finn didn't seem to mind this: he ambled through his life, happy with his lot.

And when the baby was born, Jim came home before Anne, with some bedding that had been in contact with the baby, to let Finn sniff it. This allowed him to get used to the scent before actually meeting the baby, and it reduced the risk of him reacting in any negative way.

Everything went very smoothly: as they'd hoped Finn accepted the baby boy into their home, wagging his tail in pleasure whenever Anne came into the room carrying the baby, and never reacting in any negative way to the presence of the small bundle. The perfect family set up seemed to have developed, just what Anne and Jim had hoped for. They went on to have a second baby, eighteen months later. Life was busier than ever, and Finn had become a safe, reliable part of that contented picture.

And now this. Suddenly, Finn had caused a commotion. Their three year old son had been playing in their kitchen/dining area, the baby had been in a cot close by, while Finn had been lying near the patio door. Anne had been preparing dinner, when suddenly, she'd heard a loud 'yip' from Finn, and their son was clutching his hands to his face, screaming. Finn had snapped, catching the boy on the side of his face, causing a visible mark. It didn't need medical attention, but Anne and Jim were filled with horror: what if the snap had been a couple of centimetres deeper? Their son could have been badly injured. Or what, even, if Finn had been even more aggressive: they had seen the stories in the papers about dogs savaging young children. How could they ever trust Finn again?

When I asked Anne what, specifically, had happened, she couldn't answer. She hadn't been looking across at the time that Finn snapped. The boy had been tottering around, close to Finn, but that's all she knew. The boy was too young to explain, but anything could have happened: he could have grabbed Finn's ear, stood on his tail, or even just tried to give him a big hug. Young children can't understand dog body language, and they tend to move very close to an animal when the dog is really uncomfortable. Dogs never snap randomly: something must have happened that pushed Finn to a place where he felt that he had to do something to defend himself.

This incident highlights a common issue that the Dogs Trust charity is currently trying to address: they take a 'prevention is better than cure' approach to responsible dog ownership. A dog's body language can give people an insight into how a dog is feeling and could potentially prevent an unfortunate incident arising. If humans learn to read this canine body language more effectively, problems can be prevented.

Dogs Trust runs a specific workshop on how to help ensure their children are safe around dogs both indoor and out and about. Parents and guardians, and expectant parents and guardians are all invited to attend. In particular, the charity warns parents to always supervise play time between children and dogs. The charity also runs classes for children, teaching them to be gentle when playing with dogs, and showing them the warning signs that a dog might display if they are unhappy.

Anne and Jim went to one of the workshops, and they now have a new understanding of how to integrate Finn into their family. They have new routines, with new precautions. They know that life with this lovely dog and their gorgeous children is now far safer than it had been before.

Around 40% of Irish homes have dogs, so most children will encounter dogs at some stage. It makes sense that all children should be taught how to understand them.

Visit www.learnwithdogstrust.ie to learn more about Dogs Trust workshops.
The agony and the ecstasy were present in equal measure at St Joseph's Community Centre as the cheering of elected candidates rang out across the hall on Sunday. With six LEAs and 67 candidates there was always going to be the potential for a couple of shocks and that certainly was the case over the course of two dramatic days.

Sinn Fein's fortunes around the county were a big talking point over the weekend as they lost three sitting councillors. Fionntan O'Suilleabhain made it over the line in Gorey LEA to retain his seat, as did Tom Forde in Wexford. Mick Roche hung in until the last count in Rosslare, but ultimately lost out to Aontu candidate Jim Codd. Marie Doyle didn't gain much momentum in New Ross before being eliminated, while first time candidate Colette Nolan also missed out in Kilmuckridge LEA.

Perhaps the biggest shock for Sinn Fein, however, was the failure of general election candidate Johnny Mythen to retain his seat in Enniscorthy. However, he wasn't the only high profile candidate to miss out there. Current County Council Chairman Keith Doyle, who has been involved in local politics for 25 years, also lost his seat, as did Fine Gael councillor of ten years Paddy Kavanagh. Few could have predicted that the trio of experienced politicians, with a combined experience of over 45 years, would all miss out.

In fact, in Enniscorthy, it was only Kathleen Codd Nolan (FG), John O'Rourke (IND) and Barbara Anne Murphy (FF) who retained their seats on a new look council that will feature cousin of TD James Browne, Aidan Browne (FF), Cathal Byrne (FG) and Jackser Owens (IND) who made a triumphant return to local politics having served on Enniscorthy Town Council.

There was a predictable outcome in Kilmuckridge with all four sitting councillors - Pip Breen (FF), Mary Farrell (IND), Willie Kavanagh (FF) and Oliver Walsh (FG) - all retaining their seats to fill the LEA.

Also on the predictable end of the scale, Euro hopeful Malcolm Byrne topped the poll in Gorey before turning his attentions to the European count. It was a clean sweep for Fianna Fail in Gorey, all three candidates making it over the line as Donal Kenny and Joe Sullivan followed Malcolm in with Fine Gael duo of Anthony Donohoe and Diarmuid Devereux also performing very well to take seats. Sinn Fein's Fionntan O'Suilleabhain was sweating it towards the end, but ultimately managed to retain his seat on the final count.

The big shock for Gorey was Labour stalwart of 15 years Robbie Ireton losing his seat and he cut a dejected figure as he crashed out of the running relatively early on.

The Rosslare LEA encapsulated the mixture of the shocking and predictable. Having topped the poll the last time out, Cllr Ger Carthy saw an incredible turnout, comfortably topping the poll with over 20% of the first preference votes to make it on count one. He was followed on count two by Frank Staples (FG) who also performed very well. Fianna Fail general election candidate Lisa McDonald faced a bit of an anxious wait before being elected on count 7 and things took a turn when Fianna Fail candidate Michael Wallace called for a recount with a minimal amount of votes separating him and Sinn Fein's Mick Roche, who was battling Aontu's Jim Codd. The call was eventually retracted and the new party on the block claimed the last seat as the Rosslare public gave Codd the nod. Wallace, however, can be described as being among the unluckiest candidates, having done very well on first preference votes.

Wexford reaffirmed it's status as a Labour stronghold with George Lawlor topping the poll with over 20% of the vote. In actual fact, it was Cllr Lawlor's strongest performance since he was first elected in 2004. He was later joined by Labour colleague Maura Bell, but former councillor Joe Ryan once again missed out on taking the last seat to complete a clean sweep for the party in the Wexford LEA.

Joining Cllr Lawlor being elected on count one was Cllr John Hegarty (FG), who was in uncharted waters after transferring from the Gorey district to Wexford LEA. Independent candidate and former Social Democrat candidate in the last general election, Leonard Kelly surprised even himself when he took the third seat in Wexford before former All-Ireland winner Garry Laffan (FF), veteran Davy Hynes (IND) and Tom Forde (SF) were all elected on count 9.

New Ross LEA was the last district to be completed and while independent Pat Barden topped the poll comfortably, it was a clean sweep for Fianna Fail seeing Michael Sheehan, Michael Whelan and John Fleming make it over the line. There was a bit of a swap for Fine Gael as Bridin Murphy from Clonroche took a seat while Willie Fitzharris failed to retain his. Independent Anthony Connick was also over the moon as he got over the line on the final count too.

Overall, Fianna Fail were the real winners, completing two clean sweeps in Gorey and New Ross. Fine Gael also maintained, while it was a mixed bag for Labour who saw increases in their vote, but ultimately saw one new candidate come in, but a party stalwart losing out in the North of the county. Sinn Fein will be left licking their wounds having retained only two of five seats and difficult decisions will now have to be made following the failure of their general election candidate.
A festival-like atmosphere presided outside St Joseph's Community Centre in Wexford over the weekend, with a gourmet fast food van keeping candidates and their possies fed, and people lapping up the warm sunshine, while 150 plus counters beavered away inside, filling cubbyholes with candidates' votes.

It was hotter than hell in the centre, as seasoned party members crunched the numbers, drilling through them to try and make sense of a local election count that dragged on and on and on.

The decision to open the boxes in County Hall, sort the votes, reseal them and bring them by garda escort to St Joseph's was queried by many, who, by darkness fall on Saturday night wondered when they would be seeing their beds.

The tallymen and women had been out since 7.30 a.m. on Saturday setting up camp around the rectangular enclosure at County Hall. With three papers per voter squeezed in each box, it took until late afternoon on Saturday for the ballot papers to be separated into three bundles. The opening of the boxes was carried out under the supervision of the County Registrar and European Local Returning Officer Marie Garahy. Once the votes were separated and the ballot paper accounts reconciled, the County Registrar ensured the safe transfer of the European ballot papers under army escort to the count centre for Ireland South in Cork.

Local Election ballot papers were transferred to Local Elections Returning Officer Eddie Taaffe, who brought them under supervised escort to the count centre at St. Joseph's for the start of the counting and sorting process at what was a ticketed event, in a process straight out of a Kafka novel. There, six separate simultaneous local election counts - one for each electoral area - got under way.

By early afternoon a picture was emerging of how the parties were faring. It quickly became apparent that for Sinn Fein it was going to be a bloodbath and so it transpired to be, with 2016 General Election candidate Johnny Mythen failing to retain a seat in the reduced Enniscorthy district, along with Mick Roche in the new Rosslare municipal district and Cllr Marie Doyle in the shrunken New Ross district.

People across the political spectrum were scratching their heads with their phone free hand, baffled at how a party which rode the wave of the Fine Gael government's property and water charges in 2014, could get swept aside in a tsunami of conservative and Independent votes this time around. Meanwhile candidates, including Fine Gael's John Hegarty - who was dressed in holiday wear at County Hall - was so confident of victory he put his face on the cover of Time magazine.

'There was a big swing in New Ross to Fine Gael. Unfortunately they fell off it,' declared Wexford poll topper George Lawlor, referencing Maria Bailey's ill judged lawsuit against a Dublin hotel.

Fine Gael's director of elections for Wexford, Martin Lawlor was philosophical about how the party fared in the six elections. 'It's as you were. We'll retain nine seats. It's Ok given that we didn't go up in the polls. It's a midterm election and voters have exercised their franchise.'

TD Michael D'Arcy Jnr was clearly singing from the same hymn sheet, putting a positive gloss on the party's prospects.

'We will hold on to our nine seats. You would always be hoping to do better but this is our second mid-term election so this is quite a good performance.'

Mr D'Arcy said the boundary changes negatively affected some Fine Gael incumbents, including Paddy Kavanagh and Jim Moore, the former losing his seat, with Kilmore Quay man Moore getting through following a nervous wait.

Fine Gael's Frank Staples said the party were slaughtered in 2014 with water charges the talk of the canvasses, but he had a good feeling as the days ticked down to this year's election that he would get over the line and so he did.

As the wait for the first count dragged on, people had to look to Britain for consolation.

'The end of May is the end of June this year,' one candidate declared with a chuckle, while a south west Wexford politico said: 'You wouldn't want to buying a dozen mackeral off of any of them counters. By the time they were finished counting them the last one would be rotten!' after a particularity long surplus count of a few dozen votes for Gorey,

To the utter disbelief of everyone gathered the first count didn't take place until shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday.

The big winners were Fianna Fail's Malcolm Byrne who made a brief appearance at the count centre as his attention was also very much on the European Election, Labour's George Lawlor and Independent Cllr Ger Carthy, who racked up around 7,500 votes between them.

Joined by his sons Michael and Daniel, Ger couldn't contain his excitement at 'landslide victory'.

Carrying on from his father Leo who was a councillor for 49 years, Ger said he felt proud to be the next generation, bringing the Carthy name forward into it's 55th year in local politics, as he looked down at his sons, one or two of whom might one day carry on to the Carthy name into politics.

The tears were flowing, the legs were going, the chins were up and down as the results came in thick and fast on Sunday morning, into the early afternoon. All around the count centre people stared bleary eyed at count sheets trying to make sense of the numbers.

'Day 2 at Big Brother House,' Labour hopeful Joe Ryan declared early on Sunday, prior to his elimination.

'We should be done for the Queen's speech at Christmas,' a bemused Cllr Michael Sheehan said as counting on the New Ross electoral area ground to a halt on Sunday.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin was also feeling the time lag, saying: 'It's so slow it draws the marrow from your bones.'

For some the wait proved unbearable and tempers began to flare on Sunday afternoon as candidates who knew they were going to be elected raged against the machine, whose cogs were seemingly turning slower before their eyes.

After a quarter of a century representing Enniscorthy, Fianna Fail's Keith Doyle was in tears as he came to terms with the end of a career which had many highs, including the 12 months leading up to the election when he was chairman of Wexford County Council. His posters shouted that he had given back around 40,000 to his area by not claiming chairman's allowances. Goes to show being nice gets you nowhere in local politics.

For Fine Gael candidates, the party's strategy just didn't make sense, especially in the Rosslare and New Ross electoral areas, for some.

'Three into five doesn't go in Rosslare,' one party member confided in me, within earshot of Paul Kehoe TD.

The Rosslare district was known as the group of death with five sitting councillors and two strong newcomers in Jim Codd (AON) and Fianna Fail's Michael Wallace. Eventually Codd got the nod and won out.

By mid-afternoon on Sunday it was squeaky bum time for several sitting councillors who were expected to sail back into county hall, namely Fionntain O'Suilleabhain, Jim Moore, Paddy Kavanagh, Anthony Connick.

'People were saying I'd definitely get through and that was a kiss of death.' Jim Moore said, but the kiss didn't prove fatal.

The scattering of transfers across the new districts from party candidates to non party candidates and back, left many seasoned analysts throwing their eyes to heaven.

The biggest cheer of the weekend rang out for Labour's Maura Bell who is used to battles, working at the Irish National Heritage Park, for which she has successfully secured millions in funding

By the time the Wexford Local elections count wrapped up shortly after 8 p.m. on Sunday, the theatre of dreams saw 34 candidates hoisted up on the shoulders of family members and battle hardened canvassers, while the defeated were left licking their wounds. 'It's a tough day. People put a lot of time, effort and money into getting elected only to come up short by a few dozen votes,' one man said, lamenting a friend's loss of his seat following a bruising and exhausting few days which played out like a Wexford Game of Thrones: ending with a whimper with no party claiming a decisive victory.
Knight is a novelist and essayist who converted to Islam at 16, traveled to Islamabad at 17 to study at a madrasa, then got a masters degree at Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina. In gathering 40 hadiths, the author followed the ancient Islamic literary tradition of the arbain, wherein scholars over the millennia have collected and curated 40 hadith, often by theme. For Knight, who rose to literary fame with his 2003 self-publication of his novel The Taqwacores, now considered a cult classic and a manifesto for the Muslim punk movement, his Forty Introductions is a decidedly contemporary collection, reaching into queer theology, feminist commentary and core Islamic teachings.
Hero Garda David (Dave) Hearne, who died while scuba diving off of Hook Head on Saturday, will be laid to rest today (Tuesday) in Duncannon.

Formerly of Innyard, Fethard-on-Sea, and Johnshill, Waterford, Dave is survived by his heartbroken wife Barbara; children Dylan, Toby, Noah and Libby; parents Declan and Gemma and sisters Brid and Maeve and brother Declan.

Dave (47) was diving with Hook Sub Aqua Club off of Hook Head on Saturday when the tragedy occurred. He was immediately assisted by dive colleagues and the Irish Coast Guard helicopter raced to the scene to assist in his transfer to hospital.

Rescue R117 had been airborne, with a number of RNLI lifeboats active in the area, as part of the search operation for missing Kilmore man Dom Sinnott. Tragically, despite frantic attempts to stabilise his condition, Dave was pronounced dead before he could be transferred to University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and a special decompression unit.

Gardai in Waterford and Wexford have expressed shock at the tragedy and the death of a hugely respected colleague.

'The entire force is in shock,' one Garda involved in search and rescue operations said.

'He was the nicest guy you could ever work alongside. He has received numerous awards over the years for his commitment to life saving.'

Tributes to Dave were led by Irish Bravery Awards Council (IBAC) chairman Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail TD who noted that the young garda followed in the brave footsteps of his father who was also honoured for his courage in 1958.

Dave's mother Gemma said the family are still trying to come to terms with Dave's death.

'He was a beautiful fellow; so unassuming and so talented.'

Dave attended Poulfur NS before going on De La Salle secondary school and Colaiste na Ring.

He met the love of his life Barbara Molloy in his teens and they were married in the Star of the Sea Church in Duncannon in 2004. They had four children: Dylan (13), Toby (11), Noah (9) and Libby (7).

Gemma said like most parents these days both Dave and Barbara were very busy, but they always made time for themselves, be it through going to a gig or to a musical; music being the constant passion in Dave's life, along with diving. Dave had travelled near and far to dive and had descended beneath 200ft.

He had a talent for music from a young age and loved playing the organ, piano and guitar. A laid back youth, he studied Leisure & Recreation in Dublin and worked as a lifeguard.

Dave went to Templemore to become a guard in 1994 and never looked back. He was initially stationed with the Santry underwater unit, before being moved to Cahir in Co Tipperary and then to Ballybricken station in Waterford where he was a hugely popular figure and was even on a first name basis with many of the city's criminals, who respected him. He worked with the traffic corps for many years and would on occasion all home to Fethard for some dinner, when he had time to catch the ferry over from Passage East.

Dave was utterly dedicated to Barbara and the children. Gemma said: 'He was a quiet, funny, unassuming man and our little God as our first child died of cot death at only six month's old. He was the son of the Coastgaurd manager for the area and grew up with a VHF kit and radio in the family kitchen.'

Both Gemma and Declan asked Dave repeatedly to stop diving, but his answer was always that he was happiest when he was under the water.

'He died doing something he loved. It was definitely not out of neglect or anything. He was always absolutely diligent when it came to safety and he made sure everyone in the club was when they were going out on their boats.'

She said the family still don't know what happened to Dave. 'It doesn't seem like he had a heart attack or that there was a clot. The Navy and the guards have taken the equipment and they will get to the bottom of it.'

The Hearne family have been overwhelmed by the love and support they have been shown by colleagues, friends and neighbours of Dave's since word filtered out on Saturday afternoon that he had died. 'We are shocked. We never realised he was such a popular guy. He was always playing practical jokes. He was just so liked. His colleagues said they could come in in a bad humour and Dave would come around the corner and start talking and have them laughing and with a smile on their face. He had a great perspective on life and remained laid back. He was quiet, funny and unassuming but he didn't know a clock existed. We are just in bits. Declan lost his brother on the Naomh Seosamh in 1957 and two brothers off the coast.'

She recalled the family Christmas tradition of her meeting Dave at the ferry with a fish box stuffed with turkey and all the trimmings for Barbara and him to cook at their home.

Gemma said the family will be there to support Barbara who she described as wonderful mother.

'We are going to miss him dreadfully. He was an extraordinary character. He saved nine people's lives and received awards but he was so unassuming. We have lost a lovely fella.'

Tributes have been paid by Ceann Comhairle, Sean O Fearghail, TD, Chair of the Bravery Awards Council and the Garda Representative Association, who expressed their heartfelt sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of Dave and another garda, John McCallion who died last weekend. 'The Garda Siochana have lost two great members who were inspirational colleagues to everyone in the organisation and great friends to many members. The passing of both men is all the more tragic considering they leave behind seven children between them.'.

Dave's funeral Mass is at Our Lady Star of the Sea church, Duncannon, at 2 p.m., with his burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.
This Friday (May 31) is World No Smoking Day and I want to share with you some of the mindset tools and techniques I use to help people overcome people's smoking addictions once and for all.

Substitute the word cigarette in this article for food/gambling/biting nails etc. it really does not matter. These tips can be just as easily used to beat any habit and are the foundation on which permanent change is built.

Beliefs

If you only take one thing from this article let it be a better understanding of the power of our beliefs. There is no more powerful directive force in human behaviour than our beliefs. If you want to change your behaviour then you must start with your beliefs.

Are you one of many that smokes as a means to 'relax'? Nicotine is a stimulant and therefore will create a stress response for your mind and body. Once it enters your blood stream your body must respond by releasing endorphins to mask the symptoms of being poisoned that you felt when you smoked your first couple of cigarettes. That same poison is still entering your bloodstream and an increased heart rate is one of your body's responses to dealing with it. Meanwhile you have fooled your brain into thinking smoking helps you relax because this is the time that you have stopped doing whatever you were doing and took some time out for yourself. Needing to inhale poisonous gases into our bodies so that we can relax or enjoy ourselves defies all logic yet there are millions more around the world slowly killing themselves through similar nonsensical beliefs.

Think about the cigarettes that you believe that you will miss when you stop smoking. When having a coffee for example. Go through each and every one of them and KNOW that smoking does absolutely nothing for you let alone make your coffee any better. Logically you know that smoking has zero benefit whatsoever but over the years your subconscious mind has created positive links to smoking.

Debunk every belief you have around enjoying smoking or about how tough it will be because till you do any attempt at quitting is going to leave you with feelings of deprivation that will make stopping smoking unnecessarily stressful for you. Start to visualise what you are going to do instead of smoking in those situations from now on.

Motivation

Only when you have finished debunking your beliefs must you then start tapping into your motivation for quitting.

Start to write down your reasons for stopping but always framed in the positive 'I want to live a long healthy life' rather than 'I don't want to feel sick and tired all the time'. Your subconscious mind wants to give you what you want. It determines what you want by noticing what you focus on. If you focus on what you don't want, your subconscious mind tries to give you that thing. That's why focusing on the positive outcome is important.

Plan ahead

Failure to plan is to planning to fail. By now you have long since come to damning realisation that you cannot quit whenever you choose through willpower alone. No need to panic. With diligent planning and guidance we can always set ourselves up for the best possible chance of success. First thing to do will be to set a date and stick to it. Only you know what constitutes a good day for you to quit but the sooner the better and should certainly be less than a month away.

Once that date is set you should immediately start to plan ahead for the inevitable life events that could lead you to start smoking again. Maybe you had quit for some months previously and suddenly you had very stressful situation to deal with and you found yourself back smoking again. The list of potential saboteurs is different for everybody. Know yours and more importantly see yourself overcoming every one of them.

Avoid any form of substitution. Nicotine replacement therapies have repeatedly been proven to perform marginally better than placebo products. If your smoking was just a nicotine addiction then these products would work. Every time. But they don't. Smoking is a habit and a behaviour. Even healthier forms of substitution should be avoided as they are all subconsciously creating a feeling of deprivation. Ask yourself what are you giving up? You're giving up... guilt, feeling weak, wasting your money, bad health, social stigma, craving, rotten smell, lack of control. You're giving up all the things you don't want, including smoking. You're giving up the things you don't want in order to get the things you do want.

Visualisation

All meaningful and lasting change starts inside your imagination and works its way outside into your reality. Start to think about the positives outcomes of having reached your goal and then visualise yourself already in the future having already achieved it. Bring emotion into it and really allow yourself to bask in the pride and happiness you will feel having finally overcome this personal obstacle. Visualize in first person, present tense and positive imagery. Start building that visualization of a happy non-smoking future for yourself. If you're giving up smoking then put that money aside every day and treat yourself to something really nice that you would not have normally had. Maybe a holiday to your dream location? Then picture yourself there in the first person, lying by the pool, cocktail in hand, sun shining on your face, in complete and utter relaxation. The more vivid your visualisation the better.

In truth there are many mindset tools and techniques I could share with you but real change can only ever happen when you take ownership and accountability of your whatever obstacle you are facing and COMMIT to change.

Mindset

We have all met people that seem to remain joyful and optimistic no matter how awful their lives appear to be and conversely who seem to be eternally moping and complaining no matter how much good fortune comes their way. Mindset is the reason one person's mountain is another person's molehill.

So as soon as you commit then immediately look forward to stopping. Rather than assume you are going to feel deprived and miserable, look forward to finally being free. How you feel is not the result of what is happening in your life, it is your interpretation of what is happening.

1: Henry Ford very famously once said 'whether you think you can or think you can't you're right'.

2: Change your words, change your mindset - Our English language has two words that people use all the time and these two words are a recipe for failure. 'I'm trying to quit smoking.' 'I hope I can quit smoking.' Let's start with the word TRY This word 'try' sets up the mental expectancy that you cannot do it. If I asked you to try and take a pencil out of my hand, and you reached over and took it, understand that you may have been successful in removing the pencil from my hand, but you didn't quite follow the instructions. Instead of TRYING, you JUST DID IT.

The word HOPE is just as bad. Hope is taking all personal responsibility and handing it off to the world to fix it for you. Understand that there's only one person in the world that can MAKE you quit smoking, and that's YOU Quitting smoking is like a light switch. It's either on, or it's off. You either do it or you don't do it. Remember, you are not 'giving up' or 'quitting.'.

Know your enemy - Understand nicotine - Nicotine takes two to three days to leave your body. Nicotine replacement therapies have repeatedly been proved to perform marginally better than placebo products. If your smoking was just a nicotine addiction then these products would work. Every time. But they don't. It's a habit, it's a behaviour.

3: Know your motivation.

4: Look forward to stopping. Rather than assume you are going to feel deprived and miserable, just look forward to finally being free. Any nonsense about really missing first fag in the morning. Avoid any form of substitution. If you replace cigarettes with chocolate - you'll gain weight and be miserable. Even the use of seemingly innocent substitutes such as carrots and apples creates a feeling of deprivation. Remember you are not giving up anything - you are getting rid of smoking. Looking for a replacement would be like getting rid of a terrible cold and wanting to replace it with the flu.

5: Self talk - it's important that you realise that you must control your self talk or your self talk will control you. One of the principles of changing your mind is that you must change the self talk that is going on. You may not be able to control the external world around you but you can, through your own discipline, control how you speak to yourself.

6: Commitment - 'Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too'.

In war, some generals would demolish the bridges they had just crossed in order to motivate the troops forward. How committed were you to giving up? Commit. Set your date for quitting.

Are you one of those people who've been thinking of giving up smoking for ages? Have you been pondering going to the gym all year? Now is the time to develop a mindset that is all about discipline, not just 'finding the motivation'.

The best writers don't suffer from so-called writer's block, they just get on with it. Often just doing it comes first. Motivation comes second.

Why do you think your previous attempts failed?

What is going to be different this time?

How committed are you to stop smoking?

Think about the fags that you believe that you will miss like when having a drink or coffee. Go through each and every one of them and KNOW that smoking does absolutely nothing for you let alone make having a drink or coffee better.

Logically you know that smoking has zero benefit whatsoever but over the years your subconscious mind has created positive links to smoking. Debunk every belief you have around enjoying smoking or about how tough it will be because till you do any attempt at quitting is going to leave you with feelings of deprivation that will make stopping smoking unnecessarily stressful for you. Start to visualise what you are going to do instead of smoking in those situations from now on.

Only when you have finished debunking your beliefs must you then start tapping into your motivation for quitting. Start to write down your reasons for stopping but always framed in the positive 'I want to live a long healthy life' rather than 'I don't want to feel sick and tired all the time'.

Download smokefreeapp.com/and decide beforehand what you will treat yourself to with the money you saved.

Smoke Free - Quit Smoking Now the UK's most popular smoking cessation app with unique features and a great user experience smokefreeapp.com.

Your mental expectancy and desire to give up smoking are crucial to your success. By the time you are ready for our session you will no longer be thinking in terms of 'I'm trying to quit smoking.' Try implies failure. 'I hope I can quit smoking.' So take ownership of your decision to quit and COMMIT to it. The word hope is just as bad. Hope is taking all personal responsibility and handing it off to the world to fix it for you. Understand that there's only one person in the world that can MAKE you quit smoking, and that's YOU.

And YOU take responsibility for your success by;

A) Having no fears or misconceptions about hypnotherapy.

B) Accepting my suggestions with a positive mental attitude.

C) Believing that you will walk out my door a happy non-smoker for the rest of your life.
The Indian Ambassador Mr.Sandeep Kumar with Wexford General Hospital manager Lily Byrnes and some of the Indian staff working in the hospital

The Indian Ambassador to Ireland, Mr, Sandeep Kumar met Council and business leaders and paid a courtesy call to Wexford General Hospital during his first visit to the county.

The visit was part of the Indian Embassy's provincial outreach programme which aims to strengthen the relationship between India and various counties in Ireland.

The embassy intends to promote Wexford as an attractive destination for Indian businesses wishing to invest abroad. The county's strategic location, 90 minutes drive from Dublin, close to the sea and countryside, is among the selling points.

It is estimated that there are currently between 35,000 and 37,000 Indians living, working and studying in Ireland, including about 800 in County Wexford.

There are 33 Indian nurses working in Wexford hospital along with a number of doctors and consultants.

Mr. Kumar who was appointed Ambassador in November 2018, met the Mayor of Wexford, Cllr. Tony Dempsey; the Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Paul Kehoe; the CEO of Wexford County Council Tom Enright, Director of Economic Development, Tony Larkin and the General Manager of Weford General Hospital Lily Byrnes.

He met representatives of Wexford Chamber Skillnet and businesses in Wexford including Spiritual Earth, Chevron Training and Recruitment and the Indian-owned company MSSL in Enniscorthy.

He also met members of the Indian community living and working in Wexford, including members of the newly-launched Indo Irish Cultural Society in Ireland which is based in Enniscorthy.
Jussie Smollett after his charges were dropped in March (Paul Beaty/AP)

New documents on the Jussie Smollett case show that prosecutors told Chicago police detectives that a possible deal with the Empire actor was in the works a month before charges against him were dropped.

The approximately 460 pages of new documents show detectives investigating Smolletts claim he was the victim of a hate crime were told by Cook County prosecutors a deal with Smollett could include a 10,000 US dollar fine and community service.

The detectives did not pass the information to superiors.

They didnt pass it on because they didnt know it (the case) was going to be handled the way it was, said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

Smollett was charged with 16 counts alleging he lied to police when reporting he had been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in January.

Police contend the actor staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity. Prosecutors dropped charges on March 26 without Smollett admitting guilt.

Then Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Superintendent Eddie Johnson expressed outrage over the prosecutors decision.

They didn't pass it on because they didn't know it was going to be handled the way it wasAnthony Guglielmi, Chicago police spokesman

In the documents released on Thursday, detectives note the Chicago Police Department was informed by the Cook County States Attorneys office on February 28 that they could no longer investigate the crime.

Smollett was indicted on March 7.

Video of the Day

The lead investigators in the case met with Assistant States Attorney Risa Lanier, who informed detectives that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the city of Chicago 10,000 dollars in restitution and doing community service.

The detectives closed the case at that point because an arrest was made and the alleged offender was being prosecuted, according to Mr Guglielmi.

Telephone calls to the Cook County states attorneys office were not immediately returned on Thursday.

It was the lawyers for Smollett who announced charges alleging he lied to police about the attack had been dropped.

At the time, Mr Johnson said he learned of the deal prosecutors made with Smollett when the deal was announced by lawyers, adding he did not think justice was being served.

However, he did not directly criticise prosecutors.

My job as a police officer is to investigate an incident, gather evidence, gather the facts and present them to the states attorney, Mr Johnson said.

Thats what we did. I stand behind the detectives investigation.

The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association said the dismissal of the charges was an affront to prosecutors across the state as well as police, victims of hate crimes and the county as a whole.

The city of Chicago is seeking 130,000 dollars from Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating.

The city claims about two dozen detectives and officers investigated the entertainers report that he was attacked, resulting in a substantial number of overtime hours.
A major Hollywood row over abortion has reached these shores as two of the world's most powerful media giants were urged to boycott Northern Ireland.

Netflix and Disney are under pressure from pro-choice campaigners to stop filming in the North, where women can face life in jail for terminating a pregnancy.

It comes after the two broadcasters joined a number of Hollywood actors by threatening to withdraw from the US state of Georgia over a proposed abortion ban.

Women's rights groups in the UK, however, pointed out that both broadcasters, and a number of the actors, have been content to work in Northern Ireland, which has some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe.

"Those benefiting from tax breaks in Northern Ireland, the likes of Netflix and Disney, should know that women who pay their taxes are not getting access to healthcare on the NHS for their abortions," said Kerry Abel, chairman of the Abortion Rights charity. "If they think that it is not acceptable to operate in Georgia they should consider Northern Ireland in the same light."

Both Netflix and Disney refused to comment publicly on the row yesterday. It is understood, however, that Netflix executives believe the situation is different in Northern Ireland because women have been denied abortions there for hundreds of years, while women in Georgia stand to have their rights taken away.

The bill's passage has led to a furious outcry in Hollywood, with high-profile actors including Amy Schumer, Ben Stiller and Alec Baldwin signing a letter warning they would "do everything in our power to move our industry to a safer state for women".

In response, Netflix said it would "rethink" its entire operation in the state and would work with civil liberties groups to contest the law in court.

Bob Iger, Disney's chief executive, agreed it would be "very difficult" to continue working in the state if the so-called "heartbeat bill", which outlaws terminations from as early as six weeks, comes into force.

Both corporations, however, have current projects in Northern Ireland, where abortions are illegal except in cases where a woman's health is at risk, or if having a baby would leave her a "physical or mental wreck".

In recent years the film industry has boomed in the North since it was chosen as the setting for 'Game of Thrones', the HBO series, in 2009. Recent movies have included 'The Lost City of Z', and 'High-Rise'.

Sophie Turner, a star of 'Game of Thrones', attracted criticism after revealing she too would refuse to work in any US state with an abortion ban. When it was put to the 23-year-old British actress that there were similar laws in Northern Ireland, she replied: "There was a lot of work of 'Game Of Thrones' there, so luckily we're moving on."

In response, Nicola Coughlan, star of the Netflix series 'Derry Girls', said it was "mad how people can easily ignore what's going on on their doorstep".

In 2017, almost 1,000 women from Northern Ireland travelled to England and Wales to terminate their pregnancies.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has come under pressure to change the law in the continued absence of a functioning government in Stormont. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
Former Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla at his trial in Cordoba, Argentina (AP/Natacha Pisarenko)

Recently declassified US intelligence documents have revealed brutal methods employed by Argentina's former military junta during its 1976-1983 "dirty war" against dissidents.

The archive shows that on August 20 1976, agents of Argentina's dictatorship dynamited the bodies of 30 people who had been detained as dissidents in a blast that spread their remains over a wide radius.

The grisly details of the explosion that tore apart the bodies of 10 women and 20 men who were executed in the Argentine city of Pilar were found in a US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report posted by the independent US National Security Archive.

Thousands of people were tortured, killed and forcibly disappeared in a government-sponsored crackdown on leftist dissidents during the "dirty war".

Read More

The report said the 1976 blast was meant "to send a bloody message to other alleged militants to cease their activities five months after the military coup".

Sources told the CIA that the leader of Argentina's military junta, Gen Rafael Videla, was "annoyed that the bodies were left so prominently displayed".

Gen Videla wanted them dead, the report said. He was just annoyed that it had been done so blatantly.

The documents are a small selection of The Argentina Declassification Project, the largest government-to-government declassification effort in US history, authorised by former American president Barack Obama.

The project was completed with a final transfer last month. The records describe in detail "brutal methods" used by Argentina's military.

Then-US assistant secretary of state for human rights Patricia Derian wrote in a 1979 summary: "We continue to receive numerous highly credible reports that torture is used routinely in the interrogation of detainees.

Read More

"The electric 'picana', something like a supercharged cattle prod, is still apparently a favourite tool, as is the 'submarine' treatment (immersion of the head in a tub of water, urine, excrement, blood, or a combination of these).

"There is no longer any doubt that Argentina has the worst human rights record in South America."

Human rights groups estimate about 30,000 people were killed or forcibly disappeared during Argentina's dictatorship.

Some were pregnant women who were "disappeared" right after giving birth in clandestine torture centres. The baby thefts set Argentina's dictatorship apart from all the other juntas that ruled at the time in South America.

Women were also the target of sexual violence. Others were tortured with live rats or had not been exposed to the sun for so long that "their skin colour is greenish," Ms Derian reported.

Carlos Osorio, who directs the National Security Archive's Southern Cone Documentation Project, said: "The narratives by US intelligence agencies on what I call the military killing machine throw shivers through your back.

"There are precise details by the CIA on how the machine worked and was organised.

"The documents we have identified shed light in the case of dozens of victims, the units the perpetrators belonged to and the circumstances of the crimes committed by the junta."
The Bank of England has said lending rose in April (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The level of mortgage lending in the UK rose last month in a sign that the passing of the original Brexit deadline in March has eased fears, according to the Bank of England.

Net mortgage borrowing in April was 4.3 billion with the number of mortgage approvals rising from 49,400 in March to 66,300 last month. Over the previous six months, the average was 3.8 billion.

There were also glimmers of improvements in consumer confidence, with the amount borrowed for goods and services rising to 0.9 billion in April, compared with 0.5 billion in March.

Expand Close Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney has warned of a Brexit Fog hitting the economy / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney has warned of a Brexit Fog hitting the economy

However, the Bank of England pointed out that it was still below the 1.5 billion average seen between January 2016 and June 2018.

Credit card lending fell slightly to 0.2 billion in the period, reversing a boost in March.

Andrew Montlake, director of the UK-wide mortgage broker, Coreco, said that the boost since the passing of the original Brexit deadline could be short-lived.

He explained: While the passing of the March 29 Brexit deadline will have spurred some into action in April, a broader Brexit apathy is becoming stronger by the day.

In business lending, the amounts borrowed from UK banks and financial markets increased by 5.7 billion in April, with amount handed out by banks alone rising 4.4 billion.

However, the increase was mainly due to big loans to the manufacturing industry.

Mark Collings, chief commercial officer at debt finance platform CODE Investing, explained: Despite a continuation of what the Banks governor Mark Carney has described as Brexit Fog, its encouraging to see that overall bank lending to business picked up in April.

The passing of the March 29 Brexit deadline, with all its inherent symbolism, appears to have made some businesses more bullish.

Drill down into the detail, however, and large manufacturing firms account for most of this increase.
But this show, "Wunderbar, felt different. Its less flashy than the others (the signature opening son et lumiere show notwithstanding) and is composed merely of Izzard himself, with intermission. There is a coherent world view  be brave and curious not fearful and suspicious  and you can intuit Izzard gravitating toward a political manifesto as, to use his words, a radical moderate, meaning that he is positioning himself as a pro-European voice in an age of Brexit. His point of view, he said, expressing much of it in English, French and German, is that our time on this planet is short and that you might as well do positive things before you explode.
New charges have been filed in the US against Julian Assange (Victoria Jones/PA)

A United Nations official has urged the Government not to extradite Julian Assange to the United States, warning that the WikiLeaks founder would not receive a fair trial after years of being subjected to "psychological torture".

Professor Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, said after visiting Mr Assange in prison, that he had been deliberately exposed to severe forms of "cruel, inhuman or degrading" treatment or punishment.

Expand Close Charges: Julian Assange. Photo: Reuters / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Charges: Julian Assange. Photo: Reuters

Mr Assange lived inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for almost seven years before being dragged out last month and sentenced to 50 weeks in jail for a bail violation.

He now faces an extradition request from the US to face claims of violating the US Espionage Act by publishing classified military and diplomatic documents in 2010.

Mr Assange was too ill to appear at a court hearing in London on Thursday.

Prof Melzer, who visited Mr Assange in Belmarsh Prison in south London earlier this month, issued a strongly worded statement expressing "alarm" that the US Department of Justice had laid 17 new charges, which carry up to 175 years in prison.

Expand Close Julian Assange (Victoria Jones/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Julian Assange (Victoria Jones/PA)

"This may well result in a life sentence without parole, or possibly even the death penalty, if further charges were added in the future," he said.

Prof Melzer said he was "gravely concerned" about the limited frequency of visits by Mr Assange's lawyers and his lack of access to documents, making it impossible for him to prepare his defence in the complex legal proceedings "piling up" against him.

The Swedish authorities recently announced that they were reopening an investigation into a rape allegation, which Mr Assange has always denied.

Prof Melzer said Mr Assange had been transferred to the healthcare unit at Belmarsh because his psychological state had deteriorated.

Expand Close Julian Assange (Dominic Lipinski/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Julian Assange (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

"Since 2010, when Wikileaks started publishing evidence of war crimes and torture committed by US forces, we have seen a sustained and concerted effort by several states towards getting Mr Assange extradited to the United States for prosecution, raising serious concern over the criminalisation of investigative journalism in violation of both the US Constitution and international human rights law," he said.

"Since then, there has been a relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr Assange, not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom, Sweden and, more recently, Ecuador."

According to the UN official, this included an "endless stream" of humiliating, debasing and threatening statements in the press and on social media, and by senior political figures, and magistrates involved in proceedings against Mr Assange.

"In the course of the past nine years, Mr Assange has been exposed to persistent, progressively severe abuse ranging from systematic judicial persecution and arbitrary confinement in the Ecuadorian embassy, to his oppressive isolation, harassment and surveillance inside the embassy, and from deliberate collective ridicule, insults and humiliation, to open instigation of violence and even repeated calls for his assassination.

Expand Close WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange took refuge in Ecuadors London embassy. Photo: Getty Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange took refuge in Ecuadors London embassy. Photo: Getty Images

"It was obvious that Mr Assange's health has been seriously affected by the extremely hostile and arbitrary environment he has been exposed to for many years.

"Most importantly, in addition to physical ailments, Mr Assange showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma.

"The evidence is overwhelming and clear.

"Mr Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.

"I condemn, in the strongest terms, the deliberate, concerted and sustained nature of the abuse inflicted on Mr Assange and seriously deplore the consistent failure of all involved governments to take measures for the protection of his most fundamental human rights and dignity.

"By displaying an attitude of complacency at best, and of complicity at worst, these governments have created an atmosphere of impunity encouraging Mr Assange's uninhibited vilification and abuse."

Prof Melzer appealed to the British Government not to extradite Mr Assange to America or to any other state failing to provide reliable guarantees against his onward transfer to the US.

He told the Press Association that extraditing Mr Assange to the US would be a "grave violation" of his human rights because there was "no chance" of him receiving a fair trial.

He added: "In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution, I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time, and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law."

Swedish prosecutors announced that a detention hearing will be held at Uppsala District Court on Monday.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecution Eva-Marie Persson has submitted an application for a detention order, in which she requests the court to detain Mr Assange in his absence.

"I am requesting the district court to detain Assange in his absence, on probable cause suspected of rape (less serious crime). If the court decides to detain him, I will issue a European Arrest Warrant concerning his surrender to Sweden," she said.
A German football fan has been charged with attempted murder and two others with serious assault after a Manchester City supporter was attacked at a Champions League game in February.

News agency dpa said Essen district court confirmed receipt of the indictments, which were already presented to the defendants of the accused.

The English fan suffered serious head injuries in the attack at Schalkes stadium in Gelsenkirchen on February 20.

He required an emergency operation and was placed in an artificial coma.

The alleged attackers were arrested some days later, and the main suspect has been in custody since.

Based on witness accounts and video footage, state prosecutors accuse the suspect of having planned the attack.
Three men in northern Thailand have been found guilty of murdering a British expatriate and his Thai wife and sentenced to death.

The bodies of retired petroleum engineer Alan Hogg, 64, and his wife Nhot Suddaen, 61, were found buried on their property in Phrae province last September.

Phrae Provincial Court found Nhots older brother Warut Rattanasajjakit guilty of masterminding the murders and hiring two other men to help him.

All three were found guilty of premeditated murder, concealing bodies, illegal possession of weapons without licences and bringing the weapons into the city without licences.

Expand Close Kittipong Kumwan was sentenced to death (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Kittipong Kumwan was sentenced to death (AP)

Police had accused Warut of plotting the murders to take control of Mr Hoggs assets and sell some of them.

According to the courts ruling, Warut initially asked his neighbour Suma Utpamoon to assist him in the murders but Suma refused after learning that Warut sought to kill his own sister. However, Suma was still paid by Warut for recommending the two men to do the job and was charged by the court with assisting premeditated murder.

Suma received a 25-year prison sentence, halved from a 50-year penalty because he co-operated with the investigation.

The court found that the two hired men shot Mr Hogg with a shotgun, while Warut bludgeoned his sister to death using a car wrench. It said the killers then dug a hole outside the couples home to bury them.

The bodies were discovered after the couple were reported missing and a police investigation began.

The court called the murders an act that extremely damages the countrys reputation as unable to ensure the safety of lives and assets. It said the three were considered extremely dangerous to society.

Pawina Chuayen, a lawyer for the family of the victims, said their foreign relatives were satisfied with the courts ruling but were also deeply affected by the events and not ready to speak about the case.
Donald Trump has lashed out at US special counsel Robert Muellers motives, a day after Mr Mueller bluntly rebuffed the presidents repeated claims that the Russia investigation had cleared him of obstructing justice.

The US president also offered mixed messages on Russias efforts to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 campaign.

Mr Trump tweeted he had nothing to do with Russia helping me get elected.

This was the first time he seemed to acknowledge that Russia tried to help his campaign.

Then, on the White House South Lawn, Mr Trump told reporters: Russia did not help me get elected. You know who got me elected? You know who got me elected? I got me elected. Russia didnt help me at all.

Mr Muellers report said Russia interfered in the election in hopes of getting Mr Trump into the White House, but his findings and intelligence officials have stopped short of saying the efforts contributed to Mr Trumps victory.

Mr Trumps 20-minute eruption underlined that he remains deeply distressed over the probe that has shadowed his presidency for nearly two years, even after Mr Mueller announced his resignation and the closure of his office. Democrats are considering the possibility of impeachment proceedings.

Expand Close US special counsel Robert Mueller (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp US special counsel Robert Mueller (AP)

Mr Trump insisted that he has been tough on Russia and that Moscow would have preferred Mrs Clinton as president.

However, that is not what Russian president Vladimir Putin has said. When asked last year in Helsinki whether he wanted Mr Trump to become president, Mr Putin replied: Yes, I did.

On Wednesday, Mr Mueller, in his first public remarks on the Russia investigation, pointedly rejected Mr Trumps claims  repeated almost daily  that the special counsels investigation cleared him of criminal activity and was a witch hunt.

Mr Mueller emphasised that he had not exonerated Mr Trump on the question of whether he obstructed justice, but said charging the president with any crime was not an option because of US justice department rules.

If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so, Mr Mueller declared.

US attorney general William Barr said Mr Mueller could have reached a decision on whether the president obstructed justice.

Mr Barr said in an interview with CBS This Morning that though justice department rules prevent the indictment of a sitting president, Mr Mueller nonetheless could have decided whether Mr Trump had committed a crime.

Mr Trump repeated his baseless claims that Mr Mueller is conflicted, contending that the special counsel, who served as FBI director under former president George W Bush, wanted his old job back, but that he had told him no.

He said Mr Mueller, a Republican, was a true never Trumper and didnt get a job that he wanted very badly.

Mr Mueller had been considered for the FBI director position shortly before being named as special counsel.

Then-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said that while the White House had invited Mr Mueller to speak to the president about the FBI and thought about asking him to become director again, Mr Mueller did not come in looking for a job.

Mr Trump also said Mr Mueller should have investigated law enforcement officials who the president claims tried to undermine him.

Mr Muellers mandate, however, was to investigate Russian election interference, possible coordination with the Trump campaign and any obstruction of that investigation.

You know who got me elected? You know who got me elected? I got me elected. Russia didn't help me at all.Donald Trump

Among those whom Mr Trump says should have been investigated were members of the special counsels own team, including Peter Strzok, a former FBI agent who helped lead the investigation and exchanged anti-Trump text messages during the 2016 election with ex-FBI lawyer Lisa Page.

Mr Strzok was removed from Mr Muellers investigative team following the discovery of the texts and later was fired from the FBI.

Ms Page has left the bureau. Mr Strzok told US congress that there was no conspiracy at the FBI to prevent Mr Trump from becoming president.

Mr Trump, when asked about impeachment by congress, called it a dirty word and said he could not imagine the courts allowing him to be impeached.

I dont think so because theres no crime, he said.

Mr Mueller made clear that his team never considered indicting Mr Trump because the justice department prohibits the prosecution of a sitting president. He and others have indicated that the next move, if any, is up to US congress, which has the power of impeachment.

Mr Trump has blocked US house committees subpoenas and other efforts to dig into the Trump-Russia issue, insisting Mr Muellers report has settled everything.
On the way back to the office, I passed big U.S. flags at Chick-Fil-A, Carpenters Mustang Reproductions and outside the Cabarrus Board of Elections and Veterans Office. Combined they dont make up half of Mr. Johnsons flag.

Thats not the case in Statesville. Gander RV put up a 40-by-80-foot flag on its Camping World lot that the city says is in violation. Statesville says flags cant be bigger than 25-by-40-foot and has been tallying up $50 a day fines on the business since October, 2018.

It looks like the city is changing its ordinance to allow it, so the controversy may be over.

Heres what I want to know: where was the flag made? If it was made in China, I think they ought to double the fine.

I asked the editor, Rea White, at the Statesville Record and Landmark where the flag was made and she said they cant check because the flag is up on the pole 24/7.

#5

A new business in the old Toys R Us building. It looks like HomeGoods is coming to the former toy store out at Concord Mills, behind where the new Krispy Kreme is under construction.
Three additional purchase of methamphetamine were made by individual subsequently identified as Bello on Feb. 1, 2018, according to Rowan County deputies.

Deputies said each of the transactions took place in Rowan County, with the exception of the purchase on April 18, 2018, which took place in Yadkinville.

Deputies said that when the confidential informant spoke with Bello on the phone to work out details of the meeting on June 27, 2018, Bello said his supplier would be in a second vehicle.

Once Bello arrived at the prearranged meeting location, deputies said he placed a call to the confidential informant and said his supplier was on the way.

Bello was then seen meeting with a second Hispanic male, who was subsequently identified as Vargas-Benitez, according to deputies.

Law enforcement officers conducting surveillance moved in and apprehended both Bello and Vargas-Benitez.

The money used to buy the meth was found, along with discovery of a purse that contained an additional quantity of methamphetamine, deputies said.
The Comanche Nation has hit the end of the road with its challenge to a rival tribal casino in Oklahoma.

The tribe sued the federal government for allowing the Chickasaw Nation to open yet another gaming facility, this one only 45 miles from a Comanche property. But the U.S. Supreme Court put an end to the dispute on Tuesday.

Obviously the Nation is disappointed, Rick Grellner, an attorney for the Comanches, told POLITICO.

At issue was a last-minute decision of the Obama administration to acquire a 51.35-are site in trust for the Chickasaw Nation. The decision -- made only one day before President Donald Trump took office in January 2017 -- enabled the tribe to open the RiverStar Casino , which POLITICO notes is the 22nd in its vast empire

Indianz.Com on Google Maps: Chickasaw Nation Gaming Facilities

The Comanches said they should have been consulted before the Bureau of Indian Affairs made the decision. But the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals determined otherwise in a December 2018 ruling that stands as a result of the Supreme Court's action this week.

The Comanches operate the Red River Hotel and Casino about 45 miles from Terral, which is right on the border with Texas, an important gaming market. The tribe says revenues will suffer now that the Chickasaw facility is open.

Generally, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act bars casinos on land placed in trust after 1988. But an exception in Section 20 of the law allows gaming on properties located within the boundaries a former reservation in Oklahoma.

The Chickasaws have utilized the exception repeatedly to expand their gaming empire. Back in 2003, Indianz.Com counted 11 facilities on lands acquired after 1988.

RiverStar, which opened in March 2018, is the latest in the stable. The BIA approved the land-into-trust application for the site on January 19, 2017, the last full day of the Obama administration.

The Trump administration held up the official notice of the acquisition until July 2017. But that didn't stop the Chickasaws from breaking ground -- the tribe did so in May of that year.

Read More on the Story

10th Circuit Court of Appeals Decision

Federal Register Notices

Join the Conversation

Related Stories
The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe was back in federal court on Friday to defend its sovereignty amid opposition to a long-delayed gaming facility in Massachusetts.

The tribe broke ground on the Aquinnah Cliffs Casino earlier this year but work has stalled because local officials claim jurisdiction at the project site. The dispute is before Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, who conceded that he made a mistake by not recognizing the tribe's authority when the case first went before him.

You were right and I was wrong, Saylor said in court in Boston, The Martha's Vineyard Times reported.

Fortunately, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals corrected Saylor. A historic April 2017 decision found that the tribe has every right to open a Class II gaming facility on its reservation.

Yet officials in the town of Aquinnah claim the ruling did not address an issue that has stalled construction on the casino. They are trying to force the tribe to obtain permits before going forward.

Theyre asking us to get permission, which we dont need, Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais told the Times after the hearing. Its simply disrespectful.

The tribe was hoping to open the 10,000 square-foot casino this summer but the permit dispute has pushed back the date. The facility will only offer Class II games like bingo and electronic versions of bingo.

Cheryl Andrews-Maltais serves as chairwoman of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe. Photo Senate Committee on Indian Affairs

According to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act , Class II games fall under the authority of the tribe and, where applicable, the National Indian Gaming Commission , an independent federal agency. States and local governments have no role.

The NIGC has already approved the tribe's Class II gaming ordinance. The agency previously confirmed that the tribe can use its reservation, located on the island of Martha's Vineyard, for such gaming.

The tribe is working with Global Gaming Solutions , a subsidiary of the Chickasaw Nation , on the casino. The Chickasaws were a pioneer in Class II gaming.

Read More on the Story

1st Circuit Court of Appeals Decision

Relevant Documents

Join the Conversation

Related Stories
Cherokee marshals set standard for tribal law enforcement

Cherokee Nation

As torrential spring storms have created historic flooding recently in our communities, our Cherokee Nation emergency responders have been out in full force, including the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.

The Cherokee Nation Marshals have been on the front lines, protecting, serving and often rescuing citizens and neighbors across the 14-county jurisdiction. Nature is unpredictable but our marshals are nonetheless prepared, bringing experience and extensive training that includes swift water boat rescue and a nationally accredited diving team.

I cannot think of a harder-working team in northeast Oklahoma, working overtime during this and many other stressful situations. When the city of Houston needed assistance with floods in 2017, the Cherokee Nation Marshals were there. When the Eastern Band of Cherokees home in North Carolina was threatened with high water last year, officers from Cherokee Nation crossed the country to help.

Cherokee Nation Marshal Service worked with other local agencies yesterday evening to rescue about 20 head of cattle from a flooded area near the #ArkansasRiver in Fort Gibson. pic.twitter.com/tWNEAQJAlU  CherokeeNation (@CherokeeNation) May 24, 2019

It is a full-fledged, certified law enforcement agency with jurisdiction throughout the Cherokee Nation. The department recently saw a much-deserved budget increase from the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council . The $255,000 influx will be used to increase salaries for about half the deputy marshals, which will bring the officers up to or above the Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement standard pay scale. It is the least we can do for the Marshal Service, which has a long and colorful history.

The Cherokee Nation has long taken responsibility for keeping our citizens and their property safe, establishing law enforcement regulating companies as early as 1797 to deal with livestock theft and other crimes. Soon the tribe established law enforcement units to regulate against disorder. In 1844, the Cherokee National Council formally authorized the formation of the Lighthorsemen and charged them with bringing in fugitives for justice.

Obstructive federal policy toward sovereign tribal nations caused the law enforcement in the Cherokee Nation to be suspended for many decades after Oklahoma statehood. Tribal law enforcement here was restored by Legislative Act in 1991 after the 10th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals case decided Ross v Neff , which held that the state of Oklahoma did not have criminal jurisdiction over Indian Country within the Cherokee Nation. Our Cherokee Nation Marshal Service quickly formed and resumed police work throughout our Cherokee communities, resolving the jurisdictional issue by forming partnerships with area agencies.

Today, we have cross-deputization agreements with 54 municipal, county, state and federal police agencies, and maintain a staff of more than 30 men and women who, together, cover about 9,000 square miles. Agency collaborations ensure better and faster coverage across such a vast territory. Their assistance helps many smaller communities stretch their law enforcement dollars and manpower.

The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service is an invaluable asset to our citizens and communities. When you see these officers serving in your community, please offer them a warm wado for their service.

Cherokee Nation Marshal Service swift water rescue team joining Texas rescue efforts after #HurricaneHarvey #CherokeeNationCommunities pic.twitter.com/iFGyn1YhC1  CherokeeNation (@CherokeeNation) August 29, 2017

Bill John Baker currently serves as the 17th elected chief of the Cherokee Nation, the largest Indian tribe in the United States. Born and raised in Cherokee County, he is married to Sherry (Robertson) Baker. Principal Chief Baker has devoted much of his life in service to the Cherokee people. He spent 12 years as a member of the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council and was elected Principal Chief in October 2011.

Join the Conversation
South Africa: It's back to Education for Lesufi

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has heeded the nations call for Panyaza Lesufi to be shifted back to being the MEC for Education in the province.

Lesufi was appointed as the MEC for Finance and e-Government on Wednesday when the Premier announced his new provincial cabinet.

However, Makhura has been inundated with calls from the public and the education sector to reinstate Lesufi, who has been making inroads in advocating for equal education.

Lesufi was also hailed for his commitment to changing the face of township schools by introducing technology modernised schools, while lessening entry requirements for learner admissions to former Model C schools.

In a statement on Friday, Makhura said he could not ignore the many calls from the public.

While there has been appreciation of the appointment of Lesufi to Finance and e-Government, the overall non-partisan feedback from society, the education sector and the movement in general is that he remains in the Education portfolio to continue the good work of ensuring that the province is the leader and pioneer of education transformation.

Makhura announced that Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko will take over the Finance portfolio.

In a tweet, Lesufi welcomed his redeployment.

I am truly humbled fellow South Africans. Your undying love for our work in education is amazing. The pressure to not disappoint is too high. My sincere thanks to Cde Nomantu, our Premier and the ANC. Lets get back to work for a truly non-racial and quality education for all.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday said it did not put a shabu shipment up for auction in response to a privilege speech by Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson.

"As far as the BOC is concerned, what was auctioned in April 2019 was tapioca starch which is highly perishable in nature," the BOC said in a statement.

A May 25 media release from the bureau, however, said that "instead of immediately seizing the illegal shipment," authorities conducted a public bidding, "hoping to draw out possible members of the drug syndicates who may be interested in bidding on the drug shipment."

This was the same narrative of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on May 24 when it announced the seizure of 1 billion worth of shabu concealed in aluminum pallets in a tapioca starch shipment from a warehouse in Malabon City.

Lacson on Wednesday accused BOC and PDEA of lying, noting a more believable statement from PDEA Metro Manila Director Joel B. Plaza dated May 11 that authorities did not detect the illegal drugs until the winning bidder, Malabon-based Goldwin Commercial Warehouse, reported it to Customs.

"It does not take much to figure out the holes in the plot that some not-so-smart characters in these agencies tried to fabricate but failed miserably. Simply put, this is a case of dishonesty with the intention of misleading the public," Lacson said.

"Did Customs and PDEA officials really expect the owners of this shipment to actually participate in the said public auction knowing fully well that forfeited and seized commodities undergo 100-percent physical examination prior to disposition?" he added.

He said the auction of illegal drugs violates the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The BOC said it is aware of this law, adding it is coordinating with Lacson's office to clarify issues he had raised.

PDEA earlier said authorities had a tip that illegal drugs concealed in a tapioca starch shipment would enter the country during the investigation of two separate raids in Cavite which yielded over 2 billion worth of shabu last February. The BOC then recovered the abandoned tapioca starch shipment in March and on April 22 put it up for auction, hoping to lure possible drug syndicate members.

The 146-kilogram drug haul was retrieved during a joint operation of the PDEA, Customs, Coast Guard, police, and military on May 22. PDEA said the drugs came from Cambodia and is linked to the Golden Triangle drug syndicate, one of the biggest in Southeast Asia.
Chicago setting: Botkin, who grew up in Florida, said she set the first part of Love in the Sun in Chicago because her family is from the city. My mom was born in Chicago. All of my aunts either are from Chicago or still live in Chicago, and I have a big personal fan base in Chicago, so I set it in Chicago just because its a shoutout to the people that I love who live there and who love watching Hallmark movies, Botkin said.
Court orders new hearing for groups trying to ban lead ammo in Kaibab

Cronkite News

WASHINGTON  A federal appeals court Thursday ordered a new hearing for environmental groups trying to ban the use of lead shot in Kaibab National Forest that they said poses a threat to endangered California condors.

three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a district court was wrong to reject the lawsuit  for a second time  that claimed the U.S. Forest Service was contributing to  disposal of dangerous solid waste by not banning lead ammunition.

We are hoping the ultimate outcome will be that they will create a policy that states that hunters have to use non-lead ammunition, said Kelly Burke, executive director of the Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, one of the groups that filed the suit.

Calls seeking comment from attorneys for the government and for hunting groups that opposed the suit were not immediately returned Thursday.

The case began in 2012 when the Wildlands Council, the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity filed suit under the Resource Conversation and Recovery Act . A citizens suit provision of that law lets people file a claim against anyone, including the government, who has contributed to handling, storage, treatment, transportation or disposal of any solid or hazardous waste that poses a threat to the environment.

The environmental groups claim lead ammo poses that threat that the Forest Service is not stopping it on the North Rim of the Kaibab, a popular hunting destination and one of the few spots where endangered condors are found.

Because condors are scavengers, they are likely to ingest lead ammunition left in animal carcasses by hunters, according to the ruling, which said that even small amounts of lead can cause significant adverse effects on animals health, even death.

This leads to having to treat the birds and occasionally to the death of the birds. Its probably the one remaining threat, Burke said.

California condors were nearing extinction , with just 23 in the wild in the 1980s, when all remaining birds were placed in a captive breeding program. They began to be reintroduced into the wild in 1992. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says there are now more than 400 condors, both captive and wild, and about 80 of those are flying over Arizona and Utah.

The latest court ruling said the Forest Service has the authority , but does not regulate the use of lead ammo and mostly defers to Arizona state hunting regulations on national forests in the state. Arizona only bans lead ammunition for hunting waterfowl.

In an effort to reduce the lead threat to condors, the Arizona Game and Fish Department encourages the use of non-lead ammunition, the court said, and makes such ammo available to hunters for free during the big-game hunting season.

Burke said that voluntary program has had a lot of good response and a fairly decent percent of compliance, but that the small amount of hunters still using lead ammunition are enough to be a threat to the condors recovery.

Even if 80% complied, that still leaves enough people using lead to create problems, she said.

The first time the groups filed suit, their claim was rejected by a federal district court. The appeals court reversed that ruling in 2016 and ordered the lower court to rehear the case, which it did  rejecting the lawsuit a second time on different grounds.

The district court ruled the second time around that it did not have the authority to order the Forest Service to ban lead ammunition, that the agency would have the discretion to ignore such an order. The circuit court disagreed.

Whatever discretion USFS otherwise has regarding regulating  or not regulating  hunting in the Kaibab, the agency would have to comply with an order from the court regarding the disposal of lead bullets in the Kaibab, said ruling by Circuit Judge Marsha S. Berzon.

It reversed the district court and ordered it to hear arguments in the case.

Burke said her organization is optimistic about the ruling and is hoping it can force a change in policy. She stressed that the lawsuit is an important step to protect not only the condors, but other species  including humans.

For humans, its a very significant problem eating the meat from the deer if its contaminated with disseminated lead, Burke said.

9th Circuit Court of Appeals Decision

This story originally appeared on Cronkite News and is published via a Creative Commons license . Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University

Join the Conversation
Man changes plan to honor Wounded Knee killers

RAPID CITY  The plan to open a museum for Medal of Honor recipients, including those from the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, has been quickly abandoned and replaced by a new plan to open an art gallery featuring Native American art.

John Johnson had planned to open the South Dakota Medal of Honor Museum in the Rushmore Mall in Rapid City later this year. Native Sun News Today was the first to break the story last week about the plans to open the museum to showcase the more than 3,500 awardees of the medal. This would have included the twenty medals given to members of the U.S. 7th Calvary who participated in the killing of over three hundred Lakota men, women and children on December 29, 1890 near Wounded Knee Creek on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Once this story hit local mainstream media, the community of Rapid City and surrounding areas were quick to chime in and voice their opinions and concerns on the cancellation of the original plan . Johnson has publicly stated he has received backlash and death threats as a result of his initial plan.

A photo titled "The fighting 7th officers" shows the members of the 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment at the Pine Ridge Agency in South Dakota, just two weeks after the Wounded Knee Massacre of December 29, 1890. The men who participated in the massacre were awarded Medals of Honor by the U.S. government. Image: U.S. Library of Congress

The story of the Wounded Knee Massacre is long and detailed. History is written by the conquerors, this includes American history. Depending on which side of the story a person has learned, the true story of Wounded Knee is that of a pitiful people (Hunkpapa and Mniconjou) fleeing for their lives to meet up with the Oglala at Red Cloud Agency in Pine Ridge. Their group had been intercepted near Wounded Knee by a detachment of the 7th Calvary on December 28, 1890, and on the following morning is when the tragedy occurred.

On the morning of December 29, 1890, as the cavalry soldiers were in the process of disarming the Lakota, a shot rang out and this was the inadvertent signal given to the United States Army to open fire on the hundreds of men, women and children. Four Hotchkiss mountain guns mowed down the innocent victims as they ran for the safety and security of Wounded Knee Creek and its surrounding prairie lands.

In the case of the Wounded Knee Massacre, this was the ending moment for the Indian Wars. This was the last great massacre and killing of indigenous people by the United States in order to secure the land for settlement.

This moment in history is patriotic for those on the side of the fence who believed Indians were savages and not deserving of land and title. But for those whose ancestors died and were wounded during Wounded Knee, this massacre was a final separation from the pre-historic past and cemented their future lives onto reservations and limited borders.

Despite having happened nearly 129 years ago, Wounded Knee, to the Lakota and surrounding tribes, took place like it was yesterday. This massacre is the source of pain, loss, anger, trauma, and depression for many who believe the United States government killed their ancestors mercilessly and without retribution.

Many believe the 7th Calvary got away with murder. By todays standards, a regiment would not be allowed to massacre unarmed civilians without being prosecuted for the war crimes, and would surely not be decorated and honored with a Medal of Honor.

A local television station had posted on their social media page an image of the museum entrance inside of the Rushmore Mall with the caption: This space in Rushmore Mall was supposed to open as the South Dakota Museum of the Medal of Honor this fall. The project has come to a halt after backlash from the Native American community regarding the Wounded Knee Massacre.

This caption and photo was the signal for local residents and descendants of immigrants and settlers to the area to begin firing their patriotic support for such museum in the Rushmore Mall. But unlike 1890, Native Americans were quick to defend the bold decision made by John Johnson.

Contact Native Sun News Today Correspondent Richie Richards at richie4175@gmail.com

Copyright permission Native Sun News Today

Join the Conversation

Related Stories
Just two days ago, there were reports that claimed how Mumbai Police arrested two men who were suspected to be terrorists. However, they turned out to be actors from Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroffs next yet-to-be titled movie.

The incident took place recently in Vasai, Mumbai, where the movie shooting was taking place. These two actors were spotted in the vicinity by the locals, who raised an alarm.

The men were spotted casually dressed like bombers wearing bullet vests and apparently buying cigarettes, reports freepressjournal.in. While many termed the reports as funny, Mumbai Police has a completely different take to it.

Mumbai Police took to their official social media handle and denied reports that it has registered a case against two men who allegedly dressed as terrorists and roamed the streets near Mumbai.

In their tweet, Mumbai Police sternly wrote:

Mumbai Police has not picked up any such persons. Kindly verify facts. https://t.co/vGOi2X3dYi  Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) May 30, 2019





"Mumbai Police has not picked up any such persons. Kindly verify facts."

Well, as they say, you shouldn't be believing everything you see and hear and with social media, everything becomes news these days.
There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a body of crystal, blue water. We are firm believers that sometimes in order to refresh your mind and body, all you need to do is stare at the tranquil blue sea. To help you find inner peace and get your mind ready for all the challenges the rest of the year has in store, we have put together a list of some of the bluest waters on Earth.

Disclaimer: Some of the most incredible ocean and beaches featured on our list are so stunning, you wont believe they are real. But trust us, these places are one or two flights away!

1. Cayo Coco, Cuba

Pexels

Cayo Coco is located on Jardines del Rey, off the north coast of Cuba. Spend your days drinking cocktails on the white sandy beach that serves as a stark contrast to the turquoise water making it ideal for relaxing at the beach all day long. Drive your curiosity a step further and take a dive beneath the ocean to discover the beautiful coral reefs.

How to get here: Book an international flight to Havana and from there you will have to take a domestic flight to Cayo Coco.





2. Sua Trench, Samoa

Pexels

Labelled as the worlds most amazing swimming pool, the Sua trench is every divers dream. For a start  it has to be one of the most unusual places to swim on the planet. The 30-meter swimming hole sits in the middle of a lava field. The only access into the sparkling emerald green waters of the pool is via a single ladder with a small sitting platform at its base from Samoas main island of Upolo. This will be one jump you wont regret!

How to get here: A 10 hour flight to Sydney from India and then a 5 hour flight from Sydney to Samoa.

3. Con Son, Vietnam

Unsplash

Probably one of the least explored destinations that offer surreal views of blue water. For those who dont like visiting super crowded places, your heart will rejoice in Con Son. Located 100 miles off Vietnams southeastern coast, the islands beaches are lined with golden sand stunning blue water. For the most breathtaking view and to capture a few envy causing pictures, head to Dam Trey Bay Lagoon during sunset. Once here, youd never want to leave.

How to get here: Book a flight from India to Ho Chi Minh City- Vietnams largest metropolis. From there several flights run daily to Con Son. Flights to Con Son are mostly sold out so do book in advance.





4. Wakatobi, Indonesia

Pexels

Wakatobi is a group of 4 islands located in Southwest Indonesia. This paradise boasts all shades of blue in every inch and corner which you can see from the moment your plane starts to descend in Wakatobi. Enjoy the sun on your skin, the breeze in your hair, the teal blue water to please your eyes all while sipping on coconut water.

How to get here: Wakatobi is generally not an easy destination to reach but it is absolutely worth the ride. From India fly to Jakarta and from there take another flight to Matahora Airport in Wangi-Wangi island. From wangi-wangi island, rent a ferry out to Wakatobi island.





5. Havelock Island, India

Unsplash

To witness the calmness and beauty of crystal, blue water, you dont have to fly internationally. We found something close to home - Havelock island known for its magnificent beauty. Havelock is a part of the Andaman Islands which is a Union Territory of India and falls in the Bay of Bengal. White sand, crystal clear blue, green, turquoise coloured water and greenery are the highlights of the Havelock Islands.

How to get here: Take a ferry from Port Blair!
The newly-elected 17th Lok Sabha set the record with highest number of woman MPs with 68 ministers. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modis cabinet, which was sworn-in on Thursday, in a largest-ever gathering, has only six women ministers in the government.

Three of these six women members of Parliament, only three have made it to PM Modis cabinet - Nirmala Sitharaman, Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Smriti Irani.

Other women ministers of state are Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Renuka Singh Saruta and Debashree Chaudhuri.

Out of the 78 women MPs elected to the Lok Sabha, the highest were from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

Women underrepresented in new government

In 2014, eight women ministers were part of the union government - Sushma Swaraj (Minister of External Affairs), Uma Bharti (Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation), Maneka Gandhi (Minister of Women and Child Development) and Anupriya Patel (Minister of State, Health and Family welfare) are not part of the new council of ministers.

The representation of women ministers in the cabinet does not reflect the landmark number of women who in these elections.

A total of 724 women contested in Lok Sabha elections out of which 78 won. Despite huge numbers, six are ministers of state and only three part of PM Modi cabinet.

AFP

Congress fielded 54 women candidates, while BJP fielded 53 women.

The participation of women in government has improved drastically over the years and the best impression of this can be seen at the grassroot level.

The 2017-18 Economic Survey revealed that there are 13.72 lakh elected women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions, standing at an impressive 44.2 per cent of the total number of elected representatives.

In local government, women have an active leadership role accounting to nearly 43 per cent.

Old ministers for a young nation

The average age of Indians is predicted to be 29 years in 2020, but the average age of the six women ministers in the government stands at 51 years. The youngest women minister in the new government is 43-year-old Smriti Irani and the oldest in Nirmala Sitharaman at 59.

Young Indian women, below the age of 40 have no representation in the government.

AFP

Interestingly, the 17 Lok Sabha will have the youngest ever member of parliament. Twenty-five-year-old Chandrani Murmu, is the youngest member of parliament representing the tribal-dominated Keonjhar in Odisha.

Out of the elected 78 women MPs, seven hail from Odisha. Odisha is the first state ever to have 33 per cent or the largest share of women MPs out of its total of 21 seats.

Clearly, with such dismal number of women ministers, the dream of equal representation of women in the government remains a distant dream, at a time when 49 per cent of Indias population is female.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday named Nirmala Sitharaman, previously the country's defence minister, as the next finance minister, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah will become home minister. Read more

Here's more top news of the day:

1) Nirmala Sitharaman Is The First Woman Finance Minister Of India

BCCL

Nirmala Sitharaman is appointed as the new finance minister in prime minister Narendra Modis cabinet. A post-graduate in Economics, Sitharaman is the first full-time woman finance minister of the country. Read more

2) It Is So Hot In Delhi That The MET Department Has Issued A Red-Code Warning

The present week in the national capital has no less than been a torture given the unabated rise in the temperatures. The heatwave has gripped the entire North India region with temperatures touching over 44 degree Celsius. Read more

3) Odisha's Pratap Sarangi Lives In A Thatched House, Rides A Bicycle & Lives Simple Life. He's Now A Part Of Modi Govt

toi

Pratap Chandra Sarangi is an unlikely politician. A bachelor who lives in a thatched house, rides a bicycle and leads a simple life, the 64-year-old MP from Balasore took oath on Thursday as a minister of state in the Modi government. Read more

4) 724 Women Contested Lok Sabha Polls, 78 Were Elected, Yet Only 3 Made It To PM Modi's Cabinet

AFP

The newly-elected 17th Lok Sabha set the record with highest number of woman MPs with 68 ministers. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modis cabinet, which was sworn-in on Thursday, in a largest-ever gathering, has only six women ministers in the government. Read more

5) This Man From Bihar Came To Delhi Just To Sell Tea As PM Narendra Modi Took Oath

twitter/ani

A chaiwallah from Muzaffarpur region in Bihar and a huge Prime Minister Narendra Modi fan landed up in the national capital to show his support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was sworn in for the second time after his spectacular win in the Lok Sabha elections. Read more
Samsung is expected to launch its latest device, the Galaxy Note 10, in a couple of months, and there hasn't been a lot to go on.

However, we're likely going to see a Galaxy Note device like never before, with a design that might confuse a lot of users.

Images courtesy: Reuters

According to sources that spoke to Android Police, Samsung isn't just stripping the 3.5mm headphone jack from the new smartphone, it's also getting rid of all the physical buttons. That means no power button , Bixby key, or volume rockers.

The thing is, Samsung is one of the few smartphones brands that have till date maintained the headphone jack, something power-users have appreciated. The removal of it is sure to piss off a bunch of people, but at least using a Bluetooth headset isn't that bad.

The buttons however are a different story. Instead of physical buttons, Samsung will reportedly have the power, volume, and (possibly) Bixby keys replaced by "capacitive or pressure-sensitive areas" on the body. These don't mean the virtual buttons will be on your display, rather think of it like tiny raised touchpads on the spine of the device.

Of course, this is still just one source, so it's possible there's been a mix-up and this isn't the case at all. Then again, we'll be able to find out soon enough.
Earlier this week the World Economic Forum, an international organization that brings together political leaders, scientists, and experts to tackle global issues, made an important announcement. They're setting up a council to monitor AI research around the globe.

The WEF said it's setting up an AI council to have nations reach a compromise on how artificial intelligence should be explored, and what restrictions should be put into place. It's an incredibly important issue, considering every tech researcher and their mother are trying to apply AI to everything from data processing, to image recognition, to medical research.

And while a number of countries have announced plans to fund such research and the application of the technology, they've yet to reach a consensus on the kinds of limitations that should be put into place. Specifically, we haven't yet officially defined what kind of AI application is ethical or not.

In order to break ground here, the WEF is bringing together representatives from the UN and UNICEF, as well as those from Microsoft, IBM, and other tech companies conducting AI research. The lead chairs on the AI council will be Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, and Kai-Fu Lee, a prominent Chinese AI expert and investor.

"The role that the forum plays is that of an impartial international organization," says Kay Firth-Butterfield, head of machine learning at the WEF. She says the council will be tackling three main issues; how AI research could benefit emerging countries, how the technology will affect employment, and what specific use cases we need to look out for.

As far as that latter issue is concerned, the biggest pain point of AI is its use in surveillance. This sort of technology is already in use in China, where the country uses things like facial and gait recognition in order to monitor citizens.

The thing is, there are lots of major companies conducting AI research at full steam, including the likes of Facebook and Google. Both of them have faced backlash recently for using AI to assemble ad profiles for users, that are then sold to third parties. That's how we got Cambridge Analytica, and that's part of why Sundar Pichai isn't considered the "most reputable CEO" anymore.

Meanwhile, experts and tech icons have long since cautioned against the unrestricted march of artificial intelligence, including the likes of Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking. Musk of course talks about it in a Terminator-esque sense, where he fears we might make an AI too smart and it will take over human civilization.

Hawking and others however worry more about AI developers overlooking problems when building neural networks, which could have a range of negative consequences. At the very least, training an AI with incomplete or biased data could result in a biased algorithm, quite likely negatively affecting women or people of colour in its implementation. On the other end of the scale, allowing AI to do morally questionable things is more directly problematic, like letting people compare social media photos to the faces of people in porn videos.

Thoughtless implementation of AI's capabilities can lead to it being used to persecute or harass people of a certain race, religion, gender, or political bent.

And yet, the progress of AI is almost intrinsically linked to the advancement of human society as a whole. We can use it for everything from developing new and more effective medications, to designing crazy new materials, and so much more. We just need to find a balance between science and conscience, and we need to do it before AI research goes much further.
During this year's Ramzan, we've come across multiple stories of people doing their bit to promote communal harmony and peace. It has grown to be one of the most religiously unifying festivals in India. With their acts of kindness, people are breaking the shackles of religious divide.

ANI

In the same way Sanjay N Mali, a Divisional Forest Officer in Buldhana, chose to observe 'roza' (fast) in place of his driver Zafar during the holy month of Ramzan.

Speaking to ANI, Mali said, "On 6 May, I asked him if he will keep roza. He said he won't be able to as his health does not support him because of duty. So, I told him I will do it in his place."

Since May 6, I have been keeping roza. I wake up at 4 am and eat something. Then I break my roza after 7 pm," he said while talking about his schedule in detail.

Calling the practice an "ideal example of communal harmony", he said, "I believe every religion teaches us something good. We must spread communal harmony. We first see humanity, religion is secondary. After keeping roza, I am feeling very fresh."

Maharashtra: Sanjay N Mali, Divisional Forest Officer in Buldhana, is keeping 'roza' (fasting) in place of his driver Zafar; says, "on 6 May I asked him if he'll keep roza. He said he won't as his health doesn't support him because of duty. So I told him I'll do it in your place" pic.twitter.com/omNMg4B3yg  ANI (@ANI) 31 May 2019

The Ramzan fast begins with a pre-dawn meal called 'sehri'. At sunset, when it's time to mark the end of the daylong fast, 'rozedaars' (people who keep fast) gather for an evening meal known as 'iftar'.

This year, Eid will be celebrated in the first week of June, marking the end of the month-long fasting period.

In a similar incident, Munna Ansari, a resident of Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur was observing Roza but a phone call from his friends who runs a hospital made him break his fast.

Ansari donated blood to a Hindu woman who was admitted at the Biswanath Civil Hospital. The 85-year-old woman, Rebati Bora, was admitted at the hospital for over a week and had been suffering from a gall-bladder ailment.
New Zealand is the first country to have a 'well-being' budget. The country's Labour coalition government headed by Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has unveiled the budget prioritising well-being of society's most vulnerable people over economic growth.

Reuters

After PM Jacinda Arden's stern action to ban automatic weapons following the dastardly mosque shootings, the country has again set an example for many, for one of the most efficient progressive legislations.

According to reports the funding will be dedicated especially to deal with child poverty, domestic violence, and mental health. The government has tailored this part of the budget to also bridge the gap between the privileged and deprived classes.

We've delivered a surplus, low unemployment, low debt, cheaper education for families, housing to the homeless. We've delivered a plan for every Kiwi to get mental health support when they need it, and lifted tens of thousands of children out of poverty. https://t.co/n2tD6K7RzK pic.twitter.com/eTGtaFa9YW  New Zealand Labour (@nzlabour) May 30, 2019

So why has the country adopted this approach?

GDP does not give an insight into people who are struggling to make ends meet or have no access to health and educational facilities, and that's where the well-being budget comes into the picture.

Under the budget, spending on mental health will increase by 1.9 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.2 billion) over the next four years, reports AP.

This will include extra money for suicide prevention services as the country grapples with high suicide rate.

This is huge. Jacinda Ardern's New Zealand is about to become the first major country to abandon growth as political priority in favour of well-being. #postgrowth https://t.co/J5mAuACLFN  Jason Hickel (@jasonhickel) May 30, 2019

The AP quoted Finance Minister Grant Robertson saying that "Atleast 180,000 children were living in poverty and the government had set an ambitious 10-year target to cut that number in half."

Budget documents indicate an extra 81,000 people will be able to access free mental health and addiction services.

With the budget that being implemented since May 30, Arden has yet again cemented her image of being one of the most compassionate leaders.

Inputs: AP
There are some people who would do anything for chocolate - beg, borrow or steal. Well, this lady did something rather extravagant.

The woman, allegedly the wife of a corrupt convicted banker, blew a whopping Rs 26.5 lakhs in one go, all on chocolates.

Source

The woman Zamira Hajiyeva made the payment at Harrods gourmet Belgian chocolate outlet Godiva, which provides luxury chocolate hampers for as much as 600, along with bespoke gift sets, according to a report in The Telegraph UK.

She is the wife of Jahangir Hajiyev, 57, a former chairman of the state-owned International Bank of Azerbaijan who was sentenced to 15 years in jail for defrauding, reports The Guardian.

The 55-year-old woman blew 5.75 million pounds at jewellers Boucheron and Cartier. She spent 1.6 million pounds a year on an average at the shop in Knightsbridge between 2006 and 2016.

Reuters

In January police seized a Cartier diamond ring worth more than 1m bought by a Jahangir Hajiyev in Harrods in 2011.

She is the first person to be targeted with Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) in the UK, following the introduction of the 'McMafia' anti-corruption laws last year, according to CNN.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) caught her after the conviction of her husband on corruption charges. Her lavish expenditure came to light when the NCA investigated the source of her wealth.

The court has asked her to explain the source of money spent on shopping, as well as how she and her husband could afford pricey properties including an 11.5 million house in Knightsbridge.

She is now facing extradition back to Azerbaijan over allegations of misappropriation of funds.

Agency Inputs: AP
By William Clarke and Cristina Belda

Recent hints that emerged from Beijing about possible restrictions on exports of rare earths appeared to be good news for non-Chinese producers, but any limitations would only harm Chinas dominance of the rare earth market, informed sources have told Fastmarkets.

There is widespread skepticism about whether China would be able to reduce the global supply of rare earths, even if it were willing to do so.

"Throwing your weight around can have adverse effects," said Christopher Ecclestone, mining strategist at New York-based investment bank Hallgarten & Co. Even the suggestion of restrictions has boosted interest in rare earth companies, he added.

"The dogs of the rare earth industry have woken from their slumber, and have started yapping," he said.

There has been no official threat of a rare earth export ban, but several heavy-handed hints have been dropped by the Beijing government. On May 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a company that makes rare earth magnets shortly after the United States blacklisted Chinese technology firm Huawei.

The East Asian countrys National Development & Reform Commission recently warned that "if anyone wants to use products made from rare earth to curb the development of China, then the people of the revolutionary soviet base and the whole Chinese people will not be happy."

And the editor of state-owned, English-language newspaper Global Times has been vocal on social media about the prospect of restrictions on rare earth exports.

There have been signs that traders at least are paying some attention to these threats.

One rare earth trader warned Fastmarkets that "history has shown us that China can use rare earths supply as a weapon if it feels threatened."

The threat of a rare earth export embargo is not new. In 2010, China attempted to cut off rare earth exports to Japan after a dispute over the ownership of a group of islands in the East China Sea, which sent prices briefly surging upward.

There is also evidence that some traders are trying to build up stocks, in anticipation of a rising market.

"Chinese companies recently approached us to buy rare earths, and this is quite extraordinary since China is not really a buyer," a European rare earths and minor metals trader said. "This situation [with Chinese producers trying to purchase material] has only happened once or twice in the past several years."

The motivations for this move were not yet clear and, according to the trader, it could be "for strategic reasons."

But traders were holding on to stocks and forecasting an escalation in international trade tensions.

"We are not selling rare earths at the moment we will hold our stocks," the European trader said. "We are taking a wait-and-see approach."

Vulnerable monopoly

The lesson to be taken from the 2010 export restrictions is that Chinese dominance of the rare earth market is vulnerable. The 2010 restrictions caused a massive increase in rare earth prices, but triggered a similarly rapid increase in the production of rare earths outside China.

The increase in prices allowed Australian producer Lynas, with some Japanese backing, to set up a major rare earth separation plant outside China, and briefly breathed new life into US domestic rare earth production in the state of Nevada.

And history is already showing signs of repeating. Lynas was quick to capitalize this year, announcing plans to build a heavy rare earth separation plant in the US shortly after the materials returned to the political agenda.

The fact is that China has no monopoly on the mining of rare earths. There are a number of rare earth mining projects in production worldwide at the moment, and a larger number of mothballed or junior projects which could quickly return to production in the right circumstances.

The bottleneck is not in production but in refining capacity, where mixed rare earth oxides are separated into different elements. In particular, there is a stark shortage of refining capacity for the heavier rare earth elements, which includes the rarest and most valuable types.

Rare earths are not created equal. The various elements in the rare earth group vary widely in value, rarity and ease of substitution. Most of Chinas exports to the US are of cerium and lanthanum - "throwaway rare earths," as Hallgartens Ecclestone puts it.

These materials are both relatively abundant, and available from sources other than China.

The most rapid increase in rare earth demand has been for the magnet minerals. Rare earth permanent magnets are used in electric motors and windmill turbines. Of these magnet minerals, the light rare earths neodymium and praseodymium are the most commonly used, and can be sourced from Lynas separation facility in Malaysia.

But supplies of the heavy rare earth minerals dysprosium and terbium are less easy to source. These minerals are included in neodymium/praseodymium magnets to increase their high-temperature performance.

Production of these minerals is heavily concentrated in China. Australian miner Northern Minerals produces rare earth carbonate with a high proportion of dysprosium and terbium, but it currently ships its production to China to be separated.

This combination of rising demand and limited supply makes dysprosium unusually vulnerable to politically motivated export constraints.

In the longer term, the vulnerability of electric-vehicle (EV) manufacturers to constraints on dysprosium supply could be tackled by reducing its use in magnets. Japanese carmaker Toyota has already unveiled plans to eliminate the use of dysprosium and terbium.

It is also possible to build electric vehicles that use electromagnets instead of permanent magnets. But this increases the overall power consumption of the engine, which in turn means that larger batteries are needed, and more lithium and cobalt are consumed.

The technical barriers to substituting electric magnets in EVs are so difficult that no manufacturer currently tries to do so. Even sector pioneer Tesla uses rare earth magnets in its latest product line, after years of resisting their inclusion.

And although Lynas is proposing the creation of a new heavy rare earth separation plant in the US, there would be a lag before any new capacity comes online.

'Huffing and puffing

A more significant question is whether China actually has the ability to close off supplies to the US.

First, the US does not have a large domestic EV industry, and no domestic rare earth magnet capacity. As Ecclestone points out, it would be very hard for China to prevent domestically produced magnets which were exported to Japan or Europe being re-exported into the US.

And the prevention of smuggling would be extremely difficult because of the high values and small volumes of rare earths exported from China.

One European minerals distributor told Fastmarkets that "even if there is an export embargo they can sell it illegally through Shenzhen [the southeast Chinese city adjacent to the trading outlet of Hong Kong]."

The distributor also noted a recent appearance on US television by a Chinese journalist as evidence that Chinas interests lie in cooling the trade war, rather than inflaming it.

On May 29, Liu Xin, a journalist for the state-run China Global Television Network, appeared in an English-language interview on the US television channel Fox News, a favorite of US President Donald Trump. Liu rebutted some of the interviewers comments on trade relations between the US and China, but struck a noticeably conciliatory tone, agreeing that low tariffs would be best for both countries.

The European distributor said that this interview showed that the Chinese had been forced to "try and change the thinking within America," and that any threats on rare earth export restrictions were hollow.

"If it was a real threat, why would you have Liu Xin going on TV [and speaking] in English?" he said. "It wasnt aimed at the Chinese audience. The Chinese are at their wits end about negotiating with Trump. Everything hes asking is impossible for them. They havent got anything to bargain with. Its all huff and puff."

Ecclestone agrees that any increase in rare earth prices would be short-lived. "We could see tightness, disruption, higher prices," he said, adding that any increase would be most noticeable in dysprosium, neodymium and praseodymium.

But he says that any price rally would not match the feverish levels seen in 2010. "I think people have a better idea now," he said.

And in the long term, he added, China had the most to lose. "The worst nightmare for the Chinese is a non-Chinese rare earth supply chain," he said. "That would mean 'game over."
Sixty is the new 45, 80 is the new 60, and 100 is  well, really dang old. But even centenarians know that once you stop learning, you star...
The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, June 4th and Wednesday, June 5th as public holidays to mark the Muslim Eid-Fitri Celebration.

This announcement was made by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Georgina Ehuriah, on behalf of the Federal Government.

In a statement signed by Mohammed Manga, Director Press, and Public Relations, of the ministry, on Friday in Abuja, Ehuriah congratulated Muslim faithful on the completion of the Ramadan Fast.

Church urged all Nigerians to pray for the peace, unity, prosperity and stability of the nation and shun hate speeches and divisive tendencies.
Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said that his controversial statement on Godfatherism was not targeted at the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

El Rufai said this on Friday while receiving 121 members-elect, who paid Kaduna and the Northwest a visit while on the consultation for Femi Gbajabiamila for Speaker for the 9th National Assembly.

El Rufai said: That was not an attack on Asiwaju, it was a generic statement, but the whole thing took a media frenzy because to some people Asiwaju is a meal ticket.

Let me tell you, because of that, some people started confessing to me that Asiwaju should be dealt with.

They said Asiwaju wants to finish you, he has been abusing you, we should finish him by finishing his man, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Former Imo State governor Rochas Okorocha has slammed claims that he and some members of his family were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Via a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mr Sam Onwuemeodo in Owerri, on Thursday, Okorocha denied this.

The ex-governor said the EFCC has no issues with anybody and would thus have no cause to witch-hunt him.

We read from social media and some online news platforms that the EFCC has arrested the former Governor of Imo State Rochas Okorocha, the wife, Nkechi Okorocha, and one of the brothers, Okey Okorocha, today, Thursday, May 30.

We would not delay stating that the story of our arrest is not true. It is totally false. It has no iota or atom of truth.

Simply put, former Governor Rochas Okorocha, the wife Nneoma and brother Okey, have not been arrested by the omission.

We contend that the EFCC is a responsible national institution established by the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and must not be associated with lies.

If they invite the former governor, his wife or any member of his family for interrogation in the course of their investigation, they would honour such invitations.

And if the Commission decides to also come for any reason, they are also on the right path since it is on a national assignment and they are not at war with anybody, the statement read.
Over the years, Chicago and the state of Illinois have endured a monumental battle for LGBTQ rights. A century ago, and long before Lori Lightfoot was elected the first openly gay mayor of Chicago, the city was home to LGBTQ rights influencers such as Henry Gerber and Pearl Hart. Here are 30 moments in history that impacted LGBTQ communities across Chicago and Illinois.

Chicago American Jane Addams, right, pauses with Mary McDowell, a kindergarten teacher at Hull House, circa 1917. Jane Addams, right, pauses with Mary McDowell, a kindergarten teacher at Hull House, circa 1917. (Chicago American)

1889: Social reformer and activist Jane Addams opens Chicagos Hull House, a settlement house, on the citys West Side. Addams had at least two long-term same-sex relationships  one of which, with Mary Rozet Smith, lasted 40 years, according to the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.

1914: Pearl Hart graduates from John Marshall Law School in 1914. Known as the Guardian Angel of Chicagos Gay Community, Hart is one of the first female attorneys to practice criminal law in Chicago and frequently defends countless gay men arrested in bars and tea rooms.

Handout Pioneer gay and civil rights activist Henry Gerber. Pioneer gay and civil rights activist Henry Gerber. (Handout)

1924: The first American gay rights organization, The Society for Human Rights, is created by German immigrant and Chicago resident Henry Gerber. The state of Illinois officially recognizes the group on Dec. 10, 1924.

1935: Street hustler and gambler Alfred Finnie hosts the first Finnies Ball in a basement tavern near 38th Street and Michigan Avenue on Chicagos South Side. The festivities continue for decades, with thousands of attendees participating in female impersonation contests. A 1953 Ebony magazine article said, More than 1,500 spectators milled around outside Chicagos Pershing Ballroom to get a glimpse of the bejeweled impersonators who arrived in limousines, taxis, Fords, and even by streetcar.

1950: Jazz trumpeter Ernestine Tiny Davis opens the club Tiny & Rubys Gay Spot with her partner Ruby Lucas in the 2700 block of South Wentworth Avenue in Chicago.

1956: On Aug. 30, 1956, psychologist Evelyn Hooker delivers her paper The Adjustment of the Male Overt Homosexual, which was published a year later, at the American Psychiatric Association Convention in Chicago. Her study challenged beliefs about gay men and found that they were not inherently abnormal. In 1973 the APA removed homosexuality from its list of psychiatric disorders.

Gin Briggs/Lorraine Hansberry Properties Trust Lorraine Hansberry speaks at an NAACP Rally in June 1959. Lorraine Hansberry speaks at an NAACP Rally in June 1959. (Gin Briggs/Lorraine Hansberry Properties Trust)

1959: A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry becomes the first play written by an African American woman to open on Broadway. Hansberry, who grew up on Chicagos South Side, featured same-sex attraction in some of her work and is credited with writing two pro-lesbian letters in The Ladder, an early lesbian publication, according to the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame.

1961: Illinois is the first state to do away with sodomy laws on July 28, 1961.

Chicago Tribune Attorney Pearl Hart in her Loop office Dec. 28, 1970. Attorney Pearl Hart in her Loop office Dec. 28, 1970. (Chicago Tribune)

1965: Lesbian pulp novelist Valerie Taylor and lawyer Pearl Hart, among others, establish Mattachine Midwest, the citys first successful gay rights organization. The group publishes the Mattachine Midwest Newsletter covering police harassment, raids, legal issues, local events, meetings, community news and more.

1968: Attorney Ralla Klepak represents Chicago bar The Trip after it is illegally raided and loses its liquor license. The case makes it to the Supreme Court and Klepak is victorious.

Chicago Tribune Gay Liberation Front members march through Bughouse Square (now Washington Square Park) on their way to a rally at the Civic Center (now Daley Plaza) on June 27, 1970, as part of Chicago's first Gay Pride Week. Gay Liberation Front members march through Bughouse Square (now Washington Square Park) on their way to a rally at the Civic Center (now Daley Plaza) on June 27, 1970, as part of Chicago's first Gay Pride Week. (Chicago Tribune)

1970: One of the first pride parades in the U.S. is held in Chicago on June 27, 1970, a day before the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York a year earlier.

Anthony Robert La Penna/Chicago Tribune Howard Brown Health Center's Youth Prevention Program Coordinator Joe Hollendoner, 22, talks to teens about the proper use of condoms at the Youth Drop-in Center on Aug. 22, 2003. Howard Brown Health Center's Youth Prevention Program Coordinator Joe Hollendoner, 22, talks to teens about the proper use of condoms at the Youth Drop-in Center on Aug. 22, 2003. (Anthony Robert La Penna/Chicago Tribune)

1974: The Chicago Gay Medical Students Association creates Howard Brown Memorial Clinic, a place where gays and lesbians can receive counseling and sexually transmitted infections testing and treatment. The clinic eventually becomes Howard Brown Health Center.

1977: On June 14, 1977, thousands gather outside the Medinah Temple to protest Florida orange juice spokeswoman Anita Bryant, who opposed gay rights.

Ernie Cox Jr./Chicago Tribune Mayor Harold Washington attends a gay rights rally in Lincoln Park on July 1, 1984. Washington said the fight for gay rights is part of the larger struggle for civil rights. Mayor Harold Washington attends a gay rights rally in Lincoln Park on July 1, 1984. Washington said the fight for gay rights is part of the larger struggle for civil rights. (Ernie Cox Jr./Chicago Tribune)

1984: Mayor Harold Washington delivers a speech at an LGBT rally in Lincoln Park, endorsing what was known as the Human Rights Ordinance. This is the first time a sitting mayor speaks at an event not connected to a campaign. Washington died before the ordinance was approved by the City Council on Dec. 21, 1988.

1985: On March 2, 1985, drugmaker Abbott develops the first blood screening test for HIV antibodies.

1985:On Sept. 9, 1985, Chicago House is incorporated in Illinois as a nonprofit with the goal of providing housing to those with AIDS.

1988: The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, which honors the lives of those lost to the disease, is displayed at Navy Pier from July 7 to July 11, 1988.

1989: On Jan. 2, 1989, Open Hand Chicago begins regular meal deliveries for those impacted by AIDS.

1991: The Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, later renamed the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, is created in Chicago, honoring people and organizations who have contributed to the citys LGBTQ communities.

Alex Garcia/Chicago Tribune A man walks his bicycle as he heads north across the Midway Plaisance toward a University of Chicago courtyard April 7, 2000. A man walks his bicycle as he heads north across the Midway Plaisance toward a University of Chicago courtyard April 7, 2000. (Alex Garcia/Chicago Tribune)

1992: The University of Chicago begins to offer benefits to gay and lesbian couples, one of the first colleges to do so.

1992: Daniel Sotomayor, the co-founder of ACT-UP/Chicago, a national organization committed to using direct action and civil disobedience to fight AIDS, passes away.

E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune A group of openly gay and lesbian Cook County judges formed their own association called the Alliance of Illinois Judges. Tom Chiola, from left, Nancy Katz, Mary Colleen Roberts and Jim Snyder are seen Nov. 16, 2009. A group of openly gay and lesbian Cook County judges formed their own association called the Alliance of Illinois Judges. Tom Chiola, from left, Nancy Katz, Mary Colleen Roberts and Jim Snyder are seen Nov. 16, 2009. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

1994: Thomas R. Chiola is the first openly gay elected official in Illinois when he becomes a Cook County Circuit Court judge.

1995: Judges on a state appellate court note, nothing in the (Adoption) Act suggests that sexual orientation is a relevant consideration, and lesbians and gay men are permitted to adopt in Illinois.

Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune Robert Castillo, who is not a city employee but lives with a domestic partner, applauds when an opponent of the health-benefits plan at the City Council Finance Committee hearing in 1997 said he might leave Chicago if the proposed ordinance is approved by the full council. Robert Castillo, who is not a city employee but lives with a domestic partner, applauds when an opponent of the health-benefits plan at the City Council Finance Committee hearing in 1997 said he might leave Chicago if the proposed ordinance is approved by the full council. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)

1997: Chicago passes an ordinance that grants fringe benefits to same-sex domestic partners of city government employees.

2001: Illinois recognizes hate crimes against gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

Milbert O. Brown/Chicago Tribune The Center on Halsted on June 5, 2007. The Center on Halsted on June 5, 2007. (Milbert O. Brown/Chicago Tribune)

2007: On June 1, 2007, The Center on Halsted, which began in 1973 as Gay Horizons, opens its doors on the corner of Halsted Street and Waveland Avenue. Now, more than 1,000 people use the center each day.

2008: Illinois legislators decide same-sex partners can make decisions regarding health care in certain circumstances.

2010: Illinois passes the Safe School Improvement Act, which prohibits bullying and the harassment of students based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune Vernita Gray, right, and Patricia Ewert were the first same-sex couple to marry in Illinois on Nov. 27, 2013. Vernita Gray, right, and Patricia Ewert were the first same-sex couple to marry in Illinois on Nov. 27, 2013. (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)

2013: Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signs the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, making Illinois the 16th state in the nation to embrace full marriage equality for same-sex couples on Nov. 20, 2013. Longtime activist Vernita Gray, and her partner, Patricia Ewert, are the first same-sex couple married in Illinois on Nov. 27, 2013.

Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune Lori Lightfoot, right, kisses her wife, Amy Eshleman, after being sworn in as mayor of Chicago at Wintrust Arena on May 20, 2019. Lori Lightfoot, right, kisses her wife, Amy Eshleman, after being sworn in as mayor of Chicago at Wintrust Arena on May 20, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

2019: Lori Lightfoot, 56, is elected mayor of Chicago. She becomes Chicagos first black woman and openly gay mayor. She is inaugurated May 20, 2019.
Femi Gbajabiamila

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari chose the House Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila for speaker and not a national leader of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Bola Tinubu as widely speculated.

There have been series of speculations that Gbajabiamila from Lagos was being sponsored by Tinubu for Speaker of 9th House but El-Rufai states otherwise.

Speaking on Friday when the Femi/Wase Campaign, alongside over 120 other lawmakers, paid him a visit at the Kaduna State Government House, El-Rufai said that Gbajabiamilas candidature as a result of his excellent track record as an experienced lawmaker.

The Kaduna governor said: There was a misconception that Femis candidature was from Bola Tinubu but the fact is that it was President Muhammadu Buhari himself who chose him because of his commitment and dedication to legislative duties. The President told me because I was not in Nigeria when he took the decision.

Some of our colleagues raised some misgivings but its just a matter of working chemistry, whom you can work it comfortably; not competence or whatever.

The last four years in the National Assembly have taught us bitter lessons about working chemistry, and here in Kaduna State, I take part in choosing who becomes the Speaker of the State Assembly. So, I told the President that he must be involved in the process this time around. 

Kaduna State believes in Buharis words, and I assure you that there would be no contest on June 11 when the leadership of the National Assembly would be inaugurated.

The Director-General of Gbajabiamila/Wase Campaign, Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC, Kano), had said the 121 members-elect from the House of Representatives visited Kaduna state to formally introduce the candidates to the Governor, for his blessings.
A suit accusing acting Cheif Justice of Nigeria( CJN), Justice Tanko Mohammed of false age declaration was on Friday dismissed by Justice Danlami Senchi of the FCT High Court, Jabi.

The suit which was filed around April 2019 by Tochi Michael, a 46-year-old businessman was struck out by Justice Senchi for lack of Locus Standi.

The judge held that the suit ought to have been filed before the court by way of writ of summons and not originating summon  Adding that the claimant did not specify his special interest in the case in the originating summons.

There is nowhere in the document before the court where the claimant has been injured by the defendant, the claimant also did not disclose further much information about himself.

Where a suit was not commenced with due process of the law, it was quite clear that this suit was commenced by way of originating summon instead of the writ; the claimant has failed to show to the court necessary document to show that the defendant falsified his age

I hereby declared that the date of birth of the defendant is Dec. 31, 1953, and not Dec. 31, 1950; this suit is hereby dismissed in entirety, the judge held.

Justice Senchi also held that the attitude of the claimant counsel, Mr Melkizadeck Zaro was only out to scandalize, malign and destroy the person of the CJN and the entire judiciary.

He, therefore, ordered that the registrar of the Supreme Court commence disciplinary action against the claimant counsel for supplying false information to breach the law.

A N10 million fine was charged against the claimant to serve as a deterrent to others who are bent in carrying false information and must be paid within three weeks from the day of the judgment.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tochi Michael in his originating summon with suit No. FCT/HC/BW/CV/79/2019 alleged that the CJN deliberately falsified his date of birth. Michael alleged that the CJN falsified his date of birth from Dec. 31, 1950, as contained in all his official records including that of WAEC to Dec. 31, 1953, upon his appointment as a judicial officer. The petitioner in the originating summons is praying the court to determine whether such act of the CJN does not constitute a criminal act of perjury, falsification and forgery. Michael in the originating summons also prayed the court to determine whether by falsifying his date of birth from Dec. 31, 1950, to Dec. 31, 1953, upon being appointed to Nigeria Bench as a judicial officer he has not breach the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
A Twitter user @thirdeyewitch has come out to accuse a popular pastor, Bishop Emmanuel, of asking her to sleep with her and pee on him for a cash reward of three hundred thousand Naira.

According to the lady, they met on the plane while she was returning home from the UK after completing her studies.

Her story below:

Since we are on the topic of predatory pastors. I should finally talk about my experience with a famous Abuja pastor whose billboards are scattered all over the capital.

His name is Bishop Emmanuel and this is a picture of him, this is how his church members welcome him.

I met him on a flight from the UK, Id just graduated and was returning to resume law school, he said he was a bishop, asked for my number. I did not see a problem in giving a man of God my contact.

He would occasionally check on me and form all these innocent pastoral concern.

One day he asked me to leave law school and come see him, asked him why? He went straight to it.. Hes attracted to me and wants to sleep with me. Hell even give me 300k if I fucked him and peed on him.

Said it was a fetish of his.

I told him Im not into that kinda shit so Im not going to come to see him.

Next thing hes asking if I know any fine girls like me in law school that would be into it so I can introduce them to him. I told him no and blocked his number after that.

This happened in 2014, since then this man has BLOWN. I see his posters and billboards all over Abuja.

Now Im thinking maybe he is diabolical and he gets girls with bright futures to pee away their destiny and glory on him. Lol, I know its a stretch but the world is evil.

To conclude, Bishop Emmanuel Esezobor of Firehouse Church is a spawn of Satan and I dont play with demons.

Her tweets:

https://twitter.com/ThirdEyeWitch/status/1134086385697267713

https://twitter.com/ThirdEyeWitch/status/1134086389404962816

https://twitter.com/ThirdEyeWitch/status/1134086402642259969

https://twitter.com/ThirdEyeWitch/status/1134086407075639296

https://twitter.com/ThirdEyeWitch/status/1134086409512456192
Kiki Osinbajo, daughter of Nigerias Vice President has taken to Instagram to celebrate her father on his re-inauguration.

She narrated how the family felt when he was chosen to run alongside President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. She expressed that everyone in the family was nervous when he was sworn-in.

However, despite their fears, Kiki Osinbajo revealed that her father has remained ever supportive despite his busy schedule.

Also Read: I did this in 2017, stop copying  Speed Darlington calls Olamide out

She wrote:
Popular Nigerian relationship expert, Joro Olumofin, has shared the story of a Nigerian man who is worried about her younger sisters move to sell off her second virginity(ANAL) for a fee of 750k.

According to the man, he said the younger sister reportedly sold off the first virginity for 500k and she is gearing up for the second one.

He further added that he doesnt want to tell their parents because they are strict and he doesnt want to involve them.

He is thinking of the best university to enrol her as she reportedly attends a private university.

His post below:
Veteran Nigerian rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem, has reacted to the news of President Muhammadu Buhari was driven to his inauguration ceremony in a N151 million Benz.

President Buhari was sworn-in for a second term in office on the 29th of May and news broke out that the Benz used to convey the president to and fro the venue of the inauguration cost N151million.

This news has generated mixed reactions from people. Popular rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem, also launched an attack on the president over the car issue.

Also Read: Rape: Police arrest 70-year-old man for allegedly impregnating a 13-year-old

He reposted the photo of the Benz as he makes jest of the president. See his post below:
An 83-year-old Imam of Nghar village, Gashish District in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, had stirred the gratitude of Nigerians all over the world  after he saved about 300 persons when suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded about 15 communities in the Barkin Ladi LGA, killing over 200 persons on June 24, 2018.

The Imam had hidden the people(mainly Christians), who were said to be fleeing from a neighbouring village in the Barkin Ladi LGA in his house and mosque.

I hid the women in my personal house and after that, I took the men into the mosque and hid them there, Imam Abubakar had stated.

The criminals had confronted the Imam shortly after to release those who were Christians in the mosque  But he told them that all those in the mosque were Muslims. The bandits had no choice but o leave.

In July of that year, President Muhammadu Buhari has instructed Governor Simon Lalongto to bring the Imam to Abuja for a handshake and national honour.

The vice president, Yemi Osinbajo recently met Imam Abubakar at the State House and said: Yours is one of the most courageous acts any man can possibly do, by offering  your own life, for others especially those who are not of your tribe or faith,  his spokesperson, Laolu Akande quoted him saying.
Nollywood actress, Shan George, has fired heavy shots at Regina Daniels husband, Ned Nwoko, for getting romantically involved with the teenage actress.

According to Shan who spoke in a now-deleted Instagram post, she said the billionaire politician has not built a single hospital or free primary/secondary school in his village but keeps sleeping with greedy actresses and buys them cars,

Her post:

Senator Ned Nwoko is an ugly sad little prick, with all his so-called billions, aside sleeping wit some greedy actresses and buying them cars, or marrying little children all over the place, who him epp? Is there a free well-equipped childrens hospital in his own village built by him? Or a free primary/secondary school for all children of his village?

Or free care home for d aged widows in his village? I mean only in his village, at least he can afford it. Ive never seen an adult so disgusting and shameless. Wicked enough to put a lil child-like Regina in a traditional cult of dont ever cheat on me.

His place in hell will sure be d hottest. (Well, this is just my opinion) Shan George.
Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday played host to the 83-year-old Imam, who saved the lives of many Christians during the 2018 killing in Plateau state.

The vice president while addressing the Imam of Damafulul Mangai, the village head, community leaders, and diplomats from the US, UK and the European Union, said that President Muhammadu Buhari has said that anyone who says Allah Akbar and kills someone is insane.

The VP also hailed the heroic act of the Imam.

I commend you for your wonderful act, Imam Abubakar. Yours is one of the most courageous acts any man can possibly do, by offering your own life, for others especially those who are not of your tribe or faith, Laolu Akande had quoted Osinbajo as saying.

This is one of the most compelling stories I have heard. The love an individual can show for others not from their own tribe or religion. Most people in this country do not see the differences in tribe or religion, but it is easy to stoke religious tensions and divisions.

Like President Muhammadu Buhari said, anyone who says Allah Akbar, and then goes to kill someone either does not know his faith or is insane. It is the same in the Christian faith.

The gospel of Jesus Christ says we must first love, even our enemies and those that despitefully use us. And anyone who preaches something different is certainly not speaking from the Bible or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

It is far easier for people to create religious tensions between Christians or Muslims through their acts or words, h stated further.

And in a community where people have lived together in harmony and peace for so long, it shows how much a little of such tension created, in a matter of hours, can destroy harmony and peace built over the years.

When people have been wronged, it is always easier for people to accept that revenge or vengeance is the right approach. But as you know, vengeance breeds bitterness and hatred, and doesnt solve the problems created, but causes more deaths and harm.
Beyond Meat to manufacture in Europe

Beyond Meat has announced that it has expanded its partnership with Zandbergen Worlds Finest Meat to produce the brands plant-based meats at a new manufacturing facility being constructed by Zandbergen in Zoeterwoude, the Netherlands.

Upon completion of the facility, which is expected in the first quarter of 2020, the manufacturing partnership will mark Beyond Meats first production capability outside the United States.

Localized production is expected to reduce the brands transportation footprint, while increasing the speed with which Beyond Meat can get products to customers across Europe.

The consumer response in Europe has been very positive and we look forward to being able to better serve those customers with locally produced products. We are pleased to have strong strategic partners in Europe like Zandbergen to help us grow our global footprint, said Seth Goldman, Executive Chairman of Beyond Meat.

Last year, Zandbergen Worlds Finest Meat started distributing Beyond Meats products throughout Europe across both foodservice and retail.

As the demand for plant-based products continues to expand in Europe, we are thrilled to be partnering with Beyond Meat to produce their innovative products outside the U.S., said Adriaan Figee, Chief Commercial Officer of Zandbergen Worlds Finest Meat.

Most recently, the Beyond Burger joined the meat case at Albert Heijn in the Netherlands, Delhaize in Belgium and Tesco in the UK. In addition to these retailers, Beyond Meat says it is focused on expanding availability across foodservice in Europe, targeting popular burgers chains and innovative restaurateurs looking to serve delicious, high-quality plant-based meat.
Cattle Rallies Triple Digits Barchart - Wed Dec 29, 4:23PM CST Wednesday cattle futures closed with triple digit gains of $0.92 to $1.37. The midweek FCE auction resulted in no sales for the 1,303 head listed, with some feedlots asking $140. Central Stockyards will... LEZ21 : 139.400s (+0.67%) LEJ22 : 145.325s (+0.96%) GFF22 : 165.875s (+1.42%) GFH22 : 168.050s (+1.71%)

Lean Hog Market Gains on Wednesday Barchart - Wed Dec 29, 4:23PM CST At the closing bell for the midweek trading session, lean hog futures were $0.40 to $1.20 higher. USDAs National Average Base hog price for Wednesday was 52 cents weaker in the PM report at $61.25.... HEG22 : 83.825s (+1.45%) HEK22 : 92.900s (+0.79%) KMG22 : 94.275s (+1.75%)

Cotton Futures Rally Back for Wednesday Barchart - Wed Dec 29, 4:23PM CST After conceding some of the Monday move on Turnaround Tuesday, front month cotton added another 201 to 294 points to the upside for the midweek session. March was off the high at the close by nearly a... CTH22 : 112.99s (+2.67%) CTK22 : 110.37s (+2.16%) CTZ21 : 111.55s (+0.25%)

Nat-Gas Prices Close Lower on Forecasts for Milder U.S. Temps Barchart - Wed Dec 29, 2:10PM CST February Nymex natural gas (NGG22 ) on Wednesday closed down by -0.035 (-0.90%). Natural gas prices on Wednesday fell back from a 3-1/2 week high and closed moderately lower. Nat-gas prices gave up an... NGG22 : 3.873 (+0.60%)

Crude Oil Posts a New 1-Month High on Bullish EIA Report Barchart - Wed Dec 29, 2:07PM CST February WTI crude oil (CLG22 ) on Wednesday closed up +0.58 (+0.76%), and February RBOB gasoline (RBG22 ) closed up +2.06 (+0.92%). WTI crude oil and RBOB gasoline prices on Wednesday settled moderately... CLG22 : 76.65 (+0.12%) RBG22 : 2.2702 (+0.16%)

Cocoa Prices Settle Higher on Smaller Cocoa Supplies from Ivory Coast Barchart - Wed Dec 29, 1:55PM CST March ICE NY cocoa (CCH22 ) on Wednesday closed up +30 (+1.21%). March ICE London cocoa #7 (CAH22 ) closed up +18 (+1.07%). Cocoa prices on Wednesday settled moderately higher, with NY cocoa at a 1-1/2... CCH22 : 2,515s (+1.21%) CAH22 : 1,699s (+1.07%)

Sugar Gains on a Rally in Crude Oil Prices Barchart - Wed Dec 29, 1:53PM CST March NY world sugar #11 (SBH22 ) on Wednesday closed up +0.14 (+0.74%). March London white sugar #5 (SWH22 ) close up +2.90 (+0.58%). Sugar prices on Wednesday posted moderate gains as a rally in crude... SBH22 : 19.10s (+0.74%) SWH22 : 501.10s (+0.58%)
An indigenous artwork by Ngaanyatjarra artist Elizabeth Holland, valued at around $4,000, was put up for raffle by HBA Legal, with all the money raised donated to Arts Law.

It was never going to align with our values to put on a fancy cocktail party without substance: doing that, frankly, seemed self-indulgent said Nathan Hepple, HBA Legal co-founder. While we wanted to celebrate moving into our beautiful new space, we also felt it was important to do something community spirited that had a connection to our business.

Marking our office opening celebration by supporting a community legal centre that does valuable work nationally is a clear demonstration of the values-driven culture we strive to foster, and our commitment to social inclusion via our four core values of being collaborative, creative, genuine, and generous, said Andrew Lu, HBA partner and member of the board of Arts Law.
Argo Pro, a member of Argo Group International Holdings, has announced the launch of Private Company PROtect, a professional liability product that gives private companies access to a range of coverage including directors and officers, employment practices and fiduciary liability.

Private Company PROtect will streamline our offerings to private companies, allowing them to pick and choose the policies that meet their unique needs, said Rich Edsall, senior vice president of commercial management liability at Argo Pro. By combining our D&O, employment practices and fiduciary liability coverages under one policy, were providing a new level of flexibility to our clients.
Louisiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio have enacted bills barring abortion once there's a detectable fetal heartbeat, as early as the sixth week of pregnancy. Parson signed a Missouri bill last week approving an eight-week ban on abortion, with exceptions only for medical emergencies. Alabama has gone even further, outlawing virtually all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest. None of the bans has taken effect, and all are expected to face legal challenges.
The family of a Maine roofer who died in a fall has filed a $2.5 million wrongful-death suit against his employer.

The Portland Press Herald reports that Alan Loignons family says Saco-based contractor, 44-year-old Shawn D. Purvis, discouraged the use of safety equipment so his crews could finish jobs faster.

Loignon fell off a roof in Portland in December. The 30-year-old was not wearing a safety harness.

Purvis has pleaded not guilty to two manslaughter charges in Loignons death. The two men were half-brothers.

Purvis has said he cannot force his roofers to use safety gear he provides because theyre self-employed subcontractors.

The states labor department and a roofing industry group say general contractors are responsible for worksite safety.

Purvis attorney declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Information from: Portland Press Herald

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Maine
New Hampshire has sued eight companies including 3M and the DuPont Co. for damage it says has been caused by a class of potentially toxic chemicals found in pizza boxes, fast-food wrappers and drinking water.

The substances  known collectively as PFAS  have been used in coatings meant to protect consumer goods and are commonplace in households across the United States. Studies have found potential links between high levels of PFOA in the body and a range of illnesses including kidney cancer, increased cholesterol levels and problems in pregnancies. And because they persist for so long in the environment, PFAS has been dubbed a forever chemical.

With the lawsuits filed Wednesday, New Hampshire joins a growing number of states going after the makers and distributors of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and the first to target statewide contamination.

The actions we are taking today is intended to ensure that those responsible for PFAS contamination to our states drinking water supplies and other natural resources are held accountable, New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said. As alleged in the lawsuits, the defendants possessed unique knowledge of the dangers of PFAS chemicals but continued to make or sell them without warning the public of their health risks.

New York state has sued six companies that made firefighting foam containing PFOS and/or PFOA chemicals that it says have contaminated drinking water in two communities and groundwater in another.

Last year, Minnesota reached an $850 million settlement with 3M to resolve a lawsuit in which the state alleged some of the companys chemicals damaged natural resources and groundwater in the Twin Cities eastern metropolitan area.

In an email regarding the latest lawsuits, 3M said it acted responsibly in connection with products containing PFAS and would vigorously defend its environmental stewardship.

DuPont said it doesnt comment on pending litigation but would also defend its record of health, safety and environmental stewardship. A spokesman for Kidde-Fenwal Inc., said the company wouldnt comment on the lawsuits.

A spokesman for Johnson Controls whose brands include Tyco and Chemguard, defended its use of firefighting foams.

Tyco and Chemguard acted appropriately and responsibly at all times in producing our firefighting foams, Fraser Engerman, director of global media relations for Johnson Controls, said in a statement.

We make our foams to exacting military standards, and the U.S. military and civilian firefighters have depended for decades on these foams to extinguish life-threatening fires, he continued.

Chemours said in a statement that it had not reviewed the lawsuit but does not have manufacturing facilities in New Hampshire and does not manufacture, formulate or sell firefighting foam.

It added that no Chemours site globally has ever used PFOS in its manufacturing processes, one of a group of PFAS chemicals.

The lawsuit also names Buckeye Fire Equipment and National Fire Foam Inc. They had yet to respond to requests for comment.

Health concerns about the ubiquitous compounds have prompted states to take legislative and regulatory action, including setting drinking water standards, conducting widespread testing and proposing bans on some PFAS packaging and even dental floss containing the chemical.

Last month, Vermont announced a settlement with a plastics company that would help hundreds of people in the Bennington area whose drinking water wells had been contaminated. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics agreed to extend municipal water lines to more homes.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which has established a nonbinding health advisory threshold of 70 parts per trillion, earlier this year announced plans to consider limits on the toxic chemicals. That upset environmentalists who want action now.

The challenge for regulators is tracking down and treating a chemical that seems to be everywhere, from materials in landfills to the drinking water of homeowners, to the rivers where people fish.

EPA-mandated testing of about 5,000 of the roughly 150,000 public water systems in the U.S. completed in 2016 found dangerous levels of the same two PFAS compounds in 66 systems. Local and state testing has identified high levels in additional systems.

New Hampshire has been forced to connect more than 700 homes to new water systems in four communities due to PFAS contamination. It estimates that the contamination could end up impacting 100,000 people, with damages reaching several hundred million dollars.

New Hampshire does not seek a specific dollar amount in the lawsuits. The state wants the companies to pay the cost of investigating, cleaning up and remediating the contamination.

It accused DuPont and 3M of knowing the dangers of PFAS going back as far as the 1950s but not making it public while continuing to market the compounds.

It is my hope that those responsible for the manufacturer and distribution of PFAS will recognize the severity of the issues they have caused and will become part of the solution, MacDonald said.

The state hopes others follow its lead  as several did after it sued Exxon Mobil in 2003 over MTBE, a petroleum-based gasoline additive used to reduce smog-causing emissions. The state won a $236 million judgment.

We are taking a big first step on behalf of the country, Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said of the lawsuits.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits USA Pollution Manufacturing Chemicals
Yuchengco Group of Cos. is planning to launch a mobile app offering the full range of the Philippine family firms services  from insurance to holiday packages to funerals  using payment facilities from Yuchengcos Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

The wide array of Yuchengco Group interests will help set the new app apart from e-commerce platforms created by other family-run groups in the Philippines, according to Lito Villanueva, who oversees the conglomerates digital technology efforts.

Most applications in the Philippines are focused on one thing  payments, but were looking at an integrated approach by cross selling and bundling our groups products, Villanueva said in an interview.

Yuchengco joins family firms like JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Ayala Corp. in launching apps in a nation which has heavy Internet usage and more mobile-phone subscribers than its population. Unlike its competitors which have a separate app for every service, Yuchengco aims to follow the WeChat example by putting all its products and services onto a single platform.

Villanueva said the company plans to launch the mobile app next quarter and have 12 million active users in three years. Its a WeChat model  a one-stop shop with all the array of services you can offer, he added.

Yuchengco owns Rizal Bank, the countrys 10th-largest lender, alongside interests in insurance, construction and education. It also offers funeral services and has a minority stake in a company that runs six cemeteries.

The Philippine central bank has been encouraging growth of financial technology in order to rope in more people into the formal banking system. The nation is the among the first in Asia to license Bitcoin-based companies and roll out a digital national retail payments system.

We want to be nimble to keep customers in the app, Villanueva said. The ultimate litmus test is, how many people are using your technology.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
Global insurance broker Aon is partnering with digital insurance platform CoverWallet to serve clients in Australia.

The parties also said they are in the process of expanding this partnership to additional geographies, including the United States.

The Aon platform run by CoverWallet launched in Australia this month.

The current partnership provides Aon with additional access to the growing $100 billion small and medium enterprise (SME) digital insurance market segment, while allowing CoverWallet to expand its reach into new channels and geographies through Aons global network. Aon does business in 120 countries.

In conjunction with this agreement, CoverWallet received a strategic investment from Aon. Further financial details were not disclosed.

The investment from Aon will add to the $40 million CoverWallet had previously raised from investors including Union Square Ventures, Index Ventures, Two Sigma, and Foundation Capital, as well as Zurich Insurance Group and Starr Companies.

CoverWallets innovative data science and technology capabilities are helping to reinvent the insurance industry, particularly in the SME market, said Liam Caffrey, Global CEO, Aon Affinity.

CoverWallet, based in New York City, is an insurance technology company with a digital platform that serves the SME market and is licensed in all 50 U.S. states and Europe. CoverWallet has strategic partnerships with major insurance companies including Chubb, CNA, Starr, Guard, Zurich, Hiscox, Liberty Mutual, and The Hanover, among others.

The CoverWallet platform provides users with real-time quoting, underwriting, binding, billing and servicing capabilities.

Founded in 2015 by technology entrepreneurs Inaki Berenguer and Rashmi Melgiri, the company has approximately 300 employees in New York City, Rochester, N.Y., and Spain.

Partnering with Aon brings a wealth of experience, credibility, and strategic thinking that complements our approach, and it helps accelerate our growth even faster, enabling us to reach and delight more customers, said Berenguer, CEO of CoverWallet.

CoverWallet began last year offering its platform and markets to other agencies as well to businesses including accountants, real estate brokers and lenders that wish to sell its policies from its insurers.

The Hanover Group was the first carrier to use the CoverWallet platform in the U.S., providing it to agents for its emerging micro-small commercial business. Zurich, which became a minority stakeholder last June, uses it to sell its policies directly to small businesses in Spain. Insurer CV Starr was an early investor and is also a minority shareholder in CoverWallet.

Coverages offered by CoverWallet include general liability, workers compensation, business owners, commercial property, professional liability, cyber liability, product liability, liquor liability, umbrella, errors & omissions, employment practices, garage liability, inland marine, commercial auto, and directors and officers. They are targeted at various industries including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, real estate, retail, agriculture, finance, insurance education, consulting, professional services, sports, nonprofits, transportation, wholesale and technology.

Related:

Topics Mergers Trends Commercial Lines Business Insurance Aon
Having failed several times to pass a $19 billion disaster aid bill with a federal flood insurance reauthorization provision by unanimous consent, the House of Representatives managed on Thursday to pass a separate two-week extension of the flood insurance program, which was set to expire Friday at midnight.

At about 4:30 p.m. in a fast-track unanimous consent vote, the House approved an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program until June 14, a reauthorization the Senate approved by voice vote last week.

The two-week reauthorization means the NFIP will be able to continue issuing flood insurance policies at least at the start of the hurricane season, which begins Saturday.

The Senate has already passed the $19 billion disaster aid bill that includes extending the flood insurance program until Sept. 30. However, this broader measure has been stymied by several Republican lawmakers taking advantage of a House rule that kills unanimous consent if a single member objects.

On Thursday, Rep. John Rose of Tenn. became the third Republican this week to object to the unanimous consent of the disaster aid, setting up the fast-track vote on the NFIP provision only.

Today, I objected to passing a spending request of over $19 billion without members of Congress present in Washington, said Rose. It is of dire concern to me, as it should be to each member of Congress, that Speaker Pelosi is attempting to push through a $19.1 billion spending bill without any debate in Congress.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the Republican moves to block the disaster aid bill. Every day that House Republicans obstruct and delay, more American families are left to suffer, she said.

The Democratic-controlled House is expected to pass the $19 billion disaster aid measure in a vote after it returns to session on June 3.

President Donald Trump has said he supports it.

Since 2017, Congress has approved 10 short-term extensions of the NFIP but has not been able to advance a long-term extension or reforms of the program that serves 5 million policyholders.

The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies expressed disappointment that Congress could pass only a two-week extension and urged lawmakers to pass a long-term reauthorization.

With the start of the 2019 hurricane season just days away, that Congress has been able to pass only a two-week extension of the NFIP is disheartening, as it needlessly creates uncertainty for policyholders across the nation, said Jimi Grande, senior vice president of government affairs for NAMIC. And as we have seen with the recent devastating flooding in the Midwest, the time has never been more critical for Congress to provide long-term stability for policyholders who have unfortunately been strung along from one short-term extension to the next.

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big I) voiced similar sentiments.

The Big I is relieved that Congress was finally able to extend the NFIP before the program expires on May 31. However, we are disappointed that the extension is only for two weeks, said Charles Symington, Big I senior vice president of external, industry & government affairs. Both chambers of Congress had previously passed legislation that would extend the NFIP through Sept. 30 in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion. Yet, brinksmanship from a few members of Congress brought us to the eve of an expiration and left more than five million policyholders and countless others who depend on the program with only a two-week extension of the NFIP. With historic flooding in the Midwest and hurricane season upon us, it is vital that Congress passes a longer-term extension of the program when it returns to session next week to provide more certainty for consumers.

Topics Legislation Flood
The Hartford has partnered with Mimecast, an email and data security company, to offer Mimecast Awareness Training services designed to help customers reduce the risk of a cybersecurity incident before it occurs.

According to Tim Marlin, head of cyber underwriting at The Hartford, employees are increasingly targets of complex phishing and social engineering attempts and may inadvertently cause damage by responding to an email that looked real to them.

Staying on top of these trends and providing employees with the knowledge to identify these types of threats can go a long way in protecting a business from ransomware, a cyber crime or a data breach, he said.

The Mimecast Awareness Training helps employers educate their employees about serious topics such as ransomware, phishing, wire fraud, password hygiene and more. The training includes video content as well as real-world phishing simulations and remediation for employees.

The training is available at no charge to select customers who have The Hartfords CyberChoice First Response Policy and is available at a 20 percent discount to any other policyholder of The Hartford.

The Hartfords Cyber Center, a digital cyber risk management portal that provides customers with tools, training materials, and best practices suggestions to further help mitigate the risk of a cyber incident, includes additional information about the Mimecast Awareness training.

The Hartford provides property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds.

Topics Cyber Training Development
Some 7.3 million U.S. homes with an estimated reconstruction cost of $1.8 trillion are at risk from storm surge, Irvine, California-based data analytics provider CoreLogic said in its 2019 Storm Surge Report, issued days before the start of the 2019 hurricane season on June 1.

Texas and Louisiana are among the top four states with greatest number of homes at risk of storm surge. The other two are New York and Florida.

Florida is the state that is most exposed to storm surge flooding, according to CoreLogic. With more than 2.9 million homes at risk, Floridas reconstruction cost value (RCV) is more than $603 billion, the highest in the nation.

The study notes that while Louisiana has the second highest number of at risk homes  more than 847,000  its RCV, at more than $202 billion is the third highest.

The state with the second highest RCV is New York, at $240 billion. That state ranks third in terms of the number of homes at risk  more than 564,000. Even though relatively fewer hurricanes impact the state, New Yorks densely populated coastal region is extremely vulnerable to flooding, the report pointed out.

Texas, with the fifth highest RCV  more than $113 billion, ranks fourth in terms of the number of at risk homes  upward of 561,000.

CoreLogic examined potential losses along a 3,700-mile coastline encompassing 19 states from Texas to Maine.

CoreLogic calculates the RCV of the properties analyzed in the report using the combined cost of construction materials, equipment and labor. The amounts represent the cost of completely rebuilding a property, assuming the worst-case scenario of 100% destruction.

This is the first year the Storm Surge report analysis includes multifamily structures, which encompass apartments, condominiums and multi-unit dwellings.

Fifty-seven percent of the total homes at risk of storm surge flooding are on the Atlantic Coast, representing 62.7% of the total RCV. The region has more than 4.1 million homes at risk of storm surge with an RCV of over $1.1 trillion.

The Gulf Coast has 43% of the homes at risk and 37.3% of the total RCV. The region has nearly 3.1 million homes at risk with over $668 billion in potential exposure to total destruction damage.

New York City and Miami metropolitan areas have greatest risk of storm surge, the report says.

Hurricane season runs through the end of November. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has indicated a near-normal season, with nine to 15 named storms forecast for the six-month period.

Source: CoreLogic

Topics Texas Florida Windstorm Louisiana New York
Rain-swollen rivers threatened more flooding on Thursday in Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois and Oklahoma, as Tulsas mayor warned that the decades-old levee system in his city would be at risk even as waters receded through the weekend.

Since early last week, a spate of deadly tornadoes has caused widespread damage across the central United States while torrential downpours unleashed record floods, turning highways into lakes and submerging all but the roofs of some homes.

The violent weather has been blamed for least 16 deaths across several states in the nations midsection.

In Tulsa, Oklahomas second-largest city, the states National Guard conducted round-the-clock patrols of the 20-mile (32-km) levee system that protects some 10,000 people.

To have a 70-year-old levee system that has been poorly maintained and protects thousands of people and their homes and property and to have it go through a historic level of stress at that age and in the condition its in, its been an area of high risk, Mayor G.T. Bynum said in a phone interview.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was gradually reducing the level of water behind the berms, aiming to return it to a safe level by Sunday night, Bynum said.

You have all this material that has high pressure on it and is saturated with water, as that pressure is relieved, you see material start to fall away. That can endanger the integrity of the levee, Bynum said. That risk wont be relieved until late this weekend.

There were no reports of major levee breaks on Thursday, the National Weather Service said. Waterways posing the greatest threats included the Mississippi, Arkansas and Missouri rivers.

Oklahoma has borne much of the brunt so far, with six fatalities attributed to flooding and severe weather confirmed by the states chief medical examiner, and hospitals reporting more than 100 injuries.

Missouris Highway Patrol has confirmed seven weather-related deaths since May 21  three victims of tornadoes and four from rain and flooding.

Floodwaters also swept a motorist to his death on Tuesday in Arkansas, while twisters that pulverized buildings in western Ohio on Monday killed one person and injured scores of others, authorities said. A tornado last week in Adair, Iowa, claimed one life there.

On the brighter side, the region appears to be headed for a few days without rain heading into the weekend, said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Services Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Flooding in Arkansas has already closed 12 state highways, and 400 households have agreed to voluntary evacuations, said Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.

Rivers were expected to crest by early June to the highest levels on record as far south as Little Rock, Arkansas, forecasters said.

Little Rock mayor Frank Scott Jr. said municipal workers have distributed thousands of sandbags to residents around the city, parts of which were hit with flash flooding on Wednesday night.

We are in unprecedented times here in Arkansas, and the Arkansas River will reach historic level, Scott said at a news conference on Thursday. We just received information that its now going to be 29 feet with the crest next week.

In Louisiana, the Mississippi River was also at record flood levels due to record-breaking rains this spring, forecasters said.

More than 300 tornadoes have touched down in the Midwest in the past two weeks.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Rich McKay in Atlanta, and Jonathan Allen and Barbara Goldberg in New York; Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis and James Dalgleish)

Topics USA Flood Oklahoma
Forecasters say at least two tornadoes hit parts of north and east Texas in a storm system that damaged dozens of homes and left one person hurt.

The National Weather Service has confirmed twisters struck Wednesday in the Heritage Trace subdivision of Fort Worth and also in Canton, 55 miles (88 kilometers) east of Dallas. Meteorologist Patricia Sanchez in Fort Worth said Thursday that crews were assessing damage.

The emergency management coordinator for Kaufman County said Thursday that at least 25 homes were damaged or destroyed in Mabank (MAY-bank), in the Cedar Creek Country Club subdivision. Steve Howie (HOO-ee) says one person was treated for minor cuts.

The severe weather gave way Thursday to sunny skies and mild conditions in the area, with forecasters predicting a chance of showers Friday.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Texas Windstorm
The maker of Kona beer agreed to offer partial refunds to settle a lawsuit claiming it misled consumers in the continental United States into believing the craft brew was actually made in Hawaii, causing them to overpay.

Settlement papers were filed last week with the federal court in San Francisco, and require a judges approval.

Craft Brew Alliance Inc, which makes Kona, said on Thursday it has taken a $4.7 million pretax charge for the expected overall cost.

The Portland, Oregon-based company was accused of deception for putting hula dancers, surfers, the Kilauea volcano and other Hawaiian images on beers with such names as Big Wave Golden Ale, Fire Rock Pale Ale and Longboard Island Lager.

Beer drinkers claimed they were confused despite disclaimers that Kona was brewed in New Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington state. Kona draft beer sold in Hawaii was brewed there, they added.

The settlement offers refunds of $1.25 to $2.75 for purchasers since Feb. 28, 2013 of four-, six-, 12- and 24-packs of Kona, with maximums per household of $20 with receipts and $10 without receipts.

Lawyers for the consumers plan to seek up to $2.9 million to cover legal fees and costs, court papers show.

Craft Brew Alliance also owns the Redhook and Widmer Brothers brands, and is nearly one-third owned by an affiliate of Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, according to Refinitiv.

In 2015, Anheuser won U.S. court approval for a roughly $20 million settlement of claims it tricked consumers into thinking its St. Louis-brewed Becks beer was actually a German pilsner.

The case is Broomfield et al v Craft Brew Alliance Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 17-01027.

(Reporting by Stempel in New York Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Related:

Topics Claims USA
A kitchen knife that is presumed to be the murder weapon was found in a sink, prosecutors said. Mitzelfeld had lived with his mother for about two decades, authorities said. Court records do not show any previous criminal history for him in DuPage County.
Los Angeles County sued Monsanto Co. on Thursday, seeking to force the unit of Germanys Bayer AG to help pay for reducing PCB contamination in dozens of bodies of water.

The most populous U.S. county, which has about 10.1 million people, said the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in products sold by Monsanto many decades ago has caused widespread environmental contamination, forcing it to spend money to retrofit its stormwater systems and prevent further damage.

Los Angeles County said Monsanto had long concealed its knowledge that PCBs were harmful, and created a public nuisance because their presence interferes with commerce, fishing, navigation, swimming and other water-based activities.

In a statement, Bayer said it believed Los Angeles Countys lawsuit had no merit, and that it would defend itself aggressively. Bayer said in its most recent annual report that it had meritorious defenses against PCB-related claims.

The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court seeks compensatory and punitive damages that Scott Kuhn, a lawyer for the county, said in an interview could reach hundreds of millions of dollars.

Kuhn called PCB contamination a big problem in our county. Its a significant overall cost to clean that up.

PCBs have been linked to cancer, immune system difficulties and other health problems. The U.S. government outlawed them in 1979.

Monsanto produced PCBs from 1935 to 1977, and has said it stopped making them because they were not readily biodegradable.

Los Angeles County joined many other U.S. municipal entities to sue the company over PCBs.

The lawsuit adds to Bayers legal problems tied to Monsanto, which it bought last year for $63 billion.

Bayer also faces claims by more than 13,400 plaintiffs that Monsantos Roundup weed killer causes non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and that Monsanto concealed the link.

A jury in Oakland, California, on May 13 awarded $2.055 billion to a couple who said Roundup caused their cancer, though that award will likely be reduced.

PCBs were once used widely to insulate electrical equipment, helping reduce fire risk. They were also used in such products as carbonless copy paper, caulking, floor finish and paint.

The case is County of Los Angeles et al v Monsanto Co et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 19-04694.

(Reporting by Stempel in New York; Editing by Tom Brown)

Topics Lawsuits USA
An Oregon hospital has agreed to pay a settlement to the husband of a woman whose wedding rings disappeared within hours of her death.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Wednesday that an insurance adjuster for Providence Portland Medical Center has agreed to pay $10,000 to John Granlund.

Granlund says the couple was married for 64 years and the wedding rings vanished from his 82-year-old wifes hand shortly after her April 27 death from heart failure.

Family members say they heard multiple possible explanations but felt they were being stonewalled by hospital officials.

Granlund says he hired an attorney last week and the case was settled five hours later.

The hospital says its investigation into the disappearance will continue.

Granlund acknowledges he likely will never learn what happened to the rings.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Oregon
Former insurance agent Richard Brian Willand, 54, of Sylmar, Calif., voluntarily surrendered at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in San Fernando on a warrant for his arrest for alleged grand theft of insurance premium payments, forgery and fraudulent misrepresentation.

The Los Angeles County District Attorneys office in March filed a criminal complaint against Willand for five felony counts encompassing one grand theft count, three forgery counts, plus one count for misrepresentation.

Evidence discovered by CDIs investigators reportedly revealed that Willand, who was a licensed insurance agent at the time, allegedly committed grand theft by embezzling and misappropriating insurance premium payments meant for securing liability insurance coverage for a consumer. Willand allegedly stole $3,380 from the victim.

Willand also allegedly provided fraudulent certificates of liability insurance to the victim, falsely misrepresenting that the victim had insurance coverage when in fact the victim did not. The department revoked Willands license on April 12.

Willand was arraigned on May 23, 2019 at the San Fernando Courthouse, pleading not guilty to all counts filed against him and released on his own recognizance. His next court hearing is scheduled for June 24. The case is being prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office.

Topics California Agencies Fraud Abuse Molestation
OECD to consider worldwide fractional apportionment

An OECD working party will begin detailed technical work on three profit-allocation proposals, including fractional apportionment at the level of the multinational group, after the organisations Inclusive Framework of 129 countries approved a programme of work.

The document, which does not substantially narrow down the options being considered for taxing the digital economy, was approved at the OECDs Paris headquarters on May 28.

The OECD's efforts to tax the digital economy have been extensively covered in ITR. ITR's taxpayer survey on digital economy taxation is open for responses until Tuesday, June 4.

The Programme of Work will be presented to G20 ministers in Fukuoka, Japan, next week for their endorsement.

It hints at a group of countries striving for consensus but still unable to reach agreement on some of the key issues. As a result, it instructs OECD working groups to do technical work on a range of options.

One of these is the worldwide fractional apportionment championed by India and other developing countries.

But the Inclusive Framework insisted that the OECDs technical work cannot be a substitute for discussion of politically sensitive tax questions between countries. The document sets a deadline of January 2020 for countries to address the remaining political questions and to establish the outlines of the architecture for a new international tax system.

Profit-allocation proposals evolve

The OECDs consultation document had suggested three different Pillar One proposals: user participation, marketing intangibles, and significant economic presence. Public comments laid bare the lack of agreement among companies on which proposals would work best.

The new programme of work discards these phrases and organises the ideas differently.

It attempts to highlight the common ground between the different proposals by splitting them up into profit-attribution and nexus rules.

The report outlines three profit-attribution proposals:

1. Modified residual profit split. This method, like the former marketing intangibles proposal, calculates a businesss nonroutine profits and allocates some or all of those profits to different jurisdictions  either using modified transfer-pricing rules or a formulary method. This proposal would keep the current transfer-pricing rules in place.

2. Fractional apportionment. This method would determine the entire profit of the group and then use a set of allocation keys  presumably including some that capture remote digital activity  to apportion the profit to the different countries in which the group operates.

3. Distribution-based approaches. This proposal, which appears strongly similar to the proposal advanced during the public consultation by Johnson & Johnson, aims to use a simple formula to specify a baseline profit in a market jurisdiction for marketing, distribution and user-related activities in order to move more taxable profit towards market jurisdictions.

Nexus: no indication of what will replace physical presence

Companies only pay tax in jurisdictions where they have a physical permanent establishment (PE).

The Inclusive Framework has agreed that this has to change, but gave little indication of what will replace it.

The closest it came was in a sentence that suggested one way of implementing new nexus rules would be to amend articles 5 and 7 of the OECD Model Convention to deem that there is PE where [a company] exhibits a remote yet sustained and significant involvement in the economy of a jurisdiction.

The document is silent as to what factors might make an economic involvement sustained and significant. Yet this is sure to be one of the central issues that the OECD will have to resolve in future technical and political work.

Pillar Two: a new name, but no consensus

The document suggests that countries are far from reaching a consensus on the Pillar Two rules, which it refers to under the new name of the global anti-base erosion, or GloBE, proposal.

Observers have likened the GloBE package, which includes a tax on base-eroding payments as well as a global alternative minimum tax rate, to the BEAT and GILTI provisions in the USs 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

The document said that certain members of the Inclusive Framework believe that the GloBE proposals are necessary to reduce profit shifting to jurisdictions where little or no tax is payable.

But, in a footnote, the plan mentions other members  presumably low-tax jurisdictions  who believe that the GloBE rules may affect the sovereignty of jurisdictions that for a variety of reasons have no or low corporate taxes.

In other words, the Inclusive Framework is still in the grip of a debate that ITRreported on in March: whether it is appropriate to tackle the undertaxation, as well as the nontaxation, of corporate profits.

One especially tortuous passage seems to show the Inclusive Framework trying to find a compromise between fundamentally clashing points of view. The document proposes a carve-out from the income-inclusion rule for regimes compliant with the standards of BEPS Action 5, but then says that such [a] carve-out would undermine the policy intent and effectiveness of the proposal.

Only three regimes are deemed Harmful under BEPS Action 5.

Time for politics

Hinting again at the lack of consensus, the Inclusive Framework participants agreed that the OECD will require an early political steer to narrow down the range of options it is considering.

That steer will come both from the G20 and from the OECDs BEPS steering group, a group of representatives from OECD countries and some developing countries.

Political leaders will be informed by economic analyses and impact assessments of all the options under consideration.

Many will consider what the OECD has already achieved in this project as a great achievement, producing credible proposals at a breakneck pace and convening over a hundred countries to discuss them.

But theres no way around it: finding political consensus on a way forward, in the next six months, is a daunting task.





The material on this site is for financial institutions, professional investors and their professional advisers. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws.  2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQ.

Share this article
Point Roberts, WA and Delta, BC - May 31, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a global investor news source covering mining stocks releases a snapshot looking at the recent developments in the African Gold mining sector, specifically in Tanzania.

In Tanzania, revenues from the country's mineral resources are on the rise, thanks to government efforts to curb smuggling and strengthen the Mining Commission's capacity.

The March 2017 government's decision to ban the export of mineral concentrates has led to increased mineral production and exports, and by March this year, the country had earned nearly $244 billion from minerals, representing 78.63 percent of the year's $310 billion collection target.

Minerals Minister, Doto Biteko, tabling the ministry's budget estimates for the 2019/2020 fiscal year, told the National Assembly that out of the collected amount, $223.5 billion, which is 72 percent of total collections, was from royalties and inspection fees.

The remaining 20.5 billion, he said, was from other sources of revenues, including annual fee and geological survey fees. Minister Biteko assured that by the end of this fiscal year on June 30, the ministry will meet the collection target.

Zanzibar Gold Inc. (CSE: ZBR) (OTC: ZNZBF), a junior mineral exploration company, that engages in the acquisition, exploration and development of natural resource properties in Canada and Tanzania recently reported that its consultants have initiated their exploration evaluation of the Mkuvia Gold Property in the Nachengwea area of southern Tanzania.

The Mkuvia property has had small scale local placer operators mining gold from the property since 2005. In 2009, a 43-101 Compliant Reserve report was calculated on the central portion of the main gold producing area which outlined an inferred reserve 6 million grams of gold.

The initial assessment is to determine that the identified reserve is intact, and the purity of the gold being recovered. A field visit to the property and the collection of the alluvial gold for analysis is being completed by the report's original author.

"This work will determine how much of a gold bullion inventory can be established for the company by a low cost placer operation," Company President S.A. Farrage outlined, "As well as enabling the company to evaluate other gold prospects in the region."

Tanzania has moved from an insignificant gold producing country in the last century to a 50 tonne per year producer in the early part of the 21st century with AngloGold Ashanti's Geita Gold mine (7 million ounces produced since 2000 with reserves estimated at 7.7 million ounces) and Acacia's (Barrick gold) Buylanhulu (initial reserves 17 million ounces) as the forefront operations.

Tanzania as a country seems well aware of the increased gold mining interest and has begun picking and choosing its partners having recently announced it will no longer allow Acacia Mining Plc to manage its mines in the country and will only work with the company's parent, Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE:GOLD) (TSX:ABX), to resolve a two-year impasse that has stymied operations.

"We will no longer work with Acacia," Hassan Abbasi said Tuesday by phone. "Under no circumstances can Acacia be a party to the agreements, or have any role in the operation or management of the Barrick mining subsidiaries in Tanzania. The ball is now in Barrick's court."

Acacia has been at odds with Tanzania's government since July 2017, when the state handed the London-listed gold producer a $190 billion tax bill, saying it under-declared bullion exports. Barrick has since led discussions with the government and, in an effort to solve the impasse, surprised the market last week with an informal plan to buy out Acacia's minority shareholders.

Abbasi said the government of Tanzania will continue to try to resolve the dispute based on a previous tentative agreement with Barrick.

"The initial agreement that we reached with Barrick in October 2017 is the one that is guiding the negotiations," Abbasi said.

In a 2017 meeting between Tanzania's President, John Magufuli and Barrick Executive Chairman John Thornton, it was tentatively agreed that Acacia would pay $300 million to the government to settle tax claims and would split future returns from operations with the country. At the time, Acacia criticized the move and blamed Barrick for its worsening relationship with Tanzania after Thornton took over negotiations.

Last week, Barrick said the government of Tanzania had made clear it won't negotiate a settlement with Acacia. Barrick Chief Executive Officer Mark Bristow has repeatedly spoken about the breakdown of the relationship between the two companies, and between Acacia and the government.

President Magufuli has vowed to secure more revenue from the country's resources. His government is targeting boosting income from minerals by half in the 2019-20 fiscal year to 470.9 billion shillings ($205.1 million), according to the Mines Ministry.

While some are looking at new prospects in African Gold mining, others like AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU) recently announced that it was embarking on a process to review divestment options for its remaining South African assets. This process will consider all ownership options, with a view to maximizing the value and future prospects of these assets. This is in line with AngloGold Ashanti's ongoing review of its portfolio and a disciplined approach to allocation of capital and other resources to ensure it generates maximum value for all its stakeholders.

AngloGold Ashanti has dedicated significant time and resources over the past few years to restructure its South African operating portfolio into a more focused business with enhanced operating and financial metrics. The successful completion of the restructuring has resulted in this portfolio comprising a single underground mine, Mponeng, a surface rock dump processing business and a mine waste retreatment operation, Mine Waste Solutions. These assets are now better positioned for the future, with the potential for further enhanced production growth, profitability and free cash generation from the significant remaining ore reserve base of 16.8 million ounces.

Mponeng is ramping up production from the Below 120 Level project, which is expected to give it a lifespan of around eight years, with improved margins from anticipated higher grades within this new mine area. In the medium term (starting in around two years), Mponeng will require additional capital investment to further extend its life and to realize the full potential of this operation.

"We believe that under the right ownership, our South African assets offer a compelling long term value proposition that may allow for an extension to Mponeng Mine's current life," Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Dushnisky said. "The investment to extend Mponeng's life beyond eight years has very strong competition for capital and other scarce resources from a host of other projects in our portfolio, which at current planning assumptions are more attractive, generating higher returns and quicker payback periods - we have therefore decided to review divestment options for our South African business."

This process is at an early stage and may not ultimately result in any change to the ownership of the South African business. AngloGold Ashanti's priority is to ensure that the process is conducted with the appropriate thoroughness to ensure the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.

Tanzanian Gold Corporation (TSX: TNX) (NYSE:TRX) announced the first set of assay results from its deep level diamond core drilling program at the Buckreef Project, aimed at better defining potential mineralized zones below the open pit as reported and published in the June 2018 Pre-Feasibility 43-101 Technical Report. Infill drilling within the open pit is continuing, highlights from which will also be announced.

Assay results for a third mineralized zone at depths below 450m are expected soon from the assay lab. The drill-hole was drilled to a depth of 555 meters, one (1) meter is equal to 3.2808 feet for a total depth of 1,820 feet, all diamond core.

Mr. Jim Sinclair, Chairman (TRX) commented, "We are pleased with the first results from our deeper drilling below the open pit using core drilling to better define more robust mineralized zones that may extend below the pit bottom." Mr. Sinclair also noted, "Our in-fill drilling program in the open pit area has passed the mid-point of planned drilling, and, I believe, that the results will help move Inferred Resources into the Measured and Indicated categories."

A recent CNBC article discussed how gold has had some of its best days in nearly three months, due to market turmoil triggered by China announcing that it will retaliate over levies imposed by the Trump administration.

This rise in gold stocks, as well as new government regulations in the African mining community could bring renewed interest into the region, and the companies already looking for new opportunities in growing production regions like Tanzania may benefit from this recent gold surge.

About Investorideas.com

https://www.investorideas.com/About/

Social Media

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/Investorideas

Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Investorideas

Follow us on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/Investorideas

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Disclosure: this article featuring Zanzibar Gold Inc. is a paid for news release on Investorideas.com (two thousand) More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp

Contact Investorideas.com

800-665-0411
May 31, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The company's campaigns for its U.S. and Canadian assets are outlined in a ROTH Capital Partners report.

In a May 24 research note, ROTH Capital Partners analyst Jake Sekelsky reported that McEwen Mining Inc. (MUX:TSX; MUX:NYSE ) achieved commercial production at Gold Bar in Nevada and announced drill results from its Timmins assets in Ontario. "We expect management to shift focus towards high-value exploration targets in Timmins and Nevada," he added.

The declaration of commercial production means the problems that delayed construction, primarily adverse weather, now are moot. Recoveries are coming in as expected, according to McEwen, and it reiterated 2019 production guidance of 50,000 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $975 per ounce. The company intends to modify Gold Bar's crushing and stacking system to lessen the effects of future inclement weather.

In terms of exploration, McEwen already started this year an aggressive, $17 million program at its Black Fox complex in Ontario's Timmins gold camp. Results from some of its Q1/19 efforts, an initial seven holes at Grey Fox, "appear encouraging," Sekelsky noted. "Exploration success at Grey Fox could pave the way for the delivery of higher-margin tonnage to the Black Fox mill in the future."

Also this year, McEwen plans to spend $15 million on exploration at Gold Bar to identify Carlin-style mineralization there. "A discovery at depth could transform Gold Bar," Sekelsky commented. An exploration update for that Nevada property is expected in H2/19, which could catalyze McEwen's stock.

ROTH has a Buy rating and a US$3 price target on McEwen Mining, whose stock is currently trading at around US$1.24 per share.

Disclosure:

1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: McEwen. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.

Disclosures from ROTH Capital Partners, McEwen Mining, Company Note, May 24, 2019

Regulation Analyst Certification ("Reg AC"): The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this report certifies the following under Reg AC: I hereby certify that all views expressed in this report accurately reflect my personal views about the subject company or companies and its or their securities. I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.

ROTH makes a market in shares of McEwen Mining Inc. and as such, buys and sells from customers on a principal basis.

Shares of McEwen Mining Inc. may be subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission's Penny Stock Rules, which may set forth sales practice requirements for certain low-priced securities.

ROTH Capital Partners, LLC expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking or other business relationships with the covered companies mentioned in this report in the next three months.

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
May 31, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The situation and the gold major's proposal are discussed in a Haywood report.

In a May 23 research note, Haywood analyst Kerry Smith reported that Barrick Gold Corp. (ABX:TSX; GOLD:NYSE) proposed to acquire the remaining 36.1% interest in Acacia, taking Barrick to 100% ownership, to end the two year-long dispute with the Tanzania government.

"The successful resolution would be a positive catalyst, and we view this proposal as a positive step in that direction," added Smith. However, were the acquisition to be successful, improving the relationship with the government of Tanzania will still require much work.

The proposal translates to 0.153 Barrick shares per Acacia share, or a value to Acacia of US$787 million or US$285 million to shareholders of the 36.1% that Barrick does not own. By 5 p.m. on June 18, 2019, Barrick must announce whether or not it intends to make a formal bid.

Regarding the dispute with the East African country that began in 2017, Smith explained, it claimed Acacia owed unpaid taxes of US$193 billion for 2000 through 2017, banned the export of concentrate, impacting Acacia's sales, and indicated it will only communicate with Barrick. Earlier this year, in February, Barrick announced it arrived at a proposal to resolve the outstanding Acacia issues.

In the past week, though, the Tanzanian government said it will not enter a settlement with Acacia and will only sign an agreement if it finds substantial changes have been made to the operating companies' management style.

As for Acacia's current stance, according to a press release issued, Smith noted, it intends to take no action until it clarifies the Tanzanian government's position.

Haywood has a Buy rating and a CA$19 per share target price on Barrick Gold, whose stock is currently trading at around CA$15.88 per share.

Disclosure:

1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.

Disclosures from Haywood Securities, Barrick Gold, May 23, 2019

Analyst Certification: I, Kerry Smith, hereby certify that the views expressed in this report (which includes the rating assigned to the issuers shares as well as the analytical substance and tone of the report) accurately reflect my/our personal views about the subject securities and the issuer. No part of my/our compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations.

Important Disclosures

The following Important Disclosures apply for Juggernaut Exploration:

 Haywood Securities, Inc. has reviewed lead projects of Barrick Gold and a portion of the expenses for this travel have been reimbursed by the issuer.

Other material conflict of interest of the research analyst of which the research analyst or Haywood Securities Inc. knows or has reason to know at the time of publication or at the time of public appearance: n/a.

Research policy is available here.

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
May 31, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) These are exciting times for this company and others like it, with prices for rare earth elements on the rise and geopolitical factors in play, says Peter Epstein of Epstein Research.

There has been quite a bit of ink spilled lately regarding the ChineseU.S. standoff and possible implications for rare earth metals. Rick Mills of Ahead of the Herd has written the best articles that I've read so far. Many rare earth metals companies have seen their share prices increase, some substantially. Yet, we are probably still in the early innings of a long, drawn-out game. Of course, no one knows how this will end, but select rare earth (REE) prices have begun to move higher. For instance, light rare earth element (LREE) neodymium oxide (Nd) is up > 22% in just the past few weeks. As of Friday, May 24, prices of praseodymium-neodymium oxide stood at 330,000-340,000 yuan/tonne, up from 264,000 yuan/tonne the week prior, according to SMM. That's up 26% in a week.

From a Global Times article: "Why did the U.S. threaten to raise tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China, while sparing rare earth metals? Without a reliable domestic supply, the U.S. must rely on China to supply industries of high strategic importance. China can raise prices of rare earth metals exported to the U.S. in response to higher tariffs on Chinese products. The U.S. decision to omit rare earths from the China tariff list shows how much the Country depends on these minerals. In the short term, U.S. users would not be able to find alternatives, so they would have to accept higher prices. China has various tools to influence prices, cutting the number of rare-earth mining licenses, raising market access standards for miners and reducing exports of primary rare-earth products."

In addition to rare earths being in the crosshairs, security of supply of cobalt is also being discussed by industry participants, government, and trade officials in the U.S. While less critical then the highest value rare earth metals, lithium and cobalt are important, especially for grid-scale energy storage Systems. Last week, execs from cobalt companies with projects in the U.S. and Canada met in Washington, D.C., to discuss cobalt's tortured supply chain. Supply is at grave risk due to ~65% of it coming from a single country in Africa. Politicians talking about cobalt supply is helpful in framing the rare earth metals situation. Evidence that the trade war is heating up can be seen in higher rare earth metals prices. Its as simple as that, and we're seeing higher prices of select metals.

The biggest increases have come from dysprosium (Dy), Nd and praseodymium (Pr), up by 56%, 22% and 22%, respectively, from 2019 lows, as of May 27. These three metals just happen to be three of the most critical metals for national defense applications, and are widely used in super magnets and in other crucial high-tech fields. In many uses there are few, if any, substitutes. Rare earth metals juniors are catching a bid: Appia Energy Corp. (APAAF:OTCQB), GeoMegA Resources Inc. (GMA:TSX.V), Rainbow Rare Earths (RBW:LSE), Greenland Minerals & Energy Ltd. (GGG:ASX), Northern Minerals Ltd. (NTU:ASX) and Peak Resources Ltd. are up an average of 114% from 52-week lows.

Interestingly, three of the top six performers I mentioned are Australian-listed, an exchange that most readers (and me) rarely, if ever, trade on. There are not that many North American-listed REE stocks to choose from. And, many of the U.S and Canadian listed names have projects that require hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars in capex. Others that were exciting in the last REE bull market have metals that are no longer as highly prized. In 2010-2011, there might have been six to eight REEs worth owning. Today, only three to four rare earth metals are truly bankable for the long run.

With that in mind, (wait for it; I have a stock idea to discuss) readers should want to invest in companies with LREE deposits, more specifically with deposits containing as much Pr, Nd and Dy as possible, and companies that have tight share structures so that if they move, the uptick could be very significant. Readers should look for companies with small market caps. Less money is being deployed into natural resource stocks, it's a lot easier to move a company with a market cap <CA$10 million ($10M) than >CA$100M. Finally, a strong management team and board are paramount.

Defense Metals Corp. (DEFN:TSX.V; DFMTF:OTC; 35D:FSEQB) has all of the attributes I mentioned and more. Earlier this year, the share price hit CA$0.30 on excitement over the uranium spot price climbing above US$29/pound (the company has promising Athabasca uranium assets), a great management team and a cheap valuation (only 24 million shares outstanding). Since then, the uranium price has settled to around US$24.5/pound and company news flow has been slower than hoped for. SGS Canada is performing a battery of tests and will write a number of important reports, mostly about metallurgy. SGS is working with a 30-tonne bulk sample from Defense Metals' Wicheeda deposit.

However, the management team, board and advisors are as strong as ever, and select light REE prices are increasing. Increasing prices? That's strange. Lithium, cobalt, vanadium, gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, uraniumall down over the past month or longer. Marijuana (cannabis) prices are down as well! According to Mr. David Merriman of Roskill, "LREE projects have comparatively greater concentrations of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium and samarium, typically forming roughly 75%-99% of contained REEs in a deposit." Defense Metals has a LREE deposit with all five of those metals.

Defense Metals has two of just three or four rare earth metals that are absolutely critical to the global economy, and a few metals that are modestly to moderately important in enabling a growing middle class to continue moving to cities and buying their first smart phones and electric vehicles. The concentrations of Nd and Pr might seem low at well under 1%, but those metals trade at about US$70K/t. Compare that to ~US$35K/t for cobalt, ~US$18K/t for vanadium, ~US$12K/t for nickel and ~US$6K/t for copper.

One can't talk about China and the U.S. without discussing rare earth metals. If one talks about rare earth metals, the ones that come to mind are Nd, Pr and Dy. Earlier this year I asked Mr. Merriman about the dominance of select metals and, of course, China. He said:

"China leads in production of both mined rare earth products and refined rare earth compounds, with Chinese production accounting for 86% of global refined production in 2017. Rare earth production outside China is forecast to grow significantly through 2028 as numerous projects in Australia, Russia, the Americas and Africa come online. Demand for rare earth permanent magnets is forecast to show strong growth through 2028, which is expected to further distort rare earth demand ratios with Nd, Pr and Dy forming a greater proportion of total demand."

Management expects a lot more news flow in June than in April and May as SGS Canada completes additional metallurgical test work on the 1,780-hectare Wicheeda project bulk sample. The timing could hardly be better. If the company receives more positive news, a mini-pilot plant will be built to further advance and derisk a process flow sheet. Select head assay results for the 30-tonne bulk sample included 2.34% Ce oxide, 1.77% La oxide, 0.52% Nd oxide and 0.18% Pr oxide. Total LREO (light rare earth oxide) was 4.81%.

From a recent company press release:

"The results confirm, in conjunction with previous metallurgical head grades returned from smaller drill core samples, the presence of significant Pr values. . .The Company considers the results to have potential economic significance to the advancement of the Wicheeda Property given recent indicative LREE oxide prices and their potential impact on Wicheeda, which has been historically viewed as a cerium-lanthanum-neodymium deposit."

I look forward to news on this exciting LREE project. Wicheeda could be in small-scale commercial production relatively quickly, if the metallurgy is as good as management believes it might be. The project has much smaller upfront capex than many legacy projects around the world that are still on the drawing board. The reports and data from SGS should convey a tremendous amount of information about the potential feasibility of a mining operation. It's exciting times for REE & LREE juniors, especially so for Defense Metals Corp. shareholders.

Peter Epstein is the founder of Epstein Research. His background is in company and financial analysis. He holds an MBA degree in financial analysis from New York University's Stern School of Business.

Disclosures: The content of this article is for information only. Readers fully understand and agree that nothing contained herein, written by Peter Epstein of Epstein Research [ER], (together, [ER]) about Defense Metals Corp., including but not limited to, commentary, opinions, views, assumptions, reported facts, calculations, etc. is not to be considered implicit or explicit investment advice. Nothing contained herein is a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any security. [ER] is not responsible under any circumstances for investment actions taken by the reader. [ER] has never been, and is not currently, a registered or licensed financial advisor or broker/dealer, investment advisor, stockbroker, trader, money manager, compliance or legal officer, and does not perform market making activities. [ER] is not directly employed by any company, group, organization, party or person. The shares of Defense Metals Corp. are highly speculative, not suitable for all investors. Readers understand and agree that investments in small cap stocks can result in a 100% loss of invested funds. It is assumed and agreed upon by readers that they will consult with their own licensed or registered financial advisors before making any investment decisions.

At the time this article was posted, Peter Epstein owned shares of Defense Metals and it was an advertiser on [ER].

Readers understand and agree that they must conduct their own due diligence above and beyond reading this article. While the author believes hes diligent in screening out companies that, for any reasons whatsoever, are unattractive investment opportunities, he cannot guarantee that his efforts will (or have been) successful. [ER] is not responsible for any perceived, or actual, errors including, but not limited to, commentary, opinions, views, assumptions, reported facts & financial calculations, or for the completeness of this article or future content. [ER] is not expected or required to subsequently follow or cover events & news, or write about any particular company or topic. [ER] is not an expert in any company, industry sector or investment topic.

Streetwise Reports Disclosure:

1) Peter Epstein's disclosures are listed above.

2) The following companies mentioned in the article have a digital marketing program through Streetwise Reports: Defense Metals. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this interview, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Defense Metals, a company mentioned in this article.

Graphics provided by author.

More Info:

This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders

Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions.

More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com

Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp
Apple shares, which have fallen about 7% since the US made moves to curb Huawei Technologies earlier this month, have a near-term floor at $160, about 10% below price they were trading yesterday, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley.

We expect shares to remain choppy, analysts led by Katy Huberty wrote in a note.

Near term, the greatest risk to Apple is that Chinese consumers meaningfully slow their purchases of Apple products, which would likely cause another round of estimate cuts, she said.

The analysts estimate that the iPhone giant could see a 23% hit to fiscal 2020 earnings in a worst-case scenario of the US placing a blanket 25% tax on all Chinese imports.

A profit reduction of around 19% is, however, more likely, given that Apple may raise prices to mitigate the impact, they said.

Morgan Stanley doesnt expect China to formally ban iPhone sales, given that the devices are produced in the country.

Analysts have been seeking to quantify the potential impact that Chinese retaliation could have on the company, with Goldman Sachs last week estimating a 29% hit to earnings if China were to ban sales of Apples products, and brokerage Cowen saying that fiscal 2020 profit could fall 26% on an iPhone ban.

Morgan Stanley has reiterated its overweight recommendation on Apple though the analysts trimmed their price target to $231 from $240, citing peer multiple contraction.

However, Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan takes a different view.

Apples slump thus far this month could mean that risks from an escalating US trade war with China are already reflected in the stock, he said.

We view risks related to China tariffs as priced in, Mr Mohan wrote in a note to clients. He affirmed his buy rating and $230 price target, a view that implies upside of nearly 30%.

The firms positive stance stems from a stabilisation of iPhones, capital return programme, ramp in services and potential for new products, Mr Mohan said.

Shares of Apple rose as much as 1% in the latest session. The stock remains down about 16% from its May highs.

The recent pressure has come amid the Trump administrations blacklisting of Huawei Technologies.

Bloomberg
Failte Ireland plans to invest 150 million in developing major new visitor attractions of scale across the country.

The tourism agencys new Platforms for Growth initiative is designed to transform the tourism landscape across the country according to CEO Paul Kelly.

The programme of investment is Failte Irelands largest yet, and forms part of its Grants Scheme for Large Tourism Projects which runs up to 2022. Funded under the Governments Project Ireland 2040 strategy, it aims to drive sustainable growth in the tourism sector, and promote higher revenue and job creation around the country.

Major new visitor attractions of scale will be developed and existing attractions greatly enhanced through the plan, with individual grants of 2.5million upwards available.

Unlike any previous investment announced by Failte Ireland, it specifically targets platforms or projects that have the greatest potential to grow, and fill gaps in the Irish tourism offering in order to meet changing visitor preferences.

Through this approach, Platforms for Growth will pave the way for large-scale and transformative attractions that will become key motivators to visit an area, which, in turn, will step-change the economic value in areas through increased visitor numbers, revenue and job creation.

The first Platform launched this week will focus on developing Immersive Heritage and Cultural Attractions, capitalising on increasing visitor demand for more hands-on experiences which bring local culture and heritage to life. Failte Irelands CEO Paul Kelly stated: Driving growth in the regions through tourism is a core focus of our work at Failte Ireland and having top-class visitor attractions and experiences is an integral part of this, he said. We are currently working on over 50 large capital projects throughout Ireland that will significantly enhance the Irish tourism offering as they open in the coming four years.

Platforms for Growth builds on this work and takes a new approach to investment, as it will specifically seek out projects of scale that tap into exactly what overseas visitors are looking for. Creating a more regional spread of visitors is central to our capital investment strategy and through Platforms for Growth new attractions across the country will be developed and existing ones transformed.

Hidden Heartlands

In an associated tourism development, the latest region added to the Wild Atlantic Way and the Ancient East was unveiled earlier this week with an advertising campaign for Irelands Hidden Heartlands. Highlighting the Midlands region as the perfect place to take a short break, the 550,000 brand awareness campaign will run across television, radio, digital and outdoor formats around the tagline, Yours to Uncover.

Promoting the natural amenities offered by the Shannon, the Beara Breifne Way, Lough Oughter and Lough Key, as well as the regions woodlands and bogs, it offers visitors a different experience to the countrys already established coastal areas.

It is tapping into a growing tourism trend for soft activities by encouraging visitors to be active in nature and to explore the region by going off the beaten track, explains Paddy Mathews, head of operations Hidden Heartlands.

The brands appeal also very much lies in its offer for visitors to get away from the stresses and pressures of modern life and to experience the tranquillity of rural Ireland.

Over the coming weeks, through a domestic brand awareness campaign, Failte Ireland will be reinforcing the region as a key part in the Irish tourism offering. The Irish domestic holiday market is an important component of the tourism sector providing year around activity worth over 1.1bn.

Failte Irelands marketing division invested over 8m in developing and delivering media content to bolster the home holiday market in 2018 delivering 15 bespoke fully integrated campaigns promoting the four experience brands.

While this brand will need to evolve over time to realise its full potential, the area has some strong assets and Failte Ireland is working closely with key partners and communities across the region to begin developing the top-class visitor experiences that will be key to unlocking the success of Irelands Hidden Heartlands, Matthews added.

The two central spines of the region are the River Shannon and the Beara Breifne Way, and the tourism agency is focusing on developing these major assets to bring visitor experiences of scale to the region.
Only the 20 existing licensed medical marijuana cultivation facilities will be licensed to grow it initially. Next year, craft growers may apply for licenses to cultivate up to 5,000 square feet, with preference given to applicants from minority areas disproportionately affected by the war on drugs, such as the South and West sides of Chicago. Medical marijuana dispensaries and new retail stores will be licensed to sell it. Medical cannabis patients will be allowed to grow up to five plants each at home.
Investment in maritime area wind energy projects is being held back by the lack of clarity around the time it takes to assess planning applications.

Liam Curran, senior technologist, water, wastewater and marine technologies, Enterprise Ireland, says the sector is hoping that the Maritime Area Foreshore Amendment (MAFA) Bill will progress quickly to become legislation.

At present, potential investors have no idea how long theyll be waiting for an answer. Meanwhile, the UK is driving on with its goal to produce 30GW of maritime wind energy by 2030. The global wind turbine market is set to be worth more than 45bn by 2022.

The Our Ocean Wealth Summit at Cork City Hall on Monday and Tuesday, June 9 and 10, will look at the actions required for Ireland to harness to the huge energy potential of its surrounding waters. Fast-tracking the MAFA Bill would be a useful first step.

We need to give potential investors some clarity and certainty around the permitting processes, said Liam Curran. This industry is all about reducing the risks. We hope to get the permitting issue resolved as quickly as possible. Right now, an investor has no obvious end horizon in their line of sight as to when their application will be accepted or rejected.

Of course, the uncertainty around price is also a big issue for the sector. We also need to work on the weak grid connection along the West Coast. The East Coast grid connection is a bit better, which is good as its close to the biggest power users in Dublin, but the eventual export potential of West Coast offshore energy is where the really big opportunity lies.

Ireland does have four wind energy projects in the Irish Sea, nearshore wind turbines bolted to the sea floor. While the far bigger floating offshore turbines are, as yet, in a development phase, the global industry is keenly aware of the ideal conditions on Irelands west coast.

In March, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) was given approval for a 31m pilot project deploying a floating wind turbine off the coast near Belmullet, Co Mayo. This pilot sees Ireland dipping a significant toe into a sector in which some of the worlds biggest engineering companies are racing to develop a supply chain.

Enterprise Irelands long-term interest in the sector is fairly clear. Creating long-term, high-quality employment along the coast would sustain rural communities for generations hence.

While aligning itself to the ultimate dream of Ireland Inc being a leading player when the worlds offshore energy sector takes off in earnest, it is also following the pragmatic policy of aligning Irish companies with the UKs ambitions for the sector.

There is huge interest within the UKs industry in Irish offshore capability. We really want Irish companies to connect with the sector in the UK, said Liam Curran.

What we have done in our London office is to set up mentoring for people to help them in meeting up with companies in the UK.

Naturally, the potential for the sector dovetails nicely with Enterprise Irelands commitments to rural development, creating quality employment in rural communities.

I was in Wick in Scotland, where the Beatrice offshore will have 90 full-time quality jobs once its completed. Its a town the size of Bantry, where youd find it hard to attract big multinationals to set up.

The sector currently employs 11,000 people in the UK, half and half directly and indirectly. The UK also seems deeply committed to its 30GW by 2030 ambition for the sector, especially given its decision not to go ahead with planned new nuclear plants.

Another significant plus with offshore wind energy is the fact that the turbines are miles out to sea, far from view and thus at a remove from potential landowner objections. And, of course, as a totally renewable energy source, it ticks every box in terms of reducing the nations carbon footprint.

Irelands development of offshore wind energy is the only realistic way that we can deliver on our climate change strategy, said Mr Curran. The financial case for Ireland to harness the energy potential of the sea is compelling. Unlike a conventional power plant, you dont pay for the fuel. It really is an endless natural resource.

Meanwhile, at the Our Ocean Wealth Summit in Cork City Hall, 22 Irish companies will showcase their wares in to a mix of nearshore and offshore industry buyers from the UK, from Norway, France and the Middle East. Among those companies will be 8 West Consulting and ARQ Assist Solutions, both of which are also featured here.
Italys deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini has told his party he wants to keep its fractious coalition government going, but is ready to see it collapse if he cannot push through his flat tax plans and other priority measures.

Two people present at a closed-door meeting in Rome said that Mr Salvini told lawmakers from the rightist League that his alliance with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement could last another four years or it could be over within three months.

Mr Salvini has the upper hand in the coalition following the Leagues victory in Sundays European elections.

The pact depends on his coalition partners agreeing to League policy demands, Mr Salvini insisted, and on Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio keeping internal dissent in check following his disastrous result on Sunday, according to the sources.

Five Star members are voting online on whether to confirm Mr Di Maio as their leader.

Mr Salvini told reporters that either Five Star is committed to implementing the government programme  and the part related to infrastructure in particular  or the ruling coalition cant last.

However, he also said he doesnt see the possibility of early elections in September, saying in September, we prepare a budget, Ansa news agency reported.

The spread between benchmark Italian 10-year debt and similar-maturity German paper tightened 1 basis point to 281 points.

Italys 10-year yield fell one basis point to 2.64%.

Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio

Mr Di Maio saw his partys support halved in the European ballot compared with the 32% he scored in winning last years general election.

The result left the Five Star leader fighting for survival and called the viability of the coalition into question.

The alliance is creaking just as the European Commission starts to up the pressure over Italys increasing debt load.

The commission is heading down a disciplinary track that could end in financial penalties, setting Rome and Brussels on course for a rerun of the budget clash that roiled markets last year.

Early elections could also disrupt the budget process.

Spending plans have to be submitted to both the commission and the Italian parliament in October and lawmakers have to back the bill by year-end.

If a government crisis prompts President Sergio Mattarella to dissolve parliament in mid-July, elections could be held in late September.

Any protracted talks on forming a government would eat into the time available for the budget.

Bloomberg
Global shares and the price of oil slumped, as President Donald Trump shocked markets by opening a new front in his world trade wars by setting a tariff demand on Mexico.

Shares had shown signs earlier this week of staging some sort of recovery from last weeks escalation in the US-China trade war but the presidents latest tweeted threat on the $350bn (314bn) the US imports from Mexico means the relief has been short-lived.

Most exposed were the shares of global carmakers because Mexico is a key link in the global supply and build chain for global cars.

With imports from Mexico worth $350bn annually, a 25% tariff could raise $90bn in customs duties and increase domestic prices by at least 0.4%, with the motor vehicles and electronics sectors most exposed, said Andrew Hunter, senior US economist at Capital Economics.

President Trumps tariffs pose a growing threat to the US economic outlook, he wrote, saying that the US Congress could still thwart the White Houses latest attack on its important southern trading partner but we initially made similar assumptions in the dispute with China, so we would be wary of dismissing the risks this time around.

Joshua Mahony, senior market analyst at online broker IG, said President Trump had doubled down on his market defeating actions by announcing a new bout of tariffs on Mexican goods, sending the Dow into a new four-year low. Brent crude dropped $1.89 to $64.98 a barrel.

European markets were also hit, with the Ftse-100 and the Euro Stoxx 50 shedding around 1%. On the Iseq, Ryanair shares dropped by 4% and CRH fell 1.5%.

From Mazda in Japan to Volkswagen in Germany to GM in the US, carmaker stocks took a hit.

The move could hit a number of global companies, with the auto industry looking particularly vulnerable, along with aerospace suppliers, and electronics firms.

With autos and autocar parts making up more than a quarter of the $352bn worth of imports from Mexico, it is no surprise we have seen substantial losses for the likes of GM, Fiat Chrysler, and Ford, Mr Mahony said.

For years carmakers have built vehicles in Mexico, taking advantage of its cheap labor, trade deals and proximity to the United States, the worlds largest auto market after China.

This being escalated at a time when the China situation is not still resolved shows that Trump views tariffs as a weapon he can use without damage to the US economy. Thats worrying and sends a bad signal for the outlook for global trade overall, said Jon Harrison, a senior macro strategist at TS Lombard.

- Additional reporting Reuters
Global airlines are meeting under a storm pattern of trade tensions, rising oil prices and a two-month-old grounding of the Boeing Co 737 Max jetliner  threatening to put a halt to five years of strong profits in the cut-throat air travel industry.

The industrys bosses converge on Seoul for a summit this weekend, but what might have been a celebration of growth in one of the worlds most vibrant regions now risks being thrown off course by a crippling US-China trade spat and growing environmental pressures spreading from Europe.

The last six months have been pretty tough for airlines, the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said ahead of the annual meeting of the body, which groups 290 airlines representing over 80% of air travel.

Rising costs, trade wars, and other uncertainties are likely to have an impact on the bottom line, IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac added.

The June 1-3 summit is a chance to examine passenger and cargo trends: Key barometers of consumer confidence and trade amid a faltering global economy.

IATAs most recent projection for 32bn in industry profits this year now looks unsustainable due to the falling cargo market and weaker passenger growth, and Mr de Juniac has given a strong steer that the group would trim the forecast at the upcoming Seoul meeting.

The cargo slump, with volumes down 3.7% in April including a 7.4% fall in the Asia-Pacific, is a concern for big freight carriers like Cathay Pacific and the summit host Korean Air Lines.

We have really since the end of last year seen quite a deterioration of cross-border trade following the earlier round of tariff increases, IATA chief economist Brian Pearce said.

The meeting of some 200 CEOs is the largest gathering since the industry was plunged into crisis over the grounding of the 737 Max in March following two crashes.

IATA members have invested hundreds of billions in the Max and are anxious to contain any public or regulatory backlash.

Aviation leaders maintain flying remains remarkably safe relative to other forms of transport.

But the decision by China, the EU and others to ground the Max before the US opened an unusual split in the regulatory system, worrying airlines and planemakers.

IATA, which is taking an increasingly central role in the crisis by hosting talks of Max customers, believes the aircraft could return to service in August.

But that is too late to prevent disruption to summer schedules.

Reuters
A 1bn subsea power cable linking Ireland to France will help drive down electricity prices for Irish consumers, government leaders said today as they signed an application for some 600m in European grant aid for the project.

Tanaiste Simon Coveney said the Celtic Interconnector, which will be able to import and export up to 700MW of electricity - enough to power around 450,000 homes - will allow Ireland to buy and import cheaper electricity from France and, in due course, export Irish-produced renewable energy to Europe.

It will be Irelands first direct electricity link to continental Europe.

From an energy security point of view, from a price and competition point of view, and from a renewables perspective, this is a big story for Ireland, he said.

He was speaking at the formal signing of the joint grant application by Irelands electricity grid operator, EirGrid, and its French counterpart, Reseau de Transport dElectricite, (RTE) for its Celtic Interconnector project in Midleton, East Cork.

The cable is due to make landfall at one of three locations east of the town.

The application was signed by Mark Foley, chief executive of EirGrid, and Francois Brottes, chairman of the executive board of RTE, at a ceremony attended by Richard Bruton, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, and Frances Minister for Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Francois de Rugy.

Minister Bruton described it as a crucial project in the context of Irelands plan to respond to climate change.

Not only is it important for the security of our energy supply in the years to come, but it will enable us to reach our ambitious renewable electricity target of 70% by 2030, greatly reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, he said.

This signing follows a similar event in Brussels on Tuesday with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Frances President Emmanuel Macron where they signed a letter offering their respective governments support for the project.

Since 2011, EirGrid and RTE have completed several feasibility studies on the interconnector, which will run from the Brittany coast, close to the city of Brest, and land in East Cork.

EirGrid is currently running an eight-week public consultation on the three possible landfall sites, at Ballinwilling Strand in Ballycotton Bay, and at Claycastle Beach and Redbarn Beach, south of Youghal.

It is also seeking feedback on the shortlist of six possible zones north-west of Midleton for a converter station, which will be required to convert the electricity between DC and AC.

The companies will spend next year working through the planning process, with construction of the cable due to take place from 2022 to 2026.
The garda dog Laser found a woman hiding in the attic of a growhouse in Clare today where almost 900,000 worth of cannabis plants have been discovered.

Gardai mounted a search today, as part of an intelligence-led operation, at a premises at Tinarana in Killaloe.
A Garda negotiator, backed by an armed intervention unit, secured the peaceful surrender of a man, armed with a knife, who had barricaded himself into his home with three children.

The events, which took place more than a month ago, are detailed in the most recent report by the Garda Commissioner to the Policing Authority.

On April 8 last, gardai attached to the Kilkenny Division responded to call, where a female reported that her partner had come home intoxicated and that a heated argument had ensued.

The woman said she was in fear for herself and her three young children.

The report said that when gardai arrived the male had become aggressive, had armed himself with a large kitchen knife and made threats to stab the gardai.

The report said the female and the gardai withdrew, at which point the man barricaded himself inside with the three young children.

The Armed Support Unit and a garda negotiator were sought.

Following their arrival and a short period of negotiation, the male surrendered himself, the report said.

The monthly report for May details other Garda operations:

The arrest of a number of people in Mullingar following an investigation into the activities of a Nigerian Organised Crime Gang suspected of human trafficking and forced prostitution;

Responding to a call regarding a vehicle being driven in a suspicious manner, a garda patrol in Cavan stopped the vehicle and, on searching it, discovered bolt-cutters, gloves, headlamps and a dog silencer (a device that uses a high-pitched sound to stop a dog barking). The four occupants were arrested, charged and pleaded guilty

In the report, Deputy Commissioner John Twomey said that more than 5,000 people applied to join the organisation in the latest recruitment campaign.

He said this is in a very competitive labour market and said the scale of applications reflects the trust the community has in the Gardai and the positive contribution it makes to society.

The monthly report said 3.6m more than budgeted for was spent on pay for the month of April.

It said that expenditure for the year to date is 30.7m, which is 2.1m in excess of the profiled budget.

A further 400,000 was also spent on overtime in the Garda College.

The report said the extra overtime was due to a number of events.

It said the budget holders are actively implementing corrective measures to ensure overtime is brought back over the coming months.

This will coincide with the visit next Tuesday and Wednesday of US President Donald Trump, which will involve compulsory overtime.

Since his appointment, last September, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said the overtime bill had to be brought into line.

The report said budgetary constraints would significantly impact the delivery of the Garda building and refurbishment programme and the force's ability to provide suitable accommodation to cater for the expansion of garda numbers.
Update 2.28pm: Gardai have released new information in their appeal to help locate Gerard Taylor.

Mr Taylor, 55, was last seen on May 25 in Dublin.

Gardai say he was captured on CCTV footage boarding the Luas at Stillorgan at 7.30am.

He was last seen leaving the Milltown Luas Station at 8.05am, walking in the direction of Richmond Avenue South.

He is described as being approximately 6ft tall with a medium build, grey hair and blue eyes.

When last seen he was wearing a navy blue jacket with a hood, green trousers, and a navy blue cap.

Any information on Mr Taylor's whereabouts should be reported to Dundrum Garda Station on 01 666 5600 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

Earlier: Gardai have a renewed an appeal for help in locating a missing 55-year-old from Dublin.

Gerard Taylor was last seen when he left his home in Sandyford at around 9am on Saturday, May 25.

He is described as being approximately 6ft tall with a medium build, grey hair and blue eyes.

When last seen he was wearing a navy blue jacket with a hood, green trousers, and a navy blue cap.

Any information on Gerard's whereabouts should be reported to Dundrum Garda Station on 01 666 5600 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
A European arrest warrant is expected to be issued in the coming months for Ian Bailey following his conviction for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier yesterday in Paris. Bailey was found guilty of the murder of Ms du Plantier following five hours of deliberation by the three-judge court.

He was sentenced to 25 years in prison and a warrant for his arrest was issued by Judge Frederique Aline. In a ruling that took 35 minutes to read out at the Cour dAssises, Judge Aline cited different strands of evidence that collectively went to the guilty verdict.

These included evidence that Bailey had scratches on his hands on December 23, 1996  the day Ms du Plantiers body was found  but none the previous day; allegations from a number of people that he admitted killing Ms du Plantier; an eyewitness account by Maria Farrell that she saw Bailey in the early hours of December 23 not far from Ms du Plantiers home; evidence that he had known Ms du Plantier prior to the murder despite always claiming he did not; and a psychological profile presented to the court that concluded that Bailey had a borderline personality.

An aerial picture taken yesterday of the holiday home near Toormore, Schull, Co Cork, where Ms du Plantier was murdered. Picture: Dan Linehan

Ms du Plantiers family, including her only child, Pierre Louis Baudey Vignaud, hugged each other after the verdict was issued. The trial was the culmination of an 11-year campaign by the family and an association of friends to find out the truth about Ms du Plantiers death.

That man killed my mother 22 years ago and this was the first trial that concentrated on the facts in either France or Ireland, Mr Baudey Vignaud told the Irish Examiner. So now we turn to the next step and it is clear that, one day, Ian Bailey who killed my mother will go to jail.

Bailey has always denied any involvement in Ms du Plantiers death and the DPP has repeatedly ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge him with the crime. Mr Baileys solicitor, Frank Buttimer, last night called the verdict a grotesque miscarriage of justice.

It is a shameful episode in Irish criminal justice that we have allowed this to happen, said Mr Buttimer. The Department of Justice has questions to answer about how it could have abandoned our criminal justice system. For Mr Bailey personally, but the bigger picture is its an abandonment of our independence to a foreign power in this regard.

Mr Baudey Vignaud said he is confident Bailey will be extradited to France. He said:

Of course France will succeed in extradition. And I think Irish justice will see to that for sure, we are brothers, Ireland and France.

Two previous attempts to extradite Bailey were rejected by the High Court and the Supreme Court. Now, however, the basis for extradition may be different as Bailey is subject of a murder conviction in France.

The four-day trial heard from a number of French witnesses, largely about Ms du Plantier, but also from two French investigators who had travelled to Ireland. It also heard from two Irish-based witnesses  but another dozen failed to respond to requests to travel for the trial.

Most of the evidence consisted of statements originally given to the gardai in the months after the killing. The trial also included the opinion of French investigators and a psychological report of Mr Bailey compiled from diaries and interviews he gave but did not include any meeting with the subject.

Bailey says hes been in a John Wayne state of mind

Ian Bailey said he was staying calm ahead of the guilty verdict at a trial in France yesterday afternoon. In a video interview in Bantry yesterday morning with Irish Examiner photographer Dan Linehan, Mr Bailey said he has a lot of support.

Im in good company and I have got a lot of support and I am staying calm in the eye of the hurricane, he said. Speaking to a member of the public about his poetry book, Mr Bailey said he is working on a second collection called Im in a John Wayne State of Mind.

He said: Im trying to have that out  if Im at liberty and can do it  by maybe the Bantry Literary Festival. The West Cork Literary Festival takes place in Bantry from Friday, July 12, to Friday, July 19.

Asked if he has been in a John Wayne state of mind over the trial in France, Mr Bailey replied:

You bet I have been.

When asked further about the trial, Mr Bailey said: I cant really say too much. Mr Bailey said that he has not had any thoughts on the trial and is under strict instructions to say nothing other than I remain calm in the eye of the hurricane.

The 62-year-old was tried in absentia in France for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork.

He denies the charge. Ms Toscan du Plantier was killed outside Schull two days before Christmas in 1996.

She was the wife of famous director Daniel Toscan du Plantier, and the case is one of the countrys most famous unsolved murders. Mr Bailey has branded the case in France a show trial.
The dogs  varying in age and breed  arrived at PAWS Chicagos medical center in the Little Village neighborhood after making a 15-hour trip by car from Oklahoma with volunteers from the organization. In the past week, Oklahoma experienced two tornadoes  one near Oklahoma City and another in a suburb of Tulsa  and flooding in Muskogee County caused the evacuations of more than 2,400 people, The Associated Press reported.
A man had to call gardai to his home in the afternoon because his friend had become drunk and aggressive and was refusing to leave. Sergeant Eamon Feehan gave evidence yesterday at Cork Circuit Appeals Court where Roy Miller of 3 Peacock Row, North Monastery Road, Cork, appealed the severity of a three-month jail sentence.

Judge Brian OCallaghan said Millers action was appalling in that he kicked out aggressively at a guard. The judge said that far from being severe, the three-month jail term imposed at Cork District Court was lenient. Judge OCallaghan struck out the appeal.
Three Munster-based acute public hospitals were worst affected by overcrowding in May, it has emerged.

University Hospital Limerick had the highest number with 1,102 admitted patients on trolleys waiting for a hospital bed.

Cork University Hospital had 824 patients waiting and South Tipperary General Hospital had 661.

Throughout the month 9,015 admitted patients were on trolleys, according to the latest monthly analysis by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

Among the patients having to wait for a bed were 78 children.

The number of trolley waiters has increased by 114% since May 2006 when the INMO started compiling the figures.

INMO general secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, said the latest monthly figure is a cause for concern.

We are entering the milder summer months when predictable seasonal illnesses are lower yet the level of overcrowding is worsening, she said.

Ms Ni Sheaghdha said overcrowding in May this year is now at the same level as January five years ago.

Clearly this is a capacity deficit and requires immediate investment in additional hospital beds, she said.

Meanwhile, around 500 ambulance personnel who are members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association are staging a 24-hour strike over the right to be represented by the PNA as their union of choice.

The strike involves paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians. The union has warned of more 24-hour strikes in the coming weeks.

The National Ambulance Services (NAS) was managing the situation despite the challenges, the HSE said.

Managers who are qualified paramedics were carrying out front-line duties and the Department of Defence made a number of crewed ambulances available.

The HSE said ambulance personnel are already well represented by three trade unions.

"Recognising break-away unions has a destabilising effect on good industrial relations," the health authority said.
A judge has said it was not acceptable for the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to recover dole fraud money from childrens allowance payments.

Jelena Curlukova, aged 46, with an address at Finnstown Shopping Centre, Lucan, Dublin, was accused of of making a statement that she met the condition for getting the Jobseekers Allowance application when in fact her husband was self-employed.

Judge Anthony Halpin was told at Dublin District Court that the woman got 6,834 and following the repayments she made so far some 4854 was outstanding. The repayments were deducted from her child benefit payments.

However, Judge Halpin told prosecution solicitors he had a difficulty with the Department of Employment and Social Affairs accepting repayments out of child benefit and he felt it was unacceptable.

That money was for the benefit of children who could end up being deprived, he said.

Deducting it from children meant they were going to suffer and he could not stand over it, he said. He also cited changes to the Constitution from the childrens rights referendum.

The case was adjourned until November for a plea and mitigation.

The charge was under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act.

In the district court the offence can result in a fine of up to 2,500 and a possible six-month sentence in addition to having to repay the social welfare authorities.

The court can only consider leaving defendants guilty of benefit fraud without a criminal record if all the money has been repaid.

The social welfare authorities also have a mechanism to continue to recoup owed money even after a case has been finalised.
Parents in Meath are petitioning their only second-level feeder school to postpone their iPad teaching policy for this year's incoming first years until a thorough review is carried out.

The parents of students at Ratoath College say they are concerned that the policy of replacing textbooks with iPads for the junior cycle is harming their children's education and their health.

They also estimate that since the policy was adopted in 2014, parents have spent close to one million euro on iPads for their children, which they say can only be bought and serviced through one designated provider.

After a meeting last night, parents have decided to start a petition to bring back textbooks for the junior cycle until further research is carried out into the effects screen learning has on students.

Parent and former teacher and inspector with the Department of Education and Skills Nicola Kearns says she has repeatedly raised her concerns to the school.

"I will have three children in Ratoath College come September but I am hugely concerned that students have to condition themselves to learn through iPads until Junior Certificate and then have to almost relearn how to use and reference text books again for Leaving Certificate years," she said.

"The latest scientific reports such as the Stavenger Declaration concludes that students don't interact with text in the same way when reading on screens as they do with printed books.

"They tend to skim-read longer pieces of text when using digital devices and so don't actually absorb as much information as they think. New findings also suggest that they are less likely to be able to really engage with the text and take notes to help comprehension.

I believe we are going to see some real learning issues, especially when they try to return to textbooks and find they can't organise themselves to use paper to take notes or recall information.



I really feel that technology has a place in the classroom and it can enhance learning and teaching, but only when used selectively to complement traditional teaching methods and in line with the school's digital plan.

She also raised other health and safety issues including eyestrain, screen addiction and security breaches.

She said the school has told parents that it will convene a working group to report back by next December.

"This isn't good enough. We want is our concerns to be listened to and the iPad policy to be suspended immediately for this year's first years until the proposed consultation process is concluded and a new policy is agreed.

"Parents of second and third year students, who have already purchased the devices, want the option of having a set of physical textbooks made available on a Book Rental basis for anyone whho wishes to access printed material as part of their learning and exam preparation."

As the debate surrounding the use of iPads in schools continues, the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) has encouraged parents to be aware of their own attachment to technology.

IACP Member Olive Cross, says, parents should be mindful to put down their own phones when greeting their children, or during family social time - overuse of phones by young people is modelled by the behaviour of adults.

It also urged parents to increase their awareness of the "unintended consequences of technology on the mental health of their children and their families".

It said: "Although technology is an integral part of children, and young people's, everyday life, it should be strictly monitored by guardians, especially in relation to age-appropriate content, cyber-bullying and time limit."
A young man from Berrings, Co Cork, had sentencing in his case adjourned yesterday until July 3 in a case where he was caught with three different types of drugs with a street value totalling 42,000.

Altan OConnell, aged 20, with an address at An Cusan Derry, Berrings, Co Cork, was in the sentencing list at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday, but the judge dealing with the case was not available, so the case was put back for a month.
Irish shark experts have called on newly elected MEPs to outlaw the growing shark fin fishery in European waters, following a fine imposed on a Spanish fishing vessel detained off the Irish coast.

The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has confirmed that the fine of 2,500 and forfeiture of catch and gear worth 165,000 was imposed on the Spanish vessel Virxen da Blanca, following a guilty plea in Cork circuit court on May 23.

The vessel had pleaded guilty to catches of blue shark with a small quantity of mako shark on board after it was detained by the Naval Service about 150 nautical miles south of Ireland last August.

A special sitting of Clonakilty district court last year also heard the vessel had 1,250kg of shark fins on board. The vessel was supposedly fishing for tuna.

Shark fins can fetch a high price in Asia, where they are used in sharkfin soup. The fins are often removed while the shark is still alive and it can then no longer swim effectively and either suffocates or is eaten by other predators.

Sharks, rays, and skates are the most threatened type of fish in Europe, and several species of shark caught in Irish waters are on the red list of endangered species issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Kevin Flannery of the Irish Elasmobranch Group said a loophole in the licensing of the tuna longline fishery was allowing a by-catch of shark off this coast.

The fine imposed on the Virxen da Blanca represented just 50 cents for each dead shark, given that the vessel had an estimated 5,000 on board, he said.

We congratulate the Naval Service and SFPA and welcome the guilty plea, but we are calling on newly elected MEPs to close off this legal loophole and stop this barbaric practice, he said.

We know of nine non-Irish vessels working off this coast, targeting blue shark in particular, and using a loophole in the tuna longline fishery.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Michael Creed recently said he was in favour of a considerably lower permitted by-catch of certain shark species.

He was responding to a case made by the IEG for action on critically endangered species, such as angel shark.

SFPA chairwoman Susan Steele said the SFPA was committed to preventing illegal shark fishing, and said it had zero tolerance for vessels removing fins from sharks in our waters.

Luckily this infringement was detected, and we will continue to work with authorities across Europe to deter and detect any future illegal shark fishing violations, said Dr Steeled.

She paid tribute to the inter-agency co-operation between the naval service, gardai, and SFPA which led to the Spanish vessels detention last year.
A 79-year-old woman visiting her dying brother was attacked and robbed outside her own home, sustaining injuries that have deprived her of her independence.

Marie Bullman was hospitalised for two months for injuries to her neck and fractures to ribs and pelvis and was unable to attend her brothers funeral after the attack.

Detective Garda Alan Johnson read her victim impact statement at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday as Jonathan Duggan was sentenced to 14 years for several crimes, including 11 years for this robbery at Gurranabraher, Cork, on October 22, 2018.

I was dropped to my home at 6.30pm and walked up the path to the door, Ms Bullman recalled.

I was putting my key in the door when all I hear was two footsteps behind me and someone grabbing my bag and pulling it with one hand while grabbed me by the neck and shoulder and pushed me to the ground.

I attempted to grab the window sill on my way down but I couldnt. I couldnt get up with the pain and began shouting for help.

"Two men passing by ran to help me up off the ground and my neighbour called the ambulance and the gardai.

I spent two months in hospital. My injuries included four fractures to my pelvis. I had to learn how to walk again.

I also had three broken ribs which were painful and affected by movement and breathing.

"My vocal cords and airway were damaged from the fall and due to deteriorating health.

I had to undergo an operation to have a tracheotomy tube inserted into my neck so I could breathe properly again.

"I have this permanently now and it has severely affected my quality of life.

I am now dependent on my family as I cannot manage my needs on my own. This attack has taken my independence and that cannot be forgiven.

Due to my hospital stay, I missed my brothers funeral. He died two days after my attack. I also missed my grandsons wedding two weeks after that.

My attack has cost me financially, emotionally and has cost me my good health.

I have had to leave my home to live with my daughter and her family.

I no longer see my friends and neighbours. I used to go to bingo weekly and go out socially but I can no longer do this.

Judge Brian OCallaghan said that Duggans plea of guilty to the offences had spared the victim coming to court to give evidence.

Jonathan Duggan, of Ballinderry Park, Mayfield, Cork, who already had 31 previous convictions for theft alone, pleaded guilty to robbing Ms Bullman of her handbag and its contents including a Samsung phone worth 300 as well as her purse containing 300 in cash on October 22, 2018.

Duggans other offences included the theft of a handbag containing 800 in cash, a hearing aid worth 3,000, a Samsung phone worth 300, car keys worth 300 and house keys worth 100 belonging to a woman at Delias Kitchen on Careys Lane in Cork on September 27, 2018.

Commenting on the theft of that property, the judge said one could imagine how the owner felt about your dirty hands in her handbag fiddling around in her personal items.
A former self-described Zen failure, psychiatrist Dr Brendan Kelly resolved to meditate for 15 minutes every day. He shares the results of clearing the mind and gaining focus

I am a recidivist meditator. In late 2016, I realised that I had attended sporadic meditation classes over many years, joined contemplative groups, undertaken courses, visited the occasional retreat centre and  like many people  bought a small mountain of books about meditation, mindfulness and Buddhism. Id even read some of these books and profited to a certain extent from their wisdom. In early 2016, I made a trip to Bangalore in India, spending much of my time happily lost in Hindu temples.

And yet meditation had never taken root in my life. I had always lacked the discipline to establish a daily meditation practice despite an oddly enduring belief that this would be a good thing to do: to reduce stress, maintain calmness, and increase happiness.

Meditation seemed like a no-brainer and yet I conspicuously failed to do it  just like going to the gym. I was a Zen failure.

There is much evidence to support my belief in meditation. As a psychiatrist, a medical doctor who treats people with mental illness and psychological problems, I am only too aware of the usefulness of mindfulness in preventing relapse in depression and assisting with day-to-day issues like unhappiness, stress and anxiety. I am also mindful (as it were) of the commodification and oversimplification of mindfulness  McMindfulness.

I know full well that peoples problems are rarely so straightforward that any single technique, such as mindfulness or meditation, can offer all the answers. But they can offer some of the answers and they help many people live calmer, happier and more fulfilled lives.

And so, despite my remarkably consistent failure to meditate in the past, despite my realistic attitude to what meditation can achieve, and despite the many other matters clamouring for my attention, I resolved to meditate for 15 minutes every day in 2017. Over the course of the year, I kept a diary of my successes and failures, and that journal became my new book, The Doctor Who Sat For A Year (Gill).

So, how did it go? Starting to meditate is not easy. It can be difficult to find the time and decide how to sit, where to sit, and how long to persist on a given day, before stopping and resolving to try again tomorrow. Luckily for me, I am a habitual early-riser, so it was not too difficult to set aside 15 minutes each day to meditate.

My real problems began when I sat to meditate and tried to clear my mind of thoughts. Whenever I tried to do this, hundreds of thoughts came rushing into my head at high speed. These intrusive thoughts were very varied and included predictable concerns (will I be late for work? where are the car keys?), less predictable thoughts (where will we go on holiday this year? ), semi-random musings (should I get a new bicycle this year or next year?) and then entirely random thoughts (why do birds spend so much time singing? Are they really singing? Maybe theyre chatting).

I soon decided the key was not to get too worried about the thoughts that drifted into my head, but rather to let them drift around a bit until they faded away themselves. In other words, it was best not to actively push the thoughts away, but rather decide not to engage, resist distraction and let my mind settle at its own pace, in its own way. This cannot be rushed, so I tried to mentally stand back and simply let it happen.

I found this especially difficult when I thought of something that was genuinely important as I tried to clear my mind to meditate. I still needed to let that thought pass without engaging with it, no matter how important it seemed at the time. This was challenging but, with persistence, I became better at it as time went past.

One of the great rewards of meditation is the rhythm of putting 15 minutes to one side every day. It takes at least three months to establish a new habit, but once youve established a meditation routine, it greatly increases your sense of mastery over your time. I found this aspect of my project especially useful in other areas of my life, particularly at work.

What else did I learn? Mid-way through my year of meditating, I noticed that I had become more generally reflective, as evidenced by enhanced awareness of my state of mind at any given moment (and how quickly it changed). My concentration and attentiveness also improved. Better attention was especially useful for me as a psychiatrist because I need to listen to peoples stories with particular care and focus every single day.

I also found that meditation helped me rediscover the quietude and concentration required to read more widely, especially fiction, which I had drifted away from over a number of years. This was an especially positive result of my meditation efforts as I began to read more novels and travel books as the year went past.

The other lesson I learned during the year has to do with the skill that lies at the very heart of meditation: dealing with distracting thoughts. This is now a huge issue in a world of constant social media and infinite information at our fingertips.

The mental skills that meditation teaches help to better regulate this flow of inputs and to better control the mind, reducing the likelihood of worries or thoughts popping into your head just as you are trying to meditate, to read or to talk to someone else. Meditation clears the mind.

Of course, once distracting thoughts appear, letting them fade away is not always easy.

But meditation teaches that good mental habits can greatly improve our focus, increase our self-awareness and, ultimately, increase our happiness by living in the moment.

In the end, that is the most important thing. The present moment is all we have. We need to live in it.

Brendan Kelly is professor of psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin and author of The Doctor Who Sat For A Year (Gill)

Distracted meditators top tips

Start gently, but do start

Starting to meditate requires a decision to reduce distractions and focus on clearing your mind.

The best strategy is to put your phone out of earshot, maybe in the boot of the car.

Do not be too ambitious. To begin, aim for 10 minutes meditation per day.

Find a meditation spot

Sit comfortably in a relatively quiet spot.

Dont worry about sitting cross-legged. It is often just too painful. Sit in a solid position, spine relatively straight, both feet on the floor.

Sitting on a kitchen chair or office chair, with your hands on your lap, is a good, simple way to start.

Start each meditation sit with a simple exercise

Focus your mind on the top of your head and what it is feeling right now: hot, cold, tired, heavy, calm. Then work your way down your body with your mind, focusing on your neck, your chest, your arms and so forth, until your focused awareness finally reaches your toes.

Feel each part of your body with your mind, not seeking to change anything but simply noting how your body feels right now, in this place, at this time.

Try to let your mind become clear

Do not be surprised or disappointed when distracting thoughts come into your head as you sit to meditate. Just let them drift past.

This is the very heart of meditation: trying to resist distraction; failing; trying again. Just keep going.

Be compassionate towards yourself

Meditation should not be something you dread. Dont worry if your mind remains cluttered when you try to meditate.

Dont worry if you miss a day. Just try again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.

You will get there in the end.
The single biggest tactical development in the Premier League over the last five years is the rise of full-backs as creators.

In 2013/14, Aleksandar Kolarov was the highest provider of assists from full-back, with seven. That total was bettered by ten players, and no full-back outside of Manchester City provided more than four.

Liverpools flying full-backs have helped changed all that. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson contributed 23 league assists between them this season.

No longer is central midfield a rich source of chance creation; its all about the overlapping wide players.

Assuming Mauricio Pochettino selects Danny Rose and Kieran Trippier, Tottenham have their own pair of attacking full-backs.

But while Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have proven their capability to surge forward without being caught out of position in their own third, doubts remain about Trippiers ability to do the same.

It is instructive that he has been dropped for Alexander-Arnold in Gareth Southgates latest England squad.

So does Pochettino tell his two full-backs to proactively push high and try and pin Alexander-Arnold and Robertson back, a risky strategy if they get it wrong, or sit back and invite pressure in the hope of standing firm and picking off Liverpool on the counter?

What is Tottenhams defensive plan?

One of Pochettinos greatest strengths is his tactical flexibility. We can be certain that Jurgen Klopp will pick a 4-3-3, but that certainty is absent with Tottenham.

In the Premier League alone this season, Spurs started with a 4-3-1-2, 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3, 3-5-2 and 5-3-2. They have the option to play with wing-backs and three central defenders or a flat back four.

The former would seem the most likely. Pochettino has picked a three-man central defence for Spurs last three games against Big Six sides (Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal) having lost 2-0 to Chelsea with a back four in February, and it covers for his lack of central midfield options.

Despite losing 2-1 at Anfield on March 31, Tottenham restricted Liverpool to three shots on target. Only once in a home league game last season did Klopps team have fewer.

Pochettino would take a repeat, and hope to avoid the defensive mistakes that cost Spurs in that defeat.

Who gets the nod from Klopp in central midfield?

It is the tale of two extremes. While Pochettino has seen Mousa Dembele depart, Harry Winks succumb to persistent injury problems and Eric Dier suffer a worrying loss of form to leave him with precious few central midfield options, Klopp is spoilt for choice.

Liverpools manager sprung a surprise in the semi-final second leg by recalling James Milner on the left of the midfield three; his experience at left-back provided perfect cover for Robertson to attack.

That left Fabinho in the most defensive position of the three and Jordan Henderson in his new box-to-box role, but the tie was turned on its head after Georginio Wijnaldums introduction at half-time.

The most likely option is probably for Wijnaldum to take Milners place for a game during which Liverpool will hope to have more of the ball, with Fabinho remaining in the centre and Henderson right, but Klopp does appreciate the intensity and hunger that Milner guarantees.

Someone is going to be left bitterly disappointed.

Can Eriksen get high up the pitch?

Christian Eriksen is a marvellous player who has been honed by Pochettino, but he has suffered for the lack of options around him.

Not only does Tottenhams thin squad mean that Eriksen has been run into the ground, but the issues in central midfield mean that Eriksen has often been pushed slightly deeper to make amends.

And then theres the effort: Eriksen runs further per game than any other Tottenham player, carrying out his managers demand for intense pressing without the ball.

Theres nothing inherently wrong with Eriksen as worker bee, but it does erode his creative influence.

Over the last four seasons, his total of chances created in the league has fallen from 115 to 112 to 95 to 73.

With Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min able to support Harry Kane (and Lucas Moura can feel rightly gutted if he misses out on a start), the onus on Eriksen to create chances has diminished.

But there are few players better in Europe at threading through balls and playing the final pass.

If Spurs can get Eriksen to operate closer to the final third, he can be the difference-maker.

Do Tottenham have to change their shooting strategy?

Only two teams in the Premier League scored a higher percentage of their goals from outside the area than Tottenham (21%) but eight teams took a higher percentage of their shots from outside the area.

That suggests that Tottenham do not shoot from distance out of desperation, but as a deliberate strategy.

Drill down into the players, and that stacks up. Of the 32 players to score 10 or more Premier League goals this season, three of the top nine ranked by percentage of shots taken from outside the box are Tottenham players (Son, Kane and Moura).

The top three on that list are all midfielders (Paul Pogba, Luka Milivojevic and Gylfi Sigurdsson), which you might expect.

But even Tottenhams forwards shoot from long range.

Thats interesting, because conceding from distance is one thing Liverpool have improved dramatically on following the arrival of Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho.

Klopps team conceded one goal from outside the penalty area in their entire league campaign. Are Tottenham better off trying to get players closer to goal rather than their shoot-on-sight policy?
Were not using these as like an overall kind of Big Brother. Were going to pick out individual cars on the expressway, Roti said. Theyll probably primarily be used during investigations to actually prove that someone went down on the highway as part of a drug investigation. And then obviously, the very important part of it is also the shootings  that go along with it.
Anyone who thinks that drug gangs are confined to Dublin and other major cities in Ireland need to think again. It is a nationwide scourge that forms a deadly triangle between Dublin and Drogheda on the east coast and Sligo in the West.

Anyone who thinks that the fact that the drug dealers themselves may solve the problem by killing each other also needs to think again. In the first instance, the murder of any individual, criminal or not, can never be a cause for celebration. Secondly, it is only a matter of time before an innocent bystander gets gunned down in the ongoing drugs feuds.
Business Mytel Employees Protest Unpaid Wages

Customers wait in line at a Mytel shop in Yangon on June 13, 2018. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

PATHEINEmployees of telecom operator Mytel staged a protest against the military-affiliated company over pay disputes in Pathein, the Irrawaddy Region capital, Thursday.

In early 2018, Mytel contracted Hsan Myo Aung Co. to install fiber cable in Hinthada Township, who hired laborers and completed the job in April of that year; more than a year later, those workers have still not been paid.

Mytel is Myanmars fourth telecom operator after MPT, Telenor and Ooredoo. It is a joint venture consisting of Star High Public Co. Ltd, owned by Myanma Economic Corporation under the Myanmar Ministry of Defense; Myanmar National Telecom Holdings, a Myanmar consortium comprising 11 companies; and the Vietnamese telecom company Viettel.

We staged a protest for employees to get their wages. It has been one year since the job was done. We havent got a sou. We have asked the Pathein and Yangon offices of Mytel and departmental officials to pay. We have asked 20 times, said protest leader U Aung Teza Tun. They said they would pay but havent. Thats why we staged a protest.

According to Hsan Myo Aung Co., Mytel owes more than 20 workers around 40 million kyats combined.

As we had no skilled workers, we had to outsource. When our foreman asked the company, they said they would pay 40 percent of the wages after Thingyan [Myanmar New Years Festival]. I have a signed contract with the workers saying that I would pay them within 72 hours of Mytel making the payment. Now I am in trouble, said director U Ye Htut Lin of Hsan Myo Aung Co.

Asked about the protest, Mytel officials in Pathein declined to comment.

Workers said they will file a complaint with President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi if Mytel does not make payments in the next few days.

At Mytels official launchheld on Feb. 11, 2018 and attended by Myanmar Army Chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaingthe company said it would invest up to US$1.3 billion in Myanmar.

According to Viettel, Mytel had 5 million subscribers by the end of 2018 in Myanmar.

You may also like these stories:

Launch of Army-Backed Mytel Draws Wary Welcome

Vietnams Viettel Seeks to Double Myanmar Customer BaseCEO

Army-Backed Mytel Ordered to Halt Shake Program
Business Toyota to Open Yangon Auto Plant

A Toyota vehicle is displayed at the International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland in March 2019. / Reuters

YangonJapans Toyota Motor Corp. said on Thursday it would invest US$52.6 million (about 80 billion kyats) in a car assembly plant to be established in the Japanese-backed Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Yangon. It will be the automakers first plant in Myanmar.

The Japanese automaker said in a statement that it would set up Toyota Myanmar Co. in June to locally assemble Hilux pickup trucks.

Production is scheduled to begin in 2021, and the plant will produce around 2,500 vehicles per year, using the semi knock-down (SKD) method. According to the statement, the plant will provide more than 130 jobs.

The Japanese automaker said demand for new cars is on the rise, nearly doubling last year to 18,000 units.

The fact that a giant automaker like Toyota has invested in us will have a favorable impact on the image of our country, Daw Than Than Thwel, joint secretary of the Thilawa SEZ Management Committee, told The Irrawaddy. This will boost the confidence of other potential investors.

Other Japanese automakers like Suzuki and Nissan have already established factories in Myanmar.

In an attempt to lower used car imports, the government only issues Yangon licenses for locally assembled cars manufactured using the SKD method. As a result, local demand for SKD vehicles has increased, automobile dealers said.

The government has a policy to reduce the import of used cars year by year. The entry of [new] automakers will provide the people with the opportunity to buy brand new cars at cheaper prices, said U Myo Zin Win, secretary of the Myanmar Automobile Manufacturers and Distributors Association.

It will be two years until Toyota begins production on its first Hilux vehicles, so their presence will not be immediately felt in the domestic automobile market, auto dealers say.

Suzuki and Nissan of Japan, KIA and Hyundai of Korea and the American automaker Ford are currently among the largest manufacturers making vehicles using the SKD method in Myanmar. Around 17 firms, including several Chinese companies, are investing in automobile manufacturing in Myanmar.

You may also like these stories:

Toyota To Assemble Vehicles in Myanmar

Burmas New Auto Policy to Promote Manufacturing, Say Experts

Car Import Policy Has Changed About 10 Times
Interview Women in Leadership Positions Must Speak for All Women

Naw Knyaw Paw, general secretary of the Karen Women Organization and the 2019 recipient of the International Women of Courage Award / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

CHIANG MAI, ThailandNaw Knyaw Paw, the 2019 recipient of the International Women of Courage (IWOC) Award, has urged the international community to reinstate support for Myanmar refugees as camps along the Thai border have faced cuts to food assistance, and to consider targeted sanctions against the Myanmar military, which she accuses of continued abuses against minority women.

Naw Knyaw Paw, 33, is the general secretary of the Karen Women Organization, which supports gender equality and indigenous peoples rights along the Thailand-Myanmar border. A refugee since she was 11 years old, Naw Knyaw Paw participated in the KWO movement as teenager and in 2017 became the general secretary of the group, which has more than 60,000 members. She and her colleagues have documented sexual and gender-based violence in conflict in Myanmar since 2004 and continue to speak out about violence against civilians by the military.

Because of her outspokenness and activism, she is regarded as a lifelong peace activist and was honored with the 13th International Women of Courage Award in March with nine other women around the world. The IWOC award recognizes women around the world who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality and womens empowerment.

Naw Knyaw Paw is the third recipient from Myanmar following the parliamentarian Daw Zin Mar Aung and gender equality advocate Daw May Sabe Phyu, who were honored in 2012 and 2015 respectively.

The United States Missions based in Thailand and Myanmar hosted a reception for the Karen woman at the U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand on Thursday.

U.S. Consul General Jennifer Harhigh said the Consulate General Chiang Mai is tremendously proud of the work of Naw Knyaw Paw and her dedicated colleagues to defend the rights of vulnerable groups, especially women, affected by ongoing conflict. We admire her bravery in speaking out against all forms of violence and we are proud to partner with the KWO in support of a peaceful, prosperous future for all the people of this region, regardless of gender or ethnicity.

Dr. Cynthia Maung, the founder of the Mae Tao Clinic often referred to as the Mother Teresa of Myanmar, said of Naw Knyaw Paw, She grew up as a war-displaced person and later as a refugee in a conflict-torn region and saw many unpleasant things, but she has been able to [organize other women to come together] and lead the way [in fighting], especially against injustice and insecurity. Thus such an award highlights that Myanmar still needs to improve its human rights conditions.

Speaking at the reception, Naw Knyaw Paw said she is very honored to receive the award, saying that it, along with the experiences of other IWOC awardees, gave her inspiration to continue her work.

Naw Knyaw Paw also talked about her thoughts and perspectives on womens empowerment and the peace process with The Irrawaddy at the reception.

Q: You have been a leader of the Karen womens community since 2017. This IWOC award is a big achievement. What has led to this recognition?

Naw Knyaw Paw: I think the work that we are doing is normal, everyday work, but we are glad that it has been recognized, for I think we are particularly, consistently speaking out against the Burma Armys [Myanmar militarys] abuses of ethnic women and of the women in Burma, regardless of their background, including Rohingya women. So when the Myanmar military abuses the Rohingya women we also show our solidarity, because we know that the Myanmar military has been abusing other ethnic womenKaren, Kachin, Shan, Taangand now they are abusing the Rohingya women.

So we show our solidarity and support for all those women. We are not able to go and provide direct support, because of the work we are doing, as we dont have enough resources, but [we want] to show that the same Myanmar military continues abuses of women in Burma and that this is not acceptable. We need to hold them accountable and we need to condemn these actions. I think it was because of this issue and also because of the work that we are doing to educate women and children and empower the women to get involved and speak out there. We were recognized for these works.

What are the biggest challenges for you as a leader of the Karen Women Organization?

NKP: Id like to see our members be more active. The challenges we face [are that] we need to continue to provide capacity building to our leaders and members, because the KWO leadership is chosen through elections. In the refugee camps every two years there will be elections. In the Karen [KNU-controlled] areas, in the districts, every three years there is an election. So because of the pressure of food cuts and services cuts to the refugee camps, it is very hard for the KWO leaders to continue to work full time. They have a commitment there.

We are only able to give them a little support, and as for us, giving hope to the refugee people is very important. As long as people feel there is hope, they are able to work to improve the situation. Women will continue to work and support the community. So we need to provide our training, awareness raising, and also continue to seek support, international support, from the Karen community that has been resettled and also to the Thai community. We need to continue to provide training and services to the refugees, so they dont lose hope. So that they can work for themselves and one day they will be able to return and make changes themselves as well.

So the KWO as an organization also helps people in the camps to get ready to return to their homes?

NKP: Of course. We provide leadership [skills] to the young women and capacity building to the organization and other services like education, early childhood education. So we standardize our services across refugee camps and Karen State. When women choose to return, they will return to a situation  not a new situation but one they are already familiar with. Also, if the KWO leaders return, they can work.

How prepared are they to return?

NKP: I think people are ready, but it is just that the situation is not right yet. Even for the people who remain inside Burma, their livelihood is so difficult. When people are hungry, it is very difficult for them to concentrate on training, to become a leader properly. They are afraid of the security [situation]; there are still military camps and landmines and you still havent seen a conducive situation. I think people are ready to return but  the situation is not yet right.

The NCA was signed three years ago, but you have said that the NCA process is dead. Over the past three years, do you see any changes in the region or is it still the same?

NKP: Politically, we are losing  since the ceasefire the Myanmar government expanded [its efforts to control territory]. They also brought in NGOs and some of the NGOs do direct implementation that supports the governments polices but is not in line with our Karen structure, with the services we were providing before. We need more funding more resources, to strengthen our capacity. But instead, our services are not recognized and so new services came in to wipe out our services, and we see disadvantages from this.

If there is recognition of our right to self-determination, you know, we have built the capacity of the people, both in the refugee camps and in Karen State to administer themselves, I mean to run services for themselves, to be leaders, to solve their own problems, to manage the community. We need this recognition. If there is recognition, I would say there would not be a problem for people to return or to stay wherever they are. We just need to encourage them to lead their own process and to live in their own way.

Politically, and regarding the current peace process, what do you think of the Karen National Union (KNU)s approach?

NKP: First, three years after signing the NCA, the KNU now realizes that it cannot go on this way. I mean you cannot just proceed without including everyone. Thats why they realized that all ethnic armed organizations also need to have a stronger voice and come together. Without all the ethnic armed groups coming together, we wont have the bargaining power and we wont be able to negotiate with the Burmese government, especially the Myanmar military. Their mindset has not changed yet.

For the KNU, even though they see that the Myanmar military is taking advantages, it is very hard for them to stop there. What they can do under the NCA is just to bring up issues and try to hold talks. And even just to have formal talks, and to continue the dialogue, they have to try so hard. But I feel like they are not able to move forward, that is why they are looking for a way outside of the NCA. No one wants to admit that the NCA is not working anymore, but what they are doing is always outside the NCA. It is even following the NCA because they want to keep the NCA. Now the KNU wants all the ethnic groups to come together as a bloc, and also to go forward together. Of course, civil society supported that from the beginning, civil society wants the KNU to really work together with other ethnic groups and not leave out any group.

The current KNU leadership is the one that decided to participate in the peace process. How is their leadership right now? Do you think they need to change?

NKP: I think it is very  like you need to look beyond the NCA and look beyond the 2008 Constitution. I feel like the current peace process and the NCA continue inside the 2008 Constitution. If you are not able to go beyond the 2008 Constitution, if the leaders still believe that you have to act according to the NCA, I dont think we can achieve a durable solution We need leaders [who] look beyond the NCA and look beyond the 2008 Constitution and are able to go outside and try to change or do something to change things.

As a woman leading others and also encouraging other women, what would be your one message to share with them?

NKP: The message would be that when you become a leader or you have a position, you should not forget that you are a representative of women that you are not to manipulate others. You need to continue to speak out for women. Because what I fear is when women are given positions, there are so many pressures around them and sometimes they are not able to speak out for other women. So my message would be to really continue to speak out for women. Whether its from within the KNU or the government, or from the outside, we need to think about womens needs and womens voices and represent them.

We also talk a lot about gender equality and womens participation in political decisions. What role does that play in the KNU?

NKP: Some leaders are open and more progressive than others. Some leaders encourage women. We can see that the KNU leadership includes some women and also that we are always demanding womens participation.

Are you satisfied?

NKP: Not satisfied. [When they invite women] it is like a last-minute [invitation only]. Its like ticking a box, and its not from the heart. So what we really need is to change peoples perspectives and really see the value of womens participation and contribution and for it to really come from the heart when they invite women to participate.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

You May Also Like These Stories:

Womens Participation in Politics Undermined by the NLD

Three Myanmar Recipients Among Women of the Future Award Winners

Female Tech Sector Leaders Urge Women to Speak Up
Food A Creator Behind the Bar

Ko Lal Muan Puia stands in front of the bar at Gekko Yangon, May. 29, 2019. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

Making a cocktail is kind of an art. Its a beautiful mixture of many ingredients, said Ko Lal Muan Puia, offering his own definition of a cocktail. Ko Puia, the energetic and always-happy creator behind the bar at Gekko Yangon, is willing and able to give his customers his best service at any time.

Ko Puia, a talented local mixologist, is actually the bar manager at Gekko Yangon, but he still always refers to himself as a bartender. Patrons love his bartending so much, many come to Gekko just to drink his creations. His cocktails, featuring the best local and seasonal ingredients, are quite popular at Gekko, where he has created half of the cocktail menu. Most of his are gin and whisky based.

Ko Puia recently won the Wine and Spirit Ambassador of the Year award at the 2019 Myanmore Awards.

In 2010, Ko Puia went to Abu Dhabi with zero experience to work as a bar helper; now he has become one of the most popular local mixologists in Myanmar.

Those days were the really hard times in my life because I was doing a job I didnt know anything about, but I needed to struggle for my family, Ko Puia said of his early days behind the bar.

Originally from Kale, a town in Sagaing Region, he graduated as a mathematics major and moved to Yangon in 2008 to make money.

I was staying at my aunts house and I had a scissor sharpening service. My aunty has some connections with small, sewing business people. They called me when their scissors needed sharpening, once a week, Ko Puia said of his first job in Yangon.

The Income was not big, but I sent it all home to support my family. At the same time, I was attending English class and F&B (food and beverage) classes, because I planned to join the hotelier industry. But an [employment] agent told me the only vacancy available was at a bar, and I accepted, because I needed to make more money, he said. My father was sick at the hospital and I needed to support my mom and little sister as well.

He worked as a bar helper, the lowest position at a bar, in the Emirate Palace Hotels bar for three years. His job mainly consisted of cleaning the bar and the dishware and helping whoever needed it.

I was crying some nights because its so difficult to deal with a job when you dont know anything [about the job], he said.

But in those three years, the job offered training in how to make cocktails and provided other bar knowledge.

After two and a half years, the hotel let me intern as a bartender, but I still needed to do the bar helpers job. The internship always had cocktail examinations, so I studied so hard to reach the next level, he said. I even slept with the menu book. If I woke up in the middle of the night, Id study the menu.

Finally, he was promoted to a bartender position.

Even though I started with zero experience, I came to love my job, because I make money from it and it has become my profession. Bartenders can go around the world, he said. And I love the feeling I get when customers love the cocktails I have made. It is a kind of happiness.

When the bar held an in-house bartender competition, he placed first among five competitors.

It was my very first achievement. I make a whisky-based cocktail, and for the presentation I pressed the bar logo on ice. Maybe that might be a reason I got the prize, he said, laughing.

A year later, he returned to Myanmar, where he worked as a bartender on a local cruise ship for a year and a half.

My position was F&B supervisor but I worked at the bar mostly. Sometimes, I gave cocktail classes to the guests, like the history of cocktails and how to make basic cocktails. The experience was different from Abu Dhabi but I learned many things from that job as well, he said.

In 2016 he joined Gekko Yangon.

I met with a lot of talented people here and learned many things from my superiors and colleagues, and Im still learning here, he said.

When he was at the Emirate Palace Hotel bar, he had to practice their signature cocktails, and there were no self-creations.

But here at Gekko, my superiors push me to create my own self-creations all the time, and my profession became more exciting and more challenging for me, he said.

Way to Burma, a gin based-cocktail, is one of his customers favorites. Thanatkhar, another gin-based cocktail of his, he even served at one of Singapores top bars.

After joining at Gekko, I got a chance to go to one of the Singapores top bars, Nutmeg and Clove, for a guest bartending shift as a representative from Myanmar for one night. So I brought my cocktail Thanatkhar to the event and many people were interested with it. I got a chance to learn many things from the professional bartenders there, he said.

Last year, the whiskey producer Wild Turkey held a competition called Behind the Barrel in Myanmar, and Ko Puia won the top prize.

Competitors needed to make cocktails with Wild Turkey products and then promote them on social media. It was just an online competition, but its another achievement of mine, he said.

Later, he got a chance to visit the Wild Turkey facility in America, the first person from Myanmar to do so.

When I started loving my job, the result of my hard work paid off with many different achievements, even though it took many years, he said. Love what you do and you will achieve much, for sure.

He always takes care of the customers at the bar, and he said it is one of the most important factors when making a cocktail.

Making a great tasting cocktail is important, but one still needs to learn the customers tastes, so the ratio of ingredients isnt always the same. It always changes, and we need to listen to the feedback from customers, Ko Puia said.

Even though bartending is professional job that can make good money, some locals still look down on bartenders.

Old people think we have a bad job, prone to alcohol addiction. We need to prove them wrong, he said.

The bar culture in Myanmar is still in the beginner stage, only ten years old. And bartending classes are rare and most are expensive. The local bartender industry needs to develop more.

Now, Ko Puia is sharing his passion and his experience with the next generation of Myanmar bartenders at the Myanmar Bartender School and Myanmar Hospitality and Bartending Academy as a part-time teacher.

His dream is to own a small bar.

Currently, Im still learning and creating unique cocktails, but I dream of owning a small bar focused only on drinks. Thats my future plan and Im still on my way, he said.

You May Also Like These Stories:

The Best Bars for Live Music in Yangon

The Best Bars for Live Music in Yangon
Asia Indian Beauty Pageant Draws Flak for Unfair Portrayal of Women

Miss India Priyadarshini Chatterjee crosses the stage at the Miss World 2016 Competition in Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S., December 18, 2016. / REUTERS

NEW DELHI Organizers of a leading Indian beauty pageant came under fire on Thursday for selecting only fair-skinned women, with human rights campaigners saying the contest highlighted the nations failure to respect women from all walks of life.

The Times of India newspaper, which belongs to the group that organizes the annual Femina Miss India contest, this week published a collage of 30 women, each representing an Indian stateand each fair skinned.

Anti-colorism activist Muna Beatty described Femina Miss Indias selection as a copy-paste job, with all contestants looking similar with long, dark hair and fair skin in line with Indias long-running obsession over lighter skin tones.

But she warned such fair-skin bias could impact the mental health and self-esteem of darker-toned women and girls in India where the contentious issue of the treatment of women has become a nationwide debate reflected at this years general election.

You have youngsters, kids watching this and thinking to themselves if I dont fit these criteria or this skin tone, then Im not beautiful and  Im not good enough, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Bangalore.

People on social media complained that the contestants did not represent the diversity and potential of Indian women, including southern states where most people are darker-skinned.

Neither the Times Group nor Femina Miss India replied to the Thomson Reuters Foundations repeated requests for comment.

Femina Miss India, or Miss India, annually selects contestants to compete in Miss World, one of the four major international beauty pageants alongside Miss Universe, Miss Earth and Miss International.

Criticism of the annual beauty contest, that kick-started Bollywood superstar Priyanka Chopras career, comes at a time when the treatment of women in the country of 1.3 billion people faces increasing scrutiny.

India ranks 108 out of 149 countries in gender equality, according to the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap report, faring particularly badly on economic opportunities, while violence against women has dominated headlines.

India has seen a decline in female participation in the workforce in the past decade with World Bank figures showing women made up about 22 percent of the workforce in 2018 compared to nearly 27 percent in 2005.

The dwindling labor participation rate was feared to have far-reaching implications for Indias economic development and the progress of womens rights in the often deeply conservative country.

Kavitha Emmanuel, founder of Indias Dark Is Beautiful campaign, said she was not surprised with the pageant selection in a country where a woman is often judged by her appearance and complexion, calling it a deep-rooted toxic problem.

Youre basically saying you need to look a certain way to be valued in life, Emmanuel said.

We need more platforms that showcase  women as people who are capable, women with a lot of potential, women who can achieve a lot rather than women who look good in this prescribed sort of format.

You may also like these stories:

Indias Modi Breaks Protocol to Welcome Saudis Crown Prince

Indian Groups Urge Boycott of Chinese Goods Over Stance on Pakistani Militant

When Is It Going to Stop?, Malaysias Marital Rape Victims Ask
Asia From Sky Farms to Lab-Grown Shrimp, Singapore Eyes Food Future

Kale grown in Sustenir Agriculture's indoor farm are packed for delivery in Singapore May 24, 2019. / REUTERS

SINGAPORESingapore, the tiny Southeast Asian city-state, is an unlikely place for a farming revolution.

With tiered fish farms, vegetable plots atop office buildings and lab-grown shrimp, the island aims to beef up its own food production and rely less on imports to feed its 5.6 million people.

Singapore produces about 10% of its food, but as climate change and population growth threaten global food supplies, it aims to raise that to 30 percent by 2030 under a plan known as 30-by-30.

The challenge is space.

With only 1 percent of Singapores 724 square kilometers (280 square miles) of land area devoted to agriculture, and with production costs higher than the rest of Southeast Asia, the pressure is on new urban farmers to answer the governments call to grow more with less.

Whenever I talk about food security in Singapore, I tell folks dont think landthink space. Because you can go upwards and sideways, said Paul Teng, a professor specializing in agriculture at Nanyang Technological University.

Sustenir Agriculture is one of more than 30 vertical farms in Singapore, which has seen a doubling in so-called sky farms in three years.

The hydroponic farm grows non-native varieties like kale, cherry tomatoes and strawberries indoors under artificial lights and sells the produce to local supermarkets and online grocers.

Sustenir raised S$22 million ($16 million) from backers including Singapore state investor Temasek and Australias Grok Ventures last year, which will be used for an expansion in Singapore and opening in Hong Kong.

Temasek is also providing funds to Apollo Aquaculture Group which is building a S$70 million highly-automated, eight-story fish farm. Apollo says the new farm will deliver more than a twenty-fold increase in its annual output of 110 tons of fish.

It is too unpredictable to do things now in the traditional way, said Apollo CEO Eric Ng, citing problems with algae blooms in recent years that have wiped out farmers fish stocks.

Singapore has not given a total price tag for 30-by-30, first unveiled in March, but it has various funding schemes.

Aside from Temasek, the government has put aside S$144 million for research and development into food, and S$63 million for agriculture firms to use technology to boost productivity.

It also plans to build an 18-hectare (44 acre) agri-food site for indoor plant factories and insect farms by mid-2021.

Investor interest in urban agriculture is rising as environmental pressures and technology developments catalyze new ways of producing food locally, said Anuj Maheshwari, a managing director at Temasek who focuses on agri-business.

Leap of Faith

Not everyone is convinced by the focus on high-tech.

Egg farmer William Ho, 53, says the government is putting too much stock in new agri-tech firms with no track record.

Many of them have failed. Thats why Im always asking the government why dont you invest in us old-timers. We are more practical, he said.

A major hurdle for urban farmers, said Teng, are the expensive inputs like technology that puts their products out of reach for many consumers.

One Singapore firm still in its infancy but hoping to reach a mass market is Shiok Meats, which aims to be the worlds first to sell shrimp grown from cells in a lab.

The process, which is harmless to animals, involves cells grown in a nutrient solution in tanks. After four to six weeks, the fluid is siphoned off and leaves behind raw shrimp mince.

Shiok is backed by Henry Soesanto, CEO of Philippines Monde Nissin, which owns British meat substitute firm Quorn.

Shiok co-founder Sandhya Sriram hopes to tap into the enthusiasm for alternative protein that propelled the market value of U.S.-based Beyond Meat to more than $5 billion after its debut this month.

After raising $4.6 million in seed funding this year, Sriram said Shiok Meats plans to sell its product in one or two premium restaurants by late 2020, and by 2030 hopes to produce enough shrimp meat to feed Singapore.

It (30-by-30) is achievable but it depends which part of the food industry they want to take a leap of faith on, she said.
Burma 20 Civilians Killed in Clashes Between Army, AA Since January, Govt Says

Police and Army personnel jointly patrol along a main road in downtown Mrauk-U in March 2019. / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

YANGONTwenty civilians have been killed in fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA) in Rakhine State in the past five months, a spokesperson for the Presidents Office said.

At a Friday press conference in Naypyitaw, U Zaw Htay, Presidents Office spokesperson and State Counselors Office director general, said there have been 206 clashes between the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, and the AA in that period.

From Jan. 1 to May 27 about 100 AA soldiers and 31 police have been killed and 48 AA soldiers have been captured, he said.

Several Myanmar military officers have reportedly been killed in clashes as well.

He did not, however, reveal casualty figures for government military forces.

He said 32 police and 43 civilians had been wounded, and six police officers have gone missing since clashes began.

Fighting between the Myanmar military and the AA, which seeks greater autonomy in Rakhine State, intensified after Jan. 4 attacks on police outposts in northern Rakhine by the AA. The escalation has meant an increase in casualties on both sides, among fighters and civilians alike.

In early May, the Myanmar military detained 275 villagers from Rathedaung Township, in northern Rakhine State, for three days on suspicion of having ties with the AA. While detained, six of them were shot and killed and eight others were injured. The military claims to have opened fire only when detainees tried to snatch guns from the soldiers.

In April, three detainees in Mrauk-U died during military interrogations. They were among 27 people from Mrauk-Us Let Kar Village accused of AA membership or affiliation and held captive by the military.

The spokesperson said the total number of people displaced by the fightingacross seven townships in northern Rakhine State and one township in Chin Statehad reached 33,031. Mrauk-U saw more internally displaced persons (IDPs) than any other township, with 9,980 IDPs, followed by Buthidaung, with 8,136.

However, the Rakhine Ethnic Congress, a civil society group, disputes these numbers, claiming in a May 27 statement that there are now nearly 42,000 IDPs in the townships of Sittwe, Pauktaw, Kyauktaw, Rathaetaung, Ponnagyun, Buthidaung, Minbya and Maungdaw.

The spokesperson said there are a total of 108 IDP camps.

You May Also Like These Stories:

At Least 20 Troops Killed in Paletwa Clashes, AA Says
She indicated early on she could not fulfill her duties and said the word recusal,  OBrien told Judge Michael Toomin. Were asking the court to interpret that action by her  said in her official capacity as a states attorney of this county to the people of this county, to the press  that when she said that word thats what it means.
Burma Myanmar Military Chief Pays Respects to Thai Statesman Gen. Prem

Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing pays his last respects on Friday to Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda, the former Thai army chief and close adviser to Thailands revered royals, who died last Sunday aged 98. / Wassana Nanuam

YANGONMyanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Friday paid his last respects to General Prem Tinsulanonda, the former Thai army chief and close adviser to Thailands revered royals whom the senior general regarded as his adopted father. Gen. Prem died on Sunday at the age of 98.

Myanmar military spokesperson Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy the senior general flew to Thailand on a one-day trip Friday to pay his condolences.

The senior general paid his respects [to Gen. Prem] because he promoted better relations between the Myanmar and Thai armies, Brig-Gen. Zaw Min Tun said.

The last time they met was in March this year when Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was in Thailand. During their meeting at his residence, Gen. Prem let Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing sit beside him on a couch in his living room decorated with pictures of Thai royals. They discussed the progress of the friendship between the armed forces of Myanmar and Thailand, the role of the Tatmadaw (Myanmars military) in peace, stability and national development, the promotion of cooperation between the two armed forces and the exchange of goodwill visits between them.

They first met in 2011 when the senior general made his first visit to Thailand as military chief. In the years that followed, the relationship between the two soldiers deepened.

The senior general reportedly said they had a good feeling about each other from their first meeting, pointing out that the general was one year junior to his own late father, whom Gen. Prem reportedly knew.

Since 2013, Myanmar and Thailand have been taking it in turns to host annual high-level military meetings.

Thailand is the country Snr-Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has visited most as military chiefmore than 10 times between 2011 and May this year.

Furthermore, the Myanmar military chief has twice been bestowed with Thailands highest honors: in 2013, he was awarded the Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Crown of Thailand for promoting friendship between the two armed forces of Myanmar and Thailand, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported at the time. Early this year, Thailand awarded him the Knight Grand Cross First Class of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant in Bangkok to show the long and close relations between the two countries, the Royal Thai Armed Forces said in a statement.

Apart from the awards, the Myanmar military chief was adopted by Thailands former army chief and the two had a godfather-godson relationship, the Straits Times reported in 2014.

According to Thai media reports, during a visit to Thailand in 2012, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, 58, asked General Prem, a symbol of Thailands royalist-military elites, to adopt him as his son, the report said.

The 94-year-old Thai general, who has no children of his own, agreed, it added.

You May Also Like These Stories:

Military Denies Army Chief Used Twitter after Company Blocks Account

Lawmaker Blocked from Asking about Govt-Military Ties on House Floor
Burma NLD Candidate Declared Winner in Disputed Yangon Region By-Election

USDP candidate U Nay Myo Aung (left) and NLD candidate U Than Htike Aung / The Irrawaddy

YANGONThe Union Election Commission (UEC) has ruled in favor of a National League for Democracy (NLD) candidate over his Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) rival in last years disputed Yangon Regional Parliament by-election in Seikkan Township Constituency.

USDP candidate U Nay Myo Aung was initially declared the winner of the Nov. 3 by-election with 515 votes over NLD candidate U Than Htike Aungs 356.

However, U Than Htike Aung filed a complaint with the UEC accusing U Nay Myo Aung of violating electoral laws. After five months of investigation, the UEC handed down a ruling in favor of the NLD.

The commission formed a tribunal, heard from both sides and made a ruling this morning, U Than Htike Aung told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.

The NLD candidate complained that the USDP office in Seikkan Township is built on state-owned land, and that the USDPs Seikkan chapter lent money to local residents ahead of the by-election, while failing to submit the campaign expenditures to the UEC. He also accused the USDP candidate of campaigning on religious grounds.

The USDP grew out of the Union Solidarity and Development Association, which was founded by the military regime, known as the State Peace and Development Council, in 2003 as a mass organization to rally public support. When the association transformed itself into a political party ahead of the 2010 general election, it handed over its assets to the party, including office buildings built on state-owned lands.

I have nothing to say. The ruling was made by the tribunal assigned by the UEC, which all the parties have to respect. So, I have no objection, U Nay Myo Aung told The Irrawaddy.

The Irrawaddy was unable to obtain a comment from UEC spokesperson U Myint Naing.

You may also like these stories:

NLDs U Soe Lwin Elected Deputy Mayor of Yangon

Complaint Filed Against Yangons Newly-Elected Vice Mayor
Burma Presidents Office Says It Had No Role in Release of Rohingya Massacre Soldiers

Ten Rohingya men with their hands bound kneel as members of the Myanmar security forces stand guard in Inn Din village, Rakhine State in September 2017. / Reuters

YANGONSeven soldiers jailed by the military for killing 10 Rohingya in Rakhine State in 2017 were released under the military justice system and not by presidential pardon, a spokesman for the Myanmar Presidents Office said Friday.

The four officers and three soldiers were dismissed from the military and sentenced to 10 years with hard labor at a remote prison in April last year for their participation in the massacre, the military announced at the time.

However, they were released in November 2018, after serving less than one year, under a pardon authorized by the military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

At a press conference in Naypyitaw, Presidents Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay said, They have been released according to military justice, when asked by The Irrawaddy whether the Army informed the Presidents Office about the release in advance.

Its not by presidential pardon, he said.

Along with the soldiers, three policemen and six villagers were also arrested.

U Zaw Htay said one of the police officers, Police Private Zwe Maung Maung, who received a three-year sentence for his involvement in the incident, was also released, after serving one year and seven months.

He submitted an appeal and was released on May 8, one day after the Reuters journalists were set free, he said, referring to two local journalists working for the news agency who were arrested for investigating the incident early last year. Both Ko Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo walked free on a presidential pardon early this month after serving 16 months behind bars.

However, the spokesperson didnt mention the fate of the other two policemen and villagers other than to say that villager U Tun Aye is still serving his five-year prison sentence.

Myanmar military spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that the soldiers were found not to have had any intention to kill, but their actions were simply not in line with procedures while serving in a time of conflict.

He added that given the soldiers dutifulness during their time in the Army, and in consideration of a petition filed on their behalf by a group of people including monks, the military chief reduced their prison sentence from 10 years to one year with hard labor in accordance with military justice.

In Myanmar, the Constitution grants the military chief the final say in questions of military justice, stating that the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services is final and conclusive.
Burma Union Govt Instructs Yangon Authorities to Prosecute Firebrand Monk

U Wirathu addresses a pro-military rally in Yangon in October 2018. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

YANGONThe government has ordered the Yangon regional government to prosecute ultranationalist Buddhist monk U Wirathu, according to Myanmar Presidents Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay.

Earlier this week Yangon Region Western District Court issued an arrest warrant against the monk, who is known for his anti-Muslim rhetoric. The warrant was issued after the chief of the General Administration Departments district office, U San Min, filed a lawsuit accusing him of sedition under Article 124(a) of the Penal Code.

The allegation stems from a speech U Wirathu made at an anti-constitutional amendment rally in Yangon on May 5, in which he attempted to incite disaffection with the government.

Despite vowing to face arrest, the 50-year-old monk has been on the run since the warrant was issued.

Police in Mandalay went to the monks monastery in Maha Aung Myay Township on Wednesday evening, but did not find him.

On Friday, the Presidents Office Spokesperson said the Yangon regional government was ordered by the administration to charge U Wirathu. The prosecution was carried out by the regional government, he said. When asked if the order came from the Presidents Office or the Union government, the spokesperson declined to comment.

Since Wednesday, the police have been combing Yangon in search of the monk. If he is prosecuted under the article, he faces seven to 20 years in prison, or a fine.

His arrest will mark the governments second legal move against U Wirathu. In 2017, he was banned from preaching for one year for his fiery sermons against Muslims. He has also been banned by Facebook for his anti-Muslim posts.

Since the National League for Democracy (NLD) government came to power in 2016, the monk and other nationalists have staged pro-military campaigns across the country. They oppose the major constitutional amendments proposed by the NLD, though the changes are supported by a majority of the countrys population, who believe the current military-drafted charter is unfit for the democratic federal Union the country is transitioning to.

At the same time, the nationalists praise the Myanmar military as the guardian of the country and of Buddhism, while condemning the West for its attempts to prosecute the military leadership on the Rohingya issue.

Apart from his anti-Muslim sermons, U Wirathu has attracted public criticism recently for his fiery comments at a pro-military rally that the military-appointed representatives in Parliament should be worshipped. In another rally in southern Myanmar, the monk ridiculed the countrys de facto leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, with personal and obscene comments.

In Yangon, nationalist forces, including monks, held a rally at the Shwedagon Pagoda on Thursday and Friday to show solidarity with U Wirathu while condemning his prosecution as unfair.

Asked about the latest development in U Wirathus case, the spokesperson said all necessary actions would be carried out according to procedure.

Currently, he said, police and religious affairs officials are trying to clarify the procedure for prosecuting U Wirathu. Buddhist monks in Myanmar are solely supervised by the State Sangha [Clerical] Council known as the Sangha Maha Nayaka, which is chaired by the countrys senior and most influential monks.

You may also like these stories:

Yangon Police Search for Wanted Ultranationalist Monk

Yangon Sangha Council Cancels Meeting with Firebrand Monk

I Will Face the Arrest: U Wirathu
Opinion Why Is the KNU Ready to Abandon the PPST?

KNLA soldiers parade on the 67th anniversary of Karen Martyrs Day in Karen State in August 2018. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy

The Karen National Unions (KNU) proposal to form a Peace Process Consultative Meeting (PPCM) will collapse the current peace process in Myanmar, some peace observers believe.

The KNU proposed forming a PPCM at a meeting of ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in Chiang Mai on May 14. Such a meeting would bring together all members of the Federal Political Negotiation Consultative Committee (FPNCC)a large political bloc of powerful EAOs based in the north of the countrystrengthening their position in political negotiations with the Myanmar military and government. But some observers feel the KNU would be better served by continuing to work through the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST).

Khun Okkar, for onea leader from the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), which is a PPST membertold The Irrawaddy recently that the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement and peace process will be destroyed if the KNU form a PPCM.

But the KNU reportedly believes the PPST does not have the capacity to successfully negotiate with the Myanmar military and sees no other alternatives to overcoming the current deadlock in peace talks.

Several PPST members oppose the KNU circumventing the Steering Teamthe organization officially recognized by the Myanmar militaryby creating a PPCM. Smaller armed groups, who do not have the forces to fight the Myanmar military on their own, are particularly opposed to the idea. Worried that the move could collapse the peace process entirely, they urged the KNU to continue with the current negotiations. They fear a collapse would leave them ill-prepared and facing battle.

The Myanmar military does not want to see ethnic armed groups united into a single forcea long-standing position of theirs.

For instance, the EAOs that comprise the Northern Alliancea bloc of FPNCC members that includes the Arakan Army (AA), the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)were members of the United Nationalities Federal Council, a coalition of opposition groups, until the Myanmar military announced it would no longer negotiate with the AA, TNLA and MNDAA.

If such experiences suggest anything, it is that any attempt by the KNU to bring all EAOs together is going to provoke reactions from the Myanmar military, who are unlikely to negotiate on such terms. So why would the KNU try this?

The KNU has been a very active participant in the peace process and a key player among EAOs. They signed a ceasefire with the Myanmar military in 2012, and even State Councilor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi thanked KNU leaders for cooperating and actively working with her government toward peace.

That means that, between 2012 and 2019, the KNU has had seven years to prepare their troops for battle. While the KNU continued to fight through political means after the ceasefire, they readied themselves to fight by other means, too. Theyre not worried about the peace process collapsing; theyre able to fight.

Income from dark mining operations in areas under their control have generated good income, particularly for the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 6, in the Three Pagodas Pass area near the Thai-Myanmar border, where up to a hundred cars transport zinc across the border every day, to be sold in the town of Kyainseikgyi in Kayin State. The KNU also mines gold in areas controlled by KNLA Brigade 4. All of this income funds their fighting forces.

Speaking off the record, some EAO leaders said that while the KNU can play politics, they are also ready to fight.

You May Also Like These Stories:

KNU Wants to Leave Peace Steering Team

Peace Process Is Foundering, KNU Chief Tells EAOs
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on Friday said it cannot instantly blacklist Smartmatic as advised by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Smartmatic has been the poll technology provider since the country first held automated elections in 2010, but Duterte on Thursday said COMELEC should "dispose of Smartmatic and look for a new one that is free of fraud." He wants to do away with the public bidding which has consistently been won by the Venezuelan company.

"Anything that promotes cheating huwag ka. Why are you insisting sa Smartmatic because bidding? Kaya yang bidding... alisin talaga ninyo yan," Duterte said.

COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez said laws require public bidding, but added that the President's suggestion will be carefully studied.

"The President speaks from a place of greater knowledge than I do. If he thinks that's a good decision, again as I said it deserves a lot of serious consideration," Jimenez added.

When asked if it is possible to ban Smartmatic following the President's pronouncement, Jimenez said "Kakailanganin natin ng (We would need) legal basis to ban any supplier."

According to the Government Procurement Policy Board, a company may be barred from bidding for up to two years over the submission of false information and falsified documents, unauthorized use of a name, withdrawal of a bid or refusal to do business with the government without justifiable cause, and other violations to the rules of bidding.

The May 13 election was marred by malfunctioning vote-counting machines (VCMs) which were provided by Smartmatic. The government continued to use its services despite allegations it had altered the source code of VCMs in the 2013 national elections, and fed a suspicious new script or computer command to the Comelec's transparency server during the transmission and counting of election returns in 2016.

Jimenez said the COMELEC will study whether to buy a completely new set of VCMs or use the existing machines and procure additional ones for the 2022 presidential elections. COMELEC bought the machines for over 2.2 billion for the 2019 polls after leasing them for around 8 billion in 2016.

He stressed that Smartmatic has no hold on COMELEC and that any other company is welcome to compete in a public bidding.
Sophie Hrisco said her daughter suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and at one point had to use a wheelchair. The illness prompted her to get a degree in nutrition and become a nutrition counselor, a business she ran out of the home, witnesses said. Hrisco said her daughter took frequent whirlpool baths and sought holistic remedies for her affliction.
The Girls in Tech global non-profit organisation aimed at increasing female participation in technology has received more than US$400,000 through an engagement with CRM and
Comments by a spokesperson from the US State Department, claiming that the US National Defence Authorisation Act, which included a ban on public procurement of Huawei technologies, was based on evidence, have drawn a sarcastic rejoinder from China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters during a regular press conference in Beijing on Thursday that this was the first time the Americans had mentioned the word "evidence" in relation to anything to do with Huawei.

He was responding to a questioner who also pointed out that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said American companies complied with US laws when they co-operated with the government, but it was different in China. Pompeo was cited as saying Huawei was an instrument of the Chinese Government and the two were deeply connected.

Kang said in response: "For quite a while, in order to oppress Huawei, the US has been wracking its brains to make up stories in an attempt to convince people from the US and other countries that Huawei poses a security risk.

"First it was ideology, and now Huawei's relationship with the Chinese Government. I guess there will be more to come. However, it has been shying away from the one thing everyone truly cares about: evidence."

He could not resist a dig at the US, citing the NSA program PRISM which was exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden as being used for blanket surveillance of all Americans.

"A vivid contrast to it is the PRISM incident," Kang said. "The facts are more than clear as to what role the US Government played and whether it differentiated its targets based on ideology.

"There is no shortage of evidence for the international community to define the behaviour of the US."

Huawei has filed a case against the US Government, seeking to lift a ban imposed on its gear being used in the US, and on Wednesday filed a motion seeking summary judgment.

The company has been facing major issues after Google announced on 20 May that it was cutting off the company's access to future updates of Android and the Google Play Store.

A day later, the US Commerce Department eased some of the restrictions, allowing Huawei to maintain and update existing networks and handsets for 90 days.

US President Donald Trump has also put in place a ban on the use of equipment from Huawei and its fellow Chinese firm, ZTE, within the US.
Federal prosecutors say Schimenti and Jones converted their talk to action in 2017 when they helped train and equip a man they thought was going overseas to fight in Syria for Islamic State, also known as ISIS, even supplying him with cellphones they thought would be used as bomb detonators. The man turned out to be an undercover FBI informant.
Monticello, IL (61856)

Today

A steady rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 33F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

A steady rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 33F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
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 !
Henry Langrehr, a small-town kid from Clinton, Iowa, who jumped into Normandy the day he should have been graduating high school, embodies that sentiment. And he was awarded two Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts for his service  and with six others received the Legion of Honor, Frances highest award, for their roles in liberating France from the Nazis. But what gives me incredible hope and heart is something he shared near the end of our lunch.
The notice was filed May 24 by the company and posted by Commerce on Wednesday. It has specialized in limited low-cost international service to the public.

The headquarters closing affects 50 employees, all but one full time.

The company said the move to Wayne, Pa., will better serve our future needs and business plans. It said current employees can interview for jobs at the Pennsylvania facility.

The company changed its name shortly after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 5 after declaring in July 2017. Since declaring bankruptcy, the company has eliminated at least 142 of 192 jobs.

Richard Craver

N.C. economic index has slight gain in April

The North Carolina economy returned to a positive direction in April, rising 1% according to an index compiled by economics professor Michael Walden of N.C. State University.

The improvement was related to a 15.9% gain in building permits and 1% gain in manufacturing employment hours compared with a year ago.

The index, however, is down 6% from April 2018.
A Rowan County man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a bank robbery in Lexington earlier this month, authorities said Thursday.

Joshua Wayne McHone, 35, of Gold Hill was charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, Lexington police said. Investigators linked McHone to an armed robbery that happened May 10 at First National Bank at 298 Lowes Blvd. in Lexington, police said.

McHone also was served with four additional warrants for robbery with a dangerous weapon after investigators accused him of committing robberies in other cities, including Clemmons, Charlotte, Concord and Albemarle, police said.

McHone was being held Thursday in the Davidson County Jail with his bond set at $525,000, police said.

Anyone with information about this case can call Lexington police at 336-243-3302 or Lexington-area Crime Stoppers at 336-243-3400.

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 federal judge in Greensboro sentenced a Yadkin County man and a Davie County man to prison Wednesday after they pleaded guilty to federal drug offenses, authorities said Friday.

Judge Catherine C. Eagles of U.S. District Court sentenced Alfredo Arias Bello, 53, of Yadkinville to five years in prison and Rodolfo Vargas-Benitez, 37, of Mocksville to six years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. Bello and Vargas-Benitez pleaded guilty to distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Rowan and Yadkin counties in 2018.

Bello is accused of selling 9.5 ounces of meth to undercover drug officer from January through April last year, the Justice Department said. Vargas-Benitez is accused of possessing a small amount of meth and storing meth in a vehicle in June 2018.

Eagles also placed Bello and Vargas-Benitez on supervised parole after they complete their prison terms, the Justice Department said.

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.


Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
The quote is attributed to President Harry Truman, and Ronald Reagan kept it on his desk: It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.

It is even more amazing what has been accomplished with the American economy, but Democratic presidential candidates, the media and economists such as Paul Krugman of the New York Times refuse to give President Trump any credit. Recall that it was Krugman, a Nobel Prize winner, who predicted that Trumps election would trigger a global recession. One continues to wait in vain for an I was wrong statement from him.

The Economist, a center-left British magazine that includes coverage of events in the U.S. and is no fan of the Trump administration, recently published a remarkable editorial that contains gems Republicans should quote between now and the next election. They include a strong rebuke to the contention of many Democrats that working people are still struggling and that the improved economy continues to benefit only the wealthiest 1 percent.
Attorney General William Barr and the Trump White House banked on precisely the sloth we saw after release of the report from special counsel Robert Mueller. They correctly anticipated that the public wouldn't read it, that cable-news coverage would be superficial at best (and at worst misleading), and that President Donald Trump's cult would take on faith whatever he said either was or wasn't in the report. The headlines and screen crawlers announcing "Mueller couldn't indict!" and "Mueller says it's up to Congress!" -- who knew!? -- suggest they were right.

The breathless reports that Mueller's statements regarding his inability to prosecute pursuant to Justice Department policy contradict the attorney general's suggestion that there were other factors for not finding grounds for prosecution (e.g., lack of evidence), likewise reveal a failure to read the report, which explained Mueller's reasoning.

In an email, constitutional scholar Laurence H. Tribe told me, "Expressed in plain English, Mueller said: 'READ MY REPORT. It says I COULDN'T indict a sitting president. If my office could've concluded he was innocent of criminal conduct, we would've said so. We couldn't so we didn't. Only Congress can hold this sitting president accountable. The ball is in Congress's court now.'"
The same is true when it comes to obstruction of justice. In his report, Mueller carefully explains both sides of the argument and makes clear that "the evidence we obtained about the President's actions and intent presents difficult issues that would need to be resolved if we were making a traditional prosecutorial judgment." He presents exculpatory arguments on the president's behalf. For example, he notes that "unlike cases in which a subject engages in obstruction of justice to cover up a crime, the evidence we obtained did not establish that the President was involved in an underlying crime related to Russian election interference" and "the absence of that evidence affects the analysis of the President's intent and requires consideration of other possible motives for his conduct."
I refer to this as tunnel troubles. Students view themselves stuck in a tunnel, and they cant see the light at the end of the four or six years it might take them to finish college. They worry about their ability to pay for school, dont see the connection between coursework and career, are overwhelmed with other responsibilities and simply do not have the support they need to re-enroll in the fall. So they drop out.
Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Partly cloudy. Low around 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low around 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- East Africa Metals Inc. (TSX-V: EAM) ("East Africa" or the "Company") announces voting results from its Annual Meeting of Shareholders held today in Vancouver, BC.

A total of 75,774,458 million common shares, representing approximately 42.20% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares were voted in connection with the meeting. East Africa shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favor of all items of business, including the election of each director nominee as follows:

Dr. Jingbin Wang 99.99%

Mr. Andrew Lee Smith 99.96%

Dr. Antony Harwood 99.98%

Dr. Zhijun He 99.99%

Mr. Sean Waller 99.98%

Mr. David Parsons 99.98%

East Africa shareholders voted 99.98% in favor to appoint PricewaterhouseCooper LLP as auditors, 99.89% in favor of the amended stock option plan and 99.93% in favor of the proposed Tibet Huayu financing and development of the Terakimti, Da Tambuk and Mato Bula Projects in Ethiopia (See news release dated Feb. 8th, 2019).

Tibet Huayu Finance and Development

The transaction defined in the binding LOI includes terms that in exchange for 55% interest of Harvest and 70% interest in TRI, Tibet Huayu will:

Provide a cash payment of US$1.7M to EAM;

Finance, develop and operate the Terakimti, Da Tambuk and Mato Bula projects.

On completion of the proposed transaction:

Tibet Huayu will hold the rights (interest) to 55% post tax profits/Government distributions of Harvest and hold the rights (interest) to 70% of the post tax profits/Government distributions of TRI.

EAM will hold the rights (interest) to 15% post tax profits/Government distributions of Harvest and hold the rights (interest) to 30% of the post tax profits/Government distributions of TRI.

Closing conditions include: Ethiopian Ministry of Mines providing a formal letter confirming that the Terakimti Project mining license will not be in default if construction is not completed within the timeframe stipulated in the mining license or if the construction timeframe is extended; Ethiopian Ministry of Mines providing a formal letter confirming that it will issue the Adyabo Project mining licenses upon approval from the Ethiopian Council of Ministers; Receipt of all required approvals including and not limited to board, regulatory, and government approvals; Execution of definitive share purchase agreements and joint venture agreements respecting the Transaction; and Receipt by EAM from Tibet Huayu of the cash payment of US$1.7M.



EAM will retain the mineral rights, and all exploration obligations for the prospective targets not incorporated in the three mining licenses (EAM Mineral Resources). EAM shall give Tibet Huayu a right of first refusal of reasonable duration to acquire EAMs Mineral Resources. For consideration of the future Ethiopian Mineral Resources negotiations will be based on i) cash payment and ii) allocated % of post-tax profits of the new mineral resources. Tibet Huayu and EAM will use best efforts to finalize all conditions precedent and finalize the definitive agreement.

Management Changes

East Africa has, over the past several months, been engaged in the transition from a pure exploration company to a development and exploration company. As part of this transition we have been significantly cutting costs and have reduced the Companys G&A costs by nearly 55%.

Mr. Peter Granata (C.F.O.) and Mr. Jeff Heidema (V.P. Exploration) have tendered their resignations to pursue other opportunities. Both Messrs. Granata and Heidema have been instrumental in the growth of East Africa Metals during their time as Executives of the Company. The Board and Management of EAM are grateful for their contributions and wish them well in their future endeavours.

Effective immediately, Andrew Lee Smith, B.Sc., P.Geo. will be assuming the duties as the Companys Qualified Person, under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101 and will oversee the Companys upcoming drill program (See news release dated March 1st, 2019).

Ms. Jacqueline Tucker will replace Peter Granata, as the Companys Chief Financial Officer Ms. Tucker is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia. Ms. Tucker has over 30 years experience in providing professional services to a number of listed entities. Ms. Tucker has served as an officer and a director of a number of public companies that include mining, oil and gas and life sciences.

Andrew Lee Smith stated, East Africas management and Board of Directors are pleased with the progress the Company has achieved over the past seven-years in Ethiopia. They are also thankful for the hard work and dedication the administrative staff and technical team have displayed in meeting difficult challenges in pursuit of the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.

Additional information about East Africa can be viewed at the Company's website at www.eastafricametals.com or at www.sedar.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors:

Andrew Lee Smith, P.Geo.

For further information contact:

Nick Watters, Business Development

Telephone +1 (604) 488-0822

Website www.eastafricametals.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "forecast", "project", "budget", "schedule", "may", "will", "could", "might", "should", indicate or variations of such words or similar words or expressions. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by East Africa as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of East Africa to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: timing of receipt of approvals related to the LOI and Definitive Agreement; timing of receipt of mining permits; timing of mining development; projected heap leach recoveries ; engineering study assessments and results, metal and mineral prices; availability of capital; accuracy of East Africa's projections and estimates, including the mineral resources for the Adyabo and Harvest; estimated timing of receipt of the Adyabo mining license applications and/or exploration license extensions, interest and exchange rates; mineral exploration and development; accuracy of East Africa's projections and estimates, including the initial mineral resource for the Adyabo and Harvest; interest and exchange rates; competition; stock price fluctuations; availability of drilling equipment and access; actual results of current exploration activities; government regulation; political or economic developments; foreign taxation risks; environmental risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities; personnel relations; the speculative nature of strategic metal exploration and development including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves; contests over title to properties; and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, as well as those risk factors set out in in East Africas managements discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and for the year ended December 31, 2018, and East Africas listing application dated July 8, 2013 Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The contained gold, copper and silver figures shown are in situ. No assurance can be given that the estimated quantities will be produced. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the timely closing of the financing; the timely closing of the Handeni Property definitive agreement; the price of gold, silver, copper and zinc; the demand for gold, silver, copper and zinc; the ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the timely receipt of any required approvals; the ability to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner; the renewal or extension of exploration Licenses; the regulatory framework regarding environmental matters, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although East Africa 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. The Company does not update or revise forward-looking information even if new information becomes available unless legislation requires the Company do so. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Vancouver, BC / TheNewswire / May 31, 2019 -Surge Exploration Inc. ("the Company" or "Surge") (TSXV: SUR, OTC: SURJF, FRA: DJ5C) announces that it will have key members of its management team on site this weekend at its newly acquired mineral claims adjoining its Copper Porphyry Property in North Central British Columbia. The purpose of this visit is to conduct additional geological work, kick-off our 2019 Mineral Exploration program on the Company's five properties within the immediate area, and to complete a N.I. 43-101 Technical Report on the newly acquired property claims.

This news comes on the heels of Surge's May 6, 2019 news release announcing the recent acquisition of four additional Copper Gold mineral claims totalling 6,790 hectares which add to the Company's current sizable land position within British Columbia's prolific Omineca Mining District. Surge now has Copper-Gold mineral claims totalling 26,455 hectares (265 sq km) in the area.

The transaction is subject to TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange") approval.

Tim Fernback, Surge President & CEO states "I look forward to traveling to our mining exploration properties and kick off our planned 2019 mineral exploration season. In addition to completing some needed surface sampling and mineral assaying, we plan to show our shareholders both aerial and land-based images of this very prolific mining region within British Columbia. This area has already generated several promising projects, and is the subject of significant interest and exploration expenditure in 2019 with recent discoveries by Sun Metals and continuing activity by Teck Resources, Centerra Gold and Serengeti Resources."

About the Property

The Omineca Group of 12 claim blocks (see map) lie in the Omineca Mining Division of north-central British Columbia, approximately 150 km north of Fort St. James. The claims are not subject to any royalty terms, back-in rights, payments or any other agreements and encumbrances.

B.C. Minfile assessment report data indicates that most of the area covered by the Omineca Group claim blocks were at one time or another covered by staking during surges of exploration in B.C. dating from the 1940's to present day. Largely the claims appear to have been minimally explored with little follow-up. However, some work was recorded on several claims with results for stream sediment sampling showing anomalous to highly anomalous results for gold in a few areas. These areas were recommended for detailed follow-up, however due to a previous commodity price downturn no further work was recorded.

Prominent among early discoveries in the Omineca region were the nearby Lustdust/Stardust property (Sun Metals Corp. TSXV: SUNM) covering a large, coherent integrated porphyry-skarn-manto, epithermal system; the Kwanika property (Serengeti Resources Inc./POSCO Daewoo TSXV: SIR) a promising advanced stage copper-gold project; the Lorraine property (Teck Resources and Sun Metals) host to a significant coppergold NI 43-101 compliant resource. The Surge tenures are located between the Kemess North project being developed by Centerra Gold's subsidiary Aurico Metals and Centerra Gold's operation Mt Milligan mine.

Map of Properties

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed by Bruce Laird, P.Geo., an independent consulting geologist and a qualified person as defined in NI 43-101 and by J.W. Morton P.Geo, Technical Adviser to the company who takes responsibility for the content of this news..

About Surge Exploration Inc.

The Company is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company which has been active in the resource sector in British Columbia and elsewhere in Canada. The Company has an exploration office in Santiago, Chile to review mineral exploration opportunities in Chile and elsewhere in South America.

Ontario Cobalt Properties (Cobalt):

The Company has an option to earn an undivided 60% interest in the Glencore Bucke Property and the Teledyne Property, located in Cobalt, Ontario Canada.

Hedge Hog Property, (Copper Gold) British Columbia

The Company has an option to earn an undivided 60% interest seven mineral tenure covering 2,418 hectares (5,972 acres) located approximately 80 km northeast of the town of Quesnel, BC and 20 km north of the historic gold mining towns of Wells and Barkerville.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Tim Fernback"

Tim Fernback

President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements.
TORONTO, May 31, 2019 /CNW/ - Orefinders Resources Inc. ("Orefinders" or the "Company") (TSX.V: ORX) is pleased to announce that has received TSX Venture Exchange final approval and has closed the Pacific Precious ("Pacific") transaction as described in the Company's May 15, 2019 news release.

"We are looking forward to the exploration work Pacific Precious has planned on the Kuta Ridge project in Papua New Guinea. For Orefinders shareholders, it's an exciting opportunity to get evolved in a high grade epithermal system whose veins and outcrop appear right at surface and of course on an island which is known for exceptional deposits," said Stephen Stewart, Orefinders CEO.

Orefinders encourages its shareholders to visit Pacific Precious' website for a presentation on the Kuta Ridge project along with plenty of photographs, webinar and videos showing the surface mineralisation, in place infrastructure and alluvial mining on site.

Pacific Precious Website

Pacific Precious was financed privately. Proceeds of this financing will be used towards the first phase of exploration by Pacific Precious on its 100%-owned Kuta Ridge project in Papua New Guinea, to establish the project as a property of merit. The exploration program will commence in the next two weeks.

About Orefinders Resources Inc.

Orefinders is a Gold exploration and development company focused primarily within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The Company is listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the symbol ORX.

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.

Certain information in this press release may contain forward-looking statements. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Orefinders' assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to Orefinders. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in filings by Orefinders with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available under Orefinders' profile at www.sedar.com
Bigs might work on a goal like helping the child with reading, but the basic idea is just to hang out and do fun activities together, with guidance and influence happening naturally, during the car ride or the seventh-inning stretch. Plenty of children have loving parents, often a single mother, who sign them up for a mentor because they dont have the time or money for outings and enrichment activities. Kids may have multiple siblings and not get a lot of individual time with a parent. Visits to restaurants, amusement parks, museums and ballgames might be new to them  not something they take for granted.
But this moment in Chicago is about much more than Ed Burkes alleged racketeering, bribery, attempted extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and use of interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity. The indictment vastly expands what had been a one-charge case against the dean of Chicagos aldermen. The feds dropped their 59 pages on Burke one day after the newly sworn Woman on Five  Mayor and former prosecutor Lori Lightfoot, with her office on the fifth floor of City Hall  rebuked him at her first City Council meeting. She used another phrase thatll have legs in Chicagoese: Alderman, please. I will call you when I want to hear from you.
My AP Government teacher has always told us that Chicago government is complex enough to be studied as if it were its own state. I never fully understood the complexity of its politics until we began to follow the mayoral race. Since Mayor Lori Lightfoots historic victory, Chicagoans are excited about her proposed projects. While Lightfoot's plans sound promising, lets hope that she will not become another politician full of big promises and no actual improvement. I wish her the best of luck and am excited to see how she will handle a city with a massive budget shortfall, and whether she will clean up Chicagos reputation of being a dangerous and politically dysfunctional city.
I think that the interaction between the mayor and the alderman up until this point has made it clear that notwithstanding that hes been there a long time, she doesnt intend to deal with him or interact with him beyond what she has to beyond being the mayor, OConnor said. Im not sure what the relationship with other aldermen will be, theres a lot of new ones, I assume the relationship there will be fairly nonexistent and obviously for the others it will be strained.
By SARAH ZIMMERMAN Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP)  Gov. Kate Brown announced a plan Thursday to limit Oregon's unique tax rebate known as the kicker, saying she wants to divert $500 million in tax credits away from the state's top income earners to pay down pension costs and invest in rural housing.

How is the PERS deficit still being described as a "shared" responsibility?  Using that phrase makes the Democrats think it's okay to take YOUR $ from the kicker and use it for PERS debt https://t.co/tKsFeIifAw pic.twitter.com/TvRPlBtRv6  Oregon Senate Republicans (@ORSenateRs) May 28, 2019

"It's fiscally responsible and makes common sense," the Democrat told reporters. "Most Oregonians would get their full kicker back."

Excess revenue is automatically returned to taxpayers in the form of a tax rebate whenever the state takes in more revenue than what state economists forecast. Oregon's facing a historic year for state revenue, and the so-called "kicker" rebate is expected to be the highest in state history at $1.4 billion.

The governor is proposing to limit refunds at $1,000, which would reduce expected payments for approximately 20% of all taxpayers. Brown said it's a way to provide most Oregonians their full refunds while retaining $500 million in extra revenue for the state.

Some Democrats have long criticized kicker payments for disproportionally favoring the wealthy. Under this year's historic kicker, the median taxpayer would be expected to receive $330 dollars while the top 1% of income earners could enjoy rebates up to 40 times higher than that--nearly $14,000.

READ MORE: During their recent walkout, Oregon Republican lawmakers insisted that PERS be addressed.

Under Brown's plan at least $250 million of the kicker funds would go to help pay down the state's pension debt. The rest would be dedicated to rural housing and beefing up broadband infrastructure in more remote areas of the state.

There's still no formal legislation for the proposal, and Brown said she's open to changes. She also said she's met with Republican leaders but didn't specify if they supported the move.

Republicans have recoiled at any attempt to cut the kicker, saying the rebate is meant to be a safeguard against rampant government spending.

"Our state income tax revenue is at an all-time high," said House Majority Leader Carl Wilson, of Grants Pass. "This is no time to begin skimming off money that hard-working Oregonians have earned."

Brown admitted that diverting any amount of the kicker is politically difficult, as it requires a two-thirds vote from the House and Senate.

House Speaker Tina Kotek previously said that there weren't enough votes to support using kicker funds to pay down pension debt. Kotek introduced her own measure to divert half the kicker toward transportation upgrades in Portland, which was met with skepticism from even the governor who said she wanted any kicker funds to be used to benefit the entire state.

The governor's proposal is meant to be a one-time investment, and she said that she wanted to publicly release a plan to "stimulate conversation" among lawmakers and the public.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. -- The Klamath area needs more foster families.

That's according to several agencies. Every Child Oregon is an agency that works to support foster families and Department of Human Services caseworkers. It's trying to expand to Klamath County, and help fill the foster family gap.

On a scale of 1 to 10 on how badly the area needs more foster parents, Anna D'Olivo -- a foster home certifier for DHS -- says it ranks a 12. She adds they really need families that can take siblings.

"People who can accommodate a newborn don't necessarily want an adolescent [sibling]," D'Olivo said. But she adds trying to keep siblings together is immensely important.

"Keeping siblings together is huge. I mean you've already lost your parents, and now you're going to be placed potentially in a home that maybe you're not even family with," D'Olivo said. "Just that trauma alone is super hard."

Friends of the Children of the Klamath Basin is another agency that helps support kids. They pair children with a mentor that supports them from kindergarten through 12th grade. The executive director of the organization says 40% of the children in their program have experienced the foster system.

The district manager for the Department of Human Services, Jeremy Player, says he was the one that connected Every Child to Friends of the Children to help it expand. His office works with both agencies to support not only foster parents and kids, but also DHS caseworkers.

He adds turnover among caseworkers is high, and Every Child's support of them is invaluable.

"The reality is if we can keep caseworkers in a very difficult job -- a job I would not want my kids to be in, because they're going out there, dealing with pain every single day -- if we can keep them, and they can work with families, we will be successful."

Friends of the Children of the Klamath Basin had its annual fundraiser Thursday night, where it typically raises a third of its revenue.

If you missed that event, but still want to support them, CLICK HERE.

To learn about becoming a foster parent, or to learn how to support foster families, CLICK HERE.

The DHS office also has an Amazon Wish List for it's family visitation center. CLICK HERE to see the list and donate.
MCCLOUD, Calif. -- The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) says the Mount Shasta Police Department (MSPD) arrested a man Tuesday night after he ran away from sheriff's deputies in the City of Mt. Shasta last year. This caused a search around Alma Street, northeast of downtown, for hours.

A MSPD officer arrested Mt. Shasta man, Jordan Lee Stanley, 20, for a felony arrest warrant obtained after deputies say he stole a car and stole from a McCloud Chevron gas station back on September 7, 2018. Deputies say he used that stolen 2005 GMC Yukon SUV to drive into the gas station and steal the ATM. They says the suspect(s) disappeared from the scene before deputies got there. Another deputy was on his way to the scene when he saw a car that fit the suspect vehicle description driving at a high rate of speed on SR 89. The deputy began to follow that car and tried to initiate an enforcement stop but the driver fled the scene. The car spun-out and dust cloud obscured the deputy's vision, as well as the car and whoever was in it. The deputy found the car one mile away abandoned by the suspect.

The Sheriff's office says deputies and detectives from SCSO's Major Crimes Unit (MCU) opened an investigatin. They obtained security footage with the suspect wearing a mask at the Chevron station crime scene. MCU detectives later learned Stanley was a person of interest in the case. MCUs detectives and its Forensic Technician examined evidence collected at or near the scene where the stolen vehicle was abandoned by the suspect. An article of evidence was scientifically analyzed for DNA, which ultimately identified Mr. Stanley as the suspect in the case after comparing a DNA sample he previously provided.

Deputies say Stanley is suspected to have committed several serious offenses arising from the McCloud Chevron station burglary and theft and an arrest warrant was issued out of the Siskiyou County Superior Court based on the DNA evidence. He faces several serious charges associated with his crimes including burglary, theft, felony vandalism, auto theft, evading arrest, and resisting, obstructing, and delaying a peace officer during the course of their duty. He also faces probation violation charges. Stanley was previously arrested by MSPD on September 27, 2018, for possession of burglary tools and loitering. Stanley was on probation for a Shasta County crime involving the burglary of a jewelry store in Redding on September 24, 2018.

The cases involving Stanley are still under investigation. The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office asks that you call if you have any information information about any of these or other crimes. The number is (530) 841-2900.
It comes in the wake of special counsel Robert Muellers first public statements this week on his teams inquiry into Russian meddling during the 2016 U.S. election that raised questions about Trumps role in the case. After his report was released, Trump offered what would become a refrain: that there was no collusion with Russia, a reference to allegations that this campaign team worked with Russia to win the election. But on Tuesday, Mueller said his findings didnt exonerate the president and that charging the president with a crime was not an option. Read The Associated Press story here.
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP)  A former Oregon State University graduate student convicted of a hate crime last year has pleaded guilty to another charge.

The Corvallis Gazette-Times reported Thursday that 29-year-old Andrew Joseph Oswalt pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal mischief in Benton County court Wednesday for damaging a sign in July 2017.

Oswalt agreed to a sentence including 12 months of probation, 40 hours of community service, restitution, and fees.

Prosecutors say Oswalt defaced a lawn sign in Corvallis with a sticker featuring the same racist message that resulted in an earlier conviction.

Oswalt was found guilty in November of first-degree intimidation, a felony hate crime, for placing racist bumper stickers on the cars of activists in June 2017 in the city 83 miles (134 kilometers) south of Portland.
MEDFORD, Ore. 

UPDATE: Elijah White was located "unharmed" in Ashland on Thursday night, according to the Medford Police Department.

A social media post from the agency did not provide any more information about the case or what may have happened.

(Updated at 10:45 a.m. on 5/31/19)

UPDATE: According to an update from Medford Police, missing teen Elijah White spoke to an Oregon State Police trooper on I-5 on Thursday morning, and the trooper gave White a ride to Barnett Road in Medford.

"Elijah is still missing, but no longer considered endangered. It appears he is a runway," MPD said.

(Updated at 2:55 p.m. on 5/30/19)

INITIAL REPORT: Police are asking the public to be on the lookout for a missing and endangered teenager last seen in Medford at the Rogue Valley Mall.

16-year-old Elijah White was spotted at the mall around 9 a.m. on Thursday morning.

According to the Medford Police Department (MPD), White is missing under "suspicious circumstances." His vehicle was found in the mall parking lot with the keys in the door, and his cell phone was recovered in the middle of the road near Red Lobster.

"His family is greatly concerned for his safety," MPD said.

White is described as 5'11" and 130 pounds. The picture taken from security footage [above] is current, while the adjacent picture on a blue background is an earlier DMV photo.

If you have any information regarding White's disappearance, please contact MPD and reference Case #19-10011.
Every time my mother changed my diaper she said I would just scream, said Moore, the youngest of four siblings in a military family.

Moore had her first surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center, which is part of Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Then her parents consulted pediatric orthopedic specialists at the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Shreveport, Louisiana, where she was admitted at around 20 months old.

Essentially, I was casted up and braced up for several years. I was baptized in a cast, said Moore, who spent most of her first three years either propped up in a high chair or crawling commando-style on the floor.

Moore underwent another series of surgeries at age 4, when part of her pelvis was removed and grafted to her femur to create a hip joint. Additional hip procedures were needed at age 9, this time at the Shriners Hospital in Honolulu while her father was stationed at Fort Shafter.

As I grew, they had to go in and revise my joint, said Moore, whose right leg was 3 inches shorter than her left.
GRAND ISLAND, Neb.  Grand Islands largest employer is going to get bigger as JBS USA has announced a $95 million expansion project at its Grand Island beef production facility.

According to JBS USA, the project includes new, improved animal handling facilities, a state-of-the-art temperature-controlled harvest floor and a reconfigured facility designed to improve team member experience, food safety and product quality.

Tim Schellpeper, JBS USA fed beef president, said the expansion is an important strategic investment.

Around the world, from North and South America to Asia and Africa, consumers crave the superior taste and quality of American beef, Schellpeper said. Partnering with leading Nebraska and other area beef producers, we are proud to invest in a vibrant future for U.S. beef.

The 107,000-square-foot expansion project, which has already started, is anticipated to be completed in early 2021. Operations at Grand Island will continue uninterrupted throughout.
GRAND ISLAND (AP)  Police are looking for a central Nebraska auto sales employee who was sent to make a more than $14,000 cash deposit, but never showed up at the bank.

The Grand Island Independent reports that an employee with Jubba Auto Sales in Grand Island was sent Wednesday to make a deposit $14,443 at the business bank. When he failed to return, and the bank said no deposit was made, police were called.

Police say the employee is a man in his 70s.
In Nebraska, we havent seen towns damaged or destroyed by tornadoes or roof-high floods. The Spencer Dams failure in March caused catastrophic flooding downstream on the Niobrara River, but were not worried that our major dams might fail and reservoirs might exceed capacities.

Were still frustrated by our spring weather and theres nothing we can do about it.

Maybe it was the need to do something that drew people to Avenue A in downtown Kearney Wednesday afternoon to see a wood duck and her dozen-or-so ducklings walking under and around parked cars across the street from the Hub.

I noticed the gathering of people when I parked in the city lot on the east side of Avenue A. I was told the duck family had crossed from the Hub side of the street, but one duckling was hit by a car.

I retrieved my camera from the Hub office and circled a red car to take duck photos. Duck mom decided to walk under the car, which was parked over a storm drain grate. The ducklings followed and dropped into the hole under the grate.
One hundred years ago, on June 4, 1919, the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution in support of a 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which would give women the right to vote. The resolution was sent to the states and eventually was ratified in August 1920.

The quiz below, from the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, is an opportunity to test your knowledge of womens suffrage.

1. Although women would not win the vote nationally until the 20th century, from 1776-1807 single women who met property qualifications were eligible to vote under the constitution of which state?

A. Rhode Island

B. New Jersey

C. New York

D. Pennsylvania

2. The first national convention for womens rights was held in 1848. In what city was it held?

A. Seneca Falls, N.Y.

B. Providence, R.I.

C. Wilmington, Del.

D. Lancaster, Pa.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  President Rodrigo Duterte questioned China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea as he capped off his four-day visit to Japan on Friday.

"I love China, it has helped us a bit. But it behooves upon us to ask, is it right for a country to claim the whole ocean?" Duterte said in a rare rebuke of Beijing, whose friendship he has nurtured. He made the remark as he veered away from his prepared speech in the 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo.

China continues to claim almost the entire South China Sea despite an arbitration ruling that invalidated its stake that is supposedly based on historical records. The arbitral tribunal recognized the Philippines' sovereign rights in some sea features within in its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone that China claims. The government calls the areas that the Philippines claims and occupies as the West Philippine Sea, where China has built artificial islands, prohibited Filipino fishermen from fishing, and interfered in petroleum exploration.

Duterte said the code of conduct which will lay out what claimants can and cannot do in the disputed waters "is just about two years away."

The Philippines is the country coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations until 2021. ASEAN has been pushing for decades for a legally-binding code of conduct in the South China Sea but progress has been slow because of resistance from China.

Duterte did not talk about China's actions in the contested areas, but addressed non-claimant countries' "testing [of] waters in the South China Sea.

"Because of the absence of the conduct of the sea, France, Britain, America are testing the waters... It is really testing who can fire the first shot. And I am sad and bewildered  not angry  because I cannot do anything," Duterte said.

The U.S. is not a claimant country but conducts freedom-of-navigation exercises and criticizes China's alleged militarization in the South China Sea. Duterte said there could never be fruitful talk between the U.S. and China, amid rising trade tensions between the two countries.

READ: Duterte: South China Sea is now in China's hands, why create friction?

"There has to be anybody not identified with any country that China does not like because there will never be a sort of an America, China talking seriously about territories. It will just end up in a shouting match," Duterte said.

He also reiterated that he is not forcing China to follow the arbitral ruling, saying the Philippines cannot go to war against the East Asian giant.

"The China Sea is part of the Republic of China and so we give it. Why? Because they are there. And a lot of lousy politicians in my country want me to to push the arbitral ruling because we won," Duterte said, wrongly using the formal name of Taiwan instead of People's Republic of China. "My country is very small, it has progressed a little over the years, I don't know why. But I cannot afford war with anybody, not only with China."

Duterte has been heavily criticized for his pursuing friendly ties with China amid the dispute. Critics fear billions worth of loans and pledges from China would force the Philippines into a debt trap, something both Manila and Beijing officials denied.

The Philippines earlier protested China's actions in the West Philippine Sea, including the swarming of Chinese vessels around Pag-asa Island and Chinese fishermen's harvesting of giant clams, locally known as Taklobos, in Scarborough Shoal. Malacanang, however, has distanced itself from the complaint filed by former government officials against Chinese President Xi Jinping over the alleged militarization of artificial islands, damage to marine environment, and harassment of Filipino fishermen.

READ: China's 'most destructive' boats back in Scarborough  think tank

Duterte said he wants to talk to Xi again. The last time they talked in April, reports said Xi reiterated China's rejection of the landmark arbitral ruling.

"lf I get a chance to visit Beijing again, I'll try to talk to President Xi Jinping... the longer it takes for the issue to be there, it is always a flash point for trouble," he said.
Burke was indicted Thursday on expanded federal corruption charges  including one count of racketeering, two counts of federal program bribery, two counts of attempted extortion, one count of conspiracy to commit extortion and eight counts of using interstate commerce to facilitate an unlawful activity. Federal prosecutors previously charged Burke with attempted extortion, alleging he had used his official position as alderman to extort property tax business for his law firm from a Burger King owner doing business in his ward, a criminal charge he has denied.
Fog in channel, Continent cut off, is a British quip about an old newspaper headline regarding English Channel weather, quoted in this column for good reason. Current developments regarding the European Union (EU) underscore the enduring reality that Britain is in but not of Europe.

The just concluded elections for the European Parliament have reconfirmed strong skepticism among the British people regarding any extensive, formal institutional involvement in Europe.

The new Brexit Party has received the largest vote total, winning 29 of 73 allocated seats in the legislature. Brexit is the shorthand term for Britains departure from the EU.

The Brexit Party finished first with 31.5 percent of the vote, but the Liberal Democrats  strongly committed to Europe  finished second with 20.5 per cent. Add the pro-Europe Green Partys 12.1 per cent and total pro-EU support equals the Brexiters. The Conservative and Labour parties internally disagree on Europe.

Nigel Farage created the Brexit Party in January 2019. In British politics, things do not usually happen that way. After all, in this nation tradition rules.

Previously, Farage was the leader of UKIP, the United Kingdom Independent Party. Many view this party as neofascist. Certainly, the partys anti-immigrant stance has ugly dimensions.

Farage is colorful, collecting accusations of corruption as well as extremism. In 2016, with much fanfare, he and staff members visited the Republican National Convention in Ohio. He endorsed Donald Trump for the White House.

U.S. federal agents arrested George Cottrell, chief of staff for Farage and head of UKIP fundraising, at OHare International Airport in Chicago on twenty-one counts of money laundering, wire fraud, blackmail and extortion. After a plea deal, a judge released him from federal prison in March 2017.

While the three-day EU elections were taking place, Prime Minster Theresa May tearfully resigned. Given the extraordinary ineptness and weakness of her brief tenure in office, formal departure is only a footnote.

On repeated occasions, her government failed dismally to persuade the nations Parliament to accept agreements negotiated for withdrawal from the EU, or find alternative departure routes.

Her own Conservative Party has effectively shattered over the issue, with massive defections both from remainers who want to continue in the EU and from hardline Brexiters.

Meanwhile, the EU has shown notable restraint and patience in the face of the seemingly endless British drama. Last November, at a summit meeting in Brussels, EU representatives formally accepted Brexit. EU President Jean-Claude Juncker expressed diplomatic sadness at the prospect.

Additionally, in December the European Court of Justice ruled Britain could remain in the EU without conditions.

That legal bedrock is important especially as the British continue to wrestle with themselves.

In recent decades the Conservative Party, which led Britain into the European community, has significantly shifted position. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was famously a Eurosceptic. The 1997 general election brought into Parliament a younger generation of Conservative politicians who reflected her views, including Theresa May.

Britain stayed aloof from the original European Economic Community, founded in the 1950s. However, since World War II the nations trade and investment have become heavily concentrated in Europe.

At the same time, however, Britain remains a stalwart founding member of the NATO Alliance. Britain was instrumental in brokering vital ties with North America during World War II and the challenging post-war years.

Brexiters garner headlines, but the EU election results ae ambiguous, reflecting these different currents. This context is essential to realistic, thorough political analysis.

Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of After the Cold War. Contact acyr@carthage.edu

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Kaegi also opened himself up to criticism inside the Capitol in the waning weeks of session when he sent out an email to supporters urging them to support the bill. The pitch also doubled as a campaign fundraising appeal, leading to grumbling from the phalanx of lobbyists hired to oppose the bill.
Ageism in medicine is real. How can it be stopped?

66 Shares Share

Society gives short shrift to older age. This distinct phase of life doesnt get the same attention thats devoted to childhood. And the special characteristics of people in their 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond are poorly understood.

Medicine reflects this narrow-mindedness. In medical school, physicians learn that people in the prime of life are normal and scant time is spent studying aging. In practice, doctors too often fail to appreciate older adults unique needs or to tailor treatments appropriately.

Imagine a better way. Older adults would be seen as different than, not less than. The phases of later life would be mapped and expertise in aging would be valued, not discounted.

With the growth of the elder population, its time for this to happen, argues Dr. Louise Aronson, a geriatrician, and professor of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco, in her new book, Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life.

Its an in-depth, unusually frank exploration of biases that distort societys view of old age and that shape dysfunctional health policies and medical practices.

In an interview, edited for clarity and length, Aronson elaborated on these themes.

Q: How do you define elderhood?

Elderhood is the third major phase of life, which follows childhood and adulthood and lasts for 20 to 40 years, depending on how long we live.

Medicine pretends that this part of life isnt really different from young adulthood or middle age. But it is. And that needs a lot more recognition than it currently gets.

Q: Does elderhood have distinct stages?

Its not like the stages of child development  being a baby, a toddler, school-age, a teenager  which occur in a predictable sequence at about the same age for almost everybody.

People age differently  in different ways and at different rates. Sometimes people skip stages. Or they move from an earlier stage to a later stage but then move back again.

Lets say someone in their 70s with cancer gets really aggressive treatment for a year. Before, this person was vital and robust. Now, hes gaunt and frail. But say the treatment works and this man starts eating healthily, exercising and getting lots of help from a supportive social network. In another year, he may feel and look much better, as if time had rolled backwards.

Q: What might the stages of elderhood look like for a healthy older person?

In their 60s and 70s, peoples joints may start to give them trouble. Their skin changes. Their hearing and eyesight deteriorate. They begin to lose muscle mass. Your brain still works, but your processing speed is slower.

In your 80s and above, you start to develop more stiffness. Youre more likely to fall or have trouble with continence or sleeping or cognition  the so-called geriatric syndromes. You begin to change how you do what you do to compensate.

Because bodies alter with aging, your response to treatment changes. Take a common disease like diabetes. The risks of tight blood sugar control become higher and the benefits become lower as people move into this old old stage. But many doctors arent aware of the evidence or dont follow it.

Q: Youve launched an elderhood clinic at UCSF. What do you do there?

I see anyone over age 60 in every stage of health. Last week, my youngest patient was 62 and my oldest was 102.

Ive been focusing on what I call the five Ps. First, the whole person  not the disease  is my foremost concern.

Prevention comes next. Evidence shows that you can increase the strength and decrease the frailty of people through age 100. The more unfit you are, the greater the benefits from even a small amount of exercise. And yet, doctors dont routinely prescribe exercise. I do that.

Its really clear that purpose, the third P, makes a huge difference in health and wellness. So, I ask people, What are your goals and values? What makes you happy? What is it you are doing that you like best or you wish you were doing that youre not doing anymore? And then I try to help them make that happen.

Many people havent established priorities, the fourth P. Recently, I saw a man in his 70s whos had HIV/AIDS for a long time and who assumed he would die decades ago. He had never planned for growing older or done advance care planning. It terrified him. But now hes thinking about what it means to be an old man and what his priorities are, something hes finally willing to let me help him with.

Perspective is the fifth P. When I work on this with people, I ask, Lets figure out a way for you to keep doing the things that are important to you. Do you need new skills? Do you need to change your environment? Do you need to do a bit of both?

Perspective is about how people see themselves in older age. Are you willing to adapt and compensate for some of the ways youve changed? This isnt easy by any means, but I think most people can get there if we give them the right support.

Q: Youre very forthright in the book about ageism in medicine. How common is that?

Do you know the famous anecdote about the 97-year-old man with the painful left knee? He goes to a doctor who takes a history and does an exam. Theres no sign of trauma, and the doctor says, Hey, the knee is 97 years old. What do you expect? And the patient says, But my right knee is 97 and it doesnt hurt a bit.

Thats ageism: dismissing an older persons concerns simply because the person is old. It happens all the time.

On the research side, traditionally, older adults have been excluded from clinical trials, although thats changing. In medical education, only a tiny part of the curriculum is devoted to older adults, although in hospitals and outpatient clinics they account for a very significant share of patients.

The consequence is that most physicians have little or no specific training in the anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and special conditions and circumstances of old age  though we know that old people are the ones most likely to be harmed by hospital care and medications.

Q: What does ageism look like on the ground?

Recently, a distressed geriatrician colleague told me a story about grand rounds at a major medical center where the case of a very complex older patient brought in from a nursing home was presented. [Grand rounds are meetings where doctors discuss interesting or difficult cases.]

When it was time for comments, one of the leaders of the medical service stood up and said, I have a solution to this case. We just need to have nursing homes be 100 miles away from our hospitals. And the crowd laughed.

Basically, he was saying: We dont want to see old people; theyre a waste of our time and money. If someone had said this about women or people of color or LGBTQ people, there would have been outrage. In this case, there was none. It makes you want to cry.

Q: What can people do if they encounter this from a doctor?

If you put someone on the defensive, you wont get anywhere.

You have to say in the gentlest, friendliest way possible, I picked you for my physician because I know youre a wonderful doctor. But I have to admit, Im pretty disappointed by what you just said, because it felt to me that you were discounting me. Id really like a different approach.

Doctors are human beings, and we live in a super ageist society. They may have unconscious biases, but they may not be malicious. So, give them some time to think about what you said. If after some time they dont respond, you should definitely change doctors.

Q: Do you see signs of positive change?

Absolutely. Theres a much larger social conversation around aging than there was five years ago. And that is making its way to the health system.

Surgeons are thinking more and more about evaluating and preparing older adults before surgery and the different kind of care they need after. Anesthesiologists are thinking more about delirium, which has short-term and long-term impact on older adults brains. And neurologists are thinking more about the experience of illness as well as the pathophysiology and imaging of it.

Then you have the age-friendly health system movement, which is unquestionably a step in the right direction. And a whole host of startups that could make various types of care more convenient and that could, if they succeed, end up benefiting older people.

Judith Graham is a correspondent, Kaiser Health News. Louise Aronson is a geriatrician and the author of Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life. She blogs at her self-titled site, Louse Aronson, and can be found on Twitter @LouiseAronson.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
The bill also doesnt give the public more access to information about educator misconduct. In Illinois, even if an educator was disciplined by the state for misconduct, the law prohibits the State Board of Education from releasing records related to their misdeeds unless the educator fought license sanctions in a hearing.
112K Shares Share

Recently I had the wonderful, yet solemn opportunity of attending my ninety-three-year-old paternal uncles funeral. I purposely choose the word wonderful to describe this experience because honoring the life of such a remarkable man, surrounded by my family who will continue to love him dearly, was such a special gift. Amid todays increasingly complex world of business and social media, it is often a challenge to pause, to reflect, to take stock, and to seek moments of clarity. At a simple chapel, alongside family and friends, we collectively and personally said good-bye to a man who marked both my fathers life, and consequently my life, forever.

My father immigrated from Cuba to the United States in the 1960s in order to escape Fidel Castros communist government. As a part of the historic Operation Peter Pan, which the U.S. initiated to allow children to seek asylum as refugees initially in Florida and later throughout the country, my father was sent away from everything he knew in Cuba, with no guarantee of ever seeing his parents or his family again. Thankfully, my uncle Santiago was also able to escape and provided for my father while my grandparents stayed behind in Cuba, waiting for their own opportunity to leave. My uncle and aunt took on my teenage father, raising him alongside their own two children, helping to shape him into the man he is today. My father shared a powerful message at my uncles funeral, poignantly reminding us all that the kindness of one man is everlasting and can transcend generations.

My uncle, having been a lawyer in Cuba, immigrated to the U.S. and became an exceptional Spanish teacher. Throughout his career, he demonstrated tenacity, perseverance, and resilience. My father, like my uncle, has lived a life of dedication, hard work, and generosity. My father has always modeled true grit and continually encourages my younger sister and me to achieve the highest levels of education and professional experience. Throughout the process of pursuing a career in medicine, completing my residency in pediatrics, and obtaining my health care-focused MBA, I have always felt a responsibility to continue the family legacy of determination. My father never asked me to be the smartest student in my class, but he always encouraged me to be the hardest working and most tenacious. He took the time to teach me that life is not only about your I.Q., but what you do with the level of intelligence you have been blessed with. Hard work, determination and asking the right questions always helps.

As a health care leader today, I have the honor and privilege of working with so many talented and exceptionally intelligent individuals. Among the many challenges inherent to the health care industry, I am reminded that as a physician leader, compassion goes a long way. It is not a coincidence that recent studies support that allowing physicians the time and encouraging opportunities to care improves health outcomes and reduces instances of physician burnout. When patients perceive compassion from physicians, they develop greater trust in the medical profession. Unfortunately, I have also seen how an individuals compassion and kindness may be misinterpreted by others as a sign of weakness. Compassion is not an indication of a leaders vulnerability, but rather a differentiator revealing inner strength and confidence.

As a physician leader, your team looks up to you whether you are cognitively aware of it or not. Compassion can be contagious that can lead to a positive and flourishing work environment. If you desire a team that shares your vision, priorities, and work ethic, is effective and high performing, compassion will always be part of the path to true and lasting success.

Physicians need to also demonstrate compassion with each other. When my uncle passed away, I had just started a new job. When I told my physicians leader about my uncles passing and that I would need to travel out of state to attend the funeral, I was told to go without hesitation. The compassion expressed to my family and me in our time of grief will never be forgotten. This personal experience reinforced what I already knew, that kindness and compassion are core values in our company and that our senior leaders commitment to our team is real.

I will not hesitate to go the extra mile for the kind of leader who understands and exemplifies the importance of helping others and that compassion is never a sign of weakness, but of greatness.

Johanna Vidal Phelan is a pediatrician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
55 Shares Share

As calls for radical health reform grow louder, many on the right, in the center and in the health care industry are arguing that proposals like Medicare for all would cause economic ruin, decimating a sector that represents nearly 20% of our economy.

While exploring a presidential run, former Starbucks chief Howard Schultz called Medicare for all not American, adding, What industry are we going to abolish next  the coffee industry? He said that it would wipe out the insurance industry.

A fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute wrote that it would carpet bomb the industry. David Wichmann, the chief executive of UnitedHealth Group, warned that it would surely have a severe impact on the economy and jobs.

Its true: Any significant reform would require major realignment of the health care sector, which is now the biggest employer in at least a dozen states. Most hospitals and specialists would probably lose money. Some, like the middlemen who negotiate drug prices, could be eliminated. That would mean job losses in the millions.

Though it will be economically painful, the point is to streamline for patients a Kafka-esque health care system that makes money for industry through irrational practices. After all, shouldnt the primary goal of a health care system be delivering efficient care at a reasonable price, not rewarding shareholders or buttressing the economy?

In 2012, Harvard economists Katherine Baicker and Amitabh Chandra warned against treating the health care system like a (wildly inefficient) jobs program. They were rightly worried that the health care system was the primary engine of recovery from the Great Recession. And yet the revelation that the health care sector added more jobs last year than any other in the economy was greeted by many as good news.

Its not surprising that those involved in the business of medicine have joined forces in a lobbying and media campaign, the Partnership for Americas Health Care Future, to ward off transformational reform, particularly Medicare for all. But fed-up voters seem ready to upend an industry that saps their finances, wastes their time and doesnt deliver particularly good care. Few people would mourn the end of $35 million annual compensation packages for insurance executives or the downsizing of companies that have raised insulin prices to 10 times what they are in Canada  though they might miss hospitals valet parking and private rooms.

Well over half of Americans already say they have a favorable view of Medicare for all. Though approval falls off when confronted with details such as higher taxes, it is clear that the electorate is searching for something big. Change could come in many guises: for example, some form of Medicare expansion, government negotiations on drug prices or enhancing the power of the Affordable Care Act. The more fundamental the reform, the more severe the economic effect.

The first casualties of a Medicare for all plan, said Dr. Kevin Schulman, a physician-economist at Stanford, would be the intermediaries that add to cost, not quality. For example, the armies of administrators, coders, billers and claims negotiators who make good middle-class salaries and have often spent years in school learning these skills. There would be far less need for drug and device sales representatives who ply their trade office to office and hospital to hospital in a single-payer system, or one in which prices are set at a national level.

Some geographic areas would be hit particularly hard. A single hospital system is by far the biggest employer in many post-manufacturing cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Hospitals and hospital corporations make up the top six employers in Boston and two of the top three in Nashville. Hartford is known as the insurance capital of the world. Where would New Jersey be if drugmakers took a big hit, or Minnesota if device makers vastly shrank their workforce? (That may be why some Democratic representatives and senators from these left-leaning states have been quiet or inconsistent on Medicare expansion.)

Stanford researchers estimate that 5,000 community hospitals would lose more than $151 billion under a Medicare for all plan; that would translate into the loss of 860,000 to 1.5 million jobs. A Navigant study found that a typical midsize, nonprofit hospital system would have a net revenue loss of 22%.

Robert Pollin, an economist at the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, is frustrated not just by the doomsday predictions but also by how proponents of Medicare for all tend to gloss over the jobs issue.

Every proponent of Medicare for all  including myself  has to recognize that the biggest source of cost-saving is layoffs, he said. He has calculated that Medicare for all would result in job losses (mostly among administrators) somewhere in the range of 2 million  about half on the insurers side and half employed in hospitals and doctors offices to argue with the former. Supporters of Medicare for all, he said, have to think about a just transition and what it might look like.

Of course, if more people get health insurance under an expanded Medicare, there will be a greater need for some workers  like nurse practitioners and physician assistants. And there is a large unmet labor need in caring for an aging population. The latter are mostly low-wage jobs, however, and neither compensates for the losses.

Pollin suggests that a transition to Medicare for all should be accompanied by a plan to give those made redundant up to three years of salary and help in retraining for another profession.

Despite the short-term suffering caused by any fundamental shift in our health care delivery system, reform would ultimately redirect resources in ways that are good for the economy, many experts say.

Im sympathetic to the impact that changes will have on specific markets and employment  we can measure that, Schulman said. What we cant quantify is the effect that high health care costs have had on non-health care industries.

The expense of paying for employees health care has depressed wages and entrepreneurship, he said. He described a textile manufacturer that moved more than 1,000 jobs out of the country because it couldnt afford to pay for insurance for its workers. Such decisions have become common in recent years.

Yes, these are painful transitions, said Baicker, who is now the dean of the University of Chicagos Harris School of Public Policy. But the answer is not to freeze the sectors where we are for all time. When agriculture improved and became more productive, no one said everyone had to stay farmers.

Elisabeth Rosenthal is editor in chief, Kaiser Health News.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
The story of how a homeless teen became a physician

5K Shares Share

An excerpt from Hindsight: Coming of age on the streets of Hollywood.

During my medical school clerkships, an attending recognized a truth within me that Id hidden for many years. Just a few hours into my pediatrics rotation, the attending asked me, You had a rough childhood, didnt you?

I was astonished. How had he known? I asked him, needing to know what gave away my most deeply kept secret. And he said something that surprised me. You dont react. When patients tell you about risky behaviors, you treat them like regular people and just keep talking to them. You dont look shocked by anything they say.

I accepted his insight and started to notice how different my interactions with patients were. That secret part of me led to a deep, intuitive understanding of patients who were often unseen and unheard. Because for much of my early life, I was not seen or heard by people who I desperately needed to have protect me. I spent several years as a homeless teen in Hollywood before my life finally stabilized, but the scars remained.

That part of who I once was is what carried me forward and helped me advocate for invisible patients throughout my remaining clerkships and residency training. Now, as an attending physician, I have chosen to share my story with the world, in hopes of helping to give a voice to the voiceless. Ive been fortunate to share this book with many physicians and healthcare workers, and numerous colleagues have told me that my story has changed how they interact with some of their least fortunate patients.

It is when we truly see the world through the eyes of our patients that we can help eliminate barriers to care and walk alongside them towards healthier, safer lives.

Thank you for allowing me to share my journey with you.

***

I struck a match, watching the flame burn and sizzle before it went out. Red to orange to white to black smoke. I stared for a moment, then pushed the hot ember against my arm.

My skin turned red, then blanched. I felt nothing.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself to fall back asleep on the bus bench.

When they reopened, I saw the sky had changed. It was dark now. And a man was seated next to me.

Whats up, Red? I turned to look at him, sizing him up in a few short seconds. He was dangerous.

Nothing, I mumbled. I allowed my vision to focus on the few cars passing by.

Want to go for a ride? he asked. I noticed a sedan pass by and recognized it. It had circled past a few times since Id awoken.

I stood up. I quickly secured the backpack strap over my shoulder. Ill walk.

The man stood up as well. I turned to the west and began to walk. He fell into step next to me.

Danger. My senses buzzed. I had to get away.

I continued walking at a brisk pace down Sunset Boulevard. He kept offering his ride, and the car passed by us every few minutes.

Where are you going, Red? he asked me.

I shrugged. The beach.

He laughed. Thats a long walk.

Ill keep walking with you. If you dont mind.

I do mind, I said, picking up the pace. The only people out on the streets of Hollywood this late were up to no good. Or hiding from it.

You look tired, he said.

Its not too far, I said bravely. My words had to remain strong; confident.

We kept up the charade for at least four miles. I noticed the change in scenery as we transitioned from Hollywood to West Hollywood. I was a moving target. If I stopped, anything could happen.

And then I saw the gas station, diagonal from me. Daylight was coming. My legs felt heavy. I knew I had just this one chance.

I timed my steps with the streetlight ahead. We crossed the street, and immediately I pivoted into a different direction to make it across the Boulevard. He was close enough to grab me, but he hadnt expected me to change course.

My walk became a run, and I raced into the convenience store at the gas station. The bells jingled from the door as I entered.

Help me, I begged.

The store clerk glanced up from behind the counter. There was a look of indecision on his face; would he protect me? He saw me, then my pursuer.

The man entered the store and saw the store clerk picking up the phone. He quickly turned around and left. The sedan pulled up and took him away, just moments before the police car arrived.

Crap.

Danger.

I stared at the officer. What happened? he asked.

I froze. Old hoodie, faded t-shirt, secondhand jeans. Well-worn shoes. Backpack. Wild red hair. Everything about me screamed who I was.

No, no, no. I was so close to adulthood. Why was it so hard to be seventeen? If I had been eighteen, I could stand tall and tell him the truth. But at seventeen, I was out of place. Free but not quite. Always chained to that number.

He asked me to join him at the station. I felt beads of sweat rising on the back of my neck as I sat in the back seat.

He walked around to the drivers side and sat down. Are you okay?

I nodded.

He drove to the police station. The sedan was gone. It was just me, an officer, and I was surrounded by the expansive police station. He parked behind the building.

I waited for him to open my door and fumbled at getting out.

He led me inside. We passed a reception area and I followed him to his desk. We both sat down. He logged onto his computer before turning back to look at me.

Name?

Sheri, I said softly. This was it. I clasped my hands together, trying to make them stop trembling.

How old are you?

I looked up at the wall, noticing the pictures of this officer and his family. Pretty wife, cute kids. A normal family. Seventeen.

Show me some ID.

I unzipped the backpack as little as I possibly could and pulled out my wallet. When I opened it. I saw the worn edge of my North Carolina drivers license underneath my bus pass. I started to reach for the license, but my hand stopped.

I pulled out the bus pass and quickly closed the wallet.

Heres my student bus pass, sir.

He looked at it closely, confirming my name.

I looked at him, my eyes brimming with tears. Please, they pleaded. I glanced back at the picture of his happy family. That teenaged daughter of his would never have to fall asleep on a bus bench. That little boy of his would never be sent away to foster care.

We both knew I had been pursued by a bad guy. He stared at me, and perhaps really saw me. I was terrified.

Those eyes, so very knowledgeable and concerned. He slid the bus pass back to me. I thought to myself, he was probably an excellent father.

Youre up very early for school. He lifted an eyebrow, inviting me to follow his lead.

My pulse quickened. Yes. School. I had a school bus pass. I nodded.

Be safe.

I stared at him, not sure if this was really happening.

He stood up. Ill show you out.

I swung the backpack over my shoulder. My feet carried me behind him as we walked down the hallway, towards safety. My heart screamed thank you, but the words could not be spoken aloud. The meaning behind them might make him change his mind.

Safe. But danger was never too far away.

Sheryl Recinos is a hospitalist and author of Hindsight: Coming of age on the streets of Hollywood.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Oregon State University researchers conducted mock wave experiments on Thursday, testing the level of destruction waves can cause to infrastructure.

Dan Cox, a professor of civil engineering, said they have been planning this experiment for months.

It was designed to measure how buildings would react should a tsunami or hurricane hit the coast. He said they aren't just looking at the destruction these mock natural disasters cause but also solutions.

"Some of the work that was done here in the past is helping us to come up with better design guidance, so if an engineer wants to build a structure within the inundation zone, we'll be able to design it so the building will stay in place," said Cox.

He said most of the buildings on the coast are prepared for tough weather conditions, but there is always room for improvement and that's where the research comes in.
This is not simply a measure of social justice and equity; it is a public safety issue, Foxx said. Clearing peoples records of marijuana convictions would help them gain access to educational and job opportunities and help prevent them from committing future crimes, she said.
Im a father of three from a rural district, and Im standing before you supporting this bill because I do not believe the current policy that we have out there right now is working, Welter said. Prohibition doesnt work, and we see that. Putting safeguards in place, taxing, regulating it, I believe provides a better market and a safer market.
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.
What the superseding indictment alleges is multiple schemes over multiple years where he is trying to use his power and influence as the Finance Committee chair and using city employees to bend to his will to get them to  unwittingly, hopefully  participate in a criminal scheme, Lightfoot said at a City Hall news conference she called Friday to again hammer the aldermen. That is a far degree different, that information absolutely was not before the voters of the 14th Ward when they went to the polls and voted for him on Feb. 26. So I think the circumstances have changed dramatically.
It may seem to be inviting bad luck to plan your funeral while you are still in decent health. But you will be doing your family a big favor if they can avoid the emotionally tough decisions immediately after you die. No detail is too small. You can name preferences for a funeral home, eulogists, readings, individuals to invite to a service, and the location of a get-together for mourners. When people are dealing with the loss of a family member, they are not thinking clearly. Its an amazing gift to let your family know what you want, says Abby Schneiderman, co-founder of New York Citybased Everplans, an online platform for the storage of end-of-life information. Topping a funeral-planning checklist should be your choice for burial or cremation. Elva Roy, 73, made it clear to her two sons that she wants a direct cremation. A funeral home will deliver the body directly to a crematory, thus eliminating the need for a casket or embalming. Roy says she found two funeral homes near her home in Arlington, Texas, that will provide the service for less than $1,000, and she has set aside money to pay the tab. A direct cremation is cheaper than a traditional cremation or burial. I dont want to enrich funeral homes, says Roy, who is divorced. I want to leave as much money as possible to my heirs.

Rather than a formal memorial service, Roy, a retired manager for a computer services company, told her sons she prefers a small gathering like the ones that took place after other close relatives died. In honor of those relatives, family members gathered in the house of one of her sons, eating barbeque and sharing memories. And even that is not necessary: If my two sons got on the phone and said, Im going to miss Mom, that would be good enough, she says. Mark Cooke, president of Heritage Financial, in Gainesville, Va., says he advises clients to draw up end-of-life plans, such as funeral instructions and advance-care directives. Most of my clients will say they dont want to be a burden on their adult children, but theyre talking in financial terms, Cooke says. I tell them they need to do the same with end-of-life planning, to reduce the stress and burden on their kids. Cooke, 64, is posting some of his funeral preferences on his Everplans archive. He wants to be cremated, and he says he is noting that his memorial service should be in the evening or on the weekend so people wont have to take off work. He has discussed his plans with his two sons and two stepdaughters, and Cooke says it will be up to them to decide what to do with his ashes. The music at Cookes service is important to him. Before he became a financial adviser, he spent many years as a church minister of music. He also is a professional trumpet player. Cooke is leaving instructions for hymns and recordings that he would like played at his service, including recordings of classical trumpet. Whoever organizes the memorial service will have some idea of what would be meaningful, he says. Funeral Costs: Big Bash or Simple Service? In drawing up your funeral plans, consider the costs. A blowout party to celebrate your life or a burial in a mausoleum will cost considerably more than a modest service or cremation. In any event, leave funds in a payable-on-death savings account, so the executor or beneficiary has immediate access to the money. If people have strong preferences for something expensive, they have no right to expect anyone to pay, says Joshua Slocum, executive director of the Funeral Consumers Alliance, a research and advocacy group in South Burlington, Vt.

Setting aside a reserve for your loved ones is a wise course. If you instead use a prepaid plan, in which you sign a contract with a funeral home and pay in advance, you could lose your money if the funeral home goes bankrupt or you move far from the facilitys location. Let your loved ones know if keeping down funeral costs is important to you. Funeral homes are businesses, and many directors try to persuade frazzled heirs to buy high-cost caskets and all the trimmings as evidence of their love for the deceased relative. You dont want your family going to a funeral home and hearing a director say, You want the best for your mom, dont you?  says Steve Byrne, co-founder of Seattle-based Final Roadmap, a digital repository for users end-of-life documents and instructions. To help loved ones avoid making rash decisions, you can do some homework for them by visiting or calling several funeral homes and asking for price lists, Slocum says. Costs for the same services and merchandise, such as cremations and caskets, can vary widely, even in the same community. I urge people to do this before death is knocking on the door, Slocum says. Advising on even small details can ease loved ones distress. A person who wants to be cremated or does not want a visitation or viewing can leave instructions to forgo a casket or to buy an inexpensive one. Although costs can change by the time you die, you can give your loved ones price lists and your recommendations. (For more information on costs, read Smart Ways to Save on Funeral Costs.)
After putting in almost 30 years at a major railroad company, Mickie Wittig decided to accept an early retirement package. It wasnt an easy choice. I loved what I did, and I loved the people I worked with, says Wittig, 54, of Jacksonville, Fla. And I had to make the decision in a very short amount of time. But she had another challenge after taking the buyout. Nearly half of her 401(k) assets were in company stock, which had grown in value by 300%. Rolling her entire 401(k) into an IRA would cause about $400,000 in appreciation to be taxed at ordinary income tax rates, which climb as high as 37%, when distributed from the IRA. But fortunately, Wittigs financial planner, Tiffany Beard, of financial-planning firm Retirement Strategies, in Jacksonville, alerted her to a tax-saving strategy known as net unrealized appreciation, or NUA. The strategy allows company stock held in a workplace retirement plan to be split off and rolled over to a taxable account to take advantage of capital-gains tax rates, which top out at 20%. People arent always aware of NUA, says Martha Ferrari, a financial planner with Partners for Planning, in Princeton, N.J. But it can be a great tax break.

NUA refers to the difference between the price when you initially got the employer stock and its current market value. You can use the NUA strategy under certain circumstances, such as when youre leaving an employer with a company plan that holds the stock, if you are at least age 59 and your plan allows in-service distributions from your company plan, or in the case of disability or death. The NUA move works like this: Instead of rolling the company stock to an IRA, you transfer the shares into a taxable account. At the time of transfer, you owe ordinary income taxof up to 37% in 2018on the cost basis of your employer stock. When you sell shares from the taxable account, you owe tax on the NUA at the long-term capital-gains rate of up to 20%. Say you had company stock that has grown to $500,000 with a cost basis of $100,000, giving you net unrealized appreciation of $400,000. Rolled to an IRA, the total ordinary income tax bill on distributions of that $500,000 from the traditional IRA at a 37% ordinary rate would be $185,000. But if you move the shares to a taxable account, youd pay $37,000 in ordinary income tax in the year of the transfer. If you sold all the shares in the taxable account at a 20% capital-gains rate, the tax bill on the NUA would be $80,000. Total tax paid in this hypothetical example would be $117,000. Thats about 37% less than if the appreciated stock moved to an IRA, resulting in tax savings of $68,000.

Whether to use the NUA strategy will depend on how much your company stock has appreciated, the tax brackets you fall into and whether you can afford to take an immediate tax hit. The NUA itself is automatically eligible for long-term capital-gains treatment, so theres no requirement to wait one year to sell the stock to avoid higher short-term capital-gains rates (short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income, topping out at a rate of 37%), says Jeffrey Levine, director of financial planning for BluePrint Wealth Alliance. But future growth after the NUA transaction is completed is subject to the regular capital-gains rulesso the stock must be held for longer than one year after the NUA move for any future appreciation to be treated as long-term capital gains. For example, lets say you had employer stock in your plan that you received at $20 a share in 1998. You had the employer stock distributed in-kind under the NUA rules on June 1 at $100 a share, and the share price then rose to $105 at the end of July. The $80 gain from the original $20 cost basis of the stock would automatically be considered as long-term capital gains, says Michael Kitces, partner and director of wealth management for the Pinnacle Advisory Group, in Columbia, Md. But the $5 gain since the distribution would be considered a short-term capital gainand wont qualify for long-term capital-gains treatment unless the shares are held until June 1 of the following year, to satisfy the one-year holding period after the distribution under the NUA rules.
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) - Gold prices rose in early Asian trading on Friday as President Donald Trump said that the U.S. will be imposing a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports starting June 10 until illegal immigration across the southern border is halted.

Spot gold on Kitco.com was last trading at $1,291.70, up 0.26% on the day.

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP, Trump tweeted late Thursday. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied, at which time the Tariffs will be removed.

....at which time the Tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

According to a statement issued by the White House, tariffs would then rise to 10% on all imports from Mexico on July 10, to 15% on August 1, 20% on September 1 and to 25% on October 1.

Mexicos passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States, Trump said in the statement.

Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries, he said.

Prior to the rise on Friday, gold prices saw gains on short covering and bargain hunting.
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) - Commercial production was achieved this month at Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.s (NYSE, TSX: AEM) Meliadine mine, the company reported late Thursday.

The company looks for the mine to produce approximately 230,000 ounces of gold in 2019, including pre-commercial production, at total cash costs averaging $612 an ounce. Agnico Eagles website puts the mines gold reserves at 3.8 million ounces and projects a mine life of 14 years.

The project, located near Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada, was acquired in 2010 and is Agnico Eagle's largest gold deposit in terms of mineral resources. The Company's board of directors approved construction in February 2017.

Sean Boyd, chief executive officer, said commercial production was achieved ahead of the original schedule and below the initial capital budget.

"With Meliadine ramping up production over the balance of the year and Amaruq on schedule to achieve commercial production in the third quarter of 2019, the company is well positioned to achieve its gold production target of 1.75 million ounces for 2019, Boyd added.

Ore processing began in February using low-grade stockpiles. Pre-commercial payable gold production totaled 47,281 ounces, compared to guidance of 60,000 ounces, while pre-production gold sales totaled 28,855 ounces.

Total project construction costs, after crediting pre-commercial gold sales, are below the 2017 guidance of $900 million, Agnico Eagle said.
Yesterday Argentina-focused Hunt Mining announced a reverse takeover with Patagonia Gold. Hunt says it will become a Tier Two Mining Issuer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and will be renamed "Patagonia Gold Corp." The share exchange offer valued Patagonia at $21.69 Million (17.18 million) based on the closing price of C$0.115 per Hunt share on 30 May 2019. Both Patagonia Gold and Hunt Mining operate in Argentina. Hunt runs a silver mine in the country that it acquired from Coeur in May 2016. By Michael McCrae For Kitco News Follow michaelmccrae www.kitco.com

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
By Stella Qiu and Dominique Patton

BEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) - China threatened on Friday to unveil an unprecedented hit-list of "unreliable" foreign firms, groups and individuals that harm the interests of Chinese companies, as a slate of retaliatory tariffs on imported U.S. goods was set to kick in at midnight.

The commerce ministry did not single out any country or company, but the threat could further heighten tensions after Washington this month put Huawei on a blacklist that effectively blocks U.S. firms from doing business with the Chinese telecoms equipment giant. Beijing's "unreliable entities list" would apply to those who violate market rules and the spirit of contracts, block supplies to Chinese companies for non-commercial reasons, "seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests" of Chinese companies and harm China's national security, the ministry said.

A deluge of sharply worded commentaries, criticism and warnings from China in the last two weeks has intensified a battle of words with the United States that could complicate the run-up to any meeting between their respective leaders next month.

Earlier this month, Washington slapped additional tariffs of up to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, accusing Beijing of reneging on its previous promises to make structural changes to its economic practices. That prompted Beijing to hit back with additional levies on the majority of U.S. imports on a $60 billion target list - due to take effect on Saturday.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he plans to meet his counterpart, Xi Jinping, during the G20 summit, set for June 28-29 in Osaka, though China has not formally confirmed this.

Xi and Trump are likely to find it "difficult" to make major progress towards ending the trade war, a former top Chinese official said.

The U.S. approach to trade talks had been "bullying and America First", whereas the principles of China's approach to negotiations were equality and cooperation, said Dai Xianglong, who headed the People's Bank of China from 1995-2002 and remains an influential figure in China.

"I expect that at next month's meeting of the leaders in Japan it will be difficult to achieve major progress," Dai said, later adding that he was not confirming that the meeting would take place, but that he hoped it would.

Dai also said he did not rule out stronger retaliation by China. He said heavy sales of U.S. Treasuries by China were a less likely option for retaliation as they would hurt China's own interests.

PUBLIC RELATIONS BATTLE

Since the latest round of U.S. tariffs, which caught Beijing by surprise, Chinese state media has gone on the offensive.

The People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's flagship newspaper, warned that China was ready to use its dominance of rare earths, crucial minerals used in electronics, to strike back in the trade war.

Speaking at a separate briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang took umbrage at Trump comments on Thursday that China was becoming a "very weakened nation" due to companies leaving China because of the tariffs.

"This is neither the first nor second time the U.S. side has said these lies," Geng said. "But the U.S. side seems to be very persistent, even obsessed with it, and is still repeating these lies."

At the Beijing seminar on Friday, former Chinese vice commerce minister Wei Jianguo said initiating a trade war with China might be the biggest strategic mistake made by the United States since World War II or even its founding.

There was a need to prepare for the likelihood for the trade war to ratchet up tensions to geopolitical areas including the South China Sea, said Wei, adding that the trade conflict might last for 30 years or even half a century.

He suggested that China had many countermeasures it could take, including rare earths and against Boeing Co. or U.S. software.

"There are lots of Chinese countermeasures, and, speaking honestly, we hope not to use them, because we always negotiate with the United States with sincerity and hope to achieve results," Wei said.

Dong Yang, a former executive director at the China Association of Automotive Manufacturers, said at the seminar that U.S. auto parts suppliers could also be hit.

"U.S. car components companies have presence in China, and set China as a global manufacturing base. The escalation of the trade war between China and the United States will seriously affect their development in China and the world," Dong said.

Other parts suppliers from countries such as Germany, Japan, South Korea and France could also provide strong substitutes for U.S. components, he said.

All those who spoke at the seminar were former, albeit senior, officials. The government has not organised media appearances for top leaders or trade negotiators to answer questions on the trade talks. Chinese officials rarely take questions from foreign media.

(Reporting by Stella Qiu, Cheng Leng, Yilei Sun and Dominique Patton; additional reporting by Cate Cadell Writing by Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard Editing by Paul Tait, Simon Cameron-Moore and Nick Macfie)
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Snow showers early with a chance of lingering snow showers later. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%..

Tonight

Snow showers early with a chance of lingering snow showers later. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 70%.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Snow showers. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Snow showers. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 29F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Rain and snow this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low around 30F. Winds light and variable. Chance of precip 50%..

Tonight

Rain and snow this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low around 30F. Winds light and variable. Chance of precip 50%.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  The scion of a clan allegedly involved in illegal drugs has been sentenced to life in prison for possession of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu.

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 79 said the prosecution was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Reynaldo Parojinog, Jr. was in possession of more than 50 grams of the illegal drug. He is the son of the slain former Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., and brother of former Ozamiz Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog

The court also ordered him to pay a 500,000 fine.

Parojinog refused to give a statement after the ruling. He looked glum as he exited the court with a bullet-proof vest. He will be returned to the Metro Manila Jail Annex in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City pending a commitment order from the court.

P/Major Jovie Espenido, Ozamiz City police chief, is happy with the court decision, saying the verdict proves their operation against the Parojinog clan was legitimate.

Meanwhile, Juan Pedro Navera, senior assistant prosecutor, thanked the court for its speedy disposition of the case.

Parojinog is still facing illegal possession of firearms and explosives charges in another Quezon City court. His sister, Nova, is facing charges for illegal drugs, illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Police have tagged the Parojinog family as the source of illegal drugs in Ozamiz. President Rodrigo Duterte also accused the elder Parojinog and Nova among the narco-politicians operating in Mindanao.

The Parojinog patriarch along with 14 others were killed in a shootout during a raid of their properties in 2017 where bags of shabu, firearms, explosives and cash were found.

CNN Philippines Correspondent Gerg Cahiles contributed to this report.
He needs to build up his innings, especially because he missed the final four months of last season and re-injured his lat at the start of spring training. But if Alzolay continues to progress as he has in his last two starts, he could soon make his big-league debut if the Cubs need bullpen help.
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
Deborah Lang, assistant corporation counsel for Aurora, said the bar and city put together specific requirements for the bar to adhere to, including: increased sessions of Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training, a state of Illinois responsible beverage seller and server program; a new video system inside and outside the bar; parking lot inspections every half-hour between Thursday night and Sunday morning; supplying police with an updated list of people banned from the pub; telling the city each day who the manager at the club is that day; and not allowing the manager to consume alcohol.
Henry came up with the idea of a charity drive all on his own, his mother Andrea said. Her son has a kind nature and always wants to help others, she said.
We want to get it out there because what if theres someone else that we didnt talk to and we dont know about, Jarolimek said. Theres been a lot being done, but we also want to get it out there to maybe come up with something that could put it in a courtroom.
Kim Jong-un has executed his envoy to the U.S. for betraying the supreme leader as part of ruthless purge of officials after the dictators failed summit with Donald Trump, it has been claimed.

Kim Hyok Chol is said to have been shot by a firing squad in March at Mirim Airport for being won over to the US, during nuclear negotiations with Trump.

The top diplomat, who accompanied Kim on his private train ahead of the summit in Vietnam, was one of four senior foreign ministry officials executed at the airfield, a source told South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

The other officials were not named, but all allegedly became U.S. spies after the failed second negotiations between Trump and Kim Jong-un ended abruptly in February.



U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this morning that Washington was checking the reports.

According to the reports, another senior official, Kim Yong Chol, who had been in nuclear discussions with Pompeo, was sent to a forced labour camp for ideological re-education.

Kim Song Hye, a woman who worked with Hyok Chol in talks with Pompeo was reportedly sent to another prison camp. The paper also said Kim Jong Uns interpreter Shin Hye Yong was sent to a prison camp for a mistake at the summit.

She failed to translate Kims new proposal when Trump declared no deal and walked away from the table, Chosun reported, citing another unnamed diplomatic source.

Shin was charged with making critical interpretation mistakes that included missing an unspecified last-minute offer the North Korean leader supposedly made as Trump was about to walk out, Chosun reported.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Benin Zonal Office on Thursday, arraigned five suspected internet fraudsters at the Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State.

The suspects were arraigned on five separate charge bordering on obtaining money by fraudulent trick and impersonation, an offence punishable under Section 14(2)of the cybercrimes (prohibition, prevention etc) 2015.

Three of the suspects Gabriel Akhibge, Isaac Christiana Nkemdirum and Innocent Uyioshoria were arraigned before Justice A A. Demi-Ajayi. They pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against them.



Two other suspects, Osawaru Samson and Onineh Dickson Imaboyor were arraigned before Justice M G. Umar, Imaboyor pleaded guilty to the charge but Osawaru pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.

In view of the plea of the defendants, the cases were adjourned to June 13, 17, and 24 for review of facts and sentencing.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
This year would have been Abby Wujciks graduation from Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School. Abby was a 6-year-old student at Kolmar Elementary School when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After 15 months of a courageous battle, she died from the disease at age 8. Her parents, Kristyn and Kevin Wujcik joined with the John McNicholas Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation as Live Like Abby to honor her and help raise funds for pediatric brain tumor research.
Ocean Vuongs Night Sky With Exit Wounds was a work of unique brilliance that accomplished something else extraordinarily rare for a poetry collection: In addition to winning both the T.S. Eliot Prize for Poetry and the Whiting Award, the 2016 book sold well. His debut novel, On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous  which shares its title with a poem in that collection  could bring Vuongs glittering, heartfelt vision to an even wider audience.

The novel takes the form of a letter from a son to his mother. Let me begin again, it opens. Dear Ma, I am writing to reach you  even if each word I put down is one word further from where you are. I am writing to go back to the time, at the rest stop in Virginia, when you stared, horror-struck, at the taxidermy buck hung over the soda machine by the restrooms, its antlers shadowing your face.

The narrator is a Vietnamese American writer in his late 20s identified only by his nickname Little Dog, and he writes to his mother about their family history, about war and violence, stories and language, about love and sex and loss and memory. His mother  a half-white, half-Vietnamese refugee who exists, like her son, because of the war in their native country  does not read English, and the letter, although written for her, is never meant to be read. I only have the nerve to tell you what comes after because the chance this letter finds you is slim, he says before describing his first sexual encounter. [T]he very impossibility of your reading this is all that makes my telling it possible.

The novel is expansive and introspective, fragmented and dreamlike, a coming of age tale conveyed in images and anecdotes and explorations. The plot, if you can call it that, is simple: a boy from Vietnam grows up in Hartford, Conn., raised in a household of women traumatized by war and domestic violence. As a teenager, he has a tender but fraught first relationship with another boy. Then Little Dog leaves Hartford for college in New York and becomes a writer.

Advertisement

It is tempting to read this book as memoir  it has an intimate, confessional tone, and Little Dog shares some key biographical details with Vuong  but On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous is explicitly a novel. Just as he fuels his prose with his poetry, Vuong takes what he needs from lived experience to animate his storytelling with visceral beauty and a strain of what feels like uncut truth. This is, of course, a difficult art, and one of the chief goals of many fiction writers.

In writing his letter, Little Dog seeks to understand and record both himself and his mother, a formidable, ever-shifting project: Even when I know something to be true as bone I fear the knowledge will dissolve, will not, despite my writing it, stay real. Im breaking us apart again so that I might carry us somewhere else  where, exactly, Im not sure. Part of this endeavor is unearthing the family trauma, trying to locate its origins and connect his familys Vietnamese roots to the realities of their life in Hartford: their cultural, linguistic and financial hardships; his grandmothers schizophrenia, his mothers abuse. I read that parents suffering from PTSD are more likely to hit their children, he says. Perhaps to lay hands on your child is to prepare him for war.

He gleans some of the family lore from his grandmother Lan, who tells rambling stories as he kneels behind her and plucks her white hairs: I came to know, in those afternoons, that madness can sometimes lead to discovery, that the mind, fractured and short-wired, is not entirely wrong. The room filled and refilled with our voices as the snow fell from her head, the hardwood around my knees whitening as the past unfolded around us.

Vuongs prose is strongest when its anchored to Little Dog and his family, or his relationship with his first love, a gentle boy who struggles with his masculinity and sexuality: Trevor the carnivore, the redneck not a pansy, shotgunner, sharpshooter, not fruit or fairy. Trevor is also a drug addict, one of many in Hartford hooked by the dangerous false promises of Purdue and OxyContin.

There are moments when the writing slips, becoming clumsy or cloying  just a tiny bit LiveJournal emo. These moments tend to happen when there is nothing else going on, when Little Dogs poetic observations stand on their own, listed like fragments in a notebook: The truth is one nation, under drugs, under drones; I know. Its not fair that the word laughter is trapped inside slaughter.

Its impressive, though, that this doesnt happen more often. On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous is a book of sustained beauty and lyricism, earnest and relentless, a series of high notes that trembles exquisitely almost without break. In a world as myriad as ours, the gaze is a singular act: to look at something is to fill your whole life with it, if only briefly. Once, after my fourteenth birthday, crouched between the seats of an abandoned school bus in the woods, I filled my life with a line of cocaine. For the duration of this marvelous novel, Vuong holds our gaze and fills it with what he wills  the migration of butterflies, love in a tobacco barn, purple flowers gathered on a highway.

::

On Earth Were Briefly Goregous

Ocean Vuong

Penguin Press; 256 pp., $26

Cha is a novelist and editor.
(CNN)  China accused the Trump administration of committing "economic terrorism" on Thursday, escalating its war of words with the United States amid rising trade tensions between the two countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the White House had "brought huge damage to the economy of other countries and the US itself," spokesperson Lu Kang told reporters in Beijing on Thursday.

Lu described U.S. trade policy as "typical economic terrorism, economic hegemonism, and economic unilateralism."

The statement followed similarly ominous rhetoric from Chinese state media, which issued a stern message to Washington on Wednesday: "Don't say we didn't warn you."

The People's Daily, the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, used the loaded phrase in a commentary on Wednesday, in which it said that China would "never accept" the U.S.' suppression of Chinese development.

The warning came as China's top economic planning agency suggested it would be willing curb exports of rare earth minerals, which are crucial for high-tech manufacturing.

On May 15, the Trump administration signed an order that potentially banned major Chinese companies, such as technology giant Huawei, from buying vital components such as computer chips from the US.

Many of those chips are made using rare earths, of which China is a major exporter.

"At present, the United States completely overestimates its ability to control the global supply chain and is due to slap itself in the face when it sobers up from its happy, ignorant self-indulgence," said the commentary published under the pseudonym Wuyuehe. "Don't say we didn't warn you."

The phrase has, in the past, been reserved by the Chinese state media for times of serious conflict.

The People's Daily used it in 1962 before going into armed conflict against India and again in 1978 before the Vietnam invasion. More recently, though it has appeared in several People's Daily commentaries on issues ranging from Taiwan to the trade war.

War of words

On May 10, the U.S. raised tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports from 10% to 25%, after talks between the two countries broke down less than a week earlier.

Negotiations have now stalled, with each side blaming the other for the recent setbacks. Speaking in Japan on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was "not ready" to make a deal.

The U.S. imports far more from China than China does from the US -- one of the reasons for the trade war. As China runs out of U.S. imports to tariff, it has turned to its rare earth exports as a new potential battleground.

China accounted for 80% of all rare earth imports by the U.S. between 2014 and 2017, according to the United States Geological Survey, and are were among the few items not hit by U.S. tariffs.

In statements posted on its website Wednesday, a representative of China's powerful National Development and Reform Commission again hinted at the possibility of action on rare earths.

"What I can tell you is that if anyone wants to use products made of China's rare earth exports to contain China's development, the people of Ganzhou and across China will not be happy with that," the official said, referring to a city in Jiangxi province.

On May 20, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited a rare earth factory in Jiangxi province, an unusual personal touch which many analysts and state media saw as a clear message to Washington.

"Will the rare earth become a counter-control weapon against China's unwarranted suppression (by the U.S.)? The answer is not mysterious," the People's Daily commentary said. "In fact, consumer electronics, military equipment and many other products produced in the U.S. are highly dependent on China's rare earth resources

An editorial in state media tabloid Global Times Wednesday was headlined: "U.S. will rue forcing China's hand on rare earths."

But while rare earths could prove a potential pain point for Washington, they may not be the advantage some in China think.

Eugene Gholz, who has advised the U.S. government on rare earths, wrote in a report for the Council on Foreign Relations that China's leverage over the rare earths market peaked in 2010 and even then it had been difficult to exploit in Beijing's favor.

Furthermore, the U.S. also maintains stockpiles of many key rare earth materials, not least those used in the defense industry.
We were all the same people that were showing up at the metal shows in the mid- to late-1990s and we were starting our own bands. There was a lot of camaraderie and family feeling in Western Mass. so for us to be going out with Unearth is like going out with friends youve known for 20 years.
The $6-billion California stem cell program, created at the ballot box in 2004, is about to notch a major achievement.

A stem cell-based cure developed by a team at UCLA for a rare disease  a bubble baby disease that deprives children of a functioning immune system  is on a path toward expected approval by the Food and Drug Administration as early as next year. It would be the first treatment funded by the program to reach the market.

But the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the programs official name, also is facing an existential inflection point. By the end of this year, the program expects to allocate the last of the $3 billion in state bond funds ($6 billion with interest) that voters approved in 2004.

We cant say weve cured cancer or diabetes, but we have made dramatic progress.... Anything we do is going to be transformative for those affected. CIRM Chairman Jonathan Thomas

Advertisement

The programs leadership and its principal backer, investment executive Robert Klein II, are planning an initiative campaign to ask voters in November 2020 for an additional $5.5 billion, plus interest. This would be Kleins second initiative campaign in the field  he drafted Proposition 71, the 2004 ballot measure and served as CIRMs first chairman. Thus far, his work is progressing behind closed doors. He didnt respond to my requests for an interview.

CIRM has funded 54 clinical trials of potential disease treatments, of which 42 are currently active. CIRM provides the major financial support for most of these projects, according to its chairman, Jonathan Thomas. Without the new funding, Thomas told me, a great percentage of those projects would hit the wall. That would set the field of cellular therapy and regenerative medicine back tremendously.

CIRM has had its administrative ups and downs, but its importance as a player in advancing a difficult and complex science is manifest. So is the wisdom of giving the program a new lease on life through new public funding.

The program has fulfilled its fundamental goal of turning California into a mecca of advanced genetic and regenerative research. California is the place to be if you want to develop stem cell treatments, Jeanne Loring of Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, who has received several million dollars in CIRM grants to research possible treatments for Parkinsons disease, told me some time ago. A lot of my colleagues in other states are envious.

CIRM sees its mission as unique in the biological sciences. Its huge war chest has allowed it to support research projects during a speculative phase in which researchers need funding but traditional investors, even venture investors with an appetite for risk, are wary of putting up any money. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can turn into specialized cells as the body needs them, if researchers can train them to replace damaged cells in the form and place theyre needed.

Investors arent willing to come in too early, CIRM President Maria Millan says. So CIRM continues to play an extremely important role of boldly investing early and de-risking these programs so they can reach the point of attracting outside commercial investors. We need to do more of this.

Balancing the political realities of initiative campaigns with scientific reality, however, is a challenge  and one that the 2004 campaign for Proposition 71 handled atrociously. Whether Klein and his fellow promoters will do anything differently in the next initiative campaign is a key question.

The backers of Proposition 71 plied the public with flagrantly irresponsible promises of cures for conditions such as Parkinsons, Alzheimers and spinal cord injuries. They made inflated forecasts of the financial returns from research and denigrated the taxpayers elected legislative representatives as enemies to be locked out of the oversight loop.

Some of these attributes could become issues in the next initiative campaign, to the programs disadvantage.

Proposition 71 mandated that CIRMs governing board comprise almost exclusively officials of California universities, other research institutions, patient advocacy groups and executives of biotech firms, most of which are eligible for financial support from the program. This resulted, according to a 2012 study by the National Academy of Sciences, in almost unavoidable conflicts of interest, whether actual or perceived.

Thomas says that the board members are subject to extremely stringent conflict-of-interest rules and that no board member has ever had an instance of a conflict on any funding decision.

But there certainly have been close calls. In 2007 board member John C. Reed tried to get CIRMs staff to reverse the rejection of a grant for the La Jolla-based Burnham Institute for Medical Research (now the Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute), of which he was chief executive. The staff refused. Reed got his wrist slapped by state ethics officials and remained on the board until 2010.

In 2012, the board approved a $20-million funding award to Stem Cells Inc. for an Alzheimers project, despite its rejection by CIRMs scientific reviewers but at the urging of Klein, who was no longer chairman but still wielded outsize influence at CIRM.

The insularity of a CIRM leadership dominated by insiders in the states research community doesnt raise concerns only about conflicts but also about the diversity of opinion on the board. Monoculture is never healthy, whether were talking about nonprofit boards or natural ecosystems. Given that CIRM, uniquely among state entities, also is almost totally exempt from legislative oversight, the tendency for its 29 board members all to see things the same way can only be intensified.

Another worrisome element is the propensity of backers to promise unreasonable results, such as disease cures. Klein appears to be going down that road again  the advocacy group he created to advance his new initiative is named Americans for Cures.

The next initiative campaign may have to answer voters questions about why there havent actually been any cures, 15 years after Proposition 71s enactment. Answering those questions would be easier if the promoters could say that they never promised cures. But the promise is etched right there in the title of the initiative, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act.

Thomas acknowledges that science is a nuanced series of progressions and it takes time for things to play out. We cant say weve cured cancer or diabetes, but we have made dramatic progress. He points to the impending FDA ruling on the bubble baby treatment.

Still, the Proposition 71 publicity juggernaut led voters to believe that lack of money was the chief obstacle to finding cures for headline conditions such as Parkinsons and Alzheimers  when the truth is that such neurological conditions are the most difficult for medical science to crack.

One almost senses a fear in the CIRM community that the public wont be sufficiently jazzed by scientific efforts that fall short of moonshots, to use an Obama administration term. Were going after cures, not chronic treatments, Thomas told me. Anything we do is going to be utterly transformative for those affected by a particular condition and their families.

Yet theres nothing shameful about aiming for an intermediate benchmark; a new chronic treatment surely can be transformative for sufferers of an intractable disease. If the fits-and-starts reality of medical progress were presented candidly to California voters, whos to say they wouldnt accept CIRMs role in that timeline with pride?

The prospect of a new initiative offers the opportunity to reconsider CIRMs structure and mission.

Proposition 71 paid lip service, indirectly, to concerns that the cost of medical treatment is moving beyond the reach of most families. But it offered no mechanism to guarantee Californians access to treatments developed with public funds or even to provide discounts to California healthcare programs. Access is bound to become an ever-greater issue, for gene therapies that resemble projects funded by CIRM are reaching market with price tags in the hundreds of thousands of dollars; the most expensive new drug approved by the FDA, a treatment for a rare wasting disease in infants, will cost $2.1 million for a one-time dose.

Klein told David Jensen of the California Stem Cell Report that he is contemplating a provision in the next initiative for funding the infrastructure to work on access, to work with insurance companies, to work with Covered California, to work with Medicare, to make sure that theres access, to make certain that public hospitals and public clinics in California get discounted prices. That would be worthwhile, if it can be done.

There is also an urgent need for generalized training in regenerative science for medical students and physicians. So much of this work is right at the cutting edge, says Paul Knoepfler, a UC Davis stem cell biologist who is a CIRM grantee. Were really at the point where there are a lot of complex issues that relate to the work that CIRM is funding. If CIRM wins funding to carry it through another decade, he says, there are definitely going to be more challenging ethical issues and other things that could be addressed by training.

How CIRMs bid for $5.5 billion in new funding will fare politically in 2020 is impossible to gauge just yet, especially in the absence of a concrete proposal. But the campaigns best friend could be Donald Trump.

The scientifically ignorant constraints George W. Bush had placed on stem cell research may well have been decisive in persuading California voters in 2004 to fund a landmark program to fill the gap. (The Obama administration overturned the Bush regulations.) The Trump administrations open hostility to scientific research could perform the same service in 2020. California has stood up against Trump in many ways; encouraging science fits into this theme.

But confidence in the rectitude of their scientific mission shouldnt embolden CIRMs backers to go down the same deceptive path they traveled in 2004.

Californias stem cell program has proved its value to the state and to science. It has earned the opportunity to show what it can achieve with an additional 10 years of life and billions more.

But Californians also have earned the right to a program that is more accountable to legislative oversight and subject to more diverse viewpoints on its board. These are changes that can be made in CIRMs structure without compromising by one iota its access to technical and scientific expertise.

Voters also have earned the right to an honest accounting of the challenges inherent in bringing stem cell and gene-based disease treatments to fruition. CIRM gains nothing from minimizing the difficulty and complexity of its science. If its backers offer a candid picture of these challenges, the path ahead will be exciting. If they repeat the exploitative promises of cures and riches from 2004, what lies ahead will be disappointment.

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.
China said Friday that it will establish a list of unreliable entities it says damage the interests of domestic companies, a sweeping order that could potentially affect thousands of foreign firms as tensions escalate after the U.S. blacklisted Huawei Technologies Co.

China will set up a mechanism listing foreign enterprises, organizations and individuals that dont obey market rules, violate contracts, block or cut off supply for non-commercial reasons or severely damage the legitimate interests of Chinese companies, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng said. Necessary measures will be taken against those on the list, he said, adding that specifics would be released soon.

The U.S. government has moved to curb Huaweis ability to sell equipment in the U.S. and buy parts from American suppliers, potentially crippling one of Chinas most successful  and controversial  global companies. That step has helped broaden the tariff war into a wider confrontation between China and the U.S. at a time when negotiations between the two sides have broken down.

The vague wording of the Chinese state media report opens the door for Beijing to target a broad swath of the global tech industry  from U.S. giants including Alphabet Inc.s Google, Qualcomm Inc. and Intel Corp. to non-American suppliers that have cut off Chinas largest technology company. Those include Japans Toshiba and Britains Arm.

Advertisement

Shares in Apple Inc. slipped less than 1% while Qualcomm gained less than 1% and Intel was little changed in U.S. trading Friday. U.S. stocks slumped as the Trump administrations trade spats intensified.

Surely companies that have announced cutting supplies to Huawei, such as Panasonic and Toshiba, would be under threat, said Michelle Lam, an economist at Societe Generale SA in Hong Kong. It could be very damaging to multinational companies.

The tariff conflict is set to ratchet up this weekend as the U.S. locks down higher duties on about $200 billion of goods arriving from China and Beijing implements its own retaliation. Talks between the two sides stalled after President Trump accused China of backsliding on a deal and Chinese officials argued that the Americans raised their demands.

Who is the man behind Huawei? 

The list will also target companies that pose a threat or potential threat to national security, the Commerce Ministrys Gao said. China is setting up the list to protect international economic and trade rules and the multilateral trading system, to oppose unilateralism and trade protectionism, and to safeguard Chinas national security, social and public interests, he said.

China said this week the next move in resolving trade talks must come from the U.S., as Trump said hes in no hurry to make a deal. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet again at the end of June for the G-20 summit, though some analysts are pessimistic about a quick solution.

Chinas blacklist threat sends pressure to Washington as the ban [on Chinese companies] from the U.S. side goes wider, said James Yan, a Counterpoint Research analyst. China may pick a few bad examples to punish, but its unlikely to hit everyone in the supply chain.

Chinese state media have floated other potential retaliatory measures in recent days. Bloomberg News reported Friday that Beijing has readied a plan to restrict exports of rare earths to the U.S. if needed, according to people familiar with the matter. The measures would likely focus on heavy rare earths, a sub-group of the materials for which the U.S. is particularly reliant on China.

This retaliation with Chinese characteristics is unlikely to sway the Trump administration, said Jude Blanchette, China practice lead at Crumpton Group in Arlington, Va., and a former Conference Board researcher in Beijing. The only certain outcome of this hastily created entity list is to further convince foreign firms that the political and regulatory risk of operating in China continues to rise.
In the U.S., a college degree has usually meant financial security. But increased competition and overwhelming student debt are making that outcome less of a given.

That has spurred a feeling among many graduates that the qualification wasnt worth the time, effort or money.

The brewing anxiety may burst into the open during the 2020 U.S. election campaign, when student finances are likely to be a key issue for Democrats. Among the partys presidential contenders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is promoting a plan that would make tuition free at all public colleges and universities, an idea also backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Legislation on those lines has been introduced in the Senate and House, and has support from 2020 candidates Kamala Harris, Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand.

In recent years, more Americans have completed college degrees  lowering their rarity in the workplace and eroding the wage premium they can command.

Advertisement

Americans with a bachelors degree earned less in real terms last year than in 1990, according to New York Federal Reserve Bank data. That has probably contributed to one of the findings from the Federal Reserve Boards sixth annual survey of household economics: Just two-thirds of those graduates believe their investment in education paid off.

The Fed data show that a degree still makes an important contribution to financial stability. Adults with a bachelors degree or higher are more likely to be on solid footing, with 87% saying theyre doing at least OK financially. That compares with only 64% of those with a high school education or less.

Sentiment also splits by age: About 8 in 10 boomer-age adults say that the benefits of their bachelors degree outweigh the costs, while only about half of respondents younger than 30  a generation in which degrees were more widespread  feel the same.

Of course, it depends on what you studied  and at what kind of school. Two-thirds of those with bachelors degrees from public and private not-for-profit schools see benefits as higher than costs, versus just half of those who attended for-profit institutions.

There are also disparities by race. The Fed survey found increasing levels of financial stability among whites and Hispanics with a college degree. That wasnt the case for black Americans: 61% with a high school degree or less say theyre financially stable, and that reading remains the same for those who attended college. For whites, though, theres an eight-point increase in financial stability  and its a 14-point gain for Hispanics.

Once out of college, the differences between racial groups narrow, with 89% of white Americans saying theyre doing OK money-wise, compared with 81% of Hispanics and 80% of blacks.

High costs are still keeping people out of higher education.

Financial considerations, including costs being too expensive or a need to earn money, are the most common reasons cited by two-thirds of young adults who didnt attend college and 62% who didnt complete their degree, the Fed found.

With the benefit of hindsight, 1 in 9 would have chosen not to attend college.
Reliance is a black Angus bull with a long, fluid stride. He has a quiet confidence when he walks. Its one of the qualities that led cattlemen to bid up the prized animal to $150,000 during a recent bull sale at Woodhill Farms in Viroqua, Wis.

But theres more to Reliance than his poise. He comes with a printout of genomic assessments and a family tree going back generations. The numbers say hes a winner, and these days, the numbers are right. Hes rated in the top 3% of all Angus bulls for ribeye quality, and the top 5% for marbling  the white, fatty flecks that make beef more flavorful and tender, according to Brian McCulloh, who bred the big-money bull.

Reliances descendants are almost guaranteed to turn into delectable Porterhouses, which their owners can charge more money for accordingly.

Today, cattlemen can pick out superior calves better than they ever have, as DNA testing gets cheaper and projections get more accurate. Thats transforming the beef industry, with cattle that make high-end beef becoming the vast majority of U.S. herds in recent years. Lower-quality beef is forecast to all but vanish from the U.S. market, while the highest quality, once a rarity, is common enough that retailers such as Costco Wholesale Corp. stock it.

Advertisement

Its like moneyball for cattle, Mark McCully, vice president of production for Certified Angus Beef, said of the advanced statistics movement. Back in the day, the eye of the stockman was all we had, and now we have high-powered analytical tools and can make progress so much faster.

More marbled beef has driven down prices. USDA prime beef was selling for $2.2458 a pound wholesale last year, the lowest since 2011. That compares with $2.0106 a pound for USDA select beef, which has little marbling.

Now choice cuts once found only at white-tablecloth steakhouses are available at the local grocery store. Theres so much elite beef sloshing around these days, companies have taken to slapping fancy names on their products. There are 95 U.S.-government-certified beef brands today. Tyson Foods sells Chairmans Reserve and Open Prairie Natural Angus beef; JBS SA has 5 Star Reserve and 1855 Black Angus beef. The democratization of steak has even reached Walmart, which upgraded to certified Angus steaks in 2017.

One breed is dominant when it comes to the quantitative genetics game: the hornless, black Angus, which has been promoted as having better beef than others. When new calves are born, theyre registered with the American Angus Assn., and their pedigrees are confirmed with DNA testing, which costs about $37 a test, compared with $139 in 2011.

A host of measurements are taken and compared against databases that can include millions of animals. So much data has been collected at this point that the statistical modeling has become startlingly accurate, said Dan Moser, president of the nonprofit Angus Genetics Inc.

The gains from that data, once applied to breeding, are like compound interest. Last year, 82% of the U.S. herd was comprised of the two highest-quality beef categories  USDA prime and choice, McCully said. Just five years ago, only 70% of the herd qualified. Prime, considered the most desirable of meats, was for decades just a percent or two of the herd. Now its around 10%.

The profusion of marbled meat and a strong economy are helping drive a beef renaissance, said Shane Miller, senior vice president of beef enterprise at Tyson Food Inc. American consumers, now accustomed to ribeyes over lesser cuts, will eat 57.7 pounds of beef per capita this year, the highest in almost a decade, according to government data.

If a man and wife, they go to a steakhouse and lay down $100 to eat and have a bad eating experience, theyre not coming back for a while. Jim Moore, third-generation rancher

In the past, such luxury beef was a happy accident. More often than not, cattlemen chose a bull because they liked the look of it. They watched the way it walked, preferring animals with long strides, because those that took short and choppy steps dont gain weight as well. Theyd release bulls into the pastures with the females and only years later when the offspring were grown, fattened up and sent to market could a farmer know if he had made the right call.

This started to change in the 1970s and 1980s, when a few revolutionary tools quietly came into being. The American Angus Assn. had long been registering animals and collecting data on everything from how easily a calf was born to how docile it was. But in the 1970s the industry began using statistical models to predict how good an animal was as a parent and the probability that it would transmit any prized traits to its children. The forecasts helped. By the 1990s, these ratings  called expected progeny differences, or EPDs  had become the premier tool for American cattlemen who wanted to make better beef.

By 1990 the industry also started using ultrasounds to see what the meat of a live bull looked like. With that, breeders could immediately know whether a bull had the good-meat genes it was supposed to pass on. Previously, you had to sacrifice the animal to get that data, Moser said.

That all led to huge gains in the herds quality. By 2010 another leap had come. Early adopters started testing the DNA of bull calves, or genotyping them, which lets breeders quickly identify superior young animals. DNA is extracted from blood, hair or tissue samples and put onto a chip and run through a machine that looks at approximately 55,000 positions in the DNA. (An early developer of such DNA chips, also called microarrays, incidentally, is Pat Brown, CEO of Impossible Foods, who wants his meatless burger to eliminate the need for traditional beef.) Thats translated into information used for calculating breeding values, or the value of the genes that an animal transmits to its children.

Some of the most innovative work is being done at the University of Georgia in Athens, which has had a large agricultural research operation since the 19th century. In a third-floor office space, where two rooms are crammed with data-crunching computers, Daniela Lourenco and her colleagues are sharpening the accuracy of methods originally developed a decade ago by U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers and first applied to Holstein dairy cows in the U.S. Lourenco, a 37-year-old assistant professor of animal breeding and genetics from Brazil, spends her days trying to more efficiently translate the effects of genes into a number based on the DNA information from millions of animals. The more accurate that number, the better she can identify the best animals, from cattle and pigs to chickens and honey bees.

A porterhouse steak gets the treatment over a hot bed of coals. (Michael Mally / Knight-Ridder Tribune)

I always joke that Im very proud when I eat a good steak, especially from Angus, because I know most likely its the progeny of an animal that was selected based on our software method, she said. Lourenco added that breeding genetics is helping with food security, as the world will have to feed 9 to 10 billion people in the coming decades. Im very excited that we can bring a better way to identify the best animals and to help improve animal production.

Though some ranchers are reluctant to embrace data-driven breeding  its not the cowboy way  Jim Moore has jumped in with both feet. A third-generation rancher who runs about 300 cattle in Charleston, Ark., Moore began trying to increase the marbling of his herd 25 years ago. Previously, ranchers had no economic incentive to do so because cattle were sold on a per-pound basis and fetched the same prices whether they were well-marbled or not. But in the mid 1990s, slaughter plants began paying up for quality.

Fifteen or so years ago, about half of Moores herd rated choice and prime  about the national average at the time. Today, thanks to DNA testing and moneyball scores, all of his animals fall into the top categories for marbled beef, with as many as 53% of them making the top grade. We started making gradual progression, he said. Then all at once it started clicking.

If DNA tests show heifers, or young females, lack the ability to marble, Moore gets rid of them. The keepers are mated with bulls with high marbling scores. The resulting calves are raised until theyre about a year old and between 700 and 800 pounds. Then theyre trucked to a feedlot in Kansas, where they stay for 160 to 190 days until they reach 1,400 pounds or more. The animals go to a National Beef Co. packing plant in Dodge City, Kan., and Moore is paid at that point for each animal, based on quality. The meat is then marketed through U.S. Premium Beef, which has a slew of brands including Certified Angus Beef.

Were passionate about the fact that we have to produce as high quality beef as we can possibly produce, Moore said. If a man and wife, they go to a steakhouse and lay down $100 to eat and have a bad eating experience, theyre not coming back for a while. If its juicy and tender and prepared well, theyre a lot more apt to come back.

Science and math have transformed the steak industry in less than a generation. But successful ranchers also know that a happy animal is equally crucial to creating delicious beef.

On his Arkansas acreage, Moore does whatever it takes to give cattle the best shot at making the grade. That includes feeding them well, making sure they go to the vet and always handling them gently. We keep them as calm as we can possibly can, he said.
Actress Alex Kingston, known for her roles on ER and Dr. Who, is looking to play the part of landlord in the Hollywood Hills. Her home of six years is on the market for $14,995 a month, records show.

A gated entrance with a koi pond leads to the two-story contemporary, which dates to 1965 but has been renovated and expanded. Inside, open-concept living areas include a chefs kitchen, a formal dining room and a living room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. A den/home theater sits off the common areas.

A total of five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms lie within more than 3,800 square feet of living space. Walls of windows bring natural light into the master suite, which has a soaking tub.

Advertisement

Setup for indoor-outdoor living, glass walls recede in the common areas, opening to a dining patio and a swimming pool with a spa. A sunken conversation pit with built-in bench seating is tucked behind the pool area and has a fire pit.

Views take in the city lights and mountains.

Kelli Debbs of Kelli Debbs Realty holds the listing, according to the Multiple Listing Service.

Kingston, 56, has scores of credits including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Arrow and Private Practice. More recently, she appeared on the Amazon series The Widow starring Kate Beckinsale.

She bought the home in 2013 for $1.23 million, records.

neal.leitereg@latimes.com | Twitter: @LATHotProperty
The word Idlewild is proudly displayed on the front-facing gable of a distinctive residence rooted deeply in Monrovias history.

The Queen Anne Victorian dates to 1887, the same year the city was incorporated, and was commissioned by Civil War Union General William A. Pile. The former minister, Republican congressman and appointed governor of the New Mexico Territory served one year as the mayor of Monrovia.

Bay Area architects Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom created the opulent residence under the watchful eyes of Pile and his wife. Among the striking original details are a windowed cupola with a conical turret, the fish-scale shingle exterior and a piece of stained-glass above the wide front door containing more than 50 semi-precious gemstones.

Ornamental spindle-work helps define the 3,384 square feet of living space, which can be further separated by using the tall pocketing doors. Other features include an elevated veranda, coffered door frames, 12-foot ceilings, octagonal windows and detailed fireplace mantels. The mantel on the front room fireplace, for example, is made of more than a dozen shades of onyx.

Advertisement

A grand staircase in the homes reception hall leads to the second story and a gallery with a Juliet balcony. Theodore Roosevelt reportedly once addressed constituents from the perch.

Updated spaces include the eat-in kitchen and laundry room. A wrap-around deck takes in foothill views. There are four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a wine cellar, an art studio and a six-car garage.

The attic, with 13-foot ceilings, could be converted to additional living space.

Idlewild House, at 255 N. Mayflower Ave., Monrovia, is being offered for sale at $1.699 million. Jackie Smith, Vanessa Quinn and Teresa Fuller of Compass are the listing agents.

This occasional feature celebrates Southern Californias architectural heritage through residences built before 1960. Submit candidates for Vintage SoCal to lauren.beale2@latimes.com.
Early on a warm Saturday morning about 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, intrepid visitors sat in their cars waiting for CalEarth to open. They had come to Hesperia to see the dome-shaped structures meant to serve as housing and emergency shelters  inexpensive and easy to build architecture, perhaps for the poor or for people displaced by earthquake, wildfire, wind or flood.

Unfortunately, the research institutes campus was closed. CalEarth had been shut down to the public since last December by the San Bernardino County Fire Department until the institute could build a fire road and make other improvements to comply with the county and city codes.

For advocates of sustainable design, the closure has quieted a longstanding voice in an increasingly important conversation. Founded in 1991 by Nader Khalili, the California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture has researched and developed solutions, including the SuperAdobe, a structure made with patented, long plastic bags filled with dirt from the building site and held in place with barbed wire. Khalilis ultimate aim was to empower refugees and the poor to build homes using minimal materials and without the need for highly skilled practitioners such as architects, engineers and contractors.

The institute ran a robust program of apprenticeships and workshops for people interested in the technique. Alumni, dispersed across the globe, have used the SuperAdobe technique to build in places as varied as Oman, Venezuela, Japan, Hungary and Sierra Leone. While the Hesperia campus was closed, the apprenticeships and workshops continued offsite in places like Italy and Mexico.

Advertisement

It verified that CalEarth is not just the campus, said Naders daughter Sheefteh Khalili, who has run the institute with her brother Dastan since their fathers death in 2008. The work has proliferated so much more expansively. The campus is just one part.

The range of CalEarth structures runs from fully staged houses to rudimentary, domed emergency shelters constructed of stacked earth. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

At the opposite end of the spectrum: Earth One, 2,000-square-foot model home built using the CalEarth technique. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Site director Ian Lodge inside one of the fully staged CalEarth structures. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The structures on the CalEarth campus experiment with form and materials. Doors are sometimes constructed from wood pallets, light enters through colored glass bottles inserted into walls, windows are recycled PVC pipe. One has a large domed overhang that diverts water for places prone to flooding. Another one under construction will be underground.

The result is vaulted homes that have been compared to the homesteads on the Star Wars desert planet of Tatooine or the cozy cupolas of J.R.R. Tolkiens Hobbits.

There is renewed interest in the dome. Its a primal form that is really resonant, said L.A. architect Daveed Kapoor. The form is the essential shape of what homes used to be in every continent.

Nader Khalili, who taught at the Southern California Institute of Architecture and was a visiting scientist at NASAs Los Alamos National Laboratory, chose Hesperia because of the challenging conditions.

The temperature is triple digits in the summer, single digits in the winter, were near the San Andreas fault, Sheefteh Khalili said. The intense variation in weather serves as a stress test for the structures, which are designed to withstand extremes.

Dastan and Sheefteh Khalili, who have run CalEarth since the death of their father, Nader Khalili. (From Sheefteh Khalili)

CalEarth founder Nader Khalili on a wall inside Earth One. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Dastan and Sheefteh have remained dedicated to advancing their fathers legacy. His vision was so pure, so clear. Sheefteh said. Its about access and education and empowerment.

Which is why the closure has served as a crossroads for the institute.

The San Bernadino County Fire Department required CalEarth to complete a fire access road while the city of Hesperia added requirements including ADA accessible parking and a full sidewalk, curb and gutter on the east side of the campus. The road and ADA accessible parking have been completed, but the institute still needs to raise money for the sidewalk and gutter.

CalEarth launched a membership program for the first time in its history. According to Sheefteh Khalili, the remaining improvements will cost about $112,000, and CalEarth has raised $75,000 thus far. Because the fire road and ADA access was completed, CalEarth got the green light to reopen. The first open house since the closure is planned for Saturday.

The last major initiative the closure spurred is creating a set of standardized procedures for the International Code Council, an association that provides model codes for municipal governments to assess the safety and sustainability of structures around the globe.

The Khalilis hope that having a third party that can approve a procedure for testing and evaluating SuperAdobe will kickstart its adoption in the U.S., and provide a way for Hesperia and San Bernadino County to allow permitting for their buildings. For Kapoor, a standardized set of codes might make SuperAdobe more feasible in L.A., an idea hed love to see realized. Its a cheap house you build yourself but each one feels like a sacred space, he says. Its simultaneously sacred and profane.

Site director Ian Lodge outside one of CalEarths model houses of earth architecture. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

See all of our latest arts news and reviews at latimes.com/arts.
An art professor, trying to articulate what he finds beautiful, describes a childhood memory of a monarch butterfly migration. The air was a thicket of undulating black and orange, he says, and for two days, trees were hung with thousands of fluttering wings.

Beauty gets deeply analyzed in The End of Beauty, a tellingly titled new play presented by Playwrights Arena.

The author is Cory Hinkle, an Oklahoma native whos now an Angeleno by way of Brown University and Minneapolis Playwrights Center. His very different Apocalypse Play  a cannibalistic relationship comedy  was staged locally two years ago.

His language here is expressive, his metaphors evocative.

Advertisement

Michael and Margaret are married art professors in Wichita, Kan.

Silas Weir Mitchell, familiar from the NBC drama Grimm, portrays Michael as a fire-in-the-eyes intellectual. Much of that zeal, however, has turned cynical and sour. Margaret (Tania Verafield)  intelligent, down-to-earth, sensual  has long been drawn to his energy but also finds it exasperating. Little tornadoes of disagreement whip up between them.

When Margaret clumsily mentions that shes bumped into a former student, now a rising art star, and has invited him to dinner, Michael picks up on her caginess. She brushes it aside and warns him to be on his best behavior.

THE LATEST arts news and reviews are posted latimes.com/arts. 

Once the earnest if impulsive Sam (Ruy Iskandar) arrives, the conversation turns, naturally, to art. The plays true subject, though, is the art of relationships, and this get-together  fueled by alcohol and a hidden agenda  seems destined to be fateful.

Hinkle establishes fly-on-the-wall voyeurism but keeps startling us when the characters, aware of our presence, turn to talk to us. Monologues might be an accepted convention in theater, but when used so extensively, they call attention to themselves. Fortunately, the lived-in performances and Barbara Kallirs naturalistic direction keep us in the groove.

Along the way, we are treated to each characters philosophy of beauty: It is transformative, elemental, unexpected.

Underneath, a question looms: Once weve found beauty, how do we hold on to it? Because even the loveliest things will become stale if we dont nurture and appreciate them.

=====

The End of Beauty

Where: Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., L.A.

When: 8 p.m. Saturdays and Mondays, 4 p.m. Sundays (some variations), through June 17

Tickets: $20-$40

Info: (800) 838-3006, playwrightsarena.org

Running time: 2 hours
Warning: The following article contains major plot spoilers for the Netflix thriller The Perfection including the twist ending.

When director Richard Shepard wrote the psychological revenge thriller The Perfection with Eric C. Charmelo and Nicole Snyder, he didnt realize its themes of sexual abuse and assault would erupt on a national scale months later after Harvey Weinsteins public fall from grace.

It was very strange, said Shepard, whod been inspired to tell the story after watching the Netflix docuseries The Keepers, about the murder of a nun and the churchs subsequent cover-up.

Advertisement

It really stuck with me and has always driven me mad not only that people are abused but that its covered up, he said. That drives me nuts. And so I wanted to get that into this genre movie, but to do it in a way that didnt feel exploitative.

That desire dovetailed with the increasing trend of genre movies that either tackle or acknowledge serious issues. Listen, were seeing a lot of bad things in the world, Shepard added. Were living in a really, really tough moment, and a lot of people are sick of it and want the bad things to stop. Revenge has always been in movies; its happening now in a sort of elevated horror style.

In The Perfection, Allison Williams and Logan Browning star as Charlotte and Lizzie, a pair of high-achieving cellists with a dark secret in common. After numerous twists and turns, the film arrives at an ending viewers will never see coming, which Shepard says was inspired by Korean cinema  particularly films like Old Boy and The Handmaiden.

We started talking about how can we tell a bonkers story that is also fun, scary, erotic, horrible and yet at the same time wild, said Shepard. Plot twists definitely happen in American movies but not crazy ones, said Shepard during a press day for the film. So I thought, Can I do a movie in which crazy plot twists happen and it still makes sense in the world that weve created?

As a filmmaker youre trying to do something that people havent seen. So you give them something that satisfies their needs but that hopefully feels new or is presented in a new package.

The Times caught up with Shepard to discuss spoilers, complicity and trying to tell a story about rape and revenge without making it exploitative. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Logan Browning and Allison Williams in a scene from The Perfection. (Netflix)

A big part of this movie is casting. What made Allison and Logan right for their roles?

I wrote the movie with Allison in mind. Id worked with her on the [HBO] show Girls, and there was something about Allison where sometimes its hard to read what shes thinking. I thought that would be perfect for this part, where youre not supposed to really know whether you can trust her or what her true intentions are.

And with Logan  we auditioned everybody basically, and she just was the best actor. Allisons incredibly smart and passionately articulate, and I needed the same thing from the other actress because not all actors are that way. I needed someone who was going to speak up for [herself] and challenge me. I mean, Im a 54-year-old white guy. I wanted these two younger women to challenge me on certain things because this is subject matter that needed some challenging from a different point of view.

What was it like working with Allison post-"Girls?

Girls was a beautiful experience in which we were in a very big cocoon of Lena Dunhams creativity. Lena is a brilliant, strong, articulate and smart visionary filmmaker. And this was her home, that show. As a director, I got a lot of freedom, but it was ultimately about fulfilling Lenas needs. It was one of the best jobs Ive ever had, but we were all in that cocoon, so Allison was too. She developed that character [Marnie] over six years, but it came from Lena and Jenni Konner and Judd Apatow.

And with this movie, this is my movie. I mean, I co-wrote it with Eric and Nicole, but I directed it, I produced it with Stacey Reiss, its me. And Allison was the first actor to get the script, and so we got to create in a different way than we had worked on Girls because we were creating from the ground floor together, and it was really fun. If I could work with Allison for the rest of my career, Id be super happy.

The film explores themes of retribution for sexual abuse and assault. How do you think that its reception will be influenced by the changing times?

Having these actors who were very vocal about the things that were important to them affected many things. At very end of the movie, Logan is torturing Steven Weber [as the abusive teacher Anton] and shes hitting him and shes like, This is for what you did to me and this is for what you did to Charlotte and this is for what you did to every other person who believed you. And Logan wrote that. That was her saying, This is what I want to say. And I was like, Yeah, youve given me a gift.

What do you want audiences to take away from the film?

Well, a few things. Hopefully one takeaway will be, Wow, that was a bonkers movie. And I want the conversation to be like, It was crazy and I watched it again or I want to watch it again to see does it make sense the second time?

Its funny. When we showed it at Fantastic Fest, audiences really loved it and it was super fun as a filmmaker to be in an audience, especially that audience. But with the last images of the movie, which are really shocking, there was utter silence in the theater. Like it was weird; people just needed to comprehend it. As a filmmaker, thats kind of what you want, stunned silence. Not the bad kind where its like, Why did I just waste 90 minutes of my life? Instead the stunned silence was like, Whoa.

Allison Williams and Logan Browning in a scene from The Perfection. (Netflix)

What was it like filming the sex scene with the actresses as collaborators?

In the sex scene I was like, You want to get rid of anything? Its gone. And I will never do a sex scene again without empowering the actors because you have to do that; thats the world we live in. But its also the right thing. And Logan and Allison just felt a lot freer doing the scenes knowing that they had a final veto.

And thats very interesting because I think that sex scene is really sexy and it could have been exploitative or stupid or just like a white male gaze or something, and instead Id like to think that its like a really cool scene. You actually feel the heat between these two girls, and I think part of that is because the actors felt like they could get in the edit room and go No.

How did you walk the line to ensure the movie wasnt veering into exploitation territory?

Its a thin line. I mean, I had no interest in making an exploitation movie. But I talk about Korean cinema or even the cinema of Brian De Palma in the late 70s and early 80s, like Dressed to Kill or Blow Out. Theyre stylish. Theres an art to them. So you can push the boundaries of things because youre doing it in an artful way.

Its a violent movie with very little violence in it. Its a bloody movie with actually very little blood in it. Its a rape movie with no rape in it, only suggested and not ever seen like you would normally see. Its a revenge movie in which the revenge is very tough, but its warranted once the movies over. So its a lot of those things, and its a little bit of who I am as a human.

Lets discuss a couple of specific choices: Whats the significance of Palomas complicity in Antons actions?

Heres the thing: All the people at that academy had been abused themselves. So its a little tough because you have some sympathy on some level for anyone whos been abused, and most people who are abusers were abused themselves. [But] Paloma allowed it. There was a moment in the movie where Charlottes like, Please help me, and Palomas like, No.

All it takes is someone helping: Had the church decided to not reinstate that priest, he wouldnt be doing [what he did]. Had Paloma just said, This is enough; were not doing this, that wouldnt happen. But she chose not to. So that was calculated and on purpose, but none of this was taken lightly. Its a fun movie and were talking about deep stuff in it  but were thoughtful people or try to be.

What do you think Charlotte and Lizzie got from that final duet after they tortured Anton?

Theres a revenge ending to the movie that is satisfying, but then I wanted the last images of the movie to be difficult and beautiful: These two women playing this very beautiful instrument together because theyve each lost a hand. So its just by nature a very unique and interesting visual. I thought it would be really cool. I also wanted Anton to be deformed by their hand and tortured. And at the same time, the part thats really disturbing is that these girls still feel the need to play for him and that his ear is left unharmed and so he can hear them. But then the joke on set was that they probably played terribly. So all hes hearing is imperfection and maybe thats their torture.

So what do you think happens to these characters after the movie ends?

[Laughs] A lot of therapy.

sonaiya.kelley@latimes.com

follow me on twitter @sonaiyak
San Francisco broke Jimmie Fails heart a long time ago.

The city he knew as a sanctuary for immigrants, free spirits, artists and oddballs no longer exists. A swell of wealth, tech companies and urban renewal has carved up much of his beloved city, rendering it unfamiliar and inaccessible to those without the fat wallets needed to afford todays San Francisco.

Baby boomers, infants and minorities are virtually endangered species; Ubers, Lyfts and buses carrying Google and Apple workers clog the streets; the gap between the haves and have nots is crushing. Fails  like many inhabitants  yearns for his old paradise, the romantic city once known as the Paris of the West.

The people who made the city what it is, I barely see them anymore. Everyone is gone, pushed out. Were bitter, were jaded, but theres not much I can do about it, Fails says. You just feel so disrespected when you see some of these white people who care more about dogs than black people. (Oddly enough, San Fran is home to more dogs than children under 18.) The price to live in the city has skyrocketed so much that apartment listings often go viral for their shocking sticker prices, and theres been a double-digit increase in homelessness just the last two years. The city, once a bastion for black culture, has seen its black population fall to about 5%.

Advertisement

The tension between the racial politics of gentrification, displacement, privilege and class stands at the center of Fails first feature film as a writer and actor, The Last Black Man in San Francisco. Its a searing, semi-autobiographical drama he made with his childhood best friend, Joe Talbot, who directs the film, which won the special jury and directing awards at the Sundance Film Festival, where it premiered in January.

Loosely based on Fails upbringing, Last Black Man, which arrives in theaters Friday from the studio A24, is foremost a romance about a man and the childhood home that represents the devotion he has for his city and stands as a painful reminder of loss.

Wonderfully quirky, nuanced and profoundly resonant, the film follows struggling San Franciscans Jimmie (Fails as a slightly fictionalized version of himself) and Montgomery (Jonathan Majors), best friends who are on a mission to reclaim the Victorian home built by Jimmies grandfather in the Fillmore District where he grew up. Its a nuanced parade of experiences, Majors says of the film.

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

Jimmie Fails, left, stars in The Last Black Man in San Francisco, directed by Joe Talbot. (David Butow / For The Times)

Jimmie was hella brave to do this ... this movie is entirely emotionally real. Joe Talbot, director and co-writer of The Last Black Man in San Francisco on the films star, Jimmie Fails

The multi-generational saga weaves meditations on estrangement, black masculinity and friendship into its tale and arrives after a decade of painstaking labor from Fails and Talbot, who is making his feature directing debut.

Jimmie was hella brave to do this, says Talbot, his thick Bay Area accent punctuating a conversation in which he and Fails fill in each others thoughts, the way friends who are more like siblings can. Its a lot to ever unpack your life, and this movie is entirely emotionally real  some of it comes from his life, some from mine [and] things in our friends lives.

For Talbot and Fails, Last Black Man is a valentine to the city that raised them, albeit in very different circumstances, and the people who shaped them.

Fails lived in the Fillmore, an area rich with black and immigrant history, in an elegant but worn Victorian built by his grandfather until his family was forced out when he was 6  the home a victim of a rough economy and drug abuse.

He bounced around the city with his father, taking up residence in housing projects or shelters or their car as the rest of the family flocked to cheaper, farther patches of the Bay.

While living in a group home as a teen, commuting to Catholic school, Fails met Talbot, a fifth-generation native who grew up outside the Mission District in a house of journalists. The pair bonded over frequent walks across Bernal Heights, where they could see the entire city as they talked for hours about music and film.

Joe always had a camera in his hand; he comes from a family of artists. For me, film was my escape from my sometimes [crappy] life, Fails says.

Not to prop up my friend because hes here, Talbot interjects, but hes such a good storyteller. Just from day one. Hes such a naturally good writer. We thought the best way to combine all these things we loved  San Francisco, the people we grew up with and music  was to do a movie.

The friends produced a concept trailer for Last Black Man that went viral in 2015 as the pair sought to crowdfund the film. The project eventually caught the attention of Brad Pitts Plan B, which produced the film.

Jonathan Majors, left, and Jimmie Fails in The Last Black Man in San Francisco. (Peter Prato / A24)

This film, really, is a poem of what it is to be a black man. Its about seeing each other, fully. Jonathan Majors

In the fictionalized account of Fails displacement, Jimmie moves to Hunters Point, a community in San Franciscos southernmost edge where a generation of working-class folks are feeling pinched and upended by a crushing wave of gentrification.

Jimmie crashes on the floor of the small ramshackle his best friend Montgomery shares with his grandfather (played by Danny Glover). His relationship with his parents is fractured  Fails mother appears in a quietly heartbreaking scene directly pulled from his life  and hes pretty much only got Montgomery, an aspiring playwright with a kind heart and a bright disposition.

Though Montgomery is an amalgamation of various men in Fails and Talbots life  and closely inspired by their relationship  the power of Last Black Man rests upon the onscreen dynamic between Fails, whose only other acting experience is in Talbots 2017 short film American Paradise, and his co-lead, Majors (When We Rise, White Boy Rick).

I saw this guy who I just really wanted to be responsible for, Majors says. What was so beautiful to me was the fact that [this character] is marginalized in a marginalized community. He is the subculture of a subculture.

Majors was especially drawn to the films rendering of love and friendship between black men. The relationship between Jimmie and Montgomery  and the gangbangers they encounter daily who taunt them, despite knowing them  is done with a reverence rarely seen on screen. There are moments of tenderness and intensity and devastation that resonate with a specificity thats firmly rooted in blackness.

This film, really, is a poem of what it is to be a black man. Its about seeing each other, fully. This is love, deep fraternal love and its emotional and aggressive and gentle and its untraditional, says Majors, who lived with Fails during much of the films five-week shoot. That intimacy  not just black love, but black male love, man to man, is something we dont get, and I feel its because we dont have examples of it, [but] it was on the page and I just didnt hide from that. I really wanted to embody that.

Adds Talbot: There was a gentleness that everyone was tapping into, even when it was unspoken. These arent characters that we see often getting [any] kind of depth, but these men came in and led with a certain vulnerability.

To round out the cast, which also includes Tichina Arnold, Finn Wittrock, Rob Morgan and Mike Epps, the filmmakers turned to friends and fellow artists they knew from the city  including Jamal Trulove, an aspiring actor whose career got stalled when he was framed for murder by the San Francisco Police Department (he spent six years and prison before he was acquitted in 2015 and won a $13.1 million settlement).

A lot of these guys in the film, its their first time acting on any level and its just mind-boggling, Talbot says. It speaks to the talent that is just here in San Francisco waiting to be discovered.

Even as he finds himself on the cusp of stardom with one of the years buzziest films, Fails is reluctant to see his life as any different from the man that struggled to find a piece of home. Last Black Man, after all, arrives at a peculiar time for San Francisco. For the last five decades, theres been a steady stream of black people exiting San Francisco in search of cheaper places to live such as Oakland, Richmond and Sacramento while one out of every 11,600 residents in the city are actual billionaires.

People have been asking me, Why arent you more excited? But sometimes, it all just seems too good to be true, Fails says. It took a lot for me [to do this]. I had to conquer a lot of battles within myself  and get over some of my own resentments. It was hard, and sad. But this film was also very therapeutic and healing for me.

gerrick.kennedy@latimes.com

For more music news follow me on Twitter:@GerrickKennedy
Towne taps her diverse experience as a mother, former Delta Airlines international flight attendant and home-building contractor to handle a very dignified Home2Home logistics process that begins with quality criteria: Furnishings and decorations potentially going into the homes must be new or nearly new. Bedding, bath and anything else that touches the skin is definitely new, she said.
Cardi Bs new song says she dont need more press, but thats exactly what she got after appearing in court Friday.

Adding a plunging pink pantsuit to her outrageous courtroom wardrobe, the Bodak Yellow rapper was back in Queens court in New York for a hearing. However, she appeared somber and did not speak, according to the Associated Press, which reported that her case will next go to a grand jury. And that could bring stiffer charges.

Cardis legal saga stems from her alleged involvement in a strip-club melee with two female bartenders in August 2018. The fight reportedly broke out because the hip-hop star suspected that one of the bartenders was sleeping with her husband, Offset, a rapper in the group Migos, who was also at the club that night.

Overzealous Cardi B postpones tour to recover from liposuction 

Advertisement

Fridays appearance was the latest in the drawn-out case, which began last October when the rapper was arrested and released after voluntarily turning herself over to New York authorities. She was charged with assault and reckless endangerment, but, in April, the Grammy winner rejected a plea deal that offered her reduced charges and no jail time.

Prosecutors said Friday that they would present their case to a grand jury, AP reported. They believe that Cardi ordered her entourage to attack the women in a dispute that involved chairs and bottles being thrown. Cardis lawyer has said that she didnt harm anyone.

Cardi, 26, real name Belcalis Almanzar, is due back in court Aug. 9.

The hearing came just hours after the Bronx-bred rapper debuted her long-teased single Press, a rapid-fire invective against her detractors  and the press-fueled rumor mill  in which she raps that shes also done with the talkin, Im open to violence.

The former stripper and reality star has made no secret of her venomous distaste for those who cut her down. She fully leaned into that anger on the combative new track, which is a far cry from the dance tracks I Like It and Please Me, and fiercer than her diatribes on Be Careful and Money.

In the run-up to the release, Cardi B teased Press on Instagram with courtroom-inspired shots, including one influenced by a famous photo of convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos. The tunes provocative official cover art features the artist glamorously nude surrounded by a scrum of aged paparazzi. Its a look that almost mirrored present-day, although without the pantsuit.

Art imitating life, indeed.

Follow me: @NardineSaad
Deadwood is back, and as Al Swearengen would say, its about bleeping time.

The show that died too young is now a film, and the return trip in Deadwood: The Movie  set some 10 years later  gets down to unfinished business in the once lawless town in South Dakota.

On this weeks show, host Mark Olsen (@IndieFocus) talks with Ian McShane, the actor who brought the corrupt, foul-mouthed Swearengen to life, as well as the director, Daniel Minahan, who captured the now older and wiser characters meeting up again in a Deadwood poised on the edge of legitimacy.

Review -- Deadwood: The Movie marches bittersweetly to the brutal beat of time 

Advertisement

Diehard fans are sure to be pleased, especially since the series was unceremoniously canceled in 2006, leaving so many loose ends, and in spite of its critical acclaim. But Minahan also told Olsen that he made a film with an eye toward drawing newcomers to the shows original three seasons.

McShane says it wasnt a challenge to reprise his role  Swearengen is the kind of character people dont forget.
New documents in the Jussie Smollett case released Thursday show that prosecutors told Chicago police detectives that a possible deal with the Empire actor was in the works a month before charges against him were dropped.

The approximately 460 pages of new documents reveal that detectives investigating Smolletts claim that he was the victim of a hate crime were told by Cook County prosecutors that a deal with Smollett could include a $10,000 fine and community service. The detectives did not pass the information to superiors.

They didnt pass it on because they didnt know [the case] was going to be handled the way it was, said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

FULL COVERAGE: Jussie Smollett case 

Advertisement

Smollett was charged with 16 counts alleging he lied to police when reporting hed been the victim of a racist, antigay attack in January. Police contend the black and gay actor staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity. Prosecutors dropped charges on March 26 without Smollett admitting guilt.

Then Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police Supt. Eddie Johnson expressed outrage over the prosecutors decision.

In the documents released Thursday, detectives note the Chicago Police Department was informed by the Cook County states attorneys office on Feb. 28 that they could no longer investigate the crime. Smollett was indicted on March 7. The lead investigators in the case met with Assistant States Atty. Risa Lanier, who informed detectives that she felt the case would be settled with Smollett paying the city of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service.

The Jussie Smollett story is not just about Jussie Smollett. Its about us 

The detectives closed the case at that point because an arrest was made and the alleged offender was being prosecuted, according to Guglielmi.

Telephone calls to the Cook County states attorneys office werent immediately returned Thursday.

It was the attorneys for Smollett who announced charges alleging he lied to police about the attack had been dropped. At the time, Johnson said he learned of the deal prosecutors made with Smollett when the deal was announced by lawyers, adding he didnt think justice was being served. However, he didnt directly criticize prosecutors.

A timeline of how the Jussie Smollett case unfolded 

My job as a police officer is to investigate an incident, gather evidence, gather the facts and present them to the states attorney, Johnson said. Thats what we did. I stand behind the detectives investigation.

The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Assn. said the dismissal of the charges was an affront to prosecutors across the state as well as police, victims of hate crimes and the county as a whole.

The city of Chicago is seeking $130,000 from Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating. The city claims about two dozen detectives and officers investigated the entertainers report that he was attacked, resulting in a substantial number of overtime hours.
Ava DuVernay, director of the movies Selma and 13th and co-creator of televisions Queen Sugar, has made a docudrama in four parts  one might even say movements, for each has its own musical speed and spin  about the Central Park Five. When They See Us premieres Friday on Netflix, and perhaps because DuVernay, a co-writer here as well as the sole director, has experience both in documentary and drama, it works much better than such projects often do. A human story teased from history, it is personal and political, inextricably and in equal measure.

If this bit of history has faded from your memory, or never made it that far  and one suspects DuVernay has made this film specifically to remedy either possibility  it involved the arrest and wrongful conviction of five black and Latino Harlem juveniles, for the 1989 rape and beating of a white female jogger, Trisha Meili, in New Yorks Central Park. Occurring the same night that a large group of teenagers ran through another part of the park, some committing random acts of violence  they would be characterized as a wolf pack  it was a literal tabloid sensation in a crime-ridden city. That tone infected mainstream coverage, as well, and in many minds, the case was settled almost as soon as it started. Within two weeks, Donald Trump, characterized here as a real estate hustler, took out full-page ads in four newspapers, calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty in New York. Those were not different times.

Five boys  Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise (formerly Kharey Wise)  were charged with the assault on Meili. Their mutually contradictory confessions, made under duress, were quickly recanted, but all were convicted on the strength of those confessions, in spite of a lack of physical evidence. The convictions were vacated in 2002, when the actual rapist came forward; DNA evidence and his detailed knowledge of the event supported the confession. After more than a decade of stalling, the city of New York settled with defendants for $41 million.

Advertisement

ALSO: Ava DuVernay discusses her voice, her mother, A Wrinkle in Time casting  and changing the lens of Hollywood 

One reason When They See Us remains compelling from beginning to end is that DuVernay subtly changes her approach from episode to episode, moving deeper into character as the series progresses. She generally avoids speechifying; there is a bit at the end, but to be fair, someone is making a speech.

The first half of the series is the more straightforward. Episode 1, which looks at the attack and the arrest, differentiates quickly its large cast of characters, and it catches the confusing energy of the streets and the suffocating air of the police station. Director of photography Bradford Young (Selma, Arrival) works mostly in a hand-held, shallow-focus style that mixes the floating swing of documentary footage with intentional art photography  his camera is a sort of extremely discerning fly on the wall.

Episode 2 focuses on the trial, where every defendant had his own lawyer, of varying experience, style and competence  Joshua Jackson and Blair Underwood are among the actors playing them. Vera Farmiga plays prosecutor Elizabeth Lederer, whom DuVernay treats as something of a voice of reason, critical of assistant district attorney Linda Fairstein, the zealous head of the citys sex crimes unit  played here, in a bit of topical irony, by college admissions scandal celebrity Felicity Huffman  and her elastic treatment for evidence.

The second half is more poetical and free-floating, with older actors replacing younger ones as the five. (Ethan Herisse, Asante Blackk, Marquis Rodriguez and Caleel Harris make up the younger cast; Chris Chalk, Justin Cunningham, Jovan Adepo, Freddy Miyares the older, with Jharrel Jerome playing Wise throughout. All are exceptional.) Episode 3 looks at them in prison, but mostly just emerged from it, as they return to the world and family and ordinary people with different degrees of welcome and success.

Niecy Nash as Delores Wise visits her son Korey (Jharrel Jerome) in prison in Ava DuVernays dramatization of the Central Park Five story, When They See Us. (Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix)

REVIEW: Ava DuVernays documentary 13th simmers with anger and burns with eloquence 

This is a story about parents and children as much as it is about justice and race  the series has plenty of contemporary resonance on the latter account  and there is strong work from Niecy Nash, John Leguizamo, Aunjanue Ellis and Michael Kenneth Williams among the older generation. The final episode focuses at length on Wise, the oldest of the boys, as he struggles to survive life in an adult prison and is unexpectedly presented the key that will clear their names.

Filtered through the layers of invention and manipulation that surround any dramatic work  original dialogue, acting choices, editing, camera angles and music, not to mention production design, costuming and makeup  the film inevitably amounts to a take on the truth, the theory of a case. (There are those, of course, including Fairstein, Trump and some detectives, who continue to stick to their version of events; we hear some do so here.) In that a docudrama makes a story out of raw facts, it is something like a trial itself. Choices are made  we see detectives constructing, changing and rehearsing the confessions the boys will commit to videotape  making concrete something some would characterize as disputed.

That is not to say When They See Us is factually incorrect. But any thought-provoking work of historical fiction or re-creation should send one back to sources, and When They See Us is perhaps best watched in tandem with the 2012 documentary The Central Park Five, directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns (on whose study The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of a City Wilding is based, and which merits reading in turn) and David McMahon. (DuVernay re-creates some scenes seen there.) As is often the case in historical drama, When They See Us ends with footage of the people whose story its just told; but its a different experience seeing and hearing them speak for themselves. They are powerful.

When They See Us

Where: Netflix

When: Any time, starting Friday

Rating: TV-MA (may be unsuitable for children under age 17)

Aunjanue Ellis as Sharon Salaam and Ethan Herisse as her son Yusef in Ava DuVernays Netflix limited series When They See Us. (Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix)

robert.lloyd@latimes.com

Follow Robert Lloyd on Twitter @LATimesTVLloyd
In 2015, Brent Gerson was an unhappy thirtysomething guy  living in Chicago, hating the weather, plagued by obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety and depression. Traditional medicine had not helped him, so he began looking for alternatives.

His research led him, almost inevitably, to cannabis. Colorado had just legalized recreational cannabis, so he took himself to Denver and spent two weeks learning about THC and CBD, the therapeutic components of cannabis. He experimented with ratios, doses and blends.

Without question, he told me, cannabis changed my life.

Not only did pot relieve his symptoms, it inspired a new life path.

Advertisement

He left Chicago and returned to his undergraduate alma mater, UCLA, where he enrolled in the Anderson School of Management. His intention, he said, was to be able to hack cannabis from the inside.

He believes he has. Two months ago, Gerson, 37, left his job as an executive at City National Bank to launch a cannabis business that grew out of his masters thesis. The company, started with two fellow students, is aimed at helping people plagued by sleeplessness figure out what kind of marijuana can help.

The company will procure vape pens and joints from three cannabis companies, and offer customers a box with a variety of strengths and strains to see what may work, since everyone responds differently. The object is to help people sleep without pharmaceuticals, not to get high. Dr. Alon Avidan, director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center, is an advisor.

Last month, however, UCLA rolled out a restrictive policy about cannabis-related activities, which has put the future of cannabis entrepreneurship at UCLA in jeopardy and forced the last-minute cancellation of a cannabis research conference Gerson had helped organize.

::

The year after Gersons trip to Denver, California voters overwhelmingly legalized pot for adult use. Among the laws many requirements, Proposition 64 directed that $10 million, generated by cannabis taxes and fees, be channeled every year to state universities for cannabis research. (To underline: The law requires that cannabis money be set aside for universities.)

The end of prohibition seemed like an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs to get in on an ever-expanding, ever-innovating market. Where better than a graduate business school to plumb the possibilities?

Around that time, an Anderson student founded the Cannabis Business Assn., a professional group geared toward helping launch careers in the newly legalized industry. That student, Jeff Chen, a graduate of UCLAs dual degree MD/MBA program, has gone on to become the founder and executive director of UCLAs new Cannabis Research Initiative, which bills itself as one of the first academic programs in the world dedicated to the study of cannabis.

On June 3, the CBA was to hold a cannabis research conference in Korn Hall on campus. It would bring together experts and students for a day of panel discussions and networking.

Eaze, the delivery app that connects consumers and product, was lined up as a sponsor  to provide breakfast, lunch and some videography help, said Peter Gigante, the companys head of policy research. My job is to bridge the gap between those who publish in academic journals and those who would never in a million years read an academic journal, but need to know whats happening. Seemed like a perfect fit for a management school conference about cannabis.

But last week, the students were informed by UCLA administrators that their conference violates the new university policy. Cannabis remains illegal on the federal level, administrators said, therefore the conference would put UCLA at risk of violating federal law since it included experts and sponsorship from the industry.

UCLA should not sponsor programs or activities that are designed to help entrepreneurs develop businesses that engage in the cultivation, sale, distribution, or marketing of marijuana, Ann Pollack, UCLAs assistant vice chancellor for research, wrote in an email to Elizabeth McKillop, Andersons director of student services. Doing so creates a risk of potential charges of aiding and abetting violations of the federal Controlled Substances Act.

The message was provided to me by someone Pollack had ccd.

Pollack did not respond to a request for an interview, but it is obvious that UCLA is fearful of compromising the stream of federal money that flows into its coffers, from places such as the National Institutes of Health, and medical reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid.

Students will not be permitted to work with cannabis companies in any respect, or be mentored by cannabis entrepreneurs, or to invite cannabis industry leaders to participate in UCLA events, whether on campus or off.

We felt we were on a great trajectory here, said Ken Borkan, 31, who recently became president of Andersons Cannabis Business Assn. About 120 of the schools 700 students are active members, he said.

He is furious about the new rules. We are supposed to be a leading, cutting-edge institution, and this puts us at a disadvantage.

Business school administrators have been supportive, he said. UCLA as an institution is the problem.

I think hes right.

Last month, an opinion columnist for the Daily Bruin called for the university to expand its minuscule cannabis curriculum. There arent academic avenues for Bruins to learn about weed, wrote Patrik Bauer. While multiple universities around the country have begun to offer cannabis majors and specializations, UCLA only offers a few classes at best.

The university really needs to find its spine on this one.

It is only a matter of time before cannabis is removed from the federal list of banned substances.

Many cannabis experts say that Los Angeles is or soon will be the epicenter of the American cannabis industry. UCLA should be at the forefront of cannabis research  which it arguably is  but also of cannabis entrepreneurship.

For us, as a business school, to put our heads in the sand and act like this doesnt exist, it just devalues an MBA education at UCLA Anderson, Borkan said.

As I mentioned, UCLA will certainly be among the California public universities vying for those millions of cannabis dollars for research.

So why is one source of cannabis money OK, while another is not?

robin.abcarian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AbcarianLAT
A 66-year-old former Marine accused of raping and killing a woman in Orange County 43 years ago faces an extradition hearing in Louisiana on Friday.

Eddie Lee Anderson, jailed in Plaquemines Parish, is accused of killing 30-year-old Leslie Penrod Harris in May 1976, according to Carrie Braun of the Orange County Sheriffs Department.

Anderson was arrested at his home in River Ridge, La., on Friday on a warrant charging him with murder with a special circumstance allegation of rape.

Investigators credited advances in DNA technology for the arrest.

Advertisement

Harris was dining with her husband at a Costa Mesa restaurant on May 17, 1976, when she got up and left, but never returned, Braun said.

Her husband called police when she didnt return to the restaurant as it closed at 8:30 p.m.

May 2019 booking photo of Eddie Lee Anderson. (Orange County Sheriffs Dept.)

About 4:30 the next morning, military police at what was then the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro found a body in a roadway near the base, Braun said. Investigators determined it was Harris and that she had been strangled.

Investigators reexamined genetic evidence in 1997 but did not come up with any new leads.

In August, investigators started using online genealogy databases to search for a suspect, which has helped authorities make arrests in other cold cases. At some point this year, Anderson became a suspect.

Anderson served at the El Toro base in the early 1970s, and at the time Harris was killed he lived less than a mile from the restaurant where the victim was last seen before she went missing, Braun said.

Investigators went to New Orleans on Thursday to question Anderson, who provided them with a DNA sample, prompting his arrest on suspicion of murder, Braun said.

Authorities did not say what prior relationship, if any, Anderson had with the victim.
Prison authorities are investigating the death of an inmate as a homicide after the man was involved in a fight with two other inmates at California State Prison-Sacramento in Folsom.

The 63-year-old, who has not been identified, was seen fighting with inmates Joshua Kerr, 35, and Nicholas Mangelli, 28, in an exercise yard Thursday afternoon, according to a news release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Prison guards used pepper spray and a blast grenade to break up the skirmish, authorities said. The older man was stabbed with a weapon made by the younger inmates, officials said.

He was taken to the prisons Central Health Building and pronounced dead less than 20 minutes later, authorities said. The man had been serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Advertisement

The two suspects will be transferred to the prisons Administrative Segregation Unit during the homicide investigation, prison authorities said.

Kerr is serving a 22-year sentence for attempted second-degree murder with an enhancement for street gang activity and second-degree robbery. Mangelli is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder and personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon, according to court records.

California State Prison-Sacramento is a high-security facility that houses about 2,100 inmates, including long-term prisoners and those requiring mental health assistance.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra
A woman who was fatally shot by police Thursday was standing on the roof of a small structure in the backyard of a home in Ontario armed with a machete and a handgun, police said.

Ontario police dispatchers received a call at 2:18 p.m. about a woman with a gun threatening to kill herself in the backyard of a home in the 400 block of West Maple Street. A man who is related to the woman tried to disarm her after a police helicopter arrived at the scene but was unsuccessful, Officer Eliseo Guerrero said.

When other officers arrived, they saw the man and woman struggling over the firearm. Officers entered the backyard with a police dog after they became concerned that the weapon could go off, Guerrero said.

Authorities said they shot a large dog in the yard after the animal attacked the police K-9.

Advertisement

Police instructed the woman to put down a metal pipe and the gun she was then holding, but she refused and walked toward them. At least one officer opened fire, striking the woman, Guerrero said.

The woman, whose name has not been released, was taken to a hospital, where she died. The dog died at the scene. The police K-9 was taken to a veterinarian for treatment and is expected to survive.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @Hannahnfry
A decorated Navy SEAL facing a murder trial in the death of an Islamic State prisoner was freed Thursday from custody after a military judge cited interference by prosecutors.

The unexpected move drew gasps from those at a hearing in a San Diego courtroom in which lawyers for Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher sought to get the case dismissed for prosecutorial misconduct.

Gallaghers wife, Andrea, who has led a campaign to free her husband, put her head in her hands and burst into tears.

The judge, Capt. Aaron Rugh, has not ruled yet on whether to throw out the case or remove prosecutors over tracking emails sent to defense lawyers and a journalist in an effort to find the source of news leaks in the politically charged case. He said freeing Gallagher at this point would be a remedy for interference by prosecutors.

Advertisement

Attorney Tim Parlatore accused prosecutors of a rogue, relentless and unlawful cyber-campaign that may have violated attorney-client privilege and hurt Gallaghers ability to get a fair trial.

Efforts to get the case thrown out come as President Trump considers pardoning several service members accused of war crimes, including Gallagher. Gallagher faces trial June 10.

Trump previously got Gallagher removed from the brig and transferred to better custody conditions at a Navy hospital.

During the hearing Thursday, Rugh indicated he was kept in the dark by prosecutors about the email monitoring.

Rugh said prosecutors had told him privately that they planned to embed code in what he believed to be a court document to help them find the source of leaks. But he said he didnt have the power to authorize such an investigative tool and wasnt told they planned to plant the code in emails to defense lawyers or a journalist.

Rugh said he thought prosecutors were coordinating the investigation with the U.S. attorneys office in San Diego. The judge said he wasnt aware that a federal prosecutor told the military prosecutors to make sure they had Rughs approval before launching the tracking effort.

Parlatore withdrew his motion to have Rugh removed from the case after learning the judge had not authorized the scheme.

The lead prosecutor downplayed the move at a related hearing earlier in the day. Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak said the code recorded nothing more than where and when email messages were opened by recipients that included a journalist for the Navy Times.

Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of an injured teenage militant in Iraq in 2017 and not guilty to attempted murder for allegedly picking off civilians from a snipers perch.

His platoon supervisor, Lt. Jacob Portier, is fighting charges of conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly conducting Gallaghers re-enlistment ceremony next to the militants corpse.

Defense lawyer Jeremiah J. Sullivan III, who represents Portier, said there was no probable cause for the tracking effort, which was discovered in an unusual logo of an American flag with a bald eagle perched on the scales of justice beneath Czaplaks signature.

Czaplak said the tracking ended May 10 after he was confronted by defense lawyers and acknowledged the effort in a closed-door hearing. He disclosed no other details at the time.

On Thursday, Czaplak said the emails contained code similar to what marketers use to see when an email is opened and what device was used to open it.

Its still a web bug and its still unethical, Sullivan said.

The judge in Portiers case, Capt. Jonathan Stephens, said that from what he had seen the tracking effort wasnt able to view the contents of any emails.

Several experts testified that the code embedded in a signature line in the emails collected information on internet protocol addresses and could tell what web browser was being used, the duration it was open and whether the message had been forwarded. But the information couldnt generally be used to identify a specific person or capture content.

Josiah Roloff, a data forensics examiner from Spokane, Wash., said that the code is typically used by marketing companies and that hes also seen it used in undercover investigations. But he said hes never seen it used to target defense lawyers.
Beneath the dimmed lights of a downtown L.A. restaurant, Naseema Kashefi watched quietly as a hungry crowd fawned over the crunch of her golden samosas. Servers passed her Afghan specialty on ceramic trays while her newfound fans groaned with each bite.

The meals of her childhood served as a reminder that Kashefis war-torn homeland is no longer safe, no longer a place where her family can stake out a future.

Now, the dish that her mother taught her to make a decade ago, in the humble confines of their Kabul kitchen, was uniting a group of strangers  lawyers, social workers, artists.

Over the next three hours, as bottles of wine drained and plates cleared, they would hear the story of how a family who once felt abandoned by the immigration system was embracing their new life in their adopted country.

The help we have received has not been forgotten, Kashefi had said earlier. Now, in the same way that Americans have helped us, I can be of service to them through our traditions.

It was a recent Sunday at the New Arrivals Supper Club, a communal feast prepared by immigrants from some of the worlds most troubled countries. Launched in 2017 by the L.A.-based nonprofit Mirys List, the monthly dinners  hosted in homes and restaurants  aim to empower newly settled refugees by giving them opportunities to earn money, forge new communities and share their culture through food.

Since resettling in the U.S. from Syria, Abeer Aljrafi has participated in monthly dinners hosted by the L.A.-based nonprofit Mirys List.

What started as informal gatherings in peoples backyards has morphed into large-scale events like this series at Spread Mediterranean Kitchen, which paired Kashefis appetizers with Middle Eastern food cooked by celebrity chef Simon Majumdar. Attendees purchase tickets for $50 each, or $75 with a wine pairing, which covers the costs of the chefs wages and the equipment and provisions needed for the meal.

Proceeds from the dinners go to the family as well as to Mirys List, which was founded in 2016 by community activist Miry Whitehill. On average each family receives between 60% and 65% of the full ticket price. In two years, Mirys List has paid out more than $85,000 in wages.

Throughout Southern California, food often serves as an entree into other cultures and identities. For refugee cooks such as Kashefi, these meals provide the chance to share the breadcrumbs of their history.

We want to show the culinary culture of Afghanistan, she said in Dari. We want to share this with the American people.

Chef Simon Majumdar, left, Bashir Kashefi and his wife, Naseema Kashefi, speak to guests at a New Arrivals Supper Club dinner. Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times

Kashefi, who also speaks halting English, leans on her husband, Bashir Kashefi, a former interpreter who aided the U.S. military, to do most of the talking.

His military career was marked by long stretches away from his family, punctuated by interludes of terror. During one mission locating IEDs in Helmand, his convoy was pinned down by gunfire. He would have died, he said, if not for helicopter reinforcements.

Its a dangerous job, the 36-year-old said, but I chose it to save other peoples lives.

He knew he needed to get his family out of Afghanistan in 2014, around the time several of his fellow interpreters had gone missing. No one knew whether they had been killed or abducted by the Taliban.

In 2016, he applied for a special immigrant visa, a program available to people who worked with the U.S. armed forces as translators or interpreters in Afghanistan. The State Department issued more than 4,000 such visas to Afghan applicants in fiscal year 2017, but the program saw a 60% decrease in fiscal year 2018, according to Congress.

Interpreters also found themselves caught under the first iteration of the Trump administrations travel ban in 2017. Some were detained upon arrival or had their visas revoked. Multiple recipients were denied boarding for their flights to the United States, the International Refugee Assistance Project said.

Despite those complications, Bashir Kashefi landed in Los Angeles with his pregnant wife and their daughter in March 2017. Their first weeks in America werent what theyd imagined. This time two years ago, the Kashefi family had never felt more alone.

Before, we didn't know anyone. We had no friends here, Bashir Kashefi told the dozens of people gathered around him at Spread.

His audience leaned in from their metal chairs, listening and slathering samosas with the fiery chutney his wife had concocted.

Now, Bashir Kashefi said, everyone here is our friend.

Naseema Kashefi, left, cooked Afghan food for her son, Haroon, 2, husband, Bashir, and Miry Whitehill, right, founder of Miry's List. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Naseema Kashefi, left, cooks vegetable samosas with her husband, Bashir, and son, Haroon, 2, at their Anaheim apartment. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Naseema said she plans on passing her mothers recipes down to her daughter, Horia.(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Top: Naseema Kashefi, left, cooked Afghan food for her son, Haroon, 2, husband, Bashir, and Miry Whitehill, founder of Miry's List. Left: Naseema Kashefi cooks vegetable samosas with her husband and son at their Anaheim apartment. Right: Naseema Kashefi plans to pass on her mothers recipes to her daughter, Horia. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Inside her Anaheim apartment on a weekday afternoon, Kashefis hands pressed through soft dough, her fingers dusted in smatterings of flour. She kneaded the pale discs, stretched them like mini-pizzas and sliced them in half on her kitchen counter.

Reaching for the blend of curried potatoes, green onion and coriander resting in a metal bowl, the 26-year-old explained that her Afghan samosas are a staple at special occasions. She often makes them as a treat for guests. Her mother taught her how to make them when she was 16.

My mom is a great house cook, she said, swaddling a clump of dough and mixture like a newborn before sealing it.

Surrounded by the ingredients of her mothers recipe, Kashefi couldnt help but think of her life in Afghanistan and her parents, four brothers and two sisters  all left behind.

Degh kardam, she said, wiping away tears  I died of grief.

Bashir Kashefi, center, speaks to guests about his previous job as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Afghanistan and his life as a refugee. Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times

She has two children of her own now, a 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son who was born here, she said, and its better for them to grow up in California.

But cooking transports her to her mothers side, Kashefi said, and she plans on passing her mothers recipes down to her daughter, Horia.

For many diners, the draw of the supper club goes beyond what a cook puts on a plate. For some, themselves immigrants or first-generation Americans, the Kashefis story rang familiar.

Ken Chiu and his girlfriend, Elizabeth Pan, arrived with two friends to hear about what it means to be a refugee and how to help a new family. The pair, who live in Los Angeles, learned of the dinner through Mirys List email blasts.

A dinner makes giving so easy. You immediately know it goes directly to them, Pan, 44, said as she tucked into a bowl of spicy red lentil dal.

People who voluntarily immigrate can plan, Chiu, 44, interjected. But people like them relocate by circumstance.

Whitehill buzzed through the crowd, dressed in an Afghan tunic, greeting diners and dancing with the Kashefis children.

People come to our events with almost a paralyzing concept of what a refugee or immigration is, she said. Meeting and learning about a family, it transforms that paralysis to, I can actually do something about this. For us, its the way we open the door.

Whitehill started Mirys List in 2016, after she helped a refugee family from Syria sponsored by a friends church.

Chef Simon Majumdar cooks a Turkish eggplant dish for a New Arrivals Supper Club feast in Los Angeles. Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times

Visiting them in their home, seeing what their apartment looked like, I recognized that they had needs for supplies, for things to start their first home, she said. The first Mirys List  a wish list filled with basics such as formula, diapers, eggs and milk  was born.

The organization has evolved since then, adding new-arrival dinners and events such as a multicultural Passover Seder. To Whitehill, Mirys List is an extension of the values she was raised with in a close-knit Orthodox Jewish community that prized community service.

In Hebrew, we call the concept chesed, she said. Kindness.

The organization has helped more than 1,400 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Yemen and Kurdistan at a time when the Trump administrations travel restrictions have brought refugee admissions to historic lows.

California has taken in 126 refugees from Afghanistan since October 2018, in addition to the 1,612 Afghans who arrived in the state on special immigrant visas, according to data from the Refugee Processing Center. But advocates say new vetting rules put in place make it nearly impossible for people from certain countries to move to the U.S.

Whitehill aids refugees by providing transportation, helping to find lodging and checking in to see whether they need essentials for their home.

The agencies take care of the basics that keep them alive, but not the things that make them feel alive, she said. Thats what we focus on.

Bashir Kashefi holds a photo of himself, center, when he worked as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times

When the Kashefis arrived in Orange County, a caseworker set them up in a cramped one-bedroom apartment with another family. They lasted a week.

We got sick there, Bashir Kashefi said. It was very difficult. Thirteen people to a bathroom, you can imagine.

So the family set out on its own, homeless for two nights, sleeping on park benches with blankets and suitcases in tow.

On the third day, about 8:30 a.m., Kashefi told her husband she wanted to go home. They found a store and asked whether they could use the phone to call the police. Perhaps, the Kashefis thought, they would help them get back to Kabul.

Dont call 911. They might cause more problems for you, Bashir Kashefi recalled an employee saying.

A man walked by. He also was from Afghanistan and overheard the conversation. He told the Kashefis that he could connect them to someone who could help. A few minutes later, Bashir Kashefi was on the phone with a woman who worked with Mirys List.

The woman contacted Whitehill, who urged the Kashefis to stay, sent a taxi and put them up in a hotel for two days, then paid for their stay in a motel for a month. The organization helped them find the apartment they live in now and helped Bashir Kashefi find a car so he could get to his job as a security guard in Fullerton.

I am glad that we didnt go back, he said.

Horia Kashefi, 4, has a piece of flatbread during a New Arrivals Supper Club dinner. Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times

As the dinner party wound down, conversations shifted to the difficulties of the resettlement process. Bashir Kashefi and his wife were lucky because he speaks English, some diners observed. They wondered what happened to families who knew only their native tongue.

Thats just so wrong, Huynh, 38, said. Her parents are Vietnamese refugees, she added.

Huynh and Yap, whod driven in from La Verne, turned to Kashefi, curious about how she was adjusting to her life in Anaheim. Did she like the city? Had she been to Disneyland? Does she still have family to call in Afghanistan?

Kashefi opened the purse resting at her side and pulled out her phone. She showed them photos of her family  the brother she hopes will join her in California, then a picture of her mother. She kissed the screen.

I couldnt live without talking to her, she said.

Moments later, a hush fell over the room as Bashir Kashefi stood and addressed the crowd. Passing around photos of himself alongside U.S. troops, he explained how much he loved America.

The country has grown on his wife too, he said.

I ask my wife now, Do you want to go back? and she says, No.

The crowd rose to their feet, welcoming the family with a standing ovation.

Bashir and Naseema Kashefi make their way home after a communal feast. Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times
Crest Hill Police attempted to stop the Mitsubishi around 1 a.m. and a short chase followed, ending in Joliet when the Mitsubishi struck another car that then struck a fixed object, according to the release. The driver of the second car, Suos Khloth, 60, of Joliet, was pronounced dead at 2:32 a.m. Sunday at Amita St. Joseph Medical Center, according to a news release from the Will County coroner's office.
Democratic state party leaders, activists and elected officials will all descend on San Francisco this weekend to strategize and pick a new party leader. Party members will be joined by nearly every major 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, 14 of whom have journeyed west to court California delegates.

Heres everything you need to know about this years California Democratic Party convention.

Does every state have a convention like this? Why is Californias such a big deal?

The short answer is yes. The state-level political parties, whether theyre Democratic or Republican, have these conventions in every state. Think on-the-ground-level organizing, discussion about the direction of the party and opportunities for elected officials to hobnob with the dedicated activists. But state conventions are typically pretty insular, political nerd affairs.

Advertisement

The reason Californias convention feels like such a big deal is because California itself is so big. We have a dominant state Democratic Party that has a lot of fundraising muscle and the ability to attract high-profile figures, both from California and out-of-state. The state convention is a magnet for big names. As with a lot of things in California, its really about the scale.

The California Democratic Party is electing a new chair this weekend. What does that mean for the party?

The state party is striving to restore its credibility after a sexual harassment scandal led to the resignation of Chairman Eric Bauman in November. Its a critical moment for a party that had so much success in the November election, when Democrats gained seven congressional seats in California and took control of the House of Representatives.

The next chair must not only address the partys internal workplace culture and operations, but also prepare for an earlier-than-usual 2020 presidential primary in March and defend Democrats who narrowly won seats in Congress and the Legislature in 2018.

The front-runners for the chairs post are Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Rusty Hicks, party Vice Chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall and Bay Area activist Kimberly Ellis, who narrowly lost to Bauman in 2017. Hicks led one of the most influential labor organizations in California. In her last campaign, Ellis became the favorite of Democratic activists who supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential race.

Will former party Chairman Eric Bauman attend the convention?

According to his attorney, Bauman has no plans to attend the convention in any capacity at all.

A group of delegates previously filed charges through an internal process seeking to remove Bauman as a delegate. (As an immediate past state chair, he still holds a position on the state central committee and the partys smaller executive board.)

Last week, the state partys top officers stopped short of removing Bauman as a delegate. But they did ban him from attending the spring convention and stripped him of his ability to vote or send a proxy to vote in his place.

Will we still be seeing aftershocks at the convention from the sexual harassment scandal that fractured the state party?

The party has been hit with multiple lawsuits alleging sexual harassment and workplace retaliation, so expect to see leaders go out of their way to reaffirm the partys principles of diversity, equality and inclusion. This is especially important with a crucial election year approaching and some within the party worrying that the legal troubles could hurt efforts to raise money and inspire volunteers.

There might also be some fireworks during the campaign events and speeches by the candidates for party chair, since the state party is facing allegations that its leaders failed to address problems within their own ranks.

Who are the biggest power brokers at the convention? How will they shape the weekend?

Its sort of like a Russian nesting doll of powerful entities. Theres the big convention floor that will be open to all the delegates. But within the party, there are many caucuses representing various affinity groups, such as the rural caucus or the Latino caucus or the labor caucus. These are fairly influential groups and well see politicians coming by to have more intimate connections with these various groups.

Some of the biggest, most influential players in the state Capitol also tend to throw big parties. Attending the parties will be a whos who of the progressive universe. For interest groups, throwing these parties is a way to say, Look how much we matter; look at how we can get some of the buzziest electeds to show up.

This is a very important weekend for Gavin Newsom. What does he need to achieve?

This is Newsoms first California Democratic Party convention since he was elected governor and, as their de facto leader, he must try to bring the disparate factions of the party together so theyre prepared for the 2020 election.

Newsom already has made strides to unite the state party in just a few months in office. The governors support for universal healthcare, his ongoing feud with Trump and a decision to impose a moratorium on the death penalty have appealed to both the Democratic establishment and the partys most fervent activists.

Still, dont expect Newsom to be the center of attention throughout the three-day convention. Hell offer a brief address to delegates on Saturday and will quickly cede the spotlight to the 14 presidential candidates expected to speak at the convention.

Will Sen. Kamala Harris have a home state advantage at the convention?

Its hard to have a home state advantage in a place as massive as California. Unless youve been a political figure in the state for decades, like Jerry Brown or Dianne Feinstein, its difficult to generate that geographic loyalty. Harris has actually been polling behind Joe Biden and Sanders among California voters. But both Biden and Sanders have been on presidential tickets in either a primary or a general election in the state, so theres a deep familiarity for voters. Well probably see something of a favored daughter status for Harris this weekend, with her prime speaking slot at the convention and parties featuring her. Questions remain about how Harris will be received among activists who arent the traditional party leaders.

Fourteen presidential candidates will be there, but not Biden. Why?

Its an interesting decision for Biden not to come to this convention. He is going to be in San Francisco later next week for a fundraising jaunt. So, the calculus may be why make yourself one of 14  and potentially not get the warmest reception  when you could just focus your energies elsewhere for the weekend and then come back and build those California relationships in other ways.

Obviously, there are a lot of headlines now about Biden skipping the convention. But the truth is this may not really be his crowd. The state party is pretty progressive. Theres a sizable contingent of Sanders supporters. If Biden is trying to carve out a more centrist lane in the primary field, the audience at this convention may not give him the warmest reception.
As the Democratic presidential candidates descend on California this weekend for the state party convention, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is pivoting off his fundraising success in the state to flex some organizational muscle.

The Sanders campaign is uniquely positioned to compete in California because of the cash it has accumulated through small-dollar donors. It also built an immense grassroots network in the state during his 2016 run, and has kept it mobilized and politically engaged since then. About 400,000 Californians have donated to the campaign, volunteered for it, or hosted an organizing event so far.

Sanders aides have been arguing for months that they are better equipped than their rivals to confront the states costly media markets, balkanized politics and vast geography.

Early Friday morning, the campaign revealed its first big hires in the state, a team of eight operatives who will be charged with creating regional campaign infrastructure in California and allowed to function with a large degree of autonomy.

Advertisement

We are building a talented and diverse team in the Golden State that understands people power is the key to our success here, said Faiz Shakir, the campaign manager.

There are some notable names on the staff roster. The Sanders operation in the Bay Area will be run by Jane Kim, the civil rights and economic justice activist who served two terms on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and mounted an unsuccessful mayoral bid. Kim, the daughter of South Korean immigrants, was also president of the school board.

The California political director will be Susie Shannon, an anti-poverty activist who was a driving force behind sweeping changes to the way California confronts homelessness. A 2016 law she championed behind the scenes pushes the state to move homeless Californians struggling with drug addiction into permanent housing as part of their path to recovery. Shannon was the first Sanders delegate from California on the Democratic National Committee, where she has shaken things up with her push to move the DNC in a more progressive direction.

Shelli Jackson, a campaign operative on several legislative races and an advisor to the Legislature, will be the lead statewide staffer. Regional efforts will be headed by other veteran campaign hands, including Daniel Andalon in the Los Angeles region and Robert Dempsey in the San Diego area. The Inland Empire and Orange County operation will be led by Samuel Sukaton. Melissa Byrne, who was Sanders digital director in New Hampshire in 2016, will be the California grassroots director. The campaign has also hired Sand Brim, who was a speechwriter for the state and national nurses union, to be its California policy advisor.
The legal marijuana movement, which in recent years has flourished in coastal states, is taking up new roots in the Midwest even as efforts have stalled in nearly a dozen other states this year.

Lawmakers in Illinois approved a measure Friday to legalize the sale of marijuana to anyone over the age of 21, making it the second state in the nations interior to legalize pot, after Michigan.

To date, 11 states, including Illinois, have decided to legalize recreational marijuana, a majority through ballot measures placed before voters. The move by Illinois lawmakers is only the second time a legislature has legalized marijuana, following Vermont, which passed a measure last year allowing possession and limited cultivation of cannabis.

But since January, nearly a dozen other states have either spiked outright or taken no action on marijuana legalization measures.

Advertisement

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, made marijuana legalization a key pillar of his election campaign last year, and said in a statement Friday that the legislation in his state was long overdue.

(Los Angeles Times)

This will have a transformational impact on our state, creating opportunity in the communities that need it most and giving so many a second chance, said Pritzker, who plans to sign the bill soon. The measure, which passed the Democratic-controlled Legislature, received staunch opposition from local police and sheriffs associations.

Steve Hawkins, executive director for the Marijuana Policy Project, a group that has worked on legalization efforts in several states, says that heartland states are clearly deciding that the time to end the prohibition on cannabis has come.

Marijuana was at the heart of our nations disastrous war on drugs, he said. This is a measure that will improve peoples lives on a level commensurate with the devastation wrought by prohibition.

At its core, the Illinois bill followed a nationwide trend tying marijuana legalization to criminal justice reform. The measure would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 30 grams, or about an ounce. Those who had previously been convicted of possessing less than that amount would have their records automatically expunged. In addition, the measure creates a social equity program to help minority business owners enter the legal marijuana industry with state grants and loans.

Similar reforms have been implemented in California and Michigan.

Nationwide, calls for legalization and decriminalization of marijuana have taken on a new urgency in the past year, with politicians and activists alike calling for local and state measures to right past wrongs associated with the war on drugs.

Research shows that whites, blacks and Latinos use and sell marijuana at similar rates, but that blacks are by far the most likely to be arrested in connection with the drug. One California study found that African Americans make up 6% of the states population but nearly a quarter of those serving time exclusively for marijuana offenses.

Still, even with legalization in Illinois, several efforts have faltered in statehouses nationwide this year.

In New Jersey, even with staunch support from Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, lawmakers have grappled with legalization for over a year. This spring, a legislative vote was called off because sponsors of the measure, which included social equity and expungement language, did not have enough votes.

Similar measures in New York and Pennsylvania have also stalled. Each of those pieces of legislation have seen pushback from law enforcement groups.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who supports legalization and has worked on the issue with state lawmakers, says legalization is about correcting the past.

This legislation has the potential to give hope and new beginnings to communities that have historically dealt with the impacts of failed drug policy, he said.

The stalled efforts come even as national polls show bipartisan support for legal marijuana. Last fall, a Gallup poll found 66% of respondents supported the legalization of recreational use of marijuana in the U.S. A majority of Republicans surveyed  53%  favored legalization. The October poll also showed that 71% of independents supported legalization, as did 75% of Democrats. Other surveys have shown similar results.

Mason Tvert, a partner at VS Strategies, a Denver-based group that has worked on legalization efforts in a number of states, stressed that although some legislation has hit roadblocks, there has also been progress.

Lawmakers are working to replace a decades-old prohibition model with a complex regulatory structure, Tvert said. We now have governors calling for legalization and lawmakers making efforts at reform.... Ten years ago, lawmakers would have never taken on this issue.

Others, however, see a slowdown for the pro-pot movement.

Kevin A. Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, which has spent thousands of dollars in recent years to oppose the legalization of recreational pot, says that at the beginning of 2019, four to six states were overwhelmingly expected to legalize and commercialize marijuana.

Most didnt because of an overwhelming  and in some ways unexpected  citizen backlash, he said. Our cause is about nothing less than simply doing something science and common sense say is right, and we believe in.
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Friday, May 31, and Im writing from Los Angeles.

Just about everyone who matters in the California Democratic Party will descend on San Francisco this weekend to fraternize, strategize and pick a new party leader after the last chairman resigned in disgrace. Welcome to the annual California Democratic Party convention.

But this years state party convention will be about more than just California politics: Nearly every major Democratic 2020 presidential candidate (save for Joe Biden) will be among those rubbing elbows at the Moscone Convention Center.

Los Angeles Times politics reporters Melanie Mason, Christine Mai-Duc and Mark Z. Barabak will all be in attendance, reporting on the Shakespearean machinations, presidential candidate favor-currying and future of the state party.

Advertisement

I sat down with Melanie Mason, whos covering the 2020 presidential campaign, for a preview of whats to come.

What will people be watching for this year?

First, we have half of the Democratic presidential field coming in to get face time with these state party leaders and activists. The convention has particular significance because theres an assumption that California now has more influence in the primary process, after moving the primary up from June to March. Youre going to have this cattle call of presidential candidates coming in, talking about how much they love California, sort of trying to ingratiate themselves with the most die-hard Democratic activists in the state.

The second theme will be the chairs race going on for the leadership of the state party. [More on that a little further down.]

Who are the biggest power brokers at the convention? How will they shape the weekend?

Its sort of like a Russian nesting doll of powerful entities. Theres the big convention floor that will be open to all of the delegates. But theres all of these caucuses, which are various affinity groups, such as the rural caucus or the Latino caucus or the labor caucus. These are fairly influential groups within the party, and well see politicians coming by. While a lot of action is on the main floor, I find it more interesting to go to some of these caucus meetings, because you get to see more one-on-one interactions with key constituency groups. You can get a sense of where politicians are trying to shore up their support.

Some of the biggest, most influential players in the state Capitol also tend to throw big parties. The parties will be a whos who in the progressive universe. Its a way to say, Look how much we matter, look at how we can get some of the buzziest electeds to show up.

[See also: As the California Democratic Party regroups after scandal, Newsom distances himself by Christine Mai-Duc and Phil Willon]

Will Sen. Kamala Harris have a home-state advantage at the convention?

Its hard to have a home-state advantage in a place as massive as California. Unless youve been a political figure in the state for decades, like Jerry Brown or Dianne Feinstein, its difficult. Harris has actually been polling behind Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders among California voters. But Biden and Sanders have been on presidential tickets in either a primary or a general election in the state, so theres a deep familiarity for voters. Well probably see something of a favored daughter status for Harris this weekend, with her prime speaking slot at the convention and parties featuring her. Questions remain about how Harris will be received among activists who arent the traditional party leaders. Will there be a sense that shes a Californian and shes our gal? Or are they still shopping around because they have so many options to choose from?

Fourteen presidential candidates will be there, but not Biden. Why?

Its an interesting decision. He is going to be in San Francisco later next week for a fundraising jaunt. So, the calculus may be why make yourself one of 14, and potentially not get the warmest reception, when you could come back and build those California relationships in other ways.

Obviously, there are a lot of headlines now about Biden skipping the convention. But the truth is that this may not really be Bidens crowd. The state party is pretty lefty. Theres a sizable contingent of Sanders supporters. I think if Biden has been trying to carve out a more centrist lane within the Democratic primary field, the audience of the state Democratic convention may not give him the warmest reception.

Eric Bauman, the now-disgraced former party chairman, speaks at the 2017 California Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento, where he was elected to lead the party. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Plus, Phil Willon chimed in to give a quick rundown on the race for a new party chairperson.

The California Democratic Party is electing a new chairperson this weekend. What does that mean for the party?

The state party is striving to restore its credibility after a sexual harassment scandal led to the resignation of Chairman Eric Bauman in November. Its a critical moment for a party that had so much success in the November election, when Democrats scored a substantial victory by gaining seven congressional seats in California and control of the House of Representatives.

The next chair not only must address the internal workplace culture and operations, but also must prepare for an earlier-than-usual March presidential primary and defend Democrats who narrowly won seats in Congress and the Legislature in 2018.

[See also: California Democratic Party to pick new leader after year of tumult and lawsuits by Christine Mai-Duc]

The front-runners for state party chair are Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Rusty Hicks, party Vice Chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall and Bay Area activist Kimberly Ellis, who narrowly lost to Bauman in 2017. Hicks led one of the most influential labor organizations in California. In her last campaign, Ellis became the favorite of Democratic activists who supported Sanders in the 2016 presidential race.

And now, heres whats happening across California:

TOP STORIES

The Trump administrations drive to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census began as a plan to bolster Republicans and to undercut Democrats in state legislatures and Congress, according to newly revealed documents. A census undercount could dramatically affect California. Los Angeles Times

Get the Essential California newsletter 

L.A. STORIES

Rats and other vermin infest LAPDs downtown Central Division station, sparking anger among officers. Los Angeles Times

A look at the very unlikely friendship between Family Guys Seth MacFarlane and the president of the Parents Television Council  a conservative TV watchdog group that had long attacked MacFarlane. Los Angeles Times

These two men shared cubicles at Disney but werent close friends. Until one gave the other a life-saving kidney. Los Angeles Times

New Yorks beloved Russ & Daughters deli will pop up in Venice for one day in June. Bagel-loving Angelenos who live east of Vermont are surely wondering whats a more inconvenient trek  Manhattan, or the far Westside? Eater LA

The passionate life and inconceivable death of Gary Stewart, a beloved and influential music industry leader who died by suicide earlier this year. Los Angeles Times

Disney may ditch Georgia over abortion law, Bob Iger says. Is Hollywoods reticence on the matter over? Los Angeles Times

Your support helps us deliver the news that matters most. Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times.

IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

President Trump announced plans to put a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports. The president made the surprise announcement via Twitter, where he said the tariff was in response to the surge of migrants at the border. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

A gig work bill that could drastically alter Californias employment landscape passed the state Assembly. The bill, which would limit the use of contractor status, still has to pass the state Senate. San Francisco Chronicle

Tenants just scored a rare state Capitol victory. But why dont renters have more political power? CalMatters

The Southern California mountain town of Idyllwild has a dog for mayor. And yes, you can request a meeting with him. Travel + Leisure

CRIME AND COURTS

After a recent spike in gun violence, Stocktons police chief has sought help from state and federal law enforcement officials. Stockton Record

THE ENVIRONMENT

Silicon Valleys main water agency might buy a Central Valley farm. Heres why neighboring farmers are nervous about it. Merced Sun-Star

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

In Californias rural school districts, poverty and isolation drive high rates of chronic absenteeism. EdSource

The Fresno Grizzlies have lost a big-name sponsorship because of their Memorial Day AOC video debacle. Sun-Maid, a raisin company with deep roots in the central San Joaquin Valley, ended its partnership with the team. Fresno Bee

Uber announced plans to deactivate riders with significantly below average ratings. The Verge

How West Oakland financed its own grocery store through a process known as a direct public offering. Next City

Star Wars: Galaxys Edge could pump $14 billion into the Southern California economy over the next 40 years. Orange County Register

This exhibit spotlights lesbian artists as central players in Californias queer history. Hyperallergic

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles: partly sunny, 71. San Diego: partly sunny, 67. San Francisco: partly sunny, 64. San Jose: sunny, 79. Sacramento: sunny, 89. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Southern California, where the American Dream came too true. Lawrence Ferlinghetti

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (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, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes.
Modified to attract crucial votes in the state Legislature, a landmark bill to change how police use deadly force in California is moving forward without the support of what were once its most ardent backers, and without objection from its formerly most virulent opponents. Assembly Bill 392 advanced on the power of activism but is now a product of compromise. So is it still worthwhile?

Most definitely.

The bill still makes clear that police may shoot or use other deadly force only when necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury to the officer or others. It cleared the Assembly earlier this week and now proceeds to the Senate.

The operative word is necessary. Under current law and court decisions, officers may use deadly force whenever doing so is reasonable under the circumstances.

Advertisement

The new California standard will inevitably recast the definition of reasonable use of force by police in the rest of the country.

Its that switch from reasonable to necessary that was so controversial, and it remains, to those not steeped in the legalisms of police force, so confounding.

Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego) and Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), the bills coauthors, were motivated in part by last years shooting death of Stephon Clark at the hands of Sacramento police officers, who fired in the apparent belief that Clark was holding or perhaps even firing a handgun. The object in Clarks hand turned out to be a cellphone.

In a larger sense, though, the bill arose from a continuing series of fatal police shootings of unarmed African American men in and outside of California, such as Michael Brown Jr. in Ferguson, Mo., and Ezell Ford in Los Angeles in 2014  and numerous others, whose deaths drew attention to police tactics and racial injustice.

Certainly there must be a way to prevent officers from needlessly killing people who pose no threat.

But the 1989 U.S. Supreme Court opinion in Graham vs. Connor appeared to set a ceiling on officer accountability by establishing the objectively reasonable standard. Under the 4th Amendment, the court held, the reasonableness of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene, rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight.

That means in essence that the nationwide law enforcement community determines for itself what is or is not a justified police shooting. That standard will necessarily rise over the years, as new tactics and training to reduce unnecessary force are adopted by forward-looking police agencies around the country, in effect redefining what action is reasonable, but that process of raising standards is achingly slow.

The California bill imposes a tougher standard  necessary instead of reasonable. Activists protesting the Clark shooting argued that the necessary standard would have allowed the officers to be held criminally liable for their actions. Police claimed that it would punish officers for split-second life-and-death decisions, and consequently endanger themselves and the public.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Both sides were off-base. Any prosecutor or court would still have been required to consider whether it was reasonable for an officer to suspect that the phone in Clarks hand might have been a weapon and that he was about to fire it.

But police dropped their opposition when AB 392 dropped its definitions of necessary. The bill now implicitly  but no longer explicitly  requires officers to exhaust all reasonable non-deadly alternatives before shooting. After all, isnt that what necessary means? Perhaps  but that will now be up to courts to decide, if and when a fatal police shooting becomes the subject of a lawsuit or a criminal prosecution.

In the meantime, though, if the bill proceeds through the Senate and is signed into law, police agencies in California will be on notice of the new standard. Unless they are inordinately foolish, they will try to ensure that officers dont shoot as a first resort by updating their training, as the Los Angeles Police Department already has done, and their internal disciplinary systems. The standards for police use of deadly force in California will rise  perhaps more slowly than they would have before the amendment that eliminated the definition of necessary, but still a bit faster than they would without the bill at all. And the new California standard will inevitably recast the definition of reasonable use of force by police in the rest of the country.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Frustrated by the surge in asylum-seeking families on the southern border, President Trump has threatened to start another trade war  this time with Mexico, the United States biggest trading partner at the moment. The problems at the border are real, but the presidents response is a tantrum. Mexico deserves better, and so do we.

The number of arrests at the border has increased rapidly in recent months, jumping from about 700 per day in May 2017 to 4,500 per day in the first three weeks of May 2019, according to the Trump administration. And while the total remains below its level in the early 2000s, far more of those detained are Central American families seeking asylum, which the system is poorly equipped to handle, instead of single males seeking work, who can be deported quickly.

Trump pointed the finger of blame Thursday at Mexico, saying its passive cooperation enables migrants to flow northward from Central America into the United States. He gave the country less than two weeks to alleviate the illegal migration crisis or else face tariffs on all its exports to the United States, starting at 5% and escalating to 25% by Oct. 1.

But the president is demanding the impossible  stopping a human tide of people desperate to escape dangerous and impoverished areas  while establishing no criteria for success. As it is, Mexico has sent home more than 600,000 Central Americans since 2014, and diverted others by offering humanitarian visas and work permits if they remain in Mexico rather than continuing to the U.S. border. It also recently announced plans to bolster security at its border with Guatemala and to try to throttle passage of migrants by establishing a security cordon across the 125-mile-wide Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexicos narrowest point.

Advertisement

The president is demanding the impossible while establishing no criteria for success.

The Trump administration is willfully misreading what steps Mexico has taken to try to address a problem from which it suffers as much as the U.S. And its beyond rational comprehension to hold Mexico responsible for stopping what is clearly a regional migration problem while imposing the punishment on American consumers and businesses. Because thats who will pay the tariffs on imported Mexican-made machinery, produce, medical instruments, vehicles and other products  us.

If it were possible to easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, as Trump claims Mexico can do simply by enforcing its strong immigration laws, then the U.S. should be able to put a cold stop to migration through its southern border. Our own failures on that front demonstrate that Trumps new approach is just more bluster and folly.

Trumps threat was announced just as lawmakers in the U.S., Mexico and Canada were starting to consider the update to NAFTA that Trump insisted on negotiating  and which the new tariffs would mock. But then, this president hasnt met an agreement he wouldnt abrogate, even if he was the one who negotiated it. Call it the art of dealing in bad faith.

Which only raises the question, why would any world leader strike a deal with Donald Trump? And why would Congress?

The president also blamed congressional Democrats for refusing to help in any way, shape or form. But thats misleading  lawmakers from both parties are still negotiating with the White House over the details of billions of dollars in emergency funding to deal with the influx of migrant families.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

As with so many things Trump does, his latest gambit may be just a threat aimed at bullying some quick concessions out of Mexico, which announced plans to send a delegation to Washington to talk. But its an enormous gamble, given how much of the U.S. economy would be affected. Not only do many U.S. manufacturers supply chains run through Mexico  especially in the auto industry  but Mexico is the top importer of U.S. goods. Those sales could slump if Mexico retaliates with tariffs of its own. Not surprisingly, stock markets tanked Friday morning in response to the news.

The administration insists the tariffs are legal under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which ordinarily gets invoked to penalize or control the flow of sensitive technologies to hostile nations. The problems at the border may be severe, but they pose a humanitarian challenge for the region, not a national security threat to the United States.

Count the Mexico tariffs, then, as just the latest step by Trump to stretch the limits of presidential authority in order to push his agenda unilaterally. One of the presidents congressional allies, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), called Trumps move a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent. But Grassley and his colleagues looked the other way as Trump misused the same authority to impose global tariffs on steel and aluminum imports on a national security pretext, and to threaten to do the same on auto imports. Its past time for them to rein Trump in.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
Its wrong, but its wrong in an interesting way.

I cant remember which professor of mine said that (or what book, article or judicial opinion was being critiqued), but that comment came back to me when I read Justice Clarence Thomas opinion this week in an Indiana abortion case.

Thomas joined his colleagues in deciding not to review a federal appeals court decision invalidating a provision of an Indiana abortion law. That section of the law made it illegal for an abortion provider to perform the procedure if the provider knew that the mother is seeking the abortion solely because of the childs race, sex, diagnosis of Down syndrome, disability, or related characteristics. (The high court upheld another part of the Indiana law requiring clinics to bury or cremate fetal remains.)

Thomas suggests in his opinion that the issue of bans on selective abortion calls for further percolation in lower courts. But he warns that the Supreme Court someday soon will have to wrestle with whether laws such as Indianas are constitutional, given the potential for abortion to become a tool of eugenic manipulation. He seems to signal that he would look with favor on such laws.

Advertisement

Much of Thomas opinion is an attack on the modern campaign for birth control, which he says had troubling connections with the 20th century eugenics movement. He is particularly hard on birth-control activist Margaret Sanger, who believed that birth control opens the way to the eugenist.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Thomas use of Sanger to oppose eugenic abortion suffers from the inconvenient fact that, as Thomas concedes, Sanger was referring to birth control, not abortion. (She actually described both abortion and infanticide as horrors.)

But its worth reading past Thomas attack on Sanger to take in the legal argument floated in his opinion: that a right to abortion for any reason doesnt necessarily mean a right to abortion for a malign purpose such as keeping down the number of black or disabled children.

This is where wrong but in an interesting way comes in.

Thomas suggests in his opinion that the Supreme Courts 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, which upheld the essential holding of Roe vs. Wade, did not decide whether the Constitution requires states to allow eugenic abortions. He cites an opinion by Frank Easterbrook, a judge on the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals who dissented from that courts decision last year not to rehear the Indiana case.

Easterbrook wrote: Casey and other decisions hold that, until a fetus is viable, a woman is entitled to decide whether to bear a child. But there is a difference between I dont want a child and I want a child, but only a male or I want only children whose genes predict success in life. 

What makes this argument interesting is that there are some parallels in the law to the idea that a general right to abortion might not include a right to have an abortion for a specific reason.

One analogy mentioned by Easterbrook, is to federal civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. A company can fire an at-will employee for no reason but cant fire that employee for certain particular reasons  such as discomfort with the employees race, sex or religion.

The other analogy is to jury selection. In empaneling a jury, attorneys are able to lodge what are called peremptory challenges to strike prospective jurors about whom they have qualms. These are challenges for no reason.

Yet in its 1986 decision in Batson vs. Kentucky, the Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors couldnt use peremptory challenges to exclude prospective jurors solely on account of their race or on the assumption that black jurors as a group will be unable impartially to consider the States case against a black defendant.

Again, no reason is permissible; this reason is not.

These analogies make Thomas argument interesting. But heres why its wrong.

Like it or not (and Thomas doesnt like it), the Supreme Court has declared that the Constitution bestows a right to abortion. As the 7th Circuit persuasively put it in invalidating Indianas ban on selective abortions, such restrictions violate the courts holding in Casey that a state may not prohibit any woman from making the ultimate decision to terminate her pregnancy before viability.

Unless Casey and Roe are overruled, a womans right to have an abortion cant reasonably be compared to an employers ability to fire workers or a prosecutors prerogative to challenge prospective jurors. So, interesting as Thomas legal argument may be, its ultimately unpersuasive.

Still, there is more than a legal argument in Thomas opinion. He also laments the fact that large numbers of abortions are motivated by a notion that some sorts of offspring are more desirable than others. He cites the high percentage of abortions related to Down syndrome and complains that in Asia, widespread sex-selective abortions have led to as many as 160 million missing women  more than the entire female population of the United States.

You can find the notion of selective abortion troubling even if you dont believe states can make it illegal.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
If one were prone to betting, the smart play would be to wager on the U.S.-North Korea denuclearization talks falling apart. This would be unfortunate, but hardly a surprise given the Trump administrations pursuit of the same failed paradigm that has defined U.S. nuclear diplomacy over the last quarter of a century.

The Trump administration remains confident that economic pain and North Korea leader Kim Jong Uns desire for economic prosperity will eventually compel North Korea to give away a nuclear weapons program it has spent considerable resources building and refining over decades. Kim is becoming increasingly impatient with Washingtons approach and is expressing his frustration through rhetoric in state media and recently with the first ballistic missile tests in 18 months.

Nearly a year after President Trump and Kim first met in Singapore, diplomacy is at an impasse. If Trump wants to make history managing a problem that has frustrated previous presidents, he must shift the paradigm and change how the U.S. views the North Korean nuclear issue.

It is obvious the current approach will not work. The president is courting failure by focusing almost exclusively on immediate denuclearization up front and at the expense of everything else  including a historic opportunity to establish a comprehensive and durable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

Advertisement

If Trump wants to make more progress on the North Korea file than his predecessors, he must stop fixating on an outcome that is not in the cards.

While the North Koreans have been willing to talk to the United States about their prized nuclear program, Kim has demonstrated no appetite for fully relinquishing it. He would be foolish to disarm, especially unilaterally. Kim may be open to continuing his moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, but its virtually inconceivable he would agree to eliminate his entire program in return for the promise of future sanctions relief. This same arrangement has been on the table for decades.

The reticence is quite reasonable from what is surely Kims perspective. North Korea, a country with no true allies, is an economic and political shrimp amongst whales in an extremely competitive neighborhood. Nuclear weapons are a life insurance policy for poverty-stricken North Korea, which has a seven-decade adversarial relationship with what has become the worlds only superpower. There is no security assurance Washington can provide that would be enticing enough for Kim to eliminate the security a nuclear weapons program represents.

Fortunately, a nonnuclear North Korea is not a prerequisite for U.S. security. Washington can protect and defend the American people if Pyongyang continues to possess nuclear arms. Kim may be a brutal dictator, but he is probably not suicidal. As long as he is not provoked unnecessarily, the North Korean leader probably will not use his nuclear weapons against any nation, let alone an exponentially more powerful country like the United States. Kim understands that his regime would be over the moment he ordered a launch. Deterrence keeps the United States safe from Russia and China  and North Korea.

If Trump wants to make more progress on the North Korea file than his predecessors, he must stop fixating on an outcome that is not in the cards. He must replace immediate denuclearization with a full-bore effort toward easing tensions and normalizing the U.S.-North Korea relationship.

Trump should clearly communicate to Kim that he is interested in a third summit with a more realistic agenda. Rather than pushing on a closed door and stressing an all-for-all nuclear deal Kim wont accept, Trump should channel his energy on working toward a more productive relationship.

The president should propose establishing liaison offices to regularize communication between Washington and Pyongyang. This would be a win-win proposition that costs Washington nothing. The more communication there is, the more understanding there will be  an essential ingredient in preventing miscalculations from degenerating into conflicts.

Trump should cease listening to failed advice from the Washington foreign policy establishment on what sanctions can achieve. The administrations maximum pressure campaign has produced minimal results. The Kim regime has shown itself to be a master at sanctions evasion and impervious to surrender. This is especially so when the terms of surrender include the total elimination of the regimes security blanket.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute from L.A. Times Opinion 

Rather than doubling down on sanctions and hoping for a different result, Trump should boldly change course and support South Korean President Moon Jae-ins efforts to build a more constructive North-South relationship. This means carving out exemptions to the current sanctions architecture and allowing Moon to proceed with the various inter-Korean reconciliation agreements signed last year  agreements that were founded on economic normalization and military deescalation. A more peaceful Korean Peninsula is beneficial to U.S. national security interests and vital to Korean interests.

Just as important, Trump should reorient the entire discussion about North Korea in Washington. U.S. foreign policy leaders should realize denuclearization is a long-term prospect  if thats possible. Deterrence and shrewd diplomacy, however, have the potential to produce wonderful and important gains in the meantime.

At this stage in North Korea diplomacy, the United States has a choice. It can continue pushing for an unrealistic outcome. Or it can buck the orthodoxy that has dominated Washington for so long and negotiate for results that are actually on the table. Being prudent could open up a road to a brighter future for the Korean people and a safer one for the United States.

Daniel R. DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities.
If you are a voter in Los Angeles County or Orange County, youve already cast the last ballot that youll ever hand in at a neighborhood polling place in a statewide election. California lawmakers crafted a new policy to modernize elections, shifting voters to voting by mail or at new vote centers spread throughout a county, rather than at polling places located in every neighborhood.

Passed in 2016, the Voters Choice Act is aimed at making voting more convenient, increasing turnout and, potentially, reducing the cost of elections. Counties can opt in if and when they choose. Five Northern California counties adopted the new system in 2018. Seven more counties, including Los Angeles and Orange, will put the new system in place for the 2020 elections.

How will it work? All registered voters will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot (although Los Angeles County will not automatically send mail-in ballots until 2024). They can then vote by mail, postage paid, thanks to another new state law, or drop ballots off at a drop box or vote center.

To cast ballots in person, voters will go to a vote center rather than a traditional polling place, and they can do this at any center in their county. At the centers, they can also register to vote as late as election day through conditional voter registration. The new vote centers will be open for either three or 10 days prior to an election, giving voters more flexibility about when they vote, and will be equipped with more-accessible voting machines and be able to provide language assistance.

Advertisement

California could be moving toward an era of more modern and more convenient elections. But something will also be lost.

But they wont be everywhere. Instead of serving up to 1,000 registered voters, as most neighborhood polling places do, vote centers in most counties will serve an area of 50,000 registrants (for the ones open 10 days before an election) or 10,000 registrants (for vote centers open three days before an election). Los Angeles County will have more centers per voter, since it wont initially be automatically sending mail ballots.

Will the system deliver on one of its central goals of expanding turnout? We can draw very preliminary lessons from the five counties  Madera, Napa, Nevada, Sacramento and San Mateo  that adopted the new system in time for the 2018 elections. In a study that we co-authored with Laura Daly, we tracked the impact of these reforms on turnout, looking especially at the turnout of groups with traditionally low participation rates.

Studying the reform is complicated by the fact that voters turned out in last years election at historically huge rates. So, to gauge the impact of the Voters Choice Act, we compared the rise in turnout from the 2014 midterms to the 2018 midterms in the five adopting counties to the average increase in all other counties. Turnout rose sharply across the state, but it rose even more in the counties that implemented the new voting model. The increase in turnout was about three percentage points higher in the general election and about four points higher in the primary election for the adopting counties than it was in counties that had not adopted the reform.

How did the Voters Choice Act affect groups that have cast ballots at lower rates in the past? Although our conclusions here are more tentative  we will need more elections to study to be sure of these findings  it appears that the turnout of young voters, Latinos and Asian Americans rose more in the counties that had adopted the reform than in those that hadnt.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

We dont know whether these initial findings are an indicator for how Los Angeles and Orange counties will experience the new model of voting. These counties are very different from the early adopters, with far larger and more diverse electorates. L.A. County alone, for example, has more registered voters than the entire populations of 28 states. And L.A. County voters use their neighborhood polling places much more than those in the northern counties that have already made the switch. In the 2016 general election, only 36% of L.A. County voters cast a ballot by mail, compared with 65% to 92% of voters in the five counties we studied.

Importantly, the version of the Voters Choice Act that Los Angeles will adopt in the next two election cycles is different from what any other county will put into place, since it wont automatically send out vote-by-mail ballots but only to voters who request them. The county is putting a tremendous effort into informing voters of this change and soliciting broad input on the location of the new vote centers.

A successful implementation will also require community groups from all of L.A.s neighborhoods to get informed about the Voters Choice Act and ensure they are contributing to the countys implementation planning, as well as to public education efforts, particularly for groups historically underrepresented at the ballot box.

California could be moving toward an era of more modern and more convenient elections. But something will also be lost. Polling places located in a neighbors garage or a local school bring communities together and emphasize the importance of voting in our civic lives. A polling place is where many of us were introduced to democracy as children, and where some have taken our own children to show them the importance of being an engaged member of society. The changes could lead to more participation, which is a good thing, but as we move into this new voting era, we should also take a moment to remember and celebrate the polling place.

Thad Kousser is a professor of political science at UC San Diego, Eric McGhee is a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California and Mindy Romero is director of the California Civic Engagement Project at USCs Price School of Public Policy. They are all part of the New Electorate Project.
In my diary of the last six weeks of the Nixon presidency, theres an entry for July 23, 1974. That was the day before the televised hearings on three impeachment articles against President Nixon were to begin, and there was high anticipation of what would happen. I had gone to the House of Representatives to seek out a progressive Republican congressman from Wisconsin, William Steiger. The press, he complained, is always looking for a political or self-serving motive for our votes. Reporters were not paying enough attention to the conscience of individual congressmen, as they approached a historic vote.

Within an hour of that encounter, I sat in a packed news conference listening to another Republican, Rep. Lawrence Hogan of Maryland (the father of the current governor of Maryland and potential challenger for President Trump in 2020) as he stepped forward to be the first member of his party on the House Judiciary Committee to confirm that he would be voting for impeachment.

This is an occasion when party loyalty demands too much, the elder Hogan said. To base this decision on politics would not only violate my conscience but it would be a breach of my oath to uphold the Constitution. Those who oppose impeachment say it would weaken the presidency. In my view, if we do not impeach this president after all he has done, we would be weakening the presidency even more.

Voting, in public, with history in the balance, concentrates the mind and the conscience; investigations alone do not.

Advertisement

Three days later, five more of the 17 Republican members of the Judiciary Committee followed Hogan to vote for the first of the articles of impeachment, alleging that Nixon obstructed justice in the the Watergate cover-up.

It is these acts of conscience and courage that history remembers, just as history forgets the other 11 Republicans of the committee who marched slavishly to the party line. Five other notable Republicans were pivotal to the dynamic of those final days. After the so-called smoking gun tape was revealed, Rep. Charles Wiggins of Los Angeles, who had been the presidents fiercest defender in the Judiciary Committee proceedings, felt a keen sense of betrayal and announced that he would vote for removal. And the anguish of William Cohen of Maine, later President Clintons Republican secretary of Defense, was palpable.

I have been faced, he said in his opening statement the day of the committee vote, with the terrible responsibility of assessing the conduct of a president that I voted for, believed to be the best man to lead this country, who has made significant and lasting contributions toward securing peace in this country, throughout the world, but a president who in the process by active acquiescence allowed the rule of law and the Constitution to slip under the boots of indifference and arrogance and abuse.

Three other Republicans, Sen. Barry Goldwater, Sen. Hugh Scott and House Minority Leader John Rhodes, were critical in persuading a wavering Nixon not to drag the country through an impeachment trial in the Senate. They went to the White House on what would become the day before the presidents resignation not to demand that Nixon leave office, but simply to assess with him his bleak situation.

What happened in Washington in the summer of 1974 is a template for what could and perhaps should happen in the summer of 2019. The behavior of Republicans back then holds important lessons for the current situation. Hogan and his like-minded colleagues did not step forward at the outset of the impeachment process, but only at the very end, when historic votes loomed, votes that would force upon them the most profound personal consideration about what they valued and what they stood for.

Yet todays House leader, Nancy Pelosi, and her group are demanding that Republicans step forward now, at a preliminary stage in judging President Trump, as a condition of proceeding with impeachment. No formal process should even be initiated, she says, without significant Republican buy-in. This position is untenable. It forecloses the possibility, strange as it may seem to some, that there are decent and thoughtful Republicans who are deeply troubled by the revelations of the Mueller report, but who would come forward only when they were forced to do so because of a vote to decide the presidents fate.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

The investigate, investigate, investigate strategy lets both Republicans and Democrats off the hook. The point of oversight should be to come to conclusions about presidential misconduct, and then do something about it. Only specific articles of impeachment allow for that. Voting, in public, with history in the balance, concentrates the mind and the conscience; investigations alone do not.

Just as investigating endlessly without conclusion lets politicians off the hook, so is it an abrogation of responsibility to lob the scandal of the Trump presidency over to the court system. Time is now of the essence. Waiting for weeks and even months for the courts to deliberate and decide questions of obstruction and abuse of power ensures that impeachment will die by October. In the fall, the nation will be turning its attention to the 2020 election with the Iowa caucuses only a few months away.

Impeachment hearings must get underway before the August recess of Congress. After that, forget about it. Trump will have won. No collusion, no obstruction will be the mantra of the land by fiat.

James Reston Jr. is the author of, among other books, The Conviction of Richard Nixon: The Untold Story of the Frost/Nixon Interviews.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
The suit claims that day care operator Kimberly A. White and her son Christopher D. White, who worked for his mother as a child caregiver, failed to ensure the playpen where Tre was put down was safe and free of defects and failed to place him in an appropriate position to ensure he was not at risk of suffocation.
To the editor: I find the expression intense lobbying in the article on the failure of a bill in the California Legislature to ban flavored tobacco most interesting. I understand lobbying has an important role in government; information and facts must be disseminated.

But pending legislation often bumps up against this effective strategy, even when it seems to be common-sense rulemaking. Because a law may adversely affect the interests of a vested few, lobbying pressure often negates an honest effort to improve conditions for the many, as in this and other bills.

In the case of the proposed flavored tobacco ban, legislators extol the virtues of the effort in question, while managing to find some shred of minutiae (usually surmountable) to defeat it.

Im curious to know, what exactly does intense lobbying mean? And, where is the line between it and bribery?

Advertisement

Harold Sriro, Santa Monica

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: Stanford historian Sam Wineburg is concerned about his students lack of knowledge of Soviet spying in the United States.

The year is 2019, not 1959. Do most students know who Alger Hiss was? No. Do students care about the real story of Alger Hiss? No.

What students do care about is the story of McCarthyism, how dissent was suppressed decades ago and the relevance that era has to the political environment that we live in now. If leading textbooks or even popular histories, ones like Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States, teach that lesson, thats really what matters most.

As important as Hiss was in the 1950s, he is now nothing more than a historical footnote. Knowing history is vital, but it must also be a living history.

Advertisement

Edgar Kaskla, Long Beach

The writer is a lecturer in the political science department at Cal State Long Beach.

..

To the editor: Wineburg correctly states about the need to update history texts: When the evidence changes, so must the story.

However, the actual guilt of Alger Hiss, in his example, is opinion, not fact. It is still being debated. Books are still being written.

The problem of decrypting and decoding the Soviet communications is complex. When only a fraction of messages are converted to plain text, one misses the context of the entire situation. The result can be an incorrect interpretation.

Kathie Harine, Kingman, Ariz.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
When Kamala Harris launched her presidential bid four months ago, the stars all seemed to align.

She drew a crowd of roughly 20,000 to a lavish Oakland rally. She raised $1.5 million in just 24 hours. She boasted a string of endorsements from California politicians.

But as she returns to the Bay Area this weekend for the annual state Democratic Party convention  along with 13 other candidates eager to fight on her home turf  Harris no longer dazzles quite so much.

Rather, there is a prevalent sense that for all her seeming potential, Californias charismatic U.S. senator has fallen short of expectations.

Advertisement

The disappointment, observers say, stems in part from Harris failure to present a compelling case for her candidacy beyond her background as a prosecutor, her buoyant personality and a deep contempt  shared by others in the contest  for President Trump.

You dont get elected because youre a list of qualities, said Gil Duran, a former Harris advisor who is now the opinion editor of the Sacramento Bee. Whats the big idea shes carrying? Thats what shes trying to figure out. Shes having trouble figuring out what she represents.

After a chat with Trevor Noah, Kamala Harris has fences to mend in New Hampshire 

Other candidates have forged past Harris.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders  both well-defined personalities  have staked their place as front-runners in the crowded contest. Upstart Pete Buttigieg, the brainy young mayor of South Bend, Ind., has garnered buzz and big bucks from some of Californias major political donors. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has won praise for her soup-to-nuts sheaf of liberal policy proposals.

Backers say Harris slow-and-steady approach is the right one for this early stage of the campaign, arguing that consistency on the trail and fundraising matter more than catchy sound bites or viral moments.

I dont think anyone ever thought she would get in the race and blow away the field and be a front-runner from January 2019 through election day, said Brian Brokaw, who managed Harris two successful runs for state attorney general. She needs to stay in the upper tier, which I think she is. Stay in striking position and you outlast everybody.

Harris 2016 election to the Senate coincided with Trumps unexpected victory, and she arrived in Washington as a fierce adversary of the polarizing president. Her pugnacious grilling of Atty. Gens. Jeff Sessions and William Barr, among others, thrilled fellow Democrats.

But she has largely failed to replicate those compelling performances while campaigning. Instead, her equivocations have often overshadowed efforts to excite partisan passions.

In one of her first national campaign appearances, at a CNN town hall, she offhandedly backed eliminating the countrys private health insurance system. Months later, she is still trying to explain her position. (She said that her support for Medicare for all meant eliminating healthcare bureaucracy, not doing away with private insurance.)

During another televised town hall, Harris said she was open to a conversation about letting incarcerated violent felons vote, only to state the next day she would not support that right for the most serious offenders.

Elizabeth Warren is on a roll, but still facing big obstacles in 2020 presidential bid 

After touting her get-tough initiative on child truancy throughout much of her career  a centerpiece of her focus on protecting youth  she more recently pulled back, saying she regretted the unintended consequence that some parents went to jail.

What weve learned so far is that shes great at asking questions but timid at answering them. Shes going to have to correct that to navigate this process. Democratic strategist David Axelrod

The hedging revived one of the criticisms that has followed Harris throughout her public life, the suggestion she is politically timid and overly cautious. As attorney general, she was notably muted on some of the states most fraught issues, such as police use of force and ballot initiatives to change Californias sentencing laws.

That tension has spilled into her presidential campaign, where some aides advocate a more assertively progressive stance to court left-leaning activists while others prefer that Harris hug the middle to better position herself for a general election.

The candidate herself is ambivalent, said one strategist familiar with the campaigns internal dynamic, who described part of the conflict as Kamala vs. Kamala.

David Axelrod, who twice helped navigate Barack Obama to the White House, said that caution can be a very, very perilous thing in a presidential campaign, where that can often translate into exceedingly political and calculated.

Defenders  who see sexism at play  say Harris perceived skittishness was a result of competing pressures: conservative law enforcement officials on one side, who were naturally suspicious of a mixed-race woman from San Francisco, and left-leaning criminal justice reform advocates on the other. They note she was an early and ardent advocate of impeaching Trump, leaping out in front of many rivals.

The whole cautious thing, it makes me bristle a little bit, said Brokaw, who remains an informal Harris advisor. I honestly think that is one of her biggest strengths. She is a prosecutor who spent years in legal settings where every word matters, where you can blow a case with one misspeak. Youre never going to change that about her.

But standing in a courtroom before judge and jury is different than persuading Democratic primary voters  especially when there are nearly two dozen other candidates also making their arguments.

Shes a brilliant person, theres no doubt about that, Axelrod said. But what weve learned so far is that shes great at asking questions but timid at answering them. Shes going to have to correct that to navigate this process.

Of course, fortunes can change quickly, particularly with more than eight months until the first votes are cast.

Polling gives Harris high favorability marks and shows voters are curious to learn more about her. She continues to draw strong turnout in early primary states, and her crisp performance in an MSNBC town hall Tuesday night drew 2.2 million viewers, the second-highest-rated televised candidate forum so far.

Harris will share a spotlight this weekend with many of her rivals as a parade of presidential hopefuls take their turns addressing Democratic activists in downtown San Francisco. One conspicuous exception is Biden, who will be campaigning in Ohio.

Its a large gathering of White House contestants, but no one in Harris camp thought she would lock up California without a fight. (Polling puts Biden and Sanders ahead of her.) The state is simply too big and tantalizing for anyone to ignore.

With 495 delegates awarded on a proportional basis, instead of winner-take-all, California makes it worthwhile for candidates to campaign here to pluck off a few, and at the same time squeeze in some fundraising. In 2007, when another crowd of Democrats was running, 7 of 8 contestants appeared at the convention.

Harris has won three statewide races, but remains a mystery to many at home. Surveys show nearly a quarter of California voters have no opinion of her job performance, suggesting they know little, if anything, about the states junior U.S. senator.

That is not unusual, said pollster Mark DiCamillo.

Youre talking about 19 million registered voters in California, and for 19 million people to be universally aware of something you have to practically hit them over the head, said DiCamillo, who has spent decades sampling voter attitudes in the state. Its not unusual for 15, 20, 30% of Californians to just be tuned out of politics.

Saturdays appearance at the Moscone Convention Center will mark one of Harris few public campaign stops in California since she joined the race. On Thursday, in the lead-up to the gathering, Harris rolled out nearly three dozen more state legislative endorsements.

Being home offers one distinct privilege: When Democrats convene Saturday morning, Harris will be the first of the candidates to address the 3,400 party faithful, in a prime spot before the lunch hour.

Mason reported from Los Angeles and Barabak from San Francisco. Times staff writer Michael Finnegan contributed to this report.
What started out two years ago as an effort by President Trump to wring better terms from China on the nuts and bolts of foreign trade now threatens to become a far wider and more ominous confrontation.

The conflict continues to be framed as a trade war between the worlds two biggest economies  as Washington and Beijing pursue an escalating series of tariff hikes and other retaliatory measures.

Even as Trump moved Thursday to open a new, potentially damaging trade war with Mexico, however, the conflict with China has widened beyond the original trade-based issues.

Beneath the surface, a new tone has begun to emerge since trade talks broke down in early May and Trump ratcheted up tariffs on imported goods from China, an action met with retaliatory duties from Beijing. Officials on both sides of the Pacific have begun to portray the U.S.-China relationship in nationalistic and emotion-charged terms that suggest a much deeper conflict.

Advertisement

Recently, for example, a private group of American economists and trade experts with long-standing experience in China traveled to Beijing, expecting their usual technical give-and-take with Chinese government officials.

Instead, a member of the Chinese Politburo harangued them for almost an hour, describing the U.S.-China relationship as a clash of civilizations and boasting that Chinas government-controlled system was far superior to the Mediterranean culture of the West, with its internal divisions and aggressive foreign policy.

On the U.S. side, a senior State Department official, during a forum last month in Washington, warned of a deepening confrontation with China that she cast in something close to racial terms.

In the Cold War with the Soviet Union, said Kiron Skinner, the State Departments director of policy planning, Washington at least faced fellow Caucasians, whereas with Beijing, Washington faces a nonwhite culture.

In China we have an economic competitor, we have an ideological competitor, one that really does seek a kind of global reach, that many of us didnt expect a couple of decades ago, Skinner said. And I think its also striking that this is the first time that we will have a great-power competitor that is not Caucasian.

On the trade issues themselves, the two sides may still be able to reach a truce, with the best chance coming with the economic summit of major nations at the end of June in Osaka, Japan. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to attend the meeting of Group of 20 leaders.

Nothing short of a deal struck directly by the two leaders is likely to avert new rounds of punches and counter-punches over economic and financial ties, analysts say.

But whether either leader is interested in a stand-down is unclear.

The conflict, however, now goes beyond just the escalation of tariffs. Attitudes have hardened in recent days after the Trump administration blacklisted the telecom firm Huawei, essentially blocking one of Chinas most successful global companies from buying crucial components and software from U.S. firms. (Huawei later got a temporary reprieve on some of the Commerce Department restrictions.)

The White House is preparing similar actions against other Chinese high-tech firms, according to news reports.

All of that would sap most of the remaining interest the Chinese have in negotiating with the Trump administration on trade, said Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. China, he added, will probably hunker down and try to get by until either the second term of the Trump administration or the incoming new administration.

On Sunday, Chinas State Council issued an 8,300-word white paper blaming the U.S. government for escalating the trade war but expressing a desire for continued talks.

Addressing a rare news conference, Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen said that the goal of trade negotiations should be the cancellation of tariffs by both sides, but that talks must proceed on the basis of equality.

The U.S. should take full responsibility for instigating and accelerating the trade war, said Guo Weimin, vice minister of the State Council Information Office. China doesnt want to fight, is not afraid of fighting, but will fight if it has no choice, Guo said.

The widening friction has not yet had a big impact on financial markets or the broader economy. But the domestic politics, for now, seem to favor conflict, not compromise.

At home Trump mostly gets cheers for going after an adversary many Americans believe is an unfair trading partner that has stolen valuable U.S. intellectual property in its rise to superpower status. The political risk for Trump from potential Democratic opponents in 2020 isnt from hitting China too hard, but treading too softly or coming away with a weak deal.

In China, the partys propaganda organ has dusted off old patriotic films of the Korean War  when the Chinese army pushed back American forces advancing northward  and Xis recent countryside tour conveyed a message of girding up for a new Long March to resist a foreign bully.

At this point, many experts on U.S.-China relations say, the best one might hope for is a temporary truce, and even that will be hard to come by if Trump keeps piling on the pressure.

By the time the G-20 summit starts on June 28, the U.S. trade representative will have wrapped up public hearings on a proposed new tranche of tariffs, meaning it could at any time impose taxes on the remaining $300 billion of imports from China, including many ordinary consumer goods. Earlier rounds have imposed hefty 25% duties on about $250 billion of Chinese products.

Chinas retaliatory tariffs, at first dollar for dollar, have been more limited in recent rounds, for the simple reason that its imports of American merchandise, about $120 billion last year, are less than one-fourth of what it sends to the United States. China has added tariffs on about $110 billion of U.S. products.

Beijing could hit back in other ways, however. Already 1 in 5 U.S. firms operating in China say they face increased inspections and slower customs clearances, according to a recent survey by the American Chambers of Commerce in Shanghai and Beijing.

China has reportedly suspended purchases of billions of dollars of U.S. soybeans, and officials have begun to signal they could restrict supplies of so-called rare-earth elements that are important for manufacturing electric cars and other high-tech products.

China is the worlds dominant producer of rare earths.

Beijing also could spur boycotts of popular American products such as Apple iPhones or curtail tourism to the United States, which would be particularly painful for states such as California. And American universities already are fretting about a potential drop-off in full-tuition-paying Chinese students.

Then theres Boeing, the single biggest American exporter to China. Sales to China last year accounted for more than 20% of the companys commercial aircraft revenue.

Boeing has been embattled in recent weeks by the grounding of its 737 Max fleet after two fatal crashes. The company faces several governmental investigations related to the jet as it is working with federal authorities on software fixes in the hopes of resuming service soon.

Beijing could withhold its own certificate of airworthiness, which would keep the 737 Max from flying in and through China, with almost certain spillover effects to other countries.

It strikes me as a logical sort of retaliation  and obvious where China has at least potential for some leverage with whats going on with Huawei, said David Bachman, a specialist in U.S.-China relations at the University of Washington in Seattle.

If no progress takes place on trade at the G-20 summit and a new round of tariffs and counter-tariffs takes effect, the next escalation could come in mid-August. Thats when the Commerce Departments 90-day reprieve for Huawei runs out and the Chinese start to find out how long and well Huawei can manage without key Android software updates from Google, as well as crucial chips and other hardware from American suppliers.

For those and other reasons, including rising risks to financial markets and potentially shifting political calculus, Damien Ma, a fellow at the Paulson Institute think tank in Chicago, still sees the possibility of a limited trade deal by fall. But even then, Ma said, therell be no agreement unless the two presidents get personally involved and talk with each other.

At the end of the day, theyll need to reset the tone a little bit and try to manage a deescalation of the trade war, he said.

More stories from Don Lee 
More than a dozen presidential hopefuls and their supporters will descend on San Francisco this weekend as the California Democratic Party meets for its first statewide convention of the 2020 campaign.

But for many party activists, the focus of the convention will be on another race closer to home. Months after the resignation of party Chairman Eric Bauman following sexual misconduct allegations, delegates will choose a new state leader who will be tasked with rehabilitating the organizations internal culture, preparing Democrats for Californias March presidential primary and defending more than a dozen newly flipped congressional and legislative seats next year.

There is little daylight between the positions of the races three front-runners on many key issues for the Democratic Party. Bay Area activist Kimberly Ellis, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Rusty Hicks and state party Vice Chairman Daraka Larimore-Hall have each expressed support for Medicare for all and the Green New Deal. Other candidates include attorney Lenore Albert, privacy activist Mike Katz-Lacabe, retired college professor Rita Ramirez and businessman Mike Saifie.

Instead, the race has revolved around how best to reinvigorate a fractious base and whether activists should push elected officials in this Democrat-dominated state even further left.

Advertisement

A lot of people look at the chairs race and they think its the battle for the heart and soul of the California Democratic Party, said Robin Swanson, a Democratic consultant who was previously a spokeswoman for the state party. The truth is its a fight for the party structure, and thats because the party serves as the ultimate fundraiser.

California Democrats didnt expect to vote for a new leader so soon. Just two years ago, Bauman was elected chairman in a divisive race that exposed the rift between party insiders and the more progressive wing of the party. Ellis, who was buoyed by activists who had supported Sen. Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign, lost by a few dozen votes and contested the results for months.

Bauman, who had enjoyed the support of major labor groups and the states top Democratic elected officials, resigned in November amid allegations of misconduct. The party now faces at least three lawsuits claiming workplace harassment, discrimination and retaliation, and accusations that other top leaders turned a blind eye to the allegations.

The scandal prompted a calls for culture change and invited discussions about how activists might better organize and wield their power.

Delegates will consider a resolution from Christine Pelosi, chair of the partys Womens Caucus, that proposes requiring mandatory bias and harassment training for delegates and consultants and guidelines for power-sharing based on the results of the chairs race. Others have called for reducing the chairs powers and making it easier for the party to suspend its leader pending the outcome of an investigation.

But while much of the attention in the race has been on addressing party culture, doubling down on progressive ideals and the potential impact of such an ideological shift on the partys finances have been another central focus of the campaign.

Kimberly Ellis, who narrowly lost to Eric Bauman two years ago in the race for chair of the state Democratic Party, speaks to supporters in Los Angeles Koreatown. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Ellis has discussed redefining what it means to be a Democrat and said she wants to push a bold policy agenda to help the party capture some of the grass-roots energy and money that flowed to groups such as Indivisible and Swing Left after the 2016 election. She has received support from young delegates and groups including the Sanders-affiliated Our Revolution and has promised that half of her administration would be made up of women or people of color.

Hicks, who has the backing of many elected officials and most major labor organizations in the state, has touted his work to diversify the board of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, one of the most powerful labor organizations in Southern California and a frequent ally to Democratic candidates. He has said he would focus on how to help win back the White House and keep key legislative seats.

Larimore-Hall, who chaired the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party for years, has emphasized his background as a local activist and organizer, pitching a shift toward making the party an advocacy organization to drive political debate in the state between elections. He has received support from many of the partys clubs and local groups.

At a candidates forum in Northern California last month, Ellis accused some state legislators in her party of obstructing movement on key progressive policy priorities, while Larimore-Hall said the party should harness its grass-roots to make it very painful and expensive for officeholders who vote against those goals.

It is incumbent on the chair of this party to hold our elected officials accountable to our platform to move forward in a bold and aggressive way, Ellis said.

All three front-runners have vowed to enforce the organizations ban on political contributions from oil and tobacco companies, corporate interests the party has deemed incongruous with its platform.

Daraka Larimore-Hall, now vice chair of the California Democratic Party, speaks at the state party convention in 2018. (Christine Mai-Duc / Los Angeles Times)

But Ellis support of publicly financed elections have left some wondering whether she would further limit corporate donors or ban them altogether, a move that could hobble the party financially.

Ellis often speaks out against money in politics and has said that not one penny of her campaign funds has come from corporate contributions  evidence, she says, that there are Democratic donors willing to invest in the party as long as it reflects their values.

Meanwhile, Hicks has said the party should have a conversation about what kinds of money to accept but cautioned against moving too quickly.

What we are talking about is the lifeblood of the party, the ability to communicate with 9 million Democrats and build a program that we need, Hicks said at the Northern California forum. If we want to say that were the party thats solely funded by small-dollar contributions, that takes an infrastructure investment to make that happen, and it doesnt happen overnight.

Rusty Hicks speaks at a meeting of Palos Verdes Democrats in Rolling Hills Estates on March 17. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Ellis has called such fears unfounded, noting that she has proposed adding new streams of revenue from small donors, not taking others away.

We say that we support campaign finance reform, she said in an interview. I think its a fair question for us to ask, what are we doing as a state party to advance that value? Thats not trying to burn the house down.

After Ellis last campaign, lawmakers in both houses of the Legislature tried to push through a measure that would have dramatically increased campaign contribution limits for legislative leaders of both parties, a move one official said at the time was akin to legislative leaders filing divorce papers from the state party.

The effort sparked an outcry from party activists including Larimore-Hall and Ellis, who complained on Twitter of [Democrats in Name Only] in our midst controlled by corporate masters and threatened primary challenges if legislators were arrogant enough to pass the bill, which later failed.

Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon of Lakewood and state Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins of San Diego have so far declined to endorse in the race, as has Gov. Gavin Newsom.

I think that elected leaders have a right to be nervous [about the race for chair] because this is a critical relationship for keeping their members in office, Swanson said. There has to be trust there.

The challenge, Swanson said, is that legislative leaders must think about how to reelect members in places such as Orange County or the Central Valley, where voters values might not align with the policy agenda of left-leaning party activists.

The reality is that ideological purity and purity on the fundraising end is very expensive, said Darry Sragow, who was the chief strategist for Assembly Democrats for nearly a decade. The reason that the system is constructed the way it is is because thats what it takes to win.

The partys next leader would be wise to carefully consider how much influence he or she should try to wield over elected officials and their campaign cash, Sragow said.

The party is an important vehicle, but if the party becomes an ineffective vehicle for campaign efforts, the legislative leadership will find another way to do it, he said, noting that party members could instead raise money for political action committees or use independent expenditures that cant coordinate directly with candidates.

christine.maiduc@latimes.com

For more on California politics, follow @cmaiduc.
With a wave of conservative states enacting tough new limits on abortions, Gov. Gavin Newsom invited women from across the nation to come to California to fully exercise their reproductive rights.

On Friday, Newsom signed a proclamation welcoming women to California for the procedure and reaffirming the right of women to terminate a pregnancy, a protection enshrined in the states Constitution.

The governor also joined with fellow Democratic Govs. Kate Brown of Oregon and Jay Inslee of Washington to urge states to pass laws protecting abortion rights.

In the absence of federal leadership on this issue, states must step up and put in place their own protections  both in statute and in their state constitutions, and through the expansion of family planning and education  to defend every Americans right to reproductive freedom, the governors said in a joint statement released Friday morning.

Advertisement

The actions come in response to a wave of new legislative efforts pushing back against the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court Roe vs. Wade decision, which protected abortion rights.

Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Ohio have each enacted laws barring abortion once a fetus has detectable cardiac activity, making the procedure illegal before some women might be aware they are pregnant. Missouri has also enacted an eight-week ban on abortion, and Alabama, Louisiana and Missouri do not allow exemptions in cases of rape or incest.

The new state abortion restrictions are the latest in the nations longstanding political clash over the issue. Advocates on both sides anticipate that the U.S. Supreme Court, with the recent appointments of conservative justices by President Trump, will move toward a possible overturning of Roe vs. Wade.

In California, abortion rights are settled law.

The state first legalized abortion in 1967, years before the Roe vs. Wade decision, and those protections have since been expanded by the Legislature and governor, rulings by the California Supreme Court and a 1972 voter-approved state constitutional amendment protecting privacy rights.

Those protections include the funding for abortions provided to low-income women covered by the Medi-Cal program and the right of minors to obtain an abortion without parental consent.

phil.willon@latimes.com

Twitter: @philwillon
Theres a rule about ampersands that doesnt exist, even though countless people follow it anyway.

Nowhere is this rule written down. Nowhere will you see it manifest in professionally published writing. No one has ever spoken this rule aloud or taught a student to follow it.

So its fascinating to me that people do this: Her department oversees marketing and research & development.

Another: A Caribbean vacation offers beaches, historical sites and outdoor adventures (hiking & bus tours).

One more: Their sandwich selections include roast beef, turkey and ham & cheese.

Writers do this a lot, especially writers of marketing copy. Do you see the issue Im talking about? Each of these passages contains an ampersand.

But writers who use ampersands this way arent using the symbol as a substitute for and. On the contrary, and appears regularly throughout their prose. Instead, theyre using an ampersand in place of certain instances of and.

Evidently, these writers are operating on the vague idea that some noun relationships are connected with the word and, while other, closer noun relationships take an ampersand.

If the pairing is a thing  a popular combo in the language like mergers & acquisitions  surely, thats what an ampersand is for.

This is fascinating on a number of levels.

First, the sheer popularity of this assumption is mind-boggling. As an editor tasked with changing each of those ampersands to the word and, I can tell you that this is a very common practice.

Second, theres no basis for this assumption. Unlike so many other fake rules in language, this one isnt spelled out in some poorly researched textbook. Its not documented anywhere Ive ever seen.

Third: No one preaches this rule. Other mythological rules have evangelists. Parents and teachers tell kids not to split infinitives or end sentences with prepositions, both of which are fake rules. But never in the history of English class has a teacher said, Here are the pairings where you use an ampersand then wrote on the chalkboard a list of combos like peanut butter & jelly.

Fourth: The writers arent picking up this practice from their reading. Youll never see in an article in a major publication, Hawaii is a wonderful destination for rest & relaxation.

And finally, in my estimation, its harder to type an ampersand than it is to type and. Yes, its shorter: two keystrokes instead of three. But you need to reach for the shift key on the left and, simultaneously, the 7 key two rows above where your fingers are stationed.

So the writers who use ampersands to show special relationships are pulling a rule out of thin air, with no documented basis for it, never having been taught to do so by a teacher or parent, without an excuse that its easier, and without having seen the practice modeled in professional writing  and theyre all in lock step with each other.

Its remarkable.

But for anyone who might prefer a real rule, heres a simple guideline for using ampersands: Dont. At least, not when you want your writing to appear professional. My reference library contains not a single source indicating that you should ever, under any circumstances, opt for an ampersand in place of and in running text.

The Associated Press Stylebook says you can leave ampersands in proper names, like the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Captain & Tennille, and in common shorthand terms like R&B. Conversely, the Chicago Manual of Style says youre welcome to replace ampersands in proper names with and if you prefer.

That means that you can refer to Peaches & Herb as Peaches and Herb, should the occasion to do so ever arise.

JUNE CASAGRANDE is the author of The Joy of Syntax: A Simple Guide to All the Grammar You Know You Should Know. She can be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com.
Some punctuation marks get all of the attention. The serial comma, for example, is a hot topic, with 11 million Google hits plus another 11 million if you search its other name, Oxford comma.

Exclamation points, scare quotes and semicolons like to hog the spotlight, too.

But at the other end of the punctuation popularity spectrum lies the most neglected punctuation mark of all: the bracket.

Search Google for brackets and youll get fewer than 6 million hits, most with pictures of wall-mounted shelf hardware.

The bracket thats a punctuation mark is such a wallflower that, in all of my years of writing this column, I dont believe Ive talked about them even once.

Thats not because the subject doesnt come up in my editing work. It comes up quite a bit. Heres an example.

A new restaurant downtown (Luigis) got a great review in the newspaper, Cheryl said.

Did Cheryl say Luigis? Or did the writer insert it as additional information for the reader? The parentheses could suggest either.

And to anyone who respects the power of quotation marks to indicate speech exactly as spoken, its kind of important.

This is where the humble little bracket shines.

Brackets are used mainly to enclose material  usually added by someone other than the original writer  that does not form a part of the surrounding text, advises the Chicago Manual of Style.

In quoted matter, reprints, anthologies and other nonoriginal material, brackets enclose editorial interpolations, explanations, translations of terms from other languages or corrections, the manual adds.

In other words, when you place brackets inside a quotation, youre telling the reader in no uncertain terms that these are your words, not the speakers.

Theres no chance for confusion.

Technically, you can use parentheses within a quotation. They work the same way inside quotes as they do outside: I want to tell you this (and its very difficult for me to say): I ate your yogurt. But I dont recommend it.

Contrary to this example, in which the word me leaves no question whose words are in the parentheses, this practice usually leaves the reader unsure.

Dashes and commas can handle these situations nicely and with zero ambiguity.

A new restaurant downtown, Luigis, got a great review in the paper, Cheryl said.

A new restaurant downtown  Luigis  got a great review in the paper, Cheryl said.

When the parenthetical information is a complete clause, you could even make it a separate sentence.

The city just passed an ordinance. Its called the Pothole Repair Initiative. It should make a difference.

Sometimes brackets are used not to insert extra words but to replace words youve taken out.

For example, if the speaker is using pronouns in a way that could confuse the reader, you can use brackets to insert nouns instead.

He gave him $20, Jen said.

[Bruce] gave [Alex] $20, Jen said.

Obviously, at some point you have to ask whether youd be better off just paraphrasing instead of quoting. But when thats not an option, brackets can help a lot.

Theres another situation where brackets apply: Parenthetical information inserted within parenthetical information. We saw Harry (the dog [a golden retriever]) running through the park. You can see why that doesnt come up a lot.

Finally, if youre citing written text that already has brackets in it, the Chicago Manual advises inserting a note like brackets in the original or something to that effect.

But, as you can imagine, that doesnt come up much either.

JUNE CASAGRANDE is the author of The Joy of Syntax: A Simple Guide to All the Grammar You Know You Should Know. She can be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.
A former Marine has been arrested in the death of a woman found strangled near a military base 43 years ago after she disappeared from a Costa Mesa restaurant, officials said Thursday.

Eddie Lee Anderson, 66, is suspected of killing 30-year-old Leslie Penrod Harris in May 1976 and dumping her body near Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, Orange County sheriffs officials said in a news release. The Marine base has since been decommissioned, and Irvines Great Park was built on part of it.

Harris was dining with her husband at a restaurant in Costa Mesa the evening of May 17 and went out alone around 8:30 p.m. She still hadnt returned by the time the restaurant closed, and her husband reported her missing, authorities said.

At about 4:30 the next morning, military police from the air base found Harris body lying on a roadway just outside its perimeter. Authorities later determined she had been strangled, deputies said.

Detectives approached nearby businesses and taxi companies that served the area, but no leads developed. Officials suspected the killer was connected to the military because Harris body was found in an area the general public was unfamiliar with. But the case went cold.

There were attempts in 1997 and 2016 to revive the case following advancements in DNA analysis, but no matches to the evidence collected were found, detectives said.

But Orange County investigators last year began using genealogy to identify suspects in the case, and earlier this year a joint effort with the FBI helped them identify Anderson as a person of interest.

Eddie Lee Anderson, 66, who is suspected of killing Leslie Penrod Harris in 1976, is seen in a booking photo. (Courtesy of Orange County Sheriffs Department)

Further investigation led authorities to determine Anderson had been enlisted in the Marines and lived at the El Toro base in the early 1970s. At the time Harris was killed, he lived less than a mile from the restaurant she visited the night of her death, officials said.

A week ago, Orange County sheriffs officials traveled to Louisiana, where Anderson was living, to interview him.

After Anderson volunteered to provide a DNA sample, he was arrested on suspicion of murder Friday at his home in River Ridge, La.

Hes now in the custody of the Plaquemines Parish Sheriffs Office, but Orange County authorities are working to extradite him to California.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer applauded the use of genealogy in cold cases.

Genealogical DNA techniques also were used this year to identify James Alan Neal as the suspect in the 1973 killing of 11-year-old Linda Ann OKeefe in Newport Beach.

These victims and their families have been waiting for justice for decades, and the addition of genealogical DNA is now helping us to advance our efforts to achieve justice for crime victims, Spitzer said in a statement.

Investigators asked that anyone with information about the Harris case call Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227.

Daily Pilot staff contributed to this report.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.
Re Costa Mesa police chief blasts proposed city budget, saying it will jeopardize safety, May 30): Costa Mesa has been on a roller coaster regarding our city and its goals for the Costa Mesa Police Department. Six years ago, under our former council, a massive effort to lay off city employees, including members of which included the CMPD, was attempted.

A hiring freeze was initiated, and the result was an understaffed police department, a surge in crime, drugs, addiction and property crimes. There wasnt one neighborhood unaffected by these changes. Drugs were out of control.

Fast forward to 2019. A new council, elected on a law and order platform, is attempting through the budgeting process, to avoid the demands of the CMPD budget, to the extent of possible loss of staff.

In Police Chief Robert Sharpnacks memo, he cites a crisis in dispatch. The recruiting and hiring have been unsuccessful, yet the hiring of three new positions for council aides and chief of staff, were accomplished in less than one month, at the yearly cost of $250,000. Are our priorities in the right place?

Chief Sharpback did a heroic deed in writing this memo, addressing his concerns for his officers safety and the well being of our community. This must have been a difficult decision, but in the true character of the chief, he put others before his career and family.

Costa Mesa has always been supportive of CMPD and has rallied to support our officers. It is again time to support law and order and Chief Sharpnack. A note of support to CMPD and the chief would be timely and greatly appreciated, letting them know we have their 6 [a military term meaning I have your back]. Write rsharpnack@costamesaca.gov

Mary Spadoni

Costa Mesa

Apodacas column raises important points

Patrice Apodacas May 28 column, Schools must play a vital role in shaping our youth into upstanding citizens who embrace tolerance, hit me hard. Unexpectedly hard.

Last year, when entertainer Ted Nugent publicly declared, Democrats, the media and academics should be shot like rabid coyotes, I was floored. As a lifelong Democrat and father of three, who never has espoused violence, Nugents comment made me wonder, What has happened to civility? Should I be afraid for my safety?

I asked a dozen family members and friends. They said maybe. I asked several of my USC fraternity brothers. They basically ignored the question. As the saying goes, Their silence was deafening.

Its been said we live in strange times. If true, then its no wonder acts of violence and anti-Semitism are on the rise.

To Nugent, I say intelligence without character means little. To my fraternity brothers, I say the same goes for silence. Regardless of ones political beliefs, both give rise to unacceptable, often illegal behavior.

Im sure Apodaca would agree that we, as citizens and parents, are obliged to model for our kids what is right and wrong.

Denny Freidenrich

Laguna Beach

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.

How to get published: Email us at john.canalis@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.

How to get published: Email us at john.canalis@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.
A Tujunga resident accused of fatally stabbing a Glendale man Friday evening committed suicide Monday night while in custody, according to authorities.

Ernest Lee Culbertson, 31, was being held on suspicion of murder at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles when he was found dead in his cell around 5:30 p.m.

According to Det. Philip Guzman with the homicide unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, Culbertson was in the High Observation Mental Health Housing unit at the jail  meaning he was a suicide risk.

Without a doubt, he committed suicide while in custody, Guzman said.

Guzman said Culbertson was able to craft a ligature and used it to hang himself in his single-man jail cell. Its unknown what led to the suicide.

Culbertson was arrested on Saturday for the June 30 stabbing of 51-year-old Frederick Ford in the 1200 block of East Harvard Street. According to the Glendale Police Department, the two knew each other and something led Culbertson to stab Ford in the neck.

Neighbors discovered Ford lying on the driveway at the apartment complex where he lived and called for help. First responders attempted to administer first aid, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police tracked down Culbertson in Los Angeles, where he was placed under arrest. He was found in possession of items linking him to the stabbing and confessed to the crime, according to police.

Sgt. Robert William, a spokesman for the Glendale Police Department, said the suicide will not change the departments investigation of the stabbing.

We still have to finish our investigation, he said. Our detectives will likely continue on to file the case with the [Los Angeles County] district attorneys office for the sake of closing it out, but there wont be a trial.

The suicide itself will be handled by the sheriffs department. Guzman said there are several layers to an investigation.

From a homicide perspective, we investigate suicides, especially in the jail, he said. Our role is to make sure there was nothing criminal about his death. Right now, there doesnt appear to be anything criminal about it.

Guzman said other units within the sheriffs department outside those investigating the homicide will review Culbertsons death. He said investigators will look for possible violations of jail policy in addition to determining if anything could have been done to prevent the suicide.

Theres going to be a lot more review and evaluation of the whole thing by a lot of other people in the sheriffs department, he said.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc

ALSO

Burbank man convicted of murder, dumping body in shallow grave

Shell casings could prove key to solving crimes across Los Angeles County

Glendale man sentenced in 2015 murder of grandparents
The day before 6-month-old Lydia Hand was to receive a living-donor liver transplant, a junior medical student exclaimed that she didnt know Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, or CHLA, performed that type of procedure  in front of Hands family.

In one of several leaps of faith that made CHLAs program possible, Hands grandmother, who was also the donor, told program co-founder Dr. Daniel Thomas, I believe in your team.

That was in 1998, the year the then-nascent program performed its first living-donor transplant, which requires the donor to sacrifice a part of their liver to be implanted into an infant or child. Dr. Yuri Genyk, the current surgical director at CHLA, had just arrived from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where he had learned the procedure.

And things turned out so well, Glendale resident Thomas said during an event Friday afternoon at the hospital, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the program.

Now 20 and studying at West Coast Baptist College, Hand, along with several other patients and their families, was at the celebration that honored Thomas and Genyk.

They held our hand[s] the entire time throughout the procedure, and I guess we held theirs, too, Hand told attendees, referring to the mutual-learning experience of being one of the programs first patients.

Two decades later, the programs team has performed about 325 pediatric liver transplants and roughly 100 living-donor transplants.

Each life is different, and each life has an impact, Thomas said. We learn something about each of our patients that teaches us something new.

According to Thomas, the Southern California program has a higher success rate, 95%, than the national rate of 90%.

He partially attributes the edge to the fact that the CHLA team performs complex surgeries, such as living-donor transplants, that allow patients to get a liver before potentially passing away while waiting for a cadavers organ.

The program has a waiting list of 20 to 30 patients at any given time, with waiting times averaging two to three months, Thomas said. Some other programs have waiting lists that stretch years, he added.

A talented surgeon is only one factor in a successful recovery patients need a strong support system, and lot of it has to come from within yourself, Thomas said.

He said he learned the triumphs and tribulations of being a grievously ill patient himself when, in 2013, he contracted an autoimmune disorder known as Guillain Barre.

The disorder causes the immune system to attack the nervous system, severing communicative function between the brain and the body. With no signals going between the two, paralysis sets in, often starting with the legs.

It was sudden, unexpected, acute, disabling, Thomas said. Like many of his patients, he was on deaths door.

With every muscle immobilized, Thomas was put on a ventilator, followed by a stint in the intensive care unit. It took two years of rigorous physical therapy at Adventist Health Glendale, then known as Glendale Adventist Medical Center, to relearn to walk, talk and eat. In 2016, he returned to work at CHLA.

Now, when Thomas feels a patient may need additional motivation in their recovery, he shares his own story.

Hopefully, that serves as an inspiration to them, he said.

It also serves as inspiration for his colleagues, said Paul Viviano, CHLAs chief executive, during the anniversary event.

Viviano added that the 20-year commemoration was as much about looking forward as looking back.

The anniversary event coincided with the CHLA liver transplant program signing an agreement with its sister program at Kings College of London, England, in which the two institutions fellows and faculty will participate in an exchange program.

lila.seidman@latimes.com

Twitter: @lila_seidman
Michelle Head, 72, hasnt been able to leave her second-floor Montrose apartment since last Thursday  the day the senior living facilitys only functioning elevator stopped working. Shes had to cancel three doctors appointments during that time.

Were just stuck here, and its scary, said Head, one of approximately 85 residents who are all 65 years old or older living in the Honolulu Manor Senior Apartments.

Glendale city officials issued a $222 citation to the owner of the property at 2500 Honolulu Ave., a company called Calitex, on Wednesday  six days after the elevator went down, city spokesman Dan Bell said.

Its one of two elevators on the property. The other one has been out of service since October, Head said.

Elias Shokrian, chief executive of Calitex, could not be reached for comment.

Normally, the owner would have 30 days to repair issues on the property before the city would take further action. In this case, city officials are trying to expedite compliance by referring the matter to the city attorneys office, Bell said.

We are continuing to stay on them to get it repaired as soon as possible, Bell said.

Mary Sarra, who is with Calitexs accounting department, said on Thursday that the companys maintenance team was working on solving the problem.

They are waiting for some parts, and they said theyre going to make it to work today, Sarra said.

By the end of the day on Thursday, the elevator had not been fixed, said the facilitys manager, Marie, who did not want to give her last name. Saturday has been set as the tentative repair date, she added.

How are these people going to get in and out? Marie said. Some of them dont even have families.

According to the facilitys manager, a wheelchair-bound tenant left the building for an appointment last Thursday, prior to the second elevator breaking. When she returned, the elevator was out of order.

Trying to figure out what to do for several hours, the tenant eventually called the local fire department to have its employees lift her up the stairs, Marie said.

With the first floor of the building dedicated to commercial use, Head said she has to walk down a minimum of two sets of stairs to exit the building. Residents on the floor above Head must walk up and down four sets.

Im not confident navigating the stairs, but Im going to try. I have to, said Head, who typically uses a walker.

Residents who have cars parked in the subterranean garage have to contend with additional sets of stairs, said Head, who doesnt have a car.

According to Head, many residents have been accessing their cars by exiting the building on the ground level and walking around to a ramp that leads to the parking garage. Those who find the ramp too steep have moved their cars to the street, she added.

Sarra said Calitex had not yet received an invoice for the cost of the elevator repair, and company officials did not have a cost estimate.

According to the facilitys manager, those handling the maintenance pegged the cost of fixing one elevator at $7,000 to $8,000.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.
One of the things that bothers me as a teacher at this time of year is senioritis, a disease that goes untreated by many schools.

Over the course of several weeks, even months, 12th-graders recklessly start not coming to school, with the high-achievers tending to be the worst offenders.

In the fall, these kids are model pupils, but come spring, all bets are off.

Some teachers enable this behavior by not counting their absences as part of their grade. Often a student may have 20 or 30 absences, yet still get an A on their report card.

These are the students who months earlier asked me to write college recommendations, extolling their virtues.

Now, with their mounting absences  both physical and intellectual  I am embarrassed that I wrote those glowing remarks.

These are the same students who work in tandem with school officials agreeing on a date for their unofficial Senior Ditch Day, who get pulled out of class to rehearse their own awards ceremony, who will be lauded and applauded come graduation night, who earned admittance into top colleges and received thousands of dollars in scholarships.

Say hello to tomorrows leaders.

Absenteeism is not limited to seniors. Currently, 15% of my 10th-grade honors students have double-digit absences for a 98-day semester, three have more than 20.

Since each class lasts one hour, thats equivalent to missing two full days of work in a 2 week period, a level of absenteeism unacceptable at a real job.

One time I had a student with 33 absences, and the parent complained that her child was not receiving credit.

The Washington Post just published a story about severe absenteeism in Maryland schools. One student missed English class 47 times in one semester, yet still graduated.

Retired teacher Russell Rushton stated that the accountability piece for student attendance is gone.

What fuels such lack of accountability is a shared motivation among all parties to pass kids along, even when they are not passing the class: Kids want to graduate, schools want to move them along and teachers dont want to be the bad guys or deal with hostile parents.

Graduation rates are viewed as evidence of a schools quality, but not all high school diplomas are equal.

You have to wonder how the honest students feel knowing that they did all the right things during their academic career, yet the person to either side of them didnt spend as much time in school and will receive the same piece of paper.

That is one kind of diversity that is not right.

What happens when they go to college where attendance doesnt matter as much? How watered down will their college degrees be?

All of us need to be concerned about this because once kids understand how to manipulate the education system to their advantage, that lack of ethics will plague the workplace.

College-educated people will not be as knowledgeable as those in the past. If they can get a paycheck by not showing up for work regularly, all of us will suffer.

Will future engineers, attorneys and doctors use YouTube videos to fill in the gaps of their education?

So hold off the celebrations when reading headlines that high school graduation rates are at an all-time high.

The moral: Dont judge a school by its graduation rate.

BRIAN CROSBY is a teacher in the Glendale Unified School District and the author of Smart Kids, Bad Schools and The $100,000 Teacher. He can be reached at www.brian-crosby.com.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.
Destroyed in World War II, Davao City and its architecture are now a mix of influences, including Spanish and Moorish as well as Asian cultures. About 1.5 million people live in the urban core of this city on Mindanao; outside of the city, it is largely rural.

Philippine Airlines is offering a special fare that has a fairly long window for travel. Here are the details:

Fare: $685 round trip from LAX to Davao City, Philippines, on Philippine Airlines

Restrictions: Subject to availability. Tickets must be booked by June 9. For outbound travel Aug. 19-Dec. 9.

Advertisement

Info: Philippine Airlines, (800) 435-9725

Source: Airfarewatchdog

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
The Russian version of the new Elton John biopic has been stripped of virtually all the gay sex scenes and images of drug use, a censorship move seen as part of a wider crackdown on cinema pushing the limits of the Kremlins conservative values agenda.

The modified version of the film Rocketman was shown to a select audience Thursday in Moscows October movie theater. After the showing, presenters of the film, who had seen it in its original version at the Cannes Film Festival, told the audience that the Russian-language film had been significantly cut.

Kissing and sex scenes between the actors playing Elton John and his lovers had been edited out, as well as a photograph of John and his husband in the closing credits, Russian film critic Yegor Moskvitin told Rain TV, an independent Russian internet news channel, in an interview Friday.

All the scenes of kissing, sex and oral sex between men were censored out of the film for its Russian release, Moskvitin said.

Advertisement

Rocketman, from Paramount Pictures starring Taron Egerton as Elton John, opens in theaters across Russia on June 6. The Russian distributor of the film, Central Partnership, said it had been edited to conform with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

But the Russian Ministry of Culture, which issues distribution licenses for foreign and domestic films, said it did not order the editing of the scenes.

The Ministry of Culture of Russia did not give any recommendations on the removal of scenes from this picture. This is solely a decision of the company that rolls the tape, the departments press service told Interfax, a Russian news agency.

By late Friday, one Moscow movie theater said it would show Rocketman uncensored, with subtitles.

On Friday, Elton John and the filmmakers released a joint statement.

We reject in the strongest possible terms the decision to pander to local laws and censor Rocketman for the Russian market, a move we were unaware of until today, read the statement. Paramount Pictures have been brave and bold partners in allowing us to create a film which is a true representation of Eltons extraordinary life, warts and all.

The written statement continued: That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended, is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people. We believe in building bridges and open dialogue, and will continue to push for the breaking down of barriers until all people are heard equally across the world.

Movies, books and the arts in Russia have come under increasing pressure from the Kremlin as President Vladimir Putin has pushed for a national identity that is closer to the Russian Orthodox Church. The Kremlin has promoted a conservative, Christian values-based agenda and passed anti-gay propaganda laws that make it a crime to present themes of homosexuality to children under 16.

The Kremlins conservative rhetoric has affected other films in the last several years, including a 2017 film about a love affair between Russian Czar Nicholas II and a ballerina. Several theaters scheduled to show the movie, Matilda, received bomb threats while others were vandalized by religious activists before its release.

A movie about a czars love affair ignites violent protest from Russias religious right 

In January 2018, the ministry withdrew the distribution license for the French-British comedy The Death of Stalin. The ministry claimed the comedy incites hatred, humiliates the Russian (Soviet) individual and showed signs of extremism.

Its possible that the ministry didnt give an official order to censor the film, but unofficially advised in favor of it, said Anton Dolin, a Russian film critic who has seen both the original and Russian-language versions of Rocketman. Paramount Pictures, which does not have a Russian affiliate, was most likely made aware of the edits before the premier in Moscow as representatives of the Hollywood film studio were in attendance that night, he said.

Regardless, the censorship of Rocketman goes beyond what we saw with Death of Stalin, Dolin said. This is the harshest version of sexuality censorship weve seen in Russia since the Soviet period.

During that era, television, movies and the arts were strictly controlled by the government, which frequently removed scenes about sexuality.

Bohemian Rhapsody, the Oscar-winning biopic about Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, was released in Russia uncensored in November 2018.

sabra.ayres@latimes.com

Twitter: @sabraayres

Ayres is a special correspondent.
U.S. federal court documents show that Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez and some of his closest advisors were among the targets of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigation.

A document filed by prosecutors Tuesday in the Southern District of New York mentions Hernandez as part of a group of individuals investigated by the DEA since about 2013 for participating in large-scale drug-trafficking and money laundering activities relating to the importation of cocaine into the United States.

Hernandez was elected president of Honduras in late 2013.

The document is a July 2015 application to the court to compel Apple, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL to give investigators email header information, but not emails content, for a number of accounts. Two of the accounts are believed to belong to Hernandez, the documents says.

Advertisement

There is no indication charges have been brought against the president.

Also included in the request are the email accounts of the presidents sister Hilda Hernandez, his advisor Ebal Diaz and his security minister Julian Pacheco Tinoco. Hilda Hernandez, who helped manage the finances of the presidents political party and his presidential campaign, died in a December 2015 helicopter crash. The request also named four members of the wealthy and politically connected Rosenthal family.

Yani Rosenthal, a former national lawmaker and presidential candidate, pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court in 2017 to money laundering for the Cachiros drug trafficking organization.

The new court filing is part of the pretrial motions in the case of Hernandezs brother Juan Antonio Tony Hernandez, who was arrested in 2018 in Miami and accused of scheming for years to bring tons of cocaine into the country. His trial is expected to start in September.

A spokesman for the Southern District of New York said Thursday that the courts response to the application for email header data is not public information. He declined to comment further.

The document filed Tuesday raises the possibility that the DEA has email data for Honduras president and members of his inner circle dating to 2015.

Messages left for Diaz, who is Hernandezs de facto spokesman, were not immediately returned. Pacheco could not be immediately reached, but the government has previously denied allegations against him.

Pacheco has been dogged by allegations of his links to drug traffickers since at least 2017 when a leader of Honduras Cachiros cartel testified in another case in New York about his ties to drug traffickers.

Pacheco had served under Hernandezs predecessor, Porfirio Pepe Lobo Sosa, as the governments chief of investigation and intelligence. Lobos son Fabio was sentenced to 24 years in a U.S. prison in 2017 for drug trafficking.

In another document filed Tuesday in Tony Hernandezs case, prosecutors said, The charges against the defendant arise out of a long-term investigation of politically connected drug trafficking in Honduras that began in 2013.

On Thursday, a DEA spokeswoman referred questions to the Southern District of New York.

The U.S. government has been a staunch supporter of Hernandezs government, pouring millions of dollars into security cooperation because Honduras is a key transshipment point for cocaine headed to the U.S. from South America.

Hernandez had especially curried favor with former Trump administration official John F. Kelly, who as a Marine general had led the U.S. militarys Southern Command. Kelly, who served as President Trumps Homeland Security secretary and then as his chief of staff, advocated for continued U.S. support of Hernandezs government, noting its contributions to the war on drugs and progress in combating corruption.

When Hernandezs already controversial reelection was tainted by irregularities in late 2017, the U.S. government congratulated him while the opposition was still contesting the vote count.

With Hondurans filling the ranks of several large migrant caravans through Mexico during the last year, the U.S. has continued to support Hernandez while pressuring his government to stem the immigration flow.

Many Honduran migrants encountered while making the journey to the U.S. border during the last year have referenced government corruption among their reasons for leaving. Thousands of doctors and teachers have been marching through the streets of Honduras capital for three weeks against presidential decrees they say would lead to massive public sector layoffs. On Thursday, a vast march led to clashes with police who fired tear gas after some protesters threw rocks.

Retired history professor Dana Frank, whose recent book The Long Honduran Night: Resistance, Terror, and the United States in the Aftermath of the Coup details the countrys recent political turmoil, said the documents confirm the U.S. government has known about drug trafficking activities linked to Hernandez for years.

Why have U.S. officials  from the State Department to the White House to the Southern Command  continued for years now to celebrate, and pour security funding into, a government whose very topmost officials and security figures it has known were drug traffickers? Frank said. This evidence underscores the vast hypocrisy of U.S. policy, which backs a known drug trafficker and his police and military cronies, while claiming to do so in the name of fighting crime and drugs.
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is suffering from intense psychological trauma as he serves a British jail sentence, and his human rights could be seriously violated if hes extradited to the U.S., the United Nations special rapporteur on torture said.

Assange is suffering from extreme stress and chronic anxiety, Nils Melzer, who visited him in jail this month, said Friday in a statement. If transported to the U.S. he may face a life sentence or possibly the death penalty if new charges are added, Melzer said, urging the U.K. government not to send him there.

The comments come after Assanges attorney said her client was unwell when the Australian failed to show up for a London court hearing on Thursday in his extradition battle. The 47-year-old is serving a 50-week sentence in the U.K.s Belmarsh jail for skipping bail and has been moved to the prisons health ward, according to WikiLeaks.

The U.S. last week charged Assange with 18 counts related to endangering national security by conspiring to obtain and disclose classified information, a move that escalated its extradition attempt.

Advertisement

Hes accused of working with former U.S. Army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning to get classified documents from databases containing about 90,000 Afghanistan-war-related activity reports, 400,000 Iraq-war-related reports and 250,000 State Department cables.

Swedish prosecutors have separately reopened investigation into rape allegations against Assange, which he denies.

In the U.S., the Australian nationals rights  such as freedom of expression, the right to a fair trial and the prohibition of torture  could be violated, Melzer said in the statement. He lacks access to case files and has limited time with lawyers, making it impossible for him to adequately prepare his defense in the lawsuits, he said.

Assange chose to hide in the embassy and was always free to leave and face justice, U.K. foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt tweeted Friday. The UN Special Rapporteur should allow British courts to make their judgments without his interference or inflammatory accusations.

The Australian government said in a statement that Assange was being treated appropriately in the U.K.s Belmarsh prison, and that the country was providing him active and high level consular help. Its asked Belmarsh about his health after reports on Thursday that hes unwell, it said.
On a clear afternoon four years ago, a gunman ran up alongside a Jeep in the Mexican border city of Juarez and started shooting.

Julian Leyzaola was hit twice in the chest, once in the neck and once in the back as he turned to shield his young son. It was that last bullet that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

As a former soldier and police chief who had spent his life crusading against organized crime, Leyzaola had cultivated a reputation for exaggerated displays of toughness. He liked to be on the front line of shootouts, degraded drug traffickers as slime balls and bragged about interrogating suspects until they wept like women. At one crime scene he famously approached the corpse of a man accused of killing a police officer and punched it in the face.

After the shooting, as he learned to maneuver a wheelchair and relied on others to help him bathe and get out of bed, Leyzaola found himself wishing he were dead.

Advertisement

But giving up would mean victory for his enemies, so he hatched an idea: Instead of leading a police force, he could lead a city. He chose Tijuana, where he had once been chief, and moved there with his wife and son.

He could realize that vision Sunday when Tijuana voters elect a new mayor. There has been no reliable polling, but analysts say the 59-year-old Leyzaola, who narrowly lost the mayoral race here in 2017, has a good shot at winning this time because he has a singular hold on the issue that has drowned out all others: how to calm the spiraling violence that has transformed Tijuana into one of the deadliest cities in the world.

Easy, Leyzaola boasted at campaign events. Ive already done it once.

Indeed, as the top law enforcement official in Tijuana from 2008 to 2010 and in Juarez from 2011 to 2013, he went head-to-head with drug traffickers, purged officers he claimed were corrupt and helped curb crime in two of Mexicos most troubled cities.

He became a folk hero to government officials and ordinary citizens across Mexico  and a villain to human rights advocates who have accused him of so many illegal detentions, extrajudicial killings and other abuses that they took to calling him torturer in chief.

Dozens of local and international human rights advocates recently sent a letter to federal authorities urging an investigation into Leyzaolas past.

He has denied all such allegations  not that many ordinary voters, weary from so much bloodshed, seem very bothered by them.

Hes a very popular figure in the city, said Victor Clark Alfaro, the director of Tijuanas Binational Center for Human Rights. A lot of people are very worried about violence, and society presumes that he tortured only people who were doing bad things.

Julian Leyzaola meets shop owners Gilberto Estrada, left, and his mother, Elodia Ramirez, while campaigning at Mercado Miguel Hidalgo in Tijuana. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Women attend a forum to listen to Julian Leyzaola, the Democratic Revolution Party candidate for mayor of Tijuana. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

At a recent campaign rally on Tijuanas ultra-violent southeast side, Leyzaola smiled serenely even as he vowed to take extreme measures to bring down crime. We will push the delinquents out, force them to leave town, he said. If they dont want to leave, well put them in jail. And if they resist that, well send them to the cemetery.

The crowd applauded. Youre a very courageous man! an elderly voter told Leyzaola afterward.

The election is an early referendum on the crime-fighting strategy of Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. In January, shortly after taking office, he declared an end to the countrys decade-long war against cartel capos and proposed a strategy focused on reducing poverty  hugs, not gunshots, he promised during his campaign.

It does not appear to be working, as homicides nationwide this year are on pace to exceed last years record total of 33,341.

If you give a criminal a hug, hell come at you with an AK-47, Leyzaola said in a typical dig at Lopez Obrador and his ruling Morena party.

Morena is fielding his closest rival in the mayoral race, a businessman named Arturo Gonzalez Cruz, whom Leyzaola has mocked as too weak to tackle drug gangs.

The first threat he receives, hell flee to San Diego, Leyzaola said.

Zulia Orozco, a Tijuana-based law enforcement researcher with the University of San Diegos Justice in Mexico Project, said the lack of progress on crime favors Leyzaola.

As an academic with a background in human rights, Orozco says she is dismayed by accusations that Leyzaola at times operated outside the law. But as a parent in a neighborhood where small-time gangsters sell methamphetamine in the open and where people are frequently gunned down in plain sight, she is planning to vote for him.

Were in a bad place, she said. Somebody needs to put things in order.

Leyzaola was born in 1960 in Culiacan, Sinaloa, a once-sleepy northern city that was being transformed into the center of Mexicos burgeoning drug industry. Many young men in the region were joining the narcotics business, but Leyzaola, who grew up on a military base where his father was a high-ranking officer, chose a very different path.

He was 16 when he enrolled in the Heroico Colegio Militar, Mexicos West Point. He spent years in the mountains of Mexicos drug-producing regions, where raids on marijuana and poppy fields sometimes turned into shootouts.

Leyzaola wasnt home much, but when he was, he was a strong disciplinarian, said Indira Leyzaola Osorio, 26, one of three children from his first marriage. Once, she said, when she misbehaved as a child, he slapped her across the face so hard he broke her glasses.

Julian Leyzaola with daughter Iran Yuliana Leyzaola Osorio in August 1993 at his graduation from Escuela Superior de Guerra in Mexico City. (Leyzaola family)

Leyzaola retired from the military as a lieutenant colonel in 2000 and turned to police work. In 2007, he was hired as the director of Tijuanas police department and the next year was promoted to secretary of public safety, overseeing the citys broader security strategy.

It was an uneasy time in Tijuana, rife with with kidnappings and dramatic shootouts as the Sinaloa cartel battled the local Arellano Felix gang for control of trafficking routes to the United States.

Leyzaola increased street patrols, hired former military officers with no police experience to work as district commanders and fired officers he claimed were being paid off by gangs to provide protection. He often spoke of turning down bribes himself, including an $80,000-a-week offer from an emissary of Sinaloa chief Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

The cartels responded by killing police officers, 43 in all during Leyzaolas tenure, including seven in various spots across the city in a span of just 45 minutes.

Leyzaola was the target of multiple assassination attempts, including a botched plot by cartel members to ambush him with a fake military convoy, videotape his execution and post it to the internet. He relocated his family to the U.S. and started sleeping on a military base.

Eventually, kidnappings and shootouts decreased, drawing Leyzaola praise from officials on both sides of the border. Homicides declined from 825 in 2008 to 661 the next year.

In the past, we didnt have the level of confidence in the police that we now have, FBI agent Mike Eckel said at a ceremony honoring Leyzaola in 2010.

But privately, some U.S. officials wondered whether the chief was as good as he seemed. A July 14, 2009, diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks from a U.S. official in Mexico warned that it is tempting to see Leyzaola as the good guy fighting the corrupting influence of the drug cartels but that the reality was a bit murkier.

The cable suggested Leyzaola may have made a look the other way agreement with one faction of the Arellano Felix cartel to help that group eliminate its more openly violent rivals.

Concerns were growing about other troubling behavior.

Tijuana police officer Jose Luis Hernandez Galvez, 46, at home with daughter Mia, 19 months. He says he was taken from his home in 2010, accused of stealing and tortured by officers working under Julian Leyzaola, who is now running for mayor of Tijuana. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Jose Luis Hernandez Galvez, a longtime Tijuana police officer, said he was asleep one morning in 2010 when officers barged through his door and woke him up with kicks to the head.

In his account, which was corroborated by the Baja California human rights commission, a government watchdog agency, the officers put a hood over his head and drove him to a local precinct.

Leyzaola was waiting there with several bodyguards, who informed Hernandez that he and several colleagues had been accused of stealing from tourists the night before.

When Hernandez denied knowing anything about the theft, the officers forced him onto his knees, bound his hands behind his back and covered his face with a plastic bag. While one man choked him with a belt, others took turns kicking him in the stomach.

The one who hit me hardest was Leyzaola, he said. Hernandez, who was jailed for four months, was eventually cleared of the theft and reinstated to his job. He said the torture left him with permanent problems sleeping, walking and urinating.

Dozens of other Tijuana police officers have come forward with similar stories of abuse that they say were carried out either directly by Leyzaola or with his blessing.

The criticism on human rights trailed Leyzaola to Juarez, where on his first day as head of public security in 2011 gangsters left a mangled corpse on a street with a message: Welcome to Juarez Julian Leyzaola.

During his three years leading the force, annual homicides plummeted from 1,926 to 514, but complaints about the tactics of Leyzaola and those around him multiplied. In one case, several members of an elite police unit detained five young men in a park, drove them around Juarez, then executed four of them.

Leyzaola, who has repeatedly complained that Mexicos human rights laws are overly protective and hinder police work, denies all allegations of abuses and points out that he was never convicted of any crime. Human rights advocates say that is hardly surprising in a country where most crimes go unpunished.

There have been widespread abuses and cases of torture and virtually no one has been prosecuted, said Daniel Wilkinson, managing director of the Americas division at Human Rights Watch. To have someone like this with his background running for mayor, what does that say about Mexico?

The assassination attempt on May 8, 2015, changed everything.

Leyzaola, who by then had launched a private security company in Juarez, blamed a high-ranking police official whom he had once accused of corruption. The official denied ordering the shooting.

A man who confessed to pulling the trigger said he received money from an unknown source to carry out the hit. He and an accomplice were prosecuted and sentenced to jail time, but the intellectual author of the crime was never caught.

The shooting featured heavily in Leyzaolas 2017 campaign for mayor, which he lost by less than 5,000 votes. The small, socially conservative Social Encounter Party that sponsored his candidacy was unable to compete against the much better known National Action Party of the winning opponent.

This time, he is running with the left-wing Democratic Revolution Party, a mainstay of Mexican politics that took a major hit when Lopez Obrador defected in 2012.

Much has changed in Tijuana since Leyzaola was police chief, starting with a massive surge in violence that erased his gains many times over. In 2018, there were a record-setting 2,518 homicides  more than quadruple the total a decade ago  as low-level drug dealers battled for control of street corners. The total number of killings this year is on pace to top 2,350.

Leyzaola blames police corruption and a lack of political will by the citys leaders. He has vowed to spend his first three months purging the force again, and says he will force officers to wear body cameras to discourage corruption.

At a womens forum in Tijuana, Julian Leyzaola, the Democratic Revolution Party candidate for mayor, is approached by a woman claiming the photo on her cellphone is of Leyzaolas nephew. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Supporters wave flags in support of Julian Leyzaola, the Democratic Revolution Partys mayoral candidate in Tijuana, as he attends a business forum in the city. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

While campaigning, Leyzaola navigated the city in a vintage, bulletproof Chevrolet Suburban. His events have been held at protected locations  typically inside schools or shopping malls. Privately, he seethes about being the one who must live in hiding like a criminal.

I cant go out with my family, I cant go to the cinema, I cant go out for lunch, he said recently. Why do we have institutions in this country? Just to be subordinate to gangs?

In public, though, he rarely talks about how violence has affected his own life. On a recent trip to an indoor downtown market, where a dozen armed guards swarmed around his wheelchair, a man working at a stand that sold dried fruit and nuts called out to Leyzaola as he moved past.

We need more security in Tijuana! the man shouted.

Leyzaola smiled. Im going to return it, he said.

At another event that day about issues facing women, audience members huddled under a party tent during a light rainstorm, craning to hear Leyzaola speak.

When he finished, they crowded around him for pictures, leaving lipstick stains on his cheeks. Adriana Palacios, a 37-year-old chemist, hung back.

She is so afraid of gangs that she doesnt let her 13-year-old son out of the house alone. Last year, criminals robbed her brothers business with a gun.

I just want to be able to walk safely in my city, she said.

She planned to support Leyzaola, who she said seemed to be the only person suited for the job. Leyzaola had, after all, literally taken bullets in the fight against organized crime.
The meals are paid for by the Summer Food Service Program, a federally funded program managed by the USDA and operated by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Northern Illinois Food Bank, which prepares and delivers the meals.
Mexicans reacted with umbrage and bafflement Friday to President Trumps announcement of plans to slap tariffs on all Mexican imports as their president insisted he would not be goaded into confrontation with the U.S. leader.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, clearly determined to avoid an economic war with his countrys most important trading partner, did not announce any retaliatory measures against the United States and appeared to be doing everything in his power to persuade Trump to change his mind. U.S. tariffs would exacerbate a difficult economic situation for Lopez Obrador, who already faces a weak peso and sluggish growth.

He dispatched a delegation of top diplomats to Washington on Friday, and at a news conference vowed to act with prudence, with respect for the authorities of the United States, with respect for President Donald Trump.

We will not fall for any provocation, he continued. All conflicts in bilateral relations must be faced and resolved through dialogue, through communication. The use of coercive measures does not lead to anything good.

Advertisement

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Twitter that he plans to meet with a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on Wednesday. Ebrard said he will spend the coming days meeting with allies of Mexico in Washington who might be able to help convince Trump to abandon the tariffs, which are slated to begin taking effect in less than two weeks and are intended to pressure Mexico to stem the flow of undocumented migrants from Central America to the United States.

Its like were being the best neighbors and we have a neighbor who is angry at us for no reason. Genaro Lozano, professor at the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City

Trump said Thursday on Twitter that the tariffs will begin at 5% on June 10 and will escalate to 25% on Oct. 1 until the illegal immigration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment.

He has made similar threats in the past, including vows to close the border unless Mexico stopped so-called migrant caravans of Central Americans that traverse Mexico to try to reach the U.S.

Lopez Obrador has repeatedly sought to appease Trump  cracking down on migrant caravans and increasing deportations and detentions of migrants from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Significantly, his administration also opted not to resist Remain In Mexico, a unilateral American policy that forces asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are being heard.

At this point Mexico has done virtually everything the U.S. has requested on immigration enforcement, said Maureen Meyer, a researcher with the think tank Washington Office on Latin America.

That Trump has continued to criticize Mexico despite its cooperation on immigration issues has been a growing source of anger for many Mexicans.

Any time Trump opens his mouth and talks about Mexico it has been in an offensive way, said Genaro Lozano, a professor of political science and international relations at Iberoamerican University in Mexico City. Its like were being the best neighbors and we have a neighbor who is angry at us for no reason.

Many Mexicans have called on Lopez Obrador to stand up to Trump.

Mexicans have always pushed for our presidents to be strong against the United States, and we havent seen that since Trump won, Lozano said. Ever since Lopez Obrador started, people have been asking him to be tougher and to respond to Trumps attacks.

Carlos Gonzalez, who owns a newspaper and magazine kiosk in Mexico City, said he hopes Lopez Obrador stands up to Trump, whom he considers a bully.

Trump is a shark and Lopez Obrador acts like a little fish, Gonzalez said. I say to President Lopez Obrador: Face Trump, dont let him continue to offend you. Many Mexicans have your back.

Lopez Obrador did send an unusually strongly worded letter to Trump late Thursday, in which he denounced Trumps America First slogan as a fallacy, and asked how the U.S. could shift from a country where immigrants were once welcome to a ghetto ... where they are stigmatized, mistreated, pursued and expelled?

But he referred to himself as Trumps amigo in signing the letter, and repeatedly said he hoped the tariff issue could be resolved through dialogue.

Still, the letter struck the right tone for some Mexicans. What a pleasure that Lopez Obrador has responded to Trump, said Juan Alberto Cortes, a 21-year-old college student. Now Trump knows that he doesnt scare us.

It may be Lopez Obradors disposition that makes him hesitant to go to battle with Trump. He is much more focused on domestic issues, and has frequently expressed a disdain for countries that seek to meddle in global affairs.

More than anything, Lopez Obrador is probably loath to start a trade war because he inherited a sluggish economy. Slow growth of 2% or less is predicted this year.

The new tariffs could have severe economic repercussions in Mexico, which is heavily dependent on trade with its northern neighbor, and the Lopez Obrador administration clearly wants to avoid a debilitating economic war that could hurt his presidency.

Its a race to the bottom and a lose-lose situation for both countries, said Michael Camunez, a former U.S. assistant secretary for Commerce under the Obama administration who is now president of the consulting firm Monarch Global Strategies.

When Trump imposed tariffs one year ago on steel and aluminum from Mexico, Lopez Obradors predecessor, President Enrique Pena Nieto, responded with immediate retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports including pork bellies, apples and grapes.

Unless Trump backs off this time around, Lopez Obrador will be forced to impose similar tariffs, Camunez said. Undoubtedly its going to hurt Mexico, but its going to hurt the United States even more.

Mexico exports more to the U.S. than it imports from its northern neighbor, which means U.S. buyers would be more greatly affected if costs of consumer goods rose. The tariffs would also hurt U.S. manufacturing companies who import parts from Mexico, he said. The U.S. is hurting its own competitiveness.

Christopher Wilson, deputy director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center, said the timing of Trumps tariff news on Thursday was odd, since it came just as Lopez Obrador was seeking ratification of a new trade treaty that Trump pushed for, an updated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement  the quarter-century-old trade pact linking the United States, Mexico and Canada.

It just seems that U.S. policy is running at cross-purposes here, Wilson said. Mexico is cooperating, Mexico is at the table. It strikes me as odd and potentially very counter-productive that the president would say this now.

One thing not addressed in either the old or the new version of the trade accord is the thorny issue of immigration, which has been a key sticking point with the Trump administration.

The past year has seen a surge in asylum-seeking migrants from impoverished and crime-ridden Central American nations  including large numbers of women and children  who transit Mexico en route to U.S. territory, then surrender to the Border Patrol. The increase has overwhelmed U.S. detention space and increased the backlog in immigration courts.

Some 300,000 U.S.-bound migrants, mostly Central Americans, entered Mexican territory between January and March, Mexican authorities say. While high-profile caravans made international headlines, most reached Mexico with the aid of professional smugglers, often working in cahoots with crooked cops and immigration agents.

A Guatemalan village mourns its dead and their American dream 

Lopez Obrador has repeatedly emphasized the human rights of migrants, vowing to treat them with respect and give them work permits and residency status. In January and February, his government issued more than 15,000 humanitarian visas to migrants, many of whom planned to continue on to the United States, in a move that may have prompted a new surge of migrants toward Mexico. The action angered Washington.

But in recent months, Mexico has begun to crack down on migrants entering from Guatemala, installing immigration checkpoints on roads leading from the border in southern Mexico and breaking up one major caravan of Central Americans. Arrests and detentions of immigrants who crossed illegally increased substantially in April compared with the same period in 2018.

Cecilia Sanchez in The Times Mexico City bureau contributed to this report.
Saudi Arabia capped a trio of summits on Friday aimed at rallying support for its anti-Iran stance, even as Tehran dismissed the effort as futile.

The summits, which were held over two days in the Saudi city of Mecca and convened the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the 22-member Arab League and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, come after a spate of attacks on oil infrastructure in the Persian Gulf which Saudi Arabia as well as the U.S. have blamed on Iran.

They also come as the Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on Iran and its allies in the region through economic sanctions as well as troop deployments.

Saudi King Salman was set to open the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit later Friday. On the agenda, according to local English-language daily Arab News, would be the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as well as tensions in northwest Syria. Yet, like the Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council summits held earlier, the main focus was Iran.

Advertisement

For his part, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi lashed out at Saudi Arabia for sow[ing] division among Islamic and regional countries, according to a report by Iranian broadcaster Press TV.

He added that statements in the summits didnt necessarily reflect the real stance of all member states.

We see attempts by Saudi Arabia to rally neighboring and Arab countries against Iran as the continuation of futile attempts by America and the Zionist regime against the Islamic Republic, Mousavi said, utilizing Tehrans routine term for the Israeli government.

Earlier on Friday, Salman had kicked off a stream of statements from Arab and Gulf leaders excoriating Tehran for what he described as machinations and terrorist acts  in order to undermine Arab security, according to a report by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

He also demanded the international community use all means to deter this regime and limit its expansionism.

The lack of a deterrent and firm stance to confront these terrorist acts of the Iranian regime in the region has led the Iranian regime to continue and escalate these acts as we see today, Salman said.

Yet that firm stance against Iran did not seem to be forthcoming, even during the summits proceedings.

Though most Arab leaders  many of them clients of Saudi Arabia  were quick to echo the Saudi monarchs statements, others were less enthusiastic.

Iraq, long viewed as a proxy battlefield between Iran and the U.S. and its allies, outright rejected the strident tone of the Arab Leagues final statement, with Iraqi President Barham Salih refusing to sign it even as he insisted Irans security must not be threatened.

Other fault lines also appeared: Qatar, which has been ostracized by neighboring Gulf states since 2017, dispatched Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al Thani in response to an invitation from Saudi Arabia.

Yet the thaw only went so far. Thani appeared to ignore Saudi and Emirati officials and was rushed into a handshake with King Salman only after urging by Kuwaiti Emir Sheik Sabah al Ahmed al Jabbar al Sabah.

Meanwhile, other countries, including Oman and Turkey, have their own links to Tehran, while the latter is engaged in a shadow war against Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Libya and Sudan.
Earlier on, Legit.ng reported the news of how a man claiming to be the father of Regina Daniels, recently spoke out. According to him, he is not in support of her wedding to the billionaire.

While the teen actress has managed to keep mum about many controversies surrounding her married to 59-year-old billionaire, Ned Nwoko, it appears she isn't letting this one slide so easily.

Shortly after he came on social media with the revelation, the soon-to-be married actress took to her social media to react to the story. In an Instastory post, she wrote: "Every D*ck and Harry claiming to be my father that is if I have one. Yo! I know who my father is!"

READ ALSO: Personal letter from the Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng (former NAIJ.com)

PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App

According to the man claiming to be her father, Regina's full name is Regina daniel Ojeogwu. He also said that Regina's wedding to Ned Nwoko was her mother Rita's idea. He blamed her for fiddling with her daughter's life by giving her hand out in marriage.

Jude also hammered on the fact that Regina was not supposed to go through with the initiation ceremony as she was not a native of Olor but of Ogwashi Uku. The alleged father was upset that all his attempts to reach Ned has proven abortive.

READ ALSO: Photos of Regina Daniels introducing hubby to alleged ex-lover stir reactions

The actress who got recently married traditionally to her billionaire boo, has remained a hot topic on the internet.

Following the news of her marriage, New photos making the rounds on social media give a glimpse into the traditional ceremony of the couple that took place in Ogwashi-Olor, Delta state.

HELLO! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better.

Nigerians remember victims of mishaps across the country | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng
- The man claiming to be the father of actress Regina Daniels has spoken out again concerning the issue

- According to the man, Regina and her siblings had initially deceived him into believing nothing was going on with her and 59-year-old Ned Nwoko

- He went on to reveal the advise he gave her at the time

It appears the controversy surrounding teen actress Regina Daniels' marriage to 59-year-old billionaire, Ned Nwoko, is no going away anytime soon. Following the traditional marriage that took place over the weekend, her alleged lawyer father Jude Ojeogwu is spilling more details.

According to Ojeogwu, he had warned Regina about getting married to an old man when he first heard about her rumoured affair with the billionaire.

The unhappy father said he invited Regina and her siblings to his house in Lagos to find out if all he was hearing and reading about his daughters romance with an old man was true, but the children denied the romance.

READ ALSO: Personal letter from the Editor-in-Chief of Legit.ng (former NAIJ.com)

Youll become a widow if you marry an old man - Regina Daniels father speaks on her marriage again

Source: Facebook

In a chat with newsmen, he said: I invited Regina to my house where I live in Lagos; (I cant disclose the location of my house right now for security reasons); she came to my house with her siblings (Lawrence and Samuel Ojeogwu) and I asked her if all Ive been hearing is true because I wanted to know what was actually going on.

READ ALSO: Actress Regina Daniels finally speaks about dad, says 'I know who my father is'

She said Daddy, nothing is going on. I asked my first son, her brother, Lawrence Ojeogwu, the same question and he also said nothing was going on. I then asked my other son, Samuel, the same question, he too said the same thing, Daddy nothing is going on. I said okay, should we now say all that Ive been hearing and seeing is more like a movie? And they said Yes."

He went on: "However, I advised that if she wants to get married to an old man, she should not forget that very soon she (Regina) would become a widow. But that if she is getting married to a man like her age mate, becoming a widow would be far from her.

PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News on Legit.ng News App

That was where we finished the discussion about her marriage. I went further to ask what was happening about her education because I used to visit her in her school, Igbinedion University. She said she has plans of travelling to Dubai for her studies. I asked her what was in Dubai if not Arabic; that she should be thinking of going to Havard or Oxford University, he added.

Following the controversy surrounding teen actress Regina Daniels' marriage to 59-year-old billionaire, fellow Nollywood actress and producer, Shan George has given her two cents on the matter.

She recently took to her Instagram page to blast the billionaire and spared no words in expressing how she truly feels about him. According to her, Nwoko is a disgusting and shameless man who sleeps around with greedy actresses and marries children but has contributed nothing to the development of his community.

HELLO! NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng We keep evolving to serve our readers better

Is it possible for money to buy love? | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng
Pennsylvanias Lehigh University suspended the interim director of the student health center Friday in response to a lawsuit that says he sexually harassed co-workers and performed inappropriate breast exams on students.

Former medical assistant Christine Feit claims she was fired by Lehigh in retaliation for reporting misconduct by the interim director, Dr. Thomas Novak. Her federal lawsuit said that Novak routinely made inappropriate sexual remarks about students and staff members, tried to perform pelvic exams without gloves, and once agreed with a nursing supervisor's characterization that he was "copping a feel" with students.

Lehigh did nothing to address Novak's behavior and instead fired Feit, the suit said.

Messages were left for Novak seeking comment Friday. Novak, 51, has been licensed to practice medicine in Pennsylvania since 2000. Records do not show any state disciplinary actions against him.

Lehigh said in a message to the campus community Friday that a "senior member" of the health center  Novak  has been barred from campus while the school investigates the accusations in the suit.

"We take seriously any allegations of harassment, and are committed to creating an environment that is safe and welcoming," the statement said.

Feit said Lehigh failed to hold Novak accountable after she and at least two other health workers lodged multiple complaints about him to health center supervisors and the human resources department.

Her co-workers, she said, had warned her about Novak when she joined Lehigh in 2008, saying he would often become sexually inappropriate toward new female staff members.

"Feit's co-workers told her that if she complained about Novak, nothing would be done by Lehigh, and Novak would alienate the complainer, so there was nothing to be accomplished by complaining," the suit said.

Feit did eventually speak up about Novak, the suit said, and the doctor tearfully apologized during a 2012 meeting with human resources. But he wasn't disciplined, and Novak continued to sexually harass his colleagues and mistreat students, the suit said. A 2016 meeting with human resources went nowhere, the suit said.

Feit was fired in May 2017 after university officials claimed she made a medication dosing error in one case and treated a student's scraped toe without following protocols in another. The suit denied wrongdoing by Feit, calling her termination "pretextual and done in response to Feit's complaint of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct against Novak."

The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages. A Lehigh spokeswoman said the university will "vigorously defend" itself.

Lehigh, a highly selective university about 60 miles (100 kilometers) north of Philadelphia, has an undergraduate enrollment of about 5,000.

Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
His participation in a robbery on a popular recreation trail could have pushed Elijah Laws onto the path of more serious crimes.

Instead, the 18-year-old Bethlehem man says hes done his best to turn his life around.

Northampton County Judge Paula Roscioli sentenced him Friday to time served to 23 months in county prison plus three years of probation. If he tests positive for drugs, she said she will revoke his probation and parole and incarcerate him.

Laws was one of four people who participated in a robbery about 10 p.m. Oct. 16, 2018, on the Saucon Rail Trail in Hellertown. The 7.5-mile trail runs along the former North Pennsylvania Railroad tracks, according to the trail website.

Police said Laws summoned the victim to the trail to buy $80 in marijuana from him. When the victim showed up, he was punched by David Harris, 20, of Hellertown, records say. The victim ran away, leaving a satchel behind.

A juvenile in the group of robbers took cash from the satchel. Laws took the marijuana. A second juvenile in the group of robbers cooperated with police and identified the conspirators.

Laws was in prison from Oct. 18, 2018, to Dec. 26, 2018. Defense attorney Eric Dowdle said Laws has made incredible strides in his treatment since then. After testing positive for drugs once, he has passed every random drug test hes taken, Dowdle said.

A pre-sentence investigation also shows Laws is serious about bettering his life.

Thats a surprise. I dont get a report like that very often, said Northampton County Judge Paula Roscioli.

Laws dropped out of high school but is on his way to earning his GED. He said he holds a full-time job. He said he doesnt do drugs.

I dont talk to the same people who are into that stuff any more, he said.

Roscioli said she has the discretion to convert Laws parole and probationary sentences to jail time if Laws starts using drugs again.

You essentially get to decide whether you stay out of prison, she told Laws. She ordered him to stay away from his co-defendents and the victim, to complete his GED, maintain his job and to perform 10 hours of community service.

Harris pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. Roscioli sentenced him to six months to a year in county prison plus three years of probation on April 29, 2019. He must be paroled to an inpatient drug treatment facility.

Police said the two juveniles were sent to the county juvenile detention center.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter@RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Jeffrey M. Noble, 28, is wanted on a charge of eluding law enforcement under a warrant dated May 26, 2019, according to the Warren County Prosecutors Office.

Noble, whose last known address was in the 4400 block of Pine Ridge Drive in Bushkill, Pennsylvania, is described as 6 feet tall and 210 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

The prosecutors office asks anyone with information about Noble to contact investigators via a tip line at 908-475-6643, the fugitive unit at 908-475-6272 or via fugitive@co.warren.nj.us.
Laois business people protested outside the office of local TD and Government Minister Charlie Flanagan this month.

The demonstration took place in conjunction with an ISME meeting in Portlaoise called to voice concern at what it claims is a failure to reform the insurance industry.

ISME said several trade associations and their members were Kavanaghs Bar to register their disquiet at Government failure to follow up on the recommendations of the second and final report of the Personal Injuries Commission, chaired by Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns.

ISME said what stood out to all attendees at the meeting was the extreme difficulty many of them are under to renew insurance cover. Some people said their business had only days of cover left, and they were unable to take bookings for June.

Another speaker said that her business was operating without insurance, because she couldnt get any, but the business was the only livelihood she and her employees had.

ISME said some contributors were clearly emotional and under a great deal of stress.

Many voiced their concern that Government promises to do something by the end of this year, or early next year, will simply be too late for them. They face imminent closure.

Attendee Shane Holohan from Taking Flight spoke about how his business is being 'ripped apart' because he cannot secure public liability insurance. He said it started to become a serious issues about two years ago.

We had gotten used to our insurance premium doubling year on year and then two years ago, public liability insurance disappeared. I secured one quote from a broker here and the premium went from 1,000 to 16,000 in one year. I had to then go outside the country to Wales where we got a broker.

I just found out two months ago that the underwriter there isnt going to renew our policy. I now cant plan for the future; I cant plan for summer camps because from mid-July we dont have public liability insurance. The irony of the whole thing is we can secure insurance for individual teachers so while you or your child is up in the air, youre covered, but you simply walking in the door  you are not covered  its basically ripping the business apart. We havent even had any claims against the business, h e said.

Daniel Hickey of AllinAll Ingredients said Enda Kenny promised as Taoiseach that Ireland would be the best little country to run a business in.

He said the Goverment has failed to deal with the everyday problems businesses are facing with sky rocketing insurance premiums, and in some cases an inability to get cover thereby putting them out of business. No more promises only action is what is required, he said.

Elaine Mullally from Clown Around Play Centre Ltd called for Garda Fraud Investigation units in Ireland and the book of Quantum to be revised as a matter of urgency, otherwise a huge section of enterprise in Ireland will be wiped out.

Kevin Bracken is concerned about the pressure insurance costs are putting on business.

I have two Maxol forecourts service stations, Im in business since 1987 and for the first 27 years I had no personal injury claims on any of my premiums, the only reason I would have been taking out insurance would have been to cover me for break ins and robberies.

His main concern is personal injuries.

As a result, in every area of my business I am constantly watching, to the point where we are now paranoid. One of my businesses had a policy three years ago for 3800, last year that rose to 8100, this year I just dont know what that figure will go to, he said.
A Laois man is at the forefront of a company that is bringing cutting edge health technology to hospitals.

Derek Young, from Rosenallis, is CEO and founder of i360medical which is described as a health technology innovation, IP, development and commercialisation company.

With its head office in Dublin, Mr Young's firm has worked in partnership with large US hospitals for the past number of years.

The company is enjoying success in converting ideas in many clinical specialities into projects and start-ups firms.

The business works with Northwell Health in New York, Baptist Health South Florida in Miami and Brigham Womens in Boston.

It all started in the Meelick area of Rosenalls where Mr Young was reared by parents, Liam and the late Margaret.

He is the eldest of five - two brothers and two sisters.

 My father was a manager at Bord na Mona and my mum work at home managing us, not an easy task.

I went to Reary National School and from there to Mountmellick Vocational school and a small time in Balllyfin school.

I worked in the summer months for Bord na Mona and on local farms. I went to college in Carlow for the first three years doing Mechanical Engineering and finished in Bolton St DIT.

My first job was in Wexford with a German engineering company.

I worked for Bord na Mona head office as a design engineering for two years. I moved from there to start my first medical device company Advanced Surgical Concepts with a surgeon and bioengineer from Europe and US.

This was my first Patent and surgical unmet need for laparoscopic surgery global. I was 23-years old. From there I have been named on 36patents.

Then it was Haptica global surgical training and then RCSI and finally i360medical, he said.

His firm recently announced that it has signed a collaboration agreement with EIT Health, the EU-backed network of health innovators.

Mr Young's company says the agreement will provide health innovators across Europe access to experts who can develop their ideas into reality supported by EIT Healths innovation projects programme.

EIT Health has a network of over 140 university, industry and other healthcare organisations who regularly conceive new medical products and solutions.

As an Irish and European company, I am delighted to sign this collaboration agreement with EIT Health which helps further develop the innovation ecosystem in the region. This agreement will provide health innovators from across Europe an opportunity to have their medical ideas and concepts evaluated by our experts.

Through our established international network, we know that there is considerable opportunity for exciting global collaborations which will ultimately speed up the translation of healthcare innovation and development to the patient bedside.

This will enhance healthcare advancement and outcomes for patients not just in Europe but around the world, said the Rosenallis man.
All of a sudden Sinn Fein's backs are to the wall and it appears Fianna Fail is stalking the wounded animal in Laois and plotting the downfall of Brian Stanley.

However, the Laois TD insists that he has been written off before and will face down any challenge Fianna Fail mounts to win his Dail seat.

Within minutes of local election tallies being completed in St Mary's Hall, one of Fianna Fail's most senior members in Laois had seized on the fact that the Sinn Fein vote had dropped across the county.

It was also pointed out that the party's Portarlington stronghold would not be in Laois Offaly when the General Election takes place.

The prospects for Deputy Stanley seemed to deteriorate further when it emerged that the party's vote had collapsed in Offaly. The SF local election vote in Tullamore crumbled from more than 2,500 to just over 200. Tullamore votes were vital to Stanley when he ousted Laois Fianna Fail TD John Moloney in 2011.

There will be five seats up for grabs in Laois Offaly at the next election with one county certain to lose a representative.

Deputy Stanley spent much of his time at St Mary's Hall crunching the numbers as tallies revealed how his councillors fared.

Speaking later to the Leinster Express in the Kea Lew Business Park where the local election count took place he was defiant about an FF challenge. He replied sharply.

At local level people mighn't be voting for a party that bankrupted the country on more than one occasion. They may think seperatedly in terms of thinking local for a Fianna Fail candidate. When it comes to a General Election people might look at it differently.

Nobody gave me a hope in 2011 of taking a seat. I was given very little hope of holding the seat in the Laois Sth Kildare constituency in 2016. In Laois South Kildare we now have three very effective councillors, he said.

He insisted that his performance would stand up to voter scrutiny.

I would have a good reach and work rate in the constituency and I would be raising issues right across the constituency.

I know I will have a fight on my hands but as I often said before I will be up for the fight, he said.

He insisted that there were 'no splinters' in his local organisation that might further damage the defence of his seat.

He said the party is very happy with the outcome in Portlaoise and Portarlington but dissappointed with the Borris Mountmmellick despite running a good campaign. He said the party was boosted by taking a seat in Monasterevin and in the Ireland South vote.

As for Offaly he admitted that personel issues meant the party hadn't done well.
Thomas had been free on $50,000 bond and in April a judge gave him permission to live with his parents in New Jersey. Prosecutors said the violation was especially grievous because it occurred only weeks after he was given permission to travel back to the East Coast.
The Irish Military Seminar 2019 will be launched in Newbridge Community Library, on Thursday, 6 June 2019, at 7pm.

The Irish Military Seminar's Great Episodes in Ireland's History will run at Riverbank Arts Centre as part of Kildare County Councils decade of commemorations programme from 6-15 June 2019

A commemorative War of Independence in Co Kildare poster for schools will also be unveiled on the night.

This will be followed by the launch of Dan Harvey book, A Bloody Dawn: the Irish at D-Day by Kevin Myers.

Thursday 6 June will also mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. D-Day 6th June 1944 marked the beginning of the Allied invasion of German - occupied Normandy, France in order to restore freedom, liberate Europe and make the world safe for democracy. This epic event had a little known, but not insignificant Irish dimension to it. Thousands of Irish-born and members of the Irish Diaspora were amongst the UK, U.S. and Canadian units on D-Day. They were part of the airborne and glider-borne infantry landings; they were on the beaches from dawn, in and amongst the first and subsequent assault waves; they were in the skies in bombers and fighter aircraft; and standing off at sea on naval vessels all along the Normandy coastline.

A Bloody Dawn: the Irish at D-Day by Dan Harvey is published by Merrion Press.
14 Kildare SPAR stores were awarded one of retails highest honours at the annual SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme celebration at the Clayton Hotel, Ballsbridge recently.

Read also: Met Ireland weather forecast for the bank holiday weekend in Kildare

SPAR and SPAR Express retailers from across Ireland attended the prestigious ceremony, which was hosted by BWG Foods, owners and operators of the SPAR brand in Ireland.

The SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme, held in association with the Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA), are presented annually to SPAR and SPAR Express stores that demonstrated outstanding industry excellence following a year of comprehensive inspections, visits from mystery shoppers and audits.

197 stores in all received SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme accolades. The winners excelled in all areas of inspection, displaying exemplary standards across their stores.

The Kildare winners are:

 Creighan's SPAR Leixlip

 Creighan's SPAR Maynooth

 Cully's SPAR Prosperous

 H2 Group SPAR Allenwood

 H2 Group SPAR Celbridge

 Kealy's SPAR Glen Easton

 Fitzpatrick's SPAR Express Junction 14, Mayfield

 Fitzpatrick's SPAR Monasterevin

 Hoey's SPAR Moorefield

 O'Reilly's SPAR Express Athy

 O'Sullivan's SPAR Ballymany, Newbridge

 O'Sullivan and Smart's SPAR Edward Street, Newbridge

 Sirio Retail's SPAR Newhall

 Sirio Retail's SPAR Rathangan



Colin Donnelly, SPAR Sales Director, said, SPAR and SPAR Express stores are renowned for demonstrating industry leading standards. The SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme is one that retailers must be committed to year round. Maintaining the highest standards in customer care and food safety consistently on a daily basis is no easy feat and these retailers work extremely hard in order to achieve this. Im delighted to see 14 Kildare stores achieve the mark this year and get the recognition they deserve.

Pictured above at the SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme Awards celebrating outstanding retailing excellence at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin were (left to right): Melanie Kennedy, SPAR Express Junction 14, Mayfield, Liam ODwyer, SPAR Regional Operations Advisor, John Harrison and Teresa Fitzpatrick, SPAR Monasterevin, Lauren OReilly and Daragh Howard, SPAR Express Athy and John Meade, SPAR Express Junction 14, Mayfield.

Pictured at the SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme Awards celebrating outstanding retailing excellence at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin were (left to right): Tony St Leger, SPAR Retail Operations Advisor, Joe Cully, SPAR Prosperous

Pictured at the SPAR 365 Standards Customer Care Programme Awards celebrating outstanding retailing excellence at the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin were (left to right): Liam ODwyer, SPAR Retail Operations Advisor, Sarah Corrigan, SPAR Newhall and SPAR Rathangan, John OSullivan, SPAR Ballymany, Newbridge and SPAR Edward Street, Newbridge, Pauline Casey SPAR Newhall and SPAR Rathangan.
As Leitrim looks towards June 28, the centenary of the Treaty of Versailles, an exhibition telling of WW1 through the lens of Leitrim and its people is touring the county.

Part of Leitrims Versailles Programme and supported by Leitrim Peace IV Partnership, it shares experiences from some Leitrim families who lost loved ones in the Great War.

Among those remembered in the exhibition are Patrick Canning, son of Patrick and Mary Canning of Ballinamore, who enlisted as Patrick McGuire, although the exact reason why is not known.

Having lost his life on March 25, 1917, Patrick is commemorated at Belgiums Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery.

Patrick McGuinness of Kiltyclogher served as Lance Corporal with the Royal Engineers. Injured in the field, he was one of the few to recuperate at home. He passed away in October 1915 and now rests in Rossinver Old Graveyard.

The exhibition comprises personalised artworks remembering the fallen - some created by family members and others under an Adopt a Soldier programme  and a pop up museum of personal artefacts and family treasures of that time, accompanied by Gallant Sons, a National Library of Ireland touring exhibition.

Following successful exhibitions in Ballinamore and Carrigallen, the exhibition is in Leitrim Sculpture Centres Main Street Gallery, Manorhamilton from May 30 to June 8, with an official opening on Thursday May 30 at 7pm.

Also upcoming in The Versailles Programme is The Men who Returned - a talk with Ronan McGreevy on June 6 in Bredagh Old School, Carrigallen at 7pm.

More events are expected to follow in June.

For more details on local events contact Leitrimcommemorations

@gmail.com or call (086) 8093965.

The Remembering Leitrim War Dead project is supported by the European Unions PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
A Manorhamilton mans radio programme is in line to receive one of the worlds most prestigious awards in New York in the near future.

Ocean FMs Francie Boylan made a trip to Coney Island in Sligo Bay sometime ago and recorded a programme there that has reached the finals of the 2019 New York Festivals Radio Awards.

Meantime the New York Festivals Radio Awards has received entries from more than 30 countries. The organisers of the Big Apples Radio Awards event say they have received many excellent worldwide entries for it.

After this programme Vince Hearns, who hosts a Sunday evening Irish music programme on Ocean FM, rang Francie and invited him to make a trip to Coney Island and record an Irish music session there.

The programme that Francie made following his trip to Coney Island, where he recorded all types of Irish traditional music, including sean nos singing, lilting and storytelling was entered in to the National Irish Radio Awards (IMRO) and it won the gold award.

Fingers crossed for Francie when his Coney Island programme competes for another prestigious accolade in the 2019 New York Festivals Radio Awards.

Read Also: Carrick Water Music Festival line up announced
We're sorry that the ministry you were looking for is no longer available on LightSource.com. However, below are some great ministries that offer related content. Enjoy the inspiration, encouragement, and Biblical challenge from these LightSource.com ministry partners!
FIVE YEARS ago John Egan left the UL Arena with a quiet dignity after losing his council seat.

He reflected on that moment after he regained it after midnight on Sunday in Limerick Racecourse.

I feel terrific. From the minute I lost I said I would fight for election again if my health was right, said Mr Egan, with a wry smile.

There was a bit of a set back but that didnt stop me fighting the election. It was a serious undertaking but I did it.

Like most farmers he is being understated. The set back was cancer of the oesophagus. He was diagnosed in early 2018. The Fine Gael man underwent chemotherapy and a major operation but has recovered well.

One of his daughters, Eleanor, said in the last week of the campaign the family were wrecked but her dad was getting stronger!

Mr Egan said he enjoyed the canvass and meeting voters one to one.

I got on extremely well with people on the doors. It was totally different from the last time with people giving out about water charges. It started off with Brexit, the hospitals and health and finished up about carbon tax and broadband. We have to put in broadband for rural areas and we have to pay for it.

Elections are funny. You can nearly gauge it from the first day you go out canvassing. From the first day in Dromkeen I could feel that the seat could be won, said Mr Egan. While he had a big team of canvassers around him made up of family, friends and neighbours Mr Egan did Murroe-Boher on his own.

I did practically all my parish on my own and I got a massive vote in Murroe. It was that vote that elected me. I know I got 700 odd votes elsewhere but without that base you are going nowhere and I am entirely grateful to the people of Murroe and Boher for that, said Mr Egan.

While he got a warm welcome on the doors a number of his posters were torched in the week before polling day.

I have to say about elections - the people who run for elections are doing a service for the people and for democracy. It is not fair to be abusing them on the doorstep  try and be courteous. It is totally unfair to go interfering with their posters, said Mr Egan, who is looking forward to being a councillor again and representing the people in the Cappamore-Kilmallock area.
ON the local election trail, one of the first ever Green Party members elected to Limerick City and County Council went farm to farm speaking about sustainability in the agri-sector.

Newly elected councillor Sean Hartigan, who will represent the people of Limerick City East for the next five years, canvassed farms in his area as part of his campaign.

The Lisnagry man, who is well-known for his involvement in environmental education, has a background in agriculture himself, having previously farmed sheep.

I think the Green Party is actually very close to farming, Cllr Hartigan said, speaking at the count centre prior to his election.

Where we are doing most damage in Ireland on a climate change level is through farming because we import four million tonnes of soya and wheat from Central America, North America, Canada, he explained.

Farmers know that what they are doing isnt sustainable, they know that importing all this grain and pumping it into animals isnt sustainable.

Beef farmers are actually making very little money and they realise that. Most farmers would love to work in a more sustainable way, most farmers love nature and love animals and want to do their best for nature and animals.

When asked if he thought the idea that a move towards greener policies would be met with resistance by farmers was a stereotype, cllr Hartigan said: I think that farmers are the custodians of the land and they can bring about the most environmental change if we give them the option.

Most farmers dont see an alternative because we are not providing them with an alternative to high input farming.

I think if we could provide them an alternative, if we could reward them for benefiting the environment by producing more local, sustainably based food, they would do it.

Housing was the main issue he found he connected with voters he met on the doors, cllr Hartigan added.

The local issue that I could tackle most and still do something for the environment is housing so I that is what I spoke to people about, cllr Hartigan said.

The national Government and the council need to build high density, sustainable, well-insulated, cheap to run houses for people and allow people to buy those houses over a 25-year period.

A lot of people were very open and willing to discuss that. It was the number one issue for the majority of people I met, he added.
THE proudest mother in the Limerick Racecourse over the weekend was surely former mayor Kathleen Leddin, who witnessed her son Brian make history for the Green party.

Cllr Leddin is no stranger to beating the odds herself  the 2013 mayoral election a case-in-point  and it appears she has passed onto her skills to her son.

Im absolutely delighted. It was a big ask for him to start off. It is a huge area, there are a huge number of people, and an awful lot of candidates. So Im very pleased he has gotten to where he is. It looks good for him, she said.

Ms Leddin admitted she did not go to door-to-door  but did a bit of networking to help her son out.

Its great. I remember when I was elected, my late husband I was taking over, and he hoped one of the family would take over. And here we are 20 years later, so Im delighted, she said.

Asked what he will bring to the council, Ms Leddin believes he will bring a fresh new outlook on proceedings.

Even when he was young, he was very conscientious about the environment. I imagine he will bring that, and he will have his own policies on housing and other things which are part and parcel of council, the former Independent member said.

Asked how important his mothers support was, Mr Leddin said: Absolutely fantastic, essential. I had a huge team, they worked so very hard, but probably none harder than my Mum. Im absolutely humbled and indebted.

We think we can do really great things for Limerick, and were at the start of that now, he said.

Across in City West, Cllr Joe Leddin secured election for Labour, with he and Brian embracing when the latter crossed the line on the fourth count in Limerick City North.

Cllr Joe Leddin  who took seat three in City West  secured election for the first time on the same day in 1999 as Kathleen Leddin.

She won against the odds after Timmy Leddin retired from politics, having missed out on the Fine Gael nomination.

Another former northside councillor who has seen their offspring go into politics is former Fine Gael councillor Michael Hourigan, who ended 20 years in local politics on election day, May 24.

He was in Dublin to witness his daughter Neasa get elected to the Green Party on Dublin City Council.
Illinois has long stood for women. On June 10, 1919, Illinois became the first state in the U.S. to ratify the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which would give women the right to vote.
FIVE new recruits have joined the ranks of Limerick Fire and Rescue following their official passing out parade at Mulgrave Street fire station.

The ceremony was the culmination of 15 weeks of intensive training and drills for Class 1 of 2019.

The five new recruits are full time firefighters and will be based at Mulgrave Street in the city.

Michael Fitzgerald, Ian Jones, Tarlach Kelly, James ODea and Kevin ORiordan were selected for training following a tough recruitment process which included physical and mental tests and interviews.

Over their 15-week training schedule, the new recruits have been involved in training for every eventuality, which might occur while they are on duty.

Led by Course Director Paul McMahon the recruits have honed their skills in a series of training drills designed to test the resolve of the recruits.

Special training also took place in the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh in England, which is one of the worlds leading training colleges for firefighters and they also participated in training disciplines with other fire services from Britain.

Their training began in February with an introductory week in Limerick before attending the UK Fire Service College to complete eight weeks of basic training.

During the passing out parade, the five new firefighters demonstrated their skills in a series of drills.

Cllr James Collins, the Mayor of Limerick City and County attended the passing out ceremony: You will be providing a very important service for the people of Limerick city and county, one where you will be experiencing peril as you carry out your duties. On behalf of the people of Limerick I would like to thank you most sincerely for the work you do day in day out for those who are in the middle of life-altering situations, he said.

Welcome to the five new recruits that joined the ranks of Limericks Fire and Emergency Services following their official passing out parade in Mulgrave Street Station this afternoon https://t.co/1ZxsAKTwHQ pic.twitter.com/oX6IVGHkBT  Limerick Council (@LimerickCouncil) May 31, 2019

Michael Ryan, Chief Fire Officer, said: Limerick Fire and Emergency Services are proud of its traditions and standards. We also value greatly the quality of our training. Today, you will see the fruits of this endeavour in the quality and professionalism of each one of our five new recruits.

In 2018, Limerick Fire and Emergency Services dealt with 1,703 call outs, 1,112 of which were fire related.

In the first four months of 2019, the service has answered 204 call outs, 109 of these were fire related.




Senator Shehu Sani has said President Buhari as the minister of petroleum resources should have addressed fuel subsidy by now.

Sani said this while speaking on the floor of the upper legislative chamber on Thursday. The senator was contributing to a debate on a report for the payment of subsidy arrears to some oil marketers.

The lawmakers eventually approved a sum of N129 billion as payment for the arrears. The legislator said if Ghana could refine its crude, Nigeria could do the same. According to him, until Nigeria starts refining its crude, the circle of exploitation would continue.




Daughter of Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari, Zahra Buhari-Indimi has taken to her Instagram page to celebrate her father following the success of his swearing-in for the second term as president.

She wrote:




Kim Jong-un has executed his envoy to the U.S. and four others as part of a purge of officials after Jong-un's failed summit with Donald Trump.

The North Korean dictator executed Kim Hyok Chol by firing squad for "betraying the supreme leader". Chol was killed in March at Mirim Airport for being "won over to the US," during nuclear negotiations with Trump.

Chol and the four other senior foreign ministry officials executed at the airfield were accused of becoming U.S. "spies" after the failed second negotiations between Trump and Kim Jong-un ended abruptly in February.

Kim Hyok Chol was the North's counterpart of U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun in the run-up to the Hanoi summit in February.

"He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping U.S. intentions," a source told South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reports that Kim Jong Un's interpreter Shin Hye Yong was sent to a prison camp for a botched translation to Trump at the summit. She failed to translate Kim's new proposal when Trump declared 'no deal' and walked away from the table, the paper reported.

Shin was charged with making critical interpretation mistakes, including missing an unspecified "last-minute offer" Kim Jong-un supposedly made as Trump was about to walk out, Chosun reported.

Another senior official, Kim Yong Chol, who had been in nuclear discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, was sent to a forced labour camp for ideological re-education. Kim Song Hye, a woman who worked with Hyok Chol in talks with Pompeo was reportedly sent to another prison camp.

News of the purge came as North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper, mouthpiece of the ruling party, warned that officials who committed anti-party or anti-revolutionary acts would face the "stern judgement of the revolution".

North Korea has previously executed citizens to atone for high-profile political flops but both South Korean media and the South Korean government have a history of reporting about the inner workings of North Korea that turn out to be wrong. Supposedly executed officials have been seen later walking alongside Kim on state TV after their reported demise.




The Economist reviewed the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari and concluded that Nigerians became poorer during his first four years in office.

The London magazine, in the publication, which was posted on its website on Thursday, said while the Nigerian economy was stuck like a stranded truck, average incomes fell during the four-year period covering 2015 to 2019.

The Economist in its report said based on the thinking of the International Monetary Fund, the average income of Nigerians will not rise for at least another six (years).

The report partly reads; The Nigerian economy is stuck like a stranded truck. Average incomes have been falling for four years; the IMF thinks they will not rise for at least another six (years). The latest figures put unemployment at 23 per cent, after growing for 15 consecutive quarters. Some 94 million people live on less than $1.90 a day, more than in any other country, and the number is swelling. By 2030, a quarter of very poor people will be Nigerians, predicts the World Data Lab, which counts such things.

The report said the naira was overvalued, adding that this was because the government had spent decades neglecting basic public goods such as roads, schools and electricity. It said, Where urgency is needed, Mr Buhari offers only caution. Few are holding their breath for any more drive in his second term, which began on May 29th. Yet officials are postponing a crisis, not averting one. Consider borrowing. The debt-to-GDP ratio is 28 per cent, but Nigeria collects so little in tax that interest payments swallow about 60 per cent of federal revenues.

The Economist said that public finances would be healthier if the government raised the price of fuel, which is imported by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation and sold on at a loss. It said last year, subsidy was worth at least 0.5 per cent of the GDP, noting that this was almost what the government spent on health care.

Politicians are scared to end the subsidy. An attempt to do so in 2012 led to massive protests.Although the government has expanded the school-feeding programme and is working on a safety net for the poor, most citizens get few benefits from the state, it added.

For Nigeria to prosper, it said the government should harness the potential of its 200 million citizens. It said currently, the citizens were ignored except when politicians needed votes.
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

Open source operating systems in general are less worrisome because their code is open to inspection by anyone with the skills to understand it. Does that mean Linux computing platforms from nongovernmental sources in politically tense countries are equally worry-free?

At least one situation last year brought FOSS safe-to-use reputation into question. The potential problem involved the Deepin Linux distribution.

Given that several governments  including the U.S.  have concerns with Android-based mobile phone products made by Huawei, should related security concerns extend to Deepin Linux?

That question recently was posed by several Linux Picks and Pans readers following the release late last year of Deepin 15.8. In my review of that release, which focused on improvements to the in-house desktop environment called the Deepin Desktop Environment, or DDE, I did not address the security issue  but I wondered if I should.

The latest version, Deepin 15.10.1, appeared earlier this month as a quick fix to a weeks-old release of Deepin 15.10. The quick fix resolved an issued preventing Nvidia m250 and GTX 1060 graphics cards from enabling window effects.

The timely security question regarding how safe it was to use Deepin and the interesting new features built into DDE presented a perfect opportunity for an update. The latest Deepin Linux release has impressive new features and tweaks that make it notably better than version 15.8, which I last reviewed.

The Wallpaper selection panel scrolls attractive colorful images across the bottom of the screen. The new slideshow feature lets you show your favorite pictures at any interval you designate.  click image to enlarge 

The Deepin desktop is one of the more interesting new desktop alternatives to consider. It is different, productive and gorgeous in its own right.

Deepin Deep Dive

With the launch of version 15 in late 2015, the Deepin distro, based in China, shed its Ubuntu base in favor of Debian Linux Unstable branch. That brought numerous subtle changes in the code base and software roots. Ubuntu Linux itself also is based on Debian Linux.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The chief distinguishing factor underlying Deepins growing popularity is its home-grown Deepin desktop Environment (DDE). It is one of the more modern desktop environments. Deepin is one of the first Linux distros to take advantage of HTML 5 technology.

Coinciding with the base affiliation change, the developers, Deepin Technology Co. Ltd., slightly changed the distros name. What was Deepin Linux is now deepin. That subtle rebranding was an attempt to differentiate it from previous releases named Deepin, Linux Deepin and Hiweed GNU/Linux.

However, the subtlety of Deepin versus deepin has all but lost its purpose. Regardless of whether the name is spelled deepin or Deepin Linux (as in this review), this distro offers users an eloquent, modern-themed Linux OS. It is easy to use and comes with high-quality software developed in house.

Work in Progress

DDE started out with lofty goals but mediocre execution. The Deepin desktop is now well-designed and very functional. Desktop shells are valued largely for how simple they are to use and how functional they are for a users productivity. DDEs modern design is intuitive and classy. This latest release adds to its growing feature set.

Deepin Linux has gone through a continuing development change. This latest version marks yet another transition in the code base. No longer is the base pegged to the Debian Unstable branch.

The change to Debian Stable branch may be a step back from the bleeding edge of software packages and such, but Debian Stable is no slouch. This shift allows Deepins developers to keep moving forward with innovations and improved performance using a more stable base.

The Deepin desktop is offered in a widening assortment of popular Linux desktops, but the best user experience is found in this distro. That might well be the result of the in-house software the community of developers designed to run optimized for the Deepin OS.

Choice of Distro and Desktop

Other Linux distros running the Deepin desktop miss much of the unique integration you get in Deepin Linux. Often you get the software versions provided by the distro you are running.

The Linux distros offering the Deepin desktop are Archlinux, Manjaro, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Fedora, Puppy Linux, SparkyLinux, Antergos, Pardus and openSuse. Each one has its own flavor linked to the characteristics of the host distribution.

I have sampled these options, mostly for the sake of comparison. One of the better versions is available in the Manjaro Deepin Community Edition.

Safe to Use?

I posed the security question to three cybersecurity experts, raising the issues that several LinuxInsider readers asked in response to my previous Deepin Linux review.

Due to world politics and questionable tactics by other Chinese device makers, concerns have surfaced about Deepins potential security risk. In short, those concerns focus on whether the Linux distribution created by a developer team in China is safe to use due to its open source rather than proprietary nature.

The concerns include whether this distros components are being utilized to leach information back to Chinese governmental interests. Could Deepin Linux be the first instance of a Linux distro targeted by a government for surreptitious data collection?

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

None of my expert sources were aware of any occurrences involving spyware or malware embedded in the OS code related to Deepin Linux or any other distros. However, a concern did surface last year surrounding Deepins website and Appstore, according to Daniel Smith, head of threat research at Radware.

These use a statistical analysis service called CNZZ, now Umeng+. Its similar to Google Analytics in the fact that it collects data such as user agents, source and screen resolution, he told LinuxInsider.

At the moment, no evidence exists to suggest that the Chinese government is leaching information from the analytic service used by Deepin OS, Smith said.

If this distro has been targeted to return user information back to anyone without notification, it might be the first instance of a Linux distro targeted by a government for surreptitious data collection, he agreed.

A thin line separates developmental data gathering from surreptitious information gathering. Most software to some extent collects data regardless of its country of origin, according to Smith.

While nothing suggests that this analytic information is currently being abused, it is collecting basic data that can be abused by third parties to identify user patterns and behaviors. This could cause some privacy concern for non-Chinese users, Smith concluded.

Open Source Safety Net

One advantage with Linux is the ability to audit the code. However, the code base of an entire operating system is large. You can not really scrutinize it all, said Steven T. Snyder, senior attorney at Bradley.

Lawyers and security experts face this situation on many fronts. Similar issues exist with foreign-made cellphones, he told LinuxInsider.

For example, news reports recently focused on the threat of malware installed on microchips.

Security experts cant always agree on finding malware. So what can we expect when dealing with an entire operating system? Snyder pondered.

Regardless of the potential for security lapses, open source software provides better chances of finding troublesome software.

I would feel more comfortable with open source code because anyone can review the code itself to understand what is happening and then modify the code as necessary, Chris Morales, head of security analytics at Vectra, told LinuxInsider.

Still a Quandary

Dealing with potential security worries related to Deepin Linux certainly is a concern, Bradleys Snyder warned, calling it a common problem with technology.

There are plenty of opportunities to hide things in an enormous code base. Even if you looked for a security hole, you might not find it or recognize how all the components were working together to enable some sort of back door for bad actors, he explained.

From my perspective this is a huge concern, because at the very least there has been some evidence that some actors, maybe China, have tampered with the supply chain in different areas. So you cant just take it on face value that we can trust it, Snyder said.

The flip side is that rather than giving everything more scrutiny, the bigger risk is assuming software is safe because we sourced it from an ally. Problems can turn up later when we learn that it was compromised before the source acquired it, he pointed out.

Playing All Options

This type of scenario poses a 50-50 situation. A project based in China should get higher scrutiny than some other open source projects, according to Snyder.

I think it is something to monitor. On a personal level, Im not sure that it is any riskier than anything else, he concluded.

It is open source code sitting out there  but we are more on guard with China. It would be kind of brazen of them to fiddle with something like that, but maybe someone will say, Well try it.'

Back to Deepin Linux 15.10

Deepin 15.10 introduces new functions and updated software packages rebuilt using the Debian stable repository. This provides more timely security updates and improved system stability.

New Features include dde-kwin as the default window manager. It takes up less memory and offers better performance.

Auto merge is a really cool new feature. It is similar to a user tweak provided in the macOS recently, but I am not aware of any other Linux distro using it.

Rather than clutter the desktop with copious icons, the new Auto Merge feature lets you place favorite launchers in color-coded drawers or folders, making them one click away. A dock bar replaces the traditional bottom panel.  click image to enlarge 

Auto merge lets you avoid cluttering the desktop with favorite launch icons. Instead it groups icons into file folders on the desktop.

This approach is similar to what the Android and Chrome OS let you do to keep the desktop neat and organized. Just check the Auto Merge option in the desktop context menu.

Icons on the desktop will be grouped automatically into different folders: Videos, Music, Pictures, Documents, Applications and Others. You can color code the folders.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The Wallpaper slideshow, while available in other desktop environments, is a new feature for Deepin. Set a slideshow of your favorite pictures so they can display at any interval you designate.

A unique new feature that I especially like is Sound Effect switches. You can turn on or off each system sound. The settings for shut down, log out, wake up, etc., in the Control Center are separated.

Another key change provides the option to do full disk encryption during installation. That alone may lessen user-based security worries.

Deepin Close Up

The desktop design is a combination of several visual elements from other desktops. When put together into one integrated system, they constitute a new approach to the concept of an easy-to-use interface. The in-house applications complete an operating system that is tailored to the average user.

Deepin uses a dock bar instead of the traditional bottom bar. When the dock is set in the macOS-style mode, a button appears that toggles a new dock tray element  embed tray icons in the dock.

The Deepin Desktop has a slide-out control panel that makes finding settings effortless. It uses a dock bar instead of a traditional panel at the bottom of the screen.

The Dock offers a choice of fashion or efficient modes. Fashion mode adds a hide/show button in the dock tray. Click it to hide the icons in the tray area and save the dock space. The power button is separated from the tray area to reduce the clicks and avoid function confusion.

In the Efficient mode, the right corner is set to show desktop. The previous Show Desktop icon disappears.

The Settings Panel slides out from the right edge of the screen. Its transparency lets you see settings options while not losing sight of the overview desktop view. Similarly, the applications menu displays in full screen showing rows of application icons.

Deepins multitasking feature shows thumbnails of virtual workspaces via a display panel that hides along the top edge of the screen. The main view displays mini images of open windows on the current workspace.

Deepin lets you set a different background image for each virtual workspace. These display in the panel view as well.

You can drag a running applications mini image from the multitasking view to another workspace. You also can right-click on the top window border of a displayed app to move it to another virtual workspace.

Bottom Line

Deepin Linux continues to show promise as a productive computing platform. This latest edition has fewer of the annoyances that plagued earlier releases.

The menus and internal dialogue boxes still have some Chinese characters. The potential user base is limited by a short list of available languages.

The ISO file on the standard download page is not a live session. It provides only a loadable interface to handle installation.

To get the live session ISO file, use the download page link in the previous paragraph. Then scroll to the bottom of the download options to the Live Session Download label and click the Live Official Release button.

Want to Suggest a Review?

Is there a Linux software application or distro youd like to suggest for review? Something you love or would like to get to know?

Pleaseemail your ideas to me, and Ill consider them for a future Linux Picks and Pans column.

And use the Reader Comments feature below to provide your input!
A newborn in San Diego nicknamed baby "Saybie" is the the world's smallest surviving premature baby. Above, Saybie in March 2019, when she was around 3 months old and weighed 3 lbs.

As far as tiny babies go, "Saybie" is the smallest of the small.

The baby girl was born in San Diego in December 2018 weighing a meager 8.6 ounces (245 grams), about the size of a large apple, according to a statement from Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns, the hospital where she was born. She is the world's smallest surviving premature baby on record, the statement said.

Now, five months after her birth, Saybie  the nickname given to the baby by her nurses  is healthy and has finally been allowed to leave the hospital, weighing in at 5.6 lbs (2.5 kilograms). (The family wishes to remain anonymous to protect their privacy.)

Saybie was born via cesarean section at just 23 weeks and 3 days gestation after her mother experienced severe pregnancy complications. [7 Baby Myths Debunked]

"It was the scariest day of my life," Saybie's mother said in a video released by the hospital. "My blood pressure was very, very high.  They had to deliver her really quick. And I kept telling them that she's not going to survive, she's only 23 weeks."

The family was told that they would likely have just an hour with her before she died. "But that hour turned into 2 hours, which turned into a day, which turned into a week," the mother said.

Records of the tiniest surviving babies are maintained by the University of Iowa's Tiniest Babies Registry. Saybie's extremely low birth weight is 7 grams (0.2 ounces) less than the previous "smallest baby" record holder, a baby born in Germany in 2015. In February this year, doctors reported the birth of the smallest surviving baby boy, who weighed 9.45 ounces (268 grams) at birth.

Perhaps aiding in her survival, Saybie experienced virtually none of the medical challenges typically associated with so-called micropreemies (those born before 28 weeks), which can include brain bleeds and lung and heart problems, the hospital said.

"We do everything we know how to do as well as we can, and after that, it's really up to our babies," Spring Bridges, a registered nurse at Sharp Mary Birch's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), said in the video. "Some really have the strength to go through what they have to go through and grow outside the womb."

The hospital also specializes in caring for micropreemies. "Saybie was in the exact right spot, right time, for this to happen," said Courtney Akel, a registered nurse at Sharp Mary Birch's NICU.

Still, micropreemies can face challenges as they grow older, including vision problems, issues with fine motor skills and learning disabilities, according to The Washington Post.

For the next few years, Saybie will make regular visits to the hospital's follow-up clinic, which aims to help NICU babies meet developmental milestones, the Post reported.

Originally published on Live Science.
The U.S. Air Force's E-4B, otherwise known as the "doomsday plane" may be able to withstand the force of a nuclear detonation.

This mostly windowless Boeing 747 was designed during the Cold War, and it indeed looks like a blast from the past, according to CNBC's Amanda Macias who recently got an inside look at the plane.

The craft is equipped with older analog flight instruments, rather than modern digital technology. The analog equipment is less likely to be fried by the electromagnetic pulse released after a nuclear blast, they reported. It also has shielding to protect its crew from nuclear and thermal effects during a nuclear war. [7 Technologies That Transformed Warfare]

With its giant fuel tanks and ability to refuel in the air from other aircraft, the doomsday plane can stay airborne for several days. It holds 67 satellite dishes and antennas, meaning its crew can communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world, even sending messages to the Navy's ballistic missile submarines, according to DefenseNews.

That being said, most of its capabilities are classified, according to CNBC. The Air Force has four of these E-4B aircraft, each standing at nearly 6 stories tall. Sporting 18 bunks, six bathrooms, a galley and a briefing room among other rooms, each can fly 112 crew members.

Currently, one is being used by Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan to travel to various parts of the world. On Tuesday morning (May 28), he boarded the craft in Maryland en route to Asia for a weeklong trip.

Originally published on Live Science.
NASA researchers have unveiled a new treasure map of the universe, and  thanks to a neutron-star-hunting telescope aboard the International Space Station  X-ray marks the spot.

The new all-sky map, uploaded May 30 to NASA's website, shows what the cosmos looks like in high-energy X-ray light. X-rays are among the most energetic forms of light in the universe; they're beamed into space by some of the most extreme objects in the cosmos, including powerful supernova explosions, gas-gobbling neutron stars, and supermassive black holes that suck matter into their maws at near-light-speed.

Humans can't see these arcing streams of light careening around the cosmos (our sight is limited to the much weaker, visible light chunk of the electromagnetic spectrum), but NASA's special X-ray observatory aboard the International Space Station can. Known as the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), the telescope's primary mission is to study pulsars  fast-spinning, ultra-dense corpses of collapsed stars that pulse with high-energy light as they whirl.

Not only do researchers hope to figure out what, exactly, these stellar corpses are made of, but they also want to use them as waypoints that could help future satellites navigate on auto-pilot  sort of like a galactic GPS system, as a NASA statement put it.

While searching the full night sky for the nearest pulsars, NICER has also turned up some other powerful sources of X-ray light, including the afterglow of a relatively recent supernova (seen in the top left corner of this image).

"This image reveals the Cygnus Loop, a supernova remnant about 90 light-years across and thought to be 5,000 to 8,000 years old," Keith Gendreau, NICER's principal investigator at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, said in the statement. "Were gradually building up a new X-ray image of the whole sky, and its possible NICERs nighttime sweeps will uncover previously unknown sources."

Indeed, this map represents only the first 22 months of NICER's orbiting observations (it launched in June 2017), and has likely only scratched the surface of the many stellar mysteries hiding beyond our human sight.

Originally published on Live Science.
Houston's biggest industries may be scrambling to manage escalating costs next month if President Donald Trump follows through with his threat to place tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico, Houston's largest trading partner.

The president on Thursday night tweeted that the U.S. will impose a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican goods on June 10, which would gradually increase until the influx of immigrants and asylum seekers at the Mexican border ceases.

If the tariffs are implemented, the impact to Houston's economy would be profound, pushing up costs for everything from automotive parts to Mexican crude oil and food, beverages and produce.

Trade between Houston and Mexico averages $23.4 billion per year, according to estimates from the Greater Houston Partnership, and about 75 percent of U.S.Mexico land trade, worth approximately $343 billion in 2015, crosses through a Texas port of entry, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

The value of trade between Houston and Mexico has gradually expanded since 2016, primarily due to the growth in the price of fuels, oil and refined products. In the last year, trade between the local economy and the Mexico increased 22.7 percent, up to $24.6 billion.

Whether the tariffs will be imposed remains uncertain. Immediately following the President's tweet, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded with a letter requesting the matter be resolved with dialogue. Mexican officials traveled Friday to Washington to meet with U.S. representatives in person regarding the dispute.

Fuels, oil and refined products, iron or steel, and motor vehicles and parts make up the bulk of imports from Mexico to Houston, and would prove the most costly for the local economy.

The most impacted sector for Mexico would be manufacturing, according to analysts from JP Morgan Chase, which could threaten businesses that trade with Houston companies.

Several manufacturers, particularly in the automotive industry, ship parts back and forth from Texas to Mexico on a daily basis, completing one part of the vehicle in one country and finishing it in another.

This symbiotic relationship poses a problem for businesses and Texas' economy when trade agreements are threatened, said Jesus Canas, a senior business economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. This manufacturing process essentially means that companies may pay tariffs multiple times in order to assemble one product, and cross-border manufacturing operations are an important part of corporate strategy to achieve competitively priced goods in the U.S., according to recent analysis by Canas.

"They need these inputs every day, so if we have disruptions that worries me a lot," said Canas in a previous interview with the Houston Chronicle. "(Disruptions) eventually could damage the competitiveness of Texas businesses."

If tariffs are imposed, they could represent a potentially serious blow for the Texas oil and gas sector, in particular raising costs for Gulf Coast refineries configured to process heavier grades that rely on Mexican crude. With sanctions on Venezuela limiting the amount of heavy crude inputs to Houston refineries, companies may have to absorb any cost increases due to the tariffs, as it is difficult for refineries to reconfigure their facilities to use much more of the lighter domestic crude oil being produced in West Texas.

U.S. refineries imported more than 660,000 barrels of oil from Mexico in February, more than any nation besides Canada, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

"Refineries can switch over to lighter feedstocks of crude, but it's less efficient and less profitable, for sure," Herbert said.

The President's threat already hit oil and gas on Friday as oil prices fell to their lowest levels since February. The U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate was below $56 per barrel, a 2 percent drop from Thursday's close.

With global demand growth for crude half of what was forecast over the last three months of 2018, the potential for continuing price declines is high, said Bill Herbert, managing director at Houston-based Simmons Energy.

"People are running for the hills and asking questions later, and I don't think that's going to stop until we get a cessation in the rhetoric from the White House," he said. "Oil prices have been falling since mid to late-April. It's predominantly trade and growing fears of economic deceleration."

Local business leaders condemned the President's statement on Friday, commenting that it would hurt Texas and does little to correct the immigration system.

"Immigration will not be resolved by tariffs; however, trade can be used to induce cooperative partnerships," Eddie Aldrete, the chairman of the Texas Mexico Trade Coalition, wrote in a statement. "Illegal immigration is an issue that impacts both Mexico and the United States and is, therefore, an issue we need to work on together, side by side."

READ MORE about how tariffs will impact Texas on HoustonChronicle.com

--With assistance from Jordan Blum.
Houston's growing craft brewery landscape is about to get more heated. The Houston-based Russo's New York Pizzeria brand is introducing its own brewery concept with plans to open 20 more in Texas and several other states.

Anthony Russo, head chef and CEO of Russo's New York Pizzeria, announced that Russo's New York Italia Pizza Kitchen & Brewery will open early 2020 in the Heights area. The 5,600-square-foot restaurant with its own brewing facility is set to begin construction in two months at 3415 Katy Freeway.
Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Human Services

The Department of Homeland Security has requested a 1,000-bed tent facility to hold migrant adults in the Laredo area, Rep. Henry Cuellar said after a meeting with nonprofit, city and federal agencies on Thursday.

Cuellar was told that there is a hold on this project, so the feds wont move on it yet. However, that could change quickly, he noted.

Originally Immigration and Customs Enforcement was going to operate the facility, but last Friday there was a change order for Border Patrol to run it instead, according to the congressman.

That changes things around because Border Patrol can only keep people up to 72 hours, technically, and then they release them, he said.

READ MORE: Local war veterans receive high school diplomas at Laredo ISD graduation

Laredo Sector Border Patrol only has small detention areas that are not suited to hold a large number of people. Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz said at this point he is beyond the negative image that a tent facility could bring to Laredo.

My concern is that those folks, once theyre processed, theres going to be more people being released. And guess what  theyre here in Laredo or close by. Chances are theyre going to be here asking for help from the nonprofits. I think its just going to intensify things for us, Saenz said.

Even though far fewer immigrants come through Laredo to seek asylum than in other areas, many are transported here to be sheltered or bussed further into the U.S. Laredo is getting 260 to 300 asylum seekers per day, sometimes more, Saenz said. Meanwhile 3,000 are waiting in Nuevo Laredo, according to a representative of the city.

These asylum seekers are mostly taken to Catholic Charities or the Holding Institute in Laredo, but these nonprofits are at capacity. If they dont get help soon, theyll be releasing people on the street, Saenz said.

He said these charities are asking for financial assistance from the city.

READ MORE: Laredo ISD graduate shares story behind viral video of meeting on international bridge

They need consistency and they need sustainability. And of course from the citys standpoint, there is obviously a willingness. We are a compassionate city. We want to help, but yet were mindful of taxpayer money, the mayor said.

So they are waiting to see what Congress will do to help, he said.

Cuellar is hoping to set aside $30 million per year that cities, counties and nonprofits can apply to for direct reimbursement for their services to these asylum seekers.

This is not going to go away in the near future. The answer lies in correcting the asylum process. And thats going to take an act of Congress, Mayor Saenz noted. ... If we dont get that, this is going to continue for months  maybe a year  or as long as the asylum situation continues in the state that its at.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com
There were 451 students graduating from Martin High School on Thursday, and among them were three war veterans who were given a second chance to receive their diplomas decades later.

Vietnam veteran Miguel Romo was drafted merely two weeks before his high school graduation. Although he finished all the curriculum requirements, he could not obtain his diploma.

READ MORE: Laredo student's heartwarming meeting with dad goes viral

"I attended GED classes on the army base, but that was not enough for me. I was not satisfied," Romo said. "I feel very humbled and grateful. It's never too late to get it."

Romo also thanked his family, Martin High School Principal Guillermo Pro and the LISD Board of Trustees for allowing him to obtain his diploma after all these years.

"I thank my family and all the board members that make it possible for me," he said. "Special thanks to the principal. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here."

Alongside him were veterans Roque Vela Sr. and Dago Carmona.

Vela joined the army in 1961 and served in Vietnam and later at Fort Hood as a drill sergeant during the Cuban Crisis. He said he is thankful for the school board, the LISD family and especially the graduating class for letting them share the stage.

"I'm at a loss of words," Vela told LMT. "It's 57 years in the making. It's always something I've looked forward to do. I would like to thank the class for allowing us to be part of their day because it is their day. We were received very well."

Carmona's graduation cap was decorated with the famous black and white National League of Families POW/MIA flag. He told LMT he should have graduated 51 years ago but volunteered to join the U.S. Marine Corps.

"This diploma means a lot because when we were going out, a high school diploma was very hard to come by," he said. "We all had to go graduate because that was our key to a better job and better paycheck and our way out.

"I want to thank God. It took me 40 years to find him, but once I found him, I was able to get my life back. And I want to thank my wife. With the PTSD and all, she never gave up."

LISD Trustee Claudia Balli, whose district she represents includes Martin High School, imparted wisdom during the ceremony and asked graduates to thank the teachers, family and others who supported them to get to here.

"But don't forget where you come from and all the people that have supported you along this path," Balli said. "Don't forget to give them a big hug and say 'Thank you.' They're not asking for anything else but your gratitude."

She also reminded graduates to not forget where they came from as they head in new directions. The resounding message during the ceremony was the school's motto, "Once a Tiger, always a Tiger," and students proudly sang along to their school chant.

"You will always represent Laredo and your family," Balli said. "Always walk with your head high and follow your dreams. Don't settle, dream and pursue."

The class of 2019 valedictorian, Valeria Pruneda, mentioned Early College High School student Sarai Ruiz during her speech.

A video this week went viral showing Ruiz in her graduation cap and gown meeting her father, Esteban Ruiz, in the middle of the Laredo International Bridge.

READ MORE: Laredo ISD graduate shares story behind viral video of meeting on international bridge

"Remember that love knows no borders," Pruneda said.

Her final message to her fellow graduates was to be persistent but also kind as they go through life.

"No matter what you choose, remember to be happy and spread happiness," Pruneda said. "Life is not easy for everyone. It can be tough and unfair. Be sure to use every last drop of joy to blossom. Always remember to enjoy the little things in life."

Lisa Dreher can be reached at 956-728-2567 or lisa.dreher@lmtonline.com
Over 6,000 Greater Houston area residents spent their Memorial Day Weekend at the grand opening of the much anticipated Big Rivers Waterpark & Adventures in New Caney, said Terre Albert, Chief Operation Officer of Grand Texas.

Big Rivers is the first waterpark development in the East Montgomery County area.

The waterpark is part of the $1 billion amusement park-anchored development called Grand Texas that will feature shopping centers, Speedsportz Racing Park, Grand Texas Theme Park and multi-family and single-family residence developments at buildout.

Big Rivers Waterpark & Adeventures had 15 attractions open during their grand opening, which included Wild Isle, Boca Chica Bay Wave Pool, Rio Grand Lazy River and Big Als Fishing Hole.

More attractions will continue to roll out throughout the month of June, Albert said.

During the first week of June, the Polliwog Puddle, Hatching Hill and Gator Splash attractions will open for younger guests. Before the end of June, multi-rider and body waterslides such as the Storm Surge, Comal Crush, Frio Falls, Pecos Plunge, Sabnine Scream and the COLORado River Racer will open.

GRAND TEXAS: An inside look at Houston's newest (and biggest) theme park

Visitors will have a variety of exciting and adrenaline pumping water and adventure attractions to enjoy during the opening, said Albert. Whether they are in the mood to relax in Houstons biggest lazy river or soar across the park, Big Rivers Waterpark & Adventures at Grand Texas guarantees a memorable experience for families and thrill seekers of all ages.

To celebrate the launch of the Grand Texas attraction, Big Rivers sold admission tickets at half price for day passes and all season and annual pass holders received an extra month added to their pass through the end of June 2020.

Visitors who have already purchased a day pass online will receive one free pass they can use in the 2019 season.

To date, Big Rivers Waterpark & Adventures sold more than 5,000 season passes.

The park is also expected to provide an economic boost to East Montgomery County and the nearby Lake Houston area.

With a travel and tourism project opening, it provides a better diversified economy in our area and reduces risks, such as an area being too dependent on retail dollars, said Frank McCrady, president and CEO of the East Montgomery County Improvement District.

kaila.contreras@chron.com
After dramatically issuing a cease-and-desist order on a crowdfunded border wall project earlier this week, the mayor of Sunland Park, New Mexico, said the nearly-completed project would be allowed to move forward.

At a news conference on Thursday, Mayor Javier Perea said that two permits had been prematurely issued to a group known as We Build the Wall, which was born from a GoFundMe campaign aimed at raising money for a wall along the U.S-Mexico border. The group was being allowed to proceed with the caveat that it comply with city and state regulations going forward, and rectify any issues in its paperwork.

We Build the Wall organizers maintain that they had filled out the appropriate permit applications and received a verbal green light from a city official late last week to start building their border fence, which they then constructed over Memorial Day Weekend. Perea contends that they had not received the official building permit from the city that would have let them begin working, and that were outstanding issues with their documents.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Perea conceded that it was essentially too late to stop construction on fence, because so much of it had already been built by the time the city caught up to what was happening.

"I do believe that a lot of this work was done with the intention of, 'get it built and then we'll deal with it after the fact,'" Perea said of the project's haste. "For a small community like ours that does not have large teams of people who can look at these issues, it's difficult and it's straining on the city to do a quick turnaround on a project like this."

After stopping the construction on Tuesday, the city received a deluge of calls and emails from supporters of We Build the Wall after the organization asked the public to voice their support for the project. Perea said that his family, and his staff had received death threats and hateful messages.

The Thursday permits that prompted We Build the Wall to resume work, he said, were prematurely issued by a lower-level staffer. Now the city was asking the builders to comply with city and state regulations going forward.

"I guess there was scrambling on the city's part," he said. "But it does serve as a learning opportunity for the city to respond to these situations, not just to this development but any development inside the city."

After the organization was allowed to proceed, We Build the Wall's founder, Brian Kolfage, declared victory on Twitter and tweeted an image of one of the permits. The organization held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and media availability near a newly constructed wall segment on Thursday.

"We were positive that we were in compliance from the get-go," Kolfage told The Washington Post on Friday. He said his organization had worked with lawyers to ensure the work met regulations, and blamed miscommunication within the city government for the confusion over their permits.

"I think this shows the lack of competency of the city themselves that they're having these issues," he said.

We Build the Wall had contracted Fischer Industries to complete the construction, according to Kolfage. The Post reported that in recent months President Donald Trump has urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to give a border wall contract to the company, whose executive is a prominent Republican donor and frequent guest on Fox News.

Kolfage said city officials had led them to believe they had a green light after a site inspection last week. The city provided The Washington Post with the project's application packet to the Community & Economic Development Department.

Kolfage said the half-mile segment of wall was about 90 percent complete, and he expected work to be finished this weekend. In addition to a border fence, he said the project was also installing lights, fiber-optic sensors, a road, and security cameras. He estimated the project would cost between $6 milllion and $8 million.

The group was staking out 10 more sites where it is seeking to fill gaps in the existing border barriers, but did not say where. "It's not our job to build an entire border wall, that's the government's," Kolfage said.

We Build The Wall raised $23 million with the intention of helping President Trump accomplish a signature campaign issue: to "build the wall" along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Its leadership team includes supporters of the president, including former White House adviser Stephen Bannon, former Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, and Erik Prince, the founder of the security firm Blackwater USA, now known as Academi.

The New Mexico project sparked criticism from Democrats who oppose the president's immigration policies. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said in a statement to the Silver City Sun News that she found it "deeply disturbing when outsiders, like Kris Kobach and Steve Bannon, come in and use our community and people as a backdrop to further their racist agenda."

"It's even more disturbing that a business in our community is furthering this xenophobic narrative," Escobar continued. "While this wall may be necessary fuel for the president's political campaign, it will not prevent people from seeking asylum."

But for Perea, the border fence saga was a symptom of a larger problem facing Sunland Park, which has become a flash point of the debate over sovereignty and security.

"The issue of immigration has been a concern for many years, it is frustrating that people are using the city to move their political agendas," he told The Post. "The biggest frustration for us is that Congress and the president can't come to a compromise and come up with legislation that addresses the issue. Until that happens were going to continue seeing the problem we're seeing."
WASHINGTON - Just weeks before the Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether the Trump administration can add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, new evidence emerged Thursday suggesting the question was crafted specifically to give an electoral advantage to Republicans and whites.

The evidence was found in the files of the prominent Republican redistricting strategist Thomas Hofeller after his death in August. It reveals that Hofeller "played a significant role in orchestrating the addition of the citizenship question to the 2020 Decennial Census in order to create a structural electoral advantage for, in his own words, 'Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites,' " plaintiffs' lawyers challenging the question wrote in a letter Thursday morning to U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman, one of three federal judges who ruled against the question this year. The lawyers also argued that Trump administration officials purposely obscured Hofeller's role in court proceedings.

The letter drew on new information discovered on hard drives belonging to Hofeller, which were found inadvertently by his estranged daughter. Stephanie Hofeller Lizon then shared them with the organization Common Cause for a gerrymandering lawsuit it is pursuing in North Carolina.

The files show that Hofeller concluded in a 2015 study that adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census "would clearly be a disadvantage to the Democrats" and benefit white Republicans in redistricting. Hofeller then pushed the idea with the Trump administration in 2017, according to the lawyers' letter to Furman.

The evidence, first reported by the New York Times, contradicts sworn testimony by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' expert adviser A. Mark Neuman and senior Justice Department official John Gore, as well as other testimony by defendants, the letter said.

A Justice Department official said the agency was unaware of the allegations in the motion but will file a response. Officials at the Commerce Department did not respond to questions about the new information.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion in district court Thursday morning for "sanctions and any other relief the court deems appropriate, because of apparently untruthful testimony" by Trump administration officials in the earlier trials, said Dale Ho, who argued the case at the Supreme Court on behalf of the ACLU.

It is unclear how the information might affect deliberations at the Supreme Court. The ACLU filed a letter with the court Thursday afternoon to "respectfully inform" it of the motion filed in the New York district court and that a hearing was scheduled for next week.

The letter repeated the charge contained in the letter to Furman that Hofeller played a significant role in adding the citizenship question to the 2020 Census to give white Republicans a redistricting advantage and that the Trump administration "obscured his role through affirmative misrepresentations."

Ho's letter did not ask the court to take action, but drew its attention to the new motion and that the hearing would be Wednesday.

"Witnesses misrepresented the origin and purpose of their effort to add a citizenship question to the census," Ho said in a statement accompanying release of the letter. "Their goal was not to protect voting rights, but to dilute the voting power of minority communities. We look forward to Wednesday's hearing and will keep the Supreme Court aware of any further developments."

The Supreme Court heard the case April 23. Evidence in the case concluded with oral arguments that day, and it appeared that the conservative majority seemed inclined to agree with the government that the decision to add the question was within the authority of the commerce secretary.

If the court followed normal procedure, it voted that week on the outcome of the case, and the justices are now writing the opinion.

The ACLU also asked the district court to allow previously redacted testimony from Neuman to be made public. On Thursday, Furman ordered that the government must provide a response by 10 a.m. Friday and called a hearing on the matter for Wednesday.

The new information indicates that blueprints for adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census predated the Trump administration, but Donald Trump's election allowed them to become a reality, Ho said.

"It just shows that there was a long-standing plan to weaponize the census to dilute minority voting power to try to forestall the electoral effects of the demographic changes that this country is undergoing," he said.

Ho said sanctions could include fines imposed on witnesses or the government, a reopening of the case or an amendment of the final judgment to account for new evidence.

The population count from the decennial census is used to allocate $800 billion a year in federal funding and determine congressional representation and redistricting. Opponents of the citizenship question have argued that it will suppress response to the survey among immigrant communities, resulting in an undercount in the areas where they live.

Hofeller's files also reveal that in August 2017 he helped ghostwrite a draft Justice Department letter to the Commerce Department requesting a citizenship question and coming up with a rationale - to help enforce the Voting Rights Act, the plaintiffs' lawyers said. He then gave this letter to Gore, the principal deputy assistant attorney general, in October 2017, they said.

The genesis of that request and the rationale behind it were key questions in trials challenging the question. Ross initially had told Congress that the request was initiated by the Justice Department in a December 2017 letter, but administration documents released in the case later indicated that it came at Ross's urging, starting months earlier. Census and voting rights experts have said the question is not needed to enforce the Voting Rights Act.

The Justice Department letter "bears striking similarities to Dr. Hofeller's 2015 study, stating that a citizenship question on the Census was essential to advantaging Republicans and white voters," the letter to Furman said. It added: "Based on this new evidence, it appears that both Neuman and Gore falsely testified about the genesis of DOJ's request to Commerce in ways that obscured the pretextual character of the request."

Critics of the question blasted the administration after the news broke.

"Republican political operatives plainly want to deny communities of color the health care, education and other services they need in order to consolidate GOP power and a whiter electorate," said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. "We call on Congress to hold Trump administration officials - including Secretary Ross - accountable now and not to wait until after the Supreme Court ruling to do so."

Terri Ann Lowenthal, a former staff director of the House census oversight subcommittee, said the new information undercut the bureau's years of work to plan a nonpartisan count.

"Revelations that this administration threw a grenade into that process in order to achieve partisan goals must be a gut-punch to every career Census employee whose goal is to earn the public's trust and confidence in the 2020 Census," she said.

In April the high court's five conservatives seemed to lean toward allowing the question, citing the Voting Rights Act rationale and focusing not on Ross' motivations, but rather on whether he was simply using the power he was authorized to exercise.

The court's liberal justices were skeptical. Justice Elena Kagan said Ross seemed to be "shopping for a need," trying unsuccessfully to get Justice and Homeland Security officials to request the question before finally getting the Justice Department to agree.

"You can't read this record without sensing that this - this need is a contrived one," she said. "There have been lots of assistant attorneys general in the [Justice Department's] Civil Rights Division that have never made a plea for this kind of data."

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wondered if courts should be making the decision. "The statute that Congress has passed gives huge discretion to the secretary [in] how to fill out the form, what to put on the form," he said.

If Congress is unhappy with the secretary's decision, "why doesn't Congress prohibit the asking of a citizenship question in the same way that Congress has explicitly provided that no one can be compelled to provide religious information?" Kavanaugh asked.

Since taking control of the House in January, some Democrats are seeking to do exactly that. This spring, Congressman Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., chairman of the Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations subcommittee, included as part of the appropriations bill a stipulation that no funding could go toward incorporating any question onto the census that was not included in last year's end-to-end testing (which did not include the citizenship question). The full committee voted last week in favor of the bill, which will next be considered on the House floor.

But for now the Republican-led Senate seems unlikely to pass a bill with similar wording, and the Trump administration would have the discretion to veto such a bill.

Democratic lawmakers have accused the Trump administration of stymying their efforts to investigate the decision to add the question.

In March Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee grilled Ross about it for six and a half hours, with several asking if he had lied under oath and one demanding his resignation.

The committee voted in early April to authorize committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., to issue subpoenas for a deposition of Gore, Ross, and Attorney General William Barr for documents related to the decision.

But the Justice Department said it would not comply with a congressional subpoena for Gore to testify about the question, and the Trump administration has vowed to stonewall all House subpoenas.
BEIJING - In a counterattack that further deepens the rift with the United States, China announced Friday that it would establish a blacklist of "unreliable" foreign companies and organizations, effectively forcing companies around the world to choose whether they would side with Beijing or Washington.

Chinese state media reported that the new "unreliable entities list" would punish organizations and individuals that harm the interests of Chinese companies, without detailing which companies would be named in the list or what the punishments would include.

But the implications are far-reaching. Chinese reports suggest that the Commerce Ministry will directly target foreign companies and groups that abandoned Huawei after the Trump administration leveled sanctions this month that prohibited firms from doing business with the Chinese technology giant.

To comply with the U.S. executive order, a wide range of organizations have cut ties with Huawei in recent weeks. They include software providers such as Google, British chipmakers, and the publishing arm of the New York-based Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, which said it would no longer allow Huawei scientists to peer-review journal publications.

At a time when Western corporations have cut back executive travel to China after Chinese authorities detained two Canadians on national security grounds in December, the new blacklist sent another shock wave through the business community.

"I think foreign and especially U.S. firms now have to worry that China is creating a new 'legal pretext' to at least impose exit bans on foreign individuals who make this new list, if not worse," said Bill Bishop, editor of the Sinocism newsletter, referring to the Chinese practice of not allowing designated foreigners to leave China.

Every foreign executive that has had to cut off ties with Huawei to comply with U.S. sanctions could now be targeted under the Chinese measure. "It puts them in a bind: Choose U.S. law or Chinese regulations?" Bishop said.

The spiraling tit-for-tat is reinforcing a sense in Washington and Beijing that the world's two largest economies are destined to unwind a system of mutual economic dependency built over the past three decades.

Trump's executive order this month abruptly deprived the Shenzhen company access to operating systems and cutting-edge semiconductors, prompting China to accelerate efforts to build homegrown alternatives to Google and Intel.

Aside from the new blacklist, China also recently escalated threats to cut the United States off from its supply of rare earths: 17 elements with exotic names such as cerium, yttrium and lanthanum that are found in magnets, alloys and fuel cells and are used to make advanced missiles, smartphones and jet engines.

Analysts say China's rare earths threat is highly credible because it could take years for the United States to ramp up production of its own rare earths - the domestic industry practically disappeared in the 1990s. Roughly 80 percent of U.S. imports come from China, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

As of 2018, the top three rare earths producers were China, at 120,000 metric tons; Australia, at 20,000 metric tons; and the United States, at 15,000 metric tons, USGS figures show.

The People's Daily, the Communist Party's official mouthpiece, carried a stark warning for the United States this week in an editorial about rare earths: "Don't say we didn't warn you."

That commentary surprised China experts because the People's Daily, which often signals official positions with subtly codified language, uses that phrase sparingly: It famously appeared before China launched border attacks against India in 1962 and Vietnam in 1979.

The Department of Defense is now seeking new federal funds to boost domestic producers of rare earths and wean the U.S. off its dependence on China, Reuters reported Thursday.

The mutual escalations are "a signal to the rest of the world that you need to reassess your critical supply chains," said Fraser Howie, an independent analyst and author of "Red Capitalism."

The Chinese threats against U.S. rare earths imports - and foreign executives - will only reinforce the position of trade hawks in Washington who argue that "we need to decouple, we need to unwind 20 or 30 years of global supply chains with China as the nexus," Howie said.

Yao Xinchao, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said other measures Beijing is considering include a sell-off of U.S. dollars and Treasury bonds, although both would exact enormous tolls on China.

"A trump card countermeasure would hit hard, take effect fast, and be something where China has a great say globally - that's why threatening a rare earths ban makes perfect sense," Yao said. "There is no way we back down right now, especially considering that Huawei has fallen victim to U.S. bullying."
SPRINGFIELD  Rates for the proposed graduated tax constitutional amendment on the November 2020 ballot are one procedural step away from the governors desk.

On Thursday, the Illinois House voted 67-48 to approve a rate structure that would lower the tax rate on any individual or joint-filing couple making less than $250,000, while raising the rates on those above that threshold.

The passage is another step forward for Gov. J.B. Pritzkers marquee agenda item as the legislative session ends. He said the tax proposal would have 97 percent of taxpayers paying the same or less while stabilizing state finances.

Opponents should be honest that they offer bad options  either cutting schools and public safety to the bone, or raising taxes on everyone by 20 percent, he said. Instead, I stand firmly on the side of working families and fairness.

The rates have now passed both houses, but a House amendment regarding the distribution of funding to local governments means it will have to go back to the Senate for concurrence. Upon concurrence in the Senate and the governors signature, the bill would take effect on Jan. 1, 2021  only if voters approve the graduated tax constitutional amendment in November 2020. That would require 60 percent of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election to become law.

Per the rate structure approved Thursday, single filers would pay the maximum rate of 7.99 percent on all income once their taxable income tops $750,000. For joint filers, that rate takes effect when income tops $1 million.

For the rest of the brackets, each varying tax rate would apply to only one specific margin of income.

The rates are 4.75 percent on taxable income up to $10,000; 4.9 percent from $10,001 to $100,000; 4.95 percent from $100,001 to $250,000; 7.75 percent from $250,001 to $500,000; and 7.85 percent from $500,001 to $1 million.

For single filers, tax rates are the same as joint filers up to $250,000; but the 7.75 percent rate applies from $250,001 only to $350,000, while the 7.85 percent rate applies from $350,001 to $750,000.

The bill also includes an increase in the property tax credit from 5 percent to 6 percent, and up to a $100 per-child tax credit for couples earning less than $100,000 and single persons earning less than $80,000.

The corporate tax rate would go from 7 to 7.99 percent, not including an existing corporate property replacement tax of 1.5 to 2.5 percent that is not changed by the bill.

Rep. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, who carried the constitutional amendment earlier this week, said the $3.5 billion in added revenue expected to result from the graduated tax is needed to balance the states structural budget deficit. He said Republicans, who were unanimously opposed to the measure, were not interested in balancing the budget.

Youre no longer the party of balanced budgets; youre just the party of no, he said. Fiscal responsibility does not mean saying no. It means balancing your budgets.

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, said history will not look kindly on the General Assembly for the changes to the tax code and the anti-business agenda Democrats were pushing in the past four months.

Theres nothing here to help taxpayers, he said, noting that high pension costs have gone unaddressed.

Others from his party said higher business taxes will drive job creators out of the state when combined with measures such as the minimum wage.

But Democrats said the majority of small businesses are structured as pass-through entities that are taxed at the same rate as individuals, which means any company with less than $250,000 in revenue would see lower rates.

Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, said dividing taxpayers in brackets would make it easier for future General Assemblies to raise taxes on smaller portions of voters.
(CNN) After a river boat collision in Budapest killed at least seven people and left 21 missing, a boat captain has been detained.

Thirty-five people  including 33 South Koreans were on board a touristic sightseeing boat when it collided with another vessel in the Hungarian capital Wednesday night, according to South Korean's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The collision occurred in the city center.

The captain of the other boat has been detained and his arrest proposed, Budapest police said in a statement Thursday. The 64-year-old Ukrainian citizen, named only as Mr. Yuriy, was first questioned after police found evidence that warranted suspicion during their investigation into the accident's cause.

Budapest police say they continue to search for the 21 people who remain missing. Of the seven who were rescued, six have now been discharged from the hospital. One person remains in hospital with several broken ribs, a doctor from the ER confirmed to CNN.

Seven South Korean tourists died in the accident, of whom two have been identified. None were were wearing life jackets, authorities said.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said in a statement yesterday that rescue efforts had been hampered by poor weather.

Very Good Tour's chief operating officer, Lee Sang-moo, said at a press conference in Seoul that the group was on the fifth day of a nine-day tour around Croatia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria and Germany.

Most of the tourists were middle aged, Lee added. The oldest was in their 70s -- while the youngest was born in 2013.

"I deeply apologize to the parties affected by the accident, families of victims and the people who are suffering after hearing the news this morning," Lee said. "I understand that the boat took every precaution."

Lee added in a later press conference that 40 family members are scheduled to leave for Budapest by Friday.

A large rescue operation was launched following the collision, which adjacent countries including Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine have been asked to assist in.

The Hungarian rescue team has widened its search range to 30 kilometers downstream, MOFA said, adding that the salvage of the boat involved is expected to take days.

'No signs of a possible issue'

Mihaly Toth, a spokesman for boating company Panorama Deck, which operated the capsized ship, said the company could not confirm why the boat sank.

"It was just an average day and this was a regular trip. We carry out thousands of tourist boat trips every day, there were no signs that something like this could happen," Toth said.

The tourist boat, called The Mermaid, had been operating on the Danube since 2003 and there had been "no signs of a possible issue with the boat," he added.

Panorama Deck "ensures all the necessary technical maintenance is carried out every year," he said.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in has ordered a rapid response team to be dispatched to help the rescue effort in Budapest, a presidential spokesperson in Seoul said Thursday.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Moon in a phone call that 200 divers and medical professionals were sent to the scene to aid the search, the South Korean government said in a statement.

South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will head up a central disaster and safety countermeasures headquarters, which will aim to ensure smooth dialogue with the victims, families and the tour boat collision.
Our residents should not have to fear for their health and the health of their children every time they walk outside and take a breath of air, Mason said. The passage of this measure means we are taking a strong stance against harmful polluters and prioritizing the health of our residents for generations to come.
Most of the Democratic presidential candidates have now expressed at least some degree of support for impeaching President Donald Trump in the aftermath of Robert Mueller's address to the nation.

The latest example is the most surprising. Jay Inslee narrowly won a House seat in a suburban Seattle swing district in the 1998 midterms by running attack ads against the Republican incumbent, Rick White, for voting to open impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton. Speaking into the camera, Inslee said the debate over impeachment would mean "months and months of more mud and politics."

"What the president did was wrong. He should be censured, not impeached," Inslee said. "Rick White and Newt Gingrich should not be dragging us through this. Enough is enough. It's time to get on with the nation's business."

Democrats broke with tradition and picked up five House seats that fall because voters felt like the GOP was focused too much on Monica Lewinsky's blue dress and not enough on the issues that impacted their pocketbooks. This experience has shaped Inslee's worldview. Now the governor of Washington state, waging a long shot bid for the presidency, he has been cautioning fellow liberals that the best way to remove Trump is at the ballot box next November. Until yesterday. On MSNBC, naturally, he threw caution to the wind.

"I believe the course he is on makes impeachment inevitable, and when that happens, I'm going to be fully supportive of it because the truth has to be obtained in this. There is no other option to preserve democracy," Inslee told Andrea Mitchell. "The moment that he impedes this investigation, articles of impeachment need to be filed because that may be the only way to get to the bottom of this. There are so many potential depredations of this president. There are so many rocks that need to be turned over. The moment that they are impeded, then they needed to convert this to an impeachment inquiry. I'm glad that they're being aggressive. Americans need that aggression in the pursuit of justice and truth. I believe that fervently."

Inslee's pivot came hours after John Hickenlooper announced that he, too, has changed his mind. The former Colorado governor described himself on CNN as an "extreme moderate" before adding that Mueller "laid the responsibility clearly at the doorstep of Congress."

"I think we have to begin an impeachment inquiry," Hickenlooper said. "That doesn't mean we're going to impeach President Trump tomorrow, or maybe ever, but I think we do have an obligation to follow where the facts lead."

Though Mueller said nothing new that wasn't already in his report, except that he doesn't want to testify on Capitol Hill, the special counsel's nine-minute speech has proved to be a turning point as far as the 2020 conversation is concerned. For candidates trying to stand out in a field of 23, it's becoming increasingly difficult to flatly reject impeachment proceedings, even as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi resists what she sees as a futile and self-destructive effort.

"I'm a lot closer today than I was yesterday," Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, told NPR on Thursday, an evolution from his heretofore wait-and-see approach. "Mueller basically said that he would have indicted the president, but for the fact that the law would not allow it. . . . We may be left with no choice at this point but to impeach him."

Two of his House colleagues who are also running for president have sharpened their language since Wednesday. "Prepare for impeachment. That's what I've told my colleagues," Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said on MSNBC.

"Impeachment hearings should begin tomorrow," Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., tweeted. "Mueller did his job. Now it's time to do ours."

Two senators who had previously declined to advocate for impeachment, Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., did so quickly after Mueller left the podium. "So far, President Trump has stonewalled Congress. In doing so, he has left us with only one option: for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings," said Gillibrand.

Asked about impeachment a few days after the Mueller report was released last month, Booker told reporters that "there's a lot more investigation that should go on before Congress comes to any conclusions like that."

He tweeted on Wednesday: "Mueller's statement makes it clear: Congress has a legal and moral obligation to begin impeachment proceedings immediately."

Last week, Pete Buttigieg said during an event at The Washington Post that Trump "deserves impeachment" but said he would leave it to the House to decide the best way to handle things. After Mueller's speech, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., tweeted: "This is as close to an impeachment referral as it gets."

Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., has also amped up her pro-impeachment rhetoric. "What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral," she tweeted. "We need to start impeachment proceedings. It's our constitutional obligation."

-- It's no coincidence that the only two Democrats who served in Congress when Republicans impeached Clinton have been among the most cautious about doing it again. But even they've signaled a degree of resignation or acceptance that this is what the base of their party wants.

Bernie Sanders, who was then in the House, literally stood behind Clinton on the South Lawn of the White House in December 1998 after he voted against impeachment. He's repeatedly said that he worries impeaching Trump works to the president's advantage and will help him get reelected. "The worry," the senator from Vermont told Jake Tapper last week on CNN, "is if we spend all of our time worrying about Trump and we ignore the needs of the American people, what ordinary folks are going to say is: What about us?"

On Wednesday, though, Sanders tweeted: "If the House Judiciary Committee deems it necessary, I will support their decision to open an impeachment inquiry."

Joe Biden, who spoke passionately against impeaching Clinton as a senator from Delaware, did not mention impeachment during two appearances in Dallas following Mueller's statement and ignored shouted questions from reporters. But his campaign released a statement that went further than he has before. "Vice President Biden agrees with Speaker Pelosi that no one would relish what would certainly be a divisive impeachment process, but that it may be unavoidable if this Administration continues on its path," his spokesman said.

This tension can be viewed against the backdrop of a broader divide among Democrats about whether to work with Republicans or wage war against them. "Biden repeatedly touts the need to return to an era of bipartisan comity, saying that 'compromise is not a dirty word' and predicting that Republicans will have an 'epiphany' on bipartisanship after President Trump is out of office," the Post's Matt Viser and Seung Min Kim reported. "Others say Biden's view is naive and harks back to an era of bipartisanship that no longer exists, rather than confronting the hardball tactics that have helped Republicans notch big political wins in recent years."

Whippersnappers in the new Democratic majority like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., 29, are gung-ho to plunge ahead on impeachment while a veteran like Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who has served in Congress for 26 years, says "This is a case where you need to drive with the emergency brake on."

Because it's such a seniority-driven caucus, the top leaders all lived through the trial by fire of the Clinton saga. This shaped indelibly the world views of Nancy Pelosi and others. Paul Kane explored the stark generation divide among House Democrats last week: "Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., who was in his 10th year in Congress in 1998, said that he thinks the Mueller report paints a solid picture that Trump obstructed justice. But the Clinton impeachment proved the futility of pursuing such a divisive act when the outcome was predetermined. Some people will say, 'If he should be impeached, then impeach him,'' said Pallone, who now chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. 'I just know that, the way things are around here, we only have so many legislative days and so much that we can accomplish. I want to spend my time doing things that we can get done.'"

But the divide is as much experiential as generational. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., is one of the oldest candidates in the presidential race, for example, but she was the first to call for Trump's impeachment. This is perhaps because she was not in politics in 1998. She was a professor teaching bankruptcy law back then. "If he were anyone other than president of the United States, he would be in handcuffs and indicted," Warren said on ABC's "The View" Thursday.

She added that House Democrats ought to compel Mitch McConnell to hold an up-or-down vote in the Senate, even if it's quixotic. "Put them on the record and make them live with those votes for the rest of their lives," she said. "It's about the Constitution. It's not only about this president, but it's about what are the rules for the next president and the next president?"

Compare that to her Senate colleague Michael Bennet's comments during a televised town hall last night on CNN. After Yale Law School, where he was editor of the law review and met his wife, Bennet worked in the Clinton administration as a counsel to the deputy attorney general and then as an assistant U.S. attorney in Connecticut.

"If we go down the road tomorrow and impeach President Trump, we're actually giving him a favor," Bennet said in Atlanta. "That's what he wants, to be able to say he was railroaded, and then to have the impeachment from the House go to the Senate where I guarantee you Mitch McConnell and the Republicans are not going to convict Donald Trump. They're going to acquit Donald Trump, and then he's going to run for president saying he was acquitted. . . . I'm tired of losing to Mitch McConnell."

To be sure, the 31 House Democrats up for reelection next year in districts Trump carried in 2016 face a very different political calculus than their counterparts who are seeking the nomination for president. With Congress on recess this week, our reporters deployed to take the pulse.

The Post's Mike DeBonis spent Wednesday shadowing Rep. Cheri Bustos in West Peoria, Illinois: "She dedicated a post office to a fallen Marine. She toured a mining equipment factory. And she spent time in a grocery store parking lot, quizzing voters about their concerns. Mueller didn't come up once. Neither did impeachment. . . . Senior Democrats, including Bustos, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, fear blowback from 'burned out' swing-district voters who could upend their majority in 2020. 'They see it as just more dysfunction in Washington,' said Bustos. 'The president's going to be what the president is. And rather than just be critical of the president at every turn, what are we doing to make their lives better? What are we doing for this guy who makes $9 an hour and just got his health insurance yanked from him?'"

The Post's Rachael Bade went to Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, which Trump won by three percentage points in 2016 but where Democrats ousted a GOP incumbent in the midterms. During a 90-minute town hall in Yorktown on Tuesday night, constituents asked freshman Rep. Elaine Luria about veterans issues, gun control measures and climate change. "The word 'impeachment' wasn't uttered once," Bade reported. "'It has not been something that's been brought up a lot,' Luria, a freshman who ousted a GOP incumbent last year, said in an interview. . . . At one point during the town hall, held in a predominantly African American church, . . . a constituent inquired about the Democratic Party's plan to counter a president who was turning the country into a 'dictatorship.' Luria's response: Take him out at the ballot box. 'I think that if people have complaints about how we're being governed, they should get out and they should vote,' she said, prompting applause from the crowd."
A judge has delayed the fate of Missouri's last abortion clinic, ruling Friday that it may temporarily continue to offer the procedure.

Missouri Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer's decision prevents the state - for now - from becoming the only one in the country without access to abortion services.

Stelzer granted Planned Parenthood's request for a temporary restraining order, meaning that the license of Missouri's last clinic will not expire at midnight. Stelzer emphasized that the matter is not settled; arguments will be heard in court on Tuesday morning.

Dozens of people gathered in front of the St. Louis health clinic on Thursday to support Planned Parenthood, chanting and holding signs with slogans like "Health care happens here," and "Shame on you Governor Parson." Mike Parson, a Republican, is an ardent opponent of abortion rights.

"We're still here, because abortion is health care," Kawanna Shannon, the director of surgical services at Planned Parenthood in St. Louis, told reporters. "We're still here because blocking access to abortion in Missouri threatens the health, rights and lives of people of color and LGBTQ people across our state."

Had the license from the state's Department of Health and Senior Services expired as scheduled on Friday, Missouri would have been the first state since 1974 left without a licensed abortion clinic, leaving some women to travel hundreds of miles and across state borders for access to the procedure.

The threat of losing the clinic prompted Planned Parenthood, which operates it, to declare a "state of emergency for women's health."

"I'm a doctor & my job is to take care of women in this country," said Leana Wen, the organization's president, in a statement Thursday. "I am declaring a state of emergency for women's health in America. Unlike a state of emergency that is called after natural disasters, this is a man-made disaster that is putting women's lives in danger."

The end of abortion services at the health center would mark a milestone in the state-by-state battle over abortion rights, one that has intensified in 2019 as conservative lawmakers across the country have pushed new, increasingly strict bans on the procedure. Emboldened by President Trump's two appointments to the Supreme Court, many have set their sights on antiabortion groups' ultimate prize: toppling the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Advocates worry that Missouri could be a harbinger of future efforts to close clinics, especially in the handful of states that have only one abortion facility left.

"This is not about health care. This is about politics," said David Eisenberg, the medical director for Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, in an interview Thursday. "We cannot expect the courts to be our last line of defense."

Even before the judge granted the request for a stay on Friday, which came in response to a Planned Parenthood lawsuit, the state already had imposed more restrictive policies than most: Last week, Parson signed into law a measure that bans abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy and provides no exceptions for victims of rape or incest.

Parson said on Twitter that the bill made Missouri "the most Pro-Life state in the country!"

Existing laws, such as ones that force women to undergo counseling and then wait 72 hours before they can get an abortion, made it difficult for poor patients and rural residents to access services. And a requirement that doctors have partnerships with local hospitals limited the number of physicians who could perform the procedure.

It was these regulations that caused the St. Louis clinic its greatest troubles.

"The rules around providing abortion care have been so onerous and egregious over the decades that it hadn't really mattered that states like Alabama and Missouri start passing outright bans," Eisenberg said. "Abortion has been effectively regulated out of existence in Missouri."

At a news conference Wednesday, Parson told reporters that the state had "serious health concerns" about the St. Louis clinic. That day, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services released a statement that said its annual inspection, conducted in March, found "potential deficient practices," including noncompliance with a requirement that doctors give patients a pelvic exam three days before the procedure and what the agency called "failed surgical abortions."

The agency said it asked to interview seven physicians about the problems it found, but five declined. The health department director, Randall Williams, said Planned Parenthood had demonstrated an "unprecedented refusal" to cooperate, and Parson said it shouldn't get any "special treatment."

Planned Parenthood, meanwhile, said its clinic "has maintained 100 percent compliance" with the law, and Eisenberg said its doctors now adhere to the pelvic exam regulation, meaning they end up administering the invasive checkup twice, once days before the procedure and again on the day of it. Doing so is an "insulting, totally unnecessary and medically unethical treatment," he said.

Even if the clinic could no longer offer abortions, the health center would remain open, offering testing for sexually transmitted diseases, cancer screening and other services.

Wen has accused the governor of "weaponizing the inspections process" to advance an antiabortion political agenda and has vowed to fight back - by organizing both protests and voters. But until then, she said, more than 1 million women of reproductive age will live in a state with no access to abortion services.

And abortion care denied can have grave consequences, wrote David Grimes in his book, "Every Third Woman in America."

"Refusal of abortion does not eliminate the problem underlying the request," he wrote. "Many women will, at considerable expense, travel to get care. Others abort themselves or turn to the back alley."

If the St. Louis center stops providing abortions, Missouri women would have to cross state lines. The nearest facilities are in Granite City, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River, and in Kansas, more than 250 miles to the west of St. Louis.

Patients who travel to Granite City will probably drive on a highway that illustrates the deep divide in the abortion debate. This spring, the facility, Hope Clinic, bought a billboard along Interstate 55 that reads "Welcome to Illinois, where you can get a safe, legal abortion."

Illinois lawmakers have also advanced legislation protecting abortion access. On Tuesday, the Illinois House of Representatives passed its Reproductive Health Act, which removes restrictions on certain late-term abortions.

"To our neighbors in Illinois who hear the news around the country and worry that this war on women is coming to Illinois, I say, not on my watch," said Rep. Kelly Cassidy, the Democrat who sponsored the bill, during a chamber debate.

But protesters in St. Louis said Missourians shouldn't have to leave their home state for safe abortion care. Eisenberg, who has worked at the clinic for a decade, never thought it would come to this.

"I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I could have never imagined I'd be saying to patients, 'I don't know if I'll be able to do your abortion this week,'" he said Thursday. "I walked around the clinic today feeling like I need to have 'I'm sorry' written on my forehead."

The experience has taught him the importance of local activism: that it's the laws passed in statehouses that will have more impact than court decisions from Washington. It's a lesson, he said, that those who live in the Dakotas, Kentucky, West Virginia and Mississippi - each a state where a lone clinic remains - would do well to learn.

"People worry about what happens when Roe v. Wade is overturned," Eisenberg said. "I have said for years, it doesn't matter. What matters is what's happening at the state level, because that's what will be the law of the land."

- - -

The Washington Post's Marisa Iati and Eli Rosenberg contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration wants to count canned spray cheese, beef jerky, nacho cheese dip and frozen burritos as staples under a proposal that could allow more retail stores to accept food stamps.

The Food and Nutrition Service's proposed rule changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, has generated pushback from groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which argues that the administration is sacrificing public health for the sake of convenience - or convenience stores.

"They're just trying to make it easier for stores that don't carry a lot of real food to be able to take SNAP benefits," said Margo Wootan, the vice president of nutrition for the CSPI.

The Trump administration's proposed changes, critics say, chip away at an Obama-era mandate to provide SNAP recipients with access to more healthful foods. The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the USDA to draft regulations that would require authorized stores to stock a wider variety of healthful products, in an attempt to combat food deserts in low-income neighborhoods; food deserts are areas where families routinely do not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

The rules finalized in 2016, under the Obama administration, required SNAP-authorized retailers to stock seven varieties (up from three) in four staple food groups. In other words, SNAP retailers would be required to stock seven kinds of qualifying foods in four core, or staple, groups: dairy products; fruits and vegetables; breads and cereals; and meats, poultry and fish. But Congress prevented the USDA from implementing the new stocking rules until the agency could modify its definition of what foods qualified as an appropriate variety.

Under core SNAP regulations, the CSPI's Wootan noted, staple foods are distinguished from accessory foods (such as ice cream, chips, sodas, whipped cream, pastries and other snacks and desserts) and prepared foods (such as ready-to-eat pizzas and soups or wrapped sandwiches and fruit cups). But under the Trump administration's proposed rules, products that might previously have been classified as accessory foods may now be counted as staples, including premade burritos and pimiento-stuffed olives.

"So, if you're counting canned spray cheese, nacho cheese dip and beef jerky and olives as staple food, then the retailer can say, 'Oh, yeah, I've got seven (varieties),' as opposed to saying they have chicken and turkey and fish and other real foods available," Wootan said.

The reclassification of accessory foods harks back to the early 1980s, when the Reagan administration sought to reclassify ketchup, a basic condiment, as a vegetable as part of the federal school lunch program. Or, more recently, when Congress decided that an eighth of a cup of tomato paste had the same nutritional value as a half-cup of vegetables.

What's more, under the proposed rules, food varieties have been subdivided so that stores can more easily qualify as a SNAP retailer. For example, under Obama-era rules, cow's milk was split into three varieties (perishable, shelf-stable and powdered), but under the new proposed rules, perishable milk is now further divided into full-fat and reduced-fat, meaning that if a store carries both kinds of milk, it will now have two of the seven varieties required in the staple dairy category.

The real beneficiaries of the new rules, Wootan said, are not food stamp recipients but convenience stores, dollar stores, liquor shops and other retail outlets that could start accepting SNAP benefits. The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) had lobbied for the changes, she added.

Anna Ready, director of government relations at the NACS, provided a statement to The Washington Post about the proposed changes.

"We are pleased to see that FNS heeded the calls of Congress to rewrite their definition of 'variety' in a way that will provide more flexibility for the more than 119,000 convenience stores in the program who provide needed access to food in areas where there is not a large store nearby or during nontraditional hours when most of those stores are closed."

According to USDA statistics, there were 119,248 convenience stores authorized to redeem SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2017. During the same period, there were about 37,500 authorized supermarkets and superstores such as Walmart and Target. Yet when it came to purchasing food, participants redeemed 82% of their SNAP benefits at supermarkets and super stores. Five-and-a-half percent of the benefits were redeemed at convenience stores.

During a separate phone call, the NACS' Ready singled out these USDA statistics as evidence that SNAP participants don't use convenience stores as their primary grocery destinations but more as supplements, just like Americans who don't receive federal assistance. Convenience stores have extended hours - sometimes 24 hours a day - compared to large retailers and supermarkets, Ready said. These corner stores, then, can be a backup option for bread, milk, eggs and other necessities when low-income families don't have time to travel to a major supermarket in other neighborhoods, she said.

"If you make it too costly for convenience stores to stay in the program," Ready added, "you're ultimately pushing out and closing off key access points for SNAP families."

A final rule will be issued sometime after Tuesday, when the comments period closes.
When former special counsel Robert Mueller declared that indicting a sitting president was "unconstitutional," some legal experts were taken aback. The question has never been litigated and so never decided by the Supreme Court.

The reality, as Mueller said in the same breath - making his first public comments Wednesday on his Russia investigation - is that the prohibition on charging presidents with federal crimes is "long-standing department policy." It was formulated in two opinions during the administrations of Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC).

The opinions of this elite corps of lawyers are binding on the federal government - but are not the equivalent of Supreme Court rulings.

For these lawyers are not "umpires," as Chief Justice John Roberts once described the role of Supreme Court justices. They are the president's lawyers, whose stated responsibilities include "facilitating the work of the Executive Branch and the objectives of the President, consistent with the law."

The body of opinions they produce have been called "the law that presidents make."

And it is no surprise that such law holds that presidents are not subject to criminal prosecution.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Friday that as president, she would seek a reversal of that Justice Department policy. "When I'm elected, I will exercise my constitutional authority to appoint an Attorney General who shares my strong conviction that no one - not even a President - is above the law," she said.

While the OLC is proud of its "independent and principled" judgment, a recent Cornell Law Review study of its work, as well as a review of its publicly available decisions, suggests that it has a hard time saying "no" to its chief client.

The yeses accumulate. And since the Supreme Court tends to stay away from separation-of-powers issues, an OLC opinion becomes precedent for the next OLC opinion on the same subject, and the next one and the one after that.

Before long, it's all settled as far as the Justice Department is concerned.

That's how White House claims of "executive privilege" have evolved. What began as a few historical examples of withheld information by a handful of presidents and a passing acknowledgment in the Supreme Court's 1974 Watergate tapes case, U.S. v. Nixon, is now routinely invoked by presidents as fundamental law.

The OLC's recent opinion supporting President Donald Trump's barring of House Judiciary Committee testimony by former White House counsel Donald McGahn is illustrative, citing "nearly five decades" of OLC precedent in support of Trump's claim.

Similarly, the OLC cited prior opinions and "centuries of historical practice and precedents" in addition to its interpretation of the law, when it determined that Trump could name Matthew G. Whitaker acting attorney general, temporarily replacing Jeff Sessions, despite the fact that Whitaker had held no position confirmed by the Senate.

"Some people have described it as a one-way ratchet," said Jonathan Shaub, who served in the OLC from 2014 through the summer of 2017. "A president does something. The next president comes along and says, 'I can do this other thing that's just a step further.' "

The OLC's precedent Shaub said, "sets the stage for future presidents, and most favor executive branch authority."

Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec declined to comment.

Unlike a court, the OLC's opinion-making process is neither neutral, adversarial nor transparent. Much of its work is kept secret. Some is informal, according to lawyers who have worked there, consisting of emails and purely oral communications.

All this is among the reasons executive branch power keeps expanding, often at the expense of Congress, particularly in areas involving war powers and national security.

On occasion, precedent doesn't matter so much. The most recent example of that came when the OLC said the appointment of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as adviser to the president, did not run afoul of federal nepotism laws.

The decision, dated on Trump's Inauguration Day, ran contrary to at least four earlier OLC opinions on similar questions. The office said it had "reexamined the legislative materials" on nepotism. (The federal anti-nepotism law was enacted after Bobby Kennedy served as attorney general to his brother, President John F. Kennedy, and did not apply to Hillary Clinton, who served as health-care adviser to her husband, because a court ruled the first lady was a "de facto" White House official.)

The most famous reversal was the revocation by the OLC in 2004 of the "torture memos" authorized by the same office for the George W. Bush administration after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

For a Cornell Law Review article, scholar Adoree Kim compared the OLC's publicly released decisions advising executive branch agencies with those advising the White House and found a sharp divergence. While the office often felt free to say "no" to agency legal interpretations, it was far more obliging to the White House.

"The OLC is deeply deferential to the President and to presidential action," she wrote, and "this deference is not unique to times of crisis. It is also not limited to the realm of foreign affairs, or to constitutional questions. Rather, the OLC demonstrates systematic partiality toward the President." The office, she concluded, is indeed the "president's law firm."

But "as a practical matter," said Walter Dellinger, who ran the office for three years under President Bill Clinton, "it is difficult to cut back on opinions expanding executive power," though it can and has been done.

Deference to the president "is baked into OLC's culture," former OLC lawyer Erica Newland wrote recently in The Washington Post. It "proceeds from the assumption that the president is acting consistent with Article II of the Constitution and with his oath of office, both of which require that he 'faithfully' execute the laws."

"But when I was at OLC, I saw again and again how the decision to trust the president failed the office's attorneys, the Justice Department and the American people. The failure took different forms," she wrote. "Sometimes, we just wouldn't look that closely at the claims the president was making about the state of the world. When we did look closely, we could give only nudges." Newland left the office in November. "I decided that the responsibilities entailed in my oath were incompatible with the expectations of my job," she wrote.
Bloomberg photo by Marlene Awaad.

President Donald Trump agreed with Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan to form a joint study group on the Russian S-400 missile defense system, which Turkey wants to buy despite U.S. pressure to abandon the purchase, according to officials from both nations familiar with the decision.

In a call with Trump on Wednesday, the Turkish president reiterated his desire to jointly examine any risks the system poses to the next-generation F-35 jet, according to a Turkish official who asked not to be identified discussing details of the call. Trump agreed, though the American view is that the group's findings will support the U.S. position that deploying the Russian system would put the fighter plane at risk, according to an American official.
Bush has supported the initiative as it was crafted, and and posted on her website earlier this week that my belief has always been that if were going to legalize adult-use cannabis, we need to do it right. This is a comprehensive piece of legislation thats years in the making. I believe this measure promotes equity and justice while providing law enforcement with the resources they need to adapt to this new standard of law.
LONDON - After seven years holed up in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is showing symptoms of "psychological torture" as he serves a British prison sentence and battles extradition to the United States, according to a United Nations official.

Extraditing Assange to the U.S., following the announcement last week of 17 new charges under the Espionage Act, would represent a grave threat to his human rights, including a scenario in which the anti-secrecy activist could receive "a life sentence without parole, or possibly even the death penalty, if further charges were to be added in the future," said Nils Melzer the U.N. special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

"In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution, I have never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law," read a statement released Friday by Melzer.

On Thursday, Assange, 47, missed a scheduled court appearance via videolink because he was "not very well," according to his lawyer, and had been transferred from his cell to the health ward of Belmarsh Prison. WikiLeaks claimed Assange had "dramatically lost weight" and quoted a defense lawyer saying "it was not possible to conduct a normal conversation with him."

"In the atmosphere and the conditions, he has gone from one prison to another prison," WikiLeaks editor Kristinn Hrafnsson said.

Assange regularly complained about how Ecuador treated him while he took refuge in a corner room of its red brick embassy. He unsuccessfully sued the Foreign Ministry last year over demands that he pay for his medical bills and clean up after his cat - among other conditions that he said were intended to force him from the embassy. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights also dismissed his complaints.

Melzer said in an interview with The Washington Post that he at first declined to weigh in on conditions at the embassy when contacted by Assange's lawyers in December. The special rapporteur said he can only pursue a couple of the 10 to 15 requests he receives each day. Additionally, Melzer admitted he was no fan of WikiLeaks and considered its founder a bad actor.

Reports that Assange kept an untidy bathroom and left divots in the floor from his skateboard didn't help.

But after Assange was expelled from the embassy and arrested by British police, Melzer agreed to look into his detention, spending four hours with Assange at Belmarsh Prison on the outskirts of London this month.

In his public statement, Melzer said the WikiLeaks founder "showed all symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma."

Melzer said he had two medical experts who accompanied him to document the symptoms. "He perceives his whole environment to be hostile," he said. "He was starting to become completely hopeless."

He added that Assange is being prevented from taking sufficient part in his own legal defense. Last week, the special rapporteur said, Assange was brought an hour and 40 minutes late to a meeting with his attorneys, leaving just 20 minutes for discussions - too little time even to translate a document pertaining to Sweden's decision to reopen a rape investigation against him.

"This adds to his anxiety, because he's someone who's always been at the center of organizing things and that's the way he copes," said Melzer, who is also an international law professor at Glasgow University and holds the human rights chair at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

Britain's Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the terms of Assange's imprisonment.

The U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention earlier called for Assange's release, saying his 50-week sentence is disproportionate to his jumping bail in 2012, when he was wanted by Swedish authorities for questioning about allegations of rape and sexual assault, which he denies. The U.N. group further asserted that Assange's detention at high-security Belmarsh "appears to contravene the principles of necessity and proportionality."

Assange was sent to Belmarsh because, in addition to its high-security function, it is a local prison serving the Westminster Magistrates' Court, where his extradition case is being heard. Assange has been charged in the United States with conspiring to hack a government computer and violating the Espionage Act by seeking out and disseminating classified information.

Assange is not in the block of Belmarsh reserved for the highest-risk inmates, its "Category A" wing once criticized as "Britain's Guantanamo Bay." Instead, he is classified as "Category B" and, at least before going to the health ward, had been held in an individual unit on a cell block with about 70 detainees, according to Melzer.

In his cell, which is about 6 feet by 10 feet, he has a bed, a cupboard, a blackboard, a plastic chair and a toilet. Three hours of "association time" each day allow him to interact with other inmates, complete chores and manage his personal hygiene. He has no access to a computer, Melzer said.

Journalist Charles Glass, a friend of Assange's, said Belmarsh was an improvement over the embassy, in that Assange would get time outside and have access to free medical care provided by the National Health Service.

Built in 1991, Belmarsh is modern by the standards of British prisons. The facility is typical in suffering from budgetary pressures and staffing shortages, said Mark Day, head of policy for the London-based Prison Reform Trust.

These problems have spawned violence and enabled the spread of drugs. Some disciplinary staff were "dismissive and disrespectful toward prisoners," according to a 2018 review. Sixty percent of men had as little as one to three hours a day unlocked from their cells. There had been three "self-inflicted deaths" since the previous report in 2015. About 10 incidents of self-harm occurred each month.

"You wouldn't want to be there if you had a choice, but the difficulties will be accidental or unthinking rather than deliberate," said Nicholas Hardwick, who led a review of the prison in 2015.

Britain's longest-serving prisoner, John Massey, was sent to Belmarsh after he escaped in 2012 from a prison in north London. He was roughed up, he recounted to the Guardian after being released last year, and told that he had "upset a lot of people."

As much as Melzer is concerned about Assange's treatment at Belmarsh, he worries extradition to the U.S. would constitute a human rights violation. Britain has said it will not send the WikiLeaks founder to a country where he would face the death penalty.

The U.S. criminal complaint against Assange announced last week, which has alarmed advocates of press freedom, claims his disclosures "created a grave and imminent risk to human life."

"There's no chance he'll get a fair trial in the U.S.," Melzer said. "That's where I draw the line."
MEXICO CITY - Mexico's president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, ran for office preaching the need to respect the rights of migrants. But since taking office in September, his administration has attempted to prove both to the Trump Administration and to Central America asylum seekers that it will not allow unencumbered passage through its country.

For years before Lopez Obrador took office, Mexico deported large numbers of Central American migrants - more even than the United States. From January 2015 to September 2018, Mexico deported 436,125 Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans.

Deportations by Mexican authorities have increased compared with the same period last year, according to the latest statistics. Between January and April, Mexico has deported more than 37,000 migrants, according to its immigration agency. It has become more antagonistic toward migrant caravans, which last year traveled through Mexico with relative freedom.

Now, many of those traveling with caravans are forced to apply for transit passes before they can continue, a process which has dramatically slowed down the movement of such groups. In recent months, those migrants have protested in front of Mexico's immigration offices, calling the country xenophobic.

"We have to make a response because there cannot continue to be hundreds of thousands of migrants passing through Mexico and arriving at the northern border," said Olga Sanchez Cordero, the interior minister, when a caravan began to form in March.

In a letter to President Donald Trump Thursday, Lopez Obrador wrote that the White House knew Mexico was working to avoid "passage through our country."

But tens of thousands of Central Americans, mostly from Guatemala and Honduras and mostly traveling with smugglers, still travel through Mexico each month. U.S. officials say Mexico isn't doing enough to secure its southern border with Guatemala, or crack down on the private bus companies that ferry migrants through the country, usually accompanied by their smugglers.

"To address this crisis, Mexico must take significant action to secure their southern border, stop the unlawful flow of migrants across their territory, and attack the criminal groups preying on vulnerable migrants and profiting from these smuggling enterprises," said acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan.

Mexico's 570-mile border with Guatemala is largely porous, with people visibly swimming back and forth across the Suchiate River that separates the two countries, and Mexican officials typically looking the other way. Over the last year, smugglers have turned to informal border crossings in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, which migrants traverse on their way to main bus routes.

"We fully believe they have the ability to stop people coming from their southern border," McAleenan said.

Many of the migrants are traveling with their families. More than 75,000 families have traveled through Mexico on their way to the U.S. border in May alone, according to McAleenan.

Mexican officials say that while the country's southern border remains porous, immigration agents and other security officials have set up highway checkpoints along main corridors, where buses and trailers are inspected. In some cases, though, Mexican immigration officials have been found accepting bribes in exchange for allowing the passage of those without documentation.

Perhaps most dramatically, the United States in recent months has begun forcing many asylum applicants to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed. More than 5,000 people have so far been processed under the "Remain in Mexico" policy, which is meant to keep migrants from living and working in the United States while they await their court dates.

The Mexican government said it had no choice but to comply with the policy, and it has accepted the asylum seekers who are in many cases housed and fed in Mexican migrant shelters.
There are growing calls to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, but not from the lawmakers that matter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Of the 46-and-counting House Democrats who think Congress should open impeachment proceedings, only one is from a Republican-leaning district - Rep. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey. Most of the rest represent heavily liberal communities, places like Portland, Oregon, or some of the most liberal neighborhoods in New York City.

Pelosi's primary job is to keep the House of Representatives in Democratic control, and she's not worried about winning these districts again in 2020. She's worried about lawmakers in tight races in swing or even moderately Democratic districts, the people you don't see on this list. Given that polls show a majority of Americans oppose impeachment of Trump - even if most think the president lied - most of those lawmakers are staying quiet.

Most members of Congress who support impeachment have nothing to lose in doing so. In fact, you could argue that lawmakers such as Reps. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., or Barbara Lee (Calif.) would lose credit back home if they didn't call for Trump's impeachment. They represent some of the most anti-Trump places in the country.

Espaillat's Manhattan district voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 over Trump by a margin of 87 percentage points. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which assigns each congressional district a partisan ranking based on how Democratic- or Republican-leaning it is, ranks his district as Democratic by 43 points! (For comparison, an average swing district leans one way or the other by three points or less.)

Another ultraliberal lawmaker firmly in the impeachment camp is Maxine Waters, D-Calif. She chairs the House Financial Services Committee, and she was one of the first members of Congress to call for impeaching Trump, well before the Mueller report was released. She represents a heavily Hispanic part of Los Angeles that voted for Clinton by a margin of 61 points.

And as such, Waters can say things like this about Trump on her Twitter account:

"Low life Trump - lying, crooked, tax evader, porn star fornicator - should take his ridiculous self home, resign, and free us of what we will have to do to impeach him and throw him out of office!"

Pelosi isn't worried about these lawmakers. The ones she is focused on live in much more conservative places in Georgia, like newly elected Rep. Lucy McBath, or Iowa, like Rep. Abby Finkenauer. Both represent districts that voted for Trump in 2016, and both knocked off Republicans last year to win their seats. They are top Republican targets for 2020.

On Thursday afternoon, Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., announced he supported impeachment proceedings. He represents a Democratic-leaning district, but it's not quite as liberal as the others on this list. And he spent considerable time in his statement acknowledging his decision might be unpopular with some of his constituents.

"This is a conclusion I reached only recently," he said, "and not one I reached lightly."

By virtue of winning back control of the House in 2018, Democrats have quite a few vulnerable newly elected lawmakers. The Cook Political Report ranks 17 Democratic-held seats as toss-up races, compared to just four Republican-held ones.

More centrist Democrats than liberals picked up Republican-held seats, points out Jim Kessler, a Democratic strategist with the centrist think tank Third Way. Their reelections will be critical for helping House Democrats keep their majority in 2020, and thus their concerns arguably carry more weight than the ones liberals have.

That's especially true when it comes to impeachment.

There's an argument the pro-impeachers make that opening impeachment proceedings against Trump is the right thing to do for the history books. Special counsel Robert Mueller made a rare public statement this week in which he made it clear that it is up to Congress to act if it wants to, given that he was hamstrung by Justice Department guidelines that bar charging a president with a federal crime while he is in office. Hundreds of former federal prosecutors from Democratic and Republican administrations think Trump would have been charged with a crime if he were not a sitting president.

Another pro-impeachment argument being made behind closed doors to Pelosi maintains that saying the "i" word will actually help House Democrats win court battles with Trump over information for their investigations. The courts are more likely to force the Trump administration to hand over documents and testimony and the unredacted Mueller report if Congress needs them to carry out its constitutionally mandated right to impeach a president.

But the moral and practical reasons for impeachment - however valid they may be - don't stand up to Pelosi's political concerns that impeachment would jeopardize her hard-won majority. And until public opinion on impeachment moves in such a way that these vulnerable lawmakers feel OK supporting it, the growing list of Democrats who are calling for impeachment will remain on the liberal side of the aisle, and they won't have much sway on Pelosi.
And then theres the special cases of the Beach Park and Zion school districts, which were originally slated to close for the academic year around June 6. Not only did that get pushed back by the four weather-related days, but, according to Zion District 6, an additional school cancellation due to the chemical spill on April 25, 2019, has extended the last day of school for all PreK- 7th grade students (to) June 12. The same is true for Beach Parks five elementary schools.
If you are Texan interested in the art of weaponized self-defense, listen up.

Memorial Day weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott concluded the 2019 session of the Texas Legislature. One of the bills that earned his signature was HB 446.

The bill, which was primarily authored by Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, lifts the state's ban on carrying brass knuckles and kitty key chains in public.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Here's why teacher turnover remains high in Texas public schools

Moody told reporters that the bill is "another step toward getting rid of antiquated laws regarding weapons."

The old bill previously said "possessing knuckles is a class A misdemeanor" (up to one year in jail and/or a maximum fine of $4,000).

Individuals in Texas can start carrying these items legally beginning on Sept. 1, 2019. The new law also only would apply to cases on or after that date.

In the Texas House Research Organization bill analysis, the "supporters" section says "Knuckles are primarily a defensive tool and should not be classified with explosive weapons, machine guns, and other prohibited weapons."

The Texas Department of Public Safety released data the reveal 93 individuals were convicted of brass knuckle violations in 2017.

Peter Dawson is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | Peter.Dawson@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 Hale County jail occasionally takes in inmates from other counties.

Sheriff David Cochran told the Hale County Commissioners on Tuesday that there have been cases where a high-profile inmate from Lubbock was moved to Plainview.

If a situation arises where an inmate from Lubbock has to be housed in Plainview, the Hale County Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to charge $52 per day. Commissioner Harold King, precinct 1, was not present.

Cochran said that amount has increased from $48 in the past.

He presented the change in the agreement to the court during a regular meeting on Tuesday.

Cochran also presented an agreement with Reeves County for the same amount per day.

Just before Cochran's presentation, Mario Martinez, commissioner of precinct 2, was granted approval from the court to purchase a new motor grader and trade in an old one.

The court also approved numerous other financial business items. Here is a list of what was approved:

Budget amendments:

Insurance recovery for the removal of the tower

Shifting $5,539.75 toward the purchase of the airport hangar

Insurance recovery for two county vehicles

Line-item transfers for janitorial and office supplies or county departments

Line-item transfer for public liability, workers compensation and unemployed insurances

Scheduling the budget workshop for July 22  department budgets have to be turned in by June 28

Monthly closing balance of $21,804,709.56 for April 30

Approval for the affidavit to run in the paper

County holidays for 2020

Sale of property lots in Hale Center

Approval for SO employees to attend a conference in Tennessee

New jailers for the SO
(Bloomberg) -- Progressive U.S. House member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is gaining support from a most unusual source, arch-conservative Republican Senator Ted Cruz, for her suggestion to ban lobbying by former members of Congress.

"Heres something I dont say often: on this point, I AGREE with @AOC," wrote Cruz, an ally of President Donald Trump, in response to her message on Twitter Thursday. "The Swamp would hate it, but perhaps a chance for some bipartisan cooperation?"

Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the most visible of Congresss new progressive insurgents, didnt immediately agree, tweeting back that shed only pair with Cruz if they could "agree on a bill with no partisan snuck-in clauses, no poison pills, etc."

"Then Ill co-lead the bill with you," she wrote.

"Youre on," Cruz responded.

SERIOUS BUSINESS: Ted Cruz not laughing about space pirate jabs on MSNBC, Twitter

Trump campaigned in 2016 on a promise to "drain the swamp" in Washington, but little has been done to tighten ethics rules aside from a bill passed this year by House Democrats and ignored by Senate Republicans.

Current rules bar former members of the House of Representatives from lobbying their old colleagues for a year after leaving. The Senate has a two-year ban.

"I dont think it should be legal at ALL to become a corporate lobbyist if youve served in Congress," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter. "At minimum there should be a long wait period."

Yet many lawmakers -- such as former House Speaker John Boehner, who joined the board of marijuana company Acreage Holdings Inc. -- provide advice on policy for companies, which isnt covered by the lobbying ban because it doesnt involve cajoling their onetime colleagues in Congress.

Ocasio-Cortez cited a report from the watchdog group Public Citizen that said almost 60% of the lawmakers who left Congress last year have taken have taken jobs influencing policy.

"It is understandably unpopular to discuss giving Congress any raises or perks - & bc of that, theres incentive to keep $ loopholes open," she wrote.

In March, Cruz tweeted a message by another ideological opposite, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, who said Facebook Inc. has too much power over speech online.

--With assistance from Bill Allison.

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
The district also agreed to provide training to Wauconda High School staff on professionalism related to communicating with or about something thats been redacted and other redacted subjects, though the district retains discretion on when and how that training would occur.
Ive been gone for 46 years, but thats home, he said, adding later that to leave somewhere like Waukegan where you know everybody and everybody knows you will definitely be a low point, but after 46 years, I feel the high point will be getting closer to my family in South Carolina, where I can spend time with them.
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
The events of the past seven days or so may have been a forgettable one for Fianna Fail, but in Joe Flaherty the party might just have found its political messiah.

The Longford based newspaper director has long been heralded as the man charged with restoring Fianna Fails local as well as national fortunes by becoming its first TD since the late Peter Kelly in 2011.

Yet, in the lead up to last Fridays vote much of the spotlight on Cllr Flahertys local election campaign had not been directed at whether the father of three would get elected, but rather where his candidacy would ultimately finish once counting got underway.

As it transpired, not only did the Lanesboro native comfortably return to the chamber of Longfords local authority, but he did so by seeing off 15 of the Districts other candidates.

Im very happy, he said, as he quickly switched his attention to his three other party running mates still vying to follow him across the line.

I was happy with my vote but obviously Im conscious of the people coming behind me. We (party) still have Seamus Butler, Martin Monahan, Uruemu Adejinmi on the battle front, so Im hopeful that at least two, if not three will come in behind me as well.

Those hopes were loosely based on the 215 surplus votes which came his way and the solid performances of both group leader Seamus Butler (656 first preferences) and Martin Monaghan (576 first preferences).

Approximately 77 of those, or just over a third went the way of both of his aforementioned party colleagues, thereby enhancing claims that the party might yet attain its pre election objectives of three seats.

I havent had a chance to reflect on the figures, but I do believe that Martin has polled extremely strong for a first time candidate, he said.

I think its an outstanding vote and I think its an outstanding vote.

There were warm sentiments too, aired in the direction of fellow first time candidate Uruemu Adejinmi whose 248 first preference return endorsed her own political capabilities to consider running in future elections.

And Cllr Flaherty wasted little time in launching a thinly veiled swipe at the main government party amid claims Fine Gael were on the cusp of re-establishing its stranglehold over the finer workings of Longford County Council.

Fine Gael obsess over power and are obsessed with being in power, he said bluntly.

We (Fianna Fail) look at the greater good.

Weve been within the council for the past five years and weve had a very consensus led council and we involved the Independents and Fine Gael.

Thats the way we operate. With Fine Gael, its a bit like Game of Thrones.

Theyre clutching at it (power) and rattling at it, but at the end of the day, were here to serve the people in Longford and thats ultimately what we want to do and were keen to get back into the council chamber, keen to get back into the various SPCs and get this county moving because weve had wanton neglect now for seven years, irregardless of the spin that the government is putting out there.

They can repackage as many announcements as they want, but the reality is were not getting service, were not getting funding, were not getting the investment that this county and specifically rural Ireland deserves.
A man charged in connection to a fatal road accident in north Longford which claimed the life of a mother of four has told a court: I am extremely sorry for the woman, especially her children.

Claire Bann, from Dromod, Co Leitrim, was fatally injured when her car was involved in a collision with two other vehicles on the R198 at Cloonagh near Drumlish on November 30 2017.

Thirty-four-year-old Gary Crichton, of Little Brittan Street Hostel, Dublin 1 appeared before Judge Seamus Hughes at Longford District Court where details of arrest, charge and caution were read out by Garda Padraig McConnon.

He said Mr Crichton was arrested last Tuesday at Ronanstown Garda Station and brought back to Longford where he was later charged.

Garda McConnon said after cautioning Mr Crichton, the defendant replied: I am extremely sorry for the woman, especially her children.

He was later charged with a Section 53 offence of dangerous driving under the Road Traffic Act 1961.

Judge Hughes asked why it had taken the length of time it had to bring any charges against Mr Crichton.

Garda McConnon said one of the main reasons behind the delay was the fact Mr Crichton was homeless, leaving it difficult for gardai to track his whereabouts.

In defence, solicitor Brid Mimnagh said her client, originally from Mullingar had co-operated with gardai from the outset and was very badly injured himself as a result of the collision.
A Co Longford man has appeared in court charged with multiple counts of engaging in sexual acts with a teenage girl.

The 33-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was brought before a sitting of Longford District Court this afternoon where details of the 12 charges were relayed before Judge Seamus Hughes.

The majority of the charges, which were brought under Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006, allegedly took place at an address in Longford town between October 1 2013 and December 31 2013.

Detective Garda Damien McGovern gave evidence of having arrested the accused man in Dublin this morning before bringing him to Longford Garda Station where he was charged just after lunchtime.

Judge Hughes issued a reporting restriction on the media, prohibiting the publication of either the name of the victim or the accused.

Det Garda McGovern said it will be alleged that the accused made contact with his 13-year-old victim via social media which resulted in the commencement of a sexual relationship for a three month period.

Asked by Judge Hughes as to how the alleged victim was fairing since, Det Garda McGovern said the complainant 'appears to be in a good place'.

The court was told a book of evidence in the case would be ready within the next four weeks.

In granting bail to the accused man, a number of conditions were imposed.

He was ordered to sign on weekly at Longford Garda Station, to have no contact with the alleged injured party either directly or indirectly, to surrender his passport within 48 hours and to refrain from using social media.

He is due to appear in court again on June 25 2019.
Among the trucks that will be at some or all of the events are Tacos Maui, Burritoville, Cookies with Flavor, My Funnel Cake, Beach Bums Tropical Sno, Cheesie's, The Fat Shallot, The Roaming Hog, Smokin' Z BBQ, Nothing Bundt Cakes and more.
Teachers and students in Longford are being called on to participate in Erasmus+ Schools Week 2019, which will take place from Monday, September 30 to Friday, October 4, across Ireland.

Erasmus+ Schools Week is coordinated by Leargas, the national agency for Erasmus+ in adult education, school education, vocational education and training, and youth. Erasmus+ provides funding and support for organisations  including schools  to create projects that encourage European exchange, cooperation and learning.

Also read: Not even age stopped Ardagh's Anne Byrne from casting her vote

In 2018 alone, more than 4,200 students in over 100 primary and secondary schools across Ireland took part in Erasmus+ projects. Erasmus+ Schools Week 2019 offers schools the opportunity to celebrate their projects and share their experiences with the wider community. Its open to all schools that have taken part in Erasmus+ since 2014.

Leargas is now inviting schools to get involved in Erasmus+ Schools Week, through activities big or small.

Ideas include:

- Hosting a European-themed party;

- Creating videos or blog posts that show what its like to take part in Erasmus+;

- Holding an information get-together on Erasmus+ projects for schools, parents and the community.

Leo Gilmartin, Client Services Officer at Leargas, said: Last year, schools around the country ran an amazing variety of events and activities with fun, collaboration and learning at their core. This year, we look forward to seeing even more schools in Longford  and throughout Ireland  embracing the opportunity to share their work and experiences with their communities.

These are the kinds of exciting initiatives well be celebrating during Erasmus+ Schools Week 2019, and we look forward to hearing from Longford schools on how they plan to mark the occasion.

For more information and application forms, see https://www.leargas.ie/news/erasmus-schools-week-2019/.

Application forms should be returned to www.schools@leargas.ie by 5pm, May 31.
There has been some good news today for the owners of Longford company Mulleady Properties & Co Ltd, Friday May 31, as a JCB stolen from one of their sites in recent weeks has been returned safe and sound.

Owners of the Longford based business, which is owned and operated by brothers Martin and Mike Mulleady, awoke on the morning of Monday, May 13, to find their 2014 JCB 540-140 had been stolen from a site in Ballymahon.

The vehicle, which is valued at 50,000, was stolen at approximately 4:30am that morning and CCTV cameras at Center Parcs Ballymahon, confirmed a sighting of the JCB being transported down the road at that time.

It was stolen at about 4:30 am in the morning. Mike Mulleady told the Leader.

Although Mike Mulleady and his team had given up hope on recovering the stolen property, they were ecstatic to see it returned to Longford earlier today.

Mike explained, We got it back this morning. It arrived back in Dublin Port late last night, but we got it back onsite in Drumlish this morning around 9am.

It was sadly missed for two weeks, but it is back in use again, he beamed.

The machine was located thanks to a built-in tracker, which the they only found out was working the Friday after it was stolen, three days later. The tracker showed the machine was in Dublin Port, but upon inspection they could not find it and the signal was eventually lost.

We didnt know when we bought the machine if the tracker was live or not. We only got the tracker going on the Friday morning, three days after. Mike said.

The tracker came alive on the Friday and showed it was in Dublin port. We checked out Dublin port, but we couldnt find it as the JCB had been loaded at that stage.

A few days later, the signal was recovered again and showed the JCB was travelling through Rotterdam, Holland and onto Germany. The tracker enabled police, Interpol and Gardai to eventually recover the machine, all the way in Hamburg, Germany, much to Mikes delight.

Mike said, The tracker went dead for two or three days again, but it came live again in Rotterdam.

It was eventually picked up about twenty minutes north of Hamburg,

Mike said the machine was recovered thanks to the hard work of Gardai, Interpol and police across the pond. He had a special mention for local gardai, Sergeant David Bunn, Eugene OSullivan and Tom Killion.

He said, There was huge work done by Interpol and Gardai.

JCB, they did savage work too because they had to set the tracker back. It was a huge effort by everyone.

It is a magnificent story for everyone involved.

Mike concluded by urging fellow machinery owners to ensure the trackers are working correctly on their machines and to ensure their sites are safe and secure at night.

"Only for the tracker, this machine would have never been found." he concluded.
A woman who confronted Gemma O'Doherty while the EU election candidate was on a walk-through of Longford town yesterday evening has spoken out about her fury at the use of her child's image to further what has widely been referred to online as a "racist agenda".

Aneta Safiak dropped everything when she heard Ms O'Doherty was in Longford, so that she could go out and have what she hoped would be a two-way conversation. A video, which surfaced online, showed Ms O'Doherty trying to escape the local mother when confronted.

Ms O'Doherty began a live video yesterday evening outside the Longford Leader offices alongside James Reynolds of the National party. They had just arrived at St Mel's Cathedral when Aneta approached.

"This was my only chance to face her and to speak to her and I had to take it," Aneta told the Longford Leader this afternoon.

"Somebody texted me the link to her post and told me she was in Longford. I was in my pyjamas and slippers. My children were going to sleep. I didnt have any makeup on. But this was my only opportunity. I knew that if I sent her a Facebook message or commented, she would ignore me because she doesnt reply to people on Facebook.

"This was my only chance to face her and to speak to her and I had to take it."

As Aneta approached Ms O'Doherty, she said that the latter was very friendly until she realised that Aneta was the mother of one of the boys pictured.

"I am a five foot, small, heavily pregnant woman and I waited for her at the cathedral and she was all smiley and nice. But as soon as I said I was the mother of one of the boys in the photo, she didnt want to talk to me," she explained.

The video does not show any of the people involved but Aneta can be heard politely asking if she could speak with Ms O'Doherty, to which the latter responded "Are you going to abuse me?"

Ms O'Doherty then made attempts to avoid speaking to the local mother, saying "I don't want to talk to you at the moment if you don't mind".

"Why not?" Aneta asked.

"Because I don't really want to," Ms O'Doherty replied as she quickly walked away from Aneta.

I salute the Longford mother who called the self-professed racist a "c**t" for sharing her son's photo online.



"You shared a picture of my son, share yours if you want to"



"You're not welcome"



"My son is Irish"



"You don't know the word abuse"#StrongerTogether #RacistsOut pic.twitter.com/1G7ZqmJTgs  Newsworthy_ie (@newsworthy_ie) May 30, 2019

Speaking to the Longford Leader this afternoon, Aneta said: "And then she ran away from me into the cathedral. I thought there was a mass on in the cathedral because the lights were on, so I didnt follow her. If I had known it was empty, I would have."

When living in her native Poland, Aneta explained that she worked for a local radio station for five years: "And she said she used to be a journalist? Well I expected more from a journalist. I expected her to stand up for what she believes in and to argue with me and to tell me why she thinks Im wrong - not run away," she said.

"She started her video in front of the Longford Leader and she said she hopes that some of the journalists would come out and speak to her. She seemed so brave and courageous. But when I came out to speak to her, she ran away.

"I was furious because a picture of my son and his friends was used by her. My son in that picture was among those that she called Irish because he is a white, blonde boy. And he is Irish. He was born here. He speaks fluent English and he speaks Irish. And it was so offensive to me because she used him to point out that his friends are, in her view, lesser than he is," said Aneta.

"She mentioned a couple of times that she used to cover court cases pity none of them were about copyright. Because she didnt follow copyright law. She just used the picture as her own."

Aneta is one of several parents who are hurt and furious at Ms O'Doherty's use of their children in her recent social media post. Her fury came through in her exchange with Ms O'Doherty. But, Aneta explained, she's not proud of her use of the 'c' word.

"Thats not me, what I said. In my 15 years living in Ireland I have never, ever used that word," she said. But, she added, it happened in a moment of anger when she faced the woman who put a photo of her son up online without consent.
Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: May 31 2019

The subject pushed the victim and fled in a 4-door sedan occupied by two unknown males.

The Fifth Squad reports the details of a Robbery that occurred on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. in Elmont.

According to detectives, a 27 year old female victim arranged to sell her cell phone to an unknown male. The victim met the male in the vicinity of Murray Hill Street. When the subject paid the victim for the cell phone, she believed the bills to be fake and asked for the phone back. The subject pushed her and entered a dark 4-door sedan occupied by two unknown black males. The subjects fled the scene in an unknown direction. No injuries were reported.

The subject who was purchasing the phone is described as a male black, approximately 59 tall, 140 pounds. He was wearing a dark hooded shirt and dark jeans.

Detectives request anyone with information regarding the above incident contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.
Music, Movies & Entertainment, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Arts & Culture, Press Releases

By Meg Parisi Published: May 31 2019

Nassau & Suffolk County music teachers are eligible for nomination

The Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHoF) is excited to announce that nominations are open for the 2019 Music Educator of Note Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in Long Island music education.

The Music Educator of Note Award celebrates those that allow young people to explore their talents in music. The award recipient will be an individual who has worked with children in public, private or regional programs in Brooklyn, Nassau, Queens or Suffolk County.

"We are delighted to continue acknowledging the amazing music teachers that bring their love for music and passion for education to the classroom and their districts every day," explained Ernie Canadeo, Chairman of LIMHoF.

Nominations must be received by September 30, 2019. All previous nominees are eligible for consideration, and past applications will be reviewed without resubmission. Successful nominees will receive a Certificate of Merit.

Previous awardees of LIMHoF's Music Educator of Note Award are Herbert Deutsch, 2007; John McNeur, 2008; Joseph R. Sugar, 2009; Laurence Ballereau, 2010; Robert W. Krueger, 2011; William Katz, 2012; Steven E. Schopp, 2013; Dr. David Fryling, 2014; Joseph Rutkowski, 2015; Frank Doyle, 2016; Abby Behr, 2017 and Lynette Carr-Hicks, 2018.

Visit here to enter the 2019 Music Educator of Note.For more information, contact LIMHoF's Board Member for Community Outreach, Kelly Leung, at (516) 938-1626 or kellyl@limusichalloffame.org.

Founded in 2004, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame is an organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island's musical heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization, which encompasses New York State's Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, and Kings (Brooklyn) Counties, was created as a place of community that inspires and explores Long Island music in all its forms.

To date, the organization has inducted more than 100 musicians and music industry executives, and also offers education programs and scholarships to Long Island students, sponsors the Long Island Sound Award, and features traveling educational exhibits, including a state-of-the-art mobile museum. Visit their website at: http://www.limusichalloffame.org/.
The teachers union annually gives three scholarships to high school seniors who are children of members and one scholarship to an education major in the third year of study. The scholarships are awarded for extracurricular participation and contributions to the community.
Promises made, not delivered

For years the American public has been fed promise after promise, a few carried out but while many were forgotten after the speakers lips stopped moving. I bet most folks have their own favorite, but I have two that stand out from all the rest. Just add your name and number to the Do-Not-Call-List and youll never receive another unwanted phone call. And, my favorite, If you sign up for cable youll never have to watch another commercial again.

And we thought snake-oil salesmen were a thing of the past?

Ronald Navickas

Shelby Twp.

Doctors should control pot

Recently, because a friend thought I was slightly depressed because of age and health problems, she gave me brownies baked with pot.

I had no idea pot was in the brownies. They tasted very good and I ate two.

However I became extremely jovial and laughed too much and couldnt control or concentrate right at all and for quite a while. I knew I wasnt acting right, but couldnt control my actions.

Now if this affected me in a way I wasnt responsible for, I didnt appreciate my friend hiding it from me.

If it gave me ridiculous actions and a dont care attitude. This proves to me pot isnt a safe substance, especially for people driving.

My answer to pot is for doctors to prescribe only an amount to relieve serious pain that others meds dont help. There should be no need for licensed stores to dispense it. Only doctors should release an amount in their office and record the amount given carefully.

Betty Tenney

Sterling Heights
This content is from: European Union

A lack of clarity over Brexit is leading more lawyers to seek to secure their rights in Ireland, including rights of audience before the CJEU and EUIPO and access to the EU market
Woolwine Elementary recognized

Woolwine Elementary in Patrick County is the only school in Patrick or Henry counties that is among 175 in the state to earn a Distinguished Achievement award from Gov. Ralph Northam and the state Board of Education.

This means the school met all state and federal benchmarks and made progress toward the goals specified by the governor and the state Board of Education as part of the 2019 Virginia Index of Performance awards for advanced student learning and achievement. This program recognizes schools and divisions that exceed state and federal accountability standards and achieve excellence goals established by the Governor and the Board of Education.

The Virginia Index of Performance program was established by the state Board of Education in 2007 as a means of recognizing schools and school divisions that exceed state and federal accountability standards.

Henry PSA to be down this week for upgrades

Henry County and the Public Service Authority will make computer hardware upgrades that will prevent customers from being able to conduct in-person financial transactions between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, and the availability of online payments will be limited through June 10.

The upgrade will help protect the integrity of our financial management system, Christian Youngblood, information services director for Henry County and the PSA, said in the announcement. By doing the upgrade on a Friday afternoon and over the weekend, we minimize the inconvenience to taxpayers and PSA customers.

All systems are expected to be back online at the start of business on June 10.

Social services closed Friday

The Henry-Martinsville Department of Social Services will be closed on Friday for an agency staff meeting. The department is scheduled to reopen at 8 a.m. June 10.

Free lunch program at Smith Memorial

Add Smith Memorial United Methodist Church to the organizations hosting a summer lunch program.

Smiths daily program is open at 11:15 a.m.-1 p.m. daily in the fellowship hall, starting Monday and continuing through Aug. 1, except for July 1-5.

The church is an approved site for the federally funded lunch program and open to children and the adults who take them to lunch.

The church is located at the corner of Daniels Creek Road and John Redd Boulevard. For any questions contact Kim Joyce at 276-340-5858 or 4joyces@comcast.net
Martinsville General District Court Judge James McGarry on Friday found Devontae Massey incompetent to stand trial on charges including second-degree murder and ordered that he receive outpatient mental health services in the Martinsville Jail in an effort to restore him to competency.

McGarry also expressed regret to Massey for the lengthy process of getting him the mental health treatment and services he needs.

Massey, 23, of Martinsville is charged in the shooting death on Jan. 1 of Rasheem Oshea Hairston, 24, of Eden, N.C., a former resident of the Martinsville area.

In addition to second-degree murder, Massey is charged with offenses including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, reckless handling of a firearm, shooting at an occupied dwelling and shooting a firearm in a public place, causing injury.

Massey was at a party at 313 Clift St., according to a criminal complaint filed by Sgt. Richard Ratcliffe of the Martinsville Police Department, when witnesses said he became agitated, the complaint stated. Witnesses said they saw Massey  who had an obvious problem with Hairston, the complaint reported  with a gun.

At about 1:20 a.m. Jan. 1 the suspect fired his weapon from the street in front of the occupied dwelling, according to the complaint.

Responding police reported finding Hairston dead at the scene.

Shortly afterward, police were called to a hospital for a man who had been shot. That man, Massey, was treated at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for a two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, police reported.

Massey was arrested that day.

On March 6, Rebecca Loehrer, a licensed clinical psychologist, did a mental evaluation of Massey for an hour to an hour and a half, she testified during the hearing Friday.

She said she concluded that he was mentally incompetent to stand trial at that time, for a number of reasons. She cited his low IQ, learning disability, symptoms from trauma from having been shot, symptoms of depression and hallucinations. She indicated she felt he could not process information adequately to make good decisions as far as his defense.

Under Virginia law, a defendant may be declared mentally incompetent to stand trial if he "lacks substantial capacity to understand the proceedings against him or to assist his attorney in his own defense."

Special prosecutor A.J. Dudley, who is the commonwealths attorney of Franklin County, argued that Massey does not meet the criteria to be declared mentally incompetent. Dudley argued that low IQ of itself was not enough.

Dudley indicated he felt part of Masseys symptoms when he was evaluated in March may have been because of the pain he had experienced from having been shot.

Dudley had asked McGarry to order a second mental competency evaluation of Massey  this one at the request of the prosecution and looking at his current status. The evaluation in March was at the request of the defense. McGarry denied Dudleys request.

Dudley is prosecuting the case because the Martinsville Commonwealths Attorneys Office has a conflict of interest.

McGarry said that evaluation in March was the only competency evaluation that had been completed and that Loehrer had found Massey was mentally incompetent to stand trial.

McGarry then declared Massey incompetent to stand trial, which enables him to receive outpatient mental health services and treatment at the Martinsville Jail in an effort to restore him to competency.

McGarry said that couldnt have happened until a judge declared Massey mentally incompetent to stand trial.

I feel a little bad, McGarry said, about the length of time this process has taken (from Masseys arrest Jan. 1 until the court decision May 31). One factor was a shortage of judges, McGarry said.

Public Defender Sandra Haley also cited issues in scheduling some participants in the hearing Friday.

This needs to move faster, McGarry said of the process.

McGarry added that Massey is in need of [mental health] services.

It [the ruling] puts it in the Community Service Boards hands.

Piedmont Community Services, this areas community service board, provides mental health and other services.
There is never a clear and simple path in plotting the future of roadways, especially those that for generations in the future could repave an entire community.

So working around the politics and planning are where we stand in the flow of traffic about how to build the U.S. 220/58 bypass intersection and prepare a future when Interstate 73 would sweep in from North Carolina and provide a real thoroughfare north.

Youve been listening to these discussions for years, and they will continue as endlessly as the flow of cars on those prominent highways.

What you heard this past week was the Henry County Supervisors saying they endorse moving a reconstructed bypass interchange west of where it currently sits rather than east.

If you live In the vicinity of Ridgeway, you might have been alarmed. This might sound to you  or appear to you, if you study the routes sketched on a map  that your house and home is in imminent danger of being wiped away, or that the road on which you reside may be lost to bulldozers and graders.

And, sure, that could happen, but dont stop mowing your grass and begin talking to real-estate agents. This new domain isnt imminent.

There is no official route adopted, just those lines on a map. Consultants hired by the Virginia Department of Transportation simply are working through logistics, engineering issues and, yes, legislative bodies to get their cars in a row.

Think about a NASCAR race at Martinsville Speedway: One day a bunch of cars or trucks will be lined up and ready to go, but for now, were still talking about how those cars will be designed and operate.

The vote on Tuesday by supervisors  and there will be a similar one this month by the Martinsville City Council  simply endorses the requirement that the plans for the intersection must be west of its current course rather than east, as some had been drawn. The Army Corps of Engineers made that decision based on environmental concerns. That wont change.

But thats all that was said, as County Administrator Tim Hall explained a the boards meeting:

You are not selecting a route for either the Martinsville Southern Connector or for Interstate 73. This is merely to shift it back to where it originally was intended, which is the western side of the county and the western side of the city. The Martinsville Southern Connector project is a separate project. VDOT has identified, I think, five or six potential routes on the western side, but this board has not even considered for a second any of those routes to support. Those routes were just released, I think, two or three weeks ago."

Lets be clear about a couple of things: This project could not move too quickly to satisfy the needs of traffic flow in the region. The U.S. 220/58 bypass connection can be problematic, but the roadbed of U.S. 220 into North Carolina  particularly on the southbound side  is inadequate if not downright dangerous.

Facilities under construction at the Commonwealth Crossing business complex will make that situation much worse in the near future. If that complex ever were to reach full potential, with a constant flow of vehicles in and out, then gridlock would be a kind outcome.

So lets get this road on the show. Lets move as quickly as we can on this project. Lets find a way to attract businesses, bring people to our region and do so in a way that is both safe and efficient.

We never will be worried about that happening too fast.
Two pharmacists at the New England Compounding Center were sentenced in federal court in Boston this week in connection to the nationwide 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak that infected hundreds of patients and has left more than 100 dead.

The office of U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said Gene Svirskiy, 38, of Ashland, and Christopher Leary, 34, of Shrewsbury, were sentenced in Boston on Wednesday in connection to fraud and racketeering charges.

The two are among more than a dozen NECC staff found responsible for a fungal meningitis outbreak that was the largest public health crisis ever caused by a pharmaceutical drug, according to a statement from Lellings office.

A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Svirskiy to 30 months in prison and one year of supervised release on Wednesday. In December 2018, he was convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, 10 counts of mail fraud, and two counts of introduction of adulterated drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead.

Leary was also sentenced on Wednesday to two years of probation. His sentence also requires him to perform 100 hours of community service and stay confined to his home with electronic monitoring for the first eight months.

Leary was convicted of three counts of mail fraud, one count of introduction of adulterated drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, and two counts of introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.

More than 793 patients across 20 states were diagnosed with fungal infections after they received injections of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate, or MPA, manufactured by NECC. The U.S. attorneys office now says more than 100 patients have died as a result, an increase from the 64 patients who had died as of January 2018, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

Svirskiy, a supervising pharmacist, and Leary worked in the NECC clean room." Prosecutors said the two knowingly made and sold hundreds of drugs that were manufactured under unsafe, insanitary conditions. The U.S. attorneys office said that during their trials, evidence showed Svirskiy and Leary did not sterilize the drugs, used expired ingredients, and did not wait for test results before shipping the drugs off to customers.

The insanitary conditions at NECC included, among other things, a lack of proper cleaning, fraudulently completed cleaning logs, and positive environmental monitoring hits for mold and bacteria inside NECCs cleanrooms throughout 2012, Lellings office said in a statement.

In January 2018, another NECC supervising pharmacist, Glenn Chin, was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted on 77 counts. Investigators found he manufactured and shipped enough for 17,000 vials of MPA, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later found was contaminated with 18 types of fungi.

In June 2017, the former owner and head pharmacist at NECC, Barry Cadden, was sentenced to nine years in prison on 57 counts.

In total, 13 defendants associated with NECC have been convicted of a combined 178 charges, according to Lellings office.
A divorced mother of two, Perman decided to begin the five years of study necessary to achieve her goal. She couldnt go away to Hebrew University College, but studied the same syllabus in various classes wherever and however she could. When she was ready, she traveled to the college in New York to take her exams.
Anita Hill called sexual assault a public crisis during her commencement address at Wellesley College Friday while rallying students to use the momentum behind the #MeToo as a way to force societal change.

Where gender violence is concerned the challenges are immense. I cannot sugar coat it, Hill told the 571 graduates of the private womens college in Wellesley Friday afternoon. The numbers speak for themselves.

Twenty-two percent of college students report at least one sexual assault during their academic careers, Hill said, citing statistics from the National Institute of Health. In 2018, the number of reported charges alleging sexual harassment increased by more than 12 percent from the previous year, Hill said, citing a study by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Hill said these numbers just scratch the surface. Sexual assault and harassment are underreported making it impossible to know the full scope of the problem, Hill said.

Hill spoke of sexual misconduct deniers who believe the statistics and stories are a hoax. She took a subtle jab at President Donald Trump without naming him, saying: Despite the evidence sexual misconduct deniers have friends in high places.

Her speech was interrupted by laughter from the crowd. She quipped: But not just that one place.

While it is tempting to scream at the television, newspaper or computer screen when these theories take hold, Hill told the graduates to remain focused.

This is what I want you to remember, Hill said. We can not squander the powerful voices of the millions whose individual and collective voices have become known as the #MeToo movement. We cannot squander this moment.

The #MeToo movement began in 2006 with Tanara Burke, a community organizer and activist who encouraged women to share their stories of sexual abuse to promote what she calls power through empathy."

Following a 2017 New York Times article that detailed widespread predatory behavior by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, actress Alyssa Milano reignited Burkes original call on her social media. Within hours, millions of people shared their own stories of abuse and harassment sparking a national movement.

Hill is a professor of social policy, law, and womens, gender and sexuality studies at Brandeis University. She is a leader in the civil and gender rights movements and has fought to combat sexual harassment throughout her career.

She rose to national prominence in 1991 when she testified before Congress about about the sexual harassment she said she endured while working for Clarence Thomas, then a Supreme Court nominee. Thomas sits on the Supreme Court today.

She continued on Friday, as she has for more than 20 years, to press for laws that protect victims, prevent assault and that could eradicate gender violence once and for all.

Yes we can pass the laws to protect victims and allow victims to become survivors, Hill said. We can pass laws...without violating the rights of the accused. We can and we must.

Hill said she was passing the baton to a new generation of leaders in the fight to end gender violence during her address, while promising to never stay silent.

What I once thought was a sprint to equality has turned out not to be so. I now see it as a relay, and I now see that the baton that will point the way to social justice must be passed from generation to generation, Hill said.

This moment is just the start, she said, as the crowd erupted in applause.
For Leah Monder, the first sensory-friendly concert at Boston Symphony Hall is close to her heart.

The production manager at the Boston Symphony Orchestra is also the mother of two highly-functioning children on the autism spectrum. She can remember when she brought her son, who was maybe 5 or 6 at the time, to the BSOs family-oriented performance of Mozarts Magic Flute several years ago.

We lasted about five minutes, Monder told MassLive. My child, who didnt whisper but spoke in a regular voice ... I was just very aware and concerned that we were going to bother the people around us, the other patrons who had also paid to attend the concert.

No one did anything wrong, she added. She simply quickly realized the event was not right for her family.

But this weekend, her son will return to Symphony Hall for an event tailored to those on the autism spectrum.

The Boston Pops, led by veteran conductor Keith Lockhart, will put on its first-ever sensory-friendly concert on Saturday, titled Once Upon a Time ... Stories at the Symphony, Sensory-Friendly Performance.

The performance will feature selections from John Williams, such as music from Harry Potter, E.T. and Star Wars, as well as The Composer is Dead by Nathaniel Stookey, with narrated text and whodunnit interaction from character Lemony Snicket. Various visuals and clips will be incorporated into the performance as well.

Listen to a playlist of the Boston Pops Orchestra setlist:

The event was designed because Monders past experience is not uncommon. For parents of children on the autism spectrum, the social and behavioral symptoms associated with the diagnosis can affect daily life and family outings, such as viewing a family-friendly musical event.

Sensory issues are also often accompanied with autism, and affect people on the spectrum differently. Such symptoms can include both hyper-sensitivity, where senses are overly stimulated, or hypo-sensitivity, where senses are less responsive.

According to non-profit organization Autism Speaks, people on the autism spectrum can be hypersensitive to bright or fluorescent lights, as well as certain sounds, smells, tastes and touching.

For this reason, the Boston Pops partnered with several local autism organizations to plan and review a performance for this underserved audience. With expert input, the event will include reduced lighting levels and volume, relaxed house rules, reduced capacity to create space and credentialed autism therapist volunteers from Juvo, an autism health services organization.

Attendees will also have access to noise-cancelling headphones and designated quiet rooms or support spaces, where a live feed of the concert will play on screens. Monder expects hundreds of people to attend the special 75-minute event, which costs $45-50 per ticket, with 50 percent off for children under 17.

The Pops musicians are excited and eager for the sensory performance, according to Lockhart. The highly-regarded conductor said the orchestra gives a wholehearted welcome to music fans from the autism and sensory-sensitivity communities.

This concert has been years in the making, and we hope to replicate the same success that other cities and performing arts institutions have experienced with sensory-friendly programming and hope to create more such programs in the future," the maestro said in a statement.

According to Monder, similar sensory symphony performances have taken place in Pittsburgh and Minnesota. She said the BSO plans to survey attendees after the performance to learn what could be improved or replicated in similar, future events.

Overall, our main goal is to make sure that this is a judgment-free, welcoming environment for everybody in the audience, Monder said.

You will see a lot more moving around, fidgeting, maybe some vocalizations ... Thats absolutely OK, she added. Everybody is welcome to be who they are right here, and we wont have the stigma of worrying youre going to get shushed by another family thats in the audience, or youll get stared at, or just disturb anybody.
Family told the Boston Globe that the boy who drowned in Malden Thursday was Jeremiah Joseph, a 5-year-old who went into a neighbors backyard and was later found at the bottom of their pool.

Dieutson Francois, a cousin of the boys mother, told the Globe that the toddler and his mother stopped by a relatives home on Princeton Road just before 12 p.m. Thursday. The boy went around the back of the house to play, and when his mother went to check on him she couldnt find him, according to the Globe report.

Family called police and reported the child missing, according to the Middlesex District Attorneys office. The family began to canvas the neighborhood, Francois told the Globe.

Francois told the Globe he found his cousins child in the pool.

First responders attempted lifesaving efforts as the child was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1 p.m., the district attorneys office said.

Family remembered the boy as sweet and energetic. They told the newspaper he loved to sing and watch cartoons.

Im really, really, really hoping its not real right now, Francois told the Globe.
Four men accused in a drug conspiracy that stretched from Boston to Pittsfield were arrested and charged in federal court on Thursday.

Jose Perez Felix, 41, of Dorchester; Edward Chapman, 51, of Pittsfield; Anthony Tsina, 35, of Quincy and Yonatan Lara, 34, of Boston, were each charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and oxycodone in U.S. District Court in Boston, said Christina DiLorio-Sterling, spokeswoman for US Attorney Andrew Lelling.

All four were ordered held in jail until a detention hearing can be scheduled. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in prison, she said.

Perez Felix, who is also known by two aliases and the nickname Grande, is accused of distributing large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and cocaine to a drug cell which included Lara. He also allegedly supplied narcotics to Chapman and Tsina, who are considered significant drug traffickers, she said.

The arrests came after an eight-month probe. Law enforcement agents first uncovered the operation when they identified Perez Felix as a apparent supplier in a Brockton drug trafficking ring they were investigating, court records said.

Chapman, described as a significant Pittsfield-area narcotics trafficker, is accused of driving to Boston multiple times to purchase cocaine, heroin and fentanyl from Perez Felix, court records said.

Chapman has a long record of drug arrests. He has been convicted of narcotics offenses five different times in the past and had been sentenced to a total of 14 years in prison in those cases, court records said

On several occasions, agents intercepted Chapman ordering brown, or a heroin/fentanyl mixture, and white or cocaine, from Perez Felix. Chapman even ordered heroin from Perez Felix while taking his children trick-or-treating on Halloween, court records said.

Tsina is also accused of purchasing narcotics from Perez Felix multiple times. In one case Tsina's mother tried to cover for him when he was stopped by police after allegedly purchasing drugs, court records said.

On Thursday, agents also executed several search warrants in relation to the investigation and seized more than 100 grams of suspected heroin or fentanyl, cell phones, and packaging materials, DiLorio-Sterling said.

The investigation was conducted by Lellings office, Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, the DEA, Massachusetts State Police and Boston Police, she said.
An attorney for actor and sexual assault suspect Kevin Spacey is accusing the Cape & Islands District Attorneys Office of withholding information that could help Spaceys defense -- including the fact that prosecutors had possession of the victims cell phone.

In a motion filed on Friday, Attorney Alan Jackson alleges that the man who has accused Spacey of groping him at a Nantucket bar in 2016 deleted exculpatory text messages before forwarding screenshots of the texts to police investigators.

And he also claims that prosecutors falsely denied having the victims cell phone in their possession.

At the last hearing on April 4, 2019, the Commonwealth unexpectedly informed this Court and counsel that it has been in possession of [the alleged victims] cell phone for more than one-and-a-half years, Jackson wrote. Throughout the protracted litigation concerning Mr. Fowlers request for access to Mr. Littles cell phone, the Commonwealth made both express and implied misrepresentations in order to conceal the fact that [the alleged victims] cell phone -- an item of evidence that incontrovertibly proves that [he] deleted exculpatory text messages and attempted to deceive law enforcement -- has been in its custody and control since Nov. 29, 2017.

In January, Spacey was been arraigned on a sexual assault charge following allegations that he groped the 18-year-old son of former WCVB news anchor Heather Unruh during a night out at Nantuckets Club Car bar and restaurant in 2016. Unruh publicly accused Spacey of the assault in a 2017 press conference, sparking a Massachusetts State Police investigation and the eventual criminal charge.

The charge was the first criminal count against Spacey after he was accused of sexual misconduct by over a dozen men in 2017, as the #MeToo movement sparked a wave of long-buried allegations against celebrities, businessmen and media personalities. He was first publicly accused by Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp, who said that Spacey made sexual advances to him in 1986, when Rapp was 14 years old.

A state police report filed in Nantucket District Court said that the case against Spacey includes Snapchat video of the actor allegedly touching the front of the alleged victims pants.

Asked to respond to Jacksons allegations, a spokeswoman for the Cape & Islands DAs Office did not directly address its claims but said the DAs office has asked the defense to agree to a protective order to it can turn over additional data from the cell phone. The defense has not yet agreed to the terms of the order, she said.

Often times parties disagree with statements made in court filings, spokeswoman Tara Miltimore wrote in an email. That is why we have hearings before judges.

In his affidavit, Jackson claimed that prosecutors falsely said they did not possess the cell phone in early 2019 before admitting otherwise in April.

I confronted [Assistant District Attorney Michael] Giardino concerning the fact that the Commonwealth had previously indicated that it was not in possession of [the alleged victims] phone. Mr. Giardino said that he owed me an apology, but that the people in his office did not want to disclose that they had [the alleged victims] phone until after they had an opportunity to review it.

The DAs office did not immediately respond to a request for further clarification. Jackson did not return a request for comment prior to publication.

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who is representing Unruh and her son, did not immediately return a request for comment.

According to Jackson, the defense team received a forensic report of the cell phone on April 4, which included text messages that were missing from conversations that the alleged victim sent to a Nantucket police officer in 2017. Jackson claims that the deleted texts were exculpatory information for Spacey that had not been previously disclosed.

Prosecutors are required by law to share evidence that could aid a defendants case.

It remains unclear why it took the Commonwealth a year-and-a-half to produce this exculpatory information, Jackson wrote.

Unruhs son told State Police that on Spacey assaulted him on July 7, 2016, when Unruhs son was working as a bus boy at the Club Car restaurant and bar.

Spacey visited the restaurant that night and Unruhs son asked to be introduced to him, he told police. Spacey allegedly bought him drinks throughout the night and encouraged him to get drunk.

Spacey allegedly told Unruhs son to stop texting his girlfriend and began making sexual comments, with Unruhs son fending off multiple requests to come home with the actor.

Spacey then allegedly began rubbing the teenagers thigh while standing in a crowd of people around the piano. Unruhs son told police Spacey then unzipped his pants and touched him without consent.

The alleged assault continued for several minutes, Uhruhs son told police. He said took the opportunity to leave and run home when Spacey went to the bathroom. His sister told State Police that he told her about the incident that night, describing it as rape.
SPRINGFIELD  Bill Cosby has dropped his countersuit against seven women who accused him of sexually assaulting them.

Court papers filed Friday show the four-year defamation case in Massachusetts is now over. Cosby's insurer had settled with the women last month for an undisclosed sum.

The 81-year-old comedian objected to the settlement and vowed to pursue his counterclaims. Spokesman Andrew Wyatt said that Cosby dropped the case to focus on other matters.

Cosby is serving a three- to 10-year sentence in Pennsylvania for drugging and molesting a different woman in 2004.

The women involved in the defamation case include Tamara Green, Barbara Bowman and Therese Serignese.

Lawyer Joe Cammarata says his clients believe they are truth tellers. He had planned to take Cosbys deposition if he pursued his countersuit.
Just over a week before he allegedly walked into an East Longmeadow bank armed with a knife, court documents say Bryan Fitzpatrick left a substance treatment program in Springfield, took a bus to Boston, and almost immediately took a bus back, contacting his probation officer that night.

He explained that his anxiety was elevated when he fled Hope Center, but he is aware he made a poor choice in doing so, the officer wrote in an affidavit filed in Fitzpatricks federal court case, involving a 2010 bank robbery in Quincy.

Fitzpatrick, 38  one of two suspects in a robbery and attempted robbery at the same bank on East Longmeadows North Main Street in May  pleaded guilty to unarmed bank robbery in U.S. District Court in 2011 and was sentenced to 84 months in prison, according to federal court documents. At the end of April he was still serving out his probation by staying in a residential treatment center in Springfield.

But the residential treatment center, Coles Place at 401 Liberty St., informed the U.S. Probation Office on April 29 that Fitzpatrick failed a drug test. On May 1, court documents say, Fitzpatrick admitted to his probation officer that he had relapsed and used crack cocaine and marijuana on several occasions.

Fitzpatrick had been at Coles Place since October  but, in addition to his alleged drug use, hed allegedly racked up other violations, including pressuring fellow residents for money and not engaging with outside sober supports. Plans were made to admit him later on May 1 to the Hope Center at 35 Heywood St., an inpatient facility where he would receive a higher level of care.

The documents say Fitzpatricks probation officer told him he was being sent to Hope Center in order to stabilize him, assess his commitment to sobriety and come up with a plan for his release.

(The probation officer) informed Mr. Fitzpatrick that if he remained sober, obeyed program rules at the Hope Center and continued to communicate with probation, every effort would be made to address his release from a therapeutic standpoint, court documents state.

But Fitzpatrick didnt finish the intake process, instead boarding the bus to Boston.

When he returned to the city, the documents say, he told his probation officer he planned to stabilize at a local hospital and work with the Behavioral Health Network to see what programming remained available to him.

The officer recommended that his terms of supervised release be revoked. On May 6, a U.S District Court judge issued a summons for him to appear in court to address his noncompliance with the terms of his probation.

Three days later, East Longmeadow police say, Fitzpatrick and 42-year-old Springfield resident William Martin lll robbed the Peoples United Bank at 61 North Main St..

Fitzpatrick entered the branch, showed a knife and walked out with approximately $1,600, Sgt. Steven Manning said. Martin was allegedly waiting outside in a vehicle.

Their haul was a bit more than the $1,020 Fitzpatrick made off with in 2010, when, court documents say, he entered a Sovereign Bank branch at 20 Beale St. in Quincy and handed the teller a note that said, No Dye Packs This is a Robbery."

Five days after their first East Longmeadow robbery, the pair struck the same branch again  with Fitzpatrick again going inside and Martin waiting outside in a vehicle, police said. Fitzpatrick implied he had a weapon, police said, but got spooked and left the bank empty-handed.

Fitzpatrick was later arrested on a federal warrant in Boston. As of Thursday afternoon, he remained in federal custody.

Martin surrendered to East Longmeadow police last week and was arraigned in Palmer District Court. He denied the charges and was held in lieu of $1,000 cash bail, ordered to stay away from the bank and to submit to drug testing. His next court date is Aug. 1

Both men face charges of armed assault with intent to rob, assault with a dangerous weapon and robbery while armed and masked.
SPRINGFIELD  City officials gathered Thursday for a ceremonial groundbreaking at Davenport Square and its $2 million CVS drugstore, which is set to open in November on Main Street in the citys South End.

The event came nearly eight years after a devastating June 1, 2011 tornado ripped through the neighborhood and just nine months after the opening of MGM Springfield across the street.

"It's MGM that gave CVS the confidence to look at this neighborhood," said Charles Irving of Boston-based Davenport Companies, developer of Davenport Square.

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno pointed out that the tornado anniversary is Saturday. And this project, he said, is one more step back as Springfield passes more than $4 billion in public and private development since the tornado.

The 12,000-square-foot CVS will open in November, said Robin Peterson, real estate director for CVS in the Northeast.

When the new store opens, CVS will close its nearby Tower Square location, Peterson said. The 20 or so employees will transfer.

With this location, well have 14 parking spaces to offer our customers, she said. In Tower Square, we really only have streetside parking.

Irving worked as a real estate partner to MGM Resorts as it assembled the property for its $960 million casino project. Davenport owns about 2.5 acres across Main street from the casino.

"I was the one who said there would be retail from the casino," Irving said.

This slide provided by the city of Springfield.

But thus far the only new retail in the neighborhood has been a second location for Lorilil Jewelers.

Irving said that while reinvigorating a retail corridor, he always brings in something like a CVS first to draw shoppers then specialty shops will fill in nearby.

"You won't go to the jewelry store every month," Irving said. "But a shopper will go to CVS a few times a week. That drives traffic."

Davenport has other projects in the works in Springfield including plans to build $3 million Cumberland Farms gas station and convenience store a few blocks away at the old Registry of Motor Vehicle site on Liberty Street.

Davenport is also nearing the beginning of construction, Irving said Thursday, at the Willys-Overland building on Chestnut Street, Davenport plans an $11.5 million renovation with 60 market-rate apartments and 6,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor. Irving has said potential retail tenants might include a coffee shop or small restaurant.

Davenport also recently bought another building on Lyman Street for a similar housing project.

Once CVS is built, Irving said hell start work on more retail space in adjacent property Davenport owns. The Davenport Square property already has apartments, a daycare center and medical offices.

For the South End, the new CVS will be a convenience for residents, said Shane Milette, vice president of the South End Citizens Council. Folks living in the neighborhood have the Italian specialty markets, but fewer options to grab milk, bread or other everyday essentials.

He praised Davnport and the city for building a CVS flush with the street, parking to the rear.

This helps us preserve the streetscape that was here, Milette said.
AMHERST  Hampshire College officials met with the New England Commission of Higher Education Thursday and a decision about the schools accreditation is expected in about two weeks.

The meeting followed an April 18 letter to Hampshire College interim President Ken Rosenthal, in which the commission said it "has reason to believe that Hampshire College may no longer meet the standards on Organization and Governance and Institutional Resources.

The letter said it was up to the college to show cause ... why the institution should not be placed on probation or why its accreditation should not be withdrawn," and said the commission had grave concerns about the colleges finances.

College officials submitted documents to the commission on May 21. Two trustees and three administrators met with the commission Thursday, a spokesman for the college said.

The accreditation issue emerged during a period of uncertainty at the school following former President Miriam Mim Nelsons announcement earlier this year that she was seeking a strategic partner to help bolster the colleges financial standing. In the months that followed Nelson and a number of trustees resigned, the college cut faculty and staff, and the school announced that its incoming class in fall 2019 would number only 15.

The commissions letter said the colleges deficit is estimated to hit $9 million by fiscal 2022, and that recent layoffs will further imperil the Colleges ability to offer high-quality academic programs.

Hampshire College spokesman John Courtmanche said this week that the school is in the midst of a push to raise $100 million over five years, with a working goal of raising $20 million in the first year. Hampshire College has received unrestricted cash and commitments of more than $7 million to date this year, he said.

Despite its problems, Hampshire has excelled in the share of its graduates who go on to earn a doctorate degree, compared to other U.S. colleges and universities.

Information released in 2017 by the National Science Foundation, reported by the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, shows that in the decade from 2005 to 2014, Hampshire was ranked 39th in the country, with 8.7% of its graduates becoming P.h.D.s.

The top-ranked school, the California Institute of Technology, had a rate of 37%; Harvard University was ranked 10th, with 14%. Hampshire fell slightly behind Smith College (9.2%) and slightly ahead of Mount Holyoke College (8.6%).
Quincy police are looking for two men they say knocked a 70-year-old woman to the ground and robbed her.

The incident happened Saturday at the Quincy Walmart around 5 p.m.

Police said the victims phone and phone wallet, which contained cash and credit cards, were stolen.

The suspects were reportedly seen using the victims credit cards later in the evening and were seen driving a U-Haul truck.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at jkarvelis@quincyma.gov or via the MyPD app.
As for Grimes, she said that since her family is a biracial, foster and adoptive family, they wanted to try Styles 4 Kidz after finding that many of the salons near their home werent knowledgeable about styling Afro-textured hair and after hearing about the nonprofit from other foster and adoptive families.
Two of Americas largest dollar stores may be forced to raise prices due to increased tariffs on goods imported from China.

Executives from Dollar Tree and Dollar General told analysts that the increased tariffs could lead to higher prices for U.S. shoppers, though Dollar General said it is working with vendors to mitigate impacts, Reuters reported.

Even with these efforts, we believe our shoppers will be facing higher prices as 2019 progress, Dollar General Chief Financial Officer John Garratt said on a post-earnings call Thursday.

While Dollar Tree did not elaborate on steps its taking to reduce the impact, the company said it expects the higher tariffs will affect its business and consumers in general.

Dollar Tree has already begun testing a selection of products priced higher than $1 with its Dollar Tree Plus! collection. The company said the initial test phase is planned to expand to more than 100 locations this year.

With its Everythings a Dollar model, Dollar Tree has remained one of the most unique, differentiated and defensible brand concepts in all of value retail, Dollar Tree president and CEO Gary Philbin said in a statement. However, we have always been a test-and-learn organization that is committed to evaluating all opportunities to deliver great value for our customers while driving long-term value creation.

The company also announced that it plans to begin selling alcohol at about 1,000 of its Family Dollar locations to help fight sluggish sales.

President Donald Trump escalated the trade war with China this month by increasing tariffs on imports from 10 to 25 percent.

A number of other retailers, including J.C. Penny, Macys and TJX Companies are expected to be hurt by the additional levies.
SPRINGFIELD  Maybe running to get the phone is considered exercise?

Two Massachusetts men apparently do not think so.

As a result, David Gaffin and Christian Lopez have filed a class action complaint in U.S. District Court that charges the Longmeadow branch of New England Fat Loss has violated the National Do Not Call Registry by repeatedly calling and texting them with offers for discounts and promotions on weight-loss programs.

The complaint names New England Fat Loss 2 Inc., a corporation doing business at 10 Brookside Drive, Longmeadow, as the defendant. The business, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, lists Dirk Johns as the president and director.

No one with New England Fat Loss 2 could be reached from comment Friday.

The business is affiliated with New England Fat Loss, a Westborough-based company that has six locations across the state, including Longmeadow.

According to the complaint, Gaffin and Lopez never consented to receive the calls, which were placed to them for telemarketing purposes.

Because there were calls made to hundreds of thousands or even millions of potential customers en masse, the complaint states, Gaffin and Lopez decided to file as a class-action complaint. This would allow it to open to others who have received illegal telemarketing calls from or on behalf of the client.

The Do Not Call Registry, part of the Federal Trade Commission, allows consumers to register home phone or cell phone numbers indefinitely to prevent telemarketers from calling. Those that violate the registry are subject to penalties and fines.

The regulations behind the Do Not Call Registry do allow companies to reach out to customers who have done business with the company in the previous 18 months.

According to the complaint, Gaffin has had his cellphone listed on the registry for 10 years, and has not done business with New England Fat Loss in more than two years. In April, he received multiple calls and texts from the company. The complaint does not specify a number.

The complaint charges that Lopez had received similar calls.

The complaint seeks injunctive relief that would prohibit New England Fat Loss from calling any number listed on the Do Not Call Registry.

It also seeks damages of between $500 and $1,500 for each call received.
WARE -- A motorcyclist was flown to the hospital by a Lifeflight helicopter following a serious crash Thursday evening.

The motorcycle rider and a car collided at about 6:30 p.m. at the intersection of Church and Pleasant streets, said Police Sgt. Scott Lawrence.

It is not known how seriously the motorcyclist was injured. No one else was hurt in the crash, he said.

The Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction unit is assisting Ware Police in the investigation into the cause of the crash, he said.

The intersection was closed for about three hours while police investigated and cleared the vehicles. It is expected to re-open by 9:30 p.m., Lawrence said.
HATFIELD -- A New York man wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service, was arrested for trafficking in cocaine after a State Police trooper stopped the car he was in for having a loud exhaust.

Shawn Snead, 27, of Staten Island, was arrested at about 1 a.m., Thursday, and charged with trafficking in cocaine, possession of heroin, possession of a Class E substance, conspiracy to violate drug laws and being a fugitive from justice, state police officials said.

Trooper Dario Trifone was patrolling Interstate 91 in Northampton when a 2002 Chevrolet Tracker with a loud muffler passed him. He followed the car and pulled over the driver and 2 passengers in Hatfield, police said.

The driver told Trifone he had picked up a friend in New York and was heading home to Vermont. While Trifone was checking the driver's credentials in his cruiser, he noticed Snead making suspicious movements in the back seat. The trooper called for backup and approached the car again.

Both troopers asked the occupants to exit one-by-one, so they could search the back seat. They then found 58 grams of what is believed to be crack cocaine, at least 13 small bags of heroin, five yellow pills, $2,800 in cash and drug paraphernalia in the car and in Snead's possession, police said.

While booking him at the Northampton barracks, troopers discovered an active warrant for Snead's arrest stemming from charges issued by the United States Marshalls Service. Police did not say what the charges were.

The operator was also cited for operating with defective equipment and allowed to leave. The second passenger was not charged, police said.
In the United States, failed diplomats end up making the rounds on 24-hour news channels.

That is not the case in North Korea.

North Korea reportedly executed its special nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of senior officials over the failed summit between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, according to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

Kim Hyok Chol was executed by firing squad in March, along with four other foreign ministry officials, the newspaper reported, citing an unidentified North Korean source. He had led his countrys preparations for the February 2019 meeting with Trump in Vietnam,

North Korea neither confirmed nor denied the report.

The two countries abruptly cut short their second summit on Feb. 28 without reaching an agreement.

Talks between the U.S. and North Korea have stalled since the Vietnam summit, with no announced plans for them to resume.
SPRINGFIELD  Springfield Technical Community College biotechnology students will soon have a seamless transition into the bachelors degree biology program at Westfield State University.

The two colleges plan to announce Monday an agreement that allows graduates of Springfield Technical Community Colleges biotechnology program to move directly into the bachelor of science degree program in biology with a concentration in biotechnology at Westfield State.

Westfield State President Dr. Ramon S. Torrecilha and STCC President John B. Cook are expected to formally ink the deal at a presentation at STCCs Ira H. Rubenzahl Student Learning Commons on Monday afternoon.

Geraldine de Berly, vice president of Academic Affairs at STCC and Jennifer Hanselman, dean of the College of Mathematics and Sciences at Westfield State are expected to be on hand.

Westfield State recently created the biotechnology concentration in part to meet industry demand for talented workers.

It has similar articulation agreements with area community colleges, many focused on helping students in registered nursing programs advance into bachelor of science in nursing programs.

Westfield State University has 5,000 full-time undergraduate students, 600 part-time undergraduate students and 800 graduate school students.

STCC has an enrollment of more than 7,400 students.

Westfield State opened its 54,000 square-foot Dr. Nettie Maria Stevens Science and Innovation Center in 2017 featuring new science classroom and lab space.
Beware of putting absolute, literal faith in lists. Like political polls, they are influenced by the skill and objectivity of those who create them, the nature of the criteria, geographics, demographics, and timing.

Take the lists of most dangerous cities in the United States. Theres no shortage of news outlets and blogs attempting to catalogue a subject that, done responsibly, demands broad interpretation and defies literal numbers.

Still, one name is consistently missing from top-25 and even top-100 lists: Springfield, Massachusetts. The citys reputation as crime-ridden does not stand up to national comparison against larger and smaller cities alike.

Boston, Worcester and New York City are also absent from lists produced by CBS News, USA Today, NeighborhoodScout and Alarms.org.

These are just four of countless lists that attempt to create an identifiable list from complex material. The CBS News top-25 ranking draws from 2017 statistics and reports a national drop of 0.2 percent in violent crime from 2016 to 2017.

The report contained two Springfields, but not the Massachusetts municipality. Springfield, Missouri was ranked 11th and its Illinois namesake completed the list at No. 25.

Hartford came in at No. 22. The Connecticut capital was ranked 23rd in the USA Today review, which was done by Wall Street 24/7 and based on 2017 statistics.

Each list ranked St. Louis, Missouri, Detroit and Baltimore 1-2-3. The beleaguered city of Detroit is claiming a modest revival, and ranking second in violent crime is hardly a selling point - but the Michigan city had been first in some surveys of recent years.

Detroits crime rate actually rose slightly but was still overtaken by St. Louis.

The lesser known NeighborhoodScout 2019 report of top-100 named Bessemer, Alabama as Americas most dangerous city based on population and percentage of crime. Yet Bessemer, a city of 27,000, was not found at all on the other two top-25s.

This survey ranked Holyoke 59th, one notch below Hartford at 58.

The Alarms.org site ranks Holyoke 95th, but Anniston, Alabama (pop. 23,000) first and Bessemer 2nd - yet Anniston is absent from the other lists. North Adams is invisible on other lists but 31st here.

Hartford is No. 93. In releasing its findings, Alarms.org takes on the issue of state-by-state gun laws.

It establishes that states with stricter laws have more success in avoiding this list, but that this is not a hard-and-fast conclusion. New Jersey, for instance, has strict laws but still places five cities in the top 100.

What does it all mean? In the case of Springfield, Massachusetts, its good news if only because inclusion on these lists winds up being bad news thats used as proof of a dangerous city.

Mostly, it means all cities have problems and those in Springfield, while serious, do not distinguish this urban community as unusually dangerous based on national norms. Violent urban crime is everybodys problem, including ours, but no more so than in cities around the nation and according to these surveys, less than in many.
Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows.

A conversation on Twitter Thursday has led to an unlikely collaboration between liberal U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, and conservative U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. The two said they will work together to pass legislation to curb lobbying by former members of Congress.

The conversation began after Ocasio-Cortez tweeted a study from Public Citizen. It revealed that 60% of former legislators had taken jobs as lobbyists.

If you are a member of Congress and leave, you shouldnt be allowed to turn right around and leverage your service for a lobbyist check, she tweeted.

Cruz responded that he found himself in rare agreement with Ocasio-Cortez, adding he supports a lifetime ban on former members of Congress becoming lobbyists. The Swamp would hate it, but perhaps a chance for some bipartisan cooperation?, he tweeted.

The New York Democrat told Cruz, Lets make a deal. If we can agree on a bill with no partisan snuck-in clauses, no poison pills, etc  just a straight, clean ban on members of Congress becoming paid lobbyists  then Ill co-lead the bill with you.

He responded, Youre on."

Other legislators have chimed in that they are willing to support such legislation.

Currently, former House members have to wait a year after leaving office to engage in lobbying, while former senators must wait two years.

If you are a member of Congress + leave, you shouldnt be allowed to turn right around&leverage your service for a lobbyist check.



I dont think it should be legal at ALL to become a corporate lobbyist if youve served in Congress.



At minimum there should be a long wait period. https://t.co/xMu9Mwmdm6  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 30, 2019

Heres something I dont say often: on this point, I AGREE with @AOC Indeed, I have long called for a LIFETIME BAN on former Members of Congress becoming lobbyists. The Swamp would hate it, but perhaps a chance for some bipartisan cooperation? https://t.co/jPW0xkH2Yy  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 30, 2019
Angelica Gonzalez-Garcia, an undocumented mother seeking asylum from Guatemala, made headlines in 2018 when she alleged that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent at the Southwest border told her Happy Mothers Day before taking her daughter away.

Gonzalez-Garcia, who lives in Massachusetts, has been reunited with her daughter but still feels the effects of the Trump administrations crackdown on asylum seekers, especially those who cross or turn themselves in at the U.S.-Mexico border.

I have come to this country seeking support and help, said Gonzalez-Garcia, who cited abuse, mistreatment and domestic violence as reasons for leaving her native Guatemala. I want to live and give my daughter a better life, because I wouldnt want her to be kidnapped at the age I was, or even earlier, and suffer the same consequences.

Gonzalez-Garcia told reporters on Thursday that she was kidnapped at age 16. She said she suffered violence and discrimination in her native country, as well as beatings, mistreatment and insults by her husband at home.

I feared a lot for my life, she said in Spanish.

And she feared her daughter would meet the same fate.

Im requesting asylum here in the US in hopes that I can live here alongside my daughter and so that she can live a better life, not the way I was raised, she said.

Anyone claiming a credible fear of persecution or torture in their home country can apply for asylum within a year of arriving in the United States, according to the Immigration Reform Act of 1995. The law put time limits on asylum petitions, but it did not specify how an asylum applicant must enter the country.

Some, like Gonzalez-Garcia, enter the country through the U.S.-Mexico border or turn themselves in at one of the ports. Others enter through a temporary visa and apply within the one-year deadline. But the pool of asylum seekers stuck in Tijuana, Mexico has grown over the year as the Trump administration tries to limit asylum seekers coming in through the Southwest border.

Many have waited months in the Tijuana migrant shelters for an immigration judge to hear their asylum case, and attorneys told BuzzFeed News that some asylum seekers dont have a court date until June 2020.

On Thursday, Trump said he plans issue a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican imports to pressure the country to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border, according to the Associated Press. It was the latest of several steps the Trump administration has taken to limit asylum seekers from coming in from the southern ports of entry.

Gonzalez-Garcia left Guatemala on April 26, 2018, according to court documents. She said she had nearly finalized her divorce at home, but she couldnt afford the final filing fee. She packed a bag of clothes for herself and her daughter and left.

They reached Arizona in early May and were soon detained by Border Patrol agents. They were taken to a room with 30 to 40 women and children. Four people slept on each mattress. The room had a toilet with a partial wall.

My daughter felt embarrassed to pee in that room with all those people, Gonzalez-Garcia stated in her affidavit.

ICE agents told her the next day that they were taking her daughter. The agents said she had endangered her daughter by bringing her across the border.

An immigration agent asked me, before taking her, if we celebrate Mothers Day in my country, I said yes, she recalled on Thursday. As though to make fun of me, he said, Happy Mothers Day, were taking your daughter.

When Gonzalez-Garcia was released, she flew to Massachusetts to join some friends from Guatemala. The law firms Demissie & Church and Nixon Peabody, supported by the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, sued the federal government to get Gonzalez-Garcia and her daughter reunited.

It took Gonzalez-Garcia 55 days to be reunited with her daughter. The media captured her tearful reunification in July at Logan International Airport.

Watch Angelica Gonzalez-Garcia and her 8-year-old daughter reunite at Boston's Logan Airport in a CNN exclusive report. Gonzalez-Garcia and her child were separated in Arizona for 55 days after fleeing Guatemala for the US, citing domestic violence at home https://t.co/H6wqeWPniW pic.twitter.com/bd0IeXTMOw  CNN (@CNN) July 6, 2018

Gonzalez-Garica and her daughter, now 8, have settled in Massachusetts. Susan Church, her attorney, wouldnt say much about their lives out of concern for their safety, but she did say they feel safe.

Everything is more peaceful here. They can go in their backyard and not worry about guns and violence, Church said. Its not a perfect life, but its safe.

Gonzalez-Garcias asylum claim is slowly making its way through the immigration courts, while the Trump administration tries to continue restricting who qualifies for the relief.

A report released Thursday by U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, details the host of immigration-related policy changes under the Trump administration. The Trump administration issued guidance in February 2017 that increased the burden of proof for asylum seekers. The Department of Homeland Security later announced that more recent asylum claims would be processed before older ones that have sat on the queue.

Not only will this add years to the already prolonged wait for relief for asylum seekers with older applications, it will make denials more likely for asylum seekers, the report states.

Perhaps the biggest policy change for applicants like Gonzalez-Garcia is the order denying asylum based on domestic violence and gang violence. In 2018, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued an order reversing a 2014 decision by the Board of Immigration Appeals affirming that victims of domestic violence and gang violence may qualify for asylum.

I am one of those most affected by the policy changes under President Donald Trump, she said on Thursday. I entered this country in 2018. I was seeking asylum in this country for domestic violence, and my lawyer Susan Church informed me that there have been limitations to my asylum petition on the basis of domestic violence.
Fifteen months ago, Lilian Calderon was told she had passed her marriage-based green card interview only to be arrested by federal immigration agents minutes later.

The arrest of Calderon, an undocumented Guatemalan mother of two who grew up in Rhode Island, made national headlines as the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that she and others seeking legal status were caught up in a trap planned by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The class-action lawsuit is far from over, but Calderon celebrated a personal victory this week: she got her green card.

She can now live safely with her husband and children without fear of deportation," the ACLU of Massachusetts tweeted.

A federal judge earlier this month ruled that the ACLU class-action lawsuit can be extended to all of New England, potentially adding hundreds or thousands of similarly situated couples to the lawsuit.

Calderon, 31, has lived in Rhode Island since age 3. She and her husband, who have two children, filed a petition more than a year ago to help Calderon gain legal status through marriage.

According to court documents, she and her husband went to the CIS office in Rhode Island near their home in January 2018 for their interview. That day, Calderon was arrested by ICE agents over a final deportation order that had been issued against her. She was sent to a Boston-area detention center pending deportation.

Calderon was released a month later after the ACLU of Massachusetts filed a petition ordering her release and a court order blocking her deportation until she gets a hearing.

The ACLU and firm WilmerHale filed a class-action lawsuit in April 2018 on behalf of Calderon, Lucimar de Souza and other immigrants with U.S.-citizen spouses facing similar circumstances.

For years, immigrant spouses of a U.S. citizen have sought legal status by filing a provisional unlawful presence waiver and applying for a green card through their spouse. The process has long been considered a pathway to citizenship for immigrants regardless of legal status, even for those with formal deportation orders.

The series of arrests at CIS offices called that process into question. In its lawsuit, the ACLU and WilmerHale attorneys obtained emails showing that CIS officials scheduled the interviews around the schedules of ICE agents so they could detain, and in some cases deport, immigrants seeking legal status. ICE agents also asked to space out the interviews to avoid drawing media attention, according to the emails.

While the class-action lawsuit moved forward, Calderon continued her application for legal permanent residency.

She flew to Guatemala for an interview at the U.S. consulate in mid-May  her first time back in the country since she left as a toddler. She flew back in on Sunday and was approved for her green card, said Adriana Lafaille, an attorney at ACLU of Massachusetts.

Every step in this process has been challenging and surprising for us, and today is no different, Calderon said Thursday during a news conference in Rhode Island, according to the Providence Journal, "but today, we speak to you with the certainty that our family wont be separated again due to antiquated immigration laws.
I think it would have been a lot less damage if it had not involved a mattress, which has the ability to burn for a long period of time, Sorensen said. Had it not involved that, the smoke damage would have been minimal.
SPRINGFIELD  A Hampden Superior Court jury on Friday found Matthew Woods  who threatened to put a bullet in a judges head  guilty of intimidation of a court official.

Woods, 52, of Longmeadow, was acquitted by the jury of a second charge, threat to commit a crime (murder), in the trial before Judge William J. Ritter.

Woods was accused of making the threat against Probate and Family Court Judge Barbara Hyland in the courthouse on June 6, 2017. A clerks office employee heard the threat and reported it to her supervisor.

The jury deliberated for several hours before returning its verdict. While the judge didnt hear the threat directly, the intimidation charge was based on the theory a reasonable person would know she would hear about it.

Ritter sentenced Woods to a year in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow but suspended the sentence with two years probation. Woods must wear a GPS monitoring device and complete an anger management program, Ritter said.

Defense lawyer Daniel R. Bergin told jurors in his closing argument Woods never meant what he said.

Every single one of us has made a stupid comment, Bergin said, saying Woods made a stupid, inappropriate comment to himself that day.

Woods, he said, was a father venting his frustrations to himself.

Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bennett said in his closing argument Woods knew the threat could lead to Hyland being taken off his cases. He said under the law the threat can be conveyed directly or indirectly.

Hyland testified that as soon as she was told of the threat she recused herself from Woods divorce and custody cases, which would be automatic anyway.

She said Woods had appeared before her numerous times and she made numerous orders in his divorce and custody case over the years.

On June 5, 2017, she ordered two of his children placed into the care of the Department of Children and Families. The next day Woods was filing paperwork to have the ruling overturned when he made the threat, Bennett said.

During his closing argument Bennett read from some of Woods motions to have Hyland recuse herself from his cases, with the last filed and denied five months prior to June 6, 2017.

As Bennett read Woods words, which said Hyland was dishonest among many other negative characterizations, Woods sat at the defense table nodding his head vigorously and giving a thumbs up sign.

Carmen Rodriguez, now a sessions clerk in Probate and Family Court, said she was sitting at her desk about three feet away from the counter while another employee was helping Woods. She said Woods was getting quite loud. She said she heard him say, Im going to put a bullet in Judge Hylands head.

I thought that someone needed to know. It was a blatant threat to our judge and not something we take lightly, she said.

Bergin said in his closing argument Woods made the comment to himself and should never have been charged with any crime.

Ritter gave instructions on the specific elements under law that need to be met for a guilty verdict in each charge. Bergin said the prosecution didnt meet its burden. Bennett said under the elements of the charges Woods is guilty.

Bergin asked Ritter to sentence Woods to two years probation. Bennett asked Ritter to sentence Woods to 2  years in the Ludlow jail with 18 months to be served and the balance suspended with two years probation.

Bergin said Woods works at Cigna in Connecticut and has four children, ages 19, 17, 14 and 12.

Before giving the suspended sentence, Ritter said, I cant imagine how Judge Hyland feels, referring to the threat.

He said to make such a statement in the courthouse is fundamentally wrong.

Ritter said to Woods, Sir you only get one chance and you almost blew it. Youre not going to get another one.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said after the verdict, This case strikes at the heart of our judicial system. Its integrity relies on judges being able to make impartial and objective decisions, free of fear of violence or reprisal. We will do our best to hold those accountable who wish to undermine this foundation. I thank Assistant District Attorney Patrick Bennett for his hard work and skill in seeking justice in this case.
Gary Cifizzaris mother died believing he was innocent.

When Cifizzari was on trial in 1984, accused of murdering his great aunt, his mother acted as his alibi witness. She said Cifizzari was with her when the murder took place in 1979.

But Cifizzari was convicted.

Nearly 40 years later, the New England Innocence Project believes Cifizzari is innocent, not just from the alibi by his mother, but also new evidence. The non-profit has filed motions in Worcester Superior Court for a new trial and for Cifizzari to be released.

He was home when this murder was committed, Executive Director of the New England Innocence Project Radha Natarajan said. And she testified for him. She passed away. So she knew he was innocent. That loss was very significant to him.

Four decades later, Cifizzari has more than an alibi, but DNA evidence that exonerates him of the killing, Natarajan said.

Freedom from a prison cell or even a new trial remains uncertain for Cifizzari. Even if the conviction is overturned much of his family has passed away, some dying believing he was a violent murderer.

Other family members (didnt know), Natarajan said. Because it was a family member who died, I think it is significant.

The office of Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. is reviewing the motions filed in the case.

We have been working collaboratively with the defense counsel since they requested new DNA testing in this case. As a matter of history, the case is 40 years old with a conviction after trial that was affirmed more than 30 years ago by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The facts in this case are horrific and involve a particularly gruesome rape and murder, Earlys office wrote in a statement. "The Worcester County District Attorneys Office works actively to ensure public safety and that every defendant receives a fair trial. Were in the process of reviewing the motion, evidence and additional testing that has been, and can be, performed with modern science. We want to make sure we get this right. Were committed to justice and we will continue to work with defense counsel to ensure justice is done.

Cifizzaris brother, Michael, was convicted in the same murder. He died with the conviction. Natarajan said DNA evidence also exonerates Michael Cifizzari.

Im not foreclosing the possibility that someone might try to get a posthumous exoneration for him, Natarajan said. Because the DNA excludes him as well.

Unfortunately, Natarajan didnt stumble upon the case in time for Michael Cifizzari.

Normally, the New England Innocence Project finds cases through letters requesting the groups assistance. This case, however, Natarajan found personally.

She was sitting in a classroom in New York. As part of the faculty, she was also listening in on a conference regarding bite-mark forensics

I, being from Massachusetts, thought, well, we would never convict someone on this evidence in Massachusetts, Natarajan said. I started doing some legal research while I was listening and came across Garys case.

The only piece of evidence that convicted Cifizzari was a bite mark on the victims body.

I was shocked, frankly, Natarajan said. I was reading the case, and he was convicted solely on this.

The surprises continued when Natarajan discovered Cifizzaris conviction remained and he was still in prison. In 2016, she reached out to his attorney to offer assistance from the New England Innocence Project.

I actually asked if I could take the case, Natarajan said.

Since the Innocence Project took the case, family has reappeared in Cifizzaris life. He has been reunited with a cousin.

Thats been really amazing. Hes been helping a lot, Cifizzari said. Its really been great. I think this really does provide the opportunity for some family reunions.
DNA testing completed more than 35 years after Gary Cifizzari was convicted of killing his 75-year-old great aunt -- a crime Cifizzari has always maintained he did not commit -- excludes Cifizzari from the killing, his legal team said Friday.

Concetta Schiappa was killed in Milford 40 years ago. Though Cifizzari and his late brother were convicted of the murder, the litigation team now says DNA evidence shows another man carried out the killing.

The New England Innocence Project and the firm Ropes & Gray are now representing Cifizzari, 62 of Taunton, pro bono with the hope of getting him released from prison and his conviction overturned.

For the last 35 years, he has been confined to a prison cell without family, without friends, without his freedom, for a crime he did not commit," said Radha Natarajan, the executive director of the New England Innocence Project. "And while Gary Cifizzari remained in prison, innocent of this crime, the murderer remained free to commit other crimes and that is exactly what he did.

On Sept. 29, 1979, authorities in Milford found Schiappa dead on her living room floor with internal injuries caused by the insertion of a mop handle into her body, according to a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision available online. The court affirmed Cifizzaris conviction, according to the record.

This was a very gruesome, sexually violent murder and there was evidence on the victims nightgown, Natarajan said.

Semen and saliva found on the victims nightgown excluded Cifizzari when tested earlier this year, Natarajan said.

After the DNA was uploaded in the CODIS DNA system, a hit came back four to six weeks ago, Natarajan said, matching the DNA to the late Michael Giroux of Rhode Island.

Giroux knew Schiappa because his sister-in-law and brother-in-law lived upstairs, which is how he had access to the building, said Natarajan.

The evidence that exists today affirms that Gary Cifizzari is innocent of this crime and that is what he has been saying for the last 35 years, Natarajan said, emphasizing the time frame.

Cifizzari had no connection to Giroux, Natarajan said.

Cifizzaris brother, Michael Cifizzari, was convicted of second-degree murder in connection with the killing. However, he died in prison before this new DNA evidence could exonerate him, Natarajan said.

I wish I could say that I was shocked when I learned of the DNA results but actually Michael Giroux was the polices original suspect in this case, Natarajan said.

Giroux broke into the victims apartment before the killing. He, in fact, told police he was in the vicinity the night of the killing, Natarajan said.

But for reasons that I do not know, the police never arrested Michael Giroux and they never followed up on their investigation of him, Natarajan said.

She said Giroux was involved with other crimes, including a killing in Rhode Island.

Giroux later went on to become a police informant for local, state and federal authorities, according to Natarajan, and died in 2014.

On Friday, Cifizzaris litigation team filed a motion for a new trial to vacate Cifizzaris conviction and a motion for a stay of execution of his sentence so he can be released.

The office of Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. is reviewing the motions.

We have been working collaboratively with the defense counsel since they requested new DNA testing in this case. As a matter of history, the case is 40 years old with a conviction after trial that was affirmed more than 30 years ago by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The facts in this case are horrific and involve a particularly gruesome rape and murder, Earlys office wrote in a statement. "The Worcester County District Attorneys Office works actively to ensure public safety and that every defendant receives a fair trial. Were in the process of reviewing the motion, evidence and additional testing that has been, and can be, performed with modern science. We want to make sure we get this right. Were committed to justice and we will continue to work with defense counsel to ensure justice is done.

Cifizzaris team stands by his innocence.

The DNA results that conclusively exclude Gary Cifizzari were unsurprising for another reason, Natarajan said. His conviction rested on a completely unreliable forensic technique called bite mark comparison.

That technique has caused wrongful convictions around the country, Natarajan said.

Kirsten Mayer of Ropes & Gray said that 30 or 40 years ago, a dentist would look at photos of bruising on a victims body and would determine, in his opinion, whether the bruising was caused by a bite, then comparing that bruise to a mold, photograph, or X-ray of someones teeth.

So in this case, the evidence that the prosecution relied on to put Gary Cifizzari in the victims house and to convict him of the crime was testimony from dentists saying that they looked at Garys teeth and they looked at a picture of a bruise on the body and that Garys teeth to the exclusion of anybody else in the world made the bite on the body, said Mayer.

In 35 years, forensic dentists have changed the way they study and testify about bite mark comparison.

Forty years ago it was OK for an expert to testify that a particular suspects dentition matched a bite mark on a body, Mayer said. Today, because of the change and understanding of the science, the better understanding of the limits of the science, the governing board now says that the most you can say in court is that someone is excluded, that its inconclusive or that it cannot be excluded as someone who could have made the bite.

That is important in Cifizzaris case, Mayer said, as bite marks were the only evidence.
Update: DNA testing excluded Gary Cifizzari as the man who killed his 75-year-old great aunt, a crime for which he has spent 35 years in prison, Innocence Project says

---------------

Gary Cifizzari has spent more than three decades in jail for the gruesome 1979 murder of his 75-year-old relative. Decades later, the New England Innocence Project said DNA evidence shows another man was the real killer.

The non-profit announced Friday morning that it, along with a pro bono Ropes & Gray litigation team, is filing a motion for a new trial in Worcester Superior Court, claiming that newly-discovered DNA evidence affirms Cifizzaris innocence.

Cifizzari, of Taunton, was convicted of murdering his great aunt, 75-year-old Concetta Schiappa, who was killed in Milford 40 years ago.

Cifizzaris brother, Michael Cifizzari, was convicted of second-degree murder in connection with the killing. However, he died in prison before this new DNA evidence could exonerate him, the New England Innocence Project said.

On Sept. 29, 1979, authorities in Milford found Schiappa dead on her living room floor with internal injuries caused by the insertion of a mop handle into her body, according to a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision available online. The court affirmed Cifizzaris conviction, according to the record.

The New England Innocence Project says Cifizzari was wrongfully convicted of the murder. He was convicted in July 1984 and was sentenced to life in prison.

A motion for a new trial for Cifizzari was filed in Worcester Superior Court on Friday morning, the non-profit said.

That motion outlines how newly-tested DNA from the scene, which includes semen and saliva found on Schiappas nightgown, excludes Cifizzari from the rape and killing, according to the New England Innocence Project.

In 1981, Michael Cifizzari apparently confessed to police officers at the Milford police station that he was one of two men who murdered Schiappa, according to court records and newspaper archives.

The Massachusetts appeals court affirmed Michael Cifizzaris conviction, according to records online.

However, the new evidence identifies Michael Giroux as the perpetrator of the killing, according to the New England Innocence Project, citing a CODIS DNA match.

In addition, the motion details how the Commonwealths case against Mr. Cifizzari was built entirely on flawed bitemark comparison testimony, which the scientific community has since condemned as lacking any scientific basis," the non-profit wrote in a statement. "The motion also explains how one of the Commonwealths original experts, Dr. Richard Souviron, has since recanted the testimony he offered at Mr. Cifizzaris trial. The testimony was used to convict him.

Giroux is now dead. He was originally a suspect in the case and was questioned by police, but was never charged, the New England Innocence Project said.

Giroux went on to commit other crimes, according to the non-profit.

Documents on file in Worcester Superior Court indicate Cifizzari has requested a new trial several times over the last few decades.

The New England Innocence Project is a non-profit founded in 2000 that works to correct and prevent wrongful convictions of innocent men and women in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine. According to its website, the organization has helped to exonerate more than 70 people in New England.

Ropes & Gray, working with the New England Innocence project on the Cifizzari case, also represented George Perrot pro bono.

Perrot is a Springfield native who was released from prison in 2016 after spending 30 years behind bars for a 1985 rape conviction that was later overturned.

Since his release, Perrot has been charged with an alleged rape that allegedly occurred in Lawrence in January. He has pleaded not guilty to that crime.
It might have been our final short week until August, but the barrage of booze news didnt let up  its The Nightcap!

This week for us, and were sure for many of you, was Feis Ile week. A seven-day extravaganza of delicious Islay-based booze, bands and banter. Youve probably noticed on the blog this week Kristy and co. enjoying the spoils of another fantastic Feis Ile, from an action-packed Day 0, to all sorts of wonderful adventures with Lagavulin, Bruichladdich, Caol Ila and Islay Ales, Laphroaig, Bowmore and Ardnahoe and Kilchoman. And theres still more to come!

Elsewhere on the blog we announced the winner of our Cotswolds Distillery competition! Adam then reported on the new Macallan whisky that has entered the world, before enjoying the fourth batch of Dingle single malt, our New Arrival of the Week, and finding time to celebrate Ableforths eighth birthday. Meanwhile, Annie talked Ketel One vodka and Henry made The Long Sloe Summer his Cocktail of the Week. Ian Buxton also asked some big questions in his guest column inspired by The Macallan Archival Series.

Now, onto the news!

Whyte & Mackay Light launches low-ABV spirit drink

Yes, you read that correctly. This is not new whisky from Whyte & Mackay. Instead, this is a spirit drink, created in an attempt to appeal to new consumers in a reaction to the growing popularity of lower ABV drinks. Its a trend weve certainly noticed here at MoM Towers, so its little surprise to see more and more drink producers embrace it. The new product, Whyte & Mackay Light, was bottled at 21.5% ABV, which means that it cannot be legally labelled as whisky, which has a minimum ABV requirement of 40%. Hence the term spirit drink being used in this case. Were continually looking at trends in drinks and listening to our consumers across the UK, which is why were delighted to announce the launch of Whyte & Mackay Light, said Ruairi Perry, head of brand at Whyte & Mackay. Its a different product, built with the same younger, lighter consumer in mind. We see a different type of drinking occasion emerging  and Whyte & Mackay Light has been developed to satisfy that occasion. Whyte & Mackay Light will launch in early June, and is expected to set you back 12.

That Boutique-y Gin Company launches ready-to-drink Craft Cocktails

That Boutique-y Gin Company has launched a new canned range of craft cocktails made using the brands delicious gins mixed with a host of interesting ingredients. Craft Cocktails, which will be available this summer, will also come in keg form so the on-trade can take advantage of the growing opportunities found within draught cocktails. An initial wave of five variants will be released, including Moonshot Gin and Citrus Tonic, Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin Mule, Cherry Gin and Craft Cola, Strawberry & Balsamico Gin Fizz and Squeezed Yuzu Gin Collins. The Boutique-y team has briefed that it will embrace an approach to the category akin to craft brewing and so expect the range to continuously evolve with future variants, one off batches, collaborations and seasonal lines in the pipeline. We want more people to have access to interesting drinks in more places. We know that drinkers are looking for increasingly exciting and sophisticated flavour combinations, and that putting these in cans or on draught will allow both retailers and bars to satisfy the demands of convenience and ease of service without compromising on flavour, TBGCs Selina Raggett explains. For the cans, weve embraced the true Boutique-y style at its boldest, moving away from the traditional gin in a tin look and feel. That Boutique-y Gin Company is well known for pushing the boundaries with exciting releases and new flavours, and the Craft Cocktails will continue this ethos. Were already working on an exciting wave of new releases! While the Craft Cocktails range has launched with gin, we will also get to see That Boutique-y Whisky Company and That Boutique-y Rum Company get a chance to shine in a ready-to-drink format in the future.

Grey Goose launches worlds first sub-zero draught cocktail tap system

Grey Goose has its pioneering boots on this week, it seems. The vodka producers have responded to the current trend for tapped and draught cocktails by creating the worlds first sub-zero draught tap system. In a move designed to put premium vodka at the forefront of innovation within the drinks industry, Grey Goose has attempted to come up with an innovative solution to revolutionise cocktail culture with a system that can provide consistently delicious cocktails for any occasion. The draught cocktail tap system was designed to allow for a variety of drinks to be served with quickly and with ease to exacting standards, all at sub-zero temperatures. It can be charged with nitrogen to add a rich and creamy texture to your Espresso Martini, for example. We began with the desire to be able to create innovative drink serves in a way that has never been seen or done before, commented Marc Plumridge, the European programming director at Bacardi who drove the development of the draught tap system. The cutting edge technology used delivers spectacular cocktails, dispensed at speed, all housed within a transparent casing  allowing individuals to have a full view of the technology at work. To launch this new technology, Grey Goose has invited consumers to see the system in action at The 12th Knot rooftop bar on Londons Southbank from Friday 31st May  2nd June.

Bimber Distillery debuts founders club

This week, Londons Bimber Distillery announced that its formed its very own Founders Club, and theyre taking applications now! Very swanky. This means that it will release a limited number of private casks for members to purchase. All of this is in celebration of the distillerys first whisky casks finally reaching their third birthday. If you sign up, you can expect your first exclusive cask strength single malt in December this year. Among other treats, members will also be able to purchase their own 30 litre cask (for the meagre price of 895), filled with either Bimbers peated or non-peated new make spirit, which after maturing at the distillery for three years, will eventually set them up nicely with around 49 bottles of whisky. The club aims to bring together people who want to be part of a distillery whose mission is to produce true handcrafted whisky, says sales director Farid Shawish. Our members will always be welcome for a chat, and their input will play an important part in shaping the future of Bimber Distillery. Membership will set you back 395.

WSTA claims the drinks industry is vulnerable to no-deal Brexit

Following the announcement that Theresa May will step down as UK prime minister on 7 June, with no replacement named, The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has warned that the industry remains vulnerable to a disastrous no-deal scenario. The latest Brexit deal was overwhelmingly rejected in the House of Commons three times in the weeks running up to the original scheduled exit date at the end of March. Miles Beale, CEO of the WSTA, has branded Mays Brexit approach as neither clearly defined nor successful, adding that as a result we remain vulnerable to a disastrous no-deal scenario. A change of leadership neither provides our industry with the answers it needs, nor change the WSTAs long stated position  which is for the government to deliver an outcome that allows this industry to continue international trade in its products without delays, barriers or additional costs. Beale also commented that a no-deal scenario has never been categorically taken off the table and that it is imperative that a new leader confirms that the UK will not leave without a deal and moves quickly to find a solution. As a result of the current situation, Beale has claimed that nearly 80% of the trade bodys members had made preparations for the original exit date of 29 March and will have to prepare again ahead of the new Brexit date on 31 October. He said: Its difficult for businesses to determine the exact cost of Brexit contingency planning, including stockpiling and other measures, but we have heard estimates ranging from 20,000 to 5 million.

Remy Cointreau to buy Maison de Cognac JR Brillet

French drinks group Remy Cointreau has announced this week that it has entered into negotiations to purchase Maison de Cognac JR Brillet from the Brillet family. While financial terms have not been disclosed, it is understood that the deal would also include part of the Brillet familys vineyard estate which is located in the village of Graves-Saint-Armant and has a history which dates back to the 17th century. Remy Cointreaus interest in Maison JR Brillet is motivated by the chance to integrate spirits with genuine development potential into its portfolio and increase its inventory of eaux-de-vie and vineyards of the highest quality. The signing of the deal, which is subject to administrative procedures, is expected to take place in autumn 2019. The news comes off the back of positive full-year sales that Remy Cointreau posted last month which showed a growth of 7.8% in 2018/19, driven by a double-digit gain for its Cognac portfolio, with the Remy Martin Cognac brand proving to be the standout.

Plymouth Gin launches special edition craft gin from 177-year-old recipe

There are so many new gins emerging all the time it can be difficult for a drinks producer to stand out amongst the crowd. Plymouth Gin may well have just done that, however, with Mr Kings 1842 Recipe, the first special edition in a series of craft gins made to celebrate the spirit of exploration. It was distilled using a recipe found deep within the vaults at the Plymouth Black Friars distillery (the oldest gin distillery in England) that dates back to 1842. That was 177 years ago, people. Master distiller Sean Harrison has reimagined the recipe to create a new product and thanks to the technological advancements in gin production today, he was able to replicate the distillation process that was attempted in 1842, with even more precision. Mr Kings 1842 Recipe was made with just two ingredients  orris root and handpicked juniper from a single harvest day in the mountains of Frontignano, Italy, after Plymouth uncovered the original sales record that linked the purchase of juniper to the renowned Italian region over 170 years ago. Due to the hyper-local sourcing of the ingredients, this one of a kind gin cannot be reproduced. Mr Kings 1842 Recipe is a truly one-off craft gin that we will never be able to recreate again. Even if we were to visit the same Italian hillside next year, the climate and harvest conditions would affect the juniper resulting in a different taste profile, Harrison explained. At a time when other brands are using many different botanicals throughout the distillation process, Mr Kings 1842 Recipe focuses on just two and the result is something very special. We went to a tasting of this delightful drink and can confirm that its as delicious as it sounds!

US tariffs impact agave-based spirits and EU booze

In concerning news this week, US president Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 5% tariff on all imported goods from Mexico from 10 June, including Tequila and Mezcal, in response to what was termed the illegal migration crisis at the US-Mexico border. Trump was quoted in a statement posted on the White House website saying he was invoking the authorities granted to me by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in order to address the emergency at the southern border. The US president has also warned that if the crisis persists, tariffs will be raised to 10% on July 1, 2019, 15% on 1 August, 20% on 1 September and 25% on 1 October if the US is still not satisfied that Mexico has taken the action it requests. This follows news from just yesterday, which revealed that trade bodies in the US have called for the removal of EU spirits from proposed retaliatory tariffs from the States in response to an ongoing dispute with the World Trade Organization (WTO). The US has been embroiled in a long-standing spat with the WTO over civil aircraft subsidies and, on 8 April, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) revealed a draft list of EU products that could be hit by retaliatory tariffs which included alcohol. Trade groups representing the alcohol industry in the US, including the Distilled Spirits Council, have made it clear they oppose such tariffs, however, commenting that they strongly oppose the inclusion of beverage alcohol production and that they are gravely concerned that this escalation would compound the negative impact of the tariffs on a sector that is already feeling the damaging impact resulting from unrelated trade disputes. The groups, which include alcohol suppliers, wholesalers, importers and retailers, have quoted industry analysis which warns the proposed retaliatory tariffs could affect almost US$6.8 billion worth of imports and could result in a loss of between 6,600 and 45,800 US jobs. Hopefully well have better news on these matters in the future.

Johnnie Walker celebrates National BBQ Week with Berber & Q

Johnnie Walker and East London BBQ restaurant Berber & Q have teamed up to create a new cocktail for National BBQ Week (its a thing, a very important thing). The limited edition Johnnie & Ginger, made by barbecue pioneer and Berber & Q founder Josh Katz, was designed to complement al fresco dining, summer sunshine and BBQ food, particularly Berbers Joojeh Chicken Kebab, as Katz explains, the smokiness of the charred chicken is offset by the smooth whisky and is given a spicy lift by the inclusion of ginger ale. The light and summery Johnnie & Ginger cocktail is available at Berber & Q Grill House from 27th May  2nd June and priced at 9. Katz describes it as a taste experience and the perfect start to a barbecue. But dont fear if you dont manage to get a table at Berber & Q, the Johnnie & Ginger cocktail is easily recreated at home. All you need to do is mix 50ml of Johnnie Walker Black, 15ml of lime juice, 35ml of pressed Granny Smith apple juice and a little pinch of Zaatar, which youll shake with one ice cube for no longer than 5 seconds. Then place the mix in a highball glass filled with ice and top with 35ml of ginger ale. Garnish with a dehydrated apple wheel and mint sprig, and there you have it!

And finally North Korea launches its own whisky

Reports have emerged this week that suggest that North Korea has distilled its own brand of whisky and plans to launch it at the end of this year. According to the South Korean Hankook Ilbo newspaper, this would be the first time the country has produced whisky, although its worth noting that it has not been mentioned yet in North Koreas own media. The source of the story is the Young Pioneer Tours tourism company, based in China, which specialises in visits to North Korea and other places that your mother would rather you stay away from. The tour operator claims to have laid its hands on a couple of bottles of the elusive spirit and described Samilpos design as closely resembling that of Johnnie Walker, a well-recognised whisky in North Korea. According to Pioneer Tours, Samilpo, which takes its name from the lake near Mount Kumgang, will launch three expressions: a 40% ABV black label edition, a 42% ABV red label edition and a 45 edition which has not been bottled yet. It is not known what types of grain that goes into the spirit, or how old it is. It has also been reported that the owner of Samilpo hopes to export the whisky to other countries once North Koreas political situation improves. Youre not likely to get your hands on some anytime soon, for those who might have been intrigued.
(CNN)  President Donald Trump plans to threaten to impose new tariffs on Mexico if the country does not step up its enforcement actions, a senior administration official said on Thursday.

The announcement, which Trump teased to reporters as a "big league" announcement on immigration, could come as soon as the end of this week. The news was first reported by The Washington Post.

"We are going to do something very dramatic on the border because people are coming into our country," the President told reporters as he left the White House on Thursday morning.

The White House declined to comment.

Trump has threatened Mexico with tariffs in the past as he has grown frustrated with the flow of Central American migrants to the southern U.S. border. He last made this threat in April amid another threat to close the border with Mexico. After walking back that threat, he suggested that tariffs would be a more effective means to pressure Mexico to do more.

"Before we close the border we'll put the tariffs on the cars," Trump told reporters. "I don't think we'll ever have to close the border, because the penalty of tariffs on cars coming into the United States from Mexico at 25% will be massive."

In the last several days there has been a mass of migrants apprehended crossing the border illegally. On Wednesday, a group of more than 1,000 were apprehended by the Border Patrol, which one Department of Homeland Security official said was the largest group of migrants ever apprehended together. According to the official, the migrants, made up of mostly families, turned themselves in.

There is growing frustration with Mexico in the administration. US officials are not seeing a corresponding decrease in apprehensions at the US border with Mexico as a result of the country's enforcement actions at its own southern border.

If Trump makes good on a tariff threat against Mexico, it is not clear how that would affect the United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal, which the administration is pushing Congress to ratify.

The Trump administration also recently released the principles of an immigration bill that would tighten asylum criteria and shift to a merit-based immigration system. But that plan has little chance on Capitol Hill and has been dismissed by even Republican lawmakers as more of a statement of principles than legislation intended to become law.

Trump continues to be frustrated by the difficulty of changing immigration law through Congress and with the asylum process, which he has complained is rife with fraud.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Trump plans to threaten Mexico with tariffs if it doesn't slow flow of migrants."
Melanie was credited by the sheriffs department with helping to locate countless missing children, endangered and at-risk adults, and criminal offenders, during her years of service. These included finding a semi-conscious man who had been missing after falling into an icy river in the southwest suburbs in 2009, and helping police capture the suspect of a 2012 Glenview bank robbery after tracking his scent to a nearby apartment complex.
Jaafar looked skeptical.

But, chief, didnt you say as hard-nosed journalists going after the big story we should trust no one?

Why, you little -- ! I said, bolting from my chair and clamoring over the cluttered desk in an effort to get my hands around his throat. Ill teach you to use my words against me.

Chief, your blood pressure, said Johnny. Take a deep breath and tell us about this idea of yours

Fine, I said. Were going to climb Mount Everest.

What? said Toots.

Yes, climb Mount Everest. Right to the top. Each member of the team an integral part of our success.

They exchanged nervous glances.

Chief, said Johnny, at least 11 people have died climbing Mount Everest this year and experts are blaming overcrowding and inexperience for the increase in fatalities. Its been all over the news.
We wanted more money to go to education but we needed to put a lot of it in the Department of Children and Family Services because of the issues they had over there, he said. We need to retain the best and brightest, we really do. We are aware of that in the House, but we work in confines of the money we have. We do the best we can and we want to do more, so stay tuned.
Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a systemic immunoinflammatory response to auto-digestion of the pancreas and peri-pancreatic organs. This condition is common and life-threatening disease. With an annual incidence of 4.973 cases per 100000 people worldwide. The males are predominantly affected at young ages with a ratio of 2.5:1. The mortality rate for pancreatitis is between 1.5% and 4.2% according to large epidemiological studies but is a frequent gastrointestinal disease with a morbidity rate of 30% in severe cases.

Regardless of the technological advances in critical care drugs in the course of recent years, the death rate has prevailed to approximately 10%. Acute pancreatitis is confirmed by medical history, physical examination, and typically a blood test (amylase or lipase) for digestive enzymes of the pancreas. The diagnosis of pancreatic is often difficult and treatments are therefore delayed because the organ is relatively inaccessible.

Avail Free Sample Copy Enabled with Complete TOC at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1565

The testing of acute pancreatits include techniques such as transabdominal ultrasound, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). Surgery has no role in mild acute pancreatitis or in severe pancreatitis with sterile necrosis. Surgical therapy in infected necrosis can be considered, based on the availability of other therapeutic options and the consistency of the necrotic material.

The global acute pancreatitis market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% during forecasted period 2017-2023.

Abbott Laboratories (US)

McNeil Consumer Healthcare (US)

Sun BioPharma Inc (US)

Atox Bio Inc. (Israel)

Calcimedica Inc. (US)

D-Pharm Ltd (Israel)

Dynavax Technologies Corporation (US)

Glaxosmithkline Plc (UK) universitys and institutes

are also included in the treatment of acute pancreatic like Radboud University, University Medicine Greifswald and others are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the global acute pancreatitis market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.

According to the 2013 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) guidelines, antibiotics are usually not recommended in patients with acute pancreatitis, regardless of the type or disease severity. Infection must be suspected in patients who have signs of deterioration such as fever, increasing WBC count. Most infections in pancreatic necrosis are caused by single bacterial species from the gut. In patients with infected necrosis, antibiotics known to penetrate pancreatic necrosis, such as carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and metronidazole, are recommended. Byetta (exanitide) is a drug from Eli Lily and Company that is FDA approved to treat acute pancreatitis.

Acute pancreatitis Market Segments:

Global Acute Pancreatitis market has been segmented on the basis of types of testing which comprises of Transabdominal ultrasound, Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), Computerized tomography (CT) and others On the basis of type of treatment which consists of Fluids, Nutritional Support, Treatment of Underlying Issues, Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and others. On the basis of type of therapy which consists of Massage Therapy, Therapeutic Touch, Acupuncture and others

Access Detailed Research Report at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/acute-pancreatitis-market-1565

The report for Global Acute Pancreatitis Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.

Study Objectives of Acute Pancreatitis Market:

To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Acute Pancreatitis market

To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth

To analyze the Acute Pancreatitis market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc.

To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.

To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective

To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by type of treatment, by type of testing, and its sub-segments

To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market

To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Acute Pancreatitis market.

Inquire for an Amazing Discount at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/check-discount/1565

About Market Research Future: Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, 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

+1 646 845 9312

Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Telehealth or telemedicine is a mode of delivering health care services to patients by using communication technologies to facilitate the diagnosis, treatment, consultation, education care management, and others. Telehealth acts as a bridge to improve the relationship between patient and healthcare providers as well as for improving patient satisfaction & behavioural changes by providing healthcare guidance and treatment. It provides self-management and caregivers support to the patients. Telehealth is used to monitor the chronic diseases as well as to monitor disease from home.

Get Free Sample Copy @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/900

There are tremendous benefits offered by the telehealth solutions. Some of these include improved access to the patients; telehealth can allow us to provide healthcare services to the patients situated in distant locations. It also allows physicians & doctors to expand their reach and services beyond their clinics. Telehealth services have also proved to be cost effective with increased efficiency through better management of chronic diseases. And also it reduces the travel time for the patients which further reduced costs for the patients. All these advantages have attracted healthcare services providers to adopt telehealth technologies and the demand for the same has been on the rise ever since.

The global telehealth market is driven by increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, rising geriatric population, and continuous development in the healthcare technology; as per statistics, more than 50% of the total globe population have some or other chronic disease. Moreover, rapid development in the technology, increasing healthcare expenditure, and increasing need for the home based devices have fuelled the market growth. However, lack of awareness and unavailability or less availability of the required infrastructure in many parts of the world including the underdeveloped Asian and African regions may slow the growth of the market.

The global teleheatlh market is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of 29.8% during the forecasted period.

Key players

Some of the major players in the global telehealth market are Koninklijke Philips N.V. (the Netherlands), Medtronic (Ireland), General Electric Company (UK), McKesson Corporation (US), Care Innovations, LLC. (US), Cerner Corporation (US), GlobalMedia Group, LLC (US), Siemens Healthcare Private Limited (US), AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc. (US), InTouch Technologies, Inc. (US).

Segmentation

The global telehealth market is segmented on the basis of components, types, and end users.

On the basis of component, the market is segmented into hardware, software, and others. Hardware is further segmented into monitors, medical devices, and others. Monitors are further segmented into blood glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, ECG monitors, and others.

On the basis of types, the market is segmented into web based, on-premises, and cloud based. On the basis of end users the market is segmented into hospitals & clinics, pharmaceutical companies, and others.

Regional Analysis

On the regional basis the global telehealth market is dominated by America owing to the presence of huge geriatric population and large number of people suffering from diabetes and other chronic respiratory diseases. Among all the regions in the world, the U.S. has been the first choice for the deployment of telehealth solutions due to established healthcare systems and technology advancement. It has gained a significant position in the global market with the increase in large numbers of telehealth services which target at wellness and fitness. Thus, these telehealth solutions help in cost reduction, saves time by reducing visits to physicians, and provides better healthcare systems. In Addition to this, well developed healthcare sector and high healthcare spending has contributed in the growth of the market. Europe accounts for the second largest market for the global telehealth market which is followed by Asia Pacific. The Germany is dominating the connected healthcare deployments in Europe, with different kinds of solutions being offered and services being delivered through varied means, from simple messages to much more complex apps. Asia pacific has the fastest growth market due to the presence of rapidly developing economies like China and India. However, the Middle East and Africa has the least share in the market.

Browse Complete 80 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with 64 Respective Tables and Figures @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/telehealth-market-900

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
by Tanya Gazdik , May 31, 2019

Virgin Voyages is taking a novel approach to raise awareness of its new adults-only cruise ship, setting sail next year.

Scarlet Lady has booked passengers from all over the United States  except for South Dakota. So Virgin is launching a campaign enticing them to book, including an open letter running today in The New York Times from company founder Richard Branson.

The effort includes clever billboards around the states with copy that includes Rapid CityYoure not booking fast enough and 6 Minutes to Book, 0 reasons not to, 5 days at sea. (605 is South Dakotas area code.)

The letter from Branson reads: Ahoy South Dakota. Richard Branson here. Where are you? Out of all the states in the U.S., youre the only one that hasnt booked to get on board with us at Virgin Voyages. Oh, a huge thank you to the other 49 states that have  we cant wait to make waves with you. Its sure to be a cruise experience unlike any holiday youve ever taken.

advertisement advertisement

But South Dakota, for a state with a place called Rapid City, youre really taking your time. I was beginning to take your absence personally, and then I read an interesting statistic. Did you know that on average you South Dakotans travel less than most other Americans. South Dakotans use a national low of 4.3 vacation days to travel, just 26 percent of your average dedicated time off.

Ive always been an advocate of the benefits travel provides it opens the mind and heart, bolsters health, brings us closer to loved ones, inspires us, and can be life changing. I believe this is so important for the human spirit that Ive spent most of my life working to find ways to make exploring our planet more efficient, more sustainable and more exciting.

To give them even more of a nudge, Virgin Voyages is offering the first South Dakotan who books a cruise a prize package that includes $605 in Sailor Loot to use onboard the Scarlet Lady, two first-class tickets from South Dakota to Miami, a one-night hotel stay in Miami and a limo transfer to the ship in Miami.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, May 30, 2019

Procter & Gamble and Saatchi & Saatchi New York, along with contributorsHearts & Science, Taylor Strategy, MKTG and MMC won the 2019 Grand Effie (best in show) for the P&G spot Its a Tide Ad.

The U.S. Effie Awards, which celebrate advertising effectiveness, were presented at a gala Thursday night in New York City.

The evening also marked a milestone for the Effie  the awards 50th anniversary.

Its a Tide Ad had insight, magic, effervescence, surprise, extraordinary execution and great numbers, said Grand Effie Juror, David Lubars,Chairman, Chief Creative Officer, BBDO. When all of these things come together in a seemingly effortless way, its a winner.

Grand Effie contenders(top scoring Gold Effie winners) also included:

Chicago Sun-Times & Ogilvy The Blank Page

Diageo North America & TracyLocke Diageo Pretty Simple Drinks

Gerber & co-lead agencies Terri & Sandy and Ogilvy  Anything for Baby with Edible, Hornall Anderson and Hogarth

with Edible, Hornall Anderson and Hogarth Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats & co-lead agencies Leo Burnett/Arc and Starcom Write-on Wrappers with Google and Krispr

with Google and Krispr National Safety Council & Energy BBDO Prescribed to Death with PHD and Ketchum

with PHD and Ketchum Tourism Australia & Droga5 Dundee: A tourism campaign in disguise with UM and Kovert Creative

with UM and Kovert Creative Unilevers Axe & co-lead agencies Team Unilever Shopper and Geometry Axe Start His Journey with Mirum Shopper

with Mirum Shopper WeCounterHate and POSSIBLE-Seattle for Life After Hate with Spredfast and Hearby Sound

advertisement advertisement

To commemorate the Effies 50th anniversary, a new 5 For 50 Effie was created. Entrants were required to have won more than one Effie Award over more than one year and demonstrated that they most effectively adapted, stayed relevant and sustained business success for the brand over time.

The five 5 for 50 Effie Award recipients are:

Apple & Media Arts Lab From the brink of bankruptcy to one of the worlds most beloved brands with OMD USA

Unilever & Ogilvy Dove - Campaign for Real Beauty with Edelman USA

IBM & Ogilvy IBM. A leading brand. A lasting brand.

Mastercard & McCann Worldgroup 22 Years of Priceless

Nike & Wieden+Kennedy Nike Just Do It

The most effective marketers from the 2019 Effie Awards U.S. competition are:

Marketers : 1 st Procter & Gamble, 2 nd Mondelez International, 3 rd Diageo, McDonalds & Tourism Australia (three way tie)

: 1 Procter & Gamble, 2 Mondelez International, 3 Diageo, McDonalds & Tourism Australia (three way tie) Brands : 1 st McDonalds & Tourism Australia (tie), 2 nd National Safety Council, 3 rd Tide

: 1 McDonalds & Tourism Australia (tie), 2 National Safety Council, 3 Tide Holding Companies : 1 st IPG, 2 nd WPP, 3 rd Omnicom

: 1 IPG, 2 WPP, 3 Omnicom Agency Networks : 1 st McCann Worldgroup, 2 nd Ogilvy, 3 rd Droga5

: 1 McCann Worldgroup, 2 Ogilvy, 3 Droga5 Agency Offices : 1 st Droga5 (NY), 2 nd Ogilvy (NY), 3 rd Geometry (NY)

: 1 Droga5 (NY), 2 Ogilvy (NY), 3 Geometry (NY) Independent Agencies: 1st Droga5, 2nd Terri & Sandy, 3rd 22squared & Swellshark (tie)

A complete list of Gold, Silver and Bronze winners for the Effie Awards U.S. and winning case studies can be found here.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, May 31, 2019

On Ubers first analyst and investors call since the company went public in May, the company reported that revenue from gross bookings for the first quarter in 2019 rose to $14.6 million, up from $10.9 million in the year-ago quarter.

Uber logged on average 17 million trips daily with an annualized gross bookings run-rate of $59 billion. Total gross bookings for the quarter rose 41%.

Despite the increases in bookings, Uber continues to see revenue losses. On Thursday, Uber confirmed that it lost $1 billion in the first quarter of 2019. During the company's earnings call, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said increasing the cross-promotion of the Uber Eats and transportation services will be one way the company hopes to recover and grow.

Uber recently integrated London public transit into its app, but the company also is in the process of talking with other public transit systems, including for the city of Denver. The idea is to get "every user every day in every city" to open the app in the morning.

advertisement advertisement

And while there is no magic button that will make this happen, providing multiple choices of transportation to consumers will, said Khosrowshahi during the earnings call.

Electric bike and scooter rentals add to the options to build out "a whole transportation ecosystem on one app," along with a loyalty building program that will keep people coming back to use the services. Marketing plans are also underway, giving users multiple choices on how to search the app to get from one place to another, Khosrowshahi said.

The rewards program brings together Ubers services.

Uber offers a drivers rewards program in about 15 cities, but the revenue will be generated by the rewards and loyalty program for riders in the U.S.

Consumers earn points using Ridesharing and Eats toward benefits aimed at improving their experience such as price protection for specific routes, priority pickups at airports and free Eats deliveries. Consumer satisfaction reached about 85% since introducing the rewards program.

Khosrowshahi believes Uber will capitalize on the millennial generation. Many are not interested in driving and owning their own car. The stats are something like 26% of 16-year-olds got their licenses and that compares to double what it was just 20 years, 30 years ago, he said.
The Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indianas Mercy Fund, initiated by Bishop Donald Hying as part of the 2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, will award grants for projects in Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties. Projects or groups to be considered for a grant must embody spiritual or corporal works of mercy in our diocese, according to a Catholic Foundation for Northwest Indiana press release. Grant applications will be accepted to June 30. Information and grant applications: www.catholicfuture.org or contact Kathy Tomasik at info@catholicfuture.org or call 219-769-9292, Ext. 247.
by Larissa Faw , May 31, 2019

MillerCoors is rejiggering its marketing approach to its largest brand, Coors Light. The company has appointed a handful of agency partners to work on the brand after a review. In part the new approach is designed to help bring drinkers back to beer.

Leo Burnett will serve as lead agency for the Coors Light brand, succeeding incumbent 72andSunny, which did not participate in the review.. The Publicis-owned agency will oversee creative and brand strategy while sibling agency Arc remains the retail activation agency for all MillerCoors national brands.

A broader roster of agencies  including Miller Lite lead agency DDB, part of Omnicom, Arc, Connect at Publicis, ICF Next and others  will be charged with generating breakthrough ideas to help the brand connect with consumers, says Ryan Reis, vice president of the Coors family of brands. This isnt about which agency is doing what. The focus is on giving this brand the best ideas out there to help move it forward, Reis says on the MillerCoors blog.

advertisement advertisement

This roster of agencies will work alongside MillerCoors Chief Marketing Officer Michelle St. Jacques to deliver on three priorities.

First, there will be a "ruthless" focus on recruiting new beer customers, especially among younger drinkers. Second, help build a brand that more people want to hang out with."

Also, these agencies are tasked with developing bolder and faster new ideas, per the CMO.

We will buy brave, awesome ideas, said St. Jacques. Brands matter, especially in the beer industry. What you have in your hand or bring to a party matters. So we need big ideas that bring drinkers back to beer and get them excited about our brands again. And I know we can do that.

First work from the new agencies will launch this summer.

Leo Burnett's appointment shifts the assignment back to Chicago, where MillerCoors is based. 72andSunny, based in Los Angeles, shocked industry insiders when it landed the business in 2015.

MillerCoors is a joint venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Co.
Doctors often prescribe Ritalin for the treatment of ADHD and sometimes for narcolepsy. Ritalin can cause various side effects and also has the potential for misuse and addiction. Ritalin is the brand name for methylphenidate, a medication that stimulates the production of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. Experts believe that these two chemicals play an important role in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some people misuse Ritalin because of the stimulant effect it has on the brain. In this article, we look at the side effects of Ritalin along with its uses, dosage, and precautions. We also discuss Ritalin addiction, whether long-term use is harmful, and when to see a doctor.

Uses Share on Pinterest Doctors prescribe Ritalin for the treatment of ADHD in children and adults. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved Ritalin for the treatment of ADHD in children and adults. ADHD is a behavioral disorder that affects a persons ability to focus and pay attention. Other symptoms can include impulsivity and hyperactivity. Doctors also prescribe Ritalin as a second-line treatment option for people with narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a rare, neurological disorder that affects a persons sleeping and waking patterns. People may feel tired throughout the day and can be prone to suddenly falling asleep in the middle of daily activities. Doctors may sometimes also prescribe Ritalin off-label to help reduce fatigue in people with cancer or to treat symptoms of depression in older adults. Some people misuse Ritalin for its stimulant and memory effects. In the United States, the federal government classify Ritalin as a Schedule II substance, which means that it has a high risk of misuse and can cause severe psychological and physical dependence.

Dosage Ritalin is available as: Immediate-release tablets, which release into a persons body immediately after ingesting.

Extended-release tablets, which gradually release into a persons body after ingestion.

A patch that a person applies to their skin. The following table lists the available strengths in milligrams (mg) of methylphenidate products. Drug name Formulation Release type Strength Ritalin oral immediate release 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg Ritalin-SR oral extended release 20 mg Ritalin-LA oral extended release 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg Daytrana patch extended release 10 mg, 15 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg ADHD According to the manufacturers leaflet, children aged 6 years and older can start on a dose of 5 mg, twice daily, of immediate-release Ritalin. A doctor may increase the dose by 5 mg or 10 mg every week until they achieve the desired effect. The average dose for adults is between 20 mg and 30 mg. Doctors may switch people from immediate-release tablets to extended-release tablets. This allows the person to take fewer doses per day but still get the same effect from the medication. A person can wear a Daytrana patch on the skin for a maximum of 9 hours. The starting dose is usually 10 mg, although some people may need a higher dose. The maximum dose of Ritalin for both children and adults is 60 mg per day. Narcolepsy Ritalin is a second-line option for the treatment of narcolepsy. Doctors may prescribe Ritalin for people with narcolepsy if other drug options have been unsuccessful. Typical doses of Ritalin for narcolepsy are between 5 and 10 mg .

Precautions Share on Pinterest People should monitor their fingers and toes in cold temperatures when taking Ritalin. Anyone who has an allergy to Ritalin or medications containing methylphenidate should not take Ritalin. People taking monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) antidepressants should also avoid Ritalin because the two drugs interact with each other. The manufacturer recommends that people stop taking MAOIs 14 days before starting Ritalin. Ritalin can cause small increases in blood pressure and heart rate, so doctors will exercise caution when prescribing this medication to individuals with hypertension and tachycardia. There have been reports of sudden death in children with heart conditions who were taking Ritalin. Similarly, people with structural abnormalities of the heart should not take Ritalin. Before a doctor prescribes Ritalin, they will assess the person for preexisting psychotic or bipolar disorders, as Ritalin can worsen symptoms of these conditions. In rare cases, Ritalin can cause or worsen Raynaud phenomenon. Raynaud phenomenon is a condition where the blood vessels in the fingers and toes restrict blood flow in response to cold temperatures and stress. When people are taking Ritalin, they should monitor their fingers and toes in cold temperatures and when under stress and report any changes to their doctor.

Ritalin addiction At the correct dose, Ritalin is not addictive. However, people who misuse this drug or take very high doses of Ritalin are at risk of physical dependence and addiction.

Is long-term use harmful? Share on Pinterest Doctors who prescribe Ritalin for longer than 4 weeks will assess the safety of this medication for each person. Doctors prescribe Ritalin for the treatment of people with ADHD or narcolepsy, both of which are chronic conditions. There have been no clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of Ritalin for more than 4 weeks of treatment, however. Doctors who prescribe Ritalin for longer than 4 weeks will assess the long-term effectiveness and safety of this medication for each person. Researchers concerned about the safety and effectiveness of Ritalin for long-term use have designed the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Drugs Use Chronic Effects (ADDUCE) study. This study is assessing the effectiveness of Ritalin for treating ADHD in children and adolescents and the effect of the drug on: growth and development

cardiovascular health

psychiatric health

neurological health ADDUCE is a large, ongoing 2-year study, and the results are not yet available. Further information and updates are available on the study website. Children and adolescents sometimes take Ritalin for more than 2 years. Future studies are necessary to assess the safety and efficacy of Ritalin for longer treatment durations.

When to see a doctor People can speak to their doctor about any severe or concerning side effects they experience while taking Ritalin. A doctor may recommend adjusting the dosage or changing to a different treatment. Ritalin can cause long-term growth problems in children, so doctors will usually monitor this closely. In adults taking Ritalin, healthcare professionals may regularly assess blood pressure and heart rate, particularly in those with preexisting cardiovascular conditions. People who experience symptoms of psychotic or bipolar disorders while taking Ritalin should seek medical attention. Stimulant medications can cause psychotic symptoms, even in individuals without a history of mental disorders. Rarely, Ritalin can cause painful and prolonged erections in males. Anyone who experiences this side effect should seek immediate medical attention.
A recent discovery could help to explain further why living with dirt can benefit human health. Scientists have found that a bacterium that lives in soil makes an anti-inflammatory fatty acid that can promote resilience to stress. Share on Pinterest A bacterium called Mycobacterium vaccae could protect against stress and anxiety. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) led a study that investigated Mycobacterium vaccae, an environmental bacterium that feeds on decaying organic matter. Previous studies with cells and laboratory animals have shown that M. vaccae can reduce inflammation and protect against stress. However, as the authors explain in a recent Psychopharmacology paper about their work, the molecular mechanisms underlying anti-inflammatory effects of M. vaccae are not known. In the new study, the researchers purified and identified a unique anti-inflammatory triglyceride from the soil bacterium. They then synthesized and tested the free fatty acid version of the fat in mouse immune cells. The fatty acid has the name 10(Z)-hexadecenoic acid, and the team used next-generation sequencing techniques to investigate its interaction with macrophages, a type of immune cell. The researchers saw that the fatty acid bound to a particular receptor, or signaling protein, in the cells. This event, in turn, blocked a number of inflammation-driving molecular pathways. The name of the receptor is peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR). Further experiments revealed that treating the immune cells with the fatty acid before stimulating them increased their resistance to inflammation.

Soil bacterium has a direct, protective effect We think, says senior study author Christopher Lowry, an associate professor of integrative physiology at CU Boulder, [that] there is a special sauce driving the protective effects in this bacterium, and this fat is one of the main ingredients in that special sauce. He says that the finding is a huge step forward for us because it identifies an active component of the bacteri[um] and the receptor for this active component in the host. The interaction between the anti-inflammatory fatty acid and immune cells is a product of the coevolution of humans and soil bacteria, Lowry argues. Macrophages are immune cells that eliminate pathogens, such as bacteria, by consuming them. They play a central role in inflammation. It seems, says Lowry, that once the soil bacterium gets inside the immune cell, it releases the anti-inflammatory fatty acid. This then binds to the PPAR and closes down the inflammatory cascade. The findings are further evidence that contact with soil bacteria helps human health in ways that are different from what scientists once thought.

Another side of the hygiene effect Decades ago, before more sophisticated analysis techniques were available, scientists could see little of what happened at molecular levels in cells. All they could show was that exposure to microorganisms appeared to benefit health. Those studies led British scientist David Strachan to coin the term hygiene hypothesis in 1989. The theory states that the more peoples modern lives distance them from the land and contact with farm animals, so their bodies miss out on the collaboration with microorganisms. This damages the immune system and increases the risk of allergy and asthma. At first, the assumption behind the hygiene hypothesis was that exposure to potentially harmful microorganisms helped the immune system to develop resilience against them. However, researchers such as Lowry and his team are redefining the hygiene hypothesis to add another side of the coevolution story. It is not just that exposure to disease-causing bacteria can prime immunity, but also that beneficial soil microbes can actively boost health through direct molecular interaction with immune cells. In previous work, Lowry has demonstrated several ways in which exposure to beneficial bacteria appears to be good for mental health. One study, for instance, showed that children that grow up on farms with animals have immune systems that are more resilient to stress, and they are also less likely to develop mental illnesses than children that grow up in the city without pets. Another study showed that injecting rodents with M. vaccae has a similar effect on behavior as antidepressants. The treatment also appears to have a lasting anti-inflammatory effect on the brain. Research has suggested that too high an inflammation response can raise the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other stress-related conditions.
Many people use so-called feminine hygiene products  such as intimate cleansers and wipes, douches, and even deodorants  hoping to feel clean and fresh. Do these products really help maintain genital health? In this Spotlight feature, we investigate. Share on Pinterest Is it ever advisable to use feminine hygiene products? In high school, I used to take a class called education for health, which was an eclectic mix of general biology and sex education rolled haphazardly into one. As fun-loving teenagers, many of my classmates would ask questions and recount anecdotes they hoped would spook our long-suffering teacher. One of their questions, however, genuinely piqued the interest of all the girls in the class. Her good friend, she said, used intimate cleansers on a daily basis. Despite this, she ended up with a bad vaginal infection. How was this possible? my classmate wondered. Our teacher then explained that overusing cleansers, even ones labeled as safe for intimate areas, could upset the delicate intimate balance of the vagina and give rise to infections; but was our teacher right or wrong in her assessment? So-called feminine hygiene products  which include different types of intimate washes, wipes, shaving gels, and lubricants, but also intimate douches and products for alternative care procedures, such as vaginal steaming  are popular in many countries around the world. Statistics show that the feminine hygiene market, on the whole, brought millions of dollars into the economies of dozens of countries in 2017 alone, with China and the United States leading the field. In the U.S. in 2018, sales for vaginal treatments amounted to over $286 million, and those for douches to $41 million. Meanwhile, other types of feminine hygiene products  excluding sanitary napkins, pantyliners, and tampons  brought over $309 million into the economy. Yet in recent years, one mantra has become pervasive across medical and wellness websites and on educational materials discussing vaginal health  namely, that the vagina is a self-cleaning oven. This idea refers to the fact that the vagina naturally produces discharge that eliminates dead cells and bacteria, so there is no need to clean it using soaps, washes, or douches. So if the vagina does not require any additional cleaning, does this mean that the same rule applies to the vulva? And how can different intimate hygiene products affect vulvovaginal health? These are some of the questions that we will tackle in this Spotlight feature.

Vulva and vagina basics First things first: What is the vagina, what is the vulva, and what is the difference between the two? In medical terms, the vagina refers to the internal muscular tract extending from the cervix to the vaginal opening. The vulva is the external part of the female genital tract, which includes: the inner and outer labia (labia minora and majora)

the glans clitoris (the external part of the clitoris) and clitoral hood (the fold of skin protecting the glans clitoris)

the vestibule (which surrounds the vaginal opening)

the urethral opening To maintain vulvar and vaginal health, a person must ensure that two important aspects remain balanced: their pH, which is a measurement that denotes somethings acidity or alkalinity, and their bacterial balance. Studies indicate that vulvar pH is usually 3.54.7, while vaginal pH varies according to a persons age and the stage of their menstrual cycle. So, before a person reaches reproductive age and starts menstruating, their vaginal pH will be 7 (neutral), whereas a person of reproductive age may have a vaginal pH of 3.84.4. At menopause, depending on whether or not a person undertakes hormone replacement therapy, their vaginal pH may be 4.55 or 6.57. When it comes to understanding what constitutes a balanced microbiome in the vagina versus the vulva, however, matters become less clear. In the vagina, bacterial populations shift depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle and, according to some studies , people of different ethnicities also have different vaginal microbiota. As for the vulvar microbiota, specialists have conducted only a few studies with the aim of determining what a normal vulvar bacterial population should look like. That said, existing research does suggest that the vulva naturally features bacteria present in the vagina as well as some species present in a persons feces. However, as one study that names these characteristics concludes, the vulva is more complex than originally thought, as vulvar bacterial populations appear to vary greatly among people.

Which products are unsafe? Considering we know so little about what a healthy vulvovaginal environment should look like  in part because it can differ so much from person to person  it can be difficult to outline clear guidelines on what products someone should use when it comes to intimate hygiene. Share on Pinterest Using douche syringes and cleansers can upset the vaginal microbiome. However, studies looking at the connection between feminine hygiene products and the development of vaginal infections have drawn some strong conclusions as to which products and procedures a person should avoid when caring for their vagina and vulva. Douching involves flushing the vagina with water or various cleansers, including homemade solutions of water and vinegar, sometimes with the help of specially designed implements. This technique is as widespread as it is unhealthful. Several studies have found that douching can upset the natural bacterial balance in the vagina, rendering it more vulnerable to infections  including sexually transmitted infections  and increasing a persons risk of cervical cancer and pelvic inflammatory disease. In 2018, researchers from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, concluded that the use of gel sanitizers was linked with an eightfold increase in a persons risk of developing a yeast infection, and a nearly 20 times higher risk of getting a bacterial infection. The same study also found an association between the use of intimate washes and a 3.5 times higher risk of bacterial infections, and a more than twofold higher risk of having a urinary tract infection (UTI). The scientists noticed a similar association between using intimate cleansing wipes and UTIs. These products may be preventing the growth of the healthy bacteria required to fight off infection. Our society has constructed female genitalia as unclean, and the marketing of vaginal hygiene products as something women need to attain the ideal is contributing to the problem. Lead study author Kieran ODoherty An older study in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases suggested that people who took bubble baths, applied antiseptic solutions to the vulva or vagina, or used store-bought or homemade solutions and washes to clean the vagina were more likely to have bacterial vaginosis. Moisturizes and spermicides may also cause harm. According to one 2013 in vitro study , Vagisil feminine moisturizer and a spermicide (Nonoxynol-9) quickly stifled the growth of good bacteria (Lactobacillus) usually present in the vagina. The researchers explain that Nonoxynol-9 completely killed the bacteria, while Vagisil significantly suppressed Lactobacillus growth.
New statistical framework developed by scientists can be used to assess mosquito control programs over broad time and space scales. The findings of the study are published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. The mosquito Aedes aegypti is the main vector for numerous viruses and control efforts are underway for many of the associated mosquito-borne diseases. Until better vaccines become available, controlling transmission by reducing Ae. aegypti populations remains the primary tool available to combat disease burden. However, there is a lack of "best practices" to follow and a lack of rigorously collected, quantitative data on Ae. aegypti control programs.

Effective methods of controlling mosquito populations are needed to help lower the worldwide burden of mosquito-borne diseases including Zika, chikungunya, and dengue.



Advertisement

"Our framework can be directly translated to other interventions in other locations with geolocated mosquito abundance data," the researchers say. "Results from our analysis can be used to inform future vector-control applications in Ae. aegypti endemic areas globally."



Source: Eurekalert The new model accounted for both biotic and abiotic drivers of mosquito population and provided an estimate of what mosquito populations might have looked like had spraying not been conducted. For the data from Iquitos, the model successfully captured spatial and temporal variation in Ae. aegypti abundance within and between years and across the city. The researchers found that with complete neighborhood coverage of insecticide, Ae. aegypti abundance decreased by an average of 67% in the treated neighborhood."Our framework can be directly translated to other interventions in other locations with geolocated mosquito abundance data," the researchers say. "Results from our analysis can be used to inform future vector-control applications in Ae. aegypti endemic areas globally."Source: Eurekalert

In the new work, Robert Reiner, of the University of Washington, United States, and colleagues designed a framework to model Ae. aegypti abundance over space and time and applied it to a citywide intervention carried out in Iquitos, Peru over a 12-year period. The interventions included multiple rounds of insecticide spray over large urban areas. Data spanning 1999 to 2010 was available on insecticide applications as well as mosquito abundance, from 176,352 household-level Ae. aegypti abundance surveys conducted using hand-held mosquito aspirators.
Salman Khan's 'Bharat' is nearing its release and fans are waiting with bated breath to see their favourite Khan on the big screen. The movie has been a part of controversies ever since its inception. Just a few days before the release, Salman Khan's 'Bharat' has landed into legal trouble. Well, a petition has been filed seeking the change in the title of the movie at the Delhi High Court. The petition was filed by Vipin Tyagi. As per reports, the film is against Section 3 of the Emblems and Names Act which prohibits the use of word 'Bharat' for any commercial use.

He has also asked for a change in one particular dialogue where the character has been compared to the country and he feels it's somewhere hurting the sentiments of the citizens. We wonder what Salman or Ali Abbas Zafar has to say to this. For the uninitiated, 'Bharat' is an adaptation of the Korean film 'An Ode To My Father'. It traces the journey of a man and a nation together. It will release on June 5.

Watch the trailer here:

Salman's 'Bharat' was also making news when Priyanka Chopra walked out of the movie. Since then, Salman is always seen taking a potshot at PeeCee for the same. At a press conference, Salman Khan said, "She, over Bharat, did choose the USA in the 'nick' of time. She has worked so hard all her life, okay? And when she got the biggest film of her life, she dumped that film and got married. You know, hats off! Usually, people leave their husbands for a film like this."

Are you excited to see the movie? Let us know in the comments below.
Mental health issues in India are becoming a lot more easier to talk about. We still think thrice before coming out with what we're actually facing but a lot of people out there, who're going through or have gone through certain things make it a point to share their experiences, in order to make it easier for other people to be okay with it. I agree health issues like depression and anxiety are still very superficially dealt with and talked about in our country, but change is happening on a more malleable level, where bringing these issues forth and facing them consciously is the need of the hour.

 Pinterest

Celebrities more often than not have talked about battling certain mental health issues. Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan have actually spoken about battling depression in the past and have overcome it with the help of their family and friends. Through them we learnt that there is a constant that heals you when you're the darkest place in your life and that is the candid support of your family and friends. When you have someone around you aware of what you're going through, their constant check-ins are very important for your mental well-being. Battling with depression, anxiety or any other disorder alone is an unhealthy option and apart from proper therapy, a support structure really helps.

 Pinterest

Rohan Joshi, one of the faces of AIB (All India Backchod), came out and spoke about anxiety and how he'd been living it since his childhood and how he came out of it with the help of his family and friends. While he still struggles to deal with it, he knows at the end of the day, he has enough people to turn to, to guide him and check on how he is doing. And that is the most important thing ever, to come out of something that's so overpowering at times.

Rohan spoke to Human of Bombay about how he has been dealing with anxiety since he was in college, when a college professor gave him a hard time. Even though he worked hard to put his issues of anxiety at bay, he still gets affected when someone negatively comments on his work, till date.

But what kept him going through these years was the ardent support and love he got from his dear ones.

 Instagram

"I had my first panic attack when I was 19. It started when a teacher in my engineering college began bullying & failing me. Once I even copied an assignment that got full marks, and he still failed me! It got so bad that one day, I threw up just outside college. I ran away to a beach & sat there for 5 hours.

Soon, that became a pattern. I was very afraid of going to college. But I couldn't tell my parents I wanted to quit  as an Indian student, it's a sin to drop out! I waited until I was asked to leave because of low attendance & then told my parents.

At first, they were upset. It was shameful for them that I had quit. We'd barely talk  so I took up an internship to get out of the house. Eventually, we made up  they weren't upset because I dropped out, it was because of how I did."

On coping up with his issue till date, Rohan adds, "At my moms suggestion I joined a media course. There, it was better, but I wasn't okay. There were days when I couldn't get out of bed or I'd chew the insides of my mouth to shreds because I was so restless. I'd even lash out at my loved ones.

I began working as a stand-up comedian, so I spent a lot of time on social media, and it can be very toxic. Simple comments like, 'You're not funny, quit!' would make me overthink & I'd feel like everything I was doing was pointless.

I hit rock bottom after the AIB roast debacle. Imagine waking up to the whole media calling you a stain on the face of the nation! I felt helpless when the cops showed up at my mom's door. I didn't know how to face people, so I'd just stay at a friend's place for days.

I was in a very dark place. But my family & friends never gave up on me. Even today, I wake up to messages like, 'Hey, just a feelings check!' I went for therapy, took up exercise, and disconnected from things that triggered my anxiety.

But I still have bad days. No matter how much I try to not get affected by a random person's words, it happens. But I'm learning to deal. My journey of self-healing is an ongoing battle, and I'm okay with that. Because I've realized that I don't have to go at it alone. I don't have to give in, or give up. I just have to keep fighting. #IAmAMentalHealthWarrior"

He got a lot of love and support when he came out with how he'd been dealing with anxiety all life long. Celebrities like Alia Bhatt and Rajeev Masand cheered him on for opening up and a lot of other people could relate to what he was saying.

Unfortunately, even today, people fail to understand what mental health disorders are or what is required to deal with them patiently. A lot of people fail to recognise them as a problem and often pass them off as sadness or a 'phase'. Well, honestly, it's not a phase, it's something one has to consciously fight and come out alive. It's not just sadness or a temporary lack of judgement, it's your brain and your body refusing to accept normalcy, and be whole again. We're very grateful Rohan Joshi spoke openly about him dealing with anxiety and every time a celebrity comes out in the open and talks about a mental health issue, it makes a large difference to a population that is helplessly facing these issues, not knowing what to do.

 Instagram

So, like Rohan Joshi, let's all be mental health warriors and fight to overcome this war that is the need of the hour. If you recognise a pattern of depression or anxiety in someone you're close to, make it a point to be as supportive as you can for them.
In Muzaffarnagar, a group of Muslims have been looking after a temple for more than two decades now. In Pakistan, a Muslim family has been taking care of a church for over 100 years. In Kerala, there's a village where Muslims take part in 'rath yatra' and Hindus go to mosque. Last year, a Muslim man broke his Ramzan fast to donate blood to save a Hindu's life.

In our growing years, we always heard that we can't select the families we are born into, nor can we pick our religion. But, all these people picked humanity above every other religion and set a great example in front of all of us.

 Pexels

However, the Bethune College of Calcutta University has (quite literally) put humanity above every other religion, as it gives its students a chance to pick 'Humanity' as their religion. In a historic move, the college authority has mentioned 'Humanity' as part of the religion category in their online admission forms for undergraduates.

According to a report, the college's principal Mamata Ray said, "We have realised that some students are reluctant to mention their religion in the admission form. We appreciate their views as we feel that 'Humanity' is the true religion of mankind."

She further added, "So we have deliberately kept this category in the religion section. It was a unanimous decision on the part of our admission committee." Reportedly, the college authorities further said that mentioning 'Humanity' would not be a problem for students availing for a scholarship as long as they meet the necessary guidelines.

Students are appreciating this move. Although, we have so much to be proud of, this small step towards a great revolution is truly commendable and deserves all our respect.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been one of the world's highest-paid corporate executives. So, naturally, you'd expect someone like him to continue receiving a big fat paycheck, right? Well, that's not really true.

As turns out, as Google's Chief Executive Officer, Sundar Pichai hasn't received an equity/ stock award in over two years. No, it has nothing to do with his performance as the CEO.

 Reuters

Apparently, Sundar turned down a huge grant of restricted stock in 2018 saying he was already being paid generously. That's right, Bloomberg noted that he turned down the shares because he felt his compensation was more than enough.

The exact amount which he turned down, obviously, is still unclear. However, the sources familiar to the matter told that it's about $58 million, which roughly translates to about Rs 405 Crore.

 Reuters

Before you think Pichai was being too generous, it's worth pointing out a key detail in Bloomberg's report. The report points to a staff meeting from earlier this year, in which a Google employee questioned why the CEO was receiving massive payouts when the other employees were struggling to make their ends meet. It's not just Google, though. A lot of technology companies are being increasingly blamed for all sorts of societal ills.

It's been reported that the board of Google parent Alphabet Inc. will meet later this year to revise Pichai's salary. Until then, it's highly unlikely that you'll see Pichai in the list of Most Reputable CEO anytime soon.
The male caller told the telephone operator in Hammond that hed put a bomb in the bathroom, court records state. When the operator asked him where he was, he said, Im at the boat, and that Everyone will be dead in 12 minutes. When the operator asked the man how he knew, the caller said, Because I put it there, according to the affidavit.
Anyone with information on the attack or who was in the area at the time is asked to contact Det. Mike Spicer at 219-477-3138.
On Wednesday, 29 May, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Bolaris received the former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Rowan Williams, on the occasion of the latter's trip to Athens. An exchange of views took place on the immigration issue, the persecution that Christian populations face in many regions of the planet and especially in the Middle East, the destruction of their ancestral homes as well as a significant portion of world cultural heritage, and the appropriate responses on the part of States, religious institutions, and international organisations.

The Deputy Minister briefed the Most Reverend Rowan Williams on the two-day conference on religious and ecclesiastical diplomacy organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (28/2-1/3), having invited representatives of every religion and dogma present in Greece, as well as representatives of primeval Orthodox Patriarchates, to voice their views on current issues of religious diplomacy, offering for the first time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a new source of information from officials who daily deal with the existing restrictions to religious liberty. The Deputy Minister informed him of the establishment, for the very first time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of the Centre for Religious Liberty and Diplomacy, for the optimal management of related issues by the Greek State.

The former Archbishop of Canterbury attributed an especially important role to Greece for communicating problems of peaceful co-existence in regions which traditionally were multireligious and multicultural. He laid out proposals for dealing with the radicalisation of Muslims in Western Europe and hoped that Greece and Great Britain continue to exhibit the political will to eradicate intolerance and to protect persecuted populations. The Most Reverend Rowan Williams agreed with the Deputy Minister on the contribution of continuous dialogue between Christian and Muslim religious leaders in this regard.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Bolaris today met with the Praesidium of Greece's Shiite Muslims. During the talks, the two sides referred briefly to issues facing the Shiite community residing in Greece, issues of religious freedom in countries of the region, as well as the two-day conference organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on religious diplomacy, on 28 February 2019.



The Deputy Minister noted the need for continued cooperation, which shall be ensured through the special centre that will be established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and stressed the need for the promotion of religious freedom and respect of cultural monuments in the wider region of the Middle East.



The Praesidium invited the Deputy Minister to attend a celebratory meal served in the context of Ramadan (Iftar) on 30 May 2019.
Following his Chicago stay, Father Marquette became very ill with dysentery, which resulted in his weakened state during his time in Northwest Indiana while traveling enroute home to the areas of Mackinac Island and St. Ignace, where he died at age 37 on May 18, 1675. One of his last recorded official public sightings was when he celebrated mass near Starved Rock State Park in Illinois. Today, his name is honored throughout Northwest Indiana along the travel route where he is believed to have spent a brief time.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos will meet today, at 11:30, with the Most Reverend Elpidoforos, Archbishop of America, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ultimately, she said she found the courage in August 2017 to tell police what happened. Charges were filed and the case has been making its way through Lake Superior Court. But the process has felt like a fight, making it even more important that she have someone to guide and support her, she said.
At least six states have adopted steep restrictions or bans on abortion, with Alabamas ban the toughest  performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy could be a felony punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison. (The only exception would be when the womans health is at serious risk.)
At all ages, college is a transformative experience because professors not only engage their students in deep, critical learning, but they also encourage their students to learn about and explore their authentic selves. And once they have done that, students have, to paraphrase Nicholas Pearce, a pastor in Chicago and a professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, connected their souls to their roles. That is, these students have discovered their purpose. Pearce says purpose is about the work and the impact we feel most called to make at any given point in our lives. Its the work that we cannot not do. And so, when were given the gift of letting our souls shine through the work we do, its authentically ours.
DETROIT  The Archdiocese of Detroit is standing by its decision to remove a priest, who now resides in the Port Austin area, from ministry three years ago.

"The Archdiocese of Detroit ... is repulsed by comments attributed to him in recent media reports," the archdiocese stated in reference to Lawrence Ventline.

Ventline is a priest who has been temporarily removed from the ministry since 2016. He is also currently facing licensing action by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office.

Earlier this week, Ventline indicated he was going to sue the AG's office.

"A lawsuit will be filed by week's end with the finest prosecuting attorney in MI (Michigan) to sue the Catholic axe-grinding same-gender attracted AG Nessel," Ventline previously stated in an email to the Tribune this week.

"Ventline's personal attacks against Attorney General Dana Nessel have no place in public discourse,"the archdiocese stated. "In addition, any threat of a lawsuit by him has absolutely no support or involvement from the Detroit archdiocese."

As of Friday morning, the AG's office has not received a lawsuit from Ventline, Dan Olsen, a spokesperson for the AG, told the Tribune.

Ventline lashed out at the archdiocese in response to its statement decrying his comments about Nessel.

"AoD (Archdiocese of Detroit) are hellish hypocrites losing Catholics daily who seek Jesus and the truth," Ventline told the Tribune.
(CNN)  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that the U.S. is looking into reports that North Korea executed a top official after President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un's summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, earlier this year.

South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea's special envoy to the U.S., was executed after Kim Jong Un and Trump were unable to reach an agreement at their second summit in February.

"We've seen the reporting ... we're doing our best to check it out," Pompeo said during a joint press conference with the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas in Berlin.

CNN has not been able to independently verify the reporting in Chosun Ilbo  South Korea's most-circulated daily newspaper  and South Korean reports of North Korean executions have at times been inaccurate.

The paper  quoting unnamed North Korean sources  said Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at the Mirim airport in Pyongyang on charges of "being recruited by U.S. imperialists and betraying the supreme leader."

Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea's State Affairs Commission special representative, led negotiations with the US special representative to North Korea, Stephen Biegun, at the Hanoi summit and was in charge of the working-level talks with American counterparts.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders would not comment on the Chosun report Friday but did say the U.S. is "monitoring the situation."

"I'm not going to comment on intelligence one way or another. I can tell you that we're monitoring the situation and continuing to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearization," she told reporters.

South Korea's Presidential Blue House echoed that message, saying: "We do examine all relevant information, but we think that it is important to grasp how much of confirmed information the article contains. I do not think it is appropriate to make any hasty judgment or comment about that part."

A senior diplomatic source with knowledge of the situation told CNN that Kim Hyok Chol and Kim Yong Chol "have certainly disappeared," but there is "no independent information or intelligence at this point on what's happened."

In the past, North Korean officials have disappeared, only to resurface after a period of "re-education," the source noted.

Kim purging top officials?

In addition to reportedly executing Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea's leader is believed to be carrying out a purge of top officials following the failure of the negotiations with the Trump administration, the paper said.

Kim Yong Chol, one of North Korea's top negotiators who accompanied Kim to both summits with the U.S. President, was reportedly "dismissed" and "is doing forced labor in Chagang-do province", according to Chosun.

Kim Yong Chol was the vice chairman of the Party Central Committee, and represented Kim Jong Un at key events as the young leader's top official in charge of relations between North and South Korea.

He also hand-delivered a letter from Kim Jong Un to Trump during a visit to Washington, DC, in January this year, and also served as Pompeo's counterpart in the negotiations.

His May 2018 trip to the U.S. made him the most senior North Korean official to visit the country since 2000, when Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok traveled to Washington to meet with then-President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office.

Shin Hye Yong, the interpreter for Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, was also reportedly imprisoned in a political camp for what Chosun described as an interpretation error at the summit. Her mistake "damaged the authority" of the leader, according to the paper.

And Kim Song Hye, who was in charge of the working-level discussion with Kim Hyok Chol, was sent to a political prisoner camp.

Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong, who was by his side in Hanoi, was removed from official activity, Chosun reported.

Kim Yo Jong's profile has been steadily rising since 2014, when she given the key regime role of deputy director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Workers' Party.

She was the face of the North Korean delegation at the Winter Olympics in South Korea last year, and had a seat at the table for the most significant peace talks between the two nations in decades.

In April, she was the only woman among six delegates at the historic talks between North and South Korea at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the two countries and is widely seen as instrumental in making the summit happen.

History of violence

While the details reported by Chosun remain unconfirmed, experts acknowledge that it is certainly plausible to think Kim Jong Un could have carried out a possible purge of this nature.

"There's certainly plenty of evidence -- both in Kim's recent past, and North Korean history  of purging officials when things don't work out the way that the leader needs, or when there are potentially concerns about different factions within the government and the elite," according to Lindsey Ford of the Asia Society Policy Institute, who is also a former Pentagon adviser for Asian and Pacific Security.

"Trump can talk about how he and Kim are on the same page ... because they are buds, but (Kim) is a dictator who, in the past, has executed people close to him: his brother, his uncle and he's not afraid to do it again," Ford added.

Kim Jong Un is believed to have carried out hundreds of brutal executions since coming to power in December 2011.

North Korea's top education official Kim Yong Jin was executed by firing squad in 2016 after he exercised a "bad attitude" at the country's Supreme People's Assembly, according to a South Korean government official at the time.

In May 2015, Kim reportedly had his Defense Minister Hyon Yong Chol killed with an anti-aircraft gun at a military school in Pyongyang, in front of an audience.

Two years earlier, in 2013, Kim Jong Un's uncle was executed for trying to overthrow the government, according to state media, which described him as a "traitor for all ages."

Kim Jong Un has also been accused of ordering the assassination of his own half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, who had been living in exile from his homeland in the Chinese controlled territory of Macau and had occasionally criticized its regime.

North Korea has consistently denied involvement in the killing, though United States, South Korean and Malaysian authorities have said Pyongyang was responsible.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "US checking reports North Korea executed top official after Trump summit, Pompeo says."
The haze stems from northern Alberta, where more than two dozen fires are burning. More than 10,000 people have been forced from their homes. Alberta fire authorities report the largest blaze, about 450 miles north of Edmonton, has burned 887 square miles of land and remained out of control as of Friday morning.
You are here: Arts

China's 4,296 major cultural heritage sites and 5,354 museums will join a national celebration on this year's cultural and natural heritage day, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA).

The cultural heritage sites and museums will launch various activities free of charge including lectures and forums, Lu Qiong, a NCHA official said at a press conference held Thursday.

This year's cultural and natural heritage day falls on June 8.

An intangible cultural heritage fair will be held in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou from June 7 to 10 and consist of exhibitions, shows, lectures and forums about 40 forms of art on the List of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Intangible Cultural Heritage, said Hu Yan, an official with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Since 2006, China has celebrated cultural heritage day on the second Saturday of June. In 2017, it was renamed cultural and natural heritage day.
Contributed photo

MIDDLETOWN  Vintage Players, in conjunction with Connecticut Heritage Productions, presents The Dresser by Ronald Harwood at Oddfellows Playhouse on June 21 and 22. The play, set in war-torn England of 1941, chronicles the relationship of a renowned, aging Shakespearean actor and his longtime personal dresser.

Written in 1980, the play has an autobiographical bent. During the 1950s, Ronald Harwood functioned as private dresser to the noted Shakespearean actor/manager, Sir Donald Wolfit. Harwood was well aware that during the bombing of England in World War II, Wolfit was respected for refusing to abandon his touring of the provinces, even though German bombs were causing widespread destruction throughout the countryside.
MIDDLETOWN  The Middletown Adult Education class of 2019, clad in brilliant blue caps and robes, some smiling and joking with nervous laughter, others excited with beaming faces, made its way toward the auditorium Thursday night.

Class speaker Jessica Acevedo, with her eye-catching red hair in brilliant contrast to her outfit, led the parade down the halls of Middletown High School, as the shrill, plaintive strains of a bagpiper brought up the rear.

Their families, many accompanied by little ones, completed the procession.

Acevedo, 27, among 17 who earned high school diplomas, moved to Middletown in 2010.

After discovering she was pregnant in 2011, she became distraught, and eventually ashamed, she admitted. Thinking she had all the time in the world to finish her education, Acevedo dropped out to care for her oldest, Mason, 7, upon the bad advice of friends at the time.

That was the worst mistake.

It was followed by years of horrible jobs.

Acevedo also has a 10-month-old son, Maddox. After learning of her second pregnancy, this time, she kept attending classes.

It was a big motivation, both of them. I felt like a failure when I was pregnant with Mason, when I quit adult ed the first time. Going back, and I was actually pregnant, and I got through it, I felt so accomplished and I was very happy with myself. I cant wait for my future, she said.

Both her children were in the audience Thursday evening.

The most important part is for them to see is me walk the stage. I want to show them how important school is, said Acevedo, who plans to begin classes at Middlesex Community College in the fall.

Middletown Adult Education students attend classes at 398 Main St., near the Main Street Market downtown, although ceremonies were conducted in the high school performing arts center.

Forty-four graduated during the 74th annual exercises. In addition to those who took home diplomas, three earned an external diploma, and 24 received a state of Connecticut high school diploma, a GED.

Commencement is an ending, but also a beginning, Deputy Mayor Robert Santangelo told the soon-to-be grads at the start of the evenings program, praising their determination and perseverance.

When Abbey Jane Butler, 18, of Killingworth, left Colorado, she had cool credits in swimming, yoga and dance. She enrolled in Haddam-Killingworth High School and was diagnosed with learning disabilities after having difficulty handling a stringent curriculum.

Their academic program wasnt working for me, she said.

The high school nurse recommended adult education, where Butler met English teacher Cathy Cody, who changed her life.

She is one of my favorite teachers ever. She impacted me the most here. She really brought life into my education. It was realistic and hands-on opportunities.

She would work through an essay one-on-one with me, and construct my ideas. With the learning disability, it was a broad idea bubble, and she concised it to three ideas, so I could learn that. It was awesome, said Butler, who thrives in verbal and visual instruction.

I definitely worked for it, she said, listing off everything she has managed to overcome: changing schools during junior year, learning disabilities, dealing with a difficult academic program, as well as working more than four jobs during that period.

When it came time for the 13 mothers and their 16 children to proceed individually across the state to claim their Even Start Family Learning Program certificates of completion, the audience was delighted at the site of the little ones.

The program combines preschool with adult academic instruction, as well as reinforces the parent-child relationship and enhances parenting skills.

Graduates and awards

National external diploma program recipients: Mariah Morningstar Forte and Linda Anne Martin

High school diploma recipients: Adam Fletcher Bulgajewski, Kyle P. Burgess, Cameron T. Cole, Khaliesha S. Ellison, Elegacie V. Jones, Kendra Kanaple, Sahida Khanom, Joshua Landry, Hailing Lin, Anthony Rocco Marino, Robert A. Marks, Michael George ONeill, Jasper Paglia-Scheff, Ana Ramos, Vanessa J. Richardson, Christopher Anthony Russo, Sophia Shafer, Shamima Sreety, Brenda L. Velasco, Troy Williams

Adult high school credit diploma recipients: Acevedo, James D. Brown, Butler, Noah M. Chaffee, Eric S. Cordeiro, Ashley Eliza Gardner, Marianne Goorbaran, Angelic Thalia Jimenez, Joyce Kolman-Gowen, Ghofran Omar Mufti, Jaydev Deven Odedra, Alexis M. Ortiz, Ana Ramos, Serena L. Ramos, Kathryn Dora Rea, Joey B. Wheeler

Liberty Bank scholarships: Butler, Cordiero, Gardner, Jiminez, Khanom, Sreety and Velasco.

Lillian Gallitto Scholarship Fund scholarships, named for the influential adult education instructor: Paglio-Scheff and Odedra

Those wishing to contribute to the fund may a mail check to Seasons Federal Credit Union, 524 So. Main St., Middletown, CT, 06457.
Connecticut schools will be required to offer a course in African American, Puerto Rican and Latino history by 2022 under a bill unanimously approved by the state Senate late Thursday.

The Senate vote came days after the House of Representatives endorsed the plan. The bill now goes to Gov. Ned Lamont for consideration.

The vote came after an emotional speech by Sen. Douglas McCrory, D-Hartford, who said that for students to be successful, the curriculum they are taught must be rigorous and relevant to their lives.

Noting few students consider history or social studies to be their favorite subject, McCrory said, Well, if you were sitting in a classroom and all you learned was that you was a slave and you was trouble and you didnt bring anything to this country, then you wouldnt think that subject was very important to you either. You see the problem we have is, if you were never told you did anything, then you will never believe you can do anything.

McCrory, a longtime educator, said that during the Reconstruction period after the Civil War, America had five black Congressmen, but no one told us, no one told us ... Now, thats the type of history that would motivate you.

He said providing a curriculum where everyone can benefit and everyone can learn about the positive things theyve done will provide opportunity for all of us to see.

The bill, which was approved earlier this week in the House, authorizes the State Education Resource Center to develop the one-credit course for high school students and calls on the State Board of Education to approve it no later than Jan. 1, 2021.

The bill requires school districts to offer the course by July 2022, but stipulates they can begin offering it as early as July 2021.

The fiscal note includes one-time costs of $400,000 for curriculum development as well as the annual salary of a full time staff member  $85,000 plus $35,012 in fringe benefits  to ensure districts meet the requirement.

While students will not be required to take the class  it will be an elective  school districts will be required to offer it.

The bill requires the state Department of Education to conduct an audit from July 2022 through July 2024 to ensure the course is being offered by each local and regional board of education.
Gov. Ned Lamont and Democratic legislators resolved their intra-party differences over legislation creating a state-mandated paid family and medical leave program, clearing the way for the House of Representatives to vote 79-69 for final passage Friday night.

Lawmakers and Lamont agreed on changes in the size, makeup and operating policies of the quasi-public authority that will oversee the program, giving the governor control over the authority and prompting him to drop a veto threat made last week as the Senate took up the measure.

We do have an agreement, Lamont said at midday. Im ready to see that go.

Under the legislation, benefits would become available on July 1, 2021. It would provide up to 12 weeks of replacement wages, payable on a sliding scale ranging up to a maximum of 95 percent for minimum-wage earners, capped at $900 a week. Workers incapacitated by pregnancy could get an additional two weeks.

Workers would fund the program with a payroll tax of one-half of one percent. Benefits would be cut if the revenue proves insufficient to meet demand.

Advocates say the program would offer some of the strongest benefits and job protections for workers who take extended time off for personal illness or to care for a child, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and anyone else related by blood or affinity who has a close association with the employee.

Connecticut has long had a family and medical leave law that guaranteed time off, but not with pay, shutting out the working poor, said House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Hartford. The bill, he said, rectifies that inequity.

Our humanity should not come down to how much we make for a living, Ritter said.

Labor progressives and their allies celebrated reaching the end of a six-year campaign for passage.

Paid leave is a critical step forward for womens economic security, especially for low-wage workers and women of color who are an increasing number of primary breadwinners for their families, said Catherine Bailey of the Connecticut Womens Education and Legal Education Fund. We are proud to join the rest of the world and become just the seventh state in the U.S. to create a system of paid leave.

Nine Democrats joined all 61 Republicans to oppose passage.

Connecticut is among the most expensive places to live, its one of the most expensive and difficult places in the nation to run a businessstone cold facts that people who voted yes tonight blatantly ignored, said House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby. On top of that, they forced this through on the eve of rolling out a two-year state budget thats heavy on not just middle class tax hikes, but one that also includes an insidious plan to burden the very people we need to help fire up economic recoverysmall business owners.

Setting aside the 11th-hour threat of a gubernatorial veto, the state Senate voted 21-15 last week to pass a Democratic bill that would achieve a long-sought objective of labor progressives: State-mandated disability insurance.

Lamont, who ran on a pledge to pass a paid family leave law, demanded changes to encourage private insurers to bid on providing the disability insurance.

House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, declined to call the bill for a vote in the House until the administration and bills sponsors agreed on changes that would avert a veto. Those changes will be made in a separate bill.

With an agreement in hand, the House opened debate at 2:45 p.m. Friday on one of the Democrats top priorities  giving the working poor the ability stay home with sick family members without financial ruin. But Republicans say the bill is an unwanted mandate on employees, who would be compelled to pay for the disability insurance via a payroll tax of one half of one percent.

Passage came nearly eight hours later at 10:27 p.m. House members facing a constitutional adjournment deadline of midnight Wednesday return on Saturday, but debate on the budget will not come until Monday. The Senate adjourned until Monday.

Lamont issued no statement at passage, but he reiterated earlier in the day his intention to sign the measure.

Susan and I ran on paid family and medical leave, Lamont said at an event with Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz. We know how important it is to the workplace of the 21st Century to a lot of single parents who desperately need that in order not to choose between a job and a child who is sick.

Republicans say although the benefit would be financed by employees, it still would be a blow to small businesses by giving workers an incentive to take up to 12 weeks of leave.

Rep. Terrie Wood, R-Darien, who described her own struggles caring for a family member, was one of the Republicans who say they understand the push for the program. She said she wished the private sector would step up, especially offering better coverage for low-wage workers.

I just dont believe our economy can grow with this heavy hand of government, and this is the heavy hand of government, she said.

Rep. Richard Smith, R-New Fairfield, called the measure an overreach as the program would apply to the smallest businesses, who could not afford for an employee to leave for 12 weeks. But Rep. Joe Polletta, R-Watertown, undermined that argument, saying he knew of no small business that would stop an employee from taking time for a family emergency.

A Republican amendment would limit the program to companies with at least two dozen workers, Smith said.

It has to be sustainable, and it has to be fair, he said.

Ritter said that Republicans seemed concerned that workers would abuse the program, while there is no evidence of significant fraud in states that offer paid leave. The bill provides for penalties for abuse of the benefits.

This distrust of workers is just shocking to me, he said.

On the assumption that the working poor could not afford any significant loss of income, low-wage workers would get the highest rate of wage-replacement. A worker earning $600 a week would receive benefits equal to 95 percent of wages, or $570 a week.

The payroll tax would impose an annual cost of $156 for minimum-wage workers and a maximum of $664.50 for those with six-figure incomes. Payroll subjected to the new tax would be limited to the amount of annual earnings subject to Social Security taxes, currently capped at $132,900.

The bill passed by the Senate creates an authority with 15 voting members. Under the new version, there will be 13 members, with the governor having seven appointments and the legislature six. The governor also will name the chair.

Previously, most contracts that the quasi-public agency entered into would require a two-thirds vote of the board, to be taken only after a three to four month waiting period. Now, professional staff at the agency will score and award the contracts using criteria agreed upon by a two-thirds vote of the board, without a waiting period.

The early hours of the House debate Friday offered a reprise of the six-hour debate in the Senate.
After being rejected twice, a Connecticut Army veteran has been awarded federal disability benefits for terminal brain cancer he contends was caused by exposure to open burn pits in Afghanistan.

Peter Antioho, 33, of Berlin, had to walk daily through heavy smoke emanating from burn pits as he performed his job as second in command on his base in 2012. A variety of items, including human and animal waste, plastic, ammunition and batteries were burned with diesel fuel 24 hours a day in open pits. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer two years ago.

He was in the process of a third appeal to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs when he learned Thursday that he will receive full disability payments. Amy Antioho, Peters wife, said the news is life changing in that now we dont have to keep fighting the VA, we can fight the cancer.

She said they have been struggling to split their time between trying to prove to the VA a service connection to the cancer, dealing with the cancer, and being a family. The couple has a three-year-old son, Mark.

They celebrated with a trip to a Dairy Queen, after receiving the news from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthals office.

The VA doesnt automatically assume service connection when veterans seek benefits for illnesses they contend were caused by exposure to military burn pits. Advocates are urging Congress to pass legislation which would do that. The VA maintains that more research is needed and, in the meantime, considers applications like Antiohos on a case-by-case basis. It rejected 80 percent of the 12,378 burn pit disability claims filed between June 2007 and last March 31, according to VA statistics.

Blumenthal called the decision to grant benefits to Antioho profoundly important, first, for a courageous veteran and warrior who served and sacrificed for our nation. Its justice for him. But, it also reflects a broader recognition that toxic and poisonous substances on the battlefield in burn pits and elsewhere can create wounds and injuries every bit as pernicious as bullets or explosions or other direct wounds of war.

Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said he supports passing a law that would recognize the disabling effects of poisons on the battlefield. However, he expressed belief that the VA can establish a policy on its own without a law.

Both Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. John Lawson, both Connecticut Democrats, had reached out to the VA to advocate for Peter Antioho. Larson said he is beyond relieved that the Antiohos are finally getting the benefits they deserve.

Peter and his family have fought this disease with courage and grace. All they wanted was for their country to recognize their sacrifices, said Larson, who represents the states First Congressional district, in which the Antiohos reside. Im glad that the VA did the right thing. I wish they hadnt dragged out the process, he added.

Peter Antioho first applied for disability benefits last June. The Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC) was preparing additional materials to submit to the VA when the approval was granted. Cinthia Johnson, CVLC deputy director, said all the evidence needed to support Peters claim had been presented to the VA, but it was still denied twice because burn pit claims, particularly for veterans who served in Afghanistan, dont have a clear path through this complex process.

Amy Antioho said she and her husband had happy tears in our eyes when they learned of the VA decision. They had provided medical records, witness statements from doctors, Peter Antiohos commander and military colleagues, and their own statements in the applications.

Our life is changing and yes, money helps, she said, but added that there are still a lot of people dealing with this and I hope Congressional folks will keep fighting. The Antiohos will also receive Aid and Attendance benefits which are provided when a veteran needs help with daily activities or is housebound.

There are a number of proposals in Congress regarding burn pits: requiring the Pentagon to track burn pit exposure of each service member, include it in all medical and military records, and share the data with the VA; automatically enrolling all exposed veterans in a VA registry, which is now voluntary; and permitting designees to add cause of death to registry data on deceased veterans.

Supporters have expressed hope that the measures would help identify illnesses and their prevalence among military exposed to burn pits so an automatic service connection would be presumed by the VA when veterans seeks benefits.

Peter Antioho, a West Point graduate, has cancer symptoms that include memory loss, and impaired vision, speech and motor function. He cant work or drive. Of the approval, he said congratulations were in order for his wife and son. They are everything, he said.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting.
MERIDEN  They came overflowing with a pride that was contagious.

They were the families of the 419 members of the Middlesex Community College class of 2019, who graduated Thursday.

The ceremony was moved from the Middlesex campus to the auditorium of the Oliver Platt School in Meriden because of a forecast that warned of a downpour.

Platt is the Meriden campus of MxCC, according to Thea Moritz, spokeswoman for the college.

This time the meteorologists were spot on.

There was thunder and occasional lightning as the storm lashed the region.

But that was outside.

The real excitement was inside the auditorium, where the colleges 52nd commencement was held.

Because it is an auditorium, there was a limit on the available seats. The overflow watched the ceremony on screens in the gymnasium.

We are here tonight to celebrate your accomplishments, campus Chief Executive Officer Steven Minkler said in his welcoming remarks.

Those accomplishments were many and varied.

The class is made up of 259 women and 160 men, Minkler said.

The youngest graduate is 18, the oldest is 79; 21 are veterans and 24 are foreign/international students.

There are three pairs of siblings, including one set of twins, as well as a husband and wife who both graduated.

Ten of the graduates earned their degrees while incarcerated.

Looking out at the ocean of beaming faces, Dean of Students Adrienne Maslin told the graduates Youre the future of Connecticut.

Then Maslin, who is retiring, encouraged the students to be unabashed in your celebration.

The guest speaker had many things in common with members of the class of 2019.

She grew up in a family bedeviled by addiction, dropped out of high school when she was 17 after she became pregnant.

Still, she loved learning and wanted to go back to school.

She made a number of false starts, but eventually did enroll in Naugatuck Valley Community College.

And there she found people who embraced her and offered the support she needed.

She continued her education and eventually fulfilled her dream of becoming a teacher.

Eventually, she was named teacher of the year in Waterbury, in Connecticut and finally in the U.S.

Last year, she took on a new challenge, and when she was introduced Thursday, it was as U.S. Rep. Jahana F. Hayes, member of Congress.

In the history of the United States, 12,343 people have been elected to Congress, Hayes told the audience.

To date, 358 of them have been women, and 74 of them women of color. And just one has been a woman of color from Connecticut: Jahana Hayes.

Hayes acknowledged she has followed a circuitous route from where she began to where she is now.

She has been marked by every experience along the way, and she told the graduates they must do the same thing.

Your path is meant specially for you, she said.

Your journey has value, she said, adding, Education changes not just you, but the trajectory of you family.

Seeing you cross the finish line gives them hope, too, she said.

Education was not valued in the home in which she grew up.

But when the daughter to whom she gave birth saw her mother go back to school, she understood its value, and now she, too, has graduated from college, Hayes said.

We all have a responsibility to each other, she continued. Other people saw value in me when I couldnt see it in myself.

Thursday night, standing before the graduates, In you, I see me, Hayes said.

The graduates are embarking on the first step in a long journey.

Dont be put off by how high that journey is, but rather, Focus on the step in front of you.

She closed her remarks by urging the class to Lock arms and pay it forward.

Seated, by chance, behind Hayes husband, Milford Hayes, two generations of one family waited for the husband-and-wife team to be awarded their diplomas.

The couple are Aquia Brown-Welch and her husband RichShard C. Brown.

Brown-Welch graduated with high honors with degrees in both psychology and Spanish, and was also a member of the Phil Theta Kappa honor society. And she composed and read the commencement poem.

RichShard Brown, a Navy veteran who works for Pratt & Whitney, earned an associate degree in applied science.

Waiting to share the joy with them were Brown-Welchs grandmother and the matriarch of the family, Claudia Jackson-Welch, and Brown-Welchs mother, Allena Brown-Duvall, and RichShard Browns brother, Rainard Brown.

Asked if she was proud of her granddaughter, Claudia Jackson-Welch said, I am proud of my family. Period.

Elsewhere in the auditorium, another family waited anxiously for the ceremony to end.

While his sons, Makai, 10, and Miles 7, endured the rituals, Guivenson Badeau spent much of his time walking back-and-forth on the fringe of the auditorium calming his 11/2-year-old daughter Princess Maven, all while holding a bouquet of flowers.

A Haitian immigrant, Guivenson Badeau is married to Montez S. Badeau, who was receiving a liberal arts degree.

Badeau was both proud of his wife and thankful to MxCC.

They have given us a path, he said.

Once the ceremony ended - without the ritual tossing of the mortar boards - Montez Badeau met her family in the hallway outside the auditorium where a beaming Miles thrust a bouquet of flowers into his mothers waiting hands.

The family then moved to the cafeteria for an after-party where they were joined Montez Badeaus father, Charles Williams.

As he kept a eye on his two grandsons, Williams said, I feel good.

Montez Badeau had gone back to school last fall, despite working and caring for three children.

For her to go back with all that, Im very proud, Williams said.

Although he and Montez Badeaus mother are no longer married, Williams said, She was a great mother. I always give her all the credit.

Williams looked at his family and especially at his daughter gripping her diploma, and said, Im a very proud Dad.
HARTFORD  After a stalled effort following a five-hour debate the night before, the Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday that will extend workers compensation benefits to police and firefighters suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Members of the Senate spent hours Wednesday night expressing support for SB 164 which would give police, firefighters and parole officers the opportunity to receive up to 52 weeks of benefits while seeking treatment after witnessing a tragic event.

But the effort was quickly tabled as a vote was about to occur when Republicans introduced a last-minute amendment to extend the same benefits to all emergency medical personnel.

After a compromise was struck Thursday to have the Labor and Public Employee Committee study the feasibility of including EMS and corrections officers by the next session, the bill passed.

The legislation expands the definition of personal injury to include mental-health injuries brought on by experiencing or witnessing a tragic event. Under the provisions, firefighters, police and parole officers  about 36,000 state and local employees  would be eligible to seek treatment without fear of losing their jobs and would collect workers compensation benefits if they needed to be off the job for a period of time.

The events that would trigger eligibility for workers compensation include witnessing the death or disfigurement of a person, viewing a deceased child, and treating or caring for a person who dies shortly thereafter. The employees would have to seek treatment to receive the benefits and be cleared by a licensed professional to return to work.

Passage of the bill in the Senate was a seminal moment for Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, who has been a champion of mental-health treatment for first responders for years.

This bill has been for me sort of a labor of love to provide people with some help for an injury they receive on the job that is not only a physical injury, but an injury to the mind, heart and soul, Osten said minutes before the final vote took place.

It had first been introduced in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook shootings that killed 20 children and six adults.

During the debate, several senators told their personal stories of dealing with tragic events, including Sen. Kevin Witkos, R-Canton, and Sen. Dan Champagne, R-Vernon, who are retired police officers.

Osten conceded in a statement issued after the vote that business and municipal leaders had bucked the bill over cost concerns.

Many ambulance services in the state are privately owned, and raised the same concerns about the cost of providing workers compensation for employees. EMS responders, however, were vocal about being left out when the bill began to gain traction this session.

The compromise to have the Labor Committee examine the issue leaves the door open for the addition of EMS personnel and correction officers when there is more time to address those issues.

This is a great opportunity to include individuals who are not covered today, said Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, who co-chairs the Labor Committee.

The bill moves to the House for consideration before its June 5 adjournment.
HARTFORD  The state Senate recently advanced legislation to ban smoking and vaping at state park beaches by a bipartisan 33-3 vote.

State Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, who co-introduced the legislation, led debate on the state Senate floor, saying this ban will positively affect the state park beach experience for beach-goers, according to a press release.

This legislation prioritizes the health of our environment and the many individuals who enjoy our state park beaches, she said in a prepared statement.

Senate Bill 752, An Act Concerning Smoking and Vaping on Beaches in State Parks, will ban all smoking and vaping on a beach located in a state park. This legislation bans the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and any other device with lighted tobacco in specified areas.

The Department of Environmental Protection will post a notification of this law on its website, and park attendants will inform the public of this law when they enter the park, the release said. The DEEP commissioner may also enforce a warning for the first violation. The second violation is an infraction and will result in a fine. If enacted, this law will go into effect July 1.

Cohen said the bill is imperative to preserving the states state park beaches and ensuring all who visit are not subject to the health risks associated with second-hand smoke from cigarettes or vaping devices, according to the release.

Cohen represents the 12th Senate District, which consists of Branford, Durham, Guilford, Killingworth, Madison and North Branford.

Multiple studies have been conducted on the health risks associated with secondhand smoke from e-cigarettes. According to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, electronic cigarettes emit potentially toxic substances.

The American Lung Association, which has provided public testimony in favor of this legislation, reported that E-cigarettes produce dangerous chemicals which can cause lung and heart disease. The U.S. surgeon general has also warned against the risks of inhaling secondhand smoke from e-cigarettes, Cohen said in her statement.

In addition to the health risks involved with inhaling secondhand smoke, vaping and smoking at state park beaches also contributes to pollution and ocean pollution. Due to cigarette filters not being biodegradable, they can release toxins into the air and put all at risk.

If signed into law, Connecticut will join Maine with a statewide ban on smoking at a beach in a state park. New Jersey also enacted a ban on smoking at all public beaches in January.

This legislation will additionally allow DEEP to expand the number of people who can participate in group fishing licenses provided to tax exempt organizations from 50 individuals to 100 and allows DEEP to provide a rebate to agents that issue fishing and hunting licenses for the purchase of equipment and software required when issuing fishing and hunting licenses.

The agent must prove a hardship in purchasing the required equipment.

Prior to passing the state Senate, this bill advanced out of the Environment Committee 25-4. It now awaits action by the state House of Representatives and a signature by Gov. Ned Lamont.
Internationally-famed Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi believes her role in "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" has depth and that the filming process is an "eye-opening" experience, although she didn't actually see the real monster.



"As a Chinese actress, it was quite an eye-opening experience to participate in a film of such scale," said Zhang during an interview in Beijing on May 14. She and director Michael Dougherty, actresses Vera Farmiga and Millie Bobby Brown attended the Chinese premiere the day before. She was later due to fly to Cannes, Los Angeles and other international cities for more promotional events.

She is grateful that director Dougherty respected her and her role, and gave her a big space and freedom for her to fully develop the character.

"My character is a little complex, she is not the symbolic role which I feared I would be getting, which would have been a waste of time," the actress said, adding she was able to enrich the role after she and the director had some good exchanges.

Zhang plays a scientist working for a secret crypto zoological agency known as Monarch, as well as her twin sister, both of whom inherit their family's psychic ability to connect with the monsters. Unlike Chinese actress Jing Tian's brief appearance in "Kong: Skull Island," Zhang's scenes in the new film make up an important part of the storyline. In the film, her research on Chinese myths about Chinese dragons proves significant in human efforts to help Godzilla fight its rival monsters and protect the world.

However, as with her fellow actors, she never actually saw any real size monsters, not even a puppet and other props. "We have to use our imagination," she explained.

By using wind machines, artificial rain, smoke as well as music to simulate scenes that feature the monsters in the film, the director created the right atmosphere to allow the actors and actresses to perform.

"Automatically, your adrenaline lifts, your blood pressure rises and your pulse quickens," said Vera Farmiga. "At the same time, we had a narration explaining what we were seeing. During the quiet moments of a scene, we had someone narrating the very details of what we were watching, to the point of even describing an animal's emotional state."

Dougherty added that the shooting "was almost like doing a stage play, by creating all these tools to help the actor's imagination and reactions."

"It is a challenge for me to do this film, the role is too far away from my real life. But, I love the challenge. If it is not such a challenge, I would rather not accept the role," said Zhang. "However, the most important reason for me to agree to do it is because I can learn more from Hollywood."

Zhang soared to international fame through Ang Lee's Academy-winning film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in 2000 and later starred in "Memoirs of a Geisha" in 2005. Chinese films "Hero" and "The Grandmaster" starring Zhang also won international acclaim. However, the visual effects offered by a blockbuster like "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" proved new and fresh for her.

To best portray the character, Zhang worked very hard to discover and understand the role's history, family and background. "In a monster film, every human actor is just a supporting actor for the monster clash. I had to fully understand how a human actor should cope with the limited time and space to convey the most accurate performance."

Dougherty said, "I've always liked the messages in Godzilla that have evolved over time. And his message has now evolved to reflect the current era of climate change." The film franchise conveys in-depth messages about human's anxieties, and "Godzilla steps into correcting any species that might threaten our planet, whether this threat is from a monster or human beings."

Brown added the film will raise public awareness about protecting nature.

This latest offering from Warner Bros. in collaboration with Legendary Pictures was released to Chinese theaters nationwide from May 31. The Chinese company Shanghai Huahua Media also invested in the project.

The film, a sequel to the 2014 film "Godzilla," tells the story of Monarch's efforts to save humanity as monsters fight for supremacy. These monsters from the Godzilla franchise originate from the Japanese film studio Toho's productions between 1954 and 1964, which form part of pop culture around the globe. The 2014 film "Godzilla" grossed more than 480 million yuan (US$70 million) in Chinese mainland cinemas. The new installment is aiming to surpass the 1-billion-yuan (US$144.68) mark at a record pace.
You are here: China

A four-month nationwide campaign on family education kicked off Thursday in Beijing.

The campaign, jointly initiated by China's Ministry of Education and the All-China Women's Federation, aims to build various connections between home and school and improve the quality of family education.

At the opening ceremony, Zheng Fuzhi, vice minister of education, called for more enriched methods and forms of family education.

Zheng also asked the whole of society to offer guidance and services and create a good atmosphere with care and support for family education.

New ideas, measures and practices of family education were introduced during speeches delivered by experts, school principals and parents at the opening ceremony.
The push to legalize marijuana sales in Connecticut may have gone up in a puff  for now  but a sliver of the proposed legislation should be considered for action before the General Assembly turns out the lights at midnight Wednesday.

This is important: A portion of one of three bills dealt with the glaring racial disparity in arrests for marijuana possession. Senate Bill 1085 included a provision for erasing criminal records: People with past convictions for up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis could petition for erasure of the record and for that petition to be granted and the records destroyed. There would be no fee charged for those petitions.

This made sense if marijuana were to be made as legal as alcohol in Connecticut, as it is in 10 other states. But I think it makes sense even without legalization. Why? Because of the imbalance in arrests.

In Connecticut, black-skinned people are 3.3 times more likely to be charged for having pot than white-skinned people, though their use of the drug is similar.

A data analysis of marijuana arrests in Connecticut by CTMirror in 2016 shows in detail the glaring inequality.

In all but one town (Suffield), black people were cited for marijuana at a higher rate than their proportion of the population in that town, the analysis said.

Consider this: Nearly half of all marijuana citations in New Canaan were given to black people though they make up about 1 percent of the towns population.

The analysis looked at data from 2011, after the state decriminalized possession of less than half-an-ounce, through 2014. Lets look at some of the larger cities in that time frame.

New Haven had 963 arrests of black people who make up 35 percent of the citys population, yet only 212 arrests of white people who are 44 percent of the population. Stamford police arrested 354 blacks, who are nearly 14 percent of the population, compared with 233 whites who make up 60 percent. Norwalk police arrested 334 blacks, who comprise 15 percent of the population, and 239 whites, who make up nearly 73 percent.

Though not so disparate for every town (and stats werent available for every city, including Hartford and Danbury), you see the picture.

The conflict

I am not so naive to believe its likely that one thread of the three bills that progressed out of committees could be saved. The General Assembly has an avalanche of bills to consider, and this week Gov. Ned Lamont put tolls back in their laps, which could occupy most of the time left for debate.

The gist of the three bills is to establish regulations for the growth, retail sale, and heavy taxes (no small element) of recreational marijuana in Connecticut, propelled by Massachusetts opening the market to legal pot earlier this year.

Not long ago, I wrote about the dangers of stoned drivers and the lack of a reliable test, such as a breathalyzer for alcohol. There were still too many questions about safety for me to fully support legalization at this time.

The Hearst Connecticut Media Editorial Board, of which Im a member, met with Karen OKeefe, director of state policies for the California-based Marijuana Policy Project, last week. She was knowledgeable as she tried to make a case for legalizing cannabis.

Regarding the record clearing, she had earlier testified before the Judiciary Committee: A relatively small percent of individuals with past cannabis convictions go through the hoops of erasure. Those who need the help the most, and have the fewest economic opportunities, are the least likely to jump through the hoops. A past conviction can make it very difficult to get a job, housing or even advance ones education.

The issue is complex, as evidenced by the conflicting views of some members of CONECT  Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut. The organization of churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and civic organization in New Haven and Fairfield counties supports what they call Clean Slate  legislation to automatically expunge criminal records of those who do not return to crime for three years after a misdemeanor and five years after a nonviolent felony.

Criminal records haunt a persons life. Sixty percent of those who have been in prison remain unemployed one year after release, many are barred from housing and higher education gets out of reach, CONECT states on its fact sheet.

I asked Matt McDermott, one of the organizers, about the groups support for the more narrow marijuana criminal record erasure, as in the Senate bill.

Our organization is very mixed overall, he said. A good measure are clearly opposed to legalizing marijuana and a few are for it. African Americans hit with low-level criminal charges are sometimes hit lifelong.

The racial disparity is as much acknowledged in the social equity portion of a related bill (HB 7371) that would require a cannabis commission to promote full participation in the industry by people from communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition.

The Rev. Tommie Jackson, of Rehoboth Fellowship Church in Stamford, said in a telephone interview that he has seen the situation change lives, referring to decriminalization. In his 22 years in the city, he has known several people who have been in and out of penal institutions and rehabs, only to be returned for a small offense.

We have to look at historical roots as well as contemporary effects, he said.

The roots

Michelle Alexander traces the historical roots well in her 2010 bestseller The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.

From the death of slavery grew another insidious caste system. The shift to a general attitude of toughness toward problems associated with communities of color began in the 1960s, when the gains and goals of the Civil Rights Movement began to require real sacrifices on the part of white Americans, and conservative politicians found they could mobilize white racial resentment by vowing to crack down on crime, she wrote.

In 1989, then-President George Bush characterized drug use as the most pressing problem facing the nation. It wasnt, but people believed it. Law enforcement budgets exploded, so did prison and jail populations. By 1991 one-fourth of young African American men were under the control of the criminal justice system.

Then-President Bill Clinton was no better with his three strikes and youre out law in 1994 that manifested into a $30 billion crime bill.

The decision to wage the drug war primarily in black and brown communities rather than white ones and to target African Americans but not whites on freeways and train stations has had precisely the same effect as the literacy and poll taxes of an earlier era, Alexander wrote.

The sooner we recognize this, the better. And one step to rectify it is to automatically clean the record of those charged with possessing more than the decriminalized amount or marijuana but below the 1.5 ounces, indicating it was for personal use, not sale.

Jacqueline Smiths columns are published Fridays in Hearst Connecticut Media daily newspapers. Email her at jsmith@hearstmediact.com
How to Absorb the Marine Corps into the Army and Navy

For decades, the U.S. Marine Corps has attempted to tweak its force structure to enhance performance within a constrained...
The Army has announced it will deploy the service's III Corps Headquarters to Iraq this fall to lead operations against Islamic State militants.

As a regularly-scheduled rotation, the Fort Hood, Texas-based headquarters unit will replace XVIII Airborne Corps Headquarters as the command element of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, according to an Army news release.

"The III Corps has a distinguished history of combat success, and our soldiers have trained several months for this important mission," Command Sgt. Maj. Daniel Hendrex, the III Corps command sergeant major, said in the release. "Our headquarters is ready, again, to lead operations against Daesh with our coalition nations and partner organizations to create enduring security in the region."

Daesh is often used to refer to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

III Corps soldiers previously made up the headquarters element for CJTF-OIR from August 2017-Sept. 2018.

In April, the Army announced it will deploy the 25th Infantry Division's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, this summer to replace the 101st Airborne Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team in support of OIR in Iraq, according to another news release.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
Marine Corps Iraq War veteran and 2020 presidential candidate Rep. Seth Moulton recently revealed that he has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and sought treatment for the often-stigmatized mental condition.

The Massachusetts Democrat's announcement in a May 28 Politico story marks what the publication calls the first time in recent history that a presidential candidate from a major party has revealed he or she had received mental health treatment.

Moulton led Marines as an infantry officer during his four tours in Iraq and earned a Bronze Star with "V" device for his bravery in the 2004 Battle of Najaf.

"I just want people to know they're not alone," Moulton told Politico. "I had some particular experiences or regrets from the war that I just thought about every day, and occasionally I'd have bad dreams or wake up in a cold sweat."

Moulton, who announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential race April 22, has a campaign proposal that would require mental-health exams as well as annual physicals for active-duty military and veterans, Politico reported.

The lawmaker has served in the House of Representatives since 2015 and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Moulton said he sought counseling in 2009 and, after a few attempts, found a therapist that he began meeting with weekly, Politico reported, adding that the lawmaker has not taken psychiatric medication.

Since then, Moulton said he has learned to cope with his experiences.

"They'll always be there and there will always be regrets that I have, but I got to a point where I could deal with them and manage them," he told Politico.

Moulton began discussing his ambition for the 2020 race in February and argues that the United States needs to spend more on cyber technology and artificial intelligence and less on aircraft carriers and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

The Harvard University graduate said America is at "serious risk of being entirely leapfrogged by China and Russian by new technology."

Instead of trying to build new aircraft carriers to match the U.S. Navy's 11-carrier fleet, China has built an arsenal of 1,238 anti-ship missiles, Moulton said.

"That is our best estimate for how many Chinese anti-carrier missiles you can buy for the price of one U.S. carrier," he said.

Moulton also said he thinks the U.S. needs to strengthen its relationships with NATO partners and should be asking whether it makes sense to establish a Pacific parallel to NATO to counter China.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
When an Afghanistan War heros photo and Navy Cross citation plaque was removed from a memorial lounge his family helped fund, Marines sprang into action.

I need some help brothers and I know Ill probably take a lot of flak for this, but this is too important to me and others not to take a stand for, a member of 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines wrote in a social media post that made the rounds this week.

The room at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was designed in honor of Cpl. Michael Ouellette. The noncommissioned officer was leading his squad with 3/8 on a patrol in Afghanistans Now Zad district in 2009 when an improvised explosive device detonated beneath his feet.

His injuries were devastating, but Ouellette continued leading his Marines. Bleeding out, he treated his own wounds while directing his squad and coordinating requests for air support -- all while enemy fighters shot at them at point-blank range.

Only after his entire squad was ready to move out of the area did Ouellette allow for his own evacuation, succumbing to his wounds soon after.

Thats the legacy Marines with 3/8 were worried was being erased when they returned from a recent deployment to find that items from the memorial room dedicated to Ouellette had been moved.

I want our history and our traditions saved, the Marine wrote, calling on members of the battalion to contact their leaders.

Marines mobilized, with active-duty and veteran members of 3/8 sharing the post and urging action. Ouellettes sister, Stephanie, was eventually tagged in one of the posts. Like the members of 3/8, she said she was shocked to learn about the changes.

No one has contacted us, nobody has explained the situation, nobody has told us what theyre doing to correct the situation, she said. We know nothing, which is I think a shame.

Giving Back

Stephanie Ouellette said her mother, who has since passed away, donated $20,000 to 3/8 after her brothers death. It was a way for the family to help pay the unit back for all the love and support theyd been shown, she said.

I want to be clear, the room was never supposed to be a memorial to my brother, she told Military.com. It really was supposed to be a tribute to the guys who served with my brother.  It was a place to give comfort to Marines.

About $10,000 of the Ouellette familys donation went to purchasing a pool table and other items in the memorial room, she said. The rest of the money went toward a Marine ball.

Seeing the outcry from members of the battalion concerned about preserving Ouellettes memory meant a lot, Stephanie Ouellette said.

Im not an emotional person, but this makes me really emotional because my brother is not forgotten, she said.

Once members of 3/8 began sharing their concerns with their command, leaders there have taken the time to explain the purpose behind the changes taking place, Capt. Kelton Cochran, a spokesman for 2nd Marine Division, said.

The memorial is not being removed. It is being updated, Cochran said. Cpl. Ouellettes citation, plaque, photo, and additional items in his memory will act as the centerpiece for this update.

The point of the update, he added, is to celebrate the legacy of Ouellette and other 3/8 Marines, dating back to the battalions 1940 activation.

Over the next few months the room will be updated to memorialize the battalion's commitment and sacrifice since it was activated on Nov. 1, 1940, to include operations in the Pacific during World War II, Lebanon, Liberia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Haiti, Libya, and many other places, Cochran said.

Lt. Col. Neil Berry, 3/8s commanding officer, stressed that the battalion is committed to all Marines, sailors and families whove served there -- both past and present.

It is the spirit of the Marines and Sailors that have gone before us that give us our strength to continue to fight and win our battles, Berry said. There are many who have served in this Battalion who have demonstrated this quality, but few have done it like Cpl. Michael W. Ouellette.

The battalion expects to dedicate the updated space in the fall, Cochran said. The recreational items that were in the room before will be moved to Lima Companys barracks, since thats where Ouellette served, he added.

Ouellette, Berry said, represents the essence of what 3/8 holds dear.

He is, and will remain, a Battalion hero with a permanent place of remembrance," he said.

Stephanie Ouellette said she just wanted to see the battalions leadership do the right thing by their Marines. To say shes grateful for the Marines support over the last decade is an understatement, she said, and seeing them stand up in honor of her brother years after his death has been beyond moving.

The way my mom always described it was that the Marines with 3/8 just put their arms around us and took care of us, from the moment we lost Mike all the way to today, Stephanie Ouellette said. Theyre doing it again by making sure Mike is taken care of, his legacy is taken care of and were taken care of.

I cant say enough about how amazing that is, she said.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.
Military retirees and troops stationed outside Europe can soon once again stay at the U.S. military's resort in Germany after a 2015 rule change was overturned late last month.

Through mid-2015, the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in Garmisch, Germany, was open to all military ID card holders. But a review of an agreement between Germany and the State Department that governs military personnel living in the country, known as the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), resulted in the resort clamping down on who could stay. Starting in June, 2015, retirees or troops who were not stationed in Europe were no longer eligible for the benefit unless they had been visiting Germany for more than 30 days.

Now, Germany has agreed to expand that eligibility, according to an Army news release.

"The Edelweiss recently received approval from U.S. Army Europe and the Federal Republic of Germany to allow military members stationed outside Europe and retirees to visit the resort on a limited, space-available basis," according to the release.

The revised rules kick in June 3.

The rule update doesn't offer unlimited bookings, however, officials noted. Although they didn't specify how many rooms will be open to those not stationed in Europe, they're considered "space available."

"Based on the exception granted, we are limited in the number of rooms that can be reserved by those residing outside of Europe," officials said in a fact sheet. "You are encouraged to reserve well in advance for the best chance to secure your preferred dates."

Tours offered by the lodge are also restricted, but all other amenities, including ski rentals, are available to anyone with access to U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, the release states.

Unchanged, however, are the rules governing retirees and commissary or exchange shopping on U.S. bases in Germany. Retirees who have been in Europe for more than 30 days may shop in those facilities for non-rationed items if they have the correct form and pay a special tax on each purchase, according to the exchange.

Find Edelweiss reservations on the lodge's website.
Leading global think tank experts took time off their usual work on May 28-29 to take part in a series of panel discussions held in the Penn Wharton China Center (PWCC) in Beijing, concerning innovation, internationalization and cooperation for think tanks around the world in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.

As the main agenda of the Fourth Annual China Global Think Tank Innovation Forum, panel discussions focused on the role as well as the challenges facing think tanks in the context of a transformative age featuring great power competition.

The two-day event was co-organized by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the University of Pennsylvania. The second day featured a 2019 High-level Seminar on World-Leading Think Tanks.

With the continuous impact of rapidly-advancing technologies on global development, rising tensions are a feature of today's transformative age, requiring think tanks around the world to seek innovation and breakthroughs to improve their role in global affairs. In this regard, mutual learning and collaboration especially between China and international think tanks are seen as being of great significance.

Professor James G. McGann, director of TTCSP, University of Pennsylvania, spoke at the opening session, addressing the challenges facing China's think tanks.

He declared: "Apart from the need for a stronger support of social science to improve the global competitivity of China's think tanks, technological changes and institutional reforms should also be taken into consideration. For example, the websites and publications of their studies must be at least bilingual so that their voice could be heard outside China.

"Also, the communication strategies they adopt with the rest of the world should be updated from the 1960s' model. More panel discussions with Western think tanks should be encouraged to exchange ideas and promote mutual learning."

During the following panel discussions, global think tank experts shed light on issues such as international and Chinese experiences of think tank innovation in the age of Globalization 4.0, talent development and think tank management during its innovation, as well as cooperation between think tanks to improve cross-border relations.

Tim Summers, senior consulting fellow of the Asia-Pacific Program of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), stressed the role that diversity plays in think tank development, as well as the global political environment.

"What Chatham House does is to promote the diversity of opinion and of voice in political debate. In view of today's transformative age, more diversity is required in the studies of think tanks as well as in the policy making procedures to cope with emerging uncertainties."

Professor McGann further noted that the products of think tanks must follow a digital pathway to avoid the waste of ideas as "journals and books are dead today." He also pointed out that, considering the advisory nature of think tanks, it had become crucial to redefine "who is the audience of their research, and how to reach the target readers."
Three Marines were killed over a six-week period when in vehicle rollover accidents, but service officials say safety deficiencies likely aren't to blame for the fatal mishaps.

The Marine Corps is investigating the spate of rollovers that left three dead and 10 more injured. Two of the accidents happened in California and the latest in Australia.

"While the Marine Corps has experienced three fatal vehicle rollover events in the past two months, the circumstances behind the mishaps are considerably different," Capt. Christopher Harrison, a Marine spokesman at the Pentagon told Military.com. "At this time, training and/or material deficiencies do not appear to be contributing factors."

Lance Cpl. Hans Sandoval-Pereyra, a 21-year-old expeditionary airfield systems technician deployed to Australia's Northern Territory with Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, died on Tuesday after his Humvee rolled off the road three days prior. Sandoval-Pereyra was riding in the vehicle's passenger seat. One other Marine was treated for injuries.

On May 9, 1st Lt. Hugh "Conor" McDowell, a platoon commander with 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, died when his light armored vehicle rolled over during a training maneuver at Camp Pendleton in California. McDowell pushed a corporal to safety before being thrown from the turret and crushed when the vehicle flipped, his family told the Washington Post. Six other Marines were treated for injuries.

And on April 14, Staff Sgt. Joshua Braica, a 29-year-old critical skills operator with 1st Marine Raider Battalion, died a day after his Polaris MRZR, an ultralight all-terrain vehicle, flipped at Camp Pendleton. Two other Raiders and a sailor were injured in that crash.

At this point, Marine officials have not identified any trends that contributed to the accidents. Each happened on different terrain and in different vehicles, Harrison said. The Marines also served in unrelated military occupational specialties, he added.

"Safety investigations are currently ongoing for all three mishaps," Harrison said. "These investigations will identify recommendations from the unit level to Headquarters Marine Corps that will help prevent the recurrence of similar mishaps"

Michael McDowell, the father of the officer killed in the LAV rollover, told the Washington Post last week that he wants reassurance that the Marine Corps is taking steps to prevent future mishaps.

"I want to make sure this is fixed, that he didn't die in vain," Michael McDowell said.

The Marine Corps had nine on-duty ground Class-A mishaps in 2017 and four in 2018. Those accidents killed eight Marines, four last year and four in 2017. Class A mishaps are those that cause fatality or permanent total disability, or cause at least $2 million in equipment damage.

In a statement provided to Military.com, the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Safety Division said the service provides regular guidance and resources to prevent mishaps. That includes reinforcing safety standards and publishing lessons learned in the division's monthly newsletters.

"The Marine Corps regularly reviews processes and procedures to improve and ensure the safe conduct of operations across the fleet," the statement reads.

-- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he supports the Air Force's goal to build up to 386 squadrons.

"As your commander in chief, I want you to know that we will pursue and maintain the overwhelming strength we need to deter any aggressor and thrash any foe," he said during a speech at the U.S. Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony. "For that reason, I am committed to building 'The Air Force We Need' with the full strength of 386 squadrons."

The president was the keynote speaker honoring the Neil Armstrong Class of 2019, the 61st graduating class, at the academy's Falcon Stadium.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced in September that the service wants to add at least 74 additional squadrons over the next decade.

Related content:

Dubbed "the Air Force we need," Wilson and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein have advocated for adding 74 squadrons to the service's current 312 to confront threats in an era of great power competition.

The service is looking to add:

5 bomber squadrons

7 fighter squadrons

7 space squadrons

14 tanker squadrons

7 special operations squadrons

9 nine combat search-and-rescue squadrons

22 squadrons that conduct command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance

2 remotely piloted aircraft squadrons

1 airlift squadron

But service officials are still working on how best to fill the proposed units.

In the proposed fiscal 2020 defense budget released in March, the Air Force did not set money aside to directly fund additional squadrons, though officials have said the service wants to reach its 386-squadron goal by 2030.

Officials said a study on the proposal was being crafted at the same time planners were creating the budget proposal.

"It is clearly a priority for our secretary, but the FY20 budget was built off the 312 number," said Maj. Gen. John Pletcher, deputy assistant secretary for budget at the Air Force's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Management and the Comptroller at the Pentagon.

Pletcher said the current fiscal year proposal, however, does support the force by setting "the conditions for success by fielding, faster and smarter, the technology and innovation that will allow us to achieve a strategic advantage over near-peer competitors."

Speaking to the 386 effort, Trump said, "We're getting it done, and it's happening rapidly.

"Because nothing will ever strike more fear in the hearts of our enemies or inspire more confidence in our friends than the roaring engines of American fighter jets flown by the greatest pilots on the planet Earth by far," he added.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
A 101-year-old World War II veteran flew to Colorado this week to commission his grandson at the young mans Air Force Academy graduation ceremony. The photos from the event are simply wonderful.

Army Air Force veteran Walter Kloc commissioned his grandson Joseph Kloc.

Lets think about our historical moments for a second. This is almost certainly the last time a WWII vet will participate in their grandson or granddaughters commissioning ceremony. Hell, its probably the last time a WWII veteran will participate in a great-grandson or great-granddaughters commissioning ceremony.

Walters appearance in Colorado Springs was an increasingly rare opportunity for the next generation of military officers to connect with their WWII predecessors.

Walters son (and Josephs dad) William traveled with his dad from Amherst, New York for the graduation. William told local TV station WGRZ that Walter served as both a bombardier and a pilot for the Army Air Force during WWII.

William and Joseph Kloc embrace. (Air Force Academy Facebook)

Just how old is Walter? When he was born, the United States was fighting in World War I. Hes so old that he was able to enjoy an automotive industry career with General Motors. He likely retired in the early 1980s, long before many of you were even born.
Military members and veterans can get up to four free months of Apple Music through the Apple Music military discount -- but...
As the Orioles begin what will be a lengthy rebuilding process, its fair to assume theyre open to offers on virtually any player on their roster with a modicum of Major League experience. This extends even to players like Trey Mancini, who under some circumstances would seem like a potential building block.

Mancini burst onto the scene with an impressive 2017 campaign before seeing his production drop to sub-replacement levels (-0.2 fWAR) in 2018. Aside from minor improvements to his swinging strike rate and walk rate, Mancinis numbers dropped pretty much across the board in every major batting category from 2017 to 2018. This could be attributed to an old-fashioned sophomore slump as pitchers got a book on a young hitter, or perhaps Mancini suffered from the added mental stress of being caught up in the Orioles disastrous 115-loss season.

Perhaps the most telling number, however, was Mancinis .285 BABIP in 2018. It marked a big decline from his .352 BABIP in 2017, which had a particularly deleterious effect on a player who had such extreme trouble keeping the ball off the ground. Mancinis 52.9% ground-ball rate over the 2017-18 seasons was the sixth-highest total of any qualified player in that stretch, so when Mancinis grounders werent sneaking through the infield with as much regularity, it had a significant impact on his production. This issue wasnt a new one for Mancini, who also had high grounder rates throughout his minor league career.

Almost two months into the 2019 season, however, Mancini has done a much better job of driving the ball through the air. His grounder rate this season stands at only 38.3%, plus a .342 BABIP indicates that Mancinis lesser number of ground balls are sneaking through the infield. Beyond just getting more good luck from the BABIP gods, Mancinis 25.3% line drive rate, 36.4% fly ball rate, and 37.7% hard-hit ball rates are all career bests, and his .365 xwOBA is a virtual match for his .369 wOBA.

These underlying factors are a big reason why the 2019 version of Mancini is looking like a more sustainably productive player than the the 2017 model. The 27-year-old is hitting .295/.345/.529 with 10 home runs, a 128 wRC+ and 132 OPS + through 229 plate appearances. With this production looking up, Baltimore could decide now is the time to sell high on what could be its best position-player trade chip.

Its worth noting, of course, that the Orioles are under no pressure to trade Mancini by July 31  he isnt eligible for arbitration until this coming offseason, meaning that he is under team control through the 2022 season. It also isnt totally out of the question that the Os hang onto Mancini altogether, though the clubs timeline for a return to contention doesnt really fit Mancinis age and skillset.

Over his two-plus seasons in the big leagues, Mancini has played 793 innings as a first baseman and 1808 2/3 innings as a corner outfielder, despite being drafted as a first baseman out of Notre Dame in 2013 and never seeing any outfield action over his four minor league seasons. With Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo holding down the first base/DH spots, the Orioles deployed Mancini in the outfield as a way of getting his bat into the lineup, with predictably subpar defensive results.

Mancini has a -12.9 UZR/150 and minus-20 Defensive Runs Saved as an outfielder, making him an ill fit at the position now, let alone in the future. He has been seeing more time at first base recently with Davis on the IL, and theres really no reason for Baltimore to not continue playing Mancini at his original position going forward; he wouldnt be the first player to take his hitting to another level after being relieved from a troublesome defensive situation.

While Orioles GM Mike Elias surely hopes he can have the club on track in shorter order, the fact remains that the Os might still not be full-fledged contenders by the 2023 season, given the extensive nature of the teams rebuild. At that point, Mancini will be in his age-31 season and in all likelihood a full-time first baseman/DH, making it a better bet that he will be starting into a decline phase just as the Orioles as a whole plan to be rising up.

Waiting for the winter to explore Mancini trades would theoretically expand Baltimores market for the young slugger, since dealing him now would limit the Os to only contending teams.or would it? Mancinis extra years of control make him an interesting option for teams who might be riding the fence between being a pure buyer or a pure seller. Mancini could fit on a team like the White Sox, who arent contenders this season but surely have an eye towards taking a step forward in 2020 (especially now that Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, and Lucas Giolito are all breaking out).

Holding off on a Mancini deal also carries risk beyond just the normal concerns of a potential dropoff. As weve seen over the last two offseasons, teams are putting less and less value on defensively-limited players and first base/DH types, no matter how big a bat they might be swinging. Nicholas Castellanos (a free agent this winter) has far less team control than Mancini, but is almost exactly the same age and a much more established MLB hitter, yet the Tigers have had no luck shopping Castellanos for over a year.

Plus, once the offseason hits and the free agent market opens, teams with a first base or corner outfield vacancy might prefer to just sign a productive veteran at a relatively low price rather than give up prospects to Baltimore for Mancini. This could open the door to a more immediate trade, as the urgency of a pennant race might encourage teams to give up some solid minor league talent for a quality bat like Mancini, with his years of control as a significant bonus.

Looking at teams who could fit as trade partners for Mancini, I considered both contenders and non-contenders (who were planning to be competitive sooner rather than later) with both outfield/first base needs for 2019 and longer-term needs at first base going forward. More teams could certainly emerge as injuries, slumps, and other factors impact this summers deadline business, though a few clubs stand out as possible candidates at the moment.

Astros: Mancini would help them now, though Houston isnt exactly hurting for bats, and the Astros have several interesting young names (Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker) waiting in the wings.

Red Sox: Mitch Moreland and Steve Pearce are pending free agents, and J.D. Martinez could join them if he chooses to opt out of the final three years and $62.5MM on his contract. Bostons first base spot has been seen as a potential eventual landing spot for either Rafael Devers or Michael Chavis, though those two emerging stars may end up at third base and second base, and prospect Bobby Dalbec may be at least a year away. A case can be made for the Red Sox to pursue Mancini at the deadline, though with JDM, Moreland, and Pearce all still in the fold, Boston is more likely to wait until the offseason to address its first base/DH situation.

Nationals: On paper, Washington fits since Ryan Zimmermans $18MM club option isnt likely to be picked up for 2020. In practice, all the bad blood between the Nationals and Orioles stemming from the ongoing legal dispute over broadcast rights makes any sort of trade between the two Beltway rivals next to impossible.

White Sox: As mentioned earlier, Mancini could fit nicely into an emerging White Sox lineup. Yonder Alonso is unlikely to have his club option exercised, and Jose Abreu is slated for free agency at the moment (though the Sox certainly want to keep Abreu on the south side). If Abreu does stay, he and Mancini would provide a lot of pop from the first base/DH positions.

Mariners: Something of a similar case to the White Sox, as Seattle also arent contenders now, but their quest to re-imagine their roster wasnt seen as a long-term endeavor. Edwin Encarnacion could himself be traded by the deadline, and if he does stay, the Ms are more likely to buy out his 2020 option for $5MM than exercise it for $20MM. The surprising Daniel Vogelbach has definitely slugged his way into Seattles 2020 plans, so he could join Mancini splitting time between first base and designated hitter. Jay Bruce is also likely to still be in the mix barring a trade, though Bruces presence wouldnt stop GM Jerry Dipoto from picking up a player like Mancini.

Rangers: Between Shin-Soo Choo, Hunter Pence, and even top prospect Willie Calhoun, Texas already has multiple players who might be best suited for DH duty, and Ronald Guzman is still young and controllable at first base. Texas also doesnt have a deep farm system, and might not be willing to meet Baltimores asking price for Mancini, or maybe even any teams price tag on any notable midseason upgrade since the Rangers werent fully committing to contending this year. Nevertheless, the surprising Rangers are maybe an interesting outside-the-box candidate for Mancini since the team has stayed in the wild card race. Acquiring Mancini is both a go-for-it type of move, while also serving as a long-term piece. Mancini would also give Texas some much-needed right-handed lineup balance.

Brewers: Only two teams have received less bWAR from the first base position this season than Milwaukee, Jesus Aguilars breakout 2018 season has given way to some major struggles this year, while Eric Thames hot start has given way to an ice-cold May. It would be a bold move to see the Brewers move on entirely from Aguilar less than a year after his big season, though the club doesnt have much margin for error in a tight NL Central race. Like Texas, the Brew Crew also doesnt have a lot of minor league talent to spare in trades.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Local governments are seeking as much control as they can over Michigans new legalized marijuana industry.

More than 2.4 million people voted to legalize marijuana in November 2018. Yet, despite the public support, more than a quarter of Michigan communities have banned marijuana businesses from their towns.

There is still local control over where businesses can open up, which has resulted in a patchwork of local approaches across the state and pressure in communities where officials do say yes.

This spring, MLive marijuana beat reporter Amy Biolchini and Multimedia Specialist Tanya Moutzalias traveled the state to talk to citizens about how they really feel about recreational marijuana businesses in their community.

Some worry their communities wont see profit from the businesses or that children will have easier access to weed. Others are friendly to the idea of a recreational marijuana market and see it more like tobacco or alcohol.

You can read the full reporting about recreational marijuana in Michigan communities here, Not on Main Street: Michigan communities confront legal weed

21 How Michiganders feel about legalized marijuana businesses in their community

Read more from MLive about medical and recreational marijuana.
Michigan continues to see the effect of wildfires burning way out in Alberta, Canada, this time in the form of some orange sherbet-colored sunset and sunrises.

This comes after the National Weather Service said that smoke from the wildfires burning in south central Canada was blocking the sun from most of the Great Lakes State and surrounding region to the west. The NWS in Grand Rapids reports Friday, May 31 that it looks like smoke from the fires will start to drift further to the south. As the smoke continues to move through the area with overcast skies, Michiganders can expect at least another round of reddish orange sunrise/sunset.

NWS Grand Rapids sunset info

Related: Why cant Michigan get any sun? Blame Canadas fires

Wildfires in northern Alberta, Canada are the source of the smoke spreading across the region. CBC reports that several remote communities in the province have been evacuated due to the wildfire. CNN reports that the fire was rated as a 6 out of 6 on the fire intensity scale by Alberta officials. Smoky conditions in the region is expected to continue for the next several days.

In a more recent update, the Edmonton Journal reported Friday that an estimated 10,000 people had been evacuated across northern Alberta. The fire impacting the region continues to grow, and was reportedly moving south at a rate of about 23 meters per minute.

If you notice the sky looks hazy today, here's your reason why: smoke from wildfires across northern Canada has once again been transported down into the upper Midwest. Should make for a nice sunrise/sunset!#mnwx #wiwx pic.twitter.com/Gcb22P3rYF  NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) May 30, 2019

The Chuckegg Creek wildfire in the High Level Forest Area experienced extreme fire behaviour yesterday with significant growth to the south towards Paddle Prairie, across Highway 35 by Highway 697 and spotted across the Peace River.



Latest information at: https://t.co/Su9d1ehf9a pic.twitter.com/zsH9mXG8JP  Alberta Wildfire (@AlbertaWildfire) May 30, 2019
After six months of regulated medical marijuana sales in Michigan, the market remains overwhelmingly dominated by an illegal source of product.

Seven percent of the flower sold by licensed provisioning centers in the last six months has been grown by licensed businesses, according to data from the states tracking system obtained by MLive. The rest -- 25,106 pounds worth -- has been grown by caregivers.

Officials say this is a part of the growing pains of the new industry.

Its seven percent of a market where it was zero percent six months ago, said Andrew Brisbo, executive director of the states Marijuana Regulatory Agency, to MLive. The movement of consumers to utilizing licensed provisioning centers is taking place as well. Were making this eventual progression toward the regulated market.

Sorry, but your browser does not support frames.

Overall, the licensed market has made more than $56 million in sales since its start in mid-October 2018 through the end of March, according to the agencys quarterly report. There are now 82 licensed provisioning centers and 54 large-scale grow licenses serving a population of 288,908 medical marijuana patients in Michigan.

Officials have allowed marijuana grown by the states 40,596 registered caregivers to supplement the beginning of the regulated market -- though there is no legal mechanism that allows them to do so. The Marijuana Regulatory Agency has only promised provisioning centers that it wont take action against them for buying from caregivers.

The idea that theyre supplementing it -- thats not whats happening, said Jason Pasko, chief operating officer of High Life Farms in Chesaning. Theyre dominating the marketplace.

Sales data from the states tracking system shows caregiver marijuana has suffocated sales of marijuana grown by licensed growers over the past six months, due in part to policy changes and legal uncertainty.

During the first full month of regulated sales, licensed growers supplied two percent of all of the medical marijuana flower sold in the state. That market share has fluctuated over the past six months. As of the end of April, it sits at 3.3 percent.

Sorry, but your browser does not support frames.

Licensed growers were able to make gains in January, when caregiver marijuana was not allowed to be sold by licensed shops during a two-week period in which the regulatory approach shifted from the outgoing Republican administration to the incoming Democratic administration.

During that time marijuana flower from licensed growers accounted for 22 percent of all flower sales. The price of marijuana flower also increased in January as well.

Provisioning centers are willing to engage in the licensed market when the regulations are being followed," said Joe Neller, executive vice president of government affairs for the states largest licensed grower, Green Peak Industries. And its much easier for them to go direct to caregivers when the state has allowed that to happen.

Licensed businesses are battling for control of the market, as their state-mandated business costs -- like testing, safety inspections and licensing fees -- are passed down to the consumer in the cost of their product. Caregivers, operating with no oversight, offer a less expensive product.

To provisioning center owners, caregivers are also offering a higher-quality product.

Do you pay double for a product that the has half the quality, or do you pay half the price for a better quality product? said Jerry Millen, owner of Greenhouse, a medical shop in Walled Lake.

Sorry, but your browser does not support frames.

Since caregivers were allowed back into the market in mid-January through a licensing board resolution backed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, their marijuana flower has dominated sales. The flower market has grown every month, but licensed growers continue to have a smaller and smaller fraction of it.

Thats due in part to uncertainty brought by legal challenges. The wholesale of caregiver marijuana to licensed shops was supposed to end April 1 -- but a flurry of lawsuits prompted Court of Claims Judge Stephen Borrello to issue a temporary restraining order.

Brisbo said provisioning centers stockpiled caregiver marijuana in March before the deadline hit -- and continued to do so in April as the industry awaited a final decision from Borrello. As a result of Borrellos April 30 ruling, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency ended the direct sale of caregiver marijuana to licensed shops May 2.

Some of the uncertainty with regard to the court orders and what was permissible as to caregiver products and temporary operation has let a lot of the licensed operators to take a measured and slower approach to fully engaging in the market, Brisbo said. Hopefully with some certainty moving forward well see some more normalized practices.

Caregivers are still allowed to sell into the regulated market, by taking their flower to licensed growers and processors. Brisbo said this was necessary due to the low market share for licensed growers.

Whether that practice will take root remains to be seen. Many in the industry are skeptical.

No caregiver wants to show up to a licensed grower or processor with five pounds of product that they grew because technically under the law thats illegal, Neller said. I absolutely have empathy for them because theyve been on the front lines of moving the industry forward.

The 2008 law that legalized medical marijuana allows caregivers to supply up to five patients with their medicine, but does not allow them to sell their overages to anyone else. State officials have encouraged caregivers to sell to licensed businesses, outside the bounds of the law.

Caregivers have worked in the pseudo gray market for so many years, Millen said. Why would they take a chance with $50,000 worth of product to be handled by people they dont know, when if it doesnt pass testing it has to be destroyed? Most of these guys are involved in the black market -- they dont trust the police or the government.

Rick Thompson, a board member of the Michigan chapter of NORML, said patients will turn to the black market to find caregiver products once they are no longer sold at licensed shops.

In the cannabis world, price is king, Thompson said. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act ramps up the cost of cannabis to the point where its not competitive with whats available with whats on the alternative market in Michigan.

In the mean time, regulators in Brisbos agency are closely watching the states tracking system. Theyre trying to determine at what point the licensed industry will be growing enough marijuana to supply both the market for infused products and for flower without the help of caregiver marijuana.

In the beginning of May, there were 5,266 pounds of marijuana flower grown by licensed growers available for wholesale and in provisioning centers, officials said.

As a comparison, 5,727 pounds of flower was sold on the legal market in April -- three percent of which was grown by licensed growers.

The legal market will be able to supply all of the medical patients, all of the people that need this product -- you just have to let it run its course, Pasko said.

-- 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 and recreational marijuana.
It started as a quip by New York Congressman Lee Zeldin during a recent meeting with a Stony Brook University delegation led by SBU President Samuel Stanley Jr.

Zeldin was so impressed by Stanleys advocacy for Stony Brook that he joked students should get Stanley a superhero outfit.

The students took him up on it. During Stony Brooks commencement last weekend, the presidents of the graduate and undergraduate student associations presented Stanley with a cape and custom-made T-shirt with a double S in a Superman-style logo -- a perfect gift, they said, for Super Stanley, the avenger of Stony Brook.

How much do our students love President Stanley? The #ClassOf2019 showed their appreciation by giving him a surprise gift at #SBUCommencement for being the superhero they can count on  "Super Stanley" https://t.co/SevrUAQ0VL #stonybrook pic.twitter.com/KfOrasVZuj  Stony Brook U. (@stonybrooku) May 24, 2019

Four days later, in a surprise announcement, Stanley was named the new president of Michigan State University.

Superhero powers could prove useful as MSU struggles to get back on track after the tumult related to the Larrry Nassar sex-abuse scandal.

Stanley is the perfect man for the job, says James Vassallo, president of SBUs Graduate Student Organization.

Hes been a real champion here, and he took Stony Brook to new heights," Vassallo says. Hes an absolutely impressive individual.

For Dianne Byrum, president of the MSU Board of Trustees and co-chair of the presidential search committee, the fact SBU students would give Stanley a superhero T-shirt reflects a big reason he was named MSUs next president.

He loves students, she said. He is very student-focused.

Vassallo and Byrum are among those who say Stanley brings a unique skill set to the MSU.

A Seattle native, the 65-year-old Stanley graduated high school in Maryland, got his undergraduate degree from University of Chicago and a medical degree from Harvard. A specialist in infectious diseases, he was a doctor and faculty member at Washington University in St. Louis, where he eventually became vice chancellor of research.

In 2009, Stanley became president at Stony Brook, which is part of the State University of New York system. Located on Long Island, Stony Brook has about 26,000 students -- slightly larger than Grand Valley State University -- and is known for its hospital and medical programs as well as its association with the Brookhaven National Laboratory, which is operated by the U.S. Department of Energy.

In Stanleys decade at Stony Brook, he improved the caliber of the faculty; increased enrollment of minority and low-income students; improved academic success rates; oversaw a significant increase in SBUs research grants, and significantly increased the universitys endowment, associates say.

He brought the level of Stony Brook up several notches, said Kevin Law, CEO of the Long Island Association, an economic development nonprofit, and member of the Stony Brook Council, the universitys oversight and advisory board. He kept Stony Brook in the limelight.

Super smart and 'indefatigable

Law and other Stony Brook associates say Stanley is known as a soft-spoken but decisive leader.

He insists on making evidence-based decisions, SBU Provost Michael Bernstein said, adding Stanley always wants to see any data associated with an issue.

He is a hands-on manager who holds staff to high standards, but not a micromanager, Bernstein said. He empowers me to do my job, and he expects me to get me to get it done.

Bernstein said that hes been impressed by Stanleys intelligence as well as his energy level.

Hes super smart, Bernstein said. "Easily one of the smartest guys in the room at any given situation.

Hes also indefatigable, with an ability to work long hours and juggle a crushing workload, Bernstein said. He has a lot of batteries. Ive never seen him flag."

Bernstein described Stanley as soft-spoken and reserved, but not stiff," and someone with a good sense of humor and a strong sense of empathy.

Hes not the guy whos going to slap your back and say, How the hell are you?' " Bernstein said. But he listens to people intently. When you ask him for something, hes all there.

Hell bring an integrity and moral compass to Michigan States efforts to recover from the Nassar scandal, Bernstein predicted.

Kevin Law, the Long Island Association CEO and Stony Brook Council board member, has known Stanley for 10 years. Law says hes loath to see Stanley leave Stony Brook for MSU, but our loss is their gain.

While Stanley is very smart," he doesnt have have a big ego, Law said. "Sam is not pretentious. Hes very easygoing, very easy to work with. ... He believes in shared governance.

Over the years, Law said, Stanley would occasionally call him to chat about issues at the university.

He didnt hesitate to call me to give me a heads-up about a problem and to pick my brain about ways to address it, Law said. Hes open to suggestions.

Controversies at Stony Brook

Law said that Stanley also became savvy over the years about working with politicians.

He recalled a dust-up early in Stanleys presidency at SBU when he moved the location of a program, rubbing some state elected officials the wrong way.

It created some political headaches for Sam, and it was a learning experience about giving elected officials a heads up, Law said.

Stanley also stirred controversy in 2017 when a budget deficit led to Stony Brook suspending student admissions into its theater arts, comparative literature and cinema arts departments, and consolidating several language programs.

The plan led 42 Stony Brook professors to sign a letter sent to SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson, citing their profound concern and stating that in key areas, current leadership at Stony Brook is failing the institution.

You always have blowbacks when you make budget cuts, Law said.

The Stony Brook chapter of United University Professions, the union that represents SBUs faculty, did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

From a student standpoint, Vassallo said that he thinks Stanley has done a tremendous job at Stony Brook. He really does look at whats best for the overall good, and its tough in a world like his where there are only so many resources," Vassallo said.

Vassallo said hes been impressed by the interest that Stanley takes in students. Hes very interested in what students have to say, he said. When Ive spent time with him, hes asking students about what their thoughts are, about their history and background.

Very, very different from Lou Anna Simon

Wayne State University President Roy Wilson went to Harvard Medical School with Stanley and stayed in touch over the years as part of the small group of university presidents who were also medical doctors.

I think its an absolutely outstanding pick, Wilson said about MSUs selection of Stanley.

Wilson has the unique perspective of someone who knows both Stanley and Lou Anna Simon, the MSU president forced out because of the Nassar scandal.

I like Lou Anna, but in terms of personality, (Simon and Stanley) are very, very different," he said. Sam is warmer. Hell engage you in conversation, and Lou Anna is just not that way. Its not that shes dismissive but shes more analytical.

Wilson said that Stanleys demeanor has been shaped by being a physician and working with patients in vulnerable situations.

In general, physicians get into the profession because they want to help people, and they tend to be empathetic and compassionate, he said. Sam has those qualities, and thats going to be helpful in going forward at MSU.

Stanleys reputation as a good listener also will help, Wilson said. Hes very smart, but hes also very understated. Hes not going to overtalk you."

In choosing Stanley, Byrum -- the MSU board president -- said the search committee was looking for a current college president with a successful track record in improving student achievement and student diversity, as well as raising the schools research profile, and with proven fundraising abilities.

Stanley checked all those boxes and more, Byrum said. With Stanleys background as a medical doctor and researcher, she is hopeful that Stanley can build out" Michigan States various medical programs, particularly when it comes to obtaining grants from the National Institutes of Health. (Bernstein, the SBU provost, said that medical research is a sweet spot for Stanley.)

Moreover, Byrum said, the search committee and trustees were impressed by Stanleys personality and demeanor. Hes genuinely a nice person, Byrum said. He doesnt come across as aloof or arrogant. He seems to be unflappable.

Stanley was the unanimous choice of the 14-member search committee, as well as eight members of the MSU Board of Trustees, Byrum said. There wasnt a single arm twisted."

It was very clear, crystal clear, she said, that he was the best candidate to be the next president of Michigan State.
Police say a train crossing through Michigans Upper Peninsula was partially derailed when a dump truck carrying an excavator collided into the side of it.

The Michigan State Police post in Gladstone reports in a news release that the driver of the dump truck was injured and transported to a medical facility via Life Flight.

The incident is said to have occurred at 2:54 p.m. Thursday, May 30 near Danforth Road in Delta Countys Wells Township.

After the preliminary investigation it was determined that the dump truck was traveling east on Danforth Rd with a downhill slope, MSP writes in the release.

A Canadian National train was currently crossing Danforth Rd. and was traveling north. The emergency red crossing lights, gate, and audio tone were activated. The dump truck collided into the side of the train which caused some of the train cars to derail.

Police say the crash remains under investigation and that it is not releasing more information at this time. A portion of Danforth Road near 19th Avenue will be closed until further notice.
MUSKEGON, MI  A West Michigan business is turning 50 and its giving away a Jeep to celebrate.

Vans Car Wash & Quick Lube has been locally owned and managed since opening its first car wash on Muskegons Sherman Boulevard in 1969. Since then, it has grown to include seven locations in Muskegon, Fruitport and Fremont.

To celebrate 50 years of serving West Michigan, Vans is giving away a 2-year lease on a Jeep Compass with 100 free car washes.

Fifty years is worth celebrating. We've had specials and events every month to celebrate and thank our customers, said Jerry Vanderstelt, 4th generation owner of Vans.

We wanted to do something big for the summer and giving away a Jeep is big. Jeeps are perfect for muddy adventures, and well help you get it cleaned up when you come home.

Vans is teaming up with Preferred Jeep/Chrysler of Muskegon for the contest. Anyone can register to win at all Vans locations, online or at Preferred Jeep/Chrysler of Muskegon.

Abandoned 1969 Plymouth GTX available in Northern Michigan auction

Vans will also have a Jeep Compass at Taste of Muskegon on June 14-15, as well as Muskegons 150th Celebration on July 11-13 with an opportunity to register at each event.

The contest runs June 1 to July 31 with the winner announced on Aug. 2.

Vans story began on October 15, 1930, when Gerritt Vanderstelt and his son Henry opened Vans full-service gas station at 1087 W. Laketon Avenue in Muskegon.

Their franchise would eventually expand to five locations. Henry Vanderstelt took over the company after his fathers passing.

In 1979, Henry retired and his sons, Gary and John, took over the family business, which included the car wash and gas station on Sherman Boulevard.

In 1987, Gary decided to retire from the business and sold the original location on Laketon Avenue, while his brother John continued to own and operate the full-service Sherman location.

Two of their sons, Mike and Jerry, remained as the co-owners and operators of the company. Today, the family legacy continues under the current owner, Jerry Vanderstelt.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel plans to oppose Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in support of Detroit Public Schools children arguing their access to literacy has been denied due to the districts poor conditions.

The attorney general plans to ask the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals for permission to file a brief in the lawsuit advocating for a fundamental right to an adequate education, Nessels Spokesman Dan Olsen said Thursday, May 30.

The decision comes less than a week after Whitmers office argued the State of Michigan should no longer be a party in the lawsuit after her name was added to it earlier this month.

In a reply brief filed on May 24 with the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, all defendants in the lawsuit including Whitmer, members of the state board of education, the state superintendent of public instruction and other state officials asked the court to dismiss the appeal on mootness of grounds.

Nessel joins State Board of Education Pamela Pugh in voicing that she does not support the legal position that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals dismiss the lawsuit.

Whitmer and other state education officials should separate themselves from former Attorney General Bill Schuettes arguments in the lawsuit, urging them to take responsibility for children of color being granted the equal right to critical learning conditions, Pugh said.

In June 2018, Judge Stephen Murphy, of the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit, dismissed the class action lawsuit filed on behalf of seven students. The students filed an appeal the following month.

In his ruling last July, Murphy said the alleged conditions of Detroit schools are nothing short of devastating, and he acknowledged the incalculable importance of literacy in his opinion on the lawsuit.

However, literacy is not a fundamental right, he said, so there was no grounds for the lawsuit that said state officials with authority over Detroit schools had violated students rights.

The Governors Office signed on to the first part of the lawsuit only, which argues that the State of Michigan is no longer a party to the lawsuit due to changed circumstances and the fact that local control has been restored, Whitmers Spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said.

Attorney Mark Rosenbaum, who represents the student plaintiffs through pro bono law firm Public Counsel, said the responses of Nessel and Pugh are in stark and unmistakable contrast to Whitmer, who he believes breached her promise to stand up in court for the right of access to literacy.

Its a major development in the case when the highest elected official in Michigan charged with enforcing the Constitution and representing the interests of the people of the state comes down, as she said she would, on the side of Detroit children who have been robbed by state government of their basic rights of equal educational opportunity to better their circumstances based on individual merit, Rosenbaum said.
TECUMSEH, MI  Tecumseh Public Schools will appeal the Michigan Department of Educations decision to cut its state aid for employing an administrator whose certification had expired, officials said.

TPS received notification on April 22 that MDE is deducting $67,767 in state aid for employing former Early Elementary School Principal Carl Lewandowski after his certification expired in 2018. MDE is required to deduct districts the sum equal to the amount paid to an educator during the period he or she was employed in violation of statute.

The department found Lewandowski out of compliance for 155 days without appropriate administrative certification as of Sept. 1, 2018, MDE Spokesman Bill DiSessa said.

The district has appealed MDEs decision while also seeking up to nine years to spread out payment of the deduction, Tecumseh School Board Vice President Rebecca Brooks said.

The deduction would result in a significant hardship to the district in satisfying its financial obligations, Brooks said. The board believes it would be in the districts best interest to request a review of the deduction by the state superintendent and take all steps necessary to reverse MDEs deduction decision.

Lewandowski, who served in the district for 25 years, was grandfathered in with his administrative certification in 2010, Tecumseh Board of Education President Tim Simpson said, but had not renewed his certification when it expired.

An administrative rules revision that took effect in 2017 requires all administrators to obtain an administrator certificate or permit. School districts are required to identify all staff and their assignment twice annually, while MDE receives reports twice a year that are used to audit certification status.

Lewandowski left TPS on May 17 after interim Superintendent Ryan Rhoades proposed not renewing his contract. He was hired by Adrian Public Schools and began leading Prairie Elementary School on May 20.

Lewandowskis administrative certification is up-to-date as of April 8. Adrian Public Schools Superintendent Bob Behnke said. Lewandowski was certified with the state through 2024 by the time he had interviewed for the open principal position in Adrian.

The district was fortunate to be able to hire an administrator with Lewandowskis level of experience, particularly with his understanding of special education, Behnke said.

Adrian conducted an extensive background check on Lewandowski, Behnke said, contacting then-Superintendent Brad Hamilton, parents and teachers who had worked with him to gain a better understanding of his abilities as a principal.

We really did our official and unofficial background checks as we went through that and received consistent high praise about him, he said.

As we went through the interview process, there were a lot of first-year principals or principals with three years of experience," Behnke added. "When you come in with 25 years of experience and you can sit down and talk about school improvement and how youre reaching out and improving student test scores and assessment  theres that history there when you look at Tecumsehs numbers from previous years. You see student growth and that instructional leadership.
FLINT, TWP. -- Getting to church on time is about to get easier for parishioners at Empowered Believers.

Weather permitting, a new Mill Road Bridge is expected to be opened to traffic on Friday, May 31 -- 18 months after it was closed because of an unsafe deck and support beams.

The bridge stretches just 225 feet over the Flint River, but when it was closed, Empowered Believers and residents in the area lost their access to Flushing Road, leaving Beecher Road as the only way in or out.

Im elated the bridge is opening back up," said the Rev. Johnnie Brown, pastor at Empowered Believers., which moved into its building on Mill Road about two years ago, shortly before the bridge closing. Its a great pass-through. A lot of people use it.

The Genesee County Road Commission made the bridge replacement a priority and had hoped to complete the work last year, but progress stalled after a month-long lockout by the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association of Operating Engineers 324 late last year.

Road Commission officials said only cosmetic work remains to be completed on the new span, and theyve targeted Friday for opening it to traffic.

Mill Road was once more heavily traveled, but vehicle traffic has dropped since a Thompson Creek Turkey Farm restaurant and Riverside/Edgewater mobile home park closed.

When the bridge here reopens, only one bridge will be closed in the county even though about two dozen have weight restrictions, said Road Commission Manager-Director Fred Peivandi.

In October 2017, the Road Commission closed the Lillie Road Bridge over the Shiawassee River in Argentine Township because of concerns about its structural soundness.

There are no immediate plans to replace that bridge because traffic over it is so limited and funding isnt currently available, Peivandi said.
FLINT, MI-- Thirty porches on the east side of Flint will be painted for free starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 1.

The Porch Project, a Flint nonprofit started by Megan Heyza, is partnering with Mid Michigan Pride Painting and Sherwin-Williams to freshen up the east sides Franklin Avenue.

Im excited to give people a better place to stand outside with their neighbors and engage people, Heyza said.

Heyza moved to the east side of Flint two years ago. There was a reputation for drugs and crime in her community and she wanted to do something about it.

Heyza decided to help her neighbors by freshening up their porches with fresh paint and plants.

She reached out to Mid Michigan Pride Painting, which connected her with its paint supplier, Sherwin-Williams.

To kick off National Painting Week, Sherwin-Williams donated the paint to The Porch Project. The week-long event is a national celebration with thousands of volunteers refreshing hundreds of local spaces.

I go for walks everyday throughout the east side and talk to my neighbors, Heyza said. Through those walks, Ive met people and asked if they wanted their porches touched up.

The project will paint 22 porches on Saturday and will paint an additional eight porches once theyve been repaired, Heyza said.

Its important for businesses to be involved in the community because those are the people they serve, Heyza said.

Volunteers from the Union of Painters and Allied Trades will gather at Kearsley Park before breaking into smaller groups to paint homes along Franklin Avenue. Tropical Smoothie is covering food for volunteers.

Im most excited to show the residents the before and after, Heyza said. You can transform a living space drastically by giving it a fresh coat of paint.

For more information on the event, contact Korrie Merley.
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- For those whove listened to the crackle of the scanner traffic over desktop or handheld radios over the years in Genesee County, the silence heard Thursday afternoon was deafening.

As of approximately 3 p.m. May 30, all police scanner traffic for local agencies -- including colleges -- became encrypted.

The move came as part of a $6.2 million upgrade to more than 1,300 radios including cars, portables, consoles and desktops.

Spring Tremaine, executive director of Genesee County 911, said the idea has been in discussions prior to her time with the organization which began in December 2017.

The digital encryption does not include fire and EMS calls, Tremaine said, unless they are dealing with a police agency and switch to a different channel.

The new radios replaced equipment that had exceeded its shelf life, with some of them more than 10 years old and not able to be repaired.

Along with the new equipment came the possibility of encryption, Tremaine said.

Effective today, May 30th, 2019, Genesee County radio channels used by police departments will make the transition over to encrypted channels. EMS and Fire radio traffic will remain as is. Thank you. Posted by Genesee County 911 on Wednesday, May 29, 2019

It was really a question of whether you opt into that capability or opt out, she added. Police have been wanting to go toward encryption. Its primarily for safety of the police and the public... We all have some base knowledge that bad guys are listening to us.

Metro Police Authority of Genesee County police Chief Matt Bade said its a balancing act between the public that may be interested in the hearing the radio traffic and officer safety issues.

At this point in time in our society it falls towards the officer safety issue, he commented.

Bade said he has been in situations over his law enforcement career including active armed robberies during which suspects are listening to scanners...they know where we are, they know where were coming from as well as pointing to Homeland Security issues and active assailant situations.

The trends towards these attacks lead to having encrypted radio traffic for law enforcement, he said.

But not all completely agree with that assessment.

For others, being able to listen to the scanner traffic provided some sense of knowing whats going on in their neighborhoods.

I get the public/first responder safety thing, Im a cops daughterso I get that, said Debbie Hostetler, one of the owners of the Genesee County Scanners Facebook page that posts scanner information on a variety of incidents such as traffic crashes, shootings and road closures.

#GENESEECOUNTY #CENTRALDISPATCHENCRYPTION ***CENTRAL DISPATCH IS NOW ENCRYPTED FOR POLICE CALLS @ 15:14 HOURS*** WE... Posted by Genesee County Scanners on Thursday, May 30, 2019

I also believe that getting info out to the public helps their safety as well, she said. Not to mention ... the public have eyes and ears that can contribute to tips for the police based on what they hear for themselves from the scanner-or-from what they see on our page.

Having gained a following of more than 58,000 people, Hostetler said the community has become dependent on that information for a variety of reasons, not all of which is bad &/or endangers the police.

She noted most of the time the concerns of the community simply come down to what the heck is happening, why are the police around here, where is the danger present?' types of things. They get that info from our page and pages like ours.

We answer those questions and most likely prevent additional 911 calls getting asked the same, said Hostetler.

She noted scanner traffic has been available for decades, with more people listening in due in part to pages like theirs -- and others such as Flint Police Operations and Flint Michigan Scanners -- due in part to our own curiosities.

But if keeping a 'shooting' or high-profile crime from being heard is the standard that Central Dispatch thinks will 'keep' the bad guy around to be caught, they're still going to run, said Hostetler. It's not going to help police in finding them.

While she understood some people would not be happy about the change, Tremaine said, I would certainly hope the public is in support of keeping their public safety (officials) safe.

She pointed toward neighborhood watch groups, urging neighbors to talk with each other and share information with one another about whats taking place and forward any concerns to police.

Active incidents such as crashes and fires will continue to go up on the Genesee County 911 website, but it does not include shootings and stabbings.

Tremaine said the move isnt about withholding information.

Its an effort to keep everyone safe, she said.
MECOSTA COUNTY, MI  An Amish boy was seriously injured Friday, May 31, when a vehicle crashed into the back of the horse-drawn buggy he was riding in.

The boy, 9, was flown by Aero Med helicopter to a Grand Rapids hospital. His 17-year-old sister, who was operating the buggy, was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

The crash happened around 8:30 a.m. on Pierce Road near 140th Avenue in Mecosta Countys Austin Township, sheriffs deputies said.

The buggy was traveling east when it was rear-ended by a vehicle driven by a 32-year-old Mecosta woman.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Plymouth Christian Elementary School recognized one of its own on Friday, May 31, with a surprise announcement at the schools end-of-year awards assembly.

Leah Bleeker, a first-grader, won second place in Zaner-Blozers 2019 National Handwriting Contest.

Zaner-Blozer is an educational-solutions company that creates reading, writing, spelling, handwriting and language arts materials for pre-K through eighth-grade students.

According to the companys website, the competition has students in grades K2 submit print entries; students in grades 38 submit cursive handwriting entries. The contest entries are judged according to the Zaner-Bloser Keys to Legibility:" shape, size, spacing, and slant. The sentence all students are required to write on their entry form is chosen because it contains every letter of the alphabet: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

The contest attracts 250,000 student entries annually.

The school decided to surprise Leah with her special moment during the assembly, where she won a trophy and certificate for her accomplishments.

This way, everyone was surprised and excited for her at one time, said Leahs teacher, Cheryl DeWaal.

DeWaal said her class started practicing for the contest at the beginning of the school year with numbers and the alphabet. But it was Leah who chose to take it a step further.

Its not just something that she did for the assignment, she daily does neat work, shes very consistent with it," said DeWaal. "She wants to turn everything in just so.

DeWaal won her own Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Certificate of Excellence in recognition of outstanding achievement in the teaching of handwriting.

Leahs father, Nathan Bleeker, also serves as the elementary school principal. He said its the school that should be thanked for Leahs neat penmanship.

We as a school try to promote that handwriting and I think we just give some focus in classrooms, said Bleeker.

As for Leah, she said she was excited to be a semifinalist in the competition and felt good when the announcement was made.

Leah also won the school and statewide contests for best handwriting in the first grade.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Police identified Lindsay Leigh Jerome, 30, of Wyoming, as the victim of a May 25 traffic crash on U.S. 131.

The crash happened around 3:40 a.m. on southbound U.S. 131 south of Hall Street SW.

She was in the right lane during heavy rain when she lost control of her vehicle. It went into other lanes and was struck by two other vehicles, police said.

She was alone in her vehicle. The occupants of the other vehicles were not injured, police said.

Jerome graduated from Ithaca High School in 2007 and attended Central Michigan University. She worked as an account manager for a pharmaceutical company in Grand Rapids, according to her obituary.

Lindsays true passion was being with her family and friends, playing volleyball, and spending time in the yoga studio. In her youth, Lindsay fell in love with horses early, and was known throughout Gratiot County as a 4H enthusiast with her horses Katryna and Turner, the obituary said.

The Gratiot County Youth for Fair said on its Facebook page the she was an accomplished equestrian.

Many were mourning her loss.

Lindsay and her horse Turner became an incredible team who were hard to beat. When Lindsay aged out of the fair, she continued to come back to the fair as a volunteer helping behind the scenes at the horse show. Lindsay always had a smile to share, and laughter was her perfect kind of medicine, the organization wrote.

She loved to work with her family at the Maple Syrup Festival in Shepherd. She was described as a beautiful, smart, creative, and loving woman, known to advocate for those without a voice, her obituary said.
 Flash

With joint efforts from both sides, Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia will be a great success and push bilateral relations into a new era, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui said Thursday.





At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Xi will pay a state visit to Russia and attend the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum from June 5 to 7.





President Xi and President Putin will comprehensively sum up the experience on the development of bilateral relations in the past 70 years, chart the course for their future development, and upgrade and elevate the ties, Zhang said.





At present, the international situation is witnessing unprecedented changes in a century, and the basic norms governing international relations have been seriously impacted by rising unilateralism. Regional hotspot issues are fermenting, and the common threats and challenges facing human society are on the rise, said Zhang at a press briefing on the visit.





Under current circumstances, China-Russia relations have become increasingly mature, stable and strong, said Zhang, adding that "the political mutual trust between the two countries is solid and the two sides firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns."





According to Zhang, trade between China and Russia hit a record of over 100 billion U.S. dollars last year. Strategic projects in fields of energy, aerospace and interconnectivity have been solidly promoted. Besides, cooperation in emerging fields such as agriculture, finance, science and technology, and e-commerce has developed rapidly.





The cooperation between the two countries has demonstrated strong endogenous driving forces and broad development prospects, Zhang added.





The two sides jointly held the year of bilateral cooperation and exchanges at local levels in 2018 and 2019, with local exchanges continuing to expand and people-to-people and cultural exchanges continuing to heat up, Zhang said.





China and Russia have carried out close and effective coordination in international affairs, firmly upholding an international system with the United Nations as its core and an international order based on the international law, and staunchly safeguarding world peace, stability and international fairness and justice, Zhang said. "The two countries advocate multilateralism and an open world economy, and have played a role as a ballast stone and stabilizer in the changing international situation."





"This is Xi's first state visit to Russia since his re-election as Chinese president, which will be of milestone significance in the development of bilateral relations and will surely promote greater development of bilateral ties under the new situation," Zhang said.





Noting this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, Zhang said that during his visit, Xi will hold a series of activities with President Putin, jointly attend events such as a gathering celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ties, and sign or witness the signing of some important cooperation documents.





On Xi's attendance of the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Zhang said the Chinese president will deliver a speech at the plenary session of the forum, expounding China's ideas on sustainable development, and working with all parties to advocate multilateralism and improve global governance for the common development and prosperity of the global village.





"This visit will consolidate the political foundation of Sino-Russian relations, reaffirm their mutual support to each other on issues involving respective core and major concerns, and ensure the ties will not be affected by any change in the international situation," said Zhang, adding that the visit will also open up new prospects for pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and help translate the advantages in high-level political relations into more tangible results.





It is believed that with the joint efforts of China and Russia, Xi's visit to Russia will be a complete success, as it will promote bilateral relations to enter a new era and contribute more to the two countries' development, and world peace and stability, Zhang said.




JACKSON, MI  An appeal from a truck driver convicted of driving recklessly and killing two women on US-127 wont be heard by the Michigan Supreme Court.

Mark Feuss was found guilty of killing two Child Protective Service workers in a 2014 crash. In January 2019, the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the conviction.

He petitioned the Supreme Court to reconsider, but it denied to do so because it was not persuaded it needed to review the case, according to a statement issued Tuesday, May 28.

Feuss was sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison on two counts of reckless driving causing death on Nov. 2, 2016, by Circuit Judge John McBain. The crash killed Kristine Wittlinger, 42, and Andrea Hicks, 33.

Feuss was driving a 160,000-pound gravel hauler on Sept. 9, 2014 when he crashed into Wittlinger and Hicks while they were waiting to make a left turn off US-127 onto Liberty Road.

The semi landed on top of Wittlingers and Hicks car and the force of the crash pushed it into oncoming traffic where it was struck by a 2009 Hyundai, police previously said.

Multiple witnesses testified at the trial that they saw Feuss driving erratically before the crash. Feuss made a phone call one minute prior to the crash, but he said he used a hands-free device, which police could not confirm, records show.

Many family members forgave Feuss at his sentencing where he wept for the pain he caused, according to previous reporting.
FLOWERFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI -- One of three people who was charged in the death of a truck driver in St. Joseph County was sentenced to prison for second-degree murder Friday.

Kayla Cheney, 25, was sentenced to 25 to 75 years in prison Friday, May 31, in St. Joseph County Circuit Court.

Cheney was one of three people charged after Kevin Johnson was shot and killed during a drug deal Nov. 14. Details of the incident were released in court Jan. 16, when a witness to Johnsons death testified during a preliminary examination for a second suspect, Theron Hunt.

Cheney was originally charged with felony firearm, armed robbery and open murder. She waived her right to a preliminary examination and, later, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as part of a plea agreement.

The witness, Stanielle King, testified in January that the three people accused of murdering Johnson, a Kentucky truck driver, taped her up and robbed her at gunpoint before shooting and killing Johnson last November inside her home in Flowerfield Township.

King testified that she messaged Hunt, asking for drugs. Johnson and his girlfriend were going to meet King at her house to get meth, she testified. The drug deal turned hostile when the three suspects showed up, armed with a gun, and pepper-sprayed King in the face, she testified. According to King, Cheney, McNeil and Hunt ransacked her home looking for valuables before Johnson arrived and was shot.

No further court dates have been set for Hunt. McNeil is scheduled for a status conference on Monday, June 3.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI  It took 35 years, but the family of a West Michigan woman murdered by a serial killer finally found justice in the viewing room of an execution chamber.

Thats where they watched Robert Bobby Joe Long die of lethal injection last week.

It has been a difficult journey for the Muskegon family of Vicky Elliott, who along with nine other women was killed in 1984 by Long in Tampa, Florida.

But Vickys mother, brothers and sister were there to watch Long take his final breaths.

I thought he took the cowards way out, said Frank Elliott Jr., one of Vicky Elliotts two brothers. He kept his eyes closed so he didnt have to look at us.

At 21, Vicky was just starting out. She had graduated in 1982 from Orchard View High School in Muskegon Township. After her graduation, Vicky and Frank Elliott Jr. moved to Florida where they had relatives.

We were young and looking for something different, said Elliott, who was two years younger than his sister.

He went first, and she joined him six months later. They lived together for a while, but then found separate apartments. They worked  she at a hotel coffee shop  and went out on the weekends, Elliott said.

We were young and had to take care of ourselves, he said. We went to nightclubs and beaches  really just surviving.

He ended up returning to Muskegon. Just a few weeks later, he and the rest of Vickys family received word she had gone missing on Sept. 6, 1984, while on her way to her third-shift job.

It was uncharacteristic for Vicky, a responsible and punctual young woman, to miss work, and authorities were immediately notified, her mother, Lora Elliott, told the Muskegon Chronicle at the time.

She was a good student and a good worker, Lora Elliott had said. She was very responsible (and) no one complained about her. She wrote and called regularly.

Investigators found in Vickys apartment a plane ticket to Muskegon for Oct. 6, just a month after her disappearance. Frank Elliott said she had planned to return and study to become a paramedic.

For more than 10 weeks, no one knew what had happened to her. Meanwhile, other young women had been disappearing, but no one made the connection, said Elliott, who now lives in Tennessee.

We were very worried, Elliott said. After so long, you know somethings wrong.

Then, in dramatic fashion, the discovery of her remains was announced in the midst of a press conference announcing first-degree murder charges had been issued against Long in the deaths of nine other women.

The local sheriff had called the press conference on Nov. 16, 1984. While he was reading a statement, the Tampa Police chief interrupted to say Elliotts body had been found after Long had told investigators where to find it, the Chronicle reported at the time.

He also confessed to murdering Elliott. That brought the death count to 10.

Long also admitted to being the Classified Ad Rapist  a serial rapist who had responded to classified ads placed by his victims. He ended up receiving 28 life sentences, and the death penalty for one of the killings, according to the Associated Press.

He had progressed quickly from raping, to raping and murdering his victims, Frank Elliott said. The bodies of the women had been found beginning in May 13, 1984, until the discovery of Vickys remains six months later.

Longs murderous spree ended after a 17-year-old he had abducted was able to escape.

The women he killed had also been tortured, police said at the time.

You dont want to know the brutality, Frank Elliott told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle.

A Florida assistant attorney general announced at the time of Longs arrest that the death penalty would be sought. It would take 35 frustrating years for it to be carried out. Elliott said there were times he wondered if Long would ever have a date with the death chamber.

We bombarded the governors office with letters and what-not for about a year straight, trying to get it done, he said. But it happened. It got done.

Elliott counts himself among those who support the death penalty, saying if you do evil, vile things to other human beings, you shouldnt be allowed to walk among them.

Not all of Longs victims had family representatives at his execution, Elliott said. Those who did attend wore shirts with photos of the 10 murdered women. The shirts had been made by Longs survivor, Elliott said.

I was just glad my mom got to see (Vicky) get justice, Elliott said.

Afterward, Vickys family went out to celebrate and to remember the petite red-haired young woman who was stolen from them.

She was a beautiful, vibrant young lady full of spirit, Elliott said. Her life was snuffed out way too soon.
MUSKEGON, MI  Muskegons Moon Elementary will not close at the end of the school year after all.

The Muskegon Public Schools Board of Education went against the recommendation of its outgoing superintendent and voted unanimously to keep the school open. The vote was cast during a special meeting on Thursday, May 30.

District administration announced on May 1 that the school would close at the end of the academic year and kindergarten through fifth-grade students would be transferred to Nelson and Oakview elementaries. Moving all sixth-graders to Muskegon Middle School was also part of the announcement.

Its unclear whether sixth grade students throughout the district will still be moved or not.

Board members learned about the planned closure the same day as the public, and at least one was unhappy about the lack of communication. At least two board members said later that a vote of the board was needed to close a school, while Superintendent Justin Jennings didnt think it was necessary.

The board decided it would be best to not do anything regarding school closures until a new superintendent is hired in July and then has time to assess the situation, said board Vice President Louis Churchwell.

Superintendent Justin Jennings is leaving the district to start a new job in Ohio on Aug. 1. The search for his replacement began this month.

Jennings and board President Cindy Larson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

It just wasnt a good idea at this time, Churchwell said. "Concerns and things that were brought up were valid. We have to shrink the schools and right-size the district but we need to keep students.

Moon students tend to go from being Little Reds to Big Reds, meaning they stay with the district through graduation, he said.

Muskegon-area businessmen called on board members to table major decisions, including school closings, until after a new superintendent is selected, in a letter read during the board meeting on Tuesday, May 21. The 13 executives who signed also pointed out that a large number of would-be Muskegon students use school of choice to leave the district.

Others spoke out specifically against the Moon closure during the same meeting.

When that happens, you have to listen to what theyre saying, Churchwell said.

The communitys continued support and concern is a good thing, he added.

Earlier this month, Churchwell and Trustee Zachary Anderson told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle that the Moon closure was not finalized because a vote of the board was required. The day before that, Jennings said he did not believe a vote was required.

This is the second time in about a year that constituents have fought to keep schools open. In April 2018, administrators proposal to close Moon, Muskegon Middle School and Muskegon Community Education Center (MCEC) at the end of the 2017-18 school year was tabled by the board. However, MCEC still closed without a formal vote of the board.

Closing Moon, located at the corner of Laketon Avenue and Hoyt Street, was part of a plan to right-size the districts building footprint in response to declining student population.

In 2008-09, the district had 5,187 students, according to MI School Data. Now, it has 3,551. Currently, 2,808 students who live in the Muskegon district are attending school elsewhere through school of choice.

Moon, the districts smallest building, is at capacity this year with 388 students, according to district officials. Most of them would have been sent to Nelson, which is far below capacity this year with 286 students.

Moon, the Hackley Administration Building and Oakview and Marquette elementary schools would all close under a bond plan presented by Jennings at a community meeting Thursday, May 16. Remaining buildings would be upgraded, renovated and expanded if voters approve the $77 million bond proposal, district officials have said.

However, Larson said earlier this month that buildings will close whether voters approve the 7.36-mill bond continuation in May 2020 or not.

Rolling out a bond and closing schools in the same breath isnt good, Churchwell said. He expects the roll out of changes to buildings to be different going forward.

The plan could still change once a new superintendent is in place. But there will not be very much time for Jennings successor to put his or her own stamp on the plans since the board will need to approve ballot language by November to put the proposal on the May 2020 ballot.
BAY CITY, MI  Three Detroit men have admitted in federal court to a brazen daytime robbery of a shopping mall jewelry store in Saginaw Township.

Darrell Green, 18, Derrick R. Hebron, 21, and Jerone Hamler Jr., 19, have all individually appeared before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment.

Both Hamler and Hebrons sentencing guidelines range from 63 to 78 months, while Greens run 57 to 71.

In pleading, the trio admitted that on Oct. 22, they and a 14-year-old drove north to Saginaw in a maroon 2005 Chevrolet Uplander, which was later reported stolen. Stopping in Flint along the way, they bought a sledgehammer and later concealed the Chevys license plate with a bag.

Around 3:30 p.m., Hamler, Green, and the teen entered the Kay Jewelers within Saginaw Townships Fashion Square Mall while Hebron remained behind the wheel in the Uplander.

Green and Hamler asked two store employees to see some solitaire diamonds, then pulled the sledgehammer and struck the diamonds glass case. One employee attempted to protect the case by sliding a mirror on top of it, but the hammer struck and broke it.

As customers and employees took cover or fled, the men hit the case six or seven times, yet were still unable to shatter it. They then lifted the glass off the display case and pushed it aside. As the glass fell behind the display case, a portion of it hit an employee in her ankle, causing a minor injury.

The trio then removed rings and bridal ring sets and the display sets that they were on.

They placed the stolen merchandise in a pink bag, in their pockets, and ran out of the mall, into their waiting getaway vehicle.

As they drove from the scene, they failed to yield to pursuing police vehicles, continuing at high speeds and running numerous red lights. They veered into oncoming traffic and nearly caused a head-on collision with another vehicle.

Police deployed Stop Stiks, but the Uplander kept going with damaged tires. After a 12-minute chase that covered 11.5 miles, the Uplander crashed into a ditch with a police vehicle rear-ending it.

Police quickly arrested Hebron and the teen, but Hamler and Green ran off. Officers tackled and wrestled Green, while others apprehended Hamler in a bean field.

Officers searched the Uplander and the robbers, recovering 17 stolen rings, the sledgehammer, four cellphones, work-style gloves, masks, a black jacket, a camouflage sweatshirt, and a green and black sweatshirt.

Twelve rings are still missing.

U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington is to sentence Green at 2 p.m. on Aug. 1 and both Hamler an Hebron on the afternoon of Aug. 29.
Washington has warned India of sanctions and implications for their defense ties if New Delhi proceeds with its purchase of Russias S-400 air missile defense system, a White House official told a group of reporters on Thursday.

The S-400 [deal] is significant because of CAATSA sanctions. Its also significant because of what it precludes, in terms of future high-tech cooperation, an anonymous senior State Department is reported as saying by the Times of India.

Also on rt.com US wants India to swap Russian S-400s for THAAD & Patriots, but will it take the bait?

India may face retaliation for the S-400 defense deal, which it sealed with Moscow last October, under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which was passed by the US Congress to hinder arms purchases from Russia.

The official added that the US is strongly against mixing their systems with foreign ones, saying there are threats posed by the purchase of an S-400. Thats why India has to choose where its military relations [are] headed, and with who it [is] going to share the highest technology and that operating environment.

Also on rt.com Purchase of S-400 systems will be devastating for Turkeys F-35 program  Pentagon

Russias S-400 is one of the most advanced long-range air missile defense systems in the world. The US insists that it is incompatible with its Patriot systems and pushes other countries to stick to American gear. So far, the threats have failed to stop a steady flow of S-400 orders, with Turkey expecting its first batteries to be delivered this summer despite growing pressure from Washington.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
Turkeys planned deployment of Russian S-400 missile defense systems would be devastating for the F-35 program to which Ankara has contributed over $1 billion, the Pentagon has warned.

Completion of this transaction would be devastating, not only to the F-35 program, on which the West has placed its modernized integrated air capability, but it would potentially rupture Turkish interoperability with NATO, a key aspect of the defense of the alliance, said Kathryn Wheelbarger, acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.

Washington must not allow the $2.5 billion deal between Turkey and Russia to proceed, she told an audience at the Atlantic Council in Washington on Thursday, hinting that Russia cannot wait to get their hands on American secrets.

Lets be clear. The S-400 is a Russian system designed to shoot down an aircraft like the F-35, and it is inconceivable to imagine Russia not taking advantage of that collection opportunity, she warned.

Also on rt.com US may suspend Turkish pilots from F-35 training program over S-400 deal

Ankara has repeatedly stated that the S-400s will pose no risk to NATO systems, including F-35s, and has proposed creating a joint working group to dispel Washingtons panic. That proposal was once again discussed between Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump during a phone call on Wednesday.

For now, the US wants nothing short of total obedience from its NATO ally. It has been applying massive pressure on Turkey, amid already strained relations, to back out of the Russian deal. Besides halting deliveries to Turkey of equipment related to the F-35s and preparing potential sanctions under the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), Washington is insisting that Ankara should purchase its Patriot systems instead.

Also on rt.com Turkey will look for 'best technology' elsewhere if US blocks F-35 transfer

Turkey, which has clearly stated that that S-400 purchase is a done deal, is demanding the delivery of its F-35 jets, four of which have already been ceremonially transferred but have yet to leave US soil. Turkey joined the program in 2002 and, over the years, invested more than $1.25 billion in developing and manufacturing various parts for the jet. Ankara believes that, without its participation, the program would just collapse, leaving Turkey with no other options but to seek fifth-generation fighters elsewhere, namely Russia.
You are here: World

 Flash

China's armed police forces will hold the Great Wall-2019 International Forum on Counter-terrorism in Beijing from June 18 to 22, the Ministry of National Defense announced Thursday.

As of May 28, 30 countries have signed up for the event, the ministry's spokesperson Wu Qian said at a press conference.
You are here: World

 Flash

The UN Higher Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday that 149 refugees were evacuated from Libya to Italy, in cooperation with Libyan and Italian authorities.

"Amid violent clashes and a deteriorating security situation in Tripoli, 149 vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers were evacuated to safety in Rome," UNHCR said in a statement.

The evacuated refugees are of different African nationalities, including 65 children, the UN agency said.

The statement added that "62 urban refugees from Syria, Sudan and Somalia were also evacuated from Tripoli to UNHCR's emergency transit center in Timisoara, Romania, before traveling to their final destination in Norway."

The evacuation was carried out as the capital Tripoli is witnessing violent clashes between the east-based army and the UN-backed government's forces since early April for control of the city.

Libya has become a preferred departure point for illegal immigrants hoping to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe because of insecurity and chaos in the North African country following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Shelters in Libya are crowded with thousands of illegal immigrants rescued at sea or arrested by the Libyan security services.
 Flash

At least four people were killed and 20 others injured on Thursday when six explosions rocked the Iraqi northern city of Kirkuk, a police source said.

The blasts took place when six roadside bombs went off in three main streets in Kirkuk, some 250 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the media office of the Joint Operations Command said in a statement.

Ammar al-Jubouri from Kirkuk provincial police told Xinhua that the latest police reports said that four people were killed and 20 others wounded by the blasts, confirming that a policeman was among the killed and four others among the wounded people.

The security forces sealed off all the roads leading to the explosions sites, and immediately launched an investigation into the blasts, he said.

Al-Jubouri added that the security forces are looking for two cars allegedly seen planting the bombs in the streets.

For years, tension has been running high in the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk, which is part of the disputed areas between the central government and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group, in most cases, was responsible for attacks targeting security forces and areas where crowds of people gather, including markets, cafes and mosques across Iraq.

The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.

But IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas, carrying out guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians despite military operations from time to time to hunt them down.




 Flash

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday denied the accusation of a top U.S. defense official that Russia is "probably" conducting low-yield nuclear tests.

The allegation of Robert Ashley, the director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, on Wednesday was "a crude provocation," which was "absolutely groundless" and aimed at tarnishing the reputation of Russia, the ministry said in a statement.

It said that Russia strictly adheres to the multilateral Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and has stopped nuclear testing since 1991 in compliance with the pact.

The ministry said that the United States possibly used the attacks against Russia to divert international attention and cover up its own preparations for the resumption of full-scale nuke tests.

"U.S. political and military leaders should remember that a return to the era of nuclear testing is fraught with dire consequences for global stability," the Russian statement read.
 Flash

Serbia and Russia on Thursday agreed to initiate cooperation on Serbia's project to improve and restore water transport infrastructure along its Danube corridor.

The Memorandum of Understanding in the area of commercial shipbuilding was signed at a business forum Serbia-Russia by Zorana Mihajlovic, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of Serbia and Oleg Ryazantsev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia, government confirmed in a press release.

In the focus of the business forum Serbia-Russia, which was opened here by Serbian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic, in front of representatives of some 200 companies from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Serbia, are the opportunities for Russian companies to partake in Serbia's water transport investment project.

Mihajlovic said at the forum that the water transport in past two years got back into the focus of the Serbian government after long neglect, and that the country plans to invest around 300 million euros (334 million U.S. dollars), and secure additional 200 million of private investments, in order to build three new ports on the Danube river, reconstruct existing boat lifts and build new ones, as well as to clear old shipwrecks blocking waterways.

"This will enable non-stop water transport on the Danube... The aim is to make Serbia's Danube corridor much more attractive," she said inviting representatives of companies at the forum to partake in this project.

Ryazantsev said that Russia is ready to support Serbia in the development of shipbuilding sector and water transport.




Any efforts to import Iranian crude oil beyond the accepted levels negotiated from November to May will be sanctioned, the US has warned, amidst reports that India and China were seeking ways to buy oil from Tehran.

US President Donald Trump last month refused to give waivers to countries like India from buying oil from Iran, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero.

The US on May 28 reiterated its position after the media reports from New Delhi, quoting unnamed government officials, said that India was looking at ways to resume oil imports from Iran despite the US sanctions.

Last week, India's Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India had stopped buying oil from Iran after May 2 when the US ended its waivers that allowed the top buyers of Iranian oil, including India, to continue their imports for six months.

"There will be no more oil waivers granted and the only oil that would have been permitted would have been under the cap that we negotiated. That cap was negotiated, it was to run for a period from November of 2018 until May of 2019," Brian Hook, Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, told reporters during a conference call on Thursday.

He said once the countries have reached the cap of what was negotiated, that would be the limit of the oil that US would permit to move through and would not be sanctioned.

"We will sanction any efforts to import Iranian crude oil beyond the limits that were negotiated in the period that ran from November through May," Hook said.

Responding to the question that India and China were importing a little bit of Iranian oil, he said: "The countries that you mentioned I think every country is aware of it. We now have close to 30 countries that used to import Iranian crude oil that are now at zero. This accounts for 40 percent of the regime's revenue".

Iran earlier used to supply 10 percent of India's oil needs.

After coming to power, President Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal last year and has imposed stringent sanctions against what he describes as the "authoritarian" Iranian regime.

"If we want to get serious about denying Iran the money it needs to destabilise the Middle East, we have to enforce oil sanctions. We think all countries in the world share a desire for a more peaceful and stable Middle East. For as long as Iran is able to conduct its foreign policy with impunity fuelled by oil revenue, it is going to be unstable," Hook said.

That has been the message of the Trump Administration to all these countries, he said.

"Nations know that if there are efforts to import Iranian crude oil beyond the accepted levels that were negotiated back from November through May, they will be sanctioned," he asserted.

State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus reiterated that it was the policy of the Trump administration to take Iranian oil export to zero and there will be no extensions on these waivers.

"That remains our policy," she said.

Ortagus said the US policy on Iran was working.

"We see the compliance with US sanctions regarding Iran writ large to be one of the most successful things that this administration and that this State Department has done," she said.

Later, a Senior State Department official told a group of reporters that India's developing of the Chabahar port in Iran was exempted from the Iranian sanctions.

"That exemption continues. It's not being reviewed. The exemption allows for the development of the port, the development of the rail link to Afghanistan, the provision of crude oil and gas to Afghanistan and the provision of humanitarian supplies as well. That continues," the official said.

The official said the Trump administration welcomed India's efforts to further develop trade with Afghanistan.

India continued to play a leading role and is providing humanitarian assistance, including wheat, which has gone through the Chabahar port.

The US was having an ongoing conversation with India on Iran, the official said, adding that America welcomes the fact that India has reduced its crude oil imports from Iran.

"I don't see frankly a difference in concerns over the prospect of a nuclear Iran. I don't believe it's in India's interest and Indian officials are forthright in saying that they do not want to see a nuclear Iran," the official said.

"I think that there are shared concerns over Iran support for terrorism, including in the Gulf where six million Indians work. So there's a lot that unites the US and India when it comes to analysing and assessing Iranian activity," the official said.

The US is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran to counter what the White House perceives to be a potential threat.

Last month, the US designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation, the first time the designation has been applied to a government entity.
Eight-time Lok Sabha MP and former Rajya Sabha member Ram Vilas Paswan once again took oath as Cabinet Minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet. The Lok Janshakti Party(LJP) chief was Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the previous government.

In this term too, he has been allocated the same ministry.

Paswan, 73, refrained from contesting elections in 2019 from Hajipur as he was assured of a Rajya Sabha seat by the BJP before polls.

Paswan's party had contested six Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in the recently concluded elections and emerged victorious on all.

He was the first Dalit leader to join NDA again. He earlier left the party after the 2002 Gujarat riots. The LJP leader is now the Dalit face of the Modi government. After being appointed as the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the Modi cabinet, Paswan said his priority was to ensure efficiency in the public distribution system and consolidate the functioning of the Food Corporation of India.

Paswan began his political career way back in 1969 when he was first elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly. He entered Lok Sabha for the first time in 1977 from Hajipur constituency. Thereafter, he represented this seat in 1980, 1989, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2014.

Paswan formed LJP in 2000. He also served as a Union Minister in UPA 1 between 2004-2009. He, however, lost elections from Hajipur in 2009 and was thereafter sent to Rajya Sabha by RJD supremo Lalu Prasad.

Paswan holds a Bachelor of Law and a Master of Arts degrees from Kosi College, Pilkhi and Patna University.
Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) increased their ownership of BSE200 companies marginally in the March quarter. FIIs bought equities worth Rs 46,900 crore in the quarter ended March 2019 taking their ownership to 24.1 percent compared to 23.6 percent in the December quarter.

FIIs increased their exposure in banks, diversified financials, insurance and oil, gas and consumable fuels while they reduced their exposure in automobiles, metals, capital goods, consumer staples, and consumer durables, according to a report by Kotak Institutional Equities.

However, there 10 stocks in the BSE 200 index in which are still under-owned in terms of FII ownership. They include ITC, L&T, SBI, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Steel, Asian Paints, ONGC, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finserv and NTPC.

Experts are of the view that investors should not worry too much on under-ownership of stocks by FIIs as many times it offers potential opportunity for them to top up and increase exposure in them in the future.

The reasons for under-ownership could differ across sectors and stocks based on fundamentals, sector view and potential earnings growth of individual companies. In some cases like SBI, L&T and Bajaj Finserv, the business prospects seem to be improving and hence they are hitting record highs, Rusmik Oza Head, of Fundamental Research at Kotak Securities told Moneycontrol.

The right way to look at stocks would be their valuations and scope of re-rating in them. Many long only FIIs avoid investing in PSU stocks because of the frequent dilution in equity. Hence their ownership could be lower in most PSU stocks due to this approach, he said.

Table 1: 10 stocks with very low ownership by FIIs.

Domestic Institutional Investors' (DIIs) holding in the BSE 200 index declined to 13.5 percent in the March quarter from 13.9 percent in the December quarter, Kotak Institutional Equities said in a report.

Domestic fund managers added stake in banks, capital goods, Oil & Gas, consumer staples, insurance and hotels stocks while decreasing in diversifies financial services, pharma, automobiles and telecommunications.

There are about 10 bluechip stocks that are under-owned by fund managers. This includes RIL, HDFC, TCS, HDFC Bank, HUL, ITC, IndusInd Bank, Asian Paints, Bajaj Auto and Bharti Infratel.

Table 2: 10 stocks with very low ownership by DIIs.

Mutual funds performance is monitored and benchmarked to the indices on regular periodicity. Hence they need to consistently churn and try to provide certain alpha over and above the benchmark, say experts.

In the base case, fund managers usually churn out of stocks that are quoting at high valuations or where the upside remains fairly limited to generate alpha.

We saw a large up move in Nifty stocks in this year so far, that could have been missed by all those who were not holding these blue chips in their portfolio, Abhijeet Bajpai, co-founder & CEO, Avighna Trades told Moneycontrol.

Valuations for near to mid-term are not so attractive in Nifty stocks when compared to stocks outside Nifty, so that might be the reason for MFs staying away from these stocks, he said.

Factors to watch:

Under-ownership of stocks could be used as one method to filter stocks that might be trading at a premium when compared to historical averages; at the same time dont ignore the fundamentals.

Study the signs why the stocks have come off from highs or are now in the under-owned by FPIs or mutual fund managers. Investors should ignore the factors that are impacting the market for short-term like elections or US-China trade talks, which infused volatility.

The basic premise for an investor is to buy low and sell high, and they should evaluate the valuation of stock for a long-term basis, suggest experts.

Investors must look at the fundamentals of a company before investing their hard-earned money into stocks. A companys operational efficiency, top and bottom line growth, margins, working capital requirements, return ratios and debt to equity ratio are some basic factors to check, Umesh Mehta, Head of Research, SAMCO Securities told Moneycontrol.

To add to it, an investor must research if the promoters of a company are efficient at running the business and there are no corporate governance issues clouding the company. Furthermore, valuations will also enable investors to decide if the fair value matches the market price, he said.

Note: The above report is for information only and not generally buy or sell ideas.

The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts 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.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allocated six times more funds for urban schemes in five years compared to the United Progressive Alliances (UPA) 10 years. The growth story will continue, said Hardeep Singh Puri, as he took charge of housing and urban affairs ministry for the second time on May 31.



#ModiCabinet2 | Moneycontrol's @vandanaramnani1 met the newly inducted MoS (independent charge) of Housing and Urban Affairs @HardeepSPuri

Here's what he has to say after taking office | #CabinetAnnouncement2019 pic.twitter.com/DLFyp6Zf3l  moneycontrol (@moneycontrolcom) May 31, 2019

Approval for one crore houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), the governments flagship affordable housing scheme, will also happen soon. Already 80 lakh homes have been sanctioned, he told reporters.

"For 10 years - from 2004 to 2014 under the UPA government, Rs 1,57,703 crore was spent. Modi governments schemes started in June 2015. The Swatch Bharat Mission, HRIDAY, AMRUT, PMAY were all started in the four years from 2015 to 2019. Our expenditure on urban schemes was Rs 9,07,286 crore, six times the expenditure in four years. These are the facts which speak for themselves," Puri added.

All these flagship schemes are work-in-progress. The cut-off date for the Swatch Bharat Mission (Urban) is October 2019, the PMAY scheme will run until 2022.

"Our target is to construct one crore homes. Eighty lakh homes have already been sanctioned. The target will be completed before this financial year," he added.

A career diplomat, Puri took charge of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2017. He was elected as Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh in 2018.

On May 31, he was re-appointed as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. He has also been given the responsibility of the Civil Aviation and Commerce & Industry ministries.

In the 2019 general elections, Puri lost the Amritsar seat to Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, who won by a margin of 99,626 votes.

Real estate experts said the three priorities before the ministry should be to ensure that issues related to funds and demand are sorted out.

"The real estate industry has gone through tough times over the last few years. One is looking forward to how we can move ahead and bring the industry out of the state it is in," Shishir Baijal, Chairman and Managing Director, Knight Frank India said.

The previous government has sorted out most of the fundamental issues that were there on the supply side - in terms of the taxes, GST and all that has more or less got cleared. The most important issue before it now is how to stimulate demand. That is fundamental, Baijal added.

The governments emphasis on affordable housing should continue. Strides have been made towards that, he stated.

Under PMAY, the government aims to achieve Housing for All by 2022, when India will be completing its 75 years of Independence. Reports said that PMAY (Urban), the affordable housing programme, will see technological intervention to give it a much-needed boost in the first 100 days of the new government.

Under the governments Smart Cities programme, 100 Smart Cities have been selected in four rounds based on an all India competition. All 100 cities have incorporated Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is PM Modi's flagship sanitation campaign in India that aims to build toilets and clean up streets, roads and infrastructure of India's cities, towns and rural areas.

vandana.ramnani@nw18.com
A US judge ordered Facebook Inc to give shareholders emails and other records concerning how the social media company handles data privacy, after data for an estimated 87 million users was accessed by the British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.

In a decision on May 30, Vice Chancellor Joseph Slights of the Delaware Chancery Court said shareholders demonstrated a "credible basis" to infer that Facebook board members may have committed wrongdoing in connection with data privacy breaches.

He noted that Facebook had, at the time of the 2015 Cambridge Analytica breach, been subject to a consent decree with the US Federal Trade Commission, under which the Menlo Park, California-based company promised to bolster its data security measures.

Facebook and its lawyers did not immediately respond on Friday to requests for comment. Lawyers for the shareholders did not immediately respond to similar requests.

Allegations of improper use of Facebook user data by Cambridge Analytica, hired by Donald Trump's 2016 US election campaign, prompted a series of US and European regulatory probes. The breach was disclosed in March 2018 and Cambridge later shut down.

Shareholders said they sued Facebook in September to obtain records related to Cambridge Analytica and other breaches, and upon finding wrongdoing might later sue company officers and directors through a so-called derivative lawsuit.

In a footnote, Slights said his decision stopped "well short" of concluding that officers or directors engaged in wrongdoing, and any such determination "awaits another day."
(Image: Twitter/@BJP4India)

Staunch Narendra Modi loyalist Giriraj Singh and former chief ministers of Uttarakhand and Jharkhand Ramesh Chandra Pokhriyal and Arjun Munda respectively were among the BJP leaders elevated to the Cabinet in the new NDA government on Thursday.

Kiren Rijiju, the face of the BJP in the Northeast and a two-time MP from Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat, has also been promoted from minister of state to minister of state with independent charge in the new government.

Giiriraj Singh, who supported Modi since the days he was the chief minister of Gujarat, has courted controversies with his utterances verged on Hindutva hardline as he repeatedly raised the issue of rising Muslim population in the country and underscored that a decline in the proportion of Hindus in a region invariably led to social strife.

At times he also went against the government line of awaiting the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya saying "Hindus were running out of patience".

Singh won the Begusarai seat in Bihar defeating CPI's Kanhaiya Kumar.

Considered to be close to the BJP top brass, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has got a cabinet rank from his previous MoS with independent charge status.

Shekhawat, who was made the Union minister of state for agriculture in September 2017, defeated the son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot from the Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat.

Other promotees include Mahendra Nath Pandey, the Uttar Pradesh BJP chief and former minister of state in the first Modi government.

BJP ally Shiv Sena's Arvind Ganpat Sawant, a second time MP from Mumbai South, and former foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar have also been included in the Modi Cabinet.

Former railway minister DV Sadananda Gowda, who was dropped in a reshuffle earlier, has also found a place in the new Cabinet.
The Chanakya of Indian politics, responsible for scripting several of the BJPs resounding electoral successes over the past few years, has decided to give up his role as a backroom operator and take up a role as a high-profile administrator.

After masterminding the BJPs latest and most impressive win in the Lok Sabha elections as the party president, Shah was today appointed as the Home Minister in the Narendra Modi government 2.0.

Heres everything you want to know about Amit Shah

Early life

Shah was born on October 22, 1964 in Mumbai to a well-to-do Gujarati Hindu Baniya family. His father, Anil Chandra Shah, was a businessman from Mansa, who owned a successful PVC pipe business.

Shah did his schooling in Mehsana and moved to Ahmedabad, graduating in bioschemistry, before starting to work for his father's business. He also worked as a stockbroker and in co-operative banks in Ahmedabad.

He was involved with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since his childhood, but formally became an RSS swayamsevak (volunteer) during his college days.

Political career

He started his political career as a leader of the student wing of the RSS, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, in 1983 and joined the BJP in 1987, one year before Narendra Modi joined the party. At that time, Modi was an RSS pracharak, working as in-charge of youth activities in the city. The two met at an RSS shakha in Naranpura, Ahmedabad.

The duo played an instrumental role in taking on the Congress in Gujarat, which was a dominant force in the state then, creating a support network of 8,000 rural leaders for the BJP.

After the BJP came to power in the state in 1995, Shah also made inroads into the states cooperative banks, which served as the lifeline for the states economy, reducing the Congress clout.

Shah successfully contested the 2002 assembly election and emerged as one of the most powerful leaders in the Narendra Modi administration in Gujarat.

What followed was a successful administrative career spanning several ministries. His ministerial tenure is remembered for a string of initiatives such as setup of modern forensic laboratories and strengthening of coastal policing.

National politics

After the BJPs spectacular 2014 win, Shah took over as the BJP President. He continued his focus on streamlining and expanding the partys worker base.

Immediately after taking over the charge of BJP national president, he embarked upon an ambitious project of making BJP the worlds largest party with more than 11 million members.

Over the past five years, under Shah, the BJP replaced the Congress as the countrys most dominant party, forming the government in over 20 states.

Working style

A strict vegetarian, a non-smoker and a teetotaler, he remembers both friends and adversaries, and knows most party workers by name.

Shah spends long hours in his office when he is in Delhi. He has taken up another ambitious project of building BJP offices in 640 districts of India.

He prefers to travel short distances by road instead of helicopter. During his recent visit to Odisha, he travelled close to 1,000 kms by road. He prefers to stay in guest houses, rather than in hotels, during poll campaigning.

Managing voters expectations is a fine art that requires nimble footedness in keeping the lines open with the PMO while drafting an electoral victory plot. Likewise with the RSS, the BJPs ideological fountainhead. Shah has put in a strong coordination system between the BJP and the RSS to ensure that all efforts are united and anchored at the same place.

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Shah doesnt believe in creating a coterie; rather he uses every single person in the organization to his or her ability. It is no surprise, therefore, that several people perceived to enjoy his close physical proximity are actually the most disempowered, while some never seen around him often call the shots on most important matters.
The President of India on May 31 allocated ministries among the 54 Cabinet and State ministers under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Cabinet Minister Post Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space Rajnath Singh Minister of Defence Amit Shah Minister of Home Affairs Nitin Jairam Gadkari Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises DV Sadananda Gowda Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Nirmala Sitharaman Minister of Finance; Minister of Corporate Affairs Ramvilas Paswan Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Narendra Singh Tomar Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Rural Development; Panchayati Raj Ravi Shankar Prasad Minister of Law and Justice; Communications; Electronics and Information Technology Harsimrat Kaur Badal Minister of Food Processing Industries Thaawar Chand Gehlot Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Minister of External Affairs Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank Minister of Human Resource Development Arjun Munda Minister of Tribal Affairs Smriti Z Irani Minister of Women and Child Development; Textiles Harsh Vardhan Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Science and Technology; Earth Sciences Prakash Javadekar Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Information and Broadcasting Piyush Goyal Minister of Railways; Commerce and Industry Dharmendra Pradhan Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Steel Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Ministry of Minority Affairs Pralhad Joshi Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Coal; Mines Mahendra Nath Pandey Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Arvind Ganpat Sawant Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Giriraj Singh Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Minister of Jal Shakti Ministers of State (Independent Charge) Post Santosh Kumar Gangwar Minister of State (IC)-Ministry of Labour and Employment Rao Inderjit Singh Minister of State (IC)- Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; Ministry of Planning Shripad Yesso Naik Minister of State (IC)- Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH); Ministry of Defence Jitendra Singh Minister of State (IC)- Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; In the Prime Ministers Office; Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space Kiren Rijiju Minister of State (IC)- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; Ministry of Minority Affairs Prahalad Singh Patel Minister of State (IC)-Ministry of Culture; Ministry of Tourism Raj Kumar Singh Minister of State (IC)- Ministry of Power; Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Hardeep Singh Puri Minister of State (IC)-Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Ministry of Civil Aviation; Ministry of Commerce and Industry Mansukh L Mandaviya Minister of State (IC)- Ministry of Shipping; Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministers of State (MoS) Post Faggansingh Kulaste MoS-Ministry of Steel Ashwini Kumar Choubey MoS- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Arjun Ram Meghwal MoS-Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises VK Singh MoS-Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Krishan Pal MoS-Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Danve Raosaheb Dadarao MoS-Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution G Kishan Reddy MoS-Ministry of Home Affairs Parshottam Rupala MoS-Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ramdas Athawale MoS-Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti MoS- Ministry of Rural Development Babul Supriyo MoS- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan MoS- Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao MoS-Ministry of Human Resource Development; Ministry of Communications; Ministry of Electronics and IT Anurag Singh Thakur MoS- Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Corporate Affairs Angadi Suresh Channabasappa MoS-Ministry of Railways Nityanand Rai MoS-Ministry of Home Affairs Rattan Lal Kataria MoS-Ministry of Jal Shakti; Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment V Muraleedharan MoS- Ministry of External Affairs; Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Renuka Singh Saruta MoS-Ministry of Tribal Affairs Som Parkash MoS-Ministry of Commerce and Industry Rameswar Teli MoS-Ministry of Food Processing Industries Pratap Chandra Sarangi MoS-Ministry of MSME; Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Kailash Choudhari MoS-Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Sushri Debasree Chaudhari MoS-Ministry of Women and Child Development

Amit Shah is in-charge of Ministry of Home Affairs, while Rajnath Singh got Ministry of Defence. Nirmala Sitharaman got the Ministry of Finance. Here's the full list:
NCP president Sharad Pawar didn't attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his new team of ministers as the veteran politician was not allotted seat at the event "as per protocol", the party said.

NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik expressed disappointment over the alleged episode, saying, "It was not right" given that Pawar is a senior national leader who had served as a Union minister and also Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

On May 30, Modi was sworn-in as the Prime Minister for a second term helming a 58-member ministry. The oath-taking ceremony was held at the forecourt of majestic Rashtraparti Bhavan in New Delhi.

Malik said Pawar's office had first checked seat allotment for him at the mega event, attended by 8,000 people, including leaders from the neighbouring countries.

According to media reports, the 78-year-old Maratha strongman was allotted a seat in the fifth row.

"His office learnt he was not allotted seat for the event as per protocol. Hence, he didn't attend the event.

"Whether they did it deliberately or it happened by mistake, it wasn't right given he is a senior leader," Malik told PTI over the phone.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 30 held wide-ranging talks with Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov who was in New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government.

"Getting down to work after the oath-taking ceremony...PM @narendramodi held wide-ranging talks with President Sooronbay Jeenbekov of the Kyrgyz Republic," the prime minister's office tweeted.

The two leaders held deliberations on diversifying cooperation for the mutual benefit of citizens of both the nations, it said.
You are here: World

 Flash

President of India Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Narendra Modi as the country's prime minister on Thursday.

This is Modi's second consecutive term as the country's premier.

The swearing-in ceremony of Modi and his new Council of Ministers is being held at the forecourts of Rashtrapati Bhawan (President House) situated at the Raisina Hill in the Indian capital.

Modi's first term of the prime minister began in 2014.

The key highlights of the swearing-in ceremony were the inclusion of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah and former Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar in the cabinet, and the exclusion of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Health Minister J.P. Nadda in Modi's new government.

Over 45 ministers, including cabinet and junior ministers, are likely to be sworn in at the ceremony which began at 19:00 local time with Modi being the first to take the oath.

The oath-taking ceremony is expected to last around two hours.
Viju Cherian

On May 30, President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Narendra Modi, who started his second, consecutive term as Prime Minister of India. Along with Modi, 57 ministers took the oath, putting to rest the speculation as to who would make the cut and who would not.

While Modi has stuck to more or less his earlier team, the surprise entries and omissions are interesting. He has retained most of his Cabinet ministers  with a few rejigs here and there. This gives an idea that the tone and tenor, and style of functioning of the new government.

The biggest speculation was whether BJP President and Gandhinagar MP Amit Shah would be a part of Modis Cabinet  his elevation is seen as a reward to his excellent work in not only expanding the BJPs footprint across the country, but in also improving the partys Lok Sabha tally from 282 in 2014 to 303 in 2019.

Earlier, media reports speculated that Shah would be given the finance portfolio  this could have been because former finance minister Arun Jaitley has excused himself from joining the Cabinet over health reasons. However, Shah has been made the Union home minister.

If Shah joining Team Modi was anticipated, former foreign secretary S Jaishankar joining the Cabinet is also no surprise. In the three years he served as foreign secretary to Modi, Jaishankar proved to be a vital bureaucrat who played a crucial role in furthering Modis foreign policy vision. He has played an important role in India building ties with the West, strengthening relations with West Asia and reinvigorating ties with the East. Jaishankars political role also is a good example of domain experts getting lateral entry into the administration  a trend which needs more encouragement. No prizes for guessing, Jaishankar has been made the external affairs minister.

The swearing-in ceremony sent a clear message. Modi, by inviting leaders of the seven-nation BIMSTEC, has given a preview to an aspect of his foreign policy focus. If in 2014, he invited SAARC leaders and tried to improve relations with Indias neighbours, in 2019, his focus in on building ties with Indias neighbours sharing the Bay of Bengal. By turning to the east there could also be a message for Beijing that over the next five years New Delhi will be focusing in this region.

If a map of India is taken and the Modis 57 ministers are geo-tagged to the constituency they represent, it would spread across the nation. This is a reflection of the BJPs presence across India. However, the representation from the two southern-most states is intriguing. Yes, the BJP failed to win a single seat from either Kerala or Tamil Nadu, but could any of the BJP candidates from these states found place in Modis Cabinet?

The representative from Kerala is V Muraleedharan, BJPs state President and a Rajya Sabha member. One wonders why former Mizoram governor and BJP Kerala President Kummanam Rajasekharan, who gave Congress Shashi Tharoor a good fight in this election, missed the call from the PMO. After Keralas lone BJP MLA O Rajagopal, Rajasekharan is the partys tallest state leadergiving him a national role could have helped in boosting the morale of the state cadre. Muraleedharan has been appointed minister of state in the Ministry of External Affairs; and minister of state in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

There is no representative from Tamil Nadu. Though the BJP has tried to explain that Nirmala Sitaraman and Jaishankar hail from Tamil Nadu, its little comfort for the state unit or for BJPs ally All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). Even the lone AIADMK MP from the state, P Raveendranath Kumar, failed to make the cut. The intra-party politics in the AIADMK is attributed as the reason for no AIADMK representative in the Cabinet. Sitaraman, who was the defence minister in the earlier Cabinet, is now appointed finance minister.

It must be the experience over the past five years, but there is an intrigue (with a healthy mix of journalistic excitement and common mans fear) as to what will be the next step by this government. If the past five years was spent on laying the foundation to deliver the basics, such as Aadhaar, Jan Dhan, Ayushman Bharat, the next five will be to build on these.

Finally, the message in retaining most of the ministers is that the second term will see a continuation of the past five years  as is said, if it aint broke, why fix it.
Dr Harsh Vardhan

An ENT specialist turned politician, Harsh Vardhan is the only MP from Delhi to get a berth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet. Harsh Vardhan, 64, will be taking charge as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in Modi 2.0 government.

This is not the first time that Harsh Vardhan was given the charge of MoHFW. He held the portfolio in 2014 for around six months, and was later given charge of the Ministry of Earth Sciences and Ministry of Science and Technology. A sitting MP from Delhis Chandni Chowk constituency, Harsh Vardhan won in 2019 general elections with a massive lead of over three lakh votes.

Known to be Mr Clean, Harsh Vardhan was pitted against Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Admi Party (AAP) during the 2013 Assembly elections, BJP won 32 seats, emerging as single largest party but fell short of the magic figure. AAP and Congress formed a coalition government.

Harsha Vardhan, with roots in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), joined electoral politics in 1992. He was an MLA from Delhi's Krishna Nagar for five consecutive terms. He shot to fame when as Minister of Health, he launched a successful Polio Polio Eradication Programme in October 1994. That launch later became a template for the nation wide rollout.

Harsh Vardhan was also credited for the anti-tobacco legislations. He brought the Delhi Prohibition of Smoking Act and the Non-Smokers Health Protection Act as well. This later was emulated by the Central government in 2002, which banned smoking in public places and brought relief to many citizens.

Harsh Vardhan has huge responsibility. He needs to ensure the success of the ambitious Ayushman Bharat. The BJP in its manifesto said its priority is to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure of patients.

Prakash Javadekar

Prakash Keshav Javadekar, 68, considered to be BJP's best spokesperson and troubleshooter, will once again be a key member of Modi 2.0 government.

Javadekar who served as the Minister of Human Resources Development in the Modi's previous cabinet, has now been appointed as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

As I&B minister, Javadekar will be expected to play an important role in taking forward the Modi government's agenda to the masses. Aside from having a good rapport with journalists as the spokesperson for the BJP, he is considered to be suitable person for the job as it entails a lot of liasoning between the government and the media. Javadekar elevation as HRD minister was itself to contain the unrest in university campuses.

A member of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, Javadekar was active in student politics as member of RSS student union affiliate Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He was jailed during the Emergency days.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has been appointed as the Minister of Minority Affairs in Narendra Modi's second term as India's prime minister.

Naqvi, who held the same portfolio in the previous government, has been a two-time Rajya Sabha member. The 61-year-old minister fought his first election in 1980 as a Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from Allahabad West and lost. Almost 18 years after his election debut, he won from the Rampur constituency of Uttar Pradesh from a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket.



Thanks to PM Shri @narendramodi Ji and @BJP4India president Shri @AmitShah Ji for giving me opportunity to serve my country and its people. I will try my best to strengthen the commitment of Shri Modi Ji towards Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas. #ModiSwearingIn pic.twitter.com/KV6h1cEvpV

 Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (@naqvimukhtar) May 31, 2019

Naqvi had an early brush with politics when he was jailed at the age of 17 years for his political activism during the Emergency in 1975.

In the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, Naqvi was the Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

In the Modi 1.0 government, Naqvi was appointed as the Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs. However, he was later given independent charge of the minority affairs ministry in July 2016 after Najma Heptulla resigned.

Under Modi 1.0, Naqvi is credited with carrying out several reforms in the policies related to the holy pilgrimage of Haj. He had done away with Haj subsidy and also enabled women to go on Haj without a male companion.

Being the lone Muslim face in the Modi government, Naqvi has stated that his endeavour will be further the vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas'.

Naqvi is also a writer and has penned three books.

He is an arts graduate and also holds a post-graduate diploma in media and communication.
Nirmala Sitharaman, the country's new finance minister under Narendra Modi's government, is a Masters in Economics from Jawaharlal Lal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi.

Born to a traditional Tamil Brahmin family, Sitharaman had her early exposure to politics on the JNU campus. She had then campaigned for a friend who was part of a group called Free Thinkers Society. That election had seen a defeat of the SFI, a strong students' union on campus.

She later moved to London with her husband Prabhakar Parakala, also a JNU fellow. While a lot of people may know that she worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, a lesser-known fact is that she was also a salesgirl at a home decor store in London.

After she returned to India in 1991, Sitharaman spent her early days setting up an alternate education school in Hyderabad.

At a later stage, Sitharaman met BJP veteran Sushma Swaraj and was inducted into the National Commission for Women from 2003-05. Once she formally joined the BJP in 2006, Sitharaman was made part of the National Executive Council and later appointed as the party's national spokesperson.

While she was initially the commerce minister under Modi's first tenure in 2014, she later became the country's first full-time woman defence minister.

She became the face and voice of the Indias anti-terror operations after the dastardly attack on CRPF jawans in Pulwama in February 2019. She oversaw the Indian Air Forces strike on terror camps deep inside Pakistani territory in Balakot days after the Pulwama attack.

While Sitharaman did not contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2019, she is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka since 2016.
Rajnath Singh has been appointed Indias Defence Minister in Modi government 2.0. He held the post of Home Minister in the previous Modi Cabinet.

He has held several important Cabinet portfolios in the past, including Agriculture and Surface Transport and Highways in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

During his tenure as the Union Agriculture Minister, he initiated a few landmark projects such as Kisan Call Centre and Farm Income Insurance Scheme.

He has also served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) twice from 2005 to 2009 and 2013 to 2014. He was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2000 to 2002.

Born to a family of farmers in UP, Singh secured a master's degree in physics, with first division, from Gorakhpur University. He began his career as a physics lecturer before joining the Janata Party. He had been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since the age of 13 (1964).
With the conclusion of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the mandate of a majority of the people was clear. Over 60 percent of the 90 crore eligible voters exercised their right to franchise.

However, there was a minuscule percentage of people who werent convinced with any of the candidates contesting from their constituencies and decided to press the NOTA (None Of The Above) button.

Most sceptics of NOTA believe that it is an ineffective tool as, in India, NOTA does not give its citizens the right to reject. That is to say, that the candidate with the maximum number of votes wins the election irrespective of the number of NOTA votes polled.

Yet, the NOTA vote is known to make a difference, especially in places where the victory margin is small. Despite cynicism against NOTA and a consistently small percentage of voters casting the NOTA vote, it has managed to canvass an alternative narrative in many constituencies.

This year, the most NOTA votes were pulled in the state of West Bengal at 5.64 lakh votes. This was followed by Maharashtra (4.88 lakh) and Andhra Pradesh with 4.69 lakh votes, which was more than both the BJP and the Congress. This implies, had the NOTA votes gone to either of the national party, their vote share would have increased significantly.

In Gujarat, over 4 lakh votes were pulled in favour of NOTA, more than the combined vote share of the BSP, the NCP and the CPI.

In fact, in many states, the number of votes pulled by NOTA were more than the Communist Party of India. These include Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The least number of NOTA votes were pulled in Delhi at over 45,000 votes. Delhi is known to vote its party with a certain single-mindedness and that party generally ends up forming the government.
Ravi Shankar Prasad

Ravi Shankar Prasad, 64, will continue as Minister of Law and Information Technology in Modi 2.0 cabinet. He also gets telecom, a portfolio he commanded in the first half of the previous Modi government.

As telecom minister, he oversaw the most successful spectrum auction, which fetched the exchequer Rs 1.10 lakh crore in revenue. He was instrumental in clearing policies such as spectrum trading, spectrum sharing, spectrum liberalisation, defence band identification, virtual network operator, full mobile number portability and policy for sharing of active and passive telecom infrastructure which paved the way for massive foreign investments.

The new BJP Lok Sabha MP from Patna Sahib is credited with making governance more technology-enabled and public services more accessible. He also shepherded the Digital India and delivered on Narendra Modis Make in India programme.

Earlier, as the Minister of Communications, Prasad unhesitatingly recommended upholding the core principles of net neutrality, championing the cause to make internet access non-discriminatory and fair in India. Under his leadership, India became the second largest mobile phone producers in the world in 2019 from just two mobile factories in 2014.

As Law Minister, he piloted several landmark initiatives including the move to draft a comprehensive privacy law in India as well as the bill to ban the practice of triple talaq among Muslims. As a lawyer, since 1999, he championed the causes of eradication of corruption and civil liberty.

Prasad was the main lawyer arguing the PIL against former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam that led to the jailing of several politicians and officials, including Lalu. He is also the lawyer in the Ayodhya Ram temple title suit case representing 'Ram Lalla', the deity, in the case. He has represented former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and has appeared in several leading cases including the Narmada Bachao Andolan Case.

Prasad has held national level assignments in the youth wing and the main party organisation of the BJP over the years. He became a Member of Parliament in 2000 and Minister of State (Coal & Mines) in 2001 under the stewardship Atal Bihari Vajpayee. After taking over as Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal and Mines, Prasad had accelerated the reforms process in the mining and coal sectors.

He was born in Patna to Thakur Prasad, a senior advocate at the Patna High Court and one of the leading founders of the Jan Sangh, the predecessor of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He completed the Bachelor in Arts (Hons), MA (Political Science) and LL.B degrees from Patna University.
Motorola is planning to launch the Motorola One Vision in India in June. The company has not announced the launch date, but according to a report, the smartphone could launch in India during the first or second week of June 2019.

Moto One Vision has passed the BIS standards for certification in India, and according to 91Mobiles, the smartphone could launch before the second week of June. The report states that Motorola One Vision could launch in India around a speculated price of Rs 25,000, similar to the smartphones pricing in Saudi Arabia and Thailand.

To recall, Motorola One Vision was first launched in Brazil, followed by some other international markets. Motorola had announced that the company would make Motorola One Vision available in limited markets. The smartphone features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with a punch-hole on the left. It comes with a resolution of 1080 * 2340 pixels and a 21:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the mid-range smartphone gets a 10nm 2.2.GHz Exynos 9609 SoC and Mali G72 GPU for graphics. The Octa-core chipset is paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, which is further expandable up to 512GB via microSD.

In terms of camera, Motorola One Vision gets a dual camera setup with a 48MP f/1.7 primary sensor and a 5MP f/2.2 secondary camera. For power backup, the device packs a 3,500 mAh battery which also supports TurboCharge fast charging tech via USB Type-C. It runs on stock Android 9.0 out of the box.

Motorola has launched its latest Moto G7 smartphone series in India . The smartphone lineup is aimed at the budget-smartphone category, but when you compare the specifications, it does not offer a good value for money.
Sarangi (Centre) at BJP party office in New Delhi (Image: Twitter/ Pratap Sarangi)

Pratap Chandra Sarangi, a parliamentarian from Odisha, was sworn-in as Minister of State in PM Modis cabinet yesterday. But Odishas Modi, as he is popularly known, is known more for his humility and austerity than for his political achievements.

The first time MP from Balasore, Odisha came to light recently when his photo surfaced on Twitter. The picture, taken before he was leaving for the oath-taking ceremony in Delhi, had him carrying a simple jhola bag, standing in front of his modest thatch-roofed house, donning a kurta-pyjama with unkempt hair and a long beard.

He was also trending on Twitter yesterday, during the swearing-in ceremony. When the 64-year-old frail parliamentarian mounted the stage on Thursday, he was reportedly met with thunderous applause in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Sarangi defeated Rabindra Kumar Jena, the sitting MP and one of the richest candidates of Biju Janata Dal by a margin of over 12,000 votes. Keeping the modesty quotient alive, he rallied around in an autorickshaw during his campaign. This did not come as a surprise, especially to the residents of Balasore, who are well-aware of his austere ways of living.

Sarangi had lost the 2014 elections he had fought on a BJP ticket as well. He had however won in the 2009 Odisha Assembly election which he fought as an independent candidate, despite getting a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. The decision to fight independent was not made on purpose. Sarangi had simply lost his party ticket while travelling in a public transport vehicle.

His desire to trade all worldly pleasures stems from his early days, when he approached the Ramakrishna Math in West Bengal with the intention of being a monk, right after his graduation. But after finding about his widowed mother, they turned him down and urged him to indulge in social social service instead. Sarangi declared moveable assets worth Rs 1.5 lakh and immovable assets worth Rs 15 lakh in his poll affidavit.

However, while Sarangi has opened many Samrkara Kendras in tribal villages and reportedly spends a large part of his MLA pension fund to educate children, he has seven criminal cases registered against him.

A former president of Bajrang Dals Odisha unit, he was also a senior member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. He had been active in peoples movements, including the anti-liquor movements.

Throughout the 2019 campaign trail, an enthusiastic cadre rallied around with him in his door-to-door campaign, talking about Odisha's chit fund corruption case and PM Modis development agenda, among other major issues.

Sarangi has been given the responsibility of Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in Modi 2.0.
Millions of lives all over the world have been saved by the innovation of Indian generic pharma companies. With a majority of pills consumed around the globe being manufactured in India, global healthcare depends on Indian pharma manufacturers for its very existence. As a result, India is widely regarded as the pharmacy of the world. Companies like Cipla revolutionised global healthcare by ensuring that everyone, not just the rich, have access to medicines. Fire in the Blood, a movie by Dylan Mohan Gray, documents the story of how Cipla innovated to ensure that HIV AIDS can be successfully combated all over the world, starting with in the developing world and now globally. In the book, Dr RA Mashelkar describes this as Gandhian Innovationfrugal in cost but efficient and progressive.

The book describes that development of the regulatory framework of USFDA (US Food and Drug Administration) over the past century and the various tragic events that resulted in the USFDA gaining more and more authority to regulate medicines to ensure that they worked to cure patients. However, it was the HatchWaxman Act that opened the floodgates for generic competition to branded drugs in the United States. As a result, generic drugs are often 90% cheaper than the patented branded drugs in the United States and now account for about 90% of drug sales (by volume). When US doctors prescribing generic drugs realised that they were not seeing patients respond to treatment in the same way as they did to branded (i.e., patented) drugs, they and patient advocacy groups realised that something was wrong, but the USFDA assured them that generic drugs were chemically the same as branded drugs. This explanation did not make sense to them and was the cue for the author to investigate the generic pharma industry. The book describes that development of the regulatory framework of USFDA (US Food and Drug Administration) over the past century and the various tragic events that resulted in the USFDA gaining more and more authority to regulate medicines to ensure that they worked to cure patients. However, it was the HatchWaxman Act that opened the floodgates for generic competition to branded drugs in the United States. As a result, generic drugs are often 90% cheaper than the patented branded drugs in the United States and now account for about 90% of drug sales (by volume). When US doctors prescribing generic drugs realised that they were not seeing patients respond to treatment in the same way as they did to branded (i.e., patented) drugs, they and patient advocacy groups realised that something was wrong, but the USFDA assured them that generic drugs were chemically the same as branded drugs. This explanation did not make sense to them and was the cue for the author to investigate the generic pharma industry.

Katherine Eban (Bottle of Lies; Harper Collins; Rs1,500) investigates the rise and growth of generics, especially the dominance of Indian and Chinese generic pharma companies and finds some bitter truths. She find a culture of jugaad with not even a remote connection to anything either Gandhian or innovative. Her extensive research, review of regulatory materials from the USFDA and interviews with FDA inspectors, regulators, doctors and employees of pharma companies paints a scary picture for all of us. She describes the terrible conditions in many factories which manufacture our medicines, the poor employee training, lack of quality standards and worst of all, the reckless attitude of pharma companies towards patient safety. There are several examples of dirty manufacturing plants with insects, birds, vermin and even a monkey living there, poor employee hygiene, unsafe manufacturing and quality control practices, unacceptable storage conditions and falsification of dataall pointing to a massive concerted cover up at the highest levels of pharma companiesto try to hide all these from drug regulators. She describes, in vivid detail, almost like a movie script, the various eventscorporate meetings where major issues were highlighted and cover-ups planned, FDA inspectors experiences of visiting Indian factories, the working of the USFDA and at the heart of it all, the life of Dinesh Thakur, the most famous whistleblower whose testimony and evidence led to the eventual demise of Ranbaxy and the highlighting of the underbelly of Indian pharma companies.

If the story is about the USFDA and generic drugs in the United States, why should this bother Indians? The story of manufacturing for India and other 'third world' markets is even more shocking, if that is possible. The quality of raw materials used, the manufacturing processes and lower standards, and the resulting drugs for the Indian and third world markets are even worse than those for the US markets. Doctors in India and Africa are sceptical about unbranded generic drugs in the same way as the doctors in the United States are and now we know why! 'Export quality' still retains its significanceit is reverse racism and it is shameful! If the USFDA is described as 'weak kneed, incompetent and corrupt', there are not enough words to describe the state of the Indian regulator. There are several instances of powerful executives in large pharma companies being able to ignore with impunity the little regulation that there is in India and even take pride in being able to get away with it.

Over the past few decades, as Indian pharma companies have risen up the value chain, they have been importing raw materials that they were previously manufacturing, from China. As the author investigates these suppliers, she finds that the situation in China is much worse than in India! This should worry us too for two reasons: however good the manufacturing process, it cannot make good products with poor quality raw materials and the Indian pharma industry is entirely dependent on China for its raw materials. Although the government is aware of this issue, very little has been done to address it. One only has to travel to the pharma clusters like Dahej, Ankleshwar, Baddi and Pitampur to get a sense of what the rust belt would have looked like in the United States. Poor infrastructure and the lack of civic amenities is shocking. One really cant expect a global business to be able to function in this environment which forces the culture of jugaad which is anathema to GMP (good manufacturing practices), the foundation of drug regulation.

Indian pharma companies are essential to global healthcare but, unless they address all the issues that the book identifies, there is a real risk to lives around the world. At the heart of it is the corporate culture of non-compliance, built on unquestionable hierarchy and personalities rather than strict rules that are non-negotiable. If India is to play a major role in world affairs and be relevant in this millennium, healthcare is a great opportunity  its an opportunity that has been developed over the past three decades but could easily be its greatest weakness if it does not honestly face up to its issues. It is in the interest of all stakeholders to do this but will they? Will the government wake up and do more than issue meaningless policy statements? Is there is a strategy for India to be relevant in global affairs and does it include healthcare? These are some questions for the new government and the timing of the book couldnt be better.
 Flash

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan paid a visit to the Netherlands from Tuesday to Thursday, pledging to cement bilateral ties and achieve common development.

During his stay in the Hague, Wang met with Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Mark Rutte separately.

Wang conveyed best regards from Chinese President Xi Jinping to King Willem-Alexander, saying the China-Netherlands relations have seen a rapid growth in recent years in the spirit of mutual respect and seeking common ground while putting aside differences.

The facts prove that the two countries could achieve common development and prosperity despite their different social systems, cultures and development stages, said Wang.

China welcomes the Netherlands to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said Wang, hoping the Dutch side to create a fair, non-discriminatory and transparent business environment for the Chinese investors.

Stressing the historical trend of economic globalization, Wang said China has always insisted on mutual benefit and win-win cooperation based on consultations on equal footing in a bid to build a community with shared future for mankind.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander said the Netherlands values relations with China, and expressed his satisfaction with recent development of bilateral ties.

China's development is very important to world peace and prosperity, said King Willem-Alexander, calling on every country to strive to solve their own problems and join hands to tackle common challenges facing the world.

While meeting with Rutte on Wednesday, Wang said his visit to the Netherlands aims to enhance communication and mutual trust and implement consensus reached by leaders of the two countries during their mutual visits.

The two countries have taken on a path featuring win-win cooperation of a high level, which is demonstrated by frequent high-level exchanges, fruitful cooperation outcomes and rising people-to-people exchanges, said Wang.

Wang urged the two sides to enhance bilateral trade, facilitate investment and deepen cooperation in financial and innovative sectors.

China supports the European integration, said Wang, adding that China will work with the European side to safeguard and uphold the free trade principles and jointly build an open world economy.

Rutte, for his part, said the Netherlands and China are important cooperative partners, and the Belt and Road Initiative is highly consistent with the EU Strategy on Connecting Europe and Asia.

The Dutch side is ready to strengthen cooperation with China in such fields as technological innovation, green finance, climate change and clean energy,and jointly explore the third-party market, said Rutte.

The prime minister said the Netherlands appreciates China's stance on the climate change issue, expressing hope to jointly safeguard rules-based multilateral trade system.

The Netherlands is Wang's second stop of his Asia-Europe tour, which will also take him to Germany. Wang has visited Pakistan starting from May 26.
Infiniti  a car brand my wife loathes  is moving back to Japan. Yokohama to be specific.

They were one of the very few car companies to have a HQ in Hong Kong. I guess being closer to plants in China has some advantages.

But the goal, for now at least, is no longer volume.

Infiniti, like most others, is pursuing their electric vehicle (EV) and autonomous driving dreams. And that requires relocating to be closer to their parent Nissan.

The move will bring us closer to our parent company so that we can better realise synergies, especially as we electrify our portfolio. It is increasingly important to be closer to design, R&D and manufacturing as our product development evolves in the age of electrification and autonomy, Infiniti communication general manager, Trevor Hale said.

Find out why this hated resource could rise from the dead in 2019 (free report)

Yet what good will that do if China locks up future technologies by hoarding their rocks?

[Check out our latest weekly video. In it I talk about the huge technological shift taking place in manufacturing and how that could completely change trade dynamics. To watch, click the picture below]

Rare, but everywhere

Rocksthe future of technology

Lets back up a bit.

Have you heard about rare earths?

Theyre 17 elements which are found all over the world.

One of these 17, cerium, is actually more common in the Earths crust than copper. The other 16, besides promethium, are also more common than silver, gold and platinum.

Yet while they might be plentiful, traces of these rocks are very hard to come by in large concentrationshence the name.

Whats interesting about these rocks is their utility.

We use samarium in lasers, magnets and nuclear reactor rods. Scandium goes into alloys for aerospace and radioactive tracers. Even the device in your pocket is chock-full of these rocks.

Dysprosium, gadolinium, praseodymium and neodymium are all elements that go into your smartphone to make it work.

Source: Bloomberg

[Click to open new window]

A lot of these are also crucial elements in making those EVs Infiniti wants so bad. And guess who controls the supply?

Source: Bloomberg

[Click to open new window]

Its almost no contest.

And the rare earths that are dug up outside of China usually find their way there for processing anyway. Reported by BBC News:

In the refining of rare earth ores, China is even more dominant. Last year, almost 90% of all the processing into usable oxides was done in China. An Australian company operating in Malaysia produces almost all the rest. Over the past five years, Chinas exports of rare earth oxides have almost doubled, according to official Chinese statistics.

Now, I doubt China would hoard rare earths to impede Infinitis EV ambitions. But they might try it on the US

A new weapon for war

Youve likely seen me say this before.

The US has the upper hand in this war. They have US dollars. And theyre restricting Chinas supply of them through tariffs.

China needs dollars. They need them to prop up their yuan to keep it from devaluating and create more money within their financial system.

But has China now got their weapon in this wara couple of special rocks?

About 80% of the tech rocks the US imports for military equipment and consumer electronics comes from China.

Think theyre not going to use this as leverage against the US?

From the South China Morning Post:

While China has so far not explicitly said it would restrict rare earths sales to the US, Chinese media has strongly implied this will happen. In a commentary headlined United States, dont underestimate Chinas ability to strike back, the official Peoples Daily noted the United States uncomfortable dependence on rare earths from China. Will rare earths become a counter weapon for China to hit back against the pressure the United States has put on for no reason at all? The answer is no mystery, it said.

It wouldnt be the first time either. Back in 2010, China and Japan got into a maritime dispute, which ended in China blocking rare earth exports to tech savvy Japan.

It took the US and the whole World Trade Organisation (WTO) to lift the ban and force China to supply the crucial resources.

But say China does it againI doubt prompting from the US or the WTO makes them lift bans or increase rare earth exports.

So its in everyones best interests to find new rare earth projects outside of China.

Source: Bloomberg

[Click to open new window]

Australias new resource play

My friends Sam Volkering and Ryan Clarkson-Ledward over at the Australian Small-Cap Investigator advisory service were all over this months ago. They saw the rare earth market and its dangerous level of concentration.

Its why they jumped onto the ASX to find new rare earth projects. Projects that were in our very backyard, with the potential to supply the US, Japan and anyone else fed up with China.

We are the second biggest producer of rare earth, after all.

Lynas Corporation Ltd [ASX:LYC] happens to be the largest outside of China. And it wasnt all that long ago that retail giant, Wesfarmers Ltd [ASX:WES] tried to acquire the far smaller minerals producer.

Lynas has rallied further since, up 79% year-to-date. Many other rare earth producers have done the same on fears of restricted supply will lead to higher prices.

It could be a terrible situation for rare earth end users, Infiniti and the US military included.

But it could be wondrous for Aussie rare earth producers.

Your friend,

Harje Ronngard,

Editor, Money Morning

PS: Free investor report reveals how to get started investing in lithium. Download now to find out more.
They probably made one of the bigger sacrifices of any city just because of where they ended up on the map, he said.

The cultural and historical aspect of the trip is another important factor that students will be a part of.

"Traveling is so important right now more than any other time in society to learn different cultures and diffferent views on life," Higdon said. "Many of these kids have never left the country and they are going to see that not everybody does things like we do and that is one of the best learning experiences."

Luke Duckworth, a senior at Patton, as previously reported in The News Herald, was selected to give a speech at the 75th D-Day Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony at the American Cemetary on Omaha Beach in front of thousands of people.

"He is a fine, young man," Higdon said. "He is going to be talking about his experience and what D-Day means to him and it is a really neat perspective from a student that didn't really experience that in real time."

Kayanne Voeltz, a senior at EBHS, will be experiencing France for the first time and is looking forward to seeing the French culture coming together to commemorate the anniversary of D-Day.
RALEIGH  A bill to add two trails to North Carolinas state trails system has passed both houses of the N.C. General Assembly and been presented to Gov. Roy Cooper for approval.

House Bill 532, introduced by Reps. Hugh Blackwell (R-86), Mitchell Setzer (R-89), Chuck McGrady (R-117) and Josh Dobson (R-85), authorizes the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to add both the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (a federal trail that runs through Morganton) and a new Wilderness Gateway Trail to the states trails system.

Blackwell told The News Herald in April that Wilderness Gateway would be a new trail with an undetermined route, but that he wanted it to provide more access to South Mountains State Park for those traveling on Interstate 40. Blackwell said at that time Wilderness Gate likely would travel along either the Henry Fork River or Jacobs Fork River into Catawba County, and go west toward Henderson and Rutherford counties. Blackwell also said he would like the trail to connect areas north of I-40 to the park and that the trail also would give Catawba County access to South Mountains State Park.
Two people were transported to a local hospital after a two-car wreck in Morganton Thursday afternoon.

A man and a woman, who have not been named by police, were transported to Carolinas HealthCare System Blue Ridge with non-life threatening injuries, said Capt. Brad Browning with Burke EMS.

Around 4:30 p.m., a green Toyota Prius was pulling out of the Ingles Market parking lot and hit a silver Jeep that was driving west on Carbon City Road, said Mike Gates, a public safety officer with Morganton Department of Public Safety.

First responders with MDPS and Burke County Rescue Squad had to cut the doors and roof of the Prius to get the man out of the car due to the damage, Gates said.

The doors would not open on the Prius due to the extent of the damage, rescuers said.

They had to remove the roof, so they could make room to where they could get the doors off, Gates said.

The female driving the silver Jeep seemed to have bumps and bruises, but appeared to be okay, Gates said.

Responding agencies, along with MDPS, were Burke County Rescue Squad and Burke County EMS.
 Flash



Chinese President Xi Jinping and Malaysian King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on Friday exchanged congratulations on the 45th anniversary of their countries' diplomatic relations.

China and Malaysia are friendly neighbors and important cooperation partners, said Xi in a congratulatory message.

Over the past 45 years, bilateral relations have been constantly strengthened and their practical cooperation has reaped bumper harvests, which has brought concrete benefits to the two peoples and made positive contributions to regional stability and development, Xi said.

Currently, both China and Malaysia are at a very important stage of development, and their cooperation enjoys broad prospects, said Xi.

"I attach great importance to China-Malaysia relations," he said, voicing hope that the two sides will take the joint construction of the Belt and Road as an opportunity to better synergize their development strategies so as to to further enrich their comprehensive strategic partnership and add fresh impetus to the regional development.

In his message, Sultan Abdullah said the Malaysian side is pleased to see that bilateral relations have been bearing fruits and the friendship between the two peoples has been deepening over the past 45 years.

Malaysia earnestly hopes that bilateral relations will continue to advance so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples, he said.

Also on Friday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Mohamad, also exchanged congratulations.

In his message, Li said China would like to work with the Malaysian side and seize the opportunity of the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic relations to push for greater progress in their comprehensive strategic partnership and score more achievements in bilateral practical cooperation in various fields, so as to bring benefits to the two countries and peoples.

Lauding China's sustainable growth and peaceful development, Mahathir said China-Malaysia relations are close and friendly and Malaysia hopes to continuously expand cooperation with China.

China and Malaysia established diplomatic relations on May 31, 1974.
Market-cap-weighted strategies may lead to a portfolio that overweights the most expensive areas of the market. This is because a stock's weighting in a market-cap-weighted portfolio moves with its share price, and its weighting increases (and decreases) with its price. Fundamental index funds like WisdomTree US SmallCap Dividend ETF (DES) strive to circumvent this potential issue by severing the link between a stock's portfolio weighting and its price.

DES is a compelling option for exposure to U.S. small-cap dividend-paying stocks. This strategy weights its holdings by their expected dividend payment, which allows it to target dividend payers without loading up on the riskiest dividend payers. The funds low fee adds to its allure in the category and supports its Morningstar Analyst Rating of Bronze.
Starting Well

A couple of months back, Neuberger Berman issued a white paper, The Overlooked Persistence of Active Outperformance (Joseph Amato, Peter DOnofrio, Alessandra Rago), that advocated active equity management. I was surprised and impressed. Surprised that a mutual fund company would hazard such a feat, in this day and age, but also impressed by its bravery.



However, I cannot score the effort a success.
Metro Vancouvers urban enclaves  expansive developments that feature a diverse selection of asset classes  are attracting significant investment volumes, according to a new analysis by Avison Young.

This is especially apparent in the large mixed-use developments situated near existing public transport routes. Capital is drawn in by the wide-ranging opportunities across multiple property types, along with various community amenities.

As land prices have risen and the availability of development sites declined, investor interest has grown exponentially in the redevelopment of typical low-rise shopping centres and the adjacent surface parking lots that form a substantial part of most traditional car-centred regional malls, Avison Young stated.
The trend is significantly amplified in Vancouver, as only those who earn in the top 1% (incomes of $240,000 and above) can buy a residence at the benchmark price of $1,441,000.

Hamiltons average house price is at $630,000, the purchase of which will require an income of $120,000 and greater.

Some respite can be found in other regions, thankfully. In both Montreal (average home price of $375,000) and Edmonton (average of $372,100), would-be buyers need incomes of at least $80,000.

In early May, a survey by Genworth Canada (in collaboration with Royal LePage) found that affordability continues to be foremost in the minds of the nations young people. Nearly six out of 10 (57%) of Canadas first-time home buyers confessed being afraid of not getting their desired homes because of insufficient down payments.

The ratio was even higher in Toronto, with 68% of respondents in that market voicing out a fear of missing out due to such issues. Anxiety also prevailed among Montreals (60% of hopeful buyers) and Vancouvers (58%) millennials.
In a special session Friday, Midland County Commissioners heard close friends of Sheriff Gary Painter tell the court who they believed Painter would have wanted to be his successor.

Painter passed away unexpectedly, after he was found unresponsive in his home Sunday morning. He was 72.

There were two candidates under consideration to become acting sheriff -- Chief Deputy Rory McKinney and David Criner, Midland County constable for Precinct 1.

The court was divided over the two candidates, with motions that were presented for both failing in 2-3 votes.

Most who spoke before the court Friday said that McKinney, who served under Painter for 33 years, would be the natural choice to replace the longtime sheriff.

RELATED: Sheriff Painter is laid to rest

I believe the whole state of Texas and beyond is going to be watching what happens today, said Colleen Bailey, who said she was friends with Painter for many years.

She added that the whole state of Texas will think you are undermining him if the commissioners didnt choose McKinney, who Painter appointed as chief deputy.

Ultimately, the commissioners ended the session without appointing an acting sheriff.

McKinney will now take on the duties of the sheriff, county attorney Russell Malm told the court, but he will not receive the title of temporary or acting sheriff. Painter would have been up for re-election next year, so there will be no special election either, Malm said.

Commissioner Randy Prude of Precinct 4 voted against motions for both McKinney and Criner.

Prude told the court he was friends with both men and choosing between them would be like choosing which child to do the most for.

County Judge Terry Johnson and Commissioner Luis Sanchez voted for McKinney; Commissioners Scott Ramsey and Robert Donnelly voted for Criner.

There was confusion in the court when the commissioners closed the session without taking action and audible frustration from those in the audience when it became clear no one would become acting sheriff.

Youre giving the man [McKinney] the authority to do it, someone yelled out. But youre not appointing him the sheriff, and thats not right.
ODESSA -- Conservatism was on display Thursday night at Odessa Country Club.

Congressman Dan Crenshaw made the trip out to the Permian Basin to talk about what conservatives should fight for and the message to pass on to the younger generation.

The Houston Republican is known for his interaction with Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson and his capable defense of conservatism. In a short time, he has emerged as one of the stars on the political right. His comments at the Odessa Country Club during the Ector County Republican Womens event didnt disappoint in that respect.

The former Navy SEAL told those in attendance there are real differences between conservatism and socialism/liberalism. Conservatism, he said, is a framework to solve problems, while the other end of the political spectrum is not a coherent strategy. Crenshaw said that every well-intentioned liberal notion leads to socialism and then totalitarianism and that the more that is promised by liberals, the more government is needed to get those things. Ultimately, a benevolent dictator is required to get people the things promised.

The liberal strategy, he said, is activism, and activism is no place for government.

That leads to AOC (New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), Crenshaw said. You dont want that.

He said the difference between the two sides is as easy as asking: Does it do good or feel good? Is it more liberty or less liberty? Are we taking away something, so we can give to someone else?

Dependency on government is something people should want for those they hate, Crenshaw said, while the quality of opportunity is what conservatives strive for.

The federal government cant solve everything, Crenshaw said, and it is bewildering that liberals would think otherwise. He also talked about five areas that help define conservatism:

--Power comes from the people, not government, and government exists to protect unalienable rights.

--There are times local control supersedes federalism. What makes sense in Midland is different than the preference in San Francisco, he said, and that is a reason one-size-fits-all solutions dont work.

--Conservatism addresses morality as it comes from God and a Judeo-Christian history. Liberals are held captive by what society says must happen in the moment, he said.

--Conservatives are loyal to the nation. He said, as an example, he wants border security, not because immigrants are bad but because Americans have a right to manage who comes in and out of the country. Democrats, he said, dont want to believe there is a problem or blame America for the problem.

--Conservatives look into the problem and ask whether the federal government is the entity to solve that problem. Liberals will assume the problem is systemic and can only be solved at the federal level.

Crenshaw didnt mince words about where he believes the left wants to take the country -- effectively promising power over other groups and caring only about making promises and winning votes.

He said it is the young people he worries about, because promises of revolution are seductive to the next generation. He said ultimately, a defense of conservatism is required to bring young people into the fold. He said 100 percent of his focus is on young people, those he said whose biggest complaint is why the internet is not working while theyre in an airplane at 30,000 feet.

What an insane time to live in, Crenshaw said, joking.

He said those unhappy and ungrateful people have not been taught the cultural principles that he said got our society to the point of technological advancements in the first place.

It was conservatism that brought that miracle, not socialism, not liberalism, he said.

Crenshaw ended by talking about the cultural attributes that keep the republic alive. They are personality responsibility, being mentally tough, patriotism, virtue from God and liberty.

We stand for the only system of government that is sustainable, Crenshaw said. Go out and fight for that miracle.
Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) recently spoke about the risks of using foreign 5G equipment and the need to protect our internal telecommunications networks against foreign espionage and interference.

Feinstein was Fridays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are her words:

What we see is a transition to fifth generation wireless technology, and thats 5G. And what Im told is that its going to fundamentally change our society, our economy, and our national security, so we all need to be concerned.

Im told its expected to provide exponential increases in speed, capacity and reliability of internet-connected devices. That will include a variety of revolutionary technologies from new methods of transmitting data; to new, advanced cell tower infrastructure and an untold number of new smart devices.

Im told 5G is expected to provide not only 20 times faster network performance, but also generate $12.3 trillion in global sales activity by 2035. Im told its going to create millions of new jobs, and launch entirely new industries

However, 5G also represents serious consequences for our national security. So, I think its very critical to understand and explore those issues as well. All of this is the purpose of todays hearing.

I thought FBI Director Wray said it well when he said this: [foreign] 5G technology provides the capacity to exert pressure or control over our telecommunications infrastructure. It provides capacity to maliciously modify or steal information. And it provides capacity to conduct undetected espionage. Undetected espionage.

Because of its economic and security implications, the race to 5G has elicited fierce competition among companies and governments around the world.

5G is a national, strategic priority of China. The Chinese government has invested more than $400 billion in development. It has supported Chinese industry efforts in international standard setting bodies. It has allocated domestic spectrum for 5G. It has supported deployment of over 350,000 5G stations in China  which is nearly 10 times as many as are deployed in the United States.

Huawei alone has grown its global revenue from $28 billion in 2009, to $107 billion in 2018. One year ago, Huawei held 28 percent of the global telecommunications market, up four percent from 2015 alone. Today, 59 percent of all handsets sold in India are Chinese made.

However, the root of our concerns with Chinese companies like Huawei is not their growth, but requirements placed on them by the Chinese government.

According to a recent letter from Admirals Stavridis, Breedlove, Locklear, Keating, General Clapper, and General Alexander, Chinas 2017 intelligence law requires all Chinese companies to support, assist, and cooperate with the security services of Chinas one-party state. The letter further states, The Chinese cyber security law and other national strategies like Military-Civil Fusion mean that nothing Chinese firms do can be independent of the state. Firms must support the law enforcement, intelligence and national security interests of the Chinese Communist Party  a system fundamentally antithetical to the privacy and security of Chinese citizens and all those using Chinese networks overseas.

So, exactly what does that mean? I think thats a crucial question in this because this is so big. Ive visited China for 40 years. Assuming the interpretation of this law is correct, I find this deeply troubling and I think every nation ought to think long and hard about the consequences of opening their internal telecommunications networks to this kind of data extraction and potential espionage. So we need to lead, but with caution.

As a member of the Intelligence Committee for a long time nowand other members of this committee join me in thatI really view, Mr. Chairman, this hearing as just a beginning. This is revolutionary and we must note well all its aspects.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Culvert to be replaced on HWY 108 View Photos

Tuolumne County, CA  Next week, Caltrans is set to begin a project that will smooth the current bumpy ride on a section of Highway 108.

The six-month, $731,000 culvert replacement project will begin on Monday with funding coming from the approved SB 1 Road Repair and Accountability Act, or 12 cent a gallon gas tax. In all, four culverts will be replaced, one near Donnell Lake and three others by the Tuolumne/Mono County line.

The new culverts keep water and debris away from the highway while minimizing flooding, according to Caltrans spokesperson Rick Estrada. He adds, The new culverts that we put in, theyll be of a stronger material. Theyll also improve the service life of the roadway. The main thing is they will allow us to get water from one side of the highway to the other in a more sufficient fashion.

The improvements are also expected to make for a more comfortable trip for travelers. Nearly 3,100 motorists, including nearly 100 commercial trucks carrying supplies, travel this stretch of the highway daily, according to Caltrans figures.

Highway 108 is a popular route for spring and summer travelers who want to explore the mountains, said Caltrans Director Laurie Berman. By supporting tourism, we strengthen Californias economy as well as the quality of life in many small towns and communities.

The project has been awarded to ELLA of Alamo, California. The project is expected to be completed in December. The daily work schedule will be Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but Fridays shift will end at 3 p.m. to clear the road for weekend travel. Motorist can expect up to 15 minute delays.
Joshua Harris/Courtesy Photo

An ethanol leak caused by an 18-wheeler that rolled over caused road blocks near the intersection of W. Fifth Street and Columbia Street as crews worked to clean up the mess on Tuesday morning.

The call about the spill was reported at 2:17 a.m. Tuesday, according to a spokesman for the Plainview Police Department.
Courtesy photo

The Plainview Elks' Lodge 1175 recently presented three local high school graduates with $400 scholarships.

Receiving the scholarships were Sarah Grace Shaw who will go to Baylor University to study political science and journalism; Elizabeth Terry who will enroll in the Nursing Program at West Texas A&M University and Kayla Soto, who will attend South Plains College and major in Criminal Justice and Psychology.
The city of Plainview is one step closer to becoming a Film Friendly Certified Community.

During its city council meeting Tuesday night, an ordinance amending the Film Production Guidelines and Permits was approved.

Main Street Manager Melinda Brown told the council the ordinance is part of the process for the certification. The ordinance added clearer language and set requirements, guidelines and fees for those who might shoot films or commercials within the city limits.

Besides the ordinance, city staff have participated in workshops and are submitting photos of potential shooting locations around town, Brown said.

Currently, only six communities north of I-20 have this certification and the certification has enormous potential economic development benefits.

The council also approved an agreement between the city and the YMCA.

Generally, the city gives a $22,000 each year to the YMCA to run the 16th Street Pool, City Manager Jeffrey Snyder told the council.

Each year around 4,500 people visit the pool. However, since the pool is closed as the new aquatics center is under construction, the YMCA asked the city continue the agreement to help manage maintenance and other issues as community members turn to the YMCA's indoor pool.

The council then approved a resolution authorizing the submission of a Texas Community Development Block Grant Program Application.

The application is for a grant offered by the Texas Department of Agriculture for the Fire, Ambulance and Services Truck (FAST) Fund, Fire/EMS Chief Timothy Gibson told the council.

A recent change to the qualifications made Plainview eligible to apply for the grant which ranges from a minimum of $50,000 to $500,000.

Gibson told the council, if awarded, the funds would be used to purchase a new fire engine. It would likely replace Engine 4 that has become costly to repair and maintain. It's a 2000 model that has more than 150,000 miles on it.

The new truck would cost an estimated $405,000 and would be posted at Station 1.

An Interlocal Cooperation Agreement with the South Plains Association of Governments to help with the application development and administration services for the FAST Fund also approved.

The council also approved the second reading of an ordinance to bring a declaration of trust in line with the staffing structure at the city by changing the title of Personnel Specialist to Director of Human Resource.

All items were approved on a 7-0 vote. Councilmember Teressa King was absent.
It's almost summer.

Meaning there's still a few weeks left of those breezy spring days before Texas' face-melting heat waves arrive, bringing with it sweaty 'pits and an onslaught of pesky bugs.

Unfortunately for some area restaurants, the pests are already out in full force as flies, gnats and roaches made their way into several eateries this week.

Live roaches, along with roach feces on the baseboards and walls earned a Northwest Side Filipino restaurant several demerits.

LAST WEEK'S INSPECTIONS: San Antonio food employee caught 'vaping in the walk-in cooler'

Meanwhile, a health official gave an Indian restaurant a 76 after they observed "Home Depot buckets being used to store food items."

Click through the gallery above to read the other gross highlights spotted during health inspections across the Alamo City this week.

To land on this weekly list of restaurants compiled by the Express-News, an establishment must score 89 or below  or anything less than an "A"  during a random city health inspection.

Restaurants are graded on a 100-point system where "100" is a perfect score, and demerits are based upon the number of violations found during a regular food establishment inspection. There are three categories of demerits and each is assigned a demerit score between 1 and 3 points, according to the health division.

If you have questions about inspections or complaints about a food establishment, contact the Metropolitan Health District office by calling 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000. Be prepared to provide the name, location, date of incident and details of the incident.
BUDAPEST, Hungary - Prospects were slight on Thursday for finding 20 people missing from a group of South Koreans aboard a pleasure boat that capsized in the Danube River in the Hungarian capital, killing at least eight, authorities said.

The double-decker cruise boat reportedly collided with another tourist vessel near the Hungarian parliament building on Wednesday, before turning on its side and sinking in about seven seconds. The river was already flooded, with very strong currents, when a rainstorm enveloped Budapest.

"I am not inclined to say there is no hope, so I would rather say there is a minimal chance (to find more survivors)," Pal Gyorfi, a spokesman for the Hungarian national ambulance service, told state television.

"This is not just because of the water temperature, but the strong currents in the river, the vapor above the water surface, as well as the clothes worn by the people who fell in," he said, citing obstacles in reply to a question about the ongoing search for the missing.

A massive rescue effort deployed boats, divers, spotlights, and radar scanning to scour the river for several kilometers downstream from the site of the accident, which took place soon after 9 pm on Wednesday.

Seven South Koreans were rescued, seven died, 19 were missing, and one Hungarian died, said Kang Hyung-shik, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official. The seven survivors were suffering from hypothermia but stable, a Hungarian ambulance spokesman said.

Kang said the South Koreans aboard the vessel were 30 tourists and three tour guides, in addition to a crew of two Hungarians. The tourists weren't wearing life jackets.

Hungarian police on Thursday launched a criminal investigation into the accident.

In Seoul, President Moon Jae-in said South Korea would work with the Hungarian government to investigate the cause of the accident.

"What's most important is speed," Moon told an emergency meeting, at which he urged the use of all diplomatic channels to ensure speedy search and rescue operations

South Korea planned to send 33 officials to Budapest, including emergency rescuers and military specialists, presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung said, and the government would provide counseling to victims' families.

A six-year-old on board

There was a six-year-old on board, said Lee Sang-moo, an official of the South Korean travel agency that booked the group tour. But the child did not figure on the list of survivors, the agency added.

The National Ambulance Service mounted searches along a stretch of the river downstream from Budapest and was on alert along a section further south in Hungary, where all boat traffic was halted.

Television images showed the bank of the Danube closed off by police on the Pest side, across from the World Heritage site of Buda Castle.

The Danube's flooding and currents made rescue efforts extremely difficult, a rescue diver told the state broadcaster, with water temperatures ranging between 10 C and 12 C.

The boat, the Mermaid, was a 27-meter river cruise boat with a 150-horsepower engine and could hold up to 60 people, its owner, Panorama Deck Ltd, told state media.

Reuters - AFP

(China Daily 05/31/2019 page11)
This might be a good weekend to avoid the area around Interstate 10 and FM 1516 if at all possible.

The main lanes of Interstate 10 will be closed starting Friday evening in both directions while Texas Department of Transportation contractors work on building a new overpass. The westbound lanes will close starting at 7 p.m. while the eastbound ones will close at 9 p.m.

FM 1516 under the overpass project also will be closed.

TxDOT expects to reopen both roads by 9 p.m. Saturday.

On Sunday, the same area will have intermittent lane closures from about 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. while CPS Energy workers install electric lines across the highway.

Chain Electric, contractors for CPS, will be doing a rolling lane closure for about five to 15 minutes at a time, in coordination with TxDOT, according to a news release.

Michael Fisher

Usually just following the detour signs is the best policy, but if you want some detailed escape routes, here they are:

Westbound I-10 traffic will be diverted to the FM 1516 exit and re-enter the main lanes west of FM 1516.

Eastbound I-10 traffic will be diverted to the FM 1516 exit and re-enter the main lanes east of Loop 1604 (the eastbound entrance ramp from FM 1516 remains closed until further notice).

Southbound traffic on FM 1516 will be diverted to the westbound frontage road and turn around at Foster Road, then take the eastbound frontage road back to FM 1516.

Northbound traffic on FM 1516 will be diverted to the eastbound frontage road and turn around at Loop 1604, then take the westbound frontage road back to FM 1516.

There are also some closures scheduled for U.S. 281.

All main lanes of Loop 1604 in both directions between the U.S. 281 northbound exit ramp and the U.S. 281 entrance ramp will be closed between 3 and 7 a.m. Saturday.

As with most closures, follow the detour signs. Off-duty police will be available to assist with traffic control if necessary.

Bruce Selcraig is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read his stories on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | BSelcraig@express-news.net
/

Elaine Mendoza of San Antonio is an excellent choice to chair the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents.

She brings tremendous insight on education from her many years of service on high profile boards, committees and task forces that have grappled with improving educational opportunities in Texas.
A Harare man was found dead yesterday in a parked car in the Avenues area which has a reputation for being a red-light district.

According to the local tabloid, H-Metro, the cause of the death had not been established by the time of publishing but the police suspect that he might have been murdered by ladies of the night.

The man who could not be identified bled from the nose before his death

Security personnel who spoke to the publication said that they had first noticed the car parked around 7 pm and it was still there when they locked the gate around 11 pm.

Stanley Beza told the paper that, The car parked between 7pm and 7:30 pm so we decided to leave it because we thought it would soon go.

Around 11:30 pm when we were locking the gate the car was still there but we did not go close to check why it was still there.

When we woke up in the morning it was still there so we checked and saw a man seemingly sleeping, he said.

He added that upon the discovery they called the police.

When the police came they checked for his particulars and everything was in the car. The doors were not locked and the keys were on the ignition, his phone was also there, though it was off. The policeman then called the number which was on the agreement of sale of the car.

The first police man to arrive at the scene said he searched the man when he saw he was dead to check if he had a phone or any form of identification.

When I arrived I checked his pulse, though the way he was lying on the seat showed that he was dead. He had his phone but I did not find his wallet or licence. I searched the whole car until I found the agreement of sale of the car and then I called the number which happened to be the wifes number, he said.

Meanwhile homicide detectives who arrived at the scene suspected that the crime had been committed by ladies of the night roaming the area.

 HMetro

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
Veteran TV personality Oscar Pambuka shocked many of his followers and fans on Thursday after he announced on his social media platform Facebook that he is now a Prophet.

According to the post, he will hold his inaugural service this coming Sunday in Houghton Park, Harare. The name of his Church is Oscar Pambuka Ministries, and he is inviting everyone and is asking you to Bring all the sick and afflicted.

Meet Prophet Pambuka. My first ever service is on this Sunday in Houghton Park. Some were asking me the name of the ministry. Its(sic) called Oscar. Pambuka Ministries. Come and see the power of God at work. Bring all the sick and afflicted. he posted.

Peradventure, reaching for the stars hadnt brought the fulfilment hes been seeking so long. But finding Jesus Christ, knowing and serving him seems to be the latest life dimension that bringing him the true happiness hes been questing for.

Anyway, most people who responded to his call rubbished him and accused him of all things. We wish we could print some words used, but being that we are a family friendly site doing so would have conflicted with our moral compass.

Some assume that this could be a prank and have said that his spiritual father could be Remnant Desire of All Nations Ministries leader Prophet Talent Madungwe. The possibility of this could be flummoxing as Pambuka has before questioned Prophet Madungwes sanity during interviews.

Perhaps all this hullabaloo is emanating from a simple glimpse at the recent events surrounding the Pambuka life.

In November 2017, Pambuka was kicked out of the state broadcaster ZBC.

In the same year, he along former ZANU-PF legislator Psychology Maziwisa, were arrested and convicted facing fraud charges of swindling the Zimbabwe Power Company of $12 650 in a botched public relations deal. They are currently both on bail pending appeal.

In 2018, he announced that he has turned to become a Dancehall music chanter and he did so much to promote the Zimdancehall culture.

Earlier in March, Pambukas wife Nyasha Makota instigated divorce procedures to end their six-year-old marriage, arguing that their marriage had irretrievably broken down so much that there was no prospect of a restoration of a normal relationship.

Against this milieu, many would argue that Pambukas track record makes him unfit for the ministry of the Word.

Even so, some would go to the moon and come back contending that the circumstances he has been through instead of discarding him out of the ministry, had rather set a perfect tone for his upcoming work as a cleric if Biblical hermeneutics is anything to go by.

The Bible contains biographies of several great men and women, many of them powerful leaderskings, judges, priests, prophets, apostles, who were called and chosen by God to shepherd his people while coming from undesired backgrounds i.e Apostle Paul.

In the most basic sense, all Christians are called to ministry. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) applies to all. Too, every Christian is part of the Body of Christ. Fulfilling ones role as part of the Body  no matter what that role is  means ministering to others.

So, it could be Oscar Pambukas time who knows?

 Hallelujah Mag

Breaking News via Email

Loading...

Related Zimbabwe Latest News
Jerri-Lynn here. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called for a ban on former members of Congress becoming lobbyists.

The revolving door between public service and personal profit is just one of many insidious ways in which money corrupts the US political system, so that public policies overwhelmingly mirror corporate priorities.

AOC and Representative Ted Cruz have often sparred on twitter. So it no one was shocked when her lobbyist tweet drew his quick response. Yet surprisingly, as MartketWatch reports:

Cruz responded: Heres something I dont say often: on this point, I AGREE with @AOC Indeed, I have long called for a LIFETIME BAN on former Members of Congress becoming lobbyists. The Swamp would hate it, but perhaps a chance for some bipartisan cooperation? If youre serious about a clean bill, then Im down, Ocasio-Cortez replied. Lets make a deal. If we can agree on a bill with no partisan snuck-in clauses, no poison pills, etc  just a straight, clean ban on members of Congress becoming paid lobbyists  then Ill co-lead the bill with you. Youre on, said Cruz.

The exchange has been widely reported, in both national media as well as in Cruzs home state of Texas, where The Texas Tribune reproduced the twitter exchange.

Now, nominally, former senators cannot lobby Congress for two years after leaving office, while former representatives are barred for so doing for a year. But even that flimsy restriction isnt what it seems. According to Vanity Fair:

But there are loopholes, as former lawmakers can simply call themselves strategic consultants who advise lobbyists, but do not directly do any lobbying themselves. While theres a ban on lobbying Congress, ex-legislators can start lobbying the executive branch immediatelyeven if theyre lobbying to their former congressional colleagues. Former Rep. Jeff Dunham, who has now turned to lobbying the executive branch, told Politico that A lot of my closest friends are the people I came in withnamely, White House honchos Mike Pompeo and Mick Mulvaney (Jerri-Lynn here: emphasis in original).

By Eoin Higgins, staff writer, Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams

One of Capitol Hills most popular new Democrats on Thursday called for a total ban on the revolving door that allows lawmakers to jump from Congress into K Street lobbying firms as soon as they leave office.

In a tweet, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said that former members of Congress shouldnt be allowed to turn right around and leverage your service for a lobbyist check.

I dont think it should be legal at ALL to become a corporate lobbyist if youve served in Congress, said Ocasio-Cortez. At minimum there should be a long wait period.
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans.

Over the last several decades, US corporations have succeeded in making the legal system more business-friendly. Earlier this month, on May 21, consumers scored a small win, when the American Law Institute (ALI) failed to vote on its Restatement of the Law of Consumer Contracts  effectively shelving the project until at least this time next year.

For the non-lawyers, this topic may appear to be abstruse and technical. Please stick with me. Its important. And precisely because it is abstruse and technical  and to be honest, may appear gobsmackingly boring  many of those who would have been hurt by this proposal remain unaware that it was pending, and if passed, would have further circumscribed consumer rights.

The ALI periodically publishes restatements of the law: these catalogue and summarize how courts have ruled on particular issues. Judges (and their clerks) rely heavily on ALI restatements to inform their understanding of the state of the law in deciding cases. The content of ALIs obscure, highly technical tomes shapes (or skews) the subsequent course of judicial decision-making.

Consumer Contracts Restatement

Now, the recent news on the consumer contracts front has not been good. Just one area where consumers have been harmed: US courts have handed down several decisions that permitted the wider use of mandatory arbitration  which tends to result in pro-business decisions. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) enacted a mandatory arbitration ban, to prohibit the use of a pre-dispute arbitration agreement to prevent a consumer from filing or participating in certain class action suits. This remains the most consumer-friendly initiative the agency adopted to date; unfortunately, the CFPB waited until the Trump administration to finalise its rule, and the Republican-controlled Congress and Trump used the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn that rule-making. CRA procedures block the same agency from proposing a further rule on the same topic, so unless Congress steps in and puts the kibosh on mandatory arbitration, there will be no limits in this area for the foreseeable future (see my post, RIP, CFPB Mandatory Arbitration Ban, which includes links to earlier related posts).

The ALI scheduled a final vote for May 21 on its Restatement of the Law of Consumer Contracts  which has been percolating for several years. This proposal covers those escalating terms and conditions of user agreements that users typically click through and accept  without reading, let alone understanding  in order to conduct an online transaction. In a Credit Slips post entitled ALI Consumer Contracts Restatement-Whats at Stake, Georgetown law professor Adam Levitin zeroed in on the crux of what was wrong with that proposal:

Let me recap why you should care about this project: it opens the door for businesses to use contract to abuse consumers in basically any way they want. The Restatement would do away with the idea of a meeting of the minds, as the touchstone of contract law for consumer contracts, and allow businesses to impose any terms they want on consumers, even if the consumers are unaware of the terms and havent consented to them. Under the proposed Restatement, a consumer would be bound by any and all of a businesss standard form terms if the consumer (1) assented to a transaction, (2) had notice of the terms, and (3) had a reasonable opportunity to review the terms. In other words, the consumer would not actually have to know or agree to any of the terms to be bound by them. The Restatement would replace meaningful assent with a legal fiction of notice. That opens the door to consumers being deprived of all sorts of rights by contract, starting with arbitration, but then going on the privacy rights and continuing to disclaimer of warranties, etc. If you think Im being paranoid, go look at Walmart.coms Terms of Use. Few, if any, of those terms exist when you buy something from Walmart at a storefront, but the cost of larding on an extra term on the Internet is so low, that theres no reason for a business not to bury its whole Christmas wishlist in linked on-line terms and conditions [Jerri-Lynn here: emphasis added]. The Restatement strangely believes that courts will somehow police abuses of contract through unconscionability and deception, but this presumes (1) that consumers will litigate in the first place, and (2) that courts will stretch these constrained doctrines to prevent the enforcement of not just outrageous terms, but also quotidian unfair terms. Do I have a nice bridge to sell you in Brooklyn if you think thats a trade-off that will help consumers.

Now, in a world where most judges are business-friendly, Levitins (2)  that courts would interpret constrained doctrines in a pro-consumer direction  is unlikely. Also, various legal reform measures have made his (1) equally unlikely, with consumers lacking the resources and wherewithal to litigate (see Skilling Released from Prison After A Decade of Doing Time: A Reminder of a Not So Distant Past, When the Rule of Law Applied to Corporate CEOs for further background and context). So, if the Restatement had been adopted, it would have been much more likely that consumers would have been bound to terms of contracts to which they had, in theory, notice, but to which they in fact never agreed.

Opposition Organizes

The ALI effort triggered major pushback from pro-consumer forces  including Levitin  as well as some from the pro-business side  a point also reported in this account in The Verge, A contentious legal debate over user agreements has been delayed after Elizabeth Warren called it dangerous

One of the interesting facets of this project is that theres actually opposition both from the consumer advocates side and from the business side, says Cardozo School of Law professor Matthew Seligman, a non-member who also attended the ALI meeting.

Two dozen state attorneys general sent a letter to the ALI, criticising the proposal:

Our views on the Draft Restatement are informed by our substantial experience  as the chief consumer protection officers of our respective States  dealing with the reality of consumer contracts in the digital age, including consumers complete lack of bargaining power over contractual terms, consumers relative lack of business sophistication, and the nearly insurmountable barriers most consumers face to seeking redress through litigation. Our offices receive thousands of complaints from consumers and regularly prosecute cases where businesses use unilaterally-imposed contractual terms to engage in predatory and unscrupulous behavior. While we appreciate ALIs attempt to provide much-needed clarity to an area of the law that impacts millions of Americans on a daily basis, as discussed below, we believe the Draft Restatement represents an abandonment of important principles of consumer protection in exchange for illusory benefits, and we urge ALI members to reject the Draft Restatement [Jerri-Lynn here: emphasis added].

Senator Elizabeth Warren  on the record as opposing the ALI initiative since 2017  also weighed in with a tweet:

A group of lawyers, professors & judges are about to vote on whether to subject consumers to abusive contracts they dont negotiate and cant opt out of. This dangerous proposal will shape decisions in courts across the country  it should be voted down. https://t.co/V6aVf2QYoz  Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) 21 May 2019

Levitin noted in another Credit Slips blog post, Podcast on ALI Consumer Contracts Restatement the different objections raised by consumer and business groups:

I did a podcast for the Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast about the American Law Institutes Consumer Contracts Restatement project. Its not often that you will see me on the same side of an issue as the podcasts host, Alan Kaplinsky, an attorney at Ballard Spahr who represents financial services firms. Both consumer and business groups are uncomfortable with the ALI acting as a private legislature, unchecked by any constituency. But the real issue is that for consumer advocates, the Restatement is a bad project because it would bind all consumers to contractual terms that they do not agree with or even know about. In contrast, the concern for business groups is that the Restatement gives that small subset of consumers who litigate somewhat stronger tools. These tools arent strong enough to change the balance of power, but they are enough to be a pain for businesses, specifically a jettisoning of the parol evidence rule (i.e., it doesnt matter what the written contract says, the salesmans representations are admissible evidence) and a contract defense of deception that will apply to some contracts where UDAP would not (again, youve gotta worry about the sales reps communications). In other words, the concerns here arent symmetrical, so this is not a situation where the Restatement is a moderate neutral position. Its bad for all consumers, and it creates more litigation problems for businesses without creating meaningful consumer protections.

What Went Down?

In a post in the Consumer Finance Monitor, ALIs Restatement of the Law, Consumer Contracts: an ill-conceived and poorly implemented project, Kaplinsky identified what he saw as the essential flaw in the ALI restatement proposal:

I served as an Adviser to the Restatement project when it was launched many years ago and felt then, as I do now, that the concept for the project was ill-conceived because it was approached as a law reform project rather than an objective initiative to restate the common law of consumer contracts.

At the ALI annual meeting, it soon became apparent that it wasnt going to be possible to push this proposal across the line. As Kaplinsky wrote in ALI annual meeting ends with uncertain future for Restatement of the Law, Consumer Contracts in the Consumer Finance Monitor:

Although the meeting agenda had assigned a four-hour session for consideration of the Restatement, only the first of the Restatements nine sections reached a vote. Section One contains the Restatements definitions and describes its scope. ALIs members voted to approve an amendment to Section One to clarify that to the extent the Uniform Commercial Code [UCC] applies to a transaction and provides a rule, the Restatement does not apply. While not objectionable, the amendment seems unnecessary since to the extent the Restatement sets forth the common law, common law cannot override statutory law such as the UCC. The remainder of the session was devoted to debate on Section Two, which deals with how a consumer manifests consent to a transaction. No vote was taken on Section Two. A motion to convert the Restatement into a principles project was deferred until the 2020 annual meeting.

So the ALI failed to adopt the proposal. But it didnt reject it either.

What Happens Next?

The restatement cannot be considered again until next years ALI annual meeting, and it seems no one knows what might happen next. Its current status is one of suspended animation  neither formally dead, perhaps barely alive? Or perhaps not. Whatever the case, considerable behind-the-scenes machinations will unfold during the next several months. As Kaplinsky concluded in his ALI annual meeting post:

One thing is clear, however. Substantial work will be needed to arrive at a redrafted Restatement that is acceptable to both business and consumer groups.

Kaplinskys conclusion implies there is a consensus on where the law of consumer contracts stands. Yet in fact, whether the ALI needs to revive the project is contested. This area of the law is changing rapidly. As The Verge reports:

Levitin believes theres no need for the project. When you look at the cases, its very useless for giving courts guidance, he says. No ones going to know whats going to be reasonable or not.

Its too soon to say whether a silver spike has pierced the heart of this particular vampire. But at the moment, s/hes lodged in a coffin somewhere, and a weak sun is shining. And we all know: vampires avoid sunlight. Lets hope this one remains in that coffin.
By Justin Mikulka, a freelance writer, audio and video producer living in Trumansburg, NY. Originally published at DeSmog Blog

This week, the Trump administrations Department of Transportation (DOT) withdrew another rail safety recommendation originally proposed during the Obama administration. In the process, the agency made quite clear that it has no plans to further regulate the rail industry, especially the dangerous and continued transportation of oil and ethanol in unsafe tank cars.

The latest proposed rule to be withdrawn would have required two-person crews on trains. Supporters of this rule argue that two-person crews are safer because the job of operating a train is too demanding for one person, new technologies are making the job more complex, and fatigue becomes a more serious issue with only one crew member. Since 2017, the Trump administration has already repealed a regulation requiring modern brakes for oil trains and canceled a plan requiring train operators to be tested for sleep apnea.

In announcing this decision, the DOTs Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) stated it was providing notice of its affirmative decision that no regulation of train crew staffing is necessary or appropriate for railroad operations to be conducted safely at this time.

Buried on page 21 of the 25 page document explaining the decision, the FRA spells out the broader department attitude toward rail safety:

DOTs approach to achieving safety improvements begins with a focus on removing unnecessary barriers and issuing voluntary guidance, rather than regulations that could stifle innovation.

As weve documented on DeSmog before, that translates to removing existing safety requirements and allowing the rail industry to volunteer when and how to improve safety. When the head of the FRA is a former rail company CEO, corporate capture of the U.S.regulatory system should come as no surprise. The rail industrys main opposition to this rule is that it will increase costs while claiming it will not improve safety. This is the same basic argument used to support the industrys opposition to other safety regulations.

FRA Overriding States Rights to Regulate Rail Safety

North Dakota oil train. Credit: Jerry and Pat Donaho, CC BY-ND2.0

In addition, this FRA memo contained several statements clarifying that not only will the agency back off of regulating rail safety, it also will use the power of pre-emption to make sure states cant fill the resulting regulatory gaps either.

As we have explained before, rail companies are essentially only accountable to federal regulators (should they choose to regulate) due to a legal doctrine known as pre-emption, which exempts interstate rail companies from observing local or state laws where they operate.

This is important in this instance because several states have passed laws regarding train crew staffing, and other states are considering such regulation. The FRA notes in detail these state efforts and then says that its decision not to regulate crew size preempts any such rules at the state level:

FRA intends this notice of withdrawal to cover the same subject matter as the state laws regulating crew size and therefore expects it will have preemptive effect.

The document goes on to cite Supreme Court case law in an attempt to justify this approach and then reiterates the point in its final line, saying that no regulation of train crew staffing is appropriate and that FRA intends to negatively preempt any state laws concerning that subject matter.

On December 31, 2013, part of the tank car pileup and residual fire resulting from the train collision near Casselton, North Dakota. Credit: National Transportation Safety Board, public domain

With this document, the FRA likely is setting up a precedent to follow for regulating the volatility and vapor pressure of crude oil transported by rail. DeSmog has covered in detail the issue of oil volatility, which appears to be the key for turning oil trains into bomb trains, as rail operators have dubbed them.

The last remaining rail safety proposal on the books from the Obama administration concerns the vapor pressure of oil in rail tank cars, but that was proposed in 2017 and the DOT website lists the status of this proposed rule as undetermined.

Meanwhile, the state of Washington has passed a law regulating the vapor pressure of oil for rail transport. This law is being challenged by North Dakota  the source of many of the bomb trains involved in fiery accidents, including the Lac-Megantic, Canada, disaster that killed 47 people in 2013 and helped inspire the proposed rule requiring two-person crews that the Trump adminstration just withdrew this week.

Based on the FRAs strategy with the rail staffing rule, expect to see the Trump administration withdraw the proposed regulation on oil vapor pressure and say this move preempts Washington states law.

The Lac-Megantic rail disaster saw the loss of 47 lives but no effective changes to safety regulation. 5 years later, could it happen again? The latest @CANADALANDCMNS delves into this question and more, featuring Bruce Campbell, author of The Lac-Megantic Rail Disaster.  James Lorimer & Co (@LorimerBooks) 29 May 2019

A Case Study in the Corporate Capture of American Regulation

The FRAs decision to withdraw the train crew rule is a great case study of a failed regulatory system in America.

The public is supposed to have a say in the regulatory process via the public comment process. In this case, approximately 1,500 comments supported the regulation  including comments from members of Congress  and 39 opposed it. The opposition highlighted by the DOT was from rail lobbying groups the Association of American Railroads and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. While the public can have its say, it may not have any impact in the current regulatory process.

The FRAdocument also notes that the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC reviewed the issue but was unable to reach consensus on any recommendation. RSAC was established by the FRA but is dominated by industry members, including the Association of American Railroads and the American Petroleum Institute, the latter of which is the nations largest oil lobby and has repeatedly misrepresented basic facts about crude oil volatility and rail transport.

This advisory committee doesnt have the membership to make an independent recommendation that goes against its members interests.

Screen shot of RSAC members from the Federal Railroad Administration website.

Another key point in the FRAs withdrawal decision is that it claims there is no evidence that two-person crews are safer than single-person crews on trains. The agency cites industry-funded studies, which make this claim and say the regulation would greatly reduce U.S.railroads ability to control operating costs. Because the FRAitself does not collect data on the use and safety of single-person crews versus two-person crews, it cant provide any information one way or the other.

The one clear scenario where two-person crews increase safety is in accident situations, a point made by many commenters and acknowledged by the FRA. In the 2013 BNSF oil train derailment and explosion in Casselton, North Dakota, crew members were able to separate many of the oil tank cars from the rest of the train, likely preventing a much larger oil spill and fire (which were still large). The FRA argues that while this is true, the same role can be played by first responders:

While FRA acknowledges the BNSF key train crew performed well, potentially saving each others lives, it is possible that one properly trained crewmember, technology, and/or additional railroad emergency planning could have achieved similar mitigating actions.

Despite making this assertion, the agency provided no evidence of how these alternatives are possible. In the case of oil train accidents, there are no examples of first responders arriving in time to do anything other than back away from the often-explosive trains and let them burn.

In the case of Casselton, the city fire chief Tim McLean said, Im glad the crew made it out of the engine because I dont know if we would have been able to get in there and get them. Casseltons first responders were working to evacuate the city, not deal with the exploding train cars.

Keeping their Profits

Two years ago, I wrote about the Trump administrations and Congresss plans to de-regulate the oil-by-rail industry, and featured a quote from Rep. Bill Shuster, who championed finding ways to allow the railroad industry to keep more of their profits at a hearing on pipeline and rail regulations.

With rail companies now comfortably positioned to self-regulate under the Trump administration, the industry can continue its long (and, at times, bloody) history of putting profits over safety. The Department of Transportations latest move makes this approach official government policy.

On July 9, 2014, 350 Sacramento joins California Assemblymember Roger Dickinson for an oil-by-rail protest at the Federal Railroad Administration. Credit: Stand, CC BY 2.0
On Sunday 2 June 2019, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will travel to Tirana where he will have meetings with the President, Mr. Ilir Meta, the Prime Minister Mr. Edi Rama and the Minister of Defence, Mrs. Olta Xhacka.

Media advisory:

15.20 Secretary General joint press conference with the Prime Minister - Chancellery

Still and video images will be available on the NATO website after the event.

Professional-quality videos and b-roll will be available for download from www.natomultimedia.tv.

Please register for access. Contact: content@natomultimedia.tv
(Natural News) Radical Left politicians, along with a compliant Press, carry the message of the Collectivist visiona vision that overrides concern for the health, safety, and well-being of the Nation and the Nations citizenry.

(Article by Roger Katz republished from AmmoLand.com)

Like the crass hypocrites they are, radical Leftists love to go on about how they respect the rule of law but ignore it when they find it convenient to do so to support their radical agenda.

Lacking all visible restraint and common decency, they flagrantly, even exuberantly, attack our Constitution, our institutions, our history, our culture, our ethos, our Nations Judeo-Christian ethical underpinnings and belief in the Divine Creator.

These Dead Souls, these transgressors of the Creators sacred Commandments, attack all our citizenry holds most dear, and these extremists do so with increasing frequency and ferocity. Everything about them bespeaks ill-will, anger, hatred, resentment, intemperance, rage. They dont seek to preserve our Nation; rather, they seek to destroy it. Both in their words and actions, they intend to rend everything, both tangible and intangible, that represents and constitutes the very soul-memory of our Nation and its people.

These Dead Souls ignore, out-of-hand, fundamental rights like, the Second Amendment, etched in the Bill of Rights, but show no reluctance in creating out of whole cloth other rights that cohere with their Collectivist precepts. They claim as fundamental rights: the right to attend college; the right to abortion on demand; the right of non-citizens to reside here under a general prescription of seeking asylum; and the right to be free from so-called hate speech and hurtful speech in the public space.

But such purported rights exist nowhere, tacitly or expressly, in the Bill of Rights or, for that matter, anywhere else in the Nations Constitution. Indeed, one presumed fundamental right cataloged by the Radical Leftthe claim of a fundamental right to abortion on demand, abjectly unnatural, is transparently contradicted by Federal Statute and Supreme Court precedent, as is the right to be free from such vague notions as hate speech and hurtful speech.

Yet, as these Dead Souls dont profess a belief in the concept of natural rights preexistent in the citizenry, such new panoply of rights, that are permitted to exist at all, shall consist only of those that Government deigns to grant to the polity, whether to a few members of the polity or to several of its members; whether to most members of the polity or to all its membersbut with the understanding that such set of rights and liberties may be amended, ignored, or abrogated as Government needs and goals change, or as Government simply wishes.

And Governmentas Government is conceived by these Radical Leftists, these Dead Soulsmay at will, amend ignore or abrogate any such rights and liberties; doing so if for no other reason than to make the point that all lawful power, authority, and control emanates from and proceeds through Government to the Governed, the people, and not to Government through the consent of the Governed, the people.

Thus, the Radical Left seeks to turn the very political framework of our Nation on its head, commencing with the dissolution of the Second Amendment because an armed citizenry is altogether inconsistent with the tenets of Collectivism.

The Radical Left uses the mantras of public safety and gun violence to make its goal of de facto repeal of the Second Amendment, deceptively, disarmingly plausible and palatable to the citizenry so that it acquiesces, blindly, willingly; surrendering its firearms; ceding its Birthright to the Radical Left. Thus, the total disarming of the American citizenry proceeds, without a whimper; or, so the Radical Left believes and hopes. And, for those Americans who are not so easily duped, who do not wish to acquiesce, the Radical Left is not reluctant to use threats.

Dont Nuke Me, Bro

Representative Swalwells plan if gun owners refuse to turn in their property, use nukes on American citizens.

Recall the remarks of the illustrious Congressional Representative from the Sanctuary State of California, Eric Swalwell, who, in November 2018, brazenly, spouted that he would be ready to nuke gun owners who do not willingly surrender their assault weapons. Many Americans took offense at the remark and rightfully so. The liberal fact-checker website, Snopes, counters that Swalwell had never really meant what he said. Trying to cast a positive light on Swalwells remark, Snopes reports:

Whats True [about Swalwells remark] In a tweet on 16 November, Swalwell responded to a gun rights enthusiast who said the Democrats proposal to confiscate or buy semi-automatic rifles would result in war due to resistance from the gun owners, stating it would be a short war because the government has nukes. Whats False [about Swalwells remark] Swalwell quickly insisted that his reference to the governments possession of nuclear weapons was intended as no more than a joke and emphasized that he was not warning gun owners about such a response to their (hypothetical) resistance to gun confiscation.

But, who is the joke really on? Obviously, the remark about the use of nukes was hyperbole. That much is obvious. But Swalwells sentiment wasnt, and isnt mere hyperbole. Swalwell is deadly serious.

Eric Swalwell is one of a large bevy of Democratic Party candidates campaigning for his Partys nomination for U.S. President in the upcoming 2020 election, and, while all of these Candidates are virulently anti-gun, Eric Swalwell, in particular, is running prominently on a strong anti-gun platform.

Lauding the Australian Governments gun confiscation policy, Swalwell is openly critical of our own Nations Second Amendment right of the people to keep and bear arms, and he has made clear that he intends to confiscate all firearms Government defines as assault weapons.

What isnt humorous about Swalwells remarksnot the least bit humorousand isnt meant to be a joke, is a point that Swalwell has stated and reiterated often, and it is a cornerstone of his anti-gun plank. Swalwell has made it abundantly clear and is deadly serious when he asserts his intention to confiscate all firearms that Governmenthis Administrationdefines as assault weapons. And, he has also made it crystal clear that any American citizen who fails to surrender those weapons will be arrested and prosecuted.

Consistent with the pronouncements of Obama and Hillary Clinton, Swalwell waxes poetic about Australias extraordinarily restrictive gun measures. But, keep in mind that Australias heavy-handed antigun stance and actions that Swalwell and that Obama and Clinton applaud, isnt a Constitutional Republic in the vein of our own Nation. Australia is a Commonwealth Nation, presided over by a Governor General, who answers to the Queen of England. Moreover, Australia, unlike our Nation, never did recognize the right of the people of Australia to own and possess firearms, independent of Government say-so. Hell, Australia doesnt even have a Bill of Rights, and its overseers have vigorously fought against the inclusion of one. Not surprisingly, then, the Australian Government can by, fiat, restrict gun ownership and possession, and Australiansless citizens than subjects of the realmhave no legal recourse. And, this is the Country that Swalwell, and Obama, and Clinton, and all of the other Leftist extremists emulate?

To say these Leftist extremists hold a vision of America different from that of the founders vision, indeed a vision opposed to that of our founders, is a crass understatement. For the assertion fails to capture the sheer scale and scope of the Radical Lefts horrific agendawhat it is the Radical Left wants to accomplish and what it intends to force upon Americans, all of usin the event, it gains control of all three Branches of Government.

What these extremists, these Dead Souls, seek to accomplish is the creation of an entirely different kind of America; an America no longer conceived as a free Republic, no longer existing as an independent, Sovereign Nation State. What these Dead Souls have in mind for Americans and for the Nation is the Nations dissolution and the subjugation of its citizens. They perceive the remains of what once existed as a free Republic and independent Sovereign Nation State subsumed into a new Governmental and societal construct entirelyindeed, completely consumed by a new international world order that, like a giant serpent, swallows Nations whole.

Thus, these Radical Leftists, these Dead Souls, seek to demolish the very existence of our Country as a Sovereign Nation State and free Republic; and, in so doing, they seek to undercut the very notion of a Bill of Rights that embraces fundamental, natural rights, preexistent in the Nations citizenryrights, then, that, in the founders vision, precede and transcend Government and rest well beyond the lawful power of Government to constrain.

The Radical Lefts objectives for this Nation are ruthlessly, remorselessly and frightfully diabolical; its rhetoric, transparently duplicitous; its lack of concern for the Nations citizenry, abjectly shameful; its methods, rapaciously mercenary.

Americans would do well to keep all this uppermost in mind when they go to the polls in 2020.

Read more at: AmmoLand.com
(Natural News) Water  and more specifically, clean water  is life. Without it we could not survive, let alone thrive. But drinking more water to improve ones health is counterproductive when that water is contaminated with dangerous heavy metals like arsenic and lead.

A recent Associated Press (AP) investigation has revealed that old, abandoned mining sites release 50 million gallons of water polluted with these toxins into the American water supply every single day.

In addition to poisoning aquatic life, this pollution endangers humans and animals and costs American citizens billions in cleanup costs. (Related: Alarming report reveals 27 million Americans are drinking dirty tap water that violates government safety standards.)

Multiple states affected

For more than 100 years, American mines were virtually unregulated and mining companies were allowed to simply desert gold, silver and lead mines and move on when these were no longer profitable. According to the AP report, abandoned mines are contaminating drinking water in Montana, Oklahoma, Colorado, California and at least five other states.

The AP reported:

Using data from public records requests and independent researchers, the AP examined 43 mining sites under federal oversight, some containing dozens or even hundreds of individual mines.

The records show that at average flows, more than 50 million gallons (189 million liters) of contaminated wastewater streams daily from the sites. In many cases, it runs untreated into nearby groundwater, rivers and ponds  a roughly 20-million-gallon (76-million-liter) daily dose of pollution that could fill more than 2,000 tanker trucks.

The remainder of the waste is captured or treated in a costly effort that will need to carry on indefinitely, for perhaps thousands of years, often with little hope for reimbursement.

Even worse than the Gold King Mine disaster

In 2015, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) workers and personnel from the Environmental Restoration LLC triggered a massive environmental disaster when they accidentally caused the release of toxic wastewater into the Animas River watershed while doing repairs at the Gold King Mine in Silverton, Colorado.

911 Metallurgist explains that when these workers accidentally destroyed the dam that was holding back a pond, 3 million U.S. gallons of wastewater and tailing (massive piles of mine waste) containing dangerous heavy metals like cadmium, lead and arsenic were dumped into Cement Creek, which is a tributary of the Animas River. Ultimately, the mine sludge released in the incident caused serious pollution to rivers in three different states. (Related: EPAs Gold King Mine investigation remains SECRET two years after agency blamed for environmental disaster.)

As bad as that disaster was, however, the AP report reveals that the toxic waste quietly being leaked from derelict mines around the country every single day, far exceeds the Gold King Mine incident in scope.

The AP reported further:

At many mines, the pollution has continued decades after their enlistment in the federal Superfund cleanup program for the nations most hazardous sites, which faces sharp cuts under President Donald Trump.

Federal officials have raised fears that at least six of the sites examined by AP could have blowouts like the one at Gold King.

Some sites feature massive piles or impoundments of mine waste known as tailings. A tailings dam collapse in Brazil last month killed at least 169 people and left 140 missing. A similar 2014 accident in British Columbia swept millions of cubic yards of contaminated mud into a nearby lake, resulting in one of Canadas worst environmental disasters.

Knowing that your beautiful glass of crystal-clear water may not be as pure as it looks reinforces the need to invest in a high quality water filter like the Big Berkey. Filters like these remove heavy metals and other impurities, enabling you to fully enjoy the life-sustaining benefits of your drinking water. Learn more at Environ.news.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

TheHill.com

APNews.com

911Metallurgist.com
(Natural News) Earlier this week, former special counsel Robert Mueller appeared before reporters during a very unorthodox press conference at the Justice Department to insinuate that POTUS Donald Trump is guilty of obstructing justice despite the fact that he has not been charged with such a crime.

In laying out essentially the same things revealed in his highly partisan and equally non-committal report to the DoJ regarding his Russian collusion witch hunt, Mueller claimed that if he and his 19 Democrat-donor prosecutors really thought the president was innocent, we would have said so.

Well, of course majority Democrats in the House interpreted Muellers statement precisely the way he wanted them to: That POTUS really is guilty of a crime but because Mueller cant indict a sitting president under current Justice Department rules, Congress must exercise its authority and impeach.

After impugning the president  again  Mueller then pronounced that he wont make himself available to testify before Congress because he doesnt have anything else to say other that whats in his report. (Related: Alan Dershowitz is having Mueller buy-in remorse: I was wrong about him, hes a hack.)

But, according to talk radio giant and constitutional expert Mark Levin, the entire Mueller appearance was orchestrated by House Democrats and as such, now the Republican-controlled Senate must call him in to testify because there are so many questions regarding his investigation that he should be required to answer.

I think this whole thing was orchestrated. I think he didnt want to testify. I think [House Judiciary Chairman Jerry] Nadler said give us the information we want in terms of propaganda. He gives the propaganda. He said Im not going to answer the press and Im not going to talk to Congress, Levin told Fox News Sean Hannity Wednesday evening.

If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so, Mueller said regarding the obstruction of justice inquiry into the president. We did not determine whether the president did commit a crime.

Levin then challenged Muellers entire premise behind the press conference, as well as Democrats sudden non-interest in getting Mueller to appear before various House committees as they demanded after his report, released in March, found no collusion with Russia, either.

So many questions for Mueller

The answer is there were no crimes, he had no case, there was no probable cause, and by Mueller writing Volume II and giving his little spiel today, he was very feeble.  This is not a man who would do well under seven, eight, nine hours of questioning, with the Republicans honing in on so many issues, said Levin.

Some of those questions could, and likely would, include:

 When did Mueller know the collusion allegation was false? If he knew early on and wasnt yet finished with his entire probe, why didnt he come out in public and say so, since the president has been embroiled in that particular allegation before he even took office?

 Why werent Hillary Clintons connections to Russia, through her campaign and via the infamous Steele dossier, looked into? Why has she not been questioned in relation to that dossier, which we know was used by James Comeys FBI to get a warrant to spy on a member of the Trump campaign?

 When did Mueller learn that the Steele Dossier was nothing more than a bogus piece of political opposition research, never corroborated?

 What led Mueller to conclude there wasnt enough evidence to support a charge of obstruction?

Democrats in the House arent interested now, however, in Muellers testimony. Thats why, Levin said, Senate Republicans must demand that Mueller appear before their committees or suffer legal consequences for failing to do so.

You ask him the questions  you ask for documents, you ask for emails, you give Mueller the Trump treatment and lets see how that ends, he said.

Read more about Robert Muellers assault against POTUS Trump at RobertMueller.news and WhiteHouse.news.

Sources include:

NewsTarget.com

FoxNews.com
Thinning forests and conducting prescribed burns may help preserve trees in future droughts and bark beetle epidemics expected under climate change, suggests a study from the University of California, Davis.

The study, published in the journal Ecological Applications, found that thinning and prescribed fire treatments reduced the number of trees that died during the bark beetle epidemic and drought that killed more than 129 million trees across the Sierra Nevada between 2012-2016.

"By thinning forests, we can reduce water stress and make forests more resilient to drought and climate change," said the study's lead author, Christina Restaino, a postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy when the study was conducted.

The study also indicated that current rates of treatment are not sufficient to reduce the impacts of hotter droughts and large-scale bark beetle outbreaks. Expanding the use of managed fire under moderate fire-weather conditions, along with strategic thinning and prescribed burn treatments, may increase resilience across the forest, the researchers said.

"There are currently too many straws in the cup," said Restiano. "Denser forests use more water. We're learning that fuel treatments used to reduce fire risk have multiple benefits. Forests that are more open and less dense are stronger in the face of insect outbreaks, too."

TREATMENT HELPS

For the study, researchers collected plot data in 2017 at 10 pairs of treated and untreated sites stretching from Eldorado National Forest to Sierra National Forest in the central and southern Sierra Nevada. They compared the effects of pre-drought thinning and prescribed burn treatments at those sites for four major species: ponderosa pine, sugar pine, white fir and incense cedar.

Treated areas generally had lower stand densities, bigger tree diameters and more pines, which were historically dominant.

Ponderosa pine experienced the greatest mortality of the species studied (40 percent) during the drought and beetle outbreak. But its mortality was significantly lower in treated stands. In untreated areas, the chance any one tree would die was about 45 percent. In treated stands, that chance went down to 30 percent.

Both ponderosa and sugar pine trees died more in places where their diameters were larger, suggesting insects may prefer larger trees, especially when the trees are stressed. The study demonstrates that removing smaller trees through thinning and prescribed burns can help reduce the stress in larger trees, which restoration efforts prioritize.

BE PROACTIVE

"It's important to be proactive," said coauthor Derek Young, a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. "This is not the kind of thing to start only when the drought starts. It has to be done beforehand."

The study also notes that forest managers in the Sierra Nevada might consider cultivating a broader variety of species to buffer against insects and disease, as well as shifting from pines to more resilient hardwood species, like oaks and madrone - a transition underway in other semi-arid and Mediterranean climates.
Louisiana Protects Unborn Children

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Liberty Counsel

May 30, 2019



BATON ROUGE, La., May 30, 2019 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Louisiana House of Representatives yesterday passed 79-23, a "heartbeat bill" that will prohibit abortions after an unborn baby's heartbeat is detectable in the womb, which is usually as early as six weeks of pregnancy.

Senator John Milkovich, a Democrat, sponsored SB 184 which requires an ultrasound to be conducted prior to any abortion procedure. If a fetal heartbeat is detected, the bill bans abortion unless, under penalty of perjury, the abortion provider declares the procedure necessary "to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman." The bill also includes an exemption in the case that a physician certifies that the "unborn child has a profound and irremediable congenital or chromosomal anomaly that is incompatible with sustaining life after birth."



The House rejected an amendment that would have provided an exception to the bill for rape or incest. Doctors breaking the law could face up to two years in prison and lose their medical license.

In a statement posted on Twitter shortly after the vote, Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards wrote, "As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone."

"I commend Louisiana lawmakers for fighting for precious babies and passing this 'heartbeat bill,'" said Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver. "The beating heart of a priceless unborn child should awaken the conscience of our nation to the violence of abortion. I am grateful that Louisiana is not afraid to take significant steps toward making the womb a safe place again," said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost.


State Public Utilities Commission president Michael Picker announced Thursday he was retiring this summer  ending a tenure marked by two years of devastating wildfires and the recent bankruptcy of the utility blamed for them.

Picker, known for his self-deprecating humor and low key leadership style, was in charge of the commission when the agency approved the record $1.6 billion penalty against PG&E over the 2010 San Bruno gas explosion.

Since then, he publicly struggled with what approach to take to regulate the utility, repeatedly musing that it might be too big to effectively regulate.

Although Picker had pledged to do everything possible to avoid its financial collapse, the company declared bankruptcy early this year under the burden of two years of devastating wildfires.

The agency has yet to levy a single fine against PG&E, despite findings by Cal Fire investigators that several of the 2017 North Bay fires were sparked by PG&E allowing trees to grow too close to power lines. The company recently admitted its equipment sparked the 2018 Camp fire in Butte County that left 85 people dead and destroyed the town of Paradise.

Picker announced his departure as president near the end of the commission meeting on Thursday, saying it made a great deal of sense to announce on that day since the commission had just acted to authorize wildfire mitigation plans developed by the states utilities. He said it was fitting now that we have a plan for actually meeting our responsibilities.

Picker will stay on at least through July, and possibly longer, depending on when Gov. Gavin Newsom finds his replacement.

Picker had served as an energy advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown before he joined the commission in 2014. He became commission president later that same year with the departure of Michael Peevey, who had become mired in a scandal over backdoor communications with utilities.
The ongoing trade war between the United States and China will hit Bay Area wineries hard.

China is slapping new tariffs on U.S. goods, including wine.

In Livermore, Wente Vineyards said China has imposed tariffs three times now and this third tariff is really the nail in the coffin for their wine sales to the country.

Michael Parr of Wente Family Estates said the trade war feel like they are "being held hostage, we feel is unfair."

Vineyards like Wente say they have now stopped exporting wine to china after doing so for years.

The decision comes as China is raising tariffs on June 1 for $60 billion of U.S. Goods, including wine.

The new tax means Wente and many other U.S. brands just got a lot more expensive in China. And that means it is much harder to compete against rivals from Chile and Australia, who have free trade agreements with China.

"Short term, these retaliatory tariffs means we're not going to ship wine and we're not making any money," Parr said. "Lost revenues will be the biggest impact we feel right away. Long term impact, it's the fact that we have lost opportunities to ship wines."

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's tariffs on China are also making things more expensive for millions of American customers.
The San Francisco Police Department brought together officers who walk a beat with the people they are sworn to serve and protect to discuss whats getting better and what isnt.

The program aims to make the streets safer for everyone, starting with foot patrol officers becoming more familiar with the people who work in the businesses on their beats to not only identify the biggest problems, but also to find solutions.

Workers said the meetings are critical as they face everything from grab-and-run robberies to people coming in and harassing workers and customers.

Officer Steve Hom on Thursday made his way down Union Street, popping in and out shops.

"I've been trying to keep on top of people hanging out in your doorway," he told one store clerk at the Sunglasses Hut.

The clerk, Basheer Dalil, thinks foot patrols have helped with a real problem.

"It kind of like dissuades people who want to come in and like grab-and-go," Dalil said.

Hom patrols out of the city's Northern Station, under Capt. Joseph Engler, who says much of the challenge is quality of life issues, strategies for homelessness and opioid addiction. He believes foot beats are helping.

"We have dedicated 21 officers to our foot beat program," Engler said. "And it's very, very simple: If I have commercial corridor, I put officers on it now, each officer works a 40-hour work week, so I cant cover everywhere."

Kyra Worthy, who works with SF Safe ,the department's nonprofit arm that helps with crime prevention, says a few changes are underway.

"Now its a more dedicated assignment, and each foot beat officer is assigned the sector that their working," Worthy explained. "And there is a leader on the block with the merchant."

At Just Jewels, workers said knowing their beat officer does make a difference. They keep a phone number behind the counter.
The family of the man who died after San Mateo County sheriff's deputies tased him last October is expected to file a lawsuit against the county on Friday.

The suit comes three months after the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office declined to press charges against five sheriff's deputies involved in the stun gun death of 36-year-old Chinedu Okobi, who was unarmed at the time of the encounter in Millbrae.

In March, the DA's office has also released a 35-minute video from the incident.

The video shows Okobi being pulled over as he was walking on the street leading to an altercation with the deputies. You can hear one of the officers yelling: "Stop resisting! Stop resisting."

They then ask him to get "on his stomach" as Okobi says: "What did I do."

Only one deputy  Deputy Wang  can be seen discharging a Taser at Okobi which hits him on the shoulder and wrist. The discharge took Okobi down but didn't keep him down. "He's a large man, as the video shows," San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe previously said. The activation time on each was five seconds or less, he said, the correct way to discharge a taser, he said.

At one point Okobi tries to escape from the deputies and punches one of them, which Wagstaffe said what was what caused the injuries on Deputy Wang's face.

Okobi's family has watched the videos and questioned whether deputies had a right to stop Okobi in the first place. They said Okobi was walking down a sidewalk, not running in and out of traffic as the sheriff's office has said.

A statement from the district attorney's office said that "while the loss of life following contact with law enforcement is a tragic and traumatic event for all those involved, we have determined based upon a review of all the evidence that the use of force by the deputies under the circumstances encountered by them on that date was lawful pursuant to the provisions of California Penal Code Section 196."

"I'm not putting out anything on his mental history out of respect for the Okobi family," San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe previously said. "This was a tragic event ... I don't want to put any blame on Mr. Okobi. I don't want to do anything to demonize the deputies or Mr. Okobi."

Okobi was the third person to die after being tased in San Mateo County last year. Another man died during an encounter with Redwood City police in August. Another person died in January during an encounter with Daly City police. No charges were filed in the Redwood City and Daly City incidents.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking a closer look at the cannabis industry Friday to determine whether companies should be allowed to use CBD in food, drinks and supplements.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is made from hemp and it doesnt have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), so it wont get you high.

Fridays FDA hearing is the first step to try and regulate the cannabis compound. They will hear from experts, retailers and farmers as it sorts through scientific data on the long-term effects of CBD.

This comes after some confusion that led to arrests. One woman was taken into custody at Disney World after being caught carrying CBD oil and another was jailed for having it in her bag at the airport in Dallas.

As of now, an epilepsy drug is the only CBD product approved by the FDA. People can take the drug through airport security with no problem.

Over the weekend, TSA changed its medical marijuana policy, allowing passengers to bring forms of CBS oil on planes as well.

The hearing will last all day and beyond. People can submit their comments online until July 2.
The head of the California Public Utilities Commission announced Thursday that he will retire after almost five years on a job dominated by oversight of devastating wildfires.

Michael Picker said at a commission meeting in San Francisco that he won't leave his job as president of the state's utility regulator until Gov. Gavin Newsom names his successor.

Picker was appointed to the commission in 2014 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown and became president in December of that year. At the helm, much of his work has focused on regulating and investigating the state's biggest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Corp.

Investigators have found that many of California's most destructive and deadly wildfires in recent years have been caused by PG&E equipment. The commission's work has been focused in recent years on working to ensure utility equipment is safer and to prevent more fires.

The commission said Thursday that utilities need to do a better job of educating and notifying the public as they widen precautionary power outages this summer.

In its latest effort to strengthen wildfire awareness and safety, the commission approved guidelines for when utilities can cut electricity during high winds and low humidity to avoid sparking wildfires like the one that devastated the Northern California community of Paradise last fall, killing 85 people.

Commissioners also approved utilities' wildfire prevention plans, which include cutting back vegetation and improving electric lines.

Picker previously served as the governor's senior adviser for renewable energy from 2009 to 2014, as deputy treasurer in the state treasurer's office from 1998 to 1999 and in a variety of other state government offices. He also spent several years as chief of staff to former Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna Jr.
It was while teaching chlidred to read, that Samantha Lee realized the young people needed lessons in something else.

Empathy.

Well, two things, actually: empathy and sewing.

Lee, now a 17-year-old Notre Dame High School senior, was volunteering a few years ago in an elementary school for a reading literacy program. While engaging with the students, she heard one complaint from them over and over.

The other children in the school were being mean to each other.

My mom was also a school teacher and I would hear her come home and hear a lot about similar issues, said Lee. "I said, 'OK, I want to fix this issue, somehow, someway, in some form.'"

This prompted Lee to weave together an activity that she felt would bring the kids together. It involved brown fabric, sewing needles and a lot of plush.

Lee started the afterschool program, Stitched Together, during her sophomore year as project for young kids to learn how to put together a teddy bear from scratch.

She would then have them donate the finished product to other children that might not have stuffed animals of their own.

Since then, Lee has helped kids from all over San Jose stitch together over 500 teddy bears to donate to organizations such as Children Facing Domestic Abuse, YWCA Silicon Valley and even to children in the country of Ghana.

I'm not only teaching them to be advocated of kindness in their own community, but that they're able to help heal someone else who needs that bear a lot more than they do, she said.

One of the most impactful moments Lee experienced in the program happened when she was explaining to a group of kids that some of the teddy bears would go to Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital at Stanford.

A girl among the group of kids who was usually upbeat, suddenly got quiet. She told Lee that her mother died of cancer, so she wanted her bear to be donated to another person struggling with the same disease.

I was not expecting that at all when I went on that random Thursday afternoon. I was tearing up when that happened, said Lee.

Describing it as a dying art, Lee said her grandma taught her the ins and outs of sewing when she was about 5 years old.

Lee said that one of the reasons she chose to have the kids create teddy bears is so that the stuffed animals would encourage children to continue learning outside the classroom.

It's a lot less intimidating to practice reading in front of a teddy bear instead of a human being, she said.

Though Lee said most of the kids enjoyed sewing together a teddy bear, some of them expected to keep their creations and had a hard time understanding why they needed to let go.

Some have even almost started crying before trying to give the bears up, she said.

I say 'Look, probably when you go home, you have a big room of stuffed animals, said Lee.  'Think about how amazing it's going to be to have another kid that's just like you, make them smile and know that they don't have a teddy bear to go home to'.

With her last year of high school coming to an end, Lee will be going off to college at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Though she will be stepping down as the leader of Stitched Together in the Bay Area, she is leaving it in good hands. A couple of her friends who attend Notre Dame High School in San Jose will be taking over the program.

Meanwhile, once she arrives at Johns Hopkins, Lee said she is hoping to start new chapters of Stitched Together in Baltimore.

I'm planning my first semester to get my feet wet, see where that need is in the community and volunteer with a bunch of different organizations, she said. [Then] check out a few of the elementary schools and then kind of from there see where that goes."
What to Know Rep. Anna Eshoo, (D) CA, told NBC Bay Area she believes Robert Mueller has more to say and should testify before Congress

Rep. Eshoo represents Silicon Valley and has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993

Mueller said Wednesday he has nothing to add that isn't already spelled out in his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election

A Bay Area Congressional Democrat has joined the ranks calling on Robert Mueller to testify before the House of Representatives.

Rep. Anna Eshoo told NBC Bay Area Thursday she believes the former special counsel investigating the Donald Trump's presidential campaign has more to share about his findings.

I think he has one more duty to perform, and that is to testify before the Congress," Eshoo said. "I say that, because the American people respect him, and they need to hear him explain what he has in his report.

On Wednesday, Mueller broke his long public silence in a brief news conference, saying that charging President Trump with a crime was "not an option" while emphasizing that he did not exonerate the president.

While Mueller did not rule out testifying before Congress, he suggested he wouldn't have more to say beyond what was already included in his report. Eshoo told NBC Bay Area she believes Mueller can still clarify his findings.

"He has one more duty to fulfill, and that is to answer the questions of the members of Congress, speak to his report, and educate the American people," Eshoo said. "The American people really do not know fully what that report contains."

Eshoo is visiting her district this week as Congress is in recess. She was at Stanford University Thursday afternoon, where she was holding a town hall on net neutrality.
Reported rapes have more than tripled in San Jose in the past decade, and on Thursday, a group of South Bay legislators came together to demand that more be done to fight the crime and the root causes.

The numbers are disturbing, especially considering Santa Clara County says there are still significant delays in processing rape kits.

One sexual assault victim told her story in front of the five female members of the San Jose City Council. Devon Cable says she still has flashbacks of a physically and sexually abusive boyfriend.

"Ill kind of tear up and think about everything because three years is a long time to be abused," Cable said.

Cable said telling her story helps a lot.

"He would force me to do sexual things I had no intention of doing," she said. "If he saw me talking to a guy, he would call me a slut."

The council members say reported rapes have tripled in San Jose over the past 10 years, and theyre pushing legislation to find solutions and to examine the root cause.

"My council colleagues and I have joined forces to address this issue head on," Councilwoman Sylvia Arenas said.

Numbers recently released by the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office show it reviewed 1,070 rape cases last year. Of those, the DA prosecuted fewer than half.

"Our decision to file criminal cases is a really hard one because we have to prove each case beyond a reasonable doubt to a unanimous jury," Assistant DA James Gibbons-Shapiro said.

The backlog in processing rape kits at the county crime lab also persists. As of last month, more than 100 cases were still waiting to be examined.

"We need to address strategically the issue and see all those stats," Arenas said.

Cable said shes moved on with her life, stronger for speaking her truth and hopeful that no one else has to endure her pain.

Last week, the county Board of Supervisors authorized $5 million to combat sexual assaults. They hope that eliminates the backlog in processing rape kits.
Set in the streets of San Francisco, Netflixs new original film Always Be My Maybe is a love letter to the city, and while its not a mold-breaking romantic comedy, Ali Wong and Randall Park show Hollywood that Asian Americans dont fit into any tiny box.

Wong and Park brought their own experiences into the film and made an authentic love story between childhood friends Sasha and Marcus who grew up next door to each other in San Francisco, riding cable cars and fishing by the piers. The writers and actors say they just wanted to tell a heartfelt story about the characters reunion 15 years later when Sasha became a successful celebrity chef and Marcus still lives at home with his dad, playing in the same band.

When I watch the movie again, I do see San Francisco in a way that I feel like I have not seen in film before. You know you never see the Richmond District or the Sunset District which is such a big part of my childhood, said Wong, who grew up in Pacific Heights.

The film checks a lot of boxes on the things you dont ever get to see in Hollywood list. Asian Americans rarely get to lead a blockbuster film, let alone be the lead in a romantic comedy where they find each other attractive. They are often portrayed in two extremes, either innocent or evil, but the characters in Always Be My Maybe are your neighbors, your co-workers and the people you went to school with.

It was never a question of should this be an Asian American story? it was always going be that. The question is: How do we make it entertaining? How do we make it universal? How do we make it feel like you understand and relate to these people in their journey and have it be satisfying? said director Nahnatchka Khan, who has worked as a producer and writer with both Wong and Park on ABCs Fresh Off The Boat.

Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area

School friends Sasha and Marcus were close. She would come over to his house when her parents were busy working and Marcus mom would teach her how to make delicious Korean cuisine. In Asian cultures, like many others, food equals love. Wong, Park and film director Nahnatchka Khan named Turtle Tower and R&G Lounge, where Wong had her wedding banquet, as some of their favorite places in San Francisco.

Sitting on a balcony at the Fairmont Hotel with the Transamerica Pyramid behind her, Wong lamented how much the city has changed over the years.

I just feel like every time I come home another business has been forced out, and the Punch Line really got to me because it's such a special place to me that I came through. I'm hoping something can be done to save it because I don't know where else comics are really going to develop and get their voice in San Francisco, she said.

Actor and comedian Ali Wong, who grew up in San Francisco, lamented about changes to the city and the news about Punch Line comedy club moving in August.

After her rise to fame in 2016 for the Baby Cobra comedy special, Wong said in an interview with New Yorker magazine that she wanted to do a movie like When Harry Met Sally but with her in it. Agents got wind of her wish and thats when Park came into the picture.

The two attended UCLA together where Park was in a hip-hop group while he pursued a career in acting. Wong says Marcus character was largely inspired by Asian men she knew, and Parks actual musical talent helped sell the act.

I think that all of those other elements kind of just found their way into the script because it's part of who we are, Park said.

Jennifer Gonzalez / NBC Bay Area

Park wrote the lyrics he performed in the film and even got the help of Bay Area rapper like Lyrics Born, who portrays Marcus band mate, and Dan the Automator.

After Marcus mom dies in an accident, teenage angst, grief, a DAngelo song and an awkward car sex moment somehow drives Marcus and Sasha apart. It should be noted that Marcus was wearing a t-shirt from the iconic record store Amoeba Music when he lost his virginity in the car.

More than a decade after Sasha took her love of food to New York City, she was coming back to San Francisco to open a restaurant, when in a classic rom-com fashion, her best friend Vanessa (played by comedian Michelle Buteau) helped Sasha reunite with Marcus by hiring him and his dad to set up the A/C system in Sashas new rental.

Sparks didnt immediately fly when they met again. They must work through their own insecurities and issues like adults do.

Park says a character like Marcus, a young Asian American, a musician, a loyal son who smokes weed in his room and invites his dad (portrayed by James Saito) to dance with him, exists all over the city.

Randall Park is "a strong Asian American sexy male" in #AlwaysBeMyMaybe. @RHandaNBC sits down with the writers/actors and director of the new Netflix film set in San Francisco: https://t.co/X0v0ml0B5M pic.twitter.com/zgtUy8KAJi  NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) May 31, 2019

The film subtlety subverts the norm, as Khan says, by portraying these characters just as regular people. It's things some people may not think about, such as Marcus dad having an American accent. Its eating chicken feet in a dim sum restaurant with mean Chinese waiters. Its Marcus dad dating a Diana Ross impersonator.

Park said that they werent thinking about the cultural impact that the film could have. Always Be My Maybe wouldnt be a good film if Wong and Park werent just being themselves.

[Wong and Park] arent trying to chase any version of who they feel like they should be. I think people respond to that honesty and that like Ali is just being Ali Randall's being Randall, Khan said.

Whats next for Asian Americans in Hollywood? Going forward, Wong says she would like to see an Asian American horror film.

Always Be My Maybe is out on Netflix on Friday.

Robert Handa contributed to this report.
Authorities say gunmen have attacked a Catholic church in Burkina Faso, killing a priest and five worshippers.

The attack on Sunday took place in Dablo, about 124 miles from the capital, Ouagadougou.

Urbain Kabore, a government spokesman for the West African country's Sahel region, said the gunmen also set fire to a health center and destroyed all places serving alcohol.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the attacks bore the hallmarks of Islamic extremists who are known to be active in the area. An attack on a Protestant church about two weeks ago left six people dead.

Burkina Faso has been increasingly destabilized by jihadists from across the border in Mali. Attacks have included the kidnapping of foreigners.
Recreational marijuana will soon be legal in Illinois after a plan passed both the state House and the Senate this week.

But before you light up your joints, here are five things you should know:

What still needs to happen?

The bill still needs the governor's signature, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker has already said he will sign the bill. It's just a matter of when.

The state of Illinois just made history, legalizing adult-use cannabis with the most equity-centric approach in the nation," the governor said in a statement. "This will have a transformational impact on our state, creating opportunity in the communities that need it most and giving so many a second chance... In the interest of equity and criminal justice reform, I look forward to signing this monumental legislation.

When will it take effect?

The legislation is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2020.

What does the plan include?

Once signed into law, the plan will allow Illinois residents 21 and older to legally buy marijuana from licensed dispensaries and possess any combination of: up to 30 grams (roughly one ounce) of cannabis, as much as 500 milligrams of THC in a cannabis-infused product, and up to five grams of cannabis concentrate.

One contentious portion of the bill that evolved through a little "give and toke" was how it addresses the growth of cannabis plants in the home. The measure's Democratic sponsor Sen. Heather Steans had originally proposed allowing anyone to keep five plants in their home, but the amended version ultimately would permit only patients qualified for medicinal use of cannabis to grow their own plants, in a locked space away from public view.

The proposal also addresses the criminal justice element of marijuana legalization by allowing anyone convicted in the past of marijuana possession of 30 grams or less to have their record expunged through the governor's clemency process, which does not require individuals to initiate the process.

The bill would also allow those with a conviction of possession of between 30 and 500 grams of marijuana, or the state's attorney, to petition the court to vacate convictions on an individual basis.

How many other states have legalized recreational marijuana?

Illinois will be the 11th state in the U.S. to allow for the recreational use of marijuana. Illinois will also be only the second state after Vermont to legalize recreational marijuana without direct referendum approval from voters.

Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2012, with eight others following in the years after.

Some Illinoisans have weighed in on the issue in the past, however. In the March 2018 primary election, 68% of voters in Cook County voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana. That following November, 88% of Chicago voters approved of using marijuana revenue to increase funding for Chicago Public Schools and mental health services.

Where will the revenue from pot sales go?

The proposal allocates the revenue first to pay for administrative needs and costs incurred from the expungement process, then 35% to the state's General Revenue Fund, 25% to a program to invest in minority communities impacted most negatively by cannabis prohibition, 20% to substance abuse prevention programs and mengal health services and 10% to the bill backlog, among other initiatives.
The family of Marlen Ochoa is expected to give an update on the health of her baby, which was cut from her womb following her brutal murder in Chicago last month.

A spokesperson for the family said a press conference was expected to be held around 4:15 p.m. CT outside Advocate Christ Medical Center, where the baby has been hospitalized and on life support for weeks. Family members said last weekend that doctors indicated the infant showed some brain activity in recent days.

Ochoa's extended family traveled from Mexico to Illinois to say goodbye to their once youngest family member last week.

She will never be forgotten," said activist and family spokeswoman Julie Contreras.

The slain 19-year-old mother was remembered as a good wife and loving mother, who prosecutors said was killed the day she reportedly went missing on April 23. Authorities said Ochoa was strangled to death before her baby was cut from her womb.

Clarisa Figueroa and her daughter Desiree Figueroa have been charged with the teens murder, and Clarisa Figueroa's boyfriend Piotr Bobak was charged with concealing the homicide. Prosecutors alleged the mother-daughter duo lured Ochoa to their home via a Facebook group, where they offered to give her clothes and other items for her unborn child.

"Marlen is everyones daughter today," family spokeswoman Cecilia Garcia said at a vigil for Ochoa last week. "We have to make sure that this never ever happens to anybody else again."
Rush University Medical Centers inpatient mental health units remain closed to patients two months after they were closed to address safety issues raised by state inspectors.

State officials touring Rushs Behavioral Health units in late March found multiple ligature risks in patient rooms  features that could be used by patients to hang or strangle themselves, according to an Illinois Department of Public Health inspection report completed on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Rush spokesman Charlie Jolie said the inspectors were looking into reports of a suicide attempt at the hospital in late March.

The states report details a March 16 incident in which a woman admitted to the hospital for suicidal ideations tried to stab herself in the neck with a ballpoint pen.

Jolie said the hospital was already planning on renovating the units to bring them into compliance with state and federal ligature risk regulations, but decided to close the units on March 30 to accelerate the construction and address the issues identified by inspectors.

As you can imagine, in a hospital its tough to work around patients, Jolie said. It just made more sense to temporarily close these until we could do all the construction as quickly and well as we could to better serve our patients.

Risks identified in the states report included hinges outside doors and bathroom sinks protruding from walls with empty space underneath, as well as furniture that was not attached to the floors.

Jolie said the construction is going well and should be completed by the end of June. The units will then have to be inspected by the state again before they can reopen.

The hospitals three behavioral health units have about 70 beds total, although they werent all filled at the time of the closure, Jolie said. Fewer than 10 patients were transferred to other facilities, while the rest were transferred to other inpatient areas of the hospital until they could be safely discharged.
Gabon's government has retained control of the West African country after an attempted military coup early Monday in which two plotters were killed, the government said.

Five army officers who took over state radio in the coup attempt have been arrested, government spokesman Guy-Betrand Mapangou, told Radio France International.

Authorities regained control of state broadcasting offices and a major thoroughfare in the capital, Libreville, which were the only areas taken over by the officers, the spokesman said.

Two of the coup participants were killed when security forces took over and freed some hostages, according to a presidential statement reported by RFI.

Earlier Monday a soldier who identified himself as Lt. Obiang Ondo Kelly, commander of the Republican Guard, read out a statement saying the military had seized control of Gabon's government in order to "restore democracy." He was flanked by two other soldiers holding weapons; all were dressed in camouflage uniforms and green berets.

Those soldiers have been taken into custody and President Ali Bongo's government remains in control, the government spokesman said.

A curfew has been imposed over the capital, Libreville, and the internet was cut. The city on the Atlantic Ocean coast was being patrolled by military tanks and armed vehicles.

The African Union affirmed its support for the Bongo government.

"The African Union strongly condemns the coup attempt this morning in Gabon," the head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said on Twitter. "I reaffirm the AU's rejection of all anti-constitutional change."

Bongo, in power since 2009, has been out of the country since October amid reports that he had a stroke. He recently addressed the country in a New Year's message that was filmed in Morocco, where he has been receiving medical treatment.

Gabon, which is sub-Saharan Africa's third-largest oil producer, has been ruled for more than half a century by Bongo and his father, Omar, who died in 2009. Critics have accused the family of profiting from the country's natural resources while not investing enough in basic services for the population of more than 2 million. About one-third of the population lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

In his brief New Year's address, the 59-year-old Bongo declared that the country was "indivisible" and acknowledged his health problems without giving details. "A difficult period," he called it, and a challenge that he surmounted "thanks to God." He promised to put all of his efforts into improving the daily quality of life for Gabon's people.

The French-educated Bongo, who was the country's defense minister before becoming president, narrowly won re-election in 2016 in a vote opposition rival Jean Ping claimed was plagued by irregularities, and he continues to call himself the country's real president.

CORRECTION (Jan 7, 2019, 7:30 a.m. ET): An earlier version of this story misstated from where Bongo gave his New Year's address.
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration can make asylum seekers wait in Mexico for immigration court hearings while the policy is challenged in court, handing the president a major victory, even if it only proves temporary.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals  a frequent target of the president's complaints  reversed a decision by a San Francisco judge that would have prevented asylum seekers from being returned to Mexico during the legal challenge.

The case must still be considered on its merits and could end up at the Supreme Court. But allowing the policy to remain in effect in the meantime lets the administration carry out an unprecedented change to U.S. asylum practices.

"Big Court win at our Southern Border! We are getting there - and Wall is being built!" Trump tweeted Wednesday morning.

The administration has said it plans to rapidly expand the policy across the border, which would have far-reaching consequences for asylum seekers and Mexican border cities that host them while their cases wind through clogged U.S. immigration courts. Cases can take several years to decide.

The policy was challenged by 11 Central Americans and advocacy groups that argued it jeopardized asylum seekers by forcing them to stay in Mexico, where crime and drug violence are prevalent.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Seeborg agreed April 8 and said the policy should be halted because it failed to evaluate the dangers migrants faced in Mexico.

The administration introduced its "Migrant Protection Protocols" policy on Jan. 29 in San Diego and later expanded it to Calexico, California, and El Paso, Texas. Under the policy, asylum seekers report to a border crossing in the morning. The U.S. government provides transportation to immigration court and returns them to the border after the hearing.

The U.S. has returned 3,267 Central American asylum seekers through three border cities, Mexico's immigration agency said Monday.

The administration briefly halted the policy after Seeborg's ruling but resumed on April 16, sending 673 people to Tijuana from San Diego since then, 298 to Mexicali from Calexico and 967 to Ciudad Juarez from El Paso.

The policy was introduced to deal with a growing number of asylum-seeking families from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico. Under a court order, children generally cannot be detained more than 20 days, which has led to widespread releases of families almost immediately after they are stopped by authorities.

The January launch followed months of delicate talks between senior U.S. and Mexican officials that culminated in dual announcements after a meeting in November in Houston. Both sides characterized it as a unilateral move by the Trump administration and Mexican officials have made clear that they do not endorse the policy.

The three-judge appeals court panel cited Mexico's position to reject the argument that asylum seekers were at risk.

The judges said the "likelihood of harm is reduced somewhat by the Mexican government's commitment to honor its international law obligations and to grant humanitarian status and work permits to individuals returned under the (Migrant Protection Protocols)." In fact, Mexico said Dec. 20 that it would allow foreigners to apply for a work permit, not necessarily get one.

Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain, who was appointed by President Ronald Regan, offered the strongest backing for the administration's position. Judges William Fletcher, an appointee of Bill Clinton, and Paul Watford, who was named by Barack Obama, were more critical.

The American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center and Center for Gender & Refugee Studies sued over the policy.

Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, said remarks by two of the three judges give reason to believe that the policy will eventually be halted but also raised concern about the impact of Tuesday's decision.

"Asylum seekers are being put at serious risk of harm every day that the forced return policy continues," he said.

Justice and Homeland Security Department officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment late Tuesday, and neither did Mexico's Foreign Relations Secretary officials.

Mexicans and children who travel alone are exempt from the policy.
A former Connecticut state employee has been sentenced to two years in prison for her role in what federal authorities call a health care fraud scheme.

Toshirea Jackson, 50, of Bridgeport, was sentenced on Thursday.

According to John Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, as of January 2012, Jackson and Juliet Jacob operated Transitional Development and Training and It Takes A Promise, two businesses located at 360 Fairfield Ave. in Bridgeport that provided social and psychotherapy services and they used those businesses to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were never provided.

Federal officials said Jackson and Jacob used the Medicaid provider numbers of two licensed health care providers employed by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services who had not provided or supervised any of the psychotherapy services that Jackson and Jacob billed to Medicaid.

Federal officials said the two providers didnt authorize Jackson or Jacob to obtain provider numbers for them at TDAT or ITAP and were not aware that TDAT or ITAP were billing Medicaid as if the providers had provided the psychotherapy services.

In March 2012, Nikkita Chesney, who was employed by a health care provider that provided substance abuse treatment that included a detoxification program in Bridgeport started to steal personal identification information, including Medicaid identification number, Social Security Numbers and dates of birth, from patients of her employer, federal officials said.

Jackson, Jacob, and Chesney then used the stolen identity information to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that the Medicaid clients had never received, federal officials said.

They said Jackson admitted that the scheme involved stealing the identity of more than 150 Medicaid clients and they had successfully billed Medicaid for around half of those clients.

Jackson also admitted that she and her co-conspirators billed Medicaid for services to other clients that were never provided to those clients, federal officials said.

Jackson pleaded guilty on Dec. 13 to one count of health care fraud and is scheduled to report to prison on July 12 to serve 24 months. She was be on supervised release for three years after serving the sentence. She has also been ordered to pay nearly $2.5 million in restitution.

Federal officials said Jacob pleaded guilty on Oct. 18 to one count of health care fraud.

On Oct. 23, Chesney pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Both await sentencing.

Federal officials said five other people have been charged and convicted of health care fraud offenses due to this and related investigations.

People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
A New Hampshire judge has denied a request to reconsider a lawsuit against a man who relatives say killed his millionaire grandfather for inheritance money.

Judge David King upheld his dismissal Wednesday. He had ruled John Chakalos lived in Connecticut, even though he had a New Hampshire driver's license and house, and was registered to vote there.

The lawsuit was filed by Nathan Carman's aunts, who don't want Carman to get any of Chakalos' money. Their lawyer said Friday they are considering all of their options.

Chakalos, who was shot to death at his Windsor home in December 2013, left more than $29 million to his daughters. Carman's mother went missing during a fishing trip with Carman in 2016 after their boat sank. She's presumed dead. Carman's family believes he was also responsible for her death.

Carman's denied any role in his grandfather's death or in his mother's disappearance.
What to Know Jennifer Dulos, a 50-year-old mother of 5, has been missing since Friday, May 24 after dropping her children off at school in New Canaan.

She missed several appointments that day and her SUV was later found near Waveny Park in New Canaan, but there was no sign of Jennifer.

Police have been searching in New Canaan, as well as New York, to try and find her.

Detectives from Connecticut State Police are assisting officers from New Canaan Police Department with multiple searches in the Hartford area in regards to the Jennifer Dulos investigation.

Dulos is a 50-year-old mother of five who disappeared from New Canaan a week ago.

Multiple state police cruisers are parked on Milford Street in Hartford and investigators have been seen going in and out of a home.

Neighbors said police were looking at their security camera and said that investigators were looking to see if a specific vehicle had passed through the area.

Investigators have been seen searching nearby dumpsters in the area.

There is also a police presence in other areas of the city including near Albany Avenue and on Homestead Avenue and Sigourney Street.

Detectives have not released details about what they are looking for or if they have found anything.

Dulos disappeared last Friday after dropping her kids off at school and she missed several appointments that day.

Police have called this an active and ongoing investigation and all theyre saying publicly is this a missing persons case  though as is typical in these situations -- theyre also looking to see if theres a possible crime involved.

Dulos was reported missing around 7:30 p.m. on Friday and she had been driving a black 2017 Chevrolet Suburban, which was later found on Lapham Road, near Waveny Park.

On Thursday, investigators were searching at the New Canaan park and also checked a home in nearby Pound Ridge, New York.

Dulos previously lived in Farmington and moved to a home in New Canaan after filing for divorce from her husband Fotis nearly two years ago.

In an affidavit in that case, she wrote she was terrified for (her) familys safety and said her husband has a history of controlling, volatile and delusional behavior.

But in a court filing, Fotis Dulos denied the allegations and said he had to call 911 with concerns a day before being served with divorce papers.

Im worried about my wife and kids because they left to go to New York and I havent been able to get in touch with them, he is heard saying on the recording.

The children are safe with family in New York City.

A vigil was held Thursday night and another will be held on Sunday at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in New Canaan.

Police are asking anyone who saw or noticed any suspicious activity in the area of Waveny Park on Friday, May 24 to call the New Canaan Police Department tip line at 203-594-3544.

On Friday afternoon, the family and friends of Jennifer Dulos released a statement:

As of today, it has been a week since Jennifer Farber Dulos was reported missing. We miss her beyond measure  her five young children, her family, her friends, colleagues, and neighbors, as well as countless people who have never met her but who have responded to the spirit of grace and kindness that Jennifer embodies.

The public response has been astounding. The support and love, the concern for her children, and the community efforts to help locate Jennifer have kept us going. Please be assured that Jennifers five children are safe and well-cared for.

Last night, on Thursday evening, a candlelight vigil was held in New Canaan at St. Aloysius Church, with hundreds of people in attendance, holding up light as a symbol of hope, calling for Jennifers safe return. The family and friends are deeply moved by the beauty and ritual of this event, and although we could not attend in person, we are with you in spirit.

We are immensely grateful to the investigators for their work around the clock, 24/7, to locate Jennifer. Everyone who has shared Jennifers story, helped search for her, or provided tips to the police: thank you. If you have any information that might be relevant to this case, if you have seen Jennifer Farber Dulos or have information about her disappearance, please contact the New Canaan Police Tip Line at 203-594-3544.

Jennifer, we love you and we miss you, and we remain hopeful that you will return to us safe and sound.

Last, we request that you please respect the privacy of Jennifers family and loved ones during this very difficult time. Please do not contact them. Thank you.
Hands-on activities are an essential part of learning at Martin Kellogg Middle Schools Biomedical Sciences Academy in Newington, Connecticut, but the final project of the school year required the seventh and eighth graders to use their minds and their hearts.

Its been quite a process, but I think its going to be great, said eighth grader Steven Blazuk.

The goal of the academy is to steer students toward futures in math and science. Blazuk said he wants to be a biomedical engineer when he grows up.

Its been a great experience being able to use wires and figuring out how things go together and work, he said.

Friday, students took to the task of building a better future for children with special needs. The kiddie cars they built will be donated to toddlers with cerebral palsy and other mobility challenges for a national program called Go Baby Go.

I feel like its a great chance for us to show off our skills and help kids in need, Breone Lewis, who is also in eighth grade, said.

This will give them a chance to go out in the world and play with other friends, play with their siblings and just have independence that they just havent experienced in the past, their teacher, Ashley Klopfer, said.

Michelle Dischino is the driving force behind Central Connecticut State Universitys CAREs club, which has taken this project to classrooms across Connecticut and donated 135 cars to children with special needs.

One of the things we need to do is move the accelerator function to a button and that button for some children might be placed in the middle of the steering wheel, for other children it might be placed on the side, said Dischino, a professor in the universitys technology and engineering department.

She and other program leaders also hope students learn an important lesson about how to treat others with differences.

We get them to understand the culture change thats going through, to accept kids or young people with disabilities in their school and in their classrooms, said James DeLaura, chair of CCSUs Technology and Engineering Education department.

He said the earlier that lesson is learned, the more likely kids are to treat others with kindness and respect.

Its really important for them to learn this now and be able to carry it throughout their lives, Klopfer added. Having this experience will imprint on them forever and hopefully give them a good basis for the future.

The students will get to see the smiles on those kids faces when they receive their cars June 1.

Learn more about Go Baby Go or how to donate a car here.
A West Hartford man and Fulbright Scholar who has been fighting deportation to Indonesia on Friday walked out of the church where he sought sanctuary a year and a half ago.

Sujitno Sajuti has been living at The Unitarian Universalist Church in Meriden and will be walking out after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement granted him deferred action and no longer seeks to deport him, according to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

According to Sajuti, he had no income while he was in sanctuary. Church members assembled what he needed, from bedding to food. They also brought in medical care and legal counseling for the 70-year-old.

Sajuti added that he has spent much of the last 20 months in sanctuary praying.

Congregants said for the first year, they held watch every night.

We were concerned that because there were Muslims, there might be some Islamophobia. We were concerned that ICE agents might come to the door, said Dr. Jan Carlsson-Bull, a reverend at the Unitarian Universalist Church where Sajuti sought sanctuary.

Sujitno Sajuti, who came to the US as a Fulbright scholar in 1981, was going to be deported for overstaying. He says he spent much of the last 20 months in sanctuary praying. Lawyers now say ICE believes he was a victim of a crime & will no longer pursue his deportation. #nbcct pic.twitter.com/sm3xpL1qIg  Kristen Johnson (@KristenNBCCT) May 31, 2019

Lawyers said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials now believe Sajuti was the victim of a crime.

According to Sajuti's attorney, he was robbed at gunpoint in the mid 90's. Now they've found the police report to prove it, which qualifies Sajuti for a special visa.

Following a determination that Sajuti qualifies for a legal immigrant visa, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations does not anticipate pursuing enforcement action in this case at this time, a statement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

An Indonesian man living in Connecticut and facing deportation on Tuesday took refuge in a Meriden church.

Sajuti, who is originally from Indonesia, came to U.S. in 1981 as a Fulbright Scholar and pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut. But after his visa expired, a federal immigration judge eventually ordered him to leave in 2003.

He has lived in West Hartford for more than 40 years with his wife, Dahlia. Dahlia visited her husband every day for the past 20 months, only going back to their West Hartford apartment to sleep.

Blumenthal joined Sajuti, his family and supporters at the church Friday afternoon.

Never give up, never back down, never give up, said Blumenthal, who encouraged those celebrating Sajutis victory to remember that there is still more work to be done.
A child's remains were discovered in a black garbage in Arkansas Friday while authorities searched the area for missing 4-year-old Maleah Davis, Houston police say.

Police said they could not confirm if the body was that of Davis.

Crews were searching in Fulton, Arkansas after a road clean-up crew found a black garbage bag on the roadside "emitting a foul odor." Police learned earlier in the day that the missing girl's stepfather told an activist Friday morning that the girl's death was accidental and that he'd dumped her body in Arkansas.

Though police in Houston believe Maleah Davis was killed, her death has not been confirmed and investigators, having reached a dead end in trying to find her remains, asked for the public's help in locating her body.

Sheriff James Singleton, of Hempstead County, Arkansas, spoke with the media Friday afternoon and said a search was being conducted in Fulton after Houston police reached out to them earlier in the day with a tip on where the missing child's remains may be located.

KPRC

Singleton said law enforcement had been searching the area Friday when they got a call about the garbage bag.

The garbage bag contained the remains of a child, Houston police confirmed late Friday afternoon, but police said they could not confirm whether it was the body of Maleah Davis.

"We were notified by an interstate clean-up crew, a road crew, that they may have possibly found a black garbage bag here emitting a foul odor. That's why we're here, at Exit 18, in Fulton," Singleton said.

When pressed for more information, Singleton said he didn't want to elaborate on what they found inside the bag.

"I don't want to comment on that right now," Singleton said, adding that state police and the FBI were at the scene handling the evidence. "We're hoping to make some kind of determination here in the next little bit."

Sheriff James Singleton, of Hempstead County, Arkansas, talks about the search for Maleah Davis near Fulton, Arkansas, Friday, May 31, 2019.

The search began Friday after Quanell X, a civil rights activist and the former spokesman for the missing girl's mother, Brittany Bowens, told an assembled group of reporters in Houston that he spoke with Maleah Davis' stepfather Derion Vence that morning and that Vence said the child's death was accidental. He said he then drove to Arkansas and dumped her body somewhere off the side of the road.

"This morning I was able to meet with Mr. Vance, the stepfather of Maleah Davis, and we had a long conversation. We spoke about details around Maleah's disappearance ... we talked about several things. One thing he wanted to make clear to me was, what happened to Maleah was an accident," Quanell X said. "He says it was an accident and he confessed to me where he dumped her body."

Quanell X said Friday morning that Vence was specific with him about how the girl died and where he left her body, all information he shared with police but that he didn't want to share publicly.

NBC 5 News

Vence reported the girl missing in early May, saying she'd been abducted after he pulled over on a Houston highway. Police later said the story didn't add up.

Surveillance video from a neighbor showed Vence carrying a large, blue laundry basket with a large trash bag from his apartment on May 3, said Pat Stayton, a prosecutor with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. Vence returned three minutes later without the basket and later he was seen leaving the apartment with cleaning supplies, including bleach.

He has been in jail since May 11 when he was charged with tampering with evidence in connection with Davis' disappearance. Investigators said they found blood in the family's apartment that matched the girl's DNA but up to this point have not confirmed her death or filed any charges related to her death.

KSNV-TV

Police have described Vence as Maleah's stepfather, but Quanell X said previously that Vence and Bowens were recently in a fight and she broke off their engagement.

Child Protective Services removed Maleah and her brothers from the home Vence and Bowens shared in August after the girl suffered a head wound, but the children were returned in February, according to an agency spokeswoman.
A North Texas man discovered the hidden history of a stranger's family and devoted years of his life to unraveling it. It's a tragic story from Nazi Germany that holds lessons for today.

In any family tree, some branches grow together, while some are joined by choice or chance.

"I know them so well," said Tim Mallad, looking at a series of black and white photos laid out in front of him. "They're more than family, they're friends. They're just old friends that I've known for a long time."

This family's roots are made of mahogany, bound together by an antique desk that Mallad bought in an estate sale. A secret drawer inside took him on a 30-year quest for answers.

"The first thing I thought, 'Oh my gosh, there could be stocks, bonds, money, gold coins!' I was really, really excited," Mallad said. "Instead there were a bunch of letters and they were all in German."

Though he couldn't read them, Mallad was drawn to the letters, dated around World War II. He tried for years to have them translated.

"People would read them and they would start crying," Mallad said.

He finally learned why. They tell the story of a Christian German family, the Weisses, during the Russian invasion at the end of the war.

"They had formed a pact, evidently, to commit suicide if something unspeakable happened," Mallad said.

And then it did.

The mother and a 13-year-old daughter were both raped repeatedly by Russian soldiers.

"She begged her daddy to die and he honored that request," Mallad said.

A witness wrote to the little girl's aunt Helene Sebba, maiden name Weiss, the woman who owned the desk.

Sebba had escaped to England, where she locked the letters away inside the wooden desk, shielding the story of one battered branch of her family tree.

"It's horrible and it's such a strange feeling," Mallad said. "I have two daughters, so right away you get into the head of that father."

Mallad set out to find surviving family members, and Facebook gave him the final clue.

"Ten minutes on the internet literally, after 30 years and I find Frank," Mallad said.

Frank Pringham is Helene Sebba's grandson. He lives in Atlanta.

"I do remember the desk sitting in her apartment," Pringham said via Skype. "I think the amazing thing is how my grandmother kept all this to herself."

Together he and Mallad decided to break the silence.

"There were hundreds of people that committed suicide along with my great uncle and his family," Pringham said. "With this story, we actually were able to put names and faces together, rather than just statistics and data."

"When you start to see the people and you get to know the people, the time disappears, the numbers have names and faces and personalities and I think we need to keep that fresh," Mallad said.

The intimacy of the letters brings the family back.

"I'm assuming that those are from tears, where the ink is smeared," Mallad said, pointing to the pages. "In my mind, they're still alive, they're still speaking."

It's as if theyre calling out across the generations to keep moving forward and bring that secret pain to light, so lessons from the past can take root.

"You want to bring meaning to those deaths," Mallad said. "But more than that, you want to celebrate the lives that were taken and give them their names back."

Mallad and Pringham are now planning a trip to Germany together to visit the places where this story happened and pay respects at the family's grave.
Jury selection begins Friday in the case of Brenda Delgado, the woman accused of orchestrating a 2015 plot to kill Dallas pediatric dentist Kendra Hatcher.

Delgado is charged with capital murder and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Prosecutors allege Delgado hired a hit man, Kristopher Love, to rob and kill Hatcher in the parking lot of her Dallas apartment. Prosecutors described Delgado as being the jealous ex-girlfriend of Hatcher's boyfriend.

Delgado later fled to Mexico, before she was arrested and brought back in 2016. She spent a brief period of time on the FBI's Top 10 Most Wanted list.

Love is one of three people charged in connection with the murder. He was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death row in October 2018.

"He was a piece, he was a cog in the wheel," Love's defense attorney Paul Johnson said at Love's sentencing. "Kendra Hatcher was dead from the moment Brenda Delgado decided she was going to take her life."

If found guilty, Delgado will not face the death penalty as part of an extradition

agreement.
Jabreal Arrington, a graduate of Lancaster High School in Lancaster ISD, made history on Saturday. She was one of 34 African American women who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the 2019 class. That was the highest number of African American women to graduate, in the same class, from the prestigious military institution in the schools 217-year history.

Arrington and the other women were all in the now-viral picture taken on the schools campus.

"At the time it was just a picture! We were just coming together," Arrington said. "I was thinking they were all my sisters and we have all been through the same experiences. This is just something that every single class of African American women at West Point do."

She said the picture was the idea of the first African American, female graduate from West Point, Pat Locke.

"Pat Locke, the very first African American woman graduate. She was like 'You guys have to take this picture. This is absolutely mandatory'. It just became like a really big thing," Arrington said.

While she is sure of her journey now, Arrington said her path to the U.S. Army wasnt always certain.

"I really didnt know what I wanted to do up until around sophomore year of high school. I was kind of all over the place. I wanted to be a teacher and a dancer. I had all these wild dreams that I guess I never pursued," said Arrington.

She said that it was at Lancaster High School that she realized what her purpose was.

"When I joined JROTC it just became clear to me that I wanted to lead," said Arrington.

Arrington said she is going to enjoy a little bit of a break after a long five years of hard work at West Point. She wont be resting for long though. She will soon head to Fort Sill in Oklahoma for an officer leadership course. After that, she will report to Fort Bliss for her first official duty station.

One thing is for sure.

"This is not the end of the road for me. This is just the first step to a lifetime of achievement and success," Arrington said. "Just like, being the best that I can be for everyone who developed me and mentored me and pushed me and took me to that next level."
Transgenic fungus rapidly killed malaria mosquitoes in West African study

According to the World Health Organization, malaria affects hundreds of millions of people around the world, killing more than 400,000 annually. Decades of insecticide use has failed to control mosquitoes that carry the malaria parasite and has led to insecticide-resistance among many mosquito strains. In response, scientists began genetically modifying mosquitoes and other organisms that can help eradicate mosquitoes. Until now, none of these transgenic approaches made it beyond laboratory testing.

In a research paper published in the May 31, 2019, issue of the journal Science, a team of scientists from the University of Maryland and Burkina Faso described the first trial outside the laboratory of a transgenic approach to combating malaria. The study showed that a naturally occurring fungus engineered to deliver a toxin to mosquitoes safely reduced mosquito populations by more than 99% in a screen-enclosed, simulated village setting in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

"No transgenic malaria control has come this far down the road toward actual field testing," said Brian Lovett, a graduate student in UMD's Department of Entomology and the lead author of the paper. "This paper marks a big step and sets a precedent for this and other transgenic methods to move forward."

"We demonstrated that the efficacy of the transgenic fungi is so much better than the wild type that it justifies continued development," said Raymond St. Leger, a Distinguished University Professor of Entomology at UMD and co-author of the study.

The fungus is a naturally occurring pathogen that infects insects in the wild and kills them slowly. It has been used to control various pests for centuries. The scientists used a strain of the fungus that is specific to mosquitoes and engineered it to produce a toxin that kills mosquitoes more rapidly than they can breed. This transgenic fungus caused mosquito populations in their test site to collapse to unsustainable levels within two generations.

"You can think of the fungus as a hypodermic needle we use to deliver a potent insect-specific toxin into the mosquito," said St. Leger.

The toxin is an insecticide called Hybrid. It is derived from the venom of the Australian Blue Mountains funnel-web spider and has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for application directly on crops to control agricultural insect pests.

"Simply applying the transgenic fungus to a sheet that we hung on a wall in our study area caused the mosquito populations to crash within 45 days," Lovett said. "And it is as effective at killing insecticide-resistant mosquitoes as non-resistant ones."

Lovett said laboratory tests suggest that the fungus will infect the gamut of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. The abundance of species that transmit malaria has hindered efforts to control the disease, because not all species respond to the same treatment methods.

To modify the fungus Metarhizium pingshaense so that it would produce and deliver Hybrid, the University of Maryland research team used a standard method that employs a bacterium to intentionally transfer DNA into fungi. The DNA the scientists designed and introduced into the fungi provided the blueprints for making Hybrid along with a control switch that tells the fungus when to make the toxin.

The control switch is a copy of the fungus' own DNA code. Its normal function is to tell the fungus when to build a defensive shell around itself so that it can hide from an insect's immune system. Building that shell is costly for the fungus, so it only makes the effort when it detects the proper surroundings--inside the bloodstream of a mosquito.

By combining the genetic code for that switch with the code for making Hybrid, the scientists were able to ensure that their modified fungus only produces the toxin inside the body of a mosquito. They tested their modified fungus on other insects in Maryland and Burkina Faso, and found that the fungus was not harmful to beneficial species such as honeybees.

"These fungi are very selective," St. Leger said. "They know where they are from chemical signals and the shapes of features on an insect's body. The strain we are working with likes mosquitoes. When this fungus detects that it is on a mosquito, it penetrates the mosquito's cuticle and enters the insect. It won't go to that trouble for other insects, so it's quite safe for beneficial species such as honeybees."

After demonstrating the safety of their genetically modified fungus in the lab, Lovett and St. Leger worked closely with scientific colleagues and government authorities in Burkina Faso to test it in a controlled environment that simulated nature. In a rural, malaria-endemic area of Burkina Faso, they constructed a roughly 6,550-square-foot, screened-in structure they called MosquitoSphere. Inside, multiple screened chambers contained experimental huts, plants, small mosquito-breeding pools and a food source for the mosquitoes.

In one set of experiments, the researchers hung a black cotton sheet coated with sesame oil on the wall of a hut in each of three chambers. One sheet received oil mixed with the transgenic fungus Metarhizium pingshaense, one received oil with wild-type Metarhizium and one received only sesame oil. Then, they released 1,000 adult male and 500 adult female mosquitoes into each chamber of MosquitoSphere to establish breeding populations. The researchers then counted mosquitoes in each chamber every day for 45 days.

In the chamber containing the sheet treated with the transgenic fungus, mosquito populations plummeted over 45 days to just 13 adult mosquitoes. That is not enough for the males to create a swarm, which is required for mosquitoes to breed. By comparison, the researchers counted 455 mosquitoes in the chamber treated with wild-type fungus and 1,396 mosquitoes in the chamber treated with plain sesame oil after 45 days. They ran this experiment multiple times with the same dramatic results.

In similar experiments in the lab, the scientists also found that females infected with transgenic fungus laid just 26 eggs, only three of which developed into adults, whereas uninfected females laid 139 eggs that resulted in 74 adults.

According to the researchers, it is critically important that new anti-malarial technologies, such as the one tested in this study, are easy for local communities to employ. Black cotton sheets and sesame oil are relatively inexpensive and readily available locally. The practice also does not require people to change their behavior, because the fungus can be applied in conjunction with pesticides that are commonly used today.

"By following EPA and World Health Organization protocols very closely, working with the central and local government to meet their criteria and working with local communities to gain acceptance, we've broken through a barrier," Lovett said. "Our results will have broad implications for any project proposing to scale up new, complex and potentially controversial technologies for malaria eradication."

Next, the international team of scientists hope to test their transgenic fungus in a local village or community. There are many regulatory and social benchmarks to meet before deploying this new method in an open environment such as a village, but the researchers said this study helps make the case for such trials.

###

The research paper, "Transgenic Metarhizium rapidly kills mosquitoes in a malaria-endemic region of Burkina Faso," Brian Lovett, Etienne Bilgo, Souro Abel Millogo, Abel Kader Ouattarra, Issiaka Sare, Edounou Jacques Gnambani, Roch K. Dabire Abdoulaye Diabate and Raymond J. St. Leger, was published in the journal Science on May 30, 2019.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (Award No RO1-AI106998). The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations.

Media Relations Contact: Kimbra Cutlip, 301-405-9463, kcutlip@umd.edu

University of Maryland

College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

2300 Symons Hall

College Park, Md. 20742

http://www. cmns. umd. edu

@UMDscience

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
A rare tornado warning was issued Tuesday for the New York City area, triggered by severe thunderstorms that rolled through the region. While its uncommon for twisters to hit major cities like New York, scientists say that may not always be the case.

Theres no magical reason why tornadoes seem to miss big cities. It just comes down to chance. Densely populated urban areas such as Los Angeles, Chicago or New York are relatively small specks amid vast stretches of forests, mountains or otherwise rural regions.

But, as cities grow and developments spill beyond city limits, these areas become part of an "expanding bull's-eye" effect, as described by a 2015 study published in the magazine Weatherwise.

"Theres an enormous increase in vulnerability and exposure just due to population density," said Victor Gensini, a climatologist at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. "I could give numerous examples in Illinois, where I live, where tornadoes would have normally blown through corn fields, but now theyre going through urban areas."
A man from Reseda accused of plotting bomb and gun attacks around Southern California appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Friday and denied that he committed two terrorism crimes.

Mark Steven Domingo, 26, said, not guilty, when he was asked how he pleads to the charges during a brief appearance at the Roybal Federal Building, a week after he was indicted on charges of providing material support to terrorists and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. If convicted he could face a sentence of life in prison.

Domingo was arrested last month after the FBI said he began assembling components needed to bomb a rally in Long Beach and accepted delivery of items he believed to be improvised explosive devices. The devices were lookalikes provided by an undercover informant working with the FBI.

During recorded conversations that took place online and in person, Domingo allegedly discussed his desire to retaliate for attacks against Muslims around the world, including the mass shootings at mosques in New Zealand in March.

"There were mosque shootings in New Zealand," Domingo posted to a private group online on March 14, according to federal prosecutors. "[T]here must be retribution."

Domingo allegedly added: "I feel like I should make a christians life miserable tomorrow for our fallen bros n sis in [N]ew Zealand ... maybe a jews life ... they shed our blood ... no Muslim should have to experience this, a message needs to be sent."

According to court documents and prosecutors, Domingo fantasized about murdering a variety of perceived enemies, including Christians, Jews, white supremacists, police officers, and even his next-door neighbor. But he struggled to pinpoint a target or develop a plan. Asked if he was intending to get caught, Domingo offered an oddly casual response.

"Martyrdom, bro," Domingo said, according to the indictment.

The former U.S. Army infantryman, who completed a four-month deployment to Afghanistan in January 2013, became obsessed with the idea of getting his hands on an improvised explosive device after the FBI informant said he knew someone who used to make them.

"We'll both make it. I just don't know how," Domingo said in one conversation, according to the indictment. "I'll be honest. I'm smart in history but I failed chemistry. Science is not my forte ... If he doesn't want to make it, don't force him. But ask him how. Details ... F-----g to the letter details. Ask him."

Domingo was arrested after he made preparations to attack a "white nationalist rally" in Huntington Beach on April 27. He was charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists. The indictment was unsealed roughly six weeks after a gunman opened fire at two mosques in the city of Christchurch, killing 50 people.
Construction on a high-speed train line between Southern California and Las Vegas will likely be delayed two years after the project failed to secure tax abatements in Nevada, officials said.

Virgin Trains USA had planned to start next year building the $4 billion dual tracks running 185 miles along the Interstate 15 corridor, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Thursday.

The company, formerly named Brightline, was seeking partial abatement of state sales and property taxes, but talks with state lawmakers did not progress far enough to get into specific figures, said Bob O'Malley, the company's vice president of government affairs.

"If we had been able to do something this session, we were ready to start construction in 2020," O'Malley said.

The company plans to pursue tax abatements again in 2021, the next session of the biennial Legislature.

The project is being financed entirely by private investment, so the company is not looking for tax credits or state grants, O'Malley said. It is looking for a similar deal it acquired in Florida, where it built a rail system serving Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

"Like Nevada, high-speed rail was an unfulfilled dream in Florida for decades," O'Malley said. "Florida leaders encouraged private investment in high-speed rail, and as a result the state is now reaping the benefits of billions of dollars in privately funded infrastructure, thousands of good-paying jobs, improved mobility for its residents, and positive environmental impacts."
A 66-year-old former Marine accused of killing a woman in Orange County 43 years ago faces an extradition hearing Friday in Louisiana.

Eddie Lee Anderson, jailed in Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana, is accused of killing 30-year-old Leslie Penrod Harris in May 1976, according to Carrie Braun of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Anderson was arrested at his home in River Ridge, Louisiana, on Friday.

Investigators chalked up advances in DNA technology to the arrest. Harris was dining with her husband at a Costa Mesa restaurant on May 17, 1976, when she got up and left, but then never returned, Braun said. Her husband called police when she didn't return to the restaurant as it closed at 8:30 p.m.

About 4:30 a.m., May 18, 1976, military police at what was then the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro found a body in a roadway near the base, Braun said. Investigators determined it was Harris and that she had been strangled.

Investigators re-examined genetic evidence in 1997, but did not come up with any new leads. In August of last year, investigators started using online genealogy databases to work up a suspect, which has helped authorities make arrests in other cold cases.

At some point this year, Anderson became a suspect. Anderson served at the El Toro base in the early 1970s, and at the time Harris was killed he lived less than a mile from the restaurant where the victim dined with her husband before she went missing, Braun said.

Investigators went to New Orleans on Thursday to question Anderson, who provided them with a DNA sample, prompting his arrest on suspicion of murder, Braun said.

Authorities did not say what relationship, if any, Anderson had with the victim, and no possible motive was released.
Three brothers who were sexually abused by a priest from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the Vatican, claiming the Holy See bears responsibility because the case was mishandled by former Archbishop John Nienstedt and the Vatican's former ambassador to the United States.

The lawsuit attempts to trace a direct line from clergy sex abuse victims to the Vatican, through Minnesota church officials. Luke, Stephen and Ben Hoffman were abused by former priest Curtis Wehmeyer, roughly between 2009 and 2012.

"I have too many nieces and nephews to let something like this happen to anybody else," Stephen Hoffman said about his decision to come forward.

Nienstedt and the former ambassador, Carlo Maria Vigano, have previously denied the allegations raised in the lawsuit. The Vatican's U.S. lawyer, Jeffrey Lena, had no immediate comment. In the past Lena has described sex abuse lawsuits against the Vatican as publicity stunts.

The lawsuit's plaintiffs include two other men who say they were molested by Catholic priests, one in Minnesota and one in California. Those two men sued the Vatican separately within the last year, but attorney Jeff Anderson withdrew their cases in anticipation of Tuesday's lawsuit. Anderson had also sued the Vatican on two prior occasions without success.

Anderson said he believes the new lawsuit is stronger because he's made a more complete effort to document Vatican authority over Catholic clerics and to portray the church as a commercial enterprise. The Hoffman brothers' involvement also allowed him to bring in issues surrounding Nienstedt, which he says are emblematic of how church leaders have covered up abuse.

"The body of evidence and the scope of the complaint is much broader and much more developed than the first time we litigated this," Anderson said.

Because it has the status of a foreign nation, the Vatican is generally exempt from lawsuits in the United States. Exceptions to the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act include wrongful acts committed against U.S. citizens and commercial activities undertaken by foreign nations.

The new lawsuit seeks monetary damages, but the plaintiffs said truth is the goal. The lawsuit asks for court orders requiring the Vatican to turn over names of "credibly accused" priests whose cases have been referred to the Holy See, along with related records. It also seeks names of church leaders who have been implicit in covering up abuse.

Ben Hoffman said the church needs to be more transparent and "live in the truth."

"I'm still Catholic. I have a deep love for the church. I have a deep love for my faith, it means the world to me. But the Vatican  we have to fix this," he said, his eyes watering.

Before the Hoffman brothers were abused, church officials received complaints about Wehmeyer's inappropriate sexual activities. In 2004, he was cited for loitering in a Minnesota park known as a place to meet for anonymous sex, and he lied to police about his identity, the lawsuit says.

Wehmeyer was later evaluated at a treatment center for troubled priests and diagnosed with a sexual disorder. The archbishop at the time, Harry Flynn, moved him from West St. Paul to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul and assigned him to administrative duties.

But in 2009, about the time Wehmeyer started abusing the Hoffman brothers, Nienstedt promoted Wehmeyer to pastor. According to the lawsuit, another archdiocesan official cautioned Nienstedt  then newly installed as archbishop  about the promotion and informed him of Wehmeyer's record, to no avail.

Over the next three years, Wehmeyer abused the Hoffman brothers, who were in their mid-teens, during camping trips. After the boys' mother reported the abuse of at least two of her sons to police, Wehmeyer was arrested and pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct and possession of child pornography.

The AP does not routinely name victims of sexual abuse, but the plaintiffs have chosen to speak publicly.

Wehmeyer's arrest led local prosecutors to file criminal charges against the archdiocese for failing to protect children. The charges were dropped in 2016 when the archdiocese admitted wrongdoing and agreed to meet with victims and adopt stronger measures to prevent clergy abuse.

Wehmeyer's arrest also triggered the resignation of Nienstedt after the archdiocese retained a law firm to look into his supervision of Wehmeyer. The investigation alleged Nienstedt had sexually harassed priests and seminarians and had a "social relationship" with Wehmeyer.

Controversy surrounding Nienstedt escalated when a priest involved in the investigation wrote a memo saying that Vigano ordered church officials to end the inquiry and instructed them to destroy a letter they wrote to him objecting to his directive.

Vigano flatly denied those allegations in a statement last year. "I never told anyone that (the law firm) should stop the inquiry, and I never ordered any document be destroyed," he said. "Any statement to the contrary is false."

Nienstedt, who is not a defendant in the case, also denies the allegations. In a response to emailed questions from the AP on Tuesday, Nienstedt said his interaction with Wehmeyer was in the context of archbishop to priest.

"During my time as Archbishop, I was made aware of some challenges Wehmeyer was facing, but was not made aware that he may be inappropriately or illegally involved with minors," Nienstedt wrote. He said that as archbishop, he ensured Wehmeyer was complying with conditions placed on him, including attending counseling.

Nienstedt wrote that Wehmeyer was being supervised and doing what was asked of him, and the decision to promote him was made in consultation with others.

"I would never knowingly cover up clergy sexual abuse," Nienstedt wrote.

Nienstedt also said he's unaware of a final report that came out of the investigation into him, but he reiterated that even though the allegations are false, he directed that the investigation be carried out, as he would have done for any other priest.
An Alabama woman reluctantly let her 14-year-old daughter wear her 1986 class ring to impress a boy during a spring break trip to Panama City Beach in 2002.

The ring slipped off her daughter's finger as they walked the beach and quickly disappeared in the waves. Regina Ham thought her ring was gone forever.

Enter Tim Nagler, who spotted a shiny object as he was snorkeling along the St. Andrews State Park jetties. He posted a picture on Facebook Wednesday, asking if anyone knows the ring's owner: Regina Brooks of Pike County, Alabama.

As it was shared 5,800 times, someone tagged Regina Ham, whose maiden name was Brooks. "It's mine," she commented, adding she couldn't believe he found it.

Now they're working out the details of returning the ring.
What to Know Even years later, many towns still bear the scars, physical or psychological.

The annual start of hurricane season casts a shadow of dread over coastal sections of the United States. People fret over the next Big One, even as communities struggle to recover from the last one.

For some communities, the devastation remains an open wound, as in Florida's Panama City, slammed by Hurricane Michael in October.

Even years later, many towns still bear the scars, physical or psychological.

PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA

With hurricane season days away, Janelle Crosby steps out of the cramped recreational vehicle where she has lived since Hurricane Michael ripped apart her world more than seven months ago.

More than a half-dozen friends and relatives live in three domed tents near the front of the RV, and a daughter is just feet away in Crosby's former home, an old trailer that was split open by trees. A homeless man lives in a tent on the other side of the RV; Crosby and her husband, Wilbur, let him stay on their little plot of property because he had nowhere else to go.

Crosby, 55, rode out the Category 5 storm at a hotel and feels fortunate, despite her living conditions and poor health  she has breast cancer  because no close friends or family died in Michael. Yet she is terrified that hurricane season begins Saturday with her Florida Panhandle community still in ruins.

"I've already lost everything once. We can't do it again. I can't. I'm not strong enough. A lot of these people aren't," Crosby said over the drone of a gasoline-powered generator.

It's hard to imagine what another hurricane would do to Crosby's part of the Panhandle, where she lives near Panama City in Springfield.

Both cities are in Bay County, where 25 people were killed as Michael blew ashore with winds of 160 mph. About 70% of the county's homes were damaged or destroyed, and some 20,000 people were displaced. Three schools remain closed because of damage, as do many businesses and apartment buildings. Officials estimate 13% of the county's 185,000 residents simply left.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provided Crosby and her husband $1,300 in aid and offered a temporary condominium nearly 15 miles away in Panama City Beach, she said. The family declined the housing because her husband didn't have transportation to get to his job at a transmission shop, Crosby said.

So the couple remains in the camper, shooing away the occasional rat and pooling resources with the tent dwellers.

"If one of us has generator gas, we all have a fan, or if we have propane, we all get to cook that night," she said. "If not, we get out here and make fires and cook. We're surviving."

They're also praying there's not another hurricane anytime soon.

"I don't want to live through another," she said. "I don't want to ever witness what we witnessed. It was just terrifying."

NICHOLS, SOUTH CAROLINA

Thomas Lee tenses up whenever a forecaster mentions trouble in the tropics.

He dreads a third round of flooding from hurricane-swollen rivers, which might mean finally telling his South Carolina hometown of 70 years goodbye. That's after devastating flooding from Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and again from Hurricane Florence in 2018.

When the first drops of rain from Florence fell last September, Lee considered leaving. But exactly 238 days later, he put the last coat of bright yellow paint on his walls, covering the 2018 high-water mark, several inches above the 2016 line. Some $13,000 later  all out of his own pocket for now  his house is home again, while the town of a few hundred souls struggles to stay alive.

"These are my roots," Lee said, pointing to a nearly collapsed structure next door where he was born in 1949.

Nichols, 45 miles from the sea, lost more than half its businesses and a third of its homes in 2016 and shrank some more after 2018, Town Administrator Sandee Rogers said. Along Nichols' two-lane main drag, every building is boarded up. Many houses abandoned in 2016 are collapsing. Its bustling core gone, Nichols now tries to attract residents with its proximity to the coast, Rogers said.

"It's real small-town America, but close to other things," Rogers said. "We can't give up on small-town America."

Some research suggests global warming is increasing the intensity of rains across the Southeast. A $1.5 million federal grant will study Nichols' topography and flow to see how to prevent flooding, but the results won't be in in time to make any difference this season.

"We're on pins and needles now," Rogers said.

GALVESTON, TEXAS

It's been nearly 11 years since Hurricane Ike smashed Murdochs gift shop to splinters in Galveston while devastating homes on the Texas island and wiping away beaches that were the lifeblood of its tourism economy.

The shop was rebuilt on its stilts about a year later and today is more successful than ever, co-owner Todd Flores said.

"It was hard, but we had a lot of people helping us," Flores said of the rebuilding, which was sped by a loan from a local bank when insurance money was slow in coming. "We knew this is what we wanted to do."

The hurricane's 110 mph winds and 15-foot storm surge damaged 80% of Galveston's homes. Its population of 55,000 dropped by about 10,000.

The population has bounced back, but the demographics have shifted. Many of those who lived in public housing that was destroyed never came back. That meant Galveston lost many African American families, changing the city's character, said Leon Phillips, president of the Galveston Coalition for Justice.

"When you displace that many people in one fell swoop, that leaves very little to ... keep the history of African Americans on this island," Phillips said.

Phillips has pushed for a full rebuilding of Galveston's four public housing complexes against the resistance of some residents who say they are a haven for poverty. Only half of the lost units have been rebuilt, but the mayor is committed to finishing the job.

"In my mind, the city was too slow to respond to the underserved or those who couldn't raise Cain and get answers," Mayor Jim Yarbrough said.

Between 2008, when Ike hit, and 2015, Galveston's black population dropped 9%. But it has increased in the past few years.

Meanwhile, Galveston has spent more than $200 million to largely restore its infrastructure, improving storm drainage and building a $75 million wastewater treatment plant. Last year the Gulf Coast city had its best year on record, with 7.2 million visitors.

"The city is definitely doing really well," said Keith Bassett, who rebuilt and consolidated his two stores that were flooded in Galveston's historic downtown. "Based upon what happened after Hurricane Ike, you never would have believed we would be at this point."

The approach of hurricane season is a reminder that it's only a matter of time before the next one. A hurricane in 1900 killed 6,000 Galveston residents. Murdochs has been rebuilt five times since it opened in 1910 inside a bathhouse.

"You don't really breathe until November," Flores said.

PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LOUISIANA

Siblings Patty and John Vogt remember brisk traffic on Louisiana Highway 23 that brought oilfield workers to their roadside produce business. Grocery stores and farmers markets were regular customers for the citrus they grew in Plaquemines Parish.

"Our business was really blooming," Patty recalled as she sat next to her brother in a cavernous red barn behind their produce stand and next to a small orchard. "We had a lot of customers. We delivered to wholesalers, fruit stands, stores."

Then came Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It blew ashore in Plaquemines Parish on its way to New Orleans, where it caused a catastrophe.

In its aftermath, Patty managed to salvage and rebuild the 60-foot contraption that washes, rinses and dries their harvest. But their citrus business never fully recovered. She once tended 5,000 trees. Now, it's about 1,000. The 200 citrus producers in Plaquemines before Katrina hit dwindled to 60 by 2017, according to the Louisiana State University AgCenter.

Patty, 65, said she is determined to continue their family business of four generations but always frets when hurricane season nears.

"Everybody does that's been totally wiped out," said Patty, whose business has also been hurt by drop-offs in customers as a result of low oil prices and the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

John, 68, reminisced about the competition at the annual parish Orange Festival. "There used to be eight, 10, maybe 12 vendors at one time selling oranges," he said.

"Now, you got one," the brother and sister said, almost in unison. "Us."

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA

Nearly 27 years after Hurricane Andrew cut a path of destruction south of Miami, Karon Grunwell is still overcome with sadness when she thinks about how the Category 5 storm forever changed her hometown.

In 1992, Homestead was a sleepy agricultural town bordered by the Everglades and large farms planted with winter tomatoes and other crops. It was also the site of Homestead Air Force Base. Now Homestead is full of sprawling gated developments where many residents commute 40 miles north to Miami with no memory of the monster storm.

Grunwell still lives in the sturdy concrete block home where she and her family rode out the storm in the early morning darkness of Aug. 12. Thousands of homes and businesses in the town of about 27,000 were leveled.

"The Air Force base was totally destroyed. Andrew caused a major impact to schools, grocery stores, retail businesses. And it caused huge economic problems for just your everyday people," Grunwell said. "The vegetation has come back, but it's not anything like it was."

"I still cry when I talk about it," she said.

Families who had lived in the area for generations got their insurance payouts and moved away. Many went to neighboring Broward County. Grunwell, who was a manager for the Postal Service, said there were 35,000 change-of-address forms processed for the towns of Homestead, nearby Florida City and Princeton.

Jeff Blakley, 62, remembers watching the exodus while pulling 12-hour shifts as a BellSouth lineman, repairing telephone lines for the ravaged area.

"As I went home in the evenings, I remember seeing a solid line of cars heading north," Blakley said. "It was bumper-to-bumper, and it was heartbreaking because you would see cars with everything they owned. Stuff was coming out the windows and mattresses were strapped to the roof. And they were just leaving because the devastation was so horrific."

The Air Force base was downsized, its population going from 5,123 before Andrew to 466 in 2000. The storm stunted Homestead's growth rate in the 1990s, but it surged in the early 2000s as land sold by departing farmers was transformed into housing developments. The town now has about 70,000 people.

But for hurricane survivors, "the stuff will not go away for quite some time," Grunwell said. "You will keep remembering how things were."
The joy of buying a new car came to a sudden stop for Tamara Zeien.

She and her husband were thrilled to buy their 2017 Jeep Cherokee Latitude.

Lets be a Jeep family. Lets look at the new Jeeps that are out, Zeien said.

But five months after bringing the SUV home, she says it stalled on her way to work.

At that moment we had to turn everything off and wait, she said. I had to put on our hazards.

She said she took the SUV back to the dealership where she bought it and they noticed the oil level was low.

They told me they I had no oil. I said it cant be because I take care of my cars, Zeien said.

She says the SUV was topped off with oil and she was told to come back in 1,000 miles for an oil consumption test.

Documents show Zeien took the SUV in for the same problem four times in less than a year.

Technicians found the car had a low oil levels but repair reports show the technicians couldnt find a leak. At one point, the engine was replaced but she says five months in, the SUV stalled again.

It made me truly feel that my family didnt matter to them and my safety didnt matter to them, Zeien said.

Zeien called NBC 6 Responds for help.

We found she isnt the only driver looking for help. A search on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations database shows 29 complaints from 2017 Jeep Cherokee owners related to oil consumption and stalling issues.

We reached out to Jeeps parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles about Zeiens issue.

A spokesperson sent us this email response, Regarding her concern, I can confirm we have received similar reports. We continually monitor the performance of our vehicles in the field. We do so through multiple data streams, including dealer service records. Our 2,650 U.S. dealers perform 20 million service operations per year, from diagnostic inspections to oil changes to accident repairs. FCA uses algorithms to examine the contents of these records. If an issue is discovered, we act accordingly.

After we reached out to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles they made Zeien an offer to buy back her SUV and she accepted.

She is now shopping for a new car and hoping to get one that she can trust to get her where she wants to go.
Flora boarded a red-eye flight from San Francisco to Atlanta earlier this month to attend a hearing that her attorney feared would be futile for both her and the U.S. government.

Flora, a 19-year-old Mayan Mam woman who struggles to walk because of a disability she and her attorney said was caused by persecution in Guatemala, flew more than 2,000 miles to report in front of an immigration judge with a recent 95.8% asylum denial rate. The immigration court didnt provide an interpreter who spoke her regional dialect, so Flora couldn't even express herself.

"I never thought that I would suffer," Flora told NBC through an interpreter. "I never thought I would feel sad or frustrated in front of a U.S. judge."

When Flora arrived in Georgia for her May 17 hearing, she could at least wait with her attorney Alexandra Bachan at a cafe instead of at Irwin County Detention Center, a local detention facility where she had previously spent seven months.

When Flora was still detained at Irwin, she said she tried to call her attorney multiple times per day for a month but the line inevitably dropped (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Flora made more than 200 calls at Irwin in December and January, and that many of the calls made to her attorney indicated that Flora hung up before the call connected). Bachan, who asked NBC not to use Flora's last name to protect her privacy, flew to Atlanta to secure her client's release on bond in January.

Courtesy of Alexandra Bachan

The obstacles Flora has endured while seeking asylum in the United States resonate with immigration attorneys across the country. They say unfair parole and bond practices that keep asylum seekers detained long after they demonstrate a credible fear and immigration judges who do not seem impartial or independent have created an environment where violations to due process are rampant. With immigration judges under the purview of Americas top prosecutor, the attorney general, and with parole decisions in the hands of the Department of Homeland Security, lawyers feel asylum seekers face an uphill and often insurmountable battle.

"Ive never seen such due process violations as I do in immigration courts, and just really what I would consider an absence of justice, said Anne M. Rios, an attorney with Al Otro Lado in California.

"There is no longer, it seems, a right to due process," said Luz Lopez-Ortiz, a senior supervising attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center.

SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana on Thursday filed a complaint in the District of Columbia concerning the New Orleans ICE field office, claiming its "blanket denials of parole" under President Donald Trump have deprived asylum seekers of liberty without due process of law  in other words, fairness in legal matters. The field office, which exercises control in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee, accepted fewer than 2% of parole requests in 2018. Thats in stark contrast with 2016, when the field office granted parole in 75.9% of cases, according to ICE data.

Asylum seekers who demonstrate a credible fear may be granted parole by DHS if they can establish their identity and prove they are not a security or flight risk.

The suit, which has been filed in relation to the ACLUs Damus v. Nielsen case challenging parole practices elsewhere, is meant to compel federal immigration authorities to ensure asylum seekers do not languish indefinitely in detention. All of the plaintiffs came through a port of entry and demonstrated a credible fear of persecution or torture, according to the complaint. Though a decision would only pertain to the New Orleans field office, Laura Rivera, an SPLC attorney representing the plaintiffs, said she hopes the lawsuit will more broadly enforce the rights of asylum seekers to a fair and humane process.

But drawn-out detentions are only one of several hurdles stacked against asylum seekers. In April, representatives of the American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association filed an administrative complaint regarding immigration judges in El Paso, Texas, detailing behaviors they claimed represented a systemic pattern of dysfunction and lack of meaningful oversight in the U.S. immigration court system at large. They found that immigration judges at the El Paso Service Processing Center immigration court placed arbitrary page limits on evidence asylum seekers could submit, denied appearances by telephone and made inappropriate comments such as You know your client is going bye-bye, right? and Due process is an opportunity, not a privilege.

This isnt just a problem in El Paso  its a problem across the board, said Kathryn Shepherd, national advocacy counsel for the Immigration Justice Campaign at the American Immigration Council.

Since Trump took office, the Department of Justices Executive Office of Immigration Review has pursued two policies that attorneys fear may have made it even more difficult for asylum seekers to get a fair day in court. In early 2018, EOIR announced that it had established new performance metrics for immigration judges, and for a satisfactory performance review, judges must complete 700 cases per year. Those standards went into effect in October.

When youre placing quotas on judges or when you closely look at their denial rates for asylum and theyre subject to evaluations on those types of measurements, you can see how perhaps the process may not be the most constitutional, Lopez-Ortiz said.

Then, in November, EOIRs Director James McHenry sent out guidance that immigration judges should adjudicate asylum cases within six months, to the maximum extent practicable. When it was released, McHenry cited more than 350,000 cases in immigration proceedings with an asylum application pending, part of a backlog of more than 859,000 pending cases based on immigration charges as of April 2019.

Judges are human, and the types of pressures that are being placed on them is frankly indefensible, said Judge Ashley Tabaddor in Los Angeles, speaking in her capacity as president of the National Association of Immigration Judges.

She said quotas, deadlines, lack of access to interpreters and antiquated technology are putting "undue pressure" on judges who are trying to stay true to their oath of office.

Everything were facing is due to the fact that were treated as an extension of a law enforcement agency, she said.

Now, attorneys are reporting rushed court dates that do not give them enough time to build a case and frenetic hearings in front of inattentive judges. Rios said some judges are giving attorneys only two weeks to construct an asylum brief, which usually consists of anywhere from 500 to 1,000 pages.

These things just take way more time than theyre allotting, and they know it, said Bachan. They certainly know it.

Due process in detention

When Mamadou Balde was detained in Guinea for his affiliation with an opposition party in 2018, he was tortured with hot water and beaten until he escaped, he said. Balde, 25, traveled through almost a dozen countries to seek asylum in the U.S. On the way, his brother was shot and dumped in a river in Panama by men Balde described as mafia.

For two days, Balde waited by the river for a sign of his brother. One never came.

When Balde finally arrived in the U.S., he was incarcerated again, this time at Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County. He was eventually granted parole with a $10,000 bond, which he could not pay. So Balde remained in detention for six months while he awaited his asylum hearing.

Rios, Baldes attorney, said parole from ICE in San Diego comes at a high price. Thats when asylum seekers are lucky enough to have it granted.

Courtesy of Anne Rios

Attorneys say officers deliver denials with arbitrarily checked boxes to justify their decisions, and mistakes on ICE forms happen often. Rios provided a redacted parole request from Jan. 7, for a client who had come to the U.S. through a port of entry last fall. The parole denial was dated to Dec. 20  weeks before the request had been submitted  and claimed that ICE had conducted a parole interview with the asylum seeker on July 31, 2015, more than three years before he entered the country.

In the detention centers overseen by the New Orleans ICE field office, Rivera said detainees are often notified of their eligibility for parole after the due date has already passed to submit documents and well after a parole interview was supposedly scheduled (the form provided to an asylum seeker is called a parole advisal). For example, one client received his advisal on Sept. 8, but the due date to provide documents for parole was four days earlier, and his parole interview had been scheduled for August. His family sent documents two days before he was given the advisal, but he was still denied parole on Sept. 10. Rivera suspects ICE never truly considered the documentation they sent.

We dont think that any of them are conducting an actual review of the request. We think theyre just rubber stamping the denial, Rivera said.

When asylum seekers are detained, it makes it harder for them to pursue their asylum claims. For one, it can be challenging to find counsel, especially when detention centers are remote and require long drives to visit. Rivera said one of the men under the jurisdiction of the New Orleans field office was guaranteed representation through his wifes attorney if he was released. Instead, because he is still detained, he must represent himself in his asylum claim.

Even if detainees have an attorney, the fact that theyre incarcerated makes it more difficult to piece together evidence. During quarantines, detainees cant meet with their lawyers. And even on normal days, Rios said she has waited almost three hours just to get a clients signature.

I feel like all of these things add up to really affect the client to where the system is stacked against them, said Rios.

An ICE spokesperson said via email that generally speaking, legal visitation is allowed seven days a week, including holidays. Custody decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as immigration history, criminal history, medical history and ties to the community, and parole decisions "consider many of the same factors."

He could not confirm incidents described in this story without the names and dates of birth of each asylum seeker.

"ICE officers review all the facts of a case before making parole determinations, and the process is done professionally, humanely and in accordance with federal law and agency policy," the spokesperson said.

Due process in immigration courts

When Flora moved in with her aunt in Oakland, California, after being released from detention in Georgia, Bachan filed a motion for change of venue so that her client could finish her asylum case closer to home. Because of her disability and modest means, Flora told NBC, its difficult for her to fly.

Her impaired motor functions were likely caused by blows to the head from assailants in her home country who targeted her because she is indigenous, her attorney said. Flora today still feels the lasting impacts of those injuries, which make her hands and feet cramp and cause tremendous pain.

Judge William A. Cassidy denied the motion, even though DHS did not oppose the change of venue.

It definitely flies in the face of long-held case law and just common practice, said Bachan. Its just a consensus that if someone relocates, they need to be able to go to court close to where they live.

Days before the May hearing, Bachan found out that the court had ordered the wrong interpreter and called the judges clerk and court administrator. Judge Cassidy still made her and Flora travel to Atlanta, which cost roughly $2,797 just for flights. Only when they arrived did he decide the hearing could not proceed because Flora could not communicate without a capable Mam interpreter. A date for her next hearing has not yet been scheduled, and she is now filing an unopposed motion for change of venue.

Flora said Judge Cassidy made her feel like trash. He got angry a lot, she said. He didnt ever listen to what I said.

NBC contacted EOIR for a response from Judge Cassidy but was told immigration judges do not grant interviews or make statements. EOIR did not comment on the record about more general requests surrounding due process in their courts at the time of this article's publication. Complaints regarding an EOIR judge's conduct can be filed online.

Tabaddor, with the National Association of Immigration Judges, said she does not comment on particular cases but emphasized that the association is committed to standing for due process and professionalism. She said she and her colleagues constantly remind judges to be mindful of their oath of office, "which means you have to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States.

In San Diego, Rios warns clients that, as they talk about some of their most difficult life experiences, the judge may not even look at them. She remembered one judge who, during four or five hours of testimony, looked at her client just two or three times. One of those times, she said, was when the judge criticized her client for not displaying the right emotion.

Tabaddor said that judges might not look at asylum seekers because they are taking notes, knowing they will have to deliver an oral decision mere minutes later.

Sometimes, judges wont allow attorneys to speak. When William Silverman, a partner at Proskauer in New York, visited South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, for a week last June, he represented four children in their appeals after negative credible fear determinations. The cases were heard one after the other in a court trailer within the family detention facility, where the judge appeared by video.

Silverman asked, Your Honor, may I be heard? The judge said no. Silverman was allowed to state his appearance, but he could not otherwise speak.

If a proceeding is going to be a joke, that should be a big red flag, he said.

Silverman felt it was clear the judge had already made up his mind before they convened. As he denied each childs appeal, he told them, good luck in your home country.

To have that cavalier attitude in the face of such hardship in my mind violated everything we are as a country, Silverman said.

When judges join government attorneys in cross-examining asylum seekers, Rios said, it compromises their impartiality  especially when the line of questioning has little to do with the asylum claim. At Baldes asylum hearing, the government attorney asked him about his mother, who still lives in Guinea. The judge chimed in, asking Balde if he loved his mother, and what he could do from here to protect her if police arrested her. He could do nothing, Balde said, because he was detained in the U.S.

It was actually to the point that it nauseated me, Rios said.

Balde was granted asylum. But not everyone he met along the way got the same happy ending.

I know so many people, they suffer in detention center(s), he said. So many people, their case was denied.

There is a mental image Silverman thinks about a lot from last June. In a waiting room, people sat patiently before being called into a side room to discuss their credible fear interviews. They had to wait for a while, Silverman said, but no one ever complained. He remembers how so many of the women sat for hours staring straight ahead of them, trauma etched in their faces.

I really view it as a refugee crisis, the equivalent of people fleeing war zones, Silverman said. Theres no policy here that could be cruel enough to deter people from crossing the border.
Special counsel Robert Mueller said Wednesday morning that in any testimony before Congress he would not provide information beyond what is already public about Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election or accusations of obstruction into his investigation by President Donald Trump. But in what could be a roadmap forward for Democrats, he noted that there is another procedure for charging a president of a crime.

That procedure is impeachment by Congress.

The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing," he said, without using the word "impeachment."

His comment came as part of his explanation about why charging the president with a crime was "not an option we could consider."

Mueller repeated what he said in the report, that if the special counsels team had confidence that the president did not commit a crime it would have said so.

We did not however make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime, he said.

He also reiterated that a decision from the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel did not permit him to charge a president with a crime while he is in office, even if the charge were kept under seal and hidden from the public.

Still, volume II of his report outlines 10 possible episodes of obstruction.

Democrats have been wrestling with whether to initiate an impeachment investigation into whether Trump tried to obstruct Muellers investigation, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging restraint. At the same she has been goading Trump in her public statements.

Last week, she said, We do believe that its important to follow the facts. We believe that no one is above the law, including the president of the United States, and we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a cover-up.

On Wednesday she thanked Mueller for his "patriotic duty to seek the truth" and said that "the Congress holds sacred its constitutional responsibility to investigate and hold the President accountable for his abuse of power."

Rep. Jerry Nadler, Democrat of New York, is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, which has the power to initiate an impeachment inquiry, but after Mueller's statement he also stopped short of calling for one.

Given that Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the President, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump  and we will do so," Nadler said. "No one, not even the President of the United States, is above the law."

Other Democrats have begun talk about impeachment, among them those running for president in 2020: former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

"Mueller's statement makes clear what those who have read his report know: It is an impeachment referral, and it's up to Congress to act," Warren tweeted. "They should."

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has said he would support impeachment proceedings, called Mueller's statement as close as to an impeachment referral as possible under the circumstances

"The message really is, 'Over to you, Congress,'" he said.

Rep. John Yarmuth of Kentucky, the Democratic chairman of the House Budget Committee, said on MSNBC on Saturday, "I'm one of those who believes that we will inevitably have an impeachment proceeding, and if we don't then we've actually neglected our duty under the Constitution,"

On the Republican side, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a strong ally of Trump, tweeted: "And as for me, the case is over. Mr. Mueller has decided to move on and let the report speak for itself. Congress should follow his lead."

Trump himself tweeted: "There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed!"
What to Know President Donald Trumps threatened tariffs of 5% on Mexican imports will affect key electoral states such as Arizona, Michigan and Texas

The duties potentially jeopardize approval of the presidents updates to the North American Free Trade Agreement

The tariffs would hit a variety of industries, from transportation equipment to computer and electronic inputs

A handful of U.S. states  including some that will play big roles in the 2020 election  will feel the brunt of the pain from President Donald Trumps new tariffs on imports from Mexico.

On Thursday night, the president said the U.S. would put 5% duties on all Mexican imports on June 10 to push its southern neighbor to curb illegal immigration. The tariffs will gradually increase to 25% in October, the White House said.

If Trump goes through with the duties, their effects will ripple across the country. America imported $346.5 billion in goods from Mexico last year, 10% more than in the prior year, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. But several key 2020 electoral states would take a particularly sharp blow from the tariffs.

Border state Arizona gets about 40% of its imports from Mexico, the highest share for any state. About 38% of Michigans imported products come from Mexico, while about 35% of Texas imports are from its southern neighbor.

Trumps surprise tariffs on Mexican goods could raise costs for companies and consumers in those three states, which the president carried in the 2016 election.

Michigan is a swing state that had voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Texas is a reliably red state, but nonetheless has several Republican lawmakers facing tough reelection campaigns next year. Arizona has been trending toward favoring Democrats.

The duties could have broader effects. They raise questions about whether the U.S. and Mexico can ratify updates to the North American Free Trade Agreement, a top Trump priority. Only Thursday afternoon, the Trump administration took a formal step to speed up congressional approval of the deal, dubbed the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USMCA.

The Republican senators from Iowa  an electoral swing state reliant on agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada  warned of dire consequences from the tariffs. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley called Trumps plan a misuse of presidential tariff authority that would seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA, a central campaign pledge of President Trumps. Sen. Joni Ernst, who is up for reelection next year, also said that if the president goes through with this, Im afraid progress to get this trade agreement across the finish line will be stifled.

Sen. Martha McSally, an Arizona Republican who will run to keep her seat in one of next years most important Senate races, said in a statement that she does not support these types of tariffs, which will harm our economy and be passed onto Arizona small businesses and families.

Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat up for reelection next year, said in a statement he is concerned about the impact of the presidents proposal on Michigan workers and our auto industry. He added that its unclear how this will strengthen security at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The most powerful Republican in Congress, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, gave a more tepid response. In a statement, the Kentucky lawmaker said a healthy and vibrant economic relationship with Mexico is a vital source of our joint prosperity.

Any proposal that impacts this relationship deserves serious examination and I look forward to discussing this plan in greater detail with my colleagues and the administration, he said.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas  both of whom could face tough reelection bids next year  did not immediately respond to CNBCs requests for comment.

The tariffs would affect a range of products and industries. The top imports from Mexico include transportation equipment, computer and electronic products, and chemicals.

Business interest groups, from the National Association of Manufacturers to the National Pork Producers Council, criticized the tariff plan, raising fears about the prospects for USMCA ratification and retaliatory tariffs on American exports to Mexico.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC:
What to Know A generous grandmother sent scammers $21,600 in three transactions after being told she needed to pay her grandson's bail

The 83-year-old was targeted via phone at her home in Ohio, and became suspicious on the fourth request for money

A Queens man has been arrested in connection with the case

A generous grandmother sent more than $20,000 to scammers in New York City who told her it was for her grandson's bail.

Nassau County Police said a Queens man has now been arrested in the case that saw an 83-year-old grandmother from Ohio repeatedly targeted by people pretending to act for her grandson.

On May 20, the octogenarian was phoned at her house in Ohio by a man who told her her grandson had been arrested and she needed to send $9,600 to a Maryland address in order to release him on bail. She sent the money.

Two days later, she got another call from asking her to send another $6,000 to a Rockville Centre, Long Island, address, which she did. Two days after that, she got yet another call asking for another $6,000 to the same Long Island address for the bail. Again, she sent the money, which now totaled $21,600.

When another call came through on May 29 asking for $8,900 to expunge her grandson's record, the victim phoned police.

Detectives arrested Dashill Jean, 32, of Rosedale, Queens, after seeing him taking the package containing money sent by the victim.

He is charged with two counts of grand larceny and attempted grand larceny and will appear in court in Hempstead Friday.
What to Know Investigators found traces of blood and other evidence while combing through Dulos New Canaan home, according to a report citing sources

Dulos disappearance comes amid a contentious two-year divorce from her husband, who was heard on newly uncovered 9-1-1 calls in 2017

Anyone with information about Dulos' disappearance is asked to call at 203-594-3544

Police returned to a Connecticut park Friday as they intensified their search for Jennifer Dulos, the mother of five who has been missing for seven days, with investigators seen sifting through a shallow pond.

On Friday morning, police were waving down drivers near Waveny Park in New Canaan where Dulos' SUV was found holding a missing person flier and asking them if they had any information. Meanwhile investigators had sectioned off the park's pond and were wading through its murky waters, searching inch-by-inch for anything that might help them find Dulos.

Police said they had not classified the case as a homicide and a body had not been found.

Family and friends of Dulos also released a statement Friday via Carrie Luft expressing their gratitude for the public and police support and asking for privacy. "Jennifer, we love you and we miss you, and we remain hopeful that you will return to us safe and sound," it said.

Earlier, police investigators said they found traces of blood and other evidence while combing through Dulos New Canaan home, according to the Hartford Courant, which cited law enforcement sources. It appeared the scene had been cleaned, according to those sources. NBC News could not immediately confirm the information in the newspapers report.

Police did tell News 4 they conducted a search on Wednesday of another home in nearby Pound Ridge, New York. That home was reportedly owned by Dulos' parents, the Connecticut Post reported, citing property records.

The 50-year-old was last seen dropping off her kids at school on May 24. Cops found her car, a black Chevrolet Suburban, later that same day at New Canaans Waveny Park. Cops expanded their search there Thursday to close-by woods and swamp area.

Dulos disappearance comes amid a contentious two-year divorce from her husband, who was heard on newly uncovered 9-1-1 calls trying to find where his wife and kids went the day before she filed for divorce in 2017.

I am worried about my wife and kids, because they left to go to New York and I havent heard from them, Fotis Dulos can be heard telling the operator two years ago. Ive been texting, and I see that the texts are being delivered, but no one is responding to me.

At that time, Jennifer had moved the family from their Farmington, Connecticut, home to New Canaan.

Dulos said she was afraid of her husband, according to court documents. "I know that filing for divorce, and filing this motion will enrage him," she's quoted as saying in a 2017 custody filing. "I know he will retaliate by trying to harm me in some way."

Her husband denied all those allegations, and has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Earlier this week, his lawyer filed an emergency order for custody of the children.

The children were brought to live with Dulos' family in Manhattan, according to court documents, and are under protection of an armed guard.

According to authorities, the investigation is being treated as a missing person case, but as with any missing person case, a criminal investigation is being conducted concurrently to determine if Dulos was the victim of foul play or intentional harm.

Thursday night, hundreds gathered at a church in New Canaan to pray for Dulos to be found safe. But the non-denominational service came as new information was brought to light in her disappearance. Another vigil for Dulos is expected to be held at the park Friday.

Thursday night, hundreds gathered at a church in New Canaan to pray for Dulos to be found safe.

Authorities urge anyone who had contact with Dulos or has information regarding her disappearance to call the New Canaan Police Tip Line at 203-594-3544.
What to Know Police say a man found in the trunk of a car that arrived for sale at a Pennsylvania auto auction is wanted in New York

Workers processing the vehicle at the Manheim Auto Auction facility found him inside.

25-year-old Leon Parks, of New York City, was discovered and is wanted for parole violations and weapons charges

Police say a man found in the trunk of a car that arrived for sale at a Pennsylvania auto auction is wanted in New York.

LNP newspaper reported 25-year-old Leon Parks, of New York City, is wanted for parole violations and weapons charges.

Workers processing the vehicle at the Manheim Auto Auction facility found him inside. The facility is about 90 miles west of Philadelphia.

Darren Leeds told LNP he opened the trunk of the Dodge Challenger Hellcat from the New York City area to photograph it, "and there was a guy in there."

Leeds says he ran to get water for the man, who he says wasn't moving much.

Police say they used fingerprints to identify Parks, who was treated at a hospital before being taken to jail to await extradition.
A South Korean newspaper reported Friday that North Korea executed a senior envoy involved in nuclear negotiations with the U.S. as well as four other high-level officials. But as ever with North Korea, a country that closely guards its secrets, there are reasons to be cautious about the purported purge.

While North Korea hasn't used its propaganda services to comment, the report in the conservative Chosun Ilbo daily could be true. North Korea has previously executed scapegoats to atone for high-profile political flops, and the most recent summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump ended in failure, leaving Kim embarrassed on the world stage.

But it's important to note that both South Korean media and the government in Seoul have a history of reporting scoops about the inner workings of North Korea that turn out to be wrong. Supposedly executed officials have later appeared trotting alongside Kim on state TV.

Friday's report is based on a single, unidentified "source who knows about North Korea"  with no details about where that source got its information. The report so far hasn't been matched by any major media in Seoul or confirmed by government officials, even anonymously.

The newspaper's source said that senior envoy Kim Hyok Chol was executed at the Mirim airfield with four other officials from the North's Foreign Ministry for betraying Kim Jong Un after being won over by the U.S. Kim Hyok Chol led working-level negotiations as North Korea's special representative for U.S. affairs ahead of February's summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The source also said that Kim Yong Chol, who had worked as North Korea's top nuclear negotiator and met with Trump at the White House while setting up the summits, was sentenced to hard labor and ideological re-education.

That the report has been snapped up by global media reflects the hunger for any details about what's going on in North Korea as diplomatic efforts falter between Washington and Pyongyang, which tightly controls its media and both local and foreign access to information.

Negotiations have hit a stalemate because North Korea wants an end to crippling sanctions, but Washington says Pyongyang is not providing enough disarmament to allow that to happen.

There is now growing concern that the diplomacy that has blossomed since early 2018 could be replaced by a return to the animosity that in 2017 caused some of the most realistic fears of war in years as North Korea staged a string of increasingly powerful weapons and Kim and Trump traded intensely personal threats and insults.

Since the Hanoi nuclear summit ended in failure, North Korea has again tested weapons and boosted its belligerent rhetoric toward American and South Korean officials. Analysts believe this indicates Pyongyang is trying to show displeasure for the current impasse without destroying the diplomacy.

Seoul's spy service said it could not confirm Friday's report, while the presidential Blue House said that "it's inappropriate to make hasty judgments or comments."

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Berlin that he had seen the report and the U.S. was "doing our best to check it out."

In Washington, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders declined to comment on intelligence "one way or another."

"We're monitoring the situation and continuing to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearizaton," she said.

North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Thursday called out unspecified "betrayers, turncoats who demonstrate their loyalty to (the supreme leadership) only in words, and, even worse, change their colors by the flow of trends" and said they would come under the "stern judgment of the revolution."

"To pretend to serve the suryong while dreaming different dreams when turning around is to commit anti-party and anti-revolutionary actions that abandon the moral loyalty for the suryong," the newspaper said, referring to a revered title reserved for North Korean leaders.

If Friday's report is wrong, it would not be the first time for South Korean media and officials.

South Korean intelligence officials in 2016 said that Kim Jong Un had Ri Yong Gil, a former North Korean military chief, executed for corruption and other charges. North Korea's state media months later showed that Ri was alive and in possession of several new senior posts.

In 2013, the Chosun Ilbo reported that Hyon Song Wol, a famous North Korean artist the newspaper described as Kim's "ex-girlfriend," was executed in public along with several other performers over accusations that they filmed themselves having sex and selling the videos.

Hyon, the leader of Kim's hand-picked Moranbong all-female band, was very much alive and later emerged as a key member of Kim's government, accompanying him in his meetings with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

South Korea does sometimes get it right.

While many questioned the competence of the South Korean spy service after it failed to learn of the 2011 death of Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, before Pyongyang's state TV announced it, the intelligence agency saved face in 2013 by releasing its finding that Kim's powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was purged, days before North Korea announced his execution.

___

Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.
Israel embarked Thursday on an unprecedented snap election campaign  the second this year  after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition and instead dissolved parliament.

In what seemed an improbable scenario just days ago, Israel's newly elected Knesset dissolved itself in an early morning 74-45 vote and set a new election date for Sept. 17.

The developments were a shocking setback for Netanyahu, who had appeared to secure a comfortable win in last month's election. But he was unable to build a parliamentary majority needed to rule because a traditional ally, Avigdor Lieberman, refused to bring his Yisrael Beiteinu faction into the coalition.

Netanyahu, who has led Israel for the past decade, now faces another challenge to his lengthy rule. It comes as he prepares for a pre-indictment hearing before expected criminal charges against him in a series of corruption cases.

Assuming they would sweep into power again, Netanyahu's allies in the ruling Likud Party had already begun drafting a contentious bill aimed at granting him immunity from the various corruption charges awaiting him. He was also looking to push legislation limiting the power of Israel's Supreme Court and paving his path to many more years in office.

But it was a separate issue that sparked the unprecedented crisis, and for the first time in history thrust Israel into a repeat election before a new government was even formed.

Lieberman  a veteran nationalist and secular politician  demanded that current legislation mandating that young ultra-Orthodox men be drafted into the military run its course.

Years of exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men have generated widespread resentment among the rest of Jewish Israelis who serve. The ultra-Orthodox, backed by Netanyahu, refused to bend and the showdown quickly devolved into a full-blown crisis that imploded the perspective government.

"The public chose me, and Lieberman, unfortunately, deceived his voters. From the beginning he had no intention to do what he said," Netanyahu said after the vote, accusing Lieberman of aligning with "the left."

Lieberman, a former top aide to Netanyahu who has alternated between a close alliance and bitter rivalry with his former boss, retorted that the new election was a result of Netanyahu caving into the ultra-Orthodox.

"This is a complete surrender of Likud to the ultra-Orthodox," he said.

A new election complicates Netanyahu's efforts to pass the proposed bills to protect himself from prosecution.

Even if Netanyahu wins the election, it is unlikely he will be able to form a government and lock down the required political support for an immunity deal before an expected indictment. That would force him to stand trial, and in turn put heavy pressure on him to step aside. No one in Likud has yet challenged him publicly.

The political uncertainty could also spell trouble for the White House's Mideast peace efforts. The U.S. has scheduled a conference next month in Bahrain to unveil what it says is the first phase of its peace plan, an initiative aimed at drawing investment into the Palestinian territories. The Trump administration had vowed to unveil its plan after the Israeli election and it's unclear how the current political shakeup will affect that rollout.
A New Hampshire man is recovering after being bit by a bat that was hiding in his iPad case.

Roy Syvertson, 86, of South Hampton, said he went to close up his iPad and the animal was wedged between the back of the device and its cover.

"It felt like a little bee sting, and it hurt," he said.

The bat bit his finger before Syvertson managed to press the cover down to keep the bat from flying away.

"I looked and there was the bat looking out at me, and I could see his wings had the little hooks on them," Syverston said. "It must have been very squished in there."

Syverston said he only discovered the bat when he went to close the iPad case. He had been watching the news on it for an hour.

"I kept squeezing it so he wouldn't come out, because, as you see, we got a high ceiling in here," he said.

Syvertson said he got the bat outside but then later found it dead so he called the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game for fear the animal might have rabies.

Police said the bat tested positive for rabies so Syvertson went to an area hospital for treatment.

Syvertson said he never felt sick, but the incident has him a bit on edge.

"When I open up the Manchester Union Leader to read now I'm very careful when I open it up," he said. "When I open up the refrigerator I want to make sure there's nothing in the refrigerator, cereal box... what could be lurking in there? So maybe I am getting paranoid, I don't know."
The mass shooting in Virginia Beach was the latest in a list of deadly shootings that have rocked the country. Here's a list of some deadly mass shootings over the past few years.

 Feb. 15, 2019: A 15-year employee being fired from a suburban Chicago manufacturing company in Aurora, Illinois, started shooting, killing five co-workers and wounding five police officers before he was killed by police.

 Nov. 7, 2018: Ian David Long killed 12 people at a country music bar in Thousand Oaks, California, before taking his own life. Long was a Marine combat veteran of the war in Afghanistan.

 Oct. 27, 2018: Robert Bowers is accused of opening fire at Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during Shabbat morning services, killing 11 and injuring others. It's the deadliest attack on Jews in the U.S. in history.

 June 28, 2018: Jarrod Ramos shot through the windows of the Capital Gazette offices in Annapolis, Maryland, before turning the weapon on employees there, killing five at The Capital newspaper. Authorities say Ramos had sent threatening letters to the newspaper prior to the attack.

 May 18, 2018: Dimitrios Pagourtzis began shooting during an art class at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas. The 17-year-old killed eight students and two teachers and 13 others were wounded. Explosive were found at the school and off campus.

 Feb. 14, 2018: Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It surpassed Columbine High School as the deadliest shooting at a high school in U.S. history.

 Nov. 5, 2017: Devin Patrick Kelley, who had been discharged from the Air Force after a conviction for domestic violence, used an AR-style firearm to shoot up a congregation at a small church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing more than two dozen.

 Oct. 1, 2017: Stephen Paddock opened fire on an outdoor music festival on the Las Vegas Strip from the 32nd floor of a hotel-casino, killing 58 people and wounding more than 500. SWAT teams with explosives then stormed his room and found he had killed himself.
A ride-hailing driver shot and killed a New Mexico passenger earlier this year during an argument over "a large amount of vomit" in his Uber vehicle, prosecutors said in new documents.

Court documents submitted by the Bernalillo County district attorney last week said the vomit and an argument over a cleanup fee led to the shooting, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

Police say driver Clayton Benedict fatally shot passenger James Porter, 27, after stopping along a highway in Albuquerque on March 17. Benedict has not been charged and has declined to comment.

A charging decision may come in the next few weeks, district attorney spokesman Michael Patrick said.

"Prosecutors are currently going over hundreds of documents and videos," Patrick said.

Benedict picked up Porter and his friend from a bar on the evening of St. Patrick's Day, according to a search warrant affidavit seeking details from Uber about Benedict's trips and other information.

The friend, Jonathan Reyes, later told police the two had been at the bar since 2 p.m. and although he typically doesn't drink, he had six or seven drinks that day.

Benedict  who had been driving for Uber for a year and a half  told detectives they were traveling south on Interstate 25 when Reyes threw up in the backseat.

"At this point, the other passenger and Clayton start to go back and forth about a potential 'clean-up fee,'" the detective wrote in the affidavit. "James is the male arguing/pleading with Clayton not to charge him for a 'clean-up fee.'"

That's when Benedict said he pulled over and asked the men to get out of the car. He said he ended the ride and gave Porter a review of "one star." He said Porter slammed the door and the two argued outside the car.

Benedict said Porter was yelling and moved toward the open driver's side door, threatening to run Benedict over with his own car. Benedict said he fired "an unknown amount of rounds" toward Porter.

Porter's family sued Uber and Benedict last month. The San Francisco-based Uber told the newspaper in a statement that Benedict no longer has access to the Uber app as a driver.

Last year, an Uber driver in Denver was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a passenger on a Colorado highway. Police have said driver Michael Hancock, 29, shot and killed Hyun Kim, 45, following an altercation in the car. Hancock's family has said he only shot in self-defense.
Christopher Daley says he wants to know more than anyone who brutally attacked his wife while the couple vacationed in the Dominican Republic in January.

"We were supposed to get a police report in February and we didn't get that," the Wilmington, Delaware, man said Friday in a phone interview with NBC10.

He is now accusing authorities in the Caribbean nation of lying about their investigation after they accused him on Friday of providing "incongruent" statements shortly after the attack at an all-inclusive resort.

Daley and his wife, Tammy Lawrence-Daley, have had a tough time recovering psychologically from the attack as well, he told NBC10. They remain in therapy.

Daley also said he doesn't believe officials' determination at the time that his wife was not sexually assaulted during what she claimed was an eight-hour attack. He says authorities are lying about the filing of a police report at the time. The country's Office of the Attorney General said Friday that Lawrence-Daley refused to file a complaint.

Daley told NBC10 that they did in fact file a complaint, but have not received a copy.

The story of Lawrence-Daley's attack came to light Wednesday in a Facebook post she posted. She wrote that she was beaten by a man for several hours while on vacation at the end of January with her husband and two friends at the all-inclusive Majestic Elegance resort in Punta Cana.

A woman says she was brutally beaten for eight hours during a vacation in January in the Dominican Republic. Now shes speaking out for the first time.

Lawrence-Daily claimed that on her second day at the resort, she was suddenly attacked from behind by an unidentified man who was wearing a uniform with the resort logo on it. Lawrence-Daley said the man forced her into an unlocked maintenance room and beat her for eight hours, strangling her and causing her to lose consciousness multiple times.

"I was kicked in the head, I was beaten with a club. And then strangled again for the kill; at which time he disposed of my body into an area I refer to as the 'hole,'" Lawrence-Daley wrote.

She said her attacker fled the scene and she was eventually found. She spent five days at an off-site hospital and underwent surgery for her injuries.

Despite telling NBC10 they would issue a statement, Majestic Elegance did not return repeated requests for comment.

Lawrence-Daley blamed the resort for its handling of the attack, saying Majestic Elegance claimed no responsibility and that her husband and friends went to the front desk at least three times throughout the night before security at the resort searched for her.

A spokesperson from the hotel said in a statement that the resort is taking the matter seriously.

"We emphasize that, since the occurrence of this regrettable event, we have treated Mrs. Lawrence-Daley's situation with due diligence and attention," the statement read. "We have always implemented security measures in our hotels for our guests and employees."

Immediately after the attack, Daley told NBC10, he contacted the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, but local authorities took two days to get back to them.

Doctors conducted a rape kit on Lawrence-Daley and found that she had not been sexually assaulted during her attack, according to Dominican Republic Attorney General's Office spokeswoman Julieta Tejada.

But Daley said the family has not received rape kit results and knew nothing about them until being informed of them by NBC10. He added that the results might not be accurate since the doctors took two days before they conducted the exam. By then, his wife had already showered and possibly scrubbed away any DNA her attacker left behind.

Punta Cana Tourism Police spokesman Ramon Brito said that while conducting interviews, investigators found "incongruencies" and "discrepancies" in Daley's statements.

That assertion, however, is "crazy" because investigators interviewed him and his wife together, Daley said.

The Dominican Republic Attorney General's Office also said Lawrence-Daley, in the presence of an official with the U.S. Embassy, declined to file a formal complaint and chose to return to the U.S.

That, too, is false, according to Daley. In fact, he told NBC10 that he and his wife filed a complaint at a courthouse in the city of Higuey before leaving the country. But neither they nor their lawyer has received the copy they've been requesting since February, he said.

Daley's wife also said that while there were no bright lights or surveillance cameras where the attack took place, and she wasn't able to identify her attacker, local police did find vital clues that they never followed.

"Police did find evidence of the blood smeared mop handle and a maintenance hat in the area I was found, but this means nothing in these countries," she wrote on Facebook.

Both Dominican Republic police and prosecutors, however, pushed back on that claim.

Investigators collected fingerprints and interviewed people at the hotel on the night of the attack, according to the Dominican Republic Attorney General's Office.

Police and the attorney general's office both said the investigation remains ongoing. NBC10 also checked with the U.S. State Department, which said it is in contact with Dominican Republic authorities and will continue investigating the incident.

The attack on Lawrence-Daley is just one in a recent spate of incidents in which U.S. tourists died in the Dominican Republic.

On Thursday, a Maryland couple was found dead in their room at the Bahia Principe hotel at the resort Playa Nueva Romana.

Months earlier, a couple from New York vanished while on vacation in the island nation; they, too, were later found dead, with officials later saying they may have died in a car accident.

The U.S. State Department in April raised the threat level for the Dominican Republic and warned American travelers to "exercise increased caution." "Violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide and sexual assault is a concern throughout the Dominican Republic," the State Department said.

Ana Hernandez, David Chang and Drew Smith contributed to this story.
What to Know A Delaware woman is speaking out months after she says she was brutally attacked during a vacation in the Dominican Republic.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley says she was beaten by an unidentified man for 8 hours while at a Punta Cana resort in January.

No arrests have been made. Lawrence-Daley claims the man was wearing a resort uniform.

A Delaware woman is speaking out months after she says she was brutally attacked during a vacation in the Dominican Republic.

Tammy Lawrence-Daley of Wilmington shared her story Wednesday in a Facebook post that has since gone viral. Lawrence-Daley wrote that she went on vacation at the end of January with her husband and two friends at the all-inclusive resort Majestic Elegance in Punta Cana.

On her second night at the resort, Lawrence-Daley went to a lounge on the beach to grab some food. As she walked between buildings she was suddenly attacked from behind by an unidentified man.

Lawrence-Daley said the man forced her into an unlocked maintenance room and beat her for eight hours, strangling her and causing her to lose consciousness multiple times.

My lifeless body was drug down concrete stairs to an underground waste water area, she wrote. I was kicked in the head, I was beaten with a club. And then strangled again for the kill; at which time he disposed of my body into an area I refer to as the hole.

Lawrence-Daley wrote that she was unconscious several times during the attack.

I just remember thinking at that point I wasnt going to make it home to see my boys and my husband, she told NBC News while in tears.

Lawrence-Daley said her attacker finally fled the scene and she was eventually found. She spent five days at an offsite hospital and underwent surgery for her injuries. She also shared photos of her lying in a hospital bed bloody and badly bruised.

I am still dealing with several issues, including nerve damage, as well as, all of the medical expenses since being home, she wrote.

Lawrence-Daley said there were no surveillance cameras or bright lights where the attack took place and she was unable to identify the man. She also said however that he was wearing a uniform with the resort logo on it.

Police did find evidence of the blood smeared mop handle and a maintenance hat in the area I was found, but this means nothing in these countries, she wrote.

Lawrence-Daley said Majestic Elegance claimed no responsibility in the attack and that her husband and friends went to the front desk at least three times throughout the night before security at the resort searched for her. She claimed she wasnt found until more than eight hours after the attack took place.

Majestic Elegance didn't offer to reimburse us for our vacation, let alone my current medical bills, she wrote. Litigation went nowhere. Stories are being squashed.

NBC10 reached out to Majestic Elegance. A spokesperson said they are still working on a statement in response to Lawrence-Daleys allegations. The social media pages for the resort also went offline Thursday night. NBC10 also checked with the State Department who said they are in contact with Dominican authorities and investigating the incident. No arrests have been made.

Lawrence-Daley meanwhile continues to recover and wants her story shared as a warning to others.

He is still out there, a predator, waiting for his next victim, she wrote. Only the next woman may not be so fortunate. Please, please do not walk alone. These attacks are happening too frequently and the criminals are NOT being prosecuted even though evidence is found.
A North Park business owner is fed up with what she says has been a two-year water leak saga.

Water is leaking inside and outside the building Carol Shamon bought with her life savings in 2008.

There were no problems until 2017 when she says the City of San Diego put new pipes in the street in front of her building. Thats when she started noticing leaking water.

It wasnt leaking through yet, but it was coming into the basement, she said.

Shamon says tenants who rented the basement as an art studio had to leave. She bought a pump and fixed the water damage with her own money and then new tenants moved in.

Shamon asked the city for help, but the city blamed the contractor it hired to put in the new pipes. The contractor didnt take responsibility either.

Then matters got worse.

A flood on Idaho Street, the next street over, last October flooded her basement and caused more damaged. This time, the flooding was caused by broken city pipes.

The city did take responsibility for that mess, but her second set of tenants had to move out. She says she cannot fix the basement again until the leak from two years ago is repaired. In March of this year, the city trenched in front of my house, they found a cut pipe and an old French drain, she said.

According to Shamon, the city crew told her they thought they had found the problem and would be back the next day after contacting San Diego Gas and Electric. Shamon says no one came back.

Meantime, Shamon pays utilities to run a fan and a dehumidifier in her building. She worries about what's happening to the foundation, but it's mostly the feeling of nobody helping, she said.

Im a really patient person, Im a nice person so I cant say Im angry. Im just really frustrated because I know eventually it will get solved, its just amazing its been a two-year ordeal.

Shamon made phone calls, sent emails and filed claims. Now shes hired a lawyer to file suit.

A spokesperson for the city said the city does not comment on pending claims that could become the subject of litigation.
An Atlanta-area police officer who was captured on video repeatedly hitting a homeless woman inside a convenience store was indicted Thursday on felony charges, a prosecutor said.

A grand jury indicted DeKalb County police Officer Phillip Larscheid, 29, on charges of aggravated assault and violation of his oath of office, county District Attorney Sherry Boston said.

Reached by email, Larscheid's attorney Lance LoRusso said his client is "considering his options."

"We'll take appropriate action in the next days and weeks," LoRusso said. "Obviously, it's devastating."

Police initially cleared Larscheid after the June 4, 2017, arrest, Boston said. But the department reopened its use-of-force investigation after a bystander's video of the arrest surfaced online, she said.

Larscheid responded after employees at the gas station convenience store in Decatur, just east of Atlanta, called to report that someone, later identified as Katie McCrary, was begging customers for money at the store.

McCrary was inside, near the front door, when Larscheid arrived. She tried to push him out of the way and walk out the door, the police report says. When he told her to stay where she was, she said she was a federal agent and gave a "random badge number."

Larscheid told McCrary she could be arrested for impersonating an officer, and she responded that he was impersonating an officer and grabbed his badge, the report says. When he pushed her back, she grabbed his vest and radio, Larscheid wrote in his report.

He got out his baton and told her to lie on the ground and then began to hit her leg with the baton when she refused, the report says. She dropped to the ground and began kicking him and he continued to hit her with the baton, the report says.

The video shows the officer repeatedly striking McCrary with his baton as he tells her to put her hands behind her back and she struggles. At least two people off camera can be heard on the video addressing McCrary by name and telling her to stop resisting.

At one point, McCrary is seen putting her arm over the officer's baton as he presses her to the floor with his knee in her back, and he repeatedly shouts at her, "Let it go or I'm gonna shoot you."

As the officer cuffs her hands behind her back, McCrary can be heard repeating, "What did I do?"

Medical personnel at the scene checked her, and she was taken to a hospital where she was evaluated and released, the report says.

McCrary, now 40, was charged with obstructing an officer and was also given a criminal trespass warning, the report says. Boston said Thursday that her office will not pursue charges against McCrary stemming from that arrest.

County spokesman Andrew Cauthen said in an email earlier Thursday that Larscheid was still employed by the police department but had been on clerical duty since July 11, 2017. Cauthen did not immediately respond to an email after the indictment was issued asking whether that affected Larscheid's employment.

Boston says she has been in touch with Larscheid's attorney and that Larscheid has agreed to turn himself in by 5 p.m. Saturday.
With minutes to go before dismissal on the next-to-last day of school at Hays Elementary in Rockwall, Texas, excited students and their teachers were forced to shift gears as severe storms moved in Wednesday afternoon.

Students and teachers were told to go into shelter mode as a tornado moved toward them, but fourth-grade teacher Megan Parson knew there were dozens of parents still outside in the carpool line.

Parson was one of several teachers sent out to alert the parents.

"We're knocking on windows, we're running down the sidewalk and we're telling them you need to come in. You need to seek shelter," said Parson.

Parson said she did her best to wave out those at the end of the line. But when she couldn't get their attention, she decided her only option was to run towards them.

Parson was captured in a photo running barefoot, her red kimono flying in the wind like a cape, as a tornado spiraled in the dark skies above her.

She appears to be racing the tornado, which she had no idea was just a few miles away.

"My focus was on those cars. Is anyone in there? If they're in there, get them out as fast as I possibly can. My focus was just on those families, our Hays family, and making sure they were ok," Parson said.

In the day since, it's an image that's been shared hundreds of times by people near and far hailing the teacher a hero.

But looking back, Parson points out her cape was simply a kimono and her superhero actions, simply her job.

"This is what we do. This is how teachers are trained. We care for our family. We care for our Rockwall family," said Parson.

And if she is willing to try the "hero" title on for size, she wants everyone to know she was far from alone. [[510657461,C]]

"If there weren't for the people watching the kids, if there weren't people allowing us to go out, if there weren't people holding the doors, if there weren't people telling us we needed to go into shelter mode, then it could have been a much different story. So honestly, everyone deserves a little piece of that title," said Parson.

No one was injured in Wednesday's storm in Rockwall. The National Weather Service later determined it was an EF-0 tornado.
A newborn and a toddler were found unharmed inside the rural Virginia home where the bodies of their parents and 14-year-old half-brother were discovered Wednesday morning.

The bodies of Michael Coleman, 39; Rachel Ozuna, 34, and Kyrrus Ozuna, 14, were found about 9 a.m. after authorities were called to the 8300 block of Arlene Acres Drive, a quiet gravel road southeast of Fredericksburg, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Department said.

Their deaths have been ruled homicides, authorities said Thursday. The victims' manners of death appeared to be from a sharp object, according to a release from the sheriff's department Thursday.

"They're not telling us how it happened or anything else," said Rachel Ozuna's father by phone.

He said Rachel's ex, who was Kyrrus' father, was the one who discovered the victims' bodies. Neighbors saw the man in tears outside the home as sheriff's deputies arrived, responding to his call for help.

"He was completely broke down and in tears trying to talk to the officers and me," Rachel's father said.

In addition to 14-year-old Kyrrus, Rachel Ozuna also had two children with Michael Coleman, the six-week-old baby and toddler found inside the home, physically unharmed but left orphaned.

Rachel Ozuna's grief-stricken relatives are making a plea to raise funds to help care for the surviving children and for funeral arrangements. A memorial fund has been created.

"Our families and community are completely devastated," her relatives in Utah wrote on the GoFundMe page. "No reason imaginable is reason enough for these 3 to meet their end the way they did."

There is grief, too, among the middle school classmates of Kyrrus Ozuna. Jahkeysia Weir, 14, is struggling to understand why her classmate's life was cut short.

"He didn't deserve that," she said.

She said Kyrrus had just finished eighth grade at Thornburg Middle School and that peers have been sharing their grief and memories on social media.

"I wasn't really that close to him, but I've seen him in the hallway and I've had conversations with him," she said as she broke into tears.

Authorities said the investigation is still in the early stages. Spotsylvania County sheriff's investigators have spent the past two days collecting evidence, even searching the woods across the road.

"The scene itself is pretty involving," Lt. Charles Carey of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Department said the day the bodies were discovered.

Anyone who may have information about the case is asked to call the sheriff's office non-emergency line at 540-582-7115.
An Army reserve member is headed to France to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Major Adam Proctor will leap into the sky over Normandy to re-enact the parachute jump made by hundreds of thousands of men on June 6, 1944.

More than 9,000 lives were lost that day, but their heroism changed the course of World War II and history, which is why Proctor will make the jump.

"It's a remembrance of a great moment in U.S. history where we did something that we did not have to do: to liberate people on the other side of the world," Proctor said.

After 13 years of active duty, Proctor said the emotions in the air pale in comparison to the feeling of landing safely on the ground and being greeted by French residents, many of whom lived through Nazi occupation.

"You meet people who were children who didnt have the basic necessities that we have today and that they had at that time, because they were living under (Nazi) occupation," he said.

Proctor said he'll likely return to France next year and the year after that to continue honoring World War II veterans.
President Donald Trump has pardoned a former U.S. soldier convicted in 2009 of killing an Iraqi prisoner, the White House announced Monday.

Trump signed an executive grant of clemency, a full pardon, for former Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna, of Oklahoma, press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Behenna was convicted of unpremeditated murder in a combat zone after killing a suspected al-Qaida terrorist in Iraq. He was paroled in 2014 and had been scheduled to remain on parole until 2024.

A military court had sentenced Behenna to 25 years in prison. However, the Army's highest appellate court noted concern about how the trial court had handled Behenna's claim of self-defense, Sanders said. The Army Clemency and Parole Board also reduced his sentence to 15 years and paroled him as soon as he was eligible.

Behenna's case attracted broad support from the military, Oklahoma elected officials and the public, Sanders said. She added that Behenna was a model prisoner while serving his sentence, and "in light of these facts, Mr. Behenna is entirely deserving" of the pardon.

Behenna acknowledged during his trial that instead of taking the prisoner home as he was ordered, he took the man to a railroad culvert, stripped him, and then questioned him at gunpoint about a roadside bombing that had killed two members of Behenna's platoon.

Behenna, a native of the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond, said the man moved toward him and he shot him because Behenna thought he would try to take his gun.

Oklahoma's attorney general first requested a pardon for Behenna in February 2018 and renewed his request last month. Attorney General Mike Hunter said he believed Behenna's conviction was unjustified because of erroneous jury instructions and the failure of prosecutors to turn over evidence supporting a self-defense claim.
Nature is in more trouble now than at any other time in human history, with extinction looming over 1 million species of plants and animals, scientists said Monday in the United Nations' first comprehensive report on biodiversity.

It's all because of humans, but it's not too late to fix the problem, the report said.

Species loss is accelerating to a rate tens or hundreds of times faster than in the past, the report said. More than half a million species on land "have insufficient habitat for long-term survival" and are likely to go extinct, many within decades, unless their habitats are restored. The oceans are not any better off.

"Humanity unwittingly is attempting to throttle the living planet and humanity's own future," said George Mason University biologist Thomas Lovejoy, who has been called the godfather of biodiversity for his research. He was not part of the report.

"The biological diversity of this planet has been really hammered, and this is really our last chance to address all of that," Lovejoy said.

Conservation scientists from around the world convened in Paris to issue the report, which exceeded 1,000 pages. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) included more than 450 researchers who used 15,000 scientific and government reports. The report's summary had to be approved by representatives of all 109 nations.

Some nations hit harder by the losses, like small island countries, wanted more in the report. Others, such as the United States, were cautious in the language they sought, but they agreed "we're in trouble," said Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, who observed the final negotiations.

"This is the strongest call we've seen for reversing the trends on the loss of nature," Shaw said.

The findings are not just about saving plants and animals, but about preserving a world that's becoming harder for humans to live in, said Robert Watson, a former top NASA and British scientist who headed the report.

"We are indeed threatening the potential food security, water security, human health and social fabric" of humanity, Watson told The Associated Press. He said the poor in less developed countries bear the greatest burden.

The report's 39-page summary highlighted five ways people are reducing biodiversity:

 Turning forests, grasslands and other areas into farms, cities and other developments. The habitat loss leaves plants and animals homeless. About three-quarters of Earth's land, two-thirds of its oceans and 85% of crucial wetlands have been severely altered or lost, making it harder for species to survive, the report said.

 Overfishing the world's oceans. A third of the world's fish stocks are overfished.

 Permitting climate change from the burning of fossil fuels to make it too hot, wet or dry for some species to survive. Almost half of the world's land mammals  not including bats  and nearly a quarter of the birds have already had their habitats hit hard by global warming.

 Polluting land and water. Every year, 300 to 400 million tons of heavy metals, solvents and toxic sludge are dumped into the world's waters.

 Allowing invasive species to crowd out native plants and animals. The number of invasive alien species per country has risen 70% since 1970, with one species of bacteria threatening nearly 400 amphibian species.

Fighting climate change and saving species are equally important, the report said, and working on both environmental problems should go hand in hand. Both problems exacerbate each other because a warmer world means fewer species, and a less biodiverse world means fewer trees and plants to remove heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the air, Lovejoy said.

The world's coral reefs are a perfect example of where climate change and species loss intersect. If the world warms another 0.9 degrees (0.5 degrees Celsius), which other reports say is likely, coral reefs will probably dwindle by 70% to 90%, the report said. At 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius), the report said, 99% of the world's coral will be in trouble.

"Business as usual is a disaster," Watson said.

At least 680 species with backbones have already gone extinct since 1600. The report said 559 domesticated breeds of mammals used for food have disappeared. More than 40% of the world's amphibian species, more than one-third of the marine mammals and nearly one-third of sharks and fish are threatened with extinction.

The report relies heavily on research by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, which is composed of biologists who maintain a list of threatened species.

The IUCN calculated in March that 27,159 species are threatened, endangered or extinct in the wild out of nearly 100,000 species biologists examined in depth. That includes 1,223 mammal species, 1,492 bird species and 2,341 fish species. Nearly half the threatened species are plants.

Scientists have only examined a small fraction of the estimated 8 million species on Earth.

The report comes up with 1 million species in trouble by extrapolating the IUCN's 25% threatened rate to the rest of the world's species and using a lower rate for the estimated 5.5 million species of insects, Watson said.

Outside scientists, such as Lovejoy and others, said that's a reasonable assessment.

The report gives only a generic "within decades" time frame for species loss because it is dependent on many variables, including taking the problem seriously, which can reduce the severity of the projections, Watson said.

"We're in the middle of the sixth great extinction crisis, but it's happening in slow motion," said Conservation International and University of California Santa Barbara ecologist Lee Hannah, who was not part of the report.

Five times in the past, Earth has undergone mass extinctions where much of life on Earth blinked out, like the one that killed the dinosaurs. Watson said the report was careful not to call what's going on now as a sixth big die-off because current levels don't come close to the 75% level in past mass extinctions.

The report goes beyond species. Of the 18 measured ways nature helps humans, the report said 14 are declining, with food and energy production noticeable exceptions. The report found downward trends in nature's ability to provide clean air and water, good soil and other essentials.

Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats, and it's happening worldwide, Watson said. The report projects 15.5 million miles (25 million kilometers) of new roads will be paved over nature between now and 2050, most in the developing world.

Many of the worst effects can be prevented by changing the way we grow food, produce energy, deal with climate change and dispose of waste, the report said. That involves concerted action by governments, companies and people.

Individuals can help with simple changes to the way they eat and use energy, said the co-chairman of the report, ecological scientist Josef Settele of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Germany. That doesn't mean becoming a vegetarian or vegan, but balancing meat, vegetables and fruit, and walking and biking more, Watson said.

"We can actually feed all the coming billions of people without destroying another inch of nature," Lovejoy said. Much of that can be done by eliminating food waste and being more efficient, he said.
For the first time, people in the Champlain Valley had the chance Friday to hear the take-off noise from high-tech fighter jets that will soon be based in the Burlington area.

After experiencing the flight noise from the F-35swhich had been talked about for the better part of a decadepeople on all sides of the debate over the contentious jets are now weighing in.

It didnt seem to be too bad, Kathy Grziner of South Burlington said after the jets roared overhead Friday.

It was noisyreally noisy, Loretta Marriott of South Burlington bemoaned. I plugged my ears.

The Vermont Air Guard will house some of the militarys new supersonic stealth fighters at its base in South Burlington, starting this fall.

A U.S. government study acknowledged the F-35s are louder than the F-16s theyre replacing at the Air Guard base, but even after a decade of debates, the host communities had never heard an F-35 for themselves.

That changed this week, when four F-35s based in Utah made an unexpected pit stop in Vermont because of weather issues and refueling needs.

At takeoff, which is when the new jets are noisiest, some in the flight path complained of odd physical sensations.

I could actually feel my body reverberating, Jonathan Wilfong of Winooski told necn affiliate NBC 5 News. And it felt painful to listen to.

I go to concerts and sometimes stand, added Andrea Olson, who also lives in Winooski. You feel the bass in your body. This was 100 times that.

Supporters, however, were feeling nothing but pride.

That was so amazing, beamed Nicole Citro of Essex, a longtime supporter of the decision to base the F-35s in Vermont. After seven years of being involved in the F-35 situation, they seemed almost like mythical creatures to me, so to actually be able to see them live and feel that and hear thatoh my godthat was amazing.

The Air Guard promised itll work to be a good neighbor when the F-35s land here permanently this fall.

What I tell the community, and what Ive told the community, is we continue to look at our operations, Col. David Smith, the commander of the 158th Fighter Wing said in response to a question from necn. Our airmen and our familieswe live in the community. Were a part of the fabric of the community, so it matters to us, too. It really does. We continue to look at our flying operations, and how we fly the airplane in and out of Burlington to minimize the impact.

Smith said the jets took off under standard military power, noting there is another mode using afterburners.

That mode, people familiar with military operations have said, would likely be used only sparinglyreally only in security emergenciesbecause it is considerably louder than standard power.
The lawyer for a Massachusetts man charged with killing his mother plans to use an insanity defense.

The Telegram & Gazette reports that a 2018 psychological evaluation authorized by a judge found 28-year-old John Madulka competent to stand trial.

But in a motion filed Wednesday, the defense says an earlier evaluation conducted while the case was pending in district court determined that the Worcester man is mentally ill.

A psychologist said Madulka had not taken his medication for months triggering "acute symptoms" of schizophrenia.

Prosecutors say Madulka beat and stabbed 56-year-old Ellen Madulka to death in December 2017.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Madulka's attorney, Michael Hussey, and prosecutors plan to seek testimony from mental health experts.

No trial date has been set.
Authorities are investigating the death of a Lexington, Massachusetts, mother whose body was found in her car early Thursday after she went missing earlier in the week.

"We are today confirming that we are in the early stages of an active homicide investigation," Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said.

Ryan said the body of 49-year-old Shen Cai, of Lexington, was located around 12:30 a.m. Thursday in the driver's seat of her white Honda CRV parked on the side of Worthen Road, close to Lexington High School and its athletic fields and not far from where she lived.

Police were called to the area after receiving a 911 call from several of Cai's friends who had been searching for her and located her unresponsive inside her vehicle.

Cai was pronounced dead at the scene, and Ryan said investigators initially observed some suspicious trauma. An autopsy was conducted, and the medical examiner determined that she died after sustaining "multiple blunt trauma."

She had last been seen by her husband and friends on Tuesday evening. The following day, her friends became concerned after she missed two scheduled appointments.

The friends also told police Cai had previously mentioned to them that she had concerns about her safety.

NBC 10 Boston spoke with Cais husband as he returned home from the hospital, but gave no reason why he was there.

"Shes a great lady," said the victims husband. "Im not going to comment anything at all, shes a great lady and shes my wife."

"I cant tell anything," he said. "I don't want to do any more damage to anybody ok."

Ryan said Cai had a daughter, and her husband also has a son.

Based on preliminary information, officials said Cai's death does not appear to be a random act.

"We are confident at this time that the community is not at risk in any manner as a result of this incident," Lexington Police Chief Mark Corr said.

Residents were shocked to hear of the incident on Friday.

"You dont think itll happen in your neighborhood," said next-door neighbor Vidhi Thumma. "And to your neighbor."

"There were lots of periods where the house was dark and nobody was around," said next-door neighbor Ken Kaiten. "We really never knew where they were."

Ryan said there is no person of interest at this point. She said the investigation remains open and active.
The mother of a 5-year-old boy who drowned in a Malden, Massachusetts pool is speaking out one day after the tragedy.

Ytaliashe Joseph told NBC10 Boston she and her son Jeremiah drove to her aunt's home Thursday to pick up mail, having lived at the Princeton Street address for years. She went inside while Jeremiah remained outside. Within minutes, however, the young boy went missing.

Joseph said she jumped in her car and drove around the neighborhood, calling 911 in the process.

The boy's cousin, Jedson Francois, took part in the frantic search and eventually located Jeremiah in the pool next-door.

"My cousin pull him out of the pool. Just jumped. And I saw him lay down. I can see him dead. I know he's not going to make it," recalled Joseph.

Grief-stricken family members  originally from Haiti went to the house yesterday. They're devastated and at a loss to explain what happened.

"Why did it have to be him? Just turned 5, he's just a sweet boy," said Joseph.

Six days after Jeremiah was born, his mother had his name tattooed on her right shoulder.

"He just turned five. He was born March 21, 2014. My baby was going to start kindergarten in September," she said.

Joseph, who has a 3-year-old daughter and is pregnant with another boy who is due in August, was taken to an area hospital as a precaution due to the stress of the situation. She says her unborn child is OK.

Neighbors said the owner of the pool keeps the gate locked. It's believed the child climbed over the fence to get to the pool.

The district attorney said the drowning was an accident and that foul play is not suspected.
Nearly 150 people, including 52 alleged gang members, were arrested as part of a massive, 5-month sting focused on the Lawrence, Massachusetts area.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said 146 people wanted for violent crimes were arrested as part of what they are calling "Operation Triple Beam."

The operation, which began on Jan. 1, targeted violent offenders and gang members wanted for drug trafficking and other violent crimes including murder, kidnapping, the rape and sexual assault of children and armed home invasions.

The operation also resulted in the seizure of eight pistols, one semi-automatic rifle, one 12-gauge shotgun and more than two kilos of drugs, including cocaine, crack, fentanyl, heroin and marijuana.

According to prosecutors, the men and women arrested have been charged in both state and federal courts. Their names and the charges they are facing were not immediately released Friday.

"Removing these fugitives, including alleged rapists, murderers, and drug traffickers, will make Lawrence and neighboring towns safer," U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said in a statement. "Law-abiding residents of Lawrence should be able to live and work without fear."

Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque thanked the U.S. Marshals and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their work to help make the city safer.

"Let this be a strong message to all that criminals will not take refuge here," Vasque said.

Operation Triple Beam was led by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, which included Lawrence police and state police.
A Massachusetts man who has spent more than 35 years in prison for the 1979 killing of his great aunt is seeking a new trial.

Lawyers for Gary Cifizzari, 62, of Taunton, say in a motion filed Friday that new DNA tests on semen and saliva evidence exonerates their client and his late brother, Michael Cifizzari.

"We believe that it is never too late to do justice," said Radha Natarajan, the executive director of the New England Innocence Project.

NEIP is a nonprofit committed to correcting and preventing the wrongful convictions of innocent men and women in New England and is working with Cifizzari's attorney at Ropes & Gray.

Attorneys say the brothers were wrongly convicted of murder in 1984 in the killing of 75-year-old Concetta Schiappa, of Milford, because the case depended on flawed bite mark evidence testimony. They say one of the prosecution's expert witnesses has also since recanted his testimony.

"We now know who committed this gruesome murder because we were able to identify him through the use of DNA testing. His name was Michael Giroux," said Natarajan at a news conference.

Giroux died in 2014.

Semen and saliva found on the victim's nightgown is said to have matched Giroux's profile in the system for other crimes, including a murder in Rhode Island.

"Michael Giroux was the police's original suspect in this case back in 1979 when this murder happened," said Natarajan. "That's because Michael Giroux had the motive, having broken into the victims apartment before."

Attorneys hope their motion will be heard sometime in June.

"We have an opportunity here to right a really great wrong and to free a man who never should have gone to prison in the first place," said Kirsten Mayer of Ropes & Gray.

The Worcester County District Attorneys Office released a statement saying, "We're in the process of reviewing the motion, evidence and additional testing that has been, and can be, performed with modern science. We want to make sure we get this right. We're committed to justice and we will continue to work with defense counsel to ensure justice is done."
"It was clearly the hardest thing I'd ever done."

Smiling at the summit, climbing Mount Everest's 29,029 feet is an expedition Joseph Pratt will never forget.

"The scariest part was probably the first time that you come across a body illuminated only by your head lamp," he said.

Six people died the night it was negative 40 degrees when he climbed in 2012.

Eleven have perished in the past two weeks, making it one of the deadliest climbing seasons on record.

Inexperience and overcrowding have been to blame.

"Raise the level of expertise, vet the guiding companies a bit more," Pratt said. "80 percent die going down. Not going up."

The Nepalese government is now considering imposing health checks and qualification standards.

Nepal issued a record 381 permits this season at $11,000 each, and you can bet many aren't training like their life is on the line, in their own backyards, like Pratt.

I would (do it again) if I were 10 years younger," he said.
Police say a New Hampshire driver faces numerous charges after leading police on a chase that neared speeds of 100 mph through Maine's Oxford County.

The Oxford County Sheriff's Department said deputies observed the car traveling at 30 mph over the speed limit early Friday in Lovell. They backed off when the car neared speeds of 100 mph.

Deputies say the car eventually spun out of control and crashed into a tree in Fryeburg.

They say the driver, 20-year-old Hunter Coburn, of Chatham, New Hampshire, was arrested on charges including driving to endanger, eluding a police officer, operating after suspension and operating under the influence of alcohol.

Oxford County Jail officials said Coburn was released on bail Friday morning. It wasn't known if he had an attorney.
Healthcare adds up to nearly 18% of the U.S. gross domestic product, employing 11% of the national workforce, according to McKinsey & Company. Even so, the industry has been slow to adopt digital technologies. Now, organizations are racing to catch up with a range of digital solutions for care providers, patients, and those who support them.

Helping them rise to the challenge is a new breed of cloud-based networking technologies that let providers easily and securely share data while protecting client privacy under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements.

Heres a look at how a clinic and a home healthcare agency are doing it.

Legacy problems

The IT infrastructure at Harbin Cliniccomprising 21 practices throughout Northwest Georgiawas collapsing. With broadband traffic regularly surpassing the capacity of their aging networks, critical medical equipment kept going offline. So when Senior IT Security and Network Administrator Ernest Staats arrived at Harbin, he had to acknowledge that its network was in need of help.

Similarly at Mosaic, a nonprofit providing services to adults, children, and seniors with special needs, the whole network was a nightmare to manage, according to Systems Integration Manager Daniel McDonald. Each of the 38 agencies that make up Mosaic tried to maintain its own IT infrastructure for connecting with headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska to access patient records and employee timesheets. With no central management, nothing worked consistently.

What was needed for both organizations was a new network infrastructure that wouldnt strain limited IT budgets as well as safeguard patient privacy by complying with HIPAA regulations. McDonald also wanted to throw in tablets for employees working in the field that he and his team manage remotely.

Modern solutions

Easy to deploy and manage cloud-based networking from Cisco Meraki helped bring each of these healthcare facilities up-to-date and ready to take part in the digital transformation trend sweeping through the industry for the benefit of clients and staff alike.

HIPAA-compliant network security is only one of the assets Harbin Clinic has gained with Meraki. The ability to clone configurations in new networking gear across 24 buildings saved the installation team weeks of work. Along the way, they also rediscovered hundreds of supposedly lost medical devices, which Staats and his team now track through Merakis Enterprise Mobility Management system on the Meraki Dashboard online.

And McDonalds nightmare is over at Mosaic. Our users love having reliable wireless, and the network is easy for us to manage, he says. The upgrade has been really exciting for us. Mosaic's care providers got their tablets, letting them securely login to headquarters for vital records, and McDonald and his team get simple to use, yet powerful management and troubleshooting tools that free up their resources to let them further innovate.

Thanks to comprehensive IT solutions provided by Cisco Meraki, organizations such as Harbin Clinic and Mosaic are leading the way in the healthcare industrys digital revolution.

To learn more, visit meraki.com/worksimple
Council has purchased property to offset cuts in government funding

WEST Berkshire Council has spent more than half-a-million pounds on commercial property advice.

The budget-squeezed local authority has spent 502,150.29 on property consultants to help it choose which shops, warehouses and offices to buy.

Faced with a reduction in central government funding, the council borrowed 100m from the Public Works Loan Board to invest in property.

It hopes to use 2m rent from tenants each year to spend on public services.

The 1.25m-a-year interest from the loan will be paid out of the rental receipts it anticipates it will receive from the properties.

The council spent 45,083,000 on acquiring seven investment assets, which includes 9,760,000 for The Sector at Newbury Business Park and 8m for 4 The Sector.

lt also purchased Dudley Port Service Station in Tipton, West Midlands, for 3,510,000, while Unit 1&2 Hill View Road, Guisborough, occupied by an Aldi and Iceland, was acquired for 6,048,000.

Shopping units at 303 High Street, Lincoln, were bought for 5,665,000, along with 2 Waterside South in the town for 2.9m.

An industrial unit at 79 Bath Road, Chippenham, was also acquired for 9.2m.

The nature of the scattered investments has been questioned by the Liberal Democrats, with Jeff Brooks (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) saying that the council should be investing in local housing and businesses.

He said: These may not achieve the same returns, but would provide social gain to West Berkshire residents in terms of our local economy and housing stock.

And with more big shops on the high street struggling, Mr Brooks also questioned whether the retail sector was a prudent investment at this time.

He said: Retail developments may not look as attractive in future years or continue with the same yield as expected.

Most of the money spend on advice for the purchases, spent since 2017, went to Montague Evans, who have received 494,650.29.

Jones Lang LaSalle received 7,500.

The figures were obtained following a Freedom of Information request.

Council spokeswoman Peta Stoddart-Crompton said: Given that the council has acquired 58,677,000 of assets, the total fee to date represents 0.84 per cent, which is good value for money.

Councils have been forced to look elsewhere for funding as, since 2010, the Government has cut 60p out of every 1 for local public services, according to the Local Government Association.
The Litchfield County local group of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America will hold a candlelight vigil, remembrance and call to action June 8 at 7:30 p.m. on the New Milford Village Green.

The Light the Green Orange vigil will include inspiring messages from survivors, family members of victims, invited local, state and federal representatives, as well as religious leaders from the community.
The City of Willoughby recently held a public meeting to hear from residents regarding a storm sewer replacement project on the west side of town.

As part of the citys 2016 Storm Water Plan, the project seeks to install new storm sewers on East 364th Street, East 365th Street and Harvard Drive. According to City Engineer Jim Sayles, the storm sewers were built in the 1950s and 60s and are currently not functioning as they were originally designed.

The project will also seek to stop basement flooding for nearby residents and it should prevent flooding for up to a 10-year storm event.

The total work will involve about 7,790 feet of sewer construction, 8,500 square yards of drive and pavement replacement and 27,600 square yards of sidewalk replacement. A news release stated that three trees on East 365th Street and 11 trees on Harvard Drive will need to be removed during construction. All of the trees are located on tree lawns.

Sayles told residents at the meeting that the EPA requires the project not to disturb certain wildlife habitats.

The theory is that your tree lawn trees may be a habitat for Indiana bats, he said. So were not allowed to cut those down until October.

He added that the project should begin in September and is expected to be complete by the end of spring 2020.

Residents at a May 30 public meeting, voiced concern about traffic during the construction.

During the work, its going to be a major inconvenience, theres no doubt about that, Sayles said. You all just recently saw the Stevens Boulevard work. (This) will be similar. The road will have to be closed to through traffic. (But) you will all be able to get to your houses.

Were going to have the contractor primarily use Vine Street for access, Sayles added.

Residents mentioned that trucks have been using Stevens Boulevard for travel, noting that there was once a sign restricting access.

Sayles answered that city Law Director Michael Lucas had determined that it was illegal for the city to restrict access to trucks on that street.

As driveways and aprons will be under construction, residents also asked how long their driveways will be inaccessible.

Theyll only be inaccessible when theyre working on it there, Sayles responded. Every night, theyre required to get you back in your driveway (using steel plates, stone or something similar). He added that residents can park on the street after the sewer work is done and the driveway apron work begins.

Total costs for the project are estimated at about $2,116,131. The city will go out for bids in June, Sayles said.

Willoughby should also receive grants and loans from the Ohio Public Works Commission, Ohio Water Development Authority and Ohio EPA Water Pollution Control Loan Fund, to help cover costs of the project.
Although there is ample evidence that air pollution--specifically airborne particulate matter--is associated with an increased risk of premature death, it is still not known which specific particles are responsible for this effect. The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a research center supported by "la Caixa", participated in a study that used wild moss samples to estimate human exposure to airborne metal particles in order to analyze the relationship between atmospheric metal pollution and risk of mortality.

This unique study, based on an innovative approach, has been published in the journal Environment International. It included data from 11,382 participants belonging to the Gazel cohort who were living in rural areas throughout France, a cohort that had been followed up for 20 years. The data on mosses came from the BRAMM biovigilance program, which collects and analyses moss samples from areas all over France situated at a distance from the country's largest industrial and population centers. These samples are analyzed in the laboratory to measure the presence of 13 elements: aluminum, arsenic, calcium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, sodium, nickel, lead, vanadium and zinc.

There have been very few studies on the health effects of airborne metal pollutants, partly because of technical limitations, such as the lack of stations measuring air pollution. We thought that moss, because of its capacity to retain these metals, would be a useful tool for estimating the atmospheric metal exposure of people living in rural areas." Benedicte Jacquemin, ISGlobal and INSERM researcher and last author of the study

The scientists constructed a mathematical model based on the geolocation data for each moss sample and the results of the BRAMM laboratory analysis. This model was then used to map the exposure of each participant to the metals under study. The metals were classified into two groups, according to whether their origin was considered natural or anthropogenic. The final analysis showed that participants exposed to higher atmospheric concentrations of metals of anthropogenic origin had an increased risk of death.

The metals deemed to be of anthropogenic origin were cadmium, copper, mercury, lead and zinc. While all of these metals are naturally present in the earth's crust, their presence in the atmosphere is due to human activities, such as industry, traffic and heating.

"Our results indicate that the metals present in the airborne particulate matter could be a key component in the effects of air pollution on mortality", explains Jacquemin. "It is important to bear in mind that the people we included in this study live in rural areas far from major urban and industrial centers and road networks. This means that they are very likely to be exposed to lower levels of air pollution than people living in urban environments, which gives us an idea of the seriousness of the health effects of air pollution, even at relatively low levels of exposure," she stresses.

"These findings support our hypothesis that moss bio-monitoring can be a good complementary technique for identifying the toxic components in suspended particulate matter," the researcher adds.

Source:

Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)

Journal reference:

Jacquemin, B. et al. (2019) Long-term exposure to atmospheric metals assessed by mosses and mortality in France. Environment International. doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.05.004
Cannabis use among older adults is growing faster than any other age group but many report barriers to getting medical marijuana, a lack of communication with their doctors and a lingering stigma attached to the drug, according to researchers.

The study, the first to look at how older Americans use cannabis and the outcomes they experience, was published this month in the journal Drugs & Aging.

Older Americans are using cannabis for a lot of different reasons. Some use it to manage pain while others use it for depression or anxiety." Study co-author Hillary Lum, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine

The 2016 National Survey of Drug Use and Health showed a ten-fold increase in cannabis use among adults over age 65.

The researchers set out to understand how older people perceived cannabis, how they used it and the positive and negative outcomes associated with it.

They conducted 17 focus groups in in senior centers, health clinics and cannabis dispensaries in 13 Colorado counties that included more than 136 people over the age of 60. Some were cannabis users, others were not.

"We identified five major themes," Lum said.

These included: A lack of research and education about cannabis; A lack of provider communication about cannabis; A lack of access to medical cannabis; A lack of outcome information about cannabis use; A reluctance to discuss cannabis use.

Researchers found a general reluctance among some to ask their doctors for a red card to obtain medical marijuana. Instead, they chose to pay more for recreational cannabis.

Lum said this could be driven by feeling self-conscious about asking a doctor for cannabis. That, she said, points to a failure of communication between health care providers and their patients.

"I think [doctors can] be a lot more open to learning about it and discussing it with their patients," said one focus group respondent. "Because at this point I have told my primary care I was using it on my shoulder. And that was the end of the conversation. He didn't want to know why, he didn't want to know about effects, didn't want to know about side effects, didn't want to know anything."

Some said their doctors were unable or unwilling to provide a certificate, the document needed to obtain medical marijuana. They also said physicians need to educate themselves on the latest cannabis research.

Some older users reported positive outcomes when using cannabis for pain as opposed to taking highly addictive prescription opioids. They often differentiated between using cannabis for medical reasons and using it recreationally.

"Although study participants discussed recreational cannabis more negatively than medical cannabis, they felt it was more comparable to drinking alcohol, often asserting a preference for recreational cannabis over the negative effects of alcohol," the study said.

The researchers also found that despite the legalization of cannabis in Colorado and other states, some older people still felt a stigma attached to it.

"Some participants, for example, referred to the movie `Reefer Madness' (1936) and other anti-marijuana propaganda adverts that negatively framed cannabis as immoral and illegal," the researchers said.

The study adds to the growing literature on the diversity of marijuana use patterns in older adults, said co-author Sara Honn Qualls, PhD, ABPP, professor of psychology and director of the Gerontology Center at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

"Older adults who use marijuana are ingesting it in a variety of ways for multiple purposes," she said. "This and other papers from the same project show growing acceptance of marijuana use for medical purposes by older adults, and a clear desire to have their primary health providers involved in educating them about options and risks.

Lum agreed.

She said Colorado, the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, provides a unique laboratory to gauge public attitudes toward cannabis.

"From a physician's standpoint this study shows the need to talk to patients in a non-judgmental way about cannabis," she said. "Doctors should also educate themselves about the risks and benefits of cannabis and be able to communicate that effectively to patients."

Source:

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Journal reference:

Lum, H.D. et al. (2019) Qualitative Analysis of Cannabis Use Among Older Adults in Colorado. Drugs & Aging. doi.org/10.1007/s40266-019-00665-w
Abortion is one of the hottest political issues of 2019. With a newly configured Supreme Court, which many pundits think has the votes to roll back or overturn the landmark 1972 Roe v. Wade ruling, states are rushing either to protect abortion rights or pass laws intended to restrict or ban it.

But the abortion debate is much more complicated than just pro or con. It's entangled in partisan politics, health care, religion and more.

For this 100th episode of KHN's "What the Health?" we take a deep dive into the state of abortion in the United States.

This week's panelists are Julie Rovner from Kaiser Health News, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jen Haberkorn of The Los Angeles Times, and Sandhya Ramen of CQ Roll Call.

Also, Rovner interviews KHN's Lauren Weber, who wrote the latest "Bill of the Month" feature about a not-so-funny bill for laughing gas.

If you have an exorbitant or inexplicable medical bill you'd like to submit for our series, you can do that here.

Among the takeaways from this week's podcast:

The Supreme Court's split decision this week on an Indiana abortion law  allowing the part of the law requiring burial or cremation of fetal remains while nixing the abortion bans in the bill gave those on both sides a win without tipping the court's hand on where it is leaning or getting it embroiled in 2020 politics.

The number of abortions in America is at an all-time low  partly because of the effectiveness of long-term birth control  while the politics dogging the issue are as tense as ever.

Are Democrats in Congress really looking to overturn the long-standing Hyde Amendment, which bars federal abortion funding? Previous Democrat-led Congresses have tried before with no luck, although the current Congress has fewer Democrats who oppose abortion rights.

If you're an organization opposed to abortion and trying to sway a Supreme Court swing vote, on whom should you focus? Chief Justice John Roberts or newcomer Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh?

To hear all our podcasts, click here.

And subscribe to What the Health? on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or Pocket Casts.
Today, according to various estimates, up to 60 percent of the world's population suffers from TMJ pathologies. Unfortunately, there is still no effective solution to this problem. There are simple models of simulators for the lower jaw, but their use is fraught with some difficulties.

According to the orthopedic dentist who deals with this topic, Yulia Reshetnikova, the existing simulators do not allow patients to independently develop the muscles of the maxillofacial area, and specialists cannot monitor the treatment process by setting the impact forces and the amplitude of the opening of the jaw.

In general, TMJ pathologies are considered complex and multidisciplinary. Not only dentists, but also vertebrologists, chiropractors and neurologists are often involved in their treatment. A group of scientists from Samara State Medical University under the leadership of Professor Dmitry Trunin decided to seek help from engineers.

For scientists of the Samara Polytech, the topic was absolutely new. They had to delve into it from scratch.

A plastic 3D model of a unique device that fits over the head and fastens on the jaw followed the calculations and drawings." Anatoly Litikov, head of the laboratory of the "Building Mechanics and Resistance of Materials" department of the Samara Polytechnic Faculty of Industrial and Civil Engineering

The device operates in two planes: sagittal (up - down) and frontal (left - right). Following the guide the jaw as well.

The resulting simulator must take into account all the peculiarities of the movement of the human lower jaw.

Now this device, up to each node, is patented.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reported yesterday (30th of May 2019) that this year the number of measles cases in the United States has reached 971  a record number in the last 25 years.

According to the CDC report, these new cases are concentrated in and around New York City and Rockland County, N.Y. the report adds that the spread here is mostly among unvaccinated children within the Orthodox Jewish communities. Since September 2018 there have been 550 reported cases in the NYC and most of them came from unvaccinated population of the city.

Measles rash. Image Credit: Phichet Chaiyabin / Shutterstock

The CDC warns that unvaccinated populations found in four Brooklyn ZIP codes could not be fined up to $1,000. United States had been declared free of measles with the virus declared eliminated says the CDC. In the recent years however there has been a rise in number of cases mostly due to inadequate vaccination of the children against the viral infection. By year 2000, concentrated vaccination drives and efforts had led to a elimination of measles virus in the US. Federal health officials said in a statement, That loss would be a huge blow for the nation and erase the hard work done by all levels of public health. The measles elimination goal, first announced in 1963 and accomplished in 2000, was a monumental task, the report says.

They add that the virus is bring brought back to the nation by those who travel out of the country without being vaccinated. These unvaccinated infected travellers bring back the infection and infect large populations of unvaccinated children.

Parents have been blamed for not vaccinating their children against measles in a combined vaccine MMR that protects against measles, mumps and rubella or German measles. These anti-vaxxers or people with conspiracy theories regarding safety of the vaccines have made claims connecting measles vaccine with autism in children. These claims have been proven to be false and baseless.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that at least 95 to 98 percent population needs to be vaccinated against measles to achieve full immunity in the community. Vaccination cannot be given to all especially young babies and those with immune suppression. These vulnerable individuals benefit from large coverage of vaccination among the others. At present due to anti-vaccination propaganda, the rates of vaccination have dipped say the officials.

The CDC earlier this week had reported a total of 940 cases of measles. In 1994 a total of 963 cases were reported for the whole year. This means that the first five months numbers have surpassed the total numbers seen in 1994 say the officials. In 1992 there were a total of 2,200 measles cases throughout the year say the officials. According to the WHO, there have been over 82,500 cases of measles across Europe in the last year as a result of people with anti-vaccination stance. The organization adds that measles killed a total of around 110,000 people globally in 2017 and most of them were children under the age of 5 years. The WHO has declared anti-vaccination individuals as one of the top ten threats to global health this year. Some countries are endemic to measles including Israel, Brazil, Japan, Philippines, certain countries in Asia and Europe. Travel to them without vaccination is one of the reasons why infections are being carried back to the nation say the officials.

The CDC officials say that state and local awareness programs need to be strengthened to spread the word regarding safety and efficacy of the vaccination and need for vaccination of all children. CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement, Your decision to vaccinate will protect your family's health and your community's well-being. CDC will continue working with public health responders across our nation to bring this outbreak to an end.

Expert speak

Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in a statement earlier this year said, I consider it an irony that you have one of the most contagious viruses known to man juxtaposed against one of the most effective vaccines they have. Yet we don't do and have not done what could be done - namely eliminate, eradicate the virus.

Dr. Robert Redfield said, Measles is preventable and the way to end this outbreak is to ensure that all children and adults who can get vaccinated, do get vaccinated. He added, Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greater danger is the disease that vaccination prevents.

#Vaccine hesitancy is one of the 10 key threats to global health in 2019. Countries once free of #measles are now experiencing a resurgence in cases. Outbreaks of #diptheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases have also increased around the world. @WHO #WHA72  Dr. Robert R. Redfield (@CDCDirector) May 22, 2019

#Measles immunization rates have fallen in 12 EU countries & many now have coverage lower than the 95% needed to prevent outbreaks.

Continued outbreaks will be unavoidable unless countries can reverse these trends. https://t.co/S8Xri71Epp  Seth Berkley (@GaviSeth) May 29, 2019

The current #measles situation in #Philippines = an apocalyptic vision of what happens if the antivaccine #antivax lobby is allowed to continue unopposed and/or globalize https://t.co/Fd7OJBGGho  Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@PeterHotez) May 25, 2019

Vaccines are safe, effective, and vital to public health. Talk to your doctor about which #vaccines are recommended for you and your loved ones for protection against vaccine-preventable diseases including #measles. #VaccinesWork https://t.co/2Wd2YP999S  Secretary Alex Azar (@SecAzar) May 28, 2019
A new report in Science provides the first evidence of a mammal - the highveld mole-rat - being immune to pain from exposure to allyl isothiocyanate, or AITC, the active ingredient of wasabi.

The scientists who studied the animals say that understanding how these African rodents evolved to be insensitive to this specific type of pain could point to new directions for solving pain in humans.

Mole-rats are extremely curious animals and we have been studying them at UIC for more than 20 years. This new discovery, that they have evolved to be insensitive to certain pain stimuli common in their environment -; is another example of the cool biological lessons to be learned from studying them." Study co-author Thomas Park, professor of biological sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Park worked alongside scientists from the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin and the University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa, on the study. The research was conducted at UIC and in South Africa.

They exposed the paws of eight species of mole-rats to three compounds that induce a pain-like response - AITC, an acidic solution with a pH similar to lemon juice and capsaicin, the spicy ingredient in chili peppers. The scientists monitored behaviors, such as the time an animal spent licking its paws after being exposed to a small drop of the chemicals. They compared these observed behaviors with those they observed in mice when exposed to the same compounds. Following euthanasia, the scientists also extracted spinal cord tissue and nerve tissues for analysis.

Three of the species were immune to the acidic solution and two were immune to capsaicin, but the naked mole-rat was the only species immune to both.

They also found that the highveld mole-rate was immune to exposure to the AITC compound.

"This is an awesome finding because the highveld mole-rat is the only mammal known to be immune to 'wasabi pain,'" Park said. "It turns out that highveld mole-rats share their tunnels, their natural environment in Africa, with a stinging ant species, the natal droptail ant. The ant's sting normally activates the same pain receptors that respond to wasabi. Over time, the highveld mole-rats evolved to become unaffected by the sting."

Park and his colleagues also analyzed genetic materials from the samples they took from the mole-rats and found that the nerves of highveld mole-rats had an unusually large number of tiny structures called leak channels on their surface.

"Nature and evolution solved a pain problem for the highveld mole-rat. The leak channels make the nerves unable to convey messages about wasabi pain to the brain," Park said. "Instead of delivering the signal from the receptor to the brain, the leak channels divert the signal."

The researchers say that this finding is particularly interesting, as the evolutionary change for this species of mole-rate occurred over a short period of time -; 7 million years. The naked mole-rats also developed their immunity to the acidic solution and capsaicin quickly.

"That may seem like a long time, but in evolutionary biology, 7 million years is considered to be quite rapid," Park said.

"When we find out how to add leak channels to our own pain cells, we'll have a new way of fighting pain, without the side effect of addiction from external pain killers," he said.

Source:

University of Illinois at Chicago

Journal reference:

Park, T.J. et al. (2019) Rapid molecular evolution of pain insensitivity in multiple African rodents. Science. doi.org/10.1126/science.aau0236.
Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, director of the Center for Spinal Cord Injury Research at Kessler Foundation, was awarded a $549,000 grant by the New Jersey Commission on Spinal Cord Research. Co-investigators are Gerard Malanga, MD, of the New Jersey Regenerative Institute and Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, and Nathan Hogaboom, PhD, Derfner Foundation postdoctoral fellow at Kessler Foundation. They will conduct a randomized, controlled, parallel group trial of the effectiveness of a new minimally invasive intervention for disabling shoulder pain in wheelchair users with chronic spinal cord injury and overuse injuries - autologous micro-fragmented adipose tissue injection.

In April 2019, the Commission announced $3.4 million in grants to successful applicants from qualified research organizations in New Jersey. This grant is one of three individual research grants awarded to the Foundation, totaling $1.74 million.

For the study, 28 participants will be randomly assigned to receive an ultrasound-guided injection into the shoulder joint that contains either: 1) autologous, micro-fragmented adipose tissue; or 2) corticosteroid (triamcinolone acetonide). All participants will then undergo a standardized home exercise program, and periodic follow-up for 6 months after the injection, including physical examination and imaging studies.

Adipose tissue is a readily accessed source of mechanical, bioactive and bioavailable elements. The adipose used for the injection is obtained using the Lipogems system. A person's own fat is harvested and processed by the Lipogems system to yield autologous, micro-fragmented adipose tissue that is then injected into the shoulder joint under ultrasound guidance. These procedures are performed by Dr. Malanga, an expert in orthopedic and sports-related injuries.

The new intervention may expand treatment options for wheelchair users with intractable shoulder pain and limited range of motion.

If conservative treatments such as medications and physical therapy fail, then surgery is often the only remaining option. Surgery, however, involves many months of recovery, which can have a significant impact on quality of life in persons who rely on their shoulders for everyday activities and independence, and their risk is especially high for poor outcomes." Dr. Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, Director, Center for Spinal Cord Injury Research, Kessler Foundation

The new study is based on positive findings from a Kessler pilot study funded by the Derfner Foundation, which was the first application of this minimally invasive intervention in individuals with spinal cord injury. "The majority of the participants in our pilot study have reported significantly less pain and greater range of motion following a single injection," Dr. Dyson-Hudson reported, "and this relief from pain and improved function was maintained even at the one-year follow-up visit."

Corticosteroid injections offer relief from pain; however, relief from pain often only lasts a few months and repeated injections may cause damage to joint tissues. "With fat obtained using Lipogems, the injected fat tissue cushions damaged joint tissues and fills structural defects," said Dr. Malanga, "and it delivers numerous cell types and growth factors that may foster tendon repair and regeneration. This new funding is an important step in our exploration of potential applications for regenerative approaches to disabling conditions, such as the rotator cuff injuries that are so prevalent among wheelchair users with spinal cord injury," he said, in summary.

"The Commission clearly recognizes the importance of regenerative medicine to advances in rehabilitative care," said Jay Lieberman, trustee of the Derfner Foundation. "This grant will accelerate the progress being made by the Kessler team toward finding solutions that reduce pain and disability among individuals with spinal cord injury."
Mosquito populations that are responsible for spreading malaria can be dramatically reduced with a genetically modified fungus that produces spider toxins, say researchers.

Christoph Burgstedt | Shutterstock

A study carried out between the IRSS research institute in Burkina Faso in West Africa and the University of Maryland in the US discovered a fungus called Metarhizium pingshaense (Mp). This fungus was found to infect Anopheles mosquitoes, the genus of mosquito that is responsible for spreading malaria.

In 2017, the number of deaths caused by malaria reached 435,000. In the same year, there were approximately 219 million cases of malaria across 87 different countries. It is a life-threatening but preventable disease brought on by parasites spread to humans through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.

The aim of the study was to advance efforts to control the spread of malaria.

The trial was carried out in a contained, semi-field facility, as explained by the study, that was made up of six compartments in an area of Burkina Faso in which malaria is endemic.

Four of the six compartments contained experimental World Health Organization huts for West Africa, sugar sources for adult mosquitoes, and breeding sites.

The compartments were enclosed in a greenhouse frame covered in mosquito netting so the mosquitoes inside would be exposed to normal climate conditions to make a near-field accurate simulation.

Researchers enhanced the pingshaense fungus, with Professor Raymond St Leger, from the University of Maryland, telling BBC News that the fungus is very malleable and that you can genetically engineer them very easily.

They used a toxin found in the venom of an Australian funnel-web spider, and the genetic instructions needed to produce the toxin were added to the genetic code of the fungus. This would mean the fungus would produce the toxin itself once it was inside a mosquito.

A spider uses its fangs to pierce the skin of insects and inject toxins, we replaced the fangs of the spider with Metarhizium, Professor St Leger explained.

Preventing the spread of malaria

The results of the study showed that approximately 75% of wild insecticide-resistant mosquitoes released into the environment became infected with the transgenic fungus, causing population collapse within 45 days.

Dr. Brian Lovett from the University of Maryland said the transgenic fungus quickly collapsed the mosquito population in just two generations.

Laboratory tested revealed that the genetically modified Mp fungus was effective at very low spore doses and its efficacy lasted longer than that of the unmodified Materhizium.

Professor Michael Bonsall from the University of Oxford spoke on the potential of this new discovery.

This is a super-exciting study, he said. The prospects for controlling mosquitoes using this modified fungus are high.

Proportionate bio-safety regulations are needed to ensure that the viability of this and other approaches for vector [mosquito] control using genetic methods are not lost through overly zealous restrictions.

Our technology is not aiming to drive the extinction of mosquitoes; what were aiming to do is break malaria transmission in an area. Dr. Brian Lovett

1,500 mosquitoes were used at the beginning of the study. The population increased significantly before it was introduced to the Mp fungus enhanced with spider toxin. After this introduction, only 13 mosquitoes survived after a period of 45 days.

Encouraging results

Importantly, this fungus did not have lethal effects on important insect species including bees. As mosquitoes are becoming immune to insecticides, malaria cases are at risk of increasing and are already affecting 10 of the worst affected countries in Africa.

Dr. Tony Nolan from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine said that new tools were needed to control the spread of malaria through mosquitoes.

These results are encouraging. We need new and complementary tools to augment existing control methods, which are being affected by the development of insecticide-resistance. Dr. Tony Nolan

The study concludes by saying the results suggest that the introduction of a single transgene under the control of a native fungal promoter substantially increases both the efficacy and the applicability of fungal entomopathogens for malaria vector control, justifying further development of transgenic entomopathogenic fungi for open field application.
An observational study conducted in a French hospital showed that human contact was responsible for 90 percent of the spread of one species of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to new patients, but less than 60 percent of the spread of a different species. Audrey Duval of the Versailles Saint Quentin University and Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, and colleagues present these findings in PLOS Computational Biology.

Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria (red) interacting with a neutrophil (blue). Credit: David Dorward; Ph.D.; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

People treated in hospitals and other health care settings are increasingly at risk of infection with multidrug-resistant bacteria. Many of these microbes produce enzymes called extended-spectrum -lactamases (ESBLs), which make them resistant to antibiotics. Understanding how ESBL bacteria spread from person to person is key to developing effective prevention strategies.

In the new study, Duval and colleagues distributed wearable sensors to hundreds of patients and health care workers in a French hospital. Equipped with RFID tags, the sensors allowed the researchers to track patterns of human contact between patients over an eight-week period. Meanwhile, they systematically screened patients for ESBL-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia.

The scientists found that 90 percent of the spread of ESBL K. pneumonia to new patients could be explained by direct or indirect contact with patients who had the same bacteria within the previous eight weeks; this figure was less than 60 percent for ESBL E. Coli. The findings suggest that contact-prevention strategiesprimarily hand hygienecan be very efficient in limiting transmission of ESBL K. pneumonia. However, additional measures, such as environmental decontamination or using antibiotics more appropriately, may be necessary to prevent spread of ESBL E. Coli.

The researchers suggest that the same kind of wearable-sensor analysis could be extended to other multidrug-resistant species. Investigation of more detailed genomic data could further illuminate how ESBL-producing bacteria spread.

By combining digital epidemiology and rapid microbiological diagnostic tools, we may be entering a new era to understand and control the risk of hospital-acquired infection with multidrug-resistant bacteria, Duval says.

Source:

PLOS

Journal reference:

Duval, A. et al. (2019) Close proximity interactions support transmission of ESBL-K. pneumoniae but not ESBL-E. coli in healthcare settings. PLOS Computational Biology. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006496.
As an advocate for the needs of researchers working at the forefronts of genomic research, Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) releases its latest CRISPR enzyme Alt-R Cas12a (Cpf1) Ultra. Cas12a Ultra is a powerful addition to IDTs Alt-R CRISPR enzyme arsenal  its vastly improved performance makes it easier to achieve precision genome editing at new sites across genomes.

Publication of the Cas12a system in 2015 generated considerable interest among researchers seeking new enzymes for genome editing experiments, particularly due to its unique PAM site (TTTV) that greatly expanded the number of potential editing sites in the genome beyond that of Cas9 (NGG). IDT developed a novel mutant of the Acidaminococcus sp. BV3L6 Cas12a (Cpf1), called Cas12a Ultra. The new mutant enzyme has enhanced editing activity, reaching or exceeding the performance of Cas9. The new Cas12a Ultra also retains activity across a wider temperature range than the wild type enzyme, making it useful for genome editing in additional organisms, including plants.

Editas Medicine, a leading company developing genome editing medicines, recognized the potential advantages of the newly discovered Cas12a (also known as Cpf1) system and obtained an exclusive license from the Broad Institute, Inc., acting on behalf of itself and the President and Fellows of Harvard College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wageningen University, and the University of Tokyo in 2016 for human therapeutics. Editas Medicine also signed an exclusive license from IDT for use of Cas12a Ultra in human therapeutic applications, several months prior to IDTs commercial release of the product for research use.

IDTs Alt-R Cas12a (Cpf1) Ultra is a first addition to the genome editing toolbox that offers the same efficiency and versatility as Cas9. The new tool will find equal utility for both knock-out as well as knock-in applications, in fields ranging from basic research cell engineering to medical gene therapy to agricultural biotechnology. By incorporating Cas12a (Cpf1) Ultra from IDT into their research plan, scientists will also benefit from the exceptional quality of IDTs recombinant genome editing protein manufacturing, high throughput guide RNA synthesis capacity, and best-in-class technical support.

Mark Behlke, Chief Scientific Officer of IDT commented:

We are proud that IDT continues to take the lead in developing and supplying innovative CRISPR tools to the research community. Alt-R Cas12a (Cpf1) Ultra is a powerful example of this. Researchers will really benefit from the efficiency and versatility that it brings to their gene-editing projects.

Source: Integrated DNA Technologies
MR Solutions high field simultaneous PET-MR systems and large bore, 7T cryogen free MRI technology were seen to be game-changers by leading molecular imaging researchers at the 27th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), in Montreal last week. The accuracy and speed of acquisition of PET combined with high field MRI imaging is now viewed as the norm by academic laboratories across the world.

Fabrice Chaumard, Sales and Marketing Director of MR Solutions said:

It was very gratifying to not only have great interest from new customers but report backs from existing customers on the quality of the images, the stability and robustness of the technology.

MR Solutions, which remains the only supplier of cryogen free or dry technology with operating systems in the field, has a range of MRI scanners with combined PET and SPECT capabilities from 3T to 7T with a variety of bore sizes to accommodate different sized subjects.

MR Solutions first developed the dry magnet technology in 2011 with a 3T system. Multi-modality capabilities - PET and SPECT - were developed and made available in 2014. Today the PET or SPECT technology can be used sequentially as a clip on to the MRI scanner or in the bore for simultaneous acquisition.

As well as producing ground breaking images the physical benefits of the technology - reduction of the stray magnetic field from meters to a few centimeters and the size and weight by a factor of ten - has allowed laboratories to accommodate them into an already crowded environment.

Fabrice continued, This technology has not only changed the rules it has also freed up significant budget spent on ongoing maintenance and topping up of helium which is becoming scarce and very expensive.

Multi-modality imaging is now the norm for the study of anatomy, bio-distribution, efficacy, safety.
A team of researchers led by Kazuhiro Suzuki from the Immunology Frontier Research Center at Osaka University discovered the COMMD3/8 complex as a molecule involved in immune cell migration, clarifying that the complex plays a critical role in the establishment of immune responses. Their research results were published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Immune cells are constantly moving around in our body. Immune cell migration, which is critically important for efficient immune responses when immune cells detect intrusion of pathogens, is also deeply involved in the development of inflammatory diseases such as autoimmune diseases. The factors in the induction of immune cell migration are chemokines and chemokine receptors. Chemokine receptors, a type of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), mediate signal transduction and are involved in various pathologies and conditions. A large fraction of existing drugs target various GPCRs.

While exploring the mechanism of regulating immune cell migration, this team identified a protein complex consisting of copper metabolism MURR1 domain-containing 3 (COMMD3) and COMMD8, or the COMMD3/8 complex, as an adaptor that selectively recruits a specific GPCR kinase (GRK) to chemoattractant receptors.

They found that COMMD3/8 promoted signal transduction of chemokine receptors to facilitate migration of immune cells, including lymphocytes. (Figure 1)

In experiments using COMMD3/8-deficient mice, impaired migration of activated B cells, also known as B lymphocytes, significantly reduced immune responses, causing severe defects in antibody response. In addition, they found that loss of the COMMD3/8 complex reduced lymphocyte migration induced by stimulation of chemokine receptors. They also found that the COMMD3/8 complex functioned as an adaptor that selectively recruits GRK6, a signal transduction molecule, to chemoattractant receptors, inducing activation of signaling of chemokine receptors. (Figure 2)

From these findings, they clarified that the COMMD3/8 complex played an essential role in lymphocyte migration and proper functioning of the immune system. In addition, they revealed that COMMD3 and COMMD8 were degraded by the proteasome in the absence of the other, and deficiency of either protein produced the same phenotypes, which indicates that both COMMD3 and COMMD8 are required for the stability and function of their complex.

The results of their study suggest that inhibiting the function of the COMMD3/8 complex will improve conditions of autoimmune disorders and inflammatory diseases caused by overwhelming immune response. The COMMD3/8 complex will become a drug target for curing these diseases.

Although it took a long time for us to clarify how the COMMD3/8 complex activated signal transduction of chemokine receptors, our achievement is remarkable in that a signal regulation mechanism common in chemokine receptors and many GPCRs has been clarified," Akiko Nakai, Study Lead Author

Source:

Osaka University

Journal reference:

Nakai, A. et al. (2019) The COMMD3/8 complex determines GRK6 specificity for chemoattractant receptors. Journal of Experimental Medicine. doi. org/ 10. 1084/ jem. 20181494.
Researchers have unveiled clues into how breast cancer cells spread around the body.

The early-stage research, led by scientists from Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, identified a genetic 'switch' in breast cancer cells that boosts the production of a type of internal scaffolding.

This scaffolding is a type of protein, called Keratin-80, and related to the protein that helps keep hair strong. Boosting the amount of this scaffolding makes the cancer cells more rigid, which the researchers say may help the cells clump together and travel in the blood stream to other parts of the body.

The researchers, who published their work in the journal Nature Communications, studied human breast cancer cells treated with a common type of breast cancer drug called aromatase inhibitors.

The team found the same switch is involved in breast cancer cells becoming resistant to the medication (meaning the drugs are no longer effective if the cancer returns).

Targeting this switch with a different drug could help reverse this resistance, and make the cancer less likely to spread, explained Dr Luca Magnani, lead author of the research from the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial: "Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the U.K., and causes 55,200 new cases every year. Aromatase inhibitors are effective at killing cancer cells, but within a decade post-surgery around 30 per cent of patients will relapse and see their cancer return - usually because the cancer cells have adapted to the drug. Even worse, when the cancer comes back it has usually spread around the body - which is difficult to treat."

Up until now we didn't know the reasons behind this, but our early-stage study suggests a type of genetic switch - called a transcription factor - can turn on genes that cause the cancer cells to not only become resistant to the treatment, but move into health tissue around the body. This research now needs to be followed up with larger studies, but if confirmed, targeting this genetic switch could prevent cancer cells from becoming resistant to the drugs, and from spreading to other areas of the body." Dr Luca Magnani, Lead Author, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial

Aromatase inhibitors are used to treat a type of breast cancer called estrogen-receptor positive. These make up over 70 per cent of all breast cancers, and are fueled by the hormone estrogen.

These cancers are usually treated with surgery to remove the tumor, followed by a course of targeted hormone therapy - usually either aromatase inhibitors or the drug tamoxifen, which blocks estrogen receptors.

Aromatase inhibitors are usually given to post-menopausal women, and prevent estrogen from being produced in other tissues. Although the women's ovaries have stopped producing estrogen, some of the hormone is still made in several other tissues by an enzyme called aromatase. The medication prevents this enzyme making estrogen.

However, around 30 per cent of breast cancer patients taking aromatase inhibitors see their cancer eventually return. This returning cancer is usually metastatic, meaning it has spread around the body, and the tumors are often now resistant to aromatase inhibitors.

In previous research, the same group discovered that cancer cells become resistant to aromatase inhibitors by making an alternative source of 'fuel'. The team discovered that when aromatase inhibitors starve cancer cells of estrogen, some cells adapt by increasing production of cholesterol, which they then use for energy to survive. This means that if the cancer returns, it can no longer be killed by the same type of drugs.

In the latest research, which used human breast cancer cell cultures in the laboratory, the research team found the switch that turns on genes that increase cholesterol production also activates genes that make the cells more rigid and prone to invade nearby tissues.

The team also found that in women whose cancers had spread around the body, the cells contained higher amounts of Keratin-80.

The team say larger scale patient studies are now needed to confirm the findings, but the research could provide new avenues for helping treat breast cancer that returns and spreads around the body.

Dr Magnani explained: "Although the spread of cancer around the body affects many patients, scientists are still unsure about the molecular processes that drive the movement of cells. This research sheds light on this process, and also suggests it is controlled by the same switch as drug resistance. These findings need to be replicated in bigger trials, but could potential provide a way of stopping both drug resistance and cancer spread."

Dr Fernando Calvo, who carried out the research as Team Leader in Tumour Microenvironment at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), said:

"Tumor evolution is one of the biggest challenges facing cancer researchers. By working out how tumors evolve drug resistance, we can find new ways to treat the cancer effectively, or even prevent resistance developing in the first place.

"Our study shows how drug resistance and the invasiveness of cancer cells are interconnected in breast cancer through changes in cell shape. If we understand how to block resistance, we might also be able to prevent the cancer spreading throughout the body - which would be an important step in treating breast cancer more effectively."

Source:

Imperial College London



Journal reference:

Perone , Y. et al. (2019) SREBP1 drives Keratin-80-dependent cytoskeletal changes and invasive behavior in endocrine-resistant ER breast cancer. Nature Communications. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09676-y.
A new study in the journal Heliyon, published by Elsevier, examines the relationship between the way individuals perceive and respond to threats (threat sensitivity) and where they most frequently seek medical care. The study investigates the association between the healthcare utilization practices of African American men in a low-income urban neighborhood and their relative levels of threat sensitivity, insurance status, and ages.

Over 20 percent of US adults do not have a regular source of healthcare and the reasons for this shortfall are not fully understood. Lack of adequate insurance coverage is a major deterrent, but the significant percentage of insured adults who do not have a regular medical resource suggests that other factors play a role. Understanding all of the factors that contribute to suboptimal healthcare utilization is therefore key to developing solutions to the problem," Stephen Ristvedt, Lead Investigator PhD, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA

People vary widely in how they perceive and respond to threats. At one end of the spectrum are highly-sensitive individuals who are more prone to anxiety and avoidance of potential harm. At the other end are those who are relatively insensitive to threats and thus more likely to be generally unflustered and may take greater risks with their health and well-being.

Investigators found that too little threat sensitivity could lead to neglect of plausible risks (e.g., not having established a regular healthcare source) while too much could lead to heightened sensitivity to risks (e.g., going most often to an emergency room for healthcare).

Of the 483 African American men who participated in the study, 67.1 percent said they visited a doctor's office or clinic when they needed medical care, 18.8 percent frequented the emergency room, and 14.1 percent cited "no place." Further data analysis indicated that men who were more likely to cite a physician's office or medical clinic as their most common source of healthcare were higher in threat sensitivity than men who had no usual place for healthcare and lower in threat sensitivity than men who cited the emergency room as their most common healthcare source.

The study also found that having insurance, being older, and having comorbid conditions were significantly associated with using a doctor's office or clinic rather than an emergency room or not seeking care altogether. The combination of high threat sensitivity and the emergence or worsening of symptoms could conceivably prompt a more urgent pursuit of medical attention and trips to the emergency room.

"These findings are important because they lend insight to tailoring health marketing messages to assist in public health efforts to optimize utilization of healthcare resources. Providers in doctors' offices and clinics are able to monitor and treat chronic diseases on a more regular basis and focus on preventive care, and are more cost effective than the emergency room," noted Dr. Ristvedt. He cited the success of a number of social media campaigns to motivate certain audiences toward healthier behaviors through targeted messages.

The healthcare utilization patterns of African American men, who comprise the study sample, have been shown to be different from those of other US demographic groups. Compared to Caucasians and African American women, African American men are less likely to go to a doctor's office for their healthcare needs and more likely to go to an emergency room. In previous research this has been attributed to racial discrimination and/or mistrust of healthcare organizations and providers. As a result, the investigators expected to find higher levels of both factors associated with suboptimal healthcare utilization through overreliance on emergency services or underutilization of available services all together. Contrary to this hypothesis, the study demonstrated that these two factors had no impact on healthcare utilization when threat sensitivity, insurance status, and age were taken into account.

Further study is needed to determine whether the findings are broadly applicable across demographic groups. In addition, the investigators recommended conducting additional research to further clarify issues of causality, assess unmeasured medical variables, and replicate their findings.

Source:

Elsevier

Journal reference:

Ristvedt, S. et al. (2019) Threat sensitivity is associated with the healthcare source used most often: doctor's office, emergency room, or none at all. Heylion. doi. org/ 10. 1016/ j. heliyon. 2019. e01685.
Jeffrey Wilson, 72, and his wife Sandra, were center stage Wednesday. All eyes were on the couple, who soon will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, as Wilson led his wife hand-in-hand across the floor to a ballad playing on dance instructor Tracie DeLucas computer.

The couple is one of eight attending a brand-new dance class for those with Parkinsons disease that began in April at Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg.

The Wilsons have attended every class even though they are not residents of Westminster Canterbury. They plan to move into the facility in about a year or so.

Wilson has been living with Parkinsons for seven years now and said he is diligent in doing exercise everyday to slow down the progression of thedisease.

He said the class helps to release dopamine in his body and helps him with balance, flexibility and fatigue.

We speak a similar language, he said of the other dancers. Were going through similar things.

Wilson jokes that the class, held once a week on Wednesdays, is the couples date night.

Thats not right, Sandra Wilson interjects. We fished all last weekend. Were still having a good time.

The class is open to the public as well as residents at Westminster. No experience is necessary and participants can join the free class at any time.

DeLuca is an independent contractor for the facility. She is the owner of LifeLines by Tracie, a dance company. She teaches in different locations around the area.

Prior to teaching this class, she stumbled across a video of those diagnosed with Parkinsons gait patterns with and without dance.

She started looking into it and studying because she was looking for new ways to bring value to her classes.

Parkinsons is a chronic and progressive movement disorder that affects the nervous system. According to the Parkinsons Disease Foundation, there are 1 million people in the United States living with it.

Symptoms vary greatly but predominantly include tremors, trouble with balance, stiff muscles and difficulty walking. It eventually can lead to dementia.

Earlier this year Denise Sarver Watts, wellness coordinator at Westminster Canterbury, approached DeLuca and asked her if she was interested in teaching a program for those with Parkinsons at the facility.

Westminster offers an exercise treatment program for those with Parkinsons and Watts thought the addition of a dance class could be beneficial to residents.

She said she doesnt know how many residents living at Westminster have Parkinsons but she takes a group of them to the support group meetings held at the Summit.

The dance program is modeled after the official Dance for PD class created by the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson Group about 20 years ago.

The class is specialized for those with Parkinsons to empower them toembrace music and movement in a way that is stimulating and creative.

Movements help with strengthening, stretching, flexibility, balance and most importantly isolation and depression.

To be able to do something that is fun and wonderful and fosters that sense of support and care and community in a really joyful way, DeLucasaid. If you have Parkinsons you have plenty of time to be a patient and go to therapy. This is a dance class. It is about the sheer joy of dancing.

The class, which consists of about eight people each week, begins with yoga-like stretches in a chair but as the class continues, dancers begin to pull themselves out of their chairs as their bodies flow to the familiar 1940s and 1950s music.

DeLuca noted the entire class can be done in the chairif need be.

She said the most humbling part of her job is watching a participant who is in a wheelchair or has a leg brace stand up and begin dancing and when she sees the joy on their faces.

A disease such as Parkinsons makes the patients world very small but for one hour, the dancers can forget about the pain, the appointments and the symptoms, she said.

If they dont get anything out of it except a joyful experience, then that works for me, DeLuca said.

Watts said dancing with Parkinsons has a positive effect on mental well-being and improves movement, balance and social interaction.

A group at Northwestern University conducted a study in 2018 where they found dancing with Parkinsons improves motor control, helps balance, reduces the risk of falling and improves the overall quality of life. It has a number of benefits from emotional to cognitive to social stimulation.

Ive seen a lot of people doing things I hadnt seen them do before and I hear them singing during class as well, she said. I saw someone get out of his wheelchair and dance with his wife.

In an effort to say, I see you, and, You matter, DeLuca ends each class with participants gathering in a circle to hold hands and simply look at the person to their right and to bow their head in acknowledgement.

We are a community, were in this together, we care about each other, we have fun together, she said. Just that moment of recognition and connection with each person as a part of the group is a really special thing.

At the end of Wednesdays class, DeLuca had the participants cool down in their chairs by stretching. She turned onSentimental Journey by Doris Day and participant Bob Wilson closed his eyes as he began to stretch and sing along.

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.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  After losing his reelection bid in the midterm elections, outgoing Senator JV Ejercito may soon be working for President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte on Thursday hinted he would give a Cabinet post to 49-year-old Ejercito, one of the senatorial candidates he endorsed, should there be a vacancy. The President said Ejercito had a lot of potential which he did not want to go to waste.

"Nanghinayang ako kay JV. Anyway, you are still young. May Cabinet naman diyan kung magbakante," he said in a speech before the Filipino community in Japan.

Ejercito on Friday said that it would be hard to pass off an offer from the President.

"If given the chance, it will be hard to say no. If called to serve the President, that means it's an opportunity to serve the nation once again," he said in a tweet.

In a separate post, he added, "More than the hint of offering me a cabinet post, what moved me is when President Duterte remarked, 'Sayang ito si JV.' Being appreciated by the President no less is an honor."

Ejercito lost in the midterm elections by over 191,000 votes to Nancy Binay, who landed the last Senate seat.
APPOMATTOX  After nearly 20 years as top prosecutor in his native Appomattox County, Darrel Puckett will be ascending to the bench as a General District Court judge.

Pucketts investiture filled Appomattox County Circuit Court on Thursday afternoon to standing room only with attorneys, judges, officials and well-wishers. The General District courtroom upstairs served as overflow, with a live feed broadcast for more attendees.

Among those who spoke at the investiture were Appomattox County Sheriff Barry Letterman, Supervisor Watkins Abbitt Jr., Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, and Del. Matt Fariss, R-Campbell.

Another was Lynchburg Circuit Court Judge Patrick Yeatts, who talked about Pucketts guidance as an upperclassman big brother at Regent University School of Law. He spoke of Puckett being meticulous and firm in his convictions toward his faith, his family and the law.

Just as he strived to perfect his practice of law when he was a lawyer, fulfill his duties in the Air Force and seek justice as a prosecutor, we all are confident that Darrel will strive each and every day to get it right, he said.

Retirements and the appointment of one judge up to the Circuit Court level this year opened up the three General District Court judges seats in the 10th Judicial District of Virginia. That district consists of the counties of Appomattox, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Halifax, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg and Prince Edward.

Judge Robert Woodson has been presiding over General District Court cases in Appomattox County and three other localities since 1995. Present Thursday, the day before his official retirement, he spoke highly of Pucketts tenure as Commonwealths Attorney in an interview.

I think Judge Puckett will do a good job; hes very conscientious, he said. ... Hes got the quality to listen and be fair to people, and make sure that people in court feel like theyve had their day in court.

Puckett will begin hearing cases June 1 in Halifax County, Charlotte County and civil cases in Appomattox County, since hes prohibited from hearing criminal cases in Appomattox County for six months as the attorney whose office prosecutes those cases. After that, hell sit in the Appomattox County and Halifax County courthouses.

Puckett thanked those whove helped him in his professional career and quoted three Bible verses in his speech after being sworn as a judge.

This is something for which I have desired and strived for many years, he said.

He attributed his successes to his faith in God, his time with the U. S. Air Force, his parents and his mentor, retired Judge Richard Blanton.

I will work very hard to do my best to serve the people of Appomattox, he said.

Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
A North Carolina man arrested after a traffic stop his loved ones said led to excessive use of force by police will serve two years in prison on charges related to the incident.

Larry Anthony Booker, 32, was arrested July 18 and charged with 14 crimes. Officers with the Lynchburg Police Department stopped the car he was driving at the corner of 17th and Floyd streets after it ran a stop sign, according to a news release from the department at the time.

A K-9 unit alerted officers to drugs in the vehicle, LPD said, and the officers tried to arrest Booker. Booker resisted arrest and the officers used a baton and the police dog to gain control and compliance from him, according to the release.

Once they arrested him, officers seized a gun, ammunition and suspected methamphetamine from Bookers car and charged him for possessing them illegally, since hes been convicted of a non-violent felony in the past.

Booker was bit in the leg during the struggle with officers. His loved ones marched through city streets in the rain days after his arrest seeking Justice for Larry, since they believed  based on eyewitness accounts  that officers used excessive force in his arrest.

The 14 charges were whittled down to six indictments in Lynchburg Circuit Court and three convictions in the plea agreement: possession of a firearm as a non-violent felon, attempting to flee from law enforcement and obstruction of justice.

Booker was previously scheduled for a Tuesday jury trial, but attorneys worked out a plea agreement on May 22.

Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Andrew Childress said the substance in Bookers car field tested positive for methamphetamine, but later tested negative for controlled substances in a lab. Carlos Hutcherson, Bookers attorney, said that substance was an air freshener.

As part of the plea agreement, Booker was sentenced to a mandatory minimum two years for possessing a firearm as a felon and an additional three months for attempting to flee from law enforcement and obstruction of justice. Booker was never granted bond and will receive credit for time hes served in jail since his July 18 arrest.

Childress said the firearm charge was the most serious of Bookers charges and the two misdemeanors reflect the resistance Booker exhibited during his arrest, kicking the police dog and one officer in the process.

Hutcherson said his client is glad to have the matter resolved and regrets that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He said Bookers arrest followed an exercise of what he called poor police policy, where officers unfairly target young black men for traffic stops as an excuse to see if they have drugs or guns in their car.

While Hutcherson acknowledged there was indeed a firearm in the car Booker was driving, I question the stop that led up to that and what happened after.

Booker sustained significant injuries from the arrest, according to Hutcherson, and still has a limp.

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.
With a little more than six months to go before the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, organizers with the National D-Day Memorial in Bed
BEDFORD  Two 18-year-old men who prosecutors said robbed a Montvale convenience store at gunpoint were denied bond Friday in Bedford County General District Court.

James Dallas Stewart, 18, of Lynchburg, and Kolin Minnick, 18, of Bedford, were arrested May 22 and charged with robbing Road Side Market and using a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to the Bedford County Sheriffs Office.

According to Bedford County Chief Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Stacey Stickney, both men were wearing masks when they entered the store on the evening May 20. Stickney said Stewart carried a pump-action shotgun during the robbery while Minnick stood watch at the door. The two allegedly stole more than $1,000 in cash and cigarettes before fleeing.

Stickney said the men became suspects after law enforcement received an anonymous tip.

Minnick and Stewart are scheduled to appear in Bedford County District Court on July 29 for a preliminary hearing.

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.
Vice President Mike Pence will deliver the keynote address Thursday at the National D-Day Memorial's 75th Anniversary Commemoration of D-Day.

The memorial foundation said the address will be titled "D-Day and the Nation."

The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the memorial at 3 Overlord Circle in Bedford.

Pence is the son of a U.S. Army second lieutenant and the father of a U.S. Marine Corps first lieutenant.

"Mr. Pence has long been a champion of our military and veterans and recently honored our fallen American military personnel on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery," the foundation said in a news release.

Pence was in Lynchburg for Liberty University's commencement earlier this month.

President George W. Bush dedicated the D-Day Memorial in June 2001.

Photos: Building the D-Day Memorial

Established by an act of Congress, the National D-Day Memorial was initiated by D-Day veteran J. Robert "Bob" Slaughter. The site covers 88 acres on a hill overlooking the town of Bedford. The memorial centers on a monumental arch with a single word, "Overlord," engraved at the top. Overlord was the code name for the Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy on the coast of France on June 6, 1944. The site was dedicated by President George W. Bush on June 6, 2001.

Contact Matt Busse at (434) 385-5534 or mbusse@newsadvance.com.

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 searching for a missing Cumberland County woman discovered human remains and a work truck linked to the case in Mecklenburg County on Thursday.

Police said earlier this week that they were looking for Cumberland resident Amy Renee Fabian, 43, in the South Hill and Mecklenburg area. She had not been seen since a man was found dead in her home early last Friday.

A suspect in the mans killing, George W. Knisley IV, 41, of Carroll County, Md., was arrested last Friday night after a police chase in Raleigh, N.C. He has been charged with first-degree murder and is suspected in Fabians disappearance, the police said. He is Fabians ex-boyfriend.

The man found dead in Fabians house was Matthew T. Broyles, 29, of Powhatan County. Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller described Broyles and Fabian as friends.

Police said they believe Knisley left Fabians home in the truck, a 2002 white Ford F-350 that had been reported stolen in Maryland last Thursday.

The remains and the truck were found shortly before 11 a.m. in a wooded area off state Route 138, less than a mile from U.S. 1, state police said in a news release Thursday.

The remains will be taken to the medical examiners office in Richmond for an autopsy and identification.

State Route 138 and U.S. 1 intersect in South Hill, right by Interstate 85 and about 15 miles north of the North Carolina state line.

The Mecklenburg Sheriffs Office and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations Appomattox Field Office spent Thursday processing the evidence recovered at the scene.

Authorities have been looking for Fabian by air and on the ground since last Friday. The Cumberland Sheriffs Office, Virginia State Police, Powhatan County Sheriffs Office, Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Office, South Hill Police Department, Virginia Department of Emergency Management and FBI have been involved.

The investigation began about 3:30 a.m. last Friday when Cumberland authorities received a 911 call about a homicide occurring in Fabians home, in the 200 block of Mount Airy Lane. Deputies found Broyles dead and Fabian missing.

A few hours later, about 6:30 a.m., a man matching Knisleys description stole a Honda Civic in South Hill after threatening a woman at gunpoint. South Hill is about 75 miles from Fabians home in Cumberland.

The Civic was recovered in Raleigh, where Knisley is suspected of carjacking a man of his Toyota Corolla and driving away.

Authorities spotted the stolen vehicle and pursued Knisley briefly at high speeds before he crashed and was arrested last Friday night. Officers found a loaded handgun on the drivers-side floorboard, according to police.

On Monday, Knisley briefly escaped custody from the Wake County Justice Center in Raleigh as he was being transferred to another facility. A handcuffed Knisley pushed down a sheriffs deputy and ran about a block and a half before a good Samaritan grabbed and held him for pursuing deputies, a Wake County sheriffs spokesman said Tuesday.

As he was being led to a patrol car, Knisley admitted he was a murderer and didnt want to live any longer, said the spokesman, Eric Curry.

Knisley is awaiting extradition to Virginia, where additional charges are pending, state police said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1)  President Rodrigo Duterte's trip to Japan has netted more funds for the development of Mindanao.

In a joint press event Friday with Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, Duterte announced that Japan has pledged 25 billion, or approximately 12 billion, for the region.

"I am grateful for Japans fresh commitment of around 25 billion yen for the development of Mindanaos road network, vocational training facilities and equipment, and other projects," Duterte said.

He added that Japan has been a partner in achieving peace in the region.

"I thanked Prime Minister Abe for the importance his government attaches to Mindanao and its commitment to achieve just and lasting peace and a sustainable development for the people of Mindanao," he said.

Abe for his part said with the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the priority lies in strengthening the BTA's administrative capacity and the facilitation of disarmament of Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters.

"Japan will strengthen our support attuned to the progress of the peace process so that the people of Mindanao can truly feel and enjoy the peace dividend at the earliest possible time," he added.

The two leaders reaffirmed the close ties of Japan and the Philippines, with Duterte calling the country "a friend closer than a brother."

The two also talked about maritime security, peace in the Korean Peninsula, free trade, rule of law, and "non-traditional threats."

Abe said Japan and the Philippines are both maritime nations with shared basic values and strategic interests.

""During the course of the meeting this afternoon, we confirmed plans to strengthen our partnership as we confront such challenges as the realization of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law, full implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions towards the denuclearization of North Korea and early resolution of the abduction issue."

While he did not mention China, both the Philippines and Japan have maritime rows with Beijing -- in the South China Sea in the case of Manila and in the East China Sea in the case of Tokyo.

Those areas, where China's aggressive behavior have prompted calls from the international community for it to abide by the rule of law, are part of the Indo-Pacific region.

The abduction issue refers to Japan's longstanding demand for the return of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s.
(Newser)  A House Republican lawmaker on Thursday prevented the House from sending a multibillion-dollar disaster relief bill to President Trump. This time, it was John Rose of Tennessee who objected when the package came up for unanimous consentthe only way legislation can pass when the House is on recess, CNN reports. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Chip Roy of Texas had done the same thing in the past week. The measure can receive approval when the full House returns Monday. The $19.1 billion bill was approved overwhelmingly by the Senate, and Trump supports it.

story continues below

"Our nation is $22 trillion in debt," Rose said on the House floor, per the Washington Post. Adding $20 billion in new spending would be "another act of irresponsible big government." Members of both parties criticized Rose, as they had Massie and Roy. Rep. Nita Lowey of New York said: "It is beyond comprehension that anyone would think 15 minutes of fame is worth making disaster victims, like those in flood-battered Tennessee, wait even longer for the help they need." (Massie had objected to approving the bill during a recess.)
(Newser)  Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, signed the state's new legislation restricting abortion into law Thursday. The measure prohibits abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks of pregnancy, and allows no exceptions, per the AP. The state's three clinics that perform abortions can continue to do so; the Louisiana law takes effect only if the law in neighboring Mississippi is upheld by a federal appeals court. The Mississippi law has been blocked by a judge.

story continues below

Edwards, who was elected in 2015 as an anti-abortion candidate, per NBC, is up for reelection this fall. The state's Democratic chair has criticized the bill but not mentioned Edwards by name, and the party supports his reelection. After the bill passed Wednesday, Edwards tweeted that he would sign it and that he has been "true to my word and my beliefs on this issue." But Edwards added that "being pro-life means more than just being pro-birth," and called on legislators who voted for it to help build a state "that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone." (President Trump said he supports exceptions in anti-abortion laws.)
(Newser)  Leon Redbone, the blues and jazz artist whose growly voice, panama hat, and cultivated air of mystery made him seem like a character out of the ragtime era or the Depression-era Mississippi Delta, died Thursday. He was 69, the AP reports. No details about his death were provided. Redbone's career got a boost in the early 1970s when Bob Dylan met him at the Mariposa Folk Festival in Canada and praised his performance. Dylan said that if he ever started a label, he would sign Redbone. "Leon interests me," Dylan said in an interview with Rolling Stone in 1974. "I've heard he's anywhere from 25 to 60. ... I can't tell, but you gotta see him. He does old Jimmie Rodgers, then turns around and does a Robert Johnson."

story continues below

Redbone, who retired in 2015, never directly answered questions about his origin or age. His publicist confirmed he was born in Cyprus on Aug. 26, 1949, but the statement added: "Leon Redbone crossed the delta for that beautiful shore at the age of 127. He departed our world with his guitar, his trusty companion Rover, and a simple tip of his hat." Redbone was quoted: "I don't do anything mysterious on purpose. I'm less than forthcoming, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm mysterious. It just means I'm not inclined to go there." He released 16 albums; his debut was "On the Track" in 1975. Usually wearing a white suit with a string tie, and the panama hat, Redbone performed twice on Saturday Night Live in its first season and was a frequent guest of Johnny Carson's. He sang the theme songs for the TV series Mr. Belvedere and Harry and the Hendersons. A 16-minute documentary about Redbone was released last year, titled Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone. (David "Honeyboy" Edwards, who played with Robert Johnson, was the last living link to the birth of the blues.)
(Newser)  A Dodge Challenger Hellcat that arrived at a Pennsylvania auto auction Thursday came with an unwanted extraa dazed felon from the Bronx. The man was found in the trunk of the vehicle by a worker at Manheim Auto Auction, around 90 miles west of Philadelphia, CBS Philadelphia reports. "I opened the trunk to take a trunk picture, and there was a guy in there," employee Darren Leeds tells LancasterOnline. He says he ran to get the man water because "he wasn't moving a whole lot."

story continues below

The Challenger was in a load brought from the New York City area that morning. Police identified the man as Leon Cyheime Parks, a 25-year-old fugitive wanted for parole violations and weapons offenses. He was taken to the county jail after being treated in a hospital. Police say Parks isn't cooperating with investigators and won't say how he ended up in the trunk. (Read more strange stuff stories.)
(Newser)  Kim Jong Un expressed his dismay at the breakdown of the US-North Korea summit earlier this year by having his special envoy to the US shot and his interpreter sent to a gulag, according to South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper. A North Korean source told the newspaper that envoy Kim Hyok Chol, who led negotiations to set up the February summit in Vietnam, was charged with spying for the US and executed by firing squad along with four other foreign ministry officials, the Guardian reports. The source, who described the executions as part of a wider purge of officials, said senior negotiator Kim Yong Chol had been sent to a labor camp for "ideological education," as had interpreter Shin Hye Yong, who allegedly made a serious mistake while translating for Kim.

story continues below

While North Korea has been known to execute officials who displease the regime, the report has not been confirmed by government officials or other media outlets and there has been no comment from Pyongyang, the AP reports. The Rodong Sinmun newspaper in North Korea, however, warned Thursday that those who have "different goals" from Kim "cannot escape a heavy judgement." Analysts say that if the report is true, it could be some time before North Korea is ready to restart nuclear talks. "Perhaps this explains why Pyongyang has been ghosting Washington and Seoul since Hanoi because it might have needed to clean house and regroup before negotiating again," Duyeon Kim at the Center for a New American Security think-tank in Seoul tells Bloomberg. (Read more Kim Jong Un stories.)
(Newser)  The Supreme Court is expected to rule in a matter of weeks on whether the Trump administration can add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. Now, however, a new wrinkle has emerged on the whole issue in an unusual wayvia the hard drives of a deceased Republican strategist. Critics say the hard drives provide evidence for what they've been saying all along, that the citizenship question is a thinly disguised attempt to suppress minority voters and help white Republicans. The Justice Department says that's ridiculous. The Supreme Court has been informed of the new development, but whether it will play a role in justices' deliberations remains unclear. The details:

The strategist: The GOP's Thomas Hofeller is described by the New York Times as the "Michelangelo of gerrymandering, the architect of partisan political maps that cemented the party's dominance across the country." He died last August, and his estranged daughter, Stephanie Hofeller Lizon, recovered his hard drives.

The GOP's Thomas Hofeller is described by the New York Times as the "Michelangelo of gerrymandering, the architect of partisan political maps that cemented the party's dominance across the country." He died last August, and his estranged daughter, Stephanie Hofeller Lizon, recovered his hard drives. His work: The hard drives, which his daughter gave to the advocacy group Common Cause, detail Hofeller's research in Texas. He concluded that if new voting maps were based not on population but more specifically on the number of American citizens of voting age, they "would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites." And they "would clearly be a disadvantage to the Democrats," he wrote, per the Washington Post.

story continues below

The problem? Hofeller noted that it's currently impossible to draw citizen-based maps because no such data exists. Without a question on citizenship being included on the 2020 Decennial Census questionnaire, the use of citizen voting age population is functionally unworkable," wrote in his 2015 study. More than a year later, he urged the Trump transition team to add such a question, per the Times.

Hofeller noted that it's currently impossible to draw citizen-based maps because no such data exists. Without a question on citizenship being included on the 2020 Decennial Census questionnaire, the use of citizen voting age population is functionally unworkable," wrote in his 2015 study. More than a year later, he urged the Trump transition team to add such a question, per the Times. The legal fight: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross added the question, and the move was immediately challenged in courts. The Supreme Court heard arguments in April, and the court's five more conservative justices appear ready to allow it to proceed, reports the Los Angeles Times. The ACLU has informed the court of the new information (see the letter), but it wasn't clear what, if any, impact it might have.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross added the question, and the move was immediately challenged in courts. The Supreme Court heard arguments in April, and the court's five more conservative justices appear ready to allow it to proceed, reports the Los Angeles Times. The ACLU has informed the court of the new information (see the letter), but it wasn't clear what, if any, impact it might have. 'Smoking gun': Those fighting the citizenship question say this is all the proof they need. "The vague rumors about partisan attempts to suppress minority votesthis is a smoking gun," Rey Lopez-Calderon, executive director of California Common Cause, tells NBC News. "This is right up in your face. This is exactly why it was created." The group says it shows that senior Justice Department officials lied when they said the rationale for the addition of the question was to better enforce the Voting Rights Act and thus protect minority votes.

Those fighting the citizenship question say this is all the proof they need. "The vague rumors about partisan attempts to suppress minority votesthis is a smoking gun," Rey Lopez-Calderon, executive director of California Common Cause, tells NBC News. "This is right up in your face. This is exactly why it was created." The group says it shows that senior Justice Department officials lied when they said the rationale for the addition of the question was to better enforce the Voting Rights Act and thus protect minority votes. The counter-view: The Justice Department disagrees. Hofeller's study "played no role in the departments December 2017 request to reinstate a citizenship question to the 2020 decennial census," says a spokesperson, who dismisses the allegation as "a last-ditch effort to derail the Supreme Court's consideration of this case."

(Read more US Census stories.)
(Newser)  Hungarian police have detained the captain of a cruise ship that collided with a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists, causing it to sink quickly in the Danube River in Budapest. Seven people have been confirmed dead, while 21 people remain missing in the fast-flowing river. A South Korean group on a package tour of Europeincluding 30 tourists, two guides, and a photographerwere on an hour-long sightseeing tour of Budapest when their boat collided with a Viking cruise ship during a downpour Wednesday evening. Nineteen South Koreans and two Hungarian crew membersthe captain and his assistantremain missing. Police said it took just seven seconds for the boat to overturn and sink.

story continues below

Survivors have given accounts saying they were lucky to grab onto a drifting lifeboat while looking in horror as others around them struggled in the dark, rainy waters, shouting for help, the AP reports. Their small sightseeing boat had completed its tour and was almost at a stop when the larger cruise ship hit it under a bridge near the riverbank parliament building. They said about 20 people were on the deck taking photographs or preparing to disembark. The others were in the cabin. "I saw that big cruise ship coming closer to us but I had never imagined it would ram our boat," said a 31-year-old South Korean woman surnamed Jeong. The captain of the larger vessel, a 64-year-old Ukrainian man, is suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident, police say.

(Read more Hungary stories.)
(Newser)  President Trump's plan to slap escalating tariffs on all imports from Mexico until the country stops the flow of migrants coming north is being criticized by business leadersand a GOP senator who is usually a reliable Trump ally. Republican Sen. Charles Grassley, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, slammed the plan Thursday as "a misuse of presidential tariff authority and contrary to congressional intent," reports the Washington Post. Grassley warned that the tariffs, which Trump says will kick in on June 10, will "seriously jeopardize passage" of the new US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. Trump says the tariffs will start at 5% and rise by 5 percentage points a month to 25% in October if Mexico doesn't stop migrants moving through the country from Central America. More:

"A national emergency." Trump administration officials described the tariff plan as a way to deal with a national security issue, the New York Times reports. "The situation is both a humanitarian and a border security crisis that has become a national emergency," Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of Homeland Security, said Thursday.

Trump administration officials described the tariff plan as a way to deal with a national security issue, the New York Times reports. "The situation is both a humanitarian and a border security crisis that has become a national emergency," Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of Homeland Security, said Thursday. Trump's statement. The US "has been invaded by hundreds of thousands of people coming through Mexico and entering our country illegally," Trump said in a statement released by the White House. He said he was invoking national emergency powers to impose tariffs because Mexico's "passive cooperation in allowing this mass incursion constitutes an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States."

story continues below

Response from Mexico . In an open letter, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador referred to America's history as a country of immigrants, the AP reports. "The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol," he wrote, telling Trump that "social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures."

. In an open letter, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador referred to America's history as a country of immigrants, the AP reports. "The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol," he wrote, telling Trump that "social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures." What the US wants Mexico to do . The White House didn't say exactly what Mexico would have to do to avoid tariffs, though McAleenan said it would involve boosting security at the Guatemalan border and cracking down on smuggling gangs. "We are going to judge success here by the number of people crossing the border and that number needs to come down substantially," said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, per the Times.

. The White House didn't say exactly what Mexico would have to do to avoid tariffs, though McAleenan said it would involve boosting security at the Guatemalan border and cracking down on smuggling gangs. "We are going to judge success here by the number of people crossing the border and that number needs to come down substantially," said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, per the Times. Impact "wiped immediately." Trump's announcement was followed by drops in world markets and in the Mexican peso's value against the dollar. BBC economic correspondent Andrew Walker notes that this could mean Trump's plan to boost US competitiveness with the move has backfired already. "Half the potential impact for the first stage in the proposed tariffs hikes was wiped immediately by a decline in the value of the Mexican peso, which has the effect of making Mexico a little more competitive, at least until the tariffs come into effect," he says. Walker notes that Mexico will also be "a lot more wary" about approving the USMCA trade deal.

Trump's announcement was followed by drops in world markets and in the Mexican peso's value against the dollar. BBC economic correspondent Andrew Walker notes that this could mean Trump's plan to boost US competitiveness with the move has backfired already. "Half the potential impact for the first stage in the proposed tariffs hikes was wiped immediately by a decline in the value of the Mexican peso, which has the effect of making Mexico a little more competitive, at least until the tariffs come into effect," he says. Walker notes that Mexico will also be "a lot more wary" about approving the USMCA trade deal. Higher prices . If Trump goes through with the planand some analysts predict that he won'tAmericans could end up paying more for all kinds of goods in the months ahead as importers pass their costs on to consumers, the Hill reports. Mulvaney argued that Americans are already paying for the border crisis. "American taxpayers are paying for whats going on at the border. This is already impacting the economy negatively."

. If Trump goes through with the planand some analysts predict that he won'tAmericans could end up paying more for all kinds of goods in the months ahead as importers pass their costs on to consumers, the Hill reports. Mulvaney argued that Americans are already paying for the border crisis. "American taxpayers are paying for whats going on at the border. This is already impacting the economy negatively." A "terrible idea." Mexico is now America's biggest trading partner, and business leadersespecially those in border states like Arizonastrongly criticized the plan, the Arizona Republic reports. Glenn Hamer, president of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, called the tariffs a "terrible idea" that could lead to a "self-induced economic slowdown." "Tariffs are taxes, and theyre taxes paid by hardworking American families," he said.

(Read more Mexico stories.)
Karen Bell has served as the British Consul General in Houston since July 2015. She has overall responsibility for leading the UKs engagement in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and New Mexico. Credit: TribTalk
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31) A kidnapped Dutch national was killed by his Abu Sayyaf captors amid an operation by government troops Friday morning in Sulu, the military said.

Col. Gerry Besana, Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) spokesperson, said Ewold Horn, held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf since 2012, was shot dead by the groups top leader as he was trying to escape.

The incident took place during an operation by the 32nd Infantry Battalion in Sitio Bud Sub-Sub in Barangay Pansul.

Also killed in the clash were Mingayan Sahiron, second wife of Abu Sayyaf leader Radulan Sahiron, who reportedly tried to chase Horn.

Six others were killed, while 12 were wounded from the Abu Sayyaf side.

We condemn the inhumane acts carried out by Abu Sayyaf members against their captives and the innocent in Sulu. They perpetrate violence without compunction and in blatant disregard for human life, Wesmincom chief Lt. Gen. Arnel Dela Vega said in a statement.

We vow to sustain our intensive campaign to defeat the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. We also extend our sincere commiseration with the bereaved family of Horn, who died in the hands of his captors, he added.

Eight people from the military side were injured in the clash.

Horn was abducted while bird-spotting in Tawi-Tawi in February 2012.
(Newser)  Julian Assange's human rights might be violated if he's extradited to the US, according to a UN expert who says the WikiLeaks founder "shows all the signs that are typical for person who has prolonged exposure to psychological torture." Nils Melzer, UN special rapporteur on torture, visited Assange in the UK's Belmarsh prison on May 9. He's now sounding the alarm, saying Assange already "lives in constant panic" and has been subjected to persistent abuse, including "oppressive isolation, harassment, and surveillance," for nearly a decade. "It was difficult to have a very structured conversation with him." Melzer is expected to say as much to the UK government on Fridayone day after lawyers described Assange as too ill to appear by video link at a hearing on his possible extradition, reports the Guardian.

story continues below

Assange "had a sense of being under threat from everyone" and "was extremely agitated and busy with his own thoughts," said Melzer, who's written to the foreign ministers of the US, UK, and Sweden. "We disagree with a number of his observations," a UK government rep tells the Guardian. But Melzer says he's "never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonize and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law." WikiLeaks fears for Assange, too. "His health has continued to deteriorate and he has dramatically lost weight," a Wednesday statement reads, per NPR. Assange's next extradition hearing is June 12. He faces up to 175 years in prison in the US if convicted on all charges, per NBC News. (Read more Julian Assange stories.)
(Newser)  He'd survived seven years of captivity by militants in the jungle in the Philippines, but Ewold Horn did not live through a daring rescue attempt by soldiers. The 59-year-old Dutch birdwatcher/photographer was killed when Filipino soldiers engaged in a 90-minute firefight with Abu Sayyaf militants on the island of Sulu, reports the Washington Post. Horn was shot by one of his guards when he tried to escape," says Brigadier General Divino Rey Pabayo. Horn had been held captive since 2012, when he was seized with another man while they were photographing birds on the island of Tawi-Tawi.

story continues below

His fellow hostage, Lorenzo Vinciguerra of Switzerland, escaped during a similar government raid in 2014, reports the New York Times. During that mission, Vinciguerra managed to take a guard's knife and stab him in the neck before fleeing. Horn, however, was not able to repeat the feat. "What a pity. He nearly escaped, but was shot," says Col. Gerry Besana. Pabayo accused Abu Sayyaf of "barbaric acts," given that they would rather kill Horn than see him rescued. Filipino soldiers recovered Horn's body. (This is the same militant group blamed for a deadly church bombing earlier this year.)
(Newser)  Rat lungworm disease has again reared its ugly head in Hawaii, specifically the Big Island, where five people have fallen ill this year. None are quite sure how they were infected with the parasitic worm, though one traveler recalls "eating many homemade salads" on a trip, while another had eaten raw, unwashed produce straight from the land, said health officials, who warned that all produce should be carefully washed. The worm lives in rats, and can be passed to humans through snails and slugs that eat infected rat poop and then feast on produce. Eating uncooked snails, shrimp, or frogs also is a danger. This week, the state health department described three recent, unconnected cases affecting travelers from the mainland US, reports CNN.

story continues below

Hawaii, where 80% of land snails are believed to carry the parasite, averages about 10 cases a year, a number reached in 2018. Three toddlers and a child were among those sickened last year, per the Washington Post. The parasite, which is not contagious, has been confined to adults in 2019. Still, "it's important that we ensure our visitors know the precautions to take to prevent rat lungworm disease, which can have severe long-term effects," says the state's health director. While symptoms are often mild or non-existent, the disease can also lead to "neurologic dysfunction or death," according to the CDC. (A man died eight years after eating a slug on a dare.)
(Newser)  Advocates for a new bill in the Philippines say it could result in 525 billion new trees over the course of a generation, and the ones set to be on the front lines for this initiative are students. The Independent and CNN Philippines report on the proposed legislation, which mandates each individual attending elementary school, high school, or college must, before graduation, plant at least 10 trees, which would absorb carbon in the air. The trees would be set down in a variety of locations, including forests, civil and military reservations, designated areas in cities, no-longer-in-use mine sites, ancestral domains, and other protected areas.

story continues below

"The educational system shall be a locus for propagating ethical and sustainable use of natural resources among the young to ensure the cultivation of a socially responsible and conscious citizenry," reads the Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act, per Fox News. A variety of government agencies will oversee the logistics, including the setting up of nurseries, seedling production, and monitoring on how the trees are doing. The bill, which passed the Filipino House of Representatives earlier this month, must now be approved by the Senate, per a release. (Read more environmentalism stories.)
(Newser)  President Trump, who has said he could well be facing Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, has more reason to think that now. A new poll shows Biden with a major lead on the Democratic side. Trump will be buoyed, as well, by poll results that show a rise in his job approval rating.

Biden: A Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey this week found Biden running nearly 20 points ahead of the Democrat in second place, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Hill reports. And 36% of Democratic respondents said Biden is the candidate they'd be most likely to support for the nomination. The field was rounded out by Sen. Kamala Harris in third place, with 8% support, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Pete Buttigieg tied at 5%. "Biden, Harris, and Sanders, are emerging from the pack," said Mark Penn, co-director of the poll. As for Biden, Penn says the former vice president "continues to have a strong position but will need to grow to win it." The online survey involved 1,536 registered voters, 352 of whom self-identified as Democrats and were asked about the party's primary race.

A Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey this week found Biden running nearly 20 points ahead of the Democrat in second place, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Hill reports. And 36% of Democratic respondents said Biden is the candidate they'd be most likely to support for the nomination. The field was rounded out by Sen. Kamala Harris in third place, with 8% support, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Pete Buttigieg tied at 5%. "Biden, Harris, and Sanders, are emerging from the pack," said Mark Penn, co-director of the poll. As for Biden, Penn says the former vice president "continues to have a strong position but will need to grow to win it." The online survey involved 1,536 registered voters, 352 of whom self-identified as Democrats and were asked about the party's primary race. Trump: Voter optimism about the economy helped push Trump's approval rating to its highest point in two years. A Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey shows 48% of respondents approve of the job the president is doing, up from 45% in March, and 52% disapprove, per the Hill. Trump's approval rating hadn't been at 48% in the survey since June 2017. His handling of the economic issues appeared behind the improvement; a record 62% approve of his approach to employment and 59% approve of his handling of the economy, while Trump's "actions on other issues like China and immigration are neutral to positive," Penn says.The online survey, taken this week, involved 1,295 registered voters.

(Trump welcomed Biden to the race.)
(Newser)  When Robert Mueller spoke publicly this week, he explained that "long-standing" policy of the Justice Department prohibits the indictment of a sitting president. On Friday, 2020 candidate Elizabeth Warren said it's time to change that policy. In a post at Medium, she unveiled a plan to do just that, one that begins with passing a law that explicitly allows the Justice Department to indict the White House occupant. "Congress should make it clear that it wants the President to be held accountable for violating the law, just like everyone else," writes Warren. She added that she would appoint Justice Department officials willing to "reverse flawed policies so no President is shielded from criminal accountability." As the New York Times notes, Warren already had come out in favor of impeachment of Trump, and she doubled down on that Friday.

story continues below

"Mueller's statement made clear what those of us who have read his report already knew: Hes referring Donald Trump for impeachment, and it's up to Congress to act," she writes. Meanwhile, Fox News notes that Warren appeared on the syndicated Breakfast Club radio show Friday and had to deal with an issue that won't seem to go away. "You're kind of like the original Rachel Dolezal," host "Charlamagne tha God" told her, referring to the controversy regarding Warren's past claims of Native American ancestry. Responded Warren: I'm not a person of color, I'm not a citizen of a tribe. And I shouldnt have done it. (Warren and her fellow 2020 candidates have a long way to go to catch Joe Biden in the polls.)
With Canada's decision to legalize recreational cannabis, and a number of states doing the same, never before has there been such widespread acceptance of the drug. Legalization was built on the premise, expounded by numerous health officials and studies, that cannabis really isn't bad for you - and in fact it can have some health benefits.

But that's cannabis - not necessarily cannabis smoke. Smoke is bad for you, regardless of what you're smoking, as the combusted particulates in it can be carcinogenic. If you want to reap the benefits of cannabis, without suffering the adverse effects of smoke, you have to turn to alternated usages. In this post, let's look at three of the most popular alternatives to smoking cannabis: edibles, tea and food additives.

Edibles

When it comes to cannabis, edibles are undoubtedly the most popular alternative to smoking. Some find it an intense experience their first time around, but if you take it slow and buy from a quality manufacturer (rather than DIY or from an unreliable source) you will likely have a positive experience.

You can find quality companies now that offer edibles in varying strengths, strains and effects, from sativa scones and hemp cookies to meals lovingly prepared by professional chefs. In other words, edibles nowadays are a far cry from the mysterious pot brownies of yore.

Teas

For a soothing, relaxing experience, tea is your way to go. When you steep cannabis in hot water (as opposed to a lipid, as you would with baked goods) the CBD is extracted, but the THC isn't. For those unfamiliar with those acronyms, CBD is the active compound in cannabis responsible for feelings of relaxation and calm, whereas THC is responsible for the "high" commonly associated with cannabis.

What that basically means is that cannabis teas allow you to reap the relaxing effects of cannabis without the psychoactive effects of THC. These days you can find specialty cannabis teas that pair cannabis with other herbal ingredients like ginger, citrus, camomile and mint.

Food Additives

A fairly new entry into the list of ways you can enjoy cannabis, food additives are perhaps the most distilled and technical. These flavourless additives allow cannabis users to enjoy all the effects and benefits of cannabis, without having to change the integrity of the food or drink to which it's being added.

Cannabis food additives are great for people who want the euphoric and relaxing effect of cannabis, but without the added calories that come along with edibles (no matter how delicious they are). It's also perfect for mixologists looking to incorporate cannabis into their drinks.

To summarize, if someone tells you that a joint is the only way to enjoy cannabis, they're blowing smoke. Edibles, teas and additives are each fantastic ways to enjoy cannabis without the coughing and hacking typically associated with smoke. And with the growing acceptance of cannabis in North American culture, companies have been able to explore newer and better ways to enjoy these methods.
A violent tornado tore through Missouri's capital late Wednesday in what authorities described as a "chaotic" scene, leaving some people trapped, others injured and buildings damaged.

"1147 pm - Jefferson City MO - Violent tornado confirmed - shelter now!" the National Weather Service in St. Louis tweeted Wednesday night.

Jefferson City Police Lt. David Williams said early Thursday there were no fatalities reported but that authorities had been receiving calls of people stuck in their homes.

Full Article:
The small business lending market is booming and it's not the traditional banks that are benefiting. Fintechs are leading the way. Case in point: PayPal. It hit a milestone, announcing it has provided more than $10 billion in loans to more than 225,000 small businesses around the globe.

The $10 billion mark comes a little more than five years after PayPal made its first loan. Today it has issued more than 650,000 loans through financing programs in the U.S., UK, Australia, Germany, and Mexico

Full Article
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
Dear Newsie Readers,

Newsie has now permanently ceased it's services as of Friday 20th December 2019.

Newsie has been an owner-funded operation since day one.

Coming up to three years old, while we still firmly believe Newsie has a place in the New Zealand media landscape, the cost in both time and money has become too burdensome for the owners to continue alongside other ventures.

With the current government looking to restructure public broadcasting, and seemingly supporting NZME buying a ring-fenced Stuff, the time seems right to call it a day.

Should it happen, the combination of NZME and Stuff will ensure New Zealands national media will die a death by a thousand opinion-based articles.

Newsie has always tried to stick to balanced news, to inform readers of the facts of a situation, amid being largely ignored by government. Hopefully, one day someone else will take up the challenge to fight the good fight.

The good news, however, is that there were no job losses as a result of Newsie closing. Thanks to careful structuring, everyone involved in Newsie will retain their current positions.

We hope you all have a happy Christmas and new year. Stay safe, and stay out of the news.

The team at Newsie
HALFMOON, N.Y.  More than 100 residents of southern Saratoga County took time from Mondays holiday to join with members of American Mohawk Post 1450 in a Memorial Day ceremony that recognized the service to the nation made by its military veterans and their families.

The annual event was held under the midday sun in a cloudless sky at the Post pavilion, 275 Grooms Road, Halfmoon.

Post Commander John Lippy Lepine was asked why the organizers hold the event each year.

Were a fraternal organization that advocates for veterans programs and tries to take care of veterans, so we do this to remember those members of the military who have fallen in service to the country and never came back as well as to remember the veterans who did, he said. Theyre the reason were all here. We feel this is a good way to bring the community together in a patriotic way.

The days traditions included the posting of the countrys colors, a rifle salute, the Pledge of Allegiance, a soloist singing the National Anthem, the laying of wreaths in tribute to the departed, a community sing of God Bless America, and the playing of Taps.

Also included was the POW/MIA ceremony, a solemn recognition of military personnel still missing in action or held against their will in far off lands. The ceremony includes a table set for one, a white tablecloth representing the purity of intentions, a single red rose in a vase that symbolizes the blood thats been shed and the faith of those awaiting the serviceman or womans return, a slice of lemon represents a bitter fate, and the salt represents countless tears that have been shed by their families. As the significance of each item was noted, a bell was rung as a counterpoint.

Those who attended the event heard speeches from three town supervisors. Kevin Tollisen represented the Town of Halfmoon, Philip Barrett represented the Town of Clifton Park and Brigadier General, retired, Ed Kinowski represented the Town of Stillwater.

Tollisen welcomed the crowd to the town by acknowledging the centennial anniversary of the American Legion. When discussing the importance of the day, he quoted former President Ronald Reagan from one of his Memorial Day speeches.

In speaking about the greatness of America and all the unique opportunities, we as Americans have, President Reagan said, Freedom and the dignity of individuals have been more available and assured more than in any other place on earth right here in America. The Price for freedom has been high, but we have never been unwilling to pay that price,' Tollisen said.

In his remarks, Barrett discussed the beacon of hope that the U.S. offers the rest of the world.

We all want to make a difference in the lives of people, he said. But a lot of veterans have already made a difference in our lives and they continue to do so long past their service. So never let us give up the fight to make sure America remains a place where people want to come to study, to live, to pursue their own American dream that we have the benefit of pursuing because we were born here.

Kinowski reached back to his service in the Middle East for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom to add power to his words as he described what the day means.

Its a party, a celebration and we should keep our eye on that because all the gentlemen and ladies who gave their lives wont be having those parties and celebrations so we have to have them for them, he said. Those people have given all for the love of country, so we can enjoy these freedoms every day.

Kinowski went on to describe how each individual can do their part to make the country a better place.

If you ask what it is you can do, I offer a few suggestions, he said. For our fallen, continue to honor Memorial Day and support your military. Make your voices heard by voting. And on behalf of the veterans efforts, think about your country as often as possible and what you can do to make it stronger in actions and words. We owe the continuance of our freedom to our military personnel, wherever they serve.
New Delhi:

The pre-bookings of Toyota Glanza, which is inspired by the Maruti Suzuki Baleno facelift, have started from today onwards. It is to be noted that the Toyota Glanza will be launched on June 6 this year. Interestingly, with the launch of the car, the Japanese company will enter the premium hatchback segment in India.

Toyota Glanza is a result of an agreement between Toyota Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation to furnish vehicles to each other. Back in 2017, the two Japanese automobile manufacturers had agreed to make an alliance in areas including environmental, information and safety technologies and mutual supply of products and components.

The Glanza looks identical to the Maruti Suzuki Baleno facelift on the outside, however, it has got a new chrome-lined grille. The car even wears the same alloy wheels as the Baleno. At the back, the only changes are the addition of the Toyota and Glanza badges and the variant logo. There will be LED tail lamps as well.

Also, the interior of the Toyota Glanza is almost exactly the same as that of the Maruti Suzuki Baleno facelift. The spacious cabin features a multi-functional steering wheel with a Toyota logo. It further has a touchscreen infotainment system and the car will be compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

As far as the Toyota Glanzas engine options are concerned, the company is yet to announce the details. Speculations are that it might have the BS6 compliant, 1.2-litre, VVT petrol engine that comes with Baleno. The car might be powered by the 1.2-litre and four-cylinder K12 petrol engine which powers the Maruti Suzuki Baleno. Toyota could also offer its 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that is tuned to make 84 bhp and 115 Nm torque. The Toyota Glanza will get a 5-speed manual gearbox as well as the option of a CVT.

The V variant is likely be the top-spec model based on the Baleno's Alpha trim level and below it will have a G variant based on the Baleno Zeta. The Toyota Glanza is expected to be offered with three-years / 100,000 km warranty. The price of Toyota Glanza is yet to be announced. On the competition front, Toyota Glanza will be up against Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz and upcoming Tata Altroz.
New Delhi:

Billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi, prime accused in Indias biggest banking scam, will not be extradited to the country anytime soon. According to a latest media report, it wont be before February 2020 that the extradition trial will commence. The Times of India report said that the Government of Indias barrister has told the London court that it will need bare minimum eight weeks to produce the opening note in the Modi case. Wanted in fraud and money laundering charges amounting to nearly $2 billion, the billionaire Diamantaire was on Thursday remanded till June 27 by a UK court, which directed the Indian government to confirm within 14 days which prison he is to be held in if he were to be extradited.

Modi, dressed in a blue shirt and black trousers, was produced in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court before Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot for his first case management hearing Thursday. Nirav Modi , wanted in India to face charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to nearly USD 2 billion in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) case, took notes as the judge fixed his next remand hearing via videolink for June 27 and set a 14-day deadline for the Indian authorities to confirm the prison plans in India.

"There is no reason why it should not be answered within 14 days," Judge Arbuthnot said, adding that Arthur Road Jail would be the obvious candidate. Arbuthnot, who ordered the extradition of liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya in December 2018, had sought a video of the exact cell in which the former Kingfisher Airlines boss was to be held. She therefore indicated that if Modi was to be held within the same premises, the court would most likely not have any objections.

Contrary to the latest development, an earlier report had said that Modi, the prime accused of Indias biggest banking scam, will be extradited to India much sooner and wont be delayed like absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya. According to a report, India will be able to bring back Modi within six months. And unlike Mallya, Modi cant argue on the grounds of human rights and political motivation.

A report in Times of India had said that since the UK Courts had struck down the human rights issue in Mallyas hearing, it would give advantage to the India probe agencies. The report also said that the extensive and water-tight investigation papers by Indian agencies show enough proofs to meet the dual criminality clause, which is required in the UK courts while dealing such cases.

From the fake Letters of Intent to bank transfers, the chargesheets by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have detailed account of Modis modus operandi. The agencies have already seized the diamantaires properties in India worth Rs 1,873 crore.

(With agency inputs)

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

In yet another a stark reminder of deteriorating law and order situation in Nation Capital, a passerby was killed by some unidentified gunmen during a suspected gang war in Delhis Jyoti Nagar area. The shootout took place on Wednesday night. According to a Times of India report, the victim killed in the gang war has been identified as 25-year-old Akash Verma. The report said that the group of five men of one Anil gang had come to the area to kill gangster Govind Bhati. The men ambushed Bhati while he was returning from gym. They stabbed him 20 times and pumped over half dozen rounds of bullets, the TOI report said.

The report said that after killing Bhati, the criminals were about to leave the spot when they saw Verma. They presumed that he was Bhatis aide. Without asking or probing, they killed him on the spot. The Delhi Police has said that three men have been arrested for the brazen shootout. The enmity between Anil and Bhati dates back to 2016. Bhati had reportedly refused to join Anils gang. FIRs and counter FIRs were also lodged by the two groups.

Earlier, Delhi police arrested a 32-year-old Nandu gang member in connection with the murder of Tik Tok star Mohit Mor. The accused, Sandeep Pehalwan was the man who allegedly hired three people, including a teenager to kill Mor. Following a tip-off, Pehalwan was arrested from his residence in Najafgarh on Monday, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Anto Alphonse.

On May 21, Mohit Mor, a gym trainer who was quite popular on the video-sharing app Tik Tok with over 5 lakh followers, was brutally killed by three people inside a photocopy shop in Najafgarh area over a money dispute with Nandu gang.

According to reports, the Tik Tok star had taken Rs 30 lakh from Mangu, an alleged member of the Nandu gang, to invest in a property. After Mangu's death in gang ware in 2017, members of the Nandu gang asked him to return the money he had taken from him. He, however, allegedly refused to give the money to Mangus friends in the gang, which led to his murder.

After receiving threats from the Nandu gang members, Mor reportedly took protection from Pradeep Solanki and Vikas Dalal, alleged members of the Manjeet Mahal gang, the report quoted Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (special cell).
New Delhi:

The Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan (BSER or RBSE) is expected to announce the RBSE class 10 results at time today. Earlier there were speculations that the board will not release 10th results before June, but seems like the evaluation is complete the scores of the candidates will be out on the last day of May.

Soon after the formal declaration of the results, the scorecards will be available on the official website of the board i.e. rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in. Alternatively, the candidates can also check the results by clicking on the link given below.

CLICK HERE FOR RBSE CLASS 10 RESULTS 2019

As many as 11.2 lakh students appeared for the examination and are expected to receive their RBSE Class 10 Result 2019 today. Upon formal declaration of the BSER Result 2019 candidates can visit the official website and enter their roll number in order to download the Rajasthan Board 10th Result 2019.

The Rajasthan Board held the RBSE 10th examinations from March 14 to March 27, 2019. For the convenience of the students, we have mentioned the steps through which the candidates can check the results:

Step 1: Visit english.newsnationtv.com/board-results and click on the Rajasthan Board class 10 result article

Step 2: Click on the right link Rajasthan Board12th Arts Result 2019

Step 3: Enter your Roll Number and other details in the space provided

Step 4: Submit to View your result

In 2018, the board released class 10 result on June 11 in which 79.86 per cent students passed in class 10. The pass percentage among regular students was 80.13 per cent and among private students was 14.55 per cent. The Board has already released the result for class 12 board exams. Rajasthan board releases Science and Commerce results together and Arts result separately. This year Science and Commerce stream result was announced on May 15 and Arts stream result was May 22.

In Science stream, 92.88 per cent students passed. In Commerce stream, 91.46 per cent students passed and in Arts stream, 88 per cent students passed. In the Varistha Upadhyay exam, 82.67 per cent students passed.

The results released at the websites are provisional only. Students should consult their respective schools and examination centers to collect the original marksheets and passing certificates required for admission purposes at higher secoundary classes.
New Delhi:

The main accused in the killing of Surendra Singh - a close aide of Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani - was arrested following an encounter with police in Amethi.

Wasim was arrested in Shalhapur area under the Jamo police station on Thursday night following a brief encounter, Assistant Superintendent of Police Daya Ram said. The accused has sustained a bullet injury on his leg and was being treated in Jamo CHC hospital. The Jamo police station in-charge also suffered minor injuries in the gunfight.

Tight security arrangements have been put in place around the hospital and no one was allowed to meet him, the top cop said.

With this, all the five accused in the case have been arrested, he said.

A case was registered against five people for killing Surendra Singh. Four other accused - Ramchandra, Dharmanath, Naseem and Golu - have already been arrested. Ramchandra is a member of the kshetra panchayat and also a local Congress leader, the police said.

Singh, 50, a former head of Baraulia village, around 25 km from the Amethi district headquarters, was shot at around 11.30 pm on May 25. He was referred to a Lucknow hospital, but succumbed to injuries during treatment.
New Delhi:

On the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra the UAE government in an extraordinary gesture lit up the iconic ADNOC building. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC is the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates. Narendra Modi was on Thursday sworn in as country's Prime Minister for a second term, heading the National Democratic Alliance government in the presence of a large gathering of national and international dignitaries. Modi, 68, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony at the forecourt of majestic Rashtraparti Bhavan.

The flags of India and the UAE and portraits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were displayed on the facade of the iconic building.



Navdeep Singh Suri, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, told WAM, the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates, that since the visit of prime minister Modi to UAE in August 2015, the two nations have seen a real transformation in our bilateral ties.

The close friendship that has blossomed over the last four years between our Prime Minister and the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is well-known. The whole world can see it today in this unique celebration of the re-election of the Prime Minister for a fresh five-year term. The ADNOC tower behind us is beautifully lit up and adorned with the flags of India and UAE and visuals of the two leaders, he said.

But beyond the symbolism of these images is also the clear direction that the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince have provided to diplomats like us to make the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership a truly vibrant example of what we can achieve when we work together, Suri said.

Over the last two years, Suri said bilateral ties have evolved from a simple buyer-seller relationship to a multi-faceted partnership that has led to our first strategic petroleum reserve, our first oil concessions in the Gulf and the agreement to work together in our West coast mega-refinery project.

So, as the Prime Minister starts his second term in office, there is tremendous sense of optimism for India-UAE ties. We now have the opportunity to build upon the strong platform that we have created over the last four years, and to make the coming period a truly Golden Era in our relationship, he said.

An extraordinary gesture! the UAE government lit up the iconic ADNOC building in #AbuDhabi on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony of PM @narendramodi and Council of Ministers, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
New Delhi:

The trailer of Article 15 was dropped last day and shook the nations with the grim reality of reigning caste discrimination in rural India. Ayushmann is seen as a police cop who has taken the charge of investigating the case and you would see the harsh reality through the trailer.

The movie that narrates the tragic tale of two teenagers from Scheduled Caste gangraped and hanged from a tree on asking for a raise of Rs 3 is loosely based on the 2014 Badaun rape case that took the nation by storm. The director Anubhav Sinha too has earlier stated that the movie is inspired from the 2014 horrofic incident and has tried to portrary certain glimpses incidents that happened actually during its investigation by CBI.

The movie title derives from Article 15 of the Constitution, which states that the State or any citizen should not discriminate anyone based on their religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. The Constitution is the basis on which the country needs to be run, Ayan tells Nishad (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayub).

Here's remembering the tragic story of two Badaun girls for whom justice is yet to be served.

On the morning of May 27, 2014, two teenage girls were found hanging from a mango tree in UPs Katra village, Badaun district. The news of the horrific incident spread like fire.

Angry over police apathy in registering the FIR, the villagers protest by blocking traffic with dead bodies on Ushait-Lilawan Road and also demand suspension of all the policemen posted in Ushait Police station

Two persons, including a policeman, are arrested. One of the accused Pappu Yadav has been arrested, while two other accused Brijesh and Awadhesh have been identified and other two are still at large

On June 6th, a SIT was constituted and on June 12, the CBI filed an FIR and began investigation into the case.

While different angles were being probed into the mysterious death of the girls, on November 27, 2014, almost after a five month probe and conducting further forensic tests, CBI claimed that inferences drawn from latest tests contradicted earlier findings.

In an unexpected turn of events, the CBI enquiry claimed that the girls were neither raped nor murdered, but had committed suicide.

The reason cited was that the older of the victims had been caught in a compromising position with one of the accused, 19-year-old Pappu Yadav

The charges against the accused were dropped. An appeal is pending before the Additional District Judge in Badaun district.

Article 15 will see Ayushmann Khurrana in the never seen before cop avavter and from the trailer it is quite evident that the actor has done to his sensational role.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Actor Vivek Oberoi recently attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. The actor took to Twitter to congratulate the PM on this occasion, where he accidentally promoted Salman Khans upcoming movie Bharat. He captioned the picture saying, ''Honoured to be invited again to the swearing in ceremony. Im watching @narendramodi bhai taking his oath for the 3rd time on his journey from CM Gujarat to PM of Bharat once again! Feeling like a small part of an incredible history #ModiSarkar2 #NamoAgain #ModiSwearingIn.''

While posting the picture, the actor used the hashtag of Salman Khans upcoming movie, Bharat. In the tweet that went out, the films Twitter emoji was also visible. As soon as the netizens noticed it, the actor deleted the message. He posted a fresh tweet without the #Bharat. Apart from Vivek, other Bollywood celebrities who attended the function on Thursday included Kangana Ranaut, Kapil Sharma, Anupam Kher, Anil Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and his wife Mira Rajput.



Earlier this month, Vivek was caught in a controversy for sharing a distasteful and crass meme on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's personal life. Oberoi, who reportedly dated Aishwarya in the early 2000s, had posted a meme featuring her with her husband Abhishek Bachchan, daughter Aaradhya and Salman Khan. Many of the celebs including Sonam K Ahuja took to Twitter and called the action on Viveks part distasteful.

The National Commission for Women (NCW), too issued a notice to the actor demanding explanation over his tweet on the exit polls. The actor later deleted the controversial tweet.Vivek had later apologised for the seemingly 'funny' remark on Twitter. ''Sometimes what appears to be funny and harmless at first glance to one, may not be so to others. I have spent the last 10 years empowering more than 2000 underprivileged girls, I cant even think of being disrespectful to any woman ever,'' Oberoi had said.



''Even if one woman is offended by my reply to the meme, it calls for remedial action. Apologies. tweet deleted,'' he had added.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

BJP president Amit Shah has been appointed as the new Union Home Minister, replacing Rajnath Singh, who will now handle the Ministry of Defence, Rashtrapati Bhavan announced on Friday. Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar, who surprised many by his induction in the new Cabinet, has been made the new External Affairs Minister. Jaishankar replaced Sushma Swaraj, who opted out from contesting elections citing poor health.

Nirmala Sitharaman, who was the Defence Minister in the incumbent government, has been given the charge of Finance Ministry after Arun Jaitley, who is batteling kidney-related ailments, choose not to be part of the government.

LJP president and one of the key NDA members, Ram Vilas Paswan, has retained the Consumer Affairs Ministry while Agriculture went to Narendra Singh Tomar who also got the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. Piyush Goyal has also retained the Railways. Goyal will also take charge of Commerce and Industries.

Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, has been given the charge of Women and Child Development ministry. Irani replaced Maneka Gandhi, who was the Women and Child Development minister in the the previous Modi govenrment. She also retained her Textile ministry.

One of the most performing ministers in the previous Modi government, Nitin Gadkari has not just retained his ministry - Road, Transport and Shipment - but also got the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Earlier, Giriraj Singh was the MSMEs minister. Singh has now been given the charge of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries ministry.

Below is the full list of ministers and their potfolio:

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The West Bengal BJP on Friday hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for losing her temper when her cavalcade was interrupted by some men chanting Jai Shri Ram in an area falling under 24 Parganas, asking whether it is a crime to chant the phrase in the state.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said the more Trinamool Congress chief protests against the chant the more public support she would lose in the state.

On Thursday, the chief minister had lost her cool when some men shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' as her motorcade passed through Bhatpara area of North 24 Parganas district. The video clips showing her getting off her car and scolding the unidentified men in the group have gone viral.

"What do you think of yourself? You will come from other states, stay here and abuse us? I will not tolerate this. How dare you all abuse me? All of your names and details will be noted down," she could be heard saying in the video.

After she got back into her car, the men again chanted "Jai Shri Ram", prompting her to disembark from the vehicle once more.

"She doesn't get angry at Bangladeshi infiltrators, Rohingyas, murderers, and rapists. But she gets angry at young men who chant 'Jai Shri Ram'. Is chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' a crime in Bengal?" BJP national general secretary and Bengal minder Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

"It seems she can't digest her party's result in Lok Sabha polls and has lost her cool," Ghosh added.

Bhatpara had witnessed violence between BJP and TMC workers after Lok Sabha poll results were declared.

The area is a stronghold of the newly elected MP Arjun Singh, who had defected to the saffron party from TMC weeks before the Lok Sabha election. Singh defeated Trinamool's Dinesh Trivedi.



The incident brought back memories of a similar episode earlier this month in West Midnapore district. A video had shown Banerjee losing her temper when some men chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' at her motorcade.

In that video, Banerjee was seen angrily coming out of her car and saying that the men were mouthing abuses.

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

At least two terrorists were killed on Friday in an early morning encounter which broke out in Dragad Sugan area of Jammu and Kashmiras Shopian district. Additional reinforcements of Army and Special Operation Group of police were rushed to the encounter site. The identity of the terrorists are yet to be ascertained.

#SpotVisuals Jammu and Kashmir: Exchange of fire between terrorists and Security forces in Dragad Sugan area of Shopian District. (visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/mCqmg0bLwf a ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

On Thursday, two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Danger Pora area of Sopore in Baramulla. Earlier, Armyas 22 RR and SOG have launched a cordon-and-search operation at Bunpora area of Danger Pora village following specific information about the presence of the terrorists inside a residential house.

The authorities had suspended internet services in Sopore town as a precautionary measure in wake of the search operation.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The first meeting of newly appointed Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to be held on Friday, a day after swearing-in ceremony, according to sources. Although there was no set agenda for the meeting, the governments strategy for the next five years is likely to be discussed, the sources said.

On Friday, Narendra Modi took oath as prime minister for the second consecutive term, while 57 others were sworn in as ministers. Of the total 57 ministers, 24 were of Cabinet rank, 9 of independent minister of state rank and 24 minister of state rank.

The portfolios of them will also be announced later today. This time, 26 new faces, including BJ)P president Amit Shah, have been inducted in the Union Cabinet. The most surprising of them all was the name of former foreign secretary S Jaishankar.

According to sources, Amit Shah is likely to replace Arun Jaitley as the Union finance minister after the later opted out from staying in the government, citing poor health. The former foreign secretary, who surprised many by his induction in the new Cabinet, may get Sushma Swarajs foreign affairs ministry.

The Council of Ministers in the new Modi government has six women members. While 3 of them were sworn in as cabinet minister, others took oath as minister of state (MoS).

Several regional leaders, including heads of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan besides the president of the Kyrgyz Republic and the prime minister of Mauritius, were present during the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi at the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

In first Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana to all farmers, a move that is likely to benefit nearly 14.5 crore farmers. Under this scheme, all the farmers -irrespective of their land holdings - will get Rs 6,000 every year in their bank accounts.

The previous government had estimated annual expenditure of Rs 75,000 crore in the earlier version of the scheme.

"The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the extension of PM-Kisan Yojana to all farmers. Nearly 14.5 crore farmers would now benefit from the scheme," said Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, briefing the media about cabinet decisions.

"Union Cabinet has approved a new Central Sector Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana. It's a voluntary & contributory pension scheme for small and marginal farmers across the country. Central government will contribute to the pension fund in equal amount as contributed by the farmer," Tomar added.

In its manifesto for 2019 general elections, the BJP had promised to extend the scheme to all farmers.

After the extension of PM-KISAN scheme, all farmer will get Rs 6,000 a year. The move will cost exchequer Rs 87,000 crore annually.

The Rs 75,000 crore scheme was announced in the interim budget, under which the government decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three equal installments) to an estimated 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares.

The Cabinet also agreed to roll out pension plans for farmers and traders. It also approved a new scheme, which assures minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to all shopkeepers, retail traders and self employed persons after attaining the age of 60 years, fulfilling its poll promise.

Five crore traders are expected to join the scheme in the next three years, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said while briefing reporters at a press conference.

"All shopkeepers and self-employed persons as well as retail traders with GST turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged between 18-40 years can enroll for the scheme," an official statement said.

Interested persons can enroll themselves through over 3.25 lakh common service centres spread across the country. The government will make matching contribution in the subscribers' account, the statement added.

"It is a landmark initiative of the Prime Minister for which traders across the country are really happy.

"It shows the concern of the Prime Minister towards the trading community of the country and we hope that in this tenure, small traders will be on the government's priority list," Confederation of All India Traders Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal told PTI.

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The meeting in Delhi Thursday between Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and NCP president Sharad Pawar prompted speculation in state political circles about a possible merger of the two parties. State leaders of both the parties, however, said they were unaware if the issue of merger was discussed during the meeting. Pawar maintained that he and Gandhi discussed matters pertaining to Maharashtra Assembly polls, due later this year, and also the drought situation in the state.

Pawar, along with some other leaders, had walked out of the Congress in 1999 over UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin issue and formed the NCP the same year. The Congress bagged 52 Lok Sabha seats in the recently held general election. It is falling short by two seats to claim the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lower House.

The NCP won five Lok Sabha seats, including four from Maharashtra. Pawar tweeted after his meeting with Gandhi, "Congress President Mr. @RahulGandhi met up with me today at my residence in Delhi. We discussed matters pertaining to the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha Elections and the drought situation in Maharashtra." Asked if a possible merger is being discussed, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said there is no such discussion within the party on the issue.

State Congress president Ashok Chavan, whose party won just one seat in Maharashtra in the recent Lok Sabha polls, said, "When leaders of two political parties meet, politics is discussed. If two parties come together, it helps to avoid division of votes. But the issue of merger of two parties in different. I have no knowledge about it."

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be on a two-day visit to Wayanad, his new Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, from June 7 to 8. This will be his first visit to Wayanad after winning the parliamentary constituency in this Lok Sabha elections.

Gandhias A Twitter account for Wayanad announced on Friday, "Congress President and newly elected Member of Parliament from Wayanad, Shri Rahul Gandhi will be in the constituency on 7th and 8th of June to thank the people for their love and support".

Congress President & newly elected Member of Parliament from Wayanad, Shri @RahulGandhi will be in the constituency on 7th & 8th of June to thank the people for their love & support. a Rahul Gandhi - Wayanad (@RGWayanadOffice) May 31, 2019

During his two-day tour, Gandhi will be visiting all the seven Assembly constituencies of Wayanad to thank the people for showing faith in him, a party leader told the news agency IANS.

Gandhi, who contested from two Lok Sabha constituencies this election, won from Wayanad but lost his traditional bastion Amethi to BJP candidate and Union Minister Smriti Irani.

In Wayanad, the Congress president defeated his nearest Communist Party of India (CPI) candidate PP Suneer by a record margin of over 4.31 lakh votes. While Gandhi securedA 7,06,367 votes,A Suneer ended up baggingA 2,74,597 votes. The BJP-led NDA candidate Thushar Vellapally, who is also state NDA chairman, came a poor third, polling about 78,000 votes.

(With inputs from agencies)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

In the wake of farmers' suicide in several districts across Kerala, Congress president and newly elected Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday dashed a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, asking him to provide assistance to the family of a farmer, who was forced to commit suicide owing to financial burden.

VD Dinesh Kumar, 53, committed suicide consuming some poisonous substance due to alleged non-repayment of loans. Kumaras relatives said financial burden had forced him to take the extreme step.A According to police, Kumar had taken a loan of Rs 10 lakh from three banks and was reportedly facing recovery proceedings.

Gandhi, in his letter to Pinarayi dated May 28, said he was "deeply saddened" by the farmer's suicide. He also requested the state government to conduct an inquiry and extend financial support to the family.

"Kumar's case isn't an isolated one. There has been a spate of farmer suicides in Wayanad, due to an inability to repay loans," Gandhi had said in his letter.

"What is disturbing is that while the government of Kerala has announced a moratorium on repayment of farm loans till December 31, 2019, yet farmers are still being pressured and hounded by loan collection agents," the letter said.

The Congress chief said it was important to consider "long-term measures" to free farmers from the "vicious debt trap" given the devastating impact of the last year's floods.

"I offer you my fullest support and cooperation in finding concrete long-term solutions to the critical issues Kerala's farmers are faced with and in ensuring every farmer in Kerala lives a life of dignity," Gandhi said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Nirmala Sitharaman, the newly appointed Finance Minister of India, will present the maiden Union Budget of the Modi 2.0 Cabinet on July 5, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Friday. The announcement comes hours after the former defence minister broke the glass ceiling again as she became the first full-time woman Finance Minister of India, breaching a largely male bastion. The Budget Session of Parliament is scheduled to be held between June 17 and July 26, 2019.

"Union Budget will be presented on July 5," Javadekar told media, adding that the Cabinet has cleared pension scheme to benefit three crore retail traders and shopkeepers.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar: Union Budget will be presented on July 5 https://t.co/48QsaRt478 a ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

Addresing a press conference following the first Union Cabinet meeting of the new Narendra Modi government, Javadekar further said, "Cabinet has cleared a special scheme for Control of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis. The diseases of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis are very common among the livestock - cow-bulls, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs".

"President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint session of parliament on 20th June. Economic Survey will be released on 4th of July," Javadekar added.

However, Sitharaman, the first woman in 48 years since then prime minister Indira Gandhi to hold charge of the key ministry, will face major challenges in her first Budget Session, as the new budget for the current financial year should look to take out the country from slowing growth, create jobs, attract investments and tackle banking sector woes.

In what could be another big blow for the new finance minister, her first day in office was greeted by GDP growth rate slowing down to five-year low of 5.8 per cent in January-March quarter, slower than even China, and unemployment rate rising to 45 year high of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18.

The interim budget for the year 2019-20 was presented by then Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on February 1.A Goyal was assigned with temporary additional charge of the finance and corporate affairs ministries, with then finance minister Arun Jaitley went to the United States for a medical check-up.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first Cabinet meet, has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana to all farmers. The move is likely to benefit nearly 14.5 crore farmers.A

"Cabinet has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri-Kisan yojana to all farmers. Nearly 14.5 crore farmers will benefit from the scheme," Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, said after the first meeting of Union Cabinet.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar: Cabinet has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri-Kisan yojana to all farmers. Nearly 14.5 crore farmers will benefit from the scheme. pic.twitter.com/a20kEzwhxS a ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

"Union Cabinet has approved a new Central Sector Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana. It's a voluntary & contributory pension scheme for small and marginal farmers across the country. Central government will contribute to the pension fund in equal amount as contributed by the farmer," Tomar added.

In its manifesto for 2019 general elections, the BJP had promised to extend the scheme to all farmers.

After the extension of PM-KISAN scheme, all farmer will get Rs 6,000 a year. The move will cost exchequer Rs 87,000 crore annually.

The Rs 75,000 crore scheme was announced in the interim budget, under which the government decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three equal installments) to an estimated 12 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares.A A A

Already, 3.11 crore small farmers have so far received the first tranche of Rs 2,000 each under the PM-Kisan scheme and 2.75 crore peasants have got the second instalment as well, as per the official data.A

With PTI Inputs

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Baby Saybie, dubbed the worlds smallest surviving baby is indeed a miracle baby. Born three months premature at just 23 weeks and three days, weighing in at just 8.6 ounces which is about the weight of a large apple five months ago a San Diego, California hospital, the baby, now five months old is a healthy baby and have been released from the hospital earlier this month weighing at 5.6 pounds.

The Sharp Mary Birch Hospital in San Diego, California released an official statement saying that, Baby Saybie was discharged home this month as a healthy 5-pound infant. A nurse who cared for Saybie as she battled for survival said her recovery and release earlier this month was a "miracle".

"After experiencing severe pregnancy complications, Saybie's mother gave birth via emergency cesarean section at 23 weeks, 3 days gestation in the womb," the hospital explained at a news conference. "Doctors said the preterm birth was necessary after they found that the baby was not gaining weight and her mother's life was at immediate risk."

I kept telling them: 'She's not going to survive. She's - I'm only 23 weeks [pregnant]',' Saybie's mother said in a video for Sharp Healthcare. 'It was the scariest day of my life, Saybie's mother, who has chosen to remain anonymous said.

Saybie was deemed the world's smallest surviving newborn by the Tiniest Babies Registry that is maintained by the University of Iowa.

According to the hospital, she weighed 7 grams less than the previous smallest baby, who was born in Germany in 2015 who weighed 25 grams.

For all the Latest Offbeat News News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Washington:

NASAs Curiosity Mars rover has found the highest amounts of clay minerals ever found during its mission on the Red Planet, the US space agency said. The rover recently drilled two samples at rock targets called Aberlady and Kilmarie in a region of Mars called the clay-bearing unit.

Both drill targets were unveiled in a new selfie taken by the rover on May 12, the 2,405th Martian day, or sol, of the mission, NASA said in a statement.

This clay-enriched region, located on the side of lower Mount Sharp, stood out to NASA orbiters before Curiosity landed in 2012, the US space agency said.

Curiosity is exploring Mount Sharp to see if it had the conditions to support life billions of years ago. Clay often forms in water, which is essential for life.

The rovers mineralogy instrument, called CheMin (Chemistry and Mineralogy), provided the first analyses of rock samples drilled in the clay-bearing unit.

CheMin also found very little hematite, an iron oxide mineral that was abundant just to the north, on Vera Rubin Ridge.

Other than proof that there was a significant amount of water once in Gale Crater, what these new findings mean for the region is still up for debate, according to the US space agency.

It is likely that the rocks in the area formed as layers of mud in ancient lakessomething Curiosity also found lower on Mount Sharp, NASA said.

Water interacted with sediment over time, leaving an abundance of clay in the rocks there, it said.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Mecca:

Arab heads of state have gathered for the start of a trio of high-level summits in Islams holiest city of Mecca as Saudi Arabia attempts to present a unified regional stance in response to a spike in tensions with its top rival, Iran. Saudi Arabia hastily called for the meetings on Thursday after attacks on Saudi oil targets blamed on Iran. That King Salman could quickly bring regional leaders and heads of state to Mecca so rapidly reflects the kingdoms weight in the region and its desire to project a unified position on Iran.

Upon their arrival at the airport in Saudi Arabia, each leader was shown Yemeni rebel military items, such as a destroyed drone, missiles and mortar shells used in the conflict with the Saudis. The leaders were given a brief explanation of the weapons on display by Col. Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition at war in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia accuses Tehran of helping arm the rebel Houthis and being behind a Houthi drone attack on a key Saudi oil pipeline earlier this month.

Earlier on Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf urged Muslim nations to confront with all means of force and firmness an alleged sabotage of oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates this month and the Saudi oil pipeline attack.

We should confront it with all means of force and firmness, he said.

Al-Assaf made the comments at a preparatory meeting of foreign ministers of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, ahead of the Mecca summits.

An Iranian official was at the OIC meeting where al-Assaf spoke Thursday, but Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif did not attend.

Iran denies being involved in the attacks, which come amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the US The crisis has root in the Trump administrations decision to withdraw last year from Irans nuclear deal with world powers.

The summits coincide with the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a time of intense worship when Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago.

Saudi Arabia will seek to use to the optics of the Mecca gatherings to send a clear and powerful message to Iran, which itself is also a member of the OIC.

The first of the three summits will start with a meeting of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday evening. The GCC meeting will be immediately followed with an emergency summit of the 22-nation Arab League, minus Syria whose membership remains suspended.

Qatars Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani is attending, making it the highest-level visit to Saudi Arabia by a Qatari official since 2017, when the kingdom and three other Arab states cut off ties with the tiny energy-rich Gulf state over its foreign policies.

Washington has tried unsuccessfully to mediate an end to the diplomatic standoff between its Gulf Arab allies. US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Thursday the US welcomes Saudi efforts to discuss Iranian threats in the region.

Gulf unity is essential in confronting Iran, to confronting their influence, to countering terrorism writ large, and, of course, to ensuring a prosperous future for the Gulf, she said.

The third and final summit, on Friday, is expected to focus largely on Palestinian statehood and independence. It will bring together leaders from the 57-nation OIC, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia.

In his remarks, al-Assaf reiterated Saudi Arabias longstanding position on the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. His comments come as the White House tries to sell its Mideast plan to Arab leaders ahead of a conference in Bahrain next month that the Palestinian leadership is boycotting.

Among those attending are Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanons Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Sabah, and Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of Sudans ruling military council.

It marks the first international conference for Burhan since the ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir from power in April.

Also participating is Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, whose country has uneasy ties with Saudi Arabia, particularly after the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last year.

Al-Assafs comments on Iran appeared to mirror remarks made by President Donald Trumps national security adviser, John Bolton, who warned Iran on Wednesday that any attacks in the Persian Gulf will draw a very strong response from the US.

Meanwhile, Trump said this week the US wasnt looking to hurt Iran at all. During a visit to Tokyo this week, Trump appeared to welcome negotiations with Iran.

Were not looking for regime change I just want to make that clear, Trump said. Were looking for no nuclear weapons. Also on Wednesday, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said some 900 troops would be deployed to Qatar and Saudi Arabia to reinforce the tens of thousands already in the Middle East. Another 600 have had their deployment in the region extended.

Its unclear how many of those troops would be sent to Saudi Arabia. Sending a large number of troops to Saudi Arabia could potentially spark a backlash from Muslims around the world because the country is also home to Islams two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina.

Osama bin Ladens al-Qaida launched the September 11 attacks, in part over Americas military presence in the kingdom.

The late King Abdullah refused to allow US bases in Saudi Arabia for the Iraq invasion in 2003, though he permitted them during the first Gulf War in 1991.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday said he has not received any report that the suicide bombers involved in the Easter Sunday terror attacks had travelled to India. Sirisena also said a clear report about a possible terror attack was sent by Indian intelligence agencies to their Sri Lankan counterparts 17 days prior to the April 21 bombings but he was not informed about it.

"Had I known about a possible attack, I would have taken necessary steps to prevent it," he said during a media interaction. He was in New Delhi to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

Sri Lanka was hit by a wave of bombings on Easter Sunday in which over 250 people were killed.

"A clear report had been sent by Indian intelligence to the state intelligence agencies of Sri Lanka about the possibility of an attack. The Indian government sent the information on April 4," he said.

Sirisena said he left for a foreign trip on April 16 and till then he was not informed about the Indian intelligence report, though there had been exchanges on the issue between the defence secretary and the then inspector general of police.

"Had I known it, I would not have left the country," he said. "This is a great shortcoming from our defence secretary and that is why I have removed defence secretary and inspector general of police from their respective offices," the President added.

He said necessary disciplinary and legal action will be taken against the guilty based on findings of the ongoing investigation into the matter.

Asked about reports that the terrorists who carried out the attacks had travelled to India, the Sri Lankan president said he had not received any information about it.

"I have not received any reports that say they travelled to India. My officers have not reported about any connection linking them to India uptill now," he said.

Sirisena said his government has received support from India, the UK, the US and few other countries in the investigation into the bombings.

"The investigation has found that the perpetrators of the attack operated under an international organisation. The Sri Lankan terrorists had obtained training in countries where other terror groups are operating," he said. The Sri Lankan president said the people involved in the bombings were from wealthy families and the suicide bombers included doctorate holders.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has executed five officials for their part in the failed second summit with US President Donald Trump. According to Bloomberg News report North Korea's special envoy to the US and four other North Korean Foreign Ministry officials were executed in March because of the breakdown of the February summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo claimed that Kim had launched another purge of senior officials in an attempt to divert attention from internal turmoil.

Kim Hyok-chol was investigated and executed at Mirim airport with four foreign ministry officials in March, an unnamed North Korea source said, according to the newspaper, adding that they were charged with spying for the US.

Kim Hyok-chol had been the counterpart to Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, before the summit.



Shin Hye Yong, the interpreter for Kim Jong Un at the Hanoi meeting, is also said to have been detained in a political prison camp, for undermining the authority of Kim Jong Un by making a critical interpretation mistake, news agency Reuters reported.



In 2013, Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jongs uncle was executed. In 2016, Kim ordered death for Ri Yong-jin, a senior official in the education ministry, for sleeping at a meeting chaired by him.

A year ago, Hyon Yong-Chol, a former North Korean defense chief was executed for disrespectful behavior to Kim at a military rally.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Bahrain attaches top priority to raising the living standards of people in the Kingdom as per the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, said Housing Minister, Bassim bin Yaqoub Al Hamer. Addressing the UN Human Habitat assembly in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, the Minister said the Kingdom is maintaining momentum of the SDGs achievement, particularly Goal 11 in making the cities and human settlements all-inclusive, safer, securer and capable of sustainable progress.

The right to a suitable home remains the pivot of sustainable development goals in Bahrain in line with Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, he affirmed. Bahrain, the Minister told the conference, constructed three residential cities between the 1960s and the 1990s. The government also constructed several housing blocks in addition to providing more than 129,000 housing services over the last five decades. This benefited 65 per cent of the citizens an accomplishment which also won His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, the UN Human Settlements (UN-Habitat)s Urban Development Excellence Award 2006.

Bahrain witnessed the transformation point in 2014 thanks to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas Royal order to build 40,000 housing units under the Government Action Plan 2015-2018. 25,000 new homes were built in five prototype residential towns to achieve Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, the Minister said.

The private sector contributed 12.5 per cent in the provision of housing services within the previous Government Action Plan thanks to the initiatives launched by the Housing Ministry to activate the principle of public-private partnership (PPP). The private sector undertakes a pivotal role in the current Government Action Plan 2019-2022 for the provision of 25,000 new housing units in addition to the governments efforts.
G20 countries are planning a new tax policy for digital giants like Google, based on the business a company does in a country, not where itis headquartered, the Nikkei business daily said yesterday. The basic policy is likely to be signed by finance ministers from the Group of 20 countries when they meet next month in the Japanese city of Fukuoka ahead ofthe main G20 meeting in Osaka, the Nikkei said.

The policy, targeting firms like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon, would allocate revenue to countries that provide large user bases for the worlds digital corporate giants, the daily said, citing unnamed sources. The countries will seek to reach a final agreement in 2020, but how the policy will work remains to be finalised. One possibility would be to distribute collected tax revenues to countries based on the number of users a given company has in each country.

That could mean that Facebook, which has centralised its profits and tax payments in Ireland to take advantage of low rates, would see its tax payments redistributed to areas where more of its users live. But details of how the tax will be collected and distributed and which companies will be affected remain to be finalised, with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) expected to help iron out the rules.

The issue of how to tax top digital companies has become increasingly fraught, with several European nations going it alone, drawing the ire of the United States. The Paris-based OECD is trying to forge a newglobal agreement that would prevent the firms from simply declaring their income in low-tax jurisdictions, depriving other countries of billions in revenue.
Students from St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Brookfield have been raising trout in the classroom for the past several months.

The students released the trout on Friday into Lake Lillinonah, on the north shore of the lake on the east side of Route 133.
NORTH HAVEN  Detective Michael Harton was celebrated for his efforts to revive an infant who stopped breathing at a town movie theater in March Wednesday, as he and officers from a number of communities were recognized by the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut.

According to a release, Harton, Detective Leonard LaBonia of the Danbury police, Officer Mark LeCardo of the Stratford Police Department, Officer Theresa Hersh of the Stonington Police Department, and Bridgeport officers Mark Pappas, Arlindo Dos Santos, Diala Roberts, and Thomas Flaherty were presented with Meritorious Service awards.

The accolades are offered each year to officers who have gone above and beyond the line of duty.

LaBonia single-handedly apprehended a man who had just stabbed someone right in front of the officer, then made the arrest and got medical assistance for the victim at the same time.

LeCardo apprehended a person who had just committed a sexual assault and was carrying a stolen handgun, according to the release.

Hersh dragged a motorist out of a flaming vehicle after a car accident, according to the release, despite breaking her ankle just beforehand.

Pappas, Dos Santos, Roberts and Flaherty responded to a complaint about drugs being sold in public view, according to the release. As they arrived, one suspect fled the scene, then pulled out a handgun.

The suspect said someone was going to die as officers attempted to get the weapon from him, according to the release, firing it in the process. He was arrested and the firearm was seized.

Four officers were also recognized for finishing first in their police academy classes, according to the release, receiving an engraved Ruger pistol from the Sturm-Ruger company, according to the release.

The new officers so honored were Laura T. Caruso of the Glastonbury police, Alex B. MacNamara of the Fairfield police, James A. ODonnell of the Farmington police and Timothy J. Speer Jr. of the Stamford police, according to the release.

During the dinner, the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut also offered a donation to the family of former Bridgeport Sgt. Mark Belinkie, who committed suicide in March, according to the release.

Retired Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara spoke to those assembled about officer wellness, and the necessity for officers to safeguard their own physical and mental well-being, according to the release.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Carnival of Space 613 is up at Cosmoquest.

Universe Today  Advanced Civilizations Could be Communicating with Neutrino Beams. Transmitted by Clouds of Satellites Around Neutron Stars or Black Holes

Dr. Albert Jackson of the Houston-based technology company Triton Systems recently released a study where he proposed how an advanced ETI could use rely on a neutron star or black hole to focus neutrino beams to create a beacon.

Jackson suggests that a Type II civilization would be capable of enclosing a neutron star or black hole through the creation of a large constellation of neutrino-transmitting satellites.

To make use of neutrinos an advanced civilization can use a gravitational lens as a focus and amplifier. The lens can be a neutron star or a black hole. Using wave optics one can calculate the advantage of gravitational lensing for amplification of a beam and along the optical axis it is exceptionally large. Even though the amplification is very large the dimeter of the beam is quite small, less that a centimeter. This implies that a large constellation of neutrino transmitters would have to enclose the local neutron star or black hole to cover the sky. This means that such a beacon would have to be built by a Kardashev Type II civilization.

Universe Today  Small, Tough Planets can Survive the Death of Their Star.
TORONTO, Canada, May 31st, 2019  In honor of International Childrens Day, the cryptocurrency community is joining forces May 31  June 2, as CryptoChicks and CasperLabs put on the CryptoChicks Hack-A-Thon + Blockchain A.I. Conference, a three-day event taking place at RBC WaterPark Place in Toronto, Canada.

CryptoChicks, one of the largest women in tech international organizations in the world, was started by Natalia Ameline, mother to Ethereums Vitalik Buterin, and her friend, Elena Sinelnikova. After being asked by Vitalik to install Ethereum wallet on her Windows laptop, it took both women, who have two Masters of Computer Science, along with three hours of trial and error, to figure out how it operated. Ultimately, they created a meetup for women who can learn this space together and help one another. It has since grown into an international organization with chapters in Canada, U.S.A., Russia, Pakistan, and Bahamas.

CasperLabs, a fully decentralized, scalable, new proof-of-stake blockchain, with CEO Medha Parlikar and Lead CBC Casper Architect Vlad Zamfir. The company, acting as an R&D organization, believes in contrarian fashion that it is unnecessary to compromise decentralization in favor of scalability, currently most blockchains that scale have an element of centralization. The solution revolves around the CBC Casper Proof-of-Stake Protocol.

As part of the three-day event, Zamfir will be speaking on the Scaling Web 3.0 The First Billion Users of Blockchain panel, moderated by CasperLabs co-founder, Steve Nerayoff. The panel includes the son of CryptoChicks Natalia Ameline, Vitalik Buterin.

From the beginning, Natalia has supported the work her son has done, and coinciding with June 1st, Global Parents Day, an international holiday recognized by the United Nations (UN), she, in addition to her husband, Dmitriy Buterin, will be able to see their son in action at their very own event.

The UN proclaimed June 1st to be the Global Day of parents to appreciate all parents throughout the world for their selfless commitment to their children and their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing such a relationship. Coinciding with International Childrens Day, both work hand-in-hand to show full circle, the love and power of family.

CasperLabs, which differs in opinion with respect to blockchain scalability, is still part of the Ethereum family.

We are open-source purists and we are decentralization purists, Mrinal Manohar, CEO of Adaptive Labs, CasperLabs parent company, explained in his interview with CryptoGlobe. A lot of us on the team were early investors in Ethereum, so you know we love it. We think its a great platform.

Medha Parlikar, CEO of CasperLabs, elaborated in an interview on how CasperLabs innovates the existing technology:

The technology promises to scale the blockchain without sacrificing decentralization through proof of stake consensus and open and permission-less access. If Blockchains are centralized, there is not much point to using them; storing provenance of data privately is a solved problem, a database would be more appropriate.

Turning to the panel, Zamfir is expected to be discussing the future of decentralization, revolving around blockchain scalability and the CBC Casper Proof-of-Stake Protocol.

The event is anticipating over 1,000 guests and some of the industrys top developers and exhibitors in the Blockchain and AI sectors. For those unable to attend the conference at RBC WaterPark Place, CasperLabs and Etheriums panel will be live-streamed and can be watched here.

About CasperLabs:

CasperLabs is developing a fully decentralized, scalable, public blockchain designed for mass enterprise, developer, and consumer adoption. The team lead by CasperLabs CEO Medha Parlikar and Lead Casper Developer Michael Birch is developing a new open source blockchain project. The protocol uses CBC-Casper, a Correct by Construction, Proof of Stake consensus protocol that uses bonds and slashing (penalties) to secure the network. CasperLabs is sponsoring research done by top blockchain researcher, Vlad Zamfir, who is the Lead Architect of CBC Casper. Releases of the CasperLabs node software can be found on GitHub at https://github.com/CasperLabs.

Website: https://casperlabs.io/

Telegram: https://t.me/casperlabs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/casperlabs/
Elon Musk says adding two to four Raptor Engines to the Starship will let it go sub-orbital for 6000 miles at mach 20. This would mean trips like San Francisco to Shanghai or New York to Berlin. Many world cities are within 6000 miles of each other.

Boeing extended range 767s can reach 6000 miles and the newer 777 and 787 have longer ranges.

If SpaceX can determines ways to save 30% on Starship point to point efficiency then they could get to 8000-mile ranges. This might be possible by lightening landing gear and heat shields. They could need less heat shields for sub-orbital only vehicles.

Going from two stages to one stage will increase the safety of the Starship. Increasing safety by 1000 times is the major hurdle to transporting passengers.

President and COO Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX could begin offering Earth-to-Earth transport services as early as 2025, if not earlier with Musks proposed Starship-only variant. This would start with non-passenger services.

Add 2 to 4 more Raptors for Starship point to point on Earth. You can go surprisingly far, even with low lift/drag. This was an unexpected result.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 30, 2019

Yeah, *way* better. Dramatically improves cost, complexity & ease of operations. Distances of ~10,000 km with decent payload seem achievable at roughly Mach 20.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 30, 2019

My thoughts exactly! Simply moving from 2-stage to SSTO would make point-to-point so much more viable. Probably means Starship could operate much closer to land, compared to a 31-Raptor booster  Eric Ralph (@13ericralph31) May 30, 2019

SOURCES- Spacex, Elon Musk Twitter, wikipedia

Written By Brian Wang
DANBURY - Adam Lanzas psychiatrist is facing 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenaged female patient.

Paul Fox, 66, who previously had an office in Brookfield, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge William Lavery to one count of second-degree sexual assault under the state statute forbidding psychotherapists from having sex with their patients.

Under the plea agreement the judge said he would impose seven years, suspended after Fox serves 18 months and followed by 10 years of probation when he is sentenced July 10.

Fox would also have to register as a sex offender.

States Attorney Stephen Sedensky confirmed Friday that Fox had pleaded guilty but declined comment.

Fox could not be reached for comment.

Fox had treated Adam Lanza five years before the 20-year-old Newtown man on Dec. 14, 2012, went on a shooting spree in the Sandy Hook Elementary School killing 26 people, including 20 children between six and seven years old, and six adult staff members.

Before driving to the school, he had shot and killed his mother at their Newtown home. As first responders arrived at the school, Lanza committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

State police detectives investigating the Sandy Hook tragedy later interviewed former patients of Fox and uncovered sexual allegations against the psychiatrist, according to court documents.

A then 18-year-old Western Connecticut State University student, identified as Jane Doe in court records, had begun seeing Fox in 2011 for treatment of depression and an eating disorder, authorities said, and at some point, he began having sex with her.

The woman told investigators about the sexual relationship, saying she was drugged up and out of my mind on a cocktail of prescription drugs Fox prescribed, court documents state. The sexual encounters occurred at his Brookfield office and on a sailboat, he kept at Candlewood Lake, documents show.

Fox later surrendered his medical license and moved first to New Zealand and later Maine.

A report issued by the Office of the Child Advocate in November 2014 said that Lanza had Asperger's syndrome and as a teenager suffered from depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, but concluded that they had "neither caused nor led to his murderous acts."

Fox told detectives in a Dec. 17, 2012, telephone interview that he had destroyed any records he had of his treatment of Lanza but recalled last seeing him when Lanza was about 15. He said the teen was very rigid  resistant to engagement and recalled that he had aggression problems, police said.

An assessment by the psychologist at Newtown High School refers to an evaluation Fox did of Lanza in September 2005, according to police reports.

Fox was first licensed to practice in 1988, according to health department records.
GREENWICH  The downpour was no match for the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood-style red carpet on Greenwich Avenue on Thursday evening.

The Greenwich International Film Festival celebrated with its signature Changemaker Award gala at LEscale and kicked it off with a cocktail party at Betteridge Jewelers. The rain pushed all of the poses inside, but it did not ruin the night for everyone who turned out in their red carpet finest.

The Changemaker Award, which honors those who have had a positive impact on the world and on the community, was bestowed upon actress and activist Eva Longoria Baston and Bobby Walker Jr., CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich.

This has always been one of my favorite events and one of the most meaningful events to me personally, festival co-founder Wendy Stapleton said. This highlights our mission by giving a voice and giving recognition to people who have used their platform to create social change.

The gala was a showcase for Walker, whose wife was in the audience for the awards ceremony. He joked that for him, being in the same photos as Baston  and even on the same stage as her  was remarkable.

You dont do your job in order to be recognized, Walker said. You do your job because it benefits someone else.

Stapleton praised Walker as a commanding presence who greets the kids as they run off the bus after school to join him at the Boys & Girls Club.

The Club has partnered with the nonprofit film festival for years, hosting several of the opening night parties with performances by Lauryn Hill and Flo Rida.

Baston, who is best known for her role on Desperate Housewives, was honored for her activism. The Eva Longoria Foundation strives to help Latinas build better futures for themselves and their families through education and entrepreneurship.

Eva is perhaps one of the most philanthropic people that we have honored to date, Stapleton said. If you have a cause, Eva will be there for you. She does everything from environmental causes to childrens charities to womens rights issues. And she does a lot to create content for women and support women in film.

Past honorees of the Changemaker Award include Harry Belafonte, Mia Farrow, Trudi Styler and Renee Zellweger, Last year, the award went to actress Ashley Judd.

Greenwich resident Kathie Lee Gifford served as master of ceremonies for the gala. This years festival holds special significance for her with a screening Thursday of Then Came You. Gifford stars with Craig Ferguson in the romantic comedy, which she also wrote, produced and co-wrote the music.

The film is about a widow planning a trip around the world with her husbands ashes to visit the places they loved in the movies. The audience at Thursdays screening went crazy for it, Gifford said, which only added to her enjoyment of the festival.

This is so much fun and its a little bit of glamour, Gifford said. Were a pretty sleepy community most of the time. People like their privacy here, but a little bit of Hollywood comes and a little glamour shows up and everyone has fun.

Betteridge Jewelers was once again the host for the pre-awards cocktail party, something that owner Terry Betteridge, as a renowned film buff, relishes.

Its like opening a clubhouse for me, Betteridge said. If you need to talk to anyone about film here, youre preaching to a choir. Youre talking about your passion and your hobby here. Its fabulous because I can chase people away sometimes when I start talking about films and here theyre all into it. You realize how important movies can be in a persons life.

Betteridge even pushed off a trip to Las Vegas for a jewelry show so he could be a part of the film festival.

The Changemaker Gala has been one of the biggest parts of the film festival since it launched five years ago. The festival will continue until Sunday with 58 films in competition. The winners will be announced Saturday at the GIFFs Epic Anniversary Party Concert at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester.

The concert will feature a performance by Kesha and actress Connie Nielsen, from Gladiator and Wonder Woman, will give out the awards. A full schedule of the GIFFs films and panels along with ticket information is online at www.greenwichfilm.org.

Gov. Ned Lamont, a Greenwich resident, has declared Friday to be Greenwich International Film Festival Day in Connecticut. Stapleton said that is another sign of how the festival has grown.

Were gaining momentum in the town and the state and in the film community at large, she said.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
EAST HAVEN  The Board of Education this week approved new contracts for the unions representing school nurses and secretaries.

Both contracts previously were ratified by the respective unions.

The three-year secretaries contract is retroactive to the 2017-18 fiscal year, Superintendent of Schools Erica Forti told the Board of Education Tuesday night.

Were trying to get on a more time-efficient schedule with updating contracts so were not always retro, said Board of Education Chairwoman Michele DeLucia.

She said she thought both contracts were fair.

Forti would not release copies of the two approved contracts, which she said were not yet in their final form.

But according to a copy of the contract obtained by the New Haven Register, the secretaries contract with Local 424 - Unit 53 of the United Public Service Employees Union includes 2 percent, retroactive annual salary increases for each of those years, plus 2 percent increases for the 2019-20 year.

The five-year contract with the East Haven School Nurses Union provides 2 percent increases each year, according to a copy of that contract also obtained by the New Haven Register.

In addition, we were successful in negotiating the changeover to the HSA, or health savings accounts, which was a big deal, Forti told the school board.

The contract begins in the coming fiscal year, she said.

The nurses union is Local 1303-124 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 4.

Everybodys moving over to the HSA, said DeLucia. At this point, theres very few people who dont have the HSA.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
From the Moon landing to Woodstock and the Stonewall riots, 1969 was an eventful year.

Billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music," Woodstock attracted more than more than 400,000 people.



The music festival was held at a 600-acre dairy farm near White Lake in Bethel, New York.

Santana, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix were among the 32 performers over the 4-day event in August.

The Stonewall riots in New York City marked the start of the modern gay rights movement.

The riots were a series of LGBTQ demonstrations against a June 28 police raid at the Stonewall Inn.

On July 20, an estimated 500 million people worldwide watched as Neil Armstrong took his historic steps on the Moon.

Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins lifted off four days prior.

Beyond the headlines, 1969 marked a major turning point for American life.

Considered iconic shows now, Sesame Street, Scooby-Doo and The Brady Bunch debuted.

Its a holiday classic now, but on Dec. 7, 1969, Americans were introduced to the animated Frosty the Snowman on CBS.

Long before it would become a staple of every suburban mall, Gap opened its first store in San Francisco.

Before being known worldwide for its square burgers and the Frosty, Wendys opened its first store in Columbus, Ohio.

Americans took another big leap that year with the nations first automated teller machine, or ATM.

Drivers paid a mere 35 cents per gallon, and just 6 cents for a postage stamps.

Revisit 1969 or learn about it for the first time by watching the video above.
NEW HAVEN  City police Friday continued to investigate the slaying of a 28-year-old man who was shot while a child was riding in the car he was driving.

As part of the investigation New Haven Police Department Homicide Unit detectives conducted an informational checkpoint at the intersection of Osborn Avenue and Blake Street and passed out flyers about the homicide, Capt. Anthony Duff said.
SHELTON  City resident Adam Quinn has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was discriminated against because of race while working as a police officer for the city of Bristol.

Quinn is of Hispanic descent, according to the lawsuit. Bristol Police Chief Brian Gould and that city are named as defendants in the case.

Quinn alleges that during his seven years as a Bristol police officer he was treated differently and more harshly than his white counterparts, including through untoward scrutiny; deliberate attempts to find rationale for disciplining him; disparate levels of punishment; and inappropriate internal investigations.

This includes, the suit claims, monitoring and disciplining him for shortcomings in his emergency response time, which is not done for white officers, and punishing him for use of force, which, despite more severe conduct by other officers, has not been implemented against anyone else during his career.

Quinn also alleges that two officers filed a false complaint against him, leading to his arrest and a 30-day suspension from the department, and that he regularly hears racist remarks in the workplace.

Quinn was charged with second-degree breach of peace in January 2016, The Associated Press reported.

Daniel Esposito, his attorney at the time, said the arrest stemmed from another officers grudge, and not from what police described as a workplace threat.

That case did not appear in state online judicial records as of Friday morning, nor did any conviction in the matter.

Formal complaints levied against his supervisors for mistreatment have gone ignored, Quinn alleged.

The defendants have imposed, and (continue) to impose punishment upon and discipline upon the plaintiff in retaliation for his complaints, and because of his Hispanic race and/or heritage, said attorney William S. Palmieri, representing Quinn in the case. The defendants subjected the plaintiff to an ongoing pattern of discrimination, harassment, disparate treatment, hostile work environment and retaliation. The conduct is continuous, persistent and ongoing.

For severe financial harm and loss, severe emotional distress, loss of personal and professional reputation, humiliation, embarrassment, loss of privacy, upset, anxiety, inconvenience, physical harm, loss of property, and loss of employment opportunities, Quinn is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, and other relief deemed just by the court, the suit says.

Goulds office directed a request for comment to Bristol Corporation Counsel Wyland Dale Clift, who did not immediately respond to an inquiry Friday.

He told the Connecticut Law Tribune the city planned to refute the allegations in the case.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
Ready to learn what you dont know about the American flag?

Maybe you already know a lot.

But to really find out, you are invited to a fun hour about the American flag and to test your knowledge at an upcoming event at The Plumb Memorial Library in Shelton.

Organizers for instance, hint at what might be shared, by posing these questions: Who really designed the first flag? When was our flag first flown? Why did we need an American Flag?

Related: How to display the U.S. flag with respect and pride

Related: A 96-year-old WWII veteran's harmonica rendition of the national anthem makes him a viral star

The Plumb Memorial Library, 65 Wooster St., Shelton and the Sarah Riggs Humphreys-Mary Silliman Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will hold the celebration of Flag Day on Saturday, June 22 at 11 a.m. (in the newly renovated Plumb Meeting Room.), according to a release.

The public is invited and those who bring tattered flags can be assured they will be disposed of properly, the release noted.

Join us for a fact filled hour about our Flag and discover our local history through the lives of the American Patriots memorialized at the Huntington Burial Ground and where they served during the American Revolution, the release promised.

Related: Flag Day celebrates adoption of first national flag

Registration for the library event is required and can be done by calling the Plumb Memorial Library at 203-924-1580 or at sheltonlibrarysystem.org
MERIDEN - Sujitno Sajuti and his wife, Dahlia, will have been in sanctuary at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Meriden for 600 days on Saturday.

The Indonesian couple, who have resided in America for more than 40 years, will be free to return to their West Hartford home on Friday after the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a favorable pre-determination on a request for a U visa for Sajuti, according to immigrant advocates.

The U visa is a U.S. nonimmigrant visa set aside for victims of crimes (and their immediate family members) who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse while in the U.S. and who are willing to assist law enforcement and government officials in the investigation, according to one definition.

Alok Bhatt, a member of the Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance, said Sajutis lawyers in early 2018, applied for the U visa for him because he was the victim of a violent crime, a claim that was confirmed after a police investigation.

Because of the favorable pre-determination, Immigration and Customs Enforcement no longer has jurisdiction over Sajuti.

Sajuti, 69, will go to the ICE offices Friday, accompanied by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, to have his ankle bracelet removed before returning home.

He has been in the U.S. off and on since 1981, earning several advanced degrees.

His student visa expired in 1996. He remained here after not being able to complete a doctoral program for bureaucratic reasons, according to a story in the Huffington Post.

The feature on the couple said he would have been ostraicized back in Indonesia.

In many Asian cultures like in Indonesia, failure is perhaps one of the worst of the sins one an commitfar worse than rape or even murder, the Huffington Post reported.

Sajuti has been recognized in West Hartford for his volunteer teaching, as well as his advocacy for human rights.

mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577

.
An Atlantic City man who shot his ex-girlfriend to death in 2016 was sentenced to 50 years in prison this week.

Joseph McCoy, 45, was convicted of murder and weapons offenses last month in the December 2016 shooting death of Jacqueline Hoyle, 23, in the North Tennessee Avenue apartment they shared.

After the shooting, which was described by prosecutors as an act of jealousy, McCoy fled to North Carolina.

McCoy was arrested after an officer found him sleeping in a homeless center in Charlotte and he was extradited to New Jersey to face charges.

In addition to 50 years for the murder charge, he was sentenced to concurrent terms for charges of unlawful possession of a handgun and certain persons not to possess a handgun

The fairness of our justice system will permit this killer to live, albeit in prison, for the next 50 years," Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said in a statement. "He didnt give Jacqueline Hoyle that same chance when he cut her life short.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
A Philadelphia man has been charged with murdering his younger brother at Harrahs Hotel and Casino, authorities said.

Around 3 p.m. Tuesday, hotel security was called for a medical emergency in a room at the hotel where they found 32-year-old Joseph Villante, also of Philadelphia. He was taken to AtlanticCare Regional Medical Center and pronounced dead, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office.

An autopsy has revealed that Joseph Villante died after sustaining several injuries, including blunt force to his head, authorities said.

His brother, 38-year-old John A. Villante, was arrested Thursday in Philadelphia, and is being held in the city prison system pending extradition to New Jersey.

NJ Advance Media reported Thursday authorities had been called to the hotel to investigate a suspicious death.

A possible motive for the slaying has not yet been released.

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.
A final vote on a controversial members-only pool club along Asbury Parks northern waterfront was delayed Wednesday night, when the public had so many concerns and questions that time ran out before a 10 p.m. curfew ended the 4-hour public hearing by the city planning board.

The 6 p.m. hearing, which was limited to four hours, will be resumed on June 24.

The board will vote on final site plan approval for the private club, which representatives of its developer, iStar, said will include a 30-by-100 foot pool, cabanas, a deck with a view of the ocean, restrooms, and other features within a walled enclosure on the beach side of Ocean Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets.

The developers main witness for the hearing, architect Gary Handel, was asked questions ranging from what kinds of jobs would be created by the club, which he deferred to operations personnel, to whether the club was designed to resist a storm surge or unusually rough surf, as in the case of Hurricane Sandy, to which he responded it had been.

Our goal is to design a very safe structure with full knowledge of what has happened here in the past, Handel said. Wave action can actually flow under the building.

Handel, whose firm designed the National 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site, also said that transparent walls would not be considered for the clubs perimeter, and defended its ivy-covered, windowless facade, which would run 218 feet along Ocean Avenue, as aesthetically pleasing.

The pool club is an original element of a waterfront redevelopment plan adopted by the city council in 2002, among proposed amenities intended to bring back residential and commercial development to the Monmouth County resort town, which was founded in the 19th Century and had a lengthy heyday followed by a decline during the 20th Century. It has experience a revival over the past two decades. The plan calls for a public pool.

iStars pool club concept has been deemed consistent with the redevelopment plan by the citys technical review committee and the City Council, and the project has been issued a waterfront development permit by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

So, the site plan review now before the planning board is essentially the last hurdle the pool club has to clear before its estimated 18-month construction period can begin  unless, that is, an appeal is filed.

An appeal one way or another appears distinctly possible, after the opponents have vowed an appeal if the project is approved, while iStar has said it would defend its rights to develop Asburys waterfront in accord with the redevelopment plan.

Environmentalists, waterfront access advocates, potential neighbors of the club with ocean views at stake, and members of the citys African-American community sensitive to Asburys history of segregation have opposed the project, arguing it is out of character with the citys progressive, egalitarian spirit.

Led by a coalition known as Save Asburys Waterfront, of SAW, opponents insist the 2002 redevelopment plan that permits project is out-of-date in light of the waterfronts development boom in recent years, which they say has rendered amenities like the pool club  desirable to those who can afford it, but exclusionary to others  are no longer necessary to attract visitors, homebuyers, developers or other investors.

SAW has retained a veteran land use lawyer, Stuart Lieberman of Princeton, to wage its legal battle.

Obviously, our group vigorously opposes this project. Its just not Asbury, Lieberman said in a phone interview on Thursday. Many, many years ago, when the DEP permit was issued, nobody knew what Asbury was going to be. But Asbury has grown, it has matured. And it has developed a personality that is not consistent at all with this particular thing.

And by the way, theres no parking, Lieberman added.

It was not just a gripe, Lieberman said, but just one example of potential grounds for an appeal.

Under land use law, board decisions are appealable if they are arbitrary, capricious or illegal, Lieberman said. Approval of a 400-member club without parking sounds very arbitrary.

iStar maintains that additional parking is not required for the club under the redevelopment plan, and that members will be able to use on-street parking or nearby lots.

iStar has been responsible for much of the revival Asbury Parks waterfront has undergone over the past decade, having developed more than $200 million in high-visibility projects, including an adaptive reuse of a former Salvation Army residence into The Asbury Hotel, a major overhaul and reopening of the Asbury Lanes concert venue and bowling ally, and construction of the Asbury Ocean Club, a gleaming 17-story tower on Ocean Avenue that includes multi-million-dollar condominiums and a boutique hotel.

Asked to comment on the level of concern expressed by the public during Wednesday nights meeting, iStar released a statement on Thursday by its senior vice president, land & development, Brian Cheripka.

We appreciate the ongoing public discussion that has taken place over the past six months and thank the community for taking the time to come out to share their views, stated Cheripka, who thanked board members for their patience during the meeting.

This is an ongoing process, and we are listening to the comments and concerns being expressed, Cheripka added. We remain confident that when completed, the club will become another asset for the city, and continue to help drive economic activity across the community. We look forward to the next meeting and to finishing the approval process.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. 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.
If you had to pick a word to describe the latest New Jersey SAT scores, you cant go wrong with predictable."

The average score among 2018 high school seniors in New Jersey was 542 in reading and 543 math, for total of 1,085 out of 1,600, according to state data.

Thats nearly 20 points above the national average, though plenty of schools posted results far above or far below that number.

Statewide, scores at individual schools followed an long-standing pattern: magnet schools or academies with selective enrollment achieved the states best results, while scores at traditional high schools strongly correlated to demographics.

Students are most likely to score well if they have parents who attended college and a high family income, according to College Board data.

Use the tool below to find the average SAT scores for 2018 high school seniors at each of New Jerseys public high schools.

NOTE: The state does not publish results for schools with fewer than 10 students participating in the exam.

Loading...

Carla Astudillo may be reached at castudillo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @carla_astudi. Find her on Facebook.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Thanks to some of his celebrity chef buddies, Anthony Bourdain is getting his own special day.

Chef Eric Ripert tweeted a video Thursday in which he and fellow chef and restaurateur Jose Andres call for a Bourdain Day in June.

Bourdain, who grew up in Leonia, was 61 when he died by suicide last year on June 8 while filming his CNN series Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown in France.

But Andres and Ripert didnt want Bourdain Day to be that day. Instead, they chose Bourdains birthday, June 25, for the occasion.

IMPORTANT! JUNE 25th #BOURDAINDAY Celebrating the Life, Legacy & Birthday of our Dear Friend Anthony! Wherever U are & whoever UR with, join @chefjoseandres I & share your tributes & memories using #BourdainDay & wish Anthony Peace & Happy Birthday! RT/Spread the word! CHEERS!  pic.twitter.com/Sw28hDupfw  Eric Ripert (@ericripert) May 30, 2019

June is a very important month, said Ripert, who co-owns New York restaurant Le Bernardin, in the video. On June 25, we all are going to celebrate the birthday of our dear friend and beloved Anthony Bourdain.

Bourdain would have turned 63 this year.

In the video, Andres and Ripert went on to say that people could remember Bourdain on Tuesday, June 25 by raising a glass to the Emmy-winning food traveler and using the hashtag #BourdainDay on social media to post their memories and tributes. The chefs proceeded to pour beverages into their mouths in his memory (or try to) from decanters with very narrow spouts.

On Twitter, Bourdain fans got the party started early.

A misanthropic grump with a shimmering, genuine soul. I continue to learn from your insights about food, the world, and its people. I miss you, dude. #BourdainDay pic.twitter.com/3mOB7r9ZfN   Betazoid Bop  (@AmarenaNuggets) May 30, 2019

I love how capable Bourdain was of showing how people connect over food and how in the end, no matter the special customs a culture may have, we all value our loved ones and communities. No Reservations and Parts Unknown were some of the best programs to bless tv. #BOURDAINDAY    (@lamisasyed12) May 30, 2019

A 12th and final season of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown aired on CNN this past fall.

CNN is also producing a documentary about Bourdain that will come to theaters before airing on the network.

New Jersey is creating an Anthony Bourdain Food Trail that traces the path Bourdain took in a 2015 episode of Parts Unknown that focused on the state.

Locations on the trail will include Donkeys Place in Camden, which Bourdain said had one of the best Philly cheesesteaks around and Hirams Roadstand in Fort Lee, a longtime favorite of his that he had also visited in a New Jersey episode of his Travel Channel series No Reservations in 2005. Reflecting in his writerly way about the fried hot dogs at Hirams, Bourdain said: Man does not live by foie gras alone. Its a noble thing to make a damn good hot dog.

The trail will also make stops at Franks Deli in Asbury Park, where Bourdain had a meal with Southside Johnny himself, and Docks Oyster House in Atlantic City, where Bourdain talked about the city with former NJ Advance Media reporter Brian Donohue. Theres also a spot on the trail reserved for Kubels in Barnegat Light, where Bourdain reminisced with his brother, Christopher, about summers down the Shore over chowder and a plate of clams (see clip below).

Bourdain is also nominated for the 2018 class of the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

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.
Its a day we all knew was coming (at least for the past few weeks or so), but that doesnt mean it stings any less for a lot of people who will wake up tomorrow grappling with a huge loss.

Legendary New York hit radio station WPLJ 95.5 will air its last programming today, signing off at 7 p.m. The Cumulus Media-owned station was bought by Christian broadcaster Educational Media Foundation earlier this year, so the writing has been on the wall for awhile now. But some folks are still not taking the news well.

The tributes have been pouring in.

#wplj this has been my preset no 1 for 30 years. So sad that May 31st is their last day. Been a great ride for the 40 years I have been listening. @jaydedonovan @AnnieOntheRadio @RaceTaylor @toddandjayde @ScottShannonDJ pic.twitter.com/ql5PCs73Fu  Colleen Mastrangelo (@macky404) May 29, 2019

R.I.P. WPLJ. To quote a song we heard ten million times on your station,

"Since you've abandoned me

My whole life has crashed

Won't you pick the pieces up

'Cause it feels just like I'm walking on broken glass"https://t.co/ApPXeO4YEf pic.twitter.com/vcssDUF34h  Throwback Podcast (@throwbackpod) May 30, 2019

Literally have tears listening to @train #DOJ on @955PLJ because it may be the last time. thank you @RaceTaylor for this and everything! And @bjm1377 called me to make sure I was listening too!  Tara (@taramuller13) May 29, 2019

Thursday, the station aired reunions with some of its most beloved and well-known DJs and hosts. Many of them took to social media to post their own tributes and to say goodbye to listeners.

Getting to call weeknights on 95.5 PLJ home for 6+ years was a privilege; to be a part of the last night show with @DJMikeAllan @JoeyKramerNYC (& an assist from @dankellyvo) was an honor. pic.twitter.com/h2RH85TM8U  Ralphie Aversa (@ralphieaversa) May 31, 2019

Last day   Jayde Donovan (@jaydedonovan) May 31, 2019

Mood knowing tomorrow will be my last show ever on @955plj! Thnks Fr Th Mmrs. pic.twitter.com/bfyuPaCopt  Melony Torres (@MelonyTorres) May 30, 2019

Over the last 48 years, many listeners have remained loyal, even with several programming and creative changes along the way. Chances are, its still your No. 1 radio preset in the car.

The station started on Valentines Day in 1971 (and people have being showing it love ever since), playing album-oriented rock music. In the 1980s, it became a Top 40 hits station. The 1990s saw the station adopt a hot adult contemporary format, seeking to evolve with the ebbing and flowing of time.

WPLJ. Sunrise: February 14, 1971. Sunset: May 31, 2019.

Tennyson Donnie Coleman may be reached at tcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @TennysonTV. Find him on Facebook. Have a tip? Let us know at nj.com/tips.
When New Jerseys minimum wage climbs from $8.85 to $10 an hour on July 1, many day care workers will be among the 1 million people who will get a raise.

One of the consequences of that law may jeopardize the 3,000 child care centers that provide reduced-fee service to about 58,000 children of low-income parents. The minimum wage increase will cost the day care centers which participate in We Grow NJ subsidy program $19 million, and they say they cant afford that on their own.

In a rare display of adorable activism outside the Statehouse in Trenton Thursday, some 200 parents and grandparents pushed their children in carriages down West State Street to call attention to the problem. Strolling Thunder delivered a dire message: help us or we could lose our child care.

Organized by the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New Jersey, the crowd touted a petition with more than 1,100 signatures asking Gov. Phil Murphy, Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, (D-Middlesex) to include the $19 million in the state budget they approve in June.

The additional compensation due to the minimum wage increase will be a tremendous lift for child care workers, but the reality is that providers will be unable to pay them without more state support, Cecilia Zalkind said, the president and CEO for Advocates for Children. Higher wages for child care workers must come with higher state investment.

The program requires parents make co-pays depending upon the familys income, at a maximum of $60 a week. But even that amount can be a hardship for some families, Heidi Zaentz, director of the Monmouth Day Care Center in Red Bank.

Parents come begging, (saying) Can I pay you in two weeks when I get paid? she said.

Many child care providers like me, who serve low-income working families, rely on state subsidy payments for the majority of their children (an) amount has never been enough to meet the true cost of providing quality care," Zaentz said. "This means that we are already operating on thin margins and will be left to make impossible choices if we need to raise wages without an increase in the subsidy payment.

Mahasin Parker of Camden said if she had to pay more for child care, I would have to find a second job, which would take time from her 2-year-old son.

Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, said in a statement he would sponsor legislation adding the $19 million to the state budget.

Making sure that those dollars are included in the proposed state budget so that parents can work and child care centers can remain open must be a state priority, Vitale said.

The governors budget anticipates spending an additional $15 million on subsidized child care, according to state Human Services spokesman Tom Hester. The funding will improve the child care subsidy program payment rates, create new incentives to expand infant care, and prioritize quality care and services, according to the budget document.

Zalkind said after numerous conversations with administrative officials, she said she does not think the money was intended to go for higher salaries under the minimum wage.

The demand for greater support will grow as the minimum wage increases to $15 an hour by 2024, Zalkind noted.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
HOBOKEN  A 43-year-old city man pleaded admitted his role in a cash-for-votes scheme, becoming the third person to plead guilty in the federal investigation.

Dio Braxton on Thursday pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court. He was charged with conspiring with developer Frank Pupie Raia and others to use mail-in ballots to promote a voter bribery scheme during the 2013 municipal election.

According to court documents, Braxton and others, at the direction of Raia, paid Hoboken voters $50 each in order to apply for and cast a mail-in-ballot in support of Rais city council campaign  as well as a referendum that would have weakened rent-control laws.

He and the referendum lost.

Braxton, who could not immediately be reached for comment, faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10, 2019.

He is just the latest in a expanding federal probe into the citys cash-for-votes scheme. Earlier this month, 28-year-old Matt Calicchio pleaded guilty to using mail to promote voter bribery in the 2013 and 2015 city elections.

The first woman arrested as part of the probe, Lizaida Camis, pleaded guilty in November, less than two months after she was charged.

Calicchio said that Raia directed him in 2013 to promise residents $50 for their votes  and also admitted doing the same in 2015 for an unnamed candidate for Hoboken City Council.

Prosecutors allege the 2013 operation was overseen by Raia, who has pleaded not guilty. His trial is set to being on June 11.

A previous version of this story said Dio Braxton was the sixth person implicated in the scheme. It should have said fifth.

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @cwmcdonald_. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
The 1,383 members of the Class of 2019 made history last night as the largest graduating class to date for Hudson County Community College.

The graduates, in green gowns, celebrated their achievements in a commencement ceremony at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. It was the 42nd commencement in the schools 45-year history.

Gov. Phil Murphy, whose administration launched the Community College Opportunity Grant program in January, gave the keynote address. Through the program, more than 740 HCCC students received awards this year totaling nearly $800,000.

Jersey City resident Deborah Acevedo delivered the valedictory speech. Graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 grade-point average, Acevedo will move on to attend New Jersey City University on a full scholarship.

The schools 2019 Heritage Award was presented to WomenRising, a Jersey City-based organization that helps women and families overcome a variety of challenges and aids them on the path to success. Hudson County Community College collaborates with the nonprofit organization in the Community Partnerships in Hotel Employment program, which provides job training and placement in the hospitality industry.

Roseann Mazzeo, WomenRisings executive director, accepted the award.

In addressing the graduates, HCCC President Dr. Chris Reber commended them on a host of attributes.

Our society needs professionals like you, who possess skills for leadership and accomplishment,'' he said, "a dedication to service; caring for others; a genuine concern for the environment and for sustainable living; and an understanding of the importance of embracing collaboration and diversity, across and within communities.

Jersey Journal Photo Editor Reena Rose Sibayan captured the celebratory mood -- and a lot of dance moves -- in the gallery above.
Parking lots at select Jersey City schools will be open to the public during overnight hours and on weekends under a new proposal that aims alleviate parking woes in New Jerseys second largest city.

A pilot program up for final approval at the Board of Educations meeting Friday would allow residents and visitors to use more than two dozen parking spaces at School 24 on Virginia Avenue and School 28 on Hancock Avenue at certain times.

The majority of the revenues generated at the two parking lots will go to the school district, which is currently facing a budget gap and state funding cuts. The city would provide signage, repairs, and other upkeep.

It is our hope to expand the pilot program and open more school lots in the near future, as this not only helps those who drive in our City, but it will also be an additional revenue source for the school district, Mayor Steve Fulop said in a statement.

The lots will be available Monday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and on weekends from 6 p.m. Friday through 6 a.m. Monday. Drivers can utilize the ParkMobile app to pay for their parking at the two public school lots.

"This is a unique opportunity we have explored and are now implementing to enable us to provide more convenience to our residents and visitors, Councilwoman Prinz-Arey said.

Jersey City Board of Education President Sudhan Thomas said he hopes the pilot program will will eventually expand to every school in the district.

This is a unique approach to a significant problem that will help the citizens of Jersey City. The pilot program brings new revenues to the schools by optimizing our assets."
DaWayne Brashear, son of famed Navy master diver Carl Brashear, will speak at the Bayonne Public Library on June 4.

DaWayne Brashears presentation is one of a series of special events taking place in 2019 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Bayonne.

Carl Brashear was the first African-American to graduate from the U.S. Navys Diving and Salvage School in Bayonne in 1954 and the first black diver in the U.S. Navy. The diving school was located at Bayonnes Naval Supply Depot, today known as the Military Ocean Terminal. A new street at the former base will be named after Carl Brashear.

DaWayne Brashear has spoken at numerous events across the country, telling stories that provide a behind-the-scenes look into the life of his father. He provided a recorded oral history of his father to the Smithsonians National African American Museum of History and Culture. The Brashear family has also provided several artifacts belonging to Carl Brashear for permanent display at the museum.

Carl Brashear, who rose to the rank master chief petty officer, served the Navy in the United States, Guam, and Europe. He lost his left leg below the knee during a highly classified recovery mission off the coast of Spain in 1966. He was soon recertified as a Navy diver and continued his service before retiring in 1979. He then worked as a civilian federal government employee until 1993.

Carl Brashears life became the subject of the 2000 film Men of Honor, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Robert DeNiro. After his death in 2006, the Carl Brashear Foundation was established.

Tuesdays event is free and open to the public. The Bayonne Public Library is located at 697 Ave. C. It will take place on the second floor gallery at 6:30 p.m.
You could use it to order a meal, check into a hotel or inquire about lost luggage, but its really not that kind of language. American Sign Language is for everyday communication with the deaf.

Delaware Valley is the only high school in Hunterdon County to offer ASL, even though it is recognized by the state as fulfilling world-language requirements.

Last year students were polled about languages theyd like to learn, and the runaway favorite was ASL. The school board was supportive of the initiative, said Superintendent Daria Wasserbach, especially so since it was student-driven.

She knew it would be a hard position to fill, and we are so fortunate to have secured our outstanding ASL teacher, Ms. Trunk.

The new teachers interest in ASL goes back to her high school days in Allentown, Pa. It began with a desire to communicate with deaf twin schoolmates who became my friends when I started to learn ASL. I had multiple classes with them and, when working in groups, I was one of the only students that tried to communicate with them. I started out slowly by just learning the ABCs and by the end of my sophomore year, I was able to hold a conversation with them, she recalls.

ASL became a huge part of my life when I started to involve myself in the Deaf community and learn about their culture. It often bothered me that deaf people face many communication barriers, so I felt it was my calling to break those barriers so they can live like any other hearing person.

She went on to earn a bachelors degree at Bloomsburg University in ASL/English Interpreting. When Trunk is not teaching at Del Val, she is interpreting for medical practitioners and their deaf patients and college professors and their deaf students. She is pursuing a masters degree in Deaf Education.

Trunk explains that Deaf is capitalized when it refers to more than a medical condition. It describes a person who associates with the Deaf community, uses ASL, and is proudly Deaf.

Some students, like senior Julianna Hinrichsen and freshman Nicole Hudak, signed up for ASL because they were intrigued. It sounded more interesting than a typical spoken language, said Julianna, and it is, very much.

Sophomore Jon Bach hadnt clicked with Spanish in grade school or with German his freshman year. He thought sign language sounded easy. And it is  for him. I learn by doing things, not just by reading a book or watching or listening to somebody do something. He recommends it for other hands-on learners like himself.

The signing is made more meaningful with context. Jon learned that there is an entire community for the Deaf, and they live in very different world than the hearing community.

Nicole said, We learn about Deaf culture and history, and it helps us understand the language and community better. She was struck by the prejudice and struggles the Deaf community had to face. For a long period of time, Deaf people were not allowed to use sign language and were forced to speak. It surprised her that sign language wasnt even fully acknowledged as a real language until 1960.

Some of the students have only been able to practice sign language on each other or by teaching it to family members, but Jon saw a likely person working in a store, and I ended up introducing myself to her using sign, which was pretty cool.

He is a volunteer ski patroller at Shawnee Mountain, and knowing ASL could be a great thing to know if I responded to an accident with a deaf individual who was hurt. I would be able to communicate with them and tell them what is going on.

Next fall Trunk will be working at Del Val full-time. Besides the current three sections of ASL I, shell be adding two sections of ASL II.
EDITORS NOTE: The billion-dollar medical marijuana, hemp and legal weed industries offer an economic opportunity unrivaled in modern N.J. history. NJ Cannabis Insider features exclusive, premium content for those interested in getting in on the ground floor or expanding their operation. View a sample issue.

As Phil Murphy swept the governors race in 2017 on a promise to legalize marijuana and clear pot convictions, New Jersey was arresting tens of thousands of people for marijuana offenses.

Police in the state arrested 34,501 people for marijuana possession and 3,122 people for pot sales in 2017, according to recently released FBI data. Thats 2,500 more arrests for weed than in 2016. Texas and New York were the only states who arrested more people for marijuana possession than New Jersey in 2017.

The arrest rate increased as well. About 38 in every 10,000 residents were arrested for pot possession in 2017, compared with 35 per 10,000 in 2016. That rate is more than double the national average, according to analysis done by NJ Advance Media. Only Wyoming and South Dakota had a higher marijuana arrest rate than New Jersey.

The arrest numbers were released at a time when New Jersey state lawmakers are having serious discussions about marijuana reform. Legislators, having dropped legalization for the time being, will soon vote to allow people to wipe away their old marijuana convictions. Two bills that would decriminalize marijuana possession are also floating around Trenton.

But even though it looks like lawmakers will allow people to clear their old marijuana convictions, there figure to be plenty of new pot convictions to replace them.

We are living in a time when the frequency of marijuana arrests and the number of marijuana arrests are going up annually, said Amol Sinha, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey. It doesnt seem feasible that we can expunge all the records were creating.

Theres also still a big disparity in who police arrest for marijuana. Black residents comprised 13 percent of the New Jersey population but 39 percent of pot arrests in 2017. That discrepancy is nothing new.

The ACLU of New Jersey published a report in 2017 that found black New Jerseyans were more than three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than white people in the state, despite similar usage rates.

These were some of the biggest reasons that Murphy, the states Democratic governor, cited for his interest in legalizing marijuana.

Gov. Murphy has repeatedly said that he believes legalization of adult-use marijuana is critical to eliminating disparities in the criminal justice system, said Alyana Alfaro, Murphys press secretary. Each week that marijuana remains illegal, approximately 600 people in New Jersey will be arrested for low-level drug crimes, with the majority of those being people of color.

But with legalization no longer being considered in the Legislature, it remains unclear how the state can reduce these low-level marijuana arrests.

Both Murphy and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, have said they dont favor decriminalization, which would stop police from arresting people who have small amounts of marijuana. There are decriminalization bills in both the Assembly and the Senate, but neither bill has gained much momentum.

State Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, is the main sponsor of the decriminalization bill in his chamber, and he has said multiple times that the unwillingness of the governor and the Senate president to consider his bill shows him that they care more about making money off marijuana than keeping people from getting arrested.

For their part, both Murphy and Sweeney have said they dont favor decriminalization because they feel it legitimizes the illegal market.

The attorney general has already issued guidance directing prosecutors to use discretion in these cases," said Alfaro, Murphys spokeswoman. "While this is an important step, Gov. Murphy believes that legalization must be the ultimate end goal in order to prevent continued injustices. Up to and until legalization, this business will remain in the shadows without the regulation needed to ensure public safety.

But, as it stands now, marijuana arrests continue in the state unabated, even as lawmakers are set to vote on a plan that would let people clear their marijuana convictions.

The Legislature is set to take up a bill on expungements in June.

That plan would allow people with marijuana convictions to immediately apply to have those records cleared, among other broader changes to the states problematic expungement system. But the state is arresting more than 30,000 people each year for marijuana possession and it only clears about 10,000 convictions every year.

That math troubles Sinha, the ACLU of NJ director.

Were in a situation where it feels like one step forward and two steps back, he said. Were agreeing that expungements are necessary, but were still arresting people for marijuana crimes.

Its a vicious cycle.

Erin Petenko may be reached at epetenko@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @EPetenko. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Payton Guion may be reached at PGuion@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PaytonGuion.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

May 31, 2019: The rising adoption of AI and cloud-based services in railways is a major factor contributing to market growth. It assists the rail operators for the remote monitoring of the system, predicting failures before they occur. In the context of China-US trade war and global economic volatility and uncertainty, it will have a big influence on this market. Train Traffic Control System Report by Material, Application, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023 is a professional and comprehensive research report on the world's major regional market conditions, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific) and the main countries (United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China).

Download sample Copy of This Report at: https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-train-traffic-control-system-market-research-report-2019-2023/request-sample

In this report, the global Train Traffic Control System market is valued at USD XX million in 2019 and is projected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of XX% during the period 2019 to 2023.

The report firstly introduced the Train Traffic Control System basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.

View Full Report with TOC @ https://www.radiantinsights.com/research/global-train-traffic-control-system-market-research-report-2019-2023

The major players profiled in this report include:

Toshiba

IBM

Cisco

Bombardier

GAP RFID

DXC Technology

indra

4Tel

Siemens

Thales

Fima

The end users/applications and product categories analysis:

On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue (Million USD), product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into-

Hardware

Software

On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Train Traffic Control System for each application, including-

National Railway Network

International Railway Network

Application C

About Radiant Insights

Radiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions.

For More Information, Visit Radiant Insights

Contact:

Michelle Thoras

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Radiant Insights, Inc

Phone: 1-415-349-0054

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@radiantinsights.com

Blog URL: http://electronicsmarketweb.wordpress.com
It was supposed to be a community forum on police use of force, but the focus at a Thursday gathering in Trenton shifted to gun violence in the aftermath of two shooting sprees over the Memorial Day long weekend.

City leaders, joined by county and state officials, pledged a heavy law enforcement presence this summer. They spoke with a group of residents who pleaded for more patrols and who said police had lost the trust of young residents in many corners of the city.

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal had convened the listening session as his office overhauls the monitoring of police practices following an NJ Advance Media investigation that found racial disparities and lax oversight of police use of force across the state.

But while some residents called for wider use of body-worn cameras and an increase in community policing efforts, much of the meeting was consumed with persistent gun violence that reached an inflection point last week.

The attorney general had earlier announced a state and federal effort to stem violence in New Jerseys capital city by rooting out violent offenders.

Its no surprise to us whos committing these acts of violence," said Grewal, adding that local, state and federal authorities will be meeting to prioritize arresting suspects linked to gun violence in the city.

We know who the actors are. What we need to do is come together around the same table and pool our intelligence.

The pledge followed a pair of shooting sprees that left 15 people injured and took the life of an 18-year-old city man, Unique Anderson.

On Saturday, local authorities said two gunmen fired a barrage bullets during a drive-by shooting that left about 10 people wounded. On Monday, another shooting injured several and took the life of

Mayor Reed Gusciora said the city was exhausting police overtime (and) were stepping up patrols, but we realize that we have a shortage of police manpower.

"There will be an increase of not only our patrols, but there will be an increased presence of county and state law enforcement, and were grateful for that, he said.

The citys acting police director, Sheilah Coley, said police believe the rash of violence began with one homicide and then there was one group retaliating against another group, but cautioned investigators dont have a definitive motive.

Residents told the officials that law-abiding neighbors had seen their cars riddled with bullets simply because they sat in the path of a drive-by shooting. They called for enforcement of a curfew for juveniles. And they said the police department needs to do more to build relationships with the citys youth.

A lot of people want to come out to these forums and speak, said Lee Ingram, a local minister and activist who wore a yellow shirt emblazoned with the name of his organization, Fathers and Men United for a Better Trenton. But theyre to the point where they dont  its a trust issue.

Ingram recalled the scene of another shooting earlier this year, where young city residents gathered in the aftermath.

The young men and ladies were out there crying that theyve been left behind so much and lied to so much, they dont believe nobody, he said. They dont believe politicians, they dont believe presidents, they dont believe nobody because theyve been lied to so much  We need to work on building that trust back and get more people thats out there with them involved.

The mayor and other officials promised other resources to compliment the increased police presence, from funding to demolish abandoned buildings that have become hotspots of drug and gun activity to the use of forfeiture funds to reinstate or grow community initiatives like the citys police explorer youth programs.

We dont want this to be a hot, heated summer, Gusciora said. We want this to be an enjoyable capital city where visitors can come here, state workers can come here and residents can feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
A Sayreville man will head to state prison for five years after authorities arrested him over sexually explicit conversations with a purported 14-year-old boy.

That boy, who Craig Dimonda, 38, talked to on social media and then in text messages for about three months, was actually an undercover State Police detective looking for child predators.

Dimonda was arrested in August last year after he tried to arrange for the boy to meet him at a convenience store in the borough. When Dimonda arrived at the store, detectives arrested him.

He pleaded guilty in March to second-degree charges of luring and attempted distribution of child pornography, the state attorney generals office said. Authorities had alleged Dimonda asked the boy to send sexually explicit pictures of himself.

Judge Benjamin S. Bucca Jr. sentenced Dimonda on Friday in Middlesex County Superior Court. Dimonda will be required to register as a sex offender under Megans Law and will face parole supervision for life upon release.

This prison sentence sends a strong message that we will aggressively prosecute digital-age sexual predators like Dimonda who use social media to search for underage victims, Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a news statement.

This case underscores the reality that when children go online, they have direct and immediate access to complete strangers, which often places unsuspecting children at tremendous risk, added State Police Col. Patrick Callahan. Most of us have an image of sexual predators lurking around playgrounds or in dark alleys seeking out their potential victims, but the reality is that children who meet and chat with strangers online are easy prey for internet predators who have ready and anonymous access to children online, where such predators roam without limits."

In the past year, undercover online investigators have arrested 40 alleged child predators, Grewal added in the statement.

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.
UPDATE: N.J. man purposely ran over and killed 5 geese with his car, cops say

A graphic photo of a group of geese that were run over in a Toms River parking made its way across social media Wednesday and now the Toms River Police are investigating the incident to see if it was done intentionally.

The deed occurred in the parking lot of the Indian Head Shopping Center on Route 9 on Wednesday morning and the photo, which was shared by the Facebook page Ocean County Scanner News, shows a mother goose and three chicks lying dead on the pavement.

The photo outraged commenters who immediately called for an investigation and on Thursday, the Toms River Police said they were looking into it along with the Ocean County Prosecutors Office and New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Police said on Facebook that they were called to the scene and spoke with witnesses and shop owners and that the investigation was ongoing.

Anyone who witnesses the incident or had photos or videos of the alleged act were told to contact the department at 732-349-0150 ext. 1368.

The incident comes one week after police were looking into a claim in neighboring Lakewood that a group of boys harassed and attacked geese near a retention pond.

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.
Smoke from raging wildfires in Canada was expected to reach New Jersey on Friday, bringing with it the chance for a super vivid sunset.

A forecast map from the National Weather Services Buffalo, New York, office showed smoke from the fires in Canadas Alberta province passing over Pennsylvania and into portions of New Jersey through 6 p.m.

I would not expect anybody to be able to sense it at the ground. But itll dull the skies (not as crisp a blue) and probably make the sunset more colorful (redder and oranger), Jon Nese, associate head of the undergraduate program in meteorology at Penn State University, said in an email.

It's a little smokey out there this morning. (It's foggy in a few places too.) Here's a forecast of the smoke movement through 6PM today. pic.twitter.com/eaCrusv3Gy  NWS Buffalo (@NWSBUFFALO) May 31, 2019

There were no major air quality alerts for the region, according to AirNow, a federal government website.

If you notice the sky looks hazy today, here's your reason why: smoke from wildfires across northern Canada has once again been transported down into the upper Midwest. Should make for a nice sunrise/sunset!#mnwx #wiwx pic.twitter.com/Gcb22P3rYF  NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) May 30, 2019

The fires brought hazy skies to Chicago Friday, among other cities, the Chicago Tribune reported. Officials said air quality reached unhealthy levels in areas of Montana.

The Chuckegg Creek wildfire in the High Level Forest Area experienced extreme fire behaviour yesterday with significant growth to the south towards Paddle Prairie, across Highway 35 by Highway 697 and spotted across the Peace River.



Latest information at: https://t.co/Su9d1ehf9a pic.twitter.com/zsH9mXG8JP  Alberta Wildfire (@AlbertaWildfire) May 30, 2019

Nese said there was no doubt the smoke spotted over Pennsylvania also extended to New Jersey through the afternoon.

The clouds are thicker and thus brighter and puffier in most cases. The smoke isnt everywhere, its mostly over northern [New Jersey], he said in e-mail.

Hazy look to sky across northern PA this morning result of smoke from Canadian wildfires. Could lead to some colorful sunsets this evening. #PAwx pic.twitter.com/iLXzom41XY  Jon Nese (@jmnese) May 31, 2019

About 10,000 people were forced to flee their homes by more than two dozen fires burning in Canada, scorching some 887 square miles. As of Friday, the blazes remained out of control.

View from my office window, Edmonton, noon today. Street lights are on.

But "we've always had forest fires" and "climate change doesn't exist". pic.twitter.com/gU3ukCWdl1  Dr. Andy Holt (@DrAndyHolt) May 30, 2019

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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
UPDATE: He busted the American Gangster. Heres what Richard Roberts said about Frank Lucas death at 88.

Frank Lucas, the drug trafficking kingpin whose life was portrayed in the hit movie American Gangster, died Thursday night at the age of 88 in New Jersey.

Lucas death was confirmed by his nephew Aldwan Lassiter, who said his uncle died of natural causes.

Lucas became notorious in the drug world after his mentor Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson died in 1968. He began importing pure heroin from Southeast Asia and sold large quantities of the drug in Harlem and Newark.

According to previous reporting by The Star-Ledger, Lucas controlled the gang, referred to as the Country Boys, from a mansion in Teaneck.

I probably did more damage than I did good. I probably did, and thats a fact, Lucas told the newspaper in 2013. At that time, I wasnt aware of what I was doing. All I knew is, I was making big dollars. A bad business was a good business. It was a horrible business, put it that way. I was in the heroin business ... the worst you can get. You cant get no lower than that, and I was in it. Up to my head. If you wanna put that I was a no good son of a bitch, be my guest. 'Cause thats what I was.

However, the law soon caught up to Lucas. Richard Roberts, who oversaw the Essex County Prosecutors Bureau of Narcotics in the 1970s, indicted Lucas after shutting down a heroin market run by Lucas brother, Vernon, according to The Star-Ledger.

Lucas flipped and became an informant, leading the government to arrest numerous drug dealers. After serving less than 10 years of his sentence, Lucas moved to Newark in the 80s, according to The Star-Ledger.

In the critically acclaimed 2007 film American Gangster, Denzel Washington played Lucas and Russell Crowe portrayed Roberts.

Roberts and Lucas later became friends.

There are a lot of people that love him and a lot of people that hate him, Roberts said after Lucas received probation in 2012 for stealing more than $17,000 from the federal government. Hell always have the stigma of heroin distribution. Lets face it, a lot of people died because of what he sold.

But Roberts also added: He also did good by helping put a lot of people behind bars. It was a hell of a run.

NJ Advance Media reporter Alex Napoliello contributed to this report.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow on Twitter @monavage. 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.
It was a night to remember for Atlantic City High School students as they celebrated their prom at Harrahs Casino on Thursday night.

Prom-goers arrived dressed to the nines as they socialized, posed for photos and danced the night away.

Check back at nj.com/south for other local high school prom coverage. And be sure to check out our complete prom coverage at nj.com/prom.

BUY THESE PHOTOS

Are you one of the people pictured at this prom? Want to buy the photo and keep it forever? Look for the blue link  buy photo  below the photographers credit to purchase the picture. Youll have the ability to order prints in a variety of sizes, or products like magnets, keychains, coffee mugs and more.

Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Instagram @photog_hawk and Twitter @photogthawk. 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.
Dear Annie: I was brought up to say, Excuse me, when someone was in the way and I needed to pass. I have noticed when I say this to younger people they reply, Oh, youre fine, and dont move.

One day a store employee was blocking the aisle with boxes all around, making it impossible to navigate, and I said, "Excuse me." When she replied, "Oh you're fine," I said, "I know I'm fine, I need you to move so I can pass." She seemed confused.

Is this phrase obsolete? Am I clueless about today's terminology? Or is it people of a certain age that don't know or weren't taught what "excuse me" means? -- Please Move

Dear Excuse Me: Saying, Excuse me is not a young or old person thing; it is merely a polite thing to do. Saying, Oh, youre fine as a response seems like the person, whether old or young, is oblivious to social standards.

If you need to get by, the polite way to ask someone to move is to say, "Excuse me" or "Pardon me." You can always add, "I need to get by."

Dear Annie: I need your help! I recently married my college sweetheart. Everything has been great. We met in Boston in college and moved to New York City for both of our jobs and to be close to his family. I grew up on a farm in Minnesota.

My husband's parents have been really kind and welcoming to me. His mother is extremely fashionable and chic. Think Anna Wintour. Sometimes I find her beauty and grace a little intimidating. But her kindness slowly melts any fear.

Her birthday is fast approaching, and my husband has entrusted me with finding her a beautiful piece of jewelry that will be a gift from both him and his father. He is an only child, so now I have sort of taken on the role of daughter. I am very flattered by all the love and acceptance I receive from my in-laws, but in the fashion department I am a farm girl at heart. Think T-shirt and blue jeans as my go-to.

Do you have any suggestions as what to give as a gift to my fabulously chic mother-in-law?? -- Blue Jean Daughter-in-Law

Dear Blue Jean Girl: Congratulations on your marriage. Your husband and his parents sound very loving, and being just married in a new city is such an exciting time of your life.

As far as your mother-in-law, my guess is that having a daughter-in-law as thoughtful and loving as you are is the biggest gift she could ask for. So rest assured that whatever material item you give to her will be appreciated because you already gave her the great gift of marrying her son.

However, every woman loves jewelry. You might want to look for a designer, such as Brent Neale, with the goal being to find jewelry that is colorful, nature inspired, timeless and, most importantly, just makes the wearer of their pieces happy.

"Ask Me Anything: A Year of Advice From Dear Annie" is out now! Annie Lane's 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.

COPYRIGHT 2019 CREATORS.COM
A New Jersey eighth grader is still in the running to be the nationwide winner of the Doodle for Google contest.

Jeremy Henskens, 14, learned he was the state winner for New Jersey on Thursday during a surprise assembly at Burlington Township Middle School.

More than 220,000 students submitted a design and Jeremy is one of 53 who remains in the hunt to be named the national winner.

Students who entered a doodle also were required to complete the following sentence, "When I grow up I want to..."

He answered, "When I grow up, I want to be a cartoonist. This doodle represents a comic book and a comic book is what a cartoonist or a comic writer makes.

The national winner, which will be determined in part by an online vote, will have his or her work displayed on the Google home page for a day. In addition, the winner will get $30,000 and an all-expenses paid trip to Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. The winners school gets a $50,000 technology package.

Google will award four other national finalists a $5,000 college scholarship as well as the aforementioned trip to the Googleplex.

As a state winner, Henskens already received Google hardware and fun Googley swag," the online giant said.

Besides the online vote, the three celebrity judges who will help determine the winner are Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, national teacher of the year Mandy Manning and Kermit the Frog, according to Google.

This years contest is the 11th run by Google. Student had to submit their entries by March 9. Voting will take place next week - from June 3 to June 7 here.

The doodle changes daily, often commemorating holidays or other major events around the world.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
A Monmouth County jury has awarded $1.8 million to a former Sea Girt police officer who said the police chief discriminated against him because of his military service, refused to promote him to sergeant and peppered him with homophobic insults.

Kenneth Hagel, 50, of Point Pleasant, was a Sea Girt police officer and a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves in Lakehurst for more than 30 years. In addition to monthly training throughout the United States, Hagel has been deployed to Kuwait, Guam, and Spain, according to court documents.

The former cop claimed in a lawsuit filed in 2014 that Chief Kevin Davenport falsely believed he was gay and discriminated against him because he was in the military and required to leave his police job periodically for training and overseas deployments.

Hagel filed suit in Monmouth County Superior Court against Davenport, the police department and the borough. The Navy man claimed the chief engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment and discrimination.

The trouble started when Davenport was promoted to sergeant and took over scheduling, said Hagels attorney, Matthew A. Peluso of Princeton.

Davenport became acting chief in July 2013 and soon after was promoted to police chief. Thats when the harassment and discrimination escalated, the attorney said.

Mr. Hagel and another witness testified about numerous acts and statements of discrimination by Davenport against Mr. Hagel, Peluso wrote in court papers.

Sea Girt Police Chief Kevin DavenportSea Girt PD

Davenport said Friday he could not comment on the allegations contained in the lawsuit. I wish I could comment but unfortunately Im not in a position to comment at this time," he said.

Reached by phone Friday, borough Administrator Lorraine Carafa said she had no comment on the lawsuit or the jurys verdict.

Hagels lawsuit claimed Davenport:

Created a mock license plate with the words Im Gay and taped it over the rear license plate of Hagels car

Said all Navy guys are gay because everyone knows what Navy guys are like and do on their ships

Called Hagel and other military personnel pussies and called Hagel a handjob in front of junior officers with the intention of demeaning him

Unlawfully accessed national law enforcement databases to conduct illegal searches on Hagel

Told Hagel that Sea Girt would never hire or promote another military person

Had a Sea Girt police officer confirm that Hagel was really at military drills because he thought Hagel was lying and also had Hagel followed by private investigators

Cut out photos of Hagels face, drawing a penis going into Mr. Hagels mouth and then attaching it to a photo of a scantily clad woman and then placing these photos in different locations in the Sea Girt PD headquarters

Told another officer that Hagel was gay and bisexual and having an affair with another male police officer and that the officer was having an affair with Hagels wife

Hagel claimed he was wrongfully denied a promotion to sergeant at least twice because of anti-military discrimination and sexual orientation discrimination. He claimed that because of Davenports behavior and actions, fellow officers falsely believed he was gay.

The jury on Tuesday found Davenport had engaged in anti-military and false sexual orientation discrimination against Hagel with regard to the sergeant promotional process in 2013-14.

They awarded Hagel $262,800 in compensatory damages for lost salary and benefits, $500,000 in emotional distress damages and $1 million in punitive damages, after finding that Davenport and the borough engaged in egregious conduct against Hagel, his attorney said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
A 20-year-old New Jersey man deliberately struck and killed five geese with his car on Wednesday in the parking lot of a shopping center in Toms River, authorities said.

Quintin Alec-Manning, of Brick, was charged with five count of animal cruelty, Toms River police said Friday morning,

Alec-Manning hit the waterfowl at Indian Head Shopping Center on Indian Head Road, according to police. He was arrested Thursday.

The state Division of Fish and Wildlife also plans to issue summonses to Alec-Manning.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips
Three more Shore towns will join the growing list of places that dont allow plastic grocery bags or straws.

The Seven Mile Island communities of Avalon and Stone Harbor, as well as Brigantine in Atlantic County, all have ordinances restricting the use of plastic that will take effect on Saturday.

They follow more than a dozen other New Jersey communities that have banned plastics, including Belmar, Hoboken, Lambertsville, Point Pleasant and Teaneck.

Beach Havens ban will begin June 12.

The laws are all aimed at businesses, not residents. And target items that are commonly found during beach cleanups and have been known to harm sea creatures.

About 82 percent of the items found by Clean Ocean Action volunteers during their bi-annual beach cleanups in New Jersey are plastic.

Avalon and Stone Harbor passed ordinances that are similar that ban the use of single-use plastic bags, plastic straws and certain polystyrene food service products (which, among other things, is a component of styrofoam).

None of these products are recyclable at the Cape May County Municipal Authority and therefore will end up in a landfill, according to Avalons website.

Avalon expects to use 2019 as a learning year and will likely tweak the law after the summer, according to its website.

Stone Harbor will issue a warning and then fines can be issued for up to $500 for repeated offenses.

Brigantines ban, meanwhile, applies strictly to single-use plastic bags and carries a fine ranging from $5 to $500 for each violation.

There are exemptions in each of the towns, which include bags a customer brings to the store, meat trays, plastic that is used to wrap frozen food or flowers, packages of multiple bags intended to be used for garbage or pet waste and more. Plastics bags will also still be provided for certain items -- among them, produce, meat and seafood, dry cleaning, bulk food, prescriptions and bait.

Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, and they take at least 500 years to degrade in a landfill.

About 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually, according to the Center.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
By Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of hosting a visit from Canadian Parole Board Chairwoman Jennifer Oades. We had the opportunity to discuss best practices, compare our different parole processes, and share some important common ground about our collective goal  striking a decisive balance between protecting our society through public safety supervision, while fostering the successful rehabilitation of offenders through the implementation of rehabilitative programs that work.

Chairperson Oades asked me what New Jerseys recidivism rate is. I indicated that it is currently 31 percent (the U.S. average is 67.8 percent). She looked at me with a bit of surprise, congratulated me, and asked me how we were able to attain such a low number. I said that there are many moving parts which we attribute it to.

I explained to the chairperson that our low recidivism rate is due to the well-trained, dedicated, and professional parole officers who provide effective supervision; the competent and judicious release decisions by parole board members; and the operational use of community programs and contracted partnerships, as well as our collaborative efforts with federal, state, and local law enforcement, government entities, agencies, non-profits, and organizations.

I have been with the New Jersey State Parole Board for 10 years now  first as an associate board member, then as vice chairman, followed by acting chairman. Earlier this month, my nomination from Gov. Phil Murphy to be chairman was approved by the New Jersey Senate. In the decade that I have served this agency it has become apparent to me that there is no one single strategy, approach, or solution that fully promotes public safety, nor method that fosters a positive rehabilitative, pro-social model for an offender. At the State Parole Board, we believe it is the synthesis of the agencys individual components, programs, services, and partnerships that define its positive outcomes.

The State Parole Boards Community Programs Division is dedicated to developing, coordinating, and managing the provision of quality treatment and services to individuals under parole supervision. This is done through community-based programs, community partnerships, grant initiatives, and special projects designed to support the reentry and effective supervision of offenders, which ultimately improves the quality of life for people in our communities.

The Community Programs Division administers contracts for the operation of community resource centers, reentry substance abuse programs, the Stages to Enhance Parolee Success program, residential programs, the Mutual Agreement Program (in partnership with the Department of Human Services Division of Addiction Services), as well as other specialized programs aimed at helping offenders assimilate back into society.

The State Parole Board continues to be recognized for its excellence. This past January, The National Governors Associations Center for Best Practices, in partnership with the National Parole Resource Center, officially selected New Jersey, along with Pennsylvania and Virginia to participate in a project where the three states will receive technical assistance to address paroling strategies in 2019.

This learning collaborative will involve several state departments involved in supporting formerly incarcerated individuals, the Office of the Governor, and key criminal justice stakeholders. The goal is to develop evidence-based recommendations for supporting and firming up parole decision-making, policies, and practices to ensure people returning to their communities have the services and support needed for successful reentry.

While I am proud of all that we have done at the New Jersey State Parole Board, and recognize that our recidivism rate is one of the lowest in the country, I am cognizant that we have more good work to do. None of us can transform the parole system alone. But criminal justice agencies, community organizations, law enforcement partners, faith-based groups, and of course those who are seeking that second chance can work together to change the entire approach to reentry in an effort to promote pro-social behavior that improves the quality of lives in our communities.

Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr. is the chairman of the New Jersey State Parole Board.

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.
New Jerseys top two elected state officials now have a new issue theyre arguing about: how many times Gov. Phil Murphy has vetoed legislation so far.

On Thursday, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney criticized Murphy, a fellow Democrat, for issuing nearly as many vetoes as Republican predecessor Chris Christie, even though Democrats control the state Legislature. Sweeney called Murphys actions way beyond normal."

But Murphy on Friday disputed those remarks, saying facts matter.

I dont want to let facts get in the way, but I actually looked up the facts, the governor said after an unrelated event in Paterson.

Murphy noted that he has signed 94 more bills than Christie at this point in their tenures and vetoed two fewer bills.

Sweeney said hes particularly bothered that Murphy often utilizes conditional vetoes  when a governor sends a bill back to the Legislature to make changes. The Senate president said hes asked Murphys staff to suggest amendments early in the process to avoid that.

All but nine of Murphys 62 vetoes have been conditional.

This is not working the way the governors doing this," Sweeney said. "Ive never seen anything like this.

This is the latest disagreement between Murphy and Sweeney, whose often strained relationship has soured even more in recent weeks. Sweeney has begun to criticize the governor more openly in the wake of an investigation Murphy has convened into the states tax break program. Some of the companies targeted have ties to South Jersey Democratic powerbroker George Norcross, a close Sweeney ally.

The dispute over vetoes comes as Sweeney and other Democratic lawmakers are considering overriding Murphys conditional veto of a so-called dark money bill, which would force more political action groups in New Jersey to disclose their donors. Murphy said the measure needs work.

On Friday, the governor said he had nothing new to add to that.

Murphy also noted how Fridays event was to push a package of new health-care bills and that many Democratic lawmakers joined him for the occasion.

For all the noise, were getting a lot done together, the governor said.

The ratcheted-up tension between Murphy and Sweeney also comes as the governor and lawmakers must come to an agreement on a new taxpayer-funded state budget by July 1.

Murphy has hinted he may not sign a budget if lawmakers dont agree to his proposal to raise income taxes on New Jerseys millionaires to help fund education, transportation, and more.

But Sweeney and state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, are staunchly opposed to the millionaires tax. They say the state is overtaxed as it is and that more government spending cuts are needed instead.

Sweeney said Thursday the Legislature will have a budget passed by July 1, but its not certain Murphy would sign it.

If Murphy and lawmakers cant reached an agreement, the governor could shut down the state government.

Hopefully, all three branches will agree on it, Sweeney said. If its about a millionaires tax and hes going to shut the government down to raise taxes, thats on him."

Murphy on Friday continued to call for a millionaires tax, arguing that polls show voters support it and that Democratic lawmakers passed one five times in previous years, only to see it vetoed each time by Christie.

I remain optimistic, Murphy said. Im very proud of the budget we have put forward. It continues a historic investment in the middle class. It calls for tax fairness.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
Top state and federal law enforcement officials in New Jersey are teaming up to target violent offenders in Trenton following a pair of mass shootings that rocked the state capital in recent days, killing one person and injuring 15 others.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito and state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced the Trenton violent crime initiative in a joint statement Thursday, days after the Memorial Day weekend shootings.

On Saturday, local authorities said two gunmen fired a barrage bullets during a drive-by shooting that left about 10 people wounded. On Monday, another shooting injured several and took the life of an 18-year-old city man, Unique Anderson.

Grewal and Carpenito said the new initiative had been in the works for several months, modeled on similar cooperative efforts in Newark and Jersey City. But the effort took on increased urgency following the spate of summer violence.

Leaders from the participating agencies will meet regularly to review intelligence regarding the most violent offenders in Trenton, their accomplices, crime trends, and potential leads that can be acted on by the partnering agencies, the two officials said in their statement.

In analyzing intelligence, the partnering agencies will look at all of those involved in shootings, including victims as well as shooters, because victims in many cases may be likely participants in future gun violence.

Authorities did not specify what additional resources would be deployed to Trenton, saying only that the initiative will rely on intelligence and analysis from the New Jersey State Polices regional intelligence center.

They said the increased activities will include executing warrants and other crime suppression efforts focused known hot spots in the city.

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said the city welcomes and is grateful for the assistance.

By using technical and manpower assistance, Trenton PD can better do their job with the limited resources we have. I am especially grateful for Attorney General Grewals visit to Trenton this evening to discuss this initiative further with our director and police top brass, the mayor said.

- Reporter Kevin Shea contributed to this story.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
A bill headed to Gov. Phil Murphys desk would strip public workers and elected officials in New Jersey of their pensions if theyre convicted of certain sexual misconduct offenses or corruption in connection with their public employment.

The bill (A3766) passed by the state Senate, 37-0, on Thursday adds sexual assault, sexual contact, lewdness and public corruption to the list of existing offenses that can cost employees their retirement benefits.

Anyone who has the audacity to use their taxpayer-funded position of power to assault a coworker doesnt deserve a state pension, state Sen. Kristin Corrado, R-Passaic, said in a statement. Public service is about helping people and making the state you work for a better, safer place for all. Anyone who commits a crime that is contrary to that mission, whether its an ethics violation or a sex offense, shouldnt be paid by the state for life."

Some crimes that could already result in a worker forfeiting their pension include money laundering, extortion, bribery, perjury, official misconduct and tampering with public records. These offenses must also in some way be tied to an individuals public employment.

The bill has been amended from its original version, which included harassment as a crime warranting a forfeited pension. The original version also did not include the public corruption offense.

State Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll, R-Morris, had expressed concern with attaching such a severe penalty to an offense like harassment, which is typically classified as a petty disorderly persons offense  and not a crime  in New Jersey.

Carroll said at a legislative hearing on the bill that it was hugely disproportionate that a person could lose a pension worth hundreds of thousands of dollars when the fine for harassment might amount to a few hundred dollars.

The final version of the bill includes convictions of public corruption of public resources in the first degree, which it defines as when a person knowingly uses or makes disposition of a public resource valued at $500,000 or more for an unauthorized purpose ..."

The state Assembly passed the bill 79-0 in September. Its now up to Murphy, a Democrat, whether to sign it into law or veto it.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.
Over the last two months, while the behavior of his longtime police director was widely condemned by local and state officials, Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage has instead saved his reproach for his police chief, John Brennan.

He volunteered information in April that prosecutors were investigating an unspecified complaint against Brennan, and later told NJ Advance Media that Brennan interferes in internal affairs matters and should be removed.

Through his attorney, Brennan has denied and dismissed the mayors claims as politically-motivated hogwash. Now he is getting some support from his ranking officers.

The Elizabeth Superior Officers Association took a vote of confidence in the chief and wrote a memo May 21 arguing that Brennan has never been involved in the alleged misconduct committed by certain police administrators, including misusing the internal affairs process and retaliating against officers. NJ Advance Media obtained a copy of the document.

Our discussion and subsequent vote confirmed we have confidence that Chief Brennan possesses the leadership qualities needed to direct the department during this tumultuous time, the memo said. His past performance is indicative of what we expect in the future.

Meanwhile, the city has started the process of replacing former police director James Cosgrove. The longtime political ally and donor to Bollwage resigned only after the New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal called for his ouster April 26 after allegations he used racial slurs and other inappropriate language.

The directors job was posted to the city website and shared with several national police organizations on May 22 and the deadline to apply is June 4.

Bollwage told the City Council at a meeting last week that a committee of five people  Business Administrator Bridget Anderson, city attorney William Holzapfel, former East Orange Mayor Lester Taylor, Police Lt. Abner Rodriguez, and Officer Ken Charlenea  will narrow down the pool and interview candidates before recommending finalists for him to consider.

The nominees will appear at a City Council meeting before the vote and the City Council will have the ability to ask questions in an open meeting, Bollwage said in an email.

The beginning of the end of Cosgroves 21 years as director was in February, when the Union County Prosecutors Office began investigating allegations Cosgrove had used the n-word and c-word to refer to staff. The prosecutors office found Cosgrove did use the derogatory terms, but because he is a civilian employee appointed by the mayor, only Bollwage had the power to discipline or remove him.

After NJ Advance Media published the findings, the prosecutors office announced it was taking over the police departments internal affairs cases. Several days later, Grewal called for Cosgroves removal and made one of his own top aides, Jennifer Davenport, acting Union County prosecutor to review not only the departments internal affairs cases but also its workplace culture and hiring practices.

Its not the first time these issues have been raised. In 2016, both the PBA and SOA in Elizabeth passed votes of no confidence in Cosgrove. According to union documents NJ Advance Media obtained, their grievances against Cosgrove included under-staffing, favoritism and retaliation, and interfering with day-to-day department operations and internal affairs investigations.

The latest letter from the SOA brought up similar issues and said Brennan, "has not been associated with ANY of these actions and has attempted to bring them to an end.

Asked about the letter Wednesday, Bollwage said he never received it and that he heard the vote was not unanimous. He also noted the PBA did not take a similar vote.

Brennan declined to comment for this story. It seems that he is not likely to be a candidate for the directors position.

Bollwage said at the council meeting that he does not think anyone from within the department will get the job.

I think what the city of Elizabeth needs is someone from the outside, he said. A fresh look.

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.
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

In this latest report on Violins Market the market size is expected to scale up to USD BN by the end of financial year 2025. This report valued the market at USD BN in 2018. After evaluating the various market drivers and market restraints the report expects a % of CAGR across the study period. The report takes a deep dig in the market with detailed analysis on the Revenue, Production, and Capacity from 2013 to 2025.

The report also studies the marketing pricing, trends and extrapolates the growth rate for the next six years. The manufacturers data covered in the report assists in understanding the competitive scenario along with planning the capacity expansion plans.

The latest developments such as the organic and inorganic growth adopted by the key players mentioned in the report, throws light on the strategic planning of the competitors, thus assisting in taking informed decisions.

Ask for free sample report of Violins market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-43133

The following manufacturers are covered in this report, with sales, revenue, market share for each company:

YAMAHA

FranzSandner

Stentor

FengLegend

KAPOK

GCV-Violins

JinYin Musical

Bellafina

NS Design

Barcus Berry

Hofner

Beijing Forest Violins

Market size by Product

Electric Violin

Acoustic Violin

Market size by End User

Professional Performance

Learning and Training

Individual Amateurs

Market size by Region

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

Asia-Pacific

China

India

Access Report and Full Table of Contents of @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/43133-violins-industry-market-report

Table of Contents - Snapshot

Chapter 1 Study Coverage

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

Chapter 3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Breakdown Data by Product

Chapter 5 Breakdown Data by End User

Chapter 6 North America

Chapter 7 Europe

Chapter 8 Asia Pacific

Chapter 9 Central & South America

Chapter 10 Middle East and Africa

Chapter 11 Company Profiles

Chapter 12 Future Forecast

Chapter 13 Market Opportunities, Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis

Chapter 14 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis

Chapter 15 Research Findings and Conclusion

Chapter 16 Appendix

Buy Full Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-43133

About Us:

is a Global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. is proficient in providing syndicated research Report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.

Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.

For More Details:



E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com

Phone: +91-90-28-057900

Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/
Regulars of the Pink Poodle in Crescent might recognize Donna Collins, a 63-year waitress of the restaurant.

Her tenure started on Mothers Day in 1956 when the restaurant opened. Collins was hired as a sophomore in high school and has been working there ever since. Working under six different managers in that time frame, Collins said shes enjoyed working for them all of them, the restaurant is close to her home and she brings home good money.

When I first started, lobster dishes sold for $7.95; now, they are up to $55, Collins said. If I ever eat anything from Pink Poodle, its the prime rib. The prime rib is out of this world.

During the day and full time, Collins works as a legal secretary for an attorney in Omaha, another job she has kept for years.

I dont change very often. I have two good jobs, and evidently my bosses are happy with me, so I have no desire to change anything, Collins said.

Although Collins never had children of her own, her husband, who passed away two years ago in April, had two daughters. Together, they shared a trucking company and owned an airplane.

We ran the business for 20 years and he got tired of it, so we sold it out. I only drive now when my brothers need a semi truck, Collins said. We had a Mooney airplane, too, but I havent renewed my license for a quite a while.

To keep her going, Collins said she adopted two Cocker Spaniels puppies in Joplin, Missouri, that she has made family.

Me and my husband had a really good life. Ive been able to do a lot of things that most people dont get to do, and I feel like Ive been very lucky, she said. After he passed, I was so lonely. Thats the reason I got two little puppies, they are worth it.

Without a doubt, Collins has seen regular and new faces at Pink Poodle  and has for 63 years. Some remember her from her beginning days at the Pink Poodle and some specifically request her as their waitress.

While she may not remember everyone she went to school with, some of her customers do remember her.

Margie Ingram, for example, said she remembers when Collins started at the Pink Poodle and that she deserves recognition for her longtime commitment to the restaurant.

I recognize voices more than anything, she said. And I dont plan on retiring anytime soon.

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.
Editor's Note: This story first ran in print on May 31, 2019, as part of our annual Faces of the Community series, which highlights the unsung heroes of southwest Iowa. Check out the rest of the Faces of Business & Service section by clicking on our e-edition here.

Glenwoods Sugar Makery didnt start with the typical childhood dream of opening a candy shop.

It started while Alexis McCues father was in hospice and still working for corporate America. A joke between them was that her father had to give candy to the nurses so they would treat him better, since he was an ornery man. And thats when it started.

McCue asked her father if she could make his almond butter toffee recipe, a recipe dear to his heart and hers after he died in April of 2013.

It took me about three months to emotionally be able to make a batch, McCue said. Once I did, I never felt more inspired in my life to do something.

For the next five years, McCue sold candy at craft fairs, honing in on an expertise she never thought shed have.

I said I wanted to have a candy store, but I never thought it was reality, McCue said. When I dreamed about it, I always said I didnt just want a candy store, I wanted an experience.

McCue and her husband found a vacant building in Glenwood and decided candy, popcorn, fudge, soda in glass bottles and ice cream would be part of that experience and that sugar was the main ingredient.

We didnt want to pigeonhole our business just by our name, she said. So it was decided. I dont bake it, I make it!

Sugar Makery opened in 2017, and although the McCue considered being a small business in a small town would have an affect, McCue said the experience has far exceeded any expectations.

We have a lot of customers who are trying to get out, shop local and stay away from big box stores, she said. The Sugar Makery is absolutely a destination and experience.

During the flooding in March, Glenwood experienced a shortage of clean water because the Pacific Junction water plant was flooded.

They were trucking in water from Red Oak and because it wasnt filtered through the treatment, the whole town had to boil water, she said.

Boiling water ensured clean water, but businesses were asked to reduce water usage by 50%.

Id say we reduced our water usage by 80 or 90%. It wasnt a huge issue to boil water before we used it, we didnt want the city to run out of water, she said.

The Sugar Makery donated $1,000 to flood relief and delivered a pallet of water to city hall. During the firefighters cookout, McCues husband donated hot dog buns and desserts.

All the proceeds went to flood relief and it helped them not have to cut into the funds they already had for flood relief, she said. Were happy to help.

Within the last year and a half, Sugar Makery has seen many successes and growth, but McCue said she is particularly proud that her workforce consists of high school students.

It didnt dawn on me until one of my employees parents thanked me for hiring her, McCue said. Now she doesnt have to drive at night from Council Bluffs on her way home. To give them work experience in a small town is wonderful.

While her helpings hands share many of the duties at Sugar Makery, there is one duty that only McCue is allowed to do.

No one is allowed to make my dads almond butter toffee except for me, she said. Just to be creative my husband challenges me to make other variations of toffee and I cant even keep it in the case. I was born to make toffee  I am living the dream.

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.
The Iowa West Foundation has awarded Iowa Legal Aid a $15,000 grant for its community stabilization project, the agency announced recently.

The one-year grant will fund Iowa Legal Aids efforts to stabilize targeted communities by providing free legal services to at-risk families and individuals, said Shelley Whitcher, deputy director. Iowa West provided funding last year to start the program, she said.

The agency also holds events in Council Bluffs to educate people about housing rights and other legal issues and partners with Head Start and other organizations to reach people who need help, Whitcher said.

What were doing is trying to hone in on areas of Council Bluffs that have really high poverty, she said.

The agency uses a wrap-around approach, sending a social worker to talk to families in crisis, Whitcher said.

Any kind of instability can really affect the children and make it difficult for them, she said.

The agency looks for problems that might be under the radar, Whitcher said. For example, if someone is in trouble with their landlord or the city because they are disabled and cant properly clean their apartment, Legal Aid can refer them to someone who can help.

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.
Medical marijuana not good for Iowa

Governor Reynolds should be proud of vetoing HF 732, a bill that was passed after and only after many Representatives were misled. I have no doubt that people will whine and complain that they currently arent getting high enough off what is being sold from medical CBD shops around the state. Vetoing this bill will not make Governor Reynolds more popular but it does make her right. She should rest peacefully tonight, knowing that she put public health ahead of what is popular.

Our governor will be criticized for going against what many Iowans are requesting: a right to get stoned. Many will insist that getting stoned helps their pain, Crohns Disease, cancer, or whatever other medical condition that our legislature can come up with. Many people will demand that if so many Iowans are asking for something, then the governor should give it to them. Im left asking: If the majority of Iowans started demanding that we should not have to get vaccines, wear seatbelts, or pay taxes, then would we expect the governor to give in to those demands as well?

Lets be clear: Medical marijuana may be relieving peoples symptoms, but that is merely a side effect of what this is really about. This is about an industry profiting off peoples misconceptions. This is not about someones right to self-medicate. And if it was, then lets explore where THAT line of reasoning will stop, if ever. Heres an example: since turning 30, I have gained five pounds that I cannot seem to get rid of. I have no doubt in my mind that if I could use meth, then I would be able to lose those five pounds in no time. This is a free country, right? Why not set up shops where I can purchase my meth? And why not let the legislature decide how much meth I should be able to use, what conditions I can use it for, and whether it will actually help me?

See how ridiculous it sounds? But because our society has fed into the myth spread by lobbyists that marijuana is the cure-all for everything under the sun, then we are willing to go along with the false claims. Thank you, Governor Reynolds, for not giving in!

Maggie Ballard, Council Bluffs

People watching is fascinating

I have always been curious while people watching in grocery stores, restaurants, traffic and other public places.

It is interesting and very telling. Their personalities stand out as much as if they were wearing elaborate message patches on their sleeves.

The same is true when I read the various contributions to opinion columns in the newspapers. The difference is they are no longer just anonymous people. Their names are attached to their admissions. I am finding this fascinating and somewhat disturbing.

Many are prolific and always relay messages presented everyday by the news sources they watch or listen to. The problem is their lack of trying to verify the caustic material they write about. They are subliminally consuming negative information filled with various catch words or phrases.

I believe, in many cases, their compulsion to write a public opinion piece is in seeking relief from the overload of such a barrage of upsetting news stories. It is their way of getting rid of something annoying like a song stuck in their head.

Ken Lane, Council Bluffs

America needs Planned Parenthood

As a fundamentalist pastor, I demonized Planned Parenthood rooting my bias in a rigid literal interpretation of scripture and ignored the social, economic and historical context of a womans life. I ignored reality and created the illusion that if we could just get rid of Planned Parenthood, American would be a better, holier and blessed place. I began to think what America would look like without Planned Parenthood.

The first thing I thought was well, there would be 1 million less abortions a year. Is that true? In the 2017-2018-year, PP provided 332,757 abortions of the 897,000 abortions that were performed. Meaning there are other providers, so getting rid of PP would not end abortion. The truth is without Planned Parenthood, there would be more abortions. Planned Parenthood has been instrumental in reducing teenage pregnancy. In a 2015 report it was revealed that PP because of its birth control program averted 430,000 unintended pregnancies of which 140,000 would have resulted in abortion.

Without Planned Parenthood, 2.4 million people would not receive care. The majority of those are from low income families (79%). Without PP: 70,000 women would have suffered from cancer because the cancer would not have been detected and 240,000 would not have known they had a STI. Without PP, there would be 740,000 less HIV tests and 570,000 women would not get breast checks or PAP tests.

Yes, America would be different without Planned Parenthood. Its health care would suffer, and women would suffer the most.

Edward Kelly Jr., Red Oak
May 30, 2019 Christopher Derman , (423) 569-9778

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that over 760,000 visitors to Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in 2018 spent $23,700,000 in communities near the park. That spending supported 290 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $25,600,000.



"Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world," said Superintendent Niki Nicholas. "We are delighted to share the story of this place and the experiences it provides. Visiting one of the 13 units of the National Park System in Tennessee is a great way to introduce visitors to this part of the country and all that it offers. National Park Service tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it's a big factor in our local economy as well. We appreciate the partnership and support of our neighbors and are glad to be able to give back by helping to sustain local communities."



The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $20.2 billion of direct spending by more than 330 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 329,000 jobs nationally; 268,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $40.1 billion.



According to the 2018 report, most park visitor spending was for restaurants/groceries (31.3 percent), lodging/camping (25.4 percent), followed by gas (21.4 percent).



Report authors this year produced an interactive tool. Users can explore current year visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm.



To learn more about national parks in Tennessee and how the National Park Service works with Tennessee communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to https://www.nps.gov/state/tn/index.htm.
The younger of two Grand Island teens charged in last Septembers shooting death of Ethan Pohlmeier of North Platte has sought a delay in further proceedings in Lincoln County District Court.

Brayden M. Turner, 16, of Grand Island had been scheduled to appear in court earlier this week after District Judge James E. Doyle IV of Lexington declined May 14 to transfer the cases of Turner and 17-year-old Jesus A. Martinez to juvenile court.

North Platte lawyer Amanda Speichert, who is defending Turner along with Public Defender Robert Lindemeier, cited ongoing negotiations with prosecutors in a brief continuance motion filed May 24. No new court date has been set.

Turner, a former North Platte resident, and Martinez are each charged with first-degree felony murder of Pohlmeier on Sept. 14, 2018, and using a firearm to commit a felony.

Doyle cited protection of the public and societal security, among other factors, in deciding to keep the cases of both teens in adult court.

Martinezs attorneys, P. Stephen Potter of Gothenburg and Patrick Heng of North Platte, appealed Doyles ruling May 22 to the Nebraska Court of Appeals. No appeal has been filed on Turners behalf.
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

In this latest report on Running Watches Market the market size is expected to scale up to USD BN by the end of financial year 2025. This report valued the market at USD BN in 2018. After evaluating the various market drivers and market restraints the report expects a % of CAGR across the study period. The report takes a deep dig in the market with detailed analysis on the Revenue, Production, and Capacity from 2013 to 2025.

The report also studies the marketing pricing, trends and extrapolates the growth rate for the next six years. The manufacturers data covered in the report assists in understanding the competitive scenario along with planning the capacity expansion plans.

The latest developments such as the organic and inorganic growth adopted by the key players mentioned in the report, throws light on the strategic planning of the competitors, thus assisting in taking informed decisions.

Ask for free sample report of Running Watches market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-43138

The following manufacturers are covered in this report, with sales, revenue, market share for each company:

Apple

Fitbit

Samsung

Germin

Huawei

Xiaomi

Polar

Casio

TomTom

Motorola/Lenovo

Timex

Suunto

Withings

Soleus

Market size by Product

Pedometer Watches

GPS Watches

Heart Rate Watches

GPS +HRM Watches

Market size by End User

Running

Biking

Climbing

Cardio Training

Others

Market size by Region

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

Asia-Pacific

China

Access Report and Full Table of Contents of @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/43138-running-watches-industry-market-report

Table of Contents - Snapshot

Chapter 1 Study Coverage

Chapter 2 Executive Summary

Chapter 3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers

Chapter 4 Breakdown Data by Product

Chapter 5 Breakdown Data by End User

Chapter 6 North America

Chapter 7 Europe

Chapter 8 Asia Pacific

Chapter 9 Central & South America

Chapter 10 Middle East and Africa

Chapter 11 Company Profiles

Chapter 12 Future Forecast

Chapter 13 Market Opportunities, Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis

Chapter 14 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis

Chapter 15 Research Findings and Conclusion

Chapter 16 Appendix

Buy Full Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-43138
A former scientist for a U.S. national laboratory has been charged with lying about his contacts with a recruitment program designed to attract foreign experts to work in China.

The recruitment program has come under increased scrutiny in Washington over its role in enabling technology transfer to China from the United States.

Turab Lookman, 67, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, pleaded not guilty to the charges on May 28.

Lookman, who worked for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), was asked in an employment questionnaire and by federal officials whether he had been recruited by the Chinese regimes Thousand Talents Program, or if he had applied for it, federal prosecutors said in a statement, The Associated Press reported.

In an indictment filed last week, prosecutors alleged that between November 2017 and September 2018, Lookman denied his involvement with the program when he, in fact, applied for it, charging him with three counts of making false statements.

Lookman was invited to participate in the Thousand Talents Program, then applied for and was accepted into the program, the indictment said. He also received compensation after being accepted.

The program was established by the Chinese government to recruit people with access to and knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property, prosecutors say.

The scientist, who is currently released on bail while awaiting trial, faces up to five years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said.

Lookman joined LANL in 1999 and worked there until recently, the Albuquerque Journal reported. Its unclear whether he resigned or was fired. In 2017, he was named Laboratory Fellow, one of the labs highest honors for its staff, according to a LANL press release at the time.

Lookman, who also is a fellow of the American Physical Society, worked in LANLs Theoretical Division as an expert in the computational physics of materials, complex fluids, and nonlinear dynamics. His work in the field, which includes two books and more than 250 publications, also received enormous worldwide attention, according to the press release.

LANL, located in northern New Mexico, is a national laboratory run by the U.S. Department of Energy, and is best known as the birthplace of the atomic bomb, which was developed at the site decades ago as part of the Manhattan Project.

The laboratory now is tasked with engaging in science projects relating to national security, including ensuring the safety of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technology to counter threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems relating to energy, infrastructure, health, and global security.

Thousand Talents

This isnt the first time a scientist has been prosecuted for his involvement with the Thousand Talents Program.

In 2018, a former research oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, was sentenced to time served for accepting a salary from China. He had been working for both the U.S. agency and two Chinese programs, one of which was Thousand Talents.

The program, which has recruited at least 6,000 experts since 2008, has drawn increased scrutiny by U.S. officials because of its role in the theft of U.S. intellectual property and other technology-related secrets.

In April 2018, the U.S. National Intelligence Council produced an analysis that described Thousand Talents as Chinas flagship talent program and probably the largest in terms of funding. The council raised concerns over the programs goal to facilitate the legal and illicit transfer of U.S. technology, intellectual property, and know-how to China.

The National Institute of Health (NIH), the largest funder of biomedical research in the United States, also sounded the alarm last year, warning that the program could be used to transfer key research, produced using federal research grants, to China.

The NIH has since started investigating NIH-funded foreign scientists at more than 55 U.S. institutions. Thus far, the investigations have led to the firing of three Asian researchers at a top cancer research center in Texas, and two Chinese Americans at Atlantas Emory University.

From The Epoch Times
BNutty has found so much success selling its Irresistible Pretzel, Joyful Cranberry and other gourmet peanut butters at retailers like Strack & Van Til, Town & Country and Wiseway that it's now plotting a major expansion.

The maker of natural, artisan peanut butter plans to invest $1.9 million in a move to Portage and hire 100 more workers by 2021. BNutty is moving its operations from a 2,500-square-foot facility in Merrillville to a 16,000-square-foot leased space in the AmeriPlex at the Port business park in Portage so it can ramp up its output to keep pace with demand.

"We live in this community and believe it's important to give back to it," BNutty founder Joy Thompkins said. "We're beyond grateful for the support we've received in Northwest Indiana, and are so excited to have our community with us today to celebrate BNutty's grand opening in Portage."

The company sells jars of peanut butter made with U.S.-grown peanuts that are freshly ground and honey roasted. It adds ingredients like berries and oats to create flavors like Totally Toffee and Simply Salted Caramel.
She said she endured beatings by her partner for more than 10 years before finding out that he was cheating on her with a younger woman.

"I nearly killed myself," she said. "I put up with everything he did because I was afraid that he'd leave me. But then I realized that it wasn't worth it and I left him. I'm happy here and that's what I tell in the play."

The theater group, which was founded in 2014, finds itself gaining an audience as waves of women mobilize to fight gender violence across the world. In neighboring Argentina, a grassroots movement known as "Ni Una Menos," or Not One Less, emerged in 2015 and drew thousands to hold massive demonstrations in support of women's rights. But while movements in Bolivia have lacked the impact of Ni Una Menos or the #MeToo movement in the United States, some say the plays have had impact.

"It's a success, 100% percent," said Paola Ricalde of the La Paz mayorship's directorate for equality policies.

Theater group director Erika Andia said it's challenging to oversee a group of women who have been forced to be silent and submissive. But she said that their strength of will helped them achieve their goal of "discovering what they're capable of, helping them loosen up and boost their confidence."

"We never thought we'd reach so far," Andia said. "There are no limits to what we do. Every year we continue to grow and there's happiness after all the pain that our actresses have suffered."

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
CHICAGO  The National Trust for Historic Preservation has listed downtown Chicago's state government building to its list of the country's most-endangered historic places.

The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday that the James R. Thompson Center appeared on the Washington-based nonprofit's list this year. Trust spokesman Virgil McDill says the Helmut Jahn-designed building is the first work of postmodern architecture placed on the list. The 17-story, curved-glass structure opened in May 1985 to house state offices.

Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a measure in April authorizing the sale of the building, which has been hailed for its architecture but derided for its functionality. Pritzker's office released a five-phase, 22-month timetable to ensure a sale completion within two years.

The center also has appeared on Landmarks Illinois and Preservation Chicago's endangered-building lists.



Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. 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.
High achievement is possible only in a physically and emotionally secure environment, which is why security is a priority. Emotional and physical wellness also forms the foundation of learning. Its hard to learn when youve had no breakfast or when theres fighting going on your home," Logan says. "Social and emotional needs come first, academics are secondary.

This has put Bibich in the top 15 percent of schools in the state.

Education is a jigsaw puzzle in which we all work together to fit all the aspects in, with an emphasis on social and emotional wellness. We take a holistic approach to education, Logan says, adding that data collected helps produce positive student outcomes .

She credits the dedication of Bibichs high-ability staff to ongoing professional development and innovation in ensuring that students get the best education possible. Our teachers challenge me in the best way. If they see something that will benefit the building and the kids, they bring it to me. We challenge each other and we gel well. Logan also expresses appreciation for key support and assistance from the Lake Central School Corp., of which Bibich is part.
Lake Michigan had 42 drownings last year, including two each in Chesterton and Michigan City, and one each in Portage and Gary.

About half of all Great Lakes drownings take place in Lake Michigan and about half of those occur at the southern end of the lake, Benjamin said. This higher number of fatalities is likely the result of so many people gaining access to the water through residential areas and public access points along the shoreline, he said.

Benjamin said while more than 90% of those taking part in his group's water safety programs claim to know how to swim, less than 5% know drowning survival strategies.

He sums up the survival strategy as "flip, float and follow." This involves flipping over on your back, floating keeping with your head above water and staying calm to conserve energy, and then following the safest path to safety.

"Good swimmers drown all the time," Benjamin said, citing a statistic that 66 percent of all drowning victims are strong swimmers.
ANGOLA, Ind.  Fifteen Indiana counties, including Porter and LaPorte, where lakes are becoming choked with aquatic plants have landed more than $600,000 to combat the fast-growing plants.

The funding from Indiana's Department of Natural Resources will boost efforts to control or manage non-native species, including curly-leaf pondweed and Eurasian watermilfoil.

Such invasive species can take over and clog lakes, affecting lake ecosystems and hurting local economies by making them less attractive destinations for pleasure boat enthusiasts and anglers.

The nearly $633,000 from the DNR's Lake and River Enhancement program will fund 42 plant eradication projects at 62 lakes and one river in 15 Indiana counties,

Local lakes and grants include:
The mayor did not call us  we literally got nothing, Ismael Cuevas, Sadlowski Garzas chief of staff, said on Wednesday, adding that McDermotts office had not responded to multiple requests for information since the closure.

Taillon disputed Cuevas' claim that there has been no contact with the alderwoman's office since the closure. According to Taylor, he spoke with a Sadlowski Garza staffer after he learned of the decision on Friday and again on Tuesday to explain what Hammond plans to do about the 136th Street.

Even so, Hammond should have been more proactive in sharing information about the closure to Sadlowski Garza's office before the road was shut down, he said.

"We have to do a better job in communicating, because you are connecting two states," Taillon said.

In a May 24 appearance on WJOB radio, McDermott broached the possibility of closing 136th Street permanently due to the high cost of upkeep and problems associated with the roadway. The stretch of road east of the state line has become a magnet for illegal garbage dumping and a conduit for criminal activity from Chicago, he said.
Listening to those who eulogized Lugar established an important benchmark for our nation. Purdue President Mitch Daniels, who served as Lugars chief of staff, said, He was as stunningly rare a person as he was a public servant,  a man with a set of principles grounded in patriotism and a commitment for equal opportunity for every American to rise and flourish.

Something more fundamental took precedence, Daniels continued. It was the pride of association with a man so stellar, so singular, so exemplary in both his professional and personal life that one enjoyed a sense of personal respect by reflection. If Dick Lugar ever had an ill-tempered moment, I never saw it; if he ever spoke an unkind word about anyone, I never heard it; acted out of raw selfishness, I never witnessed it.

McConnell added, People came first, he met everyone where they were, from street corners to church basements of this city during the civil rights era, to the halls of the Senate and beyond.

McConnell told the story of Lugar being approached by a woman at a Lincoln Day Dinner. Sen. Lugar, Im sure you dont remember me, the woman said. Lugar responded, Of course I remember you, Mary, and I think you were wearing that same lovely dress the first time.
SAN FRANCISCO  Last year, Apple announced that it had created tools to help people limit the time they and their children spent on their iPhones. Around the same time, Apple began purging from its App Store a number of apps that offered similar services.

Now 17 companies affected by that purge say they have a technical answer to the privacy concerns that Apple cited for dropping them.

The companies on Thursday proposed the creation of an application programming interface, or A.P.I., a common bit of software that enables computer programs or apps to work with one another. The companies said the A.P.I. could tap Apple technology that would allow them to track screen time without invading privacy.

Right now, technologically, only Apple has the right to do it on their devices, and we believe Apple should let everybody get a go, said Viktor Yevpak, the head of Kidslox, a parental-control app that has been targeted by Apple.
But Johnny, a new kitchen hire at the greasy spoon where she works, frazzles all that; for one thing, he wont leave. (He does accept the meat loaf, which he says is direct from Mount Olympus.) He, too, is a self-admitted failure, but a recovering one, and like many a self-educated savant, speaks grandly, citing Shakespeare, almost as a talisman of self-respect. He needs big language to corral his big feelings.

The clash between Johnnys expressiveness and Frankies armor keeps the play moving forward as it toggles between comedy and pathos. At its best, it tucks one inside the other. Frankie hears Johnnys fulsome praise of her breasts, her hair, her everything as crazy or mocking or at least reflexively insincere; he hears her rejection of his praise as deliberately deflating.

So when he exults by saying I want to bask in your body, she promptly snaps: Sure you do.

That two equally last-ditch middle-aged characters with such perfectly interlocking neuroses should find themselves in Frankies cheerless Hells Kitchen studio  the haunted-looking set is by Riccardo Hernandez  is a premise you could pick at. Too much symmetry seems suspicious.

And some of Mr. McNallys habitual flourishes show through the plays surface like the underpainting of a different picture: the showbiz references, the orotund dialogue, the frequent intrusion of classical music. Aside from Debussy we are treated to excerpts from Bach, Scriabin, Shostakovich and Wagner  along with a plummy late-night radio disc jockey (Mr. Abraham, in a delightful audio Easter egg ) to underline their import.

Still, time has been good to Frankie and Johnny, which already had a fine Broadway revival in 2002. (Edie Falco and Stanley Tucci starred.) Its sentimentality hasnt curdled the way it has in some of Mr. McNallys many other plays. For one thing, we are far enough away from its specific 1980s setting to see it without the coloring of that decades concerns. AIDS is mentioned but has little sting, letting the comedy rise.

Ms. Arbus, making a strong Broadway debut after a decade of critical success Off Broadway, seems to have realized that the comedy is crucial, not only because her stars trail tragic associations from most of their previous roles but also because the play can teeter on the edge of bathos. Her strategy of dryness and detail and specificity  leaving the poetry to Natasha Katzs lighting  pays off.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a request for a stay of execution from an Alabama inmate who said the states method of execution could subject him to excruciating pain. The courts last encounter with the case, in April, produced an angry clash among the justices that spilled into public view.

The vote on Thursday was 5 to 4, with the courts more conservative members in the majority. They offered no reasons for denying the stay.

Justice Stephen G. Breyer, writing for the dissenting justices, said the court should have put off the execution of the inmate, Christopher Lee Price, long enough for a federal judge to hold a trial, which had been scheduled to start on June 10, to consider whether the states execution protocol violated the Eighth Amendments ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

On Wednesday, Mr. Prices lawyers urged the Supreme Court to grant a brief delay.

The evidence heavily favors Mr. Price, his lawyers wrote. The state, however, is desperately seeking to prevent federal judicial review of its lethal injection protocol, hoping that Mr. Prices execution on May 30 will moot his Eighth Amendment claim before the district court is able to issue a ruling on the merits.
Mexico is Washingtons largest trading partner, sending across the border items like tomatoes, cars and rugs. Mexico sent the United States $346.5 billion of goods last year  meaning that a 5 percent tariff on those products would amount to a tax increase of more than $17 billion.

Most of the costs would then be passed on to businesses and consumers.

Mexicos deputy foreign minister for North America, Jesus Seade, said at a hastily arranged news conference on Thursday that Mr. Trumps announced tariffs would be disastrous and suggested Mexico could retaliate against American products. But in a letter to Mr. Trump posted online, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico said he did not want a confrontation with his American counterpart and insisted on the need for dialogue.

Mr. Trumps frustration over the rising number of illegal border crossings has steadily risen since January, when Democrats refused to grant him billions of dollars to build his long-promised wall along the southwestern border. Since then, he has consistently framed immigration as a national security crisis and tried different tactics to punish the countries he blames for the flow of migrants.

[Read on how China is planning a list of US firms to block in answer to Trump.]

He has moved to cut off all foreign aid to countries like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, and threatened to completely seal off the border with Mexico, a move that numerous officials told him would violate American law and international treaties.

He later retreated from that threat by giving Mexico a one-year warning instead and threatening heavy auto tariffs on cars coming into the United States. Mr. Trump also shifted hundreds of Customs and Border Protection agents from inspecting goods flowing into the United States to policing the southwestern border, a move that has disrupted trade by producing long wait times at border crossings.

He has also purged top officials at the Department of Homeland Security, including the secretary, Kirstjen M. Nielsen. But he has continued to say that he believes Mexico could do more to prevent the problem.

Earlier on Thursday, the administration said it planned to seek congressional approval of its revised trade pact with Mexico and Canada, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which would preserve the ultralow tariffs originally put into place under Nafta. To hasten approval of the deal in all three countries, Mr. Trump recently agreed to lift tariffs the United States had placed on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico. Those countries, in turn, agreed to lift punishing tariffs on American goods, including farm products like pork, whiskey, apples and cheese.
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea has executed its special envoy to the United States on spying charges, as its leader, Kim Jong-un, has engineered a sweeping purge of the countrys top nuclear negotiators after the breakdown of his second summit meeting with President Trump, a major South Korean daily reported on Friday.

Kim Hyok-chol, the envoy, was executed by firing squad in March at the Mirim airfield in a suburb of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, Chosun Ilbo, South Koreas largest daily, reported on Friday, citing an anonymous source. Mr. Kim faced the charge that he was won over by the American imperialists to betray the supreme leader, the newspaper said.

Four officials of the North Korean Foreign Ministry were also executed, the South Korean daily reported, without providing any hint of who its source might be or how it obtained the information.

South Korean officials could not confirm the Chosun Ilbo report. North Korea has not reported any execution or purge of top officials in recent months. The country remains the worlds most isolated, and outside intelligence agencies have sometimes failed to figure out or have misinterpreted what was going on in the closely guarded inner circles of the countrys leader, Kim Jong-un.
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, recalling how the Berlin Walls destruction 30 years ago taught her that anything was possible, exhorted Harvards 2019 graduating class on Thursday to reject isolationism and nationalism, embrace the fight against climate change, see the world through others eyes and never describe lies as truth and truth as lies.

Ms. Merkel, in her 13th year as chancellor and widely regarded as the leader of Western Europe, never mentioned President Trump by name in the commencement keynote speech. But she laid out a worldview that showed her deep differences both with his administration and the forces of right-wing populism that have emerged in Europe and elsewhere. And she did so on Americas most prominent academic stage.

Speaking mostly in German with a consecutive English translation, Ms. Merkel, 64, paused more than a dozen times for applause and received three standing ovations from the graduates and guests at Harvards commencement in Cambridge, Mass. Earlier in the day, Harvards president, Lawrence Bacow, awarded Ms. Merkel an honorary doctor of laws degree.

The chancellor, who has said she will leave politics in 2021, began by telling the crowd how, as a young physicist in East Berlin during the Cold War, she walked home every day, frustrated and despondent that the wall dividing the city had limited her life. All of that changed abruptly when the wall came down in 1989.
SAN FRANCISCO  The large, brightly colored canvases sparkled beside the white walls of the Gagosian Gallery downtown. Larry Gagosian, the art worlds megadealer, stood toward the back of the room in blue jeans and loafers while the star of the evening, Richard Prince, the artist perhaps best known for tweaking iconic images and pushing the boundaries of intellectual property, stood reticently at the gallery entrance in a blazer and black Dr. Martens boots.

The only hint that this show on Thursday night might stray from the norm was the faint smell of marijuana.

Mr. Prince, who turns 70 later this year, used the occasion to introduce both an exhibition of his vivid, faux-primitive paintings and drawings called High Times and a line of branded joints and cannabis vape pens in packaging adorned with his art.
For months, the management of the financially struggling Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has tried to negotiate cutting the number of weeks it pays its musicians to 40 weeks from 52. And its players have resisted, arguing that such a move would weaken the quality of the ensemble.

On Thursday afternoon the orchestras management announced that it was unilaterally canceling its summer season  which was to have begun with a new music festival on June 19.

So the atmosphere was charged when the orchestra gathered in the evening to play their scheduled concert, Beethovens Emperor concerto, at its hall in Baltimore.

As the concert began, Brian Prechtl, a percussionist who is one of the chairmen of the players committee , strode to the front of the stage and announced that the musicians had been shocked that afternoon to learn of the cancellation  and said that the musicians had been told that they would not be paid after June 16. The audience responded with loud boos.
No late-night talk show host ever displayed more antagonism toward show business. He didnt just mock the obsession with celebrities; he teased them to their face, displaying studious indifference to the projects they were promoting and a smirking skepticism to their hints of pretentiousness, self-importance or eccentricity. When he said he had an insatiable appetite about celebrities, he clearly meant the opposite.

David Letterman once terrified stars (not to mention their publicists and managers) so much that the fear of being a guest was the subject of a short story by David Foster Wallace. Kanye West is exactly the kind of grandiose character whom Letterman would once have approached with rigorous Everyman sarcasm, and in their conversation, the rapper provided plenty of opportunity for eye rolls, like when he said he would know his work was done when there was world peace.

Letterman never went for the deflating joke. Much of this seasons conversations go by without laughs. Instead, with West, he asked for fashion advice and got a set of new clothes from Wests house that he showed off to Kim Kardashian. When Letterman, the Indiana-born broadcaster who was last fashion-forward wearing sneakers with a suit, told West, I heard you refer to Hermes as the pinnacle, I nearly did a spit take.

There was some brief conflict when they moved onto the subjects of President Trump (West said he didnt vote, and Letterman balked) and #MeToo, the latter discussion seeming highly edited. West said men in powerful positions were afraid to talk about this issue, and Letterman, who faced a sex scandal that nearly derailed his career, responded that the fear men felt couldnt compare to that of women. Then the conversation quickly shifted.

Lettermans famously self-critical streak seems mostly absent. In fact, he is in a surprisingly good mood, delighted by Tiffany Haddish, effusively praising her talent and even giving her a foot rub. In an episode with the British racecar driver Lewis Hamilton, who as Letterman himself acknowledges probably does need some introduction for many people, he rides go-karts with a couple of kids. (Hamilton got his start racing karts, though this interlude still seems an odd detour.)
The Best of 2021

What to Do in New York This Weekend

Pride Month 2019 has arrived, and there are several timely shows worth visiting. Or stay inside and stream a powerful new series.













Read in app Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Give this article

Share





Read in app
CULT OF THE DEAD COW

How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World

By Joseph Menn

Our story begins at the end, at a fund-raiser for Beto ORourke. The attendees are drawn from the Bay Area start-up and tech security world and the host is Adam ODonnell, an early member of the original hacking supergroup, the Cult of the Dead Cow. A cow skull hangs in the hallway as a reminder to those familiar with the groups underground origins  like ORourke himself, another early member once known by his handle Psychedelic Warlord. The co-host is Facebooks chief security officer, Alex Stamos, a prominent protege of the group. At Facebook, we learn, Stamos was quietly helping Muellers investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

In Cult of the Dead Cow, Joseph Menn unspools the history of this group, tracking their evolution from apolitical hobbyists to performance artists and culture jammers attempting to expose security flaws, to human rights and internet freedom advocates and eventually to security advisers for powerful institutions. But first we return to the early days of the group, also known as cDc, when many of the main figures were teenagers. True to the politically fungible countercultural style that has characterized the online world ever since, an ironic riff on The Anarchists Cookbook appears in the cDc member Kevin Wheelers online bulletin board Demon Roach Underground, which also mocked Nancy Reagans anti-drugs Just Say No campaign. Some brought the influence of fringe culture  UFOs, secret societies and B movies  while others shared utopian ideas about a moneyless future society and a libertarian opposition to censorship.

In early discussions about the groups name, an original member, Brandon Brewer, still a schoolboy, knew that we wanted it to be weird and to thumb our nose at the establishment. The groups name and symbol, a cow head with Xs for eyes, was influenced by an iconic industry of Texas, Menn explains, the place where they started out.

Another member, Jesse Dryden, who was also the son of a member of Jefferson Airplane, wanted the group to be shaped by a previous counterculture generation, including phone hackers and the Yippies. Dryden helped turn cDc into a 1990s successor to the Merry Pranksters, writes Menn. Dryden also counted as a family friend John Perry Barlow, whom Menn describes as a freewheeling Grateful Dead lyricist and early fan of online communities who would be a major influence on cDc. Barlow was also a founder of the libertarian organization the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Dryden helped set up HoHoCon, a hacker conference model that brought together all the different strands emerging in the hacker world and creating greater real-life networks.
THE FOX AND DR. SHIMAMURA

By Christine Wunnicke

Translated by Philip Boehm

In a room in Kyoto with custom-padded walls, a retired neurologist sits and stares out, or at, the window. It is 1922. He is Japanese, but speaks German, sometimes without realizing it. He suffers from consumption, but that diagnosis is perhaps too simple. His maid may be a nurse, or possibly a psychiatric patient, and no one is sure of her name. His mother is writing his biography, but burns the pages as she goes. His wife tampers with small details of his invalid existence, to see what he will do. Being a doctor is contagious, she says.

There is little that is fixed in Christine Wunnickes glittering, absurdist jewel of a novel, itself a translation from the German. Here is what we know: During the summer of 1891, at the suggestion of his professor in Tokyo, a young Dr. Shimamura ambles through rural Shimane Prefecture, examining women reportedly possessed by fox spirits. He is hot, bored and skeptical, until he meets Kiyo, a blossoming beauty whose symptoms  howling, writhing, frothing, with something fox-shaped sliding sinuously beneath her skin  conform more closely to folklore than to any textbook diagnosis. Something transformative happens in Shimane. The details are elusive, but from then on Shimamura runs a chronic fever, and women are drawn to him like moths to a flame. Sometimes he notices a lump under his skin.

The Japanese government, eager in the late 19th century to harness the newest Western ideas, sends Shimamura to Paris and then Berlin and Vienna to burnish his credentials at the feet of the men who are creating the fields of neurology and psychology: Charcot, Tourette, Binet, Breuer, Freud. (Shimamura is himself a historical figure; the skewing of these foundational physicians is one of the sly delights of Wunnickes tale.) Armed, at his Japanese mentors suggestion, with a portfolio of pornographic woodblock prints in case he needs to play the oriental, Shimamura sets out to deepen his understanding. Let Europe infect me, he thinks  perhaps science will exorcise the lingering questions raised by the fox princess of Shimane.

He succeeds only in confirming that true understanding is impossible. Or perhaps everyone actually agrees, but no one is listening. And no matter what happens, no one remembers it the same way, and everyones own memories shift over time.
By the time the Plaza was acquired by the Qatar Investment Authority in 2018, its indomitable glamour had seen a free fall of successive foreign overlords. They included a Saudi prince teaming with a Singaporean billionaire, an Israeli speculator who carved up the hotel into condominiums and retail spaces, and an Indian con man who negotiated his financial exit from the most evil-smelling hospitality suite in the world, Delhis notorious Tihar Jail. A boutique hotel remains, but the condominium suites are mostly silent, acquired by iffy oligarchs and dubious emissaries from go-go emerging markets.

Its galling to have to admit that Trump is the owner who leaps most vividly from the pages of this entertaining history, just as he does from cable TV. He announced his first wifes appointment as the Plazas new president in what we have come to know as his unique idiom of insulting hype: My wife, Ivana, is a brilliant manager. I will pay her one dollar a year and all the dresses she can buy. There is compensating glee to be derived from identifying the characters who continue to inhabit Trump World or have been replaced by their replicas. It was Thomas Barrack, later chairman of the Trump 2016 inaugural committee, who, as The New York Times put it, played Donald like a Stradivarius on behalf of the Westin group and got him to shell out more than 25 times the hotels expected earnings. The precursor of the Trump fall guy Michael Cohen is the equally abject Abraham Wallach, who, in a familiar trope, won Trumps attention by going on TV as a competing real estate developer and ridiculing the price Trump had paid for the Plaza. Trump hit him with a $250 million lawsuit for defamation but then, with his unerring nose for exploitable moral weakness, hired Wallach and turned him into a pummeled foot soldier. Like Cohen, Wallach would do anything for his bosss approval, including  in a scene worthy of Mel Brookss The Producers  hiding in a secret room adjoining the Plazas Vanderbilt Suite to eavesdrop on a rivals negotiations with a bank.

The other great character in this teeming cast is not a billionaire but a union leader. Peter Ward represented the 35,000 bellmen, doormen, banquet waiters and maids who made up the powerful New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council. By the time he enters the story, were thirsting to hear more about the downstairs life of the Plaza. I wish Satow had dwelt more on the lives of that pyramid of toiling housemaids, laundresses, bellhops and waiters who kept the Titanic afloat. Just as the flashy museums and universities of the United Arab Emirates are built on the backs of abused migrant workers, the Plazas luxury was underpinned by many decades of exploitation.

Some employees in Harry Blacks champagne era earned as little as 83 cents a day, with 18-hour shifts and no paid days off. The steel girding that built the Plaza, 10,000 tons of it, was hammered by the rough, tough rivet gangs, cowboys of the sky, who in 1906 exploded with resentment and beat a hated supervisor to death as he stepped shakily out onto the scaffolding on the eighth floor.

A century later, it was Ward who took on the Israeli owners, El Ad, when they arrogantly assumed they could carve the Plaza into condos and dispense with 900 union jobs without a fight. His Save the Plaza campaign was conducted with such inspired persistence and political guile that he kept the jobs of 350 union employees, won an increased severance package for the rest and preserved the Grand Ballroom, the Oak Room and the Palm Court from wanton destruction.

Today the Plaza is a grand-facade boutique hotel and retail space under pretentious deluxe apartments owned by the kind of affluent global flotsam who fake their childrens SAT scores. Yet her Serene Highness of 59th Street sails on, confidently awaiting the next custodian of New Yorks social dream.
LADYSITTING

My Year With Nana at the End of Her Century

By Lorene Cary

HOW TO FORGET

By Kate Mulgrew

Tending to a loved one at the end of his or her life is an exhausting chore, one in which heartache, burnout and family infighting eventually give way to an incomprehensible amount of grief. But caregiving also provides an opportunity to reflect on the important things in life  what it means, where we came from, why things are the way they are  while also saying goodbye.

In Ladysitting, the author and educator Lorene Cary (her 1991 memoir, Black Ice, chronicles her adolescent experience as a young black student attending St. Pauls boarding school) describes the time she spent caring for her feisty, tenacious 100-year-old grandmother, Nana Jackson.

As a child in Philadelphia, Cary saw Nanas house as a refuge, a place where she could escape her parents rules, sit in the slivers of sunlight and be spoiled. Her fathers mother, Nana always treated Cary with a warmth and kindness she showed few other people, including her own son. Over the decades she has survived pneumonia and a car accident, and she has outlived her term in hospice. But after learning she has degenerative heart disease, shes in need of round-the-clock care. Cary, her husband and daughters take the strong-willed Nana into their home, aiming to help her find her way to a good death.

Upon arrival Nana grows increasingly stubborn and picky, while Cary juggles the logistics involved in bringing a close to a life that has spanned a century. As she navigates the frustrations of Americas broken health care system, Cary helps her grandmother sell the apartments shes owned since the 1950s, and then patches up the tumultuous relationship between her grandmother and father.
European Diplomacy

To the Editor:

Michael A. McFaul usefully reminds us of Europes resilience in his review of Ian Kershaws The Global Age: Europe 1950-2017 (May 19). However, his historical run-through is quite mistaken when he writes that almost every leader on the Continent mobilized against the Bush administrations decision to invade Iraq in 2003.

In fact, a letter of support authored by the British and Spanish prime ministers, Tony Blair and Jose Maria Aznar, was signed by the heads of six other countries (the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Portugal). In addition, 10 Eastern European countries from the Vilnius Group signed a separate letter backing the Bush administration.

To be sure, millions of Europeans did indeed oppose the war and they were joined by the leaders of Germany and France, but the heads of some of the Continents largest countries (Italy, Spain and Portugal) were among those who gave their backing to the Iraq invasion.

ROBERT J. LIEBER

WASHINGTON

The writer is a professor of government and international affairs at Georgetown University.
DAWSONS FALL

By Roxana Robinson

Roxana Robinsons deeply reasoned sixth novel tangles with the nature of truth and conviction in a society split by racial violence and a runaway media. But this is the 19th century, not our own; this is the story of her own familys past. Isnt history familiar? Isnt familiarity unsettling?

The hero of Dawsons Fall is Robinsons great-grandfather Frank, an Englishman turned Confederate captain turned liberal newspaperman, one of the few white voices in Reconstruction South Carolina trying to tip the scales toward humanity. More prosaically, hes also caught up in the affair of one of his domestics, a Swiss governess who has been seduced by the drooping mustache of the doctor next door, and not everyone makes it through the scandal alive. Weaving excerpts from her great-grandmother Sarahs diaries and Franks editorials into her fiction, Robinson embarks on a grand and worthy experiment: to test the sturdiness of truth against the lure of unreality, of embellishment, of fervor.

What stands in the way of her familys heroism is the era theyre caught in. How, Robinson asks, could ancestors of hers, descendants of a freedom-loving Welsh clan, live with the same dedication to honor in a society built and bloodied by slavery, that dark basilisk reign? The journey toward an answer is as good as we can hope for: both majestic and faltering.

A green Frank Dawson comes to America in the 1860s because the Confederacy feels righteous; the myth of the (white) oppressed thats already snaking around the Souths neck is persuasive to this gentleman of principle. As he falls into journalism, we follow the wartime plight of his future bride, whose evacuation during the bombardment of Baton Rouge comes alive in diary fragments. White and black were all mixed together, she observes in the chaos, and were as confidential as though related. Against these beautiful fragments from the archives, Robinsons scenes are lovingly crafted, both stark and intimate, and we watch in suspense as the Dawsons begin unraveling purpose from prejudice. When Frank, now the editor of The Charleston News and Courier, encounters the black educator John Langston, he mistakes the mans light skin for whiteness. The slow revelation of his error unnerves Frank, upsets his liberality. What was confusing was that Langston spoke like a white man, Robinson writes. His lack of deference: He acted like a white man. Frank remains polite, but as Southerners will tell you, politeness here can come cheap.
The book gives the history of major discoveries as well as the latest insights, such as about the North American monarch butterfly, which migrates south. We knew little about this remarkable feat until relatively recently, when the Canadian entomologist Frederick Urquhart made his discoveries. After searching for hiding places where his countrys monarchs might be hibernating, and not finding any, he got the brilliant idea of tagging 300,000 butterflies with a number and a request (obviously in minuscule writing) to let him know where the animal had been found. He eventually learned that Canadian monarchs travel all the way to Texas and Mexico. They get there by orienting to the suns position in the sky, or if it is cloudy, with the help of polarized light. In 1976, Urquhart made front-page news with his announcement of an overwintering site in the Mexican mountains. Since then more such sites have been discovered, always at high altitude, each one packed with millions of butterflies.

The number of animals traveling long distance, from insects to sea turtles, and from eels to whales, is just astonishing, as are the many ways in which they find their way. Scientists have also explored navigation in our own species: Studies into gender difference have found men on average more efficient at spatial orientation. Perhaps our male ancestors needed to roam far and wide to find food and mates. We now often let GPS devices do the navigation for us. With less practice remembering locations, our brains may change and we may have a reduced hippocampus. Navigation remains tremendously important for us, though, whether in the city or in the countryside. Whenever our smartphone lacks satellite service, we still need to tap into our natural navigational capacities even if they are no match for those of the supernavigators in this eye-opening book.
BEIJING  The Chinese government said on Friday that it was putting together an unreliable entities list of foreign companies and people, an apparent first step toward retaliating against the United States for denying vital American technology to Chinese companies.

Chinas Ministry of Commerce said the list would contain foreign companies, individuals and organizations that do not follow market rules, violate the spirit of contracts, blockade and stop supplying Chinese companies for noncommercial reasons, and seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

It did not give any details of which companies or entities it would include on the list, or what would happen to them. The ministry said that specific measures would be announced in the near future.

Still, the language echoes that of the United States government, which in recent months has placed Chinese companies on what it calls an entity list of firms that need special permission to buy American components and technology. Two weeks ago, the Trump administration placed Huawei, the Chinese maker of telecommunications gear, on the entity list, which could deny it access to microchips, software and other American-provided technology it needs to make and sell its products.
Thats what always happens when there are no barriers to entry in a market. In 1848, for example, at the start of the California gold rush, the first miners made about $20 per day, on average. The historical data shows that was at least 10 times more than the wage for workers doing what I would classify as similar activities  stone cutting and brick laying  in New York at that time.

Over the next eight years, so many people moved to California searching for gold that miners average earnings fell to $3 a day, minus expenses  barely more than they could have made if they had been cutting stones in New York.

What killed the gold rush wasnt the lack of gold  production tripled over that time. It was the entry of so many competing miners that drove average earnings down so low that most of them barely made enough to stay in business.

And so it is with ride-share drivers today. Another study, by a New York University professor and two Uber employees, found the same dynamic: Higher prices increased driver incomes, but only for a few weeks.

As new drivers entered the market, attracted by higher wages, the average driver had to spend more time waiting for fares. Average pay returned to the level economists refer to as the outside option  the pay level of whatever else the drivers could be doing if they werent driving for Uber or Lyft.

If for many ride-share drivers the next best option is delivering for an outfit like Dominos Pizza, or working at a fast-food restaurant, then average pay for the drivers will likely to end up around minimum wage, too.

Some of this is just educated guesswork. Its not as easy to measure drivers average wages  and, therefore, their price sensitivity  as you might think. Since drivers pay their own fuel and depreciation expenses, we need to subtract those costs from their earnings, but we dont have good data.
You grew up in Berkeley, Calif. Did any of the counterculture influence you?

I was running from tear gas even before I could walk, because I was on my dads shoulders as he was running from tear gas at a protest against the Vietnam War. A willingness to think for yourself was probably one of the things that growing up in Berkeley really helped with.

How did you get interested in technology?

At Stanford, my undergraduate major was called symbolic systems, which was artificial intelligence and cognitive science. The computer science majors would mockingly call it C.S. light, because you didnt have to do the full C.S. major; you only had to do some of the introductory things. The pivot to working in tech was simply that the pay was better. I went, O.K., if I go and do the tech internship, Ill get paid more. Ill go do that. So I did a summer internship at Xerox PARC, where my job was building a simulator for a multiagent learning system. Then I did a summer internship at IBM on expert systems.

Why did you then go on to get a masters in philosophy?

I was intensely interested in the questions of who are we as individuals in society, and who should we be. How do we think? How do we reason? How do we communicate? Philosophy doesnt have a better understanding than anyone else. Its still all unknown. But the thing that I learned from philosophy was an ability to articulate theories crisply, which led to an ability to express crisp theories of human nature, which aligns with some of the most interesting things around , like consumer internet and entrepreneurship. Philosophy enabled all that in a much more robust way than an M.B.A.

You can learn the technical skills, what a coding mind-set is, what data structures look like. But understanding  here is the way the world could be, here is the theory of human nature that youre playing into in order to create that world, and here is that kind of combination of psychology, sociology and economics together with whats possible in technology  that combination was enabled much more by philosophical thinking.

When did you start thinking about there being a social layer to the internet?

A lot of founders have some North Stars about what is going to be super important to how products evolve, how society evolves, what people can do with technology. For me, that is the notion that software is the medium by which we connect with each other, communicate, coordinate, see each other, understand each other. That instinct and intuition goes all the way back to when I first started seeing online services like CompuServe and AOL. It was just a matter of what were the configurations and patterns for doing that.

Do you believe theres an inherent social benefit to connecting people online?

Yes. Both to themselves and also a healthier group, healthier society.

Do you feel like were now starting to get a real body of evidence that theres a counternarrative to that, between trolls and what happened in Myanmar, for example?
Stocks began 2019 with the snappiest start in more than three decades, as the economy grew faster than expected, the Federal Reserve seemed to abandon its plans to keep raising interest rates, and trade-war rancor between Washington and Beijing seemed to end. By April 30, the S&P 500 had reached a record.

Then the tweets on trade began. In early May, President Trump threatened new tariffs on Chinese products, shattering the calm as markets began a tailspin that was capped with a 1.3 percent drop for the S&P 500 on Friday.

The benchmark index ended May down 6.6 percent, its first monthly decline of the year and its worst drop since an ugly sell-off at the end of 2018.

The decline on Friday came after President Trump tweeted that he would impose a new tariff on all imports from Mexico  a tax that could rise to as high as 25 percent  unless the countrys government took steps to address the flow of migrants across the United States border, and Beijing announced plans to unveil a blacklist of foreign companies and people. Chinas move was seen as a retaliation against the Trump administrations efforts to deny American technology to Chinese companies.
China

The clash with Beijing has been Mr. Trumps biggest trade conflict and the one that has spooked economists and investors the most. It could affect more than $730 billion in goods and services that flow annually between the two countries.

For now, it has no end in sight. Talks broke down in early May after the United States accused China of backtracking from offers made earlier in the negotiations. Mr. Trump then raised tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent on $200 billion a year in imports from China and threatened to target even more Chinese goods. China soon retaliated and is looking for other ways to strike back. That could mean using the value of its currency as a trade-war weapon or leveraging its hold on key minerals and processes that the world depends on.

The effects could be huge if the trade war lingers or intensifies. American companies count on China for a significant share of their profits and for the critical role it plays in making many of the worlds goods. China needs the American export market to keep its economy going and wants advanced technology like computer chips and software from the United States to foster its economic development.
Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter.

Corn prices are rising as surging floodwaters and soaking rains  combined with President Trumps trade war with China  are making it an exceptionally difficult year for farmers facing risky choices about what crops to plant, or whether to plant at all.

Its probably the most complicated decision season Ive ever seen, said Wallace Tyner, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University.

So far this year, farmers have planted only two-thirds of the corn they would have been expected to by now, based on the previous five years. And with their fields still wet or underwater, the window for planting corn is closing. The resulting rise in commodities prices could eventually mean higher food costs in the nations grocery stores.

Yet the standard decisions facing most grain farmers are already trickier than usual this year, as a result of President Trumps escalating trade dispute with China, one of the most important foreign markets for agricultural products from the American Midwest.
Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter.

WASHINGTON  The Trump administration said Friday that it has lifted a summertime ban on the use of E15, a gasoline blend made of 15 percent ethanol. The move is designed to help corn and soybean farmers harmed by President Trumps decision to impose tariffs.

Ethanol, made from corn and other crops, has been mixed into some types of gasoline for years as a way to reduce reliance on oil, among other things. However, burning ethanol-blended fuel in the summertime heat has a side effect of increasing smog  and for that reason the lifting of the ban raised objections from environmentalists. Oil companies also criticized the ending of the summertime ban because a wider use of ethanol will cut into their sales of gasoline.

Nevertheless, the change has the potential to reap political benefits for Mr. Trump as he gives the agriculture industry a policy change it has long sought. The formal lifting of the ban follows through on a promise Mr. Trump made to farmers on a trip to Iowa last fall, as he sought to shore up support for Republicans in the Midwest. The ban has been in place since 2011 and Mr. Trump has criticized it as ridiculous.

I appreciate President Trumps steadfast support for our patriotic farmers and for his commitment to expand the sale of E15 and unleash the full potential of American innovation and ingenuity as we continue to demonstrate our rightful place as the worlds leader in agricultural and energy production, the Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement.
Rhythms  as vital to sustaining culture as a heartbeat is  were not the only tradition spread by enslaved Africans brought to the Western Hemisphere centuries ago. So, too, was their religion, in which the various orishas  deities  were hidden in plain sight when syncretized with Roman Catholic saints. Ms. Alarcon, who was raised with traditions from the indigenous Andean faith, began to explore Ecuadors African diaspora, including the lives of her Afro-Ecuadorean friends.

Her resulting project, Cimarrona, is an intimate look at not just the indelible influence of African culture, but also and more importantly at how the descendants of enslaved women maintained their identity and dignity through their spiritual practices. The title refers to enslaved people who threw off their shackles and escaped to freedom.

The practices never disappeared, said Ms. Alarcon, 26, who lives in Quito. This is about black liberation. The idea is when the slaves were taken from Africa, their ancestors and orishas came with them.
Thomas served two tours in Iraq, and her husband, Chris, who died in an avalanche while mountaineering after leaving war behind, served more. Thomas was in pitched combat, and in a truck that was hit by a roadside bomb, and offered first aid to grievously wounded trauma victims, who died. She remembers each incident vividly and feels in control when she does. What is it that allowed her to fare better than some of her peers? Thomas herself wondered, especially after her husband died.

I thought my husbands death, that New Years Eve day, would be the final trigger for post-traumatic stress disorder; it would be what sent me over the edge. The next few months were filled with sleeplessness and drinking, but also exercising and thoughtful introspection as I scoured self-help books and sought therapy. I never had trouble getting out of bed in the morning, and I continued to make it to work on time. I was sad yet functional. I wasnt given a diagnosis of clinical depression or PTSD. There must be something wrong with me for not having something wrong, I thought.

Thomas is a medical student now and volunteered to be a control in a study underwritten by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Center for PTSD at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

I hope you will read her story of her experience, including of how the study, using an M.R.I., tried to map the neurology of her feelings of sanctuary and vigilance.

A research assistant sat in the other room monitoring visual images of my brain as the testing went on for an hour. As I saw later, the imaging looked like a storm on a weather map as certain regions were activated and lit up with increased blood flow. The test was measuring the reactions of my brain when I felt safe and when I was being threatened.

Thomass account is a reminder that popular tropes and easy assumptions about how trauma affects people often do not fit, that suffering and grief are individualized and that we all still have much to learn.

The Latest From At War
Among the many candidates in the Democratic field running for president, the subject of homelessness has had very little airing, even as more than 550,000 people remain homeless in the United States. Progressive politicians around the country, who have brought so much energy to successfully fight for a higher minimum wage  and in New York, for example, against an Amazon headquarters in Queens that would have driven housing prices up in a precariously gentrifying part of the city  have applied considerably less vigor toward the project of combating homelessness.

The reductive answer to the question of why is that homeless people dont vote. But the real reasons are obviously far more complex, rooted not just in a willingness among so many people to disregard the issue but in a hostility, sublimated or otherwise, toward the very poor that percolates even in some of the most liberal quarters of the country. In Denver, for instance, where you can chew on gummy bears full of weed in your Prius undisturbed and where housing prices have also soared in recent years, residents recently voted to preserve a ban on urban camping, the right to sleep in tents or blankets outside, by a margin of 82 percent.

In New York City, which has the largest homeless population in the country  more than 63,000 men, women and childrena familiar script plays out every time a new shelter is announced. While many New Yorkers welcome shelters in their neighborhoods, a vocal minority nearly always comes together to try and stop them. Residents will complain that an influx of new people into a neighborhood will bring new infrastructural burdens. They will say that the city engaged the community too late, that people were not given enough time to consider all the implications even though the city often gives neighborhoods more notice than the law requires.

These reactions are expected in more conservative parts of New York, but they happen in neighborhoods that span the ideological spectrum. Earlier this month, various residents in Park Slope, Brooklyns leftist epicenter, began to push back against plans for two shelters for women and families that would go up next to each other on Fourth Avenue. The buildings, together containing approximately 240 units, were meant to include market-rate apartments, but when it became clear that they would not be filled, the city decided to rent them for shelter space from the developer.

The shelters would be operated by WIN, a social-service agency under the direction of former City Council speaker, Christine Quinn, who spoke at a contentious town hall meeting about the plan a few weeks ago. I was not the picture of pleasantry, she acknowledged.
[What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]

Anyone who has driven on I-95 through Connecticut or on the Long Island Expressway has experienced the heavy traffic and congestion. What if there were a way to reduce delays by diverting cargo and transporting it by boat across the Long Island Sound  a sort of marine highway  instead?

Robert Kunkel, a retired marine engineer, is trying to do just that.

He will soon start a freight ferry service, called Harbor Harvest, which is named for an artisanal grocery store and cafe in Norwalk, Conn., that he has run with his wife, Marilyn, since 2015.

The concept is simple. An environmentally friendly boat will haul locally made products and other cargo between Norwalk and Huntington, N.Y., on Long Island. At both locations, Harbor Harvest warehouses will store the goods and serve as pickup points.

Besides carrying its own freight for resale, Harbor Harvest will also transport goods for other companies, perhaps even small packages.
[The latest: The estranged husband of Ms. Dulos has been charged with murder.]

Last Friday, as she had many times before, Jennifer Dulos dropped her five children off at school.

She left her house in New Canaan, Conn., where she and her family had moved during a turbulent divorce battle with her husband, and drove less than a mile to a private school, the police said.

She has not been seen since.

A week after Ms. Dulos was reported missing, the search for her intensified and expanded across Connecticut, with investigators still trying to determine whether Ms. Dulos, 50, was the victim of foul play.

At the same time, the custody battle between Ms. Dulos and her husband, Fotis Dulos, continued in court, with Mr. Dulos claiming in a filing this week that their five children were being kept under armed guard at their grandmothers apartment in New York.
AND YA DONT STOP Theres various projects that come in between the big stuff. Ive done a short film for the Killers, that song Land of the Free. Im doing something for Budweiser. Im going in and out of the editing room. I dont stand behind my editors back. Barry Browns been my full-time editor since 88. We dont have to have big discussions. Do this. Boom, boom, boom, boom. All right. Ill tell you when Im ready.

SUCKER FREE CITY I go to the bodega. I buy all the papers  not The Post, but The New York Times and The Daily News. That was my chore growing up. I had to get the Sunday paper. Back then you had to do what your parents told you to do. There was no negotiation and discussion. You dont do it, you get hit. Now? We had to bribe. Youre not taking out the garbage? Dont ask me to go to a Knick game. O.K., Im taking out the garbage.

BAMBOOZLED Ive lived in Manhattan over 20 years. I bought the house from Jasper Johns. He didnt leave a drop of paint, a paintbrush, nothing. There was a Rauschenberg door. Our broker said if you buy the house, you get to keep the door. We bought the house. There was no door. He took the hinges, too.
Virginia Zabriskie, an art dealer whose New York and Paris galleries specialized in modern and contemporary American works of the non-blue-chip kind, and who helped establish photography as a fine art, died on May 7 at her home in Manhattan. She was 91.

Her death was confirmed by the critic Martica Sawin, a close friend.

A lively, indefatigable woman, Ms. Zabriskie pursued a long career despite suffering throughout her life from dystonia, a neurological movement disorder that affected her speech and the mobility of her hands.

She had set out from childhood to be an artist but changed her mind in college because, she was quoted as saying in Zabriskie: Fifty Years, a book celebrating her gallerys anniversary, my ability to interpret and criticize art grew faster than my ability to make it.

She switched to art history, acquiring the knowledge and research skills that served her ecumenical view of art, her interest in artists from the past and her knack for presenting interesting group shows.
If there is one lesson to be learned from the recent European parliamentary elections in Germany, its this: The era of the big-tent parties is over. Both governing parties, the center-right Christian Democrats and the center-left Social Democrats, who are currently in a grand coalition under the lead of Chancellor Angela Merkel, suffered significant losses. The Christian Democrats won just 22.6 percent of the vote, a whopping 7.5 percentage points off their results in the last European elections, in 2014. The Social Democrats fared even worse, dropping to 15.8 percent, an 11.6 point drop. Voters from both parties flocked to the Greens, who came in second for the first time in a national election.

This trend away from the big old parties has been long in the making, but the European elections made it crystal clear to everyone  except the big old parties themselves. In the week since, leaders from both parties signaled they are keeping their current tack, making no changes to their agendas (so far). They are determined to keep on dying.

Instead, both parties have been overtaken by infighting. Andrea Nahles, the head of the Social Democrats, and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the leader of the Christian Democrats, are being challenged internally by dissidents unhappy with their stay-the-course strategies. But even the dissidents, who want to see new leaders atop their parties, do not grasp the depth of the challenge: The country and the world have changed, and both parties have failed to keep with the times. They have missed out on engaging the next generation. They have failed to adapt to a changing communications environment. And both parties have contented themselves to managing politics, instead of shaping politics. Unable to change, they are frozen in place.

Take climate change. Germans overwhelmingly recognize the near-term threat of rising global temperatures. As in many other Western countries, students are taking to the streets every Friday demanding that their politicians step up. But German policymakers seem to lack any sense of urgency, and the country is lagging desperately behind on its carbon-reduction goals.
NEW ORLEANS  Saturday is the official start of hurricane season. And the Army Corps of Engineers recently predicted that our levee system may soon be obsolete.

The corps announced in April that, because of global sea level rise and because Louisiana is sinking, risk to life and property in the greater New Orleans area will progressively increase without substantial improvements. As early as 2023, the levee system may no longer protect New Orleans and its suburbs against a so-called 100-year storm, or a hurricane with a 1 percent chance of happening here each year.

We might expect such a storm soon. But we may feel the effects of the levee systems decline evens sooner. Thats because our flood protections must be certified to the 100-year standard in order for us to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program.

The Corps of Engineers did not respond to my inquiries about what would happen if the New Orleans system lost its certification. In fairness, the corps is busy with what it calls a flood fight that is historic and unprecedented on the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers. But the likely scenario is that many people here would lose their discounted federal flood insurance rates, making coverage more expensive, in some cases prohibitively so.
Ysabels case, I later determined after an hour of being referred from one phone line to another, had been transferred to the Board of Immigration Appeals  Americas highest administrative body for interpreting and applying immigration law. When I finally got ahold of someone from the office to inquire whether a court date had been set for Ysabels case, I was told that there was none. Instead of holding hearings, the court decides most cases behind closed doors, usually based solely on paper review. When I asked if the office could estimate how long it might take for a decision to be reached, I was told bluntly theres no timeline for the board.

The power the government wields over Ysabels fate is difficult to fully grasp. The purgatory she and other asylum seekers are made to endure often lasts for months or even years. All across the country, migrants like her are being shut off from public view in hundreds of facilities that are largely unaccountable to the outside world. Few other countries are engaged in imprisoning noncriminals at such a scale: According to the Geneva-based Global Detention Project, the American immigration detention system is the largest in the world, and one of the few that locks up migrants in criminal-style prisons.

An internal report conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2009 plainly states that the agencys detention model relies primarily on correctional incarceration standards designed for pretrial felons, standards that, ICE admits, impose more restrictions and carry more costs than are necessary. But these costs represent immense profits for the private detention industry: In fiscal year 2016, roughly two-thirds of all detained migrants (more than 260,000 people) were held in for-profit facilities, generating more than $4 billion in revenue.

Prolonged detention magnifies the most dehumanizing elements of the migrant experience  the commodification of bodies that occurs as migrants are trafficked, the dangers they endure along our militarized border and the criminalization thrust upon them from the moment they cross it. All of that is concentrated within the walls of the detention center. The women I meet feel this keenly. I hope I can soon leave these four walls, they tell me, because within them, its like we are animals.

The acute power of this dehumanization is also meant to serve as a tool of deterrence. Deterrence, after all, has become the underlying philosophy of border enforcement  the ever-growing danger and expense of crossing our Southwestern deserts, the horrifying prospect of parents being separated from their children, the destabilizing uncertainty of being imprisoned with no end in sight. All of it is meant to discourage, dissuade and ultimately break the spirit of the would-be migrant.

One of the women I visit regularly, a 57-year-old grandmother from Guatemala, recently admitted to me that she was considering dropping her asylum claim in order to be deported as soon as possible. The power she felt crushing her after more than half a year of detention was becoming even more unendurable than the overwhelming fear that led her to flee her home in the first place. No puedo aguantar mas, she told me  I cant take it any longer.

This, I wanted to tell her, was the system working as it was designed. Instead, I told her not to lose faith, not to give up, wondering all the while if the refuge she sought here might be withheld from her forever.

Francisco Cantu is a former Border Patrol Agent and the author of The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches From the Border.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.
Shane knew another farmer, Joe Bragger, who was attending the vice presidents rally the next day, so we arranged to have dinner afterward with Joe and his family at their home.

Once that was taken care of, we could return to planting corn. Shanes John Deere 8335R tractor is equipped with state-of-the-art GPS and can pretty much direct itself, automatically aligning the rows of seeds being planted. Yes, I wanted to drive it. (Though when I learned a new one sold for $330,000, I understood why he wasnt eager for me to take the wheel.)

Shane told me about his familys history as farmers in the area, which stretched back to the 1850s when his ancestors first arrived as immigrants from Norway.

We talked about weather cycles; the effect of a cold snap on early corn (its like the brain freeze headache that strikes when you eat ice pops too fast); commodity prices and loans; his wifes teaching job, his three daughters and white deer hunting ; why he voted for Mr. Trump; the impact of tariffs; federal farm aid; and Chinas leaders.

Then we drove off to the next field.

Growing up, the last thing I wanted was to be a farmer, he said. Now he loves it. I dont know what else Id do.

But it is a tough life. Over the previous week, Shane had spent 125 hours in the tractor and had missed his daughters performance in a concert the night before. No one should have to work this hard to make a living.

Shane said he and other farmers he knows wanted a businessman in the White House. Most important, he said, is that Mr. Trump loves farmers.
When Frankie Celenza is home, hungry and doesnt feel like cooking, relief can be found an elevator and an escalator ride away.

A faster-than-Grubhub trip lands him inside DeKalb Market Hall, a mix of sandwich shops and noodle joints thats essentially in the basement of City Tower, Mr. Celenzas Downtown Brooklyn rental building.

Yes, it can feel weird to live life under a single roof with the food hall, he said, but one-stop shopping is compelling.

I sometimes would prefer to take a walk down the block, said Mr. Celenza, 32, a chef and a host of an online cooking show. But there has to be 1,000 things there to try. And it has something for everyone, so why not?
The house that Tony Soprano called home is listing for sale 20 years after its television debut.

The roughly 5,600-square-foot home in North Caldwell, N.J., where Americas favorite fictional mobster scooped up his morning newspaper and swam with ducks, is being listed for sale by the owners, Patti and Victor Recchia, at a starting price of $3.4 million. Set on a 1.5-acre lot, it includes the main house with four bedrooms, four full bathrooms and a powder room; two two-car garages; and a detached one-bedroom guesthouse. The property taxes are $34,005 a year.

The price is ambitious for a neighborhood where comparable homes have sold for between $1.5 million and $2 million, according to Zillow. But Mr. Recchia, 65, the owner of Fourth Generation Construction, which built the house, as well as more than 20 in the development where its located, said the value exceeds the brick and mortar.

Those things can be quantified, said Mr. Recchia, but I dont think you can quantify the intrinsic value of this home.
Networks Minus Numbers

What would a metric-free, or metric-light, social media actually feel like? Its not so easy to imagine revisionist platform histories, given how integral metrics have been to the stories of their rapid rise and dominance. These omnipresent numbers have also served as imperfect but widely used ways to quantify revolutions, jokes, screw-ups and presidencies. And their proprietary and borrowed names  shares, likes, follows, views  have infused our everyday speech.

In earlier incarnations, both Twitter and Instagram presented users with simple chronological feeds, and visible metrics also provided secondary sorting mechanics. These numbers  how many people liked something, or commented on something, or re-shared something, or followed someone  were a biased, ruthless and explicit value system. That these numbers were goals unto themselves was implied from the start.

Instagram without quantified likes might have been nicer, in some way. But it would not have produced the Instagram we know today, and certainly not the Instagram purchased by Facebook for a billion dollars, which became the Instagram of influencers, which is the Instagram of status anxiety, which is the Instagram of more than a billion users.

Looking forward, though, a nearly number-free social media is somewhat easier to visualize. If you primarily consume Instagram Stories, youre already seeing one version of it . And today, what you see on Twitter and Instagram already depends on a mixture of signals  things youve liked in the past, how much time youve spent looking at a particular users content, whether you communicate privately with a given user and whether you have an affinity for some topic or another  not just chronology, likes or retweets. Those signals are all metrics too, of a sort, invisible to us but very much legible to the platforms themselves. Imagine a ticker in your Instagram app counting up the number of times youve scrolled, or tallying the number of times youve tapped, or counting up the seconds youve spent looking at an image. These already exist, somewhere, and may inform what you see every day. Theyre just not for you to know.

Understood this way, the idea that metrics are the problem sounds an awful lot like these companies saying their users can no longer be trusted, not even with the scraps of actionable data theyve been allowed to see for years. (It also doubles as a way to share the premise that there must be a healthy and highly monetizable way to use these services, and that the platforms can be trusted to figure out what it is.) These metrics have outlived their original purpose and been assigned new roles behind the scenes. (TikTok, a much newer app still in its early period of frantic growth, lavishes users with metrics and feedback, and it works. We havent changed; our apps have.)

Likes and retweets used to be translated into signals for people. Now they just provide signals for the machines. In the newer, less immediately comprehensible versions of our feeds, where what we see is chosen according to processes that we can only guess at, Twitter and Instagram suggest the existence of dozens of metrics that are hidden by default. If our feeds are already assembled based on cues from countless secret metrics, why not hide a couple more?
Ms. Auder has been an instructor for decades, teaching for many years at Kula Yoga Project in New York. She now runs a studio called Magu Yoga in Philadelphia, where she and her husband, the filmmaker Nick Nehez, moved with their two children five years ago. She has been practicing yoga since the late 1980s and teaching it since 1994.

She said she is not making fun of any one Instagram yoga celebrity, but all of them. Its a conglomeration of personalities, and when people say they see themselves in my characters, I think that is their problem, not mine.

I think its ridiculous for gorgeous wealthy white women to tell anyone what they should love about themselves, Ms. Auder went on. Rosemary oil is great for the immune system, fine. But the people who really need a boost for their immune system cant afford rosemary oil, and they cant even go to the doctor. So lets give an Instagram heart for that, shall we?

Ms. Auders is one of a handful of social media feeds that holds to account (as it were) the overly branded, idealized version of the yoga lifestyle that has exploded on social media. Others include @shallow_yoga, which features a Barbie doll named Skye Moondust Shallow doing ridiculous yoga poses in ridiculous locations (with captions like, I hope this picture of me holding my leg up in the air in front of a mirror inspires you to say Because of you, Skye, I didnt give up).
<i>[overlapping chatter]</i> <i>DORAIAN: I was just</i> <i>so stressed, Im like,</i> <i>What if I dont get in?</i> <i>[suspenseful music]</i> <i>Behind me are my parents,</i> <i>and my little sister,</i> <i>shes standing there,</i> <i>like, looking over</i> <i>my shoulder.</i> <i>They have the thing where you</i> <i>have to have a certain chair</i> <i>and a certain place in a room.</i> - Wait, wait, wait, you move over. BOTH: Yeah. MAN: No, no. - Oh. <i> </i> - You in. ALL: [screaming, cheering] ALL: [screaming, cheering] <i>NEWS ANCHOR: Youve probably</i> <i>seen the viral videos</i> of their students getting accepted to Ivy League schools. - I am actually here with the founders of the school, Tracey and Mike Landry. - This year were looking to go to MIT, <i>Harvard, Stanford, Columbia.</i> - They were getting all this attention from news channels, they were in articles. <i>Two students made it to</i> Ellen. - Youre 16, and you got into Harvard... - Yes. - ...And you got into Stanford. [laughter] [cheers and applause] - What were you actually feeling in the moment where you thought, like, Yes, TM Landry is the place for me? - One of my dads friends, his son, went to TM Landry, and he had gotten accepted into Brown, and so he was like, Oh, this is actually a system thats working. Let me just move my children there. - He seemed to see in us what we didnt see in ourselves. <i>DORAIAN:</i> <i>That was the second time</i> <i>Ive ever seen my dad cry.</i> <i>I think he was just so proud.</i> <i>RAYMOND: Its a really great,</i> <i>feel-good story.</i> - Lets go. Yeah, lets go! - But its its just not reality. <i>[introspective music]</i> <i> </i> <i>[suspenseful music]</i> <i> </i> <i>ERICA: The viral videos came</i> <i>from a small private school</i> <i>in an old factory building,</i> <i>here in Louisianas</i> <i>Cajun Country.</i> <i>GPS: Turn right.</i> <i>ERICA: Ive been an education</i> <i>reporter for nearly a decade,</i> <i>and if theres one thing</i> <i>Ive learned,</i> <i>its that many</i> <i>poor and black students</i> <i>have the odds</i> <i>stacked against them,</i> <i>especially when trying</i> <i>to get into elite colleges.</i> You know, I watched the videos. Everyone watched the videos. <i>GPS: Turn left.</i> ERICA: They resonated with people because they represented hope. <i>I thought the Landrys</i> <i>had shattered a glass ceiling,</i> <i>so I was shocked when</i> <i>my colleague Katie Benner,</i> <i>who covers</i> <i>the Justice Department</i> <i>got a tip about the school</i> <i>from a former</i> <i>federal prosecutor.</i> <i>Katie and I decided</i> <i>to go down to Louisiana</i> <i>to investigate.</i> <i>[overlapping chatter]</i> <i>[foreboding music]</i> - Come on in, guys. <i> </i> Sit wherever you feel comfortable. I would like to just start kind of at the beginning and go chronologically... <i>ERICA: A group of families</i> <i>wanted us to know</i> <i>that TM Landry</i> <i>wasnt what it seemed.</i> - I can talk to you for hours... <i>ERICA: They had a list</i> <i>of disturbing allegations</i> <i>against the school.</i> - She was scared to attend. - I cant tell you that I had a clue the first year... <i>ERICA: Many of them</i> <i>felt guilty</i> <i>for entrusting the Landrys</i> <i>with their children.</i> - She didnt really like it. But I liked it. <i>ERICA: All of them</i> <i>felt cheated and deceived.</i> - ...And identify you. PARENT: I feel horrible as a grandparent that I allowed her to stay there. - Everybody was drinking the Kool-Aid. - This is almost like a damn cult. <i> </i> <i>[introspective music]</i> <i> </i> <i>ERICA: One of the first people</i> <i>I visited was Bryson Sassou.</i> Hello. <i>He graduated from TM Landry</i> <i>in 2017</i> <i>and went on to St. Johns</i> <i>University in New York City.</i> - It was a nightmare. It really was. ERICA: What about, like, your transcripts? What did that reflect? - A lot of courses that I never even took. Mandarin III, and I got an A- in it. Um, I know nothing of Mandarin. [chuckles] Honors Biology, I got a B+ in it. Never took it. <i>ERICA: Bryson said</i> <i>he didnt find out</i> <i>that the Landrys had doctored</i> <i>his college application</i> <i>until he already moved into</i> <i>his dorm and started classes.</i> <i>Bryson and other students</i> <i>told us that</i> <i>Mike Landry had urged some of</i> <i>them to make up details</i> <i>on their college applications</i> <i>that exploited negative</i> <i>black stereotypes.</i> BRYSON: What he wanted was... TYLER: A sob story. - A sobyes, basically a sob story. <i>ERICA: This, he argued,</i> <i>was what Ivy League schools</i> <i>wanted to hear.</i> - He wanted the grimiest, low-down thing. You not having food in your mouth, and you having to sell drugs or coming from a drug background, how they looked at black kids from the South. He wanted to give them that. My truth was me overcoming my epilepsy. That was my story. - But youre in college now. I mean, was it worth it? - Was it worth it? No. Within my first week there, I dropped all of the original courses I had. I was in courses I had no idea what was going on. <i>[suspenseful music]</i> <i>ERICA: Bryson chose to speak</i> <i>to us at great personal risk.</i> <i>If he exposed the truth</i> <i>about TM Landry,</i> <i>would he get kicked out</i> <i>of college?</i> - A high school diploma. - It sucks that your high school diploma its a TM Landry... BRYSON: [laughs] Its just a TM Landry diploma. - How did you feel when you got this? BRYSON: At the time, I was extremely excited. I really thought I graduated, cause we didnt know that this was a fake diploma. SASSAU: This was the cost of everything. <i>ERICA: TM Landry</i> <i>is unaccredited,</i> <i>so its diplomas arent</i> <i>recognized by Louisiana,</i> <i>a fact that some families said</i> <i>wasnt made clear to them</i> <i>when they signed up.</i> - As a parent, I feel I let them down. <i> </i> I wish Id have known what I know now. <i>[classical music]</i> <i>MIKE: I push our students</i> <i>to attend elite schools</i> not for them to think that theyre better than anyone else, but to change their mind... <i>ERICA: Mike Landry,</i> <i>a former salesmen</i> <i>and Tracey Landry,</i> <i>a registered nurse,</i> <i>used aspirational videos</i> <i>to attract students.</i> - The culture, I would say, is one of a nurturing environment. - All these kids are going to these colleges. Unbelievable, you know? So, why not? - In this state, in this part of the country, for black kids going to Ivy League schools? - As a parent, you go, Wow. <i>ERICA: The Landrys had never</i> <i>run a school before.</i> <i>By 2017, 180 students</i> <i>had enrolled.</i> <i>The Landrys said they created</i> <i>more than a school.</i> <i>They created a family.</i> <i> </i> - Whats going on here? Okay, whats the real story? Lets get behind the scenes here and figure out what really happened. <i>ERICA: Katie and I</i> <i>kept digging.</i> <i>We interviewed</i> <i>dozens of people</i> <i>associated</i> <i>with the Landry school.</i> <i>PARENT:</i> <i>Mike was selling dreams.</i> <i>ERICA: Parents,</i> <i>teachers, students...</i> <i>PARENT: Theres no grades.</i> <i>Theres no transcripts.</i> <i>Theres no proof of anything.</i> - Fake... <i>What they described</i> <i>was an institution</i> <i>focused on ACT prep</i> <i>that offered little</i> <i>formal instruction.</i> Registration fees to start the children off. Tuition for the whole year. <i>But received hundreds</i> <i>of thousands of dollars</i> <i>a year in</i> <i>tuition and donations.</i> <i>MAN: He would pick and choose</i> <i>which kids</i> <i>would get to be</i> <i>in the videos.</i> <i>ERICA: An institution</i> <i>that used its viral videos</i> <i>to attract more students</i> <i>and more money.</i> <i>MAN: It was a misuse</i> <i>of publicity.</i> <i>MAN: It was a marketing tool,</i> <i>you know?</i> <i>ERICA: And convinced</i> <i>universities</i> <i>that some TM Landry students</i> <i>were more</i> <i>than model minorities.</i> <i>They were superheroes who had</i> <i>overcome impossible odds.</i> I mean, and theres a reason that the Landrys came up with this scheme. Theres a reason that they changed their personal statements for the kids to have more of a... a... KATIE: Bigger deficit to overcome. ERICA: Yeah. Black kids always have to have some deficit to overcome in order to be seen as valuable. <i>[foreboding electronic music]</i> <i> </i> <i>FORMER STUDENT: He said I was</i> <i>in AP History.</i> <i>I never took History.</i> <i>MAN: All these classes, TM</i> <i>Landry doesnt really have.</i> <i>FORMER STUDENT: He wanted</i> <i>to put my mom down</i> <i>as a meth head.</i> <i>MAN: It was just so,</i> <i>so bizarre.</i> <i>JONATHAN: Let me just ask them</i> <i>where they stand.</i> ERICA: Were going to be essentially identifying two students who who are in college right now. Im not going to lie, like, over the weekend, I had a few moments where I was like, I, like, cacan I do this? <i>Jonathan: Yeah.</i> - Like, I dont know if I can do it. Like, I dont know. We have more than enough... <i>If the Landrys had lied</i> <i>on behalf of some</i> <i>of the students,</i> <i>we worried about the backlash</i> <i>they could face</i> <i>from our story.</i> Do you think we focus on only students who arent in college? <i> </i> - [mouths] <i>JONATHAN: [sighs]</i> <i>I mean, look,</i> <i>anybody who reads this story</i> <i>is going to say,</i> <i>What happened to the kids</i> <i>that got in</i> <i>based on these</i> <i>fraudulent applications?</i> <i>Its juits a question</i> <i>that we have to answer.</i> <i> </i> <i>ERICA: My fear is</i> <i>its going to impact them,</i> <i>the kids, more than</i> <i>the perpetrators.</i> <i>[ambient music]</i> <i> </i> MARY: Just eat your food, please. Nyjal, you going to eat your food. <i>ERICA: Transcript fraud was</i> <i>only part of the problem</i> <i>at TM Landry.</i> - Oh, Lord. <i>ERICA: We discovered</i> <i>that a family</i> <i>had tried to blow the whistle</i> <i>on the school back in 2017.</i> <i> </i> <i>Nyjal Mitchell was 14</i> <i>when he started at TM Landry.</i> <i>His younger sister, Sanaa,</i> <i>was ten.</i> <i> </i> - I just really wanted to go to MIT. <i>It was my dream to go.</i> <i>I wore the jacket every day,</i> like, as a reminder of where I wanted to go. <i>After the incident,</i> <i>I really havent worn it.</i> <i>ERICA: Nyjal said that</i> <i>during his freshman year,</i> <i>he was playing with friends</i> <i>when Mike Landry</i> <i>walked into the room.</i> - I had picked up, like, something like a... a broom or something, I dont remember, and I started twirling it around and he came at me and he grabbed me. And he, like, had his arm around my throat, then he drug me by the hoodie, and then he put his foot on my neck. After he put his foot on my neck, he made me get on my knees and, like, put my arms around a pole. ERICA: Where in your neck did he put his foot? - Here, right here. ERICA: And other people saw this? NYJAL: Yeah. <i>[solemn music]</i> <i> </i> <i>ERICA: When Nyjal</i> <i>told his parents,</i> <i>they took him</i> <i>to the Breaux Bridge police,</i> <i>and then to the</i> <i>St. Martin Parish Sheriff</i> <i>to file reports.</i> <i>MARY: Mr. Landry</i> <i>had a private meeting</i> <i>to tell parents and students</i> <i>not to have</i> <i>any contact with us.</i> ERICA: They ostracized you guys? - It did my son, my children. <i>ERICA: It mustve been</i> <i>very painful.</i> <i>MARY: It was.</i> - Nobody believes you and nobody wants to help you. <i> </i> - We got a copy of the police report. She said that Nyjal attempted to remove Mikes hand, due to him turning red. The student said that Mike stood Nyjal up and placed him against a wall and continued to choke him. Second witness statement. A parent says that her son told her that Michael Landry choked Nyjal Mitchell. MARY: Their words to me were that my case was closed because there was not enough evidence. <i>How do you look</i> <i>to your son in the face</i> <i>every day and tell him</i> <i>that weve done everything</i> <i>that we were</i> <i>legally supposed to do</i> <i>to stop a predator</i> <i>from hurting you</i> <i>and nothing happens?</i> <i> </i> <i>FORMER STUDENT: Sometimes</i> <i>I would see him choke people.</i> <i>ERICA: More than a dozen</i> <i>other students told us</i> <i>they witnessed physical abuse</i> <i>at the Landry school.</i> <i>Students being choked...</i> - Picked them up and body-slammed them... <i>ERICA: And slammed on desks.</i> <i> </i> <i>In one case, a child</i> <i>with a disability</i> <i>was said to have been put</i> <i>into a trash can.</i> - Just go straight at you like that. <i>ERICA: But the most</i> <i>common form of punishment</i> <i>was sustained kneeling.</i> - Get on your knees. <i>ERICA: On a bathroom floor,</i> <i>on hot pavement, on rice.</i> - And I could barely stand when I got up. <i>It felt humiliating.</i> <i>ERICA: Former students said</i> <i>that Mike Landry told them</i> <i>that if they crossed him,</i> <i>hed block their chances</i> <i>of getting into college</i> <i>by giving failing grades</i> <i>on their transcripts.</i> - ...Somethings wrong with that issue. <i>ANA: I remember him saying</i> <i>like,</i> If any of yall em-effers try to leave this effing school, Ill eff up your transcripts. - He would say that he would just make it to where you literally couldnt get into college. - Tracey and Mike Landry, hows it going this morning? - Oh, its great. <i>RAYMOND:</i> <i>Even the success stories</i> <i>are still broken in some way.</i> So yeah, it seems like its a tough love type of thing from the outside, that were all getting whooped into shape and coming out better people, but were really not. <i> </i> <i>ERICA:</i> <i>The kids areare scarred</i> <i>and theyre traumatized.</i> <i>Theytheyd hold them</i> <i>hostage.</i> And it didnt have to be that way. A lotthese kids are smart. They couldve done it on their own and someone cheated them out of the opportunity to do that. - I hope that he recognize that he messed with my brother, and he messed with the wrong brother. He messed with the wrong son, he messed with the wrong family, he messed with the wrong town. <i>ERICA: For weeks</i> <i>weve been listening</i> <i>to familys allegations of</i> <i>fraud and abuse at TM Landry.</i> <i>Now it was time to give the</i> <i>Landrys a chance to respond.</i> Where is Mike Landry? - Hes not returning our calls. - Come on, man. <i>[cell phone rings]</i> - Its him. - Oh, my God. Hello? <i>ERICA: The phone call</i> <i>lasted over an hour.</i> How does that happen? If they have, you know, Mandarin III on a transcript and theyve never taken a day of Mandarin in their lives. <i>MIKE: Well, I dont know</i> <i>how they did that,</i> <i>so, uh, I cant say none</i> <i>of those things there</i> <i>and, uh...</i> - Arentdondont you manage the transcripts? Dont you send them off andand compile them? <i>MIKE: Yes,</i> <i>IIll compile those and...</i> <i>ERICA: Mike Landrys answers</i> <i>were inconsistent</i> <i>and didnt always make sense.</i> <i>We asked him about</i> <i>the abuse allegations.</i> Making students kneel on the onon their knees for long periods of time or <i>MIKE: No, no, no. No.</i> <i>If I can think</i> <i>and I can identify</i> <i>that you dont understand,</i> <i>Im going to tell you</i> <i>to kneel.</i> - How do you square corporal punishment in your school with this idea that youre building self-esteem? <i>MIKE: Uh, Ill give you that.</i> <i>Thats a great one.</i> <i>I appreciate you asking</i> <i>that question,</i> <i>cause that changed years ago.</i> <i>And remember,</i> <i>the allegation, that was</i> <i>I cant say when, but I know</i> <i>for sure it was probably</i> <i>over five years ago.</i> KATIE: It was 2017. February. <i>MIKE: No, no, that right here,</i> <i>that wasI didnt do anything</i> <i>in that one.</i> - Okay. <i>MIKE: Im talking</i> <i>about the first time.</i> <i>Uh...</i> <i>ERICA:</i> <i>Mr. Landry surprised us</i> <i>by mentioning</i> <i>an earlier allegation</i> <i>we werent aware of.</i> <i>MIKE: What ended up happening</i> <i>was that, uh,</i> <i>my cousin came in, uh...</i> <i>She came in and she said</i> <i>she opens up the door</i> <i>and she says, Mike, uh,</i> <i>you need to whip him.</i> <i>Uh, he curses me out</i> <i>all the time.</i> <i>Because we were family.</i> <i>Thats when I paddled him.</i> <i>Because the mom told me to,</i> <i>cause they were living</i> <i>by themselves</i> <i>or whatever the case is,</i> <i>I dont remember exactly.</i> ERICA: Okay. This is real. KATIE: Mkay. <i>ERICA: Katie looked</i> <i>into the allegation</i> <i>Mr. Landry</i> <i>mentioned on the phone.</i> <i>He hadnt told us</i> <i>the whole story.</i> <i>In 2012, a mother took her</i> <i>12-year-old son</i> <i>to file a police report</i> <i>after noticing bruises</i> <i>on his back and bottom.</i> <i>A lot of whats</i> <i>in the complaint</i> <i>sounds strikingly similar</i> <i>to Nyjals police report,</i> <i>but it happened</i> <i>four years earlier.</i> <i>The child said Mr. Landry</i> <i>choked and slapped him</i> <i>and stepped</i> <i>on his neck and stomach.</i> <i>He also said that Mr. Landry</i> <i>made him eat rat feces.</i> <i>Mike Landry eventually</i> <i>pleaded guilty</i> <i>to simple battery.</i> <i>He served one year probation</i> <i>and was ordered to attend</i> <i>an anger management class.</i> <i>But he kept teaching.</i> <i>How did the Landrys</i> <i>get away with this?</i> <i>Well, its mostly because</i> <i>Louisiana allows schools</i> <i>to operate without</i> <i>any state oversight</i> <i>if they dont accept</i> <i>government funding.</i> <i>The reason the state officials</i> <i>didnt see the red flags</i> <i>is that to them,</i> <i>TM Landry doesnt even exist.</i> KATIE: So you can just take this next right. <i>ERICA: We wanted to give the</i> <i>Landrys another chance</i> <i>to respond before</i> <i>we published our story,</i> <i>so we returned</i> <i>to Breaux Bridge.</i> <i>We didnt know what to expect.</i> Okay. <i>[suspenseful music]</i> <i>Before the cameras</i> <i>were allowed in,</i> <i>the Landrys gathered</i> <i>a group of students</i> <i>to help defend the school.</i> - Whats your ACT score? STUDENT: Thirty-two. - Twenty-seven. STUDENT: Twenty-seven. STUDENT: Thirty-one. - Twenty-eight. - Thirty. MIKE: Do we do everything that society says? Not even close. The state of Louisiana has more African-Americans in prison, boys, than anywhere else in this country. My brothers were drug dealers, and I wish that somebody had put my brothers in kneeling. KATIE: How many have had to - Because maybe they wouldnt have had that. Say it again. KATIE: How many of you have had to kneel down? <i> </i> TRACEY: Our students, theyre family. Most of them have slept at our houses. Its like trying to get stuff that isnt here. - Write whatever you want to write about us on the negative side. Ill go to war every day for our students, but at the end of the day, my sister, if we get kids at Harvard every day, Im going to fight for Harvard. They killed Jesus Christ because he he could save the world. So I say to myself, Who are you compared to Jesus? Nothing. So I stick my arms out and say, Kneel menail me to the cross, if thats what you want. <i> </i> In English! ALL: I love you. - In English. ALL: I love you. - In Mandarin. ALL: [speaking Mandarin] - In Mandarin! ALL: [speaking Mandarin] - In Russian. ALL: [speaking Russian] - Check this one off. Mike-a-nese ALL: Kneel. MIKE: Mike-a-nese ALL: Kneel. <i>[suspenseful music]</i> <i>ERICA: You know what?</i> <i>Its going to be fine.</i> <i>These families are ready.</i> <i> </i> <i>NYJAL: I want the truth.</i> <i>I want it to be public</i> <i>that what happened happened.</i> <i> </i> <i>Whatever happens after,</i> <i>it doesnt matter.</i> ERICA: Yeah, these people need to account for this. These are peoples kids. <i>[tense music]</i> <i>NEWS ANCHOR: Bombshell report</i> <i>in </i>The New York Times <i>says the school not only lied</i> <i>about the accomplishments</i> <i>of its students, but also</i> <i>fostered a culture of fear</i> <i>with alleged physical</i> <i>and emotional abuse.</i> [moving car honking] <i> </i> MARY: Did you see? <i>[introspective music]</i> MARY: Nyjal Mitchell on the cover of <i>The New York Times.</i> SANAA: That handsome face, its my brother. <i> </i> MARY: He thought you were weak, and he had no idea what was inside. <i> </i> And your voice and your strength is what is going to bring him down. <i> </i> - Im proud of him. NYJAL: I didnt do anything. - You did do something. NYJAL: No, I didnt. - You did. You conquered your fear. - He didnt break me. He put me in a really low spot for a long time, but Im fine. <i> </i> <i>ERICA: What do you say</i> <i>to those people</i> <i>who for them</i> <i>this is just going to</i> <i>perpetuate a narrative that</i> <i>black children cant succeed</i> <i>unless they cheat their way,</i> <i>or black children cant</i> <i>succeed unless theyre broken?</i> - I think that the thing that this perpetuates more than anything is the continual theme of black children, black parents, black people being taken advantage of by someone who has more knowledge and more money than them. So this isnt about black people not being able to succeed, cause if anything, I learned that black people are, you know, capable of accomplishing much greater things than people in this area would believe. <i>ERICA: What would you tell</i> <i>the girl in this video</i> <i>that you see today?</i> ALL: [screaming, cheering] <i>DORAIAN: Theres no reason</i> <i>for students to be</i> <i>mentally</i> <i>and physically abused.</i> <i>So what if youre getting</i> <i>into these colleges?</i> It does not matter and it does not make it okay. <i>ERICA: Some TM Landry graduates</i> <i>are struggling in college.</i> <i>Some, overwhelmed,</i> <i>have dropped out.</i> <i>PA: Eighth Street, NYU.</i> <i> </i> <i>ERICA: Others are flourishing.</i> - This is my second year actually being class president. <i>I do belong here.</i> <i>Like, Im thriving here.</i> <i>ERICA: That raises</i> <i>a fundamental question.</i> <i>Why do these children</i> <i>need TM Landry</i> <i>to attract the notice</i> <i>of elite universities</i> <i>in the first place?</i> - Im, like, back in college, like, and it just feels, like, so good to be back here. <i>ERICA: As far as we can tell,</i> <i>no student who was already</i> <i>enrolled in college</i> <i>was dismissed because of the</i> <i>revelations in our article.</i> <i>You risked a lot.</i> <i>BRYSON: I felt that</i> <i>if I had to sacrifice myself</i> in order to save a bunch of other people, it was, like, a necessary thing. ALL: [screaming, cheering] <i>ERICA: Meanwhile,</i> <i>TM Landry remains open.</i> <i>But fewer students</i> <i>are walking into the school</i> <i>where Mike and Tracey Landry</i> <i>still teach.</i> <i> </i> <i>MARY: If and when he ever</i> <i>gets his justice, fine.</i> <i>And if we never see it,</i> <i>thats fine too.</i> <i>Like Nyjal said, he just wants</i> <i>people to know the truth.</i> <i>The truth is all that matters.</i> <i> </i> <i>[tranquil electronic music]</i> <i> </i>
The Trump administration has sent a message to the world with its new tariff threats against Mexico: No deal is ever a done deal.

That effect may be bigger than the immediate 5 percent tax on Mexican imports set to go into force June 10 and escalate to 25 percent over time.

Mexico had seemed to resolve its trade tension with the United States, in the form of a reworked Nafta now known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or the U.S.M.C.A. The deal was moving toward fruition after the United States lifted steel and aluminum tariffs on its North American neighbors just days ago, and lawmakers in all three countries began considering it.

The new tariff threats, announced by President Trump in a tweet on Thursday, are aimed at pressuring the Mexican government to do more to combat migrants traveling from Central America to the U.S. border to seek asylum. Its an issue not really related to trade policy at all. But the tariff threats amount to a vivid signal, especially to allies, that there is no permanent trade peace with the Trump administration, and could have significant consequences for future trade negotiations.
President Trump has called for imposing tariffs on Mexico, the administrations latest attempt to slow the stream of migrant families who have been arriving at the southwest border by the thousands each day.

It is just the latest move by the president to rein in illegal immigration after a series of executive orders, regulations, ramped-up border security and diplomatic threats have failed to dissuade Central Americans, mostly fleeing poverty and violence, from journeying north. In fact, migrant families have continued to arrive in unprecedented numbers.

Nearly 110,000 people were apprehended at or near the border last month, the largest number since 2007. On Wednesday alone, the Border Patrol in El Paso encountered a group of 1,036 migrants, the largest single group ever.

Since his days on the campaign trail, the president has made unauthorized immigration central to his agenda, framing it as a threat to national security that creates unfair competition for American workers. Thursdays announcement that the government would impose across-the-board tariffs on Mexico until that country made significant reductions in the number of people entering the United States prompted a number of warnings: that it would impede manufacturing supply chains, jeopardize a new North American trade agreement, and impede cooperation with Mexico over immigration issues.
Good morning.

(Heres the sign-up, if you want to get California Today by email.)

Today, the California Democratic Party state convention kicks off in San Francisco.

No, its not going to determine whom the party is endorsing in the presidential race.

And, anyway, the partys endorsement may not have much sway over Californias newly relevant presidential primary, if its move to back Kevin de Leons unsuccessful bid to oust Senator Dianne Feinstein is any indication. Plus, the partys leadership is mired in scandal, as a result of sexual harassment allegations that led Eric Bauman to resign his post as chairman late last year.

So why should anyone but the most die-hard politicos care?

I asked Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State L.A. He told me that it comes down to a couple of things:

First, the convention will be as good as any early poll for observers hoping to get a read on which of the 23 Democratic presidential candidates may be able to make a dent in what is now a very important primary state.

Its an audition, Mr. Sonenshein said. It may do a lot to eliminate some of the more marginal candidates as much as it will help clarify whos at the top.
The disagreement comes toward the end of a busy legislative season in which states across the country, including Missouri, have passed some of the strictest abortion laws the country has ever seen. Earlier this month, Alabama passed a law that bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy. On Wednesday, Louisiana lawmakers voted to ban abortion as early as six weeks into a womans pregnancy, and Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, signed it into law on Thursday.

The strict new laws are expected to be tied up in court. Even so, their passage is having an effect. On Wednesday, Disneys chief executive, Bob Iger, said it would be very difficult for the company to continue filming in Georgia if that states new, restrictive abortion law was implemented. Other media companies  including WarnerMedia and Netflix  have said they would also reconsider working in the state, Reuters reported Thursday.

Abortion politics have changed dramatically since the election of President Trump. His two new appointments on the Supreme Court have shifted the math in favor of conservatives on the issue, and activists on both sides are holding their breath  in excitement and in fear  for what might come next.

So far, the court has held back. On Tuesday, it sidestepped part of a case that could have tested the constitutional right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade, turning down an appeal to reinstate a strict Indiana abortion law.

Missouris anti-abortion movement has had a long history of success. The Missouri Catholic Conference, the public policy agency for the Catholic Church in the state, is seen as one of the countrys strongest and most effective drivers of anti-abortion legislation in the country, said Cynthia Gorney, the author of Articles of Faith: A Frontline History of the Abortion Wars. At least six of the more than two dozen abortion cases argued before the Supreme Court since 1974 originated in Missouri.

This is a new version of a very old story, Ms. Gorney said, adding that she believed the success of the movement had as much to do with the individual personalities driving it in the state as anything else.
WASHINGTON  Attorney General William P. Barr ratcheted up his criticisms of the special counsels office and defended President Trumps actions in a wide-ranging interview broadcast on Friday.

Mr. Barr distanced the Justice Department from the report on Mr. Trumps attempts to interfere in the Russia investigation written by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Mr. Barr also said he could have skipped writing his controversial summary of the special counsels work if investigators had done more to prepare the report for public consumption.

And in an interview with CBS News from Alaska, where he had visited law enforcement officials, Mr. Barr also blamed his decision to release a four-page letter in March summarizing the reports main conclusions, rather than releasing the report in its entirety, on the special counsels office.

Mr. Barr said that he had expected the special counsel to identify the material in the report protected by grand jury secrecy rules, so that it could be quickly redacted and the report released. Had that happened, he said that the redaction process would have taken only a few days and his letter would have been unnecessary.
This interview has been edited and condensed.

Q. Tell us about what youll be doing.

A. My biggest strength is offering political advice and using my political instincts to come up with strategy, and not just strategy in the African-American community. I think the real strength is in the South and other parts of the country.

How do you plan to help the vice president in South Carolina specifically?

Hes put together a good South Carolina team, and I do have some experience down there, just from being so close to [the House majority whip James E.] Clyburn, and some other political people down there.

I dont think its going to be based upon my relationships in South Carolina or throughout the South, but when youre an African-American congressperson from the Southern states, generally youre the congressman for all Democrats in the state because youre the only one.

People in the South are understanding that we have to elect somebody who wants to invest in the people, which means job training, it means education, it means job creation.

A lot of Democrats talk about those issues. Whats unique to Mr. Biden?

One, he has a track record. And two, I dont think its something a lot of Democrats talk about. We talk about free college tuition, we may talk about free junior college. But the party as a whole has not zeroed in, I dont think, on all of those kitchen table issues. We did a much better job in the midterms, which is why we won so many seats.
For each of the questions, candidates are asked: If you have ever held a different position than the answer above, please explain what changed your mind. Candidates who meet the groups standard will be invited to the Moms Demand Action annual convention, held this year in August in Washington. The event drew 1,000 supporters last summer when it was held in Atlanta.

Mr. Bloomberg himself, who along with his groups spent more than $112 million on the 2018 midterm elections, has yet to engage directly with the 2020 candidates. Since declaring in March that he would not seek the White House himself, he has spoken to just one presidential hopeful  former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.  according to Howard Wolfson, Mr. Bloombergs political aide.

Everytowns questionnaire includes queries about whether candidates support universal background checks, restricting assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and repealing a 2005 law  which Mr. Sanders, then a House member, voted for  that gave gun manufacturers immunity from civil lawsuits related to shootings.

Mr. Sanderss past positions on gun control loom over the debate in 2020. In 1990 he won his first federal race for the House with N.R.A. support. Throughout much of his career Mr. Sanders was seen as a friend to the gun-rights movement, backing the 2005 immunity bill and opposing legislation that would have installed a five-day waiting period to purchase a handgun.

After being attacked repeatedly for his past positions during the bruising 2016 contest with Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Sanders in 2016, and again in 2017, co-sponsored legislation to repeal the gun manufacturers immunity. He earned Everytowns Gun Sense Candidate distinction during his 2018 Senate re-election bid, as did each of the Democratic presidential candidates on the ballot last year.

Mr. Sanders is hardly unique in the Democratic presidential field for having changed his position on gun control. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had the N.R.A.s endorsement during her 2008 House re-election bid, Representative Tim Ryan of Ohio had an A-minus N.R.A. rating in 2012 and Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana had a B-minus rating in 2012. Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado had a C-plus rating in 2010.

Mr. Bennet, Ms. Gillibrand and Mr. Ryan were all rated F by the N.R.A. during their most recent re-election campaigns. Mr. Bullock earned a C from the N.R.A. in 2016 and last year announced his support for a federal ban on assault weapons. Mr. Sanders received a D-minus N.R.A. rating in 2012 and an F in 2018.
WASHINGTON  The president of the United States appears to believe that you dont matter unless you are on television. By that measure, Robert S. Mueller IIIs 10-minute soliloquy seemed to have seized his attention.

But even though Mr. Mueller, the special counsel, cut through the legalese of his 448-page report on Wednesday to make clear that his investigation in no way exonerated President Trump, he stopped short of delivering a punchy sound bite to summarize his inquiry. Mr. Trump has had one for two years  No collusion! No obstruction!  and recently had White House aides print the slogan and hang it on his lectern.

Mr. Muellers refusal to pass judgment on whether the president broke the law is one example of how the special counsel operated by rules ill fitted for the Trump era. He said nothing and the president said everything. He worked in secret, allowing the president to fill the void with reckless accusations of a witch hunt. His damning conclusions were encased in dense legal jargon that the president distorted into a vindication.

Mr. Mueller seemed to expect that the system would work as it had in the past, with Congress or perhaps voters making the decision about whether Mr. Trump had committed a crime, only to see the presidents handpicked attorney general  and Mr. Muellers longtime friend  make his own determination that there was not enough evidence to support such a charge.
If I closed my eyes, I could see silhouettes of my dad and me, leaning toward each other ever so slightly. I could see the glimmer in his eyes, and the half-smile that was a welcome change from his usual stoic expression. Most important, I could see the love between father and daughter in what ended up being our last good visit. For at a following visit, my father brought home a young woman off the street, about my age, strung out on something that made her move like a shadow. He took her to his bedroom, and ordered my boyfriend and me to stay out. A while later she emerged as a different type of shadow and asked for the phone. My dad pulled up a chair after she left. I didnt try sleep with her. Shes a liar, he said, with his eyes wide in warning.

That time I got on the Amtrak thinking I would never return.

But when I was planning to marry, my fiance, Daryl, wanted us to get my fathers blessing. At that point I hadnt seen my dad in two years. We drove up for a brief afternoon visit. The three of us walked to a nearby park, and I asked Daryl to take a picture of my dad and me. We sat on a bench, in similar poses to those wed had at the train station. But in that photo my face bore the blank expression of an adult child of an alcoholic whos lost all faith in her parent.

Later, after he died, I found myself longing for evidence of the father he once was, and the Amtrak photo took on special significance.

When I had searched for it back in 2001, Pamela had as well. We each spent hours sifting through our collections, sure that there must be a reprint or at least the negative. Eventually, we both gave up.

Recently we were talking about that teenage visit to my dads, and she looked for the picture once again. She had recently moved and her photo boxes were close at hand; this time it surfaced.
MEXICO CITY  From the moment he took office, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has studiously avoided a fight with President Trump, gambling that a conciliatory approach would tame the American president.

It certainly has not worked out that way.

When Mr. Trump broke with years of American policy and international practices by forcing asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their fates are decided, Mr. Lopez Obrador, who campaigned on the promise of defending migrants rights, went along with it.

Amid Mr. Trumps threats to close the American southwest border over illegal immigration, the Mexican authorities cracked down on migrant caravans and accelerated their efforts to detain and deport Central Americans and others trudging north toward the United States.

Yet the warnings from Mr. Trump kept coming.

Now Mr. Lopez Obrador, a lifelong champion of the poor, faces the most concrete threat yet from the American president  a vow to begin imposing tariffs on all Mexican imports in a matter of days.
SEOUL, South Korea  Kim Yong-chol, a former North Korean spy master and vice chairman of its ruling Workers Party, had been the countrys most internationally visible diplomat in the past year, visiting the White House twice and leading negotiations for North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns two summit meetings with President Trump.

Now, he has suddenly become the latest example of how a senior North Korean officials political fortune is made or broken at the whims of Kim Jong-un. This week, leading South Korean newspapers reported Kim Yong-chols fall from grace. One of them, the conservative daily Chosun Ilbo, went so far as to report that Mr. Kim had been banished to forced labor, with many of his negotiating team members either executed or sent to prison camps.

South Korean officials and analysts cautioned that it was too early to say with precision what was happening inside Kim Jong-uns opaque regime. South Korean news media offered differing conjectures, including whether Kim Hyok-chol, the Norths special nuclear envoy to the United States, had been executed by firing squad in March, as the Chosun Ilbo reported, or was still under interrogation.

But they all agree on one thing: Kim Yong-chol and his negotiating team, which had driven Kim Jong-uns diplomatic outreach toward Washington, have been sidelined, as the North Korean leader sought a scapegoat to blame for his disastrous second summit meeting with Mr. Trump, held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February.
MANILA  A Dutch hostage held by Muslim militants in the southern Philippines for seven years was killed by his captors on Friday as he tried to escape during a bloody rescue attempt by the military, officials said.

The hostage, Ewold Horn, 59, had been seized along with a Swiss national while the two were bird watching on the remote southern island of Tawi-Tawi in 2012. They were taken by Abu Sayyaf militants across the strait to Jolo, an island where the gunmen are well entrenched, with their camps situated deep inside nearly impenetrable jungle terrain.

The Swiss hostage, Lorenzo Vinciguerra, managed to escape nearly three years later by grabbing his guards knife and stabbing him in the neck as the militants came under attack from military forces. He then fled his captors and was rescued by the army.

But Mr. Horn was not so lucky.

What a pity. He nearly escaped, but was shot, said Col. Gerry Besana, a spokesman for the militarys Western Mindanao Command. He was shot by his guards while trying to escape amid the firefight.
SINGAPORE  Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan sought to lower the temperature on the Trump administrations stew of hostilities with China on Friday, saying it was imperative to look for ways for the two competing militaries to create upside in their relationship, even in the middle of a trade war.

Mr. Shanahan barely mentioned China by name during a speech to a gathering of Asian military officials on Saturday, although he warned Beijing that behavior that erodes other nations sovereignty and sows distrust of Chinas intentions should stop, in a clear reference to Chinas militarization of disputed islands in the South China Sea.

The United States does not seek conflict, but we know that having the capability to win wars is the best way to deter them, Mr. Shanahan said. At the same time of Mr. Shanahans speech, the Pentagon released a report criticizing what it characterized as Chinas aggressive moves in the region.

In fact, the deep tensions between Washington and Beijing showed no signs of abating on Friday. China remained on track to impose retaliatory tariffs of 20 to 25 percent on a slew of American products starting Saturday. That move makes China a full combatant in the trade war launched by President Trump.
SINGAPORE  The acting defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, distanced himself on Friday from a Trump administration decision to try to hide a ship named after Senator John McCain during the presidents visit to a naval base in Japan this week.

Mr. Shanahan, who was in Singapore for a security conference, told reporters that he would not have moved the destroyer to keep it out of photos with Mr. Trump.

The White House military operations office told the Navy to block the ship from view, and it complied by at first placing a tarp over the name of Mr. McCain, a fierce critic of Mr. Trump who died last year, and then moving a barge near the vessel.

I would not have moved the ship, said Mr. Shanahan, who is facing a tough Senate confirmation battle. I would not have given that direction.
BUDAPEST  Rescuers were fighting the currents of a flooded Danube river on Friday in search of survivors and of the wreck of the sightseeing boat that sank in the center of Budapest two days ago. But Hungarian officials offered little hope that any of the 21 people still listed as missing would be found alive.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary spoke on Friday of his distress at the sight of an accident where passengers had almost no chance for survival. He promised a thorough investigation into the boat accident, which left seven people confirmed dead.

We want to know precisely what happened and why it happened, Mr. Orban told Kossuth, the state radio station, adding that the authorities would reveal their findings in due course.

The accident happened when the Mermaid, a sightseeing boat, was apparently clipped by the Viking Sigyn, a Swiss-operated river cruise ship, in heavy rain.
On Thursday, Mr. Assange was to appear by video link from Belmarsh Prison in East London at a court hearing on the United States application for his extradition. But his British lawyer, Gareth Peirce, said her client was not well enough to participate. The presiding magistrate set June 12 for the next hearing and suggested it could be held in Belmarsh.

WikiLeaks said on Thursday that Belmarsh Prison authorities had moved Mr. Assange to its hospital wing after he experienced drastic weight loss and other health problems. It also said that when Mr. Assanges Swedish lawyer, Per Samuelson, visited him in Belmarsh on Friday, he found that it was not possible to hold a normal conversation with him.

Mr. Melzer is not the first United Nations expert to criticize the conditions of Mr. Assanges detention. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention condemned the 50-week sentence for jumping bail as excessive and said that sending him to a high-security prison was akin to a conviction for a more serious crime.

Mr. Melzer said he had initially been skeptical about Mr. Assanges case and had turned down a request from Mr. Assanges lawyers in December to investigate. But he said that what he found after having accepted a second request from the lawyers in March, changed his mind.

Wherever I delved into the case, I found a lot of dirty stuff, he said in a phone interview.

In 20 years of working with victims of war, violence and political persecution, Mr. Melzer added in his statement, he had never seen a group of democratic states ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonize and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law.

Mr. Melzer said that Britain should not extradite Mr. Assange to the United States or to any other country that did not provide reliable guarantees that it would not transfer him to the United States. He cited the treatment experienced by Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who sent WikiLeaks classified cables on events in Iraq and Afghanistan, as grounds for concern about the conditions in which Mr. Assange would be held.
DUBLIN  Abortion rights activists scored a major victory this week when several major media companies said they would rethink filming in the state of Georgia if a newly passed restrictive abortion law there goes into effect.

Now, abortion rights campaigners in Northern Ireland, a thriving film production hub in its own right, are hoping to draw the same type of response in their region, an area with an even more restrictive abortion law than the one in Georgia.

Kellie ODowd, co-chairwoman of the Northern Ireland reproductive rights group Alliance for Choice, said many prominent people working in the screen industry in Britain were criticizing the situation in America without acknowledging what she called draconian laws in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

People from Britain who work in film were saying they were concerned about what is happening in Alabama and Georgia, she said. But they dont seem to know what is happening in Northern Ireland.
The key word that we need to get back to, he told the BBCs Question Time on Thursday, a word that is so powerful, and nobody ever uses in politics, is the word love.

Mr. Stewart, 46, is posh, eccentric and clever, precisely, as one journalist wrote this week, the sort of oddball Britons love.

The son of a senior British intelligence officer, he attended Eton and Oxford, and served briefly as a tutor to Princes William and Harry before entering the diplomatic service. He set that aside to walk 6,000 miles alone across Iran, Pakistan and part of Afghanistan, the basis for an acclaimed book, The Places in Between. After the coalition invasion of Iraq, he served for a time as deputy governor of a region in the countrys south.

In 2010, he entered Parliament, to the surprise of many of his friends and family. He was greeted there, wonderingly, as a latter-day Lawrence of Arabia, an odd fit in a Tory party sliding toward populism. As a backbencher, he spoke eloquently of his sympathy for, and rejection of, the Scottish independence movement. At one point, he delivered a lengthy address on hedgehogs, referencing Aristotle, Richard III, Sumerian cylinder seals, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Romany homeopathy.

Over the last week, his goofy internet campaign has won him a new and giddy following.

As he strode through London around 9 p.m. on his way to his last interview one day last week, office workers in their 20s and 30s shouted in delight. Rory, I love you! Youre one of my favorite people on Twitter! cried out a woman in red. Im digging what youre doing, said a man in a suit. Jessica Elgot, who covers politics for The Guardian, noted that on her daily commute, she had seen people watching videos of Mr. Stewart on their cellphones.

What an odd time we live in, she marveled.

Mr. Stewart has used the moment cannily, hamming it up. He posted a clip of himself chatting with a constituent in Barking, captioned, Practicing my now  rather rusty  Dari. Even his obligatory early-life drug-use confession  smoking opium at an Iranian wedding while trekking alone through the hinterlands of Asia  had a strong whiff of the 19th-century warrior-poet. On Thursday, he told Sky News he regretted it.
Still, the tax deduction is always greater if the donation goes to a public charity, like a university, hospital or, yes, a donor-advised fund, Ms. Snow said.

In the case of the Fairbairns, the $100 million donation included shares of Energous, which makes wireless charging technology. The shares had appreciated substantially on the regulatory approval of the companys transmitter.

By using a donor-advised fund, the Fairbairns would not have to pay taxes on the capital gains in those shares. They would also receive a higher tax deduction for both the stock and cash portion, and ultimately be able to give more to charities as the stock price rose.

Or that was the plan.

The Fairbairns complaint alleges that Justin Kunz, a relationship manager in Fidelitys family office group, which serves its wealthiest clients, made certain promises over how the donation would be handled. One of those promises, the suit says, was to sell the stock over time and not let any sale exceed 10 percent of the daily trading volume. A quick sale would decrease the value of the shares and whittle down the $100 million.

Vincent Loporchio, a spokesman for Fidelity Charitable, declined to make Mr. Kunz or anyone from Fidelity Charitable available for an interview. But in emails, he disputed the Fairbairns claims. He said that it was Fidelity Charitables policy to sell any securities as soon as they were received and that the Fairbairns had known this.

Their claim that they were told something different is entirely false, and not supported by any evidence, Mr. Loporchio said in an email.

The Fairbairns lawyers would not comment on the case, but they contested Fidelitys response in their legal filings. They argued that Mr. Kunz and another executive at Fidelity Charitable who handled complex assets had told the Fairbairns that the stock would be sold gradually to maintain the price.
DOCTORS, INSURANCE CARDS, MEDS

Has your child ever made a doctors appointment? Fix that. Outsource form management as well. My teenager was twice as fast as me on the tablets that many doctors use for intake these days anyway, so good riddance to all that paperwork.

Your children can stay on your health insurance plan until the age of 26, thanks to the Affordable Care Act. If you plan on having them pitch in for deductibles, its probably time to sit down and explain how your family coverage works. At the very least, they need to know what a co-pay is.

According to the scores of parents who responded to my query on Grown and Flown, a website and Facebook group for parents of teenagers and young adults, filling a prescription for the first time is filled with interesting obstacles, especially on refills for regular but essential medicines. So introduce your child to the various insurance cards and account numbers he or she needs, and do a walk-through with your local druggist or whatever mail-order pharmacy your insurance company forces you to use.

THE W-4 TAX FORM

Most employers that issue formal paychecks will require your teenager to fill out the Internal Revenue Services W-4 form. So review it to explain what it is and what kind of taxes, if any, your teenager might pay.

Do you get confused when you have to fill out your own every so often? Theres no shame in that, and the I.R.S. has a calculator that can help. And if it looks like too much money, or too little, is showing up in the first check after the withholding of taxes that you specified, you can revise the form.

ROTH INDIVIDUAL RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

If compound interest isnt officially the eighth wonder of the world, then it ought to be. The sooner teenagers start saving, the more they could benefit from its magic as it unfolds over a half-century or more.
To help New Zealanders build a successful future, access to quality advice and confident use of tools such as KiwiSaver is essential, Shanks said.

68% of New Zealanders have money worries and 44% could access only one month or less of income from savings and other means, she continued. Thats two of the many very concerning statistics that access to quality financial advice can greatly aid in improving.

Shanks says that 20% of KiwiSaver members are still on a default scheme, and are unaware of their options or which fund is right for their needs. She says members should also be able to choose their own levels of contribution, and that they should be excluded from AML regulatory requirements.

Currently the minimum contribution of 3% is prohibitive for Kiwis on low incomes; and the maximum of 10% is limiting for those who may want to fast track their savings, Shanks said.

Common sense indicates that the level of risk of money laundering and terrorism activity through a KiwiSaver plan is low, and as such the AML requirements for this group of Kiwis is an unnecessary barrier to participation.
By Spooky on May 31st, 2019 Category: Art

Ku-san, a hobbyist barista and bird lover from Japan, meticulously draws detailed portraits of various bird species on cups of coffee, using colored milk foam.

The amateur latte artist was inspired to create drinkable bird portraits on coffee by her own pet, Sakura, a pink Bourkes parrot. She started posting the fruits of her painstaking labor on social media, and soon people started asking her to do portraits of their own birds. Her impressive portfolio of bird portraits on coffee includes cockatiels, sparrows, and parrots, but a more detailed look at her Instagram page reveals that shes more than able to take on other animals, like wolves, bunnies and even cute cartoon characters.

For more coffee art, check out the colorful latte masterpieces of Lee Kang Bin and the adorable coffee monsters of Stefan Kuhnigk.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by  (@kunit92) on Feb 25, 2019 at 4:38am PST

View this post on Instagram A post shared by  (@kunit92) on Apr 15, 2019 at 4:34am PDT

View this post on Instagram A post shared by  (@kunit92) on May 4, 2019 at 10:11pm PDT

View this post on Instagram A post shared by  (@kunit92) on May 14, 2019 at 4:57am PDT

View this post on Instagram A post shared by  (@kunit92) on May 30, 2019 at 8:49pm PDT

View this post on Instagram A post shared by  (@kunit92) on May 24, 2019 at 1:01am PDT

View this post on Instagram A post shared by  (@kunit92) on May 16, 2019 at 5:35am PDT

For more of Ku-sans coffee art, check out her Instagram.
A Colombian woman who allegedly wanted to check if her neighbor was home ended up getting her head stuck in the front door metal grate for five hours.

Photos of an unnamed woman from the town of La Virginia, in Colombia, recently went viral on social media after it was reported that she had to be rescued after spending five hours with her head stuck in a neighbors front door metal grate. Its not clear if the woman intended to spy on her neighbor, or if she merely stuck her head through the grate to see if there was anyone home, but one things for sure  when she tried to pull her head back through the grate, she realized she wasnt going anywhere.

Luckily, someone heard her cries for help and called the police. They couldnt pry her head from the gate, though, so they called the fire department for assistance. It still took five hours to release the woman from the metal trap she put herself in.



Photos of smiling policemen and firemen working to free the woman have been doing the rounds on Latino social media since May 19, when the story was first reported by Radio La Roca FM.
Jim Joseph

I'm proud to say that I created the first print advertisement targeting the gay community for a non-prescription drug. It was 2003.

The ad was for my beloved client, Tylenol, which I had considered to be a conservative brand. But Tylenol took a chance on me and what we then called the gay market. Looking back, that's such an odd phrase.

We made news. The trade publications quickly labeled me as openly gay. While I certainly wasnt hiding who I was, I hadnt announced it over a microphone like Ellen had several years earlier.

That Tylenol ad was one of many turning points for the industry, as brands began to acknowledge that we even existed. Up until then, the only brands that really showed support were the vodkas, the cruises, and the HIV medications. That support came in the form of print ads in gay-targeted magazines, typically showing gay white men.

Narrow, for sure, but it was a start. A great personal start for me too, as I got more and more comfortable talking about my own family. Sure, I would proudly display pictures of my kids in my office, but never my partner. I think I broke out into a sweat the first time I displayed a photo of the two of us on my desk. Needless to say, everyone noticed.

I remember with great pride how so many brands started to jump on the bandwagon and embrace Pride Weekend. The first time I saw an IBM float at the parade I literally teared up. Floats from Kiehls, Google and Delta followed. Hotels, skin care, tech, package goods companies all participated in the parade.

Employee support groups fueled that momentum. It soon became important for companies to acknowledge gay employees and support them publicly. That was way before Diversity & Inclusion became a corporate mandate.

With these early pioneering success stories, we started to see brands get more sophisticated in their approach to the market. Digital marketing and certainly social media made it easier to connect with people and become a more organic part of the community. The entire community. Not just gay men. Not just white gay men. Subaru proved its support of gay women over and over again, as another pioneer.

Brands eventually started to understand the diversity of the community, including the range of ethnicities and backgrounds that make up what was once called the gay market. We started to see less advertising talking to groups and more active involvement with specific groups. More public relations. More social marketing. More advocacy. More giving back.

Brands can both reflect and inspire our popular culture. So as brands embraced all that our community represents then our culture too embraced the entire range.

Honey Maid made history with This is Wholesome and its portrayal of two gay fathers. Breakthrough. You mean we can be parents? As a gay dad myself who struggled with acceptance before any of it was acceptable, I was thankful for what our industry was shaping in our culture. The fact that a major brand embraced us as parents was both shocking and inspiring. Even more inspiring was the brands response to the backlash. They held their ground with #Love.

Parenting! Tylenol (my alma mater) joined in with #HowWeFamily right along with JCPenney, and Campbell Soup. I cheered each brand.

As our collective culture evolves, we continue to evolve as an industry as well. And vice versa. Nothing makes me happier than to see brands not just feature members of our community in their marketing and communications efforts, but to feature them right along other parts of our world. We arent isolated anymore.

For me, its now more important to show us as a part of the united world, not a separate world. When I see LGBT+ people portrayed in a portfolio of consumers then I think its even more powerful. We arent separate and different; we are all part of a much larger community.

Enfamil just did it with its The Most Important Person in the World, ad that featured many kinds of consumers including those who identify as LGBT+. Harrys showed inclusion with Shave or Dont Shave, where it featured a transgender man right alongside lots of other men.

The brand Harrys is a reflection, and a driver, of our latest evolution: gender fluidity. Brands are no longer just focusing on gay men and women, but instead on the entire LGBT+ spectrum, with transgender people at the forefront. These brothers and sisters need our support the most right now.

Sephoras special skincare, cosmetics and haircare classes for transgender people are great examples. Recognizing and solving peoples special needs is an amazing step toward complete inclusion.

Brands are coming to the support of our entire community, not just the segments that are least risky, or most lucrative. I suppose its a natural evolution, but also a reflection of how we are embracing our people in the collective society.

Even more than in 2003 with that first Tylenol ad, I couldnt be prouder to be a part of it allboth on a personal and professional level.

***

Jim Joseph is global president of BCW.
BGR Government Affairs has scooped up DC work for DisposeRX, which believes its in-house drug disposal packets can play a major role in combatting the nation's opioid epidemic, which kills 130 Americans each day.

The National Insitute of Drug Abuse reports 70 percent of new addictions can be traced to leftover prescriptions in home medicine cabinets. The Sanford, NC,-based company says consumers can use its packets to cut the number of drugs available for diversion and misuse.

DisposeRX CEO John Holaday and president William Simpson joined Donald Trump at the White House opioid summit in October. Through partnerships with Walmart, Kroger and Rite Aid, DisposeRX is donating disposal packets to get rid of 10M opioid pills.

BGR works legislative and regulatory matters dealing with drug disposal systems.

Its five-member DisposeRX team includes Dave Boyer (one-time staffer at the Food and Drug Administration), Matthew Hoffman (aide to House Speaker Paul Ryan), Remy Brim (senior health advisor to Sen. Elizabeth Warren), Brent Del Monte (legislative director for Congressman Tom Bliley), John Stone (counsel to the House Energy & Commerce's Health Subcommittee) and Robb Walton (senior health advisor to Sen. Bill Cassidy).
Sarah Sinovic

Sarah Sinovic, who had been running her own PA, branding and digital marketing firm in Washington, has joined Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke's office as communications and digital director.

Beginning her political career in the office of Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, Sinovic has handled external communicatins for more than a half dozen political campaigns.

Most recently, she was communications director/deputy campaign manager for Jane Raybould's unsuccessful bid for the Nebraska Senate seat.

Sinovic took that job after a five-year stint as digital marketing strategist at Omaha-based CHI Health, the Cornhusker State's largest healthcare system.

Clarke, a seven-term Congresswoman, vice chairs the Energy & Commerce Committee and co-chairs the Medicare for All Caucus.

Sinovic will handle Clarke's messaging, digital outreach and serve as spokesperson.
Alles bedroom was scrubbed and bleached before she came home. They installed air purifiers and put up signs saying they werent accepting visitors. It was key that Alle stayed healthy before a transplant.

Alle didnt have a match in her family, so she was put on the transplant list. In early February, the family learned about a possible match.

Oswald, 31, signed up to be a donor about eight years ago at a booth in college. It was a simple process. He filled out some papers, submitted a cheek swab and went on his way.

In December 2017, he got the call saying he and a handful of other donors were possible matches.

After preliminary tests, Oswald learned that he was the best match. At the time, he had a 1-year-old daughter and his wife was pregnant with a second. Would side effects from the procedure hang him up? Would he still be able to play with his little girl?

Then he learned that the donation was for a baby.

I couldnt imagine being in their shoes, going through these struggles and somebody not helping. To be able to give that gift, as a dad, it was second to none, Oswald said.
This isnt Burger King; you cant have it your way. And for the record, the customer isnt always right. In fact, youre pretty much wrong 100 percent of the time. Oh, and your tips are insulting, I said, stomping back into the kitchen.

I know this kind of behavior is bad for business, but my 4-year-old is the absolute worst customer Ive ever had in my kitchen, and I had had enough. Quite frankly, I hope I get fired. I would welcome getting fired from being the short-order cook to two demanding tiny people who wouldnt know a delicious meal if it slapped them in the face!
LINCOLN  Four students and alumni of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln told the NU Board of Regents on Thursday that the universitys Title IX office failed them.

They accused UNLs Title IX office, formally called the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, of handling sexual misconduct complaints in a bureaucratic, ineffective, cold manner. They said they found the process confusing and said staffers there sometimes used terms suggesting that victims were to blame for what befell them.

Some also said accommodations werent made to ensure that they wouldnt have to see the perpetrator again.

The regents didnt discuss the matter. A spokeswoman for UNL said the university has recently stepped up victim services.

Title IX is a federal law that forbids discrimination in educational institutions on the basis of gender.

Tami Strickman, who coordinates Title IX efforts for UNL, couldnt be reached by phone Thursday. A UNL spokeswoman, Deb Fiddelke, spoke for her.

The safety of our campus and having students feel safe on campus is paramount, Fiddelke said.
In the three weeks following the shootings in Parkland, the Omaha Police Department investigated 71 school threats, Stothert said.

OPS staff practiced going through the threat assessment process and applied it to scenarios where a student made a threat to determine if the situation presented a low, moderate, high or imminent risk.

Staff is the key to keeping and preventing things from happening, said Jolene Palmer, director of school safety for the Nebraska Department of Education.

Palmer told OPS employees that they should be on the lookout for unusual things, contact visitors in the building and build relationships with students so staffers know whats happening in their lives.

We need to know when kids are acting different than normal. And its the relationships and the connections with those students that will help us do that, Palmer said.

The state has been training districts and conducting security assessments at schools as mandated by 2014 legislation.

Palmer said the state has just completed all security assessments in schools throughout the state.
LINCOLN  Nebraska lawmakers headed home for good Friday after passing a few last bills, overriding a gubernatorial veto and receiving thanks from the governor.

The budget included a 23% increase in the state's property tax credit fund, which boosted the total to $275 million a year. The credits offset a portion of each property owner's tax bill.

Gov. Pete Ricketts touted the record amount in the fund, but many rural lawmakers had argued for bigger reductions in property taxes. As in past years, they came up empty in their search for a solution that could win majority support.
Right now, MAT has an appointed board and can levy only as much taxes as approved by the City of Omaha and Douglas County  currently a levy of 5.6 cents. And that tax levy must fall within the levy limits imposed on cities and counties.

Wayne said such a regional authority was sorely needed to improve bus service in the region and help resolve workforce shortages in areas like Sarpy County and Fremont by getting workers to unfilled jobs.

Public transit is the lifeline of every community, he said. In order for Omaha to move forward, we need this.

The senator pushed back on Ricketts comments about a tax increase, saying that it was just as likely that the City of Omaha and Douglas County would lower their levies since MAT would no longer be part of their property tax requests.

Under the bill, communities would have to vote to join the regional authority. Currently, suburban cities can contract for bus service, which is done by Bellevue, La Vista and Papillion. Wayne said those contracts could continue under his bill.

Senators voted 33-16 to override the governors veto, which is three more than the 30 votes required.
Police will have an increased presence at this weekends Taste of Omaha, in response to last years large crowds and a fatal shooting that occurred nearby.

The 22nd-annual event starts Friday, nearly a year after the downtown shooting that left 20-year-old Jasmine Harris dead and several others injured.

Harris had just left the outdoor food festival on the riverfront when two groups of rival gang members opened fire along Gene Leahy Mall.

Omaha Police Deputy Chief Scott Gray said in a statement that there will be more officers on hand because, in part, of that shooting, the thousands of people in the area and the pedestrian flow affected by the Gene Leahy closing.

Its our goal to prevent violence and deter potential bad actors from even coming near the event or downtown area, Gray said.

Taste of Omaha director Mike Mancuso said the festival prioritizes safety.
WASHINGTON  A trio of Nebraska students are headed to the next round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee after nailing their first onstage words during Tuesdays competition.

Up first was Payton Smidt, 12, of Beatrice, who was asked to spell the word for an ecclesiastical prayer book.

Smidt didnt need the language of origin or sentence usage before calmly and correctly ticking through each letter: B-R-E-V-I-A-R-Y.

Afterward, she chalked her performance up to reviewing the lists of words used for the early stages of the competition.

Ive studied them, and that was one of the words that I didnt struggle with as much, Smidt told The World-Herald.

From minerals at museums to the charcuterie on menus, Smidt said shes been noticing competition words at museums and restaurants around Washington this week.

Its her first trip to the nations capital, and thus far, her favorite stop has been the National Archives.
The University of Nebraska College of Law excelled at placing its Class of 2018 into jobs, while the Creighton School of Law sat in the middle of the law school pack.

There are various ways to analyze job placement for law graduates, but in two key areas, the NU College of Law ranked sixth out of 201 law schools across the country and 26th in the other.

Creighton ranked 91st and 99th. Creighton will have a new law dean July 1, and he hopes to improve the schools job-placement record.

Employment and being ready for employment is the top priority, said the incoming law dean at Creighton, Joshua Fershee. He currently is a professor and director of several programs at the West Virginia University College of Law.

The data for the rankings came from the American Bar Association and was organized by online publisher Law.com. The tracking method used gives graduates up to 10 months after leaving campus to find work.

One measure looks at the placement of graduates into full-time, long-term law jobs requiring bar passage. The other includes that group but adds jobs where law school simply gave the graduate an advantage over other applicants.
Bacon is a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Mike Gwin, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the group that helps Democrats get elected to Congress, said Bacon was tweeting cavalierly about war in the midst of a diplomatic standoff.

He doesnt have the judgment needed to represent Nebraska in Congress, Gwin said.

President Donald Trump has made confronting Iran a cornerstone of his foreign policy and is squeezing its economy to force it to roll back its ballistic missile program and support for groups such as Lebanons Hezbollah, which the U.S. deems a terrorist organization.

Tensions between the two countries have increased in the past month.

On May 8, Irans president signaled that stockpiles of nuclear material would soon exceed limits after the U.S. revoked waivers permitting it to be shipped abroad. That declaration was made on the one-year anniversary of the U.S. decision to unilaterally exit the nuclear accord and reimpose sanctions, including on vital oil exports.
The following editorial appears on Bloomberg Opinion.

Its now been almost two years since a coalition of Arab countries imposed a misguided economic blockade on Qatar.

The group  Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates  said it was punishing the gas-rich emirate for its ties with Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood, but the embargo is widely perceived as part of a larger competition for preeminence in Arab affairs.

Ending it should be a priority for President Donald Trump. Of the Arab worlds many divisions, sectarian and political, none is more damaging to American interests than this one. The Saudi-led groups objectives havent been met. On the contrary, denied food supplies from  and air routes over  the blockading states, Qatar has only grown more dependent on Iran, while its economy has weathered the blockade with ease.

Meanwhile, the dispute is putting U.S. allies Kuwait and Oman in an awkward position.

Both countries have strong relationships with Qatar and maintain wary ties with Iran, which is close enough to menace their security. But neither can afford to antagonize Saudi Arabia, the regions most powerful nation.
OSERS, to its credit, has made some appropriate adjustments in its policies in recent years.

The trustees have reduced staff and made other budget reductions.

They have adopted a new travel policy, modeling it on that of the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems. The policy sets limits on what can be submitted as expenses and sets out documentation requirements.

Still, the OSERS majority is harming public trust by continuing to budget for travel to conventions and workshops.

Anyone who doubts the symbolic importance should consider the awful example OSERS has previously set on that score, as during the 2015 convention at a seaside hotel in California.

For that event, OSERS plus a representative of the OPS teachers union gave the Omaha pension fund eight attendees, tied for most of any pension system nationally. The school pension system representing all teachers in California sent three representatives. The state of Nebraska and many other states sent one.

Its not surprising that OPS superintendents  Cheryl Logan now, as well as her predecessor, Mark Evans  have voted during OSERS meetings against reimbursing the trustees travel.
The writer, of Grand Island, is a retired United Methodist pastor and a longtime member of the board of directors of Nebraskans for Peace.

It seems to me that our beloved America has moved into a permanent status of never-ending war.

We are currently engaged in a number of wars that have not been approved by Congress. Few seem to question this ongoing status and its drain on our economy. Its as if to question it is to be disloyal to those who serve or have served in the military.

Though I have never served in the military, I have several family members who have faithfully served.

To them I am grateful. I have no argument with the military itself. I question, however, the idea that our nations peace and security can be achieved by our military alone.

I also question the trillions of dollars unaccounted for, the trillions drained from our nations budget to wage a war on terrorism. It should be clear to us by now that terrorism cannot be ended with military power. So far, most of our military efforts have only led to increased terrorism.
Rajasthan crisis: This is not my voice, ready to face probe: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on audio tape

To keep a family happy, nation has paid price: Union Minister's swipe at Gandhis

All Indians to be vaccinated by December says Union Minister

A promise delivered: Modi forms Jal Shakti ministry

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, May 31: Delivering the promise made in its manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has been given the post of Minister of Jal Shakti in Naredra Modi's new cabinet.

The portfolio was Narendra Modi's one of the key promises were providing clean water to every household in the country in the next five years.

The ministry assumes significance as many states have been dealing with multiple issues over the allocation of water with its neighbouring states of Kerala and Karnataka.

The idea of creating the Jal Shakti ministry was conceptualised by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee for linking rivers from different parts of the country and ensure a solution to the problems of drinking water and irrigation.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat becomes first Jal Skahti minister

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is an MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

First woman finance minister of India: Not Nirmala, but Indira

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Jodhpur in 2014 and was made the minister of state for agriculture and farmers' welfare in September 2017. On Thursday, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was sworn-in as a cabinet minister.

As an MP, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat contributed to the development of the civil airport of Jodhpur city, which is also known as the 'blue city', and expansion of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

The 51-year-old had defeated Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav Gehlot in Jodhpur by over 2.7 lakh votes. The chief minister had represented the constituency five times since 1980.
After swearing-in, what will happen next?

India

oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi

New Delhi, May 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took oath for the second term. Along with him, 57 ministers also were administered oath.

Out of this, 24 are Cabinet Ministers, nine Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 24 Ministers of State.

However, the prime minister has the scope of adding another 23 ministers in his cabinet. For, The 91st Amendment to the Constitution limits the total size of the Council of Ministers to 15 per cent of the total strength of the House, i.e. 81 Ministers.

After the swearing-in ceremony, prime minister sets up Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs. This committee announces the exact date of commencement of the first session and the schedule of key events in the session, including the date of president's address.

Modi Cabinet 2.0: List of new ministers of India 2019

It's the prime minister who identifies the MP who will act as the pro-tem Speaker, whose role is to administer oath/affirmation to the newly elected members and to presides over the sitting in which the new Speaker is elected. The office of the pro-tem Speaker ceases to exist when the new Speaker is elected.

Newly elected Members of Parliament from the Lok Sabha elect the Speaker among themselves. It is desired the speaker should be experienced and understands Lok Sabha functions and it is someone accepted among the ruling and opposition parties.

However, 6th Lok Sabha Speaker K S Hegde and 7th Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar were both first time MPs. Interestingly, Jakhar was also elected Speaker of the 8th Lok Sabha. In total, he served as Speaker for eight years and 329 days.

Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar was the first MP who was elected as Speaker in the 1st Lok Sabha.

The Speaker is supposed to be impartial and independent. Dr. N Sanjiva Reddy, the Speaker of the fourth Lok Sabha, formally resigned from his political party, Congress, as he was of the opinion that the Speaker belongs to the whole House and should, therefore, remain impartial.

With Shah in Cabinet, will J P Nadda become the BJP president?

The election of the Speaker is followed by the president's Address. Article 87 of the Constitution requires the president to address both Houses at the beginning of the first session after each general election.

The first session of the new Lok Sabha is likely to begin on June 6 and will continue till June 15.
Better late than never says Mehbooba on Hurriyats willingness to talk

Imran Khan's offer of dialogue should be seriously considered by new Modi govt: Mirwaiz

India

pti-PTI

Srinagar, May 31: The overwhelming mandate to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given him an opportunity to play a decisive role in the resolution of the Kashmir issue, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Friday.

Farooq expressed hope that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's offer of dialogue would be seriously considered by the new National Democratic Alliance government.

"As the people of India overwhelmingly voted for Mr Modi and his party back into power, this mandate gives PM Modi the opportunity and the power to play a decisive role in the resolution of the long-pending Kashmir conflict," the separatist leader said.

Mirwaiz was addressing the prayers at the Jama Masjid here on the occasion of 'Jumat-ul-Vida', the last Friday of Ramzan.

"Pakistan PM Imran Khan's often-repeated offer of dialogue on all issues between India and Pakistan, including on the Kashmir issue, should be seriously considered by the new dispensation in New Delhi as the way forward," Farooq said.

The moderate Hurriyat chairman said Kashmir cannot be resolved militarily or through confrontation, but by dialogue and deliberations.

"All Kashmiris, irrespective of their organisational affiliations, are speaking in one voice about the urgent need for resolution of the conflict," he said, adding that the Hurriyat Conference was willing to support any initiative in this regard. "So, it is an opportune time to initiate political processes which enables and facilitates conflict resolution," he added.

The separatist leader said a resolution to the Kashmir issue could transform both India and Pakistan and usher in a new era of stability and progress in South Asia, bringing the much-needed relief to the people of Kashmir striving for a resolution.

"For that, it is imperative that democratic processes are invoked and restored by New Delhi and the policy of repression and military approach be done away with. "One measure for doing so is the release all of all political prisoners languishing in various jails across India, including (separatist leaders) Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Asiya Andrabi and others," he added.

The mirwaiz said during the Hurriyat's engagement with the governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, and after visiting Pakistan, the separatist conglomerate had put forward certain substantial measures as a precursor to serious negotiations. Farooq claimed that both India and Pakistan had at that time had agreed to implementing these steps -- including revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, gradual demilitarisation, prisoner release -- to prepare ground for serious negotiations.

"These measures hold true even today when the situation has only further deteriorated," he said.

"If these steps are initiated by both sides, it will bring relief to the people of Kashmir and an atmosphere for sincere engagement among all stakeholders will be created for a permanent resolution."

The Hurriyat chairman said India and Pakistan have to acknowledge and address "the unresolved political problem" in Kashmir.

"We want this long cycle of killings and violence to end. We do not want to see our youngsters or an Indian or Pakistani soldier die in this 'forever' conflict," he said. "Without addressing the question of Kashmir, there will be repeated returns to perilous states of war as we recently witnessed."

PTI
Is this why Bhupesh Baghel skipped Modis swearing-in ceremony?

India

oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi

New Delhi, May 31: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel skipped Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony on Thursday evening.

Earlier there were reports that he would be attending the ceremony but on Wednesday evening he tweeted that he won't be able to attend Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony because of prior fixed programmes in Bastar.

However, sources in Congress give a different reason for Baghel's absence in Delhi.

"Congress President Rahul Gandhi is too much annoyed with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashkok Gehlot, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot; Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel," a source tells OneIndia.

After swearing-in, what will happen next?

It's notable that Rahul Gandhi had expressed his anger in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting wherein he openly criticised party leaders who put their sons' interests first, choosing to campaign for their children and ignoring the needs of the party. He also spoke against factionalism within among the party leaders.

Gehlot's son Vaibav contested from Jodhpur and Kamal Nath's son Nakul from Chhindwara. It's alleged that both Gehlot and Kamal Nath concentrated more on their sons rather than the party candidates. While Gehlot's son lost the election, Kamal Nath's son became victorious.

As soon as the media reported Rahul's outburst at the CWC meeting, Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, who lead two factions in Rajasthan, reached Delhi on Sunday to meet Rahul Gandhi. Till Tuesday, they waited but Rahul didn't meet them. They could only meet Congress General Secretary and Rahul's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. While Gehlot returned to Jaipur on Tuesday evening, Pilot left Delhi on Wednesday morning.

Sources say that sensing the mood of Rahul Gandhi, Bhupesh Baghel and Kamal Nath are avoiding meeting the Congress president and waiting for him to calm down.

"Congress high command has also got reports from Chhattisgarh that Baghel has turned the Congress in the state into 'one man show' and the rivalry between him, T.S. Singhdeo, and Tamradhwaj Sahu is one of the main reasons for the party's poor performance in the state, where it had won 68 seats in 90-seat assembly," says a source.

The rivalry between these three leaders had come to fore for the post of Chief Minister December last year. Rahul had chosen Baghel for the top post, but bitterness between these leaders remained.

Both Baghel and Sahu are from Durg parliamentary constituency and this is where the Congress candidate has lost with the highest margin. This the constituency where votes of Sahu community are highest. Tamradhwaj Sahu had won the seat even in 2014 when there was Modi wave across the country. Singhdeo didn't campaign in Sarguja, his home constituency, on the pretext of being busy in Odisha. He was made temporary in-charge of the state before Lok Sabha polls.

With Shah in Cabinet, will J P Nadda become the BJP president?

"Rahul had pinned high hopes on Baghel but he didn't perform and failed to control factionalism in his state. The Congress high command has also taken note of the fact that Baghel, Gehlot, and Kamal Nath did wrong reporting to Rahul Gandhi even a day before the election results were announced on May 23. They all had told Rahul that the party is going to win maximum seats in their states," adds the source.

Attending Modi's swearing-in ceremony would have put Baghel face to face with Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi who were present on the occasion.
Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan at PM Modi's first cabinet meeting

India

oi-Vikas SV

By Vishal S

New Delhi, May 31: After the allocation of portfolios, the Modi 2.0 government held its first Cabinet meeting at South Block on Friday during which several key decisions like extending Pradhan Mantri-KISAN scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers across the country and changes in scholarship scheme under the National Defence Fund were taken.

PM Modi approved hike in scholarship amount under National Defence Fund which essentially means that the wards of personnel who were martyred in terror or Maoist attacks will receive enhanced scholarships. The government enhanced the monthly scholarship for the children under this scheme from Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 for boys and from Rs 2,250 to Rs 3,000 for girls.

"Our Government's first decision dedicated to those who protect India! Major changes approved in PM's Scholarship Scheme' under the National Defence Fund including enhanced scholarships for wards of police personnel martyred in terror or Maoist attacks," PM Modi tweeted soon after the decision was taken at the first Cabinet meeting of the new government.

The ambit of the Scholarship Scheme has been extended to the wards of State Police officials who lay down their lives in service of the country.

[In its first decision, Modi Cabinet hikes scholarship amount for martyrs' kin]

At the first meeting after swearing-in, the Modi-led Cabinet decided to extend the Rs 6,000 per year assistance to all farmers, farm minister Narendra Singh Tomar announced after the meeting. The cabinet also agreed to roll out pension plans for farmers and traders.

The extension will cost Rs 87,000 crore a year. A pension scheme worth Rs 10,000 crore, which will benefit five crore farmers, was also announced.

People first, people always.



Glad that path-breaking decisions were taken in the Cabinet, the first in this tenure. Hardworking farmers and industrious traders will benefit greatly due to these decisions.



The decisions will enhance dignity and empowerment of several Indians. pic.twitter.com/U9JTXeyoVm  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 31, 2019

Announcing the two key decisions, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Modi 2.0 government has announced the landmark decisions for the farming community in its very first Cabinet meeting.

"The Union Cabinet has approved to extend the ambit of the scheme by including all land holding eligible farmer families under the scheme, subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria," he said after the meeting.

[What would be Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's priorities]

The Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) was announced in the interim Budget under which the government decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three equal installments) to an estimated 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to two hectares.

"Now, the revised scheme envisages covering around two crore more farmers, increasing the coverage of the PM-KISAN to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries," Tomar said.

The Modi 2.0 government also approved a new scheme, which assures minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to all shopkeepers, retail traders and self employed persons after attaining the age of 60 years, fulfilling its poll promise.

The decision taken at the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will benefit 3 crore retail traders and shopkeepers. Five crore traders are expected to join the scheme in the next three years, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said while briefing reporters at a press conference.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah described as "landmark" the Modi government's decision to launch a new pension scheme for shopkeepers and retail traders. Shah, who took oath as a central minister Thursday, also said in a series of tweets that farmers and poor have always been a priority for the Modi government. Shah said as promised, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended the PM-Kisan Yojana to all farmers.

[Pralhad Joshi takes charge as coal minister; What are the challenges before him]

The Centre Friday decided to bear the entire cost of Rs 13,343 crore under an existing scheme that seeks to control livestock diseases, especially food and mouth disease (FMD) and brucellosis, in the next five years. A decision in this regard was taken in the first Cabinet meeting of the Modi 2.0 government.

Briefing media, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the scheme is in the interest of the farming community.

"This is an existing vaccination scheme under which the Centre and state governments contribute funds in the ratio of 60:40. In a rare instance of departure, the Central government has decided to now bear the entire cost," the minister said. The Cabinet had cleared a total outlay of Rs 13,343 crore to fully control these diseases among the livestock in the country in the next five years and subsequently eradicate these diseases, he said.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Javadekar said the first two days of the session will be devoted to swearing-in of the newly elected MPs while the Lok Sabha speaker will be elected on June 19.

[Modi Govt 2.0 to present Budget on July 5, session to begin from June 17]

The President's address to the joint sitting of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will take place on June 20, he said. The economic survey will be tabled on July 4 followed by the presentation of the budget on the next day. The session will have a total of 30 sittings. It will be the first budget of the Modi government in its second term and will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The interim budget for the year 2019-20 was presented by then Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on February 1.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs
Will come back to haunt you: Jaishankar in veiled reference to Pakistan

S Jaishankar stresses on connectivity,proposes Chabahar Port be included in the NorthSouth Transport Corridor

India-Central Asia dialogue: Need to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to Afghan, says Jaishankar

Jaishankar becomes first career diplomat to be appointed as foreign affairs minister

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, May 31: Former foreign secretary S Jaishankar was given charge of the External Affairs ministry on Friday, the first career diplomat to handle the key portfolio.

Considered an expert on China and the US, the new External Affairs minister's moves will be keenly watched to see whether he brings any changes in India's approach in dealing with a hostile Pakistan.

Jaishankar, who takes charge of the ministry nearly 16 months after he retired as foreign secretary, will also have to deal with overall expectations of expanding India's global influence and stature, particularly in key multilateral forums like G-20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.

However, a major focus of the ministry under his leadership is likely to be on further boosting India's trade and defence ties with the US, Russia, France, Japan and the European Union as well as with the countries of the neighbourhood.

Full list of portfolios: Shah gets home, Rajnath Defence, Jaishankar, MEA, Nirmala Finance

Another challenge for him will be to further strengthen India's ties with China, badly hit by the Doklam standoff in mid 2017.

The 64-year-old -- who is not a member of either the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha at this point -- is also likely to push for deepening cooperation with the African continent where China is fast expanding its influence and presence.

Getting the long-awaited membership of the UN Security Council and Nuclear Suppliers Group is expected to be another area of interests of the new government.

India has also been trying enhance ties with the Gulf region as well as the hydrocarbon rich Central Asia, and Jaishankar is set to ensure continuity on it.

Jaishankar, son of the late K Subrahmanyam, one of India's leading strategic analysts, was a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

The deal, initiated in 2005, took several years to craft, and was signed by the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh in 2007.

Jaishankar's appointment as foreign secretary in January 2015 evoked a sharp reaction from various quarters over the timing of the government's decision to remove Sujatha Singh.

He had earlier served as India's Ambassador to the US and before that to China.

A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar played a key role in resolving the crisis following the incursion in Ladakh's Depsang and the Doklam stand-off, handling the tough negotiations with Beijing.

First woman finance minister of India: Not Nirmala, but Indira

Among other positions, Jaishankar has been India's High Commissioner to Singapore and Ambassador to the Czech Republic.

Last year, Tata Group appointed Jaishankar, who was Indian foreign secretary from January 2015 to January 2018, as its president for global corporate affairs, within three months of his retirement from the government service.

A graduate of St Stephen's College, Jaishankar is an MA in Political Science and an MPhil and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Jaishankar is married to Kyoko Jaishankar and has two sons and a daughter.

In 2019, Jaishankar was conferred with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of the country.
Meet youngest and oldest ministers in Modi Cabinet

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, May 31: BJP leader Smriti Irani, (43) who scripted a massive victory in the Amethi seat in the Lok Sabha Elections became the youngest in the second Narendra Modi government's council of ministers.

BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan is the oldest at 73 years of age. Close on his heels are Thaawar Chand Gehlot and Santosh Kumar Gangwar at 71 years.

The new Council of Ministers has 24 Cabinet ministers, 9 Ministers of State with independent charge and 24 Ministers of State. There are a total of 24 new faces - seven hold Cabinet rank, one Minister of State (independent charge) and 16 Ministers of State.

The average age of the Modi Cabinet is 59.63 years and last time the average age of the Modi cabinet in 2014 was 62 years.

Smriti Irani

Smriti Irani, whose meteoric rise in the BJP saw her become the HRD and Information & Broadcasting Minister, is someone who would never give up.

Modi Cabinet 2.0: List of new ministers of India 2019

After losing to Rahul Gandhi in 2014, she continued to cultivate Amethi in the past five years and this helped her reap electoral dividends - she emerged a giant-killer of 2019 by defeating the Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his home turf.

Ram Vilas Paswan

A politician with an uncanny knack for sensing which way the wind is blowing, Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan has a rare distinction of serving as a minister in the cabinets of six prime ministers.

The septuagenarian had started off as a member of the Bihar legislative assembly in the 1960s and shot to fame in the 1977 post-Emergency Lok Sabha polls when he won Hajipur seat by over four lakh votes, then a record margin.

Another emphatic victory in 1989 earned him his first stint in the cabinet of V P Singh, who appointed him as labour minister.

Less than a decade later, he was back as railway minister in successive governments headed by H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujaral which together lasted for a couple of years.

The Janata Dal faction, with which he was associated in the 1990s, sided with the BJP-led NDA and Paswan was made the minister for communications, and later coal in the government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Later, he floated his own party with a view to exploring the possibilities as the foremost Dalit leader in Bihar after Babu Jagjivan Ram.

The Gujarat riots of 2002 saw him quit the NDA in protest and gravitate towards the Congress-led UPA, which came to power two years later. He was appointed the minister for chemicals and fertilizers and steel under Manmohan Singh.

His relations with the Congress got strained during the UPA-2 when he was denied a ministerial berth following his party's debacle in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Paswan himself was defeated at his own citadel of Hajipur.

Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls the BJP, which was looking for allies in Bihar so they could help it make up for the loss of Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U), welcomed him with open arms and offered him seven seats to contest. The LJP won six, including Paswan, his son Chirag and brother Ram Chandra.

As the minister for food and public distribution and consumer affairs under Narendra Modi, Paswan made his mark as a stout votary of the government whenever it came under attack on issues of social justice. He handled efficiently the pulses and sugar sector crisis besides bringing reforms in the Public Distribution System.

The average age of the council of ministers has decreased because many in the previous Modi government ,who were over 65 years of age, are no longer part of the new one.

While senior leader Arun Jaitley, 66, has opted out of the Cabinet over ill-health, Sushma Swaraj, 67, who also had health issues, was a notable omission from the council of ministers.

Shiv Sena leader Anant Geete, 68, senior Haryana leader Chaudhary Birender Singh, 73, six-time MP Radhamohan Singh, 70, former union tourism minister Alphons Kannanthanam, 65, have all lost their ministerial berths.

Senior Delhi BJP leader Vijay Goel, 65, Pon Radhakrishnan, 67, who lost the Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat this time and S S Ahluwalia, 67, who won from Durgapur and a Dalit leader who won from Bijapur in Karnataka Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi, 66, have failed to find a place in the council of minister this time.

Assam leader Rajen Gohain, 68, Lok Sabha MP from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, Virendra Kumar, 65, have also been left out.

Rajathan BJP leaders, C R Chaudhary and P P Chaudhary, 71 and 65, respectively, have been both been dropped from the government.

In the outgoing council of ministers, former minister of state for health, Anupriya Patel, 38, was the youngest. However, she has failed to retain her berth.
PM Modi likely to address rally in Punjab on January 5, may share stage with Amarinder

PM Modi to release 10th instalment of PM-KISAN on Jan 1: How to check status

Modi Govt 2.0 to present Budget on July 5, Parliament session to begin from June 17

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, May 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government would present the Union Budget for the remainder of the Financial Year 2019-20 on July 5, 2019. The interim budget for the year 2019-20 was presented on February 1. The government could not present a full-budget then as elections were due.

The Budget Session would begin on June 17, 2019 will last till July 26. The election for the Lok Sabha speaker would be held on June 19.

"Union Budget will be presented on July 5," Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said after the first cabinet meeting of Modi's second tenure as Prime Minister.

"Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint session of parliament on 20th June. Economic Survey will be released on 4th of July," he added.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Javadekar said the first two days of the session will be devoted to swearing-in of the newly elected MPs while the Lok Sabha speaker will be elected on June 19. The President's address to the joint sitting of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will take place on June 20, he said.

The economic survey will be tabled on July 4 followed by the presentation of the budget on the next day. The session will have a total of 30 sittings. It will be the first budget of the Modi government in its second term and will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The interim budget for the year 2019-20 was presented by then Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on February 1.

The dates of the session were discussed at the first cabinet meeting of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government which was sworn in on Thursday. The interim budget for the year 2019-20 was presented by then stand-in Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on February 1, 2019.

[Modi Sarkar 2.0: Know your Cabinet Ministers]

Goyal had to present the Budget in February as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had to go to the United States for treatment.

Goyal had in February announced a relief package of Rs 75,000 crore under a new scheme PM Kisaan Samman Nidhi for distressed farmers.

In Modi second tenure, the Finance Ministry portfolio has been allocated to Nirmala Sitharaman who was the Defence Minister in previous government.
PM Modi likely to address rally in Punjab on January 5, may share stage with Amarinder

PM Modi to release 10th instalment of PM-KISAN on Jan 1: How to check status

Modi govt to hold its first Cabinet meet today

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, May 31: The newly inducted Narendra Modi government will hold its first Cabinet meeting on Friday. As of now there is no fixed agenda. The possible date of convening the Parliament session could be decided.

Modi took oath on Thursday night along with 57 MPs who will be part of his Council of Ministers after a spectacular victory in the national election a week ago.

Besides 24 Cabinet ministers including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, and Piyush Goyal, nine were sworn in as Minister of State with Independent charge and another 24 as Minister of State.

Modi's core team and top ten ministers

One-third of the total ministers in the Cabinet are first-timers, including BJP president Amit Shah and former Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Two former Chief Ministers - Ramesh Pokhriyal from Uttarakhand and Arjun Munda from Jharkhand - have taken oath as Union ministers for the first time.

This will be the first innings for six Cabinet ministers and 13 Ministers of State. BJP's Prahlad Joshi and Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant will also become Union ministers for the first time.

The new Modi Government has the maximum representation of 10 faces from Uttar Pradesh, followed by seven from Maharashtra, six from Bihar and four from Madhya Pradesh.

After swearing-in, what will happen next?

It also has three ministers each from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka followed by two each from West Bengal and Odisha. Portfolios for the new ministers have not been announced yet.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance returned to power with a massive haul of 352 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP won 303 seats on its own.
Centre to release Rs 95,082 crore as tax devolution to states in November

First woman finance minister of India: Not Nirmala, but Indira

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, May 31: Narendra Modi picked Nirmala Sitharaman as the Minister of Finance. She will take over from Arun Jaitley, who had requested that he be kept away from any responsibility.

Sitharaman is the first female finance minister after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who held the portfolio briefly for a year between July 1969 and June 1970.

In 2017, Sitharaman became the first woman to be appointed full-time Defence Minister of India.

60-year-old Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member, is the second woman to take charge of the crucial ministry after Indira Gandhi who as the Prime Minister also held the portfolio in the seventies.

One of BJP's chief spokespersons before its ascent to power, Sitharaman is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University and London School of Economics.

As the Defence Minister, Sitharaman attempted to strengthen the Army, Navy and the Air Force and was credited for expediting the decision making process relating to defence procurement. She constituted a Defence Planning Committee to formulate an "action plan" to effectively deal with various security challenges facing the nation.

Full list of portfolios: Shah gets home, Rajnath Defence, Jaishankar, MEA, Nirmala Finance

However, her biggest moment came when India carried out air strikes on a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot, seen as major policy shift in the country's efforts to deal with cross border terrorism.

She took on the opposition head on with her fiery defence of the Rafale fighter jet deal in Parliament.

She has also focused on boosting domestic defence production besides taking steps to implement the ambitious "strategic partnership" model with several countries like the United States and Russia.

Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors.

Sitharaman was born on August 18, 1959 in the temple town of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She did her schooling and her graduation in Economics, from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College in Tiruchirapalli.

She went on to do her Masters in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Sitharaman served as an assistant to Economist in the Agricultural Engineers Association, UK in London. She subsequently worked as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) with Price Waterhouse, London. During this time she also briefly worked with BBC World Service.

On her return to India, she served as Deputy Director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad.

Sitharaman joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2008, and was made a member of the National Executive. She was nominated as party spokesperson in March 2010 and has been a full time party worker since then.

She was inducted in the Union Cabinet on May 26, 2014 as the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry.
China expanding its military bases in its quest to end global dominance of US: IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria

Pak's plan was brilliant, but didn't factor in India's air power: IAF chief on Battle of Longewala

On officerss allegation in rape case, IAF Chief says no two finger test done

Rafale replica put up outside IAF chief's home opposite Congress headquarters

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, May 31: In an interesting development, a replica of the Rafale fighter jet has been erected outside the official residence of India Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa in Lutyens Delhi, which is just opposite the Congress headquarters.

Earlier, a model of the Sukhoi Su-30 was set up at the same place before being removed a few months ago.

The deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets has got the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress at loggerheads.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not being truthful about the deal, demanding the government reveal the price it paid for the aircraft. The government has countered, saying making the details public would compromise national security.

Rafale deal: Centre faces tough questions from Supreme Court

The first Rafale jet expected to be handed over to the Indian Air Force in September this year but it would be required to undergo intensive 1,500 hours of testing to validate the India-specific enhancements on it. So the first batch of the four planes is likely to arrive at Ambala around May 2020.

The Rafale is a nuclear capable aircraft and an attempt to glean some of the technical specifications of the India-specific aircraft could seriously compromise its operations once inducted.
Raviji, the same thing just happened to me: Shashi Tharoor to seek explanation from Twitter

What is itat e-dwar the new e-filing portal of the IT appellate tribunal

Social media companies free to do business, but should be accountable to Indian laws: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Big step towards transparency: Prasad on first compliance report by Google, FB under new IT rules

If over 45 countries use Pegasus, why target just India?, asks Ravi Shankar Prasad

What would be Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's priorities

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, May 31: The creation of an all-India judicial service to recruit judges for the lower courts of the country is among the priorities of Ravi Shankar Prasad, who has returned to the Law Ministry for the second time.

The ministry has also been consistently working on improving the judicial infrastructure with more courtrooms and appointment of judges. Over 5,000 vacancies of judicial officers/judges in the lower courts have resulted in a massive backlog of cases.

Another priority would be the finalisation of memorandum of procedure to guide appointment and transfer of Supreme Court and high court judges.

The issue had now been pending for over two years now with the SC collegium and the government failing to reach a consensus.

[Modi Govt 2.0 to present Budget on July 5, session to begin from June 17]

Successive governments have also been working on making India a hub of international arbitration. It has taken several steps to change laws dealing with commercial disputes.

PTI
Inspired by Akshardham, Abu Dhabi's first Hindu temple not to use steel, iron during construction

First two Air India Express flights land in Kerala with 363 stranded Indians from UAE

Abu Dhabi celebrates Modi's swearing-in, lights up Adnoc tower

International

oi-Deepika S

Abu Dhabi, May 31: In an extraordinary gesture, the iconic Adnoc Group tower in Abu Dhabi was lit up in celebration on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath for the second time after his historic win in the elections.

The skyscraper depicted the strong bilateral ties between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by showing flags of the two countries and portraits of its leaders- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed with PM Narendra Modi.

Navdeep Singh Suri, the Indian Ambassador to UAE took to twitter to express his elation stating, "Now this is true friendship! As PM Narendra Modi is sworn in for a second term in office, the iconic Adnoc Group tower in Abu Dhabi is lit up with India and UAE flags and portraits of our PM and of HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed".

Suri told WAM, the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates, that since the visit of prime minister Modi to UAE in August 2015, the two nations have seen a real transformation in our bilateral ties.

"The close friendship that has blossomed over the last four years between our Prime Minister and the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is well-known. The whole world can see it today in this unique celebration of the re-election of the Prime Minister for a fresh five year term.

PM Modi conferred with UAE's highest civilian honour

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC is the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates.

ADNOC is also a stakeholder in one of India's largest refinery and petrochemical complexes, which will be constructed at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.

Strategic energy co-operation between the UAE and India was bolstered in March 2019, when an Indian consortium of two companies was awarded the exploration rights for an onshore block in Abu Dhabi's debut competitive block bid round.

In addition, an Indian consortium of three companies was awarded a 10 per cent participating interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum concession in February 2018.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, May 31, 2019, 11:10 [IST]
Pakistans disinformation campaign on overdrive mode and how India hit back

Top Pakistan military officer sentenced to death in espionage case

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, May 31: A top Pakistani army officer has been sentenced to death in, while another has been awarded 14 years rigorous imprisonment on charges of espionage and leaking sensitive information to foreign agencies.

A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said, "Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has endorsed the death sentence to a retired army officer and a civilian and rigorous imprisonment to one army officer on charges of "espionage/leakage of sensitive information to foreign agencies prejudice to the national security."

The statement further said that the officers were tried under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act by separate Field General Court Marshal for separate cases.

Those who were convicted include, Lieutenant General (retd) Javed Iqbal, Brigadier (retd) Raja Rizwan, and Dr Wasim Akram, an employee at a sensitive organisation.

Pak extends closure of airspace along India till border till June 15

Lieutenant General (retd) Javed Iqbal was awarded 14 years imprisonment while

Brigadier (retd) Raja Rizwan, and Dr Wasim Akram were both awarded death sentences.

While the ISPR did not spell out further details, its Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor had confirmed the arrests on February 22 this year.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Friday, May 31, 2019, 9:46 [IST]
Shortlist of UK-India Awards 2019 announced, grand function to strengthen ties between two countries

International

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, May 31: The UK-India Awards 2019, an exclusive event celebrating the UK-India partnership is back in its third year, promising another glamorous evening celebrating special and significant talent. And now, they have announced the shortlist for this year's UK-India Awards.

A key highlight of UK-India Week (24 - 28 June 2019), the UK-India Awards brings together and celebrates the innovative and trailblazing individuals and organisations that are making a significant contribution to the strong global partnership between the UK and India.

The Awards announcement comes at a time when there are 842 Indian companies operating in the UK, with combined revenues of over 48 billion - an increase from 46.4 billion in 2018 [source: Grant Thornton India Meets Britain Tracker 2019]. Last year investment from India increased an incredible 321% over the previous year [source: ONS] and London sits at the very epicentre of this prosperity, attracting more investment projects from India than any other major European city [source: London & Partners]. Sending a clear message, that Brexit or no Brexit, India is committed to building winning partnerships with the UK.

This year's UK-India Awards will be judged by an all-women panel of leading figures in business, technology, media, and politics:

Ruth Davidson MP, Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party

Shalni Arora, CEO, Savannah Wisdom

Deborah D'Aubney, Director, General Counsel, Rolls Royce

Rt. Hon. Patricia Hewitt, Former UK Cabinet Minister

Gina Miller, Founder of True and Fair Foundation

Falguni Nayar, Founder of Nykaa.com

This year, thirty-five organisations have been shortlisted, including:

John Lewis Foundation for Social Impact Project of the Year

tech UK for Trade and Investment Promotion Agency of the Year

Energy Efficiency Services Ltd, for Deal of the Year

Buffalo Grid, for Start-up of the Year

Baker McKenzie, for Law Firm of the Year

The Softbank Vision Fund for Fund of the Year

PwC for Consultancy of the Year

This year, British Asian Trust working with Childline are the Social Impact Partner for the UK-India Awards 2019.

Last year, winners included Carbon Clean Solutions, Standard Chartered Bank, Partition Museum and London Stock Exchange.

Manoj Ladwa, the British Indian entrepreneur and political strategist, Founder of India Inc. Group said:

"The UK-India Awards recognise people and organisations who work to build the bridge between the UK and India. They bring a wealth of innovation and creativity to this rich and winning partnership.

"This year's nominations are no different - they are companies and individuals that recognise the importance of the UK-India relationship and the global role the countries must fulfil. In addition to this, the UK-India Awards will also celebrate the organisations and individuals contributing to the UK-India partnership's leading, transformational impact on the world as a whole. They are working to bring new opportunities to this rich partnership."

The winners of the UK-India Awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony in London taking place on 28th June 2019.

In its third year, the Awards ceremony takes place during the inaugural UK-India Week, running 24th-28th June. UK-India Week celebrates the strong partnership between the UK and India and is a catalyst for promoting opportunities for future collaboration.

About UK-India Week:

This year, UK-India Week launches with 'India Day', a day of broad discussion and valuable debate tackling issues central to the future of the global partnership. UK-India Week's cornerstone event is the India Inc. Leaders' Summit, a two-day exchange of enterprise, innovation and opportunity which convenes international business leaders, change-makers and entrepreneurs to enhance collaboration.

It concludes with the UK-India Awards, a star-studded show celebrating people and organisations who, with their worldwide influence, are creating new frontiers for the UK-India partnership.
CGS 2019 Vaults Cyprus Gaming Landscape into Hyperspace

Published May 31, 2019 by Lee R

Cyprus has positioned the Eastern Mediterranean region to become a leading market region.

CGS 2019 showed off all the potential of Cyprus' unlimited new market for 2019!

The Event

Concluding May 21st, the 3rd annual CGS at Hilton Nicosia in the island capital featured

key operators and industry stakeholders who brought together valuable insights via keynote presentations, panels and a myriad of networking opportunities.

Big Players

The third edition of CGS paired major operators such as Megabet Plus and Parimatch with

software providers, payment solutions service providers and further big name stakeholders including BetConstruct, Digitain, ECOMMPAY, Digital Choo, Quazard, Uncharted Gaming, Infocredit Group, Russian Media Group and others.

The New Region

The event gave all attendees a foothold on growth in the emerging Eastern Mediterranean gaming market, with Eventus MD Yudi Soetjiptadi expressing hope for continuing the growth of the iGaming market in this region for the years to come.

Proceedings Summary

The proceedings blasted off with a legendary warm welcome from event chair person David

Schollenberger, who is also Director of Policy and Compliance for Cyprus National Gaming &

Casino Supervision Commission.

Schollenberger set the tone for the conference by highlighting the key challenges and opportunities in the Cyprus market.



Further presentations included Chief Executive of Cyprus National Gaming & Casino Supervision

Commission CEO Nick Tofiluk's kick off presentation on strengthening Cypruss

national gambling framework and Cyprus National Betting Authority Chairwoman Ioanna Fiakkou's welcome remarks on the future landscape of the local industry.

After Sibilla Solutions CEO Andreas Matsas moderated an interactive panel discussion on the ICR benefits to Cypruss economy, CGS Day 1 ended with an exclusive networking cocktail reception hosted by Eventus!

Day 2

Day 2 continued with 1710 Gaming Principal Consultant Christina Thakor-Rankin welcoming back CGS attendees of CGS; a panel on gender diversity in the gambling industry; and a discussion on implementing practical aspects of compliance and AML/KYC.

With the full proceedings available at the website, Yudi probably sums it up best by saying that CGS 2019 has exceeded our expectations.

Outlook

With the momentum forged at CGS 2019, 2020 can only be better. Special offers are being extended this month for the 4th annual show next year at Nicosia for 2020, making this the ideal opportunity to get a foothold in Cyprus.
Automotive Spring Aftermarket Market Emerging Top Key Players to Watch- Progressive Suspension, American Showa, WP-Group, KYB Europe in 2017-2025

https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/11272

https://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/toc/11272

http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/

The global Automotive Spring Aftermarket market, which is extensively assessed in the report contemplates the best need development angles and how they could affect the market over the figure residency under thought. The experts have taken careful endeavors to thoroughly evaluating every development factor of the market, other than indicating how certain market restrictions could represent a danger to players in the coming years. In addition, the report additionally gives data on top patterns and openings and how players could take advantage of them to take up the difficulties in the Automotive Spring Aftermarket market. This could be a helpful rule for players to concrete their situation in the business or make a rebound in the market.Whichever vehicle you ride, the suspension system will always perform the same function, which is to eliminate the shock transferred through rear and front wheels as they travel on uneven and rough surfaces. By absorbing the shock from uneven and rough terrains, an automotive spring system decreases the strain and stress that would otherwise impact the rider and other vehicle parts. The suspension system was initially developed in the start of the 20th century in order to reduce the effect of shock and hence, prevent it from negatively impacting riding comfort. Over a period of time, as automobiles are becoming more powerful and efficient, advanced suspension systems have been developed to improve riding performance and capability. This was lacking for several years due to the intense focus on engine development.Get Free Sample Copy of this report @Collectively, the front and rear suspension systems in any vehicle play a vital role in controlling the vehicle on uneven tracks, thereby enhancing the riding experience to a whole new level. Automotive spring technology and design has come a long way in recent years, mainly owing to development transfer from the world of racing wherein vehicles and their riders are subjected to extreme conditions. Consequently, todays off-road and road riders gain a lot from highly sophisticated rear and front suspension systems, which offer high traction on road and remarkable levels of comfort for the driver. There are three major factors that influence the features of a vehicles suspension, namely dampers, springs and un-sprung/sprung mass. A typical automotive spring system comprises a couple of conventional fork tubes for the front suspension and swing arms for the rear suspension, which consists of one or two shock absorbers in case of motorcycles and leaf springs in case of LCVs and HCVs in the global market. The most common type of front suspension system currently used in motorcycles is the telescopic fork. This fork can be effortlessly understood as a big hydraulic shock absorber with an internal coil spring attached to it. It permits the front wheel to react to inadequacies of the uneven road while insulating the rest of the motorcycle from that motion. For passenger cars, LCVs and HCVs, a combination of springs and shock absorbers are used. Commonly used springs are leaf springs, coil springs and torsion bean suspension and hydraulic shock absorbers are prominent in the passenger car segment in the global market. Automotive springs are one of the prominent aftermarket components in the global automotive market as they have a good replacement rate and hence, by sales channel, the aftermarket segment is estimated to grow with a prominent pace over the forecast period in the global marketAutomotive Spring Aftermarket: DynamicsThe automotive spring system market has a lot of scope in the research and development department. Some key automotive market participants are aspiring to offer increased comfort by developing suspension systems with enhanced damping properties, especially for motorcycles and off-road vehicles used in professional racing and stunting. Also, the market for automotive spring aftermarket systems has increased due to development in the overall automotive sector as consumers are more attracted towards safety and riding comfort. Moreover, in developed nations, the ability to ride at faster speeds with comfort is estimated to propel growth of the automotive spring aftermarket in the near future. Furthermore, growth in racing and adventure sports, such as dirt biking and off-road riding, will fuel growth of the overall automotive spring aftermarket in the coming future. Increasing standard of living with high comfort levels has brought the automotive spring aftermarket in great demand and hence, this market is forecast to grow yet more rapidly in the future.The market for automotive spring aftermarket is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR over the forecast period. Growing application of suspension systems in all vehicle types is expected to propel growth of the overall automotive spring aftermarket in the near future.Automotive Spring Aftermarket: SegmentationThe automotive springs aftermarket can be segmented by product type, suspension type and vehicle type.By product type, the automotive spring aftermarket can be segmented as:Front SuspensionRear SuspensionBy suspension type, the automotive spring aftermarket can be segmented as:Springs-Leaf Spring-Coil Spring-Torsion BeamShock Absorbers-Twin Shock Absorbers-Mono Shock AbsorbersBy vehicle type, the automotive spring aftermarket can be segmented as:Motorcycles & Scooters-Sports Bikes-Dirt and Stunting Bikes-Cruisers-City Bikes-Scooters & MopedsPassenger Cars-Compact Cars-Sports Cars-SUV/MUV-Off-road Vehicles-OthersLCV-Pick Up Trucks-Vans-Off-road Vehicles-OthersHCV-Trucks-BusesRequest For TOC Report @Automotive Springs Aftermarket: Regional OutlookNorth America, Europe and the Middle East regions have a higher standard of living with luxurious lifestyles and high disposable incomes, this has led to growth in the application of automotive springs in automobiles. People have developed a liking towards a comfortable and smooth riding experience, thus the automotive spring aftermarket is expected see rapid growth in all developed and developing countries in the future. Emerging economies in the APEJ region, especially India and China, will play an important role in the growth of the automotive spring aftermarket in the coming future. In countries, such as India and China, motorcycles are considered as a basic mode of transportation and hence, there is humungous growth potential for motorcycle suspension systems in the near future.Automotive Springs Aftermarket System Market: Market ParticipantsProgressive Suspension, Inc.Nitron Racing Systems LtdAmerican Showa CorporationTFX Suspension TechnologyWP-GroupKYB Europe G.M.B.HK-Tech Suspension LimitedBetts Spring ManufacturingLesjofors AutomotiveKING SPRINGS PTY LTD.Kilen Springs.Mubea Aftermarket Services GmbHPedders SuspensionCoil Spring SpecialtiesBarber SpringDuer/Carolina Coil Inc.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
FMR Releases New Report on the Tuberculosis Biomarkers Market 2017 to 2027(Segmentation based on Type Immune response-based tests Serologic and antigenic biomarkers NAAT Others)

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=569

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=569

https://www.factmr.com/report/569/tuberculosis-biomarkers-market

https://www.factmr.com/

https://factmrblog.com/

Tuberculosis Biomarkers Market: SnapshotTuberculosis (TB) biomarkers occupy a central role in the disease characterization, infection and risk assessment, rapid diagnosis, and ultimately cure. Despite considerable volumes of research and the proliferation of biomarker candidates over the past decades, the global market is still characterized by large unmet needs. This is evident in the devastating effect of tuberculosis on the mortality and morbidity in worldwide populations. The market is replete with tuberculosis biomarkers that claim to measure the status of infection and further predict outcomes of vaccination or therapy. But, the fact that none of them is efficacious enough to enable a simple, accurate, and rapid diagnostic test for the infectious disease is a pressing concern.The development of biomarkers that can measure responsiveness to treatments and those that assess the risk of developing into full-fledged disease are critical clinical endpoints. Hence, the development and launch of biomarkers that can measure well against such clinical endpoints is the need of the hour, belittling the massive investments made by companies so far. Hence, there is a need for more research that looks into reducing the gap between an emerging panoply of biomarker candidates and their efficacy against targeting product profiles. The need for non-DNA biomarkers to achieve this goal could unlock new, exciting avenues in the tuberculosis biomarkers market.Tuberculosis is a major dilemma in low and middle- income countries, accounting for second leading cause of death from an infectious disease, globally. The diagnosis of tuberculosis is crucial for controlling the disease. Biomarkers are biological markers which measure and asses as an indicator of normal biological states, pathogenic process, pharmacological responses and future disease risk of patients. The tuberculosis biomarkers can help classify patients at a single time point having active tuberculosis, latent M. tuberculosis or no diseases. In addition, these biomarkers have potential to predict future reactivation risk, support monitoring of the diseases and support in development of new drugs for tuberculosis. Scientists are exploring more about the tuberculosis biomarkers for accurate, cost effective and rapid diagnostic assay for better predictive of tuberculosis treatment outcome. In 2015, Spring Meeting of the Biomarkers and Correlates Working Group (BCWG), tuberculosis experts from around the world, discussed and made recommendations for the TB vaccine community regarding the studies needed to better define biomarkers or correlates for risk of TB infection or disease. Furthermore, there has been an increase in investment of tuberculosis research which have help address shortcomings in tuberculosis biomarkers research and development. For instance, in 2012 The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced $7.7 million funding for 10 new grants to identify biomarkers for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB). Thus, increase in investment and rising research and development activities associated with the tuberculosis biomarkers is anticipated to create new opportunities for the market, during the forecast periodRequest Free Sample Report@Tuberculosis biomarkers Market: Drivers and RestraintsTuberculosis biomarkers market primarily driven by a key factors such as the increasing incidence of tuberculosis. According to the WHO, in 2016 approximately 1.7 million people were dead and 10.4 million new cases were reported, worldwide. The introduction of newer tuberculosis biomarkers is expected to play a crucial role in helping scientist in the characterization and selection of suitable treatment strategies. For instance, in 2016 scientist from Oxford University identified new biomarkers for Tuberculosis (TB) which will provide valuable clues to assess whether potential new vaccines could be effective. The antigen detection technology and biomarkers discovery strategies are rapidly evolving, which is expected to fuel the Tuberculosis biomarkers market growth. Increasing awareness among doctors, patients and technicians in the developing countries would help in promoting the growth of market. However, more chances of experimental failure, ethical issues associated with the tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment, huge investment, time consumption, low validation and independent confirmation of biomarkers limits further development of tuberculosis biomarkers market.There is no evidence based results showing the best way to treat osteonecrosis and it acts as a restraint in the growth of the Tuberculosis biomarkers marketTuberculosis Biomarkers Market: SegmentationSegmentation based on TypeImmune response-based testsSerologic and antigenic biomarkersNAATOthersSegmentation based on End UserResearch InstitutesDiagnostic laboratoriesPharmaceutical IndustryGovernment InstitutesSegmentation by ApplicationDrug Discovery and Research / Clinical TrailsDiagnosticsDisease PrognosisTuberculosis biomarkers Market: Market OverviewThe global tuberculosis biomarkers market is expected to expand due to increasing rising healthcare burden of tuberculosis among different age groups. Tuberculosis biomarkers market has a presence of many regional players which have a huge market share in emerging countries operating at regional or country level. The future of tuberculosis biomarkers market anticipated with double CAGR during forecasting period. Biologic drug industry is investing on R&D and the key players are focusing on increasing their production capacity for tuberculosis biomarkers.Tuberculosis biomarkers Market: Region-Wise OverviewGlobal tuberculosis biomarkers market segmented into following regions North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan and the Middle East and Africa. North America holds significant market share in the global tuberculosis biomarkers mainly due to the well-established players. The emerging regions in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa holds promising future for rise in tuberculosis biomarker market, due to increase in awareness towards the tuberculosis and increase in population simultaneously. In developing economies such as India and China, new industry players are trying to establish their market presence by developing the generic version of the biomarker, through contract research organizations. This is expected to support in reduction in the manufacturing cost for the company and other production related cost.Request/View TOC@Tuberculosis biomarkers Market: Key ParticipantsKey players in the tuberculosis biomarkers market are Antrum Biotech, QIAGEN, Thermo Fisher Scientific, QuantuMDx, bioMerieux, Abbott, Rapid Biosensor Systems Ltd, GlobalBio Diagnostics Corp., Danaher Corporation, Alere Inc and Cisbio Bioassays.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 includes projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geographies, application, and industry.The report covers exhaust analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainThe regional analysis includes:North America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia-Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand, Rest of Asia Pacific)JapanThe Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, S. Africa, Northern Africa)The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macroeconomic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Report Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current, and projected market size regarding volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprintReport Analysis@About USFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; thats why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsRohit BhiseyFact.MR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Blog:
Global (United States, European Union and China) Cloned Competent Cells Market Research Report 2019-2025

https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/857487/global-united-states-european-union-china

https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com/reports/857487/global-united-states-european-union-china

https://www.marketresearchreportstore.com

Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on Cloned Competent Cells 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 Cloned Competent Cells 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 Cloned Competent Cells.This report studies the global market size of Cloned Competent Cells, 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 Cloned Competent Cells sales volume, revenue, market share and growth rate for each key company, and also covers the breakdown data (sales, 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:Merck KGaAThermo Fisher ScientificAgilent TechnologiesTakara BioPromega CorporationBeijing TransGen BiotechGeneScript CorporationYeastern BiotechNew England BiolabsQIAGEN N.V.OriGene TechnologiesLucigenZymo ResearchBio-Rad LaboratoriesBiolineMarket Segment by Product Type20*100l50*100l100*100lOtherMarket Segment by ApplicationSubcloning & Routine CloningPhage Display Library ConstructionToxic/Unstable Dna CloningHigh-Throughput CloningKey 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 Cloned Competent Cells 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 Cloned Competent Cells 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 Cloned Competent Cells 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 Cloned Competent Cells Market Growth 2019-2024United States Cloned Competent Cells Market Growth 2019-2024Asia-Pacific Cloned Competent Cells Market Growth 2019-2024Europe Cloned Competent Cells Market Growth 2019-2024EMEA Cloned Competent Cells Market Growth 2019-2024Global Cloned Competent Cells Market Growth 2019-2024China Cloned Competent Cells 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:
Private LTE Market - Witness Global Need 2028 | SpiderCloud Wireless, Ruckus Networks, General Dynamics, Qualcomm, Huawei, AT&T

TMR Research

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=4317

https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=4317

Global Private LTE Market: OverviewThe global private LTE market likely to registers significant growth during the course of forecast period from the period between 2018 till 2028. Moreover, this network provides the better alternatives of the public networks on account of high operational efficiency, low cost deployment and improved business application in terms of security. The private LTE market also provide more capacity and coverage and has facility to modify performance as per enterprise requirements. These are another factors positively encouraging growth of the Global Private LTE Market in near future.Get Sample Copy of the Report @On the basis of application, energy sector is likely to register significant growth on account of reliability, real-time performance and capacity to link critical machine to machine and IoT applications. Also, the rugged industries require IoT communication and Machine to Machine interaction as the dedicated private LTE provide all the applications.The research study offers in-depth analysis of the global private LTE market along with the regional and segmental analysis is also offered. The study also includes market competition of the global private LTE market to offer accurate analysis and scope to the participants.Global Private LTE Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe rising demand from the small and large government agencies and enterprise always rely on the mange service provider who helps in managing the multi- site network and also helps in enhancing the performance. These are some of the factors augmenting for the growth of the global private LTE market in coming years. Once the network is deployed, the companies need external source to maintain and design the network. This can be another reason positively supporting growth of the global private LTE market in coming years.Deployment and integration are important for executing the private LTE system. The private LTE system offers multi-vendor solution and services for the associated infrastructure and for networks. This system also helps the companies to integrate their system and applications on a common dedicated network. It also helps the IT staff to understand the application of the private LTE and also helps in monitoring and learning the operation of it.Request TOC of the Report @Global Private LTE Market: Regional AnalysisOn the geographical point of view, Asia Pacific Dominate the global private LTE market on account of several factors such as increasing usage of Smartphone and M2M communications and IOT penetration in various industry sectors which includes transportation, manufacturing and healthcare. The growth of the Asia Pacific Private LTE market also rely on various effort taken by the telecom industries and government authorities for the deployment of LTE technology application in a mission critical state.Global Private LTE Market: Companies MentionedThe prominent players operating in the global private LTE market includes SpiderCloud Wireless, Ruckus Networks, General Dynamics, Qualcomm, Huawei, AT&T, Motorola, Samsung and NetNumber. The global private LTE market likely to witness massive investments in 4G in order to meet the requirements of the critical communications network. Moreover, The LTE-M technology improve the efficiency of IoT devices and offers enhanced coverage in hard to reach location and in underground areas. Also, the manufacturers are investing more in launching new technology to meet the requirement of the consumers.About TMR Research:TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050
Cigarette Paper Market Covering Growth Inclinations & Development Strategies until 2018-2026 // Top Companies - SWM, Delfort Group AG, Republic Technologies, China Tobacco Maudit, Papcel, PDL Cigarette Papers

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=T&rep_id=2736

https://www.factmr.com/report/2736/cigarette-paper-market

https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=B&rep_id=2736

https://www.factmr.com/

https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/

The U.S. accounts for the highest number of fire-related deaths in the industrialized world. Moreover, cigarette fires are a worldwide problem and 10% of global fire-related deaths result from smoking. This a major factor hampering the global cigarette paper market. Apart from this, the availability of alternative smoking options, such as vapes, tobacco leaves and electric cigarettes, are also expected to hinder the growth of the Cigarette Paper Market during the forecast period.Request TOC of this Report-Cigarette paper is also known as rolling paper. It is used for the commercial production of filter cigarettes and individually made roll-your-own cigarettes. Cigarette paper is prepared from lightweight non-wood plant fibres, which include hemp, flax, sisal, esparto and rice straw. It is available in several forms, which include transparent, coloured and flavoured.The features of cigarette paper include air permeability, grammage, fibre type, visual appearance, and the like, and it is suitable for filtered as well as non-filtered cigarettes. Visually enhanced cigarette paper offers unique optical features that allow brand differentiation. It allows easy logo application by printing or embossing.The tobacco rod is partially visible from transparent cigarette paper patterns. Cigarette paper with optimized side-stream features reduces side-stream odour and the amount of smoke. The flavour embedded into the cigarette paper is released only when it is lit. Low Ignition Propensity (LIP) cigarette paper is the current trend in the cigarette market. It is equipped with burn speed bumps that support optimised free-burn with outstanding band accuracy and minimum impact on the smoking experience. This means that it is customised in a manner in which it minimises the smoke released from an un-puffed cigarette. The usage of LIP paper for the manufacture of cigarettes can be attributed to the stringent regulations implemented in several regions across the world. Globally, the demand for roll-your-own and make-your-own cigarettes is expected to grow, which is fuelling the growth of the market.Browse Full Report with TOC-LIP cigarette paper is expected to witness high demand in several regions, which include North America and Europe, and this is expected to boost the global cigarette paper market. Cigarette paper is available in bleached and un-bleached variants.The ability of cigarette paper to meet several individual needs and end uses can be attributed to its qualities, which include high tensile & tearing strength, high opacity, low air permeability, excellent burning speed control, good edge with quality cut without burns and good runnability on high-tech cigarette manufacturing machines. The tobacco industry has developed in the past few years. China is the largest producer of tobacco followed by other suppliers such as the U.S, India, Brazil, Turkey, Zimbabwe, etc. Over 80% of the worlds tobacco is used for cigarettes. The growth of the tobacco industry is expected boost the cigarette paper market during the forecast period. The popularity of roll-your-own cigarettes has increased and is a crucial factor driving the cigarette paper market in developed countries such as the U.S, Germany, China, etc.Despite the positive outlook of the cigarette paper market, certain factors have been observed that are likely to hamper the growth of the cigarette paper market. For instance, it has been observed that cigarettes are the leading cause of deaths due to fire in the U.S., accounting for an estimated 30% of all fire-related deaths.The U.S is currently facing a decline in the cigarette paper market due to the stringent regulations implemented in the country. The tobacco industry is witnessing a sluggish growth rate due to increased awareness about the high death rates in the U.S due to fires caused by cigarettes. Cigarette consumption is decreasing in most developed countries such as the USA, Germany and UK. Whereas cigarette consumption is increasing in many developing countries like India and China, where cigarette prices are low, and tobacco control laws are weak or not enforced. China accounts for almost 30% of the world production and consumption of cigarettes by volume. Therefore, the cigarette paper market in developing regions such as Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa is expected to be positive during the forecast period.Low ignition-propensity features have been introduced in cigarettes, which is among the safety standards applicable to all cigarettes produced in certain countries. These standards are intended to increase the chances of self-extinguishing under registered laboratory conditions. This is achieved by using a specially designed cigarette paper that restricts air flowA decrease in the usage of cellulosic fibres in cigarette paper per cigarette results in reduced toxic emissions. The engineering of cellulosic cigarette paper by adding catalysts, adsorbents and oxidants is likely to decrease the toxic constituents in the smokeHeat-not-burn cigarettes have been introduced as alternatives to conventional cigarettes.The cigarette paper 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, product type, material, weight & application.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 -
Hospital Supplies Market to Account to +US$ 101.0 Bn up to 2027 Lead By : 3M Healthcare, BD, Cardinal Health, Boston Scientific Group,Baxter, Smiths Medical,GE Healthcare

Hospital Supplies Market

https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00003520/?opsp

https://www.theinsightpartners.com/discount/TIPRE00003520/?opsp

https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00003520/?opsp

Hospital Supplies Market report provides important factors that can grow in the Market, this report offers profiles of key companies operating there. The innovation of Hospital Supplies is likely to completely rediscover the medical imaging industry by enabling entry into new market participants, new product development and high-growth applications. In this emerging market, penetration into the market is slow as obstacles to the growth of the world market for Hospital Supplies.According to a new market research study titled Hospital Supplies Market - Global Analysis and Forecasts by Type, The Global Hospital Supplies Market is expected to reach US$ 101.0 Bn in 2027 from US$ 37.9 Bn in 2018. The market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 11.9% from 2019-2027. The report highlights the trends prevalent in the global hospital supplies market and the factors driving the market along with those that act as deterrents to its growth.Get Sample Copy Of This Report at:Some of the Prominent Players Operating in Market are:-3M Healthcare, B. Braun Melsungen AG, BD, Cardinal Health, Terumo Medical Corporation, Boston Scientific Group, Nipro Medical Corporation, Baxter, Smiths Medical and GE Healthcare. The market players are focused towards bringing new and innovative products to sustain their position in the market. For instance, in April 2019, Cardinal Health Partners with Perioperative Nurse to Alleviate Impact of Heat in the Operating Room. Cardinal Health CoolSource Cooling System, a disposable solution which is designed to keep the OR cool by reducing heat and empowering clinicians to focus more on patient care.2019: Safe-T- Lance Plus safety lancets from Smiths Medical provide retractable safety technology for capillary blood sampling. Automatic retraction reduces needlestick injuries and cross-contamination exposure.2018: Smiths Medical announced launched of its three products EchoGlo Peripheral Nerve Block (PNB) Needles and Catheters, CADD Infusion Systems with NRFit Connector and CADD-Solis Ambulatory Infusion Pump at the annual meeting American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management Medicine, New York.2017: Cardinal Health completed the acquisition of Medtronic's Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis and Nutritional Insufficiency business for $6.1 billion.Get Instant Discount In This Report at:The report segments the global hospital supplies market as follows: Global Hospital Supplies Market  By Typeo Syringes Generalized Syringes Specialized Syringes Insulin Syringes Allergy Syringes Tuberculin Syringes Other Syringeso Patient Examination Deviceso Mobility Aids and Transportation Equipmento Operating Room Equipmento Sterilization and Disinfectant Equipmento Disposable Hospital Supplies Global Hospital Supplies Market  By Geography North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe U.K. Germany France Italy Spain Asia Pacific (APAC) Japan China India Australia South Korea Middle East & Africa (MEA) South Africa UAE Saudi Arabia South & Central America (SCAM) Brazil ArgentinaAsia Pacific market is expected to grow at highest rate during the forecast period owing increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, rising geriatric population, rise in influence of hospital acquired infections and growing government healthcare expenditure. In addition, emergence of new local players with competitive product portfolio and increasing number of surgical procedures performed are expected to fuel the market growth in Asia Pacific region.Market InsightsRising Incidence of Chronic Diseases is expected to boost the market growth over the years:-Chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and obesity, are the leading causes of death in the world and account for most of the nations health care costs. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), in 2017, number of people with diabetes in North America was approximately 46 million which is expected to grow at 62 million in 2045. The increase in the disease prevalence is around 35% during the forecast period. According to report of CDC, in 2018, approximately more than 9% of the population has diabetes, which is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations in US. Moreover, the data also suggests that 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year in the US. Similar trends for high presence of diabetes are prevalent around other geographies of the globe that include Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa. For instance, according to IDF Diabetes Atlas published by the International Diabetes Federation in 2017, south-east Asia is home to approximately one-fifth (19%) of the total diabetes population worldwide.Also, according to the World Health Organization in 2018, cancer was the second leading cause of death across the globe, and is responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Furthermore, the American Cancer Society estimated that in 2018, 1,735,350 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2018.Increasing Incidence of Hospital-Acquired Infections:-Hospital acquired infections affects the patients not only during their stay in the hospitals, but also post patients discharge from hospitals. Moreover, these occupational infections are observed to be common in within the hospital and nursing staff too. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hundreds of millions of patients are affected by healthcare associated infections every year leading to significant morbidity and mortality around the world. The WHO Healthcare Associated Infections fact sheet of 2016 suggests that of every 100 hospitalized patients at a given time, 7 in the developed countries and 10 in developing countries acquires at least one hospital acquired infection.Product Insights:The global hospital supplies market, based on type is segmented into syringes, patient examination devices, mobility aids and transportation equipment, operating room equipment, sterilization and disinfectant equipment and disposable hospital supplies. In 2018, the disposable hospital supplies segment held the largest share of the market, by type. This segment is also expected to dominate the market in 2027 owing to high demand for hospital disposables and growing number of multispecialty hospitals. Moreover, the syringes segment is anticipated to witness the significant growth rate of 12.7% during the forecast period.Want To BUY This Report at:About 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 committed to providing highest quality research and consulting services to our customers. We help our clients understand key market trends, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions by providing market research solutions at an affordable cost.Contact us:The Insight partners,Phone: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.com
Calcined Petcoke Market  Growing Popularity and Emerging Trends in the Industry By 2024

https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/85996-global-calcined-petcoke-market

https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/85996-global-calcined-petcoke-market

https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/85996-global-calcined-petcoke-market

This intelligence report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Calcined Petcoke Market. This includes investigating past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects. Accurate data on the products, strategies and market share of leading companies in this particular market are mentioned. This report provides a 360-degree overview of the global market's competitive landscape. The report further predicts the size and valuation of the global market during the forecast period.Scope of the Report of Calcined Petcoke Market:Calcined Petroleum Coke is a critical ingredient in the production of aluminium. This is created by placing high quality raw green petroleum coke into rotary kilns, where it is heated to a temperature between 1200 to 1350 degrees C. It plays an important role in the making of anodes. The pores allow binding material to penetrate the coke particles and form a solid carbon block. The majority of Oxbow Carbons calcined petroleum coke finds its way into the primary aluminium industry and other large segments used in the steel industry.Major Key Players in This Report Include,Oxbow Corporation (United States), India Carbon Limited (India), AMINCO RESOURCES (United States), IOCL (India), Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (India), Essar (India), Calcined petroleum coke (United States), Graphite India Limited (India), Rain Carbon Inc. (United States) and Maniyar Group of Industries (India)Get Sample Copy of this Report:After studying key companies, the report focuses on the start-ups contributing towards the growth of the market. Possible mergers and acquisitions among the start-ups and key organizations are identified by the report's authors in the study. As leading companies take efforts to maintain their dominance in the Global Calcined Petcoke Market, the right way to do so is by adopting new technologies and strategies.Each segment and sub-segment is analyzed in the research report. The competitive landscape of the market has been elaborated by studying a number of factors such as the best manufacturers, prices and revenues. Global Calcined Petcoke Market is accessible to readers in a logical, wise format. Driving and restraining factors are listed in this study report to help you understand the positive and negative aspects in front of your business.For Early Buyers | Get Up to 20% Discount on This Premium Report:On the basis of geography, the market of Calcined Petcoke has been segmented into 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). If we see Market by Grades, the sub-segment i.e. Technical will boost the Calcined Petcoke market. Additionally, the rising demand from SMEs and various industry verticals gives enough cushion to market growth.In the last sections of the report, the manufacturers responsible for increasing the sales in the Calcined Petcoke Market have been presented. These manufacturers have been analyzed in terms of their manufacturing base, basic information, and competitors. In addition, the technology and product type introduced by each of these manufacturers also form a key part of this section of the report.Get More Information:Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Calcined Petcoke Market:Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Calcined Petcoke MarketChapter 2: Exclusive Summary  the basic information of the Calcined Petcoke Market.Chapter 3: Displaying the Calcined Petcoke Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges.Chapter 4: Presenting the Calcined Petcoke 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 Calcined Petcoke 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 SourceThanks 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.com
Aircraft Refueling Hose Market Analysis by key players Eaton, Perkar Hannifin, Elaflex, Cobham Plc Husky Corporation, and Apache

https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/2057043/?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=RV

https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/2057043/?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=RV

Aircraft Refueling Hose Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the global industry. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Aircraft Refueling Hose Market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development statusRequest a sample of this premium report at:The proliferating production of aircrafts due to increasing air passenger traffic will drive the industry growth. Countries are spending significant amount on defense budget to enhance the aircraft refueling hose market share. In addition, the ability of these systems to easily refuel aircraft in land and mid-air will further support the business growth in upcoming years. Stringent design standards including EN 1825 (Type E), EN 1361, BS 3158 and EI 1529 required high performance of refueling hoses. Industry participants are continuously investing in innovative technologies and partnering with research organizations to develop advanced products.Increasing number of air travelers in emerging economies owing to rising disposable income and proliferating tourism industry are demanding more passenger aircrafts. The easy availability of flights with improved airline network across the globe has increased air passenger traffic. For instance, in March 2019 International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) of global aviation industry rose by 6.5% in January 2019 as compared to January 2018. All these will provide positive outlook for aircraft refueling hoses market over study timeframe.The availability of built-in hose assembly with wide range hose diameters and adoption of advanced refueling products will support the industry demand. The rising presence of new manufacturers and service providers in industry will further increases product penetration. For instance, in 2018 FTI started manufacturing refueling hose assembly along with test and management services for aviation sector.Multiple defense organizations are demanding advanced refueling services, thus industry participants are investing in R&D to develop the new technologies. For instance, in March 2017, Australian Air Force signed a research agreement with Airbus to develop automatic refueling capability. The products are retrofitted to existing jets with certain hardware changes and software upgrades, thereby providing a positive outlook for aircraft refueling hose market expansion.Commercial aircraft segment accounted for a significant share in refueling hose market owing to increasing aircraft deliveries across the globe. The growing presence of low-cost carries offering expanded air travel network across multiple countries at affordable fares are increasing aircraft demand. Additionally, airlines are continuously investing in purchase of new aircrafts to enhance their presence and thereby support the revenue generation.OEM is anticipated to hold dominance in the industry owing to development of new generation aircrafts. The industry participants are continuously investing in new technologies to introduce lightweight and durable hose assemblies. Additionally, investments in development of advanced materials to reduce the weight of refueling products along with improving safety will support the aircraft refueling hose market growth.North America aircraft refueling hose market accounted for considerable share over the forecast timeframe. This growth can be credited to the increasing investments in defense and military sector. For instance, according to a report of National Priorities Project in 2015, U.S. allocated 54% of its annual budget for military and defense sector amounting around USD 598 billion. In addition, development of new refueling tanker system will support market growth. For instance, in February 2016, KC-46 Boeing tanker successfully carried out refueling of F/A-18 during its flight.The prominent manufacturers in aircraft refueling hose industry include Eaton, Perkar Hannifin, Elaflex, Cobham Plc Husky Corporation, and Apache. Industry players are adopting merger and acquisition as key strategy to enhance their market presence. For instance, in February 2015, Parker Hannifin Corporation acquired Markwel Hose Products Pvt. Ltd to enhance its presence in Asia Pacific.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Research objectives:To study and analyze the global Aircraft Refueling Hose size by key regions/countries, product type and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2023.To understand the structure of Aircraft Refueling Hose by identifying its various subsegments.Focuses on the key global Aircraft Refueling Hose players, to define, describe and analyze the value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Aircraft Refueling Hose with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).To project the size of Aircraft Refueling Hose submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).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.Table of Contents:Report ContentChapter 1 Methodology & Scope1.1 Research methodology1.1.1 Initial data exploration1.1.2 Statistical model and forecast1.1.3 Industry insights and validation1.2 Definitions, assumptions & forecast parameters1.2.1 Definitions1.2.2 Forecast parameters & considerations1.2.3 Data Sources1.2.3.1Paid sources1.2.3.2Secondary sources1.2.3.3Primary sourcesChapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Aircraft refueling hose industry 360 degree synopsis, 2013 - 20252.1.1 Business trends2.1.2 Application trends2.1.3 Distribution channel trends2.1.4 Regional trendsChapter 3 Aircraft Refueling Hose Industry Insights3.1 Industry segmentation3.2 Industry landscape, 2013 - 20253.3 Industry ecosystem analysis3.3.1 Raw material suppliers3.3.2 Manufacturers3.3.3 Profit margin analysis3.3.4 Distribution channel analysis3.3.4.1OEM3.3.4.2Aftermarket3.3.5 End-users3.3.6 Vendor Matrix3.4 Pricing Analysis3.4.1 Regional pricingAbout Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.com
What's driving the Geographic Information System Market Share ? Autodesk, Bentley Systems, Pitney Bowes, Supermap, Schneider Electric, ESRI, General Electric, Hexagon, Topcon, MacDonald, Geoinfo, Geosoft, Harris Corporation

https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1251683/?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=ADS

https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1251683/?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=ADS

https://www.marketstudyreport.com/securecheckout/paymenta/1251683?msfpaycode=sumsf?utm_source=openpr.com&utm_medium=ADS

www.marketstudyreport.com

www.marketstudyreport.com/blog

Market Study Report LLC adds 2018-2024 Global Geographic Information System market report that offers an exhaustive coverage of the industry with brief analysis, data charts, figures, statistics that help take business decisions, company profiles and more.North America is projected to account for a majority market share of around 35% by 2024. The market growth is driven by the growth of the geospatial industry with the launch of new satellite navigation systems. For instance, in March 2018, NASA launched the next-generation weather satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAAs Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S (GOES-S) provides more accurate and detailed data to track storm systems, lightning, wildfires, coastal fog, and other hazards that affect the western U.S. The extensive presence of the major market players, such as Esri and Autodesk, in the region is also expected to drive the GIS market growth between 2018 and 2024.Request a sample of this premium report at:GIS market is projected to surpass USD 9 billion by 2024. The technology is primarily used for storing, managing, and analyzing data & associated attributes, which are spatially referenced to the Earth. It is a geographic approach for spatial data analysis and links the data with descriptive information to offer businesses an easier way to analyze maps and reveal hidden patterns to answer a variety of questions related to geography. The organizations of all sizes and in almost every industry are dependent on geographic data to make decisions regarding allocating resources, targeting a market segment, planning a distribution network, and responding to emergencies. The GIS technology is becoming an essential tool to amalgamate various maps and remote sensing information to generate location-based models to be used by the organizations for business decision-making.GIS technology is used in a broad range of application areas including urban planning, disaster management, construction, mining, and transportation. For instance, facility managers make use of the GIS tools to support a variety of information systems and business processes for the facility management functions such as route mapping, building condition assessment, and space use optimization. Advancements in GIS technologies, such as location-based data services, are also expected to fuel the market growth over the forecast period. Another factor contributing to the increasing uptake of the technology is the growing usage of cloud-based GIS platforms. The complexities related to storing and maintaining location-based data have accelerated the need to adopt cloud-GIS platforms for efficient data management, reduced cost, and improved productivity.The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna segment is estimated to exhibit an excellent growth at over 10% CAGR during the forecast timeline. As new signals and frequencies are being increasingly used in modernized GNSS, the antennas are expected to play a critical role in the proper functioning of the GNSS receivers. The GIS professionals are increasingly using geodetic and handheld receiver antennas for high-precision and fixed-site GNSS applications to obtain high positional accuracy. The growing usage of the GNSS technology in various applications, such as precision agriculture, marine, construction, and surveying, is expected to support the increasing demand for these antennas during the forecast period.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:The competition in the GIS market is driven by various technological innovations in the geospatial industry for facilitating the acquisition of spatial data. Due to product development initiatives and partnerships adopted by the GIS providers, the competition in the GIS market is expected to intensify over the forecast timeline. For instance, in November 2017, Autodesk and Esri announced a strategic partnership for the amalgamation of their Building Information Management (BIM) and GIS mapping technologies to enable their shared customers to build a more connected infrastructure by synthesizing information from both the applications. In January 2017, TerraGo, a GIS & GPS software company based in the U.S., partnered with CompassTools to deliver advanced GIS & GPS data collection solutions. CompassTools helps customers to deploy custom TerraGo mobile data collection solutions with integrated support for hardware and software platforms including Trimble and Esri.The Asia Pacific GIS market is projected to register an accelerated growth at a CAGR of over 15% during the forecast period. Increasing urbanization and government-led initiatives to support the development of smart cities are projected to increase the demand for the technology between 2018 and 2024. The government agencies in the region are also contributing to the development of the spatial industry by investing in private ventures and space startups. For instance, in March 2018, the Japanese government approved USD 940 million for the space startups that act as a key to the long-term growth of the nation?s space industry. This will further generate the demand for high-resolution GPS systems, receivers, and imaging sensors to capture and analyze the geospatial data in a better manner.Table of Content:Chapter 1. Methodology & Scope1.1. Methodology1.1.1. Initial data exploration1.1.2. Statistical model and forecast1.1.3. Industry insights and validation1.1.4. Scope1.1.5. Definition1.1.6. Methodology and forecast parameters1.2. Data Sources1.2.1. Primary1.2.2. Secondary1.2.2.1. Paid sources1.2.2.2. Public sourcesChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. GIS industry 360 synopsis, 2013- 20242.1.1. Regional trends2.1.2. Component trends2.1.2.1. Hardware trends2.1.2.2. Software trends2.1.2.3. Service trends2.1.3. Application trends2.1.4. End use trendsChapter 3. GIS Industry Insights3.1. Introduction3.2. Industry segmentation3.3. Industry landscape, 2013-20243.4. GIS ecosystem analysis3.4.1. GIS hardware component providers3.4.2. GIS software providers3.4.3. Cloud service providers3.4.4. System integrators3.4.5. Telecom service providers3.4.6. Distributors3.4.7. End users3.5. Evolution of GIS technology3.6. Benefits of GIS3.7. GIS Architecture3.8. Technology & innovation landscape3.8.1. Big Data integration3.8.2. GIS and remote sensing3.8.3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in GIS3.9. Regulatory landscape3.10. Industry impact forces3.10.1. Growth drivers3.10.1.1. Integration of location-based mapping systems with business intelligence systems3.10.1.2. Increasing adoption of GIS for facilities management3.10.1.3. Growing role of GIS in smart cities ecosystem3.10.1.4. Increasing penetration of cloud-based GIS Platforms3.10.1.5. Growing uptake of GIS technology in disaster management applications3.10.2. Industry Pitfalls and Challenges3.10.2.1. Data quality and accuracy issues3.10.2.2. High initial investment3.10.2.3. Integration issues with traditional systems3.11. Porter's Analysis3.11.1. Threat of new entrants3.11.2. Threat of substitutes3.11.3. Bargaining power of buyer3.11.4. Bargaining power of supplier3.11.5. Industry rivalry3.12. PESTEL analysis3.13. Growth potential analysisChapter 4. Competitive Landscape, 20174.1. Introduction4.2. Competitive analysis of key market players4.2.1. Autodesk, Inc.4.2.2. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI)4.2.3. General Electric Co.4.2.4. Hexagon AB4.2.5. Supermap4.3. Competitive analysis of innovation leadersFor more information on this report at:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC.4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:
Stimson Lumber Co. said Friday it will lay off 60 workers at its mill near Forest Grove, attributing the cuts to the rising cost of doing business in Oregon.

The environment in Oregon is becoming more challenging in a very competitive industry, said Stimson CEO Andrew Miller.

The cost of producing lumber products is 5% to 7% lower in Idaho and Montana, Miller said, which he blames on state policies  in particular the states 2015 clean fuels bill. He said the states pending business tax increase, which aims to raise $1 billion a year by taxing companies sales, makes the state less appealing to companies like his.

Oregon has become an urban state and urban voters and legislators set the agenda, Miller said.

Stimson Lumber employs 780 altogether, a little more than half of them in Oregon. Miller said the mill near Forest Grove employed 225 before Fridays cuts.

The 129-year-old Oregon company supplies 2x4s and other lumber products to Home Depot and other retailers across the country. Overall, Stimson said it plans to reduce Forest Grove operations by 40%.

A longtime donor to Republican causes, Miller also blamed layoffs on the states business climate in 2010.

Oregon businesses have long enjoyed the nations lowest tax burden, owing largely to the absence of a state sales tax. Businesses have complained during the current legislative session that the new tax for education, coupled with new family leave laws and a prospective carbon reduction bill, are substantially increasing their costs.

The business community is split, though, on how to respond.

Some employers, particularly in the Portland area, favor policies that benefit the environment and schools. The states largest business organization, Oregon Business & Industry, agreed not to oppose the new tax on business sales in exchange for concessions on the structure of the tax.

Oregon continues to enjoy a historically low unemployment rate of 4.3% and joblessness is down sharply, even in rural parts of the state. Wood product manufacturing jobs in the state are stable over the past year, with total employment of 23,600, according to the latest data from the Oregon Employment Department.

Though Stimson is the first to blame a recent cutback on Oregons public policies, the states job growth has slowed in recent months and sporadic layoffs have continued as they have throughout the long economic expansion.

This month alone, for example, Harrys Fresh Foods said it would lay off nearly 200 in Portland after its sale to a Massachusetts company. Union-Pacific is laying off 200 near Hermiston as part of an effort to cut costs across the business.

-- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699
The 21 young people who sued the federal government over climate change four years ago have gained a wide swath of supporters as the case has bounced from one legal challenge to the next.

Another 32,340 people representing all 50 states -- most of them 25 or younger -- have signed on to one of 15 friend-of-court briefs filed this year.

Eight members of Congress, including four from Oregon, as well as environmental history professors, eco-justice ministers, dozens of international lawyers, scientists and public health experts have filed the other briefs.

They all urge that the long-delayed case, first filed in 2015 in Oregon, be allowed to go to trial.

Meanwhile, a national federation of independent businesses, as well as oil companies and a trucking association are backing the governments push to dismiss the suit.

A three-member panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments at 2 p.m. Tuesday in an expansive 16th floor courtroom at the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in downtown Portland, with an overflow room for the anticipated crowd.

Supporters of the suit are expected to rally at nearby Director Park and watch a livestream feed of the hearing in a case thats turned into a growing global youth crusade.

The movement  and the lawsuit  have attracted the attention of many leading scholars studying climate change today.

Drawing on the name of the lead plaintiff in the case, Kelsey Cascadia Rose Juliana, 23, of Eugene, a group of public health and medical experts said it shares an urgency to help the Juliana Generation. They have documented the harmful impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on people born in the United States since 1995, they said in one of the friend-of-court briefs.

This generation is suffering  and will continue to suffer as they age  harms different from those of prior generations, wrote Shaun A. Goho, deputy director of Harvard Law Schools Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic. He represents dozens of physicians, professors and 15 public health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and National Medical Association.

The young people in their lawsuit asserted a constitutional right to a climate system capable of sustaining human life and contend the government has violated that right and the publics trust.

Theyve asked a trial judge to order eight federal agencies to prepare a "national remedial plan to phase out fossil fuel emissions, draw down excess atmospheric carbon dioxide and then monitor compliance.

An Oregon judge, U.S. District Judge Ann L. Aiken of Eugene, decided in October 2018 to allow the case to proceed to trial. At the same time, she dismissed President Donald Trump as a defendant, citing respect for the separation of powers and calling his involvement non-essential because lower-level government officials carried out the challenged policies.

The government unsuccessfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court last November to stop a scheduled trial. But days later, a 9th Circuit panel temporarily halted the trial while a government appeal of Aikens ruling proceeds. The 9th Circuit later agreed to fast-track the governments appeal.

"Time is not our friend on this issue,'' said Andrea Rodgers, one of the plaintiffs lawyers. "While the children in this case have been getting older, the climate changes that are facing them are unprecedented. We hope thats something that will resonate with the court.''

Government lawyers call the suit "misguided,'' arguing that its not up to a federal district judge to require the government to stop global climate change. A single judge, the government contends, may not seize control of national energy production, energy consumption or transportation and doesnt have the power to perform such a sweeping policy review related to fossil fuels, public lands or air quality standards.

They argue that the young people have a generalized grievance and cant point to particular injuries directly tied to government conduct, largely because climate change stems from a world web of actions.

The Administrative Procedure Act created by Congress, they say, is the proper avenue for challenging federal agency actions.

The plaintiffs counter that an appeals court shouldnt dismiss the case before a trial is held to gather evidence.

Their injuries are specific and deeply personal, they argue, pointing to the flooding of one boys house and school, another boys lost recreation from watching his islands coral reefs die and beaches disappear and other plaintiffs asthma and allergies from exposure to hazardous wildfire smoke.

They have concrete individual harms that dont rest on a global universal harm, their lawyers wrote.

The young people  now between the ages of 11 and 23 - push back at the governments notion that a court cant examine the constitutionality of government practices.

Defendants theory that the judiciary is without power to assess the constitutionality of large and pervasive government policies and systems would have been the downfall of cases addressing desegregation, prison reform, interracial and same-sex marriage, and the rights of women to serve on juries and have access to contraception, among other rights, their lawyers wrote to the appeals court.

In February, a youth-led climate justice organization called Zero Hour launched a nationwide campaign to seek supporters for the Juliana suit and more than 30,000 signed up in less than two weeks. Another group called Sunrise Movement Education Fund, a national nonprofit mobilizing young people to stop climate change, submitted essays from 30 students to the appeals court.

Among them were Sophia Nolan, 17, of Maine, citing concerns about future floods and declining lobster populations in her hometown, and Leon Zha, 17, of Northern California, who wrote that wildfires in October 2017 made it feel like the end of the world and that he could barely breathe from particles that stung his eyes, nose and throat.

On Saturday, environmental groups have coordinated news conferences and rallies around the world to show solidarity with the group of youths who filed the suit and became known collectively as the climate change kids.

Climate change is the most pressing issue for our generation, said Katie Eder, 19, executive director of Future Coalition, a national network that helps coordinate youth-led groups. Were supporting the Juliana plaintiffs as they fight for our future in court by fighting alongside them in our communities.

The plaintiffs also will urge the appeals panel to order the government to halt further steps that could be detrimental to the climate while the appeal is pending: issuing leases or mining permits for extracting coal on federal public lands, leases for offshore oil and gas exploration or approvals for new fossil fuel infrastructure.

One of the plaintiffs, 19-year-old Nathan Baring, of Fairbanks, Alaska, flew Thursday into Oregon to attend next weeks hearing. Baring said hes seen the effects of climate change in Alaska, including milder winters, the melting of permafrost and erosion of coastal communities. He said hes inspired by the support of well-respected, top public health experts and is buoyed by the growing attention to the case.

"Im pretty astounded at how long its taken us because of the delay tactics of the government,'' Baring said. "Its pretty obvious to me theyre doing it because they dont want the public to see the facts of the case. ... I think were in the proper time for this hearing. Were confident the conversation on climate change in this country has shifted dramatically.''

The National Federation of Independent Business, Western States Trucking Association, Merit Oil Co. and Liberty Packing Co. have filed a joint friend-of-the-court brief supporting the government, represented by lawyers from the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

They dismiss the argument that the federal government should be held accountable as trustees of public trust resources that transcend state borders, including the air, atmosphere, oceans, wildlife and federal public lands.

Theodore Hadzi-Antich, attorney for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, contends the public trust argument is a matter of state law, not federal law.

No court has ever recognized a federal common law public trust doctrine in natural resources, let alone air resources, he wrote. In fact, the sweeping new regulatory agenda for greenhouse gas emissions sought by Juliana is unprecedented in federal jurisprudence.

Democratic lawmakers, including U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, Debra Haaland of New Mexico and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, have urged the appeals court to allow the suit to be heard at trial.

In a joint brief they wrote, Given the urgency of climate change and the allegations that the federal governments historic and ongoing actions have substantially caused the climate crisis, the Court must exercise its core and traditional duty to assess the constitutionality of the conduct challenged based on the scientific evidence, not on politics.

-- 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.
An Oregon man with a suspected grudge against his local Walmart faces arson charges after authorities say he started a chemical fire inside the store, causing nearly $9 million in damage.

A noxious mix of motor oil and chlorine tablets ignited the blaze in the swimming pool aisle of the Supercenter in Lebanon on May 14, casting plumes of poisonous smoke so thick firefighters needed thermal imaging cameras to see inside the store, court records allege.

The fire prompted more than 100 people to evacuate the Walmart and other nearby businesses, according to fire officials and police. No injuries were reported.

The smoke as well as water from the big box stores sprinkler system wreaked havoc throughout the building, authorities said.

They ended up disposing of almost all  if not all  the merchandise in the store, said Lebanon Fire District Chief Gordon Sletmoe. The damage was dramatic.

Fire officials pegged the price tag of the chemical blaze at $8.9 million, not including lost revenue.

It took 10 days for the store to fully re-open, Casey Staheli, a Walmart spokesman, told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Employees were able to keep their hours during that time by cleaning out the store or working at another nearby location, Staheli said.

Police arrested Joel Lee Reynolds of Lebanon two days after the fire, court records show.

The Lebanon Police Department said it had multiple previous contacts with the 50-year-old, including in 2018, when he was arrested for theft at Walmart and was trespassing at the time.

He was upset with Walmart, a friend of Reynolds told police, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Linn County.

Reynolds had talked about setting a fire inside the store and even showed acquaintances a video of him mixing substances together in a dish that burst into flames, police allege.

According to court documents, Reynolds sent a text message to his friend on the day of the blaze.

I scratched my itch, the message read.

The night before he had slept in his car in the Walmart parking lot, he told police, according to court records.

In the morning he entered the store, grabbed a bottle of Prestone brake fluid and began to wander for an extended length of time, the probable cause affidavit alleges, citing surveillance video.

Reynolds can be seen repeatedly walking back and forth from the area where the fire started, court records allege. Eventually, he goes to checkout register and buys several items before leaving the store.

He then ran into a friend in the parking lot, authorities said.

Theres gonna be a [expletive] load of cops here in about 10, 15 minutes, Reynolds told the friend, according to police. Its gonna be up in smoke.

Firefighters and HazMat teams showed up moments later.

Reynolds remains lodged in the Linn County Jail. A judge set his bail at $100,000.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632

Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.
Vendors from Portlands biggest food cart pod will scatter at the end of the month, as developers move forward with plans to build a hotel at Southwest 10th Avenue and Alder Street.

The Alder Street food carts were all given notice Thursday that June 30 would be their last day of operation. The news was first reported by the Daily Journal of Commerce.

BPM Real Estate Group of Portland plans to build a 35-story tower on the site. The company applied for a building permit in March and said Thursday that it plans to start construction this summer or early fall.

The building would include a luxury hotel with co-branded condominiums, as well as offices. The developer hasnt announced the hotel brand. The site is owned by the Goodman familys Downtown Development Group.

7 Block 216 development renderings

Business owners and employees said they were dismayed by the news.

Jameson Wittkopp, co-owner of the German bratwurst food cart Altengartz, said he has been at the food cart pod for almost 19 years  making him one of the most senior tenants there.

They call me the podfather, he said. Wittkopp said the closure will put many food cart owners out of business and put financial strain on many families.

Several of my neighbors dont know what theyre going to do, he said. There are plots on the east side, but theres a lot of repetition  its full of those particular cuisines.

Most owners said they want to continue operating their businesses, but face uncertain futures without a clear place to go.

This city doesnt make it easy, said Abdulla Khudheer, the chef at Shish Kabab. With this many food carts, its hard to find a prime location.

Theres a lot of disappointment and frustration," Wittkopp said. I think theres a sentiment that Portland is becoming something its never been.

He said he felt the move was short-sighted on the part of the city.

Theres a lot of residual money thats going to be lost, he said.

Though several of the food cart owners also have brick-and-mortar restaurants or carts in other cities, they said they are worried about how theyll continue to serve their downtown customers.

People come to us two or three times a week, said Golnaz Behzadi, who owns A1 Foodbar.

Balbir Singh, of PDX Bawarchi, said the location has been successful for him, and hell continue to look for somewhere in the area to keep his food cart open.

I have a lot of customers downtown, he said.

Many customers at the food carts Thursday said they were from out of town or new to the area, but there were a few regular customers who said they visit the pod several times a week and will be sad to see it go.

According to the developer, early plans also called for a food hall in a nod to the sites current use. Wittkopp said Portland Bureau of Transportation had sent questionnaires out to business owners about a culinary corridor on Southwest 9th Avenue, but those conversations have stalled.

Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

Elliot Njus contributed to this report.

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.
Claus von Bulow, the Danish-born socialite who was convicted in 1982 and then acquitted three years later on two counts of attempting to murder his American heiress wife, Sunny, with injections of insulin, has died at his home in London. He was 92.

Von Bulow, whose by-then ex-wife died in 2008 in a nursing home on the Upper East Side of New York City after nearly 28 years in a coma, died Saturday, Bloomberg reported, citing The New York Times. No cause of death was given.

The high-profile von Bulow case  dubbed the case of the sleeping heiress  has been called one of the most sensational courtroom dramas in modern U.S. history, attracting worldwide attention and spawning several books and a movie.

The von Bulows were pillars of high society in both New York City and Newport, R.I., where Claus, a Cambridge-educated lawyer and a former administrative assistant to legendary oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, was vice president of the Preservation Society of Newport County.

On Dec. 21, 1980, 48-year-old Martha Sunny von Bulow  an ash-blond, Pittsburgh-born utilities heiress whose beauty as a young woman, a society columnist once noted, rivals her wealth  was discovered unconscious on the marble floor of her bathroom at Clarendon Court, the couples lavish seaside estate in Newport.

It wasnt the first time she had been found unconscious.

During another Christmastime visit to Newport the year before, she had lapsed into a coma but recovered the next day.

This time, however, the coma was irreversible.

About two weeks later, her family hired a lawyer to quietly conduct a private investigation to find out whether her mysterious ailments were the result of criminal conduct.

Members of her family, including her children from a previous marriage to an Austrian prince  Alexander von Auersperg and Annie Laurie Kneissl  suspected von Bulow.

At Clarendon Court, von Auersperg and a private investigator removed a small black traveling bag from Claus von Bulows locked closet.

Sunny von Bulows personal maid had first discovered the vinyl bag after Sunny lapsed into her first coma in late 1979. The maid later testified that the case had contained Valium and various other pills, and she continued to monitor it over the ensuing months.

After she slipped into her irreversible coma, unusually high levels of insulin were found in her blood.

Among the items allegedly found in the bag by von Auersperg and the private investigator: a used hypodermic needle that a lab test showed had a residue containing a high concentration of insulin, as well as traces of Valium and amobarbital.

In July 1981, after an investigation by Rhode Island authorities, 54-year-old Claus von Bulow was indicted on charges that he twice tried to kill his wife with injections of insulin.

Prosecutors at his first trial in 1982 argued that von Bulow wanted to kill his wife in order to inherit a $14 million share of her fortune and be free to marry his mistress, socialite and former soap opera actress Alexander Isles, who testified that she told von Bulow that he would lose her if he didnt leave his wife.

The defense argued that Sunny von Bulow brought on the comas herself, either through drug and alcohol abuse or by injecting herself with insulin to lose weight.

Claus von Bulow was described in the press as tall, aristocratic and aloof. The jury found him guilty on both counts of assault with intent to commit murder.

Sentenced to 30 years in prison but free on $1 million bail pending appeal, von Bulow continued living in his wifes grand Fifth Avenue apartment in Manhattan.

In 1984, with Harvard law professor Alan M. Dershowitz representing von Bulow in the appeal, the Rhode Island Supreme Court reversed von Bulows convictions and a new trial was ordered.

The conviction was reversed for two reasons: The state police had failed to obtain a search warrant before sending some of the pills from the black bag for testing. And the detailed notes made of interviews with key witnesses by the lawyer hired to conduct the initial investigation had not been made available to either the prosecution or the defense.

At von Bulows retrial in 1985, the defense presented what Dershowitz later described as an entirely medical and forensic case.

Among other things, the defense offered expert testimony that Sunny von Bulows high insulin level reading after her second coma was scientifically invalid, that neither coma was caused by insulin, and that if the insulin-encrusted needle had been injected, any residue would have been wiped clean from the needle when it was withdrawn from the skin.

But the previously unavailable interview notes kept by the familys initial lawyer proved crucial for the defense.

Sunny von Bulows maid had testified that when she looked into the black bag a month before Sunnys second coma, she was surprised to see that it contained a small bottle of insulin, needles and a syringe, among various vials and bottles.

But, as the lawyers interview notes showed, the maid made no mention of seeing insulin, needles and a syringe in November 1980 during her initial interview with him in January 1981.

It wasnt until an interview with the lawyer 12 days later  after a high level of insulin had been found in Sunnys blood and the used needle had been sent out to be tested for insulin  that the maid mentioned for the first time that she had found insulin and a needle in von Bulows black bag.

In the end, the jury pronounced von Bulow not guilty on both counts.

But his legal troubles werent over: His two stepchildren filed a $56 million civil suit against him.

The suit was settled in 1987 when von Bulow agreed to divorce his wife, renounce all claims to her fortune, renounce all rights to write books or earn money publicizing the case and to leave the country.

In exchange, Cosima, von Bulows daughter with Sunny, would be restored to her maternal grandmothers will. She had been disinherited by her grandmother of approximately $30 million after taking her fathers side in the case.

Von Bulow told The New York Times that he was happy to settle because the settlement contains the terms I have offered for years. Parity for my daughter has been my one and only demand.

Von Bulow moved to England, where he had once lived, and started a new life.

In 2007 when von Bulow was 80, the New York Daily News reported that he had settled in affluent South Kensington, London, where he played with his three grandchildren, regularly strolled to his private gentlemens club and lived the good life with his high-society friends.

Dershowitz, whose bestselling 1986 book on the case, Reversal of Fortune, was turned into a 1990 movie of the same name starring Glenn Close as Sunny and Jeremy Irons as her husband, kept in touch with his former client.

Sure, he thinks about this tragedy all the time, but hes lived 20 years of normal life now, Dershowitz told the Daily News. Moving to England was a very, very smart thing for him to do.

In Great Britain, Claus is regarded as a victim of a false accusation. In the U.S., opinion was certainly more divided.

Born Claus Borberg in Copenhagen on Aug. 11, 1926, he was the son of Svend Borberg, a playwright and drama critic. His mother was the daughter of a businessman who had once been Denmarks minister of justice.

After his parents divorced when he was 4, Claus took his mothers maiden name, Bulow. (He later told Dershowitz that Sunny insisted he add the von to his name.)

When he was 7, he was sent to a boarding school in St. Moritz, Switzerland, but moved back to Denmark to continue his schooling in 1938.

A year after the 1940 Nazi occupation of Denmark, von Bulows father arranged for him to meet his mother in Sweden. From there, the teenager was smuggled out in a British Mosquito bomber bound for London, where his socially well-connected mother was then living.

Von Bulow graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, with a law degree in 1946 and worked for a time as a lawyer in England. By the early 1960s, von Bulow was an administrative assistant to Getty, who had moved the headquarters of his Los Angeles-based company to London.

I had a beautiful life as a bachelor and a wonderful job with Getty Oil, von Bulow told People magazine in 1982. In London, I met and fell in love with Sunny.

They were married in 1966, a year after Sunny and her first husband, Prince Alfred von Auersperg, were divorced.

-- Los Angeles Times
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP)  A longtime city employee opened fire at a municipal building in Virginia Beach on Friday, killing 12 people and sending terrified co-workers scrambling for cover before police shot and killed him, authorities said.

Four other people were wounded in the shooting, including a police officer whose bulletproof vest saved his life, said Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera. The city's visibly shaken mayor, Bobby Dyer, called it "the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach."

The shooting happened shortly after 4 p.m. when the veteran employee of the Public Utilities Department entered a building in the city's Municipal Center, and "immediately began to indiscriminately fire upon all of the victims," Cervera said. He did not release the suspect's name.

Police entered the building and got out as many employees as they could, then exchanged fire with the suspect, who was killed, the chief said.

Police initially said the gunman shot and killed 11 people. Cervera later said one more died on the way to the hospital.

The shooting sent shock waves through Virginia Beach, the state's largest city and a popular vacation spot in southeastern Virginia. The building where the attack took place is in a suburban complex miles away from the high-rise hotels along the beach and the downtown business area.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement he was devastated by the "unspeakable, senseless violence," and is offering the state's full support to survivors and relatives of the victims.

"That they should be taken in this manner is the worst kind of tragedy," the governor said during a Friday night news conference.

The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed and was monitoring the situation.

Megan Banton, an administrative assistant who works in the building where the shooting happened, said she heard gunshots, called 911 and barricaded herself and about 20 colleagues inside an office, pushing a desk against a door.

"We tried to do everything we could to keep everybody safe," she said. "We were all just terrified. It felt like it wasn't real, like we were in a dream. You are just terrified because all you can hear is the gunshots."

She texted her mom, telling her that there was an active shooter in the building and she and others were waiting for police.

"Thank God my baby is OK," Banton's mother, Dana Showers, said.

Five of the injured were being treated at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital and a sixth was being transferred to the Trauma Center at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Sentara Healthcare tweeted.

At a nearby middle school, friends and relatives were reuniting with loved ones who were in the building when the shooting happened. They included Paul Swain, 50, who said he saw his fiancee from across the parking lot, clearly in an agitated state.

"I think she knew some of the people," he said.

Outside the school, Cheryl Benn, 65, waited while her husband, David, a traffic engineer with the city who was in the building where the shooting happened, gave a written statement to detectives.

She said her husband initially called her from a barricaded room and said it sounded as if someone had been working with a nail gun. Then he saw the bodies.

This is unbelievable for Virginia Beach, Cheryl Benn said. By and large, its a pretty calm and peaceful place to live.

 Written by Ben Finley
Regarding the mandatory 5-cent fee for single-use plastic bags (Oregon House approves ban on plastic checkout bags, April 25), I would suggest we consider a mandatory fee for the use of any single-use bag, plastic or paper. We just returned from a seven-month stay in Italy to be close to our three grandchildren, whose father is in the military. There, at checkout, you have the choice of using your own bag (or buggy, in our case) or buying a single-use bag or a more expensive multi-use version.

Made sense to us.

Kirk Davis, Portland
CORVALLIS  A former Oregon State University graduate student convicted of a hate crime last year has pleaded guilty to another charge.

The Corvallis Gazette-Times reported Thursday that 29-year-old Andrew Joseph Oswalt pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal mischief in Benton County court Wednesday for damaging a sign in July 2017.

Oswalt agreed to a sentence including 12 months of probation, 40 hours of community service, restitution, and fees.

Prosecutors say Oswalt defaced a lawn sign in Corvallis with a sticker featuring the same racist message that resulted in an earlier conviction.

Oswalt was found guilty in November of first-degree intimidation, a felony hate crime, for placing racist bumper stickers on the cars of activists in June 2017 in the city 83 miles south of Portland.

 The Associated Press
Newly filed court documents provide previously undisclosed details about the Oregon Department of Justices intense investigation into a botched multimillion-dollar tax credit deal and illustrate the lengths to which state officials have gone to seek answers in the case.

Those records name the subjects of the states look into a potentially fraudulent sawmill renovation that relied on more than $12 million in state and federal funds: Ecotrust, a politically connected conglomerate of nonprofit and for-profit companies that boost eco-friendly businesses; JP Morgan Chase bank; and the owners of the defunct Rough & Ready sawmill.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has assigned two veteran prosecutors to the case: Tim Nord and Brian de Haan, her spokeswoman said. The pair led the investigation of solar panel firm SolarCity and its accountant, Novogradac, which together repaid the state $13 million after the firms submitted false applications to obtain tax credits.

So far, Nord and de Haan, along with investigators and paralegals, have together logged more than 850 hours on the Ecotrust case, according to the Justice Department.

In the new court filing, prosecutors are asking a judge to enforce a subpoena-like document called an investigative demand against Ecotrust, which has instructed its accounting firm, also Novogradac, to withhold certain records from investigators.

Ecotrust claims the records are subject to attorney-client privilege. Prosecutors say that is nonsense because the documents represent work by and communication with accountants, not lawyers.

Rough & Readys owners hired Novogradac in 2013 and 2014 to draw up financial forecasts for the tax credit arrangements. The mill hired Novogradac again in 2017 to review the tax credit transaction against Internal Revenue Service regulations. Ecotrust hired the accounting firm in 2018 as a consultant.

The investigative demand served to Novogradac demands the company identify its arrangements with Ecotrust, Rough & Ready and Chase; work it performed for those entities and correspondence with them; and the companys communications about press reports on the tax credits deal. The Oregonian/OregonLive broke the story in February 2018 that Ecotrust had brokered a suspicious tax credit transaction and, in a September 2018 follow-up story, described the potential for investigations.

Michael Kron, special counsel to Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, said in a statement that the departments goal in the investigation is to ascertain whether any party made false claims in order to obtain state tax credits, and, if so, to pursue remedies under Oregon law.

We do not often have to resort to court to enforce our investigative demands, but we will do so when necessary, Kron said. The information were seeking here could shed significant light on the underlying transactions.

Rosenblum personally ordered the investigation last spring, according to emails obtained by public records request. Her directive came two days after the February 2018 report by The Oregonian/OregonLive raised suspicions about a $3.1 million state tax credit transaction overseen by Ecotrust.

Money from selling the credits  along with a loan from Chase and a $7.8 million federal tax credit outlay  was meant to generate cash to reopen the Rough & Ready mill and create 70 desperately needed jobs in Oregons rural Illinois Valley.

Ecotrust benefitted by netting a $520,000 management fee to coordinate the deal. Chase purchased the tax credits at a deep discount and used them to lower the banks Oregon and federal tax obligations. The mills owners, Jennifer and Link Phillippi, stood to profit from its operations and eventually kept the proceeds from selling the new equipment the taxpayer money helped pay for.

Rough & Ready reopened briefly but closed in less than two years because of a log shortage. The Oregonian/OregonLives analysis found the shortage was a foreseeable stumbling block that regulators did not consider before awarding tax credits to the project.

Also troubling was a mammoth one-day Chase loan. The $4.9 million loan was used by the Phillippis to essentially acquire the sawmill from themselves  a violation of regulations that require transactions to be arms-length, state regulators later concluded. The loan inflated the project budget to about twice its true size and led the state to issue tax credits Rough & Ready did not qualify for.

After the project collapsed, officials at the state economic development agency launched an investigation and found the project budget was boosted unlawfully and Ecotrust and Chase improperly benefited as a result. It moved to claw back the excess credits.

A Chase spokeswoman declined to comment. Nicolo Pinoli, a Novogradac partner who worked with Ecotrust on the sawmill project and whose records investigators wish to examine, did not return a message Thursday.

Novogradac issued a statement noting that it was its client Ecotrust, not its own leaders, that claimed attorney-client protections for its records. The statement said Novogradac respects its clients right to make those claims while it waits for a court decision.

An Ecotrust spokeswoman said in a statement Wednesday that the outfit remains confident the transaction was structured consistent with the law and the norms of tax credit investments. We are cooperating with the state on its investigation, the statement said, and Ecotrust takes seriously our privilege to communicate with our lawyers.

The investigation is a civil matter that may lead to financial penalties, rather than a criminal investigation in which targets face possible indictment.

Rosenblum, the attorney general, ordered investigators to determine if a criminal case should also be opened, public records show. A criminal prosecutor, Elijah Michalowski, logged 48 hours on the case, but a criminal investigation was not opened and the reason is unclear.

Investigators did not write a memo explaining their declination to prosecute, said Andy Foltz, a senior assistant attorney general. Asked to provide documentation showing the Justice Departments policy for conducting reviews and investigations, Foltz said there was none, but said there may be unwritten policies.

The department also denied a public records request for documents produced during the criminal review, citing attorney-client privilege. Rosenblum did not respond to a request from The Oregonian/OregonLive that she waive the privilege in the interest of transparency.

Rosenblums spokeswoman, Kristina Edmunson, left open the possibility that a criminal investigation could begin after the civil investigation ends. It is common for our civil team to pass information on to our criminal side after an investigation is completed, if appropriate, Edmunson said.

Federal officials have also scrutinized Ecotrust but found nothing, records show. The U.S. Treasurys Office of Inspector General began an investigation in July 2018 after a former Ecotrust employee alleged its executives misled tax credit regulators to personally enrich themselves, according to a department memorandum obtained by Freedom of Information Act request.

A lawyer for a Treasury agency overseeing tax credit administration, called the CDFI Fund, told the Inspector Generals office that its employees examined Ecotrusts use of federal tax credits and have not found any issues of noncompliance, the memorandum states. The case was closed without further investigation.

The ex-Ecotrust employee also filed a whistleblower retaliation complaint with Oregons Bureau of Labor and Industries. An investigation is ongoing, said a bureau spokesman.

After discovering the rule-breaking in acquiring the tax credits in 2018, state officials moved to claw back $1.35 million of Ecotrusts credits. Ecotrust avoided that move, however, when regulators allowed it to keep the tax credits by investing $3.6 million in a Tualatin office supplies company. Ecotrust projected the deal would create five jobs paying $15 per hour.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

GFriedman@Oregonian.com
An Oregon House committee on Thursday advanced a bill to limit political campaign donations, pushing aside withering criticism from advocates who said the legislation contained loopholes that could render it nearly useless.

House Bill 2714 would cap contributions to House and Senate candidates at $1,000 and $1,500, and statewide candidates at $2,800. (For general election candidates the limits would effectively be twice as high, with a donor able to give once in the primary and again in the general election.) Today, Oregon is one of just five states with no limits at all.

While the bill introduces limits, it creates a Byzantine system of rules that leaves potential avenues for donors to game the system.

It provides a multiplicity of conduits for funneling money in ways that are not designed to be easily understood, Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, testified at a hearing Tuesday. Enacting this bill will prompt Oregonians to believe that we moved boxes around and changed their labels, but didnt go to the heart of taming the undue power of concentrated money in our politics.

The controls would take effect if either voters or the Oregon Supreme Court decide to allow regulation of campaign contributions under the states constitution. Voters could get their shot at the ballot box in November 2020. Lawmakers are developing a planned ballot referral to ask Oregonians whether they want to make limits constitutional.

After Thursdays vote, Rep. Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, the bills author, called HB 2714 a first huge step.

After 44 years of legislative inaction, Rayfield said, the House Rules Committee passed legislation that puts in place a campaign finance limits system that is more stringent than a majority of states when looked at as a whole.

Rep. Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem in January 2019. Beth Nakamura/Staff

Oregon lawmakers limited how much candidates could spend in an election in 1973, instead of how much they could raise. The limits were struck down in 1975, leaving Oregon with no controls.

Limiting the flow of money into politics has proven an intensely popular cause in recent years in Oregon, which today is one of the biggest money states in American politics. Nearly 90 percent of voters in Portland and Multnomah County supported ballot initiatives in 2018 and 2016 to institute strict donation limits.

Thursdays vote in the House Rules Committee was 4-3 and followed party lines. The three Republicans who voted against the bill did not speak.

Democrats on the committee moved forward despite hearing strong criticism just two days before.

Attorney Dan Meek, who authored the Portland and Multnomah County initiatives, said the bill would allow a wealthy individual to still route as much as $400,000 to a single candidate by funneling small amounts through numerous intermediate state political committees.

The legislation also allows donors to route money through the campaigns of Oregon candidates for federal office, who would be allowed to give unlimited amounts to Oregon party committees.

What they have structured is something that allows the real insiders to continue to operate in the way they are now, but limits everyone else, Meek said. Anyone who wants to give the amounts they have in the past, they can still do that.

Loopholes aside, Oregons proposed limits are also more permissive than those in place in Washington, a more populous state with a far larger economy. There, individuals, corporations and unions can only donate $2,000 in statewide races and $1,000 in legislative races. (They, too, can be doubled by giving in both primary and general elections.)

Oregons proposal also provides a way for membership organizations such as unions or single-issue groups to keep making large donations. The bill creates small donor committees, to which membership organizations could contribute up to 40 percent of annual membership dues capped at $250 per member. In turn, a small donor committee could give unlimited amounts to a candidate.

The measure will now move to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. A public hearing on the proposed ballot referral to make limits legal, Senate Joint Resolution 18, will be held June 3 at 1 p.m.

 Rob Davis

rdavis@oregonian.com

503.294.7657; @robwdavis

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday signed a "historic" overhaul of Michigan's car insurance system that, beginning in 13 months, will let drivers choose their medical coverage instead of them being required to buy unlimited benefits.

Her signature, delivered at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference, capped an intense three-week period in which the Republican-led Legislature proposed bills, the Democratic governor threatened a veto and a compromise was reached.

Local Republicans have said the auto insurance reform bill was a top priority.

"I have long supported reforms to reduce Michigan's highest-in-the-nation car insurance rates, which are having a tremendous impact on family budgets throughout our state," said Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, in a prepared statement when he voted on the bill. "This historic and bipartisan reform guarantees lower car insurance rates for Michigan drivers while ensuring that accident victims still receive the medical care they need.

"Senate Bill 1 cracks down on fraud and lawsuit abuse, includes cost containments, gives drivers the ability to choose the auto insurance coverage that best meets their needs and budget -- for the first time in almost five decades -- and cuts the announced $220 annual Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association fee by $180 per vehicle for all options other than unlimited coverage."

State Rep. Annette Glenn of Williams Township, who serves part of Midland County, said the legislation was job one.

"Bringing down the cost of car insurance for families and businesses in Bay and Midland counties has been my highest legislative priority since day one, and I was proud to cast my vote for a bipartisan plan that after decades of failed attempts, will finally make that rate relief a reality and leave more money in people's pockets," she said.

State Rep. Roger Hauck of Union Township, who also serves a large part of Midland County, said it was obviously the right move to make.

"We can look around at other states in central Michigan and see that the no-fault model is not an enviable one. Otherwise, other states would be rushing to adopt it," Hauck said. "It's driving up costs for drivers and making our state a less attractive place to work, live and raise a family. I'm pleased to have worked with the Legislature to take the lead on this issue and bring rate relief to drivers."

Starting in July 2020, motorists will be able to pick among levels of personal injury protection -- which on average accounts for half of premiums in a state with the country's most expensive auto insurance. PIP rates will be cut entirely for those who fully forgo the coverage and instead use qualifying health insurance for crash injuries.

Insurers will be required, for eight years, to reduce -- on average-- the PIP portion of policies by 10% (unlimited benefit), 20% ($50,000), 35% ($250,000) and 45% ($500,000). They will be prohibited from using non-driving factors such as home ownership, educational level, occupation, ZIP code or credit scores in setting rates.

And health providers, beginning in 2021, will charge auto insurers less than they have been for treating and rehabilitating injured drivers.

"Today truly is a historic day for Michiganders. These are important improvements as we move forward in the state," said Whitmer, who was joined by lawmakers and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. "They'll help Michiganders from Detroit all the way to the Upper Peninsula, because people across our state are sick and tired of paying these outrageous rates."

Duggan estimated that most people will save $500 a year, while Detroiters will save at least $1,000 with many saving "a lot more than that, in significant part because we will no longer have to double pay for medical insurance."

The legislation cleared the House and Senate with overwhelming support but has come under criticism from insurance companies, patient advocates, hospitals, brain injury facilities and others. The negligence law section of the State Bar of Michigan this week laid out several concerns. It called the bill a trade-off between quality care and premiums, predicted a negative impact on long-term care and rehabilitation providers, and said the measure will shift risk to drivers, health insurers and taxpayers in the form of Medicaid spending.

"The likelihood is that this bill will result in negligible savings to the average driver, and it comes at the cost of being a devastating blow to severely injured accident victims and the caregivers that currently treat them," said section chairman Robert Raitt, a personal injury lawyer at a Farmington Hills firm that specializes in serious car accidents. "We could have done so much better."

Michigan is the only state to require unlimited PIP coverage. And unlike several other no-fault states, providers treating crash victims are able to charge auto insurers far more than they do for other patients covered by private or government health plans.

The average premium in Michigan is $2,693, according to the most recent report from insurance comparison website The Zebra -- 83% higher than the national average of $1,470. Detroit's premium on average is $5,464, far surpassing any other U.S. city.

House Speaker Lee Chatfield, a Levering Republican, defended the new law, saying critics "have built their entire business model around auto no-fault, and there's going to have to be an adjustment made." Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey of Clarklake said the current system provides "unbelievable services and unbelieveable costs," and "was unsustainable."

"To have actual real, measurable reform, we had to break that up," he said. "Forty-nine other states to one degree or another have figured this out. I don't see a lot of people on gurneys in the streets because they aren't being treated as a result of an auto accident. So we shouldn't expect anything different."
State Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, welcomed Sgt. Joseph McLosky from Hope to the state Capitol last week for the Michigan Senate's 25th Annual Memorial Day Service, which honored Michigan's fallen soldiers.

McLosky served in the U.S. Army from 2003 until 2012. In October 2007, he was injured in an IED blast while serving in Iraq. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge and the Purple Heart.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Mitchell Kukulka.

Wednesday, May 29

11:10 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a Jasper Township residence in reference to an ongoing property line dispute between a 57-year-old woman and a 49-year-one man. The parties provided court paperwork from a recent hearing and said they are still going through court because the findings left too much to interpretation on where the property line was located. The woman said she has a survey company scheduled to examine the property. The deputy provided both parties with advice on how to prevent problems until the court hearings are completed.

9:52 p.m. -- A deputy took a report of credit card fraud in the amount $184 from a 56-year-old Ingersoll Township woman.

9:36 p.m. -- A 42-year-old woman reported that her 49-year-old ex-boyfriend left her a voicemail after being released from jail. The woman has a Personal Protection Order and bond conditions prohibiting him from contacting her. The man wasn't able to be found at the time by deputies. A report will be forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

9:10 p.m. -- Officers responded to an unwanted subject in the 1600 block of Jefferson Avenue.

9:05 p.m. -- A deputy made contact with a 29-year-old man who was receiving phone calls and text messages from his mother's ex-husband. The complainant had questions about how to stop the man from contacting him. The deputy gave him suggestions on how to resolve the matter. The complainant asked that the ex-husband be contacted and asked to stop calling and texting. A message was left for the suspect to call back, but at this time the ex-husband has not called back. The complainant said the ex-husband is upset with his mom over a recent divorce.

8 p.m. -- A deputy responded to an Edenville Township neighborhood in reference to a report of gunshots. A 44-year-old man reported that he heard what sounded like a gunshot of a small caliber. The deputy was able to hear two more "shots" and was able to locate the origin: a 66-year-old Edenville Township man was shooting off firecrackers.

7:08 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Lee Township.

6:33 p.m. -- Officers responded to a crash resulting in property damage in the area of Ashman Street and East Nelson Street.

6:30 p.m. -- A deputy was dispatched to a residence in Ingersoll Township in reference to a larceny. The deputy made contact with a 20-year old-man who found his $250 push lawnmower stolen. A report of the incident was completed.

5:58 p.m. -- Officers responded to a case of fraud in the 4500 block of North Saginaw Road.

5:19 p.m. -- Officers responded to a crash resulting in property damage in the area of Eastman Avenue and Pheasant Ridge Drive.

3:53 p.m. -- Officers responded to a larceny in the 300 block of Richard Court.

2:44 p.m. -- Officers responded to a report of family abuse/neglect in the 4800 block of East Patrick Road.

2:05 p.m. -- Deputies investigated a domestic assault between a 12-year-old Jerome Township boy and his 14-year-old sister. Child Protective Services was contacted and a report has been forwarded to the Prosecuting Attorney's Office/Probate Court for review.

12:14 p.m. -- Officers responded to a report of a missing person in the 3700 block of Galaxy Drive.

9:18 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a delayed report of a car-deer crash in Larkin Township.

8:55 a.m. -- Officers responded to a larceny in the 7400 block of Eastman Avenue.

8:46 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a delayed report of a car-deer crash in Larkin Township.

7:56 a.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Lee Township.

2:26 a.m. -- A 52-year-old Jerome Township woman reported that her 49-year-old husband threw a glass ashtray, along with other items, at her a couple days prior. She sustained several bruises from the assault. The husband was located and arrested for domestic violence and was transported to the Midland County Jail.

2:08 a.m. -- A deputy responded to a Lincoln Township home for a report of a 14-year-old runaway. The runaway was entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network. Deputies checked possible locations for the runaway but were unable to locate him. The case remains open pending the return/location of the boy.

12:38 a.m. -- A deputy took a report of a 17-year-old runaway from Ingersoll Township.

12:23 a.m. -- A 35-year-old Mount Pleasant man was arrested on an outstanding Midland County warrant for failure to appear and a Clare County warrant for fraud. The subject was contacted at a gas station after the deputy learned he had a warrant for his arrest. Contact was made, the warrant was confirmed and the subject was placed under arrest. The subject was transported and lodged at the Midland County Jail, and his vehicle was turned over to his wife.

Tuesday, May 28

8:56 p.m. -- A 31-year-old Larkin Township man was arrested for driving while license suspended after a traffic stop in the City of Midland. The suspect was stopped for speeding. The suspect was transported and lodged at the Midland County Jail. The suspect was cited for speeding, expired registration and no insurance, and had a warrant out of Bay City.

8:44 p.m. -- A 59-year-old woman reported a dog barked at her while she was walking down the road. She said the dog ran in the yard to the edge of the road and returned to the house after she yelled at it. A deputy made contact with the 42-year-old dog owner who said the dog does not leave the yard and he will try to keep a better eye on the dog.

5:39 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Mount Haley Township.

5:25 p.m. -- Deputies responded to a car-deer crash in Mills Township.

4:29 p.m. -- Officers responded to a property damage accident in the area of North Saginaw Road and Eastman Avenue.

1:25 p.m. -- Officers responded to a crash resulting in property damage in the area of Eastman Avenue and the main entrance of the Midland Mall.

12:15 p.m. -- A 71-year-old Jerome Township man left his pistol on his bumper, and did not remember he left it on the bumper until he got home. It is unknown where he may have lost it along the route. The pistol is valued at $400 and was entered into Law Enforcement Information Network.

11:36 a.m. -- Officers responded to a property damage accident in the area of Eastman Avenue and West St. Andrews Road.

10:46 a.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a Geneva Township residence in reference to a 39-year-old woman who reported a 15-year-old Isabella County boy had assaulted her 15-year-old son. The 39-year-old said the assault had occurred earlier in the day at a Warren Township location and did not want to pursue charges.

8:49 a.m. -- Deputies were dispatched to a delayed report of breaking and entering, and it was determined the incident occurred in the City of Midland. The complaint was turned over to Midland Police Department.

2:50 a.m. -- Deputies investigated the suicide of a 19-year-old Midland Township man.

2:09 a.m. -- Officers responded to a report of trespassing in the 1400 block of State Street.

1:17 a.m. -- Officers responded to a domestic assault in the 700 block of Village East Drive.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, (PANA)  A total ban on plastic bags and carriers in Tanzania takes effect from Saturday, taking to 35, the number of African countries that have implemented such restrictions
Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) - Botswanas new political party has warned its potential supporters not to be swayed by bogus social media accounts
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The UN High Commission for Refugees (HCR) said here in a communique Thursday it had evacuated 149 refugees and asylum seekers threatened by the deteriorating security situation in Libya to the Italian capital, Rome
Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - The president of the Congolese Foundation for Medical Research (FCRM), Professor Francine Ntoumi, on Thursday deplored the low representation of women in science, state radio reported here
Conakry, Guinea (PANA) - The National Front for the Defense of the Constitution (FNDC) in Guinea, has warned the international community against any attempt to change the basic electoral law, PANA learned on Friday
Johannesburg, South Africa (PANA)  Human Rights Watch is calling on the Zimbabwe authorities to immediately release seven activists and drop fabricated charges of seeking to subvert the government
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - A boat carrying 125 Somali refugees arrived at Berbera Port in Somalia on Thursday, bringing home men, women and children from Yemen in time for the Islamic holiday of Eid next week, which is observed at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan
NORMAL  Arson investigator Bobby Joe Brown says his new partner can do something a lot faster than he ever could working alone  detect accelerants used to start fires.

He began working with Sasha, a 2-year-old black Labrador, after they completed training in late April. They are one of seven teams with the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.

"They (arson dogs) are just an excellent resource for us to have," said Brown. "We still have to do our investigation, but when we need to find evidence to prove arson she is going to find it. I may not."

Sasha demonstrated her accelerant-sniffing skills for the media Thursday outside State Farm agent Axel Jimenez's office on East College Avenue in Normal.

"You see the size of this yard. I could spend all day here and may never get the right sample," said Brown. "She found it in less than a minute. If (ignitable liquid) is there, she will find it."

The arson investigation team also gave State Farm's actuarial department a similar demonstration earlier in the day at the Bloomington-based insurer's corporate headquarters.

Since 1993, the State Farm Arson Dog Program has put more than 400 dogs and their partners to work in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Canada.

It costs about $25,000 to purchase a dog, and train the dog and handler, which State Farm pays for.

"It pays for itself when these handlers are working anywhere on average 90 to 100 fires a year with their dog and they are working a minimum of five years," said Heather Paul, a State Farm public affairs specialist who coordinates the arson dog program.

As the nation's largest homeowner's insurer, State Farm recognizes the severity of arson, she added.

"We recognize that arson is a serious crime that costs money, costs lives," said Paul. "If we can try to level the playing field between good guys and bad guys by providing a tool and resource for law enforcement to investigate those crimes, the community wins and so does State Farm and other insurance companies."

Even though State Farm provides the funding, the company does not own the dogs nor does it dictate where they work.

"This is a community asset," said Paul. "For Bobby Joe and Shasha, this is a tool for the state, so they may be working anywhere in the state, helping to find evidence that arson exists. They may be putting the bad guys in jail or at least helping investigators find where that evidence is located."

She said it is difficult to determine the amount of fire claims that are related to arson.

"It's an impossible number because arson is one of the most difficult crimes to solve because the evidence literally burns up," said Paul.

"And unless every single investigator had an arson dog to help find that evidence, most arson crime goes unsolved, or it's undetermined because we don't, as humans, have the physical ability to smell that specialized location," she added.

Contact Maria Nagle at (309) 820-3244. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Nagle

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Former IWU President Richard Wilson, whom Jensen succeeded in 2015, will serve as acting president until an interim president is named later this summer, the university said.

A national search will be conducted with the intent of having a new president in place by the beginning of fall 2020.

In announcing Jensen's departure, board of trustees Chair Timothy Szerlong said, Eric has left a lasting imprint on the university, with many significant accomplishments that have changed IWU for the better.

In an interview Friday, Jensen said that under the terms of his multiyear contract agreed when he was hired, now was the time for a discussion of what was to come next.

I love this place. ... I will miss the people, Jensen said, but as he is about to turn 64, Jensen concluded he couldn't make the commitment needed to see the upcoming strategic planning process through.

Work on that plan and its implementation is expected to take place over the next four to five years, and the board felt it was important to have someone who could not only help us build that strategy but implement it, Szerlong said Friday.

Eric has done some great things, said Szerlong, who was elected chair May 21 and has been on the board since 2011. Eric is a real agent for change.

Among accomplishments during Jensen's time as president were the introduction of five new majors and six new minors, increased diversity, a realigned admissions and marketing program and new branding for the university.

However, IWU, like many universities  both public and private  has been struggling with enrollment in recent years. Fall enrollment was 1,693, up from 1,649 the previous year. But as recently as 2015, overall enrollment was 1,842.

In March, the university offered a voluntary retirement incentive program and announce plans to merge some academic departments and reduce visiting faculty positions in an effort to find $1.1 million in budget savings for fiscal 2020. Jensen said Friday that 19 people voluntarily retired.

In the world of higher education,  there is no more status quo, said Jensen.

Szerlong said: Any time an organization goes through changes, that raises a lot of questions in people's minds. Changes bring anxiety.

But Szerlong said, There's no cause for anxiety. This is a natural progression for the university. We have a great foundation and are on a good course.

After a disappointing enrollment drop shortly after Jensen became president, the admissions and marketing program was realigned and the university had one of its largest incoming classes last fall, noted Szerlong.

That incoming class also was its most diverse.

He has been a strong champion of diversity, Szerlong said of Jensen. He created strong culture of inclusion.

Jensen said he is proud of the renewed focus on curriculum innovation with an emphasis on IWU's ability to provide education on a personal, intimate scale.

Praising the faculty and staff, Jensen said, In some ways, it's what everyone else has done around me that I'm most proud of.

He added, I have confidence in the momentum this university has.

Jensen has worked on partnerships with Illinois State University and Heartland Community College, including collaboration on a NexSTEM project.

We want to continue partnership, particularly with Heartland, said Jensen. We see Heartland as a valuable pathway for transfers.

Heartland President Keith Cornille asid Friday: I am sorry to see President Jensen stepping away from Illinois Wesleyan University. Heartland and IWU have always had a very strong partnership and our transfer students have benefited from Dr. Jensens leadership.  We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with IWU in the future.

ISU President Larry Dietz said: President Jensen has been a good colleague and a strong supporter of higher education in the Bloomington-Normal area. I wish him the best in his retirement.

Jensen said town-gown partnerships also are huge, citing the Small Business Development Center at IWU as an example.

Zach Dietmeier, vice president of marketing and communications for the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, said, "We have enjoyed his presence on the EDC board of directors as he brought a thoughtful and innovative approach to improving outreach to area students through IWUs McLean County Scholarship and collaborative STEM scholarship program with ISU and Heartland.

Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner, who also is an IWU political science professor, wished Jensen well and said that as mayor, he hopes Jensen's successor is someone who helps Wesleyan's financial base; helps with recruitment of students, which is really critical; and provides the leadership Wesleyan needs to thrive in the early 21st century.

PHOTOS: IWU President Eric Jensen

Contact Lenore Sobota at (309) 820-3240. Follow her on Twitter: @Pg_Sobota Derek Beigh contributed to this report.

Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 3

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.
CHICAGO  Yearbooks are meant to preserve. To flash freeze memories from yesteryear, providing a snapshot in time, decades down the line.

For better or worse.

In recent weeks, several area high schools have pulled or reprinted the coveted keepsakes due to controversial photos and quotes within their pages, forcing schools to foot the bill and tread carefully into new territory.

Among the major concerns: The "OK" hand gesture. The once harmless symbol took on new meaning after a 2017 social media hoax by a right-wing group who spread word that it symbolized white supremacy. Alternatively, kids and teens use an upside down version of the gesture in a made-you-look type game.

Despite sending letters to parents that made clear the OK gesture is used by students from a variety of racial backgrounds and religions, Oak Park River Forest High School and Walter Payton College Prep both announced they would reprint their 2018-2019 yearbooks after finding photos of the symbol -- moves which cost $50,000 and $22,000, respectively.

While some people have criticized the action, defending the hand symbol as ambiguous or a silly game, school yearbook advisers are making moves to thwart any potential misconception.

As a yearbook adviser at Lindblom Math & Science Academy, Sam Dudek is proactive against potentially offensive content by choosing who he believes is the most honest and hard-working student as the yearbook's editor -- that student alerts Dudek if anything looks questionable. Dudek then personally proofreads each of the yearbook's 300 pages before it goes to the printer, including all images, captions and senior quotes.

"It makes for a long, painful week, but it's my name in the back of the book, too, and my reputation on the line," said the English and journalism teacher who's been at the school since 2008. "And it's important that I represent our school in the most positive way possible." Dudek said last year his student editor spotted someone flashing what they believed was gang sign in a group picture.

"Usually we delete a picture like that, but it was an important senior class group photo, so we used some creative Photoshopping to remove the offensive gesture," she said.

And to be sure, it's not just hand symbols that cause alarm. Highland Park High School halted distribution of its yearbook earlier this month over two senior quotes that were deemed inappropriate. One of which, while attributed by the student as "anonymous," is commonly linked to Nazi propaganda.

Sheila Quirke, a West Ridge mom of two boys, serves as her elementary school's yearbook parent adviser and photographer. Monitoring a staff of 13 students across 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, she started the school year with a conversation about the significance of yearbooks as historical documents. (Lest we forget then Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's "boofing" yearbook comment or the investigation of whether Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam appeared in a racist yearbook photo.)

Quirke said that when she's taking photos, if kids start flashing the OK sign, she refuses to take the shots.

"I kind of put my foot down and did bring it to the attention of the principal," she said. "As we got on through the year, there were three instances where I was taking photos of 7th or 8th graders who were flashing that gesture, and every time I saw it, I said 'no, I'm not going to photograph you while you're making that gesture.' I had a sense from the older boys at the school that it wasn't just a harmless game -- something felt off to me."

The former social worker took to social media to discuss the change in meaning of the OK sign but got pushback from other parents who defended it as a game.

"There seems to be an unwillingness to sort of acknowledge that this gesture's significance has evolved," she said. "It started out as an intentional hoax, then it kind of morphed into a kind of trolling tactic. But when somebody has slaughtered 50 Muslims in their place of worship makes that gesture, I'm sorry, that is a gesture that has been fully co-opted and it has no place in the world of children anymore." Quirke is referring to the New Zealand mosque shooter, a self-described racist who killed 51 worshippers on March 15.

She believes people cannot continue to ignore things and move through the world so blithely.

"It is our responsibility to start to pay attention," she said. "I feel like in this era of Trump, you have to be extra vigilant. All of these schools need an adult that is sort of looking at (yearbooks) through a lens that is going to find this stuff. ... None of us exist in a vacuum, and we need to dig in further and be more conscious, more vocal, more aware and teach our children as well."

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0
SPRINGFIELD  Illinois is one signature away from joining the 10 other states that have legalized recreational use of marijuana.

With a bipartisan vote of 66-47, the House approved a bill Friday that had been passed by the Senate Wednesday. Gov. J.B. Pritzker almost immediately issued a statement in which he promised to sign a bill that he said offers "the most equity-centric approach in the nation."

The state of Illinois just made history, legalizing adult-use cannabis with the most equity-centric approach in the nation, Pritzker said in a statement released after the vote. This will have a transformational impact on our state, creating opportunity in the communities that need it most and giving so many a second chance. In the interest of equity and criminal justice reform, I look forward to signing this monumental legislation.

Fridays vote came after a marathon debate that lasted nearly four hours, leaving lawmakers with less than 10 hours to complete the rest of their business for the session. That forced leaders to announce the House would continue meeting Saturday and Sunday. Other crucial issues still on the table include the state budget and a bill related to access to abortion, among others.

Pritzker campaigned for office on a promise to legalize pot. With the governor's signature, Illinois would become the first state to create a commercial recreational marijuana industry through the legislature rather than by voter initiative. Vermont legalized marijuana through legislation in 2018, but that law covered only personal use and cultivation. It did not include retail sales.

Supporters hailed the measure as an acknowledgement that the prohibition of marijuana has failed, and they argued that the bill will begin to address decades of racial disparities in the prosecution of drug crimes.

"Prohibition hasn't built communities. In fact, it has destroyed them," said Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, who worked with Chicago Democratic Sen. Heather Steans for more than two years to craft the bill. "It is time to hit the reset button on the war on drugs."

The bill takes effect Jan. 1 and would allow residents age 21 and older to legally possess 30 grams of cannabis, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate or 500 milligrams of THC contained in a cannabis-infused product. Nonresidents could possess 15 grams of cannabis.

It would also create a licensed cultivation and dispensary system while directing Pritzker to pardon people with past convictions for low-level pot possession.

The bill would allow employers to maintain a "zero tolerance" policy for cannabis in the workplace and would create a task force through the Illinois State Police to examine ways to enforce DUI laws involving marijuana use. Local governments would be able to ban cannabis use and would have wide-ranging control over zoning for marijuana-related businesses.

Those changes helped win support from a handful of Republicans in both chambers, including Rep. David Welter of Morris, who signed on as a co-sponsor.

"I'm a father of three from a rural district, and I'm standing before you supporting this bill because I do not believe the current policy that we have out there right now is working," Welter said. "Prohibition doesn't work, and we see that. Putting safeguards in place, taxing, regulating it, I believe provides a better market and a safer market."

Cassidy said it is expected to generate $58 million in the upcoming fiscal year, and as much as $500 million a year when the industry is fully mature.

This is the beginning of the end of the war on drugs, Cassidy said on the House floor just before the final vote.

Many supporters of legalization said their primary goal was to correct the inequities and social harms they say the war on drugs has had on black and Latino communities, who they argued have been disproportionately targeted for enforcement and incarceration for drug violations.

But Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, in a statement said the bill was "another attack on our conservative family values with the passage of recreational marijuana" and noted marijuana will remain illegal under federal law.

He said any revenue gains will be negated by traffic accidents and putting "additional burdens on taxpayer dollars to pay for drug treatment and the negative health effects of chronic marijuana use."

Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, cited a number of scientific studies that showed a correlation between marijuana use and violent behavior, including studies that showed an increase in violent crime in states that have recently legalized marijuana.

Correlation does not prove causation, he said. However, there is sufficient evidence for us to show that there is a connection between the use, particularly heavy use of marijuana and the increase in violence.

And Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, re-enacted a 1980s-era anti-drug advertisement by holding up an egg, saying, This is your brain, then breaking it into a frying pay and saying, This is your brain on drugs.

After paying for regulatory expenses and costs related to the expungement process, marijuana revenue would be divided among a number of areas. The largest share, 35%, would go into the state's general fund; 25% would go to community grants; 20% to mental health and substance abuse programs; 10% to pay down the state's backlog of unpaid bills; 8% to support law enforcement; and 2% for public education.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Illinois faces an estimated $1.9 billion deficit for FY 2020, according to Illinois Majority Leader Greg Harris. He has been a champion for social services and knows how painful cuts are to poor people, people with disabilities, and public workers.

Fair Economy Illinois has proposed closing two corporate tax loopholes that would generate nearly $450 million in new revenue annually for Illinois. This is approximately 22% of the $1.9 billion deficit. The first bill would tax profits held in offshore tax havens. The second bill would cap the amount of sales tax retailers can keep when collecting sales tax for the state.

While I also support a graduated income tax, it won't generate revenue until Jan. 1, 2020, at the earliest.

Many corporations pay no income tax due to various loopholes in the law. These proposals would address some of these inequalities. The sales tax cap was initiated years ago when calculations of what a business could withhold out of collected taxes was done by hand. Now this can all be done easily by computer and there needs to be a cap on the amount businesses could keep.

Ask your senators to support SB 1115, Closing Offshore Tax Loopholes, and SB 1132, Retailers Discount, and ask your representatives to support HB 2085, Closing Offshore Tax Loopholes, and HB 2079, Vendor Discount. Please keep in mind that legislators need to pass the budget by May 31, so contact them immediately.

Our communities cannot sustain any more cuts.

Marilea White, Normal

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Though this years Primavera Sound Festival is halfway over, the partys not over yet.

Now live on their website, the festivals organizers have released plans for Primavera 2020 Vision, which currently outlines five locations for further Primavera events staggered throughout the next year.

Only three out of the five locations have been specified: Barcelona and Porto, Portugal, in early June (for which the lineups have already been released), and Benidorm, Spain, in early November for Primavera Weekender.

Although the other two locations are blurred out on the website, theyre clear enough to assume the hazy images of the London Eye and Hollywood sign, meaning that the U.S. and the U.K. will both receive the Primavera treatment next year.

Primavera is quite the spectacle. The stunning Spanish architecture and urban beachside backdrop of the festivals Parc del Forum location, later set times and extensive, eclectic lineups year after year (2019s lineup featureshere we goErykah Badu, Liz Phair, Tame Impala, Solange, Rico Nasty, Big Thief, and Amyl and The Sniffers, among so many others) have given the festival a lofty reputation within the summer festival circuits.

Quite a few artists have been debuting new music at Primavera this year. Charli XCX brought out Christine and the Queens for a new collaboration titled Gone during her set yesterday, and Dirty Projectors have promised to debut new songs during their set later tonight.

Primavera Sound will continue through June 1. Find out how to stream the rest of the festival here.
The U.S. is currently pressuring Germany while the President is planning to pressure the UK in June to stop using Huawei's 5G infrastructure. In the latest sign of escalating trans-Atlantic tensions over trade and security, Pompeo, on the first leg of a five-day European tour, said that while countries would take a "sovereign decision" on which equipment to use, that decision would have consequences.

In a news conference in Germany, Reuters is reporting that Pompeo stated that "(There is) a risk we will have to change our behavior in light of the fact that we cant permit data on private citizens or data on national security to go across networks that we dont have confidence (in)."

On May 17th Patently Apple posted a report titled "The U.S. Stance on Huawei Escalates as they put 67 Huawei Affiliates on a Blacklist banning Access to U.S. Suppliers. Soon after Google and ARM announced that they would stop their work with Huawei.

The Verge posted a report this week titled "China has no good options for retaliating against Trumps Huawei ban." And yet today we're learning from a Chinese publication that the Chinese Government has in fact decided to retaliate against the blacklist created by the U.S. administration.

Caixin Global reports that "China plans to place foreign companies considered to have damaged the interests of Chinese companies on an "unreliable entity" list, the countrys commerce ministry said Friday.

Chinas own list, which will also include organizations and individuals, will target entities deemed to have blockaded or cut off Chinese companies from suppliers for non-commercial reasons, Gao Feng, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce, said, promising further details soon.

In a second report published today by Caixin, they write: "Tit-for-tat tensions have spread to research groups. Chinas leading computer science research community announced Thursday it will "temporarily suspend communications and cooperation" with a unit under the worlds largest technical community, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

The move comes after U.S.-based IEEE confirmed earlier this week that it is banning Huawei staff from being editors or reviewers during the peer-review process for research papers, to comply with the U.S. governments "Entity List" as a New York-registered "non-political and non-profit organization."

The China Computer Federation (CCF) responded by saying that the IEEE unit, a publication arm called Communications Society (ComSoc), has betrayed any research groups fundamental principles  "openness, equality, and being non-political"  using local laws as excuses. ComSoc also failed in its pledge to serve "professionals everywhere," CCF said.

Apart from the communications and cooperation suspension, CCF recommended that its members neither submit papers to any ComSoc-led conferences or journals, nor participate in its scholarly events, such as paper-reviews.

CCF said the decisions will take effect immediately.

Morgan Stanley on Apple and Trade Tensions with China

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, a real bull on Apple, cut her price target on Apple in a note distributed to investors this week, marking the latest downgrade for the iPhone maker, according to a CNBC report.

"Given the risk of further restrictive trade measures ... we expect shares to remain choppy, with a near-term floor around $160," Huberty wrote in the note. The stock is currently trading around $177, and is down more than 15% since May 1.

"In the event Apple is unsuccessful in persuading the [U.S. trade representative] to remove key categories from the final list of taxed goods, Apples representative will have to submit a request for each particular product theyd like to be excluded, and provide a rationale as to why it should be excluded from the tariff list," according to the note.

It continued: "The situation remains extremely fluid and we admit that quantifying the overall impact of geopolitical tensions on Apple is difficult given the unknowns around timing, demand impact, retaliatory measures, exclusions, etc."

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 Lalji Tandon, at the annual convocation of Patna University at the S K Memorial Hall on Thursday, honored 42 students with gold medals for topping in their chosen subjects.

Altogether 832 students of the 2018 batch had registered for the graduation event and nearly all showed up with their family members and other loved ones.

Among the 42 gold medalists, 30 are girl students.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor talked about the rich history of the Patna University and gave credit to one of the oldest universities in the country for all-round development in the nation.

"Patna University has made huge contribution in the nation-building that can never be forgotten," he said.

Education Minister Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma, ignoring the recurring strikes and bandhs at many colleges under Patna University, said that keeping the future of the students in mind, the state government had allocated most money to education in the state budget.

"This has brought positive changes in the quality of education in Bihar. Now it is up to our graduating students to be an agent of development and maintain the prestige of our universities and colleges," Verma said.

Patna University Vice Chancellor Ras Bihari Singh, Pro Vice Chancellor Dolly Sinha, and Governor's chief secretary Vivek Singh were among many who were present on the occasion.
In this episode of The Full Nerd, Gordon Mah Ung, Mark Hachman, and Adam Patrick Murray dig into the hottest hardware new of Computex, straight from MSIs booth on the show floor, where theyre joined by Steve Burke, editor-in-chief of Gamers Nexus!

Gordon, Mark, and Adam kick things off by discussing the rekindled CPU wars. AMD revealed 7nm Ryzen 3000 processors at Computex, spearheaded by a 12-core Ryzen 9 chip, while Intel finally broke the 10nm with the release of 10th-gen Ice Lake Core chips. The crew breaks down what that means for PC enthusiasts.

Next, Adam dashes away to make room for Steve around the 52-minute mark. He joins Gordon and Mark to talk about the badass laptops lurking on the Computex floor, and whether benchmarks matter for PC hardware. Of course they do, but with the launch of Project Athena laptops, Intels looking to move the goal posts away from the usual testing software and into a more holistic real-world look at the overall experience. Fun stuff!

You can witness it all in the video embedded above. You can also watch The Full Nerd episode 94 on YouTube. (Subscribe to the channel while youre there to catch cool, exclusive videos like our Computex interviews with Leo from Kitguru, Tech YES City, and Pedro from the PCMR subreddit!) Alternatively, you can listen to the episode on Soundcloud if you prefer the audio alone.

Speaking of audio, you can subscribe to The Full Nerd in iTunes (please leave a review if you enjoy the show). Were also on Stitcher, Google Play, or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader to: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:226190044/sounds.rss

Have a PC- or gaming-related question? Email thefullnerd@pcworld.com and well try to answer it in the next episode. You can also join the PC-related discussions and ask us questions on The Full Nerds Discord server. Finally, be sure to follow PCWorld on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch to watch future episodes live and pick our brains in real time!
In a recording released this week, Florida Rep. Mike Hill not only joked about the state-sanctioned murder of LGBTQ people, but laughed as he fielded calls to legislate portions of the Bible calling for the execution of LGBTQ people.

The Pensacola News Journal originally reported on the recording noting, In less than 30 seconds of audio from his recent meeting with a Pensacola-based group called Women for Responsible Legislation, Florida Rep. Mike Hill proved why he is both an unfit legislator and an unfit Christian.

Heres the clip:

In 1 Corinthians, it says that a man who has an affair with another man will be put to death, said a man in the recording speaking to Rep. Hill.

Hill responded, It says that in the Old Testament, too.

Can you introduce legislation? Another person asked.

Among bursts of laughter, Hill responded, I wonder how that would go over?

And therein lies the beginning of Pride month in Florida as a sitting legislator joked about the state-sanctioned execution of LGBTQ people.

Further reporting by The New Civil Rights Movement  with audio  shows he went much further than just joking about the murder of LGBTQ people. They reported:

Just before that exercise in far right wing Christian love, Hill told attendees that being gay is a choice, and mocked those who note they are born that way. Its a behavior, and its a choice, Hill said, rejecting the idea that LGBT people should be a protected class. You can say, But I was born that way. OK, well, fine, but nobodys forcing you to engage in that relationship, even if you were born that way.

Click through to the article for the full audio.

Aside from the outrage within the LGBTQ community over Hills remarks, openly gay Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith also responded with a call for Hill to resign:

Im shocked & disgusted to discover a colleague who Ive worked closely with would joke about punishing me by death for being gay. As a survivor of anti-gay hate violence, I know the consequences of homophobia are real. @MikeHillfl should apologize to LGBTQ Floridians or RESIGN. https://t.co/BqMoxLc6Vo  Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) May 31, 2019

Bigotry like this is the reason LGBTQ Floridians need protection from discrimination in state law. Homophobic and transphobic individuals can also happen to be employers, landlords, and business owners who may engage in legal discrimination. It still happens in 2019 people!!!!  Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) May 31, 2019

To add insult to injury, I joined forces with @MikeHillfl last year to protect greyhound racing dogs. Apparently, he thinks DOGS deserve protection, but not LGBTQ people. Those are his priorities. How insulting. https://t.co/zw0ISCwWCB  Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) May 31, 2019

What was @MikeHillfl thinking when we taped this greyhound dog protection video? Was he thinking I should be stoned to death as a gay man? Was he thinking DOGS deserve more protection than LGBTQ people like me? How can he espouse such bigoted views and work alongside me? pic.twitter.com/VFWhH2KDl5  Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) May 31, 2019

Suffice to say, Rep. Smith is upset.

Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Juan Penalosa also released a statement:

Representative Mike Hill has reinforced his support of hateful and divisive legislation in the Florida legislature with hateful and divisive speech in every-day life. As a gay man and a Christian, my stomach turns to hear elected leaders who think its acceptable to make jokes about putting people like me to death in the name of Jesus. And as a Floridian, Im outraged that he has been elected to office. I am calling on Representative Hill to apologize and for the Governor and the leaders of the Florida GOP to disavow his remarks. I also hope Mr. Hills spiritual leader has a long conversation with him to remind him the teachings of our Lord  and if he doesnt have one, Im happy to introduce him to my Pastor.

In the shadow of the Pulse massacre only three years ago in Orlando, Hills words as a government official cant be taken lightly  joke or not.

Pulse massacre survivor and Equality Florida media relations manager Brandon Wolf offered harsh criticism saying, Words matter. The comments made by Representative Mike Hill this week are both deeply disturbing and dangerous. Wolf continued, Representative Hill should be embarrassed and ashamed for laughing along with the suggestion that he file legislation requiring the execution of LGBTQ people..

Noting that the third anniversary of the mas murder of 49 people is mere days away  during Pride month  Wolf added:

We live in a diverse and inclusive state where the overwhelming majority of Floridians agree that no one should be discriminated against based on who they are or who they love. In less than two weeks our community prepares to mark three years since Pulse, the most deadly attack on LGBTQ people in this nations history, and we have never been more aware of how degrading and dehumanizing LGBTQ people causes harm.

To contact Rep. Hill, you can send a message or find his phone number(s) here. You can also contact him on social media via Facebook and Twitter.

Peacock Panache readers:

Tim Peacock is the Managing Editor and founder of Peacock Panache and has worked as a civil rights advocate for over twenty years. During that time hes worn several hats including leading on campus LGBTQ advocacy in the University of Missouri campus system, interning with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and volunteering at advocacy organizations. You can learn more about him at his personal website.

Like this: Like Loading...

Related

We hope you enjoyed reading this article! If you would like to support our ongoing work, please consider buying us a cup of coffee. It's not much, but we don't do this for the money. We do, however, need caffeine to keep going some days!If you do donate, send us a message through our Contact Us page or via social media so we can thank you!
Berks County authorities on Friday said they have filed new charges against Holly Ann Smith, who pleaded guilty in March to institutional sexual assault.

Smith, 48, is a former teacher in the Hamburg Area School District. She pleaded guilty on March 28 to having sex with a 16-year-old male student.

On Friday, the Berks County District Attorneys Office said detectives recently learned Smith, of Shenandoah in Schuylkill County, continued to communicate with the student via text, with exchanges taking place as recently as May 17.

Smith has been charged with unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors, criminal use of communication facility, obstructing administration of law or other governmental function, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and intimidation, retaliation or obstruction in child abuse cases.

She was released on $50,000 bail, according to a news release from the Berks County District Attorneys Office.
A Maryland man was shot and seriously injuring during a break-in and armed robbery at a home in Hanover early Friday.

Police said an armed man forced his way into the home in the 100 block of Spring Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Police said he hit one resident of the home in the head while demanding money and jewelry. He shot the 34-year-old resident of Taneytown, who police said was visiting the home.

The Taneytown man, who police didnt immediately identify, was struck in the chest. The robber left after taking a purse, money and a cell phone, police said.

Police said the robber was wearing a black sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, black pants and white sneakers.

Police are asking anyone with information to call the Hanover Borough Police at 717-637-5575 or reach the department through York County 911.
The combination of two teen boys in a kayak and an oncoming thunderstorm that churned a Pa. creek proved deadly.

As the Morning Call of Allentown reports, it happened Wednesday night in Bucks County, Pa., where one of the teens fell out of the kayak and into the rain-swollen Mill Creek.

A 16-year-old Bucks County boy who was not identified in initial reports got caught up in the churning creek and was under the water for about five minutes before being rescued by a firefighter, the newspaper reports.

The Penndel Rescue Squad was able to get a pulse on the boy after he went into cardiac arrest, Middletown Township police Lt. John Michniewicz told the Morning Call.

The boy was first taken to St. Mary Medical Center nearby, before being transferred to The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

But the boy died there early Thursday morning.

The boy, from Penndel, Pa., was kayaking with a 17-year-old boy in Mill Creek in the Snowball Gate section of Levittown around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday when he fell out of the kayak during a thunderstorm, beginning the deadly chain of events, the Morning Call reports.
For several days in late May of 1889 in Pennsylvania it rained and rained and rained resulting in tremendous flooding and a dam break that killed thousands in Johnstown.

In Harrisburg, the June 1 newspaper headline read "GREAT DAMAGE DONE."

According to The Patriot-News archives, "The bottom seemed to have dropped out of the sky on the state of Pennsylvania yesterday," the paper said. "About every foot of ground from one end of the Keystone to the other was baptized by a rainfall so great in its character that even the oldest resident was forced to confess that he has never seen its equal."

The Susquehanna River crested at 27.1 feet - 10.1 feet above flood stage.

In Johnstown, the damage was horrific. The South Fork Dam burst on May 31 sending 20 million tons of water barreling through town. The flood killed 2,209 people.

In the book, Great Floods of Pennsylvania William H. Shank described the water that hit Johnstown as an "avalanche of death" that moved from 40 mph to 60 mph, "carrying with it wreckage of every kind, plus animals and people, some still alive, clinging to the debris."

Shank said the wreckage from the water piled up 50 feet behind the stone-arch Pennsylvania Railroad bridge. That wreckage caught fire - likely from kitchen stoves and kerosene lamps carried along in homes. Flood victims, Shank wrote, still alive but trapped, "were burned alive." Shank said the fire burned for several days.

Millions of feet of logs and lumber were swept down the Susquehanna River, causing massive damage.

Johnstown was 14 miles downstream of Lake Conemaugh, a recreational lake owned and operated by South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. The South Fork Dam was created by the club in 1881 to create the lake. According to history.com, the dam was in need of repairs by 1889.

When several days of heavy rain struck the area in late May 1889, club officials struggled to reinforce the neglected dam, which was under tremendous pressure from the swollen waters of Lake Conemaugh. The dam began to disintegrate and on May 31 the lakes water level passed over the top of the dam. Realizing that the dams collapse was imminent, club officials sent riders down the valley to evacuate area residents. However, flooding was a familiar occurrence in the valley, and few Johnstown residents heeded the riders desperate warnings, according to history.com.

The dam broke at 3:10 p.m. Twenty million tons of water roared through South Fork, Mineral Point, Woodvale and East Conemaugh, all the while collecting debris  rocks, trees, houses, railroad cars, animals and people. It reached Johnstown at 4:07 p.m.  more than 30 feet high and half a mile wide. It wiped out the northern half of the city.

In Williamsport, according to Shank, a major flood up river at Clearfield was telegraphed to the town early Friday, May 31 but it was not until 2 p.m. Saturday that the Susquehanna West Branch at Williamsport began to react, rising 2 feet an hour. The rain fell from Thursday afternoon throughout Friday night. After midnight Friday it came down in "absolute torrents."

Soon after daylight Saturday the rain ended. Grafius Run, a small stream through the city, had begun to subside. Residents were not concerned about more flooding because the river had not yet risen to an alarming height. But "the water kept getting higher and higher."

When it was over, "loss of life had been heavy." Total logs lost from the boom estimated at about 200 million feet, also lost was 40 million feet of finished lumber.

A reporter for the Philadelphia Times telegraphed this, "The loss is awful. There have not been many buildings in the town carried off, but there are few that have not been damaged. There is mourning everywhere for the dead."

The mayor sent this message, "Send us help at once, in the name of God, at once. There are hundreds utterly destitute. They have lost all they had, and have no hope of employment for the future. Philadelphia should, if possible, send provisions. Such a thing as a chicken is unknown here; they were all carried off. It is hard to get anything to eat for love or money. Flour is needed worse than anything else."

From the book: "A pathetic side of the flood was the great number of children drowned."

Survivors stand by homes destroyed when the South Fork Dam collapsed May 31 in Johnstown, Pa., in 1889. (AP Photo)AP

Good Morning, Pennsylvania

Sign up now for Good Morning, Pennsylvania, and get the most important headlines delivered free to your inbox by 6 a.m. Monday-Friday.
Having helped refurbish the Rocky franchise with the Creed movies, Sylvester Stallone is turning his eye on one of his other signature characters: John Rambo.

The internet went all a-gog late yesterday when the trailer for the fifth movie in the Rambo series -- Rambo: Last Blood -- dropped. If you havent seen it yet, heres you go:

The plot has Rambo traveling to Mexico to save a friends daughter from a Mexican cartel. As you can see that involves blowing up a lot of things and people, skulking about in dark tunnels, and stabbings, stabbings, stabbings.

Directed by Adrian Grunberg, the film stars Stallone, Paz Vega, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Adrianna Barraza and Yvette Monreal, and is scheduled to hit theaters on Sept. 20.

Got a question for the Stallone about his new film? You might have the chance to ask him in person -- Stallone will be in Philadelphia for the Keystone Comic Con on Aug. 24-25, where he will be will be signing autographs and posing for photos with fans. Other guests at the convention include actress Charlet Chung, writer Erica Schultz and artist Jim Cheung.
Beginning this weekend, three Jersey Shore towns are officially banning plastic bags.

On June 1, Brigantine, Avalon and Stone Harbor will join a list of other New Jersey towns that have already banned plastic bags. The ban comes as part of an effort to cut down on pollution in the ocean and on beaches.

In Brigantine  which sits just outside of Atlantic City  retailers like supermarkets and restaurants will no longer be allowed to offer plastic bags to customers.

In Stone Harbor and Avalon  both just north of Wildwood  plastic bags arent the only items getting banned. Retailers will no longer be allowed to offer plastic straws of food containers made from Styrofoam.

Violators are subject to fines of up to $500 in all three towns for repeat offenses.
Lancaster police have charged a 15-year-old boy with an armed robbery that involved attacking a man getting into a car.

Najzaun T. McArthur, of Lancaster, is accused of attacking a male near the intersection of North Duke Street and East Walnut Street just before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The male, age not provided by police, told police he believed a juvenile was the culprit. The teen approached him while brandishing a dark object that could have been a knife, he told police.

The male fled by getting inside his car, but was unable to lock the doors before the teen opened a rear door, he told police. The teen still had the object in his hand and demanded money, police said.

The male was able to get out of his vehicle, he told police, and the teen also got out of the vehicle, police said. The teen began walking away, so he male got a photo of him with his cell phone before going to the police station.

Police said once the male arrived at the station and gave his report, officers were provided the suspects description and the suspect photo.

Within a few moments, officers saw the teen matching the suspect, later identified as McArthur, in the 400 block of North Christian Street. The teen fled from officers, but was found again at the intersection of North Queen Street and East James Street, police said.

McArthur was taken into custody and transported to the Lancaster police station.

After consulting with the Lancaster District Attorneys Office, McArthur was charged as an adult with robbery of a motor vehicle, robbery and possession instrument of a crime, police said. Police did not detail what weapon McArthur possessed.

McArthur was arraigned and committed to Lancaster County Prison on $250,000 bail.
A former state narcotics agent accused of taking bribes has been sentenced to 3 years in federal prison.

U.S. Middle District Chief Judge Christopher C. Conner hit Timothy B. Riley with that penalty more than a year after the ex-agent pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit money laundering charge.

Riley is a former member of the attorney generals Mobile Street Crimes Unit. His arrest is tied to the June 2014 seizure of more than $1.7 million in drug money at a Cumberland County truck stop.

Investigators said the driver of the truck carrying the money was Rileys cousin. They said the driver called Riley, said he was transporting cash for a marijuana ring, said he wanted to get out of the drug business.

Riley had the driver meet him at the Petro truck stop in Middlesex Township, where the cash was seized. Investigators said the driver stole another $800,000 in the drug-derived cash, however, and gave Riley an envelope containing $18,000. The driver also had a co-conspirator, John T. Oiler, give Riley another $30,000, they said.

Oiler, a Georgia resident, also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit money laundering charge. Conner sentenced him to 2  years behind bars.
Pete Brownell, a former president of the National Rifle Association, resigned from the board of the gun rights organization Thursday, citing the demands of his family business Brownells, a major supplier of firearm accessories.

His departure comes as the NRA is engulfed in controversy and internal fighting over charges of improper spending by top officials, as well as ongoing congressional scrutiny into links to Russia during the 2016 election campaign.

Brownell, who has served on the NRA board for nearly a decade, made no mention of those issues in a statement his company released Thursday afternoon.

"Given the hard work and full-time attention that will be needed as our brands continue to grow, I've decided to step down from my position on the NRA's Board of Directors," Brownell said in the statement. "It's been an honor to serve the five million members of the NRA and I will continue standing side-by-side with the millions of Americans who care deeply about defending the Second Amendment."

An NRA spokesman referred questions to Brownell.

Brownell's resignation comes amid a tumultuous period for the gun organization. The NRA has been beset by legal disputes, including an investigation into its charitable status by The New York state attorney general and a separate inquiry by Senate Democrats into possible ties to Russia.

A gun-review blog wrote Thursday that Brownell's "departure will be seen as a blow to efforts to reform the operation from the inside and weather the current storms."

John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control group that works to reduce gun violence and has been tracking the evolving situation at the NRA, said he was not surprised by Brownell's decision. "To see a former NRA president step down from the board is not surprising given the organization's ongoing turmoil," he said. "What would be surprising is if this is the last resignation we see."

At the close of the NRA's annual conference in late April, former Marine Corps Lt. Col. Oliver North was ousted as president after highlighting what he described as a financial mismanagement "crisis" facing the organization. The NRA leadership accused North of trying to extort the organization's CEO, Wayne LaPierre.

Two weeks ago, another board member, former Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., called for LaPierre to step down.

"There is a cabal of cronyism operating within the NRA and that exists within the Board of Directors," West wrote in a statement on his website. "It must cease, and I do not care if I draw their angst."

North had replaced Brownell as NRA president in 2017 after Brownell unexpectedly resigned from that post. At the time, Brownell said he was stepping aside to focus more on his Iowa-based business.

His resignation as president occurred as congressional investigators were scrutinizing connections NRA executives had formed with Maria Butina, a Russian woman who later pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington to conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of Russia.

Butina admitted that she worked for more than two years to forge relationships with conservative activists and leading Republicans in the United States. One of Butina's main targets was the NRA.

Brownell and another former NRA president, David Keene, visited Russia in late 2015 and were hosted by Russian government officials and Butina.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, has sought information from Keene and Brownell about any NRA ties to Russia. A spokesman for Wyden said Thursday that he is expecting responses from Brownell to written questions to conclude the investigation.

Tom Hamburger of The Washington Post wrote this story.
A Harrisburg man grabbed a woman by the throat and forced her to strip off her clothes before raping her, according to charging documents filed by Susquehanna Township police.

Devine N. Fumey, 20, now faces felony charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault, online court documents show. That is in addition to misdemeanor charges of strangulation and indecent assault.

According to charing documents, the woman contacted police after 6 a.m. Sunday to report that she had been sexually assaulted by Fumey.

The woman, Fumey and a group of friends had visited a local hookah lounge earlier that morning before leaving about 3 a.m. and heading to a home where one of the friends lives, police said.

Inside of the home, Fumey, who also answers to the nickname Chucky Chuck," began to harass the woman, asking her to perform sex acts on him, she reported, according to a criminal complaint.

The woman refused multiple times, and Fumey instead began asking her to take off her clothes, police said. The woman told police she again refused, but Fumey then grabbed her by the throat, choking her multiple times and forcing her to do what he said, according to the complaint.

Fumey then sexually assaulted the woman before pinning her arm behind her back and raping her, police said, citing the womans report.

After the reported assault, Fumey told the woman, You know I didnt rape you, according to the complaint.

Police said the woman reported that she then waited for Fumey to fall asleep before sneaking out of the home, meeting with a friend and calling officers.

Police said they later interviewed others who were in the home at the time of the reported assault, and at least one of them said he heard Fumey asking the woman to perform sex acts, as well as her telling him no.

The woman later visited a local hospital to be evaluated, police said.

Fumey was arraigned on his charges earlier this week, and he is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 9:30 a.m. June 6 before Magisterial District Judge James Lenker.

As of Friday afternoon, online court documents showed that Fumey remained free from jail on $50,000 unsecured bail.
Police say a man found in the trunk of a vehicle at Manheim Auto Auction yard in Lancaster County is wanted out of New York.

Leon Parks, 25, from the Bronx, New York, has been identified by police as the man in the trunk. Police said he is wanted as a parole violator and on weapons charges from New York.

Police said they found Parks in a 2016 Dodge Challenger, a vehicle that was among a cargo of vehicles loaded onto a transporter truck.

The loaded transport truck came from the New York City area, police said, and arrived at Manheim Auto Auction in the late morning hours of Thursday.

All vehicles at the auction are inspected upon delivery as a normal part of business, police said. The scope of the inspection does include all vehicle compartments.

When inspectors opened the trunk of the vehicle, the man later identified as Parks was inside, police said.

Parks was semi responsive and was given emergency medical attention, police said. He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, escorted by police.

Once he was discharged form the hospital, Parks was transported to the Northern Lancaster Regional Police Department for processing, police said. He was identified at the department.

Parks has been charged as a fugitive from justice, and was transported to Lancaster County Prison to await extradition.

Police said they are still investigating the circumstances that led to Parks being found, including the method and manner in which he got into the trunk. Parks has not been cooperative, police said.

Police said the date and times Parks left New York, where he left from and vendors involved in transporting the vehicle are currently being withheld in order to preserve the investigation.
A Middletown man offered to sell a baby to a random stranger on Wednesday, a baby that he was prohibited from having contact with, according to police.

In court documents filed against Deniz Ak, 59, Middletown police said they received a call around 8 p.m. Wednesday about a man trying to sell a baby.

The man was described as walking around in blue checkered pajama pants, holding a baby, according to court documents. Police found Ak matching that description, standing in the first block of East High Street.

The caller told police he was sitting on a flowerbed outside a bar in the first block of East Main Street, Middletown, when Ak walked past him with the baby, according to court documents. The caller said Ak spoke to him saying Do you want to buy her? Only $50.

The caller told Ak he was calling police, and Ak walked away, according to court documents.

When police asked Ak why he was trying to sell the baby, he said I joke, according to court documents.

Police said there is currently an active protection from abuse order protecting the baby and the babys mother from Ak, according to court documents.

In talking with a Dauphin County prosecutor about charges, Aks criminal history involving a felony child endangerment charge was found.

Criminally, Ak is being charged with felony child endangerment and misdemeanor attempt of dealing in infant children, according to online court documents.

Ak is also charged with indirect criminal contempt, accused of violating the protection from abuse order against him, according to court documents.

Ak was arraigned Thursday and released on his own recognizance, according to online court documents.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday that should sound the death knell for a midstate citys 3-year-old Business Improvement District.

That decision will ring out in downtown Lebanon, which has a 15-block business improvement district -BID, for short  centered on Cumberland Street.

In essence, the court found in an opinion by Chief Justice Thomas G. Saylor that the city shouldnt have created the district because a sufficient number of property owners within it voted against its founding in 2015.

Since the districts creation, the city has collected hundreds of thousands of dollars from property owners within the district to pay for programs and upgrades, such as lighting and safety improvements, money that might have to be paid back.

The Supreme Court decision marks a victory for Edward J. Schock, an attorney with an office in Lebanons downtown who had been battling the district in court for years. He took the case to the states highest court after a Commonwealth Court panel in 2017 backed the districts formation.

In siding with Schock, Saylor found the state legislation creating business improvement districts  which are cousins to neighborhood improvement districts  is convoluted and confusing, particularly regarding who is eligible to vote on whether a BID should be founded.

City officials argued that the owners of all 358 property owners within the district were eligible to vote on its establishment. Schock, however, contended that only the 280 property owners who had to pay financial assessments to finance projects in the district should have been entitled to vote. Exemptions on paying those assessments were given to 78 properties used for religious, educational and nonprofit health care purposes, the type of holdings that normally are exempt from property taxes.

The owners of non-exempt properties were required to pay at least $250 a year apiece to support the BID programs and the salary of a manager to run the program.

The assessed and exempt distinction was important in the dispute, since city officials based their decision to form the district after concluding that fewer than 40 percent of property owners who would benefit from the BID programs had opposed its founding. By state law, a district cannot be created if at least 40 percent of those whose properties would fall within it object. The law also states that any property owner who doesnt cast a vote should be considered voting in favor of the BID.

As Saylor noted, 132 property owners objected to creation of the BID. By the citys calculation, that amounted to less than 40 percent of the total properties within the district. By Schocks tally, however, more than 40 percent of the owners of properties that would pay assessments for the BID objected to its creation.

Saylors court accepted Schocks math. The state law allowing the creation of BIDs specifies that only property owners who would have to pay financial assessments to support such districts are eligible to vote on whether they should be founded, Saylor concluded.

He rejected claims by city officials that restricting voting rights to only assessed property owners is unreasonable.

Excluding exempt property owners from voting on the establishment of a neighborhood improvement district is not absurd, unreasonable or incapable of execution since that is precisely what the General Assembly has provided in the City of Philadelphia, Saylor wrote.
WILLIAMSPORT  A woman who claims she fled Lithuania in 2009 because that country is hostile to the gay community is no longer facing immediate deportation.

Davia Kleinauskaite has been released from the York County Prison on $7,500 bail and is proceeding with her request for asylum.

The court fight over her pending deportation ended Wednesday when the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the matter.

It did so because the government failed to file a brief in support of its appeal of U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Branns order that prevented Kleinauskaites immediate deportation.

Deportation proceedings began after she was arrested May 17, 2017, in Montgomery County for driving under the influence.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials took her into custody and she remained there until granted bond last November following a hearing ordered by Brann.

Kleinauskaite wants to remain in the U.S. because she claims the Lithuanian government refuses to acknowledge or give legal recognition to same-sex marriages.

She entered the country in 2009 under a program that allows an individual to remain here for no more than 90 days.

She stayed beyond the 90 days and on April 26, 2017, married Lauren Michele Meriano of Upper Darby, a U.S. citizen whom she met in 2015.

Jonah Eaton of the Nationalities Service Center has filed a petition in federal court seeking $9,339 in attorney fees for representing Kleinauskaite.
Update: Protection from abuse filing against Harrisburg district judge dismissed

Harrisburg District Judge Hanif Johnson kept his composure throughout a court hearing Thursday on a protection from abuse petition filed by a woman who claims he sexually assaulted and harassed her.

But as soon as that hearing ended, Johnson walked across the Centre County courtroom, hugged his mother and cried.

Shes lying, Mom! he said.

The session before county President Judge Pamela A. Ruest was just the opening shot of the PFA case Johnson is battling. Thursdays hearing involved just the testimony from three witnesses called by Johnsons lawyer Philip Masorti. All testified that Johnsons accuser was amorous and playful towards him around the time of and soon after she says he sexually assaulted her.

The PFA hearing is to be continued at a later, still-to-be-scheduled date during which Johnson and his accuser are expected to testify. PennLive is not identifying the woman because it does not name accusers in sex crime cases. Masorti said he also intends to present evidence that the woman sent text messages to friends in which she gushed over having had a sexual encounter with Johnson.

Thursdays proceeding was the first time the case was aired in open court since the 20-year-old State College woman filed her PFA petition in April. She claimed in that filing that Johnson sexually assaulted her three times in mid-March and made multiple harassing phone calls.

A temporary PFA remains in effect barring the 29-year-old Johnson from having contact with the woman. Johnson also has been blocked from hearing sexual assault cases in his own courtroom on Harrisburgs south side pending the outcome of the PFA case. He was elected as a district judge in 2017.

Masorti was allowed to call his three witnesses during the abbreviated hearing because all are from out of the area, and two are from out of state. Two witnesses, Antonio Young of Pittsburgh, and Ahkiel White of Baltimore, are friends who like Johnson are alumni members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity at Penn State University. Ryan Taylor, of New York City, met Johnson when the two were on Penn States track and field team.

Young testified that he and Johnson were at the Lions Den in State College during Blue and White Weekend on April 13 when the woman, a stranger to him, came up and stood between them at the bar. He said the woman chatted with him for a moment, then bumped Johnson with her hip and started talking with him in a friendly manner. Johnson and the woman left the Lions Den together, Young said.

On cross-examination by the womans attorney, Doug Hearn, Young said he did not overhear what Johnson and the woman spoke about. Ruest asked about how the woman bumped Johnson. Young replied it was like a playful bump, a get your attention bump.

White said he met the woman for the first time that same weekend as he and Johnson left a fraternity function. He described her interaction with Johnson as energetic, playful, and testified that the two said they would meet later. Under Hearns questioning, White said he couldnt recall who expressed the desire to meet later.

Taylor testified about seeing Johnson and the woman at a private party in Selinsgrove on March 15 and 16, the same weekend Masorti said she says she was sexually assaulted. From my perspective, it was a very comfortable interaction, he said of the two. There were no signs of distress. They were very playful.

They were comfortable to the point of looking like a new couple in the honeymoon stage, Taylor added. Everything pointed that she was having a great time.

Hearn asked if Johnson and the woman said they were dating. No, in terms of that they did not, Taylor answered.

The woman sat beside Hearn at a table as the three men testified. She fidgeted and rocked in her chair throughout the 45-minute hearing.

It will be up to Ruest, after hearing all the testimony in the case, to determine whether to impose a final PFA order against Johnson that would be in effect for three years.
KREAMER  The impact of the abrupt closing of a Snyder County custom cabinet manufacturer goes far beyond central Pennsylvania and the 938 workers who lost their jobs.

Millions of dollars of unfinished product remain in the Wood-Mode Inc. plant in Kreamer, leaving hundreds of dealers across the United States scrambling to find new suppliers to finish customer projects.

Trade Winds Designs of Naples, Florida, has close to $2 million worth of orders in the plant, said Todd Shive, a partner in the business.

Fortunately because of a good payment relationship with Wood-Mode, Trade Winds did not have to make a deposit required of some other dealers, he said.

Kenwood Kitchens in Baltimore, one of the two largest Wood-Mode dealers in the country, has several hundred thousand dollars of unfinished orders, co-owner Scott Waldhauser said.

Kenwood on Wednesday was permitted to pick up two truckloads of finished cabinets and they already are at job sites, he said.

He has had to tell other customers their cabinets are being held hostage, he said.

In some cases Kenwood had to set up temporary kitchens and bathrooms for customers because their old cabinets already had been removed, Waldhauser said.

Something similar on a smaller scale happened at Manor House Studio in Lemoyne that opened in January.

Owner Robert Hasemeier said part of the showroom was ripped up in anticipation of getting new cabinets for display. The Wood-Mode closing also has prevented him from completing two customer projects, he said.

Gary Courtright, owner of Camel Kitchen and Baths in Carmel, California, said he has the nine unfinished orders worth about $275,000 at Wood-Mode and some customers have asked for refunds of their down payments, he said.

Laura Dalzell, owner of Cabinets and Designs Inc. in Lexington, Kentucky, has seven unfinished orders worth $175,000. An eighth order, for one cabinet, is finished but she said she was told she would have to pick it up.

Wood-Mode no longer delivers, so she said she is making arrangements with other dealers in that area to pick up finished orders.

Dalzell detected signs in the past six months that things werent right but the closing was pretty much of a shock, she said.

Brooks Gronlund, one of the owners, in a conversation at a January trade show, assured him everything was going to be fine, Shive said.

Gronlund revealed a financial note obtained during the recession had been called, but he anticipated it would be re-negotiated, he said.

Employees were told May 13 in a meeting the plant was closing immediately because its lender was unwilling to provide additional funding and a prospective buyer backed out.

What happens to the unfinished cabinets and the deposits that accompanied orders are among the many unknowns.

A common complaint by dealers, public officials and employees about the Wood-Mode ownership is the lack of communication. We got zero notice about the shutdown, several dealers said.

Their notice, they said, was in a mass email May 22 from Gronlund apologizing for the predicament the company had put them in.

The closing could not have been handled more poorly, Courtright said. It was egregious how the whole thing is going down, he said.

Dalzell said a Wood-Mode truck driver informed her of the closing and commented he was given the option of returning to Kreamer or finish delivering seven other orders. He chose the latter, she said.

The way it happened was a complete surprise, Waldhauser, the co-owner of the kitchen business in Baltimore, said. Due to a wonderful product line and too many good employees, he said he is confident something is going happen resulting in the plant reopening.

Many dealers are hoping Wood-Mode comes back because, Shive said, it was a reputable company that you could count on.

The closing to us came as quite a shock, said Randy Godreau of Bay Area Kitchens in Webster, Texas, near Houston.

We just finished a nice-sized project and were about to place a $100,000 order for another when he learned about the shutdown, he said.

As a small company it is not easy for me to adapt, he said. I dont want to abandon the Wood-Mode brand unless we have to.

Courtright is more hesitant. Should a buyer be found and the plant reopens he said he will be hard-pressed to go back to Wood-Mode with confidence.

The shutdown also has had a direct impact on past customers because their limited lifetime warranties no longer are being honored, dealers point out.
Chad McGowan could have run away from trouble on that cold, wintry day in Harrisburg when a gunman tried to kill as many police officers as he could track down.

McGowan could have ducked for cover or waited for backup, all of which would have been a reasonable response to a madman bent on a killing spree.

Instead, Officer McGowan ran toward the man firing the gun, prepared to take some bullets to save the lives of his fellow officers.

U.S. Senator Pat Toomey shakes the hand of police officer Chad McGowan after presenting him with the Congressional Badge of Bravery. Senator Toomey hosts a ceremony presenting Harrisburg police officer Chad McGowan with the Congressional Badge of Bravery. Officer McGowan, on December 22, 2017, confronted and killed gunman Ahmed El-Mofty. May 29, 2019. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

U.S. Sen Pat Toomey called McGowan an American hero at ceremonies in the atrium of Harrisburgs MLK Government Center this week. He was right.

Surrounded by dignitaries that included Harrisburg Police Commissioner Thomas C. Carter, U.S. Attorney David Freed and Mayor Eric Papenfuse, the senator pinned the Congressional Badge of Bravery on Officer McGowans starched blue uniform. And in doing so , he honored not only one officer but all of the brave men and women in Harrisburg and throughout our country who proudly wear the blue.

McGowan represents the best of the best. And theres no argument, it takes a special breed to live a life of perpetual danger. Theres no argument, policing is one of the toughest jobs imaginable. It takes courage, stamina, discipline and responsibility.

Harrisburg Community Policing Officer Corporal Josh Hammer making young friends in Harrisburg.

The best of the best, like McGowan, also bring a sense of honor  knowing they are called to a higher purpose -- to both serve and protect.

As Sen. Toomey put it, each day about 25,000 police officers in Pennsylvania put on their badges, strap on a gun, and walk directly into whatever awaits them. While the rest of us run from trouble, as the senator rightly said, police officers liked Officer McGowan run toward it.

On Dec. 22, 2017, Officer McGowan ran toward trouble at the state Capitol, and he confronted real danger. A gunman was looking to kill as many police officers as he could. He had already shot at two and was looking for more.

He fired at McGowan, who didnt flinch. And McGowan fired back.

Freed saw the whole incident unfold from the window of his office at Third and Locust Streets. Freed said he saw McGowan go toward the danger, and he stayed until the job was done.

Bridge of Faith International Ministries held a rally for National Day of Prayer at the Pa. State Capitol, Thursday, May 2, 2019. Harrisburg Bureau of Police chaplain prays for the police officers. Vicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLiveVicki Vellios Briner | Special to PennLive

In honoring Officer McGowan, we have an opportunity as a community to honor all of those men and women in blue who do their jobs with dignity, honor and respect for the people they serve.

Like McGowan, they never know when danger may emerge, but they prepare every day to meet it.

Like McGowan, they credit their fellow officers, their bosses, anyone but themselves, in humble acknowledgement of the teamwork and camaraderie police officers cherish.

And like McGowan, the best of the men and women in blue deserve our highest accolades and our most sincere admiration.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey hosts a ceremony presenting Harrisburg police officer Chad McGowan with the Congressional Badge of Bravery. Officer McGowan, on December 22, 2017, confronted and killed gunman Ahmed El-Mofty. May 29, 2019. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com

McGowan has been honored with the Congressional Badge of Bravery, which he accepted humbly and without fanfare. But Papenfuse noted he has received something even more. He has earned the enduring respect of his fellow officers and the gratitude of the people he has pledged to serve.

Harrisburg Police block off Mulberry St. in the Allison Hill neighborhood after an apparent shootout with the people in a car that allegedly shot at a Capitol Police car Friday evening, Dec. 22, 2017.

As we rightly honor McGowan, we should also pay homage to those good police officers who patrol our streets, answer our cries for help and chase down the bad guys so we dont have to.

Theres only one thing left to say: thank you, Officer McGowan. And thank you to all of our great men and women in blue.
Pennsylvania is in store for at least a short break from the tornadoes, hail and severe storms which battered the state this week.

Fridays forecast from the National Weather Service as of about 5:30 a.m. predicted a sunny day with a high of about 80.

Saturday is expected to bring a mostly sunny day, although in late afternoon the possibility of thunderstorms returns.

The threat of thunderstorms continues on Sunday, which is expected to be a mostly cloudy day with a high in the high 70s. The thunderstorm threat is most severe in the northeastern part of the state, which is in path of some severe storms, AccuWeather was reporting early Friday.

In particular, AccuWeather called attention to the possibility of weather interference at the Pocono 400 in Long Pond, Pa., on Sunday.

The first half is next week is expected to be mostly sunny in the Harrisburg region, although its expected to be cooler than normal. Mondays forecast calls for a high of about 70, with the temperature dipping to near 50 overnight.

A chance of rain and thunderstorms returns in the latter part of the week.
New 'biosphere region' seeks to foster ecological collaboration in Northern Michigan

The University of Michigan Biological station will renew its status as a UNESCO "biosphere reserve," along with several other area partners.
When I first mentioned Minors, the world-premiere musical at the Lantern Theater Company through June 30, to the friend I was hoping to take, he thought Id said Miners. And off we went on a riff about Floyd Collins, the dark 1994 Adam Guettel musical (also a local world premiere) about a cave explorer who gets trapped underground.

It turns out we werent all that far off the mark. Minors is inspired by the Kids for Cash scandal in Luzerne County involving two corrupt judges, private for-profit prisons, kickbacks, and the mass detention of juveniles for mostly trivial offenses from 2003 to 2008.

But the setting is central Pennsylvanias anthracite country, after the mines have been tapped out. The backdrop of Nick Embrees scenic design resembles a seam of coal. And one of the characters in this Kittson ONeill-Robert Kaplowitz roots rock musical is Breaker Boy, whose dangerous task in times past was to remove impurities from coal.

This Breaker Boy (Sav Souza, an actor who identifies as non-binary) sets up the shows defining metaphor, singing, beautifully, Coal flows out/Bodies flow in. ... When coal is gone/All theyve got to mine is you. Over two acts, and just over two hours, Breaker Boy morphs into a variety of characters associated with the criminal-justice system, transforming victim into perpetrator and thoroughly muddying the metaphor.

Much else in this generally entertaining ripped from the headlines piece works. ONeills book condenses the two judges into one, played by a truly terrifying and Nixonian Paul L. Nolan, and it coherently tells the story of four distinct families caught in the maw of criminal justice corruption.

For their first-ever musical collaboration, ONeill and Kaplowitz (who are husband and wife) co-wrote the lushly metaphoric lyrics. One of the strongest numbers, Blood on the Mat, an Act 2 quintet expressing contrasting responses to injustice, harks back to one boys (ruined) wrestling career. Kaplowitzs music draws on country and folk balladry, the roots in question, mostly powered by rock beats. (The four-piece band, with music director Amanda Morton on keyboard, sits high above the action.)

In the musical, the judge, citing the mantra zero tolerance, imprisons middle- and high-school students to keep prison beds filled and kickbacks flowing. Their parents or guardians are pressured into waiving legal representation. And the offenders  either innocent or guilty of such acts as internet mockery of a school official or minor vandalism  are sent to a private juvenile detention center. The experience scars them but also inspires them to seek redress.

Director Matthew Decker keeps the pace brisk and the intensity high. The parents are played by the estimable Ben Dibble, Jennie Eisenhower, and Marybeth Gorman, who is shattering as Angela, the wrestler TJs mother, complicit in his eventual fate. Terran Scott as Kelli and Grace Tarves as Amber, high-schoolers who bond in the detention center over laundry, outshine their male counterparts (Brady Fritz and Mekhi Williams).

Putting the kids center stage, Minors devotes only passing attention to the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader reporter who uncovered the scandal and the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia, which investigated it. The show ends too abruptly, without closure, with the ensemble singing a dirge about the Susquehanna River. In real life, justice finally did prevail: Both judges are serving substantial prison terms.

Theater

Minors

Through June 30 at Lantern Theater Company, 923 Ludlow St. Tickets: $28-$43. Information: 215-829-0395, www.lanterntheater.org.
Attendees at the BIO 2018 international convention in Boston, June 2018 on a VR journey inside the human body. Random42 Scientific Communication will be exhibiting the latest immersive technology again this year at booth #2454. Read more

Philadelphia, which is developing its reputation as a hotbed of biotechnology research and development, is poised to play host next week to the worlds largest biotech industry convention, the BIO International Convention.

As many as 20,000 people from 75 countries are expected to flock to the four-day convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City. Among them will be superstars of gene therapy, finance, and cancer research.

Keynote speakers will include Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, and Siddhartha Mukherjee, a Columbia University cancer physician and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies.

The three governors from the tri-state area -- Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, and John Carney of Delaware -- will hold whats billed as "a conversation on Tuesday about the impact of the life sciences industry in their states, the nations opioid crisis, and how they are grappling with the rising cost of health care.

Its not a trade show, said Jim Greenwood, the former Bucks County congressman who is president of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), which stages the annual convention. Its a celebration of biotech, one of the most profound things we as humans have ever done. Its all about understanding how life works on the cellular, genetic, and molecular level.

BIO represents and lobbies on behalf of more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotech centers, and related groups across the U.S. and internationally, Greenwood said.

Greenwood cheekily refers to Greater Philadelphia as Cell-icon Valley, a nod to the regions leadership in the realm of cell and gene therapy. According to Greenwoods group, the tri-state area contains the sixth largest biotech cluster in the country and the city sits alongside Boston and San Francisco as having one of the worlds most dynamic life science communities.

This is the fourth time that Philadelphia has landed the global BIO convention, where business developers for biotech companies hobnob with researchers, entrepreneurs, pharmaceutical executives, and specialists in regulatory affairs.

It provides a relaxed forum for people from wide sectors of the industry to meet and see if there are ways to work together, said Katherine High, president and head of R&D at Spark Therapeutics, the West Philadelphia gene therapy powerhouse that was acquired this year by Roche for $4.8 billion. The acquisition is set to close later this year.

At Spark, High led the development of the first gene therapy to win FDA approval for a genetic disease. Sparks Luxturna is a once-and-done treatment for a rare form of blindness. Though pricey at $850,000, Luxturna has a 93 percent rate of success, she said.

High recognizes that the cost can be hard to swallow.

The problem is that the whole drug system is based on giving a medicine chronically," she said. Gene therapy offers the promise of a one-time treatment. How do you reward a single treatment over something that has to be given repetitively?

At BIO, High is scheduled to appear on a panel about how to realize the promise of gene therapies for patients around the world.

Theres tremendous activity in this space, High said. And its accelerating.

In the last two years, the number of investigational new drug applications involving gene therapy -- the first step in gaining FDA approval -- has doubled to more than 800, she said.

Hemophilia, Huntingtons Disease, and the blood disorder Thalassemia are among the prime targets of gene therapy research, she said. But I think the prize [for potential treatments] is sickle cell disease which affects 4.4 million people.

Spark has ongoing studies focusing on hemophilia A and a treatment for hemophilia B is in Phase 3 trials. High said Spark is working to develop a program to treat Huntingtons, but its still in the pre-clinical stages.

Eventually, she expects research will deliver therapy or even cures for disorders caused by more than one gene. Diseases linked to flaws in multiple genes include cancer, congestive heart failure, and Alzheimers.

Already, there are ongoing trials for age-related macular degeneration and congestive heart failure, but they didnt work, she said. For a lot of things in therapeutics, a failed trial paves the way for a trial that works.

Other highlights of the convention include:
Drexel University and American Academic Health Systems LLC are engaged in talks over the future of Hahnemann University Hospital and St. Christophers Hospital for Children, according to a top Drexel official.

Still, the fate of the two Philadelphia health-care institutions, which are Drexels primary teaching hospitals, remains uncertain, Drexel president John Fry said this week in an email to faculty.

Joel Freedman, chief executive of American Academic  which bought Hahnemann and St. Christophers early last year from Tenet Healthcare Corp. for $170 million  had warned in April that Hahnemann was losing $3 million to $5 million a month and might have to close. That would cause a last minute scramble for Drexels third- and fourth-year medical students and residents from other medical schools that Drexel faculty help train at the hospital.

We are actively engaged in discussions with AAHS to fully understand the financial situation with the hope that we might be able to arrive at a mutually acceptable long-term plan for the hospitals, Fry told Drexel faculty in an email Wednesday. It is too early to predict the success of these efforts but Drexels financial advisers and the AAHS advisers have been working diligently for the last few weeks on several options.

Since my last update, the College of Medicine leadership team and our external advisers have continued to meet regularly with government officials, insurers, local health-care leaders, and key contacts at AAHS to pursue all options to keep the hospitals open and financially viable for the future. I have also had productive meetings with Gov. Tom Wolf and Mayor Jim Kenney to apprise them of the gravity of the situation, and to ask for their assistance and support. Those conversations are continuing.

Soon after its purchase of Hahnemann and St. Christophers early last year, American Academic realized that Hahnemanns financial condition was much worse than expected. Antiquated computer systems have made it hard to accurately document patients conditions and virtually impossible to get solid financial information on the hospitals operations.

Hahnemann, which opened in 1848 as a homeopathic medical college, employs 2,500 people. St. Christophers, where 45 jobs in the doctors practices were cut last August, employs 1,300. The two hospitals have $600 million to $700 million in annual revenue, down from $790 million when Freedmans company bought them.

The number of patients in the 496-bed hospital has fallen to a range of 200 to 250 a day, down from the high 200s in early 2018. A closure would affect not only medical students, but also the citys poorest patients, who have come to rely on the North Philadelphia hospital for their health-care needs.

Fry said contingency plans are in place to ensure that the clinical training of Drexels medical students is not disrupted if American Academic ends up having to close Hahnemann. Drexel has one of the nations largest medical schools.

I realize that this is a frustrating and extremely stressful time brought on by the financial struggles at hospitals we do not own, Fry said. However, I remain optimistic that we will come through this better positioned for the long-term, and I ask for your support and patience as we work through this difficult and complicated situation.

American Academic, which has hired external consultant EisnerAmper to aid in its restructuring, declined to comment on negotiations with any party. Lawrence G. McMichael, of Dilworth Paxson LLP, is the companys legal counsel on the restructuring.
Kindred Healthcare LLC, of Louisville, Ky., announced that it will close Kindred Hospital of South Philadelphia in July. Read more

Kindred Healthcare LLC said it is closing its transitional care hospital at 1930 S. Broad St. after being unable to negotiate a satisfactory renewal of its lease. The facility employs 107, Michele Basile, chief executive of Kindred Hospitals of Philadelphia, said Friday.

The Louisville, Ky., company told state regulators in a May 21 filing that the target date for the closure of Kindred Hospital South Philadelphia is July 21.

If any patients need continued care after the hospital closes, we will take every step necessary to help them in relocating, including arranging for requested transfers and paying for any expenses, Basile said.

The hospital has 57 long-term care beds, according to its web site. It had $19 million in annual revenue, according to the latest information from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.

In the Philadelphia region, Kindred has additional hospitals in the Crescentville section of Philadelphia and in Havertown.
As SEPTA prepares to expand its Key card to Regional Rail, the five biggest stations are being retrofitted with new fare gates. But it will be a tight squeeze in many places, including the SEPTA concourse in 30th Street Station. Read more

Starting today, New York Metropolitan Transit Authority riders on the East Side of Manhattan and buses in Staten Island can buy fares the same way a growing number of Americans buy a sandwich, gas, groceries: by tapping their credit cards on fare screens. Or using their cell phones.

Twenty other cities are scheduling similar payment advances, though Philadelphia isnt on the short list, says Kathryn Cleary, senior vice president at MasterCard, in Purchase, N.Y., which has partnered with California-based Cubic and with Visa and other payment systems to offer the service through a contract with the New York transit agency.

Philadelphias SEPTA has instead struggled with persuading riders to buy a separate Key Card, whose promises and problems are well documented - latest from Inquirers Jason Laughlin here. That card resembles the Omni Card New York rolled out in the mid-2010s and now plans to phase out as credit card banks rapidly increase the number of tap-and-pay cards and more smartphone users adopt GooglePay, ApplePay, SamsungPay, and other services that can also be used on the new New York transit terminals.

The New York system is the first of its kind on the East Coast (MasterCard says its also installed in Chicago and Portland, Ore.), but it follows similar direct-pay systems that have taken off rapidly in the U.K. and Australia, says Cindy Turner, managing director of JPMorgan Merchant Services in San Francisco, which managed $1.4 trillion of North American and European payments last year and hopes to shift more of them to tap-and-go credit cards through secure wireless connections.

New York transit hired JPMorgan to handle the money pouring in through the new card and phone services. Visa, MasterCard, American Express  any contactless card will work, along with the payment apps. Monthly passes, West Side, and outer borough subway stops, and other products and locations have not yet been added, Turner said.

JPMorgan Chase alone has issued 20 million tap-and-pay cards. The company, whose credit card business is partly based in Wilmington, is replacing old credit cards with tap-and-pay cards, said spokesperson Maribel Ferrer, and will similarly convert debit cards starting this summer. Tappable cards can be identified by the word Contactless and a black-and-white symbol that resembles a Wifi-reader square.

The habit of pulling out a credit card has been ingrained in us for decades, added Ferrer. When transit starts tap-to-pay, it accelerates adoption for other merchants.

Airlines and the Amtrak intercity rail service have allowed customers to buy tickets by phone and computer for years. New York commuters on Metro North and Long Island Rail Road trains have been using a similar service since 2016, noted MasterCards Cleary. Cubic won the contract to build the tap-free card network for subways and buses in 2017.

As you go through the turnstile, you can tap whatever form of payment you want, regardless of your card network. You can use the digital wallet on your Apple or Samsung phone. Or even your Fitbit. The New York system also works in London, she added.

She said the London Metro has reported savings of over $125 million a year by accepting credit cards directly for fares, and New York and other U.S. cities should realize similar gains. Only recently have banks issued enough tap-and-pay cards to make the service worthwhile: We truly believe we are at the tipping point.

Even Philly? MasterCard is a partner in Philadelphias Key Card, after all.

Philadelphia is talking about this. It is on their roadmap. But there is not a timetable, Cleary concluded.

To help promote the new system, MasterCard said Thursday it will allow tapping-card customers to ride free on the 4, 5, and 6 lines between 42nd Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn every Friday in June and July.
Shoppers and sales associates at the main entrance of the new Burlington Store at 833 Market Street. Read more

Burlington Stores Inc., plans to offer more casual and activewear clothes instead of its legacy dresses and suits in order to keep up with changing customer preferences, the companys chief executive officer and chairman, Thomas A. Kingsbury, said Thursday.

Though the New Jersey companys total sales rose 7.3 percent to $1.6 billion in the first quarter, which ended May 4, womens clothing category has not been performing as well. So the hope, Kingsbury said in the earnings call, is that focusing on the sportswear offering within womens clothing will boost the category.

We need to move on from dresses and suits, Kingsbury told analysts Thursday. We need to make sure that were presenting to the customer the product that they want.

Casual and comfortable dressing has been edging out more formal work attire, as shown by the college students wearing sweatpants in the classroom and a workforce celebrating yoga pant or stretchy dress pant options for the office.

The U.S. womens suit market dropped almost in half to $407.7 million since 2013, while mens suits dropped by 12 percent to $1.98 billion, according to Euromonitor International, a market researcher.

At the same time, Euromonitors beauty and fashion consultant Ayako Homma said the so-called athleisure brands are offering such clothes as blouses and blazers that people can wear to work. Homma attributes this change to the millennial generation entering the workforce and preferring a more casual environment.

As this generation now represents a sizable portion of the working population in the U.S., companies are re-evaluating their corporate cultures and policies to entice millennial recruits, Homma wrote last week in a blog post. Unlike older generations, millennials tend to value a companys culture more so than its name or reputation.

Although the casual workplace culture started in the early 1990s with casual Fridays, it expanded to more days of the week, said Barbara Kahn, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School.

This trend has been growing, with half of organizations surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management, a global HR professional society, allowing employees to dress casually every day in 2018. That was up six percentage points from the year prior and 18 percentage points since 2014.

This relaxed dress code has been a staple of the Silicon Valley workers at such places as Google and Facebook, but it has also made its way to Wall Street companies, which long upheld the traditional corporate uniform of business professional suits and dresses.

Three years ago, J.P. Morgan Chase adopted a business casual dress code, and Goldman Sachs announced in March a firmwide flexible dress code, Bloomberg reported. Target announced in February that it will allow employees to wear denim as opposed to the traditional khaki pants to go along with the required red shirt uniform. And Virgin Atlantic now permits female flight attendants to wear pants and no makeup.

The shift in clothing strategy for Burlington will take multiple quarters before the company sees success, Burlington executives told analysts. Analysts from UBS, a global financial services firm, told investors they doubt the company can improve the womens clothing category.

We believe Ladies Apparel is not just a BURL issue, but an industry-wide problem and we doubt the categorys growth rate improves in 2H, the note said, referring to sales in the second half of the year.

Burlington, based in Burlington, N.J., made its name as a coat-focused off-price store and transitioned in 2006 to a department store model. When that didnt work, the company zeroed in on becoming a well-known off-price retailer, Wells Fargo Securities analysts wrote in a Thursday note to investors.

Burlington announced last month that longtime CEO Kingsbury would become the executive chairman of the companys board and Michael OSullivan, most recently the president and chief operating officer at competitor Ross Stores, would be taking over.

As BURL strives to close the gap between themselves and their larger peers, taking on best-in-class leadership is certainly a strong step along the right direction, according to the Wells Fargo Securities note.

Burlington employs about 44,000 people, including part-time and seasonal employees, as of Feb. 2, according to the companys annual report. It has 684 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.

The companys stock rose 6.9 percent to close Thursday trading at $156.03 a share.
Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago, throws her fist in the air as she celebrates with Illinois state Senator Heather Steans, D-Chicago, left, and Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, as they watch the final votes come in for their bill to legalize recreational marijuana use in the Illinois House chambers Friday, May 31, 2019. The 66-47 vote sends the bill to Gov. J.B. Pritzker who indicated he will sign it. (Ted Schurter/The State Journal-Register via AP) Read more

(Bloomberg)  Illinois lawmakers voted Friday to legalize recreational marijuana, becoming the 11th U.S. state to do so and bolstering Governor J.B. Pritzkers efforts to shore up the finances of the cash-strapped state.

Illinois is the fifth most populous state, with a population of nearly 13 million.

The House of Representatives passed the measure that allows the purchase and possession of cannabis by those who are 21 and older starting in 2020. The Senate approved the bill on Wednesday. Pritzker, who took office in January, had made legalization a key platform in his campaign and said soon after the legislation passed that he will sign it. The billionaire Democrats budget proposal for the year that starts July 1 included an estimated $170 million from the sale of producer licenses.

Illinois joins a growing movement to end the prohibition of the drug: 10 other states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational pot in the past seven years, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Illinoiss move follows Michigan, potentially creating a hub in the Midwest.

A recent effort in New Jersey to legalize recreational marijuana in the state legislature was scuttled due to bad blood between Gov. Phil Murphy and St. Sen. Steve Sweeney. On Thursday, however, the Senate voted in Trenton to pass a bill to expand the states medicinal cannabis program. Gov. Murphy is expected to sign it.

In Pennsylvania, several bills to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use are pending.

The Illinois bill also allows for some drug convictions to be expunged. Convictions for amounts of cannabis up to 30 grams would be dealt with through the governors clemency process, and for amounts 30 to 500 grams, the states attorney or an individual can ask the court to vacate the conviction.

The cash from taxation and licenses is needed as Illinois struggles with chronic budget shortfalls, about $7 billion of unpaid bills and state pension funds that are short $134 billion. The fiscal pressures have pushed its credit rating to one level above junk-grade, making Illinois the lowest rated U.S. state.

Illinois is the second state after Vermont to legalize recreational marijuana through the legislature, while other states used ballot initiatives, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

With assistance from Craig Giammona.
Sheetz started with a family dairy farm near Altoona, east of Pittsburgh, in the 1950s. Wawa, about ten years later, on the Wood dairy farm in Wawa, west of Philadelphia. TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer Read more

Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain, will sell a wide range of CBD products at over 140 stores across the Keystone State.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound derived from hemp, which was federally legalized late last year. CBD, unlike its molecular cousin in cannabis THC, is generally recognized as non-intoxicating. In large quantities, CBD is used as a medicine to treat seizures brought on by rare forms of childhood epilepsy. There is no scientific evidence that it works for anything else.

The launch of a CBD line is to simply meet growing demand and continue to be the ultimate one-stop-shop for our customers, said Ryan Sheetz, vice president of brand strategies at the convenience store chain.

Ryan Sheetz said the chain is stocking products from Select CBD, Floyds of Leadville, Eco Sciences, Forth and Cannadips, all of which are domestically produced and tested in FDA approved facilities. The stores will sell a variety of topical rubs and patches, tinctures, vape pens, oral pouches, capsules, and pet products. Prices will range from $4.99 to $59.99.

In a statement, Sheetz said all products will be kept behind the counter. Customers must be over 18 to purchase.

Wawa did not respond to a request for comment asking whether it would follow suit.
Parthenia Moore, the principal of Girls' High and an alumna of the school, is retiring. Read more

Fifty years ago, Parthenia Moores mother made a decision that shaped the course of the young girls life.

A South Philadelphia kid, raised at 18th and Morris, Moore banked on attending South Philadelphia High, like all of her friends from Vare Junior High. But Shirley Wilson-Moore had lofty dreams for her bookish oldest daughter, and Southern was not to be.

Moore attended Philadelphia High School for Girls, the storied magnet school at Broad and Olney with competitive admissions criteria, where academic excellence was expected and young women were told there were no limits to what they could achieve.

The school, which opened in 1848, was one of the nations first public high schools for girls. Its students often have gone on to become judges, doctors, and other women of note. They include Gloria Allred, Constance Clayton, Jill Scott, and Judith Rodin.

It was the best decision my mother ever made for me, said Moore. The sisterhood has meant everything to me.

In June, Moore will retire from a nearly 40-year career as an educator, and from a job that has been the highest honor of her professional life: principal of her alma mater.

Since 2010, Moore has presided over the school in her signature style: formal, but enthusiastic; firm, with high standards and ready hugs for the 850 young women Girls High educates.

Phenomenal young women, where should we be?" Moore called to a group of girls relaxing in the schools pink marble hallway on a recent warm spring day. The girls smiled sheepishly at her and scattered. After all, this is the principal who reminds them that people see them before they hear them, who cares about the way they walk, talk, and dress.

Moore gets choked up when she talks about what her students mean to her.

The girls are my daughters, she said. They are self-determined to be and to know and to grow, and they have confidence. They amaze me with all they bring to the table.

Moore said she was inspired by educators who believed in her, and has sought to do the same. She graduated from Girls High in 1971, earned a degree in education at Pennsylvania State University, then returned home to Philadelphia to teach at Rhodes, Cramp, and Francis Scott Key schools.

For years, she balanced teaching with raising her two sons, but also pursued a masters degree at St. Josephs University and a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. She worked as a district principal and a central office administrator, taking to heart the message given to her by Clayton, the former Philadelphia superintendent: Your job is to serve Philadelphias children.

When Moore was appointed principal of Girls High, one of the first things she did was to walk inside her new office, shut the door, and run her hands over every item in the room  the conference table, the cabinets, the imposing desk where former principal Ruth Murray Kline had sat. Moore had admired Kline from a distance, but she was a quiet student who never got called into the principals office.

She aimed to be less removed than Kline. She aimed to be a principal who walked the halls and talked with her students in the lunchroom and knew about their college plans. Girls High taught Moore to find her voice, and thats been her aim for her students.

The girls have not let her down. For many, the school proves empowering, their first chance to sit with women in an intellectual space.

They speak up, sometimes more than we want them to, Moore said, chuckling. Her office became a boardroom, with students welcome to make presentations to her about a club they wanted to start or a concern they had. If well-researched and feasible, Moore said, the students proposals were executed.

And yes, she still has love for the work, even after all these years.

Im still jumping double dutch. I get on the dance floor on proms. I introduce myself to all the dates. I must know everybody, Moore said.

Allene Martin, a Girls High senior, said that students appreciate their principal.

She understands what were going through, what its like to have that Girls High standard to live up to, said Martin, whos headed to Anna Maria College in Massachusetts.

Shell do anything to help us, said Martins classmate Abria Gaines, who will attend Temple University in the fall.

Moore freely admits that shes tough. Every Sunday, she would spend an hour or more compiling professional development resources to send to her faculty. Her standards are exacting, and she clashed with some staffers.

Shes very demanding, said Joseph Marchetti, a longtime Girls High art teacher. But she loves these kids; she will advocate for them.

It surprises even Moore that shes ready to leave Girls High, but she wants to enjoy her sons and grandchildren and her new husband, an old friend with whom she had lost touch for decades and met again by chance.

Moore will focus on teaching at the college level, which shes done for several years. She will have more time for travel. But her heart, she said, will always be at Girls High.

I am, Moore said, a forever teacher.
Luther. Idris Elba is back as British police detective John Luther in a four-episode fifth season that includes a chilly but undeniably charismatic blast from his past. 8 p.m. Sunday, June 2, BBC America.

American Princess. No, its not another Meghan-and-Harry movie. Australian actress Georgia Flood stars in a new series as Amanda, who flees her society wedding for a Renaissance Faire-like festival after catching her fiance in a compromising position. (Note: This isnt the Hallmark Channel. Im being polite about the position.) Lucas Neff (Raising Hope) plays one of the festival regulars who helps her find her Elizabethan feet in the world where you cant always tell the players from the playtrons. Lesley Ann Warren, who long ago had her own princess moment as Cinderella, guest-stars in the two-episode premiere as Amandas horror of a mother. 9 p.m. Sunday, June 2, Lifetime.

Perpetual Grace, LTD. The MGM-owned premium channel Epix continues its bid for viewers attention in this new drama with a dream cast. Ben Kingsley and Jacki Weaver star as the leaders of a mom-and-pop church in New Mexico who take in a drug addict (Jimmi Simpson, Westworld) who isnt quite what he seems. But then neither are they. 10 p.m. Sunday, June 2, Epix.

The Weekly. Would you trust journalists more if you saw how they work? Thats the bet the New York Times is making in this new half-hour docu-series, which follows its reporters on the job. The premiere focuses on the Times 2018 investigation into allegations of abuse and deception at T.M. Landry College Prep, a small private school in Louisiana that had established a reputation for getting disadvantaged students into top colleges. 10 p.m. Sunday, June 2, FX.

The Handmaids Tale. If the second season of this dystopian story left you dispirited  or if youre still upset about how it ended  take heart. The gloom has lifted, just a little, as June (Elisabeth Moss) tries to make her decision to stay behind in Gilead count for something. It doesnt hurt that Bradley Whitford is back as the enigmatic Commander Joseph Lawrence. Inspired by Margaret Atwoods novel about a post-U.S. nation ruled by religious extremists whose response to a fertility crisis is to enslave women to bear their children, this show is never going to be a laugh riot. But it does have some slyly funny moments. Wednesday, June 5, Hulu.

The Battle of Normandy: 85 Days in Hell. This hour-long documentary marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day employs some footage filmed by a team led by Oscar-winning director George Stevens that was deployed to film the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II. 8 p.m. Thursday, June 6, Smithsonian Channel.

Armistead Maupins Tales of the City. Dont do the math. Thats the advice of Lower Merion High grad Alan Poul, whos worked on every TV iteration of Armistead Maupins stories of LGBT life in San Francisco, starting with the Peabody Award-winning mini-series that was set in the 1970s and that aired on PBS 25 years ago. Pouls both an executive producer and a director on this 10-episode update, which brings Laura Linneys Mary Ann Singleton back to the city after a long absence to help celebrate the 90th birthday of her former landlady, Anna Madrigal (Olympia Dukakis). Paul Gross returns as Brian Hawkins, whos now Mary Anns former husband, and Ellen Page is Shawna, the daughter he was left to raise on his own.. Friday, June 7, Netflix.

Designated Survivor. Kiefer Sutherlands still an accidental president in the third season of the series, picked up by Netflix after ABC canceled it. But now as he runs for election, he and his aides get to swear occasionally. There are also some new faces, among them ERs Anthony Edwards as Mars Harper, chief of staff to Sutherlands President Tom Kirkman; Lauren Holly as Harpers wife, Lynn; and Jamie Clayton (Sense8) as someone whos going to make life in the White House even more interesting. Friday, June 7, Netflix.
Picanha Churrascaria, the popular Northeast Philadelphia Brazilian steakhouse, has set up a Center City location, taking over the space at the Western Union building that was Garces Trading Co.

Owner Amabilis Silva and her family worked with the tiled walls and added wooden touches for a classic look and feel at the rodizio-style churrascaria, in the spirit of Center City chain outlets Fogo de Chao and Chima.

Picanha, named after a cut of top sirloin, has a 24-seat private dining room that used to be a wine shop. Its opening as a BYOB; the liquor license supposedly is about two months away.

Picanha, locally owned, is the lower-priced option.

At dinnertime ($46.95 per person), meat-skewer-bearing waiters work the room while customers supplement with unlimited selections from an extensive salad bar at the rear of the room. At lunchtime, its salad bar-only, sold by weight at $10.95 a pound. Its free for those under 5.

The meat cuts in Center City include lamb and filet mignon, which are not offered at the original location at Castor Avenue and Hellerman Street, which has been a magnet for the citys Portuguese and Brazilian community. (We Northeasters remember the location as the Gingham House.)

Picanha is open daily. On May 31, June 1, and June 2, hours will be noon to 10 p.m.

Regular hours commence June 3: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Heather Bankos, 31, of Macungie, donated her uterus through a uterine transplant clinical trial at Baylor University Medical Center. (l-r) Brendon Bankos, Nathan, 8, Matthew, 6, Ellie, 3, and Heather. Read more

As a neonatal intensive care nurse, Heather Bankos has seen up close the heartbreak that comes when babies are born fighting for life, when they dont make it and  perhaps worst of all  when complications from birth mean women who have lost children will never again be able to conceive.

Bankos, a 31-year-old mother of three, has spent nearly a decade giving her medical attention and comfort to families on their most joyous and difficult days, but she wanted to do more.

So she gave her uterus.

In May, Bankos, who lives in Macungie, near Allentown, donated her uterus to a stranger through a uterus transplant clinical trial at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Uterus transplant is an experimental procedure that enables a woman who does not have a functioning uterus to become pregnant and give birth. Baylor researchers estimate that absolute uterine factor infertility, meaning the uterus is nonfunctioning or nonexistent, affects from 500,000 to three million U.S. women of childbearing age.

Still in its early days, receiving a uterus transplant involves major surgery, costs about $200,000, and isnt covered by insurance. But researchers are hopeful that uterus transplants can one day become more widely available for women who want to bear a child themselves but were born without a uterus, had to have theirs removed, or whose uterus does not function.

Its more than donating an organ. Its donating an entire experience of being pregnant and giving birth, said Liza Johannesson, a gynecologic surgeon and medical director of uterus transplant at Baylor.

Surprising show of generosity

When Baylor launched its uterus transplant trial in 2016, doctors were overwhelmed with responses from women  women who wanted to donate their uterus.

Within two weeks, at least 200 women had called, asking how to be donors. Now there are hundreds of women from 41 states on the donor list, Johannesson said.

All of a sudden we have women reaching out to us wanting to give up their uterus, she said. We didnt know why these women wanted to give up part of themselves.

She and her colleagues were thrilled, but surprised.

Organ donation programs often rely on deceased donors. When live donors are involved  such as in the case of kidney and liver transplants  they are often giving to a family member or close friend.

All but a couple of Baylors donations have been from live donors. In nearly all cases, the women donating their uterus did not know and never met the recipient.

As Baylors researchers worked through the list, vetting potential donors, they got their answer.

They all say they want to give an experience they had themselves, that it was very important to them to carry their babies, Johannesson said. I think thats kind of beautiful.

Bankos had been considering becoming a surrogate  in which she would become pregnant and give birth to a child for another person  when she read about Baylors program and knew she wanted to participate.

She made her first trip to Dallas last fall, for a slew of medical tests to see whether she was a good candidate.

Potential donors meet with a gynecologist, a transplant surgeon, and a psychologist to go through every physical and mental detail of the process. If doctors decide theyre a good candidate, the women are called when they are matched with a recipient.

Bankos husband, Brendon, was supportive. Together they put away a little extra money each month to pay for travel to Dallas, and planned for her to be off work for 12 weeks of recovery.

Donors medical services are covered by the trial, but they must pay for their own travel expenses.

We were in agreement that I was going to help somebody," she said. "I was just waiting to find somebody who needed me.

A perfect organ to give away

The donation procedure typically starts with making a cut from the belly button to pelvic bone, and takes four to six hours.

Bankos was one of the first Baylor patients to avoid that big incision by having her uterus removed robotically. The procedure takes longer this way  up to nine hours  but leaves just five centimeter-long incisions through which surgeons can operate. This option also means a much shorter recovery time.

The procedure does not involve removing the ovaries, so donors will not go through menopause prematurely.

Its a perfect organ to give away, Johannesson said. Once youre done with it, you really dont need it anymore. Its not a kidney or part of a liver you may need later in life.

Johannesson and her colleagues arent alone in seeing the potential of uterus transplants.

A Swedish study produced the first baby in the world to be born to a woman with a uterus transplant in 2014.

Penn Medicine launched its own clinical trial in 2017. The trial has screened 250 potential recipients and 25 living donors, but has not yet done a transplant.

The Penn program initially was limited to deceased donors, but recently expanded to living donors because recent data from other programs showed smaller risks for the donor than initially expected, said Kate ONeill, an ob-gyn who co-leads Penns uterus transplant program.

This is such a rapidly evolving field, she said. Theres so much we dont know yet.

She said about 50 transplants have been done worldwide so far, including 10 with organs from deceased donors.

Even though uterine transplants are not lifesaving  and thus more ethically fraught than vital organ transplants  she believes they should be an option.

Just saying women can adopt or do surrogacy does not do justice to the complex issues around how women build their families, ONeill said.

Donating an experience

For the woman receiving the organ, the transplant is just the beginning.

Transplant recipients require in vitro fertilization to become pregnant, and must take powerful immunosuppressive drugs for as long as they have their donated uterus, so the body does not reject the organ.

In Baylors clinical trial, women will be able to keep their donated uterus for no more than five years because of the toll immunosuppressive drugs take on the body, which can include a high risk of cancer. They can sustain no more than two births, Johannesson said.

In December 2017, the first baby was born to a transplant recipient at Baylor by cesarean section.

Bankos returned for the surgery in May. Shed been matched with a stranger who needed her.

She was nervous but excited, too. She thought about her three children, now ages 3, 6, and 9, and remembered what it was like to know them before they were born.

Having that special bond between you and that baby  theyre kicking and no one else knows, Bankos said, recalling how overwhelming it was to hold each child after hours of difficult labor. Its a great feeling and I wish everyone could have it.

Staff writer Marie McCullough contributed to this report.
Family members gather on the steps of the Philadephia Museum of Art May 29, 2019 during the fourth annual Fill The Steps Against Gun Violence. Inquirer columnist Helen Ubinas brought together Philadelphians impacted by violence to call for an end to violence, to meet each other, share stories and move forward with ideas/action plans to fight gun violence. Read more

Somewhere in the middle of Lisa Espinosas victim-impact statement Wednesday morning, I figured she wasnt going to be joining other Philadelphians affected by gun violence at the Art Museum later that day.

She was one of the first people Id asked to speak at Fill the Steps, a yearly gathering at the iconic museum to call attention to the seemingly impenetrable violence in this city. But that was before she stood in Courtroom 1107, in front of the man convicted of killing her son in 2016, and spelled out, in agonizing detail, what the last three years have been like for her and her family, including her dead sons only daughter, who now visits her father at the cemetery.

My new norm, Espinosa said, struggling to get the words out. Agonizing, heart-wrenching pain that feels like my chest is on fire.

Ive written about her in the past -- a mom who relentlessly pursued justice for her 26-year-old son, Raymond Pantoja, determined that he not become one of the citys mounting unsolved murders. Ive shared many of the details of what she and her family have endured since he was gunned down outside a nightclub. But Wednesday morning was a sobering reminder of how much pain families like hers carry, no matter how much time passes. We count up the number of murders in the city; they count the minutes and hours and days they are without the ones they love.

Its one of the reasons I started to call people to the Art Museum steps four years ago, to put faces to the epidemic in Philadelphia.

What started as a small gathering  mostly mothers of murder victims, put together on a weeks notice after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida  has grown each year.

Everyone has a different reason for coming out. I have my own, including the hope that as people stand shoulder to shoulder they will realize thats how close the impact of gun violence is to all of us. But thats also how close the support and possible solutions are. Our elected officials must be held accountable.

But the answers arent all in City Hall.

When Espinosa accepted my invitation to speak, she said she wanted to remind people how the pain and trauma linger. But I could see the hearing drained her  especially after a computer virus shut down the courts computer system, delaying a case that by her count had been continued more than 30 times. When I didnt see her at the Art Museum steps later that night, I told the people introducing the speakers not to expect her.

But then I got a text.

Here if you need me.

And there she was, at the top of the steps, holding a picture of her son.

I waved her down and watched her walk to the lectern.

As the rain clouds threatened, she told those gathered that friends and family had advised her not to come. She should go home and rest.

Guess what?" she said. "No! Because there is another victim that will be put to rest tonight. There is another family that will cry over their loved ones. There is another mother and father who will have to identify their loved ones.

"And that is not acceptable.

Friday morning, she was back in court, though not for her sons case  shell have to wait until next week for that. She was there to support a woman whose brother in 2016 was caught in the crossfire in front of their mothers home.

Just like Espinosa had days earlier, Carmen Pagan addressed a judge and the young man convicted of killing her brother. Like Espinosa, she spoke of the pain, and how she turned it into purpose by speaking up against gun violence. She talked of young men who claim streets that dont belong to them only to be claimed by those same streets long before their time. She looked at the young man awaiting his sentence, and asked the judge to sentence him accordingly.

I feel sorry for all of us, Pagan told the judge before he sentenced the man to life.
Artist's rendering of apartment buildings at planned Beach Street development, as seen from entry at Scirra Street. Read more

A development team plans a sprawling complex of apartment buildings and rowhouses on the vacant 30-acre waterfront lot straddling Fishtown and Port Richmond where a Wynn Philadelphia casino had been proposed.

The Concordia Group and D3 Real Estate Development are proposing about 850 apartment units spread across four seven-story buildings and almost 250 rowhouses at the former shipyard property along Beach Street, near East Cumberland Street. The teams other projects include the Southwark on Reed townhouse complex where the Mount Sinai hospital once stood in South Philadelphia.

The structures are to be arranged along a new grid of streets to be built at the site, around a broad central greenway.

The proposal stakes out a new northern frontier for the residential development thats been creeping up the Delaware Rivers banks and could aid efforts by the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. (DRWC) to extend its walking and bike trail into new neighborhoods.

Transforming a vacant, formerly industrial parcel into a dense, active development, the project will create a new center of gravity to the DRWC plan at the north, encouraging linkages along the entire waterfront, the developers wrote in a presentation prepared for Philadelphias Civic Design Review (CDR) board.

The property  bounded by Schirra and Cumberland Streets, between Beach Street and the river  sits just south of a cluster of industrial buildings on the other side of I-95 from the Port Richmond Village shopping center, soon to be renamed Fishtown Crossing.

It was once part of the vast William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Co., which operated from 1830 until the end of World War II, producing battleships and naval cruisers.

Steve Wynn, who has since left his company in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations, had sought permission to build a $926 million casino at the site in 2013, pitting himself against others vying to build Philadelphias second gambling resort. He withdrew his proposal from consideration before a decision on the license was made.

Since then, development has accelerated in the nearby residential areas of Fishtown, Kensington, and Port Richmond, and along the waterfront.

From the rowhouse complex under construction about a mile to the south beside Penn Treaty Park, near SugarHouse Casino, down to the vacant tracts beside the big-box shopping district in Pennsport, the waterfront is dotted with development sites, including those controlled by real estate giant Durst Organization.

Concordia and D3 are also working to provide the DRWC with a 50-foot strip of land along the waters edge, so the waterfront agency can build an extension of its trail on the property, D3 managing partner Greg Hill said by email. Under its current phases of construction, the DRWCs trail only goes as far north as Penn Treaty Park.

Hill said his group has a deal to buy the property from New Hope builder James Anderson and hopes to present the project to the CDR board in July. The CDR panel offers nonbinding suggestions on Philadelphias biggest development proposals as part of the citys building-approval process.

The developers said in their presentation that the project aims to link the waterfront with the Fishtown and Port Richmond rowhouse communities opposite I-95.

Our project proposes to straddle this boundary with a uniquely hybrid community referencing the citys urban rowhouse heritage while opening access to its historically closed riverfront  both for residents and the general public, they wrote.
Mustafa Thomas, left, with his brother Shaurn, right. The Philadelphia DA'S Office in May 2018 dropped its prosecution of Mustafa Thomas for a 1990 murder, two years after charges were dropped against Shaurn Thomas for the same crime. Read more

The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office on Friday said it would not seek to retry the accused gunman in the 1990 murder of a North Philadelphia businessman, two years after prosecutors dropped charges against the defendants brother in the killing.

The decision, announced during a brief hearing at the Stout Center for Criminal Justice, essentially marks the end of a slow collapse of the case against Mustafa Thomas and his brother, Shaurn. Each was previously sentenced to life in prison for alleged roles in the robbery and fatal shooting of Domingo Martinez.

Shaurn Thomas was released from prison in 2017 and ultimately cleared after prosecutors said potentially exculpatory evidence had been found in a long-missing police file.

On Friday, Assistant District Attorney Ashley Martin said prosecutors would not pursue a retrial for Mustafa Thomas, 52, because they did not have enough evidence to convict him again. He had been granted a new trial last year when Common Pleas Court Judge Rose Marie DeFino-Nastasi ruled that evidence potentially helpful to his defense  including statements that could have pointed to another suspect  were not turned over by prosecutors before his 1995 trial.

Fridays decision clears Mustafa Thomas of involvement in Martinezs killing, but does not pave the way for him to be released from prison. He is serving another life sentence in an unrelated 1990 murder, according to court records.

It also was not clear whether District Attorney Larry Krasners office believed in Thomas innocence in the Martinez case. Martin did not offer an opinion during her appearance before Common Pleas Court Judge J. Scott OKeefe, and she declined to comment afterward.

Still, Shaurn Thomas, who attended Fridays proceedings, said that his brother didnt do this murder, and that he believed it was important for charges to be dropped even if his brother is behind bars for another killing.

Justice is justice, Shaurn Thomas said. Now we can close that chapter and move on.

No one from Martinezs family was in the courtroom Friday. Martin told the judge that prosecutors had spoken with his daughter, who does not wish to be involved in the process any further.

Mustafa Thomas had been accused of fatally shooting the 78-year-old Martinez on Nov. 13, 1990, after Martinez, who owned several North Philadelphia travel agencies, had withdrawn $25,000 from a bank.

Prosecutors said at trial that Thomas, his brother, and several others were part of a gang that committed robberies in the neighborhood. On the day of the killing, they said, Mustafa Thomas rammed a car into Martinezs on the 800 block of West Sedgely Avenue, then fired a shot into Martinezs chest and stole the cash.

The prosecution rested largely on the testimony of two alleged coconspirators also charged in the crime, according to court documents: brothers William and John Stallworth. Each agreed to plead guilty to charges that led to sentences of fewer than 20 years.

But last year, DeFino-Nastasi, the judge who overturned Thomas conviction, said the Stallworths were corrupt and polluted sources who received a very good deal for their testimony, according to court transcripts. DeFino-Nastasi also ruled that incriminating evidence against the Stallworths was not turned over to Thomas attorneys before trial.

In addition, Shaurn Thomas appellate attorney, James Figorski, said the Stallworths had recanted their statements and claimed that detectives working the case coerced them into providing false information.

Shaurn Thomas was freed in 2017 because prosecutors with the district attorneys conviction review unit  which at the time had been criticized for a lack of production  found a long-missing police file containing information about another potential suspect, Oliver Walthour. Prosecutors said that information was never turned over to defense lawyers.

DeFino-Nastasi said the information about Walthour was also never turned over to Mustafa Thomas lawyers. And according to the judge, the documents said that Walthour was stopped by police days after the homicide in a damaged car that matched a witness description of the vehicle used in the Martinez killing; that he told police otherwise unknown details about the murder while seeking to point the finger at someone else; and that when police asked him to take a lie-detector test, he declined and said he had been lying to them.

In addition, months after the Martinez killing, Walthour was charged with fatally shooting another Latino store owner just blocks from where Martinez was slain.

But none of that information was turned over to Thomas attorneys before trial, court documents say. DeFino-Nastasi said: All of that information  would have been really, really important information to the defense. It would have totally signaled to the defense that there was something  very, very important that they needed to investigate.

Walthour is serving a life sentence for the March 1991 slaying of store owner Rene Cardona, court documents say.

Mustafa Thomas appellate attorney, James Berardinelli, said after Fridays hearing that a great deal of evidence cast doubt on his clients involvement in Martinezs slaying, and that were obviously pleased prosecutors decided against taking the case before a jury again.

Figorski, Shaurn Thomas attorney, said Friday that he did not think either Thomas brother was involved in the killing, and that as a result, the real shooter had been allowed to escape justice.

Dont you want to get the right person for that? he asked.
Chelsea Manning is arguing that her continued incarceration in an Alexandria, Va., jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Julian Assange is pointless, especially now that the WikiLeaks founder has been charged with violating the Espionage Act.

"She is suffering physically and psychologically, and is at the time of this writing in the process of losing her home as a result of her present confinement," her lawyers wrote in a motion filed Friday in federal court. "She has made clear she prefers to become homeless rather than betray her principles. Her intransigence, at this point, is not reasonably in question. What is in doubt, however, is the government's need for her testimony."

Barring release, Manning asked Judge Anthony Trenga to lift hefty fines he imposed earlier this month for her continued recalcitrance.

When serving as an intelligence analyst in the Army, Manning shared with Assange hundreds of thousands of secret war logs and cables that WikiLeaks then published. That relationship formed the basis for the 18-count indictment filed against Assange last week, accusing him of soliciting classified information and publishing it in ways that endangered lives.

Assange is currently jailed in the United Kingdom, where he was arrested in April after seven years in asylum at Ecuador's London embassy. Once the United States has made a formal extradition request, the Justice Department cannot file new charges against Assange without jeopardizing the case and the country's relationship with Britain.

But extradition law does not constrain the grand jury from gathering more evidence, and prosecutors have at past hearings argued that Manning's testimony remains relevant.

In their motion, Manning's lawyers say she "has no useful information" about anyone other than Assange: "She reasonably believes that the government does not actually require her testimony."

Manning herself served seven years in prison for her leaks before being released by President Barack Obama. She apologized for what she did but has refused to testify before the grand jury investigating Assange, saying she opposes the closed proceedings on principle.

Prosecutors maintain, according to court filings, that Manning was not entirely forthcoming in her military trial, during which she was never crossexamined.

In a letter to Trenga, Manning elaborated on her objections to the grand jury process, calling it a "rubber stamp" for prosecutors that gives their cases "unearned legitimacy."

"I refuse to participate in a process that has clearly transformed into something that violates the spirit if not the letter of the law," she wrote. "I object to this grand jury in particular as an effort to frighten journalists and publishers, who serve a crucial public good."

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia would not comment on the matter.

For her refusal to testify, Manning has spent over two months in jail, with a brief break when one grand jury disbanded and another was called. Earlier this month Trenga ordered that she pay a fine of $500 per day if she does not testify within 30 days and raised the fine to $1,000 per day if she does not testify within 60 days.

Witnesses cannot be held in civil contempt for more than 18 months, and the incarceration is meant to be coercive rather than punitive. However, a witness who still refuses to testify can be found in criminal contempt.
FILE - This 2018 file photo provided by Andrea Gallagher shows her husband, Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who has been charged with murder in the 2017 death of an Iraqi war prisoner. (Andrea Gallagher via AP, File) Read more

SAN DIEGO  A decorated Navy SEAL facing a murder trial in the death of an Islamic State prisoner was freed Thursday from custody after a military judge cited interference by prosecutors.

The unexpected move drew gasps from those at a hearing in a San Diego courtroom in which lawyers for Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher sought to get the case dismissed for prosecutorial misconduct.

Gallagher's wife, Andrea, who has led a campaign to free her husband, put her head in her hands and burst into tears.

The judge, Capt. Aaron Rugh, has not ruled yet on whether to throw out the case or remove prosecutors over tracking emails sent to defense lawyers and a journalist in an effort to find the source of news leaks in the politically charged case. He said freeing Gallagher at this point would be a remedy for interference by prosecutors.

Attorney Tim Parlatore accused prosecutors of a "rogue, relentless, and unlawful cyber campaign" that may have violated attorney-client privilege and hurt Gallagher's ability to get a fair trial.

Efforts to get the case thrown out come as President Donald Trump considers pardoning several service members accused of war crimes, including Gallagher. Gallagher faces trial June 10.

Trump previously got Gallagher removed from the brig and transferred to better custody conditions at a Navy hospital.

During the hearing Thursday, Rugh indicated he was kept in the dark by prosecutors about the email monitoring.

Rugh said prosecutors had told him privately they planned to embed code in what he believed to be a court document to help them find the source of leaks. But he said he didn't have the power to authorize such an investigative tool, and wasn't told they planned to plant the code in emails to defense lawyers or a journalist.

Rugh said he thought prosecutors were coordinating the investigation with the U.S. Attorneys Office in San Diego. Rugh said he wasnt aware that a federal prosecutor told the military prosecutor to make sure they had the judges approval before launching the tracking effort.

Parlatore withdrew his motion to have the judge removed from the case after learning he had not authorized the scheme.

The lead prosecutor downplayed the move at a related hearing earlier in the day. Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak said the code recorded nothing more than where and when email messages were opened by recipients that included a journalist for the Navy Times.

Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of an injured teenage militant in Iraq in 2017 and attempted murder for allegedly picking off civilians from a sniper's perch.

His platoon supervisor, Lt. Jacob Portier, is fighting charges of conduct unbecoming an officer for allegedly conducting Gallaghers reenlistment ceremony next to the militants corpse.

Defense lawyer Jeremiah J. Sullivan III, who represents Portier, said there was no probable cause for the tracking effort, which was discovered in an unusual logo of an American flag with a bald eagle perched on the scales of justice beneath Czaplak's signature.

Czaplak said the tracking ended May 10 after he was confronted by defense lawyers and acknowledged the effort in a closed-door hearing. He disclosed no other details at the time.

On Thursday Czaplak said the emails contained code similar to what marketers use to see when an email is opened and what device was used to open it.

"It's still a web bug and it's still unethical," Sullivan said.

The judge in Portier's case, Capt. Jonathan Stephens, said from what he had seen the tracking effort wasn't able to view the contents of any emails.

Several experts testified that the code embedded in a signature line in the emails collected information on internet protocol addresses and could tell what web browser was being used, the duration it was open and could see if the message had been forwarded. But the information couldn't generally be used to identify a specific person or capture content.

Josiah Roloff, a data forensics examiner from Spokane, Wash., said the code is typically used by marketing companies and hes seen it used in undercover investigations. But he said hes never seen it used to target defense lawyers.
Jay Pagel, a senior field technician at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, shown here picking up plastic on the beach, in Brigantine in May 2018. Read more

Three more Jersey Shore towns have formally joined a growing movement by banning plastic bags in an effort to reduce pollution on beaches and in the ocean.

The bag bans went into effect Saturday, June 1, in Brigantine, Avalon, and Stone Harbor, and repeat violators face fines of up to $500 in the three towns.

Enforcement efforts come amid a growing number of reports of whales and other sea mammals being found dead with plastic in their stomachs.

In Brigantine, supermarkets, drugstores, food marts and restaurants can no longer provide single-use carry-out bags made of plastic.

On Seven Mile Island  shared by Avalon and Stone Harbor  retailers can no longer distribute plastic bags, plastic straws, or Styrofoam food containers. Stone Harbor also is banning plastic foodware, including cutlery, containers and bowls.

 Share your best beach hacks: Are you a Jersey Shore expert? Prove it.

Other Shore towns with plastic bans or fees for plastic bags include Beach Haven, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Harvey Cedars, Little Silver, Long Beach Township, Longport, Monmouth Beach, Point Pleasant, Somers Point, and Ventnor, according to the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions.
Harrah's Resort Atlantic City is seen in Atlantic City, N.J., Wednesday, March 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) Read more

A Philadelphia man has been charged with murdering his younger brother at Harrahs Resort in Atlantic City earlier this week, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner announced Friday.

John A. Villante, 38, was arrested Thursday in Philadelphia without incident, authorities said.

On Tuesday, Harrahs security responded to the 11th floor of the hotel around 3:10 p.m. for a medical emergency. Joseph Villante, 32, also of Philadelphia, was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Division, where he was pronounced dead, the Prosecutors Office said.

An autopsy by the Southern Regional Medical Examiners Office found the cause of death to be multiple injuries, including blunt force injuries to the head, authorities said. The death was ruled a homicide.

John Villante was being held with the Philadelphia prison system pending extradition.

Philadelphia Police Homicide Fugitive Squad and the Philadelphia Highway Patrol assisted in the arrest.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday upheld the December 2016 convictions and death sentences imposed on a former Southwest Philadelphia man for the beating, stabbing, and torturing of two brothers who were then dumped in the Schuylkill.

In a majority opinion, the justices affirmed Tam Minh Les sentences in the August 2014 deaths of Vu Kevin Huynh, 31, and his brother Viet Huynh, 28, who were killed because they owed Le and his associates a $100,000 drug debt.

The Philadelphia District Attorney Offices varying stances on Les death sentences were a focus of an Inquirer article last week reporting that the office under District Attorney Larry Krasner has consistently agreed to or leaned toward possible life-in-prison sentences in appeals by Philadelphias current death-row inmates.

The justices opinion did not weigh in on the district attorneys changing position in Les case.

Justice Debra Todd, who wrote the majority opinion, said in a footnote that although prosecutors in August 2018 had filed a brief asking that Les death sentences be affirmed, the District Attorneys Office stated during oral arguments Sept. 25 that it was not prepared to argue for the affirmance of [Les] death sentence.

In a clarifying position letter the next day, Todd noted that the District Attorneys Office contends, contrary to its brief, that it does not now seek any specific relief, but simply states  it does not argue for affirmance of the capital sentence in this case, at this time.

Paul George, assistant supervisor in the district attorneys Law Division, had appeared before the court for the oral argument and written the clarifying letter. He and Krasner, both former criminal defense attorneys, have expressed opposition to the death penalty in other cases.

Cameron Kline, a spokesperson for the District Attorneys Office, said by email Friday that the office had no comment on the courts opinion.

In his clarifying letter, George wrote that he could not argue for Le, now 47, to be executed until the state Supreme Court resolved the appeals of two other Philadelphia death-row inmates. Jermont Coxs appeal is still pending. The high court in October denied the appeal of the other inmate, Lavar Brown.

Coxs petition asks the court to end capital punishment, citing last summers Joint State Government Commission report, and argues that the death penalty violates the state constitutions ban on cruel punishment. The District Attorneys Office has until June 17 to reply.

Only Justice David Wecht did not agree to affirming Les death sentences.

Wecht, in a dissenting opinion, wrote that Le deserved a new penalty-phase hearing based on the trial judges refusal to let him question prospective jurors about his prior manslaughter conviction in the 1993 shooting death of a man in Rochester, N.Y., contending the refusal impinged on Les right to an impartial jury.

Les appellate attorney, James Berardinelli, said Friday that he respects the courts decision but disagreed with it. We agree with what Justice Wecht mentioned in his dissent, he said, adding that he expects Le will continue to appeal.

Tram Huynh, 41, sister of the victims, said in a text message Friday: Im glad [the] Supreme Court still continues with the death sentence.
The Philadelphia school board on Thursday night unanimously approved a $3.4 billion budget for the 2019-20 school year, approving new money for math support, school nurses, and teachers for English-language learners.

The budget represents a 7.1 percent increase in expenditures over the current $3.2 billion spending plan, with cost increases largely driven by payments to charter schools and planned salary increases driven by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers contract.

It projects a modest surplus at the end of fiscal 2020, but the picture is more problematic in the final years of the districts five-year plan. By 2023, the district is projecting a $262 million budget deficit.

The school board cannot raise its own revenue, but depends on the city, state, and federal governments to fund operations for the 200,000 students in district and charter schools.

Uri Monson, the districts chief financial officer, noted that the budget is a best guess based on city and state projections, but that two bills soon coming up for hearings before City Council  one increasing the homestead exemption rate to $50,000 and another enacting a tax rate each year that would be revenue neutral  could alter the districts finances considerably. If both are enacted, they would cost the district $42 million next year, and nearly $500 million over the next five years.

More from Thursdays board meeting:

No to Tacony Academy at St. Vincents, yes to 4 charter renewals

The board again unanimously denied Tacony Academy at St. Vincents, a new charter proposed by American Paradigm Schools, which operates four charters in Philadelphia. It sought to open in Tacony and enroll 900 K-8 students.

Members didnt discuss the charters revised application before denying it. But district officials said in an evaluation of the application that the charter had not demonstrated how it would improve student academic achievement. It also said the charters staffing plan was still insufficient.

The board denied Tacony Academys initial application in February, when it also denied two other proposed new charter schools. The charter can appeal to the state Charter Appeals Board.

The board did renew four charter schools  Ad Prima in Overbrook; Belmont Elementary in West Philadelphia; Esperanza Academy in North Philadelphia; and Mariana Bracetti Academy in Frankford. It also approved Mariana Bracettis request to enroll an additional 245 students, at the districts recommendation.

Belmonts charter had expired in 2017. The renewal agreement came as the charter, part of a network chaired by landlord Michael Karp, hopes to buy the building it leases from the district  a prospect of which several board members disapproved.

I dont believe its ever appropriate to sell a neighborhood, said board member Christopher McGinley, referring to the schools catchment area. The proposal may come before the board in June.

Overcrowding in South Philadelphia schools

Parents from Meredith and Nebinger, two Queen Village elementary schools, asked the board to come up with answers for overcrowding.

Meredith, one of the citys most popular schools, is overenrolled and sends overflow students to Nebinger, whose parents fear losing their art and music rooms because of the extra children.

Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said that Nebinger would keep its art and music space when school starts, and that long-term solutions would be considered in the school systems comprehensive planning process, which begins in the fall.

But parents said that process is too slow and immediate fixes are needed.
SEPTA has reversed course on a policy that would have required about 40,000 Key card holders to make in-person visits if they wanted to transfer the balance on their expiring cards. Read more

An about-face from SEPTA will allow Key card users to avoid a visit to the transit agencys offices to transfer a balance from cards due to expire in July.

Almost 40,000 fare cards are due to expire July 31, and the majority of those, more than 35,000, are funded through travel wallets, an E-ZPass-like feature that allows the cards to maintain a balance and automatically withdraw money from a users bank account. Those cardholders will still have to buy new cards before the July 31 deadline, but they will be able to transfer their balance to a new one by phoning the call center for Conduent, the contractor that manages the SEPTA Key card, at 855-567-3782.

SEPTA says the call center will be prepared to handle balance transfers starting Monday.

No added staff is needed to handle customer calls, said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch.

We want to make sure there are as many options as possible for customers who have expiring cards, he said.

>>READ MORE: Is your SEPTA Key card expiring in July? Brace yourself.

The transit agency changed its policy a day after The Inquirer reported that cardholders with travel wallets would have to go to one of eight Philadelphia transit centers if they wanted to transfer their balances. For many riders, it would probably have been easier to simply run out the value on the old card and set up a new account with a new card.

The initial policy was not well received by riders.

There are about 1.2 million Key cards in circulation, SEPTA has reported, and all of them will expire three years after they were purchased, a limit put in place because the Key cards can also function as MasterCard debit cards.

>>READ MORE: New Yorkers can now use credit, debit, smartphones to pay subway, bus fares. Why not in Philly?

SEPTA acknowledged that the ideal solution would be for cardholders to be able to transfer a balance through the SEPTA website, but the site is not equipped to handle that transaction.

Old cards will need to be registered at www.septakey.org for the transfer to be possible.

Cardholders who use a weekly or monthly plan do not need to go through the process of transfer balance.

SEPTAs challenges getting the Key card running smoothly come as other cities are starting to do away with fare cards. The New York Metropolitan Transit Authority is beginning to allow riders to pay for fares by tapping cell phones or credit cards on touch screens. Twenty other cities are planning to introduce similar systems. SEPTA built the Key system to incorporate such transactions, but the transit agency has no timetable for when the system will be ready to handle the next generation of fare payments.
David Carroll, 81, a longtime Philadelphia nightlife impresario, died of heart failure on Sunday, May 26, in California, friends and family said.

Known for spots like Artemis, the Hot Club, and Starlite Ballroom, Mr. Carroll is credited with helping establish Philadelphias new wave and punk scene in the late 1970s.

Mr. Carroll, a Philadelphia native who grew up in Strawberry Mansion and Clifton Heights, was also a prolific entrepreneur in the bar and restaurant industry; he opened notable establishments including Carrolls Lombard, Magazine, and Bar Noir.

Mr. Carroll lived and worked in the city until last January, when poor health sent him to live with his daughter, Jilan Carroll Glorfield, and her three children in Nevada City, Calif.

He was a creative genius, Glorfield said. To honor her fathers influence on the city, Glorfield said, she hopes to hold a celebration of Mr. Carrolls life in Philadelphia this summer.

Much of that influence dates from the opening of Artemis, at 2015 Sansom St., in 1970, which longtime business associate (and former Artemis maitre 'd) Bobby Startup called the hippest and best club during the disco days. The space, which remained open until the late 1970s, became a hangout of well-known Philadelphians including Harry Jay Katz and Teddy Pendergrass, as well as a few big time mafiosi.

It was like a gossip columnists delight, Startup says.

At Artemis, Carroll hired several members of the rock band Cheap Trick, including Rick Nielsen, Bun E. Carlos, and Tom Petersson, before they found stardom. A fellow business associate of Mr. Carrolls, Jay Schwartz, who runs the traveling film series Secret Cinema, said Artemis was also one of the first places in Philadelphia to serve hamburgers in baskets  a presentation copied by now-defunct restaurant chain H.A. Winston & Co.

He was on trend really quickly, Schwartz said of Mr. Carroll.

Glorfield, who is also a music booker, memorialized the long-gone club in the name of her own business, Artemis Boutique Booking Agency. She called the club the landscape of my childhood, and said she regularly goes to see the building during trips to Philadelphia.

By 1977, Mr. Carrolls focus shifted to the Hot Club, 21st and South Streets, where his role as progenitor of Philadelphias alternative music scene started.

Initially opened as a jazz venue, the space became Phillys first New Wave and punk concert hall, and served as the location for early local performances for acts like Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, and Devo, among many others. Schwartz promoted shows there, for which he said he was paid $35 a week, while Startup designed fliers.

Mr. Carroll "was the one who gave alternative music a life in Philly, Startup said. There was nowhere else to go. That was the only place for a long time.

Early alternative music bookings took place on Mondays and Tuesdays, the clubs off days, but after New Wave and punk became more popular, those styles became the bulk of the Hot Clubs shows. In 1978, a fire sidelined the club for much of the year, but after its return, punk and New Wave were exploding in popularity in the city, Schwartz said. By then, the venue also served as a home for the Bloodless Pharaohs, an art-punk band featuring rockabilly guitarist Brian Setzer, whom Mr. Carroll managed early on.

The venue had a particularly strong effect on WXPN on-air host Robert Drake, who said he saw his first solo show  Robert Hazard  there as a 16-year-old in 1979.

What he wound up doing with Hot Club was not only giving stage for musicians to come to Philly, but more importantly he created a community center for all these misfits, myself included, who didnt have a place to hang, Drake said. Youre talking about Philly in the late 70s  you booked arena rock or you had disco, thats about it.

In 1980, Mr. Carroll came under scrutiny for improper permitting. "That was the end of the club, Schwartz said, and Mr. Carroll moved on to other places.

One was the Starlite Ballroom in Kensington. Designed to compete with Cherry Hills Emerald City, a New Wave and punk concert hall, Starlite, which operated between 1980 and 1982, was way too ahead of its time in location and style, Schwartz said. While short-lived, it did host the first Philadelphia show from English punk act Siouxsie and the Banshees, and was the site of infamous performances from hardcore punks Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys.

Black Flags July 1981 show at the Starlite has become the stuff of punk legend, thanks to its violent aftermath. Following the performance, Philadelphia punks and ones from Washington who had come to see the show, and neighborhood toughs who disliked being invaded by all these weirdos, as Schwartz described the scene, fought outside the venue. The brawl was chronicled in Spray Paint the Walls: The Story of Black Flag by Stevie Walls, which details the bands long and often riotous history.

The following year, the same thing happened, only worse, Schwartz said, at a Dead Kennedys show. Another group of Kensington residents accosted show-goers, this time with an improvised explosive consisting of dynamite, ball bearings, and BBs stuffed into a mason jar, as George Hurchalla wrote in Going Underground: American Punk 1979-1989. The bombing injured several in a crowd waiting to enter to the venue, but failed to cause the shows cancellation. Mr. Carroll even introduced the band, saying it was a special night, maybe well do it again sometime.

After his run at the Starlite, Mr. Carroll was hired as a booker at Fillys Saloon, which was themed after the film Urban Cowboy, and opened several bars and restaurants before he dropped out of the limelight for a while, as Startup said. He later returned with Bar Noir in the late 1990s, which became a hangout for notables like baseball player Pat Burrell and former Police Commissioner John Timoney, as well as visiting celebrities like Mel Gibson and Dean Cain. It closed in 2006.

After his move to California, Mr. Carroll was able to see his grandson London sign a record deal with Sony/RCA with his band X Lovers this year. The group earned a hit with the single Colder When It Rains, Glorfield said.

His granddaughter Abella hopes to be a music industry studies major in college, and is considering attending Drexel or Temple Universities, the latter of which her grandfather attended for several years.

He was a steadfast grandfatherly influence for sure, Glorfield said. The apple didnt fall too far from the tree.

Mr. Carroll had two marriages, to Phyllis Duerr and Michelle Carroll.

In addition to his daughter and grandchildren, Mr. Carroll is survived by his longtime partner, Jan Wilson; daughter Llana; two brothers; and a sister. His children Lindsay and John David died earlier.

Glorfield plans to hold a celebration of Mr. Carrolls life in California on Sunday, June 16.
Earl Guydon, 95, of Philadelphia, a former construction worker who was among the first African Americans to integrate the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and who was honored 70 years later with the Congressional Gold Medal, died Monday, May 20, at home.

Mr. Guydon was a member of the Montford Point Marines, whose name derived from the training facility they were sent to in North Carolina. The black recruits lived on swampy land in Quonset huts, while their white counterparts lodged in relative luxury at nearby Camp Lejeune.

From 1942 until 1949, almost 21,000 recruits trained at Montford Point. Some, like Mr. Guydon, saw combat in World War II. He took part in the occupation of Japan and was honorably discharged with the rank of corporal at the wars end.

In 2012, he and other Montford Point Marines were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the countrys highest civilian honor awarded by Congress, during a ceremony in Washington.

We are grateful that he lived long enough to witness the well-deserved recognition of Americas first black Marines, said his daughter Deborah Linville. Dad was extremely modest and humble, but that recognition meant a lot to a man who grew up in Arkansas in the 1930s.

Mr. Guydon was the fourth of 11 children born to John and Willie Guydon in Clarendon, Ark. John, a widower, brought 10 children from a previous marriage. All 21 were raised as one family.

His mother taught at the local colored school, Linville said. It was her influence and educational discipline that instilled in him a love of learning.

When Mr. Guydon was 16, his father died, leaving him as breadwinner. He quit school and hired out to local farmers. That experience formed his work ethic, Linville said.

In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802, banning discrimination in defense practices. The order paved the way for integration of the armed forces, but at the start of World War II, the Marines still hadnt complied.

In 1942, that changed when Mr. Guydon and others like him registered for the draft and were assigned to the Marines. They immediately faced racial discrimination. They had only white officers. They werent welcome at Camp Lejeune unless with a white officer. Their quarters were primitive.

The Quonset hut looked like a barrel turned on its side and there were 62 guys in one hut and one stove in the middle, Mr. Guydon told the Chestnut Hill Local in 2012. If you werent close to the stove, you had a rough night. The mosquitoes were bad, too. No windows, either.

After the war, Mr. Guydon returned to Clarendon. Then he set out to visit siblings nationwide. He got as far as Philadelphia when, while attending Vine Memorial Baptist Church, he met Shirley Forte. They married and settled in Mount Airy. She died in 2017.

Faith was a cornerstone of Mr. Guydons life. He read the Bible daily. He served as a deacon, first at Vine Memorial, then at Bright Hope Baptist Church.

He never sought the limelight. When Congress announced that it would present the gold medal to the Montford Point Marines at a June 2012 ceremony, he didnt want to go. He acquiesced only because Shirley insisted, Linville said.

Earl Guydon was a quiet pioneer who simply wanted to serve his country. He was elated and reluctant to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, but Im so glad he did, so his family will now have that legacy forever, said Joseph H. Geeter III, spokesperson for the Montford Point Marines Association.

Mr. Guydon spent 40 years as a construction laborer before retiring at age 65.

He liked nothing more than sitting on the front porch, with Rusty, his Doberman, by his side. The two would greet the schoolchildren as they walked past the house in the morning and afternoon, Linville said.

In addition to his daughter Deborah, he is survived by sons Lee and Jonathan; daughters Sandra, Sharon Allen, and Barbara Ash; three grandchildren; a brother and sister; and nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, at Bright Hope Baptist Church, 1601 N. 12th St., Philadelphia. Burial is private.
Dr. Herman W. Levin speaks at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Read more

Herman W. Levin, 89, of Philadelphia, a biochemist, inventor, and advocate for higher education of women in the sciences, died Tuesday, May 28, of congestive heart failure at his home.

Dr. Levins career was in the fields of pharmaceutical research, biomedical instrument design, and hygienic solutions in waste handling to protect the environment. A graduate of Temple University, he earned a bachelors degree in chemistry in 1951, a masters degree in 1955, and a doctoral degree in biochemistry in 1958.

He worked in the 1970s as a scientist for Leeds & Northrup and in the 1980s as a researcher for the DuPont Co. In the 1990s, he had his own consulting firm, from which he did research and then licensed his inventions to other companies.

He held seven patents, including for a platelet storage container and other complex biochemical applications.

In August 1990, Dr. Levin was honored in a special ceremony at the Free Library of Philadelphia marking the bicentennial of the nations patent system. He was awarded U.S. Patent No. 4,945,245 for development of a sensing device, exactly 200 years after the first patent was awarded to Philadelphian Samuel Hopkins in 1790.

Dr. Levins invention was a way of using fiber optics to measure the pace of biological activity in cells being grown in a culture. Hopkins invention was a way to refine potash for making soap.

Dr. Levin, then 60, told the Associated Press that the invention would be licensed to BioChem Technology Inc. of Malvern for use in the treatment of wastewater. President George H.W. Bush sent a letter praising the talent, ingenuity, and industriousness of the American people, the wire service reported on Aug. 2, 1990.

Throughout his career, Dr. Levin was a financial supporter of Temple. He told his family of being inspired in the 1940s by Hazel Tomlinson, one of a few female chemistry professors hired by Temple in the 1920s. Led by her example, he became devoted to higher education for women.

When he was a graduate student, Herman taught chemistry to nursing students when other professors said that women couldnt learn chemistry, his family said.

Dr. Levin supported female students who wanted to enter the STEM fields  science, technology, engineering, and math. He persuaded many female relatives and friends to attend college and graduate school.

When he became unable to care for himself eight years ago, he persuaded many of his nursing aides to pursue educational certificates and degrees. They could study while he napped, he said.

Some of them did not have high school degrees, but he told them that he knew a smart person when he saw one, his family said.

Both of his daughters earned doctoral degrees. His son has an MBA.

When we were very little, he told us never to believe anyone who said that girls are not good at math, the family said.

Dr. Levin was born and raised in South Philadelphia. He graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1947. He was the first in his family to attend college.

He was a member of Sigma Xi, the scientific research honor society, and the Association of Professional Industrial Hygienists.

He was also a former chairman of the residents board at William Penn House in Center City, and was influential in the buildings management.

When not working, he enjoyed Philadelphia Orchestra concerts, photography, and serving as a Boy Scout leader.

Dr. Levin married Pauline G. Levin in 1953. She died in 2010.

He is survived by children Marcia Levin Pelchat, Lorraine Levin, and Richard Levin; five grandchildren; and a sister. A granddaughter died earlier.

A memorial service will be held at noon Saturday, June 1, in the community room at William Penn House, 1919 Chestnut St. Burial is private.
Abortion activists pro and con confront each other outside the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, June 30, 1992, after the court upheld most of Pennsylvania's restrictive abortion laws. Read more

In April, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a law banning abortions in which a woman has a prenatal diagnosis of, or belief that the unborn child has, Down syndrome. The measure passed by a vote of 117-76. All but four Republicans voted for the bill and surprisingly 14 Democrats crossed party lines to support the bill as well. The bill now heads to the Senate for a vote. If passed, it will face a certain veto by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, who opposes the bill. Thats the good news.

The bad news is that Pennsylvania is joining a host of state legislatures that are banning abortions in a wide variety of circumstances. Some ban abortions at particular stages of pregnancy after there is a fetal heartbeat or after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Others ban abortions for particular reasons such as sex selection or fetal anomalies. Still other laws ban particular types of abortion procedures, usually those used in the second trimester of pregnancy. Most recently, Alabama banned nearly all abortions.

These laws, which are clearly unconstitutional under the Supreme Court decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, make doctors criminally liable for performing medical procedures that are now both safe and common. Some of the laws subject women to criminal penalties as well. The specter of antiabortion district attorneys and police hauling doctors and women into court to defend their personal private choices is abhorrent to the majority of Americans who support the current law that protects a womans right to make childbearing decisions. A 2018 poll from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal finds that 71 percent of American voters believe that the Roe decision, should not be overturned. Just 23 percent say the ruling should be reversed.

This spurt of antiabortion activity in the states is intended to force the newly constituted, conservative Supreme Court to revisit the legal protections for abortion found in Roe and Casey. Just this week, the Supreme Court refused to review an Indiana law, enacted in 2016, that banned abortion anytime in pregnancy when sought solely based on the fetus race, sex, or because it had been diagnosed with Down syndrome or another nonfatal disability.

Despite sidestepping this case, there are several other cases in the pipeline and more will follow. At some point in the near future, the Supreme Court is likely to review Roe and Casey. At the very least, the Supreme Court will allow states to enact more onerous restrictions. In the worst case, the court will reverse Roe and Casey altogether, allowing states to recriminalize abortion. In either circumstance, it is likely that safe legal abortion will no longer be available across wide swaths of America. Then for the first time in over 45 years, a womans ability to make personal, private decisions about whether to have a child will depend on where she lives.

Many pro-choice Pennsylvanians are feeling helpless and discouraged. Rightfully so.

So what can you do to protect reproductive rights?

First and foremost, remember that elections matter, particularly state elections.

Gov. Wolf will veto the Pennsylvania Down syndrome law, but a pro-choice governor is essential to preserving womens rights. Pennsylvania has a long history of flipping between parties every eight years. We need to ensure that a pro-choice governor is elected next time around.

The best way to prevent pernicious, antiabortion laws from being passed is to elect a pro-choice Pennsylvania legislature, controlled by pro-choice leadership, which together with a pro-choice governor, can block new efforts to restrict abortion and enact laws protective of womens reproductive health decisions.

Were closer than you might think. In the Pennsylvania Senate, voters flipped five seats from red to blue in the 2018 and 2019 elections. Democrats need only three more seats to ensure Democratic control (and thus pro-choice leadership), and it is possible to do so in 2020.

In 2018, 14 state House districts flipped from red to blue. With the Republicans picking up three seats, the Democrats saw a net gain of 11 seats. This means that the lower chamber needs a net gain of only nine representatives to give the Democrats, and pro-choice leadership, control. In the 2018 general election, there were 16 state House seats that were won by fewer than 1,500 votes and numerous races that were completely uncontested. Hard work can make a huge difference.

Many of the newly elected members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly were women from suburban counties around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh who stood up to challenge the Pennsylvania Down syndrome law. In typical fashion, the Republican-controlled House refused to even let them speak. But hopefully, the days of women remaining barefoot, pregnant, and silent in the face of losing their rights are over.

And of course, judicial elections, particularly for justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, are key. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has the opportunity to interpret our state constitution expansively so as to extend greater protection to reproductive health decisions than available under the federal Constitution. Any such ruling would be a powerful check on legislative efforts to implement new restrictions. The Kansas Supreme Court did this recently, finding a ban on the most commonly used second-trimester abortion procedure violated that states constitution. A pro-choice majority in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court could do the same.

Although we are deeply saddened by the likely loss of womens rights nationally, we cannot let our sadness lead to apathy or inaction. We owe it to the women of Pennsylvania to get busy changing the faces of those state politicians bent on undermining womens freedoms.

Kathryn Kolbert and Linda Wharton were cocounsels in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 Supreme Court case that is often credited with saving Roe v. Wade.
Sasha Hochman graduated as valedictorian from Central High School on May 31. She gave this speech at commencement and will attend Barnard College in the fall.

Good morning.

I would like to take a moment to thank President McKenna, and the assistant principals, Ms. Harrington, Dr. Scott, and Mrs. Vanbuskirk. I want to thank our families, friends, and Central alumni for supporting us and being here today to celebrate our accomplishments. And of course, I want to thank my class of 278.

Today, I especially want to thank my teachers. For fostering my curiosity, for answering my questions, my follow-up questions, and my clarifying questions. I want to thank my teachers for pointing out ways to grow that I could never have seen myself. My teachers prepared me with an education in which I learned to be self-reflective and critical enough to recognize the face of inequality.

Im speaking today because I worked hard. I prioritized studying. I motivated myself to finish the chapter, to go to tutoring, to revise my English essay one last time.

But thats only part of the reason why Im speaking today.

Im also speaking because of the family I was born into. Because my family is middle class, and I could prioritize studying. Because both of my moms are college-educated, they could help me revise my English essay. Im speaking today partly because of the privileges that accompany having white skin in the United States.

In 10th grade, I realized that I had to do more than merely recognize my privilege. I started volunteering with Breakthrough, an organization that helps underserved students in Philadelphia get to and through college. I taught my seventh- and eighth-grade students about civil rights and how to write compelling speeches to defend them. We read the play Twelve Angry Men and discussed the injustices woven into the justice system. I wanted my students to get into Central, and a few of them did, but others were not as lucky.

 READ MORE: What would you change about Philly? High school seniors share their hopes for the city. | Perspective

One of my students told me that his seventh-grade math teacher left in October, only to be replaced by a long-term substitute who had no background in mathematical education. Acceptance to magnet high schools within the Philadelphia School District is largely determined by seventh-grade PSSA scores. This student was smart. He was motivated. He gave up his summers and every other Saturday during the school year to come to Breakthrough to learn. And this still wasnt good enough.

We all got into Central because we were smart and because we wanted to learn, but also because we were lucky enough to have a qualified math teacher in seventh grade. Because of circumstances outside of my students control that had nothing to do with the type of learner he was, he did not have this same opportunity.

The political philosopher John Rawls proposed a thought experiment for determining what kind of society we want to live in. We need to position ourselves behind a veil of ignorance, said Rawls. Forget all of the facts of our lives and then wager our bets on where we might end up at birth. Its possible that you might be born in the catchment area for Beverly Hills High, but its far more likely that you would end up as an under-resourced, underserved student in Philadelphia. Or Chicago. Or Baltimore. Any city where students educational experiences depend largely upon their familys resources.

Given those mathematical probabilities, Rawls asked, would you choose to be born at all? And if the answer is no, that you wouldnt take the risk of being born in the wrong zip code, then we begin to understand what we need to accomplish in working toward a society that sees justice as fairness, and fairness as education, and education as equity.

One of my favorite philosophers, Slavoj Zizek, once claimed, or rather, once tweeted, I secretly think reality exists just so that we can speculate about it. Well, so too the future. But we cant only speculate about it. We need to take actions like reconsidering the merits of the 10-year tax abatement  a system that Philadelphia implemented to incentivize new construction but that significantly lowers property taxes for corporations, 55 percent of which go to the School District. We need to devote more resources to early childhood education. We need to increase the starting teachers salary so that Americans want to teach seventh-grade math, and that rather than a last resort, teaching becomes a privilege.

Today, lets celebrate our accomplishments, all of the factors that carried us here, while also working toward a more equitable future.

Thank you.
Youre invited: Thousands of young people are graduating from Philadelphia schools this spring. Come hear from some of the best and the brightest on Tuesday, June 4. Inquirer education reporter Kristen A. Graham will speak with students from a variety of schools, including Mastery Charter-Shoemaker and Strawberry Mansion about their hopes, dreams, and experiences in city schools. Register for free at philly.com/inquiringminds. As part of this event, we asked two graduating seniors to answer the question: What would you change about Philadelphia?

Build communities by giving young people jobs

By Kevin Davis

If I could change one thing about my city what would it be? I have lived in Philadelphia my entire life, so, when thinking about change, I instantly thought of the neighborhood I am from, Strawberry Mansion, and others like it, where there arent many resources available. What I would like to change the most is the amount of resources in our communities consumed by poverty.

Growing up in North Philadelphia, I have seen firsthand how hard it was for my parents to come across the things we needed just to get by. For example, Ive noticed that there arent many shopping centers in my area. The ones that we do have dont provide what the residents of our community are looking for. The quality of the goods being sold also arent the best, never lasting very long. That creates another problem, forcing shoppers to go back and spend even more money.

Ive come to an understanding that a lack of jobs contributes to this poverty we live in. Ive noticed that teens around my age and even younger have nothing to do or keep themselves busy. Most want to start working, but finding work is extremely hard due to their young age and lack of experience. It is also difficult for the young people in my community to travel to other areas of the city that have job opportunities. I would like to see more opportunities for internships and/or jobs for teens that are available throughout the entire year, not just during the summer.

Fortunately, I have been working since I was 14, thanks to people like Kevin Upshur and Tootsie Iovine, who have given me many opportunities. These two gave me my first jobs at the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center and Reading Terminal Market and were very beneficial in my becoming the young man people know today. I want to see people in neighborhoods like my own getting a fair shot like everyone else, and that when opportunities are created for people in my neighborhood, they take advantage of those opportunities. I feel theres a clear disadvantage that communities in poverty face that factor into how the people living there function, as opposed to communities in other areas of the city. One of the many disadvantages that we face is our high crime rate. I do believe that if our neighborhood had more resources others wouldnt be so driven to take from others and commit selfish acts like that in the first place.

I believe one day that we will see this change and the people of these communities will greatly benefit from this. I see a bright future for my community and truly believe that one day well get the tools that are necessary for us.

Kevin Davis is a graduating senior at Strawberry Mansion High School and will attend the Community College of Philadelphias honors program majoring in mass media this fall.



Treating everyone equally will make Philly cleaner and better

By Jaya Touma Shoatz

As a kid, I remember taking walks with my dad and staring at my feet as we roamed about the parks and the streets surrounding my home in Cobbs Creek. My young eyes took in the details of each sidewalk, so much so that I memorized every crack and curb. These walks made me fall in love with my city, with Philly. Its the place where I grew up and learned how to navigate streets. Its where I learned how to walk to school on my own and its where I have a lot of family and good memories.

But as much as I love walking around my city, it was  and continues to be  so jarring to see the litter that covers the sidewalks: cigarette butts, chip bags, Arizona Iced Tea bottles, beer cans, plastic wrappers. You name it and I bet youd find it on 52nd Street sidewalks.

Seeing so much trash on the streets of my neighborhood really impacted my view of Philly residents when I was a kid. Questions swam in my head. I wondered: "Who did that? Why? Dont they care about the sidewalks? Why couldnt they put it in the trash? What were they doing when they decided to leave that there?

Back then, I think I was too young to recognize the true weight of the situation.

Litter and the culture surrounding it have deeper social implications. As Ive gotten older and explored more parts of the city, I know that litter is a persistent issue throughout Philadelphia  but it seems to me that communities of color have more trash on the streets than other neighborhoods. This is sad, but its not because people are lazy or irresponsible or uncaring.

I believe that littering comes from the lack of self-worth that comes from living in communities of color. While many parts of Philadelphia are thriving, for residents of some neighborhoods, its clear that not all people are treated equally. As someone who grew up in a neighborhood of color, I have found time and time again that my peers feel insignificant because theyve been told  or seen through daily and long-term actions  that they matter less than other people.

For example, Ive seen more and more gentrification in neighborhoods of color, specifically West Philadelphia, where I live. For a lot of people of color that means that once white people move in, their neighborhoods start to get improvements that longtime residents have never seen before. When white people move into communities of color, its not uncommon to suddenly see more street cleaning, more attention to detail, and more economic interest being taken now that there is a more elite market.

While its a positive thing to have those improvements, it signals to communities of color that we did not matter until white people moved in, that our cries for help, our pleas for change did not make a difference until white people were at risk of feeling the effects of the circumstances weve endured for much too long.

If we get bombarded day in and day out with the message of you dont matter, it can be demoralizing. It can be hard to really acknowledge the impact our everyday split-second decisions  like dropping some litter on the ground  have on the rest of the world.

Solving Phillys litter problem starts with individual actions. No one should throw trash on the ground. But the solution also requires that everyone in the city be treated equally.

Jaya Touma Shoatz is a graduating senior at Mastery Charter-Shoemaker and will attend the University of Vermont.

 READ MORE: Central High School valedictorian: Education is equity | Perspective
Councilman Kenyatta Johnson's bill seeks to regulate bay windows and balconies in and around the Point Breeze and Grays Ferry neighborhoods. An example of such bay windows are pictured in Point Breeze. Read more

Late last week, 2d District Councilperson Kenyatta Johnson proposed legislation to prohibit the construction of bay windows and balconies in Point Breeze and Grays Ferry.

The proposals timing is curious as it comes the week after Johnsons decisive victory in the May 21 Democratic primary, virtually guaranteeing him an additional four years on City Council  it was an election where concerns regarding gentrification and displacement took center stage.

With these real and important issues facing the 2d District, why would Johnson choose bay windows as the first postelection legislation? Why would he use this mandate for something so frivolous and ineffective? What could that meeting possibly have been like? Here, I imagine what could have led to such a bizarre turn of events:

SCENE: City Hall Room 580, the office of Councilperson Kenyatta Johnson. Mid-May 2019. Senior staff meeting.

Staffer 1: Councilman Johnson, congrats on your victory in the primary. The voters have spoken, and they are pleased with your eight years of service. What should we tackle first?

Staffer 2: Street sweeping?

Staffer 1: Keeping property taxes low and reasonable?

Staffer 3: Making pre-K available to everyone?

Councilperson Johnson: Banning bay windows.

Staffer 1: Sir?

Councilperson Johnson: You heard me. Have you seen some of these houses? They have windows on three sides. THREE.

Staffer 1: But, sir, residents rely on those to keep the trash kicked up by the leaf blowers at bay. Thats where they get their name.

Councilperson Johnson: I have nightmares about those things. Do you know what those windows do? Theres more natural light. And jutting out from the front gives more space for families to live. Its just horrifying. You can track back all of the districts problems to (shudders) bay windows.

Staffer 1: I dont follow.

Councilperson Johnson: Point Breeze is on the verge of being completely remade. Its time we get smart about this. Before you know it, entire blocks will be rebuilt with no regard to whether they displace longtime residents. If we dont act quickly, there will be poorly planned development, with no rhyme or reason.

Staffer 1: Sir, thats been happening for ye--

Councilperson Johnson: And whos been in charge that entire time?

(The room gets awkwardly silent)

Councilperson Johnson: We all know bay windows are symbols of Philadelphia gentrification like Ring doorbells, ironic Gritty merch, composting, workout classes, and being interested in IPAs. In fact, Id like my agenda to be centered on banning anything that could possibly make it easier to build new houses. What else can we ban? What is the next bay window?

Staffer 1: Shoddy and non-permitted construction makes displacement easier. Why dont we crack down on that?

Councilperson Johnson: I said the stuff that matters.

Staffer 1: Well, gentrifiers sure do love buying houses. We could make that more controlled.

Councilperson Johnson: Thats why I make sure my friends get first crack at them. Its my prerogative. Next!

Staffer 1: Coffee shops?

Councilperson Johnson: Eh.

Staffer 1: Soda?

Councilperson Johnson: We did that already.

Staffer 1: Illegal dumping from developers?

Staffer 3: (whispers to Staffer 1) A reminder: In City Council, we all call them donors.

Councilperson Johnson: Youre not hearing me. I want to protect the important traditions about Point Breeze. Like getting exercise from walking around cars parked on the sidewalk in front of peoples homes.

Staffer 1: Speaking of traditions, we could encourage development on Point Breeze Avenue. We could even give grants to encourage local ownership. Imagine its return to glory a place with shops and neighborhood services. Even a movie theater playing Michael Bay movies.

Councilperson Johnson: No bays.

Staffer 1: What about Queen Bey?

Staffer 2: For Gods sake, how dare you?

Councilperson Johnson: Cmon, people, lets get our priorities in order. Ive just been elected by double-digit percentages for my third term. I oversee a vast, diverse, rapidly changing district that includes the airport, Rittenhouse Square, and some of the fastest-growing neighborhoods in the country. Now is the time for bold action! I need ideas.

Staffer 2: Im new here, but how about we use our power to enact policies that help every resident who cares about the neighborhood, no matter when you moved here, that actually protect against displacement? Why dont we use this time as a unique opportunity to unite people from all walks of life?

(Awkward silence.)

(Room erupts in laughter.)

Sean Blanda lives in Point Breeze. He does not have a bay window.
Bad Advice

Or Why Celebrities, Politicians, and Activists Aren't Your Best Source of Health Information

By Paul A. Offit

Columbia. 251 pp. $24.95

Reviewed by Karen Iris Tucker

In Bad Advice, Paul A. Offit, a pediatrician, scientific researcher, and director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, argues that scientists should immerse themselves much more proactively into our popular discourse to help educate the public.

While Bad Advice is a quick read, its goal is weighty: to defend science as a vital beacon in the public sphere. Offit argues that we need to protect its honor, and he calls for scientists to "become an army of science advocates out to educate the country. Because science is losing its rightful status as a source of truth, now is the time."

In breezy and deceptively conversational prose that often winks with humor, Offit takes to task actors, network news anchors, quack scientists, and even politicians who have opined on scientific subjects in a way that misinforms the public, on occasion to a potentially dangerous degree.

Offit has spent years navigating media appearances as a medical and scientific expert. A co-inventor of RotaTeq, a vaccine against rotavirus, Offit has become a high-profile voice on vaccine safety and, in particular, an ardent defender of the scientific community's consensus that vaccines have no association with autism. He cites several recent outbreaks of measles and mumps across the nation because some Americans are choosing to withhold vaccines from their children.

Beyond the sizable list of celebrity activists such as Jim Carrey, Charlie Sheen, Robert De Niro, and Jenny McCarthy who have questioned the safety of vaccines, Offit says the current political climate bears some culpability for what he calls "science denialism." He points out that before being elected, President Trump posited the idea that vaccines may have an association with autism. Offit also says evolution denialists were probably heartened by Trump's choice of Mike Pence as vice president since Pence doesn't exactly support evolution as a concept.

Across the aisle, Offit says, "liberals have waged their own war on science, holding the unshakeable beliefs that all things natural are good; anything with a chemical name is bad." He points to the fallacy of going "GMO free"  in the mistaken belief that genetically modified organisms are dangerous. Health organizations worldwide have consistently issued statements to the contrary. Similarly, the misguided fear of genetic modification in medicines (a technology, for example, that led to the creation of insulin for people with diabetes) inspired a Democratic member of the New York State Senate, Thomas J. Abinanti, to introduce a bill in 2015 banning genetically modified vaccines. It rightfully failed to win support.

Offit also tackles the current gluten hysteria, citing the ever-expanding array of gluten-free items on our supermarket shelves, from hair products to pet food. "If you really want to watch science denialism at work, just walk into a Whole Foods store," Offit half-jokes. He says only about 1 percent of the U.S. population would benefit from avoiding gluten. It is nevertheless a billion-dollar industry here.

Although scientists are probably in the best position to explain science to the public, Offit contends, there are several factors working against them. One, he says, is the very underpinning of their training, which teaches that the scientific method does not allow for absolute certainty  something people tend understandably to crave in the face of public health scares.

There's also the ingrained image of scientists as socially awkward toilers in white, windowless rooms. By way of illustration, Offit cites the brutal pickup line by mathematician John Nash in the 2001 movie A Beautiful Mind: "I don't exactly know what I'm required to say in order for you to have intercourse with me." Offit shows how such depictions have persisted through today, including in the hit television show The Big Bang Theory (which actually features real-life high-profile scientists).

Like the nerds in those cultural touchstones, Offit admits in Bad Advice, which chronicles many of his media appearances, that it took some time for him to master the art of distilling vital medical information into on-air sound bites. For one network television appearance in his younger days, Offit recalls teetering on a high, wobbly chair, with an ill-fitting earpiece, waiting to answer questions about vaccines. When his chance finally came, Offit, then a newbie to on-air interviews, booted it.

Despite its liberal use of such lighthearted anecdotes, Bad Advice does not let us forget its weighty contention: Science is under siege. Offit closes his book with recollections of a speech he gave at the March for Science in Philadelphia in 2017. In it, he implored his fellow scientists to be better advocates and educators. Failing that, he says, "I worry that in this age of anti-enlightenment, when science seems to be losing its place as a source of truth, we won't be able to do it for much longer."

Tucker is a Brooklyn-based journalist who writes primarily about genetics, health and cultural politics. This review originally appeared in the Washington Post.
Shaurn Thomas, embracing Attorney Marissa Bluestine of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, speaks with his lawyer James Figorski at the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center in Center City, June 13th, 2017. CAMERON B. POLLACK / Staff Photographer Read more

Shaurn Thomas is officially a free man.

Three weeks after the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office agreed to vacate Thomas' 1993 murder conviction due to problematic evidence, Thomas, 43, embraced his family in a long hug outside a Center City courtroom Tuesday morning after prosecutors said they would not seek to try his case again.

The decision was a vindication for Thomas, who spent 24 years behind bars insisting he was innocent. He said he felt "wonderful" after the decision and was simply looking forward to spending time with his family  and continuing to sleep in his own bed.

His lawyers  James Figorski, a retired Philadelphia police lieutenant, and Marissa Bluestine of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project  were also emotional upon his release. Figorski, who had spent eight years investigating the case pro bono, said it would take time for the gravity of the situation to sink in.

"It wasn't truly over until today," Figorski said.

Thomas' release was secured after the district attorney's recently overhauled Conviction Review Unit began working with Figorski and Bluestine on the case at the beginning of 2017.

During the unit's review, led by Assistant District Attorney Andrew Wellbrock, prosecutors discovered a long-missing homicide file that contained information about a suspect other than Thomas. And they interviewed prison officials from the early 1990s who offered information that they believe bolstered Thomas' long-standing alibi: that he was in Center City, at the former Youth Study Center for juvenile offenders, the day Domingo Martinez was shot dead by a group of men in North Philadelphia during a robbery.

A jury rejected a similar alibi put on by Thomas' defense attorney at trial. His defense argued, then and now, that Thomas could not have taken part in the murder because the then-teenager was newly locked up on charges of stealing a motorcycle.

More recently, Thomas' supporters said that he was arrested at 11:30 p.m. the night before the murder, held overnight, and released in the early morning before being taken to the Youth Study Center to pick up a subpoena for the motorcycle theft.

But Randolph Williams, the now-retired prosecutor who tried Thomas' case, said records discovered last year established that Thomas was arrested for the theft nearly a full day earlier. Williams contends that Thomas easily could have been on the street when the murder occurred  and he faults the District Attorney's Office for agreeing to wipe out his conviction.

"Not only did they lay down, they rolled over and played dead," Williams said in an interview last week. "C'mon, you represent the commonwealth, the people. You've got a victim that was shot down like a dog."

Figorski and Bluestine acknowledge that that timeline of Thomas' whereabouts was incorrect but disagree with Williams' interpretation that he was free when the murder happened. They contend that the very documents Williams cites  along with Thomas' testimony on his whereabouts, which they say has been consistent  show he was at the Youth Study Center when the killing happened.

They also cite a research study from the time of the arrest demonstrating that younger teenagers were routinely held by police for many hours beyond the time needed to process them, meaning he could have been arrested earlier than they first thought and still have been held until after the murder.

Wellbrock, of the Conviction Review Unit, and Elizabeth "BJ" Graham-Rubin, the unit's director, say they, too, have been convinced Thomas was in custody the morning of the crime, even if records lack precise times.

In addition, Wellbrock in May obtained a homicide file that had been missing for decades that contained information about an alternate suspect. Those records were never turned over to the original prosecutors and defense attorneys, which likely would have entitled Thomas to a new trial anyway.

And the only witness who put Thomas at the murder scene has since recanted his account, making a retrial exceedingly difficult even without the alibi defense or the new information from the homicide file.

Graham-Rubin told Common Pleas Court Judge Rose Marie DeFino-Nastasi that prosecutors were not completely convinced that Thomas was innocent of the crime. But she said it was clear he deserved a new trial, and "the totality of the circumstances" led them to decline prosecuting him again.

None of those legal technicalities has shaken the faith of Thomas, his family, or Figorski and Bluestine. All say that Thomas is innocent. And Thomas' mother, Hazeline Thomas, 65, said she never lost confidence that he would be freed.

"An innocent person," she said, "will always be proven innocent."
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, right, is refusing to debate the Republican nominee, Billy Ciancaglini ahead of the Nov. 5 general election. Read more

This is a Clout public-service announcement: Mayor Jim Kenney did not technically secure a second term in the Democratic primary election 10 days ago. He still must win the Nov. 5 general election.

Try telling him that. We asked Kenney about his plans to ignore Republican mayoral nominee Billy Ciancaglini.

I dont really care, Kenney said Thursday. Im not talking about this.

We kept asking anyway, even during an elevator ride. Thats the job. In all, Kenney refused to discuss the general election seven times in under two minutes. Finally, he tried to punt. "You should call the campaign, Kenney said. Youll get more out of them.

His campaign had already refused to answer. So on-brand.

This, mind you, is from the mayor whom one analyst described as sleepwalking to a win in the primary for mostly ignoring his two challengers, agreeing to just one joint forum and one televised debate.

Ciancaglini can expect even less.

Kenney, asked last week by WHYY if he would debate Ciancaglini, said: Its hard when the person associates themselves with white supremacists and neo-Nazis to give that person a platform, so probably not."

Lets break that down. On March 8, a left-wing media collective, Unicorn Riot, released online what it said were internet messages sent by a white nationalist group, Identity Evropa. One of the messages said two Identity Evropa members met Ciancaglini on March 4 and liked what they heard.

Ciancaglini called that asinine and told Clout he hosted a public March 4 campaign event attended by about 100 people. No individuals introduced themselves as members of Identity Evropa or as white nationalists, he said.

A defense attorney and former Democrat, Ciancaglini has blistered Kenney. His brand of campaigning also includes launching a flame war against a South Philly restaurant for its charity for undocumented immigrants.

He hasnt raised much and Democrats outnumber Republicans by 7-1 in Philadelphia. So Kenney is ignoring him.

We still have questions: Does the mayor have any proof Ciancaglini associates with racist organizations, beyond Unicorn Riots post? Does he feel a responsibility to substantiate the claim? Does he feel any duty to voters to engage in the political process before the election?

We got no answers. Still, we wished him a good day.

Ill have a better day when Im not with you, he said. On-brand, as always.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphys pals have deep, dark pockets

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy isnt up for reelection until 2021. So why is he starring in television ads in the Philadelphia media market?

New Direction NJ, a nonprofit group founded by Murphys political advisers, launched a $1 million ad campaign last week to promote the Democrats budget proposal and build support for a so-called millionaires tax.

New Direction started airing its latest ad Thursday. Titled Break, it features a diverse group of regular folks calling for higher taxes on the wealthy and to invest the proceeds in property tax relief. Millionaires like me should pay our fair share in taxes, Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs banker, says in the ad.

The ads, which will continue running through late June, are appearing on cable networks including CNN, Comedy Central, and ESPN.

Theyve been generating some controversy in Trenton, partly because New Direction has refused to disclose its donors despite initially pledging to do so. The group isnt required by law to disclose its donors. (Politico reported the states largest teachers union contributed $2.5 million to the group.)

Murphy earlier this month conditionally vetoed legislation that would have required more disclosure by so-called dark money groups, saying it contained egregious loopholes. That was the latest salvo in a growing war between Murphy and allies of Senate President Steve Sweeney (D., Gloucester).

Leaders of the Democratic-controlled Legislature have resisted Murphys calls to impose a higher marginal tax rate on income above $1 million. If the governor and Legislature cant agree on a budget deal by June 30, state government would likely shut down.

Early challenge for State Sen. Daylin Leach

The 2020 Democratic primary in Pennsylvania is still nearly 11 months away, but Sara Atkins was eager to be first in the race to challenge State Sen. Daylin Leachs bid for a fourth term. She introduced herself this week with a video that laid out her history of health-care activism and Leachs political vulnerability.

When theres a sexual harasser in your own backyard, you have to step up and replace them, Atkins says, as headlines cover a picture of Leach. (On her lengthy resume as a protester: picketing a Leach fund-raiser last year, demanding he resign.)

The Inquirer reported in 2017 that eight women and three men alleged the senator behaved inappropriately toward young female campaign staffers and volunteers. Then a Lehigh County woman accused Leach of luring her into performing oral sex on him in 1991 when she was 17 and he was a lawyer representing her mother on attempted-murder charges.

Leach has denied the accusations and sued his accuser, along with two Philadelphia-area activists who have supported her.

His district covers parts of Montgomery and Delaware Counties. The Democratic Parties in both counties called on him to resign earlier this year. He has refused and, in an email to supporters this week, said his work on so many controversial issues earns me a steady stream of attacks.
There are 9,380 Americans, including four women, buried at the American Cemetery in Normandy, on a bluff overlooking the English Channel. Read more

The French town of Bayeux, four miles from the English Channel, was the first one liberated after D-Day, when the Allies launched the greatest armada that ever was, or ever will be.

At nearby Omaha Beach, I stood on a bluff looking over the gray Channel toward England, where U.S., British, and Canadian troops came from on June 6, 1944. At my back was the 172-acre Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, the resting place of 9,380 Americans who never returned home.

I came here to thank them. My freedom is a gift they purchased with their lives.

Our base in Bayeux was the 46-room Churchill Hotel, a three-star hotel with a 1940s feel, but which was built in 1986. A town of 13,000, Bayeux began as a settlement at the fringes of the Roman Empire. It was conquered many times over the centuries, notably by Vikings and finally by the Nazis, who were driven out by British troops on June 7.

Before arriving in Normandy, I paid another thank-you  to my girlfriend, known as Half-Pint. After a stumble and fall that ruptured my quadriceps, she nursed me through two surgeries that left me immobile and helpless for long periods.

When I was finally able to walk on a cane, I asked how I could thank her, and she said Paris. We spent three days sightseeing there, then piled into a rented Opel and set our Waze for the coast.

Escaping Paris traffic was a minor nightmare, but with Half-Pint navigating, we soon were on lightly trafficked highways with toll booths that took credit cards. In less than three hours, we were in peaceful Bayeux.

Seventy-five years ago, this picturesque area was awaiting the Allies, as were the Germans. Everyone knew an invasion was imminent, but no one knew where  few thought it would be Normandy  and no one knew when.

If youre interested in a battlefield tour, youll need a guide, because the five invasion beaches stretch over 50 miles of coastal plain. Based mostly on rave reviews online, I chose Allan Brysons First Normandy company to tour the American battlefields. Bryson, a military historian, takes up to four people in his Renault Espace for a flat charge of 585 euros (about $650) for a daylong tour, and his many anecdotes enliven the factual narrative.

He has a deep affection for veterans and became friendly with many of them, including Philadelphians Babe Heffron and Wild Bill Guarnere of Band of Brothers fame.

In addition to the beaches, Normandy is dotted with such points of interest as Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first town liberated by Americans, after a wave of paratroopers floating into the town square was decimated by waiting Germans.

I stood in the square under the effigy of John Steele, whose parachute caught on the church roof and suspended him over the scene of his buddies being slaughtered below. There is a statue of another paratrooper on the roof of a small building facing the square. How Sainte-Mere-Eglise reveres its long-ago liberators brought tears to my eyes.

The Allies brought ashore 156,000 troops the first day. The Americans Omaha Beach was the bloodiest, with at least 2,400 dead, wounded, or missing.

As we stood on the sea wall on the four miles of Omaha Beach, Bryson explained that movies  1998s Saving Private Ryan and 1962s The Longest Day, for example  portrayed the landing wrong. Troops didnt hit the beach  they jumped off the landing crafts 500 yards out, at low tide, so they could destroy exposed underwater obstacles. One German bunker remains, but theres not much else to see.

At Utah, the Americans adjoining beach, a providential current blew landing craft from the assigned attack point to a poorly defended area. There, we parked and walked, watching families picnicking on the six-mile-long beach. At its entrance, theres a dramatic sculpture of three U.S. soldiers charging ashore from a Higgins landing craft.

In contrast to the Omaha slaughter, at Utah everything went right  the naval bombardment and air attacks neutralized the Germans bunkers and heavy weapons. Only 114 lives were lost on Utah the first day. Survival was so much a matter of chance.

The other three beaches  Sword, Gold, Juno  were assaulted by the British and Canadians, who suffered far fewer casualties than the Americans at Omaha.

We stopped at Pointe du Hoc, where 225 American Rangers scaled 100-foot cliffs under German fire, miraculously suffering only 15 dead during the assault. We walked among the broken bunkers, skirting large pits created by naval shelling. Unlike the beaches, this looked like a battleground.

The American toll was 4,649 casualties among the 57,500 men they put ashore on D-Day, Bryson said.

Both sides knew that everything was riding on the first 24 hours of the invasion. If the Allies breached Hitlers Atlantic Wall, it was the beginning of the end for the Third Reich. If the Allies were thrown into the sea, it would be years, at least, before they could try again.

Going all-in, the Allies sent 6,483 ships  from landing craft to battleships  100 miles across the Channel to Normandy, rather than heavily defended Pas de Calais, the closest point to England.

Why Normandy? The element of surprise.

Why so many troops? As British military author Max Hastings wrote in his 1984 book Overlord: D-Day and the Battle for Normandy, the experienced German soldier was more ferocious and skilled than the British Tommy or U.S. Yank.

The Germans had a major defensive advantage in the hedgerows of Normandy, dense tangles of greenery, taller than a man, able to stop a tank. The hedgerows slowed the Allied advance, causing high casualties, but as I looked out the window, I saw that most of them are gone.

Our tour ended, fittingly, at the American military cemetery, the first one on European soil in World War II.

Tragically beautiful, the treetops are flat, sheared off to commemorate lives cut short. The serenity of songbirds and the surf below was occasionally drowned out by the laughter of children too young to understand the hallowed ground. Perhaps those lying here are happy for that joyfulness.

On this overcast weekday, the cemetery was not crowded. Visitors were mostly English-speaking family groups who stayed on the paths but occasionally walked between the impeccable rows of grave markers. Silent Christian crosses and Jewish stars carved of Italian marble carpet the solemn, heartbreaking lawn.

Each marker faces west, toward America. Each tombstone is engraved with only name, rank, military unit, home state, and date of death, without date of birth.

That was decided in World War I.

It was argued the absence of the date of birth would bring some parity, cemetery superintendent Scott Desjardins told me in an email. The cemeteries make no distinction between ranks, gender, creed, awards, etc.

It is excruciatingly simple.

I form a thought of gratitude for all who lie here, but it seems impersonal. I walk the rows of tombstones and find the grave of a Pennsylvanian: Pfc. Eake De Marco, 16th Infantry, 1st Division, died on D-Day.

Standing at his cross, I thank him for what he did for me.

When I told people I would be visiting the Normandy cemetery, many asked whether I knew anyone buried there.

I know Pfc. Eake De Marco.

Did a travel experience move you, change you, or give you great memories? Email us how, in about 500 words (include a photo, caption information, and daytime phone number): travel@philly.com. Please put Personal Journey in the subject line. (Response volume prohibits our returning or acknowledging your submission.)
3.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Attorney General William Barr said that Special Counsel Mueller could have decided on obstruction, even if he couldnt charge Trump.
2.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

A woman at Rep. Justin Amashs recent town hall was confused because she votes Republican listens to conservative news and she had never heard anything about the Mueller report not exonerating Trump.

NBC News reported:



Cathy Garnaat, a Republican who supported Amash and the president said she was upset about Amashs position but wanted to hear his reasoning. She said that she will definitely support Trump in 2020 but that Tuesday night was the first time she had heard that the Mueller report didnt completely exonerate the president.

I was surprised to hear there was anything negative in the Mueller report at all about President Trump. I hadnt heard that before, she said. Ive mainly listened to conservative news and I hadnt heard anything negative about that report and President Trump has been exonerated.

Democrats will never be able to convince Republicans to support impeachment

The shock of the woman mentioned above is what epistemic closure and news bubbles look like in action. Democrats are going to have to overcome more than Trump on impeachment. They would also need to break through the conservative media bubble with the facts of the Mueller report. It is a fairy tale to think that Republicans will see the light of truth and justice when it comes to Trump.

The reality of the situation is much more difficult. Fox News and all conservative media outlets are going to band together to hold Republicans in line against impeachment. Unless Fox News or conservative websites start discussing the facts of Muellers findings, the information is never going to reach Trumps hardcore base. Trump and Barrs deceptions are being amplified by conservative media. The only way that Republicans will support impeachment is if conservative media gets on board. Since the odds of that happening are zero, the best path to Trump removal remains at the ballot box in 2020.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
10.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to America on Thursday to deliver a commencement address at Harvard University, and she used the opportunity to destroy Donald Trump.

As Politico reported, Merkel urged Harvard graduates Thursday to tear down walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness in a speech laced with apparent jibes at Donald Trump and his policies.

Merkel slammed Trump on border walls, trade wars, climate change and his erratic and unstable behavior.

More from Politico:

Though she did not name the U.S. president, the German chancellor devoted much of her Harvard University commencement speech to attacking major pillars of Trumps presidency: protectionism, trade wars and building walls. She also warned of the threat climate change poses to our planets resources and called for the world to work together. Trump announced in 2017 that he would pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement.  The chancellor received chuckles and applause from the audience when she seemed to comment on Trumps reputation for impulsiveness, stressing that its better not to always act on our first impulses, even under pressure.

Trump is an international embarrassment

With Trump as president, the United States is no longer seen as the leader of the free world.

As Sunny Handal of The Independent noted after Trump took office in 2017, The German Chancellor isnt just the leader of Europe, she is now the de-facto leader of the free world.

Handal wrote that Trump isnt motivated by protecting liberal democracy or freedom. Instead, the presidents sole ideology is Trumpism: corporate autocracy with a populist facade.

Merkels remarks on Thursday may not have mentioned Donald Trump by name, but she made it very clear that the biggest threat to global democracy is the current occupant of the Oval Office.

Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter
219 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

(Reuters)  New Hampshire abolished the death penalty on Thursday, becoming the 21st U.S. state to do so, after the states Senate voted 16-8 to override the Republican governors veto of a bill passed by the Democratic-controlled legislature

Before the vote, New Hampshire was the last state in New England that allowed the execution of people convicted of grave crimes. The vote was largely symbolic, however, as New Hampshire has not executed anyone since 1939, according to the Boston Globe.

New Hampshire state Senator Martha Hennessey, a Democrat, described the death penalty in a statement as ineffective in reducing violent crime and an inefficient use of our limited criminal justice dollars.

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu had vetoed the repeal bill on May 3, saying ending the death penalty would be an injustice to law enforcement and victims of violent crime.

Prior to the repeal, the only crime in New Hampshire that carried a possible death penalty was capital murder, which includes the murdering of a judge or police officer and murder for hire, among other scenarios.

The repeal will not apply retroactively to the states only death row inmate, Michael Addison, who was convicted for killing a police officer in Manchester, the Concord Monitor reported.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned capital punishment as undermining human dignity.

Most U.S. states still allow the death penalty, however, along with the federal government and the U.S. military, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Executions have generally declined nationwide from a peak of 98 in 1999 to 25 last year, according to the non-profit Death Penalty Information Center in Washington. Some states have struggled to get access to drugs used for lethal injections after some manufacturers refused to supply them for use in executions.

The Washington state Supreme Court struck down that states death penalty last October, saying it was arbitrary and unconstitutional.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; editing by Scott Malone, G Crosse and Bill Berkrot)
1.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called out the White House for not knowing what they are doing after they sent the House a statement of action before the USMCA trade deal is done.

Speaker Pelosi said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:

The Trump Administrations decision to send Congress a draft statement of administrative action before we have finished working with U.S. Trade Representative Lighthizer to ensure the USMCA benefits American workers and farmers is not a positive step. It indicates a lack of knowledge on the part of the Administration on the policy and process to pass a trade agreement.

Democrats have continued to work productively and with great respect for Ambassador Lighthizer around the priorities of labor standards to defend the jobs and wages of American workers, lower prescription drug costs and meaningful environmental protections. We must have strong enforcement provisions within the agreement.

We all agree that we must replace NAFTA, but without real enforcement mechanisms we would be locking American workers into another bad deal. A new trade agreement without enforcement is not progress for the American worker, just a press release for the President.

We have been on a path to yes, but it must be a path that leads to an agreement that delivers positive results for American workers and farmers.

One would hope that someone working in the White House would know that an administration statement of action on a trade agreement is not going to get the trade agreement passed. The House has to mark up and pass the trade deal after the president signs it. A statement of administrative action has no place in the process.

It appears that Trump is trying to railroad the House out of the process. As Pelosi noted, Trump must get a deal that protects American workers and farmers while being able to pass the House.

The Trump White House appears to have no idea what they are doing which is why they were taken to school by Speaker Pelosi.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
1.5k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

Rachel Maddow said on Thursday that attorney general William Barr may have unintentionally given Robert Mueller a new opening to accuse the president of criminal conduct in potential testimony before Congress.

Mueller said this week that he was prohibited from pursuing charges against the president, but the MSNBC host said that new comments from Barr indicate that the Trump Justice Department believes the special counsel could have, in fact, determined whether Trump committed a crime.

Why cant Mueller tell Congress, tell us what he thinks about potential criminal behavior by the president if the head of the Justice Department now says thats what Justice Department policy requires? Maddow asked.

Video:

Rachel Maddow points out how William Barr is changing Justice Department policy in real time. #ctl #p2 #maddow pic.twitter.com/KiFGuDHWr4  PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) May 31, 2019

Maddow said:

Mueller says, Im part of the Justice Department. I have to follow Justice Department policy. Justice Department policy says I cant indict and I cant determine if the president committed crimes. William Barr, head of the Justice Department is saying, Thats not Justice Department policy. No, no, no. You have misunderstood that. Im the head of the Justice Department. Justice Department policy is that you are supposed to say if you think the president committed crimes. So heres Barr saying it is Justice Department policy that Mueller should determine if the president committed crimes. And if Barr is now saying that as the head of the Justice Department, as the attorney general, well then why cant Robert Mueller and his team make that determination now? If they are supposed to follow Justice Department policy and the head of the department says here is the way to follow policy by saying whether or not the president committed a crime, why cant Mueller tell Congress, tell us what he thinks about potential criminal behavior by the president if the head of the Justice Department now says thats what Justice Department policy requires?

Mueller should follow Barrs new policy

To be clear, its unlikely that Mueller will go into any more detail than he did this week when he finally broke his silence and delivered his first public statement on his two-year investigation. Its also uncertain whether Mueller is even willing to testify before Congress.

But if Mueller is so committed to following Justice Department guidelines, he should recognize that attorney general William Barr appears to be changing those guidelines in real time to fit whatever narrative Trump is pushing.

And the latest so-called policy from the DOJ, as Maddow pointed out on Thursday, is that it would have been completely appropriate for Mueller to accuse the president of a crime.

If Mueller does testify before Congress, he should follow Barrs new policy and tell lawmakers and the American people which crimes he believes Trump may have committed.

Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter
398 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to threaten Mexico with tariffs in an effort to get the country to crack down on migrants seeking asylum in the United States, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

Trump earlier on Thursday told reporters he would soon make a dramatic statement about the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

Citing three unnamed administration officials, the Post said the statement Trump teased and which he is planning on making on Friday would be about tariffs, although it said some White House aides were trying to talk him out of it.

(Reporting by Tim Ahmann; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
6.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) made sure that Barr wont be able to declassify the nations secrets behind the backs of Congress.

Rep. Schiff wrote in a letter to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, This approach threatens national security by subverting longstanding rules and practices that obligate you and other heads of IC agencies to safeguard sources and methods and prevent the politicization of intelligence and law enforcement.

Read the full letter:

Schiff wont allow Barr to operate in secret

Adam Schiffs demand carries a ton of weight. Its his committee that is responsible for oversight of the intelligence community. Rep. Schiff isnt going let William Barr declassify secret sources and methods to help Donald Trump cook up a conspiracy that they hope will save the presidents reelection campaign. The intelligence community is required by law to keep Congress informed of Barrs activities.

Trump was wrong to believe that he gave Barr unlimited power to build a deep state conspiracy that he can use to muddy the political waters in 2020. Adam Schiff is watching, and the chairman just cut Barrs efforts to work in secret off at the knees.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
5.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

The Chamber of Commerce and other business leaders are threatening to sue Trump over his proposed tariffs on Mexico.

Business Leaders Are Looking At Suing Trump

CNBC reported, The powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce is mulling its legal options in response to the duties, the groups Senior Vice President of International Affairs John Murphy told reporters Friday. Murphy said the group has no choice but to look into every option to push back on the tariff policy. Business groups more broadly are discussing the possibility of suing the White House, a source told CNBC. A decision on how to proceed is expected by Monday.

Trump Gave Them A Massive Tax Cut, but Big Business Is Bailing

Instead of putting pressure on Mexico, Trumps tariff threat is putting the heat on his administration and the Republican Party. Wall Street has finally realized the truth about Trump. There is no strategy. Trump has no vision of the US economy or interest in creating a pro-business climate. Donald Trump doesnt seem to know what a pro-business climate is.

Trump gave corporations their massive tax cut, but then turned around and pulled a trade war that could put many of them out of business. Trump isnt bringing jobs back to the US with his trade war. He is causing rising prices, the collapse of farms, and job losses.

If the business community sues Trump, it will mean that nearly every segment of this country outside of the hardcore Trump base will have turned against this president. Trump has political momentum, and it is all trending toward his defeat in 2020.

The business community has had enough, which is why they are considering legal action to stop this president.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
8.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard

The stock market tanked after Trump announced that he is launching a trade war with Mexico as Wall Street is realizing that chaos and instability are Trumps economic policies.

CNBC reported:

President Trumps latest trade bombshell  might turn out to be a short-lived threat that is quickly defused by commitments on border security, but it nonetheless looks damaging at a number of levels, Krishna Guha, head of global policy and central bank strategy at Evercore ISI, wrote in a note. At the big picture level, it suggests that Trump trade policy might well mean a permanent state of endemic uncertainty and instability in the global trading system not simply a hard-headed sequential re-set of prior arrangements that started with Mexico and proceeds via China to Europe and Japan.

Shares of GM dropped 4%. Ford lost 3.3%. Both have significant production in Mexico that could be subject to tariffs. Shares of railroads Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific also fell 5% and 2%, respectively. Fiat Chrysler traded 5.1% lower.

Wall Street Is Realizing That Instability is Trumps Policy

There is no endpoint to Trumps trade wars. There is no point where Trump is going to declare victory and the economic damage will stop. Trumps entire policy on trade and the economy is based on maintaining chaos. Investors hate turmoil and instability. There is no master plan at work in the White House. Policies are being made by a tweet from an unstable idiots Twitter account.

Trump should not be called an idiot lightly, but this is a president who refuses to accept the reality of how tariffs work. He is sticking to his false belief that foreign countries, not US businesses and consumers, pay tariffs.

Donald Trump is losing is own trade war and taking the nations economy down with him.

Even Wall Street has finally caught on that Trumps unstable and ignorant actions are bad for the country.
Food editor and chief critic

Eating all of the chicken livers just as fast as I can.
Get the SC business stories that matter.

Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free.
Thomas Novelly is a political reporter based in Charleston. He also covers the military community and veterans throughout South Carolina. Previously, he wrote for the Courier Journal in Kentucky. He is a fan of Southern rock, bourbon and horse racing.
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.
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.
You are the owner of this article.
Conner Mitchell is a Kansas native covering Berkeley and Dorchester counties for The Post and Courier. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas and has worked previously at the Kansas City Star, Lawrence Journal-World and Palm Beach Post.
Inmates make their way across the Lee Correctional Institution prison yard as they head to their building units. File/Brad Nettles/Staff
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.
FILE - In this Wednesday May 1, 2019 file photo, buildings are reflected in the window as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is taken from court, where he appeared on charges of jumping British bail seven years ago, in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.
Columbia/Myrtle Beach Managing Editor

Andy Shain runs The Post and Courier's newsrooms based in Columbia and Myrtle Beach. He was editor of Free Times and has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Charlotte, Columbia and Myrtle Beach.
"Letter to a Friend in Gaza," a show by Amos Gitai, runs through June 2 at the Emmett Robinson Theatre.
US companies are in line of fire of tariffs aimed at Mexico
Writings on the Wall

As we move forward into the new year, we have a lot to be thankful for. One key advantage of the pandemic is that it has made us focus on our  Read more
PennDOT will distribute $15.4 million in Automated Red Light Enforcement funding to 38 municipalities statewide to fund 50 safety projects.

In Berks County, grants are coming to Amity, Exeter and Muhlenberg townships.

Sen. Kate Muth (D-Berks, Chester, Montgomery) announced that funding has been granted to Amity Township to improve traffic safety by modifying the traffic signal at Route 422 and Monocacy Creek Road.

This funding is great news for Amity and for travelers in the area, said Muth. Improvements like this are essential to keeping motorists and pedestrians safe and I am happy that our area is receiving assistance to make these necessary upgrades.

The township was approved for $173,245 in funding to improve the traffic signals left turn phasing, as well as assist with reconstruction of the center median.

The funding was approved and granted through PennDOTs Automated Red-Light Enforcement fund. The fund aims to assist municipalities with projects aimed to improve traffic safety at signalized intersections.

Pennsylvanias Automated Red Light Enforcement program aims to improve safety at signalized intersections by providing automated enforcement at locations where data shows red-light running has been an issue.

This program helps communities across the state make investments in traffic flow and safety, Gov. Tom Wolf said in a release. These improvements complement the many road, bridge, and multimodal projects happening in Pennsylvania.

Under state law, grant funding is supplied by fines from red light violations at 30 intersections in Philadelphia. The law specifies that projects improving safety, enhancing mobility and reducing congestion can be considered for funding. Municipalities submitted 134 applications, totaling almost $38 million in requests.

Projects were selected by an eight-member committee based on criteria such as benefits and effectiveness, cost, local and regional impact, and cost sharing.

This investment brings the total dollars awarded through the ARLE funding program to $78.49 million, funding 416 safety projects since 2010.

Among those 50 projects were several in Berks County:
POTTSTOWN  Borough council finds itself in the unusual position of having two choices in who runs the Ricketts Community Center.

For the past 10 years, the center has been run by the Olivet Boys and Girls Club, which is based in Reading.

The club has again applied to continue running the center.

But a Pottstown-based organization is making the argument that it is the better choice, and will return the center to its original mission.

That group is called the STRIVE Initiative, with the acronym standing for Strengthening Tomorrow Requires Initiative and Vision Everyday.

Both bidders are tax-exempt nonprofit groups, although Olivet has a 120-year history and STRIVE was formed in 2014.

Both boasted a long list of community partners, some of which they share.

And both bidders made presentations before borough council on May 13 and each was asked to leave the room while the other presented.

But before they did, Jonathan Corson, who is the president of the Pottstown chapter of the NAACP, stressed that he was speaking as a private citizen, pleaded for unity.

The Ricketts Center saved my life, Corson said, and I am not taking sides. Im just asking everyone to come together and make this a community of opportunity.

Olivet Proposal

Gary Redner, president of the Olivet board of directors, acknowledged that the organization has suffered from a leadership vacuum, noting there has been a high turnover of chief executive officers.

The most recent one only lasted 18 months.

We got it wrong, Redner said of the board.

Interim CEO Angel Helm also acknowledged that Olivet had a rough start when it took over operations at the Ricketts Center.

The first couple of years, there was a lot of turnover in staff, but Im very proud of the staff we have there now, said Helm, who has since been replaced as interim CEO by Mike Mizak.

Under Olivet, the club serves children ages 6 to 18, is open from 2:30 to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday, and has 188 members, with an average daily attendance of 45 children, according to its presentation to council.

The club opens early on holidays and early dismissal days from school and has piloted Saturday hours, for which funding has not yet been secured.

Currently, 26 programs from computer programming, to Junior Chef to karate are offered at the center.

Olivet also operates an eight-week summer camp for kids 6 to 14, which includes spending one afternoon a week at North End Pool, as well as being bused for a full day at Olivets Blue Mountain Camp outside Hamburg.

According to its proposal, Olivet has spent nearly $12,000 on improvements to the building, which is owned by the borough, over its 10-year tenancy.

Olivet has proposed an annual budget of $60,537 for 2019 at the Ricketts Center, which includes $30,000 from the borough, and which increases to $123,169 when the administrative overhead of all Olivet clubs is factored in.

A poll taken of Olivet members at Ricketts showed 100 percent felt a sense of belonging; 94 percent avoid risky behaviors like alcohol and smoking; 94 percent intend to pursue post-secondary education and 96 percent report having a positive experience at the club.

Local Realtor and former Pottstown Police Officer Matt Green said he serves on the Ricketts Center advisory committee and that the money raised in Pottstown stays in Pottstown.

He said communication with the borough has improved and he hopes Olivet continues to run the center.

STRIVE Proposal

STRIVEs approach to the operation of the Ricketts Center is centered around what the community needs, and the centers original mission, said Alex Fiz.

He noted that the survey taken at a series of community meetings in April highlighted community disconnection as the top concern in Pottstown.

They were held in the wake of concerns about student behavior inside and outside Pottstown Middle School, some of which escalated to shots being fired into the home of one of the students.

Those same surveys showed top concerns also include creating protective community environments; and connecting youth and caring adults to community activities, said David Charles, a Pottstown High School alum who co-founded STRIVE with Anthony Lyon.

Charles noted that when The Hill School donated the land for the Ricketts Center, it carried a mandate: To serve as a center for educational, recreational, and spiritual development, that shall not discriminate based on race, sex, or religion, for Pottstown residents of all ages.

The fact that adults from the community are not allowed to co-mingle with children under the Boys and Girls Club rules, makes it harder for Olivet to fulfill that mandate, he said.

The boroughs own contract said the primary goal for the center is to assist youth and families in improving the quality of life by providing opportunities that address health, education, recreation, spiritual and social need of Pottstown residents.

Whereas the Olivet mission specifically focuses on youth, Charles said STRIVEs mission  We assist Pottstown residents in improving their quality of life by providing programming that focuses on the health, education, recreation, spiritual, cultural and familial needs of Pottstown residents  more closely matches both the Hill School mandate and the boroughs own contract language, he said.

The STRIVE proposal calls for Ricketts Center to be open seven days a week, which will make it more attractive for multi-generational programming, and a more active hub for the community.

When you bring in the kids, the parents come, as a family, said Charles.

Its budget calls for $325,000 for staffing alone.

Funding sources STRIVEs presentation identified include the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation; the 21st Century program, funded by state grants and operated by the Pottstown School District; private donors; a $45,000 contribution from the borough and other government grants.

The 27 programs outlined range from tutoring and homework, to legal services, to health programs to karate.

The Ricketts contract does not expire for several months, so borough council has time to consider the two proposals.
If it feels like weve been living in a battle zone for the past few days weather-wise, thats because we have been.

The tornado that touched down in the Morgantown area Tuesday and caused damage to a number of properties has been confirmed to have been an EF 2, which means winds as high as 120 miles per hour.

Wednesday, a tornado with winds at about 85 miles per hour touched down near Lower Milford township, near the border of Bucks and Lehigh counties.

There was other damage in nearby Montgomery County as well.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday, the Montgomery County 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Center began receiving initial calls for storm damage across northwestern sections of Montgomery County, according to information provided Thursday by Jason Wilson, deputy director of the Montgomery County Emergency Management office.

There were reports of downed trees, flooded roadways and vehicle rescues.

Hardest hit were Abington, Horsham, Lower Frederick, Lower Moreland Township, Montgomery, Upper Frederick and Upper Moreland townships.

The most significant damage occurred in areas of Upper Salford Township and Lower Frederick Township, where there were reports of damage to residential structures, Wilson wrote in an email.

Its getting to be an everyday thing.

Weve had tornado watches and warnings, an seemingly endless line of severe thunderstorms, hail, and flash-flood warnings, not to mention enough rain to make one wonder if a little ark building might not be in order.

Lightning strikes have been reported in New Hanover, North Coventry and a number of other locations.

According to Jonathan OBrien, a meteorologist at the National Weather Services Mount Holly, N.J. station, its all thanks to a lingering weather pattern that has scorched the Southeast, given the Midwest a record-number of tornadoes, as well as spawning a few here as well.

As of Thursday, the National Weather Services Storm Prediction Center had logged 23 preliminary tornado reports on Tuesday, according to Accuweather.

While these reports do not represent confirmed tornadoes, they do suggest that the record for consecutive days on which at least eight tornadoes touched down would be broken once the official totals are in, the service reported.

That number will likely extended to 13 days as 24 preliminary tornadoes were reported during Wednesdays severe weather event, according to Accuweather.

And the Midwest has been kindly sharing some of that weather with us.

Weve been very busy the last few days, OBriend said with a bit of exhaustion evident in his voice.

Whats made this pattern unique and unusual is its persistence, OBrien said.

He explained that for the past few days, Pennsylvania has been on the edge of a ridge of sorts, between an area of high pressure and low pressure and those edges are the real battle zone-areas.

He explained that these areas of conflict between high- and low-pressure areas are a breeding ground for tornadoes which only become so named, once they touch the ground.

When they stay in the air where they belong, they are deemed to be merely funnel clouds.
In his Commetary essay The Gaza conundrum, Jonathan Schanzer describes a senior Israeli official in Tel Aviv speaking to him in private. He was in a foul mood. He looked as if he hadnt slept much, he writes. He rubbed his eyes, scratched his stubble, and blurted suddenly, Gaza is a problem from hell.

Hamas and Iran are the source of this particular problem from hell. The original Hamas charter forthrightly identified Hamas as the Muslim Brotherhood in what they call Palestine. Understanding Hamas might help some get a handle on the Muslim Brotherhood, of which the Obama administration was such a fan. They understood perfectly well.

What does the BDS-supporting Minnesota Fifth District Rep. Ilhan Omar think of Hamas? Id like to hear someone ask her. Maybe one of these days a journalist who covers politics for a living will ask her.

Itamar Marcus and Jacques Zilberdik monitor Hamas media for Palestinian Media Watch. In a recent column excerpted at JNS they seek to publicize a Hamas music video depicting the murder of Israeli Jews. The same day that Hamas official Fathi Hammad promised to slaughter, exterminate and annihilate Israel, they note, Hamas TV broadcast a music video on May 15 promising to blow up Tel Aviv and showing the staged stabbing of a religious Jew by a masked Palestinian Arab. They quote the lyrics at the link. Its got a blood-curdling beat and you can stab to it.

PMW appends this note to the video: Views expressed in this video do not represent those of Palestinian Media Watch in any way. PMW monitors and analyzes the Palestinian Authority through its media and schoolbooks.

And of course its not just Hamas. Palestinian Media Watch has documented the work of Abbass PA and Fatah on similar music videos.
The Left increasingly uses economic coercion in the form of boycotts to stamp out conservative ideas and institutions. Efforts to ban Chick-fil-A, one of Americas most popular restaurant chains, are one example. Apart from outliers like Chick-fil-A, corporate America tends to respond to boycotts as liberals desire, because corporate America is mostly liberal already.

Liberals also sometimes boycott states, which is mostly an effort to enlist companies within those states as allies in pressuring state governments to the left. Again, examples are legion, although it is hard to think of many that have been successful.

Currently, the Left vows to boycott states like Georgia and Alabama that have passed restrictive abortion laws. Thus, Disney says it probably will stop doing business in Georgia, which has become a haven for filmmakers:

Disney CEO Bob Iger told Reuters on Wednesday that it would be very difficult to keep film production in the state if the legislation becomes law next year.  I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard, he said. Right now we are watching it very carefully.

It isnt clear how Iger knows that many people who work for us will not want to work there. I dont suppose he has canvassed employees. Nor, presumably, has he polled Disney employees on any number of other issues that might cause them to prefer one state over another.

Netflix has also vowed to reconsider its business relationship with Georgia:

Netflix said earlier this week that it would reconsider its entire investment in Georgia, where it has filmed Stranger Things and Ozark, if the law survives legal challenges. We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said on Tuesday. Should it ever come into effect, wed rethink our entire investment in Georgia.

Is Mr. Sarandos suggesting that Nexflixs female employees are constantly in need of mid- to late-term abortions? I am so old, I can remember when this would be the kind of thing a corporate executive would keep to himself. But I dont suppose that is what he means. Rather, Netflix doesnt want to do business in a state where unborn children are not freely and cheerfully disposed of. That tells you something, I suppose, about Netflix.

New York recently enacted a statute that purports to make abortion legal up to the moment of birth. Similar legislation was introduced in Virginia, but was tabled, as I understand it, after Governor Northam explained that it would allow infanticide. Are there any Disney or Netflix employees who might take exception to such policies? Im pretty sure there arethey are supported by only a small minority of Americansbut those employees voices go unheard in corporate America.

How to fight back? Alabama isnt taking the Lefts assault lying down. Via InstaPundit:

Hugh Culverhouse, Jr., the University of Alabamas largest donor, has called for a boycott of Alabama  school and state  over the states latest near-total abortion ban law. But the UA System and Culverhouse have been in an ongoing dispute over the millions he has donated to the law school unrelated to the abortion legislation, vice chancellor for communications Kellee Reinhart said. In an emailed statement, Reinhart said Culverhouse asked the school to return $10 million, repeating numerous demands about the operations of the University of Alabama School of Law. University of Alabama System Chancellor Finis St. John recommended the Board of Trustees return the $21.5 million in donations the law school has actually received, and restore the name to The University of Alabama School of Law in a memo sent to board members yesterday. It was renamed in September 2018 to Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. School of Law after the Florida businessman pledged to donate $26.5 million to the university. After numerous conversations and communications involving President (Stuart) Bell and (School of Law Dean Mark) Brandon, it is apparent that University and law school leadership will not be able to meet the donors expectations and do not share the same vision for the future, said St. John. It is my recommendation that we comply with the request to return the recent gift, as well as the prior gifts, and restore the name The University of Alabama School of Law.

This is goodgive the money back!but of limited application.

A basic fact of our time is the asymmetry between left and right. Liberals boycott Chick-fil-A, while it would not occur to conservatives to inquire into the political leanings of owners of companies whose sandwiches we like. Liberals go crazy on social media, promoting assassination fantasies, weird conspiracy theories and the like, while conservatives are posting photos of their grandchildren. Liberals follow state legislation and make business decisions based on a states political complexion, while conservatives do business where it makes economic sense, and vacation where they think they will have fun. The cultural divide between us and them is deep.

Should conservatives emulate the Lefts boycott strategy? It goes against our instincts, but if we want the Left to back off, we may need to imitate their methods. Maybe conservatives can deter moronic boycotts of states like Georgia and Alabama by demonstrating that we have the power to boycott, too. Perhaps companies led by conservativesthere are a few leftshould avoid blue states like New York and California when they schedule meetings and conventions.

If we want to consider boycotting products, Gillette is an obvious possibility. I wrote here and elsewhere about Gillettes anti-toxic masculinity campaign, which ostensibly was part of its effort to sell razor blades, which have an obvious connection to masculinityone that Gillette celebrated for most of its history.

Gillette has done it again with this ad celebrating transgenderism. I confess I am not sure what the story is here: a girl who took chemical treatments and submitted to surgery to become a man? I think so, but am not certain:

One might think that this sort of ad would appeal only to a niche audience, since transgender people account for a percentage of the population too tiny to be measured accurately. But companies like Proctor & Gamble, which owns Gillette and is a major source of liberal advertising, are apparently secure in the knowledge that a small minority of transgender advocates will cheer an ad of this sort, while pretty much everyone else will ignore it: asymmetry at work.

The hard question, I think, is whether conservatives should suppress our usual tolerant instincts and try to beat the liberals at their divisive game.

JOE adds: John makes an important observation: our economic decisions must increasingly be a forum for political expression. And this odd trend appears to have its taproot on the businesses side, not the consumers side. This is one reason (and forgive the self-congratulation) that I helped to start a company called Patriot Mobile some years ago. Patriot offers cell phone service  and supports veterans and groups like the NRA. Our friend Hugh Hewitt talks about it here.

But as it turns out, fair pricing, respect for consumer privacy, and a sympathetic, U.S.-based customer service team are major attractants. Chick-Fil-A was truly ahead of the game.
PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-31 05:04:12

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 383 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

The Lacovangelo family has roots which date to 1905. Several generations later in 1983, Rochester's premier home building firm was founded by Frank, Anthony and Bernie Lacovangelo.ROCHESTER, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 30, 2019 / Faber Builders and Bernie Lacovangelo are pleased to announce that the home builders in Rochester NY company has reached a milestone of 36 years in operation. The area ties of the firm go back much further, dating to 1905. Now operated by Bernie Lacovangelo and family Faber Builders stands behind each and every home. From site selection in any of Faber Builders communities to model planning and final finishing touches, families can be assured the building process will be seamless and the final product exactly as they envisioned.The firm has been building homes in Rochester, West Henrietta, Greece, and Chili NY, contributing to the beauty and growth of Rochester by providing hundreds of families with their dream homes. Dynamic Faber communities have captivated families all over Rochester, NY. Some of Faber's greatest accomplishments include the Autumn Wood, Wellington and Pumpkin Hill communities in Chili, NY, and the exclusive Country Trace, Chestnut Hill, Hampden Heights and Ashbrook communities in Henrietta, NY.More information is available here www.faberbuilders.com Faber also has a community at Rose Hill Estates in Churchill, NY. Faber's newest additions is in Queens Park in West Henrietta, NYA spokesperson for the company explained, "The founding brothers chose to stay in Rochester, NY, live in a Faber community, and raise their families here. They are also active, contributing members to their communities. They care about their neighbors and their clients (often one and the same), and they remain solidly committed to building quality new homes and custom-built home communities. They are proud to serve and promise only the very best that Faber can offer. Faber is active in the Rochester Home Builders Association (RHBA) and has built homes in several Homearamas since 1988. In 2003 we hosted the 25th Anniversary Homearama show at our Park Place Community in Chili, NY. Faber Builders showcased two homes at the event." Location details are available at Faber Builders.Contact Info:Name: Bernard J. LacovangeloEmail: Send EmailOrganization: Faber BuildersAddress: 3240 Chili Ave, Rochester NY 14624Website: https://www.faberbuilders.com/ Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEreorU1sFWtY0bVpHKkscg?sub_confirmation=1 SOURCE: Faber Builders
PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-31 05:09:32

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 391 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Skip Schaefer Has Been Named as the Consulting Product Design Specialist for Industrial Heating Systems of Boise. Skip is Known as Mr. Heater to Many and Has Almost a Half-Century Experience in the Industry.BOISE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / May 30, 2019 / Industrial Heating Systems of Boise, manufacturer of quality immersion heating systems, announces Skip Schaefer as their consulting Product Design Specialist. Skip, also known as Mr Heater to many, has nearly 50 years in the industry. He helped lead his father's company Proheco from 1971-2003, another ten more years under the name Proheatco and over ten more with Titan Industrial Heating.Mike Bowman, president of Industrial Heating Systems, explains, "I was sick of slow turnaround and red tape so I started IHS. Skip Schaefer is the godfather of electric immersion heating systems, he has been by my every step." Skip replies, "I have attained a wealth of knowledge that is not taught in schools. Happy to help Mike." Skip Schaefer moved to Idaho, but he is not retired. "I love it here. We are not constrained by California challenges; Mike and I can now truly build high-performance immersion heaters," adds Skip. The new company, started by Bowman, will allow full access to the wealth of knowledge of Mr Heater, Skip Schaefer.Many of today's top manufacturers depend on Skip's quality heating systems: Crown City Plating, Boeing, Memorex, Lockheed Martin, Superior Industries, Nordam, Northrup Grumman, and Hill Air Force Base.Just a few minutes talking with Skip, you get a sense of his passion for making the best immersion heaters. "I am proud of all my accomplishments through the years, I have built tens of thousands of heaters," says Skip.At Industrial Heating Systems, Skip and Mike will continue to work side by side. Mike Bowman concludes, "We will leverage the latest in technology and apply these processes in our immersion heating systems, and only use the finest materials available." Industrial Heating Systems, based in Boise, Idaho, designs and sells industrial heating systems, hot oil reflow systems, controls and sensors.More information on Industrial Heating Systems can be found here https://industrialheatingsystems.com Contact Info:Name: Industrial Heating SystemsEmail: Send EmailOrganization: Industrial Heating SystemsAddress: 9530 W Bethel Ct Ste B, Boise, ID 83709, USAPhone: 208-323-6143Website: https://industrialheatingsystems.com SOURCE: Industrial Heating Systems
PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-31 21:45:02

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 482 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2019 / San Antonio, Texas has been experiencing a steady increase in real estate value in both commercial and residential sectors from developers and buyers. Based on findings from the San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR), the area's home sales grew 6% in the month of April alone. This comes as part of the latest trends hitting the San Antonio metro that are bringing more businesses and residents inbound. As reported in 2018, the city who is becoming known as one of Texas' top locations, San Antonio has undergone industry growth across sectors like the technology space as more businesses look to Texas for opportunity.According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas' Business-Cycle Index report in April 2019 highlighted an accelerated annual rate of 4%, an increase over the area's long-term rate on average of 3% average. The metro's industry growth has helped set the strongest pace for the index since mid-2016 and represents the business environment that has been fueling higher employment rates and in-turn growing populations.Coming from both instate areas and also out of state locations, residents in the San Antonio area are taking advantage of new job opportunities and affordable housing options. Both residential and rental property development is continuing to grow in the areas with developers like Western Rim Properties' Marcus Hiles launch new projects that will offer more options to the area's growing base. "With the strong growth potential of San Antonio to reach the same economic value of its Texas neighbors like Austin and Dallas, we are making moves to ensure our projects are established early. We are currently well invested in the area and are predicting the region's popularity will continue to grow as other cities in the state become more saturated." shares CEO and Founder of the leading Texas property firm Marcus Hiles.The selection process of future property development projects requires looking at a few key indicators that help to evaluate the current and expected popularity and market value of the location. What San Antonio has shown in the last several years is its strength in stimulating a sustainable business community that is backed with residential amenities tailored to a diverse group of populations. Already with properties sprawled throughout Texas and the San Antonio area, Western rim will be launching another rental property under its popular The Mansions portfolio.The growing interest through Texas continues to show in all of the state's metros and now with Dallas and Austin in what can be seen as their prime, San Antonio is also getting ahead with an economic value that appeals to both residents and investors.To learn more about business and development news visit marcushiles-news.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwrLIhyaB0p_0F1gWg4R7cA/videos Houzz: https://www.houzz.com/pro/marcushiles/marcus-hiles Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcus.hiles/ Media contact:Marcus Hilesmedia@ marcushiles.net SOURCE: Marcus Hiles
PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-31 23:57:18

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 1005 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2019 / Pivit Exploration Inc.(CSE: PIVT) (FWB:P11)("Pivit" or the "Corporation") is pleased to provide the following update with regards to its Whirlwind Jack Gold Project situated in Red Lake, Ontario, changes to its management and directors, a non-brokered financing and option grant.Whirlwind Jack Gold ProjectThe Corporation's Whirlwind Jack Gold Project is located near Red Lake, Ontario.The district-scale project consists of 613 mineral claims covering 30,584 acres and is adjacent to the Dixie Gold Project being advanced by Great Bear Resources Ltd.which recently announced exploration results (see Great Bear Resources Ltd.news release dated May 28, 2019, Great Bear Drills High-Grade Gold Discovery at Dixie).A map of Pivit's project may be viewed at: http://pivitx.com/whirlwind_belt.pdf Pivit is presently examining options for near-term inaugural exploration of the project inside the context of its previously announced strategic review.Director & Management ChangesThe Corporation announces that each of Messrs.Michael England, John Masters and Mark Malfair have resigned as a director of the Corporation.Mr.England has resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, and Mr.Masters has resigned as Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of the Corporation.The Corporation announces the appointment of the following individuals as directors of the Corporation.Ryan Kalt, B.Comm., LL.B., M.B.A., LL.M.- Executive Chairman/Director Mr.Kalt is an experienced corporate executive and financier with more than 20 years of senior leadership and board of director roles at both private and publicly traded companies.He is currently the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Clean Commodities Corp.Prior to Clean Commodities Corp., Mr.Kalt was the CEO of Gold Royalties Corporation, an investment issuer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, which was acquired by Sandstorm Gold Ltd.in 2015. Mr.Kalt is a past recipient of Finance Monthly's CEO Award and has received award recognition from the Business Development Bank of Canada, Export Canada, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and other prominent business organizations.He holds a B. Comm.(Hons) from Queen's University, an LL.B.from the University of Western Ontario, an M.B.A.from the Richard Ivey School of Business and an LL.M.(Energy , Natural Resources and Environmental Law) from the University of Calgary.Brian Hearst, B.A., CPA - Independent Director Mr.Hearst is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of experience in the energy industry, including 15 years as a Chief Financial Officer of junior and senior public companies.He currently acts in a financial advisory capacity for emerging entities in the resource industry and prior thereto was the Chief Financial Officer of Canacol Energy Ltd.which expanded to a capitalization in excess of $500 million under his financial stewardship.Mr.Hearst holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary.Eugene Hodgson, B.A.- Independent Director Mr.Hodgson is an accomplished senior executive with over 30 years of public and private sector experience.He is currently the President of Fabled Copper Corp.and the CFO of Trait Biosciences Inc.In addition to his executive roles, Mr.Hodgson is a Director of Century Metals Inc.and Rover Metals Inc., both of which are publicly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange.Mr.Hodgson's diverse private sector business experience also includes positions as Director of Investments for a mineral investment fund, the First Exploration Flow-Through Fund (funded by Merrill Lynch), VP Corporate Development for Island Jetfoil Corp.and Director of Corporate Development for Intrawest Corporation.Mr.Hodgson has also served on the Board of Directors of various companies including Grandfield Pacific Corporation, Arimex Resources Inc., Sea Breeze Power Corp., Silvermex Resources Inc., Chair of Pacific Cascade Minerals and CFO/Director of Timmins Gold Corp.He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) from the University of Calgary.Executive Officer AppointmentsIn addition to his incoming role as Chairman of the Corporation, the Corporation has appointed Ryan Kalt to be its new President, Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Secretary. Mr.Kalt holds, directly or indirectly, 3,529,500 common shares of the Corporation.The Corporation has appointed Ryan Cheung as its Chief Financial Officer.Ryan Cheung, B.Comm., CPA, CA - CFO Mr.Cheung is the Founder and MCPA Services Inc., Chartered Professional Accountants.He brings an extensive experience base in public and private companies and has served as the Chief Financial Officer of numerous publicly listed corporations, including recently as CFO of Clean Commodities Corp.Mr.Cheung holds a CPA, CA and has been a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia since 2008.He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce (International Business) from the University of British Columbia and a Diploma in Accounting from the University of British Columbia.Non-Brokered FinancingThe Corporation announces that it intends to conduct a non-brokered private placement to raise gross proceeds of $50,000.03 (the "Financing") by way of the issuance of up to 666,667 common shares at a price of $0.075 per share.Net proceeds of the Financing will be used for working capital purposes.Shares issued pursuant to the Financing will be subject to a four-month hold period pursuant to applicable securities laws of Canada.The Corporation may pay finder's fees on subscriptions under the Financing equal to 7%.The Corporation advises that insiders of the Corporation may participate for greater than 25% of the Financing.Option GrantThe Corporation reports that pursuant to its stock option plan, the Corporation has granted 1,200,000 stock options to incoming officers and directors of the Corporation.The stock options have an exercise price of $0.10 per option, vest immediately, expire five years from the date of grant and are subject to a four month hold period.The grant of options is subject to the Corporation's stock option plan, the policies of the CSE and applicable securities laws.On Behalf of the Board of DirectorsRyan KaltChairman & Chief Executive OfficerForward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements.Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties.Actual results may differ materially from those cur
PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-31 22:16:10

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 570 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 31, 2019 / PowerBand Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: PBX) (OTCQB: PWWBF) (Frankfurt: 1ZVA) ("PowerBand", "PBX" or the "Company"), a leading online automotive auction, remarketing and vehicle acquisition and sales platform in North America, is pleased to announce the results of voting at its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held Wednesday, May 29, 2019 in Toronto, Canada.Shareholders voted in favour of all items put forward by the Board of Directors and management, namely:The number of Directors was set at four (4).The elected Directors of the Company are:Kelly JenningsMike MoenFrank CiaramellaDarrin SwensonMNP LLP has been appointed as the Company's auditor.The 2019 Incentive Stock Option Plan (20% Fixed Plan) was approved, reserving for issuance up to 16,552,478 common shares of the Company.The 2019 Restricted Share Unit Plan was approved, reserving for issuance a maximum of 4,000,000 common shares of the Company.The grant of 3,000,000 inducement shares to the President of the Company received disinterested shareholder approval.About PowerBand Solutions Inc.PowerBand Solutions Inc. is a technology provider listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company has developed and commercialized a leading-edge used vehicle online remarketing auction platform, the PowerBand Exchange, that incorporates the industry's latest auction technologies, inventory management, market intelligence, and appraisal processes. In addition, with receipt of its Exporter Licence, PowerBand is well positioned to actively participate in the USD$10 billion cross-border used vehicle export market.For further information, please contact:Richard Goldman, VP Corporate DevelopmentP: 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: 2019-05-31 05:03:43

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 619 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

Platinum Preferred Contractor, Braswell Construction Group, was honored with the 2019 Platinum Preferred 'Product Excellence Silver' Award for their industry-leading contributions to the roofing category.GREENSBORO, USA / ACCESSWIRE / May 30, 2019 / Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractor, Braswell Construction Group (BCG), was recently honored with the 2019 Platinum Preferred 'Product Excellence Silver' Award for their industry-leading contributions to the roofing category. This industry recognition reflects BCG's continued focus on bringing a results-oriented, customer-driven methodology to running their business and delivering trustworthy, reliable work with superior customer service for their customers. This award commends BCG's ongoing commitment to education, training, and roofing industry product knowledge. The 'Product Excellence Silver' recognition awarded to Braswell Construction Group distinguishes them from their competitors by acknowledging their excellence in overall System Selling performance for America's number one most trusted and recognized roofing brand, Owens Corning.Chris Braswell, founder and owner of BCG states, "we recognize that this award is a significant achievement and momentous triumph for our company. We appreciate this high distinction from Owens Corning and thank our loyal customers who continue to trust us to deliver the high-standard of service homeowners deserve." For more information please visit https://www.braswellconstructiongroup.com About Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred ContractorsOwens Corning is a household name in the roofing industry and helps homeowners across the country choose the most reputable roofing contractor in their area. The Owens Corning Roofing Platinum Preferred Contractor program is considered one of the industry's most exclusive customer reward and loyalty programs. There are 17,000 contractors that supply Owens Corning roofing products. Of those 17,000, just 11,000 contractors receive the "Preferred Contractor" distinction and only 144 of this group are "Platinum" Preferred Contractors. Braswell Construction Group is proud to be a 'Platinum Preferred Contractor.' To qualify for this exclusive position, BCG not only met the highest standard requirements, but exceeded them in all areas of their trade. Once named as an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, the provider is considered among the best in the industry.About Braswell Construction Group:Braswell Construction Group (BCG) has been locally owned and operated since 2002, and prides itself on its high-quality craftsmanship, exceptional customer service, and professional acumen. BCG has a reputation for always completing its roofing and restoration projects on time and on budget.The company states: "BCG is a full-service roofing company with extensive knowledge in many different roofing systems. With our 5-year craftsmanship warranty you can rest at ease that we have you covered." Chris Braswell summarizes his overall mission by offering the following statement. "We strive to achieve the highest quality and reliable services in order to surpass all expectations. Your home is a lifetime investment and your most precious asset; this is why we value each and every customer's desire to have a qualified professional working on the premises of your home." Braswell Construction Group has been featured several times in both Yahoo Finance, Reuters, ABC, FOX, NBC, among many others as an industry leader and the top Roofing Contractor and best Shake & Slate Roofing Specialist in the state of Georgia. You can learn more about BCG and their high-standing reputation via these past features here:Braswell Construction Group operates from three Georgia locations to service homeowners with all their roofing and restoration needs in Covington/Conyers, Atlanta, Greensboro/Lake Oconee, and their respective surrounding areas. For more information please visit https://www.braswellconstructiongroup.com Contact Info:Name: Michelle BirdEmail: Send EmailOrganization: Braswell Construction Group, Inc. Roofing & RestorationAddress: 1051 Village Park Dr, Greensboro, GA 30642, United StatesPhone: +1-678-283-2551Website: http://www.braswellconstructiongroup.com SOURCE: Braswell Construction Group
PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-31 04:20:36

Press Information





Published by

ACCESSWIRE News Network

888.952.4446

e-mail

http://www.accesswire.com







# 540 Words

ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 30, 2019 / Upper Street Marketing Inc. (OTC Pink:UPPR), one of the only companies in the world to control every phase of the cannabidiol (CBD) extraction cycle from seed to consumer, today announced that it will be presenting at the 9th annual LD Micro Invitational on Wednesday, June 5 at 11 AM PST / 2 PM EST. President / CEO Joseph Earle will be presenting and meeting with investors.Now fully legal as a non-psychoactive product of industrial hemp, CBD has been promoted as an effective treatment for everything from arthritis to insomnia. To date, the only FDA-approved uses are for two rare forms of childhood epilepsy, but current CBD supply already falls far short of projected demand.Fortune magazine and other publications have contemplated a 100X surge in CBD consumption between now and 2023, at which point UPPR and other producers will need to ramp up output from a currently minimal 50,000 kg of isolate to as much as 3.5 million kg. An estimated 7% of Americans are currently consuming CBD products, with that population conservatively expanding 30% (to 25 million adults) by 2025.UPPR welcomes the challenge and recognizes the scope of the commercial opportunity ahead, as CEO Earle's presentation will reveal."This year's Invitational will showcase some of the most unique names in the financial world, from early-stage start-ups to well-established names on the national exchanges" stated Chris Lahiji, while waiting in the longest TSA line in history. "Even though LD has emerged as one of the largest and most influential organizations in the space, our focus has never deviated from showcasing some of the more interesting businesses in the world to our ever growing community." The LD Micro Invitational will take place June 4th and 5th in Los Angeles, at the Luxe Sunset Bel Air Hotel, will feature 230 companies, and will be attended by over 1,000 individuals.View Upper Street Marketing Inc.'s profile here: http://www.ldmicro.com/profile/UPPR Profiles powered by LD Micro - News Compliments of AccesswireAbout Upper Street Marketing Inc.Now fully legal as a non-psychoactive product of industrial hemp, cannabidiol (CBD) has been promoted as an effective treatment for everything from arthritis to insomnia. To date, the only FDA-approved uses are for two rare forms of childhood epilepsy. With one of the only integrated "seed to consumer" platforms for participating in all phases of the industry from crop to value-added commercial and clinical product development, UPPR intends to be a leader in FDA cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) capabilities in the hemp and CBD marketplace.About LD MicroLD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space.What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into several influential events annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and micro-cap universe.For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com for more information.Contact:Phone: (844) 535-UPPRAddress: 17311 Caminito Canasto, San Diego, CA, USA, 92127Email: investorrelations@ upperstreetmarketing.com SOURCE: Upper Street Marketing
PR-Inside.com: 2019-05-31 13:07:01

News release from Vestas Mediterranean

Madrid, 31 May 2019



Brazilian energy company Echoenergia has placed a 97 MW order to supply and install 23 V150-4.2 MW turbines at the Serra do Mel wind park, located in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The order is an extension of the 101 MW Serra do Mel project, which was Vestas first V150-4.2 MW turbine order in Brazil.



The order takes Vestas firm order intake for the V150-4.2 MW in Brazil to 1,063 MW since October 2018, when the company announced plans to produce the turbine variant in Ceara. Reaching 1 GW in seven months underlines the V150-4.2 MW turbines excellent fit with Brazils wind conditions, including very competitive levelised cost of energy and Vestas ability to customise wind energy solutions to site specific needs.

With this order Vestas surpasses the 1 GW of firm order intake for the V150-4.2 MW in Brazil in just seven months. The milestone shows the impact that this turbine has had in the market. We are also very glad to achieve this milestone with Echoenergia, which was the first customer in Brazilian to place an order for the V150-4.2 MW turbine, states Rogerio S. Zampronha, Vestas managing director for Brazil and Southern LATAM.

The nacelles will be manufactured at the Vestas factory in Ceara, while blades and towers also will be locally produced under the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) FINAME II rules.

Turbine delivery is scheduled for the second quarter of 2020, while commissioning is planned for June 2020.

For more information, please contact:

Andres Dominguez Sahagun

Communications Consultant

Vestas Mediterranean

Tel.: +34 649294007

E-mail: Andms@vestas.com

About Vestas

Vestas is the energy industrys global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with more than 102 GW of wind turbines in 80 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled more than 87 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas more than 24,500 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future.

For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images .

We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels:

Attachment
The Nigerian government has said it will provide 6.5 million smart cards for improved seed containers in the country.

The DG National Agriculture Seed Council (NASC), Philp Ojo, said this during a meeting with some partners in Abuja on Thursday.

The meeting had as its theme Increasing Production and Dissemination of Quality Early Generation seeds to improve income and food security of Farmers in Nigeria.

He said the scratch cards will be attached to the seed container and will benefit over two million farmers with a target of 1810 early generation seeds.

Mr Ojo said the electronic turnkey is a new innovation that will be used in the area of seed certification.

Last month, PREMIUM TIMES reported that NASC had continued to demand the use of quality seeds in the Nigerian agricultural sector for better yield.

They said farmers patronise seed merchants who sell them fake seeds that endanger their businesses.

Mr Ojo had warned the fake seed peddlers to desist from further sale of adulterated seeds as the effects are huge.

NASC also announced its transition from analogue to digital certification of seeds.

The aim of the transition is to monitor seeds and improve the agricultural yield across the nation.

Farmers, with the help of the seed tracker, will be able to discern adulterated seeds from anywhere in the world electronically.

Meanwhile, the official said there are specific expectations from the project, which will improve the livelihood of the farmers.

This will be through increase in their harvest, he said.

He outlined various challenges facing the industry such as dissemination of the early generation seed which he said had been the problem of the seed industry.

Similarly, the technical adviser to the DG NASC, Folarin Otedola, said funds have been received and will be channelled to  those concerned.

Also speaking at the event, the Country Manager, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Kehinde Makinde, promised to ensure that agriculture has the right kind of priority that will help the sector thrive.

We are also planning on making the system work and more deliverable, and as regard to that, we are working with different donor agencies and we are looking to work on an efficient seed system, he said.

Mr Makinde gave the assurance that with the right quality seeds and flexible fertiliser system, there will be improvement in the sector.

How the technology works

Meanwhile, the head, corporate affairs, Chukwudi Madu, said the network uses technology to ensure that farmers have easier access to the agricultural sector

He said the technology puts a system in place to give proper details of the work done on the farm. He also said the system is easy to use through sending of sms.

Aside from the farmers authenticating the seeds, the seed council has access of checking what seeds are sold and where sold, he said.

He said every seed company will have a tag and the council will be informed before any action is taken and such will be monitored in real time.

Advertisements



It has access to the farmers and the seed companies and in a more elaborate form, the site can be used for demonstration for the donor agencies that are involved, he explained.
The President of the Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN), Kabiru Maikaba, has said that soon, the Kannywood film regulatory body will stop producers from making love-themed movies.

Mr Maikaba, who spoke to BBC Hausa on Thursday, said the Kannywood film producers concentrate more on producing love-themed movies instead of making other films that will shape the society.

About 80 per cent of the films we produce in Kannywood are all based on love and relationships, which is not supposed to be. Why do we have to put our weight more on basically love related films knowing fully well that we also have other issues we can actually produce on?

Northern Nigeria is a hub of history. Why cant our producers go deep into it and produce a film that will portray our history and cultures? I want to tell you that soon, we will be having our general election and after that election, we shall enforce measures that will reject movies that are purely based on love.

We shall sanction the producer by stopping him from producing films for a very long time and so we shall continue, until we sanitise the industry.

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES spoke to some producers in the industry on the planned measures by MOPPPAN. While many said the move will cripple the industry, others believe it is right for MOPPAN to take such a decision.

Hassana Dalhat, a Kannywood film promoter and analyst, said while the initiative will sanitise the industry and give it a new face, many producers will run out of business if care is not taken.

The general perception is that Kannywood copies their style of acting and producing from India. And you know Indian films are mostly love related. In Kannywood, actors dance and it is always about love. Fans are used to that style too. Derailing from it will surely cost the industry but to a large extent it will give the industry a new face, Dalhat said.

Ali Ali, who is also a producer, said while it will surely be a good idea to encourage producers to make films out of the box, stopping it at once is not something that is feasible at the moment. Instead, producers should be encouraged to produce other styles of films.

Fans who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES supported the initiative but insisted that it should be gradual.

Hafsat Mohammed told our reporter that, in this part of Nigeria, the love and relationship related movies are what people like. It will cost them their loyal fans.

If you look at it now, ZeeWorld is already taking away many of their fans. The movies are dubbed in Hausa and that is where the show is now. I advise that they think about it and do it gradually. Already, Kannywood is not rocking like it used to.
Award winning rapper, Kanye West has bared details on his struggles with bipolar disorder.

Kanye, who has been campaigning against the stigmatisation of people with mental health issues, opened up in the new season of David Lettermans Netflix show, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

In a clip of the episode, which is set to drop Friday, Letterman asks Kanye,What is the mechanism that is malfunctioning or is taking a break in your brain, do you know?

Kanye replied, I wouldnt be able to explain that as much just because, you know, Im not a doctor.

I can just tell you what Im feeling at the time, and I feel a heightened connection with the universe when Im ramping up. It is a health issue.

This  its like a sprained brain, like having a sprained ankle. And if someone has a sprained ankle, youre not going to push on him more.

With us, once our brain gets to a point of spraining, people do everything to make it worse.

You have this moment [where] you feel everyone wants to kill you. You pretty much dont trust anyone.

When youre in this state, youre hyper-paranoid about everything, everyone. This is my experience, other people have different experiences.

Everyone now is an actor. Everythings a conspiracy. You feel the government is putting chips in your head. You feel youre being recorded. You feel all these things, West said.

Kanye recounted being diagnosed with bipolar disorder two years ago and described his experience with an involuntary psychiatric hold in 2016.

Further explaining his experience, he said, They have this moment where they put you, they handcuff you, they drug you, they put you on the bed, and they separate you from everyone you know.

Thats something that I am so happy that I experienced myself so I can start by changing that moment, he said.

Kanye first shared his bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2018 on his album, Ye. He referenced taking medication to treat his condition in his conversation with Letterman.

If you dont take medication every day to keep you at a certain state, you have a potential to ramp up and it can take you to a point where you can even end up in the hospital.

And you start acting erratic, as TMZ would put it, he said in reference to his impromptu visit to the celebrity gossip websites headquarters, which sparked headlines.

Kanye told Letterman hes choosing to speak about his diagnosis because of a strong stigma around mental health.

People are allowed to say anything about it and discriminate in any way, Kanye said.

He said he is under a doctors care, that he uses alternative treatment methods, but he thinks medication may work with others with bipolar disorder.

Fans had speculations about his condition for years, particularly after he was hospitalised for a psychiatric emergency in November 2016 just after cancelling his Saint Pablo tour.

Kanye seemingly confirmed that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018 with the release of Ye.

In April, his wife, Kim Kardashian West also confirmed his diagnosis in an interview with Vogue, saying the couple had reached a pretty good placewith his mental health.

It is an emotional process, for sure, the 38-year-old reality mogul told Vogue. Right now everything is really calm.

Advertisements



But we can definitely feel episodes coming, and we know how to handle them.

The rapper took steps towards normalizing mental health issues with the release of his latest album cover which read, I Hate Being Bipolar. Its Awesome.

(NAN)
As a lady born with HIV, I have faced lots of stigma issues that made me feel people living with HIV are not humans.

The worst of them all was when a laboratory scientist revealed my status to my friend and the entire community got to know about it.

It was a depressing period for me, and the only thing that kept me going was my boldness.

These were the words of Anita Ikwe, a 21-year-old woman.

Stigma and discrimination are considered major problems for people living with HIV/AIDS globally.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

People living with HIV often experience stigma, hostility, denial of gainful employment, forced resignation or retirement, delivery of poor quality treatment and segregation in hospital wards.

From the reporters findings, fear of rejection is rife amongst persons living with the ailment in Nigeria.

Miss Ikwe is one of the many Nigerians born with the virus.

At age 10, I saw a doctor at the University College Hospital, Ibadan writing HIV positive and viral load on a form.

While I was stepping out, I asked my mum. Do I have HIV? And her response was, yes; you have HIV. She said it carelessly, and that was how I knew about my status, she said

Just like Ms Ikwe, millions of People Living With HIV (PLHIV) have to deal with stigma.

Once people know you are positive to the virus, the stigma comes in consciously or unconsciously.

Stigmatisation is nothing new to people living with HIV. If you do not experience it from family members, you will get it from health workers and society.

As long as the society is concerned, once you have HIV, you have become a walking ghost, says Ameh (the first name withheld).

However, unlike Ikwe, Ameh was not born with the virus.

I was not born with HIV. I got to know of my status at age 22, she said.

Global HIV Prevalence

The ailment is one of the worlds most serious public health challenges.

According to UNAIDS, about 36.9 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS in 2017, of which 1.8 million were children.

The Nigerian HIV/AIDs Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) indicates that about 1.9 million Nigerians are currently living with the disease, according to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

Globally, in 2017, about 21.7 million people living with HIV (59 per cent) were accessing antiretroviral therapy, an increase of 2.3 million since 2016 and up from 8 million in 2010.

AIDS-related deaths are also said to have reduced by more than 51 per cent since its peak in 2004.

In 2017, 940 000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses worldwide, compared to 1.4 million in 2010 and 1.9 million in 2004.

Advertisements



Stigma

According to the Executive Secretary of Civil Society for HIV/AIDs in Nigeria (CISHAN), Walter Ugwocha, the fear of stigma is one of the factors holding people back from getting tested.

Roselyn Adejo, a sex worker in one of the brothels in Kubwa, a suburb in the FCT, agrees that the fear of stigmatisation discourages people from getting tested for HIV.

Some of my friends will not go to the hospital for testing because of the way the nurses react towards us.

Once they know you are a sex worker, they discriminate, gossip among themselves and you will know from the way they look at you, she said.

She, however, agrees that her choice of work puts her at a higher risk of contracting the diseases.

You know how risky this line of work can be. Condoms break sometimes, but due to the way people discriminate out there, I feel reluctant going for HIV test, she said.

According to UNAIDS, the key populations most affected by HIV/AIDS in Nigeria are sex workers, gay men (men who have sex with men) and people who inject drugs.

Although prostitution is illegal in Nigeria, the trade is still thriving in some parts of the country.

Denied employment

Miss Phils (first name withheld), a 28-years-old lady living with the virus was reportedly denied a bank job due to her HIV status.

Out of so many people that came for the interview, I made it through to the final stage. We were later asked to come for medical assessment, and that was the last I heard of them.

But I now have a federal job, which is okay for me, she said.

She said she was not aware of the HIV/AIDS (Anti Discrimination) ACT, 2014, which frowns against employers denying PLHIV job opportunities.

Act protecting PLHIV

The HIV/AIDS (Anti Discrimination) Act of 2014, makes provision for the prevention of HIV/AIDS based discrimination and to protect the fundamental human rights and dignity of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

The Act was enacted in 2014 to deter the general public from discriminating against people living with the virus.

The Act frowns against the ill-treatment of PLHIV in health facilities, religious places, schools, job denial, denial of access to communal places amongst others.

Part 1 (5) (1) of the Act states that; No individual, community, institution and employer or employee shall discriminate, directly or indirectly, against any person in the society based on the persons HIV status or perception of same in employment, delivery of services and other benefits.

Sadly, despite the existence of this law, PLHIV still face discrimination regularly.

Ignorance

Ms Phils said at the time of the incident, she did not know about the act.

The incident was like a year after I discovered my HIV status, so I did not know about the act then. I just wanted to live my life and survive at that time, she said

Miss Ikwe also said at the time she experienced stigmatisation, she was unaware of the act.

Only if I knew my rights then the way I know it now, it would have been a different story, she said.

Stigma spreads the virus

Studies have repeatedly shown that, when HIV-infected people take their antiretroviral treatment correctly, their viral loads become suppressed.

This makes it almost impossible for them to transmit the virus to others.

If stigma prevents HIV-infected people from getting on to treatment, the virus will be allowed to flourish. People who dont know they are infected with HIV would not know that they require treatment, Mr Ugwocha said.

Way Forward

Mr Ugwocha said stigmatisation is still very much around with us.

He said from the health worker to the society, to the religious entity, stigma is still a very big issue.

Stigma is the attitude; discrimination is the action. It is a very big issue for people living with HIV in Nigeria. In Abuja recently, some people were refused treatment because of their HIV status.

We lost someone about four weeks ago in Wuse General Hospital because of the persons status; it was becoming difficult for the person to be given the appropriate treatment. The case became complicated, and she died.

We also had issues of a couple preparing for their wedding in two weeks only for the woman to discover she is HIV positive. And the man refused to go ahead with the wedding, thereby pushing the woman into depression, he said.

AIDS Agency speaks

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, the Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Sani Aliyu, said the issues of discrimination and stigma in Nigeria is worrisome.

You cannot get on top of HIV if we continue to have a stigma. People dont have a choice when it comes to HIV.

If you get it, it is because you accidentally hit it. Nobody voluntarily goes out to catch HIV. So why should you stigmatise that person? he said.

He said the government would persecute employers requesting for HIV test results before employing people.

As a government, we will not tolerate stigma and discrimination. We have done a lot of work in the recent past. People living with HIV, who have had issues with their employers, we have supported them and linked them with lawyers.

And we will make an example of employers that we know are trying to commit this crime because it is unacceptable, he said.
Haleema Yousef lives in an uncompleted building in Kubwa, a suburb of Abuja. She shares the single room with her husband and five children.

The shack also serves as a shop where she does henna designs for her customers and prepares the moi-moi (a local delicacy) her children help her sell. Haleema does odd jobs such as house cleaning, hair weaving, among others to make a living.

While tending to her youngest son, Malik, who kept wailing for attention as she applied henna on the customer. The customer jokes that Malik would soon be having a young sibling.

Haleema replied she is not against the idea. When prodded, she said she does not use any modern Family Planning (FP) method.

According to her, although she has the knowledge of FP, she uses the local traditional methods for child spacing.

My husband must not hear that I want to use family planning. He will be very angry and there is no how I will use it without him knowing. I dont want trouble for myself, she said.

Hurdles

Hasanas story is slightly different as she has knowledge of family planning and has secretly adopted it without the knowledge of her husband.

At 19, she already has two children. According to her, she wants to have four or five children. She has also taken a bold decision about her reproductive health. She confided in the reporter that she has adopted an FP method without the knowledge or consent of her husband.

She said she was in JS2 in Borno before she got married and moved to Abuja due to the insurgency. She said she got to know about family planning from some of her friends who are also married and using the method, also without the consent of their spouses.

I cannot tell my husband. He will not agree. He can beat me. It is if he knows, there will be (a) problem. I use injection, so he does not know or see me with drugs or touch my arm and ask what is there, she said.

Controversial

Family Planning is the practice of controlling the number of children one has and the intervals between their births. The adoption of modern contraceptives as a way to ensure family planning remains one of the most controversial health issues in Nigeria.

Several factors such as religion and cultural traditions have been used as excuses by many Nigerians who reject family planning. Gender inequalities based on social norms have also been identified as a bane of family planning in the country.

Mr Umar, One of his wife and some of his children

The norms have restricted womens access to services and stripped them of the powers to access modern contraceptives and making healthy decisions regarding their reproductive health.

Different Scenario

For Alisa Umar and her co-wife, Amina Umar, their husband is aware they use family planning although they started more recently.

Alisa, a middle-aged woman, has put to bed 11 times. Seven died before their fifth birthday.

Alisa fled the insurgency in her home in Borno State and now lives at the unofficial Internal Displaced Peoples (IDP) camp at Damangaza on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Alisa said she never heard of modern contraceptives until she followed her co-wife to the hospital in Abuja when the latter had hard labour which led to a stillbirth.

The incident with Amina was after Alisas tenth child. Alisa has since been using a modern form of family planning.

She said that helped her space her tenth and eleventh child. She, however, said she is done with childbearing and would not mind having a permanent family planning.

Her narrative in Hausa was translated by her husband, Muhammed.

Before her adoption of modern contraceptives, Alisa and her co-wife have been using the traditional herbs and relying on nature to plan their pregnancies.

Most at times, she said, this fails.

I cannot tell my husband I do not want to have sex, it is unacceptable for a woman to turn down her husband anytime he requests.

Advertisements



Mr Umar and family

I no wan born reach like that plenty, not ok. But husband comes, go, belle will come, it is Allah. Nothing to do, Alisa giggled, in pidgin.

Alisa said fate had a role to play in the number of children she has because she and her husband never discussed how many children they intended having.

We have local herbs we used if we dont want to get pregnant, but sometimes its not effective, she said.

She described the type of family planning method she now uses.

They put something in my private part but blood was too much so I went back to complain and they put something in the arm (implant) for six months and it is ok.

I removed it when I wanted to have my last child and I took in almost immediately. After my son, I have been collecting injection and it is free, she said.

Her co-wife, Amina Umar, had nine children; eight are alive. She got to know about family planning when she lost her last child during delivery.

According to her, a traditional birth attendant and Alisa were the ones who were helping her take deliveries until it became difficult and she was losing a lot of blood..

Amina was rushed to the Gwarinpa General Hospital where she lost the baby. She said it was while she was at the hospital, the doctor introduced family planning to her.

Amina said she first used the intrauterine device like her co-wife but they had to go and remove it when they were having a heavy flow, itching and feeling pains.

She said she could not use the arm implant like her co-wife because the doctor told her she has a blood shortage. She said she opted for injections and has been going for it every three months.

Benefits of Family Planning

FP can prevent closely spaced and ill-timed pregnancies and birth which contributes to some of the worlds highest maternal and infant mortality rates. Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest maternal and child mortality rates globally.

Amina, however, said she might not be going for her next shot because she intends getting pregnant again.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Amina and Alisas husband, Muhammed Umar, who lost a leg to gunshot wounds while running away from the Boko Haram attackers, said he is more comfortable with the fact that his wives are using FP.

He said that has reduced the incidence of getting unwanted pregnancies.

Being the head of the IDP settlement, he said he has also taken it upon himself to advice men to allow their wives to use family planning.

He said most men are, however, yet to embrace the idea based on religious and cultural reasons.

Expert take

The World Health Organisation in its 2017 fact sheet on the use of contraceptives said there has been an increased usage in many parts of the world, especially in Asia and Latin America. But usage continues to be low in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In Nigeria, the use is still despite the governments effort to provide family planning services.

According to the 2016/17 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Report on FP in Nigeria, only 13 per cent of women aged 15 to 49, currently married or in a union, use any family planning method.

The statistics reveal that much still needs to be done, especially in the northern part of the country to make Nigerian women embrace modern contraceptives.

Mohammed Ndalima, a health worker and family planning provider in Dobi Primary Health Care Centre, Gwagwalada, said he will rate adoption of FP services in the community as fair.

Mr Ndalima said there is still a lot of work to do in order to get the people to adopt FP.

The chief head needs to convince them to go for FP. Most of the women have more than five children and she is taking care of them all by herself. They also need the consent of their husbands to do FP. If they do the FP without the consent of the husband, its a problem for them at home, he said.

Mr Ndalima said the PHC provides free family planning method for the women once every month.

He said the lack of consent from spouses is a major constraining factor affecting the success of the family planning campaign in the community.

He said even if the women accept FP, the husbands are the main issues.

When they come for FP, I either tell them to come with their husbands or give me his number to call him. I call the husband and try to convince him to see the benefit of FP.

He, however, said, The new principle on FP is that if a woman wants to do it without anyones knowledge, they come over and we do it for them.

Despite the new principle, however, the official said he and his colleagues still demand the consent of husbands.

The FP NGO insists we do it without the husbands approval and if there is any trouble, they will stand for us. But because of community issues, we still involve the husbands most of the times, he said.

Mr Ndalima said the most preferred FP plan is the implant. He said few women accept the injectibles.

The NGOs that supply us prefer the IUD because it does not have, any hormonal issues. When they use it, the women come back within a week to remove it because their husbands are complaining that it affects their sexual pleasure. Another issue with IUD is that the user needs to be very clean otherwise infection will set in. When infection sets in, its an issue because she will be having much bleeding and pains, he said.

Also at Kubwa General Hospital, the family planning officer who asked not to be named, said more women are embracing FP even without the consent of their spouses.

She said most women who want to space their children prefer the injectables and implant. She said it is less stressful and for those who did not take consent from their spouses, it is more discrete.

She said they have stopped asking women to bring their husbands for consent.

If a woman walks in for FP, we counsel her on the best method based on her childbearing history, blood pressure, and health status. We chose a suitable method either long term plan or short term for her.

We do not ask them for their husbands consent any longer because they have a choice to choose what they want to do. Most of the men will say no, but the health and economic burden of the family is mostly on the women. In most cases the women are the ones who feed the house so they should be able to give birth to the number of children she knows she can cater for, she said.

Family Planning For Population Control

Apart from health experts, many Nigerian lawmakers have also called on the government to actively encourage family planning to check the countrys burgeoning population.

Nigerias population is currently estimated at over 200 million with the country expected to overtake the U.S. population by 2050.

One of the lawmakers who has strongly advocated for family planning is Lanre Tejuoso.

If we continue to allow the families to grow, it means we are heading to doom, Mr Tejuoso said at a family planning conference in December.

The most important thing is the green dot and every woman should be encouraged to walk into any outlet with the green dot to access FP services, he said.

Another senator, Ben Murray-Bruce, asked the government to make family planning a policy to control the countrys population.

Whats our population control policy? Does anybody care how many children we have? Does anybody care how many we ought to have?

Mr Burray-Bruce linked the lack of population control policy to the high rate of poverty in the country.

Muslims and Christians will criticise me for my position but unless the government have a population control policy; one, we cannot solve the problem, he said.
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday heard that one of its judges facing money laundering charges before the court, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, is on admission at a Lagos hospital and could not stand trial.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Mrs Ofili-Ajumogobia and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla, to the court on 18 counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful enrichment, retention of crime proceeds and money laundering.

The defendants are standing trial before Justice Rilwan Aikawa.

Each of them pleaded not guilty to all the charges and were granted bail in the sum of N10 million each, with two sureties in like sum.

The defendants were first charged before an Ikeja division of the High Court which struck out the charges on jurisdictional grounds.

Consequent upon striking out of the charges, the EFCC preferred same charges against the defendants before the Federal High Court.

At the last adjourned date on May 18, first defence counsel, Robert Clarke (SAN), informed the court of a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court.

In the same vein, second defence counsel, Ferdinard Orbih (SAN), had also drawn the courts attention to pending motions before the court seeking to separate the charges in favour of the second defendant.

Justice Aikawa had then fixed May 31 (today) for hearing of pending motions.

However, when the case was called on Friday, first defence counsel, Mr Clarke, informed the court of a letter indicating the state of health of the first defendant, and indicating that she was currently on admission in the hospital.

He noted that it was important for a defendant to be physically present in court for trial, adding that in the light of the health status of the first defendant, the court should adjourn the case to a further date.

The essence of Criminal Justice is for the defendant to be present and listen to proceedings; the trial has not begun, as what is before Your Lordship is hearing of the preliminary objections.

Todays proceedings dont amount to commencement of trial, it is solely to determine whether Your Lordship has jurisdiction, he said

He argued that the presence of the defendant was vital for proceedings to continue, and therefore, urged the court to grant an adjournment.

This oral application was not opposed by second defence counsel.

But, the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, in response, told the court that he had yet to read the said letter, and he requested to go through same in court.

After going through the said letter, Mr Oyedepo noted that from the wordings of the letter, it was stated that the defendant was neither pale, nor distressed, and so, should not ordinarily serve as a basis for stopping the trial.

Besides, he added that the defendant had an antecedent of such practice, adding that the same was not strange.

My Lord I will read this letter and I want to pay attention to the second and third paragraphs, which says that;

On presentation, she is not in obvious distress, she is not pale, she is not dehydrated and that on presentation her BP was 160/110.

And that she has had prior episodes of elevated blood pressure and on that account, she is admitted for observation at our facility, he read.

Mr Oyedepo argued that the report was a qualified one which shows that the defendant was at least not in distress.

At this point, the court requested to verify from the husband of the defendant who was in court, if she was still on admission and the husband confirmed that the defendant was still on admission.

Advertisements



Following the development and based on the consensus of respective parties, the court adjourned the case until June 24 for hearing of the pending motions.

EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired on May 21, 2014, to indirectly conceal different sums of money in the Diamond Bank account of Nigel and Colive Ltd, a company alleged to be operated by Ajumogobia.

They were alleged to have conspired to retain in the same account, N500 million, which they both reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of unlawful acts of unlawful enrichment.

For instance, Mrs Ofili-Ajumogobia was alleged to have on different dates in 2014, retained sums of monies like N5million, 150,000 dollars, 20,000 dollars, 30,000 dollars, 50,000 dollars, and 55,000 dollars in the Diamond bank account of Nigel and Colive.

The EFCC also accused her of indirectly concealing N12million in the same account, and making a false statement to the EFCC that the money was payment for the sale of landed property.

The alleged offences contravene the provisions of Sections 15 (2) (a) and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011. (NAN)
WAMECA 2019: Call for Entries

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is calling for submissions for the third edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA).

WAMECA 2019 will be held on October 18 and 19 in Accra, Ghana and will focus on the theme: Social Media, Fake news and Elections in Africa.

The Awards are opened to journalists from print, electronic and online media in Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries in West Africa. An Applicant must be West African, working with and for a media organisation(s). An Entry for the Awards must have been published or broadcast between the period January 1 to December 31, 2018.

WAMECA 2019 will honour outstanding works of journalism in West Africa in the following categories:

Telecoms & ICTs Reporting

Oil and Gas Reporting

Banking and Finance Reporting

Business and SMEs Reporting

Anti-Corruption Reporting

Investigative Reporting

Environmental Reporting

SDGs Reporting

Human Rights Reporting

Health Reporting

ECOWAS and Regional Integration Reporting

Photo Journalism

The deadline for the submission of the entries is on June 30, 2019 at 17.00 GMT. Finalists for WAMECA 2019 Awards will be announced on October 1, 2019.

Interested applicants should upload published works via the entry form on the website: www.mfwa.org/wameca. The entry should be an original work published through a media outlet in West Africa and must show date of publication/broadcast and the medium in which the work was published. Applicants may submit entries to a maximum of two categories. For each category, a maximum of two entries is permitted.

Finalists for the awards will be hosted at West Africa Media Excellence Conference on October 18-19 2019, where the awards ceremony will be held. The Conference will feature sessions on topical journalism issues and also provide opportunities for networking among journalists, editors, and experts from West Africa.

Below are the important dates:

Deadline for submission of entries: June 30, 2019

Assessment of entries and selection of finalists: August, 2019

Announcement of finalists: October 1, 2019

Advertisements



Conference: October 18, 2019

Awards Night: October 19, 2019

Make your submission here.

For more information, visit www.mfwa.org/wameca or email us at wameca[@]mfwa.org or call the MFWA on +233 302 -242470

WAMECA is an initiative of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) MFWA to promote media excellence in the sub region
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has declared the emergency phase of the Lassa fever outbreak ravaging the country over.

This is after four and a half months of the country combating the disease in 21 states, leading to 129 deaths.

The announcement was made in a press statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

The statement was co-signed by the Director General, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, and the Officer-in-Charge, World Health Organisation, Nigeria, (WHO) Clement Peter.

The emergency phase of the 2019 Lassa fever outbreak was declared over following a joint epidemiological review by NCDC, WHO Nigeria and other partners.

Due to increased report of cases of the disease in some states across the country, NCDC earlier this year (January 22) declared a Lassa fever emergency in Nigeria.

The agency had activated a national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to coordinate response activities in the face of rising Lassa fever cases across the country. This was done by NCDC, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).

Robust response

Mr Ihekweazu said following a robust response, the Lassa fever case count has significantly declined in the past seven weeks and has now dropped below levels considered to be a national emergency.

This year, there was also a decline in case fatality rate of Lassa fever, from 27 per cent in 2018 to 22 per cent in 2019, he said.

Between January and May, 26,578 confirmed cases of Lassa fever were reported, causing 129 deaths from 21 states.

These figures are lower than what was recorded as at 2018 when the outbreak was declared over.

In 2018, between January and May, (week 21) when the emergency response was declared over, 1968 suspected Lassa fever cases with 431 laboratory confirmed cases and 158 deaths were reported from 141 LGAs from 29 states.

2019 Outbreak

Lassa fever outbreak has become a yearly occurence in Nigeria. Lassa fever is a hemorrhagic fever caused by the lassa virus host in rats.

In Nigeria, the disease occurs all year round, but peaks between January and April.

During the 2019 outbreak, 18 healthcare workers were infected in eight states  Edo  7, Ondo  3, Ebonyi  2, Enugu  1, Rivers  1, Bauchi -1, Benue  1, Plateau  1 and Kebbi -1  with two deaths in Enugu and Edo states.

Twenty one States: Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Plateau, Taraba, FCT, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kwara, Benue, Rivers, Kogi, Enugu, Imo, Delta, Oyo, Kebbi and Cross River hrecorded at least one confirmed case across 82 local government areas.

Also, 93 per cent of all confirmed cases are from Edo  (36 per cent), Ondo (29 per cent), Ebonyi (8 per cent), Bauchi (7 per cent), Taraba (7 per cent) and Plateau (6 per cent).

According to NCDC, the predominant age-group affected is 21-40 years (Range: >1 month to 89 years, Median Age: 32 years) and the male to female ratio for confirmed cases is 1.2:1.

Not yet over

Mr Ihekweazu said given that Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria, it is likely that the country will continue to record cases of Lassa fever.

He said despite the end of the emergency phase of this outbreak, NCDC expects that sporadic cases may continue to be reported in endemic areas/hotspots.

He added that the agency will now coordinate preparedness and response activities through a multi-sectoral Lassa fever Technical Working Group.

NCDC will continue to improve its knowledge, preparedness and response to Lassa fever outbreaks, he added.

The groups focus is to continue monitoring cases, as well as improve disease prevention, surveillance, diagnosis and response activities across all levels in Nigeria.

Advertisements



However, we have several research strategies to improve our knowledge of the disease. We are also working with states and partners to establish more long-term strategies such as improved risk communication, infection prevention and control, regular environmental sanitation, enhanced capacity of health workers and improvement of treatment centres among others.

Also, Mr Peter added that WHO remains committed to working with the Government of Nigeria and other partners to sustain and improve Nigerias capacity to detect, prepare for and respond to Lassa fever outbreaks including implementing a Lassa fever research plan and other control strategies.
There was confusion in the Borno State civil service, Friday, when the new governor paid an unscheduled visit to the state secretariat complex Maiduguri only to find out that only four workers had resumed duty as at 8:30 a.m.

The Borno State secretariat hosts about 12,000 of the total 17,000 workers in the state. But the governor, Babagana Zulum, was shocked to meet only four workers within the secretariat complex. The absent workers represent 99.97 per cent of those on the payroll of the state government, who work at the secretariat.

The flabbergasted governor decided to embark on an office to office tour of the complex with the aim of keeping an inventory of those he would find in their offices between 8.30 an and 9.30 am.

While the governor was busy moving from one office to another, civil servants, especially junior workers were seen frantically calling on their colleagues or bosses to rush down to the secretariat before the governor gets to their offices.

By 9:30 a.m., the governor ended his office check at the office of Secretary to the State Government, where he did not only express his total disappointment but questioned the justification of governments continued payment of salaries to a derelict workforce.

The governor said he decided to sneak into the secretariat without even prompting his protocol personnel, following a meeting he had with the NLC the previous day.

He had on his first day in office, hosted the NLC leaders who came to complain about non-payment of some workers salaries due to the ongoing biometric data capturing exercise.

The governor said he visited the secretariat to see how the workers for whom the NLC talked about conduct themselves in their duty posts.

Yesterday, I received in my office the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and among their concern is non-payment of salaries to some categories of staff who have not been captured by the biometric system that was put in place by my predecessor, the new governor told journalists.

Some have complained that they have been captured but are yet to be paid their salaries.

The other complaint of the NLC is that of leave grant as well as an annual increment.

In my modest wisdom, I decided to visit the state secretariat which hosts the largest chunk of the state workforce to determine the desirability or otherwise of paying the civil service.

On my visit this morning, even though I am a human being who is aware that the Ramadan fasting on going, I came into the secretariat at about 8:30 a.m. and met a total of not more than about four (4) staff on ground.

By 9:40 a.m., only a total of 130 staff were in the Secretariat.

If this is the case in our government offices, what justification do we then have to pay the civil servants?

Im ready to pay salaries and even clear backlogs, and Im ready to work with the civil servants, but there is no food for a lazy man under our government.

We must enshrine discipline in what we do. People must come to work and justify the money they receive from the government.

Any civil servant found erring in this regard shall be dealt with, no matter how highly placed he or she is.

This administration will critically examine the requests of the civil servants and act on them. But on the other hand, we also have to justify the confidence reposed in the civil servants.

Yesterday, the office of the biometric service was called and a lot of things was said about it, but I am saying that Im not coming to completely withdraw the Biometric exercise and I commend the effort of my predecessor for initiating the biometric exercise.

Unfortunately, I saw it in the media where somebody was quoting me that I said I dont care about the biometric exercise. I have never said so. I had a meeting with the main objective of strengthening the Biometric system by determining those who were not paid; the pensioners as well as those who were still in the service in order to fast track the process. That was the whole idea.

Rewards for Punctuality

The governor said his visitation will not go in vain as he decided to reward those he found in their office at the time he checked.

Advertisements



There are 17,000 workers in the Borno State civil service as I have been briefed by the Head of Service. And in the state secretariat, we have over 12,000. Our record today shows that by 8:30 am not more than four staff were on the ground.

So as a way of discouraging this bad and unacceptable attitude to work, the head of service has been given the directive to pay the leave grants of those 135 civil servants immediately, this included their unpaid salary increment. The permanent secretaries that I met in office should also be paid the remaining 50 per cent balance of their furniture allowances.

The rest of the civil servants that were found absent during my unscheduled visit will not go without being reprimanded.

We may either issue them query, or we may decide to warn them and those warnings will be filed in their record.

This situation has been very obnoxious and will not be allowed to remain unchanged.

The dedicated staff shall be rewarded, the governor said.
A fresh case of Circulating Polio Virus (CPV) has been discovered in a sewage located at Darmanawa Ward in Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State.

The new incidence has interrupted a three-year polio-free record of the state.

According to medical experts, the Circulating Polio Virus (CPV) is mostly linked to poor environmental sanitation. Though it cannot cripple a child, it poses a threat of Wild Polio Virus (WPV).

The primary health care coordinator of Tarauni Local Government Area, Nura Haruna, told journalists that the virus was suspected to have emanated from Zaria Local Government in Kaduna State where two cases of CPV were discovered earlier this year.

Before this discovery in Tarauni LGA, there were two cases recorded in Zaria, so we are suspecting that it is either the affected children travelled down to Kano to spread the disease or the CPV came through the sewage due to poor environmental sanitation in the area, because we have conducted some scientific tests and discovered the CPV inside a sewage in the local government area, Mr Haruna said.

He said following the discovery, all under-five children in the area are at risk of contracting the CPV, hence the state ministry of health and some other stakeholders organised a mop-up immunisation exercise in the area to prevent the spread of the virus.

DOCTORS REJECT POLIO VACCINE

The coordinator also lamented the rampant cases of non-compliance to polio and routine immunisation in the area, especially at Darmanawa, Hotoro and Daurawa quarters.

Mr Haruna said the elites in the area hardly release their children for immunisation in spite of its importance.

There are so many elites in Darmanawa, Hotoro and Daurawa wards out of the ten wards at the local government area, surprisingly some of them are medical doctors, police and immigration officers, but they are preventing our workers from accessing their households.

Sometimes our workers spend an hour in a particular house without seeing anyone attending to them. We need the intervention of relevant authorities to compel them to take the polio immunisation seriously.

Whether you are elite or not, we need your household to be vaccinated because if we vaccinate nine out of 10 houses, the remaining one will still put the entire community at polio risk, Mr Haruna said.

He said though there are some men who still restrain their wives from presenting their children for immunisation, some of the women who understand the importance of polio immunisation release their children without the consent of their husbands.

AD-HOC STAFF SACKED FOR COMPROMISE

Mr Haruna disclosed that in the course of routine monitoring of the ad-hoc staff for the exercise, it was discovered that some of them were compromising the immunisation process by applying indelible ink on fingers of some eligible children without administering the polio vaccine in their mouths, based on pressure by some parents, who had reservation about the exercise.

According to him, considering the priority being accorded to the exercise by the Kano State government, it did not hesitate to sack the affected 12 workers.

We have been sacking many ad-hoc workers found wanting of compromising the immunisation process and we will not stop doing that until we sanitise the process and the eventual certification of Nigeria polio-free. In fact, we just sacked four teams comprising of three members each among the ad-hoc staff when we investigated and found them wanting, he revealed.

He, however, advised parents to prioritise personal hygiene and environmental sanitation as well as presenting their children for immunisation as at when due to prevent an outbreak of polio pirus in the state.
A Federal High Court, Uyo, has declined to grant a request of the Akwa Ibom State Government to stop the implementation of the guidelines on local government funds issued recently by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the NFIU on May 6 issued the Guidelines to Reduce Vulnerabilities Created by Cash Withdrawals from Local Government Funds throughout Nigeria.

The guideline mandates that state and local government joint accounts be operated solely as transit accounts from which funds will be distributed directly to the accounts of the local governments.

Banks were directed to ensure the full implementation of the guidelines with effect from June 1.

The guideline will, in effect, ensure that the common practice of governors having sole authority over monies meant for local governments is stopped.

Governors have vowed to stop the guidelines from being implemented and have written to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene.

The president is yet to comment on the matter.

In reaction to the directive, all the local governments in Akwa Ibom State, alongside the state government through the attorney-general of the state, approached the Uyo Division of the Federal High Court seeking to nullify the guidelines.

The suit filed against the NFIU has the reference number FHC/UY/CS/88/2019.

The plaintiffs, who were represented by the states attorney-general, Uwem Nwoko, also urged the court to grant a restraining order against the NFIU stopping the commencement of the guidelines on June 1.

On Friday, Arthur Obi-Okafor, who represented the NFIU, challenged the right of the plaintiffs to file the suit. He urged the court not to grant any order in favour of persons who are nothing but busybodies.

He informed the court that the matter is of grave national security concern and that the urgency raised by the plaintiffs is self-induced since the guidelines were released on May 6.

The judge, A. Okeke, refused to grant the restraining order and adjourned the matter to June 21.
MTN Nigeria Plc says it has paid the sixth and final instalment of N55 billion negotiated settlement to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The Chief Corporate Relations Officer of MTN Nigeria, Tobechukwu Okigbo, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday in Lagos.

According to him, the amount completes MTNs payment of the N330 billion negotiated settlement agreed between the NCC and the company in 2016.

The successful resolution of the fine was the outcome of active collaboration between the NCC and MTN.

We are very pleased to have completed the payment of the N330 billon negotiated settlement with the NCC.

We are particularly gratified to be in a position to have fully met the terms of the settlement within the agreed time frames.

I thank the NCC for constructive and collaborative approach to this issue, and believe that we emerge from it with a stronger relationship focused on ensuring maximum value is delivered to our people from a strong and growing telecoms sector, he said.

NAN reports that MTN and the NCC reached a negotiated settlement in relation to the fine imposed on MTN in 2015 as a result of a dispute over the disconnection of unregistered SIM cards in its subscriber base.

(NAN)
To commemorate this years World No Tobacco Day, advocates and public health professionals around the world have called on governments to focus on policies proven to reduce tobacco use.

At a press briefing to mark the event in Abuja, Thursday, participants urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise the enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act (2015) in his next four-year term.

They said the approval of the Draft National Tobacco Control Regulations by the Senate and House of Representatives is a gift that would guarantee the wellbeing of current and future generation of Nigerians and should be swiftly implemented.

The draft Regulations were approved by the National Assembly, last Tuesday.

The 2019 WNTD is themed Tobacco and Lung Health.

The groups present at the event include the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Cedars Foundation, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), and the University of Abuja Smoke-free Club, among others.

Oluseun Esan of the NTCA said this years WNTD theme reminds Nigeria and other governments that tobacco causes death to users while a safe air for breathing would result in good lung health and long life for all.

Mr Esan said until the approval of the draft Regulations, only a few provisions of the NTC Act such as the prohibition of the sale of cigarettes to minors were enforceable.

The lacuna this created was exploited by the tobacco industry to market lethal products to kids, he added.

Philip Jakpor, Head of Media & Campaigns of ERA/FoEN, said the 2019 WNTD reiterates the fact that smoking is responsible for over two-thirds of lung cancer deaths globally.

He further noted that second-hand smoke, which a lot of Nigerians are exposed to in daily engagements, increases the risk of developing lung cancer for non-smokers.

Mr Jakpor said the millions of deaths recorded due to tobacco use is the reason governments around the world are making commitments to promote lung health by protecting their people from the effects of tobacco use and strengthening implementation of the proven tobacco control measures contained in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC).

Hilda Ochefu of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) commended the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara for siding with Nigerians to approve the Regulations, even as she praised the media for putting pressure on the government through incisive reports that exposed tobacco industry antics at frustrating tobacco control in Nigeria.

Around the world, tobacco companies and their marketing tactics remain the single greatest obstacle to curbing the global epidemic that kills eight million people each year.

More than 80 percent of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries that are being targeted by tobacco companies as promising markets for the growth.

Major tobacco companies like Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco are promoting themselves as part of the solution to the health problems resulting from tobacco use.

Matthew Myers, the CTFK president, described such moves as a hypocrisy that must be rejected for the fable that it is.

Today, we call on governments around the world to see past these misleading re-branding attempts and prioritise implementing proven tobacco control policies that save lives, Mr Myers said.

Without urgent action, tobacco will claim one billion lives this century.
Labour unions on Friday described the death of the President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Francis Johnson, as shocking and untimely.

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) stated this in separate statements in Lagos.

Mr Johnson, who hailed from Eti-osa area of Lagos State, died in the early hours of Friday at the National Hospital Abuja after a brief illness.

TUC Secretary General, Musa-Lawal Ozigi, said the deceased, who was the third deputy president of the Congress was a labour leader of note.

Johnson was a labour leader of note, a Christian and a father. He was an embodiment of grace who will be missed by the Congress, Mr Ozigi said.

NUPENG, in its statement signed by its president and general secretary, William Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, said the union was deeply saddened with the untimely death of Mr Johnson.

They said the death of the PENGASSAN president, who was also the chairman of NUPENGASSAN, has flamed an indelible sore in the minds of workers.

NUPENG regrets the huge vacuum created by the passing to eternal rest of the quintessential unionist in the labour movement.

NUPENGASSAN, which he meritoriously chaired kept united, strong and virile has painfully lost a rare gem in its folk, it said.

The union noted that he would be remembered for his commitments to see his members and staff successful, move above challenges, stay productive and fulfilled in tandem with the unions policy.

(NAN)
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Friday re-elected Ike Oye and Labaran Maku, as its National Chairman and Secretary, respectively, for a second tenure of four years.

Mr Oye was re-elected alongside other former national executive members at the partys national convention held at Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, the Anambra State capital.

All the national officials were re-elected through a unanimous voice vote from the party delegates drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country.

In an acceptance speech, Mr Oye thanked the delegates for re-electing them for a second tenure, saying that the gesture demonstrated the confidence they reposed in them.

We will not abuse the confidence, Mr Oye said.

He said his leadership was aware of the enormous challenges facing the party and promised that they would steer the ship of APGA to safety.

Mr Oye further said APGA had risen to become the third largest party in Nigeria and that the task before the party leadership at all levels was how to win elections.

He said: Our main goal as leaders of the party is to win elections and we have no choice than to take the party to the centre stage of national politics.

Another immediate challenge before APGA is the need to build a national secretariat in Abuja because we are still operating from a rented office.

Mr Oye assured the party faithful that the N1.3 billion realised through the sale of forms during the general elections was intact in the bank.

He appealed to all the aggrieved members, who defected to other parties to return, saying that they still had a lot to enjoy in APGA.

Also, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State hailed the peaceful conduct of the partys congresses from ward to national level.

Mr Obiano, who doubles as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party, urged the re-elected officials to work harmoniously and in line with the partys guiding principle of unity and oneness.

Highlights of the event included the swearing-in of a 32-member board of trustees of the party.

Membership of the board included Emeka Ojukwu, the first son of the founder of APGA, late Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, his wife, Bianca, Charles Soludo, former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and John Gbor, the partys presidential candidate, among others.

(NAN)
The federal government has declared Tuesday and Wednesday next week, June 4 and 5, as public holidays to mark the Muslim Eid-Al-Fitr celebration.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Georgina Ehuriah, who made the declaration on behalf of the federal government congratulated the Muslim faithful on a successful completion of the Ramadan Fast and enjoined all Nigerians to use the occasion of the celebration to pray for the peace, unity, prosperity and stability of the nation.

She admonished Nigerians to shun hate speeches and divisive tendencies and join hands with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to build a peaceful, strong and united Nigeria so as to achieve the next level of socio-economic development.

Ms Ehuriah reaffirmed the determination of the federal government to protect the lives and property of Nigerians, adding that security agencies under the ministry have been directed to ensure the provision of adequate security before, during and after the Eid-Al-Fitri Celebration.

The official restated governments desire for all Nigerians to be inspired by the virtues gained during the Holy Month of Ramadan to live a life of sacrifice, charity and love for one another.

She wished all Nigerians a happy, peaceful and rewarding Eid -Al Fitr celebration.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has described the 83-year-old Muslim Cleric, Abdullahi Abubakar, who saved the lives of hundreds of persons fleeing from attacks by suspected bandits in Yelwan Gindi Akwati, Swei and Nghar villages in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau as a hero.

The people were fleeing from attacks by suspected bandits.

Mr Osinbajos spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said the vice president gave the commendation when he received the cleric at the Presidential Villa.

The vice president received Mr Abubakar; the Village Head, Damafulul Mangai, and other community leaders and a delegation which included diplomats from the U.S., UK and the European Union.

Mr Abubakar, who is Hausa and the Chief Imam of a mosque in Yelwan Gindi Akwati village, in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, alongside his assistant Umar Abdullahi, who is Fulani, saved the lives of over 200 persons when suspected bandits attacked communities in the LGA.

The reported attack took place on June 23, 2018, on Yelwan Gindi Akwati, Swei and Nghar villages in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, where scores of persons were killed by suspected bandits.

Mr Abubakar reportedly hid and rescued over 200 persons who fled from nearby communities, inside the mosque and in his personal house, until the attackers left.

Many of those the Muslim Cleric provided shelter for were from the Berom ethnic group which are predominantly Christians.

Reports indicated that Mr Abubakar, on defending my guests, insisted that the attackers would have to kill him if they refused his pleas not to attack those he was hiding.

At a point, the Imam was said to be on his knees and then rolling o the floor to appease the attackers.

Describing Mr Abubakars act as heroic, the vice president said that the Imam had done so much more to promote peace by his singular acts than most politicians could do and so deserves all the commendation and high honour.

Mr Osinbajo urged politicians to avoid using religion and tribal sentiment to create division among people, noting that Mr Abubakar had demonstrated to leaders that the way to resolve whatever conflict was not by violence, but a demonstration of love.

I commend you for your wonderful act.

Imam Abubakar has demonstrated one of the most courageous acts any man can possibly do, by offering his own life, for those who are not people of his own tribe.

I have heard a lot of stories in our country, but this is one of the most compelling stories.

The love an individual can show for others not from their own tribe or religion, especially in a society like ours where tribe and religion often come to play.

The vice president urged all Nigerians despite tribe and religion to eschew bitterness and embrace peace and harmonious living.

It is far easier for people to create religious tensions between Christians or Muslims through their acts or words.

And in a community where people have lived together in harmony and peace for so long, it shows how much a little of such tension created, in a matter of hours, can destroy harmony and peace built over the years.

Before the attacks, the community had reportedly lived in peace.

Mr Osinbajo said that most people in Nigeria did not see the differences in tribe or religion, but it was easy to stoke religious tensions and divisions.

According to him, one must be careful of those who want to play politics and create differences using religion and tribe as no tribe or religion is superior to another.

When people have been wronged, it is always easier for people to accept that revenge or vengeance is the right approach.

But as you know, vengeance breeds bitterness and hatred and doesnt solve the problems created, but causes more deaths and harm.

Advertisements



The vice president said it was wrong for anyone to kill in the name of religion, noting that Mr Abubakars incredible act of courage in saving others passed a message to both Christians, Muslims and others of different tribes and religion.

He said that Mr Abubakar sent a message to Muslims and Christians alike and other ethnic groups that their own lives were as valuable as his own life.

This is a very powerful message. Also, by keeping them safe in a mosque, a sacred place; he sent a strong message to Muslims that other religions and lives are equally as important to God.

The Imam did not preach this by word but by deeds, love, by putting his life on the line to make a point. That clearly demonstrates to all of us that it is un-islamic to maim or kill people in the name of religion.

Like President Muhammadu Buhari said, anyone who says Allah Akbar, and then goes to kill someone either does not know his faith or is insane. It is the same in the Christian faith.

The gospel of Jesus Christ says we must first love, even our enemies and those that despitefully use us. And anyone who preaches something different is certainly not speaking from the Bible or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

President Buhari also said during his meeting with the Catholic Bishops that all through his life as a public servant, he believes that people should be judged by their character and how they behave, and that everyone must have a right to worship God the way they chose.

The vice president further said the federal government would look at further ways to improve the communities in Barkin Ladi, and others affected by ethnic/religious crisis.

We will look at how the Plateau State government and the federal government can help in the rehabilitation process.

Government has been doing this in phases, to restore areas devastated by crisis. But we would look at ways to help further, he said.

Mr Abubakar, as well as his deputy, Mr Abdullahi, were recently honoured by the US Embassy in Nigeria, for the heroic deeds.

Mr Osinbajo said that Abubakar should be celebrated everywhere in the world,, adding that he was happy that the US Ambassador had honoured him with an award.

In his remarks, Mr Abubakar, who spoke through an interpreter, thanked the vice president, noting that he did not want it publicised.

He said however, that he felt that God chose him to do what he did to be used as an example.

The Imam said he told the attackers at some point that they had to kill him first before harming his guests that statement dissuaded them.

I pleaded with the attackers in the mud and rain not to harm my guests.

By Gods grace, no one was hurt. God created mankind differently but he wants us to live together in peace and harmony, and not harm each other. Such incident (the attack) is rare in my community, but I hope such does not happen in my village again, he said.

The visit of the delegation at the instance of the U.S. deputy Chief of Mission, comprised of the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington; Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, David Young.

Others are the U.S. Embassy official, Kathleen Fitzgibbon; and the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Bernhard Schlagheck.

(NAN)
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), Marilyn Amobi, has asked PREMIUM TIMES, The Cable and Sahara Reporters to apologise over a report exposing graft at her agency.

She said the report is defamatory against her and the agency and demanded its retraction.

PREMIUM TIMES and Leaks NG last year published a series of investigative reports on alleged corruption and victimisation of whistleblowers at NBET under Mrs Amobi.

The first report revealed how the managing director controversially paid at least N2 billion to two power generating companies.

The House of Representatives later investigated the allegations of corruption at the agency, after a civil society coalition called for an investigation.

But in a letter by her counsel, Babalakin&co, dated April 24, Ms Amobi gave PREMIUM TIMES and Leaks NG seven days to retract the publication.

The letter said the reports had caused Mrs Amobi emotional distress and psychological trauma.

Our clients are understandably very disturbed by the actual and potential damage that this publication has caused and could further cause to the security of Mrs Amobi and the management staff of NBET, as well as our clients commercial and public activities.

Your portrayal of Mrs Amobi as a corrupt pubic official has subjected her to considerable emotional distress and psychological trauma. Indeed, the publication has severely exposed our client to public ridicule and outage as several other local and international media outlet have also picked on these allegations.

Furthermore, it is noteworthy that our clients are strategically placed in the Nigeria economy and our clients commercial operations in the power sector are significantly threatened by the content of your publication.

As you may be aware,our clients, on behalf of the Federal Government, Interface with various local and international stakeholders including investors, diplomats, financial institutions and development agencies.

And this offensive and baseless publication is capable of adversely affecting our clients interaction with key stakeholders.

Ultimately, your pubication is capable of orchestrating a serious crisis of confidence in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

Allegations

The report of infractions by Mrs Amobi and her management team at NBET was published on February 8 by Leaks NG, a coalition of Nigerian newsrooms and civil society groups.

First of the allegations was that Mrs Amobi authorised overpayment to two power generating companies  Omotosho Electric Genco and Olorunsogo Electric Company.

This act was a flagrant violation of the details of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) the companies signed with the government in February and August 2016, respectively.

The PPA is an agreement between NBET and power generating plants for the sale and purchase of energy generated by the plants.

According to the PPA, to qualify for full payment, generating plants must provide evidence that they have active GSA and GTA or else the power purchase agreement would be deemed inactive and would only receive payment for the power they supplied.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on April 9, how the House of Representatives mandated two of its committees to investigate NBET and its Managing Director, Mrs Amobi, over several corruption allegations.

The resolution followed a motion by Mohammed Sabo representing South West Constituency, State, Jigawa State

Mr Sabo warned that if the allegations were not properly investigated, it would create an institutional system of manipulation of the procurement, leading to financial losses to the federal government.

In a unanimous decision, the House referred the issue to its Committees on Public Procurement and Power to jointly investigate and report back in two weeks.

Mrs Amobis lawyer, in the letter, however, demanded the publication be retracted following published reports by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), on February 28, debunking the claim that it fraudulently paid at least N2 billion to two power generating companies.

Advertisements



Consequently, it is quite clear that your publication is completely defamatory against NBET in its corporate character and Amobi in her official and individual capacity.

We hereby notify you of our clients intention to institute appropriate legal action against Leaks NG for this defamatory publication within seven days after the receipt of this letter, you tender an unreserved apology and retraction which must be given publicity that is as wide as that of the offending publication.
The FCT High Court, on Friday dismissed a suit, accusing the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Mohammed, of age falsification for lack of Locus Standi.

The judge, Danlami Senchi, held that the suit filed by Tochi Michael, a 46-year-old man sometimes in April, ought to have been filed before the court by way of writ of summons and not originating summon.

The judge also held that there was no evidence before the court to prove Mr Michaels case that Mr Mohammed reduced his age from December 31, 1950 to December 31, 1953 as claimed by the plaintiff.

Mr Senchi also held that the claimant did not specify in the originating summons the special interest he has in the suit adding that the claimant has no locus standi to institute such action.

There is nowhere in the document before the court where the claimant have been injured by the defendant, the claimant also did not disclosed further much information about himself.

Where a suit was not commence with due process of the law, it was quite clear that this suit was commence by way of originating summon instead of writ; the claimant has failed to show to the court necessary document to show that the defendant falsified his age

I hereby declared that the date of birth of the defendant is Dec. 31, 1953 and not Dec. 31, 1950; this suit is hereby dismissed in entirety, Mr Senchi held.

According to the judge, the attitude of the claimant counsel, Melkizadeck Zaro, is nothing but to scandalised, malign and destroy the person of the CJN and the entire judiciary.

The judge also ordered that the registrar of the Supreme Court should commence a disciplinary action against the claimant counsel for supplying false information to breach the law.

Mr Senchi also awarded a N10 million fines against the claimant to serve as a deterrent to others who are bent in carrying false information and must be paid within three weeks from the day of the judgment.

Mr Michael in his originating summon with suit No. FCT/HC/BW/CV/79/2019, alleged that the CJN deliberately falsified his date of birth.

He alleged that the CJN falsified his date of birth from December 31, 1950 as contained in all his official records including that of WAEC to December 31, 1953 upon his appointment as a judicial officer.

The petitioner in the originating summon is praying the court to determine whether such act of the CJN does not constitute a criminal act of perjury, falsification and forgery.

Mr Michael in the originating summon also prayed the court to determine whether by falsifying his date of birth from December 31, 1950 to December 31, 1953 upon being appointed to Nigeria Bench as a judicial officer he has not breach the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The petitioner is also praying the court to determine whether Mr Mohammed has not breached the Code of Conduct for judicial officers and consequently brought the image of Nigeria Judiciary to a state of disrepute and odium.

The petitioner in his reliefs is praying the court for a declaration that the defendant falsified his date of birth and that the defendant has desecrated the breach of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He is also praying for an order directing the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to prosecute the defendant for the offence of perjury and an order which the court may deem it fit.

But the CJN counsel, Sam Ologunorisa, SAN, had informed the court that the plaintiff and his counsel information against the CJN was not true and urged the court to dismiss the suit.

(NAN)
A Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on Friday called for further addresses from counsel in the trial of an ex-aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo Owei-Dudafa, charged with N1.6 billion money laundering.

Justice Mohammed Idris who now sits on appellate jurisdiction had on February 27, reserved judgement in the case, after defence counsel adopted their final addresses.

Mr Dudafa was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) along with one Joseph Iwejuo, a staff of Heritage Bank, on a 23-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering and concealment of proceeds of crime.

They, however, pleaded not guilty.

The EFCC arraigned them on counts of conspiracy to conceal proceeds of crime amounting to over N1.6 billion on June 11, 2013

The prosecution closed its case on March 16, 2018, after calling seven witnesses and tendering several exhibits.

The defence initially filed and argued a no-case submission, and urged the court to dismiss the case on grounds that the prosecution failed to establish any case against them.

Mr Idris had in a ruling delivered in August 2018, dismissed the no-case submission on grounds that the defendants had some explanations to make on the exhibits and evidence adduced by prosecution.

Defence consequently called two witnesses so far and tendered exhibits.

It closed its case in November 2018 and final addresses were adopted on February 27, while judgment was reserved.

On Friday, Mr Idris returned to the Federal High Court and announced that the 90-day period provided by law for judgment to be delivered had expired.

I have carried out a page-by-page examination of the entirety of the more than 600 pages of the statement of accounts that had been tendered in evidence in this case, and the judgment has been written.

However, in line with decided cases, and acting ex abundanti cautella (with abundant caution), I deemed it being privileged to be in the Court of Appeal.

If any court of law raises an issue of law suo motu (on its own), and goes ahead to make pronouncement without affording counsel the opportunity of addressing it on those issues, the entire judgment will be set aside on appeal.

This is in line with the requirement of Section 36 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to fair hearing.

Reading through my judgment, I discovered that I might have raised issues of law, which I thought are important. I call the attention of counsel so that I am addressed briefly on it, he said.

According to the judge, the question to be addressed is on the relationship, if any, between the provisions of Section 27(3) (c) of the EFCC Establishment Act and Sections 7(2), 16 and 17 of same Act, as they relate to the charge.

This is the simple issue I want learned counsel to address the court on, he said.

He, therefore, urged counsel to file addressees on June 3, after which it will hear submissions and further reserve judgment.

(NAN)
By Selimot Amuzat

The vice chancellor of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Abdullahi Zuru, has urged newly matriculated students of the institution to be of good conduct.

Mr Zuru gave this charge during the matriculation ceremony held for 4, 950 students at the institutions matriculation ground on Friday.

The 4, 950 students were selected from 26, 000 candidates who applied for admission into the university through the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the VC said on Friday.

Mr Zuru advised the students to read the students handbook to serve as guide for their conduct during the duration of their stay in the university.

He also urged the students to shun violence and extremism.

Remember that hopes of your families, communities and our dear country are vested in your successful completion of the programme for which you are being matriculated today. I hasten to advise you to stay away from extremism, violence, intolerance especially in ethnic, political and religious matter. These are some of the major vices that are currently posing threats to our country.

I enjoined you all to be extra vigilant and security conscious and report any suspicious movement, person and groups to the appropriate organs of the university, calmly and professionally, the VC said.

He disclosed the distribution of the 4,950 new students across 11 faculties of the university.

According to his record, 540 students were admitted into the Faculty of Agriculture, 311 into Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies, 1, 114 into Faculty of Education and Extension Services and 119 into Faculty of law.

The vice chancellor of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, Abdullahi Zuru

Also, 1, 601 students were matriculated to study in Faculty of Science, 290 in Faculty of Management Sciences, 288 in Faculty of Social Sciences and 120 in Faculty of Medicine.

Others are College of Health Sciences with 398 students, 94 in Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and 75 students in Faculty of Engineering and Environmental Design.

The vice chancellor said 98 per cent of the institutions courses are duly accredited as only newly introduced programme was denied accreditation.

It is also on record that the university has been impressively competing well and sometimes overshadowing many highly rated first generation universities in Nigeria. You should, therefore count yourselves very fortunate and express gratitude to Allah SWT for blessing and insurance for your future, he added.

Founded in 1975, UDUS is a federal government university located in Sokoto, Northwest Nigeria.
Motorists plying the Keffi-Abuja highway into the Abuja city centre had a hectic time on Friday as troops took positions at different areas of the road, conducting checks.

The troops deployed in Mararaba junction and Checkpoint, the boundary between the FCT and Nasarawa State, as well as Nyanya, Kugbo and AyA overhead bridge, subjected the motorists to checks.

The check at the rush hour prompted a huge traffic build up, forcing many workers in the FCT, who reside in Masaka, Mararaba, Karu and Jikwoyi areas, to report late for work.

Motorists had a similar experience on Wednesday as troops barricaded the highway to restrict vehicular movement when President Muhammadu Buhari took the oath of office for a second term at the Eagle Square.

The Nigerian Army did not offer any reason for the troops action.

All efforts to get the army spokesperson to comment on the situation did not yield any result.

He neither took a call to his line nor respond to a text message sent to him at the time of filing this report. (NAN)
SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR OF SOKOTO STATE, RT. HON. AMINU WAZIRI TAMBUWAL, CFR (MUTAWALLEN SOKOTO) ON HIS SECOND INAUGURATION AS THE STATE GOVERNOR OF SOKOTO STATE, ON WEDNESDAY 29TH MAY, 2019 HELD AT SHEHU KANGIWA SQUARE, BY 9:00AM.

All praises are due to Allah (SWT) the Lord of the Universe. We Glorify His Holy names and attributes and pray for His guidance and Blessings in all our affairs, May His peace and blessings continue to be showered on the Noble Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his kinsmen; his blessed companions and all those who are guided by his worthy teachings.

2. Today, we celebrate another victory for democratic governance, Alhamdulillah, I am today sworn-in for a second term as the Governor of our dear State, following the mandate given by the Almighty Allah through the good people of Sokoto State. While thanking Allah (SWT) for His countless blessings, I am indeed, duty bound to express my deep sense of gratitude to the entire citizens over this glaring proof of renewed confidence and trust.

3. I would like to seize the opportunity offered by this joyous moment to, on behalf of the entire good people of Sokoto State, welcome our distinguished guests who came from far and near to share with us the joy of this unique moment. I should indeed use this occasion to express my appreciation to you all for finding time to grace this event. We are happy to host the executive members of our party the PDP distinguished elder statesmen, astute politicians, highly respected personalities, from far and near, who are here with us to witness this inauguration ceremony.

4. I must appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of PDP members at all levels. The selflessness of devoted men and women who propelled the electioneering campaigns is a clear testimony of the confidence people have in our great party, the PDP. I am truly inspired by the high-level commitment of all our party stalwarts in this struggle. We have indeed gone through turbulent times, crossed many barricades, but absolute trust in Allah has seen us through. I am grateful to each and every member and supporter of PDP for I have gained considerable experience in the unfolding process.

5. When I was first sworn in as the Governor of our beloved State in May, 2015, I declared that it was my duty to carry everybody along. I wish to assure you that the stand has remained unchanged. Inshah Allah, this administration will as usual be driven by all stakeholders. I wish to assure you that it is certainly the common will of the people that will prevail.

6. As we are all aware, partisan politics is at the moment over. We should therefore, endeavour to stand under one banner, irrespective of our political party affiliations or inclinations. All those with hatchets should please bury them in the interest of our state. On my part, I hold no grudges against anybody as I believe that power belongs to God. By the sacredness of the oath of office administered on me, I am duty bound to be fair and just to all people in the State. Accordingly, my constituency is the entire State. In this regard, my avowed determination is to continuously carry everybody along. We are all stakeholders, and we all have contributions to make in moving Sokoto State forward. We shall inshah Allah resist all insinuations or misguided politicking that will amount to vendetta or score-settling. I wish to therefore passionately appeal to each and every citizen of Sokoto State and residents alike, to join hands with us for the development of our dear State. To this end I wish to assure the good people of Sokoto State that, I will do everything humanly possible to justify the confidence reposed in me and my Deputy.

7. Alhamdulillahi, the privilege of service of the people you further confer on us is whole heartedly accepted by my humble self, by my worthy Deputy and indeed, by all those who will be assisting us in discharging our duties in different capacities. As we open a new chapter in the socio-political and economic development of our State, I wish to assure you that I will make any sacrifice that circumstances may warrant in propelling the progress of Sokoto State.

8. Our administration has since inception declared a state of Emergency on Education, which is being religiously pursued with the guidance of a blueprint from a committee of our states prominent educationists and leaders. In this regard, we have made far reaching successes in the provision of new infrastructure and facilities across all levels of learning and throughout the state. We have also complemented that with the marked improvement in the capacity and welfare of teachers and improved supervision of the school system, especially at basic and secondary levels.

9. We have recorded a rapid rise in enrolment figures in primary schools as a result of a passionate drive, which entails the active involvement of communities and all stakeholders in the form of Schools Based Management Committees. Another milestone is the achievement recorded by the Consultative Committee on the State of Emergency on Education being steered by His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto.

10. Accordingly, the State Government has enacted the Right to Education Law aimed at propelling enrolment, retention and completion at the basic level of education. Similarly, the state Female Education Board has been established with a view to improving Girl-Child Education. This is currently being championed through Girls Education, Cash Transfer and Scholarship at the basic and tertiary levels. The Sultans Consultative Committee on Education is also sensitizing our communities as well as constructing ECCD integrated Schools and Junior Secondary Schools in order to widen access and acceptability of western education. The foregoing achievements especially at the Basic level have culminated in reducing out of school children as attested to by the UNICEF.

11. Similarly, in this sector is the settlement of inherited backlog of scholarship fees in local and foreign institutions of learning and the sponsorship of many more for foreign courses in specialized fields especially in medicine and related courses, in which our state is relatively lacking.

12. We shall continue with our teachers recruitment drive and the settlement of WAEC and NECO fees for our students. Our administration is planning to complement this with the establishment of zonal computer literacy centers to improve the performance of our candidates in computer based tests.

13. It is worthy of our attention is the deliberate effort of the State in ensuring the availability of the necessary infrastructure in our tertiary institutions, some of which include the provision of office complex (comprising of 60 number offices ) and the construction of a library structure at the state University.

14. In addition is the improvement of facilities at the Sultan Abdulrahman School of Health Technology Gwadabawa, especially the provision of laboratory equipment and and X-ray facilities. The culmination of these have paved the way for a successful outing in the Accreditation exercises by the respective National Bodies.

15. The Health sector has from inception been a cornerstone of our governments development drive. Consequently, we have recorded resounding success in the provision of healthcare to our people. The upgrading, renovation and re-equipping of health centres across all Local Governments is a part of this initiative.

16. Policy initiatives include the establishment of the Contributory Healthcare Scheme aimed at putting healthcare in the ownership of communities especially the low income earners. The bolstering of the Malaria Control Agency, to curtail the spread the malaria, pandemic, which is more dangerous than HIV/AIDS, our administration has strengthened the Malaria Control Agency. Dividends of these programs are manifest in the positive changes being witnessed in the health indices of our dear state. These include the increase in immunization target, which drastically reduced the occurrence of child killer diseases among our people.

17. As a priority, our administration shall in the second term, sustain and even improve on the training of various categories of health personnel. We shall also pursue arrangements for the setting up of the College of Health Sciences at the Sokoto State University and the Specialist Hospital.

18. Our collaboration with the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in the area of medical doctors and consultants, has availed our state with over 800 such personnel on locom basis.

19. The enhancement of remuneration for health workers through the implementation of the consolidated medical salary structure (CONMESS) has greatly motivated personnel in the sector for higher productivity. As part of our governments transformation of the health sector, I have recently signed the Murtala Muhammed Teaching Hospital Law, as well as that of the School of Midwifery, Tambuwal.

20. This will in no small measure, increase the availability and quality of health personnel and Medicare in our state.

21. As we all know, from time immemorial, Agriculture has been the mainstay of our economy. In todays world, Agriculture provides endless opportunities. it ensures food security, it offers ample employment opportunities and economic prosperity for communities or nations that invest in it. Mercifully, we are blessed by the Almighty with vast arable land, good climatic condition suitable for all year- round farming and the added advantage of a strong productive population.

22. As a mark of our commitment in this regard, we have completed the college of Agriculture, Wurno that was inherited from the last administration, sustained the procurement and distribution of fertilizer, farm implements and improved seeds, pesticides and other essential requirements by farmers to ensure we give the necessary support that will yield a positive result in food production.

Advertisements



23. Only recently we took delivery of a Herd of One Hundred and Seventeen cattle from South Africa for the smooth take-off of the Sokoto Dairy Project.

24. We have equally forged strong collaboration with members of the business community, both at local and international level to explore the possibility of joint ventures investments in several Argic- Based business.

25. It has been indeed been the vision of this administration and as a cornerstone of our policy, to industrialize agriculture, in order to transform it into a commercial venture, to maximize its economic and employment potentials.

26. Re-curing shortages of potable water in the state capital, have been of serious concern to our government. This necessitated previous administrations to take strenuous measures to curtail the menace including programmes and projects, unfortunately, with limited success. I have very recently engaged a water supply expert to join hands with the government as one of my efforts in solving the problem. Positive results have already been achieved.

27. The 40 Million Gallon water project for the state capital which was awarded since 2014 but yet to be completed is being reviewed. With this, I wish to assure the good people of the state that this administration will continue to do all that is humanly possible to adequately satisfy their potable water needs and by the grace of God, bring a lasting solution to the problem.

28. Rural Development is the backbone of the socio economic development of any society. In line with this, we are in collaboration with the World Bank, transforming the rural feeder roads network, through the 500km Rural Access and Mobility project RAM. The ongoing construction of 1.5 Million cubic litres water supply facilities in each of 17 local government headquarters will further enhance the availability of potable water in the rural areas.

29. Within the last four years, we have carried out the sinking and construction of hundreds of solar power and motorized boreholes across the state, with a view to bringing clean water to the door steps of the rural populace.

30. Under Urban Water Supply, we have carried out strategic equipment replacements that have boosted water supply in the metropolis. As an ongoing exercise, Government is poised to complete the ongoing expansion water schemes in the metropolis which was kick-started with the completion of the water supply scheme at Runjin Sambo. The ongoing reforms of the water sector will be concretized with the signing and adoption of a new reinvigorated water policy, in partnership with UNICEF.

31. The Lands and Housing Sectors have continued to play their traditional functions. Landmark achievements in the housing sector include the historic sales of Government Quarters to sitting tenants, a scheme that remained hanging and elusive for over ten (10) years with previous administrations. The completion and sales of the Kalambaina Housing Estate has been concluded, while the completion of Gidan Salanke Housing Estate is under way. This Administration will embark on the digitalization of land administration through the setting up of the Sokoto Geographical Information System. Similarly, the Sokoto Masterplan which has since expired will be renewed for a controlled Urban Development growth. The proposed Megacity protect will get attention in tandem with the Masterplan programme. The cadastral mapping of Sokoto State which has also expired will be given priority attention.

32. In the transport sector, the 40% subsidized, welfarist, transportation system powered by the State Transport Corporation, has continued to address the needs of the people with government support. Plans are under way to enhance this and also ease the pains of school going students.

33. Boosting information dissemination is a priority of our administration, considering the critical role of information, mobilization and enlightenment to the success of Governments programs and policies. A digital upgrade process has started as can be seen on RTV, and this in truth, is the beginning of a deliberate and comprehensive restoration scheme of all our media outfits. In like manner, we intend to upgrade the Sokoto Newspaper Company back to optimum performance and production.

34. To augment the dwindling Federal Allocation, against the background of increasing demand for expenditure on social and infrastructural development, the government shall strive to build the economy of the state. This we intend to do by exploiting the potentials of our small and medium scale industry and provide greater incentives for smalls medium and large scale entrepreneurs.

35. We have revitalized and repositioned the Sokoto Investment Company ltd to strengthen the investment climate in the state.

36. Fellow citizens, the security challenges facing us are no doubt a source of grave concern to all. The spate of armed banditry and incessant killings of innocent people is needless to say giving us sleepless nights. While government, in collaboration with security agencies is making concerted efforts to curtail the unfortunate situation, each and every one of us has a role to play in reversing the trend. I wish to however assure you that far-reaching strategies have been adopted to enable security operatives restore peace and order in all parts of the state. We intend to convene a security summit that will enable all stakeholders brainstorm on the implementation of the aforementioned strategies. We pray to Allah (SWT) to assist us in this endeavour. We also pray for the repose of the souls of all those who lost their lives in the hands of these murderous bandits.

37. The civil service, as the engine of service delivery and execution of projects and programs has enjoyed our priority attention since the inception of our first term. The prompt payment of salaries to civil servants with occasional advances and settlement of accumulated gratuity underscore the importance we attach to the welfare of our workforce. Training in computer and other skills have enhanced the competence and productivity of civil servants in our state, while the digitization of the nominal roll is aimed at improving data on the work force to modern standards.

38. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, our administration has made modest effort to address the ever increase government expenditure profile especially in meeting up with its obligations to civil Servants whose salaries have now astronomically increased owing to the recent upward review from N18,000 to N30,000 minimum wage package, and the larger societys requirement for essential services such as drinking water, efficient healthcare infrastructural and other welfare needs.

39. To this end, government has set up a committee to fashion out modalities for the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage.

40. The traditional institution is the custodian of our values, the symbol of our heritage and pride as sons and daughters of the Great Sokoto Caliphate.

41. We shall continue to repose respect in our royal fathers and seek their invaluable involvement in our policies and programs, while sustaining our commitment to their welfare and wellbeing. Continued consultation with the institution is top on our agenda with a view to actively involving them in security initiatives and other people oriented programs in health, education, agriculture and other critical sectors.

42. At this juncture, I must commend the fatherly role of His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto in our State, Nigeria and beyond. He has been unwavering in his support for the policies and programs of our administration, especially in the areas of education, security and community engagement.

43. Let me also express my deepest gratitude to the State Transition Committee, chaired by His Excellency, Alh. Ahmad Muhammed Gusau, MFR, for effectively co-ordinating the transition committees. The committees worked assiduously in not only organising this event but has indeed provided us with a very articulate, feasible and realistic blueprint that would guide the activities of the state government for the coming four years, insha-Allah. The people of Sokoto state are highly indebted to the chairman and other members of the committees for their selfless service. May Allah (SWT) reward them abundantly.

44. Special appreciation goes to our development partners for their continued support and assistance towards addressing the huge developmental challenges facing our state. Our engagements have been open, robust and impactful. I want reassure you that our doors shall remain open. We shall continue to fulfil our partnership obligations. However, like Oliver Twist, we are requesting for increased collaboration. For development partners that are yet to establish their presence in Sokoto State, please factor us into your strategic plans.

45. Finally, I want thank the good people of Sokoto State for the voting us into power, giving us the mantle of leadership of the State for second term in the just concluded Governorship election, which mandate has made today a reality. We assure you of our continued commitment to work for the good of all for the development of our state.

46. My fellow citizens, as we begin our second term, I pledge to you, the readiness of our administration to be equal partner in the quest to transform our dear state. You will find us, as always a sensitive government to your yearnings and aspirations.

47. Thank you.

God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria

God Bless Sokoto State.
Second Inauguration Address by Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, delivered at Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna, on Wednesday, 29th May 2019

PROTOCOLS

My fellow citizens of Kaduna State,

1. I address you today with humility and gratitude to Almighty God who has made this day possible. I salute you all for the peaceful conduct of the 2019 general elections in our state. With your votes, you have granted President Muhammadu Buhari and me the privilege of a second-term in office.

2. I am grateful for this mandate, and will discharge it responsibly. Please be assured that our Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, and I will work tirelessly in the service of all the people of Kaduna State.

3. Permit me to use this opportunity to place on record my sincere appreciation for the service that His Excellency, Architect Barnabas Yusuf Bala, has rendered to our state. As Deputy Governor, he was a committed partner as we worked tirelessly to make this state better. As he leaves the office of Deputy Governor today, I wish him and his family the very best. I am certain that we will continue to enjoy the privilege of his wise counsel and support.

4. Ours is the government of everyone who lives in Kaduna State. I call on every resident of Kaduna State to join hands with us in the hard tasks that lie ahead. Back in March 2019, we all made our democratic choices, and freely expressed our preferences. Whatever our partisan affiliations and however we might have voted, we are all compatriots and fellow citizens. It is time to put politics aside and work together in the urgent task of improving the lives of all our people, and keeping them safe. Amidst so much poverty, division is an unaffordable luxury.

5. This government has spent much on internal security operations, supporting the security agencies with equipment, vehicles and other logistics and funding. The huge resources that are expended on these internal security operations and containing conflict can be better directed towards improving lives in peaceful communities. We have also established the Kaduna State Peace Commission, chaired by Reverend Dr. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion Worldwide and former arch-bishop of Kaduna. Beyond boots on the ground, the most sustainable guarantee of peace is the willingness of communities to live in harmony.

6. Fellow citizens, ladies and gentlemen, let us unite in a common endeavour to make ours a state of peace and concord, working to promote equality of opportunity for every resident. Let us cherish our diversity while embracing equal citizenship, the rule of law, and respect for the lives and livelihoods of all who call Kaduna State home.

7. As stated in our acceptance speech after the election, we will continue to do our utmost to unite our state and rid our communities of strife. The pain of loss is unbearable, and it has been felt too frequently by too many of our fellow citizens. We must replace the legacy of division and violence with one of peaceful, collective endeavour in progressive undertakings. We should not maroon ourselves on the desert islands of identity politics, or neglect the obligations of our common humanity. Strife is not our destiny, and neither is division preordained. Let us come together in the ever more urgent task of human progress. To educate every child. To create jobs. To care for the sick. To protect life and property. To comfort the afflicted. To strive for peace in our time.

8. We pledge to continue the vigorous implementation of our governance agenda of Putting People First. During our first term, we signalled and then demonstrated that we stand firmly with ordinary people. We put the needs of ordinary people at the centre of governance. In education and health, we have shown a commitment with investments to expand the access of ordinary people to these public goods.

9. We began to reverse the legacy of neglect we inherited in education, starting the onerous task of upgrading the over 4200 public primary schools in the state. We are supplying school furniture to end the inherited embarrassment of pupils sitting on bare floors.

10. Aside from fixing the learning environment, we took bold steps to improve teaching standards. We made basic education truly free and have made education free and compulsory for girls up to the end of senior secondary school. We will continue to fix existing schools and build new classrooms where necessary, and support our teachers to deliver decent public education.

11. In the health sector, the focus on strengthening and expanding primary care will continue. It is the best way to reduce maternal and infant mortality, and bring basic care closer to the people. Our commitment to universal health coverage will continue. Therefore, we shall accelerate the implementation of the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme as a priority programme. We will complete the supply chain transformation programme in the health sector that has improved the availability and reduced prices of drugs in our health facilities, we will also emphasize routine immunisation to reduce the impact of vaccine-preventable diseases on our children. I am pleased to announce that just yesterday, our State Executive Council approved six months maternity leave for our female public servants. This encourages the healthy development of infants through prolonged breastfeeding, among other benefits. Mothers in our state are also reminded that children up to the age of five get free, regular medical check-ups in public hospitals. Please take advantage of this.

12. During our first term, we successfully completed the long-delayed Zaria Water project. We shall continue to build, expand and maintain infrastructure to promote the well-being of our people, enhance commercial activities and attract investors. While we have done well to attract over $400m of investments, we need to bring more businesses to create jobs and expand our revenue base. Our endowments in agriculture can benefit from locating more processing activity and agribusiness in our state.

13. In 2018, the World Bank ranked Kaduna State as NUMBER ONE state in Nigeria in its of Ease of Doing Business rankings. We shall continue to uphold a positive climate for investors. Investment creates jobs. Jobs put food on every table. We will continue to focus on creating an environment in which people can take care of themselves and their families.

14. We did our utmost in the first-term to leave no one behind, designing programmes for children, young adults and senior citizens. These programmes will be strengthened to provide skills for the young, and support for the vulnerable. We have demonstrated that we believe that the answer to poverty is to enable people to achieve economic independence. Our approach has been to empower people with the tools to make the most of themselves.

15. This government considers it vital to create a social safety net to ensure that the poorest are not left behind. We will also embark on social housing projects as a means of achieving mass home ownership and promoting social integration. The provision of recreational and leisure facilities across the state will also receive our sustained attention.

16. We would continue to reduce waste, combat fraud and cut costs in government. Our first inaugural address committed us to shrinking the size of government. We achieved this by reducing the ministries by more than a quarter, from 19 we inherited to 14, appointing fewer commissioners and significantly reducing the number of permanent secretaries. We shall be announcing further changes in the structure of government to improve efficiency and better serve you.

17. The fruits of our efforts to reform grassroots administration, by strengthening the local government system, has become manifest with better project delivery by the local councils. We have rescued the local government councils from bankruptcy and bloated payrolls. The elected chairmen of these now financially-healthier councils are now better equipped to deliver public goods at the grassroots.

18. I wish to thank all the people who worked with us in the first-term. Not all of them will be around for the second-term, but we are grateful for their contributions, and for their dedication and many sacrifices on behalf of our state.

19. The challenges confronting us are numerous and they are hard. But if we do our job well we will solve them, with your help, support and prayers. We will continue to take very difficult, and sometime painful decisions. We ask your understanding and forgiveness in advance.

20. With your support and prayers, we will not waiver in supporting ordinary people to attain their aspirations. We will continue our tradition of cooperation with the other arms of government in the service of our people. We will devote every energy and talent in Putting People First and making Kaduna great again!

Thank you all for listening.

God bless this beautiful state of ours.

And God bless our beloved country.

Advertisements


INAUGURAL SPEECH AT THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY OF HIS EXCELLENCY, RT. HON. AMINU BELLO MASARI, CFR, DALLATUN KATSINA, AS GOVERNOR OF KATSINA STATE ON 29TH MAY, 2019

Protocols,

My dear compatriots,

All praises and gratitude to Allah (SWT) who spared our lives and made it possible for us to witness this truly historic event. But before I go any further, let me seize this opportunity to once again express my heartfelt condolences to victims of the recent terrorist attacks at Batsari and Kankara Local Government Areas where over 39 people lost their lives with more than 200 injured. This is an unacceptable tragedy for which I call for a Special Prayer here and now in memory and respect of our fallen citizens of Batsari, Kankara, Safana, Jibia, Dandume, Sabuwa, Faskari and Danmusa Local Government Areas.

Ladies and gentlemen, in 2015, we stood here and swore to manage the affairs of our beloved State for a term of four (4) years with dedication, sincerity, and utmost fear of Allah. On that day, we pledged to judiciously utilize all available resources, human and material, to restore Katsina State to its lost glory in the North and in the Country.

The journey we embarked upon since May 29th, 2015 was indeed remarkable. It was a journey of struggles and hopes; a journey of expectations and challenges; and a journey which in many ways clearly indicated the difficulties of governing a State like Katsina whose bureaucratic and social infrastructures have almost collapsed under the weight of decades of neglect; and whose dependence on allocation from the Federation account for its survival was legendary. But throughout this journey, I should stress, our resolve remained unshaken; and our determination was reinforced by our conviction that the restoration of Katsina State was now or never, a task that must be done.

The restoration roadmap and the direction taken

On May 29th, 2015 we vowed to uphold the principles of rule of law; the tenets of accountability in governance; and of prudency in managing and utilizing resources for the development of our people. We also pledged to institute a culture of merit in appointments of public officers and to avoid misuse of public resources. We were unequivocal that our administration would be driven by values of good governance, respect for human dignity, humility, and selflessness. Above all, we declared that our administration would prioritize good governance, education, health, water resources, and agriculture.

The decision to prioritize these was a carefully-thought out one that was anchored on the firm belief that education, health, and agriculture really hold the key to restoration. Naturally, the APC administration under our stewardship deployed men and resources towards addressing the rot in these sectors.

The objective, as must be clear, was to transform them and in so doing we hope not only for the emergence of a better education, more health, highly empowered population, but one which is governed with fear of Allah and great respect to the tenets of rule of law, accountability, and good governance.

Committees were established and experts were invited from all walks of life to avail us the use of their professional advice and insight. In the end, we succeeded in developing a robust and comprehensive, but realistic blueprint and a roadmap necessary for realizing our restoration objectives. I believe you would recall how we convened the Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit in May, 2016, just one year after we took office, which was graciously attended by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Summit which attracted top entrepreneurs, investors, and industry captains from within and outside the Country succeeded in creating an interface between the State and the Private Sector. Needless to say, the goal was to explore opportunities through which we could wean our State from over-dependence on oil revenues by strengthening other sources of revenue especially agro-products and solid minerals.

Looking back to all these and other countless efforts in the last four years, one cannot escape being enamored by our amazing achievements and striking successes. However, this is not the platform for reeling out those achievements. Nevertheless, allow me, for the sake of posterity to recount some of the successes recorded by our administration since 2015 as they pertained to the five areas considered to be our top priorities. These were Security, Education, Health, Water Resources, and Agriculture.

Governance/Security

The first and fundamental pledge which we made in 2015 was to govern with utmost fear of Allah (SWT) and to see the task ahead of us as a trust. In pursuing that we introduced a system of ethical governance in which political accountability, transparency, prudency, and humility were deeply and deliberately ingrained in the structures of our administration.

Four years after, we are satisfied with the progress we have made in terms of restoring trust in government; gingering our people to take active interest in the management of their affairs; and reinvigorating our civil service to once again become the vehicle for our progress.

Education Sector

Education is central to human development. This is the reason we made it our top priority. However, the challenge of turning this all-important sector in Katsina State was quite daunting owing to years of neglect and near-zero investment. In 2015, we met a sector that was poorly performing, chaotic, and grossly neglected such that it was clearly incapable of producing the manpower needed for driving the socio-economic and political transformation of the State.

Poor staffing, curricula misaligned with our needs and current realities, dilapidated infrastructure, truancy among staff and students, and low enrollment characterized the sector. The task as we saw it in 2015 was one of designing strategies to overcome these problems in order to lay a solid foundation for the development of education.

Towards this end, our administration embarked on expansion of students enrollment through construction and rehabilitation of new and existing schools; recruitment of qualified teachers and introduction of initiatives such as S-Power program; and provision of adequate equipment and facilities for our schools.

I am happy to say that with little resources, we succeeded in the provision of several opportunities for training and retraining of teachers in teaching methodologies, teaching aids, and innovative teaching. So far, about five hundred (500) teachers have benefitted from this initiative. We have also added five (5) more additional quality assurance offices to ensure standardization of procedures and practices in our educational system. New e-library resources have also been installed in our Secondary Schools to ensure that we produce students that are IT compliant. These

and many others have resulted in general improvement in the performance of the sector as evidenced in the number of students who sat and obtained five credits and above in WAEC and NECO in 2016, for instance, which was 8,272 (68.1%) as against 4,702 (11.9%) in 2012.

Health Sector

It is sad to note that the health sector which we inherited was not fit even for the care of animals. We met a sector bedeviled by frightening shortage of qualified and motivated manpower; and dearth of necessary tools, equipment, drugs and requisite infrastructure. Then there were also problems associated with arbitrary siting and construction of health facilities without objective assessment of location parameters. Rural communities suffered the worst neglect with health workers absconding and abandoning duty posts.

Advertisements



In order to turn things around, we undertook statewide rehabilitation, expansion, and construction of existing and new health facilities.

Within these past four years, all general hospitals in the State were remodeled and equipped adequately. We have also constructed and equipped fourteen {14} new Comprehensive Health Centers {CHCs} in addition to the upgrading of seventeen {17} Primary Health Centers {PHCs}. Furthermore, the administration has introduced a vibrant drug revolving fund to cushion the cost of drugs for our people, and a number of essential drugs and delivery kits are now being distributed to women and children free.

Other vital equipments necessary for a functional health care system including ambulances, solar refrigerators, motorcycles, and generators were also procured and distributed.

Water Resources Sector.

Part of our promise in 2015 was to ensure adequate water supply. To achieve this promise, we started by seeking to fix the dysfunctional water system of the State which was in utter disrepair with storage tanks rusting; dams drying up; water reservoirs collapsing; and essential machines breaking down.

There were no reliable electricity generating machines for treating, pumping and distributing water across the State. In consequence thereof, we undertook generic rehabilitation, expansion, and repairs of existing water production and distribution systems; wide-scale rural water supply projects through construction of boreholes and installation of water pumps; and extensive repairs and revival of broken down community water supply

systems.

Water supply schemes in Bakori, Dan-Musa, Dandume, Daura, Dutsinma, Kusada, Malumfashi, Matazu, Rimi, Zango, Kafur, Muduru and host of other semi-urban communities have already been completed or have reached an advanced stage of execution.

Agricultural Sector.

The goal which our administration set for itself was restoration of productivity in this sector by accelerating its growth and development. The overall objective was to remodel the sector in order to make it the bedrock of modernization, diversification, and strengthening of our economy to create wealth and jobs for our people. But this was not possible without dependable infrastructure including motorable roads, water conservation technology and facilities, power supply and storage, and finance to fast-track production.

As part of the efforts we pursued to achieve our objectives, we partnered with the CBN to introduce the Anchor Borrowers Programme to support farmers; rehabilitated about a dozen dams for irrigation and livestock feeding; rehabilitated and constructed about twenty (20) irrigation schemes across the state; introduced a livestock drugs revolving scheme; and carried out a mass de-worming of livestock across the State.

We have also revived and strengthened extension services including providing overseas training in modern farming techniques to our extension workers; evolved a sound agric mechanization policy; distributed agro-chemical products and improved seed varieties to farmers; and facilitated partnership for establishing rice, tomato, and fertilizer factories in the State by private investors.

The Journey Ahead: New Challenges.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me also remind you that in the course of our journey, we encountered quite a number of challenges. Many among which were due to the failure of previous administrations to plan ahead or respond vigorously to these challenges as they emerged. In some cases, they were due to the indifferent posture of successive administrations to the realities of our social and economic conditions.

Insecurity and reduced revenues were the most pressing challenges with far-reaching implications to the development of our dear state.

In 2015, we inherited a worsened security situation in nine Local Government Areas bordering Rugu forest in Katsina State. Cattle rustling and rural banditry were left to spiral out of control. Thousands of farmers and Fulani herders in the affected areas were being attacked and displaced by bandits and other marauders. Many lost not only their properties and sources of livelihood but also their lives. Of course, when we took over we deployed varying tactics and comprehensive peace packages including stakeholder engagements, dialogues, and amnesty programs to promptly and decisively address the problem of cattle rustling and rural banditry. Despite the relative success recorded by Katsina State Government on Cattle Rustling, the Military operation in Zamfara State has greatly affected Katsina State as most of the rustlers dislodged from the forests in Zamfara State relocated to Katsina State, especially the frontline Local Government Areas bordering Rugu Forest, thus affecting our success in that regard. But there are still other associated insecurity challenges with kidnappings and other forms of abductions as being the most disturbing. This problem, I should note, was primarily due to a number of factors. Chief among these was the failure in the past to deal with the emerging rural banditry and the subsequent militarization of many of our ungoverned spaces which was facilitated by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs). These led to the destruction of our rural economies and pushed thousands of our people into unemployment and poverty. Needless to say, it was this combination that created the volatile condition which presently nurture and sustain insecurity in our State.

As we are all aware, the State has of recent witnessed disturbing resurgence of incidences of armed banditry and kidnapping for ransom, more prevalent, especially in the frontline Local Government Areas bordering the Rugu Forest, despite the State Governments, continued unflinching logistics support to the Security Agencies in the State. Our towns and villages in those areas have become prone to a new dimension of armed bandits attacks, leading to the killing and maiming of innocent citizens, carting away of their foodstuff and burning down other belongings of economic value (including houses, vehicles, shops and traditional silos). Kidnap incidences on the other hand have permeated all the strata of the society, as the rich and poor; religious and traditional rulers have become victims.

I want to assure the good people of Katsina State, that the State Government has not relented in its determined efforts to ensure the security of lives and properties of its citizenry. Disturbed by this ugly unfolding phenomenon, the State Government has on Sunday 20th and Monday 21st May, 2019 engaged the top officials of Zamfara and Sokoto States at Gusau, on how to ensure a renewed offensive to safeguard our people. We agreed during the meeting for a joint operation of coordinated and simultaneous offensive under a single command. Two days after the Gusau meeting, I personally presented our case to Mr. President, at the Presidential Villa Abuja as a result of which he sympathized and commiserated with us, and pledged to ensure a quick response.

Accordingly, on Thursday 23rd May, 2019 an Assessment Team arrived Katsina on the orders of the Chief of Defence Staff. The team visited and interacted with relevant stakeholders in the affected areas, with a view to addressing this anomaly once and for all, by the grace of Almighty Allah.

It is important to, at this juncture, state clearly that the State Government is doing everything possible to support the security personnel and security operations in Katsina State. Despite the meager resources available, the State Government has been providing operational vehicles, office and residential accommodation, security equipment for operation, monthly personnel allowances and so many others to the security personnel posted to the State from 2015 when we took over the mantle of leadership to date.

I therefore wish to appeal to our people across the State for calm and continued prayers, as we got the assurance of the Federal Government for drastic action to degrade these inhuman marauders. Let us continue to cooperate and assist the Security Agencies as they re-strategize to ensure our safety and wellbeing.

Another challenge which we encountered at inception was the issue of depleted treasury. The huge earnings from the sale of crude oil were either mismanaged or fritted away by the previous administration. Consequently, our administration met very little, and for some time we had to be very creative in order to meet our financial obligations. Four years after, our position has only barely improved. We still contend with the challenge of poor revenue earnings owing to fall in the price of oil in the international market.

Consolidation and new 8-points pledge for security and development

In spite of these outstanding challenges, we remain poised to forge ahead with our determination to take Katsina State to the next level. We are resolved to continue to explore all avenues, engage with all critical stakeholders, and work with the private sector to ensure the consolidation of the gains of the past four years. This administration would continue to expand opportunities for private sector participation in boosting our economy in order to create more jobs and close the existing social inequality gap among our people. Specifically, I would like to solemnly pledge to you, on this day, our commitment to the following critical areas.

Sustaining investment in Education. This administration would continue to prioritize education. Enrollment would be expanded; far reaching reforms would be pursued including but not limited to refining our curricula to be more amenable to the challenges of our age; and new structures/equipment/and facilities would be provided. In addition, we will continue to engage with critical stakeholders to explore avenues for improved welfare packages and scholarship opportunities for both teachers and students in our schools.

Increasing Investment in Agriculture. We share the conviction that our long-term security and prosperity as a people depend solely in how much we invest to develop our agricultural sector. We are of the belief that agriculture has the potential and the capacity not just to lift our people from poverty, but to also help strengthen our IGR. We will continue to expand opportunities for public-private partnership in financing critical sub-sectors including irrigation and livestock farming.

3. Consolidating the gains of the health sector. We are determined to build on the achievements of our administration in this area in the last four years.

Existing health centers, especially in our rural areas would continue to be renovated and upgraded. New ones will also be constructed and properly equipped and staffed with professionals. Furthermore, we shall avail health workers with opportunities for improved service welfare as well as career development and regular professional development trainings.

Increasing Investment in Water Resources.

Provision of portable water would also remain a top priority for this administration. Our focus will be on

consolidating the existing gains and building upon them to ensure that more communities have access to portable drinking water.

Facilitating Wider Political Inclusion and Youths Engagement.

Another area which we plan on prioritizing is the inclusion of our people, particularly youths, in the management of their affairs. We recognize the importance of expanding the political space to accommodate youths with their boundless energy and creative ideas in order to enrich our governance. Consequently, we will take steps and pursue measures that are designed to facilitate this objective. In our first term, we demonstrated our commitment to greater youths engagement and participation by the significant number of young men and women appointed into positions of great responsibilities including cabinet positions.

Entrenching Good Governance, Political Accountability and Transparency.

Our resolve to institutionalize values of good governance in Katsina State is unequalled. We have achieved quite a lot especially in ensuring transparency on how the business of government was conducted.

But it is our belief that more needs to be done. We shall not relent in our determination to continue to improve on the successes of the past. We shall do whatever it takes to ensure that good governance and accountability become entrenched in public service.

7. Promoting Greater Public-Private Collaboration. Another area which will form part of our new 8-points pledge is the issue of greater collaboration between the public and private sectors. Fundamental challenges including unemployment and low IGR could be substantially reduced with greater participation of the private sector into our economy. To this end, we shall follow-up on the gains of the 2016 Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit and determine strategies to scale-up our level of partnership with the private sector especially in agriculture, manufacturing, and industries.

Bequeathing Secure and Prosperous Katsina State. Ladies and gentlemen, my dream I must admit at this juncture is to see a Katsina State that is secured from all manner of security threats; a Katsina State that is financially buoyant; and a Katsina State with a happy and prosperous populace. With my team, we hope to bequeath a Katsina State where the wellbeing of our people would not be measured by the presence of the rich, but by the absence of the poor amongst us. This dream is not an impossible one. But its realization would depend solely on how sincere and dedicated we work in the next four years and even beyond.

Conclusion

Ladies and gentlemen, I submit these as our pledge to you. We are committed to their full realization. And I am assuring you that the hands that will be invited to join in ensuring this success are capable, dependable, reliable, competent, and trustworthy. We will ensure that we appoint persons of proven integrity that will add great value to our agenda for security and development. This is the only way to ensure the consolidation of our restoration gains and to guarantee quick results as we move to the next level. I am, therefore, asking you all to join hands with me as we march towards a greater, better, secure, and more prosperous future Insha Allah. I thank you so much and pray that you go back to your respective destinations safely.

Wassalamu alaikum.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday presented certificates of return to 24 members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly following the verdict of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had last Friday nullified all APC votes at the 2019 general elections in Zamfara State and ruled that the party had no candidates.

The five-member panel of justices in a unanimous judgement held that the party failed to conduct primary elections in accordance with the partys rules.

The judgement declared that the political party that scored the second highest number of votes other than the APC in the elections should be declared winner of the polls.

Out of the 24 lawmakers who received the certificates, 23 were from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one came under the platform of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).

The certificates were issued to the lawmakers by the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Asmau Maikudi.

In his remarks, Gov. Bello Matawallen-Maradun described the occasion as a welcome development.

Mr Matawallen-Maradun represented by his deputy, Mahadi Aliyu-Gusau, congratulated the lawmakers for the victory which he described as a victory for democracy in Nigeria.

He urged the lawmakers to provide legislation that would provide solutions to various challenges of the state.

He appealed to people of the state to support the new government with prayers to succeed in the task ahead to rescue the state from insecurity, kidnappings among other ills.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC for the state, Maikudi represented by the Secretary of the Commission, Hassan Sidi, urged the lawmakers to carry out people oriented legislations that would enhance the provision of dividends of democracy to the people of the state and attainment of democratic advancement in the country.

He thanked all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the 2019 general elections in the state.

Responding on behalf of the lawmakers, Muhammad G-Ahmad from Shinkafi constituency (PDP), commended the Nigerian Judiciary for allowing justice to reign in the country.

Mr G-Ahmed also thanked INEC for conducting free, fair and credible elections in the state.

He assured the people of the support and cooperation of the 9th assemblys determination and commitment to move the state forward.

(NAN)
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Zone 2 Command, on Friday said there were no fewer than 70,000 unclaimed drivers licences in Lagos State.

The head of command comprising of Lagos and Ogun, Samuel Obayemi, Assistant Corp Marshall, disclosed this during a visit to the palace of Akran of Badagry, Aholu Menu Toyi 1, in Lagos.

He expressed concern that Lagosians who had gone to check their drivers licences and discovered that they were not ready often refuse to go back for rechecking.

The truth of the matter is that FRSC is in charge of drivers licences but different licence offices do the distribution.

Since people are not forthcoming, we are now working with various boards of internal revenue to see that these unclaimed licences are collected.

As at today, we have about 70,000 yet to be collected drivers licences in Lagos State alone. That is why we started Operation Show Your Licence.

The idea behind this is that when we stop them and find out that some dont have licences, we encourage them to go to various licence offices to collect their drivers licences.

As I speak to you, some of these licences have expired because they did not collect them after three years.

Some people would have died while some would have relocated to other states, but there are still some who are around who are yet to collect it.

It is our hope that at the end of the exercise, there will be drastic reduction in the unclaimed licences, he said.

Mr Obayemi urged people who are yet to collect their licences to go to different licence offices in Lagos for collection.

The commander said he was in Badagry to receive blessing from Mr Akran and to visit the FRSC Unit there and familiarise with the personnel.

When you take over a command, as a commanding officer, the normal thing is to go round all formations and familiarise yourself with other personnel.

As a point of call, I am here in Badagry to receive Akrans blessing and I feel comfortable here.

We run into problems with road users in Badagry and every road user is a subject of Akran. So, we know that when there is problem, we run to Akran for solution, he said.

Responding, the monarch thanked Mr Obayemi for visiting his palace and assured him of the support of the people of Badagry.

Mr Akran blessed him and prayed that God would guide and protect him throughout his stay in office.

The Depegan of Badagry Kingdom, Tunde Giro, urged the zonal commander to give more patrol vehicles to the FRSC Unit in Badagry in order to be more effective.

The commanding officer also visited the Seriki Abass Slave trade Museum and the First Storey Building in Badagry.

Mr Obayemi was accompanied by the Unit Commander of Badagry FRSC, Babatope Agbaje, and other personnel from the unit.

(NAN)
Barely two days after the exit of former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, the State House of Assembly has nullified all appointments, employment and financial transactions done at the last minute by the Amosun administration.

The former governor, at the twilight of his administration, made the appointments between February 1 and May 28, which generated controversies.

On Friday, the speaker of the Assembly, Suraju Adekunbi, a known protege of the former governor, set the ball rolling for the reversal, when he announced the appointment of Olusola Sonuga as the new majority leader of the assembly.

Subsequently, the speaker superintended over the passage of a bill titled Nullification of Irregularities (Amendment) Law, 2019 at the plenary.

This followed the suspension of the Assemblys standing orders 45 -48 to allow for the consecutive second and third readings of the bill.

Consequently, after the first reading of the bill on the floor of the Assembly by the Deputy Clerk, Deji Adeyemo and extensive debate by members during its second reading, a motion for the third reading was moved by the new Majority Leader, Olusola Sonuga, seconded by Olawale Alausa.

This was later supported by the whole house through a voice vote.

The Deputy Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, while opening debate on the bill, noted that the bill was an amendment to the one earlier passed by the Assembly at the inception of Amosun-led government to reverse all irregularities especially on employment of over 2,000 workers purportedly appointed by the then Gbenga Daniel administration few months to the takeoff of the immediate past Amosun administration.

Earlier in their separate submissions, members, Akinpelu Aina, Olusola Bankole, Mr Sonuga and Adebowale Ojuri, said the last minute appointments, upgrading and employment by the last administration did not follow due process, lacked merit, and was not done in good faith.

They equally submitted that all financial transactions with any institution done by the administration, not approved through the House of Assembly resolution should not be honored by the current government.

A third reading of the bill was quickly taken, while Speaker Adekunbi directed that a clean copy of the bill be forwarded to the new governor, Dapo Abiodun for his assent.

The Assembly also passed a resolution directing the state government to immediately dissolve all chairmen and members of statutory boards and parastatals having been paid their severance allowances by the immediate past administration.

The lawmakers urged all the chairmen to hand over government property in their custody to the most senior director/public servant in their agency.

The Assembly equally suspended all political functionaries in all Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Councils (LCDAs) in the State.

The Assembly unanimously passed another resolution calling for the reversal and review of the upgrading of traditional rulers including Obas and Baales done within the same period for holistic assessment by the new administration with a view to promoting peaceful coexistence and entrenching good governance in the state.
Johnson always preferred to deal with people face to face, which is what he did in his original storefront on Main Street in Pleasantville.

After London graduated from Atlantic City High School, she entered the world of insurance, but not working for her father. She worked for Prudential Insurance in Linwood as many young graduates did at the time. From there she transitioned to Aetna once the local corporate office of Prudential closed.

Williams went to a vo-tech after graduating from Egg Harbor Township High School and studied word processing and computers. He venture out and was employed by a number of local businesses. Through a series of events that the children now smile and laugh about, both Williams and London found themselves working with their father at the agency.

He had a way about him that always made you feel good after talking with him, London said.

Williams agreed and said that was one of the things his father instilled in them from the beginning.

Johnson was the rock of the family and a true champion of his children and grandchildren. He supported community activities and events, and that is another area his children and the insurance agency continue to do.
Once the students complete the fire cadet program, theyll be certified as a special law-enforcement officer I, in CPR and first aid, as well as in dispatching for 911 calls, said Matt Pleasants, a teacher at the high school.

They can graduate high school with skills where they can be employed in the field, Pleasants said. Planting the seed right now, thats what were doing.

Inside a garage at the facility, another group of students, also equipped with white hard hats, used a high-pressure airbag to lift a trailer, adding wooden blocks underneath it for support.

Called cribbing, the blocks help keep a large object in position and support it while rescues are being made, Johnson said, adding they use the same system to lift buses, train cars and even buildings.

I learn best hands-on, so its a better experience than sitting at a desk all day, said Mattie Newby, 16, of Cape May Court House.

The program was developed from the Fire 1 curriculum and testing, a national certification program for adults, said William Cripps, Wildwood fire official and an instructor for the class.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account.
But he decided not to let Fox chase him out of town, he said.

The summer residents get nothing out of it, he said of having to pay taxes without being able to vote.

Full-time residents can vote, but they question whether anyone will step up to run against Fox, who has been in office since the 1990s, except for the four years Herbert Frederick was mayor from 2008 to 2012.

They are also upset that the value of their homes and the reputation of the borough is being affected.

Bavis is a member of the Concerned Taxpayers of West Wildwood, and said the group has helped people get involved, even if they cannot vote here.

Some have retired and taken up permanent residency here to be able to vote, he said. And the group is looking into what it would take to change the law to allow second homeowners to vote in local elections, he said.

Delaware, Connecticut and New Mexico have changed their laws to allow second homeowners to vote in local elections, and a total of 10 states allow second homeowners to vote in some special elections like for fire districts, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
PLEASANTVILLE  A city man was airlifted to the hospital after a fire broke out in a first-floor apartment unit of a multi-resident home in the 100 block of North First Street on Friday morning.

Firefighters arrived at the scene one minute after being dispatched at 3:42 a.m. and found smoke coming from the building, according to Battalion Chief Scott Trythall.

The fire was in the apartments bedroom and bathroom area.

The man living in the apartment had already evacuated, Trythall said. EMS was called, and it was decided his injuries warranted a flight to a burn center. He was flown to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Trythall said.

Other residents were evacuated from the building but were allowed to return to their apartments. Trythall said the fire caused substantial damage to the apartment but did not affect the rest of the building.

The home did not appear to have any visible fire damage later Friday morning.

The fire was still under investigation, and the citys arson unit was on scene.

The Atlantic City Fire Department provided mutual aid. Firefighters and investigators cleared the scene about 6:30 a.m.(tncms-asset)a038422e-7f42-11e9-b253-00163ec2aa77[0](/tncms-asset)

Contact: 609-272-7239 AAuble@pressofac.com Twitter @AublePressofAC
BUENA  Two employees of two companies that share a warehouse were safely escorted outside by officers Thursday after one employee attempted to assault another employee with a crane, police said Thursday.

About 4 p.m., police arrived at a warehouse at 450 West Blvd. due to reports of a possible hostage situation, Lt. Matthew DeCesari of the Franklin Township Police Department said.

A man entered into a verbal confrontation with another man that escalated into an attempted assault by the suspect with a crane, DeCesari said.

The victim barricaded himself inside of an office for his safety, DeCesari said.

Police surrounded the warehouse and established phone communication with the victim, DeCesari said. The victim safely came out of the building first. The suspect was taken into custody on the opposite side of the warehouse, DeCesari said.

Franklin Township police will start covering Buena BUENA  The borough has decided to disband its police force, according to thedailyjournal.com.

Police were still investigating Thursday night. Charges were pending, DeCesari said.

Police did not release the names, ages or residences of either the suspect or the victim. No one was injured during the approximately two-hour ordeal, DeCesari said.
Stores to give out reusable bags

{child_byline}AVALON ZOPPO

Staff Writer

{/child_byline}

MARGATE  In an effort to cut down on plastic-bag use, Margate is launching a new program under which businesses will distribute 10,000 reusable bags to customers.

The program, called Bag it Forward, will start in the spring. Shoppers will be given fabric bags they can return at participating stores or keep for future use. The city and the Margate Business Association are working together on the program.

It will become cyclical in nature, said MBA Executive Director Anna Maria Blescia-Courter.

Margate has not joined a growing number of shore towns that have placed fees on single-use plastic bags in hopes of reducing the amount of litter that ends up on beaches and in the ocean.

In Margate, plastic bags will still be used as a backup, Blescia-Courter said.
Trafficking victims could come into a hospital or doctors office for any number of reasons, from assault, prenatal care and routine checkups to mental health services and addiction treatment, Hunt said. And 87.8% of victims report having contact with a health care provider while they are being trafficked.

Mays Landing human trafficking case to go before grand jury HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  A grand jury will decide whether the Mays Landing man accused of holding

However, of the almost 5,700 hospitals across the U.S., only 60 have a plan for treating patients who are being trafficked and 95% percent of emergency room personnel arent trained to treat trafficking victims, he added.

Asking the right questions, like what type of work they do, whether theyre being paid and whether they could leave their job if they wanted to are all ways for providers to figure out whether their patient is a victim, according to the state human trafficking website, which Hunt had blown up to poster size and positioned around the room.

They also can look for patients who dont speak on their own behalf, instead looking at an uncle to speak for them, bruises or other signs of physical abuse, and fear or depression.
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.




ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hurricane season begins June 1, but Duke Energy prepares for massive storms year-round and urges customers to be prepared, too.

"Early preparation is a key element of keeping you and your family safe during and after a hurricane," said Catherine Stempien, Duke Energy Florida state president. "Skip the long lines, refine your emergency plans, and give yourself plenty of time to do important repairs to fortify your home. We prepare for storms throughout the year and encourage you to do the same to be able to react quickly when a storm threatens your neighborhood."

Since 2004, the company has invested more than $2 billion in maintaining and strengthening its power delivery systems in Florida. An additional $3.4 billion of investments planned for over the next 10 years will go even further to modernize the grid, making it more resistant to power outages and more secure against threats and disruptions. For customers, that means when a storm hits, the threat of costly and disruptive outages is minimized or even avoided.

To discuss its storm preparedness and information on how customers can prepare for severe weather, the company will provide media opportunities on May 31:

May 31, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Tampa Bay area

Duke Energy Distribution Control Center in St. Petersburg

Contact Peveeta Persaud for address: 352-216-0150

May 31 , 10 a.m. - noon Orlando area

1845 S Orange Blossom Trail, Apopka, FL 32703

Contact Ana Gibbs for information: 813-928-7263

Grid Modernization

In addition to trimming trees and inspecting and replacing wood poles, the company has invested in grid automation and smart grid technologies, which improve service reliability and reduce the length and number of outages.

Duke Energy is building a smart-thinking grid that will increase reliability for all customers by anticipating outages and intelligently rerouting power to speed restoration or avoid outages altogether. Currently, 34% of customers in Florida receive smart-thinking grid technology and the goal is to be at 80% in 10 years. The technology helped avoid more than 200,000 customer interruptions in 2018.

The company is also using data to strategically identify the most outage-prone power lines and move them underground. This can significantly reduce power outages and momentary service interruptions, and it can reduce costs and quicken restoration time after a major event for all customers.

As this year's hurricane season approaches, Duke Energy's meteorologist predicts slightly above-average storm activity. Experts are warning residents to pay more attention to predictions about storm surge and flooding than about wind strength. Read more in the illumination story.

The following tips can help you and your family stay safe if severe weather strikes and the power goes out:

Safety around power lines

Consider all downed power lines and anything touching them energized and HAZARDOUS. Do not go near them and report the problem to Duke Energy by calling 800.228.8485.

Report all power line hazards to Duke Energy at 800.228.8485, or contact your local emergency services department or agency.

Stay away from downed or sagging power lines, and do not touch anything that is on or near a power line (i.e., trees or tree limbs, cars, ladders).

Keep children and family pets away from areas where lines may have fallen (backyards, fields, school yards, etc.).

If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.

Generator safety

Please watch for utility crews and turn the generator off when crews are in your area. The electrical load on the power lines can be hazardous for crews making repairs.

Operate your generator outside. Never operate it inside a building or garage.

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure safe and proper operation.

Always have a licensed electrician install stationary or standby emergency generators.

To avoid electrocution, plug individual appliances into the generator using heavy-duty, outdoor rated cords with a wire gauge adequate for the appliance load. This is the safest way to use a generator. Duke Energy does not recommend connecting a generator directly to a breaker panel, fuse box or meter box because of the hazard it can create for utility lineworkers.

Obey all local, state and national electrical and fire codes.

Store gasoline in approved fuel containers and out of children's reach.

Keep children away from generators.

Have a fully charged, properly rated fire extinguisher (i.e., rated for electrical and gas fires) ready at all times.

Never replenish fuel in a generator when it is running.

Call an electrician to repair a generator. Never attempt to repair it yourself.

Flooding and electrical safety

If rising water threatens your home  or if you evacuate your home  turn off your power at the circuit breaker panel or fuse box.

Electric current passes easily through water, so stay away from downed power lines and electrical wires. Don't drive over  and don't stand near  downed power lines.

Never replace a fuse or touch a circuit breaker with wet hands or while standing on a wet or damp surface.

If your home or business is flooded, Duke Energy cannot reconnect power until the electrical system has been inspected by a licensed electrician. If there is damage, an electrician will need to make necessary repairs and obtain certification from your local building inspection authority before power can be restored. Duke Energy can provide a free, no-obligation referral to a local reputable electrician at 888.999.8856.

Outage reporting

Customers can report power outages in three easy ways:

Online at duke-energy.com/outages

Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply)

Call the automated outage-reporting system at 800.228.8485

For more information on how to prepare for storm season, and how Duke Energy can help, please visit duke-energy.com/StormTips. For storm or power restoration updates, follow Duke Energy on Twitter (@DukeEnergy) and Facebook (Duke Energy).

Duke Energy Florida

Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns a diverse generation mix of natural gas, coal and renewables, providing about 10,200 megawatts of owned electric capacity to approximately 1.8 million customers in a 13,000-square-mile service area.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit's regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states  North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states  North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2019 "World's Most Admired Companies" list, and Forbes' 2019 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook

Contact: Peveeta Persaud

Office: 727.820.5592 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853

Twitter: @DE_PeveetaP

SOURCE Duke Energy

Related Links

http://www.duke-energy.com


CHARLESTON, W.Va., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bailey & Glasser LLP is pleased to announce that Brian Swiger has joined the firm as a partner based in the Charleston, West Virginia, office. Swiger's practice spans nearly 30 years representing electric utilities, midstream and exploration and production companies, and other compressed gas companies such as propane and ethane in catastrophic loss and high stakes litigation  defending and trying to verdict cases alleging billion dollar damages.

Brian Swiger, Partner at Bailey & Glasser LLP

"As a fine trial lawyer, Brian will help Bailey & Glasser expand its work in the oil and gas industry and among other energy producers," said founding partner Ben Bailey. "His portfolio, years of experience, and proven track record of success will enhance our litigation capabilities for these important clients."

Swiger comes to Bailey & Glasser from Jackson Kelly PLLC, where he served as the assistant managing member for eight years. He has represented AEP in litigation for almost 30 years and currently advises clients on issues of regulatory compliance, title issues, drilling activities, fire and explosion losses, contract and lease disputes, and environmental litigation.

Clients in pipeline explosion cases and other catastrophic loss situations have learned to reach out to Swiger immediately because of his experience in crisis management.

Though most of his legal career has focused on defense matters, Swiger said he looks forward to assisting in Bailey & Glasser's plaintiff work as well. "Bailey & Glasser is a respected and admired firm with enormous expertise in litigating from both sides of the table," he said. "I am eager to bring my own experience to bear while learning from the talented lawyers here."

Swiger earned his JD from the West Virginia University College of Law and lives in Charleston, W.Va.

SOURCE Bailey & Glasser LLP
NEW YORK, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Templum Inc., a leading innovative financial technology company and Templum Markets, its wholly owned subsidiary, a FINRA registered broker dealer and Alternative Trading System (ATS) providing a registered solution for primary issuance and secondary trading for private digital securities, has appointed Frank Barbarino as a Director, reporting to Templum's Chief Issuance Officer Bernard Van der Lande.

Barbarino will be responsible for assisting with institutional relationships and creating visibility and content for this emerging sector while driving the firm's capital markets thought leadership efforts.

Barbarino joins Templum with a strong track record of advising and directing major institutions on their alternative investment plan development. Prior to his appointment, Barbarino was a Senior Investment Officer with the New York City Office of the Comptroller's Bureau of Asset Management, where he guided the city's pension systems on their investment selection and construction. He was also a Vice President and a Head of Hedge Fund Content within Goldman Sachs's prime brokerage division.

"Frank's expertise as a capital allocator for major organizations is an invaluable asset, as we work to open up institutional access to a new class of private securities," said Bernard Van der Lande.

"The team and I recognize that there is tremendous room for innovation in the world of institutional capital allocation, particularly as it relates to private markets investments," said Barbarino. "Our collective desire to serve institutions with a new generation of investment products will drive us to success."

Additionally, Barbarino was a Principal and Investment Strategist at The Carlyle Group, where he supported an investment team focused on direct lending to mid-market companies and communicated investment strategy and themes to institutional investors globally.

Barbarino has been highly regarded for his leadership in driving the institutional adoption of emerging assets, including private corporate lending, European distressed credit, bank regulatory capital trading and the Public-Private Investment Program for legacy mortgage assets. In 2009, he was recognized as one of Institutional Investor's Hedge Fund Rising Stars; he was also a finalist for their Consultant of the Year award in 2012.

About Templum

Templum Inc. is a leading innovative technology company focused on the development of new market infrastructure for digital securities including systems for the initial offering and secondary trading of unregistered securities.

Templum Markets is a wholly owned subsidiary of Templum Inc. and a FINRA registered broker dealer and Alternative Trading System (ATS) providing a registered solution for raising capital and trading private digital securities.

SOURCE Templum Inc.

Related Links

templuminc.com


LOS ANGELES, May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Illusionist and Winner of Penn & Teller FOOL US, Ivan Amodei will appear on Southern California stages in June with his brand new stage show SECRETS & ILLUSIONS, produced by Eclipse Production Studios.

With the Boston Globe hailing him "Brilliant & Enthralling," Penn & Teller describing it as "Gorgeous all the way through," and Hollywood Today stating, "He's the most exciting illusionist we've ever seen."

Winner of Penn & Teller Fool Us - Illusionist Ivan Amodei.

Ivan is appearing at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale on June 22 . The renowned Balboa Theatre June 29 in San Diego and the prestigious Irvine Barclay Theatre June 30 in Irvine California.

"I'm excited about this new show. It's unlike other magic show you ever have seen. It's filled with brain-games, puzzles, tons of audience participation, storytelling, comedy, and accompanied by a concert violinist throughout the 2-hour rollercoaster ride," states Ivan Amodei. No two shows are ever alike because of the audience determines all the outcomes and direction they want it to go. It also has something magic is missing, which is the human connection with the illusions.

"What I especially love about this show are the uplifting messages about humanity and life throughout each piece," stated Ivan. As one guest said, "What a brilliant and uplifting night of illusions we experienced last night. Ivan Amodei drew us under his "spell" and touched our souls with his stories of destiny, courage, love, and the meaning of life."

You'll witness a game of Russian Roulette with a 12" Bowie Hunting Knife and a guest having to face their greatest fear. You'll see a person track down love in the most unexpected place, discover how the Laws of Attraction helps an audience member find how to make the right choices in life and witness TIME stop for the entire audience. This show will ultimately inspire, encourage and motivate you to discover your destiny.

"The goal of a beautifully performed illusion should not just fool, but leave a permanent memory on your soul." - Ivan Amodei

Tickets can be purchased on www.ivanamodei.com . Prices start at $45 - $85 and shows in Glendale Alex Theatre and San Diego Balboa Theatre start @7:30 pm. Irvine's show starts at 4 pm.

Media Contact:

Eclipse Production Studios PR Dept.

John Tash

[email protected]

805.529.9219

SOURCE Eclipse Production Studios
CANTON, Mass., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospital corporations across Massachusetts have placed at least $1.6 billion in the Cayman Islands and other well-known offshore tax havens, leading nurses and lawmakers to call for legislation requiring financial transparency from hospitals and the returning of excess profits and CEO pay to the public good.

"We can improve our health care system by shining a light on hospital finances, limiting excessive CEO pay and ensuring that the public has a stronger voice in shaping how our health care dollars are spent," said Karen Coughlin, a 35-year RN from Mansfield and Vice President of the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

The Hospital Profit Transparency and Fairness Act (S. 714/H. 1144) requires hospitals to disclose financial holdings and profits, including money kept in offshore accounts. It will also claw back excessive profits and CEO pay and return that money to the public good through a newly created Medicaid Reimbursement Enhancement Fund. Massachusetts hospitals are both largely non-profit organizations and publicly funded through tax dollars.

Hospital Corporation City/Town of Hospitals IRS 990 or Auditor Data

(FY 2017 unless otherwise noted) Offshore Account Location, etc. Public Payer Mix (% of revenue from Medicare, Medicaid, and state funds) BAYSTATE HEALTH Greenfield, Palmer, Springfield, Westfield $100,801,000 Cayman Islands 69.1% (avg. of hospitals) PARTNERS HEALTHCARE Boston, Newton, Salem, Nantucket, Northampton, Martha's Vineyard, Belmont $100,909,744 2016 data 65.6% (avg. of hospitals) LAHEY HOSPITAL & MEDICAL CENTER Burlington $74,313,000 Bermuda 60.1% TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER PARENT INC. Boston $1,682,860 Central America & the Caribbean 61.9% BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL Boston $376,247,495 Central America & the Caribbean; Sub-Saharan Africa 34.7% WINCHESTER HOSPITAL Winchester $894,158 Bermuda 46.3% SOUTHCOAST HOSPITALS GROUP New Bedford, Fall River, Ware $26,399,000 Specific location unavailable 74% SOUTH SHORE HOSPITAL Weymouth $3,749,000 2015 data 60% HALLMARK HEALTH Reading, Medford, Melrose $6,530,000 Specific location unavailable 63.3% (MelroseWakefield) BERKSHIRE HEALTH Pittsfield North Adams $13,586,165 Cayman Islands 68.2% (avg. of hospitals) NORTHEAST HOSPITAL CORP. (BEVERLY & ADDISON GILBERT) Beverly, Gloucester $12,075,000 Bermuda 64.6% CAPE COD HEALTHCARE Hyannis, Falmouth $29,808,000 Cayman Islands 71.8 (avg. of hospitals) BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER Boston $87,103,000 Cayman Islands 76.9% UMASS MEMORIAL HEALTH Worcester, Marlborough, Leominster $171,000,000 Cayman Islands 65.6% (UMass Memorial Medical Center) TRINITY HEALTH Holyoke, Springfield $654,092,000 Specific location unavailable 74.2% (Mercy Medical Center) MILFORD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER INC. Milford $678,257 Central America and the Caribbean, Europe, East Asia & the Pacific 52.3% TOTAL

$1,659,868,679

Average: 63% Source: FY 2017 data from CHIA

* For source documents related to the table, please email [email protected].

"We know that every major network in the state, including Baystate Health, Partners and Lahey have offshore accounts in tax havens like the Cayman Islands by digging through opaque, complex financial forms," said RN and MNA President Donna Kelly-Williams. "Taxpayers have a right to know how much of their money is sitting in an offshore bank account or going toward out-of-state expansion  especially if those taxpayers live in a community that has just lost an essential service."

Bill Co-Sponsor Senator Michael Moore:

"Given the high cost of health care, the public deserves to know what hospital executives are doing with public funds. Many people do not realize that many of the Commonwealth's multi-billion-dollar hospital corporations are largely funded by taxpayer dollars. Transparency in regard to the use of those funds is critical to maintaining public trust."

Bill Co-Sponsor Representative Josh Cutler:

"Our Medicare, Medicaid and other state tax dollars fund hospital corporations, but what those corporations do with our money can be at odds with public service. This bill will allow the public to see exactly where our tax dollars are going  especially if they end up in the Cayman Islands  and limit excessive hospital CEO pay. We should instead spend that money helping our most vulnerable patients."

To address this issue, The Hospital Profit Transparency and Fairness Act (S. 714/H. 1144) will:

Require hospitals to be transparent about their financial holdings and other activities.

Assess any hospital receiving taxpayer dollars that has an annual operating margin above a specific, predetermined cap.

Assess any hospital receiving taxpayer dollars that provides a compensation package for its CEO that is greater than 100 times that of the hospital's lowest paid employee.

Deposit assessments in a newly created Medicaid Reimbursement Enhancement Fund to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates to eligible hospitals as a way to claw back excess profits and ensure that taxpayer dollars are dedicated exclusively to safe patient care and necessary services for all communities in the commonwealth.

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association

Related Links

http://www.massnurses.org


Through a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and input from the teen members, Aaron's associates and Club officials decorated and furnished the Club's multipurpose space. Local Aaron's associates and Club officials revealed the new space, now equipped with new technology, sectionals, tables and chairs, sound systems and fresh paint. Teens chose the special Sherwin-Williams paint colors for the room: Dynamic Blue and Earl Grey. The teens can enjoy the redesigned areas dedicated to leadership development, study, lounging and games.

"With Atlanta being our hometown, this renovation was close to our hearts and we made sure to provide the Samuel L. Jones Club members with great resources to help them be successful leaders," said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron's, Inc. "Boys & Girls Clubs of America is the number one youth-serving organization in the nation helping provide opportunities that our teens otherwise would not have."

"The partnership between the Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club and Aaron's will benefit the many students who will be able to use this newly renovated facility," said U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. "The Boys & Girls Clubs organization makes a difference in the lives of many young Georgians, providing them with a place to explore their interests and grow. I appreciate the support Aaron's has given to the organization."

"Boys & Girls Clubs are a vital part of life for American youth, providing communities across the country and in Georgia with comfortable spaces where parents know their children are safe," said U.S. Senator, David Perdue, R-Ga. "We are all grateful to our friends at Aaron's for this makeover, supplying these bright young minds with better futures and making a difference in the Peach State."

"My duty as Georgia's Attorney General is to protect Georgians, and especially our youth and other vulnerable populations. Strong public-private partnerships help make the most of our state's assets, and I'm thrilled to congratulate the Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club and Aaron's, Inc., on this outstanding partnership to provide an improved space for our youth at the Keystone Teen Center," said Attorney General of Georgia, Chris Carr.

"This refresh isn't just about a fresh coat of paint or new furniture. It's a transformation to our Samuel L. Jones Club, where teens now have the resources they need to achieve their dreams," said Missy Dugan, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. "Thanks to Aaron's, we can now support more teen membership with the Keystone Program and foster a safer environment."

In September 2018, the Aaron's Foundation renewed its national partnership with the BGCA. The continued partnership supports the Keystone Club, BGCA's premier national teen leadership and character program, for an additional three years with a $5 million commitment. This follows the 2015 Aaron's Foundation's three-year national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Keystone Program, helping underserved teens ages 14-18 develop their character and leadership skills in hopes of helping them reach their potential and creating positive change in the community.

Over the past five years, Aaron's has performed 37 makeovers at Teen Centers in cities such as Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Baltimore, Memphis and San Antonio. The Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club makeover was made possible by Aaron's in-kind donation of furniture, electronics and appliances valued at $28,000 and the hard work of the company's associates.

"I love hanging out with Keystone Club in the Teen Center. I always feel encouraged to do my best. I'm really glad that other people see how important it is to us." Alana G., 14 ( Atlanta )

"With the leadership skills I've learned in Keystone Club, I feel ready to help my society. Keystone Club has helped me be a better person. It has helped me become a leader as I help younger kids with their homework." Kyla G., 13 ( Atlanta )

"Keystone Club has helped me advocate to fight for what's right. For me, the most meaningful experience is when we all sit down and just talk." Nevaeh F., 14 ( Atlanta )

Aaron's partnership with BGCA's Keystone Program inspires teens to "Own It" by taking ownership of their choices to build the lives they deserve. The Aaron's and Keystone Club "Own Your Future" campaign supports three principles:

Own Your Path : No matter where you come from, the future is yours to decide.

: No matter where you come from, the future is yours to decide. Own Your Decisions : Making good choices opens more doors for your future.

: Making good choices opens more doors for your future. Own Your Community: Use your talents to make an impact in your community.

To see photos of the Keystone Club remodel at the Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club, visit Aaron's on Facebook (www.facebook.com/aaronsinc), and Twitter (www.twitter.com/AaronsInc).

About Aaron's, Inc.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), is a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions. Aaron's Business engages in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories through its approximately 1,600 company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com. In addition, Progressive Leasing, a virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through over 20,000 retail locations in 46 states. 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 Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, 4,400 Clubs serve 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.aarons.com


PHILADELPHIA, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aberdeen Global Income Fund, Inc. (NYSE American: FCO) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, today announced that it paid on May 31, 2019, a distribution of US $0.07 per share to all shareholders of record as of May 22, 2019 (ex-dividend date May 21, 2019).

Your Fund's distribution policy is to provide investors with a stable monthly distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital.

Under U.S. tax rules applicable to the Fund, the amount and character of distributable income for each fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related Rules, the Fund may be required to indicate to shareholders the source of certain distributions to shareholders.

The following table sets forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the Rules adopted thereunder. The table has been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The table includes estimated amounts and percentages for this distribution and for the cumulative distributions paid relating to fiscal year to date (11/01/2018 - 04/30/2019), from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated composition of the distributions may vary from month to month because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.



Estimated

Amounts of

Current

Monthly

Distribution per

share ($) Estimated

Amounts of

Current Monthly

Distribution per

share (%) Estimated

Amounts of Fiscal

Year to Date

Cumulative

Distributions per

share ($) Estimated

Amounts of Fiscal

Year to Date

Cumulative

Distributions per

share (%) Net Investment

Income $0.0315 45% $0.2205 45% Net Realized Short-

Term Capital Gains* - - - - Net Realized Long-

Term Capital Gains - - - - Return of Capital $0.0385 55% $0.2695 55% Total (per common

share) $0.0700 100% $0.4900 100% *includes currency gains

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy").

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2019 will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The following table provides information regarding the Fund's total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Fund's annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 04/30/20191 1.29% Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV2 10.55% Fiscal Year to Date (11/01/2018 to 04/30/2019) Cumulative Total Return on NAV1 5.00% Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV2 5.28%

1Return data is net of all fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan. 2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of April 30, 2019.

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2010, the Fund may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Fund during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Fund, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the terms of the distribution policy. The final determination of the source of all distributions will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. The Fund's Board of Directors has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

Aberdeen Standard Investments is a brand of the investment businesses of Standard Life Aberdeen plc, its affiliates and subsidiaries. In the United States, Aberdeen Standard Investments is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc., Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments Australia Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments (Asia) Ltd., Aberdeen Capital Management, LLC, Aberdeen Standard Investments ETFs Advisors LLC and Standard Life Investments (Corporate Funds) Ltd.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. The Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the NAV of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact [email protected]

aberdeenfco.com

SOURCE Aberdeen Global Income Fund, Inc.
TAMPA, Fla., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Visual Awareness Technologies and Consulting's (VATC) EPIC Builder product has been selected by Aechelon Technology as their primary Common Database (CDB) 3D terrain creation tool.



EPIC Builder provides enhanced geospatial visualization technology for Command and Control (C2) as well as modeling and simulation. These elements with the EPIC Ready suite allow users to build, edit and share 3D models for a uniform training experience.

"Aechelon has a successful track record supporting US Special Operations Forces (SOF) modeling and simulation needs; given VATC's support of SOF Planning, Rehearsal, and Execution Preparation (SOFPREP) group our Builder tool was the best choice for Aechelon," said VATC CEO Sara Moola.





Aechelon Technology is the nation's leader in real-time 3D computer graphics applications, geo-specific databases and devices employed in pilot, sensor and weapon training, mission rehearsal, command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and ground stations for the US Government, US Allied Forces and Government Prime Contractors. Aechelon Technology's proven product line features image and data generators, data centers, world-wide geo-specific multi-spectral databases as well as custom database large scale production, program management and integration services.

EPIC Builder is one of EPIC Ready's three applications which works in tandem to generate the realistic distributed mission operations environments, focusing on transforming mission readiness for Conventional and Special Operations Forces Integration, Interoperability, and Interdependence (CF-SOF I3). EPIC Ready is the first product-based training solution that combines geospatial analytics, human dynamics factors and data-driven performance analysis to create the most realistic and effective warfighter experience possible.

Using Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards, EPIC Builder fills a critical gap in the management and deployment of 3D geographic information. Providing data interoperability using the OGC Common Database (CDB) standard supports the training simulations community. EPIC Builder efficiently translates a large variety of commonly used open, commercial and proprietary data formats into CDB format for use in a single simulator or across a network of simulators.

VATC will demo EPIC Builder at GEOINT 2019 from June 2-5 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX, Booth No. 1731. To schedule a demonstration at the show, please contact Brooks Davis at [email protected] .

For more information about EPIC Ready and VATC, please visit www.epicready.com and www.vatcinc.com .

About VATC

For 16 years, VATC has combined its joint training experience, innovative engineering talent and intelligence expertise to pioneer the development of the most advanced Distributed Missions Operations (DMO) training environments available anywhere in the world. Combining the latest open geospatial data standards with an integrated suite of innovative DMO training solutions, VATC offers a legacy of proven performance, leading subject-matter expertise and the most innovative technological solutions to the modern military's growing challenges.



About GEOINT

Hosted and produced by the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), the annual GEOINT Symposium is the nation's largest gathering of industry, academia and government to include Defense, Intelligence and Homeland Security Communities as well as commercial, Federal/Civil, State and Local geospatial intelligence stakeholders. The event annually attracts more than 4,000 attendees from all over the world, features more than 250 exhibiting organizations, offers 50 hours of training sessions and countless opportunities to learn, exchange ideas and network.

SOURCE Visual Awareness Technologies & Consulting (VATC)
American Humane will be sharing Adopt-A-Cat Month tips and content on its website and across its social media platforms throughout the month, including cat adoption checklists, tips for pet owners dealing with unruly cat behavior, like scratching or marking, and humorous videos.

The popular annual campaign is part of a larger effort by American Humane to help these beautiful animals and focus on and help solve the unique challenges and issues they face. Although cats have often been referred to as America's "Most Popular Pet," with an estimated 94 million living in 47 million U.S. households, they receive less veterinary care, have less research dedicated to their unique health/behavioral issues, are more likely to be feral, and are more likely to be euthanized in shelters than dogs.

If you're thinking about adopting, American Humane has put together a handy "Top 10" checklist:

TOP 10 CHECKLIST FOR ADOPTING A CAT

If you're thinking about adopting a cat, consider taking home two. Cats require exercise, mental stimulation and social interaction. Two cats can provide this for each other. Find a cat whose personality meshes with yours. Just as we each have our own personality, so do cats. In general, cats with long hair and round heads and bodies are more easygoing than lean cats with narrow heads and short hair, who are typically more active. Adoption counselors can offer advice to help you match the individual cat's personality with your own. Pick out a veterinarian ahead of time and schedule a visit within the first few days following the adoption. You'll want to take any medical records you received from the adoption center on your first visit. Due to their immaturity, kittens in particular should accompany you to make the appointment  even before the exam itself  so staff can pet the cat and the animal will have a positive association with the veterinarian's office. Make sure everyone in the house is prepared to have a cat before your new pet comes home. Visiting the shelter, rescue group or animal control facility should be a family affair. When adopting a new cat with existing pets at home, discuss with the adoption facility how to make a proper introduction. Budget for the short- and long-term costs of a cat. Understand any pet is a responsibility and there's a cost associated with it. A cat adopted from a shelter is a bargain; many facilities will have already provided spaying or neutering, initial vaccines, and a microchip for permanent identification. Plus, shelters and rescue groups are there to offer guidance and assistance as you acclimate your new family member. Stock up on supplies before the cat arrives. Be prepared so your new cat can start feeling at home right away. Your cat will need a litter box, a good-quality cat litter, food and water bowls, food, scratching posts, safe and stimulating toys, a cushy bed, a brush for grooming, a toothbrush and nail clippers. Cat-proof your home. A new cat will quickly teach you not to leave things lying out. Food left on the kitchen counter will serve to teach your new friend to jump on counters for a possible lunch. Get rid of loose items your cat might chew on, watch to ensure the kitten isn't chewing on electric cords, and pick up random items like paper clips (which kittens may swallow). Go slowly when introducing your cat to new friends and family. It can take several weeks for a cat to relax in a new environment. It's a great idea to keep the new addition secluded in a single room (with a litter box, food and water, toys and the cat carrier left out and open with bedding inside) until the cat is used to the new surroundings; this is particularly important if you have other pets. If you've adopted a kitten, socialization is very important. But remember  take it slow. Be sure to include your new pet in your family's emergency plan. You probably have a plan in place for getting your family to safety in case of an emergency. Adjust this plan to include your pets. Add phone numbers for your veterinarian and closest 24-hour animal hospital to your "in-case-of-emergency" call list, and be sure to have a several-day supply of your pet's food and medications on hand. If you're considering giving a cat as a gift, make sure the recipient is an active participant in the adoption process. Though well-meaning, the surprise kitty gift doesn't allow for a "get-to know-one-another" period. Remember, adopting a cat isn't like purchasing a household appliance or a piece of jewelry  this is a real living, breathing, and emotional being.

If you need any more inspiration about the heartwarming and rewarding benefits of bringing a cat into your life, check out Chicken Soup for the Soul's new book, "Life Lessons from the Cat," featuring 101 tales that range from the heroic to the hilarious and will leave you laughing and crying at the same time. In addition to giving you more than a hundred reasons to bring home a cat, royalties from the book support American Humane's lifesaving work with animals.

"There are literally millions of reasons to rescue a cat in need during our Adopt-a-Cat Month.and at every other time of year," says American Humane President and CEO Robin Ganzert, PhD. "You can find every one of them at your local shelter or rescue and, with time, each will give you a million reasons to be glad you did."

About American Humane

American Humane is the country's first national humane organization, founded in 1877. For more information, please visit www.americanhumane.org .

SOURCE American Humane

Related Links

http://www.americanhumane.org


COLUMBUS, Wis., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- American Packaging Corporation's recyclable portfolio includes a broad array of options suited for bar wraps, pillow pouches, side gusseted and stand-up pouches. APC is expanding upon the previous successes of the recyclable clear-barrier fitmented stand-up pouch and recyclable cold seal bar-wrap and offering options for a variety of additional product applications. This portfolio of recyclable offerings utilizes the latest materials and process technologies to the benefit of the brand-owner.

Jeff Travis, Packaging Innovations and Sustainability Leader at American Packaging said, "Increasingly, brands are targeting the development of 100% reusable, recyclable, and compostable packaging solutions. To meet these targets, brands are reaching out to converters for options. Redesign is often necessary but the needs for branding, shelf life, package integrity, and machinability can't be ignored. Brands each have specific needs and the tailoring of laminate options is important to drive adoption. Fortunately new materials and process developments are offering credible options."

Tailoring the package to the brand owner's needs are important. This is available through a combination of materials, process technologies, and APC's state-of-the-art printing and converting technologies. Attributes such as appearance, graphics, stiffness, shelf presence, and barrier can be modified. Processability and machinability is also improved.

These design-for-recycle options are suitable for a broad range of products including dry mix, confection, snacks, cereals, fresh produce, soaps, and lotions. Standard recyclable laminate options are available but custom options can be developed based upon the specific needs of the brand. These laminates can be provided in rollstock or premade pouch format offering the brand owner with an opportunity to target an end of life option, with little to no change in shelf life, package integrity, and machinability.

Founded in 1902, American Packaging Corporation is solely focused on flexible packaging. APC is committed to innovation, sustainability, and customer delight from a talented family of packaging professionals. www.ampkcorp.com

American Packaging Corporation is a registered trademark of American Packaging Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

For more information on our web site:

www.ampkcorp.com

SOURCE American Packaging Corporation

Related Links

http://www.ampkcorp.com


Today's announcement of a firm fixed price contract to deliver NASA science, exploration, and technology demonstration payloads to the Moon is a culmination of Astrobotic's 12 year history as the pioneer in lunar delivery. Born and bred in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of America's advanced technology epicenters, Astrobotic is leading the world in lunar payload sales. Astrobotic's 28 payloads represent 8 different countries (including the United States). Payloads comprise of resource development, scientific investigation, technology demonstration, exploration, marketing, arts, and entertainment. NASA's CLPS selection , along with our existing manifest of signed customers, affirm that Astrobotic's American-designed Peregrine lander is the market choice for payload customers worldwide.

"Today is a historic day for Astrobotic and the commercial lunar market," said Astrobotic CEO John Thornton. "It is an awe-inspiring responsibility to be charged with delivering NASA's payloads alongside our existing manifest of customers. Astrobotic was founded on the tenets of technical excellence, credible timelines, and value to customers. NASA's confidence in our services is a testament to the hard work of the Astrobotic team, which spent 12 years making commercial lunar delivery a reality. Today, that hard work has come to fruition. We are proud to join NASA in returning America to the Moon."

Peregrine is a lunar lander product line that will carry uncrewed payloads to the Moon. With Peregrine's robust delivery capacity, the lunar surface is open to companies, governments, and universities, and individuals. The vehicle has passed an industry-standard Preliminary Design Review and the program will build and test a Structural Test Model followed by a Critical Design Review later this year. Peregrine will launch in June 2021 with a planned landing in July 2021.

With 28 payloads now on board for Peregrine Mission One and a healthy payload pipeline for follow-on Peregrine missions to the Moon, Astrobotic is expanding operations and growing its team. Career openings are available online now at the Astrobotic website, and we invite the nation's best technical talent to make history with us.

About Astrobotic

Astrobotic Technology, Inc. is a space robotics company that seeks to make space accessible to the world. The company's lunar lander, Peregrine, delivers payloads to the Moon for companies, governments, universities, non-profits, and individuals for $1.2 million per kilogram. Astrobotic was selected by NASA in May 2019 for a $79.5 million contract to deliver payloads to the Moon in 2021. The company also has more than 30 prior and ongoing NASA and commercial technology contracts, a commercial partnership with Airbus DS, a corporate sponsorship with DHL, and 28 payloads signed on for Peregrine's first mission to the Moon. The company is also an official partner with NASA through the Lunar CATALYST Program. Astrobotic was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.

Astrobotic's media kit can be downloaded here.

Contact for Astrobotic: Carolyn Pace

[email protected]

(412) 682-3282

SOURCE Astrobotic

Related Links

https://www.astrobotic.com/


SELBYVILLE, Del., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The growth of North American bioplastic textile market is driven by consumers concern for depleting fossil fuels, desire of manufacturers to produce green and sustainable products, technological advancements in bioplastic production supported by favorable federal and state-based government policies. For instance, R&D activities conducted in the U.S. to develop biodegradable plastics from soy products such as meal, flour in complementary with PLA is completely funded by the U.S. government.

The world bioplastic textile market is poised to achieve 4%+ CAGR from 2019 to 2025 as favorable government policies for sustainable use of bioplastics will propel the industry growth.

Driven by presence of large number of manufacturers coupled with strict European regulations, Europe has emerged as the largest market with revenue generation over USD 400 million for bioplastic textile followed by Asia Pacific and North America.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/3347

Bioplastic textiles have laid its footsteps in a number of industries including clothing, footwear, and home textiles. Footwear segment is one of the fastest growing industry as it has a highly competitive environment mainly due to the presence of well-established players in the market namely Puma, Reebok, Adidas, Gucci, etc. The presence of large number of market players is making the market more innovative resulting in increasing product demand which in turn will help attain promising gains to the overall bioplastic textile market size by 2025.

Global Bioplastic Textile Market revenue is set to cross USD 1.4 billion by 2025; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. Global market is anticipated to emerge as one of the highest growth markets mainly due to consistent increase in the demand of bioplastic textile from apparel industry. Furthermore, technological advancements in the sector followed by favorable government policies and shifting consumer interest towards greener products will further make a noteworthy contribution to the overall bioplastic textile market size in the coming years.

Stringent regulations against the traditional plastic material use is majorly driving the market. In 2018, Europe initiated ban on the use of disposable plastic products by 2021. Plastic ban are becoming very common worldwide as for instance, countries including Kenya, Malaysia, France and many others have posed restrictions on the plastics use and are promoting bio-based products as a step towards sustainable environment. Bioplastic textile market is also strengthened by the growing apparel industry worldwide as it constitutes over 40% of total end users segment of the market.

Browse key industry insights spread across 342 pages with 532 market data tables & 18 figures & charts from the report, "Bioplastic Textile Market By Source (Sugarcane, Beet, Corn Starch, Cassava), By Material (Polylactic Acid [PLA], Polyhydroxyalkanoates [PHA], Polyhydroxybutyrate [PHB], Bio-polyester [Bio-PES], Bio-polyamide [Bio-PA]), By End-user (Home Textiles, Clothing, Footwear), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE), Application Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019  2025" in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/bioplastic-textile-market

Despite having an environment friendly base, bioplastic textile is very far in terms of market share as compared to petroleum based plastic textiles. Such a small share in the overall bioplastic textile market is solely attributed to high capital cost associated with the bioplastics production, which resulted in the high-end cost of apparels and other products and comparatively low margins for manufactures.

Based on source, corn starch has registered itself as the basic material to manufacture bioplastics. On the other hand, other materials that contributes in the production process are sugarcane, beet, cassava, etc. Beet has an extended utility in manufacturing bioplastics and constituted approximately 15% of the total market share in 2018. Europe sugar policy coupled with some quotas made it very hard for European bioplastic manufactures to use costly beet, as sugarcane is much more cost effective as compared to beets.

PLA has been dominant in the materials segment and constituted a share of almost 30% in the total bioplastic textile market share in 2018. On the other hand, PHA is also used in the manufacturing process of bioplastic textile as it is derived from bacterial fermentation of lipids and sugar. The product can also be manufactured by using biomass generated from waste and therefore is completely biodegradable.

Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/3347

Browse Related Reports:

Biopolymer Films Market By Raw Material (Bio-based, Microbial Synthesized, Synthetic, Partially Bio-based), By Technology (Sol-gel, Atomic Layer Deposition [ALD], Multilayer), By Product (PLA, PHB, PHA, PVA, Polyamide, Mulch, Cellophane), By End-user (Food & Beverage, Home & Personal Care, Medical & Pharmaceutical, Agriculture) Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019  2025

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/biopolymer-films-market

Biopolymer Coatings Market By Products (Bio PU coatings [Architectural, Deckings, Floorings, Furniture, Automotive, Textile], Bio PA Coatings [Automotive, General Industrial, Exterior, Wire Goods, Construction, Electrical], Bio PBS Coatings [General Packaging, Food & Beverage Packaging], PLA Coatings [General Packaging, Food & Beverage Packaging], Starch Coatings [General Packaging, Food & Beverage Packaging, Pharmacy Bags], Cellulose Esters [Automotive, Food & Beverages, Furniture, Textiles], Nitrocellulose Coatings [Decking, Flooring, Furniture], Wax Coatings [Edible Coatings, General Packaging, Food & Beverage Packaging], Soy Protein Coatings [General Packaging, Food & Beverage Packaging], Corn Zein Protein [Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage Packaging]), Regional Outlook, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/biopolymer-coatings-market

About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.

Contact Us:

Arun Hegde

Corporate Sales, USA

Global Market Insights, Inc.

Phone: 1-302-846-7766

Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.gminsights.com

Blog: http://express-journal.com

Connect with us: Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter

Related Images

bioplastic-textile-market.png

Bioplastic Textile Market Forecasts 2019-2025

The world bioplastic textile market is poised to achieve 4%+ CAGR from 2019 to 2025 as favorable government policies for sustainable use of bioplastics will propel the industry growth.

Related Links

Bioplastic Textile Market

Industrial Hemp Market

SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc.
SAN DIEGO, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra LNG, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), today announced that Cameron LNG has shipped the first commissioning cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the first liquefaction train of the export project in Hackberry, La.

"This achievement brings Cameron LNG, one of Sempra's five strategically located LNG infrastructure projects, one step closer to commercial operations," said Carlos Ruiz Sacristan, chairman and CEO of Sempra North American Infrastructure. "Seeing the first tanker depart loaded with U.S. LNG produced at this world-class facility is significant for our company."

Commissioning cargos are a critical step in the start-up process and support stabilizing production and performance testing. Commercial operations from the facility will begin after Cameron LNG receives authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which is expected in mid-2019.

More than 72 million hours were spent safely constructing the Cameron LNG export project to date, with nearly 11,000 workers supporting peak construction.

Phase 1 of the Cameron LNG export project includes the first three liquefaction trains that will enable the export of approximately 12 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of LNG, or approximately 1.7 billion cubic feet per day.

Cameron LNG is jointly owned by affiliates of Sempra LNG, Total, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., and Japan LNG Investment, LLC, a company jointly owned by Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK). Sempra Energy indirectly owns 50.2% of Cameron LNG.

Cameron LNG Phase 1 is one of five LNG export projects Sempra Energy is developing in North America: Cameron LNG Phase 2, previously authorized by FERC, encompasses up to two additional liquefaction trains and up to two additional LNG storage tanks; Port Arthur LNG in Texas, which recently was approved by FERC; and Energia Costa Azul LNG Phase 1 and Phase 2 in Mexico.

Development of Sempra Energy's LNG export projects is contingent upon obtaining binding customer commitments, completing the required commercial agreements, securing all necessary permits, obtaining financing, other factors, and reaching final investment decisions. In addition, the ability to successfully complete construction projects, such as the Cameron LNG facility, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties.

Sempra LNG develops, builds and invests in natural gas liquefaction facilities and is pursuing the development of five strategically located LNG projects in North America with a goal of delivering 45 Mtpa of clean natural gas to the largest world markets, which would make Sempra Energy one of North America's largest developers of LNG-export facilities.

Visit sempra.com/mediakits for high resolution, downloadable images and b-roll, and additional facts about Sempra LNG and Cameron LNG.

This press release contains statements that are not historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "contemplates," "assumes," "depends," "should," "could," "would," "will," "confident," "may," "can," "potential," "possible," "proposed," "target," "pursue," "outlook," "maintain," or similar expressions or when we discuss our guidance, strategy, plans, goals, vision, mission, opportunities, projections, initiatives, objectives or intentions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Future results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements.

Factors, among others, that could cause our actual results and future actions to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: actions and the timing of actions, including decisions, new regulations and issuances of authorizations by the U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, states, cities and counties, and other regulatory and governmental bodies in the U.S. and other countries in which we operate; the success of business development efforts and construction projects, including risks in (i) obtaining or maintaining authorizations; (ii) completing construction projects on schedule and budget; (iii) obtaining the consent of partners; (iv) counterparties' ability to fulfill contractual commitments; and (v) the ability to realize anticipated benefits from any of these efforts once completed; the availability of natural gas and liquefied natural gas, and natural gas pipeline and storage capacity; equipment failures; changes in energy markets; volatility in commodity prices; moves to reduce or eliminate reliance on natural gas; risks posed by actions of third parties who control the operations of our investments; weather conditions, natural disasters, accidents, equipment failures, explosions, terrorist attacks and other events that disrupt our operations, damage our facilities and systems, cause the release of harmful materials, and subject us to third-party liability for property damage or personal injuries, fines and penalties, some of which may not be covered by insurance (including costs in excess of applicable policy limits) or may be disputed by insurers; cybersecurity threats to storage and pipeline infrastructure, the information and systems used to operate our businesses; the impact of federal or state tax reform and our ability to mitigate adverse impacts; changes in foreign and domestic trade policies and laws, including border tariffs, revisions to or the replacement of international trade agreements, and changes that make our exports less competitive or otherwise restrict our ability to export; and other uncertainties, some of which may be difficult to predict and are beyond our control.

These risks and uncertainties are further discussed in the reports that Sempra Energy has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These reports are available through the EDGAR system free-of-charge on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and on the company's website at www.sempra.com. Investors should not rely unduly on any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise these forecasts or projections or other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Sempra LNG and Port Arthur LNG, LLC are not the same as the California Utilities, San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) or Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), or Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC (Oncor) and are not regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission.

SOURCE Sempra Energy

Related Links

http://www.sempra.com


HOPEWELL, N.J. and BROWNS MILLS, N.J., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Effective July 1, Capital Health will assume operation of the satellite emergency department (SED) located on the Browns Mills campus of Deborah Heart and Lung Center, Burlington County's only fully licensed cardiac center.

Capital Health will fill the vacancy left by Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County upon Lourdes' planned termination of services on June 30, 2019. The new name for the SED will be Capital Health Emergency Department at Deborah.

Capital Health, a well-respected and top-rated acute care hospital system, brings its expertise in emergency services to the SED, ensuring a seamless transition in patient care and emergency medical operations.

"We are excited to partner with Deborah in the provision of emergency services on their campus," said Al Maghazehe, Capital Health's President and CEO. "We understand that patients from neighboring Burlington and Ocean Counties have relied on the SED and we intend to continue and build upon the services offered at Deborah."

Capital Health's services include two acute care hospitals, including Capital Health Regional Medical Center, a Level II Trauma Center and Capital Health Medical Center  Hopewell, which opened in 2011. Capital Health is renowned for its specialized regional medical services including the Capital Institute for Neurosciences, the Center for Digestive Heath, Orthopedic Surgery, nonsurgical procedures using the CyberKnife Radiosurgery System and TrueBeamTM Linear Accelerator, daVinci robotic surgery, plastic & reconstructive surgery, and specialized pediatric emergency care, among others.

"The community, and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, will benefit from this range of specialized services which Capital Health will bring to its strategic partnership with Deborah," said President and CEO Joseph Chirichella, who noted that the two organizations have entered into a larger partnering agreement to expand access to the specialized services offered by each hospital in their greater service areas.

"First and foremost we could not have found a better partner to operate the SED," he said. "Capital Health's experience makes them ideal to assume the emergency department operations management. For the past ten years, patients have come to expect a high level of service and care. We are pleased that they will continue to receive this high level of medical care under a seamless transition.

"More importantly, our strategic partnership with Capital Health will open the doors to specialty services in our area and on our campus, services that are needed in the community. As well, this partnership paves the way for an integration of cardiac services that will benefit the residents of Mercer County, who will enjoy a closer connection to the highest level of cardiac care available. This collaboration and partnership is a win-win situation for both communities.

"Our collaboration will bring Deborah's expertise into Mercer County and Capital's expertise into Burlington and Ocean Counties. This is truly the way hospitals in New Jersey need to co-exist, by collaborating and not competing."

"As the leading health care provider in the Mercer County area, we feel that Deborah is a perfect partner for Capital Health," said Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., Chairman, Capital Healthcare Corporation Board of Trusties. "We are excited to partner with Deborah with their reputation of excellent cardiac care and best practices. Our goal is to continue to provide the highest level of emergency medical services to the Burlington and Ocean County communities."

With a New Jersey State Department of Health license in hand, Capital Health will assume ownership operations at 12:00 a.m. on July 1.

About Capital Health

Capital Health is the Central New Jersey/Lower Bucks County region's leader in providing progressive, quality patient care with significant investments in physicians, nurses and staff, as well as advanced technology. Comprised of two hospitals (Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton and Capital Health Medical Center  Hopewell), a Hamilton outpatient facility, and various primary and specialty care practices across the region, Capital Health is a dynamic healthcare resource accredited by The Joint Commission.

A four-time Magnet-designated health system for nursing excellence, Capital Health serves as a Level II regional trauma center, regional perinatal center (including a Level III NICU), and emergency mental health screening center. Capital Health also offers the region's first and most experienced Pediatric Emergency Department, including New Jersey's first Autism-Friendly Pediatric Emergency Department. Capital Health also provides innovative programs such as the Capital Institute for Neurosciences; nationally accredited Center for Comprehensive Breast Care; Center for Digestive Health; Marjorie G. Ernest Joint Replacement Center of Excellence; award-winning Cancer Center; and the Heart & Vascular Institute, which includes the region's first accredited Chest Pain Center. For more information, visit capitalhealth.org.

About Deborah Heart and Lung Center

Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, NJ is an 89-bed teaching hospital that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired heart, lung, and vascular diseases in adults, as well as providing outpatient cardiology services for children, offering leading-edge surgical techniques and non-surgical alternatives for treating these conditions. Deborah is consistently recognized as a leader in patient care and innovative healing, and has won numerous awards. The Hospital has received a 5-Star CMS rating, a 3-Star Society for Thoracic Surgeons rating, and ranks as #1 in NJ for patient satisfaction. For more information visit www.DemandDeborah.org

SOURCE Capital Health

Related Links

http://capitalhealth.org


ORLANDO, Fla., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout the month of June, Caribbean Sol is urging consumers to save the world's reefs and oceans by taking a hard look at their sunscreen labels. Consumers who post a picture of their chemical-based sunscreen on social media using #ChooseMineralsNotChemicals will be given the opportunity to trade up with a FREE Caribbean Sol 30 SPF 2 oz. travel bottle and a 30-percent-off coupon code for a future purchase on Caribbean-Sol.com.

Trade up chemical-filled sunscreens with Caribbean Sol

The chemicals found in "other" sunscreens are wreaking havoc on the world's ecosystem by bleaching reefs and ultimately killing ocean wildlife. Parts of the United States and other countries have already banned the use of certain sunscreens containing chemicals in Florida, Hawaii, Aruba, Bonaire, Palau and parts of Mexico, and the list will continue to grow.

Caribbean Sol spokesperson Brooke Strasser asks the question: "If these chemicals are destroying our reefs, what are they doing to our bodies?" According to a study published in the Medical Journal JAMA on May 6, 2019, there are numerous harmful chemicals in sunscreens, but the two main culprits are Octinoxate and Oxybenzone. Both chemicals are severely damaging to human bodies  the toxic substances absorb through the skin and can be found in blood, urine and breast milk, disrupting hormones. They can lead to developmental and reproductive toxicity and also cell damage, resulting in skin cancer.

#ChooseMineralsNotChemicals  By using this hashtag and posting a photo of chemical-filled sunscreen on social media, the first 100 participants will receive a FREE 2 oz. travel bottle of 30 SPF from Caribbean Sol and a 30-percent-off coupon code for a future purchase on Caribbean-Sol.com.

Caribbean Sol is a family-owned company with over 30 years of experience in the industry. The goal of this program is to encourage people to introduce themselves and their family to Caribbean Sol's natural, chemical-free sunscreen that will protect their skin and the world's precious environment.

Media Contact:

Caitlin Jecklin/Danielle Sommerfeld

Phone: 312.852.1252

Email: [email protected]

Related Images

choose-minerals-not-chemicals.jpg

Choose Minerals Not Chemicals

Trade up chemical-filled sunscreens with Caribbean Sol

Related Links

Choose Minerals Not Chemicals

Video

SOURCE Caribbean Sol

Related Links

http://Caribbean-Sol.com


SAN FRANCISCO, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Communities, Inc., a top 10 national home builder, announced today the grand opening of new single-family model homes starting in the $600's at its new community, Expression at College Park, in Mountain House. The model grand opening celebration is planned for Saturday, June 1 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a live remote radio broadcast by KKIQ 101.7 FM, face paintings and prize giveaways. Expression at College Park is located at 1755 S. Central Parkway in Mountain House.

Expression at College Park is the first of four collections grand opening and is Century Communities' first community in Mountain House. The first collection offers an affordable housing option to families outside the Silicon Valley and San Francisco metropolitan area.

Century Communities' Northern California Division President Jim Fletcher said, "We are excited to open Expression at College Park in Mountain House. This new community offers exceptional choices for your ideal new home that will meet your desired style and budget. This is a great time to tour our new model homes and reserve your new home today."

New model homes at Expression at College Park offer four, two-story floor plans ranging in size from 2,327 to 2,856 square feet. The single-family collection of homes features open floor plans with flexible space that include elegantly designed owner's suites, great rooms, dining rooms, dens, lofts, studios, and covered patios, depending on the chosen floor plan.

Fletcher added, "Homeowners at Expression at College Park will enjoy the convenient access to I-205, I-580 and Hwy 4. Plus, the abundance of highly rated K-12 schools throughout the community are compelling reasons to raise a family in the friendly community of Mountain House."

The Heritage collection will be the next model homes opening this summer. They are currently pre-selling from the low $700's. Featuring four, two-story floor plans ranging in size from 2,903 to 3,490 square feet. The Provenance and Reflection collections are coming soon. At College Park, homeowners can find their ideal home for every style and budget.

Historic Mountain House is located nearly equidistant between San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose in California's San Joaquin County. An adobe house built during the Gold Rush of 1849 was called "The Mountain House," a famous station stop for gold miners. Since then, the town of Mountain House has grown and thrived to offer first class amenities, parks and trails and access to nearby shopping, dining and major employment centers in the region. Homeowners with children are served by the highly rated Lammersville Joint Unified School District, which include a new high school campus and six elementary schools. Two additional new schools are scheduled to built in the master-planned community.

Interested homebuyers can talk to a New Home Specialist and sign up now for the community's "interest list" to get timely information on new releases. The model homes are open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please visit: https://www.centurycommunities.com/find-your-home/california/central-california/mountain-house

About Century Communities:

Century Communities, Inc. (NYSE:CCS) is a top 10 national home builder. Century Communities is engaged in all aspects of homebuilding, including the acquisition, entitlement and development of land, along with the construction, innovative marketing and sale of quality homes designed to appeal to a wide range of homebuyers. The Colorado-based Company sells its Century Communities and Wade Jurney Homes in 15 states across the West, Mountain, Texas and Southeast U.S. regions and offers title, insurance, and lending services in select markets through its Parkway Title, IHL Insurance Agency, and Inspire Home Loan subsidiaries. To learn more about Century Communities please visit www.centurycommunities.com.

SOURCE Century Communities, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.centurycommunities.com


CHICAGO, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Apollo 11 mission landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. Fifty years later, we celebrate the bold, collaborative efforts of Apollo 11 and imagine the next "giant leap" in space exploration. Chicago's Adler Planetarium, the first planetarium in America, is asking the public for help in gathering stories about how the Moon landing has inspired them.

Do you have memories of watching the event live? Do you have a personal connection to the Apollo program, or know one of the 400,000 people who worked on the mission? Were you inspired by this historical moment? Share these stories with us! By capturing memories, inspirations, visions, and personal "Moonshots," we hope to spark conversations about past, present, and future journeys of discovery and celebrate those who helped make what was once considered impossible possible.

*By submitting stories and associated materials, you give Adler Planetarium permission to use them in exhibition creation, as well as marketing and promotional efforts including, but not limited to, email, social media, and the member magazine.

Select stories will be shared as part of an online exhibition through Google Arts & Culture, along with onsite programming as part of the Museum's Apollo 11 Celebration. If you have associated photographs or materials you'd like to share with us, please email to [email protected] or visit adlerplanetarium.org/moonstories.

For more information about the Adler Planetarium, visit adlerplanetarium.org.

SOURCE Adler Planetarium

Related Links

www.adlerplanetarium.org


DUBLIN, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The Mattress Market in China" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

One of the main engines for the development of the Chinese mattress sector has been the growth of international trade. China is the world's largest mattress exporter, representing about one-third of global mattress exports. For more than 10 major global mattress markets, China is the top provider of mattresses. Among them, it is worth mentioning the USA, which is the largest outlet market for Chinese mattresses, absorbing 60% of China's mattress exports in 2017. Other large markets that source mattresses predominantly from China are Australia, Japan, and South Korea.



This report provides a detailed overview of the mattress market in China, current size and forecasts up to 2020, enhanced by historical trends, international trade data, analysis of the production and the distribution systems and information on major players. The study has been carried out involving direct interviews with Chinese and international mattress manufacturers operating in China.



The focus includes for each of the two markets:

Basic data on the mattress sector

Mattress consumption forecasts

Chinese penetration on the US/ Japan mattress markets

mattress markets Mattress import from China by filling materials: foam, innerspring mattress

The Chinese mattress production is analyzed by including historical series in value and volume and a benchmark with major mattress producing countries in the world.

Mattress production in China is broken down by:

Filling materials (innersprings and non-innersprings)

Major producing areas

The analysis of the mattress production system is completed with a selection of leading industry suppliers for filling materials, mattress machinery and innerspring units.



The Chinese mattress market analysis provides a global view of the major markets for mattress consumption. The analysis is carried out through data on local major demand determinants (disposable income, population, urbanization, investments in residential and non-residential building). Consumers' trends and preferences are also indicated.



An in-depth analysis of the competitive system identifies the leading Chinese manufacturers by mattress production, sales, and exports. Updated company profiles of top 35 manufacturers set forth data on total company's turnover, number of employees, export share, mattress turnover, manufacturing plants localization and company's distribution channels. The competitive system analysis identifies also a selection of leading international mattress manufacturers operating on the Chinese market, providing a description of their distribution strategies.



The supply structure of the Chinese mattress industry is analysed by the degree of specialization, workforce (number of employees), filling materials and price segmentation (super premium, premium and mass markets). A selection of leading Chinese mattress manufacturers active in each segment is provided.



Mattress imports and exports are broken down by country and by geographical region of origin/destination.



The chapter on the mattress distribution system offers the analysis of the major sales channels for mattresses and their trends, including short profiles of the leading furniture chains. A focus on the hospitality segment includes data and trends on the hotel room stock and a list of major mattress manufacturers serving the hospitality segment.



Around 250 addresses of key operators among which manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, are included, with company's addresses, website, email contacts and product portfolio.

Key Topics Covered:



Introduction

Data gathering and processing methodology



1. Executive Summary

Production, exports, imports, consumption of Mattress in China, 2009-2018



2. Mattress Production

Mattress Production in China. 2009-2018. US$ million

Global Mattress Production by major producing countries, 2017

Mattress production in China. Millions of units, 2012-2018

Production of mattress by region, 2017

Mattress manufacturers' facilities in a sample of companies

Mattress production by filling materials

Innerspring, non-innerspring mattresses, 2017

Selected mattress industry suppliers



3. International Trade

China. Imports and export of mattresses by country and by geographical area, 2012-2017. US$ million and Percentage values

The US and Japanese mattress markets

The mattress sector. Basic data. 2008-2017

Mattress consumption forecasts. 2019, 2020

Chinese penetration of the US mattress market, 2008-2017. Percentage

Mattress import from China by filling materials, 2008-2017. US$ million



4. The Mattress Market

Mattress Consumption in China, 2009-2018. US$ million

Global Mattress Consumption by major markets, 2017

Demand determinants

Mattress consumption forecast, 2019-2020



5. The competitive system

Leading manufacturers: mattress production

Leading manufacturers: domestic mattress sales

Leading manufacturers: mattress exports

Profiles of leading Chinese manufacturers

Foreign companies: profiles of leading mattress manufacturers



6. Supply structure

Degrees of specialization

Employment in the mattress industry

Filling materials: innerspring, non-innerspring

Price segmentation



7. Distribution System

A selection of leading Chinese mattress manufacturers: number and type of stores served, 2017

Short profiles of leading furniture chains operating in China

Contract segment



8. Trade Fairs



Annex 1. Wealth Distribution: Focus On The Luxury Segment

Annex 2. List Of Manufacturers And Retailers

Annex 3. List Of Suppliers

Companies Mentioned



Aidi

Airland

Aishu

Aris

Bayi

Dazhiran

De Rucci Beddings

EON Living

Fengyang

Goodnight Home Furniture

Healthcare-Mlily

Homey Industrial Group

Huaweimei Furniture

Jason Furniture-Kuka

Jiaxing Yuan Chang Furniture-Mellkit

King Koil

Lianle Bedding

Man Wah

Mengshen

Quanyou Furniture

Red Apple

Relux Mattress

Royale Furniture

Shenyang Mengbao

Shenzhen Hengang Industries

Shenzhen Yuanchao Household Goods - CBD

Sinomax

Somnus Furniture

Steel Land

Suibao Eurasia Mattress & Furniture

Sweet Night

Wei Lan Mattress Furniture-Weland

Xilinmen Group-Sleemon

Yantai Jisi

Zinus

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pspot1

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


WASHINGTON, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Clutch, the leading B2B ratings and reviews firm, released its annual report on the top small business web design, freelance web design, and WordPress design agencies around the world. These leaders were selected through a rigorous research process, factoring in a company's market leadership, client feedback, portfolio of past and current work, service focus areas, and design expertise.

An appealing and user-friendly website helps businesses stand out in an increasingly digital-first marketplace.

Clutch Award - Top Web Designers 2019

One in five small businesses (20%) say enhancing their website's design is a top priority for 2019. The top web design agencies may be able to help businesses represent their brands more effectively online, driving leads and creating a more satisfying user experience.

The leaders can be found in the following research lists:

https://clutch.co/web-designers/small-business

https://clutch.co/web-designers/freelance

https://clutch.co/web-designers/wordpress

"A well-designed website can greatly impact a business," said Clutch Senior Business Analyst DJ Fajana. "These companies have demonstrated their skill in designing high-quality websites, thus helping their clients successfully market themselves and establish credibility in their industries."

Clutch's research is ongoing and rankings are dynamic. The Clutch team invites interested companies to apply to get listed in the report next year.

The results are a snapshot of Clutch's Leaders Matrices on Thursday, May 16. Rankings are dynamic and may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Clutch's website.

About Clutch

A B2B research, ratings, and reviews firm in the heart of Washington, D.C., Clutch connects small and medium businesses with the best-fit agencies, software, or consultants they need to tackle business challenges together and with confidence. Clutch's methodology compares business service providers and software in a specific market based on verified client reviews, services offered, work quality, and market presences.

Contact:

Sara Philibotte

(202) 609-9922

[email protected]

SOURCE Clutch
NEW YORK, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ColorComm, Inc., the nation's premier platform addressing diversity and inclusion from across the communications, marketing, media, and advertising arenas will host its 6th Annual ColorComm Circle Awards honoring eight change makers in the industry.

The ColorComm Circle Awards currently serves as the only Awards Ceremony to honor women of color in communications. The Awards Dinner will take place on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 opening night during ColorComm's 6th Annual Conference held at the Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne in Miami, Florida.

"We are thrilled to honor a select group of women who've not only had an impressive career, but who've had a groundbreaking year. The ColorComm Circle Awards is the Golden Globes of our industry," said ColorComm Founder Lauren Wesley Wilson.

"Our honorees are more than their titles as they do the daily work to help strengthen the voices of those who are often underrepresented in the overall business and political discourse. Our honorees have made instrumental advances in our industry and we are thrilled to honor their work and share their stories," said Wilson.

Univision's Maity Interiano will Emcee the 6th Annual ColorComm Circle Awards and DJ Hannah Bronfman will headline the After Party.

ColorComm is proud to honor:

Rosanna Fiske , SVP, Corporate Communications, Wells Fargo

, SVP, Corporate Communications, Wells Fargo Judith Harrison , SVP Diversity & Inclusion, Weber Shandwick

, SVP Diversity & Inclusion, Weber Shandwick Soon Mee Kim , EVP, Global Diversity & Inclusion, Porter Novelli

, EVP, Global Diversity & Inclusion, Michelle Lee , Editor-in-Chief, ALLURE Magazine

, Editor-in-Chief, ALLURE Magazine Kim Paige , Chief Operating and Branding Officer, Sundial Brands

, Chief Operating and Branding Officer, Sundial Brands April Ryan , White House Correspondent, American Urban Radio Networks

, White House Correspondent, American Urban Radio Networks Dia Simms , President, Combs Enterprises

, President, Combs Enterprises Michelle Wong , President, Dailey

The ColorComm Conference is an annual business retreat connecting more than 500 executive leaders in communications, marketing, advertising, and digital from across the country. ColorComm's Conference will return to Miami, Florida for its 6th Annual Conference.

For more information visit: www.colorcommconference.com.

About ColorComm, Inc:

ColorComm Conference: www.colorcommconference.com

ColorComm Network: www.colorcommnetwork.com

ColorComm Fellows Program: https://colorcommfellows.tumblr.com

SOURCE ColorComm, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.colorcommnetwork.com


DFW AIRPORT, Texas, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price are leading a business mission June 5-12 to Sydney and Brisbane, Australia, promoting the importance of air service and its direct ties to trade advancement, business opportunities and tourism throughout the North Texas region.

The mission delegates will meet with government officials, business and tourism executives and local leaders to outline the benefits of operating in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and to showcase the growing marketplace and commercial ties between Australia and the Texas cities.

The Dallas-Fort Worth region, an international business and tourism hub, is a top U.S. metropolitan area for business expansions, relocations and growth. Australian investment continues to increase in the U.S., especially in manufacturing, software and IT services, and modern support services.

Australia is a top 10 international leisure tourism market for visitors to Dallas and Fort Worth, with a non-stop from Sydney six days a week and connections through American Airlines. International tourism to the United States is one of the nation's leading exports, based on foreign spending on goods and services here.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is a focal point for Australian businesses in engineering design and engineering consulting services, and oil and gas. Two dozen Australian parent companies operate in North Texas, and recent Australian expansions here include ADVAM, a leading payment service provider; MIC Global Services, a shared services organization; and Alpha Seven Energy, an international independent oil and gas company. Established Australian companies in DFW include WorleyParsons, BHP Billiton, Atlantic Aviation Corp., Otis Energy Inc., PIRTEK USA, Ascension Coffee, LDU, Icon Global and Amcor Rigid Plastics.

"We greatly anticipate the opportunity to forge new ties with our partners in Australia on this upcoming DFW trip to Sydney," Rawlings said. "Not only do these trips play a vital role in building our business markets and exploring new ones, but also provide an opportunity to showcase DFW's pro-business climate, talented workforce, strong economy and great location."

From large corporations to small startups, entrepreneurs from every background can find a home in what has become one of the nation's most attractive areas. About 250 Australian entities employ 18,000 people in Texas.

"As we learn and collaborate with our neighbors in Australia, we look forward to discussing mutual benefits about partnering and visiting Fort Worth," Price said. "The DFW region is a great place to do business or visit and this trip is another step in cultivating those long-term relationships."

In 2018, Australia was DFW's 22nd largest trading partner with $593 million in total trade. In 2017, Australia ranked in the top five in DFW's imports, with its largest imports being merchandising. It ranked second for exports in aviation, communications, and electrical equipment.

The mission also will be emphasizing the role that international flights through DFW Airport play in bridging North Texas and Australia. Qantas Airways began serving the airport in 2011, providing new business, trade and opportunities connections between Australia and North Texas.

"Business continues to grow in North Texas, with more headquarters citing DFW Airport as one of the top reasons for relocating to the Dallas-Fort Worth region," said Sean Donohue, CEO of DFW Airport and a member of the delegation. "We're anticipating a record 73 million customers over the next 12 months, and we continue to work with our airline partners to provide more opportunities to enable commerce and connect people and cargo."

Delegates include DFW International Airport, the Dallas Regional Chamber, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Visit Dallas and Visit Fort Worth.

In Sydney, meetings are planned with:

Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore to discuss the local government's role and support in the business and entrepreneur community, and some of her accomplishments as the longest-serving lord mayor in Sydney .

to discuss the local government's role and support in the business and entrepreneur community, and some of her accomplishments as the longest-serving lord mayor in . Qantas Airways to discuss additional opportunities between DFW and Australia , and how the airport and airline can further partner.

, and how the airport and airline can further partner. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian to discuss DFW Airport and how local businesses and communities interact with the aviation sector.

Premier to discuss and how local businesses and communities interact with the aviation sector. The US Studies Centre, which is hosting a roundtable session between the delegation and CEOs from local businesses. The session is designed to better understand issues facing their businesses and plans for future international growth while learning more about the benefits and opportunities in North Texas .

. A tourism CEO roundtable, hosted by the U.S. Consul General, for an update on Australian traveler sentiment and how destinations like DFW can invest to meet traveler needs and draw more visitors to the area.

The mayors will lead a panel on "Connected Cities" in partnership with DFW Airport and Vivid Sydney. The panel's topics will include how cities can help people make connections and the future of commuting and transportation.

In Brisbane, meetings are planned with:

Executives from Flight Centre, Australia's largest travel and tourism firm, to get a better understanding of international tourism issues and the Australia customer as they are relevant to Dallas and Fort Worth .

largest travel and tourism firm, to get a better understanding of international tourism issues and the customer as they are relevant to and . The Australia American Chamber of Commerce, which is hosting a CEO roundtable on plans for future growth and perceptions about DFW in the Australian market.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner to discuss sustainability and connectivity in cities.

About Dallas Fort Worth International Airport:

Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport warmly welcomes more than 69 million customers along their journey every year, elevating DFW to a status as one of the most frequently visited superhub airports in the world. Customers can choose among 190 domestic and 63 international nonstop destinations worldwide. DFW is elevating the customer experience with modernized facilities and updated amenities. Centered between its owner cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW Airport also serves as a major economic generator for the North Texas region, producing over $37 billion in economic impact each year by connecting people through business and leisure travel. In 2019, DFW Airport earned the prestigious Airport of the Year award from Air Transport World. For more information, visit the DFW website or download the DFW Mobile App for iOS and Android devices.

Follow @dfwairport on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn

SOURCE DFW International Airport

Related Links

www.dfwairport.com


SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Douglas Emmett, Inc. (NYSE: DEI), a real estate investment trust (REIT), announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on each share of its common stock of $0.26, or $1.04 on an annualized basis, to be paid on July 12, 2019 to shareholders of record as of June 28, 2019.

About Douglas Emmett, Inc.

Douglas Emmett, Inc. (DEI) is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), and one of the largest owners and operators of high-quality office and multifamily properties located in the premier coastal submarkets of Los Angeles and Honolulu. Douglas Emmett focuses on owning and acquiring a substantial share of top-tier office properties and premier multifamily communities in neighborhoods that possess significant supply constraints, high-end executive housing and key lifestyle amenities. For more information about Douglas Emmett, please visit our website at www.douglasemmett.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the historical facts, the statements in this press release regarding Douglas Emmett's business activities are forward-looking statements based on the beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to us about known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond our control or ability to predict. Although we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, they are not guarantees of future performance and some will inevitably prove to be incorrect. As a result, our actual future results can be expected to differ from our expectations, and those differences may be material. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on forward-looking statements to anticipate future results or trends. For a discussion of some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Stuart McElhinney, Vice President  Investor Relations

310.255.7751 [email protected]

SOURCE Douglas Emmett, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.douglasemmett.com


DUBLIN, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Fast-casual Dining Market in Europe - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2019-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Europe fast-casual dining market is likely to reach revenues of around $17 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of approximately 6% during 2018-2024.

The Europe fast-casual dining market is expected to be driven by factors such as change in dining patterns, flexibility of fast casual, cultural influences, and evolution of digital technology.

A lot of the growth and innovation is being fueled in the fast-casual dining market by small and regional chains similar to the relationship between Instagram generation and strong marketing of small brands. This has shifted expectations around restaurant designs, ingredient sourcing, services, and food.

Europe has demonstrated high potential for casual dining as consumers across the region are as short on time as those in the US and are seeking out entirely new dining experiences. Cross-referencing is a tactic that is gaining traction in fast casual kitchens so as to not stress workers working in the quick service environment, and the kitchen in general. Moreover, authenticity in the dining experience is being given a lot of attention. Good value meals, ease of ordering, decent customer services, and high-quality food and taste have provided momentum to the Europe fast-casual dining market.



The study considers the present scenario of the Europe fast-casual dining market and its market dynamics for the period 2019-2024. The report covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. It covers both the demand and supply aspect of the market. It profiles and examines leading and prominent companies operating in the Europe fast-casual dining market.



The research report on the Europe fast-casual dining market covers market sizing and forecast, market share, industry trends, growth drivers, and vendor analysis. The study includes insights on segmentation by daypart (lunch, dinner, breakfast, and snacks), channel (on-premise and off-premise), format (independents and chains), and geography (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Rest of Europe).



Europe Fast-casual Dining Market: Dynamics



Over the years, fast-casual dining has evolved in terms of dining patterns. Factors such as cultural influence, the flexibility of fast casual dining, and increased technological innovations are driving the Europe fast-casual dining market. The advent of digital technology is changing the food industry significantly. It helps to customize orders, gather the customer's data, and create lucrative rewards and discounts. Prominent vendors have integrated applications that allow customers to make the payment via debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, or PayPal.



For instance, Firejacks offers Pay My Bill, which enables diners to pay their bills electronically via a compatible mobile device at the restaurant. Similarly, Chipotle has created a tech-enabled second make line - i.e., a second burrito assembly line where all online orders are assembled. It has fitted stores with visual screens that show which ingredients are added into each burrito, thereby improving accuracy. Digital advancements are bolstering the franchise development model. It helps to improve communication by enabling franchisors to monitor everything in real-time.

Europe Fast-casual Dining Market: Segmentation



The market research report includes a detailed segmentation of the market by daypart, channel, format, and geography. The Europe fast-casual dining market by dayparts can be segmented into lunch, dinner, breakfast, and snacks. The lunch segment grew gradually and was valued at around $5 billion in 2018. Increased lunch outings by office goers have significantly contributed to the segment growth. Most casual restaurants are trying to leverage upon healthy food, combo options, and competitive pricing. Vendors are slowly including beverages as part of the portfolios from signature hot beverages to alcohol.



The diner segment is the second most developing sub-segment of the Europe fast-casual dining market. It is witnessing high popularity among customers, especially the family segment and serves high-quality food under the quick service model.

The Europe fast-casual dining market by channels can be segmented into on-premises and off-premises. The on-premise casual dining segment is developing and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 5% during the forecast period. Increased outings and the rise in disposable income have given momentum to the on-premise casual dining segment. Further, to make fast-casual restaurants more millennial-friendly and increase dwell time, vendors are adding elements that are likely to fuel conversation, spread fun and frolic, and increase community interactions.



The Europe fast-casual dining market by format can be segmented into independents and chains. Independent units dominated the market and are expected to grow at a CAGR of around 6% during the forecast period. High responsiveness toward customer needs and the element of freshness and surprise are the key factors for market growth. The independent segment has further been fast-tracked as a lot of internationally-recognized professional chefs have been attracted to the market.



For instance, Paul Bocuse's Ouest Express, Ferran Adria's Fastfood, and Marcus Samuelsson's Street Food in Western Europe are offering high-quality food and quick service together. These chef-driven concepts have rendered a level of creativity to independent fast casuals, thereby propelling the Europe fast-casual dining market.



The Europe fast-casual dining market by geography is segmented into Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Rest of Europe. Germany has dominated the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 6% during the forecast period. Fast-casual players are fueling the growth by expanding in areas of transit. The rise of Germany as a favorite destination for multiple fast-food joints is fueling the Europe fast-casual dining market.



The fast-casual dining market in UK has created a conducive environment. Food diversity and the evolving high-street landscape have paved the path for the Europe fast-casual dining market growth.

Key Vendor Analysis



The fast-casual dining market in Europe has moderate concentration of leading players. It is dominated by both regional chains and small single-location establishments. The fast-casual dining market is focusing on quality, brand value, customer services, and consistency. Vendors are introducing new concepts to gain customers such as offering fast-casual dining on rooftops, introducing make-your-own dishes, creating innovative kitchens among others. The combination of such new concepts and technological advancements is expected to drive the fast-casual dining market in Europe.



Leading Vendors

JAB Holdings

Nando's

Pizza Hut

The Restaurant Group



Key Topics Covered:



1 Research Methodology



2 Research Objectives



3 Research Process



4 Scope & Coverage

4.1 Market Definition

4.1.1 Inclusions

4.1.2 Exclusions

4.2 Base Year

4.3 Scope of the study

4.4 Market Segments



5 Report Assumptions & Caveats

5.1 Key Caveats

5.2 Currency Conversion

5.3 Market Derivation



6 Market at A Glance



7 Introduction

7.1 Overview

7.2 State Of The Global Economy

7.2.1 Economic Profile

7.3 Driving A Great Customer Experience

7.4 Trends Dominating Foodservice

7.5 Vegetarianism in Europe



8 Market Dynamics

8.1 Market Growth Enablers

8.1.1 Changes in Dining Patterns

8.1.2 Rising Trend of Conscious Consumption

8.1.3 Flexibility of Fast Casual

8.1.4 Cultural Influences Drive Uptake

8.2 Market Growth Restraints

8.2.1 Casual Dining Boundaries in Flux

8.2.2 Groceraunts Take Off

8.2.3 Downward Spiral of Discounting

8.2.4 An Ongoing Turf War

8.3 Market Opportunities & Trends

8.3.1 An Evolving Proposition

8.3.2 Enhancing Customer Journeys Via Technology

8.3.4 Shift Away from National Brands

8.3.5 Warming up to Franchising



9 Fast Casual Dining Market In Europe

9.1 Market Size & Forecast

9.2 Five Forces Analysis

9.2.1 Threat of New Entrants

9.2.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

9.2.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers

9.2.4 Threat of Substitutes

9.2.5 Competitive Rivalry



10 By Daypart

10.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

10.2 Market Overview

10.3 Lunch

10.4 Dinner

10.5 Breakfast

10.6 Snacks



11 By Channel

11.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

11.2 Market Overview

11.3 On-Premise

11.4 Off-Premise



12 By Format

12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

12.2 Market Overview

12.3 Independent Outlets

12.4 Chains



13 By Geography



14 Germany



15 The UK



16 France



17 Spain



18 Italy



19 Rest of Europe



20 Competitive Landscape

20.1 Competition Overview

20.1.1 Competitive Edge

20.1.2 Labor

20.1.3 The Employee Situation

20.1.4 Digital Ordering Capabilities

20.1.5 Marketing Approach



21 Market Vendor Analysis

21.1 Market Ranking Analysis



22 Key Company Profiles

22.1 JAB Holdings

22.1.1 Business Overview

22.1.2 Major Product Offerings

22.1.3 Key Strengths

22.1.4 Key Strategies

22.1.5 Key Opportunities

22.2 Nando's

22.3 Pizza Hut

22.4 The Restaurant Group



23 Other Prominent Vendors

23.1 100 Montaditos

23.1.1 Business Overview

23.1.2 Product Offerings

23.1.3 Key Strengths

23.1.4 Key Strategies

23.2 Chipotle Mexican Grill

23.3 Five Guys

23.4 Francesca

23.5 Gourmet Burger Kitchen

23.6 Itsu

23.7 Leon

23.8 March Mvenpick

23.9 Mezzo Di Pasta

23.10 Paul

23.11 Smashburger

23.12 Shake Shack

23.13 Tossed

23.14 Tortilla Mexican Grill

23.15 Vapiano

23.16 von Allwrden

23.17 Patisserie Valerie

23.18 Sushi Daily



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bpzo9c





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


NEW YORK, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FINN Partners, one of the world's fastest growing marketing and communications agencies, has been named strategic communications partner of the Global Travel & Tourism Resilience Council (GTTRC). FINN will support GTTRC in developing a platform for professionals to share best practices regarding tourism-related resilience, crises and disasters. FINN will also counsel GTTRC in shaping its robust thought leadership summits, previously held in London and Amman, with additional events scheduled in Nepal and South Africa and other key destinations over the next several years.

"The partnerships we've developed with our destination clients now include sustainable and responsible tourism practices in addition to digital/social and traditional travel public relations," said Gail L. Moaney, APR, founding managing partner, and director of FINN's global Travel & Lifestyle practice. "Our global team guides clients in sustainable tourism infrastructure planning, enabling them to quickly respond and mobilize in the event of natural disasters or geo-political challenges, among other issues."

"We are delighted to be aligning with FINN whose deep knowledge in tourism sustainability will help us expand the GTTRC's reach and achieve its goals as we roll-out our programming for 2019 and beyond," said Daniela Wagner, one of the founders of the Council and Group Business Development Director for Jacobs Media Group.

About The Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council (GTTRC)

The GTTRC was created following the success of the International Travel and Tourism Crisis Management Summit, which hosted its first event in London in 2016. ITCMS grew from 2016, becoming a yearly event and paving the way for regional efforts that started with the Resilience Through Tourism Summit, held in Amman, Jordan in 2018.

These events provide benefits for all sectors of the travel and tourism industry, ranging from aviation to tour operators and destinations, providing valuable real-time advice and information through comprehensive partnership programmes. The goal of the GTTRC is to engage with not only the corporate travel and tourism industry, but also the leisure sector, proactively partnering with industry suppliers in order to become the quintessential resilience strategy platform which leads to improving the confidence of travelers worldwide and sustainable stakeholder resiliency.

About Finn Partners, Inc.

Founded in 2011 on the core principles of innovation and collaborative partnership, Finn Partners has more than quadrupled in size in seven years, becoming one of the fastest growing independent public relations agencies in the world. The full-service marketing and communications company's record setting pace is a result of organic growth and integrating new companies and new people into the FINN world through a common philosophy. With 700 professionals, FINN provides clients with global access and capabilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia, in addition to PROI Worldwide. Headquartered in New York, FINN's other offices are located in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Jerusalem, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Nashville, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore and Washington D.C. Find us at finnpartners.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @finnpartners.

Contact:

Renee Martin, Partner

212-715-1600

[email protected]

SOURCE FINN Partners
DUBLIN, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global 5G Tariff Tracker" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Global 5G Tariff Tracker provides pricing information on all of the 5G services commercially launched by MNOs to-date. Initially published twice a year (May and November each year) the service will move to a quarterly service with the introduction of more 5G products.



It is still early days for 5G services launches. Initial 5G services have been launched in the USA, Korea, Australia, Switzerland. The November 2019 edition will have far more coverage, as a number of launches are planned for the latter part of 2019.

The Telecoms Pricing 5G Price Tracker is a new bi-annual subscription service which tracks 5G tariffs worldwide. It provides pricing information on all of the 5G services commercially launched by MNOs to date. Initially published twice a year (May and November each year) the service will move to a quarterly service with the introduction of more 5G products.

Geographical Coverage

Operators that launched 5G to-date and will expanded as new services are launched.

Subscription includes:

1) Report in pdf format

2) Bi-annual update

Executive Summary:



Average 5G plan pricing is currently USD $73.65 per month, with half of the 20 plans having unlimited mobile data or a mobile data allowance set at 100GB per month or above.



Telecoms Pricing has launched the first edition of the 5G Price Tracker subscription service, initially to be published twice a year in May and November (with further editions to follow in line with 5G market developments).

The first edition of the Telecoms Pricing 5G Price Tracker provides a survey of the four Country Markets where 5G commercial services have been introduced - the Country Markets of - Australia, South Korea, Switzerland and the USA.



Already many different flavours of 5G are emerging. And there remain restrictions on the 5G service launches by both the types of device and coverage availability.



For example, the 5G service launch in the USA is only available in the central business area of selected city markets with only a few devices available. Verizon offers the Motorola Moto Z3 smartphone which requires an additional 5G Moto Modi modem to be purchased for Verizon 5G to be accessed. Verizon also charges an additional USD $10 per month rental for 5G on top of its existing unlimited plans.

Otherwise the launch of 5G services still remains in process. MNOs are still waiting for the launch of new smartphones. For example, Swisscom is due to introduce the Oppo and LG V50 ThinQ smartphones in May, followed by the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G in July. (The launch of the Samsung Fold 5G device shown at the MWC is being delayed).



For each of the MNO 5G launches the Telecoms Pricing 5G Price Tracker provides the following details:



1. The 5G service plans available

2. The 5G service coverage and speeds

3. The 5G service pricing

4. The 5G service devices available



Telecom Pricing also shows the average 5G price rentals being applied, which is currently USD $73.65 per month - out of 20 plans launched to date. Of those 20 plans five have unlimited mobile data and five have a mobile data allowance of 100 GB per month or above included - with 5G being positioned as a premium product associated with high mobile data usage.

Key Topics Covered:



For each of the MNO 5G launches the 5G Price Tracker provides the following details:



1. The 5G service plans available

2. The 5G service coverage and speeds

3. The 5G service pricing

4. The 5G service devices available

Other sections include:

Summary and key trends

4G pricing verus 5G pricing

5G smartphones and devices

Other 5G news

Companies Covered



Motorola

Samsung Galaxy

Swisscom

Verizon

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/o7dawu

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, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global and China Photovoltaic Glass Industry Report, 2019-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

In China, PV installed capacity has ramped up since the issuance of photovoltaic (PV) subsidy policies, reaching 53GW in 2017, or over 50% of the global total. However, the domestic PV demand was hit by the launch of the Notice on Matters Concerning Photovoltaic Power Generation in 2018 (531 Policy).

In price's terms, PV glass price in China presented a choppy downtrend in the first half of 2018 and even nosedived after the launch of the 531 Policy. In July 2018, the price of sheet glass ranged at RMB12.5-13.5/m2; that of coated glass plunged by over 30% to RMB20-20.5/m2 compared with what it was at the beginning of the year. PV glass price began to pick up after September 2018 as a result of the fact that production cuts and cold repair of companies eased some oversupply pressures and that prices of upstream raw materials climbed. As of January 2019, the typical price of 3.2mm coated glass stood at RMB24/m2, down by 23% from the same period last year; that of 3.2mm sheet glass suffered a 26% slump to RMB15.5-16/m2.

With production technology barriers broken in 2006, Chinese PV glass companies led by Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited have been pressing ahead with the construction of PV glass production lines vigorously over the past decade, in a bid for localized production and substitution for imports. Up to date, China has already been the biggest producer of PV glass in the world. Globally, more than 90% of crystalline silicon PV modules use the China-made PV glass.

Many a foreign player like AGC has withdrawn from the market, and only a few such as Saint-Gobain still have some small kilns producing PV glass. Chinese PV glass leaders such as Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited and Flat Glass Group Co, Ltd. have embarked on overseas expansion, mainly in Southeast Asia since they ruled the roost in the home market. For instance, Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited set up a manufacturing base in Malaysia and Flat Glass Group Co, Ltd. had one in Vietnam.

By the latest capacity, two bellwethers, Xinyi Solar Holdings Limited, and Flat Glass Group Co, Ltd. command over half of the market, of which the former takes a 32% share and the latter makes up 19%. They are expanding their capacity quickly, the move rarely seen among other players.

Current capacity expansion plans of companies demonstrate that the two leaders will seize a combined share of nearly 60% after all of their production lines are brought into operation, given that all of the other producers (led by Henan Ancai Hi-tech Co, Ltd. and Changzhou Almaden Co, Ltd.) carry out their expansion plans and those with small capacity (a share of less than 10% together) are to be eliminated in the next two years.

Global and China Photovoltaic Glass Industry Report, 2019-2025 highlights the following:

PV glass industry (definition, classification, industry chain, related fields, and technology roadmap)

Global PV and PV glass industry (market size, competitive pattern, prospect, etc.)

China PV and PV glass industry (market environment, market size, competitive pattern, prospect, price, etc.)

PV glass market segments (ultra-clear patterned glass, TCO glass, etc.);

15 PV glass manufacturers like Xinyi Solar Holdings, Flat Glass Group, Caihong Group, AVIC Sanxin, Henan Ancai Hi-tech, etc. (operation, main products, production layout, production & sales, development strategy, etc.).

Key Topics Covered:

1 PV Glass

1.1 Definition and Classification

1.2 Application

1.3 Characteristics

1.4 Production Technology

1.5 Industry Chain



2 Global PV Glass Industry

2.1 Development Environment

2.1.1 Policy Environment

2.1.2 Industry Environment

2.2 Market Size

2.2.1 PV

2.2.2 PV Glass



3. China PV Glass Industry

3.1 Policy Environment

3.2 Market Situation

3.2.1 PV

3.2.2 PV Glass

3.3 Capacity

3.4 Competitive Scale

3.5 Price



4 Main PV Glass Products

4.1 Ultra-clear Patterned Glass

4.1.1 Introduction

4.1.2 Market Size

4.1.3 Competition Pattern

4.2 TCO Glass

4.2.1 Introduction

4.2.2 Market Size

4.2.3 Competition Pattern

4.3 PV Anti-reflective Glass

4.3.1 Introduction

4.3.2 Market Size

4.3.3 Competition Pattern



5 Main Applications

5.1 Solar Cell

5.1.1 Global

5.1.2 China

5.2 Solar Cell Module

5.2.1 Market Status

5.2.2 Competition Pattern



6. Major PV Glass Companies Worldwide

6.1 AGC

6.1.1 Profile

6.1.2 Operation

6.1.3 PV Glass Business

6.1.4 Development in China

6.2 Saint-Gobain

6.3 NSG

6.4 PPG Industries

6.5 Sunarc



7. Major Chinese PV Glass Companies

7.1 Xinyi Glass Holdings

7.1.1 Profile

7.1.2 Operation

7.1.3 PV Glass Business -- Xinyi Solar Holding

7.2 CSG Holding

7.3 Topray Solar

7.4 AVIC Sanxin

7.5 Almaden

7.6 Jiangsu Xiuqiang Glasswork Co, Ltd.

7.7 China Glass Holdings

7.8 Shandong Jinjing Science & Technology Co Ltd

7.9 Zhuzhou Kibing Group Co, Ltd.

7.10 Henan Ancai Hi-tech Co, Ltd.

7.11 IRICO Electronics

7.12 Guangdong Golden Glass Technologies Limited

7.13 Luoyang Glass Co, Ltd.

7.14 Shanghai Yaohua Pilkington Glass Group

7.15 Flat Glass Group Co, LTD.



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yvsguy

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, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Surgical Tourniquets Market by Type (Tourniquets Systems, Tourniquet Cuffs, Tourniquets Accessories), Applications, End User (Hospitals and Trauma Centers, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Military) - Global Forecast to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Surgical Tourniquets Market is Projected to Reach USD 509 Million by 2024 from USD 347 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 8.0%.

The growth of the surgical tourniquets market is mainly driven by the increasing incidence of road accidents and falls. Additionally, the increasing number of joint replacement surgeries, the rising geriatric population, and the subsequent growth in the prevalence of degenerative bone disease are the factors responsible for the growth of this market. However, complications associated with the use of surgical tourniquets and the risk of infection transmission associated with the use of reusable tourniquets are major market challenges.



By type, the pneumatic tourniquet cuffs segment is expected to account for the largest share of the tourniquets cuffs market



Based on type, the tourniquet cuffs market is segmented into pneumatic tourniquet cuffs and non-pneumatic tourniquet cuffs. The pneumatic tourniquet cuffs segment is expected to account the largest market share of the tourniquet cuffs market in 2019. This is mainly due to the increasing use of pneumatic tourniquet cuffs during orthopedic surgeries. Furthermore, the growth of this market is largely driven by the rising number of joint knee & hip replacement surgeries.



By application, the lower-limb surgery segment to dominate the surgical tourniquets market during the forecast period



The lower-limb surgery segment accounted for the largest share of the market in 2019. This is mainly due to the increasing number of hip & knee replacement surgeries. For instance, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), the primary total hip replacement surgeries are projected to grow to 635,000 surgeries by 2030. Additionally, the growing geriatric population across the globe is also a major factor contributing to the growth of this market with an increasing number of people opting to undergo replacement surgeries.



APAC is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period.



North America is expected to account for the largest share of the global surgical tourniquets market in 2019, followed by Europe. However, the APAC region is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This can primarily be attributed to the presence of a large patient population, a growing number of hospitals, rising geriatric population, and increasing healthcare spending in this region. The favorable reimbursement scenario in Japan and the rising geriatric population in China are the factors that contribute to the growth of the market in this region. Furthermore, improving healthcare infrastructure, growing middle-class population, and rising disposable income levels in India are also some of the key factors driving the growth of the APAC region.

Market Dynamics



Drivers



High Incidence of Road Accidents and Falls

Rising Number of Joint Replacement Surgeries

Rising Geriatric Population and the Subsequent Growth in the Prevalence of Degenerative Bone Diseases

Restraints



Dearth of Trained Professionals

Opportunities



Emerging Markets

Challenges



Complications Associated With the Use of Surgical Tourniquets

Risk of Infection Transmission Associated With the Use of Reusable Tourniquets

Companies Mentioned



C.A.T Resources

Delfi Medical Innovation

Hammarplast Medical

Huaxin Medical Equipment Factory

OHK Medical Devices

Pyng Medical (Part of Teleflex)

Sam Medical

Stryker Corporation

Ulrich Medical

VBM Medizintechnik

Zimmer Biomet

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/e6bg8f

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


Mr. Yu SONG, Director-General of Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau, delivered the opening speech and highlighted the overseas marketing efforts of the Bureau these years. He remarked that this global marketing campaign strives to open communication barriers between culture and tourism through this integrated marketing campaign, reinvigorating the exchange of cultural and tourism resources in the name of "eco-tourism," with the help from Beijing Horticultural Expo, Air China and Beijing Capital International Airport Co., Ltd.

"Great Wall Hero 2019" was inspired by the vitality of Beijing and the trend of "eco-tourism." The campaign was joined by top influencers from around the world, including Caitlin Turner from the United States, Brodie, Dylan Pawson from Australia, and Laiza Cristina, from Brazil. As the official Great Wall Heroes, their travel experiences of exploring the trails of Beijing were broadcasted in real-time on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Activities such as helicopter tour across Badaling Great Wall, introductions to Beijing's intangible cultural heritage, Beijing Horticultural Expo discovery tour, traversing the Central Axis of Beijing with the help of iSoldiers, parkour style. Actives of Great Wall Hero 2019 have all been elevated with elements of "eco," and "vitality," tailoring to the virtue of the campaign.

In the end, Mr. Yu SONG, awarded our official Great Wall Heroes the Great Wall Heroes certificates of honor for their achievements. They have even been given the honor to host the Lucky Draw of 2 packages of 4-Day #GWHGoesGreen trip for all fans who applied for Great Wall Hero 2019.

The strategic sponsorship from Air China, Beijing Beijing Horticultural Expo, The Office of Badaling Great Wall of Beijing and ManXin Qianmen Courtyard Hotel has been a great support to the campaign, culminating Great Wall Hero to be the prime example of tourism excellence.

SOURCE Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau
CHICAGO, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- gyro, the leading full-service global B2B powerhouse, has been named 2019 Global B2B Agency of the Year by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). The ANA presented the award to gyro at the B2 Awards ceremony on May 29th in Chicago during the annual Masters of B2B Marketing Conference. This marks the fifth time in the past six years that gyro has received the prestigious honor.

In total, eight gyro offices across four countries won 30 B2 awards on behalf of the following 12 clients: EmblemHealth, Grant Thornton, Hiscox, HP, Knauf Insulation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Midmark Corporation, Neste MY Renewable Diesel, Sentry, Square, USG and Viega.

gyro won several awards across a broad range of categories. First-place campaigns are listed below:

Product/Company Launch

"Clear the Air," Neste MY Renewable Diesel, gyro Chicago/Denver

Integrated Communications Program, Over $1 Million

"Square and Fair," Square, gyro London

Corporate Communications or Pro Bono Campaign

"Hope Is Medicine," Make-A-Wish Foundation, gyro Chicago/Denver

Direct Mail, Flat or Dimensional

"Clear the Air," Neste MY Renewable Diesel, gyro Chicago/Denver

Broadcast Media, Online, Radio, Lead Generation, Single/Campaign

"Square and Fair," Square, gyro London

Half-Page or Full Page, Campaign

"We Believe Health Care," EmblemHealth, gyro New York

Spread or Larger, Single or Campaign, Series

"Square and Fair," Square, gyro London

Broadcast Advertising (TV, Cable, Radio)

"It's not Status Quo. It's Status Go." Grant Thornton, gyro Chicago/Denver

Sponsorship Campaign or Program (Sports, Charity, or Business)

"Hope Is Medicine," Make-A-Wish Foundation, gyro Chicago/Denver

Posters, Photography, Illustrations

"Knauf Employee Photographs," Knauf Insulation, gyro Cincinnati

Agency Promotion

"The T-shirts of Experience," woolley pau gyro

Large Agency of the Year (revenue of $25 million or more)

gyro

Christoph Becker, gyro global CEO + CCO, said: "We are truly honored to be named Agency of the Year by ANA not just once, but five times over the course of our 10-year run. These awards are a reflection of our obsessive focus to transform, together with our clients, the global B2B landscape we love. We are proud to share this recognition with them since it serves as further proof that close collaboration and humanly relevant ideas win."

Bill Tucker, ANA Group EVP, said: "This year's B2 Awards entries were grounded in results and business impact, but also uncovered tremendous creativity in both the top and general categories. Insights, nuanced branding, and, increasingly, brand purpose were at the core of many efforts. Led by jury chair John Harmeling, CMO at Grant Thornton, a jury panel of both client-side and agency marketers from numerous disciplines ultimately selected gyro as the Large Agency of the Year. The decision was based on the agency's creative excellence and ability to drive business results for their clients. Their award is a testament to their success and driving the B2B category forward. We are delighted for gyro as they celebrate this well-earned honor."

The ANA B2 Awards recognize the top-performing business-to-business marketers, large or small, with a unique focus on driving demonstrable business results. In 2019, there were 32 categories that have evolved to reflect the growing role of B2B marketing and the rapid changes in the industry.

For the full list of awards, please visit the B2 Awards website: https://www.b2awards.com/a/page/2019-winners

About gyro

As the world's first full-service global B2B powerhouse, our mission is to create ideas that are humanly relevant and deliver them with precision. gyro is the ANA 2019 Global B2B Agency of the Year and Ad Age 2016 Global B2B Agency of the Year. Our 700 creative minds in 16 offices work with top companies, including Aflac, Danone, eBay, Google, HP, Teva, Workplace by Facebook, Fujitsu, Mastercard, USG and Vodafone. gyro is a part of the Dentsu Aegis Network, which is the 2017 and 2016 MediaPost Holding Company of the Year. www.gyro.com

About the ANA

The ANA (Association of National Advertisers) makes a difference for individuals, brands, and the industry by driving growth, advancing the interests of marketers, and promoting and protecting the well-being of the marketing community. Founded in 1910, the ANA provides leadership that advances marketing excellence and shapes the future of the industry. The ANA's membership includes more than 1,850 companies and organizations with 20,000 brands that engage almost 50,000 industry professionals and collectively spend or support more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually. The membership is comprised of more than 1,100 client-side marketers and more than 750 marketing solutions provider members, which include leading marketing data science and technology suppliers, ad agencies, law firms, consultants, and vendors. Further enriching the ecosystem is the work of the nonprofit ANA Educational Foundation (AEF), which has the mission of enhancing the understanding of advertising and marketing within the academic and marketing communities.

SOURCE gyro

Related Links

https://www.gyro.com


EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced today that the Company has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement ("DPA") with the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division ("DOJ") relating to a one-count Information for a conspiracy involving glyburide. In conjunction with the DPA, Heritage will pay a $225,000 fine.

In addition, the Company separately agreed to a settlement with the United States Department of Justice, Civil Division to resolve potential civil liability under the False Claims Act in connection with the antitrust conduct. Under the terms of the settlement, the Company has agreed to pay $7.1 million.

These resolutions fully resolve Heritage's potential exposure in connection with the DOJ's ongoing investigation into the generics pharmaceutical industry. The conduct underlying the Company's resolutions with DOJ involved two former Heritage executives, both of whom pleaded guilty in January 2017 to felony antitrust charges; they are now awaiting sentencing, which is currently scheduled for September 26, 2019. The Company's Board of Directors terminated both executives in August 2016 after learning of their antitrust conduct and discovering they orchestrated a years-long embezzlement scheme that looted tens of millions of dollars from the Company. Heritage has filed a complaint against both individuals in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey to recover these losses.

"We are pleased to put these issues behind us and focus on Heritage's future," stated William S. Marth, Global President & CEO of the Heritage Group, North America and Europe. "In the years since the conduct occurred, Heritage has revamped its leadership team, strengthened its operations, and built a robust pipeline of future products that will expand the availability of generic pharmaceuticals for consumers. Heritage looks forward to the opportunity to better serve its customers and to compete vigorously for their business."

About Heritage

Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in the development, manufacturing, sales and marketing of generic and legacy branded pharmaceutical products for the U.S. prescription drug market. Since inception, our customers have experienced the benefits of our continuous product expansion and global alliance network that has produced an impressive portfolio of over 150 products spanning multiple dosage forms. Heritage's products cover several therapeutic categories, including but not limited to: oncology, cardiovascular, metabolic disease, anti-infective and pain management. Whether its oral solids or complex injectables, the Heritage portfolio is poised to continue to rapidly expand and deliver the Value Driven Medicine required to keep our customers competitive in the marketplace. Let our formula of high quality and consistent supply work for you as we continue to provide affordable healthcare solutions to the U.S. consumer.

SOURCE Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Related Links

http://www.heritagepharma.com


NEW YORK, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD), a non-profit trade association supporting creative, innovative companies, with a focus on independently owned businesses of all sizes, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Ken Marenus as its President. Dr. Marenus has a distinguished career in the beauty industry and has been actively involved in representing the industry in the US, Canada and Europe.

"Ken brings an unbeatable combination of extensive knowledge and a passion to encourage grassroots innovation and entrepreneurship across the beauty industry. Dr. Marenus' expertise in issues that are relevant to regulators and legislators in the US and internationally will be immensely valuable in representing and educating our members. His perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship in the beauty industry resonate strongly with our members and tie closely to ICMAD's mission," said Sanjiv Mehra, Chairman of ICMAD.

"ICMAD has been an active voice in the beauty industry and we have a strategy to continue to invest in resources for our members. With Ken's leadership we look forward to being even more relevant and effective and to fulfilling our mission to support innovative beauty companies," said Chris Hobson, Vice Chairman ICMAD.

Dr. Marenus will be responsible for overseeing the administration, programs and strategic plan of ICMAD. Other key duties include legislative advocacy, marketing, and member and community outreach. He will report directly to the Board of Directors and will work with them to fulfil the organization's mission.

"The past decade has seen the growth of both tremendous opportunity and unique challenges for the cosmetics industry. There has been a significant impact from the emergence of independent beauty companies as leaders in product innovation and branding over the past decade and as a result, ICMAD members and others like them, are now playing leading roles in the global beauty marketplace. As new business models are created and barriers to competition change, we expect the industry to continue to experience strong levels of growth, innovation and globalization. Through this period, ICMAD will be a strong voice to foster creativity and innovation and to support the entrepreneurial spirit that is driving this change. Having spent my career in beauty and having had many opportunities to get involved in broad industry issues, I am excited by this opportunity to lead ICMAD and to represent independent cosmetics companies," said Dr. Ken Marenus.

Dr. Marenus is recognized worldwide as one of the leaders in the field of cosmetic science and skin biology. He has authored ten patents and numerous publications in medical and technical journals on topics ranging from product evaluation to the dermal impact of UV and IR exposure. Ken's deep understanding of brands and the factories, labs and other entities that are an integral part of the beauty value chain, was developed from years of senior leadership experience at Estee Lauder and Mary Kay.

Over the years, Dr. Marenus has served in a number of capacities at leading beauty industry trade associations. He was President of the Dermal Clinical Evaluation Society, a group dedicated to the advancement of safety and efficacy testing in the personal care and cosmetic industry. Dr. Marenus served as National President of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and was Chair of the committee on scientific affairs for the society. He was formerly Chair of the Scientific Executive Committee of the Personal Care Products Council in the United States and Chair of the International and Technical Committees of Cosmetics Alliance Canada. Additionally, he was on various committees of Cosmetic Europe and of International Cooperation for Cosmetics Regulations.

Dr. Ken Marenus has a Ph.D. as a cell biologist from UCLA and was a post-doctoral fellow in Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University. He was an Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology and Industrial Pharmaceutics at Long Island University. Ken has also held adjunct faculty positions in Dermatology at the University of Texas at Dallas and at the State University of New York Stony Brook School of Medicine and in Biology at C.W. Post College. He is currently on the Board of Directors of the UCLA Life Sciences College.

About ICMAD

ICMAD, Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors, is a non-profit trade association supporting creative, innovative companies, with a focus on independently owned businesses of all sizes. ICMAD's goal is to help members succeed in the rapidly changing, highly competitive global cosmetics and personal care industry. Since 1974, ICMAD has provided essential guidance and support through business tools, publications, education, networking opportunities, and key advocacy support to start-ups and emerging businesses. Helping members foster the creativity and innovation that is the heart of the cosmetics and personal care industry. www.icmad.org

SOURCE Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors

Related Links

http://www.icmad.org


LOMA LINDA, Calif., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bradley P. Gilbert, MD, MPP, Chief Executive Officer of Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), received Loma Linda University Health's Meritorious Service Award during its annual commencement ceremony.

Dr. Gilbert was recognized for his significant contributions toward provision of health care to the surrounding communities through collaborative partnerships and relevant reforms.

Bradley P. Gilbert, MD, MPP (PRNewsfoto/Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP))

"I'm extremely honored to have received this award," said Dr. Gilbert, who has served as IEHP's CEO since 2008. "Our important work with Loma Linda could not have been achieved without the dedication of so many others from both of our organizations. I look forward to continuing our collaboration and developing new ways to ensure our Members have the care and resources they need to live healthier lives."

Known for his mantra to "always do the right thing," Dr. Gilbert is an advocate of health care reform and has led IEHP's strategy to address social determinants of health, including housing, food and other important issues. His ongoing support of partnering with Loma Linda has resulted in both organizations expanding their opportunities to deliver quality health care and wellness programs to the community.

In fact, the collaboration between IEHP and the University's Social Action Community Health System (SACHS) was instrumental in delivering the Behavioral Health Integration Complex Care Initiative, an innovative program aimed at improving health care outcomes by coordinating complex physical and behavioral needs across multiple Providers and health care systems in the region. In addition, with IEHP's Network Expansion Fund, SACHS has brought new Providers to the region and increased access to care for Inland Empire residents.

About IEHP

IEHP, Inland Empire Health Plan, is a not-for-profit Medicaid and Medicare health plan located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. With a network of more than 6,400 providers and more than 2,000 employees, IEHP serves more than 1.2 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan). Through a dynamic partnership with providers, award-winning service and innovative products, IEHP is fully committed to providing members with quality, accessible and wellness-based healthcare services. www.iehp.org.

SOURCE IEHP

Related Links

http://www.iehp.org


PHILADELPHIA, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Iovance Biotherapeutics, a late-stage biotechnology company developing novel cancer immunotherapies based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) technology, has expanded its relationship with WuXi AppTec's Advanced Therapies Business Unit (WuXi ATU). WuXi will increase capacity for Iovance's innovaTIL-01 and innovaTIL-04 studies, which offer lifileucel and LN-145 for treatment of metastatic melanoma and recurrent, metastatic, or persistent cervical cancer, respectively.

"We are excited to continue our partnership with WuXi," said Maria Fardis, Ph.D., MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Iovance. "Being able to expand our relationship in order to broaden patient access to our treatments is very important to us. WuXi has been a strong partner in developing the Iovance TIL product and we look forward to further expansion of our ongoing relationship."

Felix Hsu, SVP and Global Head of WuXi Advanced Therapies, said, "We are pleased to expand our relationship and manufacturing partnership with Iovance, and look forward to helping to accelerate and expand their clinical trials where possible, so more patients get access to their treatments and the benefits they provide." WuXi manufactures TIL products for Iovance at its Commerce Center 3 facility, a 55,000-square-foot late phase and commercial manufacturing facility for cell therapies. It is one of three facilities in the Philadelphia Navy Yard supporting the development, manufacturing and quality control testing of cell and gene therapies.

About Iovance

Iovance Biotherapeutics intends to commercialize lifileucel, an autologous cell therapy product using TIL technology that amplifies the body's own immune response to eradicate solid tumors or attack blood cancers. The company is currently conducting the pivotal study innovaTIL-01 in patients with metastatic melanoma. In addition, the company's TIL therapies are being investigated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic cancers including cervical, head and neck, and non-small cell lung cancer. For more information, please visit www.iovance.com.

About WuXi AppTec

WuXi AppTec is a leading global pharmaceutical and medical device open-access capability and technology platform company with global operations. As an innovation-driven and customer-focused company, WuXi AppTec provides a broad and integrated portfolio of services to help our worldwide customers and partners shorten the discovery and development time and lower the cost of drug and medical device R&D through cost-effective and efficient solutions. With its industry-leading capabilities such as small molecule R&D and manufacturing, cell therapy and gene therapy R&D and manufacturing, and medical device testing, WuXi platform is enabling more than 3,500 innovative collaborators from more than 30 countries to bring innovative healthcare products to patients, and to fulfill WuXi's dream that "every drug can be made and every disease can be treated." Please visit: http://www.wuxiapptec.com

About WuXi Advanced Therapies (WuXi ATU)

The Advanced Therapies Business Unit of WuXi AppTec is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that is reducing the complexities of manufacturing by providing integrated platforms that enable cell and gene therapies to be developed, manufactured, and released faster and with greater predictability. Please visit www.advancedtherapies.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release are "forward-looking statements" of Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the "Company," "we," "us," or "our"). We may, in some cases, use terms such as "predicts," "believes," "potential," "continue," "estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "may," "could," "might," "will," "should" or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to the success, timing, projected enrollment, manufacturing and production capabilities, and cost of our ongoing clinical trials and anticipated clinical trials for our current product candidates (including both Company-sponsored and collaborator-sponsored trials in both the U.S. and Europe), such as statements regarding the timing of initiation and completion of these trials; the timing of and our ability to obtain and maintain FDA or other regulatory authority approval of, or other action with respect to, our product candidates, including those product candidates that have been granted breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) by the FDA; the strength of the Company's product pipeline; the successful implementation of the Company's research and development programs and collaborations; the Company's ability to obtain tax incentives and credits; the success of the Company's manufacturing, license or development agreements; the acceptance by the market of the Company's product candidates, if approved; and other factors, including general economic conditions and regulatory developments, not within the Company's control. The factors discussed herein could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed in or implied by such statements. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company's business, including, without limitation; the preliminary clinical results, including efficacy and safety results, from ongoing Phase 2 studies may not be reflected in the final analyses of these trials, including new cohorts within these trials, and may not be supportive of product approval; the FDA or other regulatory authorities may potentially delay the timing of their approval of, or other action with respect to, the Company's product candidates; the Company's ability to address FDA or other regulatory authority requirements relating to its clinical programs and registrational plans, such requirements including, but not limited to, clinical and safety requirements as well as manufacturing and control requirements; risks related to the Company's ability to maintain and benefit from accelerated FDA review designations, including BTD, which may not ultimately result in a faster development process or review of the Company's product candidates (and which may later be rescinded by the FDA if such product candidates no longer meet the conditions for qualification for the program), and does not in any way assure approval of such product candidates by the FDA or the ability of the Company to obtain FDA approval in time to benefit from commercial opportunities; and the ability of the Company to manufacture its therapies using third party manufacturers. A further list and description of the Company's risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov or www.iovance.com. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

SOURCE Iovance Biotherapeutics

Related Links

http://www.iovance.com


BENTON HARBOR, Mich., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Darkhorse, a bespoke agency comprised of Digitas and MSL, won Gold in the Home Furnishings & Appliances category at this year's North American Effie Awards in New York City for the Bound By Nothing creative expression, the comprehensive marketing effort to launch and sustain the rebranding of JennAir, the luxury kitchen appliance brand under Whirlpool Corporation, and shepherd more than 200 new luxury products to the market.

"Winning an Effie Award is a significant achievement for the JennAir business unit and for our agency partners; we're honored to be recognized for the work completed to transform our brand and the traditional notions of luxury," said Jon Hall, brand and product marketing director, JennAir. "As we continue to charge forward in year two, the JennAir brand is doubling down on its commitment to be the brand that unapologetically challenges convention, fueling progress within Whirlpool Corporation and the luxury appliance industry through our unexpected, but highly effective approach to marketing."

Once regarded as a super-premium appliance pioneer whose founder invented downdraft ventilation and subsequently was credited with the introduction of "open-concept" kitchen designs in the 1960s, by 2014 JennAir had fallen behind the competition. Resting on its laurels left the brand vulnerable as awareness dropped year-over-year1, and by 2017, JennAir held an insignificant share of voice within the luxury appliance market and low consideration within the high-end kitchen design community.

Harkening back to the rebellious spirit set forth by its founder, Lou Jenn, as a brand born to lead, never follow, JennAir set out to command the marketplace once again with a goal to become the fastest growing U.S. luxury appliance brand. To do this, the brand needed to overhaul its product and service offerings, as well as its marketing prowess, to capture consideration and preference and fearlessly propel JennAir to the forefront of the industry.

Segmentation data, behavioral studies and luxury marco-trend analyses revealed an emerging growth opportunity with a specific consumer target drawn to strong leadership qualities including courage, distinctiveness, calculated risk taking and most importantly, the idea of progress. Progress is the underlying fuel of the award-winning Bound By Nothing ethos, and it quickly became the brand's operating system. Born from a decades-old spirit of rebellion, the platform pushed from the expected confines of luxury and elevated JennAir from traditional appliance behaviors to those found in the worlds of fashion and art, strategically sparking a celebration of the entire brand transformation.

"For JennAir's rebirth, we had to disregard the sleepy habits of the luxury appliance category: stainless-steel sameness and recycled portraits of an affluent home life," said Atit Shah, Chief Creative Officer, Digitas North America. "The Bound By Nothing ethos stand alone and are not for everyone. It's a new day for the category, and our work is felt deeply by a certain, high-minded designer and buyer looking for a deviation from the norm. It's a thoughtful rebellion that's connecting with our target deeply."

Launched in March 2018, a reborn JennAir boldly catapulted into category leadership with the Bound By Nothing ethos, two distinct design expressions, RISE and NOIR, a digital platform, and industry-exclusive statement pieces, with each component propelling the brand out of a place of irrelevancy, shifting perception and reigniting demand among consumers and designers alike.

Reinforced by a win at the North American Effie Awards, the Bound By Nothing creative expression continues to prove that defying the status quo is good for business, ultimately delivering on its mission to drive progress and end category stagnation.

Join the revolution: visit JennAir.com and @JennAir on Instagram and Twitter.

About JennAir

Defying physics with the invention of downdraft ventilation, Lou Jenn forged the path to an open concept and changed the kitchen forever. Founded in that progressive spirit, JennAir fearlessly carries his torch forward as champions of the design community and the industry at large. Hell-bent on burning down the tired conventions of luxury, JennAir crafts distinctive luxury kitchen appliances that push form and function to transform spaces. With exceptional performance, masterful execution and provocative design, JennAir offerings are powerful, yet bespoke to individual tastes, shattering norms to deliver the progress that today's luxury consumer deserves. To speak with a badass call agent at the JennAir Epicenter or learn more about the new offerings from JennAir, please visit JennAir.com or join us on instagram.com/JennAir, facebook.com/JennAir , twitter.com/JennAir and youtube.com/JennAir .

1 Millward Brown Brand Health Tracker, 2014-2017

SOURCE JennAir

Related Links

https://www.jennair.com


JOHANNESBURG, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The second annual Digital Transformation Congress , returns to Johannesburg after a successful summit in 2018 attended by senior business executives & enterprise IT vendors from leading organisations such as Petro SA, Transnet, Nedbank, Sasria SOC, Eskom, Loreal, Liberty Group, Alexander Forbes, Parmalat, Adobe, T-Systems, TransUnion, Braintree, Darktrace, and more.

Hosted by IT News Africa, this year's summit will take place on the 30th of July 2019, at The Sandton Convention Centre under the theme "Gaining the edge through technology"

Albeit a buzzword in business- with its all encompassing nature, the concept of digital transformation is one that is not wholly understood - proving to be both a great opportunity as well as a major challenge for businesses. In order to adapt and innovate in the ever changing technology landscape it is imperative that organisations adopt digital initiatives that are positioned in line with their company culture and customer needs.

The 2nd Digital Transformation Congress is one of the most comprehensive technology events of 2019, where hundreds of senior executives will meet to advance their knowledge of the latest business technologies and digital innovations such as AI, IoT, blockchain, IT security, 5G and robotics, and how they impact business operations. The congress will also outline ways that businesses can use technology to gain the edge over competitors.

Key topics for DTC 2019 include:

Preparing your workforce for the digital age

Discovering what digital transformation maturity is and highlighting its benefits

Exploring the business impact of AI

Using cloud as a digital transformation tool

Digitally transforming the manufacturing industry

Digital opportunities in the transportation and logistics sector

Accelerating digital transformation in government to enhance service delivery

The conference will host local and international visionaries, business leaders, industry luminaries and expert practitioners  all sharing their first-hand knowledge of real-world digital transformation journeys.

Confirmed speakers for DTC 2019 include:



JOHANNA KOLLAR -Head of Products Partnerships, MEA at Google

MAYUR PATEL -CEO of Kwese iFlix

ANEESA AMEER -Innovation Lead at ABSA Group

AVSHARN BACHOO -CTO at PPS Insurance

JOSEPH HUNDAH -Group CEO at Econet Media

NATHAN van ROOYEN -IIT Director at Virgin Active, South Africa

ANTOINIA NORMAN -CEO, Richard Branson Entrepreneurship Hub, Member at UN Women

ANDRE HUGO -CEO at Virgin Money South Africa

How to participate:



Join as an attendee: Join local and international CxOs, line-of-business (LoB) executives as well as heads of innovation, technology and strategy to discuss the techniques and tools required to implement a seamless digital transformation strategy that will drive profitability and customer centricity.



Join us as an exhibitor: Showcase your technology innovations, projects, and solutions. Put your organisation, company or SME at the centre of this one-of-a-kind gathering. Find new partnerships, investors, leads, and opportunities



For more information regarding the conference, visit: http://www.digitaltransformationcongress.com/



For sponsorships & exhibitions, visit: http://www.digitaltransformationcongress.com/sponsor/



To register, visit: http://www.digitaltransformationcongress.com/register/





Media Contact:

[t]: +27-(0)-011-026-0981/2 [e]: [email protected]

Matshego Njumbuxa

www.digitaltransformationcongress.com

+27-(0)-011-026-0981

SOURCE IT News Africa

Related Links

27114842240


HOUSTON, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PTSD is the root cause of suicide and is "one of the deadliest wounds of war." Within an hour of you reading this, a veteran will have taken his life. And while we have slept comfortably in our beds, worked an 8-hour shift, safely returned home, eaten dinner with our family, and back to bed again, 22 veterans have committed suicide. Although the real number is higher: 22 is only the reported number as only 22 of 50 states report veteran suicide. In fact, while there are 58,195 names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., since shooting ceased there have been more than 210,000 veteran suicides. Estimates are that 90%-95% result from PTSD. Already there have been more suicides than casualties from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

JUNE IS PTSD AWARENESS MONTH: Suicide is a pandemic among veterans over 55, and they hold the highest suicide rate, higher than those returning from active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and any/all areas where the American Servicemen are called to serve and protect the freedoms we hold so dear and all too often we take for granted.

Furthermore, to truly show how dismal the statistics are, we would also need to include PTSD suicides of our first responders. This includes police personnel of all kinds, firemen, and EMS service personnel. Unfortunately, there are no data stats for those numbers, but they are estimated at 10%-20% higher than in the general population.

When we add First Responder suicides to the number of veteran suicides, the total number is higher than the data of 22 veteran PTSD-related suicides per day. One suicide is too many, and it is heartbreaking to realize that 70 to 100 of our bravest public servants take that final desperate step every day.

The Family

For every veteran or first responder who suffers from PTSD, a minimum of five family members are affected. In fact, if PTSD goes untreated, those close to the veteran or first responder will more than likely be diagnosed with secondary PTSD. Although secondary PTSD is not caused by trauma, it is caused by being a caregiver for someone who suffers from PTSD, due to the enormous responsibilities, and the helplessness a caregiver feels because this is someone they dearly love.

Birdwell Foundation Leaders

"We are here to stop the pandemic rate of our soldiers' and first responders' suicides and we need your help," said Gene Birdwell, Founder of the Birdwell Foundation for PTSD. "No one heals alone, and we are asking you to join our effort to stop the PTSD tragedy by calling us today, if you or someone you know suffers with PTSD."

"As a Vietnam Veteran, (U.S. Navy), I have been given a new combat mission in life. The Birdwell Foundation has afforded me a most honorable and distinguished opportunity to service veterans (Korean War through GWOT) with PTSD issues and other needs. I accept this mission with the same drive, dedication, and integrity as I did as a Tank Company Commander, 2nd ID, South Korea and as a Battalion Operations Officer, 1st Cavalry Division, Ft. Hood, Texas. The Cartersville, Georgia, PTSD Group effort, is in fact, having a profound and most positive effect on veterans and family Members," said Gary S. Conley, Major, Armor United States Army (retired).

"Several years ago, after contemplating suicide and being led out of the darkness of PTSD personally by the Birdwell Foundation, my entire life is dedicated to the Birdwell Foundation mission of eradicating PTSD related suicide," said Roger Marshall Jr., Combat Veteran and National Director of Operations/Outreach, Birdwell Foundation.

Get Involved:

Call/write your Congressman and Senators Know how to identify common signs for PTSD  visit https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml If you know someone that needs help, have them contact our hotline number: 800-800-8000 Waiting 10 minutes to get involved may be the 10 minutes your loved one could not hold on any longer Always remember anyone can suffer from PTSD. "It is a normal reaction to an abnormal traumatic experience in life" No one will have to pay for the treatment  the Birdwell Foundation for PTSD covers the costs for Vets and First Responders Every week we are certifying volunteers to open PTSD outreach groups for veterans, First Responders, and their Family Members in communities throughout the United States Help us with funding for an Interim Housing facility, donate today to help save the lives of our country's heroes, click here: https://www.birdwellfoundation.org/donate Sponsor a fundraising event

Gene Birdwell, a private Houston businessman, is the founder of the Birdwell Foundation for PTSD. For many years Birdwell has personally and privately funded the one-on-one mentoring group, share sessions and has provided financial assistance to thousands of veterans.

The Birdwell Foundation for PTSD has saved thousands of lives over many years with one-on-one mentoring and group share sessions. For more information, go to www.birdwellfoundation.org.

Media Contact:

Tom Clutts

Executive Director

Phone: 210-486-1639

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Birdwell Foundation

Related Links

https://www.birdwellfoundation.org


GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- To kick off 2019, Lo Village has released their first single of the year, "Show and Tell." The group spent most of 2019 in the studio and on stages across the New York City and DMV areas, performing at well-known venues including SoHo House Manhattan and Baltimore Soundstage.

"Show and Tell" available on all streaming platforms now!

While recent show goers have had the unique opportunity of hearing unreleased music during the trio's live performances, "Show and Tell" is debuting publicly for the first time today. An accompanying music video for the single is slated to premiere on the Lo Village YouTube channel next week.

The track provides listeners a rare glimpse into the group's perspective on the low periods we all go through, with tidbits of personal experiences tucked into each artist's verse. "Show and Tell" is unique in that it highlights the fiery R&B soul of Lo Village and conveys a vulnerability from the trio that we rarely see.

"Show and Tell" is a more melodic track that is noticeably different from Lo Village's 2018 work, showcasing the group's growth. With artist development as one of Rebel Music's top priorities for the year, "Show and Tell" gives listeners a taste of what is to come as the group continues to progress and prepares to launch their third EP later this year.

The upcoming EP will be the trio's first full length project since releasing "For the Birds," which featured hit single "Lil Mama," in 2017. Fans can expect to see more unconventional beats and melodies, unique flows, subliminal messaging within the lyrics and more hard-hitting visuals that Lo Village has become known for.

Stay up to date on the Rebel Music website and all social platforms.

CONTACT: Bethany Thomas, 301-379-0792, [email protected]

SOURCE Rebel Music Collective

Related Links

www.rebelmusiccollective.com


STAINES-UPON-THAMES, United Kingdom, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals (NYSE: MNK), a global biopharmaceutical company, will present on Wednesday, June 19, 2019, at the Raymond James Life Sciences and MedTech Conference at the Lotte New York Palace, 455 Madison Ave, New York.

Bryan Reasons, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Steven Romano, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, and Hugh O'Neill, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer will represent the company in a fireside chat at 8 a.m. Eastern.

Individuals who cannot attend the meeting in person can find webcast information at: http://www.mallinckrodt.com/investors . A replay will also be available following the meeting.

ABOUT MALLINCKRODT

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reporting segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology and ophthalmology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reporting segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the SEC disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

Daniel J. Speciale, CPA

Vice President, Investor Relations and IRO

314-654-3638

[email protected]

Media

Daniel Yunger

Kekst CNC

212-521-4879

[email protected]

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company.  2019 Mallinckrodt. 5/19

SOURCE Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals

Related Links

http://www.mallinckrodt.com


A West Frankfort, Illinois native, Crim earned a Master's degree in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism which led to an early stint in then news department at WLS-Radio in Chicago, "Working alongside Dick Biondi, Clark Weber, Stan Dale, and a bunch of other DJ's who were prominent in the early sixties," reminisced Crim. That would lead to jobs at radio stations from California to New York City including a five-year stint as a national correspondent for ABC Radio. It was Crim who reported Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon for the network and some may remember Crim as the permanent vacation substitute for Paul Harvey from 1980 to 1984 on Harvey's more than 1300 ABC Radio affiliates.

Crim would return to Chicago in 1977, this time in front of a camera, for a one-year stint at WBBM-TV, where he was paired with Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobsen. He would leave Chicago for a Post-Newsweek job at WDIV-TV in Detroit, where he finished his anchorman career after a twenty-year run.

As for being the inspiration for Will Ferrell's "Ron Burgundy," Crim recalled his learning of that distinction during a 2013 interview with USA Today. "Back in 2003, Will Ferrell said something in an interview and later I saw it in print," stated Crim. "It was no big deal. But then a few months ago, someone working for Ferrell sent me an e-mail and said he wanted me to send a picture of myself to Ferrell. I autographed it: 'Will, you've almost got it. Just a little more authenticity please. Your friend, the real anchorman, Mort Crim.'"

Upon learning of IBA's plans for his Hall of Fame induction, Crim stated, "I'm deeply honored. Even humbled -- and for an anchorman, being humbled is quite an accomplishment"

To qualify to be nominated for IBA Hall of Fame induction, candidates must have either been born in Illinois and/or worked in broadcasting within the state of Illinois. Crim's induction is scheduled for June 13th at a luncheon in his honor in Springfield, Illinois during the association's 2019 annual conference.

SOURCE Illinois Broadcasters Association
CHICAGO, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- United Benefit Advisors (UBA), the nation's leading independent employee benefits advisory organization, welcomes VistaNational Insurance Group to their elite group of Partners.

Founded by former healthcare and insurance carrier executives, VistaNational provides comprehensive solutions in health, dental, life, disability, vision and long-term care employee benefits to clients large and small. Their mission is to be large enough to offer a multitude of solutions yet remain small enough to offer platinum customer service.

"At VistaNational, we understand that today's benefits landscape is complicated due to changes in healthcare legislation, rising costs, and an evolving workforce. It is more important than ever to work with an experienced benefits partner who cares as much about finding the best coverage for employees and containing costs  we believe that our partnership with UBA will further enhance our offerings through collaboration and shared resources," stated David Schwimmer, CEO of VistaNational.

"VistaNational is a welcome addition to the UBA Partnership. They pride themselves on their ability to offer large-scale solutions from a small business perspective. We truly hope this new relationship gives them more tools to do exactly that," said UBA President Peter Weber, M.S., CAE.

VistaNational is one of the newest Partners to join a network of independent employee benefits advisory firms that serve employers of all sizes across the United States, Canada, England, and Ireland. As a combined group, UBA's annual employee benefit revenues rank it among the top ten employee benefit advisory organizations globally.

About VistaNational Insurance Group, Inc.

VistaNational has been serving the Chicagoland area with employee benefits since 1996. Their executive team has deep knowledge and decades of experience in the employee benefits and insurance carrier industry. The firm is noted for its dedication to internal staff development, giving back to the community and individual client support. To learn more about VistaNational, visit www.vistanational.com.

About United Benefit Advisors

United Benefit Advisors (UBA) is the nation's leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada, England and Ireland. UBA empowers more than 2,000 Partners to both maintain their individuality and pool their expertise, insight, and market presence to provide best-in-class services and solutions. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Partners should visit www.UBAbenefits.com.

Media Contact:

Bill Olson

SVP Operations

312.416.3673

[email protected]

SOURCE United Benefit Advisors

Related Links

http://www.ubabenefits.com


Grow-NY is an unprecedented business competition focused on enhancing the emerging food and agriculture innovation cluster currently present in the Finger Lakes, Central New York, and the Southern Tier regions. It will attract high-growth food and agriculture startups from around the world and engage them in the region's rapidly expanding startup and innovation ecosystem. Entrants will compete to win up to $1 million each year during the program's initial three-year run, with finalists pitching their ideas and business plans in November as they compete for the grand prize.

"New York's agricultural industry is one of the best in world, and the Grow-NY competition will attract innovative start-ups focused on this industry to put down roots in Upstate New York," Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said. "By bringing in new companies to find new ways to transform our state's food and agricultural industry, we are continuing to bolster these regional economies and foster growth in this critical industry statewide."

Empire State Development is funding the competition through its Upstate Revitalization Initiative, and Cornell University's Center for Regional Economic Advancement will administer it. Winners will be required to operate in the Grow-NY region, grow jobs, connect with local industry partners and contribute to a thriving Upstate economy.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul helped share the news today with the official launch of the program. Applications are open for the start of its year-one application period, which runs through July 15.

"New York has among the best food products in the world, and the agricultural industry is an important part of our upstate economy," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who made today's announcement. "Continuing to build on our investments in agriculture, we've launched the Grow NY competition to fund and support startups in the industry. We are committed to fostering innovative ideas, boosting job growth, and promoting our farms and agricultural products that will further strengthen the economy."

The Grow-NY region includes a broad swath of Upstate New York's most vibrant farmlands as well as several major urban centers, including Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca and Binghamton.

In all, it includes 22 counties, broken down into three regions, as follows:

Finger Lakes  Genesee , Livingston , Monroe , Orleans, Ontario , Seneca , Wayne , Wyoming and Yates

, , , , , , and Central New York  Cayuga , Cortland , Madison , Onondaga and Oswego

 , , , and Southern Tier  Broome , Chemung , Chenango , Delaware , Schuyler , Steuben , Tioga and Tompkins

The competition is anticipated to produce up to 20 finalists who will receive:

Dedicated mentorship from a hand-selected business advisor;

Additional pitch training to hone their live pitches for the judges;

An expenses-paid, three-day business development trip to the Grow-NY region for up to two finalists per team; and

Networking introductions, business tours with potential partners, and valuable appointments for finalist team representatives.

Finalists will pitch their ideas and business plans at the Grow-NY Food and Ag Summit on Nov. 12 and 13 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

In each of the next three years, Grow-NY will award a total of $3 million in prize money to seven winners, all payable in stages, based on business milestones. This includes a $1 million top prize, two $500,000 prizes, and four $250,000 in prizes. Tax incentives will also be included.

"A panel of judges will review all of the applications, and all finalists will pitch their business ideas and plans to a live audience and judges during the final competition phase," explained Tom Schryver, executive director of Cornell University's Center for Regional Economic Advancement. "Each pitch will be followed by a brief question-and-answer period. After all pitches are complete, the judges will announce the winners."

Judges will base award decisions on the following five criteria:

Viability of Commercialization and Business Model  the potential for the entrant to generate revenue and maintain a cost structure that allows for a competitive and sustainable business, demonstrate technological readiness, or innovate to fulfill its value proposition;

Customer Value  the degree to which the entrant is providing something for which customers are willing to pay, and addressing a substantial market;

Food and Agriculture Innovation  the extent to which the entrant is pushing what's considered state-of-the-art in the food and agriculture industries, and contributing to Upstate NY's status as a global leader in innovation in these markets;

Regional Job Creation  the potential for creating high-quality jobs in the Grow-NY footprint; and

Team  the quality and completeness of the team and its readiness to deliver.

Many of the region's top food and agriculture leaders were part of today's announcement, including Wegmans Food Markets, Constellation Brands and the Farm Bureau of New York, along with LiDestri Food and Drink, whose widely acclaimed Innovation Center served as the host site for the event.

"It is a great opportunity for our organizations to come together to support an innovative approach on reaching agricultural entrepreneurs. The farm community has long relied on Cornell's cutting-edge research and business development to support what we do, and this region's startups will benefit from this unique competition. Innovation will drive the future of agriculture, and today's event is a welcomed effort to capitalize on that potential," said David Fisher, New York Farm Bureau President.

To learn more about the competition's details, including timeline, prize details, eligibility and residency requirements, visit grow-ny.com

About Empire State Development

Empire State Development (ESD) promotes a vigorous and growing state economy, encourages business investment and job creation, and supports diverse, prosperous local economies across New York State through the efficient use of loans, grants, tax credits, real estate development, marketing and other forms of assistance. To learn more about ESD visit esd.ny.gov.

About the Cornell Center for Regional Economic Advancement

The Cornell Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA) supports economic impact in Upstate New York through entrepreneurship and innovation. We help people advance ideas that will create jobs in all fields in our region, to enrich the area's economic diversity. To learn more, visit crea.cornell.edu.

Media Inquiries:

Contact Alyssa Weir, The Martin Group, [email protected], 585.433.2549

SOURCE Center for Regional Economic Advancement, Cornell University
DUBLIN, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Conjugated Antibodies in Oncology: Analytical Tool" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The first Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) to receive marketing approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) in 2000 which represents a powerful, emerging novel class of anticancer treatment agents that combines the selectivity of targeted treatment with the cytotoxic potency of chemotherapy drugs.

Conjugated Antibodies in Oncology: Analytical Tool is the must have handbook for any business developer, BI/CI operative or clinical developer who needs to be on top of this hot and fast moving area of oncology. This unique product is truly the only tool of its kind and is designed to give you a competitive edge in your ADC drug surveillance and intelligence, allowing you to power your decision making and advance your own interests.

Keeping you In the know

Simply put, our mission is to fuel your knowledge of oncology, to make you the first to know about very early technologies and startups, emerging clinical trial results, drug approvals and the ever-changing competitive landscape.



Conjugated Antibodies in Oncology: Analytical Tool achieves this by continuously scanning development in ADC and reporting:

Deals & Collaborations

New technologies/drugs (emerging from patents, grants, abstracts (see Conference Coverage) etc.)

Funding/Grants/IPOs

Filings & Approvals

Latest Clinical Trial Development & Results

Newly launched clinical trials

Conference Coverage of the world's twelve leading meetings in oncology*

Quarterly & Annual Reporting

This puts you in control of most, if not all, day-to-day developments in your field while also benefiting from one of the most comprehensive commercial pipeline review & competitive assessment tools available on the market today!



Identify, prioritize, and lead scientific assessment of oncology opportunities and competition by multiple factors such as:

Emerging Technologies

Target Novelty

Recent Funding

Early & Late Stage Pipeline

Biomarker/Companion Diagnostic Development (featured below)

Entered Deals & Alliances

Conference surveillance of world leading cancer meetings (featured below)

Combination Therapy Choices (featured below)

Outcome of Clinical Trials

Indication Selection & Expansion Choices

Drug Repositioning Opportunities

For 20 years we have supported better decision making across the oncology drug development industry. Your Conjugated Antibodies in Oncology: Analytical Tool is based on two decades of proven methodology and transforms your computer's desktop into a high capacity workbench within your area of choice. Even before launching this tool you have already eliminated the hundreds of hours of work needed to discover, process and piece together the thousands of sources that our team of oncology dedicated and highly experienced contents specialists have done on your behalf.



Your Conjugated Antibodies in Oncology: Analytical Tool covers more than 187 companies plus partners who are today developing 516 ADC drugs where of 390 are in active development in cancer across 153 different targets. Any data and/or analysis from the Analytical Tool is yours to keep and data/graphs/tables can be easily exported into Excel/PDF and various graphic formats for mixing with your own proprietary information.



Let our expertise work for you

With a simple point and click interface you can navigate the environment of current development, drill down into specific areas such as ongoing combination trials, biomarker analysis, selected scientific abstracts etc. and generate drug profiles, drug target profiles and company profiles (including Business Development & Licensing contacts). Any analysis generated by you is packed with presentation-ready graphs and tables to use in your reports and presentations.



Your key to access development at the world-leading cancer meetings

The Conjugated Antibodies in Oncology: Analytical Tool is continuously updated according to twelve of the world's most influential meetings in oncology (AACR, ASCO, ASGCT, ASH, CMIT, EHA, EORTC-NCI-AACR, ESMO, SITC and BIO (International, Europe and Asia). If you are not able to attend any of the conference(s) in person, this Analytical Tool ensures that you are not missing out on the important take home messages you need to know about.



Run combination therapy analysis like no other

The Conjugated Antibodies in Oncology: Analytical Tool delivers comprehensive combination therapy analysis, allowing you to analyze combination therapies from multiple perspectives; from a single drug to virtually any cross section of oncology drugs of interest.



Unparalleled biomarker surveillance

We also provide an outstanding oncology clinical biomarker surveillance & analysis, highlighting clinical phenotyping and patient stratification in trials. This analysis is based on our monitoring of the presence and usage of more than 1,000 biomarkers across tens of thousands of cancer clinical trials.



Support and inspiration at your finger-tips

You also have access to a great selection of How-to Training Videos showing best practice approaches to aspects such as competitive pipeline analysis right through to many real world case examples put forward by other users of our Analytical Tools.



A tool to grow with and keep you informed

Unlike a static report which just represents a particular snapshot in time, all of the Analytical Tools come with one year of online access to twice-weekly updates in both contents and features, pipeline alerts and online support etc. You can choose to renew your access to these updates and support on a yearly basis or go over to our industry leading full service platform covering all oncology drug development, 1stOncology.



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8xar8l

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


WESTBURY, N.Y., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Paylogix, a Third-Party Administrator for insurance payment processes paid it forward by supporting two non-profit organizations through facilitating a business attire donation drive at the Miami Benefits Pro Conference.

Paylogix supported Dress for Success (for women's business attire) and Career Gear (for men's business attire), by covering the shipment for necessary items to be donated to either organization. Both organizations accept clothing donations to provide business attire for job interviews and the work environment. Each charity also promotes economic independence, provides career development tools, teaches essential life-skills, and encourages individuals to become role models and mentors to their families and communities.

Miami Benefits Pro attendees, mainly with jobs in the insurance industry, were encouraged to donate their gently used or new business attire. Many people were grateful for the opportunity to give back and help to uplift others into the professional workforce.

"I am grateful that Paylogix helped to provide us with this opportunity to give back," stated Warren Benoit, President of Benoit & Associates. "I just finished clearing out my closet of gently used business attire that I don't wear anymoreinstead of throwing my clothes away, I am proud that I can contribute to this amazing cause."

Paylogix distributed over 70 pre-paid shipping bags for attendees to participate. Over 120 pounds of clothes have been donated so far.

"As a company, we are always trying to play our part in the world, and do what we can to elevate others," stated Lisa Ehli, Director of Marketing. "As advocates, one of our core company values, we are always looking for ways that we can continue to make a positive impact; from the way that we handle our customers to initiatives like this."

Paylogix attends between 5-6 trade shows a year. With advocacy as a primary company value, Paylogix looks forward to continuing their efforts to empower others through initiatives like this.

Contact:

Alicia Munian

516-570-9987

SOURCE Paylogix

Related Links

http://paylogix.com


CALGARY, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Pembina Pipeline Corporation ("Pembina" or the "Company") (TSX: PPL;NYSE: PBA) announced that the special meeting of Class A preferred shareholders held on May 31, 2019 to consider the amendment to the Company's articles to increase the limit on the number of Class A preferred shares that the Company is authorized to issue was convened and adjourned, without any business considered, in order to provide Class A preferred shareholders with a further opportunity to vote their Class A preferred shares in favour of the amendment.

The adjourned special meeting of the Company's Class A preferred shareholders will be held at 10:30 a.m. (Mountain time) on June 25, 2019 in the Assiniboine Boardroom at the offices of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, located at Suite 3500, Bankers Hall East Tower, 855  2nd Street S.W., Calgary, Alberta. Holders of Class A preferred shares as of the March 15, 2019 record date for the special meeting of Class A preferred shareholders may continue to vote their preferred shares in the same manner as described in the Company's Management Information Circular dated March 15, 2019, which is available on the Company's website under "Investor Centre  Shareholder Information" at www.pembina.com.

If a Class A preferred shareholder has any questions or needs assistance completing their proxy or voting instruction form, please call Kingsdale Advisors at 1-877-657-5859 or email [email protected].

About Pembina

Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corporation is a leading transportation and midstream service provider that has been serving North America's energy industry for over 60 years. Pembina owns an integrated system of pipelines that transport various hydrocarbon liquids and natural gas products produced primarily in western Canada. The Company also owns gas gathering and processing facilities and an oil and natural gas liquids infrastructure and logistics business. Pembina's integrated assets and commercial operations along the majority of the hydrocarbon value chain allow it to offer a full spectrum of midstream and marketing services to the energy sector. Pembina is committed to identifying additional opportunities to connect hydrocarbon production to new demand locations through the development of infrastructure that would extend Pembina's service offering even further along the hydrocarbon value chain. These new developments will contribute to ensuring that hydrocarbons produced in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and the other basins where Pembina operates can reach the highest value markets throughout the world.



Purpose of Pembina:

To be the leader in delivering integrated infrastructure solutions connecting global markets;

Customers choose us first for reliable and value-added services;

choose us first for reliable and value-added services; Investors receive sustainable industry-leading total returns;

receive sustainable industry-leading total returns; Employees say we are the 'employer of choice' and value our safe, respectful, collaborative and fair work culture; and

say we are the 'employer of choice' and value our safe, respectful, collaborative and fair work culture; and Communities welcome us and recognize the net positive impact of our social and environmental commitment.

Pembina is structured into three Divisions: Pipelines Division, Facilities Division and Marketing & New Ventures Division.

Pembina's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under PPL and PBA, respectively. For more information, visit www.pembina.com.

SOURCE Pembina Pipeline Corporation

Related Links

http://www.pembina.com


STAMFORD, Conn., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stamford, Conn.-based private equity firm Olympus Partners has acquired the Land Animal Protein division of 3D Corporate Solutions ("3D") in partnership with the Company's founders Ed Mareth and Kevin Keeling and 3D's senior management team. 3D is a leading manufacturer of premium and specialty protein ingredients (chicken, beef, and lamb) used to make premium pet food. The Company has an impressive track record of organic growth, product innovation, and building lasting customer relationships.

3D has been privately held since it was founded in 2002. "The 3D team has built a really impressive business that offers truly differentiated products to its customers. We are excited to partner with the management team to continue to support growth," said Paul Rubin, a Partner at Olympus. "We think 3D is outperforming their competition in a very attractive sector," added Dave Cardenas, a Partner at Olympus.

Scott Clawson, CEO of 3D, said, "The 3D management team is really excited to partner with Olympus to continue to serve our customers and grow our business. Olympus is the right partner to help 3D execute on expansion opportunities going forward."

Founded in 1988, Olympus Partners is a private equity firm focused on providing equity capital for middle market management buyouts and for companies needing capital for expansion. Olympus is an active, long-term investor across a broad range of industries including business services, consumer products, healthcare services, financial services, industrial services, and manufacturing.

Olympus manages in excess of $8.5 billion mainly on behalf of corporate pension funds, endowment funds and state-sponsored retirement programs. The Olympus team included Paul Rubin, Dave Cardenas, Sam Greenberg, and Connor Wood. Olympus was represented by Jim Faley, Karen Flanagan, Jeremy Mandell, and Marina Yarnoff from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

SOURCE Olympus Partners
HARRISBURG, Pa., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today REFORM Alliance joined bipartisan bill sponsors Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia) and Rep. Sheryl Delozier (R-Cumberland) as they introduced the Smart Probation & Parole Act (HB1555) to the legislature for consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.

The Smart Probation & Parole Act (HB1555) is the first major legislative action for the REFORM Alliance, a criminal justice initiative launched in response to the unjust re-imprisonment of recording artist and Pennsylvania-native Meek Mill for a minor technical violation while on probation. The mission of REFORM Alliance is to solve the ongoing probation and parole crisis driving mass incarceration in the United States.

The Smart Probation & Parole Act (HB1555) is designed to:

Incentivize good behavior and rehabilitation for people on probation and parole. Reverse damaging measures that led to Pennsylvania having the third highest percentage of its citizens on probation and parole in America.

As it currently stands, key components of the Smart Probation & Parole Act (HB1555) include:

Setting standards for probation term lengths according to the crime (2 years for misdemeanors, 5 years for felonies)

Standardizing "good time credits" in exchange for certified rehabilitative programming, i.e. GED courses and vocational training

Minimizing the types of technical violations for which an individual can be re-incarcerated

Increasing due process and effective communication when someone is suspected of a technical violation

Retroactive application for all components

The Smart Probation & Parole Act (HB1555) has garnered widespread support throughout the state, from individuals with first-hand experience of Pennsylvania's broken probation and parole system to Democratic and Republican representatives and advocacy groups  State Rep. Greg Rothman (R-Cumberland), Ed Gainey (D-Allegheny), State Rep. Mike Jones, (R-York), the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, The Commonwealth Foundation, Americans for Prosperity, #cut50, American Civil Liberties Union, American Conservative Union, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, and Prison Fellowship.

"I've been on probation in Pennsylvania my entire adult life, for over a decade. Every aspect of my life is restricted," Meek said. "We need to pass HB1555 and make sure individuals in Pennsylvania never experience confining and oppressive barriers that make it nearly impossible to re-enter society, travel to a job or even provide for their families."

"The more time I spend fighting for criminal justice reform, the more I realize just how broken Pennsylvania's system is," Rubin said. "We're confident that HB1555 has the potential to fix many issues in a meaningful way and end the nightmare that hundreds of thousands of people across Pennsylvania have been living through, stemming from unjust re-imprisonment and unfair probation laws. We will stop at nothing until this bill is passed."

"Pennsylvania is one of the worst offenders when it comes to having too many people on probation and parole  for way too long," said Jones. "HB1555 introduces common sense solutions that favor rehabilitation over re-imprisonment. I hope this bill returns Pennsylvania to being the beacon of American independence it could be."

To learn more about REFORM Alliance initiatives in Pennsylvania, please visit reformalliance.com/pennsylvania and follow @REFORM on social media.

About REFORM Alliance

The REFORM Alliance is committed to advancing criminal justice reform and eradicating laws and policies that perpetuate injustice in the United States. To achieve that objective, REFORM will pass probation bills at the state level, use media to amplify the need for comprehensive reform and build an inclusive, bi-partisan alliance of leaders who share a vision for ambitiously and efficiently transforming the criminal justice system.

REFORM's founding partners include recording artist Meek Mill; Philadelphia 76ers Co-Owner and Fanatics Executive Chairman Michael Rubin; entrepreneur and business mogul Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter; Kraft Group CEO and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; Brooklyn Nets co-owner and philanthropic investor Clara Wu Tsai; Third Point LLC CEO and founder Daniel S. Loeb; Galaxy Digital CEO and founder Michael E. Novogratz; Vista Equity Partners founder, chairman, and CEO Robert F. Smith. CNN host, author, and activist Van Jones is the CEO.

To learn more visit reformalliance.com/ .

CONTACT: Didier Morais, [email protected]

SOURCE REFORM Alliance
SAN FRANCISCO, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers from Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), a leading medical genetics company, will present data that underscore the clinical utility of comprehensive genetic information for patients with breast, colorectal, prostate and pancreatic cancer to inform treatment decisions. Among the data, researchers will discuss findings showing that multigene germline genetic testing for breast cancer patients impacts patient outcomes and informs surgical strategy, precision medicine treatment and clinical trial eligibility.

The studies will be presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, which starts today.

A study of breast cancer patients conducted with researchers from the TME Breast Care Network, a network of more than 300 leading breast cancer physicians, evaluated germline genetic testing for 912 breast cancer patients, approximately half of whom met widely accepted clinical guidelines for testing and half of whom did not. Pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) germline variants were found in 8.65% of patients (9.39% of patients who met guidelines and 7.9% of patients who did not meet guidelines, a statistically insignificant difference). Among patients with P/LP germline variants, 85% had variants in cancer-risk genes with established management recommendations and 80% had variants that made them eligible for clinical trials and/or precision medicine-based cancer treatments, such as PARP inhibitors. In 62% of patients with P/LP germline mutations, their clinicians reported the findings impacted their patients' outcomes.

"This research adds to the body of evidence validating the importance of comprehensive germline genetic testing in cancer for identifying precision medicine therapies and clinical trials that can improve patient outcomes," said Robert Nussbaum, M.D., chief medical officer of Invitae. "Previous research has shown that current testing guidelines are insensitive and deny too many patients with clinically meaningful genetic variants from being tested. Broad use of multigene genetic testing for cancer patients has the potential to meaningfully improve cancer care for patients across a wide variety of cancers."

Another study presented at the meeting examined testing in colorectal cancer using multigene panels, and suggests one in five patients referred for genetic testing have clinically actionable germline variants, nearly half of which remain undetected when only a narrowly defined panel of the five mismatch repair genes are tested. Furthermore, some of these variants were in genes associated with known precision therapeutic implications or clinical trial eligibility, as well as established clinical management guidelines.

Germline testing was performed on 9,000 patients with colorectal cancer and clinically significant variants were identified in 21% (2,101) of patients. When only a limited genetic panel was used, 9% of patients had a pathogenic finding, which increased to 15% when 19 guidelines-based colorectal cancer genes were assessed. Using a comprehensive multigene panel, P/LP variants in genes with known precision therapy implications were detected in 14% (1,408) of patients, and 17% (1,670) had P/LP variants associated with established clinical management guidelines. These data add to the evidence supporting the value of comprehensive germline genetic testing for colorectal cancer patients to identify candidates for precision medical treatments and provide clinical guidance to at-risk family members.

Invitae has also collaborated with numerous clinicians and scientists outside of the company to carry out additional research being presented at ASCO that highlight the depth and impact of innovation at Invitae. The research presentations further underscore our commitment to advancing understanding of the importance of germline genetic testing in oncology and showing its clinical utility in improving patient care.

Poster Presentations

Poster 1528: Germline variants in urothelial carcinoma: Analysis of pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants in 645 subjects. Sarah Abou Alaiwi , MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Cancer Prevention, Hereditary Genetics, and Epidemiology Session: Monday 6/3, 1:15 PM to 4:15 PM

, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Cancer Prevention, Hereditary Genetics, and Epidemiology Session: Monday 6/3, Poster 1580: Tumor sequencing with germline genetic testing: Identification of patients with hereditary cancer and precision treatment eligibility. Scott T. Michalski , MS, LCGC, Invitae. Cancer Prevention, Hereditary Genetics, and Epidemiology Session: Monday 6/3, 1:15 PM to 4:15 PM

, MS, LCGC, Invitae. Cancer Prevention, Hereditary Genetics, and Epidemiology Session: Monday 6/3, Poster 1583: Comprehensive germline multigene panel testing changes clinical care for patients with breast cancer: Untapped clinical utility and PARP inhibitor trial eligibility. Peter D. Beitsch , MD, FACS, Dallas Surgical Group. Cancer Prevention, Hereditary Genetics, and Epidemiology Session: Monday 6/3, 1:15 PM to 4:15 PM

, MD, FACS, Dallas Surgical Group. Cancer Prevention, Hereditary Genetics, and Epidemiology Session: Monday 6/3, Poster 3582: Germline multigene panel testing in colorectal cancer: Precision therapy and clinical management implications. Edward D. Esplin , MD, PhD, FACMG, FACP, Invitae. Gastrointestinal (Colorectal) Cancer Session: Monday 6/3, 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM

, MD, PhD, FACMG, FACP, Invitae. Gastrointestinal (Colorectal) Cancer Session: Monday 6/3, Poster 5062: Prevalence of pathogenic germline variants in DNA repair by race, age, and ethnicity in men with prostate cancer. Alexandria Mara , MD, Duke University School of Medicine. Genitourinary (Prostate) Cancer Session: Saturday 6/1, 1:15 PM to 4:15 PM

, MD, School of Medicine. Genitourinary (Prostate) Cancer Session: Saturday 6/1, Poster e13013: Comprehensive germline panel testing across cancer types: Diagnostic yield and clinical utility in 100,000 patient dataset. Shan Yang , PhD, Invitae

, PhD, Invitae Poster e15728: The prevalence of hereditary pancreatitis mutations in families with pancreatic cancer. Rino S. Seedor , MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center

About Invitae

Invitae Corporation (NYSE: NVTA) is a leading medical genetics company, whose mission is to bring comprehensive genetic information into mainstream medicine to improve healthcare for billions of people. Invitae's goal is to aggregate the world's genetic tests into a single service with higher quality, faster turnaround time, and lower prices. For more information, visit the company's website at invitae.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relating to the company's research validating the importance of comprehensive germline genetic testing in expanding groups of cancer patients for identifying precision medicine therapies and clinical trials that can improve patient outcomes; and the depth and impact of innovation at the company. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the company's history of losses; the company's ability to compete; the company's failure to manage growth effectively; the company's need to scale its infrastructure in advance of demand for its tests and to increase demand for its tests; the company's ability to use rapidly changing genetic data to interpret test results accurately and consistently; security breaches, loss of data and other disruptions; laws and regulations applicable to the company's business; and the other risks set forth in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the risks set forth in the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2019. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Invitae Corporation disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Laura D'Angelo

[email protected]

(628) 213-3283

SOURCE Invitae Corporation

Related Links

http://invitae.com


BERWYN, Pa., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RM LAW, P.C. announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of all persons or entities that purchased Mallinckrodt plc ("Mallinckrodt" or the "Company") (NYSE: MNK) between May 23, 2018 and August 1, 2018, inclusive (the "Class Period").

If you purchased shares of Mallinckrodt and would like to learn more about these claims or if you wish to discuss these matters and have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights, contact Richard A. Maniskas, Esquire toll-free at (844) 291-9299 or to sign up online, click here.

On May 1, 2019, The Wall Street Journal published an article titled, "Government to File Complaint After Mallinckrodt Unit Is Accused of Bribery to Drive Drug Sales." The article asserts that Questcor, which Mallinckrodt acquired in 2014, "defrauded government health-care plans by illegally marketing H.P. Acthar Gel." The article further states that the company "stands accused of paying doctors kickbacks through bribes, consulting agreements and speaking fees if they prescribed Acthar."

Following this news, Mallinckrodt's share price dropped more than 16%.

On May 21, 2019, Mallinckrodt's share price dropped more than 25% after the company sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over its decision to require the company to change the base rate average manufacturer price used to calculate Medicaid rebates for Acthar Gel. Mallinckrodt disclosed that failure to get the rate changed could reduce Acthar sales by 10%.

For more information regarding this, please contact RM LAW, P.C. (Richard A. Maniskas, Esquire) toll-free at (844) 291-9299 or by email at [email protected] or click here. For more information about class action cases in general or to learn more about RM LAW, P.C. please visit our website by clicking here.

RM LAW, P.C. is a national shareholder litigation firm. RM LAW, P.C. is devoted to protecting the interests of individual and institutional investors in shareholder actions in state and federal courts nationwide.

SOURCE RM LAW, P.C.

Related Links

http://www.rmclasslaw.com


MENLO PARK, Calif., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Michelle Whitman, senior vice president of Marketing for staffing firm Robert Half, has been named one of the 2019 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business by the San Francisco Business Times. The award recognizes female leaders who have made significant professional and community contributions. Robert Half district president Karen Warren has been acknowledged as Forever Influential for being named to the Most Influential Women list in previous years.

Michelle Whitman, Source: Robert Half Karen Warren, Source: Robert Half

Whitman has been with Robert Half for 17 years in a variety of marketing roles. She worked in the company's London office for seven years, managing marketing and public relations for operations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, South America and Canada. She assumed her current role in 2015.

Whitman is a board member for Dress for Success in San Francisco and San Jose, which provide professional attire and support to underprivileged and at-risk women. She's also on the board of Parisi House on the Hill, a residential alcohol and drug treatment facility for mothers and young children.

Warren began her career at Robert Half in 2004 and has held numerous leadership positions within the organization. In her current role, she oversees staffing operations for the company's Bay Area locations.

Warren supports several major philanthropic efforts within Robert Half, including an annual holiday toy drive for the local Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Suit Drive benefitting Dress for Success, where she was formerly a board member for the organization's San Francisco affiliate. Warren also is an active board member for The Children's Health Guild, which raises funds for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland and George Mark Children's House.

The 2019 Most Influential Women honorees were recognized at a dinner on May 30 at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square.

About Robert Half

Founded in 1948, Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm and the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm that provides internal audit, risk, business and technology consulting solutions.

Robert Half has staffing and consulting operations in more than 400 locations worldwide and offers job search services at roberthalf.com.

SOURCE Robert Half

Related Links

https://www.roberthalf.com


WASHINGTON, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration's Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development (IATF) and Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs (ACVBA) will hold quarterly public meetings on June 5 and 6 respectively at SBA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

"These quarterly committee meetings provide us with an opportunity to collaborate and identify areas where we can continue to positively impact and support veteran entrepreneurs," said Larry Stubblefield, SBA Associate Administrator for the Office of Veterans Business Development. "I look forward to working with these veteran thought leaders, entrepreneurs, advocates, and colleagues to bring new perspectives to the table."

Both meetings will be accessible via Skype webinar and/or conference call.

The IATF will meet on Wednesday, June 5, 2019, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. (EDT)

Dial in: 202-765-1264

Access code: 82779493#

Skype link: https://meet.lync.com/sba123/csimms/SY58NNZY?sl=1

The ACVBA will meet on Thursday, June 6, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EDT)

Dial in: 202-765-1264

Access code: 71491907#

Skype link: https://meet.lync.com/sba123/csimms/4YYY96F9

Both Federal Advisory Committee public meetings will address the current state of veteran-owned small business and update the public on progress made regarding pushing forward veteran entrepreneurship and employment. Committee members will receive briefs on access to capital, counseling and training, and government contracting.

In addition to providing progress updates, this quarter's meetings will also include updates from the National Veterans Transition Services, JPMorgan Chase, SBA All Small Mentor-Protege Program and SBA's Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (MREIDL).

Both the June 5 IATF and June 6 ACVBA meetings are public meetings held at SBA headquarters in Eisenhower Conference Room B, 409 3rd Street SW, Washington D.C. 20416. Following each meeting, public meeting transcripts may also be found at www.sba.gov/ovbd under the section heading, "Federal Advisory Committees".

Advance notice of attendance is requested. Anyone wishing to attend and/or make comments to the IATF or ACVBA must contact SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development no later than June 1 at [email protected].

Comments for the record will be limited to five minutes to accommodate as many participants as possible. Written comments should be sent to the above email address by June 1. Special accommodation requests, as well as any questions, should also be directed to SBA's Office of Veterans Business Development at [email protected], or by calling (202) 205-6773.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start and grow their businesses. It delivers services to people through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

Contact: [email protected] (202) 205-6987

Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Blogs & Instagram

Release Number: 19-33

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

Related Links

http://www.sba.gov


MONTREAL, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - After having aired on PBS affiliates in the United States and Canada, the fifth season of the Free Markets Series is now available online for the entire internet community to enjoy. Six new 30-minute episodes can be found in the dedicated series web library, and on social media networks.

The Free Markets Series introduces viewers to the principles of the free market through interviews with some of the most dynamic and influential thinkers and activists in the United States and Canada. Season 5 features:

James Tooley , professor of education policy at Newcastle University and director of the E.G. West Centre;

, professor of education policy at Newcastle University and director of the E.G. West Centre; Mahmoud Farouk , founder and former Executive Director of the Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies (ECPPS), an organization based in Cairo that advocates for individual and economic freedom reforms, and that won the 2018 Templeton Freedom Award;

, founder and former Executive Director of the Egyptian Center for Public Policy Studies (ECPPS), an organization based in that advocates for individual and economic freedom reforms, and that won the 2018 Templeton Freedom Award; Joseph G. Lehman , president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Michigan , one of the largest think tanks in the United States ;

, president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in , one of the largest think tanks in ; Magatte Wade , renowned speaker and founder and CEO of Tiossan, a high-end skin care products line based on indigenous Senegalese recipes and ingredients;

, renowned speaker and founder and CEO of Tiossan, a high-end skin care products line based on indigenous Senegalese recipes and ingredients; Stephen Moore , Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Project for Economic Growth, at The Heritage Foundation and former member of the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal ; and

, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Project for Economic Growth, at The Heritage Foundation and former member of the editorial board of ; and David Inserra , policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation's Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy.

These unique interviews are conducted by none other than Bob Scully, host of The World Show, who was named the 2012 Person of the Year by American Public Television.

Some of the topics discussed in these fascinating interviews include private education for low-income families in the developing world, the state of individual and economic freedom in Egypt, entrepreneurship as a vector for wealth creation in Africa, the Trump presidency, the tension between liberty and security, and the influence of intellectuals over the past 50 years.

The Free Markets Series is produced by The World Show in partnership with the MEI. The World Show is a syndicated television program broadcast across North America, on 304 stations affiliated with American PBS. It is seen in 141 markets across 44 U.S. states, including in nine of the top ten Nielsen DMA markets.

"The MEI and The World Show are proud to be able once again to offer television and internet viewers the opportunity to delve into some of the principles of the free market, and how they relate to the issues of the day, as expressed by these respected thinkers discussing their life's work," says Michel Kelly-Gagnon, President and CEO of the MEI.

Season 5 of the series is available on our website. The episodes can be viewed, commented on, and shared through social media networks.

This project was made possible in part through the support of a grant from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed by the interviewees in each of the episodes do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

The MEI is an independent public policy think tank. Through its publications and media appearances, the MEI stimulates debate on public policies in Quebec and across Canada by proposing reforms based on market principles and entrepreneurship.

SOURCE Montreal Economic Institute

Related Links

http://www.iedm.org


BOISE, Idaho, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Southworth Associates announced it has acquired Scott Gilbert's Mississippi based, behavioral health consulting firm, IOP Consulting. Additionally, Southworth Associates announces that Chad Grimm, former CEO of Longbranch Healthcare, will be joining Scott and Ben. This new partnership will increase the size and capabilities of Southworth Associates. Key goals include expansion of existing services such as monitoring, interventions, conferences and development of strategic consulting services and technological tools. The acquisition also includes the purchase of a proprietary behavioral health financial management application; developed by, Scott Gilbert and Chad Grimm.

Benjamin Seymour of Southworth Associates released the following statement: "I am excited to have Scott, Chad and the IOP Consulting team coming on board. Since taking over in 2017, I knew Southworth needed more bandwidth to tackle the new projects and goals of the company. It's no secret behavioral health is in a large transition and rebuilding phase. We see opportunities to help providers tell the story of how they help the patients they serve. The over-arching goal is to make Southworth Associates a resource for not only families, but providers as well."

About IOP Consulting

Founded in 2005, IOP Consulting has specialized in billing and industry strategy, in-network contract negotiation and has served as a "go to" resource for owners and operators in the behavioral health space. Founder Scott Gilbert has owned, operated and sold multiple facilities. He has opened facilities for owners and investors across the US and Europe. Scott Gilbert is revered by many to be an expert in behavioral healthcare.

About Chad Grimm

The foundation of Chad's career began in sales for a number of fortune 500 companies. After a successful career in the surgical device industry, Chad chose to couple his business experience with his passion for helping individuals with substance use disorders. Chad went on to manage a national intervention firm and eventually create a consulting group focused on family case management. In 2017, Chad was recruited for a behavioral health start-up, Longbranch Healthcare, where he served as CEO.

About Southworth Associates:

With the company motto "Lending a Hand Any Time, Any Place", Southworth Associates provides recovery services focused on doing everything in their professional ability to help others. Services include interventions, case management, monitoring, and sober companions. The company values providing hope to those affected by behavioral health disorders; while offering tangible solutions for superior outcomes. They do this through specialized case management services and comprehensive support for patients after discharge.

Contact: For more information, contact Southworth Associates main office: 208-323-9555

SOURCE Southworth Associates

Related Links

www.southworthassociates.net


Recently, during Yealink's exciting global roadshow, Leo Huang, revealed the secrets of Yealink's success. (Leo has been overlooking the sales and marketing departments of Yealink for over 14 years).

Leo Huang delightedly shared the emerging industry trends and advancements as well as talked about Yealink's R&D investments to realize their vision of easy collaboration and high productivity.

He stated that Yealink has witnessed a rapid growth in the past 5 years, in terms of both the market share and sales revenue. The company maintained a double-digit average annual revenue growth throughout, with a compound growth rate of 41.6%. In 2018, Yealink's annual revenue was estimated to have reached 260million USD.

With a consistently strong position in the UC industry, the company has been investing steadily in R&D. In the past few years, Yealink has invested millions of US dollars to establish a top-tier EMC lab and an audio lab. In 2018 alone, Yealink invested over 14 million USD in R&D.

These investments have facilitated their ability to attain the latest technical innovations and meet the ever-changing demands of the market.

Yealink has thrived immensely in a short span. According to Leo, one of the key reasons for their success attributes to the fact that their primary focus has always been on meeting customer needs in a fast-growing enterprise world.

During his speech at the roadshow, Leo Huang mentioned that upkeeping their reputation for developing high-quality products is something Yealink takes very seriously. Their strategic partnership structure with the likes of AT&T, Verizon, BT, and Microsoft is undeniably another major factor that contributes to Yealink's success.

When asked about Yealink's future plans, Leo Huang stated that in 2017, Yealink officially ranked at No.1 in the SIP Phone market, with the largest market share of 26%, the highest shipment, and the highest user satisfaction rate. But they don't plan to stop here.

With their continuous contribution to R&D, the quality of products and services, support of Yealink's esteemed partners and the faith of their customers, Yealink believes the future belongs to them. Leo envisions Yealink to be the leader in innovation as well as user experience.

About Yealink Inc.

Founded in 2001, Yealink (Stock Code: 300628) is a leading global provider of enterprise communication and collaboration solutions, offering video conferencing service to worldwide enterprises. Focusing on research and development, Yealink also insists on innovation and creation. With the outstanding technical patents of cloud computing, audio, video and image processing technology, Yealink has built up a panoramic collaboration solution of audio and video conferencing by merging its cloud services with a series of endpoints products. As one of the best providers in more than 140 countries and regions including the US, the UK and Australia, Yealink ranks No.1 in the global market share of SIP phone shipments (Global IP Desktop Phone Growth Excellence Leadership Award Report, Frost & Sullivan, 2018). For more information, please visit: www.yealink.com

SOURCE Yealink

Related Links

http://www.yealink.com


LEXINGTON, Mass., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Inn at Hastings Park today announced the schedule and details of its popular farm dinner series this summer. The Farm + Vine dinners are epicurean highlights of the year for the Boston area.

Each dinner is hosted with one of the Inn's neighboring farms and provides an opportunity for diners to celebrate the best of regional, seasonal cuisine.

"The Inn at Hastings Park has created a culinary experience that is not offered anywhere else in the region," said Trisha Perez Kennealy, the owner of The Inn at Hastings Park. "We work closely with local farms throughout the year, and these dinners are thoughtful celebrations of these partnerships. These Farm + Vine dinners provide an opportunity for the farmers and our team at the Inn to collaborate in creating inspiring and memorable experiences for our guests," she said.

Featured farms are modern and innovative, yet also serve as historic Lexington area community fixturesWilson Farms, Drumlin Farms, and Codman Community Farms. The July Farm + Vine dinner features Tufts University's internationally respected nutrition initiative, the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project. Each of the four farm dinners start with a welcome reception prior to a three-course prix fixe dinner menu, all paired with fine wines.

Wednesday, June 12

Codman Community Farms with Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds, Lincoln, MA

Codman Farms has been in continuous operation for more than 150 years, and since 1973 the farm has existed as the non-profit enterprise, Codman Community Farms. Husband and wife team, Pete Lowy and Jen Hashley, with their young son, live on the farm, working and managing its enterprises. Pete and Jen previously owned their own farm called Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds where they grew small scale livestock, fruits and vegetables. As the Farm Managers at CCF, they are in the process of integrating their sustainable, pasture-based and organic growing methods throughout the many acres of farm fields in Lincoln.

Wednesday, July 10

New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Tufts University

An initiative of Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, New Entry's mission is to improve local and regional food systems by training the next generation of farmers to produce food that is sustainable, nutritious, and culturally-appropriate. New Entry strives to make this food accessible to individuals regardless of age, mobility, ethnicity, or socio-economic status.

Wednesday, August 7

Drumlin Farms, Lincoln, MA

Drumlin Farm is Mass Audubon's only working, educational farm raising livestock and poultry, growing crops, and producing hay for the animalsall within a 206-acre wildlife sanctuary.

Wednesday, September 18

Wilson Farms

Operated as a family farm at its current location in Lexington since 1884, Wilson Farms is currently managed by the fourth generation of Wilson farmers. The Lexington farm and store are community treasures, and Wilson Farms also has expanded its land from the 33 acres in Lexington to include 500 acres in Litchfield, NH.

Each of the Farm + Vine events start at 6:30 p.m. and cost $75 plus tax and gratuity.

In related news, The Inn at Hastings Park announced its new Sunday Brunch Buffet , a delicious Boston area brunch experience with plated main course options.

For complete information, visit InnatHastingsPark.com or call 781.301.6660.

About The Inn at Hastings Park

Conveniently located 15 miles outside Boston in historic Lexington and known as the "Birthplace of American Liberty," The Inn at Hastings Park provides unrivaled hospitality experiences for its guests. Managed by OHM (Ocean House Management, OHMCollection.com) a collection of some of the most prestigious hotel properties in New England that includes the Ocean House and Watch Hill Inn and the Weekapaug on the Rhode Island Coast. The Inn at Hastings Park is the only luxury boutique property in one of Massachusetts' most popular tourist destinations. With 22 guest rooms and a 54-seat restaurant, the three antique buildings that comprise the Inn have been thoughtfully restored to showcase luxurious accommodations and modern amenities. The design scheme celebrations the historic character of the architecture yet reinterprets it with modern flair. The hallmark of the Inn experience is the thoughtful service that staff extends to all guests. Mindful of the spirit of the revolution that is historic to Lexington, the team calls this Revolutionary Hospitality. #innathastingspark #revolutionaryhospitality

About Relais & Chateaux

Established in 1954, Relais & Chateaux is an association creating delicious journeys in 580 unique hotels and restaurants throughout the world, operated by top independent innkeepers, chefs and owners. The association's members are committed to protecting the richness and diversity of the world's cuisine and traditions of hospitality, and to preserving local heritage and the environment. relaischateaux.com #deliciousjourneys

Contact:

Laurie Hobbs

[email protected]

o: 401-584-7014

m: 612-220-1176

SOURCE The Inn at Hastings Park
LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 3, 2019, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank will launch its 14th annual free Summer Meal Program. The program will run until students return to school, providing a nutritious midday meal to children who would normally receive a school lunch.

This year, the Summer Meal Program, which has nearly doubled in size over the past three years due to increasing need, will serve more than 3,000 meals a day at more than 50 distribution sites, including Boys and Girls Clubs, summer schools, community centers, the Salvation Army and some libraries. This includes the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), a federally funded nutrition program for children facing hunger during the summer months. 

The Food Bank's Child Nutrition program provides well-balanced meals and food kits for children facing hunger all year long. Access to healthy food helps prevent nutritional deficiencies that could turn into lifelong health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. It also establishes healthy eating habits, and provides the nutrition needed to concentrate and perform well in school. Early access to healthy meals supports strong educational development, which in turn sets kids up for a successful future full of opportunity and promise.

To learn more about how your child can receive free, nutritious lunches this summer, including details about open and closed distribution sites, service times, income requirements and types of meals offered, please visit LAFoodBank.org/summerlunch.

"Open" sites provide meals to all children, without any eligibility documentation, who are 18 years of age and younger. "Restricted Open" sites are open to all children on a first come, first served basis and may restrict access due to space, security, safety or control. Registration is required at "Closed Enrolled" sites.

In accordance with federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, the Food Bank is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

About Los Angeles Regional Food Bank :

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has been fighting hunger in Los Angeles County since 1973 and has distributed the equivalent of more than 1 billion meals across our community. The Food Bank provides food to more than 300,000 clients on a monthly basis and distributed 67 million pounds of food in 2018 to children, seniors, working families, veterans, and other neighbors in need. To support the vision that no one goes hungry in Los Angeles, food and products are distributed through a network of more than 600 partner agencies directly to children through our Children's Backpack and Summer Lunch programs, to approximately 29,000 seniors each month through our Senior Nutrition program, and to working families and college students through our Mobile Food Pantry. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is a 4-star rated charity by Charity Navigator. For more information, visit LAFoodBank.org.

Vendor # V900-00 / CNIPS ID # 04093

Media Contact:

David May

Director of Marketing & Communications

323.234.3030 ext. 134

[email protected]

SOURCE Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Related Links

http://www.lafoodbank.org


ST. LOUIS, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP), a private equity firm based in St. Louis, announced today that its portfolio company Revenue Management Solutions (RMS), has completed its acquisition of the assets of i8 Health Solutions (i8). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.



Scott Thomas, CEO of RMS stated, "Acquisitions have always been a focus of our investment thesis with Thompson Street, and this incorporation of i8's technology into the RMS platform is truly exciting. This acquisition will further enhance RMS' healthcare remittance solution and enable RMS and i8 to join forces in delivering the leading technology-focused solution to our combined customer bases."



Scott Thompson, Managing Member of i8, added, "We are pleased to be working both with Thompson Street and RMS as a result of this acquisition  together, the combined entity has a technology solution that is unparalleled in the market. The joint experience of our businesses will present tremendous opportunity for our customer base to realize even more efficiencies in the management of their cash reconciliation and posting processes."



As a result of the combination of RMS and i8, the entity will process and manage well over 160 million annual transactions across the healthcare remittance cycle. After closing, the combined healthcare spend across the platform will exceed $100 billion annually.



Founded in 2006, and based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, RMS (www.rmsweb.com) is the leading technology-based healthcare remittance automation platform tool available in the market. Currently used by more than 1,000 acute care, revenue cycle management, dental and pharmacy clients, RMS allows healthcare providers, outsourcers and facilities to optimize the remittance matching, reconciliation, and management processes. The Company, which processes nearly 14 million transactions each month, offers its technology-driven solutions both directly to customers and through established channel relationships with leading financial institutions throughout the United States.



Founded in 2016, i8 Heath Systems (www.i8health.com) provides customers with a technology platform enabling true reconciliation of payments posted to the general ledger within a provider's patient accounting system. Along with its strong presence in Ohio, a key to the acquisition of i8 will be extending RMS's existing technology platform to i8's customer base, while adding GL posting solutions to the RMS platform. Scott Thompson and Chip Moore, i8's founders, will both remain with the business in various capacities post-closing.



Brian Kornmann, a Managing Director with TSCP said, "We have been thrilled with our partnership with RMS since our initial investment in 2017. This acquisition serves as the first of what we hope are several designed to continue to grow RMS's technology offering and extend our product solution further into the healthcare market. Together, we believe that RMS and i8 will continue to bring leading technology-driven solutions to the market which are unrivaled by the current antiquated, human-focused efforts to manage the very complicated healthcare remittance cycle."

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE Revenue Management Solutions (RMS); Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP)

Related Links

http://www.rmsweb.com


PHOENIX, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- VEREIT, Inc. (NYSE: VER) announced today it has closed on the previously reported institutional partnership which includes six assets totaling approximately $407.0 million and 4.8 million square feet of industrial assets with investment grade tenants. These assets make up the initial portfolio of a new Korea Investment & Securities Co., Ltd. ("KIS") industrial fund which will be advised by Ocean West Capital Partners LLC ("Ocean West"). VEREIT was represented by Mark Penrod, Managing Director, and Daniel Prendiville, Vice President, at Eastdil Secured, L.L.C. ("Eastdil Secured").

"VEREIT remains focused on building the strength of our balance sheet and we are pleased to have identified an institutional partner with objectives in line with our own. As VEREIT and Ocean West create a long-term asset base with investment grade tenants in the U.S. market, we look forward to expanding our presence through maximizing the value in a business growth format," stated Glenn Rufrano, Chief Executive Officer, VEREIT.

The stakeholders have agreed to a traditional 80/20 equity structure. The portfolio of industrial assets is currently 100% leased and located across five different states. The investment was made at a capitalization rate just under 6.0%.

"We are pleased to partner with Ocean West and KIS on the initial industrial portfolio and look forward to growing the partnership by acquiring individual or portfolios of investment grade industrial assets nationwide," stated Thomas W. Roberts, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, VEREIT.

As part of the agreement, VEREIT's in-house infrastructure of acquisitions, property management, legal, leasing and asset management teams will work to maximize each asset to increase value for the portfolio.

Russ Allegrette, Principal at Ocean West, said, "At the center of this deal is VEREIT's extremely high-quality portfolio of industrial assets. VEREIT and Ocean West are strong partners with the right foundation to achieve growth through future acquisitions."

About VEREIT

VEREIT is a full-service real estate operating company which owns and manages one of the largest portfolios of single-tenant commercial properties in the U.S. The Company has total real estate investments of $15.6 billion including approximately 4,000 properties and 94.7 million square feet. VEREIT's business model provides equity capital to creditworthy corporations in return for long-term leases on their properties. VEREIT uses, and intends to continue to use, its Investor Relations website, which can be found at www.VEREIT.com , as a means of disclosing material nonpublic information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Additional information about VEREIT can be found through social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Ocean West

Since its formation in 2009, Ocean West has acquired and operated office and multifamily residential investments valued over $2.0 billion and completed over $4.9 billion of commercial real estate transactions. With over 100 years of combined experience and $50.0 billion of real estate transactions completed among its principals, Ocean West is a full-service real estate investment, operations, and management platform dedicated to identifying and executing opportunities that create long-term value for its partners and investors. For more information, visit www.oceanwestcp.com.

About KIS

Korea Investment Holdings Co., Ltd., the parent company of KIS, engages in the provision of comprehensive financial services. Its activities include securities, brokerage, asset management, principal investment, venture capital, investment banking and finance solutions. The company was founded on January 11, 2003 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. To learn more, go to www.koreaholdings.com.

About Eastdil Secured

Eastdil Secured is the foremost provider of financial advisory services to real estate owners. Eastdil Secured combines superior capital markets expertise with a deep understanding of real estate fundamentals to execute a wide range of real estate transactions. Find more information online at www.eastdilsecured.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth herein contains "forward-looking statements" (within the meaning of the federal securities laws, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), which reflect VEREIT's expectations and projections regarding future events and plans, VEREIT's future financial condition, results of operations and business including the expansion of VEREIT's presence and the growth of the institutional partnership. The forward-looking statements involve a number of assumptions, risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Generally, the words "expects," "anticipates," "assumes," "targets," "goals," "projects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "could," "continues," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond VEREIT's control. If a change occurs, VEREIT's business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations may vary materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: VEREIT's plans, market and other expectations, objectives, intentions and other statements that are not historical facts; the developments disclosed herein; VEREIT's ability to meet its 2019 guidance; VEREIT's ability to renew leases, lease vacant space or re-lease space as leases expire on favorable terms or at all; risks associated with tenant, geographic and industry concentrations with respect to VEREIT's properties; the impact of impairment charges in respect of certain of VEREIT's properties, goodwill and intangible assets and other assets; unexpected costs or liabilities that may arise from potential dispositions, including related to limited partnership, tenant-in-common and Delaware statutory trust real estate programs and VEREIT's management with respect to such programs; competition in the acquisition and disposition of properties and in the leasing of its properties; the inability to acquire, dispose of, or lease properties on advantageous terms; risks associated with bankruptcies or insolvencies of tenants, from tenant defaults generally or from the unpredictability of the business plans and financial condition of VEREIT's tenants; risks associated with pending government investigations and litigations related to VEREIT's previously disclosed audit committee investigation, including the expense of such investigations and litigation and any additional potential payments upon resolution; risks associated with VEREIT's substantial indebtedness, including that such indebtedness may affect VEREIT's ability to pay dividends and the terms and restrictions within the agreements governing VEREIT's indebtedness may restrict its borrowing and operating flexibility; the ability to retain or hire key personnel; and continuation or deterioration of current market conditions. Additional factors that may affect future results are contained in VEREIT's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are available at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. VEREIT disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE VEREIT, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.vereit.com


PERO (MI), Italy, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A meeting was held today in Rome between representatives of Italian trade unions and the management of Whirlpool EMEA to present updates on the 2019-2021 Italy Industrial Plan, including some important new developments on its implementation.

Whirlpool confirmed its strong commitment to Italy as a strategic industrial and market base for the EMEA Region, as well as the strategic guidelines of the Italy Industrial Plan signed on 25 October 2018 at the MISE (Ministry of Economic Development) and in particular investments of 250 million for the 3-year period 2019-2021 in innovation, products and processes and research & development in its industrial sites in Italy. Over 80 million euros have so far been allocated to these sites in 2019.

The specialization of the plants, together with the production volumes and the employment levels included in the IIP signed in October 2018 have been reconfirmed for the industrial sites of Cassinetta di Biandronno - VA (EMEA centre for built-in cooling and cooking products), Melano - AN (regional hub for high-end hobs) and Siena (horizontal freezers).

The reshoring from Poland of built-in washing machines and washer/dryers in Comunanza - AP (EMEA hub for the production of built-in washing machines and washer/dryers) is confirmed. As a result, the site will benefit from an increase in volumes that will bring the total production to over 800K units.

Regarding the Naples plant, Whirlpool EMEA intends to proceed with the reconversion of the site and to sell the business to a third party capable of guaranteeing industrial continuity and maximum employment levels, in order to create the conditions of a sustainable future for Naples.

In the coming days, Whirlpool will be working with the unions, national and local institutions to define all the details and timeframes of the conversion project, which will be announced as soon as possible.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this press release relating to the business plan and the envisaged actions, charges and benefits under this plan constitute, pursuant to US federal laws, so-called "forward-looking statements". These statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events and are valid only at the date of this press release. The forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, and they must not be read as a guarantee of future performance and do not necessarily have to be considered as precise indications of when the events occur. Actual performance may differ materially from those expressly or implicitly contained in such statements. Key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these expectations include, among other things, the risk that the Company will not be able to implement the industrial plan, in whole or in part, and the planned synergies will not be realized. In addition to these risks, reference should be made to the factors set out in the documents filed periodically by Whirlpool Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the heading "Risk Factors". Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on what are believed to be reasonable assumptions, investors cannot be sure that actual results will be consistent with forward-looking statements, and the differences may be material. These forward-looking statements are made with reference to the date of this press release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, Whirlpool Corporation assumes no obligation to update or revise them for reflecting new events or circumstances.

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the leading major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 92,000 employees and 65 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2018. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit, Hotpoint and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world.

In Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) it has approximately 21,000 employees, a sales presence in more than 30 countries and manufacturing sites in seven countries. Whirlpool EMEA is an operating segment of Whirlpool Corporation. Whirlpool Corp.'s EMEA Headquarters are located in Pero (MI), Italy. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com or find us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Website Disclosure

We routinely post important information for investors on our website, whirlpoolcorp.com, in the "Investors" section. We also intend to update the Hot Topics Q&A portion of this webpage as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor the Investors section of our website, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our webpage is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation

Related Links

http://WhirlpoolCorp.com


PLAINVIEW, N.Y., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wire security seals are versatile, indicative seals, which are commonly used to secure applications with small closures or where long seals are required. Wire seals manufacturer, American Casting & Manufacturing, discusses wire seals and their versatility.

Wire seals can be offered in numerous combinations including plastic wire seals, aluminum wire security seals, lead security seals, sealing wires, and lead and aluminum seal presses. The wires used in each type of wire seal can be either galvanized, stainless steel or copper and is determined by the environment the seal is being used in. These types of seals come with their own unique uses and applications. For example, sealing wires can be used with seal bodies made out of plastic, lead, and aluminum, each providing the necessary strength and security benefits for products of different weights and sizes. Plastic wire seals are typically used for trucks, railcars, boat inspections, and drums, while aluminum wire seals are used for valves, gas and water meters, taxi meters and cabinets, and must be applied with sealing tools.

Not only do wire seals offer a number of different seal types to choose from, but each seal can be customized for specific product or company needs. For example, the length and break strength of a particular wire seal can be tailored to fit the needs of the object it will be securing, allowing for the same type of seal to be used for different purposes on different products.

Wire seals also offer custom printing and labeling options. Some common labeling options for wire seals include the company name and unique numbering. These customized label options assist with product monitoring, both in and out of the warehouse. When wire seals are included in the shipping process, labels and route checkpoints may also be used to track their transportation progress, ensuring that all products are delivered to their final location on time and unharmed.

About American Casting and Manufacturing: American Casting & Manufacturing tamper evident seals supplier is a New York based, family-owned manufacturing company, that produces high-quality customizable security seals, including bolt seals, container seals, and trailer seals, across a wide range of industries. Through innovative production, customer service, and both employee loyalty and respect, the tamper evident seals manufacturer has been producing high-quality seals for over 100 years. The company conforms to the highest standards, meeting the requirements of ISO-9001:2008 quality management systems.

SOURCE American Casting & Manufacturing

Related Links

https://seals.com


New Delhi, May 31 : Two people were killed after two armed assailants opened fire on them in North East Delhi's Jyoti Nagar area, police said on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Govind Baati (28) was returning from a gym on Wednesday night, when the attackers gunned him down over personal enmity. While another man, who witnessed the crime, was shot dead while trying to escape. He was identified as Akash (21), said a police officer.

Three men, identified as Aman (19), Aashu (19) and Ankit (19) have been arrested in connection with the case.

However, the prime accused, identified as Anil and two other accused are still on the run.

"We have identified the prime accused in the case. Our teams are conducting raids to nab the accused and his associates," police said.
The first childhood lesson in history is that when an empire emerges it climbs to the highest peak and then, inevitably it falls. This is the law of nature; which means the formula of nature. In West Bengal, that is the historical reality of Mamata Banerjee's kingdom!

During this time in West Bengal, I realised that there was an extra heat in the air. In South 24-Parganas, a middle-aged Bengali woman selling tea told me that just as when the CPI-M went out and the Trinamool Congress came and she was unable to see the change coming, today you cannot understand that the BJP is entering this state and the Trinamool Congress is going out. What a political transformation the woman spoke about.

In fact, many of us, sitting in air-conditioned homes, believe that we are proficient at political prognostication, but at times it appears that we have lost touch with ground reality -- and it is left to semi-literate women to tell us about the political situation while serving fish-and-rice at bus stands. Across the districts of West Bengal, Trinamool Congress cadres rent the air with slogans of Didi for Prime Minister. But, everyone is puzzled how Modi returned as Prime Minister.

The question is: Why did this happen to Mamata Banerjee? It is generally said that this was due to the Trinamool Congress party's policy of excessive Muslim minority appeasement. This could have been the cause of Hindutva polarisation of the BJP. But polarization also happened because of a very strong anti-Mamata Banerjee sentiment.

The socio-economic situation of West Bengal is very worrying. Unemployment is high. There are no big industries in the state. There are no factories, per capita income is low, the Bengali is returning to the national mainstream.

Bengali means leftist; Opposition to the Centre and Delhi. From Chittaranjan Das and Subhash Bose's ideological battle with Gandhiji. Jawaharlal Nehru's relationship with Bidhan Roy was not of master and servant, or Guru and disciple. Nehru had even proposed that Roy be made governor.

To be against Delhi is in the DNA of Bengalis. But the people of Bengal are tired of such negative politics - of always having to see leaders saying "aisa nahi chalega nahi chalega". They have seen how a small state like Tripura has become BJP-ruled. They have seen that Tripura is getting the kind of financial support that Uttar Pradesh is getting from the Centre.

The CPM came to power in 1977 after the Congress was ousted. Since then, the step-motherly treatment of the Centre towards the state has been highlighted. Many say about Mamata Banerjee's politics, that it is nothing but an improved version of a bad CPI-M. Her politics matured by observing the basic principles of the CPI-M.

So, Mamata Banerjee herself did not practice right-wing politics in West Bengal. After the national degradation of Congress, many political parties have been formed to promote regional self-interest or sub nationalism.

But those political parties were created in other states, not West Bengal. That is regional parties like Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh, or DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. But in West Bengal, no political party could come to power on the issue of Bengali nationalism.

Why not? That is because even though the CPI(M) claimed to be a branch of the international communist movement, it was known in West Bengal as a party for Bengalis. Then, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress was in every sense a party from within West Bengal. And in these Lok Sabha elections, as it stood in opposition to the BJP on the issue of the demolition of Vidyasagar's statue, it only reinforced its identity as a Bengali party.

I also think that arresting a BJP worker for saying "Jai Shri Ram", arresting a woman for criticizing the arrest of a cartoonist on social media works against the ruling party. In these cases, it is a better strategy to be disdainful of such criticism. The way Uttar Pradesh votes on the basis of caste, there is no such vote in West Bengal. However, Mamata Banerjee created a vote bank of her own comprising the Namasudra Madhuya community, OBCs and many lower class people.

But, this time even that has not worked for the Trinamool Congress. The Matua candidate fought as a candidate of the BJP and defeated the candidate of Trinamool Congress. However, the most important factor was Modi because of whom matters of caste became irrelevant.

The manner in which the CPI-M and Congress vote in West Bengal went to the BJP is unimaginable. In Delhi, my cook from South 24 Parganas went back home to vote. She said that she had earlier voted for the CPI-M in her village. But now, faced with the highhandedness of Trinamool Congress, she had voted for the BJP because voting for the CPI-M would meaning wasting the vote.

That's exactly what I heard from the urban elite and middle class babus in Kolkata. Even students from Jadavpur University said that they would vote for the BJP. One must remember that the Trinamool Congress broke the back of the Left organisations in the universities. The Left parties were unable to oppose this. That is where the BJP came in.

One has to see how the future of West Bengal shapes up after this Trinamool Congress loss. Firstly, there is the possibility of a split in Trinamool Congress. Second, there is no President's rule but pressure will increase on the state government. The Centre will keep up its efforts to embarrass the state government at every step. However, Mamata Banerjee is politically wise. After being hurt in the elections, she will be ready for a whole new battle.

It should be remembered that the Lok Sabha vote was to answer the question whether Modi should return to power or not. But the Assembly elections will decide whether the people of West Bengal want Mamata Banerjee to stay or not.

An analysis of the Lok Sabha polls shows that about 12 ministers have lost in the Assembly constituencies. The question is whether she will give the party ticket to them. The BJP has been keen to have leaders like Subrata Mukherjee and Shubhendu Adhikari in its ranks. How will she handle these internal problems? But while reviewing the vote statistics, one can see that the Muslim community in the state voted for her. The reason for winning seats like Basirhat, Diamond Harbour and Krishnanagar was communal voting.

There is no doubt that West Bengal has now become an important state in the whole of India.

(Jayanta Ghosal is a senior journalist)
Budapest, May 31 : Initial investigation into the Budapest tour boat capsize that claimed the lives of seven South Korean tourists has revealed that none of the victims were wearing life jackets, authorities said.

Thirty-five people -- including 33 South Koreans -- were on board the sightseeing boat when it collided with another vessel in the Hungarian capital on Wednesday night, leading to the capsize, reports CNN.

The captain of the other boat has been detained and his arrest proposed, Budapest police said in a statement on Thursday. The 64-year-old Ukrainian citizen was first questioned after police found evidence that warranted suspicion during their investigation into the accident's cause.

Budapest police said they were continuing their search for the 21 people who remain missing.

Of the seven who were rescued, six have now been discharged from the hospital. One person remains in hospital with several broken ribs, a doctor told CNN.

Of the seven victims, two have bee identified so far.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said in a statement on Thursday night that rescue efforts had been hampered by poor weather.

President Moon has ordered a rapid response team to be dispatched to help the rescue effort in Budapest.
Washington, May 31 : Top tech giants, including Apple, Google and Microsoft have slammed a proposal by the UK intelligence agency GCHQ to snoop on users' encrypted chats.

In an open letter published on Lawfare, a group of 47 tech firms on Thursday criticised the move, asking the agency to abandon its plans for a so-called "ghost protocol".

The signatories of the open letter argued that the proposal by the UK cyber security agency would require two major changes to their systems which would, in turn, compromise the users' privacy.

"First, it would require service providers to surreptitiously inject a new public key into a conversation in response to a government demand.

"This would turn a two-way conversation into a group chat where the government is the additional participant, or add a secret government participant to an existing group chat," read the open letter.

"Second, in order to ensure the government is added to the conversation in secret, GCHQ's proposal would require messaging apps, service providers, and operating systems to change their software so that it would 1) change the encryption schemes used, and/or 2) mislead users by suppressing the notifications that routinely appear when a new communicant joins a chat."

The proposal from GCHQ was first published last November as part of a series of essays, reports The Verge.

In the essay, two senior British intelligence officials argued that law enforcement should be added as a "ghost" participant in every encrypted messaging conversation, said the report.

In 2015, Apple had taken a tough stand against the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) when asked to unlock an iPhone of a user involved in a terror attack in Bernardino, California.
Beijing, May 31 : The massacre of unarmed citizens by soldiers in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, should not be referred to as "suppression", a Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman told reporters.

June 4 marks 30 years since Chinese troops ended several weeks of protests by firing at civilians, killing hundreds of people, reports CNN.

It has been estimated that as many as 10,000 people were arrested during and after the protests. Several dozen people have been executed for their parts in the demonstrations.

At his monthly briefing on Thursday, spokesman Wu Qian was asked by journalists if the People's Liberation Army had any comment on the suppression of students 30 years ago.

"I don't agree with the word 'suppression' in your question," he said. "Over the past 30 years, the process of our reform and development and our stability and achievements have already addressed your question."

The protests began in mid-April in 1989 following the death of former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang, who had been deposed years earlier and was seen by students as a proponent of greater social freedoms in China.

Over the next seven weeks, protesters occupied Tiananmen Square -- a huge public space that faces on to the Forbidden City and the Great Hall of the People.

Eventually, hardliners in the Chinese government cracked down on the protesters, declaring martial law and calling in the military.
Dubai, May 31 : At a live screening in Dubai's India Club that broadcast Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing in ceremony, a group of Indian expats cheered as he took oath for a second term in office.

Decked in traditional clothes, community members were invited to watch the live streaming of the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday. Consul-General of India to Dubai Vipul was also present.

Speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the event, Vipul said: "We are very happy that the swearing-in ceremony has been organised. It is the culmination of a long electoral process, and it highlighted the strength of Indian democracy. A lot of people are here at India Club to celebrate Indian democracy.

"The new government will take over, and with this, we are very excited for the India-United Arab Emirates (UAE) relationships. In the last five years, the Indian economy has done well. On the developmental side, significant achievements were made as well."

The group even got a giant Indian flag to the gathering and waved it at regular intervals.

Some rushed to the venue immediately after their work hours. Seven Dubai Taxi drivers arrived at India Club immediately after their duty hours ended, to witness the ceremony.

Rajesh Chulliparambil, a driver, said: "We are very excited about Modi's re-election. He is the common man's leader, and he will take India into the next century."

Another driver, K.A. Unnikrishnan called Modi "a great leader" and that India "was truly developing with his help".

Ramesh Mannath, the Dubai President of Indian Peoples Forum, told the Khaleej Times: "As an expatriate, in the next five years, I expect them to make NRI voting possible and higher education fees for NRIs more affordable or the same as Indian students.

"We are still pushing to get the human remains repatriation to be processed for free as well."

Modi and his 57-member council of ministers were sworn in by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
New Delhi, May 31 : The Delhi High Court on Friday granted the CBI four more months to complete probe into an FIR filed against its former Special Director Rakesh Asthana in a bribery case.

The court order came on the Central Bureau of Investigation plea seeking extension of time to complete its probe.

The probe agency had registered the FIR against Asthana, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devender Kumar and two others accusing them of taking bribes at least five times between December 2017 and October 2018 in the Moin Qureshi case.

On January 11, the court refused to quash the FIR against Asthana, Kumar and alleged middleman Manoj Prasad and directed the CBI to conclude the probe within 10 weeks that ended on March 24.

The court said that the allegations levelled against the officers were serious in nature.

According to the CBI, Kumar fabricated the statement of Sathish Sana Babu, a witness in the businessman Moin Qureshi case, showing it was recorded on September 26, 2018, in Delhi.

According to the agency, a probe later showed that Babu was not in Delhi on that day. He was in Hyderabad and joined the investigation only on October 1, 2018, the CBI added.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres presents Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Champion of Earth award, the highest environmental honour of the UN in New Delhi on October 3, 2018. (Photo: UN/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

United Nations, May 31 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres looks forward to working with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has begun his second term in office, according to a spokesperson.

"India is, as you know, a very valuable partner of the UN," Guterres's Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Thursday.

"We will look forward to working with the (Modi) government as it has now taken office.

"The Secretary-General has worked very closely with the Prime Minister, including, as you've seen, with his work on the issue of climate change," Haq said.

Modi is expected to participate in the UN Secretary-General's Climate Action Summit summit in New York in September. India will be leading the industry track of the summit along with Sweden.

Last year, Guterres presented Modi with the Champion of Earth award, the highest environmental honour of the UN, for his leadership in fighting climate change.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in <mailto:arul.l@ians.in> and followed on Twitter @arulouis)</mailto:arul.l@ians.in>
Washington, May 31 : Louisiana Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards has signed a bill into law that will ban abortions in the US state once a heartbeat is detectable with no exceptions for rape or incest, according to his office.

Louisiana joins Mississippi, Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri, which have all passed so-called "heartbeat" bills this year, CNN reported.

Along with Alabama's near-total ban on abortion, the heartbeat bills are part of a conservative nationwide push to bring a Supreme Court challenge to the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalised abortion in the US.

Edwards signed the bill into law on Thursday after it passed the state House by 79-23 on Wednesday.

It would "prohibit the abortion of an unborn human being with a detectable heartbeat", which can occur as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women know they're pregnant.

The bill would require an ultrasound prior to an abortion and subject doctors who perform abortions after a heartbeat is detected with a $1,000 fine or up to two years in prison.

The bill was introduced by Republican state Representative Valarie Hodges, who called it "a very solemn responsibility", reports CNN.

The Louisiana law will go into effect only should a federal appeals court uphold a similar Mississippi law.

The federal judge hearing the case expressed deep scepticism toward the Mississippi measure last week, especially its lack of exceptions for rape or incest.
New Delhi, May 31 : Flight Lt. Mohana Singh has become the first woman fighter pilot to fly by day on a Hawk advanced jet aircraft, an official statement said on Friday.

The statement said the woman officer landed after a gruelling 4-aircraft combat sortie at Kalaikunda Air Force station in West Bengal, which was the last syllabus sortie of being fully operational on the Hawk jets.

She and two other women officers - Bhawana Kanth and Avani Chaturvadi - joined the fighter stream in June 2016.

Last week, Flight Lt. Bhawana Kanth became the first daytime woman fighter pilot to fly a MiG-21 Bison.

Singh's training involved flying both air-to-air combat and air-to-ground missions.

She has undertaken many practice missions which involved firing of rockets, guns and dropping high calibre bombs and has also participated in various Air Force level flying exercises.

She has a total of over 500 hours of incident-free flying of which 380 hours are on the Hawk Mk 132 jet.

IANS

-- With inputs from IANS
New Delhi, May 31 : The top four slots in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Team 2.0 have new faces rejigging key portfolios, with Amit Shah, who crafted a Modi wave in the elections, getting charge of the Home Ministry and effectively becoming the number 2 in the cabinet.

With the BJP President's appointment, the Modi-Shah team will be the twin engines propelling the government. It is a familiar turf for the two as Shah was Modi's Home Minister for long when Modi was the Chief Minister in Gujarat.

Rajnath Singh, the Home Minister in the Modi I government, has been moved across the road from North Block to South Block as the Defence Minister.

He will replace Nirmala Sitharaman who, in the biggest surprise, is the new Finance Minister replacing Arun Jaitley who was not included in the cabinet because of ill health.

Nirmala Sitharaman will be the first woman Finance Minister after Indira Gandhi, when she was the Prime Minister. Sitharaman had achieved a similar feat when she was made the Defence Minister in the previous Modi government.

There was no surprise, however, in the External Affairs Ministry as the inclusion of former Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and the axing of Sushma Swaraj from the council of ministers left no doubt where he was headed.

The Prime Minister also fulfilled his campaign promise of setting up a Ministry of Jal Shakti to deal with all water, a scarce resource, related issues. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who won from Jodhpur, will be the first leader to head the Jal Shakti Ministry.

Among other significant changes, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will be the Human Resource Development Ministry (HRD), replacing Prakash Javedkar who gets back environment, forest and climate change and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Harsh Vardhan has been made the new Health Minister replacing J.P. Nadda, who was dropped amidst speculations that he could be made the new BJP President as the Himachal Pradesh leader is considered close to Modi.

Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey gets skill development, a Ministry close to PM's heart but has not taken off in the manner it was perceived to be.

But many ministers have retained their portfolios. Most notable among them is Ravi Shankar Prasad, who continues to be Law Minister and will also be Minister for Communication and Electronics and IT.

Piyush Goyal, who was also in the race to become Finance Minister, retains his railways portfolio and also gets Commerce and Industry.

Dharmendra Pradhan also retains Petroleum Ministry. His other portfolio is steel.

Smriti Irani, who defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, has been given women and child development, a Ministry held by Maneka Gandhi who was dropped from the council of ministers. Irani will also continue to hold the textile ministry.

Among the allies, Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena gets heavy industries and Harsimrat Badal, the sole Akali Dal Minister, retains food processing industry.
Chennai, May 31 : Former Union Minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday said the party will continue its legal fight against Chennai-Salem eight-lane Expressway project.

The Tamil Nadu government has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court's order quashing the land acquisition proceedings for the project.

In a statement issued here, Ramadoss said the PMK had been opposing the project as it was unnecessary as there were three highways connecting Chennai and Salem and one national highway was being converted into a four-lane road between Vaniambadi and Salem.

Ramadoss said the proposed 277-km eight lane Expressway will affect the livelihood of over 10,000 farmers.

In April, the Madras High Court quashed the land acquisition proceedings as the project would affect the environment and environment clearance was necessary for the road project.

Both the Modi government and the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu are interested in the project.
Patna, May 31 : Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Nitish Kumar's decision to opt out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new government has initiated a fresh debate about the changing political possibilities in Bihar. But this is not the first time the Bihar Chief Minister is seen standing against the popular verdict.

Addressing mediapersons on Friday, Nitish Kumar maintained that there was no problem in the JD-U's alliance with the saffron party over the number of ministerial berths offered to it, but added that his party stayed out as it did not want a symbolic representation in the Modi government.

The JD-U chief said his party's decision came after BJP President Amit Shah told them that one cabinet berth each was allotted to the NDA allies.

"We have told the BJP that we're neither unhappy nor dissatisfied. But getting symbolic representation in the Central government would be injustice to the people of Bihar, which goes for Assembly elections next year," said JD-U leader K.C. Tyagi.

Reportedly, the BJP was offering the JD-U just one seat in the Council of Ministers and the portfolio was also not of its choice.

"The JD-U was asking for fair treatment as both the allies have won an almost similar number of seats in Bihar. Nitish Kumar has stayed out of the government while preferring to remain with the NDA. The BJP must now show some magnanimity," said political analyst Surendra Kishore.

According to Kishore, "If just one JD-U MP was made a minister, the others would've started sulking. By opting out, Nitish Kumar has prevented any rifts in his party."

Known to be a tough negotiator, Nitish Kumar has often surprised political experts by swimming against the tide, whether he was with the opposition Grand Alliance (with the RJD and Congress) or with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

He supported the Modi government's decision to demonetise the currency. After India's surgical strikes on Pakistan, he went against the Opposition, which was demanding evidence, to back Modi.

But the present crisis between the NDA allies is likely to have ramifications. For long the JD-U has differed with the BJP on issues such as Article 370, the Ram Temple, Triple Talaq and the Uniform Civil Code. And it has publicly voiced its opinion on these.

The Nitish Kumar-led party has now started fanning the demand for special status to Bihar. His coalition government has 73 JD-U MLAs and 54 BJP MLAs in the 243-member Bihar assembly.
New Delhi, May 31 : Producer Boney Kapoor has lost around 12 kg. His elder daughter Janhvi Kapoor is glad he has become "slim and trim".

"Papa lost 12 kg... Slim, trim and healthy. So proud, finally," Janhvi wrote on Instagram along with the image in which Boney is seen suited and booted.

With a red pocket square on the suit and sporting sunglasses, Boney looks happy and dapper while posing.

Watch: Janhvi Kapoor is a proud daughter and here's why!

The producer on Thursday attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony.

On the work front, Janhvi will next be seen in multi-starrer "Takht" and Dinesh Vijan's film "Rooh-Afza".

-- With inputs from IANS
New Delhi, May 31 : Keeping his reputation of surprising people with unexpected steps intact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi selected Nirmala Sitharaman as the Finance Minister.

The Defence Minister in the last NDA government, from 2017, Sitaraman made it to the North Block against all the speculations doing the rounds either Amit Shah or Piyush Goyal leading the Indian economy. She will also head the Corporate Affairs Ministry in the new government.

A member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, the next big task at her hand is to present the Union Budget, which is likely in the first half of July.

Piyush Goyal, who was widely expected to get the Finance portfolio, will be the Commerce Minister of the country along with additional charge of the Railway Ministry. Goyal succeeds Suresh Prabhu in the Commerce Ministry.

Prabhu was dropped from PM Modi's new cabinet along with several other ministers who were present in the last ministry. Another key economic portfolio, Petroleum and Natural Gas has been retained by Dharmendra Pradhan who helmed the ministry during 2014-19. Pradhan will also be the Minister of Steel in the new government.

Ravi Shankar Prasad will be the Communications Minister, which includes the Telecommunications Department and the Department of Post. He will also continue to hold the Law and IT Ministry in the new cabinet.

Nitin Gadkari will continue to be the Road Transport and Highways Minister while also handling the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry.

The Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Ministry has gone to Shiv Sena's Arvind Ganpat Sawant. Lok Janashakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will continue with the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry.

Smriti Irani, R.K. Singh and Shiromani Akali Dal's Harsimrat Kaur Badal will continue with Textiles, Power and New and Renewable Energy and Food Processing Ministries respectively. Irani, who turned out to be a giant slayer this election by defeating Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, will also hold the Women and Child Development Ministry.

While, Kaur and Irani are in the Union Cabinet, Singh will be a Minister of State with Independent charge. The bureaucrat-turned-politician will also hold the portfolio of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Hardeep Singh Puri, will take over as the Civil Aviation Minister along with continuing in the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.
Seoul, May 31 : North Korea executed its special envoy to the US and four others following the breakdown of a second summit between regime leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump, a key South Korean daily reported on Friday.

Citing the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, the New York Times reported that envoy Kim Hyok-chol was executed by a firing squad in March at the Mirim airfield in a suburb of Pyongyang.

He had laid the groundwork for the Vietnam meeting between Trump and Kim in February and even accompanied the regime leader on his private train for the summit.

Kim Hyok-chol faced the charge that he was "won over by the American imperialists to betray the supreme leader", the newspaper said.

Four officials of the North Korean Foreign Ministry were also executed, the South Korean daily reported, without providing any hint of who its source might be or how it obtained the information. These officials were not named.

South Korean officials could not confirm the Chosun Ilbo report.

North Korea has not reported any execution or purge of top officials in recent months. The country remains the world's most isolated, and outside intelligence agencies failed to figure out or misinterpreted what was going on in the closely guarded inner circles of Kim Jong-un.

The New York Times, citing the South Korean daily reported that Kim Yong-chol, a senior Workers' Party vice chairman who visited the White House as the main point man for diplomacy with the US, had been "purged, sentenced to forced labour" in a remote northern province.

Also sent to a prison camp was Kim Song-hye, a senior female nuclear negotiator who teamed up with Kim Hyok-chol in working-level negotiations ahead of the Kim-Trump summit, the South Korean newspaper said.

North Korea even sent a summit translator to a prison camp for committing a translation mistake, it said.

On Thursday, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, carried a commentary warning against "anti-party, anti-revolutionary acts" of officials who "pretend to work for the supreme leader in his presence but secretly harbour other dreams behind his back".

"Such characters won't escape the stern judgment from the revolution," the North Korean newspaper said.

During the Hanoi summit, Kim had asked Trump to lift the "most painful" international sanctions against his country in return for partially dismantling his country's nuclear weapons facilities.

The meeting collapsed when Trump rejected the proposal, insisting on a rollback of Pyongyang's entire weapons of mass destruction programme before lifting sanctions.
New Delhi, May 31 : Delivering his first election promise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday constituted a Ministry for "Jal Shakti" and appointed Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as its Minister.

The newly-created Ministry will replace the previous Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry. It would ensure optimal utilisation of water.

Addressing an election rally in Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, Modi had promised that if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was voted to power, his government would ensure the establishment of a separate Jal Shakti Ministry.

The pre-poll promise was significant as Tamil Nadu had been dealing with multiple issues over the allocation of water with its neighbouring states of Kerala and Karnataka.

Shekhawat, the former Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, is a two-term Lok Sabha MP from Rajasthan's Jodhpur constituency.

He defeated Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, from Jodhpur by a margin of 2,74,440 votes. In 2014, he was elected to the 16th Lok Sabha for the first time.

Shekhawat, an expert in technology, began his political career in 1992 as President of the student union at the Kai Narain Vyas University in Jodhpur and is closely associated with the Sangh Parivar.
Begusarai : , May 31 (IANS) Tension gripped Singhaul area in Bihar's Begusarai district on Friday after a BJP leader was shot dead by unidentified men, police said.

"Gopal Singh, 42, was the President of Amraur panchayat's BJP unit. He was sleeping outside his house on Thursday night, when he was attacked with iron rods and bamboo sticks by unidentified persons. They later fired a gunshot at him, he died on the spot," a police official said.

Singhaul police station in-charge Manish Kumar said: "People are claiming a property dispute to be the motive behind the killing. We are still investigating the case."
Manila, May 31 : Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has authorized the auction of jewels valued at $13.5 million that were seized from Imelda Marcos, widow of deceased dictator Ferdinand Marcos, after the fall of his government in 1986.

Duterte's spokesperson Salvador Panelo confirmed from Tokyo that Duterte agreed to auction the jewellery for the benefit of the public, Efe news reported.

Duterte is currently in Tokyo where he has been on an official visit since Tuesday.

The auction of what is known as the "Hawaii Collection" - made up of diamonds, tiaras, bracelets and gemstone necklaces - is a response to a request from the Presidential Commission on Good Government set up in 1987 to recover the illicit wealth acquired by the Marcos regime.

The jewellery of the former First Lady was seized in Honolulu, Hawaii, where the family had fled to in February 1986 after a peaceful popular revolt ousted Marcos who had been in power since 1965. He ruled the Philippines under martial law between 1972 and 1981.

At present, the jewels are stored in the vault of the Central Bank of the Philippines where they are on public display.

The collection includes a rare 25-carat pink diamond that was valued by Christie's auction house in 2016 at $5 million and a Cartier diamond tiara whose value has increased several times since a first estimate of $50,000 dollars.

Imelda Marcos, known for her predilection for luxury and her extensive collection of shoes and jewels, was convicted of corruption for the first time in 2018 and sentenced to at least 42 years in prison for siphoning off $200 million from the public treasury to her private accounts in Switzerland between 1968 and 1984, when she was Manila's Governor.

Marcos, who is an 89-year-old congresswoman, was also disqualified from serving in public duties although the sentence was appealed and has not yet been enforced.

Transparency International places Ferdinand Marcos as the second most corrupt leader in history behind Indonesia's former President Suharto.

Despite having declared an inheritance of $950,000 from 1965 to 1984, the Marcoses acquired over 100 paintings by Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet, valued then at $25 million, as well as several buildings in New York and Beverly Hills.

Despite the looting, the family resettled in the Philippines just five years after their escape to face 400 judicial proceedings - which are yet to send them to jail - and returned to political life.

Their son, known as Bongbong, was a vice-presidential candidate in 2016 while their daughter Imee has just been elected senator after serving as Governor of Ilocos Norte.
Mumbai, May 31 : Akshay Kumar has secured the top spot in a list of popular Bollywood actors outside India, according to a study.

He is closely followed by Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Varun Dhawan. Akshay also became the 'most watched' actor as per the consumption study.

The findings are a part of a consumption trend study done by Spuul, a video-on-demand (VOD) streaming platform for Bollywood and regional movies. The report is based on a demographic data and consumption pattern which resulted in insights about what Indians and Indian diaspora are viewing, read a statement.

Mayur Krishna, Content - Head at Spuul, said: "Through this study, we hoped to understand our viewers' content preferences and how we could improve their experience on our platform."

The data in the report was gathered from January 1 to April 30 from more than 47 million registered users of the platform in India, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and the UAE.
Guwahati, May 31 : The Indian Army is offering all legal help to the family of retired Captain Sona Ullah, who was declared a foreigner by a Foreigners Tribunal in Assam and sent to a detention camp in Goalpara.

Born in 1967 to Late Mohammed Ali of Kalahi Kash village in Kamrup district, Sona Ullah joined the Indian Army in 1987 and served for 30 years before he was retired as a Honorary Captain in 2017.

The Army unit in Guwahati's Narengi area (51 Sub Area) has taken up the issue seriously and promised all help to the family members.

"The Army cannot do anything directly as it is a legal process. However, our senior officers have met the family of the retired officer and assured all possible help in their legal battle to establish his Indian origin," said Guwahati-based Defence PRO, Lt. Col. P. Khongsai.

"As per the norm in defence services, once a person is enrolled, there is mandatory police verification before his attestation.... There is no enrolment in defence services without verification," he said.

"We are trying to find out the best possible ways to help the family."

After his retirement in 2017, Sona Ullah had joined the Border Branch of the Assam Police as Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI).

"In 2018, my husband came to know that his name did not figure in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) published by the Assam government. When he inquired about this, he was told that there is a case pending against him in the Foreigners Tribunal. He appeared before the Tribunal five times and submitted all the documents," said Sanima Begum, his wife.

In 2014, Sona Ullah was conferred a President's Certificate. He served in the Army in various capacities including in in Kargil war. He retired in 2017.
New Delhi, May 31 : Amid the ongoing leadership crisis in the Congress, several party workers from Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar on Friday started a relay hunger strike here urging Rahul Gandhi to take back his decision to resign as party President.

The hunger strike was started by 10-15 youth Congress workers from Telangana outside the Congress office in central Delhi's Akbar Road. They were soon joined by the party workers from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Some party workers from Rajasthan also performed a hawan outside the party office.

Koturi Manavatha Roy from Hyderabad told IANS: "We have started a relay hunger strike to demand our President to take back his offer to step down from the post and lead the party in these difficult times."

Rahul Gandhi offered to step down from the party's top post during the Congress Working Committee meeting on Saturday. His offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC members.
Srinagar, May 31 : An Army officer was injured by a gunshot on Friday in Nubra area of Jammu and Kashmir's Ladakh region, officials said.

The officer, who was deployed in the Pratappur Sector, was injured at around 10.50 a.m. He was shifted to a nearby hospital, Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia, said in a statement.
Los Angeles, May 31 : Actress Sophie Turner says she was quite nervous to essay the role of Jean Grey in "X-Men Dark Phoenix".

"I was quite nervous. I mean, in 'X-Men: Apocalypse' I didn't really have a crazy amount to work with. I had a little bit of the character. And so, I wasn't prepared when (director) Simon Kinberg told me. But I read the script and it was a delicious five-course meal for an actor," Turner said in a statement.

"I thought, 'Oh my God, this is incredible'. It just meant a lot of preparation, and a lot of hard work, but Simon was the perfect partner in crime to go along with that. He was the most collaborative, supportive director ever. And it was his first time directing, so we were both cheering each other on from the sidelines, which was very cool," she added.

"X-Men Dark Phoenix" is said to be a "culmination" of all the movies made under the X-Men franchise. It will see the mutants including Professor Xavier Charles (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) divided over whether to save or destroy Jean Grey (Turner) as her powers get dangerously out of control.

Fox Star India will release "X-Men Dark Phoenix" in the country in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu on June 5.
New Delhi, May 31 : Google has reinstated Huawei Mate 20 Pro as one of the smartphones eligible for its Android Q Beta programme, Huawei Consumer Business Group India said on Friday.

Android Q OS is the forthcoming operating system (OS) by Google which is set to replace the current OS Android 9 or Android Pie.

"Users will not become victims of this global tussle and will continue to receive software updates in a timely manner," Ren Zhengfei, founder, Huawei, said in a statement.

The smartphone player added that the quality of its service as well as the software updates for its existing pool of customers will continue as usual.

The Chinese telecom giant reiterated it was confident that the issue will get resolved amicably.

The world's largest telecommunications equipment supplier had earlier this week filed a motion in a US court challenging the constitutionality of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (2019 NDAA).

The company asked for a summary judgment on whether it was constitutional for the US government to implement military spending provisions that barred government contractors from buying Huawei products.

On May 15, US President Donald Trump effectively banned Huawei with a national security order.

Earlier this week, the SD Association, a non-profit organisation at the helm of the standards for SD and microSD products, had removed the company from its membership list.

However, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) -- the world's largest contract chipset maker -- has announced the beginning of mass production of its second-generation 7nm+ process for Kirin 985 chipset.

The top-notch Kirin 985 chipset would likely feature in Huawei's flagship Mate 30.
Mumbai, May 31 : A Mumbai court on Friday sent three women doctors arrested for abetting the suicide of medico Payal Tadvi to judicial custody till June 10.

The three - Bhakti Meher, Hema Ahuja and Ankita Khandelwal - were produced before the court at end of their three-day police remand, said lawyer Nitin Satpute.

The development comes a day after the Mumbai Police handed over the investigation to the Crime Branch as the family raised apprehensions that Payal Tadvi may have been murdered in view of injury marks on her body, as revealed in the preliminary autopsy report.

Additional Sessions Judge R. M. Sadarani rejected a plea by the Crime Branch to extend the police custody of the accused trio for further investigations.

Judge Sadarani said that at the first remand plea on Wednesday, the police came up with the case that it could be a murder, but nothing was revealed from the case diary and autopsy report that it could be a clear-cut case of murder.

Moreover, the investigations carried out in the past two days did not throw up any substantial evidence to grant additional police custody to the accused, the judge said.

Judge Sadarani further noted that no suicide note had been recovered in the case and the grounds for extending police custody - that the police wanted to confront the accused with other witnesses - was not sufficient.

Accordingly, he rejected the plea for extension of police custody of the three accused and sent them to judicial custody till June 10.

A second year post-graduate student of Gynaecology, Tadvi, 26, was found hanging in her hostel room on May 22 at the government-run BYL Nair Hospital.

Following the incident, the three doctors were charged with various sections of the Atrocities Act, Anti-Ragging Act, IT Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A day later, on May 27, the three doctors were suspended by the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), and on the following day their medical licences were suspended by the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) which runs the hospital.

The BMC also suspended the medical licences of the hospital's Head of Department Yi Ching Ling in the same case.

The Tadvi family has levelled serious allegations against the four senior doctors pertaining to discrimination, professional harassment, torturing Payal with casteist remarks on her tribal Muslim background and demanded "strictest action" against them.

After their arrests, the Mumbai Police seized the mobile phones of the accused trio to recover their WhatsApp chat messages and other details.

The Indian Medical Association (Maharashtra State) has expressed its heartfelt condolences on the unnatural death of Payal Tadvi, according to IMA President Hozie Kapadia and Secretary Suhas Pingle.

"IMA condemns this incident and strongly demands a detailed inquiry of the facts and give justice to the late Dr. Payal Tadvi," they said, adding her death was an "irrecoverable loss for the society."

The National Commission for Women (NCW) and the Maharashtra State Women's Commission took cognizance and sought reports on Tadvi's suicide from the BMC as well as the BYL Nair Hospital.
Itanagar: A miscreant set on fire a vehicle and killed a dog in front of the house of BJP Lok Sabha member Tapir Gao in Itanagar, on May 31, 2019. Gao, elected from Arunachal East and the state President of the BJP, was not at home when the incident Image Source: IANS News

Itanagar: A miscreant set on fire a vehicle and killed a dog in front of the house of BJP Lok Sabha member Tapir Gao in Itanagar, on May 31, 2019. Gao, elected from Arunachal East and the state President of the BJP, was not at home when the incident Image Source: IANS News

Itanagar, May 31 : A miscreant on Friday set on fire a vehicle and killed a dog in front of the house of BJP Lok Sabha member Tapir Gao here in Arunachal Pradesh.

Police said the incident took place around 6 a.m.

Gao, elected from Arunachal East and the state President of the BJP, was not at home when the incident took place. He was in Delhi taking part in the swearing in ceremony of the NDA government.

"A miscreant brought the vehicle to the gate of the house and set it on fire. He also killed a dog at the spot. Probably he is trying to terrorize my family," Gao told the media from New Delhi.

Gao said there were political motives behind the incident.

"The locals have identified the miscreant from CCTV footage. The is a political incident. My opponents are trying to terrorize me."

Gao's family has lodged a complaint with the police.

"It is shocking why the police have not been able to arrest the culprit so far," said Gao.

Arunachal Pradesh Director General of Police S.B.K. Singh said: "The accused has been identified and police teams have been sent to arrest him."
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the decks for BJP President Amit Shah to become the new Home Minister of the country, messages warning stone pelters in Kashmir, terrorists, Maoists and the so-called "Tukde Tukde Gang" flooded Twitter, while others dubbed it a poor choice.

"Stone pelters in Kashmir, Bangladeshis pack your Bag. India has got new Sardar Patel as Home Minister @AmitShah," tweeted Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, spokesperson, BJP Delhi.

"Amit Shah is the new Home Minister! Beware all 'Tukde Tukde Gang', terrorists, Maoists and their supporters! Your dad is here... #HomeMinistry," wrote another Twitter user.

Memes mocking Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other opposition leaders also started doing the rounds on the social media.

While one person wondered if Kejriwal fell ill hearing the news of Shah becoming the Home Minister, someone else made a meme of fugitive Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik saying: "I love India. India is best..."

"Meet the new Home Minister of India. IB will directly report to him. AB HOGA NYAY," wrote one Twitter user.

"Mota Bhai is the new Home Minister of India. All those pseudo-liberals who wanted to leave India, now is the time," said another user.

"Amit Shah broke the back of terrorism in Gujarat as Home Minister. As union Home Minister, he'll take anti-corruption cases against Vadra, National Herald, Chidambarams & others to a quicker conclusion apart from handling Naxal & Pak terrorism, J&K & keeping an eye on the party," wrote journalist Minhaz Merchant.

Shah's new job also drew criticism. "Amit Shah is Home Minister. What a time to be alive," lamented columnist Mitali Saran.

"A few years ago, a bunch of tapes came out in public domain in which a man could be heard instructing Gujarat Police to stalk a woman. That man is now going to be a Union Minister of India. #NewIndia," Alt News Co-founder Pratik Sinha tweeted.

"That man is now the Home Minister of India. Achhe Din ahead for women safety and privacy," said Dalit rights activists Jignesh Mevani.

Called the "Chanakya" of modern day Indian politics, Shah became Modi a loyalist as both were associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since their early days.

During his tenure as a minister in Gujarat, Shah held several portfolios including transport, police, housing, border security, civil defense, gram rakshak dal, Home Guards, prison, prohibition, excise, law and justice, parliamentary affairs and the coveted Home Ministry.
Jaipur, May 31 : Rajasthan Police are hunting for an Imran Bhati who married a Hindu woman after introducing himself as a Kabeer Sharma, claimed a huge dowry and now is missing along with the woman.

A case has been registered in Sikar against Imran Bhati, who it turns out was already married and was a father of three children.

"Bhati introduced himself as an unmarried Brahmin to my daughter, proposed to her and then married her in the presence of his fake parents and fake relatives who too introduced themselves as Brahmins," the woman's father told the police.

The marriage was solemnized on May 13 in Jaipur. Earlier, an engagement ceremony was held where the "fake relatives" came sporting tilak on their foreheads.

"They even revealed their 'gotra'. When I was fully satisfied, I fixed their marriage on May 13," said the agonized father.

A few days after the wedding, the man sent my daughter back to Sikar demanding Rs 5 lakh as additional dowry. "Somehow I borrowed Rs 2.5 lakh from a friend. And then my daughter went missing on May 17. Even the gold kept in our house is missing," said the father.

When the father went to Jaipur with the wedding pictures, he was stunned to find the reality.

He learnt that the man was not Kabeer Sharma but Imran Bhati who was already married and that he once worked with a motor company.

Police officials who were told the bizarre story on May 25 were equally stunned.

Superintendent of Police Amandeep Singh Kapoor said the police had formed a special team to trace the missing man and woman.

The girl's father said he had only one daughter and hence he gave "a huge dowry" including Rs 11 lakh in cash, jewellery worth Rs 5 lakh and expensive dresses.

Police officials said the entire plot was masterminded "very smartly". Even videographers and photographers were chosen by the "groom".

However, the girl's family had a few pictures on their mobiles showing the marriage being conducted in line with Hindu rituals.
Mumbai, May 31 : The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday accused the NDA government of violating protocol, which compelled its chief Sharad Pawar to skip the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said that there was a specified protocol for seating VIPs and the government allocated a seat in the fifth row to Pawar, instead of the front row.

"It was the responsibility of the government to ensure that proper protocol was observed when inviting a person of the stature of Pawar, who heads a national political party, and has served as a senior cabinet minister in the Centre for years," Malik told mediapersons.

He was reacting to intense speculation on the probable reasons why Pawar decided to opt out at the last minute from Modi's mega-swearing-in event in the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday evening.

Malik added that while it was the prerogative of the government to invite over 8,000 people, the government should have adhered to the laid down protocol in allotting a suitable seat for Pawar.

"In our country, industrialists and film stars are not entitled to any official protocol, yet many of them were accorded importance and seated prominently, but the deserving leaders of national stature were pushed to the back rows," Malik rued.

He sought to know whether the government would admit its mistake and take steps to ensure it was not repeated, and also initiate action against those responsible for the lapses.

To a query, he said it was clear that "this is a Modi-Amit Shah government" and many senior leaders had been sidelined and others had been kept out of the cabinet.

Malik also ruled out any merger of the NCP and the Congress to enable the Congress to stake claim to the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Kolkata, May 31 : More MPs from West Bengal will be inducted in the Modi government on top of the two who were made Ministers on Thursday, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh told MPs from his party on Friday.

"Two MPs have been inducted and many others would also be inducted in future. It is a continuous process. Our responsibility was to send the maximum number of MPs from Bengal and provide sufficient support so that Modiji becomes the PM," Ghosh said.

He was responding to a query whether the state was deprived as only two Ministers from Bengal featured in Modi 2.0 government.

The two are Ministers of State Babul Supriyo, who has been assigned the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Debasree Chaudhuri, a first-time MP who has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Supriyo, re-elected from Asansol, had served as MoS in the previous Modi government too.

Ghosh, a newly elected MP from Medinipur Lok Sabha constituency, said: "I believe the state would benefit in future as the party's central leadership has kept its focus on our state."

The BJP won 18 of 42 Lok Sabha, a huge leap from 2014 when it bagged only two seats.

"There was expectation (there will be more Ministers from Bengal) but there is no reason to be disappointed. I mentioned it Ram Lalji. He acknowledged the fact," he said.
New Delhi, May 31 : A week ahead of his visit to Wayanad in Kerala, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday requested Chief MInister Pinarayi Vijayan to provide financial assistance to the family of a farmer who committed suicide allegedly due to non-repayment of loans.

The Congress chief, who won from Wayanad Lok Sabha seat, also asked the state government to conduct an inquiry into the incident.

In his letter to Vijayan dated May 28, Gandhi said, "I am deeply saddended by the suicide of V.D. Dinesh Kumar, a farmer in Neervaram, Panamaran panchayat ibn Wayanad."

The Congress leader said that after speaking to Kumar's wife, "I learnt that her husband had been under severe stress due to his inability to repay the loans he had taken and this pushed him to commit suicide".

According to Kerala Police, Kumar died after consuming some poisonous substance.

"Kumar's case isn't an isolated one. There have been a spate of farmer suicides in Wayanad," Gandhi said." What is disturbing is that while the government of Kerala has announced a moratorium on repayment of farm loans till December 31, 2019, yet farmers are still being pressured and hounded by loan collection agents," the letter said.

The Congress leader in his letter said that he was "writing to request him to order an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death and to extend financial support to his family".

The Congress chief said it was important to consider "long-term measures" to free farmers from the "vicious debt trap" given the devastating impact of the last year's floods.

"I offer you my fullest support and cooperation in finding concrete long-term solutions to the critical issues Kerala's farmers are faced with and in ensuring every farmer in Kerala lives a life of dignity," Gandhi said.

Gandhi, who contested on two seats in this election won from Wayanad with a record margin of 431,770 votes. The Congress chief defeated his rival P.P. Suneer of the Communist Party of India who secured 274,597 votes. Rahul Gandhi received 706,367 votes.

Gandhi will visit Wayanad on June 7 and 8 to thank the voters.
Jammu/Srinagar, May 31 : Five militants were killed and two policemen injured on Friday in three gunfights in Jammu and Kashmir.

Police sources said security forces carried out an operation in Midoora village of Tral area of Pulwama district where militants hiding in a house opened fire.

"Two militants were killed in this encounter. Their identity and group affiliation is being ascertained," a police officer said.

Reports said the house in which the militants were hiding was destroyed.

Internet services was suspended in Awantipora area of Pulwama district as a precaution.

Earlier, three militants were killed and two policemen injured in two gunfights in Shopian and Kishtwar districts.

Police said security forces started a cordon and search operation in Marwah village in Kishtwar in Jammu region following information that some militants were hiding there.

"As the cordon was tightened, the militants opened fire, triggering an encounter," a police officer said. "Two policemen sustained injuries in this encounter."

In another gunfight in Dragad-Sugan village of Shopian district in the Kashmir Valley, police said the body of a militant was recovered. Earlier, the police found two bodies of militants along with their weapons.

The fighting took place in an orchard in Dragad-Sugan village after security forces surrounded the area.
New Delhi, May 31 : Swinging into action on the first day of getting it's new minister, the Ministry of Human Resource Development on Friday placed the draft report on the National Education Policy in the public domain. The committee constituted by the government for the preparation of the policy has proposed to rename the MHRD as Ministry of Education (MoE).

The report was released by Ramesh Pokhariyal 'Nishank', who took charge of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry on Friday.

The 484-page report has been put on the ministry's website for suggestions from the public till June 30.

Officials said that suggestions will also be taken from other states on the draft report. "These will then be examined before taking the report to the cabinet in July," an official said.

"The Draft National Education Policy, 2019 is built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability. It envisions an India-centred education system that contributes directly to transforming our nation sustainably into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, by providing high quality education to all," the ministry said.

The committee has proposed a major reconfiguration of curricular and pedagogical structure with Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as an integral part of school education. It also recommends extension of the Right to Education Act, 2009 to cover children of ages 3 to 18 instead of 6 to 14 years.

"A 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure is based on cognitive and socio-emotional developmental stages of children: Foundational Stage (age 3-8 years): 3 years of pre-primary plus Grades 1-2; Preparatory Stage (8-11 years): Grades 3-5; Middle Stage (11-14 years): Grades 6-8; and Secondary Stage (14-18 years): Grades 9-12.

"Schools will be re-organized into school complexes. It also seeks to ensure foundational literacy and numeracy through Remedial Instructional Aids Programme (RIAP) and National Tutoring Programme (NTP) and a host of curricular and reduced content load in school education curriculum," it said The draft proposes no separation of learning areas in terms of curricular, co-curricular or extra-curricular areas and all subjects, including arts, music, crafts, sports, yoga, community service, etc. will be curricular. "It promotes active pedagogy that will focus on the development of core capacities and life skills, including 21st century skills," it added.

The draft proposes a flexible curriculum for secondary education that will enable student choices with no hard streaming and separation among sciences, arts, commerce, etc, as well as integration of vocational and academic streams.

"Students will have flexibility in choice of languages. The school sector envisages transforming regulation by separating functions to eliminate conflicts of interest: a State School Regulatory Authority will be set up in every state for regulation and regulation will happen through School Quality Assessment and Accreditation Framework," the draft states.

It also limits the role of certification bodies in curriculum and text books to be followed in the schools. "It is proposed that the Directorate of School Education will run all public schools, SCERT to lead all academic matters for entire school education and Boards of Examination will certify but will have no role in determining curricula or text books," the draft adds.

The Committee has also proposed a massive transformation in teacher education by shutting down sub-standard teacher education institutions and moving all teacher preparation/education programmes into large multidisciplinary universities/colleges. The 4-year integrated stage-specific B.Ed. programme will eventually be the minimum degree qualification for teachers.

In higher education, a restructuring of higher education institutions with three types of higher education institutions is proposed - Type 1: Focused on world-class research and high quality teaching; Type 2: Focused on high quality teaching across disciplines with significant contribution to research; and Type 3: High quality teaching focussed on undergraduate education.

The draft proposes a four year liberal arts and liberal education programme at the Undergraduate level, with the first year to be focused on broad-based learning. Students will have the flexibility to choose minor subjects as per their liking, regardless of the stream, and their points will be counted in the final credits. However, the three year courses would not be done away with.

"The 4-year programme will provide for greater rigour in a full Liberal Arts Science Education (LASE) education and experience, and also conduct research optionally. Students will graduate with a 4-year LASE degree with Honours, or may graduate with a BSc, BA, BCom or BVoc after completing 3 years with a suitable completion of credits within their subject. A National Programme for the Professional Development of faculty in higher education is also proposed," the draft states.

The committee has also proposed a new apex body - the Rashtriya Shiksha Ayog, headed by the Prime Minister - to enable a holistic and integrated implementation of all educational initiatives and programmatic interventions, and to coordinate efforts between the Centre and states.

The National Research Foundation, an apex body is proposed for creating a strong research culture and building research capacity across higher education.

"The private and public institutions will be treated on par and education will remain a 'not for profit' activity," it emphasises.

Several new policy initiatives for promoting internationalization of higher education, strengthening quality open and distance learning, technology integration at all levels of education, adult and lifelong learning and initiatives to enhance participation of under-represented groups, and eliminate gender, social category and regional gaps in education outcomes are also recommended.

The draft also recommends promotion of Indian and Classical Languages and setting up three new National Institutes for Pali, Persian and Prakrit and an Indian Institute of Translation and Interpretation (IITI).

"The path-breaking reforms recommended will bring about a paradigm shift by equipping our students, teachers and educational institutions with the right competencies and capabilities and also create an enabling and re-invigorated educational eco-system for a vibrant new India," it said.

The Committee for the draft National Education Policy, under the Chairmanship of eminent scientist Dr. K. Kasturirangan, was constituted in June 2017 to examine all inputs/suggestions and submit a draft policy.
Nashik : , May 31 (IANS) A young woman who courageously fought off a knife-wielding robber at a State Bank of India (SBI) Grahak Seva Kendra has become a local hero, officials said on Friday.

Savita Murtadak was alone in the SBI-GSK premises in Ashok Nagar area of Nashik on May 17 around lunch time when a knife-wielding robber with his face covered suddenly entered, locking the door from inside.

When Savita demanded to know why he had locked the door, he pointed to the knife, promised not to harm her if she kept quiet and lunged at a cash box.

Though scared initially, the thin, frail and small-framed woman tried to stop him, caught his hand and bit him sharply.

In pain, the robber pushed Savita who fell a few feet away. She got up and pounced on him, pushing him at least twice on the floor.

She tried to escape and lock up the robber inside but he stopped her, and even smashed her mobile.

Savita again tried to pull his leg and pin him down but the man pushed her aside. Apparently taken back by her spirited fight, he escaped without completing his robbery.

Once he ran out, he locked her inside. She was rescued later by others including nearby shopkeepers. The police were alerted.

"The total amount he managed to lay his hands on was only Rs 40,000. He could have taken away much more if I had not stopped him... All the cash belongs to poor farmers or middle-class people," Savita told mediapersons on Friday.

A police officer told IANS: "The incident occurred nearly 14 days ago. We have arrested the robber, 28-year-old Sangram P. Paras, from Malegaon."

Meanwhile, as the CCTV footage in the SBI-GSK went viral on social media on Friday, Savita has become a hero. Police officials admired her courage.
New Delhi, May 31 : Former IFS officer S. Jaishankar created history on Friday as he became the first former Foreign Secretary to become External Affairs Minister.

Assuming charge of his office a day after being sworn-in as Minister, Jaishankar was received by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on his arrival at the South Block.

Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan also assumed office on Friday.

Jaishankar's former colleagues said it is the first time in the history of the Indian Foreign Service that a retired Foreign Secretary has been directly made Foreign Minister.

They said he has a clear vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy and there will be continuation of the initiatives taken in the first term.

They also recalled Jaishankar's contribution to the Indo-US nuclear deal, saying he was the right-hand man of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during that time.

Bhaswati Mukherjee, who is President of the Association of Indian Diplomats (AID), said Jaishankar was one of the rare officers who has expertise on almost all of India's neighbours, particularly China.

She said he was in many ways the author of nuclear agreement with the US.

"It is Jaishankar, when he was Joint Secretary, Americas, who negotiated this deal for India. Subsequently, when he went to Singapore as High Commissioner, Jaishankar used to be called back to the MEA to complete the negotiations and discussions. So he was (then)Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's right hand man for the 123 (agreement)," she said.

Mukherjee, a former Ambassador to The Netherlands, said Jaishankar is a very good administrator and modest.

"He has a clear vision of Prime Minister's foreign policy which he outlined in Raisina Dialogue in 2018," she said, adding that India was now in a big strategic partnership with the US and Australia.

"We are going to find a very close synergy between Prime Minister Modi, National Security Advisor (Ajit Doval) and our new External Affairs Minister. This synergy was already there but with Jaishankar now sitting in that post, it is going to be great," she said.

Mukherjee, who has known Jaishankar for long, said she was a great admirer of his father, strategic affairs expert K. Subrahmanyam "who first spelt out what is India's nuclear doctrine".

"And now we have Jaishankar, who is going to be our External Affairs Minister. It is excellent choice," she said.

Jaishankar, she said, has a very clear idea how to manage relations with Pakistan and China which are totally in tune with Modi's imperatives.

On former IFS officers who became Foreign Minister, she said that there was K. Natwar Singh, who held the post but not immediately after retiring and he only rose to the post of Secretary, East, not Foreign Secretary.

Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, a former Secretary in the MEA, said it is "a very, very good appointment" because Jaishankar has been Foreign Secretary in Modi's tenure and has a "very good personal equation with the Prime Minister".

Chakravarty, who knows Jaishankar for nearly 40 years, said he is "a real intellectual".

He said Jaishankar and Modi share a vision and that's why the Prime Minister preferred to appoint him.

"It is also a very historic appointment. No Foreign Secretary ever has become an External Affairs Minister," he said.

He also referred to Jaishankar's contribution in finalising the Indo-US nuclear deal.

On the way ahead, Chakravarty, who has been High Commissioner to Bangladesh and Ambassador to Thailand, said: "There will be continuation of the robust foreign policy initiatives taken in the first term. I think we will see continuation of that and more intense engagement with some of our neighbours and some Asean countries."
New Delhi, May 31 : While his father Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was just appointed as the Foreign Minister in new Modi government, Dhruva Jaishankar attracted eyeballs with his reply on a tweet seeking help with a passport or visa.

Dhruva's father Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has previously served as Foreign Secretary from 2015-2018 and was appointed as Minister of External Affairs in the newly formed BJP-led NDA government.

But as soon as Jaishankar was announced as the minister of External Affairs, Dhruva received a request regarding help with visa or passport.

Replying to the tweet, Dhruva first tweeted, "Dude. Wrong Twitter handle."

In the second tweet, he said, "Before anyone asks, I can absolutely not help anyone with their passport, visa, or getting-you-out-of-a-foreign-prison problems." He added, "I have plenty of those problems myself (other than the prisons - I try to stay clear of those)."

The tweet was later deleted by the twitter user, though the replies by Dhruva stand on the micro blogging site.
New Delhi, May 31 : In a first conviction under stringent MCOCA provisions in the national capital, six criminals involved in over thirty cases of cheating, were convicted and fined by a special judge in Patiala House Court on Friday.

"The convicts were identified as Vipin Sharma, Sachin Sharma, Honey Shama, Harshad Alam, Aman Alam and Bhupender Singh. They were involved in cheating several job seekers aspiring to go abroad and were fleeced to the tune of crores of rupees," said P.S. Kushwah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

It is the first major conviction under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) since its invocation in Delhi, added Kushwah.

Vipin Sharma was the kingpin of cheating syndicate along with wife Honey Sharma. The two along with Vipin's brother Sachin were arrested by the Special Cell in 2008 after a case was registered against them at Lajpat Nagar police station.

During investigation, a large number of passports with work visas of New Zealand and fake documents such as PAN cards, debit cards, credit cards, shopping cards and mobile phones and SIM cards were recovered by the Delhi police.

It was found that the gang was involved in over thirty cases of cheating between 2000 and 2009.

Vipin Sharma was sentenced for 12 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 55 lakhs while the others were convicted for 10 years with a fine of Rs 14 lakh.

The court also ordered compensation to the victims (total 10) by way of payment of Rs 33.80 lakhs by the members of the crime syndicate out of the fine imposed on them.

MCOCA was initially enacted by the Maharastra government in the year 1999 to contain underworld dons. The stringent law was adopted in Delhi in the year 2002.
New Delhi, May 31 : The Union Cabinet at its first meeting on Friday cleared an initiative for controlling Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis to support livestock rearing farmers.

Talking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the initiative will benefit crores of farmers and improve the health of animals.

"This decision indicates the spirit of compassion towards those animals who are a valued part of our planet but are not able to speak. The Cabinet has cleared a total outlay of Rs 13,343 crores to fully control these diseases amongst the livestock in the country in the next five years and subsequently eradicate these diseases," he said.

He said that in case of FMD, the scheme envisages vaccination coverage to 30 crore bovines (cows-bulls and buffaloes) and 20 crore sheep/goat and 1 crore pigs at six months' interval along with primary vaccination in bovine calves.

The Brucellosis control programme shall extend to cover 100 per cent vaccination coverage of 3.6 crore female calves.

The programme so far has been implemented on cost sharing basis between the Central and State Governments. The central Government has now decided to now bear the entire cost of the programme to ensure complete eradication of these diseases and better livelihood opportunities for all the livestock rearing farmers in the country.

An official release said that the decision of the Cabinet fulfils the major promise made in the manifesto as it provides much relief to crores of farmers in the country who rear livestock.

It said the threat of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis was very common amongst the livestock - cow-bulls, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs etc.

The release said if a cow/buffalo gets infected with FMD, the milk loss is upto 100 per cent which could last for four to six months.

In case of Brucellosis the milk output reduces by 30 per cent, during the entire life cycle of animal. Brucellosis also causes infertility amongst the animals. The infection of brucellosis can also be transmitted to the farm workers and livestock owners. Both the diseases have a direct negative impact on the trade of milk and other livestock products.
New Delhi, May 31 : Not just Jet Airways' former Chairman Naresh Goyal, but even its former Chief Executive Vinay Dube has been barred from leaving India, as a probe into the financial irregularities in the running of the grounded airline continues.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has issued a lookout circular against Dube, similar to the one which was earlier issued on Goyal.

Dube had resigned from the services of the company with immediate effect from May 14 due to personal reasons.

According to sources, the MCA has sent out a lookout circular for over 20 people suspected of economic offences and Dube is included in the list.

Sources said that the lookout notices has been served against people who allegedly siphoned funds or were involved in serious fraud and irregular transactions. Indicating a strict stance against economic offenders, the circular sent out to investigating and securities agencies says their "summer vacation needs to stop".

The development comes days after Goyal and his wife Anita were off-loaded from a London-bound flight in Mumbai due to a lookout circular that has been issued against them by the MCA and the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).

Having run out of cash, Jet Airways had suspended operations On April 17, impacting thousands of employees, lessors, vendors and passengers.

Lenders of Jet Airways led by state-run State Bank of India are currently in the process of selling the airline to recover their dues of over Rs 8,400 crore.
New Delhi, May 31 : A Samajwadi Party leader was shot dead by unidentified men near his residence in Greater Noida's Dadri area on Friday.

The deceased identified as Ramtek Katariya was the head of the SP's Dadri assembly segment, the police said.

"Katariya was shot near his home in Dadri around 12:30 p.m. He was shot by at least four unidentified men who were in the car. The accused pumped five bullets into his body," a senior police officer said.

Katariya was later declared brought dead in a nearby hospital, the officer added.

Initial investigation by the police does not point to politically motivated rivarly leading to the murder. The police claimed that the murder was a result of a personal rivarly within the family of the deceased.

SSP Gautam Buddh Nagar Vaibhav Krishna said: "Initial findings indicate that the killing is a result of personal rivalry between Ramtek Katariya and one his brothers in the extended family. Prima facie, there appears no political conspiracy or rivalry in this case."
Kolkata, May 31 : A controversy erupted after a purported video of Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Subhasish Chakraborty urging his party activists to deter Hindus to cast their votes, recently surfaced in the social media.

Chakraborty, however claimed that it was a "doctored video" and said he lodged a police complaint as it was spread in the social media to defame him and his party.

While reviewing booth-wise results of a village in Bhangor assembly segment under the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency with his party workers after the general election, Chakraborty was seen in the video inquiring about three particular booths, where BJP votes allegedly increased, and directing his local party workers to pay attention to them.

According to his party workers, two of them are "located at Hindu-belt".

"Who takes care of this booth? Leave it! The CPI (M) took lead (in this). It is not a problem. Who took care of these three booths? Pay attention to these three booths. The (BJP) votes (in the three booths) cannot be allowed to grow further in future. Hindus would not be allowed to cast vote (in future)..." said Chakraborty as seen in the video.

IANS has not verified the content of the video independently.

Asked about this, Chakraborty, party's South 24 paraganas district leader, told IANS, "During the meeting, our workers said the BJP won in three booths only in the area under Bhangor. I have asked them to take initiative so that the BJP cannot take lead in the three booths in future. The video was doctored to defame myself and my party."

Chakraborty claimed he is a Hindu and believed in communal harmony.

"I have lodged a police complaint before the district cyber cell," he said.

Trinamool candidate and actress-turned-politician Mimi Chakraborty won the Jadavpur seat and state's ruling party retained other three seats - Diamond Harbour, Mathurapur and Jaynagar.
New Delhi, May 31 : India met its fiscal deficit target for 2018-19, which came in at 3.39 per cent of GDP, slightly lower than 3.4 per cent estimated in the revised estimates of the Budget, on the back of an increase in non-tax revenue and lower expenditure, official data showed on Friday.

As per the data released by Controller General of Accounts (CGA), in absolute terms, the fiscal deficit at the end of March 31, 2019, stood at Rs 6.45 lakh crore as against Rs 6.34 lakh crore in the revised estimates of the Budget.

Although the fiscal deficit in absolute terms has gone up, as a percentage of GDP, the deficit figure has come down marginally, mainly on account of GDP expansion in 2018-19.

According to Devendra Kumar Pant, Chief Economist, India Ratings and Research (Fitch Group): "FY19 fiscal deficit at 3.4 per cent of GDP is in line with government's revised fiscal deficit target. However, in absolute term the provisional fiscal deficit in FY19 has widened from revised estimate by Rs 109.69 billion."

"Although the FY19 GDP numbers released today has helped in achieving 3.4 per cent fiscal deficit target, even with the GDP used at the time of budget preparation would have led to fiscal deficit of GDP within 3.4 per cent."

Besides, the data showed that India's budgetary fiscal deficit in April 2019-20 period stood at 22.3 per cent or Rs 1.57 lakh crore of the Rs 7.03-lakh crore annual target.

The CGA data showed the fiscal deficit during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal was 24.3 per cent of that year's target.

In April, the government's total expenditure stood at Rs 2.54 lakh crore (9.1 per cent of the budget estimates) and total receipts were Rs 94,930 crore (4.8 per cent of the budget estimates).

In the same period of 2018-19, it was 4.1 per cent of budgeted estimates received.

Of the total expenditure in this period, Rs 2.24 lakh crore was on revenue account and Rs 30,588 crore on capital account.
The Meriton apartment developer Harry Triguboff increased his wealth by $770 million in the past year, but still slipped down a spot to be named Australias third richest person in 2019.

High-rise Harry was given a $13.54 billion net worth on the nations wealthiest 200 in the Financial Review Rich List.

With wealth of $15.57 billion, paper and packaging magnate Anthony Pratt ranks as the nations richest, followed by mining magnate Gina Rinehartwith $13.810 billion.

The Shimao property baron Hui Wing Mau came fourth at $10.390 billion and tech whiz Scott Farquhar fifth with $9.75 billion and his Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brrokes sixth at $9.63 million.

Cannon-Brookes and Farquhar were placed fourth and fifth on The List of Australias Richest 250 when it was published by The Australian in late March, with wealth of $9.01 billion each  the bulk of which is from their respective, and equal, Atlassian share holdings.

Property dominated The List  Australias Richest 250, contributing 68 members. Combined, the 68 are worth more than $85 billion and are responsible for the biggest housing projects around the country. The AFR Rich List has 63 with their source of wealth put down to property.

Triguboff is the countrys biggest landlord, and has recently built many of his 65,000 apartments to rent them out.

Frank Lowy sits in 7th place on the AFR list with $8.56 billion. The Westfield co-founder Frank Lowy says he now feels at home after moving to Israel late last year.

I feel that Im home. Thats all. Very simple, Sir Frank said in an interview with Israel television network Channel 12.

The Times of Israel has reported Sir Frank as having made Aliyah, which is the migration of Jews to Israel.

Sir Frank, who was born in 1930 and survived the Holocaust in Hungary, became an Israeli citizen in February.

Sir Frank and his wife Shirley, who battling Alzheimers, are the subject of the documentary What Will Become of Us, which is showing at the Sydney Film Festival next week.

In December 2017, Sir Frank pulled off the biggest deal in Australian corporate history: the $US24.7bn ($32bn) sale of his Westfield retail empire to French company Unibail-Rodamco.

Property developer Bob Ell, with an estimated worth of $1.84 billion, sits in 44th place.

Leda is behind the lucrative Cobaki Estate development, west of Gold Coast Airport.

The property investor Con Makris and his family are No.69 on the list with a worth of $1.32 billion.

Garry Rothwell at Winten is in 150th place with $656 million.

Jerry Schwartz is No.178 on the Rich List list with a worth of $554 million.

The cosmetic surgeon is Australias largest private hotel owner, the son of late Hungarian immigrants Bela and Eve Schwartz, who built up a portfolio of hotels, resorts and pubs across Australia.
"Text me or linkedin with me and we'll get you a live quote", says Andy May, owner and senior loan officer at adrmortgage.com.

ADRMortgage.com celebrates 15th year in Virginia and North Carolina with this ridiculously low rate offering, by Andy May, owner and senior loan officer.

ADRMortgage.com just closed an FHA 30 year fixed coupon at 3.75% with 4.8% APR (including all closing costs, mortgage insurance, etc.). Andy May says, "Can your bank do 3.75% coupon on a 30 year fixed with FHA, Fannie, VA? Check to make certain your rate is the best it can be."

"I think we can do better than that! Big banks have been taking advantage of North Carolina and Virginia residents and in celebration of our 15th year in business (without a single BBB complaint) I am lowering our rates on all refinances. Contact us to see how low our rates are. If you're a millennial - text me at 919-771-3379 with your credit score, loan to value, debt to income ratio (or go to linkedin so we can chat) and I'll send you your rate. Time is money and we're all electronic (we did the first cell phone closing back in 2009). The fastest way to find out how low we will go is to text or linkedin with me", according to Andy May, owner and senior loan officer at ADRMortgage.com.

"If you aren't a millennial, and you want to talk to me I'm at 919-771-3379", according to Andy May, owner and senior loan officer at ADRMortgage.com.

Here are some sample rates from today's rates sheet:

FHA - 3.75% 30 year fixed with NO upfront MIP (it's paid for in the rate);

Fannie Mae conforming - 3.75%;

VA - 3.75% 30 year fixed with NO VA Funding fee (it's paid for in the rate);

Jumbo 7/1 ARM - 4.125%.

All rates require the consumer to pay third party closing costs such as an appraisal, attorney closing, mortgage insurance (if needed), title insurance, and other costs paid to third parties. The APR on all the above products varies, however the APR in the most expensive product above will not exceed 5% for well qualified borrowers. This offer is for well qualified borrowers with high credit scores (above 740), low debt to income ratios (below 41%), and on refinance transactions that are rate and term only, in North Carolina and Virginia for today only. We will attempt to honor the rate as long as rates stay this low. Call 919-771-3379 for terms and conditions. Visit our website at http://www.adrmortgage.com for more information.

ADRMortgage.com has been serving Virginia and North Carolina residents since 2005 and has never received a single BBB complaint. Andy May has owned and operated multiple companies and has worked for the largest originators in the USA. "Text me or linkedin with me and we'll get you a live quote", says Andy May, owner and senior loan officer at adrmortgage.com.

ADRMortgage.com is owned by Andy May Group, LLC and is a state licensed mortgage company in North Carolina and Virginia since 2005 (NMLS #88010, MLO #103418). Since 2005 the company has received Zero BBB complaints and treats customers as family. Family owned and operated from Raleigh, North Carolina the company serves military (VA mortgages), Jumbo, conventional, FHA, USDA and other families looking to obtain the lowest financing costs available. ADRMortgage.com competes on rate and service and is located at 8522 Six Forks Road, Suite 201, Raleigh, North Carolina 27615. Andy May may be reached at 919 771 3379. "Text me or linkedin with me:".
Aragon Research examines 12 major providers in enterprise content platforms. New technologies such as intelligent content analytics are allowing enterprises to unleash untapped data inside their content repositories, which is key for identifying and reducing business risk and accelerating outcomes.

Aragon identifies twelve major providers in its second annual Aragon Research Globe for Enterprise Content Platforms, published today. The report provides an overview of the current state of the enterprise content management market and identifies the new shift to full content platforms.

Aragon Research defined the term enterprise content platform in 2018. Today, the demand for providers who are enabling content to be put into motion is increasing rapidly. There is a growing need for platforms that can manage more diverse forms of content and provide real-time analytics on what is taking place in a content-based process.

The modern enterprise content platform consists of four components:



Content Analytics

Content Management

Content Services

Workflow Automation

These capabilities are enabling enterprises to make their content accessible within applications, which Aragon sees as critical to business transformation. One of the major trends impacting enterprise content management is intelligence. Artificial intelligence paired with content analytics (intelligent content analytics) is allowing enterprises to transition from analog legacy document processes to automated processes.

Enterprises who heavily rely on content to drive their business, especially if theyre in industries like banking, insurance, or real-estate, are at risk of being at a competitive disadvantage if they wait to modernize their content platforms, said Jim Lundy, CEO of Aragon Research. New technologies such as intelligent content analytics are allowing enterprises to unleash untapped data inside their content repositories, which is key for identifying and reducing business risk and accelerating outcomes.

The providers evaluated in this Globe report include: Alfresco, Box, Hyland, IBM, Laserfiche, M-Files, Microsoft, Newgen, Nuxeo, OpenText, Oracle, and Xerox.

Enterprises should use this Globe report to help them begin evaluating enterprise content platform providers and to understand where the market is headed. Aragon clients can access The Aragon Research Globe for Enterprise Content Platforms, 2019 in the AIN client community or on http://www.aragonresearch.com.

About Aragon Research

Aragon Research delivers high-impact visual research, consulting, and advisory services to provide enterprises the insight they need to make better technology and strategy decisions. Aragon Research serves business and IT leaders and has a proven team of veteran analysts. For more information, visit https://www.aragonresearch.com/.
The Ocean Tomo AI Report contains important details regarding the Singapore Patent Office AI program eligibility and patent claim limitations.

Ocean Tomo Analyst Kevin Bennett releases update to the Ocean Tomo Industry Analyst Report on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The announcement last month from the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) provides important details regarding the commitment to cut the timeline for AI patent issuance from up to 24 months to less than six months. The Ocean Tomo AI Report contains important details regarding eligibility as well as patent claim limitations. You can request a copy of the study here.

The rationale for the IPOS patent prosecution change is outlined by their CEO Daren Tang who said, AI has become one of the biggest drivers of technological and societal change in the world, and it will increasingly underpin Singapores drive to build a digital economy.

Ocean Tomo CEO, James E. Malackowski was not surprised by the announcement, indicating, Ocean Tomo has met with a number of governmental bodies and IP-focused NGO's throughout Europe and Asia seeking to understand better how their national patent office can facilitate local economic development. As a significant emerging technology, efforts to attract AI investment is likely the first of many such efforts."

About Ocean Tomo

Ocean Tomo, the Intellectual Capital Merchant Bank firm, provides companies with financial services related to intellectual property and intangible assets including financial expert testimony, valuation, strategy consulting, investment advisory, innovation management consulting and transaction brokerage.

Our Opinion, Management, and Advisory Services are built upon more than three decades of experience valuing intellectual property in the most rigorous of venues  State, Federal and international courts. Our financial, market and technical experts provide a unique understanding of the contributory value of proprietary innovation. This is the cornerstone of our business. This insight permeates every practice.

Subsidiaries of Ocean Tomo include Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a licensed broker-dealer under Federal and State securities law (brokercheck.finra.org Broker Check CRD #: 172912) and Ocean Tomo Hong Kong Ltd., dba, Ocean Tomo China, a joint venture between Ocean Tomo and Sinofaith IP Group.
1375 Peachtree Office Complex in Atlanta, GA We are thrilled to continue to bring unique investment opportunities to our investor base with whom we have established long-lasting relationships as a result of their prior experience investing with CanAm, said John Reid, Director of Project Development at CanAm Capital Partners.

CanAm Capital Partners (CACP), an affiliate of CanAm Enterprises, is pleased to announce that it has closed another private equity investment. CACP has invested $2.5 million in the renovation of 1375 Peachtree, a creative office complex in the Midtown submarket of Atlanta, GA with a project budget of approximately $104 million.

The office complex redevelopment project is being sponsored by The Dilweg Companies, a leading investor and operator of opportunistic and value-added, middle-market office assets in key markets in the Southeast U.S. The repositioning of 1375 Peachtree will convert the existing 8-story, 409,579 SF office building located at 1375 Peachtree Street in Atlantas Midtown neighborhood into a state-of-the-art office complex catering primarily to creative office space users. The project will leverage accelerating demand drivers in Atlantas premier technology corridor and creative office submarket.

1375 Peachtree is truly an exceptional project with great potential and best-in-class sponsorship. We are thrilled to continue to bring unique investment opportunities to our investor base with whom we have established long-lasting relationships as a result of their prior experience investing with CanAm, said John Reid, Director of Project Development at CanAm Capital Partners.

CACP is affiliated with CanAm Enterprises, a leading EB-5 regional center operator having raised and invested nearly $3 billion and with over $1 billion of capital repaid to more than 2,000 EB-5 investors to date. As such, CACP continues to provide select private investment opportunities with attractive risk-adjusted returns focused on geographies and assets where it has informational, operational, and other competitive advantages. CACP makes project-level capital investments with an average hold period of 3-5 years.

CanAm Enterprises has built a great relationship with thousands of international investors who have already finished their EB-5 immigration process and had their capital repaid. We are very grateful and proud to continue to offer new investment opportunities to our international community beyond the EB-5 program, commented Tom Rosenfeld, President and CEO of CanAm Enterprises.

About CanAm Capital Partners

CanAm Capital Partners, LLC (CACP) is a New York-based private equity investor, manager and advisor with a primary focus on real estate principal investment. CACP is an affiliate of CanAm Enterprises, the largest EB-5 lender in the United States. CACP and its affiliates have been involved as a principal or lender in transactions with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $2.8 billion in multiple markets across the U.S.

http://www.canamcapital.com/cacp
Cherry Bekaert is a nationally recognized public accounting and consulting firm headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Growth-focused and nationally acclaimed public accounting firm Cherry Bekaert LLP (the Firm) congratulates the following professionals on their promotions to the Firms Partner Group effective May 1, 2019: Megan Hutchinson, CPA; Jonathan Kraftchick, CPA; Eric Pilcher, CPA; Nick Stone, CPA, CISA; and Matt Urbizo, CPA. Megan and Eric will serve as Tax Partners, Jonathan will serve as Innovation Partner, Matthew will serve as Assurance Partner, and Nick will serve as Risk Assurance and Advisory Partner.

I am proud to welcome these accomplished professionals as Partners in our Firm. All five are excellent representatives of our Firm values, said Michelle L. Thompson, CPA, Cherry Bekaerts Chief Executive Officer and Firm Managing Partner. Cherry Bekaert is grateful for their commitment to maintaining operational excellence, enhancing the client experience and focusing on the services we provide.

Starting her career as an intern with Cherry Bekaert and most recently serving as a senior Tax manager, Megan Hutchinson helps clients maximize profits through proactive tax planning for tangible property management, inventory calculations and credit opportunities. She serves public and private corporations as well as owner-managed businesses through tax compliance and planning projects, including tax provisions and FIN 48 analysis. Megan is also a member of THInc, Cherry Bekaerts specialty practice catering to the innovative needs of clients in the technology and health & life sciences and industrial manufacturing sectors. She is based in the Firms Raleigh office.

Also located in the Raleigh office is Jonathan Kraftchick. He is a founding member of Cherry Bekaerts Innovation Group and previously served as the Firms Managing Director of Training and Development for the Assurance & Accounting Services group. He has spent over 15 years conducting audit engagements for numerous companies and industries throughout the country, and has written and delivered courses both inside and outside of the Firm. Jonathan has been recognized by organizations like the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants for his leadership and excellence in public speaking.

Eric Pilcher has more than 14 years of tax experience serving clients in the technology, health and life sciences, industrial, real estate and construction industries. Clients ranging from privately-held to large publicly-traded companies rely on Eric for domestic and international tax planning, compliance in federal, state and local taxes, state income tax consulting and financial statement reporting reviews with a focus on tax provision (ASC 740). He is located in Cherry Bekaerts Tampa office and was a senior Tax manager prior to his promotion.

Previously Director of Risk Assurance and Advisory Services, Nick Stone is based in the Firms Raleigh office. He helps businesses implement sustainable enterprise risk management programs by optimizing internal control systems and elevating actionable enterprise data. In addition, Nick provides advisory and assurance services such as financial system process design and implementation, business intelligence solution delivery, internal audit co-sourcing, internal control assessment including information technology (IT) general controls, IT Audit and post-acquisition integration. He possesses over 15 years of accounting, finance and operations experience.

Matt Urbizo is a member of Cherry Bekaerts Assurance practice and serves as a Firm technical resource in complex accounting matters and SEC regulations. He guides public and private middle-market companies with a focus on technology, health and life sciences organizations. Matt works with clients to ensure the completion of general audit procedures, coordinates audit closing communications, drafts client correspondence, and resolves any open-ended issues. Before his promotion, Matt was a senior manager in the Firms Atlanta office.

About Cherry Bekaert

As a nationally recognized, growth-oriented firm, Cherry Bekaert has the resources to take your business as far as you want to go. The Firm's industry specialists already know your marketplace, so they can help you make the most of emerging opportunities while minimizing compliance headaches. With our down-to-earth style and wealth of practical advice, you will find Cherry Bekaert an indispensable part of your team.

Ranked among the largest accounting firms in the country, Cherry Bekaert offers specialized solutions that help advance our clients' business goals. For more than 70 years, global corporations, private businesses, government entities, nonprofits, emerging firms, start-ups and successful individuals have relied on Cherry Bekaert to guide them forward as their growth advisor.

Cherry Bekaert LLP is an independent member of Baker Tilly International. Baker Tilly International is the worlds 8th largest accountancy and business advisory network by combined fee income of its independent members. Baker Tilly International member firms specialize in providing accountancy and business advisory services to entrepreneurial, growing businesses and mid-market listed corporates worldwide. | cbh.com


Our firm has always worked hard to support pro bono and low-cost legal services. This is just one more fantastic way for us to help that cause.

The 36th Annual Law Day 5K takes place on Saturday, June 22, at Ventura Community Park, 901 S. Kimball Road, Ventura, CA. Our firm has always worked hard to support pro bono and low-cost legal services. This is just one more fantastic way for us to help that cause, said attorney J. Marc Dion, founder of the Dion Law Group.

Proceeds from the Law Day 5K benefit the Ventura County Bar Association (VCBA) and the non-profit Ventura County Legal Aid, Inc. (VCLA), which has been recognized statewide for its pro bono legal services to indigent clients. VCLA also provides legal services to victims of abuse and trauma.

The course is flat and fast and there are 12 age categories, of which the first place winner in each category receives a $10 gift certificate and Law Day 5K mug or comparable gift. The event also includes free food and approximately $2,000 in raffle prizes, and all runners are automatically entered in the drawing. The 5K Race begins at 8:30 a.m., followed immediately by the 1 Mile Fun Run (for kids and family). Raffle prizes will be announced right after the 1 Mile Fun Run and race awards follow immediately thereafter.

I love participating in the Law Day 5k with my family, friends, and colleagues. It is great to see our community come together for a fun event and raise money for VCLA, which depends on donations to run its free legal clinic, concluded Kathryn E. Clunen, who is next years VCBA President and an attorney with the Dion Law Group.

To register for Law Day 5K, please visit https://runsignup.com/Race/Register/?raceId=17133, or to donate directly visit https://runsignup.com/Race/Donate/CA/Ventura/LawDay5KVentura.

The Dion Law Group is consistently voted as one of Ventura Countys favorite East County law firms. It uses interest-based problem-solving techniques in order to avoid unnecessary legal expenses and help find the best solution to a clients particular issue.

About Dion Law Group APLC

The Dion Law Group focuses on divorce, domestic violence, support, child custody, criminal defense, DUI defense, juvenile law, consumer debt, firearm law, wills, trusts, guardianships and adoptions. The firm has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. For more information, please (805) 497-7474, or visit http://www.dionlawgroup.com. The law office is located at 660 Hampshire Road, Suite 216, Westlake Village, CA 91361.

For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361.


FabriTec Structures will be exhibiting at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference is being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center for two days on June 6 and 7.

FabriTec will have a trade show display at booth 9316 exhibiting the companys tensile membrane and cable structures. FabriTec Structures will be providing information on the innovative fabric structures the company creates for stadiums, amphitheaters, and transportation services like airports, bus stations, and train stations.

Theres no better place to learn, experience, enjoy, and connect with the architecture and design industry than A19. With 500+ sessions, theres an unrivaled range of workshops, seminars, tours, events, and expo education where attendees can earn their HSW, ADA, GBCI, RIBA, and AIA LU credits for the year.

150+ architect-led tours of the citys best architecture will show attendees another side of Las Vegas. The two-day, 200,000 sq. ft. Architecture Expo will introduce visitors to hot new products and materials, and leading building product manufacturers.

About FabriTec Structures

FabriTec Structures is an award-winning lightweight structures contractor specializing in the design and construction of complex cable and custom tensile membrane structures, and building envelopes. FabriTec Structures builds tensile membrane structures that range vastly in scope and service from massive stadiums and amphitheaters to building entryways and covered walkways. We design and develop our fabric structures from an assortment of highly engineered membrane materials, including ETFE foil, PTFE, and PVC fabrics. Our support structures are forged from cold-formed carbon steel and include specially designed cables and fittings  all manufactured in-house.

If you would like further information about this press release or to schedule an interview with Gary Taylor, please contact Gary Taylor at garytaylor(at)guard-all(dot)com or call 1-877-397-1594.
School District Officials, Community Members, Air Quality Management Officials and partner representatives gather to partake in the ribbon cutting celebration at Twin Rivers Unified School District. Protecting the health of our most vulnerable residents  our children  is paramount.- Samir Sheikh

A-Z Bus Sales, Inc., a leading provider of clean transportation solutions, celebrated the unveiling of seven new all electric Blue Bird school buses this week throughout the state of California. These celebration events and ribbon-cutting ceremonies included: the first Type-D transit all electric school bus in the Fresno / Central Valley, delivered to Fowler Unified School District; the first Type-D transit all electric school bus in the Greater Sacramento area, delivered to Twin Rivers Unified School District; and the first ever Type-C conventional all electric Blue Bird in the country, delivered to Chico Unified School District.

Theses all electric zero emission school buses are built by Blue Bird, powered by Cummins, and are being funded in large part with the California Climate Investments initiative through Cap and Trade funds through a combination of local and state grant funding, in conjunction with California Air Resources Board (CARB) and local Air Quality Management Districts.

School District officials, community members, CARB officials, Air Quality Management District officials, manufacturers representatives, and state legislators representatives all joined, along with media outlets, and in some cases the children who are riding the new electric buses, to celebrate the deployment of these clean zero-emission vehicles.

Transitioning older school buses into new zero-emission buses is a critical piece in improving the Valleys air quality and public health, said Samir Sheikh, Executive Director/Air Pollution Control Officer of the Valley Air District. Protecting the health of our most vulnerable residents  our children  is paramount.

The adoption of electric vehicles, and particularly school buses, continues to accelerate here in the California, said John Landherr, CEO and President at A-Z Bus Sales in Colton and Sacramento, California. To have a trusted school bus manufacturer like Blue Bird, whos been building school buses for over 90 years and leading the industry with alternative fuel buses, partner with an engine and technology provider like Cummins, whos been building drivetrains and engines for over 100 years, provides the confidence school districts need to overcome hesitations of adopting this technology into their fleets.

A-Z Bus Sales works closely with school districts in assisting with grant applications and helping to source funding opportunities not only for school bus replacements but also with the infrastructure required to support the electric buses. Anticipated savings to the school districts include up to 80% savings in fuel costs with up to 50% savings on maintenance over a traditional diesel powered vehicle.

Its exciting to be part of this transition from diesel to electric and to share our experience with other school districts as they come on board with these new electric buses, said Tim Shannon, Director of Transportation at Twin Rivers Unified School District. Thank you, Blue Bird, for your commitment to assist us on our journey.

California Climate Investments is a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environmentparticularly in disadvantaged communities. More information is available at http://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/.

About A-Z Bus Sales, Inc.

A-Z Bus Sales, Inc. is a transportation dealer-distributor serving the education, government, public sector, commercial and private fleet markets with a broad portfolio of passenger transportation solutions. The employee-owned company specializes in clean alternative fuel products. A-Z provides sales, service, parts, and financing for both new and pre-owned buses. Founded in 1976, A-Z Bus Sales has built a reputation for long-lasting customer relationships, professionalism and integrity, and the share positions in markets served. Headquartered in Colton, California the company has multiple sales and service locations serving California, Arizona, Nevada, and Hawaii. More information is available at http://www.a-zbus.com or by calling 800.437.5522.
The properties in Gianguan Auctions' sale on Monday, June 17 allow collectors to dig deep into their favorite categories.

Among the outstanding smalls is a set of scholars garniture in cloisonne. The 5 piecesan inkstone warmer with cover, brush holder; brush washer with ladle, and a weasel bristle penhave a vibrant sapphire-blue ground decorated with a yellow Wan character above and amid a front-facing dragon chasing flaming pearl. The details are set within multi-colored ruyi clouds and roiling waves, all set off by a gilt border. Each piece bears the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong four-character mark and is of the period. Lot 154 is estimated at upwards of $40,000 USD.

A rare, polychromed lacquer box with 16 lobes is an outstanding example of the "tianqi" method of coloration. Finely incised on the fitted lacquer cover is a central lotus bloom surrounded by scrolling Ba Jixiang (Eight Buddhist Emblems). The flower is made vibrant in shades of red, turquoise blue, burnt amber and green. The lobes are decorated with gilt phoenixes amidst clouds. Of the Qing Dynasty with an incised Qianlong 6-character mark, Lot 71 is of the Period. At 15.5 in diameter and 7 tall, it is valued at more than $10,000.

Further attesting to the creativity of scholars items is a well carved floral cup carved from a bamboo root. An anonymous visionary worked chisel and blade with great care to forge a budding flower surrounded by smaller buds on a stand. At just 4 tall, the cups surface has been patinated to a dark caramel brown. Lot 78 is expected to bring more than $1,500.

Votive properties include a massive Zitan Guanyin with child clutching a lotus. Carved from a single piece of wood (with mandorla added on) the deity presents as the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion. It is Lot 170, 38 tall, valued at $60,000 or more.

Contrasting is a naturalistic, root-carved grotto housing a Guanyin. The knotty stumps of the tree root flow in free-form around the deity seated within. The cowl and loose robes are in keeping with her peaceful countenance. This is Lot 157, $4,000 and upwards.

At the midrange is a porcelain figure of the Bodhisattva of Mercy. The full-length Guanyin is glazed in blue and blanc-de-chine. Of the Yuan Dynasty (12th13th C), the long flowing robes are open at the chest. The hands are in mudra, with the left holding sutra. Lot 160 is nearly 30 tall; bidding begins at $20,000.

Leading the stone seals is a jade seal within a Zitan box surmounted by an elaborately carved dragon in flight. Chinese and Manchu script decorate the sides. The seal offers 3 script marks. Of the Qing Dynasty, Lot 104 will fetch $3,000 or more.

Shoushan stones decorated with Bixie and Young knops follow. There are more, of Juxie stone, Furong and Tianhuang, as well as a delightful collection of boulders, carved with mythical creatures and fantastical motifs. Values start at $800

Within a collection of 12 teapots are an octagonal melon-form Yixing Zisha pot with conforming bud finial by Chen Mansheng. A diminutive Yixing Zisha Burl teapot with a Knot-tie finial on the cover is by Gao Jianfang. A massive Yixing Zisha teapot by Chen Wenbo is polychromed with a stylized landscape scene. The artists mark is on the base. Teapots are Lots 237 to 248 and span $800-$1,500.

An impressive group of ceramics are scattered throughout the sale. At the top tier is a famille rose vase with peony motif. Its slender form with bulbous base and garlic head mouth is in perfect proportion to the 16 height. Of the Qing Dynasty, with the Yongzheng 6-character mark within double circles, Lot 118 is of the period. At $150,000 upwards, it is worthy of a museum or private collection.

An entry level famille rose item is large Qing bowl with protruding mid-area decorated in highly detailed florals. Gilt lip and base lines add detail. Among masterpieces produced by the Gu Yue Xuan Studio of the Qing Emperor Guangxus reign, the bowl bears the Qing Dynasty, Guyuexuan Mark. It is Lot 129, starting at $6,000.

The magic of the copper red glaze is apparent in a Ming peony jar with cover. Of crushed-raspberry tones with dull gray, it is decorated with scrolls of flower sprays and scroll bands. The Yongle period jar is Lot 227. Starting bid is $10,000.

Lady With Fan leads a selection of 4 paintings by Zhang Daqian that display his virtuosity and mood in the mid to late 1940s. A traditionalist who eschewed tradition, Zhang Daqian heightened the interest in this statuesque portrait of a courtly maiden by focusing on the detail in the back of her golden silk robe. The face, done in flesh tones with white makeup, is a beguiling three-quarter portrait. Dated 1949, it is Lot 166, inscribed and signed Zhang Daqian, with 3 artist seals and 1 collector seal. Estimate is upwards of $80,000.

Cranes, the prince of birds often associated with longevity and peace, are depicted in symbolic guises in 4 panels by the maestro Lu Kuchan (1898-1983). The pairs are under pines, among peonies, in greenery and flying. In each a bird looks upwards while the other tends to more earthly matters. Each scroll is inscribed and signed Kuchan and carries three artist seals. Lot 120 is estimated at more than $60,000

The masterpiece that deserves mention and will be the measure of more accessible landscapes is Scholar in the Mountain by Qing Dynasty painter Shi Tao (1630-1724). The landscape reaches beyond the world of mortals to embody the transcendental aspirations of the scholar couched in a fold of the mountain. It is rendered in tones of black ink. Dated 1686, inscribed and signed Shi Tao, with one artist seal, Lot 109 will command $150,000 or more.

For details on these and all the properties in Gianguan Auctions June 17th sale, please visit http://www.gianguanauctions.com and download the catalog. Previews open Monday, June 10, 2019.
This team is highly skilled, deeply energetic, and focused on matters worthy of the upper ranks of real estate attorneys, not just in Philadelphia, but nationally, Toll said.

The latest addition of real estate attorney Jennifer L. Wunder comes amid 18 months of robust growth for the Real Estate group in global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP's Philadelphia office.

We are proud of the attorneys who have joined us, like Jennifer, as well as those we have retained and continue to cultivate in this group. We have high expectations of what they will deliver, both in terms of development deals and client relationships, and they are already exceeding those expectations, said Curtis B. Toll, managing shareholder for the Philadelphia office.

This team is highly skilled, deeply energetic, and focused on matters worthy of the upper ranks of real estate attorneys, not just in Philadelphia, but nationally, Toll said.

Wunder, who joined Greenberg Traurig in April from Fox Rothschild LLP, has deep experience in transactional real estate matters focused on sales, acquisitions, financing, leasing, construction contracts, and other elements of due diligence. She also handles zoning and land use matters, representing clients in application to and hearings before municipal zoning boards and governing bodies as well as real estate litigation matters, from assessment appeals to mandamus actions.

A cum laude graduate of both Providence College and Temple Universitys Beasley School of Law, she also served on Temple Law Review. Beyond involvement with the bar associations of Philadelphia and Bucks County, Wunder also serves as board secretary for the YWCA Bucks County and is a past member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundations Young Leadership Committee.

The Philadelphia Real Estate team is part of the firms 400-plus Global Real Estate practice. At the Philadelphia office of Greenberg Traurig, Wunder joins:



Robert D. Lane Jr., Philadelphia Real Estate Practice Leader, who came to Greenberg Traurig in 2018. A longtime multidisciplinary real estate deal maker, University of Penn lecturer, and civic leader, Lane has led real estate practices in the market at Stevens & Lee, Pepper Hamilton, and Morgan Lewis & Bockius.

Joshua D. Cohen, a shareholder deeply experienced in sophisticated joint ventures, acquisitions, developments, financing, leasing and dispositions of multi-family through retail developments. He routinely represents developers, institutional investors, and lenders in projects concerning affordable housing, alternative energy, public real estate development financing, and environmentally contaminated real estate, engaging in complex real estate financing workouts, bond financing, commercial and industrial leasing, among other areas. The team member accolades for the George Washington University Law School grad run from Chambers USA Award for Excellence, Real Estate to Law360s Real Estate Practice Group of the Year. He also has been listed as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star for Super Lawyers magazine. Admitted in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, he joined the firm in 2008.

John P. Schwartz, a shareholder with rich experience in negotiating and closing a wide array of commercial real estate transactions locally and nationally. His practice focuses on acquisition, development, joint venture and mortgage financing transactions. He represents developers, insurance companies, investment advisors, real estate funds, private equity companies and mortgage lenders. He has been listed as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star for Super Lawyers magazine and a bar member in New York and Philadelphia. An area native, he earned cum laude and magna cum laude degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and New York Law School, respectively. He arrived in 2018 from Cozen OConnor.

Michael A. Suleta, an attorney with a diverse array of business and real estate experiences and subsequent financial transactions. He routinely represents developers as well as institutional investors and lenders in the acquisition, disposition, financing, leasing and management of multi-family, industrial, office, retail and hotel properties. A former financial management consultant for a top-tier accounting firm, the Rutgers-Camden law grad was a team member for Greenberg Traurigs Chambers USA Award for Excellence, Real Estate Admitted in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and California, he came to the firm in 2011.

Eric DiMuzio, an attorney whose focus on commercial leasing, purchases and sales, financing and joint ventures benefits clients matters. Admitted in Pennsylvania and New York, he is a graduate of Penn State University of high distinction, a cum laude graduate of Cornell Law School and former managing editor of its Journal of Law and Public Policy. He too, was a team member for Greenberg Traurigs Chambers USA Award for Excellence, Real Estate. He joined in 2018.

Laura Bottaro, an attorney who handles commercial real estate and corporate transactions also structures acquisitions and dispositions of commercial properties, including mixed-use, industrial, and vacant land. Her due diligence on borrowers and collateral and role as an advisor for banks and equity lenders are among the skills of this Delaware Law School graduate. In addition to her admissions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, she possesses entrepreneurial experience, having previously co-founded a subscription bagel business. She joined in 2018.

A strong local presence in the real estate space is part of our long-term vision for this market, and weve been selective and strategic about how we have assembled this team, Toll said. Our talent here is comprised of top-notch lawyers that also are civically-minded and able to help area business leaders achieve greater heights through our firms global platform.

The growth of the Real Estate Practice in Philadelphia has contributed to our already deep bench of award-winning real estate attorneys who are focused on delivering quality and value for clients across sectors, noted a joint statement from the co-chairs of the firms award-winning Global Real Estate Practice, Robert J. Ivanhoe, Corey E. Light, and Richard J. Giusto.

About Greenberg Traurigs Philadelphia office

Founded in 1997, Greenberg Traurigs Philadelphia office is home to nearly 50 attorneys and practices that include Real Estate, Public Finance, Litigation, Labor & Employment, Environmental, Government Law & Policy, Restructuring & Bankruptcy, Corporate & Securities, Intellectual Property, Immigration & Compliance, Investment Regulation, and Tax. The Philadelphia office represents clients in the manufacturing, health care, real estate, energy, financial, and insurance industries, state and local governments, professional service, and energy firms and individuals.

About Greenberg Traurigs Real Estate Practice

Greenberg Traurigs Real Estate Practice is a cornerstone of the firm and recognized leader in the industry. The firms real estate attorneys deliver diversified and comprehensive counsel for property acquisition and investment, development, management and leasing, financing, restructuring, and disposition of all asset classes of real estate. The team draws upon the knowledge and experience of more than 400 real estate lawyers from around the world, serving clients from key markets in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The groups clientele includes a broad range of property developers, lenders, investment managers, private equity funds, REITs, and private owners. The firms real estate team advises clients on a variety of matters across a broad spectrum of commercial, recreational, and residential real estate, including structured equity and debt and the hybrids.

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, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and is among the Top 20 on the 2017 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.
Hank Thomas, a passionate student of political history, has decided to re-release his work, A Broken Sausage Grinder in the wake of recent political hysteria in the United States, and has added new facts and figures to bolster arguments about the shape of republican democracy as it exists today.

Everybody proclaims disgust with the political system, yet the system continues to get more disgusting, Thomas explained of his book. Is the hard-nosed partisanship in politics today the result of a flaw in the design of our system of government? Did our forefathers overlook something important when they were writing the Constitution? In this work, I explain the basic components of the government in order to provide insight as to why it functions as it does. It studies the influences that molded our political system over the years, and presents conclusions about what is wrong with our government and how it can be fixed.

Published by New York City-based Page Publishing, Hank Thomas research spans from the colonial period of US history to present day, offering an unfiltered diagnosis of past events that have culminated in this period of seeming dischord.

Designed as a tool to facilitate discussion, A Broken Sausage Grinder communicates the idea that we the people form the foundation for our government; if it isnt working as we intended, we the people have the responsibility to fix it, Hank Thomas offered as a summation of his work and its purpose

To better understand the world of American politics, readers can purchaseA Broken Sausage Grinder 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 of 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 bogged down with complicated business issues like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes and the like. Its roster of authors can leave behind these tedious, complex and time-consuming issues, and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.


We designed HydraCell to innovate how we consume energy in the great outdoors. Its perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and its reliable enough to count on in survival situations." - Gerry Comninos, HydraCell CEO

Australian-born brand HydraCell is making waves during its U.S. release. This water-activated power cell is not only an eco-friendly alternative to conventional batteries, but its revolutionizing camping, boating, off-grid adventures, and emergency situations.

HydraCell's water-activated power cells have a longer shelf life, are non-toxic, and are cheaper to operate than conventional batteries. Once hydrated with water, HyraCells produce a steady flow of electric current. Unlike conventional batteries, HydraCells put out a consistent stream of energy throughout their lifetime - with the occasional simple rehydration.

Thanks to a patent-pending HydraCell power cell, this technology provides hundreds of hours of energy. Simply dip the cell for ten seconds in water to activate. You can easily refurbish them with repeated dips in water.

HydraCell has big implications for the future of green energy. Currently, Americans toss more than 3 billion batteries in the trash each year. Thats enough to circle the Earth six times. Batteries leach harmful chemicals into the environment and take 100 years to decompose.

Whether hiking on a trail or providing much-needed light in a survival situation, HydraCell products provide life-giving energy without environmental harm.

We designed HydraCell to innovate how we consume energy in the great outdoors, says HydraCell CEO Gerry Comninos. Its perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and its reliable enough to count on in survival situations. Best of all, we dont have to worry about our footprint on the environment thanks to HydraCells eco-friendly technology, Comninos says.

HydraCells American launch has outdoors enthusiasts lining up to try their eco-friendly, efficient products.

HydraCell offers:

Lightweight personal lanterns

Dual-purpose lantern and USB charger

Flashlights

Powerpacks

The companys American launch is timely, given Americans demand for convenient, green products. HydraCell is committed to keeping the outdoors greenas it should be.

HydraCell lighting and charging products evolved from the search for portable, safe, and ecologically friendly alternatives to conventional battery powered devices. With patent-pending HC2D & HC3D water activated HydraCell energy cells, HydraCell lanterns and chargers offer extended usage times, lower operational costs, and non-toxic, eco-friendly materials. Now you can light your way or charge your phone without the need for disposable batteries. HydraCell is a must-have for emergencies, camping, boating or any off-grid adventures. With HydraCell, if you have water, you have power. http://www.hydralight.net
Jaguar Boerne will provide luxury car shoppers with a complete lineup of luxurious, performance-tuned Jaguar models with affordable lease and finance incentives.

Luxury car shoppers in the San Antonio area may find that the Jaguar brand of luxury cars and crossovers will fit the bill at Jaguar Boerne. Located at 32120 I-10 West Boerne, TX 78006, Jaguar Boerne features a full lineup of luxury-infused Jaguar models that includes the award-winning Jaguar F-PACE, the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE and the performance-tuned Jaguar F-TYPE that are all available with affordable lease and finance incentives.

The 2019 Jaguar F-PACE is an award-winning entry in the compact luxury crossover segment that employs a bold style, power-packed engine options that include a 550-horsepower 5.0-liter supercharged V-8, premium luxury amenities and much more. Jaguar F-PACE sales incentives include a $459 per month, 36-month lease with just $3,995 due at signing and zero-percent Annual Percentage Rate (APR) finance incentives.

An all-electric and fun-to-drive crossover, the 2019 Jaguar I-PACE features a 394-horsepower electric powertrain that will sprint from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, a 240-mile electric driving range and next-level technology. Leasing a Jaguar I-PACE will cost qualified car shoppers just $5,995 down and $899 per month with a 36-month lease. Qualified car buyers can finance a Jaguar I-PACE with zero-percent APR with an accepted agreement.

Automotive enthusiasts who crave track-ready performance may find that the 2019 Jaguar F-TYPE checks all the boxes. Jaguar F-TYPE entries are available with an arsenal of six power-packed engine options that includes a 575-horsepower 5.0-liter supercharged V-8, a 380-horsepower 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 and a stock 296-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Available lease and finance incentives include a 36-month lease with $4,995 down and $499 per month in addition to zero-percent APR with a 60-month finance agreement.

Individuals who are in search of a dream car at a dream price may find what they are looking for at Jaguar Boerne with an impressive selection of Jaguar luxury models and affordable sales and incentives. To learn more, potential owners can visit the dealership website, http://www.jaguarboerne.com or contact a dealership sales representative directly by calling 888-837-6117.
Today Jolly announced a major update to their Lobbytrack online visitor management platform. Along with several feature enhancements, the update adds integration with users on-premise Active Directory for host account management and integration with third party access control systems.

The new Active Directory sync tool allows organizations to easily create host accounts in Lobbytrack for their Active Directory users. Users can use their host account to schedule and manage their visitors on Lobbytrack.com or using the Lobbytrack host mobile app.

Active Directory sync can be run manually or setup to run automatically and add or disable host accounts as they are updated in Active Directory.

Donnie Lytle, Customer Relations Manager at Jolly Technologies says, Integration with Active Directory streamlines what would otherwise be the most labor-intensive part of setup, adding employees as hosts to Lobbytrack. Now, instead of periodic imports or manual entry, hosts can be added and kept up-to-date via automated sync.

Today's update also adds integration with third party access control systems. The access control system integration feature will allow users to activate pre-encoded access control cards during visitor sign-in and automatically deactivate cards at sign-out. Using automated expiration, Lobbytrack can also deactivate cards that are not returned at the end of the day. Lobbytrack currently supports integration with the S2 Netbox with additional integrations planned for release over the next few weeks.

Lobbytrack is available at http://www.lobbytrack.com and is free to use for customers with less than 500 visitors per year. Monthly subscription options are available for larger institutions. The Lobbytrack mobile apps are available for Apple, Android, and Windows devices.

About Jolly Technologies Inc.

Jolly Technologies, founded in 2000, develops and distributes a suite of secure identification software products, including ID Flow ID card software, Lobby Track visitor management software, Asset Track asset tracking software, Label Flow barcode software, Eventleaf event registration software and a variety of other custom security products. As the recognized leader in the rapidly growing secure identification market, Jolly Technologies is partnered with the industry's largest hardware manufacturers to offer complete solutions through our channel partners. Based in San Mateo, California, Jolly Technologies is one of the world's fastest growing software companies. For more information, visit http://www.jollytech.com or call toll-free 1-888-25-JOLLY.
KelSie Biotech Logo We are committed to revolutionizing the delivery of cannabinoids and other drugs with superior bioavailability.

KelSie Biotech, announced today that it has closed the first tranche of $5 million in Series A funding. The investment round, led by Salveo Capital, a leading cannabis focused investment firm, with participation from LA-based Arcadian Capital and other investors, will support the companys scientific research and market expansion.

KelSie Biotech creates high bioavailability delivery methods for active pharmaceutical ingredients in the medical, nutraceutical and CBD/cannabis fields. KelSie licenses its patented and proprietary technologies which are based on novel particle morphology science and include dry-inhaled powder and true sublingual delivery systems. The dry-inhaled powder technology successfully completed Phase I Clinical Trials for delivery of a stable measles vaccine.

KelSie is delighted to partner with Salveo and our other investors to bring effective and convenient drug and supplement delivery methods to more consumers, said Cameron Keluche, KelSie Co-Founder. We are committed to revolutionizing the delivery of cannabinoids and other drugs with superior bioavailability. Having experienced partners like Salveo and Arcadian is invaluable.

We constantly look for new and innovative technology that drives consumption patterns and introduces healthier and more discreet form factors across the pharmaceutical industry, said Jeffrey Howard, a Managing Partner at Salveo Capital. We are impressed with KelSies strong patented and proprietary technology, including their true sublingual delivery systems with quick onset times. The Companys focus on micro-dosing is another key differentiator that will continue to attract new demographics of cannabis/CBD consumers focused on low-dose health and wellness. We couldnt be more excited to be working with the entire KelSie team to continue the companys strong momentum.

Historically, the most common method for administering medications and supplements has been oral or injection. But the gastrointestinal tract degrades the efficacy of pills and liquids before they reach the bloodstream and there are many complications to syringe-based methods. KelSies patented breakthrough delivery methods revolutionize drug delivery for a wide range of applications.

Most recently, the technology has been successfully commercialized under the SUM Microdose brand, licensed to State Operators producing fast-acting, water-soluble CBD/cannabis sublingual tablets. As SUM Microdose approaches its first successful year of sales in Colorado, the roll-out has begun across other states through licensing to additional State Operating Partners.

Our consumer brand strategy is focused on investing in companies that truly add value to the consumption experience and have a high degree of commercial scalability. We believe that the KelSies core technologies provide a framework for the mainstream adoption of cannabinoid-based medicines, said Krishnan Varier, Managing Partner of Arcadian Capital Management.

About KelSie Biotech

KelSie Biotech creates high bioavailability delivery methods for active pharmaceutical ingredients in the medical, nutraceutical and CBD/cannabis fields. The genesis of the technology came from Dr. Robert Sievers, who created an inhalable, needle-free measles vaccine that didnt require refrigeration. Sievers received a $20 million, 5-year grant funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a measles vaccine that could be used effectively in rural regions lacking medical infrastructure. The first brand to deploy KelSies technology is SUM Microdose, water-soluble sublingual CBD/cannabis tablets. For more information, please visit http://www.kel-sie.com

About Salveo Capital

Launched at the end of 2016, Salveo Capital is an alternative investment firm specializing in the legalized cannabis space, particularly ancillary businesses. Salveo Capital's approach is to bring an institutional quality discipline to company vetting, investment structures and portfolio management. The Firm is committed to shaping the early-stage, yet rapidly growing, industry by providing funding and development to companies with the will and vision to be the future faces of legalized marijuana. As cannabis legalization spreads, Salveo Capital seeks to build long term sustainable companies and support innovative technologies, products and services to help address the unique requirements of the industry. The firm is based in Northbrook, Illinois, and with vertical industry executives and cannabis operating advisors across the country, including key markets of California and Colorado. For more information, please visit http://www.salveocapital.com.
Over the years, in clients' public presentations, we have seen a strong correlation between overall Top Quartile performance and both positive operational metrics and strong caller satisfaction.

MidAmerican Energy takes top honors for the third consecutive year in the 15th Annual Energy Utility Benchmark Report on Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, released today (May 31) by IVR Doctors. The 2019 Report compares 100 energy utility automated telephone systems in the U.S. and Canada.



Gold Stethoscope recognition was awarded to winners in 13 categories, including Top Overall Company; Top Electric, Gas, and Combination Utility; and Top Canadian Utility, as well as to 14 balanced companies, whose automated telephone system achieved top quartile ratings in all rating categories.

What distinguishes this report from others is its simultaneous views of an automated phone system from two perspectives: a callers experience using it and a companys experience managing it. Our clients prove that success in both areas is not mutually exclusive, said Peter Brandt, IVR Doctors co-founder.

The Report identifies automated telephone systems that successfully balance company objectives and customer preferences in three key rating categories: functionality, usability, and aesthetics, the major drivers of customer satisfaction and system utilization.

Over the years, in clients public presentations, we have seen a strong correlation between overall Top Quartile performance and both positive operational metrics and strong caller satisfaction, said Mark Camack, IVR Doctors co-founder. The Report also highlights common design mistakes and demonstrates clearly how those errors can have a negative impact on a company and its customers experience.

The 100 companies evaluated in the 2019 Report were rated using standards which IVR Doctors can apply to any other company interested in inclusion in the Benchmark. No other consistent set of IVR design characteristics have been in place or proven effective in utility industry automated telephone systems over the 15 years of this Benchmark Report.

The 2019 Report is available online at ivrdoctors.com. As an additional benefit, Report buyers receive a customized teleconference with IVR Doctors, targeted specifically to their companys automated system menus.

2019 GOLD STETHOSCOPE RECOGNITION WINNERS

CATEGORY / COMPANY

Top Rated IVR System - Overall

MidAmerican Energy (Des Moines, IA)

Top U.S. Combination Utility

MidAmerican Energy (Des Moines, IA)

Top U.S. Electric Company

Emera Maine (Bangor, ME)

Top U.S. Gas-only Company

SoCalGas (Los Angeles, CA)

Top Municipal Utility

JEA (Jacksonville, FL)

Top Electric Cooperative

LCEC (Lee County Electric Cooperative, North Fort Myers, FL)

Top Canadian Utility

Hydro One (Toronto, Ontario)

Top Canadian Electric Company

Hydro One (Toronto, Ontario)

Top Canadian Combination Company - Honorable mention Manitoba Hydro (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

Top Canadian Gas-only Company - Honorable mention Union Gas (Chatham, Ontario)

Top "Touchtone-only" system

Emera Maine (Bangor, ME)

Top "Press or Say" system

MidAmerican Energy (Des Moines, IA)

Tops in Functionality

LCEC (Lee County Electric Cooperative, North Fort Myers, FL)

Tops in Usability

MidAmerican Energy (Des Moines, IA)

Tops in Aesthetics

Xcel Energy (Minneapolis, MN)

The 14 Top Quartile Winners in all rating categories - Balanced companies - are Gold Stethoscope Winners and can be found at: ivrdoctors.com/2019-balanced-companies.

Special Recognition goes to:

Most Improved IVRs 2018-2019: Emera Maine (Bangor, ME),

LCEC (Lee County Electric Cooperative) (North Fort Myers, FL), EPCOR (Edmonton, Alberta), and Nova Scotia Power (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

IVR Doctors, with over 25 years of market research, usability consulting, marketing, and call center management experience, specialize in automated phone system diagnostics and optimization. Their practice, with an energy utility specialty, is not limited to a single industry and covers companies large and small. For more information, visit ivrdoctors.com.

Contact:

Peter Brandt | peter(at)ivrdoctors(dot)com | (843) 849-7856

Mark Camack | mark(at)ivrdoctors(dot)com | (503) 449-5940
Moe Rock filed his lawsuit against Marriott International at the Los Angeles Superior Court, and has been assigned case number BC709864.

According to the allegations in the complaint, Marriott International permitted to exist at its Westin LAX hotel location, a dangerous condition which resulted from of an undetected water leak in the ceiling of the Westin LAX hotel, which caused water to drip onto and accumulate at the lobby floor below. On April 7, 2018, Moe Rock, an internationally renowned music producer and human rights activist, slipped and fell on the puddle of water, suffering substantial bodily injuries, damages, and losses.

Trial is scheduled to start on December 12, 2019 in Department 2 of Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Pasek Corporation and Accutech Security Systems formed a partnership to design and deliver high-quality infant protection and wander management security system solutions to healthcare facilities in the New England area.

Accutech Security is a leading manufacturer in infant electronic monitoring and security systems and is actively installed in more than 5,000 healthcare facilities worldwide. Pasek Corporation is a leading integrator in New England assisting in connecting security solutions to clients, providing expert knowledge, detailed design, and ease in implementation and ongoing support of custom security solutions.

It was a natural strategic partnership, said Sam Auciello, in the Business Development segment at Pasek Corporation. At Pasek we pride ourselves in delivering the latest technology available. Accutechs reputation for offering state of the art protection solutions and products fit well in our portfolio, aligned with our proven processes, and supports our high standard of excellence.

Pasek Corporations healthcare consumers realize all the benefits of a custom designed, integrated security system, installed and serviced by a dedicated, trained, and licensed team. Pasek professionals are focused on ensuring the success of solutions through comprehensive research and detailed project requirements. This coupled with Accutech Security products equals unparallel client results for safety and security of infant patients and elderly residents. Specific Accutech product offerings that Pasek Corporation is representing include Cuddles Infant Protection System, Certascan by Accutech Digital Footprinting, Kidz Pediatric Elopement and ResidentGuard Wander Management.

Our diverse product mix offers some of the most reliable, innovative and cost-competitive solutions available to the market, said Chris Konicek, sales & marketing director for Accutech. All Accutech systems are engineered, manufactured and assembled in the U.S. and installed and serviced by a vast network of authorized dealers. Our dealers are truly our professional sales and service arm which we believe gives Accutech the most comprehensive customer support program with the lowest total cost of ownership.

The Pasek/Accutech partnership launched with the coordinated installation of Cuddles Infant Protection System at Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor Maine. Mount Desert Island Hospital is a 25-bed critical access facility delivering 70 babies a year. The facility was challenged with an infant protection system that was antiquated, without warranty and difficult to service. The team at Mount Desert Hospital looked at several different solutions to infant security and under the leadership of Pasek Corporation went with Accutech Securitys Cuddles Infant Protection System due to the products soft band, simplicity of use, training and support.

We relied heavily on Pasek/Accutechs expertise to guide our decision, said Jennifer Johnson, BSN, RN, CCRN, Inpatient Nursing Director at Mount Desert Island Hospital. Once the solution was determined, they (Pasek and Accutech) coordinated on the project to ensure communication was consistent, relationships easily developed, and implementation went smoothly with both companies leadership guiding the process.

A smooth installation and stellar training program made for happy staff members with no complaints logged by any patient families to date. Accutechs Cuddles product has provided a sense of comfort at Mount Desert Island Hospital that there is a fully functioning system backed by a support system of proficient and knowledgeable, professional and courteous experts.

We would highly recommend the Cuddles product and the (Pasek and Accutech) partnership, Johnson said. The system is great! The installation and education went quite well. The nurses and providers love the simplicity and effectiveness of the system.

For an analysis of healthcare systems, security remedies to challenges and custom designed solutions, contact Pasek Corporation for comprehensive and effective results.

About Pasek Corporation

Since 1876, Pasek Corporation has earned a reputation for integration expertise that has evolved from mechanical locking hardware and key systems to delivering state-of-the-art systems. Our proven technologies and industry open standards are helping customers in all of todays leading environments. With 3 locations in Greater Boston and our developed strategic partnerships, our Pasek team of professionals is ready to respond to life-safety, security and access control requirements on your next project.

About Accutech Security

Founded in 1985, Accutech Security is a leading manufacturer of advanced electronic monitoring and security systems, marketed and sold under the Accutech brands. Accutechs specialized, security systems are actively installed in more than 5,000 healthcare facilities across the world. As a leading manufacturer of security systems for over 35 years, Accutech continues to provide innovative, reliable and cost-effective solutions for the safety of babies, patients and residents worldwide.
Caprese Burger at Public House 28 Public House 28 aims to be a center of the community, provide quality food and drink, and establish a gathering spot for everyone in the area.

Public House 28 is now open on Atlantas Westside.

The neighborhood pub and eatery, Pub 28 for short, is available for lunch and dinner at 2030 Bolton Road NW.

The name comes from Atlanta Fire Station 28 which has been a hub of the community since 1954. The station called The Pride Of Riverside was an inspiration since it served with pride not only Riverside but also surrounding neighborhoods such as Whittier Mill, Bolton and Hills Park.

Public House 28 aims to be a center of the community, provide quality food and drink, and establish a gathering spot for everyone in the area. Public House 28 is a full-service family-friendly dining establishment open for lunch and dinner. It has a full bar featuring local craft brews, wine and custom drinks designed for simplicity and quality.

The goal of Public House 28 is not to recreate the wheel. The public house or pub has been a neighborhood tradition for over a thousand years for good reason. Public House 28 is a spot where you can bring your whole family for dinner or lunch any day of the week or just meet with your adult neighbors to unwind from the day.

Menu favorites include nachos and a giant Bavarian pretzel as appetizers, to a range of burgers, sandwiches and wings. Entrees include salmon, ribeye and chicken to please any palate.

The kids menu includes favorites like grilled cheese and mac and cheese. If youve brought along your four-legged friend, Leo pops, organic baked dog treats, are also available.

Check out the full menu at http://www.publichouse28.com.

The owners are local businessman, Don Hammond, along with local restaurateurs Tim Lannon and Claude Rousell, who opened Big Easy Louisiana Grille in Underwood Hills in 2002 and Westside Pizzeria on Marietta Boulevard in 2004. Together with over 50 years of restaurant experience they take pride in providing a great experience to the surrounding neighborhoods.

Public House 28 is open Monday-Tuesday from 11:30 a.m.to 9 p.m.; Wednesday-Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.: Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
RealINSIGHT, the leading software solution for commercial real estate lenders and asset managers, is proud to showcase its technology at the CRE Finance Council Annual Conference from June 10  12, 2019 at the New York Marriott Marquis.

RealINSIGHT will demo its premier, cloud-based CRE technology to the industrys top finance professionals at Booth #11.

After a successful CREFC conference in Miami this past January, were looking forward to heading to New York City. This event is the ideal setting for our team to take the pulse of the commercial real estate industry, and were excited to demonstrate how RealINSIGHT can take CRE firms to the next level, said James Shevlin, President and COO, RealINSIGHT. Commercial real estate is privy to big rewards  but also big risks. When a lender becomes overwhelmed by a portfolio of investments without the proper systems in place, things can start to slip through the cracks. Even the slightest mistake can have huge implications across an organization. Thats why CRE professionals need RealINSIGHT, so they can take back control of their data.

RealINSIGHT supports lenders through the entire lifecycle of their loans  that means no more sloppy handoffs between teams and legacy systems, no more data leaks and no more key man risk. RealINSIGHT easily integrates with accounting, loan servicing and other third-party systems to keep fresh data flowing. Lenders are empowered to proactively take advantage of opportunities, respond decisively to real world challenges, spot exposures and prevent real losses. Within RealINSIGHT, lenders can monitor assets, model cash flows and track loan covenants  all the while ensuring regulatory and financial compliance. RealINSIGHT provides all this and more in an intuitive, accessible, user-friendly and fully customizable technology package.

For more information about the CREFC conference, click here  and to schedule a meeting with a member of the RealINSIGHT team, click here.

About RealINSIGHT

RealINSIGHT, a software solution built by real industry experts, is the only real choice that commercial real estate lenders and asset managers value and trust. Implemented by some of the most active lenders and largest financial service firms in the world  including parent company CWCapital  RealINSIGHT provides CRE professionals with a modern cloud-based platform designed to streamline workflows and effectively manage all aspects of their debt investments. The RealINSIGHT system can handle everything from securitized products like CMBS, CLOs, and Agency to construction, mezzanine, bridge loans and other transitional debt. RealINSIGHT is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland with offices in Dallas, Texas and New York.

To learn more, visit the company at RealINSIGHT.com or follow RealINSIGHT on LinkedIn.
Donna Urbikas Donna is an outstanding sales professional who is an asset to our company. She has built a solid customer base by employing effective marketing strategies and delivering superior service to her clients and fellow real estate professionals.

Urbikas is part of the distinguished Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff team, which consistently ranks among the top companies in the Midwest and global network. She received the coveted Leading Edge Society accolade due to her exemplary performance last year.

Added Nancy Nagy, CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group, Donna is an outstanding sales professional who is an asset to our company. She has built a solid customer base by employing effective marketing strategies and delivering superior service to her clients and fellow real estate professionals.

In addition to the award, Urbikas recently released a new edition of her book, My Sisters Mother: A Memoir of War, Exile, and Stalins Siberia, through University of Wisconsin Press. My Sisters Mother: A Memoir of War, Exile, and Stalins Siberia is the true story about Urbikas Polish-born mother and half-sisters journey through World War II. Both mother and young daughter were deported to Siberia during Stalins terrifying regime. Their riveting story is of hunger, disease, survival and a dangerous escape across a continent.

My Sisters Mother: A Memoir of War, Exile, and Stalins Siberia is an Honoree, Biography/Memoir, Society of Midland Authors Annual Literary Awards; Bronze Winner for Autobiography & Memoir, Foreword INDIE Book Awards; Finalist, Memoir, Midwest Book Awards; and Finalist, Traditional Nonction Book, Chicago Writers Association Awards. It was also selected as a Best Book for Public and Secondary School Libraries.

About Donna Urbikas, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, KoenigRubloff Realty Group

Chicagoland Realtor Donna Urbikas is a Certified Negotiation Expert, Accredited Distressed Property Representative and Luxury Collection Specialist. She works with first-time home buyers, move-up buyers, investors, sellers, landlords and renters. For more information, please call (312) 268-2732, or visit https://donnaurbikas.koenigrubloff.com/.

For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
RapidPakRx adherence strip packaging system This expansion shows the companys commitment to the independent retail pharmacy community and the opportunity we see for expansion and growth. -- CEO & President William Holmes

RxSafe, LLC, the leader in robotic automation that improves patient safety and boosts profitability for independent pharmacies, is pleased to announce that -- for the second time in two years -- it has doubled the size of the company headquarters and manufacturing floor. In early May, RxSafe doubled its home office and factory in Vista, California in order to accommodate demand for its new adherence strip packaging system, the RapidPakRx.

This expansion shows the companys commitment to the independent retail pharmacy community and the opportunity we see for expansion and growth, said RxSafe CEO & President William Holmes. A facility of this size offers us the space we need to support the unprecedented customer demand were experiencing.

In addition, RxSafe recently hired a new COO, Shawn Orr, who has an extensive background ramping up pharmacy automation production. Orr has over 20 years of experience with several manufacturing companies in the healthcare industry, such as Pyxis (now B.D.) and Asteres.

RxSafe is experiencing a strong response to the RapidPakRx adherence packaging system and we are in the process of scaling up our operational capabilities in order to meet this demand, says Orr. We are primed for growth.

The expansion will allow the company to support onsite vertical manufacturing of RapidPakRx, an adherence strip packaging system that is disrupting the pharmacy automation industry. Pouch packaging makes it much easier for patients to be adherent and take their medication in the correct dosage. For the pharmacy owner, built-in vision inspection means unsurpassed accuracy, significantly reducing equipment and labor costs, and a higher standard of patient care.

RxSafe is expanding its team along with its manufacturing space, hiring personnel in multiple areas, including engineering, software development, operations, and customer service.

About RxSafe, LLC

RxSafe is the leader in robotic automation that improves patient safety and boosts profitability for independent retail and hospital outpatient pharmacies. Our RapidPakRx adherence strip packager produces single or multi-med pouches with unprecedented accuracy and efficiency, enabling pharmacies to custom package patient medications on demand. Learn more at http://www.rxsafe.com.
Residential insulation installed in the walls of a new home should be the correct R-Value for modern day construction standards. "It is common for home and business owners to become more aware of their insulation needs when the temperature drops, but it is just as important when the temperature rises."

During the spring season, Boak & Sons clients are often looking to tackle residential and commercial roofing, siding and gutter projects. While these are all great in keeping your home protected from the elements and looking great, Sam Boak advises homeowners to also consider home insulation as well. Insulation isnt just about saving money on heating during the winter months. A well-insulated home can also offer substantial energy savings in the summer months when air conditioning is needed.

According to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, around 90 percent of homes are under insulated in the United States. New home construction requirements on insulation R-value have increased, meaning older homes have a 9 in 10 chance of being under insulated. Unless insulation has been added overtime, an older structure is not as energy efficient as a new construction project completed today. In addition, insulation has three times the impact on the average homes energy and comfort than windows or doors. This makes it an ideal choice if youre looking to improve the overall feeling in your home.

It is common for home and business owners to become more aware of their insulation needs when the temperature drops, but it is just as important when the temperature rises. During the summer, energy and money is spent working to keep your building cool; without proper insulation it could all be a waste.

In winter months, cold rooms or chilly drafts can signal an under-insulated home. In warmer months, here are some signs you can look for. First, higher energy bills. Compare your bills over the last several years. If you see things rising, it might mean insulation has settled becoming less effective. Mice and bugs are never welcome in a home, but these guys can also be a signal you need more insulation. The same holes and crevices they come in through can let cool air escape in the summer. Under insulated homes will heat up in bright sunlight and this will cause the temperature inside your home to rise. Having a hot second story home often means attic insulation is low and the heat from the space is seeping into the home. Boak & Sons encourages homeowners to lower their energy bill by investing in insulation this summer.

We offer a wide variety of insulation products to our clients from fiberglass batts to spray foam, says Sam Boak, president of Boak & Sons. Once we diversified from fiberglass to foam, we saw a 40% increase in gross sales. Foam insulation offers higher efficiencies to homes and businesses that we hadnt seen in any other product.

If you have any questions about commercial or residential insulation, or Sam Boak, please contact Kellie Daley at 330-73-5646 or kdaley@boakandsons.com.

# # #

About Boak & Sons:

Boak & Sons, Inc. was founded by Sam Boak in 1974 as an insulation contractor. With the high energy costs of the 70's, Boak & Sons expanded early on into the roofing business. They offered economical roof installations through cutting edge technology and equipment, allowing customers to recoup even more in energy savings. Today, Boak & Sons is a residential and commercial contractor for roofing, insulation, sheet metal, windows, siding, and gutters. Based in Youngstown, Ohio, the company serves customers in surrounding areas from Cleveland to Pittsburgh. For more information on Boak & Sons, visit their website at: https://www.boakandsons.com/
May 29, 2016 /PRWeb/ -- Slavic401k, a Boca Raton, Florida based 401(k) recordkeeper and third-party administrator has recently been awarded the 2019 FIS Impact Award for their managed account solution, Bespoke. Bespoke is a new investing tool created and provided by Slavic401k. It is one of the first digital advisors built into a 401(k) platform and uses a proprietary algorithm to custom craft a retirement savings and investing plan that is unique to the participants individual goals and life circumstances. It is a fully integrated digital advisor that helps make retirement-readiness a reality.

Within the fintech industry, the FIS Impact Award is considered a coveted award that highlights the newest financial technology advancements. Eligible platforms were judged on the criteria of applied innovation, tangible return on investment, and customer service. Slavic401k knows the importance of preparing for your retirement future that you deserve, and they are proud to continuously bring you high level customer service with top of the line innovation.

John Slavic, President & CEO of Slavic401k, says his team built Bespoke with the growing workforce in mind. The younger generation are more avid savers and so, in many respects, the 401(k) environment is perfect for that mindset. Weve designed Bespoke to be simple to use, and to provide a customized managed account solution at an affordable price. says John Slavic.

As a result of winning the 2019 Impact Award winner, Slavic401k was given the opportunity to select a charity of their choosing to receive a $10,000 donation from FIS. They are proud to support their community and the organization CityHouse  a non-profit located in Delray Beach, Florida that provides long-term, transformational assistances to mothers and their children.

About Slavic401k

In business since 1985, Slavic401k is a recordkeeper and third-party administrator of 401(k) retirement savings plans. Slavic401k is dedicated to providing innovative, efficient and cost-effective retirement solutions. Slavic401k manages over $5 billion in assets and serves over 120 Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), 10,000 worksite clients, and 150,000 participants nationwide. To learn more about Slavic401k, visit http://www.slavic401k.com.

Media Contact: Kathryn Hall, Slavic 401k, (561) 241-9244 x2040, kathrynh(at)slavic401k.com.
Synaptic Ai, a video and artificial intelligence company based in Miami, recently released its latest product, Currency Ai. Synaptics Currency Ai can be integrated with virtually all modern cameras and point of sale (POS) systems to monitor hand-to-hand cash transactions and to prevent employee theft or cash skimming where an employee pockets some or all of a sale without ringing it up.

Employee theft made up 33 percent of a $46.8 billion loss to American retailers in 2018, according to the annual National Retail Security Survey published by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and the University of Florida (UF).

The costs to retailers from employee theft are simply quite staggering, said Synaptics Ais founder Sal Salman. Our Currency Ai puts the power of artificial intelligence into the hands of business owners to affordably and efficiently monitor cash transactions.

Synaptics Currency Ai is a software-based program that uses artificial intelligence for object recognition and to analyze cash transactions. When Currency Ai recognizes that cash is being handled, it communicates directly with POS systems to determine if a sale has been made. If no sale was recorded, then an alert will be triggered to the business owner or manager, who can directly assess if theft has occurred by accessing the recorded video from Synaptics secure cloud servers.

Many frauds involve diverting small sums of money over a long period of time. In 28.7 percent of 2016 cases, the employee theft took place for more than five years, which makes detection challenging, according to Security Magazine. Other uses for Currency Ai include ensuring that lottery tickets, gift, and phone cards are only activated when a customer is present, and to also monitor customer interactions and analyze customer traffic patterns.

Synaptics Currency Ai has value for retail and convenience stores, banks, the food and hospitality industry, such as bars, and any type of business that involves a large amount of cash transactions. Synaptics Currency Ai is currently in use in the Miami area at Natural K9 stores, suppliers of natural dog products, and in late May, Synaptic Ai went in to a development deal with Ripleys Believe It or Not! to monitor cash transactions in its largest North American location in NYCs Times Square.

Synaptic Ai is based out of Miami and offers a number of affordable automated solutions powered by artificial intelligence including facial recognition, object recognition and automatic license plate reading to customers across the country.

Please visit https://www.synapticai.com/ to learn more.

Sal Salman, an artificial intelligence developer, founded Synaptic Ai in 2018. Sal is a three-time University of Miami Hurricane, attaining a BBA in Computer Information Systems, a M.B.A, and a M.S. in Computer Science. He has been in the automation / systems engineer space for over 15 years, building sophisticated aviation applications for American Airlines and Inventory Management applications for Burger King Corporation.

Sal Salman is also the owner of the Natural K9 dog supply stores, and b-roll footage and interviews can be obtained by arranging a visit to one of the Natural K9 stores in South Florida, or online here: https://vimeo.com/332083597

MEDIA INQUIRIES:

Jennifer Witherspoon, jenniferawitherspoon@gmail.com, 386-262-6023 or

Sal Salman, sal@synapticai.com, o: 386-262-6023, c: 305-298-1323

To see Currency Ai in action, conduct interviews and to take B-roll footage at a Natural K9 store in South Florida, please contact:

Carmem Santos, customerservice@naturalk9supplies.com 305-514-0577
On its face, it does not, especially when read in the context of the entire statutory scheme which was a very specific system of  reticulated remedies.

In the case (FTC v. Credit Bureau Center & Michael Brown, Case No. 17-cv-00194, filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit), business law attorney Stephen Cochell, founder of the Cochell Law Firm, argued that Congress never intended to allow the FTC to impose receiverships over businesses and individuals effectively seizing everything owned by a business and by its owners.

According to court documents, the FTC (plaintiff) seized all the assets owned by Credit Bureau Center and all personal assets owned by his client, Michael Brown (defendant, founder of Credit Bureau Center), including his retirement account, requiring him to apply to the Court for living expenses and to request fees to pay his lawyers. The trial court allegedly denied over 80% of the cost of defending CBC and Brown.

Although numerous courts around the country have held that Section 13(b) of the FTC Act grants seizure authority, the Court considered arguments on behalf of CBC and its owner challenging whether Section 13(b) expressly or by implication granted the broad sweeping powers exercised by the FTC. Section 13(b) allows the FTC to seek injunctions to enjoin deceptive acts or practices but does not specifically allow the FTC to seek monetary relief for consumers.

During oral argument on the case, Judge Diane Sykes observed that Section 13(b) did not support the FTCs claim of authority. On its face, it does not, especially when read in the context of the entire statutory scheme which was a very specific system of  reticulated remedies.

Court documents further state that the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals is considering whether the FTC has the legal authority to seize businesses and impose receiverships over companies and individuals for false, deceptive or misleading advertising. The FTC reports that it seized over $2.3 billion in assets from June 30, 2017, to June 30, 2018, from different companies that allegedly violated federal law.

About Cochell Law Firm

Stephen Cochell is a member of the Texas State Bar. He is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, U.S. Court of International Trade, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas. The Cochell Law Firm focuses on commercial litigation, corporate and transactional law, intellectual property, labor and employment law, and white collar criminal defense. For more information, please call (346) 800-3500, or visit https://cochelllawfirm.com/.

For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361.


Ive been a fan of the Arthurian legend all my life, says Holdsworth, a legend based on a real person and a real place thats inspired us to become better people. I wanted to bring that person and place into our world today.

W. A. Holdsworth brings the story of King Arthur and Camelot into the modern world with a series of exciting fictional novels. His second installment is Novum Orbis Regium: The New World Realm (Adelaide Books, $23.20, ISBN-13: 978-1950437436).

476 CE. Badon Hill is under siege by the Saxon warlord Oesc of Kent. Arthurs cavalry holds the high ground. A heavy mist rolls into the valley during the night, blanketing the Saxon camp and giving Arthur his chance to end three generations of war. As the blood-red sun rises above the mist, Arthur and his horsemen plunge down the mountainside in hopes of finally turning their isle of woes into a Camelot to be dreamed of by generations to come.

Modern Day. For fifteen centuries, the Clan Camulodunum has kept Arthurs bloodline from ending in the hopes of one day bringing a new Camelot to the world. William Mac MacCrarey, Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations and Arthur's last living descendant, has called for a Charter Amendment Conference to begin transitioning the UN into a world-wide democratic government  a Novum Orbis Regium.

During his decades-long rise through the ranks of the United Nations, the ruthlessly ambitious Secretary-General Rene Boujeau has amassed a black-market fortune and used it bankroll dictators in key countries and build their armies to massive levels. Now hes ready to coalesce them into a single military force capable of bringing the world to its knees. Only America will be strong enough to stop himif he doesnt undermine her democracy first. With the help of a U.S. Senator, a popular televangelist, and an event of biblical proportions, he devises a plan to place a puppet President in the White House and foment social and political bedlam. Entrusted to execute the plan is Boujeaus cold-blooded Under-Secretary-General Gerhardt Schoen, whose family's dark and secret past has haunted Arthurs descendants for centuriesas it will Mac and his young daughter Cameron.

A rollicking adventure sure to appeal to readers of James Rollins and Dan Brown, Novum Orbis Regium gives us a modern-day Arthur and the beginnings of a new Camelot. W. A. Holdsworth lives and writes in Michigan.

Novum Orbis Regium: The New World Realm is available from Adelaide Books (http://adelaidebooks.org/william_holdsworth.html) and Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/). Review copies may be requested from W. A. Holdsworth at 248-431-0214. Be sure to visit him at Book Expo in New York City, May 30  31, and follow him at https://twitter.com/waholdsworth and https://www.facebook.com/WAHoldsworthNovels/.
3 NGO participants from Russia, Irina Kutkovskaia, Alexander Statsev and Denis Rudenko attending an NGO-organised seminar. There is significant hope resting on the NGO participants shoulders. They have chosen to become those who will provide the necessary knowledge to their clients in the Russian market, increasing overall consumer comprehension of the high value behind these quality denominations.

The majority of European wine labels sold in Russia still remain relatively obscure to the common consumer. This is the opinion of the 27 individuals who joined the Native Grape Odyssey (NGO) program, an EU-financed educational project aimed at promoting European high-quality wine abroad. The project was designed to help wine specialists to acquire the necessary knowledge to thereafter return to their home-turf and educate lay-people such as Russian shop assistants and wine lovers on European high-quality wine.

The April 8th edition of the Corriere Vinicolo, an Italian newspaper dedicated entirely to the world of enological, reserved a significant part of its pages to a discussion about the Italian wine classification system. The debate gained traction because of a survey conducted by Corriere Vinicolo regarding 470 Italian PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) wines sold over a five-year period. The majority of the interviewees proposed a radical review of the wine appellations, but a significant minority insisted that eliminating a portion of the labels could result in a system-wide depreciation. Regardless where debaters stood on the issue, both sides generally felt there was a sense of urgency to demystify the system in order to improve the general confusion created by the great number of existing wine appellations.

Italian wine producers are concerned that there is a dilution of the perception of quality created by the great number of denominations present on the market. Ernesto Abbona, president of Unione Italiana Vini (UIV, Italian Wine Companies Association), stated that in Italy there is an uncontrolled proliferation of denominations, so much so that it is no longer bearable; he went on to say that the market is going in the opposite direction: it rewards simple and clear messages because they are different and signify identity.

On the other hand, there is the possibility that eliminating or unifying wine denominations could mean banalizing the product itself. Despite being less popular than the first one, this opinion is shared by Riccardo Cotarella, president of Assoenologi (Italian Enologists Association), who believes that our wine now more than ever needs to highlight the value of its numerous characteristics related to the land of production. He also pointed out that not all the markets are low-priced; there are millions of educated and curious consumers in the world, who pay attention to every detail of the wine. However, he admitted that at the current state of things, only a few dozen of Italian wine appellations are known at a global level.

Both opinions highlight that a demystification of the wine classification system is necessary to aid foreign consumers when engaging with Europes numerous wine appellations. The European Union is fully aware of the situation, and for this reason has created educational programs to promote its quality-labeled products abroad, including the Native Grape Odyssey (NGO) project, whose target countries are Canada, Japan and Russia.

The Russian Federation is one of the markets where European wine may not have reached its full potential. Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV)s analysis in 2018 reports that Russia is the seventh largest wine importer in the world, with these wines mainly sourced from the European Union (the top three export countries to Russia are Italy, France and Spain). Despite this, the 27 wine experts from Russia who joined the NGO project feel that the majority of Russian consumers still lack knowledge on PDO and PGI European wines and therefore on what makes their labels special. Olga Drobinina, founder and director of a sommelier school, commented, as a wine educator, I am aware of the importance of European quality labels, but most Russians are not. NGO participants agreed that wines are usually purchased based on two criteria; it is primarily a question of price, followed by the wines acclaim. Drobinina continued by saying, Unfortunately, many Russian people pay attention only to the price and there are very few people who really know what they really want to buy. Denis Rudenko, wine educator and sommelier, reinforced her statement by saying: Even the high target consumer chooses the wine for its name and not for the certification label. Wine educator Veronika Denisova shared her colleagues opinions noting that the Russian financial crisis of 2014 undoubtedly created an increased awareness of the price-to-quality relationship in Russian consumers, causing them to become more cautious in their purchases.

However, retailors usually lack the necessary information about European wine to discern products of authentic quality and cannot relay the pertinent details to consumers. This means that consumers eventually rely exclusively on price and recognizable labels, thus risking being fooled by imitations and low-quality products. Therefore, there is significant hope resting on the NGO participants shoulders. They have chosen to become those who will provide the necessary knowledge to their clients in the Russian market, increasing overall consumer comprehension of the high value behind these quality denominations. Their goal in joining the NGO project is to acquire further knowledge on European native grapes, so that they can in turn disseminate this information and provide wine consumers with the necessary tools to purchase what they are really looking for.

About: Native Grape Odyssey is a project financed by the European Union and managed by Unione Italiana Vini and Zante Agricultural Cooperatives Union for the promotion of PDO and PGI European wines abroad, in particular in three countries: Japan, Canada and Russia. In order to achieve this, the Native Grape Odyssey educational program will organize wine seminars, workshops and b2b meetings both in these countries and in Verona, Italy, inviting wine experts and influencers from these countries. These events, realized in the span of three years (2019-21) aim at creating awareness about European native wines abroad, in particular Italian and Greek wines, which share a long tradition and a high standard of quality.
As a leader in workplace best practices and first-adopter of new technology, Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) recently equipped their state-of-the-art office headquarters with Cemtrex SmartDesks. The SmartDesk includes a sit/stand desk, three 24-inch touchscreen display monitors, keyboard, touchless gestures with the leap motion gesture controller, document scanner, conferencing tools, wireless charging, and Windows software.

These desks have literally revolutionized our work space and benefit our employees and company in so many ways. Health, productivity, and employee morale have improved significantly, says Sandra Lawson, director of operations, Venture Construction Group of Florida.

According to a recent study by Texas A&M Universitys Health Science Center School of Public Health, smart desks significantly support employee health and productivity. The study found that employees using stand-capable desks were more productive than their colleagues in standard, seated desks. Researchers also noticed a difference in the workers comfort, attitude about work and how they felt about themselves.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, use of a sit-stand desk reduces upper back and neck pain by 54 percent.

"Sitting is more dangerous than smoking, kills more people than HIV, and is more treacherous than parachuting. We are sitting ourselves to death," says James Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic, in an interview with the LA Times.

VCGFL is committed to constantly integrating state-of-the-art technology into their offices to support employee health, increase workplace synergy, productivity, and safety. VCGFLs offices include a wide array of the latest technology and equipment to provide the most advanced level of service and safety to both employees and clients.

VCGFL headquarters includes a video wall of nine HD televisions that livestream jobsites and multiple weather channels. VCGFLs Digital Touch Screen Table provides an interactive presentation and display environment that enhances team interaction and document viewing in meetings. VCGFLs EarthCam webcam services and 4G LTE TrueLook cameras provide high definition security and project time-lapsing video on projects in progress. VCGFLs Matterport 3D cameras record a full-scale 360-degree three-dimensional view of all jobsites.

We are committed to our staff and our clients and adopting the latest technology and equipment to constantly improve. We have so many amazing resources at our disposal. We are proud to lead the way in workplace safety, employee morale and customer satisfaction, says Stephen Shanton, CEO and president, Venture Construction Group of Florida.

About Venture Construction Group of Florida

Founded in 1998, Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) is a licensed general contractor and an award-winning leader in construction, restoration, renovations, roofing, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services throughout Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Bahamas and the Caribbean. Specializing in commercial projects, VCGFL assists property management companies, condo associations, multi-family structures, hi-rises, retail/business plazas, government facilities, hotels and resorts with comprehensive general contractor services, restoration, mitigation, specialty construction, historical restoration, remodels, property repairs and rebuilds due to fire, flood, water, wind, hail, and hurricane damage. VCGFL holds leading industry awards including the Roofing Alliance MVP Award, Coatings Pro Contractor Award, Pro Remodeler Forty Under 40 Award, Qualified Remodeler Top 500 Remodelers Award, Qualified Remodeler Master Design Award, Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association S.T.A.R. Spotlight Trophy for the Advancement of Roofing Awards in Sustainability and Community Service. CEO Stephen Shanton is a proud member of the prestigious Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). Entrepreneur Magazine hails YEC Consists of Some of the Most Well-Respected Minds in Entrepreneurship. With offices in Boca Raton, Ft. Myers, Naples, Orlando, Panama City Beach, Stuart, Tampa, San Juan, and Nassau, VCGFL is committed to operational excellence and exceptional customer service. VCGFL carries the industrys leading accreditations and is an exclusive certified National Storm Damage Center Preferred Contractor, Windstorm Insurance Network WIND Certified Umpire, WIND Certified Appraiser, WIND Certified Fellow, Certified Member of the United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors, Platinum Preferred Certified Contractor with the National Insurance Restoration Council. VCGFL is a proud member of Insurance Appraisal and Umpire Association (IAUA), Restoration Industry Association (RIA), Property Liability and Resource Bureau (PLRB), Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA), Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Industry Members Association (EIMA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). VCGFL is a registered U.S. Federal Government Contractor and holds leading certifications including Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, Mule-Hide Legacy Contractor, Certified CertainTeed Contractor and Duro-Last Certified Contractor status. VCGFL credentials have been vetted and screened through independent third party Global Risk Management Solutions. For more information call 866-459-8351 or visit us online at http://www.VCGFL.com.

Media Inquiries:

Jennifer Greenawalt

Elev8 Consulting Group

Ph: 386.243.5388

Em: info@elev8cg.com

Web: http://www.elev8cg.com
As an avid supporter of the health and welfare of our nations active duty military personnel and veterans, Venture Construction Group (VCG) sponsored the Lukes Wings Heroes Gala on April 27. Lukes Wings programs include the Lukes Wings Wounded Warrior Transportation Assistance Program that provides complimentary airfare for loved ones of wounded military personnel to be present throughout recovery. Ancillary programs support the Special Operations community and Veterans In Hospice Care for service members battling life-threatening illnesses. The 2019 annual gala raised $443,000 to provide critical flights for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans in hospice care, and first responders. Lukes Wings committed to providing 1,000 flights for wounded warriors in 2019, far surpassing previous years.

We sincerely thank Venture Construction Group for their support at this years Gala. Their encouragement has given us the resolve we need to continue working until those wounded, ill and injured are home with their families for good. It was a record breaking year for us! says Lindsay Gill, executive director, Lukes Wings.

Lukes Wings was founded in 2008 by a group of dedicated individuals who observed the struggles of wounded warriors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit organization has grown considerably and serves a long list of military medical facilities, VA medical centers and hospice facilities across the country and has provided airfare for families across all 50 states and internationally.

We support our nations military personnel and veterans throughout the country each year. Every month is military appreciation month at Venture, says Stephen Shanton, CEO and president, Venture Construction Group.

National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM) is celebrated every May and is a declaration that encourages U.S. citizens to observe the month in a symbol of unity. NMAM honors the current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

VCG was a Live Silent Auction Sponsor and donated 12 seats to wounded warriors and their families to attend the event. Auction items included art created by disabled combat veterans, a World War 2 B-25 Bomber flight experience, and a Gretsch Rancher Guitar signed by country music stars Lee Brice and the Turnpike Troubadors.

Throughout the year, VCG supports numerous initiatives and programs that provide resources for military personnel, veterans, and their families. In addition to sponsoring Lukes Wings, VCG supports Courage On All Fronts, Operation Toy Drive, and the Roof Deployment Project to provide materials, labor and new roofs to veterans in need.

About Venture Construction Group

Founded in 1998, Venture Construction Group (VCG) is a licensed general contractor and an award-winning leader in construction, restoration, renovations, roofing, storm damage repairs, and 24/7 emergency services. VCG services commercial and residential properties throughout the East Coast, Greater Mid-Atlantic Region, Gulf Coast, and Midwest. Operational excellence is our mission in every project we undertake, and we pride ourselves on providing exceptional customer service. Specializing in commercial projects, VCG assists property management companies, condo associations, multi-family structures, hi-rises, retail/business plazas, government facilities, hotels and resorts with comprehensive general contractor services, restoration, mitigation, specialty construction, historical restoration, remodels, property repairs and rebuilds due to fire, flood, water, wind, hail, and hurricane damage. VCG CEO Stephen Shanton earned the prestigious Pro Remodeler Forty Under 40 Award. Shanton is a proud member of the prestigious Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC). Entrepreneur Magazine hails YEC Consists of Some of the Most Well-Respected Minds in Entrepreneurship. VCG is committed to operational excellence and exceptional customer service. VCG is an exclusive certified National Storm Damage Center Preferred Contractor, Platinum Preferred Certified Contractor with the National Insurance Restoration Council, WindStorm Insurance Network WIND Certified Umpire, WIND Certified Appraiser, WIND Certified Fellow, Certified Member of the United Association of Storm Restoration Contractors, Certified Member of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Industry Members Association (EIMA), Certified Member of National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Owens Corning Platinum Preferred Contractor, Mule-Hide Legacy Contractor, Certified CertainTeed Contractor and Duro-Last Certified Contractor. VCG credentials have been vetted and screened through independent third party Global Risk Management Solutions. With offices nationwide and a solid reputation throughout the country, we are able to respond to your needs with quality, ease, and top-notch service. For more information call 866-459-8348 or visit us online at http://www.VentureConstructionGroup.com.

About Lukes Wings

Lukes Wings, a non-profit dedicated to American heroes who have been wounded in battle, provides transportation services to wounded warriors and their loved ones so they can be together during the service members hospitalization and rehabilitation. These visits not only bring comfort, but play a crucial role in healing, both physically and emotionally. Additionally, Lukes Wings is the go-to for providing flights for the loved ones of special operators under the Special Operations Command Care Coalition who are injured on special missions, and provides flights for family members of Veterans in hospice care in an effort to ensure that no veteran is ever alone during their final days. Learn more about Lukes Wings at http://www.LukesWings.org.

Media Inquiries:

Jennifer Greenawalt

Elev8 Consulting Group

Ph: 386.243.5388

Em: jennifer@elev8cg.com

Web: http://www.elev8cg.com
New Jersey-based public relations firm, Violet PR, has received two gold medals in the prestigious 2019 Bulldog PR Awards. We are honored to have received the top social media prize for creating an online platform connecting thousands of educators and students, said April Mason, president and owner of Violet PR.

Today, New Jersey-based public relations firm, Violet PR, announced the company received two gold medals in the prestigious 2019 Bulldog PR Awards. Violet PRs Twitter campaign for the P-TECH education network earned the top spot in the Best Use of Social Media category, and its economic development press trip promoting Pittsburghs innovation sector won Best Campaign on a Shoestring Budget.

The Bulldog PR Awards, which rank the most outstanding PR and communications campaigns, are the only national public relations contest judged exclusively by working journalists. The judges evaluate the entries based on creativity, originality, strategy, execution and results.

We are honored to have received the top social media prize for creating an online platform connecting thousands of educators and students, said April Mason, president and owner of Violet PR. Our clients were wowed by the results our four-person agency achieved.

Violet PRs winning social media campaign shined a spotlight on P-TECH, the STEM education model pioneered by the IBM Foundation. During the year-long campaign, Violet PR distributed over 2,400 original Tweets and built a following of 6,500-plus Twitter users on the @PTECHNetwork handle.

Violet PR won another top prize for the Pittsburgh Innovation Tour, which helped transform the former steel towns reputation into a destination for tech, artificial intelligence and biotech innovation. Violet PR recruited seven national reporters for this three-day press trip to Pittsburgh from news outlets including Fast Company, Forbes, Politico, VentureBeat, ZDNet and MedTech Insight. Over 20 favorable news stories appeared following the trip, resulting in 55 million impressions.

The Bulldog PR Awards received a record-breaking number of entries this year. To learn more about the 2019 Bulldog Stars of PR Awards, click here.

About Violet PR

Whether its rebranding a city, drawing attention to a revitalized neighborhood, or promoting a new sustainable development, Violet PR helps clients make a difference. Through a combination of news stories, social media and compelling content, our New Jersey-based boutique public relations firm helps clients attract more dollars and supporters. Follow Violet PR on Twitter @Violet__PR. For more information visit: https://www.violetpr.com/.

About Bulldog Reporter

Bulldog Reporter has been providing news, best practices and insights to PR and communications professionals since 1980. Filled with insights on topics critical to PR pros and communicators, including media relations, crisis communications, influencer marketing and many other topics you won't find anywhere else, the Bulldog Reporter email newsletter brings you compelling and relevant articles, plus timely updates about journalist moves and agency news so you can stay on top of your PR game. The Bulldog Awards, the only PR awards program judged exclusively by working journalists, are run by Bulldog Reporter and celebrate the best and brightest in corporate communications and public relations. Bulldog Reporter, and the Bulldog Awards, are a subsidiary of Agility PR Solutions, a provider of media database, monitoring and PR measurement solutions for PR and communications professionals. https://bulldogawards.com/


Dr. Ric Baser has dedicated his life to education and leadership and has mobilized his faculty and staff to double graduation rates, build business and community partnerships and create a culture of achievement, said West Chamber President Kristi Villanueva.

Northwest Vista College President Dr. Ric Neal Baser is receiving the Legacy Educator of the Year Award from the West San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. Baser is one of five San Antonio leaders who will be recognized on Friday, May 31 at the Legacy Gala, an immersive art, dance and awards show dedicated to the celebration of diversity and collective contributions to the community. The event will take place at 7 pm at The Plaza Club, 100 W. Houston Street.

West Chamber President Kristi Villanueva said, The West Chamber recognizes strategic and innovative leaders. Dr. Ric Baser has dedicated his life to education and leadership and has mobilized his faculty and staff to double graduation rates, build business and community partnerships and create a culture of achievement and success that impacts economic progress on the West Side and throughout the San Antonio community.

For more than two decades, NVC has had a presence in West San Antonio with its Community Health Worker and Water Resource Science programs at the Westside Education and Training Center. NVC is hoping to continue partnering with the West Chamber to encourage and assist more residents to earn an associate's degree. According to Niche.com, only 17% of West Side residents have some college or an associate's degree compared to a national average of 29%.

During his five-year tenure as Northwest Vista College president, Baser has pushed for excellence in student success which has resulted in:



Establishing a Veterans Lounge and Resource Center on campus

Opening the Vista Central Welcome Center, a hub for student services

Creating an NVC Food Pantry on campus (42% of NVC students are economically disadvantaged)

Launching an Archaeology Field School in Von Ormy, Texas for excavation projects

Breaking ground on a new Welcome Center projected to serve 20,000 students

In the last two years, Northwest Vista College has been recognized as:

- - No. 1 community college in Texas and No. 6 in the nation by Niche.com

- - Among the top ranked colleges in Texas by BestColleges.com

- - No. 9 community college in the nation for Hispanics by Hispanic Outlook

- - 2018 Bellwether Top 10 award finalist

- - 2018 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges by NISOD and Diverse

- - 2017 Aspen Award nominee for community college excellence

I am humbled by this recognition, Baser said. I accept this award on behalf of Northwest Vista College faculty and staff who make our college mission, vision and strategic plan a reality by supporting students, motivating and challenging them and helping them succeed.

Northwest Vista College (NVC), which is part of the Alamo Colleges District, opened in 1995 with 12 students. Current enrollment exceeds 16,000 students, pursuing associate degrees and certificates, as well as transferring to universities. Located in Westover Hills, NVCs expanding agreements with business and higher education partnerships provide a wealth of opportunities for students and the community.
With five starred reviews, Tomi Adeyemis debut novel, Children of Blood and Bone, the first book in her West Africaninspired YA trilogy, the Legacy of Orisha, was thrust into the limelight. The fantasy, about maji Zelies struggle to restore eradicated magic to the kingdom of Orisha, rose to the top of the New York Times bestseller list and landed the author a movie deal with Fox 2000. Adeyemi will talk about the sequel, Children of Virtue and Vengeance (Holt, Dec.), at todays Childrens Book & Author Breakfast.

The inspiration for the first-generation Nigerian-Americans fantasy was entirely serendipitous, she says. After graduating from Harvard, she traveled to Salvador, Brazil, on a fellowship to study West African mythology and culture. At a museum gift shop, she spotted a postcard set in the magical, mythological world of Orisha. I had never before seen images of black gods and goddessesdeities who were darker than I am, she says. In my mind, they did not exist, and that postcard was life-changing. I knew right away I had to write something set in this world.

Though Adeyemi had her setting, she didnt find a story to go with it until months later, when she saw a digital illustration of a black girl with bright green hair. I knew then I had my story, and I began writing, she says. The girls story captivated me, and I knew it fit in the world of Orisha Id seen on that postcard in Brazil. I wrote quicklyand just kept on going.

A driving factor in Adeyemis fiction, she says, is to give people who havent seen themselves in books the chance to do so. But I also feel passionate about telling stories about someone who is different from the reader, to force readers to fall in love with what is different from them.

Adeyemi sees her novels as an allegory for the black experience and black pain in America. I believe that most science fiction, dystopian, and fantasy novels are about oppressionthough they may replace real people with dragons or other mythological creatures, she says. The stories involve some entity in power abusing those without power, and that is what people across the world face every day, especially the marginalized and those of color.

Today, 89:30 a.m. Tomi Adeyemi will speak at the Childrens Book & Author Breakfast, on the Main Stage.
Click Here to go to PublishersWeekly.com
What do you do when one of your idols turns out to be a fake? How do you reconcile his influence on you, and on the world, with his dishonesty? These questions drive journalist Susannah Cahalans forthcoming book The Great Pretender (Grand Central, Nov.), which centers on David Rosenhan, a Stanford psychologist whose reform-spurring research into insane asylums may not have been as scrupulous as it should have been.

Cahalan, a former reporter for the New York Post, has a personal investment in studies of mental illness. Her first book, Brain on Fire (Simon & Schuster, 2013), chronicled her experience with a rare autoimmune disease that was first misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder. When she encountered Rosenhans classic study, On Being Sane in Insane Places, she found that it reflected her own experience of crossing the border between sane and insane.

For the study, which was published in the early 1970s, Rosenhan and seven other people got themselves admitted to insane asylums by faking symptoms of mental illness. Their reports on their experiences in the asylumsand their struggles to prove themselves sane enough to be let outshed unflattering light on how caretakers treated the mentally ill and hastened the closure of psychiatric institutions.

For Cahalan, the study captured the particular trauma of being labeled insane, even if only temporarily. She says, This feeling of depersonalization, this feeling of doctors wanting to distance themselves from you, feeling other,  all of which resonated with her. But when she began to look into the story behind the study, which was originally published in the journal Science, she found troubling inconsistencies.

Cahalan gained access to Rosenhans files, as well as medical records from the insane asylums he studied. She also interviewed study participants whod never spoken publicly about the experiment. (Rosenhan himself died in 2012.) Eventually, Cahalan began to suspect that portions of the study had been fudged. The questions kept coming, she says.

Cahalan found it difficult to square the positive effects of the study with its scientific shakiness. Rosenhan exposed widespread maltreatment of mentally ill patients and inspired soul-searching in the psychiatric community. Should his mendacities necessarily negate that?

In Ken Keseys classic insane-asylum novel, One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest, he writes: Its the truth even if it didnt happen. Its a line Cahalan returned to often while writing the new book.Theres something about that, that I like, she said. Even though this study needs a kind of reckoning, I do believe it has a message.

Today, 11-noon. Susannah Cahalan will sign The Great Pretender at Table 3.
There are whole chunks of my life that I dont remember because all of my bandwidth and emotions were devoted to just existing, recalls Bassey Ikpi, author of Im Telling the Truth, but Im Lying (Harper, Aug.). Ikpis memoir, a collection of candid essays that fuse poetry and stream of consciousness, illuminates the Nigerian-American writers struggles with bipolar II disorder. But she wasnt always eager to share, in unflinching, accurate detail, her everyday turmoil. The hardest thing Ive ever done is give the book permission to be what it needed to be, she adds.

Her first attempt at the memoir felt wrong to her from the get-go, and Ikpi thought it necessary to lie about the problems she faced in her life. She couldnt acknowledge what was really going on. Then, a few years ago, when she was in a deep crisis, tired of fighting the darkness that kept returning and tired of not being able to say, Im not okay, Ikpi was finally ready to reveal the unvarnished truth. This time, the words rushed out of her, leading to the book that had been germinating for almost 20 years.

Instead of relating a clinical account of bipolar II disorder, Ikpi embraced a more intimate approach. I wanted to tell it from within the diagnosis, within the depression, within the grief. I didnt want people to attach themselves to my diagnosis, but to what was happening to me, she explains.

Ikpi has appeared on HBOs Def Poetry Jam and has been part of the Tony Awardwinning Broadway shows touring company.I got onstage and did what I needed to do, but no one saw the terror and will it took, she says. Thats why even mundane routinessleeping, bodega runsare given prominence in the book, exposing how the bipolar disorder permeates her life.

In addition to her writing, Ikpi is a mental health advocate who founded the Siwe Project and #NoShameDay for awareness in the black community and to help alleviate entrenched stigmas. The book, then, is also a bold extension of that educational platform.

The way we are taught to write about ourselves and the way we actually live our lives are so different, she says. Sometimes you are just within yourself, without understanding whats going on around you. Being open gives me a greater responsibility for my wellness. It allows me the room to find things to be better for.

Today, 22:30 p.m. Bassey Ikpi signs at Table 9.
Alix Ohlins third novel, Dual Citizens, is the engrossing, intricate tale of half-sisters Lark and Robin Brossard, from their childhood in Montreal to adulthood as Lark hones her documentary filmmaking prowess in film school and Robin attends Juilliard for piano to an accident upending Larks life, reversing the sisters' roles. Ohlin makes the case for Richard Yates's The Easter Parade as the best book you've never read.

When Richard Yatess The Easter Parade came out in 1976, it was a Book of the Month Club selection, alongside Judith Guests Ordinary People. Yateswhod achieved career-making acclaim with his first novel, Revolutionary Road, but less success with subsequent oneswas excited about his expanded readership. But he also called up his editor Sam Lawrence to express his worry that Delacorte planned to market the novel, which follows two sisters from the 1930s to the 1970s, as a womans book.

Yates was not the first or last male novelist (see under: Franzen) to worry that his work would be diminished by its association with women. Even today, womens fiction remains a category in publishingmy own books are sometimes labeled that wayand I often wonder what it means. Is it a book that features women? Is it anything I write, because Im a woman?

I was working on my new womans book, Dual Citizens, about two sisters and their complicated, life-long bond, when a friend suggested I read The Easter Parade. Like most people, the only Yates Id read was Revolutionary Road. In the decades since his death in 1992, Revolutionary Road has kept Yatess reputation alive; according to NPD BookScan, it has sold 483,000 copies in paperback since 2004, with over half of that coming after the release of the film version in 2008. The Easter Parade, by contrast, has sold just over 10,000 copies in paperback since 2004.

It deserves more readers. I fell in love with it from the dark, once-upon-a-time cadence of its opening sentence: Neither of the Grimes sisters would have a happy life, and looking back it always seemed that the trouble began with their parents divorce. If this is a womans book, Yates is clear that it wont be a light-hearted one. Emily and Sarah Grimes grow up with their alcoholic, self-deluding mother, Pookie, in a series of rental homes they cant afford. Their father, who lives in New York City, is well-intentioned but distant, a copy-man at a newspaper who didnt amount to much and knows it. The three women form an awkward triad, often struggling to find anything to talk about, yet forever implicated in each others lives.

Things look promising when Sarah meets a handsome, genteel neighbor, Tony Wilson. At the start of their courtship, he and Sarah dress up in their finest clothes, walk in the Easter Parade, and are photographed for the rotogravure section of the New York Times. But after this brief high point, the relationship goes precipitously downhill: Tony and Sarah have three children and descend into dysfunctional family life. They drink to excess; Sarah is isolated, her occasional attempts at writing going nowhere; Tony beats her.

Marriage is no happily-ever-after conclusionits a prison that the prisoner has to pretend to enjoy. Little wonder that Emily mistrusts it. When Sarah tells Emily to marry one of her boyfriends, Emily snaps, Youre always telling me to marry people, Sarah. You say that about every man I bring out here. Is marriage supposed to be the answer to everything? Sarah looked hurt. Its the answer to an awful lot of things.

Theyre both wrong. Emily takes a different path from her sister; smart and studious, she attends Barnard, later working at magazines and in advertising. She has affairs with a number of men, most of them awful. (While I wouldnt exactly call Yates a comic writer, Emilys boyfriends star in a number of bleakly hilarious scenes.) Yates narrates Emilys sexual experiences with frankness, her desire acknowledged without prudishness, and the issues that come alongone of her lovers is impotent, another is bisexualare treated as matters of fact. She has two abortions, which Yates, again, presents without judgment. For a while she works on an essay about her experiences, and when she puts it away, its not because shes traumatized or fearful of writing about abortion but because she can see, with her editors gelid eye, that the writing isnt very good.

Yates based Emily in part on Natalie Bowen, a friend/girlfriend who worked as an editor at Putnams, and in part on himself. His own mother, Dookie, shared Pookies artistic ambitions and alcoholism, and he and his sister Ruth grew up in an environment that exactly tracks Sarah and Emilys. The novel remains autobiographical throughout, from Sarahs move to an under-maintained family estate on Long Island to Pookies eventual institutionalization.

In middle-age Emily, Yatess stand-in, meets Jack Flanders, a poet who also seems a stand-in for Yates, animating a love affair between two versions of the same person. Flanders asks her to accompany him to the Iowa Writers Workshop, where hes been invited to teach for two years. As Jack struggles to work and teachevoking Yatess own experience at Iowa, when experimental writers like the Chilean novelist Jose Donoso competed with traditional realists like himselfhe traps Emily in the web of his narcissism and despair. Insisting on writing in the main room of the house, he tells her, I like being able to look up and see you. Moving in and out of the kitchen, hauling the vacuum cleaner.

Emily tries to write too, but cant, and Yatess portrait of a woman stifled by male ego is so acute here. When she turns down Jacks proposal of marriage and family and goes back to New York alone, it seems an excellent choice, no matter what the consequences might be.

Of course the consequences, Yates being a poet of lifes everyday brutality, are not good. Emily suffers just as much as Sarah does; her independent life is every bit as poisonous as Sarahs housebound one. When her nephew Peter tells her admiringly, Youve always struck me as the original liberated woman, the observation lands grimly and without solace.

The Easter Parade covers 40 years of massive social changes in the lives of women, but it offers almost no lengthy descriptions of the era or deliberations on what these changes mean. Instead Yates presents a compressed montage of brisk, vivid scenes, each one a masterpiece of gesture and detail. Late in life Sarah and Emily meet in a coffee shop to discuss the possibility of Sarah leaving Tony. In the middle of the scene, the narrative gaze travels to a booth across the aisle, where a couple of young lovers were murmuring, side by side, the girls fingers tracing little elliptical patterns on the inner thigh of the boys tight, well-faded blue jeans. Its a tiny but electric shock of youthful sensuality that contrasts sharply with the sisters tense conversation. Sarah and Emily are alone together, while sex and pleasure sit nearby, almost close enough to touch.

The Easter Parade may be harsh in the fates it hands to Sarah and Emily, but its also even-handed in its treatment of them, two women who straddle the radical shifts of the twentieth century and discover that any path they might take is vexed with difficulty. And though neither of them makes good on their desire to write, Yates never treats their aspirations as foolish. Like the Grimes sisters, the characters in my novel have artistic ambitions that are hard to realize, and in The Easter Parades troubled women I found both historical connection and timeless resonance.

Yates himself was hardly a feminist. As Blake Bailey outlines in his well-wrought and wildly depressing biography, A Tragic Honesty, Yates was old-fashioned in his aesthetic and political values, and he was a pretty bad husband too. Yet he also lived his life among womenfirst his mother and sister, then his two wives and three daughters and assorted girlfriendsand from the evidence he understood a great deal about their lives. I think The Easter Parade is an inadvertent feminist classic, a womans book in the best possible meaning of that fraught term.
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
Four months after rallying international pressure against the regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, the Trump administration must prevent a deal that would leave criminals in control in Caracas. For 20 years, self-interested politicians have delivered little more than empty promises and rigged elections as Hugo Chavez and his acolyte Maduro consolidated a narco-dictatorship. Now a move toward a sordid accommodation with this regime threatens to squander U.S. efforts to depose Maduro.

Vice President Mike Pence has said repeatedly, the time for negotiations is over. However, the U.S.-backed interim government has just declared that the time for negotiations is this week in Oslo. The Norwegian mediators recognize Maduro as president rather than as a usurper -- a starting position that renders the Oslo talks pointless. It is peculiar that Venezuelas interim president Juan Guiado, whom Washington has backed to the hilt, has indulged calls for open-ended dialogue. The State Department was left to issue a skeptical declaration, affirming thatthe only thing to negotiate with Nicolas Maduro is the conditions of his departure.

Years of negotiations have allowed the regime to buy time and dig in, and recent efforts by the opposition to outfox Maduro have failed. An April 30 rebellion against Maduro was engineered by the opposition in collaboration with Raul Gorrin, a billionaire bagman indicted in U.S. federal court for looting and laundering money for regime cronies. According to a credible published account, Gorrin promised Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lopez, illegitimate supreme court president Maikel Moreno, and several generals that the U.S. government would drop sanctions against anyone who abandoned Maduro. However, by the time Guaido announced Operation Liberty, Padrino and Moreno backed the regime and exposed the plot.

U.S. financial sanctions have barely touched the regimes fortune in looted assets. That vast war chest and the proceeds of cocaine and gold sales form the mortar that binds the criminal regime together. Moreover, regime leaders likely realize that powerful federal prosecutors in Florida, Houston, and New York are not about to quash indictments against narco-state kingpins and massive money launderers.

Before turning to Gorrin, some of Guaidos backers pinned their hopes on retired general and chavista stalwart Hugo Carvajal, who has twice been indicted on U.S. cocaine-smuggling charges. Carvajal defected with great fanfare in February, portraying himself rather implausibly as a crusading crime fighter who had soured on Maduros corruption. On the contrary, it soon became clear that he was a stalking horse for regime kingpins. In the ensuing weeks, according to media sources, Carvajal plotted in Europe with Rafael Ramirez, the exiled chavista chieftain who is desperate to install a regime in Caracas that would protect the billions he allegedly embezzled as head of Venezuelas state oil company. The Carvajal gambit fell apart when he was arrested in Spain at the request of U.S. authorities.

If men like Gorrin and Carvajal are empowered to engineer a rebellion against Maduro, they will dictate the terms of Venezuelas future. The essential work of ferreting out drug smugglers and terrorists and expelling Cuban henchmen and Colombian narco-guerrillas would be impossible if criminals remain part of the power structure. Whats worse, the fact that Washington has relaxed sanctions and backed a sweeping amnesty for those abandoning Maduro would confer legitimacy on such an unseemly power-sharing arrangement. Such an outcome would leave Venezuelas future and American interests and influence in worse shape than ever.

Fuzzy dialogue sponsored by the Norwegians or the EU-backed International Contact Group will do more harm than good. The United States and key democratic partners in the Americas must either pull the plug on the talks or take charge. A minimal framework for transition would demand the departure of Maduro and his fellow kingpins, the dismantling of the regime and its criminal cartels, the restoration of democratic institutions, the organization of fair elections, the surrender of all stolen assets and ill-gotten gains, and the expulsion of foreign agitators.

U.S. diplomats weakened their position by contradicting President Trumps original declaration that all options are on the table. Their unforced error raised the stakes for U.S. credibility, as Russia doubled down on its support for Maduro. Allowing Venezuelan politicians to play Washingtons hand would be another mistake, as is seeking a power-sharing deal with a Putin-backed regime.

That leads back to where we started. When it comes to dealing with a criminal regime that is harming millions of Venezuelans, regional stability, and U.S. security, all options -- except for bargaining with Maduro or his co-conspirators -- must be on the table.

The author was U.S. Ambassador to the OAS and Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs from 2001-05. He is a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and his firm Vision Americas LLC represents U.S. and foreign clients. The views expressed are the author's own.
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
Former CEO of Lynch, Jones & Ryan brokerage now works to improve the business district of Fifth Avenue in New York City.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/31/2019



ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Larissa Christina Dos Santos Lima has avoided jail time in her domestic-violence court case after allegedly assaulting her ex-husband Colt Johnson Larissa, 32, has accepted a deal to reduce her misdemeanor domestic violence charge down to a disorderly conduct charge in exchange for community service and a fine, E! News reported Larissa was reportedly ordered by a judge to serve 48 hours of community service and pay a $345 fine."Everything went according to plan. The judge accepted the negotiations to reduce her case down to a disorderly conduct upon successful completion of her requirements," Larissa's attorney Adam M. Vander Heyden said in a media statement obtained by E! News."After consulting with her immigration attorney, this negotiation will not impede her ability to obtain citizenship."Larissa took to Instagram Stories on Thursday to discuss the results of her Thursday court hearing earlier that day."Friends don't believe in fakes, my case was PAUSED has no 'guilty' or 'no guilty'... and I'll follow the program the court [gave] me in the end won't be domestic violence," Larissa explained, Us Weekly reported "This [is] all can I say about the case, who has real info and can speak about don't make fakes to make you guys confuse [sic]."Although Larissa claimed a verdict had not been reached in her case, she reposted a comment from an unidentified account that said, "Congratulations on the deal to my friend Lari!!! Not guilt. She stays in America!!! Haters having a heart attack today hahha."Also on Thursday, Larissa posted a photo of herself with police in the background as well as images of what appeared to be a celebration with her new boyfriend, Eric."I would like to thank my attorney, Adam Vander Heyden @dui_doctor for the amazing job he did representing me and protecting my rights. He helped me through this in the most dignified manner," Larissa captioned the slideshow."Thank you, @goombolsaffino, for holding my hand and giving me the strength and support to help me figure out my classes and community service. I would like everyone to know that I am very happy and positive about my future!"Colt and Larissa, who currently star on : Happily Ever After? but got their start in the franchise by starring on Season 6 of , got married in June 24, 2018, according to Clark County Clerk records obtained by Reality TV World.After two previous arrests in 2018, Larissa was taken into custody a third time in January 2019 following an explosive argument with Colt in their former Las Vegas home that escalated into bloody injuries -- including a gash on Larissa's cheek and a cut on the inside of Colt's lip.According to Larissa, the fight sparked when she allegedly found email receipts for pornographic videos Colt had allegedly purchased.Larissa was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery, according to a criminal complaint obtained by TMZ.The document, which was filed in Las Vegas, reportedly stated that Larissa "did willfully and unlawfully use force or violence against or upon the person of her spouse."Hours after the incident, Colt filed for divorce from Larissa on January 11 to end their seven-month relationship.After Colt filed for divorce, Larissa later responded to the petition in February and requested Colt pay her $1,000 per month in spousal support.On April 1, Colt's lawyer released a statement saying Colt and Larissa had reached a divorce agreement and it was in the process of being written up to be signed and submitted to the judge overseeing the case.Larissa's was supposed to have appeared in court on April 4 for her latest domestic violence charge, however she and her lawyer received a continuance.In late April, Larissa and Colt's divorce was finalized after a Nevada judge signed their agreement to make it official.According to court documents of the divorce settlement obtained by TMZ, neither Colt or Larissa are required to pay spousal support to the other and there is no community property, income, assets or debt to split up between them.In addition, Colt and Larissa have reportedly agreed to not "slander, defame, disparage or communicate untruths" about each other in the press or on social media.If either individual makes any malicious statements about their former spouse, they will allegedly owe significant monetary damages to the other.Earlier this week, Larissa denied Colt's mother Debbie's claim she will be deported soon."I woke up this morning, to find messages sent to me, and posted about my legal status in the US," Larissa wrote on Instagram on Sunday, according to Us."This isn't true, everything about my status in the US is confidential and will not be disclosed by third parties that [are] not involved in any immigration process with me."
,



We're sorry, this article is not currently available
Athens, GA (30605)

Today

Cloudy skies with showers and a possible thunderstorm late. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with showers and a possible thunderstorm late. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
The plucking of dussehri, which will hit the shelves next week at 50% premium, started late this season, because of poor crop and adverse weather conditions, including hailstorms, in the orchards of Malihabad.

After paying more for kesar, the succulent mango grown in Gujarat, and Maharashtras Alphonso variety in opening season, Indias mango lovers will feel a pinch in their pockets while purchasing Uttar Pradeshs aromatic dussehri breed.

Dussehri, likely to hit the domestic market next week, is expected to open at a premium of more than 50 per cent over last year, which saw a bumper crop of more than 4 million tonnes (mt).

In this season, we expect a box (5 kg) of dussehri to sell at nearly Rs 300 in the initial weeks, compared to about Rs 200 per box last year, Shiv Sharan Singh, a mango grower in the Malihabad belt, told Business Standard.

He said dussehri would hit the shelves in all major domestic agri markets, including Delhis Azadpur mandi, in the first week of June.

Uttar Pradeshs mango production could fall 50 per cent from last years 4 mt output, according to various estimates.

However, Mango Growers Association of India (MGAI) president Insram Ali said a marginal growth in the mango output was expected earlier.

The plucking of dussehri started late this season, because of poor crop and adverse weather conditions, including hailstorms, in the orchards of Malihabad - a part of Lucknow.

A similar situation was seen in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra that produces Alphonso.

In absence of that, Alphonso from the south was flooded in cities like Mumbai.

The production of mango is progressively becoming a losing proposition for farmers due to a lack of government support.

"The central horticulture department has convened a meeting on June 7, where we shall demand insurance cover and specialised testing labs for the crop, said Ali.

Ali says mango exports this year have been hurt by a low freight subsidy, currently at Rs 26 per kg.

The farmer body wants the subsidy to be doubled to Rs 50 per kg.

Fauzan, a leading mango trader, claimed that over the last two years, the annual trade of dussehri has been Rs 2,500 crore, expected to shrink to below Rs 800 crore this season.

Uttar Pradesh has 14 mango belts viz. Lucknow (Lucknow, Malihabad, Bakshi-ka-Talaab), Saharanpur and the Sambhal-Amroha-Muzaffarnagar districts.

Apart from Dussehri, other major varieties grown in the state are Langda, Chausa, Amprapali and Mallika.

Andhra Pradesh and UP together account for 40 per cent of Indias annual mango production, followed by Karnataka, Bihar, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Last year, India had produced 22 mt of mangoes.

Although advance estimates of mango production for the current year (2018-19) stood at 22.4 mt, reports suggest that crop losses across major mango-growing states due to bad weather will hurt the output.

Meanwhile, UP mango growers are eyeing the export market, especially the Gulf countries.

The UAE is the top export destination for Indian mangoes, accounting for a 60 per cent share.

It is followed by the Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bangladesh. Mangoes from the South are exported to South East Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, etc.

India is among the worlds leading mango producers, with nearly 40 per cent of the global output.

China, Thailand and Pakistan are other major producers.

Yet, the lions share of Indias output is consumed domestically and only a miniscule quantity - about 2 mt - is exported.

During 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18, the total value of mango exports from India stood at $50 million, $67 million and $59 million, respectively.

The most popular varieties exported were Alphonso from Maharashtra, Neelam and Kesar from Gujarat, and Safeda and Badami from Andhra Pradesh.

This year we would be exporting mango to Dubai, Saudi Arabia and other West Asian countries.

"In July, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is also taking a delegation of mango exporters to China to crack the market for future exports, Nadeem Siddiqui, the promoter of Shahnaz Exports, said.

Siddiqui is also the president of UP Mango Exporters Association.

The grounding of Jet Airways, he claimed, was posing a challenge for mango exporters as it led to higher freight charges.

Earlier, we could book a consignment for about Rs 50 per kg. However, freight costs are higher now and we are negotiating with airlines to keep charges affordable and exports viable, he added.

Photograph: PTI Photo
Some years ago, Rakesh Gangwal reportedly said his relationship with Rahul Bhatia evolved in an amazing friendship, which he termed 'blind trust'.

The question is whether that is under scrutiny now.

Surajeet Das Gupta reports.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Indigo/Facebook

On the surface they are the most unlikely of partners.

Rahul Bhatia, the promoter of IndiGo, is known for avoiding the limelight and preferring to shy away from the media or getting photographed, and is soft-spoken but measured in speech.

On the other hand, co-promoter Rakesh Gangwal is known for being aggressive, blunt in putting across his views, and, if he wants, media-savvy.

Those who know him say Gangwal, in an informal discussion, made no bones of the fact that the challenge for the management of IndiGo was to run a 200-plus fleet with a growing international business, which is complex.

That is not the only difference between the two shareholders.

Ironically even though Kolkata-born Gangwal might have run US Airways for four years from 2003 as chairman and chief executive officer, he was reluctant to transform himself into an airline entrepreneur because he thought it was a money-losing proposition.

But Bhatia, who met Gangwal when he was senior vice-president in the US airline, wanted to own an airline even before he joined his father's travel agency.

And his first aborted attempt was when he negotiated with the Kansagra family to kick-start SpiceJet (after the former had bought the ModiLuft licence), but the deal did not take off because Bhatia wanted equal control.

Yet, Bhatia's gentle persuasion for many years to get Gangwal on board to set up an airline eventually paid off and IndiGo was born.

It was a potent combination, say insiders, who worked in the airline.

The two partners took an unusual gamble in 2005, and decided to order 100 aircraft from Airbus, making the global aviation industry sit up and watch the new boys.

IMAGE: Rahul Bhatia, left, and Rakesh Gangwal. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/Reuters

Gangwal, say sources, who was a key negotiator, decided to take Airbus executives to a Mexican fast-food joint rather than waste time on a fancy meal.

And those in the know say the deal was closed within a few days over tortillas.

It not only created history in Indian aviation, it was a gamble which put IndiGo well ahead of others because it was able to get planes at a large discount.

And it could acquire and lease back the planes and help the bottom line of the airline.

But it was Bhatia who quietly negotiated the regulatory challenges of the aviation business, from getting attractive slots in airports to obtaining permission to fly new planes.

And he was always in the forefront of challenges faced by Indian carriers and politically networked.

Many insiders say it was Gangwal's aggressive move into getting expatriates in key positions which might have been the key reason why top executives like former chief executive officer Aditya Ghosh and some senior managers quit.

Ghosh, of course, denied this several times. But a top executive who worked in the airline says that they were sometimes unaware till a senior expatriate joined the company.

In many cases, he says, they were brought in without even consulting the top management, which never happened earlier with Bhatia.

However, there are others who say that the move to get in international talent could not have been taken without endorsement from Bhatia and they have always worked in tandem on all decisions.

Also Gangwal, who had run international operations, knew the international talent pool much better than Bhatia did.

Some years ago, Gangwal had reportedly said his relationship with Bhatia evolved in an amazing friendship, which he termed 'blind trust'. The question is whether that is under scrutiny now.
'The time has come to ask the extent of coercive power the State must arrogate to itself to achieve economic ends,' points out T C A Srinivasa Raghavan.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

The new government will have to deal with three very basic questions because by the time its term ends, a quarter of the 21st century will already have gone by.

The first is what the nature and shape of the Indian State will be in the 21st century.

How much more coercive will it be -- or have to be to survive as a viable entity?

The second is about the nature and form of the Indian economy.

How free will it be of the state? As we shall see, this is closely related to the first question.

The third question is about the overall political arrangement.

But a mere readjustment of the political parties will not help the country.

The economy will also have to grow really strong.

Recently a Harvard-trained Indian economist asked why, despite the complete absence of democracy, China has done well economically while India, with its all its democratic credentials, has done so poorly.

He attributed the difference to the strong Chinese State and the weak Indian State.

This has been known since 1967.

Gunnar Myrdal, the Nobel Laureate, politely said India had a 'soft' State.

Since then we have fatalistically taken it for granted.

But the time has come to ask the extent of coercive power the State must arrogate to itself to achieve economic ends.

Clearly, what it has is insufficient.

If anything, the State's coercive powers have been hugely reduced, as a result of which all factors of production are either very costly or unavailable or both.

To make them cheaper we need to debate if the State has to become more coercive as in other countries, including those of the Western hemisphere.

Given the structural, Constitutional and political opposition to this, striking a balance is going to be a very tough challenge.

One way of doing it would be to allow far greater autonomy to the states by deleting the concurrent list of the Constitution and moving many of the items from the Central List to the States List.

The states should then pay a fixed amount, revisable upwards every five years to the Centre.

This will not be easy, but, then, the 21st century has only just begun.

The next decade should be spent addressing these very basic problems.

The State

Reforming the State, as so many other countries have found, is the hardest thing to do because the principle of independence means that only those who need to reform the most can reform themselves.

This is the old turf problem between Parliament, Executive and Judiciary.

To abridge this self-defeating interpretation of independence, the other two must reform the third.

Without this, no reform will be possible.

That is why the new government should figure out a way by which any two of the three can propose reforms for the third.

These must be made binding.

If this requires an amendment to the Constitution, that is what the next government should work towards.

After all it has been amended over a hundred times for far less.
As Navy chief, Admiral Singh's immediate priority will be to expedite the long-delayed modernisation of the Indian Navy, including by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft.

IMAGE: Outgoing Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, left, with new Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

Admiral Karambir Singh on Friday assumed charge as the 24th chief of the Indian Navy, becoming the first helicopter pilot to helm the force.

He succeeds Admiral Sunil Lanba who retired after a distinguished career spanning over four decades.

Before appointed to the top post, he served as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

As Navy chief, Admiral Singh's immediate priority will be to expedite the long-delayed modernisation of the Indian Navy, including by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft.

At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines.

Admiral Singh is also expected to focus on expansion of India's presence and overall influence in the Indian Ocean region where China has been fast increasing its presence.

His promotion was challenged by Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command Vice Admiral Bimal Verma on grounds of seniority.

However, the Defence ministry rejected Vice Admiral Verma's petition following which he approached a military tribunal.

The Armed Forces Tribunal here allowed Admiral Singh to take charge as the new Navy chief, holding that his continuation will depend on the final outcome of the case. The next date of hearing in the case is July 17.

Admiral Singh is scheduled to continue in the post till November 2021.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, he held various key positions in the Navy in a career spanning over 39 years.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980, he earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1981 and has flown extensively on the Chetak (Alouette) and Kamov helicopters.

He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai.

Admiral Singh has commanded Indian Coast Guard Ship Chandbibi, Missile Corvette INS Vijaydurg, as well as two Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Rana and INS Delhi.

He has also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. Ashore, he has served at Naval Headquarters as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff, and as Captain Air and Officer-in-Charge of the Naval Air Station at Mumbai.

On promotion to flag rank, the Admiral was appointed as the Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command.

In the rank of Vice Admiral, he was also the Director General of Project Seabird, looking after infrastructure development of the Navy's modern base at Karwar.

His other important flag appointments include Chief of Staff of the Tri-Services Unified Command at Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area.

At the Integrated Headquarters Ministry of Defence (Navy), the Admiral had served as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and, subsequently, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff.

He is the first helicopter pilot to become Chief of Naval Staff.

Admiral Lanba, who retired on Friday, was an ardent supporter of tri-services Jointmanship and was instrumental in harmonising the efforts of the three Services in a number of critical areas.

The Navy chief retires after a three-year tenure or after attaining 62 years of age, whichever is earlier.
IMAGE: Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah arrives for the Cabinet meeting at South Block, in New Delhi, on Friday. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

A trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah makes his debut at the Centre being given the crucial home ministry, a portfolio he has handled in Gujarat under Modi.

Often called 'Chanakya' for his organisational abilities that was marked by series of successes in the elections as Bharatiya Janata Party president, Shah's entry into the north block gets a profile commensurate with challenges like terrorism, Maoists violence and the problems in Kashmir.

Replacing another heavyweight Rajnath Singh in the ministry, the BJP president will have to address issues like scrapping the special status of Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution, an issue dear to the party and the Sangh Parivar for long and a promise included in the manifesto during the last elections.

Shah's first responsibility will be to ensure that Pulwama like attacks on security forces or on civilians, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, do not take place for which he has to take steps to revitalise the security establishment.

The other major issue that will come up for review in the home ministry will be whether to continue with the muscular anti-terror policy being pursued in Kashmir and whether the government would give an opportunity for internal dialogue with various stakeholders in the troubled state.

Shah brings with him a vast experience in the political arena.

He was party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and helped BJP and its allies win 73 out of 80 seats.

In 2019 too, Shah managed BJP election campaign and also rigorously campaigned at the same time, which led to the BJP winning 303 seats.

The BJP became the first party in India, since 1971, to return with full majority.

Shah in the past had managed election campaigns of BJP since 1989.

With his excellent election management expertise, he managed the election campaign of BJP stalwart Lal Krishna Advani's election from Ahmedabad constituency in 1989.

Indeed, as the captain of the winning team, Shah deserves credit for turning the party into an election-winning machine.

The BJP won assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh under his leadership.

Moreover, the BJP, earlier considered as North-India party, spread its footprints in north-eastern states, West Bengal, Odisha, and southern states.

Shah was born in Mumbai in 1964 and was brought up at his paternal village in Maansa, Gujarat till the age of 16.]

Before joining the BJP in 1984-85, Shah worked for Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for some time.

There, Shah was noted for his organisational skills and was appointed the national treasurer of Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha and subsequently the state secretary and state vice-president of the party in Gujarat.

During these years, Shah came in contact with Narendra Modi-then a rising star in the BJP.

He and Narendra Modi, who was then an organisational secretary of the party in Gujarat, helped BJP mobilise its workers, which bore fruitful results for the BJP in subsequent elections.

However, challenges grew for Shah in 2010 when he was jailed in Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Later, a special Central Bureau of Investigation court dismissed the case.
In his first decision after assuming office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday approved a hike in scholarship given to widows and wards of deceased or ex-service personnel of armed and paramilitary forces from the National Defence Fund and extended its ambit to include wards of state police officials martyred in terror or Maoist attacks.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, and Amit Shah during the first cabinet meeting, at the Prime Ministers Office, in South Block, New Delhi, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo

The rates of scholarship have been increased from Rs 2,000 per month to Rs 2,500 per month for boys and from Rs 2,250 per month to Rs 3,000 per month for girls, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.

"The ambit of the Scholarship Scheme is extended to the wards of state police officials who are/were martyred during terror/naxal attacks," it said.

Modi said the newly-sworn in government took four major decisions related to farmers' and traders welfare in the first meeting of the Union Cabinet.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had promised these measures in its election manifesto.

'Glad that path-breaking decisions were taken in the cabinet, the first in this tenure. Hardworking farmers and industrious traders will benefit greatly due to these decisions,' Modi tweeted after the meeting of the cabinet.

He said the decisions will enhance dignity and empowerment of several Indians.

'People first, people always,' he wrote.

IMAGE: Modi and Shah during the Cabinet meeting. Photograph: PTI Photo

Meanwhile, in his first day in office on Friday, the prime minister offered floral tribute to the idols of Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhai Patel in his South Block Office. He also posted a short video.

As many 500 individuals will be able to avail the quota for state police officials every year.

'Our government's first decision dedicated to those who protect India. Major changes approved in PM's Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund including enhanced scholarships for wards of police personnel martyred in terror or Maoist attacks,' Modi tweeted.

'In line with the Prime Minister's vision for India's safety, security and the well-being of those who protect the nation, the very first decision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on assuming his office is approval to a major change in the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme' under the National Defence Fund,' the PMO said.

Under National Defence Fund, the Prime Minister's scholarship scheme (PMSS)' is being implemented to encourage technical and post-graduate education for the

widows and wards of the deceased, ex-service personnel of Armed Forces and Para Military Forces and Railway Protection Force.

IMAGE: Shah, Rajnath and Gadkari gesture after the meeting. Photograph: Atul Yadav/PTI Photo

Scholarships are mainly given for medical, engineering, MBA, MCA and other equivalent technical courses.

Every year new scholarships are given for 5,500 wards of armed forces controlled by Ministry of Defence, for 2,000 wards of paramilitary forces controlled by Ministry of Home Affairs and for 150 wards of forces controlled by Ministry of Railways.

The government in its first Cabinet meeting also approved a new scheme, which assures minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to all shopkeepers, retail traders and self employed persons after attaining the age of 60 years, fulfilling its poll promise.

The decision taken at the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Modi here will benefit 3 crore retail traders and shopkeepers.

Five crore traders are expected to join the scheme in the next three years, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said while briefing reporters at a press conference.

"All shopkeepers and self employed persons as well as retail traders with GST turnover below Rs 1.5 crore and aged between 18-40 years can enrol for the scheme," an official statement said.

Interested persons can enrol themselves through over 3.25 lakh common service centres spread across the country. The government will make matching contribution in the subscribers' account, the statement added.

The government also decided to extend PM-KISAN scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers, costing Rs 87,000 crore a year, and also announced over Rs 10,000 crore pension scheme for 5 crore farmers, thereby fulfilling the BJP's poll promise.

Announcing the two key decisions, new Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Modi 2.0 government has announced the landmark decisions for the farming community in the first Cabinet meeting.

"The Union Cabinet has approved to extend the ambit of the scheme by including all land holding eligible farmer families under the scheme, subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria," Tomar told reporters after the meeting.

The Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) was announced in the interim Budget under which the government decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three equal instalments) to an estimated 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares.

"Now, the revised scheme envisages to cover around 2 crore more farmers increasing the coverage of the PM-KISAN to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries," the minister said.

He said total burden on the exchequer will increase by Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 87,217.50 crore for the year 2019-20.
IMAGE: Newly appointed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman takes charge at South Block, in New Delhi, on Friday. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

Breaching another largely male bastion, India's new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday became the first woman in 48 years since then prime minister Indira Gandhi to hold charge of the key ministry.

Sitharaman, who became the first full-time woman defence minister in the first tenure of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government -- will also head the Corporate Affairs ministry in the new cabinet.

Indira Gandhi -- who handled the finance ministry in 1970-71 -- as prime minister had also held additional charge of the defence ministry twice.

'Congratulations to @nsitharaman on her new role as Finance Minister. As the first woman to helm this crucial portfolio full time, she's shattered the glass ceiling by all means,' People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti tweeted.

Sixty-year-old Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, was at the helm of affairs when India conducted the Balakot air strike following the Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed group in which around 49 security personnel were killed.

Sitharaman took over as defence minister in September 2017, taking over from Arun Jaitley who was holding the portfolio as additional charge.

One of BJP's chief spokespersons before its ascent to power, Sitharaman is an alumnus of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the London School of Economics.

She worked as Senior Manager (Research and Analysis) with Price Waterhouse in London. During this time, she also briefly worked with the BBC World Service.

On her return to India, she served as deputy director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad.

Sitharaman joined the BJP in 2008, and was made a member of its National Executive.

She was nominated as party spokesperson in March 2010 and has been a full time party worker since then.

She was inducted in the Union Cabinet on May 26, 2014 as minister of state (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry.
IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for a Cabinet meeting at South Block, in New Delhi, on Friday. Also seen are Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra, Additional Principal Secretary P K Mishra and National Security Adviser Ajit K Doval. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha will be held from June 17 to July 26, with the regular budget to be presented on July 5, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said on Friday.

The dates of the session were decided in the first cabinet meeting of the Narendra Modi government.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Javadekar said the first two days of the session will be devoted to swearing-in of the newly elected MPs while the Lok Sabha speaker will be elected on June 19.

The President's address to the joint sitting of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will take place on June 20, he said.

The economic survey will be tabled on July 4 followed by the presentation of the budget on the next day.

The session will have a total of 30 sittings.

It will be the first budget of the Modi government in its second term and will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The interim budget for the year 2019-20 was presented by then Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on February 1.
IMAGE: Bhakti Mehere, Hema Ahuja and Ankita Khandelwal were arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of Dr Payal Tadvi by tormenting her with casteist slurs. Photograph: PTI Photo

A special court on Friday sent three doctors of a state-run hospital, arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of a junior colleague, to judicial custody till June 10.

The accused -- Bhakti Mehere, Hema Ahuja and Ankita Khandelwal -- were arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of doctor Payal Tadvi by tormenting her with casteist slurs.

They were produced before Additional Sessions Judge R M Sadrani at the end of their police custody.

The judge did not accept the argument of Crime Branch, which took over the case from local police Thursday, to extend their custody for further probe in the matter.

He then remanded the trio to judicial custody till June 10.

The accused will be lodged in a jail Mumbai.

The three doctors were booked after their 26-year-old junior colleague at B Y L Nair Hospital allegedly hanged herself at her hostel room on May 22.

While Mehere was arrested Tuesday evening, Ahuja and Khandelwal were taken into custody in the early hours of Wednesday.

After Tadvi ended her life, her family alleged that the doctors taunted and hurled casteist abuses at her as she belonged to a scheduled tribe.

The accused were subsequently booked under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Anti-Ragging Act, Information Technology Act and section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose Janata Dal-United refused 'symbolic participation' in the Union cabinet, asserted on Friday that allies should have been given proportional representation in the cabinet.

The JD-U chief, however, made it clear that one should not have any confusion that being in the government is the only testimony that they are with the government.

"We are firmly with the NDA," Kumar told reporters at the airport in Patna after participating in the swearing-in ceremony of the Narendra Modi government.

"As the JD-U national president, I want to tell that there is no question of JD-U joining the Union cabinet in the future," Kumar said.

The chief minister added that his party does not have any problem or any kind of repentance on not being the part of the cabinet.

Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah made repeated attempts to bring Kumar around to accepting his proposal for one berth in the cabinet for the JD-U but the CM spurned the offer insisting on 'proportional representation' for his party.

Kumar, however, said there was no 'unease' between the alliance partners and that the decision against joining the ministry was taken as the JD-U's presence there would have been merely 'symbolic'.

The JD-U president said Shah called him up on May 28 and said he wanted to meet him for discussions the next day.

He said the two met in New Delhi where the BJP chief told him that his party wanted to share power with all National Democratic Alliance constituents, and suggested that the JD-U accept a cabinet berth.

"I kept listening to him and the sense I had was that it was to be a symbolic presence for the JD-U in the government. I didn't want that. Still, as he insisted, I told him that I will consult my party and get back to him," Kumar told reporters.

He said he consulted the JD-U office bearers and MPs -- 16 in the Lok Sabha and six in the Rajya Sabha -- on the issue.

"The unanimous view was that we should stay out of the ministry. Everybody felt there should be proportional representation in an alliance government," the Bihar chief minister said, adding he did not convey to Shah the number of seats he wanted for his party in the union council of ministers.

Media reports had claimed his talks with the BJP leadership collapsed as he insisted on a cabinet berth, one minister-of-state with independent charge and MoS each.

He said BJP general secretary in-charge of Bihar Bhupendra Yadav met him that night and repeated the offer.

"I told him there is no sense of regret or unease in my party on the issue. He have forged this alliance in the interest of Bihar and the coalition government is functioning smoothly," he said.

Kumar told Yadav the feeling in the JD-U was that there should be 'proportional representation' for his party.

When asked how that proportional representation would have been determined, he said, the number could be reached by taking into account the seats each party won country-wide or in Bihar.

"It was for them to decide. In any case, they had an absolute majority on their own. We were not ready for a symbolic presence in the government. We are with the (Modi) government. Being a part of it is not necessary," he said.

The Bihar chief minister said Shah again dialled him the next morning.

"I repeated what I had told the BJP general secretary. We may not be part of the government but we are firmly with it," he said.

The JD-U-BJP-Lok Janshakti Party alliance in Bihar swept the Lok Sabha polls winning 39 of the state's 40 seats.

The BJP and JD-U had contested 17 seats each. While the saffron party won all the seats it contested, the JD-U won 16. NDA allies like the Shiv Sena, which has two more MPs in the Lok Sabha than the JD-U, the LJP and the Akali Dal were all given one cabinet berth each which they readily accepted.
Choose the new Congress president!

The Congress has been thrown into a crisis never witnessed before in its 133-year history.

The party president has announced his intention to step down -- but no one wants to replace him, or let him go.

Rahul Gandhi's crisis is perhaps of his own making; he clearly didn't anticipate the scale of defeat when he decided to match Narendra Damodardas Modi word for word in his presidential form of electioneering.

By insisting that he will step down in the wake of a second consecutive rout, and that only a non-Gandhi family member should replace him, Rahul has thrown the Congress into a tizzy.

The last four days have seen party leaders and allies trying to persuade him to change his mind, but so far there is no indication that he will.

If Rahul Gandhi holds out, we could be seeing a non-Gandhi as president of the Congress after a gap of 20 years; the last one was Sitaram Kesri, and that's a history the party is not keen on revisiting.

This is where you come in.

Here is a shortlist of promising Congress leaders.

Please click on the one you think is best suited for reviving the Congress and make it a fighting fit organisation once again!
TORRINGTON - Scott Waddle, retired Commander and captain of the USS Greenville, spoke on to a group of local bankers, business people and elected officials at the 9th annual Connecticut Mutual Holding Company Business Breakfast, held May 16 at Chatterleys Banquet Facility in Torrington.

Capt. Waddle entertained the audience by telling the story of what took place during the tragic accident at sea, when the USS Greenville collided with the Japanese fishing training vessel, Ehime Maru.

The accident sunk the vessel in three minutes and killed nine onboard. The audience was captivated by Scotts story of honesty, strength and integrity as he took sole responsibility of his actions and the actions of his crew.

The presentation was intense, filled with emotions from laughter to tears, as stories were told of his acceptance into the Navy, his journey, his failures, his family life and the leadership lessons learned after that tragic date back in February 2001.

Established in 2001, Connecticut Mutual Holding Company consists of three separate and independent banks: Litchfield Bancorp, Northwest Community Bank and Collinsville Savings Society.

Ocean State Job Lot presents 'Choose-Give-Get'

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.  Ocean State Job Lot, a privately-held, family-operated discount retail chain with 137 stores in New England, New York, and New Jersey, has begun its Choose-Give-Get donation program to benefit those in need throughout the region. Customers are invited to choose a cause, give to that cause, and get their donation back in the form of an OSJL Crazy Deal Gift Card.

Any customer who chooses to donate $10.00 or more (in increments of $10.00) to one of eight causes supported through the OSJL Charitable Foundation, will receive their donated amount back in a Crazy Deal Gift Card. Customers can choose from the following causes: feed the hungry, help the homeless, assist veterans and military families, aid animal rescue, care for children, advance healthcare, support the arts or promote learning.

Last years Choose-Give-Get program was an overwhelming success, and provided non-profits throughout the Northeast with much-needed funding, said David Sarlitto, Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation Executive Director. The OSJL Charitable Foundation has zero overhead because Ocean State Job Lot covers all foundation expenses - 100 percent of each customer donation goes to the cause they choose. Providing a Crazy Deal Gift Card equal to the amount of each donation is Job Lots way of thanking our customers for their generosity.

To find out more about the program, please visit: https://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/choose-give-get.

The Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation has a long history of philanthropic leadership, placing emphasis on local food banks in communities where Job Lot operates stores. The Foundation also supports medical and literacy initiatives, disaster relief efforts, the performing arts, military service members and their families, seniors, teachers, first responders, and special needs and foster children.

Nonprofits receive $107,700 in spring grants

The Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation has awarded grants to 23 area nonprofit organizations, totaling $107,700 during its first grant cycle of 2019. The Community Foundation awards discretionary grants to Northwest Connecticut charities three times a year: early spring, late June and late fall.

Noteworthy among the recent awards include:

$5,000 to Lake Waramaug Task Force to support the purchase of lake and watershed monitoring equipment

$6,000 to Music Mountain to support program expenses for Painting Music, an innovative, collaborative educational program for children and adults

$6,000 to Torrington Police Department to support the cost of a common inventory of Narcan to be shared by the Torrington Police Department and the Torrington Fire Department

The following is a comprehensive list of 2019 First Cycle Grants:

After School Arts Program - $3,600 to support the cost of transportation for summer arts camp to include 45 low-income Torrington students (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)

Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness - $10,000 to support flexible emergency funding that will divert families in the Community Foundation's service area from a homeless shelter (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)

CT Credit Union Charitable Foundation - $4,500 to support the cost of a financial reality fair to improve financial literacy skills in high school students (from the Keroden Endowed Fund)

Easterseals of Greater Waterbury - $5,000 to support the Center for Better Hearing, a nonprofit audiology clinic, specifically restricted to support the expenses of clients from the Foundations 20-town service area (from the Eva M. Coty Fund)

FISH of Northwestern Connecticut - $1,500 to support the purchase of replacement bedding for the shelter (from the Miriam Mason Cable Trust Fund)

Food Rescue US - $7,000 to support Food Rescue US in Northwest CT, an innovative platform for food rescue and delivery to organizations serving the food-insecure population (from the Ruth and Robert Cron Endowment Fund)

Friendly Hands Food Bank - $5,000 to support operating costs for the food bank (from the Miriam Mason Cable Trust Fund)

Hotchkiss Library of Sharon - $1,500 to support the cost of literacy packets presented to all families of babies born at Sharon Hospital (from the Feliciano & Lydia Turri Zaccheo Fund)

Lake Waramaug Task Force - $5,000 to support the purchase of lake and watershed monitoring equipment (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)

Litchfield Performing Arts - $7,000 to support the cost of sole sponsorship of Jazz After Work, a nightly free concert series, at the 2019 Litchfield Jazz Festival (from the Robert V. Carr Fund)

McCall Center for Behavioral Health - $1,500 to support a youth support group in collaboration with the Winchester Youth Service Bureau (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)

Music Mountain - $6,000 to support program expenses for Painting Music, an innovative, collaborative educational program for children and adults (from the Lucia Tuttle Fritz Fund)

Northwestern Connecticut Community College - $6,400 to support out-of-pocket educational costs for SNAP-eligible college students (from the Keroden Endowed Fund)

Pilobolus - $5,000 to support program expenses for the 2019 Pilobolus Five Senses Festival (from the Lucia Tuttle Fritz Fund)

Prime Time House - $1,250 to support the cost of upgraded cellphones to communicate with members who are not actively engaged with the Clubhouse program (from the Miriam Mason Cable Trust Fund)

Sharon Fire Department - $7,500 to support the cost of a Lucas Chest Compression System for the Sharon Ambulance (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)

Torrington Police Department - $6,000 to support the cost of a common inventory of Narcan to be shared by the Torrington Police Department and the Torrington Fire Department (from the Marion Wm. & Alice Edwards Fund)

Torrington Public Schools - $1,500 to support the cost of digital signage to improve communication with the community (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)

United Way of Northwest Connecticut - $1,500 to support the cost of a new phone system (from the Northwest Connecticut Philanthropy Fund)

Volunteers in Medicine Berkshires - $5,000 to support dental expenses incurred by low-income patients who live within the Community Foundation's service area. (from the Keroden Endowed Fund)

Warner Theatre - $3,250 to support the cost of hand held microphones, transmitters, and a wireless adapter that conform to new FCC regulations (from the Miriam Mason Cable Trust Fund)

Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust - $2,550 to support the cost of essential computer hardware upgrades (from the Khurshed Bhumgara Fund)

Winchester Youth Service Bureau - $10,150 to support the cost of additional case management hours for the Juvenile Review Board, a confidential diversionary prevention program for first time, non-violent offenders (from the Carlton D. Fyler and Jenny R. Fyler Fund)

Established in 1969, the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation serves 20 towns in Northwest Connecticut. Its total endowment, comprised of more than 280 funds, has grown from initial assets of $15,000 to more than $110 million. Last year, combined grants and scholarships totaled more than $4 million.
HARTFORD  The House will not call toll legislation for a vote before the legislature adjourns next week, forcing the issue into a special session despite Gov. Ned Lamonts request for a final tolls push.

If there was a bill out there that would pass the Senate and receive the governors signature, I would get it passed in the House, said Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin.
Dutch Must Do More to Meet NATO Spending Targets: US



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.




A Cambodian union leader detained for his involvement in the production of a Russian-backed documentary about sex trafficking in the Southeast Asian country appeared in court Thursday, but the hearing on his case was delayed when the plaintiff failed to appear.

Rath Rott Mony underwent two hours of questioning in the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. His lawyer Sam Titseyha told RFAs Khmer Service that the trial would resume on June 12, and that the plaintiffs absence would have no effect on a potential ruling since the defense lawyer was unable to question the plaintiff.

But the lawyer remained hopeful that the court would give justice to his client.

Hours before the trial, Amnesty International released a statement calling for charges against the Khmer-English translator to be dropped.

Mony is being punished solely for his role in exposing the horrors of child sexual exploitation in Cambodia. The bogus charges against him are designed to intimidate anyone whose work contribute to exposing this scourge  and the governments woeful inaction, said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty Internationals Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia.

The authorities should drop the prosecution of Rath Rott Mony and release him immediately and unconditionally, he said.

In response to the statement, Ministry of Justice spokesman Chin Malin said Friday that only the court has the right to drop or keep the charges.

He said that Amnesty International has the right to make the appeal but it would have no influence on the courts decision.

The defense must participate in the court process showing evidence, [and calling] witnesses to clear charges against him. This is the only solution, Chin Malin said.

Soeng Senkarona, a spokesman for the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), said he was sad that the trial was being delayed and that Mony should never have been arrested in the first place.

He was just a documentary fixer, he didnt have any role in the documentary, he said.

Mony was hired in 2017 to translate for My Mother Sold Me, a documentary for Russia Today that highlighted the sexual exploitation of Cambodian children.

After the documentary aired in September 2018, the Cambodian government said it contained inaccuracies.

Mony fled to Thailand, but was arrested by Thai police in December at a Netherlands visa office while trying to apply for asylum.

He was repatriated to Cambodia and upon arrival he was charged with intent to discriminate. If found guilty Mony could be put in prison for up to a year.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The Hong Kong Journalists' Association on Friday called on the city's government to shelve changes to its extradition law that would enable the rendition of alleged criminal suspects to face charges in mainland China.



"We must stand up and call on the government to withdraw the amendment of the controversial Fugitive Offenders Ordinance," the groups said in a statement on its website.



"As professional journalists ... our higher calling is to defend freedom, fight for justice and tell the truth," it said.



The statement cited statements from high-ranking ruling Chinese Communist Party officials who have opposed any separation of powers in China, leaving the country's court system open to political control.



It said journalists in particular have already been targeted for political reasons in China, using "baseless allegations ... including possession of drugs, smuggling, bribery and fraud."



Under the planned amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, China would be able to request the extradition of an alleged suspect based on the standards of evidence that currently apply in its own courts, the HKJA said.



"We understand that Hong Kong courts have no ways to question the fairness and impartiality of the mainlands public prosecution," the group said, adding that Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, who would approve any requests under the amendments, would herself be under irresistible political pressure to approve any requests made by Beijing.



"We know it is very difficult for the chief executive to say no to the central government," the HKJA said.



The group joined opposition politicians in dismissing recent changes to the bill as tinkering around the edges.



No 'substantive changes'



Lam's administration announced on Thursday that it would strike from the list of extraditable crimes any that carried less than a minimum jail term of seven years. In an earlier version of the bill, crimes carrying prison sentences of three years or more had been included.



The amendments to the city's Fugitive Offenders' Ordinance have also been amended to require any extradition request to come from a country's highest authority; a move that has potentially jeopardized an extradition case involving Taiwan that Lam originally said was the justification for the unpopular plan.



"The governments amendments to the extradition bill fail to remedy its fundamental flaws," the HKJA said. "The bill, if passed, [will allow] the transfer of people to countries that do not have fair trial systems, where they may face torture, inhuman or degrading treatment."



Civic Party lawmaker Alvin Yeung said the changes had done nothing to allay concerns that sending alleged suspects back to China at the ruling Chinese Communist Party's request would undermine any human rights protections they enjoyed in Hong Kong, weakening the city's reputation for judicial independence and human rights.



"These changes are merely amendments to court processes, not substantive changes in the [proposed] law," Yeung told reporters.



Democratic Party lawmaker James To called on Lam's administration to withdraw the amendments entirely.



"The people who will be taking part in the protest [against the extradition law] on June 9 don't understand [why this is happening], and they have been misled all along," To said. "We are really very worried and we think the government should slow down and discuss this in more detail."



"How many people will it take to come out in protest for the government to withdraw this political decision?"



Last month, thousands of people took to the streets in protest at the planned amendment to existing laws, which will allow the Hong Kong government to grant extradition requests on a case-by-case basis with no meaningful judicial oversight, to countries with which it lacks an extradition treaty.



The most likely jurisdiction to use the proposed provision is mainland China, which currently has no formal extradition treaty with Hong Kong.



Opposition groups are planning a demonstration against the proposed amendments on June 9.



Reporters at risk



According to government broadcaster RTHK, the two changes to the bill were requested by the business community and pro-Beijing lawmakers.



"They weren't satisfied by earlier concessions made when several types of economic crimes were stripped from the list of extraditable offenses," it said.



The HKJA said the proposals, if passed, would be "a sword hanging over the head[s]" of the city's journalists, who could easily be targeted by Chinese officials for prosecution if they write something that displeases the ruling party.



"There will be no freedom of expression if there is no freedom from fear," the group said. "We can see clearly [that] the last firewall between Hong Kong and the mainland will vanish if the bill is passed into law."



Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told journalists in Beijing that the amendments are necessary to "close legal loopholes," without specifying what they were.



"The central government fully supports the government [of Hong Kong] in revising the relevant regulations and its position is very clear," Geng told a regular news briefing in Beijing.



He called on the outside world to "stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs."



Reported by Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Shi Shan for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
When the 1989 student-led democracy movement took over Beijing's iconic Tiananmen Square, Jiang Lin was working as a reporter for an official army newspaper, the Liberation Daily. Jiang was there when thousands turned out on to mourn late liberal premier Hu Yaobang, and when then premier Li Peng announced martial law would be imposed in Beijing. On the afternoon of , just before the People's Liberation Army began massacring civilians, Jiang made her way to Beijing's Muxidi intersection, just in time to witness some of the worst bloodshed of the crackdown:



Local people kept yelling "Fascists!" and the troops were firing in the direction of the shouts, raking the crowd with machine-gun fire. We hit the deck until we thought that the army vehicles had moved on, having cleared a way through to Tiananmen Square.



So we headed off in the direction of Tiananmen Square, weeping as we walked. All along our route were scenes of incredible cruelty. My parents are both in the military; we had served in this same army that was now turning its guns on the civilian population. My mind just couldn't accept this reality. I was unbearably sad.



[When we arrived below the Tiananmen gate], we peered through to see gunfire everywhere, and soldiers' helmets silhouetted against the constant sound of gunfire, which never let up. At this point we were surrounded by officers of the People's Armed Police who started attacking us indiscriminately with electric batons, the high-voltage kind.



[We went to the Peking Union Medical College Hospital to seek treatment], and a bus drove in at the same time we did. The driver was weeping and yelling that he had wounded people in the back of his bus, and shouting to the medics to hurry up. There was blood all over the floor of the emergency room. The doctor told me that my injuries were the least serious, and that all of the rest were gunshot wounds. A nurse told me that she had never seen so many gunshot wounds, and that she couldn't take it. 'Look over there,' she said, 'those are all the bodies of people who were shot dead.' Later, someone called for the doctors to run out to Tiananmen Square and save people, and that so many people had died there. 'What makes you think we haven't?' the doctor replied. 'Our ambulances have been out there, but they were forced to turn back in the face of gunfire.'



There was one young man in one of the ambulances who told me to keep my head held high and not to lose hope, and that we hadn't lost. He pulled a clip of assault rifle bullets out of his pocket, saying 'these are my spoils of war.' He had been hit by a bullet outside the police department buildings. When the soldiers starting raking the area with machine-gun fire, he grabbed the gun away and lifted it up so the clip fell out, and the clip fell to the ground. He said he was hit by another bullet in the shoulder as he was grabbing the gun, but he managed to pull the clip out anyway. Those people were so brave.



Thirty years is a real threshold, because a whole generation is no longer with us. But we have keep working at it. If we didn't keep talking about it, then they wouldn't feel the pressure. This is a festering wound at the heart of the [ruling Chinese] Communist Party. Once it is exposed, the Communist Party will be finished.



Reported by C.K. for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Three decades ago this week, a top ruling Chinese Communist Party aide to ousted liberal premier Zhao Ziyang was taken into custody, as then supreme leader Deng Xiaoping began the first stages of a crackdown on the 1989 democracy movement in Tiananmen Square.



After People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops quelled the weeks of student-led protests with machine guns and tanks on the night of June 3 and 4, 1989, Bao Tong was detained and given a brief show trial before serving seven years in Beijing's Qincheng Prison for his association with the disgraced Zhao, who died under house arrest at his Beijing home in 2005.



Bao's son Bao Pu remains one of Hong Kong's last independent book publishers, and has just published a book of documents apparently leaked from the highest echelons of Chinese politics in the immediate aftermath of the Tiananmen massacre.



According to Bao Pu, "The Last Secret" is based on previously undisclosed secret Communist Party documents that give the reader a fly-on-the-wall view of what happened in the corridors of power in the immediate aftermath of the crackdown.



The documents show leader after leader rallying behind Deng following the massacre, in which hundreds, possibly thousands, died.



Bao Pu told RFA that such top-level documentation is very hard to find, and adds a new source to the historical record around the events of , 1989.



"It's been 30 years, and there is still a huge blackout around , 1989," he said. "I didn't have anything to add: I just wanted to put the material out there, and let others draw their own conclusions."



"I can't wait another 10 years, and I have no obligation to keep the secrets of the Chinese Communist Party," Bao Pu said.



Zhang Lun, a former participant in the 1989 student movement who is now working as a lecturer at the Universite de Cergy-Pontoise in France, said the documents would help establish the truth about who was ultimately responsible for the massacre.



"As someone who lived through the events of 1989, I'd like to express my deep respect for the publisher," Zhang told RFA. "We know a bit more about the massacre from the people on the ground, but there are a number of black holes in the official account."



"There will only be a true reckoning with the 1989 democracy movement and massacre if more documents are leaked," he said. "There will be a better understanding of who was responsible, too."



'No interest whatsoever in the evidence'

Veteran political journalist Gao Yu tweeted that a , 1989 Politburo meeting during which top leaders pledged loyalty to Deng and the decisions that led to the massacre was likely where the official verdict that the protests were "incited by a small clique of people" and were the result of "an organized conspiracy" was born.



"Those who spoke had no interest whatsoever in the evidence; to a man, they expressed their loyalty to Deng," she wrote.



Peng Zhen, the former chairman of the National Peoples Congress standing committee, echoed the conspiracy theme in extracts from the book translated and analyzed by Columbia University professor Andrew J. Nathan for Foreign Affairs magazine.



"For some time, an extremely small group of people who stubbornly promoted bourgeois liberalization cooperated with foreign hostile forces to call for revising our constitution," Peng told the meeting in rhetoric that would later be repeated throughout state media for decades to come.



"They schemed to change . . . our countrys basic political system and to promote in its place an American-style separation of three powers; they schemed to change our Peoples Republic of democratic centralism ... into a totally westernized state of capitalist dictatorship," he said.



According to Nathan, the speakers at the Politburo meeting believed that most of the people who had joined in the demonstrations were misguided but not hostile to the regime.



Some claimed that Zhao and his allies had plotted to split the party, overthrow Deng, and democratize China, Nathan wrote, adding that several other speakers supported this idea without showing any evidence for the claim.



Song Renqiong, the vice chair of the partys Central Advisory Commission, blamed the United States in general and the Voice of America in particular for "sticking its hands in" and "spreading rumors and incitement every day."



"Many speakers contended that ideological rot had set in under Hu, Zhaos predecessor," Nathan wrote, adding that the party elders had ousted Hu Yaobang in the hope of stemming a rising tide of liberal thinking, but that Zhao had failed to impose any kind of ideological discipline.



Public memorials and discussions of the events of are still largely banned in China, with activists who seek to commemorate the bloodshed often detained, with veteran dissidents placed under police surveillance or detention ahead of each anniversary.



The Tiananmen Mothers victims' group have been writing to China's National People's Congress (NPC) with demands for a change in the official verdict, compensation to victims' families and a public inquiry into the massacre annually for more than 20 years, but have never received any kind of reply, only police restrictions on their movements.



Reported by Ng Yik-tung and Lee Wang-yam for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Wu Jing for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
South Korean medicines that North Koreans have asked merchants to find for them.

Prolonged U.N. and U.S. sanctions are making medicines produced in certain foreign countries scarce in North Korea, to the point that even privileged party officials are having difficulty buying needed drugs, sources say.

Dubbed U.N. medicine by the locals, the medicines unavailability is affecting patients in desperate need of treatment, even threatening their lives.

An ethnic Chinese merchant living in Pyongyang told RFAs Korean Service on Tuesday that finding the medicines in local markets is becoming harder and harder as sanctions drag on.

The sanctions, aimed at depriving the regime of resources that could be funneled into its nuclear program prevent the importation of certain goods and technology.

In North Korea, even if a patient is fortunate enough to be treated at a well-known hospital in Pyongyang or other cities, the patient must still buy medicines for personal use at local markets, said the merchant.

Because U.N. medicine is in short supply these days, even the higher ups are resorting to using untested Chinese-made drugs, the merchant said.

The merchant said that U.N. medicines have perceived advantages over their Chinese counterparts.

U.N. medicines are mainly manufactured in Western countries or in South Korea. They are highly effective and are the most trusted by North Koreans because they have no side effects, said the merchant.

But they dont trust Chinese medicines, especially those that require long-term use, such as those for high blood pressure or diabetes, the merchant said.

Patients with means or privilege are looking elsewhere to procure medicine of superior quality.

High-ranking government officials deeply distrust Chinese medicines, so they often ask trade workers and ethnic Chinese merchants to bring in meds from South Korea, said the merchant.

A drugstore owner in Dandong, China said that demand for South Korean medicine is high, but supplies are difficult to get a hold of.

An increasing number of North Korean trade workers and ethnic Chinese merchants come [to my store] asking if they can buy South Korean medicine, but South Korean blood pressure and diabetes medicines require a prescription there. I cant get all the medicines [the traders and merchants] want, said the drugstore owner.

A member of a South Korean religious group that has been sending medicine to North Korea for charity echoed the drugstore owner, saying that the South Korean prescription system is making it difficult to send quality medicine that North Koreans need.

The South Korean government is talking a lot about humanitarian food aid to the North, but based on what Ive seen, the more urgent need is for quality medical supplies and medicine. This is more important than food aid, the religious group member said.

Reported by Joonho Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission conducts interviews with residents of Kyauktan village in Rakhine state's Rathedaung township about a deadly army shooting that took place there, May 31, 2019.

The Myanmar National Human Rights Commission has sent a survey team to investigate the shooting deaths early this month of seven civilians held in military custody in troubled Rakhine states Kyauktan village, where survivors continue to reject the armys account of a riot by captured villagers.

The incident in Kyauktan on May 2 left six people dead and eight wounded, one of whom died on May 14. They were among 275 people rounded up and held in army custody in a school compound for interrogation about possible connections to the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group fighting national forces for greater autonomy in Rakhine state.

Soldiers and eyewitnesses have presented different accounts of what happened in the school compound.

The Myanmar military said its troops first fired warning shots into the air to disperse the group of detainees as they staged an attack during which they tried to grab soldiers guns, but had to shoot the men and boys as a last resort.

Eyewitnesses, however, have told RFAs Myanmar Service that soldiers opened fire on the sleeping detainees after a mentally ill man held with them began shouting and ran off.

Members of National Human Rights Commission, led by Yu Lwin Aung and Myint Kyi visited Kyauktan village on Wednesday.

This is very sensitive issue. We cant tell you about the finding for now. I cannot share my individual perspective for now, said Yu Lwin Aung.

The commission members talked to eight villagers from Kyauktan who were arrested and charged by the military in a Rakhine police station. They also met the family members of the seven slain villagers and interviewed them in the company of three Rakhine state parliament members: Khin Saw Wai, Than Naing and Tin Maung Win.

Thein Win, uncle of Aung Lin Kyaw, a villager killed in the shooting, told RFA that justice has not been attained for my nephew and I wish to see those responsible punished.

I want an international organization such as the United Nations to pressure the government to take actions to find justice.

The mother of Kyauktan villager Kyaw Nyein Aung, who was killed in the shooting, also told RFA she is not content with the handling of her sons passing.

Army account rejected

Khin Saw Wai, Rakhine state parliament representative from Rathedaung township said one of the villagers who was injured rejected the army account of the events on May 2.

The injured shooting victim has been discharged from Sittwe General Hospital and he showed us his injuries. He said it is not true that the detained villagers tried to grab guns from the guards, he told RFA.

Khin Saw Wai quoted the villager as saying that the shouting from a mentally disabled person triggered all the shooting.

The commission members also interviewed eight soldiers who were present during the shooting.

The Human Rights Commission members trip is assisted by the military. With regard to the findings form the commission, the military is ready to cooperate to show our intention to take accountability, military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told RFA.

The commissions visit to Rakhine came the same day that Amnesty International released a report titled No One Can Protect Us: War Crimes and Abuses in Myanmars Rakhine state that presents new evidence of abuses in the state since Clashes between Myanmar forces and the Arakan Army intensified earlier this year.

Amid the fighting, government forces have killed and injured civilians during indiscriminate attacks and carried out arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and torture, Amnesty said, raising the possibility that additional crimes are being committed in Rakhine.

Rakhine state saw a brutal military-led crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in 2017 that left thousands dead and prompted more than 740,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh in what U.N. officials said amounted to ethnic cleansing and possible genocide.

Less than two years since the world outrage over the mass atrocities committed against the Rohingya population, the Myanmar military is again committing horrific abuses against ethnic groups in Rakhine state, said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnestys regional director for East and Southeast Asia, in a statement.

The new operations in Rakhine state show an unrepentant, unreformed, and unaccountable military terrorizing civilians and committing widespread violations as a deliberate tactic, he said.

According to RFAs latest tally, 49 civilians have been killed and 85 others wounded in clashes in Rakhine and northern Chin states since the beginning of the year. Neither the Myanmar military nor the AA has issued accurate death tolls.

Reported by Aung Theinkha and Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
Myanmar supporters of ultra-nationalist monk Wirathu, sought by police on sedition charges, gather to pray at Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, May 30, 2019.

Hundreds of hard-line Buddhist monks and nationalists gathered at Myanmars most sacred religious site on Thursday in a show of support for firebrand monk Wirathu, for whom a court has issued an arrest warrant on sedition charges after he made inflammatory comments against the civilian-led government and its leader Aung San Suu Kyi at nationalist rallies.

Notorious for his hate speech against Muslims, especially Myanmars Rohingya minority, Wirathu faces charges under Section 124(a) of the countrys Penal Code for excit[ing] or attempt[ing] to excite disaffection towards the government, though police have yet to lay out the specific grounds for the warrant.

Media reports said Wirathu is wanted because he has criticized Aung San Suu Kyi for having married a foreigner  a British scholar who died in 1999  and for her handling of the conflict with Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state.

Some of the demonstrators who prayed for the monk at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon said they did not know where Wirathu was and that they would continue protesting the issuance of his arrest warrant by a local court on Tuesday, although Wirathu himself had told local media by phone on Wednesday that he was in the commercial hub.

Police said Tuesday that the arrest warrant had been issued under Section 124(a). A day later they went to Masoyein Monastery in the central Myanmar town of Mandalay to apprehend Wirathu, but did not find him there.

We gather today at the Shwedagon Pagoda to pray for Sayadaw U [honorific] Wirathus physical and mental well-being and that he stays out of danger, said a nationalist monk named Aggi who participated in the demonstration. Sayadaw is the Buddhist title for senior monks or abbots of monasteries.

Monks from the disbanded Buddhist ultranationalist organization the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion, known in Myanmar as Ma Ba Tha, told RFAs Myanmar Service that Wirathu was in Yangon, but that he didnt show up at the regional State Sangha Maha Nayaka (Mahana) office where was asked to appear on Thursday.

The Mahana is a government-appointed council that oversees and regulates the Buddhist clergy in Buddhist-majority Myanmar. In March 2017, its Mandalay office prohibited Wirathu from giving sermons for a year because of his hate speech and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

After Wirathu failed to appear for the meeting, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture announced that the Mahana had suspended the summons it issued to warn the monk about his provocative behavior at a rally.

I talked with the venerable monk [Wirathu] the other day for the last time, said ministry spokesman Aung San Win. We lost connection with him after the Mahana suspended the plan. He usually doesnt stay at the monasteries. Instead, he stays at his patrons homes.

One thing I can say is that he will definitely show up, he added. He wont run away.

A New York Times report quoted Wirathu as saying Wednesday that Im in Yangon. I am not hiding.

They can come arrest me. Im not afraid of prison, he said.

Possible public unrest

Myanmar author Chit Oo Nyo said that an arrest of Wirathu could prompt social discord in majority-Buddhist Myanmar.

The home affairs and religious affairs ministries have taken the step of issuing a warrant for Wirathus arrest, he told RFAs Myanmar Service. It is assumed that they are being provoked to get involved in the situation.

If Wirathu is arrested and sentenced to prison, people will be provoked even more, and it could lead to public unrest, he said. Many people prefer to see him as a fugitive rather than in prison.

Under the charges, the once a prominent Ma Ba Tha figure could be sentenced to three years to life in prison, but under Myanmar law he would first have to be defrocked by Buddhist authorities, according to a report by the Associated Press.

RFA could not reach Wirathu or officials at the Ministry of Home Affairs for comment.

Sayadaw told us that he is not afraid of going into a jail, but he is afraid of getting into darkness, said nationalist Win Ko Ko Lat who participated in the gathering at the Shwedagon Pagoda. Some people might criticize what we are doing. U Wirathu had planned to join us today. It is not that difficult for police to arrest him.

San Min, an official at Myanmars General Administration Department, which serves as the civil service for Myanmars 14 state and regional governments and provides the administration for its districts and townships, filed a lawsuit against the monk on Tuesday afternoon at the Yangon Western District Court.

Myanmar attorney Aung Thein said that monks who make inflammatory comments on social media are likely trying to foment social unrest in the country. Wirathu was no exception in this regard, but his provocative remarks led to the termination of his Facebook account.

There are many Buddhists who have made aggressive comments, he said. They use derogatory language which is inappropriate for a Buddhist monk.

I have concluded that there must be groups trying to instigate unrest in various forms, Aung Thein said.

Reported by Khin Khin Ei and Aung Theinkha for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar and Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Authorities in the Yushul (in Chinese, Yushu) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture have launched a campaign to eradicate organized crime that sources in the region say is being used as an excuse to crack down on Tibetans and has led to mistrust within local communities.



Beginning in May, China waged the campaign in several counties in Yushul Tibetan Autonomous prefecture, under the administration of Qinghai province, a source speaking on condition of anonymity told RFAs Tibetan Service, noting that townships in Tridu (Chenduo) and Dzatoe (Zaduo) counties had been particularly targeted.



Local Chinese authorities travel to various villages to propagate the campaign against organized crime to the public, and urge the people to implement state policy, as set forth by the government.



Residents are required to attend meetings about the campaign, said the source, and told to report on corruption and official bribery, as well as separatists.



The attendees are warned not to engage in online conversations with strangers, and particularly to shun the discussion of issues related to Tibet-China politics, he said, adding that they are also instructed to pass information about the meeting on to others to ensure that all of society is made aware.



They say that anyone who is caught discussing politics and sharing [sensitive] photos online will face criminal charges, and anyone with a conviction will have their ID card marked, so they will face difficulties even doing something as simple as buying a train or bus ticket.



According to the source, authorities have largely focused the campaign on the populations of villages and town, but may soon hold meetings at Buddhist monastic institutions.



Sources recently told RFA that a similar campaign had led to the sudden arrest of many Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Regions (TAR) Lhasa (Lasa) prefecture.



The campaign has been launched in many places under the TAR  and things have become stricter in Lhasa, said the source, who asked to remain unnamed.



Many Tibetans are suddenly disappearing and others who are under suspicion are being held in police custody.



Another source, who also declined to be identified, said that while the anti-gang campaign is being carried out in the name of social stability, it is actually an excuse or tool used to further the crackdown on the Tibetan people.



Those who participate in the campaign are entitled to 30,000 yuan (U.S. $4,350), the source said, while whistleblowers in corruption cases will have their identity and personal security protected by the government.



In such an environment, it becomes difficult to even trust your own friends, he said.



According to the source, a meeting was held in Dhongkar village, in Lhasas Toelung Dechen (Duilongdeqing) county, on May 21, during which Chinese officials read out 22 violations and promised rewards to those who expose corruption.



The government plans to finish the campaign within three years, he added.



Golog campaign



Last week, sources told RFA that authorities throughout the Golog (Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture had also kicked off an anti-gang campaign that had led to harassment and strict surveillance of Tibetans with a history of political activism.



Under the name of rooting out all black and evil forces, the Chinese have targeted illegal gambling and the formation of grassroots organizations that solicit money from the people, one source in the region said at the time.



Under the pretext of implementing the policy, the source said, Chinese authorities are causing a nuisance and harassment to former Tibetan political prisoners, and those Tibetans suspected of being involved in political activities by placing them under strict surveillance.



A second source said that at least 14 people in two counties had been arrested, while others said that any association of more than 10 people required permission and registration at the local village and up to the county level.



A report published earlier this month by the Dharamsala, India-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said that new policies and regulations have led to an increased restriction on human rights and lives of the Tibetan people.



The report specifically cited the campaign against crime and black and evil forces, saying it resulted in the detention, arrest, and torture of human rights and environmental activists and of ordinary Tibetans promoting the use of the Tibetan language.



Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The U.S. voiced strong concern in May at a growing crackdown over the last two years on dissent in Vietnam, and has urged the one-party communist state to free all political prisoners now held in the countrys jails, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday.



Speaking in an interview with RFAs Vietnamese Service, Scott Busbydeputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and laborpointed to what he called a rising number of prosecutions of people who have been freely expressing their opinions in Vietnam.



In talks held on May 15 with Vietnamese officials in Hanoi, U.S. delegates to an annual dialogue on human rights were able to raise their concerns about the situation in Vietnam, Busby said, adding, Now, whether [the government] will act on our concerns is another question.



Prior to the dialogue U.S. delegates to the talks had tried unsuccessfully to meet with a number of Vietnamese rights advocates and representatives of civil society, Busby said.



And in Ho Chi Minh City in particular there were three activists who were prevented from meeting with us, and that was concerning to us, that the government would not allow us to see them.



U.S. delegates were able to meet, however, with jailed blogger Tran Thi Nga, who was sentenced in July 2017 to nine years in prison for spreading propaganda against the state under Article 88 of Vietnams penal code, Busby said.



We had an hour-long meeting with her, Busby said.



She seemed in good health, but she raised concerns about the way she is being treated in prison, and she also raised concerns about the fact that she is in prison at all. And we told her that she was very much on our minds and that we would be continuing to raise her case with the government of Vietnam.



Subject of concern



Raised as a subject of particular concern was the case of Truong Duy Nhat, an RFA contributor abducted in late January in Bangkok, Thailand, a day after applying for refugee status and now held at a Ministry of Public Security detention center in Vietnams capital Hanoi, Busby said.



"And we pressed the government of Vietnam for an explanation about how this came to pass," Busby said.



Though talks with Vietnam in May were full and frank, Busby said, We had differences on a variety of issues.



I would say that one of the biggest differences is the treatment of dissidents in Vietnam, people who are criticizing the government, and the long sentences being given to these people, he said.



Meanwhile, Catholic schoolteacher Nguyen Nang Tinh, arrested this week in Nghe An province while having breakfast with his son, has now been charged with making, storing, distributing or disseminating information against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Vietnamese media reported on May 30.



And activists Nguyen Viet Dung, jailed in Ha Nam province, and Luu Van Bay, held in Binh Duong, have now been moved to other prisons, with family members told only that they are being disciplined or have been transferred, sources told RFAs Vietnamese Service this week.

Vietnam now holds an estimated 128 prisoners of conscience, according to a May 13, 2019 report by rights group Amnesty International.



The Vietnamese authorities portray individuals who are peacefully exercising their human rights as criminals, Amnesty International (AI) said in its report, Prisoners of Conscience in Vietnam.



However, it is the government that flagrantly contravenes international human rights law and its own constitution, AI said.



Nguyen Kim Binh of Vietnam Human Rights Network meanwhile said in December that the one-party communist state is currently detaining more than 200 political prisoners.



Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Channhu Hoang, Written in English by Richard Finney.
A fatal car-bomb blast has struck the Afghan capital, Kabul, the second deadly explosion in the city in two days.



At least seven people were reported killed or injured in the May 31 explosion in the Yakatot area of eastern Kabul.



The bomb exploded as a U.S. military convoy passed through the area.



A spokesman for the U.S. military said four U.S. service personnel were slightly injured in the incident.



Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi was quoted by AFP as saying four Afghan passersby had been killed and three were wounded.



Officials cautioned that the exact number of dead and wounded remains unknown.



Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the blast, claiming without evidence that 10 U.S. soldiers had been killed.



U.S. and NATO military forces, as well as the Afghan National Security Forces, maintain facilities in the area near the explosion.



On May 30, six people were killed when a suicide bomber struck near an Afghan Army academy a few kilometers away from the scene of the May 31 blast.



The Islamic State (IS) extremist organization claimed responsibility for the May 30 attack.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, and Reuters
NUR-SULTAN -- European Council President Donald Tusk has continued his Central Asian tour with a visit to Kazakhstan, where he held talks with interim President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev.



Toqaev said at the May 31 talks that his country will continue its "course toward a comprehensive and constructive partnership with the European Union," according to the Kazakh presidential website.



Tusk called Kazakhstan an "important and stable partner not only in the region, but also on the global level."



Tusk arrived in Kazakhstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, from Tajikistan, where he discussed cooperation with President Emomali Rahmon.

After Kazakhstan, Tusk will wind up his tour with a stop in Uzbekistan.



The European Council earlier said that during his May 29-June 2 Central Asian tour, Tusk would hold talks with Rahmon, Toqaev, former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev.



The council statement said Tusk's trip is "a further expression of the EU's commitment to stronger partnerships with the region and the individual countries," adding that during his talks, Tusk would focus on regional and bilateral cooperation, climate change, the environment, border management, and regional security.



Tusk's trip to the three former Soviet republics comes two weeks after the European Union launched its new Central Asian strategy.
Police in Hungary have detained and questioned the Ukrainian captain of a cruise ship that smashed into a sightseeing boat on the Danube River, killing at least seven people and leaving 21 people missing with little hope of rescue.



Adrian Pal, a spokesman for the police, told a news conference on May 30 in Budapest that the tourist boat with 35 passengers and crew had sunk almost immediately after it collided with a large passenger vessel by one of the Danube's bridges.



Police said that as part of the criminal investigation, the 64-year-old Ukrainian captain of the larger vessel, the 135-meter Viking Sigyn, had been detained.



The authorities said the man, identified only as Yuriy C. of Odesa, is suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly accident. Police said the man is an experienced sailor.



Pal said it could take days to lift the boat from the riverbed. He could not confirm or deny whether there could still be bodies trapped inside the hull.



Seven people had been rescued and were hospitalized in stable condition following the accident, but Pal downplayed the chances of finding anyone else alive.



"I wouldn't say there is no hope, rather that there is a minimal chance [of finding survivors]," Pal told the M1 state broadcaster.



"This is not just because of the water temperature, but [also] the strong currents in the river, the vapor above the water surface, as well as the clothes worn by the people who fell in," he added.



The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said on May 30 that the South Korean tourists weren't wearing life jackets.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
MOSCOW -- Moscow's Higher School of Economics (HSE) has canceled a popular student talk show the day before a prominent opposition activist was due to appear. Students allege the decision came from the rector's office, and fear the popular show may be shut down for good.

The news emerged when Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer with opposition leader Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, announced on Twitter that she had received a call from one of the producers and was told that her appearance on the show, which was slated to air on May 30, had been canceled.

"I was invited on tomorrow's talk show," she wrote. "Today they tell me: 'The university leadership unexpectedly shut our project down yesterday.'"

Sergei Korzun, a professor at the school's Faculty of Communication, Media and Design who oversees the program, appeared to confirm the news, telling online news outlet MBKh Media that the show was being closed until the end of the academic year. He denied it had anything to do with Sobol's planned appearance, however.

"It seems someone got confused," he said. "It came time to end the project because the exam period has begun."

Korzun's secretary said the professor was not immediately available for comment.

The show, titled To The Point! Personage, has been going since 2016, and routinely racks up several thousand views on YouTube. Episodes have featured well-known public figures from various political camps, including Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov, and veteran journalist Vladimir Pozner. Students apply for a chance to participate in the project and gain extra credits in return.

According to the outlet Mediazona, which published an investigation into the ongoing scandal surrounding Sobol's appearance, the show had initially embraced an open and transparent approach, and imposed few restrictions on the aspiring journalists who produced it.

"Korzun would clearly say that we can invite anyone," Anton Khnkoyan, a former participant, told the outlet. "It was straightforward, honest and open, and there were no problems on that front largely because the faculty did not interfere in the show. A specific professor was involved and he caused no problems," he added of Korzun.

There have been previous allegations of censorship, however.

In March 2018, the show made headlines after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov requested that an episode featuring his discussion with HSE students be taken offline. In recordings subsequently published by the BBC's Russian service, Peskov cast accusations of harassment against Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky in light of the Harvey Weinstein affair in the United States, comparing Hollywood actresses who had come out against the American movie mogul to prostitutes.

In February 2019, Korzun allegedly canceled an upcoming appearance by Yelena Panfilova, the founder and former director of Transparency International Russia. According to a current participant in the talk-show project, who gave comments to Mediazona on condition of anonymity, Korzun gathered together the students involved in the show's production shortly before shooting was due to take place and told them Panfilova's appearance was being called off because "the [university] leadership made it clear the episode will not take place."

Commenting on the latest scandal on May 30, HSE rector Yaroslav Kuzminov said that "the university has issued no official invitation to Lyubov Sobol, nor planned to issue one." He added: "I hope the academic talk show will continue. We'll find a solution for sure."
A U.S. judge has ordered that Yevgeny Nikulin, a Russian man extradited from the Czech Republic and charged in one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history, is mentally competent to stand trial, paving the way for the beginning of formal proceedings.



The ruling, by San Francisco-based Judge William Alsup, concludes a months-long process of psychiatric evaluations that were ordered after he was shackled when he tried to escape U.S. Marshals' custody and had several physical altercations with officers.



"The government has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that defendants mental disorder does not render him incompetent and that any refusal to participate in his own defense is due to his own choice," Alsup wrote in the May 29 order.

Alsup set a June 11 date for a status hearing in the case.

Nikulin, 31, was arrested in Prague in October 2016 and extradited to the United States in March 2018.



He pleaded not guilty to charges that he hacked into the systems of LinkedIn and DropBox in 2012 and 2013, allegedly accessing a database containing millions of account passwords.

Nikulin's case has raised suspicions that his hacking may be linked to the 2016 breach of servers belonging to the Democratic National Committee.



E-mails stolen from the committee were later leaked and published in July 2016 by Wikileaks, as the U.S. presidential election campaign was heating up.



Russia's Foreign Ministry, which fought to keep Nikulin from being sent to the United States, called his extradition "a conscious, politically motivated step by the Czech side aimed at undermining the constructive basis of bilateral cooperation."



Moscow, also sought his extradition, saying he faced criminal charges in Russia. Russian officials also complained that Nikulins detention and subsequent extradition was an example of U.S. authorities "hunting for Russian citizens across the world."



During court proceedings in Prague, Nikulin's Czech lawyer said his client claimed the FBI tried to force him to take responsibility for the hacking of the Democratic Party's servers.

Nikulins lawyer, Arkady Bukh, told RFE/RL that they disagree with the judge's ruling and were considering whether to appeal.



He also said a trial date was likely to be set during the June 11 hearing.


North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly executed his special envoy on nuclear talks with the United States in the wake of a failed summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February.



Envoy Kim Hyok Chol and four unidentified Foreign Ministry employees were executed in March at Pyongyang's Mirim Airport after being accused of spying for the United States, according to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.



The paper cited an unidentified North Korean source.



"[Kim Hyok Chol] was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping U.S. intentions," the source was quoted as saying.



In addition, Kim Yong Chol, the counterpart to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the nuclear talks, has been sent to a labor and "reeducation" camp in the northern part of the country, the daily reported.



The moves were apparently part of a sweeping purge of officials involved in the negotiations, several of whom have not been heard from since the summit.



Trump has made the negotiations with North Korea a centerpiece of his foreign policy and has repeatedly made approving statements about Kim Jong Un.



During a visit to Japan on May 26, Trump posted on Twitter that "North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me."

The post came shortly after the State Department said the May 4 and May 9 short-range missile tests violated UN Security Council resolutions.



Trump also expressed a willingness to hold a third summit with Kim in an effort to restrain North Korea's nuclear and missile programs in exchange for sanctions relief.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Pope Francis has arrived in Romania for a three-day visit as he continues efforts to bolster ties between Orthodox Christians and Catholics in Eastern Europe.



The pontiffs trip to Orthodox-majority Romania, which begins on May 31, follows his visits to Bulgaria and North Macedonia earlier in the month.

Francis was met at the airport in Bucharest by President Klaus Iohannis. He was also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and give a televised address to the nation.

Catholics make up about 5 percent of Romanias population of 20 million people, according to government statistics.



Pope John Paul II traveled to Romania in 1999, part of a Vatican effort to mend ties with the global Orthodox Church, which split with Rome in the Great Schism of 1054.



Francis is scheduled on June 1 to visit Szeklerland -- known as Szekelyfold in Hungarian and Tinutul Secuiesc in Romanian -- near the Carpathian Mountains.



The area is home to some 600,000 ethnic Hungarians, and his visit has been welcomed by many residents as an acknowledgement of their separate identity.



Francis said he hopes his visit will bolster ties between the Orthodox and Catholic communities in Romania.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and The Catholic News Service


Pope Francis has praised the "sacrifices" of Romanian emigrants on the first day of his trip to the country where he arrived on May 31 amid political tensions caused by accusations that the leftist government hampered voting for expats abroad during recent European parliament elections.



Millions of Romanians have left the country over the past two decades amid rampant unemployment, poverty, and ongoing corruption scandals.



Francis, on his first visit to the Eastern European EU and NATO member, said the exodus had led to the "depopulation of many villages" in Romania, which still faces major social and political problems despite joining the bloc in 2007.



"I pay homage to the sacrifices endured by so many sons and daughters of Romania who... have enriched those countries where they have emigrated, and by the fruit of their hard work have helped their families who have remained at home," he said in a speech at the presidential palace broadcast on national television.



Francis was welcomed at the Bucharest airport earlier on May 31 by pro-European President Klaus Iohannis and cheering crowds waving Romanian flags at the airport and along his route to the capital Bucharest.



The pontiff and the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniel held a private meeting before praying alongside each other in the National Cathedral. Thousands of people gathered inside and outside the cathedral.



When Francis was in neighboring Bulgaria, the local patriarch did not pray with him.



Orthodox-Catholic relations have improved in recent decades, but tensions still remain. Christianity split between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches in 1054, an event known as the Great Schism.



Romania is the third European Orthodox-majority country Francis has visited over the past month, after Bulgaria and North Macedonia on May 4-7.



The pontiffs visit comes amid political turmoil in the country, after the ruling Social Democrats, widely perceived as corrupt, suffered a severe defeat in the European parliamentary elections on May 26.



The vote was marred by accusations that the PSD-led coalition had intentionally hampered the voting process abroad to prevent tens of thousands of expats from casting their ballot.



Footage of long lines of Romanians being held outside many embassies across Europe has triggered widespread calls for the resignation of the government led by Prime Minister Viorca Dancila, a protege of PSD's controversial leader Liviu Dragnea.



On May 27, Dragnea himself went to prison after losing an appeal against a corruption conviction.



In his speech, Francis praised Romanias achievements in the 30 years since the fall of communism but said problems of social stability and governance remained.



"It is necessary to move forward together with conviction in following the highest calling to which every state must aspire: that of responsibility for the common good of its people," he said.



Later on May 31, Francis officiated mass at the Catholic Saint Joseph's Cathedral in downtown Bucharest, where thousands of people gathered.



On June 1, Francis will lead Mass at Sumuleu Ciuc, a Virgin Mary shrine in the predominantly ethnic-Hungarian eastern part of Romanias Transylvania region.



A Vatican spokesman said hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected to attend the service, including Hungarian President Janos Ader.



On June 2, Francis is due to fly to Blaj, also in Transylvania, for the beatification of seven Romanian Greek Catholic bishops who were tortured and died in prison under communism.



Relations between the Orthodox Church and Romania's 150,000 Greek Catholics have been strained ever since the latter had property confiscated while their religious leaders were jailed.



The pontiff is also due to meet members of the Roma community, who are often victims of discrimination in Romania and elsewhere.



Francis's visit follows 20 years after Pope John Paul II received a warm welcome for his perceived role in the fall of communism.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, AFP, dpa, Reuters, and AP
MOSCOW  One week ago, the Kremlin was jolted by a new opinion poll that showed trust in President Vladimir Putin had fallen to the lowest level in nearly 20 years as Russia's preeminent political figure.



On May 31, however, one day after a Kremlin spokesman publicly questioned the results, a new survey was released by the same state-funded pollster that did the earlier one. It showed, instead, public trust in Putin at a markedly higher level.



The reason, it seems, is the pollsters decision to change how its questions are worded. And that's got Russians suspecting political meddling.



Valery Fyodorov, the general director of the company widely known as VTsIOM, told the Interfax news agency May 31 that the change in wording of the question asked of respondents resulted in a dramatically different result.



Previously, the pollster, whose formal name is the Public Opinion Research Center, asked an open-ended question: "Which of the following politicians do you trust?" Respondents were then given a list of well-known political figures, including Putin, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and others.



Under the new methodology, the pollster asked close-ended questions -- "Do you trust or not trust?" -- followed by a similar list of figures.



Under the older methodology, Putins trust rating fell to the lowest point of his nearly 20 years as the countrys preeminent political figure, according to the poll released May 24.

A related question asked in the same poll found that a majority of Russians approved of Putin's job performance.



That result prompted a response from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who told Interfax that it didnt make sense that there were two seemingly contradictory results.

"To be honest, we are of course expecting an analysis from our respected specialists to understand how this data correlates: how, for example, trust can fall while his electoral rating rises," Peskov was quoted as saying.

Drastic Shift



With the new question, used in a survey conducted on May 29, Putin's trust rating was drastically higher. Putin's "distrust" rating, meanwhile, fell to even lower levels under the new methodology.



In an interview with the newspaper RBK, Fyodorov defended the shift in wording, saying it was easier for people to answer.



"I am confident that the picture of public sentiment obtained through this new innovation will be not only broader, but also more understandable to our audience and the journalistic community," he said.



The drastic shift led other Russian sociologists and pollsters to question the reliability of VTsIOM's data, and whether the results were being skewed for political purposes.



Denis Volkov, a top pollster at a respected private company Levada Center, told the newspaper that the results from the close-ended question were more acceptable to the Kremlin.



"When indicators change so much after criticism, it all looks quite doubtful," said Dmitry Rogozin, a researcher at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.



"If previously someone had doubts about whether to trust or not hapless sociologists, now you can say for sure: don't trust data which begins to change after public discussion begins," he said.

With reporting by Interfax, RBK, and Novaya Gazeta
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic's use of a derogatory phrase to describe Kosovo's leadership has not only ignited a diplomatic row in the Balkans; it has set social media ablaze as well.

Tensions were already high between the neighbors this week when Kosovar police raided Serb-dominated northern areas on May 28 and arrested several people, mainly police officers, along with two UN personnel, one of them Russian.

The following day, Brnabic referred to Kosovo's leaders as people who "literally came out of the woods," a comment that some Kosovars, including Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli, called racist.

The war of words spilled over into social media, where hashtags such as #literallyjustemergedfromthewoods, #Dialogue, and #RacistStatementsBySerbianPM prompted comments showing how deep the animosity between the two countries runs.

"There was no mistake. You are forest people," screamed one Twitter user at Kosovo's ambassador to the United States, Vlora Citaku, after she posted a tongue-and-cheek picture of herself at the edge of a forest.

"Me too, also literally," replied Majlinda Cullhaj, secretary-general of the Austrian-Albanian Society, who posted a similar picture of herself emerging from a forest in a tweet.

Animosity between Serbia and Kosovo has simmered, and sometimes boiled over, since the two fought a bloody conflict in the late 1990s that ended after NATO air strikes forced Belgrade to withdraw its troops from the territory.

The former Serbian province declared independence in 2008 and has been recognized by more than 110 countries, but not by Serbia, which sees areas of Kosovo as the cradle of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Some of the debate, a lot of which is strewn with inflammatory and crude language, raged on about whether Brnabic meant to demean ethnic Albanians in Kosovo with her statement.

Speaking to reporters in Belgrade on May 29, Brnabic said, "My fear is that we have to deal with the worst type of populists, with people who literally came out of the woods," referring to Kosovar leaders.

"Some of them are terrorists" who committed atrocities during Kosovo's 1998-99 war, she asserted, without giving details to support the claim.

On May 30, Brnabic did not apologize or clarify her comments, noting only that "people who are willing to stop the flow of goods are ready to stop the freedom of movement," a reference to Kosovo's decision late last year to implement a 100 percent tariff on goods from Serbia.

"It's taken out of context as Serbian PM was thinking of Kosovo policemen who were in KLA which were fighting as guerillas 'from the woods.' But nevertheless, you are playing this game very good," said one Twitter user.

Another took a more philosophical tone, noting that this isn't the first time the phrase has been used.

"Although I as a Kosovar am not a fan of our own leaders, the connotation used by @SerbianPM has been previously used by young Serb artists who mocked at Kosovar refugees by saying 'they just liked taking a picnic in the woods'. It is a known term. Funny & racist at the same time," the user said.

In the end, one Twitter user may have summed up the feeling among many in the region.

"So, I #literallyjustemergedfromthewoods but I am contemplating about heading back again. 'Civilization' seems overrated," the user wrote.
A rise in fighting in the past month in Syrias Idlib Province has resulted in the deaths of 948 people, nearly a third of them civilians, a war monitoring group said on May 31.



The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 288 civilians including 67 children were killed since April 30 by Syrian and Russian military fire.



It said militant fire had killed a further 22 civilians including 10 children in regime-held territory.



A deal was struck in September with the aim of averting a full-scale regime offensive on Idlib Province and nearby areas held by Syria's former Al-Qaida affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.



But President Bashar al-Assad's regime and its Russian ally have since late April ramped up deadly air strikes and rocket fire on the militant stronghold, and fighters have clashed on its edges.



The United Nations has said some 270,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since late April, and aid agencies have been forced to halt work in some areas.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 31 that militants and allied rebels must halt attacks on regime-held areas for any ceasefire to hold.



"A cease-fire in Idlib is necessary and it's also necessary to have terrorists stop shooting at civilian targets as well as some facilities where our troops are located -- including in Hmeimim," a key Russian airbase to the west of Idlib, Peskov said.

Based on reporting by AFP and TASS
To receive Steve Gutterman's Week In Russia each week via e-mail, subscribe by clicking here.

The Russian Orthodox Church pushes back against the pushback against the construction of a church in a Yekaterinburg park. Is it just "waving its fists after the fight," as the saying goes, or could it still overcome opposition? Either way, Russia's dominant religious organization has something to lose.

Three Times Daily

In 2008, as Vladimir Putin was steering him into the Kremlin for a stint as a placeholder president with a more liberal cast, Dmitry Medvedev made a statement that he said should have been obvious but was worth saying out loud: "Freedom is better than unfreedom."

More than a decade later, a comparison that may capture the tenor of times in Russia is this: "Churches are better than sex shops."

That's the word from the spokesman for Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill on the standoff over plans to build a church in a Yekaterinburg park that opponents say is one of the few green spaces left in the city -- or at least, that's an Interfax headline's encapsulation of his remarks.

The comments from Kirill's press secretary, Aleksandr Volkov, were part of a pushback by the Russian Orthodox Church against the pushback against the project, which has been put on hold -- but not yet scrapped, apparently -- following days of protests earlier this month.

"What person of sound mind and adequate moral condition would be against building a church? Why aren't we hearing the same people...agitating against opening beer bars or 'shops for adults?'" Volkov said. "So many have opened, you get the feeling that all our country does is go to 'shops for adults.'"

That's an exaggeration, but his choice of examples may be apt: After the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, churches and sex shops seemed to proliferate fast as Russia made up for lost time. In formal terms, communism had effectively replaced religion for decades and -- as a participant in a 1986 U.S.-Soviet telecast said but did not really mean -- there was "no sex" in the U.S.S.R.

Still, though, opponents of the church project might have the right to think Volkov was making the wrong comparison. Why not ask whether a church is better than a park -- particularly in a city that residents say has plenty of the former and precious few of the latter. Similar questions have been asked by residents of several Russian cities in recent years.

'Hearts And Minds'

Evidence, if gathered, would seem likely to show that the number of new openings of sex shops in Russia has fallen off since the 1990s. That may not be true of churches: Kirill, after blessing a new Russian Orthodox church in Strasbourg, France, on May 26, said: "we're building three temples a day -- I am not mistaken: every 24 hours. Thirty thousand temples in 10 years."

Kirill's math may be off: His figures suggest something closer to eight churches a day. But his point seemed to be that for Russia, no number of churches is too high.

"It's not because we have a lot of money and don't know what to do with it," the patriarch said.

"Having gone through the years of atheism, our people have understood, in their hearts and minds, that nothing is possible without God," he said, adding that "our technologically developed civilization needs places where a person can feel close to God."

Polls suggest that may not be the case -- or at least, that many Russian believers don't need to be at church to feel close to God.

According to poll results cited in a 2017 report by the Pew Research Center, 7 percent of Russians attend religious services weekly, 30 percent monthly or once a year, and 61 percent seldom or never. The same survey showed that 71 percent of Russians consider themselves Orthodox Christians.

The dispute in Yekaterinburg and Kirill's three-churches-a-day remark sparked an array of responses, including calls for the Russian Orthodox Church to do more charity and questions about the proliferation of churches in a country that needs more hospitals.

The Last Tsar

There's also been some wry commentary, like the Twitter post imagining "Yekaterinburg in 2030" as a shining sea of golden onion domes. Before the Bolshevik Revolution, Moscow was known as the city of "the 40 40s," an inexact reference to the numbers of churches it contained -- but this vision of the future would take it to another exponential level: 40 cubed.

It's all but certain that Yekaterinburg will get a church to replace St. Catherine's Cathedral, which was razed by the communist state in 1930. But it appears unlikely to be built in the park as planned.

President Vladimir Putin weighed in after a few days of protests, saying that the opinions of residents must be heeded and suggested a poll. The project was suspended after state pollster VTsIOM suddenly said it found that 53 percent of residents surveyed wanted the church built somewhere else in the city.

Meanwhile, the pushback from the church took on a sharper edge in comments from another Kirill, the metropolitan who is the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church in Yekaterinburg and regions nearby. In comments after a service, he likened opposition against the church project to the killing of Tsar Nicholas II and his family by a Bolshevik firing squad in the same city in 1918.

"Today the church faces a challenge. This challenge thundered out from Yekaterinburg -- as 100 years ago the shots thundered out and the blood of the royal martyrs was spilled," Kirill said.

'RosBog'

A final decision on the fate of the project may come next week, or not. City officials said on May 31 that nearly 10,000 residents had responded to a survey conducted in recent days and submitted a total of 53 suggestions for a site, including the planned location in the park. They said a vote would be held to choose between the top five or six picks -- but gave no time frame.

Whatever the outcome, the Russian Orthodox Church stands to lose, because the dispute has underscored its involvement in less-than-spiritual scraps over property and may foster the perception that it is, at some level, just one of the interest groups vying for power and Putin's backing.

In an article published on the website Raam Op Rusland, analyst Mark Galeotti suggested that the Russian Orthodox Church could be called RosBog -- RusGod in English -- likening it to the massive and moneyed but Kremlin-dependent state corporations and security agencies with names such as Roskosmos and Rosgvardia.

By allowing itself "to become in effect another state-controlled enterprise," Galeotti wrote, the Russian Orthodox Church arguably "risks both losing its moral mandate and alienating the very power structure to which it has sold itself."

"At a time of resource-scarcity and heightened political competition, when the very future of the Putin regime is beginning to come under question, the invisible shareholders of RosBog are beginning to wonder whether it is providing value for money," Galeotti wrote.
A World Health Organization (WHO) team has begun investigating an HIV outbreak in an impoverished district of Sindh Province in southern Pakistan.



Sikandar Memom, director of the Sindh Province HIV/AIDS program, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on May 31 that the WHO team will be looking for the cause of the outbreak in the Ratho Dhero part of Laraka District, where hundreds of new HIV-positive cases  mostly children  have been discovered in the past few weeks.

Memon said his department had tested 25,000 people for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, since late April and found 725 infected people, including 590 children.

Larkana District Police Senior Superintendent Masood Bangash told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal that the infections were most likely caused by reusing syringes.



He said one doctor had been arrested and charged with reusing syringes, adding that more doctors were likely involved in the outbreak.

Initial investigations indicated the infections were not intentional, Bangash said.
When we had heard they had shut down, we called them. We thought this was a great opportunity to keep as much of their team together as possible, he said. It is a lucky opportunity for us to work with good people. We thought it would be a great fit. We have worked with them, and we knew they were trustworthy.

Open Mortgage has leased temporary space in an office building on Beaufont Springs Drive in the Boulders office park, not far from where Live Well Financials offices had been. Plans call for Open Mortgage to locate to a bigger office here as it expands operations.

The company is taking over the former Live Well Financial office in San Diego, he said.

***

Founded in 2003, Open Mortgage has operation centers in Austin; Atlanta; Rapid City, S.D.; and now in the Richmond region. It also has 79 branch offices in 24 states with nearly 400 employees. It generated $636.9 million in home loans in 2018.

The Richmond-area office will become more important, Gordon said. It will be critical to have an ops center in the Northeast, and this will be the first real presence up there. That is exciting.
Eight months ago, five people in Chesterfield died of drug overdoses in just over 52 hours, and Kehoe said at least four of those were confirmed to be opioid-related.

Of the four confirmed opioid deaths, all died of fentanyl toxicity combined with another drug, Kehoe said. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be prescribed or made illegally, is up to 100 times more potent than morphine and many times more powerful than heroin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Its become the deadliest drug in the state, killing more than 1,500 people in the past two years, according to the state medical examiners office. The 47 lives it claimed in Chesterfield last year were more than all other localities except the city of Richmond and Fairfax County.

Last year, roughly 90 percent of the fatal overdoses that were investigated ... had some type of fentanyl, Kehoe said. Thats one of the reasons we put out the media releases, is to let people know of our concern that we are finding fentanyl in so many narcotics now.

So somebody thats doing cocaine needs to be aware that it may not be just cocaine. Fentanyl is being mixed with just about any narcotic you can think of.
Authorities searching for a missing Cumberland County woman discovered human remains and a work truck linked to the case in Mecklenburg County on Thursday.

Police said earlier this week that they were looking for Cumberland resident Amy Renee Fabian, 43, in the South Hill and Mecklenburg area. She had not been seen since a man was found dead in her home early last Friday.

A suspect in the mans killing, George W. Knisley IV, 41, of Carroll County, Md., was arrested last Friday night after a police chase in Raleigh, N.C. He has been charged with first-degree murder and is suspected in Fabians disappearance, the police said. He is Fabians ex-boyfriend.

The man found dead in Fabians house was Matthew T. Broyles, 29, of Powhatan County. Virginia State Police spokeswoman Corinne Geller described Broyles and Fabian as friends.

Police said they believe Knisley left Fabians home in the truck, a 2002 white Ford F-350 that had been reported stolen in Maryland last Thursday.

The remains and the truck were found shortly before 11 a.m. in a wooded area off state Route 138, less than a mile from U.S. 1, state police said in a news release Thursday.
None of the victims were in court Thursday, but they provided victim impact statements outlining the horrors attributed to Moore. All three are still struggling to overcome the effects of the abuse, according to their statements, and at least one of the boys has been kicked out of school because of behavioral issues.

In a rambling statement that touched on issues ranging from his other wives to the price of Oodles of Noodles, Moore insisted that the allegations against him are false. He said the woman concocted the stories because he was about to leave her for another woman and to give her family an excuse for why she hadnt been in touch with them.

He said the woman controlled decisions in the house and that she had hundreds of opportunities to leave if she wanted to. He said allegations that he abused the victims and showed pornography to the children were insane.

Im not who they say that I am. I didnt do these things, Moore said. I just want part of my life back and to leave Virginia. I didnt want to come here in the first place.

Moore said he came to Virginia from Pennsylvania in November 2012 with the victim and two other women he referred to as his other wives. The other two woman had left by 2017.
No matter how much I have going on, I always have to give it my best effort. And I teach that to my students today, said Anderson, who now teaches at George Mason Elementary School in Richmond.

Both Anderson and Robinson are weeks away from the end of the school year. While Anderson will return to the classroom come September, Robinson will spend a year away from the environment he has owned for the past 19 years.

Since the April 24 announcement that hes the National Teacher of the Year, Robinson has become the voice of the teaching profession for the next year. He has spoken to statewide organizations and at universities with his message of equity and the need for more resources for at-risk students.

On Wednesday, he will headline the Richmond Times-Dispatchs 77th Public Square. The 90-minute event is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at The Times-Dispatchs downtown offices, 300 E. Franklin St. Robinson will speak about his journey from growing up in King William County to his experience in the classroom to now being National Teacher of the Year.

This position was already meant for him, Anderson said of Robinson. Hes an ambassador for education.
The shooting sent shock waves through Virginia Beach, the state's largest city and a popular vacation spot in southeastern Virginia. The building where the attack took place is in a suburban complex miles away from the high-rise hotels along the beach and the downtown business area.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement he was devastated by the "unspeakable, senseless violence," and is offering the state's full support to survivors and relatives of the victims.

"That they should be taken in this manner is the worst kind of tragedy," the governor said during the news conference.

The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed and was monitoring the situation.

Megan Banton, an administrative assistant who works in the building where the shooting happened, said she heard gunshots, called 911 and barricaded herself and about 20 colleagues inside an office, pushing a desk against a door.

"We tried to do everything we could to keep everybody safe," she said. "We were all just terrified. It felt like it wasn't real, like we were in a dream. You are just terrified because all you can hear is the gunshots."
For a poor country like Nepal, that kind of money overrides any reason to limit the number of permits it issues. But photos such as this one showing the human traffic jam on the mountain and the large number of deaths that have occurred this season have led veteran climbers to criticize the Nepali government over its lax policy. The human body simply isnt build to survive at such heights. There is too little oxygen to exist. Very few people have the physical and mental stamina to survive such conditions. Veteran climbers say that people have to stand in line for long periods of time in the death zone  altitudes above 26,247 feet. Even with extra oxygen supplies, one can only survive for a few hours. Oxygen deprivation leads to sluggish movements and confused thoughts.
The CIA tracked bin Laden down to Abbottabad by following his courier, thanks, in large part, to information provided by Faraj. Had bin Laden read that document detailing what Faraj had told the agency, he could have known that the United States had made the connection between his courier and his hideout. Fortunately, U.S. Special Operations forces did not give bin Laden time to figure it out.

The indictment leaves out much of the damage Assange did, such as his 2014 release of classified CIA documents exposing how CIA operatives maintain cover while traveling through airports; his 2016 release of documents detailing European Union military operations to intercept refugee boats traveling to Europe from terrorist-infested regions along the Libyan coast; and his 2016 exposure of top-secret documents describing NSA intercepts of foreign government communications.

Some are concerned the newest Assange indictment will set a precedent to go after investigative journalists who publish classified information. But as I wrote in 2010, unlike reputable news organizations, Assange did not give the U.S. government an opportunity to review the classified information WikiLeaks was planning to release so they could raise national security objections. So responsible journalists have nothing to fear.

Regardless, Assange is not a journalist. He is a spy. The fact that he gave stolen U.S. intelligence to al-Qaida, the Taliban, China, Iran and other adversaries via a website rather than dead-drops is irrelevant. He engaged in espionage against the United States. And he has no remorse for the harm he has caused. He once called the innocent people hurt by his disclosures collateral damage and admitted WikiLeaks might get blood on our hands. Sorry, he does not get to aid and abet our enemies, put countless lives at risk and then hide behind the First Amendment. The Justice Department is right to indict him for his crimes.
In fact, he goes further, saying that the reason for impeachment is to hold some public officials accountable for crimes that are not encompassed by criminal statutes.

Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story explained this by pointing out that impeachment does not deprive anyone of liberty; it simply removes a person from the privilege of office.

Story said, It is not so much designed to punish an offender as to secure the state against gross official misdemeanors. It touches neither his person nor his property, but simply divests him of his political capacity.

So while the impeachment decision should never be partisan, it is a judgment about whether the office-holder has violated the public trust, which is something that could be defined by Congress in many different ways  from collusion that falls short of criminal conspiracy to obstruction of justice in the broadest sense of the term.

So impeachment is a political decision, in the best sense of the word political. The conclusions of the Mueller report are interesting and relevant, but not determinative for making the impeachment decision.

Having said this, impeachment should not be taken lightly; it tends to energize partisans.
State of Quintana Roo bans single-use plastics

Chetumal, Q.R.  In six months, single-use plastics will be prohibited on the islands of Quintana Roo. The new law was passed in congress this week, and will take effect for the entire state within 12 months.

Congress of Quintana Roo has agreed to begin the ban of single-use plastics in what are considered sensitive areas such as the islands of Holbox, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres before being enforced in the rest of the state.

The newly passed state law, Prevencion, Gestion Integral y Economia Circular de los Residuos del Estado de Quintana Roo, intends to reduce, reuse and recycle waste as well as regenerate natural resources and the environment.

Once in effect, plastics such as utensils, straws, plates, glasses, cups, trays and cutlery, among others, as well as derivatives of extended polystyrene (unicel products), will be banned. The law also includes disposable plastic bags for the transfer of merchandise used in stores and supermarkets, self-service stores, convenience stores, pharmacies and restaurants.

Congreso de Quintana Roo

However, the plastic packaging used for equipment and materials for the construction industry, as well as packaging for goods and products for medical purposes, are exempt.

Quintana Roo has officially joined other states around the country that have taken a step forward to legislate the ban on plastics.
By Robert Strassburger

Strassburger is President and CEO of the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety. Strassburger is also Vice President, Vehicle Safety & Harmonization for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Inc., a national trade association of twelve car and light truck manufacturers.

This past week, law enforcement, first responders, engineers and other traffic safety advocates gathered here in Roanoke to discuss road safety in Virginia. It was easy to fill three days with discussions on emerging challenges and shared successes  but some of the biggest threats to road safety remain the familiar ones: including drunken driving.

The toll of alcohol-impaired driving remains agonizingly static both nationally and here in the Commonwealth. In fact, data from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) shows that while overall fatalities in the Commonwealth were down in 2018, alcohol-related fatalities were on the rise; Virginia reported 278 alcohol-impaired driving deaths in 2018, compared with 248 fatalities in 2017. Drunken driving was responsible for more than 30 percent of Virginias total traffic fatalities last year, as well as more than 4,475 injuries. We refuse to let tragic statistics like these become the norm.

Thats why the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) Program  and the leading automakers that I represent through the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS)  are proud to partner with the Virginia DMV on the Driven to Protect Initiative. Driven to Protect is working to advance a first-of-its-kind technological solution to help end drunken driving: passive alcohol sensors with the ability to unobtrusively and precisely measure the blood alcohol level of a driver. If the sensor detects a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher  the legal limit in the Commonwealth  the vehicle will start but not move. It is a game-changing idea that will provide a valuable new safety resource  whether youre a parent looking out for your young driver or a manager of a company fleet hoping to reduce liability and keep your workers safe.

Through my role as the president and CEO of ACTS, I have been shepherding the alcohol detection technology as it has grown from an initial sketch on the back of a napkin to a working prototype. It was my great pleasure to see this prototype roll out for the first time on Virginia roads. Virginia was a natural fit to support the first in-vehicle tests of the DADSS technology, given its steadfast commitment to traffic safety and equally strong support for emerging technologies. We found a great partner in James River Transportation (JRT), a family-owned transportation company that has served Virginians for nearly 100 years. Beginning in August 2018, JRT drivers and fleet vehicles have helped the DADSS engineers get one step closer to making this technology road-ready by providing 43,342 miles, 4,217 operational hours, and 22,770 breath samples worth of data. Once the technology has met rigorous performance standards, it will be integrated into vehicles by automobile manufacturers and offered to consumers as an optional safety feature, similar to other driver assist systems such as automatic braking or lane departure warning.

Virginia is leading the nation with Driven to Protect and the effort to help finally solve the intractable problem of drunken driving. Were excited for the future in which this technology is commercially available and seamlessly integrated into vehicles. Together, we can save lives and invent a world without drunken driving.
Officers found cannabis growing across five rooms at a property in Rawmarsh earlier this month

A CANNABIS farmer who was caught growing more than 300 plants at a property in Rawmarsh has been jailed for a year.

Jashar Qevani (26), of Green Lane, Rawmarsh, grew cannabis plants worth an estimated 170,000 across five rooms.

Officers from the Rotherham North Neighbourhood Policing Team found plants at various stages of growth during a drugs bust on May 8.

Qevani, an Albanian national, was jailed for 12 months at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to production of a class B drug.
Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) Chairman Pramod Kumar Agrawal and other leading importers of rough gemstones met with Commissioner of Customs (Preventive) Jodhpur HQ at Jaipur, Shri Subhash Chandra Agarwal, Addl. Commissioner of Customs, Shri Manzoor Ali Ansari and other officials at Jaipur earlier this week to discuss steps that could be taken to ensure smooth clearance of imports of rough gemstones, says a report in gjepc.org.Members of the trade clarified to the Commissioner that almost all imports are being done by companies that have been importing roughs on regular basis for a long time now.The Commissioner clarified that the system currently requires officers to examine each import shipment and that he was looking at the possibility of doing a KYC process for all regular importers. He explained that this process will take long to complete.To facilitate trade and smoothening of the import process, he requested those present to suggest a mechanism under which the shipments of importers with a good track record can be cleared faster. He stated that if this can be established for regular importers, Customs officials would be able to devote time and resources to clear other shipments more quickly.
A Zimbabwean man has appeared in court on allegations of illegally dealing in diamonds after he was found in possession of six pieces of the precious stones in Zimunya, east of Zimbabwe.

Manica Post reports that Tendai Makurumidze (48) was remanded out of custody to 12 June on $500 bail when he appeared before the magistrate court in Mutare.

It is a states case that police received a tip off on May 27 that the suspect was illegally dealing in diamonds.

The detectives tracked the suspect and conducted a search.

They found six pieces of diamonds in the pocket of a jacket the suspect was wearing.

The diamonds were taken to the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) for evaluation.





Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
In this exclusive series, British Ambassador to Luxembourg, John Marshall reveals his unique viewpoint on, and links to, The Grand Duchy.

Next week events will be held to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings on both sides of the English Channel. On 5 June, the British Prime Minister Theresa May will welcome to Portsmouth the leaders or other senior representatives of the 14 countries that participated in the D-Day landings, including Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. Chancellor Merkel has also been invited.

The reason for Luxembourgs participation dates back to 10 May 1940 and the invasion of Luxembourg by Nazi Germany. As I mentioned in last weeks column Grand Duchesse Charlotte and her family, as well as four members of the Government managed to escape Luxembourg just in time. The Luxembourg government-in-exile established itself in London, one of eight Governments-in-exile to do so during the war. The UK therefore became a natural destination for young men and women of many nationalities wishing to come together and join the Allied war effort. Luxembourgers were no exception.

 Daniel Jordao

Seven Luxembourgers participated in the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, with many others, including the then Prince Jean landing in Normandy in the days and weeks that followed. Most of the seven were in Free French units but one was a member of a British Commando Unit. He was Pierre Laux from Kayl. Previously with the French Foreign Legion he reached London, enlisted in the Devonshire Regiment in 1943 and volunteered for the British commandos. Wearing the green beret of No. 4 Commando, he landed in Normandy on 6 June, the first day of the Normandy landings. He later participated in the Allied attack on the Dutch island of Walcheren, which had been fortified by the Nazis to prevent the Allies getting to the deep-water port of Antwerp. He was killed on 8 November 1944 in the Dutch town of Vlissingen (Flushing) and is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave Commission Cemetery in Bergen-op-zoom. He left a young British wife and daughter.

The Brigade Piron, named after its commander Jean-Baptiste Piron was a unit of Belgian and Luxembourg soldiers, formed and trained in the UK, that landed in Normandy in early August 1944. Operating under the command of the British 6th Airborne Division the Brigade Piron was involved in clearing the German army from the channel coast, helping to liberate towns such as Honfleur and Deauville. The Brigade later participated alongside British troops in the liberation of Belgium and the Netherlands and in the British occupation zone in Germany until the Brigade was disbanded in December 1945.

Pierre Laux, Prince Jean and Prince Felix were not the only Luxembourgers to wear a British uniform during the Second World War. Several Luxembourgers served in the RAF including three young men from Bettembourg. Raymond Gruber, Ernest Sente and Jean-Bernard Ney fled Luxembourg in 1941 and after an epic journey that included spells in prison in France and Spain, they reached Gibraltar. From there they went to Britain where they enlisted in the free French squadrons of the RAF. Gruber and Sente both trained to be fighter pilots. On 29th of April 1944, after a training mission, Ernest Sentes Spitfire crashed at Shoreham-by-Sea airfield, severely wounding him. He later died of his wounds and was buried at Brookwood cemetery in the UK in the presence of H.R.H. Prince Felix. After the war, his remains were brought back to Bettembourg.

During the Second World War, the Press Section of the Luxembourg Government-in-Exile produced a regular newspaper called the Luxembourg Bulletin. The first edition appeared on 10 May 1942, the second anniversary of the German invasion of Luxembourg. The Bulletin continued to be produced during and after the war both in London and New York until at least 1953.

And the brave Luxembourgers that fought in the Second World War were not the last to wear a British uniform. After liberation in 1944, the newly raised Luxembourg army was almost completed kitted out with British equipment including Pattern 40 battledress, Pattern 37 webbing, Pattern 39 leather equipment as well as Mark II helmets and gas masks.

John Marshall has been the British Ambassador to Luxembourg since April 2016. Previously he was British Ambassador to Senegal and non-resident Ambassador to Cabo Verde and Guinea-Bissau. He has also been posted as a diplomat to Japan, Malaysia and Ethiopia. He is a keen marathon-runner, speaks some Luxembourgish, and enjoys discovering the UK and Luxembourgs shared history. #LuxUKLinks began as a series of tweets looking at the links between Luxembourg and the UK. These evolved into an exhibition, which toured communes, schools and museums around Luxembourg, and a book.




By Sara A. Carter, May 30, 2019





Yemeni Information Minister Moammar Al Eryani called the donation of armored vehicles to Al Houthi a new UN scandal and seriously puts Yemenis lives at risk.





On Tuesday, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) announced providing 20 Hilux armored vehicles to the Yemen Executive Action Centre (YEMAC), a militant-controlled agency, to support its purported demining efforts in the Red Sea city of Hodeida.
Dear @IlhanMN,



I hear you plan to go on a fact-finding tour of Israel. In fact, Israel is doing pretty well. Its, Somalia, your native country, that could truly use your formidable skills. Maybe you could use your frequent flyer miles and swing by.
A San Francisco police officer who is suspended without pay for sending racist and homophobic text messages has been sentenced to 2  years in prison for robbing two banks, prosecutors announced Thursday.

Rain Daugherty, 44, also will have to repay the more than $10,000 he stole from the banks. Once he serves his prison term, he will be under supervised release for three years, the U.S. attorneys office said in a news release.

Daugherty was indicted in January and charged with four counts of bank robbery. He admitted to robbing two banks in February, and the other two charges were dismissed, prosecutors said.

In his plea agreement, Daugherty admitted that on Nov. 29, he entered an East West Bank in the Sunset District of San Francisco and slipped a note to a bank teller demanding $50 and $100 bills. The teller gave Daugherty the cash.

Advertisement

Two weeks later, Daugherty went to a bank on Clement Street in San Francisco and again demanded money by slipping the bank teller a note, he admitted.

FBI agent Gary Grzymala said in an affidavit that the robber said something to the effect of Calm down, just do it,  and fled with about $9,050 in cash.

Internal affairs officers with the San Francisco Police Department helped identify Daugherty using surveillance footage video from the first robbery, Assistant U.S. Atty. Abraham Simmons said.

In court, Daugherty apologized for the robberies. His daughter Elizabeth Falk said Daugherty was addicted to opioids and was living in his car at the time.

The suspended police officer has accumulated an extensive criminal record in the last few years. In 2017, he was accused of stealing about $24,000 from an elderly man with dementia over the course of three months in San Mateo County.

While serving a search warrant at Daughertys home, authorities said they found cocaine and prescription narcotics. The San Mateo County district attorney charged him with one felony count of theft and four misdemeanor counts of drug possession.

Daugherty also is one of nine San Francisco police officers who were involved in a text messaging scandal in 2015 after a corruption investigation of a department sergeant.

The probe revealed text messages sent between 2011 and 2012 that included racist and homophobic messages about minorities and gay people. The officers used words such as savages and the N-word to describe African Americans and suggested they be spayed like animals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra
China warned Canada that it needs to be aware of the consequences of aiding the U.S. in an extradition case involving Chinese tech giant Huawei that is believed to have sparked the detentions of two Canadians in China.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuangs comments came after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Both were arrested on Dec. 10 after Canada detained a Huawei executive wanted by the United States on fraud charges. While China has denied they were taken in retaliation, it has repeatedly implied that there is a strong connection between the cases.

Korvig, a former diplomat and Asia expert at the International Crisis Group, and Spavor, a businessman, have been accused of colluding to steal state secrets. Canada has repeatedly urged their immediate release, calling their detentions arbitrary. Neither has been permitted access to lawyers or family members.

Advertisement

We hope that the Canadian side can have a clear understanding of the consequences of endangering itself for the gains of the U.S. and take immediate actions to correct its mistakes so as to spare itself the suffering from growing damage, Geng said at a daily news briefing.

Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of the companys founder, is accused of lying to banks about the companys dealings with Iran in violation of U.S. trade sanctions. Her attorney has argued that comments by U.S. President Donald Trump suggest the case against her is politically motivated.

Washington has pressured other countries to limit the use of Huaweis technology, warning they could be opening themselves up to surveillance and theft of information.

China and the U.S. are currently embroiled in a trade dispute that is weighing heavily on global financial markets.

Another Canadian held in China, Robert Schellenberg, was re-sentenced to death in a drug case following Mengs detention. His case is currently under appeal.

In their joint statement, Pence and Trudeau said: The United States and Canada stand together to firmly reject the wrongful detention of two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and call for their immediate release. Chinas actions are damaging its international reputation and a deep concern for all countries that uphold the rule of law.

Canada and the United States welcome constructive, results-oriented engagement with China that concretely demonstrates respect for the rule of law, human rights, and fair and reciprocal trade, the statement said.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A South Korean newspaper reported Friday that North Korea executed a senior envoy involved in nuclear negotiations with the U.S. as well as four other high-level officials. But as ever with North Korea, a country that closely guards its secrets, there are reasons to be cautious about the purported purge.

While North Korea hasnt used its propaganda services to comment, the report in the conservative Chosun Ilbo daily could be true. North Korea has previously executed scapegoats to atone for high-profile political flops, and the most recent summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump ended in failure, leaving Kim embarrassed on the world stage.

But its important to note that both South Korean media and the government in Seoul have a history of reporting scoops about the inner workings of North Korea that turn out to be wrong. Supposedly executed officials have later appeared trotting alongside Kim on state TV.

Fridays report is based on a single, unidentified source who knows about North Korea  with no details about where that source got its information. The report so far hasnt been matched by any major media in Seoul or confirmed by government officials, even anonymously.

Advertisement

The newspapers source said that senior envoy Kim Hyok Chol was executed at the Mirim airfield with four other officials from the Norths Foreign Ministry for betraying Kim Jong Un after being won over by the U.S. Kim Hyok Chol led working-level negotiations as North Koreas special representative for U.S. affairs ahead of Februarys summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The source also said that Kim Yong Chol, who had worked as North Koreas top nuclear negotiator and met with Trump at the White House while setting up the summits, was sentenced to hard labor and ideological re-education.

That the report has been snapped up by global media reflects the hunger for any details about whats going on in North Korea as diplomatic efforts falter between Washington and Pyongyang, which tightly controls its media and both local and foreign access to information.

Negotiations have hit a stalemate because North Korea wants an end to crippling sanctions, but Washington says Pyongyang is not providing enough disarmament to allow that to happen.

There is now growing concern that the diplomacy that has blossomed since early 2018 could be replaced by a return to the animosity that in 2017 caused some of the most realistic fears of war in years as North Korea staged a string of increasingly powerful weapons and Kim and Trump traded intensely personal threats and insults.

Since the Hanoi nuclear summit ended in failure, North Korea has again tested weapons and boosted its belligerent rhetoric toward American and South Korean officials. Analysts believe this indicates Pyongyang is trying to show displeasure for the current impasse without destroying the diplomacy.

Seouls spy service said it could not confirm Fridays report, while the presidential Blue House said that its inappropriate to make hasty judgments or comments.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Berlin that he had seen the report and the U.S. was doing our best to check it out.

In Washington, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders declined to comment on intelligence one way or another.

Were monitoring the situation and continuing to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearizaton, she said.

North Koreas official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Thursday called out unspecified betrayers, turncoats who demonstrate their loyalty to (the supreme leadership) only in words, and, even worse, change their colors by the flow of trends and said they would come under the stern judgment of the revolution.

To pretend to serve the suryong while dreaming different dreams when turning around is to commit anti-party and anti-revolutionary actions that abandon the moral loyalty for the suryong, the newspaper said, referring to a revered title reserved for North Korean leaders.

If Fridays report is wrong, it would not be the first time for South Korean media and officials.

South Korean intelligence officials in 2016 said that Kim Jong Un had Ri Yong Gil, a former North Korean military chief, executed for corruption and other charges. North Koreas state media months later showed that Ri was alive and in possession of several new senior posts.

In 2013, the Chosun Ilbo reported that Hyon Song Wol, a famous North Korean artist the newspaper described as Kims ex-girlfriend, was executed in public along with several other performers over accusations that they filmed themselves having sex and selling the videos.

Hyon, the leader of Kims hand-picked Moranbong all-female band, was very much alive and later emerged as a key member of Kims government, accompanying him in his meetings with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

South Korea does sometimes get it right.

While many questioned the competence of the South Korean spy service after it failed to learn of the 2011 death of Kims father, Kim Jong Il, before Pyongyangs state TV announced it, the intelligence agency saved face in 2013 by releasing its finding that Kims powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was purged, days before North Korea announced his execution.

___

Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Thursday defended his efforts to support his partys presidential nominee in 2016 and said he would do the same in 2020 if he doesnt win the nomination himself.

The Vermont senator was asked by a voter at a campaign event in a Las Vegas suburb about whether hed support winner of a crowded primary field, which has more than 20 contenders.

Sanders said, absolutely and positively yes, but took umbrage with a member of the crowd who shouted that he failed to be supportive of Democrat Hillary Clinton three years earlier.

Oh really? I didnt know that, Sanders said sarcastically. I thought I ran all over the country, into Nevada and everywhere else, working as hard as I humanly could to see that Hillary Clinton was elected president of the United States.

Advertisement

Sanders said he and Clinton ran in a tough campaign in 2016 but after he lost, he did event after event after event for Clinton and that she will tell you that I worked probably harder than anyone else to try to do everything I could to win that election.

The interaction underscores lingering tensions that Democratic party bosses have been working to diffuse since 2016, when some Sanders supporters felt the party favored Clinton and her supporters were chagrined when he was slow to endorse her.

In Nevada, which Clinton carried three years ago, the strains erupted in shouting at the party convention.

Speaking Thursday in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, Sanders said that the other members of the Democratic field are all good people that hed support if they win, but this time, he expects to be the nominee.

The senator, speaking to a Democratic club made up mostly of white senior citizens, emphasized his plans to cut prescription drug prices, expand Social Security and Medicare benefits, including adding coverage in the health program for dental care, eyeglasses and hearing aids.

He was introduced by Ben Cohen, the co-founder of Vermont-based Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream, who declared that ice cream is good but a president of the United States who truly believes in justice in all its flavors would be euphoric.

Sanders later Thursday planned to hold another town hall in Las Vegas and meet with members of the citys Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Israels parliament voted to dissolve itself early Thursday, sending the country to an unprecedented second snap election this year as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition before a midnight deadline.

The dramatic vote, less than two months after parliamentary elections, marked a setback for Netanyahu and sent the longtime leaders future into turmoil.

Netanyahu, who has led Israel for the past decade, had appeared to capture a fourth consecutive term in the April 9 election. But infighting among his allies, and disagreements over proposed bills to protect Netanyahu from prosecution stymied his efforts to put together a majority coalition.

Rather than concede that task to one of his rivals, Netanyahus Likud party advanced a bill to dissolve parliament and send the country to the polls for a second time this year.

Advertisement

I didnt spare any effort to avoid unnecessary elections, Netanyahu said after the vote, lashing out at an ally-turned-rival, Avigdor Lieberman, who refused the prime ministers offers to join the government.

He said the country was being forced to hold unnecessary, wasteful elections because the people had their say. They didnt have their say enough for what Mr. Lieberman wants.

Had the deadline passed without the vote, Israels president would have given another lawmaker, most likely opposition leader Benny Gantz, an opportunity to put together a coalition.

After the vote, Gantz angrily accused Netanyahu of choosing self-preservation over allowing the countrys political process to run its course.

Gantz said that Netanyahu opted for three crazy months of a new campaign and millions of wasted dollars over new elections because he is legally incapacitated by looming indictments. There is no other reason, Gantz said.

The country now plunges into a new election campaign that will last at least three months under Israeli law. With much of the country on vacation in late August, a tentative date of Sept. 17 was set.

The campaign looks to complicate Netanyahus precarious legal standing. Israels attorney general has recommended pressing criminal charges against him in three separate corruption cases, pending a hearing scheduled for October.

Even if Netanyahu wins the election, it is unlikely he will be able to form a government and lock down the required political support for an immunity deal before an expected indictment. That would force him to stand trial and put heavy pressure on him to step aside.

The political uncertainty could also spell trouble for the White Houses Mideast peace efforts. The U.S. has scheduled a conference next month in Bahrain to unveil what it says is the first phase of its peace plan, an initiative aimed at drawing investment into the Palestinian territories.

With the Palestinians, who accuse the U.S. of being unfairly biased toward Israel, opposed to the plan, and Netanyahu preoccupied with re-election, it remains unclear how the Americans will be able to proceed. President Donald Trumps top Mideast adviser, son-in-law Jared Kushner, was in Israel and scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Thursday.

That Netanyahu struggled to secure a majority coalition in the 120-seat parliament was a shocking turn of events for the countrys dominating political figure.

In the April 9 vote, Likud and its hardline nationalist and religious parties captured a majority of 65 seats.

The immediate cause of the crisis was his dispute with Lieberman, a former aide who leads the small Yisrael Beitenu faction.

The men had clashed over Liebermans demand to subject ultra-Orthodox religious males to the military draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish males. Without Liebermans five Knesset seats, Netanyahu had no parliamentary majority.

But the deeper issue is connected to Netanyahus legal troubles. Facing a likely indictment, he had pushed his coalition partners to pass legislation that would grant him immunity and curb the powers of the countrys Supreme Court.

Opposition parties strongly oppose granting Netanyahu immunity, robbing him of any alternatives to Lieberman as he tried to form a coalition.

For the past two decades, Lieberman has alternated between being a close ally and a thorn in the side of his former boss. He has held a number of senior Cabinet posts, including defense minister and foreign minister.

Liebermans base of support is fellow immigrants from the former Soviet Union, and he takes a hard line toward the Palestinians but also is staunchly secular.

He has demanded that the parliament pass pending legislation that requires young ultra-Orthodox men to be drafted into the military. Years of wide exemptions for religious men have generated resentment among the rest of Jewish Israelis, who are required to serve.

I am not against the ultra-Orthodox community. I am for the state of Israel. I am for a Jewish state but against a Halachic state, Lieberman wrote on Facebook early Wednesday, using a term that refers to a Jewish state governed by Jewish law.

The ultra-Orthodox parties consider conscription a taboo, fearing that military service will lead to immersion in secularism, and insist the exemptions should stay in place. Netanyahu, dependent on the parties political support, says they have compromised enough and refuses to press them further.

Netanyahu maintained contacts with Lieberman and other parties in hopes of forging a deal as a parliamentary debate took place. Many of the Likud speakers lashed out at Lieberman, accusing him of forcing an unnecessary election.

But as a parliamentary debate stretched toward midnight, it became clear there would be no compromise.

A bitter Netanyahu claimed after the vote that Lieberman had no intention to compromise and made unrealistic demands. He is dragging the entire country for another half a year of elections, he said.
A South Korean newspaper reported Friday that North Korea executed a senior envoy involved in nuclear negotiations with the U.S. as well as four other high-level officials. But as ever with North Korea, a country that closely guards its secrets, there are reasons to be cautious about the purported purge.

While North Korea hasnt used its propaganda services to comment, the report in the conservative Chosun Ilbo daily could be true. North Korea has previously executed scapegoats to atone for high-profile political flops, and the most recent summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump ended in failure, leaving Kim embarrassed on the world stage.

But its important to note that both South Korean media and the government in Seoul have a history of reporting scoops about the inner workings of North Korea that turn out to be wrong. Supposedly executed officials have later appeared trotting alongside Kim on state TV.

Fridays report is based on a single, unidentified source who knows about North Korea  with no details about where that source got its information. The report so far hasnt been matched by any major media in Seoul or confirmed by government officials, even anonymously.

Advertisement

The newspapers source said that senior envoy Kim Hyok Chol was executed at the Mirim airfield with four other officials from the Norths Foreign Ministry for betraying Kim Jong Un after being won over by the U.S. Kim Hyok Chol led working-level negotiations as North Koreas special representative for U.S. affairs ahead of Februarys summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The source also said that Kim Yong Chol, who had worked as North Koreas top nuclear negotiator and met with Trump at the White House while setting up the summits, was sentenced to hard labor and ideological re-education.

That the report has been snapped up by global media reflects the hunger for any details about whats going on in North Korea as diplomatic efforts falter between Washington and Pyongyang, which tightly controls its media and both local and foreign access to information.

Negotiations have hit a stalemate because North Korea wants an end to crippling sanctions, but Washington says Pyongyang is not providing enough disarmament to allow that to happen.

There is now growing concern that the diplomacy that has blossomed since early 2018 could be replaced by a return to the animosity that in 2017 caused some of the most realistic fears of war in years as North Korea staged a string of increasingly powerful weapons and Kim and Trump traded intensely personal threats and insults.

Since the Hanoi nuclear summit ended in failure, North Korea has again tested weapons and boosted its belligerent rhetoric toward American and South Korean officials. Analysts believe this indicates Pyongyang is trying to show displeasure for the current impasse without destroying the diplomacy.

Seouls spy service said it could not confirm Fridays report, while the presidential Blue House said that its inappropriate to make hasty judgments or comments.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Berlin that he had seen the report and the U.S. was doing our best to check it out.

In Washington, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders declined to comment on intelligence one way or another.

Were monitoring the situation and continuing to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearizaton, she said.

North Koreas official Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Thursday called out unspecified betrayers, turncoats who demonstrate their loyalty to (the supreme leadership) only in words, and, even worse, change their colors by the flow of trends and said they would come under the stern judgment of the revolution.

To pretend to serve the suryong while dreaming different dreams when turning around is to commit anti-party and anti-revolutionary actions that abandon the moral loyalty for the suryong, the newspaper said, referring to a revered title reserved for North Korean leaders.

If Fridays report is wrong, it would not be the first time for South Korean media and officials.

South Korean intelligence officials in 2016 said that Kim Jong Un had Ri Yong Gil, a former North Korean military chief, executed for corruption and other charges. North Koreas state media months later showed that Ri was alive and in possession of several new senior posts.

In 2013, the Chosun Ilbo reported that Hyon Song Wol, a famous North Korean artist the newspaper described as Kims ex-girlfriend, was executed in public along with several other performers over accusations that they filmed themselves having sex and selling the videos.

Hyon, the leader of Kims hand-picked Moranbong all-female band, was very much alive and later emerged as a key member of Kims government, accompanying him in his meetings with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

South Korea does sometimes get it right.

While many questioned the competence of the South Korean spy service after it failed to learn of the 2011 death of Kims father, Kim Jong Il, before Pyongyangs state TV announced it, the intelligence agency saved face in 2013 by releasing its finding that Kims powerful uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was purged, days before North Korea announced his execution.

Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.


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.
CORINTH, N.Y.  Bombings, beatings and intentionally set fires formed a dark chapter in International Paper Company history when union members clashed with replacement workers called in to keep the Hudson River Mill running during a pair of violence-filled strikes, in 1910 and 21.

Southern New Hampshire University Professor Steve Cernek shared this fascinating history during a day-long tour of the former IP headquarters, Pagenstecher Park, the Pulp Mill Museum in Lake Luzerne and Conklingville Dam.

The event, called Corinth: Of Pulp & Paper, was organized and presented by the non-profit group Adirondack Architectural Heritage.

This was a tough town, said Cernek, a Corinth native whose grandfather and father worked at the mill. No one was ever killed, but people got beat up pretty badly.

The National Guard was called in to maintain order during a 1910 strike that lasted 10 weeks.

In 1921, a much more serious strike began that carried on five years. It was precipitated by a 20-25 percent wage reduction IP sought, triggered by a nationwide recession.

When the union wouldnt go along and refused to work, the company brought in hundreds of strikebreakers.

The company had an animosity toward unions dating way back to the turn of the century, Cernek said. This was the first mill they tried to break.

At least one strikebreakers front porch was dynamited. Anothers garage was burned down.

Threats of violence were so great that replacement workers had to live in company-provided housing within the mills confines for more than a year.

On one occasion, more than 1,000 union members and sympathizers gathered in a show of strength.

Union leaders comprised the entire Village Board and Corinths police chief, also a union member, hired 275 strikers who maintained 24-hour patrols to keep potential replacement workers out of town.

The union ran the village, Cernek said.

At one point, almost everyone in Corinth carried a handgun. Pistols were so prevalent that in March 1922 county officials imposed a moratorium on the issuance of any additional permits in Corinth.

But like other situations, including floods and industrial fires, the mill always bounced back and eventually reached a peak payroll of 1,750 people until a slow, steady decline began  caused by changing technology, environmental regulations and competition  that ultimately resulted in sites 2002 closing.

Cernek is now spearheading a project to transform the former IP administration building into a new Hudson River Mill Museum. The brick structure, built in 1905 and located at 17 Pine St., was placed on the National Register of Historic Places two years ago.

This is where directors met, arriving by train from Saratoga, probably into the 1930s, he said.

IP was formed in 1898 by the merger of 17 companies and 19 mills, making it the worlds largest papermaker. Hudson River Mill in Corinth was its flagship facility for many years.

Plans call for ongoing fundraising and a series of summer events to generate interest in the museum, followed by a phase one dedication on Columbus Day.

The museums first permanent exhibit, The Adirondacks and Birth of the Modern Paper Industry, is scheduled to open next year.

Cernek also gave a detailed presentation about IPs early predecessor, the former Hudson River Pulp Mill.

Albrecht Pagenstecher introduced the pulp making process to Luzerne and Corinth from a mill near Stockbridge, Mass., in 1869.

Up until then, paper was made from cotton rags and straw, not wood products. A small two-grinder mill was located in Luzerne, on Daley Brook near the outflow of Lake Luzerne, and a much larger 18-grinder facility in Corinth near Palmer Falls.

Both towns have community parks named for Pagenstecher and the Pagenstecher Pulp Mill Museum in Luzerne is near the old mills original site.

In 1870, Corinth became the first place in America where pulp and paper were manufactured in the same location.

The company enjoyed strong, steady growth throughout the latter part of the 19th century fueled by three main ingredients  unlimited hydropower, access to a vast supply of Adirondack wood, and a railroad (built in 1865) that brought wood in and carried finished products out.

The firms name was changed to Hudson River Pulp & Paper in 1880 and its sales office was located in the New York Tribune Building, in New York City, as newsprint comprised a great deal of the mills business.

As technology improved, more power from the falls was harnessed allowing for more papermaking machines to come on line, which greatly increased production.

Growth was exponential, Cernek said. The entrepreneurial energy in this era is amazing.

The following events are planned this summer.

* Upper Hudson River Industrial History Tour (July 25, Aug. 21).

* Walking Tour of Corinths Hudson River Historic Walkway (June 15-16, July 7, Aug. 22, Sept. 21, Oct. 12).

* Hudson River Mill History Program and Building Tour (June 15-16, July 7, Aug. 22, Sept. 21, Oct. 12).

For information call (978) 436-1250 or go to: hudsonrivermillmuseum.org.
The application was submitted in January and they found out in March that theyd been accepted.

They told us we were the only team from South Carolina to ever apply, Smith said. And we were accepted. That was very exciting for us.

Diggs said she is interested to connect with same-subject teachers from other states.

I cannot wait to see what teachers in other places are doing, Diggs said. They might be in the same subject but they might be doing something bigger, or I might be doing something bigger. Im excited to roll up my sleeves and see what we can do.

Smith and Diggs, who have been teaching for 29.5 years and 34 years respectively, said that the program is geared more toward younger teachers but that that they are excited to learn new things and share it with the teachers at their school.

They were looking for new teachers but we told them that it takes a foundation to keep teachers, Smith said. We have been in it so we can encourage teachers to stay and help build that camaraderie in teachers who are just coming in. Sometimes it gets rough but dont give up because it is worth it. We understand so we can mentor them.
But why would Kim chuck his nuclear arsenal, sacrificing his only leverage for relevance in exchange for the removal of a few sanctions? So what if his people are starving? Kim has suffered no more distress over the misery of his people than he did over the execution of his uncle, per his command.

How reassuring that the president of the United States finds solace in Kim's company, wisdom in his commentary and faith in his promises.

Trump's re-election strategy, meanwhile, is abundantly clear and annoyingly consistent. He seeks to "shock the conscience," as Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg so aptly put it. With a simple branding label  "Sleepy Joe Biden"  Trump essentially choreographs a 24-hour news cycle of condemnation. But the damage has been done. The brand sticks, he gets air time, and precious few notice that he's furthering his alliances with dictators for personal gain.
The quote is attributed to President Harry Truman, and Ronald Reagan kept it on his desk: "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."

It is even more amazing what has been accomplished with the American economy, but Democratic presidential candidates, the media and economists such as Paul Krugman of The New York Times refuse to give President Trump any credit. Recall that it was Krugman, a Nobel Prize winner, who predicted that Trump's election would trigger "a global recession." One continues to wait in vain for an "I was wrong" statement from him.

The Economist, a center-left British magazine that includes coverage of events in the United States and is no fan of the Trump administration, recently published a remarkable editorial that contains gems Republicans should quote between now and the next election. They include a strong rebuke to the contention of many Democrats that "working people" are still struggling and that the improved economy continues to benefit only the wealthiest 1 percent.
ASIA

Afghanistan

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council will hold its quarterly meeting on Afghanistan and will consider the latest Secretary-Generals report on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), due in June. Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, is expected to brief.

The mandate of UNAMA expires on 17 September.

Key Recent Developments

On 15 March, Germany and Indonesia, the co-penholders on Afghanistan, put the technical rollover resolution 2460 to a vote; the Council adopted it unanimously, extending the mandate of UNAMA until 17 September without changes. Although Council members held several rounds of negotiations and bilateral meetings, no agreement could be reached on the original draft resolution, after which the decision was made by the penholders to pursue a technical rollover. China and the US were deadlocked on whether to maintain a reference to the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (language agreed in preceding resolutions) in the context of welcoming regional economic cooperation. After the adoption, German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen expressed his regret that issues that have nothing to do with it and are not related to the excellent work and mandate of UNAMA made it impossible to achieve the resolution for which we had originally aimed. The next mandate renewal had been intended to take place after the presidential elections, which at the time of the adoption of resolution 2460 were scheduled for July. At press time, the presidential elections had been re-scheduled for 28 September.

Several talks geared towards peace in Afghanistan are being pursued. Following the first round of talks in seven years between representatives of the US and the Taliban in late July 2018, the sixth such meeting was held in Doha, Qatar, from 1 to 9 May. The Taliban continue to insist on holding direct talks with the US government rather than the Afghan government, whose legitimacy they do not recognise, as they seek the withdrawal of US and international troops from Afghanistan. Also in Doha, Yamamoto met on 25 April with the co-founder of the Taliban, Mullah Baradar Akhund, and the Taliban negotiating team, in line with established practice. Yamamoto addressed issues related to the peace process, humanitarian assistance, and human rights.

From 29 April to 3 May, a Loya Jirga (Grand Council) was held in Kabul, intended to discuss the way forward with the Taliban. The more than 3,200 Afghan participants included politicians and tribal leaders. The resulting declaration offers 23 points as a framework for future peace negotiations.

Several other Afghanistan-focused international meetings were held recently. On 25 April, special representatives of the Russian president, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, and the US State Department met in Moscow on Afghanistan and issued a trilateral declaration. On 23 April, a Europe-US meeting was held in London on Supporting Peace in Afghanistan; countries participating adopted a joint statement as well. Both outcomes emphasised that any peace process starts with the Afghan people.

UNAMAs third anti-corruption report, published in May, welcomed a strengthened institutional, normative and legal framework to address corruption in Afghanistan but cautioned that implementation requires a sustained effort. Last year, Afghanistan ranked 172 out of 180 on Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index (moving up from 177 in 2017).

The latest quarterly report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), an oversight body reporting to the US Congress, issued on 30 April, stated that SIGAR had been notified by the US-commanded NATO Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan that the mission no longer assessed government and insurgent control or influence over Afghan territory and population.

UNAMAs quarterly report of 24 April on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict points out with concern that Pro-Government Forces were responsible for more civilian deaths than Anti-Government Elements during the reporting period.

On 11 March, the Council held a briefing on the situation in Afghanistan. Briefers included Yamamoto; Afghanistans National Security Adviser, Hamdullah Mohib; and Deputy Executive Director of the Afghan Womens Network, Storai Tapesh. In his briefing, Yamamoto stressed the vital need for talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. However, progress in peace talks including the Taliban may mean a regression in civil rights, including womens rights, and Yamamoto acknowledged that Afghan citizens have fundamental and legitimate concerns in that regard. This briefing was followed by consultations to allow for a more detailed discussion on ongoing peace talks in a closed format.

The Independent Electoral Commissions announcement of all the final results of last years parliamentary and district council elections continues to be postponed.

At press time, the UNs 2019 humanitarian response plan for Afghanistan of $611.8 million was funded at 20.5 percent, with $486.4 million outstanding.

Sanctions-Related Developments On 13 March, the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee met with and was briefed by the newly appointed Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN, Adela Raz, and Afghanistans National Security Adviser, Hamdullah Mohib. In other developments, exemptions from the travel ban for 11 members of the Taliban were requested and granted for the purposes of peace talks. ICC-Related Developments On 20 November 2017, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda requested authorisation from the Courts judges to initiate an investigation into alleged international crimes in the context of the ongoing armed conflict in Afghanistan since 2003. These included war crimes (committed by the Taliban and their affiliated Haqqani Network, Afghan security forces, the US armed forces, and the US Central Intelligence Agency) and crimes against humanity (committed by the Taliban and their affiliated Haqqani Network). The victims representation process at the ICC concluded on 31 January 2018. The judges received a report prepared by the Victims Participation and Reparations Section; a redacted version of the report was made public on 20 February 2018. On 12 April, the judges of Pre-Trial Chamber II unanimously rejected the prosecutors request. Although it met the requirements for jurisdiction and admissibility, they said the context of the situation in Afghanistan renders the prospects for a successful investigation and prosecution extremely limited. The judges concluded that an investigation would not serve the interests of justice, a criterion set out in the Rome Statute of the ICC. Reacting to the decision, the Office of the Prosecutor said it will consider all available legal remedies. Women, Peace and Security According to UNAMA, out of 18 incidents targeting education in the first quarter of 2019, four were attacks by the Taliban on girls schools, including setting buildings and equipment on fire, affecting the education of about 300 girls.

Key Issues and Options

Council priorities include awaiting the final results of the 2018 parliamentary and district council elections and a timetable for the 2019 presidential elections, and how the Council can support UNAMA in implementing its mandate, including support for the election and the political processes. In order for Council members and Yamamoto to have a more interactive and frank discussion after the briefing, the Council may again meet in consultations as opposed to a debate only.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Council members are generally supportive of UNAMAs work, remain concerned about the security, humanitarian and political situation in Afghanistan, and are committed to the peace process. Several members of the Council are engaged in different talks aiming at a negotiated peace agreement, which do not always include the Afghan government. Most members routinely emphasise that a peace process in Afghanistan has to be Afghan-led. Looking forward, including the upcoming mandate renewal, it remains to be seen how the stalemate between the US and China on the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative can be resolved.

Germany and Indonesia are co-penholders on Afghanistan, and Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani (Indonesia) chairs the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee.
AFRICA

Central African Republic

Expected Council Action

In June, Mankeur Ndiaye, the Special Representative and head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), will brief the Council on the Secretary-Generals MINUSCA report, due on 15 June. The Chair of the Peacebuilding Commissions Central African Republic (CAR) configuration, Ambassador Omar Hilale (Morocco), may also brief.

The mandate of MINUSCA expires on 15 November 2019.

Key Recent Developments

The Political Peace Agreement in the CAR was signed by the CAR government and 14 armed groups in Bangui on 6 February, following negotiations in Khartoum that began on 24 January under the auspices of the AU. It addresses justice and reconciliation, governance, and transitional security arrangements. It stipulates that the signatories will establish a commission to review justice issues and submit recommendations to the National Assembly; the Commission of Truth, Justice and Reconciliation; and a follow-up mechanism established to oversee the agreements effective implementation. The agreement does not include an amnesty for militia leaders but grants the president a discretionary right to issue pardons. Under the agreement, mixed security units will be formed comprising members of the armed groups and state security forces, and members of the former armed groups will be allowed to participate in the government. On 13 February, Council members issued a press statement welcoming the signing of the agreement.

The agreement comes against a backdrop of the inability of the government, led by President Faustin-Archange Touadera, to establish state authority outside a few urban areas, thus undermining the governments legitimacy in the eyes of the population. The largely Christian anti-Balaka movement, operating in south-western CAR, has been targeting Muslims. Ex-Seleka armed factions, which are largely Muslim, have retained, if not strengthened, their positions and influence in their respective strongholds and continue to benefit from illicit taxation and illegal exploitation of natural resources.

The agreement faced its first major setback in March, when several armed groups withdrew from Touaderas newly formed government, arguing that they were under-represented. On 22 March, after AU-hosted consultations in Addis Ababa, Touadera announced a new cabinet, in which all 14 armed groups are represented.

On 24 March, a presidential decree named three of the leaders of the armed groups, all suspected of widespread violence, as special military advisers to the prime ministers office.

On 26 March, Ndiaye briefed the Council under any other business on the consultations in Addis Ababa and their results. The Council welcomed the consensus reached by the parties on the formation of an inclusive government in a press statement on 28 March.

This is the latest of several peace agreements that have been signed in the CAR over the years between warring factions, and it remains to be seen if and how it will be implemented. On 5 April, MINUSCA peacekeepers clashed with rebels from the Democratic Front of the Central African People (FDPC), a signatory to the agreement, after the group set up roadblocks on the only road leading to Cameroon. Five FDPC members were killed, and one peacekeeper was injured.

Building on the peace agreement, six armed groups signed a local peace agreement in Bria on 9 April, aiming to end violence in the eastern region of Haute-Kotto.

Between 19 and 21 May, rebels attacked several villages in Ouham-Pende Prefecture, killing at least 49 people. The attacks have been attributed to the 3R (Retour, Reclamation et Rehabilitation), rebel groups, a signatory to the peace agreement. The Secretary-General condemned the attack on 23 May, urging the CAR to investigate and swiftly bring those responsible to justice.

Sanctions-Related Developments

On 31 January, the Council renewed the CAR sanctions regime until 31 January 2020 and the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee until 28 February 2020. The resolution expressed the Councils intention to establish, no later than 30 April, clear and well-identified key benchmarks regarding the reform of the security sector, the disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration and repatriation process, and the management of weapons and ammunition, that could serve in guiding the Security Council to review the arms embargo measures on the Government of the CAR, based on an assessment of progress on the benchmarks, to be carried out by the Secretary-General by 31 July. On 9 April, the Council adopted a presidential statement, stating its readiness to review the arms embargo measures on the government of the CAR through suspension or progressive lifting of these measures in the light of progress achieved on key benchmarks laid down in the text.

Human Rights-Related Developments

During its 40th session, the Human Rights Council (HRC) held a high-level interactive dialogue on 20 March on human rights in the CAR. Andrew Gilmour, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, said that the signing of the Global Peace Agreement by the government and 14 armed groups on 6 February marked an important milestone, but that the human rights situation remained highly volatile. Marie-Therese Keita Bocoum, the independent expert on human rights in the CAR, told the HRC that despite the peace agreement, reports persisted of human rights violations and breaches of humanitarian law. Musa Gassama, head of the human rights component of MINUSCA, told the HRC that the political, socio-economic and security context in the country remained prone to multifaceted violence and human rights violations and that 880 civilians, including 146 women and 117 children, were killed in 2018. Armed groups accounted for 98 percent of documented human rights abuses and international humanitarian law violations, Gassama said.

Developments in the Peacebuilding Commission

On 10 May, the CAR configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission met with Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Smail Chergui after their 10-13 April visit to the CAR. During their visit, the two co-chaired the first meeting of the International Support Group on the CAR, aimed at encouraging the international community to engage in the peace process and to support the urgent humanitarian needs of the country.

Issues and Options

Progress on the political track and support for the African Initiative, which led to the conclusion of the peace agreement, are central issues, and under resolution 2448, which extended the mandate of MINUSCA in December, the mission is to play a more significant part in the facilitation of the initiative. A related issue concerns questions about the armed groups commitment to the political agreement and to the political process as a whole. A credible threat of targeted sanctions might provide an incentive for armed groups to commit to the process, and sanctions against those responsible for attacks against civilians, MINUSCA and humanitarian workers might also help to curb violence. Furthermore, targeting actors who enable the economic activities of armed groups may further pressure them to adhere to the agreement.

In the longer term, following the signing of the peace agreement, the Council will monitor its implementation to assess whether the situation on the ground requires changes in MINUSCAs mandate.

Council and Wider Dynamics

MINUSCAs mandate renewal and the possibility of lifting the arms embargo on the CAR government exposed differences of views between the permanent members on the CAR. On the mandate renewal, Russias insistence that its political role and military assistance to the CAR be reflected in Council outcomes creates a new dynamic, reflecting Russias increasing interest in the region. On sanctions, the adoption of benchmarks for potentially lifting the arms embargo on the government also reflects a shift in the Councils position, as some Council members pushed for the CARs wishes on this issue to be taken into account. In the past, and despite the explicit position of the CAR government, the P3, along with several other Council members, were of the view that limited progress in security sector reform did not warrant contemplating the lifting of the arms embargo.

All Council members share the hope that the peace agreement will improve the situation and restore peace and security in the CAR. While some members have concerns about the agreements contentfor example, on accountabilityCouncil members are waiting to see whether the agreement is implemented before expressing reservations.

France is the penholder on the CAR, and Cote dIvoire chairs the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON THE CAR
PEACEMAKING, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACEBUILDING

Conflict Prevention and Mediation

Expected Council Action

In June, the Security Council will hold a briefing on the Maintenance of international peace and security: Conflict prevention and mediation. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Mary Robinson, the chair of the Elders, a diverse and independent group of global leaders working to promote peace and human rights, are expected to brief. Ban Ki-moon, a current deputy chair of the Elders, is likely to brief as well. Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah is expected to preside. No formal outcome in anticipated from the meeting.

Key Recent Developments

On 29 August 2018, the Council held an open debate on mediation and settlement of disputes under the UK presidency. Guterres; Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who is a member of the Secretary-Generals High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation; and Mossarat Qadeem, co-founder of PAIMAN Alumni Trust, a civil society organisation that works to prevent violent extremism in Pakistan, briefed. The UK Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Ahmad, chaired the meeting. Guterres emphasised that prevention includes an investment in mediation, peacebuilding and sustainable development in addition to diplomacy. Welby highlighted reconciliation as a means to achieving sustainable peace and preventing the recurrence of violent conflict. Qadeem underscored the impact of women mediators on peace processes, saying that women place greater relative weight on interaction-specific aspects than men do and often perceive most negotiations to include a relationship dimension and that women mediators can ensure that processes and agreements are more gender-sensitive and thus more comprehensive and legitimate.

The most recent Council outcome on conflict prevention as a thematic issue was a presidential statement initiated by then-Council member Kazakhstan and adopted on 18 January 2018. The statement, which was based largely on agreed language, recalled that a comprehensive conflict prevention strategy should include early warning, preventive deployment, mediation, peacekeeping, non-proliferation, accountability measures, and post-conflict peacebuilding; it recognised that these components are interdependent, complementary and non-sequential. The statement noted the role of women and youth in conflict prevention. It also focused on the importance of addressing the regional dimensions of conflict, including through regional arrangements and diplomacy, and emphasised the key role that civil society can play in promoting efforts to sustain peace.

On 5 March, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo informally briefed members, providing a global overview of the risks and tensions with regard to national elections. This appears to have been an early effort, supported by a number of Council members, towards informal, monthly horizon-scanning sessions with the Secretariat on thematic and regional issues of potential concern.

Key Issues and Options

One key issue is to determine how the Council can conduct upstream prevention or early conflict mitigation, which is particularly challenging given the political sensitivities of discussing issues not already on the agenda. Finding discreet and creative ways to engage with such matters could continue to be explored by members. Monthly informal horizon-scanning meetings, such as the meeting held on 5 March, could provide one modest way of discussing potential risks to international peace and security.

The Secretary-Generals monthly lunch provides another potential avenue for such conversations, on both country-specific and regional aspects. Strategic use of Arria-formula meetings, such as the 13 May meeting on Cameroon, and discussing country situations under regional agenda items offer other fruitful ways to engage on these matters. Next months briefing could be an opportunity to grapple with how the Council can hold meaningful discussions about addressing emerging threats and conflicts.

Another issue for the Council is how it can most effectively support the prevention and mediation efforts of other actors within the UN system, as well as regional, sub-regional, national, and local actors. In this regard, the Council could consider requesting the Secretary-General to submit a report with recommendations of the best ways the Council could work with other actors and utilise its comparative advantages to support mediation processes and conflict prevention. The report could outline examples of Council best practices in specific cases that could help inform its future work on prevention and mediation.

A further important matter is how the Council can encourage peace operations to facilitate local dispute resolution mechanisms where useful. This is consistent with the notion that mandates should be driven by the need to achieve political solutions, a key theme of the 2015 report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. In recent years, the Council has begun to pay increased attention, in its mandating, to the importance of community engagement.

Underlying Issue

A core problem for the Council is knowing when and how to act, and generating the political will to do so, in ways that forestall or mitigate violent conflict. The best information is useless if rhetorical support for prevention is not translated into concrete and appropriate action. Differing views on the nature of state sovereigntyas well as political divisions among the permanent members and other influential member stateshave frequently made it difficult for the Council to decide when, how and even whether to act at early stages of crises.

Council Dynamics

All Council members have expressed their support for conflict prevention and mediation at the thematic level. However, the Councils track record in countries such as Syria, Mali and Libya, among others, does not match this thematic support. In part, the Councils shortcomings reflect the complexity of these conflicts, with a proliferation of national and international stakeholders with varying agendas. But the inability of the Council to prevent and mediate conflict effectively also stems from the prevailing political divisions and contrasting views about state sovereignty among the permanent members, which tend to block action by the Council in cases where national interests could be at stake or where there are disagreements about which tools should be used.

Kuwaits decision to pursue a briefing on conflict prevention and mediation is reminiscent of the signature event of its February 2018 presidency, a ministerial-level briefing on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in the maintenance of international peace and security. During that meeting, Kuwait emphasised that the Council should further activate tools of the Charter in Chapter VI on the peaceful settlement of disputes, such as mediation, negotiation and arbitration. It further stressed the important and key role played by the Secretary-General in bringing any matter to the attention of the Security Council, pursuant to Article 99 of the UN Charter.

Recent efforts to resurrect horizon-scanning sessionsalbeit in a more discreet way than the sessions held between November 2010 and March 2012, which were on the monthly programme as a briefing in consultations by the then-Department of Political Affairshave been initiated by the elected members.

UN Documents on Conflict Prevention and Mediation
Ancient DNA illuminates first herders and farmers in east Africa

Research summary

Genome-wide analyses of 41 ancient sub-Saharan Africans answer questions left murky by archaeological records about the origins of the people who introduced food production--first herding and then farming--into East Africa over the past 5,000 years.

Publication

Science, embargoed until 2 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, May 30

Findings

Analyses suggest a multi-stage model for the spread of food production into the region known today as Kenya and Tanzania.

The introduction of herding is linked with movement into the region of two distinct groups from northeast Africa, who mixed with each other and with local hunter-gatherers.

Starting 1,200 years ago, additional people from northeastern and western Africa moved into the region and contributed genetic profiles similar to many groups living in East Africa today.

Despite great variety in pottery styles, tool materials and burial practices, Stone Age herders across East Africa were found to have closely related genomes, highlighting how cultural differences do not always map to genetic ancestry differences.

Genes for lactose digestion in adulthood were rare in the first East African herders, suggesting that as in Europe, the rise in frequency of this trait lagged behind the widespread use of cow's milk by thousands of years.

Significance

The international study more than doubles the number of ancient genomes analyzed from sub-Saharan Africa.

The current study involved close and fully equal collaboration between archaeologists and geneticists.

Partnerships included African scientists and curators, particularly from the National Museum of Kenya, and also Henry Louis Gates, Jr. at Harvard.

The study formed the basis for the development of ethical guidelines and preservation protocols for sampling ancient DNA, published here.

###

Related material

Two study authors, both archaeologists, wrote an article about the work while it was ongoing and have a new commentary that will appear in The Conversation at the same time as the paper.

Authorship and DOI

Senior author is David Reich of Harvard Medical School. Co-first authors are Mary Prendergast of Saint Louis University-Madrid Campus (Spain), Mark Lipson of HMS and Elizabeth Sawchuk of Stony Brook University. http://dx. doi. org/ 10. 1126science. aaw6275/

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
An exhibitor presents a seafood cuisine during the 2019 China (Fuzhou) International Seafood &Fisheries Expo in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, May 30, 2019. The expo, which kicked off in Fuzhou on Thursday, exhibits more than a thousand types of seafood products from 400 enterprises in 34 countries and regions, according to the organizer. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan)

FUZHOU, May 30 (Xinhua) -- An expo on seafood and fishery trade opened Thursday in Fuzhou, the capital of east China's Fujian Province.

This year's China (Fuzhou) International Seafood &Fisheries Expo (FIFE) exhibits more than a thousand types of seafood products from 400 enterprises in 34 countries and regions, according to the organizer.

The two-day event is expected to receive a record number of 13,000 visitors from both home and abroad, the organizer said.

Fujian is known for being the starting point of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, which saw the exchange of merchandise by sea between China and countries in as far as East Africa and Europe.

Government representatives and diplomats from over 30 countries will hold discussions on promoting the Maritime Silk Road and the fishery industry during this year's expo.

First held in 2009, the FIFE is a national-level expo jointly organized by the 21st Century Maritime Cooperation Committee and China Fisheries Association.

12

1

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
SECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE

Cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council will hold a ministerial-level briefing on cooperation between the UN and the League of Arab States (LAS). Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah will chair the meeting. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and LAS Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit may brief.

Background

Improving partnerships and cooperation with regional organisations has become an increasingly prominent theme for the Council and other parts of the UN system. Since 2007, the Security Council has held an annual consultative meeting with the AU Peace and Security Council, and in 2001 and 2010, respectively, it started holding an annual briefing on the work of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and on UN-EU cooperation.

Such cooperation is less developed with the League of Arab States. Representatives of the LAS addressed the Council on several occasions with the onset of the Arab Spring uprisings and subsequent proliferation of conflicts, especially in Syria, where the LAS was involved in the initial mediation efforts. The position of Joint Special Envoy for Syria on behalf of the UN and the LAS was created, filled first by Kofi Annan and then by Lakhdar Brahimi. In September 2012, during Germanys presidency, the Council held a high-level meeting on peace and security in the Middle East focusing on the relationship between the Council and the LAS. Its outcome was a presidential statement in support of the LASs contribution to collective efforts for the peaceful settlement of conflicts in the Middle East, expressing the Councils determination to take effective steps to further enhance cooperation between the two organisations. The 2012 session was held under the Councils Middle East agenda item, whereas next months meeting will be organised under the agenda item on cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organisations in maintaining international peace and security.

In May 2016, the Council held its first consultative meeting with members of the LAS in Cairo during the Councils visiting mission to Somalia, Kenya and Egypt. The meeting focused on the Middle East peace process, Somalia, Libya, and developments in the Syrian conflict. Members of both bodies called for greater cooperation between the two organisations on issues pertaining to international peace and security and to stability in the Arab region. Some members called for institutionalising the relationship and making this type of consultative meeting a regular occurrence. But since the 2012 presidential statement and 2016 consultative meeting, progress towards an enhanced relationship has been limited. An anticipated Council briefing in August 2017 on cooperation with the LAS, scheduled during Egypts presidency, did not take place.

More broadly, the Secretary-Generals August 2018 report on cooperation between the UN and regional organisations says that the UN supports the LAS to strengthen its capacities in relation to conflict prevention, management, mediation and negotiation, and peacekeeping; maintains contacts on different country situations, including Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and the question of Palestine; and has sought to cooperate on water-related issues, human rights, global refugee and migration challenges, and counter-terrorism. It also says efforts are continuing to open a UN liaison office to the LAS in Cairo, which was agreed in 2016. A General Assembly resolution adopted in December 2018 on cooperation between the UN and the LAS requested that the UN coordinate with Egypt to expedite the opening of the liaison office.

In March, the Secretary-General addressed the 30th ordinary session of the Council of the LAS. He highlighted that the Israeli-Palestine conflict, Yemen, Libya and Syria, along with the terrorism threat, are situations that could benefit from a comprehensive regional approach. He noted that the UN liaison office to the LAS would open soon.

Key Issues and Options

The upcoming meeting is being organised to further enhance the cooperation between the UN and the LAS in resolving conflicts, as many of the situations on the Councils agenda are wars in Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Organising the meeting is also seen as a way to implement the Councils September 2012 presidential statement. Key issues include how to encourage cooperation between the two organisations across the conflict cycle: from prevention and peacebuilding to peace-making and post-conflict reconstruction. An option, and objective of Kuwait, is to establish the practice of an annual meeting on cooperation with the LAS, which future Arab Council members could organise, similar to the Council practice related to the EU, OSCE and AU PSC.

No product is envisaged, but as steps towards advancing cooperation, members may encourage the Secretary-General to appoint the head of the UN liaison office. In this regard, they may welcome the 28 May appointment of Khaled Mohamed Khiari, as the Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regional division created as part of his reforms of the UN peace and security architecture.

UN DOCUMENTS ON COOPERATION BETWEEN THE UN AND THE LAS
AFRICA

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Expected Council Action

In June, the Security Council is due to renew the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sanctions regime and the mandate of the Group of Experts assisting the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee. The Council may also choose to discuss the DRC more broadly as post-electoral developments and the Ebola epidemic continue to unfold.

The mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) expires on 20 December 2019.

Key Recent Developments

It has now been over 100 days since Felix Tshisekedi became president of the DRC, and work to form a government continues. Disagreements between Tshisekedis coalition and former President Joseph Kabilas party have seemed to stall the process, since the two groups have agreed to work together in government. On 20 May, Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba was announced as the new prime minister. This marked a compromise between Tshisekedi and Kabila, as Ilukamba is considered a Kabila ally. In the past, he served as the head of the DRCs national railway company and as finance minister for former President Mobutu Sese Seko.

The Council met to discuss MONUSCO and the Secretary-Generals report on 18 March, during which briefings were provided by Special Representative and head of MONUSCO Leila Zerrougui and Anny Tenga Modi, executive director of Afia Mamaa, a civil society organisation. Zerrougui commended the involvement of the Council in the DRC during the past year, especially in regard to elections. She said the situation was far calmer than in December and January, and highlighted Tshisekedis efforts in support of peace, rule of law, democracy, and the protection and promotion of human rights, such as the release of political prisoners.

On 29 March, the Council renewed MONUSCOs mandate until 20 December through resolution 2463, maintaining the current troop ceiling and strategic priorities. It also added the requirement that a strategic review of MONUSCO be completed by 20 October, leading to a plan for a phased, progressive and comprehensive exit strategy. During the adoption meeting, the DRCs representative requested the sanctions regime to designate the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) as a terrorist group.

At press time, 1,920 cases of Ebola and 1,281 deaths had been confirmed, since August 2018. These include at least 99 health workers who were infected, of whom 34 died. The current concern is the high fatality rate, which hovers around 66 percent.

The outbreak remains limited to eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, but countries in the region are on high alert, especially given the continued large movements of people due to conflict in eastern DRC. On 13 May the EU announced an additional 5 million euros in funding for the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners. Response centres continue to be targets of violence due to extreme mistrust by communities of healthcare workers and the causes of the Ebola crisis at large. A WHO doctor was killed in April in an attack on a hospital in Butembo.

Sanctions-Related Developments

Last years renewal of the DRC sanctions regime was little changed and continued to affirm that sanctions will apply to individuals and entities designated by the committee that meet criteria outlined in previous resolutions. These include engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the DRC as well as planning, directing, sponsoring or participating in attacks against MONUSCO peacekeepers or UN personnel, including members of the Group of Experts. According to its report published in December 2018, there were 35 individuals and nine entities on the committees sanctions list.

Resolution 2463 welcomed the work of the UN team deployed by the Secretary-General to assist the Congolese authorities in their investigation into the March 2017 killing of two members of the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee Group of ExpertsMichael Sharp (US) and Zaida Catalan (Sweden-Chile)and the four Congolese nationals accompanying them, and called on the authorities to ensure that all perpetrators are brought to justice and held accountable.

In May, the sanctions committee visited the DRC and the region. All members of the Council were represented. Because the new government had not been formed, engagement with government officials was limited. On 24 May the committee met with the Group of Experts to discuss their final report.

Human Rights-Related Developments

During its 40th session, the Human Rights Council (HRC) held a high-level interactive dialogue on 19 March on human rights in the DRC. Presenting the High Commissioners report (A/HRC/40/47), Andrew Gilmour, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, said that OHCHR remained deeply concerned about continuing intercommunal violence in the country. Bacre Waly Ndiaye, the team leader of the international experts on the situation of human rights in the Kasai region, told the HRC that although the situation in Kasai had stabilised, the crisis was far from over [as] militias were still active in the province, forced labour was rife, and the numbers affected by sexual slavery were greater than initially thought, as were the numbers of child soldiers. Zerrougui also briefed. In April, the UN Joint Human Rights Office documented 569 human rights violations throughout the DRC, a significant increase as compared to the previous two months.

Key Issues and Options

The pressing issue in June is the need to renew the sanctions regime before it expires on 1 July. The Council can use the sanctions resolution to reiterate its main messages about the need to see political progress on the ground after elections. It can also threaten to impose further sanctions or target those who act to undermine the stability of the DRC.

It seems likely that given the continued instability of DRC politics and ongoing violence, there may not be significant changes to the sanctions regime. However, some 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee members who participated in the May visit came away with the impression that more should be done to protect the countrys natural resources from illicit and conflict-fuelling exploitation. More listing criteria relative to this issue could be discussed.

The Council may, in coordination with regional actors, reiterate its call on all stakeholders to remain committed to translating calls for stability and institutional reform into practice.

The Council could choose to visit the DRC to gather information ahead of any decision to revise MONUSCOs mandate in December. However, it seems unlikely they would visit before the results of the strategic review.

Council Dynamics

While resolution 2463 was ultimately adopted unanimously, the negotiations were contentious. Council members agreed that the DRC authorities should work towards the stabilisation and strengthening of the capacity of state institutions and that the UN and regional organisations should help in this regard.

But there have been disagreements over the future of MONUSCO and how such a future should be created. South Africa, since beginning its term on the Council this year, has played a significant role in discussions of the situation in the DRC, with mandate duration a particular concern. During negotiations, it advocated a 12-month renewal of MONUSCOs mandate as important for regional stability, and some other members supported this position. The nine-month renewal was the compromise achieved.

France is the penholder on the DRC, and Kuwait chairs the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON THE DRC




AMERICAS

Haiti

Expected Council Action

In June, the Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution that will detail the transition of the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) to a non-peacekeeping UN presence. The mandate of MINUJUSTH expires on 15 October.

Key Recent Developments

On 12 April, the Council renewed MINUJUSTH for a final six months through resolution 2466 and endorsed transitioning to a Special Political Mission (SPM). This echoed a recommendation by the Secretary-General in his most recent MINUJUSTH report. The resolution requested the Secretary-General to report to the Council within 30 days with operational details of the proposed SPM, including specific objectives and information regarding its proposed deployment, staffing, and structure.

On 13 May, the Secretary-General submitted his recommendations in a letter to the president of the Council on the potential operational details for the SPM, including objectives, structure, and size. Aligning with previous reports, the Secretary-General said that the SPM would focus on strengthening political stability and good governance, the preservation and further advancement of a peaceful and stable environment, and the protection and promotion of human rights.

In the document, the Secretary-General recommended a special political mission with an advisory mandate, led by a special representative at the Assistant Secretary-General level, who would report to the Secretary-General through the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. The Secretary-General also said that the SPM would be a stage in the transition towards a context in which Haitian institutions would be able to promote stability and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, which are 17 goals established by the General Assembly in September 2015 and intended to address the global challenges related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. These efforts could address instability drivers and create political solutions to benefit Haiti during the transition period with the support of the UN country team and the commitment of Haitian institutions and the international community.

To address human rights, which many Council members view as vital in this context, the Secretary-General suggested that OHCHR continue to provide support to UN joint efforts in Haiti. Eventually, after the SPM leaves, a human rights office could be created. The Secretary-General also noted that the Haitian government has emphasised reduction of gang violence as a key priority. Therefore, the SPM would advise the government on creating a strategy to deal with this violence by building stronger links to communities.

The Secretary-General stressed the need to have strong cooperation and coordination with various stakeholders, including the UN Country Team, regional organisations, bilateral partners, and international financial institutions. He suggested the deployment of up to 30 civilian and seconded personnel to serve as police and corrections advisers. In total, the SPM would number 80-100 members, though the total number is unlikely to be listed in a resolution and will be determined by Fifth Committee negotiations.

Key Issues and Options

The focus remains on making progress towards achieving the benchmarks necessary for the transition to a non-peacekeeping UN presence in Haiti. The Council will also continue to monitor the situation on the ground and its impact on the nature of the UNs presence. The most immediate task for the Council is mandating an SPM in Haiti. It is likely to be for 12 months and may change the reporting cycle for the Secretary-General from every three months to every four, or perhaps twice a year.

The Council could also choose to visit Haiti through a Council Mission, perhaps closer to Octobers elections and MINUJUSTHs withdrawal.

Council Dynamics

During negotiations on resolution 2466 in April, some Council members expressed their preference for a single resolution that would include MINUJUSTHs six-month renewal and concrete plans for an SPM in order to provide more stability during the transition. They also wished to give the Secretariat as much time as possible to prepare for the post-MINUJUSTH presence.

The resolution was adopted with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions (Russia and the Dominican Republic). They abstained for different reasons, and these reasons could come back into play during negotiations on the details of the SPM. The Dominican Republic was concerned that MINUJUSTHs withdrawal would coincide with Haitis scheduled elections and potential instability. Russia maintained that Haitis human rights situation is not a threat to international peace and security and therefore disputed the use of Chapter VII, which authorises enforcement action in order to restore international peace and security, in this case related to human rights and justice. France and Germany countered this with direct references welcoming the use of Chapter VII for human rights monitoring. This difference may be a moot point given that SPMs are under Chapter VI.

Peru said that any exit strategy must consider the security conditions on the ground and the ability of Haiti to ensure security throughout its territory. It has voiced support for swift negotiations on the future mechanism and would like to see a robust SPM established with the necessary human and financial resources. Proposed German language about strengthening the resilience of Haiti with respect to climate change was not included, and further discussion on this can be anticipated in the context of a future resolution. China has already indicated in some public statements the importance with which it views unity on Haiti and so is likely to want to see a consensual text.

The US is the penholder on Haiti. At press time, a draft resolution had not yet been circulated but it is expected to happen soon.

UN DOCUMENTS ON HAITI
THE SECURITY COUNCIL

In Hindsight: Security Council Elections 2019

The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly is expected to hold elections on 7 June for five non-permanent members of the Security Council for the term 2020-2021. (For more detailed information, please see our 14 May research report Security Council Elections 2019.)

Background

The five seats available for election in 2019 according to the customary distribution among regions will be as follows:

two seats for the African Group (currently held by Cote dIvoire and Equatorial Guinea);

one seat for the Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States (the Asia-Pacific Group, currently held by Kuwait);

one seat for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC, currently held by Peru); and

one seat for the Eastern European Group (currently held by Poland).

The Western European and Others Group (WEOG) is not contesting any seats this year as both its seats, currently held by Belgium and Germany, come up for election every other year.

Six member statesEstonia, Niger, Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Viet Namare currently running for the five available seats. Estonia and Romania are contesting the single Eastern European Group seat, while the other four candidates will run unopposed.

Four of the six candidates have served on the Council previously: Niger has served once, nearly 40 years ago (1980-1981); Romania has served four times, starting with one year as a result of the split term in 1962 and 1963 between Romania and the Philippines (1962, 1976-1977, 1990-1991 and 2004-2005); Tunisia has served three times (1959-1960, 1980-1981 and 2000-2001); and Viet Nam has served once (20082009). Estonia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have never served on the Council.

Voting Procedures

Regardless of whether the election is contested, a country must obtain the votes of two-thirds of the member states present and voting at the General Assembly session in order to secure a seat on the Council. This means that a minimum of 129 positive votes are required to win a seat if all 193 UN member states are present and voting.

Election to the Council, as with other principal organs of the UN, requires formal balloting even if candidates have been endorsed by their regional group and are running unopposed. In theory it is possible, although unlikely, that a member state running unopposed might not garner the requisite votes in the General Assembly in the first round. Such a country could then be challenged in subsequent rounds by a new candidate, and ultimately not obtain a seat.

There have been several instances in which extended rounds of voting were required to fill a contested seat. Such situations have usually been solved by the withdrawal of one of the contenders or the election of a compromise candidate, rather than by agreeing on a split term. The sole exception to this practice since 1966 was the 2016 agreement between Italy and the Netherlands to split the 2017-2018 term.

Potential Council Dynamics in 2020

This will be the fourth Council election since its timing was brought forward from October to June. As a result, the incoming members enjoy a longer preparatory period, including three months of participation as observers in Council consultations of the whole, Council subsidiary bodies, and some informal Council meetings. Although it is difficult to assess how the Councils dynamics might evolve next year, the priorities raised in the campaigns by the candidates, as well as their long-standing interests, provide some indication (discussed in alphabetical order below).

During its campaign, Estonia placed cyber-security high on its list of priorities, including in the context of responding to threats of cyber-attacks and developing international norms and standards to deal with this issue. Tunisia and Romania also highlighted cyber-security in their campaigns. Estonia is the only candidate that is a member of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group (ACT). In this regard, if elected, Estonia is likely to seek to advance the goals of ACT, including those involving working methods of the Council aimed at enhancing non-members interaction with the Council. The goals of ACT are likely to resonate with other Council members that, while not part of the group, are committed to enhancing the accountability, effectiveness and legitimacy of the Council.

A key issue facing Niger is the deteriorating security situation in West Africa and the Sahel. Niger faces a triple threat as a result of the conflict in Mali to its east, the war in Libya to its north, and the presence of Boko Haram in the south-east, so it can be expected to take a particular interest in these issues. As part of the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel), Niger is likely to be especially interested in the Councils engagement on this and also in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), to which Niger is a significant troop contributor.

During its Security Council campaign, Romania placed peacebuilding high on its list of priorities. Romania chaired the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) in 2018 and has served as vice-chair in 2019. If elected, Romania can be expected to foster cooperation between the Security Council and the PBC. During its most recent term on the Security Council from 2004 to 2005, Romania was particularly engaged around preventive diplomacy and post-conflict reconstruction as well as cooperation between the UN and regional organisations. If elected, Romania is expected to focus again on these issues.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines campaigned on emphasising the need to address the effects of climate change and the linkages between climate and security. Estonia similarly identified this issue as high on its list of priorities. Romania, Tunisia and Viet Nam also highlighted the issue. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also likely to take a keen interest in the situation in Haiti, given its geographical proximity. Also, given its involvement in regional dialogue efforts in Venezuela, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines may want to be active in the Councils engagement on the issue.

Tunisia can be expected to emphasise African issues, which make up the bulk of the Councils agenda. Given that it contributes most of its UN troops to MINUSMA, Tunisia is likely to take particular interest in this file. Representing the candidature for the Arab swing seat, Tunisia is also expected to be involved on Middle East issues, in particular Israel/Palestine. As with Romania and Viet Nam, Tunisia has indicated that one of its priorities is the strengthening of ties with regional bodies, notably the AU and the League of Arab States.

During Viet Nams previous term on the Security Council from 2008 to 2009, it was particularly engaged around issues relating to post-conflict reconstruction, terrorism, sanctions, peacekeeping and improving the transparency of the work of the Council. Viet Nam is likely to seek to further its contribution to these issues. It is also likely to take a particular interest in the situation in South Sudan, given that it contributes most of its UN troops to the UN Mission in South Sudan. As a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the chair of the organisation in 2020, Viet Nam is likely to advocate for stronger engagement with regional arrangements and to be actively engaged on the Councils consideration of the situation in Myanmar.
MIDDLE EAST

Iran

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council expects to receive the Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Irans nuclear programme. The Council also expects reports from the Joint Commission, established by the parties to the JCPOA to oversee its implementation, and from the Councils 2231 facilitator, Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium). Briefings are expected from Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Pecsteen, and a representative of the EU in its capacity as coordinator of the Joint Commission.

Key Recent Developments

The recent escalation of tensions in US-Iran relations added another layer of uncertainty to the eventual fate of the JCPOA. Over the past several weeks, the US has considerably increased economic pressure on Iran in an effort to change what the US perceives as Irans destabilising behaviour in the region. In April, the US decided not to renew waivers on Irans oil exports past their expiry on 2 May. The waivers granted exclusive rights to eight countries to procure Irans oil despite previously imposed US sanctions. The US decision further isolated Irans oil sector from world markets and compromised the countrys main source of revenue. In targeting Irans nuclear sector, the US also ended waivers that allowed Iran to transfer enriched uranium out of the country and to store or transfer heavy water. The US introduced another round of sanctions on 8 May targeting Irans aluminium, copper, iron and steel sectors.

On 5 May, US National Security Advisor John Bolton announced that the US would reposition the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. Besides noting that this move is a response to a credible Iranian threat to US interests in the region, Bolton did not provide further information.

Iran responded to the latest round of US sanctions on 8 May by issuing a 60-day ultimatum to the remaining parties to the JCPOA (China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the EU) to provide Iran with sanctions relief on its oil and financial sectors. Without relief, Iran said it would resume uranium enrichment activities and construction of the Arak nuclear reactor, which would constitute a direct violation of the JCPOA. A day later, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK issued a joint statement calling on Iran to adhere to its commitments under the JCPOA while also noting that they would continue efforts to facilitate legitimate trade with Iran. The statement rejected Irans ultimatum, however, and called on Iran to avoid any actions that could raise tensions further.

Mogherini has continued to emphasise that the EU remains committed to preserving the JCPOA as long as Iran continues to comply with its commitments under the deal. Earlier this year, France, Germany and the UK set up a mechanism that would mitigate the effects of US sanctions in Iran and facilitate some trade between the EU and Iran. However, this mechanism has yet to become operational.

On 13 May, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported that four oil cargo vessels had been damaged in an apparent sabotage plot off its coast. Saudi Arabias government said that two of its vessels were targeted. The two other vessels were UAE-flagged ship and a Norwegian-flagged commercial ship. A day later, the Saudi government reported that some of its oil-pumping sites were targeted in an apparent drone attack. Subsequently, Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are allegedly receiving support from Iran, claimed responsibility for the drone attack.

On 15 May, the US State Department ordered the evacuation of non-essential government employees from Iraq, citing a credible threat. The US has previously raised concerns over Irans influence in Iraq, particularly among Shia militias in the country.

In April, the US designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organisation. This is the first time the US has applied this type of designation to a component of another states government. The IRGC is under direct control of Irans Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and operates independently of Irans traditional armed forces. The US has accused the IRGC of providing financial and weapons support for terrorist organisations in the region, including various Shiite militias in Iraq.

Human Rights-Related Developments

During its 40th session, the Human Rights Council adopted on 22 March a resolution on human rights in Iran with 22 votes in favour, seven against and 18 abstentions. The resolution extended the mandate of the special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran for one year (A/HRC/40/18). It also called on the government to cooperate fully with the special rapporteur and to permit access to visit the country.

Issues and Options

The recent developments surrounding the JCPOA and rising tensions between the US and Iran present the Council with a number of issues. Chief among these at the moment is ensuring full compliance with resolution 2231 by parties to the JCPOA and the wider UN membership.

The Council will follow closely the developments related to the recent incidents in the Persian Gulf and a build-up of military assets in the area. An option for the Council would be to urge all sides to use restraint and avoid provocations that could lead to full-on escalation.

The Council will need to assess the implications of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA and the impact of the USs unilateral sanctions measures on the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the agreement. Although Council members will be able to address some of these issues during the regular meeting on implementation of resolution 2231, an option for the Council would be to organise an informal meeting in consultations with the 2231 facilitator to further consider this issue. Such a meeting could provide an opportunity for a more frank exchange among Council members.

Iran has announced that it could resume nuclear-related activities it halted after signing the JCPOA if the remaining signatories to the agreement fail to provide financial relief from the US sanctions. Should Iran breach the agreement, other signatories to the JCPOA could formally notify the Council, which would initiate a so-called snapback mechanism that would effectively reinstate sanctions on Iran that were in place prior to the adoption of resolution 2231.

Council and Wider Dynamics

The decision of the current US administration to withdraw from the JCPOA has further isolated the US from the rest of the Council members in respect of the general position on the agreement. Most Council membersamong them China, France, Germany, the UK and Russia, which are parties to the agreementmaintain their position that the JCPOA remains valid and that they will continue to adhere to its provisions. While Iran has been highly critical of the unilateral US moves, it has remained in compliance with the agreement. However, following the latest round of US sanctions, on 8 May Iran indicated that it would restart uranium enrichment activities if the remaining signatories do not mitigate the effects of US sanctions within 60 days. The Council dynamics could significantly change should Iran breach the agreement because it could potentially lose the support of the remaining signatories to the JCPOA, most notably the EU countries, which are heavily invested in preserving the agreement.

In addition to issues related to the JCPOA, the Council will have to contend with the risk that has been signalled of a possible military confrontation between the US and Iran, which could potentially alter the Council dynamics further. In light of the recent escalation of tensions in the region, EU members, China and Russia have called for restraint on the part of both Iran and the US. China and Russia have said publicly that the recent US actions contributed to the heightening of tensions.

UN DOCUMENTS ON IRAN
EUROPE

Kosovo

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council is expected to hold its second of three briefings on the situation in Kosovo scheduled for this year. The Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Zahir Tanin, will brief on recent developments and the latest report by the Secretary-General. In line with established practice, Serbia is likely to participate at a high level while Kosovo will probably be represented by its ambassador to the US.

Key Recent Developments

Resolution 1244, which established UNMIK in 1999, did not specify the reporting cycle or the frequency of meetings on Kosovo, but the Council has adopted the practice of holding meetings at three-month intervals. Leading up to the most recent meeting in February, Council members reached an agreement on a Note by the President that modified the frequency of meetings. The note said the Council would hold three meetings on Kosovo this year (February, June and October) and two meetings annually starting in 2020 (April and October). During the first several days of February, Council members could not reach consensus on the programme of work, because some members opposed the inclusion of a briefing on Kosovo. The presidential note came as a compromise to avoid a procedural vote.

During the 7 February briefing, Tanin and some members expressed concern over the lack of progress in dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina as well as rising tensions between the two. An issue at the centre of the discussions was Kosovos imposition of 100 percent tariffs on imports from Serbia. Kosovo initially imposed tariffs in November 2018 in response to what it perceived as a campaign by Serbia against Kosovos bid to join Interpol. Kosovos prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, has taken the position that the tariffs will be maintained until Serbia formally recognises Kosovo. An impasse in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has continued for almost a year, without progress on implementing the existing agreements, most notably the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb Municipalities (ASM/CSM) in northern Kosovo. In an effort to revive the dialogue, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a regional Balkan summit in Berlin on 29 and 30 April. The summit brought together the leaders of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini attended and held bilateral talks with, among others, President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and President Hashim Thaci of Kosovo. Vucic reiterated that Serbia would continue the dialogue after Kosovo revoked tariffs on Serbian imports, while Thaci insisted that Serbia recognise Kosovo. There was no breakthrough at the summit, but the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo agreed to continue discussions in Paris at the beginning of July. In remarks to the media, Thaci criticised the EU for its inability to make any advances in the Western Balkans. He called for greater involvement by the US in the dialogue on the final agreement on Kosovo.

Issues and Options

In light of the ongoing tensions between Belgrade and Pristina, the Councils primary concern is to maintain stability in Kosovo. The Council will continue to monitor diplomatic efforts to advance the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and any efforts towards reaching a final agreement on Kosovo.

The EU has been the main facilitator of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, which resulted in the 2013 Brussels agreement on the normalisation of relations between the two. While there was progress in some areas, an issue for the Council remains the lack of implementation of the main aspects of the agreement and what role, if any, UNMIK might play in facilitating its implementation.

Some members of the Council, the P3 in particular, have previously questioned the reporting cycle and called for downsizing the mission in light of the relative overall stability on the ground. While the Council reached an agreement on a more limited reporting cycle in February, it could request the Secretary-General to conduct a strategic review of UNMIK to consider the effectiveness of the mission.

Council Dynamics

Kosovo remains a low-intensity issue for the Council and is followed closely mainly by members with a specific interest in the region. This is in part due to the pre-eminence in Kosovo of regional organisations, including the EU, NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Nevertheless, deep divisions among permanent members have continued to characterise the Councils consideration of the Kosovo issue. France, the UK and the US recognise Kosovos independence and tend to be supportive of its government, while China and Russia do not recognise its independence and strongly support Serbias position. Earlier this year, the P3 and EU members of the Council eventually prevailed in their months-long effort to reduce the frequency of meetings on Kosovo.

The US has been the most vocal proponent of a drawdown and eventual withdrawal of UNMIK, citing the level of stability in Kosovo. The US has also asserted that the mission is overstaffed and over-resourced for its limited responsibilities and that these resources could be put to better use in more pressing situations on the Councils agenda.

The issue of modifying UNMIKs mandate is likely to become more prominent. Alone among missions regularly discussed by the Council, UNMIKs mandate is open-ended. Any attempt to change it would require a new resolution, which Russia would strongly oppose and most likely block.

UN DOCUMENTS ON KOSOVO
AFRICA

Libya

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council is expected to renew the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya, bound to or from the country, that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo. The current authorisation expires on 11 June.

The mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expires on 15 September 2019, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee expires on 20 February 2020.

Key Recent Developments

The inspection authorisation, first put into effect in resolution 2292 in 2016, was renewed for another 12 months last year, without changes, in resolution 2420. The authorisation also allows for member states to seize and dispose of arms and ammunition found during the inspection of these vessels. The Secretary-General is requested to report on the implementation of resolution 2420 within 11 months of its adoption. According to his latest report, arms coming from Libya have contributed to the expansion of terrorist influence in the region, exemplifying the need for the full implementation of the arms embargo. Arms flowing into the country, including by sea, reportedly contribute to the ongoing conflict in Libya. The EU military operation in the Southern Central Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED Operation SOPHIA) operates as the only regional arrangement under the authorisation, and reported 1,083 hailings, three vessel inspections, and 84 friendly approaches. No arms or related materiel were seized.

During his most recent briefing to the Council on 21 May, the Special Representative and head of UNSMIL, Ghassan Salame, highlighted the launch of a military offensive towards Tripoli on 4 April by General Khalifa Haftar, head of the eastern-based militia known as the Libyan National Army (LNA). Haftar opposes the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), based in Tripoli. Salame said that Libya was on the verge of descending into a civil war which could lead to the permanent division of the country.

At press time, the UNs 2019 humanitarian response plan for Libya of $201.6 million was funded at 9.4 percent, with $182.6 million outstanding.

Sanctions-Related Developments In his latest briefing to the Council on 21 May, Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany, Ambassador Jurgen Schulz, who chairs the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, referred to the 26 March arrest and detention by Tunisian authorities of Moncef Kartas, one of the arms experts on the Panel of Experts supporting the 1970 Committee. The committee met on 15 April on the matter, and Schulz met with the charge daffaires of the Permanent Mission of Tunisia to the UN on 18 April. Kartas, a German-Tunisian dual national, is accused of espionage. On 15 May, the UN spokesperson said that the arrest is in violation of the privileges and immunities that have been granted to Mr. Kartas in the interests of the United Nations and requested Mr. Kartas immediate release and for the charges against him to be dropped. On 21 May, a Tunisian appeals court decided to release Kartas; while he was able to return to Germany, the case against him is still open. ICC-Related Developments On 8 May, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda delivered her semi-annual briefing on the status of cases in Libya, cooperation of states, and investigations and monitoring of potential crimes committed since February 2011, including crimes against migrants. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, whose extradition has been sought by the ICC, has been at large since he was set free by the Abu-Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade, a Zintan-based militia, in June 2017. According to the final report of the Panel of Experts, his lawyer says that he resides in Zintan. On 4 April, Pre-Trial Chamber I rejected Gaddafis 5 June 2018 inadmissibility challenge; he appealed the ruling on 11 April. Former internal security chief Mohamed Khaled al-Tuhamy, allegedly responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in 2011 in Libya, also remains at large. Two arrest warrants (of 15 August 2017 and 4 July 2018) were issued by Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC for Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli, a commander participating in Haftars 2014 Operation Dignity (attacking Islamists) in Benghazi. To date, Al-Werfalli has not been surrendered to the ICC despite reports that he turned himself in to the LNA after news that he had executed ten people on 24 January 2018 became public. Women, Peace and Security In a 2 May letter to the president of the Security Council, the charge daffaires of the Permanent Mission of Libya to the UN strongly criticising a briefing given by Inas Miloud, co-founder and director of Tamazight Womens Movement of Libya, during the annual open debate on sexual violence in conflict at the Council. In response, a letter was sent on 10 May to the president of the Security Council by the Ambassadors of Belgium, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Peru, Poland and the UK, stating that Notwithstanding the disagreement of the Government of National Accord with the content of Ms. Milouds briefing, we trust that she will be allowed to continue her work unhindered.

Key Issues and Options

The immediate issue for the Council in June is the renewal of the authorisation for high-seas ship inspections granted to member states under resolution 2292, in support of the implementation of the arms embargo. Ahead of the renewal, the Council could hold an informal interactive dialogue with the commander of the EU military operation EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia, Enrico Credentino, and a representative of the European External Action Service, as was done in the last two years.

An ongoing issue is the military escalation, largely driven by long-standing political and economic divisions between the east and west of the country. The Council could adopt a resolution calling upon the parties to cease military activities and re-commit to mediation towards a political solution, also showing their support for Salame and UNSMILs efforts. Council members individually could use their influence to put pressure on the parties and countries in the region to adhere to the arms embargo.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Last year, the authorisation was unanimously renewed without any substantive negotiations prior to adoption, and no member gave a statement before or after the vote.

Council resolutions and presidential statements routinely call upon UN member states to cease support for and official contact with parallel institutions in Libya, but some countries, including permanent members of the Council, fail to respect these calls and also continue to support Haftar militarily. Militias affiliated with the GNA publicly stated on 18 May that they, too, receive military support from abroad. The Panel of Experts of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee continues to allege that the United Arab Emirates violates the arms embargo and that Egypt provides military support to the LNA.

The UK is the penholder on Libya, sharing the pen with Germany on the sanctions file. Schulz chairs the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee.
Overview

Kuwait will hold the presidency in June. Three high-level briefings are planned: on protection of civilians and missing persons in armed conflict, on conflict prevention and mediation, and on regional cooperation. All three briefings will be chaired by Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. OCHA Under-Secretary-General Mark Lowcock and a representative from the ICRC are expected to brief at the missing persons in conflict meeting. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; Mary Robinson, the chair of the Elders; and Ban Ki-moon, a deputy chair of the Elders, are the anticipated briefers for the conflict prevention and mediation briefing. Guterres and the League of Arab States (LAS) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit may brief during the third of the meetings, on cooperation between the UN and the LAS.

Kuwait, the chair of the Working Group on Documentation and Other Procedural Questions, is also planning to hold an open debate on working methods.

Adoptions are scheduled to renew the Democratic Republic of the Congo sanctions and the authorisation for member states to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya. A further three adoptions are scheduled to renew the mandates of the missions in Darfur (UNAMID), the Golan Heights (UNDOF) and Mali (MINUSMA). Ahead of the adoptions there will be consultations on UNDOF, and briefing and consultations on UNAMID and MINUSMA as well as TCC meetings on all three missions.

Meetings on other African issues this month include:

Central African Republic, on the activities of MINUSCA;

Somalia, a briefing by the chair of the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee;

South Sudan, on the activities of UNMISS;

Sudan, the semi-annual briefing by the ICC prosecutor and the quarterly briefing by the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee; and

UNOCA/LRA, an update on the activities of UNOCA (Central Africa) and the regional strategy to combat the LRA.

In addition to the monthly meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, other Middle East issues that will be considered include:

Syria, the monthly briefings on the humanitarian situation, the political process, and the use of chemical weapons;

Iran, the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Irans nuclear programme; and

Yemen, an update on the implementation of resolution 2452, which established the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement.

The annual briefing by force commanders will be by commanders of peacekeeping missions in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and Darfur (UNAMID).

In June, the Council will have the second of three briefings on the situation in Kosovo scheduled this year.

Regarding Asian issues there will be the regular debate on Afghanistan.

There may be a Council visiting mission during the month.

Finally, the General Assembly is scheduled to elect five non-permanent Security Council members on 7 June. Six member statesEstonia, Niger, Romania, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Viet Namare running for the five available seats. Estonia and Romania are contesting the single Eastern European Group seat, while the other four candidates will run unopposed.
PEACEMAKING, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACEBUILDING

Peacekeeping

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council will hold its annual briefing with the heads of military components of UN peace operations. The anticipated briefers are: Lieutenant General Leonard Muriuki Ngondi, the Force Commander of AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), and Major General Cheryl Pearce, the Force Commander of UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). The briefings are expected to focus on cooperation with host states. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix may also brief. No formal outcome is anticipated from the meeting.

Background

The force commander briefings, which have been held annually since 2010, focus on the operational challenges of implementing mission mandates. Last year, the meeting focused on two issues: the need to adapt to changing security and operational environments and the implementation of Council mandates. The briefers were: Major General Jean-Paul Deconinck, Force Commander of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA); Lieutenant General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, Force Commander of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS); and UNAMIDs commander Lieutenant General Ngondi. Lacroix also addressed the Council.

Ngondi is briefing the Council again this year, albeit under different circumstances, as the political situation in Sudan has changed, after the Sudanese military ousted President Omar al-Bashir in early April, following ongoing protests in many parts of the country calling for him to step down after nearly three decades in power. Council members will likely be interested in how Sudans Transitional Military Council has interacted with the mission and what these interactions have meant for UNAMIDs operations. Ngondi will be describing the missions relations with the host state in a context in which the mission continues its reconfiguration and drawdown, as set out in resolution 2429, which referred to the exit of the mission in June 2020 provided that there is no significant change in the security situation in Darfur.

Pearce may describe UNFICYPs efforts to facilitate inter-communal contacts and develop confidence-building measures between the parties. She may further describe the missions interactions with the parties in maintaining the buffer zone on the island.

Key Recent Developments

On 7 May, the Council held an open debate on Investing in Peace: Delivering Quality Training and Capacity Building to Improve Safety and Security and Performance of UN Peacekeepers. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi chaired the meeting. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; the force commander of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Lieutenant General Elias Rodrigues Martins Filho; and the director of the secretariat of the International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations, Bjorn Holmberg, briefed the Council. During the debate, Guterres updated the Security Council on efforts to enhance the training of UN peacekeepers, improve the conduct and discipline of peacekeepers, and increase the number of women in UN peace operations. Martins Filho described efforts to enhance the capacity of MONUSCO troops through pre-deployment and in-mission training and said that the missions command and control arrangements have been strengthened through regular field visits by the force leadership, brigade commanders and force headquarters staff. Holmberg emphasised the importance of in-mission, scenario-based training for senior- and middle-management teams in peace operations, as well as the need for expanded mentorship for mission leadership.

A presidential statement was adopted at the meeting. It recognised the added value of the Declaration of Shared Commitments on Peacekeeping Operationswhich has been signed by 151 member states and four organisationswith regard to training and capacity building. The statement further recognised that the mandate of each peacekeeping mission is specific to the need and situation of the country concerned, and that the Security Council expects full delivery of the mandates it authorizes.

Issues and Options

As the Secretariat engages in efforts to reform peacekeeping, Council members could draw lessons on how they agree on strategic objectives for peace operations, design mandates, and monitor the capacity to achieve them. This could also include a more concerted effort to receive military advice and operational information from force commanders, for example by having them brief the Council alongside heads of missions.

Council Dynamics

In past years, Council members have found the force commander briefings useful because of the substance of the discussions and the interactive format, which encourages them to ask questions. The success of these sessions prompted then-Council member Australia to organise a briefing with the heads of police components of peacekeeping operations during its November 2014 presidency. Since then, a meeting with the heads of police components has also been held annually.

UN Documents on Peacekeeping
AFRICA

Somalia

Expected Council Action

In June, the Chair of the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium), is expected to brief the Council in consultations.

At press time, the Council was scheduled to renew the mandate of AMISOM on 31 May.

The partial lifting of the arms embargo on Somali security forces, the authorisation for maritime interdiction to enforce the embargo on illicit arms imports and charcoal exports, and humanitarian exemptions to the sanctions regime expire on 15 November. The mandate of the Somalia Panel of Experts expires on 15 December.

Key Recent Developments

On 22 May, Deputy Special Representative Raisedon Zenenga of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) briefed the Council on the latest UNSOM report. Other briefers were AU Special Representative for Somalia and head of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Francisco Caetano Madeira (via video teleconference), and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Ursula Mueller.

In his 15 May report, the Secretary-General conveys his concern about the challenging security environment and the continued impact on humanitarian operations of military operations and clashes among armed groups. The report notes that the Al-Shabaab terrorist group has increased its activities in recent months against security forces and civilians. At the same time, there has been an increase in security operations against Al-Shabaab, degrading its operational capability. According to UNSOMs Human Rights and Protection Group, between 14 December 2018 and 4 May, 757 civilian casualties were recorded, of which 72 percent were attributed to Al-Shabaab, 9 percent to state security forces and 10 percent to unknown perpetrators, including six civilian casualties attributed to air strikes conducted by unknown aircraft. Humanitarian needs across Somalia remain high, with 4.2 million people requiring aid and protection.

In the briefing, Madeira also spoke about the joint AU-UN review of AMISOM to consider progress on the security transition in Somalia. The review laid down two options for AMISOMs future configuration, intended to cover the period until the completion of the elections cycle at the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021:

maintaining the current troop ceiling while allowing for reductions based on progress on the ground, in light of the slow pace of generating capable Somali security forces: or

progressive reduction of AMISOMs uniformed personnel ceiling (currently 20,626) by 1,000 or 2,000 troops to take place by the end of February 2020, on the premise that Somalia plans to take over 12 forward operating bases by the end of 2019.

In addition, the review recommends that AMISOMs police component, now set at a minimum of 1,040 police personnel out of the troop ceiling, be strengthened by two additional formed police units of 160 personnel each, commensurate with any reduction of AMISOM military personnel.

The review notes that, on the one hand, avoiding further prescribed reductions increases the likelihood of continued insufficient progress on the implementation of the Somali transition plan and on building Somali security capacity within projected timelines. On the other hand, a premature reduction in AMISOM troops based on set timelines runs the risk of exposing civilians to harm due to lack of Somali readiness to take over security responsibilities from AMISOM. Madeira urged the Council to endorse the first option provided in the review and avoid further troop reductions at this time.

Sanctions-Related Developments

On 15 May, the Somalia Sanctions Committee met with its Panel of Experts for its mid-term update.

Key Issues

The Council may reiterate previous calls, most recently in resolution 2444 of 14 November 2018, renewing the sanctions regime, for Somalia and other member states to meet their obligations in implementing the sanctions regime, particularly with respect to the arms embargo and charcoal ban, and impose or threaten to impose sanctions on individuals involved in the illicit trade in charcoal.

More broadly on Somalia, a key issue is ensuring that AMISOM retains the capability and means to strengthen and assist the Somali forces so that these forces can progressively take the lead in providing security, while avoiding a premature handover of security responsibilities. Closely related is the need for predictable and sustainable funding for AMISOM and Somali security institutions throughout this process.

The UK is the penholder on Somalia.

UN DOCUMENTS ON SOMALIA
AFRICA

South Sudan

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council will receive a briefing on the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on South Sudan as requested in resolution 2459. Consultations are expected to follow the briefing.

The mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) expires on 15 March 2020.

Key Recent Developments

The overall level of political violence has been diminished since the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) on 12 September 2018. However, ethnic and intercommunal violence continues, as do clashes between government and opposition forces in the Greater Upper Nile and the Greater Equatoria regions. The human rights, humanitarian, food security and economic conditions in the country remain dire, with an enormous impact on civilians.

According to the terms of the R-ARCSS, 12 May was to mark the end of the eight-month pre-transitional period and the start of the 36-month transitional period, with elections to be held 60 days before the end of this transitional period. In April, opposition leader Riek Machar, who has not yet returned to Juba from Sudan, called for this deadline to be extended, given that key tasks required during the pre-transitional period had not been completed.

A 2 May statement by the interim chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Committee said that 59 key tasks were to be implemented prior to the commencement of the transitional period; of these, 27 have been completed. The statement said there are 17 tasks ongoing and 15 pending. These include determining the number and boundaries of states and the composition and restructuring of the Council of States by the Independent Boundaries Commission; refraining from acts of sexual and gender-based violence; cantonment, disarmament, screening, demobilisation, selection, unification and training of forces; and the demilitarisation of civilian centres. The cantonment of forces was identified as especially critical, with no cantonment sites currently operational.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) convened a meeting from 2 to 3 May in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and Machar. According to a 3 May IGAD statement, the parties discussed the status of the implementation of the R-ARCSS and observed that pre-transitional tasks that are critical for the formation of the Revitalized Government of National Unity, such as the cantonment, screening, training, unification and deployment of forces and the determination of the number and boundaries of states, are pending. The statement identified a lack of political will, and financing as well as time constraints as major challenges to implementation. At the meeting, the parties agreed to extend the pre-transitional period by an additional six months to enable the implementation of the critical pending tasks.

A joint UN/AU/IGAD mission led by the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix; the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Smail Chergui; and the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, Ismail Wais, visited Juba, South Sudan, from 10 to 12 May. According to a spokesperson for the Secretary-General, the aim of the visit was to provide support to the peace process and the full implementation of the R-ARCSS, following the 3 May agreement extending the pre-transitional period by six months. The delegation met with Kiir; senior government officials; the National Pre-Transitional Committee, which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the R-ARCSS; womens organisations; and members of the international community. While the delegation acknowledged the need for a six-month delay to resolve key issues, it said this should be the last extension, according to the spokesperson.

The Council was last briefed on South Sudan on 8 March. (See our Whats in Blue story of 7 March.)

Sanctions-Related Developments

Council members received the final report of the Panel of Experts assisting the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee on 9 April. Regarding the arms embargo, which also covers the provision of military assistance and training, the report notes the presence of armed Uganda Peoples Defence Forces in the Equatorias; the ongoing arrival of cargo aircraft at Juba International Airport at night, of which there is no meaningful monitoring; and the failure of customs agencies of neighbouring states to provide inspection reports to the committee. As for the travel ban, the report noted overall significant progress towards the use of the exemption process. Regarding the asset freeze, the report documented several companies covering a variety of sectors linked to designated individuals and outlined limitations on the effective enforcement of the asset freeze in the region. On 30 May, the Council adopted resolution 2471 renewing the South Sudan sanctions regime for one year.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue is how the Council can support the parties in South Sudan as well as IGAD and other regional actors in the implementation of the R-ARCSS. An option would be to adopt a presidential statement or press statement calling for full implementation of the agreement and expressing the Councils support in this regard. Council members could also consider imposing, or threaten to impose, further targeted sanctions against those who undermine the process.

Council Dynamics

Council members are following the situation in South Sudan closely and are supportive overall of the R-ARCSS and the roles played by IGAD and the region towards a political resolution of the conflict. Some Council members may be more optimistic about the progress made by the parties since the signing of the R-ARCSS, in particular given the decrease in political violence, while other members are more critical regarding the need for major deadlines to be met and for this to translate into improvement in regard to sexual violence, human rights and the humanitarian situation.

Russia abstained on resolution 2459, which renewed the mandate of UNMISS on 15 March. In a statement after the vote, it emphasised that significant progress has been made in implementing the R-ARCSS and criticised the resolution for not expressly welcoming the R-ARCSS. It said that the resolution was overloaded with text on gender issues and human rights. China and Kuwait also made statements pointing to the improved situation in the country since the signing of the R-ARCSS.

The US is the penholder on South Sudan. Poland chairs the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee.

UN Documents on South Sudan
Status Update since our May Forecast

Cyprus

On 2 May, the Security Council members held consultations on Cyprus to discuss the latest report of the Secretary-General on his good offices (S/2019/322). After the meeting they issued press elements in which they welcomed the Secretary-Generals decision to ask Jane Holl Lute to continue her consultations. They emphasised the urgent need to work toward the political settlement and urged both sides to agree on terms of reference for result-orientated negotiations. Council members furthermore stressed the need to avoid any actions that could jeopardise the chances of success and urged the implementation and further development of confidence building measures.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 8 May, the Council held its biannual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) (S/PV.8522). The High Representative for BiH, Valentin Inzko, briefed and presented the latest report of the Office of the High Representative (S/2019/364). Inzko told the Council that no state-level Council of Ministers or new federal government has been appointed since general elections seven months ago and divisive and destabilising rhetoric persists.

Arria-Formula Meeting on Israel Settlements and Settlers

The permanent missions of Indonesia, Kuwait and South Africa organised an Arria-formula meeting on 9 May entitled Israeli Settlements and Settlers: Core of the Occupation, Protection Crisis and Obstruction of Peace. Present at the meeting were Indonesias Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi; the Foreign Minister of the Observer State of Palestine, Riyad al-Maliki; the US special representative for international negotiations, Jason Greenblatt; and many other representatives from both Council members and the wider UN membership. Four panellists spoke about the history and legal ramifications of Israeli settlements. At the end of the meeting, Marsudi said that a summary would be written to assist the Council in further deliberation on the issue.

Sudan/South Sudan

On 14 May, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2469 renewing the mandate of UNISFA until 15 November 2019 (S/PV.8524). The resolution decided to reduce the authorised troop ceiling to 3,550 and increase the authorised police ceiling to 640 personnel. It also requested the Secretary-General to appoint a civilian Deputy Head of Mission for UNISFA.

Lebanon

On 14 May, the Council held closed consultations on the implementation of resolution 1559. Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed on the latest Secretary-Generals report and the most recent developments in Lebanon. After the meeting, Council members agreed on press elements in which they reaffirmed strong support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon; welcomed institutional progress and reconstruction efforts followed by the formation of new government; and reiterated that Lebanese Armed Forces are the only legitimate armed forces in the country.

Venezuela

On 14 May, Council members were briefed under any other business on developments in Venezuela at the request of Belgium, France, Germany, Poland and the UK. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock and Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed Council members. France also gave an update on the work of the International Contact Group.

G5 Sahel Joint Force

On 16 May, the Council held a briefing on the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (S/PV.8526). Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Bintou Keita briefed on the Secretary-Generals latest report on the force (S/2019/371). The Council also heard briefings from Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Alpha Barry of Burkina Faso (as the rotating presidency of the G5 Sahel), AU High Representative for Mali and the Sahel Pierre Buyoya, EU Special Representative for the Sahel Angel Losada, and Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime Yury Fedotov. Council members issued a press statement following the meeting, welcoming the recent steps taken by the G5 Sahel states towards the full and effective operationalisation of the force and encouraging its continued scale-up to demonstrate tangible operational results (SC/13811).

1540 Committee

On 20 May, Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani (Indonesia), chair of the 1540 Committee, which focuses on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, briefed the Council as part of an annual briefing by the chairs of the counter-terrorism-related committees. He emphasised the importance of full implementation of resolution 1540 and prevention of proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to terrorist groups and other non-state actors (S/PV.8528).

Counter-Terrorism

On 20 May, Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani (Indonesia), chair of the 1540 Committee and of the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Daesh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee; and Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez (Peru), chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) delivered the joint annual briefing by the chairs of three of the Councils subsidiary counter-terrorism bodies (S/PV.8528). On 16 May, the ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee was briefed by the Ombudsperson. On 23 May, the CTC convened to discuss the interrelation between counter-terrorism and international humanitarian law.

Ukraine

On 20 May, the Council met on Ukraine at the request of Russia because of concerns regarding a recently enacted Ukrainian language law that Russia said ran counter to the spirit of the 2015 Minsk agreements and resolution 2202 (S/PV.8529). Several delegations objected to holding the meeting on the issue, and a procedural vote took place. The meeting was not held, as the proposal failed to garner the required nine votes in favour. Five Council members voted in favour of holding the meeting (China, the Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Russia and South Africa), six voted against (Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, the UK, and the US), and four abstained (Cote dIvoire, Indonesia, Kuwait and Peru). General view among those members voting against the meeting was that it was not timely to discuss such an issue given that Ukraine was inaugurating its new president that day and that most members did not have enough time to examine the language law. Russia emphasised the threat posed by the new law, for the Russian speaking population in Ukraine.

Iraq

On 21 May, the Council adopted resolution 2470, unanimously renewing the mandate of UNAMI until 31 May 2020 (S/PV.8531). Following the adoption, the Special Representative and head of UNAMI, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, briefed the Council on the Secretary-Generals latest reports on UNAMI (S/2019/365) and the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives (S/2019/352).

Children and Armed Conflict

On 21 May, the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict was briefed by video teleconference by the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting of MINUSMA on the implementation of the Mali conclusions of the Working Group adopted last year. On 22 May, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba briefed Council members on her visit to the Central African Republic under any other business.

Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding

On 24 May, Security Council members held an Arria-formula meeting on Peacekeeping Impact on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, organised by Cote dIvoire and Indonesia. Briefers included Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Bintou Keita, Assistant Secretary-General for the Rule of Law and Security Institutions Alexander Zouev, and Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support Oscar Fernandez-Taranco.

Ad-hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa

On 29 May, there was a meeting of the ad-hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa on: The root-causes of conflicts in Africa: Illicit exploitation and trade in natural resources as a key driver of conflict, what options for conflict prevention, management and resolution. The briefers were Bience Gawanas, Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on Africa; Bintou Keita, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa; Leonce Ndikumana, Director of the African Development Policy Program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and Vital Kamerhe, President of the Union for the Congolese Nation.

DPRK

On 30 May, the chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Christoph Heusgen (Germany), briefed the Council in consultations on the work of the committee during the past three months. The briefing was primarily focused on developments related to the work of the committee and the implementation of the sanctions.
AFRICA

Sudan (Darfur)

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council is expected to renew the mandate of the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) ahead of its expiry on 30 June. Prior to the adoption of the resolution, Council members expect to receive a strategic review of the mission by the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Commission. The Council will also receive a briefing on UNAMID, followed by consultations, as well as the semi-annual briefing of the ICC Prosecutor related to the courts work on Darfur. Ambassador Joanna Wronecka (Poland), chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, is expected to provide the quarterly briefing to Council members on the Committees work.

Key Recent Developments

On 11 April, President Omar al-Bashir was ousted by the Sudanese military following ongoing protests in many parts of the country calling on al-Bashir, who has ruled Sudan for nearly three decades, to step down. The protests, which began in December 2018, were sparked by food and fuel shortages and culminated on 6 April when thousands of protesters gathered outside al-Bashirs residence in Khartoum. On 11 April, Sudans Defence Minister, General Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, said to be an al-Bashir ally, appeared on state television and announced the militarys detention of al-Bashir, the suspension of the constitution, and the start of a two-year transitional period to be overseen by the military and followed by elections. However, protests continued and on the following day Ibn Auf stepped down and Lieutenant General Abdel-Fattah Burhan assumed power.

On 15 April, the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) adopted a communique that strongly condemned the coup dEtat and demanded that the Sudanese military hand over power to a transitional civilian-led political authority within 15 days, failing which the PSC would suspend Sudans participation in all AU activities. On 22 April, the AU PSC adopted another communique extending the deadline by 60 days and outlining further steps to be taken.

The military has said it does not intend to extradite al-Bashir, despite the ICC arrest warrants issued against him in 2009 and 2010. On 13 May, Sudans public prosecutor announced charges against al-Bashir and others for inciting and criminal complicity in the deaths of demonstrators. The announcement came as unidentified forces, allegedly wearing uniforms of the Sudanese Armed Forces/Rapid Support Forces, reportedly used live ammunition at protests in Khartoum, killing six people, including an army officer, and wounding about 100 others. On 15 May, the Transitional Military Council and the opposition alliance, called the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces, announced they had agreed on a three-year transition to civilian rule. However, key differences on issues such as the composition of the transitional body remained unresolved at press time.

According to the Secretary-Generals most recent report, covering 4 January to 3 April, UNAMIDs reconfiguration is proceeding as scheduled in accordance with resolution 2429, in which the Council decided to reduce the troop ceiling from 8,735 to 4,050 military personnel over the course of the mandate period while maintaining the authorised police personnel at 2,500. The report only covers the situation in Darfur through 3 April (that is, prior to al-Bashirs ouster), but it observed that the overall security situation in Darfur remained relatively stable except for intermittent clashes between government forces and the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid in the Jebel Marra area. Intercommunal clashes remained low despite a slight increase since the last reporting period, but the report said that [o]ngoing human rights violations, in particular sexual and gender-based violence, including those violations reportedly perpetrated by Government security personnel, continue to be of grave concern and an obstacle to lasting peace.

More than 1.6 million internally displaced persons are still living in camps throughout Darfur. The report noted that ongoing political and economic uncertainty pose a number of challenges for a responsible exit of the peacekeeping mission and a transition to peacebuilding, including the question of interlocutors at the national and local levels of the government for joint planning and oversight, which will be critical for the national ownership and sustainability of the process[as will] the mobilization of resources for a seamless transition.

On 21 May, the Council issued a press statement strongly condemning the looting of the West Darfur Headquarters of UNAMID on 14 May and calling on the Sudanese authorities to facilitate the responsible handover of UNAMID sites. The Council was last briefed on UNAMID on 17 April.

Key Issues and Options

The key issue for the Council is what modifications to make to the UNAMID mandate, force structure and troop levels to reflect the current realities facing the mission, in particular in the context of its reconfiguration and drawdown as set out in resolution 2429, which referred to the missions exit in June 2020 provided that there is no significant change in the security situation in Darfur. A related issue is assessing the potential effect of further troop reductions on the security and human rights situations. An option is for such assessments to be informed by the findings and recommendations of the strategic review, which members expect to receive by 1 June. A possible option is a shorter term rollover of the missions mandate given the current uncertainties around the political situation.

A further issue is to assess progress made on the benchmarks and indicators of achievement for the exit of the mission set out in the Secretary-Generals report of 12 October 2018. The Council took note of these in its 11 December 2018 presidential statement and asked the Secretary-General to prioritise reporting on progress against the benchmarks and indicators to help guide the Security Councils considerations on the future of UNAMIDs mandate.

Council Dynamics

There continue to be differences amongst Council members on the situation in Darfur, as was again apparent during the discussion following the 17 April briefing. Germany said that decisions on the future of UNAMID must be shaped by developments on the ground and emphasised the need to take a close look at the timeline. The UK said the latest political developments have a direct impact on Darfur and called for a gradual and sensible approach, guided by the situation on the ground. Other members such as Belgium, France and Peru expressed similar positions. The US expressed concern over the impact of the events in Khartoum on the security and stability of Darfur and stressed the need for measurable and sustainable progress on prioritized benchmarks, in particular, demonstrating the governments ability and capacity to protect and provide for the Darfur people and addressing the root causes of the conflict. Absent such progress, the US said it is supportive of the Council considering all options.

However, Kuwait expressed the need for the Council to continue the implementation of UNAMIDs exit strategy, saying that what is happening in the Sudan is a domestic affair that should not be interfered with. Russia said that the Council has no mandate to discuss the evolving political processes in that country and that UNAMIDs withdrawal should progress; China similarly called for non-interference in the internal affairs of states.

The UK and Germany are co-penholders on the issue; Poland chairs the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.

UN Documents on Darfur
MIDDLE EAST

Syria

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council will receive the monthly briefings on the humanitarian situation, the political process, and the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Key Recent Developments

Since mid-April, there has been an intensification of hostilities in north-western Syriawhich is considered one of the four de-escalation areas agreed by the Astana guarantors (Iran, Russia and Turkey) in 2017that has included Syrian and Russian airstrikes and a ground offensive. At the request of the humanitarian penholders on Syria (Belgium, Germany and Kuwait), Council members discussed on 10 May the humanitarian impact of the escalation of hostilities in north-western Syria, particularly in Idlib, in consultations with OCHAs Director of Operations and Advocacy, Reena Ghelani.

The humanitarian penholders proposed a draft press statement that did not get the unanimous support needed to be issued. When it became clear that a meaningful statement was not possible, 11 Council members (all except China, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa) decided to read it at the stakeout. The statement condemned the loss of civilian life and expressed alarm at the targeting of population centres and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools. The statement urged the concerned parties to recommit and comply fully with the September 2018 ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey.

As the escalation continued despite the setting up of a Turkish-Russian working group to re-establish a cessation of hostilities, the Council held a briefing on the situation in the north-west on 17 May. The Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, warned that if the offensive pushed forward, we risk catastrophic humanitarian fallout and threats to international peace and security. While she discussed the need to address the presence of the Council-listed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib, she emphasised that combating terrorism cannot be allowed to supersede obligations under international law. Also briefing the Council, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, stressed how the three million people in Idlib were among the most vulnerable populations in Syria even before the recent escalation, particularly the one million children and the 1.3 million people who fled to Idlib from other parts of the country. Lowcock told the Council that at least 18 medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed by air strikes, shelling or other fighting. Furthermore, 49 health facilities have partially or totally suspended activities for fear of being attacked. Although he fell short of assigning responsibility, he called the Councils attention to the fact that the location of these facilities had been deconflictedshared with the parties in order to avoid attacksand that at least some of the attacks were carried out using modern air force and so-called smart and precision weapons. Council members expressed divergent positions on the military operations in the north-west. Most Council members called for all parties to uphold international humanitarian law, protect civilians and urgently de-escalate the situation, but China and Russia emphasised the importance of fighting terrorism.

In north-eastern Syria, there have been increased operations by Turkey and its allies in Tal Rifaat. The area is held by the Kurdish YPG militia, which is part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and the escalation of hostilities started around the same time as in Idlib. The situation has become increasingly fragile following the December 2018 announcement by the US that it would withdraw its troops from Syria.

The conditions in the camp of Al-Hol near the Iraqi border remain dire. Some 75,000 people, more than 90 percent of whom are women and children, are sheltered there after being displaced by hostilities between the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the SDF.

Regarding the political process, Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen continues discussions with the parties, as well as the Astana guarantors, on convening a credible, balanced and inclusive constitutional committee as soon as possible that could help to unlock a broader political process.

The Identification and Investigation Team of the OPCW, established to identify perpetrators of chemical weapons attacks in Syria following a decision of the Conference of State Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in June 2018, is expected to become operational imminently. On 15 May, China and Russia, which opposed the establishment of such a team, circulated a draft resolution to Council members highlighting the need to avoid the politisation of the OPCW and saying that in the absence of the relevant states consent, the Council remains the only organ authorised to impose legitimate compulsory measures on states, including those arising from noncompliance with the provisions of the CWC.

Human Rights-Related Developments

In a statement on 9 May, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria noted with grave concern the recent spike in hostilities throughout north-western Syria, warning any further escalation would invariably result in a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe following reports of numerous attacks by pro-government forces against civilian areas, causing high numbers of casualties including of women and children. The statement said that over 290,000 individuals have been internally displaced in the north-west over the past three months. In another statement, on 9 May, the commission noted with grave concern that tens of thousands of civilians displaced by recent battles to capture the last enclaves of the so-called Islamic State in eastern Syrian are languishing in makeshift camps[and that] detained individuals are enduring appalling and inhumane conditions of shelter, health, and hygiene.

Key Issues and Options

Given the crucial role of the Astana guarantors on both the political and humanitarian fronts, Council members could seek an informal interactive dialogue with their representatives to have a more action-oriented discussion regarding efforts to avert a full-fledged military offensive in Idlib. Furthermore, they could meet informally with OCHA to discuss the recent attacks on medical facilities and schools, many of which had been deconflicted.

Despite international engagement on the establishment of the constitutional committee, there are questions as to whether any effort on the political process is likely to yield results, considering the trajectory of the conflict and the consolidation of control by the Syrian government. Council members could organise a retreat to hold an informal and frank discussion with Pedersen to consider how, individually and collectively, they can best support the prospects for a political process based on resolution 2254.

Building on the information provided by DiCarlo in her 27 March briefing, the Council could suggest that the working group on detainees, abductees, handover of bodies and identification of missing persons, which includes the Astana guarantors and the UN, meet in Geneva in the near future and move beyond one-for-one exchanges to focus instead on the simultaneous release of unequal numbers of detainees/abductees. The Council could hold a meeting specifically to shed light on this little-discussed issue and call on the guarantors to use their influence on the government to engage in good faith on this matter.

The Council could request a briefing in consultations by the Secretariat to focus on the potential for instability in north-eastern Syria, call on the actors involved to exercise restraint, and support good-offices efforts to address long-standing grievances.

Council members could invite the Director-General of the OPCW to participate in an informal interactive dialogue on the work of the organisation on Syria.

Council Dynamics

The clear divisions among Council members over the situation in north-western Syria and the Councils inability to react unequivocally to violations of international humanitarian law exemplify the entrenched nature of members positions on Syria. The impact of these divisions on the three areas through which the Council engages on the conflict continues to frame the evolution of the conflict.

Belgium, Germany and Kuwait are co-penholders on humanitarian issues in Syria.

UN DOCUMENTS ON SYRIA
MIDDLE EAST

UNDOF (Golan Heights)

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council is expected to extend for six months the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which expires on 30 June. The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) is expected to brief Council members in consultations on the Secretary-Generals latest 90-day report on UNDOF, due in June, and the most recent developments.

Key Recent Developments

UNDOF was established following the conclusion of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria, which ended the Yom Kippur war. UNDOF is mandated to maintain the ceasefire between the parties and supervise the disengagement of Israeli and Syrian forces as well as the so-called areas of separation and limitation. The implementation of the mandate entails observing any violations of the 1974 Agreement, reporting them, and liaising with both sides. The missions observation role has been limited since its September 2014 relocation from the Bravo (Syrian) to the Alpha (Israeli-occupied) side because of the armed conflict in Syria. As of 15 May, UNDOF comprises approximately 1,064 personnel. The UN General Assembly last year approved a budget of $60,295,100 from July 2018 through June 2019.

On 27 May, Israel confirmed with UNDOF that Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had carried out a rocket attack targeting the Tal Al Shaar area on the Bravo side that same day. According to the Syrian state media organisation SANA, one Syrian soldier was killed and another injured. The IDF stated that the airstrike was carried out in response to anti-aircraft fire by Syria. A 28 May statement by the Secretary-General expressed concern about the developments in the Golan, called upon the parties to adhere to the 1974 Agreement and liaise with UNDOF.

On 25 March, US President Donald Trump signed a presidential proclamation recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on the same day that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres considers that the status of Golan has not changed. Previously scheduled consultations on UNDOF on 27 March were changed into a public briefing under the agenda item The Situation in the Middle East to discuss the situation as well as UNDOFs activities. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacekeeping Affairs, and Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, briefed, and representatives from Israel and Syria participated.

In that meeting, the US representative said that the proclamation did not affect the 1974 Agreement, nor did it undermine UNDOFs mandate. Other Council members reiterated that the Golan Heights is occupied territory. Lacroix said the ceasefire between Israel and Syria was being maintained, but violations of the 1974 Agreement continued to occur. These included firing into the area of separation and across the ceasefire line, civilians crossing the ceasefire line from the Bravo side, and the presence of unauthorised equipment and personnel in the areas of separation and limitation. The 1974 Agreement does not allow military forces other than those of UNDOF in the area of separation. Lacroix further said that UNDOF has consistently protested the violations, calling upon both sides to exercise restraint.

On UNDOFs phased return to the Bravo side, Lacroix reported progress, including visits to vacated observation posts and positions to assess whether the conditions would allow for a return of UNDOF personnel. He also stressed that there is still a significant threat to UN personnel stemming from explosive remnants of war and the possible presence of sleeper cells of armed groups. For the mission to implement its mandate effectively, Lacroix re-emphasised the need to deploy appropriate technologies and utilise fully the Qunaytirah crossing point, both of which require cooperation and support from the two sides. Before its closure in 2014, the Qunaytirah crossing point was used for humanitarian crossings, facilitated by UNDOF and in cooperation with the ICRC. On 28 April, the ICRC observed a transfer of two former prisoners from Israel to Syria through the crossing point.

In his 19 March report, covering the period from 21 November 2018 to 14 March, the Secretary-General detailed violations of the 1974 Agreement on both sides. These include military presence and activities in the area of separation on the Bravo side by Syrian Armed Forces, firing across the ceasefire line by the Israel Defense Forces, and the presence of unauthorised equipment and weapons in the area of limitation on the Alpha side. The UN Truce Supervision Organization in Observer Group Golan continues to support UNDOF with military observers. The Secretary-General stressed that it was important for the Council to influence the parties to ensure the safety and security of UNDOF and its ability to implement its mandate.

In a 20 April press statement, UNDOF announced that its head of mission and force commander, Major General Francis Vib-Sanziri of Ghana, had died unexpectedly on 19 April. On 29 May, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Major General Shivaram Kharel of Nepal as acting Head of Mission and Force Commander.

Key Issues and Options

Ongoing issues for the Council are the numerous violations of the 1974 Agreement and UNDOFs ability to implement its mandate, including the deployment of appropriate technologies, and the eventual full return of UNDOF to the Bravo side. Regarding the mandate renewal, the Council is restricted in its options: how UNDOF operates is subject solely to the 1974 Agreement. Any changes in the mandate would require agreement by Israel and Syria, which remains unlikely. The Council, in renewing UNDOFs mandate, could consider changing the Secretary-Generals reporting cycle back to six months instead of 90 days, which had been the practice until December 2012.

Council and Wider Dynamics

At press time, it was not clear whether the change in the USs long-standing position would complicate the mandate renewal negotiations. Generally, Council members agree that UNDOF contributes to stability in the region, given the absence of a peace agreement between Israel and Syria, both of which still value UNDOFs presence. Council members support its eventual complete return to the Bravo side, mindful of the fact that this would require a continuously favourable security environment to maintain the confidence of troop-contributing countries.

Russia and the US are the co-penholders on UNDOF.
AFRICA

UNOCA

Expected Council Action

In June, Francois Lounceny Fall, Special Representative and head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), is expected to brief the Security Council on the Secretary-Generals semi-annual report on UNOCA and the implementation of the UN regional strategy to combat the Lords Resistance Army (LRA).

The mandate of UNOCA expires on 31 August 2021.

Key Recent Developments

The region covered by UNOCA continues to present multiple challenges, including several security and political hotspots that are on the Councils agenda.

The Global Peace Agreement in the Central African Republic (CAR) was signed by the CAR government and 14 armed groups in Bangui on 6 February. It addresses justice and reconciliation, governance, and transitional security arrangements. On 22 March, after AU-hosted consultations in Addis Ababa, President Faustin-Archange Touadera announced the formation of a new cabinet, in which all 14 armed groups were represented.

On 9 April, the Council adopted a presidential statement, stating its readiness to review the arms embargo measures on the CAR government through suspension or progressive lifting of these measures in the light of progress achieved on key benchmarks laid down in the statement. (For more on CAR, see the brief in this issue of the Forecast.)

After two years of election delays in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi was inaugurated as president on 24 January. Following several months of postponement because of continued disagreements between Tshisekedis coalition and former President Joseph Kabilas party, Tshisekedi appointed Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba as prime minister on 20 May.

The Council adoped resolution 2463 on 29 March, renewing the mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) until 20 December. The resolution calls for an independent strategic review of MONUSCO by 20 October, leading to a plan for a phased, progressive and comprehensive exit strategy. (For more on DRC, see the brief in this issue of the Forecast.)

The security and political situation in Burundi remains unsettled. While the Burundian government maintains that the security situation is good throughout the country, serious human rights abuses continue to be committed daily with impunity, mainly by the government and the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of President Pierre Nkurunzizas party. Furthermore, these actions are taking place in an environment where freedom of expression, association and assembly are supressed as the country prepares for elections in 2020.

UNOCA also continues to pay close attention to the situation in Cameroon, a country not on the Councils agenda. Since late 2016, there has been unrest in Cameroons anglophone Northwest and Southwest Regions, rooted in claims of long-standing political and economic discrimination by the Francophone authorities against the Anglophone minority. The government has rejected calls by separatists for independence; neither side has demonstrated a genuine willingness to find a compromise. According to the latest UNOCA report, continued fighting between security forces and armed elements have caused several casualties as civilians, including children, have been victims of extrajudicial killings, abductions, restrictions of movement, and limited access to healthcare and education. There have also been reports of torture, rape, sexual exploitation and the destruction of property, including schools, in Anglophone areas. According to a 2 May report by the International Crisis Group, 1,850 people have died as a result of the conflict thus far.

On 13 May, the Dominican Republic, Germany, the UK and the US organised an Arria-formula meeting on the humanitarian crisis in Cameroon. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock; Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland; Esther Omam Njomo, the executive director of Reach Out Cameroon, a local NGO focused on the well-being of underprivileged groups in Cameroon; and Father Paul Fru Njokikang, director of Caritas for the Archdiocese of Bamenda in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, briefed.

In a presidential statement on 10 August 2018, the Council asked the Secretary-General to conduct a strategic review of the scope of UNOCAs mandate and activities and to present recommendations to the Council by 1 August about new or refocused priorities as well as areas that could be improved. The Council expressed its intention to consider these recommendations, including any proposed changes to the mandate, by 31 August.

Key Issues and Options

The central issues for the region are the security conditions in the CAR and eastern DRC. The overall political situation in the DRC after the elections, in Burundi ahead of the 2020 elections, and their potential regional implications will continue to concern the Council.

Following the Arria-formula meeting on Cameroon, Council members may use the UNOCA briefing to continue to call attention to the deteriorating situation in the country and suggest ways to increase the Councils engagement, including by adding it to the Councils agenda or by holding further informal meetings. The Council may also request UNOCA to make Cameroon a priority after the conclusion of UNOCAs strategic review by 1 August.

Council Dynamics

Council members are concerned about the political turmoil in several countries and the effect it could have on security and stability in the region.

Some Council members have expressed interest in the situation in Cameroon. During the 13 December 2018 briefing on UNOCA, Cameroon featured in the interventions of several Council members who presented contrasting views on Council engagement on this issue. The UK and the US devoted the majority of their statements to Cameroon. The UK said that unless action is taken and the situation improves, concern over the situation in Cameroon is likely to increase among Security Council members and become a more prominent part of our discussions. On the other hand, while noting with concern the reports coming out of Cameroon, Russia warned: [I]t is important not to cross the line between prevention and intervention in States internal affairs. There is every evidence that a number of our colleagues have come very close to that. For the time being, we have every reason to believe that Cameroon is capable of dealing with this tricky issue by itself. We are willing to help, but only if our partners in Cameroon deem it necessary.

The Arria-formula meeting allowed Council members to engage on the political turmoil in Cameroon through the prism of the humanitarian crisis that has resulted. Speaking on Cameroon during the 13 December 2018 meeting, the US referred to the strategic review of UNOCAs mandate, saying that it would work to ensure that this mandate is appropriately focused on the most pressing political challenges in the Central African region.

The UK is the penholder on UNOCA.

UN DOCUMENTS ON UNOCA
MIDDLE EAST

Yemen

Expected Council Action

In June, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths is expected to brief the Council on the implementation of resolutions 2451 and 2452. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock and General Michael Lollesgaard, the chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC) and head of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), are also likely to brief.

During June, the Secretariat is further expected to present a review of UNMHA to the Council, as requested in resolution 2452. The mandate of UNMHA expires on 16 July.

Key Recent Developments

The Houthi rebel group conducted a unilateral redeployment of their military forces from the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Isa over a four-day period from 11 to 14 May. UNHMA monitored and verified the withdrawals, which were the first redeployments since the December 2018 Stockholm Agreement established a ceasefire in Hodeidah governorate and outlined a phased mutual redeployment of Houthi rebel and Yemeni government forces from the three ports and Hodeidah city. A statement by Lollesgaard on 14 May confirming the redeployments said that much work remained to remove military manifestations (including barriers, trenches and tunnels) but that cooperation had been very good. On 15 May, the Council was updated on the situation by Griffiths and Lollesgaard (through video teleconference) during a briefing and consultations on Yemen.

During a press conference after the meeting, Lollesgaard said that the UN accepted a unilateral Houthi offer to withdraw from the ports since negotiations on the operational plan for phase two redeploymentsleading to the sides fully withdrawing from Hodeidah cityand over the composition of local forces to take over security responsibilities could still take months. Until these issues were resolved, the sides could not conduct the second step of the plan for phase one redeployments. (According to the agreement on the phase one redeployments, reached in the preceding months, the Houthis should first withdraw from the three ports, followed, in a second step, by the parties redeploying from the kilo 8 triangle in Hodeidah city to enable access to the Red Sea Mills where 51,000 metric tonnes of wheat have been inaccessible for relief efforts since October.)

Instead of continuing to wait for agreements on phase two redeployments and local security forces, the unilateral Houthi withdrawal from the ports could, according to Griffiths and Lollesgaard, allow the UN to deploy teams from the UN Development Programme and inspectors from the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) to support the Yemeni port authorities and increase the capacity of the ports and inspections, which the agreement on Hodeidah envisioned. During the 15 May press conference, Lollesgaard said that once the plan for phase two and the composition of local security forces are resolved, the RCC would still verify the Houthi withdrawal from the ports.

The Yemeni government rebuffed the developments. It criticised the fact that it was not included in the monitoring, as provided for by the RCC, which was established for the tripartite supervision by the UN, government and Houthis of the Hodeidah agreements implementation. It further expressed concerns that Houthi personnel are simply embedded in the coast guard that took over security responsibilities for the ports. We underscore the fact that any attempt by the Houthi militias to withdraw from the ports without any supervision, monitoring and approval by the [RCC] and its three parties would be a violation of agreements reached in recent months and would undermine the efforts of the international community, said Yemens ambassador, Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi, at the 15 May briefing.

In a 22 May letter to the Secretary-General, Yemeni President Abdo Raboo Mansour Hadi criticised the Special Envoys understanding of the complexities of the Yemeni conflict, saying that the government would give him one final chance to implement the Stockholm Agreement.

On 14 Maythe same day the UN confirmed the redeploymentsthe Houthis carried out drone attacks against two oil-pumping stations in Saudi Arabia, which leads the military coalition supporting the Yemeni government. Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for ordering the attacks, which occurred amid rising tensions in the region between the US and Iran. On 16 May, coalition airstrikes in Sanaa killed at least six people, including five children, and wounded at least 41, according to media reports and the UN. On 21 and 23 May, Houthi bomb-laden drones attacked an airport with a military base in Najran, Saudi Arabia. Heavy fighting continued on other fronts in Yemen, including the southern al-Dhale governorate and Abs district of Hajjah governorate.

On 5 May, a World Food Programme (WFP)-led technical team reached the Red Sea Mills from the south through government-held territory. It has since been assessing how much of the grain can be salvaged. Following a CNN news report on Houthi theft of food aid, the WFP issued a statement on 20 May threatening a phased suspension of operations in Houthi-controlled areas. The statement said that the greatest challenge to WFP operations was coming from the obstructive and uncooperative role of some of the Houthi leaders, including repeated obstacles to its independent selection of beneficiaries. Days earlier, Lowcock seemed to indicate that this was not a major problem, saying at the Council briefing that a recent UN-commissioned survey found that 94 percent of randomly selected intended beneficiaries of food aid confirmed that they had received food baskets.

Key Issues and Options

The implementation of the Stockholm Agreement remains a key issue. This is very much dependent on agreements on an operational plan for phase two redeployments and the politically sensitive question of the composition of local security forces in Hodeidah. Lollesgaard is leading negotiations on the phase two redeployments, and Griffiths is mediating discussions on the local security forces. Advancing the other elements of the Stockholm Agreementthe prisoner exchange and the statement of understanding on Taiz to improve humanitarian access to the front-line cityremains stalled. The Yemeni governments reaction to the unlitateral redeployments and criticism of Griffiths over the unilateral redeployments has jeapordised the Stockholm process. Fighting elsewhere and the escalation of Houthi drone attacks on Saudi Arabia risk further undoing the agreement.

Organising a new round of political consultations between the Houthis and the government remains a priority. A follow-up round to the talks in Sweden last December to focus on a comprehensive political solution, initially foreseen for January, has been put on hold amidst the stalemate over the Hodeidah agreement.

The humanitarian crisis remains the worlds largest, with more than 24 million people requiring aid, 10 million people at risk of famine, and a notable rise in cholera this year. During his last briefing, Lowcock indicated that relief efforts were contributing to some improvement, with the number of districts estimated to be at risk of famine having declined by 20 percent compared to a year ago. Access restrictions by the partiesparticularly in Houthi-controlled territory, as highlighted by the WFP statementremain a key issue.

Regarding UNMHA, as of 15 May, the mission maintains on the ground 15 to 18 monitors out of the authorised level of up to 75 monitors. The Houthis slow approval process for visas has been holding up deployment of 30 additional monitors.

The Council may adopt a presidential statement welcoming the Houthi redeployments from the ports, urging that this step be followed by further actions to fulfil the agreement on Hodeidah and the broader Stockholm Agreement, and expressing its support for the Special Envoy and General Lollesgaard. It could further call for a de-escalation on other front lines to build confidence and support new peace talks. If the impasse around the accord continues, the Council may consider the option of strengthening the 2140 Yemen sanctions regime by adding obstruction of the Stockholm Agreement to its designation criteria.

Council Dynamics

Despite Yemeni government criticism, most members welcomed the Houthi redeployments, and members, including the P5, continue to support the Special Envoy. The redeployments staved off what would likely have been a strong push by coalition countries and some Council members for the Council publicly to single out the Houthis for obstructing the Stockholm Agreement, which, according to some analysts, could have been counter-productive, especially since both sides have put up impediments during the last five months. The UK suggested a presidential statement to welcome the developments and UN efforts and encourage the parties to take further steps. But it held back from circulating a text, apparently perceiving that other developments, including the escalation in Houthi drone attacks and coalition air strikes on Sanaa, would complicate the ability to reach the consensus required for a Council statement.

Kuwait is part of the Saudi Arabia-led coalition and champions coalition positions. It has sought to facilitate political efforts, hosting peace talks in 2016 and providing aircraft to transport the Houthi delegation to last Decembers consultations in Sweden. Germany announced at the 15 May briefing that it would be willing to host a new round of consultations. The US shares coalition concerns about, and at times seeks to highlight, Irans role, which it views as destabilising.

The UK is the penholder on Yemen. Peru chairs the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON YEMEN
Waters SYNAPT XS mass spectrometer.

Waters Corporation is introducing two new high-resolution mass spectrometry systems for addressing the most challenging analytical needs of leading R&D scientists. The systems will be unveiled at the 67th ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Allied Topics, taking place in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on 26 June 2019.

The first-of-its-kind Waters SELECT SERIES Cyclic IMS (ion mobility spectrometer) seamlessly integrates cyclic ion mobility (cIM) technology into a high-performance, research-grade time-of-flight mass spectrometer providing limitless experimental potential. Combining novel IMS capability with significantly improved mass spectrometry (MS) performance and enabling software, this platform allows leading researchers to unlock the potential in scientific discovery.

The SELECT SERIES Cyclic IMS replaces the traditional linear ion mobility region with a novel compact cyclic ion guide. Ions traverse around the ion guide, and with every pass greater ion mobility resolution is achieved. The innovative cyclic device provides scalable, high-resolution ion mobility separations and introduces the unique ability to perform ion mobility/ion mobility and IMSn experiments, extending the benefits of routine ion mobility.

The improvements in ion mobility resolving power, combined with the flexibility of the instrument which allows IMSn experiments to select sub populations for further study, will be transformative for our work, said Kostas Thalassinos, a leading researcher at University College London in the UK, who has recently published results describing the benefits of the system for protein structural studies.

The SYNAPT XS is a new highly flexible, high-resolution mass spectrometer for R&D labs focused on discovery applications that need the greatest variety of analytical strategies to tackle inherently challenging questions. By providing high levels of flexibility through inlets and acquisition modes, the SYNAPT XS delivers greater freedom of analytical choice to support scientific creativity and technical success for any application.

The SYNAPT XS is the newest iteration in the SYNAPT family of research grade mass spectrometers. The SYNAPT family is known and acclaimed for both its flexibility and its unique T-Wave IMS configuration, which significantly extends the power of high-resolution analysis. IMS capability on the SYNAPT increases the extent and confidence with which a scientist can profile complex mixtures and characterize complex molecules, and dramatically enhances sample definition.

Focused on discovery and characterization applications, the new SYNAPT XS provides enhanced levels of sensitivity and mass resolution combined with highly reproducible CCS measurements, said Joanne Ballantyne, principal marketing manager, Mass Spectrometry Systems. Unlike competitors systems with restricted inlet options, scan function limitations or requiring multiple mass spectrometers, only Waters offers an all-encompassing high-performing LC-MS solution which, by design, provides greater freedom of analytical choice to support scientific creativity.

Waters full portfolio of MS innovations will be on display in Atlanta, including the ASMS debut of the BioAccord LC-MS System for biopharmaceuticals, a purposefully designed solution that expands access to high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry, including multi attribute monitoring capabilities, to more scientists who are analyzing critical quality attributes.

Rollout of the BioAccord System continues to excite our biopharmaceutical customers as they contend with increasing complexity of their molecules and business models, said Mike Wilson, director, product marketing, Mass Spectrometry Systems. The BioAccord System is a holistic, purposefully designed, compliant LC-MS biopharmaceutical solution with intelligence built into our newly designed ACQUITY RDa Detector. Given the inherent complexity of biologic molecules, the BioAccord System promises to move routine monitoring out of centralized MS labs and into the hands of more scientists by enabling more effective and reproducible analysis of biotherapeutic protein attributes across development and within quality control organizations."

The introduction of the Cyclic IMS and SYNAPT XS systems is an exciting manifestation of our increased R&D investments at Waters, particularly in mass spectrometry technologies, said Chris OConnell, chairman and CEO of Waters Corporation. These powerful new technologies add to our portfolio of recent mass spectrometry introductions such as the BioAccord System, Vion IMS QTof and the ACQUITY QDa Detector, and signal the accelerating pace of our exciting overall new product development cycle at Waters.
The family of Chinedu Okobi, a 36-year-old unarmed black man who died last year after being tased multiple times by San Mateo County sheriffs deputies, filed two lawsuits this week against the county and officers involved in Okobis death.

Flanked by Okobis sister and mother at a news conference Friday in Oakland, attorneys Carl Douglas and John Burris said the deputies violated Okobis civil rights through racial profiling, excessive force and Taser misuse.

Douglas filed a federal lawsuit Thursday on behalf of Okobis 12-year-old daughter in the Northern District of California. The suit names San Mateo County and deputies Joshua Wang, Alyssa Lorenzatti, John DeMartini, Bryan Watt and sergeant David Weidner as defendants. The suit is seeking damages for several claims, including Okobis wrongful death, unreasonable search, excessive force, and denial of medical care.

Why were these officers so poorly trained that they chose to use unreasonable and excessive force to resolve what was at worst a pedestrian in the street who wasnt even stopping traffic? Douglas asked. The family has questions as to why this man was stopped, accosted and approached.

Burris filed a similar suit Friday in the Northern District of California on behalf of Okobis mother, Amaka, claiming that the deputies were inadequately trained and caused Okobis death.

The department should retrain these officers on best use and how to use Tasers, Burris said. There should be a moratorium on the use of the Taser in this town.

Video of the fatal encounter on the afternoon of Oct. 3 shows Wang initially trying to stop Okobi after he crosses El Camino Real in Millbrae against a red light. Okobi continues walking and Wang calls for more officers, who approach Okobi on the sidewalk in front of a pizza parlor. The deputies attempt to physically restrain Okobi and resorted to using a Taser when they could not restrain him, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

Okobi was shocked four times.

The coroners office determined that he died from cardiac arrest following physical exertion, physical restraint and electro-muscular disruption from the Taser shocks.

In March, the district attorneys office announced that the deputies acted lawfully and would not be criminally charged in Okobis death. Wagstaffe said the deputies use of force in tasing Okobi was reasonable after conducting interviews with deputies and witnesses, as well as reviewing the coroners report and audio and video recordings of the incident.

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 law firm Conrad & Metlitzky is representing San Mateo County and the sheriffs deputies in the suits.

The county recognizes the tragic nature of this unintended loss of life and its impact on everyone involved and on the community, the firm said Friday. The county intends to defend itself in federal court against these claims and will not litigate the matter in the press.

Okobis family members said they hope the lawsuits will change San Mateo Countys use-of-force and Taser policies. They also said the lawsuits represent, in spirit, the families of Raamzi Saad and Warren Ragudo, who died in 2018 after San Mateo County sheriffs deputies tased them. Wagstaffe also declined to file charges against deputies involved in those cases.

If you want to know how our familys feeling  theres rage and theres bottomless sadness, said Ebele Okobi, the sister of Chinedu Okobi. It should not be that a human can be violently killed with absolute impunity. No family should have to go through what our family went through.

Ashley McBride is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Ashleynmcb
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is investigating a die-off of West Coast gray whales thats resulted in 70 known fatalities so far this year, including 13 animals whose enormous carcasses have been spotted off Bay Area shores, officials said Friday.

Declaring the whale deaths an unusual mortality event  a formal NOAA designation  will allow the federal agency to funnel more resources toward understanding the cause of the die-off and whether the West Coast gray whale population is at risk for further fatalities, perhaps due to climate change or other environmental conditions.

This unexpected, significant die-off demands an immediate response, Deborah Fauquier, a veterinary medical officer with NOAAs Office of Protected Resources, said in a conference call with journalists on Friday.

The animal deaths have been occurring as the gray whales make their annual migration from the balmy waters off of Mexico, where they birth their calves, toward the chilly but bountiful feeding regions far north off Alaska. The last two carcasses to wash up in the Bay Area were reported May 23  one near Angel Island in San Francisco Bay and the other on a beach in Point Reyes National Seashore.

More for you Two more dead gray whales turned up this week near Bay Area beaches

In an average year, about 35 gray whale deaths are reported along the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, typically about 15 in the first five months, according to NOAA. The last major gray whale die-off was over a two-year period in 1999 and 2000, when almost a third of the total population is believed to have died. There were 222 documented gray whale deaths in those two years, including at least 40 in the Bay Area.

NOAA also launched an unusual mortality event investigation then, though scientists were never able to determine the cause of the deaths.

Many of the carcasses studied this year have appeared emaciated. The creatures may be starving to death or in such a weakened state that they are vulnerable to disease or man-made accidents like ship-strikes. Frequent sightings of the mammoths in San Francisco Bay and other inland areas suggest they are being forced to leave their normal migratory path to seek alternative food sources, scientists said.

Climate change could be changing or diminishing their natural nourishment, scientists have said. The massive whales  they can reach 45 feet in length and weigh up to 60,000 pounds  may not be getting enough calories to survive the 11,000-mile migration from north to south and back north again.

But whether a scarcity of food or some other problem is to blame will likely be difficult to discern, scientists said Friday.

It can take months to years to finally do the research to identify the cause. There may be multiple causes, Fauquier said.

David Weller, a research wildlife biologist with NOAAs Southwest Fisheries Science Center in the La Jolla area of San Diego, said history has shown that the gray whale population can recover from a season or two of increased fatalities. But scientists need more information about whats happening to feel confident that there isnt some dramatic environmental shift occurring that could cause long-term damage to the population.

What were most interested in right now is examination of these individuals coming to shore to see how much we can learn from them  about their health and their condition, Weller said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Aside from climate change, another possible explanation is population size. The last count, from 2016, found 27,000 gray whales in the eastern North Pacific population. Thats around the size of peak populations in the 1980s, according to NOAA. Its possible that this region of the Pacific Ocean simply cant provide enough nourishment for a group that large and the population has reached whats referred to as carrying capacity.

The formal investigation will begin with deeper analysis of the carcasses. Scientists will try to assess their age and sex, paying close attention to any trends. But marine mammal carcasses are notoriously difficult to study because theyre often badly decomposed by the time theyre discovered.

In fact, the reported gray whale deaths represent only a fraction  maybe 10 percent  of all fatalities, since in most cases the carcasses simply sink to the ocean floor.

Its very difficult to get to these whales in a timely fashion. So you cant always get the kinds of samples you would need for diagnostic reasons, said Sue Moore, a biological oceanographer at the University of Washington and a member of the event investigative team. There are a lot of complicating factors.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the weight of gray whales.

Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com
What causes wildfires? A look at 10 of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history shows that power lines, fireworks and other elements of human civilization are often to blame.

What causes wildfires? A look at 10 of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history shows that power lines, fireworks and other elements of human civilization are often to blame.

People cause the vast majority of California wildfires, whether its an arsonist lighting up a hillside or a drivers tractor releasing a spark that turns into an inferno. Networks of power lines built into wildland are also behind some of the worst blazes.

Yet, in many cases, the cause simply cant be determined.

As fire season ramps up, state officials are warning that heavier-than-usual rain and snow in recent months have knocked down trees and led to an overgrowth of grass and shrubs that will soon dry out and become ready-made fuel for 2019 wildfires.

A fires cause typically doesnt affect how it grows or moves, said Battalion Chief Amy Head, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Wind, humidity and vegetation are the primary factors that drive fire behavior.

Still, finding out what happened at the outset is critical.

Its important for us to know the causes to hopefully prevent more of those fires in the future, and also to determine whos possibly responsible, Head said.

The Camp Fire burning in 2018. State investigators found that PG& equipment sparked the deadly fire. State legislators are now voting on an overhaul of the way California deals with wildfires sparked by utilities. less The Camp Fire burning in 2018. State investigators found that PG& equipment sparked the deadly fire. State legislators are now voting on an overhaul of the way California deals with wildfires sparked by ... more Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2018 Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2018 Image 1 of / 2 Caption Close How Californias biggest wildfires ignited: power lines, cars, arsonists, fireworks 1 / 2 Back to Gallery

To discover the origin and cause of a fire, investigators use the scientific method: collect evidence, test and refute hypotheses, and analyze data. Evidence could range from someone seeing a suspect vehicles license plate to a dead squirrel under a power line, said Dan White, chief of the fire prevention and law enforcement division for Cal Fire.

We interview witnesses, look at burn patterns and burn indicators to find a general origin area, then a specific origin area, he said. Every fire investigation starts as a criminal investigation until determined otherwise.

By the end of a probe, Cal Fire assigns blame to one of a dozen causes: arson, debris burning, electrical, equipment, campfire, lightning, playing with fire, railroad, smoking, vehicle, miscellaneous or undetermined.

According to Cal Fire data from 2013 to 2017, the most recent five-year period available, the cause of about a quarter of all fires was found to be undetermined.

Usually when a cause is undetermined, either firefighting activities have disrupted the origin area or investigators have winnowed down the possibilities but remain unsure between a few of them, White said.

The second-most common cause of California wildfires falls under miscellaneous, which includes fireworks, explosives, glass refraction, shootings and those oddball things that dont completely fit in another category, White said.

On one occasion, the cause of a fire he investigated turned out to be a horseshoe hitting a rock.

Cal Fire also tracks when every fire starts. In any given year, fires tend to follow a time-of-day bell curve, reaching an apex around 3 p.m. Blazes late at night or early in the morning are less common than those in the afternoon.

Here are the causes behind 10 of the largest, deadliest and most destructive wildfires in state history. A couple of the worst ones  the Mendocino Complex and the Woolsey Fire in Southern California  remain under investigation.

Camp Fire, November 2018

County: Butte

Acres burned: 153,336

Structures destroyed: 18,804

Deaths: 86

Cause: Electrical transmission lines

Power equipment owned and operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. caused the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history near the town of Pulga, according to Cal Fires investigation.

The probe identified a second ignition site in the town of Concow, where vegetation fell onto PG&E distribution lines. The fire that started in Pulga consumed the second one.

Cal Fire forwarded its findings to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, who could file criminal charges.

Carr Fire, July 2018

Counties: Shasta and Trinity

Acres burned: 229,651

Structures destroyed: 1,614

Deaths: 8

Cause: Human

A tire on a trailer belonging to an older couple went flat and dragged on the pavement, sending sparks into parched grass near Whiskeytown Lake, investigators said.

Thomas Fire, December 2017

Counties: Ventura and Santa Barbara

Acres burned: 281,893

Structures destroyed: 1,063

Deaths: 2

Cause: Power lines

Energized power lines in Santa Paula (Ventura County)  operated by Southern California Edison  came into contact with each other, authorities said. The connection released molten aluminum particles onto surrounding dry vegetation and sparked the fire, arson investigator Christine Saqui, of the Ventura County Fire Department, wrote in her report.

Tubbs Fire, October 2017

Counties: Napa and Sonoma

Acres burned: 36,807

Structures destroyed: 5,636

Deaths: 22

Cause: Electrical

Lead investigator John Martinez, a battalion chief with Cal Fire, and his team of experts found that a privately owned conductor or electrical equipment at a Calistoga residence caused the fire. They reached the conclusion through an arduous process of elimination.

Valley Fire, September 2015

Counties: Lake, Napa and Sonoma

Acres burned: 76,067

Structures destroyed: 1,955

Deaths: 4

Cause: Electrical

Investigators found that homeowner John Pinch installed a circuit to power a hot tub outside his Cobb (Lake County) residence. The circuit connection didnt follow electrical code standards and a breaker tripped.

The temperature at the electrical connection was at least 1,981 degrees Fahrenheit as the copper wire was melted, James Engel, a Cal Fire deputy chief, wrote in the investigative report. The wire connection was in contact with dry grass and lead litter, which ignited.

Prosecutors declined to file charges.

Rim Fire, August 2013

County: Tuolumne

Acres burned: 257,314

Structures destroyed: 112

Deaths: 0

Cause: Human

An illegal campfire in the Stanislaus National Forest burned out of control, investigators said. Bow hunter Keith Matthew Emerald was indicted, but federal prosecutors dropped the charges, citing two key witnesses deaths.

Witch Fire, October 2007

County: San Diego

Acres burned: 197,990

Structures destroyed: 1,650

Deaths: 2

Cause: Power lines

Power lines operated by San Diego Gas and Electric came into contact with each other in the wind and arced, releasing hot particles onto vegetation. The company agreed to pay the state more than $14 million to settle accusations that it was responsible for the Witch Fire and other 2007 blazes in the area.

Zaca Fire, July 2007

County: Santa Barbara

Acres burned: 240,207

Structures destroyed: 1

Deaths: 0

Cause: Human

Workers at La Laguna Ranch were using grinding equipment to repair a metal pipe, which emitted sparks. The corporate owners of the ranch, without admitting guilt, agreed to a $17 million settlement.

Cedar Fire, October 2003

County: San Diego

Acres burned: 273,246

Structures destroyed: 2,820

Deaths: 15

Cause: Human

Sergio Martinez, a West Covina man on a deer-hunting trip, started the fire when he became separated from his companion. Dehydrated and worried he might die, he lit the fire to signal for help. He was convicted of arson and sentenced to six months in a work-furlough program and 960 hours of community service.

Tunnel Fire, October 1991

County: Alameda

Acres burned: 1,600

Structures destroyed: 2,900

Deaths: 25

Cause: Rekindle

A grass fire that started the day before rekindled to cause the major Oakland Hills firestorm. Several arson fires had occurred in the hills before and after the Tunnel Fire, including at least one on the same day, but no link was made to any of those incidents.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
Two years ago, Daniel Lurie made an ambitious promise.

The founder and CEO of the nonprofit Tipping Point Community pledged to raise $100 million to cut in half San Franciscos population of chronically homeless people within five years. Lurie knew that City Hall had tried to tackle the problem for decades with hundreds of millions of dollars but had made little progress.

Its time we draw a line in the sand, Lurie said in 2017. Things have to change.

Theyve changed since then  but not for the better.

Homelessness in San Francisco has spiked 17% in the past two years, according to preliminary results of the January tally of homeless people in the city. The survey showed 8,011 people living here without a home, and that number is likely to grow even higher when the full results are released in July.

When Lurie made the pledge, the city estimated it had 2,138 chronically homeless people  those whove lived outside for at least a year and struggle with mental health issues, drug addiction or other major difficulties. Whether that figure has budged in the latest count isnt yet known, but its unlikely to have dropped much if at all.

So is Lurie still optimistic the $100 million commitment will make a dent in the homeless crisis, or is it just throwing more money at a seemingly unsolvable problem?

Lurie stopped by the Chronicle newsroom days after those disappointing homeless numbers were released to share his thoughts. Our full conversation can be heard on the latest episode of our San Francisco City Insider podcast, but here are the highlights:

On that $100 million promise: So far, Tipping Point has raised the full $100 million from individual donors and has spent $27 million toward its pledge. Lurie remains confident the money is well spent because, he said, were investing in solutions that work.

The money has been spent on three buckets, as he calls them.

One is simply creating more housing. Tipping Point is testing whether affordable housing can be built faster and cheaper than the norm in San Francisco. Granted, thats an extremely low bar. An average unit of affordable housing in our exorbitant city costs an astonishing $700,000 and can take up to seven years to build.

Tipping Point is developing a prototype somewhere in the South of Market neighborhood  its being very hush-hush about the details, including the exact location  to see if its possible to build affordable housing at $400,000 per unit and within three years.

The organization intends to do that by invoking SB35, the bill from state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, that was signed into law in 2017 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. It directs cities with housing shortages to approve housing projects more quickly if they contain affordable units and meet other criteria.

Tipping Point cash has also funded 200 vouchers to help people move out of supportive housing units and into their own apartments, freeing up those units for others just brought in off the streets. In the citys exceedingly expensive housing market, its hard for anybody to move up the housing ladder, let alone formerly homeless people.

Permanent supportive housing units usually become vacant only if the tenant dies, Lurie pointed out.

Tipping Point money is also going to a second bucket for preventing homelessness, including partnering with UCSF to figure out where to add more treatment beds for mentally ill people in the citys notoriously confusing mental health system.

A third bucket centers around helping the citys Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing become more efficient; Tipping Point assisted in the creation of a new database so all city agencies and contracted nonprofits can share information about the homeless clients they help.

Were trying to help the city be more efficient in how theyre spending their hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars a year, Lurie said, declining to say whether he voted for Novembers Prop. C to raise an additional $300 million a year for homeless services by taxing the citys biggest businesses. Tipping Point didnt take a stand.

On San Franciscans feelings about homelessness: Tipping Point has recently conducted focus groups of housed San Franciscans to gauge what they think of the citys approach to helping their homeless neighbors.

The nonprofit wouldnt share detailed results, but Lurie said most participants were surprised to learn there is housing of some sort for formerly homeless people in every district in the city. A lot of it is low-profile and small and blends into neighborhoods.

We have people who were formerly living on the streets in every district in the city, and the world hasnt ended and property values have gone up, he said.

Lurie said there simply needs to be more housing for homeless people all over the city  and the fact that so many proposals get resistance from neighbors shows that San Francisco isnt as progressive as wed like to think.

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.

We believe we are so progressive and the world doesnt understand us and all those conservatives in the middle of the country dont like to take care of people like we do in San Francisco, Lurie said.

We are not taking care of people. We are not progressive right now, he continued. We cannot continue down this road. We need to build more housing. We need to have more mental health beds. We all need to get behind it.

Lurie had harsh words for the state Legislature, too, noting he is extremely frustrated that Wieners proposal to make it easier to develop housing near transit died in committee the same day that new, shockingly high homeless tallies for most counties in the state came out.

Its laughable when you think about the crisis the state sees itself in, he said.

On the makeup of San Franciscos homeless population: As San Franciscans wait for the complete results of Januarys homeless count, Tipping Point has new data from its own survey of homeless people.

While the citys homeless count looks at demographics and the reasons behind homelessness, Tipping Point wanted to do a deeper dive. Last summer, it hired researchers to survey 300 homeless people, asking questions about the challenges they face on the streets and what it would take to get them inside.

Half said theyd lived in the city for at least 10 years, and 21% said theyd lived in the city their whole life. While less than 6% of the citys population is black, 36% of the homeless people surveyed are black. More than half of respondents said the city should make housing more affordable, build more housing for homeless people, and provide more mental health and substance abuse services.

Many of them said people look at them like theyre freaks or not even human. One said, I want people to stop staring. Another said, Just because were homeless, it doesnt make us savages. Were treated like second-class creatures.

Lurie echoed those sentiments.

It feels like were just coldhearted and we are not taking care of our own, and its hard to argue with that narrative, he said.

While building more housing and fixing the mental health system will take hard work, city residents can make a small difference, Lurie said. Just striking up a conversation with a homeless person is meaningful. Sadly, in this city, even thats a tall order.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf
In recent years, most of the attacks on public art in San Francisco have come from the left  the fight to remove from Civic Center the Early Days statue with a supine Indian and the uproar over Life of Washington murals at George Washington High School depicting a black slave and dead American Indian being the latest examples.

This is a remarkable reversal. Throughout the citys history, conservatives almost invariably were the ones leading the charge to remove objectionable art.

One case in point: The Anton Refregier murals in the Rincon Annex post office, which inspired the longest-running controversy over public art in the citys history.

The murals were commissioned during the Depression by one of the federal arts programs initiated by Franklin Roosevelts administration to provide work for artists. The best-known of those New Deal programs, the Public Works of Art Project, funded a number of projects in San Francisco, including the Coit Tower murals. As recounted in an earlier Portals, these murals were the subject of sharp attacks from conservatives when they were unveiled in 1934.

In 1940, a jury selected 35-year-old Anton Refregier of Woodstock, N.Y., to execute 27 murals, 20 feet high, to decorate a new post office in San Francisco. The subject matter of the $26,000 commission: The History of San Francisco.

Like Victor Arnautoff, who included the slave and dead Indian in the high school murals to present an unvarnished portrait of Washington, the left-leaning Refregier had no interest in creating a standard-issue glorification of the citys past. His historically critical, pro-workingman approach was not controversial at the time he received the commission, but the political climate shifted to the right after the war. Refregier found his work being attacked by right-wing groups and censored by his paymaster, the federal Public Buildings Administration, which had taken over management of the murals project as FDRs public arts programs were phased out.

Starting in 1947, the objections began piling up thick and fast. Catholics said a friar depicted in one panel was too fat. Refregier slimmed the figure down. When he proposed including a panel showing a group of waterfront workers holding a banner reading, Ship Caulkers Union, Eight Hour Day 1865, commemorating the first official recognition of the eight-hour workday in California, the Public Buildings Administration refused to allow it, saying, The eight-hour work day is controversial.

The climactic mural in the series, The Four Freedoms, also proved problematic. It depicted the end of World War II and the creation of the United Nations, whose charter was signed in San Francisco. The proposed mural was divided into three panels, one of which showed Roosevelt surrounded by blocks representing the Four Freedoms  freedom from fear and from want, freedom of speech and of religion  which the late president had invoked in a famous speech.

The feds informed Refregier that the panel was objectionable and that the portrait of Roosevelt would have to be removed. Gilbert Stanley Underwood, an official with the Public Buildings Administration, gave various explanations: Prominent people should not be depicted; a portrait of a president would be inappropriate in a mural about early California history; the portrait was unflattering; the building was too unimportant to display a portrait of a president; and the idea simply wouldnt compose.

Refregier dug in his heels, telling The Chronicle that deleting Roosevelt was a concession I cannot make. He went on, I cannot help but believe that this order reflects, even if those who issued it may not realize it, the six-month campaign to discredit Roosevelt. I cannot allow myself to be a victim of propaganda against a very great man.

Refregier appears to have been referring to the successful GOP-led effort in 1947 to pass a constitutional amendment limiting presidents to two terms, which was part of a broader Republican campaign to discredit Roosevelt and reject his legacy as an attempt to foist socialism on America. In such a climate, any official signing off on canonizing FDR in a publicly funded mural would have been a bold bureaucrat indeed.

In 1948, a number of conservative groups took aim at the murals. They were particularly incensed by Refregiers depiction of the 1934 waterfront strike, a traumatic event that 14 years later still aroused strong passions in San Francisco. In his drawing of the memorial service for one of two strikers killed on Bloody Thursday, Refregier drew a man wearing a Veterans of Foreign Wars cap.

Trivia time Previous trivia question: Which San Francisco journalist's body lay in state in City Hall in 1936? Answer: The Examiner's "sob sister" columnist Winifred Bonfils, who wrote under the name Annie Laurie. This week's trivia question: When and where did a great white shark fatally attack someone off a San Francisco beach? Editor's note Every corner in San Francisco has an astonishing story to tell. Gary Kamiya's Portals of the Past tells those lost stories, using a specific location to illuminate San Francisco's extraordinary history - from the days when giant mammoths wandered through what is now North Beach to the Gold Rush delirium, the dot-com madness and beyond. His column appears every other Saturday, alternating with Peter Hartlaub's OurSF. See More Collapse

More from the Archive The Vault Home of the San Francisco Chronicle's archive and more than 150 years of journalism covering the Bay Area and beyond.

We object very strenuously to use of our organization insignia in a Communist-inspired mural, VFW official M.C. Herman said. We object to the type of all the murals, if you must know, he added. Theyre supposed to show the history of California, not labor troubles and men dragging Chinamen around by the hair.

When Refregier refused the Public Buildings Administrations order to cloak the murals pending a final decision on their fate, the government did it for him. This led to a large protest outside Rincon Annex on May 14, 1948, in which Refregier and local artists were joined by the longshoremens union.

As Gray Brechin notes in Trial of the Rincon Annex Murals, an essay that appeared on the website FoundSF, Refregier later wrote, The stories in the Hearst press brought out gangs of hoodlums who were constantly under my scaffolding and I no longer worked after the sun set.

When the federal government ordered just two small changes in the murals, a group dedicated to defending a sanitized view of California history, the Native Sons of the Golden West, called for the murals destruction and vowed to investigate Refregiers past. In 1949, California Rep. Richard Nixon urged that a committee look into removing Communist art like the Rincon murals.

But these were just skirmishes. The real war over Refregiers murals would not take place until 1953, when a debate over whether to destroy them all took place on the floor of Congress. That episode will be the subject of the next Portals.

Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco, awarded the Northern California Book Award in creative nonfiction. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. To read earlier Portals of the Past, go to sfchronicle.com/portals. For more features from 150 years of The Chronicles archives, go to sfchronicle.com/vault. Email: metro@sfchronicle.com
Police say the driver who sped through San Franciscos Tenderloin and South of Market neighborhoods Wednesday was under the influence and driving with a suspended license when she hit two pedestrians and multiple vehicles.

Cherry Neal, 25, of San Francisco faces more than 20 counts related to the rampage that prompted San Francisco police officers to pursue the speeding, silver Kia sport utility vehicle on foot through the bustling city streets, the San Francisco Police Department said Thursday.

She was booked on the following:

 Felony reckless evading, felony evading an officer causing injury, felony evading an officer while driving in the opposite direction of traffic.

 Four counts of felony hit-and-run involving injury.

 Three counts of failing to stop at the scene of an accident with damage to property.

 Driving under the influence causing injury.

 Driving with suspended license.

 Theft of a vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle.

 Reckless driving, reckless driving causing injury.

 Three counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

 Resisting arrest, two counts of felony vandalism, running a red light, and failure to yield on a left turn.

The pursuit began just before 2 p.m. Wednesday when officers ran the license plate of the Kia, which had been idling at Leavenworth and Eddy streets. The check showed the SUV was stolen, prompting police to try to pull her over.

The driver went onto the sidewalk and slammed into a pedestrian, pinning him against scaffolding in front of the Tenderloin Police Station, said Sgt. Michael Andraychak, a police spokesman.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Police station video showed more than a dozen officers on foot swarm the vehicle after it struck the first pedestrian. The Kia then repeatedly smashed into parked cars  reversing and accelerating forward  before breaking away and speeding off.

The Kia struck a second pedestrian at Eddy and Taylor streets, hit two cars at Fifth and Market streets, hit another car on Clara Street while traveling against traffic, then slammed into another car on Sixth Street, where police arrested the driver.

The second pedestrian sustained life-threatening injuries and was hospitalized. Other victims sustained injuries that did not require hospitalization.

Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor
San Francisco police obtained a warrant to search a freelance journalists phone records and were authorized to conduct remote monitoring on the phone more than two months before a controversial raid on his home and office, according to documents released Friday.

Officers executed the warrant on Bryan Carmodys phone records on March 1  the first of seven search warrants obtained in the investigation into who leaked him a report on the Feb. 22 death of Public Defender Jeff Adachi.

The revelation that police had broad authority to covertly monitor Carmody adds a new twist to the unfolding case that was thrust into the national spotlight when police used a sledgehammer to raid his home and office on May 10. Officers seized Carmodys computers, phones and other electronic devices after learning he had sold the report to three television news stations.

Its still not clear how police justified the searches to at least three judges, how police knew Carmody obtained the report and whether officers listened in on the private calls of a journalist after executing the warrant.

The SFPD appears to have used the illegal warrant to spy on Bryans movements, phone calls and communications, Carmodys defense attorney, Ben Berkowitz, said in a statement Friday. This is an alarming and deeply disturbing attack on the free press in an attempt to unmask Mr. Carmodys confidential source.

Californias shield law protects journalists from being compelled to reveal confidential sources and other unpublished material like notes and photographs. The law specifically bars police searches seeking such materials and applies to freelancers.

Carmody on Friday posted part of the latest search warrant on social media. Police sent him the document this week by certified mail. Under the law, police can delay revealing that they served a warrant on a persons phone records.

San Francisco police did not immediately respond to questions about the warrant. But after defending the search for two weeks, Police Chief Bill Scott apologized and conceded the raid was wrong. He specifically mentioned the warrant for Carmodys phone was problematic in a May 24 interview with The Chronicle.

Tony Montoya, the president of the union representing the departments rank and file, seized on the chiefs reversal and called for his resignation in a scathing statement that said Scott was personally involved in every step of the investigation.

Tensions between the union and chief have smoldered since Scott was appointed to oversee reforms at the department in 2017, after the more union-friendly Chief Greg Suhr resigned following several controversial police shootings.

The initial warrant on Carmodys phone, written by Sgt. Joseph Obidi in the departments Internal Affairs Bureau, allowed police to obtain subscriber information, call detail records, SMS usage and cell tower data for Feb. 22 and 23.

Local television news stations began reporting on the contents of the leaked police report  including that Adachi collapsed in an apartment on Telegraph Hill with a woman who was not his wife  on Feb. 23, the day after he died.

Some city officials and attorneys in the public defenders office believed a member of the department leaked the report in an attempt to smear Adachi, who fought against police misconduct. At a fiery April meeting at the city Board of Supervisors, the public defenders office publicly revealed for the first time that a freelance stringer had offered the report for sale to television stations.

Details of the warrant made public Friday, though, show that police had already identified Carmody weeks before that meeting, raising questions about who told police he had the report.

The Chronicle also obtained a copy of the report but did not pay for it or get it from Carmody.

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 warrant authorized police to conduct remote monitoring on the subject telephone number device, day or night, including those signals produced in public, or location not open to public or visual surveillance.

Police officials did not respond to questions about whether they monitored Carmodys phone after the warrant was executed.

The warrant also revealed that a third judge had signed off on the search of a journalist. Judge Rochelle East signed the warrant for the phone after Obidi wrote that Carmody was being investigated as a co-conspirator in the theft of the San Francisco Police report involved the death investigation of Jeff Adachi.

The warrant, though, does not mention that Carmody was working as a journalist, and its unclear what is in the accompanying probable cause statement that remains under seal.

The two warrants for Carmodys home and office in May were also written by Obidi. The probable cause statements for those warrants also remain sealed and the judges who signed them, Victor Hwang and Gail Dekreon, have not commented.

San Francisco police executed at least seven warrants  including the search on Carmodys phone and searches of police officers  in their investigation, The Chronicle reported this week. At the time, Carmody and his attorneys said they were unaware that his phone was searched.

Carmodys civil attorney, Thomas Burke, filed a motion to quash the search warrants, while press freedom groups like the First Amendment Coalition have filed motions to unseal the warrants. The Police Department filed its briefs in opposition Friday.

In the motion, an attorney for the Police Department cited case precedent to keep the warrants sealed but made no factual arguments. The department said it has returned all of Carmodys property, but the items did not include the leaked police report.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
A woman and man who were arrested in China in connection with the killing and dismemberment of a 73-year-old San Francisco man could soon return to the city to face murder charges.

Stephanie Ching, 35, and Douglas Lomas, 44, were extradited back to the United States earlier this month and have been detained since May 23 at Loudoun Adult Detention Center in Leesburg, Va.

Ching waived her extradition hearing and Lomas was scheduled to appear in court Friday, said Kraig Troxell, a Loudoun County sheriffs spokesman.

Shes able to be picked up at any point to be transferred to California, Troxell said. Thats all going to be a coordination between the courts and law enforcement in California.

The San Francisco district attorneys office last week filed murder charges against Ching and Lomas.

The case began May 20, when San Francisco police performed a welfare check at the Ingleside home of Benedict Ching, who a source told The Chronicle is the female suspects father. A co-worker reported Benedict Ching missing, police said.

Sources told The Chronicle that a head and other body parts were found in a freezer in the home on the 100 block of Del Monte Street. The medical examiners office has not yet identified the remains, but police believe the body parts belong to Benedict Ching.

Investigators identified Stephanie Ching and Lomas as suspects and learned they planned to leave for China. Homeland Security Investigations authorities detained the couple in Beijing and flew them back to the U.S., where they were arrested at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

Anyone taken into custody at Dulles is brought to our jail. Thats our involvement, other than possessing the booking photos and taking them back and forth to their arraignments, Troxell said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The FBI is assisting San Francisco police with the investigation.

Anyone with information in the case can call the Police Departments tip line at 415-575-4444.

Ashley McBride is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ashley.mcbride@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Ashleynmcb
Is Joe Biden Hillary Clinton  or George W. Bush?

The first, most obvious and literal answer is, hes neither. Hes Joe Biden, one of the most known and familiar personalities in American politics.

Matthew Continetti, editor of the Washington Free Beacon, recently asked Is Biden the new Hillary?

Trump plans to wage the same sort of campaign against Biden that he did against Hillary Clinton in 2016, Continetti wrote for National Review. Back then, Trump defined Hillary as the candidate of entrenched interests who used a long career in politics for familial gain. He highlighted Clintons support for the 1994 crime bill and for NAFTA and TPP, driving wedges between the former secretary of state and important Democratic constituencies. And he went after Hillarys foreign-policy credentials, painting her as an interventionist who had weakened Americas standing in the world.

Continetti is surely correct that this is Team Trumps game plan. Both D.C. scuttlebutt and public reporting suggests that they see Biden as the biggest threat to Trumps re-election prospects. Thats certainly borne out in the polls, which show Biden leading Trump by 8 points (according to the Real Clear Politics average). Bidens lead in some crucial states is even more worrisome for Trump.

A recent Quinnipiac poll had him ahead by double digits  53% to 42%  in Pennsylvania. Biden has a 10.5% lead in Michigan, 8% in Wisconsin (though polling there is sparse) 4% in Ohio and tied in Florida, according to the RCP average.

Trump won the electoral college by taking a handful of states out of the traditional Democratic column with razor thin margins. Its insanely early, but the scary part for Trump is Biden is not only wildly beating the other Democrats in the field, hes also outperforming Clinton at a comparable time in 2015.

And this points to a possible flaw in the effort to turn Biden into another Hillary. Clinton ran as an experienced Washington hand, Continetti notes. But, After 16 months of Trump attacks, 77,000 voters in three states denied her the presidency, he adds. The same could happen again to a nominee easily caricatured as the epitome of Beltway cluelessness. What looks like Joe Bidens greatest strength  electability born of experience  may also be a debilitating weakness.

Maybe. But while Trumps attacks on Clinton were surely effective at times, Trump was aided enormously by the fact that Americans, particularly Republican and Republican-friendly ones, were skeptical or outright hostile to her already, thanks to decades of experience with, and criticism of, her. Trump didnt define Clinton as much as she did.

Moreover, implicit to her campaign was the promise of both a third Obama term and a restoration of the Clinton dynasty. Trump did not need to work all that hard to convince voters exhausted or frustrated by the Obama years or disdainful of Clinton Inc. to vote against her.

Biden occupies a different space, psychologically and politically. Theres a lot of conventional wisdom in Washington that the early front-runner always loses. And thats true except when it isnt. In 2003, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean dominated the polls. Then he lost Iowa, screamed and eventually skulked away.

But in 1999, George W. Bush dominated the polls and, except for a brief scare from Sen. John McCain in the New Hampshire primary, essentially cruised to victory.

A key part of Bushs early success, not just in polls but in fundraising, stemmed from the fact that he was promising a Bush restoration. Indeed, some of his early approval ratings were a direct result of nostalgia for his father, with whom he shared a name.

Also, he was offering a referendum on the incumbent president and the scandals and partisanship that defined the end of his administration. He vowed to restore honor and dignity to the Oval Office and to be a uniter not a divider.

The very different context notwithstanding, this is pretty much Bidens campaign message. The ideological, activist and Twitter-obsessed base of the Democratic Party may not like Bidens pitch. But it sure looks like rank-and-file Democrats do, particularly African American women who may see in Biden something of an Obama restoration.

Of course, Biden can blow it, as he did the two previous times he ran for president. But counting on the past repeating itself is a good strategy only when you pick the right example from the past.

 2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

Jonah Goldberg is an editor-at-large of National Review Online and a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Email: JonahsColumn@aol.com. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters.
The White House order to hide the USS John S. McCain during President Trumps recent visit to Japan calls to mind the erasures of disfavored persons from Soviet photographs.

Trump attributed the embarrassment to an aide he nevertheless complimented as well-meaning while pausing to heap more invective on the dead senator and war hero memorialized by the Navy destroyer. Reports so far suggest the decision did not involve the president himself, evoking the impression of nervous minions rushing to head off the petty rages of a would-be autocrat.

The McCain was named for the senators eponymous father and grandfather, both admirals, but rededicated last year to also recognize the Arizona Republican who, in the words of the Navy secretary, never asked for this honor. Its no wonder the president is so sensitive on the subject: McCain accumulated accolades without seeking them, much as Trump no longer has to direct all the disgraces carried out in his name.

Josh Gohlke, editorial writer
Reyna Cacique used to drive eight hours to visit her dad at Pelican Bay State Prison. Their relationship was strong, but it had its ups and downs. In 2015, when she was 20, she hadnt seen him for two or three years.

Her father, Rafael Cacique, was in the Secure Housing Unit  being held in a windowless cell the size of a parking space or a handicapped restroom stall  and hadnt seen so much as a blade of grass for more than nine years.

In 2013, Rafael decided hed had enough. He participated in the largest prisoner hunger strike in U.S. history. About 30,000 prisoners across the state went without food, some for 60 days, to protest Californias excessive and inhuman use of solitary confinement.

Public outrage got the wheels in motion for Ashker vs. Governor of California, a class-action lawsuit that ended in a historic settlement in 2015. It resulted in more than 1,600 prisoners being transferred from solitary confinement back to general population prisons.

Most of them had been isolated for more than 10 years.

Cacique was one of the first to be released from the Secure Housing Unit. He was transferred to Corcoran State Prison, where he now has much more incentive to make the most of life on among the general prison population, on the mainline.

I recently spoke with Reyna. Shes now 24 and has a 4-year-old-daughter, Lily. What used to be an eight-hour drive to Pelican Bay is now an hour and a half to Corcoran, so she and her daughter go up to visit him practically every month.

Its been a blessing, Reyna said. My dad has always taught me the value of family, and when I was pregnant I was like, How am I gonna bring my daughter to visit him at Pelican Bay?

Now I know shell never have to see him the way I did, Reyna said. Starting when she was 10, Reynas only contact with her father was through a thick sheet of glass. He and my daughter deserve to have a relationship.

I interviewed both father and daughter, along with a dozen other prisoners around the country, from 2013 to 2015. I visited Rafael at Pelican Bay three times. I wove their stories into a play, a fictionalized account of a hunger strike called The Box.

Things have improved for Rafa and his family, but will it stay this way?

Before the Ashker settlement, prisoners could only get out of the Secure Housing Unit through snitching, parole or death. Now the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation can no longer give prisoners sentences in the SHU with no end. There is a step-down program, a process of rehabilitation, a path back to the mainline in two years or less.

Keep in mind that Juan Mendez, U.N. special rapporteur on torture, said that two weeks of isolation can cause permanent brain damage and therefore should be called cruel and unusual punishment or torture.

There is a now a nationwide effort led by 10 states to ban solitary confinement. Colorado now uses the U.N.s standard of limiting isolation to two weeks, a huge precedent for other states.

The corrections department can no longer sentence prisoners to the Secure Housing Unit based on gang validation, a designation based on evidence the court ruled unconstitutional, such as having received a birthday card  or artwork with Aztec or Mayan images  from a validated gang member.

For three years, California prisons have been under court observation to ensure these polices are implemented. Early this year, that observation was extended when the judge found systemic constitutional violations.

Charles Carbone, a lead lawyer on Ashker, goes into Californias prisons four times a week. Last month, he spoke with Alberto Talento, a former Mexican mafia member who did 15 years in the Secure Housing Unit based on unconstitutional evidence.

Talento said he didnt have a future before this happened. Ive heard this over and over from guys that got out of the SHU. Guys whove been in gangs since they were 13, 14 years old, now they have an incentive to be upright citizens, to earn respect from their families. They give up the gang life because they have hope the system might work for them  that they might actually have a chance at a better future.

When you improve prison conditions, humanity expands, Carbone said. This change in policy has weakened the dominance gangs had in our prisons.

Theres also been a shift in how the public sees these men: not as damaged goods we can just throw away, but as human beings who may have made big mistakes and are capable of change.

Meanwhile, the marks of Rafas extreme isolation havent left his body or mind, but Reyna likes to see him get some of the respect and care he deserves.

I see my dad as a deliberate and powerful person. When I leave those visits, I feel so grateful for what this (policy change) has done for our family, for our spirits. I see my dad growing back into himself, Reyna said.

California is never going back to the draconian policies that were in place three years ago  some of the worst in the country  but the new review period expires in January. If the corrections department cleans up its act, the judicial review period will be over. Without this oversight, its easy for corruption to seep back in. The population of the Security Housing Unit rose in 2017, and the agency has projected it to rise further in 2018-19.

Unfortunately, the need for my play has not yet become obsolete.

Still, things have shifted.

Thousands of families who thought their loved ones were permanently entombed are now regenerating their relationships, and thousands more prisoners have changed their view of what they can expect from their lives. This kind of cultural shift is much harder to undo than a policy.

Remember this: Progress began with a group of prisoners who had nothing left to lose.

For now, the courts will be watching. In the future, that will be up to us.
Presidential hopefuls were on the campaign trail in San Francisco on Friday, making their way through Moscone Center to chat up delegates to the California Democratic Party convention. But not all the interest was inside the hall, as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren drew an overflow crowd of several thousand people to hear her speak on an Oakland soccer field.

Warren was one of 14 candidates who will speak at the weekend-long convention,which has drawn more than 3,400 Democratic delegates from around the state and media from across the nation.

Candidates wandered in and out of caucus meetings Friday, letting the wide range of party groups know they will have a friend in Washington.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders made that explicit when he did a star turn for the state partys labor caucus.

As president, my job isnt just to be nice to unions, Sanders told a standing-room-only crowd of more than 200 people. Were going to be running a workers government.

Now Playing: Bernie Sanders wants a worker government Video: San Francisco Chronicle

At the Chicano Latino caucus, Texan Beto ORourke showed the members what they will be getting if they elect the former El Paso congressman.

He delivered the first half of his speech in Spanish, the second language of his hometown. Speaking about his plans for immigration reform, he told the crowd he believes no en muros, o en jaulas, pero en tratar toda la gente con respeto  not in walls or cages, but in treating all people with respect.

ORourke wasnt the only popular visitor to that caucus. When Sanders arrived to deliver a short stump speech, the crowd mobbed him for pictures as the moderator begged them to sit down: If were all trying to get selfies, well never get through this.

The speeches to the full convention start Saturday and will spill into Sunday morning: Delegates will hear from Sanders, ORourke, Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Buttigieg, Eric Swalwell, Amy Klobuchar, John Hickenlooper, Jay Inslee, Julian Castro and John Delaney.

The candidates will have to keep it brief, however, which is tough for any politician. With a crammed schedule that also includes words from most of Californias best-known Democrats and elected officials, each speech will be limited to seven minutes.

Some of the candidates are breaking out of that tightly structured format to meet voters on their own terms. Warrens town hall event at Oaklands Laney College proved so popular that it was moved from a 2,000-capacity gym to a soccer field, and the candidate came on an hour late.

Im coming back to Oakland, Warren said, declaring that this was her largest town hall to date of the 90 she has held since becoming a candidate.

The country is in trouble, and the 2020 election will echo for generations, Warren said as she summed up her campaign plan: Attack the corruption, put a little different structure in this economy and protect our democracy.

Amy Neil, 55, a retiree from Albany, was first in line to hear Warren. She arrived at 1:30 p.m. for the prime spot, front and center.

Neil said she is drawn to Warren because the senator has plans to fight the structural inequities in society and cant be corrupted. She likes that Warren is policy-driven. But she hasnt made a final decision on a candidate  she also likes Harris and Buttigieg.

Inside the San Francisco convention hall, delegates were enthusiastically talking about which Democrat they planned to back.

Several campaigns set up booths, wooing delegates to sign up for their mailing lists with stickers and buttons.

Vivian Crowe, 70, a delegate from Riverside County, signed up to get notifications about Klobuchar, one of four candidates she said she was considering voting for. Crowe said she had caught notice of the Minnesota senator during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and liked that she seemed like someone able to reach across the aisle to Republicans and independents.

I like a lot of progressive issues, Crowe said, but I really want things to start getting done in Washington, D.C.

Her favorite candidate is Harris, but Crowe worries that her prosecutorial approach will turn off voters in the Midwest. Shes also interested in former Vice President Joe Biden, who is not at the convention, and Hickenlooper, a former Colorado governor who she believes would be better-positioned to beat President Trump.

Now Playing: Kamala Harris excoriates anti abortion supporters in Alabama at a Planned Parenthood event in San Francisco during the California Democratic Party convention Video: San Francisco Chronicle

It wasnt the presidential hopefuls who provided the sparks Friday evening. An intraparty feud over the Israel-Palestinian conflict went public as delegates sparred over draft resolutions that accused Israel of aligning with white supremacists, Christian fundamentalist and ultra-right groups that ignore anti-Semitism and promote Islamophobia.

Palestinian advocates clashed with the party resolutions committee, complaining that their measures were watered down or rewritten to minimize the emphasis on Israel.

The imbalance we have is we have a people without a state who deserve a state, delegate Yassar Dahbour protested.

The rewritten resolutions, which were approved by the committee, largely repeat past stances the party has taken that condemn bigotry and racism on both sides of the Middle East conflict. Because the resolutions reaffirm the partys current position, they are unlikely to prompt much debate when they go before the delegates Sunday.

Party officials worry that other disputes could spill out onto the convention floor, as they did in 2017 when nurses and other supporters of single-payer health care stormed into the hall.

Alexandra Gallardo-Rooker, the partys acting chair, warned there will be a tough code of conduct at the convention, designed to prevent that type of large, raucous, disruptive protest.

We dont want a 2017 again here, Ill be real honest with you, she said. Not gonna have it, not on my watch.

Delegates also will vote on a replacement for former party Chair Eric Bauman, who resigned after being accused of sexually harassing a number of male party workers.

Kimberly Ellis, a progressive Richmond activist who finished a close second to Bauman in the 2017 election for party chair, is back for another run. Rusty Hicks, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, and Santa Barbaras Daraka Larimore-Hall, the partys vice chair, are the other two leading candidates in the seven-person race.

Voting will be Saturday. If no one receives a majority of the vote, there will be a runoff Sunday morning between the two top finishers.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Alexei Kosoff and John Wildermuth contributed to this report.

Tal Kopan, Joe Garofoli and Dustin Gardiner are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com, dgardiner@sfchronicle.com and tkopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TalKopan @joegarofoli and @dustingardiner
WASHINGTON  Top presidential hopefuls are gathering in Big Techs backyard this weekend, and many are armed with heavy criticism of the titans that have come to dominate the Bay Area.

But while bashing social media and internet giants may play well with the base and reflect a growing disillusionment with the industry, the calls to break up Facebook are thus far more about bandwagon jumping than substance, several critics and supporters of more regulation say.

In the aftermath of the 2016 election and revelations about social medias use to manipulate voters, along with research showing its addictive nature and pervasive data collection, the biggest social media and internet companies have become hot targets for both sides of the political spectrum.

Facebook in particular has been drawing ire, including most recently by refusing to remove a doctored video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi designed to make her seem impaired.

Complete convention coverage At least 14 Democratic presidential candidates are coming to the Bay Area for the state party's San Francisco convention Friday through Sunday. Check SFChronicle.com for complete coverage of the candidates and "It's All Political" podcasts, and go to http://bit.ly/2wjAlc9 to receive special editions of the Political Punch newsletter. See More Collapse

A growing number of 2020 Democrats are embracing calls to use antitrust laws to break up some of the big firms, saying they have too much power. But few say how that would work or what the consequences might be.

At the same time, Silicon Valley is also a top fundraising destination for the candidates, with employees of major firms already having donated tens of thousands of dollars to their campaigns.

The most aggressive and fleshed-out proposal comes from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who will be one of the 14 candidates speaking at this weekends California Democratic Party convention in San Francisco. Her campaign has booked a billboard for the week at Fourth and Townsend streets with her profile and the words Break Up Big Tech, encouraging people to text to support her campaign.

Warren released a proposal in March to break up Facebook, Google and Amazon as anticompetitive monopolies. The senator is a persistent critic of corporate America and advocate for consumers.

Todays big tech companies have too much power  too much power over our economy, our society, and our democracy, she wrote. Theyve bulldozed competition, used our private information for profit, and tilted the playing field against everyone else.

Warrens plan would designate big tech firms as platform utilities, which would restrict their ability to own entities with a stake on those platforms. That would require Amazon to spin off Amazon Basics, for example, and Google to spin off its advertising exchange business. The plan would also reverse mergers for each of the big three companies.

Other Democratic candidates have not gone as in-depth as Warren, but many have opened the door to splitting up the big firms. Sen. Bernie Sanders, independent-Vt., told Politico that he of course backed calls to break up Facebook. California Sen. Kamala Harris told CNN that we have to seriously take a look at that, calling at least for serious regulation. Former Vice President Joe Biden said breaking up Facebook is something we should take a really hard look at.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said it would be inappropriate for a president to call for the breakup of a specific company without a process for evaluation, but told ABC News that whether its Facebook, the pharma industry, even the agricultural industry  weve had a problem in America with corporate consolidation that is having really ill effects.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has proposed more rigorous antitrust laws and taxing companies that sell data. Former Texas Rep. Beto ORourke called for more regulation instead of splitting up the companies. Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., said there should be regulatory action against the big tech companies but stopped short of calling for their breakup.

The willingness of Democrats to embrace calls to increase the pressure on Silicon Valley speaks to a broader shift within the party away from lionizing its young moguls as saviors.

Oh what a difference four years makes, said Carl Guardino, president of the pro-business trade association Silicon Valley Leadership Group. A political party that used to run toward tech often seems to be running from tech, while using tech tools to do so.

Tech entrepreneur Michael McNerney, who is well-connected to Bay Area Democratic politics, said that early on, the tech industry was marked by youth and excitement and this attitude that anything can be accomplished. It was very globalist, it was welcoming of immigrants and very socially liberal, and all of these things packaged together I think resonated really well with the Democratic Party, and the feeling was very mutual.

But in the past two years, Democrats have become disillusioned by the way tech has disrupted other industries and key sectors of the economy, has helped misinformation spread about the 2016 election and has concentrated an enormous amount of wealth.

Progressives are also increasingly frustrated with tech, echoing complaints from the right about companies picking and choosing what political speech is acceptable and what gets banned, seemingly without explanation. Their language about tech is also more closely resembling complaints about big business writ large.

You see the impact of the move fast and break things mentality that Mark Zuckerberg popularized, and the problem is theyre breaking things that are fundamental to American society, said Aram Fischer, a San Francisco organizer for the progressive advocacy group Indivisible. From our ability to put roofs over our heads to finding accurate information, we can no longer depend on the systems that existed in the past, and furthermore you have multibillion-dollar industries that are largely built on finding regulatory and tax loopholes.

Still, skeptics of breaking up Silicon Valley giants and supporters alike say most of the candidates statements seem to be appealing to a Democratic base more than they are serious policy proposals.

There is this unfortunate focus on the fact that tech companies are big and therefore they are somehow per se scary, without a lot of nuance put behind that, said Tim Sparapani, a privacy and tech policy expert who has worked for Facebook and the American Civil Liberties Union. He questioned focusing on tech exclusively as opposed to other anticompetitive economic sectors with widespread impact, like agribusiness.

Sparapani also argued that splitting companies into smaller components would make oversight of each one more difficult. And with Chinese tech firms under no similar pressure to downsize, any breakup policy would risk undermining U.S. competitiveness in the tech industry, he said. That would have economic as well as national security implications.

Some of the proposals to break up these big tech companies have not thought two or three steps down the table, Sparapani said. Its not logical, and we may set off a chain reaction where we make it that the worlds 10 largest tech companies are all Chinese and we have no influences as American voters over the patterns and practices of those companies. That would be a complete backfire.

For now, Democrats from different perspectives are waiting to see if candidates can develop more specific plans, to preserve the benefits of technology while cutting the negative effects.

I dont expect to be satisfied right now, and Im paying a lot of attention and putting in actual work on this particular issue, said Fischer, who noted its early in the race.

Im ready to be wooed, Guardino said.

Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan
SACRAMENTO  A proposal to cap the number of California charter schools went into a deep freeze in the state Assembly on Thursday, a sign of the difficult fight teachers unions face as they push to stop the growth of the alternatives to traditional public schools.

AB1506 would have created a statewide ceiling on charter schools at the number in operation as of Jan. 1, 2020.

The bill was part of an effort by the California Teachers Association and some Democrats to overhaul the states 1992 charter schools law. Critics say the law has drained funding from traditional public schools.

The measure all but died Thursday when the bills author, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, held it on the final day his chamber could have voted.

McCarty, however, suggested the fight isnt over. In a statement released Thursday evening, he said the bill will be addressed later in the 2019-20 legislative session, without clarifying when it could come up.

Opponents of AB1506 said it would harm families that rely on charters as an alternative to failing school districts, particularly in communities with large numbers of students of color.

They say the teachers union has made charters a scapegoat for the failures of districts.

Charter public school families voices were heard loud and clear by Sacramento politicians: We cannot and will not accept legislation that limits access to great public schools, Myrna Castrejon, president of the California Charter Schools Association, said in a statement.

The California Teachers Association did not respond to a request for comment.

Another bill backed by the teachers union, to create a two-year moratorium on the approval of new charter schools statewide, died in the Legislature this week. SB756 was shelved in the Senate.

The union did score a victory on a third bill, to give school districts more leverage to deny applications to open new charter schools if it would harm them financially.

That bill, AB1505, narrowly passed the Assembly as thousands of teachers and their supporters marched through the streets of Sacramento to urge support for the legislation.

Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, a co-author of AB1505, said this weeks outcome suggests lawmakers are more supportive of charter bills that give districts increased local control, rather than a blunt instrument like a statewide cap.

People want more of a scalpel, he said.

Bonta added that it would be a mistake to interpret the failures of the two bills as a sign of an overall lack of appetite for charter reforms.

The mixed results, however, suggest the teachers union faces a tough political lift revamping the nearly 30-year-old charter law, even with a new governor in office.

Proposals to change the law were blocked by former Gov. Jerry Brown in recent years. Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose 2018 campaign was opposed by pro-charter groups, could change that dynamic.

This moment is unique, Bonta said. Theres political will to do it.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner
Most of the Democrats looking to replace President Trump in the White House will be talking to voters and posing for pictures at San Franciscos Moscone Center this weekend, but former Vice President Joe Biden wont be one of them.

Biden, who is running at the front of the Democratic primary pack in the polls, will be at a Pride dinner hosted by the Human Rights Campaign in Ohio on Saturday night. He wont be joining 14 other presidential hopefuls speaking at the California Democratic Party convention, which promises to be the biggest  and most widely covered  event of the early primary season.

Biden campaign officials painted his decision to pass on California as being less about the San Francisco event and more about his commitment to advancing equality, justice and social progress for LGBTQ people in the United States and globally.

Alexandra Gallardo-Rooker, acting chair of the state party, tried to put the best face on Bidens absence.

I personally got a call from the vice president, who said he was committed to the (Pride) dinner, she said. I invited him to our next convention in November, and he said hed probably be there.

Gallardo-Rooker, who has not endorsed a presidential candidate, admitted she was disappointed that Biden wouldnt be in San Francisco.

I get it. Im not happy, and I wish he was here, she said. But when youre No. 1 at the top, youre getting pulled in every direction ... and the campaign has to do whats best to get past the finish line.

Biden will still have a presence in San Francisco. Symone Sanders, a senior adviser to the campaign, will be at the convention, and campaign officials are planning a roundtable discussion with supporters.

On Friday afternoon, however, Biden supporters were nowhere to be found.

In the exhibitors hall at Moscone, volunteers for several Democratic candidates handed out signs and buttons and signed up delegates as campaign workers. But there wasnt so much as a free-standing yard sign to represent the Biden campaign.

Bidens decision to choose the Midwest over the West Coast is as much about political realities as any specific time commitment. He doesnt have to be at the convention, so he wont be.

After eight years as vice president and more than three decades as a high-profile senator, Biden has nearly universal name recognition among the California Democrats who will be voting in the March 3 primary. One more short speech during a candidate cattle call at the state convention isnt going to change that.

That isnt the case for many other candidates. Although Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, California Sen. Kamala Harris and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren are familiar figures to party regulars, most of the other 2020 hopefuls will be introducing themselves to the state and its voters.

Bidens commanding lead in the early primary polls probably also played a role in his decision to choose Ohio over California. The RealClearPolitics average of polls finds Biden leading runner-up Sanders nationally, 35% to 16%, with Warren at 10% and Harris at 7%.

Everyone else lags even further behind. Although every candidate at the San Francisco convention has qualified for the first two Democratic debates in June and July, a number of them will have to catch fire to reach the 2% polling cutoff for the third debate in September.

That means the long shots have to show up everywhere, while Biden doesnt.

The former vice presidents visibility gives him the luxury of picking his spots, said Jamal Brown, Bidens press secretary.

In the coming weeks, Vice President Biden is looking forward to returning to California to meet with voters, learn firsthand about their concerns, and ultimately, compete strongly in the state, Brown said.

Californias increasingly liberal Democratic Party apparatus also could be a reason Biden will spend the weekend away from the Bay Area. The convention audience isnt likely to be Bidens type of crowd, said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University.

Bidens strategy is about the everyday Joe, he said. Those voters hes targeting arent the activists who will be at the convention.

The convention crowd wont be looking for reasoned discussions on foreign policy, national security or the realities of what can get done politically, which are Bidens strengths, McCuan added.

This is the activists stage and not necessarily the politicians stage, he said. If they want someone throwing out red meat or tofu, some other candidate can do it.

Theres a growing disconnect between the progressive activists who now control the state party organization and Democratic voters as a whole.

In 2018, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, former San Francisco mayor and one of the most powerful women in Washington, couldnt get the state partys backing for a fifth full term in the Senate. Instead, party leaders endorsed then-state Sen. Kevin de Leon, who styled himself as a proud progressive.

The endorsement didnt hold much weight with voters, who overwhelmingly re-elected Feinstein in the November matchup between the two Democrats.

Biden doesnt call himself a moderate, but theres no denying that hes closer to the political center than Sanders, Warren or a number of other Democratic hopefuls. And if Feinstein got dinged by California Democratic leaders for being too willing to work with Trump and other Republicans, where does that leave Biden, whose campaign theme calls for working across party lines to get things done for the country?

This weekend, at least, it leaves him in Ohio.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
When presidential candidates go to Iowa, they hit every greasy spoon diner west of Cedar Rapids to talk to real people. That wont happen when theyre in the Bay Area this weekend.

So far, only two of the 14 presidential candidates coming to San Francisco to speak at the three-day California Democratic Party convention that starts Friday are planning events where people dont need special access  like membership in a Democratic-friendly advocacy group or a fat bank account  to get in.

Most candidates dont have enough time for grassroots campaigning in a state with nearly 40 million people, most of whom arent paying attention to the campaign yet.

In California, candidates campaign through TV commercials  and only the wealthy candidates can do that. It costs about $8 million to air a 30-second commercial in the states major markets for a week, enough to ensure the average viewer sees it 10 times, said Mac Zilber, a California Democratic strategist who is not affiliated with any presidential campaign.

Candidates are unlikely to get much media attention if they stop by a diner in a big city like San Francisco, especially when there are so many rivals for the media to track. And if they dont have press show up, it doesnt add up to a meaningful use of their time, Zilber said.

Presidential candidates dont have the time to visit every neighborhood lunch spot in California, said Rose Kapolczynski, another Democratic political strategist who is not working with a presidential campaign. And they dont need to in order to win.

If former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper walked into the Starbucks around the corner from the convention center, nobody would know who he is  or care, Kapolczynski said. Californians arent tuned in to the presidential race yet.

Instead, several of the candidates are planning fundraisers, in part to raise the money for those TV commercials. Donors from the city contributed $155 million to Democrats and liberal organizations in the 2018 campaign cycle, third most of any metro region in the country, behind Washington, D.C., and New York, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Paul Kuroda / Special to The Chronicle

On Friday, California Sen. Kamala Harris will attend a fundraiser at the home of billionaires Ann and Gordon Getty in San Francisco. Over the weekend, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Cory Booker of New Jersey, Rep. Eric Swalwell of California and former Rep. Beto ORourke of Texas will appear at fundraisers.

Several candidates will address a breakfast session Saturday hosted by the Service Employees International Union, one of the states most powerful labor groups. And eight candidates will talk for 20 minutes apiece Saturday afternoon at a closed event at the Warfield Theatre hosted by the activist group MoveOn.

The only candidates to appear at events open to the general public are Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is holding a town hall session at Laney College in Oakland on Friday night, and Sanders, who will headline a rally at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Arena Green East in San Jose.

Warren, Sanders and a handful of other candidates are the only ones with the name recognition and money to draw the big crowds needed to make a public rally worthwhile, Kapolczynski said.

For many of the 14 candidates speaking at the convention, the harsh political reality is that their ranks will soon be culled. By the time the serious campaigning is under way for the March 3 primary, the overall Democratic field of 23 declared candidates will probably be down to the single digits.

Thats why this weekend is most important to the second- and third-tier candidates, Kapolczynski said. This is their moment to make an impression on the most active and influential Democrats in the state. People who are active on social media, small donors and active in their community.

So the people to impress are not the ones eating breakfast at Dennys  theyre the ones in the Moscone Center convention hall.

When the candidates get their few minutes to speak before those party movers and shakers, its almost like open-mike night at a comedy club, Kapolczynski said. Youve got to make a good impression fast  or youll get the hook.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
For more stories like this, check out The Chronicle's weekly Travel newsletter! Sign up here.

Pete Knight was working on the schedule in the office of the St. Helena A&W when an employee came looking for him. A woman was waiting up front holding a brown paper sack, and she wanted to speak to the manager.

I want to give these back, she said, handing him the bag.

Inside he found six or seven vintage glass A&W mugs from the 50s and 60s. She had stolen the mugs when she was a teenager, and held on to them for decades.

Im a born-again Christian, and I want it off my mind, she explained.

Knight accepted the mugs and put them on display in the restaurant on a whim. As soon as he did, customers noticed. They started pointing out ones in their own collections, recounting memories of A&W from childhood road trips and days of root beer floats gone by. Inspired, Knight started actively building a collection, scouring eBay and even taking trips to other states to secure rarities. As time went by and the collection grew, people would bring in items to donate.

He now estimates his collection includes upward of 3,000 pieces of A&W memorabilia, including some of the earliest known canisters of the brands root beer syrup, old black and whites from historic A&W drive-ins, and seemingly every era of mug.

Knight got his first job at 16 years old at the San Rafael A&W, in the recognizable pilgrim hat building along Highway 101, after hearing that a couple of friends were planning to quit.

I went down and I applied, and the guy handed me an apron and said, Here you go, and started me in the kitchen. I didnt even go home. I called my mom and said, Im working, Knight recalled.

Hes been with A&W ever since, working his way from the kitchen to management to franchisee. Today, Knight owns two A&W franchises, one in St. Helena and the other in Lodi, where the iconic American brand was born 100 years ago this June.

In 1919, Roy Allen, who had purchased a recipe for root beer from an Arizona pharmacist, opened his first location on Pine Street in Lodi. The timing couldnt have been better. He put up a temporary stand just in time for a parade celebrating soldiers returning from World War I, serving up ice-cold root beer in frosty glass mugs for 5 cents on a hot June day.

By January, Prohibition was the law of the land: good news for an entrepreneur selling a soft drink with beer in the name. Members of the temperance movement had briefly tried to ban root beer in 1895, assuming that it must be alcoholic; now they had accidentally given it a big boost. The soda industry prospered during Prohibition, and many breweries switched to making soft drinks to stay afloat.

Allen partnered with one of his Lodi employees named Frank Wright and the pair expanded to Sacramento, opening Californias first drive-in restaurant at 16th and K streets. Allen bought out Wright after a short time, but the name stuck: A&W.

Courtesy A&W Restaurants

In the world of fast food, Allen was an early mover. White Castle officially launched in Wichita, Kan., in 1921; the first McDonalds wouldnt open its doors in San Bernardino until 1940. For the early years of A&W, however, Allen stuck with root beer and snacks.

We didnt sell french fries and hamburgers back in those days  it was popcorn and peanuts. If you got a sandwich, it was on sliced bread, said Knight.

In the mid-1920s, Allen struck upon a faster way to grow: franchising. Unlike today, many of the early A&Ws were essentially pop-ups: simple stands that were open just during the summers along Californias Central Valley highways, selling root beer and snacks to travelers. To attract franchisees, A&W advertised that you could earn a years income in just six months.

One early franchisee was J. Willard Marriott. He had passed through Washington, D.C., on one of its typical steamy summer days and had a flash of inspiration: This was a town in dire need of cold refreshment. In 1927, he and his wife, Alice, bought the franchise rights for the first A&W in the nations capital. The following year, the Marriotts expanded with two more of their Hot Shoppes, including the first drive-in on the East Coast. It wasnt until 1957 that the Marriott family moved into the business theyre known for today: hotels.

Over 100 years, A&W has seen its share of ups and downs, weathering the Great Depression and a labor shortage during World War II, and surging after the war thanks to the postwar embrace of fast food and drive-in culture.

After Allen sold the business and retired in 1950, A&W changed ownership multiple times, spun off an independent Canadian chain, expanded to Asia, and launched a bottled beverage business (with at least one ad starring Mr. T). Today, A&W has nearly 1,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Asia, owned by a partnership of franchisees, who are steering the brand back to its roots and growing the chain once more.

Car Culture Collection / Getty Images Plus

Many of us have fond childhood memories of fast-food chains; they evoke a certain ketchup-encrusted nostalgia in the hearts of Americans. But A&Ws history  and, lets be honest, the root beer floats  have created a uniquely devoted fan base. In honor of the 100th anniversary, a pair of fans took a cross-country road trip to Lodi, stopping in A&Ws along the way (including one in Lodi, Wisconsin), and documented their journey on the A&W Fan Club group on Facebook. People call up Knight throughout the year looking to buy mugs for weddings and baby showers, which he is happy to provide.

Another fan: Huell Howser, host of Californias Gold and never one to turn down ice cream. Howser came by Knights Lodi restaurant to shoot an episode and was surprised to find that there was no plaque to commemorate the spot of Roy Allens first A&W. In fact, there was a plaque: it was sitting in Pete Knights office waiting for the city of Lodi to let him install it.

The episode of Californias Gold aired, and suddenly the city wanted to make it happen.

I love history, and I love root beer, announced Howser one year later at the official unveiling of the plaque. Now we can celebrate what happened here historically.

There are other places to celebrate A&W history around the state, but the number has dwindled. Many of the classic A&W drive-ins around California have closed or transformed into other businesses over time (the South Lake Tahoe location is now a branch of Chicken in a Barrel), but Modesto, Visalia and Hanford still have vintage A&W drive-ins with carhop service. In Modesto, the carhops still use roller skates in a nod to the citys American Graffiti ties.

This may also account for A&Ws enduring charm: Each one is different. The older locations can be particularly quirky. Menus across the country are tailored to hometown audiences: pork tenderloin sandwiches in the Midwest, burritos in the Southwest, veggie burgers in California. The Lodi restaurant is one of a handful serving Beyond Meat plant-based burgers. But theres one thing you can always count on at an A&W: root beer, made fresh daily and served ice cold.

We serve our root beer in frosty glass mugs like Roy Allen did in 1919. He was very passionate about it, and we still are, said Knight.

You can buy the mugs, including special 100th anniversary editions, but the mugs used in the restaurants still get stolen. Knight prefers to say people borrow them. Just like the people bringing their kids and grandkids back to a place they loved when they were young, sometimes the mugs come back too.

Courtesy A&W Restaurants

Dig Into A&W History

Memorabilia

Pete Knights collection of more than 3,000 pieces of memorabilia is on display inside his Lodi restaurant at 216 E. Lodi Ave. The plaque commemorating the birthplace of A&W is a few blocks away at 13 W. Pine St.

Drive-Ins

A few historic A&W drive-ins remain in California, including in Modesto (1404 G St.), Visalia (301 N. Willis St.) and Hanford (1113 N. 10th Ave.), where carhops still bring the food to your car  on roller skates if youre in Modesto.

100th Anniversary

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of A&W Root Beer on June 21 in Lodi, with live music, giveaways and the unveiling of a new installation of a group of larger-than-life pieces of A&W history. A&W Restaurant, 216 E. Lodi Ave.

Cruise Nights

Classic cars and motorcycles show up every Thursday evening from April through October at the Lodi A&W. Hot rods, Elvis and karaoke come to the Modesto drive-in on Friday nights through the summer. In Visalia, cruise nights happen on the third Saturday of the month during the summer.

Andy Murdock is a freelance writer in Alameda. Email: travel@sfchronicle.com
My friend Jacob, a traveling musician I met during my college years in Atlanta, recently celebrated his 27th birthday on May 19. We had met up three months earlier at a wine bar during one of his trips to Los Angeles. At the time, he told me he enjoyed Cabernet Sauvignon, so I decided to buy him a bottle from his birth year. I was determined to find his epiphany wine  the wine that, when he put it to his lips, would flicker a light bulb and release fireworks.

I worked at a wine shop and asked the manager if we carried any affordable Cabernet Sauvignon from 1992. I was prepared to pay $150 or more, since that is what many aged Napa Cabernets can cost.

How about a bottle of 1992 Ahlgren Bates Ranch? he asked. It was a winery from the Santa Cruz Mountains Id never heard of, but we sold it for just $68. I bought a bottle on the spot, deciding it was affordable enough to taste-test. If I liked it, I would buy a bottle for Jacob.

The contents in the glass wooed me immediately. The 1992 Ahlgren Bates Ranch Cabernet had the dark fruit I expected from California Cabernet but also a finesse, with earthy flavors giving way to a soft texture and a steady tinge of menthol. At 27 years old, the wine still tasted fresh, tingling my tongue almost like Pop Rocks. It didnt weigh down my palate or leave me with that sickly rich taste I had grown used to from some Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. Instead, it carried a quiet yet persistent brightness  a quality I had never associated with the varietal before.

Several days later, I was still thinking about the wine and how it had exceeded my expectations. Why hadnt I heard of this winery that produced such memorable wine? At first glance, there was very little information about Ahlgren Vineyard. The winerys website was defunct, and my Southern California wine shop, Kogod Wine Merchant, was the only wine shop I could find that listed the wine online.

I wanted to know what had happened to Ahlgren Vineyard. And eventually, by chasing every thread I could find, I learned that Ahlgren Vineyard had indeed closed. But the story and the characters driving it turned out to be just as compelling as the wine itself.

What I found was the story of a family who took a chance late in their lives to pursue a pipe dream that would lead to quiet success  not in the sense of dollar signs but in the number of devotees acquired along the way. I found a story about how a bottle of wine can cause a ripple effect and become something greater than itself.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Im not the only one to have been wooed by a bottle of Ahlgren Cabernet. The Ahlgren wines became an insiders secret among winemakers of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Ian Brand of I. Brand & Family (The Chronicles 2018 Winemaker of the Year) recalls a night in 2009 when he and his wife, Heather, had gathered with John Locke and Alex Krause of Birichino Winery. Brand had been given a bottle of Ahlgren from his mentor, Jeff Emery, owner of Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, which he, in turn, was given from his predecessor, Ken Burnap.

Finding wine Ahlgren wines are available at the following restaurants and shops: Alexander's Steakhouse (Cupertino), Delfina (S.F.), Everson Royce (Pasadena), Gary Danko (S.F.), Kogod Wine Merchant (Carlsbad), Lazy Bear (S.F.), Michael Mina (S.F.), Nico (S.F.), Passionfish (Pacific Grove), Paul Marcus Wines (Oakland), Resolute (S.F.), Stay Gold Deli, (Oakland), Tofino Wines (S.F.), Trou Normand (S.F.), Weimax Wine and Spirits (Burlingame), Zola (Palo Alto). See More Collapse

We opened a 1979 (Ahlgren) Bates Ranch  from Ken Burnaps cellar, and it was absolutely phenomenal, Brand says. The four of us just stopped talking for 10 minutes and got deep into that wine. Inspired by the wine, Brand now produces his own Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Bates Ranch.

Searching online, I found bits and pieces of Ahlgren Vineyards existence but never the full story. It wasnt until I spoke with winemakers Kenny Likitprakong, Brand, Emery and Valerie Ahlgren herself that I could finally stop digging and put the shovel down.

I learned that the Ahlgren Vineyard story began in the 1960s when Dexter Ahlgren, a civil engineer, and his wife, Valerie, an English professor, decided to try winemaking. They were in their 40s. Valerie will tell you that Dexter was the genius behind the operation, but it was her interest in fermentation that planted the seed. She experimented in the kitchen with mead, then beer and eventually wine.

By 1972, the Ahlgrens owned seven French oak barrels, a crusher and a fermenter, and purchased 2 tons of Zinfandel from winemaker John Roffinella in Hecker Pass. Dexter became so engrossed in the project that he converted their home garage into a winery and cellar. They bottled their first official vintage in 1976, a time when there were only 13 bonded wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Today there are more than 60. Dexter later became the president of the Santa Cruz Mountain Vintners Association and played a leading role in establishing the region as an AVA in 1981.

The Ahlgrens limited access to pure water on their property in Boulder Creek, a mountain town 14 miles north of Santa Cruz, prolonged the development of their own vineyard. In the meantime, they resorted to purchasing fruit from a variety of growers, including Bates Ranch, a vineyard 50 miles southeast in Gilroy. They continued working with Bates for the next 40 years, except for a single vintage in the 1980s when Valerie says Dexter and Jack Bates got into a tiff.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

The reality of producing wine in the Santa Cruz Mountains is not for the faint of heart. Though the AVA spans three counties (Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Santa Clara) and 480,000 acres, only 1,500 of those acres are planted to vineyards. The Napa Valley AVA, in contrast, spans about 225,000 acres with 45,000 acres planted. Despite the long-running presence of wineries like Ridge, Mount Eden and Kathryn Kennedy, Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet as a whole tends to fall under the radar.

Not only does the regions proximity to Silicon Valley make it expensive to purchase land, but the rugged terrain also makes for difficult farming. Fruit yields are inconsistent across vintages, and yet it is this very tension that can result in balanced, structured wines reminiscent of Europe.

I could not help but think of Jacob during my research, weaving together the months between him and his birth wine. Before he was 6 months old, the Ahlgrens were approaching their 16th harvest. On Sept. 30, 1992, they crushed 10 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon from Bates Ranch. Thats 630 cases or 7,560 bottles  7,560 bottles of wine that have gone out into the world, most of which are gone by now.

Near the time that Brand was enjoying that 1979 Ahlgren wine, the Ahlgrens put their home and vineyard for sale for $2.9 million. They asked Kenny Likitprakong of Hobo Wine Co., who had worked with their daughter Beth Ahlgren at Hallcrest Vineyards, if he would be interested in purchasing the property. That was more than Likitprakong could commit to, but he wanted to make sure the vineyards were still taken care of. He agreed to farm the Ahlgren Vineyard himself. He also took over the Ahlgrens long-held portion of Bates Ranch and, from 2013 to 2015, produced Cabernet from those vines under his Ghostwriter label.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Valerie and Dexter eventually took their property off the market. They bottled their last vintage in 2010 but kept the business active until 2016 to sell their remaining wine. Dexter Ahlgren passed away in April 2018 at the age of 89.

Since Dexters passing, Valerie, who will be 87 this year, has moved to Felton, about 7 miles from Boulder Creek. Its been a big change, but Dexter and I always considered being able to live on the mountain and to do the winery an enormous adventure, Valerie says. It was great, from 1976 to 2016. We had a fair run.

Likitprakong and his team still make the 120-mile trek from their facility in Santa Rosa down to Boulder Creek on a regular basis to farm and produce wines from the Ahlgrens 1 acre of Pinot Noir. Im committed to it as long as the family keeps the property, Likitprakong says. Hes even working on some long-term investments in the propertys preservation, like replanting some of the vineyard blocks.

Though the Ahlgren estate vineyard lives on through Ghostwriter, Likitprakong has since moved on from Bates Ranch because it, too, is for sale. The Bates Ranch estate and its 22 acres of vineyard are on the market for $15 million. Theres no telling what a future owner might do with the vineyards, which makes the question of the regions founding wineries survival all the more poignant. As generations hand over the baton and the Silicon Valley real estate market continues to grow, will these pioneering Santa Cruz Mountains vineyards become endangered species?

Despite the fact that many acclaimed wines come from the Santa Cruz Mountains  from older heroes like Bonny Doon and Mount Eden to newer projects like Rhys and Birichino  the region still manages to feel quiet and sleepy. I can tell you in the almost 20 years Ive been around, more has stayed the same than what has changed, Likitprakong says of the region. Still, an increasing number of well-known winemakers based in Napa and Sonoma, in addition to Likitprakong, are purchasing fruit from the area, including Ceritas, Arnot-Roberts, Kutch and Leo Steen, which may help raise its profile.

Valerie kept most of the winemaking equipment after they retired with the intention of going back to home winemaking, but she has not touched it. You get finished. Im not sure I could make wine on my own anywhere nearly as good as what Dexter and I made, she says. I have this lifetime stash of Ahlgren wines so that I dont need to do without.

She had more than a lifetime stash, it turns out. After the Ahlgrens retirement, Likitprakong connected them with Farm Wine Imports, which also distributes Ghostwriter. Farm bought the majority of the Ahlgrens remaining back vintages spanning 1985 to 2009. What is left from that purchase is now dispersed among restaurant wine lists and wine shops across California, waiting patiently for the right admirers.

I never imagined my grandiose effort to educate my friend would lead to my own epiphany wine.

Sydney Love is a tasting coordinator for Wine & Spirits Magazine in Los Angeles. Instagram: @salbeloved Email: food@sfchronicle.com
BEIJING  The Chinese government said Friday it was putting together an unreliable entities list of foreign companies and people, an apparent first step toward retaliating against the United States for denying vital U.S. technology to Chinese companies.

Chinas Ministry of Commerce said the list would contain foreign companies, individuals and organizations that do not follow market rules, violate the spirit of contracts, blockade and stop supplying Chinese companies for noncommercial reasons, and seriously damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

It did not give any details of which companies or entities it would include on the list, or what would happen to them. The ministry said specific measures would be announced in the near future.

Still, the language echoes that of the U.S. government, which in recent months has placed Chinese companies on what it calls an entity list of firms that need special permission to buy U.S. components and technology. Two weeks ago, the Trump administration placed Huawei, the Chinese maker of telecommunications gear, on the entity list, which could deny it access to microchips, software and other U.S.-provided technology it needs to make and sell its products.

Shortly afterward, some U.S. technology companies, including Mountain Views Google, said they would stop supplying Huawei. The U.S. government has since granted Huawei a 90-day waiver, giving Chinese and U.S. officials time to reach an agreement. The Trump administration is also said to be considering putting Hikvision, a Chinese video surveillance company, on the list.

If Fridays move is calculated to be a tit-for-tat strike back at U.S. technology companies, Beijing will have ample targets. Although major websites like Facebook, Twitter and Google are already blocked in China, and rules strictly control other businesses like online payments and cloud services, most American technology firms have a big presence in China.

Both Google and Microsoft run sizable research and development operations in the country, and their Android and Windows operating systems are ubiquitous on Chinese smartphones and computers. Google and Facebook probably pull in billions of dollars in advertising revenue from Chinese companies.

The vague announcement also opens the door to retaliation of other kinds, perhaps against individuals or companies that depend heavily on the Chinese market for selling their products. If China decided to target individuals specifically, it could raise questions for foreigners doing business in China.

It could also give Beijing a way to punish American firms without forcing them to shut down operations in a way that would hurt Chinas economy or its long-term growth prospects.

Gao Feng, the Commerce Ministrys spokesman, said in the statement that the list would be aimed at those who block supplies and take other discriminatory measures.

An entity would be added to the list, he added, when its activity not only damages the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and endangers Chinas national security and interests, but also threatens the global industrial chain and supply chain security.

But China must be careful in how it retaliates, since many U.S. companies are already reconsidering their dependence on the Chinese market and Chinese suppliers. If neither side backs off, the brinkmanship could permanently pull apart the supply chains that entwine the countries economies.

Still, any move to shut down U.S. technology companies operations in China could hurt Chinese companies and the countrys longer-term tech development. A shutdown of Microsofts and Googles offices would mean that Chinese workers lose access to valuable training. Many of Chinas leading artificial intelligence entrepreneurs got their beginnings at Microsofts AI lab.

Forcing U.S. companies out of Chinas electronics supply chain could have a major impact on Chinese manufacturers. It would also most likely hasten strategies by U.S. technology firms to diversify their supply chains away from China.

Yet if Beijing was willing to take that hit, many companies would struggle to immediately replicate production elsewhere. Chinas density of component makers and assembly factories is unmatched around the world.

Its a really high-risk way to go about it, said Andrew Polk, a founder of Trivium, a consulting firm in Beijing. They are effectively forcing companies to choose, and companies will probably choose the U.S.

Alexandra Stevenson and Paul Mozur are New York Times writers.
About a decade ago, Heather Reisman, chief executive of Canadas largest bookstore chain, was having tea with novelist Margaret Atwood when Atwood inadvertently gave her an idea for a new product.

Atwood announced that she planned to go home, put on a pair of cozy socks and curl up with a book. Reisman thought about how appealing that sounded. Not long after, her company, Indigo, developed its own brand of plush reading socks. They quickly became one of Indigos signature gift items.

Last year, all my friends got reading socks, said Arianna Huffington, the HuffPost co-founder and a friend of Reisman, who also gave the socks as gifts to employees at her organization Thrive. Most people dont have reading socks  not like Heathers reading socks.

Over the past few years, Indigo has designed dozens of other products, including beach mats, scented candles, inspirational wall art, Mason jars, crystal pillars, bento lunchboxes, herb growing kits, copper cheese knife sets, stemless Champagne flutes, throw pillows and scarves.

It may seem strange for a bookstore chain to be developing and selling artisanal soup bowls and organic cotton baby onesies. But Indigos approach seems not only novel but crucial to its success and longevity. The superstore concept, with hulking retail spaces stocking 100,000 titles, has become increasingly hard to sustain in the era of online retail, when its impossible to match Amazons vast selection.

Indigo is experimenting with a new model, positioning itself as a cultural department store where customers who wander in to browse through books often end up lingering as they impulsively shop for cashmere slippers and crystal facial rollers, or a knife set to go with a new Paleo cookbook.

Over the past few years, Reisman has reinvented Indigo as a Gooplike, curated lifestyle brand, with sections devoted to food, health and wellness, and home decor.

Reisman is now exporting Indigos approach to the United States. Last year, Indigo opened its first American outpost, in a luxury mall in Millburn, N.J., and she eventually plans to open a cluster of Indigos in the Northeast.

Indigos ascendance is all the more notable given the challenges that big bookstore chains have faced in the United States. Borders, which once had more than 650 locations, filed for bankruptcy in 2011. Barnes & Noble now operates 627 stores, down from 720 in 2010, and the company put itself up for sale last year. Lately, it has been opening smaller stores, including an 8,300-square-foot outlet in Fairfax County, Va.

Cross-merchandising is Retail 101, and its hard to do in a typical bookstore, said Peter Hildick-Smith, president of the Codex Group, which analyzes the book industry. Indigo found a way to create an extra aura around the book-buying experience, by creating a physical extension of what youre reading about.

During a tour of the New Jersey store, Reisman sounded less like a bookseller and more like a self-care guru or a wellness evangelist, touting the importance of adequate sleep and hydration, unprocessed foods, and time away from your phone.

We curate ideas  big ideas  that we think are going to work across the board, she said.

The atmosphere is unabashedly intimate, cozy and feminine  an aesthetic choice that also makes commercial sense, given that women account for some 60% of book buyers. A section called The Joy of the Table stocks Indigo-brand ceramics, glassware and acacia wood serving platters with the cookbooks. The home decor section has pillows and throws, woven baskets, vases and scented candles. Theres a subsection called In Her Words, which features idea-driven books and memoirs by women. An area labeled A Room of Her Own looks like a lush dressing room, with vegan leather purses, soft gray shawls, a velvet chair, scarves and journals alongside art, design and fashion books.

Books still account for just over half of Indigos sales and remain the central draw; the New Jersey store stocks around 55,000 titles. But they also serve another purpose: providing a window into consumers interests, hobbies, desires and anxieties, which makes it easier to develop and sell related products.

The concept is one that Amazon pioneered decades ago, and has exploited ever since in its quest to be the everything store. Indigo isnt aiming for that, Reisman said.

In those categories where we play, its a curated assortment, she said. We are not looking to be the everything store. Someones already doing that.

Publishing executives, who have watched with growing alarm as Barnes & Noble has struggled, have responded enthusiastically to Reismans strategy.

Heather pioneered and perfected the art of integrating books and nonbook products, Markus Dohle, chief executive of Penguin Random House, said in an email.

Reisman has made herself and her own tastes and interests central to the brand. The front of the New Jersey store features a section labeled Heathers Picks, with a display table covered with dozens of titles. A sign identifies her as the chains founder, C.E.O., Chief Booklover and the Heather in Heathers Picks.

She appears regularly at author signings and store events, and has interviewed prominent authors like Malcolm Gladwell, James Comey, Sally Field, Bill Clinton and the late Nora Ephron.

When Reisman opened the first Indigo store in Burlington, Ontario, in 1997, she had already run her own consulting firm and later served as president of a soft drink and beverage company, Cott.

Still, bookselling is an idiosyncratic industry, and many questioned whether Indigo could compete with Canadas biggest bookseller, Chapters.

Skepticism dissolved a few years later when Indigo merged with Chapters, inheriting its fleet of national stores. The company now has more than 200 outlets across Canada, including 89 superstores. Indigo opened its first revamped concept store in 2016.

The new approach has proved lucrative: In its 2017 fiscal year, the companys revenue exceeded $1 billion Canadian for the first time. In its 2018 fiscal year, Indigo reported a revenue increase of nearly $60 million Canadian over the previous year, making it the most profitable year in the chains history.

The company hasnt been immune to the challenges that other big physical retailers are facing. In its most recent earnings report, for the third fiscal quarter of 2019, Indigo posted a revenue drop of more than $7 million and a gross profit decrease of nearly $16 million from a year earlier. Reasons included a Canadian postal strike, minimum wage increases and store renovations.

The companys dominance in Canada doesnt guarantee it will thrive in the United States, where it has to compete not only with Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but with a resurgent wave of independent booksellers. After years of decline, independent stores have rebounded, with some 2,470 locations, up from 1,651 a decade ago, according to the American Booksellers Association. And Amazon has expanded into the physical retail market, with around 20 bookstores across the United States.

Reisman acknowledges that the company faces challenges as it expands southward. Still, shes optimistic, and is already scouting locations for a second store near New York.

Weve been carving out our own approach to attracting readers, she said.

We are the new guy, she said, then added, Or new woman.

Alexandra Alter is a New York Times writer.
Kim Kardashian West continued her prison reform crusade with a Thursday visit to San Quentin State Prison.

Gossip site TMZ spotted West entering the prison Thursday, where she reportedly spent two hours chatting with death-row inmate Kevin Cooper. A spokesperson for the California prison system would not confirm West's visit with SFGATE for privacy reasons.

Cooper, 61, was convicted of four murders in Chino Hills, Calif., in the 1980s and sent directly to death row. Since the conviction, Cooper has vehemently asserted his innocence and protested racism in the criminal justice system as well as the death penalty.

In 2018, after widespread media coverage of Cooper's case  some of which put forth the possibility that Cooper had been framed for the Chino Hills murders  Former Governor of California Jerry Brown ordered new DNA testing of the evidence. Governor Gavin Newsom, who has suspended state executions since taking office, expanded the order in February. The testing is ongoing.

West, who is studying to become a lawyer at a San Francisco law firm, has been publicly involved with the Cooper case since last year. In June, she tweeted: "Governor Brown, can you please test the DNA of Kevin Cooper?"

During her Thursday visit with Cooper, West "spent 2 hours with him and is more convinced than ever he was framed," TMZ reported.

West has proven successful in many of her prison reform efforts thus far. It was revealed she helped to free 17 federal inmates serving life sentences for low-level drug offenses over the past three months.

Last year, she played a crucial role in the release of Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old woman imprisoned since 1996 on nonviolent drug charges.

West plans to take the bar in 2022 and began an apprenticeship at a law firm last summer.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE producer. Email: michelle.robertson@sfgate.com | Twitter: @mrobertsonsf
NEW YORK  World leaders will gather in solemn assembly next week above the sandy beaches of Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of the world-changing D-Day invasion of France. Its typically a heartfelt tribute to alliance and sacrifice and a unified vow for enduring unity, outweighing any national or political skirmish of the moment.

Thats what has some U.S. veterans and others worried about President Trumps attendance. The president has shown a repeated willingness to inject nationalistic rhetoric and political partisanship into moments once aimed at unity. For Trump, there is no waters edge for politics, no veneer of nonpartisanship around military or national security matters.

The president, who did not serve in the military before becoming commander in chief, has feuded with Gold Star families, blasted political opponents on foreign soil, and mocked Sen. John McCain, a prisoner of war, for being captured by the enemy. Trumps antipathy for the late senator was so well known that the White House this week requested that the Navy keep the USS McCain out of the presidents line of sight during a recent trip to Japan, so as not to rile the president.

Its a pattern that is set to get more scrutiny in coming days, as Trump heads overseas for the D-Day memorial where he will be joined at the service by, among others, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat whom he has called crazy Nancy and warned not to try to impeach him.

Its unfortunate we have to be even concerned that this historic commemoration will be overly politicized, but this is the command climate hes created and the reality we have, said Paul Rieckhoff, founder and former head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. We have to send our president. You go with the president weve got, and this is the president weve got. So were rightfully holding our breath for an event like this.

More than 9,000 Americans died in the D-Day operation that marked a turning point in World War II, beginning the Allied push to drive the Nazis out of France and eventually Europe. On a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, rows of white crosses and the Stars of David stretch as far as the eye can see  markers of sacrifices.

And while a number of veterans groups have applauded Trumps efforts to improve mental and physical health care to former officers, many of those same organizations sharply criticized Trumps recent consideration to pardon several American military members accused of war crimes.

Jonathan Lemire is an Associated Press writer.
NEW YORK  A Republican redistricting expert advocated for adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census to give an electoral edge to white people and Republicans, opponents of the move alleged in a court filing Thursday.

The filing in Manhattan federal court said a trove of newly discovered documents revealed that Thomas Hofeller, a longtime Republican gerrymandering guru, played a key role in pushing the Trump administration to include a citizenship question on the census for the first time since 1950.

Lawyers for opponents of adding the question said the files, found on Hofellers computer drives after he died last year, also showed that he contributed vital language to a Justice Department letter used to justify the question on the grounds that it was needed to protect minority voting rights.

In reality, the lawyers argued, the documents show the census change is part of a wider Republican effort to restrict the political power of Democrats and Latino communities.

The new evidence reveals that Dr. Thomas Hofeller, the longtime Republican redistricting specialist, played a significant role in orchestrating the addition of the citizenship question to the 2020 Decennial Census in order to create a structural electoral advantage for, in his own words, Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites, and that defendants obscured his role through affirmative misrepresentations, the filing said.

The Justice Department denied those allegations in a statement released late Thursday, calling them an an unfortunate last-ditch effort to derail a U.S. Supreme Court decision on the legality of adding the citizenship question.

The change, announced in spring 2018, seems poised for approval by the court, which heard arguments in April and is likely to rule by July.

Its not yet clear if the Hofeller documents might affect the case, though the American Civil Liberties Union apprised the high court of the latest developments Thursday in a letter signed by Dale Ho, director of the groups voting rights project and a lawyer who argued against adding the question before the top court.

States, cities and rights groups had sued in New York and elsewhere, arguing that the question would suppress the count of immigrants and strengthen congressional representation and funding for areas where mostly Republicans reside. States with large numbers of immigrants tend to vote Democratic.

On Thursday, lawyers for groups including the ACLU said that the files show that a Justice Department official and a transition official for President Trump testified falsely by hiding Hofellers role in asking for the question. They asked U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to issue sanctions or consider finding individuals in contempt.

Ho, of the ACLU, said documents found after Hofellers death last year, including a 2015 study that the redistricting expert had done, revealed the administrations goal was to dilute the voting power of minority communities. Thats literally the diametric opposite of what the administration has been saying all along.

Larry Neumeister and Mark Sherman are Associated Press writers.
Spc. 3rd Class Tyra Watson / New York Times

WASHINGTON  President Trump said on Thursday he knew nothing about White House efforts to hide a Navy destroyer named in part after the late Sen. John McCain during Trumps state visit to Japan earlier this week. But, he said, whoever made the request was well meaning because the person or people knew Trump did not like McCain.

The request was an effort to keep McCains name out of photographs while Trump was in Yokosuka. And two Navy sailors who worked on the ship said they were turned away from Trumps speech on another ship, the amphibious assault ship Wasp.
Weighing just 8.6 ounces (no, that is not a typo), a baby girl born at a California hospital is thought to be the world's tiniest surviving baby.

The baby, whose family wishes to remain anonymous, was born in December 2018 at the Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns in San Diego. She was 9 inches long at birth.

After a nearly five-month stay at the hospital, the baby, who was nicknamed Saybie by the hospital's NICU team, was discharged this month at 5.6 pounds and 16 inches.

She is believed to be the world's smallest newborn, hospital officials said, citing the Tiniest Babies Registry.

The registry, which is maintained by the University of Iowa, Saybie weighed 7 grams less than the previous smallest baby, who was born in 2015 in Germany.

"No one expects their baby to be born with complications," said Trisha Khaleghi, the senior vice president and CEO of the hospital. "But when the unexpected occurs, Sharp Mary Birch is equipped with the latest technologies, equipment, research and specially trained experts to care for even the world's smallest baby."

Saybie's mother experienced severe pregnancy complications. She was born via emergency cesarean section at 23 weeks and 3 days gestation in the womb. A typical pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks.

Being born before 28 weeks gestation, Saybie was considered a micro-preemie. Preterm newborns face a number of life-threatening medical challenges, hospital officials said.

Saybie experienced none of the medical issues preterm newborns typically face. Some of the most common issues can include brain bleeds and heart and lung issues.
A Boulder Creek man will spend 27 years in prison for intentionally starting the 2017 "Bear Fire" in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Marlon Coy was sentenced and ordered to pay millions of dollars in restitution to Cal Fire and 13 injured firefighters. Two years later, the scars remain very open in the forest in the Santa Cruz mountains and for some of the people who live there.

Debbie Donner and Marvin Hinshaw have vivid memories of the 2017 Bear Fire. Racing through the Santa Cruz mountains it burned several of their outbuildings, solar panels, and the beloved trees surrounding their home. The fire forced them to evacuate for seven days.

"The fire was coming over our entrance road and they said 'if you don't get out of here now, you'll be trapped,'" recalled Hinshaw, of Boulder Creek.

From The Chronicle: What causes wildfires?

"He disrupted several people's lives. We had two people here lost 100 percent of everything," said Donner.

Fifty-six-year-old Marlon Coy had nothing to say about why he started the Bear Fire during Thursday's sentencing.

He received a 27-year sentence and was ordered to reimburse Cal Fire more than $2 million for battling the blaze. In addition, the money will pay medical costs for those fire fighters injured and pay undetermined damages to six property owners for their loss.

Will they ever see that kind of money?

"CDC (California Department of Corrections) will make efforts to get that money back. So, any time money's put into his account or any time he earns money they will take some of that money and set aside for the victims," said Assistant District Attorney Michael McKinney.

Marvin and Debbie don't expect to get any money. The fire cost them $500,000 in damages.

"Us? We're probably not going to get anything out of it, except the satisfaction to know he went to jail," said Hinshaw.

"Just nice when the judicial system works with justice and fairness 'cause he got the right sentence," said Donner.
After installing a three-block protected bikeway on Valencia Street from Market to 15th streets earlier this year, city agencies are keeping the momentum going.

Last week, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) announced that it will add parking-protected bike lanes to eight more blocks of Valencia Street, covering the area between 19th Street and Cesar Chavez.

While Valencia already has a bike lane, it is not protected from vehicle traffic with barriers. In order to avoid ride-hailing and delivery vehicles double-parked in the bike lane, cyclists along Valencia are often forced to navigate into traffic.

According to SFMTA data, 86 people were injured in traffic collisions on Valencia between 19th and Cesar Chavez in the past five years. Nearly half of those injuries stemmed from vehicle dooring and double-parking.

"We heard through community outreach that people did not feel safe with the existing bike infrastructure, due to the constant loading and unloading of people and goods in the bike lane," agency representatives wrote in a blog post.

Yet the changes will not affect arguably the four busiest blocks of Valencia, from 15th to 19th streets. That drew criticism from bicycle advocates, who took to Twitter to express their displeasure.

"Completing all of Valencia is still an absolute priority for us," the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition noted. "We will ensure that [the section between 15th and 19th streets] continues to move forward."

SFMTA spokesperson Erica Kato said that the agency remains committed to installing a protected bikeway between 15th and 19th streets as well. But that section "has unique challenges given its land uses and available roadway width, which will require additional outreach and engineering work," she said.

By comparison, the 19th to Cesar Chavez portion of Valencia has a similar roadway configuration to the Market to 15th section, allowing the agency to "[utilize] the lessons learned from the evaluation, work with the community and design and implement a protected bikeway in a years time," she said.

A cyclist riding a bike on Valencia, at 20th Street. | Photo: Google Maps

The new bike lanes on Valencia from 19th to Cesar Chavez are currently in the design phase, with implementation scheduled for spring 2020.

In the meantime, one of the already protected bike intersections, at Valencia and Duboce, will be getting an upgrade this month to provide better signal separation between bicyclists and drivers making right turns.

The changes to the bike lanes are part of Vision Zero, the city's plan to eliminate all traffic deaths and reduce severe traffic-related injuries by 2024.

Most of Valencia Street is part of the Vision Zero high-injury network, the 13 percent of streets in the city that account for 75 percent of severe and fatal traffic collisions.

Mayor London Breed has been driving much of the push for new protected bike lanes under Vision Zero. Earlier this month, she said that she wants to add 20 miles of protected bike lanes to the city over the next two years.

Those interested in learning more about plans for the Valencia Street bike lane can sign up for SFMTA email updates.
CONCORD, N.H.  New Hampshire, which hasnt executed anyone in 80 years and has only one inmate on death row, on Thursday became the latest state to abolish the death penalty when the state Senate voted to override the governors veto.

The Senate vote came a week after the 400-member House voted by the narrowest possible margin to override Republican Gov. Chris Sununus veto of a bill to repeal capital punishment.
The hit competition show RuPauls Drag Race has slayed pop culture with 11 seasons of wigs, death drops and plenty of spilled tea. And since 2009, the series has found a natural audience in San Francisco.

The Drag Mecca by the Bay was rewarded for its devotion this week with a two-day visit from the final four queens in the running for this seasons crown. (Warning: This story contains spoilers from the shows season 11 finale, which aired Thursday, May 30.)

While drag has become widely accepted in mainstream America, the extent of its appeal can still surprise, even in San Francisco. During season 11s tour performance at the Regency Ballroom on Wednesday, May 29, the audience reflected a diverse crowd  young and old.

When emcee Asia OHara, a season 10 contestant, scouted for volunteers for a lip-sync battle, she pulled an elementary school student named Rio onstage, where the preteen swung her ponytail to victory. Rio proudly announced that shed been watching the series for the past two seasons.

Wasnt that amazing? OHara said. When I started doing drag, it primarily existed in nightclubs for gay men. Ive watched that evolve. Now to be onstage and look out and see people from all walks of life is one of my favorite things about drag.

For the first time, the final four competitors for the crown  Brooke Lynn Hytes, Yvie Oddly, AKeria Chanel Davenport and Silky Nutmeg Ganache  gathered for the shows grand reveal Thursday at a private screening hosted by VH1 in partnership with Levi Strauss, at the denim companys headquarters along the Embarcadero.

OHara, who also emceed the event in Levis Plaza, said that the reveal would not only be news to viewers, but it would also be the first time other season 11 contestants present, like Vanessa Vanjie Mateo and Soju, would know for sure who won the title. (As is the shows tradition, multiple winners are crowned at the finale taping to avoid leaking spoilers.)

On the red carpet before the main event, all the queens brought their A-game glamour: Canadian Brooke Lynn Hytes sparkled in emerald beads and a dramatic tidal wave of blond, bouffant hair. Yvie Oddly  a favorite among many San Francisco fans for her edgy, sometimes surreal drag  was rhinestoned down to her nails and joked that she threw on her denim caplet over her iridescent gown when I found out this was being held at a jean company. AKeria Chanel Davenports glittering chain mail mesh barely concealed her famously voluptuous figure, while Silky Nutmeg Ganache wore blue sequins accessorized with earrings that could easily stud the Neiman Marcus Christmas tree given their size.

But the event wasnt just about glamour. Several queens pointed out that this season was the most culturally and racially diverse yet, with the first Canadian and Muslim queens competing in the shows history. Yvie Oddly is also the first queen on the show with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disease that weakens the connective tissues of the body.

Drag was born in rebellion. Its a rebellion to whats happening in our culture right now, but its also about spreading acceptance, said Brooke Lynn Hytes about the shows larger message. Were opening a new demographics eyes not only to gay culture and drag culture; were showing all kinds of peoples souls and stories.

Silky Nutmeg Ganache connected the show to the larger arc of queer history and suggested that Drag Race has further to go in how it presents diversity in the drag world.

Were ready now to have a season of all trans queens, said the performer. Weve got the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots happening in a few weeks  and who was it that started that? Trans women of color. Its time to open the show up even further.

Gia Gunn is the only Drag Race contestant to compete after coming out as trans on last seasons RuPauls Drag Race All Stars.

As the screening began and the episode unfolded, the crowd reacted like fans at a sporting event, cheering, wincing and yelling yaaaaaassss at some of the more outrageous reveals.

When Yvie Oddly was announced as season 11 winner, a howl of joy erupted. As OHara brought the queen out to be officially crowned, the howl turned into excited squeals.

So how does it feel to wear the coveted tiara?

Its really heavy and lopsided on my misshapen head, Yvie Oddly quipped. I never pictured what this moment would feel like. I figured I would be the one crying, going home first.

For Bay Area fans who have been waiting to see more local queens on the show since Honey Mahoganys Drag Race debut in season five, one question remains: Will Yvie Oddlys win mean RuPauls Drag Race is finally ready for a dose of San Franciscos brand of unconventional queens?

Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com
Ardian has taken a minority stake in Uptoo, a sales representative recruitment platform in France.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

The investment will support and accelerate the companys growth, particularly through external growth opportunities.

Led by Didier Perraudin, founder and CEO, Uptoo is a recruiting platform for sales representatives and sales managers, and in all sectors. The company works with a dynamic combination of consultants and digital tools to allow companies secure and accelerate their recruiting processes.It has more than 3,500 clients across sectors, including companies listed on the CAC 40, SMEs and startups.

The company, which also owns Uptoo Jobs, the premier French job search website for sales representatives, where more than 300,000 CVs have been uploaded, currently has more than 100 employees across four sites in France: in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux and Nantes.

FinSMEs

31/05/2019
The family of Chinedu Okobi, who was killed in a confrontation with San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies last October when they attempted to stop him for jaywalking, will file a lawsuit against the county on Friday, a spokesman for the family's attorney said.



The family, including Okobi's sister, Facebook executive Ebele Okobi, will hold a news conference to announce the lawsuit on Friday morning in the offices of civil rights attorney John Burris.



Burris had already vowed to sue the county and has called for a moratorium on the use Tasers, as Chinedu Okobi was the third death in the county involving the stun guns last year.



Chinedu Okobi died after sheriff's Deputy Joshua Wang attempted to stop him for jaywalking in the 1400 block of El Camino Real on Oct. 3.



San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe released video of the encounter in March, when he announced that the four deputies involved would not face criminal charges.



Until then, there had been a dispute between the sheriff's office and Chinedu Okobi's family, who had been allowed to view the video earlier. In a long Facebook post in November, Ebele Okobi said the initial statement from the sheriff's office was a lie.



The sheriff's office had said that Chinedu Okobi punched Wang before Wang used a Taser on him. But the release of the video in March revealed that information was false, that Wang had used a Taser first. After the video was released, the sheriff's office acknowledged the false statement.



The video showed Chinedu Okobi crossing the street in an apparent effort to avoid Wang. Wang called for backup and as other deputies arrived the confrontation quickly escalated. The deputies tried to put him in a control hold and pushed him. Wang then deployed a Taser, knocking Chinedu Okobi to the ground.



Chinedu Okobi later got off the ground and punched Wang. Deputies continued to use force, including the Taser, batons and pepper spray, until Chinedu Okobi stopped moving.



Sheriff's spokesperson Detective Rosemerry Blankswade said in March that sheriff's office investigators did not take statements from the deputies involved after the incident and waited to begin their internal investigation until the district attorney's criminal investigation was complete.



The internal investigation, which will determine whether the officers acted within department policy, is still ongoing. The sheriff's office has declined to discuss the case, citing the pending litigation.



San Mateo County Deputy Counsel David Silberman declined to give an estimate for when the internal investigation would be complete and would not say whether he would release it at its conclusion, as required under a new transparency law that took effect in January.



Despite the lack of internal investigation, the deputies returned to duty weeks after Chinedu Okobi's death, on Oct. 31, 2018. In fact, at least one of them, Sgt. David Weidner, reportedly was assigned to a contentious county Board of Supervisors meeting on Dec. 4, where Chinedu Okobi's family and friends attended in protest.



"Of course my hair stood on end as I looked straight in the eyes of the person who killed my friend's brother," Kate Amoo-Gottfried, a friend of Ebele Okobi, said during the public comment period at the meeting.



"Was it your intention to have him on duty at the front of this building on the day we gathered to demand justice for Chinedu?" she said. "Is it the intention of the Sheriff to further traumatize, to further intimidate or to flaunt his own and his officers' impunity?"



Sheriff Carlos Bolanos declined to answer questions about whether it was appropriate to assign Weidner to a meeting where protests were expected as he remained under criminal investigation.





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.
Rishik Gandhasri, a seventh-grader at Silver Oak Elementary School in San Jose, was one of eight co-champions Thursday in the finals of the 92nd annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Fort Washington, Maryland, and televised on ESPN.



Gandhasri was sponsored by the Bay Area Regional Spelling Bee based in San Francisco.



Gandhasri was previously the winner of the second annual Santa Clara County Spelling Bee as a fifth-grader at Silver Oak, which is in the Evergreen School District.



"Spellers compete from all 50 U.S. states, several territories and other countries including the Bahamas, Canada, Germany, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea," according to the event website.







Several Democratic U.S. presidential candidates will make appearances in San Francisco as the California Democratic Party Organizing Convention is set to kick off in the city on Friday.



The three-day CDP convention is the largest gathering of active Democrats in the state, with more than 3,400 delegates set to attend.



Saturday's lineup includes 2020 presidential hopefuls U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, as well as former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke.



U.S. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Eric Swalwell, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper will also appear on Saturday.



Additionally, local politicians like San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, among others, will also make appearances on Saturday.



On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, former U.S. Rep. John Delaney and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro are set to take the stage.



In addition to the CDP convention events, five of the Democratic candidates will be making appearances at Manny's Caf in the Mission District, located near 16th and Valencia streets, starting Thursday and going through Tuesday.



The series kicked off on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. with Kllobuchar making an appearance. On Friday at 5 p.m., O'Rourke will appear.



Then on Saturday, Manny's Caf will host Swalwell starting at 10 a.m. The next day, on Sunday, Booker is scheduled for 10 a.m.



The series' last event will take place on Tuesday at 5 p.m., featuring Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.



Manny's Caf has already hosted a slew of other Democratic candidates, including Buttigieg and Castro.



According to Manny's Caf Manny Yekutiel, the venue is also working on possibly securing an appearance by Vice President Joe Biden, another Democrat vying for the presidency, within the coming weeks.



Harris is scheduled to make an appearance next month at Manny's Caf for a Pride Fundraiser on June 29. Tickets for that event cost anywhere between $100 and $2,800.







Three men were arrested in East San Jose on Sunday for allegedly trafficking women between the ages of 14 and 23, police reported Thursday.



The 14-year-old victim reported the incident to police through a crisis text hotline and said she was being held against her will for prostitution.



Police responded to a Motel 6 at 2560 Fontaine Road at 7:42 p.m. and located the girl. An investigation discovered that she had been reported running away from Flint, Michigan to Chicago on Sept. 1, 2018. There, she was kidnapped and taken to Gary, Indiana, and then to several cities in California, where she was forced into prostitution.



The second victim endured similar circumstances, and the third would have been forced to prostitute herself if police hadn't intervened, officers said.



Christopher Johnson, 39 of Sacramento, and Antoine Williams, 43 of Merrillville, Indiana, were arrested and booked into Santa Clara County jail for alleged felony human trafficking, pimping and pandering and kidnapping. Curtis Russell, 59 of Natomas, was booked on suspicion of human trafficking and pimping and pandering.



Police believe there may be additional victims, and asked anyone with information to contact Detective Gurbaksh Sohal or Sgt. Tony Ruelas at stopslavery@sanjoseca.gov, or the anonymous tip line at (408) 947-7867.







One person was killed and two others were injured Thursday in a vehicle collision on state Highway 113 in Solano County, according to the California Highway Patrol.



A Hyundai Sonata driven by Juan Diaz, 24, of Fairfield, was traveling north on state Highway 113 just south of Casey Road when the vehicle turned into the southbound lane and collided head-on with a Dodge Caravan traveling south, according to the CHP.



Diaz and the driver of the Dodge, Glenda Dew, 55, of Vacaville, were transported to the hospital with major injuries.



A passenger in the Dodge was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the CHP.



The identity of the person killed in the collision was not immediately available Thursday night.



The cause of the collision is still under investigation, and alcohol is not suspected to be a factor in the incident.







Friday will be mostly cloudy in the morning before becoming sunny. Highs will be in the 50s to mid 60s. Southwest winds will be 5 to 10 mph in the morning before switching to west winds of 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon.



Friday night will be mostly cloudy before becoming partly cloudy. Lows will be in the mid 50s. Southwest winds will be 10 to 20 mph.



Saturday will be partly cloudy in the morning before becoming sunny. Highs will be in the upper 50s to the lower 70s. Southwest winds will be 5 to 10 mph before increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the 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.
The family of Chinedu Okobi filed a lawsuit on Friday alleging that San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies conducted an illegal stop and used excessive force resulting in Okobi's death when they stopped him for jaywalking and used a Taser, batons and pepper spray.



"This was a shocking example of racial profiling and the devastation that can occur when a minor stop, an illegal stop, results in someone's death," said John Burris, the family's attorney, at a news conference in Oakland to announce the lawsuit.



Okobi, the son of Nigerian immigrants, died after sheriff's Deputy Joshua Wang attempted to stop him while he was walking in the 1400 block of El Camino Real on Oct. 3.



Video of the encounter released in March showed that Okobi crossed the street to avoid Wang, who called for backup. When more deputies arrived, the confrontation quickly escalated, and Okobi was Tased by Wang multiple times.



Along with the release of video, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe announced he would not pursue criminal charges against the four involved deputies.



An internal review, which would determine whether the deputies acted within department policy, is ongoing, and the sheriff's office has declined to provide a timeline for its conclusion.







The state's highest-ranking school official stepped in Friday to help bring an end to the New Haven Unified School District's teacher strike, now in its ninth day.



With the end of the district's school year looming on June 13, a spokeswoman for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said he's eager to see the strike wrapped up.



Thurmond has sat down with negotiation teams in three other teacher strikes this year, including the Oakland and Los Angeles strikes, both of which ended with contract offers that were ratified by the teachers unions.



Teachers originally asked for a 10 percent pay hike over two years, but are now proposing cost of living adjustments of 3.7 percent for this year and 3.26 percent for next year, according to New Haven Teachers Association officials.



The district originally countered with a 1 percent raise for 2019-2020 and a one-time 3 percent payment, along with an additional raise of up to 1 percent if it was able to add up to $2 million to its budget.



The district is now offering a 3 percent increase for this year and a 2 percent pay hike in January 2020, according to district officials.







A 25-year-old woman suspected of hitting two pedestrians Wednesday afternoon in San Francisco was driving under the influence police said.



Cherry Neal, of San Francisco, was arrested after the series of hit-and-run collisions that began near the Tenderloin police station shortly before 2 p.m.



Beat officers first spotted the SUV at the intersection of Eddy and Leavenworth streets and a records check showed that the vehicle was stolen.



When the SUV stopped in front of the Tenderloin station, officers approached on foot but the driver tried to flee and crashed into a nearby building, hitting a pedestrian, police said.



The driver then repeatedly reversed and accelerated in an attempt to leave the scene, hitting several cars, including one patrol car and nearly hitting several police officers, according to police.



The SUV then headed eastbound on Eddy and hit a pedestrian in the crosswalk at Taylor Street, causing life-threatening injuries. The SUV continued down Eddy and slammed into two vehicles at Fifth and Market streets, causing non-life threatening injuries to two people, police said.



The SUV then fled, hitting two more cars, one at Fifth and Clara streets and another at Sixth and Clara, causing non-life threatening injuries to two people.



Police arrested Neal at Sixth and Clara and took her to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.



Neal was booked into jail on several charges, including four counts of felony hit and run involving injury, driving under the influence causing injury, driving with a suspended license, and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon







An Oakland man was sentenced on Friday to 152 years to life in state prison for fatally shooting his father and two other men at an apartment in North Oakland four years ago.



Referring to the shooting by Damien Robinson, 35, at an apartment in the 900 block of 54th Street of North Oakland at about 2:45 p.m. on May 23, 2015, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Andrew Steckler said, "This was an event that involved not one, not two but three separate and brutal killings without justification or logical explanation."



Robinson was convicted on April 9 of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of voluntary manslaughter for fatally shooting his father Darrell Robinson, Benjamin Williams and Raymond Garza.



Jurors also found that Robinson killed his father and Benjamin Williams by intentionally discharging a firearm, which are enhancement clauses that significantly increased the length of his sentence, and of being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.



Alameda County prosecutor John Ullom asked jurors to convict Robinson of three counts of first-degree murder and the special circumstance of committing multiple murders.



Jurors found Robinson guilty of second-degree murder for the deaths of his father and Robinson and of voluntary manslaughters for Garza's death but found the special circumstance allegation to be not true.



Robinson has four prior felony convictions: one each for evading an officer, battery with injury on a peace officer, first-degree residential burglary and corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant.







Police are investigating the discovery of human remains found Wednesday inside a burned Vallejo home.



Police received a report Wednesday that Kimberlon Janiene Bernard, 37, of Vallejo was missing. Their investigation led to a residence at 156 Sawyer St., Lt. Jason Potts said.



When police arrived at the home it was engulfed in flames, and the Vallejo Fire Department extinguished the suspicious fire, Potts said. The human remains were found during a search of the residence, and the identity of the deceased is unknown, Potts said.



Police detectives and fire investigators are investigating the cause and origin of the fire, Potts said.



Anyone with information about Bernard or the fire on Sawyer Street is asked to call detective Scott Yates at (707) 648-4533 of detective Craig Long at (707) 648-4514.







A suspected gang member has been convicted of murder in the death of a 22-year-old in 2015, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni announced Wednesday.



Charles Gutierrez was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder for the benefit of the Norteno criminal street gang with an enhancement for personal use of a firearm, prosecutors said.



On Aug. 7, 2015, 22-year-old Elliot Jair Serna was visiting his family in Salinas from Mexico. Serna and his two cousins left the Rancho Salinas apartment complex to get tacos.



As the three were driving out of the complex, they came upon a group of men gathered outside a residence.



Prosecutors said the group was celebrating the life of a fellow gang member who had been murdered, and they believed the driver of the vehicle was a rival gang member.



Several Nortenos approached the vehicle armed with guns, and Gutierrez approached the passenger side of the vehicle and questioned the victim and his cousins about their gang affiliation.



Gutierrez fired at least three shots into the vehicle, and Serna, who was in the front passenger seat, was struck in the arm and torso, prosecutors said.



The driver was able to drive away, and realizing his cousin had been shot, drove to the hospital.



Serna was pronounced deceased a short time later.



When sentenced, Gutierrez faces a sentence of 51 years to life in prison.







The Sonoma County Water Agency is inflating the rubber dam over the Russian River near Forestville again after unexpected heavy rain in May caused it to be deflated.



The dam was inflated May 6 as river levels dropped and demand for water increased. The dam was lowered on May 16 to protect it from high river flows that could damage its structure. The Water Agency started re-inflating the dam Wednesday and it should be fully inflated in 3-5 days, spokesman Barry Dugan said.



Boaters will have to portage around the rubber dam located downstream of Wohler Bridge, and signs will be posted warning the public not to recreate on or near the dam, Dugan said. Fishing also is prohibited within 250 feet of the upstream and downstream sides of the dam.



The rubber dam is critical to the supply of naturally filtered Russian River drinking water for more than 600,000 residents of Sonoma and Marin counties. The dam will remain inflated into the fall.







Members of the Gilroy/Morgan Hill SWAT team served warrants Thursday that resulted in the arrests of two men for illegal firearms violations, the Gilroy Police Department said.



The warrants followed an investigation into illegal firearms parts being delivered to addresses in Gilroy.



"These small device 'switches' easily install on a Glock handgun converting the semi-automatic pistol to fire fully automatic. When these are installed on a Glock, one trigger pull will fire all of the rounds in the magazine until the magazine is empty," Gilroy police said in a news release.



A search warrant served in the 7200 block Of Princeton Place led to the arrest of Abdulrahman Mohamad Abdulrahman, 24, for weapons violations that included possession of a fully automatic short-barreled AR-15, possession of several firearms with missing serial numbers and possession of a fully automatic Glock switch.



A search in the 9200 block of Kern Avenue resulted in the arrest of Nathan Lewis, 25, for possession of four fully automatic Glock switches and possession of a stolen handgun.







An 18-year-old Pacifica woman is facing 12 counts related to her alleged threats against fellow students at Oceana High School earlier this month.



On May 17, Jessica Joy Manaloto Turla allegedly posted on Snapchat that she had bought a gun and planned to shoot 12 students that same day, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.



Turla allegedly listed the students by their first names in her post but searches of her home and locker didn't turn up any firearms, prosecutors said.



Turla appeared in court for an arraignment, which was continued to Tuesday. She faces 12 counts of attempted criminal threats.





Copyright  2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
The family of Chinedu Okobi filed a lawsuit on Friday alleging that San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies conducted an illegal stop and used excessive force resulting in Okobi's death when they stopped him for jaywalking and used a Taser, batons and pepper spray.



"This was a shocking example of racial profiling and the devastation that can occur when a minor stop, an illegal stop, results in someone's death," said John Burris, the family's attorney, at a news conference in Oakland to announce the lawsuit.



Okobi, the son of Nigerian immigrants, died after sheriff's Deputy Joshua Wang attempted to stop him while he was walking in the 1400 block of El Camino Real on Oct. 3.



Video of the encounter released in March showed that Okobi crossed the street to avoid Wang, who called for backup. When more deputies arrived, the confrontation quickly escalated, and Okobi was Tased by Wang multiple times.



Along with the release of video, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe announced he would not pursue criminal charges against the four involved deputies.



An internal review, which would determine whether the deputies acted within department policy, is ongoing, and the sheriff's office has declined to provide a timeline for its conclusion.



Okobi's sister, Facebook executive Ebele Okobi, said at Friday's news conference that the decision not to prosecute "shocks the conscience."



"It should not be that a human being can be killed, can be violently killed, can be tortured to death with impunity," she said.



The sheriff's office issued a false statement immediately after Chinedu Okobi's death, saying that Chinedu Okobi had punched a deputy before he was Tased. County officials, who have repeatedly declined to discuss the case, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the lawsuit.









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 22-year-old man accused of killing an unsuspecting victim execution style as the victim was repairing a car in San Francisco's Western Addition neighborhood pleaded not guilty to his charges on Friday morning.



Afakasi Afakasi has been charged with murder in a May 18 shooting in the 800 block of Turk Street, which killed 58-year-old Thomas Walsh of Daly City.



During Afakasi's arraignment on Friday, prosecutor Adam Maldonado said an abundance of video surveillance has been submitted as evidence.



Outside of court, Walsh's son Thomas Walsh Jr. described his father as passionate mechanic who took pride in helping others.



"He was selfless. He was the first one to help anybody and everybody, no matter what it was," he said. "He was my rock and he never hesitated to be there for me."



Moments before the shooting, he said his father was working on a 1970 Chevrolet Nova SS as a favor to a friend. "He had been working with a friend of his on this Nova for over a year now. It was an ongoing project... He loved driving it, he loved working on it."



"Hopefully I'll be able to find just a little bit of closure and peace of mind, with the fact of knowing that the person who did do this will be sitting behind bars, serving time for it," Thomas Walsh Jr. said. "I'm really just focused on honoring my dad's name and letting him live on in our hearts."



According to prosecutors, on the early morning the shooting took place, Afakasi and two other friends had left a party and were walking when they stopped at a gas station near Turk and Franklin streets around 5:30 a.m.



Walsh was nearby working on the engine of his friend's car, bent over with his back turned to the trio.



Afakasi and one of his friends then approached Walsh, and without any warning, Afakasi used a gun to shoot the unsuspecting Walsh in the head, near his right ear. Walsh died instantly, according to prosecutors.



The trio then continued walking on Turk Street afterward.



Investigators were able to connect Afakasi to Walsh's murder due to the extensive surveillance video.



Afakasi's attorney, Deputy Public Defender Steve Olmo said, "There's a lot of videos. But the two videos that I saw, you're unable to see the face of the shooter."



If convicted, Afakasi faces a minimum sentence of 50 years to life, prosecutors said.



Afakasi was out on bail for an unrelated robbery charge at the time. In that incident, he's accused of assaulting and robbing a foreign tourist in the first block of Turk Street on May 16, 2018.



Walsh's family has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for his funeral. The page has raised nearly $4,000 of its $8,000 goal as of Friday afternoon and can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/1n67ff5g5c.





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 accused of fatally gunning down a man Saturday in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood with an assault-type weapon as the victim sat in his car has been charged with murder.



Officers arrested Marion Robinson, 46, just hours after he allegedly shot 43-year-old Leonardo Lundy, around 12:45 p.m. as Lundy sat in the driver's seat of his car, parked near the corner of Hyde Street and Golden Gate Avenue.



Afterward, Robinson led San Francisco officers on a vehicle pursuit through the Bay Bridge and into Oakland, ultimately crashing his vehicle before officers took him into custody.



Robinson has been charged with murder, possession of a firearm by a felon and evading an officer with willful disregard for the shooting, described by prosecutors as an "unprovoked attack."



Robinson appeared in court on Thursday for arraignment.



Robinson is being represented by the Public Defender's Office.



He did not enter a plea and his arraignment was put over for Monday.



On the day of the shooting, a witness called 911 and reported seeing a man who matched Robinson's appearance standing next a Jeep, in which Lundy was sitting, according to court documents.



The witness then heard three loud pops coming from the direction of the Jeep and saw Robison walking away with a firearm in his hand.



Robinson then turned back and shot at the Jeep four more times before walking away, court documents said.



The witness then reported seeing drive away Robinson in a Toyota Solara. That witness was also able to provide a license plate number.



When officers arrived at the scene, they found Lundy inside the Jeep, unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds. He died at the scene, according to court documents.



After a description of Robinson's Toyota and the license plate number was broadcast over police radio, officers spotted him driving in the Tenderloin.



When an officer tried to pull him over, Robinson continued driving, prompting a high-speed chase. The pursuit went across the Bay Bridge and into West Oakland, where Robinson ultimately crashed his car at 24th Street and Mandela Parkway, court documents said.



As officers arrested him, they located an AR-style rifle inside the Toyota, according to court documents.



Because of a prior strike from a 1990 voluntary manslaughter conviction, Robinson faces a minimum of 75 years to life in prison if convicted on the latest charges. He remains in custody without bail.





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.
BlueVoyant, a NYC-based analytics-driven cybersecurity company protecting businesses of all sizes against sophisticated cyber attackers, closed an expanded $82.5m Series B funding round.

The new investment, which brings total funding to $207.5m to date, included participation from new and existing investors along with Fiserv, a financial services technology provider.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate the development of platform and growth across Europe and Asia through the expansion of sales, engineering and Security Operations Center teams.

Founded by Jim Rosenthal, CEO, and Tom Glocer, Executive Chairman, BlueVoyant provides a cloud-based cybersecurity product platform comprised of Managed Security Services, Advanced Threat Intelligence and Professional Services. The company leverages its proprietary and open source Threat Intelligence, coupled with information gleaned from its technology stack to enhance delivery across its services.

Since the launch of its Managed Security Services platform in June 2018, the company has expanded its customer base to more than 150 clients from a cross section of sectors including financial services, manufacturing, municipal government and education sectors, among others.

BlueVoyant has offices in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Philippines.

FinSMEs

31/05/2019
SALINAS (BCN)



A suspected gang member has been convicted of murder in the death of a 22-year-old in 2015, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni announced Wednesday.



Charles Gutierrez was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder for the benefit of the Norteno criminal street gang with an enhancement for personal use of a firearm, prosecutors said.



On Aug. 7, 2015, 22-year-old Elliot Jair Serna was visiting his family in Salinas from Mexico. Serna and his two cousins left the Rancho Salinas apartment complex to get tacos.



As the three were driving out of the complex, they came upon a group of men gathered outside a residence.



Prosecutors said the group was celebrating the life of a fellow gang member who had been murdered, and they believed the driver of the vehicle was a rival gang member.



Several Nortenos approached the vehicle armed with guns, and Gutierrez approached the passenger side of the vehicle and questioned the victim and his cousins about their gang affiliation.



Gutierrez fired at least three shots into the vehicle, and Serna, who was in the front passenger seat, was struck in the arm and torso, prosecutors said.



The driver was able to drive away, and realizing his cousin had been shot, drove to the hospital.



Serna was pronounced deceased a short time later.



When sentenced, Gutierrez faces a sentence of 51 years to life in prison.





Copyright  2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
OAKLAND (BCN)



An Oakland man was sentenced on Friday to 152 years to life in state prison for fatally shooting his father and two other men at an apartment in North Oakland four years ago.



Referring to the shooting by Damien Robinson, 35, at an apartment in the 900 block of 54th Street of North Oakland at about 2:45 p.m. on May 23, 2015, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Andrew Steckler said, "This was an event that involved not one, not two but three separate and brutal killings without justification or logical explanation."



Robinson was convicted on April 9 of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of voluntary manslaughter for fatally shooting his father Darrell Robinson, Benjamin Williams and Raymond Garza.



Jurors also found that Robinson killed his father and Benjamin Williams by intentionally discharging a firearm, which are enhancement clauses that significantly increased the length of his sentence, and of being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm.



Alameda County prosecutor John Ullom asked jurors to convict Robinson of three counts of first-degree murder and the special circumstance of committing multiple murders.



Jurors found Robinson guilty of second-degree murder for the deaths of his father and Robinson and of voluntary manslaughters for Garza's death but found the special circumstance allegation to be not true.



In his closing argument, Ullom ridiculed Robinson's testimony that he acted in self-defense when he shot the three men.



Ullom said, "Not a single witness or a shred of evidence supports the defendant (Robinson's) statement."



Robinson's attorney Shaylana Cleveland admitted to jurors that Robinson shot his father and the other two men but said he did so in self-defense because he feared for his life.



Cleveland said Robinson had moved into the apartment with his father about six months before the shooting "because he was struggling to turn his life around" but said his father, who she said was a crack cocaine user, "took a turn for the worse" and became less friendly after he began using heroin.



Cleveland said the father and the other men who lived at the house left Damien Robinson alone when he gave them drugs and money but when he stopped doing so they became "hostile" and he told a friend that he thought they were trying to set him up.



The defense attorney said Robinson opened fire because his father and the other two men were trying to rob him.



Cleveland said Damien Robinson fired at the three men because "he had no other choice to save his own life."



However, Ullom said the three men were unarmed and alleged that Robinson simply gunned them down.



Cleveland asked Steckler on Friday to use his discretion to impose a lighter sentence that would allow Robinson to be eligible for parole at some point in the future and said a sentence of 152 years to life would be "cruel and unusual."



Robinson has four prior felony convictions: one each for evading an officer, battery with injury on a peace officer, first-degree residential burglary and corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant.





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)



Several Democratic U.S. presidential candidates will make appearances in San Francisco starting Thursday, as the California Democratic Party Organizing Convention is set to kick off in the city on Friday.



The three-day CDP convention is the largest gathering of active Democrats in the state, with more than 3,400 delegates set to attend.



Saturday's lineup includes 2020 presidential hopefuls U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, as well as former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke.



U.S. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard and Eric Swalwell, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper will also appear on Saturday.



Additionally, local politicians like San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, among others, will also make appearances on Saturday.



On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, former U.S. Rep. John Delaney and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro are set to take the stage.



In addition to the CDP convention events, five of the Democratic candidates will be making appearances at Manny's Caf in the Mission District, located near 16th and Valencia streets, starting Thursday and going through Tuesday.



The series kicks off on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. with Kllobuchar making an appearance. On Friday at 5 p.m., O'Rourke will appear.



Then on Saturday, Manny's Caf will host Swalwell starting at 10 a.m. The next day, on Sunday, Booker is scheduled for 10 a.m.



The series' last event will take place on Tuesday at 5 p.m., featuring Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.



Manny's Caf has already hosted a slew of other Democratic candidates, including Buttigieg and Castro.



According to Manny's Caf Manny Yekutiel, the venue is also working on possibly securing an appearance by Vice President Joe Biden, another Democrat vying for the presidency, within the coming weeks.



Harris is scheduled to make an appearance next month at Manny's Caf for a Pride Fundraiser on June 29. Tickets for that event cost anywhere between $100 and $2,800.





Copyright  2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
HAYWARD (BCN)



The state's highest-ranking school official stepped in Friday to help bring an end to the New Haven Unified School District's teacher strike, now in its ninth day.



With the end of the district's school year looming on June 13, a spokeswoman for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said he's eager to see the strike wrapped up.



"This is not typical of the superintendent of public instruction to be this involved (but) he was kind of feeling like it had gone on long enough," said spokeswoman Kindra Britt.



Thurmond has sat down with negotiation teams in three other teacher strikes this year, including the Oakland and Los Angeles strikes, both of which ended with contract offers that were ratified by the teachers unions.



The threat of students potentially not being able to participate in graduation ceremonies and other end-of-year activities "really struck a nerve with him," Britt said.



"I am happy to do what I can to help with this strike, but I want it known that my priority is to end it," Thurmond said in a news release. "And I will do what I can to encourage all parties to stay at the table until a resolution is reached, preferably as soon as possible."



Teachers originally asked for a 10 percent pay hike over two years, but are now proposing cost of living adjustments of 3.7 percent for this year and 3.26 percent for next year, according to New Haven Teachers Association officials.



The district originally countered with a 1 percent raise for 2019-2020 and a one-time 3 percent payment, along with an additional raise of up to 1 percent if it was able to add up to $2 million to its budget.



The district is now offering a 3 percent increase for this year and a 2 percent pay hike in January 2020, according to district officials.



Meeting the teachers' current demands would force administrators to make budget cuts that "are not in the best interest of the students," district officials said in a written statement late Thursday night.



Teachers plan to meet at noon Friday in Birchfield Park in Hayward, near the Alameda County Office of Education, where the negotiations are taking place, to have a picnic and rally in support of their demands.





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 suspended San Francisco police officer was sentenced in federal court Thursday to two years and six months in prison for robbing two banks in the city last year.



Rain Daugherty, 46, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge William Orrick of San Francisco to serve three years on supervised release after completion of his term. He pleaded guilty in February to robbing two banks in the Sunset and Richmond districts of a total of $10,500.



Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of three years and one month, while defense attorney Elizabeth Falk asked for two years. Falk said Daugherty had become addicted to opiates that he started taking following wrist surgery.



Daugherty was one of nine officers accused in administrative charges in 2015 of sending racist, sexist and homophobic text messages in 2011 and 2012. The disciplinary proceedings were held up until last year by a eventually unsuccessful lawsuit led by Daugherty.



Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Andraychak said Thursday that the disciplinary proceedings are an ongoing matter before the San Francisco Police Commission. He said Daugherty's current status is suspension without pay.



In a separate case pending in San Mateo County Superior Court, Daugherty is accused of stealing $13,000 from an elderly man with dementia.





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.
NAPA (BCN)



The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has proposed nearly $38,000 in penalties against a Napa vineyard in connection with the death of a worker in October.



Leon Marcelo Lua, 49, of Napa, was killed on Oct. 29 when his sweatshirt got caught, wrapped around an unguarded shaft and pulled him into a grape harvesting machine at De Coninck Vineyards at 1006 Monticello Road.



Cal/OSHA issued the list of proposed penalties on April 26, and De Coninck Vineyards Inc. appealed them, Cal/OSHA spokesman Luke Brown said. The investigation has been turned over to the division Bureau of Investigations, Brown said.



De Coninck Vineyards was cited for five violations that included failing to enforce safety rules, conduct effective periodic inspections, provide effective training about heat illness to employees before they work outdoors or establishing a written heat illness prevention plan, failing to guard the revolving control shaft on the harvester and ascertaining that all machinery and equipment was maintained in safe working conditions.



Two of the violations are classified as general, one is serious and two are serious accident-related. The total amount of the proposed penalties is $37,680.





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.
TriEye Technologies, Ltd., a Tel Aviv, Israel-based developer of SWIR imaging solutions are designed to assist autonomous vehicles, raised $17m in funding.

The round was led by Intel Capital with participation from Marius Nacht and existing investor Grove Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds for product development and expansion of relationships with automotive partners.

Led by CEO Avi Bakal, Omer Kapach and Uriel Levy, TriEye is advancing a solution which enables cost-effective, high resolution image data at night and under most weather conditions using shortwave infrared (SWIR) cameras. This enables ADAS and Autonomous Vehicles reliability and safety. Other applications include Robotics, Smart City, Industrial, Drones, Agriculture, and Maritime.

TriEyes Raven SWIR camera is based on the image sensor Raven, which enables short wave infrared capabilities with a CMOS-based sensor. Image data enables seamless integration with existing ADAS and AV architecture and can use existing computer vision algorithms.

Including the new funding, the company has raised $20 million to date.

FinSMEs

31/05/2019
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States should build a coordinated, cooperative and stable relationship and work hard to make military-to-military ties a stabilizer for the China-U.S. relationship, said Wu Qian, a spokesperson with the Ministry of National Defense, on Thursday.

China has been resolute in fighting against provocations by the U.S. in fields including trade, Wu said, adding that the Chinese army has unwavering resolve in safeguarding the security of national sovereignty and territorial integrity and ensuring the Chinese people enjoy happy lives.

Wu said the relationship between the two armies is generally stable and the two sides have been engaging in normal exchanges and communication.

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
.       -    -         .         ...
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is welcoming women across the country who are seeking abortions to come have the procedure done in his home state.

In a Friday letter, Newsom joined Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in urging states "to review their laws and enact their own protections" after states such as Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Mississippi recently passed stringent laws that would curb access to abortion.

"In the absence of federal leadership on this issue, states must step up and put in place their own protections  both in statute and in their state constitutions, and through the expansion of family planning and education  to defend every American's right to reproductive freedom," the governors wrote. "Roe is settled law, but newly enacted and clearly unconstitutional laws in a handful of states compel our states to act now to reaffirm longstanding commitments to safeguard the fundamental rights of women."

ALSO: Judge says Missouri clinic can keep providing abortions

Newsom took it a step further, inviting women in conservative states to come to California to "fully exercise their reproductive rights."

"Today, we issued a California Proclamation on Reproductive Freedom, reaffirming our commitment to protecting women's reproductive choices, educating Californians about their rights to reproductive freedom, welcoming women to California to fully exercise their reproductive rights, and acting as a model for other states that want to ensure full reproductive freedom for women," the letter reads.

Newsom isn't the only California lawmaker taking aim at states passing new abortion laws.

Presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) unveiled a proposal on the campaign trail that would require states to receive federal approval before changing abortion laws.

RELATED: Nebraska lawmakers approve abortion drug notice bill

"We are living through an all-out assault being waged on women's health and reproductive rights," Harris wrote on her campaign website. "From Alabama to Ohio, and Missouri to Georgia, the goal of Republican politicians is clear: Overturn Roe v. Wade and end safe and legal abortion in America."

Under her proposal, states that have a history of of limiting access to abortion would have to receive clearance from the Justice Department before implementing new laws on reproductive care.

Eric Ting is an SFGATE staff writer. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting

Start receiving breaking news emails on floods, wildfires, civil emergencies, riots, national breaking news, Amber Alerts, weather emergencies, and other critical events with the SFGATE breaking news email. Click here to make sure you get the news.
A blue wave is about to crash into San Francisco, turning the left-leaning town even less purple than normal. "Blue Wave Rolling"  as the 2019 California Democrat Convention is known  will set anchor at Moscone Center from May 31 to June 2.

The excitement and attendance is expected to ramp way up this year as we close in on primary season and the 2020 General Election. This statewide interest is perhaps amplified this year with California moving up in the primary cycle, theoretically increasing the clout of Californians in the nominee selection process.
Travelers looking to hop into an Uber or Lyft at the curb in front of San Francisco International Airport's domestic terminals will no longer be able to do so starting Wednesday, June 5.

That's when a big change goes into effect at SFO that will push all domestic terminal pick-ups to a rideshare pick-up zone located across airport roadways on the top floor of the the domestic hourly parking garage.

It's the most drastic change implemented by SFO in what's been a two-year long quest to fight traffic gridlock caused by the rise in Uber and Lyft as a popular means to get travelers to and from the airport.

The move is not sitting well with rideshare companies, but nonetheless, the airport is moving full steam ahead with implementation of the new plan next week. NOTE: Take our poll about this near the bottom of this post!

In interviews with SFGate, representatives for Uber, Lyft and Wingz all expressed reservations about the big move, saying it could make journeys longer and more of a hassle-- and even harm the environment.

"We are concerned that moving all rideshare pick-ups to the garage could actually increase congestion while inconveniencing riders and lowering earnings for drivers," an Uber spokesperson said. Earlier this month, Uber asked drivers to sign a petition to protest the move. More than 5,000 Uber drivers responded to the campaign.

Uber said it was exploring other options to reduce traffic congestion around SFO's "horseshoe," including implementing a PIN feature that's currently utilized at the airports in Portland and San Diego. More about that here. Lyft said it has implemented a similar code-matching feature at those airports, too and was seeking to expand the concept to other airports.

"We have seen other airports roll out garage pickup locations, such as Seattle-Tacoma, Austin, and John Wayne, and heard the backlash from customers facing delays in pick-up times, difficulty accessing the location, and an overall inconvenient user experience," added Megan Coleman, director of operations for Wingz, one of the three transportation networking companies authorized to serve SFO.

Representatives for Uber and Lyft said they were particularly concerned because the domestic garage shift would eliminate a "rematch" feature where drivers dropping off passengers could immediately pick-up another ride leaving the airport. That eliminates another lap around the horseshoe and a lengthy trip to a rideshare staging lot located off Millbrae Avenue.

"Currently, Rematch reduces the number of rideshare vehicles conducting pick-ups by over 60% -- SFO's current proposal will eliminate this benefit," said Bakari Brock, Senior Director of City Partnerships at Lyft. The company contends this is harmful to the environment, too, "because it reduces 'deadheading' mileage, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, Rematch leads to a decrease of 180 metric tons of CO2 reduction each month at SFO (a reduction of one-third)."

The rematch feature won't be possible if rideshare customers are dropped off and picked-up at two separate locations on the airport grounds, according to a Lyft spokesperson. (Keep in mind that rideshare companies will still be able to drop you off at the curbside, they just won't be able to pick you up there.)

Doug Yakel, SFO's public information officer countered, "We've heard this anecdotally from both Uber and Lyft as well, but we have not seen any concrete data from either company on how much activity this represents, nor have we reached a satisfactory level of improvement in roadway congestion from such existing measures." (He's right about that! At busy times like Sunday night, it can be quite chaotic at the curbside, and that would only get worse as we enter what could be the busiest summer travel season ever.)

Yakel said despite the pushback from Uber, Lyft and Wingz, the changes will be implemented Wednesday, June 5. All three companies said they would comply with the new pick-up rules.

Related: SFO has created a video to help rideshare drivers find and understand the new pick up zone.

Worsening gridlock

We've written extensively about the measures already being taken to relieve congestion. Earlier this year, Uber and Lyft offered $3 discounts to incentivize rides that originate in the garage pick-up zone instead of the curbside. In summer 2018, all UberPOOL and Lyft Line rides (the carpool-style options) were moved to the garage zone. But according to a Lyft spokesperson, the savings were not enough to woo enough travelers, particularly business travelers who aren't that sensitive to price, away from the convenience of a curbside pick-up.

Yakel said the airport wanted 45 percent of rideshare pick-ups to happen away from roadways in the domestic terminals, but so far that figure has only hit 21 percent  barely half of the airport's target.

"It hasn't done enough," Yakel said. "Our goal is to maintain an average speed of 15 mph around terminal roadways. Currently, we're dipping below 10 mph."

There are about 1,200 rideshare pick-ups and drop-offs an hour at SFO, leading to massive traffic jams that stretch onto the freeway off-ramps leading to the airport. Fliers have shared stories about seeing other travelers running in stopped traffic to the terminals  luggage in tow  so they can make their flights.

San Francisco International

Uber and Lyft representatives told us they fear the new domestic garage pick-up zone will not have sufficient capacity to handle all that rideshare traffic, another concern they've raised with airport officials. Yakel said airport models show the new zone is big enough  even during peak times. (See the chart at the top of this post for a look.)

"We remain confident that, more than any other measures that have been attempted, this move will have the greatest positive impact on the traffic congestion issues around our terminal roadways," Yakel said.

Take our poll! Link here if you can't see the poll below.

Here's you need to know about the big change starting on Wednesday, June 3:

>The rideshare garage pick-up zone is a 5-10 minute walk from the departures level curbs where many Uber and Lyft customers hop into their cars now. The easiest way to get to this area is to take escalators or elevators up from the baggage claim or ticketing levels (as if you were going to the AirTrain). Follow airport signage to the zone, which has been used as the pick-up spot for UberPool and Lyft Line rides for the past year.

>Airport officials have re-striped the entire garage deck to best replicate curbside pick-ups, and to move rideshare cars in and out as quickly as possible. They've added pick-up zone markers that correspond to concourse areas to help drivers find passengers. SEE the diagram in the slideshow above.

>SFO will have staff on-hand to guide fliers to the new rideshare zone when the big move happens. Some ride share companies will also have representatives on-site.

>Cars can still drop passengers off curbside at domestic terminals, and there are no changes to international terminal pick-ups and drop-offs.

Tell us what you think about this change in the comments!

Read all recent TravelSkills posts here

Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here

Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
TravelSkills on SFGate is brought to you by Visa

As work continues on a massive and much-needed $8 billion reconstruction of New York LaGuardia's passenger terminals, United Airlines said it will start using new gates in LGA's Terminal B Eastern Concourse effective June 2, as well as a new United Club.

The new concourse will offer passengers 13 food, beverage and retail outlets including vendors like Shake Shack, an FAO Schwarz toy store, and an Irving Farm Coffee Roasters outlet. Travelers accustomed to the old LaGuardia's crowded, narrow and dim hallways will find lots of new space and light, with expansive windows and ceilings up to 55 feet high.

United's space in the rebuilt concourse includes a new United Club, also opening on June 2. Located post-security, the 10,500 square foot club is 30 percent larger than its predecessor at LaGuardia and offers tarmac views. With seating for more than 200 members, the new club has a larger food menu with offerings like New York bagels, a Greek salad bar, and a changing selection of hot entrees. The club also has free high-speed Wi-Fi, "wellness rooms" and phone booths.

Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly email alerts

United said its new gate areas in Terminal B's Eastern Concourse provide plenty of seating for passengers along with charging stations throughout for their mobile devices. The concourse has free, unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi provided by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

A new feature of the concourse is "a park area complete with greenery and benches," United said, as well as a children's play area with an airport theme.

United will use five gates in the new concourse, providing more than 40 flights a day, including 17 daily departures to Chicago O'Hare and multiple daily flights to its other hubs including Denver, Washington Dulles and Houston Bush Intercontinental.

Read all recent TravelSkills posts here

Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here

Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
SEOUL  A South Korean newspaper reported Friday that North Korea executed a senior envoy involved in nuclear negotiations with the U.S. as well as four other high-level officials. But as ever with North Korea, a country that closely guards its secrets, there are reasons to be cautious about the purported purge.

While North Korea hasnt used its propaganda services to comment, the report in the conservative Chosun Ilbo daily could be true. North Korea has previously executed scapegoats to atone for high-profile political flops, and the most recent summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump ended in failure, leaving Kim embarrassed on the world stage.
GENEVA  A U.N. expert on torture sharply rebuked Britain, Sweden and the United States on Friday for what he called a concerted campaign of persecution and abuse against the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and said he should not be extradited into U.S. hands.

The U.N. special rapporteur on torture and ill treatment, Nils Melzer, who is also an international law professor, said the evidence was overwhelming and clear that Assange had been deliberately exposed for several years to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.

Melzer said this included systematic abuse of judicial powers; arbitrary confinement in Ecuadors London Embassy, where he had sought asylum and was eventually ousted in April and arrested by British police; harassment and surveillance inside the embassy; and a relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation outside it, including threatening statements by senior politicians and judicial officials.

Melzer issued his statement three weeks after visiting Assange at Britains high-security Belmarsh prison, accompanied by two medical experts.

Melzer said the examination of Assange, carried out in early May, showed that his capacity to focus and coordinate have been clearly affected by his circumstances and by the extreme stress and chronic anxiety arising from them.

He was extremely jumpy and stressed, Melzer said in an interview. Its difficult to have a structured conversation with him.

Assange, 47, had stayed in Ecuadors Embassy in the British capital for seven years to avoid being extradited to the U.S. After the Ecuadoran government withdrew its protection and allowed the police to remove him, a British court sentenced him to 50 weeks in jail for jumping bail.

He now faces possible extradition to Sweden, for an investigation into rape allegations, or to the United States, which has charged him with multiple counts of espionage for his part in the release of thousands of classified military and diplomatic cables in 2010.

Assange was to appear by video link Thursday from Belmarsh at a court hearing on the United States application for his extradition, but his British lawyer, Gareth Peirce, said her client had not been well enough to participate.

Nick Cumming-Bruce is a New York Times writer.
Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets

IRBIL, Iraq  It was looking to be a good year for farmers across parts of Syria and Iraq. The wettest in generations, it brought rich, golden fields of wheat and barley, giving farmers in this war-torn region reason to rejoice.

But good news is short-lived in this part of the world, where residents of the two countries struggle to cope with seemingly never-ending violence and turmoil amid Syrias civil war and attacks by remnants of the Islamic State. Now, even in areas where conflict has subsided, fires have been raging in farmers fields, depriving them of valuable crops.
BUDAPEST, Hungary  As divers descended Friday into the Danube, Hungarian authorities predicted it would take an extended search to find the 21 people still missing after a boat carrying South Korean tourists was rammed by a cruise ship and sank into the river in Budapest.

Seven people so far are confirmed dead and seven others were rescued.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, visited the site of Wednesdays accident and met with rescue and search officials before holding talks.

We have to prepare for a protracted search, Szijjarto said he was told by Budapest river police, adding that authorities were also expecting help from Serbia, where the Danube flows after leaving Hungary. It is not unimaginable that we will need to depend on them in the coming days.

Divers in full equipment went into Danube but were unable to inspect the wreckage of the boat due to the extremely murky waters and heavy currents from recent rains. Officials said it could take days to recover the 70-year-old boat, which was built in the former Soviet Union.

Just hours after Wednesday nights collision, the body of one victim was found nearly 7 miles downstream from the site of the collision, near the Hungarian capitals neo-Gothic parliament building.

The wreck is located more than 20 feet deep and the water level continues to rise because of the expected rainfall, Szijjarto added.

Hungarian police have detained and questioned the captain of the Viking Sigyn river cruise ship that collided with a sightseeing boat. Szijjarto said the 64-year-old Ukrainian captain protested being considered a suspect. Identified only as Yuriy C., he is suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident.

Pablo Gorondi is an Associated Press writer
MECCA, Saudi Arabia  Saudi Arabias King Salman opened an emergency summit of Arab leaders in Islams holiest city of Mecca on Friday with a call for the international community to use all means to confront Iran, but he also said the kingdom remains committed to peace.

King Salman delivered his remarks at Arab summits in Mecca that were hastily convened after a spike in tensions between Saudi Arabia and its rival Iran.

Tensions have also spiked between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks, with the U.S. sending an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf. The Trump administrations taken a hard line with Iran, first withdrawing from Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers last year, then imposing punishing economic sanctions on the country.

Saudi Arabias effort to draw regional leaders to Mecca reflects the kingdoms desire to project a unified Muslim and Arab position on Iran.

Still, there were visible signs of tension and disagreement among the Arab officials gathered at the meetings, which began just before midnight on Thursday and ran into the early hours of Friday due to Ramadan, which practices include daylong fasts and extended evening prayers.

Morocco did not send its king amid a cooling of ties with Saudi Arabia, while Qatar sent its prime minister rather than its ruling emir amid a diplomatic standoff with Arab neighbors. Iraq, which lies on the fault line between Shiite Iran and the mostly Sunni Arab world, rejected the Arab Leagues final statement after the summit and was not a signatory to it.

All, however, condemned the alleged sabotage of four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and a drone attack on a key Saudi oil pipeline earlier this month.

Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of arming Yemeni rebels behind the pipeline attack. Iran denies being involved in the incidents.

Meanwhile, President Trump said this week the U.S. wasnt looking to hurt Iran at all.

Were not looking for regime change, he said. Were looking for no nuclear weapons.

Aya Batrawy is an Associated Press writer.
Hundreds of passengers and staff at Honduras' international airport were forced to evacuate the building after the police clashed with protesters on May 30.



There have been reports of police using tear gas on teachers, students and doctors protesting government bills to privatise health care, pensions and education.



A statement released by the airport said that airport medical staff were providing medical care for those affected by tear gas.



Honduras airport has suspended flights due to the violent riots. Flights from the US have been diverted to nearby cities including Delta flight 840 from Atlanta due for Honduras capital Tegucigalpa which was diverted to Ramon Villeda Morales airport in San Pedro Sula.



Footage shows airport passengers and staff walking across runways and grass covering their mouths. The filmer also captures a wave of people fooding from the airport's main building with many of them covering their faces due to the use of gas.
An army of locusts coming from the Pakistan side has literally laid seize over a western Indian border district.



Rajasthans Jaislamer district is witnessing an attack of such a massive scale after 26 years, said the Locust Warning Organisation (LWO), headquartered in Jodhpur.



According to the officials, locust hunters are trying to control the impact of the attack reported in the Ramdeora-Pokhran area of the district. The last major locust outbreak was reported in Rajasthan in 1993.



LWO deputy director, Dr KL Gurjar, said: ''The millions of locusts have attacked vegetation fields in Jaisalmer. We are spraying insecticides to prevent local breeding. he said. The authorities have carried out locust control exercise in 800 hectares.



Outlining the reasons for the attack, the deputy director, said: Control operation was going on in Balochistan (Pakistan) for the past one month. Meanwhile, the swarm of locust with winds and sandstorms from Pakistan entered Jaisalmer district.



Gurjar said usually the desert locust cannot fly long distances but the wind helps them to cover large distances.



''If Balochistan fails to control the breeding of locusts by mid-june when the monsoon will arrive in the region, there can be a major threat along the Indo-Pakistan border,'' he added.



The British Government of Imperial India established a locust warning organisation in 1939 with its headquarters in Karachi after the ravages and depredation of the desert locust plague of 1926-1931.
Thousands took to the streets across Brazil in ''defense of education'' after President Jair Bolsonaros government announced its plans to cut the countrys education budget.



Footage shows dozens of people chanting as they march through the streets on Sao Paulo on May 31.



Demonstrators can be seen holding placards reading ''Fora Bolsonaro'' (Bolsonaro get out) and ''Se matara a educacao, o pais colhera a violencia'' (If you kill education, violence will take over).



''I'm here because of the education cuts and because of the values that I think in our society are increasingly conservative and going in the opposite direction, one demonstrator says in the video.



''We are here today to defend education and to protest against cuts made by the Bolsonaro government and we are here filling the streets to show that there are many people against this,'' another protester explains.



Classes were suspended in numerous schools as demonstrators took to the streets in 17 of Brazils 27 states, local media reported.
Page Content

United States companies with operations in Canada should be aware that work culture is different north of the border, especially when it comes to dismissing an employee.

The concept of at-will employment does not exist in Canada.

"Employers need to be respectful when terminating an employee," said Cissy Pau, principal consultant at Clear HR Consulting in Vancouver, British Columbia. "They should notify employees in nonunion work environments they will be let go with sufficient notice. Either the terminated employee will finish his or her time with the company, or the employer may choose to pay him or her out."

Under provincial law, fired employees must be given notice or paid in lieu of notice, so what is considered sufficient notice varies by province.

Hilary Page, an attorney with SpringLaw in Toronto, said employers should consider several factors to determine what is reasonable when firing an employee in Canada:

Age: If an employee is close to retirement age, then he or she is entitled to more notice.

If an employee is close to retirement age, then he or she is entitled to more notice. Length of service: An employee who has worked his or her entire career at an employer will be entitled to more notice than one who has worked at a company for a shorter time.

An employee who has worked his or her entire career at an employer will be entitled to more notice than one who has worked at a company for a shorter time. Availability of comparable employment: The fired worker may have to move for his or her next job, depending on experience, training and qualifications, and consequently will be entitled to more notice.

The fired worker may have to move for his or her next job, depending on experience, training and qualifications, and consequently will be entitled to more notice. Character of employment: If a job is unique or commands a high salary, then it will be harder for the employee to find a comparable job. So the employee will be entitled to more notice.

Employment Termination Across Provinces

While each Canadian province has its own employment standards legislation that sets out minimum standards and minimum notice of termination entitlements, most employment and human rights laws in Canada are similar, noted Lisa Stam, founder of SpringLaw. "When an employee's job is over, the amount of notice can be set by contract or governed by common law in each province." Courts establish common law through their decisions.

There are some differences from province to province, said George Vassos, an attorney with Littler in Toronto. For example, minimum notice in Ontario is eight weeks after eight years' service, but in Alberta, it is eight weeks after 10 years' service.

"In addition, the Ontario statute requires minimum severance pay in addition to minimum notice, whereas the other provinces do not require minimum severance pay," Vassos said.

British Columbia gives employees one week's pay in lieu of notice of termination after three consecutive months of employment, Pau noted. Currently, the maximum amount of pay a fired employee can receive in the province is eight weeks of pay in lieu of notice if he or she worked for the same company for eight years.

Meanwhile, Quebec differs from most Canadian provinces because it has a civil law system, like France, Park stated. Unlike other Canadian provinces, the Quebec legislature has extended job protection measures to employees with two or more years of uninterrupted services for the same employer, similar to unionized employees, according to business law firm McMillan. Once an employee reaches this benchmark period, an employer cannot terminate him or her without good and sufficient cause, noted Shari Munk-Manel, partner at McMillan in Montreal.

Despite the French influence, Quebec employment standards are relatively similar to the rest of the country, Park said.

Federal employment standards apply to less than 20 percent of Canadian workplaces, Stam pointed out. The Canada Labour Code governs federal workplaces, such as the federal government and interprovincial industries like airlines, banking, shipping and telecommunications.

The federal statute sets out minimum employment standards and specifies minimum notice requirements, Vassos noted.

[SHRM members-only toolkit: Introduction to the Global Human Resources Discipline]

Termination Challenges for Canadian HR

HR professionals often struggle with the first step of firing an employee: determining whether there is just cause for termination, Vassos said. "If there is cause, then no notice or pay in lieu is required. [But] cause is very difficult to prove, and practitioners struggle with that threshold decision in many cases."

Most employers do not know what reasonable notice is, Pau said. "[Firing employees] doesn't happen every day. HR is not sure how to structure the termination. Should they default to employment standards, or go above and beyond?"

Pau suggested HR should conduct frequent check-ins and conversations with employees during a probationary period. That way, there should be no surprises if the worker is fired.

Employers' proper handling of terminations will minimize legal repercussions and respect individuals, even during the final phase of the employment relationship. "Termination is always the last resort," Munk-Manel said.

Catherine Skrzypinski is a freelance writer based in Vancouver.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 35-year-old former Staten Islander is one of 14 people charged in the takedown of drug-distribution rings linked to a spree of overdoses and deaths in South Brooklyn.

Brandice Williams, 35, of Woodbridge, Va., known by the quaint nicknames of Bee and Sis, allegedly supplied two organizations that distributed potentially lethal opioids, including heroin, fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. She is regarded as a lynchpin between the two separate, high-level trafficking organizations based in Brooklyn, according to authorities.

Williams previously lived on the 200 block of Malden Place in New Dorp and worked at area medical facilities.

Brandice WIlliams was employed as a Patient Care Associate from 2011-2018, a role that has no access to medications or ability to administer, said a spokesman for Staten Island University Hospital.

Even after Williams moved from Staten Island last fall, she allegedly traveled north to supply drugs that ultimately were sold at locations including the New York City Housing Authoritys Marlboro Houses in Brooklyn.

Charges against Williams and the other suspects were announced this week by Bridget G. Brennan, New York Citys special narcotics prosecutor, Ray Donovan, special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) New York Division, New York City Police Commissioner James P. ONeill, Acting New York State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

The long-term investigation, which included wire taps, was prompted by a rash of overdoses in 2017, including one fatal overdose and one non-fatal overdose linked to fentanyl analogs in Canarsie that June.

Suspect Waldemar Wiz Valentin of Brooklyn, an alleged leader of one organization, was among those who traveled to Staten Island when Williams lived in our borough in order to receive narcotics from her, according to authorities.

The probe began with Valentins organization, which stored, packaged and sold drugs as it operated out of rooms at two South Brooklyn motels, according to authorities.

Conversations between Valentin and one of his alleged sellers, Phillip Patsuriya of Brooklyn, indicated they sought out the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl and its variants to sell to their customers, officials said.

As alleged in the indictment, Valentin and Patsuriya discussed that their customers were able to taste the difference between fentanyl and heroin.

Once, when narcotics they allegedly received from Williams tasted too much like regular heroin rather than fetty, Valentin told Patsuriya that he was going to have a talk with the connect, the indictment said.

Between June of 2018 and May of 2019, the focus of the investigation shifted to a narcotic trafficking organization operating in the Marlboro Houses. The probe ultimately resulted in charges against Williams and several other suspects.

Williams allegedly traveled to the Marlboro Houses from her residence in Woodbridge in order to supply narcotics to James Sease of East Orange, N.J., and other suspects.

Sease and others regularly gathered in a number of apartments in the Marlboro Houses. They allegedly packaged and sold narcotics, stored firearms and ammunition, possessed forged credit cards and forgery devices and discussed matters related to the operation.

Williams was arrested in Woodbridge on May 3 and removed to New York City for prosecution on charges including conspiracy and criminal sale of a controlled substance for the Valentin organization and conspiracy and criminally using drug paraphernalia for the Marlboro Houses organization.

She was arraigned on Wednesday and her bail was set at $200,000 in Supreme Court in Manhattan.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Empire Outlets, which opened to the public on May 16, will create 1,200 jobs, includes 1,250 parking spaces, and attracted more than 165,000 visitors in its first weekend of operation, according to an mall spokesman.

Here are some more numerical facts about New York Citys first outlet mall:

STORES OPEN

There are 20 stores open at Empire Outlets. They are: Banana Republic Factory Store, U.S. Polo Assn, Samsonite, American Eagle Outfitters, Inc./Aerie, Lids, True Religion, Walgreens, Nike, H&M, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Columbia Factory Store, Old Navy, Cotton On, Guess Factory Outlet, Gap Factory Store, Jockey, Francescas, Starbucks, Wetzels Pretzels and GNC.

Located adjacent to the St. George Ferry Terminal, Empire Outlets, when finished, will feature more than 100 designer outlet retailers.

On the first full day of stores opening at the Empire Outlets in St. George as the day went on more and more people came to see and shop. May 16, 2019. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)

STORES OPENING BEFORE END OF SUMMER

Other stores set to open include: Nordstrom Rack, Levis, True Religion, Converse, Dennis Basso, iOptics,Royal Jewelers, Crocs, True Religion, Lucky Brand, Parfum Europa, and Verizon Wireless.

RESTAURANTS OPENING:

Restaurants set to open before summers end include: Shake Shack, Mamouns Falafel, Haagen-Dazs, Rice, Wasbi, and MRKTPL, Staten Islands first-ever artisanal food hall.

Empire Outlets Wetzels Pretzels -- which offers a menu of freshly-baked pretzels in a variety of flavors, from Sinful Cinnamon and Sour Cream & Onion to Almond Crunch -- will be the first in the franchise to offer beer, said Bob Gura, franchise owner.(Staten Island Advance/Tracey Porpora)

PARKING

Empire Outlets features a 1,250-space parking garage, located underneath the shopping center. Empire Outlets had previously told the Advance that 780 of the 1,250 parking spaces will be reserved for commuters.

Self parking rates are as follows:

Up to 3 hours: $5

Up to 5 hours: $10

Up to 8 hours: $15

Up to 24 hours: $25

Valet parking rates are as follows:

Up to 3 hours: $10

Up to 5 hours: $15

Up to 8 hours: $20

Up to 24 hours: $35

Parking rates at the Empire Outlets. (Staten Island Advance/Erik Bascome)

MONEY SPENT ON THE PROJECT

At the ribbon cutting ceremony for Empire Outlets on May 15, Don Capoccia, principal in BFC Partners, the malls developer, said his company has invested $650 million in the Staten Island waterfront. In addition to the shopping mall and waterfront esplanade, storm protection is built into the mall to prevent damage, like that which occurred in the area during Hurricane Sandy.

The Advance previously reported the cost of the project was estimated to be $304 million.

Funding for the project included $66 million in state subsidies.

On the first full day of stores opening at the Empire Outlets in St. George as the day went on more and more people came to see and shop. May 16, 2019. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)

1,200 NEW JOBS

By mid-summer there will be 1,200 new jobs created at Empire Outlets, said Capoccia. Already employed at the center are 600 people, he said.

On the first full day of stores opening at the Empire Outlets in St. George as the day went on more and more people came to see and shop. May 16, 2019. (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel)

MORE STORIES ABOUT EMPIRE OUTLETS OPENING

FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Friday morning workers at the Staten Island Malls Red Robin opened the restaurant for the final time.

A somberness hung in the air as a server shuttled kiddie mac 'n' cheeses and signature burgers to early bird lunch patrons.

Later in the day, a spokesperson for the company relayed it would be permanently closed after May 31.

The spokesperson noted in an email, Red Robin had previously announced efforts to reassess and refine its real estate portfolio (particularly Red Robins challenged mall locations) to improve overall business performance. This location was among ten Red Robin locations that the Company recently decided to permanently close as part of this strategic reassessment.

She additionally noted, Five of the closures are in New York State, three are in South Florida and two are in Northern California (Sacramento area).

Rumors had swirled on the Staten Island closure for about a week and heightened Thursday. Thats when Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. announced on its website it would close 10 underperforming restaurants as it works on a turnaround at the casual-dining brand, stated Pattye Moore, its board chair and interim CEO.

But as of Friday morning local management refused to comment on the matter and staffers said they were verbally warned they would be refused sick time or vacation hours as punishment for spilling the beans.

The corporate word to an inquiry from the Advance on Thursday emphatically denied the rumor.

No, this information is not correct. This location has no plans of closing at this time, a spokeswoman for the company wrote in an email on May 30.

Staten Islands Red Robin opened on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013 with a fundraiser for a borough charity. For some, it was a curious addition to the Malls restaurant inventory with fellow full service restaurant Applebees Neighborhood Grill and Bar anchored just across the way since 1994.

Staten Islands Red Robin opened on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

This isnt Red Robins first closure on Staten Island. According to Advance records, it opened in 1994 and closed about five years later.

A sampling of the goods at a Red Robin might be the Classic cheeseburger, bottom, Whiskey River BBQ chicken wrap, top left, and mushroom swiss burger, top right. (Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com AnnArbor.com)AnnArbor.com

No word came from the company by deadline if Red Robin was to open elsewhere in the borough.

Im going to miss my second family, said one worker who would not be continuing with the company.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) announced Wednesday that seven measles cases have been reported in Staten Island since the beginning of the outbreak in October.

Six of those cases occurred in March, but were only recently reported to DOHMH.

Now that Staten Island has officially become part of the the diseases resurgence in the United States, here are some facts to know:

1. The MMR vaccine works, and medical professionals say its safe

Despite what anonymous ramblings on the internet might suggest, medical professionals say that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends parents have doctors administer the two-dose vaccines first shot to their children at the age of 12 to 15 months, and the second at the age of 4 to 6 years.

Dr. Eric Cioe Pena, the director of global health for Northwell Health, said people should vaccinate their children unless there is a serious medical concern.

When the proper schedule is followed, measles immunity is usually lifelong, he said. Its a very good vaccine.

Concerns parents might have about the vaccine leading to developmental disabilities in their children are linked to a retracted 1998 report authored by a former British gastroenterologist, who has since been removed from the United Kingdoms medical register.

Over years of investigative reporting on the subject, British journalist Brian Deer found the papers lead author had failed to disclose certain conflicts of interest, and manipulated evidence. Deers reporting in the Sunday Times of London eventually led the British Medical Journal -- to declare the 1998 report to be fraudulent in 2011.

Cioe Pena added that concerns are misplaced about links to medical conditions that arise during early childhood and often manifest themselves during the vaccination process.

Kids develop chronic medical conditions at the time theyre getting lots of vaccines, and it is just that -- it is coincidence, he said. Nothing in the literature has ever shown it to be otherwise.

The CDC says some risks associated with the vaccine are soreness at the injection site, fever, mild rash, and, for female teens and adults who get the vaccine later in life, pain and stiffness in their joints.

In rare cases, the vaccine has been linked to seizures caused by high fever, according to the CDC. Merck & Co., which manufactures the vaccine, concedes on its label that the vaccines carcinogenic or mutagenic properties, or its potential to cause infertility, have not been studied.

2. The disease was eradicated from the United States

In 2000, the federal government declared measles had been eliminated from the United States, which meant it had not been continuously transmitted for more than 12 months, according to the CDC.

Before its eradication, measles was a prevalent disease in the country. From 1912 to 1922, the first decade in which the measles were required to be reported, an average of 6,000 people died annually.

The CDC said the recent outbreaks are linked to travelers who brought the disease back from countries such as Israel, Ukraine, and the Philippines, where large measles outbreaks are occurring.

3. There is an ongoing debate about religious exemptions

In New York City, the measles resurgence has been most prevalent in neighborhoods with a significant number of Orthodox Jewish people.

Outreach from New York City has focused on these communities by publishing informational literature in both english and Yiddish.

However, current New York law provides religious exemptions as cause to not have a child vaccinated. A current bill is in the state legislature that would eliminate those exemptions.

Cioe Pena said he respects the worlds religions, but that public safety is of the utmost importance.

I cant have a religious exemption to the driving laws, he said. "This isnt a personal decision. This isnt a decision that affects you and your family. If I have an infant under one year, and youve decided not to vaccinate your child, and my child gets the measles, and has complications from it, then youve just endangered my child because of your religious beliefs.

4. Measles puts societys most vulnerable at risk

While healthy adults do not face much risk from measles, those with underdeveloped or compromised immune systems are put in particular danger.

Children under the age of 6 months and people undergoing chemotherapy are some of the groups most likely be at risk of the measles, because of its highly infectious nature, Cioe Pena said.

It is absolutely contagious to the most extreme degree, he said.

5. Staten Islands hospitals say they are ready

Officials from both Staten Island University Hospital, which is part of Northwell Health, and Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton said their facilities are ready to deal with the disease.

A spokesman for RUMC said signage has been placed throughout the hospital warning patients about the dangers and signs of the disease, and that all patients who visit the ER are being checked for symptoms.

Cioe Pena said staff members throughout the Northwell system are working with patients to help better identify the disease. Emergency department staff at its hospitals are screening its patients.

Both hospitals are working closely with government agencies to make sure they know how to best proceed, according to officials.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two of Staten Islands representatives in the City Council agree with their colleagues that action needs to be taken against a trash removal company linked to the cover-up of a 2018 homicide.

Councilmen Antonio Reynoso and Ritchie Torres penned a letter Thursday to the commissioner of the citys Business Integrity Commission calling for it to either not renew, suspend, or revoke Flag Container Services city carting license.

Spokesmen for Council members Debi Rose and Steven Matteo both said their bosses support a call for action against the company. A spokesman for Councilman Joseph Borelli declined to comment.

"The accusations against William Formica are troubling, to say the least, and the BIC should certainly hold off on renewing his license pending the outcome of the criminal case against him, Matteo said in an emailed statement.

A spokesperson for City Hall said BIC informed both Flag Container Service and Formica construction that BIC intended to recommend to the full Commission that their license and registration renewal applications be denied.

Both companies submitted responses last week, and a decision is scheduled to be made on June 12.

A report from the New York Post revealed that the company is currently operating with a temporary permit after its license lapsed in 2017. Thats despite the companys owner William Formicas charges related to the alleged 2018 murder cover-up.

The letter from Reynoso and Torres followed that report, and cited the licensing standard of good character, honesty, and integrity that was put in place after years of organized crime involvement in the carting industry.

Formica, 58, is free on bail set for alleged evidence tampering and other charges after, prosecutors say, he helped a co-defendant, Angelo Nesimi, dispose of evidence after Nesimi fatally stabbed Michael Stewart inside an apartment at 86B North Mada Ave. overnight on Dec. 20 into Dec. 21.

The councilmen also pointed to previous incidents involving Flag and other companies owned by the Formica family.

Flag, which based in Port Richmond, came under scrutiny in November 2014 after one of its employees was killed on the job by a falling Dumpster.

The employee, Robert Meehan, 40, of Hazlet, N.J., suffered severe head and torso trauma when a 10-foot Dumpster he was loading onto the back of a garbage truck at Richmond County Country Club in Dongan Hills fell on him.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company in relation to that incident a total of $12,400 for four violations.

Flag Container illustrates that we still have a long way to go in rooting bad actors out of the private carting industry, the councilmen wrote in their letter. We urge you to take immediate action to get this company off the streets and protect New York City residents, workers, and small businesses.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A husband and wifes dedicated search for Arlo, a beloved American cocker spaniel who had been missing since December, ended in heart break this week.

The dog -- whose image spread virally on social media and was displayed on fliers posted throughout Travis -- was found dead by a neighbor who uncovered their pool over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Arlo had somehow gotten under the pool cover.

I feel alone, angry and sad at the same time, but having people that truly care and reach out to say something means a lot to me, owner Anthony Frazolin said.

The family is devastated over the loss and wants everyone to know how Arlo died so that it could bring more awareness of how important it is to secure a fence to a yard with a pool and have the right cover so that no animals can get in, according to a post on the Finding Arlo Facebook page set up to organize the search.

Franzolin told the Advance that the pup went missing in Travis when he escaped from his mothers-in-laws backyard under a fence near the intersection of Wild Avenue and Roswell Avenue.

For months people from all over the Island gathered together to hand out fliers, post on social media and conduct search parties to find him.

Some speculated that the pet was taken by someone and reported sightings were made from multiple areas of the Island.

Residents from all over the borough sent their condolences on social media.

No matter what I say it would be doing an injustice, I cant say enough," Frazolin said about Arlo.
It happens over and over again.

A child is beaten to death or otherwise horrifically abused. Facts emerge suggesting that caseworkers at the child protective service either knew or should have known that the youngster was at risk. The tragedy garners screaming headlines and sensational news stories. Politicians emerge to demand answers. Agency officials say theyre overworked and understaffed. Commentators lament a broken system thats failing children.

Then, slowly, the indignation and finger-pointing fade away  until the next time.Investigating child abuse and neglect can be extremely difficult for a variety of reasons. Yet, with potential consequences to at-risk youngsters ranging from serious to deadly, it must be undertaken diligently, intelligently and thoroughly.And it must also be done with due regard for the constitutional rights of parents and guardians as well the children themselves. Add to the mix the increasing number or people mandated by law to report suspected instances of child mistreatment, and its not surprising that the child protective field is fertile ground for very thorny legal issues.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in a case involving the warrantless strip search of a 4-year-old Colorado girl by a child protective caseworker. The child, identified as I.B. in court papers, was enrolled in a Head Start program at Oak Creek Elementary School in Colorado Springs.

Strip search

In December 2014, April Woodard, a caseworker with the Department of Human Services, went to the school in response to an anonymous report that there were signs of abuse on the childs body, including bumps on her face, a bruise on her neck, a red mark on her lower back, two small cuts on her stomach and bruises on her knees.

After reportedly having received authorization from her supervisor, Woodard removed I.B.s clothing and visually inspected and photographed her buttocks, stomach and back using a county-issued cellphone.

The following day, Woodard visited the childs home, spoke with her mother, but did not reveal that she had undressed and photographed the child. After the agency concluded that the allegations were unfounded and closed the case, I.B. told her mother that she hoped she wouldnt have to see Woodard again because I dont like it when she takes all my clothes off.

The mother and child then initiated suit against Woodard and other DHS officials alleging, among other things, that they had violated the Fourth Amendments prohibition against unreasonable searches.

Last week, the Supreme Court let stand a Jan. 3 ruling by a divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit affirming the dismissal of the lawsuit.

The Denver-based appellate court cited a split among the federal circuits as to whether the warrant requirement applied to searches of childrens bodies for evidence of child abuse. That uncertainty, the majority said, entitled the caseworker involved to qualified immunity from suit since there was no clearly established law to guide her actions.

Similar cases

The majority acknowledged the Supreme Courts 2009 ruling in Safford United School District No. 1 v. Redding, which struck down as unconstitutional the warrantless search of a students underwear for drugs.

Finding the two cases distinguishable, the 10th Circuit noted that the student searched in Safford was suspected of harming others through drug distribution, while the child in this case was suspected of suffering abuse from a third party.

Its not really all that clear, however, that this factual difference supports the differing legal results.

The Supreme Courts refusal to hear I.B. v. Woodard is unfortunate and, indeed, somewhat surprising because it perpetuates the split among the federal appellate courts on the interaction of the Fourth Amendments prohibition against unreasonable searches and the states legitimate interest in safeguarding the wellbeing of its children.

For instance, April Woodards actions would have been clearly unauthorized in New York under a 1999 ruling by the Manhattan-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

That case, Tenenbaum v. Williams, involved the removal of a 5-year-old girl from her kindergarten class without a court order or parental approval, and an examination of her body by emergency room personnel at Coney Island Hospital for signs of sexual abuse.

Child protective workers across the country have a difficult enough job as it is without denying them clear legal guidance as to what they can and cannot do when encountering a child who may have been abused. I.B. v. Woodard was the perfect vehicle for the nations highest court to provide that guidance.

Unfortunately, the justices chose to look the other way.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In November 2017, prosecutors filed a sealed indictment, while Wilber Butler was on the lam, accusing him of slaying another man a month earlier outside a Mariners Harbor banquet hall.

Butler, an ex-convict, wasnt arrested until early June of last year and charged with Sheldon Bells murder.

Butler, 40, wasnt running on Thursday.

Instead, the Stapleton resident sat at the defense table in Justice Mario F. Matteis courtroom and learned his trial will start Tuesday in state Supreme Court, St. George, with jury selection.

The defendant faces up to 25 years to life if convicted of second-degree murder, the top charge against him.

Hes also accused of manslaughter, attempted murder, assault and criminal weapon possession.

Bell, 28, a Mariners Harbor resident, was one of two men shot in a dispute at about 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2017, as revelers were leaving a catering hall on the 100 block of Van Pelt Avenue, said authorities.

He was hit in the chest and abdomen.

The other victim, age 30, suffered a graze wound to the head, police said.

Both men were taken by private means to Richmond University Medical Center, West Brighton, where Bell was pronounced dead.

Bell, known as Shellz, was the father of two young children and was employed as a maintenance worker for the city Housing Authority, his family previously told the Advance.

Police identified Butler as suspect about two weeks after the shooting and asked for the publics help in finding him.

He was ultimately tracked down and arrested seven months later in Delaware in June 2018, a law enforcement source previously told the Advance.

It wasnt immediately clear then if cops received any tips that ultimately led them to the defendant.

A source told the Advance Butler has an extensive criminal history and is a known member of the Bloods street gang.

In late 2010, he was sentenced to six years in prison for criminal drug possession and attempted criminal drug sale, show online records of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Assistant District Attorneys Lisa Davis and Carrie Low are prosecuting the case.

Attorney Thomas Reilly represents Butler.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Cops are asking on social media for tips to find a 77-year-old South Shore man whose car was spotted in Manhattan.

Edward Brittain was last seen at his home on Wednesday at about 4 p.m., according to a flier posted on the 123rd Precinct Twitter feed.

Brittain was driving a 2015 gray Hyundai Tucson with New York plates of DAW-7705, according to the post.

The Hyundai was located in Manhattan on Thursday at about 6 p.m., according to the post.

Police describe Brittain as white and weighing about 150 pounds with gray hair and blue eyes.

People with tips are urged to call Detective Borough Staten Island at 718-876-8196.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Islands three emergency departments will now follow the citys guidelines on overdose, according to a Friday media release from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The departments at Richmond University Medical Center and both of Staten Island University Hospitals campuses joined 28 other hospitals across the city in adopting the guidelines, according to the release.

The drug epidemic is still devastating communities across our borough, and in order to find a solution, physicians need to be a part of the answer, Borough President James Oddo said in a statement.

Thank you to the Department of Health for creating this guidance to encourage clinicians to provide the vital education for overdose prevention and treatment options that many New Yorkers need.

DOHMH Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said staff in the citys emergency departments often find themselves on the front lines of the nations drug crisis. According to DOHMH, more than 10,000 non-fatal overdoses were treated in the citys emergency departments last year.

In DOHMH guidance, emergency clinicians are encouraged to provide overdose prevention education, including risk reduction strategies; offer naloxone, the medication to reverse an opioid overdose; and recommend ongoing care, including the effective opioid addiction treatments buprenorphine or methadone.

"Our new guidance can help these providers keep their patients safe from future harm with proven, multifaceted overdose prevention strategies, Barbot said.

Physicians in the boroughs emergency departments spoke with the Advance in April about their roles in the drug crisis, and many of their strategies already aligned with the citys guidances.

Dr. Harry Kopolovich, the Director of RUMCin West Brighton, said that, ideally, patients dont come to the ER for primary care of their addiction, but staff in the department are always prepared to connect them with the next step in their treatment.

Dr. Nicole Berwald, Chair of Emergency Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH), said the emergency department staff deals with all levels of people dealing with a substance abuse disorder.

Its really our responsibility to be alert of the situations that are going on, and be armed to take care of whatever a patient comes in with, Berwald said.

We consider ourselves the safety net of the healthcare system, so to not be able to address whatever level of concern related to opioids that exists would not be doing the right thing.
I remember standing back up. I remember seeing blood dripping from somewhere. A guy asked me if I was okay. I fended off his concern, told him I needed to get to the car. I did, bleeding all the way.

Loaded up the trunk, then beat it round the block to get Joan. Took a look in the mirror. Holy...I was literally a bloody mess!

Pulled my hoodie up, grabbed Joans hand, pulled her to the car, got the remaining equipment, loaded up.

What the hell is going on?, Joan wanted to know.

THIS!, I replied and dramatically threw off my hoodie to reveal my battered visage.

Joans reaction? Mary Astin in the Lon Chaney Sr. film Phantom Of The Opera!

I drive us to the hospital and within two hours, the surgeon has seen me and stitched my lacerated lip. There is too much swelling to do anything with my nose. Well have to wait six months to a year before surgery, if any is required.

Eee gad! Am I to walk around looking like I did six rounds with Muhammad Ali for an entire year?

No. Because, the good doctor prescribed icing the swollen areas four times a day, an antibiotic and Aleve twice a day as well as rest and a greatly reduced work schedule.

Heres the laugh: I work at home. I sorta cant get away from it. But, I did. For awhile.

I moped a lot. Unexpected injury can lead to a whole lot of self-pity.

I tried to stay away from that. I watched a lot of comedy bits because the doctor said I had to stretch my lip. How far, I wondered? Joker far? Heath Ledger far? Why so serious?

I watched Ismo, the Norwegian comic, battle with the vagaries of English. I laughed. It didnt hurt.

I thought about how, during Easter time, I had rung chapel bells at church so much, I told our musical director that, next year, I was going to dress in sackcloth and a hump and yell Sanctuary! He didnt get the joke.

I shouldnt have been dismissive of Quasimodo.

I put a photo of Boris Karloff from The Raven on my Facebook page.

An escaped criminal, he begs Bela Lugosis character to change his facial appearance so he can hide out from the law. Lugosi complies by turning Karloffs face into a human version of a melted tire. He actually looked better as Frankensteins monster.

Fix my face!, he implores Lugosi. Before that, Lugosi demands a series of tests, such as capturing a doctor and the doctors beautiful daughter, whom Lugosi has developed a serious crush on. Meaning that he plans to literally crush anybody dear to her in a room with inwardly collapsing walls. Way to win a girls heart, Bela! It doesnt end well for either of them.

I shouldnt have made fun of Boris Karloff.

But, what else can you do? I ventured out of the house slowly but surely. I tried to get a little sun each day. I made sure I wasnt seen by too many people. I was deeply ashamed of my frailty and embarrassed by my stupidity. Except, I shouldnt have been.

According to the National Council on Aging, one in four Americans 65 and older falls each year. Every 11 seconds, someone is treated in an Emergency Room for a fall and every 19 minutes, an older person dies from a fall. Falls result in 2.8 million injuries.

So, Im not alone in this. Except, I felt alone.

Joan tended to me with patient, gentle care. Its actually a good thing she works at home now, because that way, she didnt have to worry about leaving me alone. I encouraged her to go about her business, Id be fine. Truth was, I was scared spitless and grateful for her emotional and sometimes physical support.

This is one of the many, many reasons why having a partner as you age is a good thing. Besides companionship and having someone to eat meals with, they can help you plow through an unexpected emergency and come out the other side whole. I cant ever repay her for her loving support. But, Im gonna keep trying.

A week and a day later, my stitches were out, the doctor said I was healing well and to see him in seven weeks. Things looked good, he said. I was relieved.

But now, I take street corners at a much slower speed, I turn on the light before walking very slowly down the stairs, I get up slower and lie down easier. Im gonna have to take it easy for awhile. I tell my friends Ive returned to modified duty.

The best thing you can do after an accident is to forgive yourself and treat yourself the way you would a loved one: with patient, gentle care.

And, occasionally, a chocolate jelly ring cream ice from Ralphs!

Hold those grey heads up!
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A walk to be held Sunday at Mount Loretto will benefit a summer camp for kids with cancer.

The fourth annual SunriseWALKS and carnival event will start at 10:30 a.m. at the Pleasant Plains site. Proceeds will benefit the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island, according to a media release from the JCC of Staten Island.

The camp is run through a partnership between the JCC and Catholic Charities, and serves as the worlds first full-summer day camp for children with cancer and their siblings, provided free of charge, according to the media release.

The camp serves children from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and New Jersey. According to the Sunrise website, more than $275,000 have been raised so far for the program in 2019.

People interested in participating in the walk, sponsoring a walker, or donating to the organization should visit its website.
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!
Retirement savings giant AustralianSuper says there is no sign of a slowdown in the flood of cash flowing in via new members who were previously with a super fund owned by a big bank or AMP.

Thanks in part to the royal commission's damage to for-profit retail funds, the $155 billion AustralianSuper is forecasting $16 billion in cash inflows for the financial year about to end, a sharp increase on last year.

AustralianSuper chief executive Ian Silk said he had expected the royal commission's impact on fund flows would be a "blip," but it was still having a big effect. Credit:AFR

Chief executive Ian Silk on Friday said the trend was showing no signs of dropping off, as he also explained the fund would be putting more of its assets overseas over the longer-term.

Its not waning  frankly were staggered that its continuing. We thought thered be a short-term blip during the currency of the royal commission when the publicity was at its keenest," he said.
LEASING

Newcastle: Local office furniture specialist OfficePace has leased 150 sq m showroom at 3-13 Charles Street, Wickham for $350 per sq m net. The lease term is five years with a five-year option and was negotiated by Nick Christensen, Colliers International.

Sydney: MAAN International Pty Ltd has leased a partitioned office of 126 sq m with Hyde Park views at Suite 2.01 & Suite 2.03/Level 2, 251 Elizabeth Street from Hellenic Club Ltd at $437 per sq m gross. The lease term is for three years. John Skufris, Ray White Commercial South Sydney.

Artarmon: MB Global Services Pty Ltd has leased a 700 sq m freestanding warehouse building at 105-107 Reserve Road from Rosecon Pty Ltd for $252 sq m gross. The lease term is three years. Brad Sutton, Sutton Anderson.

Moorebank: American manufacturing property Briggs & Stratton has signed a five-year lease on a brand-new facility spanning 14,500 sq m at the Oakdale South Industrial Estate. Aidacare has relocated from Ingleburn and Permaform relocated from Yennora to lease the former Briggs & Stratton facility, comprising a net lettable area of 11,443 sq m. Both transactions were for an initial five-year term. Rentals in the Moorebank industrial precinct range from $115 to $130 per sq m. CBREs Tom Rourke negotiated the leases.
Diversified developer Mirvac has called the bottom of the apartment cycle, launching a new 43-level tower at its Yarras Edge development and sourcing built-to-rent and office sites with its newly-raised $750 million war chest.

As markets have started to normalise, were getting ready to set ourselves up for the next cycle. Where we see value, youll start to see Mirvac buying, the groups head of residential Stuart Penklis said.

Mirvac this week kicked off construction of a $300 million luxury tower, the tallest to date in its riverside precinct in Melbourne, after selling 60 per cent of units in its new Voyager building for around $185 million.

Mirvac kicks off construction of a $300 million luxury tower. From left to right: Simon Wilson from Development Victoria, Planning Minister Richard Wynne and Mirvac's Stuart Penklis.

The group's confidence follows a successful $750 million capital raising midweek at a discounted price of $2.97. The placement closed Thursday twice oversubscribed by institutional investors after issuing 252.5 million new stapled securities.
The national construction union would defend workers sacked for expressing their religious beliefs and one of its leaders believes Wallabies star Israel Folau has been unfairly "hung out to dry" for posting his religious views on social media.

Another left wing union, representing aircraft maintenance workers, has also strongly supported Folau's rights to express his beliefs, putting it at loggerheads with Rugby Australia sponsor, Qantas.

Sacked rugby star Israel Folau. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Darren Greenfield, state secretary of the NSW branch of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union said it represented "heaps of Polynesian and Islander Christian workers" in the construction industry. His personal view was that Folau should not be "hung out to dry" for voicing his religious beliefs.

"I've got a personal view on it. We haven't discussed it internally [in the union]," Mr Greenfield said.
A crucial count

A few years ago Natalie Kon-yu worked on a project at the Stella Prize to establish a diversity count in publishing. The idea was not dissimilar to the Stella's ongoing survey of gender bias in reviewing in various publications, but its ambition was never quite realised. But now she's planning something similar. The Victoria University lecturer reckons there is a lack of statistics that show the number of First Nation and People of Colour (FNPOC) writers published in Australia.

Credit:Andrew Dyson

"What I'm hoping to find out is the rate of publication broadly of FNPOC within the Australian industry. And then I think having the numbers  we'd be looking at 2018 as the sample year  would allow us to do the kind of qualitative research that I'm more used to doing," she says. "The idea is to say this is where we're at, how can we do better, how can we make sure that books by authors from these marginalised backgrounds get published."
The Aquarium of the Pacific is at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach. Holiday season hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 29-30; and Jan. 1-9, 16, 22-23, 30: Visit www.aquariumofpacific.org/.
Last month local politicians from all sides lined up to discuss Andrew Reynolds book. This is hardly surprising given the book extols their crucial role in creating change. As he writes: The story of how marriage equality and gay rights advanced in the United States is one of individual agency. Judges, elected officials and civic leaders move in overlapping social circles.

But this is at best a partial account of how rights progress. Reynolds begins this book with moving descriptions of the votes in the New Zealand and Australian parliaments to legalise same sex marriage. The Australian Parliamentarian he quotes at length is Andrew Wallace, a little-known Queenslander who supported marriage equality.

Very detailed stories of many legislators. Credit:

The parliamentary vote in December 2017 only came after a long campaign by activists, which involved literally thousands of people across the country. Some politicians played important roles  notably Penny Wong and the Greens  but most of them did no more than delay, obstruct and finally tick through a decision brought about through community pressure.

The Children of Harvey Milk is refreshingly ambitious in its global scope, even if its examples are almost entirely drawn from the English-speaking world. Reynolds bases his book on extensive interviews with parliamentarians, almost all British, American or Irish. To these he adds large amounts of statistical data, so that the book reads as a strange amalgam of journalism and political science, not quite succeeding as either.

Reynolds makes two main claims. The first is that engaging with people who are LGBTI is an important factor in changing peoples attitudes. This is a restatement of early gay liberation ideas  Come Out! Come Out! Wherever you are  and is hardly controversial, although he provides rich empirical and biographical detail.
Who doesnt love a good literary hoax? Were always keen to read about them, whether its to tut-tut at an outrageous scam or to laugh at the experts who were fooled.

Australia has been particularly productive in this sphere. The classic hoax is the Ern Malley poems, now revered in their own right, despite the fact that the poet didnt exist. Then theres Norma Khouri, Helen Demidenko  if you want a comprehensive run-down, take a look at Simon Catersons book Hoax Nation.

Norma Khouri,'s Forbidden Love, is just one of several Australian literary hoaxes. Credit:

Recently The New York Times highlighted some of the best book frauds from the past 100 years: no Australians, alas, but an intriguing mix, including some Id never heard of. How about Emile Ajar? This was the pseudonym of a famous French author, Romain Gary, and people are still wondering if he had a mental illness or was just extremely cunning.

Apparently winning his countrys top literary award, the Prix Goncourt, wasnt enough for Gary. He was getting on a bit and decided in 1973 to rejuvenate his career by using the false name on his 20th novel, The Life Before Us. It became a huge bestseller and won him his second Goncourt. Authors can only win it once, so he got his cousin to impersonate the mythical Ajar and receive the award.
However, PS revealed that three new accusers - spurred on by Bowen and Moore's claims - had come forward in recent weeks to file complaints alleging they were treated poorly far more recently by Hadley, and well after he claimed to have changed his behaviour. Adam Lang, the chief executive officer of 2GB parent company Macquarie Media, which is majority-owned by Nine, the owner of this masthead, has previously declined to comment on Hadley, saying confidentiality policies around such matters meant he was unable to confirm or deny if any complaints had been made. However, PS was told this week that Hadley has made overtures to at least one of the complainants since PS made the revelations and that the matter would not go any further. Alan Jones is staying put at 2GB, signing an $8 million two-year contract. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen This week's announcement that stablemate Alan Jones had re-signed on a two-year, $8 million contract to remain at the helm of his breakfast show may also have an impact on one of the other complaints against Hadley.

One of the sticking points in Jones' protracted negotiations was that he keep all his team, which PS understands is around six full-time research and production staff. Among them is the individual who lodged one of the complaints against Hadley. And while PS has previously reported about the thawing of relations between Hadley and Jones, 2GB insiders say that the situation remains fraught given Jones' presence has thwarted Hadley's plans to take over the key breakfast slot. Hadley announced he had signed a new five-year contract with Macquarie last Christmas, and that Hadley would receive a "breakfast bonus" to take over Jones' slot, meaning his salary would jump from around $2.5 million a year to more than $3 million. Hadley has made overtures to at least one of the complainants since PS made the revelations. Jones appeared on Sky News on Tuesday night to talk about his decision to stay put at 2GB with fellow announcer Ben Fordham. On Wednesday, he appeared on fellow 2GB personality Chris Smith's afternoon radio show to talk about it further.

While Hadley offered a few warm words on his show about Jones this week, the pair are yet to actually breathe the same studio air at the same time. PS looks forward to hearing that reunion. Hats off to the Rich Listers Getting billionaire property developer Harry Triguboff's exact head measurements was no easy feat for The Australian Financial Review Magazine editor Matthew Drummond and his team as they compiled this year's Rich List. Harry Triguboff could just be the ultimate Rich Uncle Pennybags. Credit:Louise Kennerley The king of Meritonia, Triguboff, (ranked No.3 with $13.54 billion) along with fellow gazillionaires Anthony Pratt (No.1 at $15.57 billion), Jack Cowin ($2.79 billion), Lang Walker ($4.67 billion) and Justin Hemmes (88th on $1.06 billion) are among those moneybags who agreed to pose in a series of entertaining portraits for the special issue.

"We needed Harry's hat size because when we thought about what has been happening in the property market, the slide in prices, who's buying, who's selling, we kept coming back to the idea of Monopoly ... Harry was the ultimate Rich Uncle Pennybags, he just needed a top-hat." In an ode to his Dutch heritage, Hemmes features in a still life worthy of a Master, the bar tzar even borrowing a lobster from the kitchen at his hot-spot Ivy for the shoot. Billionaire bar baron Justin Hemmes as he appears in this years AFR Magazine Rich List. Credit:Louie Douvis Anthony Pratt's private jet had to be moved to just the right spot to ensure it was in the best light for his shot on the tarmac while Jack Cowin agreed to gobble down one of his Hungry Jack's Whoppers (he's actually a regular at the Oxford Street outlet) while Lang Walker went all Island of Dr Moreau in his Panama hat in the waters off his luxury private island Kokomo in Fiji. Anthony Pratt has raced ahead of the Rich List pack in 2019. Credit:Alina Gozin'a

Drummond says next year his dream portrait is to convince a so far reluctant Gina Rinehart to pose. "She's Australia's iron maiden of business," he told PS. The mind boggles. The G hits the spot on Instagram There's no excuse to sit around idly waiting for Sydney's property downturn to pass, as evidenced by tireless agent Gavin Rubinstein's inexhaustible Instagram feed which rivals that of Taylor Swift or Kim Kardashian when it comes to shameless self-indulgence.

Pint-sized Rubinstein, or "The G" as he likes his mates to call him, also appears to have inspired a rather amusing parody account by a fictional agent going by the name of Dick Slider, who echoes many of the feel-good, positive vibe mantras Rubinstein likes to post. Birthday boy Gavin Rubinstein shares his Versace robe with guests. Credit:Instagram PS's favourite is: "Where focus goes energy flows", accompanying a shot of "The G" being chauffeured about in a Rolls Royce. Subtle, no? And then there are the party shots from his pyjamas-themed birthday bash last year, with "The G" spending the evening in his flowing Versace robe surrounded by admiring ladies. And while rival agents have been sneering about how "The G" keeps his designer sneakers perfectly white, rumours one of his minions - though Rubinstein denied to PS it was his "bodyguard" - carries him from the car to his house opens appear to be off the mark.

Mia Freedman, co-founder and creative director of Mamamia. Credit:Cybele Malinowski However PS did hear about the "7-foot lump of muscle" who had to restrain one of Rubinstein's admirers from approaching him at The Woollahra Hotel not so long ago. Child labour at Mamamia Media mogulette Mia Freedman's digital empire is very much a family affair. This week, an announcement came out about the promotion of Jessie Stephens as Associate Editor at Mamamia.

She had previously been weekend editor at the publication and, even more interestingly, is currently dating Freedman's eldest child, son Luca, who has had something of a meteoric rise in the ranks and is now running Freedman's burgeoning "influencer" talent agency. Jesse Stephens and Luca Lavigne. Credit:Instagram Stephens' identical twin sister - Clare - is also working for Freedman as Mamamia's editor while Freedman's husband Jason Lavigne is the media group's chief executive officer. Rounding out the cosy office of 80 is word that Freedman's bestie Lisa Wilkinson's daughter Billie is working as an editorial assistant. No word on when Freedman's other two children, both still school-aged, will be joining the business, but surely it won't be long?
In music notation, ghost notes are the ones with crosses instead of ovals on the ends of their staves. They have rhythmic value but no pitch. Thwack. Tick. Click. Boompf. Ghost notes. It might not sound like much to work with, but swag counts for a lot.

"In America, swag is a hip-hop term for style," says drummer Robert "Sput" Searight. He's the Texan core, alongside New York percussionist Nate Werth, of Ghost-Note. "Swag is like, cool," he says. "Our swag is our funk. Our swag is our attitude."

Ghost Note's Robert Sput Searight, left, and Nate Werth.

All three are big players on Swagism, the second Ghost-Note album. Their first, Fortified, was something of an experiment in rhythm values in 2016: some melodic elements, but the gist was highly arranged and layered percussive interplay between the two moonlighting members of Snarky Puppy.

Come 2018, the times called for a more full-blooded response.
The gains for the Liberals in the Victorian electorate of Monash were strongest in some of the areas doing it hardest  like Moe, the regional town where the swings ranged up to 8.4 per cent at different booths. The swing in Newborough, another Labor area, was 8.5 per cent. In Swan, in the southern suburbs of Perth, the blue-collar areas of Belmont East, Wycombe South and Queens Park swung to the Liberals by 5.9 per cent, 6.9 per cent and 4.4 per cent, as radio host Gareth Parker of 6PR wrote last Sunday. This was a seat Labor thought it could win. Shorten and his shadow cabinet misjudged the middle ground. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The theory that "battlers" handed victory to Morrison is deeply contested. In The Guardian Australia this week, University of Sydney political science lecturer Shaun Ratcliff warned against generalisations. The headline on his analysis was: "Its a myth that Aussie battlers handed the Coalition its election victory." Ratcliff argued, correctly, that conclusions about individual voters cannot be made from aggregate data. He drew on the Co-operative Australian Election Survey of 10,000 voters to reinforce the reality that those on lower incomes favour Labor.

Yet the evidence from the polling booths cannot be denied. The swing is not a myth  it is brutal reality. The lesson of May 18 is that actual ballot papers from polling booths matter more than surveys. So the political battle of the next three years will be about claiming ownership of the "battlers" who changed their votes. Not just how to define them, but how to win them. Labor supporters at the election night function for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in Melbourne. Credit:Eddie Jim Morrison calls these people the "quiet Australians" and used the phrase again on Tuesday to signal his ambitions. He told the Coalition party room he had his sights on Labor electorates to be won at the next election. He is said to have named Blair, Cowan, Dobell, Gilmore, Lingiari, Solomon and more. He also named Mayo and Warringah, where the Liberals want to dislodge independents. The "quiet Australians" are like John Howards "battlers" in the sense that they are defined by the Prime Minister. Everyone appropriates the definition they prefer, which means a battler can be a tradie in a Hi-Lux for some and a worker on casual wages for others.

Loading "Its not an exclusive definition. The battler is somebody who finds in life that they have to work hard for everything they get," Howard said in 2004. "Well, that could be anyone," said radio host Leon Byner. "Well, of course it could," Howard replied. That was the point. He never measured these voters by their incomes and spoke instead about Australians who were "trying to better themselves" even if they were not on huge salaries. Aspiration is key. Labor MPs, devastated by their defeat, admit their program did not appeal to aspirational voters. "They saw us as a risk," said one on Thursday.

The governments critics have seen everything through the prism of median incomes over the past few years, as if targeting voters by income decile would deliver victory for Labor. The Coalition appealed to aspiration. It told voters they could get ahead under Morrison but would find it harder to gain and keep wealth under Shorten. It had a simple negative message: "The Bill you cant afford." Liberals who handed out how-to-vote cards at polling booths believe the government held power because of this appeal to aspirational voters. They noticed the nods from workers in high-vis as they walked out of the early voting centres. It was only a year ago that Tanya Plibersek told Sky News: "Honestly, this aspiration term, it mystifies me." Labor has always been sceptical of the word and has always had allies willing to ridicule it as conservative voodoo, but it must now face the consequence of defeat. The first test will be the vote on the governments $158 billion income tax cut. Was Labor right to oppose a tax cut worth $5840 for a worker earning $140,000 a year? The full tax cut only arrives in 2024, and Labor rejected it as too far away to matter, but it may need to accept it got this wrong. At what income level does it accept a worker deserves a tax cut?

Loading It is not all about money. Labor and Liberal campaigners say social issues were a big factor in shifting voters to the Coalition, even at the low end of the income range. Morrison promised Australians he would "burn" for them, a messaged that resonated with evangelical Christians. Australians from non-English backgrounds seemed to be comfortable with Morrisons faith. Electorates like Reid, Chisholm, La Trobe and Banks shrugged off Shortens "top end of town" rhetoric and stayed with the Liberals. It will take all sides some time to analyse the results from May 18. The temptation for some on the losing side is to claim the electorate was swindled. Stripped of its euphemisms, the argument is that people were not intelligent enough to vote Labor. How patronising can they get? Voters knew what they wanted. Whether it was a tax cut, a commuter car-park or a sense that Christian values would be secured, they chose the side that reflected their beliefs and aspirations.
Does spending more money guarantee a better meal? Not at all. And everyone should be treated the same, because they're coming in for the same experience. Some people might save up for a whole year to go to a high-end restaurant for their anniversary, so you can't let them down. What's your favourite cheap thing to eat? We're in a bit of a pizza-fest at the moment around Melbourne; we're going around doing pizza research. Not that I'm opening a pizza restaurant! But it's great to go out to have a bite to eat, at a reasonable price, and be satisfied.

 And favourite place to splurge? Japan. Sushi is expensive, especially if you're going for a high-end, three-Michelin-star kind of experience. DEATH You closed the doors to Sepia last year after a decade. Did that feel like a death to you? Well, it could actually feel like a life sentence.

What do you mean? When you have a restaurant and you get three hats, you embrace it  but then you have to maintain that level all the time. The amount of commitment you have to put into that is phenomenal; it can become your life, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Do I miss that? Some part of me does. I do miss that adrenalin, that pump, that complete focus. But in a way, closing the restaurant made me think, "It's time to change." Funnily, if I go to my tarot card reader, Death seems to be the only card that comes up. What does it mean when Death comes up in the deck? I think it means it's time to change, to do something different.

So it's not about death, so much as regeneration? Absolutely. I want to do restaurants again, but I want to look at them in a different way. I don't want to do Sepia again. What it's going to be? I can't reveal that. Have you ever killed anything you've cooked? Wild boar. It was pretty horrific. Before I came to Australia, I travelled through Europe, then Kenya and down to Tanzania. On that African trip, I went out with a group of people and we basically drove around in a big truck, camped out under the stars and had to fend for ourselves  go to the markets and get our own food. There was an opportunity to have wild boar. They said, "Does anyone want to take it on?" So I took the reins on that one. Locals had to hold it down while I slit the throat. It was probably one of the hardest things I've actually done  and heard.

You didn't become a vegetarian after that? No. But it gives you a perspective and understanding of where food comes from. It's important to understand meat doesn't come in a packet. The same goes for fish. What's your ideal last meal? Really good tomatoes, bread and great butter, with some salt. Very simple. And really good washed-rind and triple-cream cheese. A nice glass of champagne wouldn't hurt. The simplest pleasures in life are what it's about.

BODIES People who work in kitchens accrue scars from cuts and burns. Tell me about yours. There's one on the middle finger of my left hand. When I was 17, at college  catering school  in England, I was told to slice a block of cheddar up. As I pushed the knife down, I had my finger underneath the blade and it went straight through my finger. The whole thing was hanging off. Oh god, I can feel it as you're saying it. [Laughs] I have no feeling in that finger. Another was when I was working in London. I had a cheap chef's knife, and I went to crush some garlic and pushed the end of the blade on the bench. The knife shot up and went into my wrist. Right near a couple of veins. That was pretty awful. And as a young chef, I had burn marks all up my arms.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to meet his new Solomon Islands counterpart Derek Sikua next week as the relationship between Australia and its Pacific neighbour turns a corner.

After years of thorny dealings, relations between Australia and the Solomons could be entering a new phase following the election of Dr Sikua as prime minister last month.

His rise to the leadership follows the ousting of controversial prime minister Manasseh Sogavare in a no-confidence vote in parliament.

The new Solomons government took a first step to improving ties between the countries by deporting former attorney-general Julian Moti to Australia.

Australia had been engaged in an ongoing row with Mr Sogavare, who regularly accused Canberra of interfering in his country's domestic affairs and who refused to allow Mr Moti to be extradited to Australia to face sex charges.
Among them: secret Blackberry messages, CCTV cameras that mysteriously stopped working, chilli powder, coffee and liquid clothes softener found in boxes to put search dogs off the scent, personal threats to those considering pulling out, and apparent sabotage from within. Three men accused of being part of the "unpacking crew" - Mehmet Ozgen, Solomone Komai Vukici and Jason Drollet - and a sales employee of Blacktown logistics company Chess Moving, Philip Ian Bishop - have pleaded not guilty to attempting to import and possess the border controlled drugs. Jason Drollet is charged over his role in attempting to import a commercial quantity of ice and ecstasy. Credit:SMH Mr Ozgen is also accused of possessing ecstasy found in a jacket in the cupboard of his Eastlakes home. They face life in prison if convicted. The jury heard that along with three other members of the unpacking crew who are not part of the trial - Rene Arancibia, Joshua Hamlin and Akuila Bisasa - the group was involved in planning to receive and unpack a container of household goods and furniture from Germany in November 2014.

Charged with being part of the "unpacking crew": Solomone Vukici. Credit:SMH The unpacking crew were referred to in court as the KOI 6. The Crown detailed the origins of the importation to a mysterious figure named Genadie Sabu who arranged via email with German transport company Krumpf in October 2014 to move what he described as personal effects to Australia. Mr Sabu wanted to use the Blacktown logistics company Chess, the court heard, and the goods were shipped from Hamburg, arriving in Australia on November 19, 2014 in a container on the Antwerp Bridge. The weeks before its arrival saw a flurry of activity, the court heard.

About two weeks before the container arrived, the Crown alleges that a forklift driver at Chess, Deo Narayan, received a call out of the blue from a man called "Jason". Counsel for the accused Jason Drollet denied in court that his client made the call. Mr Narayan agreed to meet "Jason" at Chess where he was offered $10,000 in a blue plastic bag to move a container containing important documents without anyone knowing. Mr Narayan declined. Over coming days he would meet Jason again, eventually taking the money and leaving it in his forklift before taking it home. Chess employees tried to secure pre-approval clearance from customs for the container as per standard practice. But it was X-rayed on arrival as part of a border inspection and suspicious goods were detected.

Over several days, inspectors and police opened the container and found 136 boxes - 76 white and 36 brown - detecting crystalline substances and tablets, later identified as two tonnes of methamphetamine and MDMA. Inside the boxes were plastic containers in plastic wrapping, padded by German and Dutch language newspapers and sprinkled with chilli powder, coffee or scented liquid fabric softener. Ecstasy tablets seized were stamped with a ghost figure, identified by investigators as the logo of messaging app Snapchat. Police and border control staff frantically removed the drugs and substituted it with inert goods to send the container on its way for collection to apprehend the recipients. The mysterious Mr Sabu, whom nobody at Chess ever met or spoke with, was informed of the arrival of his goods on November 20 and asked to send a copy of his passport and to fill in a customs declaration form. He never did.

But with his goods sitting on the dock awaiting clearance, Mr Sabu suddenly changed his plans, emailing Chess: Ive been in discussions with my company and theres a possibility I may need my things shipped to London. He was, according to the email, keen for the goods to be left in the same container and not unpacked. Maybe this person sending this container was having some wavering thoughts, Crown prosecutor Mr Staehli told the court. On November 27, with the drugs removed and police surveillance in place, the container was cleared for pickup on bond from customs, meaning it could be moved but not collected or have its seal broken until inspection. Things really started happening, the Crown alleges. That day, a CCTV camera at Chess in Blacktown suddenly stopped working. Cars belonging to the unpacking crew were detected travelling from Woolloomooloo to Blacktown and then Smithfield where one member, Rene Arancibia, had rented an industrial warehouse unit. A check list was received on Ozgens Blackberry.

Boys, read check list and go over with the boy next to you. Grinder, bolt cutters, 40k in a bag to Deo. It signed off: Relax, we are almost there. Noone knows but us. But things went wrong after the container was delivered to Chess at Blacktown at 9pm. Mr Narayan, the forklift driver in the Chess compound who accepted the money from Jason to move a container, arrived and took it off the truck - but he didnt put it on the ground. Rather he placed it on top of another container out of reach. He jammed the doors against another container so it couldnt be opened. Mr Narayan went home.

Messages began flying as the problem became apparent, the Crown alleged. At 10.17pm, Mr Ozgen's Blackberry received a message: Just sit tight, bit of a f--- up on our end. Police had obtained the password to Mr Ozgens Blackberry, alleging it was used to arrange the drug collection. The next night the container was made accessible. Mr Narayan, who has since agreed to help police in return for immunity, later said Mr Bishop suggested the pair should ask for more money, some $50,000, because these guys are desperate. Counsel for Mr Bishop disputes this. Mr Narayan and Mr Bishop claimed their families were threatened.

Still anxious, Mr Sabu emailed Chess that he may have to go back to Germany and wanted his goods left in the container. But shortly after 10.20pm on November 28 they were good to go. A CCTV camera recorded Mr Bishop walking along the Chess driveway. Mr Ozgens Honda Accord arrived and three men got out. A Thrifty rental truck hired by Mr Vukici arrived and three more got out. Over several hours, the boxes that the unpacking crew thought contained drugs - but actually contained the inert goods substituted by the federal police - were removed from the container and put in the truck. Shortly before 12.30am they were finished. Mr Bishop left. Mr Arancibia drove the Thrifty truck with the boxes to his Smithfield warehouse unit. The others followed.
The father of a young woman who was punched, strangled and thrown off a balcony in Sydney's north has sobbed in court as he described her killer as a "shameless beast with a human face".

Hee Kyung Choi, 34, was murdered at Chatswood in October 2017 by her former boyfriend June Oh Seo, who she had broken up with two months earlier after describing him as possessive and controlling. Seo then spent 12 hours sitting on a high-rise awning as police tried to talk him down.

Hee Kyung Choi was murdered in October 2017.

Seo initially claimed to police that Ms Choi ended her life by suicide, before pleading guilty to murder in December last year. He also admitted to a violent assault on Ms Choi before her death, which will be taken into account when he is sentenced.

On Friday, Seo's barrister Mark Austin told the NSW Supreme Court his client can't offer a clear explanation for his actions, which are consistent with someone who "wasn't in control and wasn't thinking rationally at the time".
Australia's smoking rates have gone down by more than half in the past 30 years  but there is one Sydney suburb where the number of smokers remains at 1980s levels.

Data analysis by Victoria University's Mitchell Institute found just 14 per cent of Australians are smoking daily in 2019  less than half the proportion that were smoking 30 years ago.

Australia's national smoking rate has gone from 30 per cent to 14 per cent in 30 years. Credit:Tamara Voninski

But in Mount Druitt in the city's outer west, 31.2 per cent of people are lighting up on a daily basis  which is the highest rate of smokers in the state and the third-highest in the country. It's also the sole pocket of Sydney where smoking continues above the 1989 national average rate of 30 per cent.

The only other part of NSW with a smoking rate above the 1989 average is Tamworth, where 30.3 per cent of residents are smokers.
Thousands of women have come through the doors of Kings Cross women's refuge Lou's Place seeking shelter over the past two decades. In most cases, the women arrive vulnerable, but leave empowered, ready to engage again with their communities.

"Lous is about empowering women and trying to make a difference to help people rebuild their lives. I just found the work they do as an organisation so inspirational," general manager Nicole Yade said of the organisation which celebrated 20 years of operations on Friday.

"Trying to make a difference": Lou's Place general manager Nicole Yade, right, with the organisation's chair Alexa Haslingden. Credit:Janie Barrett

"For us, what we understand about the women we work with is we want to help anyone who knocks on our door  well work with you for as long as you want to work with us."

Lou's has relied predominantly on volunteerism and local communities to stay afloat.
Homicide detectives have been called in to investigate the death of four children and their mother killed in a horrific crash in regional southern Queensland.

Hervey Bay mother Charmaine McLeod, 35, and her children died in a head-on smash on the Bunya Highway near Kumbia, 220 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, on Monday.

Charmaine McLeod and her children Aaleyn, 6, Matilda, 5, Wyatt, 4, and Zaidok, 2, were all killed in the crash.

Aaleyn, 6; Matilda, 5; Wyatt, 4; and Zaidok, 2 - have been described by a family friend as "bubbly" and "smart" children who were always smiling.

A GoFundMe page was set up on Tuesday night and had raised about $16,000 towards funeral costs.
A former top Queensland firefighter, who helped suppliers win lucrative government contracts with the fire service for cash, has pleaded guilty to official corruption.

Former inspector and procurement manager Steven John Sparks, 44, took payments to assist a uniform supply company and laundry service provider land contracts with the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service between 2014 and 2017.

Sparks will be sentenced in the Brisbane District Court on Friday after being paid $194,500 for his assistance and failing to disclose his conflict of interest to QFES.

AAP
Balustrades? Really? What could be interesting about a balustrade? Quite a lot, actually, and not only because babies can get their heads stuck between the uprights.

Years ago, I was interviewing Austrian architect Hugh Buhrich on the roof of his first house in Castlecrag. Buhrich House II (1972) is the famous one, with its much-published undulating ceiling and terrifying cliff-edge stair hanging over the scarp at Sugarloaf Point. Buhrich House I (1949) is less glamorous but more heart-stopping, even to the point of peril. Buhrich, 93, gambolled like a spring lamb up the unprotected circular stair, each tread cantilevered rakishly from a central hand-adzed trunk, to where the houses flat roof hovered some 40 or 50 metres above a steep bush valley. There were no balustrades. Just air.

Balconies in this Melbourne apartment building have been patched up with wood following multiple glass explosions. Credit:Joe Armao

I said something suitably breathless about the view before noting, in afterthought, that you wouldnt want to do it with kids. Buhrich replied in tungsten tones that he (and his wife, the well-known architecture critic Eva Buhrich) had raised their twins there from babyhood. Poor Eva, I thought. He turned away muttering something about evolution in action.

So yes, dangerous. Theirs was a generation toughened by trauma. Yet that perilous rooftop may, it now emerges, be significantly less dangerous than buildings all around us. So, at least, says the newly formed and refreshingly dull-sounding Australian Balustrade Association.
Cars are being sold in Australia with fewer safety features than the same models sold in Europe, the Transport Accident Commission says, as it looks to curb Victoria's soaring road death toll.

"It's absolutely time for a fresh look at what the acceptable minimum standards for vehicles into Australia are," TAC chief executive Joe Calafiore said on Friday, ahead of a summit into the deaths on the state's roads.

A crash test on the Great Wall ute which has a two-star safety rating. Credit:ANCAP

Victoria is on track to record its worst road toll in at least 14 years, prompting the Premier to call Friday's road safety summit.

So far this year, 137 people have been killed on our roads, compared to 88 at the same time last year. And the death toll on regional roads is two-thirds worse than Melbourne's.
Two cars wanted in a hunt for a suspected murderer have been found dumped at a car wrecking business in Welshpool.

WA Police put out a call to find the Hyundai Getz and Mitsubishi Coupe cars on Thursday, both wanted in relation to the alleged murder of 34-year-old Jelagat Cheruiyot.

The man caught on CCTV with both cars. Credit:Nine News Perth

Police said the two cars had gone missing from the Main Street unit they were registered to, and were therefore of major interest to the investigation.

The cars were eventually discovered on Friday, with CCTV obtained by Nine News Perth picturing a male driver dropping the Hyundai Getz off at about midday on Thursday.
Several foster children who alerted authorities to sexual abuse they were suffering at the hands of their carer were not believed, with one's interrogation by case workers following her claims likened to the Spanish inquisition, a court has heard.

Desmond Gore, 73, was sentenced to 15 years and four months jail in the Perth District Court on Friday, after being found guilty at trial of sexually abusing six of his foster children, aged between six and nine, between 2007 and 2011.

Desmond Gore was sentenced to 15 years behind bars. Credit:Richard Giliberto

The abuse included the rape of three girls, aged eight and nine years old.

Despite the first of the abuse occurring 14 days into his first foster placement, it took three children coming forward, and four years of the abuse occurring in Gore's Armadale home, before the Department of Child Protection placed his foster carer status under review.
A group of Perth primary school students were left stunned when they stumbled on a coconut filled with drugs while out on a school activity earlier this month.

The incident occurred on May 2 at a school in Perths south, when a group of children aged between eight and 12 were practising a mapping exercise on land close to the schools administration building.

The students were out on a mapping exercise. Credit:Cathryn Tremain

In a letter to parents, the school said the children found the coconut filled with an illegal substance and a $20 note in the adjacent nature-play land.

Supervising teachers quickly returned the students to their classrooms and notified local police.
The great Australian writer Craig McGregor says there are two types of Australia  the lush, lotus-eating land of the coast, and the tough, lean land you encounter further inland. The lotus-eating land, it seems to me, is suited to the languid heat of summer. The second only becomes fully itself in winter.

When Judith Wright wrote about New England  in her most famous poem South of My Days  she chose to capture the place in winter, the season that starts today: a land of bony slopes wincing under the winter  clean, lean, hungry country.

A few lines on, she talks about the black-frost night; how the walls draw in to the warmth, and the slung kettle hisses a leak on the fire.

There's the lush, lotus-eating land of the coast, and the tough, lean land you encounter further inland. Credit:Janie Barrett

And she describes how a good storyteller  old Dan is her example - can spin a tale like a blanket against the winter.
"Whenever the rich lists come out it's the worst time of the year," Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes told Good Weekend magazine last year.

"There's no upside, only downside. Unless you want to kind of show off in a weird way. But then buy a freakin' billboard, right?"

The Rich List is having trouble keeping up with the wealth of Atlassian co-founders Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar.

So the Atlassian co-founder probably won't mind that the latest edition of the Australian Financial Review Rich List for 2019 significantly underestimates both his wealth and ranking.

While property is still the path to riches for most of those who made the cut again this year, our tech entrepreneurs have made their presence felt in record numbers. A record 14 tech entrepreneurs made the Rich List this year - and are scaling the heights of the rich list with unseemly haste.
Washington: Despite pushback from US business and Mexico, President Donald Trump doubled down Friday on his threat to slap a 5 per cent tariff on Mexican imports unless America's southern neighbor cracks down on Central American migrants trying to cross the US border.

US manufacturers said the tariff, set to take effect on June 10, would have devastating consequences on them and American consumers. US stocks tumbled on Wall Street in response to Trump's planned action.

"Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move," said Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the US Chamber of Commerce, which is exploring legal action in response to the tariffs. "These tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border. Instead, Congress and the president need to work together to address the serious problems at the border."

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador dispatched his foreign secretary to Washington to try to negotiate a solution. He said social problems are not solved with coercive measures, but also seemed convinced that Trump just needed to be informed about all the steps Mexico has taken to slow illegal migration.
In August of that year, Tricia Pacaccio, 18, was celebrating her high school graduation with friends before each headed off to university. She was bound for Purdue University, where she'd earned an engineering scholarship. She dropped a peer off about 1am before heading home. She walked up to her door carrying her house key but never made it inside. Her father found her on the doorstep later that morning with numerous stab wounds to her chest, shoulder and neck. Loading Just 17 at the time, Gargiulo was a friend of Pacaccio's younger brother. It wasn't until a decade later that investigators discovered the DNA collected from her fingernails was his. By then, prosecutors say, Gargiulo had moved to the Los Angeles area and killed Ellerin.

Gargiulo first met Ellerin when he offered to help her change a flat tyre. Later, he offered to help fix a problem with her heater, and from then on, he'd show up uninvited and unannounced at her apartment. Some reported seeing him park in front of her home at all hours, staring at her place for long periods of time. Her roommate thought he was a stalker. Prosecutors allege he entered Ellerin's Hollywood home one night in February 2001 and stabbed her 47 times, slashing her throat so severely that he almost decapitated her. Kutcher testified that he arrived at Ellerin's on the night of February 22, 2001, after speaking to her by phone earlier that evening to arrange a date. But when he got there two hours after the call, Kutcher said he found the lights on and the door locked. Peering through the window he saw "what I thought was a red wine spilled on the carpet".

"I didn't really think anything of it," Kutcher said, adding he "figured I screwed up" by showing up late, and he assumed Ellerin had gone out with a friend, City News reported. Ellerin was found dead at her home the next morning by a roommate. Gargiulo later moved to the El Monte area, into the same apartment complex as 32-year-old Maria Bruno. In 2005, prosecutors allege, Gargiulo attacked Bruno as she slept and "quite literally butchered her", slashing her throat and slicing off her breasts, which he staged for police to find. Soon after investigators found her body, they spotted a blue surgical bootie outside her apartment door with three drops of Bruno's blood.

A 2008 photo of Michael Gargiulo. Credit:Santa Monica Police Gargiulo's DNA matched the profile that was found along the elastic band. The same type of booties, which he wore for work as an air conditioner repairman, were found by detectives hidden in his attic. Before the killing, Gargiulo had been seen trying to open Bruno's door and peeping through her window. The last attack linked to him, in April 2008, was unlike the others. His victim Michelle Murphy had survived. Gargiulo and Murphy, who was 27 at the time, lived across from each other, sharing an alley in Santa Monica. In the months leading up to her attack, Gargiulo would greet her outside her apartment.

One night, prosecutors say, she woke up to him stabbing her arms and chest. She kicked him off, causing him to cut his wrist and flee. Investigators found his blood on her bedspread and in the alley. After his arrest less than two months later in connection with the Santa Monica attack, detectives linked Gargiulo to the killings of Ellerin and Bruno. He wasn't charged in Illinois with Pacaccio's slaying until 2011. Murphy was the first witness called by prosecutors in the case. On the day of the attack, Murphy testified that she washed her bedsheets, jumped rope in the alley behind her Santa Monica apartment building, and watched TV before crawling into bed. She had been asleep for about an hour, she testified, when she woke up to a man straddling her, stabbing her arm and chest with a serrated knife. She screamed and asked why he was attacking her. The man didn't say a word, she said.

In a struggle to save herself, Murphy said she wrapped her hands around the knife's blade and kicked the man off the bed. As he ran out the door, Murphy recalled, he spoke for the first time. "I'm sorry," the attacker said. Murphy testified that she locked the door, closed the living room window the man had climbed in and made two phone calls. She first called the man she'd been dating for two months, who is now her husband, and then the police. An ambulance took her to a hospital, where doctors operated on her hand and stitched her wounds. Prosecutor Daniel Akemon presents his case during the opening statements. Credit:AP She never returned to that Santa Monica apartment. Instead, her family and friends packed up her belongings. Since her attack, Murphy said she's more vigilant about making sure "everything's locked".
PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):---The Dutch Second Chamber Committee for Kingdom Relations held a round table discussion on the proposal for a Dispute Regulation on Wednesday, May 29th, 2019.



The Ministers Plenipotentiary of the three Kingdom Countries, as well as renowned experts in the fields of constitutional law and Kingdom Relations, shared their respective countrys main objections on the draft Dispute Regulation.



The general sentiment is either dismiss the existing proposal and present a new one or make fundamental amendments to the existing proposal.



Minister Plenipotentiary of Sint Maarten, drs. Jorien Wuite, emphasized the importance of binding arbitration: If an independent body would find that the Kingdom Charter was contravened, the Kingdom Council of Ministers should act accordingly, Wuite stated. Anything less would show contempt for our highest law: The Kingdom Charter.

Minister Wuite also emphasized the importance of working with the other Parliaments in finding a suitable solution and offered her assistance in this process.



After Minister Plenipotentiary Wuites contribution to these deliberations, many experts from the panel viewed her stance and comments, which were shared on behalf of both the Government and Parliament of Sint Maarten, as concise and that they had to be further explored and/ or incorporated into the final draft.



Minister Plenipotentiary of Curacao, Anthony Begina, outlined Curacaos three main objections to the proposal: the fact that the Dutch Prime Minister could veto the dispute regulation being invoked; the fact that Kingdom legislation is excluded from the scope of the regulation; and the fact that in the current draft, the Kingdom Council of Ministers could dismiss the outcome of the procedure.



Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba, Guilfred Besaril, compared the position of the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom to the position of The Netherlands within the European Union (EU). Within the EU, there are mechanisms in place to protect the smaller countries against the power of the big countries, Besaril stated.



Why should the same principle not apply to the Kingdom?

The constitutional law experts were all in agreement that the present proposal is not what was agreed on in 2010. They pointed out several flaws in the proposal, such as the exclusion of Kingdom legislation within the scope of dispute regulation.



Overall, the legal experts considered the non-binding character of the current proposal to be unacceptable. Prof. Ernst Hirsch Ballin, a former Dutch Minister of Justice and former Minister of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations, repeatedly emphasized the fact that the Kingdom could benefit from a binding dispute resolution mechanism. Yes, the Kingdom Charter may be vague and inconsistent on some points, he responded to a question from Dutch Member of Parliament (MP) Andre Bosman (VVD), but an independent body could contribute greatly to the political discussions in the Kingdom, by clarifying the constitutional framework of the Kingdom.



Near the end of the discussion, when questioned by MP Nevin Ozutok (GroenLinks) to cast a fictitious vote on the proposal as if they were members of the Second Chamber, all legal experts agreed that the proposal should be drastically amended or rejected, depending on the opinions of the Parliamentarians of the Caribbean Kingdom countries.



Notwithstanding their final answer, the discussion ended positively, as questions yet unanswered were now clear and positions shared before the round table discussion have been further clarified.



Quite some members of the Second Chamber committee urged the Ministers Plenipotentiary to submit a proposal for amendments. Minister Plenipotentiary Wuite is therefore of the opinion that the overall message is clear: focus on amendments to the proposal and do this in close and continuous collaboration with all parties involved.



The first weeks of June are therefore critical for the Caribbean Kingdom Countries and their Parliaments to formulate amendments on the most fundamental elements of the existing draft dispute regulation which should lead to all parties being in consensus on a final proposal, according to a communique from the Sint Maarten House in The Hague.
Many Euralarm members and other interested people gathered on May 13th, 2019 in Madrid for the annual Euralarm Symposium. It was the moment that Euralarm presented its priorities and challenges for the upcoming years. General Director Paul van der Zanden introduced Euralarms new strategy document for 2019 to 2024 to the audience by putting it into perspective with the developments within Brussels.

Fire safety and security industry

There is so much going on in Brussels that is not communicated. Members of Euralarm are European citizens, whose profession in fire safety and security has made them leaders in their business based on knowledge. Their leadership is underlined by trusted and proven partners like Orgalim, CEN, CENELEC and key stakeholders from the EU, such as several Directorates General. The world in which Euralarm operates and especially the part that is involved in standardisation is complex.

The world in which Euralarm operates and especially the part that is involved in standardisation is complex

And apart from the complexity there are big changes going on in the field of technology and economy that shake up the world of standardisation. Think of cybersecurity or artificial intelligence and it will be clear that associations like Euralarm need to act in a swift and decisive way. Based on its current position and on the strategic objectives of the association a number of priorities and challenges have been defined for Euralarm in the new EU legislative period 2019 to 2024.

They are based on Europe-wide cooperation and will enable Euralarm to maintain and further improve its position in Europe. The four priorities and challenges were topic of the opening presentations that were held by Lance Rutimann, Chair of the Fire Section, Peter Massingberd-Mundy, member of the Fire Section and involved in many of the standardisation activities of Euralarm, Jon Koenz, Chair of the Services Section and Dominique Taudin, Chair of the Advocacy Committee.

Lance Rutimanns presentation focused on Innovating through Research

Fire safety solutions for life safety

Lance Rutimanns presentation focused on Innovating through Research. He opened his presentation with a philosophical view  the Socratic Paradox - that there's a wealth of knowledge in so many areas, but yet we have still so much to learn. That is what research is all about: helping us to understand things and see behind the curtains for new solutions. What has that to do with the association's priorities? Our industry wants to stay leader in our business. That requires research, collaboration and cooperation.

Our industry wants to stay leader in our business, which requires research, collaboration and cooperation

We have to stimulate others to bring their support to the table. Together, we can identify the opportunities and understand the risks of emerging technologies. It requires investigating common challenges in the application of fire safety and security solutions to gain new insights on protection of life and assets in buildings.

Therefore, we should also examine which qualifications, skills and expertise are needed in our industry and act on the findings. In order to make that happen, Euralarm urges the EU institutions and research bodies to work together. By developing partnerships between industry, testing houses, universities and research institutes priority areas could be identified more easily, and efforts coordinate more seamlessly. It would enable all parties to maximise the potential of EU research programmes under Horizon 2020 and its successor.

Fast, flexible products standardisation

Peter Massingberd-Mundy took up the gauntlet of talking about fast and flexible standardisation. The title may seem to encompass both a contradiction and an oxymoron, but standards are at the core of everything we do. With a world that becomes more and more connected, standards need to allow for this connectivity as well as being well connected and clearly structured in themselves. Robust standards for products and services are at the heart of our industrys success but to continue serving the interests of customers, society and the industry, a faster and more flexible standards-setting system is needed.

Peter Massingberd-Mundy took up the gauntlet of addressing fast, flexible standardisation

A system that is agile and accommodating of technical changes and innovations will help Euralarm members and other parties to respond rapidly to customers demands and deliver the highest levels of safety and security to citizens. This would put European companies on the best footing to serve global markets. Such a fast and flexible standards-setting system requires close cooperation between the key players  Euralarm, European Commission, standards organisations, approval bodies and other organisations  who together can write the standards that will deliver the highest quality products and services as efficiently as possible.

Furthermore, Euralarm urges the EU institutions to work together to deliver an efficient system that responds to market needs. Among the areas where progress would be required over the next five years are the setting, improving or extending of standards; for interoperability between building systems, between remote services, for the residential market (e.g. combining security and home-assisted systems) and for the competency of personnel and the quality of the services they provide.

Cybersecurity, IoT and AI

Whether active in fire safety or security, the building and construction industry or process automation: digitalisation is all around us

Whether active in fire safety or security, the building and construction industry or process automation: digitalisation is all around us. It has an impact on our industry but also offers opportunities and challenges. How to seize these opportunities of digitalisation was the topic of the presentation that was given by Jon Koenz.

Digitalisation is already having a huge impact on our industry and this trend will continue to grow in the future. New technologies such as cybersecurity, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will drive this trend to become more and more crucial for our sector. All participants in the value chain need to be sensitised to the importance of increasing resilience in the face of cyber-attacks.

At the same time, the potential of AI needs to be carefully assessed to maximise opportunities this technology offers. That is only possible when knowledge partners such as Euralarm and EU institutions work closely together. That cooperation will allow them to make rapid progress on a Europe-wide voluntary certification mark (quality label) that shows that all reasonable protection measures against cyber-attacks have been taken. That cooperation is also needed to advance work on standards for cybersecurity, IoT for fire and security systems and Building Information Modelling (BIM). Last but not least, the parties involved should cooperate to promote education as an investment in the future.

Dominique Taudin discussed the current landscape for testing and certification of fire products

Fragmented certification landscape

The fragmented landscape for testing and certification of their products and services was the topic of the presentation of Dominique Taudin. Since Euralarm members are facing this landscape they are charged with higher costs since they have to submit multiple applications in several countries for the same product or service. But there are more than just costs.

There is also the risk of having an inconsistent approach to testing and certification across the EU. This situation could be improved by the introduction and use of pan-European testing, auditing and certification processes. Not only would it reduce administrative burdens but also save costs for fire safety and security companies, many of which are small- and medium-sized enterprises. It would also help achieving real EUs single market for fire safety and security. But there is also another, perhaps more important aspect when it comes to the future of European companies.

Euralarm calls on stakeholders to intensify work between leading laboratories on MTRA

A European wide process would allow companies to avoid uncertainty and encourage investment if they only had to submit their products and services for testing and certification to a single authority. To turn this fragmented landscape into a uniform and organised environment Euralarm wants to cooperate closely with EU institutions, test laboratories and certification bodies. It should result in achieving consistent, objective and repeatable processes for testing across Europe and, over the longer term, developing a single testing and certification scheme for electronic security equipment.

Multilateral Test Result Recognition Agreements

In the short term, Euralarm calls on stakeholders to intensify work between leading laboratories on Multilateral Test Result Recognition Agreements (MTRA). Fore services, the transition process from a fragmented to a consistently organised environment will require a better exchange of information about national training and certification schemes for the personnel involved in planning and design, engineering, installation and hand over, maintenance and repair of fire safety and security systems.

Keynote speaker during the Euralarm Symposium 2019 was Alberto Garcia-Mogollon, Head of Innovation Policy of BSI. He took the visitors on a 'tour' during his presentation on building confidence and accelerating innovation through standardisation. With a new generation of products and services requiring the integration of complex, digital technologies and new production processes that need to scale up at faster rates the role of standardisation is expanding rapidly. It fulfils the ever-increasing need to demonstrate confidence in performance.

Alberto Garcia-Mogollon spoke about a strategic approach to reaping the benefits of standardisation

Reaping the benefits of standardisation

To maximise the benefits from standardisation, Alberto proposed to have a strategic approach. The type of standards may vary according to the maturity and nature of technology and the industry sector where it applies to. The standards process itself should be agile. With the right value proposition based on outputs and services a fit-for-purpose set of standards can be developed to be used across industries with different characteristics.

Alberto proposed a process of fast iterations with faster development times and publication schedules

To maximise the value from and creating value for the communities engaged in standards development there should be a collaborative approach toward the content development. And by creating a state-of-the-art environment for standards development, the efficiency, speed and ease of use are ensured. In relation to the needs of innovative industries, Alberto proposed a process of fast iterations with faster development times and publication schedules for each iteration, an output that is designed to elicit feedback and discussion and enhanced feedback from the user community to aid development, improving speed and quality.

Self-regulating autonomous standards

Important to remember: the future of standards is digital, with self-regulating autonomous standards fed in real-time by data from 'smart' devices, potentially connected to smart contracts, e.g. leading to continuous conformance or regulatory audit. For accelerating innovation through standardisation, it is important that both the technology landscape and industry needs are understood and that coordination across fragmented international knowledge networks is realised.

Also, innovators should be educated on the role and value of standards while mechanisms should be developed to encourage participation of end users and SMEs and enabling public participation and oversight.
Georgetown, SC (29440)

Today

A few clouds. Low 62F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 62F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
NASA will reveal its selection of the first commercial companies to deliver science experiments to the moon as part of the agency's Artemis lunar landing program, and you can watch it live online.

The space agency will announce its science selection at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) during a live broadcast of its NASA Science Live program, a monthly science show launched in February. The reveal is the latest in a series of contract announcements by NASA as the agency aims to return astronauts to the moon by 2024.

You can NASA's moon announcement live here, or directly from NASA TV here. NASA will also hold a teleconference at 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT), which will be streamed live online.

Related: NASA's Full Plate of Moon Missions Before Astronauts Can Go

"Paving the way to return astronauts to the surface of the moon, and ultimately Mars, NASA will announce the selection of the first commercial moon landing service providers that will deliver science and technology payloads as part of the agencys Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)," NASA officials wrote in a statement. "These missions will acquire new science measurements and enable important technology demonstrations, whose data will inform the development of future landers and other exploration systems needed for astronauts to return to the moon by 2024."

NASA's CLPS program is the vanguard of its Artemis moon program. It will send robotic landers on scouting missions to the lunar surface.

Last November, NASA chief Jim Bridenstine announced that the agency had picked nine different companies to participate in the CLPS program: Astrobotic Technology Inc., Deep Space Systems, Draper, Firefly Aerospace Inc., Intuitive Machines LLC, Lockheed Martin Space, Masten Space Systems, Inc., Moon Express and Orbit Beyond.

It's one or more of those companies we expect NASA to select during today's announcement. NASA has set aside $2.6 billion to spend over 10 years for its CLPS program, with each of the nine companies guaranteed at least $25,000 for its participation, though individual contracts for actual science or technology payloads and mission will vary depending on the service.

In February, NASA announced its shortlist for the first science experiments it wants to send to the moon under the CLPS program. Those 12 payloads included 10 science experiments and two technology demonstrations to study the amount of hydrogen on the moon; measure radiation levels; collect vital entry, descent and landing data; and test advanced new solar arrays, among other things. The full list of commercial science payloads is available here.

Visit Space.com today for complete coverage of the CLPS announcement for the first company to help NASA land a science payload on the moon.
NASA has chosen the first commercial companies that will carry the agency's equipment to the moon during its lead-up to a human landing in 2024 : Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines and Orbit Beyond.

The companies will build moon landers to ferry NASA science experiments and technology demonstrations to the lunar surface. Those flights will be the first step of the agency's ambitious Artemis program to land humans on the moon in 2024 . The first mission, by Orbit Beyond, will launch in September 2020. The other two will launch in the summer of 2021.

"This is truly exciting, a new way for us at NASA to do business," Thomas Zurbuchen, the head of NASA's science mission directorate, said today (May 31) during the announcement at agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "We can't wait to do the science that we want to do with instruments that we're developing right now  science that in many cases even five years ago we didn't know how to ask questions about. This is how urgent this is."

Related: NASA's Full Plate of Moon Missions Before Astronauts Can Go

An illustration of a private moon lander built by Astrobotic, which NASA has picked as one of its first commercial lunar lander partners. It will launch in June 2021. (Image credit: Astrobotic)

Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines and Orbit Beyond will each carry a selection of NASA payloads that are intended either to address scientific questions about the moon or to test new technology that engineers are developing to advance space exploration.

NASA is providing each company with money to work on their landers: $79.5 million to Astrobotic, $77 million to Intuitive Machines and $97 million to Orbit Beyond.

NASA has not yet decided precisely which payloads will fly on which lander; the agency intends to do so later this year. Astrobotic has said its Peregrine lander will carry up to 14 payloads for NASA as well as 14 experiments for other customers (for a total of 28 payloads in all. Intuitive Machines will fly five payloads on its Nova-C lander, with Orbit Beyond carrying four payloads on its own Z-01 lander.

But each company's lander will be carrying more than just NASA's payloads. Orbit Beyond showed off a small demo rover as well as its lander model during the event NASA held to announce its commercial partners. Astrobotic also said it plans to carry rovers on its lunar lander.

An artist's illustration of a commercial moon lander built by Intuitive Machines, which NASA has picked as a commercial partner for lunar science. It will launch in July 2021. (Image credit: Intuitive Machines)

Two of the selected companies are planning to launch their missions two years from now.

Astrobotic plans to launch its lander in June 2021 and touch down in July 2021; Intuitive Machines to both launch and land in July 2021. Orbit Beyond is pushing the timeline significantly more: the company has told NASA it can land on the moon on Sept. 27, 2020.

Today's announcement follows the selection of nine finalist companies, which were announced in November . At the time, NASA did not offer any details about specific criteria that guided their choices.

Since that announcement, President Donald Trump's administration has aggressively condensed NASA's timeline for getting back to the moon, moving the goal for a human landing from 2028 to 2024.

An artist's illustration of Orbit Beyond's private moon lander, which will launch NASA payloads to the lunar surface in July 2021. The lander will include small rover and land on a lava plain in one of the moon's craters. (Image credit: Orbit Beyond)

Zurbuchen spoke in front of models of each of the three selected landers in the very same room in which NASA engineers constructed the Hubble Space Telescope and assembled the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope, which is also due to launch in 2021.

Today's announcement follows another substantial commercial partnership decision from NASA regarding its moon program.

On May 23, NASA announced that it had selected Maxar to build the power and propulsion element of the Gateway, a lunar-orbiting station meant to ask as a platform for missions bound for the moon's surface. The space agency is also evaluating six potential designs for habitat modules to house astronauts on the Gateway.
Commission President Merkel and Macron at Odds over New EU Leader

After disagreements over Brexit, the Nord Stream pipeline and Eurozone reforms, the relationship between France and Germany has grown tenser. Now, another conflict is brewing: Who should become president of the European Commission?
Oxford Professor on Brexit's Colonial Roots 'The Empire Was Celebrated as A Great Thing'

In the view of Oxford Professor Danny Dorling, a British elite drunk on nationalism is responsible for the Brexit disaster. Raised in the traditions of the British Empire, they continue to glorify the crimes committed during colonialism.
New York, May 23, 2019 (SPS) - The Frente POLISARIO is deeply saddened to learn of the resignation of the UN Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy, former German President Horst Khler. During his tenure as Personal Envoy, President Khler was unwavering in his pursuit of a just and lasting solution that would provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We thank President Khler for his dynamic efforts to relaunch the UN peace process in Western Sahara, and we wish him good health and every success in all his endeavours.



The Frente POLISARIO remains fully committed to the UN-led political process and to the realisation of our peoples inalienable right to self-determination and independence. It is imperative that the Personal Envoys departure not be used as an excuse to delay or derail the progress made since the first UN-led roundtable meeting on Western Sahara held in December 2018. We therefore urge the UN Secretary-General to move swiftly to appoint a new Personal Envoy, who shares President Koehlers strong conviction, stature and resolve. We continue to believe that with the political will and determination of the UN Security Council a just and lasting solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara is within reach. (SPS)



062/SPS
Algiers, May 26, 2019 (SPS) - Sahrawi Ambassador to Algiers Abdelakder Taleb Omar denounced Moroccan occupiers rejection of the African Unions participation in Western Sahara peace process, saying that AUs commitment to the core principles, particularly respect for the borders inherited after independence and the right to self-determination, was a pledge of peace and stability in the continent.



Speaking at a conference, themed "Western Sahara, last colony in Africa," organized Saturday, in Algiers, by the African Civil Society Parliament to celebrate Africa Day, Taleb denounced Morocco's persistent rejection of AU's participation in Western Sahara peace process," a position that undermines its media propaganda about alleged support from Africa.



During this meeting, hosted by the National Association of Youth Exchanges (ANEJ), the Sahrawi diplomat welcomed AUs role in supporting the Sahrawi cause and Sahrawis legitimate right to independence.



The recognition of SADR by the African Unity Organization (OAU) as a full member country "is in line with the principles and the doctrine of the pan-African organization, "he said.



"Morocco, which accepted the principle of the referendum in 1981, keeps working against the decolonization of Western Sahara," he added.



"Africa remained on the same track, despite Moroccos return, after 32 years of absence, when it realized it was losing and that Africa is increasingly assuming a vital role at the international level," said Taleb Omar.



"This return was an attempt, which has so far failed, to divide the States members, added Taleb.



According to him, "the SADR was not only maintained as a member country but it was imposed in all AUs meetings" which clearly justifies the policys failure.



Referring to the resignation of UN Personal envoy for Western Sahara, Horst Kohler, the Sahrawi ambassador reiterated the Polisario Fronts regret, noting that "the resignation circumstances showed that the Security Council did not take enough steps to bring Morocco to comply with UN resolutions, he said.



In this regard, Taleb warned about the absence of Kohler, hoping that this vacuum would not persist and that the recently recorded dynamics will be supported by the Security Council to prevent resignations and thus the lingering of the conflict.



"We are ready to continue fighting until sovereignty is achieved, said Taleb.



Forty-six years of resilience is proof of Sahrawi peoples ability to continue the struggle for a just settlement in accordance with international law, he added.



Reiterating satisfaction of the Sahrawi party with the extension, by six months, of Minurso mandate, Taleb considered that this decision endorses the referendum organization and the pressure exerted on Morocco to faster its implementation.



In the same context, he denounced "France's biased position in favour of Morocco,"



"Morocco continues to manipulate and lie to undermine the process of settlement," said Taleb.



By renewing the six-month term of the Minurso, the Security Council reaffirmed its commitment to continue supporting Western Sahara process, said the Sahrawi diplomat.



The position of the Security Council encourages Moroccos intransigence, which undermines the already fragile political process, "said Taleb Omar.



Among the results emanating from this position, violations of the ceasefire and barbaric repression of Sahrawi people in the occupied territories.



"These Actions require a firm response that challenges the occupying state," he concluded. (SPS)



062/SPS/APS
Chahid El Hafed (Camps of Dignity), May 28, 2019 (SPS) - The Frente POLISARIO has reiterated on Monday that the only viable, lasting and realistic solution is that which respects the will and the choice of the Saharawi people, as all colonial peoples, in accordance with the Charter and the resolutions of the United Nations and the African Union.

The Permanent Bureau of the National Secretariat, meeting in regular session under its Secretary General, Brahim Gali, examined the current situation and the developments of the national cause, in particular the resignation of Mr. Horst Koehler as Personal Envoy of the UN SG for Western Sahara .

In that sense, after regretting the resignation of the UN envoy, considering his resignation as a great loss to the dynamics of the efforts of the United Nations to reach a quick and lasting solution to the Moroccan-Sahrawi conflict.

For the Frente POLISARIO this resignation underscores the need for the Security Council to act and assume its responsibilities to put an end to the policies of obstruction, obstinacy and recklessness of the Moroccan occupier, with the flagrant support of France, a permanent member of the Security Council.

It demands that the Security Council act in a decisive manner so that MINURSO can assume its supreme task for which it was created, that of organizing a referendum on the self-determination of the Saharawi people.

The Permanent Bureau of the National Secretariat of the Frente POLISARIO, in its communique released after its meeting on Monday, reiterated that the Saharawi people will continue resisting and will stand firm against the policies and maneuvers of the enemy.SPS

125/090/TRA
STAMFORD  Driving to the Trinity Catholic High School commencement Thursday night, Steven Cheeseman spoke with Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, who said Trinity had enough students enrolled for next year to remain open.

Shortly after his phone call with the bishop, Cheeseman, superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Bridgeport, reassured attendees at the ceremony that Thursday night would not be the last Trinity graduation.

The news comes after a week of uncertainty about the schools future following a sharp decline in enrollment for next year. Trinity, which has a student population of 295 this year, only had 82 students registered for the coming school year as of Wednesday morning.

By Thursday night, however, enrollment was north of 175 students, Cheeseman told Stamford Advocate Friday morning.

Registration for next year was due by 11 a.m. Friday. Final enrollment numbers were not available Friday evening, but Caggiano said they were above 175, the optimal number needed for the school to continue next year,

Im ecstatic that were able to do this. I think its truly a moment of grace for us to be able to reboot the school and have the opportunity to reopen next year and create a really sound educational experience for the kids, Cheeseman said.

Next year, the school will institute a new academic program of online, blended and personalized learning, in order to sustain educational options in light of declining enrollment, Caggiano announced at a May 22 meeting of the Trinity community.

Im calling this the new Trinity Catholic High School because it really is creating a whole new chapter in the life of the school, Caggiano said Friday afternoon. Im confident the academic program as well as the emphasis on our true Catholic identity are going to strengthen our school very quickly and help it grow.

The future of Trinitys sports teams are yet unknown, and dependent on the final enrollment numbers, Caggiano said, adding he can not yet ensure the school will field a football team next year.

Despite the uncertainty still ahead, members of the Trinity community celebrated Friday.

Im very excited. The community is very close knit and we all came together and made it happen. Its a great school and would be a loss for Stamford to lose it, Trinity parent Rena Field said.

The next few weeks will bear out a lot, but I think people are at peace and happy the school is going to continue to serve the community, said Michael Macari, director of marketing and communications at Trinity.

Looking forward, Caggiano says he pulls hope from Trumbulls St. Josephs High School, which he said was on the verge of closing in the 1990s and went through a crisis but is now thriving with 800 students.

Im hoping history will repeat itself and this is the moment now for Trinity to get on a path of growth and renewal so that 10 years from now well look back and see a Trinity that is much larger and more vibrant and people will say that was the moment of our rebirth, the bishop said.

svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-964-2265; @SophieCVaughan1
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aequus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX-V: AQS, OTCQB: AQSZF) (Aequus or the Company) confirms its release of 23rd May 2019. Aequus is pleased to be a supplier of the Zepto Capsulotomy System (the Product) with the Kensington Eye Institute in Ontario, Canada.



This supplier relationship does not imply any endorsement of the Product nor imply a broader strategic relationship between the parties.

ABOUT THE ZEPTO PRECISION PULSE CAPSULOTOMY SYSTEM

The Zepto capsulotomy system provides consistent, high quality anterior lens capsulotomies during cataract surgery in a convenient, cost-effective, disposable format. Zepto integrates seamlessly into the routine steps of cataract surgery with phacoemulsification. The Zepto System consists of a disposable Zepto capsulotomy handpiece that is attached to a small control console. Zepto uses the precision pulse capsulotomy method, a proprietary combination of calibrated suction and a 4-millisecond multipulse energy algorithm to produce highly accurate capsulotomies. Zepto is ideal for surgery using premium lenses as well as difficult cases and creates a capsulotomy with an edge strength greater than conventional methods or femtosecond lasers. For more information, please visit https://www.zeptocapsulotomy.ca .

ABOUT AEQUUS PHARMACEUTICALS INC.

Aequus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX-V:AQS) (OTCQB:AQSZF) is a growing specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing high quality, differentiated products. Aequus has grown its pipeline to include several commercial products in ophthalmology and transplant, and a development stage pipeline in neurology and psychiatry with a goal of addressing the need for improved medication adherence through enhanced delivery systems. As a complement to its focus in neurology, our most recent addition to the development pipeline was a long-acting form of medical cannabis, where there is a high need for a consistent, predictable and pharmaceutical-grade delivery of products for patients. Aequus intends to commercialize its internal programs in Canada alongside its current portfolio of marketed established medicines and will look to form strategic partnerships that would maximize the reach of its product candidates worldwide. Aequus plans to build on its Canadian commercial platform through the launch of additional products that are either created internally or brought in through an acquisition or license; remaining focused on highly specialized therapeutic areas. For further information, please visit www.aequuspharma.ca

Forward-Looking Statements:

This release may contain forward-looking statements or forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation that may not be based on historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words believe, may, plan, will, estimate, continue, anticipate, intend, expect, potential and similar expressions. Forward- looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as the factors we believe are appropriate. Forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements relating to: Aequus meeting certain requirements for agreement renewal. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Aequus, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause our 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. In making the forward looking statements included in this release, the Company has made various material assumptions, including, but not limited to: obtaining positive results of clinical trials; obtaining regulatory approvals; general business and economic conditions; the Companys ability to successfully outlicense or sell its current products and in-license and develop new products; the assumption that the Companys current good relationships with its manufacturer and other third parties will be maintained; the availability of financing on reasonable terms; the Companys ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and technology offered by the Companys competitors; and the Companys ability to protect patents and proprietary rights. In evaluating forward looking statements, current and prospective shareholders should specifically consider various factors set out herein and under the heading Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Information Form dated April 30, 2018, a copy of which is available on Aequus profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com, and as otherwise disclosed from time to time on Aequus SEDAR profile. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties, or a risk that is not currently known to us materialize, or should assumptions underlying those forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and we do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are inherently uncertain. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward looking statements.

Aequus Contact Information:

Aequus Investor Relations

Email: investors@aequuspharma.ca

Phone: 604-336-7906
Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz accused Iran of threatening global oil supplies and shipping at a meeting of Arab leaders that called on the international community to confront Tehran following attacks on shipping and rising tensions in the oil rich region.

Leaders of Gulf and Arab states held two emergency summits in Mecca on Thursday to present a united front to Iran. At the end of the meetings, Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said it was too early to talk of war with Tehran.

"What the Iranian regime is doing, from intervening in regional countries' affairs and developing its nuclear program, threatening global maritime traffic and global oil supplies, is a blatant violation of the treaties and principles of the United Nations," King Salman said in a speech at the Gulf leaders summit.

Hours later he told Arab leaders at their meeting that the international community should "use all means to deter this regime."

Saudi Arabia called the emergency summits following attacks on oil installations in the kingdom and tankers heading toward the Strait of Hormuz, a key choke-point for international shipping. The U.S. has blamed Iran for the attacks on the vessels and dispatched additional forces to the region.

Tensions have spiked in the Gulf since the U.S. tightened sanctions on Iran's oil exports in early May, prompting an Iranian threat to walk away from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal the Trump administration abandoned a year ago.

President Donald Trump has made confronting Iran a cornerstone of his foreign policy and is squeezing its economy to force it to roll back its ballistic missile program and support for groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, which the U.S. deems a terrorist organization.

The White House is counting on Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies to form a united front to contain Iran. Thursday's meetings are meant to be a step toward that.

In their closing statement read out by Aboul Gheit, the leaders demanded that the international community "stand with all decisiveness and strength against any Iranian attempt to threaten energy security."

But Aboul Gheit played down talk of war with Iran at a press conference, saying "we should not get past ourselves" and that the Arab states wanted Iran to stop interfering in regional affairs.

"If this happens, then I don't think there's need to use military action against Iran, but let's wait," he said.

Among the officials present was Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani, the most senior Qatari official to visit Saudi Arabia since 2017, when the kingdom, along with three Arab allies, imposed an overnight embargo on its tiny neighbor, accusing it of being too close to Iran and supporting militant Islamist groups around the region.

Coming amid rising regional tensions, Thursday's visit is seen as the first concrete step toward ending the rift. But Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Assaf indicated there had been no breakthrough at the end of the summit, telling reporters that the crisis would end once Qatar "returns to the right path."
White House adviser Jared Kushner's fledgling skills in diplomacy may now pale in comparison to his unintended sense of comedic timing. President Donald Trump's son-in-law landed in Israel on Thursday on a mission to gin up support for the administration's long-mooted (and much-maligned) peace plan between Israelis and Palestinians. But his arrival coincided with the collapse of the Israeli parliament amid an unprecedented political crisis.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close Trump ally and family friend of Kushner's, failed to build a ruling coalition and was compelled to dissolve the Knesset, Israel's parliament, and call for fresh elections in September. In April, he eked out what he thought was a narrow victory against centrist challengers. But thwarted by rivals within the Israeli right, Netanyahu has seen his mandate crumble. And his hopes for ramming an immunity law through the Knesset to shield himself from looming corruption cases also took a probably fatal hit.

Netanyahu is still on course to becoming Israel's longest-serving prime minister later this summer, but it's under circumstances he must loathe. For Kushner, who entered the maelstrom alongside U.S. Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt and senior State Department official Brian Hook, it's a miserable state of affairs.

"This is a rookie's mistake," tweeted Martin Indyk, a former U.S. diplomat and veteran of Middle East peace talks. "Everybody in Israel and the Arab world would understand if they skipped Israel on this trip. No one, especially Netanyahu, has time to talk peace in this chaotic situation."

As it was, few held much stock in Kushner's ability to revive a moribund peace process. The cavalcade of actions taken by the Trump administration to front-load concessions to Israel and boost Netanyahu politically already meant their overtures would be met coldly by the Palestinians.

Kushner and Greenblatt are at present trying to drum up support for an "economic workshop" to be held in Bahrain in the last week of June. They hope to raise billions in funds for Palestinian development projects. But the conference has already been spurned by a host of regional actors and world powers, and rejected by leading Palestinian politicians and business executives who want a political solution to the occupation of their lands, not what they perceive as financial handouts to buy their acquiescence.

Ilan Goldenberg, a Middle East expert at the Center for New American Security in Washington, argued that the political tumult in Israel now turns an already-enfeebled venture into a farcical charade. "It was going to be meaningless anyway, but it's going to be even more meaningless now," he told Today's WorldView.

As it was, the Trump administration held back on unfurling its plan because of the sensitivities around the April election in Israel. A new campaign cycle means no Israeli politician - least of all Netanyahu and Kushner's other interlocutors on the Israeli right - would want to be associated with any kind of compromise with Palestinians. That means the earliest likely moment for the White House to unveil the full scope of its thinking would be in November. But given the exigencies of the 2020 presidential election in the United States, Trump may think it better not to float a potential dud on the world stage.

"I think the Trump peace plan is on ice indefinitely now," Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel under the Obama administration, said to my colleague Loveday Morris.

Shapiro added that the June meetings in Bahrain would now become "a ghost economic summit" in support of "a phantom peace plan." After the Knesset voted to dissolve itself Wednesday night, senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat quipped that Kushner and Trump's much-vaunted "deal of the century" would be, at best, "the deal of the next century."

Nevertheless, Netanyahu and Kushner attempted to put on a brave face. "Even though we had a little event last night, that's not going to stop us - we will continue to work together," the Israeli prime minister said, grinning before cameras.

Netanyahu explicitly invokes his closeness with Trump as one of the reasons Israeli voters should return him to power. In what seemed a bid to cheer up Netanyahu, Kushner delivered a map of Israel and its environs that was autographed by Trump. It showed the Golan Heights as part of Israel; the Trump administration had earlier this year recognized Israeli sovereignty over the disputed territory, much to the chagrin of most of the international community. Trump labeled the move with an arrow and one word: "Nice."

There's little nice about what may ensue in the coming months. Thanks to aid from the gulf states and Europe, the Trump administration has so far not faced much blowback from its decision to slash funding to the Palestinians. But that shortfall and a separate impasse over Israeli transfers of Palestinian tax revenue has precipitated a budgetary crisis for the Palestinian Authority that could send it toward collapse in a few months. It's unclear how far the Trump administration has thought this through: The PA is an institution propped up for decades by the United States as the designated vehicle for a Palestinian state. Its close cooperation with Israeli forces is vital for the latter's security interests.

Kushner and Trump may have assumed such economic pressure would bend the Palestinian negotiators toward their will, but that clearly hasn't worked. Meanwhile, the prospect of renewed violence and tensions is only going to grow in the absence of an Israeli government that's willing to soften its posture.

"You can really see some very destabilizing things happening in the West Bank and Gaza," said Goldenberg.

And the new election in September may not offer much of a reprieve. "The next Netanyahu government - and he's still the favorite to win again - may view the inevitable Palestinian rejection of the Trump peace plan as a green light to begin annexing settlements in the West Bank," wrote Israeli journalist Neri Zilber. "Arab and European states may grow tired of acting as the cash machine for a two-state solution that both Washington and Jerusalem no longer believe in."

_ _ _

Tharoor writes about foreign affairs for The Washington Post. He previously was a senior editor and correspondent at Time magazine, based first in Hong Kong and later in New York.
W est End retailers are anticipating a rise in middle eastern customers celebrating the end of Ramadan with a shopping spree, research showed on Friday.

New West End Company, representing 600 traders around Oxford Street and Bond Street, forecasts Muslim tourists will contribute heavily to the 13 million it expects international shoppers to spend next month  up 53% on last year.

NWEC analyst Artjom Hatsaturjants said the end of Ramadan on Tuesday signals a period of celebrations and gift giving.

On average, Middle Eastern visitors spend 1447 on each shopping trip, according to tax-free shopping firm Global Blue.

Ray Clacher, vice-president at Trinity, which owns tailors Gieves & Hawkes and Kent & Curwen, said: The festival of Eid [the end of Ramadan] signals the start of the selling season.
F OR good reasons, I dont have a Twitter account, and so have to join the chorus of #ExpelMeToo in a more old-fashioned way [Expel me too crisis leaves Corbyn reeling, May 29]. I am a member of the Labour Party because I am a socialist, and I have been watching closely the car wreck that has become of it  for which its approach to Brexit is only one of several causes.

Genuine socialism is not possible without prosperity, and outside of the European Union prosperity for Britain is problematic. As much as one can envision a progressive form of Brexit, one must confront the probable reality that Brexit is hard-wired to be Right-wing in its social consequences.

For this reason I voted Lib Dem in the European parliamentary election. But I am not quitting the Labour Party  it will have to expel me too.

Robert Simon

EDITOR'S REPLY

Dear Robert

It takes a special kind of incompetence for the Labour leadership to bump the Tory civil war off the front pages with its own self-made strife. And the decision to expel Alastair Campbell, one of the partys most popular, has created a crisis as avoidable as it was unnecessary.

The truth is that thousands of loyal Labour members vote for other parties at every election. Usually they are tactical votes in an area where Labour trails in third place, with the intention of getting rid of a sitting Conservative. So the idea that auto-expulsion is routinely applied is nonsense. In the European election, people voted tactically to pressure the leadership into bringing Brexit policy into line with members wishes, something Corbynistas usually favour.

I have a feeling that a blind eye will be turned to you, Cherie Blair, Charles Clarke, Betty Boothroyd and all the other #expelmetoo tweeters. But at least, if I am wrong, you will be in good company.

Joe Murphy, Political Editor

Beware Farages dinner companion

THE recent EU elections see history repeating itself ominously. Millions of British people once again voted for a party of one  Nigel Farage  who is taking European taxpayers money while organising a coalition of anti-EU groups determined to destroy the organisation.

As seen in the forthcoming documentary The Brink, Farage is a dinner companion of former Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon, the elitist Harvard MBA and Goldman Sachs millionaire who calls himself a populist. Boris Johnson might have campaigned on the 350 million a week to the NHS pledge, but Farages views are far more insidious.

Joyce Glasser

NIGEL Farage may be cosying up to other far-Right parties in Europe but he will be returning to a very different EU. Moves for development, new flexibility, and even a restructuring of the Euro, mean he could find that the aims of his party are being met by the EU and find himself having to form a Revoke Party.

Terence Lennox

Dont kill this tree without a fight

MARCIA Bennie [A battle between trees and buildings, May 29)]does not say who has ordered her to remove a decades-old bay tree but she should challenge them.

At 12-15 metres distant it is a vanishingly small possibility that the tree caused the damage to a neighbours bay window described. Generally where this occurs it is the removal of water from the soil by plants in the growing phase that harms buildings, not the roots. Many London streets are lined with large trees growing close to Victorian properties built on minimal foundations and cause no harm.

The tree must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Mark Rosenberg

Older workers can fill the skills gap

I READ with dismay Martin Benthams article which referred to the need for more architects, web designers and vets [More migrants needed, May 29].
E d Miliband, Linda Grant and Damian Barr are among the names appearing at this years Queens Park Book Festival  the only London book festival to take place entirely in a public park.

The festival returns to its North West London home following its successful relaunch last year, when Zadie Smith, Nick Laird and Eleanor Catton appeared on the line-up. This years event, taking place at the end of June, will once again turn the park into a tented village, with three stages featuring over 80 authors across 30 events.

A major highlight of the weekend will be a conversation featuring Catherine Heaney, daughter of Seamus Heaney, for the first public discussion about a new documentary being made about the late Irish poets legacy.

There will also be a discussion between novelists Linda Grant and Sadie Jones about writing about the city, with both of their new books  A Stranger City and The Snakes, respectively  featuring London as a major presence. Jonathan Coe and John Lanchester will talk about exploring the state of the nation in their recent novels, and Ed Miliband will join historian David Kynaston in a conversation about Britains private schools.

Damian Barr will talk about his first novel, You Will Be Safe Here, which is based on the life of murdered South African teen Raymond Buys, and there will be a set from the No Direction Home stand-up programme, which supports aspiring comics from migrant backgrounds.

Dina Nayeri, author of The Ungrateful Refugee, will be in conversation with journalist Jennifer Nadel, and James Harding, Matthew DAncona and Marina Hyde will be part of a talk about the direction of the media.

Other topics up for discussion will be the short story format, in a panel featuring Tessa Hadley, and publishing a debut novel, with Rosie Price, Kate Weinberg and Booker-shortlisted Fiona Mozley taking part.

The festival will also include a programme of events for children, as well as a special Community Tent celebrating local talent, where all events will be free to attend.

Tickets for the festival, operate on a day pass system, meaning a ticket for each day provides access to all events that day, or a weekend pass will offer access to the entire festival. The festival runs on 29 and 30 June, and tickets are on sale now; queensparkbookfestival.co.uk
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aequus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX-V: AQS, OTCQB: AQSZF) (Aequus or the Company), a specialty pharmaceutical company with a focus on developing, advancing and promoting differentiated products, today reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2019 (Q1 2019) and associated Company developments. Unless otherwise noted, all figures are in Canadian currency.



Aequus continues to drive its promotional efforts forward with Q1 2019 unit growth of 27% and 5.3% over Q1 2018 in our main revenue drivers, Vistitan and Tacrolimus, respectively, said Doug Janzen, Chairman and CEO of Aequus. We remain confident in resuming revenue growth over the long-term, with continued penetration of our marketed products, and consistent additions to the commercial product portfolio through national and international partnerships similar to our recently announced relationship with Medicom Healthcare Ltd.

Q1 2019 Highlights

Revenues in the first quarter 2019 were $328,996, a decrease of 12% over the same quarter in 2018. The decrease is attributable to a contractual step down in profit share for both Tacrolimus and PR Vistitan (Vistitan). Given our current run rate we expect to offset that step down in the following quarters.





Vistitan (Vistitan). Given our current run rate we expect to offset that step down in the following quarters. On January 1, 2019 Aequus profit sharing royalty for Tacrolimus and Vistitan was reduced in accordance with a contractual tiered royalty structure with Sandoz. This change impacts the royalty revenue to Aequus from these products, which is the main factor in the decrease in revenue seen in Q1 compared to previous quarters. This was the final royalty adjustment of the agreement.





During Q1 2019 Aequus signed a term sheet for an exclusive license with Medicom Healthcare Ltd (Medicom)., a United Kingdom based pharmaceutical company with a focus on preservative free therapies in ophthalmology. The proposed license agreement is for the Canadian commercial rights to 5 products within Medicoms Evolve line of preservative free dry eye products.

Subsequent to March 31, 2019

On May 2, 2019, the Company issued convertible debenture units of the Company at a price of $1,000 per Convertible Debenture Unit for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $2,348,000. Each Convertible Debenture Unit consists of one 9.5% unsecured convertible debenture of the Company in the principal amount of $1,000 and 2,380 common share purchase warrants. Each Convertible Debenture will be convertible at the option of the holder into common shares of the Company (each, a Debenture Share) at a conversion price of $0.21 per Debenture Share, with interest payable semi-annually in arrears on June 30 and December 31 of each year and maturing May 2, 2022. The Company issued 5,588,240 common share purchase warrants pursuant to debenture financing. Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof the right to purchase one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.22 per common share purchase warrant at any time up to May 2, 2022. The Convertible Debentures and Warrants began trading on the TSXV on May 6, 2019.

Commercial Update

When I reflect back on where we were this time last year, Im delighted at the progress that weve made, said Ian Ball, CCO of Aequus. The sales team has averaged over 1,000 calls per representative, grown our volumes, and established relationships with a key customer base that sets us up well for future launches. We are excited about the addition of the Evolve line of products which leverages our existing infrastructure and expertise, bringing a broad and unique portfolio into the Canadian dry-eye market. These items, along with our ongoing discussions with potential partners to further grow our product portfolio, sets Aequus up for a strong year.

Revenue for Q1 2019 was $328,996 compared to $375,000 earned in the three months ended March 31, 2018 (Q1 2018). The 12% revenue decrease for the Company was attributable to our tiered profit share outlined in the original Sandoz agreement which decreases our profit share in 2019 for both products.

In March of 2019 the Company signed a term sheet with Medicom Healthcare Ltd., a United Kingdom based pharmaceutical company with a focus on preservative free therapies in ophthalmology, for the exclusive Canadian license to their Evolve line of preservative free dry eye products. Launched in 2015 in Europe, the Evolve brand has grown to 5 products across 35 countries with 2 products in development. With an array of products, the brand can address the various symptoms involved with dry eye disease and blepharitis including discomfort, stinging, burning, and dryness. Currently in Canada, the dry eye market is estimated at over $90M, which includes both prescription and over-the-counter products.

For the Evolve line of products, Aequus and its regulatory consultants are ready to submit product approval applications to Health Canada pending an audit of Medicoms manufacturing facility, which is a requirement of Health Canada prior to submission, said James Purdy, Director of Operations at Aequus. Once this audit is complete, we will be able to submit the regulatory package and expect a 4 week review for approval. Based on the expected timelines we hope to launch 5 of the Evolve products in the second half of 2019.

The Company looks to continue leveraging its existing core capabilities and commercial infrastructure to expand its presence and product offerings within ophthalmology. Aequus has positioned itself as a key partner for international companies looking to access the Canadian marketplace. The Company will continue its strategy of adding to its existing product portfolio through promotional partnership agreements, asset acquisitions, in-licenses, and internal development programs.

Results for the three months ended March 31, 2019

The Company reported a Q1 2019 net loss of $730,215, a decrease of 10% from the $816,485 loss in Q1 2018.

Sales and marketing costs for Q1 2018 was $509,096, as compared to $338,983 in Q1 2018, an increase of $170,113 or 50%. The majority of the increase relates to an increase in sales force costs and related salesforce expenses. A $90,612 increase in salesforce human resource costs is due to no salesperson vacancies in Q1 2019 and the addition of a National Sales Manager in Ophthalmology. There were salesperson vacancies and no sales manager in Q1 2018. The Q1 2019 costs also include non-cash expenses of $81,519 related to amortization and share based payments expenses. Depreciation and amortization, and share-based payments for Q1 2019 were $47,400 and $34,119, respectively, compared to $46,453 and $10,711, respectively, in Q1 2018. The amortization costs were primarily related to the acquisition costs of TeOra.

The Company incurred research and development expenses of $69,078 in Q1 2019 as compared to $192,968 in Q1 2018. The decrease was primarily attributable to reduced regulatory consulting for AQS1301 and AQS1303 Pre-IND related work.

General administration expenses were $482,531 during Q1 2019 as compared to $658,834 in Q1 2018, a decrease of $176,303 or 26%. The decrease was primarily due to a one-time consulting expenses relating to corporate marketing and branding during Q1 2018 that was not required in Q1 2019.

ABOUT AEQUUS PHARMACEUTICALS INC.

Aequus Pharmaceuticals Inc. (TSX-V: AQS , OTCQB: AQSZF ) is a growing specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing high quality, differentiated products. Aequus has grown its pipeline to include several commercial products in ophthalmology and transplant, and a development stage pipeline in neurology and psychiatry with a goal of addressing the need for improved medication adherence through enhanced delivery systems. As a complement to its focus in neurology, our most recent addition to the development pipeline was a long-acting form of medical cannabis, where there is a high need for a consistent, predictable and pharmaceutical-grade delivery of products for patients. Aequus intends to commercialize its internal programs in Canada alongside its current portfolio of marketed established medicines and will look to form strategic partnerships that would maximize the reach of its product candidates worldwide. Aequus plans to build on its Canadian commercial platform through the launch of additional products that are either created internally or brought in through an acquisition or license; remaining focused on highly specialized therapeutic areas. For further information, please visit www.aequuspharma.ca .

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT DISCLAIMER

This release may contain forward-looking statements or forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation that may not be based on historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words believe, may, plan, will, estimate, continue, anticipate, intend, expect, potential and similar expressions. Forward- looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as the factors we believe are appropriate. Forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements relating to: the implementation of our business model and strategic plans; the Companys expected revenues; the continued revenue growth of its products; Given our current run rate we expect to offset that step down in the following quarters; the signing of an exclusive license with Medicom; the launch of the Evolve product line in Canada; ongoing discussions with potential partners to further grow our product portfolio. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Aequus, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause our 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. In making the forward looking statements included in this release, the Company has made various material assumptions, including, but not limited to: obtaining positive results of clinical trials; obtaining regulatory approvals; general business and economic conditions; the Companys ability to successfully out license or sell its current products and in-license and develop new products; the assumption that the Companys current good relationships with its manufacturer and other third parties will be maintained; the availability of financing on reasonable terms; the Companys ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and technology offered by the Companys competitors; and the Companys ability to protect patents and proprietary rights. In evaluating forward looking statements, current and prospective shareholders should specifically consider various factors set out herein and under the heading Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Information Form dated April 24, 2019, a copy of which is available on Aequus profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com, and as otherwise disclosed from time to time on Aequus SEDAR profile. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties, or a risk that is not currently known to us materialize, or should assumptions underlying those forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and we do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are inherently uncertain. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward looking statements.

VistitanTM: Trademark owned or used under license by Sandoz Canada Inc.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Aequus Investor Relations

Email: investors@aequuspharma.ca

Phone: 604-336-7906
T he biggest K-Pop event to ever take place in the UK is almost here.

This weekend, BTS will play two sold out shows at Wembley Stadium. Things went into a frenzy when they announced the first concert back in February, when thousands upon thousands of fans joined the online ticket queue. Twitter was awash with both jubilation from those who had managed to nab one, and utter despair from those who couldnt. Less than 90 minutes after they went on sale, the groups first ever UK stadium show had sold out.

BTS later announced a second gig at the venue  tickets flew for that one, too  and now, after months of anticipation, the time has almost come to welcome RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook to the capital.

Ahead of the shows, weve put together a list of five essential songs from the groups back catalogue. Once youve listened to those, read about the five ways BTS changed the face of pop. Then get ready to dance  it's time to Make It Right.

BTS: The world's biggest boyband - In pictures 1 /46 BTS: The world's biggest boyband - In pictures November 19, 2017



BTS perform during the 2017 American Music Awards Getty Images March 19, 2014



BTS attend the 100th episode of MBC Show Champion 2014 in Seoul AFP/Getty Images December 31, 2017



BTS performs onstage during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 in Los Angeles, CA, USA Getty Images for dcp January 15, 2020



Ariana Grande shares a picture of her with BTS Instagram August 10, 2014



BTS attends the Mnet America show Danny From LA KCON 2014 - Day 2 in Los Angeles, CA, USA Getty Images August 10, 2014



K-pop group BTS arrive on the red carpet during the K-CON 2014 in Los Angeles, CA, USA AFP/Getty Images January 22, 2015



BTS arrive for the 24th Seoul Music Awards n Seoul, South Korea Getty Images January 28, 2015



BTS arrive for the 4th Gaon Chart K-POP Awards 2015 at the Olympic Park in Seoul Getty Images May 21, 2017



BTS accepts the Top Social Artist award onstage during the 2017 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV, USA Getty Images November 19, 2017



BTS perform during the 2017 American Music Awards Getty Images November 19, 2017



BTS pose in the press room at the 2017 American Music Awards Invision/AP November 19, 2017



V and Jungkook of BTS perform during the 2017 American Music Awards Getty Images November 19, 2017



BTS perform during the 2017 American Music Awards Getty Images December 31, 2017



BTS attends Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 in Los Angeles, CA, USA Getty Images for dcp December 31, 2017



BTS performs onstage during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 in Los Angeles, CA, USA Getty Images for dcp May 20, 2018



BTS perfrom during the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 20, 2018



BTS attend the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 20, 2018



BTS perfrom during the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 20, 2018



Tyra Banks with BTS attending the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 20, 2018



BTS accepts the Top Social Artist award during the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images October 14, 2018



BTS performs during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean President official visit in France AFP/Getty Images October 14, 2018



BTS performs during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean President official visit in France AFP/Getty Images October 14, 2018



BTS members stand on scene after they performed during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean President official visit in France AFP/Getty Images October 14, 2018



BTS performs during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean president official visit to France AFP/Getty Images October 14, 2018



South Korean President Moon Jae-in greets the members of South Korean pop group BTS during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean President official visit in France AFP/Getty Images December 14, 2018



V, Suga, Jin, JungKook, Jimin, J-Hope and RM of BTS attend the 2018 Mnet Music Awards in Hong Kong Getty Images January 15, 2019



BTS attend the Seoul Music Awards Getty Images May 1, 2019



BTS perform onstage during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 15, 2019



Kim Tae-hyung, Park Ji-min, Jungkook, Suga, Kim Seok-jin, RM and J-Hope of BTS perform on "Good Morning America" Getty Images May 1, 2019



South Korean boy band BTS poses in the press room with their awards during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards AFP/Getty Images December 6, 2019



BTS attends 102.7 KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2019 Presented by Capital One at the Forum on December 6, 2019 in Los Angeles Getty Images December 31, 2019



BTS performs during the Times Square New Year's Eve 2020 Celebration in New York Getty Images January 26, 2020



BTS attends the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards Getty Images for The Recording A January 26, 2020



BTS perform with Lil Nax X AT the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards Getty Images Jan 29, 2020



South Korean boy band BTS with James Corden on The Late Late Shaw

Boy With Luv

The groups most recent superhit is Boy With Luv, a shiny slice of saccharine pop-funk. Released in April and featuring vocals from the American artist Halsey, it was yet another record-breaker, becoming the most viewed YouTube video across 24 hours, racking up no less than 74 million hits. Its irresistibly catchy  once youve heard those nonchalant oh yeah, oh yeah ad libs in the verse, theyll swim around your head for days  and one of their most impressive efforts to date. A Japanese version will arrive in July.

Fake Love

If there was one song to make the world listen up and take notice of BTS as a genuine phenomenon, it was Fake Love. When it stormed into the top 10 of the American Billboard chart back in May 2018, it was the first K-Pop song to do since Psys Gangnam Style. It marked a shift in Western perceptions of the genre  no longer was it a global meme, but an undeniable force. The song itself, however, was something of a shift for the group, with a smouldering trap beat, darker lyrics and a much gloomier vibe than their earlier output.

Who are BTS?

Idol

Idol pretty much summed up what had made BTS so arrestingly different when they first burst onto the scene  despite the obvious Western influences in their music, the sounds and songs they performed were distinctly Korean. On this percussive stomp of a track, a number of traditional instruments from the country were incorporated, including the janggu drum and gakgung horn-bow, with dashes of South Africas party-starting gqom genre. An alternative version, in which Nicki Minaj drops in for a verse, was later released.

Waste It On Me

Produced by the EDM kingpin Steve Aoki, Waste It On Me was the first song time BTS ever released a song sung entirely in English. For one, it showed just how popular the group had become on this side of the world, but more interestingly, just how dextrous they were  especially when you consider the multitude of Japanese-language songs in their catalogue as well. The song itself is another earworm, with a warmly familiar, simply effective chorus.

DNA
Earlier this week the details of Zamira Hajiyeva's 16 million Harrods shopping spree were revealed. With bills on her Harrods loyalty card racking up as much as 433,389 for just one Cartier purchase, the jailed businessman's wife is now the subject of the first ever British investigation into unexplained wealth.

Just how easy is it to spend that amount... in a single sitting? With the records of her Harrods purchases disclosed for the very first time, I decided to see if I could (hypothetically) spend as much as Hajiyeva did on the Harrods online catalogue, barring tax.

It was truly exhausting.

4 million worth of Boucheron

CNN reported that Hajiyeva spent a staggering 4 million on bling by French jewellers Boucheron, and her records have shown she spent as much as 100,000 in a single purchase - only to outdo herself with another single purchase of 286,956.

I tried to match Hajiyeva's spend and bought 89 Boucheron White Gold and Diamond Plume de Paon Necklaces (valued at 44,600 each). The necklace is the most expensive product by Boucheron with a listed price on Harrods' site and 89 of them would have totalled 3,969,400.

To make up the 30,600 difference, she could have also purchased a 24,450 White Gold and Diamond Serpent Boheme Necklace, 4,940 Mixed Gold Quatre White Edition Small Ring and 1,220 White Gold Grosgrain Wedding Band - taking her just 10 over the 4 million mark.

My spend so far: 4,000,010

Almost 3 million on groceries

Hajiyeva's exact spend on groceries has yet to be disclosed, but she was known to frequent the Harrods food section for her extravagant weekly shop. Given that I need to get through a lot of money, I decided to stock up on the most expensive things available online.

I chose to buy 5263 jars of Tahi Manuka Honey priced at 190 each (totalling 999,970), 5,555 bottles of Balsamic Riserva Argento 50 Year Old vinegar priced at 180 each (999,900) and eight thousand 125 jars of whole black truffles by Artisan de la Truffle (1 million).

My spend so far: 6,999,880

1.75 million on Cartier

The majority of Hajiyeva's massive Cartier haul stems from one gigantic purchase: a 1.1 million ring which has been seized by the National Crime Agency. The ring aside, that still left us with 650,000 to play with and I splashed out on a number of Cartier's blinged out bracelets.

The Cartier White Gold and Diamond-Paved Love Bracelet

The most expensive Cartier item in Harrods online catalogue is a 48,400 18kt White Gold and Diamond-Paved Love Bracelet covered in 204 briliant-cut diamonds, so naturally I decided to buy 13 of them (629,200).

White Gold and Diamond Juste un Clou Bracelet

All in all, it took us to 649,985 plus Hajiyeva's 1.1 million ring. I just narrowly missed the 1.75 million mark, falling short by 15.

My spend so far: 8,749,865

1 million in the toy department

According to CNN, Hajiyeva was able to spend as much as 1 million in Harrods' lavish toy department. The most expensive item in their online catalogue is a 3,499 110cm Steiff Decorative Studio Giraffe and is described as "not a toy" in its official product listing.

Toy or not, I decided to buy 285 of them - taking my giraffe army total to 997,215.

Steiff Decorative Studio Giraffe

That left me with 2,785 left over and I gave my giraffes a couple of friends: two 80cm Steiff Standing Elephants, priced at 999 each (1998 altogether).

With 787 to go, I also purchased a 649 limited edition Millennium Falcon Lego Set because Han Solo was my first love and a 139 Steiff Emilia Teddy Bear - which took the total toy spend to 1,00,001.

My spend so far: 9,749,866

250,000 at Harrods Perfumery

Hajiyeva had a strong love of fragrances and she reportedly spent 250,000 on products from Harrods selection. With individual purchases valued at 97,391 and 50,650, I dipped into Harrods' pricey Salons des Parfums for the heavy-hitting products.

Bond No.9 The 1,001 Nights Treasure Chest

To hit her 250k spend, I decided to splash out on 25 of Bond No.9's The 1,001 Nights Treasure Chest: valued at 10,000 each. The gift set, which comes in a mahogany chest covered in rainbow Swarovski crystals and cabochons, includes three fragrances, refillable pocket sprays and two perfumed Swarovski tokens.

Our spend so far: 9,999,866

400,000 on miscellaneous jewellery

49 pieces of Hajiyeva's jewellery were seized at an auction house where they were reportedly being valued. The total cost of the items came to 400,000.

Stephen Webster Dynamite Enamel Shattered Bracelet

I attempted to match the spend by buying 10 of Stephen Webster's 39,200 Dynamite Enamel Shattered Bracelet (totalling 392,000) - the most expensive listed piece of jewellery in Harrods online catalogue.

Annoushka Diamond Crown Ring

I also purchased a 5,100 pair of Nina Runsdorf Rose Gold and Rose Quartz Hoop Earrings and a 2,900 Diamond Crown Ring from Annoushka, mainly because this endeavour has me feeling like royalty - taking my total to exactly 400,000. I intend to wear it all at the same time.

My spend so far: 10,399,866

200,000 on Dennis Basso

Hajiyeva spent 200,000 at Dennis Basso, however as it's no longer stocked online at Harrods - let's just imagine I bought 200k worth of it.

My spend so far: 10,599,866

143,000 worth of Christian Dior

Hajiyeva spent 143,000 on purchases from Christian Dior. Christian Dior doesn't sell clothing or handbags on Harrods' official website, however the brand's fragrances, skincare and makeup are available online. After running the numbers, I decided to buy Harrods entire selection of Dior fragrance, skincare and beauty products seven times over - that's a sum of 133,367.5 and 2184 individual products

Miss Dior Eau de Parfum

That still left me with a healthy 9632.5 left over, so I bought the entire women's fragrance section twice more (worth 8859 in total).

Dior So Real Mirrored Sunglasses

With 773.5 to spare, I then bought two pairs of 355 Dior So Real Mirrored Sunglasses (valued at 710). Finally, I bought a small 62 bottle of Dior's Capture Totale Fluide Foundation - taking me to just 1.5 under Hajiyeva's spend.

My spend so far: 10,742,864.5

136,000 at Fendi

Hajiyeva spent 136,000 at Fendi and after calculating the sum total of Harrods' 166 Fendi products online, I still fell short of her mark as that came to just 121,834.

After I purchased everything at Fendi (including not one, but two monogrammed baby strollers loved by Kylie Jenner), I then decided to buy 20 pairs of 700 Leather Hologram Sneakers and a 140 Padded Footmuff. I don't know how the latter works, but I feel like I need it.

After totalling up our spend, I arrived at 135,974 and fell slightly short of Hajiyeva's purchase with just 26 to go.

My spend so far: 10,878,838.5

Over 100,000 at Hermes

Hermes is one of the brands Hajiyeva is believed to have spent over 100k on. As with a couple designer brands on the list, Hermes' clothing range is not stocked online at Harrods - which meant that I had to find a way to spend 100k on fragrances.

Terre d'Hermes Eau de Parfum

I bought 172 bottles of the 581 Terre d'Hermes Eau de Parfum (99,932) and two of the 32 Eau des Merveilles Deodorant Spray (64) for my next gym session. That left me just 4 short of the 100k mark with 99,996.

My spend so far: 10,978,834.5

Over 100,000 at Miu Miu

Hajiyeva is also said to have spent over 100k at Miu Miu. Miu Miu's sunglasses are available online so I purchased 251 pairs of the 397 MU 58TS Cat Eye Sunglasses (99,647) and a single pair of the 352 Embellished Irregular Sunglasses for variety - leaving me with 99,999.

Miu Miu Embellished Irregular Sunglasses

My spend so far: 11,078,833.5

Over 100,000 at Salvatore Ferragamo

Hajiyeva's spent over 100k on Salvatore Ferragamo products. I bought 130 pairs of the most expensive Ferragamo shoes stocked at Harrods: a 765 pair of Sculpted Heel Sandals (total cost: 99,450).

Salvatore Ferragamo Sculpted Heel Sandals

With 550 left over, I bought something for the man in my life: a pair of 540 leather loafers. The extra 10 went back into my hypothetical wallet.

My spend so far: 11,178,823.5

Over 100,000 at Van Cleef and Arpels

Hajiyeva also spent 100k at Van Cleef and Arpels. Though they may not stock jewellery online at Harrods, they do sell a few fragrances. To hit 100k, I bought 384 260 bottles of Collection Extraordinaire Reve d'Ylang Eau de Parfum which took me to 99,840.

Collection Extraordinaire Reve d'Ylang Eau de Parfum

With 160 left over, I then purchased a 130 bottle of Collection Extraordinaire Moonlight Patchouli for a total spend of 99,970 - leaving me with 30 to spare.

My spend so far: 11,278,793.5

Over 100,000 at Celine

Sadly, Celine is no longer stocked at Harrods. (Perhaps Hajiyeva bought it all when she spent over 100k on pieces). We'll pretend I spent 100,000 on Celine products anyway.

My spend so far: 11,378,793.5

Over 100,000 at Elie Tahari

As with Celine, Elie Tahari is not stocked online at Harrods but we'll factor in an imaginary spend anyways. Yes, I'm tired.

My spend so far: 11,478,793.5

99,574 at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Disney Princess Emporium

While the Bibbidi Bobbidi Disney Princess Emporium is no longer open, Hajiyeva's records show that she spent an eye-watering 99,574 there. The space, which opened in Harrods in 2013, was a Disney boutique where children could be transformed into princesses and also functioned as a child-friendly spa: offering pampering packages, manicures and an array of princess-themed merchandise.

According to the Daily Mail, the most expensive pampering package was one called the Royal Experience: valued at 1,000 per hour. It is said to include a full princess makeover, framed photo, shoes, tiara and dress.

In order to hit Hajiyeva's threshold, I booked the Royal Experience 99 times for myself (over 4 full days' worth of Royal Experiences) - bringing the total to 99,000.

To make up the remaining 574, I also booked the 500 Cinderella Ball Experience and a 50 Knight experience - however that still left me with 24 left over. Given that I don't know how much merch cost at the time, let's just assume I bought a 24 crown; bringing my spend to a nice round...99,574.

My spend so far: 11,578,367.5

80,000 on Jo Malone

While the exact amount that Hajiyeva spent on Jo Malone has yet to be revealed, the brand loved by Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle was listed as one of those on her long, long purchase list.

Jo Malone Myrrh & Tonka Scented Candle

I decided to stock up and buy a ton of their most expensive Harrods products: 100 bottles of their 240 Darjeeling Tea Cologne (24,000) and 1000 56 Myrrh and Tonka Home Candles for a lifetime of candlelit baths.

My spend so far: 11,658,367.5

40,900 on De Beers

Another glitzy spend on Hajiyeva's account was a 40,900 spree on British jewellers De Beers.

De Beers White Gold, Diamond and Lapis Lazuli Ring

My spend so far: 11,699,267.5

39,500 on Anya Hindmarch

As with Jo Malone, I don't know how much Hajiyeva spent exactly on Anya Hindmarch.

Anya Hindmarch Mini Eyes Cross Body Bag

I decided to play it safe and buy a hundred of the brand's most expensive bag at Harrods to make a dent in our 16 million spend: their 395 Mini Eyes Cross Body Bag (totalling 39,500).

My spend so far: 11,738,767.5

30,000 on Godiva

In just one day, Hajiyeva spent 30,000 on treats from Godiva.

Godiva Signature Hampers

I splashed out on 200 of Godiva's Signature Hampers, which are priced at 150 each.

My spend so far: 11,768,767.5

2,400 on wine and spirits

CNN reported that one of Hajiyeva's purchases was a boozy 2,400 bill. (At this point, I am prepared to spend more than that once I finish this piece.)

Chateau Haut-Brion Rouge

I chose to purchase just one bottle of the 2,300 Chateau Haut-Brion Rouge wine (a vintage dating back to 1989) and a 100 bottle of Johnnie Walker Platinum Label Whiskey.

My spend so far: 11,771,167.5

2,000 at the Sandwich by Tom Cafe + Outlet

While the Sandwich by Tom cafe may have closed, Hajiyeva once spent 2,000 there. The founder and renowned interior designer Tom Dixon's products are still available on Harrods' online catalogue, which I've substituted in instead.

Tom Dixon Melt Table Lamp

I splashed out on four of Dixon's famous 465 Melt Table Lamps (1,860) and a 200 Plane Table Lamp - tipping us over by 60.

My spend so far: 11,773,227.5

2,000 at Ted Baker

Hajiyeva was a fan of Ted Baker, spending 2,000 there.

Ted Baker Flleur Feather Dress

I bought two 699 Reagane Embellished Dresses (1398) and an 599 FIleur Feather Dress, leaving us just 3 short of Hajiyeva's 2k purchase.

My spend so far: 11,775,274.5

Over 4,224,725.5 on literally anything else

At this point, I no longer know what Hajiyeva specifically spent on anything - leaving me with 4.2 million to play with.

Judith Leiber Unicorn Lunaria Clutch Bag

My first purchase was a sensible one, namely 200 pairs of the Judith Leiber Unicorn Lunaria Clutch Bag which is priced at 6,150. (The Kardashians love the brand and as I now have more Judith Leiber clutches than they do, I am now a Kardashian.) The total cost of 200 unicorn bags came to 1,230,000.

Versace Cotton Logo Patterned Robes

I decided to treat myself to 100 769 Versace Cotton Logo Patterned Robes to lounge around the house in, a splurge of 76,900. I am also currently looking for another house to put my 100 Versace bathrobes in.

Alexander McQueen Embellished Waist Halterneck Gown

I also wanted to support a British brand, so I bought 200 Alexander McQueen Embellished Waist Halterneck Gowns for the entire office. They cost 6990 each, totalling 1,398,000. We will all be wearing them this casual Friday.

Lalique Bacchantes Grand Vase

At this point, I was so close to 16 million that I impulse bought 70 22,500 Lalique Bacchantes Grand Vases - which came to 1,462,500.

Christofle 24kt Gold Cutlery Canteen

My IKEA cutlery no longer cuts it anymore, so I upgraded with 5 sets of Christofle's 24kt gold cutlery canteen - priced at 11,380 each and costing 56,900 altogether. Thankfully, they're dishwasher safe.

Valentino Colour Blocked Open Sneakers

And finally, I spent 425 on a pair of Valentino Colour Blocked Open Sneakers - ideal for running away from any real world consequences.
I n the UK and in many other countries, Muslims will celebrate Eid-ul Fitr today.

The religious occasion, which means Festival of Breaking the Fast, is a key date in the Islamic calendar as it marks the end of Ramadan and its month-long fast.

Usually celebrated over three days, Eid ul-Fitr sees Muslims enjoy a large meal following the fast period. The festival is also a time for forgiveness and making amends.

With Ramadan coming to an end, here's everything you need to know about Eid ul-Fitr.

What not to say to a Muslim during Ramadan

When is Eid ul-Fitr?

Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, but because the Islamic calendar is lunar the date will vary depending on the moon.

This year, the moon was partly visible in London on the evening of Monday 3 June, which means Eid-ul Fitr begins on Tuesday 4 June.

This was confirmed by the UAE moon-sighting committee on Monday after the first sighting of the crescent moon.

Eid-ul-Fitr typically lasts for one, two or three days.

When was the moon sighted in Saudi Arabia?

Indonesian Muslims hold a Rukyatul Hilal to see the new crescent moon that determines the end of Ramadan. / Getty

The government of Saudi Arabia has already declared the start of Eid-ul Fitr to be Tuesday 4 June, in accordance with the Umm al-Qura Calendar.

However, other organisations rely on the sighting of the lunar crescent to determine the end of Ramadan.

Indonesia and Malaysia, for example, declared Wednesday as the first day of Eid ul-Fitr.

How long does Eid ul-Fitr last?

Eid celebrations usually take place over three days, particularly in all Muslim-majority countries.

However, the number of days allotted to Eid will vary depending on the country.

What is Eid ul-Fitr?

Eid ul-Fitr is an important time for Muslims to show their gratitude to Allah / Getty

The first Eid ul-Fitr was celebrated by Prophet Muhammed with friends and relatives after the victory of the battle of Jang-e-Badr.

To many Muslims, Eid ul-Fitr is an important show of gratitude to Allah for the help and strength he gave them throughout the previous fasting month to help them practice self-control.

A celebration that marks the end of Ramadan and the 30 days of fasting, Eid ul-Fitr is an important religious holiday that is celebrated by Muslims worldwide.

What does Eid Mubarak mean?

During Eid, well-wishers often greet each other by saying Eid Mubarak which means happy holiday.

Another common greeting is Eid said, which means happy Eid.

How do Muslims celebrate Eid?

Muslims usually gather for a meal during Eid ul-Fitr (Getty ) / Getty

During Eid ul-Fitr, most Muslims will visit a mosque and participate in prayer before sitting down with family and friends for their first daylight meal after fasting.

How to make Eid Cookies
T o kick off the Cannes International Film Festival 2019, Gentleman's Journal and Chopard joined their (extremely refined) forces to create a grand tour of renowned actors, travelling from Mayfair to Cannes.

Beginning their journey in Mayfair, the troupe headed down to luxury manor Goodwood House, in Chichester. From there, they took to the skies in a private jet before arriving in Cannes for a private dinner at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc overlooking the crystal waters of the French Riviera, where magnums of rose, Aperol spritz and some of the best negronis in town were the tipple of choice.

The night was rounded off at The Gentlemans Evening on the Chopard Rooftop at the Hotel Martinez. DJ Nathalie Duchene hit the decks, inviting guests to dance the night away.

Guests in attendance included Brooklyn Beckham, Livia and Colin Firth, Chloe Sevigny, Pixie Lott, Oliver Cheshire and Thomas Brodie Sangster, amongst a host of others.

Flick through photos of the event in the gallery below...
S ome two decades ago I was marooned on the remote uninhabited island of Taransay in the Outer Hebrides. As part of a year-long social experiment for Castaway 2000 on BBC One, I was left on the island with 35 other volunteers. We created a fully self-sufficient community from scratch. Leaving all the home comforts of London behind, we grew our own crops, reared and slaughtered our own animals and lived entirely off the land and sea.

Taransay was home to the kind of deserted white beaches that nourish the soul. Mile after mile of achingly gorgeous coastline flanked huge grasslands, home to wildflowers, red deer and ground-nesting birds. Yet even almost 20 years ago this beautiful island was tainted by the hideous curse of plastic litter. A short walk along the coastline revealed an alphabet soup of washed-up plastic bottles, toothbrushes, flip-flops and cotton buds.

Ben Fogle in Castaway

Bizarrely, back then we were delighted by the treasures we found on the beach. They became cherished decorations in our sleeping quarters. Fishing nets became hammocks. Litter doubled up as marine art. Fenders from ships were used as toys for the children. We found discarded shampoo bottles from more than 6,000 miles away in Japan. We stumbled upon a plastic bottle containing a message sent by someone in the Eighties in the United States.

Back then we marvelled at these plastic treasures. In the two decades since, we have begun to understand the true impact of the ocean litter, which now threatens the very fabric of our seas. What once caused fascination and curiosity now elicits horror. A decade ago I featured in the film A Plastic Ocean  one of the first documentaries to explore the ticking time bomb that is plastic pollution. While filming, I dived into the Indian Ocean to be greeted by a hideous gloop of toxic plastic detritus. After each dive I was forced to scrub my skin clean of the plastic sludge that I had waded through hours earlier.

"I dived into the Indian Ocean only to be covered in a hideous gloop of toxic, sludgy plastic detritus"

Not long after my experience as a castaway in the Hebrides I made the long, arduous sea voyage to the remote island of Pitcairn in the Pacific Ocean. For 10 days we sailed into a ferocious storm aboard our sailboat the Sauvage. Along the way we stopped at Henderson, an uninhabited island whose nearest neighbours  New Zealand and Chile  are more than 3,000 miles away.

Within minutes of arriving on Henderson it was clear the islands isolated location had not saved it from the creeping hand of plastic pollution. No one lives there yet the island is a magnet for plastic trash. In 2017 a study by scientists at the University of Tasmania revealed that, with nearly 18 tonnes of recorded rubbish  38 million separate items  the island has the highest density of plastic debris anywhere in the world. When plastic is dumped in the ports of South America or Australia, it is spat back out by the ocean on the shores of Henderson.

Ben Fogle and wife Marina / Dave Benett/Getty Images for Per

There has been no shortage of powerful graphic accounts of what plastic is doing to our most precious flora and fauna. Few could now argue that plastic is suffocating us and putting our way of life at risk. But amid all the bleak predictions, a new band of visionary leaders is making real the promise of a plastic-free future.

More than 15 countries across Africa have implemented a complete ban on plastic bags or introduced heavy taxes on them. In 2008 Rwanda became one of the first countries in the world to move to legislate against plastic bags. Now anyone flying into the countrys capital Kigali will be greeted by stern warnings of the penalties facing those who flout the ban.

Those found using plastic bags face a fine of around 50,000 francs or 42. Now Rwanda has some of the cleanest streets in the world. In 2013 Cameroon also began enforcing a ban, with Eritrea, Morocco, Mauritania and Tanzania following suit.

The people of Nepal have also shown they are not scared to show real leadership in the fight against single-use plastics. Visited by some 100,000 trekkers each year, Everest Base Camp was once dubbed the worlds highest rubbish dump. Discarded plastic was a curse on a wilderness supposed to epitomise the untainted wondrous beauty of nature.

Embarrassed into action, the Nepali government now requires climbers to remove 8kg of litter in addition to their own. Sherpas have been incentivised to remove plastic from the mountain environment, being paid the equivalent of 1.50 for every kilogram of rubbish removed. The results have been stunning. Now the Himalayan trails that lead to Base Camp are some of the cleanest mountain routes anywhere in the world.

While the developing world is leading the way, the West is beginning to wake up to its responsibilities too. Next Wednesday is One Plastic Free Day, where people can pledge to say no to products encased in plastic.

In 2016 France became the first country to prohibit the sale of all single-use plastic cups, cutlery, plates and takeaway food boxes. December last year saw the EU announce that it is to ban disposable cutlery, plates and straws in an effort to stem the tide of marine pollution.

In Britain the Treasury is currently consulting on proposals to tax plastic packaging that does not include at least 30 per cent recycled content.

But change isnt only being driven by politicians. Grassroots campaigners on the front line are giving up huge chunks of their time in a bid to halt the plastic scourge once and for all.

Some 35,500 people took part in the 2018 Big Spring Beach Clean, removing more than 60 tonnes of marine plastic and litter from 575 beaches across the UK. Ive now lost track of the number of times Ive taken my family down to the beach and picked up plastic litter.

Forward-thinking retailers are increasingly starting to do their bit. Iceland is aiming to remove all plastic packaging from its own-label ranges by 2023. Last year Dutch supermarket chain Ekoplaza worked with A Plastic Planet to launch the worlds first plastic-free aisle to give shoppers the choice to choose products that are free from plastic packaging.

Belsize Park supermarket Thorntons Budgens became the first store in the UK to introduce plastic-free zones in November last year. From meat and fish to fruit and vegetables, retailers are increasingly finding innovative new ways to go plastic-free.

In the fight against plastic there are huge grounds for optimism. Inspirational campaigners are persuading governments and huge multinational corporations to clean up their acts, achieving the kind of change that even five years ago seemed unthinkable.

However, the pace is too slow. If we dont get a move on, by 2030 humanity will be dumping two truckloads of plastic in global oceans every minute. Now more than ever we must throw our weight behind those plastic-free visionaries who are leading the fight. From going on beach clean-ups to electing leaders who are unafraid to tackle the issue head-on, our children expect us to do right by the world they are set to inherit. We must make the 2020s the decade we kicked our plastic habit.

Ben Fogle is the UN Patron of the Wilderness. Wednesday is One Plastic Free Day, aplasticplanet.com
A former Army Staff Sergeant who slapped a woman on the bottom during a Royal Navy fundraiser has been fined 1,000 by a judge, who said it was "disgraceful in the 21st Century.

Mark Forsyth, 58, who spent 23 years in the British Army before forging a career as a military consultant, drunkenly struck the woman at an Admiralty House event in February last year.

He was cleared on Thursday of sexual assault after blaming the slap on military-style banter, but had admitted it was common assault.

Judge Martin Griffith, at Southwark crown court, ordered Forsyth to pay a 750 fine and 250 in compensation to the victim, telling the jury: "I've tried to hit him as hard in the pocket as he did to that bottom."

Admonishing Forsyth, a veteran of tours in Bosnia and Cyprus, for his behaviour, the judge said: There is no doubt at all that this was out of character but it was utterly disgraceful in the 21st Century.

It was a bullying thing to do, for which you should be very ashamed. She was vulnerable and you took advantage of that.

I cant ever think you would have struck a male soldier or a Marine in that way because I can only believe that you would end up going to the dentist due to his reaction.

Dont drink so much at events and if you do, hit a man who might hit you back.

Forsyth, who was a Conservative mayor for the town of Bradley Stoke near Bristol, said after the sentencing that he fears his military consultancy career has been wrecked by the conviction.

He had drunk beer and several glasses of wine when he slapped the woman as he was leaving the Royal Navy Museum fundraising event.
T he family of a father who was stabbed to death in a street fight paid tribute today as they urged action to prevent knife crime becoming normalised in London.

Ismail Ceesay, 33, was found with stab injuries opposite Atherton Leisure Centre in Warwick Road, Forest Gate, at 1.15am on Tuesday. Police and ambulance crews who had been called to a fight involving men and women found the father-of-one collapsed. He was taken to an east London hospital where he later died.

Mr Ceesays family today told of their heartbreak as they called for action to be stepped up against knife crime in the capital.

Ismail was loved and will be greatly missed by all the family, they said. He has a big heart and bright spirit, whenever he walked into a room you could just feel the love. Its not just a man thats died in the street  hes a son, a father, a brother and an uncle. He will be deeply missed.

Father-of-one Ismail Ceesay, 33

Lets not normalise knife crime, something has to be done.

Mr Ceesays niece, who did not want to be named, added: He was loved, there is no doubt about that. And the only thing we can all do now is look forward and make sure he has a good send-off.

Scotland Yard said a woman aged 20 and a 46-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Both remain in custody at an east London police station.

Detectives investigating the incident have appealed for anyone with information to contact them.

Mr Ceesay was one of three people to lose their lives to street violence over the Bank Holiday weekend, taking the number of murder investigations opened this year above 50.

On Friday, Alimuz Zaman, 23, was stabbed in Mile End as he walked to the shops to buy food for his family.

Two men, both aged 19, have been charged with murder and are due to appear at the Old Bailey on a date to be fixed.

On Saturday afternoon, food delivery rider Iderval da Silva, 46, was attacked in Battersea. He died in hospital three days later from head injuries.

Mr da Silvas death sparked a ride-out by more than 200 moped riders in Westminster in protest at his killing.

A boy aged 16 was appearing in court today charged with murder.
A Grenfell Tower campaigner who put his hands around a fire chiefs throat in a row over the covering for the burnt-out tower block has been jailed.

Reis Morris, 29, grabbed London Fire Brigade site manager Matthew Hogan by the throat at the foot of the tower, and told him I can keep on squeezing.

He had sent messages to Mr Hogan before the incident on April 9, complaining about the condition of materials used to cover the structure, Hendon magistrates court heard.

Morris had been given a suspended sentence in October 2017 for telling Kensington and Chelsea council deputy leader Kim Taylor-Smith Im coming for you after a Grenfell vigil.

He lives close to Grenfell and lost a family member in the blaze on June 14, 2017. But magistrate Lillian Ibbett said there was no option left after his second offence but to jail him.

You committed a similar offence against a person working in a similar capacity, she said.

Grenfell Tower draped in a banner featuring green hearts / ALEX LENTATI

Morris has now been banned from going to the Grenfell site or contacting Mr Hogan. The court heard Morris approached Mr Hogan at the site entrance and became aggressive, asking why his demands about the covering had not been addressed.

Mr Hogan felt he was intimidating him, said Sharon Michaels, prosecuting. Mr Morris then put his hands around Mr Hogans throat and squeezed his hands a little, and said: I can keep on squeezing.

Mr Hogan said this did not cause him pain or suffocation, but it appeared to him that Mr Morris was trying to get across that this was a warning.

Martin Davidson, mitigating, told the court: Mr Morris grew up in the shadow of Grenfell. He knew some of the deceased. He is a very active campaigner but tensions ran overboard. He said Morris claims that he and Mr Hogan have since mended their grievances.

In the incident with Mr Taylor-Smith, Morris had blocked his path as he tried to leave a vigil after it turned hostile.

Morris told him to look [him] in the eyes, adding: You have got eight weeks to sort this out, then Im coming for you. I dont care if I spend the rest of my life in prison.

Morris was given a community order after admitting making the threat, but it was later increased to a six-week suspended sentence.

Morris, from Notting Hill, admitted using threatening words with intent to cause fear of violence towards Mr Hogan.
T he Met has welcomed a litter of adorable puppies who have been officially passed out as fully-fledged police dogs.

The German Shepherds - named Barney, Rufus, Ludo, Riggs, Max and Freya  has been named the Palmer Litter in memory of PC Keith Palmer, who was murdered during the Westminster terror attack in 2017.

The dogs' names were also chosen by PC Palmers family.

After receiving their police dog licence from the Met commissioner Cressida Dick, they will officially hit the streets of London in June.

PC Keith Palmer / PA

They will spend most of their days tracking human scent, helping to find suspects of crime and locating weapons such as guns and knives.

Dogs at European election polling stations - In pictures 1 /18 Dogs at European election polling stations - In pictures Two happy looking dogs outside a polling station on Thursday morning Martin Crewe/PA Riloh an eight-year-old golden retriever waits patiently for her owner Natasha Collins-Daniel as she casts her vote at a polling station in Bristol Ben Birchall/PA MJ voting in Edgware lois @__5107 Magic waits outside a polling station in Twickenham Karen McAllister Guybrush at Woodseats Sheffield Double Six polling station @monkeyjellyfish Norman does his bit for democracy in Oxford Chris Dale Abbie outside a polling station Finnbar Wallace/PA Exercising my dogmocratic to participate in #dogsatpollingstations @Jackmaltese2017 Bertie outside a polling station James Barton/PA Henry the labradoodle outside the polling station at Spike Island in Bristol, Claire Hayhurst/PA Reggie, a three-month-old Cockerpoo puppy, behaves himself outside a polling station in Chester-le-Street, County Durham Tom Wilkinson/PA Dogs were seen by polling station signs across the UK Neil Jenkins/PA Henry Woofington in Hapton, Lancashire @Smit186 Riloh an eight-year-old golden retriever wags her tail as her owner Natasha Collins-Daniel returns from casting her vote in Bristol Ben Birchall/PA

Commissioner Dick said: It was an absolute pleasure to watch these exceptionally well trained and skilled dogs officially join the Met family as fully fledged police dogs.

Every single day, all over London, police dogs are protecting people, helping to arrest suspects, finding weapons and securing vital evidence against violent offenders.
A moped robber who punched victims as he snatched 11,000 worth of mobile phones from pedestrians in just five days has been jailed for nearly four years.

Jumaane Cadogan, 19, admitted a string of offences including 12 counts of theft, an attempted snatch and two of robbery.

The teenager launched his crime spree on March 12 when he stole a 1,300 white Honda moped and a crash helmet parked on Shoreditch High Street in Hackney.

He used the bike on five separate days to target pedestrians by riding up on pavements and snatching phones from their hands. He later abandoned it.

On two occasions he punched victims without provocation. On March 17 he rode up to a woman using a 1,000 iPhone X on Wallis Road in Hackney grabbing the phone and punching her in the face.

Two days later, he did the same to a man in Pitfield Street, Hackney, punching him in the chest before grabbing his phone.

On another occasion he failed to snatch a womans 750 iPhone in Islington when she fended him off.

Police say the robberies were carried out across Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Islington.

Cadogan was caught after Islington council CCTV operators alerted police to a man riding a black Honda moped without a crash helmet.

He was stopped and gave a false name but police used a mobile fingerprint device to establish his true identity and found he was disqualified from driving until December this year.

Cadogan, of Islington, who is unemployed, was found with 1,780 in cash, believed to have come from the sale of stolen mobile phones.

Detectives searched his home and found clothing identified as being worn at the time of the offences.

He was jailed this week for three years and 10 months at Wood Green crown court.

His case comes as latest Met figures show the number of thefts and snatches in London halved in the 12 months up to the end of March.

Figures show there were 11,390 moped-enabled offences in the year 2018-19, compared with 23,896 in the same period the previous year.
CALGARY, Alberta, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX - ZAR) Zargon Oil & Gas Ltd. ("Zargon" or the "Company") announces that the following matters were voted upon at the annual and special meeting of the shareholders of Zargon held on May 30, 2019 in Calgary, Alberta. More information about the matters considered at the meeting can be found in the Company's information circular dated April 22, 2019, a copy of which is available on SEDAR under the Company's issuer profile, accessible at www.sedar.com.



1. Election of Directors

By resolution passed via ballot, the following seven nominees were appointed as directors of Zargon to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders of Zargon, or until their successors are elected or appointed. The results of the ballot were as follows:

Name of Nominee Votes For Percent Votes

Withheld Percent Craig H. Hansen 145,285,862 93.26% 10,492,074 6.74% Kyle D. Kitagawa 143,558,922 92.16% 12,219,014 7.84% Glenn S. Koach 148,160,135 95.11% 7,617,801 4.89% Geoffrey C. Merritt 143,520,522 92.13% 12,257,414 7.87% Jim Peplinski 145,269,820 93.25% 10,508,116 6.75% Ron Wigham 146,127,012 93.80% 9,650,924 6.20% Grant A. Zawalsky 132,130,887 84.82% 23,647,049 15.18%

2. Appointment of Auditors

By resolution passed via ballot, Ernst & Young LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, were appointed as auditors of Zargon to hold office until the next annual meeting or until their successors are duly appointed, and the directors were authorized to fix their compensation. The results of the ballot were as follows:

Votes For Percent Votes

Withheld Percent 152,385,345 95.79% 6,692,953 4.21%

3. Approval of Share Consolidation

By special resolution passed via ballot, the amendment to Zargon's articles to consolidate Zargon's common shares (the "Common Shares") on a 20 to 1 basis (the "Consolidation") was approved. The results of the ballot were as follows:

Votes For Percent Votes

Against Percent 146,185,841 93.84% 9,592,094 6.16%

Zargon also announces that it has filed articles of amendment to effect the Consolidation and expects to receive approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") for the Common Shares to begin trading on the TSX on a post-consolidation basis on or about June 5, 2019.

As of the date hereof, the Company had approximately 459.8 million Common Shares outstanding. After the Consolidation the Company will have approximately 22.3 million Common Shares outstanding. The new CUSIP number for the Common Shares is 989133301 and the new ISIN number is CA9891333010.

A Letter of Transmittal with respect to the Consolidation is expected to be mailed on May 31, 2019 to the holders of Common Shares of record as of April 22, 2019. In order to receive new share certificates representing their post-consolidation Common Shares, registered shareholders will be required to send their share certificates representing the pre-consolidated Common Shares along with a completed Letter of Transmittal to the Company's agent for the Consolidation, Computershare Investor Services Inc. ("Computershare"), all in accordance with the instructions provided in the Letter of Transmittal. Additional copies of the Letter of Transmittal can be obtained through Computershare (by phone at 1 (800) 564-6253) or by email at corporateactions@computershare.com). A copy of the Letter of Transmittal is also available under the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR.

ABOUT ZARGON

Zargon Oil & Gas Ltd. is a Calgary based oil and natural gas company working in the Western Canadian and Williston sedimentary basins and is focused on oil exploitation projects (waterfloods and tertiary ASP) that profitably increase oil production and recovery factors from existing oil reservoirs.

In order to learn more about Zargon, we encourage you to visit Zargon's website at www.zargon.ca where you will find a current shareholder presentation, financial reports and historical news releases.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ADVISORY

Certain statements included in this press release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information under applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements or information are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Forward-looking statements or information typically contain statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook.

Forward-looking statements or information in this press release include, but are not limited to the timing for the Common Shares to begin trading on the TSX on a post-consolidation basis and mailing of the Letters of Transmittal. These forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such statements and information but which may prove to be incorrect. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified in this press release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the timely receipt of TSX approval for the Consolidation, and any other required regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which have been used.

Forward-looking statements or information are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described in the forward-looking statements or information. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements or information. The material risk factors affecting the Company and its business are contained in the Company's Annual Information Form which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

The forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information please contact:

C.H. Hansen

President and Chief Executive Officer

Zargon Oil & Gas Ltd.

Telephone: 403-264-9992

E-mail: zargon@zargon.ca

Website: www.zargon.ca
A playboy fraudster who fled to Ireland to avoid repaying his criminal profits has been extradited to Britain and jailed over his 13 million debt after more than a decade on the run.

Daniel OConnell was arrested half naked in bed with his mistress in the Grosvenor House hotel in Park Lane, before being convicted in 2000 for an industrial scale scam that cost the taxman more than 20 million.

He used the proceeds of his crime, carried out during the Nineties, to buy his mistress jewels from Asprey and Garrard and holidays in the Bahamas, enjoying a millionaires lifestyle at the publics expense.

He left prison in 2003 and moved to Ireland without complying with a court-imposed confiscation order to hand back nearly 6.3 million.

Lavish: Grosvenor House hotel bedroom

When prosecutors pursued him over his debt  which has now risen to almost 13 million because of interest charges  he sought to use Brexit, a plea of poverty and a human rights claim to persuade the Irish courts to block his extradition.

But a judge threw out his arguments and he has now been returned to London to serve a seven-year default sentence for non-payment.

Portia Ragnauth, from the Crown Prosecution Services proceeds of crime team, said: Daniel OConnell was convicted of very serious tax fraud and sent to prison. A confiscation order was made against him for over 6 million with a threat of more time in prison if he failed to pay. After he was released from prison he left the country to try to avoid paying what was due.

We extradited him back to the UK and the prison sentence was activated. The CPS will continue to pursue his assets in relation to his outstanding confiscation order.

OConnell, now 65, was convicted of five charges of tax evasion at Middlesex Guildhall crown court and was jailed for eight years. At the time it was one of the biggest VAT fraud prosecutions ever mounted.

His crime involved buying computer processors without VAT on the false grounds that he was selling them to Irish companies. He then resold them with the addition of the tax, which he pocketed.

More than 4 million of his profits was transferred to accounts in the Bahamas, Belize and Turks and Caicos, while other cash was used to finance his playboy lifestyle, which included regular stays at the Grosvenor House hotel and casino gambling.

Judge William Rose, passing sentencing in 2000, said that OConnells crime had led to a loss ... to the public purse of something in excess of 20 million.
A coroner has demanded a major overhaul of the treatment of child asthma after the death of a 10-year-old girl who was failed by the NHS.

Sophie Holman sought medical help 48 times as she battled the condition through most of her life, and endured at least 10 attacks which could have been life-threatening.

But despite attending her GP surgery and three hospitals on innumerable occasions, a long-term plan for her treatment was never put in place, and each attack was dealt with separately.

Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said the case demonstrated a woeful lack of understanding and called for the introduction of national care standards to prevent future child asthma deaths.

Sophie had her final asthma attack on December 12, 2017, and was sent home with a prescription for steroids by her GP. Her parents took her to hospital again the next day but she collapsed on the way and was pronounced dead at Queens Hospital in Romford, above.

After an inquest at Walthamstow coroners court, Dr Radcliffe found: A fuller assessment, earlier steroid administration, and better safety-netting on December 12, 2017 would have prevented her death.

She has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, demanding an overhaul of the way asthma attacks are treated. She found there was no co-ordinated record of Sophies asthma treatment during her life, even though she was admitted to A&E 18 times. Dr Radcliffe said no analysis had been done on the pattern and frequency of episodes, or an attempt to find the underlying cause of the condition.

Tamara Mills had a severe asthma attack and passed away in April last year ( rossparry.co.uk) / A rossparry.co.uk

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust was also criticised for clinical notes not being readily available in Sophies case, and having a system in place that did not alert doctors to her frequent attacks.

[There was] no long-term management for the care of this child despite innumerable attendances for attacks, the coroner found. There were many missed opportunities to optimise and co-ordinate Sophies medical management during her 48 attendances and admissions in the [GP] practice and hospitals, particularly in her final year when she had four asthma attacks treated in the practice. Dr Radcliffe delivered a similarly damning verdict in March 2017 over the death of nine-year-old Michael Uriely, who died of an asthma attack five days after leaving the Royal Free hospital.

In her report on Sophies death, she referenced Michaels case and also the asthma-related death of 13-year-old Tamara Mills as further examples of failures in co-ordinated NHS care.

She said the three deaths show there is a need to revisit asthma treatment guidelines, long-term management of the condition, training for NHS professionals, and how reoccurring attacks are dealt with. As in those two previous deaths, despite the presence of numerous health professionals involved no single individual or organisation took overall responsibility, she said.

This episode demonstrates a profound and woeful indication of the lack of understanding of how this condition  should be managed by someone with proper training.

The coroner's report on Sophie Holman's death also cited the case of Michael Uriely (HANDOUT) / HANDOUT- Hayley Court Hayley.Court@IrwinMitchell.com

She added that there were undoubtedly resource issues but if the Department of Health took a lead it would demonstrate a resolve to standardise the care of chronic asthma patients and to make preventable paediatric asthma deaths and preventable asthma attacks never events. 

Dr Magda Smith, chief medical officer at the health trust, said: It is clear that Sophie was failed by the system and we are very sorry for the part we played.

We collectively failed to identify a significant underlying health issue; to investigate or escalate appropriately and to communicate effectively with each other as medical professionals or with Sophies parents.

Weve been working with GPs to ensure this doesnt happen again by improving training and introducing more clinics as well as a dedicated nurse specialist  We hope this and other recent tragic cases will help ensure this issue is given appropriate weight at national level to drive change and prevent future child asthma deaths.

In a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care said new models of integrated care for children and young people with asthma to share best practice and integrate paediatric skills across services are being developed.
T here were opportunities galore to spot that the London Bridge extremists were planning an attack before they killed eight people and injured dozens more, an inquest has heard.

Gareth Patterson QC, representing several victims families, outlined a number of times when the attackers were together and said there may have been potential clues to indicate the plot.

He suggested at the inquest that there were opportunities galore to pick up on the planning of the event, claiming there is evidence of all three perpetrators being in contact in January 2017.

Mr Patterson also suggested to the Old Bailey hearing that it would have taken a "significant period of time" for the trio to become so close and trust each other in order to plan an attack.

Emergency services tending to the wounded after the June 3 attack / PA

Eight people were killed and 48 were injured when Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, launched a van and knife attack on June 3, 2017.

Xavier Thomas, 45, Christine Archibald, 30, Sara Zelenak, 21, Sebastien Belanger, 36, James McMullan, 32, Kirsty Boden, 28, Alexandre Pigeard, 26, and Ignacio Echeverria, 39, died in the attack.

The victims of the London Bridge terrorist attack / PA

Mr Patterson noted that, in March, all three were at the Ummah fitness centre in east London, they had all been at the same address at some point, and that Butt had possibly been trying to buy a gun.

Investigating officer Acting Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley said he did not agree that there had been missed opportunities surrounding the men and said police would have been working with the intelligence they had.

Mr Patterson pointed to the repeated contacts between the men, including a barbecue at Butt's home in May at which Redouane was present.

Butt and Redouane were in contact with each other "again and again for months" and in various ways. including at the gym and by telephone, according to Mr Patterson.

He noted that three identical knives were bought by Redouane the day after the barbecue.

London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack 1 /40 London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attack Police and paramedics treat an injured person Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images A woman is helped to an ambulance at London Bridge Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images Armed police at London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Emergency personnel tend to wounded on London Bridge Yui Mok/PA Wire Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images Daniel Sorabji/AFP/Getty Images Debris and abandoned cars remain on London Bridge Chris J Ratcliffe/AFP/Getty Images People walking down Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed Police officers on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People flee along Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Shocked onlookers in Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People run down Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire A helicopter lands on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire An armed officer on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police officers on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Emergency personnel on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed police on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed Police officer looks through his weapon on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People run along Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Police at the scene on Southwark Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images A paramedic rushes to the scene Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire An armed officer on London Bridge Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire A paramedic at the scene Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Armed police on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Emergency personnel on London Bridge Yui Mok/PA Wire Police officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire People are lead to safety away from London Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images

Mr Patterson said: "Any reasonably competent investigation should have been looking at Redouane at this stage, I would submit."

Mr Jolley told the court: "Again, that would depend on the intelligence at that time."

The inquest heard that Zaghba had been going to Butt's gym since January and had been in telephone contact with him since that time. He had also been at Butt's home and was allowed to drive his car.

Mr Patterson said: "All of these things, when pulled together, I would suggest, is crying out to be looked at."

He also told the court that all three men were at the gym in May "in the dead of night, speaking together in the street" in what he described as a "highly suspicious conversation".

Mr Patterson also noted that a telephone was placed on the ground before the men began walking and talking during that meeting.

He described this as a "classic anti-surveillance technique" and suggested "the attack planning was there to be detected".

He added: "A reasonably competent surveillance, I would suggest, would have had Butt monitored up to that point."

The court was also told that Zaghba had held extremist views from childhood.

He celebrated the 9/11 attacks in the US and had Islamic State flags on his Facebook page, according to writings by his mother.

He also tried to fly abroad to fight for IS, and Jihadist material was found on an SD card which was seized from him when he was stopped at an airport.

The hearing was told this included images of IS flags, scenes where he was joking about al-Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden, and an online piece about a verse in the Koran which says that non-believers will go to hell.

Debris and abandoned cars remain on London Bridge / Chris J Ratcliffe/AFP/Getty Images

Dominic Adamson, representing Mr Thomas's family, said Butt had expressed a desire to travel to Syria and also to hold an attack in the UK.

He said Butt was contemptuous of British culture and accessed extreme material online.

He suggested it was a "reasonable assumption" to think that attack planning had taken place at the gym, to which Mr Jolley replied that he "would always be careful about making assumptions".

Richard Horwell QC, for the Metropolitan Police, asked: "In the months leading up the attack was there any evidence of any attack planning?"

Mr Jolley replied: "Not that we uncovered, sir, no."
A lastair Campbell has claimed that Jeremy Corbyn ally John McDonnell thinks the decision to expel him from the Labour Party is bonkers.

As the row over Mr Campbells expulsion for voting for the Liberal Democrats continued, Tony Blairs former spin doctor named shadow chancellor Mr McDonnell as a key Labour frontbencher who has privately condemned the decision.

It came as he accused Mr Corbyn of being controlled by a small clique around him.

Mr Campbell told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I have had it clearly spelt out to me from Keir Starmer, John McDonnell  Ive heard it publicly from Shami Chakrabarti, Tom Watson and Emily Thornberry  they all think this decision is bonkers and they all think it should be reviewed.

John McDonnell / REUTERS

In a verbal volley on Mr Corbyns leadership, Mr Campbell said the Labour leaders inner circle is leading the party to oblivion.

He said: Jeremy Corbyn talks about listening to members but he is actually only listening to a very, very small clique around him.

Alastair Campbell pictured outside his north London home on Tuesday / Dominic Lipinski/PA

Jeremy Corbyn needs to decide: is he going to listen to the many  the public, the members, the MPs  or listen to the few: Seamus Milne, Carrie Murphy, Len McCluskey and Andrew Murray?

They are the people driving this and they are the people risking oblivion for the Labour Party."

Jeremy Corbyn / Getty Images

Mr Campbell, a leading campaigner for a second Brexit referendum, added: Worse than that is they are facilitating and allowing a Brexit that they know is going to damage working people most.

Mr Campbell was booted out on Tuesday after Labour said support for another party or candidate is "incompatible with party membership".

Ir prompted backlash, including the #expelmetoo Twitter hashtag in which other Labour Party members admitted voting for rival parties.

European elections 2019 1 /16 European elections 2019 Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage as the results came in last night REUTERS Brexit Party candidate Anne Widdecombe rejoices as her party secures seats in the South West region PA 'Now the general election':Brexit Party Nigel Farage is pictured after gains in the Euro vote REUTERS Mr Farage said his party had surged 'like a jack-in-the-box' REUTERS Farage reacts as the European Parliament election results for the UK South East Region are announced at the Civic Centre Southampton AFP/Getty Images Brexit Party's Jonathan Bullock, Annunziata Rees-Mogg and Matthew Patten celebrate after being elected PA The Brexit Party's three winning candidates in the West Midlands region - Rupert Lowe, Martin Daubney and Andrew Kerr PA Brexit Party's Tracy Knowles, Anna Bailey, Jonathan Bullock, Annunziata Rees-Mogg and Matthew Patten celebrate PA Leader of Spanish People's Party (PP), conservative Pablo Casado (C), celebrates the election results AFP/Getty Images Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and his wife Sulrun attend during the European Parliament elections 2019 election party AP Swedish Green Party (Miljoepartiet) candidate Alice Bah Kuhnke (C) and Per Bolund (R), Minister for Financial Markets and Housing, applaud at the party's election night REUTERS Italian Deputy Prime Minister and leader of far-right League party Matteo Salvini kisses a crucifix as he speaks during his European Parliament election night REUTERS

On Thursday, shadow attorney general Ms Chakrabarti said the decision to expel Mr Campbell will be reviewed.

Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson has also backed Mr Campbell, saying it was "spiteful" to expel people from the party.

Former Labour home secretary Charles Clarke also admitted voting for the Liberal Democrats, and called on the party to reinstate Mr Campbell's membership.

The ongoing row follows Labours poor showing in the European elections as anger and confusion over its Brexit policy continued.

Defending his move, Mr Campbell also referred to Mr Corbyns long track record of rebellion against Labour while a little-known backbench MP for Islington North.

Countdown to Brexit: 153 days until Britain leaves the EU

Jeremy Corbyn now appears to dislike any form of dissent, he said.

I believe in saying what I think," he said. " I did think, when Huw Edwards asked me on the BBC, about saying its a secret ballot but I wasnt prepared to hide behind weasel words."

He added that there "may be a case for discrimination" over the expulsion.

"It appears there are many, many other people who have admitted to the party [about voting against Labour]  are they too to be expelled within 48 hours of saying so?"

The Standard revealed yesterday how Cherie Blair was among thousands of Labour Party members who voted Liberal Democrat last week.

Mr Campbell asked: "Is Cherie Blair going to be expelled?

Labour said in a statement on Friday: "Alastair Campbell is entitled to challenge the action taken over his public support for another political party standing in the European elections. That would then be reviewed, as in the case of any other member of the Party.
B oris Johnson was today singled out for criticism by a business chief who accused Conservative leadership candidates of destroying their partys image as the party of the economy and abandoning what they are about.

Advertising executive Sir John Hegarty picked on the former foreign secretarys reported private comment f*** business as evidence that senior Conservatives were trashing their own brand.

Here we have a situation where one of the potential leaders of the party has expressed various views about business with an expletive that we do not have to repeat here, he told Radio 4s Today programme.

We have other contenders for the leadership campaigning for no-deal [Brexit] which businesses are saying would be disastrous for them.

Sir John, one of the founders of the advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, said eurosceptic candidates were pandering to a view rather than leading a view and risked locking themselves into a disorderly Brexit that could wipe out jobs.

Sir John Hegarty pictured earlier this month / Getty Images

They are abandoning what they are about, he said.

His comments came as the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) issued an open letter to the leadership candidates warning that a no-deal Brexit would cause severe damage to British interests.

Mr Johnson was defended by his former chief economic adviser, economist Gerard Lyons, who said: When Boris was mayor he did a phenomenal amount to champion businesses both here and overseas.

Asked about Mr Johnsons reported four-letter outburst, Mr Lyons admitted: They are not words that I would use.

Leadership rival Health Secretary Matt Hancock took a swipe at Mr Johnsons past comments in a tweet saying: Lets back business, not bash business. Earlier this week in an interview Mr Hancock said: To the people who say f*** business, I say f***, f*** business.

A source close to Mr Johnson said the expletive had been ruthlessly quoted out of context in an attempt to smear his reputation.

The remark, made at a private function, was specifically used in relation to business groups that Mr Johnson felt were failing to represent the full range of firms and were, in his view, peddling pro-EU propaganda.

If you look at Boriss actual record over 30 years you would struggle to find anyone more dedicated to the cause of businesses both big and small, he said.

CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn urged the next prime minister to reach an agreement with Brussels, warning that the vast majority of firms can never be prepared for no-deal. She also said they would need to listen to clear, detailed evidence from businesses when deciding on their Brexit approach.

Tory leadership contender Esther McVey has said the UK needs to actively embrace leaving the EU without a deal while rivals Mr Johnson and Dominic Raab have both said they would work to renegotiate the terms on offer with Brussels but would make sure the UK leaves on October 31, with or without an agreement.

In an open letter to the participants in the race for Number 10, Ms Fairbairn said: The next prime minister can only claim the Conservatives are the party of business if they secure a Brexit deal that protects the economy, jobs and living standards.
L abour was engulfed in a new storm today after a senior ally of Jeremy Corbyn was suspended for accusing the Israeli embassy of whipping up complaints about anti-Semitism.

In recorded comments branded as disgusting and vile, Peter Willsman, a member of Labours governing National Executive Committee, even claimed that an agent in the embassy had infiltrated the party.

He also alleged that the embassy in London orchestrated a complaint supported by 68 rabbis that anti-Semitism was widespread and severe in Labours ranks.

The recording, obtained by radio station LBC, was made in January when Mr Willsman met an Israeli-American author researching the party.

It comes a week after the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched an unprecedented investigation into Labour.

Jeremy Corbyn: the equalities watchdog has launched a probe into allegations of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party / REUTERS

Mr Willsmans comments were condemned by Jewish leaders as a well-known anti-Semitic trope. Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge, who has led calls for Mr Corbyn to crack down on anti-Semitism in the party, said: This vile anti-Semitic diatribe from Willsman is sickening. He has got to go now. It will be a litmus test of the Labour Partys disciplinary process to see if swift action is taken and not the usual fudge.

On the recording Mr Willsmans voice appears to say that the complaints about anti-Semitism were all lies. He says he will reveal more off the record and goes on: Its almost certain who is behind all this anti-Semitism against Jeremy: almost certainly it was the Israeli embassy. Yeah, because they caught somebody in the Labour Party, it turns out they were an agent in the embassy.

The thing is that the people that are in the Labour Party doing it are people who are linked, one of them works indirectly for the Israeli embassy. So, obviously, I wouldnt be bothered to find out, but my guess would be they are the ones whipping it up all the time.

He then raised a letter written by a group of 68 British rabbis who urged Labour to listen to the Jewish community and adopt the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism.

Jeremy Corbyn ally Pete Willsman allegedly claimed Israeli 'agents' were whipping up allegations about anti-Seimitism in the party / PA

Mr Willsman claimed the rabbis were obviously orchestrated by the Israeli embassy and poured scorn on the idea that the 70 cases of anti-Semitism investigated amounted to a widespread or severe problem in the context of Labours 600,000-strong membership.

In a previous controversy, Mr Willsman alleged at an NEC meeting in June last year that the 68 British rabbis were Trump fanatics.

Labours reluctance to expel Mr Willsman contrasted with the expulsion of Alastair Campbell only hours after he admitted voting tactically for the Liberal Democrats in last weeks European elections.

Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said Labour should have disciplined Mr Willsman before now.

Peter Willsman  a man who should have been suspended for anti-Jewish statements last year  has not only denied anti-Semitism in the Labour Party but has resorted to a well-known anti-Semitic trope to make his point, she said.

We call on the leader, Jeremy Corbyn and general secretary, Jennie Formby, who were present at Mr Willsmans first outburst and who have repeatedly indulged his bigotry, to ensure he is expelled with the speed and efficiency we have seen in other recent disciplinary cases.

Fiona Sharpe, a spokeswoman for Labour Against Anti-Semitism, said: Pete Willsmans alleged comments ... are, if as reported on LBC this morning, grossly offensive and unarguably anti-Semitic.

There should be no place for him in mainstream British politics and he should be kicked off the Labours ruling body, the NEC, and out of the Labour Party. Labour MPs who have been pressing Mr Corbyn to lead a crackdown stepped up demands for Mr Willsmans expulsion.

Stella Creasy tweeted: Anyone who supported Willsman for the NEC after the first revelations needs to hang their head in shame.

Alastair Campbell: Senior figures in Corbyn's office backed voting against Labour

Wes Streeting told LBC: This is jaw-dropping stuff, even by Pete Willsmans standards. I am in absolutely no doubt he should go. Deputy leader Tom Watson called for immediate action. The general secretary must make good on the promise that was made following Mr Willsmans previous outburst that he would face disciplinary action if he engaged in similar conduct again.

Mr Willsman has yet to comment on the recording.

A Labour spokesman said today: Peter Willsman has been suspended from the Labour Party, pending investigation.

A letter informing him of his suspension was sent this morning. It means he cannot attend NEC meetings or perform any other functions as a member of the NEC.

A party spokeswoman insisted: All complaints about anti-Semitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.
A Labour peer claimed nearly 50,000 in allowances over the space of a year despite not making any written or spoken statements in the House of Lords.

Lord Brookman, a former steel worker and trade unionist, was present in the Lords for all 157 sitting days between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018.

Publicly available records, first reported by the Guardian, show Lord Brookman received daily allowances totalling 47,385 and attendance travel costs of 2,396 in this period, a total of 49,781.

The peer did not make any spoken contributions or written statements during this period, but did vote 38 times.

Lord Brookman, a peer since 1998, has since made contributions to debates on British Steel.

He did not respond to a Guardian request for comment.

The House of Lords chamber sits in session / Getty Images

The paper reported that 88 peers - around 11 per cent - never spoke or participated in a committee over the year.

Former Lords speaker Frances D'Souza told the paper there was "clearly a need to reduce numbers".

He added: "There are people who are attending the House of Lords who are not contributing, and therefore they are simply redundant."

During the period of the analysis, there were 785 lords - 244 Conservatives, 196 Labour and 97 Liberal Democrats, 248 crossbench peers, as well as those representing other parties and the Church of England.

Swraj Paul, a business magnate elevated to the Lords by Sir John Major in 1996, also attended for 157 days and claimed more than 47,000 of allowances while speaking once, according to the paper.

He said there was more to attending the House than just making speeches.

When asked by the Guardian what this could include, the crossbencher said: "Thinking, etc, and giving my point of view to colleagues."

Members of the House of Lords are not paid but are entitled to up to 305 per day attendance allowance if they certify they have "undertaken Parliamentary work".
J o Swinson has confirmed she will stand to replace Vince Cable as leader of the Liberal Democrats.

The partys deputy leader said she will lead a movement to tackle "nationalism and populism" as she launched her leadership bid.

A new Lib Dem leader will be selected on July 23 after Sir Vince announced his decision to step down earlier this year.

Ms Swinson, who is the book makers favourite for the partys top job, will face competition from ex-cabinet minister Sir Ed Davey.

Sir Ed Davey (right) with Liberal Democrat deputy leader Jo Swinson / AFP/Getty Images

She used an appearance on BBC's Question Time to confirm the leadership bid, saying: "I happen to think that this country is crying out for a liberal movement that will challenge the forces of nationalism and populism, and the Liberal Democrats need to be at the heart of that movement and I'm the person to lead it."

The party came second in the European elections and the YouGov poll for The Times suggested its popularity has increased even further.

The Lib Dems were on 24 per cent, ahead of the Brexit Party on 22 per cent and the Tories and Labour neck and neck on 19 per cent.

Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable addresses supporters / Getty Images

It is the first time the Lib Dems have been in the top spot in a question on how people will vote in a general election since the heady days of Nick Clegg's popularity in 2010.

But YouGov's Chris Curtis cautioned against the Lib Dems getting too carried away with the bounce they have enjoyed since the European elections.

He said: "The Cleggmania of 2010 faded fast, with the party falling back in the final weeks of the campaign and ending up with just 1% more of the vote than they had won five years prior."

Ms Swinson's rival for the leadership launched his campaign with a plan to call on the Queen to stop a no-deal Brexit

Sir Ed said he would propose a "cross-party humble address to Her Majesty, requiring the Prime Minister to revoke Article 50 if we got to the cliff edge.

"I hope Jeremy Corbyn will join me in that address."

A humble address is a direct communication from the House of Commons to the Queen, calling on the Government to comply with a request.

If approved, humble addresses are considered to be binding on the House.
T he Liberal Democrats have surged into first place ahead of the Tories and Labour in a poll on how Britons would vote if a general election was to be held now.

The pro-Remain party, which has campaigned for a fresh referendum, would emerge as the largest political party with 24 per cent of the vote, the poll showed.

Both the Tories and Labour would finish in third place with a backing of 19 per cent, the YouGov poll for The Times showed.

The fledgling Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, would finish second with 22 per cent.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage celebrates with his fellow MEPs on European election results night / AFP/Getty Images

Beneficiaries of the swing against the two main parties would be the political parties that took unequivocal positions for or against Brexit, the study indicated.

The results underscore the growing polarisation of British politics over Brexit, pointing to yet more uncertainty.

Tory Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to resign last week after three years of trying but failing to pull Britain out of the EU, setting off a contest to replace her.

Theresa May is standing down as leader of the Tory party / Reuters

YouGovs poll is a further indication voters are looking away from the two main parties. The results come after the Brexit Party and Liberal Democrats were the big winners in the UK's European elections.

On a dramatic night, the Conservative Party secured just 9.1 per cent of the vote - their worst ever national election share.

Labour also suffered a terrible night, finishing on 14.1 per cent, as voters split between the clear alternatives offered by Mr Farage's party and the pro-EU Lib Dems.
B irmingham City Council has been granted a High Court injunction to stop protests against LGBT classes at a primary school.

The interim injunction protects "the area immediately surrounding Anderton Park Primary School from further protests of the kind that have been held in the street outside the school for the last few weeks", the council said.

The council said it decided to make the urgent application only after careful consideration and in the light of increasing fears for the safety and wellbeing of the staff, children and parents of the school when they come back from their half-term break.

"This is particularly so after the serious escalation of the protests in the week before half-term - including the attendance of very large numbers of people who have no children at the school, many of whom are not from the city," it said.

Parents, children and protestors demonstrate against the lessons about gay relationships, which teaches children about LGBT rights at the Anderton Park Primary School, Birmingham. / PA

Demonstrators have continued to gather outside the school in Dennis Road despite criticism from authorities including the council and police.

The head teacher announced the site would close for half term early last week over safety fears.

Council leader Ian Ward said: said: "I'm pleased that common sense has prevailed because children right across Birmingham should be free to attend school safely and without disruption. All our schools must be safe spaces and we will not tolerate the ongoing intimidation of parents, hard-working school staff and local residents.

"This interim injunction has been secured in time for the return to school on Monday and now hopefully the pupils will be able to continue their education in peace for the remainder of the summer term.

The row has been long-running for several weeks, with tensions escalating on Sunday night. / PA

"We'll continue to support the school and its staff and I would urge parents to take this opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue with the school about any concerns they may have."

Education secretary Damian Hinds has previously issued a fierce condemnation of the demonstrations, calling them "unacceptable" and welcomed the High Court's decision.

"It is not right to protest in front of schools - it is frightening to children and disrespectful to hardworking teachers," he said.

"This will allow children to return to school and parents to continue peaceful and constructive discussions with staff.

Pro-LGBT activist Edan Powell (right) debating with protester Zafar Majid, who has been campaigning against relationship education at Anderton Park School in Birmingham. / PA

"I'm grateful for the support of Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police. My officials will continue to work alongside them to encourage dialogue between all parties.

"I support and trust headteachers to make decisions in the interests of their pupils - parents should share their views and concerns, and schools should listen. However, what is taught and how is ultimately a decision for schools. Consultation does not mean parents have a veto on curriculum content.

"There is no reason why teaching children about the society that we live in and the different types of loving, healthy relationships that exist cannot be done in a way that respects everyone."

The NAHT, the school leaders' union, said: "Our officials have been supporting the schools in Birmingham, as well as working with the DfE and others to try to bring a swift resolution.
MONTREAL, May 30, 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"), a Company that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma atomized metal powder, plasma waste-to-energy systems and plasma torch products, is pleased to announce today its financial and operational results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019.



I may be repeating myself, but it is imperative that I remind readers the importance of putting Q1 2019 results in the context of previous strategic decisions made in 2018, and which are still impacting results, said Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis.Recent results have been significantly affected by managements decision in 2018 to pursue strategic partnerships at the expense of revenues. However, as a result, we have press released imminent contracts in excess of $32MM with associated future revenues well in excess of that which, in my opinion, fully justifies that strategy. As I have said in the past, 2018 was the year in which the Company successfully positioned itself with unique and strategic partnerships, geared to effectively accelerate commercialization, and we are benefiting from these efforts. Again, we believe that these financials should be viewed in this context.

Q1 2019 results reflect the following highlights:

Revenues of $736,443, a decrease from $2,060,602 posted in Q1 2018;

Gross margin of 13% a decrease of 21% over the same period in Q1 2018;

Fair value of investments increased to $706,196, versus ($219,000) an increase of $925,196;

Leasehold improvements of $137K were spent to build a clean room for plasma atomization system;

A Modified EBITDA loss of $1.13MM compared to a Modified EBITDA loss of $545K over the same period in Q1 2018;

Backlog of signed contracts as of the date of this writing is $8.5MM;

Cash on hand at quarter end: $142K (December 31, 2018: $645K).

The following is a summary of PyroGenesis main activities.



Outlook

2019 is turning into the year that bears the fruit of 2018 strategies, in which PyroGenesis successfully positioned itself with unique and strategic partnerships, geared to effectively accelerate commercialization in two of its three business segments.

In 2018, the Company successfully positioned each of its commercial business lines for rapid growth by strategically partnering with multi-billion-dollar entities who have identified PyroGenesis offerings to be unique, in demand, and of such a commercial nature as to warrant such unique relationships.

By the end of 2018 PyroGenesis could boast of a unique relationship with a multi-billion-dollar entity in each of its three commercial offerings:

The US Navy within the Military/Environmental sector; A Japanese trading house within the DROSRITE (tolling) offering; Aubert & Duval within the Additive Manufacturing/3D printing (AM) offering.

Most companies would be thankful for one such relationship, but PyroGenesis has successfully developed three.

It became readily apparent to management that partnering with the right entity could significantly accelerate commercialization in each of its new business lines. This however, would come with a cost in 2018. In order to succeed, PyroGenesis would have to dedicate significant resources to demonstrating the value proposition, and capabilities, to these entities. This meant that assets which should have been dedicated to sales now had to be deployed to developing these relationships. This not only impacted revenues, but it also increased costs of non-paying projects. We have seen this effect continue into Q1 2019, which we expect will continue to some degree into Q2, 2019.

To date, PyroGenesis has announced that it should be awarded a two-ship build for its PAWDS unit, for approximately $13.5MM. Add to this the recently announced potential contract with 1st year revenues of $20MM ($30-50MM in subsequent years revenues) and the impact of this strategy is apparent: over $30MM in revenues over the next 18 months. Approximately 6x 2018 revenues.

2019 should also be the year in which the Company takes steps, outside of the ordinary course of business, to unlock additional value for investors.

One such step that has been announced is the spin-off of the Companys additive manufacturing capabilities.

Another step, which is likewise outside the ordinary course of business, and is geared to unlocking shareholder value, is the previously announced up-listing of the Companys stock to a more senior exchange other than the one the Company is currently on. This is projected to be completed by year-end.

There are other steps, outside the ordinary course of business, that the Company is considering, to further increase shareholder value. The first of which should be announced in early Q3, 2019.

In short, 2019 is playing out to be the first of many years which will bear the fruit of strategic decisions made in the recent past.

Financial Summary

Revenue

PyroGenesis recorded revenue of $736,443 in the first quarter of 2019 (Q1 2019), representing a decrease of 64% compared with $2,060,602 recorded in the first quarter of 2018 (Q1 2018).

Revenues recorded in the first quarter of 2019 were generated primarily from:



PUREVAP related sales of $94,077 (Q1 2018 - $736,660) Torch related sales of $139,813 (Q1 2018 - $Nil) Support services related to PAWDS Marine systems supplied to the US Navy $210,667 (Q1 2018 - $527,444)

Cost of Sales and Services and Gross Margins

Cost of sales and services before amortization of intangible assets was $639,506 in Q1 2019, representing a decrease of 53% compared with $1,354,696 in Q1 2018.

In Q1 2019, employee compensation, subcontracting, direct materials and manufacturing overhead decreased to $662,379 (Q1 2018 - $1,420,628).

The gross margin for Q1 2019 was $92,158 or 12.5% of revenue. This compares with a gross margin of $705,906 (34.3% of revenue) for Q1 2018.

As a result of the type of contracts being executed, the nature of the project activity had a significant impact on the gross margin and the overall level of cost of sales and services reported in a period, as well as the composition of the cost of sales and services, as the mix between labour, materials and subcontracts may be significantly different.

The amortization of intangible assets of $4,779 in Q1 2019 and $Nil for Q1 2018 relates to patents and deferred development costs. Of note, these expenses are non-cash items and will be amortized over the duration of the patent lives.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Included within Selling, General and Administrative expenses (SG&A) are costs associated with corporate administration, business development, project proposals, operations administration, investor relations and employee training.

SG&A expenses for Q1 2019 excluding the costs associated with share-based compensation (a non-cash item in which options vest principally over a four-year period), were $1,295,521, representing an increase of 5% compared with $1,228,406 reported for Q1 2018.

The increase in SG&A expenses in Q1 2019 over the same period in 2018 is mainly attributable to the net effect of:

an increase of 31% in employee compensation due primarily to additional headcount,

a decrease of 31% for professional fees, primarily due to a decrease in legal fees and employee recruitment expenses,

a decrease of 62% in office and general expenses, is primarily due to the reclassification of rent expense to depreciation right of use assets,

travel costs decreased by 39%, due to a decrease in travel abroad,

depreciation on property and equipment increased by 62% due to higher amounts of property and equipment being depreciated,

depreciation on right of use assets increased by 100% due to reclassification of rent expense to depreciation right of use assets,

investment tax credits increased by 100% due to the Investment tax credits being recorded against the respective expenses in cost of goods sold, selling and general expenses and research and development expenses versus all of the investment tax credits of Q1 2018 being recorded against cost of goods sold only,

government grants increased by 102% due to a government grant contribution for a maximum amount of $350,000 for the period 2018-2020,

other expenses decreased by 19%, primarily due to a decrease in advertising expenses and in the reclassification of lease property taxes to depreciation right of use assets.

Separately, share based payments decreased by 73% in Q1 2019 over the same period in 2018 as a result of the vesting structure of the stock option plan including the stock options granted in 2018.

Research and Development (R&D) Costs

The Company incurred $95,774 of R&D costs, net of government grants, on internal projects in Q1 2019, an increase of 82% as compared with $52,498 in Q1 2018. The increase in Q1 2019 is related to torch development and plasma atomization related expenses.

In addition to internally funded R&D projects, the Company also incurred R&D expenditures during the execution of client funded projects. These expenses are eligible for Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits. SR&ED tax credits on client funded projects are applied against cost of sales and services.

Net Comprehensive Loss

The net comprehensive loss for Q1 2019 of $878,923 compared to a loss of $1,028,795 in Q1 2018, represents a decrease of 15% year-over-year.

The decrease of $149,872 in the comprehensive loss in Q1 2019 is primarily attributable to the factors described above, which have been summarized as follows:

a decrease in product and service-related revenue of $1,324,159 arising in Q1 2019; a decrease in cost of sales and services totaling $710,411, primarily due to a decrease in employee compensation, a decrease in subcontracting, a decrease in direct materials a decrease in manufacturing overhead, a decrease in investment tax credits, and an increase in amortization of intangible assets; a decrease in SG&A expenses of $28,364 arising in Q1 2019 primarily due to a decrease in professional fees, a decrease in travel, and a decrease in other expenses; an increase in R&D expenses of $43,276 primarily due to an increase in employee compensation, and materials & equipment; a decrease in net finance costs of $778,532 in Q1 2019 primarily due to the fair value adjustment of investments.

EBITDA

The EBITDA loss in Q1 2019 was $464,825 compared with an EBITDA loss of $894,244 for Q1 2018, representing a decrease of 48% year-over-year. The $429,419 decrease in the EBITDA loss in Q1 2019 compared with Q1 2018 is due to the decrease in comprehensive loss of $149,872, offset by an increase in depreciation on property and equipment of $18,432, an increase in depreciation of right of use assets of $109,672, an increase in amortization of intangible assets of $4,779 and an increase in finance charges of $146,664.

Adjusted EBITDA loss in Q1 2019 was $430,341 compared with an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $764,281 for Q1 2018. The decrease of $333,940 in the Adjusted EBITDA loss in Q1 2019 is attributable to a decrease in EBITDA loss of $429,419, offset by a decrease of $95,479 in share-based payments.

The Modified EBITDA loss in Q1 2019 was $1,136,537 compared with a Modified EBITDA loss of $545,281 for Q1 2018, representing an increase of 108%. The increase in the Modified EBITDA loss in Q1 2019 is attributable to the decrease as mentioned above in the Adjusted EBITDA of $333,940 and an increase in the change of fair value of investments of $925,196.

Liquidity

The Company has incurred, in the last several years, operating losses and negative cash flows from operations, resulting in an accumulated deficit of $51,945,463 and a negative working capital of $8,648,282 as at Q1 2019, (December 31, 2018 - $51,066,540 and $4,101,428 respectively). Furthermore, as at Q1 2019, the Companys current liabilities and expected level of expenses for the next twelve months exceed cash on hand of $141,850 (December 31, 2018 - $644,981). The Company has relied upon external financings to fund its operations in the past, primarily through the issuance of equity, debt, and convertible debentures, as well as from investment tax credits.

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, having 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
A huge inflatable Donald Trump baby blimp will be allowed to fly over London during the US presidents state visit.

The Greater London Authority, headed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, gave the green light on Friday for the phone-wielding, nappy-wearing effigy to be unleashed.

Organisers plan to fly the blimp over Parliament Square on Tuesday when thousands are expected to march in protest against the three day visit.

Final approval is expected to be given by the Metropolitan Police on Monday, which is when the president arrives.

US President Donald Trump / AP

The Trump Baby team, which is part of the Stop Trump coalition, said it is confident police will also give the thumbs-up after the force previously allowed the blimp to fly during Mr Trump's visit to the capital last July.

But organisers also say the blimp will only fly if a fundraiser for charities "pushing back against the politics of hate and division" hits 30,000.

Anna Vickerstaff, a Trump blimp "Babysitter", said: "Now that the GLA has given us permission, we're almost ready to fly the baby.

"All we need now is for the public to help us to hit our fundraiser target in support of the groups who are fighting the impacts of Trump's disastrous policies.

'Trump Baby' takes flight over London

"We've promised to get the baby in the air again - but only if and when we raise money for these groups.

"We're all for making a joke out of Trump, but we won't let the opportunity pass to support those fighting the very serious impacts of what he's doing."

The crowdfund page stood at 18,500 on Friday afternoon with three days remaining.

The Trump Baby blimp flies over demonstraters. / AFP/Getty Images

A spokesman for the Greater London Authority said its City Operations Unit gave permission after the application was "carefully assessed" by officials.

Mr Trump's schedule for Tuesday includes a business breakfast at St James's Palace with Prime Minister Theresa May and senior business leaders from the US and UK.

He will then visit Downing Street, before hosting a dinner at the residence of the US ambassador when he will be joined by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Several protest groups plan to march through London during the three-day visit, with the main demonstration due to convene at Trafalgar Square at 11am on Tuesday.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is the latest to announce its involvement, pledging to protest against Mr "Trump's nuclear brinkmanship" and "penchant for tearing up nuclear treaties".
E xtinction Rebellion activists are planning to shut down Heathrow Airport for 10 days this summer by flying drones near the airfield.

The climate change activists vowed to stage demonstrations on June 18 and again for 10 days beginning on July 1, disrupting flights at a peak time for holidaymakers.

Threatening to bring the UKs busiest airport to a standstill, they are demanding the immediate cancellation of plans to build a third runway at the transport hub.

The Met Police responded by promising "firm action against any protester seeking to cause disruption".

Activists warned those who are booked to fly from Heathrow around the time of its protests to change their travel plans.

Extinction Rebellion closing ceremony: In Pictures 1 /14 Extinction Rebellion closing ceremony: In Pictures Getty Images AP REUTERS Getty Images AP AFP/Getty Images PA REUTERS REUTERS REUTERS Getty Images

A document circulated by activists on social media read: Rebels will use a variety of nonviolent tactics to close down the airport again including, but not limited to, the flying of drones and blocking of public roads leading into the airport.

It comes after the group staged protests at the same airport over the Easter break, which were part of wider demonstrations aimed at bringing central London traffic to a halt.

Outlining its latest plans, which the group said are in a consultation stage, Extinction Rebellion said: On June 18, We plan to carry out nonviolent direct action to ensure Heathrow Authorities close the airport for the day, to create a 'pause' in recognition of the genocidal impact of high carbon activities, such as flying, upon the natural world.

If the Government does not cancel all Heathrow expansion, Extinction Rebellion will act to shut the airport down for up to 10 days from July 1.

A climate activist is removed by police during an earlier protest in London / Reuters

Parliament backed a plan to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport last year, but the expansion faces opposition from local communities and environmentalists.

The protest group acknowledged that families hoping to jet off on holiday at these times would be disrupted. A statement from the group added: We understand the action will cause disruption to a great number of holiday makers, however we believe that it is necessary given the prospect of far greater disruption caused by ecological and societal collapse, if we dont act now. Holiday makers are being given advance notice to change travel plans.

Extinction Rebellions official statement on the proposed disruption did not mention the use of drones, but a document shared on social media by activists outlined the plan in more detail.

Extinction Rebellion ends London protests with 'closing ceremony'

The document read: The proposal is for rebels to visit the Department of Transport in the weeks before the action and submit letters asking for an immediate cancellation of Governments Third Runway plans to honour parliaments declaration of a climate emergency.

If these demands are not met we will hold a planned picnic and drone session in the fields around Heathrow on June 18 having given full notice to the Heathrow Authorities of our intention to do so.

If following this action on June 18 the government has still not taken immediate action, on July 1, and for up to 10 days, rebels will use a variety of nonviolent tactics to close down the airport again including, but not limited to, the flying of drones and blocking of public roads leading into the airport.

A protester lays in the street as he is surrounded by police at an Extinction Rebellion demonstration / EPA

Activists said drone flights would begin in the early hours of the morning and that devices would not be used while planes are in the air.

Authorities would have full knowledge of the intentions so they will have to close the airport as a duty of care to passengers, the document continued.

During the last wave of protests at Heathrow, young Extinction Rebellion activists broke down in tears on television as they outline their fears for the future of this planet.

In an interview with LBC one boy said: "This is more of a symbolic protest to show the fear... the love that we have for this planet. I'm not afraid of arrest, I'm afraid of the future of this planet.

"I'm worried that we are going to be the last generation."

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "We will be developing strong plans in response to this and will take firm action against any protester seeking to cause disruption at this location by committing criminal offences such as obstruction of the highway.

"The airport is part of our national infrastructure and we will not allow illegal activities of some protesters to cause disruption and misery to thousands of travellers.

"We would urge anybody intending to join this event with a view to committing criminal activity, whether peaceful or not, to strongly reconsider."

A Heathrow spokeswoman said staff are working with authorities to address the threat of protests at the airport.

She added: "While we respect the right to peaceful protest and agree with the need to act on climate change, we dont agree that passengers should have their well-earned holiday plans with family and friends disrupted.

"Passengers should contact their airlines for up to date information on their journeys.

A spokesman added today: "This is reckless action that if carried out could endanger the lives of the travelling public and our colleagues.
H P Sauce will change its label to add scaffolding to Big Bens home Elizabeth Tower to celebrate the landmarks 160th anniversary.

The popular sauce is changing its bottle for the first time in a century while maintenance work is carried out on the iconic tower.

It is believed that its name stands for Houses of Parliament, as it was rumoured the sauce was used in the restaurant there at the turn of the century.

Brown sauce was first formulated in 1870, with the HP Sauce brand name registered by inventor Frederick Gibson Garton in 1896.

The original bottle, left, compared to the new design / PA

It was made in Birmingham until 2007, when Heinz moved production to Holland.

Joel Hughes, spokesperson for HP Sauce, said: Big Ben is the most Instagrammed landmark in the UK and decorates millions of bottles of HP Sauce every year.

While Ben has a face-lift, and because were a good and honest sauce, we thought it was high time we showcased the true view and created a label that showcases parliament and Big Ben in their scaffolded glory.
H undreds of people have reported issues with ITV and Virgin Media in the middle of the Britain's Got Talent live semi-finals.

The website Down Detector reported as many as 1260 people were experience outages on the ITV network on Friday evening.

Many customers of Virgin Media said they were having problems accessing a number of channels and the company confirmed they were experiencing issues.

Just after 9.30pm they tweeted that all channels had been restored. The network was down for around 30 minutes.

ITV tweeted: "We're hearing that some people maybe experiencing technical issues. Please bear with us whilst we investigate."

Virgin Media tweeted earlier: "We are aware that some customers have been impacted by the loss of some channels and we're currently investigating. Thanks for your patience. Channel 853 is still working".

They later apologised for the outage: "We sincerely apologise for the loss of some TV channels earlier this evening. All channels are now restored."

Viewers took to social media to complain about the issue.

"ITV gone off right in the middle of #BGT how annoying!!" wrote one.

While another said the network had been out for 20 minutes.

Another viewer who had been watching via Virgin Media posted a photo of the notice they were seeing on their screen, which read: "This channel is currently unavailable".

Some said if they switched to Virgin channel 853 they were able to continue watching.
J ulian Assange is suffering the symptoms of psychological torture, a United Nations expert said today as he argued the WikiLeaks co-founder should not be extradited to the US.

Nils Melzer, the UNs special rapporteur on torture, claimed Assange would not receive a fair trial in America after being "deliberately isolated and demonised" since 2010.

But the intervention was condemned by foreign secretary and Conservative leadership contender Jeremy Hunt, who tweeted: "This is wrong. Assange chose to hide in the [Ecuadorian] embassy and was always free to leave and face justice. The UN Special Rapporteur should allow British courts to make their judgements without his interference or inflammatory accusations."

The latest development comes as Assange, who is currently being held at Londons Belmarsh Prison, was deemed too ill to appear for a video-link court hearing on Thursday over his potential extradition.

Julian Assange - In pictures 1 /30 Julian Assange - In pictures 2019 Julian Assange on his arrival at Westminster Magistrates court on April 11 Jack Taylor/Getty Images 2019 Julian Assange made a defiant gesture with his fist as he arrived at court AFP/Getty Images 2017 Julian Assange puts his fist in the air as he steps out to speak to the media from the balcony of the Embassy Of Ecuador Getty Images 2012 Protesters gather outside the Ecuadorian Embassy, where Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks is staying Getty Images 2012 Masked supporters of Julian Assange outside the Embassy of Ecuador in Knightsbridge Dominic Lipinski/PA 2010 Photographers hold cameras to the windows of a Serco prison van believed to be carrying WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange Reuters 2016 ulian Assange's cat, is adorned with a tie and collar inside the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy PA 2016 Pamela Anderson delivers lunch to Julian Assange at Embassy of Ecuador Getty Images 2010 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is pictured through the heavily tinted windows of a police vehicle as he arrives at Westminster magistrates court in London AFP/Getty Images 2010 Jemima Kahn leaves the City of Westminster Magistrates Court after offering to stand as surety for Julian Assange Getty Images 2010 Julian Assange of the WikiLeaks website speaks to reporters in front of a Don McCullin Vietnam war photograph at The Front Line Club in London Getty Images 2010 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange gestures inside a prison van with red windows as he arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice Getty Images 2011 WikiLeaks website founder Julian Assange arrives at The High Court Getty Images 2011 Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks website, shakes the hand of a supporter as he leaves Trafalgar Square after addressing the crowd during the 'Antiwar Mass Assembly' organised by the Stop the War Coalition Getty Images 2011 Journalist John Pilger and Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks website, chat before addressing the crowd during the 'Antiwar Mass Assembly' organised by the Stop the War Coalition at Trafalgar Square Getty Images 2012 Placards are left by supporters of Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks whistle-blowing website, outside the Ecuadorian Embassy Getty Images 2015 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with Reverend Jesse Jackson outside the Embassy of Ecuador in London PA 2016 People attend a video conference of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the International Center for Advanced Communication Studies for Latin America (CIESPAL) auditorium in Quito AFP/Getty Images 2016 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange holds up his new kitten at the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London WikiLeaks 2017 WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during a press conference from inside the Ecuadorian embassy AP 2018 Supporters of Julian Assange outside Westminster Magistrates Court, London where a court decision is due on whether a UK arrest warrant against the WikiLeaks founder is still valid PA 2018 British hacker Lauri Love and his girlfriend Sylvia Mann are surrounded by media after visiting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London on 6th February 2018 AFP/Getty Images 2018 A cat named 'James' wearing a collar and tie yawns by the window of the Ecuadorian Embassy where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been for over five years on 6th February 2018 AFP/Getty Images

Mr Melzer, who met 47-year-old Assange on a private visit earlier this month, said: "The evidence is overwhelming and clear.

"Mr Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.

Julian Assange supporters gather outside Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday / AFP/Getty Images

"I condemn, in the strongest terms, the deliberate, concerted and sustained nature of the abuse inflicted on Mr Assange and seriously deplore the consistent failure of all involved governments to take measures for the protection of his most fundamental human rights and dignity.

"By displaying an attitude of complacency at best, and of complicity at worst, these governments have created an atmosphere of impunity encouraging Mr Assange's uninhibited vilification and abuse."

Assange is accused of violating the Espionage Act by using WikiLeaks to publish classified military and diplomatic documents in 2010.

The US Justice Department has indicted Assange on 18 counts that relate to his "alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the United States".

US extends charges against WikiLeaks founder Assange

Mr Melzer later told the Press Association that extraditing Mr Assange to the US would be a "grave violation" of his human rights because there was "no chance" of him receiving a fair trial.

Mr Assange is currently serving a 50-week sentence at Belmarsh for bail violations relating to his seven-year stay in the Ecuadorian embassy before his arrest in April.
L eave campaigner Andy Wigmore has sparked a race row after saying Remainer Femi Oluwole looks like Diane Abbott.

The Leave.EU communications director lashed out on social media after Mr Oluwole tweeted statistics about a no-deal Brexit.

The Our Future Our Choice spokesman tweeted: If anyone wants to explain to me how No-Deal parties getting 44.5% of the vote and 2nd Referendum parties getting 54.5% of the vote somehow translates to a mandate for leaving the EU on No-Deal, I'd really appreciate it. My head hurts.

But Mr Wigmore, who is a close friend of Nigel Farage, responded: Have you eaten Diane Abbott Femi? You sound like her, you have a grasp of numbers second only to her AND you even look like her, although you have much more of glowing complexion.

Mr Oluwole hit back, saying it was ridiculous that Nigel Farage could unleash the racism of Leave.EU, then just leave both, form a new party and we've just swallowed it like he's no longer racist.

He added: His strategy has all the sophistication of a child thinking he's invisible by covering his own eyes!

Mr Wigmore has long been an associate of the Brexit Party leader and businessman Aaron Banks, who helped fund the Leave.EU campaign.

In a separate tweet, he claimed to be meeting Donald Trump during the Presidents state visit to the UK next week with other pro-Brexit campaigners.

Supporters who backed Mr Oluwole included Change UK MP Anna Soubry, who tweeted: Solidarity with my friend Femi. No one should have to put up with this revolting racist abuse.

Wigmore, his mate Farage et al do not represent the majority of British people & its time we stood up to them beginning with reporting this to Twitter & the police #notinmyname
S hamima Begums lawyer has accused Sajid Javid of "human fly-tipping" over his decision to revoke her British citizenship.

In a letter to the Conservative leadership hopeful and home secretary, Ms Begums family lawyer Mohammed Akunjee said Mr Javid had used the case to further his political career.

He also said that the runaway teenager had been groomed and radicalised by Isis in the UK.

Ms Begum, 19, was one of three schoolgirls who left Bethnal Green, east London, to join the terror cult in 2015.

The move is only permissible under international law if it does not leave the individual stateless. It was thought Ms Begum may have a claim in Bangladesh because of her family background, but Bangladeshi officials denied this.

Shamima Begum: 'They dont have any evidence against me doing anything dangerous'

In a letter published in the Times, Mr Akunjee said: "Shamima Begum's parents never contemplated a life for her in Bangladesh. They did not register her birth with the Bangladeshi High Commission.

"They did not take her to Bangladesh on holiday as a child. Indeed she has never visited the country.

Shamima Begum had her British citizenship revoked

"Rather, Shamima was born, raised, groomed and radicalised here in the UK.

"The suggestion that Shamima is to you genuinely a Bangladeshi citizen is unsustainable."

Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15, and Amira Abase, 15 going through security at Gatwick airport at the time they first fled to Syria

Ms Begum, then heavily pregnant, was interviewed at the Al-Roj camp in northern Syria on February 13. She said she wished to return to the UK.

Mr Akunjee wrote she feared about the quality of healthcare which would be offered to the then unborn child, given her first and second child had both died.

The baby, named Jarrah, was born on February 16 and died of pneumonia on March 8, the letter said.

ISIS bride Shamima Begum was enforcer in morality police squad

It added: "It is the responsibility of a British secretary of state to deal with British problems.

"Rather than take responsibility for Shamima Begum and her son, you took a British problem and illegally dumped it on our innocent international neighbours.

Mr Akunjee also accused Mr Javid of using Ms Behum as a "pawn to your vanity".

He wrote: "Your act represents the most profoundly egregious, capricious and politically-driven abuse of power.

"Ms Begum was a pawn to your vanity. Her baby died."

The letter concluded: Your cynical decision amounts to human fly-tipping.

Mr Javid has staunchly rejected claims he was responsible for the baby's death, saying he was "protecting the country" by revoking Ms Begum's citizenship.
S urvivors of the fatal boat crash in Budapest have described how they were powerless to help their fellow passengers after the vessel capsized "in an instant" in the stormy waters.

Thirty-three South Korean tourists and two Hungarian crew members were on board a small sightseeing boat when it was hit by a cruise liner in the Danube River during a rainstorm on Wednesday night.

Seven people were killed in the accident and seven were rescued, while 21 people remain missing.

Hungary's state TV reported that all of the seven people rescued have been released from hospital except one, who is being treated for broken ribs.

Survivors have given accounts of the ordeal, describing how they wept and watched in horror as others around them struggled to stay afloat.

Officials have said they were not wearing lifejackets.

Candles and flowers have been left under the Magrit Bridge where the sightseeing boat sank on Wednesday. / AP

"The people plunged into the river in the darkness and shouted `Help me!' while floundering in the waters. But I couldn't do anything for them," a 31-year-old survivor surnamed Jeong told South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Ms Jeong and her fellow survivors said their small sightseeing boat had almost finished its hour-long night tour of the Hungarian capital when it was hit by the larger cruise ship under a bridge near the riverbank parliament building.

They said about 20 people were on the deck taking photographs or getting ready to disembark, while the others were in the cabin, when the cruise ship struck.

"I saw that big cruise ship coming closer to us but I had never imagined it would ram our boat," said Ms Jeong.

She said she and others on deck were thrown into the cold Danube waters by the impact.

River Danube: Budapest boat crash - In pictures 1 /18 River Danube: Budapest boat crash - In pictures A rescue boat is seen on the Danube river after a tourist boat capsized in Budapest, Hungary Reuters A fire brigade rescue boat takes part in the search operations for survivors on the River Danube in downtown Budapest, Hungary AP A rescue boat is seen after a ship accident that killed several people on the Danube river in Budapest, Hungary Reuters A woman looks on from the Margit Bridge, Budapest, after a sightseeing boat sank on the Danube river with 33 South Korean tourists on board. AP Rescuers search for victims on the river bank in the early hours of Thursday AP South Korean Embassy personnel help identify the victims AP National disaster management rescue staff launched a search operation for survivors EPA Rescuers search for victims on the river bank after a tourist boat crashed with a river cruise boat in the Hungarian capital AP Soldiers take part in the search operations for survivors on the River Danube in downtown Budapest, Hungary AP A rescue boat searches for victims AP Police and ambulances are parked on the river bank AP A rescue boat searches for victims AP Rescuers stand on the bank after a ship overturned and sank in River Danube in Budapest, Hungary EPA Hungarian police officers walk onto a Viking Cruises Sigyn hotel-boat as they investigate an accident on the banks of Danube River in downtown Budapest AFP/Getty Images

Another survivor surnamed Yoon, 32, said: "Our boat was turned over in an instant and began sinking."

"All those on the deck fell into water and I think those staying in the cabin on the first floor couldn't probably get out of the ship swiftly," Ms Yoon told Yonhap.

Police said it took only seven seconds for the boat to overturn and sink.

Seven dead and 19 missing after sightseeing vessel sinks in Budapest

Ms Jeong said she saw a lifeboat drifting close by as she struggled to beat the currents, and she managed to seize hold of it, also throwing a rope to Ms Yoon.

While holding onto the lifeboat together, the two women said they shed tears as they watched the heads of other people coming up and down in the fast-moving river.

Another survivor surnamed Ahn, 60, said a crewmember of another sightseeing boat sailing nearby extended a hand to him after he was tossed into the river. But he lost grip and was carried away by waters before he got hold of a drifting plastic object.

The survivors said rescuers were only able to pick up those who were in the lifeboats or clinging to them, or who were grasping hold of peoples extended hands from other boats nearby.

Members of the Hungarian military continue rescue efforts to find the 19 missing South Korean tourists and two missing Hungarian crew members. / AP

The South Koreans, mostly family groups, were on a package tour of Europe. Ms Yoon was travelling with her mother, aunt and uncle.

After she was rescued, she called her father in Seoul to tell him she and her mother had survived. The fate of her two other relatives is unknown.

The 32-year-old's father, Yoon Seung-yong, told the Seoul-based Hankyoreh newspaper that his daughter felt guilty because she had organised the trip.

"She cried and said, `Dad, what should I do? I think this happened because of me."'

Hungarian officials are preparing to raise the wreck of the sunken Mermaid. / AP

Rescue crews began searching for the missing people soon after the accident, but said operations were hampered by the rain and the fast flow of the rising Danube.

The search for the 21 unaccounted for passengers extended miles downstream, as far as Serbia, where the Danube flows from Hungary.

Meanwhile, crews are preparing to raise the sunken Mermaid.

Officials have said that due to heavy currents it could take days to recover the 70-year-old boat, which was built in the former Soviet Union.

Hungarian Police Officer Adrian Pal and Hungarian Firefighter officer Zsolt Gabor Palotai speak during a press conference on May 30 in Budapest. / AFP/Getty Images

Police, who launched a criminal investigation into the incident, announced late on Thursday that they had detained and questioned the Ukrainian captain of the larger vessel.

The 64-year-old man is suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident.

In line with Hungarian laws, the suspect was identified only as Yuriy C., referencing his first name and the initial letter of his last name. Police proposed the arrest of the Odessa resident, described earlier by police as an experienced sailor.

Video footage released by Hungarian police showed The Mermaid, traveling closely side-by-side and in the same direction as a German-built Viking cruise ship as they approached the Margit Bridge.

Large vessel collides with tourist boat in Budapest

The Mermaid then appeared to steer slightly to its left, into the path of the 443-feet-long cruise ship, which continued to sail on at the same speed.

The two collided and the sightseeing boat was then seen tipping on its side between the bridge's two supports.

Police Col. Adrian Pal said it was unclear what caused the smaller vessel to steer into the path of the Viking.

However experts in South Korea have raised questions as to why the boat tour was allowed to proceed in the heavy rain with strong currents and compromised visibility.
D onald Trump has announced tariffs on all goods coming from Mexico as he dramatically ramped up his battle to end illegal immigration.

The US leader said that a five per cent tariff would be imposed in just over a week and that the percentage would slowly rise until the illegal immigration problem is remedied.

President Trumps decision, announced in a tweet, was a direct challenge to the Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and appeared to take the Mexican government by surprise.

Mr Trump wrote: On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5 per cent Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied.

It raised the risk of deteriorating economic relations between two neighbours heavily dependent on the cross-border flow of goods. It also opened up a new front on trade as the Trump administration struggles to conclude a trade deal with China.

Higher tariffs will start at 5 per cent on June 10 and increase monthly until reaching 25 per cent on Oct. 1, unless Mexico takes immediate action, Mr Trump said.

The announcement rattled investors who feared that worsening trade frictions could hurt the global economy. The Mexican peso, US stock index futures and Asian stock markets tumbled on the news, including the shares of Japanese automakers who ship cars from Mexico to the United States.

"We're in a good moment building a good relationship (with the United States) and this comes like a cold shower," said Mexico's deputy foreign minister for North America, Jesus Seade.

US officials said 80,000 people are being held in custody with an average of 4,500 arriving daily, overwhelming the ability of border patrol officials to handle them.

A senior White House official said Trump was particularly concerned that US border agents apprehended a group of 1,036 migrants as they illegally crossed the border from Mexico on Wednesday. Officials said it was the largest single group since October.
T he family of a former member of the Royal Air Force who died in a light aircraft crash in Dubai have paid tribute to a lovely person who was always laughing and smiling.

Christopher Stone, who was from the UK but lived in Malaysia, was killed alongside two other Britons, including a former RAF wing commander, and a South African citizen in the crash on May 16.

The four-seat UK-registered plane plummeted to the ground around three miles south of Dubai International Airport, killing the passengers and pilot.

Mr Stones family said they had been left devastated by his death.

Christopher Stone served in the Royal Air Force / The Family of Chris Stone

In a statement released through the Foreign Office, they said: "Chris was a lovely person, always laughing and smiling. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

"At the age of 16 he joined the Royal Air Force and has since spent all of his time in or around aeroplanes.

"After leaving the RAF he continued to work in this field. His travelling led him to settle down in Malaysia where he leaves behind his beloved daughter Iesha, of whom he was immensely proud.

Christopher Stone was described by his family as a "lovely person who was always smiling and laughing." / The Family of Chris Stone

"The family is devastated by what has happened and are struggling to come to terms with the fact that we will never see Chris again.

"United in grief, we send our love to the other families involved and like them, we ask for the chance to mourn in peace."

The crash happened as the DA42 aircraft was "on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport", the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said after the incident.

Images showed the crash site in Dubai / AP

The Diamond DA42 aircraft is described on the Diamond website as having a "high degree of crashworthiness" and being "easy to fly and burns fuel like a single, but with the added safety of a second engine".

The Government of Dubai Media Office tweeted an image of a small plane with the registration G-MDME in its initial announcement of the crash.

Screengrab of a tweet posted by Dubai Media Office of the air crash in Dubai / PA

That aircraft is registered to Flight Calibration Services Ltd, based in Shoreham, West Sussex, according to Flight Radar.

In November the company said it had secured a contract to carry out work at Dubai International Airport.

The aircraft, which has an all-carbon airframe, has a maximum speed of 226mph, can operate at a maximum altitude of 18,000ft and weighs 1,410kg, the site added.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HIT Technologies Inc. (TSXV: HIT) ("HIT" or the Company), which designs, develops, manufactures and distributes the world's most advanced adventure products for iPhone, today reported its third quarter (Q1-F2019) financial and operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). All results are reported in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.



Selected Quarter and Annual Information

Q3-Fiscal

2019 Q3-Fiscal

2018 YTD-Fiscal

2019 YTD-Fiscal

2019 Revenue

$597,165

$89,500

$1,886,828

$484,693

+ % Increase over Prior Year 567% 289% Gross Margin

$339,731

($15,108)

$983,289

$101,852

Gross Margin % 57% -17% 48% 21% Operating Expenses (excluding non-cash and cost of sales)

$378,746

$304,980 $1,396,740

$1,023,969 % change over Prior Year 24% 36% Adjusted EBITDA (Loss)

($40,312)

($274,143)

($332,740)

($680,079) % change over Prior Year -85% -51% Net (Loss)

Per share, Basic $0.00 $0.00 ($0.01) ($0.01) March 31,

2019 June 30,

2018 Cash and Cash Equivalents $50,172 $286,106 Inventory $384,219 $219,699 Net Working Capital (Deficiency) ($953,042) ($474,404) Total Assets $933,904 $1,036,610 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $624,156 $1,199,915 Total liabilities $2,247,096 $1,985,555



We are very proud to announce our strongest Q3 in company history with 567% revenue growth YoY. We continue to execute against our turnaround plan and direct to consumer sales stayed strong despite typically slower seasonal effects. Our continued focus on our DTC channel (Direct to Consumer) reflects consumer demand for our product lineup and execution of our marketing plan. Higher margins reflect a greater portion of sales mix coming from our DTC channel and less seasonal discounting. We will look to continue to grow this channel in the quarters to come, says Brooks Bergreen, CEO HIT Technologies Inc.

Operational Summary for Q3 Fiscal 2019 include:

Generated sales of $597,165 in Q3-F2019, compared to $89,500 in Q3 Fiscal 2018, an increase of 567%, and compared to $989,052 in Q2-F2019, a decrease of 40%. YTD 2019 sales are $1,886,828, compared to $484,693 YTD 2018. This is an increase of 289%. This is mainly due to the benefits of improved sales channels, such as Best Buy USA, and increases in direct sales from its new product-line.

Gross Margin was recorded at $339,731, or 57%, in Q3-F2019, compared to ($15,108), or (17%) in Q3 of last year, and $536,638, or 54% in Q2-F2019. YTD 2019 Gross Margin is $983,289 vs YTD 2018 of $101,852, an increase of 865%. The increase of the Gross Margin %, year over year, is due to a higher proportion of direct sales, which have a higher margin profile. It also benefited from the introduction of higher margin products.

Increased its operating expenditures (excluding non-cash items and cost of sales) to $378,746, a 24% increase from Q2-F2018 and a decrease of 21% Q2-F2019. YTD 2019 operating expenses is $1,396,740, an increase from YTD 2018 of $1,023,969. This is mainly due to the increase in administrative and marketing variable expenses necessary to support and drive continued growth.

Reported an Adjusted EBITDA of ($40,312) for Q3-F2019, compared to an Adjusted EBITDA of ($274,143) in Q3-F2018 and of $55,425 in Q2-F2019. YTD Adjusted EBITDA is ($332,740) vs an Adjusted EBITDA for YTD 2018 of ($680,079), and improvement of 51%. Q3 closed with a working capital deficiency of $953,042 including cash and cash equivalents of $50,172 and inventory of $384,219, at March 31, 2019.

Non-IFRS Measures

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure and management defines this metric as the loss and comprehensive loss under IFRS, adjusted by adding back interest, taxes, amortization, and other non-cash expenses. Please review the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) in the Companys MD&A for the corresponding period.

This press release should be read in conjunction with our interim unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 and the accompanying Management Discussion and Analysis, which can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Companys website http://www.hitcase.com/invest .

About HIT Technologies Inc.

HIT Technologies Inc. (TSXV: HIT) develops and markets a portfolio of products that transform Apple iPhones into high-performing, weather- and shock-resistant smartphone accessories. Both its, flagship product, HITCASE PRO and its new Shield LINK and CRIO products, allows users to easily capture photo and video content hands-free, using a variety of HIT Technologies patented Railslide and LINK mounts that attach to virtually any surface. Swappable lenses and accessories provide a variety of perspectives, otherwise unattainable while participating in adventure sports. HIT Technologies is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange. For more information about HITCASE, visit www.HITCASE.com . Search #hitcase on Instagram to see some of the amazing images created by HITCASE customers.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws that are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. The information in this release about the Company's anticipated use of available funds, and the future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking information.

Any statements that involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information and are intended to identify forward-looking information.

This forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time it was made, and involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, global economic climate; dilution; the Company's limited operating history; future capital needs and uncertainty of additional financing; the competitive nature of the industry; currency exchange risks; the need for the Company to manage its planned growth and expansion; the effects of product development and need for continued technology change; protection of proprietary rights; the effect of government regulation and compliance on the Company and the industry; network security risks; the ability of the Company to maintain properly working systems; theft and risk of physical harm to personnel; reliance on key personnel; global economic and financial market deterioration impeding access to capital or increasing the cost of capital; and volatile securities markets impacting security pricing unrelated to operating performance. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information other than as required by law.

Cautionary Statement

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release.
M ark Zuckerberg will remain as chairman of Facebook after an attempt to strip him of the position put forward by a group of shareholders was rejected.

Investors in the social network are growing increasingly agitated with Mr Zuckerberg holding both chairman and chief executive roles amid "a seemingly endless stream of controversies and data breaches", one shareholder said during an annual general meeting.

However, Mr Zuckerberg was unlikely to be rattled by questions over his leadership, given that he holds the majority of the voting power.

Investment firms such as Trillium and NorthStar have long called for the 35-year-old to stand down from his chairman post and focus on being chief executive, urging him to take the example of other tech firms such as Google owner Alphabet, Apple and Microsoft, which have independent board chairs.

Mark Zuckerberg will remain as chairman of Facebook / AP

Outside the meeting, protesters convened to voice their concerns about Mr Zuckerberg's power, while the Fight for the Future advocacy group projected a 'Fire Mark Zuckerberg' display.

Abigail Shaw of NorthStar Asset Management said during the meeting: "We estimate that last year over 80 per cent of independent shareholders voted yes on this proposal therefore telling Mr Zuckerberg and the board that they are unhappy with the current arrangement.

"Shareholders continue to have no resource against the board or management when scandals pull down shareholder value.

"It is no secret that our company has struggled in the past two years due to a seemingly endless stream of controversies and data breaches.

"These include critiques of the company's likely role in proliferating fake news that affected the 2016 US election, stories that, quote, laid bare Facebook's lax policies around the use and sharing of user information, and risked losing users' trust in the platform and multiple allegations that the company's communications app WhatsApp and even the Facebook platform itself facilitated the spread of hate in places such as Myanmar and India.

"These examples illustrate the risk to a company when a board is formed by the CEO to meet his needs and is primarily composed of insiders or other affiliated people, rather than truly independent directors who would provide proper management in the oversight, to protect shareholders and investments."

Preliminary results indicated that a total of seven activist motions were rejected, including a majority voting system and proposals to ensure ideological diversity on the board.

"At a time when there is little public trust in Facebook, it is navigating a regulatory landscape that is changing quickly," said Jonas Kron of Trillium Asset Management.

"It is at a time like this that we need two different people in these two distinctly different leadership positions."

In closing remarks, Mr Zuckerberg did not address calls for him to reduce his power directly, instead repeating his goals to make Facebook more transparent, and speaking about its future plans to make the social network more privacy-focused.

"We're fighting to do the right things every day," he said.
A decorated navy seal accused of murdering an injured Islamic State prisoner has been freed from custody over prosecution interference.

The move drew gasps in a San Diego courtroom after lawyers for Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher presented evidence to get the case dismissed over prosecutorial misconduct.

The judge, Captain Aaron Rugh, was today expected to decide whether to abandon a forthcoming trial or remove prosecutors who tried to track emails sent to defence lawyers and a journalist to find the source of news leaks in the politically charged case.

Gallagher, pictured inset, is accused of stabbing to death a wounded prisoner of war in Iraq in 2007.

Defence attorney Tim Parlatore had accused prosecutors of a rogue, relentless, and unlawful cyber campaign that may have violated attorney-client privilege and hurt his clients ability to get a fair trial.

Gallaghers wife Andrea, pictured with him outside court, has led a campaign to free him. She burst into tears after his release.

I feel like its a small victory on the way to the larger victory, she said.
N orth Koreas special envoy to the US and four senior officials involved in the countrys talks with Donald Trump have been executed, according to a report.

Kim Hyok Chol, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeos counterpart ahead of the second US-North Korea summit in Vietnam, was reportedly killed in March.

The second summit between the Norths leader Kim Jong-un and US President Trump ended in failure in February, with the leaders dropping talks following a dispute over sanctions.

According to South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, special envoy to the US Kim Hyok Chol and four North Korean officials involved in the talks were held responsible for the collapse in negotiations and were executed.

Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea's special representative for US affairs, has reportedly been executed / REUTERS

Kim is believed to be carrying out a massive purge to divert attention away from internal turmoil and discontent, the newspaper said.

"Kim Hyok Chol was investigated and executed at Mirim Airport with four foreign ministry officials in March," an unnamed North Korean source said, according to the Chosun Ilbo.

They were reportedly charged with spying for the US.

Kim Hyok Chol was forced to work in Jagang Province after his dismissal, the source said, adding that Kim Song Hye, who carried out working-level negotiations with Kim Hyok Chol, was sent to a political prison camp, Chosun reported.
T wo Israeli men have been stabbed in a suspected terror attack in Jerusalem, police say.

Israeli police say the attacker, who they believe was a Palestinian, also tried to stab a police officer during the attack on Friday.

The 19-year-old suspect was shot dead by security forces.

One of the victims, a man in his 50s, was injured critically during the attack, while the other, a 16-year-old, suffered stab wounds to his back.

The stabbing took place near Damascus Gate, one of the main entrances to the Old City.

Israel Police spokesman Superintendent Micky Rosenfeld told The Jerusalem Post that a "terrorist stabbed one person at Damascus Gate, critically injuring him, and made his way into the Old City and stabbed a second person inside injuring him moderately."

Israeli security forces control access to Jerusalem's Old City at the Damascus Gate following the knife attack / AFP/Getty Images

He added: "The terrorist also attempted to stab a police officer. The terrorist was then shot by police forces."

The Times of Israel said the suspected terrorist was a 19-year-old man from the West Bank.

It was the last Friday of Ramadan, when thousands of Muslim worshippers were expected to visit a holy site and police had deployed extra units to the area.

The incident occurred just hours before weekly Friday prayers at the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque.
B TS impressive fan army sat down to enjoy Coronation Street before the world famous band performed on Britains Got Talent.

The South Korean boyband appeared on Thursday nights results show, which aired at 9.30pm  straight after a 30 minute trip to Weatherfield.

The groups passionate fans tuned into life on the Corrie cobbles to ensure they didn't miss a minute of BTS's performance of Boy With Luv.

With little knowledge of what was happening on the soap opera, the BTS army  especially the non-UK contingent  took part in an impromptu tweet-a-long, which was even welcomed by Corries own Twitter account.

The ITV soap wrote: Welcome to all the #BTSARMY who seem to be joining us for a watch of Coronation Street tonight - lovely to see you all! #BTSonBGT #Corrie @BTS_twt.

They were quickly inundated with replies from confused fans, asking all sorts of questions about the penultimate episode of Corries big week which will conclude tonight with the big reveal of the truth behind the factory collapse.

One wrote: Thanks for the welcome! Was kinda confused but am also now invested in these characters bc that was dramatic @BTS_twt #BTSonBGT.

Another said: Yess, and I watched the livestream along with 52k people. I can't believe it @BTS_twt #BTSonBGT.

Concerned: Carla Connor's mental health is at the forefront of Coronation Street this week / ITV

I love that #Corrie was also trending on twitter with the #BTSArmy as we waited for our boys @BTS_twt to come on stage #BTSonBGT and #InternationalArmies are now invested in the storyline all Be it a tad confused about #Karla and the #Horse, said somebody else.

Many fans were asking what happened to the elderly horse who took up residence in Sally Metcalfes home and expressed concern for Carla Connor  played by Alison King  who is struggling with psychosis.

Others joked that the soap was set for its highest ratings after an influx of boyband fans determined not to miss their favourite artists.

The seven-piece group performed halfway through the results show, looking dapper in a series of pastel-coloured suits, before it was revealed Ben Hart and Mark McMullan had made Sunday nights final.

The group are in the UK ahead of their two night residency at Wembley Stadium this weekend.

BTS: The world's biggest boyband - In pictures 1 /46 BTS: The world's biggest boyband - In pictures November 19, 2017



BTS perform during the 2017 American Music Awards Getty Images March 19, 2014



BTS attend the 100th episode of MBC Show Champion 2014 in Seoul AFP/Getty Images December 31, 2017



BTS performs onstage during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 in Los Angeles, CA, USA Getty Images for dcp January 15, 2020



Ariana Grande shares a picture of her with BTS Instagram August 10, 2014



BTS attends the Mnet America show Danny From LA KCON 2014 - Day 2 in Los Angeles, CA, USA Getty Images August 10, 2014



K-pop group BTS arrive on the red carpet during the K-CON 2014 in Los Angeles, CA, USA AFP/Getty Images January 22, 2015



BTS arrive for the 24th Seoul Music Awards n Seoul, South Korea Getty Images January 28, 2015



BTS arrive for the 4th Gaon Chart K-POP Awards 2015 at the Olympic Park in Seoul Getty Images May 21, 2017



BTS accepts the Top Social Artist award onstage during the 2017 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV, USA Getty Images November 19, 2017



BTS perform during the 2017 American Music Awards Getty Images November 19, 2017



BTS pose in the press room at the 2017 American Music Awards Invision/AP November 19, 2017



V and Jungkook of BTS perform during the 2017 American Music Awards Getty Images November 19, 2017



BTS perform during the 2017 American Music Awards Getty Images December 31, 2017



BTS attends Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 in Los Angeles, CA, USA Getty Images for dcp December 31, 2017



BTS performs onstage during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2018 in Los Angeles, CA, USA Getty Images for dcp May 20, 2018



BTS perfrom during the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 20, 2018



BTS attend the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 20, 2018



BTS perfrom during the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 20, 2018



Tyra Banks with BTS attending the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 20, 2018



BTS accepts the Top Social Artist award during the 2018 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images October 14, 2018



BTS performs during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean President official visit in France AFP/Getty Images October 14, 2018



BTS performs during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean President official visit in France AFP/Getty Images October 14, 2018



BTS members stand on scene after they performed during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean President official visit in France AFP/Getty Images October 14, 2018



BTS performs during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean president official visit to France AFP/Getty Images October 14, 2018



South Korean President Moon Jae-in greets the members of South Korean pop group BTS during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean President official visit in France AFP/Getty Images December 14, 2018



V, Suga, Jin, JungKook, Jimin, J-Hope and RM of BTS attend the 2018 Mnet Music Awards in Hong Kong Getty Images January 15, 2019



BTS attend the Seoul Music Awards Getty Images May 1, 2019



BTS perform onstage during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards Getty Images May 15, 2019



Kim Tae-hyung, Park Ji-min, Jungkook, Suga, Kim Seok-jin, RM and J-Hope of BTS perform on "Good Morning America" Getty Images May 1, 2019



South Korean boy band BTS poses in the press room with their awards during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards AFP/Getty Images December 6, 2019



BTS attends 102.7 KIIS FM's Jingle Ball 2019 Presented by Capital One at the Forum on December 6, 2019 in Los Angeles Getty Images December 31, 2019



BTS performs during the Times Square New Year's Eve 2020 Celebration in New York Getty Images January 26, 2020



BTS attends the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards Getty Images for The Recording A January 26, 2020



BTS perform with Lil Nax X AT the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards Getty Images Jan 29, 2020



South Korean boy band BTS with James Corden on The Late Late Shaw
H ow do you do an ending? In the case of Deadwood, hauled from the air in 2006, the answer was: you dont.

For context, Deadwood was a series that arrived with high hopes in 2004. It was a revisionist western by an established TV master, David Milch, who had brought rare sophistication to the storytelling of Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue.

In retelling the story of the Wild West, and employing the freedoms granted by its broadcast on a cable network, Milch produced three series.

These generic comparisons arent an exact science, but theres little wrong with the summary offered in The New Yorker by Milchs screenwriting daughter Olivia. Milch, she said, writes novels set like plays, and shot like movies, which play on television. Nor is he a traditional three-act writer. Plot, to him, is how a character reacts.

Finishing with a bang: Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) and Sol Star (John Hawkes) / HBO

Ideal, you might say, for TVs golden age. But in 2004, even at HBO, a network that prized prestige more than ratings, Deadwood didnt do enough. It wasnt the new Sopranos, or even Six Feet Under.

The show was canned after the third series  an event that Milch termed an abrupt rupture. Certainly, the rupture was abrupt enough that he declined the offer to conclude the story with a couple of two-hour movies. After that, cult status ensued.

But now there is an ending. Youll get no spoilers here, but the final moments of the drama are a worthy conclusion. They are given extra poignancy by the fact that as the show was being written Milch was beginning the slide into Alzheimers  but no special pleading is required on his behalf.

HBO

If it feels abrupt, but that is the nature of farewells. And, rather oddly, there has been no great effort to remind viewers of  or introduce them to  the complex character dramas that spooled out in the shows original run.

Still, you can come to this with no prior knowledge. Accessibility is built in, and if the brutish realities of the frontier dont seem quite as shocking as they did initially, thats because Milchs work has affected the ecology of television.

In fact, the plotting here is fairly straightforward. Brutal and corrupt Senator George Hearst (Gerald McRaney) is buying up land for his telephone poles. Weve no say as to the pace of modernitys advance, he says. His methods are dire, and the forces of decency are underpowered. (Since westerns are often current affairs in disguise, you may wish to bring your own metaphor-decoder.)

Meanwhile, the shows hero  or, to be accurate, charismatic villain  Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) is unwell, and largely an observer of these shifting sands. I aint got no time left for fancy dancin, he tells Trixie (Paula Malcomson). There is time for a few indignities, some medicine, and a few shots to numb Swearengens bewilderment, and the plot manages to include a shooting or two, a hanging, a wedding and a newborn baby.
M ichael Sheen has revealed he once had an embarrassing encounter with the Beckhams who mistook him for a tramp.

The actor, 50, said David and Victoria thought he was trying to abduct his daughter Lily after he picked her up from a skating lesson in Los Angeles.

The Beckhams were there checking out the rink for lessons, he told Graham Norton. I was quite hirsute then and when Posh saw me she called security thinking I was a tramp trying to abduct my daughter!

Sheen shares 20-year-old Lily with actress Kate Beckinsale who he split from in 2003.

Good and eveil: David Tennant and Michael Sheen from Good Omens / PA

Sheen was on the BBC chat show with his co-star David Tennant to promote their new Amazon Prime show Good Omens, which is based on Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimens bestseller.

Sheen revealed he was originally asked to play the demon, but felt he was not good enough for the part, which eventually went to Tennant.

Worried: David and Victoria Beckham were suspicious of Michael Sheen / Getty Images

When the series became a possibility Neil assumed I would want to play the demon, but when I read a very early version of the script I thought, I cant do that, Im not good enough. Im better for the angel part, that suits me, he said.

We had a very awkward dinner and he finally asked how I would feel about playing the good character and David the demon. It was perfect.

Good Omens follows the two characters as they team up to find a way to save the world in the face of Armageddon.

Other guests on this week's show include Chris Hemsworth, Gloria Estefan and the Jonas Brothers.
A nother blow has been delivered to the Chinese tech giant Huawei as US officials urge the UK government not to use the company's tech in its 5G network.

Last year, President Trump's administration accused Huawei of stealing trade secrets, fraud and violating US sanctions against Iran. The US banned the company's equipment from US networks in a bid to protect national security over fears Huawei would be ordered to put in backdoors that would allow the Chinese government to spy on the US.

This week, the US has handed over a dossier of information raising concerns over Huawei in an attempt to persuade the UK not to use its equipment off the back of the security risks.

The Guardian reported officials from the US stating that involvement from Huawei in the UK's burgeoning 5G network would be "nothing short of madness".

Here's everything that's happened so far with the Huawei US trade ban and what it means for Huawei smartphone owners in the UK.

What is the Google Huawei ban about?

In the past, the Chinese tech giant has been accused by President Trumps administration of stealing trade secrets, fraud and violating US sanctions against Iran, claims which have led the US president to ban Huaweis equipment from US networks in an effort to protect national security.

As a result, Google was forced to pull Huawei's Android license back in May 2019. This is the operating system that powers the majority of the world's phones, aside from the Apple iPhone.

Other companies are affected by the executive order, including the SD card trade association and chip designer Qualcomm. In July, Qualcomm said its sales fell in the previous quarter partly as a result of not being allowed to sell to the Chinese firm.

What about Huawei in the UK?

There were concerns about whether or not Huawei's 5G technology would be allowed to build the country's new 5G infrastructure. The tech firm is already involved in building 5G networks in six of the seven cities in the UK where Vodafone has gone live. It is also assisting in developing 5G sites for EE and Three.

In July, the UKs Science and Technology Committee said there were no technical grounds to exclude Huawei from the UKs 5G, but did suggest that the government needs to consider the impact of using Huaweis tech on its relationship with major allies, such as the US.

Norman Lamb, Chair of the Parliamentary Science and Technology Committee, said: We have found no evidence from our work to suggest that the complete exclusion of Huawei from the UKs telecommunications networks, would, from a technical point of view, constitute a proportionate response to the potential threat posed by foreign suppliers.

He added: The conclusion is restricted to technical considerations. There may well be geopolitical or ethical grounds for the Government to decide to enact a ban on Huaweis equipment.

The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G has a 7.2-inch screen and four camera lenses across the device / Huawei

In response to the report, Victor Zhang, President of Global Affairs at Huawei, said: We note the key conclusion from the Science and Technology committee letter, which states There are no technical grounds for excluding Huawei entirely from the UKs 5G or other telecommunication networks.'

And it also says we have found no evidence from our work to suggest that the complete exclusion of Huawei from the UKs telecommunications networks would, from a technical point of view, constitute a proportionate response.'

We are assured that the UK, unlike others, is taking an evidence-based approach to network security. Huawei complies with the laws and regulations in all the markets where we operate.

However, the recent reports of meetings between US and UK officials has seen the US government try to change this. Mr Johnson's spokesman, speaking ahead of the meeting, said: "The security and resilience of the UK's telecoms network is of paramount importance.

"We have strict controls for how Huawei equipment is currently deployed in the UK.

"The government is undertaking a comprehensive review to ensure the security and resilience of 5G and fibre in the UK."

What does the Google Huawei ban mean for Huawei phone users?

Huawei devices could no longer receive updates or be able to access software from Google / Getty

The ban hasn't affected current Huawei smartphones and devices. Google has said the Google Play Store, the Android app store through which Android device owners get their links to the outside world, and the security features which come with Android, will continue to be available on existing Huawei devices.

That means anything from the Huawei P30 range release, the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G, and previous devices are all fine.

Following news of the block, Huawei said many of its devices would be able to access Android 10  the next version of Googles phone software due to launch later this year  and would continue to receive other updates without interruption. It reiterated this position at its recent Developer Conference in China.

Unfortunately, the Mate 30 Pro smartphone was not so lucky. Announced in September, this is Huawei's most powerful phone yet, featuring the company's Kirin 990 chipset, four lenses on the back of the phone and a beautiful curved screen. However, as the device doesn't feature Android, it's unlikely the phone will get a UK or Europe release date.

The upcoming P40 range is probably not going to come to Europe either.



Huawei phones not affected by the Google ban Huawei P30: P30 Pro, P30, P30 Lite



Huawei P Smart



Huawei Mate 20: Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20, Mate 20 Lite, Mate 20 X



Huawei P20: P20 Pro, P20, P20 Lite



Huawei Mate 10: Mate 10 Pro, Mate 10, Mate 10 Lite



Huawei P10: P10 Plus, P10, P10 Lite

The company is getting creative with ways around this. For instance, at this year's IFA in Berlin, Huawei announced an updated P30 Pro smartphone which will ship with Android 10, the latest Android software, because that device was already licensed to use Android.

Why is Huawei suing the US government?

President Trump has said he does not want to do business with Huawei / AFP/Getty Images

Huawei has always said that the security concerns are unfounded and that its equipment has never been used for spying.

In November, the Federal Communications Commission banned Huawei from a federal subsidies programme which will make its equipment more expensive for US telecoms carriers. As a result, Huawei fired back with a lawsuit, calling the order was unlawful. Glen Nager, a US lawyer who represents the company, said the order was based on "unsound, reliable and inadmissible accusations and innuendo, not evidence.

The designation is simply shameful prejudgment of the worst kind," said Nager.

This is the second lawsuit Huawei has launched against the US. It is also currently challenging the constitutionality of the federal law that bans US agencies from buying its equipment.

It looks like this fight is going to go on for a long time.

US trade ban took its toll on Huawei

When news of a ban was first announced, it began to have serious effects on Huaweis sales in the UK.

According to data by Kantar, Huawei's smartphone sales fell by two per cent between the first quarter and second quarter of 2019. By comparison, the company had a market share of 9.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2018, growing to 15.7 per cent in early 2019, so whilst the new figures are still higher than last year, it demonstrates that the Huawei surge is slowing down.

In addition, Huawei's sub-brand Honor appears to be falling too, from 3.9 per cent market share of sales in the second quarter of last year down to 2.3 per cent now.

Huawei's head of consumer Richard Yu with the latest Huawei P30 Pro phones / ERIC PIERMONT / Contributor

When Huaweis 5G device, the Mate 20 X 5G launched in the UK last July, network operators initially pulled the smartphone from their lineups. One of the first 5G devices to be announced, the Mate 20 X 5G was removed from the 5G offerings from the likes of EE following the trade ban.

However, the Huawei 5G phone was restored following leniency in the trade ban, and is available to buy from Three, Sky Mobile and the Carphone Warehouse.

How could another Android ban affect the future of smartphones?

Huawei is championed as one of the most innovative smartphone brands, often showcasing its design and technical prowess at various keynote events around the world.

This is how the company has managed to go from a largely obscure Chinese brand to one of the biggest phone makers in the world, selling 59.1 million phones in the first quarter of 2019.

With the development of its own OS, its likely that regardless of whether Huawei is banned from doing business with the US, the company will strike out on its own.

Nonetheless, a potential ban could have implications for the future of things like smartphone design. Take, for instance, the Huawei Mate X, the companys folding phone. Google worked with both Huawei and Samsung to create the next version of Android that works well on folding phones.

Future versions of Huawei's folding phone may not be able to support Android / EPA

By ending this close relationship, future smartphone design will certainly be affected.

However, Huawei is doing what it can to temper any future issues that may arise. At the companys annual developer conference in China recently, Huawei officially unveiled its Android alternative: HarmonyOS.The operating system has been in the works for a few years but Huawei reportedly stepped up development in order to replace its reliance on the Google-owned Android.
A pples WWDC developer event is a major event in the global tech calendar. With over 1.4 billion devices running Apples platforms around the world, its a chance for developers to come together and learn about the future of Apple tech and how it will affect their businesses.

Its not just developers that receive invites into the coveted space that is Apple Park. Each year, Apple runs a WWDC scholarship programme, which gives students from around the world a free ticket to WWDC and a place to stay during the conference, so they get to partake in all the action.

Phil Schiller, senior VP of worldwide marketing at Apple, puts this growth in student developers down to the creation of Swift, Apples coding language, as well as the ease of publishing on the App Store. Were seeing kids come into it with the most brilliant, creative ideas, ready to start their career in software, he says.

And they bring so much enthusiasm and energy. When we do the keynote, theres about 6,000 people in the audience and you can immediately tell where the student section is because theyre so loud. Its so nice to see.

Of the 350 students making the trip to California this year, three of them are from London and Kent. Heres what you need to know about them.

Spruce Campbell, 14

Spruce Campbell with his BAFTA Young Games Designer award in 2017 (BAFTA ) / BAFTA

Spruce Campbell, from London, starting coding at the ripe young age of eight, after being inspired by the video games he was playing and took to designing new levels and concepts. Two years ago, he won the BAFTA Young Game Designer Award two years ago for one of his first apps, a game called CYBERPNK. A follow-up title, CYBER:JUMP, has received over 100,000 downloads on the App Store.

He says coding is like having a secret identity. It always feels a bit surreal when I have to take a day off school to go to an event Ive been invited to.

What he loves about the process though is the feeling he gets when something hes been slaving away at works. A lot of coding is solving puzzles and the feeling when the console clears all the errors, and you run it, and everything works is just as strong as what you feel when putting the final piece in a jigsaw puzzle, he says.

This is the first time Campbell will attend WWDC and he says hes tried to not read any of the rumours about what will be announced during the keynote.

Im just as excited to be able to talk to some of the developers behind the apps I use every day. Itll also be really nice to catch up with all the friends Ive made over my coding journey so far."

Aurther Nadeem, 15

Aurther Nadeem has two apps on the App Store already (Aurther Nadeem) / Arthuer Nadeem

Originally from Pakistan, Aurther Nadeem moved with his family to Kent when he was two years old. Like Campbell, he started coding at a young age and was about nine when he started using Scratch, a free programming language created by MIT.

He has two apps in the App Store already, both focused on maths: Quickk Maths and InComp. Why maths? The App Store can be accessed in nearly every country in the world and hopefully through my apps people are getting access to a resource which can help them develop a better future for themselves and the people around them.

At the moment he is balancing his school work around coding and hopes to study computer science at Imperial College in order to become a software developer. Attending WWDC is a dream come true after watching all the keynotes previously on his phone. Actually being there will be a life-changing experience for me,  says Nadeem. I hope to gain more knowledge and skills from the many opportunities that will be available there for all the scholars and hopefully I can implement these skills in my future work."

His big tech idea to save the world? I think one of the biggest difficulties at the moment is our struggles to harness renewable energy. I think we need to develop a piece of tech that allows us to fully harness the energy of the sun, similar to the conceptual Dyson sphere.

George Taylor, 26

George Taylor has been studying at the Apple Developer Academy in Naples / George Taylor

George Taylor, from Kent, says he was always interested in how tech works behind the scenes but it was only when he decided to apply for the Apple Developer Academy in Naples that he was able to explore this curiosity fully.

I saw an article about the academy and that they were open for applications and I applied without thinking anything would come of it, he says. It turned out to be one of the best decisions Ive made.

Collaboration is a big part of the teaching at the academy so the first app Taylor worked on was with his classmates. Called Helium, it is an educational app using gamiefied learning to teach people about the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. I was mainly involved with the design of things but learned a lot from what the coders were doing. We built the app in about a week. It took a little more refining to push it to the App Store but it was a great feeling to put something out into the world."

Like most Apple fans, Taylor says Steve Jobs is one of his tech heroes but he also has a lot of respect for Susan Kare, who designed most of the icons for the original Mac. It is such an art to be able to abstract things into a simple and intuitive part of a user interface that people can identify with. Her work has defined a lot of what iconography has become in software today.

At WWDC, Taylor hopes to meet more of the global iOS developer community as well as see all the action live at the keynote. The end of his time at the academy is fast approaching but he has some big plans. The dream would be a job at Apple but I would also be excited to take forward a couple of app ideas with some friends from the Academy in a start-up.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hunt Mining Corp. ("Hunt") (TSX VENTURE: "HMX" OTCQB: "HGLD") is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement with Patagonia Gold Plc ("Patagonia") on the terms of an arms length share exchange offer (the "Offer") by Hunt for the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Patagonia (the "Proposed Transaction"). Upon the closing of the Proposed Transaction, it is proposed that Hunt will become a Tier 2 Mining Issuer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and will be renamed "Patagonia Gold Corp." (the "Resulting Issuer"). The Resulting Issuer will carry on the business of Hunt and Patagonia and continue trading on the Exchange under the trading symbol "PGDC".



Terms of the Transaction

It is anticipated that the Offer is to be implemented by means of a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement (the "Scheme") under Part 26 of the UK Companies Act 2006 (England and Wales), as amended, whereby the shareholders of Patagonia (the "Patagonia Shareholders") would, on completion of the Proposed Transaction, own 80% of the issued and outstanding capital of the Resulting Issuer. The Scheme will constitute a "Reverse Take-Over" of Hunt under the policies of the Exchange. The Proposed Transaction is an arm's length transaction.

The Patagonia Shareholders will receive approximately 10.76 common shares in the capital of the Resulting Issuer in exchange for each ordinary share of Patagonia (the "Patagonia Shares") held by them (collectively, the "Exchange Ratio"). There are currently 63,588,798 common shares of Hunt ("Hunt Shares") issued and outstanding and 23,634,749 Patagonia Shares issued and outstanding. It is expected that on completion of the Scheme, the Resulting Issuer will have approximately 317,943,990 common shares issued and outstanding, of which 254,355,192 or 80% will be held by the Patagonia Shareholders. In connection with the Proposed Transaction, all outstanding options of Hunt have been cancelled and all outstanding warrants of Hunt will be cancelled immediately following the date on which the Scheme becomes effective (the "Effective Date"). All outstanding options of Patagonia (which are all currently out-of-the money) will lapse to the extent they are not exercised 40 days after the Effective Date. There are no other securities outstanding that are convertible into Hunt Shares or Patagonia Shares.

Given that certain of the shareholders of Hunt ("Hunt Shareholders") hold more than 50% of the Hunt Shares, Hunt expects to obtain the consent of such Hunt Shareholders by written consent resolution in accordance with the policies of the Exchange (collectively, the "Written Consent Resolution"). A copy of a filing statement prepared in accordance with applicable securities laws (the "Filing Statement") will be provided to the Hunt Shareholders prior to obtaining their consent and the Filing Statement will be filed under Hunts profile on www.sedar.com and with the Exchange.

Hunt Mining Corp.

Hunt is a mining company existing under the laws of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) that, together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the exploration and development of mineral properties in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina. Hunts activities include the exploration and processing of minerals from certain properties in Argentina. The common shares of Hunt are currently listed for trading on the Exchange under the trading symbol "HMX".

Details of Hunt and its assets are set out in the Filing Statement being filed under Hunts profile on www.sedar.com and with the Exchange.

Patagonia Gold Plc

Patagonia is a mining company existing under the laws of England and Wales focused on the exploration and development of gold and silver projects in the Patagonia region of Argentina. Patagonia is primarily focused on its Cap-Oeste Project in Santa Cruz and the more recently acquired Calcatreu Project in Rio Negro. Patagonia, indirectly through its subsidiaries or under option agreements, has mineral rights to over 250 properties in several provinces of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay and is one of the largest landholders in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. Until February 2019, Patagonia operated the Cap-Oeste and Lomada mines. In February 2019, Patagonia determined to close Lomada and put Cap-Oeste on care and maintenance pending a review of the viability of mining the high-grade underground mineral resource at Cap-Oeste. The Patagonia Shares are admitted for trading on the AIM Market of London Stock Exchange plc (AIM) under the trading symbol "PGD". It is anticipated that concurrently with the closing of the Proposed Transaction, the Patagonia Shares will be delisted from AIM.

A summary of financial information respecting Patagonia and its assets is below:

Year ended

December 31, 2018

(audited)

(USD$) Year ended

December 31, 2017

(audited)

(USD$) Total Revenues 48,089,000 31,899,000 Exploration Expenses (2,744,000) (2,643,000) Total Operating Expenses (29,515,000) (16,711,000) Current Assets 11,482,000 38,065,000 Total Assets 55,910,000 73,514,000 Current Liabilities 29,425,000 35,851,000 Long Term Liabilities 3,103,000 3,880,000 Total Liabilities 32,528,000 39,731,000

Additional details of Patagonia, including its financial information and assets, are set out in the Filing Statement being filed under Hunts profile on www.sedar.com and with the Exchange.

Closing Conditions

The Offer is conditional upon certain customary closing conditions including that the Scheme becomes unconditional. The Scheme is subject to the following conditions:

The Scheme must be approved by the Patagonia Shareholders;

The Scheme must be sanctioned by the UK Court; and

Hunt having taken all necessary actions so that the shares of the Resulting Issuer trade on the Exchange by not later than 14 days following the Effective Date.

Board of Directors and Management

On the Effective Date, it is anticipated that the board of directors of Hunt will be reconstituted to consist of Carlos J. Miguens, Cristian Lopez Saubidet, Alexander (Sandy) Harper, Tim Hunt, and David Jarvis. It is also anticipated that the management team of the Resulting Issuer will be comprised of Christopher van Teinhoven as Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Secretary, Cristian Lopez Saubidet as Chief Financial Officer and Leon Hardy as Chief Operating Officer.

Carlos J. Miguens

Carlos J. Miguens has extensive business experience in Latin America. He was President of Cerveceria & Malteria Quilmes, one of Argentinas largest brewing companies for 11 years, until its sale to Ambev. He is the President of MB Holding S.A. and a Director of a number of other companies. Mr. Miguens is a co-founder and Vice-President of A.E.A. (Asociacion Empresaria Argentina). He has been the President of Patagonia Gold S.A., a subsidiary of Patagonia, since its inception.

Christopher van Tienhoven

Christopher van Tienhoven was appointed to the board of directors of Patagonia on June 10, 2015. During his 25 years experience in the mining industry, Mr. van Tienhoven worked for the majority of his career with the Anglo American group in various countries, culminating as Country Manager and President of Anglo Gold Ashantis Cerro Vanguardia mine. In 2008 he joined Andean Resources Limited as Country Manager and Vice President for Argentina until 2010, when its main project Cerro Negro was sold to Goldcorp Inc. Before joining Patagonia, Mr. van Tienhoven had been dedicated to merger and acquisition opportunities in the junior mining sector in Latin America including Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Guatemala. Mr. van Tienhoven has a degree in Economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Cristian Lopez Saubidet

Mr. Christian Lopez Saubidet has 18 years of experience in Finance and Strategy. He has been involved with Patagonia since 2008, as Vice President of Patagonia Gold S.A. and other subsidiaries of Patagonia. He also serves on the Boards of Central Puerto SA and San Miguel S.A., both listed companies on the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange. Between 2005 and 2008 he was VP Strategy and Analytics in HSBCs Consumer Lending Division in the United States of America. Between 1998 and 2005 he worked as a Management Consultant for McKinsey & Co. in Buenos Aires, Pittsburgh and Chicago. He holds an MBA from the Anderson School at University of California, Los Angeles and a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Instituto Tecnologico de Buenos Aires.

Tim Hunt

Tim Hunt is the founder and president of Huntwood Industries, one of the largest building products manufacturers in the Western United States. Mr. Hunt has led the development of Huntwood Industries for the past 29 years, taking the business from a start-up venture to a significant middle-market enterprise; responsible for over 2 billion dollars in sales. He has significant investment experience raising capital and negotiating private equity placements for numerous companies. During a period as a licensed securities broker, Mr. Hunt also cultivated and developed lasting alliances in the mining and investment communities. He has been recognized for his leadership in the financial services sector and served on the board of directors for a regional bank. He has been involved in the mining sector for over 30 years, including the period as an investment broker.

Alexander (Sandy) Harper

Alexander (Sandy) Harper started out at Merrill Lynch in London in the 1970s. He has since successfully been an independent international commodity trader, investor and consultant with long experience of doing business in the UK, Europe, USA, Latin America and West Africa. Mr. Harper is currently based in Argentina. Mr. Harper was educated at Winchester College, Hampshire, UK.

David Jarvis

David Jarvis is a mining operations executive with broad experience in the Americas and East and Central Asia. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering, and has worked as Superintendent, Mine Water Management for Newmont Gold, Mine Manager for Kumtor Operating Co., Centerra Gold, Kyrgyzstan, Production Manager, Nome Alaska for NovaGold Resources Inc., and Vice-President and General Manager for Coeur Mexicana, SA de C.V.

Leon Hardy

Leon Hardy is the former COO and Senior Vice-President for Coeur Mining Inc., and has over 40 years of technical and operational experience which includes 12 years in Latin America. Mr. Hardy holds a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the University of Arizona, and is a registered professional engineer. Mr. Hardy resided in Argentina for 5 years, while being the general manager of the Martha Mine and was instrumental from the initial start-up thru the 240 TPD Mill construction and subsequent full scale operations. Mr. Hardy has operational, cost control, due diligence, strategic mine planning, and feasibility studies experience, and maintains strong political relationships with regional emphasis in Argentina.

Cautionary Statements and Forward Looking Information

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable, disinterested 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 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 Hunt Mining Corp. should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. 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 the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Proposed Transaction that are not historical facts. Any such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve 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 statements will not occur, which may cause actual performance and results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the risk that the Proposed Transaction will not be completed or that the necessary approvals and/or exemptions are not obtained or some other condition to the closing of the Proposed Transaction will not be satisfied, the risk that the UK Court does not sanction the Scheme in a timely manner, if at all, the risk that closing of the Proposed Transaction could be delayed if Hunt and Patagonia are not able to obtain the necessary approvals on the timelines planned, the risk that the timing of obtaining required approvals, closing conditions for the Proposed Transaction, state of the economy in general and capital markets in particular, investor interest in the business and future prospects of Hunt and Patagonia will not occur in a timely manner, if at all, and may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such assumptions, risks and uncertainties.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, Hunt and Patagonia disclaim any intention and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities law. Additionally, Hunt and Patagonia undertake no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made, by third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

For more information, please contact:

Dean Stuart

Investor Relations

T: (403) 617-7609

E: dean@boardmarker.net
SURREY, British Columbia, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Burning Hunger Candle Co., a Vancouver-based scented candle and candle accessory online platform working to create natural, bohemian, and aromatic products, this week announced they are elevating their business model to include a major social component.

Through Canadian food bank, charity, and foundation partnerships, Burning Hunger Candles will donate a meal to someone in need, as well as a can of food to a local bank when one of their candles is purchased.

Our candle company is focused on helping those in Vancouvers Downtown Eastside through feeding the hungry, said Steven Merk, Founder and Owner of Burning Hunger Candles Inc. We partner with shelters, non-profits and food banks to provide much-needed support to those that are food insecure. Its a basic human necessity we believe everyone deserves access to, and that starts with our social venture platform.

Burning Hunger Candle Co. is currently working with the Downtown Eastside Womens Center , A Better Life Foundation and Union Gospel Mission . They are presently looking to expand their partnerships in order to manage a widespread impact.

The company is presently selling two different quality candle products on their site, Red Cedar  Compassion, Bergamot  Love, and Moroccan Mint  Hope. With purchase of any candle, the food donation arrangement will kick-start, supporting one of thousands in Vancouver and beyond in need of food.

Just a few years ago, the Vancouver Sun confirmed that nearly 500,000 families in British Columbia were going hungry, unable to provide for their kids, said Merk. Were hoping to curb that statistic, and were hoping to do it with our premium candle products. Help us spread the word today.
Please log in to keep reading.

{{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever.
The anticipation began to culminate as my dad, Sean OBrien and I made the final preparations on the 1964 Corvette ahead of Thursdays Sugar Valley Rally tech inspection.

Once we polished up the car, we decided to take the soft top off as we cruised to the Star-Herald.
Several family members from Kansas City and Colorado were there for her retirement reception on May 30.

I think Ill rest for a while before deciding whats next, she said. I have a grandson who lives in Kansas City and he has three little ones, so Im sure Ill be visiting soon.

Also retiring on May 31 is Shirley Reinmuth, who started in the Treasurers Office 31 years ago and is currently the deputy county treasurer.

Reinmuth said that over the years, shes been blessed to have worked for three great county treasurers: Darlene Robertson, Gwenn Greeley and Heather Hauschild.

I love numbers, she said. Its a challenge to make sure everything balances at the end of the month so we can get funding to the schools and the cities.

Automation over the years is one of the major changes Reinmuth has experienced.

We used to have great big ledgers and all our accounting was done in those books, she said. It took several days just to get ready to do the month-end accounting. Now with computerized systems, we can have it done in a day.
The problem we had with the time constraint was that any revaluation has to be done by the time counties set their mill levy in September, Erdman said. "So we had to cut the deadline back to July 1.

After a month of negotiations with the governors office, Erdmans new version was accepted. Significant property damage was redefined to include damage of more than 20 percent of the propertys assessed valuation. In that case, the owner has the right to have the property reassessed.

If a property owner in eastern Nebraska had his house washed away in the March flooding, he could apply for a review, Erdman said. The value would be reassessed for whatever was left on the land, which would be just the land itself.

The reassessed property valuation would be retroactive back to Jan. 1, 2019. The change in value would only be valid for the calendar year in which the disaster occurred.

Erdman said that overall, hes pleased with the new bill.

Before this passed, if your house burned down on Jan. 2 youd be paying property tax the whole year. This gives people a chance to have the value readjusted.
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Wang Yang on Thursday met with visiting Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, and the two sides expressed willingness to enhance bilateral cooperation.

Wang, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, hailed the ever-deepening traditional friendship and fruitful outcomes in pragmatic cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries nearly six decades ago.

No matter how the international situation changes, the friendly relations between the Communist Party of China and the Communist Party of Cuba, as well as between the two countries, will not change, Wang said.

The Chinese side stands ready to work with Cuba in jointly implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepening political mutual trust, strengthening coordination on international and regional issues, and jointly building the Belt and Road, to score new achievements in developing traditional friendship and cooperation in various fields, Wang said.

Speaking highly of the current China-Cuba relations, Rodriguez said the Cuban side is willing to deepen the two countries' pragmatic cooperation to advance bilateral ties to a higher level.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Organic Flower Investments Group Inc. (CSE: SOW)(FWB: 2K6)(OTC: QILFF) ("Organic Flower" or OFIG or the Company) is pleased to announce the Company has entered into a definitive sub-licensing agreement (the Agreement) with 1205293 B.C. Ltd. d/b/a True Focus Canada (True Focus).



Under the terms of the Agreement, Organic Flower has been granted an exclusive sub-license, which permits the domestic marketing, distribution and development of True Focus product suite and proprietary intellectual property (IP) portfolio. The aforementioned sub-license covers the territory of Canada, and shall be effective for a period of 10 years from the date of grant.

True Focus boasts a suite of all-natural, nutraceutical formulations, coupled with an intuitive delivery system designed to mitigate the negative side effects associated with excessive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) consumption. True Focus product formulations are considered patent-pending by way of a United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patent application.

Recreational cannabis consumption for the purpose of achieving desired levels of euphoric or psychoactive effects, can at times lead to adverse and unwanted side effects, given the lack of consistent doses distinction or historical use. True Focus patent-pending formulation offers a unique solution to alleviating undesirable symptoms associated with a THC overdose.

Delivered to the end consumer via a pocket sized, user-friendly spray bottle, True Focus revolutionary formulations are designed to be ingested in a sublingual manner.

Excessive cannabis consumption can cause adverse effects such as nausea, postural hypotension, delirium, panic attacks, and anxiety. As reported by the CBC, Quebec Poison Control has indicated that the number of reported cases of cannabis poisoning has more than tripled in the province since recreational legalization passed in the fall of 2018.

Joel Dumaresq, CEO and Director of OFIG commented: Despite the growing enthusiasm and lessening stigma of cannabis consumption both in Canada and globally, the fact still remains that, similar to alcohol, the risk of overconsumption can prove highly-problematic.

As such, we are excited about the prospects for a patent-pending nutraceutical product that offers the potential to lessen some of the negative side effects associated with excessive cannabis consumption. As a complement to our growing and diversified portfolio of robust downstream cannabis assets, we believe that True Focus represents a strong accompaniment to our suite of products offerings.

Under the terms of the Agreement, Organic Flower will issue common shares with a value of $3.5-million to 1205293 B.C. Ltd. (the Payment Shares). The valuation of the shares will be based upon the five-day VWAP (volume-weighted average price) of Organic Flower's common shares for the five trading sessions prior to the announcement of the Agreement.

The Payment Shares issuable on the acquisition are subject to a hold period of at least six (6) months and one (1) day. The closing of this acquisition is subject to customary terms and conditions.

Further Payment Shares shall be issuable based on the achievement of certain milestones, specifically:

Annualized sales run-rate of $250,000 demonstrated for an uninterrupted six consecutive months and/or distribution of True Focus products on 2,500 unique shelves; and,

Achievement of formulaic product testing/verification in a clinical setting that demonstrates positive or tangible conclusions

The exclusive sub-license grants Organic Flower the rights to True Focus IP portfolio in its entirety, inclusive of the True Focus trade name, associated trade markets, logos and art, rights to any product formulations, as well as all restrictive covenants and trade secrets associated with the marketing and development of products under the True Focus trade name or which utilize patent rights, including methods and processes.

OFIG's acquisition of the sub-license will form part of the asset sale to AgraFlora Organics International Inc. ("AgraFlora"). As previously announced on May 23, 2019, it is anticipated that the sale price for the sale assets will be comprised of 1.15 shares of AgraFlora for each one (1) issued and outstanding share of OFIG at the time of closing of the asset sale.



A finder's fee is payable on this transaction.

ABOUT ORGANIC FLOWER INVESTMENTS

Organic Flower, an investment holding firm, is leveraging strategic relationships, proprietary investments and exclusive partnerships with preeminent international cannabis cultivators and formulators for the development of best in-class products and brands to be marketed and distributed throughout our global footprint.

ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIC FLOWER INVESTMENTS GROUP INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Joel Dumaresq



Joel Dumaresq

CEO, Director

+1 (604) 687-2038

info@sowcannabis.ca

Learn more about Organic Flower by visiting our website at: https://sowcannabis.ca/

THE CSE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE.



Notice Regarding Forward Looking Information:

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. This information is only a prediction. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking information throughout this news release. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to: political changes in Canada and internationally, future legislative and regulatory developments involving cannabis in Canada and internationally, the Companys ability to secure distribution channels in international jurisdictions, competition and other risks affecting the Company in particular and the cannabis industry generally.



The forward-looking information contained in this release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements and is made as of the date of this release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking information to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise.




Travis Fieldgrove, who had sex with a woman who was both his wife and his daughter, was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison.

Hall County District Judge Mark Young issued the sentence, with credit given for 121 days already served. As a practical matter, Fieldgrove, of St. Paul, Nebraska, will serve 144 more days in jail.

Young also added 12 months of post-release supervision. During that time, Fieldgrove, 40, is ordered to have no contact with Samantha Kershner, 21.

Fieldgrove and Kershner were married Oct. 1 in Hastings.

Fieldgrove initially was charged with committing incest, a felony. But under a plea agreement, he pleaded no contest in April to an attempt charge.

Under the plea agreement, the prosecutor and public defender made a joint recommendation that Fieldgrove be sentenced to two years in jail.

Both sides agree that incest was committed, a fact proven by DNA tests.
City Manager Ron Smith said the city was aware of Lemonis visit to Statesville, but Lemonis had not contacted anyone to arrange a meeting with city staff.

If you Google my name and cell phone, my contact pops up, Lemonis said. Its not hard to reach me. I have no messages from the mayor.

Lemonis made note that only two Statesville City Council members, John Staford and C.O. Johnson, were in attendance.

Lemonis said if the city makes an amendment, it allows any size flag for any business, not just Gander RV.

This is not about us (Gander RV), Lemonis said. This is about a city and a flag that doesnt belong to us. It doesnt belong to any of us.

Lemonis said he did not usually consider himself a rule breaker, but the company has been fighting Statesvilles flag ordinance for years. He said the fine would be paid, and it would go to the city.

That money belongs to the taxpayers, Lemonis said.

He said he would be willing to go to jail for contempt of court if he had to.
Selbyville, Delaware, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Residential application segment of Europe hydronic radiators market is anticipated to grow owing to introduction of regulations & mandates and technological advancements. Growing focus toward energy conservation from digitalization coupled with rising expenditure on energy-efficient products & services for buildings will drive the product installation. Moreover, increasing need for cost-effective sustainable systems along with the launch of clean energy policy standards is set to enhance the business outlook. Execution of minimum energy performance plans for new buildings coupled with major industrial renovation will foster the product penetration.



Low energy consumption, easy installation and cost efficiency when compared to existing counterparts will positively influence the hydronic radiators market size. The systems function by boiling water to a fixed temperature and then circulate the fluid throughout the space. Rising environment concerns accompanied by increasing demand for green technology is projected to augment the industry outlook. Furthermore, increasing requirement for suitable system design along with rising R&D investments to improvise product features will drive the product installation.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/3348

Major industry players for the Europe hydronic radiators market comprises Haverland, Bisque, Stelrad, Sterling Radiator, Jaga, Runtal, Hydronic Alternatives, Rointe, Zehnder, Dimplex, Eskimo, The Electric Heating Company, Aeon, and Tubes Radiatori.

The Europe Hydronic Radiators Market is expected to cross USD 1.6 billion by 2025, as reported in the latest study by Global Market Insights, Inc. Growing focus on energy efficiency accompanied by a swift drift toward low carbon & zero emission buildings is projected to drive the Europe hydronic radiators market growth. Renovation of traditional buildings on account of stringent regulations & mandates including building codes will boost the product adoption. Rising measures and policies by the European Commission to encourage the 2020 EU energy efficiency aim of 20% will strengthen the industry outlook.

Increasing focus toward energy performance management in residential establishments along with introduction of energy efficiency norms and mandates is anticipated to positively influence the hydronic radiators market size. Introduction of strict norms & regulations coupled with rising inclination toward the adoption of energy efficient systems is set to augment the industry landscape. Further, ongoing R&D investments along with focus toward technological advancement will boost the product demand.

Browse key industry insights spread across 240 pages with 402 market data tables & 26 figures & charts from the report, Europe Hydronic Radiators Market Size By Technology (Heating Systems {Steam, Hot-Water}, Cooling Systems), By Facility (Existing Buildings, New Buildings), By Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (UK, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Turkey, Romania, Belgium, Netherlands, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Hungary Finland), Price Trends, Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019  2025 in detail along with the table of contents:

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/europe-hydronic-radiators-market

Germany hydronic radiators market by 2025 will surpass an annual installation of 2 million units. Increasing energy renovation in existing infrastructure to support high-performance and near-zero energy areas is anticipated to encourage the product adoption. Moreover, upsurge in provision of private sector funds coupled with the introduction of advanced solutions to preserve energy will positively impact the business outlook.

Increasing support of net zero operating pollution, rising building energy refurbishment rate, and intensifying focus on energy efficiency is projected to boost the hydronic radiators market growth across new buildings. In 2018, the EU commission, the parliament and the council agreed on the energy efficiency target of 32.5% by 2030. Shifting consumer preference toward sustainability along with growing strategies to construct carbon-free buildings by 2050 will strengthen the business outlook.

Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/3348

Browse Related Reports:

Europe Electric Radiators Market By Technology (Fan Heaters, Convection Radiators, Infrared Radiators, Oil-Based Radiators), By Facility (Existing Buildings, New Buildings), By Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (UK, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Turkey, Romania, Netherlands, Russia, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Finland), Price Trends, Growth Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019  2025

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/europe-electric-radiators-market

Solar Water Heater Market By Collector (Evacuated Tube, Flat Plate and Unglazed Water), By System (Thermosiphon, Pumped), By Application {Residential, Commercial (Educational Institutes, Offices, Government Buildings, Others), Industrial} Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Spain, Turkey, Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, UK, China, Thailand, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Brazil, Barbados, Chile), Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019  2025

https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/solar-water-heater-market

About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.
Former President Ion Iliescu was admitted to the Elias Hospital, medical sources told AGERPRES on Friday.

"He was admitted to the Elias Emergency University Hospital for a health assessment in the context of a fever episode," the cited sources said, adding that Ion Iliescu's overall health status is good.

On April 1 former President Ion Iliescu underwent surgery at the "Prof. C. C. Iliescu" Emergency Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases.
Both Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Teoctist used to be champions of the Christian faith and felt in their activity the help of Jesus Christ, on Friday said Daniel, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, at his meeting with Pope Francis.

"With the pascal salute 'Christ has Risen!' we welcome you in this hall of the Patriarchal Palace where on 8th of May 1999, Pope John Paul II was welcomed by Patriarch Teoctist and several members of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. This hall is symbolically dubbed Conventus in Latin, which means Reunion. Pope John Paul II during his episcopate in Poland and Patriarch Teoctist, as a bishop in Romania, have shared a common spiritual experience, namely they knew the hard years of the communist regime when the Church was marginalised and persecuted. Which is why, their meeting in Bucharest in 7 - 9 May 1999, was marked by the joy of the Christians' religious freedom and amplified by the celebration of the Holy Easter. Both Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Teoctist used to be the champions of the Christian faith and felt in their activity the help of Jesus Christ the Crucified and Resurrected. In this respect, our predecessors are calling us too, today to defend and promote the faith in Jesus Christ and the Christian values in a Europe that has been secularised to convey to the young generation the faith in the merciful love of Christ for the world and the faith in the eternal life of the human person. Moreover, they call us to confess, to defend, to promote the traditional Christian family made up of man, woman, children, in a Europe with an obvious fall, a continent that grows old rapidly," the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church said at the meeting of Pope Francis with the BOR Permanent Synod at the Patriarchal Palace.

He also spoke of the Gospel, saying that "Preaching the Gospel of Christ means today to put together Liturgy with philanthropy, the prayer with the social action in helping the poor, the ill and the marginalised. At the same time, the Gospel of Christ is calling us to promote justice, reconciliation and solidarity in the society so that the love of Jesus Christ for all the people be perceived as a blessing, as peace and joy, for persons and for peoples," Patriarch Daniel said.
The latest evolutions on the domestic political scene, as well as the bilateral co-operation and the one at European level were the topics addressed on Friday by the Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila and the French Ambassador to Romania Michele Ramis.

During the talks, the two officials have also talked about the aspects in connection with the priorities and the outcome of the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council. As regards the evolution PRES RO 2019 in its entirety, the Romanian Premier stressed the significant efforts dedicated to the European agenda's advancement, in the spirit of a unitary, cohesive and inclusive approach assumed at the mandate's take over," the gov't informs in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

Both Premier Viorica Dancila and ambassador Michele Ramis voiced satisfaction for the way the Romania-France Season is unfolding in all its dimensions.
Prime Minister Viorica Dancila on Friday had a private audience to Pope Francis who is on a 3-day state and apostolic visit to Romania, during which she evoked the need for unity and solidarity at European level, a release by the gov't reads.

The head of the Executive thanked His Sanctity for the generous attention he shows to the relationship with Romania and mentioned the meeting she had on the occasion of her visit to the Vatican in May 2018.

The Romanian Premier expressed joy for the apostolic travel the Holy Father pays to Romania, where he is expected with warmth and hope by the Romanian people, and stressed the special significance of His Sanctity's visit in the context of Romania's holding the rotating Presidency of the EU Council, the 30-year celebration since the fall of communism and 20 years since the apostolic visit of Pope John Paul II in Bucharest.

"During talks, the Premier emphasised the attention given by Romania to the religious freedom and mentioned in this respect the international conference organised at the beginning of June by the Romanian gov't dedicated to the analysis of the ways to advocate the ecumenical dialogue and with the religious organisations, included in the Romanian Presidency of the EU Council's programme," the release says.

The two high dignitaries have also addressed the migration topic, a phenomenon that preoccupies the Holy See and for which the European Union and its Member States have to find the most adequate answers.

AGERPRES
Pope Francis has arrived in Bucharest on Friday for a state, pastoral and ecumenical three-day visit, carried out under the generic title "Let's walk together!."

The Sovereign Pontiff was welcome, on the Henri Coanda International Airport, by President Klaus Iohannis and his wife Carmen Iohannis.

He was honoured by a military guard.

The Pope is accompanied by Cardinals Pietro Parolin - Secretary of State, Kurt Koch - President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Giovanni Angelo Becciu, head of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

Pope Francis was also welcome by Apostolic Nuncio in Romania Miguel Maury Buendia and members of the Conference of Bishops of Romania, headed by Monsignor Ioan Robu, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest.

Metropolitan Nifon, Archbishop of Targoviste, delegate of the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) Patriarch Daniel, also participated in the ceremony.

A group of pilgrims, waving flags with the Vatican symbols on one side and the Romanian tricolour on the other sang Marian songs.

The pilgrims, accompanied by their parish priests, chanted "Welcome, Pope Francis!," "Vivat Papam!".

The Sovereign Pontiff received a little bunch of flowers from two children, Diana and Octavian Visa, great-grandchildren of Augustin Visa (1904 - 1989), a Greek-Catholic theologist, who was a political prisoner during the Antonescu and the communist regimes, a lawyer and doctor in law, high official at CEC, member of the National Peasant Party from 1927 and chair of the National-Peasant Intellectual Youth from 1936.

From the airport, the Pope will go to the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, where the official welcome ceremony will take place on the Marinescu Plateau.

President Iohannis and Pope Francis will have head-to-head talks. Afterwards, the Sovereign Pontiff will have a meeting with PM Viorica Dancila, as well as with authorities, civil society and diplomatic corps representatives, at the Cotroceni Palace as well. The Romanian head of state and the Pope will deliver a speech.

Pope Francis has come to Romania 20 years after the historic visit paid by Pope John Paul II to Bucharest, the first of a Sovereign Pontiff to a country of an Orthodox majority.

In the after-noon, Pope Francis will meet the leaders of the Romanian Orthodox Church, will go to the National Cathedral, after which he will lead the Holy Liturgy at the Saint Joseph Roman-Catholic Cathedral.

AGERPRES
Pope Francis on Friday paid tribute to the sacrifices made by "so many sons and daughters of Romania who, with their heritage of values and their work, enrich the countries to which they migrated and the fruits of their employment help their families left in the country."

The Sovereign Pontiff, currently on a visit to Romania, held a speech at the Cotroceni presidential Palace on Friday, saying that thinking about those who are abroad is "an act of patriotism and fraternity."

He evoked the evolution of Romania from the period of communism to the modern period. In this context, Pope Francis spoke of "the emergence of inevitable obstacles and consequences that have not always been easy to manage for social stability and for the administration of the territory."

I am thinking firstly of the phenomenon of emigration, involving several millions of people who have left home and their homeland to look for new opportunities for working and decent living. (...) I am thinking of the depopulation of so many villages that in a few years have seen a considerable part of their inhabitants leaving. I am thinking of the consequences that all these can have on the quality of life in that territory and the weakening of your cultural roots that sustained you in difficult times, said the Sovereign Pontiff, according to official translations.

Pope Francis paid homage to Romanian emigrants.

"Thinking of our brothers and sisters who are abroad is an act of patriotism and fraternity," the Pope pointed out.

AGERPRES
Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu on Friday said that Pope Francis' visit must be for all Romanians - Orthodox, Catholics or Protestants - the occasion to praise one another and to end the division in public life.

"For any nation, for all Christians, the Pope's visit is a rare and precious event. Twenty years ago, the presence of His Sanctity John Paul the Second in Bucharest made all of us feel more united, more peaceful, with more pride for our Christian identity and traditions. (...) That is why I believe that the Pope's visit must be for all of us - Orthodox, Catholics or Protestants - the occasion to praise one another and to end the division in public life," Tariceanu wrote on Facebook.

He voiced hope that this visit left durable marks in the Romanian society, adding that Romanians needed inspiration to find social cohesion and national solidarity again.

"This time, we'll go on pilgrimage with Pope Francis from Bucharest to Iasi and from Sumuleu Ciuc to Blaj. With the Pope's aid, we'll better understand what keeps us together as Romanians and Christians, we'll show our gratitude to the seven martyr bishops who, during the communist regime, had the courage to confess at the cost of their life the faith in Christ, in the Romanian people and in the freedom of conscience. I hope that the values which Pope Francis embodies - faith in the human dignity, in the equality of all beings in front of God, care for those in need, fraternity, simplicity and honesty - will inspire all of us. I hope that this visit leave durable marks in the Romanian society. We need inspiration to find social cohesion and national solidarity again. I wish a warm welcome to Pope Francis and I wish all Romanian citizens to go together with the Holy Father on the path of unity of faith in the values that make us fully human: dignity, equality and freedom," Tariceanu highlighted.

AGERPRES
Globalisation contributed to uprooting the peoples' values, on Friday said Pope Francis, stressing that the people need not to surrender to "the seduction of the hate culture and individualism".

"Many have benefitted from the technological progress and economic welfare, but the most remained inexorably excluded, while the globalisation that imposes conformation contributed to the uprooting of the values of the peoples, weakening the ethics and the cohabitation, polluted in the last years by an overwhelming feeling of fear that often artistically intensified, leads to shutdown and hatred. We need to help each other not to surrender to the seduction of the hate culture and individualism which although is not that ideological as it used to be in the atheist persecution times, it still is more convincing and not less materialistic. It often recommends as a means of development what shows up immediate and resolvable, but in fact it is indifferent and superficial," Pope Francis said at his meeting with the Permanent Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church at the Patriarchal Palace.

The Pontiff emphasised that the fragility of bonds that leads to the people's isolation has repercussions in particular upon the family and that the difficulties must be faced by "the wish to communicate Jesus Resurrected, the core of hope".

Pope Francis said that a good example is given by the Romanian orthodox communities that collaborate very well with many Catholic dioceses in Western Europe where they operate.

He conveyed his and the Catholic Church's affection, friendship and prayer.

"Let us walk together to new Pentecost. The trail waiting for us is leading from Easter to Pentecost: from the pascal dawn of the unity, arisen here 20 years ago, we have kicked off on our trail to new Pentecost. For the disciples, the Easter meant the beginning of a new road from where fear and uncertainty had not vanished yet. This lasted until the Pentecost when gathered around the Holy Mother of Our Lord, the apostles in one Spirit and in the diversity and richness of languages have confessed the Risen One through word and life. We go on on our way from the certainty to having a brother next to us until the sharing of faith based on the resurrection of the same Christ. From Easter to Pentecost: a time to get together in prayer under the protection of the Holy Mother of our Lord, to invoke the Holy Spirit for one another. Let the Holy Spirit renew us, the Holy Spirit who rejects uniformity and loves to shape unity in its most beautiful and harmonious diversity. I renew here my gratitude and assure you of my and the Catholic Church's affection, friendship and prayer," was the message of the Pontiff.
Pope Francis has reached the Saint Joseph Cathedral to attend Holy Liturgy and deliver a homily.

The Pontiff traveled the way from the National Cathedral to the St. Joseph Cathedral in his Romanian-made Popemobile, saluting on his road the thousands of people who were waving the Holy See yellow and the Romanian tricolour small flags.

The people were chanting 'Vivat Papa'.
English French

Press Release





Gosselies, Belgium, 31 May 2019, 7 am CEST  BONE THERAPEUTICS (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BOTHE), the leading biotech company focused on the development of innovative cell and biological therapeutics to address high unmet medical needs in orthopaedics and bone diseases, today announced that the Companys management will participate in the following conferences in June:

BIO International: June 3-6, 2019, Philadelphia (USA)

Kepler Cheuvreux Biotech Forum: June 18, 2019, Paris (FR)

France Biotech HealthTech Investor Days: June 24-25, 2019, Paris (FR)

Bone Therapeutics is taking the opportunity to share its strategy and review its main development programs with industry experts, institutional investors and analysts.





About Bone Therapeutics

Bone Therapeutics is a leading biotech company focused on the development of innovative products to address high unmet needs in orthopaedics and bone diseases. Based in Gosselies, Belgium, the Company has a broad, diversified portfolio of bone cell therapy and an innovative biological product in later-stage clinical development across a number of disease areas, which target markets with large unmet medical needs and limited innovation.

Bone Therapeutics core technology is based on its allogeneic cell therapy platform (ALLOB) which uses a unique, proprietary approach to bone regeneration, which turns undifferentiated stem cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells. These cells can be administered via a minimally invasive procedure, avoiding the need for invasive surgery, and are produced via a proprietary, cutting-edge manufacturing process.

The Companys ALLOB product pipeline includes a cell therapy product candidate that is expected to enter Phase II/III clinical development for the treatment of delayed-union fractures and a Phase II asset in patients undergoing a spinal fusion procedure. In addition, the Company is also developing an enhanced viscosupplement, JTA-004, which is expected to enter Phase III development for the treatment of pain in knee osteoarthritis.

Bone Therapeutics cell therapy products are manufactured to the highest GMP standards and are protected by a broad IP portfolio covering ten patent families as well as knowhow. Further information is available at www.bonetherapeutics.com.





Contacts

Bone Therapeutics SA

Thomas Lienard, Chief Executive Officer

Jean-Luc Vandebroek, Chief Financial Officer

Gunther De Backer, Head of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations

Tel: +32 (0) 71 12 10 00

investorrelations@bonetherapeutics.com

International Media Enquiries:

Consilium Strategic Communications

Marieke Vermeersch

Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5701

bonetherapeutics@consilium-comms.com

For French Media and Investor Enquiries:

NewCap Investor Relations & Financial Communications

Pierre Laurent, Louis-Victor Delouvrier and Nicolas Merigeau

Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

bone@newcap.eu

Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors` current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such person`s officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.




Many people have surprised the hard battle that takes place in the middle of the Opposition just a few days after they all scored remarkable successes. PNL beats USR-PLUS, Pro Romania with PMP and PNL, Basescu with Pro Romania and combinations can continue. It seems that someone has overturned the table prepared before the elections.

STIRIPESURSE.RO has come in to possession of a information that before the European Parliament elections of May 26 there were negotiations for the overthrow of the PSD Government. Nobody estimated at that time the massive presence in  and the scores to be obtained. PNL expected a lower score, USR did not think of over 20%, and PMP and Pro Romania played their fate. ALDE and UDMR were also called at the table, but each of the various reasons announced that the place could be busy but after the match was played beforehand.

It is obvious that the stake for the European Parliament elections has been increased at parliamentary level. Pro Romania needed like air an electoral validation, and PMP with Traian Basescu in the forefront shows that he still can. Both parties passed the test. However, the attitude of the PNL and the Alliance 2020 (USR-PLUS) that woke up with unprecedented political capital and which they do not know how to manage it was unjustified. While the liberals are supported by President Klaus Iohannis and driven by hungry leaders for the benefits of governance, USR and PLUS have just realized their potential and want to maintain it and then increase it from the current posture rather than between a government of sacrifice at the PNL trailer.

ALDE was sanctioned for the initial refusal to take part in the negotiations. Strange or not ALDE leaders claim informally that the UDMR has taken important votes right from the ALDE raps, so that a party quoted in absolutely all polls before the elections with scores between 7 and 12 percent has reached the election to register just over 4 percent. "Someone definitely wanted to put ALDE under the line to force us to break the Coalition and join a combination with PNL and USR-PLUS," says an important ALDE leader for STIRIPESURSE.RO

The current situation has created great discomfort at Cotroceni. "There is a lot of nervousness and concern about USR-PLUS and their no-accident announcement of a separate candidacy for the presidential elections in the autumn," an official of the Presidential Administration told us under the protection of anonymity.

It would seem that domestic political games would be related to bigger games at European level where the EPP could not impose its candidate for the European Commission head without support from the socialists and another group ... most likely the one formed around the ALDE and Macron's party (where USR and PLUS affiliated). It may be just speculation, but it is certain with a separate application from the USR-PLUS area seriously confusing the plans of President Klaus Iohannis who might be seen confronted in a run II just with the runner-up candidate on May 26th.

No one knows how the situation can evolve in the coming weeks, but Traian Basescu has publicly warned that a failed attempt is worse than a failure. If the censure motion is not passed, the PSD will have enough time to organize the extraordinary Congress and gather together to be ready for a battle in the presidential area with the chances of sending its candidate to Round II. If the motion passes, then the PSD will certainly go into opposition and start a long period of talks to form a government that will be extremely fragile because of the tensions - if we put this and the fact that the PSD authorizes the Senate and the most powerful commissions in the Chamber of Deputies, it is clear that "the advent of a PNL-USR-PLUS-PMP-Pro Romania-UDMR-Minorities and possibly ALDE Government" will be extremely complicated and unpredictable.
Two Romanian nationals died and another was slightly injured after a boat accident that occurred in the area of the French town of Gerstheim on Thursday, an incident involving an inflatable boat carrying tourists, including Romanian citizens, according to preliminary data obtained by the Consulate General of Romania in Strasbourg.

Representatives of the consulate have taken steps to identify the victims and notify their families. The injured Romanian citizen was transported to a medical facility for specialist medical assistance.

They are said to have undertaken, as a matter of urgency, inquiries with the local authorities to get information on the citizenship and identity of the affected persons, their medical conditions and the circumstances of the accident.

The affected Romanian citizens may request consular assistance by dialling the number of the Consulate General of Romania in Strasbourg: +33 369 321 938. The calls are forwarded to the Centre for Contact and Support of Romanian Citizens Abroad (CCSCRS) and taken over by call centre operators around the clock. They can also call the emergency number of the Consular Office: +33 6 27 05 00 22.

The Consulate General of Romania in Strasbourg is monitoring the situation with priority and is in contact with the local authorities and the medical facility where the Romanian citizen is hospitalised, being ready to provide consular assistance, including issuing any necessary documents for the return of the dead bodies and the issuing of the death certificates.

At least three people died Thursday after an inflatable craft capsized on the Rhine River at the Franco-German border, leaving one German girl and Romanians dead, according to the AFP and DPA news agencies.

AGERPRES
National leader of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) Kelemen Hunor announced on Thursday in Cluj-Napoca that UDMR will endorse Eckstein-Kovacs Peter for ombudsman.

Asked at a press conference about UDMR's position on Eckstein-Kovacs Peter's possible appointment to the ombudsman office, Kelemen said he had been informed about this proposal in a conversation with national leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) Dan Barna.

"Dan Barna told me that on the phone and said this is their proposal, asking me for an opinion on the proposal. I said we would support it, that's our position. Eckstein was a good minister, an extraordinary mayoral candidate, a good counselor to [former President of Romania] Basescu, and he will be a good ombudsman; he will have our votes, the rest does not matter. We will certainly endorse him," Kelemen said.

Eckstein-Kovacs Peter was a senator and founding member of UDMR, but he decided to leave the formation in 2018.

He announced at a protest rally in Cluj-Napoca last June that he was resigning his UDMR membership.

"What has filled the glass for me is the position of the UDMR in relation to the laws of Justice. The changes in the Code of Criminal Procedure passed with the UDMR votes, to say just one thing. Also, I find being in cahoots with PSD [Social Democratic Party] unacceptable," said Eckstein Kovacs.

AGERPRES
Save Romania Union (USR) Senators' leader Adrian Wiener asked Senate President Calin Popescu-Tariceanu on Thursday to initiate the procedures for the Ombudsman appointment, USR's proposal for this office, also endorsed by the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the People's Movement Party (PMP), being Peter Eckstein-Kovacs.

Senator Adrian Wiener points out that a joint meeting of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies Standing Bureaus needs to be urgently convened next week, taking into account that the Ombudsman position has been vacant since April 15.

"We want the office to be filled in as soon as possible, by the end of this parliamentary session. We have an excellent nomination, at the proposal of the civil society, in the person of Mr. Peter Eckstein-Kovacs. The Ombudsman office is extremely important. We have all realised this particularly over the past two years when Victor Ciorbea chose to be the ombudsman of criminals and not lift a finger to defend Justice. We are beginning Romania's reconstruction with hones people in public offices, and Peter is one of them," Adrian Wiener said according to a release sent to AGERPRES.

The Ombudsman is appointed in a joint meeting of Parliament's two Chambers on 5 years, with one tenure renewal possibility.

AGERPRES
Dan Wiese Dan Wiese is a freelance automotive writer. He is a regular contributor for Brand Ave. Studios and to AAA Midwest Traveler magazine's online Web Bonus. Follow Dan Wiese 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

Despite a few foibles -- mainly infotainment controls -- you just can't help but root for the 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. Here's a little guy facing big odds -- and working hard to overcome them with audacious styling, lots of features and a better-than-expected driving experience, all at an attainable price.

Tasked, in part, with helping revive the fortunes of Mitsubishi in the U.S., Eclipse Cross is fighting an uphill battle. It competes with such sales titans as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and Nissan Rogue, each of which saw its U.S. sales through the first four months of this year top 115,000. In the same period, Eclipse Cross found a mere 9,917 stateside buyers.

But don't count the little guy out. After all, as the 21st century began, Mitsubishi was one of three also-ran Japanese automotive brands in the U.S. As the century's second decade reaches its end, Isuzu and Suzuki are gone. Mitsubishi's still here. There's a history of survival here.

Offered in ES, LE, SE and SEL trims, Eclipse Cross was all new in 2018, so 2019 changes are minor: roof rails now available on all trims, gloss-black power-window-switch panels added to the mid-range LE.

At a price of $24,690, even the base ES boasts fog lamps, LED lighting, heated power mirrors, tilt-telescope wheel, HD radio, rearview camera, 7-inch infotainment screen and automatic transmission.

All-wheel drive -- dubbed "Super All-Wheel Control" by Mitsubishi -- is optional on the front-drive ES but standard on everything else, including the SE we drove. For its $27,790 base price, our SE added, among other perks, auto headlights, heated seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, dual-zone climate, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Assist and the aforementioned all-wheel drive with its driver-selectable modes of Auto, Snow, Gravel and Eco.
President Xi Jinping even referred to Mao Zedongs Long March, indicating that China should prepare for a protracted fight.

Jeffrey Schott, a Peterson Institute senior fellow who participated in the recent trip, heard little optimism about an end to the trade war. What struck me was the growing recognition that the tariffs that have been in place  are increasingly seen as more permanent, he said.

Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet next month, so there is hope that the two nations can reach some sort of agreement. The technology and intellectual-property issues dividing the two sides are thorny, however.

David Meyer, senior lecturer at Washington Universitys Olin Business School and a frequent visitor to China, says he noticed little anti-American sentiment on his most recent trip, which was in November.

The university and business people he met really want a positive relationship between China and the U.S, Meyer says, and didnt see the trade dispute as part of a contest for world domination.
In his note, Grandet also blamed inexperienced management from its parent company, National Beverage. He said it's "unlikely that LaCroix can recover to any meaningful degree while in the hands of National Beverage."

National Beverage reported a drop in sales and profit in its latest quarter. That triggered an unusual response from the company's mercurial chairman and CEO, Nick Caporella.

"We are truly sorry for these results stated above," he said in a letter to shareholders. "Negligence nor mismanagement nor woeful acts of God were not the reasons  much of this was the result of injustice!"

He made an unusual comparison between LaCroix and people who are physically disabled, adding that managing a brand is similar to "caring for someone who becomes handicapped."

The company also hasn't fully recovered from a class action lawsuit filed in October 2018 about the ingredients in LaCroix, which Grandet said was catalyst for LaCroix's sales decline.
Kingsmead Asset Managements John Foo has gone even further, selling all his holdings of Chinese stocks for the first time in his two-decade career managing money in Asia. He offloaded the shares in mid-2018 because of the trade war and tightening credit conditions.

Foo has since turned the Kingsmead Asian Alpha Opportunities Fund into a multistrategy hedge fund focused on economies along the Mekong river, such as Thailand and Vietnam. Southeast Asian countries, which have a long history of working with both the U.S. and China, stand to benefit as supply chains shift, Foo said.

Not everyone anticipates dramatic changes to the status quo. James Gorman, Morgan Stanleys chief executive officer, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television that he doesnt expect a full-blown trade war, even as he cautioned that it will take decades for the countries to sort out all their issues. Eurizon SLJs Jen sees 80% odds that the conflict will eventually end peacefully.

Some traders view recent losses in risky assets as opportunities to buy. Yunqi Capital, a Hong Kong-based hedge fund that manages $130 million, increased its position in Rogers Corp. in December, and again in May, after shares of the U.S. maker of specialty components tumbled.
Goldplat plc / Ticker: GDP / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining & Exploration

31 May 2019

Goldplat plc (Goldplat or the Company)

Operational Update

Goldplat plc, the AIM listed gold producer, with international gold recovery operations based in South Africa and Ghana and a gold mine in Kenya, announces that Kilimapesa Gold (KPG) operations have been put on care and maintenance.

Goldplat will continue to engage with the stakeholders of KPG, including large creditors and employees, whilst seeking the external funding required to develop the operations. The Company has received substantial support from a number of the engaged stakeholders, who committed to not demand payment from KPG in the next six months.

The Company has engaged with the Kenyan Revenue Authority to discuss the payment of Goldplats Value Added Tax claims, with a cumulative value in excess of a GBP1 million. Although the Kenyan Revenue Authority acknowledges the validity of a material part of the claim no repayments have been made to date.

In addition, the Company continues to hold talks with a number of parties interested in investing in KPG and will update the market once enough progress has been made in the discussions.

It is expected that KPG will be re-classified as an asset held for sale in the consolidated results for the year ended 30 June 2019 and that goodwill in investments held in Gold Minerals Resources Limited, the Groups intermediate holding company, will be reassessed in line with these developments.

The performance of the Companys gold recovery operations at Goldplat Recovery (Pty) Limited remains strong. With losses at KPG and the current activity levels at Gold Recovery Ghana Ltd (GRG), the Company currently anticipates a loss from operating activities for the full year, approximately in line with the loss incurred for the half-year ended 31 December 2018.

Werner Klingenberg, CEO of Goldplat plc, commented: I believe that putting Kilimapesa on care and maintenance, until the required external funding can be raised, is best for all stakeholders involved. We will be focussing on expanding our profitable recovery operations whilst maintaining our commitment to secure the relevant external funding for the KPG. I look forward to updating the market and stakeholders as soon as enough progress has been made.

** ENDS **

For further information visit www.goldplat.com, follow on Twitter @GoldPlatPlc or contact:

Werner Klingenberg Goldplat plc

(Interim CEO) Tel: +27 (82) 051 1071 Colin Aaronson / Richard Tonthat / Ben Roberts Grant Thornton UK LLP

(Nominated Adviser) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7383 5100 James Joyce / Jessica Cave WH Ireland Limited

(Broker) Tel: +44 (0) 207 220 1666 Priit Piip St Brides Partners Ltd

(Financial PR) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1177

The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
The EPAs top air quality official, Bill Wehrum, said he was not concerned about the legal threats.

Thats fine, thats how our world works. We believe we have very good defenses, and we believe we are going to prevail at the end, he said.

The tension over the policy move reflects how U.S. President Donald Trump has struggled to please both Big Oil and Big Agriculture, two critical constituencies in his reelection effort that have frequently clashed over biofuels.

Win-win?

Trump had ordered the EPA in October to lift the summer E15 ban, cheering corn country ahead of the midterm elections and putting the EPA on a tight deadline to complete its rulemaking ahead of the summer of 2019.

As a concession to the oil industry, he also ordered the EPA to overhaul the biofuels credit market it oversees under the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires refiners either to blend biofuels into their fuel or purchase credits.
Families stayed at Arrowhead to swim, skim across the water in speedboats, water ski, and enjoy all kinds of games and adventures they couldnt get in the small towns where they lived. And Geist, an accomplished storyteller, has filled this book with vignettes that make this time in American culture come back to life.

Take the lot of a bellhop, which Geist was. He worked for tips, of course, but the best he could hope for was a dollar or so.

The problem, he writes, was the clientele: The lake did not attract a well-heeled, cosmopolitan crowd. Rather, a lot of decidedly small-town, middle-class folks  and cheap you might say  who didnt quite get tipping. Most had never used the services of a bellhop.

Sometimes, Geist learned from experience, it was nearly impossible to pry a tip out of the adults in a family. After hed carried in the bags, checked the bathroom for clean towels and adjusted the air conditioner, it came down to this: Id fold my arms across my chest and stare at them until hell froze over.

He spins stories about drinking parties after hours, skinny dipping in the lake and the checkered lives of the many employees who were often related and made the lodge a fun place for families to stay.
The Biggest Little Farm 

PG  1:31  Documentary chronicles the exploits of Molly and John Chester, a Los Angeles-based chef and cinematographer, respectively, who established a modern, organic farm on 200 acres of barren land. Washington Post

Booksmart 

R  1:42  For her directorial debut, actress-turned-director Olivia Wilde comes out swinging with not only one of the best movies of the year, but one of the best high school movies of all time. Tribune News Service

Breakthrough 

PG  1:50  The remarkable true story of St. Charles John Smith is a miraculous tale that could make a wonderful and inspirational 30-minute film. Instead, Breakthrough is more like an overlong  and bad  Lifetime movie. Starring Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), Topher Grace and Marcel Ruiz. Daniel Neman

Brightburn 
If were going to cross the no-mans land of divisive rhetoric, then it will come only when we dare to have an open, non-defensive conversation with the other side.

The prophet Micah wrote, What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8, NRSV) This remarkable verse lists three criteria that can spur a conversation regarding any hot-button topic.

 Do justice  Are people being treated fairly and equally? Are human rights being violated? Are those whose rights are being violated given an impartial hearing?

 Love kindness  Are people being listened to and understood? Are people being treated with respect? Are people allowed to share their thoughts, concerns, feelings, life experiences?

 Walk humbly  Can people admit there could be more to the story than what they believe? Are they able to listen with an open mind to views other than their own?

The temptation is to answer these questions from your own stance, then prove the other side wrong. Both anti-abortion and abortion-rights advocates, conservatives and progressives, will wonder why the other side doesnt arrive at the same responses.
Aisha Sultan Aisha Sultan is home and family editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Aisha Sultan 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

Years ago, I overheard two parents talking at the fifth-grade graduation.

Weve got seven more years, one father said. Then, they were headed to Florida, he added. He was sharing the countdown to his kids Big Graduation on one of the Little Graduation days. It may not have been the most sentimental response to the ceremony, which also featured a slideshow and ice cream, but I smiled in commiseration.

Who among us hasnt done that same math at some point? This dad was just saying the quiet part aloud.

In fairness, by the time high school graduation rolls around, many parents have already sat through kindergarten, fifth grade and middle school graduations. Im not mad about any of these. We may not have had the same ceremonial markers at younger grades growing up, but we didnt have to worry about dodging bullets during a math test either. My point is that each generation has its own reasons to party or at least take a collective sigh of relief before turning the page.
The officers reported that Busch did not resist after he was arrested. Busch told officers, ''I can't help it who I am,'' a police source said.

The source said that after learning Busch's identity, the officers removed the tire they had shot and replaced it with the spare from the trunk of Busch's car.

Hamilton said the tire had been removed only because police wanted to be able to prove conclusively that they had fired only one shot at Busch's tire.

Hamilton wouldn't say what his four undercover detectives were doing when they had encountered Busch. He said all detectives had the option of pursuing speeding violators in unmarked patrol cars.

Hamilton said he was confident the police investigation would show that the detectives had violated no police procedures.

''From what I know now ... I don't see any improprieties on the part of the policemen, '' Hamilton said.

Police guidelines say officers may fire at vehicles ''if the occupant(s) of the vehicle represent a direct and immediate threat to the life or safety of the officer or others.''

A brief statement issued by the public relations firm for Anheuser-Busch said:
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman 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 historic hamlet of Defiance knows that June 7 is "National Boone Day," and they know just how to celebrate the life of former St. Charles County citizen Daniel Boone.

Festivities honoring the storied frontiersman will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Daniel Boone Home, 1868 Hwy. F in Defiance.

Boone Scholars Ted Franklin Belue and Ken Kamper will discuss Boones life in Missouri. Visitors also can take in black-powder firearms demonstrations and learn about how land was surveyed in the 1800s.

Also, tours of the Boone home will be half-price on the special day.

The facts about Boone's life, from the "Look Back" series by former P-D reporter Tim O'Neil, are these:
Not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, south africa or Any other jurisdiction in which such release, publication or distribution would be unlawful

Kiadis Pharma raises c.EUR 28 million in a private placement of c.3.7 million new shares

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 31, 2019 - Kiadis Pharma N.V. ("Kiadis Pharma" or the "Company") (Euronext Amsterdam and Brussels: KDS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announces that it has raised gross proceeds of EUR 27.6 million through a private placement of 3,684,200 new shares to institutional investors via an accelerated bookbuilding process as announced on May 30, 2019 (the "Placing"). The Placing was completed at a subscription price of EUR 7.50 per share and represented approximately 15% of the issued share capital of the Company prior to the transaction. The new ordinary shares will rank pari passu in all respects with the currently outstanding shares of the Company and are expected to be listed and traded on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels on June 4, 2019. Following the Placing, the issued share capital of the Company will consist of 28,050,942 ordinary shares.

Following the Company's announcement on 17 April 2019 of its intention to acquire US-based CytoSen Therapeutics, Inc. ("CytoSen") in an all share deal, Kiadis Pharma intends to use the net proceeds of the Placing to:

Progress Kiadis' ATIR101 development, including the furtherance of Phase III trials, preparing for potential commercialization in Europe, and expanding ATIR manufacturing capacity

Progress CytoSen's pipeline products as well as general corporate purposes and other working capital needs

The new shares will be admitted to trading on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels on the basis of a listing prospectus, consisting of a registration document and a securities note, which will submitted to the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) with a view to receiving its approval on or about Friday May 31, 2019, following which it will be made available free of charge on the Company's website (www.kiadis.com).

Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies") acted as Sole Global Coordinator. Jefferies and Piper Jaffray & Co. acted as Joint Bookrunners.

For more information, please contact:

Kiadis Pharma:

Amy Sullivan, SVP, Corporate Affairs

Tel. +1-508-479-3480

a.sullivan@kiadis.com Optimum Strategic Communications:

Mary Clark, Supriya Mathur, Hollie Vile

Tel: +44 203 714 1787

David Brilleslijper (Amsterdam)

Tel: +31 610 942 514

kiadis@optimumcomms.com

About Kiadis Pharma

Founded in 1997, Kiadis Pharma, is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative therapies for patients with late-stage blood cancers. With headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Kiadis Pharma is reimagining medicine by leveraging the natural strengths of humanity and our collective immune system to source the best cells for life.

Kiadis Pharma is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels since July 2, 2015, under the symbol KDS. Learn more at kiadis.com .

About ATIR101

ATIR101TM is an investigational allodepleted T-cell immunotherapy product candidate, which is designed to be given after a haploidentical (genetically half-matched) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Administered as an adjunctive immunotherapeutic on top of HSCT, ATIR101 provides a single dose donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) with functional, mature immune cells from a haploidentical family member. The T-cells in ATIR101 will help fight infections and remaining tumor cells, until the immune system has fully re-grown from stem cells in the transplanted graft.

In ATIR101, T-cells that would cause GVHD are depleted from the donor lymphocytes, using our photodepletion technology. At the same time, ATIR101 contains potential cancer-killing T-cells from the donor that could eliminate residual cancer cells and help prevent relapse of the disease.

Important Notices

This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia), Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa or any other jurisdiction where to do so might constitute a violation or breach of any applicable law or regulation. This announcement is not a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus Directive (as defined below). This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy securities of Company in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction, and the distribution of this communication in jurisdictions may be similarly restricted. This announcement should not be regarded as an opinion or recommendation concerning the purchase or sale of securities of the Company. Persons into whose possession this communication 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 jurisdictions.

The securities mentioned herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the US Securities Act or an available exemption from, or transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the US Securities Act. There will be no public offering of securities in the United States.

In the United Kingdom this announcement is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, and any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to, and will be engaged in only with, qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive who are (i) investment professionals falling with Article 19(5) of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"); or (ii) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or (iii) other persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). Persons who are not relevant persons should not take any action on the basis of this announcement and should not act or rely on it.

The Company has not authorized any offer to the public of securities in any Member State of the European Economic Area. With respect to any Member State of the European Economic Area and which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each a "Relevant Member State"), no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of securities requiring publication of a prospectus in any Relevant Member State. As a result, the securities may only be offered in Relevant Member States (i) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive; or (ii) in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive. For the purpose of this paragraph, the expression "offer of securities to the public" means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable the investor to decide to exercise, purchase or subscribe for the securities, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State and the expression "Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including Directive 2010/73/EU, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the Netherlands the shares are not and may not be offered other than to persons or entities who or which are qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers) as defined in Section 1:1 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht) and in Belgium the shares may not be offered other than to persons or entities who or which are qualified investors as defined in Article 101 of the Belgian law dated 16 June 2006 (Wet op de openbare aanbieding van beleggingsinstrumenten en de toelating van beleggingsinstrumenten tot de verhandeling op een gereglementeerde markt).

Any investment decision in connection with the Placing must be made on the basis of all publicly available information relating to the Company and the new shares to be placed. The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness.

This announcement does not purport to identify or suggest the risks (direct or indirect) which may be associated with an investment in the Company or the new shares.

The new shares shall be admitted to listing and trading on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels.

In connection with any offering of the new shares, each of Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies") and Piper Jaffray & Co. (and together with Jefferies and Piper Jaffray & Co. the "Banks") and any of their respective affiliates acting as an investor for their own account may take up as a proprietary position any new shares and in that capacity may retain, purchase or sell for their own account such new shares. In addition, any of them or their respective affiliates may enter into financing arrangements and swaps with investors in connection with which that any of them (or their affiliates) may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of new shares. None of the Banks or any of their respective affiliates intends to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so.

None of the Banks or any of their respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees, advisers and agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for/or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, fullness, accuracy or completeness of the information in this document (or whether any information has been omitted from the document) or any other information relating to the Company or its associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this document or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.

None of the Company, the Banks or any of their respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates or advisers is under any obligation to update, complete, revise or keep current the information contained in this document to which it relates or to provide the recipient of with access to any additional information that may arise in connection with it.

Jefferies is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority. Each of the Banks is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with this announcement or any future transaction in connection with it. None of the Banks or any of their respective affiliates will regard any other person (whether or not a recipient of this document) as a client or will be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for the giving of advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any transaction, matter or arrangement referred to in this announcement.

Solely for purposes of the product governance requirements contained in: (a) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("MIFID II"); (b) sections 9 and 10 of the Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MIFID II; and (c) local implementing measures (together, the "MIFID II PGR"), and disclaiming any all liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the MIFID II PGR) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the shares to be placed (the "Placing Shares") have been subject to a product approval process (the "TMA"), which has determined that the Placing Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients, eligible counterparties and retail parties, each as defined in MIFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MIFID II. Notwithstanding the TMA, distributors should note that: the price of the Placing Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Placing Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Placing Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The TMA is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Offering. For the avoidance of doubt, the TMA does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MIFID II; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the offering of Placing Shares (the "Offering"). Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Placing Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels.

The Company's managing director and CEO Arthur Lahr is responsible for arranging for the release of this announcement on behalf of Kiadis Pharma N.V.

This announcement contains statements about the Company that are or may be forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this announcement may be forward-looking statements. Without limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include the words "targets", "plans", "believes", "expects", "aims", "intends", "will", "may", "anticipates", "estimates", "projects" or words or terms of similar substance or the negative thereof are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of any such person to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions. No undue reliance should be placed on any forward-looking statement, which speak only as of the date they were made. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any persons acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this statement.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman 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

Carlo Bruno had a good reason for dropping out of high school: He wanted to fight in World War II.

But Bruno, 93, made things right Thursday by flipping his tassel and graduating at Chaifetz Arena with Clayton High School's Class of 2019. His wife, Betty, and other relatives attended the ceremony.

On track to graduate from Clayton High in 1946, Bruno dropped out in 1944 to enlist in the Army.

Bruno reached the rank of corporal in the Army Air Corps and worked on radio and radar equipment. He was awarded a Good Conduct Medal and honorably discharged in 1946.

Although Bruno did not seek out his high school diploma after mustering out of the Army, he did not shy away from education. He earned a bachelor's degree from Washington University and a master's degree from Webster University.

Bruno worked as an automotive engineer and project manager for Ford, General Motors and Chrysler in STL. He now lives in west St. Louis County.
Updated at 1:45 p.m. with reaction after the judge ruled to keep the clinic open.

ST. LOUIS  About 60 anti-abortion activists protested on Friday morning outside Planned Parenthood in the Central West End, awaiting a decision from a St. Louis judge about the future of the state's only abortion clinic.

Some, who had protested there for years, said their work on Friday felt different.

Its electric, said Kathy Forck of New Bloomfield, Mo. You can feel the excitement in the air. We can hardly wait.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region was asking for a temporary order to prevent the state from allowing the clinic's license to expire at midnight Friday.

Activists carried Choose Life signs. Some, like 18-year-old Dominic Pancella of St. Louis, prayed the rosary. Every few minutes, cars on busy Forest Park Avenue honked loudly in support. One driver cheered them on as she waited at a stoplight.

Inside the clinic, workers scurried about and a documentary film crew waited in the lobby. A clinic spokeswoman declined comment but said shed have something to say later in the day.
CLAYTON  Prosecutors in St. Louis County this week accused a former St. Louis County jail guard of assaulting an inmate during a chaotic sequence of events in the infirmary on Feb. 23 that included another inmates death.

Juan D. Morales, 28, of south St. Louis County, was charged with fourth-degree assault. He could not be reached for comment. He was not in custody on Thursday; a judge had not yet set a bond in his case.

Prosecutors said Morales entered the cell of murder suspect Ivan K. Henley, 23, who was being held in the infirmary because of gunshot wounds to his legs. The two argued and Morales twisted Henleys leg, the charges say. At the same time, a few cells down, inmate John M. Shy was screaming as he bled to death from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Shy had been taken to St. Marys Hospital twice that day and released back to jail both times.
Planned Parenthood sued the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Tuesday, alleging the state agency was illegally refusing to renew the St. Louis abortion clinic's yearly license until the department could complete an investigation into an unspecified patient complaint.

At issue is the state's demand to interview seven physicians, all of whom had worked at the clinic, as part of an investigation the clinic says began last month. Five of the doctors, who aren't employed by Planned Parenthood but come from local university medical programs to treat patients at the Central West End clinic, have refused to be interviewed as part of the state's investigation.

The clinic's lawyer, Jamie Boyer, argued Thursday that it has no power to compel those doctors to speak to the department about the investigation, which began in April after a routine inspection a month earlier. The clinic said the March 11-13 inspection included interviews with doctors and staff and cited some "non-remarkable" deficiencies that the clinic says it corrected.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo lawyer was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday on a child pornography charge.

Mark Brueggemann, whose law firm is located in Collinsville, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of receipt of child pornography in December and admitted that investigators who searched his home in 2017 found child porn on computers and more that had been printed out and stored in a file folder.

Investigators were alerted by 12 separate "CyberTip" reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about someone uploading or trying to upload images containing child porn to the chat room ChatStep, Brueggemann's plea says.

Brueggemann, then 60, was released after his indictment in August of 2018 but jailed again two months later after prosecutors said he'd been caught again with child porn.

His lawyer, Joel Schwartz, said Brueggemann developed an addiction to child porn after his marriage and career unraveled. "He has taken steps to fix it," Schwartz said.

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.
Last Friday, Parson signed the law prohibiting most abortions eight weeks into a pregnancy. It takes effect Aug. 28.

On Tuesday, Planned Parenthood sued the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, alleging the state agency was illegally refusing to renew the St. Louis abortion clinic's yearly license until the department could complete an investigation into an unspecified patient complaint.

The legal fight stems from the state's Department of Health and Human Services' request to interview seven physicians, all of whom had worked at the clinic, as part of the investigation. Five of the doctors, who aren't employed by Planned Parenthood but come from local university medical programs to treat patients at the clinic, have refused to be interviewed as part of the state's investigation.
Updated at 3:45 p.m. with victim's name and age.

ST. LOUIS  Police on Friday identified a man shot and killed in 4600 block of Page Boulevard as Alfreddell Dethrow, 34, of St. Louis.

Police responded to the scene at about 9 p.m. on Thursday and found Dethrow lying in the street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was declared dead at the scene.

Homicide detectives responded. Police urged anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-TIPS (8477).

The shooting took place in the Lewis Place neighborhood. Crime in Lewis Place has increased since this year, with 19 violent crimes reported from November 2018 to April 2019, including two homicides.

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.
Updated at 10:40 a.m. Friday with arrest details.

ST. LOUIS  Police arrested Alderman Megan Ellyia Green and several board members of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region on Thursday after a downtown protest over Missouri's new abortion law  and the state's attempt to close Missouri's only remaining abortion clinic.

Green and others sat down in the lobby of the Wainwright State Office Building after a protest in a park between the Gateway Arch and the historic Old Courthouse.

By the time the bulk of the protesters had marched from the park, Green and the others were seated in the lobby of the Wainwright building and security guards had barred and locked the doors.

Green livestreamed on Facebook as protesters inside chanted, sang and vowed not to leave until the Planned Parenthood clinic was given a permit to operate.
The man who died Memorial Day after two boats collided on the Cuivre River has been identified as Tayler J. Turpin, 20, of Moscow Mills.

Divers with the Missouri Highway Patrol recovered Turpin's body on Tuesday afternoon, the day after the crash near Old Monroe. The area is about 40 miles north of St. Louis, in St. Charles County, near the Lincoln County line.

Five people were in one of the boats that crashed. Two people, including Turpin, were in the other boat. They were all friends, said Trooper Dallas Thompson of the Missouri Highway Patrol. "They were playing around and the boats got too close and collided," Thompson said.

Turpin's body was found in about 25 feet of water. The river there was swollen from recent flooding. Thompson said search crews used sonar equipment in water that was murky and strewn with debris.
BRIDGETON  A former priest in the St. Louis area and known sexual predator with multiple offenses in three states admitted Wednesday to abusing a boy in the 1990s while he was a chaplain at DePaul Health Center.

Frederick Lenczycki, 74, pleaded guilty in St. Louis County Circuit Court to two charges of sodomy.

He was charged in February with repeatedly grabbing a boy's genitals and trying to force a second boy to expose himself between January 1991 and December 1994. The abuse, according to charging documents, happened in the same block as the DePaul Health Center, where Lenczycki was a chaplain.

Lenczycki is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 16. One of the two boys he was accused of abusing in the case, Randy Kanaday, now 38, said the guilty plea was vindication.

"I am so relieved that justice finally didn't give up on me," Kanady said. "For all those years, people looked the other way, it felt like. And now, finally, something's being done."

Lenczycki, who now lives in suburban Chicago under court supervision, has admitted to abusing up to 30 boys in Illinois, Missouri and California over 25 years, according to church and court files.
English Finnish

OP Mortgage Bank

Inside information

31 May 2019 at 9.30 EEST

Sanna Eriksson appointed as Managing Director of OP Mortgage Bank

The board of directors of OP Mortgage Bank has appointed M.Sc. (Econ. & Bus. Adm.) Sanna Eriksson as OP Mortgage Bank's Managing Director. Eriksson is currently employed as Head of Operations and Deputy Managing Director at OP Mortgage Bank. She will take up her duties as Managing Director on 1 June 2019.

OP Mortgage Bank's current Managing Director, Lauri Iloniemi, will be in charge of OP Financial Group's ALM and Group Treasury.

OP Mortgage Bank

Board of Directors

For more information, please contact: Lauri Iloniemi, Managing Director, tel. +358 10 252 3541



DISTRIBUTION

Euronext Dublin (Irish Stock Exchange)

LSE London Stock Exchange

OAM (Offically Appointed Mechanism)

Major media

op.fi

OP Mortgage Bank is part of the leading Finnish customer-owned financial services group, OP Financial Group. OP Corporate Bank and OP Mortgage Bank are responsible for OP's funding in money and capital markets. As laid down in the applicable law, OP Corporate Bank, OP Mortgage Bank and their parent company OP Cooperative and other OP Financial Group member credit institutions are ultimately jointly and severally liable for each other's debts and commitments.
CLAYTON  A St. Louis man charged with shooting and paralyzing a Ballwin police officer in 2016 has been found mentally unfit for trial.

Antonio Taylor 34, of the 1200 block of Tower Grove Avenue, was accused of shooting Officer Michael Flamion in the neck July 8, 2016, with a .22-caliber pistol during a traffic stop on New Ballwin Road. Flamion was paralyzed from the neck down.

St. Louis County Judge Ellen Nellie Ribaudo made the finding of Taylors competency based on results of mental exams presented in a closed court hearing April 12.

This week, Taylors case disappeared from public view on Missouri CaseNet, the states online courts system. Sam Alton, chief of staff for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, said Ribaudo had ordered Taylor committed to the Department of Mental Health for six months.

Taylors mental health will be reevaluated after six months, per state law. If he is found competent to proceed, prosecutors could pursue criminal charges against Taylor.
ST. LOUIS  Newly-minted St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson talked about city-county cooperation for about 90 minutes Friday but said the recently-scrapped Better Together merger plan didnt come up.

The two leaders, in their first in-person meeting since Page became county executive April 29, said they discussed a wide range of subjects but that no decisions were made.

There are an enormous amount of opportunities for cooperation, Page said after the session in Krewsons City Hall office. Public health is certainly the one thats at the top of my mind, especially dealing with the opioid epidemic.

Page didnt elaborate on what further cooperation on that subject might occur.

Krewson said the two knew each other slightly from their work a few years ago to create a local-level prescription drug monitoring program because of the state Legislatures refusal to set up a statewide operation.

Krewson when she was an alderman spearheaded creation of the citys involvement in the program and Page, a physician who was then on the County Council, sponsored legislation setting up the countys involvement.
Secret recordings





Federal investigators were aided by secret recordings of meetings and phone calls, as well as records of text messages and emails, and prosecutors have been quoting from those conversations in court documents.

In court, Goldsmith said that investigators had tens and tens of hours of those recordings, as well as numerous first-hand accounts of events from witnesses in and out of government.

According to that evidence, Stenger instructed Miller and other staffers to contact Sweeney to ensure that Bardgett won the contract.

Miller is quoted in the plea as telling executive staff members on Oct. 30, 2018, that the company owner called and wants some consideration, and Stenger said that it has got to happen.

So, in other words, some message has to be delivered to Sheila, he continued.
In one case, the family of a young man exposed was harassed.

His mom had to call off work, Swanson said. His little sister would be walking home from school and cars were pacing in front of their house. I never want that.

Another time, a man exposed was driving a van with the logo of a local flower company in the video. Social media users began sending angry messages to the shop, but it turned out the man wasnt an employee. He had bought the van used and never removed the logo.

Swanson started a policy to ban anyone from his page if they contacted family members or people who knew the men accused.

We need people to be there to share the things that were sharing, he said. We dont want them to go on their own detective spree.

Some police departments say the same thing about predator hunters like Swanson and Greene.

Run-ins with police

Some authorities worry the pages are a public safety risk.
CLARKSVILLE  The handsome old buildings, portraits in City Hall, and historic markers around town all speak to Clarksvilles long, proud history. The 200-year-old town at the edge of the Mississippi River was named for Gen. William Clark shortly after one of his expeditions wintered here, and has long been sustained by the river.

We shipped apples all the way down to New Orleans on steamboats, says Sue Lindemann, who juggles responsibilities as the 500-person towns emergency management director, flood plain manager, and as an alderman  all on an unpaid basis. They put the city here because of that commerce.

But the sandbag barriers, plastic wrap, and flood-fighting volunteers seen around town Friday speak to Clarksvilles more recent history. The difficult stretch increasingly suggests that its relationship with the river has changed, as a dramatic series of record and near-record floods in recent years show that the Mississippi behaves very differently than it did when the town was designed.

This year, the town has been locked in a marathon battle against floodwater since March 15. And this week, the river threatened to overtake the 1993 record for the highest flood crest in Clarksvilles recorded history.

But officials said Friday that, for now, a worst-case or record-setting flood scenario has been avoided  or at least delayed.

Though earlier projections called for river levels to brush within an inch or so of record heights, Clarksville was helped when some upstream levees near Quincy, Ill., were submerged or breached overnight, according to officials.

It dropped the forecast down a half a foot, at least temporarily, said Lindemann.

But danger remains, as evidenced by the dogged flood fight undertaken by more than 100 people Friday  including members of the National Guard, AmeriCorps, inmates from correction facilities, and a combination of local and out-of-town volunteers. More rain expected locally and upstream means that the river will climb toward yet another crest in the foreseeable future.

We could have a few more yet, said Lindemann, saying that the town needs to stay vigilant and continually inspect existing flood protection and fuel water pumps. But even a gas run is made difficult because of every road being closed out of town, she adds.

Mounting costs

The flood has already borne significant costs. Just ask the volunteers running the flood kitchen based out of the basement of the Clarksville United Methodist Church  an endeavor that has kept both flood victims and volunteers fed ever since the flooding began in March.

This is the fourth time in the last six years that weve had a flood kitchen in here, said Janie Busch, a church member and local resident who now helps serve food instead of hoist sandbags. Sometimes we even have two floods in a one-year period, so unfortunately, weve got experience.

Busch says that, at one point, just a two-week stretch of operations cost $21,000  and that costs have gone up since that estimate, as the flood fight has intensified. That funding, she explained, is entirely from donations, although the Red Cross will typically reimburse a percentage of those costs, as it has done in recent years.

Even for area residents whose homes are not directly affected by flooding, various aspects of daily life have been altered. The towns bank, post office, and plenty of local roads have been closed amid high water, often requiring that residents trek to Louisiana  a drive that would normally take 10 minutes, but now takes 30 to 45 because of detours.

The overall cost of flood impacts to the town, county, and local residents is far steeper  though hard, if not impossible to nail down.

In fact, such an estimate is a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey type of thing, said Chris Gamm, the presiding commissioner of Pike County. It would take an exhaustive study to find out who all is affected, he said.

Plus, he and other local officials say that continued flooding has prevented them from making the damage assessments needed for aid or, eventually, flood insurance.

Im really looking forward to the paperwork for the National Flood Insurance Program after this, Lindemann said.

But even without specific numbers coming into focus, its obvious that Clarksvilles extended spring of flooding is causing major financial trouble. Lindemann says the seasons first wave of flood fighting zapped all available funds the town had. But now, subsequent, ongoing crests are burrowing into the towns operating budget, she said.

But repeated major floods in recent years also take a psychological toll, and exact costs on the towns vitality.

Current residents say the town used to support a relatively strong community of downtown shops and artists, prior to the 2008 flood. But prolonged floods and closures have pushed them away.

The town was crowded in the weekends, Busch remembers. Financially, they couldnt justify staying.

She says it gets harder and harder to summon the strength for flood fights and recovery  especially for a town with an aging population.

Lindemann echoed much of the same sentiment.

It wears on the town, she said, explaining that the enthusiasm to rebuild after 1993, for instance, has tapered off. "I think those ideas have been worn down a little bit over time, because it just keeps happening and some of us are ready to give up the fight. But many of us are not."

Hope for solutions

For the historic city to continue that fight, many say changes are needed.

Ever since the flooding in 2008, there have been hopes to secure funding for a temporary flood wall that would be used in emergency flood conditions, and held in storage when its not needed. But funding has stalled, as an initial price estimate of $2 million has grown to $4 million. Multiple efforts to have state government cover the costs have failed  in part, Lindemann says, because the town has such a small population.

But taking the last decades flood damage costs into account, she says a wall easily would have paid for itself by now. Probably twice, she adds.

Meanwhile, others like Gamm say that flood problems cannot be meaningfully improved unless a unified attitude is applied to levee systems in the region. Along with extreme precipitation made more likely by climate change, the widespread reliance on levee systems is attracting criticism for constricting rivers and pushing flood risk elsewhere.

Gamm has a skeptical eye on levees nearby, including ones across the river, where thousands of acres of flood plain farmland sit dry and protected, as towns like Clarksville take on water.

Theres some things that can be done to alleviate some of this, and part of it is cooperation from the other side of the river, said Gamm, suggesting that Illinois levees are improperly high, and block the ability to relieve flood pressure. Theres things with this flooding and these levees that could get worked out."

But like others around town, he expressed confidence that Clarksville will bounce back.

Busch agrees, even if each repeated recovery gets harder.

You learn that you just keep your head down and take one more step, she said.

________________________

Forecasts revised

ST. LOUIS  New flood forecasts from the National Weather Service push back the expected crest of the Mississippi River by a couple days in St. Louis and other nearby river cities.

The Mississippi is expected to hit 46 feet in downtown St. Louis on Thursday, June 6, the weather service said Friday in its latest forecast. Thats about 3.6 feet below the record crest in St. Louis during the Great Flood of 1993.

Upriver, Quincy, Ill., is bracing for a secondary crest of 30.5 feet on Saturday.

On Sunday, Hannibal, Mo., will hit 29.8 feet and nearby Louisiana, Mo., 27.7 feet.

Clarksville, about 75 miles north of St. Louis, now is expected to top out at 37.3 feet  about seven-tenths of a foot below its 1993 record level  on Monday.

Alton will hit 39.2 feet on Wednesday.

Flooding could be compounded by additional rainfall in the region. Severe storms are expected Saturday afternoon and evening in a wide band that stretches through central Missouri and Illinois, including the St. Louis area. The weather service said the storms could includes winds reaching 60 mph and large hail.

Amtrak suspends some service

Meanwhile, Amtrak says flooding in the region is forcing it to suspend service between St. Louis and Fort Worth, Texas, until June 7.

Amtrak officials said in a news release Friday that flooding has diverted freight train traffic onto tracks used by the passenger train service.

Service between Chicago and St. Louis and between San Antonio and Fort Worth will continue as usual.

No substitute transportation is available other than the scheduled Trinity Railway Express commuter train service between Fort Worth and Dallas, which is ticketed separately.

Some tickets are available for those willing to travel alternate routes between Illinois or Missouri and Texas using the Amtrak Southwest Chief and the Amtrak Heartland Flyer.

Two Missouri levees overtopped

Officials have issued a mandatory evacuation order for some residents of a central Missouri county where the Missouri River has topped a levee.

KRCG reports Howard County emergency management co-director Bill John said the levee near Petersburg is expected to fail soon.

The evacuation includes residents in Franklin, New Franklin and essentially all of the Missouri River bottom from Petersburg to Rocheport.

Also, levees in rural areas of a northeast Missouri county were overtopped Thursday, flooding several thousand acres of farmland.

Lewis County Emergency Management Director David Keith said the levees are near Union and Gregory townships, which are across the Mississippi River from Quincy, Illinois.

Keith said no homes or businesses were impacted and he was not aware of any fatalities or injuries from the flooding.

Levee breached along Arkansas River

Elsewhere, a levee breached Friday along the Arkansas River, prompting a flash flood warning and evacuation of a rural area in western Arkansas.

Officials said the levee breached at Dardanelle, about 60 miles northwest of Little Rock. Yell County officials had anticipated the breach and urged residents in the nearby Holla Bend area to evacuate Thursday.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said crews went door to door to recommend evacuation for about 160 homes.

The levee breached because of ongoing flooding along the Arkansas River, which began in Oklahoma. Late Thursday night, President Donald Trump approved the states request for a disaster declaration in 16 counties affected by the flooding. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the declaration will help the state minimize the loss, but added that this is far from over.

Entergy Arkansas said Friday that it does not anticipate any impact to its nuclear plant near the Arkansas River in Russellville.

Floodwater recedes in Oklahoma

In northeastern Oklahoma, residents forced from their homes by flooding made plans to return as the river recedes. The weather service said Friday the Arkansas River's level at Tulsa has dropped almost 4 feet from Wednesday's crest and will continue to recede through the weekend. Forecasters say river levels were also dropping in Muskogee, Okla., about 45 miles southeast of Tulsa.

Earlier this year, about two dozen levee systems were breached or overtopped during Missouri River flooding that devastated parts of Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

The Associated Press contributed.

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 rising water makes for a nerve-racking ordeal for those who have the threatening river nearly at their doorstep.

You just worry every day. You pray it will work, said Dianne Chouinard, standing in front of the River City Boulevard home where she has lived since 1977. I just dont want to get a knock at the door at 3 oclock in the morning to say, The levees not going to hold and you need to evacuate.

She said a surveyor told her Wednesday that her front porch sits at 42 feet  well below the developing crest. For people like her, theres no margin for error, and no Plan B thats anything but painful.

We havent done any packing or anything. Were staying put. If it happens, it happens  and we lose everything, she said.

Like many other residents at risk around the region, Chouinard said the only time she has faced similar danger was in 1993. She retrieved a photograph from that historic flood, showing her then-10-year-old son, Matthew, dwarfed by a mound of material that formed an emergency levee much higher than the sandbag barrier taking shape Thursday.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX: SGQ, HK: 1878) (SouthGobi or the Company) announces that the voting results of the annual and special meeting (the Meeting) of shareholders of the Company held in Vancouver, Canada on May 30, 2019. The Company is also pleased to announce that the board of directors of the Company has re-designated Mr. Mao Sun, currently Interim Independent Lead Director, as Lead Director effective today. Mr. Ben Niu has elected as a non-executive director of the Company effective today.



At the Meeting, the majority of the Companys shareholders voted in favour of the following matters as set out in the Companys management proxy circular dated April 23, 2019 (the Information Circular), a copy of which is available under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com:

appointing PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP, Chartered Accountants, as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and authorizing the board of directors of the Company to fix the auditors remuneration;





fixing the number of directors of the Company at eight; and





the election of Messrs. Shougao Wang, Zhiwei Chen, Yingbin Ian He, Xiaoxiao Li, Ben Niu, Mao Sun, Wen Yao and Ms. Jin Lan Quan as directors of the Company for the ensuing year.

With respect to the election of Directors, each of the following eight nominees proposed by the management and listed in the Circular has been elected as a director of the Company until the next annual general meeting of Shareholders, or until such persons successor is elected or appointed, with the following results:

Zhiwei Chen votes for:



votes withheld: 64,941,161 (99.88%)



77,199 (0.12%) Yingbin Ian He votes for:



votes withheld: 65,009,649 (99.99%)



8,711 (0.01%) Xiaoxiao Li votes for:



votes withheld: 64,941,161 (99.88%)



77,199 (0.12%) Ben Niu votes for: 64,941,161 (99.88%) votes withheld: 77,199 (0.12%) Jin Lan Quan votes for:



votes withheld: 65,009,649 (99.99%)



8,411 (0.01%) Mao Sun votes for:



votes withheld: 65,009,649 (99.99%)



8,411 (0.01%) Shougao Wang votes for: 64,941,161 (99.88%) votes withheld: 77,199 (0.12%) Wen Yao votes for:



votes withheld: 64,940,511 (99.88%)



77,849 (0.12%)

At the AGM, Mr. Ben Niu (Mr. Niu), aged 33, was elected as a non-executive director of the Company with effect from May 30, 2019. Mr. Niu is currently a Vice President of CIC Capital Corporation (CIC Capital), a wholly owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation (CIC) and is responsible for evaluating investment opportunities in the metals and mining industry and management of CIC Capitals existing portfolio assets in the same sector. Prior to joining CIC Capital in 2019, Mr. Niu was a Senior Manager at China Minmetals Corporation, responsible for its overseas mining strategy, commodity analysis and M&A in the mining sector. Through his experience at China Minmetals Corporation and its subsidiaries, Mr. Niu has developed an extensive understanding of global mining development trends, commodity attractiveness and investment opportunity selection.



Mr. Niu received his Bachelor and Master degrees from Tsinghua University, majoring in Electronic Engineering.

There is no specific term or proposed length of service for Mr. Niu as non-executive director but Mr. Niu will be subject to retirement and re-election at the annual general meeting of the Company in accordance with the articles of continuation of the Company. Consistent with existing Directors compensation, the directors fees for Mr. Niu will be determined by the board of directors of the Company (the Board) based on the recommendation of the Compensation and Benefits Committee of the Board, which is comprised of independent non-executive directors of the Company.

Ms. Lan Cheng did not stand for re-election at the Meeting. Following the Meeting, Ms. Cheng ceased to be a non-executive Director, and a member of the Health, Environment, Safety and Social Responsibility Committee.

Immediately prior to the Meeting, the Company learned that one of its largest shareholders was unable to vote its shares prior to the voting cut-off time as a result of experiencing technical difficulties in depositing its voting instruction form with the relevant Hong Kong intermediary. In light of the foregoing, and after consideration of the potential consequences to the Company if the 2019 Deferral Agreement (as defined in the Information Circular) is not approved, the board of directors of the Company determined that it was in the best interest of the Company to adjourn the Meeting and to extend the time for depositing proxies in order to provide shareholders with additional time to vote their shares in respect of the resolution approving the 2019 Deferral Agreement. Accordingly, upon completion of the annual business matters, the Meeting was adjourned until 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on Thursday, June 13, 2019 at the offices of Dentons Canada LLP, 20th Floor  250 Howe Street, Vancouver, British Columbia (the Adjourned Meeting).

As a result, both registered and non-registered shareholders will continue to have the right to vote their common shares in respect of the resolution approving the 2019 Deferral Agreement (but not on the annual business matters approved at the Meeting) and to appoint a person to attend and represent them at the Adjourned Meeting up to one hour prior to its commencement by following the detailed directions set out in the Information Circular. The record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to vote at the Adjourned Meeting remains unchanged, being April 8, 2019. In order to vote by proxy in respect to the resolution approving the 2019 Deferral Agreement, proxies must be received by AST Trust Company (Canada) no later than 9:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on Thursday, June 13, 2019 (which is 12:00 a.m. (Hong Kong time) on Friday, June 14, 2019).

If there is any inconsistency or discrepancy between the English version and the Chinese version, the English version shall prevail.

About SouthGobi

SouthGobi, listed on the Toronto and Hong Kong stock exchanges, owns and operates its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. It also holds the mining licences of its other metallurgical and thermal coal deposits in South Gobi Region of Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China.
Thousands of homes affected

The biggest concern is in the unprecedented pressure the flooding has put on the levees: they have never held back this much water for this long, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said Wednesday.

Record crests are expected in five places.

Flooding could affect thousands of homes in 14 counties near the river, ranging from minor damage to destruction, Daniel said. Two levees -- one of them in Logan County along state Highway 309 -- have overtopped so far, but none has failed, Daniel said.

"This is looking to be record breaking all along the Arkansas River, and this is something we have never seen before," she said.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson sent a letter to President Donald Trump requesting that he declare a state of emergency for 15 counties in the state, but that number is expected to increase.

Mandatory evacuations in Missouri

Arkansas isn't the only state worried about the overflow of its rivers and levees. States along the Mississippi are experiencing their own threats from the rising water levels.
Dublin, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices" conference has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Key guidance on how to use the ISO 10993 series of standards and successfully apply a risk management approach to the biological evaluation of medical devices.

New for 2019



The ISO 10993 series of standards covering biological evaluation of medical devices is well established and regulatory authorities worldwide expect compliance. In Europe compliance with the standards will be the easiest way to meet the relevant essential product safety requirements of the Medical Device Regulation. Understanding a risk management approach to biological evaluation is essential.



This seminar will provide key guidance on how to use the standards and successfully apply a risk management approach to the biological evaluation of medical devices. There will be plenty of time for interactive discussion with experts in this field.

Who Should Attend:



This seminar will be of importance to those in the medical device industry from the following departments:

Regulatory affairs

R&D

Product safety/toxicology

Analytical chemistry

Risk assessment and risk management

Materials research and evaluation

It will be of particular interest to Regulatory Authorities, Notified Bodies and CROs regulating or supporting the medical device industry

Agenda:



Programme Day One

General principles of biological risk management

Differences between toxicology and medical device toxicology

The risk management process according to ISO 14971:2019

How does ISO 10993 relate to ISO 14971?

Explanation of structure and core contents of ISO 10993:2018

Understanding the requirements of ISO 10993-1:2018

How to navigate through the standard and find applicable sections

What have we learned from the development of ISO 10993 over the years?

Interactive session: Hazardous situations



Reviewing existing data

Identifying applicable end points

Compiling relevant data

Characterising toxicological hazard from literature review

Using data on prior use

Gap analysis - determining the sufficiency of existing datasets

Developing a Biological Evaluation Plan

Materials characterisation

Physical and chemical characterisation

Qualitative vs quantitative evaluation of materials

Establishing whether additional chemical characterisation is necessary

Quantification of extractables and leachables

Limitations of chemical characterisation techniques

Understand the requirements - goalposts moving with 10993-18:2019

Biological equivalence - what is it and when is it achieved?

Interactive session: Evaluating chemical data

Programme Day Two

Quantitative toxicological risk assessment (QTRA)



Identifying situations in need of QTRA

Use of ISO 10993-17:2002 and alternative approaches

Principles of toxicological risk assessment

The Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC)

Identification of constituents of concern

Structure activity software

Risk assessments for constituents, extractables and leachables

Biological testing



When is biological testing necessary? Identifying uncertainties

In-vitro vs in-vivo testing

When is in-vitro testing necessary?

How to leverage in-vitro results

Examining ISO 10993-2 animal welfare requirements

Taking account of the strengths and weaknesses of in-vivo tests

Developing a test plan

Interactive session: Gap analysis



Risk assessment and control



Information needed for a risk assessment

Criteria for risk acceptability

Risk reduction strategies

Judging whether the data is sufficient

Biological Evaluation Reports

Interactive session: Risk reduction



Risk review



Post-market surveillance data and the biological evaluation profile

Importance of the feedback loop

High-profile issues found after CE marking - what lessons can be learned?

Interactive session: Risk review



Q & A discussion



Summary and conclusions



For more information about this conference visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3oa28r

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
Simon Bridges

National Party Leader

simonbridges.co.nz

Queens Birthday weekend is a popular time to travel on our roads. Like many New Zealanders I will have my family with me this weekend.

When driving as a parent you are acutely aware of the extra responsibility you have to keep your loved ones safe. As an MP I have the added responsibility of creating policy that protects other peoples families.

Im concerned that the Government is dragging its feet on keeping New Zealanders safe by not acting on a proposal for roadside drug testing.

Road deaths from drug impaired drivers have steadily increased in recent years. Stats show 79 drug-impaired drivers were involved in fatal road crashes in 2017, compared to 70 alcohol-impaired drivers.

This is thought to be the first-time drugs have overtaken alcohol in this statistic, yet the number of prosecutions for drug-impaired drivers that year was only 200, compared to 16,000 for drunk driving.

How many drugged-up drivers are escaping being caught and threatening the lives of New Zealanders because there is no suitable testing in place?

We know roadside drug testing works, as it has been successfully implemented in Australia, Canada and the UK. But this Government has a blind spot on drug driving due to its wider policies on liberalising access to drugs.

National has a Bill on this issue which is ready to go. We want a proper roadside drug testing regime in place as soon as possible.

This needs to happen now, before any of the Governments proposed cannabis law changes take effect.
The State of Nebraska is proposing more work on highways near Sidney. The question is how to fund the Citys share of the cost of nearly $2 million.

This is a pretty good offer, City Manager Ed Sadler said Tuesday.

The work will effectively take off from where the last project ended east of Sidney toward Highway 385/Highway 17J. There are several options that have been discussed already, including using existing funds from the road budget and funding the project with bonds. In his letter to the Citys bonding company, Sadler said he is recommending one payment at the end of the road work, with bond sale concluding from November to December 2020.

Sadler also submitted estimates for bond rates for 10-year, 15-year and 20-year terms. Quoted rates vary from 3.05 percent for a 10-year payback, 3.40 percent for a 10-year payback and 3.56 percent for a 20-year payback.

I think there are multiple ways we can get this done, Sadler said.

He said regardless of the decision on bond funding, the City will first pursue grant funding for its share of the project. The State is encouraging the City to wait until the project is completed to fund it. Sadler said the advantage in waiting is if the cost changes, the bond is for the correct amount; there is no need to redo the bond or seek another note. The funds would not be needed until about fall 2020.

In other business, the council discussed three Planning Commission members whose terms expire June 1. The Council approved re-appointing John Glenn and Caleb Sweetser to the Planning Commission, each for three-year terms. Board member Deanna Volkmer chose not to return to the Planning Commission. The City will continue seeking applications for the third seat.

The council also approved the 2018 International Building Codes.

It will help all Nebraska counties. All contractors will follow one code, Sidney Chief Building Official Kevin Kubo said.

The codes updated include Building Codes, Residential Codes, Plumbing Codes, Mechanical Codes, Fuel/Gas Codes, Property Maintenance Codes and Energy Conservation Codes. According to Kubos memo to the council, the International Building Codes are founded on principles intended to establish provisions that are consistent and that adequately protect public health, safety and welfare.

The memo also says Building Codes are developed over a three-year period with code changes introduced by Code officials, industry professionals and manufacturers. The State of Nebraska passed LB405, adopting the 2018 International Building Codes.

Kubo said most of the updates are minor word changes.

The code updates were approved by a 4-0 vote with vice-mayor Joe Arterburn absent.
United Kingdom, 31 May 2019

RAK Petroleum plc, the Oslo-listed oil and gas investment company, announced that all resolutions put to its 2019 Annual General Meeting held in London today were approved by an overwhelming majority.

The voting results are attached.

For further queries, please contact:

Kevin Toner

Managing Director

RAK Petroleum plc

Email: kevin.toner@rakpetroleum.uk

About RAK Petroleum plc

RAK Petroleum plc is an Oslo Brs listed oil and gas investment company established under the laws of England and Wales as a public limited company. Its principal holdings are 40.45 percent of DNO ASA and 33.33 percent of Foxtrot International LDC held through Mondoil Enterprises, LLC. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Brs since 1981, DNO ASA is a Norwegian exploration and production company focused on the Middle East and the North Sea regions with interests in oil and gas blocks in various stages of exploration, development and production, both onshore and offshore. Foxtrot International LDC is a privately-held company active in West Africa whose principal asset is a 27.27 percent interest in and operatorship of Block CI-27 offshore Cote d'Ivoire.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.



Attachment
The Sidney City Council Tuesday approved having a public hearing June 11 to formally address a request to change zoning of land owned by the hospital from Central Business to Agriculture.

The request was first reviewed by the Planning Commission on May 20. The parcel  Trace 2 of Section 33, Township 14, Range 49 owned by Cheyenne County Hospital Association Inc., doing business as Sidney Regional Medical Center  is located directly south of the hospital.

The Planning Commission reported no objections were filed by the May 20 meeting, and Sidney Regional Medical Center CEO Jason Petik was present representing the hospital association. Petik explained that this parcel was rezoned from Agricultural to Commercial for the new hospital. The plan was to construct condo units to house various specialty offices, according to a memo the final report of the May 20 Planning Commission. The hospital no longer plans to construct condos for specific medical services, according to the memo. The memo says if the hospital chooses to construct additional units, it has 15 to 20 acres west of the facility. Sidney Regional Medical Center has no plans of building at this time, according to the Planning Commission memo.

Additionally, the hospital is in a 16-year agreement with the current lease holder. The lease holder also has the lease for Cabelas land. Sidneys Chief Building Official Kevin Kubo said in his memo to the council rezoning the tract is in compliance with the 2012 Comprehensive Plan.

The Planning Commission has recommended to the City Council the rezoning be approved.

In other business Tuesday, the council approved a burn permit by Solid Waste Superintendent Dean Sterling. In his request, Sterling said with the landfill being annexed into the city, a burn permit is required. The permit is to burn a pile of wood pallets, some, according to Sterling, dating back more than 20 years.

We are currently running out of space to stockpile pallets due to not grinding pallets anymore, he said in his memo to the council.

He said the pallets are discolored and rotting from being piled too long. Presently, pallets are hauled to the bail pit and compacted with the compactor. Landfill staff learned shredding pallets takes too much time and compacting is more efficient. Sterling said weather conditions will define when the burn will occur.
James E. "Jim" Joyce age 79, of Sidney, NE passed away Thursday, May 23, 2019 in Sidney.

Memorial services will be held at 11:00 A.M., Monday, June 3rd in the First United Methodist Church in Sidney with Pastor Corey Jenkins officiating. Cremation has taken place and Inurnment will be at a later date in Iowa. Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel to sign Jim's register book and drop off condolences for the family. Memorial contributions may be made in Jim's name to the Aviation Department at WNCC or the First United Methodist Church. You may view Jim's Book of Memories, leave condolences, photos and stories at http://www.gehrigstittchapel.com.

Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC is in charge of Jim's care and funeral arrangements.

James Everett Joyce, the son of Joseph Everett and Mary Ethel (Sarsfield) Joyce, was born January 26, 1940 at Atlantic, IA. He graduated from school there in 1958, received a degree in Airframe and Power plant Aviation Maintenance from Parks College of Aviation Technology at East St Louis, MO in 1961 and returned to Atlantic to begin his Aviation career.

On June 17, 1961 Jim was united in marriage to Monica Sievers. Two children, Wendy and Matthew, were born to this union.

In 1961, Jim started working as a mechanic at Hap's Air Service in Atlantic, IA. He also worked for Walnut Grove Products and E.C. Henningsen Construction. He served as a mechanic for both companies on their corporate aircraft. During this time, he received his Private Pilot certificate.

In 1969, Jim accepted a teaching position in the Aviation Maintenance Department with WNCC in Sidney, NE moving his young family to Sidney. He would tell others, "To give it a try for a couple of years."

On November 24th, 2002, Jim was united in marriage to Ramona Serkiz. With this union he took into his life and heart Derek Lawrey, Heather Lawrey, Joseph (Jennifer) Serkiz, Jay (Audrey) Serkiz and Dawna Serkiz.

Jim retired in 2006 after a 36-tenure. During his time, he served as division chairman for the technical programs. In 1996, he was instrumental in the project to build a new aviation maintenance facility at the Sidney Airport. Jim held his Inspection Authorization for more than 25 years. He was elected to two terms on the Sidney Airport Authority and served as chairman for several years, in addition to serving on WNCC's Board of Governors for several years. In January 2018, Jim was recognized by the Aviation Association for his outstanding contributions to aviation and inducted into the Aeronautical Hall of Fame.

Jim was an aircraft mechanic, but first and foremost he was an educator. His sense of humor and watchful eye made him an excellent instructor. Jim's willingness to share his wealth of knowledge made learning exciting and fun. During his career, he left a lasting impression on more than 1,000 mechanics who studied under him.

Jim dearly loved life and lived it to the fullest. He was known for his deep love of the outdoors and shared his love of camping, fishing, canoeing, planting trees and flying kites with his 15 grandchildren. Jim never knew a stranger and made friends everywhere he went. He will always be remembered for his endless pranks, his story telling, his "out of the box" way of looking at life, his community service, his pioneer and grass-roots parenting-style, the "twinkle in his eye" and deep appreciation of his family's ancestral roots. With a smile, Jim would say to us today, "Do not take life so seriously." After retiring, Jim was able to spend more time traveling, visiting family and friends and doing the things he loved.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Ethel Joyce.

Jim is survived by his wife, Ramona of Sidney, his children, son Matthew Joyce and wife Kylie of Cozad, NE, daughter Wendy Vallelonga and husband Tony of Golden Bay, Australia, step-daughters Heather Lawrey and Dawna Serkiz of Sidney, step-sons Jay Serkiz and wife Audrey of Sidney, Joseph and wife Jennifer of Plattsmouth, NE and Derek Lawrey of Boston, MA; sister Jean Wharton and husband Walter of Texas, brothers Lauren Joyce and wife Donna of Iowa, Russell Joyce and wife Linda of Iowa, 15 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members.
So finally is Apple allowing us to download bigger files, apps and games now. About time..

This week, Apple has upped the cellular download limit for iPhone and iPad that prevents users from downloading large files from Apples stores, including apps, games, video podcasts, iTunes Store films and more.

It's not enough though. We should not have a limitation here.

The cellular download limit has been increased from 150 MB to 200 MB. This means more apps and games are now be allowed to be downloaded over the cellular network.

I can understand why Android users are mocking Apple users about this.

The cellular limit is often mocked as a stupid feature as Apple offers no opportunity to override the limit and force the download to succeed.

I have an unlimited data plan, as many other has here where I live. Internet Service Providers in Sweden and many other European countries has unlimited mobile plans as an option. So I don't want Apple to decide how big files I am allowed to download. It's much better to have a warning when downloading large files over cellular data. Exactly as Google has done it on Android...

It is also silly because the cellular limit is enforced non-discriminately, which means even iPhone users with unlimited data plans are still barred from downloading apps and games over 200 MB.

Via Apple increases iPhone cellular download limit from 150 MB to 200 MB - 9to5Mac
I asked him how much he had drank today; he stated a few shots of tequila, Agee wrote.

Agee said he gave Pauley field sobriety tests and a breathalyzer test, which showed a blood alcohol level of .13, which is over the legal driving limit of .08.

Now unemployed, Pauley was a school bus driver for 18 years before being charged last year with public intoxication, assault and breaking and entering.

Pauley was outside his parked car on Suiter Road last September when a deputy said he smelled alcohol on him.

Pauley paid the fine and court costs on the public drunkenness charge before his court date.

In the other two cases, a woman accused Pauley of assaulting her and later breaking into her house with a key and taking personal items.

The burglary charge was eventually dropped and Pauley was convicted of trespassing instead of assault.

Setting Pauleys bond at $1,000, a magistrate wrote that he seemed honest, cooperative.

His court date has been set for June 26.

County man charged with DWI
The views of this areas natural beauty are breathtaking. The graffiti that sometimes mars it, on the other hand, well some of it could be called creative. Yet, the natural wonders and manmade doodles coexist on the site that is designated to become an official overlook on the Back of the Dragon.

In recent conversations with half-a-dozen bikers, the view easily trumped the graffiti.

Three riders from Pennsylvania just stood and stared and then asked for help in getting a photo of themselves with the wonders of Rich Valley as their backdrop. Sunday, a biker from North Carolina and another from Florida posed for their own photos with the Hungry Mother State Park sign and the Marion view in the background.
Dublin, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "ASEAN Managed Security Services Market, Forecast to 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



Demand for MSS continued to quickly increase among ASEAN countries as the market grew significantly by 18.6%, on a YoY basis

Though investment in security measures for better security protection and risk management continued to increase, organizations in ASEAN faced growing challenges in security operations due to shortage of professionals and domain expertise, which eventually left them vulnerable to data breaches and other security threats.



The recent data breaches of more than 46 million mobile users' personal information in October 2017, and the data breach of SingHealth were typical examples of threats that organizations faced, which may have been a result of the shortage of security professionals.



The market was dominated by Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, in which Singapore contributed to more than 60% of the overall ASEAN market revenue. There are several factors that drive the strong adoption of MSS in Singapore, of which higher awareness of cybersecurity, stronger MSS ecosystem, stronger demand for advanced threat management, stricter requirements for compliance, and cost management were the key driving forces.



Malaysia remained the second largest MSS adopter in 2017, making up 12.4% of the ASEAN market share. Businesses in Malaysia tend to stick to basic MSS services. The drop in market growth over the last 1 to 2 years was mainly due to the insourcing trend among banks and large insurance companies, the largest adopters of MSS in the country.



BFSI and government verticals remained the top two spenders of MSS in 2017. Increasing adoption of MSS was also observed in other verticals, such as manufacturing, education, and others.



Monitoring/management services remained the largest revenue contributors to the market, generating more than 75% of the overall market value as businesses in ASEAN continued to prefer traditional MSS, be it system health check, security asset monitoring/management, compliance and other perimeter security monitoring/management services. The segment continued its significant growth momentum.



Moving forward, the MMS segment is set to maintain its strong growth momentum, from 2017 to 2022 and remain the largest revenue contributor.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Market Overview

Market Definitions

Managed Security Services Types

Market Overview - Definitions

Key Questions this Study will Answer

Market Segmentation

Research Scope

Geographical Coverage

2. Forecasts and Trends

Key Findings

Market Engineering Measurements

Revenue Forecast

Percent Revenue Forecast by Segment

Revenue Forecast by Segment

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Segment

Percent Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Country

3. Market Share and Competitive Analysis

Competitive Analysis

Competitive Environment

4. Growth Opportunities and Call to Action

Growth Opportunity 1 - Outsourcing of Security Operations

Growth Opportunity 2 - Increasing Shift to the Cloud and from CAPEX to OPEX

Growth Opportunity 3 - Large Enterprises' Preference for Insourcing

Growth Opportunity 4 - Increasing Demand for Advanced Security Services

4 Major Growth Opportunities

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

5. Managed Security Services - Vendor Analysis

Availability and Completeness of Managed Security Services Offerings

Country/Region Legend for Security Operation Centers

DXC Technology

Orange Business Services

Secureworks

Symantec

List of Security Services and Vendor Partnerships

List of MSSP Pricing Models in APAC

6. The Last Word

3 Big Predictions

Legal Disclaimer

7. Appendix

Market Engineering Methodology

List of Exhibits

Companies Mentioned



DXC Technology

Orange Business Services

Secureworks

Symantec

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8gb7xc

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
We have finished our search for the best restaurant desserts in Central New York, based on nominations from syracuse.com readers.

Last week we visited The Cider Mill in Taunton, and then we hit A Mano Kitchen & Bar on South Warren Street in downtown Syracuse. We started this week with a trip to Lemon Grass in Armory Square. We finished with lunch at Francescas Cucina on North Salina Street. For dessert, we had their signature dessert, the buttercake. We also had tiramisu, the pina colada cheesecake, the triple chocolate mousse cake, a Snickers cake, white Russian creme brulee and a vanilla bean cannoli. Yes, we left with plenty of to-go boxes.

We will publish our review and a video from our visit next week. The reviews will start Monday, June 3.

The judging panel includes syracuse.com journalist Charlie Miller, Life & Culture reporter Sunny Hernandez and Chef Debbie Schneider, a culinary instructor at Onondaga Community College who recently was awarded 2019 Chef of the Year by the Syracuse chapter of the American Culinary Foundation.

You have until June 6 to vote for your favorite in our poll. The winner gets the Best of CNY readers choice award. If you cant see the poll below, click here.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Applications are being accepted online for the first round of the state-funded $3 million Grow-NY food and agriculture competition.

Startups from around the globe with ideas for new food or other agricultural products can apply at the competitions website, grow-ny.com. Applications will be accepted through July 15.

A top prize of $1 million, two $500,000 prizes and four $250,000 prizes will be awarded based on the following five criteria:

Viability of commercialization and business model

Customer value

Food and agriculture innovation

Regional job creation

Quality and completeness of the development team and its readiness to deliver

Cornell University will administer the competition through its Center for Regional Economic Advancement at its campus in Ithaca and the Cornell AgriTech campus in Geneva.

The winners will have to commit to operate their businesses in the Finger Lakes, Central New York or Southern Tier regions for at least one year and agree to participate in an equity agreement with the university.

Twenty semi-finalists will be selected from the applicants and will enter a mentoring and business development phase from August to November.

They will pitch their businesses to a panel of industry judges at the Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Summit, a public symposium and trade show to be held Nov. 12 and 13 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center in Rochester. Judges will announce the seven winners at the event.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced plans for the competition during a visit to Syracuse in February. The competition will run for three rounds, with each round offering $3 million in prizes to what officials said are innovative high-growth start-ups that are focused on the food and agriculture industry."

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
WASHINGTON  The federal government has awarded SRC Inc. of Cicero a contract worth up to $100 million to help determine if new or existing chemicals pose environmental or health hazards.

SRC was the sole recipient of the five-year contract from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, according to company officials.

The new contract, combined with ongoing work, will allow SRC to hire up to 25 chemists, biologists and toxicologists at its Cicero headquarters and at a satellite office in Arlington, Va., a company spokeswoman said.

All told, SRC plans to hire more than 300 people over the next year as it expands a workforce of about 1,400 employees.

The not-for-profit company is currently trying to fill more than 100 open positions in its Central New York offices in Cicero, North Syracuse and East Syracuse.

SRC has worked as a contractor for the EPA since the early 1990s. The company has experienced rapid growth in recent years by focusing on research and development work in the fields of defense, intelligence and the environment.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
WASHINGTON (AP)  Despite pushback from U.S. business and Mexico, President Donald Trump doubled down Friday on his threat to slap a 5% tariff on Mexican imports unless Americas southern neighbor cracks down on Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.

U.S. manufacturers said the tariff, set to take effect June 10, would have devastating consequences on them and American consumers. U.S. stocks tumbled on Wall Street in response to Trump's planned action.

"Imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico is exactly the wrong move," said Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is exploring legal action in response to the tariffs. "These tariffs will be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border. Instead, Congress and the president need to work together to address the serious problems at the border."

Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador dispatched his foreign secretary to Washington to try to negotiate a solution. He said social problems are not solved with coercive measures, but also seemed convinced that Trump just needed to be informed about all the steps Mexico has taken to slow illegal migration.

Mexico has stepped up raids on migrant caravans traveling through the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca this year. It has deported thousands of migrants and frustrated thousands more who wait endlessly for permits that would allow them to travel legally through Mexico.

Administration officials told reporters in a briefing call Thursday evening that Mexico could prevent the tariffs from kicking in by securing its southern border with Guatemala, cracking down on criminal smuggling organizations, and entering into a "safe third country agreement" that would make it difficult for those who enter Mexico from other countries to claim asylum in the U.S.

"We fully believe they have the ability to stop people coming in from their southern border and if they're able to do that, these tariffs will either not go into place or will be removed after they go into place," said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

Trump said the percentage will gradually increase  up to 25%  until the migration problem is remedied.

"Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades," Trump said in a tweet. "Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!"

Trump's decision showed the administration going to new lengths, and looking for new levers, to pressure Mexico to take action  even if those risk upending other policy priorities, like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal that is the cornerstone of Trump's legislative agenda and seen as beneficial to his reelection effort.

Keeping the economy rolling also is critical to Trump's reelection, and business was not happy with the president's planned tariff on Mexican imports.

The stock market's tumble on Friday all but guarantees that May will be the first monthly loss for the market in 2019. The news hit automakers particularly hard. Many of them import vehicles into the U.S. from Mexico.

"These proposed tariffs would have devastating consequences on manufacturers in America and on American consumers," said Jay Timmons, chief executive officer of the National Association of Manufacturers. "We have taken our concerns to the highest levels of the administration and strongly urge them to consider carefully the impact of this action on working families across this country."

The response from Trump's GOP allies on Capitol Hill was notably muted. Republicans have expressed unease with Trump's trade and tariff wars and tried to reverse some of them.

"There is a serious humanitarian crisis at our southern border, and it is past time for my Democratic colleagues to finally get serious about meaningful action," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

But the sudden tariff threat comes at a peculiar time, given how hard the administration has been pushing for passage of the USMCA, which would update the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, a usual Trump ally and the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, slammed the president's action as a "a misuse of presidential tariff authority" that would burden American consumers and "seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA."

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said the livelihoods of farmers and producers from her state are at risk and so is the USMCA.

"The USMCA would provide much-needed certainty to our agriculture community, at a time when they need it," she said. "If the president goes through with this, I'm afraid progress to get this trade agreement across the finish line will be stifled."

Daniel Ujczo, a U.S.-based international trade lawyer, said the threat would likely slow the deal's progress in Mexico and put U.S. lawmakers who want to vote "yes" in a difficult position because companies in their districts will end up paying the tariffs.

Still, Ujczo and others wondered whether Trump would go through with the threat.

"This seems more theater and tactics than a strategy to solve the migration crisis and rebalance North American trade," Ujczo said.

It wouldnt be the first time Trump has punted on an immigration threat. In late March, Trump threatened to shut the entire U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico didnt immediately halt illegal immigration. Just a few days later, he backed off the threat, saying he was pleased with steps Mexico had taken in recent days. It was unclear, however, what Mexico had changed.
Uber lost more than $1 billion when it reported its first quarterly earnings as a public company Thursday. But executives said a ride-hail price war may be cooling, something that may result in fewer discounts for riders.

Industry competition appears to be waning, executives noted on a call with analysts, marking a departure from the typical pricing dynamics that send fares lower and lower, burning through cash in the process. That means Uber can shift strategy on its most discounted offerings including UberPOOL, which matches riders headed in the same direction.

"Historically we have priced POOL very aggressively in order to create (the) opportunity to match," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said. "Now the majority of the work is improving our matching opportunities." That ends up lowering costs to the company for each ride.

The company's loss of $1.01 billion in the first three months of the year contrasted with a one-time profit of $3.75 billion in the same quarter a year ago after the sale of overseas investments. The company lost about $478 million on operations in the first quarter a year ago.

Still, Uber reported that bookings and the number of people using its platform climbed by more than 30%, both signs of growth.

Uber's steep loss shows the hurdles the ride-hailing company faces in achieving executives' goal of eventually becoming a global one-stop shop for transportation and logistics. The company has outlined a vision for itself as a competitor with tech giant Amazon, applying its vast data trove and routing software to rewrite how goods and people move from one place to another and using computer algorithms to remove what tech sees as inefficiencies in the world.

On its quarterly earnings call, executives said 2019 represented a year of investment, although they did not directly address the company's losses. Analysts focused their questioning on how Uber plans to expand its footprint in the areas of ride-hailing, food delivery and freight on the heels of its IPO. Khosrowshahi said Uber was determined to prove its worth to investors.

"Our story is simple: We're the global player," Khosrowshahi said. "We're the largest player in personal mobility. . . . Our job is to grow fast at scale and more efficiently for a long, long time."

Uber has had a rocky start since going public, an embarrassing debut for what was projected to be one of the biggest initial public offerings in U.S. history. Its shares started trading on the New York Stock Exchange priced at $45, which valued the company at roughly $82 billion, the low end of the company's price range. But Wall Street showed its doubts, and stocks opened lower and haven't hit that price since.

The stock's poor performance raises questions over whether gig-economy companies that lose billions of dollars a year are sustainable - and whether the public pressure over profits puts a greater squeeze on the millions of people who work for them. Despite an extensive leadership overhaul at Uber, investors still consider the company a risky bet.

Analysts expressed concern that as the company focuses on turning an eventual profit, fares might go up and consumer incentives to attract riders could dwindle. Uber executives acknowledged that fares have risen in New York because of new caps on drivers and a city initiative requiring ride-hail companies to provide a higher wage to contractors. But they said market share there has remained steady.

Still, Khosrowshahi said, Uber won't give up any ground to competitors who want to offer equally cheap rides as the ride-hail giant.

Now if it is about dollars were gonna push back as hard as anyone pushes us, he said.
LYONS, N.Y. -- The state attorney general is calling on New York State Police to equip all troopers with body-worn cameras after an investigation into the death of a Wayne County man who died while being restrained by officers in 2018.

Robert L. Scott died on May 20, 2018 as a Wayne County Sheriffs Department deputy and two state troopers put him in handcuffs.

Attorney General Letitia James Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit released its report today on the investigation of Scotts death. Investigators determined that the force used to restrain Scott, 58, during the incident was reasonable and justified.

A governors executive order calls on the attorney general to investigate, and if warranted, prosecute certain matters involving the death of an unarmed civilian . . . caused by a law enforcement officer.

In the report, investigators recommend that state police officers wear body-worn cameras.

The death of Robert Scott is tragic and heartbreaking for his family and loved ones," James said in a statement. "We hope this helps bring some closure to Robert Scotts family and urge the New York State Police to adopt our recommendations.

New York State Troopers Benevolent Association president Thomas H. Mungeer said the union is not opposed to the concept," in a Friday statement. The statement said the union would like to see further study on this equipment and its implementation.

The interaction between Scott and officers began in the upstairs apartment of a multi-family dwelling in Lyons on May 20, 2018. Shortly after 5 a.m., Wayne County 911 dispatchers received a call reporting a fight in progress and officers responded. Wayne County sheriff deputy Derick Fera arrived first and entered the house, followed shortly thereafter by troopers Justin Prusak and Joseph Vinci.

Fera heard arguing behind the door of the apartment and knocked repeatedly before opening the door. Inside he saw Scott and woman who lives in the apartment. The woman told the officers that she and Scott were not fighting, but that Scott was drunk and fell over. Officers asked the couple to keep the noise level down and they left the apartment, the report said.

The officers were downstairs when about three minutes later, they heard arguing and screaming coming from the apartment. The officers went back to the apartment and the woman said that Scott had overdosed and was freaking out. She told officers Scott had smoked potentially laced marijuana," the report said. It was later determined that Scott had used cocaine.

Troopers Prusak and Vinci observed Scott naked, sweating profusely, and exhibiting signs consistent with excited delirium," the report said. The officers called an ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, Scott jumped up, pushed the officers out of the way and ran out of the apartment.

Scott ran down the stairs, out of the house and fell to the ground, not far from the front door. With an emergency medical technician watching, the officers worked together to handcuff Scott as he continued to resist. The officers did not use Tasers, pepper spray, or any other instruments in order to restrain him, the report said.

After he was restrained, Scott became unresponsive, stopped breathing and lost his pulse. Despite the immediate application CPR and other life-saving measures, Scott was pronounced dead at 6:31 am.

An autopsy revealed that Scott was suffering from hypertensive cardiovascular disease and had a greatly enlarged heart, noted in the autopsy as severe cardiomegaly. Toxicology reports showed that Scott had cocaine in his system. The medical examiner ruled his cause of death was due to complications of acute cocaine intoxication, noting that hypertensive cardiovascular disease was a significant contributing condition.

The investigation explored the officers two interactions with Scott and the response of law enforcement personnel after Scott was restrained.

The investigation concluded that the officers use of force was reasonable and justified, and there was no evidence that officers struck Scott with their batons or hands.

Instead, they worked together to restrain him, without the use of instruments, so that he could receive medical care, the report said. When Mr. Scott became unresponsive, the officers immediately assisted the EMTs with his medical care.

The report recommends that state police take this opportunity to seek the necessary funding to implement a body-worn camera program. The Wayne County sheriff deputy was initially wearing a body-worn camera, but the camera was knocked off during the incident. And it was also noted in the report that the camera was not working properly before it fell off and did not capture the incident.

Indisputably, had troopers Prusak and Vinci been wearing body-worn cameras, a more complete picture of everything that transpired during this incident would have taken shape, particularly the events that unfolded inside of (the) apartment, the report said.

State police, which generally employs between 4,600 and 5,200 members, is the second largest law enforcement agency in New York and the ninth largest in the nation, the report states.

Yet, of the 20 largest law enforcement agencies in this country, the NYSP bears the distinction of being the only agency not outfitting its members with body-worn cameras or piloting a plan to do so, the report states. We recommend that the NYSP and the policy makers responsible for its funding reconsider that position.

The cost of the cameras, data storage and fees are not insignificant, the report states.

Nevertheless, fully aware of the fiscal implications, we strongly recommend that the NYSP request the necessary funding to equip its members with body-worn cameras, the reports states.
DEERFIELD, N.Y. -- Gun rights advocates are standing behind a Central New York homeowner who shot and killed two people who were attempting to burglarize his home earlier this week.

More than $6,000 has been raised in a GoFundMe campaign to help Ronald Stolarczyk with his legal fees.

Stolarczyk, 64, of Deerfield, was charged with having an unregistered handgun after he shot the people who were burglarizing his home, police said. He was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, a felony, and remains in jail.

Aaron Dorn, of New Hartford, started the GoFundMe campaign on Wednesday and the campaign raised $6,100 by Friday afternoon. Stolarczyks lawyer, Mark Wolber, said he met with Dorn today about transferring the money to pay for his clients legal fees.

In the campaign, Dorn called Stolarczyks arrest un-American and unconstitutional.

People have a right to keep and bear arms and defend their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Dorn wrote. And government shouldnt be violating or infringing on those rights. Those rights that men and woman died for. What is happening to this man is an offense to every American living and dead...

On Tuesday, Stolarczyk was in his kitchen when he heard people inside his attached garage, Wolber told the The Post-Standard | Syracuse.com earlier this week. Stolarczyk yelled for them stop but they didnt. He picked up handgun that was on the kitchen counter and fired three to four shots at the intruders, Wolber said.

The handgun was unregistered. Stolarczyk told authorities the gun was his fathers, and when his father died he forgot to register it, according to Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara.

The two intruders he shot and killed have been identified as Patricia Anne Talerico, 57, and Nicholas A. Talerico, 27, of Utica, according to New York State Police. The aunt and nephew were burglarizing the home at 6110 Walker Road in Deerfield, police said.

Stolarczyk appears to be a hoarder, McNamara said, and among the items he collected were Commodore and Atari computers. McNamara said investigators believe the Talericos were under the mistaken impression that the home was vacant.

The home, which has no electricity and no running water, has been condemned due to its condition, McNamara said.

Stolarczyk has cooperated fully, and told authorities he shot the two in the front area of their bodies as they came at him, the DA said.

McNamara has said there is nothing to indicate this wasnt a justifiable homicide. But he stressed he cant make a final ruling until the investigation is complete.

Gun rights advocates are backing Stolarczyk by giving money and posting supportive messages.

This is more then what happened in Ronalds home, this is about standing up to tyranny, a tyrannical government that does not respect the constitution or the people, Dorn wrote in the GoFundMe campaign that features a second amendment logo.

All money raised will be used to hire a legal defense team in the hopes of setting a precedent that we the people want our rights back and we will not stand for a government that infringes on our rights, Doran wrote.
Deerfield, NY -- A homeowner accused of shooting to death two burglars at his rural Oneida County home was likely justified to use deadly force based on two different state laws, the district attorney and a longtime criminal lawyer agreed.

Ronald Stolarczyk, 64, was inside his home Tuesday at 6110 Walker Road when he shot to death two burglars, who he says came toward him after he yelled at them to leave, authorities said.

Stolarczyks lawyer, Mark Wolber, told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard his client was scared to death and thought he was going to die.

That can be considered a legitimate reason to use deadly force under New York state law. But theres another legal reason to kill someone: in defense of your house -- known for ages as the Castle doctrine.

Killed in Tuesdays shooting were Patricia Anne Talerico, 57, and her nephew, Nicholas A. Talerico, 27, of Utica.

Nicholas Talerico appears to have previously broken into Stolarczyks residence, a dilapidated structure with no electricity or running water, authorities said, based on stolen items recovered from the younger Talericos apartment after his death.

The Talericos may not have realized the house was occupied when they entered Tuesday, Oneida County DA Scott McNamara said.

McNamara said the homicide investigation is continuing, but that the homeowners actions to shoot the two people so far appear to be justified. Nicholas Talerico was shot in the chest, the DA said, but he was still waiting for the autopsy of Patricia Anne Talerico to see where she was shot.

Stolarczyk was separately charged with illegal weapon possession because prosecutors say he had not licensed the loaded handgun, which was originally purchased by his late father. That illegal gun charge has nothing to do with whether the shootings were justified.

Under law, there are two justifiable reasons to kill someone:

If you are in danger of being seriously injured or killed by that person, or

If you are in your own home and are trying to stop a burglary (or arson) in progress.

Stolarczyk would appear justified under either defense, McNamara and longtime Central New York lawyer Nicholas DeMartino indicated.

But theres also a key real-world element to such a defense: your actions must be reasonable.

The reasonableness standard is determined on a case-by-case basis. That means that its typically up to grand juries or trial juries to determine if someones actions were reasonable, said DeMartino, a former local prosecutor, judge, assistant state attorney general and current defense lawyer. Hes not working on the Oneida County case.

Whats not reasonable?

You cant shoot a drunk person who accidentally stumbles onto your porch, DeMartino said as example.

If you hear an intruder in your garage, you cant go out there and shoot that person, McNamara added.

You also cant shoot an intruder who is retreating.

However, a homeowner has no duty to retreat, either, inside his or her own home. (State law requires someone outside of the home to retreat, if possible, from an attacker.)

Lots of gray area

Because self-defense cases are so fact-specific, the details matter, DeMartino said.

Where in the body is the intruder shot? (Shooting someone in the back is probably not reasonable; in the front might be.) Are there warnings beforehand? How big or threatening is the intruder? How aggressive?

In reality, a homeowner is likely justified in shooting an intruder in his or her house who acts threateningly, DeMartino said.

Also key is how danger is determined: its what the shooter reasonably believes at the second he or she pulls the trigger. If the intruder appears to have a weapon, but it later turns out to be a cell phone, for example, the initial appearance is what counts.

In this shooting, the fact the two intruders were not armed does not mean that the homeowner wasnt in fear of mortal danger at the second he pulled the trigger, DeMartino said.

In this case, the homeowner was in his own home, McNamara said. The two came up the stairs and he yelled at them to leave. They didnt, so he shot them. So it seems justifiable...although until the autopsy comes back it cant be determined for sure. If the victim was shot in the back four times thats a game changer.

Juries sympathetic to self-defense

Recent Onondaga County juries have shown that self-defense -- even outside someones residence -- is often a winning argument in homicide cases. Consider:

A war vet shot and killed his romantic rival in Armory Square after the unarmed victim attacked him following an altercation in a bar. A jury found the shooter justified.

Two men were acquitted of manslaughter in the death of a 300-pound, drunken, drugged up man who had been picking fights at a bar and later reengaged them in a fight on the Onondaga Nation. Defense lawyers -- including DeMartino for one of the men -- argued that they were defending themselves and hadnt actually caused deadly injuries.

Recently, a man was acquitted of manslaughter for stabbing another man during an altercation over a woman outside a residence. The victim was armed with a knife himself and the jury found the fatal stabbing justified.

Still ongoing is the case of a Cicero teacher who shot to death his brother-in-law after a night of drunken fighting inside the teachers house. The unarmed victim left the residence and was walking back in when the teacher shot him repeatedly with a rifle. A Rochester appellate court recently suggested that the teacher had a good self-defense case: the teacher was protecting his property from an unwanted intruder who planned to assault him.

Whats the law read?

State law on this topic is covered under Article 35 of the penal code. The relevant portions, shortened for clarity, are:

Article 35.15: Justification; use of physical force in defense of a person.

Subsection 2: A person may not use deadly physical force upon another person... unless (t)he actor reasonably believes that such other person is using or about to use deadly physical force... (T)he actor is under no duty to retreat if he or she is... in his or her dwelling and not the initial aggressor.

Article 35.20: Justification; use of physical force in defense of premises and in defense of a person in the course of burglary.

Subsection 3: A person in possession or control of, or licensed or privileged to be in, a dwelling or an occupied building, who reasonably believes that another person is committing or attempting to commit a burglary of such dwelling or building, may use deadly physical force upon such other person when he or she reasonably believes such to be necessary to prevent or terminate the commission or attempted commission of such burglary.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A kitchen fire in a Syracuse apartment forced residents to evacuate from the building Thursday night, according to Syracuse deputy fire chief Barry Lasky.

The fire was reported at 1831 Grant Boulevard at 10:34 p.m., according to Onondaga County 911 dispatch logs. All residents from the apartment building evacuated and no one was injured, Lasky said.

Several calls reported that smoke was coming from the building and that there was a disturbance in front of the address, Lasky said. When firefighters arrived, the reported disturbance was just residents evacuating from the building, according to Lasky.

Firefighters initially were unsure where the fire had started because the building was full of smoke but later found the fire in a downstairs kitchen, Lasky said.

Of the five or six apartments in the building, Lasky said all but one will be habitable Thursday night.

He was unsure how many residents lived in the building and how many will be displaced.
Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man took an 11th hour plea today in a murder set for trial on Monday.

Rafael Jacksons plea to manslaughter in the Dec. 24, 2017 death of Jay Ford came as a surprise: a judge and lawyers had indicated earlier this week there was no hope of a pretrial agreement.

Under the deal, Jackson, 32, will spend 22 years in prison.

The victim, Ford, 24, was followed home from work by the suspects vehicle, according to surveillance video. At his Temple Street residence, a gunman got out of the vehicle and killed him.

The question has always been who was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting?

Jacksons decision to plead was heavily influenced by an unrelated crime that had happened two months before Fords death.

In that earlier case, Jackson was convicted of illegal gun possession and attempted robbery. County Court Judge Stephen Dougherty had sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

That earlier case had a big impact on the Ford homicide in two ways:

Jackson already knew he was going to prison for 15 years. That means the homicide plea effectively added 7 years to his sentence. If hed gone to a second trial, and lost again, he could have faced up to 25 years to life in prison for murder, which could have been added onto the earlier sentence. That means his maximum punishment on both cases could have been 40 years to life in prison. By comparison, the plea deal means hell get out of prison in 22 years.

The murder weapon in Fords death is believed to be the same weapon used by Jackson in the earlier attempted robbery. And today, the judge ruled that if Jackson had gone to trial, prosecutors could have described the previous crime to the jury as proof the same gun -- and by implication, the same assailant -- was involved in both.

Despite Jacksons earlier crime, prosecutors dont appear to have an eyewitness or ironclad scientific evidence proving Jackson was involved in the murder. Based on pretrial conferences, the evidence included a timeline, surveillance video of the suspect vehicle and other circumstantial evidence that tied Jackson to the homicide.

In fact, Jackson was never accused of being the gunman in Fords death. He was charged as an accomplice in the suspect vehicle.

The accused shooter, Deyontay Smith, is still going to trial Monday after last-minute plea negotiations today went nowhere. Smiths lawyer, Paul Carey, is expected to argue that even if Smith drove the suspect vehicle the day of the murder, he wasnt in the car at the time of Fords death.

Jacksons plea today does not require him to testify against Smith.

Smith faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of being the gunman.

No motive for the crime has been revealed in court. Initial reports of gang activity were not proven, and prosecutor Robert Moran said today he doesnt plan to bring up gangs at all during trial.
China does not want a trade war, but it is not afraid of one and will fight one if necessary. The Chinese government has always adhered to this principle faced with the US initiated trade frictions against China. As Washington announced rounds of additional tariffs on Chinese goods, China was forced to take countermeasures.

It is obvious to all that Washington has adopted increasingly attacking tactics against China by not only raising tariffs on Chinese products, but also sabotaging the global supply chain and blocking the supply chain of technologies and products which threatens the survival of Chinese enterprises. Such hegemonic behavior has astonished the world.

Some decision-makers in the US are selfish and arrogant. They made attempts to control the global supply chain for their own interests, imagining that they, who are "great and superior", can control everything.

However, anyone who has learnt Newton's law of motion knows that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

As some American politicians continue threatening to exert extreme pressure against China, people are increasingly concerned about what trump cards China holds against such suppression.

Many foreign media outlets have turned their eyes to rare earths. Some analysts believe that China's dominant position in the rare earth market has given Beijing a way to strike back.

China is the world's largest producer of rare earths and the largest supplier of rare-earth materials which are in huge demand by many developed countries.

Strengthening the exploitation and utilization of rare-earth resources is of positive significance to the economic development of China and the world. China has always adhered to the principle of openness, synergy and sharing to promote the development of the rare earth industry.

The country sticks to the principle that rare-earth resources should serve domestic needs first. On the other hand, the country is also willing to meet the legitimate needs of countries around the world for rare-earth resources. China is pleased to see that its rare-earth resources and products can be widely used in manufacturing various advanced products to better meet the needs of people around the world for a better life.

Will rare earths become a counter weapon for China to hit back against the pressure the United States has put on for no reason at all? The answer is no mystery.. In today's world where different industrial labors are divided globally, no development and progress can be achieved without cooperation.

Known as the "vitamin" of the modern industry, rare-earth elements are widely used in modern industries such as metallurgy, petrochemicals, opticals, laser, hydrogen storage, display panels, and magnetic materials.

With the continuous progress the world's scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, the strategic value and significance of rare-earth elements will be more prominent.

In the global market, the consumption of new rare-earth materials is growing rapidly. The growth of many industries, such as military and civilian industries, is inseparable from rare-earth resources. The demand for rare-earth oxides by US companies is particularly strong.

At present, some people in the US are indeed fantasizing about resource self-reliance", but the strong dependence of the US on the global supply chain is an indisputable reality.

The American business community from the rare earth industry expressed the concern that they are far behind, and havent made any progress. According to data from international market research institutions, the United States is a main buyer of rare earths in China. In fact, consumer electronics, military equipment and many other products produced in the US are highly dependent on China's rare-earth resources.

Undoubtedly, the U.S. side wants to use the products made by Chinas exported rare earths to counter and suppress Chinas development. The Chinese people will never accept this!

Washington has completely overestimated its ability to manipulate the global supply chain and lacks self-knowledge. The US is doomed to be met with a slap in the face after it wakes up and stops dreaming.

Relevant Chinese departments have issued solemn statements that the industrial chains between China and the United States are highly integrated and highly complementary.

Cooperation leads to win-win results while confrontation leads to lose-lose situations. There is no winner in the trade war. We advise the U.S. side not to underestimate the Chinese sides ability to safeguard its development rights and interests. Dont say we didnt warn you!

The virtuous are free from anxieties, the wise are free from doubts and the bold are free from fear. Only by working together to expand the common interests of all countries can we embrace lasting prosperity and a win-win future.
Dublin, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Western European Industrial Hand Protection Market, Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Western European industrial hand protection market is heading towards consolidation owing to merger and acquisition (M&A) activities. The market has witnessed shifting trends from silicone-based products to nitrile-based gloves. Rising demand for less bulky, thin, and durable hand protection has resulted in the development of materials that offer greater comfort without compromising on comfort and protective features. Polyester and nylon have been used where protection against minor abrasions is required.



High-performance Polyethylene (HPPE) offers superior levels of cut protection. Product innovation and diversified product offering are the two key factors that will help market participants to remain competitive in the market. M&A activities are a key strategy adopted by top market participants to expand their geographic reach and to strengthen their product offerings.



To strengthen their brand value, manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on product differentiation, as customers have become more sophisticated and specific about their requirements. Mechanical gloves continue to have the highest demand. Increasing adoption of these gloves in the majority of end-use industries makes it the largest product segment. Rising demand for application-specific gloves is expected to support the demand for special protection gloves.



Germany accounts for the largest market share. Factors such as highly qualified labour force and steady growth in manufacturing industries are expected to support the demand for industrial hand protection in the regional market. Ansell continues to account for the largest market share. Company's focus on product innovation and strengthening distributor-customer relationship through channel partnership programme has helped the company to strengthen its market presence Quality and innovation are the key competitive factors.



Furthermore, regional regulatory updates have made it compulsory for personal protective equipment (PPE) distributors to be responsible for the quality of PPE products made available in the market. Thus, rising demand for good quality products is expected to support the revenue growth during the forecast period. Fluctuating raw material prices often result in increased final cost of the product. Higher prices can be a challenge for manufacturers and distributors, especially when selling to price-sensitive end users. Germany is Europe's biggest automotive market, and around 20% of domestic industry revenue was generated by the automotive industry. This is likely to propel the demand for gloves that offer higher cut as well as chemical protection. Ansell continues to account for the largest market share.



Extensive hand protection portfolio and focus on research and development to introduce new products have helped the company to achieve a competitive edge over other market participants. Construction and manufacturing industries continue to dominate the demand for industrial hand protection market.



Rising end-user demand for gloves that offer higher puncture, cut, impact, and abrasion resistance are expected to support the demand during the forecast period. The price of hand protection is not only limited to the purchase price but it also depends upon the product performance and the magnitude to which it can reduce hand injuries and expenses related to it. Safety expenditure is important, especially for small participants that often have limited safety budget.



Laundering helps to increase the service life of the product and also costs less than purchasing a glove after each use. Majority of non-disposable gloves can be laundered twice or thrice.



Furthermore, installing vending machines or asking the workers to obtain the gloves by raising a request will prevent the workers from disposing gloves prematurely. Prices for gloves range from 0.4 to 500 depending upon the level and type of hand protection required across end-use industries. With the growth of high-end products, the average market price is expected to grow. Most of this growth is likely to be seen in the cut-protection and special gloves segment.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary

Key Findings

Market Engineering Measurements

CEO's Perspective

2. Market Overview

Segmentation

Trends in Western Europe Industrial Hand Protection Market

Total Hand Protection Market - Regulations, 2015-2023

Key Questions this Study will Answer

Market Segmentation

Manufacturing Techniques

Market Distribution Channels

3. Drivers and Restraints - Western Europe Industrial Hand Protection Market

Market Drivers

Drivers Explained

Market Restraints

Restraints Explained

4. Forecasts and Trends - Total industrial Hand Protection Market

Market Engineering Measurements

Forecast Assumptions

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Discussion

Pricing Trends

Pricing Trends and Forecast Discussion

Percent Revenue Forecast by Product Type

Revenue Forecast by Product Type

Revenue Forecast by Product Type Discussion

Percent Revenue Forecast by End-use Industries

Revenue Forecast by End-use Industries

Revenue Forecast by End-use Industries Discussion

Percent Revenue Forecast by Region

Revenue Forecast by Region

Revenue Forecast by Region Discussion

5. Market Share and Competitive Analysis - Total Industrial Hand Protection Market

Market Share

Market Share Analysis

Competitive Environment

Top Competitors - SWOT Analysis

6. CEO's 360 Degree Perspective on the Western Europe Industrial Hand Protection Industry

7. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action

Growth Opportunity 1 - Demand for Hand Protection That Combines Better Cut Resistance and Comfort

Growth Opportunity 2 - Innovation to Act as a Catalyst for Companies to Achieve Higher Market Share

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

8. Mechanical Protection Gloves Market Analysis



Key Findings

Market Engineering Measurements

Mechanical Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast

Mechanical Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast Discussion

Mechanical Protection Gloves - Percent Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast by Country

Mechanical Protection Gloves - Percent Revenue Forecast by Product Type

Mechanical Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast by Product Type

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Product

Mechanical Protection Gloves - Competitive Environment

9. Chemical Protection Gloves Market Analysis

Overview and Introduction

Chemical Protection Gloves - Key Findings

Market Engineering Measurements

Chemical Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast

Chemical Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast Discussion

Chemical Protection Gloves - Percent Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast by Country

Chemical Protection Gloves - Competitive Environment

10. Thermal Protection Gloves Market Analysis

Overview and Introduction

Key Findings

Market Engineering Measurements

Thermal Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast

Thermal Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast Discussion

Thermal Protection Gloves - Percent Revenue Forecast by Product Type

Thermal Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast by Product Type

Thermal Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast Discussion by Product

Thermal Protection Gloves - Percent Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast by Country

Thermal Protection Gloves - Competitive Environment

11. Special Protection Gloves Market Analysis

Overview and Introduction

Key Findings

Market Engineering Measurements

Special Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast

Special Protection Gloves - Percent Revenue Forecast by Product Type

Special Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast by Product Type

Special Protection Gloves - Percent Revenue Forecast by Country

Revenue Forecast by Country

Anti-vibration and Anti-impact Gloves - Market Engineering Measurements

Anti-vibration and Anti-impact Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast

Anti-vibration and Anti-impact Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast Discussion

Anti-syringe Protection Gloves - Market Engineering Measurements

Anti-syringe Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast

Anti-syringe Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast Discussion

Electric Insulation Protection Gloves - Market Engineering Measurements

Electric Insulation Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast

Electric Insulation Protection Gloves - Revenue Forecast Discussion

Critical Environment Gloves - Market Engineering Measurements

Critical Environment Gloves - Revenue Forecast

Critical Environment Gloves - Revenue Forecast Discussion

Special Protection Gloves - Competitive Environment



Companies Mentioned



Ansell

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/bmzzpq

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
Syracuse, NY -- Two 18-year-olds were indicted on murder charges Thursday in the death of a South Side shop clerk, who was shot in the back while struggling during a robbery.

Stanley Sawyer, of Syracuse, is accused of entering Eddies Eagle Market, on Oakwood Avenue, around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 19, with a mask on. The clerk told him to take the mask off, police said.

That led to a physical struggle, which spilled out into the street. Thats when co-defendant Troy Derby is accused of walking up and shooting the clerk in the back.

Killed was Asim Musa, a Sudanese immigrant who had lived in Syracuse for 14 years.

Derby is facing first-degree murder -- punishable by up to life in prison without parole -- because the murder happened during the course of a robbery.

Sawyer, who is accused of struggling with the victim, faces second-degree murder -- punishable by up to 25 years to life in prison -- as an accomplice to the fatal robbery.

The each face an illegal weapons charge, accused of possessing the handgun used in the murder.

Police have not said how they determined the identity of the masked robber, or the shooter who approached later.

Both Derby and Sawyer remain jailed as their case continues.
Western New York native and Syracuse University alumnus Jeff Glor is staying at CBS News, despite getting bumped from CBS Evening News.

CBS announced Thursday that Glor will become co-host of CBS This Morning: Saturday with Dana Jacobson and Michelle Miller, beginning June 22. Deadline reports hes also been given a new title of CBS News Special Correspondent for feature stories and investigative reports, and will work with the CBS News investigative unit.

Glor will also helm an ongoing series, Who We Are, featuring inspiring stories across the country similar to his reporting on Gold Star families and people across America defying the odds," according to CBS News chief Susan Zirinsky.

Glor was removed from CBS Evening News earlier this month as part of a major shakeup that includes moving John Dickerson to 60 Minutes, putting Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil on CBS This Morning with Gayle King, and replacing Glor with Norah ODonnell. CBS Evening News with Norah ODonnell will move from New York to Washington, D.C., in the fall.

We are grateful to Jeff Glor for his award-winning work and his commitment to both his colleagues and to our viewers, Zirinsky said in a statement.

[Glors] award-winning reporting shed light on important issues and highlighted humanity in our world, King added.

Glor replaced previous anchor Scott Pelley in December 2017, taking over the seat once held by Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and Katie Couric. But Glor struggled to improve on CBS third place ratings, averaging 6.58 million total viewers (1.355 million in 25-54 target audience) for the first quarter of 2019, according to Nielsen, well behind ABCs World News Tonight with Syracuse native David Muir (9.32 million total viewers with 1.962 million in the target demo) and NBCs Nightly News with Lester Holt (8.68 million total viewers with a slight lead of 1.972 million in the 25-54 demo).

Glor, 43, grew up in Tonawanda, N.Y., where his first job was delivering newspapers for The Buffalo News. The diehard Buffalo Bills fan graduated from SU's Newhouse School in 1997, going on to work as a reporter for WSTM-3 (CNY Central) in Syracuse.

I take pride in Buffalo and I take pride in Syracuse, Glor told syracuse.com in 2017. I take pride in everything that helped make me who I am today."
A new musical with deep Syracuse roots is coming to the Oncenters Carrier Theater.

Weird! The Musical" is written by Syracuse locals Shawn Forster, Dani Ryan, and Dave Reckess from Peaceful Schools Productions. The musical is an adaptation of The Weird Series, a collection of books written by Erin Frankel and illustrated by Paula Heaphy, both Syracuse University alumni.

Weird! tackles the topic of bullying in schools from three different perspectives. The series of books tells the ongoing tale by three third graders: the target, the bystander, and the person doing the bullying.

Frankel got the idea for the books while living in Alabama and her daughters were in elementary school. One of her daughters was encountering issues of bullying in school. Frankel had gone to the school to solve the problem, but while everyone was willing to help, the issue continued.

My daughters experience coincided with lots of stories on the national news at that time about bullying. There were several highly publicized cases of young children committing suicide with a correlation to bullying," Frankel said.

Frankel said she had also been the target of bullying when she was younger. Her experiences combined with the news and her daughters troubles at school, she felt enough was enough.

I needed to do something in any way that I could to try to make a difference, Frankel said.

She decided a picture book would be the perfect medium to try and work through this issue that Frankel said had layers of complexity. Once the story was written, Frankel then reached out to her best friend from college, Heaphy, who had just moved back to New York from the south.

I was working in Nashville on art projects. While I was there, I kept having this idea call to me that I should illustrate childrens books, Heaphy said. Erin called me to say she had written a book. I felt it was a great way to communicate about the topic and the story really resonated with me. When she asked me to illustrate it, I immediately said yes!

Even though bullying tactics may have changed with the evolution of technology and cyberbullying, both Frankel and Heaphy feel that the core of the issues and feelings involved with bullying are the same as when they were younger.

They took two years to collaborate and refine the story and put together a fully illustrated dummy book. Frankels daughters were involved with the process as well, giving feedback on the story and Heaphys drawings. The series was published almost two years later.

Peaceful Schools, a provider of social-emotional education and conflict resolution services, found The Weird Series while looking for new literature to use in their social skills programming. Forster, the Artistic Director for Peaceful Schools Productions, saw the books spark bigger conversations in classrooms.

When we found The Weird Series, we instantly fell in love with the books," Forster said. I think kids find themselves in one of the characters, whether its Luisa the target of the bullying, Sam the character trying out the bullying behavior, or Jayla the bystander who knows what it feels like to be bullied, but is now being dared to do it herself."

After launching Peaceful Schools Productions in 2013 and touring an existing show, Forster said they felt like the team needed to create their own show. When looking for inspiration, he kept coming back to The Weird Series. In 2014 he reached out to Frankel on Facebook and shared how much Peaceful Schools loved the books and asked if she had ever thought about having her characters sing and act on stage.

Frankel, who started at Syracuse University as a musical theater major, replied that yes, she had thought about it and put Forster in touch with the publisher to begin the process.

Before I had even finished reaching Shawns message I was texting Paula with music note emojis. I am so grateful to him and Peaceful Schools for giving these characters a voice. Having different ways that this story can reach children is so great. I cant wait to see it in person. Its really emotional," Frankel said.

The musical combines all of the books from the series into one timeline. Adapting the books to a musical format was an easy job Forster said, as Frankel and Heaphys characters were so well developed.

The show was workshopped and fine tuned in front of school audiences, touring for the whole of the past school year. Weird! the Musical had public performances in January 2019 in the Carrier Theater at the Civic Center and will be returning this June.

This performance will be special as Frankel and Heaphy will be seeing it for the first time and their first time back to Syracuse since they graduated in 1993.

Were going to go back to the quad and past where we used to live together. We lived together for three years from the Haven dorm, to a sorority house, and then our senior year on Euclid, Heaphy said.

A nod to Syracuse University shows up in The Weird Series with the book Nobody. The main character Thomas has an S.U. ball cap hanging from his dresser in the opening of the book.

An illustration from 'Nobody,' part of The Weird Series, written and illustrated by Syracuse University alum Erin Frankel and Paula Heaphy. There is a Syracuse ball cap drawn into the details of this scene. Paula Heaphy | Special to syracuse.com

I feel like these books helped Erin and I rewrite our own stories. We felt so much love for these children we created. I am so excited to see these characters come to life, Heaphy said.

Audiences interested in having their Weird books signed by Frankel and Heaphy will be able to do so at the performance.

The cast recording of Weird! The Musical will be released on June 11 featuring CNY native and former competitor on The Voice, Josh Batstone.

Interested in seeing Weird! The Musical? Here are the details:

Where: The Oncenter Carrier Theater, 411 Montgomery St., Syracuse, N.Y. 13202

When: Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The 4:30 p.m. performance will be ASL interpreted and is all-inclusive for children and adults with special needs.

How much: Adult $15, Child $10.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Theres new life coming to the site of one of Armory Squares first restaurants.

The spot at 201 Walton St., at the corner of Walton and South Franklin Streets, has been vacant since the closing of Greek/Italian restaurant La Piazza at the end of 2014. The restaurant was open less than a year. Prior to that, the space was vacant since Ambrosia was seized for back taxes in 2009.

The history of the spot dates back to 1973, long before Armory Square became the bustling restaurant and bar spot it is today, when Butlers Packing House Row Cafeone of modern Armory Squares first restaurantscalled the spot home.

Now Margaritas Cantina is moving in. Alejandro Gonzalez, one of three partners behind the restaurant and bar, said Margaritas will open in late June or early July. Most recently, Gonzalez was a partner at Camino Real Mexican Restaurant II in North Syracuse and the recently-closed Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Camillus.

He said theyre also working on opening a similar restaurant, Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, in DeWittpotentially at the site of the former JDs Fish 'n Grill on Manlius Center Road.

As the cantina in the name might suggest, the downtown restaurant will have a heightened focus on the bar, which will stay open until 2 a.m. on weekends and until midnight during the week. The bar will feature more than 24 taps of Mexican, domestic and local beers, as well as wines and cocktailsincluding, of course, margaritas. They also plan to offer a 2 1/2-liter margarita towerideal for large groups and parties.

The menu is marked with many Mexican and Tex-Mex classics, such as tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, burritos and pork chile verde. Among the specialties will be the molcajete, a hot volcanic stone mortar filled with ribeye steak, chicken, shrimp, cheese, grilled vegetables and nopales, a type of cactus.

From 10 p.m. until close, the restaurant will serve an abbreviated bar menu. Gonzalez said they hope to serve food until 3 a.m. on weekends to accommodate the late night Armory Square bar crowd.

Theyll have Taco Tuesday, Margarita Thursday and other daily specials. Guests who visit on their birthday will receive a free margarita.

Gonzalez came to Syracuse around 2 1/2 years ago after working in Mexican restaurants in Rockford, Illinois and South Bend, Indiana. A self-proclaimed relentless worker, Gonzalez admitted that before he had an apartment, he would sleep inside Camino Real after working all day and night to prepare the restaurant for opening.

He hopes to bring that same determination to the new venture.

"When we saw it, we said we are going to get that spot, Gonzalez said. Were going to open that place and do something great with it.

It took about a year to lock down the spot, but Gonzalez said it was worth the wait.

We came here to stay, he said. Hopefully well be here for years and years to come.

Margaritas Cantina will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 or 3 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and from noon to midnight from Sunday to Wednesday. A website and Facebook page are pending.

Jacob Pucci finds the best in food, dining and culture across Central New York. Contact him at (315) 282-8611, or by email at jpucci@syracuse.com.

Subscribers only: Join a group text with Jacob Pucci to get news and updates on the restaurants and cuisines of Central New York. SIGN UP HERE
DEWITT, NY - The pond is surrounded by overgrown weeds, but DeWitt planners want to transform the Widewaters Pond off Towpath Road into a park with a boardwalk and fountains.

The pond, a remnant of the Erie Canal, is bordered by Towpath Road and the parking lot of Best Buy in the Marshalls Plaza off Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt.

DeWitt planners are working with consultants to develop a master plan for the area around Widewaters Pond. It would involve cleaning up the pond and turning the land around it into a public park, with a boardwalk, pathways, fountains, benches, lighting - and a connection to the nearby Widewaters Office Park, said Samuel Gordon, director of planning and zoning for the town of DeWitt.

The idea is to have a park that would help celebrate the history and heritage of the area, Gordon said.

Already, plans for the Erie Canal Trailway system call for a multi-use bike/pedestrian walkway on the east side of Towpath Road from Celi Drive to Widewaters Parkway, Gordon said. The road would then be one-way for vehicles, he said.

The walkway would then connect to new bike/pedestrian bridge being built over Interstate 481, Gordon said.

The park would connect to the new 14-mile, $36-million trail system in Central New York that is designed to link two pieces of the Erie Canal trail in Central New York.

The connection will link the trail in DeWitt to the trail in Camillus, which is about 15 miles. It will tap into the Syracuses Onondaga Creekwalk and the countys Loop the Lake trail around Onondaga Lake, and it will run through the New York State Fair, from gate 2 to Gate 12.

Part of it includes a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over I-481 just north of the Kinne Road bridge in DeWitt.

Elevating Erie calls for the a median down the center of Erie Boulevard in DeWitt.

Also, a 3.3-mile stretch of Erie Boulevard East would be reduced by one lane in each direction between Beech Street in Syracuse and Bridge Street in DeWitt. The turning lanes would remain, Gordon said. The state of New York is investing about $20 million in this portion of the trailway.

It also calls for sidewalks on both sides of Erie Boulevard from Thompson Road to Bridge Street, Gordon said. Erie Boulevard will now feature multi-use, landscaped trail/bikeway/greenspace in the center median.

There is grant money for the Widewaters park project, but the exact cost has not been determined yet, Gordon said.

Work on the Towpath Road/ 481 bridge should begin soon, Gordon said.
GEDDES, NY -- Of the several Bible passages Franklin Graham cited during his appearance in Central New York Thursday, the one he repeated most often was from the Gospel according to Mark:

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

Graham, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, used that passage several times to illustrate his belief that the only way to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ.

There are many religions in this world, he said, but there is only one Jesus.

Graham concluded his six-state Decision America Northeast Tour Thursday with an almost two-hour music-and-prayer rally at the St. Josephs Health Amphitheater at Lakeview near the state Fairgrounds in Geddes.

About 6,100 people attended, a slightly larger crowd than reported at some of his previous stops, in the cities of Springfield, Mass.; Portland, Maine; Burlington, Vt.; Manchester, N.H.; East Providence, R.I.; and Bridgeport, Conn. The tour began May 19.

Graham continued to insist several times that this tour is not political. But he frequently brought up political topics and people, notably President Trump.

Graham recently joined other Christian evangelical leaders in calling for a day of prayer Sunday, June 2 to protect, strengthen, encourage and guide Trump.

The reason, he said Thursday, is that if the president "makes a good decision, we all benefit. If he makes a bad decision, we all pay for it.

But, Graham told the crowd Thursday, that call is not political."

The Bible commands us to pray for our leaders, he said. He later called on the crowd to pray for local leaders, citing Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Gov. Andrew Cuomo by name.

Yet Graham also used this forum to call on Trumps critics to move on from the inquiries into the presidents behavior -- such as the Mueller probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

I dont know of any president who has been attacked as much," Graham said. Regarding the possibility that Congress might continue investigating or even move toward impeachment, Graham said: Congress needs to be focused on solving problems.

That statement brought a cheer from the audience.

But the loudest cheers from the crowd came during Grahams discussion of his recent verbal feud with Pete Buttigieg, the openly gay mayor of South Bend, Ind. who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination. Graham repeated what he has said several times in recent weeks -- that homosexuality is a sin and Buttigieg needs to repent his sin, not flaunt it.

During that part of his talk, Graham told the audience that God intended marriage to be between -- and here he paused for effect -- " a man and a woman." That drew loud and sustained cheering and applause.

He followed that with a reference to abortion debate and used the Bible quotation, The wages of sin is death. He again stressed his belief that there is only one path to God.

There are not two roads to heaven," he said. When you come to God ... he gives you the strength to say no to those temptations.

Graham ended his sermon as he always does, with what he called the Come to Jesus, part of the evening. He invited those who wished to publicly ask forgiveness for their sins to come forward. At least 100 people gathered in front of the stage and up into the aisles.

He led them in prayer: I am a sinner. I am sorry. Forgive me, it began. It ended with "I ask Jesus to come into my heart, to take control of my heart."

God loves you, Graham said. "Youre forgiven."

Aside from the occasional bursts of cheers and applause, the crowd listened quietly and attentively with an occasional cry of Amen, Yes, Jesus, or other exclamation.

Only a few in the crowd wore any sort of politically oriented clothing or hats, and there were few signs of any kind. There was no indication that protesters were present.

Ed Blasczienski of the Oswego County town of Mexico typified many in the crowd, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the name of his church -- The Lighthouse Church of God.

Im here to hear the word of God, Blasczienski said. I want to have it deposited in me.

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.
Another Syracuse 110 gang member has admitted to his role in a drug trafficking scheme as the 14-person case moves closer to trial.

Davon Sullivan, 24, pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to conspiring with other gang members beginning in at least 2013 to October 2017.

As part of his plea, Sullivan admitted to firing a handgun at a person he got into an argument with on Jan. 10, 2016, and to possessing a .38-caliber revolver in May 2016. Sullivan admitted he got the handgun in the January incident from another accused 110 member, Jamar Long.

Sullivan and four others have admitted they sold drugs or used weapons to protect a territory held by 110 along South Avenue in Syracuse.

The gang, formed more than 20 years ago, is known for having members wear black and white, prosecutors said. Officials said the men worked together to commit murders, sell drugs and possess weapons, or community guns.

Some of the members are also accused of participating in a credit card fraud scheme.

Sullivan faces up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said they would ask for leniency because Sullivan accepted responsibility for his crimes.

His sentencing was scheduled for October. He is currently serving time in state prison on a weapons conviction from 2017.

Sullivan is the fifth defendant to plead guilty in the case. A total of 14 men were charged in the October gang bust.

U.S. District Court Senior Judge Frederick Scullin also this week set some important dates in the case.

He entered an order confirming a certain trial date for October. Other defendants will be able to change their pleas prior to that date if they choose to, but Scullin indicated he wanted to proceed toward holding a trial this year for any remaining defendants.

Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government, education and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992
To the Editor:

Thank you to Marnie Eisendtsadt for the recent story on Jack Mannion in the Post-Standard (Jack Mannion mourned: Connected and curious, he found every day a chance to learn, May 29, 2019). The League of Women Voters would also like to add our tribute to an outstanding citizen of our community. Mannion was the first male to join the Syracuse League of Women Voters in the 1970s when men were first admitted to the League. He not only supported us financially, but for several years provided office space for us at Unity Mutual Life Insurance Co.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the League of Women Voters in 1994, he was recognized by the League as a member who professionally and personally credited the organization for his success. In 75 Years of a Great Idea, A History of the League of Women Voters of New York State, Mannion stated:

While I have not always agreed with the major stands taken by the League, there is no doubt in my mind that the ideals of the League and the high standard set for public service by the League, have influenced many of my actions. Even in my corporate life, the ideal of honesty and impartiality has guided countless decisions. And in my public service, I have always sought to stay as open-minded and as fair-minded as I believe a League member should be. The League of Women Voters is at once as silent and as powerful as the tide. While being an advocate for many important issues, the bulk of the work done by the League is done quietly, behind the scenes, running debates and voter registration drives all across America. A quiet machine of grassroots power, and yet perhaps the most perfect expression of democracy in our country.

Thank you, Jack, for being an advocate of the Leagues mission of Making Democracy Work. As we celebrate our 100th anniversary this year, we will miss you.

Margrit Diehl, Joan Durant, Joan Johnson, Roberta Millert

Co-leaders

League of Women Voters of the Syracuse Metro Area
Rick Welsh is a professor of food studies at Syracuse University.

By Rick Welsh | Special to Syracuse.com

The New York state Legislature is set to consider the Farm Worker Fair Labor Practices Act (FWFLPA). The act proposes, among other things, to amend the labor law, in relation to granting collective bargaining rights to farm laborers. Recently my colleague and I opined in favor of passing a version of the act (Farm labor protections can benefit NY agricultural economy," May 1, 2019). However, in our piece we also acknowledged that farmers are caught in a cost-price squeeze as input costs continue to increase, while at the same time farms are price-takers and cannot influence easily the price of the product they produce.

One potential solution for alleviating such a situation for farmers is to consider legislation that strengthens their right to organize bargaining cooperatives and bargain for terms with processors and other firms. Bargaining cooperatives can provide farmers a tool for: obtaining fair prices for their products and detailed market and price information, bargaining for favorable contract terms, lobbying state and even federal legislators for favorable legislation (including fairer trade agreements), and increasing farmers economic power in general.

Currently there is a federal law, the Agriculture Fair Practices Act (AFPA) of 1967, which was passed to support explicitly the concept of collective action by farmers. The AFPA stated that there is a need for farmers to be free to join together voluntarily in cooperative organizations, and made this the policy of the United States government. Under the AFPA, it is unlawful for any handler knowingly to:

Coerce a producer from joining an association or refusing to deal with a producer because he/she had joined one; Discriminate against a producer with respect to price quantity because of his/her membership in an association; Coerce a producer to breach or terminate his/her association membership; Offer an inducement to a producer to cease being an association member or to refuse to join; Make false reports about an association; or Conspire with another to commit any of the above.

These are all useful provisions; however, it is also argued that flaws in the AFPA have actually hindered the formation of bargaining associations. In particular, this disclaimer clause of the AFPA is problematic:

Nothing in this chapter shall prevent handlers and producers from selecting their customers and suppliers for any reason other than a producers membership in or contract with an association or producers, nor require a handler to deal with an association of producers. (7 U.S.C. Section 2304).

This language allows agricultural product handlers and buyers to refuse to have meaningful negotiations with bargaining associations -- probably the most serious problem faced by bargaining cooperatives.

According to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Rural Business Cooperative Service, nine states, but not New York, have taken it upon themselves to adopt state laws that are stronger than the federal law. These state laws tend to require good faith bargaining between the product handlers and bargaining cooperatives, and some include dispute resolution mechanisms. Not coincidentally, most of the active bargaining cooperatives are in these nine states. Many observers consider Michigans state law as a prototype of what improved federal legislation should look like. Unlike the federal law, it requires good-faith bargaining on behalf of both parties, provides for a specified period of time during which negotiations must take place and it deals with impasse problems by requiring mediation or arbitration. These types of provisions make it less likely that off-farm firms can boycott a bargaining cooperative.

New York state lawmakers should undertake to craft and pass a law that addresses the shortcoming in the AFPA. To do so would protect farmer interests, and move New York toward a more equitable and economically resilient farm economy.
Prom season is beginning to wind down in Central New York, but syracuse.com photographers will still be there to capture the moments at the dances that are yet to come.

This weekend, our photographers are headed to:

Dana L. West High School (Port Byron) junior prom

Onondaga High School junior/senior prom

Skaneateles High School senior ball

Henninger High School senior ball

You can catch up on all the proms we have already covered this year at syracuse.com/proms. Youll also find coverage of past proms there too.

Still more to come

Prom season isnt quite over yet. It will continue through the middle of June. Believe it or not, there are still 18 more events we know about and plan to cover. They include:
Dublin, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Utility 4.0 - Impact of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) on the Global Power Industry, 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Industrial Internet of Things, a critical facet of digital transformation that brings together different aspects of technology, is already leaving a lasting footprint on the power industry, and as new decade begins, the impact it could potentially have on the power industry could be a real game changer.



Bringing Different Aspects of Technologies Together to Achieve a Single Purpose:



IIoT brings together next-generation, state-of-the-art aspects of technologies, such as fourth-generation sensors, Big Data, and edge intelligence, to the table, and with it also comes the power to monitor and harness data to derive intelligence which can act as the difference in a potential win or lose situation. This intelligence gives rise to new digital capabilities, such as predictive analysis and maintenance, remote monitoring, and end-to-end automation of an asset in operation, thus transforming an existing asset into a digitally agile, robust, and reactive one.



Can IIoT Make a Difference To How Power is Generated and Transmitted?



Utilities with assets in power generation often face stiff technical and business challenges in operation. While the technical challenges are different between utilities that generate conventional power with those that generate renewable power, the common thing that both utilities would agree on is neither operates without overcoming these challenges. These could be operation and maintenance, procurement challenges based on load visibility, or perhaps cybersecurity challenges. This is where IIoT can make a real difference.



For example, consider a coal plant operating at a capacity factor of 40%, facing operational and maintenance challenges. With IIoT, next-generation sensors are installed across the plant, monitoring each and every movement. A new control architecture and operating platform is designed and developed based on artificial intelligence and is installed. That same plant is now likely to witness at least 10% to 20% efficiency gains in operation. More so, plant operators can now predict any operational and maintenance issues beforehand. However, this does require investment in capital, but the Return on Investment (ROI) is definitely positive.



In the case of power transmission, utilities often face maintenance issues and technical challenges, such as line losses and operation of legacy assets. While, turning grids smarter through the smart grid initiative alleviates some challenges mentioned above, a case for implementing an end-to-end IIoT strategy definitely exists and offers immense possibilities. Moreover there is electricity retail.



What is Included in This Research?



This research analyses the entire power industry value chain, starting from generation till end consumption, with regard to opportunities for implementing the IIoT concept. This is done by gathering expert opinion from market participants and decoding real-world case studies. This research also includes IIoT approach strategies for energy utilities. In addition, major market participants with IIoT capabilities have been shortlisted.



These include



ABB

Atmel

C3 Inc.

Capgemini

DARKTRACE

Eaton

Emerson

Enel DarkTrace

GE

Google

Honeywell

Infosys

Intel

Johnson Controls

Landis+Gyr

Microsoft

N-SIDE

SalesForce

Schneider Electric

Siemens

Teradata

Texas Instruments

Thingworx

Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary

Research Key Findings

Potential Revenue Forecast for IIoT Market Participants in Power Generation



2. Industrial Internet of Things - An Introduction

IIoT Fundamentals - Enhancing an Existing Process

IIoT Fundamentals - What Does IIoT Bring to the Table?

IIoT Fundamentals - Sensors Play a Critical Role to Begin With

IIoT Fundamentals - Data Science and Engineering

IIoT Fundamentals - Data Infrastructure Management

IIoT Fundamentals - Augmented and Virtual Reality

IIoT Fundamentals - Bringing Different Digital Technologies Together

Where Can the IIoT Concept be Applied in the Power Sector?

Research Scope

Key Questions This Research Will Answer



3. Impact of Industrial Internet of Things on Power Generation

Current State of Ownership in Power Generation

Business Challenges Faced by Utilities in Power Generation

Technical Challenges Faced by Power Generation Utilities

How Can IIoT Help Tackle These Challenges?

Devising a Robust Performance Framework is Necessary

Example Case 1 - Utilizing GE's Asset Performance Management

Example Case 2 - Utilizing IoT to Track and Improve Process Flow

Example Case 3 - Using AI to Predict Cybersecurity Attacks

Example Case 4 - Power Plant Digitalization



4. Impact of Industrial Internet of Things on Transmission and Distribution

Can IIoT Help in Making T&D Grids Smarter?

Technical Losses - A Case for Making the Grid More Efficient

Why Does T&D Infrastructure Require Systematic Investment?

How Much is Going to be Invested Into Making the Grids Smart?

Frost & Sullivan's Approach to Framing an IIoT Solution for T&D

Example IT Architecture - ABB's ADMS Network Manager

Example Case 5 - MIR Innovation and New York Power Authority (NYPA): T&D Inspection and Maintenance



5. Impact of Industrial Internet of Things in Power Retail

How is the Electricity Retail Landscape Shifting?

Shifting Electricity Retail Landscape

Rise in the Number of Energy Entry Points in Retail Networks

What is the Role of Different Actors When it Comes to EoT*?

Example Case 6 - IoT-enabled Charging Station: A Data Hub

How Many Smart Meters Will be There by 2025?

Smart Metering Forecast Discussion

Example Case 7 - Customer Services Platform

How Can IIoT Improve Existing Grid Intelligence?

Example Case 8 - Minimizing Power Distribution Losses Using ABB Network Manager

Example Case 9 - Updating Existing Grid Management Solutions to Meet Future Needs



6. Industrial Internet of Things in the Power Sector - Market Analysis and Strategy

Potential Revenue Forecast for IIoT Market Participants in Power Generation

Potential Revenue Forecast Discussion for IIoT Market Participants in Power Generation

Industrial Internet of Things in the Power Sector Market Ecosystem

What Should be the IIoT Approach Strategy for Energy Utilities?



7. IIoT in the Power Industry - Market Participant Profiles

Participant Profile - Emerson Automation Solutions

Participant Profile - C3, Inc.

Participant Profile - Landis+Gyr

Participant Profile - N-SIDE

Participant Profile - DARKTRACE

Participant Profile - Teradata



8. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action

Growth Opportunity 1 - New Found Capabilities

Growth Opportunity 2 - Partnerships/Mergers and Acquisitions

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth



9. The Last Word



10. Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d8cdlx

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
CAMILLUS, NY - The West Genesee Board of Education has selected three finalists for the job of superintendent for the district.

The district released the names Friday afternoon.

The districts superintendent, Christopher Brown, resigned from his job in January after allegations of an affair with an employee he supervised. He denied the allegations.

The district plans to pay the new superintendent $170,000 to $190,000 annually, and offer a three-year contract with an annual performance review, officials said. The job paid $260,000 when Brown was superintendent.

West Genesee has seven schools and 4,500 students, according to the state Education Department.

The three finalists are:

David C. Bills

He has been superintendent of the Honeoye Central School District in the Wayne-Finger Lakes region outside of Rochester for the past 11 years.

The district has two schools and 583 students, according to the state Education Department.

Prior to becoming superintendent, Bills worked as a building principal in two Rochester-area districts, including nine years in K-3 buildings in the West Irondequoit Central School District and two years as an elementary principal in the Wayne Central School District.

Linda J. Goewey

She has been superintendent of the Hudson Falls Central School District in Washington County, about an hour north of Albany, for the past four years.

Hudson Falls district has five schools and 2,250 students, according to the state Education Department.

Before that, she worked for nine years in the Central Square Central School District in Oswego County, including six years as assistant superintendent of instruction and personnel and three years as principal of Brewerton Elementary School.

Brian D. Kesel

He has been assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the West Genesee district for the past 12 years..

He started at West Genesee in 1991 as a science teacher, than became a West Genesee High School assistant principal.

* * *

A public forum where residents can meet the candidates is set for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the auditorium of West Genesee High School.

During the forum, each candidate will have up to 30 minutes to address the audience. Audience members will be asked to fill out feedback forms on each candidate.

The board expects to appoint a new superintendent on or about June 19 and the person selected would start Sept. 3.

In January, the West Genesee school board and Brown reached a separation agreement. Brown was paid $120,000 as part of that agreement and the district agreed to give him a glowing recommendation.

Brown had been under fire amid allegations he had an affair with a subordinate. The districts lawyers were investigating the allegations made on social media when Brown announced he was leaving the district.

After resigning, Brown agreed to take a job as superintendent of the Marcus Whitman Central School District. The school district is in Rushville, which is mainly in Yates County in western New York. Hes scheduled to start in July.
Capital Tonight is ending on Spectrum News after nearly a decade on televisions across New York state, according to a new report.

Sources tell The Times Union that the weeknight political program will end after the current legislative session wraps on June 19, and its host Liz Benjamin will leave the 24-hour news station. Benjamin declined to confirm her departure, according to the Albany newspaper.

Benjamin began hosting Capital Tonight in 2010, when it was produced by Time Warner Cable. Charter purchased TWC in 2016 and renamed it Spectrum Cable, and changed the name of its news network to Spectrum News; it was previously known as YNN (Your News Now), News 10 Now (in Central New York) and Time Warner Cable News.

Capital Tonight focused on state politics and regularly featured elected officials from Albany and the rest of the Empire State.

What a loss. For a decade plus, Capital Tonight has been a steady, reliable source of substantive interviews and stories on the Capitol and how it impacts all of New York -- particularly upstate. https://t.co/ESOIPDuZ4V  Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) May 31, 2019
Netherlands Announces 2019 Fiscal Agenda

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

31 May 2019

On May 28, 2019, Dutch State Secretary for Finance Menno Snel issued an update on the Government's 2019 fiscal agenda, which includes an outline of tax legislative proposals that the Government intends to submit to parliament in the remainder of the year.

According to the document, in the second quarter of 2019, the Government intends to submit the following proposals to parliament:

a bill for a minimum CO2 price for electricity generation;

a bill to introduce a national aviation tax; and

legislation implementing the second European Union Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD 2) regarding hybrid mismatch arrangements.

In the third quarter of 2019, the following measures will be submitted to parliament:

a bill transposing the requirements of the EU directive on the mandatory disclosure of, and exchange of information on, tax avoidance arrangements;

a bill to tackle excessive deductions for intra-group borrowing; and

the 2020 Tax Plan, which includes proposals to introduce a conditional withholding tax on royalties and interest from 2021 paid to "tax havens" and the EU VAT rule quick fixes proposed by the EU, pending the implementation of the definitive VAT regime.

The four short-term VAT "quick fixes" cover:

Call-off stock. The proposals provide for a simplified and uniform treatment for call-off stock arrangements, where a vendor transfers stock to a warehouse at the disposal of a known acquirer in another member state;

The VAT identification number. To benefit from a VAT exemption for the intra-EU supply of goods, the identification number of the customer will become an additional condition;

Chain transactions. To enhance legal certainty in determining the VAT treatment of chain transactions, the proposals establish uniform criteria;

Proof of intra-EU supply. A common framework is proposed for the documentary evidence required to claim a VAT exemption for intra-EU supplies.

The Government will this year also consider measures to ease the taxation of stock options for start-up companies by deferring tax when options are converted into shares. The Government said that if an agreement is reached on these proposals a bill will be introduced on Budget Day in 2020.
Philippines To Launch Estate Tax Amnesty In June

by Mary Swire, Tax-News.com, Hong Kong

31 May 2019

The Filipino Government has said it is planning to launch its proposed estate tax amnesty next month.

Taxpayers would be given two years to file the Estate Tax Amnesty Return (ETAR) or BIR Form No. 2118-EA in triplicate copies at the Revenue District Office (RDO) that has jurisdiction over the last residence of the decedent.

If the decedent has no legal residence in the Philippines, the return shall be filed with RDO 039  South Quezon City. The estate tax amnesty will cover the estate of the decedent/s who died on or before December 31, 2017.

An estate tax amnesty rate of six percent, with a minimum tax amnesty amount of PHP5,000, shall be imposed on each decedent's total net taxable estate at the time of death without penalties at every stage of transfer of property.

However, the Estate Tax Amnesty shall not extend to the following: delinquent estate tax liabilities which have become final and executory, in which case the Tax Amnesty on Delinquencies may be applied; and properties involved in cases pending in appropriate courts.

The estate shall be valued at its fair market value (FMV) as of the time of death. However, the value of the real property as of the time of death shall be whichever is higher of the zonal values as determined by the Commissioner, or the FMV as shown in the schedule of values fixed by the Provincial or City Assessors.
Switzerland Confirms CIT Reforms

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

31 May 2019

The Swiss Federal Council has confirmed that the Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing (TRAF) will apply from next year.

On May 19, nearly two-thirds of Swiss voters approved the TRAF in a referendum. On May 22, the Federal Council said that the TRAF regulations are expected to enter into force on January 1, 2020.

The TRAF will abolish special arrangements for cantonal status companies and introduce a mandatory patent box regime for all cantons, with additional optional deductions for research and development expenditure. It also sets a minimum level of taxation for dividends from qualified participants, introduces additional depreciation measures for companies relocating to Switzerland, and extends the application of the flat-rate tax credit.

The Council also confirmed that the federal practices for principal companies and Swiss finance branches will be abolished with effect from January 1, 2020. It explained that as these are practical regulations, no changes to the law are necessary to abolish them. Since January 1, 2019, no new companies have been admitted to these two federal practices.

Under the current rules, if a principal company is located in Switzerland, some of the net profit is exempt from taxation in the country. The calculation of a usage fee for the capital made available to Swiss finance branches reduces their taxable net profit.
Dublin, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Company Car Leasing Market Outlook, 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This study is focused on the outlook of the global fleet leasing industry in 2019. It starts with detailing the existing market scenario, followed by trends that are shaping the leasing industry in 2019.



It details market size across the passenger vehicle (PV) and the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segments and provides sales/parc data for the total market and the fleet and the company car (true fleet) segments. The company car segment is discussed in detail, with a focus on actual development and growth potential of financial lease, operational lease, and outright purchase.



The analysis takes into account historic data and current market conditions and insight and opinion from market participants to deliver a five-year outlook on growth opportunities (2018-2022). In addition to market data (PV and LCV) for new registrations and portfolio, the study details actual competitor data (portfolio) for the leading leasing providers worldwide.



The evolution of any industry depends on transformational trends that are linked to the macroeconomic factors of the region and the emerging business models that reflect innovation. Special sections covering transformational trends such as EV leasing, private vehicle leasing, used car leasing, car subscription mobility model, etc., are analyzed. Other trends such as SME leasing, fleet connectivity, digitization (blockchain in leasing industry) are also studied.



The study covers these trends that are expected to shape the market in 2019. For leasing providers and other companies that share the leasing ecosystem, their interest lies in the growth opportunities that they need to look at and the strategic imperatives that aid in their pursuit of growth and success. Overall, the study provides a 360-degree understanding of the leasing space (region-specific), and it offers details on key trends, market overview, and outlook.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary

Key Transformations Shaping the Leasing Industry

Key Findings - Highlights of 2018

Key Findings - Predictions for 2019

Company Car Funding Analysis

Market Competition Analysis

Acquisitions and Partnerships

Company Car New Registration - Powertrain Segmentation

Company Car Leasing - ICE Trend

Company Car Leasing - xEV Trend

Company Car New Registration - Brand Class

Company Car Leasing - Brand Class Trend

Company Car Leasing - Sales Channel

Company Car Leasing - Sales Channel Trend

Car Sharing by Funding Model

Car Sharing Parc - Trend

2. Research Scope and Segmentation

Project and Research Scope

Market Structure

Product Segmentation - Electric Propulsion Technology

Sector Definitions

3. Global Fleet Vehicle Leasing Market Metrics

Market Metrics - Vehicles in Operation, Global

Market Metrics - Vehicles in Operation, Europe

Market Metrics - New Registrations

Market Metrics - Market Evolution

Market Metrics - Company Car New Registrations, Regional

Market Metrics - Car Sharing by Type

Market Metrics - Key Participants

4. Key Market Trends - Private Leasing

Private Leasing - Global Overview

Private Leasing - Skewness

Private Operational Leasing - Regional Opportunity Analysis

Private Leasing - Service Providers

Growth Opportunity - Private Leasing

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

5. Key Market Trends - xEV Leasing

xEV Leasing - Global Overview

xEV Leasing - Business Segment Analysis

xEV Leasing - Regional Opportunity Analysis

xEV Leasing Market Ecosystem Analysis

xEV Leasing Providers

Growth Opportunity - Electric Vehicle Leasing

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

6. Key Market Trends - Used Car Leasing

Used Car Leasing - Product Overview

Used Car Leasing - Market Potential

Used Car Leasing - Regional Opportunity Analysis

Used Car Leasing - Service Providers

Growth Opportunity - Used Car Leasing

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

7. Key Market Trends - SME Leasing

SME Leasing - Customer Segmentation

SME Leasing Providers

Growth Opportunity - SME Leasing

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

8. Key Market Trends - Vehicle Subscription

Vehicle Retailing Formats - Introduction

Vehicle Subscription - Regional Opportunity Analysis

Vehicle Subscription - Focus Areas for Leasing Companies

Vehicle Subscription - Case Study

Growth Opportunity - Vehicle Subscription

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

9. Key Market Trends - Fleet Telematics

Fleet Telematics - Key Features

Installed Base of Fleet Telematics - A Snapshot

Role of Fleet Leasing Companies in Telematics - A Snapshot

Growth Opportunity - Technology and Partnerships

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

10. Key Market Trends - Digitization in Leasing Industry

Digitization in Leasing Industry

Digitization - Providers

11. Geographical Outlook

Opportunity Outlook - North America

Opportunity Outlook - BRICS

Opportunity Outlook - Europe

Opportunity Outlook - APAC

12. Conclusions and 2019 Outlook

Leasing Companies to Look Out For

The Last Word - 3 Big Predictions

Legal Disclaimer

13. Appendix

Market Engineering Methodology

Table of Acronyms Used

Fleet & Leasing Market Database Platform

Fleet & Leasing Geographical Scope

Research Studies/Reports

Fleet & Leasing Research Titles Upcoming 2019 Research Titles

Global Fleet & Leasing Program - Country Reports 2019

Global Fleet & Leasing Program - 2017-2018 Published Topics

Global Fleet & Leasing Program - 2013-2016 Published Topics

List of Exhibits

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/etori4

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
Switzerland Consults On Trade Agreement With UK

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

31 May 2019

The Swiss Federal Council has launched a public consultation on an agreement that will govern trade relations with the UK after Brexit.

Relations between Switzerland and the UK are currently governed by a range of Swiss-EU agreements.

In February, the Swiss and UK governments signed a trade continuity agreement which would replicate the majority of these agreements, namely: the 1971 Free Trade Agreement, the Agreement on Public Procurement, the Agreement on the Fight Against Fraud, part of the Agreement on Mutual Recognition in Relations to Conformity Assessment, and part of the 1999 Agreement on Agriculture. February's agreement also provides for exploratory discussions on the future development of bilateral relations.

On May 15, the Swiss Federal Council announced a consultation on the new agreement. It said that although the date for the UK's departure from the EU has been extended to October 31, it is not possible to exclude the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. It explained that the new trade agreement prevents the risk of a legal vacuum with regard to bilateral relations with the UK. In addition, in view of the ongoing uncertainty, the agreement takes into account various scenarios concerning the future EU-UK relationship.

The Council said that as the withdrawal date is "still open," with a disorderly Brexit remaining a possibility, it will apply the agreement on a provisional basis if that proves necessary.

An additional agreement has been signed by Switzerland, the UK, and Liechtenstein to extend the relevant provisions of the trade agreement to the territory of Liechtenstein under the Swiss-Liechtenstein Customs Union.

The consultation will run to September 5. The Federal Council will submit a dispatch on the two agreements to Parliament in the autumn.

In 2018, the UK was Switzerland's sixth largest market for goods, with bilateral trade valued at around CHF8.8bn (USD8.7bn).
In brief: The race between PewDiePie and T-Series to become the first YouTube channel to reach 100 million subscribers has ended, with the Bollywood music account hitting the milestone on Wednesday.

Felix PewDiePie Kjellberg found his most-subscribed YouTube channel title under threat from the Indian music production company in late 2018. The two have been swapping the number one and number two positions over the last few months, but T-Series recently surged ahead and passed the 100 million-milestone first, with PewDiePie currently at 96.2 million subs.

YouTube congratulated T-Series on being the first to hit the target, suggesting it make some room on its shelf for something new and shiny. A few fans have suggested the site wouldnt have been as quick to congratulate PewDiePie if hed reached 100 million first.

The rivalry between the two hasnt exactly been good natured. As a way of keeping him on top, fans started the subscribe to PewDiePie meme earlier this year, but it quickly gained negative associations after a World War II memorial in New York was defaced with the slogan.

Things got even uglier when, on March 15, the person who shot and killed 50 people and injured 50 more in New Zealand said Remember, lads: subscribe to Pewdiepie, during the first few minutes of him livestreaming the atrocity. There was also a reference to PewDiePie in the manifesto of the gunman who opened fire on worshipers at the Chabad of Poway synagogue in Southern California earlier this month. PewDiePie said he was sickened by these associations.

Kjellberg later released two diss tracks aimed at T-Series that were banned by a Delhi court from appearing on Indian YouTube as they contain content that is "defamatory, disparaging, insulting, and offensive."

At the end of April, PewDiePie called for an end to the subscribe meme, saying the movement should have ended following the New Zealand shootings. This movement started out of love and support, so lets end it with that, he said.
Poaching and trophy hunting has contributed to the rapid decline in elephant populations across Africa.

About 350,000 elephants are left in Africa, and thousands are estimated killed each year by poachers. Elephant poaching rates in the continent have started to decline after reaching a peak in 2011.

However, Botswana, which has the most number of elephant population or about one-third of the continent's total, recently lifted its five-year hunting ban on elephants, further endangering the already threatened animals.

Decline In Annual Elephant Poaching

In a study published in the journal Nature Communications, a team of scientists from the University of York, University of Freiburg, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, revealed a decline in annual poaching mortality rate of elephants from an estimated peak of over 10 percent in 2011 to less than 4 percent in 2017.

The researchers analyzed data from 53 protected sites across 29 countries between 2002 and 2017. Despite the declining poaching rate, Africa's elephant population remains threatened, especially without a continuing action to resolve poverty, corruption, and decrease the demand for ivory.

"We are seeing a downturn in poaching, which is obviously positive news, but it is still above what we think is sustainable so the elephant populations are declining," said Dr. Colin Beale from the University of York's Department of Biology.

Beale further said that to ensure the long-term survival of elephants, there is a need to reduce the demand for ivory in Asia and improve the livelihood of people who are living with elephants in Africa. The researchers also highlighted that poverty and corruption are two variables that influence local poaching rates.

Elephant numbers have dropped by 62 percent over the last decade and could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade. As of 2018, there are still more African elephants being killed for ivory than elephants being born.

Botswana Lifts Ban On Elephant Hunting

An elephant hunting ban in Botswana where an estimate of 120,000 and 130,000 African elephants can be found, helped the country emerge as a conservation success story. However, Botswana's government has recently overturned the ban, earning the ire of conservationists who have lobbied to preserve the prohibition.

The Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation, and Tourism said the decision to lift the ban was based on a general consensus and extensive consultations with stakeholders. The agency cited the rising human-elephant conflict as one of the reasons for ending the ban. Elephants keep eating the crops and trampling the fields of rural farmers.

Officials said the ban has caused local communities to suffer due to loss of income from trophy hunters. Experts, on the other hand, said hunting is not a credible method of population control or an effective way to combat higher rates of violence and damage.

The ban was implemented in 2014 by former President Ian Khama who is known for his conservationist principles and a tough stance against poaching and trophy hunting. His predecessor, Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, created a committee to reevaluate the ban in 2018 shortly after winning the presidency.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Scientists create a black hole in the laboratory, discovering evidence that support the existence of one of Stephen Hawking's most famous theories: Hawking radiation.

Hawking Radiation

Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity predicted the existence of black holes for the first time. This theory described it as an object with such a powerful gravitational force that even light can't escape once it enters the black hole's point of no return known as the event horizon.

Hawking disagreed, saying that black holes aren't entirely black after all. He predicted that when quantum mechanics are considered, black holes actually emit a tiny stream of thermal radiation at a temperature that depends on their mass.

According to quantum physics, space is filled with pairs of particles that appear together and destroy each other immediately. If this process occurs near an event horizon, the black hole's overwhelmingly powerful gravitational force could pull apart the pair of particles and prevent them from destroying each other. One particle would be absorbed by the black hole, reducing its mass until it eventually vanishes, while the other particle would be able to escape as thermal radiation.

Fittingly known as Hawking radiation, it is far too weak to spot in the real world with current technology.

If scientists want to observe or prove the existence of Hawking radiation, they're going to have to recreate black holes  and that's exactly what a group of physicists did in a study published in the journal Nature.

The Making Of A Black Hole To Prove Hawking Right

The study authors built an analog of a black hole in the laboratory using an elongated Bose-Einstein condensate of ultra-cold rubidium atoms. By adjusting the energy from focused laser beams, one side of the condensate is made denser than the other side.

It mimics the forces of an actual black hole  using sound, instead of light  with a transition point on the condensate acting as the event horizon.

On the denser side, the speed of sound is faster, so sound waves are able to move in all directions either toward or away from the transition point. However, once the sound waves cross over into the less dense side of the condensate where the speed of sound is slower, they can only move in one direction: further into the "black hole."

When the researchers measured the sound waves or phonons that escaped and the ones that fell into the black hole, they found it had an estimated temperature of 0.35 billionths of a Kelvin, which is consistent with Hawking's theories, according to Science News.

The results also match another of Hawking's predictions that suggested the radiation would be thermal.

Black Hole Information Paradox

Gizmodo pointed out that the new study proves that Hawking radiation is a real effect that occurs in these types of systems. However, it remains to be seen if they actually occur in real black holes found in space.

Of course, if Hawking radiation is eventually proven to occur in the real world, it leads to another issue known as the black hole information paradox.

In quantum physics, no information is ever destroyed. However, in Hawking's theory, the black hole's mass is slowly reduced until it disappears into nothing. If a black hole disappears, all the information that it consumed in the past also disappears, which violates the laws of quantum mechanics.

"The solution to the information paradox is in the physics of a real black hole, not in the physics of an analog black hole," said study author and physicist Jeff Steinhauer of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Soon, mobile gamers on the Google's Android platform will see the odds of getting items from loot boxes.

The Mountain View company recently updated its Play Store policy that requires app developers and publishers to be more transparent regarding users' chances of gaining items from paid in-game lotteries.

Loot Box Odds

As reported earlier by Android Police, Google has added an important bit to the Developer Policy Center under Monetization and Ads.

"Apps offering mechanisms to receive randomized virtual items from a purchase (i.e. 'loot boxes') must clearly disclose the odds of receiving those items in advance of purchase," the description reads.

With that in place, gamers will know exactly what their chances are in getting in-game items when they purchase loot boxes and the like.

This update comes hot on the heels of when U.S. Senator Josh Hawley sought for a bill that would prohibit games from selling loot boxes and using "pay-to-win microtransactions" targeted at kids. This bill was eventually introduced as the Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act.

Games such as Overwatch and FIFA have been facing criticism over its loot boxes, particularly in Belgium where such practices of selling virtual consumables that yield randomized items have been made illegal. In the country, Nintendo also had to pull out the Android and iOS games Fire Emblem: Heroes and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp from the market since they both violated local regulations.

Sexual Content And Hate Speech

Google is also becoming more strict when it comes to sexual content and hate speech in Play Store apps.

Moving forward, depictions of "nude or minimally clothed" are no longer allowed. By "minimally clothed," it means clothing that would not be "acceptable in an appropriate public context." Sex acts or sexually suggestive poses are also forbidden, as well as content that depicts "sexual aids and fetishes" and "lewd or profane."

Meanwhile, regarding hate speech, Google says that "assertions intended to prove that a protected group is inhuman, inferior, or worth of being hated" are banned. It also has in its sights apps that "contain theories about a protected group possessing negative characteristics" and any content that attempt to encourage users to think that people who belong to a protected group should be "hated or discriminated against" just for being part of it.

In light of these, the company seems to be making all of these changes to make its platform more friendly toward young users.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A genetically modified fungus killed huge numbers of malaria-carrying mosquitoes in a trial that took place in a fake village set up by researchers in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Fungus Genetically Modified To Produce Spider Toxin

Researchers from the University of Maryland in the United States and the IRSS research institute in Burkina Faso genetically enhanced a fungus called Metarhizium pingshaense so it produces spider toxin.

The fungus naturally infects Anopheles mosquitoes that spread malaria. Researchers said the fungus is very malleable, it can be genetically engineered very easily.

Genetic instructions were added to the fungus so it would start making toxin once inside a mosquito. The researchers used a toxin found in the venom of a species of the funnel-web spider in Australia.

"A spider uses its fangs to pierce the skin of insects and inject toxins, we replaced the fangs of spider with Metarhizium," study researcher Raymond St. Leger, from the University of Maryland, said.

Testing The Fungus In Controlled Real-World Setting

Laboratory tests showed the genetically modified fungus kills quicker. The researchers then proceeded to test the fungus in a controlled real-world setting.

They set up a 6,550 square foot fake village called the MosquitoSphere complete with plants, huts, food and water sources for the mosquitoes in Burkina Faso. The village was also enclosed in a double layer of mosquito net to prevent the insects from escaping.

The set-up allowed the researchers to test the fungus in real-world conditions without risking its release into the wild.

Fungus Highly Fatal For Mosquitoes

The researchers mixed the fungal spored with sesame oil and wiped these on to black cotton sheets. The mosquitoes would be exposed to the fungus once they land on these sheets.

In the trial that started with 1,500 mosquitoes, researchers found that the number of mosquitoes increased when they were left alone. However, once they were exposed to the spider-toxin fungus, only 13 of these insects were left after 45 days.

This means that the fungus could wipe out 99 percent of the mosquito population in just a month and a half.

"Deployment of transgenic Metarhiziumagainst mosquitoes could (subject to appropriate registration) be rapid, with products that could synergistically integrate with existing chemical control strategies to avert insecticide resistance," St. Leger and colleagues wrote.

The results of the trial were published in the journal Science.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Dublin, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Corrosion Monitoring Market, Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The corrosion monitoring plays a vital role in several industries and assists in raising productivity and decreasing the downtime. There is a clear shift from intrusive corrosion monitoring techniques to non-intrusive corrosion monitoring technique. This is mainly due to the inherent disadvantages related to safety in intrusive corrosion monitoring.



The market has been broadly segmented by product into intrusive corrosion monitoring - electrical resistance (ER) probes, linear polarization resistance (LPR) probes, and corrosion coupons and non-intrusive corrosion monitoring - permanently installed ultrasonic sensors that are used to measure wall thickness and correlate thickness information to corrosion.



More than 80% of the total corrosion monitoring market revenue is derived from the oil & gas industry. Low oil prices are restraining the upstream and midstream oil & gas segments of the market. During the next 7 years, the software services segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.3%, whereas the hardware segment is likely to grow by 10.6%. Asia-Pacific, specifically India, China, Vietnam, and South Korea, provides the highest growth opportunities in the global corrosion monitoring market. In addition, there are growth opportunities in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the most important markets.



The investment in new infrastructure projects, especially in the oil & gas industry, has taken a back seat globally. This is due to the instability of price in the oil & gas industry. As a result, end users are maximizing the profitability of the existing assets. They want to extend the life of existing plants, which will drive the corrosion monitoring market.



Over the last few years, there has been no major investment or cost saving projects. Despite this, the market for corrosion monitoring solutions is growing significantly higher than the industry growth due to the kind of impact it is creating in the existing plants. The most common challenge with aging infrastructure is corrosion, and this is leading to the increasing demand for corrosion monitoring solutions.



Key Issues Addressed

How fast is the corrosion monitoring market growing and why? What is the rate at which the market will grow in the short, medium, and long terms?

What are the strategic growth regions and the factors driving and restraining the corrosion monitoring market?

How is the growth compared between intrusive corrosion monitoring and non-intrusive corrosion monitoring? How is the market growth compared between hardware and services?

What are the key growth opportunities in the corrosion monitoring market?

Which are some of the end-user verticals, besides oil & gas that will experience growth?

Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary

Key Findings

Market Engineering Measurements

CEO's Perspective

2. Market Overview

Market Definitions

Key Questions this Study will Answer

Market Segmentation

3. Drivers and Restraints - Total Corrosion Monitoring Market

Market Drivers

Drivers Explained

Market Restraints

Restraints Explained

4. Forecast and Trends - Total Corrosion Monitoring Market

Market Engineering Measurements

Forecast Assumptions

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Discussion

Hardware Versus Software Services Revenue Forecast

Hardware Versus Software Services Revenue Forecast Discussion

Percent Revenue Forecast by Region

Revenue Forecast by Region

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Region

Revenue Forecast by Vertical Market

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Vertical Market

5. Market Share and Competitive Analysis - Total Corrosion Monitoring Market

Market Share

Market Share Analysis

Competitive Environment

Top Competitors

Competitive Factors and Assessment

6. Growth Opportunities and Companies to Action

Growth Opportunity 1 - Penetration in Emerging Economies

Growth Opportunity 2 - Support and Services

Strategic Imperatives for Success and Growth

7. Intrusive Corrosion Monitoring Segment Analysis

Key Findings

Market Engineering Measurements

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Discussion

Revenue Forecast by Vertical Market

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Vertical Market

Percent Revenue Forecast by Region

Revenue Forecast by Region

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Region

Competitive Environment

8. Non-intrusive Corrosion Monitoring Segment Analysis

Key Findings

Market Engineering Measurements

Revenue Forecast

Revenue Forecast Discussion

Revenue Forecast by Vertical Market

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Vertical Market

Percent Revenue Forecast by Region

Revenue Forecast by Region

Revenue Forecast Discussion by Region

Competitive Environment

9. The Last Word

The Last Word - 3 Big Predictions

Legal Disclaimer

10. Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gf15eb

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
Autopsy results released Friday show an East Baton Rouge sheriff's deputy who crashed while driving to work and died suffered from congestive heart failure.

Lt. Steven Whitstine, 42, died moments before the crash Thursday morning, the Coroner's Office said. Whitstine's vehicle had run off a road between Pride and Port Hudson, struck a tree and a bridge and overturned in a roadside canal.

East Baton Rouge Coroner Dr. Beau Clark released preliminary autopsy results Friday morning showing Whitstine actually died from natural causes  congestive heart failure, which caused his heart to suddenly stop  just before the crash occurred. Clark said Whitstine's heart failure is what caused him to crash.

Clark said there's no evidence that Whitstine's injuries sustained during the crash also contributed to his death.

"I extend my deepest condolences to Lt. Whitstine's family, friends and law enforcement coworkers," Clark said.

The longtime K9 officer had his new dog "Six" with him in the car. Six received only minor injuries and was taken to a local vet.

Can't see video below? Click here.

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

Whitstine had an enlarged heart, which caused his heart failure, according to the autopsy results. The condition means the heart becomes weakened and loses the ability to pump blood efficiently. That can result in disruptions to the heart's rhythm.

The crash occurred just north of Zachary on Port HudsonPride Road about 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

Whitstine had served as a K9 officer with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office for the past eight years. He leaves behind his wife  also an East Baton Rouge sheriff's deputy  and their two adult children.

He started his career in law enforcement with the Louisiana Department of Corrections, working in the dog training program at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center. He then moved to the Baker Police Department and served for nine years as a K9 officer before later transferring to the sheriff's office at Gautreaux's request to help expand the K9 division there.
PASADENA, Calif., May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- Brazil Minerals, Inc. (OTC: BMIX) (the "Company" or "Brazil Minerals") announced today that it has obtained the rights to an iron project area with 4,120 acres in the Quadrilatero Ferrifero (Iron Quadrangle), one of the premier iron regions in the world with multiple operating mines. Iron ore is in high demand with strong sales of Brazilian iron ore for export (mainly to China) or for use by local steelmakers. Recently, the price of iron delivered at a foreign port spiked to US$109 per ton, the highest since 2013.



Brazil Minerals claim holds potential for several reasons, including its location in proximity to one of the initial iron mines from Vale S.A., the worlds largest producer of iron. The local geology shows possible secondary deposits, i.e., occurrences of eluvial/colluvial iron mineralization with potential for lump ore production. This type of product is aimed at the domestic market and, in general, presents a combination of low production cost and relatively high margins, when compared with iron production for export.

As part of the agreement in which Brazil Minerals was advised, at no initial cost, regarding this iron opportunity by a local private enterprise, the Company will evaluate innovative technology solutions initially developed by this enterprise which are aimed at minimizing the environmental disturbances of an iron mine. These solutions center on processing without water and enabling smaller scale operations to increase profitability and product quality. Refinements may be co-developed during this technology partnership.

As soon as it is feasible, Brazil Minerals plans to proceed with geological studies of the area to ascertain various aspects of the mineral right, including quantification of mineralization and reserve potential.

About Brazil Minerals, Inc.

Brazil Minerals, Inc. (OTC: BMIX) along with its subsidiaries has a business model focused on: 1) mining specific areas for gold and diamonds, and 2) generating projects from its portfolio of high-quality mineral rights for transactions leading to royalties and/or equity positions. The first equity holdings from such strategy is a 49% ownership in Jupiter Gold Corporation (OTC: JUPGF). More information on Brazil Minerals is at www.brazil-minerals.com. More information on Jupiter Gold is at www.jupitergoldcorp.com.

Safe Harbor Statement



This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements are based upon the current plans, estimates and projections of Brazil Minerals, Inc.'s management and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. Such statements include, among others, those concerning market and industry segment growth and demand and acceptance of new and existing products; any projections of production, reserves, sales, earnings, revenue, margins or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; uncertainties related to conducting business in Brazil, as well as all assumptions, expectations, predictions, intentions or beliefs about future events. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: business conditions in Brazil, general economic conditions, geopolitical events and regulatory changes, availability of capital, Brazil Minerals, Inc.s ability to maintain its competitive position and dependence on key management. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. We advise U.S. investors that Brazil Minerals (and its subsidiaries) properties and projects, as of now, are exploratory and do not have measured reserves as such term is defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:

Marc Fogassa, CEO

Brazil Minerals, Inc.

info@brazil-minerals.com

www.brazil-minerals.com

@BMIXstock
A Baton Rouge judge ruled Thursday  in likely a precedent-setting decision  to send a teen facing murder charges back to an adult jail instead of the local juvenile detention center, a move his attorneys called a step backward for Louisiana juvenile justice.

State District Judge Don Johnson made the ruling after three days of testimony over where to detain 17-year-old Malik Gray, who has been indicted on second-degree murder in the 2018 slaying of Ricardo Alberto Agular, as well as attempted second-degree murder and armed robbery. Johnson said he believes the teen should return to the custody of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, which runs the parish's adult jail. The Sheriff's Office, however, contracts the detention of youthful offenders charged as adults to the Riverbend Detention Center in East Carroll Parish, a more than three-hour drive north.

Gray's attorneys, who first requested the teen await trial at the Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center because of the distance both from them as well as his family, vowed to file an emergency writ Monday with the state's 1st Circuit Court of Appeal, asking that the higher court overturn Johnson's decision.

+5 Baton Rouge judge to make 'precedent' ruling on pre-trial detention of youth facing serious crimes For the last three months, while awaiting trial on second-degree murder and other charges, 17-year-old Malik Gray has sat in high school class

"Its a huge setback when you look at it in the broader scope of where the nation is trending right now," said Kristen Richardson, one of Gray's attorneys with the East Baton Rouge Office of the Public Defender. "Within three years, under the new federal law (on juvenile justice), if they dont have all juveniles out of adult facilities, they will not be federally compliant."

East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore III, whose prosecutors opposed Gray staying in the juvenile detention center, said he believes the judge made the correct decision. Prosecutors cited issues involving Gray at both Riverbend Detention Center, where they say he assaulted a guard, and at the juvenile detention center, where he threatened staff and punched his hand into a wall, and also emphasized the severity of the crimes for which Gray has been charged.

There are at least three other boys being held at the juvenile detention center who have been charged in adult court but are awaiting a hearing to determine where they will be detained while awaiting trial. Richardson said she is concerned Johnson's ruling will be used as precedent in those cases.

Richardson and her team have argued that all juveniles should remain at the youth detention center, which has adequate educational opportunities, properly trained staff and is close to their families and to the attorneys working their cases. She said she is concerned for Gray's safety if he is returned to the Riverbend Detention Center, because testimony revealed the staff there is not specifically trained to work with juveniles, and that the juveniles, despite being housed in a juvenile wing, are often in the sight and sounds of adult detainees, a violation of federal law designed to protect youthful offenders.

While Johnson discussed current best practices for juvenile detention, including the federal law Richardson cited that will soon mandate no youth defendants be housed in an adult facility, he said he considered "a totality of circumstances."

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

Judges in Baton Rouge split in decisions about moving juveniles charged with murder from adult jails Two judges in Baton Rouge this week came to different decisions about the appropriate place to house two juveniles awaiting trial on crimes se

Johnson said he chose five factors to consider in the decision: the severity of the charges, the defendant's prior delinquency, his behavior while detained in correctional facilities, his medical and educational needs, and his safety and well-being. The judge said he also took into consideration the distance of Riverbend Detention Center and agreed that a child "needs to have regular contact with his family."

But right before he announced his final ruling, he mentioned how Gray will turn 18 in a short period of time. Gray will turn 18 in mid-December.

Johnson's written ruling was filed under seal and was not available for public review.

Gray was arrested when he was 16 following the 2018 armed robbery and fatal shooting, and served almost a year at the Riverbend Detention Center before Johnson temporarily ordered him back to the juvenile detention center, when the judge realized prosecutors misapplied the children's code, transferring the teen to the adult jail without a full hearing. Gray's attorneys said he received no education at Riverbend Detention Center and was often in unsafe conditions. At the juvenile detention center, Gray took classes for at least five hours a day during weekdays.

+8 Youth charged as adults have no spot in local jail; attorneys plea for return to juvenile detention Antoine Bowie waited in limbo. For days, the 16-year-old sat in what was supposed to be a short-term holding cell in East Baton Rouge Parish P

If Johnson's ruling is not overturned by the appeals court, Gray will return to Riverbend in seven days.

This decision comes a day after officials in New Orleans announced a shift in policy to increase their use of detention for juveniles accused of crimes, as well as implementing a curfew, both aimed at reducing crime committed by youth. Youth advocates in New Orleans decried those efforts, calling them the opposite response that troubled youth need.

"Its interesting to see a nation trying to push us forward in terms of juvenile justice and a state thats trying to push back on it," Richardson said.
A Baton Rouge man has pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business that helped funnel money through levels of a national drug operation, federal prosecutors say.

Donovan Barker, 59, admitted in his plea deal that between September 2012 and May 2016 he conspired with associates to help distribute drugs to consumers in the United States. He said he helped distribute the muscle relaxant Carisoprodol, the narcotic painkiller Tramadol and other substances by accepting bulk shipments and mailing the drugs out to individual purchasers, U.S. Attorney Brandon Fremin said.

In January 2013, law enforcement agents confiscated more than 50,000 doses of Carisoprodol and Tramadol from Barker and "advised him to stop assisting the effort to import the substances." Subsequently, Fremin said, Barker began handling financial transactions for others through a number of businesses.

Baton Rouge businessman indicted on federal money laundering, drug conspiracy A 59-year-old Baton Rouge man has been accused of international money laundering and drug conspiracy by a federal grand jury, U.S. Attorney Br

The Department of Justice reports that between October 2012 and February 2016, Barker received more than $4.6 million in payments through his businesses, all from people purchasing controlled substances over the internet. He then transmitted a majority of the money through hundreds of transactions to other individuals and businesses. He also routed more than 200 transactions through banks in Canada, China, India and the Philippines.

Barker faces a significant term of imprisonment, a fine and a period of supervised release, Fremin said.

The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are involved in the investigation. The Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions, the Baton Rouge Police Department, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement  Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police assisted the other agencies in the investigation.
A Baton Rouge emergency room patient has been arrested and accused of punching a doctor in the face, adding to the number of recent complaints about violence against medical workers in the area.

Concerns about workplace safety for hospital employees have grown since a Baton Rouge General nurse died in April from complications resulting from a patient attack. Lynne Truxillo's death prompted members of the nursing community nationwide to demand better hospital safety practices to minimize their profession's dangers, which have long been a problem.

The patient in Truxillo's case was arrested on manslaughter.

+3 Baton Rouge nurse's death prompts medical workers nationwide to demand workplace safety Lynne Truxillo finished her shift, despite having sustained serious injuries trying to save another nurse from a behavioral health patient who

Several other patients at Baton Rouge medical facilities have been arrested since then after similar incidents.

The most recent arrest came Thursday when Dontonyo Grey, 22, was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison after authorities said he walked up to a doctor at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and punched him in the left side of the face, knocking him unconscious.

Once the doctor regained consciousness, he told East Baton Rouge sheriff's deputies he had no prior dealings with Grey. The doctor said he had never seen Grey before the incident, according to Grey's arrest report.

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 incident happened about 5 p.m. at the hospital at 5000 Hennessy Blvd. Grey told deputies he punched the doctor because "he felt like it" and "it would happen again."

He was booked into jail on a count of battery of emergency room personnel.

It's not clear from arrest documents why Grey had gone to the hospital.

Two more patients arrested amid growing concerns about violence against Baton Rouge medical workers Two more Baton Rouge hospital patients were arrested this week following accusations of violence against medical workers.

The recent cases involving violence against Baton Rouge medical workers have raised questions about whether arresting patients is an effective response, particularly if mental health issues may be involved.

Many advocates calling for better workplace safety argue it's not productive, arguing instead that healthcare facilities need to devote more resources to preventing violence before it occurs, including through adequate staffing levels and individual patient care plans.

There are no federal standards in place governing how facilities protect their employees, but a bill was recently introduced in Congress that would implement two new requirements for hospitals: develop violence prevention plans and report all instances of violence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
WASHINGTON  Gov. John Bel Edwards, the only Democratic governor in the Deep South, has drawn the ire of fellow Democrats in influential roles across the country after he signed one of the nation's strictest abortion bans into law on Thursday.

Some Republicans on the national scene have praised the law's passage and Edwards for bucking his party to sign it into law.

But U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the law, which doesn't take effect unless a similar Mississippi law survives a court challenge, "a heartbreaking and nationwide assault against womens reproductive freedoms." U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, who is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, called it a "dangerous attack" on women. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent in his current role who is also seeking the Democratic nomination, called Edwards' OK of the bill an "outrage." Seema Nanda, the CEO of Democratic National Committee, vowed to fight against the law.

+2 Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signs one of nation's most restrictive abortion bans into law Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has signed one of the nations most restrictive abortion bills into law, a measure that would ban

+9 'Fetal heartbeat' abortion bill sent to Louisiana governor, who will sign it; court must uphold it Louisiana lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy if upheld by the courts, sending it to the gov

Edwards, who is running for re-election this year, campaigned four years ago on his pro-gun, anti-abortion stances, even highlighting his stray from the Democratic Party on abortion in a deeply personal campaign ad that told how he and his wife, Donna, rejected a doctor's advice to abort their oldest child because she would be born with a birth defect.

During eight years in the state House and three as governor, he's consistently supported efforts to roll back abortion rights in Louisiana.

"I know there are many who feel just as strongly as I do on abortion and disagree with me  and I respect their opinions," Edwards said in a statement just before signing the legislation Thursday. "As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone.

But the latest law, which seeks to outlaw abortion when a heartbeat is detected  about six weeks of pregnancy  with no exceptions for victims of rape and incest, comes on the heels of similar laws passed in other states that have drawn national attention.

The New Jersey Globe reported that incoming Democratic Governors Association chair Phil Murphy of New Jersey sidestepped a question about whether he would support Edwards in his re-election bid this fall, but the DGA has continued to back Edwards' campaign.

Two Republicans who also publicly support restrictions on abortion  U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham and Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone  are challenging Edwards in the race. The election is Oct. 12. A Nov. 16 runoff will take place if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary.

Here are how some other Democrats are responding to Edwards signing the "fetal heartbeat" bill into law:

Pelosi, of California:

Louisianas draconian new abortion ban is the latest in a heartbreaking and nationwide assault against womens reproductive freedoms. These bans show a staggering lack of respect for women: for their health, for their control over their bodies and for their right to make decisions about the timing and size of their families.

Every woman, everywhere has the constitutional and moral right to basic reproductive health care. We will fight these immoral and dangerous attacks on womens health and freedoms with all our strength.

Sanders, of Vermont:

The Democratic governor of Louisiana is signing draconian anti-abortion legislation today. This is an outrage. Regardless of party, we must vigorously defend a woman's constitutional right to control her own body. https://t.co/Bv1fcVEuhi  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 30, 2019

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

Harris, of California:

Dangerous attacks on womens constitutional right to an abortion are outrageous no matter what party youre in. My message to the Gov. of Louisiana: women have agency, women have value, women have authority to make decisions about their own livesand we will not go backward. https://t.co/oi7vgy90ej  Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 30, 2019

Nanda:

Let me be clear. The @DNC opposes Louisianas abortion ban in the strongest possible terms. Reproductive freedom is a central tenet of our partys platform, and we will continue to fight for a womans fundamental right to make decisions about her own body with her doctor.  Seema Nanda (@SeemaNanda) May 31, 2019

2020 presidential hopeful Julian Castro, of Texas:

I'll say it again: In this political climate, I will only support Democrats for office who will defend a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. https://t.co/9IAEUEOVl0  Julian Castro (@JulianCastro) May 30, 2019

2020 presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke, of Texas:

We will fight radical, unconstitutional attacks on women in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri  in every state and every part of this country. No governor  Republican or Democrat  should sign legislation that would take away a womans right to access an abortion.  Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) May 30, 2019

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a 2020 hopeful from New York:

They said we were "overreacting" to right-wing extremists being appointed to the courts.I beg to differ. The threat to Roe v. Wade is real, with Louisiana joining a growing list of states hoping to overturn it.We have every reason to be infuriated.https://t.co/1IYS3DLFEe  Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) May 29, 2019

2020 hopeful John Hickenlooper, the former governor of Colorado:

I don't agree with @LouisianaGov John Bel Edwards's decision. In CO, we empowered women to make their own decisions with affordable birth control. The results speak for themselves - teen abortions down 64%, teen pregnancy down 54%. As President, I'd take that program nationwide. https://t.co/AbP8ghAOO3  John Hickenlooper (@Hickenlooper) May 30, 2019

Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign:

.@HRC opposes attempts to restrict a person's right to an abortion, full stop. We join our partners and allies in standing against these unconstitutional attacks on reproductive rights in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and now, Louisiana.  Chad Griffin (@ChadHGriffin) May 30, 2019

U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, of California:

Safe & legal abortions are a constitutional right  full stop. These policies are direct threats to women's health and safety. Let me be clear  we will fight to #StopTheBans. https://t.co/vx4QYCn1Fh  Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) May 30, 2019

This post will be updated with more reactions. See someone we've missed? Email: ecrisp@theadvocate.com.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, has signed one of the nations most restrictive abortion bills into law, a measure that would ban abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy with no exceptions for victims of rape and incest if upheld by the courts.

Edwards, who ran on a pro-life platform in 2015, is the only incumbent Democratic governor in the Deep South, and is running for re-election this year. The move has put him at odds with the national party and drawn criticism from Democrats including Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris.

The move has brought national attention to Louisiana and has sparked disagreements within the state Democratic party, whose members are also frequently at odds with national Democrats. The GOP-led Legislature easily passed the measure and shot down several attempts to exclude victims of rape and incest. Several Democratic lawmakers joined Republicans in voting for the bill.

+9 'Fetal heartbeat' abortion bill sent to Louisiana governor, who will sign it; court must uphold it Louisiana lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy if upheld by the courts, sending it to the gov

Louisiana now joins several states across the South and Midwest that have passed abortion bans that supporters have dubbed fetal heartbeat bills. The ban in Louisiana will not go into effect immediately. Lawmakers tied it to a similar Mississippi law, which would trigger Louisianas only if it upheld in a federal appeals court.

"I know there are many who feel just as strongly as I do on abortion and disagree with me  and I respect their opinions," Edwards said in a statement. "As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone.

Conservative states including Louisiana have taken aim at the U.S. Supreme Courts landmark abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade by passing some of the most restrictive abortion laws seen in years. Alabama recently passed a law that would ban nearly all abortions. Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia are among the states that have passed "fetal heartbeat" bans.

+5 Louisiana almost certain to pass anti-abortion measures this week, but it 'all depends on the courts' Long a bastion of anti-abortion sentiments, Louisiana is part of a wave of red states passing some of the most restrictive abortion laws in years.

Louisiana already has a host of abortion restrictions on the books, including a trigger law that would ban abortions outright if Roe v. Wade was overturned. Another law that would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges at local hospitals is currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. A bill brought by State Sen. John Milkovich, the Shreveport Democrat who introduced the new six-week abortion ban, was signed by Edwards last year and would ban abortions at about 15 weeks if a similar Mississippi law is upheld in court.

Planned Parenthood supporters descended upon the State Capitol Thursday, a day after the state House voted 79-23 to send the bill to Edwards desk. Lawmakers held a long and fiery debate about whether to include exceptions for victims of rape and incest, and eventually voted 35-67 against an amendment that would have excluded them from the ban. Abortion rights advocates have called the lack of such an exception cruel.

Stand up! Fight back! the supporters chanted on the steps of the Capitol. Sharmeen Aly said afterwards that she hoped the governor, whose office is on the 4th floor of the Capitol, could hear their chants.

For years, anti-abortion lawmakers in Louisiana have put politics over people and chipped away at access to essential health care with little regard for the people impacted by their policies," Petrice Sams-Abiodun, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships-Louisiana, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast.

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

Can't see video below? Click here.

New Orleans Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, the head of the states Democratic party, called the measure egregious and offensive and has encouraged opponents to call the governors office to urge him not to sign the bill.

Embarrassing!

Apologies to LA women, particularly for the disrespect to women victimized by rape or incest. #lalege #MyBodyMyChoice #WomensRights https://t.co/0RfIyQx0K3  KarenCarterPeterson (@TeamKCP) May 30, 2019

Sad day in Louisiana, Peterson said on Twitter. Womens right to choose completely disrespected! Its offensive! Ones faith is not imposed on others in their policy ... others have (different) beliefs.

Even U.S. Sen. and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders weighed in, calling the law draconian and saying Gov. Edwards signing of the law is an outrage.

The Democratic governor of Louisiana is signing draconian anti-abortion legislation today. This is an outrage. Regardless of party, we must vigorously defend a woman's constitutional right to control her own body. https://t.co/Bv1fcVEuhi  Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 30, 2019

Several other abortion bills are also making their way through the State Capitol in the legislative session that ends a week from Thursday. A constitutional amendment that would ask voters to add a line to the state Constitution saying it does not provide for abortions will likely pass after lawmakers clean up language.

Regulations on abortion providers have also been introduced here. The state Senate on Thursday also sent to Edwards' desk a bill that would require to abortion clinics to hold onto records longer, a measure clinics say is part of an ongoing effort to make it harder to operate in the state. Louisiana now has three abortion clinics operating, one in Baton Rouge, one in Shreveport and one in New Orleans.
Norman Browning, chairman of the St. George incorporation effort, urges a Senate committee Thursday, May 9, 2019, to reject a bill that would allow all voters in East Baton Rouge Parish to cast ballots on the issue. In foreground is Sherri Morris and, to left of Browning is Drew Murrell, both attorneys in the effort.
In the early cool of a Saturday morning this month, Reedell Parker was among the few people stirring in the homeless encampment on South Claib
Democrats in Louisiana and across the country continue to stand for education reform  from increasing college affordability to restoring civi
English French

MONTREAL, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quebec Precious Metals Corporation (TSX.V: CJC, FSE: YXEP, OTC-BB: CJCFF) (QPM or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mario Caron, Mrs. Dominique Dionne and Mr. Charles B. Main to its Board of Directors as independent non-executive directors, effective immediately.



Mario Caron

Mr. Caron has 40 years of wide-ranging mining industry experience in project development, operations, capital markets and governance/disclosure best practices. He is the Chairman and acting Chief Executive Officer of New Millenium Iron Corp. and currently on the Board of Directors of Algold Resources Ltd. and Falco Resources Ltd. Mr. Caron has also been President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of several companies involved in the exploration and development of metals worldwide including Aldridge Minerals Inc., Axmin Inc., Tiberon Minerals Ltd. and Defiance Mining Corporation. Earlier in his career, Mr. Caron was Vice President Mining and Infrastructure for PricewaterhouseCoopers Securities Inc. He holds a B. Eng. in Mining from McGill University, and is a member of the Quebec Order of Engineers as well as the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario.

Dominique Dionne

Mrs. Dionne is a seasoned communications and public relations executive with over 30 years of experience in large corporations known as global leaders in their industries. She has extensive background in investment institutions, natural resources industries including mining, metallurgy and forestry, and international cooperation organizations. She was a member of the Board of Quebec Mining Association from 2006 to 2013 and acted as Chair of the Board for the last two years of her tenure. She currently chairs the Board of Directors of Public Relations without Borders (PRWB) and is a Director of the Foundation of the University of Quebec in Montreal and of the Fabienne Colas Foundation. Mrs. Dionne is a graduate of the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School and holds a BA from the University of Quebec in Montreal.

Charles B. Main

Mr. Main brings over 30 years of experience in the mining and finance industries, having most recently served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Yamana Gold Inc. from August 2003 to March 2017. He is currently an independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee with Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd and Director of Critical Elements Corporation. Mr. Main is a Chartered Professional Accountant and began his career with 10 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Main has also held positions including Director of Corporate Development with Newmont Capital Corporation, Vice President of Normandy Mining Limited and Outokumpu Mines Ltd., as well as Vice President, Finance of TVX Gold Inc. Mr. Main holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University.

We are very pleased to welcome Mario Caron, Dominique Dionne and Charles Main to our Board of Directors. Their combined talent and extensive experience in mining, public affairs and financing will provide a greater depth to our Board. The Company will continue to strengthen its team as we carry on with exploration in the James Bay Eeyou Istchee territory in Quebec, stated John W.W. Hick, Chairman of QPM.

Mr. Michel Gauthier has resigned from the Board for personal reasons (effective immediately). Mr. Francois Biron has informed the Board that he will not stand for re-election at the Annual Shareholders' Meeting (scheduled to be held on July 24, 2019) as he prioritizes work, board responsibilities, and personal priorities.

We thank Michel Gauthier and Francois Biron for their contributions to the launch of Quebec Precious Metals Corporation in June 2018 and since that time. Michels unparalleled knowledge of the exploration potential of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory and Francois constant support to establish a solid foundation for growth were invaluable, said Normand Champigny, Chief Executive Officer of QPM.

About Quebec Precious Metals Corporation

QPM is a new gold explorer with a large land position in the highly-prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay region, Quebec, near Newmont Goldcorp Corporations Eleonore gold mine. QPMs flagship project is the Sakami project with significant grades and well-defined drill-ready targets. QPMs goal is to rapidly explore this project to advance it to the mineral resource estimate stage.

For more information please contact:

Jean-Francois Meilleur

President

Tel.: 514 951-2730

jfmeilleur@qpmcorp.ca



Paradox Public Relations

Tel: 514 341-0408

Normand Champigny

Chief Executive Officer

Tel.: 514 979-4746

nchampigny@qpmcorp.ca

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.




New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno and Vice President Jason Williams will introduce a resolution June 6 condemning the abortion measure signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards this week that would ban abortions in Louisiana once an embryo's heartbeat is detected  around six weeks.

The law does not contain exceptions for rape and incest. Both exceptions were heavily discussed on the House floor but the majority of lawmakers voted against them.

Louisiana House sends fetal heartbeat abortion bill to Gov. Edwards in a 79-23 vote I am not man enough to tell a woman thats had her insides ripped apart and been raped, You know what? Live with it.  State Rep. Ted James, who dissented.

Moreno said the law would negatively impact women's health care and stressed the need for sex education in reducing unplanned pregnancies.

"This dangerous abortion ban will not prevent abortion, but it will trample on women's rights, their agency and their health care," she said in a statement. "We do have to prevent unplanned pregnancies  through comprehensive sex education and broad access to birth control, not a heartless ban that doesn't even provide any exceptions for rape or incest."

Williams said the law was "dangerous and unjust" and part of a "nationwide war being waged against reproductive rights" as similar restrictive abortion measures have passed through state legislatures this year.

"I am deeply disappointed by the decisions our state officials are making that could have long-lasting negative impacts on the health of our city and our state," he said in a statement. "I trust women and follow their lead as we all say together, 'Keep abortion safe and legal, stop the bans.'"

Federal judge blocks Mississippi's six-week abortion ban  what that means for Louisiana A federal Mississippi judge temporarily blocked today a law the state passed in March banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected  a

The law only will go into effect if the courts uphold Mississippi's version of the law passed in March. A federal judge temporarily blocked the law May 24, keeping it from going into effect starting July 1.

The same judge struck down Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban last year, preventing Louisiana's law from taking effect thus far.
WATERPROOF  Chuck Barice stomped around the remnants of a former department store on Main Street, cleaning up what was left  mostly bricks and burned wood  from a recent fire. He wanted to make sure the structure wouldnt topple over onto people if they came home for Christmas and poked around. Read the full story
Even the property deed may not be enough for New Orleans developer and reality TV star Sidney Torres IV to hold onto a building he recently bought at a prime Frenchmen Street address, according to a judge's ruling Thursday.

Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Chris Bruno found that Vaso, the busy music club that Torres hoped to evict after making the winning bid for the building at 500 Frenchmen St., properly exercised its right to buy the building out from under him at the same price.

Bruno also denied Torres' motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed against him over the purchase.

Bruno's decision, though not final, spells a win for Kishore Mike and Aaron Motwani, prominent players in French Quarter real estate. They were outbid by Torres last October for the property, a two-story corner building with a wraparound balcony.

Torres, the former French Quarter trash magnate who stars in the CNBC house-flipping show The Deed, put in the winning $5.6 million bid last year for the building. The Motwanis werent done, though. They turned to Vaso, piggybacking off the clubs purchase right aiming to nullify Torres' winning bid.

Torres has accused Aaron Motwani of threatening his real estate agent over the purchase. The agent claimed in a letter that Motwani first offered him a commission if he would persuade the out-of-state sellers to pivot from Torres. Then, Motwani threatened to ruin our lives until the end of New Orleans,  wrote the agent, George Jeansonne, in a letter provided by Torres.

+3 Here's what Sidney Torres has in mind for the historic Circle Food Store he now owns The historic Circle Food Store, a landmark at St. Bernard and North Claiborne avenues, was purchased by businessman Sidney Torres IV in an Orl

"Those allegations are completely false and baseless and are fabricated to distract attention from the merits of the case," Aaron Motwani said Thursday.

To ensure his winning bid, Torres included an escalator clause that automatically raised his offer over others by $60,000. The Motwanis argued that Torres and the buildings sellers conspired to deny Vaso its purchase option, in part by raising the required deposit.

In a statement, Aaron Motwani said he was pleased with Bruno's decision as we believed from the very start of the case that Sidney Torres and his companies acted in bad faith and participated in a fraudulent sale.

He added, We look forward to redeveloping this great property and continuing to support the fabric of the community.

Motwani said the deal with Vaso calls for the club to buy the building and sell part of it back to the Motwanis. The club, he said, will remain.

Torres said he plans to appeal Brunos ruling. Were not backing down because we feel the law is on our side, he said. This whole thing is basically not over.

Torres described the Motwanis effort to acquire the building after losing out in the bidding as a snake move.

When he had the French Quarter garbage collection contract, Torres was known for the lemony scent he ordered spread through the citys historic core. He said he planned to evict Vaso in part over unsanitary conditions, including rats.

Im very anal when it comes to cleanliness, Torres said. Right now (Vaso) doesnt fit with what I own.

But according to Bruno, the same goes for Torres.

Attempts to reach the owners of Vaso were not successful Thursday.
A federal judge this week sentenced a postal worker to 2 years behind bars after he admitted to stealing $630,000 worth of stamps and selling them online to offset massive gambling losses.

Ryan Cortez, 47, of St. Charles Parish, was also ordered to pay more than $850,000 in restitution and must spend three years on parole following his release, federal prosecutors said.

Cortezs sentencing by U.S. District Judge Barry Ashe wrapped up what officials called one of the largest internal postal thefts in the history of the U.S. Postal Service, which took its current form in 1971.

According to authorities, postal investigators received an alert from PayPal and eBay that Cortez was selling huge quantities of stamps. Customers frequently pay for things they buy on the popular online marketplace by using PayPal.

Investigators then determined that more than $600,000 in stamps were listed as being in reserve at the Kenner post office that Cortez managed at the time  far larger than the usual amount of $70,000.

Records obtained from Cortezs bank account revealed substantial deposits, including more than $58,000 in a one-month period in 2018.

Authorities then discovered that Cortez  who earned an annual salary of about $71,000 and was responsible for the stamp stock at his office  had lost more than $667,000 gambling at Harrahs Casino since 2011. About a third of those losses came in 2017, federal investigators said.

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

After postal investigators raided Cortezs home on Oct. 10, he confessed that his gambling addiction had driven him to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in stamps and to sell them mainly to two buyers in Montana and New Jersey.

Cortez described using another supervisors password to access the computer system and cover his actions, the feds said.

Prosecutors also alleged that Cortez embezzled $10,000 or so from a Des Allemands church where he served as treasurer, but those charges didnt appear to factor into the guilty plea he entered in February.

Two other former New Orleans-area postal employees are scheduled to be sentenced next month after pleading guilty in recent months to federal crimes in separate cases.

Courtney Duplessis, who admitted to opening peoples mail and stealing from it while working as a letter carrier in New Orleans and Harahan, was nabbed by a sting operation which involved a $15 gift card.

Bria Davis admitted to stealing checkbooks, gift cards, cash and checks out of peoples mail while working at a post office in Slidell.
The Melbourne city fringe is one of the best performing office markets in Australia and Collingwood is an integral precinct, he said. Medical centre With the Federal Election out of the way, transactions are clicking over and local investors are reaching into their pockets. UAG developer Nicole Chow has finally offloaded the medical centre at the foot of her North Melbourne apartment project for $5 million. 33 Flemington Road, North Melbourne

The 590 sq m centre at 1/33 Flemington Road is rented to five different operators with a lease expiry average of around 4.5 years. It returns $321,047 a year, giving the deal a generous 6 per cent yield. CBREs healthcare team Jimmy Tat, Josh Twelftree, Lewis Tong and Sandro Peluso negotiated the sale. Ms Chow is also on the verge of selling her 45-55 Dudley Street development site in nearby West Melbourne. The triple-storey motel, which has a permit for a 25-level hotel-apartment tower, is under offer through Savills. Strata sales

Local private investors were also keen on CBD strata office, elbowing owner occupiers out of their way in the competition for space. One investor paid $4.25 million for level 1 at 11-19 Bank Place - a rate of $7989 a sqm. 11-19 Bank Place in Melbourne. Credit:Stephen Wood Technology entrepreneur Simon Delzoppo, who has operated the Incubate IT Innovation Hub from the office, saw a 70 per cent increase in value. Title deeds show he bought the large office space for $2.5 million in 2016. The 532 sq m office was sold by Colliers International agents Anthony Kirwan, Chris Ling and Martin Leong.

Mr Kirwan said 18 parties inspected the property, with interest coming from local and offshore investors as well as owner occupiers from the education, finance, legal, co-working and architecture-design sectors. Off-market, the Colliers team sold level 4 at 405 Collins Street for $2.55 million to another investor. 405 Collins Street. The yield on the 301 sq m office was a tight 3.75 per cent. Going Greek

The CBD building which houses Greek restaurant Tsindos has come to market for the first time in nearly four decades. Title deeds show the three-level building at 197 Lonsdale Street, on the corner of Heffernan Lane, has been held by lawyer Greg Antippa since 1980. 197 Lonsdale Street. Tsindos has been in place for 50 years, opening back in 1969 when this block of Lonsdale Street was dominated by Greek restaurants. It was opposite the Queen Victoria hospital in those days in a quiet corner of the city. These days its opposite the QV shopping centre, office towers and apartments. Emporium and Melbourne Central are just down the road.

CBREs city sales team Julian White, Alex Brierley, Nathan Mufale and Leon Ma are taking it to auction on June 27. Yarra views Australias third major real estate website RealestateVIEW is moving out of the burbs and into Cremorne, the technology hub dubbed Silicon Yarra. RealestateVIEW has taken a 220 sq m office in building 5 at 658 Church Street, moving out of 405 Riversdale Road, East Hawthorn. The industry-backed tech platform will pay $580 a sq m on a four year lease. The move puts RealestateVIEW into the heart of Melbournes tech sector where REA Group, Red Energy, Carsales.com, MYOB, Walt Disney, 7 Eleven, Uber and Tesla all have their local headquarters.

The deal was negotiated by Colliers Internationals James McMahon and Chris Meehan with Morley Commercial's James Lie and Tom Larwill. RealestateVIEW has set out to contend with the big players in the property tech industry and also provide their staff with increased amenity, Mr McMahon said. Demand for sub-300 sq m office space has surged, so a larger 570 sq m space was split into two smaller tenancies and quickly taken up, he said. Meanwhile, another development site in the neighbourhood is on the market. The suburb is in the middle of an office building boom triggered by growing $500-plus a sq m rents and its reputation as a tech hub. 71-73 Balmain Street, Cremorne

Teska Carson agent Matthew Feld is marketing a double-storey showroom-office on a 586 sq m parcel of land at 71-73 Balmain Street. The L-shaped property is on the corner of Green Street near the railway line that splits Cremorne in two. It is for sale through an expressions of interest campaign closing in late June and is expected to fetch around $7.5 million. Muji move Japanese homewares store Muji is set to open a new office in Melbournes CBD ahead of plans to open its biggest store. Muji is about to expand its 300 sq m Chadstone outlet into a 1700 sq m concept store.

It's also ramping up its office requirement, taking out a 292 sq m office on level 5 of 90 William Street, paying $116,000 a year. Fitzroys agents Samuel Friend and Stephen Land negotiated the five year lease deal on behalf of the The Australian Club. 90 William Street. The Australian Club also owns its historic club house next door at 110 William Street. Mr Friend said Muji was looking for character-filled space in a heritage building for its new office.
Ray Dalio calls it a "long ideological war." Mark Mobius sees little hope for a quick resolution. And Stephen Jen says we're witnessing the start of a 15-round fight.

As the US and China clash over everything from trade to technology, some of the biggest names in global investing are bracing for a protracted superpower conflict and adjusting their portfolios accordingly.

Mobius, for instance, is avoiding shares of Chinese exporters and buying companies that sell to domestic consumers.

"This contest will be a drawn-out process that will likely last our careers," said Jen, a former economist at the International Monetary Fund and Morgan Stanley who now runs Eurizon SLJ Capital, a hedge fund and advisory firm. "We as investors and analysts need to pace ourselves, and try to not just follow the latest news. We need to understand the economics and the cultural differences."
NASA will launch commercial rockets from an Australian spaceport in the Northern Territory next year after an Australian startup secured a contract with the space agency.

NASA will work with Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) to launch rockets into space from the startup's Arnhem Space Centre in 2020.

From left to right: Carley Scott, chief executive of ELA, Djawa Yunupingu, traditional owner, from Gumatj Corporation, Blake Nikolic, chief executive of ELA customer Black Sky Aerospace. Painting on the cone of the rocket by painting by artist Dorothy Djakangu Yunupingu. Credit:LJM Photography

"It's a first for NASA and a first for Australia," said ELA chief executive Carley Scott. "NASA has never ever before contracted a commercial site to do a launch."

ELA was founded in 2015 by Scott Wallis with the aim of securing a great location for space launches.
8.30am Wakes up "I definitely have an alarm clock  I would sleep all day without it. Thats probably late for some people but it feels early for me." First up, coffee. "I dont often eat in the morning, just out of habit, which is terrible," he says with a laugh.

9.30am En route to work The tram gets him to the Australian Ballet Centre (behind the Arts Centre) by 10am. He picks up another coffee straight away, then gets changed and heads to the studio. Killian started performing with the Australian Ballet in 2000, becoming a principal dancer in 2011, which makes him the Roger Federer of the company. Most dancers can only dream of such longevity in a career that is notoriously taxing on the body.

Andrew Killian during morning class at the Australian Ballet. Credit:Kate Longley

10.30am-11.45 Morning class Taught by Steven Heathcote, known as the ballet master, the class is part of the routine for the 77 dancers in the company, six days a week. "Its like their morning coffee  and they have that too," says Heathcote, who performed with the Australian Ballet for 24 years, 20 as a principal.

Two morning classes run simultaneously.While the teacher and the music varies, the workout in each is similar. The room is half full when we arrive, many having a chat while stretching and warming up. To one side, someone is doing the moonwalk, nearby another is kicking ballet shoes like a footy.
Like sun-dried tomatoes and portobello-mushroom burgers, brunch came of age in the 1990s. Its rise in Australia coincided with the nation's newfound love of espresso drinks, as well as a growing desire to live healthier lives. Big, indulgent dinners were no longer in vogue. Throw a newfangled bread called sourdough into the mix, and you had a healthy habit worth adopting.

Illustration: Simon Letch Credit:

Americans embraced brunch too, but theirs was very different. For a start, their coffee culture revolved around bottomless cups of drip. ("Want another?" asked a new friend as we finished our milky grande lattes at Starbucks one day in the early 2000s.) Brunch was less of a sun salute than an entertaining way to while away a Saturday indoors.

TV shows such as Sex and the City and Seinfeld promoted the idea of brunch as a way for urban families to reconnect after a hectic work week. The food wasn't fancy  Elaine's "big salad" on Seinfeld was about as gourmet as things got  but on the small screen it looked reliably convivial, even cosy.

When I moved to New York in 2005, Millennial brunch was in full swing. It was no longer just a meal. Brunch had become an identity for my peer group. Some friends even listed it as a hobby on their Facebook profiles, along with quotes from the movie Anchorman and George W. Bush memes. We were in our 20s, flush on fortnightly pay cheques, encumbered with few responsibilities beyond making sure we weren't evicted. There was no problem queuing for hours to eat foods very easily made at home. (Seeing a line, even now, evokes a Pavlovian response in me.)
English Danish

The Board of Directors of MT Hjgaard Holding A/S has appointed Martin Stig Solberg as CFO and to the Executive Board of MT Hjgaard Holding A/S, with a start date latest of 1 August 2019.

Martin Stig Solberg is 44 and his most recent position was as CFO of ISS in the Netherlands. He previously worked at the FLSmidth Group for 22 years, holding senior roles with both commercial responsibility and focus on finance, project management, risk management and restructuring.

- We look forward to working with Martin, who has the ideal combination of strong financial skills and extensive experience in leadership, finance and managing complex projects. As a business-orientated CFO, Martin will be able to make a significant contribution to the ongoing revitalisation of MT Hjgaard Group, says Carsten Dilling, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MT Hjgaard Holding A/S.

Martin Stig Solberg has an MSc in Business Administration and Auditing from Copenhagen Business School, an Executive MBA from SIMI and has served as a Sergeant with the Royal Danish Air Force.

Martin Stig Solberg held leadership roles with the FLSmidth Group from 2003-2019 as Senior Vice President and Global Head of FLSmidth Automation, CEO of FLSmidth Wadgassen Materials Handling and CFO of FLSmidths large Indian subsidiary. Prior to that, he also held such positions as Controller, Finance Manager and CFO of the Groups subsidiaries and business units.

Martin Stig Solberg and President and CEO Anders Heine Jensen will jointly make up the Executive Board of MT Hjgaard Holding. Martin Stig Solberg will replace Egil Mlsted Madsen, who has sought new challenges outside the Group as announced on 28 March 2019.

- I am delighted to be joining the MT Hjgaard Group. I thrive in the crossover area between transformation management and financial management, and, with my background in FLSmidth, I have a natural interest in managing major, complex projects. I look forward to supporting the business by helping to optimise processes, process execution and organisation still further, so we achieve an even better balance between sales, projects, risk management and economics, says Martin Stig Solberg.

Contact: Any questions should be directed to Chairman of the Board Carsten Dilling via Ann-Louise Elkjr, Vice President Communications and HR, +45 2033 8693, ale@mth.dk


It is thought to be romantic  even old fashioned  to desire a "soulmate", but psychotherapist Esther Perel says expecting your partner to fulfil all of your emotional needs is a very contemporary concept.

"This notion that the couple becomes the unit for affection, for trust, for intimacy, the sharing of your internal life is a complete revolution," says Perel, the Belgian-born, New York-based psychotherapist who is rethinking modern romance.

Psychotherapist and bestselling author Esther Perel thinks we expect too much from our partners. Credit:Kate Geraghty

"The line I always use is: 'You're asking one person to give you what an entire village used to provide.'"

Perel is something of a celebrity therapist. With two bestselling books  her first, Mating in Captivity, has been translated into 24 languages (she speaks nine)  and a popular podcast recorded within her clinic, Perel draws on 35 years of counselling couples to present unique views on modern relationships, including that individuals should not expect fulfilment from one person.
I see Eddie Mabo as a man for all seasons but one drawn magnetically to the season of hope. Being banished from Mer in the Murray Islands, standing before court and being expelled at the age of 16 for drinking alcohol, might have broken many young men.

Poverty, rejection and alienation crushes most young people. Look deeper into the over-incarceration of young Indigenous men and women and the loss of hope expressed in so many suicides and you find family crisis, the early death of a parent, domestic violence, foetal alcohol syndrome, drugs or abuse.

A season for hope ... Eddie Mabo, a role model for a nation with unfinished business. Credit:The Age

Yet the name Eddie Koiki Mabo, now enshrined in law and in legend, shines brightly in the longer timelines of the history of this land. Mabo can show Australians how to make the most of our unique opportunities, how to blend the ancient strengths of many cultures and the human creativity of our modern diversity to write one of the worlds most hopeful narratives in the 21st Century.

The racial supremacy implicit in the doctrine of terra nullius had allowed settlers to look right through the First Peoples, to pretend that Eddie Mabos people were not really here, that they had not nurtured this land for countless millennia and so were not fully human. This exclusion was made explicit in the Australian constitution and the deep stain of that racism remains in the document today.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Weather is always moving but every day in Australia, it comes together at a 9.45am conference. Having issued top temperatures for each of their states earlier in the morning, meteorologists around the country dial in for the Bureau of Meteorology's national conference to ensure every bureau starts the day reading from the same script. In the Melbourne office where the conference is chaired, the eyes of around 50 forecasters are glued to the multi-screen display at the front of the room as the nation's head forecaster for the day begins, pointing out moving pressure systems and a large cold front near Perth. It's May, and even Western Australia isn't immune to some rain. With computer power and observational data increasing, we can now predict seven days ahead with similar accuracy to three days at the turn of the century  but how? We know technology is crucial but what kind exactly? Does Melbourne really have "four seasons in one day"? How does a forecaster's familiarity with Sydney's summer southerly buster factor in? In the age of supercomputers and satellites, how far ahead can we forecast our weather? How do meteorologists stay on top of the weather? At the Bureau of Meterology's national morning conference, the extreme weather desk is next to report. They show seven orange lines off the north coast of Queensland  each a computer-generated prediction of a tropical cyclone's path  moving away from the coast. "All the lines follow a similar path, so we can be confident where it's going," announces the forecaster.

Advertisement

Meteorologists working on aviation and oceans follow. Last is the volcano desk, which monitors the world's volcanic ash circulation. Indonesia's volcano Dukono is spewing small amounts, as usual. Senior forecaster Steven McGibbony, with a "spaghetti model" of high and low pressure systems behind. Credit:Joe Armao Tucked away in a radio studio, another meteorologist chats to ABC radio. Many of the forecasters listen intently to the conference, at least partly because they want to avoid being caught out by an unexpected question during their TV or radio appearances later that day. Getting the forecast right matters. Not that BoM always do: some years ago, they predicted an El Nino system and its accompanying dry weather for central NSW, according to NSW farmer Wayne Dunford. "But that year, farmers were walking around saying, 'Who shot the El Nino brothers?', because it rained every time we wanted it." Beyond special weather events such as storms, cyclones and bushfires, accurate forecasts are imperative to aviation and Australia's $60 billion agriculture industry. As Dunford says, "Farmers live by the weather". How is the "feels like" temperature calculated? The Bureau of Meteorology measures the ambient, or air, temperature using thermometers shielded from sun and wind. Ambient temperature doesn't take into account wind chill, where wind strips a layer of warm air from around your body which makes you feel cold; nor does it take into account humidity, which makes it harder for sweat to evaporate from your body so you feel hot. So the Bureau then takes into account these factors by calculating a Steadman Apparent Temperature, which is based on a mathematical model of an adult walking outdoors in the shade. If you combine the effects of humidity, wind chill and ambient temperature on the comfort levels of that adult, you'd get the Steadman, or feels like, temperature. What this doesn't take into account is the effect of direct sun. So if it's a really hot day and you're out of the shade, bump up the dial on feels like for an indication of your projected comfort levels.

Advertisement

Where do weather observations come from? Forecasts start with observational data collected on the ground, in the air and in outer space: from polar-orbiting satellites to aircraft to air-balloons that fly as high 15 kilometres. Our weekly forecasts are also internationally collaborative efforts. Australia is one of 192 member states and territories in the UNs World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) that exchange meteorological observations and data. Most of our satellite imagery is provided by Japan's Himawari 8, which orbits over Japan, Papua and central Australia. That sharing extends to weather models where supercomputers  at 1600 trillion calculations per second, "super" isnt an exaggeration for Australias version  apply observations of humidity, wind speed, temperature, rainfall and pressure systems to fluid dynamics equations in order to simulate the evolution of weather. Cyclones Veronica and Trevor seen from the Himawari-8 satellite in March. Credit:Himawari-8 Satellite

Advertisement

How do supercomputers predict weather? Simulations by BoM and CSIRO, as well as those from other regions, which we've been using for 60 years, can go beyond seven days  some studies say accurately up to 10 days  but BoM offers seven-day forecasts because thats the threshold at which they trust the simulations to be sufficiently accurate. The "spaghetti model", below, illustrates the computer models' divergence over time. Each colour represents a different pressure system and each line is a different "run" of a model. If you could imagine we'd given 10 people a yellow marker with which to draw their forecast then compared how closely they'd matched, that is what the yellow band of lines below shows (but instead of people with markers, it's computers with data). The neater image forecasts a day ahead, and each line runs a similar course, meaning the models generally agree and the meteorologist can be accurate in their forecast. The messier image, above, forecasts a week ahead and illustrates how noticeably the models diverge, decreasing the forecasters' confidence in their prediction. In other words, there's less agreement between the different forecasts. So while we always have a seven-day forecast, behind the scenes a forecaster will be more or less confident in its accuracy depending on the disparity between the models. Video: a forecaster explains the spaghetti theory

Advertisement

How far ahead can the forecast go? Seven-day forecasts are issued twice per day, once in the early morning and once in the late afternoon. While forecasts normally became less accurate further away, McGibbony says the focus then shifts to providing a generally accurate forecast. "Especially a week ahead, people generally want to know how warm it will be and whether it will rain. Youre not saying there will be showers and theyll produce exactly 5mm of rain. We say theres a percentage chance there will be rain at some point." BoM head of long-range forecasting, Dr Andrew Watkins, says the bureau will release a "medium" outlook of two to three weeks by the end of this year to complement the existing three-month seasonal outlooks, following demand particularly from farmers and emergency services. What well be able to say is, in two weeks theres a high probability it will be wet or dry, or a hot or cold week. "Its not so much a weather forecast. Were not going to tell you in two weeks time on the Saturday itll be fine, sunny and 23. What well be able to say is, 'In two weeks theres a high probability it will be wet or dry, or a hot or cold week'.

Advertisement
Rudolf von Ribbentrop, who has died aged 98, was the son of Hitlers foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and became a highly decorated soldier in the Waffen-SS, the military wing of the Nazi corps. According to Joachims biographer, Michael Bloch, when Joachim was appointed German Ambassador in London in 1936, Sir Robert Vansittart, the Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, tried to get the gawky, bespectacled 15-year-old Rudi into Eton for the coming half. Ribbentrop believed that Eton would show Rudolf how English boys live, and he will be able to teach the Hitler Youth.  The school rejected him, however. Instead, Rudolf spent a year as a day boy at Westminster School, where a contemporary, Brian Urquhart, later Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, described him in his memoirs, A Life in Peace and War (1987), as doltish, surly and arrogant, recalling that he arrived each morning in one of two plum-coloured Mercedes-Benz limousines  On arrival in Deans Yard, both chauffeurs would spring out, give the Nazi salute and shout Heil Hitler!  The Telegraph, London.

In Passing Credit:SMH

Edward Seaga, a Jamaican record producer turned prime minister who forged closer ties to the United States and promoted austere, free-market economic policies while in office from 1980 to 1989, died May 28, on his 89th birthday. Seaga was the only remaining member of the generation of Jamaican leaders who drafted the constitution when the Caribbean island gained independence from Britain in 1962 and remained in office for 40 years, longer than anyone in Jamaicas history. For some older Jamaicans, Seaga is forever linked with the state-sponsored political violence of that era, when Jamaicas two major political factions used gun-toting gangsters to sway voters. Following a deadly 1978 military ambush of gang members allied to Seagas conservative Labour Party, Jamaicas leading reggae musicians took the stage at a Kingston concert to support peace. The concerts highlight was a moment that has become immortalised in Jamaican consciousness: Reggae icon Bob Marley made Seaga and Manley clasp hands over his head and promise an end to the violence. The Washington Post.

Nancy Wigginton, better known as Nan Winton, who was the first woman to read the national news on BBC television, died on May 11 in Dorset, England. She was 93. The County of Dorset coroners office said on Tuesday that she had died after a fall. Wigginton had worked on the BBCs flagship investigative program Panorama before she was hired, on a trial basis, to read evening news bulletins in the summer of 1960. At the time, women were largely held to be unsuited for the job. As the BBC itself wrote in its online history, managers had thought women were too frivolous to be the bearers of grave news. But BBC executives agreed to the experiment partly in response to the example set by the rival British commercial network ITV, which had made Barbara Mandell its first regular reader of television news in 1955. The New York Times.
Residents fighting high-rise buildings across Sydney are calling on Planning Minister Rob Stokes' to back up his comments about "changing the culture" of development in the city by blocking longstanding and contentious development proposals.

Mr Stokes began his second stint as minister by signalling a push to end the controversial practice of "spot rezonings," used by developers and other proponents throughout the city to gain approval for new housing developments outside existing planning controls.

An artist's impression of the controversial twin towers proposed for a slice of land near Centennial Park at Bondi Junction. Credit:Stargate Property Group

Those comments by Mr Stokes have emboldened community groups across Sydney who are fighting rezoning proposals.

For instance in the eastern suburbs, Waverley Council twice rejected a proposal to build two 11-storey apartment blocks overlooking the heritage-listed Centennial Park between Oxford Street and Syd Einfeld Drive at Bondi Junction.
A Queensland woman has stared down her partner's teenage killer and told him it is "time to step up and own" his actions.

Alexander Craig Price Kirke, 19, killed Gold Coast father Darren Pullar by running him over in an attempt to escape a botched home invasion on Boxing Day in 2016.

Manslaughter victim Darren Pullar's partner Collette Dunn (centre) and his son Aidan (left) leave the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Friday. Credit:AAP/Dan Peled

Mr Pullar had bravely come to the aid of his neighbour when he heard the violent home invasion in the early hours of Boxing Day 2016, a court heard on Friday.

Kirke, with some mates, had armed themselves with a baseball bat, a cricket bat and a knife, to rob a drug dealer's home at Broadbeach Waters on the Gold Coast.
Associate Professor Sean Cain lives in gloom.

He had all the lights in his house replaced with smartlights that turn orange after dusk.

Professor Sean Cain. "Even at really low levels of light, we are essentially tricking our bodies into thinking it is day when it is night." Credit:Justin McManus

He keeps them turned down as low as he can without tripping over his furniture. He lies in full darkness, listening to podcasts, for an hour before falling asleep.

If his theory is right, we might all be living like that one day.
We know that the Western legal system does not want to lose the control they have had over First Nations peoples lives because it is bad for business. All prisons in Victoria are privately run and house the most prisoners compared to any other state that have privatised prisons. Reducing Aboriginal incarceration would take away their easiest and most lucrative business.

However, punitive programs fail miserably. In Victoria, 50.2 per cent of incarcerated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders return to prison within two years of offending.

As First Nations people we do not get a seat at the table where decisions are made that affect our lives. Under international law, Indigenous people have a right to self-determination set out in the United Nations Declaration Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Article 19: "Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own procedures, as well as to maintain and develop their own indigenous decision-making institutions."

The Australian legal system should strive to make an "inclusive" effort to address the over-representation. We need to move past the tokenistic gestures and consultative practices and give Aboriginal people a real opportunity to make decisions.
Two Icelandic drug mules who smuggled millions of dollars worth of cocaine into Australia have been told to warn their countrymen off similar crime once deported after their jail terms.

Helgi Steinarsson, 31, and Brynjar Gudmundsson, 26, were busted with the drug stashed in a false compartment of their suitcases after landing in Melbourne a day apart last November.

On Friday the duo was jailed by County Court Judge John Carmody, who told the smugglers they would be sent home once released from prison and should pass a message on to others.

"[If] they want to come into this country with a suitcase of drugs ... we'll lock them up," the judge said.

Steinarsson and Gudmundsson did not know each other but had both agreed to be couriers for the same syndicate in exchange for having their respective drug debts wiped.
A prominent surgeon charged with raping a fellow doctor after he allegedly took his condom off without permission while they were having sex has won a court battle to keep treating patients.

The surgeon, who is also an academic, was arrested and charged by Victoria Police in September 2018 after he was involved in a 2017 incident of "stealthing", the non-consensual removal of a condom, during sex with another male doctor.

Under Victorian law, the non-consensual removal of a condom and continued penetrative sex is classified as rape.

Following the incident, the other doctor raised concerns about being infected with HIV, began to take medication to prevent contracting the disease and asked the surgeon to provide tests verifying his HIV-free status.

Instead, the surgeon, whose named has been suppressed, blocked his calls and texts.
News release from Vestas Mediterranean

Madrid, 31 May 2019



Brazilian energy company Echoenergia has placed a 97 MW order to supply and install 23 V150-4.2 MW turbines at the Serra do Mel wind park, located in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The order is an extension of the 101 MW Serra do Mel project, which was Vestas first V150-4.2 MW turbine order in Brazil.



The order takes Vestas firm order intake for the V150-4.2 MW in Brazil to 1,063 MW since October 2018, when the company announced plans to produce the turbine variant in Ceara. Reaching 1 GW in seven months underlines the V150-4.2 MW turbines excellent fit with Brazils wind conditions, including very competitive levelised cost of energy and Vestas ability to customise wind energy solutions to site specific needs.

With this order Vestas surpasses the 1 GW of firm order intake for the V150-4.2 MW in Brazil in just seven months. The milestone shows the impact that this turbine has had in the market. We are also very glad to achieve this milestone with Echoenergia, which was the first customer in Brazilian to place an order for the V150-4.2 MW turbine, states Rogerio S. Zampronha, Vestas managing director for Brazil and Southern LATAM.

The nacelles will be manufactured at the Vestas factory in Ceara, while blades and towers also will be locally produced under the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) FINAME II rules.

Turbine delivery is scheduled for the second quarter of 2020, while commissioning is planned for June 2020.

For more information, please contact:

Andres Dominguez Sahagun

Communications Consultant

Vestas Mediterranean

Tel.: +34 649294007

E-mail: Andms@vestas.com

About Vestas

Vestas is the energy industrys global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with more than 102 GW of wind turbines in 80 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled more than 87 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas more than 24,500 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future.

For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images .

We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels:

Attachment
A Perth father has described the agonising wait for help after he was stabbed and mugged by a group of thugs while he was out getting petrol in Innaloo overnight.

It was around 11.25pm when Gordon Impey, 55, stopped to check the GPS on his phone after he finished filling up his Hyundai Hatchback.

Gordon Impey. Credit:Nine News Perth

He was approached by a group of four men near Poincare Street and Cedric Street, and they began demanding his belongings.

The main guy with the knife in his hand put the knife towards my cheek and asked me to hand over what I had, Mr Impey told Nine News Perth's Jacqueline Robson.
Thats when economic change made western Sydney an option for Aboriginal people moving from the bush and from inner-city suburbs, the promise of housing and the promise of jobs were factors, Professor Norman said. Today there are many organisations in western Sydney that dedicate their work to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and creating a sense of belonging in the community. Professor Normans research identified 46 Indigenous community groups operating in the Blacktown area alone, most of them guided by volunteers. The Central Coast Council has the biggest Indigenous population in Greater Sydney the census identified 15,400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in that area, or 4.6 per cent of the total.

The Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby councils had the citys lowest shares of Indigenous people with just 0.2 per cent. Among Sydney's suburbs, Mosman was home to the lowest number of first Australians at 79. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has been growing at a much faster than the non-Indigenous population during the past decade, both nationally and in NSW. Between 2011 and 2016 the Indigenous population rose by 18.4 per cent, compared with an 8.6 per cent increase for the non-Indigenous population. Analysis by the Australian National Universitys Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research found the fastest rates of Indigenous population growth in Brisbane, Sydney and the NSW central and north coast. One factor was natural increase - Indigenous Australians have a slightly higher number of children than non-Indigenous Australians. However, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are married at much lower rates than other groups with fewer than one in four couples (24.6 per cent) living in wedlock in 2016 and 11.2 per cent either divorced or separated. Almost half of all non-indigenous people were married in 2016 (48.1 per cent) with similar divorce and separation rates. Also, more people now identify themselves as Indigenous. The Bureau of Statistics says there's an increased propensity for people to identify themselves and their children as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin.

Indigenous Sydneysiders are much younger, on average, than the rest of the city  their median age was 23 years at the last census compared with a median of 36 years for the whole metropolitan population. The age profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in outer metropolitan areas is especially young  the median age was just 20 or 21 in five council areas on Greater Sydney's fringe. More than half (54 per cent) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW were aged under 25 years in 2016 compared with fewer than one in three (31 per cent) of non-Indigenous people. There's a striking divergence in older age groups as well - only about 5 per cent of the NSW Indigenous population was aged 65 and over compared to 16 per cent of non-Indigenous people in 2016. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders living in Sydney tend to be better educated and have higher incomes than Indigenous people elsewhere. They are also more likely to be in employment.

The median weekly income for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander households in Greater Sydney was $1488 in 2016. Thats $268 a week less than the median weekly income for non-indigenous households ($1756). However, there were five Sydney districts where the median weekly household income for Indigenous households was higher than for non-Indigenous households - Northern Beaches ($153 more), Ryde ($143), Inner-southwest ($116), Central Coast ($60) and Blue Mountains ($4). About one in six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers have a job in the health care and social assistance sector making it the biggest employer of Indigenous people in NSW (that sector is also the biggest employer of non-Indigenous workers). Nationally, the top work roles for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were community and personal service (17 per cent) followed by labourers (15.3 per cent), professionals (13.4 per cent), and technicians and trade workers (13.4 per cent). The most common jobs were supermarket and grocery store work 3.1 per cent and hospitals (except psychiatric) 3 per cent.
Seoul: North Korea has executed its nuclear envoy to the United States as well as four Foreign Ministry officials who carried out negotiations for the Hanoi summit with US President Donald Trump in February, holding them responsible for its collapse, South Korean reports say.

Kim Hyok-chol was executed at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang, along with four Foreign Ministry executives, in March after they were all charged with spying for the United States, the Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified North Korean source.

US President Donald Trump talks to Kim Yong-chol, former North Korean military intelligence chief and previously one of leader Kim Jong-un's closest aides, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Kim Yong-chol is said to have been sent to a labour camp. Credit:AP

"He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping US intentions," the source was quoted as saying.

The summit in Hanoi, the second between Kim Jong-un and Trump, failed to reach a deal because of conflicts over US calls for complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and North Korean demands for sanctions relief.
Torture did not just include active efforts, but also covers a situation where a State is aware your behaviour will have these consequences and not doing anything about it, Melzer said. In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution I have never seen a group of democratic States ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law. Melzer told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that in his work with the UN and before in the field with the Red Cross he had seen people in rendition for interrogation after 9/11, and prisoners of war who had been ill-treated on a daily basis. Julian Assange is driven from the Ecuadorian embassy in London after his arrest in April. Credit:PA But [Assange] is really something Ive never seen in 20 years, Melzer said. Ive seen atrocities in war areas that were physically more horrible but Ive never seen a single person pursued so relentlessly and with so little foundation.

[When I saw him] I immediately compared him to some of the graver cases in interrogation prisons in terms of his psychological reaction patterns. Thats what alarmed me so much. He said Assanges treatment was very close to the intentional, purposeful infliction of coercive measures to try to break him. Loading Melzer said his visit on May 9 involved a three-hour psychological and physical assessment based on the "Istanbul Protocol", a standard manual for assessing torture victims around the world. The assessment took place before WikiLeaks revealed, on Wednesday, that Assange had been moved to a prison hospital having dramatically lost weight and in such a state that it was not possible to conduct a normal conversation with him.

Assange did not appear as expected by video link for a short court hearing on Thursday. Melzer said he was not surprised Assange had taken a turn for the worse. When he visited Assange had complained of not being able to eat properly or keep his food down  which could have a psychological or physical cause. Australia is a glaring absence in this case. Theyre just not around, as if Assange was not an Australian citizen. UN rapporteur on torture Nils Melzer He appeared extremely agitated and preoccupied, Melzer said. He asked a lot of questions and he would jump around, he was so preoccupied with everything he cant even compute my answers any more.

There were episodes of this, then he was part of the conversation as normal, then again he would enter into this agitated state. I have seen with other victims of psychological torture that would happen. Loading Melzer said Assanges immediate medical needs were being attended to at Belmarsh, which had what he called correct infrastructure, not great but nothing torturous in that. But Assange, unlike other prisoners, was exposed to multiple major pending legal proceedings with so much political commotion, and was not being given enough time to talk to his lawyers and get updates on his case. Assange is currently fighting extradition to the US on hacking and espionage charges that carry a potential life sentence, and also faces possible extradition to Sweden to face a rape allegation.

Assange needed access to legal documents and a computer to write notes to share with his lawyers, Melzer said. Its not about creating special treatment its simply giving him the means he needs, and is entitled to, to prepare a proper defence. It would certainly help to alleviate part of the pressure which is already superhuman. I fear if that pressure is not alleviated soon it might escalate in terms of the psychological consequences  and I think thats what were now seeing. Melzer said he had seen no sign of Australian assistance for Assange. Australia is a glaring absence in this case. Theyre just not around, as if Assange was not an Australian citizen. That is not the correct way of dealing with that.
Budapest: The captain of a cruise ship that collided with a tour boat that sank on the Danube River in the heart of the Hungarian capital Budapest has been taken into custody.

The 64-year-old Ukrainian man, known only as C Yuriy, is suspected of endangering water transport leading to the deaths of at least seven people on board the tour boat.

Hungarians have paid tribute at the site where a tourist boat sank on Wendesday night, Budapest time. Credit:AP

Hungarian rescue officials said there was little chance of finding survivors after the boat with South Korean tourists on board sank, with 21 still missing.

The boat, the Mermaid, was cruising when it collided with a larger luxury passenger boat during a rainstorm on Wednesday evening, Budapest time, causing it to capsize and sink with 33 South Korean tourists and tour guides, and two Hungarian crew aboard.
Jerusalem: Political chaos met presidential son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner as he visited Israel for meetings to bolster support for his peace plan, as the prospect of a second round of Israeli elections muddied the plan's long-delayed rollout.

In a move that stunned Israelis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a government by a Wednesday night deadline and his party put forward a bill to dissolve the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner attend the opening ceremony of the new US Embassy in Jerusalem. Credit:AP

The move means Israel will hold new elections on September 17, less than six months after its April 9 vote.

The shock rerun of the election comes as the White House is running short of time to release its plan for how to solve the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestinians before the 2020 US election campaign kicks into full swing. Analysts say Netanyahu is unlikely to want to address thorny political issues or the prospect of any concessions with the Palestinians during a campaign period.
Washington: Some of the biggest names in tech - Google, Apple, Microsoft and WhatsApp among them - have joined human rights groups and security researchers in condemning a British intelligence proposal that would allow law enforcement to spy on encrypted messages.

In a nine-page open letter, the coalition of tech companies told Britain's Government Communications Headquarters that its "ghost proposal" posed a serious threat to cyber security and personal privacy.

WhatsApp allows end to end encryption on your phone. For now. Credit:AP

The idea, as outlined last year in a series of essays from two top intelligence officials, would allow investigators to covertly join group chats and calls.

The authors Ian Levy, the technical director of the national cyber security center, and Crispin Robinson, head of code-breaking for the GCHQ - said their plan paralleled contemporary wiretapping practices and wouldn't violate the sanctity of encryption.
New York: US President Donald Trump has announced he will impose a 5 per cent tariff on Mexican imports in a bid to to get the country to crack down on the huge numbers of migrants attempting to cross the US-Mexico border.

On Thursday evening, US time, Trump tweeted that on June 10, the "United States will impose a 5% tariff on all goods coming into our country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our country. STOP."

A child yawns after he is woken from his sleep by Mexican immigration authorities who arrived to push out camping migrant families from a park in Tapachula, Mexico, on Wednesday. Credit:AP

"The tariff will gradually increase until the illegal immigration problem is remedied ... at which time the tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow."

He has threatened to raise the tariffs to 10 per cent on July 1 unless Mexico takes action to stop the crisis at the border.
AUTO LAB TALK RADIO LIVE FROM NYC, Saturday June 1, 2019 WNYM Radio AM 970 7-9 AM





Auto Lab Talk Radio on New York City's WNYM Radio AM 970 Is Streamed Worldwide On TheAutoChannel.Com

Car Question or Concern? Automotive Career Opportunity, Call Toll Free 888-692-7234 To Speak With An Auto Lab Expert











Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format.

Listeners can find audio recordings of the past 20 years of archived Auto Lab shows as simulcast on The Auto Channel; The Auto Lab Index Page includes; Audio-on-Demand Archives, Community College Auto Program Database, Guests Pictures

This Weeks Show: June 1, 2019

In Studio Expert Automotive Panel

Harold Bendell - Major Auto

Tim Cacace, Master Mechanix

Libby Demarco- Broadway Sunoco

David Goldsmith-Urban Classics

Jerry Pastore- D & J Diagnostics

Johanna Pastore- D & J Diagnostics

Joanne Porcelli, Esq.

Michael Porcelli - Bronx Community College, City University of New York

Nicholas Prague - MTA

Interviews

Robert Erskine, Senior European Correspondent & BBC

"FIAT CHRYSLER AND RENAULT NISSAN MERGER"

John Russell, Sharon Sudol, Senior Correspondents

"VOLVO T6 AWD MOMENTUM"

Russ Rader, Senior Vice President The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

"REPAIR COSTS OF THE FORD F-150 ALUMINUM PICKUP"

Robert Sinclair AAA Northeast

"THIS WEEK BEGINS THE 100 DEADLIEST DAYS OF THE YEAR WHEN THE RATE OF FATAL TEEN CRASHES INCREASES"

RICK SAPIENZA, Director, Clean Transportation Program - North Carolina State University

"Developing Alternative Fuels & Advanced Transportation Technologies"
GM to Invest $24 Million to Expand Full Size Truck Production at Indiana Plant

Since 2015, GM has invested more than $1.2 Billion at Fort Wayne Assembly U.S. Manufacturing Investments Top $23 Billion in Last Decade

Roanoke, Ind. May 30, 2019; General Motors Co. is making a new round of upgrades to its Fort Wayne Assembly plant to further increase production of the all-new Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups  especially crew cab models.

We are building Chevrolet and GMC crew cab pickups at record volume and mix levels to meet customer demand and the $24 million investment will allow us to build even more, said Mary Barra, GM chairman and CEO. The team here at Fort Wayne has done an outstanding job helping us satisfy customers throughout this launch. Our product ramp-up was very smooth and the quality has been exceptional. Crew cab sales have been very strong, and we are expanding customer choice with new models, more cab choices and innovative new powertrains.

Combined sales of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab pickups, which launched in the second half of 2018, were up 20 percent in the first quarter of 2019 versus a year ago. GM is projecting another significant increase for the second quarter. Customer deliveries of the double-cab models built in Fort Wayne began during the first quarter.

The $24 million will be invested to further enhance the plants conveyors and other tooling to support the increased production. The work will be completed this summer. With todays announcement, GM has invested more than $1.2 billion in the plant since 2015.

Since 2009, GM has invested $23 billion in U.S. manufacturing  more than one-quarter of every dollar spent by automakers.

General Motors is committed to delivering safer, better and more sustainable ways for people to get around. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Cadillac, Chevrolet, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang and Wuling brands. More information

on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, Maven, its personal mobility brand, and Cruise, its autonomous vehicle company, can be found at http://www.gm.com.
SAN MATEO, Calif., May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PLUS Products Inc . (PLUS or the Company) (CSE:PLUS) (OTCQB:PLPRF), one of Californias top edibles brand and manufacturer by market share according to BDS Analytics , today announced CEO and Co-Founder Jake Heimark will be a panelist at the Eight Capital & Cassels Brock  State of the Union: American Cannabis Forum on Tuesday June 4, 2019 at 1:00pm ET at the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto. The theme of the panel Jake will be participating in is Creating Winning Brands.



The Eight Capital Conference features a unique mix of cannabis companies, institutional investors, sell-side research analysts as well as members of the media, all gathered together to discuss the current issues facing cannabis companies operating today as well as providing an opportunity to network and share ideas.

Additionally, company management will participate in one-on-one meetings with institutional investors and analysts at the conference.

About PLUS Products

PLUS creates low dose and delicious cannabis food products that enhance the everyday. PLUSs mission is to use nature to bring balance to peoples lives - that starts with high-quality, precisely dosed products that deliver consistent experiences. PLUSs food products, which include gummies and mints in a variety of delectable flavors, are manufactured at PLUSs own factory in Adelanto, CA, where dosage is tested twice internally and then tested twice again by an independent lab. PLUS is headquartered in San Mateo, CA with 80 employees.

For further information contact:

Investors:

Jessica Bornn

Director of Investor Relations

ir@plusproducts.com

Tel +1 650.223.5478

Media:

Heidi Groshelle

Ingrid Marketing

heidi@ingridmarketing.com

Maggie Squires

Moxie Communications Group

plus@moxiegrouppr.com

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable 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 believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect.

Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. In particular, there can be no assurance or guarantee that recreational sales in Nevada will surpass $700 million in 2020. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company's management to predict all of such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information, events, results, circumstances or otherwise after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law including securities laws.
Hiker Amanda Eller, second from left. Photo: Javier Cantellops/AFP/Getty Images

A yoga instructor and physical therapist ventured off on May 8 for what was supposed to be an easy three-mile hike. Instead, she ended up getting lost alone in a Hawaiian jungle and was rescued 17 days later, dehydrated and with a broken leg, knee injury, and swollen foot  right by a waterfall and a 20-foot cliff.

Although that may sound like the plot of a survival movie that Id definitely watch repeatedly on Netflix, its actually the real-life tale of Amanda Eller, 35, who was rescued on May 24 after her harrowing ordeal. And now, in a Tuesday press conference, Eller said that the experience was spiritual.

As People reports, Ellers disappearance was initially quite perplexing. The Maryland native didnt return home after leaving for what the outlet described as a routine hike, and a spokesperson for the family later said that foul play was suspected. Initially, it was thought that a person seen hiking on a trail at Makawao Forest Reserve (at around 8 a.m. the day Eller went missing) was the missing woman. But then, it was determined that Eller sent her mom a Mothers Day package from a post office the morning of her disappearance, meaning she didnt arrive at the park until around 10:35 a.m. that day.

It turns out, Eller became disoriented during the hike, apparently due to not having her phone with her. She subsequently veered off path so severely that she ended up lost for 16 days and 17 nights. Eller was apparently able to walk for the first five to eight days of her disappearance, before sustaining her injuries, and she mostly lived off of berries and guava. She also reportedly lost her shoes and socks during a flash flood while sleeping in a cave.

Per People, helicopters flew over Eller several times while she was in the forest  but their views were obscured by a canopy of trees and foliage. Eventually, however, she was spotted next to the waterfall. In a Tuesday press conference, Eller said that a voice guided her away from her car the day she went missing. My heart was telling me, Walk down this path, go left, Great. Go right. It was so strong, she stated, according to CNN. Im like, great, this is so strong that obviously when I turn around and go back to my car it will be just as strong when I go back, but it wasnt.

Eller also denied consuming any drugs, alcohol or caffeine before her fateful hike: I get high off of life, and I get high off of people and heart. And as for all the speculation about her disappearance, she stated, Everybody can have their little theories.

This post has been updated.
Marsha Johnson. Photo: Netflix

Fifty years after the Stonewall Riots, a series of demonstrations that served as a catalyst for the gay-rights movement, New York City will honor two revolutionary transgender activists in a new monument.

On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray announced the two new women to be commemorated as part of the citys effort to remedy the glaring gender gap in public art: Marsha Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two pioneering trans women of color who advocated for homeless LGBTQ youth and those affected by HIV. Per the New York Times, this monument will be one of the first in the world constructed of trans individuals.

Transgender and nonbinary communities are reeling from violent and discriminatory attacks across the country, de Blasio said. Here in New York City, we are sending a clear message: We see you for who you are, we celebrate you, and we will protect you. This monument to Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera will honor their pioneering role in the fight for human rights in our city and across the world.

Speaking to the public perception of the LGTBQ-rights movement as largely white, gay [and] male, McCray said in a statement to the Times, This monument counters that trend of whitewashing the history.

Though officials have yet to determine the exact location of the statue, which is expected to cost approximately $750,000 and to be constructed by the end of 2021, the proposed location is at Ruth Wittenberg Triangle in Greenwich Village.

Stay in touch. Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily 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.
Abortion protests. Photo: Julie Bennett/Getty Images

With each passing day, the attacks on abortion rights are becoming increasingly frequent and extreme. In the past three months, three states have passed bills that ban abortion after six weeks  a time when many women are unaware theyre even pregnant. Last week, Alabama governor Kay Ivey signed a near-full ban on the procedure, the harshest anti-abortion measure in the country. And any day now, Missouri governor Mike Parson is expected to pass yet another one, which bans the procedure after eight weeks, with no exceptions for rape, incest, or survivors of human trafficking.

In response to the flurry of anti-abortion legislation, on May 21, more than 50 organizations, including Planned Parenthood, SisterSong, NARAL, and the Womens March will hold more than 400 demonstrations across the country as part of the National Day of Action to Stop the Bans. Across the country, we are seeing a new wave of extreme bans on abortion, stripping away reproductive freedom and representing an all-out assault on abortion access, reads the event website. Politicians shouldnt be making decisions best left to women, their families, and their doctors.

Below, heres what to know about the upcoming #StopTheBans actions.

When is the main protest?

Per the #StopTheBans website, the flagship event on May 21 will kick off in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., at 12 p.m., where everyone from NARAL president Ilyse Hogue to members of Congress are expected to be there.

Is there a demonstration in New York City?

Yes! New York Citys event will start at 5:30 p.m. at Foley Square, and is expected to go until 7:30 p.m. (You can RSVP to the Facebook event here.)

Are other cities hosting their own events?

Every state across the country, from California to Indiana to Florida, will host at least one event. To find the closest protest to you, visit the #StopTheBans website, which features a map of the 400-plus registered events. (As youll see on the website, there are additional events throughout the week.) In total, #StopTheBans organizers expect tens of thousands of people to join protests.

Is there anything I can do if I cant join a protest?

Absolutely. If you cant make it to an event, donate to grassroots organizations that are fighting for abortion rights in states with restrictive laws, or consider becoming an abortion-clinic escort. As advocates have repeatedly stressed, these relentless attacks on reproductive rights are not going anywhere; the time to fight back is now.

How can we stop future abortion bans?

The anti-abortion movement is more emboldened than ever, in part through financial support from major companies. On May 20, journalist Judd Legum looked through campaign finance databases and identified six businesses that have donated large sums of money to politicians who have supported extreme anti-abortion legislation in their state: ATT ($196,000), Eli Lilly ($66,000), Walmart ($57,000), Pfizer ($53,000), Coca Cola ($40,000), and Aetna ($26,000).

1. I scoured the campaign finance databases for the six states that have banned abortion this year.



I looked for corporate contributions to the politicians leading the charge to pass abortion bans



6 companies stood out.



Let's take them one at a timehttps://t.co/dAuiBtp3pG  Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) May 20, 2019

In response, many people have shamed the companies on social media, demanding that they respond to the revelations; and, if the companies remain silent, people have pledged to boycott them. As of Monday, Legum tweeted that none of the companies have issued a statement. Therefore, he has urged his followers to help put pressure on the companies, writing, You can help.

This post has been updated.

Stay in touch. Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily 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.
ALAMEDA, Calif., May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jitterbit , the API transformation company, today announced that Samsung Ventures has invested in Jitterbit. Jitterbit plans to use the investment to increase its international presence, accelerating sales and marketing in the region. As part of the deal, Samsung SDS will leverage Jitterbit to accelerate the speed of integration for its customers and will resell Jitterbit solutions to help customers in South Korea to do the same.



The number of new cloud apps has exploded 30-fold over the past couple of years, there are hundreds of thousands of SaaS apps on the market today, and countless legacy products. Connecting these systems and automating business processes end-to-end has become increasingly important as enterprise data becomes scattered across an ever-growing number of internal and external systems. Samsung invested in Jitterbit for its ability to empower teams of varying technical abilities to quickly compose innovative solutions through integration and APIs to dramatically reduce the time and cost of connecting applications. Connecting multiple systems, such as enterprise resource management (ERP) or supply chain management systems, can take a skilled developer weeks to complete. With Jitterbit, a non-skilled developer can finish the work within days.

According to Sean Im, SVP at Samsung SDS, "By strengthening cooperation with leading tech companies such as Jitterbit in Korea and abroad, Samsung SDS strives to provide the best solutions to our customers.

Samsung is one of the most recognized brands in the world and were pleased to collaborate with the company as a strategic investor and partner, said George Gallegos, CEO of Jitterbit. As the number of applications continues to increase at a dizzying pace, our integration and API platform will be instrumental to help Samsung SDS provide services that drive business and improve competitive positions in a hyper-connected economy.

About Jitterbit, Inc.

Jitterbit, the API transformation company, makes it quicker and easier for businesses to exploit data from any source, empowering them to rapidly innovate and make faster, more effective decisions. The Jitterbit API integration platform enables companies to quickly connect SaaS, on-premises, and cloud applications and instantly infuse intelligence into any business process. To learn more, visit www.jitterbit.com and follow @Jitterbit on Twitter.

Media Contact:

jitterbit@bocacommunications.com
One of China's earliest automakers still vibrant

The first batch of Jiefang trucks roll off producton line. (Photo provided by First Automobile Works)

On July 13, 1956, the First Automobile Works (FAW) in Changchun, Jilin province assembled Chinas first automobile, cracking the rumor that China couldnt make cars.

The next day, the first 12 Jiefang cars rolled out the production line, marking the beginning of Chinas automobile industry.

As the first generation of the Jiefang series, the CA10 truck was designed with Chinese characters Jie Fang on each vehicle nose.

When the production was suspended in 1986, 1,281,502 Jiefang cars had been manufactured. The number was almost half of the national total production during that period.

Back then, one of every two cars on the street would be a Jiefang vehicle, a former employee recalled.

In preparation for the first car, FAW produced 2,335 automobile parts and designed more than 100,000 non-standard blueprints.

Before our own cars were produced, we only drove foreign vehicles. It was difficult to change gear. But Jiefang cars dont have such problems, said Yu Fengmian, who drove the first 12 Jiefang cars when they rolled off the assembly line.

A bronze statue of Jiefang truck (Photo provided by First Automobile Works)

Yu thinks the Jiefang car was designed to fit the driving habits of Chinese drivers, and thats why it survived the market for a long time.

Jiefang has never stopped its steps forward. Last April, FAW Jiefang launched a series of automobiles and technologies, including automated driving vehicles, smart formation vehicles, unmanned sanitation vehicles and self-driving vehicles at ports.

By Nov. 30, 2018, 7 million Jiefang cars had been produced. Jiefang vehicles have been exported to more than 80 countries and regions.

The Jiefang brand initiated the development of a national automobile industry and Chinese brand. In modern society, it is still taking the lead in intelligent car production.
TORONTO, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Blue Technologies International Inc. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: CBLU) is providing an update on the status of the filing of its annual financial statements, accompanying management's discussion and analysis and related CEO and CFO certifications for the financial year ended December 31, 2018 (collectively, the "Annual Filings"). The Company is continuing to work diligently and expeditiously with its auditors to complete the Annual Filings, which it expects to file by June 10, 2019. In the interim, the Management Cease Trade Order granted by the British Columbia Securities Commission on May 1, 2019 remains in place.

The Company intends to follow the provisions of the Alternative Information Guidelines set out in sections 9 and 10 of National Policy 12-203  Management Cease Trade Orders so long as the Annual Filings are outstanding, including the issuance of bi-weekly default status reports in the form of news releases similar to this release.

The Company confirms as of the date of this news release that there has been no material change in the information contained in the default announcement issued on May 1, 2019 or the status update issued on May 16, 2019 and there is no other material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed.

About Clear Blue Technologies International

Clear Blue Technologies International, the Smart Off-Grid company, was founded on a vision of delivering clean, managed, wireless power to meet the global need for reliable, low-cost, solar and hybrid power for lighting, telecom, security, Internet of Things devices, and other mission-critical systems. Today, Clear Blue has thousands of systems under management across 35 countries, including the U.S. and Canada. Clear Blue is publicly traded on the Toronto Venture Exchange under the symbol CBLU.

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.

Media Contact:

Becky Nye

Senior Associate

Montieth & Company

155 E 44th St., New York, NY 10017

bnye@montiethco.com

+1 646.864.3517

Investor Relations:

Miriam Tuerk

Co-Founder and CEO

+1 (855) 733-0119 x200

investors@clearbluetechnologies.com

http://www.clearbluetechnologies.com/en/investors

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information contained herein may include, but is not limited to, information concerning the filing of the Annual Filings.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements.

An investment in securities of the Company is speculative and subject to several risks including, without limitation, the risks discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's listing application dated July 12, 2018. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

In connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice.
Christiansen said that large-scale transportation projects at times include coordinating large number of different jurisdictions and organizations. The RMA is ideally suited to be the organization to put all that together and make it work, he said.

The county was required to identify an initial project to pursue as part of the RMA petition process. The proposed initial project focuses on a 1.2-mile section of University Drive adjacent to the Texas A&M University campus from Wellborn Road to Texas Avenue. The project would include about a half-mile depressed section from Wellborn Road to just east of College Avenue that would be capped with a surface built for bicycles and pedestrians.

College Station Mayor Karl Mooney said Wednesday afternoon that the RMA would help the area now and in the future. He also expressed disappointment that HB 642 did not make it through the state legislature.

Were not talking just about stuff thats decades down the road, Mooney said. There is no doubt that 10 years from now, the roadways in College Station will be more congested. What the state has now done is to push some of those issues so they will be greater for us to try and manage and handle in a much more difficult way.
After 17 weeks of learning everything from the intricacies of the state penal code to courtroom demeanor, from handling a weapon to how to behave in a crisis, the students of TEEXs 164th Central Texas Police Academy will soon join the ranks of various law enforcement agencies.

The 19 men and women from the Brazos Valley and other south-central Texas cities have been studying at Texas A&Ms RELLIS campus in Bryan in one of two police academies hosted by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service held each year.

Throughout the day Thursday, instructors spoke to cadets on the dangers of working in proximity to hazardous chemicals from scenes such as vehicle collisions or train crashes. Though police officers are not instructed to directly handle hazardous materials as firefighters are, they must be prepared to understand how certain substances will affect the public if in close proximity. Typically, police are the first on the scene to any given emergency.

At an emergency scene, everybody has a [role], said Jason Ware, instructor and Brazos County emergency management deputy coordinator. Law enforcement are going to have to perform crowd control and investigate if the incident is of a criminal nature.
No but really, the cafe will be situated inside Primark (a discount department store kinda like Kmart) in Manchester, and will be serving New York-themed drinks and massive coffee cups. Limited edition branded products will be available for purchase, and the cafe will have a focus on sustainability, using compostable cups and ethically sourced coffee beans. That's what we like to hear.

Primark's director of new business development, Tim Kelly, said: "We are hugely excited to be bringing the first branded Central Perk Cafe in fashion retail in the UK to the British high street. Customers can relax and have fun there whilst also enjoying our amazing fashion at amazing prices in our Manchester store."

The doors will open Wednesday 12th June for anyone lucky enough to be over that side of the world. Save the big couch for us pls.
22-Year-Old Man Electrocuted to Death While Using Phone in Bed, His Finger Burst

A 22-year-old man was found dead in his apartment while holding his phone in his hands in Thailand. Authorities believe he was electrocuted while using the phone when it was being charged.

The young man who has not been named was in bed when the incident happened on May 26, according to the World of Buzz.

The man was reportedly waiting in his rented apartment in Thailands Nakhon Ratchasima province for a relative to arrive for a visit. Five hours after he died, his relative reached his door and broke into the house when no one responded.

Young Man Uses Phone While Charging, Gets Electrocuted to Death in Bed ~ https://t.co/kil0kUcOby pic.twitter.com/dgUYhCRoF5  Automatic Blogging (@MyAutoBlogging) May 30, 2019

The relative then found him dead, with his finger reportedly burst.

The man is survived by his mother who described him as a hard working person and said since childhood he helped his parents sell vegetables in the local market, according to the Daily Mail.

In a similar incident, a 2-year-old toddler was killed in India on May 18 after she put a phone charger lead in her mouth that was still plugged into the electric socket.

The electrocution happened while the child was playing in her grandparents home in Jahangirabad in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, reported the Times of India.

The toddler, Shehvar, had traveled with her mother Razia to her maternal grandparents home on Friday.

The next day, someone charged a mobile phone and left the chargers lead plugged in the socket, forgetting to take it out. While playing around, the toddler put the chargers lead in her mouth and got electrocuted.

Another daily newspaper, Hindustan Times reported that the child was immediately taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead.

The family has not approached us with any police complaint, so a case has not been filed. However, if somebody approaches us for a complaint, it will be done according to the norms, Akhilesh Pradhan, station house officer of Jahangirabad Police Station told Times of India.

The Times of India and Hindustan Times reports contradict each other on the gender and age of the child, which couldnt be further verified.

In a similar incident, a 7-year-old Indonesian boy was electrocuted to death while using his grandmothers mobile phone that was still plugged into the electric socket on March 15.

7yo Boy Electrocuted to Death After Using Grandmas Mobile Phone While It Was Charging https://t.co/DMnxEQT29p  WORLD OF BUZZ (@WORLDOFBUZZ) March 20, 2019

Alfani Yeskiel Tuke was playing a game on the mobile phone while it was still charging, according to World of Buzz.

The shocking incident happened when Tukes grandmother had gone out to bring her grazing cow home. She left him at home at 5 p.m. with the mobile phone and when she came back home at 6 p.m. she found him laying on the floor, shirtless as if sleeping.

She walked over to him to wake him up and when she touched his shoulder she got an electric shock. She sought help from her neighbors who rushed inside the house and switched off the electric socket. The police confirmed that Tuke died due to electric shock.
After Republican Lawmaker Justin Amash Calls for Trump Impeachment, Former Supporter Says He Has No Future in This District

Justin Amash (R-MI) recently became the first Republican member of Congress to say that President Donald Trump had allegedly engaged in impeachable conduct when he first shared a thread on Twitter on May 18.

At a recent town hall event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on May 28, a woman voter accused Amash of political grandstanding in an attempt to raise his own political profile and added that he has no future in this district as a Republican.

Amash represents Michigans third congressional district, which includes Grand Rapids.

In a Twitter thread on May 18, Amash wrote that he had read the Mueller report (pdf) and from his reading, he determined that Attorney General Wiliam Barr has deliberately misrepresented Muellers report, and that President Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct. He also wrote that partisanship has eroded our system of checks and balances, and that few members of Congress have read the report.

Since posting the tweet, Amash had turned down media interviews, and the town hall meeting on May 28 was his first major appearance in public. On the day, the woman voter, whose name is unknown, stood to address Amash from the crowd and said that she has changed her opinion of him.

I think a lot of the people here who are cheering and applauding your courage most likely didnt vote for you, the woman told him. I, on the other hand, voted for you in every election since 2010. And in fact, I worked on your first campaign in 2010.

I was there for you from the very beginning. Im not sure how many people applauding your courage were. But I would like to say that since that time I have changed my position on you, she said. You have spent the last two years failing to do your job, which is to directly represent the popular will of your constituents.

Amash responded by saying that his job is to uphold the constitution.

Those are not mutually exclusive, do you realize that? she replied. The woman then called Amashs claims that Trump had obstructed justice as baseless.

The exchange lasted for about 5 minutes in the video of the town hall meeting:

The woman continued by saying that Amash calls for impeachment while knowing that impeachment would not happen. If it did, it would cause political upheaval and possible civil war, she said.

You rest safe in the knowledge  that [Trump] wont be removed from office. So you get to make the political grandstanding that raises your national profile, she told Amash. You are now a national household name. Thats called political capital. And you are hoping to launch your star bigger and brighter than District 3.

You just talked about how you did better in District 3 than Trump. Do you want to talk about how the last election you got the least amount of support that youve ever had because you havent supported the MAGA agenda? she added.

Its your right to support whatever you want, but you also know you have no future in this district because of that, as a Republican. So you want to go bigger and brighter, the woman pointed out.

She also questioned Amash about why he did not raise concerns about FISA abuses and the year-long violation of the Fourth Amendment rights of Trump and his entire transition team, if he so cared about the Constitution.

Every phone call, every email, every personal conversation for a year was spied upon and recorded, she said.

Amash responded to the woman saying that his tweets were not really refutable.

Mueller himself issued a letter to Barr saying you are misleading the people, Amash said. The FISA only relates to one part of the investigation. The rest of that investigation does not relate to that FISA.

Amash also said that no one has fought harder against FISA abuse than himself.

FISA Abuses

By FISA abuses, the woman was referring to the use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to spy on the Trump campaign, without a valid reason to do so.

A declassified House intelligence committee memo revealed that the FBI and the Department of Justice had obtained a FISA warrant in October 2016 on Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page. It used the discredited Steele dossier, which was paid for by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), as the rationale to surveil Page.

Amashs response to the woman may have been referring to his offer to amend Section 702 of FISA in January 2018. At the time, President Donald Trump authorized Section 702 for another six years and had stressed the importance of the program for national security.

Section 702 of FISA Warrant

Section 702 was part of amendments to FISA passed in 2008 under President George W. Bush. Under the section, the intelligence community had broad powers to collect internet and telephone data to spy on foreign nationals.

The 702 system was never designed to spy on Americans, but rather to safeguard U.S. national security. However, it became a powerful spying tool in the hands of the government, as The Epoch Times previously reported.

Procedures to protect Americans data collected under the program were weakened under President Barack Obama in a ruling in 2011 (pdf), allowing the National Security Agency (NSA) to search through Americans data using their names. Previously, these types of searches, known as queries using United States person identifiers, were prohibited.

A FISA warrant is among the most intrusive ways to spy on an individual. It includes access to data collected under Section 702 of FISA. This data includes all digital communications (such as internet browsing histories, phone conversations, emails, chat logs, personal images, and GPS locations) that are transferred over the internet and captured by the NSA using so-called upstream data, which is all internet data traveling through key internet backbone carriers.

The FBI itself has access to 702 collected data collected by the NSA. A declassified top-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court report released in April 2017 detailed numerous violations by the FBI in handling this data.

Problems with the FISA system received nationwide attention in February 2018 after the FISA warrant on Page was declassified.

The initial warrant, and its three subsequent renewals, could have been used to spy on anyone who was in contact with Page, including members of the Trump campaign. Under the so-called two-hop rule, the NSA can use the FISA warrant to spy on anyone with two layers of separation from Page himself. This means that both of the people Page was in contact with himself at the campaign could have had their communications surveilled, which is the first hop, as well as anyone who was in contact with the campaign officials, the second hop.

The Epoch Times staff Jasper Fakkert contributed to this report.
TORONTO, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd. (Golden Leaf or the Company) (CSE:GLH) (OTCQB:GLDFF), a pioneer cannabis oil solutions company and dispensary operator built around recognized brands, today announced financial results for the fiscal first quarter ended March 31, 2019, and a general business update.

Strategic Direction

We believe that a trusted, internationally-recognized brand targeting customers new to cannabis products services the coming wave of new users. These new users are expected to seek health and wellness benefits as restrictions on cannabis use relax over the next three years. Building the Chalice Farms brand leverages the Companys dispensary locations, high-touch customer service approach, and management expertise. Already an established leader in Oregon, Nevada and Canada, the Company intends to expand to California through an innovative approach to consumer-direct sales as well as wholesale sales. The Company intends to achieve national sales of CBD and other non-THC products in 2019 and will search for global opportunities in 2020 and beyond.

Recent Business and Financial Highlights

Sales increased 34% over the prior year period

Operating loss improved 28% to US$3.0 million from US$4.2 million in the prior year period

Launched Elysium Fields brand

Launched Jackpot brand in Oregon

Achieved over 33% increase in Oregon wholesale account base

Retained Renmark Financial to support investor relations

Reduced headcount by 19% and initiated other efficiency measures

Appointed Larry Martin to the Board of Directors

Appointed Karyn Barsa as Chief Financial Officer

Subsequent Events:

Appointed Karyn Barsa as Chief Executive Officer

Appointed Robert Gordon as Director, Human Resources

Ms. Karyn Barsa, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Leaf Holdings, commented, We saw year-over-year revenue growth of 34% for the first quarter of 2019. We are pleased with the successful launch of two new brands in our Oregon and Nevada markets, Elysium Fields and Jackpot, showing strong customer support and trust.

The appointment of Larry Martin to the Board of Directors is another indication of faith in our future. Larrys unique background and experience as a successful CEO and entrepreneur, particularly his years of experience in FDA regulatory matters and involvement in the CBD industry, has already led to important contributions to the Board and Company.

During the quarter, we implemented over $3.7 million in annualized cost reductions and operating efficiencies, while launching new brands. Clearly, we believe that Golden Leaf is positioned to succeed in this marketplace. We have refocused our strategic direction to support our customers and expand our product offerings. I look forward to sharing more about our new direction with our shareholders shortly.

Fiscal First Quarter Ended March 31, 2019 Financial Results

For the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 (Q1 2019), total revenue was US$4.3 million as compared to US$3.2 million for the same three-month period in 2018 (Q1 2018). The 34% quarter-over-quarter increase is largely attributable to strong revenue streams from the Chalice Farms stores in Oregon and flower sales from our Canadian operations.

Gross profit was US$1.8 million or 41% of total revenue for Q1 2019, compared with US$0.4 million or 11% of total revenue in Q1 2018. The strong Q1 2019 gross margin is primarily due to significant cost reductions and utilization of an improved recording process that better matches revenue and cost of sales.

Operating expenses were US$4.7 million for Q1 2019 compared with US$4.6 million for Q1 2018. Q1 2019 operating expenses included $0.2M in wages and benefits related to headcount reductions and severance. Operations at three facilities in Oregon were consolidated to one headquarters location.

During Q1 2019, headcount was reduced by 19% throughout the Company, and the reduction in annualized wages and benefits expense is projected at US$3.7 million.

Net loss for Q1 2019 was US$3.0 million or US$0.01 per share, compared with a net gain of US$8.1 million or US$0.02 per share for Q1 2018. Net income for Q1 2018 benefited from favorable changes in the fair value of warrant and debt liabilities of US$13.3 million, compared with $0.5M for Q1 2019. Changes in the fair value of warrant and debt liabilities and other non-cash items are excluded in the Adjusted EBITDA non-GAAP measurement.

Adjusted EBITDA loss was US$2.0 million for Q1 2019, compared with a loss of US$3.1 million for Q1 2018. Adjusted EBITDA is defined by the Company as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, non-cash compensation expenses, one-time transaction fees and other non-cash charges that include impairments. The Company considers Adjusted EBITDA an important operational measure for the business. For a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to income (loss) before income taxes, please see the Companys management discussion and analysis for Q1 2019 (the MD&A).

As of March 31, 2019, the Company had approximately US$8.3 million in cash, compared with US$12.3 million at December 31, 2018.

The Companys interim condensed consolidated financial statements for Q1 2019, the related notes and Q1 2019 MD&A are filed on SEDAR and are available for review.

About Golden Leaf Holdings

Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd., a Canadian company with operations in multiple jurisdictions including Oregon, Nevada and Canada, is one of the largest cannabis oil and solution providers in North America, and a pioneer cannabis products company built around recognized brands. Golden Leaf cultivates, extracts, manufactures and distributes its products through its branded Chalice Farm retail dispensaries, as well as through third party dispensaries. Golden Leaf leverages a strong management team with cannabis and food industry experience to complement its expertise in extracting, refining and selling cannabis oil. Visit goldenleafholdings.com to learn more.

Company:

Kate Koustareva

Director of Financial Reporting and Treasury

Golden Leaf Holdings Ltd.

ir@goldenxtrx.com

Investor Relations:

Steve Hosein

Renmark Financial Communications

416-644-2020

Media Relations:

Anne Donohoe / Nick Opich

KCSA Strategic Communications

adonohoe@kcsa.com / nopich@kcsa.com

212-896-1265 / 212-896-1206

Disclaimer: This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys future business operations, the establishment of, and the future scope and scale of, the Chalice Farms retail system, the level of funding needed to establish the Chalice Farms franchise model, that the Chalice Farms franchise model will be successful and generate positive cash flows, the opinions or beliefs of management and future business goals. Generally, forward looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to general business, economic and competitive uncertainties, regulatory risks including risks related to the expected timing of the Companys participation in the adult use market, market risks, risks inherent in manufacturing operations, difficulties of establishing a successful franchise model and other risks of the cannabis industry. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Forward-looking information is provided herein for the purpose of presenting information about managements current expectations relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purpose. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration or an exemption from registration.





GOLDEN LEAF HOLDINGS LTD. Interim Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position (Unaudited) As at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 (Expressed in U.S. dollars) March 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 ASSETS CURRENT Cash $ 8,288,168 $ 12,275,372 Accounts receivable 749,066 624,453 Other receivables 212,081 297,737 Income tax recoverable 686,600 686,600 Sales tax recoverable 608,519 661,319 Biological assets 77,113 74,148 Inventory 3,842,026 3,416,906 Prepaid expenses and deposits 1,564,758 1,962,033 Assets held for sale - 35,274 Total current assets $ 16,028,331 $ 20,033,842 Property, plant and equipment 10,244,641 6,188,835 Intangible assets 21,705,844 21,782,949 Goodwill 25,471,399 25,471,399 Deferred tax assets - Total assets $ 73,450,215 $ 73,477,025 LIABILITIES CURRENT Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 2,001,419 $ 2,624,967 Interest payable 520,119 92,554 Income taxes payable 69,543 106,808 Sales tax payable 58,980 231,675 Current portion of long-term debt 735,573 25,492 Current portion of convertible debentures carried at fair value 8,782,131 8,888,946 Warrant liability 64,550 369,343 Total current liabilities $ 12,232,315 $ 12,339,785 Long term debt 3,501,119 46,229 Note payable 312,118 312,118 Convertible debentures carried at fair value 5,176,936 4,996,811 Consideration payable 9,123,653 8,956,809 Warrant liability 41,270 236,138 Total liabilities $ 30,387,411 $ 26,887,890 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Share capital $ 138,511,038 $ 138,511,038 Warrant reserve 4,052,164 4,052,164 Share option reserve 5,132,608 4,777,929 Contributed surplus 59,940 59,940 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,018,144 ) (125,930 ) Deficit (103,674,802 ) (100,686,006 ) Total shareholders' equity 43,062,804 46,589,135 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 73,450,215 $ 73,477,025

GOLDEN LEAF HOLDINGS LTD. Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Gain (Loss) (Unaudited) For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (Expressed in U.S. dollars) For the three months ended March 31, 2019 2018 Revenues Product sales $ 4,076,607 $ 3,200,267 Consulting revenue 206,241 - Total Revenue $ 4,282,848 $ 3,200,267 Inventory expensed to cost of sales 2,518,155 2,843,843 Production costs 138,736 297,474 Gross margin, excluding fair value items 1,625,957 58,950 Fair value changes in biological assets included in inventory sold 161,523 - (Gain) Loss on changes in fair value of biological assets (303,439 ) (293,897 ) Gross profit $ 1,767,873 $ 352,847 Expenses General and administration 2,999,461 2,795,794 Share based compensation 411,926 1,075,452 Sales and marketing 630,962 383,301 Depreciation and amortization 706,146 345,279 Total expenses $ 4,748,495 $ 4,599,826 Loss before items noted below $ (2,980,622 ) $ (4,246,979 ) Interest expense 741,662 649,258 Transaction costs 6,108 471,900 Gain on disposal of assets (16,945 ) - Other income (141,197 ) (159,126 ) Gain on change in fair value of warrant liabilities (499,662 ) (6,212,222 ) Gain on change in fair value of convertible debentures (36,169 ) (7,128,616 ) Gain (loss) before income taxes (3,034,419 ) 8,131,827 Current income tax expense 11,624 - Net gain (loss) $ (3,046,043 ) $ 8,131,827 Other comprehensive loss Items that will be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss: Cumulative translation adjustment 892,214 19,117 Comprehensive gain (loss) $ (3,938,257 ) $ 8,112,710 Basic and diluted gain (loss) per share $ (0.01 ) $ 0.02 Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 589,140,903 534,900,058








The gurney in Huntsville, Texas, where Texas' condemned are strapped down to receive a lethal dose of drugs is shown on May 27, 2008. (Pat Sullivan/AP Photo)

Alabama Executes Man for 1991 Sword Murder of Pastor

The state of Alabama executed a man for killing a pastor with a sword in 1991 on May 30 during a robbery attempt.

Christopher Lee Price, 46, was put to death via lethal injection in Holman prison, where he was pronounced dead at 7:31 p.m., CBS News reported.

Price was convicted in the slaying of pastor Bill Lynn. He used a sword and a knife in the attack, which occurred just days before Christmas.

A man is much more than his worst mistake, Price said in a statement before his death.

Gov. Kay Ivey said that Price had to be punished for his brutal crime.

Alabama executes man convicted of killing pastor with sword and knife just before Christmas https://t.co/Lw85S9PcLC pic.twitter.com/iV2OS7uzb9  CBS News (@CBSNews) May 31, 2019

Finally, the loved ones of Pastor Lynn can feel at ease knowing that justice has been administered. I pray that, after all these years later, his family can feel a sense of peace and comfort, she said, CBS reported.

Lynns family also issued a comment about the matter, which was read aloud by an official before Prices execution. We are praying to finally have peace, it read, Fox News reported.

Price was nearly executed in April before the execution warrant expired. Later, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 on May 30 to allow his execution to go ahead.

The prisoner asked to die via nitrogen hypoxia, which kills by depleting the body of oxygen, Fox reported.

Alabama executes Christopher Lee Price for 1991 murder of Fayette County preacher Bill Lynn. Asked of for any final words, Price said A man is much more than his worst mistake. https://t.co/HqvxN8HNg9 via @mgmadvertiser  Melissa Brown (@itsmelissabrown) May 31, 2019

CBS reported that within minutes of the lethal injection, color soon began draining from his face as additional drugs flowed through an intravenous line. He was pronounced dead soon after that.

The Alabama Attorney Generals office issued a lengthy statement about the execution.

Tonight, the family of Pastor Bill Lynn, who was brutally murdered nearly 30 years ago, has finally seen Lynns killer face justice, said Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in a statement to the Montgomery Advertiser.

Marshall continued: Christopher Price was put to death at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, fighting until the very end to avoid facing the consequences of his heinous crime.

The official described Prices crime and its impact.

On December 22, 1991, Bill Lynn was wrapping Christmas gifts for his grandchildren when the electricity in his home suddenly went out. Stepping outside to check the power box, Lynn was ambushed, slashed, and stabbed with a sword and knife dozens of times. His killer, Christopher Price, dodged his death sentence for the better part of three decades by employing much the same strategy he has pursued today and tonight: desperately clinging to legal maneuverings to avoid facing his just punishment. In the end, justice got the last word. Tonight, Pastor Lynns family can finally begin to seek peace and closure, the office wrote.

Death Penalty Abolished in New Hampshire

This week, New Hampshire, which hasnt executed anyone in 80 years and has only one inmate on death row, became the latest state to abolish the death penalty when the state Senate voted to override the governors veto.

The Senate vote came a week after the 400-member House voted by the narrowest possible margin to override Republican Gov. Chris Sununus veto of a bill to repeal capital punishment.

With New Hampshires action, 29 states allow capital punishment, but in four of them, governors have issued moratoriums on the death penalty, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Twenty-one states have abolished or overturned it.

New Hampshires death penalty applies in only seven scenarios: the killing of an on-duty law enforcement officer or judge, murder for hire, murder during a rape, certain drug offenses, or home invasion and murder by someone already serving a life sentence without parole.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Chuckegg Creek fire is seen from the air in a Government of Alberta handout photo taken near the town of High Level, AB. on May 19, 2019. (Ho/The Canadian Press)

Alberta Says 10,000 People Are out of Their Homes Because of Wildfires

The Alberta government says wildfires raging across the northern part of the province have forced about 10,000 people from their homes.

The updated figure was provided Thursday afternoon, after a day of hot temperatures and gusty winds led to the explosive growth of several blazes burning out-of-control.

About 5,000 people have been out of their homes in and around High Level for more than a week and a series of smaller communities, including Wabasca, the Bigstone Cree Nation, and Chipewyan Lake Village, have fallen under evacuation orders since Wednesday.

People in Slave Lake, a town that was partially destroyed in a 2011 blaze, have been told to be prepared to leave with eight hours notice because of a fire that the mayor says is burning about 30 kilometres away.

Smoke from the fires enveloped points south, including Edmonton, in a thick, acrid, haze that limited visibility, and made it difficult to breathe.

The government said weather forecasts for the next two weeks will make fighting the fires difficult. Firefighters were in Alberta from across Canada doing their best to corral the flames.

This fight is going to be a tough one, said Devin Dreeshen, Albertas minister of agriculture and forestry. The weather is not co-operating for the long-distance forecast for the next two weeks. Its more of the same, of hot, dry, and windy conditions.

Albertans need to prepare themselves for this situation for the foreseeable future.

Across the province, there were 28 active fires and nine were considered out-of-control.

While an evacuation order was issued Thursday afternoon for the hamlet of Marten Beach, about 20 kilometres north of Slave Lake, Slave Lake Mayor Tyler Warman said the fire was not an immediate threat to his community.

Weve got a fire, that started around the same time as the High Level one, thats been north of town for a while, Warman said. The wind conditions and the extreme dryness have pushed some of it closer to town.

The MD has declared a local state of emergency because of that, but were not panicked at this point, said Warman, who was a town councillor and firefighter during the 2011 wildfire that raced through part of Slave Lake, destroying more than 400 homes and buildings.

He said the fires are bringing back memories.

We are more prepared than we have ever been. Were more cautious than we have been in the past.

The biggest blaze was the Chuckegg Creek fire raging near High Level, which covered 2,300 square kilometres Thursday.

Derek Gagnon, a provincial information officer, said that fire grew by 800 square kilometres in 24 hours and travelled more than 22 kilometres on the ground.

The average speed would then be around 23 metres per minute, he said. We had really strong winds out of the north that combined with really dry fuels.

The Chuckegg Creek wildfire in the High Level Forest Area experienced extreme fire behaviour yesterday with significant growth to the south towards Paddle Prairie, across Highway 35 by Highway 697 and spotted across the Peace River. Latest information at: https://t.co/Su9d1ehf9a pic.twitter.com/zsH9mXG8JP  Alberta Wildfire (@AlbertaWildfire) May 30, 2019

While the flames have been kept out of High Level, Mayor Crystal McAteer, Reeve Josh Knelsen of Mackenzie County, and Dene Tha First Nation Chief James Ahnassay issued a joint statement urged residents who were out of their homes to be patient.

We know that many of you are very anxious to hear about what is happening with the wildfire and the situation in our communities. Many of you have been out of your homes and away from your work for a long time. they wrote.

We simply dont know for sure what this fire will do next.

There were reports that some homes were damaged in Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement south of High Level, but provincial officials couldnt confirm that.

Meanwhile, people in Edmonton spent most of Thursday dealing with a thick, smoky haze that turned otherwise blue skies an eerie grey-orange.

Environment Canada issued a special air quality statement for the Alberta capital region and expanded it to most of the province Thursday afternoon.

Shifting winds are causing the smoke to drift and most of Alberta will be impacted by this smoke in the coming days, said Dreeshen.

Smoke is a huge factor in this challenge for not only for health reasons but for the wildland firefighters on the ground. The loss of visibility makes it extremely difficult to use air supports.
Emergency vehicles are seen near the intersection of Princess Anne Road and Nimmo Parkway following a shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center in Virginia Beach, Va., on on May 31, 2019. (Kaitlin McKeown/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

Death Toll at 12, Plus Shooting Suspect, in Virginia Beach Mass Shooting

At least 12 people were killed after a gunman opened fire at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Virginia, police chief James Cervera told reporters on Friday, May 31.

One of the victims died on way to the hospital.

The shooter is dead, Cervera said.

Police said the shooter used a .45-caliber handgun with a suppressor.

BREAKING: Police say 11 people killed in shooting at Virginia Beach municipal center; suspect is dead. #virginiabeachshooting  Trey Paul (@TreyPaulTV) May 31, 2019

Six people were hospitalized after a shooting at a municipal center in Virginia Beach, Virginia, hospital officials had tweeted on May 31.

Virginia Beach General Hospital said there were five patients there. A patient who was at Princess Anne Hospital was being transferred to Norfolk General Hospital, a Level I trauma center.

It was unclear whether all six patients had gunshot wounds and whether the shooter was among the patients.

Live on @WTKR3: Someone inside the building where todays mass shooting in Virginia Beach talks about what happened as the shooting happened. https://t.co/Xl5wJEUt16 pic.twitter.com/SnbXpUXVui  Blaine Stewart (@BlaineStewart) May 31, 2019

Virginia Beach Police said earlier they had taken a shooter into custody.

Police also said there were multiple injuries but didnt describe the severity of those injuries.

Christina Pullen, a spokeswoman for the FBI in Norfolk, said the bureau is responding to assist Virginia Beach police.

BREAKING VIDEO: People being rushed out of Virginia Beach Municipal Center after shooting with multiple victims; FBI responding pic.twitter.com/9Z5QryTjcM  News Breaking LIVE (@NewsBreaking) May 31, 2019

A police spokesman told The Virginian-Pilot that the shooter opened fire in Building 2 of the municipal center, which is adjacent to City Hall. The building houses the citys public works, public utilities, and planning departments, according to City Councilwoman Barbara Henley, who arrived at City Hall building about 4 p.m. Friday when she saw a crowd of people standing outside.

BREAKING PHOTOS: Employees seen outside of Virginia Beach Municipal Center after shooting; multiple victims reported (WAVY-TV) pic.twitter.com/1yE0aHdoQn  News Breaking LIVE (@NewsBreaking) May 31, 2019

Somebody told me there had been a shooting and they were told to leave. Afterward, I heard a loud male voice say, Get down! so I did, Henley told The Associated Press.

When the person said to get down, then everybody dispersed pretty quickly, she said.

Im just sick, she said. All these people that I work with all the time. They are such really fine people, and I just hope theyre all safe.

The CNN Wire contributed to this report.
Behind the US Collaboration With EU and Japan on WTO Reform: Should Trade and Human Rights Be Linked in US-China Relations?

In addition to the US-China trade dispute, another issue of global concern this year is reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Recently, the United States, Japan and the European Union decided to come together to finalize the proposal to reform the global industrial subsidy rules, which will introduce stricter industrial subsidies and state-owned enterprise regulations to other WTO members. Although Chinas name was not specifically mentioned, it is clear that the main target of this move is the Chinese regime, and its primary aim is to tackle the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) unfair trade practices.

Over the years, the CCP has been unscrupulous in conducting international trade and has repeatedly violated various commitments it made at the time of entering the WTO. Here are just a few examples of its non-market-oriented policies and practices.

Since joining the WTO in 2001, the CCP has squeezed foreign companies in various ways to make profit for itself through both the WTOs internal and external framework. In order to turn its state-owned enterprises into global leaders in the industries of semi-conductors, electric vehicles, robots as well as other high-tech fields, through the harmful use of subsidy practices and state-owned bank financing, it has indirectly forced many foreign companies to shut down and leave the market. At the same time, the CCP does not allow foreign banks to conduct renminbi business, and forces foreign companies to transfer their technology.

Although the CCP never admits to these market-distorting policies, previous survey has shown that about one-fifth of the foreign companiesmany of which belong to the aerospace and chemical industrieshave had to transfer technology in order to do business in China. Nonetheless, for more than a decade, a number of WTO members, including previous administrations of the United States, the worlds largest economic powerhouse, did not stand up against the CCPs violations of the WTO rules that have undermined the global trade system.

This is in stark contrast to today, when the United States, Japan, and the EU have decided to finally taken action.

Recently, many scholars and former policymakers have pointed out that the Clinton administrations decision to help the CCP enter WTO 20 years ago is the biggest mistake it has made.

Looking back at history, the issue of the most-favored-nation (MFN) status and Chinas accession to WTO has been a key issue of debate in the U.S. policy toward China in the 1990s. Before China enjoyed a permanent normal trade relationship with the United States, according to the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, non-market economy countries such as China could not automatically enjoy the MFN status. It required a one-year trial and the President to make an extension request to Congress. Before 1989, Chinas MFN status review has nearly all been passed smoothly.

After the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, Chinas human rights situation raised great concern in the United States. Many human rights organizations and lawmakers proposed to abolish Chinas MFN status in order to punish CCPs abuse of human rights. Although the United States eventually decided to grant the extension, the then Administration and Congress both expressed concerns about human rights in China during the annual review process.

In 1993, the then newly appointed President Clinton officially announced the linkage of Chinas human rights conditions and the issue of MFN status. He issued an executive order saying that if the CCP does not make comprehensive and significant progress on human rights, it would lose its MFN status for the years 1994 to 1995. The Clinton administration hoped that the CCP would make concessions on human rights. However, due to greater pressure from domestic political and business circles, right after the public statement was released, in May 1994, Clinton announced that he would continue to grant the CCP MFN status and separate trade from human rights.

The separation of trade from human rights marks a turning point in U.S. policy toward China. Since then economic and trade connections became the main axis in U.S.-China relations, which paved the way for the CCP to eventually join the WTO.

As part of the WTO accession agreement, the United States needed to grant China permanent MFN status first. The U.S. Trade Act of 1974 has restrictions and Congress needed to pass a new legislation. This legislation brought the battle between trade and human rights in the entire American society to a whole new level.

In May 2000, then House of Representatives passed the bill with 237-197, giving China a permanent trade relationship (permanent MFN status). Four months later, the Senate passed the bill with a vote of 83 to 15. In October of the same year, then President Clinton signed the U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000. In 2001, China officially became a member of the WTO.

With the hope that economic freedom will bring political freedom, it only takes time, with the optimistic assertion that the U.S.-China economic and trade development will promote Chinas human rights progress, nearly 20 years ago, the Clinton administration helped the CCP enter the WTO. On October 10, 2000, at the grand signing ceremony of the U.S.-China Relations Act 2000 at the White House, Clinton said to the attendees: You will remember this day and be proud of what you have done. Indeed, just as he said, the world did remember this day 20 years later. However, it was by no means remembered as a day of pride in United States history.

In October 2018, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said in reviewing the history of U.S.-China relations: After the fall of the Soviet Union, we assumed that a free China was inevitable. Heady with optimism at the turn of the 21st century, America agreed to give Beijing open access to our economy, and we brought China into the World Trade Organization. Previous administrations made this choice in the hope that freedom in China would expand in all of its formsnot just economically, but politically, with a newfound respect for classical liberal principles, private property, personal liberty, religious freedomthe entire family of human rights. But that hope has gone unfulfilled.

Indeed, looking back at this critical part of history, in fact, most fundamentally, for many years, the biggest mistake the United States made in its policy toward China has been that it did not clearly differentiate the CCP from China. Wei Jingsheng, a well-know human rights activist, once said: If the United States didnt give China PNTR status and didnt allow its entrance into the WTO back then, how can the Chinese Communist Party survive to this day, how can it even become a threat to the United States today? It is simply in no way possible.

But fortunately, under the leadership of President Trump, the United States and the western countries are all waking up too and many have started to take action to combat the CCPs danger and threats in various realms. During the Cold War period between the United States and the Soviet Union, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan said that freedom and democracy will advance and that communism will be thrown into the ash heap of history. The war between the United States and China is the ultimate battle between freedom and communism. It is clear that the day when the CCP gets thrown into the dustbin of history is not too far away.

Flora Yan is a junior at the University of Washington in Seattle double-majoring in political science and communication. She is conducting research related to the impact of propaganda on public opinion and public policy; the role of propaganda in totalitarian countries; and the connection between human rights and foreign policy. An aspiring China observer, she is particularly interested in human rights issues in China.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Security guards walk in front of containers at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, China, on April 24, 2018. (Aly Song/File Photo/Reuters)

Beijing Claims to Have Three Trump Cards in US-China Trade War; Expert Breaks Down Why They Wont Work

Recently, a Chinese scholar who also is a government advisor, proposed that China has three trump cards to win the U.S.-China trade war.

Jin Canrong, a professor and associate dean at the school of international relations at the Renmin University in Beijing, explained his theory in a written article for Guancha, a Chinese state-run media.

First published in July 2018, Jin re-posted this article recently in reaction to the trade talks ending Washington without a reached agreement.

Because this article began circulating widely among Chinese state media, it is likely to be an opinion supported by the Chinese regime.

The first is to ban the export of rare earths to the United States, as rare earth minerals are essential components in the manufacturing of many high-tech products such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and smartphones.

The second is for China to sell off its $1.1 trillion holdings of U.S. treasuries.

The third, which Jin said he considers to be the most powerful card, is to shut off the Chinese market to American companies. Many U.S. companies that rely more on the China market than their domestic markets would immediately suffer losses, he predicted.

However, Frank Tian Xie, business professor at University of South CarolinaAiken, said none of these three trump cards would serve any use for China to gain an upper hand in the trade negotiations.

Xie wrote a commentary for Epoch Weekly on May 21, to discuss why he believed these trump cards are not successful.

First, there are alternative suppliers of rare-earth elements that the United States could turn to.

Brazil, Russia, the United States, and Japan all have rare earth reserves. In Japan, rare earth ores are found at the ocean bottom surrounding Minami-Tori-shima island, Xie explained.

Last April, Japan discovered 16 million tons worth of rare earth deposits off the island, which scientists said would provide hundreds of years worth of rare earth minerals.

China dominates the worlds production of rare earths with a near-monopoly.

It has mainly achieved this by Chinese companies intentionally lowering prices of rare-earth metals, force their competitors into bankruptcyand then purchasing mines from the failed competitors.

Xie explained in his commentary that China cannot afford to play the rare earth trump card for its own interests.

If China cuts off its rare earth supply to the United States, prices for rare earth elements will go up. In turn, United States, Brazil, and India will resume the rare earth mining industry. When they reach a reasonable production capacity, China will lose this market, and very likely lose it for good, he wrote.

Moreover, so far Chinas domestic high-tech manufacturing industry does not have enough capacity to make use of the rare earth minerals, and hence relies on exporting them to other countries in order to sustain its rare earth mining industry. As a result, this trump card will come back to haunt China, Xie concluded.

With regard to the second trump cardselling off U.S. treasuriesChinas $1.1 trillion holdings of U.S. treasury securities only accounts for 5 percent of the total U.S. treasuries. As the safest government debt with high liquidity, it is highly sought-after by investors all over the world. Others would easily buy up the U.S. debt.

Selling off the treasuries would also hurt the Chinese regimes own interests, as the value of the U.S. treasuries will drop if China sells all its holdings within a short time frame, Xie said.

The IMF (International Monetary Fund) would then step in. This is because the purpose for the establishment of IMF is to promote international financial stability and monetary cooperation. Beijings proposal of a hostile sell-off would constitute a severe violation, Xie explained.

As for the third trump card, shutting off the Chinese market to U.S. enterprises, Xie said he completely agreed with the viewpoint of Jiang Yongchang, professor at Shanghais Fudan University, who pointed out in a Voice of America interview that this would only bring the opposite of Chinas intended effect: it would actually help U.S. President Donald Trump achieve his goals. The Trump administration made it clear that they hope U.S. firms will move manufacturing back home. Some foreign companies have already begun to move manufacturing out of China and back to their home countries in order to avoid U.S. tariffs.

Chinese Regime Anxiety

On May 16, Qiushi, the Communist Partys main political theory journal run by the Central Party School, published an article written by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, in which he summarized an important speech he delivered to provincial level officials back in 2016.

He said that China lacked the innovation needed for further economic development. The decision to publish the article amid rising trade tensions with the United States also hints at the regimes anxieties about the current state of the economy.

Although Chinas has become the worlds second largest economy, our economy is large but not strong, which can be likened to a person who is heavyset but not healthy, Xi wrote in his article. It is mainly reflected in the lack of innovation. This is the Achilles heel for Chinas economic development.
File photo of a rollercoaster at an unspecified location, taken on June 11, 2009. (Pixabay/CC0)

Boy Who Fell Off Rollercoaster at British Amusement Park in Critical Condition

The condition of a 7-year-old boy who reportedly fell from a rollercoaster at an amusement park in the UK has taken a turn for the worse.

Witnesses cited by the BBC said the child tumbled from the Twister rollercoaster at the Lightwater Valley park, located near Ripon, North Yorkshire, on Thursday, May 30. The child reportedly fell about 15 feet before hitting the ground.

The boy was airlifted to an area hospital following the accident. According to the Metro, the boys injuries on Thursday were deemed non-life threatening and he was conscious before being transported to the hospital.

In a tragic turn, the North Yorkshire Police said in a statement on Friday that the boys condition had changed overnight and he is now described as critical.

On arrival at hospital, the child was assessed and found to have injuries that would not have been apparent at the scene of the incident, police said.

The child remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

Reports From the Scene

The Daily Mail reported that Lightwater Valley park visitor Mark Charnley said he saw the boy was hanging out of the back of the ride.

Me and my eldest daughter were in the queue for the Twister ride, which is like a rollercoaster but with individual spinning carriages, Charnley said, according to the report. We were about 10 minutes from the front of the queue when we saw the little lad hanging out of the back of his carriage.

His head was well behind the back of it and he was out of his restraints, Charnley continued, adding, He was in the carriage with his mum, who was screaming hysterically.

Everyone in the queue was shouting for the ride operator to stop the ride for about 10 to 15 seconds but they didnt seem to have noticed. Then the boy must have fallen about 15 feet, Charnley said.

We jumped over the barrier to try and help and one man identified himself as an off-duty police officer and he sort of took over.

BREAKING Boy, 7, now fighting for his life after falling off theme park rollercoasterhttps://t.co/YfurTciVI6 pic.twitter.com/JFgYjipjgO  Mirror Breaking News (@MirrorBreaking_) May 31, 2019

A witness cited by the Metro said that she heard a group of people shouting at the operator to stop the ride.

Lara-Susan James, who was standing in line for the rollercoaster with her children, said: It was at that moment I realized something was wrong. I saw the operator apply the emergency stop.

When the ride stopped, the family jumped the barriers and went to the kid.

Lightwater Statement

In a statement, Lightwater Valley said on Friday: We have been informed by North Yorkshire Police that the medical condition of the child involved in the incident at the park yesterday has deteriorated overnight and he is now in a critical condition.

We are devastated by this news and our thoughts are with the family.

While the Health and Safety Executive investigation is continuing, we will support them and be guided by their advice.

Updated statement We have been informed by North Yorkshire Police that the medical condition of the child involved in the incident at the park yesterday is now described as critical. We are devastated by this news and our thoughts are with the family.  Lightwater Valley (@LightwaterV) May 31, 2019

10-Year-Old Dies on Giant Waterslide

The incident recalls the case of a 10-year-old girl whose excitement to ride a giant water slide for the first time triggered a dormant heart condition, leading to the little girls tragic death.

London Eisenbeis, 10, had waited for two years to be tall enough to ride the 270-foot Super Loop Speed Slide at a water park in Michigan, the Daily Mail reported. When she finally went to ride the slide in February last year with her parents and sister, tragedy struck.

London looked at her dad, gave two thumbs up and smiled, went down the slide and came out in cardiac arrest, Tina Eisenbeis told The Sun. The excitement threw her rhythm.

Londons heart was thrown into an abnormal rhythm as her adrenaline spiked. She went into cardiac arrest as she dropped down the four-story slide.

The girls family were unaware at the time that London had been living with a heart conditionLong QT Syndrome.

There were no signs of the condition, she just dropped, Eisenbeis told the outlet. The day before she had been doing flips in the air.

Londons mother realized something was wrong after hearing a whistle going off and children and parents evacuating the pools.

When she walked over to find out the source of the commotion, a parents worst nightmare became her reality.

[My husband] was looking down and there were sheets up and I knew it was one of my kids, she told the outlet. It was an awful thing.

London was transported to hospital, where she remained for nine days on life support.

The little girl sadly passed away on Feb. 27.

Since the little girls death, her parents have established a non-profit foundation called London Strong, which offers CPR training classes raises funds for defibrillators to be fitted in locations around the community.

She hopes the work of the foundationand spreading the word of the circumstances of her daughters tragic deathcan save lives.
Brass Knuckles, Clubs, and Wild Kat Keychains to Be Legal in Texas for Self-Defense

Starting September, carrying brass knuckles, clubs, and self-defense wild kat keychains will be legal in Texas, according to reports.

Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott signed off on House Bill 466 over Memorial Day weekend, which will legalize carrying certain items of self-defense starting Sept. 1, KSAT reported.

NEW: Texas Gov. Abbott signs law lifting ban on brass knuckles, kitty keychains and clubs. It will go into effect on Sept. 1. https://t.co/Fozjy5my5m #txlege  Lauren McGaughy (@lmcgaughy) May 29, 2019

Prior to the date of the law change, any individual who carries or has carried the weapons mentioned in the bill will face up to $4,000 in fines or up to one year behind bars.

Anyone who has committed, or commits an offense by carrying the weapons before Sept. 1 will still held accountable for committing a crime, the bill specifies.

The bill was passed on April 9 at the Texas House of Representatives with a 147-0 vote. On May 15, the Senate passed the bill unanimously with a 31-0 vote.

Knuckles are any instrument that consists of finger rings or guards made of a hard substance and that is designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by striking a person with a fist enclosed in the knuckles, according to the Texas Penal Code.

Beginning in September, youll be able to carry brass knuckles to defend yourself if you get into a sticky situation in the Lone Star State https://t.co/spSsyMIchB  CNN (@CNN) May 31, 2019

The weapons were removed from a list that previously made it a criminal offense to possess, manufacture, or transport the soon-to-be legalized items.

It was previously considered a class A misdemeanor to possess knuckles, according to a summary of the bill published by the House Research Organization, CNN reported.

Some of the items that remain illegal under the bill include machine guns, zip guns, tire deflation devices, and explosive weapons, among others.

In 2017, 93 people were convicted for breaching the brass knuckle ban, according to figures from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Starting in September, Texans will be able to legally use brass knuckles for self-protection. https://t.co/L4svbtU0g1  KCBD NewsChannel11 (@KCBD11) May 30, 2019

Speaking to the Texas Standard, Rep. Joe Moody, a Democratic legislator from El Paso and a sponsor of the bill, said it would ensure a means of self-defense for those who want to protect themselves.

He explained that many people carry the items for self-defense reasons.

As of September 1st, kitty keychains & other knuckles will be legal to carry in Texas thanks to #HB446. Legislation in the Lone Star State is a real mixed bag, but this is a victory for women. pic.twitter.com/Kcm3IRknTb  Kristen Surratt (@KrisTangoXray) May 31, 2019

We arent living in West Side Story. Maybe at one point this was used to identify criminal elements, but its just not the case anymore, Moody said, according to Newsweek.

A young woman who has a keychain for self defense, certainly fits the statute of knuckles. And she was arrested for that.

Moody added that to be arrested for carrying an item for personal protection is certainly antithetical to our rights to self defense.

Meanwhile, other bill supporters said knuckles shouldnt be placed in the same category as explosive weapons, machine guns, and other prohibited weapons, arguing that they are primarily a defensive tool, reported CNN.

Law abiding Texans who carry knuckles, perhaps as part of a novelty key chain, should not be vulnerable to jail time for possessing a legitimate self defense tool, the summary reads.

Brass knuckles, clubs: New Texas law expands limits of open carry https://t.co/9bm69dun7E pic.twitter.com/SPylkYRstg  New York Post (@nypost) May 30, 2019

The move comes after switchblades were removed from the list of banned items in 2013.

This month, another supporter of the bill, Texas Rep. Jonathan Stickland, said the bill shows the states commitment to the Second Amendment, reported Newsweek.

For me, the Second Amendment is really about the right to exist and I think that everyone has the right to defend themselves, he said.

I think it sends a good message and the Texas House has always tried to work across the aisle whenever we can, a lot different than DC.
File photo showing a lamb jumping around in a pasture at Scandia Creek Farm in Poulsbo, Wash., on March 8, 2017. (Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun via AP)

British Mother-of-7 Horrified After Thugs Hang Her Childrens Pet Lamb From Tree

A British mother-of-seven is appealing for help identifying the unknown thugs who lynched her childrens pet lamb.

Katie Dodd, 35, told StokeOnTrentLive that she found Destiny the lamb hanging from a tree by a piece of pink twine.

It was so horrible to see her hanging, Im so angry, Dodd told the news outlet, recounting her distress at finding the lamb dead on April 29 at her hobby farm in Packmoor in the north of England.

Dodd said this was not the first time hooligans had targeted her small hobby farm. Days after the lamb was found dead, she said someone opened the gates to her farm and let the sheep escape.

When I started the smallholding we had 18 sheep and they gave birth to 11 lambs, she told StokeOnTrent Live. Now weve got six lambs and 15 sheep left.

In another incident, she said someone blinded a lamb named Socks in one eye.

There have been other instances where they have dug holes in the ground and covered them up for the animals to fall down, she added.

It was reported that she has moved her sheep to a secret location until the perpetrators are caught.

The 35-year-old discovered the lifeless lamb strung up by a piece of twine on her farm. https://t.co/vWJNNh1u38  StokeonTrentLive (@Sotlive) May 31, 2019

Hobby Farm to Help Autistic Children Cope

The 35-year-old mother told the news outlet that she started the small hobby farm as a way to help her two autistic sons cope with developmental issues.

We started with a couple of rescue animals because my sons didnt really go out that much as they struggle with social interaction, she told the publication.

They all have their own personal sheep or lamb that was theirs to look after. One was used as a therapy sheep. Now we have to keep the children away because we dont know what were going to find.

She said she suspects someone who wants to drive her off the land is behind the cruel incidents.

It was a space for the kids to be able to run around and relax but people who want us to move off the land started to damage the smallholding.

Ive had to move the sheep away because its unsafe.

She said she has reported the lamb lynching both to the RSPCA and the police.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman told StokeOnTrentLive that the case was being investigated.

Reactions

After news of the incident was posted on the StokeOnTrent Live Facebook page, people reacted with sympathy.

Kelly Jones-Vickers wrote: This has been going on for far too long Katie, it sickens me that no body has been prosecuted yet. Hopefully the culprits will see this and give you and your animals a bit of peace. You are a wonderful person and a wonderful mum. Keep your chin up.

Vanessa Cork wrote: This is the saddest thing, that poor woman, why are people so cruel to animals, I hope your new safe place brings you and your children happy memories to be made.

Kirsty Thomas wrote: Are there any volunteers willing to go and do some stake outs up there at night? Catch them in the act? Failing that, get some wildlife cams to put around the land.

Animal Rights Group Investigates Man Who Drop-Kicked Cat in Disturbing Video

*Warning: contains graphic content.*

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is investigating the case of a man seen on video violently kicking a cat.

The RSPCA (England & Wales) announced on its Twitter feed over the weekend that the disturbing incidentwhich shows the unidentified man coaxing the cat before giving it a savage kickwould be looked into.

The organization has also called for the public to help identify the person responsible.

Disturbing Video

The stomach-churning video was posted by the Twitter account Protect All Wildlife (@Protect_Wildlife) with the caption, Lets find this oxygen thief!!!!

The footage shows the man appearing to be kind to the cat, stroking it behind the ears. He then turns to the camera and smiles before winding up for a brutal kick that sends the cat flying as a thud sound is heard.

Someone off-camera is heard laughing hysterically as the cat spins through the air before it lands several feet away before bolting.

It is unclear whether the cat sustained any serious injuries.

OMG. I hate that Twitter automatically plays films etc. I was totally unprepared for this, one Twitter user commented. There should be a warning before this plays.

The video has been viewed over 2.4 million times and shared over 15,000 times in a few days.

Another Twitter user argued the video is inappropriate to put online and will only encourage others, to which someone replied: Hopefully it doesnt. These campaigns are known to be successful at bringing justice to the evil individuals who do this. It would be great if this one is found and charged.

Sometimes its important to see that there is evil in the world, another Twitter user wrote, adding: even though it makes us uncomfortable. If we lie to ourselves and say every human and every inch of the world is wonderful, we shelter ourselves, and we are unprepared for the actual world.

After viewing the disturbing clip, celebrities have taken to Twitter to express their outrage.

Actress Kirstie Alley wrote: Omg I would never usually retweet something so hideous .. but if you know this monster PLEASE turn him in!!

And comedian Ricky Gervais noted: I cant decide the best punishment for this dirty [expletive].

Last year the RSPCA rescued and collected over 102,900 animals, according to its website, and investigated over 130,700 complaints of cruelty.
Ken Hoffer, of Halifax, poses on the Liberty Bridge above the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30, 2019. A Canadian tourist who was on the Danube River in Budapest when two boats collided on May 29 says the experience was "surreal and "sobering". Ken Hoffer, of Halifax, says he was on a cruise boat about two bridges down from where the crash occurred, when he saw a man in a life ring float by in the chilly and fast moving water. (HO - Ken Hoffer/The Canadian Press)

Canadian Tourist Recounts Aftermath of Boat Collision on the Danube

HALIFAXA Canadian tourist who was on the Danube River in Budapest when two boats tragically collided Wednesday says the experience was surreal and sobering.

Ken Hoffer, a retired navy captain, was nearing the end of a 10-day cruise along the river that cuts through central and eastern Europe when he encountered an astounding scene through the heavy rain.

The 63-year-old Halifax resident said he was aboard the 122-metre Avalon Illumination and was out for an hour-long cruise of the brightly lit Hungarian capital when the cruise director said there had been an emergency on the river and people were in the water.

I used to actually train (navy) ships on how to do man overboard and how crews are supposed to respond, so that training kind of kicked in, and I stayed topside, Hoffer said in a phone interview Friday on his last day in the city.

He said his tour ship was about two bridges downstream from where the collision occurred, and he and several others were keeping an eye out for possible individuals in the water.

It wasnt long before he spotted something about 18 metres away from the vessel.

The first chap was inside a life-ring. He had it over his torso and he was looking up at me, said Hoffer, adding that the rivers current was swift.

So he was being swept away, he said.

Hoffer, who was standing on the upper deck near the wheelhouse, said he immediately shouted, Man overboard, man overboard, and alerted the crew, who called in a police boat.

The captain actually got the police boat to respond very quickly, and Id like to think that they did recover him alive, Hoffer said.

He said it was only seconds later that he and the others saw a second man, who was also in a life-ring and was waving his arm. Then at least three bodies passed by about six metres off the starboard beam of the ship, face down in the water.

Hoffer said a debris field was also carried by the current.

We saw backpacks going through the water, empty safety rings, upper deck chairs, lots of garbage and then oil. All of this stuff was being swept down from the crash site, he said.

However, Hoffer said it wasnt until Thursday morning that he and other passengers learned the extent of the tragedy, with seven people confirmed dead, seven rescued and 21 missing.

We were all astounded by the accident and just couldnt believe that so many people lost their lives, he said.

Hungarian police have launched a criminal investigation and said Friday they had detained the Ukrainian captain of a Viking cruise ship. The vessel collided with a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists, causing it to sink quickly.

The South Korean group on a package tour of Europe included 30 tourists, two guides and a photographer. Two Hungarian crew members are among the 21 missing.

Hoffer said he and his wife stayed over an extra day Friday to take in more of the sights of Budapest, including a castle higher up in the city. Despite the warm sunny day, he said he was still processing what happened on the river and could see physical reminders of the tragedy.

When we looked down we could see the salvage crane in position, ready to recover the boat, he said.
China Threatens Consequences for Canada In Ongoing Huawei Dispute

The Chinese regime has warned Canada there will be consequences for aiding the United States in a case involving Chinese tech company Huawei that triggered diplomatic tensions between Canada and China six months ago that have since escalated.

The United States considers Huawei a national security threat, saying the telecom giant has close ties with the Chinese communist regime. Most recently, the U.S. government blacklisted Huawei and its subsidiaries, effectively preventing U.S. companiesincluding Google, Microsoft, and Intelfrom doing business with the Chinese company. Beijing has warned Canada from following in their footsteps.

We hope that the Canadian side can have a clear understanding of the consequences of endangering itself for the gains of the U.S. and take immediate actions to correct its mistakes so as to spare itself the suffering from growing damage, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily news briefing on May 31, according to the Canadian Press.

Geng made the comments in response to a trade meeting between U.S. Vice -President Mike Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa, where both called for the release of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

The two Canadians were detained in China on Dec. 10, 2018, just days after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is wanted by the United States on charges of fraud. The Canadian government has said it acted in accordance with the rule of law in arresting Meng, being bound by an extradition treaty with the United States.

The arrest of Kovrig and Spavor is widely regarded as retaliation for Mengs arrest, and is part of other tactics by Beijing to pressure on Canada for her release. Both Canada and the United States have condemned the detentions.

The United States has stood strong with Canada on the unlawful detention of the two Canadian citizens, Pence said in Ottawa. We respect and are grateful for the strong stand in the rule of law that Canada has taken with regard to the Huawei executive, and well continue to engage in the issue.

He said President Donald Trump is planning to bring up the issue with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Riyadh in November.

We anticipate that he will be meeting with President Xi there, and were in the midst of significant discussions over our trading relationship, but I can assure you in that context, and going forward, were going to continue to urge China to release the Canadian citizens even while we deal with the larger economic and structural issues between the United States and China. We are standing with Canada in this effort.

Kovrig, a former diplomat who now works for think tank International Crisis Group, and Spavor, a businessman who has worked extensively in North Korea, have not had access to lawyers or family members since their detention. Consular officials have only been allowed to visit them about once a month.

In contrast, Meng has been out on bail under house arrest at her multi-million-dollar home in Vancouver since soon after she was arrested on Dec. 1, 2018.

Huawei Security Risk

In a 13-count indictment, U.S. officials accuse of Meng, Huawei, and two of the companys subsidiaries of misleading banks about Huaweis dealings with Iran, a violation of U.S. trade sanctions. Meng herself has been charged with bank fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracies to commit bank and wire fraud.

Over the past several months, the United States has been actively warning Canada and its other allies not to use Huawei for their 5G networks, citing security risks, a position that Pence reiterated while in Ottawa.

We consider Huawei incompatible with the security interests of the United Sates of America, or our allies in freedom-loving nations across the world, he said.

The simple fact is the legal framework within China gives the Chinese government access to information and data that is collected by Chinese companies like Huawei, and to have a 5G network worldwide that has access to sensitive national security information we believe is incompatible with the national security interests of the United States.

The Chinese regime has a number of security laws that some experts and government officials say could give Beijing access to sensitive information. For example, Chinas 2017 National Intelligence Law requires all citizens, companies, and organizations to supply intelligence information if requested. It has caused concern for intelligence experts around the world, and led Washington to pressure its allies in limiting the use of Huawei and other Chinese technology.

Unlike the United States, Canada has not banned Huawei from its 5G network or technological community. The Liberal government has said the decision on whether to ban Huawei will not be a political consideration, but a decision made based on facts and data.

We trust our experts, our national security and intelligence experts, to make recommendations on how we can ensure Canadians are safe as we move towards a 5G world, Trudeau said in Ottawa. The basis upon which we will make our decisions is, as always, on facts and data, rather than on political considerations.
TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orca Exploration Group Inc (Orca or the "Company") (TSX-V: ORC.A, ORC.B) announced that its board of directors has unanimously rejected an unsolicited non-binding proposal of Swala Oil & Gas (Tanzania) PLC ("Swala") to acquire Orca Exploration Group for CDN$7.50 per Class A and Class B Orca shares. Orca believes that details of Swala's proposal may be known to certain members of the public, including certain Orca shareholders, and decided to issue this news release to ensure the details of such proposal, and the board of directors' views of it, are generally disseminated to the market.



The Swala proposal was accompanied by a non-binding, unsigned conditional term sheet for a Swala financing to fund a portion of the purchase price for the proposed acquisition. However, approximately 72% of the purchase price for the acquisition would be funded with Orca's distributable cash. The Swala proposal effectively values Orca's non-cash assets at US$55 million. It should be noted that the recent McDaniel's engineering report on the Company's natural gas assets in Tanzania which valued the reserves associated with the Songo Songo licence at US$294 million based on the future net revenue from the 2P reserves using a 10% discount rate.

After careful review and consideration, Orca's board of directors concluded that Swala's unsolicited proposal undervalues Orca, has conditions which are not likely to be met in a timely manner and is not in the best interests of Orca or its shareholders. This follows the board's review and rejection of other recent unsolicited proposals from Swala to acquire Orca which the board of directors also rejected for the same reasons.

While not soliciting offers for the Company, Orca's board of directors would engage with any party that makes a bona fide, credible proposal that appropriately values Orca and is capable of being completed. Swala's proposals fail that test. In the meantime, Orca's management and board will proceed with its previously announced strategy of increasing shareholder liquidity, maximizing value in Tanzania and diversifying risk through other investments.

Background to Swala's non-binding unsolicited proposal

Orca entered into an agreement with Swala in 2017 to sell up to 40% of the shares of PAE PanAfrican Energy Corporation ("PAEM"), the Mauritius holding company which in turn owns 100% of the shares of PanAfrican Energy Tanzania Limited, the operating company in Tanzania to Swala. Despite numerous extensions and financing support provided by Orca, and assurances by Swala that financing was imminent, Swala failed to raise the necessary financing to complete more than the acquisition of 7.9% of the PAEM shares in January 2018. The agreement to acquire the additional equity of up to 32.1% in PAEM was terminated in early 2019. Orca expended significant resources to support Swala's acquisition efforts in the past and, based on that experience, does not believe it is in Orca's best interests to support future efforts without a credible transaction and financing plan and deposit provided by Swala.

Issuer Bid

Consistent with the Board's view that the current market price of Orca's shares does not reflect the intrinsic value of its business, Orca announces its intention to commence a normal course issuer bid for the purchase of its Class B Subordinate Voting Shares through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange. Commencement of the issuer bid is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.



Orca Exploration Group Inc.

Orca Exploration Group Inc. is an international public company engaged in natural gas exploration, development and supply in Tanzania through its subsidiary PanAfrican Energy Tanzania Limited. Orca trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbols ORC.B and ORC.A.

For further information please contact:

Orca Exploration Group Inc. For media enquiries: Nigel Friend Celicourt (PR) Chief Executive Officer Mark Antelme +44-7798-502316 Jimmy Lea nfriend@orcaexploration.com Jemima Lowe Orca@celicourt.uk Blaine Karst +44-207-5209261 Chief Financial Officer +44 7471-902734 bkarst@orcaexploration.com

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.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements or information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. More particularly, this news release contains, without limitation: forward-looking statements pertaining to the following: the Corporation's plan to engage with any party that makes a bona fide, credible proposal that appropriately values the Corporation and is capable of being completed; Orca's belief that it is not in the best interests of the Corporation to support future acquisition efforts by Swala unless certain conditions are met; the Corporation's plan to purchase Class B Subordinate Voting Shares under the Bid; and Orca's belief that the purchase of Class B Subordinate Voting Shares under the Bid is in the best interests of the Corporation and its shareholders. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievement since such expectations are inherently subject to significant business, economic, operational, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies.

These forward-looking statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Groups control, and many factors could cause the Groups actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by the Group, including, but not limited to, the potential negative effect on the Groups business in Tanzania as a result of recently enacted and future legislation, as well as the risk that such legislation will create additional costs and time connected with the Groups business in Tanzania; risks regarding the uncertainty around evolution of Tanzanian legislation; the impact of general economic conditions in the areas in which the Group operates; industry conditions; changes in laws and regulations including the adoption of new environmental laws and regulations, impact of new local content regulations and changes in how they are interpreted and enforced; and unanticipated changes to legislation and the effect on the Group's operations; and risks associated with the installation of refrigeration on the Songas processing plant. In addition, there are risks and uncertainties associated with oil and gas operations. Therefore the Groups actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by these forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Group will derive therefrom. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

Such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions made by the Group in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors the Group believes are appropriate in the circumstances, including, but not limited to, that the Tanzania National Natural Gas Infrastructure Project ("NNGIP") is completed; the TPDC, the Ministry Energy and Mines and the Group are able to agree on commercial terms for future incremental gas sales and the Group can expand Songo Songo development beyond the existing Songas infrastructure and supply gas to the NNGIP; that there will continue to be no restrictions on the movement of cash from Mauritius or Tanzania; that the Group will have sufficient cash flow, debt or equity sources or other financial resources required to fund its capital and operating expenditures and requirements as needed; that the Group will have adequate funding to continue operations; that the Group will successfully negotiate agreements; receipt of required regulatory approvals; the ability of the Group to increase production at a consistent rate; infrastructure capacity; commodity prices will not further deteriorate significantly; the ability of the Group to obtain equipment and services in a timely manner to carry out exploration, development and exploitation activities; future capital expenditures; availability of skilled labour; timing and amount of capital expenditures; uninterrupted access to infrastructure; the impact of increasing competition; conditions in general economic and financial markets; effects of regulation by governmental agencies; that the Groups appeal of various tax assessments will be successful; that the enactment of the Act in Tanzania will not impair the Groups rights to develop and market natural gas in Tanzania; current or, where applicable, proposed industry conditions, laws and regulations will continue in effect or as anticipated as described herein; and other matters.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Group undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe meet before the start of their meeting in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La dialogue on May 31, 2019. (Idrees Ali/Reuters)

China, US Defense Chiefs Hold Talks at Asia Security Summit

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Shanahan to call out China on its militarization of the South China Sea

SINGAPOREChinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe and acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan held talks on May 31 at an Asia security summit in Singapore, a meeting the Pentagon said was constructive and productive, amid heightened tensions between the two countries over trade and security.

The meeting comes even as Shanahan told reporters on Friday that Chinese militarization of the South China was excessive and that he would be calling out such Chinese actions in a speech on Saturday.

The United States and China, locked in an escalating trade war, are also at odds over a series of strategic issues, from the disputed South China Sea to democratic Taiwan, claimed by China as its sacred territory, to be taken by force if needed.

Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, a Pentagon spokesman, said Shanahan found their 20-minute meeting to be constructive and productive.

The two leaders discussed ways to build military-to-military relations that reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation between our nations, Buccino said.

He added that Shanahan discussed how the two militaries could better cooperate to enforce North Korea sanctions.

Secretary Shanahan hopes to build on this evenings discussion with future engagements, Buccino said.

Prior to the meeting, Shanahan stuck an optimistic tone and told reporters that the relationship between the two militaries had a lot of potential.

He said he had several proposals to improve relations with Beijing that he would discuss with Wei.

Call Out Chinese Behavior

Before his meeting with Wei, Shanahanwho on his first day in his role in January said the U.S. military would focus on China, China, Chinasaid he would use a speech on Saturday to call out China specifically.

This part might be viewed as spicy kind of call out good behaviors, bad behaviors and theres parts of this where I think its appropriate not to ignore, Shanahan said, adding that Chinas military actions in the South China Sea had been excessive.

They argue that it is defensive, it looks like its a bit overkill, surface to air missiles, long runways  it seems excessive, Shanahan said.

China and the United States have repeatedly traded barbs over what Washington says is Beijings militarization of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs.

The Chinese regime claims that it has historical ownership over nearly the entire region, which gives it the right to manufacture islands, declare defensive perimeters around its artificial islands, and to chase ships from other nations out of the South China Sea.

However, on July 12, 2016, an arbitration court in The Hague found the Chinese regimes claims to be false. In the U.N. tribunals ruling, Chinas claims to virtually the entirety of the South China Sea were dismissed by the 5-member tribunal as having no historical basis. It was also determined that the multiple artificial islands that have been built by and used as bases by the Chinese military do not constitute territory entitled to zones of economic exclusivity. Rather, they were found to be in violation of the sovereignty of the Philippines.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) immediately rejected the tribunals decision. A statement from its Foreign Ministry said it viewed the decision as null and void and has no binding force. It would neither accept nor participate in the arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines. The true impact is uncertain given the tribunal has no power of enforcement, The Associated Press reported on July 12, 2016.

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have competing claims to the waterway, through which passes about a third of global seaborne trade.

By Idrees Ali. The Epoch Times contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump (L) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping leave a business leaders event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2017. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinese Regime Threatens to Blacklist Foreign Companies in Retaliatory Move Against US

On the eve of increased Chinese tariffs on U.S. imports taking effect, the Chinese regime has announced its latest retaliatory move in the U.S.-China trade dispute: it is preparing to set up an unreliable entity list of foreign enterprises, organizations, and individuals who damage Chinese firms benefits.

The name entity list echoes the U.S. Commerce Departments. On May 15, it placed Chinese telecom giant Huawei on an entity list on national security grounds, which effectively banned the firm from doing business with U.S. companies. As Huawei buys a significant amount of U.S. software and components from U.S. companies and other firms that use U.S.-origin tech, the export ban has dealt a heavy blow to the Chinese company.

Gao Feng, Chinas Ministry of Commerce spokesman, said at a May 31 press conference: [Some foreign entities] have blocked, stopped supplying, and taken other discriminatory measures on Chinese companies for non-commercial reasons. It seriously damages Chinese companies rights and interests, and endangers Chinas national security and interests.

Gao did not provide details about which kind of companies or individuals the Chinese regime would include on the list, nor the punitive measures that would be imposed.

He also did not explain why damaging Chinese companies interests would constitute endangering Chinas national security.

After Gaos statement, Chinese state media began publishing articles touting the Chinese regimes powerful move in launching the entity list.

U.S.-China Trade Talks

During a May 30 press conference with the Ministry of Commerce, Gao was asked about the progress of U.S.-China trade talks. He answered: The talks have encountered serious setbacks.

Gao also criticized the United States heavily and said the trade talks have reached a stalemate.

Trade tensions recently escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump announced in early May that it would increase tariff rates to 25 percent from 10 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. U.S. officials said the Chinese side had reneged on commitments previously negotiated during months of talks.

After two-days talks in Washington D.C. ending on May 10, the negotiating teams from both parties could not reach an agreement.

In retaliation, China announced on May 13 that it would increase tariffs ranging from 5 to 25 percent on 5,140 U.S. products, worth about $60 billion beginning June 1.

The United States has also begun the process for imposing new tariffs on an additional $325 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Negotiation Tactic

Robert Atkinson, president of Washington-based think tank Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said the announcement was a negotiation tactic ahead of scheduled trade talks between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Japan in June.

Thats how they negotiate. They do this all the time, Atkison told the Epoch Times in a May 31 interview.

If theyve done something wrong and you say Im going to do something in response, they then ratchet up what they do even though they were the ones  [who] were wrong in the first place. Thats their modus operandi.

Atkinson said the regime would be shooting itself in the foot if it punished U.S. companies, given Chinese companies reliance on U.S. technologies. For instance, many Chinese tech firms rely on U.S.-manufactured chips, as well as software from American firms like Google and Microsoft.

Atkinson added that such a retaliatory move would also spur American companies to relocate their production to other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam and Malaysia.

Some have already decided to do so; Apple will begin assembling its top-end iPhones in India through the local unit of Foxconn. Apple previously mostly manufactured its products in China, but U.S. tariffs have been imposed on many electronic parts and components commonly found in electronic devices, such as motherboards and power supplies, that are made in China.

A top U.S.-based group that advocates for strong business relations with India recently revealed that about 200 U.S. companies have contacted them about the possibility of setting up an alternative manufacturing base in India to replace their current assembly lines in China.

Other experts have also condemned the Chinese regimes tactics amid the escalated trade tensions. Elliott Zaagman, writer at the U.S. think tank Lowy Institute, posted a diagram on Twitter May 22, showing that Beijing has banned more than one hundred American firms from doing business in China, while the U.S. administration has so far only outright banned Huawei from the U.S. market.

Meanwhile, Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, economist and director at the European Centre for International Political Economy, asked: What does China have left to retaliate with? in an interview with U.S. tech website Verge on May 29.

With reporting by Cathy He.
Democratic Gov of Louisiana Signs Heartbeat Abortion Bill into Law

The Democratic governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, broke from the party line and signed into law a bill that would make it unlawful to carry out an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The state joins four other statesGeorgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohioin supporting the heartbeat bill.

Edwards encouraged other Democratic lawmakers to support the move in a tweet late May 29.

As I prepare to sign this bill, I call on the overwhelming bipartisan majority of legislators who voted for it to join me in continuing to build a better Louisiana that cares for the least among us and provides more opportunity for everyone, he wrote.

My statement on the passage of SB 184 following final passage by the Louisiana Legislature. #lalege #lagov pic.twitter.com/SxadrmuUTC  John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) May 29, 2019

The bill (pdf) says the prohibition will go into effect if a similar law in Mississippi is upheld by a federal appeals court. So far, a federal judge temporarily blocked that Mississippi law on May 24.

The Louisiana ban requires that prior to an abortion, an ultrasound is performed in order to determine whether a fetal heartbeat is present.

The bill reads: It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly perform an abortion with the specific intent of causing or abetting the termination of the life of an unborn human being when a fetal heartbeat has been detected.

Those who do perform an abortion after this time could face up to two years in prison, and doctors and medical providers who do so could lose their medical license.

The new bill will ban abortion after a heartbeat is detected, with two exceptions. The first exception is if the abortion was carried out to prevent a pregnant womans death or a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.

The second exception is if the pregnancy was diagnosed as medically futile, that is, the child had been declared dead in the womb.

The ban does not include an exception for a pregnancy caused by rape or incest.

Related Coverage Trump Wants Exceptions for Rape, Incest in Laws Prohibiting Abortion

Missouri lawmakers approved an 8-week ban on abortion. Meanwhile, Alabama has recently banned all abortions except in cases where abortion is needed to prevent a serious health risk to the mother.

None of the heartbeat laws or abortion bans have come into effect.

Roe v. Wade

The latest abortion-ban measures across the states were aimed in part to provoke court challenges that might lead the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling in 1973 (pdf) legalized abortion nationwide.

In Roe v. Wade, states are prohibited from banning abortions prior to when the fetus is deemed viablethat is, potentially able to live outside its mothers womb.

The Supreme Court said that if unborn children are persons, then they have the right to life. The decision concluded that unborn children are not persons, and acknowledged that the case to prohibit states from banning abortions would collapse if the fetus is a person, because then its right to life would then be guaranteed by the Constitution.

Norma McCorvey, the real name of Jane Roe from Roe v. Wade: 1. Lied about being raped

2. Said she was used by lawyers who simply wanted to change abortion laws

3. Sought, in 2004, to have Roe v wade overturned

4. Called her involvement in Roe the biggest mistake of her life pic.twitter.com/rGmMx2TgaE  Adrian Norman (@AdrianNormanDC) May 16, 2019

On May 15, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a near-total abortion ban into law that lawmakers said was designed specifically to challenge Roe v. Wade in the strongest way.

Sen. Clyde Chambliss (R-Prattville), who sponsored the bill in the Senate, was asked about the legal costs the state would incur if the law is challenged in court.

Life is a gift of our Creator and we must do everything that we can to protect life, he responded, according to AL.com. And if it is a couple of million dollars, that is a small, small price for those lives.

From NTD.com
Dog Euthanized After Acid Attack, Vet Left in Tears

A dog has been euthanized after suffering from a serious acid attack in Northern Ireland.

Patch, a Staffordshire bull terrier, was found in the Pound Road area of Newry, Down County, around 6 p.m. on May 28, the Police Service of Northern Ireland told Daily Star Online.

Hannah Marriott, a local woman, was the first called the police when she came across the female bull terrier covered in burns.

The dog was later taken to Newry Veterinary Center for treatment.

Her skin was peeled, her flesh was burned, and her tongue was found ulcerated from licking the acid that had been poured on its body.

You could smell the burning of the animal and the skin was falling away, vet Liam Fitzsimons told the BBC, who first covered the abuse.

In thirty years of practice, I have never seen anything like this. This is the worst case of animal cruelty I have ever come across.

Newry vet says acid attack on dog worst case of animal cruelty he has ever seen  https://t.co/fft6bGisME  Armagh I (@ArmaghI) May 29, 2019

Local animal welfare group Pets Lost and Found Northern Ireland later shared the BBC article on Facebook to urged anyone with information to contact the police who were investigating the incident.

Under the posts, tons of comments expressed peoples shock and outrage at the abuse.

Some commented, Probably get of with probation, suspended sentences, or a slap on the wrists if caught justice system in this country is a joke if they can do this to a poor dog doesnt bare thinking about what they would be capable of doing to a human being.

Fitzsimons had been equally appalled by the abuse.

He told the BBC he would take this case to his grave, also saying, If they can do this to a dog, they can do it to a human.

He admitted he had cried when he first saw Patch arrive at his clinic.

Due to the severity of its injuries, there was only one option, he said of having to euthanize Patch.

Another local animal rescue page, Doggy 911 Rescue South Down, also shared images of Patch on its Facebook page to ask anyone with information to contact the Police Service of Northern Ireland on their non-emergency number 101.

We do not tolerate animal abuse of any kind in Northern Ireland her family has been left completely devastated and heartbroken due to the actions some evil scumbag has committed against innocent patch [sic], the post stated.

To the low life thug that has committed this kind of cruelty against an animal I hope you can sleep tonight knowing that a family have been left deeply shocked and devastated that there beloved pet dog has been taken from there lives due to your evil actions [sic].
Father Charged in Murder of 7-Year-Old Son, Whose Body Was Found Encased in Concrete

A father whose 7-year-old sons body was found encased in concrete inside a dog crate in December has been charged with murder in Colorado.

Leland Pankey, 39, was charged with three counts on May 30first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death and tampering with a deceased human, according to a news release by District Attorney Beth McCann in Denver.

Police found a large block of cement inside a dog carrier while searching inside a storage unit on Dec. 23, 2018. The cement block and the crate were found to weigh 267 pounds.

Authorities said the next day, the Denver Medical Examiners Office removed the remains of a child from the cement. The childs body was wrapped in plastic bags and bound with duct tape, according to the Denver Post.

Father faces murder charge in death of 7-year-old Caden McWilliams, whose body was found encased in concrete in Denver storage unit  Lamar Ledger  https://t.co/kr17bjTNjw pic.twitter.com/5oKqRz2CFv  American Digest (@americandigest_) May 31, 2019

A post mortem examination conducted on the remains indicated that the body was 7-year-old Caden McWilliams, who died due to homicide by undetermined means with child maltreatment being a significant factor, according to the news release.

The child is believed to have been dead since May last year. After his remains were recovered, his mother, Elisha Pankey, was charged in connection with the murder in January.

What began as a domestic violence call to the Aurora Police Department rapidly evolved into a homicide investigation because responding officers cared enough to ensure the involved children were safe, said District Attorney McCann.

We have now implicated both parents in this truly horrific crime, she said.

The Denver Post reported that the mother told police about the abuse Caden suffered at his fathers hands. The child was beaten and starved by the father and forced to sleep in the crate.

The Denver medical examiner said the victim had taken cocaine and methamphetamine at some point before his death.

According to the post mortem report, the boy weighed 27 pounds at the time of his death, much less than what a child of his age should weigh.

JUST IN: Cocaine, meth traces found in liver of 7-year-old boy whose body was encased in concrete in Denver storage unit https://t.co/l9VYNQp8tf  The Denver Post (@denverpost) March 1, 2019

Given the highly suspicious nature to this death, the findings of the postmortem examination and that the decedent is a young child who is dependent on others for his care, the manner of death is homicide, the forensic pathologist said according to Denver Post.

Before his death, Caden attended Ellis Elementary School, and his school teachers remembered him as a happy, smiling child.

This case has been painstaking and painful for all involved and it has horrified the public conscience as it progressed. The one thing that I am happy to report is that Cadens younger sister is safe and adjusting well, said McCann.

The case is set for a hearing in court on June 27.

Man charged in murder of 7-year-old son whose body was found encased in concrete https://t.co/6NJpfdJKpX pic.twitter.com/AO9xQypAtz  New York Post (@nypost) May 31, 2019

Risks of Child Homicide

Children face the highest risk of homicide from their parents and from those they know, according to a child abuse report published in BMJ.

Homicide is an extreme form of violence against children, and approximately 95,000 children are murdered every year according to a UNICEF 2014 report.

About 57 percent of these global childhood homicide cases are of children between 15-19 years of age, and 20 percent are of children below 5 years. Risk is higher for boys who constitute about 70 percent of cases.

Violence affects more children than you may think. The statistics are staggering and behind every number, there is a child. Explore the latest data on bullying, violent discipline, sexual violence & homicide https://t.co/CeDOnRdpuc #dataviz #EndviolenceSWE . pic.twitter.com/XNi5Zs0DMA  UNICEF Data (@UNICEFData) February 14, 2018

The homicide rate among juveniles in the United States is 3.8 per 100,000 or about six children per day, according to research by David Finkelhor (pdf).
Feds Jailed and Fined Husband for Digging Ponds on Own Land; Widow Seeks Relief

Lawyers for a recently deceased Montana mans estate say, despite his death, they may yet have a chance to challenge his federal convictions for digging ponds on his property without the governments permission.

Congress hasnt authorized the agencies to tramp around on peoples property just because there is a little water on it, senior attorney Tony Francois of the Pacific Legal Foundation told The Epoch Times.

Nor has it authorized the agencies to put people in jail for acting to protect their property, said Francois, who represents the estate.

Property owners have long been angered by what they consider to be the federal governments heavy-handed regulatory approach to making rules about bodies of water on private lands.

The government claims the right to regulate even tiny bodies of water on private property under the navigable waters rule under the Clean Water Act (CWA), which gave the government authority to regulate interstate commerce by prohibiting discharges into the nations navigable waters. The thinking was that the CWA applied to a body of water if it could be used to transport goods from one state to another.

But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers have tried to augment their regulatory authority by defining navigable waters in a way critics say is overbroad. Critics say small pools of water that cant be navigated at all have wrongly come under the regulatory purview of both agencies.

U.S. Navy veteran Joseph D. Robertson languished in prison for a year and a half for digging fire protection ponds near his home outside Basin, Montana, without federal Clean Water Act permits. He used to operate a business that supplied water trucks to fire-fighting agencies. Robertson was also fined $130,000. In November 2018, he asked the Supreme Court to look at his conviction after it was upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Robertson unexpectedly died on March 18 at age 78, but on April 15, the Supreme Court quietly granted Robertsons petition without even proceeding to the oral argument phase. The high court vacated the judgment of the 9th Circuit, remanding the case to the circuit court to consider whether the case is moot at this point. Weeks before that, the Supreme Court agreed to substitute the petitioners wife and representative of his estate, Carri Robertson, as petitioner in place of Robertson.

While far from a done deal, the Supreme Courts order to send the case back to the 9th Circuit is a big win for the Robertson family, according to Francois.

The High Courts decision came via summary disposition, which means it did not issue a written opinion. But, clearly, the justices felt the 9th Circuits decision was erroneous, or they wouldnt have granted Joes petition, or vacated the 9th Circuits decision, after his untimely death, Francois said.

The legal issue is whether the estate has a continuing right to fight the $130,000 fine, which the lawyers describe as exorbitant, and which can now be enforced against Robertsons heirs.

But whether the issue gets a new hearing before the Supreme Court depends on what happens in the case before then.

Francois said in coming days he will file a motion in the circuit court to have the convictions of his client vacated and the fine abated. When a person convicted of a crime dies without the appeal process having completely run its course, the conviction is normally vacated.

But it is unclear what position the government will take. Even if the convictions are dismissed, the fine could remain, in which case the controversy may yet find its way back to the Supreme Court, Francois explained.

The estate paid about $1,250 of the fine so far, he said. Francois said he will move that the fine be vacated and the funds paid be refunded to the estate.

Francois said he would like the opportunity to argue about the facts of the case.

The place where Robertson built his ponds were very close to his house and there is some ambiguity about whether the property belongs to the federal government, he said.

Robertson built the ponds in a clearing, using earth-moving equipment to capture the trickle of water from a nearby rivulet, he said.

The government claimed the trickle could be regulated as navigable waters, even though it is 40 miles upstream from the nearest navigable river, the Jefferson River, he said.
US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) in the Roosevelt Room where they issued a joint statement, at the White House in Washington, DC. on May 16, 2017. (Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)

Freed From Turkish Jail, Former NASA Scientist Wants to Return to US

ANKARATurkish American Serkan Golge, a former NASA scientist newly released from jail in Turkey, said on May 30 he would like to go back to the United States and get his job back, but the terms of his probation wont allow it.

Earlier this year, Golge was found guilty of being a member of an armed terrorist organization and sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison. His release on May 29 gave fresh hope for an easing of tensions between Turkey and the United States.

We just had news that Turkey released a prisoner that we were trying to get, and they released him a little while ago into home custody and will be released from home custody to the United States pretty soon. And I just want to thank President Erdogan, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on May 30.

The NATO allies are at odds over a range of issues including Syria policy, the United States refusal to extradite a Turkish cleric, Turkeys plans to buy Russian missile systems, cases against U.S. consulate employees, and a threat of sanctions against Ankara.

Golges sentence was cut to five years by an appeals court and he was found guilty of aiding a terrorist organization rather than being a member of one.

 following this decision I was eligible to be released on probational basis, Golge told Reuters in an interview on May 30.

This requires me to go to a police station and give a signature and unfortunately not to be able to leave the country and go back to the United States.

Golge was visiting family in southern Turkey when he was arrested in a sweeping crackdown that followed a failed military coup in 2016. He has always denied the charges against him.

The government blames the coup attempt on supporters of exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the United States. Gulen has denied involvement. The United States has repeatedly refused to repatriate Gulen.

Strained ties with Washington have contributed to investor fears that have seen Turkeys lira currency plunge.

Washington had urged Turkey to release Golge and other detainees held since the crackdown. His release and a phone call between President Tayyip Erdogan and Trump helped lira firm on May 30.

At least I can say there is a light at the end of the tunnel, Golge said.

The only thing I want right now is to be able to go back to the U.S. and start working at NASA again as a scientist.

In October 2018, Turkey released American evangelical pastor Andrew Brunson. Like Golge, Brunson was arrested in the aftermath of the attempted military coup. Turkey accused Brunson of taking part in orchestrating the coup and of links to terrorist organizations. Brunson has adamantly denied the charges.

The United States imposed sanctions on Turkey and threatened to ramp up economic pressure to force Brunsons release. The measures sent Turkish currency, the lira, tumbling.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pressed Turkey to release other American detainees, including Golge, shortly after Brunsons release.

Turkey has detained 160,000 people and dismissed nearly the same number of civil servants over suspected links to the coup attempt, according to the U.N. human rights office.

By Ece Toksabay. Epoch Times staff member Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.
From Homeless to Harvard, Houston Teen Valedictorian Makes It to Ivy League University

A high school student from Houston who was once homeless has been accepted to Harvard after he graduated as valedictorian and earned the highest marks in his class at Energy Institute High School.

Derrick Ngo, 18, who grew up without his parents by his side most of his life, found himself homeless at the age of 17, and has faced countless challenges to get to where he is today.

I grew up with the odds stacked against me, Ngo said in an op-ed for the Houston Chronicle.

For me and my siblings, there was a lot of instability. My mother was heavily involved in gambling and she got involved with criminal activities. Shes been incarcerated maybe eight or more times, he told ABC13.

AMAZING! One #Houston, #Texas high schooler is going from homeless to @Harvard. Derrick Ngo will be graduating at the top of his class at Energy Institute High School this weekend as valedictorian. https://t.co/3NpVYrDO39 pic.twitter.com/RjCdnKbmwJ  FOX 7 Austin (@fox7austin) May 31, 2019

Ngo, one of six siblings, grew up without a father, and attended 12 different schools between kindergarten and 8th grade.

We often didnt have that much food. We didnt have that much money. We didnt have a stable source of income and that was one of my biggest struggles growing upthat lack of parental guidance, Ngo told Fox 26.

With no father figure in his life, and his mother constantly going in and out of jail, Ngo decided at the age of 15 to take his future into his own hands by living by himself and excelling academically.

INTERRUPTING YOUR FEED  to celebrate Derrick! Can we celebrate this young man?  FROM HOMELESS TO HARVARD: Derrick Ngo found out he earned his schools valedictorian title | With Harvard ahead, its been a long journey from living without a home.https://t.co/vXqa7BTEch  Steve Campion (@SteveABC13) May 30, 2019

You learn quickly that to survive you have to pay attention  When I entered high school, I decided that I needed to attend one school for all four years.

To do that, I had to live alone and not depend on my mothers transient lifestyle, the 18-year-old explained in the Houston Chronicle article.

At the age of 15, Ngo got by and lived independently with occasional rent checks from his mother, but at times he struggled to pay for essentials and rationed his meals, living off cans of tuna and crackers.

He found himself homeless at one point when he was 17.

Former Holland STEM Scholar, Derrick Ngo named a LEDA Scholar at EIHS! This is an amazing six year program designed to support leadership for exceptional students in the college application process and beyond. Derrick still comes to support STEM @ HMS. Congratulations Derrick! pic.twitter.com/yIllx5Hcsx  Cheryl Willis (@CherylW29734407) April 7, 2018

To become the antithesis of my family and of my mother is one of the biggest inspirations Ive had growing up, he told Fox 26.

Ngo said he used his determination to succeed to push himself at school, where he achieved top grades.

I realized that if I didnt use school and education and the resources that were available to me, then there would be no way that I would get out of the situation I was in, Ngo said.

Congratulations to @HoustonISD #EMERGE student, Derrick Ngo, on his early action acceptance to the @Harvard College Class of 2023! See his reaction: pic.twitter.com/B4e7AJhjDp  EMERGE (@emergevillage) December 17, 2018

Now, the valedictorian says he owes much of his success to EMERGEa non-profit organization that helps low income, under-represented, and high achieving students get into selective universitiesand his mentor Judy Le.

If I didnt EMERGE, I probably wouldnt be attending a school like Harvard, Ngo told ABC13.

EMERGE has given me access to test prep, resume development training. Its given me an opportunity to go on a college tour.

Ngo also received offers from University of Texas at Austin, Princeton, and Columbia, but will start his first year with Harvard this fall, majoring in either economics or philosophy, according to Fox 32.

Growing up I didnt really believe that I had the potential, but as long as you have the motivation and discipline, anything is possible, he added.
Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Claudia Mo (center R) and bookseller Lam Wing-kee (center L) display placards outside the government headquarters during a rally in Hong Kong on March 31, 2019 to protest against the government's plans to approve extraditions with mainland China, Taiwan and Macau. (Dale De La Rey/AFP/Getty Images)

Hong Kongs Independence Advocates Fear Reach of Proposed Extradition Law

HONG KONGSome Hong Kong independence activists say they may be forced to leave the city if a proposed extradition law allowing suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial is enacted.

The government wants Hong Kongs Legislative Council to quickly pass the Fugitives Offenders Ordinance amendment bill, which would allow case-by-case transfers of people to countries without extradition treaties, including China.

The bill says extradition cant be used for political and religious offenses, and that safeguards such as court oversight over extradition requests will ensure rights are upheld.

But Hong Kongs small band of independence activistswho have railed against Chinas tightening grip on their citys autonomy and freedoms and say Hong Kong should be its own countrysense peril.

In the future, no matter which fugitives China seeks to extradite, Hong Kong wont be able to say no, said Alan Li, 27, a former leader of independence group Hong Kong Indigenous.

Li is in Germany after being granted political asylum there in a landmark case that has underscored growing international concern about Hong Kongs activists.

We cant trust the Hong Kong government, he added.

Li and activist Ray Wong, 25, ended up in refugee camps in Germany after skipping bail on rioting charges linked to a violent standoff with police on Feb. 8, 2016.

We will see more and more people being granted political asylum in the future, Li said via phone from Germany, noting that it was a rigorous process.

At least 23 activists from the February 2016 protest have been jailed for up to seven years. Critics say those are unusually harsh sentences for violating colonial-era rioting laws not used since the late 1960s.

Inalienable

China considers Hong Kong to be an inalienable part of the country, so calls for independence are anathema to Chinas Communist Party leaders.

But freedom of expression and assemblynot protected in mainland Chinawere enshrined in Hong Kongs mini-constitution when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Britain and Canada said in a news release on May 30 that the extradition bill could hurt local freedoms.

Zhang Xiaoming, the director of Chinas Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office, said that there is zero tolerance for activists who seek to undermine Chinas sovereignty.

The disconnect between what is allowed in Hong Kong but harshly punished in the mainland has added pressure to independence activists. Chinese leaders dub them separatistsa pursuit that would make them criminals in the mainland.

Paladin Cheng, an outspoken leader of the independence movement who lives alone in a ramshackle rooftop flat in Hong Kong, said that if the government doesnt scrap the law, there could be a backlash.

This China rendition law represents the mainlandization of Hong Kong, said Cheng, whom police often follow on the streets and during protests.

If the Chinese government really continues to make Hong Kong more similar to the mainland, even more people will support the idea of Hong Kong independence, he said.

The independence movement peaked in 2016, when two pro-independence activists, Baggio Leung and Yau Wai-ching, won Legislative Council seats, earning 7 percent of the popular vote in some districts.

Since then, authorities have moved to shut localists out of local politics.

Leung and Yau were removed from public office, dozens of others have been kept from running in local elections, and one pro-independence group was banned last year on national security grounds.

The atmosphere was really bad. And up to today, nothing has changed. Many of my friends have been harassed, imprisoned, or forced into exile, said Leung, 32.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in announcing the ban that it was necessary on the grounds of national security, public order and public safety. She has also emphasized that Hong Kong respects electoral freedoms.

Leung said that on the last day of 2018, five men forced their way into an office run by fellow activists, smashing open the door and taking some flags. After reviewing CCTV footage of the incident, he filed a police report.

A Hong Kong police spokesman confirmed a break-in had occurred, but said no one had been arrested so far.

Shrinking Space

A German Foreign Office spokeswoman, Maria Adebahr, said Berlin was increasingly worried about the shrinking space the opposition enjoys and the creeping erosion of the freedom of opinion.

She declined to specifically discuss Lis case.

Some activists think the extradition law, even if not immediately deployed against them, would still weigh psychologically.

The Chinese Communist Party and Hong Kong government have hinted several times that whoever is anti-Communist will be a target, said Wayne Chan, 29, another independence advocate. Pro-independence parties may be forced into exile.

Despite the potential danger, some activist say theyll stay and fight.

No one knows what is next for Hong Kong, said Tony Chung, 18, who was assaulted twice on the streets last year by four men who were later arrested.

The men are free on bail; police say they are investigating.

Chung was arrested this month over grabbing a small Chinese flag at a protest and breaking the stick. He was charged with criminal damage, which can be punished by up to 10 years in prison.

Hong Kong has changed completely from the place I knew, he said. But I dont want to give up and leave right now.

By Jessie Pang & James Pomfret
In a Suspicious Case, Police Find 2 Adults, 1 Teen Dead While 2 Babies Come Out Unharmed

In a suspicious case, police found two adults and one teen dead in a Virginia home on the morning of May 29, while two babies were found unharmed.

The Spotsylvania Sheriffs Office found the dead bodies inside a Spotsylvania County home after they responded to a call from someone at the property, reported Fox5.

Sheriffs Capt. C.A. Carey said the deputies reached the home on the 8300 block of Arlene Acres Drive at about 9 a.m. local time to find a 39-year-old man, a 34-year-old woman, and a 14-year-old boy dead in the property, according to Fredericks Burg.

UPDATE: Three dead in Spotsylvania home; details remain scarce Wednesday night https://t.co/cBDgDKQxiE pic.twitter.com/4FQ8sR3597  fredericksburg.com (@NewsInTheBurg) May 30, 2019

Carey described the cases as suspicious without providing any further details.

Media reports said the man and the woman had recently had a child, and the infant was found at home along with another toddler. The teens relationship with the victims has not been disclosed at this time.

Both children were unharmed and taken to a hospital to be treated for dehydration.

The deceased bodies were taken by the medical examiners office in Richmond for post mortem examination.

3 bodies found in Spotsylvania County home, officials say https://t.co/x2k7hKI8rH #GoodDayDC pic.twitter.com/wVovmizFJD  FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) May 30, 2019

Shot in the Head While Dancing in a Parking Lot, Teen Dies Days Before Graduation

In another incident on May 24, an 18-year-old high school senior died just days before her graduation after she was shot in the head while dancing in a parking lot in Pennsylvania.

Morgan Dunston died on Friday morning after being shot while she was dancing with a group of friends in a parking lot at South Side Flats at 3 a.m., reported The Post-Gazette.

Someone came up from behind and started shooting and my baby got shot, Morgans mother Angie Krimm, 41, told The Post-Gazette.

According to a fundraiser on GoFundMe, Dunston was set to graduate from McKeesport High School this week.

Angie Krimm will accept her daughters diploma on Thursday  and hold her funeral on Friday  after she was fatally shot mere days before she was due to receive her diploma from McKeesport Area High School. https://t.co/Gwu7ittqb2  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@PittsburghPG) May 27, 2019

Dunstons small group of friends that was dancing with her rushed her to a hospital, but she didnt survive the fatal shot to the head.

Krimm will accept Dunstons diploma during the school graduation on Thursday and on Friday, theyll hold her funeral.

She wasnt in a gang. She wasnt with the wrong crowd. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to enjoy life, Krimm told The Post-Gazette.

The family will hold a graduation party and a celebration of life on Saturday.

The mother said her slain daughter was to attend a cosmetology school in August and described her as a kind and bubbly person with a beautiful smile.

Dunstons twin sister is grief-stricken and is trying to cope up with the loss before she attends Slippery Rock University on a full scholarship. Theres not one day I lived without my sister, her twin, Jordyn Dunston told WPXI.

Krimm said Dunston was very proud of her twin, Jordyn.

She feels like, If I go on and live my life, I am leaving my sister behind, Krimm said. And I said, Jordyn, you have to do it for her. Because thats what she would want you to do.

After the graduation and funeral, Krimm is planning to take her daughters ashes to the beach. She always wanted to go to the beach and I could never afford to take her, the grief-stricken mother said.

Investigators are treating it as a case of homicide. However, police have yet to make any arrests, reported WPXI.

Ill keep fighting for her until I know something, because shes not another number in somebodys tablet. I promise you that much, Krimm told WPXI.

18-year-old shot, killed in South Side days short of graduating high school https://t.co/ToEeRLuWJo via @WPXI  joseph wysocki (@rumrot) May 26, 2019

The parking lot was next to a church, but the pastor declined that the shooting had anything to do with the church.

Ideally, the church is in a place where things are happening and not always the best things are happening, and weve had different things that have happened in this space and around this community before, Pastor Jeff Eddings told WPXI.

My heart is really just concerned with the victim and what happened with whoever was here, he said.
OAKLAND, Calif. and TORONTO, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Harborside Inc. (formerly Lineage Grow Company Ltd.) (the Company) is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced reverse takeover of FLRish, Inc. (d/b/a Harborside) (FLRish) pursuant to the terms of a merger agreement (the Merger Agreement) dated February 8, 2019, as amended on April 17, 2019 among the Company, FLRish, Inc. and Lineage Merger Sub Inc. (Merger Sub), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the Reverse Takeover). The Reverse Takeover was completed by way of a three-cornered merger whereby FLRish merged with Merger Sub to form a merged corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company.



Immediately prior to the Reverse Takeover taking effect, the Company (a) consolidated its common shares on the basis of approximately 41.82 common shares into one new common share (the Consolidation), (b) changed its name to Harborside Inc., (c) reclassified the post-Consolidation common shares as subordinate voting shares (the Subordinate Voting Shares) and (d) created a new class of multiple voting shares (the Multiple Voting Shares). On closing, the holders of shares of FLRish received Multiple Voting Shares, Subordinate Voting Shares or a combination thereof, for each share of FLRish outstanding immediately prior to completion of the Reverse Takeover.

The Companys new board of directors is now consisted of Andrew Berman, Peter Bilodeau, Adam Szweras, Matthew K. Hawkins, Tracy Geldert, Sherri Altshuler and Nayir Felix Munoz, with Mr. Bilodeau as Chairman. Mr. Andrew Berman, CEO of FLRish, is now the President and CEO of the Company, with Mr. Keith Li continuing his role as CFO of the Company. Mr. Jack Nichols has been appointed the Corporate secretary of the Company. Mr. Steve DeAngelo serves as Chairman Emeritus.

Andrew Berman, CEO of Harborside Inc., said, Today is a historic day for Harborside. The company has served as a pioneer for the entire industry, and were excited to extend Harborsides tradition of trust, choice, and value to both our customers and our shareholders.

It is expected that the Subordinate Voting Shares will be listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) at the opening of the markets on or about June 6, 2019, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions to listing, and are expected to trade under the symbol HBOR. In conjunction with the closing of the Reverse Takeover, the Companys auditors will be MNP LLP.

A listing statement in respect of the Reverse Takeover will be prepared and posted on the CSE website and under the profile of Lineage on SEDAR at www.sedar.com in accordance with Policy 2 of the CSE. A press release is expected to be issued once the listing statement has been filed.

Advisors

Aird & Berlis LLP acted as FLRishs Canadian legal advisor, and Duane Morris LLP acted as FLRishs U.S. legal advisor. Fogler, Rubinoff LLP acted as Lineages Canadian legal advisor.

About Harborside Inc.

Harborside Inc. is one of the oldest, largest and most respected cannabis retailers in the world, and has played an instrumental role in making cannabis safe and accessible to a broad and diverse community of California consumers. Co-founded by Steve DeAngelo and dress wedding in 2006, Harborside was awarded one of the first six medical cannabis licenses granted in the United States. In May 2019, Harborside executed a reverse takeover with Lineage Grow Company adding two dispensaries in prominent cities in Oregon, additional cultivation, distribution and retail assets to its portfolio, and an expected public listing on the CSE. The Company has entered into a purchase agreement with Walnut Oaks, LLC d/b/a Agris Farms and has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire Lucrum Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a LUX.

Cautionary Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking information. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those regarding the Companys future, strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, the development of future operations, the expected timing of listing on the CSE, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words believe, expect, aim, intend, plan, continue, will, may, would, anticipate, estimate, forecast, predict, project, seek, should or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Companys expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict, including those described in the Companys management information circular dated April 9, 2019, as amended on April 30, 2019, which is available on the Companys SEDAR profile, and in the Companys final listing statement, which is expected to be posted on the Companys SEDAR profile. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. The Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking information or forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities law.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities in the United States. The Companys 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.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has in any way passed upon the merits of the business of the Company neither has approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Contact Information

Harborside Inc. Corporate:

Andrew Berman, CEO

Keith Li, CFO

510-610-7444

legal@flrish.com
A sign reading "Looters will be shot!!" sits in front of a flooded home on Turtle Bay in Fort Smith, Ark., on May 29, 2019. (Ben Goff/The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP)

Levees Strained as Arkansas River Stays at Record Levels

The Arkansas River held steady at record levels on May 30, putting enormous pressure on aging levees and offering little relief to areas enduring historic flooding.

Officials expected hundreds of homes to flood in Fort Smith, Arkansas second-largest city. In nearby Van Buren, officials warned that a levee protecting a mostly rural area was showing signs of significant leakage and deterioration.

Just across the border in Oklahomas Muskogee County, the conditions have already prompted the evacuations of more than 2,400 people and flooded nearly 1,100 homes, according to the local emergency management department.

Arkansas officials kept a watchful eye on a weakened levee in rural Crawford County on the western edge of the state. Sheriff Ron Brown said an 80-foot-wide section of the levee slid down on May 28, but workers were able to reinforce it to prevent the levee from being breached.

Brown said the levee was still at risk of failing. If that happens, about 250 people and 150 structures would be at risk.

All other levees in Arkansas were in good shape as the river level remained at a historic crest on May 30, according to Col. Bob Dixon of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But he said local levee boards should have a plan in place in case a levee fails, because the flooding is expected to persist for days if not weeks.

My concern is, they are designed for a temporary load and they are holding a lot more water than they have been tested on before, Dixon said.

Meanwhile, portions of the raging river showed signs of receding upstream in northeastern Oklahoma as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers scaled back releases from a hydroelectric dam near Tulsa, about 104 miles (167 kilometers) northeast of Fort Smith.

Powerful storms that dropped more than 20 inches of rain on parts of the region over the past month have overwhelmed the Keystone Lake reservoir, which drains a watershed of about 22,000 square miles in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Lt. Col. Adam Weece said releases from the dam into the swollen river have fallen from a high of 275,000 cubic feet per second on May 29 to 240,000 cubic feet per second.

Weve been stepping down the release overnight. Its a gradual process, Weece said, noting that the Corps plans to reduce flow to 100,000 cubic feet per second by June 4.

The rivers level in Tulsa crested on May 29 and had fallen by almost 2 feet by May 30, according to the National Weather Service.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said on May 30 that more than 400 homes have been voluntarily evacuated because of the flooding. The Republican said he directed another $250,000 in state funds toward the flood response and requested federal assistance from the Trump administration.

At least one death in Arkansas has been blamed on the flooding. In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker activated the National Guard to respond to recent severe flooding there.

Just spoke to Governor @AsaHutchinson of the Great State of Arkansas to inform him that FEMA and the Federal Government will do whatever is necessary to help out with what has turned out to be Record Flooding. Asa and local officials are doing a great job! President Donald Trump said in a May 28 post on Twitter.
A helicopter drops a bucket of water on the Chuckegg Creek wildfire west of High Level, AB. on May 25, 2019. (Government of Alberta, Chris Schwarz/The Canadian Press)

Like Burnt Toast: Wildfire Destroys Homes in Northern Alberta Metis Settlement

ALBERTAMore than a dozen homes in a northern Alberta Metis community have been destroyed by an aggressive wildfire and there are concerns that more properties may be consumed.

Its like a burnt piece of toast up there, said Blake Desjarlais of the Metis Settlements General Council, describing the fires path of destruction in Paddle Prairie, about 70 kilometres south of the town of High Level.

The whole land has been scorchedtraplines destroyed, waterways destroyed, peoples hunting cabins, fishing cabins, and livestock assets.

More than 10,000 people are out of their homes in the northern part of the province, with Trout Lake being the latest community to empty Friday morning.

But the first reports of destroyed homes has come from Paddle Praire.

Desjarlais said that although the community itself is safe for now, at least 15 houses and two community structures have burned. Bison and cattle ranchers have also had to turn their animals loose.

They had to release them and they dont know the status of their animals, Desjarlais said. That fire would have chased them really, really far away or they wouldnt have made it out of the fire at all.

Desjarlais said local residents are upset they didnt get more notice to prepare to leave.

They honestly feel that if they had been given more evacuation notice they would have been able to get pets, they would have been able to get valuables.

The province said Friday the Chuckegg Creek wildfire near High Level had grown to 2,600 square kilometres. Residents from that town have been out of their homes for more than a week.

People in Slave Lake, a town that was partially destroyed in a 2011 blaze, have been told to be prepared to leave with eight hours notice because of a fire that the mayor says is burning about 30 kilometres away. That fire, which has grown to 1,800 square kilometres, is not considered an immediate threat.

But Slave Lake Mayor Tyler Warman said it bringing back memories.

We are more prepared than we have ever been. Were more cautious than we have been in the past.

On Thursday, smoke from the fires enveloped points south, including Edmonton, in a thick, acrid, haze that limited visibility and made it difficult to breathe.

Poor air quality remained over much of the province Friday.

Smoke is drifting across the majority of the province from the wildfires in High Level, Peace River and Slave Lake. If you have smoke related health concerns, contact Alberta Health Link at 8-1-1.https://t.co/dDdymoFE94 pic.twitter.com/zgMMzjg7bL  Alberta Wildfire (@AlbertaWildfire) May 31, 2019

Smoke has also drifted into five U.S. statesMontana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington state, and Wyoming. Air quality in three Montana cities was rated unhealthy Friday morning.

The Alberta government said weather forecasts for the next two weeks will make fighting the fires difficult. Firefighters were in the province from across Canada doing their best to corral the flames.

A new wildfire has started 14 kilometers southeast of Trout Lake. It is classified as out of control and is estimated to be 300 hectares in size. Visit https://t.co/9aBj4F74nd for the latest information. pic.twitter.com/YJTh8JIAls  Alberta Wildfire (@AlbertaWildfire) May 27, 2019

1/x The Chuckegg Creek wildfire (HWF-042) is burning out of control in the High Level Forest Area, to the southwest and west of the town of High Level. The wildfire has been very active today and has crossed Highway 58 approximately 20 kilometres west of the town. pic.twitter.com/cDRx0Xoh4R  Alberta Wildfire (@AlbertaWildfire) May 19, 2019

Across the province, there were 29 active fires and 10 were considered out-of-control.

The province is slightly under the five-year average for number of fires. But the amount of land burned is more than 3.5 times higher.
This photo illustration taken on March 22, 2018, shows apps for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social networks on a smartphone. (Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images)

Mercedes Mum Starts GoFundMe Asking For $100,000 Because She Cant Get A Job Due to Police Harassment

A social media personality known for her lavish lifestyle is trying to raise $100,000 on GoFundMe because she says she cant get a job due to alleged police harassment.

Margarita Tomovska earned a name for herself as Mercedes Mum after allegedly leading Australian police on a chase in her luxury Mercedes Benz at speeds of up to 125 mph last November in New South Wales. The Daily Mail reported that during the high-speed pursuit, her toddler daughter sat in the backseat unrestrained. The car she was allegedly driving during the chase was said to be worth around $260,000, according to the report.

Now Tomovska claimed on GoFundMe she cant get work because a special anti-crime unit of the New South Wales Police called Raptors have something against me for no reason.

They have made it very hard for me to maintain a job as no one would hire me due to the [expletive] from raptor and ACA combined.

ACA refers to A Current Affair, an Australian current affairs show that airs on the Nine Network. Tomovska was featured on an episode, which showed a reporter and camera crew confronting her on courthouse steps, asking uncomfortable questions.

You seem to be lapping up the attention, Margarita, a reporter on the program is heard asking. Are you embarrassed at all by these charges? Or are you enjoying all this attention?

Tomovska posts on social media regularly, showing off pricey designer clothes like a $1,725 Balmain dress and $2,400 Christian Louboutin shoes. She often poses beside luxury cars, such as a recent post that shows her perched on the trunk of a BMW M6 wearing Versace.

View this post on Instagram Versaced out  #M6 A post shared by  MARGARITA  (@margaritatomovska) on May 11, 2019 at 9:45am PDT

She wrote on her GoFundMe campaign page, I know you all dont know me but Im actually not a bad person, before claiming she was not the only one authorities were treating harshly.

So I created this GoFund me [sic] to raise some support against the [expletive] that they have done to me and everyone else. Its about time we fight back. Enough is enough!

The Raptor task force specializes in breaking up criminal gangs, shutting down clubhouses, as well as seizing drugs and illegal weapons.

A spokeswoman for NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia that Tomovska has never been the target of Raptor investigators. She was pulled over by an officer from the strike force, but only because they had been on patrol when she was allegedly speeding.

Tomavska, who faced a license suspension following the speeding incident, is due back in court in August.

At the time of reporting, Tomovskas campaign had amassed donations amounting to $175.

Instagram Influencer Has Online Meltdown About Getting Normal Job After Account Is Deleted

In related news, a video of a 21-year-old social media influencer tearfully lamenting losing her Instagram followers and not wanting to work a regular job went viral on the internet.

Jessy Taylor, 21, from Tampa, Florida, shared a video on YouTube in which she said her Instagram accountwhich boasted more than 113,000 followershad been deleted.

Taylor claimed her account had been axed because trolls had reported it as spam. With tears streaming down her face, she begged people to stop.

I want to say to people that have been reporting me, think twice because you are ruining my life.

She added she wasnt cut out for a regular 9-to-5 job because she will never be work material.

I have no skills, Taylor said, between sobs, adding, Im not work material! I will never be work material!

Nothing Without My Following

Taylor, in the teary clip that has been viewed nearly two million times, laments shes nothing without my following.

I make all my money online, she says, all of itand I dont want to lose that. I know people like to see me beat down and be like them, and be like the 90 percenters, people that work 9 to 5that is not me.

She lamented her time as a former McDonalds employee.

I used to work at McDonalds before I did YouTube, Instagram, before I had 100,000 followers! she complained. Before I had everything in my life I was a [expletive] loser, working at McDonalds.

Taylor, who admitted to being a former sex worker, saying her high-profile online persona kept her from slipping back to that life.

The last thing I want to do be is a homeless prostitute in the [expletive] street doing meth. That is the last thing I [expletive] want to do so stop [expletive] trying to ruin my life!

The video, Stop Reporting my Instagram Account currently has about 2000 likes to 32,000 dislikes, and mostly critical comments, like, This is exactly what an entitled brat looks like.

Another said, If youre nothing without followers, then you were nothing to begin with.

Taylor told Business Insider on her deleted account she used to mostly post selfies and photos of herself in bikinis, adding the account wasnt reported from posting nasty photos, it was reported from having haters.

She told the publication that she made $500,000 from her following over the course of three years, but added, that money does not last.

You go to the Gucci store a few times, you pay a couple of months of rent, she told the publication, adding, Im not rich like I used to be.

In her tearful meltdown on YouTube, she claimed to be $20,000 in debt from school, from college, so I cant even go to college if I wanted to.

In a comment under her YouTube video made about a week ago, Taylor wrote that her Instagram account had been restored.
Mexican President Responds to Trumps Tariff on Mexican Goods to Curb Illegal Immigration

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has responded to President Donald Trump in a letter on May 30 after Trump imposed a tariff on Mexico to curb the heavy flow of illegal aliens at the southwest border.

On late May 30, Trump announced that the United States will impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods coming from Mexico from June 10, which will gradually increase until the illegal immigration problem is remedied.

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5 percent Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP, Trump said on Twitter. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied, at which time the Tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow.

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

.at which time the Tariffs will be removed. Details from the White House to follow.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

In his letter (pdf) translated by the Wall Street Journal, the socialist leader pushed back at Trumps announcement, accusing him of transforming the United States from a country of fraternity for the worlds migrants into a ghetto.

He also attacked Trumps America First slogan, calling it a fallacy as they should be seeking instead the socialist principles of universal justice and fraternity.

Obrador then proposed to deepen the dialogue instead of using taxes or coercive measures to resolve the illegal immigration issue, which has overwhelmed the immigration system at the U.S.-Mexico border.

It is worth remembering that, within a short period of time, Mexicans will not need to migrate into the United States and that migration will become optional, not compulsory. This is because we are fighting corruption, the main problem in Mexico, as never before! Obrador said as he tried to convince Trump to seek alternatives to the immigration problem.

He added that the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico is leading a delegation to Washington to discuss with the Trump administration in order to seek an agreement for the benefit of the two nations.

In an official White House statement, Trump said Mexico had only passively cooperated with the United States on the issue of illegal immigration, an attitude that is viewed as an emergency and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States.

Mexico has very strong immigration laws and could easily halt the illegal flow of migrants, including by returning them to their home countries. Additionally, Mexico could quickly and easily stop illegal aliens from coming through its southern border with Guatemala, Trump said in his statement.

Later in the statement, the president said: Mexico has allowed this situation to go on for many years, growing only worse with the passage of time.

From a safety, national security, military, economic, and humanitarian standpoint, we cannot allow this grave disaster to continue, he added.

Mexico must step up and help solve this problem. We welcome people who come to the United States legally, but we cannot allow our laws to be broken and our borders to be violated. For years, Mexico has not treated us fairlybut we are now asserting our rights as a sovereign Nation.

During the first seven months of the 2019 fiscal year, 531,711 illegal aliens have crossed the border into the United States, according to data from the Customs and Border Protection.
President Donald Trump (L) answers questions on the comments of special counsel Robert Mueller while departing the White House in Washington, on May 30,2019. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (R) at a press conference at the National Palace, in Mexico City, on May 31, 2019. (Ginnette Riquelme/AP)

Mexico Dispatches Team to Washington to Negotiate Illegal Immigration Tariffs

MEXICO CITYMexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Friday that Mexico wont respond to President Donald Trumps threat of coercive tariffs with desperation, but instead will push for dialogue.

A day after Trumps threat to impose a 5 percent tariffthat could increase incrementally to 25 percenton all Mexican imports, Lopez Obrador seemed convinced that Trump just needed to be informed of all that Mexico has been doing to slow illegal immigration, and he dispatched Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard to Washington Friday.

We are carrying out our responsibility in immigration policy, Lopez Obrador said at his daily morning news conference. He made no promises of new action to stem the flow of mostly Central American immigrants transiting Mexico to reach the U.S. border.

Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said at his daily news conference this morning that he has sent his foreign secretary to Washington to try to negotiate a solution after President Trumps latest tariff announcement. https://t.co/rivhTB3YwG  NPR (@NPR) May 31, 2019

Mexico has stepped up raids on migrant caravans traveling through the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca this year. It has deported thousands of migrants and frustrated thousands more who wait endlessly for permits that would allow them to travel legally through Mexico.

We have to help so that they dont enter the United States illegally, but we also have to do it respecting human rights, Lopez Obrador said. Nothing authoritarian. Theyre human beings.

Since taking office Dec. 1, Lopez Obrador has espoused a longer-term immigration fix focused on raising living standards and increasing opportunities so that those who he says are forced to migrate no longer have to.

On Friday, he also noted that most of the immigration flow is not Mexican, but rather citizens of Central Americas Northern Triangle countries, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. He referred to those countries crises of unemployment and violence as being the main drivers of illegal immigration.

Lopez Obrador has lobbied the U.S. government and other countries to support a Marshall Plan-like development agreement focused on development in southern Mexico and the Northern Triangle.

On Friday, Trump posted on Twitter: Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done.

Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2019

Mexico can continue to make it more difficult for migrants to cross the country to the U.S. border, though the smugglers who have plied those routes for decades would benefit from a crackdown. But sealing Mexicos southern border with Guatemala is likely impossible. It doesnt have the infrastructure to adequately patrol a border that includes a river passing through jungle.

Lopez Obrador has said before that Mexico can expect to take some hits from the Trump administration as the U.S. elections near.

On Thursday, Trump wrote on Twitter: On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied.

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP. The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied,..  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2019

Lopez Obrador said that since Thursday night, he had been receiving messages of support from all sectors of Mexican society and felt great solidarity.

Asked by a reporter why Mexico would not just skip the dialogue and file a complaint with an international trade body, Lopez Obrador said it was not just a legal question. We want to have a good relationship with the United States government.

By Christopher Sherman
Muellers Legal Analysis in Trump Investigation Departed from DOJ: Barr

Special counsel Robert Muellers team used legal analysis in their report that departed from the Department of Justice, the agency he was working for, Attorney General William Barr said.

Mueller submitted the report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election this year. The report exonerated President Donald Trump on charges that the presidents campaign colluded with Russia.

Muellers team ended up focusing on possible obstruction by the president, outlining 10 instances they said may constitute obstruction. In a statement on May 29, the special counsel claimed that charging Trump with obstruction would not have been possible even if the evidence existed.

A President cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional, he said, citing an opinion by the departments Office of Legal Counsel.

Barr said in a new interview that Muellers team departed from the departments position.

We didnt agree with the legal analysisa lot of the legal analysis in the report, Barr told CBS. It did not reflect the views of the department. It was the views of a particular lawyer or lawyers.

Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller, reviewed the obstruction case that Mueller outlined after the special counsel declined to make a traditional prosecutorial determination. They said there was not enough evidence for an obstruction of justice case.

Barr later said in the interview that while Mueller said he couldnt have charged the president, that didnt mean there was enough evidence to charge the president.

The fact is Bob did not make a decision that there was a crime. He didnt get into the analysis at all, Barr said, explaining why the department and the special counsels office released a joint statement to clarify the issue.

Barr noted Muellers attempts at emphasizing that his team did not find that the president didnt commit obstruction, which of course is not the standard we use at the department.

We have to determine whether there is clear violation of the law and so we applied the standards we would normally apply. We analyzed the law and the facts and a group of us spent a lot of time doing that and determined that both as a matter of law, many of the instances would not amount to obstruction, Barr said.

He then said his group didnt rely totally on the interpretation of law by Muellers team because it appeared faulty.

Asked about the cases highlighted in the report, Barr took the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

One of the elements is that you have to show that the act objectively speaking will have the probable effect of obstructing a proceeding and we dont believe that the firing of an agency head could be established as having the probable effect, objectively speaking, of sabotaging a proceeding, Barr said.

We would have to prove corrupt intent, the report itself points out that one of the likely motivations here was the presidents frustration with Comey saying something publicly and saying a different thing privately and refusing to correct the record. So that would not have been a corrupt intent.

He added, So for each of these episodes we thought long and hard about it, we looked at the facts and we didnt feel the government could establish obstruction in these cases.

From NTD News
Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea's special representative for U.S. affairs, leaves the Government Guesthouse in Hanoi, Vietnam, Feb. 23, 2019. (Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)

North Korea Executed Envoy Over Failed Trump-Kim Summit, South Korean Paper Reports

North Korea has executed Kim Hyok Chol, the special envoy to the United States who led working-level negotiations for the February U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi, a South Korean newspaper reported on May 31, citing an unnamed source.

The unnamed North Korea source told the paper, Chosun Ilbo, that Kim Hyok Chol was shot at Mirim Airport in March with four other senior officials. The source said they were charged with spying for the United States.

Kim Hyok Chol had been negotiations counterpart to U.S. special representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun before the summit.

The source also said that a senior official who had been U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos counterpart in the run-up to the summit, Kim Yong Chol, is being subjected to forced labor and ideological education in Jagang Province.

Meanwhile, Shin Hye Yong, the interpreter for Kim Jong Un at the Hanoi meeting, is reportedly detained in a political prison camp. The source said that Yong was accused by the regime of tarnishing the authority of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for an interpreting error.

Kim Song Hye of the United Front Department, who carried out working-level negotiations with Kim Hyok Chol, has also been sent to a political prison camp, the source told Chosun.

Chosun also reported that Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of Kim Jong Un who aided him at the summit, was told to lie low, citing an unnamed government official.

Kim Yo-jong has not been spotted in public since the Hanoi summit, the government official said, reported Chosun.

North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary on May 30 that: Acting like one is revering the Leader in front (of others) but dreaming of something else when one turns around, is an anti-party, anti-revolutionary act that has thrown away the moral fidelity toward the Leader, and such people will not avoid the stern judgment of the revolution.

There are traitors and turncoats who only memorize words of loyalty toward the Leader and even change according to the trend of the time, the commentary said.

It marks the first time that expressions hinting at purging, such as anti-party, anti-revolutionary and stern judgment, have appeared in Rodong Sinmun since the December 2013 execution of Kim Jong Uns uncle, Jang Song Thaek, Chosun Ilbo said.

An official at South Koreas Unification Ministry declined to comment.

Previous reports in South Korean media about senior North Korean officials being executed have proven false, according to Bloomberg.

No Agreement at Summit

President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns second summit had ended ahead of schedule with no agreement on ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.

The two leaders discussed various ways to advance denuclearization and economic driven concepts, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement on Feb. 28. No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future.

Trump said at a press conference later that North Koreas insistence on lifting sanctions without offering enough denuclearization in return proved to be the sticking point.

It was about the sanctions, Trump said. Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas we wanted, but we couldnt give up all of the sanctions for that.

Reuters and Epoch Times reporter Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence in his office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 30, 2019. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Pence Visits Ottawa, Promises to Discuss Detained Canadians in Talks With China

OTTAWAU.S. Vice-President Mike Pence met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa today to discuss the new trilateral North American trade pact, with both parties making it clear that relations with the Chinese regime would be at the top of those talks.

While the ratification of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was expected, the talks included the Chinese regimes imprisonment of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor.

Standing next to Trudeau, Pence called on Beijing to release Kovrig and Spavor from their unlawful detention in Washingtons boldest and most tangible gesture of solidarity yet. Pence said Trump would press Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping on the detention of the two Canadians at next months G20 summit.

We are in the midst of significant discussions over our trading relationships but I can assure you in that context going forward, were going to continue to urge China to release the Canadian citizens even while we deal with larger economic and structural issues between the United States and China, Pence said.

We are standing with Canada in this effort. We respect and are grateful for the strong stand for the rule of law that Canada has taken with regard to the Huawei executive.

Kovrig, a former diplomat who currently works for a Canadian think tank, and Spavor, a businessman who has worked extensively in North Korea, have spent nearly six months in detention on allegations of espionagea move on the part of Beijing that is widely seen as retaliation for Canadas arrest last December of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is wanted by U.S. authorities on charges of fraud.

Canada says it was obligated by an extradition treaty with the United States to arrest Meng last December on behalf of U.S. authoritiesan arrest made in accordance with the rule of law. Ottawa has repeatedly said it was deeply concerned about the mens arbitrary detention and has called for their immediate release.

While Kovrig and Spavor have not been allowed access to lawyers or family, Meng was granted bail shortly after her arrest, and has been under house arrest at one of her mansions in Vancouver while she awaits extradition proceedings.

Trudeau said the release of the two Canadians is a priority for the government.

Our first priority as a government is to make sure our citizens are released, he said. I know that Canada and the U.S. are united by our commitment to constructive engagement with China that demonstrates respect for the rule of law, human rights, and open, predictable, and non-discriminatory trade.

Canada has faced increasing trade barriers erected by Beijing. Exports of canola to China have been blocked, and exporters of other products including pork and soybeans are having a hard time getting their products into the country.

Trudeau has also condemned the detention of the two Canadians, saying that Canada and its allies have expressed dismay with the way China has acted.

Were in a moment where like-minded nations like Canada and the United States, and many of our European and international partners, have expressed their dismay with the way china is stepping forward more assertively and indeed aggressively on the international stage, he said.

Were all standing together to ensure that the rules are followed, that our values are upheld, and that China understands that the economies and democracies of the West are united in our condemnation of these arbitrary detentions in attempt to gain political leverage.

The U.S. government has previously spoken out against the detention of Kovrig and Spavor and called for their immediate release, and Pence echoed that call again today.

The United States has stood strong with Canada on the unlawful detention of the two Canadian citizens, he said. I can assure you that well continue to stand firmly in that position until the citizens are freed and are restored to this nation.

A joint Canada-U.S. statement was released shortly after the meeting, highlighting the mutual concern of both nations regarding the detention of the two Canadians.

The United States and Canada stand together to firmly reject the wrongful detention of two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and call for their immediate release. Chinas actions are damaging its international reputation and a deep concern for all countries that uphold the rule of law, the statement says.

Canada and the United States welcome constructive, results-oriented engagement with China that concretely demonstrates respect for the rule of law, human rights, and fair and reciprocal trade.

While discussions between Trudeau and Pence took place behind closed doors, the two made opening statements before their meeting and held a media availability afterward.

Pence said the relationship between the two countries is stronger than ever thanks to the leadership of both Trump and Trudeau, and said he would make an effort to get the USMCA through Congress before the summer recess.

I want to assure the people of Canada that the prime minister drove a hard bargain, as did our president, he said. I want to assure you that were making energetic efforts to move the approval through the Congress of the United States this summer.

The trade deal wont come into effect until it is ratified by all three countries. Although it took months of negotiations to complete, the agreement still faces opposition from the Democratic Party in the United States.

However, the Trudeau government has said the deal is done and is not open to further negotiation.

The Liberal government introduced legislation to ratify the USMCA on May 29, while U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer sent a letter with the draft statement of administrative action to congressional leaders the following day to kick off the process in the United States.

Trudeau also says that, beyond the new agreement, there is still room to progress with trade, including U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber as well as possible future tariffs on uranium.

With files from the Canadian Press. With reporting by Limin Zhou in Ottawa.


FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok testifies at the Committee on the Judiciary and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Joint Hearing on, Oversight of FBI and DOJ Actions Surrounding the 2016 Election" in Washington on July 12, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Rep. Collins Suspects That Peter Strzok Is the Serial FBI Leaker

A Republican lawmaker suspects that former FBI official Peter Strzok is the unnamed serial leaker referred to in an investigative summary released on May 29 by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General.

Rep. Doug Collins (R-Georgia) substantiated his suspicion in a letter (pdf) to DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, whose office released a summary showing that someone with the same title as Strzokdeputy assistant director (DAD)leaked sealed court information in violation of federal law, maintained contacts with dozens of reporters, and accepted a gift from a reporter in violation of FBI policy and federal statutes.

While the DAD is not named in the Summary, there are several indications the DAD in question is former FBI counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok, Collins wrote.

He points out that Horowitzs report on the Clinton-email investigation, dubbed the Midyear investigation by the FBI, shows that Strzok forwarded an email from his FBI account to his personal account about a proposed search warrant the Clinton-email investigators were seeking on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, the husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. That email included information that was filed under seal with a federal court in the Southern District of New York, according to the report.

Collins also notes that no other Deputy Assistant Director was in the chain of command of the Midyear investigation, the main subject of the 2018 report. The congressman then asks if the DAD referred to in the report is, in fact, Strzok, whether Strzok was referred for prosecution to the DOJ and why the DOJ declined the prosecution. Collins inquired if the relevant court has been notified that the DAD illegally disclosed sealed information and what action the court took in response.

Collins also asked Horowitz for an update on the investigation on alleged leaks by former FBI Director James Comey.

In a separate letter (pdf) to Attorney General William Barr, Collins requested an update into the leak investigations of former FBI General Counsel James Baker and former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. Collins also asked Barr to report on how many leak investigations the bureau is currently undertaking.

According to text messages between Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page, on Oct. 24 to 28, 2016, Page was communicating with Wall Street Journal reporter Devlin Barrett.

Barrett went on to publish an article on Oct. 30, 2016, which triggered a leak investigation by the FBI that was handed off to the DOJ inspector general. That leak investigation determined that then-FBI Deputy Director McCabe authorized Page to leak to Barrett.

McCabe went on to lie three times under oath about authorizing the leak, according to the inspector generals report (pdf) released in February 2018.

The bureau fired McCabe in March 2018 based on the findings of that report; Page left the bureau in May 2018; Strzok was fired in August 2018. Trump fired Comey in May 2017.

Over the course of the inquiry into the handling of the Clinton-email investigation, the DOJ inspector general identified dozens of FBI employees who had unauthorized contacts with media, according to the watchdogs final report (pdf) released in June 2018.

We have profound concerns about the volume and extent of unauthorized media contacts by FBI personnel that we have uncovered during our review, the inspector generals report stated.

Strzok concurrently led the Clinton-email investigation and the probe into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The inspector general is expected to soon release a report on the inquiry into potential surveillance abuses carried out against the Trump campaign during the Russia investigation.
Police Confirm Body Found in Utah Is Elizabeth Shelley, Reports Say

Police have confirmed that the human remains found under a tree in Utah belong to missing 5-year-old Elizabeth Lizzy Shelley, who was taken from her home over Memorial Day weekend before a several-day-long search was launched.

Lizzys body was found on May 29 less than one block from her Salt Lake City home after her uncle, Alex Whipple, reportedly led police to her remains.

Officials confirmed her identity on the evening of May 30, reported the Salt Lake Tribune.

This was the moment we had hoped would come, Logan Police Chief Gary Jensen told reporters at a news conference, according to the paper. Obviously, certainly not the way we wanted it to happen. We certainly would have wanted to bring Lizzy home, but this nevertheless is closure and it helps us to be able to now deal with the investigation and help the family through their grief.

BREAKING: Alex Whipple, the uncle of missing 5-year-old Elizabeth Shelley, was charged with aggravated murder, kidnapping, desecration of a dead human body, and obstruction of justice. Updates from police expected in 10 min.https://t.co/QnCes0l2U6 pic.twitter.com/HWlTBJfwXw  ABC4 News (@abc4utah) May 29, 2019

Whipple, 21, revealed the location of the girls body, buried under debris in a wooded area only about 1,000 feet from her home, according to his attorney, Shannon Demler.

The attorney said he took police to the site before police recovered the body.

Jensen said that Whipple disclosed the location of her body in exchange for prosecutors removing the possibility of him getting the death penalty.

There are not words to express the sadness and the heartbreak we feel today, Shelley spokeswoman Jill Parker told reporters. This did not end the way we wanted it to, but in this sadness we are comforted that so many people put forth so much effort to help us find Lizzy. You made the difference and we are so very grateful.

According to local news website Cache Valley Daily, a positive identification was made by detectives in conjunction with the Utah state crime lab. They also determined her cause of death, but officials did not publicly disclose that information.

Jill Parker is the spokesperson for the mother of #ElizabethShelley. This is the mothers statement after police say the young 5-year old girls body was found in Logan today. This will be part of our team coverage for @KSL5TV at 10 tonight in Logan. pic.twitter.com/hdYkBT4Vzz  Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) May 30, 2019

Whipple was suspected as Lizzys killer early on Saturday morning. Her mother, Jessica Whipple, invited her brother over to her home to play video games and drink before he left in the early morning while other family members were sleeping.

A police report stated that he had blood matching Lizzys DNA on his clothing when he was picked up by officials, according to the Valley Daily. He also informed police that drinking alcohol made him black out.

The search continued for a 5yr-old girl in Utah reported missing Saturday, and police have identified her uncle as the main suspect in her disappearance. Elizabeth Shelley, of Logan, was last seen at 2 a.m. Saturday when her mother went to bed pic.twitter.com/Nz4yrGd2y9  Sherman (@Shermanbot) May 26, 2019

Whipple also changed his story several times before talking about the evil of the world and child abuse. At times, Alexander would state that alcohol makes him black out and sometimes he does criminal things when he blacks out. Alexander would not elaborate on what these criminal things were, said a probable cause statement, according to the Post-Register.

Jensen added that a knife that was used in the crime was discovered in the area in the northwest corner of the Bear River Charter School parking lot, the Post-Register reported. An item of Lizzys clothing was found nearby.

Logan Police just released this new missing poster as they continue their search for Elizabeth Shelley. pic.twitter.com/nUYiKu3Olv  Sean Moody (@SeanMoodyKSL) May 26, 2019

Approximately 50 yards due west, investigators located a teal skirt with white lace that appeared to have been hastily buried under some dirt and bark  the skirt has stains on it that are consistent with blood, said a probable cause statement in the case. Near the skirt was a small concrete block with blood on it.

Whipple is slated to appear in court on Monday, June 3.

Court records said that Whipple faces one count of aggravated murder, child kidnapping, two counts of obstruction of justice, and abuse or desecration of a human body, KUTV reported.
Fredericksburg, VA, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- BitFrontier Capital Holdings, Inc. (OTC: BFCH) announced today that it won its court case to cancel approximately 99% of its issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock.



On May 30, 2019 in the district court of Laramie, Wyoming, the following shares were deemed to have been improperly and illegally issued and the court has ordered them to be cancelled:

Claremont Group Corp. - 2,000,000,000 (2 Billion) shares of Common Stock;

Claremont Group Corp. - 10,000,000 (10 Million) shares of Series B Preferred Stock;

Fordee CA Trust - 120,000,000 (120 Million) shares of Common Stock;

Fordee CA Trust - 2,000,000 (2 Million) shares of Series B Preferred Stock;

Market Awareness Corp. - 140,000,000 (140 Million) shares of Common Stock;

Market Awareness Corp. - 2,000,000 (2 Million) shares of Series B Preferred Stock;

Daryl English - 5,000,000,000 (5 Billion) shares of Common Stock;

Daryl English - 1 share of Series A Preferred Stock;

JA Maurice Swanson - 5,000,000,000 (5 Billion) shares of Common Stock;

JA Maurice Swanson - 1 share of Series A Preferred Stock; and

Any shares that have been converted from any of the above listed shares into any other type of shares in BitFrontier Capital Holdings, Inc.

The shares above total 12,260,000,000 (12.26 Billion) shares of Common Stock, 2 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, and 14,000,000 (14 Million) shares of Preferred B Stock, making up almost 99% of BitFrontier's issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, and 100% of the issued and outstanding Series A Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock classes.

The Company sent the signed court order to Pacific Stock Transfer to formally cancel these shares. The Company profile on OTC Markets will be updated with the new share structure in the coming days. Once the transfer agent has processed the cancellation of these shares, the Company will be able to further enhance its share structure with a substantial authorized share reduction.

Shareholders interested in viewing the signed court order authorizing the cancellation of these shares can do so on the Companys OTC Markets page.

BitFrontier CEO, Spencer Payne, commented, On behalf of the entire dedicated team here at BitFrontier, I wish to thank our tremendously committed shareholder base for staying with us throughout this complex process. I would also like to thank our talented team of attorneys at Hathaway & Kunz LLP for all the work they have contributed to this process. Its been quite an adventure, but the payoff is finally here.

About BitFrontier Capital Holdings, Inc.

BitFrontier Capital Holdings business plan is to concentrate on cryptocurrency related investments and development opportunities through cryptocurrency mining, investments in private and/or public entities, joint ventures and acquisitions of blockchain related companies. BitFrontier Capital Holdings has two wholly owned operating subsidiaries, BitFrontier Capital Investments, Inc. and BitFrontier Technologies, Inc. Through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, BitFrontier Technologies, Inc., the Company plans to build a warehouse specifically designed for hosting cryptocurrency mining equipment. Cryptocurrency mining (e.g. bitcoin mining) entails running ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) servers or other specialized servers which solve a set of prescribed complex mathematical calculations in order to add a block to a blockchain and thereby confirm digital asset transactions. A party which is successful in adding a block to the blockchain is awarded a fixed number of digital assets in return.

NOTES ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Except for any historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's reports and filings at https://www.otcmarkets.com/

Certain statements contained in this release that are not historical facts constitute forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created by that Act. Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because they involve unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as estimates, anticipates, projects, plans, expects, intends, believes, should and similar expressions and by the context in which they are used. Such statements are based upon current expectations of the Company and speak only as of the date made.

BitFrontier Capital Holdings Investor Relations

540-736-3069

IR@bitfrontiercapitalholdings.com
Jennifer Michelle Lorber, 30, was missing since May 23, 2019, after arriving in Los Angeles from Colorado. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)

Police Divers Find Body of Missing Colorado Woman Vanished in Malibu

Los Angeles police said they have found the remains of a Colorado woman last seen in Malibu last week and reported missing.

Divers with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Office said they found a female body during a search on the morning of Thursday, May 30. The remains were located about 225 yards away from the Malibu shoreline.

The remains were recovered by ESD Divers and transported to the Marina Del Rey Sheriffs Station boating dock, where they were met by the case detectives, the LACSO said.

A family member of the missing woman then confirmed the identity of the remains as belonging to 30-year-old Jennifer Michelle Lorber.

After an exhaustive search for Missing Person Jennifer Lorber, @SEBLASD divers located the remains of a female adult near the #ParadiseCove shoreline. Positive ID of the remains will be determined at later date. pic.twitter.com/B75FqnA6fY  LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) May 30, 2019

The Search

Police announced in a May 26 statement that they were looking for Lorber after she was reported missing. Lorber vanished after arriving in California from Colorado. She was last contacted at 11 p.m. on May 23.

Authorities said she was driving a rental vehicle, a 2018 White Toyota Rav4, which was found near the highway around 1 a.m., reported ABC News.

According to the news outlet, witnesses had seen her at the motel near where the rental car was found. Police said her family was concerned for her wellbeing and that she suffered from depression.

Someone set up a missing person page for Lorber on Facebook, posting regular updates on the search.

Please continue urging people to share and like the page, the page admin wrote on May 29. Police are continuing their search but we need more attention. Share to media and celebrities, do whatever you can to put it in front of people. Thank you again.

At one point the county issued a $10,000 reward for information on Lorbers whereabouts.

The police continue to investigate the circumstances of Lorbers disappearance and death.

They have asked anyone with information about the case to come forward.

Missing Person Reports Drop to Lowest in Decades

According to FBI data, reports of missing persons, especially missing children reports, decreased in 2018the lowest shown in available records going as far back as 1990, as previously reported by The Epoch Times.

Nearly 613,000 Americans were reported missing in 2018, more than 424,000 of them were under the age of 18, an almost 6 and 9 percent fall respectively from 2017.

The data also shows an obvious steep fall between 1997 to 2013, where more than 980,000 missing reports in 1997 fell to less than 628,000 in 2013, before picking up again and once again falling in 2018. There has not been a clear explanation for the latest fall in reports.

The reports of #Missing persons, and #MissingKids in particular, decreased in 2018a drop of almost 6% and 9% respectivelyreaching levels unseen since as far back as the available @FBI data goes. Its not clear what exactly is behind the latest decrease. https://t.co/dIVHqzuTPT  The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) May 23, 2019

Robert Lowery, vice president for the missing children division at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, surmised that the downward trend may have to do with technology.

Most of the missing children are runaways between 13 and 17, Lowery told The Epoch Times in a previous interview.

A lot of these children now have, frankly, cellphones or smartphones. Theyre also using social media.  The point being that parents are able to find their children themselves much quicker than they had been, before they have to engage law enforcement, Lowery said.

He added that the improvement of law enforcement investigative techniques to locate missing children could have contributed to the drop. But that doesnt quite explain the sudden drop in 2018. Smartphones and social media have been popular among youth for more than a decade and there seems to be no indication that law enforcement techniques made a sudden advance in 2018.

It may have been an anomaly, Lowery said. Were going to continue to watch the trend.

Petr Svab contributed to this report.
Jussie Smollett Bought Drugs From Assailants, Said They Couldnt Be Perpetrators: Documents

Actor Jussie Smollett bought drugs from the two brothers that assaulted him, documents released by the Chicago Police Department show.

The batch of documents was released on May 30. (See pdfs here, here, and here).

Detectives obtained phone records from the Osundairos and access to Smolletts phone and social media accounts and found one of them was in touch with Smollett before and after the alleged assault.

According to texts obtained by the police, Smollett asked one of the brothers for marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine. Smollett paid through Venmo.

In one series of messages, Smollett wrote: [Racial slur] you still got a molly connect?

Hahahaha, the brother replied.

Imma need a good fo pills Haha, Smollett wrote.

Oh yeah? Got you? the brother said. He later wrote, Got it. They arranged for Smollett to get the pills in the morning.

Detectives said that a check Smollett wrote to the brothers was not, as he claimed, for training but for drugs. There are multiple occasions where Smollett appears to describe payments for illicit activity as payments for legitimate expenses, detectives added.

Smollett was also shown pictures of the Osundairo brothers while being interviewed on Feb. 14. He told detectives that he had known one of them for about one year and that hed been his trainer for about a month. He said they first met on the set of Empire.

Smollett then realized that the photos he viewed were of the persons that were in custody at the time, detectives wrote. Smollett said that it couldnt have been the Osundairos.

They are black as sin, he said. We dont have any issues. They are straight so we dont havent any problems with women or men. They did not owe me any money, I dont owe them any money. We have a good relationship, he added, detectives said.

Describing the men he said attacked him, Smollett told officers on Jan. 29 that both were wearing ski masks but that he was able to see the area between the eyes and saw white skin. Detectives noted on Feb. 14 that Smollett claimed he never said the one attacker was white and said that he assumed they were white due to the comments they allegedly made to him.

In a case report filed on March 19, detectives noted that what was originally an investigation into an assault had changed based on evidence uncovered, which officials said included testimony from the Osundairos, cell phone records, and video surveillance of the brothers buying gear at multiple stores.

Investigation revealed that a plan was formulated and put into play by Smollett to conduct a staged incident where Smollett was beaten by [Abel Osundairo] and [Ola Osundairo] posing as persons other than themselves, the detective wrote.

Detectives said that on Jan. 19, the brothers met Smollett at the film studio where Empire was filmed and on Jan. 27, Smollett picked them up from their house and they proceeded to drive  to the location the attack took place, a dry run.

Chicago police officials said that Smollett staged the attack, committing the crime of filing a false police report and tying up a number of police resources for weeks. Prosecutors said they largely agreed but still dropped all 16 felony counts against the actor in March in exchange for $10,000 and a day of community service.

Smollett did not have to admit any wrongdoing.

A state prosecutors association said that prosecutors violated the law by dropping the charges and police and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel slammed the move.

Smollett is still being probed by federal authorities for allegedly sending himself a threatening letter.

From NTD News
Anti-abortion activists participate in the "March for Life," an annual event to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in the US, outside the US Supreme Court in Washington on Jan. 18, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Pro-Life College Student Allegedly Received Death Threats for Abortion Bill

As nine states across the country passed anti-abortion legislation this year, a college student from the University of Chicago said he received death threats for proposing a student government bill aimed at reducing fees potentially going towards funding abortions.

The student, Brett Barbin, who is also a correspondent for conservative news site Campus Reform, told Fox News in an interview that students began approaching him after they were concerned with the fact that their fees could be funding abortion.

We are trying to go to school to get an education. We shouldnt have to be violating our conscience in this way, Barbin told the network on May 30.

Barbin, who is a graduating senior, told Fox News that when he proposed the bill, many students protested, including one telling him that wished Barbin had been aborted. The bill that he put forward, as the College Republicans president, was voted down 15-1.

Absolutely I got protested. Certainly, within the room, there was a relatively civil discussion about my legislation he told the network. But online I received death threats, people were calling for people to track me down and beat me up.

There was a student who was egged outside of the room, he added. It really was unfortunate to see on [a] campus like the University of Chicago.

The College Council, which can access student fees, voted to give a grant to Emergency Fund, which prioritizes supporting abortion. Barbin said no money has been used for abortions so far.

Jahne Brown, an Emergency Fund representative and also the student government president-elect, voiced her support for abortions in a Facebook post that was captured by Campus Reform. Campus Reform, according to their website, are a watchdog to the nations higher education system.

Abortions are a good thing! Brown wrote in the post. The Emergency Fund supports and funds abortions proudly! If you need help paying for an abortion, we are here for you!

Barbin said his bill would have given students the choice to either fund or not fund abortions, saying that it was a compromise.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson, a Republican, recently signed a bill banning abortion beginning in the eighth week of pregnancy, making Missouri one of nine states to pass anti-abortion legislation this year.

Pro-life supporters say they aim to prompt the newly installed conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade by enacting laws that are virtually assured of facing court challenges all the way to the Supreme Court.

Missouri could also become the first state without a legal abortion provider, as its only abortion clinic could lose its license to perform the procedure unless a St. Louis judge intervenes.

In the meantime, President Donald Trump clarified his stance on abortion in a series of posts on Twitter weeks ago.

As most people know, and for those who would like to know, I am strongly Pro-Life, with the three exceptions  Rape, Incest and protecting the Life of the mother  the same position taken by Ronald Reagan, he said, in part, in one post.

The Radical Left, with late-term abortion (and worse), is imploding on this issue, he said in another.

Reuters contributed to this report
Visitors try out the Huawei Mate S smartphone at the Huawei stand at the 2015 IFA consumer electronics and appliances trade fair on September 4, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Scores of Hong Kongers Report that Their Huawei Smartphones Have Abruptly Died

Locals in Hong Kong say their Huawei Mate 9, Mate 10, and other models of the Chinese tech giants smartphones have recently malfunctioned, suddenly shutting off and becoming unusable. The company said it did not have an immediate solution; customers could reinstall the phones systembut that would delete all the phones data.

Hundreds of Huawei smartphone owners expressed that they were dismayed at having to give up photos and videos that they took. Some of them said: I wont use Huawei anymore.

Crowded Huawei Service Center

On the early morning of May 29, the Huawei service center in the Mong Kok neighborhood of Hong Kong had about 30 customers waiting in line, seeking to repair their dead smartphones, according to a report by local newspaper Apple Daily.

By 5 p.m., the service center was still full of people. More than 10 customers were waiting to repair their Huawei smartphones, who said their phones had died in the morning.

A customer Mr. Lam told Hong Kong Oriental Daily that during late night on May 28, the screen of his Huawei smartphone turned white. Then, the phone could not turn on again. So he went to the service center for help.

Lam said that the service center spent two hours to repair his phone. While his phone did start working again, all his photos and documents disappeared.

I wont use Huawei [phone] anymore, Lam said.

A clerk at the service center said that Lams phone died as it was upgrading the system. The service center had to reinstall the operating system, which would wipe all of the user data.

Ms. Kwok, who owns a Huawei Mate 10, told local media Hong Kong 01 on May 29 that she bought her phone in March 2018. At 7 a.m. on May 29, she found that her phone was stuck in the middle of a system update. The phones screen was still lit, until the phone ran out of battery at night.

After she recharged her phone, it could not start up anymore, and the screen was all white.

I use my phone to contact my customers for work. Today I couldnt work because my phone died, Kwok said. She hoped that the service center could keep the files and photos saved in her phone that are very important to her.

Mr. Lau has a Huawei Mate 9. He told Apple Daily on May 29: When I turned my Huawei phone on this morning, it showed that it was upgrading the operating system automatically, as well as a music app. Then the phone stopped in the middle of updating and couldnt even be turned off.

Huaweis Solution

The Huawei service center in Mong Kok said most of the malfunctioning smartphones encountered trouble while upgrading the operating system. So far the reason is unclear.

The service center proposed that customers completely reinstall the operating system which would need one to two hours. The phone can be used immediately after the reinstallation, but it would wipe out all the data, including contacts list, emails, photos, videos, music, and so on.

Ms. Wong, another Huawei customer with a malfunctioning phone, said she could not accept this solution because she saved many of her late mothers photos and videos on the phone.

They couldnt answer anything. They are in chaos. Maybe they didnt receive an instruction [from Huawei], Wong said.

Eventually, the Huawei service center agreed to help Wong copy the documents out, but the center would need several days to finish this task, which means Wong would not be able to use her phone for a while.

Only Huawei

So far, Huawei smartphones are the only devices with an Android system that have died while updating the operating system.

Francis Fong, honorary president of Hong Kong Information Technology Federation, told Apple Daily that it is very unusual for different models from the same brand to malfunction collectively.

Fong said although Google recently announced that it would suspend some of its business with Huawei, the ban has not started. I dont think this accident has any relation with Google, Fong said.

Earlier this month, U.S. Commerce Department added Huawei its 68 affiliates to a trade blacklist, effectively banning it from doing business with U.S. companies. Google was among a list of tech providers and chipmakers that announced it would suspend business with Huawei in order to comply with the new regulation.

Fong suggested that all Huawei smartphone users should not update the operating system for now, and turn off automatic updates.

Huawei responded to several Hong Kong media saying that it is aware of the situation and would need time to do an investigation and evaluation.

Since the export ban was announced, mobile carriers from the UK, Japan, Taiwan, and other countries have dropped Huawei phones from their lineup, owing to concerns that the U.S. restrictions would affect the phones maintenance.

This article previously misstated the number of Huawei affiliate companies that are under the U.S. export ban. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
A floating crane is seen at the site of a ship accident, which killed several people, near Margaret Bridge on the Danube river in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30, 2019. (Marko Djurica/Reuters)

Seven South Koreans Dead, Hope Dims for Missing in Budapest Boat Disaster

BUDAPESTHungarian rescue officials said there was little chance of finding survivors after a boat with South Korean tourists on board sank on the Danube river in Budapest, with seven people confirmed dead and 21 missing.

A South Korean group on a package tour of Europe, were on an hour-long sightseeing tour of Budapest. The boat was cruising on the river when it collided with a larger luxury passenger boat during a rainstorm late on May 29, causing it to capsize and sink with 33 South Korean tourists and tour guides and two Hungarian crew aboard.

I wouldnt say there is no hope, rather that there is a minimal chance (of finding survivors), Pal Gyorfi, a spokesman for the Hungarian national ambulance service, told the M1 state broadcaster.

This is not just because of the water temperature, but (also) the strong currents in the river, the vapor above the water surface, as well as the clothes worn by the people who fell in, he added.

Police said the smaller boat turned on its side and sank within seconds of the collision under a bridge near Hungarys parliament building.

They said a criminal investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident. Police declined to say if the bigger vessel, the 135-meter (443 ft) Viking Sigyn, put out any signals for help.

Officials said the hull of the Mermaid, a 27-meter (89-ft) double-decker river cruise boat, had been found on the riverbed a few hundred meters from its usual mooring point.

A crane ship docked near the wreck on May 30 in preparation for recovery operations and divers prepared equipment. Police said the rescue efforts were hampered by high water levels, strong currents, and bad visibility.

Those who were trapped in the hull or were stuck underneath can be lifted only once the wreckage is pulled out, a police statement said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban offered his condolences to Seoul. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the authorities would work with the Hungarian government to investigate the cause of the accident.

Whats most important is speed, Moon said in Seoul.

Some South Korean relatives of those on board started to depart for Hungary. Several family members were seen at Incheon International Airport in Seoul late on May 30.

South Korean rescue teams and officials including South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha also left for Budapest on May 30. She will hold a news conference with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on May 31.

Seven Seconds

The foreign ministry said 30 South Korean tourists, including at least one child, three South Korean tour guides and two Hungarian crew were on board when the accident occurred at around 9.oo p.m. (2.00 p.m. EDT).

Seven South Koreans were rescued, seven died, and 19 South Koreans were among the 21 missing, said Kang Hyung-shik, a foreign ministry official. The crew members were also missing.

The seven people rescued were suffering from hypothermia but stable, a Hungarian ambulance spokesman said. Police said the seven people who died had no life vests on.

Video footage from a security camera screened by police showed the bigger boat catching up from behind at a higher speed, clipping the Mermaids left side.

The (Mermaid) for some reason, turns into the way of the Viking. And the Viking as it bumps into it, pushes it and within seven seconds  (Mermaid) sinks, Pal said, describing the video.

Rescue officials deployed boats, divers, floodlights, and radar, scouring the river for several kilometers (miles) downstream from the site of the accident.

A map released by Hungarian police showed the locations and times the seven bodies were recovered, with one body found nearly 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) downstream, nearly 2- hours after the collision.

Well-wishers laid flowers outside the South Korean embassy in Budapest, and candles burned on the Danube bank.

The Mermaids owner said the boata Soviet model manufactured in 1949 and refurbished in the 1980shad been in its fleet since 2003, with regular maintenance.

We are mobilizing every resource we have to protect human lives, the owner Panorama Deck Ltd. told state media through a spokesman.

The larger Viking Sigyn is a 95-room floating hotel of the kind that has multiplied as Danube river cruises gained popularity in recent years.

There were no injuries to Viking crew or Viking guests. We are cooperating with the authorities as required, said a spokesperson for operator Swiss-based Viking Cruises Ltd.

Hungarys state TV reported that all those rescued have been released from the hospital except one whos being treated for broken ribs.

Those contributing to the search will continue to do everything possible  along the full Hungarian stretch of the Danubes coasts in the interests of the locating the missing persons, Budapest police said in a statement, adding that the river was flowing at speeds of 9-11 kilometers (5.6-6.8 miles) per hour.

By Marton Dunai & Krisztina Than

Associated Press contributed to this report
A Chinese policeman patrols as tourists gather in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 4, 2016, on the 27th anniversary of the June 4, 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests. (Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images)

Tiananmen Veterans Look Back on Movement

BEIJINGWuer Kaixi was among the most outspoken of the student leaders during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, famously reproaching then-Premier Li Peng at a meeting broadcast on national television.

Three decades on, hes more circumspect but remains just as harsh a critic of the Communist regime and just as committed to bringing democracy to China.

While many former leaders and participants in the protests have moved on, embracing lives and careers that have little direct relation to the movement, others remain wedded to the cause, either by vocation, through survivors guilt or because their actions permanently put them on the wrong side of the authorities. They remain determined to keep the memories alive even as Chinas rulers seek to sandblast the protests and the militarys bloody crackdown from history.

Sometimes remembrance is one of the most humble forms of resistance, Wuer Kaixi said in an interview in Taiwan, where he now lives with his wife and children.

While Wuer Kaixi, 51, escaped abroad after the June 4 crackdown after finding himself at No. 2 on the governments most-wanted list, then-graduate student Pu Zhiqiang remained in China despite his role in the protests as a high-profile advocate of speech and press freedoms. Looking at old photos of his younger self, Pu reflects on the motivations of the protesters that were mostly pure, if somewhat naive.

Thirty years ago, Dong Shengkun was a 28-year-old worker at a printing factory who listened to students speeches at the Tiananmen Square and joined the protests out of a desire for change.

We hoped that China could change for the better, said Pu, 54. As a 24-year-old, presented with this chance to serve society, had I not played a role at all, not made my voice heard, I would not have been able to forgive myself.

The military crackdown, in which hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people died, put an end to more than seven weeks of student-led protests in 1989 calling for an end to corruption and for a more open and fair society.

While many who took part wonder what could have been done differently to avoid the bloodshed, Feng Congde, a graduate student that year at elite Peking University, is convinced the students didnt push hard enough.

The experience of 1989 was both positive and negative, Feng said. But we have to learn the lesson, that even though we had these large numbers of people on the street, we didnt know what we should do. We should have asked the military to overthrow the regime.

Feng maintains that now, as back then, the regime remains resistant to reforming itself in the way that Taiwans Nationalists evolved from an authoritarian police state into a multiparty democracy, eventually handing over power to the opposition through elections. Like many in the democratic movement, Feng idolizes Chiang Ching-kuo, the son and successor of Chiang Kai-shek, who began the process of Taiwans democratization during the 1980s.

While few echo Fengs ruing of the lost chance of a military coup, hostility toward the regime and frustration with perceived foreign gullibility are near constants among members of the movement who remain active, especially those based abroad. Their impressions appear permanently colored by the shock, horror and disbelief they felt when the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) opened fire on the people theyd been charged with protecting and whod grown to trust and revere them.

Wang Dan, 50, who was imprisoned after being named No. 1 on the most-wanted list, is among those who doesnt mince words.

It is time for us now, for the whole democratic countries now, to re-recognize the true face of the (Communist Party) and try to learn some lessons from the Tiananmen massacre, Wang said, using another term for the crackdown of June 3-4. This is a very important challenge for the whole world, because now China is a rising power, and seems like a threat for the democracy and freedom of the whole world.

Wuer Kaixi is similarly scathing, deriding the regimes claims to patriotic zeal as a cover for their desire to maintain their wealth and privileges at any cost.

Lets look at what the Chinese regime is clearly. Its a group of people who stole the position of ruling China, one of the largest countries in the world and theyre taking advantage of that position to do one thing: Loot, he said.

Pu, a lawyer who was disbarred for his political activism, bemoans 1989 and the years since as a lost opportunity to develop a new, possibly alternative, political class.

Tiananmen was an excellent training opportunity for taking part in society, taking part in politics for young people of my generation, Pu said. But the distinctive characteristic of Chinese politicsthis long-term totalitarianismis that it cannot permit a political force or political party to take organized action.

Things have grown only more difficult amid tightening social controls, making it much harder to rally forces in society to do things either good or bad, Pu said.

Yet Wuer Kaixi, now the honorary chairman of Reporters Without Borders at its East Asia office in Taipei, says those actionsthe increasing repression borne out in policies such as the internment of 1 million or more Chinese Muslims in re-education campsprovide a constant reminder of the unchanged nature of the regime.

The reason people still remember (1989), other than the mere importance of it, is also because the Communist Party is still conducting all of these brutal acts and atrocities within China against Uyghur people, against Tibetans, Hong Kong, Macau, and even conducting threats against neighboring countries like Taiwan, he said.

That will remind people that this regime, todays acts of this regime, is the same regime that massacred peaceful demonstrators 30 years ago, he said.

Feng, who is studying acupuncture and administers pro-democracy websites, and Wuer Kaixi say their continued zeal for the cause is bolstered by a sense of obligation to those who fell in 1989, to see their names rehabilitated and their goal of a democratic China achieve fruition.

So I have to live with this survivors guilt  but I will try to make the dream of those who fell 30 years ago come true sooner, Wuer Kaixi said.

Pu, who continues to work as a legal adviser, said he sees his generation as a link to the past. Veterans, those around 50, are now the backbone of society who are obligated to pass on their experiences and ideals to a younger generation.

Apart from the leaders, who to varying degrees have had some say in how they have lived their lives since, Tiananmen left many scarred for life or saddled with criminal records that have severely restricted their choices.

Since serving a 17-year sentence for allegedly attacking martial law troopsa charge he deniesDong Shengkun has been unable to find a steady job and is forced to live with his elderly mother while receiving the governments minimum living allowance of 1,000 yuan ($145) per month. Though he wishes to marry his girlfriend, the government would take away even that meager stipend were he to do so due to her somewhat better financial circumstances.

Still, Dong, who picks up odd jobs for extra income, has no regrets for having joined in the protests out of a sense of outrage and desire for change.

The 1989 movement was about justice, Dong said.

By Christopher Bodeen & Johnson Lai
President Donald Trump congratulates graduates as they receive diplomas during the 2019 graduation ceremony at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 30, 2019. (Chet Strange/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump Shakes Hand of Every Air Force Academy Graduate Following Commencement Speech

President Donald Trump saluted, shook hands with, and spoke with every graduating member of the Air Force Academy in Colorado on May 30.

The president traveled to the academy to give a commencement speech and stuck around to salute the graduates one-by-one as they were announced.

That part of the graduation took over an hour. There were nearly 1,000 cadets graduating on Thursday

Trump said he was told he didnt have to stay for the rest of the ceremony.

They gave me a choice. They said, Sir, you dont have to shake any hands, some people do that. Some people do that. Those are the smart ones. Theyre out of here. Trump told the audience, prompting laughter.

You can shake one hand, to the one person, top of the class. You can shake 10, 50 or 100, and you could also stay for 1,000, OK? Trump added as the crowd cheered.

During the speech, the president praised the cadets for choosing the Air Force.

To the nearly 1,000 cadets who will soon become Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force: You could have chosen any school, any career you wanted, but you chose a harder path and a higher calling: to protect and defend the United States of America. I know what youve been through, and its tougher. But you know what? In the end, its better. Youre going [to] see. Youll see, he said.

When you choose the Air Force, you choose the noble road of service and duty and devotion. You choose to break old boundaries, and unlock new frontiers, and live life on the cutting edge.

And that is what your time at this great academy has been all about: preparing you to do whatever it takes to learn, to adapt, and to win, win, win. Youre going to win so much. Youre going to get so tired of winning, but not really. Not really. We never get tired of winning, do we? he added.

Trump said that only 10 percent of the applicants to the academy are accepted and that many people who think about applying choose not to because of how hard it is to get in. Even for those who are accepted, one out of five do not graduate.

Only the best survive to the very end. And here, under the majestic peaks of the Rockies, you have risen to every challenge, overcome every single obstacle, and proven yourselves worthy of the bars that will soon adorn your uniform, Trump said.

You survived BCT, made it to Recognition, and earned your Prop and Wings. You soared in gliders, piloted aircraft, and launched satellites that are now orbiting way, way above us, looking down on us. You performed advanced research, developed new techniques. You honed your skills as cyber operators, and jumped out of planes thousands of feet above the Earth. Not easy. For Americas airmen, the sky is never, ever the limit.

The president later noted that he approved funding for 56 new Air Force F-35s, a stealth aircraft, in addition to new Reaper remotely-piloted aircraft and 10 new helicopters, among other things.

Were also asking Congress to invest more in hypersonic weapons. We have things under development, the likes of which youve never seen; the likes of which you cant even conceive. Artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons and modernization, and space superiority, he said. And were soon having, as you know, something that I started. And it started a little slow, and now everybody has embraced it: Space Force. And youre going to be working with them.

From NTD News
President Donald Trump waits to shake hands with United States Air Force Academy cadets as they receive their diplomas during their graduation ceremony at Falcon Stadium on May 30, 2019 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

Trumps Approval Rating Hits Highest Point in 2 Years: Poll

Voter optimism around economic gains made under the current administration has boosted approval of President Donald Trump to its highest rating in two years, according to the latest data from the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey.

The results of the survey, cited by The Hill, and will be posted in full later this week, found that 48 percent approve of the job Trump is doingan increase of 3 points since the surveys last result in March.

According to the pollsters, the last time Trumps approval rating reached 48 percent was in June 2017, near the beginning of his administration.

The economy appears to be the main factor contributing to the rise, with a record 62 percent of registers voters approving of his approach to employment and 59 percent approving of his handling of the economy, the survey said.

A slim majority of 51 percent also said that the economy is heading in the right direction under the Trump administration. Of those surveyed, 71 percent said the economy is very strong or somewhat strong.

Peoples views on the economy are gradually pushing Trumps numbers up and his actions on other issues like China and immigration are neutral to positive, said Mark Penn, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey. Every point of increase in this range of 45 to 50 improves the possibility of re-election.

The approval rating captured in the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll mirrored the results from a May 31 Rasmussen Reports finding which also recorded a 48 percent approval rating among likely U.S. voters. Rasmussen was among the most accurate polls in predicting the 2016 presidential election results.

The Gallup poll recorded that there was some momentum for Trump in recent times, according to The Hill.

The results come as Trump announced on May 30 a 5 percent tariff on all goods entering the United States from Mexico.

The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied, at which time the Tariffs will be removed, Trump explained on Twitter. Details from the White House to follow.

Before the announcement, Trump had teased of an upcoming major statement on the border that would be something very dramatic.

The Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll online survey was conducted with 1,295 registered voters from May 29 to May 30. The Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey is an online sample drawn from the Harris Panel and weighted to reflect known demographics.

Overwhelmed Immigration System

Officials with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told The Epoch Times on May 19 that migrant families in Texas are being transported to other sectors along the southern border by plane and bus due to capacity limitations.

The transportation of migrants, border patrol officials said, is being done to help mitigate the challenges posed by what they described as an unprecedented number of people in CBP custody.

Resources were further strained by requirements affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release migrant family units from detention within 20 days of their arrival. Border Patrol officials had apprehended over 500,000 illegal aliens on the southern border as of May 10.

To address this critical operational challenge, and to ensure the safety of individuals in our custody, on May 10, CBP began transporting unprocessed family units across southern border sectors to leverage available capacity for processing and holding, a CBP official told The Epoch Times via email.

Officials said that all migrant family units will undergo basic tests to ensure they are fit for travel. The types of transportation for sending migrants between southern border sectors include van, bus, and air travel.
Turning Purple: Baby Recovering After Spending 12 Hours in Hot Car

A 4-month-old boy is recovering after spending 12 hours in a hot car in Alabama, it was reported.

Jermius Scott, a bystander, saw the child as he was going to his car in Mobile, WPMI reported.

When I saw him cry it almost made me cry, so I hit one time and it bust, he said.

Another witness, Tarance James, said the child was turning purple, unable to cry, and was sweating through his clothes.

I see the baby turning purple, it was sweating, I looked at the scalp, it was dry and had dandruff, said James, according to the report So, when they got the baby out of the car and the back was wet, the Pamper was wet, the baby wanted to cry but it couldnt cry, Im like, oh, man.

The childs father, who was not named, was allegedly supposed to be watching the boy but told officials that he forgot him in the car at around 10 p.m. the night before.

Police were called at around 9 a.m. the next day about the child, who was not identified.

The father told investigators he must have forgotten the little boy after dropping his other two children at their grandmothers house https://t.co/Hh4wmPpVdy  CBS Austin (@cbsaustin) May 31, 2019

I was going crazy just thinking its a kid, Scott said, according to the report. He added that the incident is dead wrong, leaving the baby in the car like that, you dont do that.

The child was rushed to a hospital to be checked out, and an investigation is ongoing.

NBC15 reported that no charges were filed against the father. Officials said that the father may have forgotten the boy after dropping off his other two children at their grandmothers home.

The report said that the father isnt allowed to be alone with the baby now.

Another Hot Car Incident

A 4-year-old boy has died after he was found in a hot car at a home in Richland County, South Carolinathe first hot-car death in the state this year, according to the coroners office.

In a news conference on May 24, sheriff Leon Lott and coroner Gary Watts warned parents about the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars, after Zion Akinrefon of Maryland died at a Midland hospital two days before, due to complications of probable hyperthermia, reported WIS news.

These kinds of incidents tug at my heartstrings, Lott said.

Authorities responded to a call at a home in Blythewood on May 22 after Zion was found unresponsive. The 4-year-old was visiting family members in South Carolina when his mother noticed her son had gone missing. After a search, the mother found Zion in the back seat of the familys car.

According to reports on May 7, a toddler died after being left in a car in New Jersey.

Lakewood Township police said they are investigating the death of the nearly 2-year-old girl, NBC New York reported, which added that the girl died at around 2 p.m. local time.

Mayor Meir Lichtenstein said warm temperatures contributed to this girls death. It seems like wonderful parents. They have one other child that is approximately 4 1/2 years old that is also a girl, and they are very saddened, Lakewood Mayor Meir Lichtenstein told CBS New York. I was actually at the hospital and I saw the parents. Theyre extremely saddened by what happened.

Epoch Times reporter Janita Kan contributed to this report.
UN Rights Body Calls for Release of Chinese Lawyer

GENEVAA Chinese lawyer held for more than 16 months without trial is being unlawfully detained for his human rights work and should be released, a United Nations watchdog has said.

The U.N. working group on arbitrary detention issued its opinion on Yu Wensheng, dated May 29, after examining his case at a closed-door meeting of its five independent experts.

There was no immediate comment by China.

It is the 30th anniversary on June 4 of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijings Tiananmen Square.

Yu had been the defense attorney of jailed prominent rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang before being stripped of his license and then arrested outside his home in January 2018. He is still under investigation for inciting subversion, a charge often used to prosecute dissidents and rights activists.

The Working Group concludes that the deprivation of liberty of Mr. Yu resulted from the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and of association and his right to take part in government, and was contrary to article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. His deprivation of liberty is arbitrary, the experts said.

Yu should be released immediately and provided compensation in line with international law, they said.

The Chinese regime missed the deadline to submit its response, including to allegations that Yu has been denied any visits with a lawyer of his or his familys choosing during his entire detention, the experts said.

Yu, now 51, was sent to Xuzhou City Detention Center in Jiangsu Province, where police placed him under residential surveillance, they said, adding that this amounted to incommunicado and secret detention.

He has been charged with a vague and imprecise offense of inciting subversion of State power, they said.

This provision does not define what conduct amounts to subversion and overthrowing the socialist system through rumors, slander or other means. The communication of mere thoughts, ideas or opinions could potentially fall within the prohibited conduct, the U.N. body said.

Yu had worked peacefully within Chinas legal system and nothing suggested he had engaged in or incited violence, it said.

Defending Wang Quanzhang

Yu Wensheng had been Wang Quanzhangs defense attorney before being stripped of his license and then arrested in January 2018.

A Chinese court on Jan. 28 sentenced Wang to four and a half years in prison for subversion of state power.

Wang was arrested in a 2015 crackdown on legal advocates, an incident often referred to as 709.

Wang offered legal aid to Falun Gong practitioners and other victims of repression by the Chinese regime, including petitioners whose land had been seized by developers, prisoners abused in labor camps, and those mistreated by the police.

Falun Gong is a Chinese spiritual discipline practiced by tens of millions of people who do meditation and follow traditional moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. In June 1999, then-Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin ordered Falun Gong banned; mass arrests followed the next month.

Wang had taken an interest in what was happening to Falun Gong since the beginning of the persecution, when he was still in law school, according to the China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group (CHRLCG). In the 2000s, along with lawyers such as the renowned Gao Zhisheng, Wang was one of the first to represent Falun Gong practitioners in court.

Due to the highly political nature of the persecution, defending Falun Gong carried inherently greater risks than those associated with ordinary rights cases. Wang Quanzhang, Gao Zhisheng, and other human rights lawyers who represented Falun Gong practitioners have themselves been harassed, imprisoned, and tortured.

By Stephanie Nebehay. The Epoch Times contributed to this report.
Estonian English

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) informed AS Tallinna Vesi in the evening of 30 May 2019 that the Tribunal intends to render its award in the arbitration case between AS Tallinna Vesi, United Utilities (Tallinn) B.V. and the Republic of Estonia by 21 June 2019.

In October 2014, AS Tallinna Vesi and its shareholder United Utilities (Tallinn) B.V., which is registered in the Kingdom of The Netherlands, commenced international arbitration proceedings against the Republic of Estonia for breach of the Agreement on the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investments between the Kingdom of The Netherlands and the Republic of Estonia. The international arbitration hearings were held in November 2016.

Riina Kai

Chief Financial Officer

AS Tallinna Vesi

(+372) 626 2262

riina.kai@tvesi.ee
New border wall being constructed by We Build the Wall in the El Paso metropolitan area on May 24, 2019. (Courtesy of We Build the Wall, Inc.)

Update: New Mexico City Allows Construction of Border Wall on Private Land

A New Mexico city issued permits to a company to build a section of border wall on private land, days after issuing a cease-and-desist order.

Air Force veteran Brian Kolfages nonprofit We Build the Wall Inc. and contractor Fisher Industries were erecting the bollard-style fencing in Sunland Park over the weekend but the city said its application wasnt complete and issued the order.

After the order was issued, the city government was deluged with thousands of phone calls from supporters of the wall.

City Manager Julia Brown told the Associated Press on May 30 that the paperwork was completed and that permits were issued for the barrier.

WINNING!! @WeBuildtheWall was given the green light yesterday afternoon by the city of Sunland Park to resume construction, and our permits were re-issued. From the start We Build The Wall, Inc complied with all regulations as required by law as we stated.@JackPosobiec #Trump pic.twitter.com/XcUnMKvK3i  Brian Kolfage (@BrianKolfage) May 30, 2019

Kolfage said in Twitter early Thursday that We Build the Wall was given the green light yesterday afternoon by the city of Sunland Park to resume construction, and our permits were re-issued.

From the start We Build The Wall, Inc complied with all regulations as required by law as we stated, he added.

He later shared pictures of the permit and the wall being built.

A project summary released by the nonprofit said the property owner was originally told by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that erecting a wall on their land was too difficult because of a mountainside, but the group and its contractor was still able to build the barrier. It said the area was part of the territory of the Jaurez cartel, which has been human and drug trafficking from Mexico into the United States.

The land is owned by American Eagle Brick Co.

Sunland Park officials told KTSM theyd be answering questions about the project at a 1 p.m. press conference. They had received thousands of calls from supporters.

I got 800 calls on my answering machine in one hour. Theyre all calling from out of state. They are in favor of the wall, said one Sunland Park city official who declined to be named.

The CEO of Arizona-based Fisher Industries said that he was proud to be working on the wall.

They would just come over, and you can see the pathways from Mexico where the drugs would run and everything else, Tommy Fisher told 3 TV. It makes me feel very very proud, as well as just the effort that all the employees of the Fisher Industries family have put in to do this amount of work in ten days.

Fisher said his company had placed a bid with the federal government to build 234 miles of border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border but that the Army Corps of Engineers was chosen to erect the wall.

Still, the company is now engaged with We Build the Wall, which said it was going to build additional sections on private property.

I think its going to be very effective, Fisher said. Ive heard from multiple border agents. They just cant believe it.

From NTD News
A young Falun Dafa adherent holds a sign asking for China to stop killing prisoners of conscience for their organs in a parade in Washington on July 20, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

US Could Bar Entry to Chinese Officials Involved in Persecution of Falun Gong

The U.S. State Department is looking to increase the enforcement of immigration controls against human rights violators, in a move that could see Chinese officials involved in the persecution of Falun Gong being barred from entering the United States, according to a statement from a U.S. website that acts as a clearinghouse on the persecution of the spiritual practice.

The agency plans to increase its scrutiny of visa applications of foreign officials who have participated in severe violations of religious freedom, according to a May 31 news release by U.S. website Minghui.org. According to the release, these officials could have their immigration or non-immigration visas (such as tourist or business visas) rejected. Those who have already been issued visas could be blocked from entering the country, the notice said.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 212(a)(2)(G), any person, while serving as a foreign government official, who is responsible for or have directly carried out particularly severe violations of religious freedom at any time, are inadmissible for entry to the United States.

Particularly severe violations of religious freedom include systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom such as torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment; prolonged detention without charges; causing the disappearance of persons by the abduction or clandestine detention of those persons; or other flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of persons.

An official from the State Department told various religious and faith-based groups about the intensified scrutiny. The official advised Falun Gong practitioners in the United States that they could submit a list of Chinese officials known to be involved in the persecution, the news release stated.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a traditional self-improvement discipline with meditation exercises based on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The practice was introduced to the public in China in 1992 and quickly gained popularity, spreading from China to more than 80 countries.

According to a state survey, the practice reached over 70 million adherents by 1999though practitioners estimated the number was over 100 million.

Fearing that its popularity would jeopardize the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)s rule, in July 1999, then-regime leader Jiang Zemin launched a nationwide persecution, in which practitioners are rounded up and sent to prisons, labor camps, and brainwashing centerswhere they are often tortured in an attempt to coerce them into giving up their faith. The suppression continues today.

Lai Shantao, president of the Falun Dafa Association of Washington, D.C., confirmed to The Epoch Times that association representatives met with the State Department official earlier this year about the new action. The official told them the Trump administration is stepping up its enforcement of these laws, he said.

This shows the U.S. government has entered a new phase in its concern for the persecution of people of faith worldwide, especially in relation to Chinathe most severe violator of religious freedom in the world, Lai said.

He added that the development is a warning for officials involved in the persecution of Falun Gong in China, especially those who are thinking of visiting or fleeing to the United States.

It sends them a message that you cant persecute Falun Gong, he said.

A spokesperson with the State Department, in an email to The Epoch Times, didnt respond to questions seeking confirmation of the measures, but said that the United States seeks to ensure that individuals who have violated human rights do not secure safe haven in the United States.

There are a number of potential ineligibility grounds applicable to U.S. visa applicants who have engaged in human rights violations or corruption, including ineligibilities for foreign government officials who have engaged in severe violations of religious freedom, the spokesperson said.

Chinese Regime at War With Faith

Gary Bauer, commissioner at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, told The Epoch Times on May 31 that he would welcome the U.S. administrations steps in this direction.

I certainly do not want to see the United States be a haven for those that have been implicated in persecution in other countries, in China or [elsewhere], Bauer said. My hope will be that anyone in the United States that [has] engaged in the persecution against people of faith in China will pay a suitable price in the United States for that persecution.

An April report by the commission, an independent federal body that advises the U.S. government and Congress on religious freedom issues, highlighted that over the past year, the Chinese regime has ramped up its persecution of religious groups, including Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghur Muslims, Christians, and Tibetan Buddhists.

In 2011, U.S. President Barack Obama signed a proclamation to suspend entry of serious human rights violators to the United States as immigrants or non-immigrants.

Universal respect for human rights and humanitarian law and the prevention of atrocities internationally promotes U.S. values and fundamental U.S. interests, the proclamation stated.

Earlier this year, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback delivered a speech at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong calling on Beijing to end all forms of religious persecution in China.

Chinese government is at war with faith. It is a war they will not win, Brownback said on March 8.

This isnt the first time a government concerned about the persecution of Falun Gong in China has made moves to bar Chinese officials from entering their country.

In 2017, a joint task force of Taiwanese government bodies denied entry to at least three CCP officials and members of their professional exchange groups because of their involvement with the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners inside China.

The joint task force further said that any CCP officials with ties to the 610 Office, an extralegal Party organization created for the sole purpose of carrying out the persecution, wouldnt be permitted entry to Taiwan in the future.

Jennifer Zeng and Frank Fang contributed to this report.
Vice President Mike Pence delivers a keynote address during Access Intelligence's Satellite 2019 Conference and Exhibition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center May 6, 2019 in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

US Wants New Trade Pact With Canada, Mexico Passed by Summer, Pence Says

Vice President Mike Pence said on May 30 hes pushing to get the U.S. Congress to ratify the new North American trade agreement this summer, after both Canada and Mexico signaled they are ready to start the approval process.

Pence, the Trump administrations point person for getting the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement (USMCA) approved by Congress, made the remark at the start of a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa.

The deal, which was signed late last year, is meant to replace the existing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It has yet to be ratified by any of the three countries.

Canada formally began the process on May 29, and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on May 30 announced his governments intention to send the treaty to Mexicos Congress for ratification.

We have a historic opportunity to strengthen the economic ties between our two nations with the passage of the USMCA, Pence told reporters after sitting down with Trudeau.

I want to assure you that were making energetic efforts to move approval through the Congress of the United States this summer, he said.

Pences trip is the first official visit to Canada by a senior member of the Trump administration, after President Donald Trump accused Trudeau of being dishonest and weak at a G-7 summit last year.

The U.S. vice president has been traveling through the U.S. states dependent on trade with Canada and Mexico to make the case for the deal, which faces a tricky path ahead of presidential and congressional elections next year.

Last week, Trump fought with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who will control the timing of any initial vote on the trade deal, over her partys investigations of his administration. He also said Pelosi doesnt understand the agreement.

Some lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives have said the deal needs stronger enforcement provisions for labor and environmental standards.

China Tensions

Relations with China, embroiled in a trade dispute with the United States and sparring with Canada over the arrest in Vancouver of a senior executive of China-based Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., will be a top item on the agenda of the Pence-Trudeau meeting.

Canadian authorities arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, the worlds largest maker of telecom network gear, on a U.S. warrant in December. China subsequently arrested two Canadian men and charged them with espionage and halted imports of key Canadian commodities.

Just know that we stand with you for the security of our country and yours, and for the interests of our citizens, Pence said, referring to the dispute with China and the arrests of the Canadians in China.

Washington has accused Huawei of having ties to Chinas government, and has effectively banned U.S. firms from doing business with the company for national-security reasons.

Pence and Trudeau also said they would discuss the political crisis in Venezuela. Pence has played a major role in the Trump administrations diplomatic and economic efforts to force illegitimate dictator Nicolas Maduro from power. Both Washington and Ottawa have backed legitimate interim President Juan Guaido.

Reporting by Steve Scherer
White House Director of Trade Policy Peter Navarro (C) dodges the press after speaking on Fox News at the White House in Washington on June 4, 2018. (JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

White House Trade Adviser Defends Trumps Tariffs, Says Mexico Is Exporting Illegal Aliens

President Donald Trumps new tariffs on Mexico are based on national security and economy threats and are a response to Mexicos export of illegal aliens, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said.

Navarro, speaking to CNBC on May 31, legally justified the presidents decision to impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods entering the United States from Mexico by citing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which requires a national emergency.

Clearly, we have that at the border, Navarro told the network, referring to the massive influx of illegal immigrants. Trump declared a national emergency on Feb. 15 to address the humanitarian crisis on the southwest border and to secure funds for border-wall construction.

Border Patrol officials had apprehended over 500,000 illegal aliens on the southern border, as of May 10. Navarro also made reference to what he said was Mexicos biggest export to the United States.

If you look at it from an investors point of view and a corporate point of view, what we have in Mexico is the exportone of their high exportsof illegal aliens. And its a criminal enterprise, Navarro told CNBC.

The Mexican government needs to do three things, Navarro said: the first is to interdict the numerous choke points along Guatemalas small 150-mile border, where he said most of the migrants were entering from.

The second is for them to break up these transnational criminal organizations and this supply chain, and the third, he explained, is for Mexico to keep their asylum-seekers on their side of the border, citing the fact that Mexico has promised to help the U.S. with asylum.

The numbers that we are facing here are staggering, he added. This is a crisis.

Navarro also described the presidents move as not a tariff war but simply a measure to get Mexico to do what it should be doing.

In response to the initial fluctuations in the stock market following Trumps move, Navarro urged investors to really listen to the reasons why Trump had imposed the tariffs.

I would suggest to investors to look at this calmly. Look at what were trying to do. This is actually a brilliant move by the president to get Mexicos attention to get them to help us, he said, Because, so far, theyve just been standing by, and they really have the power to help us.

Officials say that in the early weeks of May, apprehensions averaged over 4,500 people a day, pushing multiple Border Patrol sectors to exceed their capacity to expeditiously process, transfer to ICE, or direct release.

As of March 19, Customs and Border Protection said they began releasing non-criminal, processed family units, due to the limited capacity of ICE facilities.

This is strictly about national security and threats to our economy from illegal immigration from a criminal enterprise, Navarro said.

Trump, in announcing the move, said that the tariffs will increase with inaction by Mexico on the illegal immigration situation.

The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied, at which time the Tariffs will be removed, Trump explained on Twitter. Details from the White House to follow.

Navarros comments come as voter optimism around the economy under the current administration has boosted approval of Trump to its highest rating in two years, according to the latest data from the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey.

The results of the survey, cited by The Hill, and to be posted in full this week, found that 48 percent approve of the job Trump is doingan increase of 3 points since the surveys last result in March.
Woman Shares Horrific Injuries After Alleged Attack By Staff at Holiday Resort

A woman has shared horrific images of her injuries after she was beaten and strangled in an attack which left her for dead during her holiday at a resort in the Dominican Republic.

In a Facebook post, Tammy Lawrence-Daley, a 51-year-old mother-of-two from Wilmington, Delaware, revealed she was brutally attacked in January while staying at Majestic Elegancean all-inclusive hotel in the Punta Cana.

Photos show her lying in a hospital bed, her face bruised, bloodied, and battered after the attack.

I KNEW I WAS DEAD Tammy Lawrence-Daley was walking alone when she says she was brutally attacked and left for dead while vacationing in the Dominican Republic https://t.co/EG5keRhsSM  ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) 30 May 2019

She was taken to a local medical clinic where she spent five days recovering from her gruesome injuries and even underwent surgery. Her injuries included a torn lip, a broken nose, a fractured hand, and partial hearing loss in her left ear, reported AOL.

She also told People she believes she may have been sexually assaulted due to damage  down there, but as it was days after the incident before a rape kit was administered, nothing could be determined definitively.

Four months on, she is still dealing with several issues, including nerve damage, she said.

Lawrence-Daley explained that she was on holiday with her husband and another couple when she was attacked on her second day at the resort.

She said on the day of the attack that the four of them arrived home from an 80s music production at around 10:30 p.m. when she decided to go downstairs to get something to eat.

I told my husband I was going to run downstairs to the lounge in our building for a snack and Id be back in five minutes, she wrote in the post.

I ended up bypassing the lounge in our building, and opted to go to the lounge in the next building, which was on the beach. I thought I could get some pictures of the moon on the water, but I never made it to the beach.

Lawrence-Daley ended up going missing for eight hours.

Delaware woman describes how she survived a brutal attack during her Dominican Republic vacation. Its in my nightmares. https://t.co/0DbV1IT3mx pic.twitter.com/6uIxXzYz5W  ABC News (@ABC) 31 May 2019

She described how she heard heavy footsteps approaching her from behind, when someone plowed into her, and wrapped their arms around her and pulled her into an unlocked maintenance room.

Im not going to go into the gory details of everything, however, please know that I fought with everything I had at that moment. He was too strong, she wrote.

Lawrence-Daley then continued to so describe the details of the horrific attack. She was strangled multiple times to unconsciousness, she said.

The next 8 hours brought me pain and fear, she wrote.

My lifeless body was drug [sic] down concrete stairs to an underground waste water area. I was kicked in the head, I was beaten with a club. And then strangled again for the kill; at which time he disposed of my body into an area I refer to as the hole.

I was unconscious multiple times during this savage attack, so I have no idea what else was done to me during that time. Somehow I survived.

A Delaware woman has shared the details of her harrowing attack at a Dominican Republic resort.

What started out as a dream vacation quickly became a nightmare said Tammy Lawrence-Daley in a Facebook post that described her January attack, | Read More: https://t.co/MZ5Wl438zF pic.twitter.com/JyTVwjrKD8  The Jet Set (@TheJetSetTV) 31 May 2019

Lawrence-Daley said her husband and friends had to ask the front desk at least three times before security began looking for her, with Majestic Elegance staff allegedly telling them she had most probably passed out drunk somewhere.

She was rescued almost eight hours later when she cried out for help upon hearing voices on the floor above her, reported AOL.

The woman had claimed that her attacker was a member of staff at the resort and said he was wearing a uniform with the resort logo.

She said Majestic Elegance has offered her no support whatsoever and that she has had to pay for all her medical bills herself.

Majestic Elegance claims no responsibility for the attack since I couldnt identify the attacker, she said.

Police did find evidence of the blood smeared mop handle and a maintenance hat in the area I was found, but this means nothing in these countries.

After her ordeal, Lawrence-Daley has urged other women to be cautious, wherever they may be.

This man thought he killed me, but he failed. He is still out there, a predator, waiting for his next victim. Only the next woman may not be so fortunate. Please, please do not walk alone.

When you are in unfamiliar places, or even in familiar places, please remember  be smart, be safe.
Entrepreneur Insider's Tip of the Day provides concise input on how you can improve aspects of your business or professional routines.

You spend time and money creating the right content to get your audience to visit your website. Unfortunately, a slow website can stop this whole process in its tracks. Google estimates that up to 40 percent of website visitors will leave a mobile website that takes longer than three seconds to load.

How long does your website take, and what can do you to speed it up? Fortunately, Google has a tool that will help with both. You can check it out here. Before you get started, it's important to note this tool will test your speed based on a 3G or 4G mobile connection. Your site will load much quicker on Wi-Fi. Beyond that, you'll typically want to test the speed of each page, which you can do via the Google Analytics Page Speed Report.

That said, let's take a look at my website.

Slow? I suppose "needs improvement" would have been a more polite way to say it. Either way, it is what it is. The majority of my traffic comes from desktop, but this is still something I'll address.

Fortunately, this tool provides tactic level advice for increasing speed. As is the case with my site, large images are a common culprit, they take longer to load. That hero image on top of your page may look good, but so does money. You'll need to either compress or remove if you want to speed things up.

Take a look at some of the other tools that are available as well. You can benchmark your speed against competitors or industry leaders. If you run an ecommerce site, you can evaluate how much money you may be losing due to your site speed.

In this scenario, a business could make another $18,000 per year by shaving three seconds off its load speed. Reducing speed by just a second is predicted to net another $4,000 in revenue. So, even if you need to hire a website developer, the incremental revenue could pay for their time.

As mentioned, this tool provides an estimate. If your campaigns are on Facebook or Instagram, you can easily find out exactly how much traffic you're losing from your ads. First, I'll need to provide a few quick definitions.

Link Click: This is when someone clicks on your ad, with the intention of leaving Facebook/Instagram.

Landing Page View: This is when the Facebook Pixel records a visit on your site.

Assuming your pixel is set up correctly, the delta between Link Clicks and Landing Page Views shows you how much traffic you've lost. Here's an example of how that will look.

Wow, more than 50 percent of traffic was lost. Sixty-six people saw this ad and said "looks cool, I'll take a look," but 37 of them said, "this is taking way too long, I'm out."

So there you have it, a quick way to estimate the amount of traffic you're losing on your site. No site is ever "perfect," but hopefully this provides input on how you can improve the overall efficiency.

Need some help with this, or have other digital marketing questions? Book a consulting session with me on Entrepreneur's Ask an Expert platform. My schedule is always up to date, and you can even record the meeting if you'd like. Hope to speak with you soon, and good luck with your next campaign!

Related:

Planning a Digital Marketing Promotion? Take This Website Speed Test First.

Turn Any Webpage into Actionable Data With 'Agenty'

Five Reasons You Should Optimise Your Business Name



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
Yoko Miwa will celebrate her trios new album, Keep Talkin with a concert at The Palace Theater in Waterbury on Friday, June 14. Jazziz magazine says the acclaimed pianist and composer plays with the lyrical sensibility of a jazz poet.

Keep Talkin includes original music by Miwa, plus her interpretation of tunes by such artists as Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, The Beatles and Joni Mitchell.

Joining her at the CD release show will be bassist Will Slater and drummer Scott Goulding, who is also Miwas husband. The Japanese-born, Boston-based artist is a professor at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, where she and Goulding first met as students.

According to a news release, Miwa is that rare educator who seems to log just as much time performing as she does teaching class. I love that we have the steady gigs, she says, in the release. We understand each other, we get familiar with the songs, and we can see the audiences reaction when we play a new song.

Sign up to get events, interviews with artists and more delivered to your inbox for free.

Aside from her original tunes, Keep Talkin includes such songs as In Walked Bud (Monk), Boogie Stop Shuffle (Mingus), and Conversation (Mitchell). Miwa also does her own renditions of Golden Slumbers and You Never Give Me Your Money, from the Beatles Abbey Road album.

From jazz standards to Brazilian music to unsung gems by pop and folk heroes, each of her selections is definitively remade in her image while retaining its core charms, the release said. Miwa has performed and/or recorded with such luminaries as Esperanza Spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington and Arturo Sandoval.

The Palace Theater, Jazz at the Poli Club, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. Friday, June 14, 7 and 9 p.m. $30. 203-346-2000
STAMFORD  It was quiet Thursday on Lenox Avenue, where squirrels ran between the large old trees growing in front of colonial-style homes nearly a century old.

It was tranquil, too, on Tremont Avenue, except for a half-dozen sparrows squabbling atop someones stone wall.

The same was true for Midland Avenue and Hamilton Avenue, where neat hedges and picket fences edge the small lawns. Rhododendrons were blooming, and American flags hung from front porch posts.

By Friday night, however, cars, trucks, motorcycles and whatever else travels on Interstate 95 are likely to clog the streets of residential Glenbrook day and night, with no let up until Monday.

It will happen again next weekend.

The state Department of Transportation is stripping away a dilapidated 1958 bridge on nearby Route 1 and dropping in a prefabricated new one, a $15 million project that will take two weekends.

The bridge spans I-95 near busy Exit 9, so the work will create major disruptions:

Friday, 6 p.m.  Exit 9 on-ramps, northbound and southbound, close; Route 1 drops from two lanes to one.

Friday, 9 p.m.  Exit 9 off-ramps, northbound and southbound, close; Route 1 closes between Courtland Avenue and Seaside Avenue.

Friday, 11 p.m.  I-95 traffic will be detoured to two-lane temporary roadways at the Exit 9 on- and off-ramps; Route 1 traffic will be detoured along Courtland Avenue, turning right onto curving Hamilton Avenue, and back out to Route 1.

Everything reopens at 5 a.m. Monday.

DOT officials have sent a dire message to motorists for this weekend and next: Dont go there.

I-95 traffic is supposed to use the temporary roads designed to skirt the construction work at Exit 9, but it will slow traffic on the highway, and motorists could tire of waiting, get off surrounding exits, and turn onto Route 1 and city streets looking for a way out.

State police are anticipating backups on the Merritt Parkway because motorists will be seeking an alternate to I-95. Troopers will be stationed on the Merritt to handle the overflow, state police have said.

They also will station two sergeants and 11 troopers at the construction site around I-95 Exit 9.

Certainly Route 1 traffic, and likely some from I-95, will makes its way to Lenox, Tremont, Midland and other side streets off Courtland and Hamilton avenues, if not other parts of Glenbrook.

City Rep. Monica Di Costanzo said it seems that word is out in her District 7, which includes the project area. Churches, businesses, the Glenbrook Neighborhood Association, state Rep. Dan Fox, D-148, and others have been spreading information, Di Costanzo said.

Ive seen people verbally reminding people at stores, so word of mouth has helped, too, she said. I think people who live here are familiar with what will happen.

The problem will be with people who do not live in the area, Di Costanzo said.

My fear is about truckers who get off I-95 and travel around and dont know where theyre going. They can rip down power lines, she said. That happened in the last two months on Glenbrook Road.

It came up when state transportation officials explained the project to the Board of Representatives a few months ago, Di Costanzo said.

I told them, Make sure you look at the curve on Hamilton Avenue. Theres not a lot of room there. Please put the troopers where they can tell people  do not get off the highway, she said.

Though there will be back-to-back weekends of traffic woes, the project is designed to reduce chaos. It makes use of a technique called Accelerated Bridge Construction, in which a new bridge is built near the site of the old one, then moved into place.

Each new 900-ton span is trucked to the site, and the old bridge is demolished as they are installed.

People may walk, not drive, to the work site to watch. State officials have set up a pedestrian viewing area. They also will stream the bridge replacement live at i95exit9.com.

Christie Fountain, president of the Glenbrook Neighborhood Association, said transportation officials attended the groups March meeting to tell residents what will happen.

Nobody panicked. But its something no one has experienced before, Fountain said. I know of one person who plans to walk to the viewing area and watch it. Weve been posting it on Facebook, and some people are responding, saying, Just stay home.

If the bridge were to be replaced using traditional construction methods, the work would take two years and create traffic backups the whole time, state transportation officials have said. Each day, more than 140,000 vehicles use Exit 9, and about 17,000 drive over the Route 1 bridge.

Di Costanzo said she had a question for the transportation officials who appeared before her board.

I asked if we get reimbursed if a large truck damages sidewalks, curbs, someones property, she said. I never got an answer.

Beyond that, the bridge replacement project will bring more than traffic for the weekends that begin Friday and June 7, Di Costanzo said.

Theres going to be noise. Theres not going to be any relief, she said. It will be right next to peoples bedrooms for two weekends in a row. Its not going to be pretty.

Transportation and law enforcement officials anticipate traffic on the highway to be backed up for several miles.

In Greenwich, planners of two large events scheduled for this weekend recommend that people take the train into town.

The Greenwich International Film Festival and the Greenwich Concours dElegance car show draw attendees from a wide region. The car show will be held Saturday and Sunday in Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich; the film festival has screenings and panel discussions throughout the weekend, in Greenwich and Stamford.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296.
OCALA, Fla., May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. (NYSE American: HEB), an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers and immune-deficiency diseases, today announced that its stockholders voted in favor to grant the Board of Directors the authority to effect a reverse stock split of the companys issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock. The proposal passed by approximately 55% of all issued and outstanding shares and approximately 86% of the shares actually voted were voted in favor of the reverse split.



Following the stockholder vote, the Board met and approved a 1-for-44 reverse stock split to achieve a value of approximately $5 per share. The Company anticipates that the reverse stock split will be effective on June 10, 2019, and the Company's common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on June 11, 2019.

The favorable vote by stockholders and subsequent reverse split serve two important purposes, said CEO Thomas K. Equels. First, we ensure that Hemispherx can continue to meet the stock price listing standards of the NYSE American. Second, strengthening our stock price this way is potentially a strong driver for stockholder value, as most major investors on Wall Street have prohibitions on investing in stocks under $1, and in some cases even under $5. If we achieve success in any one of our immuno-oncology clinical trials (See: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) using our drug Ampligen, we want a stock price high enough to allow all major players in the market, such as well-established funds, family offices, banks and index funds to buy on the open market and create favorable buying pressure on the stock. This strategy aligns with our goal to seek out big pharma partners who share our excitement and enthusiasm for the potential of Ampligen in immuno-oncology. We believe that successes in these ongoing immuno-oncology trials have the potential to create an optimal environment for these goals which are designed to create the opportunity for increased stockholder value.

The reverse stock split will reduce the number of shares of the Company's common stock currently outstanding from approximately 96,827,062 shares to approximately 2,200,616 shares. All resulting fractional shares will be rounded up to the next whole share. Proportionate adjustments will be made to (i) the per share exercise price and the number of shares of common stock that may be purchased upon exercise of outstanding stock options granted by the Company and warrants issued by the Company and (ii) the number of shares of common stock issuable under the Company's 2018 Equity Incentive Plan. The number of authorized shares of the Company's common stock will remain unchanged.

The Company's common stock will continue to trade on the NYSE American under the symbol "HEB". A new CUSIP number of 42366C509 has been assigned to the common stock in connection with the reverse stock split.

Information for Stockholders

Upon the effectiveness of the reverse stock split, each forty-four (44) shares of the Company's common stock, $0.001 par value per share, issued and outstanding will be automatically combined and converted into one share of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse stock split. Any fractional share of common stock that would otherwise have resulted from the reverse stock split will be rounded up to the nearest whole share.

The Company's transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, will act as exchange agent for the reverse stock split, and will provide stockholders of record holding certificates representing pre-split shares of the Company's common stock as of the effective date with a letter of transmittal providing instructions for the exchange of stock certificates for post-split shares. Stockholders owning shares via a broker or other nominee will have their positions automatically adjusted to reflect the reverse stock split, subject to the broker's or nominee's particular procedures for processing the reverse stock split, and will not be required to take any action in connection with the reverse stock split. American Stock Transfer & Trust Company can be contacted at (800) 937-5449.

Additional information about the reverse stock split can be found in the Company's definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 24, 2019, a copy of which is available at www.sec.gov and at www.hemispherx.net under the SEC Filings tab located on the Investor Relations page.

About Hemispherx Biopharma

Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc. is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers. Hemispherx's flagship products include the Argentina-approved drug rintatolimod (trade names Ampligen or Rintamod) and the FDA-approved drug Alferon N Injection. Based on results of published, peer-reviewed pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, Hemispherx believes that Ampligen may have broad-spectrum anti-viral and anti-cancer properties. Clinical trials of Ampligen already conducted include studies of the potential treatment of cancer patients with renal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. These and other potential uses will require additional clinical trials to generate the safety and effectiveness data necessary to support regulatory approval and additional funding. Rintatolimod is a double-stranded RNA being developed for globally important debilitating diseases and disorders of the immune system.

Cautionary Statement

Some of the statements included in this press release may be forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For example, no assurance can be given as to whether the current or planned trials will be successful or yield favorable data and the trials are subject to many factors including lack of regulatory approval(s), lack of study drug, or a change in priorities at the institutions sponsoring other trials. In addition, initiation of planned clinical trials may not occur secondary to many factors including lack of regulatory approval(s) or lack of study drug. Even if these clinical trials are initiated, we cannot assure that the clinical studies will be successful or yield any useful data. Among other things, for forward-looking statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. This press release and prior releases are available at www.hemispherx.net . The information found on our website is not incorporated by reference into this press release and is included for reference purposes only.

Contacts:

Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc.

Phone: 800-778-4042

Email: IR@hemispherx.net

Or

LHA Investor Relations

Miriam Weber Miller

Senior Vice President

Phone: +1-212-838-3777

Email: mmiller@lhai.com
TORRINGTON  A New York man faces theft-related charges after he allegedly fraudulently purchased a Mercedes Benz from a Torrington car dealership.

On Thursday, 34-year-old Jonathan Sevilla, of Wallace Avenue in Bronx, N.Y., was extradited from New York to Torrington and arrested on an active arrest warrant. He was charged with first-degree identity theft, second-degree forgery and first-degree larceny.

Police Lt. Bart Barown III said Sevillas charges stemmed from a fraudulent purchase of a 2018 Mercedez Benz GLE last year.

On Feb. 22, 2018, detectives got a complaint from a financial company that reported a vehicle was fraudulently purchased at Torrington Ford and that it was being held by the New York Border Patrol.

The financial company reported the person listed on the credit application was the victim of identity theft, Barown said. Over the course of several months detectives reviewed financial paperwork from the purchase of the vehicle, worked with New York Auto Theft Task Force and identified Sevilla as the person who purchased the vehicle in February 2018.

He said cellphone footage helped detectives positively identify Sevilla.

He was held on a $75,000 bond. Hes expected in court on Friday.
Contrary to an earlier report, Kansas fugitives Dustin Bilbrey and Rebecca Humphrey were arrested Friday night in northwest Missouri.

Deputies from the Atchison County Sheriffs Office and Tarkio, Mo., police officers arrested the pair in Fairfax, Mo., in a stolen Ford Ranger pickup, said Capt. Paul Forrester of the Salina, Kan., Police Department. They were arrested at about 7 p.m. after a traffic stop.

Bilbrey, 36, and Humphrey, 33, fled from Salina last week, journeying through Central Nebraska. A search was conducted in the Doniphan area early in the morning of May 23. At about 2:40 a.m., some cellphone users in Central Nebraska received a wireless emergency alert, telling people that two armed suspects fled officers in your area. Lock doors, call 911 for anything suspicious.

Later that day, authorities believe the couple visited York. In an earlier story, a sheriff said hed heard the pair was arrested in the Brownville area. The communities are about 21 miles apart.

Bilbrey and Humphrey are wanted on state arrest warrants for aggravated robbery, vehicle burglary, arson, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, criminal damage to property and theft charges.
Loeffler said Fieldgrove is not making any excuses. Fieldgrove is embarrassed by the offense and wishes it had never happened, Loeffler said. In addition, Fieldgrove suffers from a brain injury. He is not a high-functioning individual, Loeffler said.

Before sentencing Fieldgrove, Young said there were substantial and compelling reasons not to put him on probation. For one, Fieldgroves criminal record is substantial.

The decision he made is going to have a long-lasting impact on the victim, Young said.

Looking over his record, Young said, Fieldgrove hasnt made a positive contribution to society. That doesnt mean he still cant, Young said. But thus far, Fieldgrove has made mistakes trying to satisfy his own sexual pleasures, Young said.

If he were walking the streets at this point, Fieldgrove would represent danger to the community, Young said.

In court records, Fieldgrove is listed as a resident of St. Paul.

In an interview after the sentencing, Loeffler objected to referring to Kershner as the victim. She is of legal age and made decisions on her own, Loeffler said.
What is going on with Grand Island Public Schools?

The caliber of the school system here has declined. A group of retired GIPS teachers and current substitute teachers met with the superintendent more than a year ago about negative student behavior, learning expectations, teachers over-tasked, and difficulty in getting substitute teachers. We also sent letters to the GIPS school board.

Negative behavior is the No. 1 thing affecting student academic achievement. There is a lack of respect from many students and ineffective consequences for negative behaviors. One problem student in a classroom affects all students learning in that room. GIPS has so rigidly scheduled the school day, especially in elementary school, that there is little time left for special activities, and art, music and PE times have decreased. Teachers are stressed with all these rigid schedules, meetings and increasing paperwork.
ALTON  While the cement-block floodwall proves to provide worthy protection for downtown Alton against the swollen Mississippi on the surface, concerns remained that the watery menace would infiltrate the Third Street corridor from below.

That fear was the target of work Thursday, as crews worked to isolate the sewer, running directly from the river and under Piasa Street, from adjacent sewers, pointedly Third Street.

With the assistance of River Diving and Salvage Inc. from Bloomsdale, Missouri, workers installed what can be described as a rubber bladder into the storm sewer line. The device will inflate and expand to seal the sewer line, preventing the water coming up and out the sewer, something that was not anticipated during the 1993 flood, with devastating results.

The projects engineer, Scott Weiner, is approaching the situation with cautious optimism.

At this point, its kind of an emergency situation, he said. Were doing our best efforts. It has been done in other areas Talking with the Alton Public Works Department, we tried to come up with some alternative options, and given the situation that rivers up and the sewers are surcharged, the best way to get the plugs in is to have the divers go in to do it.

Alton Public Works Director Robert Barnhart Thursday struck a similarly-cautious tone.

Were gonna try it, he said. It wont help everybodys problems, but it may solve a few.

Many sight-seers who ventured downtown Thursday stopped to watch the strange scene of a diver, in full gear, bobbing in and out of manholes along Piasa Street.

Inside the suit was Jacob Conrad, of River Diving and Salvage Inc.

I think its soothing, Conrad said of his underwater work. Its his quiet time, he added.

Conrad said the work, whether in the river or a flooded sewer, is perfectly safe, especially with a crew above he can trust.

Meanwhile, its a waiting game for those with a stake in Altons downtown.

The river prediction Thursday evening was for a crest to occur Tuesday morning at 39.3 feet  the second-highest on record, but still more than 3 feet below the 1993 record.

Were hopeful that it holds up, but with Mother Nature, theres no guarantee, Weiner said. I know the city is doing everything they can, and were trying to support them in any way we can.
EDWARDSVILLE  The Public Service and Public Safety Committees voted to advance various items during Tuesday meetings.

The committees:

 Awarded the 2019-2020 MFT Material Bid by group number to: Asphalt Sales and Products Inc., for cold mix asphalt (to use during the winter months when the asphalt factories close) for $3,900.00; Asphalt Sales for hot mix asphalt for $65,000; Beelman Logistics LLC for sealcoat aggregate, ACBL slag CA-13 for $22,950; JTC Petroleum Company for oil-and-chip applications for $57,722; Red-E-Mix, LLC for concrete amounting to $78,550; and Polo Trucking, Inc. for coarse aggregate (rocks or gravel) for $17,755

 Advanced a resolution for plans and specifications for an Illinois Department of Transportation contract to make Americans with Disabilities Act improvements along Routes 157 and 159

 Advanced a sewer tap-on fee agreement with Fireside Financial

 Under informational items, there was a change order approved to the sewer lining contract to Insituform Technologies USA, LLC. The change order increased $5,954.25

 Advanced previous no parking requests for Second Avenue, the south side of H Street and Fountain Avenue at West Union are all on hold pending further information

In other committee business:

 Fire Chief Richard Welle said the solar-powered emergency siren is built and ready to be installed behind the rear of the Madison County Sheriffs office. It simply awaits a pole-digger so it can be mounted atop a 50-foot pole with proper solar panel orientation. It will have a 6,000-foot range.

This siren will replace a previous one that had been mounted on the old public safety building on North Main Street. It was removed and stored for parts. Retrofitting the old unit with a new control unit and a solar-powered battery became implausible due to the original units age. It was also the only city siren powered by electricity

 Public Works Director Eric Williams updated the committee on North Myrtle Avenue, a one-block stretch between Randle and St. Louis avenues. He said his crews cleared away brush and overgrowth on the streets west side, power washed the east and west side curbs then painted the east side curb to a point immediately south of a staircase, marking that area as a no parking zone to facilitate traffic flow and visibility
WEST CHESTER, Ohio, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) said today that members of the United Auto Workers (UAW), Local 4104, have ratified a new three year labor agreement covering about 110 hourly production and maintenance employees at the companys Zanesville (OH) Works. AK Steel said that UAW officials notified the company that the new contract was ratified in voting held on May 30, 2019 in Zanesville. The new agreement takes effect on May 31, 2019 and runs through May 31, 2022.

We are pleased to have reached a labor agreement at Zanesville Works for our employees, said Roger K. Newport, Chief Executive Officer of AK Steel. The new agreement continues to provide a competitive and flexible labor contract for AK Steel and our Zanesville employees.

Zanesville Works is a specialty flat rolled finishing facility for AK Steels electrical and stainless steels.
WEST ALTON  Businesses and residents of West Alton, Missouri scrambled Thursday morning to prepare for incoming flood waters.

The three gas stations along U.S. 67 just south of the Clark Bridge were busy packing up cigarettes and store contents, while the two stations farthest south were removing and packing up gas pumps.

We just installed them, said Sam Motan of the pumps at his Gas Mart station that were merely two months old.

Petroleum vehicles also were on site, filling up the underground gas tanks so that the presence of any external water pressure would be equalized by the pressure inside the tanks.

Motan admitted that, while they were trying to pack up everything they could, he had waited until the last minute.

I didnt believe it was going to happen, he said. Motan said that when he saw the Dirt Cheap liquor store south of his location was under water, he decided it was time to take action.

The Mississippi River is expected to crest Tuesday, June 4 at 39.3 feet, just three feet below the 1993 flood level. Additional rain north of the area, however, could impact that prediction.

Parishioners at the First Church of God were also busy Thursday, packing and preparing for more water. Janice Samples, whose dad helped build the church years ago, said they were carrying many items to locations higher inside the building  a choir loft and baptistry area. Other items, such as the piano and artwork, were being relocated off site.

Were just doing what we can do, said Samples. She said she still has family down the street from the church and is active in it, but moved to Brighton in 1995  two years after the record flood of 1993.

ALSO SEE:

Flood of memories: Great Flood of 1993 effects still linger, 25 years later

Crews fight Alton flood from below

FROM THE FLOOD | Thursday, May 30, 2019  28 photos

Others packing up their belongings in West Alton were residents who had witnessed earlier floods. Steven Higgenbotham, whose house was already overtaken by the river Thursday morning, said he was present for the 1973 and 1993 floods. He said he chose to remain in West Alton and not relocate after the other high water marks.

This one might be the one that does it, he said.

On Thursday he helped his sister pack up items in her house and transport them to three storage units rented in preparation of the flooding. Higgenbotham said one of his concerns was some of the animals still on site. The chicken coop in the back of the residence was on dry ground last night, but was completely surrounded by water Thursday morning. Additionally, a small fawn was stranded on Higgenbothams porch that morning while its mother appeared to be farther away in a nearby field.

Dannielle Binkley said she was able to get her three dogs and two ferrets to safety when water came pouring into her house Thursday morning following the planned breach along Riverlands Way. Her house and others around it are in a natural spillway; the breach was part of an effort to control the release of water along the levee.

Brinkleys house was the first residence on the street to be overtaken by flood waters. She said its the first time water ever penetrated the walls of her home.

I am really stressed out about this because, basically, Im homeless now, she said Thursday.

Her mother, Mary Declue, lives just a couple of houses away on the same street. She was still packing and loading Thursday before water reached her house. While most of her yard was under water, a semi-tractor trailer was on site to haul away everything she could get in it before the conditions worsened.

I cant believe it. Its heartbreaking, she said. Its everybodys home.

Declue, like others nearby, had lived through the 1993 flood and was a little uneasy this time around.

They say its not going to be as bad as 93, she said. But with the way its flowing in, I just dont know.

We got through all the rest of them, Declue said. Well get through this one.
By 2035, seniors are projected to outnumber children in the U.S. population.

Maybe then well look back and credit Washington state activists for being on the forefront of tackling Americas elder care crisis. On May 13, the state became the first in the nation to adopt a social insurance program for long-term care benefits.

This is a huge victory for organizing and people power, for care and caregiving, and for older adults and people with disabilities, said Josephine Kalipeni of Caring Across Generations, one of more than 20 groups that formed Washingtonians for a Responsible Future to push the path-breaking legislation.

Nationally, our long-term care financing system is broken. Medicare doesnt currently cover home care or nursing facility care, while Medicaid coverage varies widely by state. To qualify, you have to meet poverty criteria, which requires people to spend down nearly all of their savings before getting coverage.

So what do people do?

For the richest 1%, theres a growing market for luxury care communities. Vi Living, for example, has 10 facilities across the country that feature 24-hour valets, gourmet meals, indoor pools, and other amenities. At their Palo Alto development in California, entrance fees run as high as $6.5 million.

Most families obviously cant afford that. Even typical out of pocket costs for professional home care, which run about $46,000 a year, are often out of reach. Many people who need care end up relying on family members, primarily women.

In fact, an estimated 60 percent of unpaid caregivers in the United States are women, and they pay much higher economic costs for taking on this role than men. More than a quarter of women caregivers who work are forced to shift to less demanding positions, or else give up their jobs entirely.

Even with support from family and friends, the lack of a strong long-term care system leaves many elderly and disabled Americans suffering a severely reduced quality of life. One survey found that nearly 60% of seniors with seriously compromised mobility werent able to get out of their house. Another 25% said they often remained in bed, while 20 percent went without getting dressed.

The new Washington state program will use a paycheck deduction of 58 cents out of every $100 in income to pay for care in peoples homes or nursing facilities, as well as other services like wheelchair ramps and rides to the doctor. Starting in 2025, eligible participants will receive up to $100 a day, with a lifetime maximum benefit of $36,500.

Caring Across Generations, a national campaign co-chaired by Jobs With Justice and the National Domestic Workers Alliance, had already notched a long-term care victory in Hawaii.

While not an insurance trust like the Washington state model, the Kapuna Caregivers program, launched in 2017, provides subsidies of $70 a day for people who are both taking care of family members and working outside the home at least 30 hours a week. The funds can be used for services for the elderly, including professional home care.

At the national level, senators Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren have all endorsed the Bernie Sanders Medicare for All plan. It includes long-term care coverage and provisions for assistance with daily activities, such as eating, bathing, preparing meals, and housekeeping, whether provided by nursing homes, professional home care workers, or a family caregiver.

Now Caring Across Generations aims to help build campaigns in more states for Washington-style insurance programs, as a way to help build momentum for federal reforms like these.

As Kalipeni put it, One state down, 49 to go.

Sarah Anderson is director of the Institute for Policy Studies Global Economy Project.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Putu Monica Christy (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31, 2019

There is very limited research on teaching sexuality education to young children at home. Especially in Indonesia, debates about the merits of introducing sexuality education to children in schools are still rare.

The International technical guide on sexuality education, published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization a decade ago, states that equipping children and young people with sexuality education will help them learn about sexual abuse and exploitation. This would help prevention and recognize abuse and exploitation when they occur, as well as address them through access to sources of support.

Research by Tulodo that involved 409 households in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, aimed to identify issues, problems and needs of parents with children aged 5 to 9 years old, especially related to sexuality education at the family level.

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.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31, 2019 08:31 944 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873a9390f 1 Editorial #Editorial,economy,finance,Idul-Fitri-2019,remittance,consumption Free

Bank Indonesia (BI) has put banknotes worth Rp 300 trillion (US$20.68 billion) in circulation over the past two weeks specifically to meet the needs of consumers for the Idul Fitri holiday season, which starts next week in the Muslim-majority country.

The Finance Ministry confirmed last week that it had disbursed Rp 20 trillion in holiday bonuses (THR) for Idul Fitri to all government employees, including the military and police. Likewise, private companies have been required to provide THR worth at least one months salary to their employees.

Further, remittances from Indonesian workers, notably from those in the Middle East, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, also peaked last week. BI recorded $10.97 billion in total remittances from Indonesian workers last year, up significantly from $8.8 billion in 2017. But information is not yet available on remittances throughout Indonesia over the past four weeks.

However, referring to the West Java district of Cianjur as an example, remittances nationwide should have been quite huge as well. The Cianjur post office reported over the past week it delivered Rp 5 billion daily to local families, up from the normal average daily of Rp 1 billion. That is just one district, while Indonesian migrant workers hail from hundreds of districts.

The period that spans the start of the Ramadan fasting month on May 6 through the 10-day Idul Fitri collective holiday from May 30 to June 9 is the peak shopping season in this Muslim-majority nation. Most shopping malls, grocery stores and supermarkets typically book nearly 50 percent of their annual sales during this period.

In addition to massive consumer spending during Ramadan, billions of dollars will also be pumped into regional economies during the festivities, notably in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, as tens of millions of urban and migrant workers join other revelers to celebrate the religious feast day with family and relatives in their hometowns.

This development is partly a result of the countrys transformation from a largely agricultural, rural economy into a modern, urban one. It is also a kind of income redistribution to rural areas, where most of the extremely poor people live.

It is no wonder that most people look at Idul Fitri and its massive mudik(homebound exodus) tradition as a reflection of cultural, social and economic dimensions, in addition to its religious and spiritual meaning.

As in past years, the spending spree will generate many good things for the economy, which has been experiencing one of its lowest growth rates as exports slump amid the recession in Europe and the rapid slowdown in China, the worlds second-largest economic locomotive.

The rationale is that consumption effects production, and production effects consumption. Without consumption, there is no production because what is produced would remain unconsumed, but without production there is nothing to consume, either.

The spending spree will certainly help economic growth to offset the anticipated stagnancy in investment, as businesspeople are still waiting for the Constitutional Courts decision in June on who is to be president-elect.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (Reuters) Newbury, England  Fri, May 31, 2019 09:08 944 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873a95562 2 Entertainment downton-abbey,concert,series,film,Britain,Jim-Carter,orchestra Free

Mr Carson, the much-loved butler in hit period drama Downton Abbey, has lived through the tales of love and tragedy that have beset the British household during its six series on television screens.

Now he will recount his memories of serving the Crawley family in a concert next month at the Highclere Castle venue, where the award-winning series set in the early Twentieth Century and its upcoming movie adaptation were filmed.

With the show's composer John Lunn on piano, the Chamber Orchestra of London will perform music from the series in Downton Abbey Live on June 22, some three months before the highly-anticipated Downton Abbey film is released. Actor Jim Carter, who plays Carson, will host the concert in character.

"The (concept) is that Lord Grantham has asked him to reminisce about his time at Downton Abbey," he told Reuters in an interview, referring to the series' patriarch, also known as Robert Crawley.

"So he goes back and we talk about the loves, the lives, the disasters, the tragedies, the fun of the whole six series, which is linked together by the music."

Lady Carnarvon, who owns Highclere Castle with her husband, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, said "perhaps a few others of the cast" could join Carter on the day.

Read also: Crawleys await royal visit in 'Downton Abbey' movie, trailer shows

She said the building and its countryside setting added to the show's appeal: "The sense of reassurance that this building gives us all because you can look back in time, and there's been a home here for thirteen hundred years, so we've got some sense of place and order."

The show, which followed the upstairs and downstairs lives of a sprawling country estate, first aired in 2011 and gained a huge following in Britain and the United States. The movie, which is set in 1927, is scheduled for release in September.

"Filming the film which we finished in November, that was just like going back to the TV series. We all knew each other. As soon as you put your costume on, you're back in character really," Carter said.

"But it was a slightly thinner experience because I don't think for instance the kitchen staff met any of the upstairs staff, or hardly any of them because it was...quicker, it was 10 weeks instead of six months.

"We were filming separately in our own little stories a lot more than we were on the TV program." Little has been revealed about the movie, though a trailer released last week showed the Crawleys preparing for a royal visit to their home.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Marlowe Hood (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France  Fri, May 31, 2019 13:06 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873a9be19 2 Health pregnancy,stress,health,sperm,research,study,fertility Free

Men whose mothers suffered stressful events such as divorce or job loss in early pregnancy are more likely to have fewer and less active sperm, researchers said Thursday.

Among Australian 20-year-olds born of women who experienced at least three such events during the first 18 weeks of foetal growth, sperm count was a third lower and mobility down by 12 percent compared to other men their age, they reported in the journal Human Reproduction.

Testosterone levels were also lower, by about ten percent.

"Maternal exposure to stressful life events during early pregnancy, a vulnerable period for the development organs, may have important life-long adverse effects on men's fertility," concluded senior author Roger Hart, a professor of reproductive medicine at the University of Western Australia.

The link between stress and sperm count disappeared when the challenging events -- the death of a close relative or friend, marital problems, severe money woes -- occurred only during the final trimester of pregnancy.

Mice experiments have suggested that early gestation -- between eight to 14 weeks in humans -- is a critical period for male reproductive development.

The new findings, the authors note, establish a clear link between stress and sperm health, but not necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship.

Other factors that can accompany stress such as drug use and smoking may turn out to play equally or more important roles.

But the rodent experiments bolster the theory that stress leads to reduced testosterone production in foetal testes, said Richard Sharpe, an honorary professor at the Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh not involved in the study.

Read also: Nuts may boost male fertility: Study

Still within 'normal' range

"That would support the view that too much stress in early pregnancy might be detrimental to optimal male reproductive development," he wrote in a comment.

Even the lowest sperm count reported among the men whose mothers had experience repeated stress would not on its own result in infertility, though it might be a contributing factor, the researchers said.

Other factors that impact male fertility included obesity, drinking alcohol, smoking tobacco, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and possibly exposure to chemicals.

To tease out the impact of maternal stress, Hart's team combed through data from an ongoing, multi-generational study in Western Australia that recruited some 3,000 women in their 18th week of pregnancy between 1989 and 1991.

The mothers completed questionnaires at Week 18 and Week 34, answering questions about stressful life events during the previous months.

A total of 1,454 boys born from this cohort were monitored by researchers over the next two decades as they grew up. When then turned 20, 643 had testicular ultrasound exams, and provided both semen and blood samples for analysis.

There is a growing evidence that sperms counts among men of European ancestry have, in general, declined over the last 40 years.

A review study in 2017 covering 43,000 men found that sperm concentration had gone done by nearly 50 percent over that period, while still remaining within the "normal" range established by the World Health Organization.

At the same time, there was no significant decline in South America, Asia, and Africa.

Topics : pregnancy stress health sperm research study fertility
Vancouver, BC, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Though it can be said that classics never age, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver celebrated its 80th Anniversary and the completion of a multi-phase $75 million renovation on May 25th, 2019. In homage to its history, the hotel collaborated with international portrait photographer Dennis Gocer to create a captivating photo exhibition that re-imagines eight decades of its iconic moments with a contemporary lens on traditional storytelling. Captured throughout the property, the scenes convey a timeless fashion story, complemented by diamond jewellery provided exclusively from De Beers Jewellers, including the Mosaic Necklace which boasts 1,314 diamonds and a total carat weight of 145.65 cts.



The exhibition debuted to the public May 24th, and is on display in the hotels lobby through 2019. Guests can experience a memorable moment of their own with the Signature Gold Portrait Package which includes a one-hour black and white portrait session with The Collective You and a two night stay in a luxurious and newly renovated Fairmont Gold Room. Fairmont Gold, a boutique hotel experience within the grand hotel, was designed for the most discerning guest with private check-in, concierge and exclusive lounge that serves complimentary breakfast, canapes and refreshments throughout the day. Reservations are available at 1-866-540-4452. For the over-the-top luxury seeker, the 80th Anniversary Iconic Moments Package features a bespoke professional photo shoot based on the hotels exhibition with Dennis Gocer that includes wardrobe, hair and make-up, a keepsake from De Beers Jewellery, and two nights in the Royal Suite, part of the Fourteenth Floor Heritage Suite Collection for $80,000 CAD. Reservations can be made through hvc.concierge@fairmont.com or at 1-866-540-4452.



Iconic moments that inspired the new photographs include Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger sneaking into the hotels Panorama Roof restaurant in 1940 for a photo opp. And, though the hotel has been frequented by many celebrities, dignitaries and royals over its eight decades, some of the most fascinating stories are about former staff. Theres the craftsman in the 1930s who placed a newspaper and personal essay inside the gargoyle he was carving, and Ethel Ferguson, the housekeeper who hid over 200 pieces of Chippendale furniture around the hotel in the 1960s during a modernization and only came clean after she approved of the new restoration plan more than 15 years later.



We wanted to be able to tell our stories in an innovative way that connects with guests, says Adam Laker, General Manager of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Any heritage hotel can hand over a history brochure and trust that its read, but what weve hopefully done is create scenes that are so intriguing you want to stop and figure out whats going on. We want guests to ask questions like, Why is there a horse in the ballroom? and, Who is this woman and why is the furniture stacked behind her?



Dennis Gocer is an international portrait photographer, born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. Founder and Creative Director of The Collective You, Dennis has created portraits for brands such as Burberry, DeBeers, Tesla, and Omega. His work has been published internationally in Vogue, Wallpaper*, and Vanity Fair.







###





https://www.dropbox.com/home/80%20Years%20of%20Iconic%20Moments%20Photos?d=1





About Fairmont Hotel Vancouver:



Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, known as the Castle in the City, with its chateau-style green-clad copper roof and gargoyles is an architectural landmark in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. A registered heritage property operating since 1939, the hotel symbolizes grandeur and timeless elegance with service and hospitality that has earned it a Forbes Travel Guide Four Star Rating for four consecutive years. In spring 2019, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver complete a five-year multiphase renovation project showcasing a new lobby and restaurant, 507 new guest rooms, the luxurious Fourteenth Floor Heritage Suites and a new Fairmont Gold product featuring 42 renovated guest rooms, private lounge, dedicated concierge team and first-class services.

A bout Fairmont:

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is where occasions are celebrated and history is made. Landmark hotels with unrivalled presence, authentic experiences and unforgettable moments have attracted visitors to Fairmont and its destinations since 1907. The Plaza in New York City, The Savoy in London, Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai are but a few of these iconic luxury hotels, forever linked to the special places where they reside. Famous for its engaging service, grand public spaces, locally inspired cuisine and celebrated bars and lounges, Fairmont promises a special brand of thoughtful luxury that will be remembered long after any visit. With a worldwide portfolio of more than 75 hotels, Fairmont also takes great pride in its deep community roots and leadership in sustainability. Fairmont is part of Accor, a world-leading travel and lifestyle group which invites travelers to feel welcome in almost 4,800 hotels, resorts and residences, along with some 10,000 of the finest private homes around the globe.



fairmont.com | accorhotels.group



Attachment
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Lin Taylor (Reuters) London, United Kingdom  Fri, May 31, 2019 23:06 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873aad353 2 Books Naomi-Wolf,author,Book,united-states,LGBT,Britain,blunder,persecution Free

American author Naomi Wolf downplayed on Thursday several errors in her new book that set out to expose a buried story of gay persecution in 19th century Britain, arguing it was not a "social investigation" but a "cultural analysis of a mood".

Wolf's book Outrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love examined Britain's Victorian laws that sentenced men to death for having sex with other men in a bid to highlight the struggles of the gay community in that era.

The author wrote about men sentenced to death by London's Old Bailey court in the 1850s for sodomy, despite the last recorded hanging for gay sex in Britain being 1835.

But during a radio interview on Britain's BBC, historian and presenter Matthew Sweet challenged the author's premise that dozens of gay men were executed and when this happened.

Sweet said Wolf, during her research, had wrongly interpreted the phrase "death recorded" as meaning that an accused was executed when they were actually spared.

Wolf said she stood by Outrages despite the blunder.

Read also: JK Rowling's gay reveal fails to impress fans

"This is not a social investigation. This is not a demographic investigation. It's a cultural analysis of a mood - just like all my books," Wolf told The Times newspaper.

The author's publishers in Britain and the United States - Virago and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt respectively - said they would correct the books as the "overall thesis" still held.

Wolf, author of bestseller The Beauty Myth, argued on social media that although she got a few details wrong, it did not change the fact that gay men in Britain were executed and oppressed during the Victorian era.

"I misinterpreted one of the cases (and one has no death record). But there are multiple other executions that are confirmed," she wrote on Twitter.

Homosexual acts were decriminalized in England in 1967 and it was not until 2001 that the age of consent for homosexuals was lowered to 16, the same as for heterosexuals.

Britain in 2017 granted posthumous pardons to thousands of gay and bisexual men who were convicted of sexual offences.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Christopher Palmeri and Lucas Shaw (Bloomberg)  Fri, May 31, 2019 11:03 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873a983ec 2 Entertainment Disney,abortion-laws,Georgia,Netflix,WarnerMedia Free

AT&T Inc.s WarnerMedia and Walt Disney Co. are following Netflix Inc.s lead in threatening to leave Georgia if a controversial anti-abortion law takes effect.

WarnerMedia -- owner of HBO, CNN and the Warner Bros. studio -- said on Thursday that it will reconsider Georgia as the home to any new productions if the legislation becomes law. That echoed remarks made by Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger on Wednesday. He told Reuters it would be very difficult to keep film production in the state if abortion ban is upheld.

I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard, he said. Right now we are watching it very carefully.

Netflix Inc. said earlier this week that it would reconsider its entire investment in Georgia, where it has filmed Stranger Things and Ozark, if the law survives legal challenges.

Read also: Netflix could reconsider investment in Georgia over abortion law

We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law, Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said on Tuesday. Should it ever come into effect, wed rethink our entire investment in Georgia.

Georgia has some of the most generous film and TV subsidies in the country, and its become a popular hub for production. Disney shot several of its biggest recent hits there, including Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther. The company declined to elaborate on Igers remarks.

WarnerMedias Turner Broadcasting, meanwhile, is based in Atlanta -- Georgias largest city.

We operate and produce work in many states and within several countries at any given time and while that doesnt mean we agree with every position taken by a state or a country and their leaders, we do respect due process, the company said. As is always the case, we will work closely with our production partners and talent to determine how and where to shoot any given project.

Heartbeat law

The law would ban abortions once the doctor can detect a fetal heartbeat -- typically about six weeks into a pregnancy. It makes an exception to prevent death or serious harm to the woman or in cases of rape or incest where a police report was filed.

In responding to the law, the Motion Picture Association of America has pointed out that similar legislation has been challenged in other states. Its maintaining a wait-and-see approach.

The outcome in Georgia will also be determined through the legal process, the organization said. We will continue to monitor developments.
Balinese woodcarving has evolved during the past century with distinct stylistic developments marked its transition from the traditional genre to the modern and contemporary. Iconic figures Tjokot, Nyana, Tilem and Muja defined the landmark styles that have become the source of inspiration that many have followed.

Although minimalist adaptations to woodcarving began in Bali in the early 1930s with the influence of the Art Deco and Art Nouveau movements, the key pioneers being I Rodja and I Geremboeang from the famous woodcarving village of Mas, it was not until the mid 1950s that Ida Bagus Nyana (1912-1985) also from Mas, introduced minimalist carvings of the human body.

The major progressions that reveal the development of woodcarving are by I Tagelan (1902-1935) who produced an elongated composition of a woman in the mid-1920s from a long piece of wood given to him by Walter Spies who originally requested he produce two statues.

I Tjokot (1886-1971) gained his reputation in the late 1920s for utilizing timbers natural expressive qualities and creating grotesque figures exploiting the dark side of Balinese mythology with his tough carving style.

Nyana experimented with mass, carving human characters shortening some parts of the body and lengthening others, creating plump forms with serene facial expressions. His son Ida Bagus Tilem (1936 -1993) furthered both Nyanas and Tjokot's innovations adopting abstract themes with philosophical or psychological content using distorted pieces of wood endowed with strong expressive powers.

I Ketut Muja (1944-2014) made his initial statement with his interpretations of the Hindu god Hanuman, meticulously and delicately sculpting the monkeys fur. He then went further by carving frightening figures that brought out the soul of the wood along with his own emotions and state of mind.

The lack of attention from museums and galleries toward contemporary woodcarving recently has resulted in the genre being overshadowed by painters and other artists working in new sculptural media.

Encounters, an exhibition of nine works by I Wayan Jana, opens on May 11 at TiTian Art Space in Ubud, revealing the wonderful potential of the medium when inspiration meets remarkable creative ability. The emphasis of Janas works is upon relationships: relationships between people, relationships with mother earth and relationships with our creator.

In Encounter each of Janas compositions are characterized by a meeting of two people and taking the form of fascinating and unusual abstractions of the pairing of two figurative forms. Everything in this world begins with a meeting, states Jana in the exhibition catalog.

Read also: Balinese artists showcase collective spirit

Born in Singapadu, Gianyar in 1969, Jana is the eldest son of I Ketut Muja and from a young age he apprenticed with his father and has been consistently carving ever since. In 1998, he started a new style of sculpture, devoid of the elaborate and extravagant details commonly found in the Balinese Baroque woodcarving tradition.

Spheres and series of protruding spikes, circular swollen shapes, jutting forms and strange appendage-like things, hearts, heads and tails, Janas imagination brings to life creations that are always organic, yet at once otherworldly. Nurtured and delightful outcomes of his inspirational themes that even include the Hindu gods.

"Penyejuk Jiwa" (Soul Oasis), 2019, 41 by 36 by 27 centimeters is arguably Janas most abstract work within Encounters, the artists fourth solo exhibition to date. A reclining form is propped upright by two limbs, and is highlighted by another that is pointing toward the sky. Collectively they appear as a grouping of wings or fans blades that instantly stimulate our imagination.

"Penyejuk Jiwa" is seemingly propelled upward and may be seen ascending within the mind's eye - according to Jana, the composition is inspired by peace and harmony of an adoring couple.

While the gently curving shapes of "Deringan Rindu" (Longing), 2019 and "Gairah Dara" (Virgin Lust), 2019, take the form of elongated vehicles that we may envision traversing the oceans or zooming across the skies, "Sehati" (Soul Mate), 2019 and "Sayang Menyayangi" (Compassion), 2019 take on different proportions. Both appear immediately grounding, and aesthetically calming via the soul of timbers spiraling and flowing grains, and the sculptures' bulbous, full designs.

"Irama Hati" (Heart Rhythm), 2015, dimensions 36 by 9 by 38 cm is the artists oldest work. At a glance it evokes an image of the seated form of the master Balinese dancer Ketut Marya, famously known as Mario, executing the Kebyar duduk, first created and performed in 1925. One delicate raised limb suggests Mario holding a fan, an essential visual element of the dance along with his bodys dynamic rotating rhythm.

Jana further explains in the catalog that his works contain three elements: (1) two spheres that symbolize male (purusa) and female (predana), (2) hearts that symbolize love and (3) teeth and fangs that symbolize good and evil deeds.

In developing these forms I have certainly gone through many creative stages, said Jana, who received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Indonesian Institute of Art (ISI), Denpasar.

After a number of experiments I then found the concept of the meeting that is the origin of life and of all living things on earth.

What motivates me is my search for my own distinct identity and style. This idea is present in the artists who already have their own work identity. Like Tjokot, Nyana, Tilem and Muja. Each style has its own unique characteristics, he stated, and continued. I want to be like my predecessors, with my sculptures having their own individual characteristic, namely the Jana style.

Jana is the first contemporary wood carver that TiTian has honored with a solo exhibition, said the Yayasan TiTian chair of the board of advisors Soemantri Widadgo. He has introduced a new style and a marked departure from anything before him, including his own father. I believe he has the potential to be the next recognized master of Balinese woodcarving.

_______

Encounter continues through June 6

Open daily 9 am  5 pm (except Mondays)

at TiTian Art Space, Jalan Bisma 86, Ubud, Gianyar, Bali

www.titianartspace.com
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Geneva, Switzerland  Sat, June 1, 2019 06:07 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873aae7d2 2 Health WHO,tobacco,smoking,cigarette,health,Philip-Morris Free

The World Health Organization on Wednesday condemned efforts by the world's biggest cigarette vendor to rebrand a day dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco use.

Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Friday, the UN health agency launched a campaign to highlight the devastating impact smoking continues to have on human health and urged countries to step up the fight against the dangerous habit that causes some eight million deaths annually.

But it also voiced concern at attempts by Philip Morris International (PMI) to co-opt international efforts for its own campaign this week promoting new vaping and heated tobacco products as part of the solution to the world's smoking epidemic.

"We regard the PMI campaign as little more than a cynical attempt by the company to promote its deadly products," Vinayak Prasad, head of WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative, told AFP in an email.

PMI, the maker of Marlboro, insisted Tuesday that World No Tobacco Day should be renamed "World No Smoking Day", and it launched its own campaign dubbed "It's Time to Unsmoke".

The company has been working to promote its new so-called "smoke-free" products as far less harmful alternatives to traditional cigarettes, insisting its science shows they release far fewer dangerous toxins than conventional cigarettes.

It maintains that it is the combustion in regular cigarettes that is the main problem, and that other forms of tobacco-use and nicotine consumption are far less harmful, and is striving to convince governments to slap fewer restrictions and taxes on its new products.

But the WHO stressed that there was no independent science backing up PMI's "harm-reduction" claims, flatly rejecting that the new products could be used as a tool to help people quit smoking.

"The claim that these are cessation aids is not substantiated," Prasad said.

Read also: Smartphone app found effective in helping people quit smoking

Tobacco use 'deadly'

Anti-tobacco campaigners also voiced outrage at PMI's campaign this week.

"This is the latest attempt by PMI to insinuate itself into the public health world under false pretenses, and its attempts to co-opt the day are disrespectful to the millions who have and will die from using PMIs products," Michel Legendre of Corporate Accountability said in a statement.

He slammed the company's attempt "to draw some arbitrary distinction between smoking and tobacco, as if smoking is bad for your health but tobacco is not".

"Nicotine is addictive and tobacco use is deadly, period," he insisted.

WHO on Wednesday said it was focusing this year's World No Tobacco Day on the damage smoking causes to lung health, dubbing its campaign "Don't let tobacco take your breath away".

It pointed out that some 3.3 million tobacco users or people exposed to second-hand smoke die each year from lung-related conditions, including 60,000 children under the age of five.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Agus Maryono (The Jakarta Post) Cilacap  Fri, May 31, 2019 14:44 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873a9feda 1 National Nusakambangan,crocodile Free

A big estuarine crocodile has been sighted in Nusakambangan's waters close to Kampung Laut, Cilacap regency, Central Java, in the last few days, giving jitters to residents who claim it is the first sighting in over 15 years.

I myself saw it while lying under mangrove trees on my way back from Kampung Laut to Cilacap," Kampung Laut district head Nurindra Wahyu told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Nurindra said he saw the crocodile for two consecutive days at the same spot while on his way home from his office.

Its relatively big, some 3.5 meters long. It stayed still when our boat was passing by, he said.

He added that the local administration hadn't received a report on a crocodile sighting in over 15 years. The last report was made 15 years ago by a fisherman who caught a small crocodile in the area.

Responding to report, personnel from the Indonesian Navy, Natural Resource Conservation Center and Water Police have begun patrolling the area, aiming to catch the crocodile.

Kampung Laut, a district of 14,000 residents, is located almost in the middle of the sea, separated from Cilacap city on the mainland. It takes two hours to cruise to Kampung Laut from Cilacap by a motorboat.

Kampung Laut is close from Nusakambangan, the renowned high-security prison island in Cilacap regency.

Topics : Nusakambangan crocodile
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31, 2019 14:46 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873aa0507 1 Business Garuda-Indonesia,price-fixing,Australia,court-ruling,Cargo Free

Australias Federal Court has ordered flag carrier Garuda Indonesia to pay 19 million Australian dollars (US$13.13 million) for colluding on fees and surcharges for air freight services, according to a statement issued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The statement says the penalties followed the ACCCs court action against a global air cargo cartel, which has so far resulted in penalties of 132.5 million Australian dollars against 14 airlines, including Air New Zealand, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

The Court found that between 2003 and 2006, Garuda made agreements that fixed the prices of security and fuel surcharges, as well as customs fees from Indonesia. It was ordered to pay 15 million Australian dollars. A further 4 million Australian dollars was fined for the imposition and level of insurance and fuel surcharges from Hong Kong.

According to the statement, the ACCC commenced legal action against 14 international airlines between 2008 and 2010 under the 29174 Trade Practices Act for conduct that occurred between 2002 and 2006.

Meanwhile, Garuda Indonesia VP corporate secretary M. Ikhsan Rosan said the airline denied price fixing and such punishment could not be imposed on Garuda.

He also said the court decision was not binding yet and the airline still had the opportunity to submit an appeal.

He said only Garuda Indonesia and Air New Zealand had challenged the accusation from the beginning, while other airlines sought amicable approaches after admitting guilt and paying fines of between 3 million and 20 million Australian dollars.

He said the fine of 19 million Australian dollars was excessive because when the case occurred the cargo was only valued at US$1.09 million from Indonesia and US$656,000 from Hong Kong. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31, 2019 17:46 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873aa7e04 4 City child-abuse,Depok,West-Java,police,child-protection,child-protection-law Free

Siti Nur Sekha, 26, a suspect in a child abuse case, has claimed that she did not have the intention of dousing her adoptive child with hot water, saying that she was drunk and tired from work when the incident took place.

I never meant to douse [my child] with water. I was sleepy after work and under the influence of alcohol, so I got emotional, Siti said at the Depok Police headquarters on Friday as reported by kompas.com.

Siti, who works at night to support her family, also claimed that her mother often provoked her into hurting her child.

My mother provoked me into hitting [my child]. I got emotional and I hit and doused [the child] with water, but not with boiling hot water, she said, adding that the water was lukewarm.

Depok Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Arya Perdana said early investigation of the case indicated that Siti was aware of her alleged misconduct.

On Sitis claim that she was drunk during the time of the incident, Arya said her blood alcohol level was not checked.

Arya added that Siti allegedly abused her child repeatedly every time she was angry.

Siti was named a suspect of child abuse and could face five years in prison if found guilty of violating the 2014 law on child protection.

Arya said investigators would summon Safran Mangaran, Sitis husband, as according to information from Siti, her husband also often abused their child.

The case surfaced after the child was taken to Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta for burn injuries after allegedly being doused in hot water by Siti on May 24 in the familys house in Cinere, Depok, West Java.

The child, 11 years old, was homeless before being adopted by the couple.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Fri, May 31 2019

Coming home: Passengers disembark from the KM Dorolonda, which docked at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta on Wednesday. The Transportation Ministry predicted the peak of this years Idul Fitri exodus for those traveling by sea to fall on June 1. The peak of the reverse exodus is expected to occur on June 8.(JP/Dhoni Setiawan)

With airfares skyrocketing ahead of Idul Fitri, which will come in less than one week, traveling by car has become the favored mode of transportation among many holiday revelers, particularly those bound for Central or East Java.

A recent survey by the Transportation Ministry found that 14.9 million people living in Greater Jakarta will celebrate Idul Fitri in their hometowns, with 4.3 million of them opting to drive and 4.5 million taking the bus.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31, 2019 20:40 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873aab4a1 4 City jakarta,Jakarta-administration,anies-baswedan,basuki-tjahaja-purnama,Idul-Fitri,Idul-Fitri-2019 Free

In a bid to create a more equal capital for all, the Jakarta administration has decided that it will no longer carry out post-Idul Fitri civil registration raids targeting newcomers to the city.

Starting this year, there will be no more raids. What we will have are civil registration services for those who want to work in Jakarta. We want this to work out well, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said on Thursday evening as reported by wartakota.tribunnews.com.

Plans for the annual raids, dubbed Operasi Yustisi, were scrapped on the grounds that, in practice, the policy only targeted low-income people. Those with a middle to upper-class background were not targeted.

Anies urged residents taking their relatives to Jakarta to remind them to bring their civil registration documents. He also suggested that newcomers register for health insurance under the Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan).

They also need to have skills, experience and the ability to help boost the economy in Jakarta. This would allow them to come to Jakarta and contribute to our economy, he added.

The operation was usually carried out 14 days after Idul Fitri, with officers asking for newcomers ID cards. It is common for residents to bring job-seeking family members with them to the capital after the Idul Fitri holiday.

Basuki BTP Tjahaja Purnama issued a similar policy when he was Jakarta governor.

He said in 2014 that the administration did not prohibit anyone from coming to Jakarta and even welcomed those who wanted to become residents, so long as they filed the necessary paperwork and found housing and a job.
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31, 2019 11:50 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873a99001 1 City Burning,House,bogor,Mother,killing Free

An ill elderly woman in Bogor regency, West Java, has died in her burning house after her son reportedly set it on fire early on Thursday.

Bogor Police have arrested the 44-year-old son, identified only as AH, and named him a suspect in connection to the burning of his house in Cibungbulang, which killed his mother Nyai Titin, 77.

He burned the house down because he was angry that none of his siblings cared about the victims poor health, Bogor Police spokeswoman Adj. Comr. Ita Puspita Lena said.

She said the police initially suspected AH as he was not at the location when the fire occurred.

Nyai Titin was found dead in her bedroom. Meanwhile, AH was not seen at the location, Ita said as quoted by tempo.co on Thursday.

On Thursday morning at around 7 a.m., the police apprehended AH for questioning about the incident.

AH admitted he burned the house down after [police] questioning, Ita said.

The police said AH burned the house down by dousing gasoline in a storage room situated in the rear of the house and igniting it using rod lighters. The fire immediately engulfed the house. (das)

Topics : Burning House bogor Mother killing
CONTACT - Media:



CONTACT - Investor Relations: Amsterdam +31.20.721.4488 Brussels +32.2.620.15.50 +33.1.70.48.24.17 Dublin

Paris +353.1.617.4266

+33.1.70.48.24.45 Lisbon +351.210.600.614

The distribution of the offer document and the making of the offer may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law, including without limitation in Australia and Japan. Accordingly, the offer is not made and does not constitute an offer or solicitation in these jurisdictions, or in any jurisdiction or to any person where the making or acceptance of the offer or solicitation would be in violation of the laws or regulations of such jurisdiction.

EURONEXT DECLARES ITS OFFER FOR OSLO BRS VPS UNCONDITIONAL AND LAUNCHES UNCONDITIONAL OFFER ON THE SAME TERMS

Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, London and Paris  31 May 2019  Euronext, the leading pan-European exchange, announces today that it has completed its confirmatory due diligence on Oslo Brs VPS and declares its offer unconditional. Consequently, the Offer will now be completed and Oslo Brs VPS shareholders who have tendered their shares in the Offer will receive an Offer Price of NOK 158 per share plus applicable interest payments.

The acceptance period of the Offer expires today at 18:00 Central European Time. Settlement of shares tendered under the Offer and agreed to be acquired is expected to occur by 14 June 2019. Euronext will communicate the result of the Offer and its expected total holding of Oslo Brs VPS shares next week.

As previously announced, in order to provide remaining Oslo Brs VPS shareholders an opportunity to tender their shares to Euronext on the same terms, Euronext today launches an unconditional offer at NOK 158 plus a fixed interest payment of NOK 3.21 per share for all issued and outstanding shares in Oslo Brs VPS not already owned by Euronext. This unconditional offer will be open for acceptance until 28 June 2019 at 18:30 Central European Time. Shareholders accepting this unconditional offer on or before 7 June 2019 will receive settlement on 14 June 2019. The unconditional offer document is available to Oslo Brs VPS shareholders on https://www.euronext.com. Shareholders are informed that the Offeror will not be subject to any obligation to make, and does not intend to make, any new offer(s) to Oslo Brs VPS shareholders once this unconditional Offer has been completed.

Defined terms with capital letters herein have the meaning as in Euronexts Offer Document published on 14 January 2019.

Contacts:

Media

Pauline Bucaille: +33 1 70 48 24 45; mediateam@euronext.com

Analysts & investors

Aurelie Cohen: +33 1 70 48 24 17; ir@euronext.com

About Euronext

Euronext is the leading pan-European exchange in the Eurozone, covering Belgium, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal and the UK. With 1,300 listed issuers worth 3.5 trillion in market capitalisation as of end March 2019, Euronext is an unmatched blue chip franchise that has 24 issuers in the Morningstar Eurozone 50 Index and a strong diverse domestic and international client base. Euronext operates regulated and transparent equity and derivatives markets and is the largest centre for debt and funds listings in the world. Its total product offering includes Equities ,FX, Exchange Traded Funds, Warrants & Certificates, Bonds, Derivatives, Commodities and Indices. Euronext also leverages its expertise in running markets by providing technology and managed services to third parties. In addition to its main regulated market, Euronext also operates Euronext GrowthTM and Euronext AccessTM, simplifying access to listing for SMEs.

For the latest news, find us on Twitter (twitter.com/euronext) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/euronext).





IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

The offer is being made to shareholders resident in the United States in reliance on the Tier I exemption pursuant to Rule 14d-1(c) under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). Euronext reserves the right to acquire or agree to acquire shares or rights to shares outside the offer during the acceptance period in accordance with applicable law and regulations and the provisions of the exemption provided under Rule 14e-5(b)(10) under the Exchange Act. Any of the purchases referred to in this paragraph may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices. Information about such purchases will be disclosed as and if required by applicable securities laws.

Disclaimer

This press release is for information purposes only and is not a recommendation to engage in investment activities. This press release is provided as is without representation or warranty of any kind. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content, Euronext does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Euronext will not be held liable for any loss or damages of any nature ensuing from using, trusting or acting on information provided. No information set out or referred to in this publication July be regarded as creating any right or obligation. The creation of rights and obligations in respect of financial products that are traded on the exchanges operated by Euronexts subsidiaries shall depend solely on the applicable rules of the market operator. All proprietary rights and interest in or connected with this publication shall vest in Euronext.

This press release speaks only as of this date. Euronext refers to Euronext N.V. and its affiliates. Information regarding trademarks and intellectual property rights of Euronext is located at www.euronext.com/terms-use.

 2019, Euronext N.V. - All rights reserved.

The Euronext Group processes your personal data in order to provide you with information about Euronext (the "Purpose"). With regard to the processing of these personal data, Euronext will comply with its obligations under the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR), and any applicable national laws, rules and regulations implementing the GDPR as provided in its privacy statement available at: https://www.euronext.com/en/privacy-policy.

In accordance with the applicable legislation you have rights as regard to the processing of your personal data:

for more information on your rights, please refer to: https://www.euronext.com/data_subjects_rights_request_information,

for any request regarding the processing of your data or if you want to unsubscribe to this press release, please use our data subject request form https://connect2.euronext.com/form/data-subjects-rights-request or email our Data Protection Officer at dpo@euronext.com.

Attachment
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31, 2019 12:33 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873a9ac3a 1 National TerroristConvict,remission,NKRI,Pancasila Free

Terror convict Sugiatno, better known as Kang Su, has been denied remission for Idul Fitri after he refused to pledge allegiance to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) and state ideology Pancasila.

The member of the East Indonesia Mujahidin terror group in Poso, Central Sulawesi, was sentenced in 2013 to eight years' imprisonment for killing two Mobile Brigade members. He has served six years of his term, first in the National Polices Mobile Brigade detention center in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java, before he was moved to the class-IIA Metro Penitentiary in Lampung in 2015.

Penitentiary chief Ismono said to be granted remission, Kang Su had to fulfill two requirements, which were to agree to help the government by revealing his terror networks and pledge allegiance to the NKRI.

"He can't fulfill the two requirements," he said on Thursday as quoted by tempo.co.

Ismono said Kang Su had refused to participate in national ceremonies and pay respect to the country's national flag.

Although he had not acknowledged the NKRI, Ismono said Kang Su had made friends with other inmates.

"From what we have observed, he has become more open to fellow inmates," he said.

From the 402 of 572 inmates proposed by the class-IIA Metro Penitentiary for remission, only 327 were granted remission. (ars)

Topics : TerroristConvict remission NKRI Pancasila
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31 2019

Closer ties: Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu greets acting United States Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan prior to their meeting in Jakarta on Thursday. The meeting was held to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries.(JP/Seto Wardhana)

The United States and Indonesia have agreed to improve their defense cooperation, especially in medical rehabilitation and ways to resume ties with the Armys Special Forces Command (Kopassus).

It is my personal request so that Kopassus can resume training with American soldiers, Defense Minister Ryamiard Ryacudu told a joint press conference with acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Michael Shanahan on Thursday.

to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content

e-Post daily digital newspaper

No advertisements, no interruptions

Privileged access to our events and programs

Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31, 2019 12:52 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873a9b3dd 4 Business Vietjet-Air,denpasar,routes,kick-off Free

Vietnamese airline Vietjet Air on Wednesday completed its inaugural flight on the new direct route connecting Ho Chi Minh City and Denpasar, with the Indonesian government saying that the new route was expected to boost tourist arrivals from Vietnam to the country's primary destination of Bali.

Marketing development undersecretary Rizki Handayani of the Tourism Ministry appreciated Vietjet Airs move to open flights to Bali, adding that the move was a mutual cooperation between the low-cost carrier and the Indonesian government.

It will help boost tourist arrivals from Vietnam to Bali, and it will also help transport international tourists from Bali to Ho Chi Minh City, Rizki said as quoted by kontan.co.id.

The VietJet Air aircraft transported 180 passengers on its inaugural flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Denpasar, taking off from Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 8:15 a.m. local time and landing at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on 1:05 p.m. Central Indonesian Time on May 29.

Rizki said that only 75,632 tourists from Vietnam visited Indonesia last year, and that the government had targeted increasing the figure to 100,000 this year, or 32 percent more than in 2018.

Vietjet Air deputy president Do Xuan Quang said he was proud that the airline had opened a new flight route from Ho Chi Minh City to Bali, which was a major tourist destination. He said that the new route helped customers save their money flying between the two cities.

Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Ibnu Hadi said Bali was a favorite destination among Vietnamese tourists, and that 20,847 of the 75,632 Vietnamese who traveled to Indonesia last year had visited Bali. (bbn)
Share this article Whatsapp

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31 2019

The lack of varied and critically minded student movements might have contributed to the growing radicalism in campuses after the fall of Soeharto, experts say.

Campuses have long been recruitment grounds for radical Islamic groups, with the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) noting in 2017 that 39 percent of state university students across 15 provinces in Indonesia had shown an interest in radical teachings.

Radical [Islamic] teachings started entering universities when the Soeharto regime implemented the NKK/BKK policy in the 1980s, by which students were banned from political activities. The vacant political space then made room for radical groups to enter, The Habibie Center research director Mohammad Hasan Ansori said during a discussion on campus radicalism on Thursday.

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 Jessicha Valentina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, May 31, 2019 14:34 943 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873a9f085 1 News Jatim-Park,Jatim-Park-group,Batu,Malang,travel,traveloka,Traveloka-Xperience,destination Free

Online travel agent Traveloka on Tuesday announced a three-year strategic partnership with the Jawa Timur (Jatim) Park Group.

The group manages recreational theme parks in the East Java city of Batu, including Jatim parks 1, 2 and 3, Museum Angkut (transportation museum), the Predator Fun Park and Batu Night Spectacular.

Read also: Batu's Museum Angkut attracts visitors with 'Pennywise' Halloween party

The strategic partnership offers several benefits to customers who purchase Jatim Park tickets via Traveloka Xperience, such as instant confirmation and ticket issuance, use of the Easy Access entry line and special travel packages called "bundling".

Traveloka Xperience product marketing head Terry Santoso said that the instant confirmation and ticket issuance allowed travelers to purchase and obtain tickets to Jatim Park destinations in less than five seconds.

Meanwhile, the Easy Access facility allows visitors to enter theme parks through a special queue.

"They need only to scan the QR code," Terry said Tuesday during a press conference at South Jakarta's Hotel GranDhika Iskandarsyah.

As for the travel "bundling", Traveloka Xperience CEO Christian Suwarna explained that the packages bundled flight tickets, accommodation bookings and other services.

Christian noted that Traveloka and the Jatim Park Group had been collaborating for around a year, and decided to take the collaboration to another level upon realizing that the two companies shared a similar vision.

The strategic partnership aimed to achieve several goals, including turning Batu into a popular destination in the country, focusing on Jatim Park attractions. It also aims to explore other opportunities to offer customers a better holiday experience.

Christian added that Traveloka operated in seven countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Australia, which made it possible to promote Jatim Park destinations overseas.

Jatim Park Group holding company expert staff Ronny Sendjojo said that the group's theme parks welcomed 4 million visitors per year, but only 5 percent of the figure were foreign tourists.

He expressed hope that the strategic partnership would result in a 30 percent increase in visitor numbers.

Director Rio Imam Sendjojo of PT Bunga Wangsa Sedjati, the parent company of the Jatim Park Group, said that the company had installed Indonesian-English signs and provided English-language training to staff at its parks to welcome more foreign visitors. (kes)
11 hours ago

Stocks higher on Wall Street, led by banks and tech

Stocks were slightly higher Wednesday, sending the S&P 500 slightly above the record closing high it set on Monday. With three full trading days left in the year, the S&P 500 is on pace to close up more than 27% for 2021.

Read Article
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- With joint efforts from both sides, Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia will be a great success and push bilateral relations into a new era, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui said Thursday.

At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Xi will pay a state visit to Russia and attend the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum from June 5 to 7.

President Xi and President Putin will comprehensively sum up the experience on the development of bilateral relations in the past 70 years, chart the course for their future development, and upgrade and elevate the ties, Zhang said.

At present, the international situation is witnessing unprecedented changes in a century, and the basic norms governing international relations have been seriously impacted by rising unilateralism. Regional hotspot issues are fermenting, and the common threats and challenges facing human society are on the rise, said Zhang at a press briefing on the visit.

Under current circumstances, China-Russia relations have become increasingly mature, stable and strong, said Zhang, adding that "the political mutual trust between the two countries is solid and the two sides firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns."

According to Zhang, trade between China and Russia hit a record of over 100 billion U.S. dollars last year. Strategic projects in fields of energy, aerospace and interconnectivity have been solidly promoted. Besides, cooperation in emerging fields such as agriculture, finance, science and technology, and e-commerce has developed rapidly.

The cooperation between the two countries has demonstrated strong endogenous driving forces and broad development prospects, Zhang added.

The two sides jointly held the year of bilateral cooperation and exchanges at local levels in 2018 and 2019, with local exchanges continuing to expand and people-to-people and cultural exchanges continuing to heat up, Zhang said.

China and Russia have carried out close and effective coordination in international affairs, firmly upholding an international system with the United Nations as its core and an international order based on the international law, and staunchly safeguarding world peace, stability and international fairness and justice, Zhang said. "The two countries advocate multilateralism and an open world economy, and have played a role as a ballast stone and stabilizer in the changing international situation."

"This is Xi's first state visit to Russia since his re-election as Chinese president, which will be of milestone significance in the development of bilateral relations and will surely promote greater development of bilateral ties under the new situation," Zhang said.

Noting this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties, Zhang said that during his visit, Xi will hold a series of activities with President Putin, jointly attend events such as a gathering celebrating the 70th anniversary of the ties, and sign or witness the signing of some important cooperation documents.

On Xi's attendance of the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Zhang said the Chinese president will deliver a speech at the plenary session of the forum, expounding China's ideas on sustainable development, and working with all parties to advocate multilateralism and improve global governance for the common development and prosperity of the global village.

"This visit will consolidate the political foundation of Sino-Russian relations, reaffirm their mutual support to each other on issues involving respective core and major concerns, and ensure the ties will not be affected by any change in the international situation," said Zhang, adding that the visit will also open up new prospects for pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and help translate the advantages in high-level political relations into more tangible results.

It is believed that with the joint efforts of China and Russia, Xi's visit to Russia will be a complete success, as it will promote bilateral relations to enter a new era and contribute more to the two countries' development, and world peace and stability, Zhang said.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



TORONTO, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Water Ways Technologies Inc. (TSXV: WWT) ("Water Ways" or the "Company") reports today its financial and business results and is pleased to provide highlights and comments on the results for the three months ended March 31, 2019. The Company's financial statements are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS").

Ohad Haber, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Water Ways, commented as follows: "This was a milestone quarter for Water Ways, as we successfully completed listing on the TSX-V." Mr. Haber continued: "Moving forward through the fiscal 2019, we are confident that Water Ways will continue expanding our global footprint in the irrigation and cannabis sectors and gain a presence in the new markets as we became a public company and entered this new chapter of the Company. While our revenue was slightly lower, compared to the same period in 2018, our project and acquisition pipeline continues to grow and we expect to recognize the revenue from the projects sourced in Q1 in subsequent quarters in 2019. Our growing product sales revenue is also an indicator of our expanded footprint in South America (mainly Peru and Colombia), where we continue to see new opportunities. As we move closer to finalizing the deal with the Ontario-based distributor, we also expect to gain a foothold in the North American market, where we endeavour to capitalize on the growth of the legal cannabis sector. We would like to thank all shareholders for their support and look forward to delivering more exciting updates as we continue to roll-out our growth plan."

Financial Highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 20191

The following are financial highlights of Water Ways' operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2019, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2018:

Revenue was C$1.98 million as compared to C$2.59 million. The recognized revenues from service projects amounted to C$307 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2019 as compared to C$1.15 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018. The decrease was mainly due to the shift in revenue recognition of a number of projects from Q1 2019 to the subsequent quarters in 2019. The revenues from sales of products increased to C$1.67 million in Q1 2019 from C$1.44 million in Q1 2018. The increase was mainly due to an increase in revenue to the distributor in Peru. Revenue changes by geographic segments:



Three months ended March 31 2019 2018 Geographic Segments: Africa 0.3% 35.9% South and Central America 66.4% 42.8% Asia 1.5% 0.5% Europe 4.8% 2.8% Israel 26.8% 12.8% Others 0.1% 5.2% Total Revenues 100% 100%

Gross profit of C$246 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2019 as compared to C$575 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2018. The decrease was due to the associated decrease in revenues from service projects over the period.

Operating expenses were C$330 thousand as compared to C$297 thousand.

The Company allocated C$1.95 million that were directly attributable to issuing new shares to equity and to stock market listing.

Total comprehensive loss was C$2.04 million, of which approximately C$1.95 million is attributed to one-time issuance of shares in the financings and public listing that the Company completed in Q1 2019. After adjusting for these one-time costs, the Company has realized total comprehensive loss of approximately C$90 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2019 compared to total comprehensive income of C$183 thousand for the three months ended March 31, 2018.

The following is a summary of key balance sheet items as at March 31, 2019, compared to December 31, 2018:

Cash and cash equivalents were C$2.45 million as compared to C$317 thousand.

Current assets of C$9.60 million as compared to C$7.80 million.

Total assets of C$10.16 million as compared to C$8.36 million.

Current liabilities of C$5.95 million as compared to C$4.47 million.

Non-current liabilities of C$400 thousand as compared to C$376 thousand.

Business Highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019 and Subsequent

Cannabis Sectors: In 2018, Irri-Al-Tal successfully launched the implementation of one cannabis project in Israel, including delivery of the irrigation, fertigation and Internet of Things control system to an Israeli subsidiary of the Cronos Group and a small beta project in Colombia. The Company is currently in the process of submitting bids for similar projects to a number of future licensed producers in Israel, Portugal, Colombia and other countries in South America.

In 2018, Irri-Al-Tal successfully launched the implementation of one cannabis project in Israel, including delivery of the irrigation, fertigation and Internet of Things control system to an Israeli subsidiary of the Cronos Group and a small beta project in Colombia. The Company is currently in the process of submitting bids for similar projects to a number of future licensed producers in Israel, Portugal, Colombia and other countries in South America. Canada: In March 2019, the Company signed an LOI to acquire certain assets of a Canadian distributor of irrigation and agriculture components located near London, Ontario. The distributor was established in 2004 and finished the year ended October 2018 with sales of approximately C$3.74 million. The distributor further updated the Company that unaudited sales for the four months ending February 28, 2019 were $1.56 million, representing a substantial growth over the same period in 2018.



In March 2019, the Company signed an LOI to acquire certain assets of a Canadian distributor of irrigation and agriculture components located near London, Ontario. The distributor was established in 2004 and finished the year ended October 2018 with sales of approximately C$3.74 million. The distributor further updated the Company that unaudited sales for the four months ending February 28, 2019 were $1.56 million, representing a substantial growth over the same period in 2018. China: The Company has reached an understanding with one of its agents to establish an entity in the People's Republic of China to sell and market Israeli irrigation equipment and components to the Chinese market and pursue turnkey irrigation projects. The agent has over 20 years of extensive experience and knowledge of the Chinese market. The Company intends to acquire certain assets of the agent, including his network of subagents, and it is expected that the agent will become the CEO of the new entity. Sales in the past 3 years, for this agent in China, ranged between $3 to $6.5 million. The Company intends to focus its marketing of irrigation equipment for growing vegetables in greenhouses and on irrigation solutions for apple plantations.

The Company has reached an understanding with one of its agents to establish an entity in the People's Republic of China to sell and market Israeli irrigation equipment and components to the Chinese market and pursue turnkey irrigation projects. The agent has over 20 years of extensive experience and knowledge of the Chinese market. The Company intends to acquire certain assets of the agent, including his network of subagents, and it is expected that the agent will become the CEO of the new entity. Sales in the past 3 years, for this agent in China, ranged between $3 to $6.5 million. The Company intends to focus its marketing of irrigation equipment for growing vegetables in greenhouses and on irrigation solutions for apple plantations. Uzbekistan: In January 2019, the Company signed its first irrigation project in Central Asia in Uzbekistan, which has an initial value of approximately C$0.5 million and is expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2019.

In January 2019, the Company signed its first irrigation project in Central Asia in Uzbekistan, which has an initial value of approximately C$0.5 million and is expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2019. Qualifying Transaction: In March 2019, the Company closed the qualifying transaction (press release dated March 7, 2019, December 31, 2018, August 27, 2018 and June 27, 2018) with Irri-Al-Tal Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of Israel, and commenced trading on the TSX-V under the symbol "WWT".

In March 2019, the Company closed the qualifying transaction (press release dated March 7, 2019, December 31, 2018, August 27, 2018 and June 27, 2018) with Irri-Al-Tal Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of Israel, and commenced trading on the TSX-V under the symbol "WWT". Equity Financings: In March 2019, the Company raised aggregate gross proceeds totally C$3.11 million at a price of C$0.25 per unit.

In March 2019, the Company raised aggregate gross proceeds totally C$3.11 million at a price of C$0.25 per unit. Appointment of Market Maker: In May 2019, the Company engaged the services of Lakeshore Securities Inc., a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada ("IIROC") and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund ("CIPF"), to provide services as a market maker for an initial term of three months.

Irri-Al-Tal Financial Results Summary

The following tables set forth consolidated statements of financial information of Irri-Al-Tal Ltd. ("Irri-Al-Tal"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, since the reverse-takeover transaction between Irri-Al-Tal and the Company has occurred during the first quarter ended March 31, 2019.

A comprehensive discussion of Water Ways financial position and results of operations is provided in the Companys Management Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A") for the three months ended March 31, 2019 filed on SEDAR and can be found at www.sedar.com .

(CAD in thousands) Three months ended March 31 2019 2018 Change % Revenues: Services Projects 307 1,153 -73.4% Products 1,674 1,441 16.1% Total Revenues 1,981 2,594 -23.6% Cost of Sales 1,735 2,019 Gross Profit 246 575 Gross Profit Margin % 12.4% 22.2% Operating Expenses 330 297 Issuance Expenses 1,946 Other Income (Loss) (39) (39) Taxes on Income 32 (56) Total Comprehensive Income (Loss) (2,037) 183 Basic and Diluted Profit per Share $ (0.025) $ 0.003 (CAD in thousands) March 31,

2019 December 31,

2018 Change % Balance Sheet Items: Cash and Cash Equivalents 2,450 317 672.1% Total Current Assets 9,598 7,802 23.0% Total Assets 10,159 8,362 21.5% Total Current Liabilities 5,952 4,469 33.2% Total Non-Current Liabilities 400 376 6.4%





(USD in thousands) Three months ended March 31 2019 2018 Change % Revenues: Services Projects 231 913 -74.7% Products 1,259 1,141 10.3% Total Revenues 1,490 2,054 -27.5% Cost of Sales 1,305 1,599 Gross Profit 185 455 Gross Profit Margin % 12.4% 22.2% Operating Expenses 248 235 Issuance Expenses 1,464 Other Income (Loss) (29) (31) Taxes on Income 24 (44) Total Comprehensive Income (Loss) (1,532) 145 Basic and Diluted Profit per Share $ (0.019) $ 0.002 (USD in thousands) March 31,

2019 December 31,

2018 Change % Balance Sheet Items: Cash and Cash Equivalents 1,825 233 683.3% Total Current Assets 7,149 5,728 24.8% Total Assets 7,567 6,139 23.3% Total Current Liabilities 4,433 3,281 35.1% Total Non-Current Liabilities 297 276 8.0%

About Water Ways Technologies

Water Ways is the parent company of Irri-Al-Tal Ltd. ("IAT") which is an Israeli based agriculture technology company that specializes in providing water irrigation solutions to agricultural producers. IAT competes in the global irrigation water systems market with a focus on developing solutions with commercial applications in the micro and precision irrigation segments of the overall market. At present, IAT's main revenue streams are derived from the following business units: (i) Projects Business Unit; and (ii) Component and Equipment Sales Unit. IAT was founded in 2003 by Mr. Ohad Haber with a view of capitalizing on the opportunities presented by micro and smart irrigation, while also making a positive mark on society by making these technologies more widely available, especially in developing markets such as Africa and Latin America. IATs past projects include vineyards, water reservoirs, fish farms, fresh produce cooling rooms and more, in over 15 countries.

For more information, please contact

Ronnie Jaegermann

Director

+972-54-4202054

ronnie@irri-altal.com

https://www.water-ways-technologies.com/

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. The words "may", "would", "could", "should", "potential", "will", "seek", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions as they relate to Water Ways. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect Water Ways' current views and intentions with respect to future events, and current information available to Water Ways, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking information to vary from those described herein should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize. Should any factor affect Water Ways in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, Water Ways does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release and Water Ways undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law. Water Ways' results and forward-looking information and calculations may be affected by fluctuations in exchange rates. All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

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.

1 Israeli New Shekel is Water Ways' functional and reporting currencies. USD and CAD equivalent figures hereto are presented using ILS/USD and ILS/CAD quarterly exchange rates of 2019 of 3.6458 and 2.7426 respectively and of 2018 of 3.4608 and 2.7404 respectively for income statement items, where applicable; and the March 31, 2019 ILS/USD and ILS/CAD exchange rates of 3.632 and 2.7052 respectively, and December 31, 2018 ILS/USD and ILS/CAD exchange rates of 3.748 and 2.7517 respectively for balance sheet items, where applicable.




LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EnviroLeach Technologies Inc. (CSE:ETI, OTC:EVLFF, FSE:7N2), an E-Waste technology company, today announced that CEO and President Duane Nelson will present at the 9th annual LD Micro Invitational on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 at 7:40 AM PDT. Vice President of Corporate Development Todd Beavis and Vice Chairman of the Board Mel Lavitt will also be in attendance.



EnviroLeach is of special interest to both environmental and technology investors, as it is about to launch the worlds first commercial plant designed to extract precious metals and recycle E-Waste in an ecologically-friendly process.

The presentation will be webcast live and will be available for replay at the investor relations section of EnviroLeachs website at www.enviroleach.com . For additional information or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Nelson, please contact your LD Micro representative or MKR Investor Relations at enviroleach@mkr-group.com .

The LD Micro Invitational will take place June 4th and 5th in Los Angeles at the Luxe Sunset Bel Air Hotel, will feature 230 companies, and will be attended by over 1,000 individuals.

View the EnviroLeach profile here: www.ldmicro.com/profile/ETI.CN

Investor Relations Engagement

EnviroLeach is also pleased to announce that it has engaged institutional investor relations specialists MKR Group, Inc. (MKR) to lead its shareholder communications program. MKR will assist in providing a proactive investor relations program with the goal of raising EnviroLeachs exposure within the institutional investment community.

MKR is a recognized leader in building institutional ownership for technology companies, said EnviroLeach CEO Duane Nelson. So, this engagement should be viewed as both a sign of our confidence in the future, and as evidence of our commitment to differentiate ourselves as a true technology company. We look forward to working with MKR to introduce ourselves to their large network of investors.

About EnviroLeach Technologies Inc.

EnviroLeach Technologies is a technology company engaged in the development and commercialization of environmentally-friendly technologies for the recovery of precious metals in the E-Waste and Mining sectors. Using its proprietary non-toxic, water-based, and near neutral pH treatment process, EnviroLeach extracts precious metals from mining ores, concentrates, and E-Waste using only FDA approved additives at ambient temperatures.

Backed by a staff of highly experienced scientists and engineers, and based on years of research, including independent validations and pilot scale test programs, EnviroLeachs technology is poised to become the world standard in eco-friendly extraction of precious metals in both the conventional mining and E-Waste sectors.

Further information is available on the EnviroLeach web site: https://enviroleach.com

About LD Micro

LD Micro was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the microcap space.

What started out as a newsletter highlighting unique companies has transformed into several influential events annually (Invitational, Summit, and Main Event).

In 2015, LDM launched the first pure microcap index (the LDMi) to exclusively provide intraday information on the entire sector. LD will continue to provide valuable tools for the benefit of everyone in the small and micro-cap universe.



For those interested in attending, please contact David Scher at david@ldmicro.com or visit www.ldmicro.com for more information.

Forward Looking Statements

This News Release contains forward-looking information and forward looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. Statements contained herein that are not based on historical or current fact, including without limitation statements containing the words anticipates, believes, may, continues, estimates, expects, and will and words of similar import, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, information with respect to our Research and Development activities, the accuracy of our capital and operating cost estimates; production and processing estimates; the results, the adequacy of EnviroLeachs financial resources and timing of development of ongoing research and development projects, costs and timing of future revenues or profits and adequacy of financial resources. Wherever possible, words such as plans, expects, projects, assumes, budget, strategy, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, anticipates, believes, intends, targets and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative forms of any of these terms and similar expressions, have been used to identify forward-looking statements and information. Statements concerning future revenue or earnings estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking information. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the expectations and opinions of EnviroLeachs management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The CSE has not approved or disapproved of the information contained herein.

Contact Information:

EnviroLeach Technologies Inc.

Todd Beavis

info@EnviroLeach.com
THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.



TORONTO, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amarillo Gold Corporation (Amarillo or the Company) (TSX.V: AGC) (OTCQB: AGCBF) is pleased to announce that further to its news release dated May 15, 2019, the Company has accepted subscriptions and is in the process of closing the first tranche of its previously-announced non-brokered private placement (the Private Placement) through the issuance of 25,424,435 units (Units) at a subscription price of $0.20 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $5,084,887.

The Company is also pleased to announce that it has upsized the Offering to a maximum of 30,000,000 Units for gross proceeds of up to $6,000,000. With several additional orders in process and continued interest in the Private Placement, the Company anticipates closing the second tranche in June 2019.

Each Unit is comprised of one common share (each, a Common Share) and one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a Warrant). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at an exercise price of $0.30 for a period of 24 months following the date of issue, subject to customary adjustment provisions.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Private Placement for advancing the Companys mineral exploration and development projects, and for general corporate purposes.

Certain insiders of the Company are participating in the first tranche of the Private Placement. Such participation represents a related-party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101), but the transaction is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the subject matter of the transaction, nor the consideration paid, exceed 25% of the Companys market capitalization. The Private Placement was approved by all of the independent directors of the Company. Pursuant to the first tranche of the Private Placement, members of the management team of the Company subscribed for Units in an aggregate amount of $1.1 million. Of this amount, $1.0 million worth of Units were subscribed for by Rosedale Transport Limited, a corporation controlled by Amarillos Executive Chairman, Mr. Rowland Uloth.

Prior to the closing of the first tranche of the Private Placement, the Company had 114,455,208 Common Shares issued and outstanding and Mr. Uloth held or controlled, directly or indirectly, 3,822,357 Common Shares, 571,428 warrants from previous financings and 1,200,000 executive stock options. Mr. Uloths holdings of Common Shares therefore represented 3.3% of the basic outstanding Common Shares and potentially represented 4.9% of the outstanding Common Shares if all of his warrants and options were exercised. Following the closing of the first tranche of the Private Placement, the Company will have 139,879,643 Common Shares issued and outstanding and Mr. Uloth will hold or control, directly or indirectly, 8,822,357 Common Shares, 5,000,000 Warrants, 571,428 warrants from previous financings and 1,200,000 executive stock options. Mr. Uloths direct and indirect holdings of Common Shares therefore will represent 6.3% of the basic outstanding Common Shares and potentially represent 10.4% of the outstanding Common Shares if all of his warrants and options are exercised. In accordance with subsection 5.2(1) of National Instrument 62-104, Mr. Uloth will issue a press release and an early warning report regarding his purchase will be filed under the Companys profile on SEDAR. He will also file an insider report on the System for Electronic Disclosure by Insiders, known as SEDI.

Pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws, all securities issued pursuant to the first tranche of the Private Placement are subject to, among other things, a statutory hold period of four months and one day, which will expire on October 1, 2019. The Private Placement remains subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSX-V).

ABOUT AMARILLO

Amarillo is developing an open pit gold resource at its Mara Rosa Project in the mining friendly jurisdiction of Goias State in Brazil. The Mara Rosa Project was awarded its main (LP) permit which provides the social and environment permission to mine. Amarillo is progressing toward obtaining an installation permit (LI). Based on the NI 43-101 Pre-Feasibility Study 2018 (PFS 2018) update filed on SEDAR on September 13, 2018, the Posse Deposit at the Mara Rosa Project contains estimated 513,000 ounces of gold in the Proven category from 9.6 Mt at 1.65 g/t Au, and 574,000 ounces gold in the Probable category from 14.2 Mt at 1.26 g/t Au, for total estimated Reserves of 1,087,000 ounces from 23.8 Mt at 1.42 g/t Au. In addition to the Mara Rosa Project, Amarillo has an advanced exploration project with excellent grades at Lavras do Sul, Brazil. A Mineral Resource Estimate Study (NI 43-101 technical report) for Lavras do Sul was filed on SEDAR on October 4, 2010. The Lavras do Sul Project is an advanced exploration stage property (190 sq. km.) comprising of more than 22 prospects centered on historic gold workings. The initial resource estimate at the Butia prospect reported 215,000 ounces of gold in the Indicated category from 6.4 Mt at 1.05 g/t Au, and 308,000 ounces of gold in the Inferred category from 12.9 Mt at 0.74 g/t Au using a 0.3 g/t cut-off grade. Both projects have excellent nearby infrastructure.

Mike Mutchler, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 guidelines, and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure relating to the scientific and technical disclosures in the About Amarillo section of this news release.

For further information, please contact:

Mike Mutchler

President & CEO

416-294-0736

mike.mutchler@amarillogold.com or Karen Mate

External Communications

416-230-6454

karen.mate@amarillogold.com

32 Richmond St. East Suite 201

Toronto, ON, Canada,

M5C 1P1

Website: www.amarillogold.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This news release contains Forward Looking Statements regarding the Companys current expectations regarding future events, including with respect to the completion of the Private Placement and the Companys business, operations and condition, and managements objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. Various factors may prevent or delay our plans, including but not limited to, the trading price of the common shares of the Company, capital market conditions, counterparty risk, TSXV approval(s), contractor availability and performance, weather, access, mineral and gold prices, and success and failure of the exploration and development carried out at various stages of the program. Permission from the Government and community is also required to proceed with future mining production. Readers should review the Companys ongoing quarterly and annual filings, as well as any other additional documentation comprising the Companys public disclosure record, for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to these forward-looking statements. Readers should also review the risk factors applicable to junior mining exploration companies generally to better understand the variety of risks that can affect the Company. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any Forward Looking Statements whether as a result of new information or future events or otherwise, except as me be required by law.

PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/f351ccaf-bf79-4475-9cb5-47e473bcf9f2
It was all too Shakespearean.

President Trump, accused of a having a temper tantrum when he met privately with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, sought to assure us that the charges were not true.

Standing behind a podium in a room filled with visitors and staff aides, he asked several of his advisers about his temperament during the meeting with the Democratic leadership.

The five advisers were White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders; senior adviser Kellyanne Conway; director of strategic communications Mercedes Schlapp; deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley and National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow.

Starting with Conway, Trump asked: Kellyanne, what was my temperament yesterday?

Very calm. No temper tantrum, Conway said.

You were very calm. You were very direct, said Schlapp, taking the opportunity to expand a bit by adding: You yourself have tried time and time again to negotiate and work with them on issues like border security, which they call a manufactured crisis. Its time for them to wake up and to stop waging this political war.

Sanders backed up Conway and a little of Schlapp, stating, Very calm. Ive seen both. Very calm and straightforward and clear that we have to actually get to work and do good things for the American people. Sanders comment that she has seen both, however, implies that Trump may, at times, have tantrums. That implication may have slipped by Trump.

Kudlow, like Conway, kept it brief: You were very calm. You laid out your case.

Gidley said Trump was calm but had every right not to be. Gidley apparently liked Trumps self-control.

One wonders if the five had read Shakespeares tragedy, King Lear. In the opening of Act One, Lear, preparing to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, poses the following question to them in front of his advisers: Which of you shall we say doth love us most? Goneril, our eldest-born, speak first.

Like Trumps five assistants, the two evil sisters, Goneril and Regan, recognizing his ego and wanting to assure they receive their fair share of the kingdom, tell him no one could love him more.

Cordelia, Lears youngest daughter and his favorite, while she clearly loves Lear, refuses to engage in this public love fest and is banished from his kingdom.

The Earl of Kent, an adviser to Lear (like Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her colleagues to Trump) tells Lear he is making a big mistake and Kent is also banished.

So, its plausible that Trumps five might have read King Lear. But then maybe not. Why? Because flattering Trump does not always assure job security.

About two years ago, Trump asked all sitting around an oblong table for a meeting to say a few words before they start discussing the business of the world.

Reince Priebus, then chief of staff, told the president, We thank you for the opportunity and the blessing to serve your agenda. Despite counting his appointment a blessing, Priebus was banished.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve S.B.A., said Linda McMahon, the administrator of the Small Business Administration. McMahon was banished. She really wasnt very gushy. Sounds like she was hired to clean tables at a fast-food joint. Compare that to some of what Goneril said about Lear, her father:

Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter;

Dearer than eye-sight, space, and liberty;

Beyond all manner of so much I love you.

According to numerous sources, Trump has banished more appointees than any other presidential administration, including 15 at Cabinet-level positions. And that is true whether they expressed that they loved him or not.

And then there is Vice President Mike Pence. Kenneth Adelman, who served in the Reagan administration, perhaps said it best: Id like my wife to look at me just for one day the way Mike Pence looks at President Trump every day theyre together. That would be special.

And Pence, having been elected, cant even be banished. Well, Trump could dump him from the ticket so he obviously has decided to play the Goneril-Regan role rather than take a risk. There is no political plus in playing Cordelia in the Trump administration.

In the process of setting the record straight about his temper tantrum, Trump described himself as an extremely stable genius. Even Lear did not go that far in referring to himself.

If Goneril or Regan had said that, Lear might have suggested they dont overdo it.

King Lear is one of Shakespeares most tragic plays while Trumps antics are comical (and sad) but given whats at stake, it hurts too much to laugh.

Veteran Journalist and Author Berl Falbaums latest book, Recollections and Reflections, may be ordered with an email to sdbooksllc@yahoo.com.
Call for extra B2bn for Phuket light rail project blurs budget figures

PHUKET: Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) Governor Pakapong Sirikantaramas yesterday (May 30) revealed that the Phuket light-rail project needed an extra B2 billion to be brought to completion.

transportconstructioneconomics

By The Phuket News

Friday 31 May 2019, 11:07AM

The budget for the Phuket Light Rail project has jumped again, this time by B2 billlion, but how much the total budget is now required is a mystery. Image: MRTA

The news has now blurred how much money the government intends to throw at the long-awaited project.

MRTA Governor Pakapong also reportedly confirmed that construction of the project would begin next year and that services will begin in 2024 as planned.

According to a report by the Bangkok Post, MRTA Governor Pakapong yesterday said that the Phuket light-rail project required another B2bn baht in funding, following some changes to the original construction plans.

The changes will alleviate the need for tracks in certain areas, adding two to three tunnels and extending the tram route by two to three kilometres, said Mr Pakapong, according to the report. (See here.)

Also, the report yesterday gave the total current budget for the project as B34.8bn, more than B5bn less than last confirmed and reported by senior transport officials.

The Bangkok-based MRTA was handed responsibility for developing Phukets much-touted and decades in coming light rail system due to its experience in handling mass transit systems in the capital.

The legal changes required in order to allow the MRTA to operate projects outside of Bangkok were approved by Cabinet on Sept 11 last year. The news was announced in Phuket in person by the MRTAs Project Development Department Director Gardphajon Udomdhammabhakdi. (See story here.)

Mr Gardphajon at that time gave the total budget for the project as B39.4bn  already B5bn more than the figure given yesterday in announcing MRTA Governor Pakapongs news that a further B2bn was needed to complete the project.

That B39bn budget figure was confirmed nearly a year ago to the day when Wilairat Sirisoponsilp, the Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Transports Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), on June1 last year was in Phuket to publicly call for investors to join the mega-project as Public-Private Partnership (PPP) entities.

The investment needed for the light-rail project totalled a precise B39.406 billion, Ms Wilairat said in making that announcement. (See story here.)

That figure was earlier confirmed in September 2017, when Sirigate Aphirat, a policy and planning officer at the Ministry of Transports Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), announced a B9bn hike in the budget required due to the addition of six tunnels for the light rail trains to pass through. (See story here.)

Worse, in only November last year an announcement issued by the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) reported that the budget required had jumped by B594 million, to a total of B40bn, for reasons unexplained. (See story here.)

That price hike followed Niran Kaetkeaw, Director of the OTPs Regional Bureau of Transportation and Traffic Promotion, on Oct 26 last year publicly announcing that the entire project was tabled with a defined estimated budget of B39.406bn. (See story here.)

Regardless, the report yesterday noted that the adjustments requiring the latest B2bn price hike had been adopted after a meeting between the MRTA and the Department of Highways, in which Deputy Transport Minister Pailin Chuchottaworn called on both parties to resolve their conflicts regarding the use of land along the tram route, MRTA Governor Pakapong said.

The MRTA now expects to finalise its construction plan for the Phuket light rail project as quickly as possible so that the next process of drafting the terms of reference for the projects bidding will then follow, he said.

The entire basis for building a light rail mass-transit system for Phuket has repeatedly come under fire over the years, with many high profile figures questioning the need for such an elaborate, and expensive, project.

Phuket tourism business operator Sombat Atiset of the Katathani Group yesterday also repeated his concerns, noted the Bangkok Post report.

The project will neither benefit the resort island's tourism sector nor ease the traffic congestion there as claimed, he said.

Most commuters in the tourist province use motorcycles while a vast majority of tourists visiting Phuket like to stay in the province's popular Patong area, he added.
Drug price disclosure takes effect

BANGKOK: Starting on Thursday, 353 private hospitals have to display the prices of 3,000 drugs, as well as the fees for medical supplies and services, so that consumers can make better-informed decisions prior to receiving treatments.

healtheconomicsdrugs

By Bangkok Post

Friday 31 May 2019, 10:23AM

Internal trade officials check the prices of medical services at Vibhavadi Hospital in Bangkok. Photo: Bangkok Post / file

There are 30,103 drugs on the Thai Medicine Terminology list. However, private hospitals are now required to display the prices of only 10% of them, mainly those widely used in emergency cases.

The stipulation is part of the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (Ucep) programme, which also requires that hospitals give patients an opportunity to buy drugs from pharmacies outside the hospital system by giving them prescriptions.

According to Whichai Phochanakij, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, and acting Commerce Minister Chutima Bunyapraphasara inked the announcement of the Central Committee on Prices of Goods and Services on Wednesday (May 29).

Mr Whichai said a private hospital must display the price lists of drugs either on its website or via QR codes within 45 days after the effective date. Those who do not comply will be subjected to a fine not more than B10,000 and/or imprisonment not more than one year.

For prescriptions, private hospitals are required to first give them to all emergency patients and to all types of patients at a later stage.

The prescriptions must give both trade and scientific names of the medicines. Failure to comply with the rule results in a five-year jail term and/or a fine of up to B100,000.

According to Mr Whichai, private hospitals must also inform the Internal Trade Department in advance before raising their prices.

The Ucep programme also mandates compulsory emergency health care for up to 72 hours at any hospital in Thailand.

The scheme, which came into effect on April 1, 2017, enables those who require emergency medical care to receive treatment at nearest hospitals for a period of 72 hours for free.

Read original story here.
Bethesda, MD, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN) today announced the recipients of its three New Discoveries Research Young Investigator Awards, supporting the development of outstanding early career research scientists and clinical cancer research investigators who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the understanding and treatment of bladder cancer. Each Young Investigator Award provides a $50,000 grant that supports one year of bladder cancer research.



One of the two New Discoveries Research Young Investigator Awards is presented to Dr. Neelam Mukerjee for her research proposal, Recombinant CCL2 as a Novel Treatment Strategy for Bladder Cancer and the other to Dr. Sarah Psutka, for her research proposal, Quantifying Risk and Resilience Among Patients with Bladder Cancer: A Novel Personalized, Comprehensive Risk Stratification Program. The New Discoveries Research Young Investigator Awards for Patient Centered Clinical Research is presented to Dr. Sumeet Bhanvadia for her research proposal, Understanding the Burden and Impact of Financial Toxicity in Bladder CancerA Mixed Methods Study of 2 Diverse Patient Populations.



These prestigious awards provide critical funding for the next generation of clinicians and researchers who will ease the burden of bladder cancer on patients and their loved ones, said Andrea Maddox-Smith, Chief Executive Officer of BCAN. We are also deeply grateful for the generous contributions of the Palm Beach friends of BCAN.



Dr. Mukerjee, a BCAN John Quale Travel Fellow in 2017, is a post-doctoral fellow at University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and her research is focused on studying how immune cells are recruited into the body environment. Dr. Psutka is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington and her research proposal addresses the need to identify a more objective way for physicians to assess a patients ability to tolerate surgery. Dr. Bhanvadia is Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of Southern California and her study is focused on assessing the extent of financial toxicity experienced by bladder cancer patients across a broad range of race, ethnicity, insurance types and socioeconomic status.



The Bladder Cancer Advocacy Networks (BCANs) mission is to increase public awareness about bladder cancer, advance bladder cancer research and provide educational and support services for the bladder cancer community.





###
King Power wins Suvarnabhumi duty-free contract

BANGKOK: King Power Duty Free Co has won the bid to operate duty-free shops at Suvarnabhumi airport for another 10 years, Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) has announced.

tourismeconomics

By Bangkok Post

Friday 31 May 2019, 05:33PM

The duty free shopping area operated by King Power Duty Free Co at Suvarnabhumi airport. Photo: Walailak Keeratipipatpong / Bangkok Post

AoT Executive Vice-President Wichai Bunyu said of all three contenders, King Power received the top score of 90 in terms of financial returns.

"The promised return is higher than what we've received and exceeds our expectations," he said.

The first runner-up, a group led by Bangkok Airways, got 80 points, he said, adding AoT would submit the bidding result to its board on June 19 for approval.

King Power Duty Free has operated duty-free shops at Suvarnabhumi since its opening in 2006. The contract will end in September next year.

The other contender at the bidding was Royal Orchid Hotel (Thailand) Plc.

King Power Group through King Power Suvarnabhumi Co was also vying for a contract to operate other commercial spaces at Suvarnabhumi and planned to bid for another contract to run duty-free shops at Phuket, Hat Yai and Chiang Mai airports.

Read original story here.
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Plymouth, IN (46563)

Today

Cloudy with snow showers developing after midnight. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 28F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy with snow showers developing after midnight. Some mixed winter precipitation possible. Low 28F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 50%.
Watertown resident looks back on the changes seen in her 105 years
TORONTO, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WeedMD Inc. (TSX-V:WMD) (OTCQX:WDDMF) (FSE:4WE) (WeedMD or the Company), a federally-licensed producer and distributor of medical-grade cannabis, is pleased to announce that it has secured Health Canada approval for 27 acres of low-cost, outdoor cultivation on its Strathroy, Ontario property. The Company will commence planting more than 20,000 clones in early June with plans to harvest in fall 2019, increasing potential production output by an additional 27,000 kgs.



With a combined indoor and outdoor production footprint of over 5.2 million sq. ft. and projected total potential annual output of 150,000 kgs of cannabis by 2020, WeedMD is now positioned to become one of Canadas largest cannabis producers.

Our ability to scale, coupled with our teams proven experience in growing our proprietary genetics outdoors, positions us as a first-mover in the industry, said Keith Merker, CEO of WeedMD. We have put together the most compelling outdoor cultivation plan in the industry and this licence is the final piece of that plan to fall into place.

WeedMD Outdoor Cultivation & Production Strategy

Health Canada licence amendment secured

27-acres of organically-certified soil for newly-licensed Phase I

Construction of fencing, security, irrigation and other required infrastructure is complete within a fully-funded $2 million budget

100 acres of production planned for Phase II in 2020 on the existing property

Municipal approval secured

Outdoor cultivation is directly adjacent to WeedMDs existing licensed greenhouse facility

All infrastructure and human resources exist onsite

Cultivation team has significant local outdoor cannabis cultivation experience

Selected strains proven to excel outdoors in southwestern Ontario

More than 20,000 clones already rooted in organic material and ready to be planted

WeedMD is leading the way by bringing its unique outdoor cultivation plan online in record time, said Derek Pedro, Chief Cannabis Officer of WeedMD. With construction, irrigation and security complete and more than 20,000 live plants propagated, prepped and ready to be planted, we are on track for a successful harvest this fall.

For more information, access WeedMDs investor presentation here and recently updated corporate video here.

About WeedMD Inc.

WeedMD Inc. is the publicly-traded parent company of WeedMD Rx Inc., a federally-licensed producer and distributor of cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets. The Company owns and operates two facilities: a 26,000 sq. ft. facility in Aylmer, Ontario and a 158-acre state-of-the-art greenhouse and outdoor facility located in Strathroy, Ontario. The Company currently has 136,000 square feet of licensed production space across its facilities and is expected to have a total footprint of more than 550,000 square feet of indoor and greenhouse production space online in 2019. In addition, 27 acres of outdoor cultivation has now been approved for cultivation with first harvest expected in the fall of 2019. WeedMD has a multi-channeled distribution strategy that includes selling directly to medical patients, strategic relationships across the seniors market and supply agreements with Shoppers Drug Mart as well as six provincial distribution agencies.

Follow WeedMD On:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weedmd/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/weedmd/?originalSubdomain=fr

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeedMD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weedmd/

For further information, please contact:

WeedMD Inc.

Keith Merker, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: 519-765-2440 Ext. 201

Email: investor@weedmd.com

To learn more, visit us at www.weedmd.com

For Media Inquiries:

Marianella delaBarrera

VP, Communications & Corporate Affairs

Tel: 416-897-6644

Email: marianella@weedmd.com

Forward Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation which are based upon WeedMD's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "likely", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "anticipate", "potential", "proposed", "estimate" and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "would" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy.

The forward-looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and views of future events which management believes to be reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking information includes estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking information in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to internal expectations, expectations with respect to actual production volumes, expectations for future growing capacity and the completion of any capital project or expansions. Forward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the cannabis industry in Canada generally; the ability of WeedMD to implement its business strategies; competition; crop failure; and other risks.

Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, WeedMD does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for WeedMD to predict all such factors. When considering this forward-looking information, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in WeedMD's Annual Information Form dated December 13, 2017 (the "AIF") and other disclosure documents of WeedMD filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . The risk factors and other factors noted in the AIF and other disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information.

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE
Brian May says heart medication almost cost him his life

It's strange, talking about it now, it seems unreal. It feels like it couldn't possibly have happened, it couldn't possibly have been that bad.
Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz accused Iran of threatening global oil supplies and shipping at a meeting of Arab leaders that called on the international community to confront Tehran following attacks on shipping and rising tensions in the oil-rich region.

Leaders of Gulf and Arab states held two emergency summits in Mecca on Thursday to present a united front to Iran. At the end of the meetings, Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit said it was too early to talk of war with Tehran.

What the Iranian regime is doing, from intervening in regional countries affairs and developing its nuclear program, threatening global maritime traffic and global oil supplies, is a blatant violation of the treaties and principles of the United Nations, King Salman said in a speech at the Gulf leaders summit.

Hours later he told Arab leaders at their meeting that the international community should use all means to deter this regime.

Saudi Arabia called the emergency summits following attacks on oil installations in the kingdom and tankers heading toward the Strait of Hormuz, a key choke-point for international shipping. The U.S. has blamed Iran for the attacks on the vessels and dispatched additional forces to the region.

Tensions have spiked in the Gulf since the U.S. tightened sanctions on Irans oil exports in early May, prompting an Iranian threat to walk away from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal the Trump administration abandoned a year ago.

President Donald Trump has made confronting Iran a cornerstone of his foreign policy and is squeezing its economy to force it to roll back its ballistic missile program and support for groups such as Lebanons Hezbollah, which the U.S. deems a terrorist organization.

The White House is counting on Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies to form a united front to contain Iran. Thursdays meetings are meant to be a step toward that.

In their closing statement read out by Aboul Gheit, the leaders demanded that the international community stand with all decisiveness and strength against any Iranian attempt to threaten energy security.

But Aboul Gheit played down talk of war with Iran at a press conference, saying we should not get past ourselves and that the Arab states wanted Iran to stop interfering in regional affairs.

If this happens, then I dont think theres need to use military action against Iran, but lets wait, he said.

Among the officials present was Qatars prime minister, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani, the most senior Qatari official to visit Saudi Arabia since 2017, when the kingdom, along with three Arab allies, imposed an overnight embargo on its tiny neighbour, accusing it of being too close to Iran and supporting militant Islamist groups around the region.

Coming amid rising regional tensions, Thursdays visit is seen as the first concrete step toward ending the rift. But Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Assaf indicated there had been no breakthrough at the end of the summit, telling reporters that the crisis would end once Qatar returns to the right path.

Read more about:
Have we hit peak gin?

A walk through the LCBO, where the shelves are packed with new gins imported from far-away places like Iceland, Japan and Spain, might lead you to believe the gin craze cant get much crazier. A local family of gin-loving adventure-seekers, though, whove just opened a Toronto distillery devoted almost entirely to making gin, would disagree. Theyre betting that the craziness has only just begun and craft gin still has plenty of room to grow.

Meet the Reids. Father Martin, and his three kids, Calvin, Jacqueline and Graham, who have worked together for two years to realize the family dream of opening up Reids Distillery on Logan Ave., in Torontos Studio District. Reids isnt only unique and unusual in that its a family-owned and family-run craft distillery, its also one of the only ones in Ontario that makes gin exclusively. Mom, Julie, is still in the picture, too, even though she and Martin are separated and shes not a business partner.

Why gin? Some of the inspiration stems from Jacquelines experience in the United Kingdom, where she went to study (and, later, work) in 2008right when Scottish and English craft gins started to boom.

It just sort of exploded in terms of really creative options that were out there, says Jacqueline, who left her job in England last year to come work in the family business. I had kept bringing home gins that we couldnt get back here so, when we started talking about opening up a business, we thought of craft beer, but there was already a lot of that here.

The tipping point, adds dad Martin, had also been prompted by a family visit to the United Kingdom to see Jacqueline, during which the foursome spent a week visiting distilleries and checking out London cocktail barsmany of which had a big focus on craft gin. Since Canada seemed to be just starting to warm up to gin, it seemed there was an opportunity to get ahead of the curve and offer up some really creative options. So far, they only have one flagship offering, Reids gin, but more gins will follow. At some point, they may also offer up other spiritsa vodka may appear eventuallybut they want to be known as a gin distillery first and foremost.

Craft distillers tend to offer a wide range of products to mitigate some risks in this challenging business. The Reid family, though, is pretty into risk-taking, given their love of adventure, travel and sports. At one point, when the kids would still have been in junior and/or high school, the family even gave up their land legs and opted to live on a sailboat for two years, travelling through the Caribbean, Latin America and east coast United States and Canada.

Yeah, weve always had a slightly crazy streak, says Jacqueline, My younger brother Graham cycled across Canada visiting different breweries and we all run marathons. I think we all sort of encourage each other to feel empowered to take risks and try things and I think thats part of why we had the ambition to do this. I mean, you have to be a little bit crazy to want to open a business with your family.

So far, though, the craziness is paying off, at least judging by the response theyre getting from the community, who loves the family vibe of this new urban gin-mill, not to mention the punchy flavour of this intense and delicious gin. Even before they opened, neighbours were dropping by to find out what was going on and, when the launch finally happened in mid-May, Reids was swamped. They sold through their first batch of 469 bottles in four days and gave 300 tours of their striking facility (with two German stills named Matt and Maureen, after Martins parents), all of which is visible from their relaxed lounge and cocktail bar areadesigned to feel like the Reid family living room, replete with real family photos.

Its really interesting learning about your space as it opens, says Graham Reid, whos simultaneously manning the cocktail bar and finishing off his Masters in Brewing and Distilling at Herriott-Watt University in Edinburgh. The dog-walkers love us, since were dog-friendly and kid-friendly. On Sunday afternoon, there were, like, three couples enjoying gin and tonics and all of them had little infants. We thought this could be possible, but to see it start to come true is really satisfying.

Everyone will surely want to know, though, will the euphoria last? Can a family, even one that lived on a sailboat together for two years, work together so closely in such a challenging industry and not start to drive each other nuts?

To be honest, were all little bit different and we all have our own niche here which is nice because we give each other space, says Jacqueline. But were also really close in age, and as a family and, I think, when Im working really hard on something, its really great to know that the person standing next to you cares just as much.

Reids Distillery, 32 Logan Ave., (416) 465-4444. Open from 11a.m. to 11p.m. every day.
VANCOUVERYears of heartbreak, delays, controversy and outcry have culminated in a scathing report that calls Canada complicit in the deaths and disappearances of thousands.

An advance copy of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls final report, which will be officially released Monday, blames colonialism and indifferent government for enabling a genocide.

Nearly 2,400 people have participated in the inquiry since it began in 2016. Commissioners travelled the country from coast to coast, hearing stories of pain and loss as they gathered tissues soaked with tears, burning them in sacred fires.

The fact that this National Inquiry is happening now doesnt mean that Indigenous Peoples waited this long to speak up; it means it took this long for Canada to listen, reads part of the introduction.

The final report  titled Reclaiming Power and Place  delves into the definition of genocide and how it applies to the crisis in Canada, saying colonialist structures have enabled the murders and disappearances.

Genocide is the sum of the social practices, assumptions and actions detailed within this report, reads the executive summary. As many witnesses expressed, this country is at war, and Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual) people are under siege.

Read more:

Opinion | Tanya Talaga: Will Canada embrace the change needed to stop the genocide?

Opinion | Tanya Talaga: The inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is ready to report. Is Canada ready to listen?

An RCMP overview, cited by the inquiry in its interim report in 2017, put the number of missing and murdered at 1,200 between 1980 and 2012. However, in 2016, Canadas then minister of the status of women Patty Hajdu referenced the work of advocates who found the total number, going back decades, is closer to 4,000.

Canada has breached seven international conventions and declarations on human rights in its lack of response, the report charges, laying out more than 200 recommendations, characterized as calls for justice.

Among them is a call for an action plan from the federal government to protect people from violence. It also calls on police services to increase recruitment inclusive of diverse Indigenous cultural backgrounds and calls for the creation of a transparent special investigation unit to examine police misconduct and failures to investigate.

Hyper-sexualization of Indigenous women has created a perception that they are always sexually available, says the report, which causes people to dismiss violence against them. Police recruits, it says, should go through a screening process for bias against different cultures as well as people experiencing poverty.

In a response, the office of Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett stressed Ottawa is working to stop the ongoing national tragedy. But Bennetts office would not comment on the details of the leaked report.

The commission will publicly present its findings and recommendations on June 3, and we very much look forward to that, it wrote in an email. Out of respect for the independent National Inquiry and the families, we wont comment on the details of the final report before then.

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls would not comment on the details of the leaked report. It will carry on with its planned release Monday, the commission said in an email.

Vancouvers Lorelei Williams has twice lived through the pain of a missing or murdered loved one.

Her aunt Belinda Williams has been missing since 1978, and her cousin Tanya Holyk disappeared in 1996. Serial killer Robert Pickton was accused of Holyks death, but the charges were stayed in 2010 along with nearly 20 others.

The Indigenous activist said the report offers no closure yet. She hopes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ensures the recommendations in the report are acted on.

The issue of MMIWG is still happening right now and its a huge issue. Im definitely emotional, its overwhelming, its the end of that chapter of the National Inquiry that we were fighting for and weve had some major disappointments, Williams said.

And now its ending, and it hit me the other day: like what is going to come out of this?

The report emphasizes that the suffering of Indigenous people today is the result of an unbroken history of violence, injustice and neglect going back to the earliest days of colonization.

As settlers moved to Canada, they imposed European laws, culture and institutions. Those institutions and governments have consistently lacked the will to enact change, the report states.

In the justice system, the health-care system, child welfare and in other situations, witnesses commonly described an institutional culture that makes women and 2SLGBTQQIA people feel as though the violence theyre experiencing is due to their own personal failings, rather than recognizing that these challenges are a reflection of the ways their own institutions contribute to colonial violence, reads the report.

The report says many Indigenous women blame unresolved trauma as a root cause of chronic health problems. Poor access to medical facilities in remote areas compounds the issue, forcing women to leave their communities to seek treatment.

Relocation for health and wellness services often involves travelling alone and being housed or placed in culturally and physically unsafe environments that fail to provide the supports for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people to be safe while accessing services, it says.

Similarly, women and girls become vulnerable when fleeing domestic violence without support.

These factors create risk and expose Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people to targeting by gangs or human traffickers for exploitation and abuse.

The report also addresses issues with different Indigenous communities.

The lack of Inuit women in decision-making positions, it says, hinders attempts to create policies to protect Inuit women and girls. Inuit are often forced from their communities to seek medical treatment, reside in foster care, enter assisted living or other reasons. This leaves many Inuit without the safety and security of their family and community, according to the report.

With files from Alex Ballingall and Cherise Seucharan

Read more about:
What if you felt your future was literally going up in flames, but the politicians and business leaders in charge werent doing enough to fight it?

Thats the sentiment driving thousands of young people across Canada to rally outside government buildings and corporate centres every week to demand action on climate change, an issue they dont have the option to ignore.

Its called #FridaysForFuture, a global movement started by Swedish teen Greta Thunberg. She sat in front of parliament every school day for three weeks in August 2018 because she felt Sweden needed to do more to tackle climate change. Canada became the third country to hold a rally in solidarity on Nov. 2, 2018.

Within months, students were holding events every week, including several large-scale rallies like the International Climate Strike on May 24, when thousands of youth across the country took to the streets alongside others in 133 countries.

When we started we were less than 100, but since March 15 we are always above 400, says Alienor Rougeot, the 20-year-old University of Toronto student co-ordinating Torontos strikes. On May 3 we were over 2,500 and on May 24 we were probably 800, and we blocked Bay St. for a little bit!

Its all coordinated through a series of Facebook groups and other social media accounts, as well as a global map that shows more than 1,000 upcoming strikes planned in locations around the world as of May 30 (its not always up to date). Torontos is on May 31 is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Yonge-Dundas Square.

As conservative governments and political parties across Canada fight carbon pricing and politicians are accused of dropping the ball on climate change, we asked Rougeot and other young activists whats at stake, and what action they would like to see leaders take.

Alienor Rougeot, 20, Toronto

Striking is a disruption of the normal, the usual way of life. And thats exactly what we need to make people understand, because if we keep living our lives as usual and acting like everything is normal, we will not have much time left on this Earth.

I am striking because our governments, but also the private sector and many individuals, are not taking the climate crisis seriously. I was born under the threat of climate change and while I was always told to listen to science and experts when it came to everything else, it seems that for climate change our whole world still lives in a haze of denial.

I am also striking because I care very deeply about human rights and justice, and climate change is fundamental a symbol of injustice. It was created by a few and will affect disproportionately those who have not contributed to it. It is going to affect marginalized communities, Indigenous people, lower-income families, and people from poorer countries. Climate change is going to lead to more wars, more water shortages, more floods and fires, and that is going to lead to more refugees and death than we are already seeing right now. I just couldnt live with myself knowing these facts and not doing my everything to stop it.

I want a climate emergency declared, which would allow to implement faster and fully the TransformTO plan. I also want bid polluters to be held accountable, which is something the government can do. I want Indigenous Peoples rights and sovereignty recognized officially and enshrined in the law. I want the three levels of government to commit to bold emissions reductions targets, and in doing so, I want them to stop subsidizing fossil fuels and start helping all Canadians transition to a cleaner economy. There are a lot more things to be done so I could keep going forever but if there is one immediate thing I would also enjoy, is that we plant more trees, stop paving green spaces and start protecting wetlands and forests. When well-maintained they can be huge carbon sinks!

Samaa Salama, 17, Ottawa

I am rallying for societal realization and change. No one can deny climate change, but people can choose to ignore the disastrous implications and their ever-accelerating speed of onset. I want them to realize that the power lies in our hands, we the people. When we realize that corporations and governments were never working for the interest of the people, only then will we bring forward change. We dont want to have to explain to the generations after us how we failed them as the generations before us had.

I want people to realize that this is a societal struggle that knows no borders. It doesnt matter your age, gender, religion or ethnic background. This isnt a liberal issue, nor is it an issue only for avid environmentalists. Its a global issue. We need people from all walks of life and all areas of expertise to help us reach our goal.

Finally, I am rallying for the much-needed change in the way our governments run and what their priorities are. Corporations need to be set aside and the future generations and this generation need to become their priority.

We want the government to start off by telling the full truth about climate change and how it is going to change the world as we know it. Spreading misinformation to further a political agenda, supporting corporations that are obviously a lead cause in the destruction of our precious home and blaming the consumer is no longer acceptable. The government also needs to stay committed to the Paris Agreement and must put in some real effort in keeping the global temperature rise under 2 C. Time is of the essence and they must realize that. We need to see direct action, and fast.

Kieran Anand, 16, and Alexia Chambers, 17, Calgary

As non-voters we grew tired of not having our voices heard in a crisis that will determine the scope of our lives and human history.

Were primarily calling for the Canadian government to meet the terms of the Paris agreement that we signed on to and do our part in protecting the future against the threat of climate change. We want our municipal government to take actions such as banning single-use plastics and converting buses to electric. As Calgarians, we fully understand the importance of Albertas oil industry in upholding our economy, however we are calling for reduced use of carbon in energy sources, initially through reducing imported oil, and in the future through the promotion of renewable energy as a primary energy source for Alberta and Canada. We believe an important short-term action would be proper, regulated, unbiased environmental testing and reports on the oil sands.

Stefano Mezzini, 23, Regina

I believe a clean environment, clean water, food security and job security are fundamental human rights that can often only be achieved with a stable climate. Thus, it is our duty to unite and fight for a better world for all people around the globe. The fight for such fundamental human rights must transcend all levels of discrimination, including borders, ethnicity, gender, sex and religion.

This is why I want all governments to make climate action a priority. But I realize it is hard to speak globally for an individual, so I want to focus particularly on the Saskatchewan and Canadian governments. I would like both of them to make climate education a priority for people of all ages, particularly people in school. I would like them to also recognize the sovereignty of the many Indigenous groups in Canada, since they must have the major role in climate action. We should also keep in mind that climate change affects homeless people and poor people disproportionately more than richer and more advantaged people, so they should also have a role.

Finally, I strongly believe that it is wrong to view any of these changes as business plans. These actions must be taken to improve the world for the sake of humans and many other species that inhabit the Earth. No changes that sprout from greed or business objectives will be able to truly help anyone, particularly the least advantaged ones.

Since these issues and their consequences (as well as their solutions) are complex, we should take action as soon as possible, while still considering the rights and history of all people affected, particularly those who were living on Turtle Island (name for North America used by Indigenous rights activists) before the arrival of the colonizers.

Although fast action is definitely necessary, we must still take into consideration all the potential side effects that each action (e.g. renewable energy sources) may have. For instance, wind turbines have been shown to cause high bird and bat fatalities, and any engineering project such as flooding for a hydroelectric dam or solar panel installation should have the full approval of any Indigenous groups that are affected by the project.

Stephanie Vienneau, 18, Mississauga

I am rallying for my future and the future of all the amazing kids around the world. As an 18-year-old it is scary to hear that I will be dealing with the effects of the climate crisis in my late 20s! I really want to travel and do volunteer work in many different countries to help address social issues because that is what I am really passionate about. But because of rising seas levels and increasing temperatures, those countries may be inhabitable. I am also striking for the millions of animals that will go extinct because of humans.

I want to see the government take action towards cutting carbon! The conservatives are choosing to pay polluters instead of tax them. This plan will never be successful and I wish the government would use cap and trade or carbon taxing in Ontario.

I also hope the government will work towards putting in a plan for renewable energies. We will need to cut our carbon by over 50 per cent in order to stop our global temperature from warming. We are a wealthy and diverse country, we can afford to put our resources to stop the rise in global temperature.

Halifax strike committee

Julia Samson, 17

I am striking for climate action because theres nothing else I can do. Our government and governments around the world are not acting on the climate crisis. They are throwing away our futures and the lives of future generations for money. I am not voting age so the only way I can tell them Im not happy with the way theyre treating the climate crisis is by striking. So I will continue to strike until I see climate action.

I want to see our federal government cutting carbon emissions by 50 per cent for 2030 in order to stay in line with the Paris agreement. I want to see them switching to renewables and helping homeowners and small businesses switch to renewable energy by adding more financial aid. I want to see them respecting Indigenous rights, which means not building more pipelines and protecting Indigenous land and water  which means our provincial government needs to stop Alton gas.

I want to see our municipal government banning all single-use plastics by 2020 and switch our transit system to green energy. But most of all I want to see them stick to a climate plan. In the past, our government has made promises related to climate action and not kept them. The Paris agreement is a perfect example. They promised to cut our carbon emissions in order to keep the rise in temperature below 1.5 C. But right now, theyre not on track to keep that promise. I want to see climate action, not just climate plans.

Willa Fisher, 16

I am rallying for the safety of my future and the future of the whole world because I think that humanity deserves another chance to be a wonderful species. I also believe that we as humans have no right to ruin the chances for any other species to thrive.

I would like to see our government implement rigorous environmental plans such as a Green New Deal. I would like to see our government separate oil and state. I am not a scientist so I want the politicians to listen to the scientist who do have the answers.

But most of all I want them to care.

Emma Goulden, 17

I am rallying for climate action and awareness. To educate our community and to make a statement.

I would like Canada to follow a Canadian Green New Deal. I want to see single-use plastics banned, and I want to see Canada treat our climate emergency like an emergency!

Wyn Lumley, 15

I want to do all that I can. I am too young to vote, but striking is a way to express myself and hopefully help induce the big changes that need to happen to slow the climate crisis.

I want our government to listen to the people who are educated, and follow the Green New Deal.

Responses were edited and condensed.

Read more:

Why Toronto has a flooding problem: We are sitting in a city that was built for a climate that no longer exists

I went to a Montreal heat lab to find out what it felt like during that citys deadly heat wave. By the end, they had to help me up

Doug Ford wants to declare the Far North Open for Business. But development will come at at cost

NDP set to unveil $15-billion climate plan that would slash greenhouse gas emissions

Read more about:
OTTAWAThe Liberal government is rolling out several new measures to protect vulnerable migrant workers and immigrants living in Canada.

Starting next week, temporary foreign workers who find themselves in abusive job situations in Canada will be able to apply for open work permits, which will allow them to find other work in Canada.

This is meant to address a number of documented cases across the country of migrant workers facing labour exploitation, human-rights abuses and squalid housing situations.

Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said Friday that no worker should fear losing any chance at employment when they are being mistreated.

Earlier this month, the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change issued a policy document created by a national coalition of advocacy groups calling for open work permits to be granted to all migrant workers in Canada.

Closed work permits that tie workers to a single employer are a modern form of indentured labour, the alliance said, which bars migrant workers from the same rights to labour mobility as other newcomers in Canada. It also ensures only the needs of employers are met, at the expense of the workers rights.

Syed Hussan, co-ordinator of the alliance, said while he is pleased to see the government offering open work permits for migrant workers who are being abused, many questions remain about how this policy will work in practice.

Who defines abuse? Immigration officers are not trained in labour law, so will they be trained? he said.

He also noted this will only apply to a certain segment of migrant workers  not all.

Ultimately, he believes its a step in the right direction, but is calling for greater protections and rights for migrant workers.

The solution must be permanent-resident status on arrival for all workers, not just open work permits for some after they have been abused.

Another new policy, which kicks in July 26, will allow newcomers experiencing family violence to apply for fee-exempt temporary-resident permits that will give them legal immigration status in Canada, which includes work permits and health-care coverage.

Hussen said this is being done to address safety concerns facing some newcomers who fear jeopardizing their immigration status more than they fear abusive spouses or partners.

In addition, the government is speeding up the process for newcomers who are victims of family violence to apply for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

A third initiative will see a new two-year pilot that will allow anyone who failed to declare all family members when they first emigrated to Canada to sponsor those undeclared immediate-family members.

Currently, when a person applies to immigrate to Canada, they are required to declare all of their family members. It they dont, that person cannot sponsor that family member in the future.

The new rules for this pilot come into force Sept. 9.
Pudgin Wanuch knew there was nothing he could do as he watched the out-of-control wildfire consume the only home he'd ever known.

So he parked his truck outside the church in the evacuated northern Alberta settlement of Paddle Prairie, pulled out his guitar, sat on the tailgate and sang.

"I knew exactly where my house was," Wanuch said from a hotel room in Grande Prairie. "I knew my house was gone.

"So I sang some spiritual gospel songs.

"I was praying to God, to give my family and community ... to put more faith in 'em."

Wanuch's home  built by his father and brother, flanked by the homemade hockey rink and baseball backstop he'd put up for his kids  was one of several homes in the Metis community destroyed by fire this week.

Read more:

Evacuees told to head for Edmonton as northern Alberta wildfires burn out of control

Albertans flee their homes as fire crews battle wildfires near High Level, Edson

Kenney cancels carbon tax repeal celebration due to ominous wildfire smoke

Fires have forced more than 10,000 people out of their homes in the northern part of the province, with Trout Lake being the latest of more than a dozen communities to stand empty Friday.

The flames are also affecting oil production. Canadian Natural Resources Limited announced it has evacuated 240 staff from facilities at Pelican Lake and Woodenhouse as a precaution.

"Accordingly, Canadian Natural has completed the safe, temporary shut-in of approximately 65,000 bbl/d (barrels per day) of crude oil production," the company said in a release.

Federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Ottawa has granted Alberta's request for help from the Canadian Forces. The military will help airlift evacuees, transport supplies and provide medical assistance.

The first reports of destruction came from Paddle Prairie, about 70 kilometres south of High Level.

"It's like a burnt piece of toast up there," said Blake Desjarlais of the Metis Settlements General Council.

"The whole land has been scorched  traplines destroyed, waterways destroyed, people's hunting cabins, fishing cabins, livestock assets."

Desjarlais said that although the community itself was safe as of Friday morning, at least 15 houses on the outskirts and two community structures burned. Bison and cattle ranchers had to turn their animals loose.

Wanuch, 52, fled Paddle Prairie early Thursday morning. The previous day, he'd been checking on things in town with a few neighbours.

"We were right up to the fire, getting horses out of corrals, releasing them, let them be free. Nobody was allowed in, so you couldn't get horse trailers. All we could do is try to get the horses in the open fields.

"The fire was creating its own weather pattern. You could hear the fire roaring and the winds were circling and blowing and the clouds, you could see them billowing purple, red, white, black.

"I could see my neighbour's house ignite. It was like hell."

Across Alberta, there were 29 active fires and 10 were considered out-of-control Friday.

The largest wildfire in the province, the Chuckegg Creek fire  the one that claimed Wanuch's home  had grown to 2,600 square kilometres as of Friday. The same fire forced 4,000 High Level residents out of their homes more than a week ago, and they're still waiting to return.

People in Slave Lake, a town of 6,500 that was partially destroyed in a 2011 blaze, were told to be prepared to leave with eight hours notice because of a different fire that the mayor said was burning about 30 kilometres away as of Thursday. That fire had grown to 1,800 square kilometres Friday.

Smoke from the fires enveloped points south in a thick, acrid, haze that limited visibility and made it difficult to breathe. It even drifted into five U.S. states  Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming. Air quality in three Montana cities was rated unhealthy Friday morning.

The Alberta government has warned weather forecasts for the next two weeks suggest fighting the fires could be difficult. Firefighters were in the province from across Canada doing their best to corral the flames.

The province was slightly under the five-year average for number of fires. But the amount of land burned is more than 3.5 times higher.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney acknowledged Friday that climate change plays a role in wildfires. But Kenney, who repealed the province's carbon tax this week, shrugged off criticism that Alberta is doing less to fight climate change.

"They've had a carbon tax in British Columbia for 10 years. It hasn't made a difference to the pattern of forest fires there ... or in Alberta," Kenney said.

"We've always had forest fires, we always will."

Back in his hotel in Grande Prairie, Wanuch couldn't help but reflect on his home, now little more than ash.

"I spent 52 years of my life there. I was born and raised there," he said.

"I laid back and thought of all that had happened in my life. I never thought I'd see that day."

 With files from Ken Trimble in Edmonton, Bill Graveland in Calgary, CKRM and The Associated Press.

Read more about:
SASKATOONThe Saskatchewan government has filed notice that it is taking its challenge of the federal carbon tax to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Justice Minister Don Morgan says the province will ask the high court to rule on whether the tax is constitutional and whether Ottawa has the jurisdiction to impose it.

Saskatchewans Court of Appeal ruled in a split decision earlier this month that the tax is constitutional.

It also said that establishing minimum national standards for a price on greenhouse gas emissions falls under federal jurisdiction.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who has said the tax hurts his province economically, promised there would be an appeal.

Morgan said the province has two months to file a factum to the Supreme Court.

Our government will continue to stand up for Saskatchewan people against what we believe is an unconstitutional tax on their families, communities, and businesses, Morgan said Friday in Saskatoon.

He added that if the Liberals lose the federal election in October, there may be no federal tax left to fight. The Conservatives have promised to scrap the tax.

The Supreme Court could say its moot, its not worth hearing because the government has changed the law, said Morgan. Or they could say, No, this is a matter of import. We want to create a precedent.

A government spokesperson said in an email that the province does not have to ask for a leave to appeal in this case.

The federal tax has been imposed on provinces that have not implemented their own carbon levies: Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Ontario and Manitoba are also fighting the federal tax in court and Alberta has said it will join the legal battle.

Alberta Premier Jason Kenneys government officially killed the provinces carbon tax on Thursday. Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said Ottawas tax would be imposed on the province as soon as possible.

Kenney said Friday that Alberta has not yet received a formal notice from the federal government on its tax.

If and when we receive that, I will instruct our lawyers to proceed with filing a judicial reference to the Alberta Court of Appeal.

Read more about:
NEW YORK, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of The Boeing Company (Boeing or the Company) (NYSE: BA). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980.



The investigation concerns whether Boeing and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining this class action]

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, post-market, the Wall Street Journal published an article, entitled Boeing Withheld Information on 737 Model, According to Safety Experts and Others, citing safety experts involved in the investigation, as well as midlevel [Federal Aviation Administration] officials and reporting that Boeing withheld information about potential hazards associated with a new flight-control feature suspected of playing a role in last month's fatal Lion Air jet crash[.]

Over the 11 days following the publication of the Wall Street Journal article, Boeings stock price fell a total of $44.71 per share, or roughly 12.5%, to close at $312.32 per share on November 23, 2018.

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 $22.65, or over 5%, to close at $399.89.

The following day, Boeings stock price fell an additional $24.60 per share, or 6.15%, closing at $375.41 on March 12, 2019. On March 13, 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 jets to be temporarily grounded in the U.S.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Florida, 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 70 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.pomerantzlawfirm.com .

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
The mother of a pregnant woman whose husband was found guilty of manslaughter asked a court Thursday to justly punish her son-in-law, saying she has spent the last seven years grieving not only for her daughter but also for her unborn grandchild.

Charito (Maria) Darvin told a sentencing hearing that her world caved in when she learned Anna Grandine  who went by her middle name Karissa  drowned in a bathtub in October 2011.

This lawlessness was done first of all against God, against Karissa, their unborn baby and the rest of society, she said. There must be a just punishment for this heinous act, as my daughter cries out for justice from her grave.

In February, a jury found ex-pastor Philip Grandine guilty of manslaughter in the death of his wife, who was found with the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam in her system despite not having a prescription for it.

The Crown alleged Grandine secretly sedated his wife so that he could carry on an affair with a friend of hers, but the defence argued that the woman took the drugs herself.

Darvin said she didnt believe word of her daughters death at first. Once she accepted what had happened, she said she blamed both herself and her son-in-law.

I felt angry at myself. Why was I not there when she died? she recalled thinking. And what of her husband? How did this happen? Where was he when she was having a bath?

She told court she had last spoken to her daughter just hours earlier.

It was one of those usual mother-daughter phone calls, she said. Just before we ended the conversation, I remember her saying I love you mom. How was I to know that this would be the last time I was hearing her voice.

Since then, Darvin said, she has been plagued by deep sorrow and a feeling of emptiness. She told the court she had trouble sleeping, wishing her daughter and unborn grandchild would be there when she woke up.

Anna Grandines father, who lives in the Philippines, said he too had been irreversibly changed by his daughters death.

In his victim impact statement, read out in court by Crown lawyer Donna Kellway, he described the long trip to Toronto to bury his daughter.

I was so grieved and heartbroken on the way there that I became so dizzy and almost passed out, he said.

As his plane was landing for a layover, his blood pressure skyrocketed, court heard. He was hospitalized, but insisted he be released so he could attend Grandines funeral.

It was only later that he learned he had suffered from two strokes that day, court heard.

Her death forever left in me a big, broken heart, he wrote. I cannot accept it up until now. (I am) seriously traumatized and forever worried about the safety of my younger children.

Leaders within the Grandines church community said the case had deeply affected them too.

This has stolen my trust and faith in people, said deacon Robert Steeves. If a pastor can betray you, who can you trust?

Cliff McDowell, another church leader who noted he had known Anna Grandine since she was a child, said her death had left a hole in the community.

We lost a giver, not a taker. Someone who loved life, her family and that child-to-be, he said through tears. Now we must honour the memory of her.

Prosecutors will ask for a sentence of 13 to 15 years in prison based on the belief that Philip Grandine drugged his wife, Kellway said.

The defence, meanwhile, has asked for 18 months to two years based on their assertion that the former pastor simply knew his wife was using the drugs and allowed her to get into the bathtub.

The Crown noted, however, that Philip Grandine had access to lorazepam through his job as a nurse manager at a seniors home, and pointed to searches on the couples computer on how to acquire the drug and what would be considered a fatal dose.

Prosecutors alleged Grandine was behind the searches, noting some occurred at around the same time as searches for escorts and other sex-related topics. The Crown also pointed out that a pregnant woman should not be taking lorazepam, and Anna Grandine was conscientious about the health of her baby.

Justice Faye McWatt will decide on the facts before delivering her sentence.

Philip Grandine had previously been tried for first-degree murder in his wifes death and was found guilty of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but the conviction was overturned on appeal.

Ontarios highest court found the trial judge made an error when answering a question from the jury and ordered a new trial on the manslaughter charge. That meant prosecutors could no longer argue that Grandine meant to kill his wife.
RICHMOND HILL, ONT.A 55-year-old truck driver from Brampton, Ont., has been charged after a crash that killed a cyclist north of Toronto.

York Regional Police say the collision happened on May 6 when the cyclist was hit by a dump truck.

They say the 44-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The truck driver is now charged with one count of dangerous driving causing death.

No other details were provided.

He is due in court in July to face the charge.
A Toronto man was acquitted of gun and drug charges Friday in a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that called out the effects of the disproportionate policing of racialized and low-income communities.

The case focused on Tom Le, who was convicted in 2014 after fleeing Toronto police officers who entered a private backyard to question a group of racialized men who were not suspects in a crime.

According to rulings from his case, the 20-year-old Le had been sitting with friends in the townhouse backyard of another friend at the Atkinson Housing Co-operative in Alexandra Park. Aside from Le, who is Asian, the other four men are Black.

Three police officers in the area that night were looking for two wanted individuals known to be involved in violent crimes. A security guard for the housing complex said one of the wanted men hung around behind the home where Le and his friends were spending time that night.

According to the officers own testimony, the men were simply talking and not doing anything wrong. Even so, the officers entered an opening in the fence surrounding the backyard and began asking the men questions and for ID. The officers didnt recognize any of the men.

When an officer asked Le what was in his bag, he fled and was soon apprehended and found with a loaded gun, crack cocaine and cash.

Le was sentenced to five years in prison, which he has served.

His conviction was upheld in a split decision at the Ontario Court of Appeal, where, in a sharp dissent, Justice Peter Lauwers said he doubted that the police would have brazenly entered a private backyard and demanded to know what its occupants were up to in a more affluent and less racialized community.

Le appealed to the Supreme Court, where, in a 3-2 decision Friday, the majority said they agreed with Lauwers and overturned Les convictions. Writing for the majority, Justices Russell Brown and Sheilah Martin found Les charter right not to be arbitrarily detained was violated the moment the police walked through the fence in his friends backyard.

The two judges, joined by Justice Andromache Karakatsanis, found that the police had engaged in carding  the practice of stopping and questioning individuals who are not suspected of any crime. The practice disproportionately affects racialized individuals and there is little evidence to show the practice is useful in reducing crime, according to a major independent report on the issue released last year by Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch, who recommended it be banned in Ontario.

The impact of the over-policing of racial minorities and the carding of individuals within those communities without any reasonable suspicion of criminal activity is more than an inconvenience. Carding takes a toll on a persons physical and mental health. It impacts their ability to pursue employment and education opportunities, the Supreme Court majority wrote.

Such a practice contributes to the continuing social exclusion of racial minorities, encourages a loss of trust in the fairness of our criminal justice system, and perpetuates criminalization.

The majority referenced a number of studies, including Tullochs report on carding, noting that recommendations from reports that are decades-old continue to be made in more recent studies.

We do not hesitate to find that, even without these most recent reports, we have arrived at a place where the research now shows disproportionate policing of racialized and low-income communities, the majority wrote.

Indeed, it is in this larger social context that the police entry into the backyard and questioning of Mr. Le and his friends must be approached. It was another example of a common and shared experience of racialized young men: being frequently targeted, stopped and subjected to pointed and familiar questions.

The relationship between police and racialized communities must be taken into account by courts when considering whether an objective observer would conclude that someone such as Le was being arbitrarily detained, the majority found.

When three officers entered a small, private backyard, without a warrant, consent, or warning, late at night, to ask questions of five racialized young men in a Toronto housing co-operative, these young men would have felt compelled to remain, answer and comply, the majority said.

Les lawyers, Emily Lam and Samara Secter, said they were grateful for the courts decision.

Were grateful that the court heard us, that they heard the voices of marginalized and racialized communities, all of whom have been saying that they are policed differently, and the court recognizing that their experience has been different, said Lam.

It doesnt matter how rich you are, it also doesnt matter how little you have, you always have the right to be left alone, said Secter. I think this is a push from the Supreme Court to have police recognize that everyones rights deserve respect.

Toronto police spokesperson Allison Sparkes told the Star that the ruling will be reviewed and considered by the Toronto Police Services professional standards unit.

In a stinging dissent, Justice Michael Moldaver, joined by Chief Justice Richard Wagner, castigated the majoritys reasoning and said he would have upheld Les convictions. He agreed police were trespassing, but that it was inadvertent as they were investigating and looking for specific individuals.

Le was only arbitrarily detained once a police officer approached him asking questions, Moldaver found, saying that the arbitrary detention lasted only seconds, and that once Le fled, the situation had now become a lawful detention.

Moldaver found that the arbitrary detention, in this case, was not that serious in terms of conduct infringing the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that would lead to the exclusion of evidence under section 24 (2) of the charter.

It is equally clear that exclusion of the evidence would swiftly and irreparably bring the administration of justice into disrepute. In my view, reasonable and well-informed members of the public would regard a decision in this case to exclude the evidence and exonerate an admitted drug dealer who was prepared to reach for a loaded weapon during a violent struggle with the police as not merely alarming, but intolerable, Moldaver wrote.

Our society  which is what s.24 (2), this court, and the justice system as a whole are each meant to serve  deserves better.
Toronto is making strategic investments in some smart city technologies to find efficiencies and deliver better services to residents, Torontos city manager told a forum exploring ways to use technology and data to improve the lives of citizens.

Chris Murray told the 4th annual smart cities forum, put on by German multinational software firm SAP Friday, that sensors have been placed on the citys fleet of vehicles to track gasoline usage and on the citys water and sewer pipes to track leaks.

Technology (fuel tank sensors) has been applied to all of our vehicles so now I can ask and get in real time how much gas weve used on any given day.

I know (the data) per vehicle and I know how efficient those vehicles are. Theres all kinds of data that comes in instantly, that we can know were not losing money and in fact we can see which vehicles need to be brought in to be fixed, said Murray, a panel member who addressed an audience at the Design Exchange.

Murray went on to say that leaks in the citys water distribution system used to cause major headaches because the city didnt know how much water was being lost, but new sensors now provide data on that.

Sensors at traffic lights are also being used more and more to improve the flow of vehicles and pedestrians on Torontos roads, Murray went on to say.

All that technology isnt futuristic at all. Its all available and the City of Toronto is accessing it, and we are keeping pace, Murray added.

We need to be strategic as an organization in terms of what it is were going to pay attention to and what were going to invest in, so we dont have pockets of excellence in some areas, and others not as effective, Murray said.

In a later interview, Murray explained the city was facing challenges with fuel intended for fleet vehicles not being used for the appropriate purposes  he didnt get into specifics  so the new sensors can measure how much gas relative to mileage is being burned. Those sensor were put in place in the last year or so.

The water distribution sensors are about two or three years old.

He added that the new wheres my snowplow service online that Toronto residents can use to track when their plow is coming, is also based on sensors and GPS technology.

Though not related specifically to smart city technology, another panel member, Marc Gagnon, director of architecture, enterprise and innovation for the entertainment group Cirque du Soleil, told the forum his company is experimenting with data, analytics and video cameras to measure how audience members are responding during live shows.

Were exploring real-time interactive technology to measure (audience) emotions, movement, gestures, Gagnon said, adding the company has launched small pilot projects.

The aim is to improve experiences for audience members.

In a later interview, Gagnon said a camera was used to track how a segment of an audience responded during a Cirque du Soleil show last year in Las Vegas. A sign was posted letting customers know that a video camera would be used during the performance, Gagnon said.

He went on to say the hope is to expand the use of data, and facial recognition technology is being considered for future use by the company.
U.S. President Donald Trump started a ticking clock on Thursday in an attempt to pressure Democrats to quickly approve the revised NAFTA, filing an official notice that gives him the right to submit the agreement to Congress after 30 days.

Trumps move came shortly after Vice-President Mike Pence told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa that the new agreement would be passed this year, even this summer. Both developments signalled the administrations growing impatience with its negotiations with the Democrats who control the U.S. House of Representatives.

Until Thursday, Trumps trade chief, Robert Lighthizer, had negotiated with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi without imposing any particular time pressure. But some of Trumps other senior advisers had urged the president to cut off the talks, submit the agreement to Congress and simply demand that Pelosi approve it even if it does not include the changes her party has sought.

The original NAFTA will stay in effect while the negotiations play out. The revised version, which Trump calls the USMCA, will only come into being if the legislatures of the U.S., Canada and Mexico all vote to ratify. Businesses around the continent are pushing for a quick ratification, saying their planning is hindered by political uncertainty.

Trump can still wait much longer than 30 days before he actually submits the agreement to Congress, and Lighthizer said in a letter to Pelosi that the official notice, known as a draft Statement of Administrative Action, does not limit our ability to find solutions to address concerns raised by her caucus. Trumps move, though, appeared intended to suggest to Pelosi that the White House is not willing to negotiate forever.

Pelosi has options of her own. If Trump tries to dump the agreement on her against her wishes, she can have her party vote to suspend Congresss so-called fast-track rule, postponing the final vote indefinitely.

Pelosi suspended the fast-track rule in 2008 when then-president George W. Bush sent her a Colombia trade deal without her blessing.

Pelosi said Thursday that Trumps move was not a positive step. She said her party was already on a path to yes while working productively with Lighthizer on issues related to labour rights, the environment and sophisticated pharmaceuticals.

It indicates a lack of knowledge on the part of the administration on the policy and process to pass a trade agreement, she said.

The up-and-down relationship between Trump and Pelosi has soured again over the past week. After Pelosi accused him of perpetrating a coverup, Trump claimed she had suffered a mental decline that made her unable to even understand the trade agreement.

Further complicating North American trade matters, Trump said Thursday he planned to impose a 5 per cent tariff on all imported goods from Mexico beginning June 10. He said the tax would gradually increase until Mexico stopped the flow of unauthorized immigrants across the border.

Trump announced on his Twitter feed late Thursday that the tariffs would be in place until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP.

In a presidential statement that followed Trumps tweet, he said tariffs would be raised to 10 per cent on July 1 if the crisis persists, and then by another 5 per cent each month for three months.

Pence met Thursday with Trudeau, key cabinet ministers, and the governments cross-partisan NAFTA advisory group. He said his trip was intended not only to reassure Canada of Trumps determination to see the agreement passed but to send a signal to Democratic leaders that the time for Congress to act is now.

Pence said Canadians should know that Trudeau drove a hard bargain in negotiations.

The Trudeau government tabled legislation this week to begin Ottawas own ratification process but is being careful to proceed at a similar pace to the U.S., mindful that the Democrats could press the Trump administration to make modifications that Canada would have no leverage or input into.

With files from Bruce Campion-Smith, Tonda MacCharles and the New York Times

Read more about:
Former NASA scientist Serkan Golge was suddenly released from prison in Turkey this week after spending nearly three years behind bars on terrorism charges  an arrest stemming in part from his possession of a single dollar bill.

The State Department, which has long described the terrorism accusations against Golge as unjust and unsupported, confirmed his unexpected release Wednesday hours after a phone call between President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The 39-year-old physicist, a dual Turkish and American citizen, had been arrested in the summer of 2016 while visiting family in Turkey, swept up in a massive dragnet by Turkish authorities in the aftermath of the failed coup seeking to overthrow Erdogan.

Golge was one of more than 110,000 people, including at least nine American citizens and several U.S. Consulate employees, detained during the crackdown by the Turkish government on suspicion of participating in the failed coup attempt in July 2016, according to the U.S. Helsinki Commission, an independent federal body focused on regional security and human rights overseas. He was convicted on what the commission described as apparent false terrorism charges without due process and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison in February 2018, a sentence that was later reduced to five years.

White House and State Department officials have so far not provided any detail about what led to his release. Trump thanked Erdogan while speaking to reporters on the White House lawn Thursday, saying he hoped Golge would be able to return home soon. Golge, however, told NBC News that the conditions of his probation wont allow him to leave Turkey for now.

Read more:

Trump thanks Turkey for release of US scientist

Turkish-American NASA scientist released from Turkish prison

My family and I, we havent been happy for a very long time. But after my release, at least I can now say that theres a light at the end of the tunnel, he said Thursday.

Turkish authorities detained Golge on the morning of July 23, 2016, just as he was leaving his familys home for the airport to return to Houston, where he worked at NASAs Johnson Space Center. Based on a tip, the Turkish officers claimed that Golge was connected to the organization that Erdogan blamed for the coup attempt, describing the Gulen movement as a terrorist group, according to the commission.

After police searched the home two separate times, they finally emerged with a single U.S. dollar bill  the evidence authorities seized to claim that Golge was connected to the failed coup and the Gulen movement. The groups leader, Fethullah Gulen, lived in Pennsylvania.

One day youre a NASA scientists wife, the next youre an accused terrorists wife, Golges wife, Kubra, told the Houston Press in a 2017 interview. Its insane.

Erdogan accused Gulen, his former ally, of staging the coup attempt within hours of the violent insurrection on July 15, 2016. Gulen  an Islamic scholar who supported Western ideas and had established numerous schools in Turkey, the United States and elsewhere  denied involvement from the beginning and disputed Erdogans assertion that his supporters were part of a terrorist organization.

Turkish officials believed Gulen gave blessed American dollar bills to his followers, and believed that Turks in possession of the U.S. currency could be connected to Gulen, according to the commission. Throughout Turkey, the commission reported, the dollars were presented at national security trials as proof of terrorism in the cases of countless Turkish nationals and others, suspected of participating in the coup.

At Golges trial, it was no different.

Along with the dollar bill, Turkish authorities claimed that Golges U.S. passport and his college degree at a Gulen-affiliated university in Turkey proved that he was a Gulenist, despite attending the school on a government scholarship, according to the commission. The Houston Press also reported that his NASA ID card was also used against him as evidence.

The tip, the commission said, came from one of Golges relatives who had a dispute with him over a family inheritance: The relative claimed Golge worked as a spy for the CIA.

In fact, Golge worked at Johnson Space Center, where he researched the effects of solar radiation on astronauts in space. He lived in a southwest Houston suburb with his wife and two young children, and had moved to the United States in the early 2000s to study physics at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Both he and his wife, Kubra, became naturalized U.S. citizens in 2010, according to the Press.

Golges detention and that of the other American citizens, including pastor Andrew Brunson, strained the relationship between the United States and Turkey as the State Department worked to secure their release.

Like Golge, Brunson was also accused of aiding terrorism and being connected to Gulen. Amid tense negotiations for his release last year, Trump imposed economic sanctions on Turkey last August, doubling U.S. tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum. The financial blow came after Erdogan apparently reneged on a deal to free Brunson, as both presidents accused the other of bad faith. Trump eventually lifted the sanctions following Brunsons release in October.

Trump invited Brunson to the White House that month as his evangelical base celebrated the pastors freedom after two years wrongfully imprisoned. But so far Golges release has been less high-profile.

State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus announced Golges release at a press briefing Wednesday, saying, We will continue to provide all appropriate consular services to Mr. Golge, including making sure he can return home as soon as possible. But she said she could not share any further details.

Trump said Thursday that he and Erdogan dealt with Golges release, and that it was great. But he did not name Golge throughout his brief comments.

They released this prisoner, hostage  whatever you want to call him, Trump said. Hes at home custody, in Turkey. Hell be released fairly soon, so thats good news.

A White House spokesman confirmed Trump was referring to Golge, but did not answer questions related to Trumps phone call with Erdogan or the terms of Golges release, referring questions to the State Department. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday.

Its unclear how long Golge must remain on probation in Turkey, where his wife and children live, or if U.S. officials can negotiate a swifter return. He told NBC News he must check in with local police three times per week.

The only thing I want right now is to be able to go back to the United States and start working at NASA again as a scientist,, he said.

Read more about:
BUCHAREST, ROMANIADays after European elections emboldened nationalists in the heart of Europe, Pope Francis arrived on Friday in Romania, on the Catholic and European periphery, to appeal for unity and assert himself as the global conscience on the dangers of populism.

In his three-day trip to the former communist country, now a staunchly pro-European member state, the pope will try to heal an ancient schism between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

But he reminded the Continent of its common values and lent support to Romanian emigrants and a Roma ethnic minority that, in some countries, has again become a target of right-wing vitriol.

To move forward together, as a way of shaping the future, requires a noble willingness to sacrifice something of ones own vision or best interest for the sake of a greater project, Francis said in the first papal visit to Romania since John Paul II came here 20 years ago. Addressing the countrys leaders, he added that co-operation makes it possible to advance securely toward shared goals.

In recent years populists have surged from the margins to bring down or weaken the popes pro-European allies, most recently in France and his own Italian backyard.

On Friday, Romania seemed more welcoming to his message. Around the historic centre, images of the smiling pope hung over cobblestone streets dotted with Orthodox churches and outdoor cafes. In a compact blue Dacia, he rode past the spot where dictator Nicolae Ceausescu gave his final speech from a balcony now adorned in a blue banner proudly noting that Romania, which joined the European Union in 2007, holds the blocs rotating presidency.

Marching bands greeted the pope at Cotroceni Palace. But the popes meeting with government officials on a cloudy afternoon comes at a tense period for Romania.

On Monday, Liviu Dragnea, the leader of the governing center-left Social Democrats and the most powerful politician in the country, was sentenced to more than three years in prison for abuse of office.

And over the weekend, the party suffered a steep drop in support in European Parliament elections after years of engaging in what Brussels considered backsliding in its fight against corruption.

On Friday, the pope addressed those challenges, but also the domestic conditions that have compelled millions of Romanians to leave the country in order to seek new opportunities for employment and a dignified existence.

While congratulating Romania on the enormous strides it had made since its liberation 30 years ago, he encouraged its leaders to strengthen its institutions to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the citizenry.

After addressing the political leaders, Francis, who ended the day celebrating a Catholic Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, shifted his focus to church politics.

In a room at the patriarchal palace, lined on opposite sides with Catholic and Orthodox clerics, Francis and the Patriarch Daniel, the leader of the Romanian Orthodox church, sat in matching white robes.

Francis urged his brother not to dwell on the churchs past conflicts, urging him to instead have a memory of roots that he called sound and sure even if their growth has undergone the twists and turns of time.

He said the two churches needed to help one another beat back the tide of secularism and a growing sense of fear that, often skilfully stoked, leads to attitudes of rejection and hate.

The two leaders then took turns saying the Lords Prayer in their own languages in a new Romanian Orthodox cathedral.

Similar to Bulgaria, which the pope visited this month to a chilly reception, Romania is overwhelmingly Orthodox. In 1999, it became the first predominantly Orthodox country visited by a pope  John Paul II  since the schism of 1054.

Some Romanian Catholics, who compose around 5 per cent of the population, have noticed a colder shoulder in the dozen or so years since Patriarch Daniel was chosen to lead the church.

The distance between the two churches has grown since 2008, said Mihai Fratila, the Greek Catholic bishop of Bucharest. Its a shame because there are mixed families that have no problem sharing their Christian faiths.

Deacon Ionut Mavrichi, a Romanian Orthodox Church spokesman, said that his churchs leaders considered the relationship to be very good. He said the Romanian Orthodox Church was able to help its flock in the vast Romanian diaspora because we are being received especially by the Catholic Church, and are able to serve the liturgy in Catholic buildings.

Beyond the relations between the churches, the Rev. Francisc Dobos, a spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest, said he hoped the visit would inspire tolerance across a Europe increasingly marked by the fear of the other.

Romania has not seen the rise of hard-right populists whose aggressive language against migrants has alarmed the pope.

On Monday  the day after Marine Le Pens far-right party in France dealt a major setback to President Emmanuel Macron and Italys Matteo Salvini shattered the competition in the European vote  Francis worried that fear of migrants was making us intolerant, closed and perhaps even  without realizing it  racist.

(STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.)

The Bible teaching that the last shall be first, Francis said, reminded him most of migrants. That night, on Italian television, Salvini was asked if he didnt see a certain dissonance in campaigning with rosary beads while using the Italians First language that seemed opposed to the popes message.

The last shall come first, Salvini said. Among the Italians.

It is not only migrants for whom Francis has expressed concern.

Salvini, Italys interior minister, has proposed a census of Italys Roma population to expel those without citizenship and has livestreamed the bulldozing of some of their encampments.

Critics have recalled that Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator Salvini sometimes echoes, destroyed nomad camps and called the Roma subhuman. He ultimately sent at least a half-million Roma to die alongside Jews in Nazi death camps.

In Bucharest, in a quiet square near urbane coffee shops, the citys Holocaust memorial notes that 25,000 Roma were deported alongside hundreds of thousands of Jews throughout Romanian occupied territory. An estimated 11,000 Roma were killed.

In May, after neo-fascists in Rome violently protested Roma families who had been given spots in Italian public housing, Francis invited 500 Roma to meet him at the Vatican. He told them that despite the governments attitude, they were not second-class citizens.

On Sunday, the pope will travel to Blaj, in Transylvania, where he will meet representatives of the Roma community, a clear effort to amplify his concern for their plight.

A message, particularly from the pope, on the Roma community of Blaj, or anywhere, it doesnt matter, will be very helpful for us, said Damian Draghici, a renowned Roma musician who became a counsellor to the Romanian government on Roma affairs and was later elected to the European Parliament.

On the eve of the popes arrival in Bucharest, Draghici walked around a Roma community on the outskirts of Bucharest. As dogs barked and traditional Roma music emanated from behind wooden walls, he greeted families living in warrens of tiny rooms padded with mattresses, amid hallways cluttered with stacked pots, plastic tubs of water for laundry and worn soccer balls. Plywood and exposed wires hung from the ceiling.

Some residents knew the pope was coming, and were happy.

Draghici said Francis served as a counterweight to Europes populists, including Salvini and Le Pen, whom he used to debate in the European Parliament. He said he came to regret engaging with them on the plight of his people, so he stopped.

Its better for them because it gets them more attention, he said, adding that they brought up the Roma situation only when they were trying to attract votes. For the populists, he said, you cant go wrong with the Roma.
KINSHASA, Congo - Tens of thousands of mourners, some of whom camped outside overnight, gathered on Friday to finally say farewell to Etienne Tshisekedi, the Congolese opposition icon whose son was declared president earlier this year.

The stadium ceremony came more than two years after the elder Tshisekedi died abroad at age 84. His rift with then-president Joseph Kabila was so entrenched that his remains were not allowed to return after his death in Belgium of a pulmonary embolism in 2017.

After Kabila gave way to pressure for a new presidential election in January, Tshisekedis son Felix was declared the winner. He vowed that his fathers remains would come home to Congo, where he was the face of the political opposition for decades.

I havent slept in two days. I will only sleep once they have buried him, said Lisette Kapinga, 32, who was among the crowd gathered at Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa where many wore dresses made of fabric with Tshisekedis image.

In life, Etienne Tshisekedi was at times put under house arrest, his supporters jailed and beaten.

But after the seismic shift in Congos political climate, he is being given a farewell befitting a senior statesman, with some African presidents in attendance including Rwandas Paul Kagame.

Kabilas FCC coalition released a statement Friday acknowledging the role Tshisekedi had played over the years.

Etienne Tshisekedi was undoubtedly one of the major political actors of our country  a hyperactive fighter, but also a man of dialogue, it said.

A seven-hour procession to downtown Kinshasa followed the arrival of his casket Thursday night at Kinshasas airport.

Pallbearers wearing ties representing the Congolese flag carried the casket into the stadium on Friday. The flat cap that Tshisekedi always wore was placed atop the casket.

Jannot Nlandu, a 28-year-old student, said Fridays outpouring showed just how popular Tshisekedi was even though he never got the chance to serve as president.

Even in death he can draw huge crowds Nlandu said. He is the king of Kinshasa.

___

Associated Press writer Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa
BLANTYRE, Malawi - The Malawi opposition leader who placed a close second in the presidential election said Friday he has petitioned the High Court to nullify the results, calling them daylight robbery.

Lazarus Chakwera spoke to reporters as President Peter Mutharika in his inaugural speech urged the southern African nation to move on. The 78-year-old won a second term with 38% of the vote to Chakweras 35% in the May 21 election.

Chakwera called on Malawians to protest, alleging election irregularities. The court earlier in the week threw out an injunction he obtained to briefly stop the electoral commission from releasing final voting results. He had sought a recount in 10 of the countrys 28 districts but the commission said they had been checked at several stages.

Mutharika in his speech said whether you voted for us or not, I am still your president and that violence would only destroy the country. He has rejected accusations of corruption and the comment by Chakwera that his ruling Democratic Progressive Party government is a mafia state.

Both the ruling party and Chakweras Malawi Congress Party since election results were announced have accused each other of retaliation against party supporters.

Let us be agents of peace, Mutharika said in what was seen as a direct appeal to Chakwera, who is also a preacher.

Third-place candidate Saulos Chilima, the former deputy to Mutharika who broke away months ago, also has petitioned to have election results nullified.

___

Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa
BUENOS AIRES, ArgentinaAgents of Argentinas dictatorship on Aug. 20, 1976 dynamited the bodies of 30 people who had been detained as dissidents in a blast that spread their remains over a wide radius.

The grisly details about the explosion that tore apart the bodies of 10 women and 20 men executed in the Argentine city of Pilar were found in a recently declassified Central Intelligence Agency report posted Thursday by the independent National Security Archive.

Thousands were tortured, killed and forcibly disappeared in a government-sponsored crackdown on leftist dissidents during Argentinas 1976-1983 dirty war. The report says the 1976 blast was meant to send a bloody message to other alleged militants to cease their activities five months after the military coup.

Sources told the CIA the leader of Argentinas military junta, Gen. Rafael Videla, was annoyed that the bodies were left so prominently displayed. Videla wanted them dead, it said. He was just annoyed that it was done so blatantly.

The documents are a small selection of The Argentina Declassification Project, the largest government-to-government declassification effort in U.S. history authorized by President Barack Obama. The project was completed with a final transfer last month. The records describe in detail brutal methods used by Argentinas military.

We continue to receive numerous highly credible reports that torture is used routinely in the interrogation of detainees, then-U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights Patricia Derian told the Secretary of State in a 1979 summary.

The electric picana, something like a supercharged cattle prod, is still apparently a favourite tool, as is the submarine treatment (immersion of the head in a tub of water, urine, excrement, blood, or a combination of these), Derian said in her report. There is no longer any doubt that Argentina has the worst human rights record in South America.

Human rights groups estimate about 30,000 people were killed or forcibly disappeared during Argentinas dictatorship. Some were pregnant women who were disappeared right after giving birth in clandestine torture centres. The baby thefts set Argentinas dictatorship apart from all the other juntas that ruled at the time in South America.

Women were also the target of sexual violence. Others were tortured with live rats or had not been exposed to the sun for so long that their skin colour is greenish, Derian reported.

The narratives by US intelligence agencies on what I call the military killing machine, throw shivers through your back, Carlos Osorio, who directs the National Security Archives Southern Cone Documentation Project, told The Associated Press.

There are precise details by the CIA on how the machine worked and was organized, he said. The documents we have identified shed light in the case of dozens of victims, the units the perpetrators belonged to and the circumstances of the crimes committed by the junta.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

TORONTO, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Further to Element Fleet Management Corp.s (Element or the Corporation) (TSX: EFN, EFN.PR.C) news release dated May 22, 2019, Element announced today the applicable dividend rates for its Cumulative 5-Year Rate Reset Preferred Shares, Series C (the Series C shares) and Cumulative Floating Rate Preferred Shares, Series D (the Series D shares).

With respect to any Series C shares that remain outstanding after June 30, 2019, holders thereof shall be entitled to receive, and the Corporation shall pay thereon, if, as and when declared by the directors of the Corporation, fixed, cumulative, preferential cash dividends payable quarterly. The dividend rate applicable to the Series C shares for the period from and including June 30, 2019 up to, but excluding, June 30, 2024, will be 6.210% per annum, being equal to the sum of the 5-year Government of Canada bond yield determined as of today plus 4.81%, in accordance with the terms of the Series C shares.

With respect to any Series D shares that may be issued on June 30, 2019, holders thereof shall be entitled to receive, and the Corporation shall pay thereon, if, as and when declared by the directors of the Corporation, floating rate, cumulative, preferential cash dividends payable quarterly. The dividend rate applicable to the Series D shares for the period from and including June 30, 2019 up to, but excluding, September 30, 2019, will be 6.476% per annum, being equal to the sum of the 3-month Government of Canada Treasury Bill yield determined as of today plus 4.81%, calculated on the basis of the actual number of days in such quarterly period divided by 365, in accordance with the terms of the Series D shares.

Beneficial owners of Series C shares who wish to exercise their Conversion Privilege should communicate with their broker or other nominee to ensure their instructions are followed so that the registered holder of the Series C shares can meet the deadline to exercise the Conversion Privilege. Such deadline is 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on June 17, 2019, as further described in the Corporations news release dated May 22, 2019 and in the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions attaching to the Series C shares, as provided in Article 6 of the Corporations restated articles of incorporation dated October 4, 2016.

About Element Fleet Management

Element Fleet Management Corp. (TSX: EFN) is a leading global fleet management company, providing world-class services and financing for commercial vehicle fleets. The Corporation enjoys scale and leadership in key markets, a top-tier client base, strong cash flow and ready access to capital, and an investment-grade balance sheet. Element's suite of services spans the total fleet lifecycle  from acquisition and financing to program management and remarketing  helping clients optimize performance and improve productivity. For more information, visit www.elementfleet.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements regarding Element and its business. Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events of Elements management. In some cases the forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as may, will, expect, plan, anticipate, intend, potential, estimate, improve, believe or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements, including, among others, statements regarding the payment of dividends on the Series C shares and the Series D shares. 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 statements will not occur. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this press release may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Element, including risks regarding the fleet management and finance industries, economic factors, risks related to the completion of the purchase of new portfolios or technologies or the addition of new clients, risks related to the payment of dividends, risks relating to business integration and many other factors beyond the control of Element. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and Element cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. While Element believes the material factors, expectations and assumptions reflected in the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that these factors, expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct. A discussion of the material risks applicable to Element can be found in Element's current MD&A, and Annual Information Form, which have been be filed on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedar.com. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Element disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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 unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

For further information, please contact:

Michael Barrett

Vice President, Investor Relations

(416) 646-5698

mbarrett@elementcorp.com
RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday accused the countrys Supreme Court of legislating from the bench after a majority of its justices voted to make homophobia a crime like racism.

Bolsonaro, who has in the past acknowledged that he is a homophobe, was speaking at a national convention of the evangelical Assemblies of God Madureira churches. Conservative church groups have been leading resistance to LGBT rights measures and contributed to his victory in the last presidential election.

Earlier this month, a majority of the top courts justices ruled that homophobia should be framed within the racism law until congress approves specific legislation. They argued the ruling was to address an omission that had left the LGBT community legally unprotected.

The final decision is due on June 5 after the remaining judges who have not yet voted make their decisions, but the result will not be modified.

In 2018, 420 LGBT people were killed across Brazil, according to the non-profit Grupo Gay da Bahia.

During his 27 years in Congress and then campaigning for president, Bolsonaro, a former army captain, has repeatedly made offensive comments about gays, blacks, other minority groups and women.

He once said in an interview he would rather have a dead son than a gay son.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras - Masked men set fire to a pile of tires placed at the front door of the U.S. Embassy in the Honduran capital on Friday amid three weeks of street protests.

At least a half-dozen burning tires sent up a large plume of dark smoke at the embassy before Honduran soldiers moved in with fire extinguishers.

Thousands of teachers and medical workers have been protesting against recent presidential decrees that they fear could lead to massive layoffs in schools and hospitals.

On Thursday, at least 25 people were injured when police broke up a protest march; many of them suffered the effects of tear gas.

Protest leader Suyapa Figueroa, who also heads the countrys health workers association, blamed the Friday fire on infiltrators from this countrys dictatorial government.

While a local television station had filmed footage of the men setting the fire, it wasnt clear who they were, nor why they werent stopped by guards outside the embassy. A store was also attacked by masked looters.

The incident occurred a day after the U.S. Embassy urged protesters to avoid violence in the protests.
CULIACAN, Mexico - Tomato exporter Sergio Esquer Peiro spent much of Friday in hastily called meetings with other stunned growers, trying to evaluate the potential fallout of U.S. President Donald Trumps threat to slap coercive tariffs on all imports from Mexico.

The sudden announcement caught observers on both sides of the border by surprise and prompted President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to dispatch his top diplomat to Washington for talks seeking to head off the proposed tariffs.

Obrador said Mexico wont panic over the threatened hike, but economists and those whose livelihoods depend on the trade relationship worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year worry that stiff duties could have dramatic, negative consequences and potentially spark a trade war between the neighbouring countries.

Already, Esquer and other exporters were having to contend with a 17.56% tariff on tomatoes imposed after Washington announced in March it was ending a longstanding agreement over alleged Mexican dumping of the fruit. If the new duties do take effect, Esquer is looking at another 5% being slapped on his products  potentially increasing to 25% in subsequent months  unless Mexico does more to stop illegal migration through its territory by a June 10 deadline per Trumps demand.

Right now more than anything there is a reaction of disbelief with everything that is going on, Esquer, whos been sending tomatoes and other crops to the United States for 60 years, told The Associated Press by phone during a break in the meetings.

It also goes against the spirit there is between both countries, the agreements we have, the bilateral trade we have, which is very successful, Esquer continued. On the other hand, well have to wait for the reaction of U.S. exporters to Mexico, because they are also going to see their exports threatened if Mexico launches some kind of mirror policy.

From berries and automobiles to machinery and household appliances, all of Mexicos exports stand to be hit with the tariffs. Avocado growers in Michoacan, electronics factory workers in Tamaulipas, across the border from Texas, auto parts exporters, all would feel the pinch.

Esquer, who does business from the tomato-growing northwestern state of Sinaloa, said its not just businessmen who stand to lose, since Mexicos estimated 700 tomato exporters are responsible for directly generating some 450,000 jobs. According to Mexicos Agriculture Department, last year some $2 billion in tomatoes were exported to the United States, second only to tequila and ahead of avocados.

The threat also throws into question the future of the USMCA trade deal between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, hammered out in months of contentious negotiations as a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, one of the Trump administrations most touted achievements.

Trumps threat came the same day Mexico announced it would begin the process of ratifying the USMCA and less than two weeks after it successfully negotiated the lifting of U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs that had been a roadblock to final approval for the trade deal.

It would really have a terrible impact on our producers and our exporters, said Kenneth Smith Ramos, who led then-President Enrique Pena Nietos delegation to USMCA talks and is now an international trade consultant at Mexico City-based AGON.

And it would hurt U.S. producers as well because they rely a lot on Mexican inputs for their production, he added. So it would reduce their competitiveness and force them to raise prices, which would ultimately of course hit consumers.

That means people like Chuck Sholtis, CEO of El Paso, Texas-based Plastic Molding Technology Inc., which employs 100 people. Most of its business involves plastic injection moulding for automotive, electronics and business products for maquiladoras, factories in Mexico that are run by foreign companies. Sholtis said his company has already suffered from U.S. steel tariffs on China that increased the costs of their tools, and its also been hit by slowdowns at ports of entry

Sholtis said the United States has found a niche in high-tech specialized manufacturing thats part of a global supply chain. He fears that if more tariffs like this are implemented, or if the USMCA doesnt take effect, the United States will lose its edge in manufacturing. Hes also worried about possible recession in Mexico and the United States.

Its illogical, Sholtis said, Tariffs go against one of the stated goals of the administration: to help manufacturing and thereby create high-skilled manufacturing jobs.

The economic impact for Mexico was swift, with the peso down more than 3% against the U.S. dollar Friday. U.S. stocks likewise tumbled on Wall Street.

Initial macroeconomic projections from economists were also chilling.

Analyst Alfredo Coutino of Moodys Analytics said Mexican exports to the U.S. totalled $358 billion last year, or 80% of all goods the country sold overseas. Over the course of a year, he said, a 5% tariff would represent about $18 billion in damage or 1.5% of Mexicos GDP, while a 25% tariff would amount to $90 billion or 7.3% of GDP.

Banco Base estimated that a 5% tariff could knock 2.85 percentage points off growth of Mexicos exports, but said a weaker peso would help compensate.

Such tariffs would likely push Mexico into a recession, as well as disrupt regional supply chains and hurt investor confidence, Oxford Economics economist Gregory Daco wrote in a report.

Coutino said Mexico could impose retaliatory penalties, sparking a tariff war.

A second, less aggressive but potentially more effective option would be to allow the peso to depreciate to the point where the tariffs would be neutralized, he added.

Via Twitter, Trump argued that Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done.

Mexico already has implemented policies and actions to discourage irregular migration.

Last month, it raided the latest caravan of mostly Central American migrants travelling through the southern state of Chiapas, arresting hundreds and effectively breaking it up. There have been no significant caravans since then, with many migrants saying they now fear to travel in large groups.

Mexico also has deported thousands of migrants and frustrated thousands more with seemingly endless waits for permits that would allow them to travel legally through the country.

But sealing its porous southern border with Guatemala is probably impossible because Mexico lacks sufficient infrastructure to completely patrol a frontier that includes a river passing through dense jungle.

We are carrying out our responsibility in immigration policy, Lopez Obrador said Friday morning, while making no promises of new action to stem the flow of mostly Central American immigrants transiting Mexico to reach the U.S. border.

We have to help so that they dont enter the United States illegally, but we also have to do it respecting human rights, said Lopez Obrador. Nothing authoritarian. Theyre human beings.

Lopez Obrador espouses a longer-term, holistic approach focused on improving security, development and economic opportunity in the migrants countries of origin, especially Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

For now Lopez Obrador is betting on diplomacy and dialogue.

Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard announced talks would take place next Wednesday in Washington with him and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo leading their respective nations delegations.

There is a disposition for dialogue, Ebrard tweeted. We will be firm and we will defend the dignity of Mexico.

In Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, 21-year-old Jennifer del Carmen Perez Hernandez, said she moved there three years ago because she couldnt find work in her home state of Veracruz, on the Gulf coast.

Perez said when she first arrived she was told that if Trump were elected, staff cuts might be possible. Shes kept her job operates an upholstery machine specialized for cars so far, but the tariff threat gives her new cause for concern.

Ive worked in sewing the three years that Ive been in Juarez. Its what I know, Perez said. If there are cuts and I have to find work elsewhere, I would start at zero.

___

Associated Press writers Christopher Sherman and Peter Orsi reported from Mexico City, and Cedar Attanasio contributed from Ciudad Juarez.
BAJO CHIQUITO, Panama - At first they appeared only as weary silhouettes emerging from the dense foliage on the other side of the Tuquesa River.

Three women, one leaning on a stick for support, and two others carrying their few belongings on their heads accompanied by a 2-year-old boy. Two men, one carrying a machete, arrived soon after to ford the waters to safety in this village, the first populated place on the Panamanian side of the unforgiving Darien Gap.

After trekking for days from Colombia, migrants arriving at Bajo Chiquito, feel relief. Its a place to rest, seek sustenance, let loved ones know theyre OK and recover their strength. But theyre not out of the woods yet, figuratively or literally  ahead lies one last trek to safety by boat or by foot, and each option entails its own deadly risks for a sudden and unexpected surge of thousands of migrants traversing Darien, where authorities have almost no presence and armed men prey upon travellers.

The most perilous way forward to the next village, Penitas, is overland, hugging the Tuquesa and the Chucunaque rivers. Alexis Bello Vargas, a 25-year-old who recently made that trek with his wife, and 12 other Cubans can attest to that.

They had already been robbed in the heart of Darien and, like many who attempt the last stretch on foot, had no money to pay the $25 river voyage. Just 15 minutes after setting out from Bajo Chiquito they were set upon by two men with hunting rifles who ordered them to stop and hand over their belongings.

We kept on walking  we had nothing because we had already been robbed  and they shot us, Bello Vargas said. We had to give them our backpacks, and they left.

One bullet passed through the leg of a woman who was part of the group, before lodging itself in Bellos knee. Fellow migrants helped him the rest of the six-hour journey to Penitas, where workers applied a bandage to immobilize his foot and help reduce swelling in the knee. Sitting on a folding chair and clad in shorts, a tank top and a single flip-flop, he told The Associated Press he didnt know whether he would have surgery to extract the projectile.

The alleged attackers were detained, but the alarming incident illustrates the lawlessness of the Darien and migrants vulnerability to robbery, sexual assault, illness and the extreme elements. More than 7,300 migrants had made the crossing this year through mid-April, according to figures from border police, on pace to be the most since a previous surge in 2015-2016. Authorities did not respond to a request for updated numbers.

Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said last week that at least 4,000 migrants were in Bajo Chiquito, Penitas and in western Panama near Costa Rica, the next stop on the road to the United States. Varela acknowledged the difficulty of dealing with the migrant surge, which has left authorities scrambling to impose order.

Simply closing the border with Colombia would be difficult and wasnt an option, Varela said: That would put the lives of these people in jeopardy.

During a recent visit by AP, about 1,000 migrants mostly from Haiti, Cuba and African or South Asian nations were in Bajo Chiquito, home to some 300 inhabitants from the Embera indigenous group. The migrants slept in the wood-siding and zinc-roofed homes of the locals, paying $3 a day for the privilege, in tents or on mats spread out under a shed-like structure.

Sitting on the ground, they sipped morning tea and hunched over bowls of a milky gruel. On a wood plank wall, many who passed through had scrawled their names and places of origin: Kamal Hossain Bangladesh. Kamaldeeb  INDIA. Around nightfall a local antenna caught a signal that let migrants  at least those who werent relieved of their cellphones along the way  chat with loved ones back home.

I spoke with my relatives, who are worried, said Alioska Pena, a 32-year-old from Matanzas on Cubas northern coast who arrived May 23 with her husband and 9-year-old daughter. They asked how we were doing.

Migrants complained of a shortage of medicine to treat common maladies such as diarrhea. Men, women and children bathe and defecate in the river, which is also the villages source of drinking water.

In Bajo Chiquito the migrants also register with police for the first time in the country. About 100 leave each day for Penitas. A border police official who was not authorized to discuss the issue and did so on condition of anonymity said most opt to wait for a place on one of the boats  perhaps mindful of the perils of continuing on foot, after having seen death and danger elsewhere in Darien.

Its a wait of about 10 days, for a trip that takes a couple of hours. But the river holds its own perils.

AP journalists accompanied a group of four narrow, wooden boats as they ferried nearly 50 migrants to Penitas. They sat single-file, wearing olive green life vests provided by police, packed as many as 13 in each vessel.

Javier Garcia, another Cuban, said he had left his pregnant wife back in Peru and they hoped to meet up somewhere in Panama. In the heart of Darien, he had run-ins with several dead bodies, a panther and robbers who stole $70 and his phone.

Just before boarding the boat, Garcia made the sign of the cross: We will see how it goes for us.

The boat drivers frequently lifted their outboard motors to keep them from colliding with the shallow, rock-filled riverbed, steered toward the brush-lined shore in search of deeper waters and veered to dodge enormous tree trunks ripped out at the roots by previous flash floods.

According to border police, a crowded boat recently capsized after colliding with another while making the voyage. Fortunately nobody died  the water was shallow at the time  but authorities know that at least a dozen migrants, likely more, have been killed recently by fast-rising rivers elsewhere in Darien.

A handful of indigenous villages even smaller than Bajo Chiquito dotted the riverbanks, and the sound of birdsong was near constant. This trip went without incident, and the migrants arrived two hours later to a muddy berth at Penitas. Garcia bought a soda and something to eat.

Here they would face another wait, along with over 1,000 migrants in an overcrowded makeshift camp, for buses to the Costa Rican border. But finally Darien was behind them.

Nguatem Michael, a 39-year-old from Cameroon, said his group was ambushed twice in the Gap. Robbers took their money and passports, and shot one of the migrants.

They raped the women in front of their husbands while pointing guns at their heads, Michael said.

Bello Vargas, who travelled from Havana to Guyana  which a number of Cubans said has become an increasingly popular first stop for  hoped ultimately to reach an uncle living in Texas. For now, he planned to seek temporary refuge in Panama, rest and save up money before resuming the trek north.

It was hard, Bello said of the eight-day jungle trek. You go up mountains, you go down mountains. And every day it rained.

___

Associated Press photographer Arnulfo Franco and video journalist Mauricio Valenzuela contributed to this report
BOGOTA - If theres a negotiated settlement to Venezuela*s protracted crisis, it will likely be reached with the help of a self-effacing, tight-lipped Scandinavian diplomat with a fondness for distance running.

Dag Nylander is leading the exploratory talks between representatives of Nicolas Maduro and his opponents whose second round wrapped up this week in Norway.

While theres no date for talks to resume and little is known what was discussed behind closed doors_even the meeting location outside Oslo is a well-guarded secret_the fact that the two sides continue to meet after spending the past five months trying to politically annihilate one another is being taken as a hopeful sign.

Key to the undertaking is Nylander, a Latin America specialist who between 2012 and 2016 served as one of two facilitators in negotiations aimed at ending Colombia*s long armed conflict.

During those grueling talks, Nylander, 49, earned a reputation from the government and rebels alike as an honest broker, careful not to impose his will but who could act decisively when called upon. Just as importantly, he developed many relationships  with communist Cuba, the United Nations and even Maduro himself  that could come handy in overcoming the seemingly insurmountable odds to a deal that avoids further hardships in Venezuela.

In a 2015 interview with Spains El Espanol online newspaper he said a successful mediation requires 3/8the will to enter into the process keeping a very low profile, not looking for any publicity either for the process or for Norway. True to that outlook, Nylander declined to comment about the Venezuela talks.

Breaking the deadlock will be a lot harder this time. While Colombias rebels had largely lost hope of victory after a half-century of conflict and were increasingly isolated politically, Maduro and his foes have both dug in. Maduro controls all institutions of state while Guaido has convinced more than 50 nations to recognize him as the countrys legitimate leader.

Dag is the ideal interlocutor, said Sergio Jaramillo, who as Colombias peace commissioner was one of the architects of the peace deal ending a half-century of guerrilla fighting. But even he cant produce miracles. Itll have to be the Venezuelans themselves who sort out their own problems.

Nylander, a lawyer by training, oversees the peace and reconciliation effort at Norways Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For several decades, ever since the 1993 Oslo Accord between Israel and Palestinian negotiators, Norway has played a leading role trying to end some of the worlds most bitter conflicts through discrete mediation and serious funding of peacemaking efforts on the ground.

In the case of Venezuela, Nylander and diplomats from Norways embassy in Bogota, Colombia, began travelling to Caracas and meeting with key figures almost as soon as Colombias peace deal was inked at the end of 2016. Last year, the Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution, which works with and receives funding from Norways foreign ministry, flew in a U.S. mediation expert to try to launch dialogue between the two sides.

Then in March, the same group sponsored a meeting of opposition and government leaders on Venezuelas Margarita Island, according to someone familiar with the talks who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they had not been previously disclosed.

Those secret talks were key in breaking an impasse on delivery of humanitarian aid: Shortly after the meeting, the Red Cross was granted permission from both sides to roll out a major relief campaign that effectively acknowledged a humanitarian crisis Maduro had long denied but also scuttled Guaidos attempts to use the delivery of U.S.-supplied aid to weaken his rival.

The only way forward is dialogue, Maduro said Wednesday night celebrating what he sees as a victory for his longstanding call for dialogue. We want a peace deal.

The opposition has been less enthusiastic about the talks, fearing it will be burned again as it was in previous dialogue attempts. Since 2017, an array of potential mediators  including Spains former president and even Pope Francis  have tried to bring the two sides together with little to show for their efforts. The collapse of talks in the Dominican Republic last year paved the way for Maduros easy re-election in a race boycotted by his opponents and in which several leaders were exiled or banned from running.

Reflecting that pessimistic outlook, Guaido sent a lower-level delegation to Oslo, and called for more protests this week as his envoys were still returning from Europe.

But some believe the diplomatic gambit might just work.

Although Guaido enjoys wide international support, he is struggling to maintain his coalition together as the crisis drags on and has so far failed to break the militarys loyalty to Maduro despite leading a small barracks rebellion last month.

Meanwhile Maduro is under intense pressure from U.S. sanctions that squeeze his governments revenues as he confronts a deepening social crisis marked by hyperinflation and shortages of food, fuel and electricity. Members of his inner circle face the threat of U.S. prosecution on drug or corruption charges.

Almost by definition, a negotiated solution needs to have a win-win aspect, said Bernard Aronson, who was the Obama administrations special envoy to the Colombia peace talks. Even if Maduro is ready to throw in a towel, you have to find a formula that for him and his inner circle to feel safe. Nobody is going to give up power just to go to jail.

Aronson said that Nylander was careful to check his ego at the door and not get in the way during the Colombian negotiations. But he played a critical role saving the talks when a guerrilla ambush killed 11 soldiers in 2015 and triggered the government decision to resume an aerial bombing campaign. Aronson said he and Nylander worked closely with other facilitators  Cuba, Venezuela and Chile  to find a face-saving formula to bring both sides back to the table.

Jaramillo said Nylanders discipline and professionalism impressed negotiators. To maintain a level head amid the stressful talks, he would go running early in the morning several miles (kilometres) around the manicured, mansion-strewn lawns where the delegations lived.

As the Venezuelan mediation effort moves forward, a major wild card is the U.S.

While the Trump administration is not a party to the talks, it has a virtual veto on any deal so long as crippling oil sanctions remain in place. One of the topics on a six-point agenda discussed in Norway included sanctions relief, according to a person familiar with the talks who requested anonymity because they arent authorized to discuss the negotiations.

While the Trump administration publicly has distanced itself from any deal-making, insisting that the only things open to negotiation are the terms of Maduros exit, analysts say U.S. officials are likely to become more flexible if a potential deal begins to take shape.

One important stumbling block: whether Maduro, whom the U.S. considers a dictator, would be allowed on any ballot for an election to end the standoff.

Sen. Marco Rubio, a major driver of U.S. policy on Venezuela, said in an interview with The Associated Press prior to the latest round of talks that the U.S. backs Guaidos team and were going to be supportive of whatever they decide. But as for allowing Maduro on the ballot, My opinion is that its probably a non-starter.

Trumps special representative for Venezuela, Elliot Abrams, has been in frequent contact with Nylander. He also recently met in Washington with one of the opposition negotiators most amenable to a dignified exit for the socialists, ex-electoral council member Vicente Diaz, and has privately told U.S. lawmakers that Norway will play a vital role in settling the dispute, according to two people familiar with the discussions and who requested anonymity because they arent authorized to discuss the matter.

If the talks do gain momentum, Nylander can also help bring along the United Nations, which might be called upon to monitor eventual elections. Following the Colombian peace talks, Nylander spent more than a year shuttling between New York and Caracas as U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres special representative on a long-running border controversy between Venezuela and its neighbour Guyana. During that effort he met with Maduro on at least two occasions.

Nylander also has established relations with Cuba, which along with Russia and China is a key Maduro ally and has a big financial and geopolitical stake in keeping an anti-American government in power. Not surprisingly, some in the opposition have taken to social media to criticize Nylanders perceived coziness with the Cubans.

Dag can put to good use backchannels that were established by the Colombian peace process and that remain open, said Jaramillo. But they dont have many cartridges left, so I wouldnt blow this one. It may be one of the last opportunities for a sensible solution.

___

Follow Goodman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APjoshgoodman
BEIJING - Wuer Kaixi was among the most outspoken of the student leaders during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, famously reproaching then-Premier Li Peng at a meeting broadcast on national television.

Three decades on, hes more circumspect but remains just as harsh a critic of the Communist regime and just as committed to bringing democracy to China.

While many former leaders and participants in the protests have moved on, embracing lives and careers that have little direct relation to the movement, others remain wedded to the cause, either by vocation, through survivors guilt or because their actions permanently put them on the wrong side of the authorities. They remain determined to keep the memories alive even as Chinas rulers seek to sandblast the protests and the militarys bloody crackdown from history.

Sometimes remembrance is one of the most humble forms of resistance, Wuer Kaixi said in an interview in Taiwan, where he now lives with his wife and children.

While Wuer Kaixi, 51, escaped abroad after the June 4 crackdown after finding himself at No. 2 on the governments most-wanted list, then-graduate student Pu Zhiqiang remained in China despite his role in the protests as a high-profile advocate of speech and press freedoms. Looking at old photos of his younger self, Pu reflects on the motivations of the protesters that were mostly pure, if somewhat naive.

We hoped that China could change for the better, said Pu, 54. As a 24-year-old, presented with this chance to serve society, had I not played a role at all, not made my voice heard, I would not have been able to forgive myself.

In this image taken from video footage shot on May 22, 2019, Wu'er Kaixi reacts while looking at photos from the 1989 protest during an interview in Taipei, Taiwan. Wu'er was among the most outspoken of the student leaders during the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests, famously reproaching then-Premier Li Peng at a meeting broadcast on national television. (AP Photo)

























The military crackdown, in which hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people died, put an end to more than seven weeks of student-led protests in 1989 calling for an end to corruption and for a more open and fair society.

While many who took part wonder what could have been done differently to avoid the bloodshed, Feng Congde, a graduate student that year at elite Peking University, is convinced the students didnt push hard enough.

The experience of 1989 was both positive and negative, Feng said. But we have to learn the lesson, that even though we had these large numbers of people on the street, we didnt know what we should do. We should have asked the military to overthrow the regime.

Feng maintains that now, as back then, the regime remains resistant to reforming itself in the way that Taiwans Nationalists evolved from an authoritarian police state into a multiparty democracy, eventually handing over power to the opposition through elections. Like many in the democratic movement, Feng idolizes Chiang Ching-kuo, the son and successor of Chiang Kai-shek, who began the process of Taiwans democratization during the 1980s.

Im quite optimistic about the democratic future of China, but I have very little hope that (President and Communist Party leader) Xi Jinping can learn from Chiang Ching-kuo. I think the totalitarian (Communist Party) regime is totally different from an authoritarian regime like the (Nationalists), Feng said.

While few echo Fengs ruing of the lost chance of a military coup, hostility toward the regime and frustration with perceived foreign gullibility are near constants among members of the movement who remain active, especially those based abroad. Their impressions appear permanently colored by the shock, horror and disbelief they felt when the Peoples Liberation Army opened fire on the people theyd been charged with protecting and whod grown to trust and revere them.

Wang Dan, 50, who was imprisoned after being named No. 1 on the most-wanted list, is among those who doesnt mince words.

It is time for us now, for the whole democratic countries now, to re-recognize the true face of the (Communist Party) and try to learn some lessons from the Tiananmen massacre, Wang said, using another term for the crackdown of June 3-4. This is a very important challenge for the whole world, because now China is a rising power, and seems like a threat for the democracy and freedom of the whole world.

Wuer Kaixi is similarly scathing, deriding the regimes claims to patriotic zeal as a cover for their desire to maintain their wealth and privileges at any cost.

Lets look at what the Chinese regime is clearly. Its a group of people who stole the position of ruling China, one of the largest counties in the world and theyre taking advantage of that position to do one thing: loot, he said.

Pu, a lawyer who was disbarred for his political activism, bemoans 1989 and the years since as a lost opportunity to develop a new, possibly alternative, political class.

Tiananmen was an excellent training opportunity for taking part in society, taking part in politics for young people of my generation, Pu said. But the distinctive characteristic of Chinese politics  this long-term totalitarianism  is that it cannot permit a political force or political party to take organized action.

Things have grown only more difficult amid tightening social controls, making it much harder to rally forces in society to do things either good or bad, Pu said.

Yet Wuer Kaixi, now the honorary chairman of Reporters Without Borders at its East Asia office in Taipei, says those actions  the increasing repression borne out in policies such as the internment of 1 million or more Chinese Muslims in re-education camps  provide a constant reminder of the unchanged nature of the regime.

The reason people still remember (1989), other than the mere importance of it, is also because the Communist Party is still conducting all of these brutal acts and atrocities within China against Uighur people, against Tibetans, Hong Kong, Macau, and even conducting threats against neighbouring countries like Taiwan, he said.

That will remind people that this regime, todays acts of this regime, is the same regime that massacred peaceful demonstrators 30 years ago, he said.

Feng, who is studying acupuncture and administers pro-democracy websites, and Wuer Kaixi say their continued zeal for the cause is bolstered by a sense of obligation to those who fell in 1989, to see their names rehabilitated and their goal of a democratic China achieve fruition.

So I have to live with this survivors guilt ... but I will try to make the dream of those who fell 30 years ago come true sooner, Wuer Kaixi said.

Pu, who continues to work as a legal adviser, said he sees his generation as a link to the past. Veterans, those around 50, are now the backbone of society who are obligated to pass on their experiences and ideals to a younger generation.

Apart from the leaders, who to varying degrees have had some say in how they have lived their lives since, Tiananmen left many scarred for life or saddled with criminal records that have severely restricted their choices.

Since serving a 17-year sentence for allegedly attacking martial law troops  a charge he denies  Dong Shengkun has been unable to find a steady job and is forced to live with his elderly mother while receiving the governments minimum living allowance of 1,000 yuan ($145) per month. Though he wishes to marry his girlfriend, the government would take away even that meagre stipend were he to do so due to her somewhat better financial circumstances.

Still, Dong, who picks up odd jobs for extra income, has no regrets for having joined in the protests out of a sense of outrage and desire for change.

The 1989 movement was about justice, Dong said.

___

Lai reported from Taipei, Taiwan.
PHRAE, Thailand - Three men in northern Thailand were found guilty Friday of murdering a British expat and his Thai wife and sentenced to death.

The bodies of retired petroleum engineer Alan Hogg, 64, and his wife Nhot Suddaen, 61, were found buried on their property in Phrae province last September.

The Phrae Provincial Court found Nhots older brother, Warut Rattanasajjakit, guilty of masterminding the couples murders and hiring two other men to help him carry out the attack. All three were found guilty of premeditated murder, concealing bodies, illegal possession of weapons without licenses and bringing those weapons into the city without licenses.

Police had accused Warut of plotting the murders in order to take control of Hoggs assets and sell some of them.

According to the courts ruling, Warut initially asked his neighbour, Suma Utpamoon, to assist him in the murders but Suma refused after learning that Warut sought to kill his own sister. However, Suma was still paid by Warut for recommending the two men to do the job and was charged by the court with assisting premeditated murder.

Suma received a 25-year prison sentence, which was halved from a 50-year penalty because he co-operated with the investigation.

The court found that the two hired men shot Hogg with a shotgun, while Warut bludgeoned his sister to death using a car wrench. It said the killers then used a backhoe to dig a hole outside the couples home to bury their bodies.

The bodies were discovered once the couple was reported missing and a police investigation began.

The court called the murders an act that extremely damages the countrys reputation as unable to ensure the safety of lives and assets. In said the three were considered extremely dangerous to society.

Pawina Chuayen, a lawyer for the family of the victims, said their foreign relatives were satisfied with the courts ruling but were also deeply affected by the events and not ready to speak about the case.
MANILA, Philippines - A long-held Dutch hostage was fatally shot by his militant captors Friday when he tried to escape during a gunbattle in the jungles of the southern Philippines, military officials said.

Ewold Horn was killed when he made a dash to freedom during a fierce firefight between the Abu Sayyaf militants and army troops in Sulu provinces mountainous Patikul town, military commander Brig. Gen. Divino Pabayo Jr. said.

At least six militants were killed and 12 others were wounded in the nearly two-hour firefight, in which eight soldiers were also wounded, the military said. Among those killed was the wife of Abu Sayyaf commander Radulan Sahiron, a militant long wanted by the United States and the Philippines for banditry and assaults.

Pabayo condemned Horns killing and the militants utter disregard for human rights.

Government forces tried our very best to safely rescue him from his captors and suffered injuries themselves, Pabayo said.

Horns body was recovered by government forces near a river about 100 metres (330 feet) from the scene of the battle, military officials said. Troops stumbled on the militants while hunting Abu Sayyaf fighters who carried out an attack that killed two children and wounded seven other villagers in a Patikul village about a week ago.

Horn and a Swiss tourist, Lorenzo Vinciguerra, along with Filipino guide Ivan Sarenas were kidnapped by gunmen during a birdwatching trip in the southernmost province of Tawi Tawi, near Sulu, in 2012. Sarenas escaped by jumping into the sea while they were being taken by motorboat to Jolo shortly after they were abducted.

Vinciguerra escaped two years later when he hacked a rebel commander and then was shot and wounded by another militant as he fled in a dramatic escape as government forces were firing artillery rounds toward the militants in Patikul.

Vinciguerra said he asked Horn to join his escape. I talked to him and asked him to join me, but he refused, Vinciguerra said in December 2014.

Although the militants have demanded huge ransoms for hostages in the past, Sahiron kept Horn close by him for years in the hope that military aircraft would not drop bombs on his camps and risk endangering the life of a European hostage, a military official who has helped monitor the militants for years told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak about military matters publicly.

Sahirons emissaries had recently expressed a willingness to hold talks about Horns fate but demanded that all government forces withdraw from Patikul town before any negotiations, a demand that Philippine authorities could not grant because of the security implications, the official said, without elaborating.

The Abu Sayyaf, an offshoot of the decades-long Muslim separatist insurgency in the south, has been blacklisted by Washington and Manila as a terrorist organization for involvement in kidnappings, beheadings and deadly bombings.

The group was founded in the early 1990s on Basilan island, near Jolo. An unwieldy collective of Islamic preachers and outlaws, it vowed to wage jihad, or holy war, in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, but lost its key leaders early in combat, sending it on a violent path of extremism and criminality.

About 320 armed Abu Sayyaf fighters remain in the south, some of them aligned with the Islamic State group, Sulu military spokesman Lt. Col. Gerard Monfort said.
MANILA, PHILIPPINESA Dutch hostage held by Muslim militants in the southern Philippines for seven years was killed by his captors on Friday as he tried to escape during a bloody rescue attempt by the military, officials said.

The hostage, Ewold Horn, 59, had been seized along with a Swiss national while the two were bird watching on the remote southern island of Tawi-Tawi in 2012. They were taken by Abu Sayyaf militants across the strait to Jolo, an island where the gunmen are well entrenched, with their camps situated deep inside nearly impenetrable jungle terrain.

The Swiss hostage, Lorenzo Vinciguerra, managed to escape nearly three years later by grabbing his guards knife and stabbing him in the neck as the militants came under attack from military forces. He then fled his captors and was rescued by the army.

But Horn was not so lucky.

What a pity. He nearly escaped, but was shot, said Col. Gerry Besana, a spokesman for the militarys Western Mindanao Command. He was shot by his guards while trying to escape amid the firefight.

The military assault early Friday, which took place near a mountain village in the town of Patikul, also killed Mingayan Sahiron, the wife of Radulan Sahiron, a senior Abu Sayyaf leader, and six other militants.

The violence came less than a week after Abu Sayyaf militants attacked a group of soldiers and civilians discussing development projects in Patikul, leaving two children dead, and five months after insurgents bombed a cathedral in Jolo, killing 23 people.

Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo, the head of Joint Task Force Sulu, said the military had been tracking the Abu Sayyaf militants based on information provided by civilian informants. He said Horns death had resulted from Abu Sayyafs barbaric acts.

We are angered by the ASGs utter disregard for human rights that they would rather murder Mr. Ewold Horn rather than be recovered by government forces, he said, using the militarys abbreviation for the group.

The general said that troops had tried their best to safely recover the hostage, but that Fridays firefight was too intense and lasted for nearly two hours. He vowed to bring the militants to justice for the church bombing and for the death of Horn.
DENPASAR, Indonesia - Indonesian authorities have arrested an American, two Spaniards and two Russians for selling cocaine and marijuana on Bali, police said Friday.

The three men and two women were paraded at a police news conference in the Bali provincial capital, Denpasar, days after being arrested.

They were arrested between May 20 and 24 in the tourist hotspot of Kuta, said Denpasar police chief Ruddi Setiawan.

He said the arrests began when police caught a 33-year-old Russian man, identified only as Nikita, arranging cocaine sales by phone to foreign tourists.

Police seized 20.18 grams (0.7 ounce) of cocaine and 44.14 grams (1.6 ounces) of marijuana from the group.

We are still investigating how they got that cocaine and marijuana, Setiawan said. We believe they are part of an international syndicate and got the drugs from abroad.

Police identified the 31-year-old American suspect as Ian. A Russian woman, 31, was identified as Maria and a Spanish woman, 33, as Laura. A 37-year-old Spanish man identified as Juan had operated a restaurant in Kerobokan near Denpasar for a long period of time, police said.

Indonesia has strict drug laws and dozens of convicted smugglers are on death row. Its last executions were in July 2016, when an Indonesian and three foreigners were shot by a firing squad.

An Indonesian court last week sentenced a Frenchman to death for smuggling ecstasy to Lombok, next to Bali, even though prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence.
Vancouver, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Vancouver, BC, May 31, 2019 - INVICTUS MD STRATEGIES CORP. ("Invictus" or the "Company") (TSXV: GENE; OTCQX: IVITF; FRA: 8IS2) announces that the Board of Directors (the Board) has accepted Mr. George E. Kvetons resignation as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company and Mr. Trevor Dixon, a member of the Board, will be assuming the role of CEO.

I am proud to be serving as the Companys CEO, said Mr. Dixon. I am committed to the long term and ongoing success of the Company as we work to improve production, increase revenue and decrease the cost of operations. With my thirty-five years experience of founding, developing and operating successful companies, I am confident I can further Invictus presence in the cannabis industry, Mr. Dixon continued, as a significant shareholder of the Corporation, I am dedicated to generating value for the Companys investors.

Mr. Dixon was appointed a Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Company on May 9th, 2019, and he also served as a Director of the Company from April 2017 to January 2019. Mr. Dixon remains founder, President and CEO of the Companys wholly owned subsidiary Acreage Pharms Ltd. (Acreage Pharms). Assuming the role of CEO, Mr. Dixon brings more than seven years of knowledge inventing and creating systems for the production of quality cannabis. Prior to this, Mr. Dixon developed marketing systems, strategy and product development for an international franchise business that he founded and eventually sold after nineteen successful years of ownership. He also pursued municipal politics for five years. It was during his time in politics that he discovered the proposed new legislation on the then Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations and immediately recognized the value of a complete seed to sale business and founded Acreage Pharms in 2013. Today, Acreage Pharms supplies recreational cannabis to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario and is approved to supply medical cannabis to clients in all provinces in Canada.

Mr. Dixons success with Acreage Pharms and his focused leadership will help Invictus reach the next level with production scaling being his top priority as he works to increase collaboration across Invictus subsidiaries to maximize their potential, said Paul Sparkes, Chairman of the Board of Invictus.

Mr. Kveton has worked to ensure a smooth transition for Mr. Dixon in his new role and said, It has been a great privilege to have stewarded Invictus during an important period of transformation. I strongly believe that the fabric of the Company is strong, made up of experienced Board members and many talented employees across all levels and provinces.

Mr. Sparkes stated, On behalf of the Board, we wish to thank George for his valued leadership and for implementing the difficult, but necessary changes to put the Company on the right performance track. We wish him all the best.

On Behalf of the Board,

Paul Sparkes

Chairman of the Board

connect@invictus-md.com

Investor Relations 1-844-800-6086



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREANorth Korea has executed its special envoy to the United States on spying charges, as its leader, Kim Jong Un, has engineered a sweeping purge of the countrys top nuclear negotiators after the breakdown of his second summit with President Donald Trump, a major South Korean daily reported Friday.

Kim Hyok Chol, the envoy, was executed by firing squad in March at the Mirim airfield in a suburb of Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, Chosun Ilbo, South Koreas largest daily reported Friday, citing an anonymous source. Kim Hyok Chol faced the charge that he was won over by the American imperialists to betray the supreme leader, the newspaper said.

Four officials of the North Korean Foreign Ministry were also executed, the South Korean daily reported, without providing any hint of who its source might be or how it obtained the information.

South Korean officials could not confirm the Chosun Ilbo report. North Korea has not reported any execution or purge of top officials in recent months. The country remains the worlds most isolated, and outside intelligence agencies have sometimes failed to figure out or have misinterpreted what was going on in the closely guarded inner circles of the countrys leader, Kim Jong Un.

But some signs in recent weeks have led analysts in South Korea to speculate that Kim may be engineering a reshuffle or a purge of his negotiating team in the wake of the summit, held in February in Hanoi, Vietnam. The meeting was widely seen as a huge embarrassment for Kim, who is supposedly seen as infallible in his totalitarian state.

On Thursday, Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Norths ruling Workers Party, carried a commentary warning against anti-party, anti-revolutionary acts of officials who pretend to work for the supreme leader in his presence but secretly harbour other dreams behind his back.

Such characters wont escape the stern judgment from the revolution, the North Korean newspaper said. North Korean state media has issued such warnings when it needed to engineer a political purge or warn against possible lagging loyalty among the elites, South Korean analysts said.

Chosun Ilbo, the South Korean newspaper, reported Friday that Kim Yong Chol, a senior Workers Party vice chairman who visited the White House as the main point man for diplomacy with the United States, had also been purged, sentenced to forced labour in a remote northern province.

Also sent to a prison camp was Kim Song Hye, a senior female nuclear negotiator who teamed up with Kim Hyok Chol in working-level negotiations ahead of the Kim-Trump summit, the South Korean newspaper said. North Korea even sent a summit translator to a prison camp for committing a translation mistake, it said.

During the Hanoi summit, Kim demanded that Trump lift the most painful international sanctions against his country in return for partially dismantling his countrys nuclear weapons facilities. The meeting collapsed when Trump rejected the proposal, insisting on a quick and comprehensive rollback of the Norths entire weapons of mass destruction program before lifting sanctions.

Kim took a long train ride to Hanoi to meet Trump, and North Korean state media reported high expectations for the summit. But Kim had to return home empty-handed, without the sanctions relief that he badly needed to help ease his countrys deepening economic isolation.

Outside analysts have since wondered whether Kims negotiating team had failed to prepare him for such a breakdown in the talks or considered how Kim might react.

Kim Hyok Chol was appointed as North Koreas special envoy only weeks before the Hanoi summit and had led presummit working-level negotiations with Stephen Biegun, Trumps special envoy on North Korea.

Their negotiations could not narrow wide differences between their governments over the terms under which North Korea would give up its nuclear arsenal. As a consequence, Kim and Trump met without a draft agreement, as the negotiators from both sides left it to their leaders to sort out the thorniest problems that have bedevilled negotiations for decades.

Kim Yong Chol, the Workers Party leader, has seemed to disappear from state news media in recent weeks. Although he retained some of his top posts during a parliamentary meeting in April, he was replaced as head of the United Front Department, a key party agency in charge of relations with South Korea and the Norths intelligence affairs.

Both Kim Hyok Chol and Kim Yong Chol were absent from the North Korean delegation when Kim Jong Un met last month with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. In their places were senior officials from North Koreas Foreign Ministry, like Minister Lee Yong Ho and First Vice Minister Choe Son Hui, who have emerged as the new faces of North Korean diplomacy.

Kim has said he will give Washington until the end of the year to make a new denuclearization proposal he can accept, or he may abandon his diplomacy with Trump. As if to press the point, North Korea has recently resumed tests of short-range missiles.

Even Kim Jong Uns sister and adviser, Kim Yo Jong, did not accompany Kim to the meeting with Putin, although she has been a fixture in high-profile summits with U.S., Chinese and South Korean leaders.

Chosun Ilbo said the sister may have been reprimanded by Kim or may be sick with pneumonia.

Jung Chang-hyun, head of the Korean Peace and Economy Institute, a research group affiliated with South Koreas Money Today Media Group, said he had heard that four North Korean Foreign Ministry officials were executed by firing squad around March, not because of the breakdown of the Hanoi summit, but rather for a separate corruption scandal.

It remained unclear whether the four officials included Kim Hyok Chol, said Jung, an expert on the North Korean regime and author of books on the North. But Jung said that officials under Kim Jong Uns sister were also involved in the corruption scandal and that as a consequence, Kim Yo Jong was put on probation by her brother. Jung said he acquired the information from third-country sources who meet or communicate with North Korean officials through China.

Since taking power seven years ago, Kim Jong Un has engineered a series of bloody political purges to remove or execute many of the top officials who had served under his late father, Kim Jong Il, and consolidate his own leadership. The most prominent victim has been Jang Song Thaek, Kims uncle, who was executed in the Mirim airfield in 2013 on charges of corruption and plotting a military coup against Kim.

Read more about:
ATHENS, Greece - Greece has upgraded its diplomatic mission to North Macedonias capital of Skopje to an embassy, following a deal to normalize relations with its neighbour  which renamed itself from Macedonia.

A foreign ministry statement says Greece is also upgrading its representation in North Macedonias southern town of Bitola to a general consulate.

Fridays statement added that North Macedonia has upgraded its mission in Athens to an embassy and in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki to a general consulate.

The two countries this year ended a decades-long dispute over Greeces neighbours name. Athens long claimed that plain Macedonia implied claims on its own northern region of the same name and on ancient Greek heritage.

The deal cleared the way for North Macedonia to join NATO and, potentially, the European Union.
PARIS - The main suspect in the bombing last week in the French city of Lyon that wounded 14 people had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, Frances counter-terrorism prosecutor said on Friday.

Remy Heitz said in a statement the 24-year-old man has admitted making the bomb and depositing the device in front of a bakery. He will be brought before an investigating judge.

The suspect, identified only as Mohamed Hichem M., was arrested on Monday. He arrived in France on a tourist visa in August 2017 but failed to leave again. Police did not give his nationality but some French media reported that he was Algerian. He was unknown to police services before the incident.

He was handed preliminary charges Friday of attempted murder, criminal terrorist conspiracy and manufacturing, possessing and carrying an explosive device in relation with a terrorist undertaking.

French President Emmanuel Macron had called the explosion an attack but no group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet.

Last week, Heitz described video surveillance that showed a man heading toward the centre of Lyon on a bike. He was seen arriving on foot, pushing his bike along a pedestrian-only street, then leaving a paper bag on a concrete block in the middle of the street. The suspect immediately returned to his bike and left the same way. One minute later, the explosion shattered the glass of a refrigerator in the bakery.

The suspect initially denied his involvement, then admitted pledging allegiance to the IS deep down inside and dropping off the explosive device he had prepared beforehand, Heitz said.

Data analysis of a computer used by the suspect until the end of last year also helped investigators establish he had an interest for jihadi thesis and ISs activities.

The police probe also established that the suspect had ordered online a pack of 20 batteries corresponding to those that served to remotely trigger the device. Some traces found on evidence discovered at the scene also matched the suspects genetic profile, Heitz said.

The suspect was arrested along with his parents and brother, but they were released on Thursday without charges.

France has been hit by a spate of attacks in recent years, some of them deadly, carried out by people ranging from extremist attackers to mentally unstable individuals.
BUCHAREST, Romania - Pope Francis opened a three-day pilgrimage to Romania on Friday by delivering a new appeal for unity, 20 years after St. John Paul II made the first-ever papal visit to a majority Orthodox country.

Francis referred to that historic trip during his opening speech before Romanian government authorities and his subsequent meeting with Patriarch Daniel, the head of the Orthodox Church.

John Pauls 1999 visit to Romania, just 10 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, was the first by a pope to a majority Orthodox country since the Great Schism divided Christianity in 1054.

It was marked by an extraordinary welcome for a Polish pope who helped bring down communism and included spontaneous chants of unity, unity from the crowds.

This is already unity, Francis told Daniel on Friday.

We need to help each other not fall into the seduction of a culture of hatred, an individualistic culture that may not be as ideological as during the atheist persecutions, but is still persuasive, he said.

Its the latest of Francis foreign trips to poor countries where Catholics are a minority. In Romania, they are a divided minority between two Catholic rites, Roman Catholic and Greek-Catholic

Francis warned that all Romanians must come together even more now to confront todays challenges, noting the huge numbers of people who leave the country each year in search of jobs, depopulating entire villages and weakening the roots of Romanian culture.

Only to the extent that a society is concerned for its most disadvantaged members, can it be considered truly civil, he said.

Key moments during Francis trip are his Mass for the largely Hungarian-speaking Roman Catholic faithful at the countrys most famous Marian shrine, Sumuleu Ciuc, in eastern Transylvania. He will also beatify seven Greek-Catholic bishops who were martyred during communist rule, when Catholics were brutally persecuted.

Im coming to you to walk together, Francis said in a video released on the eve of his trip.

In a sign of their unity, Francis and Patriarch Daniel recited the Our Father prayer in the Orthodox Cathedral, a towering new construction funded in part by a $200,000 donation by John Paul when he visited in 1999.

Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti stressed that while the two religious leaders physically prayed in the same place, they didnt pray together, an important distinction for many Orthodox. Ordinary faithful were on hand for the chant-filled service, in sharp contrast to Francis recent visit to Bulgaria, when he was allowed to pray in the Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, but alone.

In 1999, John Paul agreed to Orthodox demands that he visit only Bucharest and not Transylvania, where most of the countrys Catholics live. In many ways then, Francis is fulfilling the itinerary that John Paul wanted to complete.

As then, the issue of confiscated property of the Catholic Church that was given to the Orthodox during communist rule remains a sore spot in relations. Gisotti said there were no plans for any public discussion of the dispute but didnt rule out private talks.

We live in times of peace and understanding, but we wish these relations (between churches) to become better, said Francisc Dobos, spokesman for the Bucharest archbishopric. We should not be afraid of one another, we should trust one another. This visit should make us become better Catholics and better Orthodox and in the end, better citizens.

___

Winfield reported from Rome.
BUDAPEST, Hungary - The Latest on rescue efforts following the capsizing of a boat in Budapest (all times local):

10 p.m.

Hungarys interior ministry says experts believe a unique method is needed to salvage the sunken tour boat from the Danube River, or rescue any bodies trapped inside.

The ministry said Friday that the adverse conditions, including zero visibility underwater and the fast-flowing rivers rising water level, dont allow for the use of any traditional methods.

Divers have been unable to even approach the wreckage of the 27-meter-long (88.5-foot-long) Hableany (Mermaid), which sits in over 6 metres (20 feet) of water, near Hungarys neo-Gothic Parliament building.

The ministry said 60 engineers, bridge builders and others are experimenting with theoretical models and test dives to find a solution.

Of the 35 people on board, mostly South Korean tourists, 21 are still missing after Wednesdays collision with a cruise ship. Seven people have been confirmed dead and there are seven survivors.

___

7:40 p.m.

Hungarian prosecutors say they have asked a Budapest court to arrest the captain of a river cruise ship that collided with a smaller tour boat carrying South Korean tourists.

Only seven of the 35 people onboard  33 South Koreans and a two-man Hungarian crew  are known to have survived Wednesday nights collision on the Danube River.

The Ukrainian captain of the cruise ship was detained by police on Thursday, but prosecutors said Friday that arresting the 64-year-old man is the only way to ensure his presence during the proceedings.

Prosecutors said an investigative judge at the Capital City Court is expected to make a decision about the arrest on Saturday.

___

2: 10 p.m.

South Koreas foreign minister says an investigation into the collision that sank a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists includes studying all communication records seized from a cruise ship that was involved in the accident.

Kang Kyung-wha said Friday at a joint news conference with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto that a South Korean rescue team will soon join the search for the 21 still missing after Wednesdays collision on the Danube River.

Kang says we shared our firm resolve not to abandon the search for survivors.

The captain of the cruise ship has been detained. There are seven confirmed dead. Seven others have survived.

___

1 p.m.

The South Korean foreign minister says the cruise ship that collided with a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists, causing it to sink quickly in the Danube River, has been released and is on its way to Germany.

The captain of the cruise ship has been detained. He is a Ukrainian national suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly mass accident. There are seven confirmed dead and 21 more people missing. Seven others have survived.

Kang Kyung-wha, the South Korean foreign minister, said Friday at a joint press conference with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto that the owner of ship has promised to fully co-operate with the investigation into the Wednesday evening collision.

Kang said, we have seen the footage of a larger vessel ramming into a small boat in bad weather, causing the boat to sink. She added that if the investigation finds the ships owner responsible, there will be a thorough legal response over its fault.

___

12:20 p.m.

Hungarys foreign minister says underwater visibility at the site in the Danube River where the sunken tour boat is located is practically zero, complicating efforts to salvage the wreck.

Peter Szijjarto said Friday after meeting his South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, that the wreckage is more than 6 metres (20 feet) under water, with the Danube expected to keep rising because of rainfall.

Twenty-one people, including 19 South Koreans, are still missing after Wednesdays collision. Seven people were rescued and seven are confirmed dead.

Szijjarto and Kang visited the site of the mishap, near the Hungarian parliament, before holding talks at the Foreign Ministry.

One of the bodies recovered was found nearly 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) downstream, nearly 2- 1/2 hours after the collision.

___

9 a.m.

Hungarian police have detained the captain of a cruise ship that collided with a sightseeing boat packed with South Korean tourists, causing it to sink quickly in the Danube River.

That development came as loved ones of the South Korean people who are missing and dead were expected to arrive Friday in Budapest.

Seven people are confirmed dead and seven have been rescued, while 21 people remain missing in the waters.

A South Korean group on a package tour of Europe  including 30 tourists, two guides and a photographer were on an hour-long sightseeing tour of Budapest when their boat collided with a Viking cruise ship during a downpour Wednesday evening.

Nineteen South Koreans and two Hungarian crew members  the captain and his assistant  remain missing.
BEIRUT - Lebanons Hezbollah leader rejected late Friday what he called U.S. conditions for mediating a border and maritime dispute with Israel.

Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech that Washington is using the talks to discuss, and even make threats over, degrading his groups capabilities, bringing up an Israeli claim that Hezbollah has precision missile factories.

Nasrallah, appearing on a large screen to a crowd of supporters in the southern Beirut Dahiye district, acknowledged his group has the weapons but denied it produces them.

So far in Lebanon there are no factories for precision missiles, he said.

He threatened for the first time, however, that Hezbollah could consider setting up such factories if Washington continues to use the talks on border demarcation to discuss his groups capabilities.

He said it is Lebanons right to defend itself. The Americans have no business with this. It is our right to have weapons to defend our countries and it is our right to manufacture any weapons.

A U.S. official has been shuttling between Israel and Lebanon, technically still at war, to settle the dispute. Washington considers Hezbollah a terrorist group.

Lebanons foreign ministry said earlier this week that it and Israel are close to establishing a framework for negotiations under United Nations auspices and overseen by Washington on demarcating the borders. The demarcation is essential for Lebanon to access oil and gas resources.

Israel said its willing to engage in the U.S.-mediated talks.

Israel and Lebanon each claim some 860 square kilometres (330 square miles) of sea as within their own exclusive economic zones.

Nasrallah said he is supportive of the Lebanese governments positions in the talks.

My problem is allowing such discussion (of Hezbollahs capabilities) he said. This door must be closed.
Hes been one of the most polarizing figures in Israeli politics, a hawkish West Bank settler who once told an Egyptian president to go to hell and wanted Arab citizens to sign loyalty oaths.

Now Avigdor Liberman, the blunt-talking former bouncer who engineered Benjamin Netanyahus first electoral victory in 1996, has brought the prime minister to his knees. The former defence and foreign minister rejected any compromise on his proposed bill to draft more ultra-Orthodox Jewish men into the military, blocking Netanyahus efforts to form his fifth government. Instead, the Knesset voted early Thursday to disband and send Israelis back to the ballot box in September.

Liberman, who grew up in Moldova and still speaks with a heavy Russian accent, said his Yisrael Beitenu party wont be partners in a government run according to Jewish religious law. He dismissed Netanyahus claims that he is to blame for the political turmoil.

Liberman has aspirations to replace Netanyahu one day, and right now, hes trying to set the agenda by tapping into resentment over military exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men, and stipends the government pays them to pursue religious study, said Yonatan Freeman, a political science lecturer at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

He can get tons of votes both from the left and the right with that message, Freeman said.

Liberman is a veteran of Netanyahus Likud Party who bolted to form Yisrael Beitenu in 1999, and the two have had a turbulent history of breakups and reconciliations. His party originally catered to the nearly one million Russians who emigrated to Israel after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but Liberman increasingly competes for right-wing votes with Netanyahu himself.

The party won as many as 15 of parliaments 120 seats in 2009, then saw its appeal dwindle as Russian immigrants integrated deeper into Israeli society. In Aprils election the party won just five seats, but Liberman demonstrated Wednesday that he remains a force to be reckoned with: Without him, Netanyahu didnt have a majority government.

Its not only his faceoff with the ultra-Orthodox that has gained Liberman notoriety.

Although hes moderated his rhetoric in recent years, in the past he said Israeli Arab lawmakers who met with the Gaza Strips Hamas leaders  whom Israel considers terrorists  should be executed. Hes also proposed redrawing Israels borders to put Arab communities under Palestinian control.

Liberman also takes a dim view of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, saying everything he does is pure diplomatic terror and dismissing him as not a partner for anything.

Accusing Israeli Arabs of disloyalty, Liberman unsuccessfully demanded that all Israeli citizens take a loyalty oath. In 2008 he said Egypts then-president Hosni Mubarak could go to hell because he refused to visit Israel despite the countries peace treaty.

But there are also glimmers of pragmatism. He has served in centrist Israeli governments, including Netanyahus most recent coalition, which he resigned to protest policies he considered too soft on Hamas. As defence minister under Netanyahu, he didnt follow a precept he once prescribed: reoccupying Gaza to halt rocket attacks from the territory.

He has always been a tough talker, but in the day-to-day he was pretty pragmatic, Hebrew University political science professor Gideon Rahat said. On the one hand hes right and pro-settlement, but at one time at least, he had a program that included territorial swaps and some territorial concessions. Hes a mix of hawk and pragmatic.

As September elections loom, Liberman is portraying himself as more hawkish than Netanyahu. Hes also trying to draw back Russian-speaking voters who strayed from his party but resent the ultra-Orthodox rabbinate because theyre not Jewish according to religious law, said Professor Asher Maoz, dean of the law school at the Peres Academic Center.

I imagine he figures hell do better in the next election, Maoz said. Hes riding the anti-ultra-Orthodox hobby horse to win secular voters, and maybe bring back Russians.

Read more about:
WILLIAMS, Ariz. - A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit challenging the use of lead ammunition in a northern Arizona forest.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Thursday allows environmental groups to argue for banning the ammunition in the Kaibab National Forest.

Lead poisoning is the leading cause of death for endangered California condors that feed on animal carcasses.

The environmental groups say the Kaibab forest is not doing enough to regulate spent ammunition. Arizona encourages hunters to use non-lead ammunition but its not required.

The case now goes back to the U.S. District Court in Arizona where it was first filed in 2012.

The 9th Circuit said the lower court improperly determined that it lacked jurisdiction in dismissing the complaint.

A Kaibab forest spokeswoman declined comment on the ruling.
INDIO, Calif. - A jury on Thursday recommended death for a man convicted of killing two Southern California police officers and wounding six others in an ambush-style attack in 2016, prosecutors said.

The same jury that convicted 28-year-old John Hernandez Felix of murder and attempted murder earlier this month recommended capital punishment, according to the Riverside County District Attorneys Office.

Hell be sentenced by a judge on Aug. 30.

Palm Springs Officers Lesley Zerebny and Jose Gil Vega were killed responding to a call about domestic violence at the home of Felixs mother on Oct. 8, 2016. Prosecutors said Felix opened fire with an AR-15 rifle.

Six other officers were injured as police and Felix exchanged gunfire in the neighbourhood more than 100 miles (161 kilometres) east of Los Angeles. Felix was arrested after a lengthy standoff.

We are gratified with the jurys verdict and this represents a step toward justice for these two fallen officers, District Attorney Mike Hestrin said in a statement Thursday.

Defence attorney John Dolan has contended Felix, an admitted gang member, is intellectually disabled and should not face capital punishment.

Dolan didnt immediately comment on Thursdays jury recommendation.

Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this year announced a moratorium on enforcing the death penalty but the decision does not prevent prosecutors from seeking or judges and juries from imposing death sentences.

Vega, a father of eight, was a 35-year veteran months away from retirement when he was killed. He wasnt scheduled to work the day he died but had volunteered to fill the shift.

Zerebny was a rookie officer just back from maternity leave.
NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana State Police say a trooper shot and wounded a man driving the wrong way on New Orleans tourist-filled Bourbon Street.

A statement released late Thursday said troopers helping close traffic lanes on Bourbon Street saw a car driving toward pedestrians around 7 p.m. Police say the driver had made an illegal turn, and failed to comply with attempts to stop the car.

The driver was shot once. New Orleans Emergency Medical Services spokesman Jonathan Fourcade says the driver was hospitalized with an abdomen wound. His exact condition is unclear, but police say hes stable.

Officials havent released the identity of the driver. The trooper wasnt injured.

According to The New Orleans Advocate , the incident marks at least the third shooting on the famed New Orleans street since February.
NANAIMO, British Columbia, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bessor Minerals Inc. (formerly, Troymet Exploration Corp.) (TSXV:BST) (Bessor) announces that, further to its March 4, 2019 news release, Bessor has closed the first tranche of its common share private placement, issuing 5,700,000 common shares at a price of $0.05 per common share for gross proceeds of $285,000. These common shares are subject to a hold period that expires on October 1, 2019. The net proceeds of the private placement will be used for general corporate and working capital purposes. Subject to regulatory approval and market interest, Bessor will issue a further news release if a second tranche closing of the private placement occurs.



Exemption From MI 61-101 And TSXV Policy 5.9

Of the 5,700,000 common shares issued pursuant to the private placement, 2,700,000 common shares were issued to directors and officers of Bessor (Jason Riley, director: 1,300,000; Kieran Downes, CEO: 600,000; Derrick Auch, Corporate Secretary: 600,000; and Joseph Meagher, CFO: 200,000). Bessor relied on section 5.5(b) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101) as the exemption from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 and TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 in respect of the issuance of the common shares to the directors and officers of Bessor as the common shares of Bessor are not listed on a specified market (and the Common Shares are only listed on the TSX Venture Exchange). The Corporation relied on section 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 as the exemption from the minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 and TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 in respect of the issuance of common shares to the directors and officers of the Corporation as neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the common shares issued to the directors and officers of the Corporation exceeded 25% of Bessors market capitalization.

A written resolution of all of the directors of Bessor dated effective April 5, 2019 approved the private placement. No special committee was established in connection with private placement, and no materially contrary view or abstention was expressed or made by any director in relation to the private placement.

The material change report to be filed in relation to the private placement will not be filed at least 21 days prior to the issuance of the common shares as contemplated by MI 61-101. Bessor believes that this shorter period is reasonable and necessary in the circumstances as the completion of the private placement occurred shortly before the issuance of the common shares and the issuance of this the news release.

About Bessor Minerals Inc. 

Bessor is a mineral exploration company with its current exploration activity focused in British Columbia. Please refer to Bessors website (www.bessorminerals.com) to view information on Bessors Golden Eagle and Redhill projects. Bessor retains a 1% net smelter returns royalty (NSR) on the Key property, British Columbia, which was sold to New Gold Inc. in 2013. Bessor is continuing to evaluate and monitor opportunities in the minerals sector. 

BESSOR MINERALS INC.

Kieran Downes, Ph.D., P.Geo.

President, CEO & Director

For further information, contact:

Investor Relations

Tel: 250-729-0453

Email: info@bessorminerals.com

Website: www.bessorminerals.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 news release.

This news release contains certain forward-looking information. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information in respect of the closing of a second tranche of the private placement. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. This forward-looking information reflects Bessor's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Bessor and on assumptions Bessor believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the current share price of Bessor's Common Shares; TSX Venture acceptance and market acceptance of the of the closing of a second tranche of the private placement; and the receipt of sufficient investor interest in the second tranche of the private placement; Bessor's general and administrative costs remaining constant; and the market acceptance of Bessor's business strategy. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Bessor to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: the early stage development of Bessor and its projects; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; capital market conditions and market prices for securities, junior market securities and mining exploration company securities; commodity prices; the actual results of current exploration and development or operational activities; competition; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; accidents and other risks inherent in the mining industry; lack of insurance; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation or income tax legislation, affecting Bessor; timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; conclusions of economic evaluations; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. A description of other risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Bessor's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Bessor does not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
CLEVELAND - A man who has confessed to killing more than 90 women across the U.S. was indicted Friday in Cleveland for the strangulation deaths of two women decades ago.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael OMalley said 78-year-old Samuel Little has confessed to killing 21-year-old Mary Jo Peyton in 1984 and 32-year-old Rose Evans in 1991 in Cleveland. He has been charged with four counts of aggravated murder and six counts of kidnapping.

There are no words to describe the pure evil that exists within Samuel Little, OMalley said in a statement. His heinous disregard for human life is incomprehensible.

Little is possibly the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history, surpassing the likes of John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy and Green Rivers Gary Ridgway. Little was convicted in California of three slayings in 2013 and pleaded to another killing last year in Texas , where hes currently incarcerated.

Little told authorities he killed five women in Ohio, including three who lived around Cleveland, during a murder spree that began in 1970 when he was 30 years old and ended 35 years later, OMalley said.

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Offices Cold Case Unit was able to identify Peyton and Evans as Littles victims and is trying to determine with other law enforcement agencies the identity of the third woman, OMalley said.

The FBI in February released sketches drawn by Little of some of his victims based on his memories of them. Agents who have interviewed Little said he remembers his victims and the killings in great detail, including where he was and what car he was driving.

The FBI said Little targeted vulnerable women who were often involved in prostitution and addicted to drugs.

Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland in Odesa, Texas, said 50 cold homicide cases have been closed as a result of Littles confessions and that most of the remaining unsolved slayings occurred in California.
NEW YORK - World leaders will gather in solemn assembly next week above the sandy beaches of Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of the world-changing D-Day invasion of France. Its typically a heartfelt tribute to alliance and sacrifice and a unified vow for enduring unity, outweighing any national or political skirmish of the moment.

Thats what has some U.S. veterans and others worried about President Donald Trumps attendance. The president has shown a repeated willingness to inject nationalistic rhetoric and political partisanship into moments once aimed at unity. For Trump, there is no waters edge for politics, no veneer of nonpartisanship around military or national security matters.

The president, who did not serve in the military before becoming commander in chief, has feuded with Gold Star families, blasted political opponents on foreign soil, and mocked Sen. John McCain , a prisoner of war, for being captured by the enemy. Trumps antipathy for the late senator was so well known that the White House this week requested that the Navy keep the USS McCain out of the presidents line of sight during a recent trip to Japan, so as not to rile the president.

Its a pattern that is set to get more scrutiny in coming days, as Trump heads overseas for the D-Day memorial where he will be joined at the service by, among others, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat whom he has called crazy Nancy and warned not to try to impeach him.

Its unfortunate we have to be even concerned that this historic commemoration will be overly politicized, but this is the command climate hes created and the reality we have, said Paul Rieckhoff, founder and former head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and now host of the podcast, Angry Americans. We have to send our president. You go with the president weve got, and this is the president weve got. So were rightfully holding our breath for an event like this.

More than 9,000 Americans are buried in the cemeteries dedicated to the D-Day operation that marked a turning point in World War II, beginning the Allied push to drive the Nazis out of France and eventually Europe. On a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach, rows of white crosses and the Stars of David stretch as far as the eye can see  markers of sacrifices.

The president missed the other significant military commemoration of his term.

In November, also in France, Trump scuttled plans to honour the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. The White House said the presidents helicopter could not make it to the site because of bad weather. It did not explain why Trump could not make the 50-mile drive. His absence set off howls from many veterans.

Trump blamed the Secret Service and the next day went to a different cemetery outside Paris.

In recent days, he visited Arlington National Cemetery and spent Memorial Day on a naval ship in Japan.

You are the ones keep going and striving, and keeping America safe, and strong, and proud, and free, Trump said during the visit. He also wished everyone a Happy Memorial Day, a greeting some find off-key for a holiday dedicated to honouring dead servicemembers.

Ahead of the trip, the White House told the U.S. Navy to keep the warship rededicated in honour of Sen. McCain out of sight of the president. The president denied knowing about the request but said the gesture was well-meaning because he was no fan of McCain, a prisoner of war whom Trump once mocked by saying he preferred soldiers who werent captured.

Trump also sided with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un over criticism of former Vice-President Joe Biden. Some veteran groups were pleased that Trump was attending the D-Day commemoration but urged him to leave the political broadsides at home.

In situations like these, its best for President Trump to focus on his positive vision for reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs and advocating for a more restrained foreign policy, said Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser for the conservative Concerned Veterans for America.

Plenty of previous presidents have embraced the military, identifying themselves with its power and patriotism. But Trumps relationship with the armed forces  and the families of individual soldiers  has at times been uniquely fraught.

As a candidate, he feuded with the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq, and as president clashed with the mother of Sgt. La David Johnson, who died in Niger. Though Trump has been a boisterous cheerleader for the Pentagon, he is part of a recent trend of commanders-in-chief who did not serve in the military. He received a deferment that allowed him to not serve in Vietnam War due to bone spurs, but has been unable to remember in which foot, leading to accusations of draft dodging, including this week from 2020 rivals.

You have somebody who thinks its all right to let somebody go in his place into a deadly war and is willing to pretend to be disabled in order to do it, said Democrat Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who served as a Navy intelligence officer in Afghanistan. That is an assault on the honour of this country.

And while a number of veterans groups have applauded Trumps efforts to improve mental and physical health care to former officers, many of those same organizations sharply criticized Trumps recent consideration to pardon several American military members accused of war crimes, including headline-grabbing cases of shooting unarmed civilians and killing an enemy captive.

It is mind-blowing that these are the persons this administration is considering for pardons, said Kristofer Goldsmith, an associate director for policy at Vietnam Veterans of America, one of several veterans groups that oppose the pardons.

Trump considered issuing the pardons for Memorial Day but later said he may wait for some trials to conclude. But his international trips have repeatedly been interrupted by distractions back home, and many around him fear that even a solemn World War II observance may not be enough to prevent the president from tweeting an attack at special counsel Robert Mueller or escalating tensions with his hosts, outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May or French president Emmanuel Macron.

___

Additional reporting by APs Hope Yen and Emily Swanson in Washington.

___

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire
COLUMBIA, S.C. - A South Carolina father charged with killing his five children was insane at the time of the slayings, a psychiatrist testified Friday  the final defence witness but the first to say that about the defendant.

Lawyers defending Timothy Jones Jr. called more than two dozen witnesses, including friends, relatives and mental health experts, over seven days. The defence rested its case Friday.

The friends and family testified about a doting father devastated after his marriage fell apart. Jones turned to alcohol and drugs and felt guilty because of his fervent religious beliefs, they said.

The other mental health experts testified that Jones skull had a permanent dent after a car wreck in his teens; he heard voices telling him to kill his kids; and he worried he had inherited schizophrenia from his mother, who has spent decades in a mental intuition.

But before Fridays testimony from psychiatrist Julie Rand Dorney, none of the experts testified they thought Jones couldnt legally tell right from wrong when he killed his children, ages 1 to 8, in their Lexington home in 2014.

The stress and drug use built as Jones juggled an $80,000 a year computer engineer job and being the sole caretaker of the five children, Dorney said. She testified that in the weeks before the killing his calendar was crammed to 15-minute increments with items like learn Spanish, pray with children and learn Hebrew.

All that stress and a synthetic marijuana habit made Jones undiagnosed schizophrenia worse until he snapped and went temporarily insane, Dorney said.

It was obviously at its worst point when this happened, Dorney said.

Jones attorneys will ask the jury to find him not guilty by reason of insanity because he didnt know right from wrong either morally or legally.

In cross-examining Dorsey, prosecutors pointed out Jones made internet searches on how to destroy bodies and keep specially trained dogs from finding decomposing corpses.

Prosecutors also noted that after Jones 6-year-old son Nahtahn died, which Jones said happened after he punished the boy with exercise for breaking an electrical outlet, the father waited six hours  including a trip to a convenience store to get cigarettes and watching a prison rape scene from a movie  before he killed the other four kids, according to bank records and his own confession.

Prosecutors said they have one rebuttal witness Monday. Then both sides will give closing arguments before jurors decide whether Jones is guilty of five counts of murder. If he is convicted, a separate, second trial will be held to decide if he gets death or life in prison without parole.

One defence witness was Dr. Richard Frierson, the psychiatrist ordered to determine if Jones was still insane or mentally competent to stand trial.

Frierson determined Jones was sane now and knew moral and legal right from wrong when he killed each child. Jones said after finding Nahtahn dead, he strangled 8-year-old Mera and 7-year-old Elias with his hands and 2-year-old Gabriel and 1-year-old Abigail with a belt. In various confessions, Jones said the three children who could talk told them that they loved him as he choked them.

Jones said he didnt call 911 because police wouldnt believe his story. And he didnt want his ex-wife, Amber, to get custody of the other children, Frierson testified.

Amber didnt want them. He was going to go away. He grew up without his mother. He thought it would be better if they were just all together. So he made a decision and a conscious choice to kill them, Frierson said.

After killing the kids, Jones wrapped their bodies in plastic and drove around with them in the back of his SUV for more than a week before dumping them on a hillside near Camden, Alabama. He was taken into custody at a drunken driving checkpoint in Smith County, Mississippi after an officer said he smelled a terrible odor of decomposition.

Jones said he was responding to voices in his head as he drove. But Frierson said he saw no evidence what Jones was hearing was psychotic, instead he was hearing the inner dialogue many people have under stress.

What he calls voices are really anxious thoughts that he doesnt like experiencing, Frierson said.

The trial is being livestreamed from the Lexington County courthouse.

___

Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/
WASHINGTON - A former aide to Trump confidant Roger Stone testified about WikiLeaks before a federal grand jury Friday in an investigation related to special counsel Robert Muellers Russia probe.

Andrew Miller testified for about two hours after losing a months-long legal battle to have the subpoena thrown out.

Although the Russia investigation is over, the grand jury that worked with Mueller still hears testimony in cases that are tied to the investigation. Muellers team handed off several cases, including the one against Stone, to other federal prosecutors.

Prosecutors sought Millers testimony as they built a case against Stone, who was charged earlier this year with lying to Congress about his efforts to alert the Trump campaign to WikiLeaks plans to release damaging information on Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.

American intelligence agencies have concluded that WikiLeaks got the information from Russian agents.

Stone has pleaded not guilty.

Millers attorney, Paul Kamenar, said his client doesnt have any knowledge about what Roger Stone knew about WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.

Prosecutors continued push for Millers testimony and documents could signal they are not finished investigating Stone, who is scheduled to go on trial in November.

Mueller officially concluded his Russia investigation when he issued his final report in March and has now left the Justice Department. Mueller found no criminal conspiracy between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Russia, but left open the question of whether Trump acted in ways that were meant to obstruct the investigation.

Miller said he fought the subpoena for nearly a year because he is a strong libertarian.

I believe that youve got to push back on our government when theyre trying to demand to travel across the country to sit with them on a whim, miss work and miss your family, he said outside the courthouse.
SEATTLE - U.S. scientists said Friday they will investigate why an unusual number of gray whales are washing up dead on West Coast beaches.

About 70 whales have been found dead so far this year on the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, the most since 2000. About five more have been discovered on British Columbia beaches. Thats a very small fraction of the total number of whales believed to have died, because most simply sink and others wash up in such remote areas theyre not recorded.

NOAA Fisheries on Friday declared the die-off an unusual mortality event, providing additional resources to respond to the deaths and triggering the investigation.

Many of the whales have been skinny and malnourished, and that suggests they may not have gotten enough to eat during their last feeding season in the Arctic, agency spokesman Michael Milstein told reporters during a conference call.

The eastern North Pacific gray whales were removed from the endangered species list in 1994, after recovering from the whaling era.

The population has grown significantly in the last decade and is now estimated at 27,000  the highest since surveys began in 1967. That has raised questions about whether their population has reached the limit of what the environment can sustain. Another theory suggests that the loss of Arctic sea ice due to global warming is a culprit.

The whales spend their summers feeding in the Arctic before migrating 10,000 miles (16,000 km) to winter off Mexico. Though they eat all along their route, they are typically thinning by the time they return north along the West Coast each spring.

They eat many things, but especially amphipods, tiny shrimp-like creatures that live in sediment on the ocean floor in the Arctic. For many years, researchers noted that fewer calves tended to be born following years when the ice in the Chukchi Sea, north of the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia, was late to melt. The whales had less time to feast because they couldnt access the feeding area, and thus had less blubber to sustain them on their next migration.

Last year, though, the Artic was unusually warm. The whales werent blocked from the feeding area, and yet are still struggling this year. That has scientists wondering if the loss of sea ice has led to a loss of algae that feed the amphipods. Surveys show the amphipod beds moving farther north, said Sue Moore, a biological oceanographer at the University of Washington.

The sea ice has been changing very quickly over the last decade or so, she said. The whales may have to shift to other prey, such as krill or other things they eat.

In an average year, about 35 whales wash up in the U.S.

In 2000, more than 100 did, prompting NOAA to declare an unusual mortality event then as well. The resulting investigation failed to identify a cause. The die-off followed strong changes in ocean conditions in the mid-1990s, suggesting that warmer water patterns affected the availability of prey, but scientists were often unable to perform necropsies, Moore said.

Its sometimes very difficult to get to these whales in a timely fashion, she said. You cant always get the kind of samples you would need for diagnostic reasons.

Since then, researchers have built up an improved network of volunteers and have better educated the public to help report and respond to whale deaths, said Deborah Fauquier, veterinary medical officer at NOAAs Office of Protected Resources. This time around, scientists have been able to perform necropsies on 20 of the whales, she said.

John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the Cascadia Research Collective, noted that as the whales search farther afield for food, theyve entered areas where theyre not normally seen so often, including San Francisco Bay and Puget Sound. That puts them at higher risk of being struck by ships or entangled in fishing gear.

Four of the 10 gray whales found dead near San Francisco this year were struck by ships, and a number of shipping companies have slowed their vessels in the area to avoid collisions.

___

Follow Gene Johnson at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A Florida judge has denied a request by a former police officer to be released from prison as he appeals his conviction in the 2015 shooting death of a stranded motorist.

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Joseph Marx ruled Friday that the flight risk is too great given Nouman Rajas 25-year prison sentence for killing 31-year-old Corey Jones on an Interstate 95 ramp.

Raja was convicted of manslaughter and attempted manslaughter in March, and Marx sentenced him last month.

Attorney Richard Lubin said Raja doesnt have significant Middle East ties and hasnt travelled there in 18 years. He also said the court has possession of Rajas passport and the passports of his two young children. Lubin said he plans to immediately appeal the decision.
DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. - Shortly before midnight, a buzzing crowd stood patiently in a line that bent around the corner of a community centre and stretched far back into the night. After a countdown, the throng streamed into the fairway of food trucks and other vendors, then pressed forward to the cadence of a banging bass drum.

It was suhoor time.

The informal gala  in full swing after midnight, illuminated with string lights and resplendent with the scents of Middle Eastern and other cuisine  has been staged on weekends throughout May in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn Heights. But the Ramadan Suhoor Festival has a specific purpose beyond the carnival atmosphere and bountiful buffet: Its a chance to gather during the Muslim holy month in which worshippers fast daily from dawn through dusk.

Despite its religious underpinnings, and in accordance with Muslim faith, festival organizers also have made one thing clear: Non-Muslims are welcome.

And so they all have come  Muslims and non-Muslims, thousands at a time and collectively in the tens of thousands  to share suhoor, the early morning meal typically consumed before daily fasting resumes and meant to fuel the many hungry hours after sunrise when neither food nor water may pass a faithful Muslims lips. The ring of food trucks serve up more than just overflowing plates. For many, its a welcome departure from the standard pre-dawn Ramadan fare that typically includes spiced or seasoned bread with cheese or yogurt.

Here at the festival, visitors may instead indulge their well-earned appetites with plates of pancakes, halal (permitted under Islamic dietary laws) hot dogs, cheesesteaks, fresh miniature doughnuts and shawarma, which consists of slivers of seasoned, spiced marinated meat.

In a Saturday, May 18, 2019 photo, Ali el Romh of Peepo's Subs and Shawarma creates a chicken platter at the Ramadan Suhoor Festival in Dearborn Heights, Mich. The festival has a specific purpose beyond the carnival atmosphere and bountiful buffet: A chance to gather during the Muslim holy month in which worshippers fast daily from dawn through dusk.













The event itself reflects the areas growing, diverse Muslim population, which goes back more than a century and whose population is estimated by experts to be approaching 300,000. As the community grows, so too does its willingness to practice and more visibly share traditions  with food as the ultimate unifier.

People are becoming more educated about it ... and its a beautiful thing, said Hassan Chami, a pharmacist who started the festival last year. One of my goals here is to celebrate religious diversity.

Other U.S. communities have large Muslim populations, including those in and around New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. They also have hosted festivals drawing thousands to mark the Eid al-Fitr, or the end of Ramadan. The Detroit-areas recurring events aim to amp-up such efforts: They serve as homecomings for some Muslims who left the state and missed the atmosphere, and even attracted a foodie from Houston who had no connection but just wanted to experience it, Chami said.

Chami said he launched the festival after seeing food trucks and tents popping up in gas station and strip mall parking lots in recent years during Ramadan. He was impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit, but thought it would be good to centralize it.

But it had to be authentic. Signs around the festival grounds offer guidance on fasting, prayers and good deeds, and men sitting in a tent recite verses from the Quran, or Islamic holy book, and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. Their amplified recitations waft along with the aromas from Corn on the Corner, Tornado Potato, Smileys Halal, Rafics Felafel and other trucks.

The drum Chami used to welcome attendees gets picked up a couple hours later by a food vendor, who Chami says represents the old villager walking around the town, banging the drum, calling people to wake up and eat the suhoor.

The traditional and contemporary mix mirrors the Islamic community around Detroit, which traces its roots to the earliest auto plants and the burgeoning industrys hunger for workers. In the past 30 years, the area has gone from having about a dozen mosques to more than 90, reflecting immigration of Muslims from across the Mediterranean, Middle East and South Asia.

Sally Howell said Ramadans observance has changed significantly in the three decades she has been researching Islam in Detroit. In the early days, most people would celebrate in homes and mosques  and restaurateurs would complain how the holiday was bad for business. Mosques expanded their offerings, with post-prayer lectures and large iftars  the formal meal eaten after breaking the daily fast and recitation of prayers  that welcomed non-Muslims. Within the past decade, eateries started hosting buffets.

Even though Ramadan-related events were never closed-off to non-Muslims, the new festivals provide an opportunity to further extend participation in elements of the sacred monthlong rite, Howell said.

This is the more social, celebratory side of Ramadan, said Howell, director of the Center for Arab American Studies at University of Michigan-Dearborn. She said the events get a boost because Ramadan, which rotates around the calendar, currently falls in warmer weather months.

Some Muslims have complained on social media about the festival placing a greater emphasis on food over faith. Dana Mohammad, 23, who attended a recent festival, found it very loud, crowded and hype  yet spiritually beneficial.

I think it actually adds to the essence of Ramadan because it brings people together, it binds communities and it builds bridges, which I think is a principle of the holy month, she said.

Donna Bazzy invited fellow emergency room nurses  assuring them it would be open to non-Muslims. Among those accepting was Rhonda Hines.

Im enjoying myself immensely  its wonderful, said Hines, hungrily eying which truck to tackle first. I am very Christian but I love my girl Donna so much, I want to celebrate with her.

Howell and Chami see such festivals as an antidote to the hostility Muslims feel in some quarters and the rhetoric and policies of the Trump administration, which has curbed immigration and travel from several Muslim-majority nations. For both, it recalls the increased scrutiny and suspicion directed at Arabs and Muslims after the 9-11 attacks.

The difference now, they said, is Muslims feel more comfortable outwardly celebrating their faith. That was Chamis mission with the Ramadan Suhoor Festival: Create a space where Muslims could celebrate on their terms but with open arms.

Having that confidence allows us to embrace our culture and allows (other) communities to support us as much as they do, Chami said.

We went through a point where we were trying to prove ourselves, saying Hey, Im just like you, he added. Im over that. ... Were great people. We have an unbelievable culture. We do great here.

___

Follow Jeff Karoub on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffkaroub
Chicagos top prosecutor again shifted her explanation for why she recused herself from an investigation into Jussie Smolletts claim that hed been the target of a hate crime, saying she stepped aside because of false rumours she was related to the Empire actor.

Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx offered the new public explanation in a statement issued along with the release of 2,000 pages of documents in the case, which also refer to the rumours arising as suspicions grew that Smollett, who is black and gay, staged the attack against himself.

Her statement and the documents, which included internal office communications, illustrate how Foxx and her office at times agonized over whether she should recuse herself at all and over how to explain the decision in March to drop all charges that accused Smollett of lying about the assault and making a false police report. Smollett claimed he was the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago in January.

Foxx said in her Friday statement: False rumours circulated that I was related or somehow connected to the Smollett family, so I removed myself from all aspects of the investigation and prosecution ... so as to avoid even the perception of a conflict.

But previous explanations suggested that she recused herself in February because of communications with a Smollett family member as the investigation of the reported attack was ongoing.

Foxx communicated in early February with former first lady Michelle Obamas former chief of staff Tina Tchen, who was representing Smolletts family, and with a member of Smolletts family about the investigation. She recused herself on Feb. 13, and her office cited the communications with the Smollett relative, whom Tchen had encouraged Foxx to call, as the reason for the decision.

The new documents portrayed her as torn about whether to recuse herself at all.

In texts with her chief of staff, Jennifer Ballard Croft, Foxx said she was unhappy about having to step away from the investigation  even calling the false rumours racist.

An ethics officer, she said, told me I had to do it. She continued: There were rumours she claims that I was related to or closely connected to the Smolletts. I told her that wasnt true. She said it was pervasive (in the Chicago Police Department) and that I should recuse. I thought it was dumb but acquiesced. Its actually just racist.

Previously released communications also show how Foxx inserted herself in the case even though she had publicly vowed to stay out of the decision-making.

Parts of the Friday releases, not attributed directly to Foxx but to her office, say the new materials being released reveals that the States Attorney was advised to recuse herself ... solely based upon rumours that she was related to Smollett  which she is not.

It also suggests miscommunication, saying that attorneys within the office advised against using the word recusal in what Foxx was doing  because they saw no actual conflict of interest.

Those communications were not escalated to the States Attorney herself, she said.

Smollett faced 16 felony counts related to making a false report that he was assaulted by two men early on Jan. 29. Investigators said he made the false report because he was unhappy with his pay on Empire and believed such an incident would give his career a boost. Foxxs office dropped the charges on March 26 without any admission of guilt by Smollett, prompting a hail of criticism, including from then Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

Foxxs office released the hundreds of police reports, warrants, internal emails and texts  that media organization had requested for months  as offices closed for the weekend Friday evening. A judge had approved release of the files last week.

Among the documents were letters to Foxx from supporters of Smollett in February, urging her office to rethink the charges.

One letter was from New York attorney Brian Ponder, who wrote #NotJustJussie in the subject line.

He wrote in his letter, dated Feb. 21, 2019, that he understood the gravity of a false-report accusation, but added that, We trust such charges are not only pursued due to social, political, or racial bias. He said: We trust your office will review, investigate, and charge all false reporters, and not just Jussie. America is watching.

The recusal issue has continued to dog the states attorneys office.

In late March  after questions were raised about the dropping of charges  Foxx and her aides sought to recast her role, with one statement saying Foxx used the term recuse in the colloquial use of the term. They said the correct description was that she had informally separated herself from the decision-making in the case.

As documents released earlier illustrated, Foxx nevertheless weighed in at critical points as her staff decided whether to proceed with the prosecution, which began when Smollett was charged on Feb. 20. Her input included a March 8 text to First Assistant States Attorney Joseph Magats, who became the final decision-maker in the Smollett case after Foxx purportedly stepped away.

Foxx texted: Sooo ...... Im recused, but when people accuse us of overcharging cases ... 16 counts on a class 4 becomes exhibit A.

Magats responded to his boss, saying: Yes. I can see where that can be seen as excessive.

In her direct Friday statement, Foxx called the Smollett case unique.

Allegations of a vicious homophobic and racially motivated attack shook our city and the nation with understandable anger and fear, she said. And she added: I did not have a conflict of interest in this case; only a sincere desire to serve the community.

But she also conceded that the matter, especially on the recusal issue, wasnt handled as well as it could have been.

I regret that my attempts to this end created confusion outside the office, she said. She added later: I am sorry that despite the best intentions, our efforts were less than what was required of the moment, she said.
NEW YORK - The Honduran government says that U.S. federal court documents show no incriminating evidence against Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, despite listing him as being a target of a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation.

Honduran officials said in a statement Thursday night that drug traffickers who had been caught and extradited to the U.S. by Hernandez in 2015 falsely accused the president and some of his closest advisers of drug trafficking and money laundering activities.

It said the U.S. government found no evidence of wrongdoing by the president.

U.S. officials have made no comment, though there is no indication of charges against President Hernandez.

The federal court documents were filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York as part of pre-trial motions in the case of Hernandezs brother Juan Antonio Hernandez.
SAN DIEGO - The Navys tracking of emails to lawyers defending a SEAL accused of murder may have intruded on attorney-client privilege but wasnt severe enough to throw out the case, a military prosecutor argued in court Friday.

Lt. Scott McDonald said the effort only gathered data, such as internet protocol addresses, and did not snoop on the content of emails.

Even if there was some intrusion in violation of attorney client-privilege, it didnt rise to the level to dismiss the case, McDonald said.

Lawyers for Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher called the effort spying and said it amounted to prosecutorial misconduct. They have asked a judge to throw out the case or remove the prosecutors.

The judge did not rule on the motions at the close of the two-day hearing. Capt. Aaron Rugh recessed the case until June 10 when Gallagher faces trial on murder and attempted murder charges.

Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to murder in the death of an injured teenage militant in Iraq in 2017 and attempted murder for allegedly picking off civilians from a snipers perch.

On Thursday, Rugh unexpectedly released Gallagher from custody as a remedy to what he called interference by prosecutors.

Rugh chided investigators Friday for refusing to testify about who authorized the scheme to track emails sent to the defence team and a journalist with the Navy Times. Three witnesses from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service declined to take the stand.

The lack of candour or co-operation in this process I think could be huge as a sign of culpability, Rugh said.

Defence lawyer Tim Parlatore said there had been misconduct from the start of the investigation into Gallagher and it continued throughout the case. He said that even if a new prosecution team is named, Gallagher cant get a fair trial.

The defence discovered the tracking code hidden in a suspicious logo of an American flag with a bald eagle perched on the scales of justice beneath the signature of lead prosecutor Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak.

They said the tactic was an illegal search that wasnt properly authorized. Rugh said he had not approved of the measure.

McDonald argued that the email tracking wasnt an illegal search because theres no expectation of privacy for internet protocol addresses and metadata and no need for a warrant.

Were talking about raw data, he said.

___

Melley reported from Los Angeles.
TORONTO, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Mining Inc. (TSX:OSK) (the "Corporation") is pleased to announce the results of its annual meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held earlier today.



A total of 193,103,545 common shares of the Corporation were represented at the Meeting, representing approximately 73.50% of the total number of common shares of the Corporation issued and outstanding.

All matters presented for approval at the Meeting were duly authorized and approved, as follows:

election of all seven management nominees to the board of directors of the Corporation; and



appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors of the Corporation for the ensuing year and authorization of the directors to fix their remuneration.

Detailed voting results regarding the election of directors are as follows:

Name Voted For

(#) Voted For

(%) Voted Withhold

(#) Voted Withhold

(%) John Burzynski 176,695,125 93.52% 12,248,785 6.48% Jose Vizquerra 176,813,137 93.58% 12,130,773 6.42% Sean Roosen 147,589,429 78.11% 41,354,481 21.89% Patrick F.N. Anderson 175,727,345 93.01% 13,216,565 7.00% Keith McKay 175,721,988 93.00% 13,221,922 7.00% Amy Satov 175,937,671 93.12% 13,006,239 6.88% Bernardo Alvarez Calderon 187,135,224 99.04% 1,808,686 0.96%

Further details on the above matters, including the report of voting results thereon, are available on SEDAR under the issuer profile of the Corporation at www.sedar.com .

About Osisko Mining Inc.

Osisko is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious metal resource properties in Canada. Osisko holds a 100% in the high-grade Windfall Lake gold deposit located between Val-d'Or and Chibougamau in Quebec and holds a 100% undivided interest in a large area of claims in the surrounding Urban Barry area and nearby Quevillon area (over 2,700 square kilometres).

For further information on the Corporation please contact:

John Burzynski

President & Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (416) 848-9504
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina is again at the centre of federal litigation spawned by a waiver allowing a state-contracted foster care agency to deny services to same-sex and non-Christian families.

A lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday accuses the state and federal governments of discriminating against a lesbian couple by rejecting them as foster parents. Eden Rogers and Brandy Welch, a couple from Greenville, said they were turned away by Miracle Hill Ministries, a Greenville foster care agency that receives federal funding and has come under fire for denying services to same-sex and non-Christian families.

According to the complaint, Rogers and Welch filled out an online foster parent application earlier this year, identifying themselves as a same-sex couple and members of the Unitarian Universalist Church. The couple says they were rejected, with Miracle Hill officials saying in an email that they feel a religious obligation to partner with foster parents who share our beliefs and who are active in a Christian church.

The suit is the latest development in a conflict that began last year when state social services officials determined that Miracle Hill, which is publicly licensed and funded, had violated federal and state nondiscrimination policies by using religious eligibility criteria when screening prospective foster parents.

Gov. Henry McMaster asked for and received a waiver to get around the Obama-era policy, noting that he would have done so for a Jewish or Muslim organization because he said the issue isnt Christianity but the constitutional protection of religion.

On Friday, McMaster spokesman Brian Symmes said the governors position has nothing to do with keeping anyone from fostering children and has everything to do with protecting Miracle Hills ability to exercise its own religious freedom. As part of the waivers requirements, any family that Miracle Hill  the largest contract foster agency in the state  does not allow to take care of foster children must be referred to other agencies or the state Department of Social Services.

The suit was filed on the couples behalf by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and the South Carolina Equality Coalition.

Federal officials declined to comment on pending litigation. Instead, they pointed to a statement issued when the waiver was approved in which Lynn Johnson, assistant secretary for children and families, said the agency should not  and, under the laws adopted by Congress, cannot  drive faith-motivated foster care providers out of the business of serving children without a compelling government interest.

A Catholic South Carolina mother has also challenged the waiver in court, saying Miracle Hill refused to let her become a foster parent because not a born-again Christian. State and federal officials have asked a judge to dismiss that case, which is still pending in court.

The issue of child placement and same-sex couples has also coming up in Michigan, where faith-based adoption agencies have filed suit against the state, challenging a settlement that prevents them from refusing to put children in LGBT homes for religious reasons. The suit, which alleges violations of the plaintiffs First Amendment rights and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, was brought less than a month after the announcement of a legal agreement involving two lesbian couples who alleged they had been turned away because they are gay.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to murder, corpse abuse and other charges in the killing and dismemberment of his former girlfriend, whose remains were found in a freezer.

Thirty-three-year-old Arturo Novoa entered his pleas Thursday on dozens of felony counts in the Youngstown-area case.

Messages seeking comment were left with Novoas attorneys.

Novoa was charged in the slaying of 28-year-old Shannon Graves, whose limbs were found in July 2017 in a freezer at a property in Campbell (CAM-uhl), just outside Youngstown.

His sentencing is scheduled for June 14.

In a related case, prosecutors are asking a judge to vacate a plea deal for a woman charged with helping hide the remains. They allege she lied to investigators and violated the deal.
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. - Police in suburban Atlanta have dropped a felony charge against the rapper Offset, who was accused of knocking a cellphone out of a fans hands.

Sandy Springs police Sgt. Sam Worsham told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday that all parties involved were able to come to an agreement. The property damage charge stemmed from an April incident at a Target, where 18-year-old Junior Gibbons said his $800 iPhone was destroyed after he tried to film the Migos member.

Gibbons said he wanted the rapper born Kiari Cephus to replace the phone. Attorney Drew Fielding said Cephus client was being exploited.

Cephus faces separate charges in a July 2018 traffic stop in Clayton County. Prosecutors there had asked a judge to revoke his bail following the Target incident, but that motion itself was revoked Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS - Attorneys for the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of fatally shooting an unarmed woman in 2017 plan to ask a sentencing judge for no prison time.

If thats not granted, theyre seeking less prison time than state sentencing guidelines recommend.

Mohamed Noors lawyers filed a motion Thursday asking for a dispositional departure when he is sentenced June 7. He was convicted of third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting 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 house.

The Grounds for the dispositional departure are his particular amenability to probation, co-operation, attitude in court and remorse, Noors attorneys argued in the motion.

As for his co-operation, Noor provided a DNA sample, turned himself in, abided by conditions of his release and was never late for court, defence attorney Peter Wold said Friday.

Wold said Noor did not speak with investigators about the shooting upon the advice of his attorneys.

Minnesota sentencing guidelines call for up to 15 years on the murder conviction and nearly five years on the manslaughter conviction, although judges arent bound by the guidelines.

Noor and his partner were rolling down the alley behind Damonds home and checking out the 911 call just before the shooting. Noor testified that a loud bang on the squad car scared his partner and that he saw a woman raising her arm appear at his partners window. He said he fired to protect his partners life.

Prosecutors attacked Noor for shooting without seeing a weapon or Damonds hands. They also questioned whether the loud bang was real. Neither Noor nor his partner, Matthew Harrity, mentioned it to investigators at the scene, with Harrity first mentioning it three days later in an interview with state investigators.

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. It also cost Minneapolis police chief her job and contributed to the electoral defeat of the citys mayor a few months later.
New York City officials are considering a plan to turn an island where poor and homeless people have been buried for 150 years into a park.

The City Council held a hearing Thursday on a proposal to turn Hart Island over to the Parks Department to be run as a park that would be reached by ferry.

The New York Times reports that Parks Department director of government relations Matt Drury said the department will support the transfer if the city curtails burials there.

The island off the Bronx is now managed by the citys Department of Correction. Roughly 1,100 unclaimed bodies are buried there each year in graves dug by jail inmates.

About a million people have been buried on Hart Island since 1869.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is wading into the United Kingdoms political maelstrom days before he is set to embark on his first state visit there, saying Boris Johnson would make an excellent prime minister and calling Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, nasty.

In an interview Friday with the British tabloid The Sun, Trump expressed support for the controversial ex-foreign secretary in his bid to replace Theresa May, saying, I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent.

May is to step down amid an impasse over Brexit on June 7, just days after Trump is set to be feted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace and after official observances of the 75th anniversary of D-Day are concluded.

Trump referred to the American-born Duchess of Sussex as nasty over comments she made in 2016 threatening to move to Canada if Trump won the White House.

I didnt know that she was nasty, he said of Meghan when read her prior criticism. The former Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, in 2018 and gave birth to their first child, Archie, in May.

During the state visit, the president, his wife, Melania, and his four adult children are expected to meet with Harry as well as his brother, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, and his wife, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Meghan is expected to stay home with Archie.

Trump told the newspaper that he didnt know that he wouldnt be meeting Markle but predicted that she will make a very good American princess.

As for May, Trump criticized her handling of Brexit negotiations with the European Union, saying she didnt give the European Union anything to lose.

Trumps first visit to the UK as president was marred by similar critical comments he made to the same tabloid last year about Mays handling of Brexit.

Trump is scheduled to arrive in London on Monday for a three-day visit.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Relentless flooding in the central U.S. on Friday inundated communities and damaged or spilled over levees on three major rivers in two states, and authorities discovered the body of a drowning victim at a Missouri lake.

The fast-flowing Arkansas River smashed a 40-foot (12-meter) hole in a levee in rural western Arkansas, causing water to spill into a nearby community. In northeast Missouri, a levee was overtopped on the Mississippi River, and another levee was topped on the Missouri River in the central part of the state.

The flooding has been building for days because of heavy rainfall upstream. In Arkansas, officials were warning of more potential problems on an already strained levee system.

These levees were not built to sustain this high a flow for this long, and we are seeing problems and there more than likely will be more, said Laurie Driver, spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District.

In eastern Missouri, the state Highway Patrols Water Division reported that the body of 57-year-old Lane Panasuk, of Butte, Montana, was recovered Thursday evening from Harry S. Truman Lake in Henry County, but the patrol said it did not know why he was in the water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had warned visitors about high water levels that had closed most of the campgrounds around the lake and a road over its dam.

In Arkansas, the levee breached at Dardanelle, about 60 miles (95 kilometres) northwest of Little Rock. Yell County officials had anticipated the breach and urged residents in the nearby Holla Bend area to evacuate Thursday.

The Arkansas River floods along Adams Street Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Van Buren, Ark.



































The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management said crews went door to door to recommend evacuation for about 160 homes.

Yell County Emergency Manager Jeff Gilkey told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that rapid currents from the river ripped a 40-foot (12-meter) section from the levee. Aerial video posted by the sheriffs office Friday showed water pouring through the hole.

There was nothing we could do to stop it, Gilkey said.

National Weather Service data showed a dip in the water level at Dardanelle, likely due to the breach. A flash flood warning was issued early Friday for the area, and forecasters said residents should be prepared for rapidly rising water. Local officials said they were uncertain where the water would end up.

Water is going to do what it wants to do, Yell County Judge Mark Thone told reporters at a news conference. Were just trying to head this off.

The levee breached because of ongoing flooding along the Arkansas River, which began in Oklahoma. Late Thursday night, President Donald Trump approved the Arkansas request for a disaster declaration in 16 counties affected by the flooding. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the declaration will help the state minimize the loss, but added that this is far from over.

Hutchinson said emergency officials were working on getting ahead of the flooding as it continues southeast, trying to identify and strengthen any other pressure points or weak spots in the levee system.

Obviously the breach in Dardanelle is a sign that there could be more of these breaches that will happen as pressure continues to mount in the coming days, Hutchinson said.

Entergy Arkansas said Friday that it does not anticipate any impact to its nuclear plant near the Arkansas River in Russellville.

In Fort Smith, the states second-largest city, the river levels held steady at above-record levels Friday. Officials there said they wouldnt know the extent of the damage until the water receded, which could take days, if not longer.

The National Weather Service in Little Rock originally reported late Friday night that a levee near the capital city had failed, but later updated to say that a containment berm at a riverside petroleum facility had instead been breached. The North Little Rock levee is intact and not in danger of failing, according to the National Weather Service. A flash flood warning for Pulaski County was cancelled.

Officials in Missouri issued a mandatory evacuation order for some residents of Howard County, where the Missouri River topped a levee. County Emergency Management Co-Director Bill John said the levee near Petersburg was expected to fail soon, KRCG reported. Levees in Lewis County along the Mississippi River in northeast Missouri were overtopped Thursday, flooding several thousand acres of farmland. Lewis County Emergency Director David Keith said no homes or businesses were impacted.

In northeastern Oklahoma, residents forced from their homes by flooding made plans to return as the river recedes. The National Weather Service said Friday the Arkansas Rivers level at Tulsa has dropped almost 4 feet from Wednesdays crest and will continue to recede through the weekend. Forecasters say river levels were also dropping in Muskogee, Oklahoma, about 45 miles (72 kilometres) southeast of Tulsa.

Earlier this year, about two dozen levee systems were breached or overtopped during Missouri River flooding that devastated parts of Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

___

Associated Press Writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas and Margaret Stafford in Kansas City, Missouri contributed to this report.
HOUSTON - The remains of a child were found Friday near a freeway in Arkansas where a community activist says a man told him he had dumped the body of a missing 4-year-old Houston girl, police said Friday.

Houston police went to Arkansas on Friday after community activist Quanell X told authorities the man arrested in connection with the disappearance of Maleah Davis confessed he disposed of her body there just before he reported her missing in early May.

Houston Police Commander Michael Skillern, one of the officers who travelled to Arkansas, told reporters that authorities had found a childs remains in a garbage bag near Interstate 30 close to Hope.

Quanell X said he spoke on Friday in jail with Derion Vence, the ex-fiance of Maleahs mother, who had claimed Maleah was abducted. Quanell X said that Vence told him he dumped her body in Arkansas.

Sheriff James Singleton in Arkansas Hempstead County said workers found the bag, which had a foul odor coming from it, near Hope, about 30 miles (48 kilometres) northeast of the Texas-Arkansas border.

Singleton said the medical examiners office in Little Rock likely will have to identify the remains.

If this is the little girl, we want to make sure that we treat it with respect and dignity, Singleton said.

At a news conference in Houston, Executive Assistant Police Chief Troy Finner said authorities wont be able to confirm if the remains are those of Maleah until an autopsy is performed.

It was unclear how long the identification process would take, Finner said.

Do we believe that its possibly her? Yes. But can we confirm it right now? No, Finner said.

Finner said Maleahs family had been notified of Fridays developments in the case and he expects a murder charge will be filed in the case.

We are here to make sure that little angel receives some justice and whoever is responsible we are going to hold them accountable, he said.

Vence, 27, had claimed he, Maleah and his 2-year-old son were abducted on May 4 by a group of men in a truck. He said he and his son were freed the next day but the kidnappers kept Maleah and his silver Nissan Altima. Police said Vences story kept changing and didnt add up.

Police arrested Vence and charged him with tampering with evidence, specifically a human corpse. He remains jailed on a $40,000 bond.

Quanell X said that during his jail visit, Vence told him Maleah is dead and he confessed he dumped the girls body in Arkansas off the side of a road. Quanell X declined to comment on what Vence told him regarding how Maleah had died.

One thing he wanted to make clear to me was what happened to Maleah was an accident, Quanell X said.

In a statement, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said her office has spoken with Vences attorney and there is no agreement in the case.

We continue to work with the Houston Police Department to bring justice for Maleah Davis, Ogg said.

Dorian Cotlar, Vences attorney, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

On Friday, Cotlar filed a motion in court asking a judge to prohibit Quanell X from visiting Vence in jail, where he remains held on a $45,000 bond.

Quanell X had previously spoken on behalf of Brittany Bowens, Maleahs mother, but said he stopped being her spokesman because of inconsistencies in her story.

Child Protective Services removed Maleah and her brothers from the apartment Vence and Bowens shared in August after the girl suffered a head wound, but the children were returned in February, according to an agency spokeswoman.

Bowens could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.

Earlier in May, Bowens told KRIV-TV she loved her children and it was absurd that anybody would think she had anything to do with Maleahs disappearance or with hurting her.

After a cancelled court appearance by Vence on May 13, Bowens was heckled outside the courtroom by people who questioned if she had done enough to protect her daughter before her disappearance.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
SAN DIEGO - The Latest on the court case of a Navy SEAL charged with murder (all times local):

3:55 p.m.

A military prosecutor says efforts to track emails to lawyers defending a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes may have intruded on attorney-client privilege but isnt severe enough to throw out the case.

A judge overseeing the case of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher did not rule Friday on motions by defence lawyers to dismiss the charges or remove prosecutors from the case.

Defence lawyers say prosecutors engaged in misconduct by planting tracking code in emails sent to them and a journalist.

Navy prosecutor Lt. Scott McDonald says the effort only gathered data and did not snoop on the content of emails between lawyers.

The judge didnt say when he would rule.

He recessed the case until June 10 when Gallagher faces trial on murder and attempted murder charges.

___

3:25 p.m.

A military judge has chided investigators in a Navy SEALs war crimes case for not testifying about who authorized a scheme to snoop on defence lawyer emails.

Capt. Aaron Rugh (ROO) said Friday that refusal to testify could be a sign of culpability.

Rugh is considering whether to dismiss murder and other charges against Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher.

Defence lawyers accuse prosecutors of misconduct and want them removed if the judge doesnt throw the case out.

Prosecutors have downplayed the effort to embed code in emails sent to the defence and a journalist in an effort to find the source of news leaks.

Rugh unexpectedly released Gallagher from custody Thursday as a remedy for interference by prosecutors.

Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to crimes in Iraq.

___

10:07 p.m.

Attorneys for a decorated Navy SEAL facing a murder trial in the death of an Islamic State prisoner will try again to have the case dismissed after their client was unexpectedly freed from custody.

A military judge in San Diego released Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher on Thursday, saying it was a remedy after prosecutors interfered with his Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

Gallagher declined to comment.

Gallaghers lawyers have condemned the prosecution for launching an unusual effort to find the source of news leaks in the politically charged case by embedding tracking code in emails sent to defence attorneys and a reporter.

The hearing on their request to dismiss the case continues Friday.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Firefighters for Walt Disney Worlds private government say theyre understaffed and that poses a safety risk as the Florida theme park resort grows even bigger with this years openings of a new Star Wars land and air gondolas.

We just dont have enough firefighters on property to make these families and visitors safe, said Timothy Stromsnes, president of the Reedy Creek Professional Firefighters, Local 2117, which represents the firefighters working for Disneys private government.

The administrator for that local government, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, disagrees and accused the union of airing concerns in the media to increase pressure as it negotiates a new contract. The firefighters contract expired at the end of last year.

Safety is of utmost importance, which is why we are always focused on the district being a safe place and are confident we provide appropriate levels of fire and medical services, Reedy Creek Improvement District administrator John Classe said in an email Wednesday.

He wouldnt comment further.

Disney World spokeswoman Andrea Finger said the safety of guests and employees is a core focus of the resort.

At any given moment, 32 Reedy Creek firefighters are working a 24-hour shift on the 25,000-acre (10,117-hectare) Disney World property. But thats not enough for the number of people who visit the theme park resort, said Stromsnes, adding that there should be an additional 16 firefighters on a shift, at a minimum.

By next year, Disney World is forecast to have as many as 143,000 guests each night at its more than two dozen hotels and up to 153,000 daily visitors at its four theme parks and two water parks. Add a workforce of more than 70,000 employees, and the resort, which is the geographic size of the city of San Francisco, could host anywhere from 215,000 to almost 360,000 people on any given day, according to planning documents from the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Thats roughly on par with the residential population of Pittsburgh, St. Louis or Cincinnati. But the Reedy Creek firefighters face challenges different from fire departments in those cities. While they help patrons with heat-related illnesses, rescue passengers from car accidents and respond to hotel fire alarms, they also help put out the periodic dragon fire , and they are summoned when the occasional vacation turns tragic.

The National Fire Protection Association says in a March 2019 research report there is no defined standard for a proper ratio between firefighters and residents. The median reported ratio for communities between 250,000 and 500,000 residents was 1.14 firefighters per 1,000 people, according to the report.

With a total of 145 firefighters, Reedy Creeks ratio would be 0.67 firefighters per 1,000 people if there were at least 215,000 people on the property on any given day. The actual daily number fluctuates, given the transient nature of tourists.

The Reedy Creek Improvement District, a quasi-private, special-purpose government, is controlled by Disney. It was created in 1967 when then-Florida Gov. Claude Kirk signed legislation authorizing it to regulate land use, enforce building codes, treat wastewater, control drainage, maintain utilities and provide fire protection at Disney World.

Such private governments arent uncommon in fast-growing Florida, which has more than 600 community development districts that manage and pay for infrastructure in new communities.

Walt Disney had originally envisioned building a futuristic, planned city on the Florida property, but those plans were abandoned after his death in 1966.

A lack of a built-in constituency in the district puts the firefighters at a disadvantage since there are no residents putting political pressure on the government to increase staffing, said Sean Pierce, vice-president of the firefighters local union.

___

This story has been corrected to say 32 firefighters work a 24-hour shift at the fire department each day, not three shifts of 32 firefighters per shift each day.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Whether or not China and the United States can make progress in their trade negotiations largely depends on the attitude and sincerity of the U.S. side, said China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Thursday.

The consultations can continue only on the basis of equality and mutual respect, MOC spokesperson Gao Feng said at a press conference.

The wrong practice by the U.S. side of escalating trade frictions and spreading them to other fields has seriously damaged the basis and atmosphere of the consultations, Gao said, noting that "the responsibility lies entirely with the U.S. side."

As for some recent remarks made by the U.S. on the negotiations, Gao said that the information from the U.S. side has been somewhat inconsistent, which called into question its sincerity.

Gao said that China has always believed that cooperation is the only correct choice for China and the United States.

There are principles for cooperation and a bottom line for consultation, he said.

"The Chinese side will never accept any agreement that undermines national sovereignty and dignity. China will never give in on major issues of principle," Gao said.

If an agreement is to be reached, the U.S. side needs to show its sincerity, properly address the core concerns raised by the Chinese side and continue consultations on the basis of equality and mutual respect, he said.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eco Oro Minerals Corp. (CSE:EOM) (the Company or Eco Oro) is pleased to announce that it has completed the second stage (the Supplemental Subscription) of the US$28 million first tranche (the First Tranche) of its previously announced private placement (the Private Placement). On completion of the Supplemental Subscription, the Company issued an aggregate of approximately US$2.5 million of contingent value rights certificates and approximately US$2.9 million of unsecured 0.025% interest-bearing promissory notes due June 30, 2028, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately US$5.4 million. The proceeds of the Supplemental Subscription will be used for working capital needs and to repay outstanding obligations.



Company Profile

Eco Oro Minerals Corp. is a publicly-traded company and its arbitration against the Republic of Colombia is its core focus.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including statements with respect to the use of the proceeds of the Supplemental Subscription. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon the current belief, opinions and expectations of management that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and other contingencies. Many factors could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE Eco Oro Minerals Corp.

For further information: Paul Robertson, Chief Executive Officer (Interim)

Tel: +1 604 682 8212, TF: +1 855 682 8212.

CO: Eco Oro Minerals Corp.
Hysteria and overstatement always accompany new communications technologies: like semaphore (1790s), the telegraph (1850s), cinema (fin-de-siecle) or TV. All were hailed for bringing peace, harmony and democracy. This never happened with techs like refrigeration or electricity. Why? They didnt directly reflect our essence, which seems connected to our kind of verbal communication.

The 1990s internet ecstaticism of MITs Nicholas Negroponte or John Perry Barlow, who compared it to the capture of fire, meant it was bound to fall from grace. Too close to the sun perhaps. You could see it happen at the grand committee hearings in Ottawa this week. Parliamentarians from Canada plus the U.K., Estonia, Ireland, Germany met in a now regular cycle to take on villains aptly called the FAANGs (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google).

The NDPs Charlie Angus eloquently epitomized the shift. He said when he came to Ottawa in 2004 it was to fight for the magnificent freedoms available on the internet. Now hes a recovering digital utopian whos determined to stop its base incarnations like those embodied by Trumps election, Brexit, Cambridge Analytica or Torontos Sidewalk Labs. He said even the committees Tory chair supports internet regulation because thats the world were in now.

(This was the moment when I wondered if Liberal committee members might start silently thanking the Lord that in next falls election they wont be facing rumpled Charlie  passionate, literate, furious  as NDP leader rather than Jagmeet Singh, who beat Angus for the role because hes a shiny new thing.)

The centrepiece was a grilling of reps from Facebook, Google and Twitter. Big FB bosses Zuckerberg and Sandberg had been invited but didnt bother replying. The flunkies who came in lieu, looking annoyed as if theyd had to interrupt their morning soy lattes, chirped idiocies like, We welcome engagement with governments and legislators around the world  to tell us where they think we should be drawing the lines.

It was pretty close to screw you and please note Im trying to say it in a nice way. In turn the legislators didnt even call them by name; just: Facebook, whaddaya say about

If all this doesnt convince Justin Trudeau and his posse to be less gaga over tech like Sidewalk Labs, then nothing will. In fact probably nothing will.

The scorching they got was what those underlings (and their bosses) richly deserved. Chair Bob Zimmer said his kids were getting more and more addicted to their phones though kids always give cause for panic: over rock n roll, comic books, drugs. In fact, the rage oddly mirrored the old internet utopianism.

Witness Shoshana Zuboff, a U.S. prof who writes about surveillance capitalism, called it a virus infecting every economic sector. A new kind of product that can be applied to anything and everything, assaulting democracy, human autonomy and individual sovereignty. It recreates the world before the rise of the printing press, where they know everything and we know nothing.

I dont like glamorizing the threat this way. Even Noam Chomsky, in his critiques of mass media of the past, never said they actually made people stupid; he said they tried, precisely because people arent. Nor did people vote for Trump or Brexit because of the internet; or rather: some mightve but others had their reasons. The vile overlords of media always overestimate their power and its a shame when critics reinforce that arrogance. You can take them on without implying that any resistance to them is probably futile.

I recently rewatched the classic 1936 British documentary, Night Mail, about the train carrying letters from London to Scotland overnight. It transforms the gloom of the dark Satanic mills of the 1800s, into a technology happily helping people connect. It ends with W.H. Auden reading his poem about the train, mimicking its rhythms.

That may have been an easier technology to identify with. You could see the levers work as brakemen switched tracks to let the Postal through, or men in suits sorting letters on board. And it was based on public ownership with democratic oversight  the General Post Office.

In fact, you could picture Charlie Angus as the engineer on that train, leaning out of the cab and looking optimistically up the track.

Correction - May 31, 2019: This aritcle was edited from a previous version that misstated the given name of Shoshana Zuboff, author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism.

Rick Salutin is a freelance contributing columnist and commentator for the Star about all things current affairs and politics. He is based in Toronto. Reach him on email: ricksalutin@ca.inter.net

Read more about:
Donald Trump makes a good point when he says his presidency is not nearly as unpredictable as we journalists often claim.

Take next week, for example, when he travels to Europe.

The U.S. president starts off in the United Kingdom for his first formal state visit, and then goes to France to join European leaders in celebrating the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

But how can we say this man is unpredictable when we know what will happen next week?

It will be a replay of the state visit he made this past week to Japan and similar to his previous visit to Europe last year.

In other words, it will be a disaster.

As he did in Japan, Trump will preen during every ceremonial moment focused on him, glower whenever public attention is redirected elsewhere and obsess about whatever tangential political insult enters his brain  all with the intent of humiliating his hosts and undermining any remaining trace of traditional U.S. interests.

But one important thing will be different. In spite of its political divisions, Europe is stronger than in recent years, and Trump is significantly weaker as this latest trip is set to begin.

After last weekends European parliamentary elections, Europe appears to be in a much more stable place to protect itself from the damage that Trump has been trying to inflict on its unity, its security and its alliance since he assumed office more than two years ago.

In many respects, the European Union elections were a surprise. Spanning countries with 400 million eligible voters, they are the second-largest democratic exercise in the world, second only to Indias election.

But with declining turnout in each election since voting began in 1979, they are often dismissed. However, this year  with Europe becoming the frontline against threatening right-wing populist and nationalist forces  turnout increased for the first time, and at 51 per cent, it was higher than in any European election since 1994.

Aided by Trumps pro-populist support, there were expectations that the far right would sweep the vote, but that didnt happen.

There were certainly cases of populist success  in Italy, for example, and Britains Brexit Party  but throughout most of Europe, there were more examples of a liberal and Green party surge that suggests the advance of the far-right in this era of Trump may have finally been halted.

As Trump returns to a newly energized Europe, here are five key lessons from last weekends election results:

1. Overall, Europe won

The election has produced a very fragmented European Parliament, but pro-European forces came ahead  controlling 502 of the 751 seats. That, in todays political climate, is a victory  even though the political centre was weakened. The enormous turnout was another sign of growing voter interest in Europe.

2. No nationalist surge

Although the far right did well in countries such as Poland, Italy and Hungary, the wider nationalist surge elsewhere in Europe didnt happen. Votes for the right-wing parties in the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany fared poorly. And overall, the nationalist grouping in the parliament will be around 25 per cent of the total, well below expectations.

3. A Green wave

Europes Greens benefited from growing public anxiety about the climate crisis and emerged with their highest count ever in the European Parliament. Incredibly, they nearly doubled their 2014 result in Germany to finish in second place behind Angela Merkels conservatives. Green parties also finished second in Finland and very strong in France and the rest of Northern Europe.

4. Macron still prevails

Frances President Emmanuel Macron  under brutal attack at home for his economic policies  was expected to be humiliated in this vote, but emerged strong. Although his party came second to the far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen, Macron is still expected to be the key pro-European progressive in the European Parliament. Le Pens party actually lost support from 2014.

5. Brexit on life support

In Britain, this turned out to be a proxy vote about Brexit. The pro-Brexit party led by Nigel Farage emerged as the leading individual party, but it was a pyrrhic victory. Led by the Liberal Democrats, the coalition of parties in favour of keeping Britain in the EU polled a total of 40 per cent, which was more than the 35 per cent on the pro-Brexit side.

Most of Trumps European trip next week will be in the United Kingdom, where he will undoubtedly embrace the architects of Britains doomed Brexit policy, and claim credit for himself. But that will be a farce.

Beyond the inevitable bluster and bumbling in the week ahead, Trumps only real legacy on this trip will be to remind Europeans how much he is on the wrong side of history on so many issues.

Tony Burman , formerly head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, is a freelance contributing foreign affairs columnist for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyBurman

Read more about:
Landlord fined again over renoviction of tenants, May 28

Kudos to the Star for its continuing coverage of the alarming increase in renovictions and their effects on the affordable housing crisis in Toronto.

The latest example involves the landlord of an eight-unit apartment building in Little Italy who evicted existing tenants under the guise of conducting needed renovations and subsequently failed, as required by law, to allow those tenants the right to return to their units after the renovation was completed.

A year after they were forced out, their units were being occupied by new tenants paying three times the original rent. The consequence of this bad faith by the landlord was an Ontario Court of Justice penalty totalling $60,000 and a $75,000 fine levied by the Landlord and Tenant Board.

You dont need to be a math major to conclude that these amounts will be easily recovered in a few months at the increased rent levels. Its no wonder unscrupulous landlords see the Residential Tenancies Act as nothing more than a minor irritant and any potential fines as a legitimate cost of doing business.
City hall packed as return of OMB looms, May 28

I am dismayed at the Ontario governments proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act, given the landmark UN report warning about the imminent rapid acceleration in the global rate of species extinction. The Journal Nature has stated that the loss of species and habitat poses as much danger to life on Earth as climate change does.

Our government has chosen to ignore the warnings and is pushing ahead with legislation that will allow developers the right to kill endangered species and destroy critical habitat in exchange for paying into a fund. It will strip protection from species like the piping plover, only recently trying to make a comeback in the Great Lakes, since there is a population of them elsewhere in the world.

They are changing the rules so that developers and industry representatives can sit on a committee that determines whether species continue to have endangered status. The minister of the environment would be able to delay protection for three years to newly protected species, preventing them from the protection they are supposed to have through endangered status.

This is not in the interests of the people of Ontario and will be a contributing factor to the acceleration of species extinction and a permanent loss of critical habitat in Ontario.

Wetlands clean and purify water. Decomposers break down organic matter in soil that nourishes crops. Bees and other threatened insects pollinate fruits and vegetables. We need to protect our natural heritage for future generations and for the health of our nation.

I am asking Premier Doug Ford to listen to the scientists and the residents of Ontario. Leave the Endangered Species Act alone and remove these changes from Bill 108.

Nancy Moysiuk, Toronto

Read more about:
OTTAWAThe Canadian government is downplaying the latest explosion in U.S.-Mexico relations, calling U.S. President Donald Trumps threat of 5 per cent tariffs on all Mexican imports a bilateral border dispute that wont stall the newly renegotiated three-way free trade pact.

The new U.S. action to impose punishing escalating tariffs on Mexican imports to force a crackdown on illegal immigration and drug smuggling could potentially derail ratification of the new NAFTA although Mexico and Canada moved swiftly Friday to dial down the temperature and react with calm public reassurances.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland shrugged off the dispute as a bilateral issue, just as beefs over the northern border with Canada would be a bilateral Canada-U.S. matter, she said.

But Freeland injected a note of caution in her statements: Our intention is insofar as possible to move in tandem with our partners, to ratify the new NAFTA, she told reporters.

Mexican President President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told a daily news conference that the tariff threat does not stop the process that was already started to ratify the deal. Were going to continue.

However investors did not react with the same aplomb.

The announcement of new tariffs on Mexico, which is the largest source of U.S. vehicle and auto-parts imports, sent North American stock markets tumbling on Friday morning.

It came just as all three countries had taken formal steps this week to proceed to formally ratify the new Canada-United States-Mexico agreement on trade among the continental partners. The deal wont enter into force until it is formally ratified by all three.

Trump announced his latest punishing and escalating tariff plan in a tweet Thursday night.

It was not signalled to the Canadian government during a high-level visit to Ottawa hours earlier by Trumps vice-president Mike Pence, although Pence did speak at length about Trumps concerns regarding the southern U.S. border, said a senior Canadian official, speaking on a background-only basis.

However, Canadian officials have learned to expect the unexpected from the Trump administration, he said.

The Mexican border has been a preoccupation of the presidents since before he was elected on a promise to build a wall at the border with Mexico, and force Mexico to pay for it.

Asked whether its helpful or unhelpful for the U.S. to threaten Mexico, Freeland dodged, saying that really is a question for the White House. Im paid in Canadian dollars, not in pesos or U.S. dollars and I speak for Canada.

Nor did Freeland directly address whether Trumps latest action proves the U.S. could still slap tariffs on Canadian products.

The Trump administration is still considering whether to levy tariffs on uranium imports under the same obscure national security provision it once cited to protect steel and aluminum. American domestic producers want quotas to protect a quarter of the U.S. uranium market for themselves. Canada only won the lifting of the steel and aluminum tariffs two weeks ago.

Trudeau, standing next to Pence on Thursday, appeared to gird himself for another battle, stressing that Canada is a stable and reliable source of uranium for American civil nuclear reactors. Maintaining access is good for Canada and the U.S. alike. Canada is one of the top global producers of uranium, and exports 85 per cent of its uranium products to the United States, Europe and Asia.

The Conservatives and New Democrats are critical of the move to ratify the new NAFTA, saying there is no rush. The NDP hopes for more progressive changes, while Conservatives say the Liberal government gave up too much in the new deal.

They claim the legislation to approve it inserted a clause that recognizes the deal could still change even after it is approved by Parliament  a point Freeland refuted Friday, saying their facts were wrong.

While the Liberal government has tabled legislation to ratify the new NAFTA, it is still being careful to move no faster than the U.S. because it recognizes the Democratic leadership in the U.S. Congress, which wants changes to the labour and environmental provisions, could still force Trumps hand to agree to modifications, in which Canada would then have no leverage or input.

And Trudeau warned Thursday, I think we all know that reopening negotiations could lead to significant delays in bringing into force a deal that would be  will be good for all sectors in our three economies.

Conservative MP Leona Alleslev, a one-time Liberal, dismissed the Trudeau governments claims it has made gains: The full lifting of U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs is pure fiction. The prime ministers new NAFTA deal allows the U.S. to reimplement punishing tariffs any time Trump feels an unfair market surge.

The Trudeau government continues to defend the agreement.

But the U.S. presidents tariff tirade  which continued Friday  could undermine all that.

On Friday, Trump used a series of tweets to expand on the conditions Mexico must meet or face tariffs, saying it has taken advantage of the United States for decades on immigration, auto exports and on the illegal drug trade.

He wrote that Mexico makes FORTUNE from the U.S. and can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!

In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA. Mexico must take back their country from the drug lords and cartels. The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!

Trump also referred to drugs coming across the border, saying 80,000 people died last year, 1,000,000 people ruined. This has gone on for many years & nothing has been done about it. We have a 100 Billion Dollar Trade Deficit with Mexico. Its time!

The office of the United States Trade Representative reports that the U.S. goods and services trade deficit with Mexico was $72.7 billion in 2018.

Bloomberg reported the tariffs represent a de facto dismantling of NAFTA, which could unite a broad coalition of manufacturers, farmers and bipartisan lawmakers against the president the year before he seeks re-election.

The Mexican peso weakened by as much as 3 per cent after Trumps tweets, while investors fled to the safest assets as concerns over new trade conflicts mount. The Japanese yen gained while U.S. futures tumbled and 10-year treasury yields reached a fresh 20-month low.

By using tariffs to score political points on border security with the element of his voter base most opposed to illegal immigration, Trump jeopardizes a real legislative win and the economic growth that continues to prop up his popular approval.

With files from Bloomberg News

Read more about:
A second visit from the White House, a second flipping of the bird to Canada on the way out.

Almost a year ago, Donald Trump was in a room with Justin Trudeau and the other leaders at the G7 summit in Charlevoix, Que., making nice with the free-traders around the table only to then disown the joint communique and trash-talk the prime minister on Twitter from aboard Air Force One as it left Canadian airspace.

Many months of bitterness and painstaking negotiations have now passed, finally culminating in a tentative deal to revise NAFTA and, just two weeks ago, an agreement for the United States to lift punishing steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexico and Canada.

While Trump has yet to make a state visit to Canada, Vice-President Mike Pences trip to Ottawa on Thursday was widely seen by Canadian diplomats as a gesture of friendship and compatibility  at last  on the free-trade file. He praised Trudeau for being a tough negotiator. He signalled American momentum in ratifying the new NAFTA. He offered U.S. solidarity in attempts to free two Canadians detained in China, caught in the crossfire between the U.S. and China over technological dominance.

But within hours of Pence leaving, Trumps unpredictable inclination to wield tariffs as a blunt diplomatic tool roared back with a vengeance.

Trump has threatened to impose a 5-per-cent tax on Mexican tariffs starting on June 10, rising to 25 per cent by October, unless Mexico halts the flow of migrants illegally crossing its border into the United States.

Using tariffs to negotiate on immigration is way outside the bounds of what most countries consider to be fair game.

And while the most recent threat may sound like a bilateral affair between Mexico and the United States, it comes just days after Canada, Mexico and the United States declared their loyalty to free trade within the North American market. Canada and Mexico were able to finally persuade the U.S. to lift aluminum and steel tariffs by vowing to act as a trade bloc and keep all sources of cheap Asian metals out. Going forward, they would act as one.

The commitment seemed to remove the biggest impediment to ratification of the new NAFTA, which Canadian business badly wants in hand in order to have some certainty when making decisions about investing and setting up supply chains.

Now that new threats of tariffs hang over Mexico, capital markets and trade negotiators around the world are wondering how anyone can negotiate anything at all with Trumps White House, not just NAFTA.

And China is no doubt rubbing its hands in glee as its refusals to take U.S. negotiators at their word now seem vindicated.

Both Canada and Mexico say theyll look past the threats, and soldier on with the process to ratify the new NAFTA. And Mexico is expected to continue its ongoing discussions with the United States about how to better control illegal migrants.

But on a practical level, what other options do they have but to hope that Trump didnt really mean what he said, and hunker down for another round of supply-chain pain?

Perhaps the markets can do our negotiating for us.

The U.S.-China trade war has hurt global economic activity, rattling business plans and cutting into growth around the world  especially at the end of last year and the beginning of this year.

Now, however, countries and companies are finding ways to adapt, mainly by trading with each other to fill in the holes and calm the turbulence left by the massive tariffs that the United States and China have placed on each other. Chinas imports from the United States have plunged. On the other hand, Chinas imports from Brazil, the European Union even Canada are now on the rise  despite Chinas ban on Canadian canola.

Thats a harsh message for Trump, who notoriously keeps a close eye on signals from financial markets. It speaks far louder than Canadian governments who have argued endlessly to the White House that protectionism hurts Americans as much as anyone.

In reality, Canada is so dependent on American markets that diplomacy and a search for new customers beyond the U.S. can only take us so far. In that light, the duplicity of the White Houses latest moves in Canada and Mexico are far more harmful than anything Trump tweeted at Trudeau last year.

Bring back the insults and name-calling of 2018.

Read more about:
Premier Doug Ford says school boards need to get their act together and again pledged that no teacher will lose their job because of changes brought in by his government.

Asked about the possibility of teacher layoffs in Toronto  as other boards have warned, given provincial cutbacks  Ford said that wont happen.

The Toronto District School Board recently sent out a memo about staffing for the fall, letting teachers know that those with more seniority will be able to bump more junior ones out of their jobs, and cant guarantee that everyone in the end will have a position.

In order to keep the promise of no layoffs as it boosts class sizes starting in Grade 4, the Ontario government has set up a $1.6 billion attrition fund. The Toronto board, however, said that wont cover teachers whose positions are being lost because of previous cuts, or those moving from central positions back into the classroom.

We have been clear that we hope to place any staff who have been bumped, by the end of the summer and into the school year, however we are not in a position to guarantee that at this time, said Toronto board Chair Robin Pilkey.

According to the details provided by the Ministry of Education, the provinces attrition protection funding does not apply in all situations. As a result and in accordance with our collective agreements, we have notified staff that layoffs are a possibility.

Read more:

Teachers could be bumped out of their jobs, Toronto school board warns

Ford offers school boards and municipalities money to hunt for savings

Toronto District School Board asked to take a stand against Ford government cuts

The Toronto board is already facing a $67.8 million shortfall, $42 million of which is because of provincial cuts.

On Friday, Ford said his government is going to be supporting (school boards) on finding savings, and running things more efficiently.

Some of these school boards  youve got to wonder about them, he also said at a press conference in Courtice, east of Oshawa, adding theres oodles and oodles of waste.

He said I believe in trying to work with them  even though these guys waste more money than you could imagine.

Finance Minister Vic Fedeli has said the government is adding $700 million to education for this year, but much of it is due to growing enrolment, the child-care rebate as well as the first instalment of the attrition fund.

Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath noted the Halton District School Board surveyed 7,000 parents and found little support for fewer teachers, fewer  and larger  classes in high school, and mandatory online credits.

The government is not working with its partners, said Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser. It needs to do that because its impacting kids.

A number of new parent groups spoke out Friday saying they dont feel this government is listening.

According to the Ford governments plan, in three years from now, one-quarter of todays high school classes will no longer exist, severely limiting our kids one-on-one time with teachers and limiting their opportunities said Kylie Balogh, of Waterdown Families for Public Education.

Parents across Ontario know these cuts will gut our public system, and that is why we have joined forces to stop them.

Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards Association, said it remains to be seen whether the attrition funding will be enough to cover the loss of thousands of teaching positions over the next four years.

She said while the government has been saying theres more money in education, per-pupil spending is down so there will be general and support staff budget cuts.

Its unfortunate, she said. Its not going to be a good year.

The province has said it wants school boards to chop 4 per cent from their budgets, something Abraham said will be very difficult given most of their budgets are on staffing and salaries.

Read more about:
Your digital subscription allows you to view any content, comment on any issue and submit your own news to our newsroom.

Digital subscriptions do not include home delivery of the Tracy Press. To receive the paper at home, sign up for Premium Membership.
Summer living is supposed to be easy, according to George Gershwin, but millions of air passengers during this years peak travel season may beg to differ thanks to a confluence of events that are making airlines and airports nervous.The U.S. carriers trade group, Airlines for America, estimates that a record 257.4 million people will fly from June 1 through the end of August, the tenth consecutive summer increase. Those throngstotaling on average 2.8 million people each daywill confront two unique challenges: the possible reassignment of hundreds of aviation security personnel to the Mexican border, and the continued worldwide grounding of Boeings 737 Max.

Airlines are expected to be robustly profitable during the summer season, a period when heavy demand keeps fares higher and planes fuller than during other parts of the year. But this year, all bets are off.

Regulators are still investigating the safety of the 737 Max following two crashes over five months that killed a total of 346 people. Three of the four largest U.S. carriers are grappling with how to cover their busy summer schedules with the loss of six dozen Boeing Co. 737 Max aircraft. The lack of those planeswhich many airlines purchased to be their new workhorse of the skiesadds further pressure to carriers and customers at a time when the air travel system traditionally operates at full throttle.

Mario Tama/TNS

American Airlines Group Inc., Southwest Airlines Co. and United Continental Holdings Inc. have removed the Max from their schedules through August, leaving thousands of passenger flights to be covered at a time of year when virtually no seats fly empty. (Canadas two largest airlines also have 37 Max aircraft between them.)On Friday, United said it would cancel 2,410 flights in June and July due to the grounding as it extended its Max-free schedule to Aug. 3. Southwest, the largest Max operator with 34, has put Aug. 5 on its schedule as a placeholder for the Maxs return to the fleet; American has set Aug. 19, the date that carrier sets as the unofficial close of its peak season. American said the Max grounding is causing 115 daily flight cancellations; Southwest has about 4,000 daily flights but hasnt detailed how many daily cancellations it sees this summer due to the troubled plane.

And theres no telling when it will be cleared to fly again. The FAA and its regulatory counterparts from 31 nations gathered in Fort Worth, Texas last week. The general consensus was that its too early to set any time frame on when the plane may return to commercial service.

The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, is mulling plans to transfer dozens of air marshals and as many as 400 airport screeners from the Transportation Security Administration to assist with ongoing border operations in the southern U.S. The proposalsalong with an administration plan to divert more than $230 million from the TSA to border functionshas stirred consternation among airlines, unions and airports over the collateral damage they may cause, alongside the general debate over President Donald Trumps immigration policies.

As the busy summer travel begins, it couldnt be a worse time [to] undermine important safety programs and endanger the safety, security and comfort of the traveling public, Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said last week. The U.S. Travel Association has also sounded the alarm about the potential for airport chaos if too many TSA staffers volunteer to take on unspecified work at the U.S.-Mexico border.

In a May 23 letter to TSA officials, the ranking members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Democrat Maria Cantwell of Washington, said they have concerns about the potential impact such moves could hold for aviation security.

TEXAS INC. | NEWSLETTER Get Texas business news updates from behind the scenes each weekday. See More Collapse

The DHS said in an emailed statement that it will seek minimize the impact of the administrations volunteer effort by limiting participants from airports that are already stretched thin.
Modelo and Corona are now in the trade war's cross hairs, and that's bad news for Constellation Brands Inc.

The alcohol giant's shares plunged on Friday after President Donald Trump threatened to put tariffs of as much of 25% on goods coming across the border from Mexico. That would include the beer and tequila brands produced by Constellation, which has gotten a boost in recent years from the rising popularity of Modelo in the U.S.

Constellation generates about two-thirds of its revenue from beer and produces the "vast majority" of it in Mexico, according to Ken Shea, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. That puts the company at risk as Trump threatens to escalate a trade war tied to concerns over illegal immigration. It also sells the tequila brand Casa Noble.

Constellation could manage a proposed 5% tariff set to go into effect June 10, but a potential hike to 25% "poses a material risk to sales and earnings," Shea said. That would likely force the company to raise prices on its beer, a move that could potentially push price-sensitive beer drinkers to other brands in the competitive industry, he said.

"It becomes much more problematic," Shea said. "In this environment, I don't think the market is going to accept big price increases."

Constellation's shares dropped as much as 8.6% to $171.27, the largest intraday drop in almost five months.

The company didn't respond to a request for comment on the tariff threat.

Constellation, mostly known as the producer of Modelo and Corona, has gained attention in recent years with a high-profile investment in Canopy Growth Corp., the Canadian company that is the world's most valuable marijuana firm.

In addition to its Mexican beer brands, Constellation also sells wine and booze. In April, the company announced plans to shed roughly 30 wine and spirits brands, most of which price below $11, to E. & J. Gallo for about $1.7 billion as part of its bid to focus on its more premium products.

Once that deal closes, beer will account for more than 70 percent of the company's net sales, increasing the potential impact of higher tariffs, Shea said.
Gap Inc. tumbled as much as 16% -- the most since 2016 -- after the clothing retailer reported a slump in sales at both its namesake line and Old Navy, threatening the potential appeal for a spinoff of the discount chain.

Same-store sales, a key measure of a retailer's performance, fell 4% companywide, worse than the estimate compiled by Consensus Metrix. Weakness at the Gap brand appears to be deepening, with comparable sales down 10%, more than double the projection.

Another concern is Old Navy, a brand that the company refers to as a "powerhouse." Same-store sales there fell 1%, while analysts had forecast growth of 0.8%

A turnaround doesn't appear imminent: Gap Inc. now expects same-store sales for fiscal 2019 to be down in the low single digits after cold, wet weather weighed on the first quarter. Poonam Goyal, an analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, said the lowered guidance "implies continued weakness across all banners."

The shares fell to as low as $17.32 on Friday, and the stock has now lost more than 40% of its value since an initial jump followed the announcement of a spinoff at the end of February. Gap's results also dragged down shares of Swedish rival Hennes & Mauritz AB and Spain's Inditex.

With a tough start to 2019, "questions remain on whether the complexity of executing a spin in the current environment," according to Kate Fitzsimons, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets.

Gap Chief Executive Officer Art Peck said on Thursday that the company is still "confident" in its plan to spin off Old Navy. The company has formed a team to manage the separation, and is planning an event in mid-September to discuss it with investors.

The company's selection of clothing appears to be a key part of the problem. Chief Financial Officer Teri List-Stoll said Gap held back on marketing support during the first quarter in part because the merchandise wasn't up to par.
Back when Eddie Lampert was campaigning for approval of his plan to rescue Sears, he emphasized his promise to give severance to employees who lost their jobs after the retailer went bankrupt. If liquidators wound up with the chain, he told Sen. Elizabeth Warren in February, "these employees would be getting nothing.''

Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., criticized Lampert Friday for backing off his pledge, after his firm said in court papers it had no severance obligation because of a shortfall in funds it expected to get from the old Sears Holdings Corp.

"You are betraying the commitment you made to Sen. Warren, to the bankruptcy court, and most importantly, to the tens of thousands of workers who have lost their jobs and face uncertain futures after your exploitative tenure at Sears," the lawmakers wrote to Lampert in a letter dated May 30. They asked him to respond by June 14 to a series of new questions about his plans for Sears, including the promise for severance of up to $43 million.

Those accusations are false, according to Lampert's Transform Holdco, which said in an emailed statement that employees of old Sears have already received their severance payments from the old Sears. The dispute revolves around whether Transform will reimburse the old Sears estate for those payments, it said. Messages to the old Sears corporation weren't immediately returned.

Protecting severance has become a hot-button issue for elected officials, bankrupt companies and their advisers as some of the biggest chains get consumed by the U.S. retail bust. Workers and their advocates say it's unfair that bankers, consultants, lawyers and sometimes owners walk away with millions of dollars in fees and assets while long-time staffers are sent away empty-handed.

The issue burst into the political sphere after more than 30,000 Toys "R" Us workers didn't get the severance they expected when the biggest U.S. toy retailer collapsed in 2017. Warren was among officials demanding that the chain's old private equity owners and its financiers create a $75 million fund for the workers. After initially balking, KKR & Co. and Bain Capital created a $20 million fund.

Treatment of Sears workers emerged almost immediately as a central issue after the department store chain filed for bankruptcy last October. Lampert emphasized in his Feb. 19 letter to Warren that his rescue plan would protect jobs and pensions and ensure severance pay for those left behind. Lampert -- who was chief executive when Sears went bankrupt -- agreed to pay severance for the thousands of workers left jobless.

But in a May 25 court filing, Lampert's Transform Holdco, which took over the Sears chain, said the administration of the old Sears corporation didn't hand over the assets and funds he was promised, and the shortfall gave his new Sears the right to reduce its severance payment commitment "to zero."

Lampert previously has said he invested billions of dollars trying to make Sears profitable.

"I have been a long-term investor in a small number of companies and believe strongly in creating value for all stakeholders, especially the employees," Lampert said in his February letter.
Wells Fargo & Co. is in negotiations to settle a U.S. probe into procurement of low-income housing tax credits as its top lawyer tries to clean up issues before handing off the chief executive officer role.

The U.S. Justice Department is aiming to resolve an investigation into multiple banks' alleged manipulation of tax-credit bidding in the next couple months, according to people familiar with the matter. Wells Fargo's settlement could exceed $100 million, said the people, asking not to be identified because no agreement has been reached.

The agency is investigating whether Wells Fargo and other banks, including PNC Financial Services Group Inc., colluded with developers to lower bids for tax credits that are part of a federal program to encourage development of affordable housing. Wells Fargo is searching for an outside leader to replace Tim Sloan, who stepped down in March after struggling to move the lender past a number of scandals. The bank named general counsel Allen Parker as interim CEO.

State housing agencies award federal tax credits to developers, who sell them to banks or other investors in the housing projects. Inconsistencies in credit purchase prices for similar projects in recent years prompted an inquiry into potential fraud, with developers selling banks the credits for deflated prices in exchange for better loan terms.

Lowering the price of the tax credit provides a higher return to a project's investor, while resulting in lower tax revenue for the U.S. government. It also could lead to some deals getting more credits than they would otherwise need, rather than freeing them up for other projects. The probe has prompted some banks to self-report behavior related to the tax credits to state housing agencies, one of the people said.

San Francisco-based Wells Fargo disclosed government inquiries in a regulatory filing last year. Two community lending and investment employees were fired in connection with the probe, Bloomberg reported in November. AnnMarie McDonald, a spokeswoman for Wells Fargo, said the company was fully cooperating with the investigation, but couldn't comment further on it.

"Wells Fargo's investment in affordable housing has helped improve access to housing in cities across the country where it is needed most, and we remain committed to LIHTC projects for both the short and long term," McDonald said in an emailed statement.

A PNC spokeswoman said the bank is cooperating with the probe. A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment.
Randall Park and Ali Wong met in the late 1990s at a fried rice cooking competition hosted by a mutual friend from the LCC Theatre Company, an Asian American performance group Park co-founded while attending UCLA. That's what Wong would say, at least. Too much time has passed for Park to recall how they met, so he shares her story because, as he recently said over the phone, "she has a great memory."

The pair hit it off creatively, collaborating a bunch throughout the years that followed. They performed in the same improv comedy group, and she used to take him around different venues in San Francisco when they both did stand-up. The notion of working on a movie together was something they only casually floated due to a shared love of romantic comedies. Then, Wong offhandedly mentioned their desire to make "our version of 'When Harry Met Sally'" in a 2016 interview with the New Yorker.

The idea gained traction. Suddenly, strangers began to express how much they, too, wanted the movie: "Dear Hollywood, Please Make Ali Wong and Randall Park's Dream Rom-Com," Vulture pleaded.

"A lot of outlets picked up on that, and we got a lot of calls from studios and producers," Park said. "We realized there was a demand for it. That's when we kind of hunkered down and started working."

The movie arrived on Friday in the form of "Always Be My Maybe," which the close friends co-wrote, alongside former LCC member Michael Golamco, and also starred in for Netflix. They play childhood best pals Marcus Kim (Park) and Sasha Tran (Wong), who drift apart after a spat in high school and eventually reconnect as adults. Sasha, now a renowned celebrity chef, returns to her hometown of San Francisco for a few months to open a new restaurant. Marcus still lives there, a stoner who works for his father's HVAC company while rapping with his band, Hello Peril, on the side.

"Always Be My Maybe" has earned buzz for several reasons, the most prominent of which might be the stars themselves. Park, who made an impression playing Kim Jong Un in "The Interview" and with the bit part of Asian Jim in "The Office," is now known most for his lead role in ABC's "Fresh Off the Boat," the first American sitcom to star an Asian family since Margaret Cho's in the mid-1990s. ("Fresh Off the Boat" creator Nahnatchka Khan also directed "Always Be My Maybe.") Wong's star power shot up three years ago with the release of her raunchy Netflix special "Baby Cobra," which she filmed while almost eight months pregnant. Park referred to it as "one of the greatest comedy stand-up specials of all time."

Looped into all this is a growing hunger for on-screen representation among Asian Americans. Park, who was born to Korean immigrants in Los Angeles, and Wong, whose Vietnamese mother and Chinese American father raised her in San Francisco, both earned Asian American studies degrees from UCLA. They based much of the movie on their own experiences, such that the largely Asian cast - their on-screen parents, Sasha's love interests Brandon (Daniel Dae Kim) and Keanu Reeves (yes, that one) and Randall's girlfriend, Jenny (Vivian Bang) - which might stand out to viewers, just felt natural to them.

"It was a reflection of our lives and a very real thing, especially in a city like San Francisco," Park said of the cast's diversity. "It made sense to reflect the community in the story."

While their Asian heritage influences the ways in which the characters interact - the movie's opening scene involves Marcus's mother teaching Sasha how to make kimchi jjigae, for instance - it is by no means the story itself. "Always Be My Maybe" is about the one that got away, a familiar premise that might be the most radical thing about it. For these Asian American characters, the central questions of identity aren't cultural, though the script tosses in jokes about Sasha code-switching while on the phone or jabs about her fancy restaurant menus "catering to rich white people." The questions concern what it means for two people to have grown up, apart and then, perhaps, back together.

The movie also lacks the intergenerational culture clashes that often accompany Asian American stories. Park said he and Wong are especially proud of how they developed the relationship between Marcus and his father, Harry (James Saito), who speaks unaccented English - a minor but notable detail, straying from how Asian parents are generally depicted in Hollywood.

"We wanted to do things that felt new and exciting to us, especially in a rom-com, where so much of it is formula based," Park said. "There are some of those beats in our movie, but we really wanted to show something new in the relationships of these characters. That was an opportunity to show an Asian American dad that we hadn't seen before."

Marcus's mother dies early in the movie, and in one of his first scenes as an adult, we witness him giving Harry an insulin shot. Though Marcus's emotional reliance on Harry and reluctance to leave San Francisco aren't depicted in a negative light - perhaps because the latter reflects Park's lifelong residence in Los Angeles - they do serve as a bit of a crutch. Even after reconnecting with the exceedingly ambitious Sasha, Marcus has little intention of altering his stay-at-home, wake-and-bake lifestyle. The character is authentic to many people's experiences, Park said. But it's rather rare to encounter a character like Marcus played by an Asian man.

"I really identify a lot with the character," Park said. "I lived at home well into my adulthood - I moved out, but then I'd always move back because I was a struggling actor and I couldn't afford rent. I was content with pursuing my dreams, and I understood that it was going to be a struggle . . . Marcus is the same in the movie. He's fine with where he's at."

While he loved shooting the scene in which teenage Marcus and Sasha awkwardly lay in the back of his Corolla after losing their virginity to each other, Park said the most exciting scenes to write were those starring Keanu Reeves, who plays Sasha's new beau and an outlandish parody of himself. (He tells Sasha, Marcus and Jenny that "the only stars that matter are the ones you look at when you dream" before paying for a dinner that costs $6,400, or "less than a residual paycheck from my hit movie 'Speed.' ")

Park said they needed to find an actor who would be "Marcus's worst nightmare," given that the character comes into the picture soon after Marcus realizes he is in love with Sasha. So they sent the script to Reeves and crossed their fingers. It turned out the "John Wick" actor was a fan of them both - "in particular Ali, he was a fan of her special," Park noted - and happily agreed to appear in the movie.

"The writing process of those scenes was so joyous and wild," Park said. "We took it to places where we had to kind of reign it in because we were having so much fun."

"The whole production was a joy, really," he continued, "and I think it was because you have Ali, a dear friend I've known for a real long time, and Nahnatchka Khan, who I've known for a long time now . . . I really just want to keep working with my friends. This kind of set the precedent for me."
Betty Buckley takes things seriously, so she unwinds a nuanced, 50-years-in-20-minutes answer to explain why even she didn't see herself headlining the national tour of "Hello, Dolly!"

"I never understood the show," Buckley, 71, says by phone from Louisville, the 19th stop on a tour that began last September. "This woman sashaying around the stage in these beautiful costumes, and everyone was agog. I didn't understand why."

Then Buckley - a 1983 Tony Award winner as the "Memory"-belting Grizabella in "Cats" - saw the 2017 "Dolly" directed by longtime musical comedy vet Jerry Zaks.

"I started crying when they came out for 'Put on Your Sunday Clothes,'' Buckley says, referring to composer Jerry Herman's blissful ode to getting out and enjoying the world. "I had not felt that in musical theater since I can't remember when. It was like a childlike rapture."

Still, she wasn't an obvious fit to take on the material: Buckley's aura is dramatic, not necessarily comedic. The daunting actress with the laser-beam singing voice succeeded Patti LuPone and Glenn Close as Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard," acted for three seasons on the HBO prison drama "Oz," and lately has been playing Gran'ma, the Cajun sorceress in AMC's gothic "Preacher."

Buckley was surprised when she was asked to play the sweet-spirited Dolly Levi for the national tour. And she wasn't the only one.

"Is she a comedian?" wondered Lewis J. Stadlen, Buckley's co-star as the cranky "half-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder. Stadlen, a veteran of Broadway comedies, has played Vandergelder opposite several Dollys, none with backgrounds quite like Buckley's. "Antic comedians play that role," Stadlen says. "And she's a character actress."

That tendency is what Buckley explains when she describes attending script analysis class "religiously" with acting guru Stella Adler in the 1970s.

"Kim Stanley, Geraldine Page, Gena Rowlands - I loved those truth-telling actresses," she says of her idols. "You didn't feel you were watching an actor acting. Ultimately, my vision was to bring that quality of truth-telling to musical theater."

The long, remarkably varied line of performers swanning into the role of Dolly Levi includes everyone from Carol Channing, who clung to the role for more than 30 years after originating it, to Barbra Streisand on film and Bernadette Peters, replacing Bette Midler in this Zaks-directed Broadway version. (Stadlen even acted opposite a Dolly played by Lee Roy Reams, who was the lovestruck clerk Cornelius in the 1978 Broadway incarnation with Channing and director of Channing's 1990s revival.)

If Buckley was nervous about stepping into that formidable parade, those worries soon evaporated.

"I think she was apprehensive about being funny," Zaks says. "Comedy is 80 percent rhythm and music. It's sharp edges and life-or-death stakes, being super-real. Once she got that, the thoroughbred in her took over."

Growing up in Fort Worth, Betty Lynn Buckley was encouraged to sing and dance by her mother, Betty Bob, but discouraged by her father, an Air Force officer and World War II vet. "Did you see the movie 'The Great Santini?' " she asks, referencing the Robert Duvall movie (from Pat Conroy's book) about a demanding military dad who drills his kids to bits. "That's my dad." (Years later, during "Cats," one of her father's military buddies came backstage and explained her dad's demons. "He was a tortured guy," she says now.)

As a kid, the platinum-edged voice that would become one of Broadway's sterling signatures was already undeniable. "That delighted me - that when I opened up my voice people would jump backwards," Buckley says. "That was like my power." She entered beauty pageants but groans thinking about it, though it took her to Atlantic City and then to Asia visiting wounded U.S. soldiers. She already had been singing locally, and in 1967 she made a recording of standards and show tunes with her pal T Bone Burnett. Both were still in their teens.

Buckley majored in journalism at Texas Christian University, then landed that Broadway debut in "1776," which quickly led to "Promises, Promises" in London. Surviving what she calls "big business show business" came next in Los Angeles as she played the gym teacher in the 1976 movie "Carrie." (Buckley later played Carrie's mom in the 1988 Broadway musical adaptation - a notorious flop.)

Buckley spent four seasons on the 1970s TV hit "Eight Is Enough," living in Hollywood's Chateau Marmont hotel, palling around at times with such fellow showbiz up-and- comers as John Belushi; Buckley pops up as a recurring figure in Bob Woodward's 1984 Belushi chronicle, "Wired." She got a featured role in the 1983 Robert Duvall movie about a fading country star, "Tender Mercies," and clinched her place in Broadway lore by playing Grizabella and singing "Memory" in "Cats."

Buckley has frequently talked about what an anxiety-filled grind it was to make that soaring ballad work. The pressure was on for her to give a showstopping performance, because Lloyd Webber and director Trevor Nunn had already seen another actress manage it in the London premiere. "I was choreographed down to the pinkie," Buckley says. "I couldn't find my own abandon within that. It's hard to explain."

Buckley found her inspiration for the faded-yet-indomitable Grizabella in chance encounters with proud homeless women on New York City streets. She chokes up talking about it, even now.

"She's such a beautiful being, that Grizabella," Buckley says. "I guess Dolly Levi has an aspect of that. She loves everyone. She loves the world."

Buckley has stayed busy but hasn't been on Broadway since the short-lived "Triumph of Love" - a musical comedy involving lovestruck 18th-century philosophers - closed in 1998. Book writer James Magruder recalls sitting next to her during the first rehearsal when she turned to him and said, "Magruder, do I have any parsley in my teeth?" Intimidated, he politely said no. "You didn't even look," Buckley-the-truth-teller replied. "How can I trust you?"

She decamped from New York, shortly after 9/11, for a ranch near Fort Worth so she could ride cutting horses, which separate individual cows from the herd. But she has continued to make a lot of surprisingly ambitious music, including thoughtful, eclectic albums with selections careening from Stephen Sondheim to Steely Dan. Her reunion with Burnett, for the 2014 album "Ghostlight," featured show tunes alongside her woozy, almost 11-minute rendition of "Lazy Afternoon," with Burnett and jazz musician Bill Frisell supplying hallucinatory electric guitar solos.

"Betty makes sensational music," the composer Jason Robert Brown ("The Last Five Years") writes in an email; Brown's anthem, "Hope," is the title track on Buckley's latest CD. "Whatever kind of music she's singing, she makes it her own."

Buckley admits that she only recently recognized where she is in her career. She says that when a colleague called about a musical, not long ago, she instinctively pictured herself in the younger of two leading roles. She laughed as she grasped her mistake. She will turn 72 on July 3.

Not that she's feeling melancholy about it. Buckley may not have foreseen herself landing in her current role, but she says it's "great to learn this special new skill set, and get in performance shape again. I've reclaimed my Broadway voice, which was no easy thing." She has boasted that the production will "make America happy again."

"I'm telling ya, I have been doing the best work I know how to do, since my awakening into my older years," Buckley says. "I just hope I get to keep doing it, because it's so much fun."
Description

GIS  31 May 2019: Connectivity is central to tourism development and promotion, particularly for long haul destination like Mauritius, said the Minister of Tourism, Mr Anil Gayan, yesterday during the opening of a two-day Indian Ocean Connectivity Forum being held at Sugar Beach Hotel, Flic en Flac.

In his address, the Minister highlighted the importance of providing seamless transport connectivity between destinations which requires coordinated actions between various stakeholders. It incorporates multiple levels of government across different countries and multiple agencies responsible for different modes including land, sea and air transport, he said. According to him, connectivity be it by air, sea or land is key to tourism growth and development and is essential for networking, promotion of trade and business. It also helps to promote understanding among people from different cultures, religions, beliefs and traditions, he underlined.

The intrinsic relation between connectivity and tourism, Mr Gayan further pointed out, presents significant challenges. Small Island Developing States, due to their isolation and distance from main land, depend heavily on connectivity for tourism development and growth, he added. Hence the need, he stated, to intensify efforts to develop competitive, frequent, reliable and affordable services and enhance intra-regional connectivity, be it by air or sea to further expand tourism in the region.

Speaking about the interdependent relationships between tourism and air transport, the Minister said that the growth of air transport and the expansion of tourism are intrinsically linked. Tourism represents not only the primary clients for air transport but it is also an important driver of economic growth, export and job creation, he added.

The Tourism Minister indicated that according to the World Tourism Organisation, last year the tourism sector accounted for 10% of global GDP, 7% of worlds exports of goods, 10% of total employment and 29% of the worlds services export. By 2030, international tourist arrivals are projected to reach 1.8 billion. Apart from the leisure segment, the business tourism and other niche segments are gaining momentum and represent a vast opportunity for air transport development, he indicated.

As regards tourism development in Mauritius, Mr Gayan pointed out that tourism is a key pillar of the economy accounting for 8.6% of GDP, 10% of total employment and around 5% of total investment in 2018. He highlighted that tourist arrivals increased from 74,597 in 1975 to reach 1,399,408 in 2018. Tourism earning attained an all-time record figure of Rs 64 billion last year compared to 35 million in 1975. Hotel stock increased to 113 hotels, representing 13,600 rooms, he said.

The Minister also acknowledged the growing popularity of the cruise tourism which is one of the fastest growing segments in the world tourism market and is a must-have product for tour operators and travel agencies. Cruise tourism, he said, is very popular in the Caribbean Sea, Asia Pacific and South East Asia and is gaining increasing interest in the Indian Ocean region. Last year, Mauritius welcomed 42 cruise ships compared to 30 cruise ships in 2017 which carried some 67,515 cruise passengers. Cruise tourism among islands of the region has witnessed a major boost in its activities following the Vanilla Islands initiative, he added.

Minister Gayan concluded by emphasising the importance of portraying the tourism sector as a green industry based on its natural resources capital, cultural assets and eco-tourism activities, especially in this era of climate change.

The Forum

Some 80 foreign delegates from 16 countries comprising policy makers, Director-Generals, Senior Government Officials, Chief Executives of Tourism Board, Academia and Tourism Experts are gathered to share experiences and best practices for the future of tourism.

The Forum is providing a platform to identify key issues and challenges and discuss policy measures to improve and facilitate connectivity in the Indian Ocean region to promote tourism growth and expansion. The themes which are being discussed include: infrastructure, airports, air traffic control, which types of aircraft for the region, carbon footprint concerned in the wake of climate change, health requirements and surveillance, land transport and security.
The Apology

By Eve Ensler

Bloomsbury. 128 pp. $22

---

An apology, if authentic, is an exquisite tool. Crafted thoughtfully and delivered earnestly, it can absolve the guilty and soothe the wronged. It's an antidote for resentment, a balm for a bruised soul. There's a certain magic in the words "I'm sorry."

But if a perpetrator refuses to acknowledge cruel deeds, and an injured party is left with aching wounds, what then?

Enter Eve Ensler's "The Apology," which is as exquisite as it is excruciating.

In her preface, Ensler writes: "I am done waiting. My father is long dead. He will never say the words to me. He will not make the apology. So it must be imagined. For it is in our imagination that we can dream across boundaries, deepen the narrative, and design alternative outcomes. This letter is an invocation, a calling up. I have tried to allow my father to speak to me as he would speak."

The novelist, activist and playwright, who shot to fame in the '90s with "The Vagina Monologues," has long said her father, Arthur Ensler, who died more than 30 years ago, sexually and physically brutalized her as a child.

The book - or rather, the novella, as it clocks in at around 120 pages - is an unnerving, imaginative exercise and a harrowing account of abuse.

How best to parse the makings and motives of a pedophile? Apparently, in detail. And in first person.

Our author may be the younger Ensler, but our narrator is the elder. "The Apology" is a letter. "Dear Evie," it begins. Arthur is writing to his daughter from limbo, "a most debilitating zone," where he floats and spins, rehashing his crimes.

As a child, he tells us, he was idolized by his mother and sisters, made to feel superior, but rarely shown affection. His parents subscribed to the teachings of Daniel Gottlob Moritz Schreber, a German physician who conflated child-rearing with authoritarianism. "Dr. Schreber strongly believed that babies should be taught from the outset to obey and should refrain from crying," Arthur explains. "The way to control a baby, he taught, was by frightening it, and after you would be master of the child forever."

Mix rigid discipline with isolation and consistent, sadistic bullying at the hands of his brother, and Arthur's childhood starts to resemble a toxic stew. Then, on his 17th birthday, an uncle takes him to the cinema. Arthur's entranced, and through film he finds a way out of his misery - not via escapism but with mimicry.

He studies leading men: John Barrymore, Errol Flynn. He's drawn to their charm. He emulates their allure.

"The tortured and angry young man inside me was now firmly disguised, costumed in dashing handmade suits," Arthur tells us. "He dressed in confidence and elegance and seemed, at least momentarily, to transform his enemies into admirers through style and charm. As you can imagine, this was a most synthetic remedy to what I can only identify now as soul sickness."

Using charisma, Arthur makes friends, attracts women, ascends social and workplace ranks, all the while suppressing his hurt, bitter, spiteful self. "All the sorrow and pain I ignored and did not care for, eventually metastasized into an entity and returned as a most terrifying fiend," he says - a mutant he calls Shadow Man.

It is this monster who molests Eve, starting when she is 5.

"I would find myself sitting on your bed, somehow carried there by Shadow Man. You would pretend to be asleep. As if what was happening was not happening. You desperately wanted it and me to go away. I didn't go away."

Even someone without a drop of psychological expertise can see why Arthur must create a vicious alter ego who could do this to a child, why Eve must imagine that the abuse she endured was a manifestation of her father's own festering trauma.

When she is 10, the sexual abuse ceases and the beatings begin.

The first stunning act of physical violence is described with haunting specificity. Eve asks if she can spend the night with a friend. Arthur says no.

"You frowned and made a terrible face. You didn't like my answer. I told you, 'Smile when I tell you something, smile when I give you my answer.'"

She doesn't. She presses on. He orders her to smile.

"And you waited as long as you possibly could, pushing and daring me to cross that edge. Then you turned your face into the most disrespectful smirk, a disdainful smile refusing and mocking my command. And Shadow Man instantaneously leapt up and with all his might he smashed his hand across your insubordinate face. Your whole body went flying across the room until it crashed against the wall and you dropped like a flimsy rag doll to the floor on top of carpet fuzz and crumbs. And through your tears and shock, you smiled the sickest smile."

This is a potent, engrossing book. It is difficult. After digesting harrowing passages like that, I found myself vigorously vacuuming the rug. Twenty pages later, I was watering the plants, washing the dishes, painstakingly organizing the closet. Given how difficult it is to read, I imagine it was nearly unbearable to write.

At times, even Arthur - and by extension, Eve - seems to question the impact of this reckoning. Is it therapy or torment?

"I wonder if telling you what happens next is really doing you a service, Eve. Yes, I realize there is no apology without a meticulous accounting. But I seriously wonder if unearthing the depth of my cruelty and confirming it to you might be more devastating than curing," he says.

I can't say if this book will mend Eve Ensler's heart. It has broken mine.

The final sentence of her preface reads, "This letter is my attempt to endow my father with the will and the words to cross the border, and speak the language, of apology so that I can finally be free."

Please, Lord, may she get what she asks for.
Origins: How Earth's History Shaped Human History

By Lewis Dartnell

Basic. 346 pp. $30

---

The continents of our planet glide ever so slowly across the Earth's mantle, as they have for millions of years. Mountain ranges from the Himalayas to the Appalachians formed when tectonic plates crashed together, causing in turn new weather patterns to sweep across vast regions. But continental drift accounts for much more than this. Together with other geological processes, it powerfully influences how we eat and work today, even how we vote. This theme enlivens the narrative British astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell tells in his new book, "Origins: How Earth's History Shaped Human History." Dartnell makes the case that a profound factor in the rise of humanity and civilization has been the dynamic Earth itself.

We owe our very evolution to the Earth. Eons ago, a powerful ripping of the planet's crust formed the East African Rift Valley, that famous 3,700-mile-long scar in the Earth. As a result, the climate shifted. After about 4 million years ago, grasslands began to replace thick forests, and a dramatic pattern emerged in which "the climate swung rapidly back and forth between being much wetter and then very arid again." The course of human evolution was forever altered: Our ancestors adapted to the unstable environment by increasingly inventive use of technology and enhanced social cooperation. The periods of most extreme variability, Dartnell notes, are each correlated with the appearance of new species of human ancestors - including the well-known (BEGIN ITAL)Homo erectus(END ITAL).

Periods of climate stasis make their mark, too. When the vast frozen sheets of the last Ice Age retreated, the Holocene interglacial period brought about warm and wet conditions. The long era of humans' total reliance on hunting, gathering and fishing came to an end, as the first plants were domesticated. Among them were wheat and barley in Turkey and Mesopotamia; millet, soy and rice in China; squash in Mesoamerica; and maize in Mexico. Wheat, rice and maize still provide about half of the human energy intake today.

As Dartnell moves the narrative along from prehistory to history, he explains the ways in which, at every stage, Earth played its role. During the Iron Age, society was transformed as people discovered how to mold earthbound iron into armor and weapons, and how to clear land using iron axes and plows. Later, in the 15th century, ship voyages from Europe led by men such as Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama, and the trade routes established in their wake, were "strongly dictated by the direction of the prevailing winds, and this had profound implications for patterns of colonization and the subsequent history of our world."

Dartnell's approach is encyclopedic, marked by both a broad sweep and a passion for details. In the section on wind and ocean currents, this style backfires because the pages become clogged with highly technical terms more suited to textbooks. At other times, though, the facts Dartnell loves to embed are pure fun and may lead a reader to rush up to the nearest person and ask: Did you realize that cinnamon comes from tree bark? Or did you know that when climbers reach the top of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, they stand on granite that once formed the core of an ancient mountain range? Another wonder: Manhattan's tallest skyscrapers are clustered in the Financial District, at the island's southern tip, and in Midtown, in the area of the Empire State Building. Subterranean geology explains why. Schist, a hard metamorphic rock, lies closer to the Earth's surface in those two places and supports the skyscrapers' great tonnage.

A problem with "Origins" is Dartnell's tendency to make exaggerated claims for the power of geological forces over human lives. In the 2016 presidential election, as in numerous previous elections, voters in a "very distinct blue line of counties" in the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and "down the banks of the Mississippi" went for Democrats. This pattern is surprising, Dartnell notes, because it deviates from "the wide expanse of red" - heavily Republican voting - found generally in the Southeast. What could account for it? Dartnell takes up environmental determinism in his answer: "The astonishing fact is that this clearly defined band of Democratic-voting areas is the result of an ancient ocean, tens of millions of years old." This blue-voting area is part of a band of rocks laid down between 86 million and 66 million years ago, shale bedrock from ancient seabeds that allowed for agriculturally fertile soil. Cotton grew abundantly in this "Black Belt" region, originally named for its dark, rich soils. Cotton plantations thrived, in large part because of forced labor by enslaved people. After slavery was abolished, the region remained heavily African American. Rosa Parks, Dartnell says, refused to give up her bus seat to a white person "smack in the middle of this curving strip of 75-million-year-old" rocks.

Despite this nod to Parks, human agency isn't much present in Dartnell's account. While he mentions poverty and diminished educational opportunities endured by people of color in the region, he sticks with geology over socioeconomics as the primary explanation for the blue voting pattern.

There's a certain insensitivity to Dartnell's language when he alludes to painful parts of the American past. He notes the suffering of enslaved people sent under "abysmal" conditions to the United States during the Atlantic slave trade, then suggests that factors such as "the taste of sweetened tea or a slug of rum" caused Europeans to "close their minds to the human suffering that was ultimately providing for their lifestyle." Systemic patterns of racist oppression are absent from this account.

No doubt the drift of the continents and the dramatic ripping and tearing of the Earth have influenced our lives. Dartnell is to be credited with demonstrating just how much. But when he elevates geological forces to the near-exclusion of social and political ones, he diminishes the credibility of his argument.

---

King is emerita professor of anthropology at the College of William & Mary. She is the author of six books, including "How Animals Grieve."
In Ava DuVernay's Netflix miniseries, "When They See Us," actors portray five teenagers who were wrongfully convicted of a brutal 1989 assault. But one key figure in the story is portrayed by himself: Donald Trump.

The Central Park Five, as they became known, are the focus of the four-part series that was released Friday. But Trump is an ineradicable part of their story, which began after a white woman was raped and beaten while jogging in Central Park. Five black and Latino teens, ranging in ages 14 to 16, were accused of the attack and charged after making statements they later said were coerced following hours of interrogations.

They were exonerated in 2002, after spending years in prisons and juvenile detention centers, when Matias Reyes, a serial rapist, confessed to the attack. Five years ago, the Central Park Five reached a landmark $41 million settlement with the city.

In 1989, as the case fueled sensationalist headlines about racial tensions in a crime-ridden city, Trump paid $85,000 to place a full-page ad in four local newspapers, including the New York Times. In large, underlined text, the prominent real estate developer called for New York to "BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY. BRING BACK OUR POLICE!"

The ad did not directly mention the Central Park jogger case, as it was widely known at the time, but many saw Trump's message as a call for the execution of teenagers who had not yet been tried in a court of law.

His ad is an undercurrent in the miniseries' second episode, which follows the teens after their arrests, leading up to their closely watched trials. In one scene, Deloris (Niecy Nash), the mother of Korey Wise (Jharrel Jerome), looks crestfallen as she catches a glimpse of a TV news report about Trump's pricey ad buy on the TV screen in a bodega. The report includes a quote Trump delivered at a news conference in 1989: "You better believe that I hate the people who took this girl and raped her brutally."

The ad played on fears about crime in the city - and the inherent racial politics of black and brown boys being accused of raping a white woman:

"Many New York families - White, Black, Hispanic and Asian - have had to give up the pleasure of a leisurely stroll in the Park at dusk, the Saturday visit to the playground with their families, the bike ride at dawn, or just sitting on their stoops - given them up as hostages to a world ruled by the law of the streets, as roving bands of wild criminals roam our neighborhoods, dispensing their own vicious brand of twisted hatred on whomever they encounter."

Certain phrases in the ad allude to the Central Park case specifically. Trump's reference to "roving bands of wild criminals" evokes "wilding," a slang term that was prevalent in tabloid coverage of the case.

"Wilding" comes up in the first installment of "When They See Us," as prosecutor Linda Fairstein (Felicity Huffman) focuses on one teen's claim that he and his friends had just been "wilding out" in the park. In her quest to get convictions based on little evidence, the playful phrase, which usually refers to boisterous fun, becomes something more sinister.

Footage of an interview Trump did in 1989 makes its way directly into the miniseries. The scene arrives after Sharone Salaam (Aunjanue Ellis), whose son, Yusef, had just made bail, faces a barrage of questions from news reporters - one of whom wants to know if Sharone has "any response to Donald Trump calling for the death penalty" for Yusef. A reverend helping the family dismisses Trump as a "real-estate hustler," and a visibly shaken Sharone retreats to her apartment, where she commiserates over drinks with a friend.

Their attention is drawn to the television. "I think that sometimes a black may think that they don't really have the advantage or this or that," Trump is shown saying on the screen. "But in actuality, today, currently it's a great - I've said on occasion even about myself, if I were starting off today I would love to be a well-educated black, because I really do believe they have an actual advantage today."

An exasperated Sharone turns to her friend: "What is a black?" she asks, before concluding that "they need to keep that bigot off TV."

"Don't worry about it," the friend says. "His 15 minutes almost up."

Trump's quote, from a wide-ranging September 1989 interview with NBC News, was preceded by his claim that "a well-educated black has a tremendous advantage over a well-educated white in terms of the job market."

In the miniseries, a devastated Sharone goes back to Trump's ad. "They want to kill my son. That devil, that devil wants to kill my son," she says. "You gon' take an ad out about killing my son? They gon' have to come for me first. Better yet, I'll come for him."

Trump's name doesn't come up again until the fourth and final episode, which ends with the Central Park Five learning of their exoneration. At an emotional celebration for the five men, Harlem activist Nomsa Brath (Adepero Oduye) laments that "the real criminal was free to rape and even kill, while the police and prosecutors and puppets like Donald Trump patted themselves on their fat backs."

The Central Park case happened during a period of increased crime in New York City, and Trump wasn't the only prominent resident to take a stance on the issue. The city's rush to judgment was also highlighted in "The Central Park Five," the 2012 documentary from Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon. The film features footage of news interviews with city leaders, including Mayor Ed Koch and Gov. Mario Cuomo, talking about the jogger case ahead of the teens' 1990 trials.

"This is the ultimate shriek of alarm," Cuomo says in the documentary. "This is the ultimate siren that none of us are safe."

But Trump's ad in particular became a go-to topic in media interviews of the time, which capped off an unprecedentedly high-profile decade for the businessman. Amid criticism that the ad could provoke violence, Trump told Larry King he didn't "see anything inciteful" about it.

"I am strongly in favor of the death penalty," Trump said, in a clip that wasn't used in the miniseries. "I am also in favor bringing back police forces that can do something instead of turning their back because every quality lawyer that represents people that are trouble said the first thing they do is start shouting police brutality, etc."

Trump's remarks about the case have received renewed attention in recent years as he has faced criticism for his rhetoric as president.

"They admitted they were guilty. The police doing the original investigation say they were guilty," he told CNN in 2016, a month before he was elected president, of the case. "The fact that that case was settled with so much evidence against them is outrageous. And the woman, so badly injured, will never be the same."

Last year, after Trump asserted that innocent men were being falsely accused of sexual misconduct in the Me Too era, a reporter invoked the Central Park Five in a question about whether the president believed everyone should be afforded the right to due process. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders did not respond to direct questions about whether Trump still believed the Central Park Five were guilty.

Several of the prosecutors in the case, including Fairstein and co-prosecutor Tim Clements, portrayed in the miniseries by Alex Breaux, have also publicly said in recent years that they believe the teens' convictions were fair.

On May 1, DuVernay - who previously explored Trump's denouncing of the Central Park Five in her Oscar-nominated documentary, "13th" - tweeted about the "hateful ad" Trump purchased three decades ago.

Telling the story in 2019 is a reminder of "how far we've not come," DuVernay recently told Vanity Fair. "And for a key player in it to be the leader of the free world makes it all pretty relevant and pretty important to take stock 30 years later."
Description

GIS  31 May 2019: A series of activities to mark World No Tobacco Day 2019, aimed at sensitising the population on the harmful effects of cigarette smoking, was launched yesterday by the Minister of Health and Quality of Life, Dr Anwar Husnoo, at the S. Virahsawmy State Secondary School in Riviere du Rempart. The Deputy Whip, Mr Satyaprakashsing Rutnah, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Mauritius, Dr Laurent Musango, were also present.

World No Tobacco Day is observed every year on the 31st of May. The 2019 theme chosen by the WHO, Tobacco and Lung Health , focuses on the negative impact that tobacco has on peoples lung health, from cancer to chronic respiratory disease as well as the fundamental role that lungs play for the health and well-being of all people. It is also a call to action for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption and to engage stakeholders across multiple sectors in the fight for tobacco control.

In his address, the Minister underlined the negative and significant impact that tobacco use has on health, especially on the lungs. T obacco smoking, he stated, is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition where the build-up of pus-filled mucus in the lungs results in a painful cough and agonising breathing difficulties.

Dr Husnoo expressed concern regarding the high prevalence rate of smokers among the younger age-groups and highlighted that the risk of developing COPD is particularly high among individuals who start smoking at a young age as tobacco smoke significantly slows lung development . He thus appealed to the youth to say No to tobacco, adding that there are more than 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer.

The population, the Minister pointed out, has to cope with a very strong and innovative tobacco industry which is relentless in its pursuit to expand its market worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Whatever the industry does, you, as responsible citizens, must resist as tobacco in any forms kills, and the tobacco industry will target you, the youth, as you are the most vulnerable and profitable asset for them, he highlighted.

The Minister reiterated Governments commitment to leave no stone unturned in the fight against the scourge of the tobacco epidemic to protect the population. He also called for the collaboration of one and all especially the youth and various stakeholders to pave the way for the adoption of a more concerted, comprehensive and sustained approach to address the tobacco problem.

Furthermore, Dr Husnoo underscored that tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in many countries, yet, i t is responsible for more than 7 million deaths every year. This figure is predicted to increase to reach more than 8 million per year in the next twelve years, unless strong and drastic actions are taken, he emphasised.

For his part, the Deputy Whip, Mr Rutnah, appealed to the youth not to get influenced by their peers to start smoking as its consequences are numerous. Tobacco also exacerbates asthma, which restricts activity and contributes to disability, and, early smoking cessation is the most effective treatment for slowing the progression of COPD and improving asthma symptoms, he said.

Mr Rutnah pointed out that exposure to tobacco smoke damages the health of both smokers and non-smokers. Compared to the non-smoker, the one who smokes has higher risk of having lung cancer, chronic lung diseases, strokes, and low sexual reproductive health, he stated. Tobacco use is a threat to everyone, regardless of gender, age, race, cultural or educational background and has no benefits, he concluded.

The WHO representative, Mr Musango, for his part, highlighted that the WHO survey carried out this year has revealed that there are about 39 000 new cases of lung cancer detected, out of which 37 000 people have died, that is, nearly 96%. It was revealed that most smokers begun smoking at a very young age, when their body was in the process of growth, including their lungs, causing their lungs to stop growing further, hence, making it difficult for them to practice physical activities in the long run compared to non-smokers, he further highlighted.

World No Tobacco Day

World No Tobacco Day, initiated in 1987, provides an opportunity to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use and to advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption around the world.

A series of activities are being organised by the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life, including: screening for Non Communicable Diseases, counselling, sensitisation campaigns and talks on the impact of Tobacco and a National Anti-tobacco mural fresco painting competition aimed at deterring the first puff of cigarette and smoking among youth which will be held between 10 to 21 June 2019 followed by prize awards.
Should a child with a severe gluten allergy be allowed to bring a homemade meal into a Colonial Williamsburg restaurant on a school field trip?

A federal appeals court Friday ruled against the tavern that refused to let the child eat his own food at its site.

But one judge disagreed, saying the decision would force restaurants throughout Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas to "give up control over their most valuable asset: the food they serve."

"This is a terrible rule," wrote Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson.

The case was brought by an 11-year-old boy from Maryland who tried to bring his gluten-free chicken sandwich into Shields Tavern during his school trip in May 2017. He and about 60 classmates planned to have dinner at the tavern, which offers a traditional 18th-century experience with actors and musicians.

But the restaurant, owned and operated by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, refused the boy's request and offered instead to prepare a gluten-free meal, according to the opinion.

The boy turned it down because he "didn't trust the restaurant to safely prepare" his food, court filings stated. He ate outside, humiliated, he said, and apart from his classmates.

The boy, identified in court papers by his initials J.D., suffers severe health problems when he ingests gluten, including significant constipation, abdominal pain and temporary loss of consciousness, that he said in court filings amounts to a disability.

He alleged that Colonial Williamsburg discriminated against him by keeping him out of the restaurant and refusing to change its policy against outside food in violation of federal and state laws protecting people with disabilities.

A District Court judge sided with the restaurant and Colonial Williamsburg in finding that the boy had not met the legal standard for showing he was discriminated against because of his disability. The family appealed the lower court decision.

"This isn't about a single person with celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity going into a restaurant and trying to use the restaurant as a covered picnic area. This is about a child who was part of a school trip to an educational venue who paid full price to be in the room and instead was escorted out back in the rain," his lawyer Mary Vargas said Friday in response to the ruling.

"The court is saying here, that yes, celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity can qualify as disabilities entitled to protection under federal law," Vargas said.

Attorneys representing Colonial Williamsburg did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The decision Friday sends the case back to the District Court in Virginia for a jury trial.

The appeals court said the initial ruling lower "overlooked" evidence that the boy "repeatedly became sick after eating purportedly gluten-free meals prepared by commercial kitchens," according to the majority opinion written by Judge Albert Diaz and joined by Judge Henry Floyd.

The judges said Shields Tavern's rigorous protocols for preparing gluten-free meals are "commendable and may suffice as an accommodation for the majority of people with a gluten intolerance . . . But in our view, J.D. has put forth enough evidence as this stage to raise a genuine dispute of material fact as to whether the proposed accommodation sufficiently accounts for his disability."
WASHINGTON - World War II veteran Sidney Walton sat in his red wheelchair at the back of the crowd waiting.

His children mopped his face and head with a damp cloth in the heat, as District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, D, and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., wrapped up their speeches boosting statehood for the District.

Walton wore a black suit with a pale blue shirt and dark blue polka dot tie. Four balloons announcing that he was 100 bobbed from the back of his chair. His son's fiancee cooled him with a handheld electric fan.

But as the event at the District's War Memorial concluded Thursday, and VIPs began to drift away, it seemed that Walton might be overlooked.

But then Norton returned to the lectern.

"I've just been told there is a veteran in our audience who is 100 years old, who served in World War II," she said.

As applause broke out, Walton, whose children said he served in the China-Burma-India theater, was wheeled to the front and was thronged by well-wishers and photographers.

Walton, accompanied by his son Paul, his daughter Judy, and Paul's fiancee, Amy Cowder, have been traveling the country, greeting political leaders in every state - 21 so far - giving people a chance to meet an American veteran of World War II, Paul Walton said.

The number of such veterans is declining quickly. Walton always regretted that, as a young man, he had never been able to meet a veteran of the American Civil War, his son said. (Some Civil War veterans lived till as late as the 1950s.)

"We're carrying the message of how few World War II veterans there are left," Paul Walton said. "We wanted to give everyone an opportunity to meet one before it's too late."

There are about 500,000 left, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. An estimated 340 die every day, according to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Walton, who lives in San Diego, is among the oldest of those, and one of the oldest Jewish American World War II veterans, his son said.

Born on Manhattan's heavily Jewish Lower East Side, Walton entered the Army nine months before the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 brought the United States into World War II.

"I joined the Army to fight Hitler," he said Thursday. "I hated that man so much. I'd give anything to fight him."

But just before he was to ship out to Europe, he broke an ankle in a training accident, his son said. After he recovered, he was sent to India.

His son said he believes he served as a medic in the infantry.

After the war, Walton taught geology at Duke University and North Carolina State University, his son said. He met his late wife, Rena, in 1954. They married and had children. She died of cancer in 1982 at the age of 56. He never remarried, his daughter said.

Walton turned 100 on Feb. 11. He got to meet President Donald Trump at the White House in April, his family said. He was the honorary Grand Marshal of the Memorial Day parade in Washington on Monday, his son said.

His children would like to take him to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day next week. "We don't have our tickets. We don't know how we're going to get there yet, but we're going to do it," Paul Walton said. They have established a website (gosidneygo.com) to solicit donations.

On Thursday, after they got the balloons out of the trunk and maneuvered Walton into the chair, they wheeled him to the event, which was held at the elegant memorial to Washingtonians who died in service in World War I.

As Norton, Bowser and others gave rousing pep talks about the push for District statehood, Walton seemed to nod off in his chair. "Dad, no falling asleep right now," his son had cautioned earlier. But it was a steamy, drowsy day.

Amy Cowder took off the veteran's blue ball cap and cooled his head with a damp cloth. This is "Mayor Bowser," she told him, as the mayor spoke, "Mayor Bowser."

"Bowser," he replied.

At one point, it looked like Walton was about to be recognized, as Norton said she wanted to introduce an important military figure.

"Here we go," someone with Walton said.

But it was Elliot Tommingo, director of the Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs and a major in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, who came to the microphone.

Afterward, Norton thanked the audience and people began to leave.

The Waltons waited. They were scheduled to meet the mayor. Then, Norton returned to the microphone.

Walton was quickly surrounded by the cameras and posed for pictures with the mayor, Norton and other dignitaries.

"OK, ready, Dad? Smile," his son said. "Smile real big."

Bowser listened to his story and said, "God bless you."

- - -

Part of a continuing series about events of the past that remain relevant.
A bill requiring school districts that teach sex education to give a fuller definition of sexual consent is on its way to the governor to be signed into law.

House Bill 3550, sponsored in the House by Democrat Ann Williams of Chicago and in the Senate by Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford of Maywood passed unanimously out of the Senate after being approved by House lawmakers in early April.

School districts that dont opt out of teaching sex ed must follow a curriculum that includes abstinence, contraceptive methods and discussions of consent.

Consent, however, is given no definition under current law, which says only that schools must provide a discussion on what constitutes it.

Consent is not just a matter of yes and no, Rep. Williams said in House debate on the matter in April. Consent is a very complex subject that needs to be explored in a comprehensive way. It is so much more than just saying no means no.

The fuller definition provided in the law includes, among other things, that consent is a freely given agreement to sexual activity; that consent to one  sexual activity does not constitute consent to another; that lack of verbal or physical resistance, nor a persons manner of dress, does not mean consent; and that a person cannot consent if they cant understand the nature of the activity because of the effects of drugs or alcohol.

The only opponents to the bill were six House Republicans.

While GOP Rep. Avery Bourne of Raymond voted in favor in April, she said opponents were concerned that the bill was a mandate on school curriculum and they questioned whether fuller definitions of consent would be age-appropriate for some grade levels.

Unfortunately its not a mandate, because I do believe sex ed should be taught across the board, Williams said at the time, adding that it still was up to school districts to opt in to teaching the subject and to develop their own curriculums that are, by law, age-appropriate.

I think that this is an important conversation that needs to be had, so thank you, Bourne said to close the debate.
The state is looking to start putting away some money for kids to go to college.

The Illinois Senate on Wednesday approved a plan that would set aside $50 for all kids born or adopted in the state after Jan. 1, 2021.
SEATTLE (AP)  U.S. scientists said Friday they will investigate why an unusual number of gray whales are washing up dead on West Coast beaches.

About 70 whales have been found dead so far this year on the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, the most since 2000. About five more have been discovered on British Columbia beaches. That's a very small fraction of the total number of whales believed to have died, because most simply sink and others wash up in such remote areas they're not recorded.

NOAA Fisheries on Friday declared the die-off an "unusual mortality event," providing additional resources to respond to the deaths and triggering the investigation.

"Many of the whales have been skinny and malnourished, and that suggests they may not have gotten enough to eat during their last feeding season in the Arctic," agency spokesman Michael Milstein told reporters during a conference call.

More for you 13th dead whale of the year washes up in Bay Area

The Bay Area has seen a number of gray whales carcasses wash up on shore with the 13th spotted last Thursday in Point Reyes National Seashore near Limantour Beach.

SFGATE reporter Alix Martichoux wrote that since early March, more whales have been spotted around the San Francisco Bay, and scientists fear it's a sign of trouble with the species.

A few of the whales that have washed up dead have been visibly emaciated. Others were killed by ship strikes, which could be an indirect result of them staying in the highly trafficked San Francisco Bay for longer periods than they normally would.

John Calambokidis, research biologist with Cascadia Research in Olympia, Wash., told SFGate in March it may have to do with a growth in the overall gray whale population. With more whales, there might not be enough food to support them all.

The eastern North Pacific gray whales were removed from the endangered species list in 1994, after recovering from the whaling era.

The population has grown significantly in the last decade and is now estimated at 27,000  the highest since surveys began in 1967. That has raised questions about whether their population has reached the limit of what the environment can sustain. Another theory suggests that the loss of Arctic sea ice due to global warming is a culprit.

The whales spend their summers feeding in the Arctic before migrating 10,000 miles (16,000 km) to winter off Mexico. Though they eat all along their route, they are typically thinning by the time they return north along the West Coast each spring.

They eat many things, but especially amphipods, tiny shrimp-like creatures that live in sediment on the ocean floor in the Arctic. For many years, researchers noted that more whales tended to die following years when the ice in the Chukchi Sea, north of the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia, was late to melt. The whales had less time to feast because they couldn't access the feeding area, and thus had less blubber to sustain them on their next migration.

In 2018, though, the Artic was warm. The whales weren't blocked from the feeding area, and yet they're still dying in unusual numbers this spring. That has scientists wondering if the loss of sea ice has led to a loss of algae that feed the amphipods. Surveys show the amphipod beds moving farther north, said Sue Moore, a biological oceanographer at the University of Washington.

"The sea ice has been changing very quickly over the last decade or so," she said. "The whales may have to shift to other prey, such as krill or other things they eat."

In an average year, about 35 whales wash up in the U.S.

In 2000, more than 100 did, prompting NOAA to declare an "unusual mortality event" then as well. The resulting investigation failed to identify a cause. The die-off followed strong changes in ocean conditions in the mid-1990s, suggesting that warmer water patterns affected the availability of prey, but scientists were often unable to perform necropsies, Moore said.

"It's sometimes very difficult to get to these whales in a timely fashion," she said. "You can't always get the kind of samples you would need for diagnostic reasons."

Since then, researchers have built up an improved network of volunteers and have better educated the public to help report and respond to whale deaths, said Deborah Fauquier, veterinary medical officer at NOAA's Office of Protected Resources. This time around, scientists have been able to perform necropsies on 20 of the whales, she said.

John Calambokidis, a research biologist with the Cascadia Research Collective, noted that as the whales search farther afield for food, they've entered areas where they're not normally seen so often, including San Francisco Bay and Puget Sound. That puts them at higher risk of being struck by ships or entangled in fishing gear.

Four of the 10 gray whales found dead near San Francisco this year were struck by ships, and a number of shipping companies have slowed their vessels in the area to avoid collisions.

___

Follow Gene Johnson at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle
EDWARDSVILLE  A former assistant Madison County public defender fired this week for falsely claiming to have a valid law license now faces multiple felony charges in the matter.

Kelcie Miller, 26, of Edwardsville was charged Thursday with felony theft over $10,000, false impersonation of an attorney and forgery. She is being held in the Madison County Jail in lieu of $100,000.

The forgery charge alleges Miller produced falsified documents on May 20, apparently after being confronted about the status of her credentials. Prosecutors claim she was asked about her license after a judge discovered her name was not listed as a licensed attorney by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

The judge discovered Miller was not licensed when looking up the correct spelling of her first name.

The Madison County States Attorneys office said that, when asked for her license, Miller sent a text of an image of a license with her name on it  but the registration number was not in her name but, instead, a legitimate attorney who practices in Chicago.

Miller had participated in about 80 cases for the office as an assistant public defender. She had been employed by the office since October.

The theft charge against Miller is in connection to benefits, property and other items she received for her work. Her annual salary on Oct. 29, 2018, was set at $57,000, plus benefits.

The theft charge is the most serious offense faced by Miller, carrying a penalty of four to 15 years in prison. The forgery charge could bring a prison sentence of two and five years. The false personation of a lawyer charge carries a penalty of one to three years in prison.

Public Defender John Rekowski said he is working with Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons to determine how to handle the cases Miller worked. Rekowski said each defendant will be contacted to determine how each wants to proceed. Many of the defendants are on probation, so it may be no problem getting in touch with them, he said.

All of the cases involved negotiated plea agreements. Additional part-time public defenders may be called on to help, he said.

Miller graduated from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in 2014 before studying law at Valparaiso University in Indiana. Her LinkedIn page states she earned a law degree in 2018 from the school and had interned 20 months with the Madison County States Attorneys office.

Rekowski said Miller had no problems with her work, other than mistakes most new attorneys encounter.

Rekowski said Miller had lied and told him she had passed the bar; in fact, she failed the exam twice. He said he took full responsibility for the matter and, that in all his years as a public defender, he has never encountered such a situation. He never thought to ask if she had a license because in all his years working with thousands of lawyers, he never had to ask, he said.
An Alabama man is being praised for rescuing a baby who police believe had been locked inside a hot car for 12 hours.

According to Fox 10, Jermius Scott told Mobile Police he noticed a black car parked in front of an apartment building in the early hours of Sunday morning. About five hours later, he noticed a baby was inside the vehicle.

"So I really used my elbow to bust the window. Seeing the baby turning purple in that car, I couldn't just leave that baby in there like that, man. That's dead wrong," Scott said.

Tarance James said Scott called for him to come outside and help.

"And, so, as we came, we peeked in the car and we were like, 'Oh, there was a baby in there. It's hot, we need to hurry up and get him out.' So, when we saw that, he hit it with the elbow, unlocked the door, got the baby out," James said.

Both men said the baby, which was reportedly about 4 months old, was sweating heavily.

The child was rushed to the hospital and is expected to recover. Officials said the baby was supposed to be in the care of his father.

According to WPMI, the father told investigators he must have forgotten the boy after dropping off his other two children at their grandmothers house.

Child services has been notified about the incident.

"I don't know who it was and don't want to know because, you know, you're not supposed to hate nobody, but that's a hateful situation," Scott said.

Police are classifying the case as reckless endangerment, but no arrests have been made.
KOBE, Japan - A tunnel might seem like an unlikely spot for concerts, but the Minatogawa Zuido tunnel in Kobe has become just that - it's a popular place for live performances of jazz, brass bands and choruses. It was originally built to reroute the then Minatogawa river flowing through Kobe, but has now taken on a completely new role.

In February, about 180 people enjoyed a concert by a local chorus of students and others. The temperature was 10 Celsius (50 Fahrenheit), and the performers' clear singing voices resounded throughout the tunnel in the dim light.

Various events are held free of charge every month at Minatogawa Zuido, which is managed by the Hyogo prefectural government. The student choir ICEK performed about 10 songs on Feb. 16.

"Their singing voices came down from the ceiling, and I felt like I was being enveloped in them," said Chiaki Shimizu, 50, who visited for the first time from Nara Prefecture.

Kazuki Matsumoto, 39, who is a group facilitator and himself stood on the stage, said with satisfaction, "The voices resonated in a unique way, and our singing felt good."

The tunnel was completed in 1901 and is said to be the first modern river tunnel in the country. The former Minatogawa river flowed south from Mt. Rokko through Kobe city. The river was prone to flooding and high embankments held up traffic between east and west, because the river bed was higher than ground level.

Also, a great deal of earth and sand flowed from the mountains into Kobe Port, making the port shallow and preventing large ships from docking.

Approximately 30 local businessmen established a company in 1897 to alter the river. They removed the embankments, cut through the mountain and began work to reroute the river about 2.4 kilometers to the west.

In those days, immediately after the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), there was no digging equipment like what exists today. Construction is said to have been difficult, using chisels and pickaxes.

The completed tunnel has a total length of about 600 meters, and is 7.3 meters wide and 7.6 meters high. Over 4 million bricks were used on the side walls and arched ceiling, and the floor surface was covered with granite to prevent erosion from the flow of water.

The site of the former Minatogawa river was newly developed and flourished as the busiest downtown area of Kobe, lined with movie houses and theaters.

"Local businessmen spent about 4 billion yen in today's money value and built the foundation for the prosperity of the city," said Ryosaku Sasaki, 71, a former civil engineer for the Hyogo prefectural government and vice chairman of the Minatogawa Zuido preservation citizen group. "There's believed to be no other example of accomplishing such a big civil engineering project through private efforts alone."

The tunnel drew attention as a result of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in January 1995. Until then it was called the Mt. Ege tunnel and was hardly known to the public.

Restoration work necessitated by the heavy damage caused by the earthquake revealed the tunnel's official name. A nameplate was found on the wall: "Minatogawa Zuido."

A new river tunnel was completed in 2000, ending the role of Minatogawa Zuido. The prefecture decided to preserve the old tunnel to convey its history to future generations, and improved the lighting facilities and passageways.

It was selected in 2011 as a civil engineering heritage site by the Japan Society of Civil Engineers, which encourages the preservation and utilization of precious civil engineering structures. In November last year, a council of the Cultural Affairs Agency proposed that it be made a registered tangible cultural property of Japan, and moves to reappraise its value are spreading.

The citizen group holds such events as concerts, memorial events for the earthquake and photo exhibitions. As the tunnel is "Instagrammable," visitors come from outside Kobe as well.

"I feel warm here, and this Western style brick tunnel is very Kobe-ish," said Megumi Takaya, a 24-year-old company employee from Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, who visited a photo exhibition in January.

The association receives many inquiries, some from people asking to perform there.

The huge underground space will continue to be a place to heal many people.

The tunnel is a 10-minute walk from Minatogawa Koen Station on the Kobe municipal subway, or from Minatogawa Station on the Kobe Electric Railway line. It is open to the public once or twice a month. For inquiries, call the Kobe civil engineering office at (078) 737-2382.
3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Photo courtesy of Blueroomstream.com Show More Show Less 3 of 3





SPRINGFIELD  Legalized recreational marijuana is on its way to the governors desk, and by all indications he will sign it.

In the first legislative action in the Illinois House on what is expected to be one of the most consequential days in the General Assemblys history, Senate Bill 1438 passed on a 66-47 vote after more than three hours of debate.
A driver is doing OK after going around roadblocks and crashing into a sinkhole in Oklahoma, according to authorities.

Officials in the town of Blackburn, about 50 miles northwest of Tulsa, posted photos of the crash on the citys Facebook page.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday issued a second state disaster proclamation for 34 counties along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

Additionally, he dispatched the Illinois Emergency Management Agencys Unified Area Command vehicle to Winchester where it will establish a state Unified Area Command to provide coordinated assistance with response efforts in the entire region.

This second proclamation follows Pritzker activating the Illinois National Guard this week to engage in levee reinforcement and monitoring.

Hundreds of state and local roads and bridges have been closed, both residential and commercial properties have been impacted, and local resources have become exhausted, Pritzker said. I have directed agency heads in my administration to provide any resources needed to these communities to protect the lives of Illinois residents.

Both the Mississippi and Illinois rivers reached major flood stage in March and have remained at those levels continuously. Levees along both rivers are saturated and could be breached or overtopped at any minute.

Locally, the disaster proclamation includes Calhoun, Greene, Jersey and Madison counties.

All sites  from New Boston downstream to Cape Girardeau  along the Mississippi River are expected to reach their top five all-time crests.

We strongly urge residents in flooded areas to get out now, said Illinois Emergency Management Agency Acting-Director, Alicia Tate-Nadeau.

While your home may not be flooded, the road to get to the hospital may be washed out, or the lines providing power may be down for days, she said. Pack a bag with essentials such as clothes, medicine and other necessary items. Be sure to consider all members of your family, including your pets, and to follow instructions from your local emergency management officials.

State assistance to date includes:

Department of Transportation  IDOT personnel, trucks and equipment have been deployed to deliver sandbags, plastic, pumps and hoses to communities for flood fighting efforts. IDOT also is conducting flyovers of flooded areas for situational awareness.

Department of Corrections  Crews are assisting with sandbagging efforts in several communities.

Department of Natural Resources  DNR boats and conservation police officers have assisted with home and medical evacuations, transportation, river rescues, missing person searches and other flood-related responses.

Illinois National Guard  Some 200 National Guard soldiers have been deployed, with another 200 on stand-by.

Illinois State Police  Troopers are assisting motorists and local public safety agencies with flood-related issues.

Department of Public Health  State officials are helping local health departments with tetanus vaccine and with monitoring situations at hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities affected by flooding.

The American Red Cross also is providing assistance with shelters and the Salvation Army is providing assistance with food.

For more details, visit Ready.Illinois.gov.
South Jacksonville Treasurer Tiffanee Peters told the trustees Thursday that they would have some difficult choices to make in the coming weeks to balance the budget without cutting services.

Peters went over a draft budget at Thursdays village board meeting, pointing out that expenses were about $150,000 over revenue in the current draft. She said the general fund is hurting.

And keep in mind, when youre looking at the budget for administration, Im already counting on implementing some of those changes that I suggested when Im presenting this budget, she said.

Peters made several proposals for cost savings, including shopping for employee health insurance, shortening Village Hall hours to end at 4 or 4:30 p.m., eliminating all donations from the general fund, looking into using tourism funds for Dewey Park and other options.

The board didnt review all of the department budgets Thursday, but did take a look at the fire department budget, which includes a $60,000 salary that will make the chief a full-time position.

Chief Rich Evans Jr. said he hopes the change will help the department have enough manpower to go out to calls during the day, as well as make it possible apply for grants that could save the department on equipment purchases in the future.

The board set a committee meeting for Tuesday at 6 p.m. to finish workshopping the budget ahead of the June 6 regular meeting.

In other business, the board had a short, heated discussion about what to do with an election complaint that they had received about campaign materials in Aprils consolidated election.

Trustee Paula Belobrajdic-Stewart said the board should discuss the complaint and whether there was anything improper for the sake of transparency.

Village attorney Rob Cross said it was a matter that should be sent to the Illinois State Board of Elections, as opposed to being investigated by the board.

One of the things I think youd have to think about is what would be the reason for spending public funds on an investigation that, whatever you come up with, you dont have the authority to do anything about, Cross said.

The board took up again the Tax Increment Financing discussion for Sleep Inn and Suites, which they may take a veto-overriding vote on at next weeks meeting.

The board reviewed TIF information and dug into the background of Sleep Inns TIF application. A TIF agreement with Sleep Inn was approved 5-1 by the board and vetoed by Village President Harry Jennings earlier this month.

Cross told the trustees that they can override Jennings veto with a two-thirds majority and recommended they put it on the next meetings agenda if they want to take further action on it.

During discussions about liquor license issues affecting two businesses that will come before the board at the June meeting, Jennings proposed making all liquor licenses allow Sunday sales and making modifications to hours that would align them with Jacksonvilles.
Authorities in southwest Arkansas have found the remains of a child in a black garbage bag while searching for 4-year-old Maleah Davis, Houston police Capt. Michael Skillern told reporters Friday.

A road crew noticed the bag two days ago as they were cleaning up the interstate, but decided to leave it alone, Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton said. Mowers ran over the bag at some point today.

The body hasn't been identified.

"It's going to be a child," Skillern said at the scene.

Law enforcement officials began combing areas along Interstate 30 after community activist Quanell X met with Houston police to discuss information he said he obtained from Derion Vence, the suspect in Maleah's disappearance. Vence confessed to killing the girl and dumping her body in Arkansas, Quanell X said.

"He says it was an accident. And he confessed to me where he dumped her body, " the activist said.

The confession reportedly happened during a jailhouse conversation he had with Vence, who is the ex-boyfriend of Maleah's mother, Brittany Bowens.

"He felt like he was just totally overwhelmed, because Brittany wasn't being the mother she should be being," Quanell said Vence told him.

Vence remained in Harris County jail Friday afternoon, according to the local sheriff's office.

Vence was engaged to Maleah's mother, and was tasked with caring for the girl from April 30 to May 3 while her mother was out of town. Maleah was reported missing May 3.

Quanell X would not give any other details about how the girl died, or where in Arkansas her body was dumped. But he said the description of the location was accurate.

"He was very specific with the amount of distance and time. When I was able to leave and look it up on my phone, he was to the point on the distance and time, " said Quanell X.

"He said that he pulled over in Arkansas, got out of the car, walked to the side of the road, and dumped the body off the road."

Authorities haven't identified the contents of the black garbage bag in Fulton, aside from the fact that it contained blood and worms and had a foul odor.

Deputies were searching near the city of Hope, but arrived at Fulton after contacting a road crew that contracts with the county for leads. The bag was found near exit 18 of Interstate 30.

"One of the machines hit the bag and tore it open," Singleton said.

Some of the bag's contents scattered.

"It's over an area," he said.

Fulton is approximately 20 miles from the Texas-Arkansas border.

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said that her office is continuing to work with Houston police to bring justice for Maleah.

"Lets let search teams do what search teams do," she said. "We have spoken with the defendants lawyer and there is no agreement."

Houston detectives met with Tim Miller, founder of Equusearch, and Quanell X at a strip mall near NRG Stadium on Friday afternoon. They later confirmed that they were en route to an undisclosed location in Arkansas.

"I think it's true enough that I have an airplane lined up at 3 p.m. to fly a detective, and several officers to go up there and go ahead and start the search," Miller said.

Miller also said he's spoken with law enforcement officials in Arkansas.

Quanell X had been speaking for Bowens in the wake of Maleah's disappearance. He appeared with her in multiple interviews and in a court hearing on May 13 for her Vence, her former live-in boyfriend, who has been charged with tampering with a corpse in connection with the case.

He recently said he is no longer representing Bowens.

Friday morning, Vence's attorney Dorian Cotlar filed a motion prohibiting Quanell X from visiting Vence after learning the familys former representative had beat him to the Harris County Jail. The facility at 701 San Jacinto Street does not generally allow inmate visits on Fridays, except for lawyers, ministers and sometimes community leaders.

We know Quanell X as a community leader, Harris County Sheriffs Office spokesman Jason Spencer said. When a community leader asks to visit an inmate, we generally allow it, as long as the inmate agrees to the visit.

Quanell X claims that his visit with Vence  which Cotlar says happened around 9 a.m.  garnered a supposed confession.

Quanell X completely misled my client, Cotlar said. I dont know how he was able to get into the jail.

He said he was going to provide lawyers, that everything was going to be fine, he said.

Cotlar added that details that Quanell X alleged to have learned from Vence did not happen.

My client did not confess to Quanell. He did not use the word accident with Quanell, Cotlar said. Im not sure why the DAs Office and Texas Equusearch are giving validity to anything (Quanell) says.

Quanell makes his living off of reward money, he continued.

Cotlar is the second attorney to represent Vence after Thomas Burton withdrew as counsel this week because the family could not pay for his services.

"It's too complex of a case to be working on for free," he said, adding that he was privately attained. He said he received some compensation, but it wasn't enough.

Burton also said that when he represented Vence, he told him not to speak to anyone. Burton also questioned Quanell X's role in the case.

"It certainly appears he's attempting to practice law without a license," Burton said.

Quanell X also told Vence that he was "going to be representing him," Cotlar said.

Vence was under the impression that his family had sent Quanell X after Burton withdrew and that Quanell X was taking over representation, according to Cotlar.

In a phone call, Quanell X said he was not representing Vence or his family at the time of his visit.

He said he went to see Vence at the jail because I wanted to.

I felt like I needed to, he said.

Julian Gill and Danny Hermosillo contributed.
President Donald Trump's threat to impose new tariffs on Mexico unless it stops the flow of migrants into the U.S. could cause massive economic disruption ahead of the 2020 elections and doom his signature renegotiation of a North American trade deal.

Trump announced a 5% tariff on all imports from Mexico unless it takes "decisive measures" -- as judged by his administration -- to stem migrants entering the U.S., according to a White House statement. The tariffs would begin June 10 and scale up incrementally until they reach 25 percent on Oct. 1.

The surprise move rattled global financial markets as investors were counting on slow but steady progress toward congressional approval of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that Trump's team negotiated to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement, which went into effect in 1994.

Trump's sharply worded statement describing alleged consequences of lax border security blamed Mexico and Democrats -- the two groups that have the most control over his trade deal's fate.

These tariffs represent a de facto dismantling of NAFTA, which could unite a broad coalition of manufacturers, farmers and bipartisan lawmakers against the president the year before he seeks re-election.

The Mexican peso weakened by as much as 3% after Trump's tweets, while investors fled to the safest assets as concerns over new trade conflicts mount. The Japanese yen gained while U.S. futures tumbled and 10-year Treasury yields reached a fresh 20-month low.

By using tariffs to score political points on border security with the element of his voter base most opposed to illegal immigration, Trump jeopardizes a real legislative win and the economic growth that continues to prop up his popular approval.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has authority over trade policy, said "following through on this threat" will put the USMCA at risk, dashing the chance for Trump to fulfill one of his central campaign pledges.

"Trade policy and border security are separate issues," Grassley said in a statement. "This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent."

The tariff announcement came on the heels of another decision from the Trump administration to send the draft of the USMCA to Congress before House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had finished smoothing over outstanding issues with her caucus. While the draft, known as a Statement of Administrative Action, merely starts a minimum 30-day review period, Pelosi said rushing the timeline was "not a positive step."

"It indicates a lack of knowledge on the part of the administration on the policy and process to pass a trade agreement," Pelosi said in a statement. "We have been on a path to yes, but it must be a path that leads to an agreement that delivers positive results for American workers and farmers."

Democrats have praised U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer for his willingness to work with them to resolve concerns about provisions regarding labor, the environment, pharmaceuticals and enforcement. While Lighthizer said in a letter to Pelosi Thursday that the draft submission is a "procedural formality" that will not affect the negotiations or the timeline, members of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade had a darker assessment.

"I want to be clear -- this casts a cloud over the process," Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer, the trade subcommittee chairman, said in a statement.

Virginia Democrat Don Beyer, also a member of the trade panel, cited both the tariff threat and the draft statement of the agreement as evidence that the Trump administration is going back on promises made to House Democrats as they negotiate a deal that has sufficient support to clear both chambers of Congress.

"The obvious conclusion is that President Trump does not really want to pass a new Nafta," Beyer said.

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters on Thursday night that the tariff decision wasn't part of a trade dispute but about the immigration problem. He said if the White House gets enough cooperation from Mexico over the coming weeks to address illegal border crossings, the tariffs will either not take effect or will be lifted swiftly.

The Trump administration reached out to congressional Republicans before the announcement, Mulvaney said, and some lawmakers supported the tariff threat to tighten border security. He said others questioned the authority for this action under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, but "we feel like we were able to get them more comfortable with that."

Citing rarely used emergency provisions in U.S. law has been a pattern for Trump to bypass Congress on other issues such as spending taxpayer money and arms sales to Saudi Arabia. He previously used a national security justification to impose steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, was among those who said the "border disaster" justifies the tariffs designed to push Mexico to "up their game" against migrants from Central America.

"I don't like tariffs but in this case it is a national security issue and Mexico needs to change their behavior," Graham said on Twitter.

Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, who after reading Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report became the only Republican lawmaker to publicly say Trump may have committed impeachable offenses, flatly rejected the president's argument that other countries bear the cost of tariffs on goods imported to the U.S.

Many of his Republican colleagues, together with pro-trade Democrats, oppose tariffs as a tax on American consumers.

"The president is unilaterally imposing the equivalent of a 17 billion dollar sales tax which sounds not very free market-y to me," Sen. Brian Schatz, a Hawaiian Democrat, said on Twitter. Criticizing Trump's Make-America-Great-Again motto, he said "I guess MAGA is like a wand you wave to make all of your previous principles disappear."

- - -

Bloomberg's Daniel Ten Kate contributed.
Death Tall Has Risen To More Than 20 In Last Tuesdays Attack In Twic State

We have deployed the army to create a buffer zone between the two states, and yet we need more forces to top up those already on the ground.





By James Deng Dimo

Wau 31, May 2019 [GURTONG]  Following Tuesday attack in Twic State by heavy-armed gunmen from the neighbouring Liech State, death has now risen to 22 people killed in a week, Twic State Governor Atem Madut toldGurtong today, Friday.

The Governor said that despite the current return of calm to the state, 22 people have so far died since the clashes erupted on Tuesday, carried out by some criminal attackers from neighbouring Northern Liech State. Many of our families have fled their homes after the clashes, feeling insecure. This is our concern as the states authority

The governor said they have deployed heavy forces to create a buffer zone to deter any more attacks.

We have deployed the army to create a buffer zone between the two states, and yet we need more forces to top up those already on the ground.

Northern Liechs Information Minister Lam Tungwar said four people from Northern Liech State were killed in the attack. He blames the clashes on armed civilians from the two states on.

But Lam also acknowledged that armed men from Northern Liech State were behind last Tuesdays attack of cattle camps in Twic State, following attack last weekend by armed civilians from Twic State who stole some cows from Liech State.


To the editor:

June 4 is the deadline for comments on the proposed wind ordinance to be made to the county commissioners. As this ordinance is written, I feel it does not protect the county nor its residents.

Morgan Countys existing 2009 ordinance was drafted off the model ordinance regulating the siting of Wind Energy Conversion Systems (now known as WECS) in Illinois drafted by The Chicago Environmental Law Clinic and Baker and McKenzie, which was funded by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation and dated May 5, 2003. This 2019 proposed ordinance is a more elaboration of the 2009 Morgan County ordinance. Sixteen years from the model ordinance and 10 years from the last Morgan County-approved wind ordinance is a long time and much has happened in the wind industry, especially in this litigious society. 

If Morgan County really needs WECS projects, then the ordinance governing them should be a very strong and lasting ordinance.

In December, all the commissioners reported to this newspaper that they wanted do the right job in drafting this proposed wind ordinance, but in my opinion, they have produced an inadequate ordinance. The definition section is lacking in many definitions that will help keep Morgan County out of court. Some of the definitions are vague; some may be illegal in the state. Furthermore, the ordinance clearly does not utilize recognized national or world standards  if there is a dispute over the noise of the wind tower or wind farm. In this ordinance, the commissioners are the ones to decide the dispute when parties present non-standard noise measurements. This part is just wrong. The ordinance also fails to identify the harmful effects and thereby also fails to address how each of these detrimental effects can be handled to reduce them. Just lately, during the December 2018 tornado outbreak, another issue arose of wind farm interference on radar when trying to track the storms.

The proposed 2019 Morgan County ordinance is written for today (Apex and E.ON projects) and doesnt look into future to address wind energy systems years down the road.

If one wants to see what an excellent wind ordinance looks like, Monitor Bay Township in Bay County, Michigan, just approved [its] wind ordinance on March 25. It is available online.  I realize that each state is different but in the wind industry there are commonalities in wind energy conversions systems and therefore should be commonalities in ordinances.

All Morgan County residents should read the proposed ordinance posted on Morgan Countys website and compare it against the Monitor Bay ordinance and let the commissioners know what they think before it is too late to protect Morgan County and its citizens.

Betty Niemann

Jacksonville
Job Title: District

Manager

Organization: Umeme

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

Reports to: Regional

Manager

About US:

Umeme is a public

company cross listed on both the Uganda Securities Exchange and the Nairobi

Securities Exchange with over 6,483 shareholders, including high value

international institutional investors. Umeme operates under a concession with a

structural monopoly in the distribution of electricity across Uganda,

distributing 99% of electricity in Uganda through a single buyer model.

Job Summary: The District Manager will be responsible for

the effective implementation of Business plans in line with Company Annual

Operating Plan at the business unit level as designed and directed by the

Regional Manager

Key Duties and Responsibilities:



enhancement strategies in liaison with the Head of Customer service. Develop and implement the business unit specific customer experienceenhancement strategies in liaison with the Head of Customer service.



to achieve overall customer satisfaction. Drive adherence to the Companys customer service standards in orderto achieve overall customer satisfaction.



all Business Stakeholders Appropriately manage, maintain and promote good relationships withall Business Stakeholders



Stakeholder Engagement Plan with close liaison with Manager Stakeholder

Relations. Spearhead the development and effective execution of the respectiveStakeholder Engagement Plan with close liaison with Manager StakeholderRelations.



operational key business drivers by; Efficiently drive and oversee the achievement of business unitoperational key business drivers by;



loss reduction plans with emphasis to administrative losses. Lead in the development and implementation of the business unitloss reduction plans with emphasis to administrative losses.





control procedures Maximizing Sales Revenue Collection by enforcing all company creditcontrol procedures





meters in the billing systems Overseeing the proper installation and accurate set up of customermeters in the billing systems





all customers are accurately and promptly billed. Monitoring the meter reading and billing processes to ensure thatall customers are accurately and promptly billed.





the business unit cost management initiatives in order to ensure that

budget limits are not exceeded. Managing the budgeting process at business unit level and enforcingthe business unit cost management initiatives in order to ensure thatbudget limits are not exceeded.





program within his area of jurisdiction. Overseeing and supporting the implementation of the companys CAPEXprogram within his area of jurisdiction.





ensure vertical and horizontal growth of the business unit customer portfolio. Development and implementation of Sales Oriented strategies toensure vertical and horizontal growth of the business unit customer portfolio.



procedures to enhance timeliness and quality output. Plan, evaluate and improve the efficiency of business processes andprocedures to enhance timeliness and quality output.



performance measurement tools and implementing staff training and development

plans at district level. Drive staff performance by appropriately utilizing the companyperformance measurement tools and implementing staff training and developmentplans at district level.



super engagement Managing performance of staff at business unit level and drivingsuper engagement

Oversee operations in all service centres under his/her territory.



service delivery to the customer Coordinate other Departmental Section heads to ensure seamlessservice delivery to the customer



direction and meet regulatory requirements. Ensure compliance with operational standards to ensure strategicdirection and meet regulatory requirements.

Ensure team compliance to the Umeme business code of conduct

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:



hold an honors degree in Business Administration, Finance or related

Field. The ideal candidate for the Umeme District Manager job vacancy musthold an honors degree in Business Administration, Finance or relatedField.



driven organization with high standard business ethics. Three years of post qualification experience in a commerciallydriven organization with high standard business ethics.

How to Apply:

All suitably

qualified and interested candidates should first fill out their application

forms online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 7th June 2019

For more of the

latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.comor

find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline






Job

Title: Human

Resource Intern (No Experience Career Jobs)

Organisation: War

Child Holland (WCH)

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

Reports to: Senior

HR Officer

About US:

War Child Holland

(WCH) is an International non-profit organization that has been working in

Uganda since 2004, mainly in the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) affected areas.

As the situation in Uganda has stabilized, WCH has closed its programs related

to the LRA conflict and started a refugee response program in early 2016 in the

West Nile region, offering psychosocial support to children, young people and

families in the refugee and host communities. In addition to psychosocial

support, the country office is in the process of establishing education

projects with partners.

Job Summary: The Human Resource Intern will support in

performing all HR processes for the organisation including;

Assist in the recruitment & hiring process;

Support in the implementation of HR policies and procedures;

Coordinate employee on-boarding and induction process.

Assist in filing of HR documents according to WCH procedures.

And handle any other HR related activities as assigned.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:



WCH policies. Assist in the recruitment and selection processes in accordance withWCH policies.



procedures. Assist in organisation staff orientation and induction as per WCHprocedures.



files. Maintain proper and accurate employee records in hard and soft copyfiles.



including; Internal regulations among others. Assist in collecting information for compiling HR documentsincluding; Internal regulations among others.



staff. Assist in processing of visa and work permits for internationalstaff.



collaboration with PSOs Responsible for following up on staff leave and tracking incollaboration with PSOs

Coordinate the payroll process with finance



with all legislative laws. Responsible for following up on HR matters and to ensure compliancewith all legislative laws.



with the Country Director. Assist in structuring the design of organogram in close consultationwith the Country Director.

Coordination & networking



upholding organizations values, ethics and principles hen requested. Represent WCH in all relevant HR meetings and various forums whileupholding organizations values, ethics and principles hen requested.

administration of staff activities

across organization frame work. Assist in general HR coordination andadministration of staff activitiesacross organization frame work.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:



Degree in Human Resource Management or any related field. The War Child Holland (WCH) Human Resource Intern job should hold aDegree in Human Resource Management or any related field.

Knowledge of Uganda labor law and other relevant laws.



and challenging environment. Demonstrated ability to prioritize, and meet deadlines in a complexand challenging environment.



partners, and other stakeholders in a sensitive environment. Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships withpartners, and other stakeholders in a sensitive environment.

Strong English writing ability and good communications.



tact and empathy. Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience,tact and empathy.



accommodating in a difficult and sometimes insecure working environment. The ability and willingness to be extremely flexible andaccommodating in a difficult and sometimes insecure working environment.

Excellent interpersonal and diplomacy skills.



backgrounds and level. Ability to work well under pressure with diverse teams from allbackgrounds and level.



30 years of ago. MUST have recently completed a University degree and not more than30 years of ago.

How to Apply:

All suitably

qualified and interested candidates are invited to apply by uploading an

English CV consisting of maximum two pages, and answer our questionnaire

(please note that a cover letter is not requested) through the following

hyperlink:

Click

Here

Deadline: 2nd June 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
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers overnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Another leading High Street chain is wounded and bleeding. Boots the Chemist, one of our best-loved stores, is feeling the pain from exorbitant business rates.

Some 200 branches are facing the axe, which would leave local communities bereft. Ever since farm worker John Boot founded the firm in 1849 to sell his mum's herbal remedies in Nottingham, Boots has been more than just another shop.

Much like the NHS, it accompanies us from cradle to grave, selling everything from nappies for newborns to rattling bottles of vitamins for pensioners.

Ruth Sunderland says Boots the Chemist, one of our best-loved stores, is 'feeling the pain from exorbitant business rates'

But none of this has protected the company from the merciless cull ripping the heart out of our High Streets. Along with John Lewis and Marks & Spencer, Boots has fallen prey to ruthless online competition.

Its in-store management teams are also partially to blame. Many of its shops are depressingly dowdy and the lack of investment is plain to see. But while an overhaul at its stores is certainly overdue, one of the biggest causes of its woes is the monstrously unfair business rates system.

Like many companies, Boots has suffered from arbitrary increases in the levy. In Frodsham, Cheshire, for example, the charge suddenly went up by 250 per cent for no apparent reason.

With many of Britain's High Streets slowly being boarded up, the planned closures at Boots must act as a wake-up call. Boots' US parent company Walgreens has recently embarked on a plan to cut 1.2 billion of costs worldwide  of which the closures in this country form just a part.

Masterminding the operation from the tax haven of Monaco is 77-year-old Italian tycoon Stefano Pessina. His cut-throat reputation has led to slurs that he is an asset-stripper. But in reality, the opposite is the case.

Having trained as an engineer, he started his career as an entrepreneur by taking over a small family chemist in Naples. Ever since, he has pursued his ambition to build the biggest and best pharmacy business in the world.

Stefano Pessina, the chief executive officer and single largest shareholder of Walgreens Boots Alliance

But in recent months, his plans have unravelled. Last year in the UK, for example, Boots' profits plunged by a painful 22 per cent.

Against a fall in earnings of that magnitude, its business rates bill of 144 million represents a big problem for Sebastian James, the boss of Boots and one of Pessina's top lieutenants. On top of this, its corporation tax bill was around 80 million last year. That is in stark contrast to online giants such as Amazon, which paid just 4.5 million in corporation tax and 63.4 million in rates in 2017, even though the online retailer made billions of pounds more sales in the UK than Boots.

'We are not on a level playing field,' James told me recently. 'People have dismissed it as whining but we are seeing retailers go to the wall.'

But we shouldn't write off Boots just yet. The business is still profitable and, although it is closing some stores, it is refurbishing others and opening new ones. This year it plans to launch 24 swish beauty halls, featuring new cosmetics labels, including pop star Rihanna's Fenty brand make-up.

But even great British stalwarts aren't immune to the curse of business rates spreading like a plague through our High Street.
Nervous savers pulled cash out of Neil Woodford's flagship fund as it lost 560 million of its value in just four weeks

Nervous savers pulled cash out of Neil Woodford's flagship fund as it lost 560 million of its value in just four weeks.

Money in the once-feted Equity Income Fund dropped from 4.33 billion in April to 3.77 billion this week, research firm Morningstar said.

The fund looked after 10.2 billion of investors' cash at its peak in 2017, nearly three times the current amount. Woodford is under mounting pressure to improve performance following a series of high-profile disappointments.

The repeated falls in the size of his flagship fund suggest some savers are giving up hope of a recovery and abandoning the 59-year-old fund manager.

The situation is being closely watched by regulators at the Financial Conduct Authority who want to ensure enough cash is available to pay those who decide to leave.

A spokesman for Woodford said the FCA has not been in direct contact, although it monitors withdrawals from large funds as a matter of course.

Woodford predicted the financial crisis, allowing him to avoid the worst of its effects.

But his current strategy is at odds with the market, meaning he has lagged behind rivals.

He believes British firms are absurdly cheap following a steep sell-off after the Brexit vote, and there are opportunities to bag a bargain. But the stock price recovery he has long predicted has failed to materialise amid gloom over the future of the country.

He has also made a string of unfortunate bets on troubled individual companies.

A spokesman for Woodford said he still believes that UK-quoted domestic stocks 'such as housebuilders and other consumer stocks, are profoundly undervalued and offer long-term potential returns'.
Sir Philip Green and his senior lieutenants have set out their plans to try to rescue the tycoon's Arcadia fashion empire

Sir Philip Green and his senior lieutenants have set out their plans to try to rescue the tycoon's Arcadia fashion empire in a letter to the group's 18,000 staff.

The strategy, which is part of a last-ditch attempt to keep the business afloat, is explained in an email sent yesterday by Ian Grabiner, the chief executive of Arcadia and one of Green's longest-serving managers.

The blueprint includes investing 135 million in the next three years in Arcadia's brands, including Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis.

Around 75 million will be spent on refurbishing stores, some of which have become dowdy. The remaining 60 million will be used to upgrade the online operation.

Improvements are likely to include a VIP delivery service, where customers can order an outfit in the morning and have it in time to go out in the evening.

Green has also signed a partnership deal for Topman and Topshop clothes to be sold on the popular Asos website in the next few months.

Speaking to the Mail, Green said: 'The young fashion market has been under ferocious attack and there are other issues including business rates.

'But I am not blaming anyone. We have clearly got things wrong or done things wrong. We have to repair the damage from the last couple of years.

'We are ready to work even harder to achieve that. We have a wonderfully loyal staff, many of whom have been with us in excess of ten years, and a fantastically loyal supply chain. There remains a lot of value in these brands.'

Arcadia, which is owned by Sir Philip's wife Lady Green, is trying to orchestrate a deal known as a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) with its creditors. A CVA allows distressed businesses to reduce their debts and financial obligations, in order to avoid falling into bankruptcy.

Arcadia's brands include Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis

Arcadia's profits have plunged from more than 200 million in 2016 to 30 million now. Although it is not burdened with debt, that level of earnings is not enough to service its payments to landlords and to cover the contributions it needs to make to its pension fund, which has a deficit of at least 300 million.

Green wants to reorganise payments into the Arcadia pension fund, which looks after the nest eggs of 9,500 members. He is proposing to shut 23 stores in the UK and Ireland with the loss of more than 500 jobs and to pull down the shutters on his 11 shops in the US.

Insiders believe that if the CVA is agreed then Arcadia could return to profits of around 80 million a year. However, he needs the agreement of his creditors and The Pensions Regulator  which dismissed his initial pension proposals as inadequate  by early next month. If they refuse to sign off, then the business is likely to go under.

The Monaco-based mogul has come in for heavy criticism after his wife took a near-1.3 billion dividend from Arcadia in 2005, money that some experts believe should have been invested in the business.

His plans to revive his ailing Arcadia brands include a new 1.2m sq ft distribution centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire, kitted out with state-of-the art automation and technology and employing 200 people initially, rising to more than 800 next year. Green is also hoping to boost sales made through partnerships with other fashion retailers.

In the US he has secured backing from Pete Nordstrom, one of the bosses of the well-known family department store chain. Topshop and Topman have been selling through more than 100 Nordstrom shops in North America for seven years. Nordstrom said: 'We'll continue to work together to grow the business online and in our US stores.'

As well as his ambitions to conquer America, Green believes that, if Arcadia can get back on its feet, he can sell into the huge Chinese and Indian markets.
Warmer weather contributed to a record harvest for Chapel Down during 2018

Warmer weather contributed to a record harvest for Chapel Down during 2018 as it toasted soaring sales.

The winemaker, based in Tenterden, Kent, notched up a 10 per cent rise in sales to 13 million last year, with its beer, cider and spirits also doing well.

Chapel Down enjoyed a 17 per cent jump in sales at its vineyard as soaring temperatures during the summer months encouraged visitors to sign up for tours and tastings.

Booming demand for its sparkling and still wine has seen the company lease an additional 388 acres of land next to its existing vineyards.

But it swung to a loss of 850,328 from a profit of 253,115 a year earlier as it continued to invest.
Amey is close to securing a 300 million deal to abandon a disastrous roads contract

Amey is close to securing a 300 million deal to abandon a disastrous roads contract that threatened to sink the whole company.

The outsourcer will pay 215 million in cash to exit an arrangement with Birmingham City Council under proposals agreed earlier this week.

The row has caused a headache for the Government after concerns were raised over the quality of Birmingham's roads ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The proposals, tabled weeks ago, dictate that Amey would pay 160 million this year and 55 million over a five-year period.

The council would also retain 85 million of penalties imposed on Amey, reflecting the lasting animosity between the two parties.

The Private Finance Initiative contract risked sinking Amey, which would have put 19,000 jobs at risk.
What does the future hold for house prices? The property market shot up 10% this year... We get the experts' predictions on where it will go in 2022
Legal & General Group will no longer offer insurance policies to households after the company sold off its insurance business to German rival Allianz 242million.

The two firms had been in exclusive discussions for months over the deal, with Allianz aiming to expand its presence in the UK market.

According to L&G, the insurance business is predominantly made up of home insurance policies. It booked gross written premiums worth 410million in 2018, although failed to make any operating profits.

Legal & General has sold off its insurance business to German rival Allianz 242million

The deal represents Munich based Allianz's second big move into the UK insurance market, with the first being the acquisition of a 49 per cent stake in LV's general insurance business in 2017 for 713million.

From L&G's point of the view, the decision stems from its strategy to focus more heavily on its investment business, which handles over 1trillion on behalf of investors. L&G said the money from the sale will be reinvested into these core units.

The company has sold off a number of non-core business units over recent years, including savings businesses Mature Savings, pensions service Suffolk Life as well as insurance businesses it had in the Netherlands, France and India.

Chief executive Nigel Wilson said: 'Selling the General Insurance business is the right decision for our customers and shareholders. 'We continue to focus on delivering against our strategy, allocating shareholders' capital rigorously.'

German insurance giant Allianz has snapped up Legal & General's UK insurance unit

Jon Dye, chief executive of Allianz UK, added: 'This is a good outcome for all the parties involved and acquiring a high-quality business with two million customers to combine with the LV= General Insurance business is a strong result.'

AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould commented: 'While Legal & General's decision to sell its general insurance business, think motor, home, contents and the like, has been in the offing for a while it is still a further reminder of how tough a market this is.

'Significant competition means there is pressure on premiums, while regulatory changes are also making it more difficult for participants to squeeze as much out of their customers.

'The unit produced no profit in 2018 so its sale will have pretty much zero impact on the company's financial performance and the modest price tag will have only a limited effect on the balance sheet,' Mould continued.

'However, it will free up capital to invest in the company's growth priorities. This includes the retirement arm where the company is aiming to benefit from the ageing demographics in developed economies.'
House price growth remained below one per cent annually for the sixth month in a row in May, according to Nationwide's latest house price index.

Britain's biggest building society says prices inched up 0.6 per cent this month compared to 12 months ago, down slightly from 0.9 per cent in April.

Its chief economist Robert Gardner said the figures suggest consumer confidence 'remains subdued'.

House price growth remained stagnant, according to Nationwide's latest index

On a monthly basis, property prices fell 0.2 per cent compared to April, after adjustment for seasonal factors, sliding from a 0.3 per cent increase in prices the previous month.

Despite that, the average price of a home, 214,946, is its highest level since July 2018 when the average property value nudged beyond 217,000.

Jeremy Leaf, estate agent and former chairman of RICS, said the figures meant there continued to be 'no real pattern for the housing market'.

He said: 'One month prices, transactions or mortgage approvals are up, then down or very little movement, the next.

'The good news for us at the sharp end is that there is no major correction being seen or expected for the time being at least, despite some predictions to the contrary.'

The property market has been in a bit of a slump since the Brexit vote, with some experts blaming a lack of homes on the market for propping up house prices

However, the average price in May was the highest it has been in nearly 12 months

Mr Gardner echoed those comments, remarking that other indicators aside from price, like property transactions and mortgage approvals, have remained stable.

According to the building society, first time buyer numbers reached 359,000 in the 12 months to March, which was just 10 per cent lower than a 2006 high.

Mark Harris, chief executive of mortgage broker SPF Private Clients, said of the index: 'With property transactions and mortgages approved for house purchases remaining broadly stable, it is encouraging that buyers and sellers are shaking off some of their prevailing lethargy and getting on with their lives.

'First-time buyer numbers are recovering, which is encouraging, with cheap mortgage rates helping.

'Family are increasingly important when it comes to helping raise the deposit, making life difficult for those who don't have family money they can call upon.'

Nationwide's index has been more stable than that of its rival Halifax, Britain's largest mortgage lender, which saw house prices jump 5 per cent year-on-year in April, with a lack of homes for sale blamed for propping up the market.

Mr Harris said at the time that 'The lack of supply and properties coming to the market is most likely continuing to support property prices, while cheap mortgage rates continue to attract those who are ready to take the plunge.'
John Lewis, run by manging director Paula Nickolds (pictured), claims its department stores have been overvalued by as much as 40% by the VOA, driving up its rates bill

Thousands of British businesses, including Boots and John Lewis, are locked in a battle to claw back millions of pounds in 'unfair' business rates.

Companies can appeal to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), which sets rates, if they believe that their bill is too high.

But in a damning indictment of the system, a crippling backlog means 69,000 appeals against rates set as far back as 2010 are still yet to be resolved.

High Street stalwarts Boots and John Lewis are among those waiting for the results of their appeals, alongside thousands of smaller retailers.

Both companies revealed they were yet to have a single case resolved by the VOA, which sets rates based on its own assessment of a property's value.

John Lewis, run by managing director Paula Nickolds, claims its department stores have been overvalued by as much as 40 per cent by the VOA, driving up its rates bill.

The British Retail Consortium warned the backlog in the appeals process was yet more proof the business rates system 'is in desperate need of reform'.

Tom Ironside, director of business and regulation, added: 'Retailers account for a quarter of all business rates, so it is little wonder many High Streets are struggling, with store closures and job losses harming local communities. The Valuation Office Agency's appeal system is both onerous to use and slow to reach decisions that have vital implications for future business operations.'

Boots, which is looking at plans to close 200 stores, said it had lodged 'dozens' of appeals against rates bills, while John Lewis said it had 110 outstanding.

The backlog  and potential overcharging of rates  is yet another source of pressure on retailers that are already struggling under rising costs and competition from online rivals.

The Mail has called on the Government to level the playing field between physical and online shops with its Save Our High Streets campaign.

Sebastian James, boss of Boots, warned soaring rates bills were 'a real problem' and that some businesses may decide to simply close struggling shops rather than wait for the slow appeals process to conclude

Sebastian James, boss of Boots, warned soaring rates bills were 'a real problem' and that some businesses may decide to simply close struggling shops rather than wait for the slow appeals process to conclude.

His company paid 144 million in business rates last year. One of its stores in a shopping centre might expect to pay 500,000 in rates per year, while a bigger branch would pay more than 1 million.

Boots believes the VOA's process to calculate its rates in 2010 was flawed and led to it being overcharged for years. More than 1.1 million appeals were lodged by businesses against 2010 rates, with more than 69,000 still outstanding.

James told MPs on the Treasury committee last week: 'We have not had one resolved.'

The Mail has called on the Government to level the playing field between physical and online shops with our Save Our High Streets campaign

Chris Harris, property boss of John Lewis, claimed its department stores were being overcharged by up to 40 per cent. He also told MPs that the convoluted appeals process meant even big firms found it difficult to navigate.

There is concern about how business rate appeals are handled.

A system introduced in 2017 is 'a time bomb about to explode' and even more complex, potentially creating yet another massive backlog of claims, according to a study by research firm Colliers International.

The workload is so vast that the VOA has asked former staff to come back to the agency and help. The agency, which has 3,330 staff, has seen its headcount reduced from 3,960 since 2010.

A VOA spokesman said: 'Almost all appeals against the 2010 rating list have been resolved and we are on track to clear the remaining cases by September 2019.'
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on May 30, 2019. Donald Trump slammed Special Counsel Robert Mueller as "highly conflicted" on Thursday, one day after Mueller's first-ever public statement saying that charging Trump with a crime was "not an option we could consider" due to Justice Department guidelines. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump slammed Special Counsel Robert Mueller as "highly conflicted" on Thursday, one day after Mueller's first-ever public statement saying that charging Trump with a crime was "not an option we could consider" due to Justice Department guidelines.

"After spending $40,000,000 over two dark years, with unlimited access, people, resources and cooperation, highly conflicted Robert Mueller would have brought charges, if he had ANYTHING, but there were no charges to bring!" Trump tweeted Thursday.

"Russia, Russia, Russia! That's all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax...And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didn't exist." The president continued, "Mueller didn't find Obstruction either. Presidential Harassment!"

In the on-camera statement on Wednesday, Mueller explained that charging the president with a crime was "not an option" due to longstanding Justice Department policy which states that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime.

"If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said that," Mueller said. "The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse the president of wrongdoing."

Many Democrats took the special counsel's remarks as a nod to Congress to begin impeachment proceedings though Mueller stopped short of saying it definitively.

When departing the White House later Thursday morning, Trump said he couldn't imagine the courts allowing Democrats to launch an impeachment move.

"I don't see how they can because they're possibly allowed, although I can't imagine the courts allowing it. I've never gone into it," Trump told reporters. "I never thought that would even be possible to be using that word. To me, it's a dirty word -- the word impeach. It's a dirty, filthy, disgusting word."

Meanwhile, he repeated that the special counsel was "totally conflicted," claiming Mueller wanted to be tapped to lead the FBI again during the Trump administration. Mueller served as FBI director under the Bush and Obama administrations.

"He wanted to be FBI director," Trump said. "Mueller should have never been chosen -- he wanted the FBI job and didn't get it and then was picked as special counsel." The president also blasted the prosecutors working for Mueller during the 22-month Russia investigation as "18 Trump haters and some of the worst humans."

Though calls for impeachment were heightened from time to time, analysts said an impeachment could well galvanize Trump's base and tamp up support for him like never before, and could thus cause the impeachment to backfire.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, facing pressure from her party, also seems cool to the idea.

"We want to do what's right and what gets results," Pelosi said Wednesday. "We're legislating, we're investigating and we're litigating."

"I am speaking out today because our investigation is complete," Mueller said on Wednesday. "The attorney general has made the report on our investigation largely public. We are formally closing the special counsel's office. And as well, I'm resigning from the Department of Justice to return to private life."

Mueller concluded his investigation in March by submitting a report to Attorney General William Barr and a redacted version was made public last month.

The report stated that there was no evidence that Trump's campaign conspired with the Russian government during the 2016 U.S. elections but did not conclude if the president had obstructed justice.

Barr and his deputy Rod Rosenstein, who stepped down earlier this month, have concluded that Mueller did not have "sufficient" evidence to support a charge in the obstruction case, a move that has drawn scrutiny from the Democrats.
Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, and Refining and Marketing segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen in northeast Alberta. Its bitumen assets include Foster Creek, Christina Lake, and Narrows Lake, as well as other projects in the early stages of development. The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, and Clearwater operating areas of British Columbia and Alberta, as well as various interests in natural gas processing facilities. The Refining and Marketing segment transports and sells crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs. This segment owns a 50% ownership in Wood River and Borger refineries located in the United States; and owns and operates a crude-by-rail terminal in Alberta. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

Read More
North American Construction Group Ltd. provides mining and heavy construction services to the resource development and industrial construction sectors in Canada and the United States The company's Heavy Construction & Mining division offers constructability reviews, budgetary cost estimates, design-build construction, project management, contract mining, pre-stripping/pit pioneering, overburden removal and stockpile, muskeg removal and stockpile, site preparation, air strip construction, site dewatering/perimeter ditching, tailings and process pipelines, haulage and access road construction, tailings dam construction and densification, mechanically stabilized earth walls, dyke construction, and reclamation services. Its Equipment Maintenance Services division provides fuel and lube servicing, portable steaming, equipment inspections, parts and component supply, major overhauls and equipment refurbishment, onsite haul truck brake testing, onsite maintenance support, under carriage rebuild, machining, hose manufacturing, and technical support services, as well as welding, fabrication/repairs, weld certification, and inspection services. As of December 31, 2020, the company had a heavy equipment fleet of 626 units. The company was formerly known as North American Energy Partners Inc. and changed its name to North American Construction Group Ltd. in April 2018. The company was founded in 1953 and is headquartered in Acheson, Canada.

Read More
There is not enough analysis data for Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO).

3.6 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO) has received 352 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO) has received 298 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO) has received 54.15% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Bonavista Energy Co. (BNP.TO) and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe BNP will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe BNP will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

Previous

Next
In need of summer reading? Bill Gates has some recommendations for you.

In what's become an annual tradition, the Microsoft co-founder, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and avid reader has released a list of books he's recently enjoyed. They're all, he admits on his blog, not exactly light reads; if you want something more traditionally summery, Gates suggests Graeme Simsion's lighthearted novel "The Rosie Result." And he also makes an obvious suggestion: "The Moment of Lift," by his wife Melinda Gates. ("I know I'm biased, but it's one of the best books I've read so far this year.")

"Upheaval" by Jared Diamond. A fan of Diamond's book "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies," Gates describes the author's latest as a "discipline-bending book that uses key principals of crisis therapy to understand what happens to nations in crisis." Though some of Diamond's previous books have been less than optimistic, Gates writes on his blog that this one is more positive, with the author reminding us that some countries have creatively solved big problems.

"In 'Upheaval,' though, he reminds us that some countries have creatively solved their biggest problems. Jared doesn't go so far as to predict that we'll successfully address our most serious challenges, but he shows that there's a path through crisis and that we can choose to take it."

"A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles. The only work of fiction on this list, Towles' 2016 novel was a longtime best-seller, just now out in paperback. The book is, writes Gates, "a fun, clever, and surprisingly upbeat look at Russian history through the eyes of one man"  a count, sentenced in 1922 to house arrest in an elegant Moscow hotel.

Though Gates has a special interest in Russian history, he thinks the book provides something for everyone. "There's fantastical romance, politics, espionage, parenthood and poetry. The book is technically historical fiction, but you'd be just as accurate calling it a thriller or a love story."

"9 Pints: A Journey Through the Money, Medicine, and Mysteries of Blood" by Rose George. Gates, who's long been interested in blood and diagnostic tools involving blood, was immediately drawn to this book by British author George  its title refers to the amount of blood in the average adult.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

George traveled the world researching the topic, packing the book with "super-interesting facts that I had to work very hard not to share with unsuspecting friends and colleagues during social occasions." Though some of its anecdotes are deeply upsetting (such as an African slum in which young women turn to prostitution in order to afford sanitary pads), it's also informative and uplifting. "I think everyone wants to know at least a little more about this topic," writes Gates. "After all, there is nothing that more people have in common than blood."

"Presidents of War: The Epic Story, From 1807 to Modern Times" by Michael Beschloss. "It is hard to read about today's conflicts without thinking about how they might connect to the past and what impact they might have on the future," writes Gates.

His interest in the Vietnam War led him to this book, in which the author examines how presidents have handled eight major conflicts: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. "Looking at each president and each conflict with a similar lens is what makes the book a worthwhile read," Gates writes, recommending it "whether you are one of the nation's leaders or just an armchair historian."

"The Future of Capitalism: Facing the New Anxieties" by Paul Collier. Collier, an Oxford economist, spent his career trying to understand and alleviate global poverty, so Gates was surprised that his latest book was about a different topic: economic polarization. Gates writes, "Although I don't agree with him about everything  I think his analysis of the problem is better than his proposed solutions  his background as a development economist gives him a smart perspective on where capitalism is headed."
By the time I wrapped lunch at the West Taghkanic Diner and peered in the wood-burning 9-foot smoker in the parking lot, New York magazine's Grub Street column had published a rave review declaring this 1953 Taconic Parkway original "America's most exciting 'new' diner" with a young pedigreed chef back from Copenhagen and breathing new life into an ailing hometown classic.

And that's the risk, isn't it? Iconic diners already bear the weight of their identity within American culture. As Grub Street's article went viral  I received the link 11 times in two days  and people hurtled to Ancram in a frenzy, online grumbles started about the undiner-like limited hours, prices ($10 pancakes, $14 omelets with home fries, fries for a fiver), the restored native American tube-light sign, hour-long waits for tables in the opening week, and  wait for it  fried eggs that were fried eggs. Perhaps they expected bilingual chickens.

On my next visit, I watched manager Kate Snider, the young pastry chef behind the diner's seasonal pies, scones and cakes, fielding media calls from the makeshift office of a red diner booth. Instead of a weekly gig for her Hudson-based baking company, Snider's early involvement morphed into a full-time managerial role of hiring staff, shaping the menu and designing the website. Her buckwheat blondies, cinnamon-rye coffee cake and salted chocolate chip cookies dot the long counter while the craggy blood-orange poppy seed scones are now giving way to rhubarb turnovers and rhubarb-lemon bars. With a strong cup of Forty Weight coffee, any one is an ideal start to the day.

Chef-owner Kris Schram, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, has returned to his hometown of Claverack after a stint as chef de cuisine at the James Beard-award winning Terra restaurant in Napa Valley, Calif., and several years working in Copenhagen, Denmark, with Noma alum Christian Puligisi at his fine-dining Relae restaurant group. Together they opened Baest, famed for its farm-fed charcuterie and mozzarella and sourdough pizza ranked 14th best in the world. His buddy Solsinn Danielsen, a wine importer and Copenhagen wine bar owner, is curating the trio of natural wines sold by color (red, orange, sparkling white) at the diner. Consider it the weekly recommendations of a sommelier friend.

Schram isn't doing pizza, which should be a relief to Jo-Jo's pizzeria across the street. His diner menu features thick milkshakes made with Jane's Ice Cream from Kingston and cornmeal-buttermilk pancakes cooked a buttery gold. The Nordic influence is evident in smoked apple butter available to smear on top, the greens and crispy fried eggs that Schram considers his breakfast ideal and sweet-savory porridge or dense rye-berry Nordic bread that guarantees a colonic sweep. It's also in the very Scandinavian embrace of a happy work-life balance, which means they're open for breakfast and lunch just four days a week. With chefs Chris Bradley (Gramercy Tavern, Untitled) and Alex Tronstad (Gaskins) on board, Schram and Snider are gearing up for dinner this summer. Edging outside diner-fare, I have the sense dinner in a diner will be a play within a play.

The building is in mint condition, all chrome and lipstick-red stools, sunlight spilling through new blinds and slightly worn bathrooms in original teal and pink tile. As Schram tells it, "Though it still says diner, we've transitioned into this other thing. ... We have diner classics, but we don't go by diner rules; the way we cook in the kitchen is like a restaurant ... in ingredients and technique."

Key to operations is the massive smoker huffing away outside that drives a current throughout the menu. Smoked wings slathered in spicy 'nduja  the spicy Calabrian pork paste  have taut, crisp skins that snap like sausages; chewy slab bacon is brined and hot-smoked for seven to eight hours. Pastrami, the deep puce of an outraged general, is brined in salt and sugar for seven days and smoked for 12 hours. Paired with Hawthorne Valley kraut, Swiss cheese and house-made sauce  a house-made Russian  on Bread Alone rye, it's the platonic ideal of a Reuben sandwich. Call it outrageously good.

At Baest, Schram had access to an in-house butchery, bakery and dairy program through Puglisi's farm. Here, he taps into Hudson Valley entrepreneurs: Common Hands and Ironwood Farms for dill, mesclun and microgreens, Locust Hills for sausage and ground beef and specialty producers like Yesfolk kombucha, Hudson Standard shrubs and Jacuterie, which makes the nduja literally down the street.

We put away a mezcal-laced Bloody Mary Ann ramped up with pickle juice, fermented chile from Hudson's Poor Devil Pepper Co. and tomatoes blitzed with smoked water. In tune with recent Aperol spritz wars, West Taghkanic Diner offers an amari-based orange spritz, and if a negroni seems too boozy for brunch, a curious Utica Club and smoked tomato "red beer" could be a good hair of the dog.

Sign up for The Knick  Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter.

Plates are consistently good. Smoked bacon has flavor-blasted fat, and meaty oyster mushrooms loll as buttery tongues. Step away from the crazy: You ordered eggs? You'll get eggs. Farm eggs with sunshiny orange yolks and crisp, frilled whites. Dishes are deceptively simple. It's only when you sit quietly  letting mellow tracks by Widowspeak and Black Box Recorder wash over you  that you can unravel the combos of salt, sour, smoke and sweet.

I love the roasted pork belly sandwich layered with sour purple cabbage and salted sliced apple, which reminds me of the Oaxaquan way of serving mango with tajin chile-salt. Elsewhere, Hollandaise is whisked with smoked water; mayo in the smoked potato salad is whipped with smoked oil, and more is spooned onto home fries that taste like campfire potatoes. Every dish gets a hit of smoked salt. In true Nordic style, no opportunity to pile on torn herbs is missed, and while some will rebuke the hipster presence of avocado toast, theirs takes herbaceous, spicy notes from a tangle of mustard greens, parsley and dill.

We smile at a fresh reinterpretation of Greek salad, the diner staple: smashed cucumbers salted with dried olives and local feta and spiked with citrusy local sumac. White miso and smoked water work like rich dashi stock to double up scent and flavor in swoon-worthy clam chowder. Local grain porridge steeped in Earl Grey tea is capped in fennel, yogurt and sweetened pumpkin compote, so each bite plays savory against off-sweet and softened grains against the Grape-Nut crunch of crisp buckwheat.

Over three visits  weekend lunch and early breakfasts  service is smooth and waitresses with tattoos and blue hair dole out some of the best banter this side of Hudson. A gaggle of children and dads are dexterously corralled into three booths, our small order graciously slipped ahead of their 15 pancakes and shakes. Midweek, I listen to an older couple struggling with "'nduja" and "stracciatella" before deciding it doesn't matter since they want fried eggs and coffee and saying, "It's better than the place being closed." When our plates arrive, we share a smile across an open booth.

Cooked breakfast or lunch for one with coffee will cost around $16.50 before tip. Add a cocktail or wine for around $11. Dinner menu coming soon.

More Information West Taghkanic Diner 1016 Route 82 Ancram Phone: 518-851-3333 Web: wtdinerny.com Hours: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. Dinner hours starting soon. Price: Moderate. Food: Diner classics elevated with local ingredients and new-Nordic culinary focus. Excellent baked goods, strong coffee, eggs, pancakes, smoked meats. Try the smoked clam chowder and pastrami Reuben. Drink: Rotating natural wines, fermented-chile cocktails, housemade chocolate milk, kombucha, Maine Roots sodas, classic ice-cream milkshakes. Ambiance: Original chrome-wrapped 1950s diner. Vintage Americana. Noise: 2 Good for: Breakfast, lunch (dinner coming soon), solo dining, small or large groups, families, ADA accessible, easy parking. Noise rating: 1- quiet; 2 - comfortable/conversational; 3 - loud; 4 - disruptive. Price range: Inexpensive, Moderate, Somewhat Expensive, Very Expensive See More Collapse

Susie Davidson Powell is a British freelance food writer in upstate New York. Follow her on Twitter, @SusieDP. To comment on this review, visit the Table Hopping blog, blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping.
Frustration over how the Democratic National Committee is managing the upcoming presidential debates is bursting into the open as several longshot candidates say the party is stacking the process against them.

Most of the two dozen declared candidates will be able to participate in the first debate of the 2020 campaign next month. But those who are struggling to gain traction are alarmed by new rules the party announced this week for later debates that are sure to cull the field.

It's precisely the dynamic DNC Chairman Tom Perez hoped to avoid when he began crafting the rules governing the nomination process in the aftermath of the 2016 election. He sought to avoid giving any campaign room to argue that the national party unduly influenced the outcome, as Bernie Sanders did in 2016, contributing to a divide in the party that wounded Hillary Clinton going into the general election.

Yet Perez also wants to avoid an unwieldly gaggle of dozens of candidates that could splinter the primary electorate well into next spring while President Donald Trump consolidates Republican support and stockpiles cash.

"It's all just completely arbitrary," Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said as he campaigned in New Hampshire. Bennet, who's yet to secure a spot in the first two debates and would face an uphill battle to meet the higher standards for September, called the process "a challenge for democracy."

Former Maryland Rep. John Delaney wrote a letter to Perez demanding an account of how DNC sets debate parameters.

"I just think we deserve transparency," Delaney told The Associated Press. "You're acting as a gate keeper. ... These people, in many ways, are the most important people in determining who our democracy is."

Advisers to several other candidates say they are quietly talking to one another to explore ways to push back on rules for later debates they say could force campaigns to focus too much on fundraising at the expense of their candidates actually reaching voters.

Keenly aware of the criticism, party officials stand by their efforts.

"The DNC has established debate qualifications that are fair, transparent and appropriate for each phase of the primary season," said Xochitl Hinojosa, one of Perez's top aides who assisted senior party adviser Mary Beth Cahill in developing the debate process along with the hosting television networks.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Hinojosa pointed to participation thresholds set months ago for the first two debates, which will each be held over two nights, on June 26-27 and July 30-31. To secure a spot, a candidate must either register 1% in three approved polls or collect contributions in any amount from at least 65,000 unique donors, provided the list includes at least 200 people in each of at least 20 states. That's given nearly every candidate a legitimate shot and could even force DNC to use tiebreakers to determine the maximum 20 participants.

Yet the rules for September and October, announced Wednesday, double those thresholds (2 percent in four polls; 130,000 unique donors, with at least 400 each in 20 states). And, significantly, candidates must meet both the polling and donor measures. The list of candidates who can feel relatively sure about hitting those higher marks is about a half dozen at this point.

That could mean several sitting senators and governors, along with the mayor of the nation's largest city, are mere observers in September. It could set a challenge for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Montana Gov. Steve Bullock. They just launched their bids in recent weeks.

One of the leading candidates, California Sen. Kamala Harris, indicated some sympathy for rivals trying to find stronger footing. "I'm not in a position to tell the DNC what to do, but there is no question that we need to support a robust process of letting everyone make their case to the American people," Harris said Wednesday
New York

Every year on Sept. 11, relatives and friends of people killed at the World Trade Center return to the memorial that fills the footprints of the towers. The mayor, other top city officials, even presidential candidates, have joined them as the victims' names are read. Many run their fingers over some of the thousands of names etched in bronze and wedge stems of flowers into the letters.

But there is another anniversary related to the attacks, one that often receives far less attention: May 30, the day in 2002 when the cleanup of ground zero officially concluded with a modest ceremony.

This year was different. On Thursday, a crowd of families, friends and survivors with ties to a segment of victims that continues to grow gathered under a canopy of fog as the National September 11 Memorial and Museum dedicated an addition called the Memorial Glade.

It is meant to acknowledge the ever-extending tendrils of the tragedy, recognizing the people  largely rescue and recovery workers  whose illnesses and deaths have come years after the towers collapsed.

"The story of 9/11 is only half written," said Rob Serra, who has several illnesses that are connected to his work at ground zero as a rookie in the New York Fire Department.

He arrived at Thursday's ceremony in a wheelchair; he has neuropathy, which numbs his feet. He also has had polyps removed from his sinuses and suffers from traumatic stress disorder, as well as other illnesses that doctors have linked to his work at ground zero.

"We might have stopped the recovery efforts on that day," he added, "but for a lot of us, it never stopped."

The glade consists of a pathway flanked by six monoliths protruding from the ground that weigh as much as 18 tons and are inlaid with steel from the towers. An inscription on a marker commemorates "those whose actions in our time of need led to their injury, sickness and death."

It also credited their "perseverance and courage"  noting that it "renewed the spirit of a grieving city, gave hope to the nation and inspired the world."

Standing near the memorial on Thursday, Joe McKay said he had only been a New York City firefighter for a few years when the terror attacks happened. But as he worked the pile, more experienced firefighters warned him to avoid the acrid smoke and fumes that looked foreign to them.

He retired in 2011 at his doctor's urging because of respiratory troubles that were growing increasingly worse. He also has a neurological disorder that causes severe headaches. Yet he has no regrets.

"Like the heroes we lost on 9/11, their selfless acts provided light that helped guide us through our darkest hours and they allowed our city to rise again," said former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, chairman of the Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum.

He attended the ceremony with other government officials and prominent advocates, including the comedian and political commentator Jon Stewart, who is on the museum's board of directors. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo did not attend.

"For some, the end of the recovery was the beginning of an even more difficult journey of sickness and disease," Bloomberg said.

The glade now serves as a subtle  and yet in other ways glaring  signal of just how long a reach the attacks have had, still stirring ripples of anguish as rescue and recovery workers suffer and die from ailments that doctors have traced to ground zero.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The workers have been the subject of an enduring political fight for financial support.

There has also been substantial, and at times bitter, disagreement over just how strong a role the poisonous cloud of dust and fumes breathed in by firefighters, police officers and aid workers has played in their health travails.

Even so, rescue and recovery workers have confronted an alarming spread of maladies. Many have received diagnoses of cancer, as well as scarring of the heart and lungs. Researchers have discovered links to stomach problems, sleeping troubles and hearing loss.

The fallout has not been limited to New York City. In the days and weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, thousands of workers traveled to ground zero from Texas, California, Virginia, Georgia and elsewhere.

The footprints of the towers have been transformed with reflecting pools and waterfalls powerful enough to drown out much of the city's din. Bronze parapets have been stencil cut with the names of the victims from New York, the Pentagon and United Air Flight 93, which crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa. It also includes the names of the six people killed in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.

The new One World Trade Center looms overhead, and it is surrounded by gleaming new buildings, a shopping center packed with luxury brands and the Oculus, the audaciously designed transit hub that looks like a hunched birdlike spine breaching the earth.

The monoliths in the glade were shaped by artists in Vermont and brought by flatbed truck to the city. The plaza, which rests above the subterranean museum, had to be reinforced with high-density Styrofoam, concrete and steel rebar to support the monoliths' weight.

"What a beautiful place for our heroes," said Caryn Pfiefer, whose husband, Raymond, served at ground zero and died from cancer in 2017.
The body of a missing hiker in Hawaii was found just days after the rescue of another hiker lost in a Hawaiian forest.

A helicopter rescue team saw the body of Noah Kekai Mina in the early hours Wednesday morning about 300 feet below the summit of Mauna Kahalawai, a volcano also known as West Maui Mountains. The same helicopter company that found Mina was also involved in the search for Amanda Eller, who was found after she'd been missing for 16 days.
Rick Karlin/Times Union

ALBANY  Darryl White has already been accepted in college but his work at Albany High School is far from done. Every Wednesday, White and other members of the My Brothers Keeper movement meet with classmates who are young men of color, encouraging them to take pride in themselves and strive for goals theyve set out.

We push each other to be better versions of ourselves, said White, who is headed to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City next fall.
TROY  A daycare serving more than 100 children in Troy may be forced to close its doors in September, and parents are none too happy about it.

The Samaritan-Rensselaer Children's Center has operated out of 2213 Burdett Ave. for more than 30 years, providing daycare and other services including preschool to children as young as eight weeks old on through to kindergarten.

On Wednesday, parents received a letter from Deirdre Greco, the director of the center, informing them that their landlord, St. Peter's Health Partners, has decided to close the daycare on Sept. 15. The decision, she said, was made unexpectedly at the end of March.

The board began searching for a way to continue the daycare elsewhere, she said, and has been in negotiations with a company that provides daycare for more than 1,000 hospitals and universities across the U.S. Negotiations are currently under way with a developer who has identified a potential new site for the center, she said, but the earliest construction could be completed is September 2020.

"We have decided that we needed to let families and staff know by June if we had not finalized a plan," Greco wrote in the letter. "We expect to know soon if we have a workable plan which will keep the center open until a new building is completed."

Erin Pihlaja, a local woman who described the center as a "second home" to her 3-year-old daughter, said families will be out of luck if that doesn't happen.

"Six months is the standard wait to get into daycare," she said. "If you have an infant, it's even longer. You're sometimes looking at 12 months on a waiting list. What are you going to do if you're a working parent and no longer have child care?"

Pihlaja said parents and teachers are also angry and upset that St. Peter's offered them no explanation for the sudden closure, especially after a 30-year relationship.

"The least you can do is give the kids, the families, the teachers the courtesy of bridging the gap until they find somewhere else," she said.

The nonprofit healthcare system operates four hospitals in the region, including Samaritan just down the road. It also provides primary care, rehabilitation and senior services, and boasts 170 locations around the Capital Region.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

In a statement issued Thursday, St. Peter's said the 92-year-old building that houses the daycare is in need of extensive renovations totaling about $3 million. It said it evaluated moving the center to another facility it owns, but that retrofitting office or hospital space for a daycare would be "prohibitively expensive."

It's seeking another organization that would be willing to take over and operate the center independently at another location.

"This was a very difficult decision, and we know the parents of children at the center may be saddened by the news," St. Peter's said. "We are very proud of the center, its incredible staff, and the outstanding care they provide."

The hospital said it's hoping to complete the transition process by September, but will be flexible with the date in order to smooth the transition for students and parents.
TROY  A prosecution witness said Thursday he lied to State Police when they questioned him about an October 2016 homicide in the North Central neighborhood to protect his friend, who is his co-defendant, but was now telling the truth 31 months later.

Luis Alfredo Monges Guevara, 24, is on trial in the Rensselaer County Supreme Court murder case for allegedly killing Javier Gomez Bartolon on Oct. 17, 2016 in his kitchen apartment at 1 East Glen Ave. during a burglary.

Magdaleno Perez Calixto referred to Guevara as his friend as he wrapped up his third-day of testimony with his truthfulness under attack by defense attorney Jay Hernandez III during an extensive cross-examination. Calixto initially blamed Cresencio Chucho Salazar for killing Bartolon, 23.

I wanted Chucho to be responsible for everything because of what my friend had asked me to do, Calixto testified about the videotaped statement he gave to two State Police investigators on Oct. 19, 2016.

But Calixto had previously testified that Guevara told him in a November 2016 jailhouse confession while they were in the same jail cell block that he stabbed Bartolon to death with a kitchen knife.

Calixto, Guevara, Salazar, 28, and Salomon Najera Hernandez, 23, went to the East Glen Avenue residence a day after they allegedly killed Bartolons roommate Cristian Gonzalez Hernandez, 26. The four were partying in a Colonie motel on Oct. 16, 2016 then attacked him, according to authorities. They dumped his body in the Quacken Kill creek in Brunswick. The four decided to rob the roommates apartment of drugs, money and other valuable items. They didnt expect to find Bartolon at home.

The deceased victim, the witness and the defense attorney share the same last name but are not related.

Calixto testified the four didnt have any weapons, then changed his testimony to say he gave Salazar a hammer. Earlier testimony said Bartolon was stabbed 13 times by Guevara and bludgeoned 20 times by Salazar with the hammer.

On Oct. 18, 2016 the four fled the Capital Region. Salazar was dropped off in New York City. Thats when Guevara allegedly warned Salazar he would be blamed for the killings, Calixto said in response to questions by Assistant District Attorney Andrew Botts.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Calixto only identified Guevara by name after Judge Andrew Ceresia ruled it wouldnt violate his plea deal to do so. Violating the deal could leave Calixto facing up to 50 years in prison instead of nine years.

The remaining three were arrested in Virginia on their way to Texas. All three would make statements implicating Salazar as the ringleader and the killer of the two roommates. Jay Hernandez used the video recordings to show Calixto was switching his stories and to raise questions about his veracity.

Salazar was arrested in New York City. He refused to speak to detectives.

Police would claim it was an open-and-shut double homicide case against the four defendants. But it fell apart going through rough three rounds of indictments as the district attorneys office could not corroborate the accomplice testimony it presented before three county grand juries.

The result was Salazar went uncharged and was deported to Mexico by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Calixto and Hernandez took plea deals. Guevara is the only one to go to trial facing two counts of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree burglary.

Closing arguments are to be made Friday in court with the case then going to the jury.
NEW YORK  A longtime girlfriend and so-called "handler" for Keith Raniere angrily complained to a Colonie abortion clinic because an employee there asked routine questions about abuse of two Mexican sisters who had allegedly been impregnated by the NXIVM spiritual leader, a witness testified at his trial Friday.

An irate Pamela Cafritz, a top NXIVM disciple who is now deceased, demanded to speak with Mary McGinnis, founder of the McGinnis Women's Medical Care in Colonie. Someone at the clinic had asked the sisters about abuse during the 2011 conversation, according to Elizabeth Butler, a retired nurse practitioner who was the medical office's manager.

She told Cafritz  who was under the impression that health privacy laws had been violated  that McGinnis would not speak to her.

"Pam was upset about that and felt that these ideas had been put into their heads," Butler testified. "I told her these are general questions."

Cafritz, who lived with Raniere and was one of many sexual partners for the purported self-help guru, has been described as his "handler" and top associate. Cafritz scheduled every appointment for both of the Mexican sisters, Butler said, adding it was "kind of unusual" because most of the time it is the women getting the abortions who schedule such appointments.

Butler said Cafritz was the emergency contact for the sisters  whose parents, brother and older sister were all living in the Albany area at the time.

The older of the sisters previously testified that she believed Cafritz  who had told her she had an abortion herself after being impregnated by Raniere  was "like a handler" whose role was to facilitate the abortions and make sure everything went OK.

Meanwhile, clinic documents made public in court showed the younger of the sisters  who was 21 at the time of her abortion in 2011  informed the clinic she had been sexually involved with the same partner for five years. That would have meant she was younger than 17 when she allegedly began a sexual relationship with Raniere

Her older sister previously testified she believes the younger sister had sex with Raniere when she was 15. At the time, Raniere, now 58, would have been at least 45.

Butler's testimony came on an active day in the trial of Raniere, who is charged in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn with racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking and forced labor.

One witness, Sheila Jelonek, a Halfmoon property owner, testified that former NXIVM employee Kathy Russell, one of Raniere's former co-defendants, used the name "Kathy O'Sullivan" and paid her tens of thousands of dollars in cash to rent a condominium on Victory Way in Halfmoon she kept for seven years. She said Russell made the payments in a bag once a year which she delivered at a Starbucks, she said.

Another witness, James Loperfido, a former accountant for NXIVM, testified that Raniere's goal was to pay "zero tax." He said Raniere had once played a documentary for NXIVM members that encouraged people not to pay taxes. It was played at "V Week," the multi-day festival on Lake George to celebrate Raniere's Aug. 26 birthday.

"Did that concern you," Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lesko asked Loperfido, who is based in Auburn.

"Very much," he responded.

Loperfido said he wanted to speak to the members about the documentary to explain it was one-sided but was not allowed.

Earlier, the older of the two Mexican sisters completed five days of testimony. She described how she was ostracized and confined to a room in Halfmoon for nearly two years after she incurred Raniere's wrath beginning in 2006 when she kissed NXIVM employee Ben Myers.

The woman, whose eldest sister was also sexually involved with Raniere, withstood a grueling cross-examination from Raniere defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo, The attorney suggested Raniere  who according to testimony had sexual relationships with more than 20 women in NXIVM  was not upset at the woman because she showed interest in Myers, but because Myers had a girlfriend.

She disagreed, and noted that her relationship with Myers only turned romantic when they were both single. "I don't think that's representative of what's going with that particular issue," she told Agnifilo.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

As she testified, Raniere appeared fixated on every word. Clad in a blue sweater over a dress shirt, the purported self-help guru scribbled several notes and handed them to Teny Geragos, another member of his defense team, to give to Agnifilo.

He downplayed the woman's confinement in the room on Wilton Court in the Knox Woods complex. He suggested she was hardly a captive before and after the nearly two-year period.

"You could have left; you were 24 years old," Agnifilo said. "No one forced you to stay in Clifton Park, New York."

The woman asked Agnifilo if he had a question.

"Were you locked someplace?" Agnifilo said.

"No," she said.

She told Agnifilo she had no money and no immigration documents, leaving her no ability to leave and go back to Mexico. And if she had left, she said, her family  which was loyal to Raniere  would have shunned her.

In September 2010, several months into her confinement, the woman wrote Raniere a letter mentioning her plans to right a number of wrongs. It included references to things she had allegedly stolen from local stores in the Capital Region.

She stole $6,000 from NXIVM early in her tenure with the group  money that was returned  but told Agnifilo she did not remember stealing from the stores.

Agnifilo suggested the theft was the beginning of her supposed ethical breach.

She disagreed. "It really started with me kissing Ben Myers," she said.

The trial will resume Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. The court is taking two days off to observe the end of Ramadan.
ALBANY  A constitutionally questionable appointment and the reunification of the Senate Democrats in 2009 are the focus of the penultimate installment of the Times Union's "Tales from the Coup" podcast series.

The episode explores how an op-ed from a private attorney kicked off a series of events contributing to the end of the chaos 10 years ago that had swallowed up state government. The unrest followed two renegade Democratic senators throwing their support behind Senate Republicans, who were desperate to regain control in the chamber they had run for decades.
Albany

The state Education Department wont be appealing a court ruling that halted a plan for academic inspections of non-public schools such as Jewish yeshivas, Catholic schools and private academies.

Instead, it will go through a months-long rulemaking process which will allow for public comments before finalizing a new inspection plan.

By following the State Administrative Procedure Act process, we are addressing the Courts concerns, state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia said Friday in announcing the plan.

In April, Albany County state Supreme Court Justice Christina Ryba halted the inspection plan, which had been announced last November but which hadnt yet started. The judge concluded that the inspections amounted to new regulations rather than guidelines and were therefore subject to the Administrative Procedure Act, which allows for public input.

Elia put the inspections in place after lawmakers a year ago passed legislation calling for more oversight. That came after a yeshiva graduate, Naftali Moster had gone to court contending he didnt receive a sound education. Critics have said some of the most conservative yeshivas allow young men to graduate with little knowledge of math, science, history or English. Yeshivas often teach in Yiddish and they focus on study of the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament and its interpretations.

The Education Department couldnt just inspect yeshivas since that would amount to religious profiling, so officials said they would begin inspections of all non-public schools, which prompted a lawsuit by the various types of schools.

Almost all of these schools get at least some public support, in the form of transportation services or textbooks, so they have to conform to basic educational requirements.

These schools are supposed to provide an education that is substantially equivalent to that offered in public schools. While there has long been a law requiring this, there was no real enforcement prior to the lawsuit.

Under the proposal, local school boards would conduct surveys to ensure the non-public schools were meeting requirements.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The new proposed rules will be published in the State Register on July 3 and the public comment period will run through Sept. 2.

The Board of Regents is expected to take up the final regulations in the fall.

rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU
Were you Seen at the 28th Women of Excellence Awards Luncheon, presented by the Capital Region Chamber's Women's Business Council, at the Albany Marriott in Colonie on May 30, 2019?

Six women were honored for their success in business and contributions to the community:
Brightsolid, RingCentral Partner to Propel Scottish Business Communications

By Maurice Nagle , Web Editor

Partnerships deserve a great deal of credit for powering this phase of digital transformation, as expanding footprints and ecosystems are resulting in global access to the cloud era, and all that affords.

Brightsolid announced a partnership with RingCentral to offer is Scottish customer base the RingCentral portfolio of cloud communications solutions.

After much research into the matter, Brightsolid knew that it was integral to create the most comprehensive portfolio possible, taking advantage of the innovation at hand, leveraging the cloud and capable of providing customers with the reliability, flexibility and scalability expected from a next generation stable of solutions.

The partnership with RingCentral offers Brightsolid the opportunity to deliver on expectations, and give teams the flexibility demanded in the digital supporting your on-the-go team and driving productivity across the board.

Elaine Maddison, CEO of Brightsolid, commented: RingCentral has a strong product portfolio and has made a significant splash in the unified communications as a service (UCaaS) market in a short period of time. As our customers adopt cloud solutions that allow them to innovate, they are recognising how they collaborate and communicate is as important to the success of their digital strategies as their IT infrastructure. As we extend our strategy to support our customers success journey, RingCentrals solutions will add a great deal of value complementing the service we provide.

Are your communications in the cloud, yet?

Please enable JavaScript to view the

Edited by Maurice Nagle
Toledo Call Center Training Program Gives Students Real-Life Experience

One of the key success factors in call center management is proper training and motivation of agents. Studies have shown that high turnover rates in many call centers may be attributed to lack of training and incentives, leading to frustration and poor performance. Now students in Toledo, OH have the opportunity to participate in a call center training program and practice those valuable skills in a real-life call center.

The Cherry Street Mission Ministries offers a Call Center Customer Training program in partnership with Northwest State Community College. Students participate in the program for five days a week throughout nine weeks and earn a certificate upon course completion. The program includes a curriculum centered on communication skills, life skills and preparation for call center employment.

We covered resume building, mock interviews, budgeting, finances, you name it, Michelle Blue, a community recruiter for Cherry Street and group leader for the class, told The Blade newspaper. Theyre able to be relational and learn from each other. Thats what this is about is building relationships because its a cohort. So they learn together, they grow together, and hopefully become employed together.

Those same students are now getting on-the-job training at the Engage Toledo call center, which handles public utility calls as well as logging of citizen complaints for the city. The unpaid internship is part of the call center coursework, and is meant to improve students chances of finding full-time employment in a call center.

Student Charity Dunson is a prime example of success, and participated in the program to improve her career prospects and beef up her customer service skills. The result was a new job working for a loan collection firm that will utilize her strong customer service skills and enable Dunson to leave her previous job at McDonalds.

We learned a lot of life skills, we learned how to set goals, we learned time management, stuff like that, said Dunson. It was definitely beyond the call center.

Student Delynde Shephard actually moved to Toledo from Detroit to participate in the program. "It's very impactful," Shephard told WTOL 11 news. "Like you wouldn't think call center representatives do so much to help people, but from behind the scenes they actually do so much."

The program covers resume building, mock interviews, budgeting, financial planning and a host of other valuable skills designed to prepare students for call center employment and life in general.

Edited by Maurice Nagle
[May 31, 2019] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Hamilton Re, Ltd.

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of "a-" of Hamilton Re, Ltd. (Hamilton Re) (Bermuda). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Hamilton's balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). Hamilton's risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), is categorized as strongest. AM Best expects it to remain at comparable levels in prospective years based upon: reasonable stress testing; stability in overall reserve development; our expectation that the company's operating performance will benefit from improved underwriting results; and the company's investment performance will remain in line with historical performance. Over the past five years (2014-2018), capital adequacy has been bolstered by shareholders' funds that have grown at an annual compound rate of approximately 18%. The company's balance sheet assessment of very strong reflects its relatively high risk investment strategy, which is controlled by Two Sigma Investments, LP, an SEC (News - Alert)-registered investment adviser based in New York, with more than USD 50 billion in assets under management as of Dec. 31, 2018. Hamilton's adequate operating performance has benefitted from investment earnings that consistently outperform peers, partially offset by underwriting losses. The relatively small scale of the company's operations is a major contributor to its higher expense ratio compared with market peers. Furthermore, Hamilton had significant exposure to the catastrophe events in 2017 and 2018, which negatively affected its loss ratio. AM Best notes that these losses were within the company's risk tolerances. AM Best expects Hmilton to achieve an underwriting break-even point within two years, the absence of which, regardless of investment results, could result in negative rating pressure.



Hamilton operates through global reinsurance and insurance platforms, including the Lloyd's syndicate 3334 and its Bermuda-based operating company, Hamilton Re. In March 2019, the company announced that it had signed a definitive agreement with Liberty Mutual Group, Inc. to acquire Pembroke Managing Agency Limited (United Kingdom), which manages Lloyd's Syndicate 4000, Ironshore Europe Designated Activity Company (Dublin, Ireland) and other related non-insurance entities. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019, pending regulatory approvals. AM Best believes that the new business will be accretive to Hamilton's underwriting performance, with the company's profile benefiting from the additional line of business and geographic diversification. ERM is considered appropriate relative to the company's risk profile and AM Best anticipates that its view of risk management will not change after the acquisition completes. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.

AM Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information. Copyright  2019 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005393/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Concept Engineering Accelerates Semiconductor Development With Improved Customizable Debugging Platform

Concept Engineering, the leader in visualization and debugging technology for electronic circuits and systems, will unveil version 6.11 of the de facto industry standard Vision debugging platform at the Design Automation Conference (DAC), being held June 3 - 6, 2019 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. Concept Engineering's Vision debugging platform consists of the following individual tools: StarVision  PRO flagship tool which combines the debugging features of all individual Vision tools into one customizable mixed-signal and mixed-language tool.

PRO flagship tool which combines the debugging features of all individual Vision tools into one customizable mixed-signal and mixed-language tool. RTLvision  PRO for easy RTL code exploration, integration, debugging and intellectual property (IP) development.

PRO for easy RTL code exploration, integration, debugging and intellectual property (IP) development. SpiceVision  PRO for advanced exploration and debugging features for transistor-level and post-layout debugging (SPICE-level).

PRO for advanced exploration and debugging features for transistor-level and post-layout debugging (SPICE-level). GateVision PRO for full chip gate-level netlist debugging of complex SoC netlists.



New Vision Debugging Platform features are:

An increase in tool performance and robustness when working with the largest and most complex SoC designs developed today.

The GUI cockpit now offers a flexible split-screen mode, where the system displays two different design views, side-by-side, allowing more comfortable debugging and cross-probing.

A new infobox GUI window provides a comprehensive report for selected objects including a compact visual connectivity report.

GUI improvements for easy and more efficient parasitic netlist exploration.

GUI cockpit offers improved drag-and-drop functionality from other applications (for improved interaction with other tools and existing tool flows).

Option to perform more relaxed Verilog and VHDL design parsing to better support incomplete or unfamiliar complex designs.

Improved SPICE netlist parser can automatically select proper macro models so that unfamiliar designs can be explored quicker and easier.

The Verilog netlist exporter has been improved to better support simulation tool flows.

Automatic logic recognition for SPICE netlists has been improved. As a result more compact and easier to understand schematic diagrams will be generated and allow faster and easier inspection of SPICE netlists. "We are dedicated to continue to offer our customers significant performance improvements year after year," said Gerhard Angst, president and CEO of Concept Engineering. "With version 6.11, our customers will benefit from improved GUI for smoother and more efficient design exploration and debug. Along with multiple improvements to support development of complex mixed language SoCs." The company's updated Vision platform, along with its visualization engines and libraries for EDA tool developers (NIview, T-engine and S-engine), will be demonstrated in the Concept Engineering booth #532 at DAC 2019. Availability Version 6.11 Vision tools can be downloaded after DAC 2019 from the company's website www.concept.de. About Concept Engineering Concept Engineering is a privately-held company based in Freiburg, Germany, that provides visualization and debugging technology for electronic circuits and systems, including automatic schematic generation technology for all major design levels. The company's technology helps electronic design engineers to easily understand, debug, optimize and document electronic designs. Concept Engineering's software technology is used in many fields in the EDA market, including: RTL development, IP reuse, ASIC and SoC design, FPGA design, analog/mixed-signal design, logic synthesis, design verification, test automation, post-layout analysis, debugging and visualization at system-, RTL-, netlist- and transistor-level. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005018/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Millimeter Wave Technology Market Overview, Downstream Applications, Development History, And Demand 2018-2023

Market Synopsis of Millimeter Wave Technology Market: The Millimeter Wave Technology Market is growing rapidly over 36.1% of CAGR and is expected to reach at USD $~ 2,112.2 Million by the end of forecast period.



The study reveals that Millimeter Wave Technology is trending in North America region. The Millimeter Wave Technology market is highly competitive with nearly two-thirds of the market being captured by E-Band Communications, LLC (US), Keysight Technologies, Inc. (US), NEC Corp. (Japan). Additionally, it is estimated that the mobile data traffic is anticipated grow at a fast pace during the forecasted period. Thus, Millimeter wave is required to transmit the large amounts of data.







Get Free Sample Copy Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3908 The study indicates that the growing demand of Millimeter wave is expected to hold the major share in the market by 2023.The manufacturers is contributing to the highest investment in advanced solutions and develop innovative products for the uses. The demand of the Millimeter wave is increasing with the technological advancement in telecom industries, providing 5G services at the speed up to 10GBPS.



The study indicates that Millimeter Wave Technology Market offers a bandwidth delivery which has a huge potential for market growth as study signifies that the bandwidth shortage is struggling with the wireless carrier. However, the underutilized Millimeter-wave frequency has explored for the future broadband cellular communication networks. The Millimeter wave technology is providing the high frequency signal which can be reused across short distances, which also acts as an advantage for the Millimeter wave technology. The surge in mobile data traffic with bandwidth-intensive applications also acts as a major driver for the growth of the millimeter wave technology market.





Key Players: The prominent players in the Millimeter Wave Technology Market are  E-Band Communications, LLC (US), Farran Technology Ltd. (Ireland), Millimeter Wave Products, Inc. (US), BridgeWave Communications, Inc. (US), E-Band Communications, LLC (US), Keysight Technologies, Inc. (US), NEC Corp. (Japan), SAGE Millimeter, Inc. (US), Millitech, Inc. (US), Millivision Technologies (US), Vubiq Networks, Inc. (US), Smiths Group Plc. (UK), L3 Technologies, Inc. (US), Elva-1 (Sweden) and Siklu Communication, Ltd. (Israel) among others.



Segments: The global Millimeter Wave Technology market has been segmented on the basis of product, frequency band, license type, end -users and region.



Millimeter Wave Technology Market by Product: Radar Communication Systems Satellite Communication Systems Telecommunication Equipment Others Millimeter Wave Technology Market by License Type: Light Licensed Frequency Unlicensed Frequency Fully Licensed Frequency Others Millimeter Wave Technology Market by Frequency Band: Band between 30 GHz and 57 GHz Band between 57 GHz and 86 GHz Band between 86 GHz and 300 GHz Others Millimeter Wave Technology Market by End-User: Automotive and Aerospace IT & Telecommunication Consumer & Commercial Healthcare Automotive and Transportation Government and Defense Others Millimeter Wave Technology Market by Regions: North America Europe APAC Rest of the World Get Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/millimeter-wave-technology-market-3908 Regional Analysis: The regional analysis of Millimeter Wave Technology market is being studied for region such as Asia pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. North America is one of the leading region across the world in terms of largest market share in Millimeter Wave Technology market. In North America region, the millimeter waves can connect devices to a network in a short range, thus, driving the market growth in the coming years. APAC has marked to be the largest potential for the Millimeter wave technology in coming years as to bring the 5G in the market, Millimeter wave is required for the allocation of more bandwidth to deliver faster, higher-quality video, and multimedia content and services.



Intended Audience Industrial automation equipment providers End users of the millimeter wave technology Millimeter wave providers Technology providers Consultancy firms/advisory firms Technology investors Research institutes, System Integrators Research/Consultancy firms About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.



Contact Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune - 411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: [email protected] As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 30, 2019] Trustar Bank Receives Charter Approval from Virginia State Corporation Commission

Trustar Bank (in organization) is pleased to announce that it has been granted charter approval by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Trustar has raised over $50 million dollars in initial capital, and is awaiting FDIC approval of its application for deposit insurance as its final step to commencing business. "We are looking forward to opening our doors in late June or early July, and we are eager to serve this incredible community. The response from the market has been extraordinary, from surpassing our initial capital target to expressions of interest from potential customers eager to do business. We are excited about the leadership demonstrated by our organizing irectors, led by Chairman Joe Bracewell, and by our all-star management team including George Connors as President, Matt Johnson as Chief Financial Officer, Michael Amin as Senior Vice President - Operations, Karen Laughlin, Senior Vice President - Human Resources, and Clare Schmitt, Vice President - Legal and Compliance," commented Shaza Andersen, Chief Executive Officer of Trustar.



"We are grateful for the efforts the Virginia State Corporation Commission and the FDIC have made to process our applications cooperatively and efficiently. We look forward to continuing our working relationships after commencing business," added Ms. Andersen. Legal counsel for Trustar is Troutman Sanders LLP. About the Bank - Trustar Bank (in organization) will be a full service bank offering comprehensive banking products and services to small and medium sized business and consumers from its headquarters at 774A Walker Road, Great Falls, VA.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005912/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 30, 2019] INVESTOR ALERT: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Announces the Filing of a Securities Class Action on Behalf of Hecla Mining Company Investors (HL)

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased Hecla Mining Company ("Hecla" or the "Company") (NYSE: HL) securities between March 19, 2018 and May 8, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Hecla investors have until July 23, 2019 to file a lead plaintiff motion. Investors suffering losses on their Hecla investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to [email protected]. On May 9, 2019, the Company announced its first quarter 2019 financial and operating results as well as a "comprehensive review" of its Nevada operations. The Company revealed that the Nevada operations had experienced a negative cash flow and operating metrics, which could lead to a writedown of the rcently-acquired assets. Also, the Company reported a $25 million net loss for first quarter of 2019 as a result of its Nevada operations.



On this news, the Company's share price fell $0.48 per share, or over 23%, over two trading days to close at $1.56 on May 10, 2019, thereby injuring investors. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) Hecla's Nevada operations were hemorrhaging cash due to serious problems which Hecla had identified prior to the start of the Class Period; (2) due to these serious problems, the defendants had no reasonable basis for their representations that the Nevada operations would be in a position to have positive or self-funding cash flow; and (3) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

If you purchased shares of Hecla, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005918/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 30, 2019] At 13%+ CAGR, Baby Food Market Value Worth USD 33 Billion by 2025: Global Market Insights, Inc.

SELBYVILLE, Del., May 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia Pacific baby food market dominates the global industry in terms of consumption and is projected to achieve over 14% CAGR from 2019 to 2025. The region will be growing substantially during the forecast period. The growing infant population in India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia will be augmenting product demand in the coming years. Governments in these nations are also improving their infant mortality rate, for which they have begun running several schemes for baby nutrition. Additionally, there is a growing awareness among parents about the right choice of food products for their babies, which has led to intense competition among companies to maintain the quality of their baby food. The Europe baby food market's revenue exceeded USD 5.5 billion in 2018 with a 34% industry share. Europe has the presence of several baby food producing companies. Nestle, DMK GmbH, HiPP, Danone and Danalac are the major players functional in this regional market. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/3184 The baby food market is highly competitive with companies including Mead Johnson Nutrition (acquired by Reckitt Benckiser in 2018), Nestle, Danone, Hero Group, Abbott and Asahi Group having extensive presence across the globe. The companies are experienced in their respective domain of products and have extensive distribution networks across continents. World Baby Food Market is projected to surpass USD 33 billion by 2025; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. The increasing infant population and corresponding rising food demand will propel the baby food market's growth during the forecast period. According to the World Bank, birth rates have remained the highest in developing nations. Rapid urbanization, the growth of the middle class and the increasing rates of female participation in the labor force in many developing markets has encouraged adoption of convenience-oriented lifestyles, making prepared baby foods more wanted. The baby food industry is highly regulated, right from ingredients to its packaging and labeling. As the industry is increasingly globalized, the need for guidance, monitoring and regulation are growing. There are standards and guidelines for canned food for babies, processed cereal-based foods for babies, hygiene practice for children and infant foods and complementary foods for infants and children. The standards set by each country may differ for baby food; for example, they may differ on ingredients in infant nutrition such as carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, etc. as well as the percentage of pesticide residue in food, etc. Also, every product needs to be pathogen free. Browse key industry insights spread across 152 pages with 170 market data tables & 26 figures & charts from the report, "Baby Food Market By Distribution Channel (Hypermarket, Supermarket, Convenience Stores, Online), By Products (Prepared, Dried), Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019  2025" in detail aong with the table of contents:



https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/baby-food-market The supermarket segment will be the fastest growing baby food distribution channel in the coming years. The segment will witness CAGR close to 13.2% during 2019 to 2025. The exponentially growing retail business across the globe will be beneficial for supermarket formats, as they have a wide variety of baby foods and offer products at affordable prices.

The prepared food segment held the largest share of more than 40% in the global baby food market in 2018. Prepared food is ready-to-serve and eat, garnering attention globally. These are convenient for women who work outside their home, as it saves time. Frozen prepared food is increasingly becoming popular among parents and infants and the demand shall grow prominently during the forecast timespan. Convenience store distribution channels segment will grow moderately with a CAGR of 13.3% in the global baby food market over the forecast period. These retail formats are prevalent in Asia Pacific and Latin America and consumers prefer buying baby food from here due to discounted rates. Established players such as Nestle, Danone and Mead Johnson Nutrition (now a part of Reckitt Benckiser) have years of experience and consumer loyalty in the baby food market. These players have a strong and wide supply chain network and have backward and forward integrated their businesses to some extent. For example, Nestle has a food ingredients business as well, which caters to its baby food business. Companies merge and enter into joint ventures to make the product penetrate deep into local markets. Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/3184 Browse Related Reports: Infant Formula Market By Products (Standard, Follow-on, Toddler, Specialty), By Distribution Channel (Hypermarkets, Super Markets, Convenience Stores, Online) Industry Analysis Report, Regional (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE), Application Trends, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019  2025 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/infant-formula-market Gluten Free Food Market By Products (Bakery, Baby Food, Ready Meals, Cereals & Snacks, Pizza & Pasta, Savories), By Distribution Channel (Conventional Store, Hotels & Restaurants, Educational Institutes, Speciality Services, Hospitals & Drug Stores), Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Netherlands, Denmark, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2018  2024 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/gluten-free-food-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde

Corporate Sales, USA

Global Market Insights, Inc.

Phone: 1-302-846-7766

Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.gminsights.com

Blog: http://express-journal.com

Connect with us: Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter Related Images baby-food-market-forecasts-2019.png

Baby Food Market Forecasts 2019-2025

The worldwide baby food market is expected to register 13% CAGR from 2019 to 2025 propelled by increase consumer preferences for organic baby food. Related Links Baby Food Market Size Infant formula Market size View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/at-13-cagr-baby-food-market-value-worth-usd-33-billion-by-2025-global-market-insights-inc-300859376.html SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 30, 2019] Nuvision Credit Union Provided over 11,400 Gallons of Gas to Military & Veterans on Memorial Day

Nuvision Credit Union hosted its fifth annual gas giveaway on Memorial Day as a tribute to veterans and active military personnel who have proudly and selflessly served our country. A two-hour event was hosted in both Cheyenne, Wyo. and Huntington Beach, Calif., where it was able to service more than 1,000 vehicles this Memorial Day, totaling more than 11,400 gallons of gas pumped. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005932/en/ Nuvision executive team members personally thanking military personnel during the Memorial Day gas giveaway. (Photo: Business Wire) Every year on Memorial Day, Nuvision organizes a gas giveaway dedicated to military personnelas a gesture of gratitude for their noble dedication to serving our country in selfless sacrifice.



This year, to mark the fifth annual event, Nuvision was able to offer a courtesy carwash in Huntington Beach and add the Cheyenne location to the gas fill-up program. In Huntington Beach, the military members were entertained by the host of the local 104.3 F.M. morning show, Sean Valentine, Navy Seal Cadets, members of the Golden West College Veterans Resource Center and the local community members who all came out in demonstration of their earnest appreciation.

Nuvision didn't stop at the free gas this Memorial Day, it also made a $1,000 donation to the GWC Veterans Resource Center and to Wags and Tags in Wyoming, and donated more than 200 free gas cards, each valued at $50, to military personnel in its Mesa, Ariz., Kent, Wash. and Tikahtnu, Alaska branch locations. "As a credit union that recognizes hard work and upholds the values of community and service, hosting this annual event is truly an honor for Nuvision," said Tom Sweet, Nuvision vice president of marketing. "We had the privilege of shaking the hands of many of these honorable men and women at our event, personally thanking them and giving them a gift that comes from our sincerest gratitude." To learn more about Nuvision Credit Union, please visit https://nuvisionfederal.com/. NUVISION CREDIT UNION Nuvision Federal Credit Union is a full-service financial institution with 13 branches located in Los Angeles and Orange (News - Alert) Counties, Arizona, Washington, Wyoming and Alaska, and assets of over $1.3 billion. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., Nuvision was founded in 1935 to serve employees of Douglas Aircraft Company. It continues to serve aerospace employees from Boeing, employees of Sempra Energy (News - Alert)/The Gas Company, and employees of Tesoro with a total of more than 83,000 members primarily in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. For more information, visit www.NuvisionFederal.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005932/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 30, 2019] AT&T 24 HOUR DEADLINE ALERT: Approximately 24 Hours Remain; ClaimsFiler Reminds Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against AT&T, Inc. - T

ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have only until May 31, 2019 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against AT&T (News - Alert), Inc. (NYSE: T). Investor losses must relate to purchases of the Company's 1) securities between October 22, 2016 and October 24, 2018, inclusive (the "Class Period") and/or 2) shares issued in connection with its June 2018 acquisition of Time Warner (News - Alert). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Get Help AT&T investors should visit us at https:/www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-atampt-inc-securities-litigation or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.



About the Lawsuit On October 24, 2018, following AT&T's June 2018 acquisition of Time Warner, the Company disclosed its 3Q2018 results for the first full quarter post-acquisition that included significant decreases in traditional DirecTV (News - Alert) and DirecTV Now subscribers, despite its prior statements touting the expected subscriber growth potential. On this news, the price of AT&T's shares fell nearly 12%.

About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005818/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 30, 2019] Forbidden Forest Blockchain Press Conference Was Held at Silicon Valley

On May 30th evening, Forbidden Forest held the press conference in the heart of the Silicon Valley to spruce up their branding effort. Forbidden Forest, an open-source community-driven blockchain project which has been designed to simplify daily privacy payments, will be introduced to the world through a press conference at Silicon Valley. The press conference, which is scheduled to be held at the Shenzhen Building in Santa Clara, will be spearheaded by Manjunath Vasistha, the director of data science and engineering of Tech in Motion, a Silicon Valley company which aims to help local tech pros meet, connect and collaborate. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005958/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Forbidden Forest comes integrated with highly private and completely open stable value-preserving cryptology currency. Recently, the New York-based company released a whitepaper, explaining the specifics of the community-driven blockchain project they have undertaken. According to the whitepaper pblished by Forbidden Forest, it's a completely decentralized blockchain project which follows the MimbleWimble protocol in order to ensure efficient and anonymous transactions. Also, the blockchain project follows DAG architecture, along with in-built lighting network protocol.



One of the developers who was closely associated with the project from day one said, "The total amount of forest is fixed and adjusted only once a year, and the excavation is completed in about 60 years. The difficulty that the miners might face is then dynamically adjusted. It's an egalitarian and computer-friendly algorithm which we have successfully created." The developer also informed that the mining algorithm can be semi-annually bifurcated and upgraded for resistance ASIC mining. "We offer Wallet-as-a-Service or WaaS in the form of a fully customizable and white-labeled wallet which is compatible with all the major cryptocurrencies. In addition to that, it is also possible for our clients to do KYC/AML, MFA (News - Alert) and affiliations tracking using the configurable components. We aim to assist our clients in gaining the much-needed competitive edge by cost reduction and infrastructure augmentation with the help of latest blockchain technologies", added the developer.

According to the developer, the Forbidden Forest system is divided into Network layer, Data layer, Consensus layer, Protocol layer, as well as Application layer. About the Company Forbidden Forest is a decentralized blockchain system for daily privacy payments. To know more about the company, visit https://www.theforbiddenforest.org/ To know more about the event, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tech-fair-in-motion-tickets-60837057276?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190530005958/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] MyBranch Introduces Virtual Office Service in Tier II and Tier III Indian Cities

MUMBAI, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MyBranch introduces Virtual Offices in tier II and tier III Indian cities. Launched in 2014, MyBranch is a subsidiary of Narayan Bhargava Group. With MyBranch Virtual Office offering, organizations can maintain a business presence in tier II & tier III Indian cities without paying rent for occupying the space as this service allows organizations to get a business address, mail handling, access to meeting/training rooms, receptionist and GST registration without renting any real space. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/724111/My_Branch_Logo.jpg )

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/895019/MyBranch_Virtual_Offices.jpg )

MyBranch Virtual Office service is introduced with a vision to help businesses that are: Looking to scale up business overnight

Looking to setup business presence at up-scale locations

Testing small town markets

Considering business expansion in minimum cost

Trying to maintain a well-established corporate image

To get the GST Registration Range of MyBranch Virtual Office services in tier II and tier III Indian cities: GST Registration- Any company whih wants to have a business in a new location without being physically present there, needs a local GST registration number. MyBranch Virtual Office service allows businesses to get GST number using the virtual office of My Branch.



Business address- This helps organizations to show their business presence in the markets that are crucial in a fraction of cost without being physically present. Reception- This is to assist for any enquiry and handling mails for the business who have taken virtual offices services from MyBranch.

Mail Receiving, Sending, Forwarding and Scanning service- When business owners are physically not present in their virtual office but use the address to get physical mails, this service helps them get all the mails forwarded over to them to stay connected with the location. Meeting/Training Rooms- Business owners may need to meet physically to take business proceedings to another level, even if they don't have access to a 'full-time' desk or conference room. MyBranch Virtual Office service helps business owners conduct meetings/trainings in the fully equipped meeting and conference rooms. The locations with MyBranch Virtual Offices are Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Guwahati, Jaipur, Jamshedpur, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Mumbai, Panaji, Pune, Ranchi and Vadodara. Make the business stand out from the rest with MyBranch Virtual Offices. Write to us at [email protected] or visit https://www.mybranch.co.in/ to unleash business growth with MyBranch. About Narayan Bhargava Group Founded in 1979, the Narayan Bhargava Group is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra and is India's most dependable business support and growth partner. Its pan India network of associates and affiliates comprises global multinationals, large private enterprises and governmental institutions, spread across 350+ locations in the country. The group employs a highly credible workforce of experienced and respected professionals who deliver the best solutions in quick succession and drive remarkable customer experiences. For more details, visit https://www.narayanbhargavagroup.com/ or write to us at [email protected].

Media Contact:

Finney Charles

[email protected]

+91-9372745437

Calibehr Business Support Services Private Limited





[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Innate Pharma announces publication in Cell on innovative multifunctional NKp46 NK cell engagers (NKCEs)

The findings describe potential first-in-class NKp46 NKCEs, a new generation of multifunctional antibody-based molecules for fighting cancer

The NKCE technology provides a versatile platform to generate formats that co-engage multiple receptors

Ongoing R&D collaborations for NKCEs with Sanofi and AstraZeneca Marseille, France, May 31, 2019, 7:00 AM CEST Innate Pharma SA (the Company - Euronext Paris: FR0010331421  IPH) today announces the publication of data demonstrating the potential of multifunctional NKp46 NKCEs in cancer immunotherapy. These findings, led by Professor Eric Vivier and the Innate Pharma teams in collaboration with Aix-Marseille University and the Marseille Immunopole cluster, were released in an article entitled "Multifunctional natural killer cell engagers targeting NKp46 trigger protective tumor immunity" in the online issue of Cell yesterday . Our multifunctional NKp46 NKCE technology provides a versatile platform to generate formats with the potential to co-engage up to three activating receptors on NK cells and two different tumor antigens on cancer cells, explains Eric Vivier, Chief Scientific Officer of Innate Pharma, Professor at Aix-Marseille University and lead author of this publication. These preclinical observations demonstrate the potential of NKp46 NKCEs, which were stable and had promising chemistry and manufacturing profiles compatible with industrial development. Together with a stronger anti-tumor activity in preclinical models than traditional standard therapeutic antibodies, these results support the clinical development of NKCEs for cancer immunotherapy. Most attempts in anti-tumor therapy to date have focused on manipulating effector T cells. T cell engager formats are in clinical development, but their use has so far been limited mostly to hematological diseases because of their potential toxicity. In this paper, the authors describe the manipulation of NK cells in cancer via NKCEs based on their anti-tumor effector potential and favorable toxicity profile as compared to T cells. NKp46 NKCEs binds to one or two antigens at the surface of tumor cells, and engage both CD16 and NKp46 activating receptors on NK cells. The co-engagement of NKp46 synergizes with CD16 to induce full NK cell activation and tumor cell lysis. Further, NKp46 expression is often conserved on infiltrating NK cells in most solid tumors. In the scope of the expanded oncology R&D collaboration announced in October 2018, AstraZeneca has recently acquired an option to exclusively license a multi-specific NKp46 NK cell engager from Innate Pharma preclinical portfolio.







In addition, Innate Pharma has a research collaboration and licensing agreement with Sanofi for the generation and evaluation of up to two bispecific NK cell engagers (one of which is now the IPH61 program), using Innate Pharmas technology and Sanofis technology and tumor targets. Under the terms of this license agreement, Sanofi is responsible for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of products resulting from the research collaboration. Innate Pharma is eligible to receive up to 400m in development and commercial milestone payments as well as royalties on net sales. About Innate Pharma:

Innate Pharma S.A. is a commercial stage oncology-focused biotech company dedicated to improving treatment and clinical outcomes for patients through therapeutic antibodies that harness the immune system to fight cancer. Innate Pharmas commercial-stage product, Lumoxiti, in-licensed from AstraZeneca, was approved by the FDA in September 2018. Lumoxiti is a first-in class specialty oncology product for hairy cell leukemia (HCL). Innate Pharmas broad pipeline of antibodies includes several potentially first-in-class clinical and preclinical candidates in cancers with high unmet medical need. Pioneer in the biology of NK cell, Innate Pharma has expanded its expertise in the tumor microenvironment and tumor-antigens, as well as antibody engineering. This innovative approach has resulted in a diversified proprietary portfolio and major alliances with leaders in the biopharmaceutical industry including Bristol-Myers Squibb Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi, and a multi-products collaboration with AstraZeneca. Based in Marseille, France, Innate Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris. Learn more about Innate Pharma at www.innate-pharma.com

Information about Innate Pharma shares: ISIN code

Ticker code

LEI FR0010331421

IPH

9695002Y8420ZB8HJE29 Disclaimer: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although the company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties which could cause the company's actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Risk Factors (Facteurs de Risque") section of the Document de Reference prospectus filed with the AMF, which is available on the AMF website (http://www.amf-france.org) or on Innate Pharmas website. This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to shares in Innate Pharma in any country. For additional information, please contact: Investors







Innate Pharma



Dr. Markus Metzger/ Danielle Spangler

Jerome Marino



Tel.: +33 (0)4 30 30 30 30



[email protected]



International Media







Consilium Strategic Communications



Mary-Jane Elliott / Jessica Hodgson



Tel.: +44 (0)20 3709 5700



[email protected] French Media







ATCG Press



Solene Moulin / Marie Puvieux



Tel.: +33 (0)9 81 87 46 72



[email protected]



Attachment 190531 PR NKCE Cell

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] THEKEY MVP/Mainnet Won a National Award in The China International Big Data Industry Expo 2019

GUIYANG, China, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- From May 26 to 29, the China International Big Data Industry Expo 2019 was co-hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Provincial Government of Guizhou. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter on the successful launch of the Expo. As the highest-level big data summit, the Expo showcases the latest technologies and applications, including digital economy, data security, blockchain, AI, 5G etc., and highlights the eminent achievements from around the world. THEKEY was granted a National "Technology Innovation Award of 2019 Chinese Government's Information Product" for its MVP/Mainnet product - Blockchain Solution for Multi-dimensional Elderly Survival Authentication (hereafter referred to as "the Solution"). It signifies the government approval for THEKEY's BDMI technology and achievement of Guizhou Pilot, and lays a solid foundation for the nationwide deployment in the near future. The Solution utilizes blockchain and big data technologies and is exclusively developed by THEKEY. The proprietary IDV Engine developed by THEKEY is embedded and authorized to connect with multi-dimensional Personal Identity Information (PII) of the local Social Insurance System, Basic Medical Insurance System, Bureau of Civil Affairs, Public Security Bureau, Disease Control and Prevention Center, telecommunication companies, banks, transportation systems and customs. By cross-checing a large amount of PII from various data sources through the IDV Engine, the survival status of the pensioner can be accurately verified and a scoring system is adopted to determine the pension disbursement. Blockchain technology is applied to record and trace the overall authentication process, and guarantee data security by its "undeniable" and "unalterable" features.





The Solution began to be deployed for Guizhou Pension Program, serving 35.8 million people as a national pilot on October, 2018, as indicated in THEKEY MVP/Mainnet Progress Report. The Solution facilitates the Pension Program by releasing pension accurately and efficiently, therefore fundamentally reducing fraud, waste and abuse in the system, and meanwhile greatly improving user experience. The national award signifies the approval of THEKEY's BDMI technology and achievement of Guizhou Pilot from the central and local government, which is one month ahead of schedule according to the roadmap. The Solution will be gradually deployed nationwide in the near future, and will be extended to more fields, including employment, poverty alleviation, and population census, enhancing people's livelihood, quality of life and national economy. About THEKEY THEKEY is a decentralized ecosystem of Identity Verification (IDV) tool integrating national big-data and the blockchain. THEKEY's proprietary Blockchain based Dynamic Multi-dimension Identification (BDMI) platform has been using Personal Identity Information (PII) exclusively authorized by the Chinese Government. THEKEY token (TKY) is the only method to settle smart contracts across THEKEY Ecosystem, which is tradable on HitBTC, Bit-Z, KuCoin, Lbank and LATOKEN, etc. THEKEY mainnet was launched in Nov 2018. THEKEY was granted the National "Technology Innovation Award of 2018 Chinese Government's Information Product"; won the International Competitive Bidding co-launched by People's Bank of China and Nanjing Municipal Government, and achieved social security data socialization and commercialization for the first time in Kaifeng, China. For more information, please visit: Website: https://www.thekey.vip

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thekeyvip

Medium: https://medium.com/@thekeyvip

Telegram: https://t.me/THEKEYOFFICIAL

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/THEKEYOFFICIAL

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheKey-1439094662870680/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDuN2bjI7cAhoIIxJ_nTaCQ View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thekey-mvpmainnet-won-a-national-award-in-the-china-international-big-data-industry-expo-2019-300859688.html SOURCE THEKEY

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] NTT Com Managed Services, Wholly Owned Subsidiary of NTT Communications, Completes 100% Acquisition of CAPSiDE

NTT (News - Alert) Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group (TOKYO:9432), and CAPSiDE S.L. (CAPSiDE), a Spain-based major provider of comprehensive hyperscale cloud managed services, announced today that NTT Com Managed Services (NTT Com's subsidiary), headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, has completed its 100% acquisition of CAPSiDE. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005126/en/ Managed services are one of the most important strategic fields for NTT Com, a DX Enabler that helps customers to achieve digital transformations. NTT Com enhances the managed services' capability with CAPSiDE. CAPSiDE specializes in integrated managed services, especially in Europe, for operations enabled with hyperscale cloud services such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google (News - Alert) Cloud Platform. Through the acquisition, CAPSiDE, maintaining its independent operation, expands its service offering to all its current clients with value-added datacenter and global communications services for complex enterprise environments and corporate end-to-end ICT professional services, at a global scale, for global customers, with NTT Com Managed Services. Damian Skendrovic, CEO of NTT Com Managed Services: "I am delighted to welcome the CAPSiDE team, their clients, and partners to the NTT family. CAPSiDE's capabilities are very complementary to NTT's portfolio and solidify our public cloud offerings which are increasingly high in demand." Josep Ruano, CEO of CAPSiDE: "This is an exciting time for CAPSiDE, our clients, and partners. Joining NTT will give CAPSiDE the ability to leverage NTT's global presence and resources to accelerate worldwide adoption of our comprehensive hyperscale cloud managed services, highly-specialized cloud transformation consulting services and cloud enablement. Our goal is to continue to build "CAPSiDE, an NTT Company" into the best hyperscale cloud managed services company in the industry."







Overview of CAPSiDE Corporation: CAPSiDE S.L. Established: 2001 CEO: Josep Ruano Headquarters: Barcelona, Spain Business: Consulting, automation and 24/7 operation of Cloud platforms Main industries: Retail, logistics, finance and sports Partners: AWS - Premier Consulting Partner Microsoft - Gold Cloud Platform & Managed Partner Google - Cloud Platform Partner

About NTT Communications Corporation

NTT Communications provides consultancy, architecture, security and cloud services to optimize the information and communications technology (ICT) environments of enterprises. These offerings are backed by the company's worldwide infrastructure, including the leading global Tier-1 IP network, the Arcstar Universal One VPN network reaching over 190 countries/regions, and more than 400,000 sqm of the world's most advanced datacenter facilities. NTT Communications' solutions leverage the global resources of NTT Group companies including Dimension Data (News - Alert), NTT DOCOMO and NTT DATA.

www.ntt.com | [email protected] Com | [email protected] Com | [email protected] Com About CAPSiDE

Headquartered in Barcelona, with offices in Madrid, London and Lisbon, CAPSiDE has been making the world more reliable through the design, automation and 24x7 operation of critical digital platforms for more than 17 years. CAPSiDE empowers its clients' businesses by designing and operating Cloud architectures that are highly efficient, reliable and auto scaling, leading companies into the digital transformation and the hyperscale Cloud adoption journey. CAPSiDE also develops reliable Cloud-automation tools for SysOps and DevOps processes in Cloud environments, focusing on better Cloud governance. CAPSiDE counts with relevant project references, such as Carrefour, MANGO, Futbol Club Barcelona, Banc Sabadell, Wolters Kluwer, Grupo Zeta, Vueling and Royal Opera House; and on critical workloads such as eCommerce, Big Data, IoT and SaaS (News - Alert) platforms.

Web: www.capside.com | Twitter (News - Alert): @capside | Linkedin: CAPSiDE View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005126/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Italy Plans to Send Largest Ever delegation of Digital Start-ups to CES in Las Vegas

MILAN, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Trieste-based Area Science Park, one of Italy's leading research and innovation centres, is teaming up with Teorema Engineering and the Italian Trade Agency to bring a large delegation of digital start-up inventors and entrepreneurs to the Consumer Electronics Show, to be held in Las Vegas from January 7 to January 10, 2020. The idea is to select the best of Italian tech startups in order to showcase their achievements at the world's largest tech show, and offer them the opportunity to present their talent and innovative skills on the global market. "In recent years, the Italian start-up market has grown significantly", explains Stefano Casaleggi, Managing Director of Area Science Park. "The number of innovative startups has increased, the quality of th projects has improved, and meanwhile we are observing more and more synergy between these new realities and already established companies. We strongly believe that startups can be a driver for economic growth and for the competitiveness of the country's industry. This is why, mindful of the positive results achieved last year, in 2020 we plan to bring the biggest delegation ever to CES next January."



In January 2019, Area Science Park and its partners brought to Las Vegas 50 startups coming from different sectors: Food, Health & Wellness, Smart Transportation, Smart Cities, Smart Home, Digital Service and Robotics. In 2020, the number of startups is expected to be significantly higher, with a particular attention to the field of the digital economy. The call for entries opens on June 15, 2019 and closes on July 30, 2019. The announcement of selection will be published on Area Science Park website (www.areasciencepark.it).

Area Science Park is a leader in public-private partnerships in fields as far-ranging as genetic medicine, process innovation, artificial intelligence and digital start-ups. Together with Teorema Engineering, Area has created The Italian Laboratory for Technology (Tilt), to assist early life high-tech companies. Among the partners for CES 2020 are the Italian Trade Agency, Cariplo Factory, B Heroes and e-Novia. AREA Science Park

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Medical Conference Teaches about Illness from Too Much Wireless Radiation

TORONTO, May 31, 2019 /CNW/ - Toronto doctors treating patients from over-exposure to wireless radiation are hosting a medical conference today on the growing condition of electrical sensitivity. "My clinic has been assessing patients from across Ontario who are sensitive to microwave radiation from their cell phones, WiFi and smart appliances. Their doctors need to know how to detect the symptoms of electrical sensitivity" said Dr. Riina Bray, Medical Director of the Environmental Health Clinic at Women's College Hospital in Toronto. Daily human exposure to microwave radiation is now a trillion times higher than it was before cell phones. Dr. Anthony Miler, Professor Emeritus with the University of Toronto, and adviser to the International Agency for Research on Cancer says, "Many scientists worldwide now believe that radiofrequency radiation should be elevated to a Class One human carcinogen, on the same list as Cigarettes, X-Rays, and Asbestos."



Among the speakers will be Frank Clegg, former President of Microsoft Canada, who is calling for safer technology. "The federal government has to update its safety standards before we roll-out 5G  the next generation of cell phone technology. Otherwise the health problems we are seeing today are bound to get worse," says Clegg. Event: Medical Symposium on Wireless Radiation Illnesses.

Time: 8 AM, Friday 30 May 2019. Location: Women's College Hospital, Grenville St., Toronto. For Interviews: [email protected] Details : www.womenscollegehospital.ca SOURCE C4ST: Canadians For Safe Technology

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Allegion Ventures Adds HqO to Its Investment Portfolio, Signifying Continued Growth of IoT in the Workplace

Allegion Ventures - a $50 million corporate venture fund of Allegion plc - has added another innovative company to its investment portfolio: Boston-based HqO, a tenant experience platform for commercial real estate. HqO's tenant app gives employees all-in-one control over their workplace experience, and connects them to local amenities, e-commerce, events and the building community. Its dashboard enables property managers to better understand tenant needs and improve the building ecosystem, helping increase their revenue opportunities and tenant retention. Allegion Ventures President Rob Martens noted that HqO's software platform facilitates seamless access in the modern workplace, connecting people to services, experiences and each other. Like other Allegion Ventures portfolio companies Robin and Pindrop, this investment in HqO signifies the growing role the IoT plays in the commercial market.



"HqO's platform is changing the way owners and operators think about the tenant experience - using software to add value," Martens said. "As a strategic investor, Allegion Ventures can help HqO grow through our expertise in secure seamless access and people flow, as well as our experiences in commercial real estate, institutional buildings, channel distribution and the global marketplace." Importantly, HqO regards security as a core pillar of the tenant experience.

"Since day one, our focus and commitment has been to help landlords create places people love with software," said Chase Garbarino, CEO and co-founder of HqO. "Every day, the HqO team works incredibly hard to create the software layer for the built environment, and it's encouraging to bring Allegion Ventures on as a strategic investor, among other renowned global business leaders." Allegion Ventures was launched in 2018 to accelerate the growth of innovative technologies and products. This newest investment is part of a $6 million fundraising round for HqO. About Allegion Ventures Allegion Ventures is the corporate venture fund of Allegion. It invests in and accelerates the growth of companies with innovative technologies and products that have the potential to make security and access smarter, stronger, faster and less intrusive. For more information, please visit www.AllegionVentures.com. About HqO HqO is a tenant experience platform that enables landlords to create places people love. Headquartered in Boston, HqO partners with the leading landlords, property managers, and brokers who want to attract innovative tenants, provide a premium experience, and increase overall asset value. For more information, visit https://www.HqO.co or follow HqO on Twitter (News - Alert) @HqOapp. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005105/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] VirtualArmour Reports Q1 2019 Results; Managed and Professional Services Revenue up 17%

CENTENNIAL, Colo., May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VirtualArmour International Inc. (CSE:VAI) (3V3:F) (OTCQB:VTLR), a premier cybersecurity managed services provider, reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2019. Financial results are in U.S. dollars, with comparisons made to the same year-ago quarter unless otherwise noted.

Q1 2019 Financial Highlights Revenue increased to $3.5 million, supported by growth in the number of customers served as well as the size of orders from new and existing customers.

Managed and professional services revenue increased 17% to a record $1.3 million, due primarily to the addition of 14 new clients signed under multi-year contracts over the last 12 months.

Gross profit as a percentage of revenue increased to 30.5% from 28.1% due to a favorable shift in revenue mix to higher margin managed and professional services revenue.

Adjusted EBITDA was a negative $233,000. Net of a one-time extraordinary event Adjusted EBITDA was a positive $24,000 (see Extraordinary Event below).

Annual recurring revenue (ARR) totaled $4.3 million at March 31, 2019, up from $3.7 million at March 31, 2018. The company defines ARR as the value of its service contracts normalized to a one-year period.

Total contract value (TCV) was $9 million at March 31, 2019, up from $6.1 million at March 31, 2018. The company defines TCV as the total value of its service contracts including one time and recurring charges. Q1 2019 Operational Highlights Engaged subsidiary of major pharmaceutical company in a new two-year, $300,000 managed service contract, which also represented VirtualArmours first entry into the pharmaceutical industry.

Expanded engagement over next 12 months with a $400,000 managed and professional services contract with an existing global non-profit specializing in research and education customer.

Hired Partner Account Manager to focus and expand on the partner program.

Received ISO-27001:2014 Certification for Information Security Management System.

Registered trademark for CloudCastr approved by United States Patent and Trademark Office. Q1 2019 Financial Summary Revenue totaled $3.5 million in the first quarter of 2019, as compared to $3.3 million in the same year ago quarter. Managed and professional services revenue increased by $0.2 million and product sales (hardware and software) increased by $0.1 million. Cost of sales were $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2019 as compared to $2.3 million in the same year ago quarter. The increase in cost of sales was due primarily to an increase in managed and professional services cost of sales ($113,000) with the balance attributable to product cost of sales. Net and comprehensive loss was $403,000 or $(0.01) per share in the first quarter of 2019, as compared to a loss of $127,000 or $(0.00) per share in the same year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBITDA was a negative $233,000 in the first quarter of 2019, changed from a positive $15,000 in same period in 2018 (see definition of adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP term, below). Net of a one-time extraordinary event, the recent quarters Adjusted EBITDA would be a positive $24,000. Cash totaled $60,000 at March 31, 2019, compared to $114,000 as of December 31, 2018. The decrease was primarily due to the expense of the Investor Awareness Campaign partially offset by financing activities. Management Commentary Our first quarter top line and Gross Profit results are in line with expectations while the bottom line and adjusted EBITDA, net of a notable extraordinary expense, compare favorably with recent results, remarked Michael Panec, VirtualArmours CFO. As always, we are managing a careful balance between cash flow and taking advantage of the tremendous growth opportunities available in the current market. Panec added: Looking ahead in 2019, with the ongoing growth in customer acquisition and the addition of customers on a monthly recurring revenue model, coupled with its high customer retention, VirtualArmour expects to maintain appreciable growth into 2019. In Q1 2019, our top-line growth was driven by an expanding revenue stream from global managed services and professional services, said Russ Armbrust, CEO of VirtualArmour. This was achieved by signing four new recurring revenue contracts for managed and professional services. During this quarter, VirtualArmour started to deliver strategy-driven engagements that drive action, value, and accountability by providing consistent, positive customer experiences, communications, and service transparency to each client. Altogether, this progress has enhanced our ability to secure new clients and gain additional business from current clients, as well as helped us maintain an industry-leading customer retention rate. About VirtualArmour VirtualArmour International is a global cybersecurity and managed services provider that delivers customized solutions to help businesses build, monitor, maintain and secure their networks. The company maintains 24/7 client monitoring and service management with specialist teams located in its U.S. and UK-based security operation centers. Through partnerships with best-in-class technology providers, VirtualArmour delivers leading hardware and software solutions for customers that are both sophisticated and scalable, and backed by industry-leading customer service and experience. VirtualArmours proprietary CloudCastr client portal and prevention platform provides clients with unparalleled access to real-time reporting on threat levels, breach prevention and overall network security. VirtualArmour services a wide range of clients, which include Fortune 500 companies and several industry sectors in over 30 countries across five continents. For further information, visit www.virtualarmour.com . Supplemental Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to GAAP financial measures, management uses non-GAAP financial measures to assess the company's operational performance. It is likely that the non-GAAP financial measures used by the company will not be comparable to similar measures reported by other issuers or those used by financial analysts as their measures may have different definitions. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of an entity's historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that is neither calculated nor recognized under IFRS. Management believes that such non-GAAP financial measures can be important as they provide users of the financial statements with a better understanding of the results of the company's recurring operations and their related trends, while increasing transparency and clarity into its operating results. Management also believes these measures can be useful in assessing the company's capacity to discharge its financial obligations. In Q1 2018, management began assessing its operational performance using supplemental non-GAAP statement of income, adjusted GAAP, which is defined as loss for the period as reported excluding depreciation and amortization, change in fair value of warrant derivative liabilities, share-based compensation and interest expense. Adjusted EBITDA is not a term recognized under GAAP and non-GAAP measures do not have standardized meaning. Accordingly, non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. As disclosed in its press release of January 24, 2019, VirtualArmour engaged in an Investor Awareness Campaign In the first quarter 2019. The purpose of the campaign was to raise awareness of the company, its services and the growth potential of its industry. The cost of this campaign totaled $257,000. There is no expectation that this type of activity will be undertaken again in the foreseeable future. The table below provides a reconciliation of net (loss) for the period as reported to non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018: Q1 2019 Q1 2018 Loss for the period as reported $(402,926) $(127,212) Add (deduct): Depreciation and amortization 100,555 32,740 Change in fair value of warrant derivative liabilities - (2,589) Share-based compensation 17,655 72,971 Interest Expense 51,730 39,001 Adjusted EBITDA $(232,986) $14,911 One-time Extraordinary Expense 257,000 - Adjusted EBITDA net of Extraordinary Expense $24,014 $14,911 Important Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and U.S. securities laws. This press release includes certain forward-looking statements concerning the future performance of our business, its operations and its financial performance and condition, as well as managements objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of VirtualArmour. Although, VirtualArmour believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information as VirtualArmour cannot provide any assurance that it will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as may, will, plan, expct, anticipate, estimate, intend and similar words referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the success of the Academies, the future employee potential from the Academies, future interest in such programs, competitive risks and the availability of financing. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and VirtualArmour disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.



VirtualArmour International Inc. Condensed Interim Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss For the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018 (Unaudited - Expressed in U.S. Dollars) March 31, March 31, 2019

2018

$ $ Revenue 3,548,186 3,267,653 Cost of sales (2,466,080) (2,348,985) Gross Profit 1,082,106 918,668 Expenses General and administrative 778,203 425,783 Research and development 49,433 35,679 Sales and marketing 605,666 548,006 Total Expenses 1,433,302 1,009,468 Loss from Operations (351,196) (90,800) Other Income (Expense) Change in fair value of warrant derivative liabilities  2,589 Interest expense (51,730) (39,001) Net Loss and Comprehensive Loss (402,926) (127,212) Loss per share  basic and diluted (0.01) (0.00) Weighted average number of shares outstanding  basic and diluted 63,599,447 57,936,114

VirtualArmour International Inc. Interim Consolidated Balance Sheets As at March 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 (Unaudited - Expressed in U.S. Dollars) March 31, December 31, 2019

2018

$ $ ASSETS Current Assets Cash 60,130 114,281 Accounts receivable 2,202,634 2,491,233 Other receivables  43,750 Prepaid expenses 207,427 390,968 Contract assets 722,683 722,683 Total Current Assets 3,192,874 3,762,915 Property and equipment 613,228 513,984 Intangible assets 57,390 61,347 Contract assets 1,084,024 1,264,695 Total Assets 4,947,516 5,602,941 LIABILITIES Current Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 3,152,188 3,728,051 Deferred revenue 947,290 888,593 Debt 336,500  Current portion of lease obligations 546,416 679,647 Due to related parties 170,570  Total Current Liabilities 5,152,964 5,296,291 Deferred revenue 1,141,077 1,331,256 Lease obligations 213,984 150,632 Total Liabilities 6,508,025 6,778,179 STOCKHOLDERS DEFICIT Common stock, no par value, 300,000,000 shares authorized Issued and outstanding: 63,599,447 (2018  63,599,447) shares 7,670,975 7,670,975 Additional paid-in capital 1,972,877 1,955,222 Deficit (11,204,361) (10,801,435) Total Stockholders Deficit (1,560,509) (1,175,238) Total Liabilities and Stockholders Deficit 4,947,516 5,602,941 Company Contact

Russ Armbrust

CEO

VirtualArmour International Inc.

Tel (720) 644-0913

Email Contact



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Citi Recognized for Innovation, Leadership in Derivatives Clearing

Citi has once again been named Derivatives Clearing Bank of the Year by GlobalCapital for the sixth straight year. The award was presented at the annual Americas Derivatives Awards gala in New York which honor the companies, innovations and people that have had the biggest impact on the derivatives markets in the region during the past 12 months. "We are extremely proud to have won this award for our sixth consecutive year," said Jerome Kemp, Global Head of Futures, Clearing and Collateral. "It's a testament of our continued success and our ability to deliver innovative solutions to the market year after year." "The derivatives clearing business continues to be a top priority for the firm as regulatory reform is implemented globally, and the market moves away from bilateral swaps and towards cleared products," said Mariam Rafi, North American Head of OTC Clearing. "We have invested strategically to grow the business and are well positioned to meet the needs of our clients." "Once again Citi has distinguished itself, not just in its expertise and ability to innovate for more efficient derivatives clearing, but also in its advocacy for a better functioning industry," said GlobalCapital editors. Citi Futures is one of the world's largest participants in exchange-traded derivative markets and has also established iself as a market leader in the evolving OTC Clearing world.



In addition to Derivatives Clearing Bank of the Year, Citi also won Derivative House of the Year and Research and Strategy House of the year awards. Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Additional information may be found at http://www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube (News - Alert): http://www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com/| Facebook (News - Alert): http://www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn (News - Alert): www.linkedin.com/company/citi. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005024/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Colorado Destinations Career Academy to Hold Commencement Ceremony on May 31

Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (CODCA), that state's first full-time online career readiness education program, will celebrate the 47 members of the Class of 2019 at an in-person commencement ceremony on Friday, May 31 at the Kenneth King Academic & Performing Arts Center at the University of Colorado in Denver. "Graduation marks such an exciting time for our students and their families," said Teri Cady, CODCA's head of school. "They begin here with unique needs and goals, and it has been an honor to provide a learning environment that not only meets them where they are, but encourages them to work hard towards a successful future." CODCA graduates earn their high school diplomas in a personalized learning environment. Following graduation, members of the Class of 2019 will enroll in two- and four-year colleges and universities, enter military service, or join the full-time workforce. Members of the class report having been accepted to a number of higher education institutions, including: Arizona State University, Colorado State University, Front Range Community College, Red Rocks Community College, and the University of Colorado. CODCA students access a robust online curriculum, and attend live virtual classes taught by state-licensed teachers. Through its focus on career readiness, CODCA prepares students in grades 6-12 for college and careers in in-demand fields of Agriculture; Business; Health and Human Services; Information Technology; and Manufacturing and the Trades. Students are introduced to specialty skills in online courses, and can choose to go on to take exams for industry-recognized credentials.



Dr. Shaun McAlmont, President of Career Readiness Education at K12 Inc. will address the graduates and their assembled guests. "As CODCA's Class of 2019 prepares to take on the next chapter in their lives, the opportunities ahead of these young men and women are boundless," said Dr. McAlmont. "The online learning environment has allowed them to fully participate in shaping their futures, and has prepared them for a lifetime of learning, whatever they choose to do next."

Media are invited to attend the ceremony. Ms. Cady and Dr. McAlmont, along with members of the graduating class, will be available for interviews. Details of the ceremony are as follows: WHAT: Destinations Career Academy of Colorado 2019 Graduation Ceremony

WHEN: Friday, May 31, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. MDT

WHERE: Kenneth King Academic & Performing Arts Center, University of Colorado at Denver, 855 Lawrence Way, Denver, CO 80204 About Destinations Career Academy of Colorado Destinations Career Academy of Colorado (CODCA) is an accredited, full-time online public school program of the Julesburg School District that serves Colorado students in grades 9-12. As part of the Colorado public school system, CODCA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about CODCA, visit codca.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005057/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Pikes Peak Online School to Hold Commencement Ceremony on May 31

Pikes Peak Online School (PPOS) will celebrate the 123 members of the Class of 2019 at an in-person commencement ceremony on Friday, May 31 in Denver. An accredited, tuition-free online public school program, PPOS is available to students in grades 9-12 across the state. Colorado Representative James Coleman (House District 7) will deliver the commencement's keynote address. "Congratulations to the Pikes Peak Online School graduates," said Representative Coleman. "You have put in the hard work to reach this important milestone, and you and your entire school community should be proud of all you have accomplished." PPOS graduates earn their high school diplomas in a personalized learning environment. The school focuses on providing struggling students statewide with the academic, social and emotional support needed to reach graduation. Members of the Class of 2019 will enroll in two- and four-year colleges and universities, enter miliary service, or join the full-time workforce.



PPOS students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects and a host of electives, and attend live virtual classes taught by state-licensed teachers. PPOS also offers student clubs, field trips and social outings to foster a sense of school community, such as this week's graduation celebration. Dr. Shaun E. McAlmont, President of Career Readiness Education at K12 Inc. will also address the graduates and their assembled guests.

Media is invited to attend the ceremony. PPOS staff and Dr. McAlmont, along with members of the graduating class, will be available for interviews. Details of the ceremony are as follows: WHAT: Pikes Peak Online School 2019 Graduation Ceremony

WHEN: Friday, May 31, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. MDT

WHERE: Kenneth King Academic & Performing Arts Center, University of Colorado at Denver, 855 Lawrence Way, Denver, CO 80204 About Pikes Peak Online School Pikes Peak Online School (PPOS) is an accredited, full-time online public school program of the Colorado Digital Board of Cooperative Education Services that serves Colorado students in grades 9-12. As part of the Colorado public school system, PPOS is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. For more information about PPOS, visit ppos.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005063/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Avenu Insights & Analytics Adds Two Government Executives to Advisory Board

Avenu Insights & Analytics (Avenu) welcomes two new members to its Advisory Board: Dr. Angelov Farooq and Jeff McGuire. Their expertise will guide the company as it provides government clients with insight into expanding their tax base and driving economic development. Known for his work in revitalizing neighborhoods, Dr. Farooq is often sought as a speaker on the economic development impact of policies from all levels of government. He serves on the tax-focused council of economic advisors through an appointment by the state controller, and has been part of the California Workforce Development Board since 2013 through an appointment by the governor. Jeff McGuire joins the board following a 35-year career with tax administration programs in California. He held multiple roles including field auditor, administrator of compliance and technology, tax policy chief and he was director of the sales and use tax program. Among his highlights is the innovative program to combat sales tax fraud by retailers and vendors using sales suppression software.



About Avenu Insights & Analytics Avenu Insights & Analytics has a long history of helping state and local governments boost revenue, optimize operations, and deepen community trust. Avenu's revenue enhancement and administration solutions enable jurisdictions to provide truly digital government that meets expectations of citizens, employees and elected officials. Avenu is a portfolio company of Mill Point Capital.

About Mill Point Capital Mill Point Capital is a middle-market private equity firm focused on control-oriented investments in the business services and industrial sectors. The firm works with executive partners to leverage its investment professionals' experience, while providing strategic and operational guidance designed to drive long-term value creation in its portfolio companies. Mill Point is based in New York. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005423/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Dentons Names Lisa Krigsten Kansas City Managing Partner

Dentons, the leading global law firm, today announces the appointment of Lisa Krigsten as managing partner of its Kansas City office. A former federal prosecutor, Krigsten advises and represents US and foreign multinational companies, their senior management, and boards of directors in investigations and related complex criminal and civil litigation. Krigsten succeeds John Snyder, who has served as the Firm's Kansas City managing partner for nearly ten years. Snyder, a leading real estate lawyer who represents real estate developers and investors and lending institutions, will continue his practice and also assume new responsibilities advancing Dentons' market-leading US real estate team. "Lisa is an exceptional lawyer and strong leader whose creativity and vision will be a tremendous asset to our strategy in the Kansas City market," said US CEO Mike McNamara. "Kansas City is one of our top offices in the US region, including work for global clients, and the exceptional lawyers here are working on some of the most complex and exciting projects. My appreciation to John for his outstanding work as Kansas City managing partner, and under Lisa's leadership I have every confidence the office will continue to flourish." Joining Dentons as part of a prominent white collar litigation and investigations team in 2013, Krigsten is often retained for bet-the-company cases throughout the US. Krigsten was recently selected as one of Missouri Lawyer's Weekly's Most Influential Lawyers in 2018. Krigsten is particularly valued for her strategic abilities in managing crises, and earned a reputation as a go-to attorney for corporate leaders when an issue threatens to disrupt operations or impact the organization's brand or bottom line. She represents clients before federal agencies, including the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC (News - Alert)). Her clients include Fortune 100 companies, private equity-owned companies and financial services institutions.



"I'm so pleased to lead an exceptional office of talented, accomplished lawyers," said Krigsten. "I look forward to deepening our client relationships here in Kansas City while continuing to serve our clients around the world." Prior to entering private practice, Krigsten was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General within the DOJ, where she worked among the highest levels of DOJ leadership in guiding the national enforcement of federal law. She also coordinated the DOJ's responses to congressional inquiries and assisted in the drafting of key regulations and laws passed by Congress. Previously a federal prosecutor with the DOJ in Washington, DC, Krigsten received numerous commendations and awards for the investigation and prosecution of high-profile criminal cases across the country.

Krigsten was named to Ingram's Magazine's 2018 Class of WeKC (Women Executives-Kansas City). She also is a graduate of the Kansas City Tomorrow leadership program and serves on the alumni association's board of directors. Krigsten regularly speaks on issues related to investigations and crisis management, and teaches an annual trial advocacy course at the University of Iowa College of Law, her law school alma mater. Active in civic organizations as well, she serves on boards of directors of DeLaSalle Education Center a Kansas City charter school, and Youth Ambassadors. She is a past board president of Impact KC, and earned her BA from the University of Kansas. About Dentons Dentons is the world's largest law firm, delivering quality and value to clients around the globe. Dentons is a leader on the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index, a BTI Client Service 30 Award winner and recognized by prominent business and legal publications for its innovations in client service, including founding Nextlaw Labs and the Nextlaw Global Referral Network. Dentons' polycentric approach and world-class talent challenge the status quo to advance client interests in the communities in which we live and work. www.dentons.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005440/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Government of Canada supports important Spill research at Dalhousie University

HALIFAX, May 31, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to protecting our oceans and keeping them healthy, clean and safe for future generations. Under Canada's Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada is making major investments in science to help protect our coasts and waterways from the impacts of potential oil spills. On behalf of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, the Member of Parliament for Halifax, Andy Fillmore, announced today that the Government of Canada is investing approximately $523,000 in scientific research at Dalhousie University to help protect Canadian waters in the unlikely event of a spill. This funding will support two new scientific trainee positions. Dalhousie University researchers will investigate strategies to better separate oil from water and examine the risk of spills in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, an ecologically important area. As climate change accelerates the melting of sea ice in the Arctic, the Northwest Passage could become a significant route between the Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. With the potential of increased Arctic vessel traffic, the Government of Canada is investing in science and research now, to ensure that we are prepared in an event of a spill. One research project funded under this program will test new methods to remove oil from water for greater efficiency during a cleanup. The other project will use advanced technology to help responders locate and identify spills, while minimizing harm to the marine environment. This new science and data will be important to inform decision makers and will help accelerate efficient decision making capacity. The projects are funded under the $45.5 million Multi-Partner Research Initiative, which aims provide the best scientific advice to respond to spills in Canadian waters. The initiative connects leading researchers both in Canada and around the world. These efforts will improve our knowledge of how spills behave, how to contain them and clean them up, and how to minimize their environmental impacts. Quotes "The government of Canada is committed to keeping our oceans healthy, clean and safe for future generations. Our new investment in science and research at Dalhousie Universiy will not only add to our scientific understanding of our oceans, but will also support two new scientific trainee positions."



The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard "Through the Multi-Partner Research Initiative, our government is fostering scientific knowledge to help protect our waters and coasts from oil spills for generations to come. The research conducted at Dalhousie University will support the development of a predictive model on the impacts of oil spills and effective response measures in Canada's Arctic."

Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament for Halifax and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism "Congratulations to Dr. Niu and Dr. Liu on this well-deserved recognition from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Their work on marine oil spill risk assessment and response is truly world class, and we're incredibly proud that it is happening at Dalhousie." Dr. Alice Aiken, Vice President Research and Innovation at Dalhousie University Quick Facts The $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan is the largest investment ever made by the Government of Canada to ensure our coasts are healthier, safer and better protected.

Oceans Protection Plan is the largest investment ever made by the Government of to ensure our coasts are healthier, safer and better protected. The $45.5 million Multi-Partner Research Initiative, announced in December 2017 , is improving collaboration with oil response experts around the world, advancing oil spill research in Canada , and will help minimize the environmental impacts of oil spills.

Associated Links Multi-Partner Research Initiative

News release  Canada is investing in science to protect our waters from oil spills Stay Connected Follow the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Follow the Canadian Coast Guard on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Subscribe to receive our news releases and more via RSS feeds. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/rss-eng.htm. SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maritimes Region

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Minister Goodale celebrates Government of Canada investment in discovery research at the University of Regina

Funding includes support for researchers in engineering, natural sciences, psychology, geology, mathematics and computer sciences REGINA, May 31, 2019 /CNW/ - Fresh ideas have the power to change the way we view the world and can lead to discoveries that will help solve some of our biggest challenges. When we invest in the innovative and creative work being done by our scientists and researchers, we are helping to ensure that our health, environment, communities and economy thrive. Today, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Member of Parliament for ReginaWascana, on behalf of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, highlighted $4,404,750 million in support for research at the University of Regina. This funding will go to 32 researchers and students working in research areas ranging from ecological processes in prairie wetlands to data mining to waste transformation. The Discovery Grants Program is delivering $4,036,400 of this funding, part of the unprecedented investment of more than $588 million through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) that Minister Duncan announced on May 21. This investment will go to more than 4,850 researchers and students across the country as they pursue their world-leading discovery work. It also includes support for nearly 500 early-career researchers who will bring a diversity of new voices and new insights to their fields. The remaining funding is being awarded through Collaborative Research and Development Grants, Engage Grants, Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships and Canada Graduate ScholarshipsMaster's awards. These investments are part of Canada's Science Vision and the Government of Canada's commitment of more than $10 billion to science, which includes the largest ever increase in funding for fundamental research. Quotes "Research and innovation drive progress in our society. Today, I am proud to announce a significant investment in the University of Regina's researchers to make discoveries that have the potential to solve today's challenges, from resource extraction to water filtration. Our government is pleased to support this world-class research coming out of the University of Regina."





"The funding announced today demonstrates our strong and enduring commitment to science and researchers. Our government has worked hard to bring science and research back to their rightful place, and this historic investment in the discoveries of tomorrow is just one example of how we are achieving this goal."

 The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport

"NSERC's Discovery Grants, scholarships and fellowships provide a firm foundation for the research programs of thousands of exceptional researchers at every stage in their career. These students, post-doctoral fellows and professors make up the backbone of Canada's science and engineering research enterprise."

 Dr. Digvir Jayas, Interim President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada "NSERC awards celebrate the curiosity, commitment and passion of our research community, and perhaps more importantly, they facilitate significant research that otherwise might not be able to take place. From working to combat antibiotic resistance and improving waste management, to better understanding environmental stressors in wildlife and conducting geological investigations in Madagascar, our researchers are making a difference here in Canada and around the world. The support the federal government provides to them is crucial to that work."

 Dr. Vianne Timmons, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Regina

Quick facts The investment announced on May 21 includes $426 million in Discovery Grants going to more than 2,295 researchers across the full range of science and engineering disciplines, from biology and chemistry to advanced materials engineering and astrophysics.

includes in Discovery Grants going to more than 2,295 researchers across the full range of science and engineering disciplines, from biology and chemistry to advanced materials engineering and astrophysics. The investment also includes $6.2 million in Discovery Launch Supplements going to 499 early-career researchers in the first year of their Discovery Grants to help them launch their careers.

in Discovery Launch Supplements going to 499 early-career researchers in the first year of their Discovery Grants to help them launch their careers. Support of $83 million in scholarships and fellowships will go to nearly 1,700 graduate students and fellows in the early stages of their careers.

in scholarships and fellowships will go to nearly 1,700 graduate students and fellows in the early stages of their careers. The Government of Canada recently launched Dimensions: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Canada. This new pilot program, which is inspired by the United Kingdom's internationally recognized Athena SWAN Charter, will address systemic barriers in research, particularly those experienced by members of under-represented or disadvantaged groups. For Canadian Science news, follow @CDNScience on social media: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA

Follow the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada on Twitter: @NSERC_CRSNG SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] AM Best Comments on Credit Ratings of First American Financial Corporation and Its Title Insurance Subsidiaries Following Alleged Data Security Incident

AM Best has commented that the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of "a" of the members of First American Title Insurance Group, as well as the Long-Term ICR of "bbb" of the parent holding company, First American Financial Corporation (First American) (Delaware) [NYSE:FAF], remain unchanged following the organization's announcement that investigations into a reported information security incident are ongoing. (See below for a detailed listing of the companies.) Concurrent with the announcement, First American on May 28, 2019, filed a Form 8-K, which is in accordance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requirements. The Form 8-K discloses that the alleged information exposure was discovered by an individual who claimed to have had access to hundreds of millions of personal documents that were available due to a security lapse in one of First American's customer web portal. This alleged information security incident was brought to the attention of First American by a cybersecurity expert who was in the process of publishing a related article on First American on May 27. Immediately after learning of the alleged information security incident (and before the article was published), the company discontinued all external access to the application in question, and shortly thereafter, hired a forensic auditor to investigate the matter and filed the 8-K. To date, First American and its forensic auditor have found no evidence of a large-scale data breach and the company continues to work with its external partners to ensure that these and any related information technology security vulnerabilities have been resolved. In addition, First American is in discussion with various regulators, including the New York State Department of Financial Services. AM Best is in discussions with First American and believes management is diligently working through this matter with its team and third-party providers. First American management believes they have identified and resolved these security weaknesses, and at this point, have found no evidence that exploitation of customer data (other than by the reporter and his source) or ransom attempts have occurred, nor have any signs of a massve security breach been identified.



While an incident such as this generally raises concerns regarding enterprise risk management controls, AM Best believes vulnerabilities to information security incidents like the one that allegedly has occurred at First American are universal and that insurers are not immune to potential IT security lapses. Being one of the largest title insurers in the United States, First American understands the importance of keeping personal records secure. Management has expressed a high degree of commitment to restoring customer confidence and ensuring that all customer information is safeguarded. Although incidents such as this can adversely affect a company's brand and reputation, management has been in discussions with many of its key customers and envisions minimal impact to revenue. Since there has been no evidence of damages resulting from the information security incident, at this stage of its investigation, management views the financial impact from potential litigation to be immaterial. First American has implemented remedial actions and is engaging third-party service providers to undertake a comprehensive review of the facts and circumstances around this weakness. AM Best plans to monitor this on an ongoing basis and discuss with management the forensic audit findings, as well as any recommendations adopted to enhance security and internal controls to ensure this vulnerability has been corrected.

The following companies are the members of the First American Title Insurance Group: First American Title Insurance Company

First American Title Insurance Company of Australia Pty Limited

First American Title Insurance Company of Louisiana

First Title Insurance plc

Ohio Bar Title Insurance Company This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases. AM Best is a global rating agency and information provider with a unique focus on the insurance industry. Visit www.ambest.com for more information. Copyright  2019 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005487/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] The Cannabis Reporter Enters Content Licensing and Distribution Partnership with NewsBank

Principals of The Cannabis Reporter, an educational, cannabis-specific online publication and producer of the award-winning syndicated talk radio broadcast titled The Cannabis Reporter Radio Show, are pleased to announce that they have signed a content licensing and partnership agreement with NewsBank, a leading aggregator of news content for educational and research purposes. Under the new partnership agreement, NewsBank will distribute The Cannabis Reporter's original content to its subscribers and institutional clients in multiple markets, with exclusive distribution rights in the academic, military and government sectors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005498/en/ The Cannabis Reporter is an educational, cannabis-specific online publication and producer of the award-winning syndicated talk radio broadcast titled The Cannabis Reporter Radio Show (Graphic: Business Wire) "We considered it an honor to be approached by NewsBank and can't think of a better way to repurpose The Cannabis Reporter's educational content," said The Cannabis Reporter's publisher and co-founder, Star Simmons. At the time Simmons was first approached by NewsBank, she learned that the company's editors had been watching the progress of The Cannabis Reporter for several years before initially proposing the licensing partnership. The timing of the agreement also coincides with the launch of NewsBank's newest content offering, which will focus on cannabis education. "The Cannabis Reporter is an outstanding addition to our new product, Cannabis NewsBank," said Jim Draper, Executive Vice President, NewsBank. "It provides important coverage of the cannabis industry and the people who are making and shaping it." In addition to distributing feature articles and other editorial content pulled from The Cannabis Reporter's current feeds and archives, NewsBank will also be aggregating the recorded interviews and transcripts of The Cannabis Reporter Radio Show, a weekly broadcast hosted by the publication's co-founder and editor Snowden Bishop. The award-winning producer, journalist and former anchor of NBC affiliates in Missouri and California debuted the radio program in 2016 with an editorial mission to empower advocacy and engender widespread acceptance of cannabis through awareness-building content that appeals to mainstream audiences. Shortly thereafter, The Cannabis Reporter Radio Show became the first all-cannabis talk program to be syndicated for national radio distribution and was named "Best Radio Show" and "Best Podcast" in the 2018 Best of Cannabis Awards. Interviews with notable cannabis activists, entrepreneurs, innovators, policymakers, celebrity advocates and other influencers explore ways in which legal cannabis is transforming the field of medicine, revitalizing state economies, restoring depleted farmland, improving social justice, helping to reduce opiate abuse and inspiring innovation to transition away from fossil fuels and forest resources. Guest highlights include Mexico's 55th President Vicente Fox, recording artist Melissa Etheridge, hemp activist Micah Nelson (Willie's son), veteran TV personality Montel Williams, NORML founder Keith Stroup, U.S. Congressman James Comer (R-KY) and Super Bowl Champion Marvin Washington, to name a few. "We are convined that cannabis is key to solving so many perplexing problems facing our society today," said Bishop, who has been writing about cannabis since 2010, when she first learned about the environmental benefits of hemp. Realizing that the pervasive cultural stigma remained a major barrier to the federal policy change needed in order to unleash the potential for cannabis to address these problems, she intentionally geared the editorial focus on issues-oriented topics that would appeal to cross-generational audiences of all levels of awareness. This approach also ensured that the unconventional and often-controversial subject would be suitable for their eventual transition to mainstream radio.



"It's impossible to grow a congregation by preaching only to the choir," Bishop mused about the strategic decision to approach talk radio stations. At the time, there were very few stations that would accept a show about cannabis, and very few cannabis programs that could appeal to the sensibilities of primarily conservative-leaning talk radio audiences. Rooted in the belief that educating audiences about cannabis is an important public service, she explained, "Radio offered the best platform to reach the more skeptical and unaware among us, who wouldn't go out of their way to learn about cannabis online." This strategy is what makes the partnership between The Cannabis Reporter and NewsBank such a great fit, according to Draper. After carefully vetting a potential source of content, NewsBank uses its extensive distribution channels to help it reach a wider audience. Users value this service for the high quality of the content included, as well as the powerful search capabilities and user-friendly interface.

"Our goal is to provide essential information about a fast-growing industry, and the inclusion of The Cannabis Reporter helps us achieve this," Draper said. "The power of Cannabis NewsBank is that it allows our users to quickly access the information they need most to make decisions and compete successfully. Our customers in many sectors-legal, business, consumer, government and more-have found significant value here." The Cannabis Reporter has chronicled some of the cannabis industry's most exciting scientific revelations, technological innovations, commercial developments and advancements in the ever-changing regulatory landscape in its original features and interviews, which will provide valuable resources for researchers, students and anyone else seeking information about cannabis. "We feel fortunate to have recorded the insights and recollections of so many of the industry's most prolific trailblazers, who have been - and are still - shaping the history and future of cannabis, which has become what is arguably one of the most important and transformational emerging industries of our generation," said Bishop. With so many important interviews having aired before The Cannabis Reporter had amassed the number of followers it has today, she explained that partnering with NewsBank will enable their voices to re-emerge from the archives and be repurposed for education and research. "It is immensely gratifying to know that NewsBank will provide a second life for their valuable insights." About NewsBank: NewsBank, inc., has been one of the world's premier information providers for more than 46 years. NewsBank's comprehensive Web-based research collections satisfy the diverse needs of public libraries, colleges and universities, schools, government libraries, genealogists, professionals, researchers, nonprofit organizations, and others. For more information, see http://www.newsbank.com/. About Cannabis NewsBank: Cannabis NewsBank aggregates cannabis-related news and information from over 12,000 sources, from the 1970s to today's news reports. Sources include many cannabis industry publications along with local coverage from every state in the United States, as well as from Canada and countries around the globe. NewsBank created Cannabis NewsBank to address the specific business and information needs of those working in the fast-paced cannabis industry. For more information, visit https://www.newsbank.com/cannabis-newsbank. About The Cannabis Reporter: The Cannabis Reporter (TCR) is an award-winning media outlet, which was launched online in 2015 to raise awareness about the medical, environmental, economic and societal benefits of regulating cannabis. Sponsored by Sunstate Technology Group and Cannasphere Biotech, and with the support of a variety of advertisers, media partners, advocacies and industry partners like the Growers Network who align with TCR's educational and editorial objectives, The Cannabis Reporter Radio Show became the nation's first all-cannabis talk program to achieve network syndication in the terrestrial radio landscape shortly after its 2016 debut. Hosted by award-winning producer/journalist Snowden Bishop, the weekly broadcast features compelling interviews with many of the cannabis industry's most prolific trailblazers and thought leaders, including scientists, medical professionals, policy makers, celebrity advocates and other public figures with compelling stories to tell. TCR offers unique, value-packed marketing opportunities, including its all-new Pro Series Podcast Series featuring sponsored interviews, which are available to qualified industry stakeholders, experts and business executives. Visit The Cannabis Reporter online or engage with TCR on Facebook @TCReporter, on Instagram @TheCannabisReporter or on Twitter @CannabisReportr. For more information or to request an interview, please contact Kelly Wood at KWPR Group by phone, (480) 239-0109, or by email, [email protected]. #TheCannabisReporter, #NewsBank, #CannabisEducation View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005498/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Nebraska Environmental Trust Awards $200,000 Grant to Independent Colleges Foundation to Support Development of Sustainability Learning Lab at Bellevue University

The Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges Foundation (CINCF) announced today that it has received a $200,000 grant from The Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET (News - Alert)) to help establish a sustainability learning lab at Bellevue University. The grant funding from NET will be matched by Bellevue University and its partners and donors over the next three years. According to Dr. Dennis Joslin, Executive Director of CINCF, "The Sustainability Learning Lab has tremendous potential to benefit the State of Nebraska by raising awareness and educating future generations of students and citizens about how to conserve, enhance and restore natural environments." Dr. Joslin added that the grant and lab project aligns well with CINCF's mission to provide support for students attending Nebraska's private colleges and universities. Bellevue University President Dr. Mary Hawkins said the grant serves as a prime example of a partnership resulting in a unique educational resource. "We are grateful for The Nebraska Environmental Trust's support of this project and for the CINC Foundation's advocacy on behalf of the state's independent higher educational institutions," she said. "We are confident that real world, applied learning that will take place in the lab will help preserve Nebraska's valuable natural resources and strengthen the state's workforce." Dr. Hawkins explained that the sustainability lab is part of a broader multi-million dollar innovation investment made by Bellevue University and the University's donors into STEM education facilities, programs and student support resources. The sustainability learning lab is partially funded through a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. The Trust is funded by proceeds from the Nebraska Lottery and has awarded more than $305 million to conservation projects in Nebraska since 1994. Plans under development for the new lab on the University's campus in Bellevue, Nebraska. Include a 7,000-square foot outdoor-indoor facility supporting a greenhouse, solar and wind generation stations, a biofuel algae pond and an outdoor classroom. Specifically, the lab will support and facilitate science and environental sustainability education, research, public awareness and green workforce development. The lab will support Bellevue University courses and degrees, and when completed is expected to engage and educate more than 2,500 students, educators, researchers and campus visitors a year. A project groundbreaking is planned for the fall of 2019.



Dr. Joslin said the NET grant for the Bellevue University sustainability lab is a first-year award and that CINCF will seek second-year funding from NET, as well. The Bellevue University lab project is just one of 117 projects receiving NET funding this year. About Bellevue University

Founded in 1966, Bellevue University is a non-profit university with more than 50,000 graduates worldwide. The University is a recognized national leader in preparing students for lifelong success with career-relevant knowledge and skills, while making college affordable. Routinely ranked among the nation's top military-friendly and accessible institutions, the University serves residential students at its main campus in Bellevue, Nebraska, and everywhere online with more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs uniquely designed for working adults. The University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

About CINC Foundation

The Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges Foundation (CINCF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is dedicated to making excellent higher education opportunities accessible to students from diverse backgrounds and communities who attend Nebraska's independent higher education institutions of excellence. CINCF supports the missions of its 13 member institutions and promotes the high quality and affordability of member colleges to prospective students and their families. CINCF members include: Bellevue University, Bryan College of Health Sciences, Clarkson College, College of Saint Mary, Concordia University, Creighton University, Doane University, Hastings College, Midland University, Nebraska Methodist College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Union College and York College. About The Nebraska Environmental Trust

The Nebraska Legislature created The Nebraska Environmental Trust in 1992. Using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery, the Trust has provided over $305 million in grants to over 2,200 projects across the state. Anyone-citizens, organizations, communities, farmers and businesses-can apply for funding to protect habitat, improve water quality and establish recycling programs in Nebraska. The Nebraska Environmental Trust works to preserve, protect and restore natural resources for future generations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005515/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] BIO Releases 5th Annual Emerging Therapeutic Company Trend Report Showing Record Year for Venture Capital Funding

Today, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) released the 2019 Emerging Therapeutic Company Trend Report, highlighting ten years (2009-2018) of biotechnology funding and deal making across five areas: venture capital, Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), follow-on public offerings, licensing, and acquisitions. The report also contains a 2019 snapshot of the industry's clinical pipeline to highlight the significant contribution of emerging companies. Some of the key findings include: Venture Capital : A record $12.3 billion in venture funding went to U.S. emerging therapeutic companies in 2018, with 95% toward novel R&D and only 5% into drug improvement R&D for existing drugs. Venture investment into innovative U.S. therapeutic companies continues to outpace Europe (5.7x), Asia (4.6x), and the rest of the world (35x) despite a record $5.2 billion for Ex-U.S. companies. First-time Series A financing broke a record in the U.S. with 109 new companies receiving funding, indicating a robust interest in early-stage biotech.

: A record $12.3 billion in venture funding went to U.S. emerging therapeutic companies in 2018, with 95% toward novel R&D and only 5% into drug improvement R&D for existing drugs. Venture investment into innovative U.S. therapeutic companies continues to outpace Europe (5.7x), Asia (4.6x), and the rest of the world (35x) despite a record $5.2 billion for Ex-U.S. companies. First-time Series A financing broke a record in the U.S. with 109 new companies receiving funding, indicating a robust interest in early-stage biotech. IPOs: U.S.-based R&D-stage emerging therapeutic companies were able to raise $5.1 billion from 47 IPOs in 2018, a record dollar amount and the 2nd highest number of IPOs in a decade. Ex-U.S. based R&D-stage emerging therapeutic companies raised $2.3 billion from 22 IPOs, a record dollar amount.

U.S.-based R&D-stage emerging therapeutic companies were able to raise $5.1 billion from 47 IPOs in 2018, a record dollar amount and the 2nd highest number of IPOs in a decade. Ex-U.S. based R&D-stage emerging therapeutic companies raised $2.3 billion from 22 IPOs, a record dollar amount. Follow-On Public Offerings : Public market follow-on offerings for U.S.-based R&D-stage emerging therapeutic companies remained strong, with $11.5 billion raised in 2018 across 118 offerings (valued at $10 million or more). Ex-U.S.-based R&D-stage emerging therapeutic companies raised $3.2 billion from 28 transactions in 2018, a record year in dollars raised and the number of financings.

: Public market follow-on offerings for U.S.-based R&D-stage emerging therapeutic companies remained strong, with $11.5 billion raised in 2018 across 118 offerings (valued at $10 million or more). Ex-U.S.-based R&D-stage emerging therapeutic companies raised $3.2 billion from 28 transactions in 2018, a record year in dollars raised and the number of financings. Licensing : Global R&D-stage licensing deals (valued at $10 million or more) brought in $9.1 billion in upfront payments, a 107% increase over 2017. Asian emerging company assets accounted for a record 18 of these deals in 2018, albeit reaching only 11% of the total funds raised.

: Global R&D-stage licensing deals (valued at $10 million or more) brought in $9.1 billion in upfront payments, a 107% increase over 2017. Asian emerging company assets accounted for a record 18 of these deals in 2018, albeit reaching only 11% of the total funds raised. Acquisitions : The number of global R&D-stage emerging therapeutic company acquisitions rebounded from a decade low of 21 in 2017 to 28 in 2018. A record $32.5 billion was paid upfront for the 28 R&D-stage companies. U.S.-based companies accounted for 66% of the R&D-stage emerging company acquisition targets. The number of global market-stage emerging therapeutic company acquisitions reached a decade low of four acquisitions for $2.2 billion (upfront).

: The number of global R&D-stage emerging therapeutic company acquisitions rebounded from a decade low of 21 in 2017 to 28 in 2018. A record $32.5 billion was paid upfront for the 28 R&D-stage companies. U.S.-based companies accounted for 66% of the R&D-stage emerging company acquisition targets. The number of global market-stage emerging therapeutic company acquisitions reached a decade low of four acquisitions for $2.2 billion (upfront). Global Clinical Pipeline: Total active clinical-stage programs reached a record 6,984 with emerging companies accounting for 73% of these programs. Emerging companies have 94 marketing applications for new drugs (NDA/BLAs) under review at the U.S. FDA. U.S.-based emerging companies account for 62% of these submissions. "A favorable public policy environment for investment and licensing is critical for today's emerging biotechnology companies searching for cures and treatments for patients suffering from devastating and life-threatening diseases," said BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood. "As this report demonstrates, biotech investors and innovators continue to view the U.S. and its free-market system for biopharmaceuticals as the most hospitable environment for their lifesaving research, investing nearly six times as much venture capital into U.S. firms than in Europe - where governments, not markets, often determine the price of drugs. "As Asia-Pacific countries accelerate their investment into biotech, it will be more important than ever for Congress and the Administration to ensure that proposed changes to America's pharmaceutical reimbursement system do not jeopardize U.S. leadership in biomedical innovation." The report, authored by David Thomas and Chad Wessel of BIO's Industry Analysis team, documented decade highs in 2018 for both investment and deal making, and highlighted the indispensable role emerging of biotechnology companies in filling the pipeline of new treatments and cures. "Overall, this report shows that the state-of-the-industry has been strong in recent years and we expect to hear more about recent success stories from emerging companies at next month's BIO International Convention in Philadelphia," said report co-author David Thomas, CFA, BIO's Vice President for Industry Research. "Emerging companies now drive 73% of the clinical-stage pipeline. For this group of companies to transform the future of medicine, it is imperative that the right regulatory and financial policy environment be maintained." Thomas will be discussing the report's findings at the following sessions during the BIO International Convention, June 3-7, 2019 in Philadelphia: What's Next: The Landscape of Innovation in 2019 and Beyond

3 PM ET, June 3 Dealmakers' Intentions: 2019 Market Outlook

12:15 PM ET, June 5 The report and other BIO Industry Analysis reports are available for download at www.bio.org/iareports. About BIO BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO's blog chronicling "innovations transforming our world" and the BIO Newsletter is the organization's bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter.







Upcoming BIO Events BIO International Convention

June 3-6, 2019

Philadelphia, PA BIO World Congress

July 8-11, 2019

Des Moines, Iowa

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005535/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Intuitive Machines Selected by NASA for Robotic Return to the Moon in 2021

HOUSTON, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Intuitive Machines will join NASA's new era of lunar exploration with a robotic landing on the Moon in 2021, under a contract award announced today by NASA. The firm, fixed-price contract for no more than $77,247,500, with an additional incentive of $2,500,000, calls for Intuitive Machines to develop, launch and land its Nova-C spacecraft on the lunar surface with a payload of NASA and private experiments. The mission will be the first under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The award places Intuitive Machines on a path to become the first private U.S. company to land a spacecraft on the Moon. "We are grateful for the tremendous privilege and honor to be awarded this contract. I have dreamed of going to the moon since, as an 11-year-old boy, I saw Neil Armstrong's historic first step onto that new world. Today, Intuitive Machines begins a journey back to the moon in the culmination of my boyhood dream," said Dr. Kam Ghaffarian, Executive Chairman of Intuitive Machines. "All of us at Intuitive Machines have great passion for space and exploration," said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines. "Our experience in developing autonomous systems, precision navigation, and cryogenic propulsion lends itself perfectly to the challenge of landing Nova-C on the Moon. In our first mission, we provide lunar science payload delivery and technology advancement for NASA, academia, and our strategic partner Boeing." "Our vision is to tae the challenge of this historic step with an eye toward a permanent presence on the Moon," said Dr. Tim Crain, Intuitive Machines' Lunar Architect. "We are working with Boeing to extend core Nova-C technologies of propulsion and automation to the development of large scale and human landers."



"We are very excited about this incredible opportunity to once again put the United States on the surface of the Moon," Altemus adds. "We have a strong team of brilliant minds motivated to accomplish this mission. We have worked relentlessly over the past few years, and we will continue to do so until we land the Nova-C on the Moon and put boots on the ground shortly thereafter." The lunar payload and delivery service business of Intuitive Machines encompasses small, medium and large landers, as well as the development of lunar infrastructure that will pave the way for planetary missions. The 2021 Nova-C mission will have a payload capacity of 220 pounds (100 kg) and transmit scientific data back to Earth during 13.5 days of activity on the Moon's surface.

Nova-C uses a first-in-class, deep-throttling liquid oxygen/methane engine that is scalable to landers of different sizes. Intuitive Machines also is working to enable space exploration beyond the Moon with its development and implementation of space-storable cryogenic propellants. About Intuitive Machines Dr. Kam Ghaffarian, Steve Altemus, and Dr. Tim Crain founded intuitive Machines in 2013. Intuitive Machines was born as a think tank with the objective of applying human spaceflight methodologies and principles that enable low-cost solutions while managing the highest complexity and safety levels for autonomous systems. Intuitive Machines was formed from deep practical experience in the development of large, complex space systems. The people of Intuitive Machines use technical knowledge, honed over decades of human spaceflight, to provide risk-based decision-making, redundancy management, fault tolerance and isolation, quality and safety, reliability, maintainability, verification testing, and operations. For more information on Intuitive Machines, visit www.intuitivemachines.com. Media Contact

Anna Ronalds

Intuitive Machines

832-385 2505

[email protected] Related Images image1.png View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/intuitive-machines-selected-by-nasa-for-robotic-return-to-the-moon-in-2021-300859988.html SOURCE Intuitive Machines

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Winners Announced in $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE for Advancements in Autonomous Ocean Exploration

Today, XPRIZE, the global leader in designing and operating incentive competitions to solve humanity's grand challenges, has announced winners in the $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, a global competition to advance ocean technologies for rapid, unmanned and high-resolution ocean exploration and discovery. The results were revealed at an awards ceremony hosted at the world-renowned Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, part of the Oceanographic Institute, Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation. The grand prize winner, receiving a total of $4M, was GEBCO-NF Alumni, an international team based in the United States, while KUROSHIO, from Japan, claimed $1M as the runner-up: GEBCO-NF (International) - Led by Rochelle Wigley, Ph.D. and Yulia Zarayskaya, Ph.D., the 14-nation team integrated existing technologies and ocean-mapping experience with a robust and low-cost unmanned surface vessel, the SeaKIT, along with a novel cloud-based data processing system that allows for rapid seabed visualization, to contribute towards comprehensive mapping of the ocean floor by 2030.

(International) - Led by Rochelle Wigley, Ph.D. and Yulia Zarayskaya, Ph.D., the 14-nation team integrated existing technologies and ocean-mapping experience with a robust and low-cost unmanned surface vessel, the SeaKIT, along with a novel cloud-based data processing system that allows for rapid seabed visualization, to contribute towards comprehensive mapping of the ocean floor by 2030. KUROSHIO (Yokosuka, Japan) - Led by Takeshi Nakatani, Ph.D., the team integrated technologies from their partners to create a surface vessel and software platform that can operate with different autonomous underwater vessels, which increases the versatility of their technology. The $1M National Oceanic (News - Alert) and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Bonus Prize for teams to develop technology that could detect a chemical or biological signal underwater and autonomously track it to its source was split between junior high school team Ocean Quest from San Jose, California, claiming $800K as the winner, and Tampa Deep Sea Xplorers, from Florida, taking $200K as runner-up.



"Currently, more than 80 percent of the world's ocean is unmapped, and I'm proud to have worked alongside the people who will change this as a part of this XPRIZE," said Executive Director of the Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, Jyotika Virmani, Ph.D. "Our vision is that these new technologies will enable the discovery of new ocean species, underwater resources, geological features, and safer methods of exploring the deep sea, while illuminating the mysteries of the deep and discovering what has remained unknown since the dawn of time." Additionally, the judges unanimously recommended a $200K "Moonshot Award" for Team Tao from the United Kingdom for its unique approach to seafloor mapping, even though they did not meet the criteria of the competition.

"The Ocean Discovery XPRIZE teams' accomplishments are a true reflection of XPRIZE's core belief that incentivizing the crowd will drive innovation and investment, leading to a massive shift in the state of the market," said Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPRIZE. "It is an honor to celebrate the winning teams GEBCO-NF Alumni, KUROSHIO, Ocean Quest, Tampa Deep Sea Xplorers, as well as Team Tao for their unprecedented, radical approach. We look forward to watching these pioneers shape the future of ocean exploration and discovery." To determine winners, the panel of independent judges reviewed data from field testing conducted in Kalamata, Greece and Ponce, Puerto Rico. In Kalamata, teams had up to 24 hours to map at least 250 km2 of the ocean seafloor at 5m horizontal resolution or higher. The gold-standard high-resolution baseline maps, against which the team maps were judged, were provided by Ocean Infinity and Fugro, while Esri, the global leader in geographic information system (GIS) software and geodatabase management, donated its award-winning ArcGIS Online platform for the teams and judges to use. "At Shell, we are firm believers in the power of ideas and the value of collaboration to solve big problems," said Martin Stauble, Shell's Vice President Exploration North America and Brazil. "We are proud to be part of the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE. This prize energized teams from across the globe and stimulated innovation, technology and learning, all in support of providing data for a better understanding of our oceans. We hope that the XPRIZE results will be a catalyst to create a step-change in the speed and quality of data that companies, research institutes and society can use." As part of the total $7M prize purse, four teams opted to compete for the $1M NOAA Bonus Prize. In a field test in Ponce, Puerto Rico, teams needed to demonstrate that their technology can "sniff out" a specified object in the ocean by first detecting and then tracing a biological or chemical signal to its source. The judges determined that no single team was able to trace the signal to its source in the timeframe allowed, so the prize was divided among the two teams that came the closest. Last year, nine finalist teams were awarded an equal share of the first $1M of the $7M prize purse, in recognition of their progress-to-date and to support the teams' continued technological development. "NOAA is proud to support this important competition that is accelerating the development of new unmanned tools capable of tracking chemical and biological signals in our ocean," said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., acting NOAA administrator. "The cutting-edge technologies that have emerged as a result of the NOAA Bonus Prize will help fuel a growing Blue Economy and inspire future innovation." As part of its post-prize impact work, XPRIZE announced a partnership with Seabed 2030, a collaborative project between The Nippon Foundation and The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) to inspire the complete mapping of the world's ocean by 2030 and to compile all bathymetric data into the freely-available GEBCO Ocean Map. Additionally, and in anticipation of World Oceans Day on June 8th, XPRIZE will launch a science fiction ocean anthology featuring 19 original short stories and artwork set in a future when technology has helped unlock the secrets of the world's oceans. For more information, visit oceandiscovery.xprize.org. About XPRIZE XPRIZE designs and operates multi-million-dollar, global competitions to incentivize the development of technological breakthroughs that accelerate humanity toward a better future. Active competitions include the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE and the $5 Million IBM (News - Alert) Watson AI XPRIZE. For more information, visit xprize.org. About Royal Dutch Shell Shell has been a technology pioneer for more than 100 years, and has come up with many industry-transforming "firsts" to deliver energy its customers and partners need. Since 2007, Shell has spent more than $1 billion annually on research and development. In 2014, our research and development expenditures were $1.2 billion. Shell's technical and engineering staff amount to more than 43,000. Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges. For further information, visit www.shell.com. About National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a science-based federal agency within the Department of Commerce with regulatory, operational and information service responsibilities with a presence in every state and U.S. territories. NOAA's mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources. For more information, visit www.noaa.gov. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005539/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Panasonic to Release the Upgrade Firmware Key DMW-SFU2 for LUMIX S1 in July 2019 to Expand Its Video Performance

NEWARK, N.J., May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic has announced that the company will release an Upgrade Firmware Key DMW-SFU2 for the full-frame mirrorless camera LUMIX S1 in July 2019. This paid software program will further expand the video performance of the LUMIX S1 for advanced video recording. As announced separately, the new LUMIX S1H features 14+ stops of full V-Log, which is equivalent to the V-Log of high-end cinema cameras such as the Cinema VariCam. The user can experience the 14+ stops of V-Log on the LUMIX S1 with the firmware update program provided by the Upgrade Software Key DMW-SFU2, prior to the release of the LUMIX S1H. Functions available with the upgrade program are as follows.

- 14+ stops of V-Log recording

- World's first 4:2:2 10-bit 4K MOV 30p/25p*1 internal video recording*2

- World's first 4:2:2 10-bit 4K 60p/50p*1 HDMI output*2

- V-Log and V-Gamut compatible with Cinema VariCam Look

- In-camera LUT (Look Up Table) application enabling playback of V-Log while or after recording (LUT Display with Custom Function)

- A WFM (Waveform Monitor) displays brightness level while recording

- High-res 48-kHz/24-bit or 96-kHz/24-bit sound can be recorded in MV using the XLR Microphone Adaptor DMW-XLR1



The Upgrade Software Key DMW-SFU2 will go on sale in July 2019. *1 PAL area only.

*2 For a full-frame digital still camera as of May 31, 2019.

Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company

Based in Newark, NJ, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. The company offers a wide range of consumer solutions in the U.S. including LUMIX Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Blu-ray players, Home Audio, Technics, Cordless Phones, Home Appliances, Beauty, Grooming, Wellness and Personal Care products and more. Panasonic was featured in Fortune Magazine's 2016 ranking of 50 companies that are changing the world and doing well by doing good. Specifically cited were its smart and sustainable technologies, including its contributions to smart cities and the electric vehicle revolution. Follow Press Updates for Panasonic Consumer Products:

Internet - http://us.panasonic.com/news

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/lumix

Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/lumixusa Press Resource Contact: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/panasonic-to-release-the-upgrade-firmware-key-dmw-sfu2-for-lumix-s1-in-july-2019-to-expand-its-video-performance-300859735.html SOURCE Panasonic Corporation of North America

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Announces the Filing of a Securities Class Action on Behalf of Hecla Mining Company Investors

Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM"), a national investors rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors that acquired Hecla Mining Company ("Hecla" or the "Company") (NYSE: HL) securities between March 19, 2018 and May 8, 2019, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Hecla investors have until July 23, 2019 to file a lead plaintiff motion. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley Portnoy, Esquire, at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com.



On May 9, 2019, the Company announced its first quarter 2019 financial and operating results as well as a "comprehensive review" of its Nevada operations. The Company revealed that the Nevada operations had experienced a negative cash flow and operating metrics, which could lead to a writedown of the recently-acquired assets. Also, the Company reported a $25 million net loss for first quarter of 2019 as a result of its Nevada operations. On this news, the Company's share price fell $0.48 per share, or over 23%, over two trading days to close at $1.56 on May 10, 2019, thereby injuring investors.

The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) Hecla's Nevada operations were hemorrhaging cash due to serious problems which Hecla had identified prior to the start of the Class Period; (2) due to these serious problems, the defendants had no reasonable basis for their representations that the Nevada operations would be in a position to have positive or self-funding cash flow; and (3) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. Follow us for updates on Twitter (News - Alert): twitter.com/GPM_LLP. If you purchased shares of Hecla during the Class Period you may move the Court no later than July 23, 2019 to ask the Court to appoint you as lead plaintiff. To be a member of the Class you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the Class. If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley Portnoy, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190531005582/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Canada reaffirms commitment to Open Government at successful Partnership Summit in Ottawa

OTTAWA, May 31, 2019 /CNW/ - The 2019 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit in Ottawathe first ever held in Canadaofficially wrapped up today. Over its three days, more than 2,000 government officials, civil society members and citizens from more than 100 countries gathered as the OGP met in 100 separate sessions addressing how governments around the world are grappling with the new norms of digital democracy, as well as actions to restore public trust, protect privacy and battle disinformation. "Open government is good governmentespecially in the new digital commons," remarked the Honourable Joyce Murray, Presiden of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government. "Canada is proud to have hosted the world in Ottawa for honest, timely and important conversations about protecting participation, advancing inclusion and widening the impact of open government."



"Inclusive government is better government," added Nathaniel Heller, co-chair of the Open Government Partnership and Executive Vice President of Results for Development. "When we take the time to get outside of government office buildings and capital cities to have meaningful conversations with more of our neighbors and fellow citizens, important insights emerge that drive reforms that touch people's lives." Standing alongside like-minded Partnership members, Canada also endorsed a campaign launched by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom's Anti-Corruption Champion and Minister of State for Northern Ireland, John Penrose, to improve beneficial ownership transparency.

Associated Links Canada hosts Open Government Partnership: resolves to tackle threats to democratic participation and inclusion SOURCE Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
[May 31, 2019] Aaron's and Progressive Leasing Finish 37th Keystone Club Makeover As School Year Grand Finale For Atlanta Teens

ATLANTA, May 31, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions, and its divisions Aaron's and Progressive Leasing, surprised Atlanta area teens in May with a freshly remodeled Keystone Teen Center at the Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. Through a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and input from the teen members, Aaron's associates and Club officials decorated and furnished the Club's multipurpose space. Local Aaron's associates and Club officials revealed the new space, now equipped with new technology, sectionals, tables and chairs, sound systems and fresh paint. Teens chose the special Sherwin-Williams paint colors for the room: Dynamic Blue and Earl Grey. The teens can enjoy the redesigned areas dedicated to leadership development, study, lounging and games. "With Atlanta being our hometown, this renovation was close to our hearts and we made sure to provide the Samuel L. Jones Club members with great resources to help them be successful leaders," said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron's, Inc. "Boys & Girls Clubs of America is the number one youth-serving organization in the nation helping provide opportunities that our teens otherwise would not have." "The partnership between the Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club and Aaron's will benefit the many students who will be able to use this newly renovated facility," said U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. "The Boys & Girls Clubs organization makes a difference in the lives of many young Georgians, providing them with a place to explore their interests and grow. I appreciate the support Aaron's has given to the organization." "Boys & Girls Clubs are a vital part of life for American youth, providing communities across the country and in Georgia with comfortable spaces where parents know their children are safe," said U.S. Senator, David Perdue, R-Ga. "We are all grateful to our friends at Aaron's for this makeover, supplying these bright young minds with better futures and making a difference in the Peach State." "My duty as Georgia's Attorney General is to protect Georgians, and especially our youth and other vulnerable populations. Strong public-private partnerships help make the most of our state's assets, and I'm thrilled to congratulate the Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club and Aaron's, Inc., on this outstanding partnership to provide an improved space for our youth at the Keystone Teen Center," said Attorney General of Georgia, Chris Carr. "This refresh isn't just about a fresh coat of paint or new furniture. It's a transformation to our Samuel L. Jones Club, where teens now have the resources they need to achieve their dreams," said Missy Dugan, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. "Thanks to Aaron's, we can now support more teen membership with the Keystone Program and foster a safer environment." In September 2018, the Aaron's Foundation renewed its national partnership with the BGCA. The continued partnership supports the Keystone Club, BGCA's premier national teen leadership and characer program, for an additional three years with a $5 million commitment. This follows the 2015 Aaron's Foundation's three-year national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Keystone Program, helping underserved teens ages 14-18 develop their character and leadership skills in hopes of helping them reach their potential and creating positive change in the community.



Over the past five years, Aaron's has performed 37 makeovers at Teen Centers in cities such as Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Baltimore, Memphis and San Antonio. The Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club makeover was made possible by Aaron's in-kind donation of furniture, electronics and appliances valued at $28,000 and the hard work of the company's associates. "I love hanging out with Keystone Club in the Teen Center. I always feel encouraged to do my best. I'm really glad that other people see how important it is to us." Alana G., 14 ( Atlanta )

"With the leadership skills I've learned in Keystone Club, I feel ready to help my society. Keystone Club has helped me be a better person. It has helped me become a leader as I help younger kids with their homework." Kyla G., 13 ( Atlanta )

"Keystone Club has helped me advocate to fight for what's right. For me, the most meaningful experience is when we all sit down and just talk." Nevaeh F., 14 ( Atlanta ) Aaron's partnership with BGCA's Keystone Program inspires teens to "Own It" by taking ownership of their choices to build the lives they deserve. The Aaron's and Keystone Club "Own Your Future" campaign supports three principles:

Own Your Path : No matter where you come from, the future is yours to decide.

: No matter where you come from, the future is yours to decide. Own Your Decisions : Making good choices opens more doors for your future.

: Making good choices opens more doors for your future. Own Your Community: Use your talents to make an impact in your community. To see photos of the Keystone Club remodel at the Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club, visit Aaron's on Facebook (www.facebook.com/aaronsinc), and Twitter (www.twitter.com/AaronsInc). About Aaron's, Inc.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), is a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions. Aaron's Business engages in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories through its approximately 1,600 company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada as well as its e-commerce platform, Aarons.com. In addition, Progressive Leasing, a virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through over 20,000 retail locations in 46 states. 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 Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com. About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, 4,400 Clubs serve 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at Facebook and Twitter. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aarons-and-progressive-leasing-finish-37th-keystone-club-makeover-as-school-year-grand-finale-for-atlanta-teens-300860088.html SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Benfica duo eyed by Everton scouts

| Friday, 31 May 2019



O Jogo in Portugal claim that the pair, a centre-half and left-back respectively, have caught the eye of Marcel Brands's scouts and though there is no concrete interest in trying to sign them now, Everton could try and recruit them in the future.

About these ads

 ToffeeWeb
Everton in talks with Lyon over Traore

| Saturday, 01 June 2019



The French sport outlet's track record for veracity has been chequered in recent years but they claim that the two clubs are in talks over the potential transfer of the former Chelsea man who is said to be valued at around 40m, although it's unlikely the fee would be anything like that high.

The report suggests that the Blues have been watching the 23-year-old Burkina Faso international for some time.

Some local fans regard Traore as having enormous potential but his lack of consistency and one-footedness have held him back from making the kind of impact they had expected of him.

About these ads

 ToffeeWeb
Noctua has a number of cooling technologies on display here in Taipei at Computex 2019, including its Fanless CPU Cooler, a 140mm A-Series Fan and its upcoming new D-Series coolers.

140mm A-Series Fan

140mm A-series fan. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The next-gen, 140mm A12, which Noctua is currently eyeing for 2021, is very much like the existing 120mm A12, including an Sterrox liquid-crystal polymer Impeller and basically the same appearance and technology. But a Noctua representative told me the biggest challenge is beating themselves: part of the reason its taking time to come to market is that the company wants this product to be significantly better than the 120mm A12 with 140mm adapter.

Fanless CPU Cooler

Noctua Fanless CPU Cooler prototype. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

One of the more interesting prototypes in Noctuas booth was its Fanless CPU Cooler (probably not a final name), which it's planning for 2020. Its fins are thicker and further apart than most heatsinks, and Noctua says it can run up to 120W in a case with good natural convection. And if you were to add two case fans or a single fan to the cooler itself, it could hit 180W.

The design, compatible with LGA115x and AM4 CPU sockets, has an asymmetric design for PCIe clearance. The companys NT-H2s thermal compound will come bundled with the cooler for better temperatures.

On a demo system, the Fanless CPU cooler was over an Intel Core i9-9900K CPU on an Asus Prime Z390-A motherboard, along with Corsair Vengeance DDR4-3200 FAM, a Palit GeForce GTX 2050 Ti graphics card, Samsung SSD and Nofan-P500a, all in a Jonsbo UMX4 case. When I saw it, it has been running Prime 95 for two hours and the CPU was running at 94 degrees Celsius (201.2 degrees Fahrenheit).

There isnt any final pricing, but a representative told me the company hopes to keep it under both $100 and 100.

Next-Gen 140mm D-Type Coolers

Noctua D-series demo on a TR4 socket. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Noctuas next set of D-Type coolers, based on the NH-D15 & NH-D15S, are scheduled for early 2020. Pricing isnt final, but the company suggested just over $100 for dual-fan versions and $90 for single-fan models.

They have 7 heatpipes and cover 10% more surface area, as well as an asymettrical design for PCIe clearance. The single-fan model has 65mm of RAM clearance, while the Dual fan model offers 35mm.

There will be two variants of each: a multi-socket version (LGA20xx, LGA115x, AM4) as well as a dedicated model for AMDs Threadripper processors on TR4 slots. Each will use the companys NF-A15 fans, and price wont change between multi-socket and TR4 versions, the company told me. Like the Fanless cooler, it will be bundled with NT-H2 thermal paste.

While the companys official statement is that the TR4 version can handle more than 400W, in a demo at its Computex booth, I saw it handling 435W with aplomb.

In another demo, the new dual-fan version was keeping a system roughly 1.5 degrees Celsius cooler than the existing model.

White Chromax Fans

White Chromax fans. (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Noctua told me after demands, white Chromax fans are coming. It hopes for them to come in 2020, but it could be late in the year. White, Im told, is a very unforgiving color both in use and the manufacturing process

The company is starting with popular 120mm and 140mm models like the NF-A15 PWM, NF-A14 PWM and NF-F12 PWM fans to start, but not the NFA-A12 just yet.

It can be used with optional white heatsink covers for an all-white look and comes with white cables and anti-vibration pads.
Model identifies high-risk areas for lumpy skin disease in cattle

Researchers have combined two separate computer models to identify areas at highest risk for outbreaks of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) in cattle. The models could help officials determine where to send resources ahead of outbreaks and serve as a potential early warning system for cattle farmers in affected areas.

LSDV is a disease that affects cattle. Current research points to transmission via biting insects such as flies, fleas, ticks or mosquitoes. Infected calves may die, and older cattle develop bleeding circular lesions on the skin, decreased milk production, and overall poor health.

Although LSDV is endemic to Africa, since 2015 the disease has spread into the Northern Hemisphere including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and the Balkans. The rapid expansion of LSDV in those regions shows the virus can thrive in more temperate regions than those in which LSDV traditionally occurred.

"LSDV represents an emerging threat to international trade of livestock products and live animals, due to the economic impact of milk and beef production losses," says Gustavo Machado, assistant professor of population health and pathobiology at NC State and corresponding author of a paper describing the work. "The good news is that the disease can be controlled by vaccination. However, we need a way to efficiently target our prevention efforts."

Machado and an international team of colleagues combined two different computer models - a risk model that examined the spatiotemporal dynamics within affected areas and a suitability model that looked at ecological conditions in affected areas - to determine where the virus would be most likely to thrive. Focusing on data from 2014 to 2016, before vaccination protocols began, the team divided study areas into 20 by 20 kilometer portions and fed information on cattle numbers and ecological conditions into the integrated model.

The model identified elevated risk areas in Russia, Turkey, Serbia and Bulgaria. Risk was positively associated with precipitation and temperature, and negatively affected by wind. Results suggest that if current ecological and epidemiological conditions persist, further spread of LSDV in Eurasia may be expected.

"Although there is little risk of airborne transmission of LSDV, if ecological conditions are favorable for the insects that can transmit it, the disease can spread - even in areas where there isn't a particularly large cattle population," Machado says.

Although LSDV hasn't yet been reported in the U.S., Machado says his model could easily be used to predict high-risk areas if an outbreak occurs. "We don't want LSDV to have the devastating impact on the cattle industry that African swine fever is having on the pork industry," he says. "Models like this one are necessary to help farmers and agricultural agencies stay ahead of the disease curve."

###

The research appears in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, and was supported by NC State's College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center, and the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. Fedor Korennoy, from the Federal Center for Animal Health in Vladimir, Russia, is co-author. Catalina Picasso-Risso, Andres Perez and Kimberly VanderWaal from the University of Minnesota St. Paul and Julio Alvarez from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, Spain, also contributed to the work.

Note to editors: An abstract follows

"Mapping changes in the spatiotemporal distribution of lumpy skin disease virus"

DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13253

Authors: G. Machado, North Carolina State University; F. Korennoy, Federal Center for Animal Health, Vladimir, Russia; J. Alvarez, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; C. Picasso-Risso, A. Perez, K. VanderWaal, University of Minnesota St. Paul

Published: Transboundary and Emerging Diseases

Abstract:

Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) is an infectious disease of cattle transmitted by arthropod vectors which results in substantial economic losses due to impact on production efficiency and profitability, and represents an emerging threat to international trade of livestock products and live animals. Since 2015, the disease has spread into the Northern Hemisphere including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and the Balkans. The rapid expansion of LSDV in those regions represented the emergence of the virus in more temperate regions than those in which LSDV traditionally occurred. The goal of this study was to assess the risk for further LSDV spread through the a) analysis of environmental factors conducive for LSDV, and b) estimate of the underlying LSDV risk, using a combination of ecological niche modeling and fine spatiotemporally explicit Bayesian hierarchical model on LSDV outbreak occurrence data. We used ecological niche modeling to estimate the potential distribution of LSDV outbreaks for 2014-2016. That analysis resulted in a spatial representation of environmental limits where, if introduced, LSDV is expected to efficiently spread. The Bayesian space-time model incorporated both environmental factors and the changing spatiotemporal distribution of the disease to capture the dynamics of disease spread and predict areas in which there is an increased risk for LSDV occurrence. Variables related to the average temperature, precipitation, wind speed, as well as land cover and host densities were important drivers explaining the observed distribution of LSDV in both modeling approaches. Areas of elevated LSDV risks were identified mainly in Russia, Turkey, Serbia, and Bulgaria. Results suggest that, if current ecological and epidemiological conditions persist, further spread of LSDV in Eurasia may be expected. The results presented here advance our understanding of the ecological requirements of LSDV in temperate regions and may help in the design and implementation of prevention and surveillance strategies in the region.

This story has been published on: 2019-05-31. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, April 26, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

Pragmatic cooperation, global strategic stability high on Sino-Russian agenda

Beijing and Moscow will sign around 30 cooperation documents during President Xi Jinping's state visit to Russia next week, including two joint statements on bilateral ties as well as on global strategic stability, Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui said on Thursday.

Xi will kick off a three-day state visit to Russia on Wednesday at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and attend the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum to be held between June 6 and June 8.

The two presidents will witness the signing of an array of agreements on business deals in areas such as trade, investment and energy, Zhang said at a media briefing in Beijing.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Russia, and Xi's visit will mark a milestone for both countries, Zhang said.

The two heads of state will take part in strategic planning to upgrade bilateral ties, and "jointly usher in a new era of high-level development of China-Russia relations", he said.

In response to a question about the influence of ongoing Sino-US trade friction on cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises, Zhang said Beijing and Moscow share a broad consensus and common interests, and will work together to deal with external challenges.

"We have the confidence, resolve and ability to safeguard our country's sovereignty, security and dignity as well as its development interests," he added.

"The China-Russia relationship neither targets a third party, nor will it be weakened by discord sowed by any third party," Zhang said.

Zhang underlined the important role of head-of-state diplomacy in Sino-Russian relations, saying the two presidents have had 28 meetings on various occasions since 2013. Their last meeting took place in Beijing in April.

Oleg Timofeev, an associate professor of China studies at Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, said the frequent meetings between the two presidents demonstrate the good political relations between China and Russia. Thanks to their personal relationship, the countries' ties are best they have ever been, he said.

Natalia Pecheritsa, a professor and director of the Center for Asian and Pacific Countries at Russian New University said Xi's visit will have a positive effect on bilateral cooperation in various fields, not only in political and economic fields, but in cultural and educational areas as well.

Vladimir Yakunin, chairman of the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute, said that against the backdrop of growing global discord, Xi's visit demonstrates the strategic relationship of the two countries.

During Xi's visit, the two leaders will attend a series of events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties, which will include the official opening ceremony of a panda facility at Moscow Zoo, Zhang said. A pair of giant pandas were delivered to Moscow Zoo in April for research cooperation.

St. Petersburg State University, Putin's alma mater, will award Xi an honorary doctorate during the visit, Zhang said. Putin was granted the same honor by Tsinghua University, Xi's alma mater, in April.
Photo Source: MSI

There's nothing like a trade war to make companies rethink how they make their products. DigiTimes today reported that MSI shifted the production of some motherboards and notebooks, as well as the entirety of its America-bound graphics cards, to Taiwan to minimize the effects of rising U.S. tariffs.

Relations between the U.S. and China have only become more strained in recent months. U.S. President Donald Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 25% in early May after trade talks between the countries broke down, reportedly because China backtracked its commitment to end intellectual property theft, and later the U.S. Department of Commerce effectively prohibited American companies from working with Huawei.

The conflict between the U.S. and China left many tech companies wondering how their businesses might be affected. DigiTimes reported on May 16 that motherboard companies were particularly concerned about demand falling in response to the U.S.-China trade war. The companies were reportedly prepared for the increased tariffs--most simply factored those costs into the price of their products--but it seems MSI would prefer not to do that.

MSI's decision to shift part of its production to Taiwan contradicts what CEO Charles Chiang told us in January. At the time, Chiang said that he was reluctant to move the company's manufacturing out of China because it could require too much investment. China became a manufacturing juggernaut because its workforce is simultaneously cheap and skilled. Leaving that workforce behind to avoid tariffs that could end at any time would be difficult.

"China is a big manufacturing country, because they have a big population and then they have skillful workers and [in] the young generation also," Chiang told Tom's Hardware in January. "They are very mature right now and very cost effective," he told us. "When the tariffs happen, if you want to move that away [from China], first it takes time and then you have to invest. And you don't know when it's going to be solved."

But now Chiang told DigiTimes that MSI is making "a small number" of motherboards in Taiwan; that its notebook production in the country has risen from 1,000 units to 25,000; and that it's also producing all the graphics cards meant to be sold in the U.S. in Taiwan. The company's also said to have enough inventory already in the U.S. to last it two-and-a-half to three months. All those efforts should help mitigate the impact of U.S. tariffs.

MSI is far from the only company worried about the U.S.-China trade war. Tariffs alone raised concern for AMD, Nvidia, and potentially the laptop and smartphone industries. Companies will also suffer from losing Huawei's business: a Goldman Sachs report indicated that Broadcom, Qualcomm, Micron, and Intel would take the worst losses from that decision, but companies like AMD, Nvidia, and Microsoft will also be affected by the blacklisting.
Asuss original Zenbo robot is one of Computexs greatest disappointments. In 2016, the company announced the household robot and promised that it would soon be a constant family companion, reading to kids, reminding old people to take their meds and controlling your smart home devices for you. However, the robot never came to the U.S. and was released in Taiwan with little fanfare.

Now, Asus is back with Zenbo Junior and its coming to the United States . . . sortof. This new version of the robot is much smaller and its made primarily to teach children about programming. And according to Asus, its already shipping in China.

At Asuss Computex booth, I had a chance to see Zenbo Junior in person and it certainly has a lot of potential as a STEM learning tool. Like the original Zenbo, it looks like a real-life version of EVE from WALL-E, complete with a rounded white head with a digital screen for its face. It has no arms, but it has wheels on the bottom to roll around. The robot measures 7.3 x 7.3 x 12.5 inches (18.5x18.5x31.5 cm) and weighs 6.1 pounds (2.75 kg).

The Zenbo Junior has a good number of sensors and ways to communicate. The bottom of the robot has a line sensor that it uses to follow lines and obey commands when it sees color patterns, something Ive seen on a number of kids robots including Ozobot. In a demo at the booth, a robot rolled around a board, following a line.

The robot also has a distance sensor, and a drop sensor to keep it from hitting objects or falling off of tables. It has a speaker for talking and a microphone that it can use for recording or potentially voice recognition and a 13-MP camera. Its face is a 6-inch color LCD touch screen that runs Android and you can even use it for apps when its not showing the robots eyes.

According to Asuss spec sheet, the robot can last for up to four hours of continuous use. When it comes to the U.S., it will also offer Alexa support. If you pet the head, a sensor detects your touch and makes the robots eyes appear to smile. But the real purpose of the robot is not to just follow lines, run Android apps and be petted.

Kids can program Zenbo Junior using Zenbo Lab, a computer application that uses a block-based coding language. With most kids robots, children can only use blocks and never have the opportunity to graduate to adult, text-based code. However, with Zenbo Junior, theyll also be able to program it with Python or Java.

With powerful coding software, a lot of functionality and an attractive design, the Zenbo Junior could be a great STEM toy for children or hobbyists, but right now, Asus wont be selling to consumers at all. The company lists no price for Zenbo Junior but instead invites schools and businesses to contact it to buy them, presumably in bulk.

Whats really odd about Asuss B2C-only sales strategy is that the company is counting on school districts, which have tight budgets and a ton of STEM-toy makers vying for their attention or on companies that want to use Zenbo Junior to entertain guests. But its hard to imagine either schools or businesses wanting users to have Alexa, which is a key feature that Asus is adding.

So, if youve been pining away for Zenbo and were hoping you could get a small, programmable one for home, youre out of luck . . . for now. However, its always possible that your childs school will get one, youll see one at hotel or that Asus will change its strategy and sell to home users.
Kansas Sen. Moran rescued from Arizona mountain after hiking injury Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., took a fall on Thursday morning while out on a hike in Arizona, sending him to the hospital with an ankle injury after being rescued by firefighters, according to a local news outlet. Moran, Kansas' junior senator, was hiking on Camelback Mountain in Phoenix when he took a tumble on Thursday and injured his ankle, AZfamily reported.

Happy news sent in by anregarding a politico who will thankfully live down what will hopefully be a litany of insults throughout his career following this incident. Read more:
Kansas City Care Crime

Man charged with burning residential care facility patient A Kansas City, Missouri man is facing three counts of first degree assault, second degree assault on a special victim and elder abuse.

Old School Hard Time End Game

73-year-old man, once a bank robber, sentenced for role in KC heroin ring A 73-year-old Kansas City man was sentenced Thursday to 14 years and two months in prison for his role in a heroin distribution ring. Michael R. Davis pleaded guilty in May in U.S. District Court in Kansas City to taking part in a heroin conspiracy.

Family Drama Consequences

KC North man receives 45-year sentence for murdering son KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A man in Kansas City North was sentenced to 45 years in prison Thursday for stabbing his son to death, the Clay County Prosecutor's Office announced. Kevin D. Leslie, 56, was found guilty April 11 after a four-day jury trial. Leslie and his son, 27-year-old Joseph D.

Indy Document Misdeeds

Independence woman sentenced for fraud scheme, identity theft KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - On Thursday, an Independence woman was sentenced in federal court for stealing the identities of her relatives and acquaintances to file fraudulent tax returns. Sheryl D. Hughes, 41, was sentenced to three years in prison without parole.

Meth Town Teen Crime Report

Independence teen charged in shooting that paralyzed man KANSAS CITY, Mo. - An Independence 16-year-old faces four felony charges in connection with a March 2019 shooting and robbery that left a man paralyzed from the chest down. The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday that Sean Quinn Jr. has been charged with first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and two counts of armed criminal action.

Sleaze Scummit Marriage Scam

Lee's Summit woman among those indicted in marriage fraud case KANSAS CITY, MO (AP) -- Federal prosecutors in Kansas City say a Lee's Summit woman is among three Kenyan nationals indicted in a marriage fraud conspiracy. The Kansas City Star reports that 35-year-old Nellie Mbote has been charged in a four-count indictment: conspiracy, making false statements, making a false oath related to naturalization and unlawfully procuring citizenship.

Wrist Slap For Mall Creeper

Man who secretly photographed women in Oak Park Mall changing rooms gets probation Anthony DeLapp of Missouri pleaded guilty in Johnson County court to breach of privacy by photo or video after he was accused of secretly photographing women in the changing rooms of the Forever 21 at Oak Park Mall in Overland Park. He received probation.

Anand equally scary crime news from across the metro.Developing . . .
One dead after driver flees traffic stop One person is dead after fleeing from Kansas City, Missouri police.Police said officers attempted to stop a driver around 1:30 a.m. Friday, in the area of 31st Street and Brooklyn. The driver fled the traffic stop.Police said the driver eventually crashed and rolled their vehicle on US 71 near 53rd Street.One person was thrown from the vehicle and killed.A second person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Here's this morning's scary news blast from the most dangerous stretch of road in the metro. The path is badly planned, surrounded by crime and altogether unsafe amid the late night. Take a look at the latest example:
Population declining in many Kansas cities, media turns a blind eye - The Sentinel Much of rural Kansas has been losing population for many years and now many cities are beginning to lose people. But you wouldn't know it from most media reports. 2018 city population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show declines last year in 37 of the 60 cities with population of 5,000 or more.

A classic reference that emphasizes the seemingly Conservative position that free market interests and less labor regulation is always good for biz i.e. people:Honestly: Who else is gonna move to some of these horrible rural towns that are mostly just rest stops for tornadoes?!?!And then, here's the latest right-wing conundrum that kinda proves the point:
Update 5/29/2019: Ferrari has just debuted the all-new SF90 Stradale, a V-8, hybrid supercar that is already stealing a lot of thunder from the Ferrari LaFerrari. Check out our special gallery below to get your first look while we update this review!

Now, we have our first look at the first Ferrari Hybrid V-6 as it was doing some cold-weather testing.

"We will develop a totally new V6 family based on a very, very particular, innovative architecture with plenty of innovations regarding technologies and components." We spied the Ferrari V-6 hybrid in prototype form in Sweden and Germany. Our spy photographers heard V-6 sounds while some videos, filmed in Maranello before that, apparently show the Ferrari V-6 hybrid running on electric power only. Even though this may be the case for the prototype, I doubt that the Ferrari V-6 mid-engine supercar will have an only-electric drive mode. However, Ferrari marketing head, Enrico Galleria reported some time ago that the Ferrari hybrid GT cars will probably have a Plug-In Hybrid technology. The Purosangue SUV as well!

Announced at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the new Ferrari V-6 hybrid is ready for introduction this summer. Expected in a mid-engine form, the Ferrari with a hybridized V-6 propulsion system will probably slot below the F8 Tributo and ride on a modular platform that will underpin at least one more Ferrari supercar in the future. Maybe the one with the V-8 hybrid system.

The Mid-Engine Ferrari V-6 Hybrid Is A Whole New Car That Slots Below The F8 Tributo But Could Be Faster

2020 Ferrari SF90 Gallery

Note: Were busy updating this review, so weve placed a small gallery below for you to check out. Until we update the review, you can check out our featured article to learn all about the new SF90 Stradale!

Spy Shots

May 24, 2019  Ferrari Hybrid Supercar Caught Coming Back from Testing

It actually hasnt been that long since we last say Ferraris new Hybrid prototype, but from the looks of it, Ferrari is trying to hide something. This time around, the body has been covered by a thick tarp and what appears to be a lot of padding. It still appears to be a standard 488 GTB body underneath, but there could be some drastic changes in place now that Ferrari has decided to cover everything up. One thing that we can spot without a doubt is the different headlight design. They look to be of the same shape, but you can clearly see a different LED design. It also looks like the rear air intakes might be quite a bit larger than on the last prototype, but our eyes could just be playing tricks on us. If you look at the rear end of this prototype, its pretty clear that Ferrari is really trying to hide something. It appears as if theres going to be a more pronounced, natural spoiler that actually covers the taillights and it appears as if the rear diffuser will feature larger openings as well. Again, this could be a padding trick to throw us off. For now, at least we can rest easy knowing that the Ferrari Hybrid is coming and it will, probably, be 488-based.

Exterior

Active aerodynamics

Lower compared to other Ferraris

It could mark a significant design shift within Ferrari

Spy photos did not reveal too much about the proposed Ferrari V-6 supercar.

After all, the only thing we can see is the standard 488 GTB body covered with a whole lot of camouflage. Some of the yellow stickers on the prototype have some meaning. They designate the hybrid nature of the car. Why? Well, if the accident happens, rescuers will know that they are dealing with a hybrid.

Interestingly enough, the new Ferrari mid-engine hybrid will become a sort of halo supercar for the brand. It will have a lot of power and engine technology partially sourced from Ferrari Formula 1 cars. Coincidentally, the only V-6 hybrid system Ferrari makes is the one for its Formula 1 SF70H car.

This actually tells us a few things about the design of the new car. See, the new V-6 engine and a hybrid propulsion system will sit a bit lower compared to the V-8 in the 488 GTB.

Furthermore, Ferrari officials revealed a thing or two about the basic design of the supercar at the investors' presentation in 2018.

Back then, we have found out that the new Ferrari mid-engine supercar will have active aerodynamics. Remember the S-duct system on the latest F8 Tributo? The upcoming Ferrari V-6 Hybrid will have something similar.

The last hybrid Ferrari built was the LaFerrari itself, but the new one will not be as exclusive. It will be quicker and faster, I reckon. After all, it will dance with the likes of the new Lambo and Aston Martin mid-engine supercars. Heck, maybe even Porsche will go this way and finally give us the mid-engine 960 with a hybrid system.

For all those reasons, I feel that Ferrari has to step up its game in the styling department.

The mid-engine Aston Martin Vanquish will come to the scene, and that one is bound to be a handsome one. On the other hand, we have a proposed Lamborghini LB48H Hybrid Supercar. Potentially based on top of the Terzo Millennio concept car. The LB48H could look simply outrageous. Definitely a poster material for teens. The Ferrari F8 Tributo is not that. But the new Ferrari mid-engine V-6 Hybrid supercar could be.

Interior

Keeps the best talents of the modern high-end Ferraris

Lower sitting position than before

Unique arrangement and design of buttons and dials

It will keep the central rev counter

The interior of the new Ferrari mid-engine hybrid supercar will remain a mystery up to the point of the cars unveiling.

What we can do is take a glance into the interior of the latest Ferrari F8 Tributo.

Heavily influenced by the 488 and the 458, the F8 Tributo interior does not seem to be as unique or as special as one could hope. Ferrari took many pieces from the 812 Superfast cabin and placed them into the F8 Tributo. Just take a look at the dials, air-con controls, vents, instrument cluster, central stalk with modes, and even the radio control. All of them are the same as in the 812 Superfast.

Considering that much the same pieces reside inside the entry-level Portofino and other Ferrari products, I hope that the interior layout of the all-new Ferrari V-6 hybrid takes a swift turn.

Sure, you can expect the display in front of the passenger, round vents, and centrally positioned rev counter behind the wheel. Everything else will be different. It is still unclear in what way, but I can only say that the driver will probably sit lower.

The ultimate goal is to achieve an exceptionally low center of gravity, and that is one way of doing it.

Also, expect naked carbon surfaces inside. Ferrari has to do something to offset the weight of the hybrid drivetrain. Speaking of which...

Drivetrain

Twin-Turbo V-6 Inspired By Formula 1 Ferrari engine

The hybrid system develops more power than the V-8 in the F8 Tributo

Possibly the most efficient Ferrari of all time

Rides on a new modular platform

Structure made from Aluminum, Carbon Fiber and a mix of other materials

heavier drivetrain than before

A possible (but not probable) EV mode

The new mid-engine Ferrari V-6 hybrid should come on top of the future hybrid food chain within Maranello. At least for a little while - until the V-8 hybrid appears. The V-6 engine could have a higher specific output compared to any ICE in the current lineup. Plus, an electric motor provides needed assistance. Rumors suggest that the new platform enables the integration of a second electric motor on the front axle as well. However, the new mid-engine Ferrari will be a RWD only supercar.

Ferrari technical chief Michael Leiters said:

If you want to maximize the benefits of electrified powertrain, you need to do it with downsizing otherwise it doesnt make sense. A naturally aspirated V12 engine is not a downsized engine, and for me, it doesnt make sense as a hybrid. We will fight for the V12, of course. We will do everything we can to keep it as it is core to our brand. But a real hybridization of the V12? I dont see it. The LaFerrari was hybridization for performance. In the future, were being forced to look at emissions [the F8 is the first Ferrari to go through the WLTP cycle] and if you want to really utilize the CO2 benefit, you have to downsize.

The propulsion system will sit in entirely new surroundings. That means - no carbon tubs and no exotic designs - only a frame structure composed of different materials. Some of them will be carbon reinforced polymers for sure.

Is this a bit too generic? It may be, but the thing is that Ferrari wants to build at least two cars on this platform. It is a modular design that can support different powertrain options (V-6 Hybrid, V-8 Hybrid, one electric motor, two electric motors), and it gives designers the freedom to stretch a wheelbase if need be.

The decision for making the structure using different materials is a sound one. Utilizing aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber, Ferrari engineers managed to lower the weight of the structure, somewhat offsetting the added weight of the hybrid system. An important fact considering that Ferrari V-6 Hybrid will not have a KERS-like system like the LaFerrari, but an actual hybrid system that is a bit heavier. It will help with emissions, consumption, and all that boring but necessary stuff. See, Ferraris business plan includes the growth that will increase the yearly production to more than 10,000 units. In this case, the company falls under strict emission rules as any other car manufacturer. Heck, I feel that is the first reason for the development of the hybrid system.

Mike Flewitt from McLaren actually supports my thought. When asked about the upcoming hybrids for the McLaren supercars, Flewitt said:

"Weve got to be honest: weve been driven to this (hybrids) by emission regulations." He also added that McLaren isnt able to offset the weight of the hybrid system by reducing the weight of other components.

I do believe that the Ferrari is in the same sauce. I hope that Italians will surprise us somehow.

Back to issue at hand.

The new V-6 could be the one based around the 2.9-liter, six-cylinder from the Giulia Quadrifoglio. On the other hand, Ferrari could go with a whole different design. Whatever the result, the engine will mate with a new double clutch transmission and sit lower than ever before.

So, will Ferrari call the new car the Dino?

No, it will not. The company is clear about that.

Luckily, we can crunch some numbers here:

ICE: 2.9-liter, V-6, twin-turbo Horsepower 610 horsepower Torque 443 pound-feet Electric motor Horsepower 113 horsepower

The estimated combined power output of 723 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque

It is more than you get in the F8 Tributo, but you have to be aware that the F8 Tributo is the last step of the story that started with the 458 Italia. The new mid-engine Ferrari V-8 Hybrid will be its natural replacement. The V-6 Hybrid, on the other hand, is an all-new car.

2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo drivetrain specifications

ENGINE Type 90-degree V8 turbo Overall displacement 3902 cc Max. power output* 710 HP @ 8,000 RPM Max. torque 568 LB-FT @ 3,250 RPM Dry weight 1330 kg 0-100 km/h 2.9 s 0-200 km/h 7.8 s Top speed 340 km/h (211 mph)

Prices

I believe that the Ferrari V6-Hybrid will take place in the hierarchy between so-called entry-level supercars. It will be one of the best and the quickest there, teaching the Huaracan, 600LT, and the R8 how it should be done. In that case, the mid-engine Ferrari V-6 Hybrid price could go over $250,000 and touch $300,000+ mark with the addition of some optional equipment.

Competition

Aston Martin Vanquish Vision Concept demonstrated the Astons ability to think in proper mid-engine terms. Although still a concept, mid-engine Aston Martin Vanquish will probably appear in 2022 with a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine. Brits did not say much about the possible hybridization of it, but the thing is that even the V-6 can be utterly powerful and a worthy opponent to anything from Italy. If you are not so sure, please remember that the six-cylinder in the Ford GT has 650 horsepower.

The upcoming Vanquish Vision seems to be a perfect competitor to the forthcoming Ferrari V-6 Hybrid supercar.

Check out more details on the Aston Martin Vanquish Vision Concept

Porsche did not confirm or denied the development of the new mid-engine supercar that will compete with the likes of the McLaren 720S, and the F8 Tributo. However, some rumors (that circle around since 2011) suggest that the Porsche mid-engine supercar could take the name 960. If it ever comes, I would not be surprised if the Porsche 960 comes in a hybrid guise with 700+ horsepower propulsion.

Check out more details on the Porsche 960

Ive included the Huracan Evo only because it seems plausible that its successor competes with the 723 horsepower Ferrari supercar. Nevertheless, the Huracan Evo and especially its insane Huracan Performance brother seem more than capable of taking on anything from Maranello. After all, the Huracan Perofmante is a car that lapped the Ring in 6 minutes and 52 seconds. Unofficially, the 488 GTB did it in 7 minutes and 22 seconds.

Read our full review on the 2019 Lamborghini Huracan Evo

Conclusion

We are on the verge of a major Ferrari revolution. The Ferrari F8 Tributo is the last word of the Ferrari mid-engine supercars powered solely by ICE. Its successor will have a new V-8 hybrid system, but the mid-engine Ferrari V-6 Hybrid is a whole new car. Probably one called the 486.

Love it Efficient and Fast First of the whole new Ferrari Hybrid supercar breed Brings Wow Factor

Leave it It will not be super light Questionable exclusivity due to shared architecture It seems to cross with the Ferrari F8 Tributo



Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2020 Ferrari F8 Tributo.

Read our full review on the 2016 Ferrari 488 GTB.

Read our full review on the 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider.

Read our full review on the 2018 Ferrari 488 Pista.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ferrari 488 Pista Spider.

Update History

Update 5/24/2019: Ferraris upcoming hybrid supercar was just spotted on its way back from a testing session, and we managed to snag some new shots of the electrified prancing horse. Check out our spy shots section below to see the new shots and learn more about it.
Although Mahindra has now streamlined into passenger vehicles, the companys roots belong to off-road, tough vehicles. In India, it sells highly reliable vehicles like the Thar and Bolero, which are known to handle abuse very well. In the States, the company sells Utility vehicles and tractors mainly. In 2018, the company launched the Roxor, a utility vehicle that is meant only for off-roading. It garnered a lot of attention when it was showcased at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, and it serves as a perfect little truck for people would like something small and that doesnt cost a bomb to own and maintain.

Exterior

Classic old-school looks

Grille reminds you of the old Jeeps

No side indicators

Two-seater truck

16-inch wheels

Comes with 900 different color options!

The Mahindra Roxor is an old-school off-roader that does not even belong to the 21st century in terms of looks. The face is the same that it used when Willys awarded the automaker a contract to build military vehicles back in 1947.

Upfront, the Roxor features two headlights, a flat, five-slat grille between the headlights with a Mahindra logo above it, and a steel bumper.

Yes, thats it. There is nothing else to write about it. It is just about being functional and does not care how it looks. The bumper protrudes out to avoid damaging the body in case of a mishap and to accommodate the huge wheels. Also, this makes space for winches to be installed comfortably.

The Roxors true size is known from the side profile.

It is as tiny as a truck can get. The Mahindra Roxor looks a lot like the Jeep CJ-7, thanks to its rounded fenders, the 90-degree cut at the rear, filleted corners, shape of the hood, outlined grille, etc.

This is due to Mahindras history; their first offering back in 1940s was essentially a Willys CJ-2A shipped to India as a CKD and sold under the Thar moniker. Coming back to the Roxor, it comes with a soft top that drops sharply at the back; making it look like a triangle. This makes the Roxor look even smaller. It rides on 16-inch, black painted steel wheels wrapped in off-road radial tires. To make the braking effective, the front wheels come with disc brakes.

The rear is as simple as it can get. The spare tire is attached to the tailgate that opens sideways. The tail lamp cluster includes only the brake lights and the reverse light. The Roxor does not come with side indicators! The steel bumper is offered with tow hooks and is sturdy enough to pull a fellow Roxor-mate out of the trenches. The Roxors body is made up of heavy gauge steel that is highly durable and easy to repair. If you find the whole appearance boring, Mahindra has decided to surprise you by offering not one or two, but 900 different color options! If you do not happen to like even one of them, you must really be one-of-a-kind!

Mahindra Roxor exterior dimensions Length 148 inches Width 62 inches Height 75 inches Wheelbase 96 inches Ground Clearance Nine inches Weight 3,035 pounds

Interior

No electronic stuff whatsoever

No doors

Passenger side gets a grab handle

Seats with adjustable headrests

Three-spoke, basic steering wheel

This section should not even exist, to be honest. If you are reading this expecting a touchscreen infotainment system, a climate control system, or some other fancy electronic shenanigans, well, LOL! You are in the wrong place.

This is an old-school off-roader that is offered with the most basic setup you'll see in any vehicle today.

In fact, it is so basic that even the wiper mechanism is seen on the windshield from the inside. The dashboard has a three-spoke steering wheel popping out, a huge tachometer in the middle, a switch for the headlights, and a grab handle for the passenger. No, it doesnt have doors either. The whole area is carpeted, and is in black, obviously. The seats come with adjustable headrests and a pattern similar to the skin of the Roxor. A true off-road enthusiast would drool over this setup!

Drivetrain

2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine

62 Horsepower

144 Pound-feet of torque

Top speed of 55 mph

Can tow up to 3,490 pounds

Payload capacity of 349 pounds

Since Mahindra is marketing this as a pure off-roader, it needs to be the toughest out there to make a mark, even though it barely has any competitors. The Roxor has a fully-boxed, ladder-construction, steel truck-style frame that is tough for even the roughest off-road conditions.

The Mahindra Roxor is offered with a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission. It churns out 62 horses and 144 pound-feet of torque.

Power is then sent to the wheels via a low-range transfer case. The Roxor tops out at 55 miles per hour, which is more than enough for only an off-roader. Dont get fooled by the specs on paper. The Roxor is a very competent off-roader and can tow up to 3,490 pounds. The payload capacity, however, is rated at a mere 349 pounds.

Mahindra Roxor drivetrain specifications Engine 2.5-liter, four-cylinder Horsepower 62 horsepower Torque 144 pound-feet Transmission five-speed manual Top Speed 55 mph Towing capacity 3,490 pound Payload capacity 349 pounds

Accessories - How We Would Configure our Roxor

As is with any off-roader, the Roxor too comes with plenty of accessories available as optional. Since I cannot mention all of them here, let me just configure a Roxor as per my liking to give you a hint of what all can be done to it: Im going to maintain a simple, I have added solid half doors to my Roxor to prevent slush and dirt from entering the cabin. These doors can be opened as well, but I doubt I will be using it much. So, instead, I have installed side steps to make ingress and egress a lot more easier. Like I mentioned earlier, the standard Roxors soft top rakes steeply, thus leaving no space to haul any large items in the cargo area.

To sort this, I will be adding a Rear ROPS package that adds bars perpendicular to the tailgate which helps creating more usable space.

A three-piece rear view mirror makes its way here, along with a Black Matte Grille upfront.

The Warn winch kit is the next thing Ill install on my Roxor. It includes Winch, HD Bumper, and a Mounting Plate. The next item Ive installed is the LED light bar that adds a lot of character to any off-roader and is equally useful as well. Another funky item that Mahindra has offered is the all-weather bluetooth sound bar. This is surely going to interest a lot of Roxor buyers. Mahindra has offered a lot of graphic design options for the Roxor, but I will be giving them all a miss, both inside and outside. An all-black seat cover will be my choice of the lot.

Mahindra has locking differential kits and Bilstein shocks on offer as well. But I will be skipping these products as well. They are priced at a premium and if I wanted such a hardcore off-roader, Id rather add a little more moolah and get myself a Jeep Gladiator. The final item is more of an impulsive buy - EFX tire. To give you an idea of how much Ive spent on the add-ons, find the breakdown below:

Mahindra Roxor accessories prices Side doors $700 Side steps $25 Rear ROPS package $1,050 Rear-view mirrors $68 Black matte grille $196 Winch Warn kit $1,270 LED Light Bar $440 Black seat cover $256 EFX tires - 5*288 $1,440

Pricing

The base price of the Mahindra Roxor is $16,000. Add a few accessories and you will find the prices cross the $20,000 mark. With the accessories Ive installed, the price of my Roxor is in the ball park of $22,000.

Competition

Without a doubt, the Gladiator is the Roxors primary competitor. Even though it is priced a lot more than Roxor, the Gladiator is a much more accomplished and versatile vehicle. It comes in four different trims - Sport, Sport S, Overland, and Rubicon - and all of them come with the same 3.6-liter engine. It produces 285 ponies and 260 pound-feet of torque, and is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. The Gladiator starts at $35,000, but this truck can be used as a daily driver as well.

The Jeep Gladiator comes with loads of packages and optional accessories. Not to mention, you get access to the Mopar bible as well, which already has equipments and accessories for the Gladiator available. If you want a small off-roader, the Roxor could be your pick. But if you are looking at something thats not just an off-roader and is a lot more practical, it would make sense to buy the Jeep Gladiator.

Read our full review on the 2020 Jeep Gladiator

John Deere XUV

The John Deere XUV is another crossover utility vehicle that, unlike the Gladiator, is a direct competitor to the Roxor. Well be pitting the Roxor against the two-passenger XUVs. In terms of looks, theres nothing much to complain about it. It is as basic as it can get, but is a little more modern than the Roxor. There is air conditioning inside the cabin, along with 2.1 cubic-feet of cargo space.

It is available in both, petrol, as well as diesel engine options. The 0.8-liter, three cylinder engine gasoline variants offer 52 horses, whereas the diesel engine is offered with 23 horsepower. Power is sent to the wheels via a continuous variable transmission. The John Deere XUV starts at $12,900. Interestingly, Mahindra has a successful product in India called the XUV!

Final Thoughts

The Roxor breaks the general notion that a fully-capable off-roader needs to be big and bulky. Although there are other utes that go up against the Roxor, Mahindra is the only mainstream automaker to develop a small, inexpensive truck that can conquer all mountains and boulders. In conclusion, the Roxor has created a niche for itself by entering the sub-$20,000 off-roader. The Roxor is built in Detroit, Michigan at Mahindras plant. Would you pick the Mahindra Roxor if you were in the market for an off-roader with a budget?
Mini has officially entered the EV fray, and we have finally uncovered the proof. To be honest, Mini Cooper is one of the very few cars from the current combustion-engined crop that could slip into an EV avatar without any cosmetic changes. We have seen automakers going bonkers with the so-called futuristic designs with slim headlights, sharp cut lines, etc. But in contrast, the Mini Cooper gels well with those electric cars with its retro, rounded looks, and Mini seems to understand that. The 2020 Mini Cooper SE has been spotted sans camo doing some all-electric testing. This electric Mini is based on the Cooper S and looks largely similar to it albeit with a few minor changes. Will the retro-looking Mini Cooper SE make a name for itself in arguably the most competitive segment in the right now?

Exterior

Same retro, drool-worthy looks

Green medallions all around the body

Fuel-filler point now houses the charging port

Subtle, tasteful chrome appliques

EV-specific alloys look stunning

Even though the Mini Cooper SE looks the same as the standard Cooper S, the biggest giveaway is the filled-in grille up front.

As is with the new-age of trend of big grilles, the Mini too carries the same. However, there is a yellow strip in the middle that dissects the otherwise plain-looking grille. The signature round headlights are retained with the chrome surrounding that gives the face a premium feel overall. The Mini logo sits in between the grille and the hood scoop. The bumper houses two circular fog lamps just like the standard Cooper S.

The side profile of the Mini Cooper SE is also the same as the standard Cooper S. This two-door EV comes with blackened A-,B-, and C-pillars, along with a black hard top, giving it a floating roof effect. Overall, the body looks very proportionate, which is the case with all the Minis out there. The silhouette is absolutely stunning. The wing mirrors are placed on the door, and they are painted in green on the Cooper SE. The door handle is finished in chrome, and so is the window sill at the bottom. These are the kind of chrome touches that make a car look classy and elegant.

The biggest change here is the wheel design. These are similar to the asymmetric pieces we saw on the concept car, only smaller this time.

The rim is rounded off in slim green stripe that changes the whole aura of the car. I loved the wheel design personally, but given how controversial they look, it is sure to draw polarizing opinions. The fuel-filler door houses the charging port and features an electric logo on it. Black plastic cladding completes the bottom, thus giving it a slightly crossover-ish look.

Coming to the rear, it features the same bumper and body panels as the regular Mini hatch.

The rear windshield comes with a black spoiler atop. The bumper is kept covered for some reason. To hide the missing exhaust pipe? Even though it sounds stupid with all the electric nomenclatures, a layman may just pass it off as some new Cooper S edition. So, not a bad idea to safeguard the secret. The taillights are surrounded in chrome and the tailgate features a medallion, similar to the one present on the front grille.

Interior

No pictures of the interiors whatsoever

Circular theme could be retained

Batteries will be placed under the seats?

Although there are no pictures of the cabin, it will more or less be similar to the standard Cooper S.

The steering wheel is a compact three-spoke unit with the Mini badge in the center and controls mounted on either side.

The circular instrument cluster features the speedometer and the tachometer and are backlit in orange. However, we could see a big change here, either in terms of the data displayed, or the backlit color, or both. An all-digital unit with all pertinent battery and rang information is basically a requirement here.

The center console is dominated by a huge circle that houses the touchscreen system, a few buttons to control it, and the hazard switch at the top. It is surrounded in chrome and looks retro and classy at the same time. It is flanked by two HVAC vents that make the whole setup look like the Mini logo. Three small dials below the touchscreen unit control the air conditioning. Since this an EV, I expect the cabin to have green touches around. Green LED ambient lighting would be a good choice. In terms of space and comfort, Mini has been generous in the front, but not so much at the back. But expecting sedan-like comfort from a two-door hatch would be a cardinal sin. In the Cooper SE, this could get all the more cramped since the batteries will either be housed in the boot or under the seats. Nevertheless, it will take a hit on the space aspect.

Drivetrain

Supposedly borrowed from the BMW i3

Single electric motor

Will power the front wheels

170 horsepower

184 pound-feet of torque

0-60 in 7.2 seconds

Top speed of 93 miles per hour

Could offer a range of 153 miles on full-charge

Mini is expected to borrow the BMW i3's powertrain for the Cooper SE.

It features an electric motor that produces 170 horses and 184 pound-feet of torque. It is powered by a 42-kWh battery pack that can drive 153 miles on a single charge. Power is sent to the rear wheels in the i3, but in case of the Cooper SE, it is expected to be a front-wheel-drive setup. The powertrain takes the BMW i3 from a naught to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds before hitting a high of 93 mph.

It needs to be seen if Mini has made any changes to this before plonking it in the Cooper SE. From what its worth, the range is quite low for todays market and Mini will have to come up with a bigger battery pack very soon. Despite being a premium offering, Mini could face heat from the likes of Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf. These two established players have made a name for themselves in the EV segment and will be a thorn in the Cooper SEs side.

Prices

There is no word on the pricing, but we speculate it to be in the BMW i3s range. So, the Mini Cooper SE could be offered with a starting sticker price of around $40,000.

Competition

The BMW i3 has been a very important product in the Bavarians EV lineup. In a way, it even forms the basis for the Cooper SEs incarnation. And, that is precisely why people will choose the i3 over the Cooper SE. The i3 is an established player in the market and Mini will find it tough to compete with this Bimmer since both of them feature the same powertrain. The Mini will be the heavier vehicle of the two and this will further affect the range.

To brief you about the specs again, the i3 comes with an electric motor that produces 170 horses and 184 pound-feet of twist. The differentiating point here is that the i3 sends power to the rear wheels. It is also a lot more compact and serves as a better city commuter. With these things in mind, Mini might not be able to trump the i3, unless it springs a surprise that can overshadow all these things. The BMW i3 starts at $44,500.

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW i3

The Leaf is the worlds best-selling EV and one of the first vehicles to have tasted success in this segment. The Leaf is a smart-looking car and is loaded to the brim with features like ProPilot Assist, Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warning, Leather seats, Bose Audio System with seven speakers, etc.

The top trim comes with an electric motor that churns out 214 ponies and 250 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a 60 kWh battery pack that can deliver up to 226 miles on a full charge. Now, compare this to the figures that the Mini would deliver with the i3s powertrain and you will realize how inadequate that is. The top-trim of the Nissan Leaf is priced at $42,550.

Read our full review on the 2018 Nissan Leaf

Conclusion

The biggest factor playing in favor of the Mini Cooper SE is the fact that the company has not gone overboard with the design and styling cues. The retro touch is still retained and the hatch looks impressive overall. The biggest rumored disappointment is the i3s drivetrain under the hood. It is just too small to compete with the likes of Nissan Leaf. Hopefully, Mini has worked on the drivetrain to make it more competent and capable to take on its rivals. Now that the production version of the Cooper SE is ready, we expect it to be launched later this year. Unless Mini plans for a standalone event to launch the first Mini EV, there is a possibility that it could unveil it at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

Love it Same old looks with green touches Wheel design looks great Chrome touches add to the premium feel of the hatch

Leave it BMW i3s mill is a big no-no Price is still unknown, but will be on the higher side A little late to the party



Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Mini Cooper.

Read our full review on the 2019 BMW i3.
The Harley-Davidson Motor Company beefed up its fixed-fairing Road Glide Ultra ahead of MY2019 with new electronic features along with a larger, more powerful Milwaukee-Eight powerplant. Built for long-distance work, the Ultra pulls from the top shelf for its touring tenacity with plenty of lockable dry storage and cushy appointments that let you share the fun with a friend in style and comfort. The factory adds the contemporary fairing to classic Harley looks to make the new Ultra a truly modern ride, but with the deep roots we expect from the MoCo.

2019 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra Design

While the infotainment system isn't exactly new, this version is twice as fast as the previous gen so there's less time wasted between startup and screen swaps.

Fans of the brand will recognize the abundance of classic FLHT DNA the 2019 Road Glida Ultra brings to the table. It starts off with the heavy touring frame and large front forks that are made to look even larger through the use of chrome beer-can fork skirts. The front fender is full-length, but the sides have been cut back to leave much of the front wheel plainly visible in a nod to the Harley custom culture.

Rather than mounting the usual fork-mounted Batwing fairing, the factory opted for a fixed frame-mount sharknose fairing that provides the same sort of protection but doesnt affect steering with its windage since the forces act directly on the frame. A broad, 13.5-inch windshield punches a generous hole in the wind, and it comes vented to minimize the vacuum behind the glass. That prevents the wearisome head-buffet effect where the pocket and slipstream meet.

As for lighting, a pair of Daymaker LED headlights part the night, and the technological wizardry continues around the backside of the fairing with Harleys Boom!Box GTS display. A full-color, TFT screen lets you pinch, poke and drag through the menus to manage your navigation and music options, even wearing glove or in wet weather. The Bluetooth connection networks with your smartphone so you can field calls while under way.

A quartet of round analog gauges deliver speed, rpm, charge state and fuel level with an LCD display for the trip meter/odometer and a host of LED indicator lights to finish off the instrumentation. While the infotainment system isnt exactly new, this version is twice as fast as the previous gen so theres less time wasted between startup and screen swaps.

Tall bars hold your mitts well clear of all that business to rest your hands in a comfortable position for most body types. That all combines with forward footboards and a deep-scoop seat to define a relaxed, upright riders triangle. Hard bags and a Tour Pak provide 4.7 cubic-feet of storage, and the passenger is pampered by a wide p-pad, full padded backrest and fold-up footboards of their own.

2019 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra Chassis

A strong, stiff frame and hand-adjustable variable preload give the right balance of rigidity and flexibility for rock-solid tracking in the corners and a cushy ride for you and your passenger.

The heavy-duty touring frame on the 2019 Road Glide Ultra is largely made up of mild steel tubing, but the backbone has a rectangular cross-section for strength and stiffness; important features on a bike that boasts a 1,360-pound GVWR. Comfort and safety come by virtue of the 49 mm, Showa Dual Bending Valve forks up front opposite an emulsion-style monoshock that delivers hand-adjustable variable preload as the only available ride-quality tweak.

ABS comes standard to help you manage the power of the four-pot calipers with 300 mm discs front and rear for a total of three anchors, two in front and one in back. Cast-aluminum Impeller rims round out the rolling chassis with a fat 130/80-17 to lead the way and a 180/65-16 to bring up the rear. Polished facets on the wheels offset the blackout paint to generate some visual interest and, again, touch on the custom scene. Also stock are front and rear crash bars that protect the bags and the engine in the case of a laydown and mount the lower fairings to complete the riders protection, as well.

Frame: Mild steel; tubular frame, two-piece stamped and welded backbone; cast and forged junctions; twin down tubes; bolt-on rear frame with forged fender supports; MIG welded Swingarm: Mild steel, two piece drawn and welded section; forged junctions; MIG welded Front Forks: 49 mm Dual Bending Valve Rear Shocks: Premium standard height hand-adjustable rear suspension Suspension Travel: Front: 4.6 in. (117 mm), Rear: 3 in. (76 mm) Rake (steering head): 26 Fork Angle: 29.25 Trail: 6.7 in. (170 mm) Lean Angle (per J1168): Right: 31.9, Left: 31.8 Wheels: Impeller Cast Aluminum Wheel, Front: 17 in. x 3 in. (432 mm x 76 mm) Wheel, Rear: 16 in. x 5 in. (406 mm x 127 mm) Tires: Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series, bias blackwall Tire, Front: D408F BW 130/80B17 65H Tire, Rear: D407T BW 180/65B16 81H Brakes, Front: Dual 300 mm floating rotor, 32 mm, 4-piston fixed calipers Brakes, Rear: 300 mm fixed rotor, 4-piston fixed caliper Anti-Lock Braking System: Standard

The 2019 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra comes equipped with the Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine.

Power comes from the Twin-Cooled, Milwaukee-Eight 114 that displaces 1,868 cc, making it the second-largest production engine to currently come out of Milwaukee.

The 2019 Road Glide Ultra hits the streets with a whopping 122 pound-feet of torque on tap that maxes out at three grand for low-stress cruising and a solid roll-on no matter which gear youre in. Power comes from the Twin-Cooled, Milwaukee-Eight 114 that, as the devilishly clever name suggests, displaces 114 cubic-inches (1,868 cc) to make it the second-largest production engine to currently come out of Milwaukee. Thankfully, the factory abandoned its Twin-Cam experiment and returned to the single-cam configuration. It brings back the good-old nosecone that was popular back in the day, and it has the added bonus of returning the twisted pushrod-tube geometry to the long-established norm for a Big Twin.

A quartet of poppets in each of the two heads open and close the combustion chambers  hence the Eight component of the name  with chrome rocker-box covers to finish off the top end. The jugs measure in at 102 mm for the bore and a 114 mm stroke. With a 10.5-to-1 compression ratio, youll be at the premium hook, but its worth it since it contributes to the overall power/fun factor.

A six-speed gearbox crunches the ratios and sends the power to the rear wheel via a carbon-reinforced drive belt. The slip-and-assist clutch provides a bit of backtorque mitigation to protect your rear contact patch. This all boils down to a combined fuel economy of a claimed 43 mpg, and top speed is approximately 107 mph, though individual results may vary.

Engine: Twin-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 114 Pushrod-operated, overhead valves with hydraulic, self-adjusting lifters; four valves per cylinder Bore x Stroke: 4.016 in. x 4.5 in. (102 mm x 114 mm) Displacement: 114 cu. in. (1,868 cc) Engine Torque (per J1349) North America: 122 lb-ft (166 Nm) @ 3,000 rpm Compression Ratio: 10.5:1 Fuel System: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) Exhaust: Chrome dual exhaust with 4 in. touring mufflers and touring muffler shields Lubrication System: Pressurized, dry-sump with oil cooler Primary Drive: Chain, 34/46 ratio Final Drive: Belt, 32/68 ratio Clutch: Hydraulically actuated 10 plate wet, Assist & Slip Transmission: 6-Speed Cruise Drive Gear Ratios (overall) U.S.: 1st: 9.593, 2nd: 6.65, 3rd: 4.938, 4th: 4, 5th: 3.407, 6th: 2.875

2019 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra Pricing

MSRP starts at $27.7k with colors and two-tone colorways jacking that up to $29.9k.

You can score a 2019 Road Glide Ultra in Vivid Black for $27,689. The Color option runs $28,289, while the two-tone package goes for $28,789. At the top of the range is the two-tone custom paint that fetches $29,889. ABS, security and the premium radio options all come standard, but as usual, California buyers can expect to shell out another two Benjamins for the special emissions package.

Warranty: 24 months (unlimited mileage) Colors: Vivid Black, Twisted Cherry, Midnight Blue/Barracuda Silver, Scorched Orange/Black Denim, Silver Flux/Black Fuse Price: Vivid Black: $27,689, Color: $28,289, Two Tone: $28,789, Two-Tone Custom: $29,889

2019 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra Competitors

Neither factory uses price as a selling point, but Harley, for a change, comes in the lesser-priced competitor.

Its hard to think of a more appropriate competitor for a Harley dresser than an Indian product, so it was a no-brainer to grab the Roadmaster for my head-to-head against the Road Glide Ultra. As far as the looks go, these two are birds of a feather since the Roadmaster follows the American tourbike design to a T. The biggest difference, of course, is the front fairing. Indian sticks to the batwing barndoor that swings with the front end in contrast to the fixed, frame-mount Harley fairing. Youll feel wind against the Roadmaster fairing in the steering.

The differences melt away behind the fairing as Indian delivers a comparable instrument console and touch-screen Ride Command feature. It does all the same stuff as H-Ds Infotainment system to just about break even so no clear winner there.

Harley creeps ahead in the front suspension with its SDBV setup versus the fixed damping values on the Indians stems, but in the rear, the Roadmaster is equipped with air shocks that deliver a very cushy ride with stepless preload adjustment. Just like the Ultra, the Roadmaster comes with stock ABS on all colorways with all-around, 300 mm discs and dual, four-pot anchors up front.

As for the price, the 2019 Indian Roadmaster rolls for $29,499 in its basic Thunder Black, and at the top of the scale, the two-tone Steel Gray Smoke/Thunder Black rolls for $31,499 with a couple of price breaks in between. Neither factory uses price as a selling point, but Harley, for a change, comes in the lesser-priced competitor.

He Said

It comes as no surprise that the Indian falls so close to the Road Glide Ultra. Indian, under the Polaris umbrella, knows what Americans expect in our touring bikes, but at the end of the day, Harley ultimately defined the class. Gotta say Im not a fan of the sharknose though; I like being able to steer my lights at a standstill, and the windage of the Batwing bothers me not even a little bit. Having said that, my objection is mostly about vanity, and I know plenty of you out there like the Shark.

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, The Road Glide Ultra is really one of the top-shelf touring bikes in Harleys lineup without going full-on into the CVO stable. The factory equipped it with the Milwaukee-Eight 107 in 2017 and now punches it up this year with the 114. You knew that had to happen. Im not a fan of the sharknose fairing, but when youre sitting on it youre not looking at it. I do like that its frame mounted so I dont have to compensate in the steering as much for crosswind like you would with a fork-mounted fairing. The stock seat is very plush and so comfortable, just the ticket for long-distance riding, and the Infotainment system, first introduced in the big 2014 Rushmore overhaul, was the hottest ticket on the planet at the time. While its still an awesome system with a few little tweaks this year, Indians Ride Command system is definitely a competitor.

2019 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra Specifications

Engine & Drivetrain: Engine: Twin-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight 114 Pushrod-operated, overhead valves with hydraulic, self-adjusting lifters; four valves per cylinder Bore x Stroke: 4.016 in. x 4.5 in. (102 mm x 114 mm) Displacement: 114 cu. in. (1,868 cc) Engine Torque (per J1349) North America: 122 lb-ft (166 Nm) @ 3,000 rpm Compression Ratio: 10.5:1 Fuel System: Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) Air Cleaner: Paper, washable Exhaust: Chrome dual exhaust with 4 in. touring mufflers and touring muffler shields Lubrication System: Pressurized, dry-sump with oil cooler Primary Drive: Chain, 34/46 ratio Final Drive: Belt, 32/68 ratio Clutch: Hydraulically actuated 10 plate wet, Assist & Slip Transmission: 6-Speed Cruise Drive Gear Ratios (overall) U.S.: 1st: 9.593, 2nd: 6.65, 3rd: 4.938, 4th: 4, 5th: 3.407, 6th: 2.875 Chassis Frame: Mild steel; tubular frame, two-piece stamped and welded backbone; cast and forged junctions; twin down tubes; bolt-on rear frame with forged fender supports; MIG welded Swingarm: Mild steel, two piece drawn and welded section; forged junctions; MIG welded Front Forks: 49 mm Dual Bending Valve Rear Shocks: Premium standard height hand-adjustable rear suspension Suspension Travel: Front: 4.6 in. (117 mm), Rear: 3 in. (76 mm) Rake (steering head): 26 Fork Angle: 29.25 Trail: 6.7 in. (170 mm) Lean Angle (per J1168): Right: 31.9, Left: 31.8 Wheels: Impeller Cast Aluminum Wheel, Front: 17 in. x 3 in. (432 mm x 76 mm) Wheel, Rear: 16 in. x 5 in. (406 mm x 127 mm) Tires: Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series, bias blackwall Tire, Front: D408F BW 130/80B17 65H Tire, Rear: D407T BW 180/65B16 81H Brakes, Front: Dual 300 mm floating rotor, 32 mm, 4-piston fixed calipers Brakes, Rear: 300 mm fixed rotor, 4-piston fixed caliper Anti-Lock Braking System: Standard Dimensions & Capacities: Length: 102.2 in. (2,595 mm) Overall Width: 36.6 in. (930 mm) Overall Heigh: t 56.1 in. (1,425 mm) Seat Height: Laden: 27.2 in. (690 mm), Unladen: 28.9 in. (735 mm) Ground Clearance: 5.1 in. (130 mm) Wheelbase: 64 in. (1,625 mm) Fuel Capacity: 6 gal. (22.7 l) (warning light at approximately 1 gal.) Oil Capacity (w/filter): 5 qt. (4.7 l) Transmission Capacity: 1 qt. (.95 l) Primary Chain Case Capacity: 1.1 qt. (1 l) Coolant Capacity: 0.8 qt. (0.76 l) Dry Weight: 899 lb. (408 kg) Curb Weight: 937 lb. (425 kg) Gross Vehicle Weight Rating: 1,360 lb. (617 kg) Gross Axle Weight Rating: Front: 500 lb. (227 kg), Rear: 927 lb. (420 kg) Luggage Capacity: 4.7 cu. ft. (0.132 m3) Fuel Economy (Estimated City/Hwy): 43 mpg (5.5 l/100 km) Electric: Battery (per Battery Council International Rating): Sealed, maintenance-free, 12V, 28-amp/hour, 405 cca Charging: Three-phase, 48-amp system (600W @ 13V, 2,000 rpm, 625W max power @ 13V) Starting: 1.6 kW electric with solenoid shift starter motor engagement Lights (as per country regulation):  Headlamp (LED): 40-watt, 1,060 lumen low beam, 60-watt, 1,560 lumen high beam  Tail/Stop Lights: 8W/28W  Front Signal Lights: 8W/28W  Indicator Lamps: High beam, neutral, running lights, turn signals, low oil pressure, engine diagnostics, cruise control, speakers, accessory, security system7, 6-speed, low fuel warning, ABS  Rear Turn Signals: LED Gauges: Gauges styled to complement each vehicle. Display features odometer, trip A, trip B,

range to empty and gear indicator; and larger tell-tale indicators Electric: Power Outlet Electric power accessory port in fairing and Tour-Pak GPS System: New Boom! Box 6.5GT audio system with GPS and touchscreen Details: Warranty: 24 months (unlimited mileage) Colors: Vivid Black, Twisted Cherry, Midnight Blue/Barracuda Silver, Scorched Orange/Black Denim, Silver Flux/Black Fuse Price: Vivid Black: $27,689, Color: $28,289, Two Tone: $28,789, Two-Tone Custom: $29,889

Further Reading

Indian Roadmaster

See our review of the Indian Roadmaster.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide/ Road Glide Special

See our review of the Harley-Davidson Road Glide/ Road Glide Special.

Harley-Davidson

Read more Harley-Davidson news.
The Independent Investor: Cost of Caregiving Keeps Climbing

If you thought the nation has problems with Social Security and Medicare, you ain't seen nothing yet. Today, more than two-thirds of Americans assume they will be able to rely on a family member to meet their long-term care needs if needed. My advice: don't count on it, and here's why.

As it stands today, one-third of all U.S. families provide long-term care for a disabled or elderly family member. You may have guessed that two-thirds of those caregivers are women, although why it should be deemed a woman's task alone is beyond me.

If you want to look at the upside to care-giving, you could say that caring for a loved one who needs our help, is a chance to pay back all the love and support we received when growing up. On a good day of care-giving, there may be an immense satisfaction in helping to preserve an individual's quality of life, whom you love, while lifting their increasingly difficult burden of completing daily tasks.

The downside of care-giving is well-documented. The economic, emotional and mental strain of care-giving is, at times, overwhelming. And it snowballs. Family relationships often suffer and tension among spouses is commonplace. care-giving also takes a toll on your health and plays havoc with your work-life balance.

In 2013, according to the AARP, about 40 million families provided 37 billion hours of care, which was worth an estimated $470 billion. That nearly equaled the yearly revenues of the country's four largest tech companies combined. In 2016, AARP estimated that, in addition to the physical care-giving, the average out-of-pocket expense per family was almost $7,000 a year. That can amount to 20 percent of an average family's income per year.

The economic impact can be devastating. To cover the additional expense, many families have to cut back on their own spending. They usually do this by short-changing their retirement savings and contributions. Since it is the woman (who also happens to be a wage earner) that most of the burden falls upon, there is a higher chance that she will be forced to give up full-time work in order to become a caregiver.

It is estimated that 17 percent of caregivers dealing with a parent with dementia will quit their jobs. The majority of caregivers who maintain employment, arrive late to work or leave early. About 15 percent of them are forced to take a leave of absence and 7 percent lose job-related benefits.

More than 10 million caregivers, over 50 years old, lose $3 trillion in wages, pensions, retirement funds and other benefits. Of that, women lose an estimated $324,044, while men lose much less ($124,693).

If that sounds pretty grim, just wait. Digging deeper, we find that the caregiver support ratio back in 2010, was more than 7 potential caregivers for every person in the high-risk years of age 80-plus, according to AARP. By 2030, that ratio will fall to 4 to 1, and by 2050, it will drop to 3 to 1.

As such, the decade between the 2010s and 2020s will be a transition period when Baby Boomers age out of their peak care-giving years and the oldest Boomers transition into the 80-plus high-risk years. Now, here's the zinger:

"The departure of the boomers from the peak care-giving years will mean that the population aged 45-64 is projected to increase by only one percent between 2010-2030. During the same period, the 80-plus population is projected to increase by a whopping 79 percent," according to Annalee Kruger, the founder and president of Care Right, a Florida-based firm that provides advice and aging planning for caregivers and their families.

Kruger, an expert in the landscape of health care, (the subject of her master's thesis), fears that a real crisis is brewing in America. As the family unit in America continues to shrink while living further and further apart, seniors should not simply assume that a family member will take care of them when the time comes.

In my next column, I will provide more of Annalee Kruger's insights in how to plan and prepare for this coming crisis.
From making shoes out of marine debris to the Run For The Oceans global initiative, this dynamic partnership is tackling plastic pollution in a big way.

Ah, the sea. In remarks to attendees of an America's Cup dinner in 1962, President John F. Kennedy observed, "We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came."

Alas, the sea as it stands now doesn't look much like the one "from whence we came." We produce so much plastic that some 17.6 billion pounds of it finds its way into the marine environment every year; the equivalent to dumping a garbage truck full of plastic into the oceans every minute.

Which is why it is so very refreshing to see big companies like Adidas making substantial, significant strides to reduce their use of virgin polymers. By 2024, the company expects to be using 100 percent recycled plastic, which is really something.

Making Shoes From Ocean Plastic

One of the ways in which Adidas is proving super innovative in terms of plastic is in their use of marine debris and trash collected from beaches and coastal communities, to make shoes. Adidas partnered with the ocean environmental group, Parley for the Oceans, and the ensuing collaborative collections have been awesome.

"Back in 2016, we created the first performance products with recycled ocean plastics and went on to produce six million pairs of adidas x Parley shoes by 2018," said Alberto Uncini Manganelli, General Manager of Adidas Running.

It's simple yet brilliant: Remove plastic trash from the environment while at the same time avoiding using new plastic that might eventually end up as trash in the environment.

And this year, Adidas is upping the ante even more. The introduction of the 2019 Parley range will see the company produce a whopping 11 million pairs of shoes using upcycled marine plastic waste.

"Weve come a long way and wont stop there. As a business we have committed ourselves to use only 100% recycled polyester by 2024," said Manganelli. "We are challenging our business and those around us to think about the decisions they make and how they impact the future, of not just our industry but our planet.

Run for the Oceans

The dynamic duo also teams up on the Adidas x Parleys Run for the Oceans campaign, which unites runners from all over the world to run on behalf of the ocean. Last year they raised $1 million dollars through the initiative, and this year the goal has been nudged up to $1.5 million dollars. The funds will go to the Parley Ocean School, an education program created to inspire marine conservation and empower a generation of "Ocean Guardians."

Run for the Oceans is an opportunity to celebrate the oceans, a place where runners unite to dedicate their time and energy and generate investment towards saving our oceans," said Cyrill Gutsch, Founder and CEO of Parley for the Oceans. "As the voice of our future, our youth make the most convincing teachers and best ambassadors, educating parents, industry leaders and politicians, and using media in the most native way. Youth are our biggest hope, since they are driven by the strongest of all motivations: their own survival. We are more than grateful for the generous support of our founding partner Adidas. It allows us to grow the movement into a superstorm of change.

Here's how it works: Between June 8 and 16, runners (and walkers) can sign up and track their runs by joining the Run for the Oceans challenge using the Runtastic app. For every kilometer run, Adidas will contribute $1 to the Parley Ocean School. (Adidas is also hosting events in New York, Barcelona and Shanghai  so if you are in those cities, check them out.) It's a simple, wonderful way to get involved.

Between recovering ocean debris, committing to recycled plastic, creating fabulous educational programs, and galvanizing runners across the planet to make some waves ... well, I think JFK would be pleased.
TRENTON  The president of Newarks Fraternal Order of Police got a good laugh when he read about the rumored deployment of 15 undercover Newark cops to under-siege Trenton.

We have our hands full with our own calls for service. We certainly do not have extra resources to be sending to aid Trenton, FOP president James Stewart Jr. told The Trentonian in a phone interview Friday. Im sure theyre [Trenton Police] more than capable of handling it.

Stewart said the Newark Police force has over 1,000 officers but there was no chance theyd send any down to Trenton. He was unaware of Newark having ever entered into a mutual aid agreement with a law enforcement agency as far away as Trenton.

Trenton Police director Sheilah Coley, formerly the police chief and police director in Newark, allegedly informed upper brass during a recent command staff meeting that she was bringing in 15 undercover Newark cops to the capital city. Further, she allegedly clammed up when pressed for details of the undercovers presence indicating it was on a need-to-know basis, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the meeting.

The rumored push for Newark manpower here immediately drew a rebuke from Michael Schiaretti, the union president of PBA Local 11, which represents Trentons rank-and-file.

He cited issues of morale, jurisdiction and police safety saying the union would not support such a move unless Coley explained her reasoning and the decision-making behind it. Just the unknown of people in undercover capacity operating within the city could cause the potential for an ugly situation between two law enforcement agencies.

Schiaretti could not be immediately reached for additional comment Friday.

Mayor Reed Guscioras office issued an official denial Thursday, but a spokesman acknowledged the rumor had gotten all the way back to City Hall.

No they are not [here], city spokesman Santiago Melli-Huber said. I dont know where that rumor got started. I can tell you that is not the case. I talked to Coley about this yesterday because I had also heard the rumor. That is not true. I dont know who told you that information, but that information is not accurate.

Stewart said Newarks public safety director, Anthony Ambrose, would have given him a heads up if that was actually happening. The FOP president was asked whether Coley believes she has more pull with Newark Police than she does to think she could get them to send manpower over to Trenton.

He said he didnt know if Coley may have made the statement off the cuff, or if she made it at all.

If she did utter it, of course, it was going to leak, Stewart said. We, on this end, are not sending resources. Were understaffed as it is.

Mayor Gusciora, who in the past has derided The Trentonians reporting as fake news and half-baked, and accused the newspaper of relying on disgruntled departmental sources who he believes are trying to undermine his new police director, finally chimed in on the controversy via Twitter Friday morning: And anonymous source says AC to lend us two casinos.

Despite the mayors dismissive denials, multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss police business insisted Coley made the statement.

Im absolutely positive it was said, one police source said. She referenced bringing 10 to 15 Newark undercovers to help out with the violent crime and help investigate the shootings.

Trenton had two mass shootings that killed one man and injured 15 other people over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Theories floated that Coley may have suggested the Newark cop influx as part of a disinformation campaign to try to identify leakers in the department.

Whatever the case, Stewart pointed out that any type of deployment initiative would likely require a Memorandum of Understanding or mutual aid agreement between the municipalities, approved by the mayoral administrations for the two cities and leaders of the respective police departments.

This wouldnt be some decision, Yeah, OK, well send them down. There would be a lot more to it, Stewart said. My director absolutely would contact this union to advise us if that was being contemplated.

Ambrose, the public safety director, issued a statement later in the day unequivocally dispelling the rumor.

There is no plan, and there never was any discussion of a plan. Director Coley and I never discussed sharing resources, he said.
City Hall's lighting went live on Friday.

Pittsfield City Hall Lit Up With Kinetic Lights



City Hall and the Dunham Mall are complete and now the focus is on Park Square. Private building owners in the downtown are also considering lighting projects. PITTSFIELD, Mass.  City Hall is the latest to be lit up with multi-color lights by Berkshire Lightscapes. And more of downtown is on deck.

Berkshire Lightscapes privately raised more than $50,000, which was matched by a state grant, to install kinetic lights in Dunham Mall, City Hall, and Park Square. Concurrently, downtown building owners are working on joining the effort to light up their own buildings with the Shipton Building expected to be lit in in the coming weeks.

"We're not just doing light for one individual building, we are talking about connecting the buildings," said Elie Hammerling, who headed the effort.

The multi-color lights are programmable for each place.

In the winter, Dunham Mall was light up with rotating snowflakes, which in the spring switched to a blue design pattern. City Hall was lit up with rotating colors last week and training was held for a few city workers to learn about reprogramming the lights to recognize certain occasions. Philips Lighting had organized the training.

"The Berkshires Lightscape project reflects the very best of community engagement, collaboration, and demonstrates how a great idea can become a reality. The addition of energy-efficient, LED lighting enhances the beauty of our downtown and will create opportunities to expand Pittsfield's economy. We look forward to the exciting next steps ahead," Mayor Linda Tyer said in a statement.

The non-profit Berkshire Lightscapes paid for the city hall lights -- to the tune of about $20,000 -- from the fundraising on matching state grant. Steve Oakes, however, will be doing it on his own. Oakes owns the Shipton Building at 142-156 North St. and is purchasing his own light for that building.

"The South and North Street corridor has a great medley of architecture. There are so many opportunities to install a friendly wash of light from these innovative LED fixtures. If enough buildings participated the combined effect could be a unique and welcoming signature for the city," Oakes said in a statement.

Hammerling said other building owners are now in the process of considering lights. Those buildings include Barrington Stage, the Colonial Theatre, and the Crawford Square Building. He said those building owners haven't made final decisions about purchased but are "extremely interested."

"There are a number of property owners on South Street and North Street who are getting renderings from Philips," Hammerling said, adding that beyond those three he's been in talks with other business owners.

Hammerling said he's hoping to see two or three more buildings lit up by the summer and as many as a half dozen by the end of the year. He sees it as a rolling effect after one or two business owners join, then others will follow.

"It is the pioneers that take the leap because they believe in the concept," Hammerling said.

The Park Square project is currently in the works. That one is a little more complicated as the city and Berkshire Lightscape works out the design, where the lights will go, and what features will be added. The organization presented an update to the Parks Commission recently, the details of which can be read here.

"It is a historic park so you want it to be done a certain way," Hammerling said.

The effort began in December 2017 when the organization piloted lights on 100 North St. The goal is to use light in "artistic and tasteful" displays that add some life to the downtown, Hammerling said. He said downtown could use more people and businesses and the lights help create a more energetic feel.

"It'll be attractive for restaurants and other people to see energy in the downtown," he said. "We want to make the street as attractive as possible and have businesses feeling comfortable that it is an exciting space."

He envisions a day when the kinetic lighting is all coordinated throughout the city's downtown. It's taken a year and a half to go from nothing to two areas lit up, but another step has been taken toward the goal and Hammerling believe much more lays ahead for Berkshire Lightscapes.
vinaymishra188@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30

PGI doctors have called for no smoking in front of children and caution about ill-effects of smoking on pregnant women.

Dr Kathirvel S said the theme of the day this year was Tobacco and Lung Health.

On the eve of World No Tobacco Day, experts addressed people at the rural health training centre (RHTC) in Naraingarh.

Dr Ravali Vogeti made people aware of increasing incidents of childhood asthma, passive smoking being the underlying cause.

She explained that smoking in front of children was not only contributing to increasing lung diseases among them, but also impact their psychology. Children copy their elders. Smoking in front of children may turn them into a smoker in later life, she added.

Dr Vogeti requested the audience to refrain from smoking in front of children.

Dr Pallavi Sharma spoke about the effects of smoking on pregnant women and their babies. She said smoking could affect the outcome of pregnancy in terms of babies with low birth weight, preterm babies and congenital malformation. It can also cause infertility, recurrent abortion and ectopic pregnancy. She explained how smoking could affect brain and development of a newborns heart. The complications could also occur due secondhand smoke, she said.

Dr Nikita Sharma urged people to utilise de-addiction services provided by psychiatry team of the RHTC, Naraingarh, every Wednesday to quit smoking and alcohol. She also spoke about lung diseases among nonsmoking population.
Leslie Parady of MassMEP presented manufacturing certificates to McCann Technical students on Thursday with Wendy Storm, right, MACWIC vocational coordinator at MassMEP. PreviousNext

McCann Advanced Manufacturing Students Get Accreditation



Superintendent James Brosnan congratulates qualifying students. See student photos here. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Dozens of McCann Technical School students have received Manufacturing Advancement Center Workforce Innovative Collaborative certifications.

Members of the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership and McCann community members attended a ceremony Thursday morning during which 38 students were awarded MACWIC levels one and two certifications.

"Congratulations to our students who have continue to work as hard as they can," Superintendent James Brosnan said. "This is not easy ... this is an incredible accomplishment."

The certification pathway provides testing designed to help manufacturers have a better understanding of the base competency skills of potential employees.

"Manufacturing continues year over year and has never stopped growing in the U.S. in spite of everything that you have heard," Leslie Parady, a manager with MassMEP, said. "We make parts that are smaller and harder to make. They are more intricate so you have to have more education to be able to do it and we want to make sure you have that foundation."

Through two tests, one taken in March and the other in May, McCann students were able to earn this accreditation. Students can begin pursuing Level 1 accreditation as sophomores and Level 2 beginning junior but only after earning Level 1.

Students who received Level 1 certification have proven themselves competent in areas including shop math, blueprint reading, measurements and quality inspection, safety, and work readiness.

Students who receive Level 2 certification have proven to have a basic understanding of Lean Manufacturing Concepts, CNC mill and CNC lathe operation, as well as GD&T and programming. Those students also earn the state Department of Labor Pre-Apprentice Certification.

CNC stands for computer numerical control, or operation of computer automated equipment, and GD&T stands for geometric dimensioning and tolerancing in relation to three-dimensional modeling.

Parady said the manufacturing field is forever changing and that students have to always be open to learning.

"As you go along you are never going to stop learning an you are never going to stop reinventing yourself as you get older," she said. "Manufacturing will change it will be something different 10 years from now but you guys are in an awesome position."

Parady then read a letter from the MassMEP President John Killam.

"Manufacturing is the backbone of the Massachusetts economy and it is important that we maintain the infrastructure and continue the pipeline of young people going into the industry," Killam wrote. "I am excited you have chosen this industry and you now have the opportunity to go out and get good paying jobs and have a career path."

State Rep. John Barrett III also attended the event and congratulated the group.

"You took an advantage to not only get a great education but also the foundation that will lead you to bigger and better things," he said. "This is not an easy school and it certainly is one of the finest in the state ... your parents have to be so proud of you."

A.J. Enchill from state Sen. Adam Hinds' office also attended and congratulated the students on the senator's behalf.
Gen VP Malik (Retd)

Gen VP Malik (Retd)

Former Army Chief

Election 2019 has brought in three important considerations on the subject of Indias national security. One, national security has become an important election issue and is high on governance agenda. Two, PM Modi is now perceived as a strong leader, capable of taking hard decisions on security matters. Three, Modi will have strong support in Parliament on security policy and budgets. With these three considerations in favour, Modi has become eminently capable of bringing about transformative changes in national security policies and establishments.

India has many security challenges. On top of the list is J&K, with internal as well as external dimensions. In NDA-I, Modis BJP faulted in choosing a wrong political partner in J&K. Anyone who has served in South Kashmir would have known that the PDP, ever since its raising, had been supported by Jamaat-e-Islami. The rocky three-year-old alliance, wherein the PDP and BJP found themselves on different page on virtually every major issue, came to an abrupt end in June 2018. But the bad marriage had caused considerable damage to the law and order situation and Kashmiri psyche, particularly in South Kashmir. There was a sharp rise in terror activities, radicalisation of youth, and near-total lack of development. Under Governors rule in the past one year, apart from the Pulwama incident, security forces have achieved substantial successes.

To defeat militancy comprehensively, the situation in J&K demands much greater political and administrative efforts. Most importantly, the civil society has to be encouraged and revived to reverse Kashmiri alienation and hostility. This will not be possible if the Hurriyat and other separatists have a free run in the Valley. These elements must be isolated, taken to task for every anti-national activity and parked somewhere outside the Valley. Modis government should not be in a hurry to conduct the Assembly polls. He should personally oversee the situation in J&K and visit the state often.

On the external security front, India would obviously like to see peace and stability in the region. However, when there are two neighbours claiming our territory and strategically acting in tandem, we have to be prepared to face any challenging situation. National strategy advises despite whatever effort there may be to prevent it, there may be a war or conflict. Nations who neglect this historical determinism make themselves vulnerable to military surprise, defeat and ignominy.

There is nothing wrong with the present government not having a high-level political dialogue with Pakistan when it continues to support and encourage terrorism in India. In any case, no purpose will be served in such a dialogue till PM Imran Khan can get rid of militarys puppet regime tag and acquire genuine political credibility. Apart from its nuisance value, Pakistan has little role in furthering Indias development and interests. A premature engagement of Pakistan should be resisted. Relations with Pakistan need to be based on the ground situations instead of peaceniks dreams.

Relations with China demand tightrope walking and tactical engagements with strategic hedging. We have to advance common economic and other global interests without allowing any diplomatic coercion or creeping territorial encroachments. Dialogue with Beijing has to be sustained.

NDA-II has to deal with a huge agenda in the defence arena. Given the comprehensive national power trajectory of Pakistan and China, a policy of credible deterrence against the former and a dissuasive capability against the latter should remain our basic security objectives. However, to achieve these objectives in the current strategic environment, we need a fresh security strategy and joint doctrine, and lean, mean and affordable defence forces capable of being employed optimally with adequate self-reliance backup.

In the field of defence, Indias bang for the buck is poor. It requires urgent systemic transformation. The defence civilian establishments and the armed forces need to be right-sized and made to focus on the fast-changing nature of conflict instead of historical conventional wars. Non-operational flab has to be cut drastically. The defence budget has to be increased. Revenue and capital budgets must be balanced to allow making up of critical deficiencies and modernisation.

Such a transformation in the Ministry of Defence cannot be achieved if we remain tied to its existing organisation, business rules and antiquated mindset. For integrated planning, prioritisation of procurement, synergy and operational jointmanship, we need to take pivotal steps like the Chief of Defence Staff and joint theatre commands. These measures would lead to and facilitate reorganisation within each service with greater effectiveness and economy. To implement these transformational measures, the government will require an outside agency comprising experienced serving and retired officials under a senior political leader. PM Modi would have to personally monitor the progress.

Self-reliance with expansion of a defence industrial complex has already been a declared policy of the government. But its implementation has suffered due to (a) diffused focus and complex procedures, (b) denial of a level playing field to the private sector, and (c) inadequate defence capital budget and placing of orders. The MoD requires political determination to speed up reforms and efficiency in defence PSUs, ordnance factories and DRDO and encourage the private sector to attract foreign technology and become independent OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).
Faizan Mustafa

Faizan Mustafa

Vice Chancellor, Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad

The BJPs consistent position has been that the Congress secularism is pseudo secularism and that it will bring in positive secularism. Secularism must be understood to be at the core of modernity and the best guarantee to have harmony between different communities as fraternity too has been mentioned in the preamble. Secularism is good not just for the minorities but for the entire nation and even for religions. A theocratic state generally dominates the state religion. Preservation of secular ethos cannot be the sole responsibility of the minorities.

Prime Minister Modi, in his victory speech at the BJP headquarters, brought in the issue of secularism and made an interesting statement. He said that for 30 years, there had been a fake tag of secularism and that all your sins would be washed if you wore this tag. There is some truth in it as corruption and other regressive casteist policies of some leaders were indeed condoned if they demonstrated some commitment, even ostensibly and superficially, to secularism.

In his characteristic style, the Prime Minister went on to say that in this election not a single party could dare to mislead the country by wearing the mask of secularism. Is secularism just a mask or a useless concept?

The PMs statement also has some substance because in real terms even the so-called secular parties were not really secular and, at times, they did use religion or religious symbols for electoral purposes. Thus, Rajiv Gandhi started his 1989 election campaign from Ayodhya. As far as the BJP is concerned, its leaders never hesitated in using religious symbols to polarise voters. If the Congress can be accused of Muslim appeasement, the BJP boldly and without concern for constitutional values also routinely indulges in Hindu appeasement.

Moreover, the Supreme Court itself in RY Prabhu (1995) did a huge disservice to the cause of secularism by holding that seeking votes in the name of Hindutva is not a corrupt electoral practice.

On October 17, 1949, when the Preamble of the Constitution was under discussion in the Constituent Assembly, HV Kamath proposed that the Preamble should begin with the words in the name of God. Rajendra Prasad, who himself was an orthodox Hindu, tried to persuade Kamath to withdraw his amendment and reference to God, but Kamath remained firm on his stand. Eventually, a vote had to be taken and we should thank God that he lost 41-68. Similarly, the word secular was not specifically included, yet the members in one voice spoke it being a fait accompli of a liberal democratic constitution and consistent with the ideals of our freedom struggle. Silences of the Constitution are equally important. For instance, the word federal has not been used in it, but federalism is a part of its basic structure.

At the most basic level, secularism involves three kinds of relationships between the state, religion and citizens. The state should be independent of religion or what is called famously the non-establishment clause or Jeffersian wall of separation between church and state; between individual and religion or what is termed as freedom of religion which also includes freedom from the religions and thirdly, relationship between state and citizens where the state will ensure non-discrimination of every citizen. Thus, secularism is all about neutrality, liberty and equality.

In December last year, Justice SR Sen of the Meghalaya High Court wanted India to be declared a Hindu rashtra and went on to say that I make it clear that nobody should try to make India another Islamic country, otherwise it will be a doomsday for India and the world. There is no possibility of India ever becoming an Islamic country. But it will also be a dooms day if India becomes a Hindu country. On May 24, 2019, a Division Bench of the Meghalaya High Court overruled Justice Sens judgment and observed that the judgment was legally flawed and inconsistent with constitutional principles.

Some BJP leaders do argue that the original Constitution was not secular and this term at the instance of Indira Gandhi was artificially inserted in the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976. This view, therefore, rejects secularism as our civilisational heritage.

Extreme Hindu Right opposes secularism as it is opposed to treating religion as a private matter and treats secularism as an essentially Christian idea that has led to mere appeasement of minorities. Accordingly, the BJP came up with the slogan of appeasement of none, justice for all. Strangely, no secular party ever tried to demolish the factually wrong appeasement narrative as Muslims are today as backward as Dalits and are grossly underrepresented in all institutions of the state, except prisons.

The Hindu Right argues that what can be added by an amendment can certainly be deleted by another amendment. There are, however, two fundamental flaws in this reasoning, ie firstly, India was indeed secular even prior to 1976. A 13-judge Bench of the Supreme Court three years prior to the 42nd Amendment in Keshwanand Bharti (1973) had declared secularism to be the basic structure of the Constitution. Thus, Indian secularism has three features: the state has no religion of its own, people have freedom of religion and certain inalienable rights are guaranteed to the minorities. Secondly, since the Preamble itself is the part of the basic structure, it cannot be amended by way of deletion but it can certainly be amended by way of addition. In 1976, three words were indeed added to the Preamble  secular, socialist and integrity. No word has so far been deleted or can be dropped from the Preamble. Thus, constitutionally speaking, secularism is safe but in day-to-day operations, a majoritarian government may not remain religion-neutral.

In SR Bommai (1994), the Supreme Court not only upheld the dismissal of the BJP governments after the demolition of Babri mosque as these governments were not committed to secularism but also went much beyond Keshwanand Bharti (1973). The court said that secularism is essential for the successful working of the democratic form of government as every citizen must be given freedom to follow his religion and state has to treat all citizens equally and irrespective of his faith and state cannot prefer one particular religion. The apex court did not find secularism alien to Indian values but said the idea of secularism can be derived from Indian civilisational or cultural ethos of tolerance, harmony and acceptance of the other as he is. Justice Jeevan Reddy, in fact, used the term positive secularism but in an entirely different sense from the BJPs concept of secularism when he observed that the court will have to perform its civilisational role and intervene decisively to deal with the situations where communal harmony and tolerance are under imminent threat.

Let us hope the court will continue to play its interventionist role in preserving unto God what is Gods and unto Caesar what is Caesars. The wall of separation between the state and religion should indeed be kept high and impregnable.

(Views are personal)
The BJP-led NDA rode on PM Narendra Modis combative nationalism to vanquish the Opposition in the Lok Sabha elections. Now that the new government has taken charge, the PM cant keep harping on national security as a host of issues require immediate attention. The expectations are even higher this time as the NDA has had a stable five-year run, unencumbered by the whims of self-seeking allies. The failure to create enough jobs for the youth has been a huge let-down. Indias unemployment rate reached a 45-year high of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18, according to the National Sample Survey Offices periodic labour force survey. The desperate but futile attempt to keep this report under wraps in the run-up to the elections showed the powers that be in a poor light. An action plan should be readied at the earliest to tackle joblessness, with an eye on energising the Make in India campaign.

The farming community  a key vote bank that ensures the nations food security  cant be left to fend for itself. Farmers have been at the receiving end as the average food prices in 2018-19 were almost the same as these were in 2017-18, a trend not witnessed for almost three decades. Remunerative prices for their produce can help cultivators cope with agrarian distress. The direct income support of Rs 6,000 per year to small and marginal farmers, announced in the 2019-20 Interim Budget, should be hiked substantially.

Environmental issues were conspicuous by their absence from the electoral narrative, but these are too critical to be ignored for long. The governments roadmap in this regard should go beyond the rejuvenation of Ganga and Yamuna rivers. India cant afford to take climate change lightly anymore. As the PM and BJP president Amit Shah have on Thursday sworn in the name of God to uphold the Constitution, they should at the very outset take up the challenge of maintaining communal amity. A stable and strong government should be synonymous with peaceful co-existence of various communities, not with lynch mobs, self-styled vigilantes and hate-mongers.
editorial@tribune.com

Sonepat, May 30

State farmers will file a case in the Uttarakhand High Court at Nainital for the recovery of their payment of Rs 36.5 crore outstanding towards a private sugar mill in Uttarakhand.

The decision was taken at a state-level meeting of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) held at the Gohana cooperative sugar mill at Ahulana in the district on Thursday. The meeting was presided over by Gurnam Singh Charuni, state president of the union.

Charuni pointed out that farmers of Sonepat, Panipat, Rohtak, Jind, Kaithal and Karnal had supplied sugarcane valued around Rs 39 crore to the mill in the last two years, but it had made the payment of only Rs 2.5 crore.

Despite the Uttarakhand Governments minimum support price of Rs 325 per quintal, the sugarcane from the Haryana farmers was taken at the rate of Rs 250 to 300 per quintal by the mill, said Charuni, maintaining that the BKU would seek payment at the rate of Rs 325 per quintal along with the interest of 15 per cent on the outstanding payment from the High Court.

Satyawan Narwal, state vice-president, said a meeting of all affected farmers of these districts had been convened at the Gohana sugar mill on June 7. They had been asked to bring the copies of their accounts and supply receipts.  OC
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, May 31

As the CBI has failed to submit the documents in the case to the Associated Journal Ltd (AJL), the special CBI court here fixed July 12 as the next date of hearing.

Defence counsel SPS Parmar said the documents were short so they had requested the court to provide them.

He said the public prosecutor had demanded more time to check the documents and submit them before July 12, adding that arguments in the case would start after getting the documents.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the main accused in the case, was present in the court while the other accused, Moti Lal Vora, had sought exemption on medical grounds.

The case pertains to the alleged illegal re-allotment of land to AJL in Panchkula in 2005.

On December 1 last year, the CBI had filed the chargesheet against Hooda, Vora and AJL, publisher of the National Herald newspaper, in the special CBI court in Panchkula, for the alleged illegal re-allotment of land.
editorial@tribune.com

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, May 30

A day after members of a dominant caste allegedly burnt a cattleshed belonging to Scheduled Castes in Fatehabads Tibbi village, the panchayat on Thursday formed a 35-member peace committee, comprising members from both communities.

Deputy Commissioner Dhirender Khadgata and Superintendent of Police Vijay Pratap Singh visited the village and urged villagers to maintain peace while assuring a fair investigation into the matter.

The bone of contention between the two communities is over panchayat land. Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Tibbi village, filed a complaint at the CM window, terming the construction of houses and the cattleshed by SC families as encroachments on panchayat land.

Vinod Kumar, the husband of village sarpanch Indira Rani, said: The panchayat had, in 1989, allocated plots, each measuring three marlas, to 70 SC families. The plots were carved out of panchayat land. The district administration did not approve the distribution of the land. So, the panchayat still owns the land in the revenue records.

A case has been registered against 36 persons in connection with the Wednesdays incident.

Bhuna police station SHO Devender Kumar said Kuldeep, Fauji Kularia, Om Nambardar, Sudama and Vinod Khichar had been booked under Sections 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house), 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle), 446 (house breaking), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. About 30 unidentified men have also been booked.

No one had been arrested so far, the SHO said.

The complainant in the case, Mange Ram, alleged that a group of assailants set his cattleshed, where a cow and a calf were tied, on fire on Wednesday morning. The cow managed to flee, but the calf got trapped in the blaze and died.

A team of the Revenue Department was on a visit to the village for demarcating panchayat land when the fire incident took place.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Srinagar, May 31

Two militants were killed on Friday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs Shopian district, police said.

The gunfight took place in an orchard area of the Dragad-Sugan village after security forces surrounded the area following information about the presence of militants.

Bodies of the two slain militants and their weapons have been recovered. Searches are still going on in the area, police sources said. IANS
kavishakohli@gmail.com

Melbourne, May 31

Indian energy giant Adani won a key approval from the Queensland state government of Australia on Friday to protect the endangered black-throated finch bird population as part of its crucial environmental plan at the site of its proposed billion dollar mine project.

The victory for the Adani Group's long-delayed mega coal mine project came days after a surprise election win of Australia's pro-coal ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The group's country head -- Adani Australia Chief Executive Officer Lucas Dow -- last week said that the defeat of the opposition Labor Party in Queensland, where the project is based, is a clear message to get the project done.

Labor Party leader Bill Shorten, who took a firm stand against coal and mining, resigned as his party fared poorly in Queensland, especially in mining communities in the north of the state.

The black-throated finch management plan and a groundwater plan were the two persisting hurdles before the Indian energy giant could begin work on the largest coal mine project in the country.

State premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had announced May 31 as the deadline to accept or reject it.

The groundwater plan, under the review of the state government, is due within a fortnight's time.

Adani Group in Australia had been in talks with the Environment Department to address concern about its finch conservation plan including requests for better habitat preservation and seed availability.

The southern species of the black-throated finch is classified as endangered by the state government.

In a statement, the Department of Environment said Adani had met numerous conditions to ensure the preservation of the bird and its habitat.

"Assessment of this plan has been a rigorous process, informed by the best available science," a spokesperson said.

"(The Department of Environment) has met regularly with Adani to ensure that the plan is robust and is well-placed to deliver the best outcomes for the protection of the black-throated finch".

The Department also asked Adani to ensure additional protection for the bird, including population studies and limited grazing on the site.

"The Department is also satisfied that Adani will engage appropriately qualified ecologists to undertake the company's survey and monitoring work in relation to the black-throated finch," it said.

The Adani-Carmichael mine is set to become the largest coal mine, with approval to produce up to 60 million tonnes of coal annually, and 2.3 billion tonnes over the life of the mine.

Adani, which has mining and environmental licences of the state government, required the state approvals on management plans on the endangered finch bird and groundwater in order to commence the mine construction.

Gautam Adani-led Adani Group entered Australia in 2010 with the purchase of the greenfield Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland, and the Abbot Point port near Bowen in the north.

Carmichael would be the largest coal mine in Australia and one of the biggest in the world.

Adani said last year it would fully fund the coal mine and rail project itself, but did not give an updated estimate of the cost of the mine.

The mine previously estimated at about USD 2.9 billion. PTI
uttara@tribuneindia.com

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 31

Notwithstanding plans to hold an ice-breaking Sino-India summit in October, India on Friday held a meeting with US, Japan and Australia that intends to check the rise of China in the Indo-Pacific.

The participants reiterated their strong support for ASEAN-centrality and ASEAN-led mechanisms in the regional architecture for the Indo-Pacific and in this regard welcomed the initiative of ASEAN towards a common vision for the Indo-Pacific said release from the Ministry of External Affairs on the fourth meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue between the US, India, Australia and Japan.

The MEA release refrains from mentioning an earlier formulationfreedom of navigation and overflight and respect for international lawwhich was seen as directed against China. The formulation centrality of ASEAN is seen as less hostile towards China though there is no ASEAN regional structure for the Asia Pacific. But a Japanese press release on the meeting mentioned this aspect as also the desire to work with like-minded partners and allies indicating that the Quad is looking at joining hands with other countries that share similar concerns about the Asia-Pacific.

The meeting was held a fortnight after the Australian Navy alleged that an informal Chinese militia directed laser lights at its helicopter pilots while they were holding exercises in the hotly contested South China Sea.

More significantly, the Quad meeting at the level of senior diplomats took place a month before the G-20 summit in Osaka where all its heads of governmentDonald Trump, Narendra Modi, Abe Shinzo and Scott Morrisonwill be present.

The process has accelerated after the election of Trump and Modi while Morrison and Abe are its enthusiastic supporters. Quads all four meetings have so far been held on neutral territory. The first meeting after a decade-long hiatus was held in late 2017 in Manila. The second consultative meeting was held in mid-2018 in Singapore and the third in November last year. This suggests that Quad consultations are on the way to becoming a bi-annual affair.
Israeli Elections 2.0

Stand for Israel | May 31, 2019

This week, the Knesset (Israels parliament) moved to dissolve its current session, which will lead to the second set of elections held in Israel just this year. Fellowship President Yael Eckstein discussed this unprecedented occurrence in what her father, Rabbi Eckstein, often called Israels noisy democracy, and now here is an informational brief about just what is going on in Israel, as far as elections are concerned.

Israel Elections 2.0

Two elections in one year? What?

Yep. Its the first time this has happened in Israels history.

Israels system is very different from ourswe have two parties. Israel has 11, for right now.

When Israel has an election, its not as simple as the party with the highest number of votes winning. The winning party may only get about 30% of the vote, far from a majority. To form a winning government, the winning party must form whats called a bloc, or coalition, of ideologically-similar parties. This is usually done through negotiations, special appointments to cabinet positions, and the like.

The Knesset (Israels parliament) has 120 seats. So the winning party, in this case Bibis Likud Party, has to get 61 people to all join with him. And he failed to that.

Why couldnt he form a coalition?

Great question! Even though most of Israels parties right now lean to the right, there is still enough dissent that forming a governing coalition was impossible.

It came down to one politician, Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party. He refused to join Bibis coalition, over the issue of drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews to serve in the military.

In Israel, as we know, every Jew is drafted into some form of military service, but two more religious parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, advocate for the right of ultra-Orthodox young people to devote themselves to studying Torah instead of enlisting in military service. We are part of a right-wing government, but we will not be part of a halachic government (a government ruled by Jewish religious law), said Lieberman. This seems to be an issue of the clash between secular right wing and religious right wing parties in Israel.

The right wing parties could not compromise or find a solution to this issue before the deadline, thus the Knesset voted to dissolve and start over.

What will happen now?

On September 17 Israel will vote again for a new ruling party/Prime Minister, making it the first time in history Israel has held a national election twice in one year. There are no trends, polling, or precedent to suggest which direction this may swing. Netanyahu will be in power at least until then.

Does this effect the United States?

The only immediate effect could be the delay of the Trump administrations peace plan (The Deal of the Century).

Further Learning:

If You Like Israeli Elections, Its Your Lucky Day on Israel Policy Forums Koplow Column

Yaels Facebook Live

What You Need to Know About Israels New Elections from the New York Times
uttara@tribuneindia.com

New Delhi, May 31

The central government extended its PM-KISAN Scheme, and cleared a pension scheme for farmers on Fridaythe first set of decisions taken this government after returning to power with thumping majority.

The central government extended the Rs 6,000 per year PM-KISAN scheme to all farmers in the country.

"The Union Cabinet has approved to extend the ambit of the scheme by including all land holding eligible farmer families under the scheme, subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria," Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who took charge of his ministry on Friday, told the press after a Cabinet meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed.

"The Union Cabinet has approved to extend the ambit of the scheme by including all land holding eligible farmer families under the scheme, subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria," Tomar told reporters after the meeting. The Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) was announced in the interim Budget under which the government decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three equal instalments) to an estimated 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares. "Now, the revised scheme envisages to cover around 2 crore more farmers increasing the coverage of the PM-KISAN to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries," the minister said. He said total burden on the exchequer will increase by Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 87,217.50 crore for the year 2019-20.

So far, the first instalment has been given to only 3.11 crore beneficiaries and second to 2.66 crore beneficiaries, as many states did not provide the data of eligible farmers, Tomar said.

"In the initial phase, the government will cover minimum 5 crore small and marginal farmers in the first three years," he said, adding that this would cost Rs 10,774.5 crore per annum to the exchequer. This scheme is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for a small and marginal farmers across the country, with the entry age of 18-40 years, he said. The Centre said it will match the contribution made by the eligible farmer in the pension fund. After the subscriber's death, while receiving pension, the spouse of the beneficiary will be entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension amount, provided he/she is not already a beneficiary of the scheme. Farmers can use benefits under PM-KISAN scheme for the making contribution under the pension scheme. The central government also a Rs 10,774 crore pension scheme for farmers. Tomar announced the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana under which small and marginal farmers will get a minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 per month on attaining the age of 60 years.

Modis Bharartiya Janata Party, which stormed into power with over 300 seats, had promised to extend PM-KISAN scheme in its manifesto. The decision comes in the light of an agrarian distress sweeping the country. PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 30

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the oath of office and secrecy today, the enthusiasm among the leaders and the audience was as high as it was on May 26, 2014.

As many as 8,000 people were packed into the forecourt of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan - the official residence of the President.

Arrangements were also as grand with better care being taken this time to ensure that the wait for the guests before the ceremony began was more comfortable. It is not easy to sit for two-three hours (for many the wait was longer) under the blazing sun in the peak of summer. But that's how the protocol works for such high-profile events and for invitees to be part of such an event was worth the wait and the effort.

After all, it is not every day that one gets to witness the history in the making - "the largest event ever organised by the Rashtrapati Bhavan", according to officials. Though a big difference this time was that the first citizen of the country, President Ram Nath Kovind who administered the oath to the PM and his council today, was someone who had been handpicked by the BJP and its ideological fountainhead, the RSS, for the top job.

This, many saffron supporters said, made the event even more special for them. Otherwise, they spent time waiting and even during the ceremony clicking selfies and pictures, making the most of "once-in-a lifetime visit" to the President House. When Modi had taken the oath last time, Pranab Mukherjee was occupying the top post.

Modi was welcomed today with loud cheers and slogans of "Har Har Mahadev" and "Bharat Mata ki jai". He also received loud cheer when he took the oath for his second consecutive term. BJP chief Amit Shah also got his share of claps.

Others who got a similar response from the crowd were Smriti Irani, Anurag Thakur and Pratap Sarangi. The newly elected MP from Odisha became a social media favourite when a photo of him packing his bags for Delhi after winning the 2019 Lok Sabha elections went viral on the social media.

Today again he stole the show at the swearing-in ceremony, securing a berth in Modi's council of ministers. Many cheered and also gave a standing ovation to Sarangi before he was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the President. A photograph of him packing his bags in his bamboo hut was shared many times after he got a call from Delhi.
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 30

All through his diplomatic career, which culminated as Foreign Secretary, tough political assignments have always followed 64-year-old Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Jaishankar is believed to have caught Narendra Modis eye during his visit as Gujarat CM to China in 2011 when he was the Indian envoy.

Once his initial days as a junior diplomat were over, Jaishankar immediately found himself at the deep end of the diplomatic vortex. Posted in Sri Lanka as First Secretary, he was deputed as political adviser to the Indian Peacekeeping Force, which was battling the Tamil militants.

Though neither party emerged with honours intact, Jaishankars hand on the tiller kept the situation from going bad to worse. His next posting in East Europe coincided with the crumbling of the Soviet empire and on return to the headquarters, he handled the aftermath of the change in regimes in East Europe.

After a brief tenure as Press Secretary to the President, Jaishankar again found himself fighting diplomatic fires in the aftermath of Indias second nuclear test as Deputy Chief of Mission in Tokyo.

Jaishankar was in charge of the Americas desk when India negotiated the Indo-US nuclear agreement that led to a decisive turn in Indo-US ties. His next posting in Singapore coincided with the city-state transforming its defence ties that included permission to its armed forces to practise in India.

As the longest-serving Indian envoy to China, Jaishankar turned around the economic relationship and also defused a Chinese intrusion into India. A brief spell as Ambassador to the US had him handling the arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade and ensuring her safe exit from the country. His three-year tenure as Foreign Secretary was during the first term of Modi as PM.

Though he joined Tata Sons on retirement, Jaishankar remained in the decision-making loop and was conferred the Padma Shri last year. He is the son of K Subrahmanyam, Indias tallest strategic thinker and the architect of its nuclear posture. Married to a former Japanese national, Jaishankars son Dhruva Jaishankar is with the prominent US think-tank Brookings. One of his brothers S Vijay Kumar was former Rural Development Secretary and another brother Sanjay Subrahmanyam is a historian.
gspannu7@gmail.com

New Delhi, May 31

Hardeep Singh Puri, the new Civil Aviation Minister, took charge of office on Friday amid distress in the sector that recently saw grounding of a private airline and concerns over debt-laden Air India, which the government wants to sell off.

After taking charge, Puri, a former Indian Foreign Service officer, held a meeting with senior officials who prepped him about the promises made in the sector and the challenges ahead.

I will meet you once I get to know about the sector, Puri, who has been given the rank of Minister of State (Independent Charge), told reporters.

He succeeds Suresh Prabhu, who has been dropped from the Union council of ministers. In the first tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modis government, Puri held the Housing and Urban Affairs portfolio, which he has retained this time as well.

Puri, who lost the Lok Sabha polls from the Amritsar seat and is currently a Rajya Sabha lawmaker, has also been made a junior minister in the Commerce and Industry Ministry in which Piyush Goyal is the Cabinet minister.

Ahead of the national polls, the BJP in its manifesto had said that while it has operationalised 36 airports over the last five years, it plans to commission 100 airports in the coming years.

As Civil Aviation Minister, Puri would be looking to deal with the challenges related to Air Indias divestment, which the Centre tried last year but failed.

The government is also moving towards selling a few subsidiaries of the state-owned carrier, which have been in profit in the last few years.

With Jet Airways suspending its operations due to lack of funds, Puri would have to take care of higher airfares, which resulted due to low capacity-high demand scenario.

He would also have to ensure that there is a coherent policy regarding allocation of slots that have become vacant after Jet Airways suspended its operations on April 17, amid pressure from airline companies for their allotment.  PTI
rchopra@tribunemail.com

United Nations, May 31

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that India is a very valuable partner of the United Nations and he looks forward to working with the new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi was on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony just before sunset at the forecourt of majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan, capping a landslide win for the BJP which won 303 of the 542 seats.

Guterres has worked very closely with Modi, including on the issue of climate change, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, told PTI on Thursday.

We will look forward to working with the government as it has now taken office. India is a very valuable partner of the United Nations, Haq said at the daily press briefing on Guterres message for Modi as he was sworn in as Prime Minister for a second five-year term.

Last week, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief very much looked forward to working with Modi and the two leaders had a strong relationship on issues such as the climate change. PTI
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, May 30

The Maharashtra government has revived an earlier proposal to get dairies in the state to buy back plastic pouches used to package milk from consumers.

Ramdas Kadam, the states Environment Minister who spearheaded a crackdown on use of thin plastic bags by vendors, earlier this week asked dairies to come up with a mechanism for buying back the pouches from consumers. The states dairies, which are mainly controlled by politicians, have resisted such a move on the grounds that it would increase the cost of milk at the retail level.

The Maharashtra government had earlier given time till February for dairies to come up with a buy-back mechanism for milk pouches. But even three months after the deadline, nothing is happening, Ramdas Kadam told reporters here.

Shortly after Kadams directives, representatives of dairies in the state said they may have to stop packing milk in pouches if the government forced them to buy back the plastic bags. Some private dairy owners said they were open to selling milk in PET bottles, which were recyclable. However, the cost of milk would go up by Rs 6 per litre, representatives of the private Mahananda Dairy told reporters here.

The government wants the dairies to buy back the milk bags for 50 paise each. However, retailers have in the past refused to buy back PET bottles used to pack soft drinks. Customers were asked to send the bottles back to the companies warehouses outside Mumbai.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, May 31

A day after being sworn in with his 57-member council of ministers by President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a bilateral meeting with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.

In the first of a series of bilateral meetings with foreign leaders, Modi and Sirisena discussed issues of interest of the two countries at the Hyderabad House here.

Hitting the ground running! In the first of a series of bilateral meetings with foreign leaders lined up today, PM @narendramodi had a warm meeting with the President of #SriLanka @MaithripalaS at Hyderabad House. Discussed bilateral issues of interest, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi is slated to hold more bilateral meetings with leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries along with the Presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Mauritius. IANS
gspannu7@gmail.com

New Delhi, May 31

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday said he has not received any report that the suicide bombers involved in the Easter Sunday terror attacks had travelled to India.

Sirisena also said a clear report about a possible terror attack was sent by Indian intelligence agencies to their Sri Lankan counterparts 17 days prior to the April 21 bombings but he was not informed about it.

Had I known about a possible attack, I would have taken necessary steps to prevent it, Sirisena said during a media interaction. He was here to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modis swearing-in ceremony.

Sri Lanka was hit by a wave of bombings on Easter Sunday in which over 250 people were killed.

A clear report had been sent by Indian intelligence to the state intelligence agencies of Sri Lanka about the possibility of an attack. The Indian government sent the information on April 4, he said.

Sirisena said he left for a foreign trip on April 16 and till then he was not informed about the Indian intelligence report, though there had been exchanges on the issue between the defence secretary and the then inspector general of police.

Had I known it, I would not have left the country, he said.

This is a great shortcoming from our defence secretary and that is why I have removed defence secretary and inspector general of police from their respective offices, he added.

Sirisena said necessary disciplinary and legal action will be taken against the guilty based on findings of the ongoing investigation into the matter.

Asked about reports that the terrorists who carried out the attacks had travelled to India, the Sri Lankan president said he had not received any information about it.

I have not received any reports that say they travelled to India. My officers have not reported about any connection linking them to India up till now, he said.

Sirisena said his government has received support from India, the UK, the US and few other countries in the investigation into the bombings.

The investigation has found that the perpetrators of the attack operated under an international organisation. The Sri Lankan terrorists had obtained training in countries where other terror groups are operating, he said.

The Sri Lankan president said the people involved in the bombings were from wealthy families and the suicide bombers included doctorate holders.

He said it was time for all the countries to come together and deal firmly with terror groups.  PTI
kavishakohli@gmail.com

Jaunpur (Uttar Pradesh), May 31

Samajwadi Party leader Lalji Yadav was shot dead by unidentified and masked killers who came on motorbikes and sped away after spraying the leader with bullets.

The incident took place on Friday in Udli village on the Shahganj-Jaunpur road when Lalji Yadav was going in his Scorpio to Jaunpur.

The Scorpio slowed down at the speed breaker when the assailants came from behind on three motorbikes and opened fire.

According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants left only after they were sure that the victim had died.

Lalji Yadav had several criminal cases registered against him. He worked as a contractor in the Akhilesh Yadav regime and took all plum contracts in the district.

Senior police officials reached the spot. The body of Lalji Yadav has been sent for post mortem.

SHO Ramesh Kumar Yadav said that the motive behind the crime could be established only after proper investigations.

This, incidentally, is the fourth attack against the workers of political parties since the Lok Sabha election results were declared on May 23.

A former village head in Amethi, who worked closely with BJP leader Smriti Irani during her Lok Sabha campaign, was shot dead on May 26. Amethi - a bastion of the Gandhi family for decades - voted out the Congress President and Irani was elected.

Earlier, a Samajwadi leader and zila panchayat member, Vijay Yadav, was shot dead in Ghazipur.

On May 27, Samajwadi Party leader and former MP Kamlesh Balmiki was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his home in Bulandshahr district. IANS
uttara@tribuneindia.com

New Delhi, May 31

India's unemployment rose to a 45-year high of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18 and economic growth fell to a five-year low in 2018-19, official data released on Friday shows, a week after Narendra Modis government swept back to power.

The data released by the government on a day when ministers of the Narendra Modi cabinet took charge showed 7.8 per cent of all employable urban youth being jobless, while the percentage for the rural was 5.3 per cent. The joblessness among male on all-India basis was 6.2 per cent, while it was 5.7 per cent in case of females. It also showed that the unemployment rate for males was higher at 7.1 per cent in cities compared to 5.8 per cent in rural areas. Similarly, the joblessness for women was also higher in urban areas at 10.8 per cent compared to 3.8 per cent in rural areas.

The unemployment figures assume greater importance given the controversy that surrounds them, and gives credence to a data leak in January. A news report quoting National Sample Survey Office said that government data showed unemployment was 6.1 per cent, prompting the Niti Aayog to hold a press conference to dismiss the figure as not final.

The Opposition accused the central government of withholding data until electionsa charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modis dispensation had then denied.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis National Democratic Alliance government rode the Modi wave to power with an astounding majority of 351 of the Lok Sabha's 543 seats.

'Different matrix' However, releasing the survey report after taking into account the expert committee recommendations, Statistics Secretary Pravin Srivastava told reporter: "It is a new design and a new matrix. It would be unfair to compare it with the past. This 45- year high is your interpretation. I don't want to claim that it is 45-year low or high". Elaborating further, he said: "The point is that it is different matrix. From 2017-18 onwards, you will be getting regular estimates and this (labour force survey) can be used as a base. When we change the matrix, it is very difficult to measure (compare) because there is no means to do a retrospective analysis in that year based on earlier matrix". The ministry said the PLFS needs to be seen as a new series for measuring employment and unemployment on an annual basis. It is important to note that with the rise in education levels in the economy and rise in household income levels, the aspiration levels of educated youth have also risen. Thus they may no longer be willing to join the labour force or work force requiring low skills and low remuneration. The PLFS results give the distribution of educated and unemployed persons across the country which can be used as a basis for skilling of youth to make them more employable by industry, it said. About the National Statistical Commission (NSC), Srivastava said: "The NSC makes its recommendation but the ministry has to consider it. They can only make recommendations. The NSC has the role to see statistical system in entirety in addition to statistics ministry and states. There is no change in the functioning of ministry. The restructuring of ministry was approved by the Cabinet". He also said: "The data for PLFS for January to March will be released next month. We have brought two quarterly data on labour survey. We are coming out with consumption expenditure survey for 2017-18. We are expecting it in June. You can then compare unemployment captured by that survey with PLFS".

Slowdown

In a bad news for the new government on day one, CSO data showed that economic growth slowed to a 5-year low of 5.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2018-19, pushing India behind China, due to poor showing by agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

The growth of the eight core sector industries during April too witnessed a slowdown. The expansion was at the rate of 2.6 per cent. These industries contribute about 40 per cent to the overall factory output of the country.

There was, however, some relief on the front of government finances as the fiscal deficit for 2018-19 remained within the revised Budget target of 3.4 per cent of the GDP.

Meanwhile, the government announced a slew of measures like extending the Rs 6,000 annual support to all farmers besides a pension scheme for farmers to bolster the agriculture sector.

Commenting on the GDP data, Economic Affairs Secretary S C Garg said the slowdown in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal was due to temporary factors like stress in NBFC segment. He also underscored that the economic activity may also remain sluggish during April-June quarter of the current fiscal before picking up in the subsequent months.

The CSO data on national income revealed that the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for fiscal 2018-19 (at 2011-12 prices) too was at a five-year low of 6.8 per cent. The GDP growth was 7.2 per cent in 2017-18.

Garg said that on the basis of annual growth rate of even 6.8 per cent, India continues to remain the world's fastest growing major economy.

The GDP in the fourth quarter of the fiscal ending March 2019 was 5.8 per cent, lower than 6.4 per cent growth posted by China in January-March 2019 quarter, thus losing the world's fastest major economy tag.

The CSO data showed that Gross Value Addition (GVA) decelerated to 5.7 per cent in fourth quarter from 7.9 per cent in January-March 2017-18.

The decline in the economic activity has been mainly on account of steep decline in growth in agriculture and manufacturing sectors.

The GVA in agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors contracted by 0.1 per cent as against an expansion of 6.5 per cent recorded in fourth quarter of 2017-18.

The slowdown was quite steep in the key manufacturing segment as the GVA expansion was meagre 3.1 per cent down from 9.5 per cent during fourth quarter of 2017-18.

The 'financial, real estate and professional services' segment, however, showed improvement with the growth rate moving up to 9.5 per cent in the last quarter of 2018-19 from 5.5 per cent in the comparable period of the preceding fiscal.

On annual estimates of expenditures of GDP, 2018-19, the CSO said the rates of Private Final Consumption

Expenditure (PFCE) at current and constant (2011-12) prices during 2018-19 are estimated at 59.4 per cent and 56.9 per cent, respectively, as against the corresponding rates of 59 per cent and 56.3 per cent, respectively in 2017-18. In terms of GDP, the rates of Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) at current and constant (2011-12) prices during 2018-19 have been estimated at 29.3 per cent and 32.3 per cent, respectively, as against the corresponding rates of 28.6 per cent and 31.4 per cent, respectively, in 2017-18.

As per the CSO, India's per capita income estimated to have risen by 10 per cent to Rs 10,534 a month during fiscal ended March 2019, government data on national income showed Friday.

In preceding fiscal 2017-18, the monthly per capita income stood at Rs 9,580.

The per capita income at current prices during 2018-19 is estimated to have attained a level of Rs 1,26,406 (Rs 10,533.83 monthly) as compared to the estimated for the year 2017-18 of Rs 1,14,958 (Rs 9,579.83 a month).

As per the periodic labour force survey released by the CSO, the unemployment rate was 6.1 per cent during 2017-18.

Chief Statistician Pravin Srivastava, however, played down the latest survey saying it cannot be compared with previous surveys. Agencies
Jerusalem Day

Stand for Israel | May 31, 2019

Typically during the month of May, Israel marks Yom Yerushalayim  Jerusalem Day  the commemoration of the Holy Citys miraculous liberation during 1967s Six Day War.

It is one of the most compelling stories in Israels history. In 1967, Egypt blocked the straits of Tiran, putting a stranglehold on shipping in and out of Israels crucially important southern port, Eilat. The combined armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon were poised for attack on the borders of the tiny Jewish state.

Israel was presented with a sobering choice: Wait to be invaded, or fight back in self-defense. Knowing that her very existence was in peril, she chose the latter course. The resulting battle, the Six Day War, ended in a stunning victory for Israel that led to the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli rule.

But why was Jerusalem divided in the first place? We must remember that even after the formation of the state of Israel, the fate of Jerusalem was still very much in question. In the war that followed Israels declaration of independence in 1948, Jordan seized control of and annexed the eastern part of the city, including the Old City.

In its thousands of years of existence, Jerusalem had never been divided, and this division was crippling to the city and the life of its residents. Upon the capture of East Jerusalem by Arab forces, the Jewish quarter of the Old City was destroyed and its residents expelled. Scores of synagogues were likewise destroyed, and the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives was desecrated. Jews were denied access to their holy sites, including the Western Wall, the holiest in all Judaism. Christians access to their holy sites in the Old City was severely restricted. Jordanian snipers perched on the walls of the Old City fired at will upon Israelis across the armistice line.

And what does Jerusalem look like today, now that the city has been united for 52 years under Israeli rule? The contrast is stark. Its a bustling, at times chaotic city, brimming over with activity and commerce. Its a place where religious freedom is written into law and respected in practice, where Jews, Christians, and Muslims live together and are free to worship according to their beliefs. Its a city where ancient history is respected, but modern life is allowed to flourish; there is nowhere in the world where the balance between ancient and modern is as respected as it is in Jerusalem.

The psalmist wrote, If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy (Psalm 137:5-6). This passage of scripture expresses beautifully, and with great poignancy, the longing of the Jewish people for their ancestral capital during millennia of exile. Today, we thank God that longing has been realized.

Last year, as Israel celebrated Jerusalem Day and the U.S. prepared to move its embassy to the Holy City, Rabbi Eckstein shared this, what would be his final message on Yom Yerushalayim.

And visit our resource center to learn more about both this remarkable city and this miraculous event.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Washington, May 31

The Trump administration has exuded confidence that the relationship between India and the US will see a very positive trajectory, hours after Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the second term.

Modi on Thursday took oath of office, helming a 58-member ministry. He led his BJP towards a resounding victory, crossing the 300 mark for 542 Lok Sabha seats.

This is really a resilient partnership. It enjoys bipartisan support. It has the structures and it has the strategic commitment in place to take advantage of our leaders vision. I anticipate a very positive trajectory moving forward, a senior State Department Official said on Thursday.

As was evident in the tweets, statements and phone calls from the US President, Vice President and Secretary of State after the Indian elections, the US looks forward to working with Prime Minister Modi and his government in the second term, the official said.

We do expect that our strategic partnership will continue to flourish under his leadership, the official added.

Recalling Modis 2017 visit to the US, the official said that Trump and the Indian prime minister enjoyed a warm relationship and personal chemistry.

You saw that when the prime minister was here in June of 2017. That means that the sort of the geopolitical compulsion to this relationship is matched by a personal leadership commitment to advance relations, the official said.

According to the official, Trump and Modi will meet in Japan on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit next month in Osaka, Japan. A trilateral meeting involving the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had been planned, the official said. PTI
shriaya.dutt@tribuneindia.com

Abu Dhabi, May 31

In an extraordinary gesture, the UAE government lit up the iconic ADNOC building here on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Council of Ministers to symbolise the close bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

The flags of India and the UAE and portraits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were displayed on the facade of the iconic building.

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC is the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates.

India's energy security is a top priority for the UAE with ADNOC being the only foreign oil and gas company, to date, to invest in India's strategic petroleum reserves programme.

ADNOC is also a stakeholder in one of India's largest refinery and petrochemical complexes, which will be constructed at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Khaleej Times reported.

Strategic energy co-operation between the UAE and India was bolstered in March 2019, when an Indian consortium of two companies was awarded the exploration rights for an onshore block in Abu Dhabi's debut competitive block bid round. In addition, an Indian consortium of three companies was awarded a 10 per cent participating interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum concession in February 2018, it said.

Navdeep Singh Suri, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, told WAM, the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates, that since the visit of Prime Minister Modi to UAE in August 2015, the two nations have seen a real transformation in our bilateral ties.

"The close friendship that has blossomed over the last four years between our Prime Minister and the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is well-known. The whole world can see it today in this unique celebration of the re-election of the Prime Minister for a fresh five year term. The ADNOC tower behind us is beautifully lit up and adorned with the flags of India and UAE and visuals of the two leaders," he said.

"But beyond the symbolism of these images is also the clear direction that the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince have provided to diplomats like us to make the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership a truly vibrant example of what we can achieve when we work together," Suri said.

Over the last two years, Suri said bilateral ties have evolved from a simple buyer-seller relationship to a multi-faceted partnership that has led to our first strategic petroleum reserve, our first oil concessions in the Gulf and the agreement to work together in our West coast mega-refinery project.

"So, as the Prime Minister starts his second term in office, there is tremendous sense of optimism for India-UAE ties. We now have the opportunity to build upon the strong platform that we have created over the last four years, and to make the coming period a truly Golden Era in our relationship," he said.

"An extraordinary gesture! the UAE government lit up the iconic ADNOC building in #AbuDhabi on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony of PM @narendramodi and Council of Ministers," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.  PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 30

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today laid the foundation stone of a vegetable processing plant, being set up jointly by IFFCO and one of Spains leading companies in food processing Congelados de Navarra (CN Corp), at Saijjo Najra village and Rattipur near Samrala.

The project will benefit over 10,000 farmers of the region, while the plant will provide direct and indirect employment to almost 2,500 people, the CM said.

Capt Amarinder said the project was aligned to his vision for the states rapid industrialisation to create jobs for the youth and boost revenue for Punjab.

Being set up over 52 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 521 crore, the plant will have a processing capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes per annum, with the eventual investment expected to touch Rs 1,000 crore.

The commercial production is likely to start in 2020.
editorial@tribune.com

Minna Zutshi

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 30

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has cautioned farmers against the attack of locust. The last locust attack was observed in 1993 when 172 swarm incursions were noted.

Giving this information, Dr PK Chhuneja, Head, Department of Entomology, PAU, said, After 26 years, locust has attacked crops at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. It has been confirmed by the Director of Plant Protection, Faridabad. There is every possibility that it may attack crops or trees in Punjab.

The magnitude of the damage and loss caused by locusts is enormous. On an average small locust swarm eats as much food in one day as about 10 elephants, 25 camels or 2,500 people. Locust devour leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, bark and growing points and also break down trees by their weight when they settle down in masses. Its a short-horned grasshopper with highly migratory habit, having marked polymorphism and voracious feeding behaviour.

They cause great devastation to natural and cultivated vegetation. They are indeed the sleeping giants that can flare up any time to inflict heavy damage to crops leading to national emergency of food and fodder, he added.

Dr Chhuneja advised farmers to keep a constant vigil through field survey to prevent crop losses due to locust attack. If any locust attack is observed, farmers should immediately contact experts of PAU or the Department of Agriculture, he said.

Discussing about the control measures, the expert from PAU said: In case locusts are noticed in large number, go for ploughing, digging and harrowing of places where eggs are laid on a large scale. For mechanical control, collect hoppers with catching machine, kill them with flame-throwers and crush them with rollers. In case they are found in bushes, destroy them by burning.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 30

Former DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK today demanded the resignation of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal after his name figured in the SIT report on sacrilege and police firing incidents of 2015.

GK said, I had resigned from the post of DSGMC president after the police registered a complaint levelling allegations of financial irregularities against me. I dare Sukhbir to step down as party president since the SIT has indicted him, GK asked.

Addressing a press conference, GK said in the Lok Sabha elections, all candidates of the SAD were defeated, except the Badal couple. Instead of feeling ashamed, Sukhbir is beating his chest over it, GK said.

Attacking senior leader of SAD Delhi Avtar Singh Hit, GK said, In my leadership, the party won the DSGMC election first time in 2013 after 14 years. It was Hit who damaged the party. When Hit was the chief of the Delhi unit, only a few chairs and a double bed were lying in the office. It was me who had strengthened the party in Delhi, GK said.

The former DSGMC president alleged that Hit was also involved in financial embezzlement at Guru Harkrishan School in Hari Nagar.

He also alleged that Narender Singh, PA to DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa, had taken Rs 38 lakh from Guru ki golak.

Complaint against GK
harinder@tribunemail.com

NEW DELHI, May 30 (UNI & PTI)The Chairman of the Bhartiya Kranti Dal, Mr. Charan Singh, today ruled out any rapprochement between the BKD and the Jan Sangh on the question of merger until the present attitude of the Jan Sangh changed. The BKD would not take any initiative in coming to terms with the Jan Sangh. It was for the Jan Sangh to do it. Reacting sharply to the statement issued by the Jan Sangh President, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, following the decision of the BKD Executive to exclude his party from further talks, Mr. Charan Singh said: The reply was cast in a tone and language which could well have been avoided. The BKD resolution, he pointed out, contained not a single word to which exception could possibly be taken. The BKD leader then went on to explain in his long statement why his party had to take this decision. He said though he wanted the merger talks to be held before Parliament adjourned on May 17, it was later decided to hold the talks on May 26 and 27 to enable Mr. Vajpayee to be present.
harinder@tribunemail.com

NEW DELHI, May 30 (UNI)Soviet PM Alexei Kosygin and President Yahya Khan of Pakistan reviewed Indo-Pakistan relations during a three-hour meeting in Rawalpindi today, Radio Pakistan reported. The other topics that figured in their discussion were bilateral relations, the West Asia situation and the international situation. The two leaders were assisted by aides in their first meeting since Gen. Yahya Khan took over as President and Chief Martial Law Administrator after ousting President Ayub Khan. The talks were held shortly after Mr. Kosygin flew in from Kabul for a days visit and was given a warm welcome at the Chaklala airport, near Rawalpindi.
kavishakohli@gmail.com

Washington, May 31

Top tech giants, including Apple, Google and Microsoft have slammed a proposal by the UK intelligence agency GCHQ to snoop on users' encrypted chats.

In an open letter published on Lawfare, a group of 47 tech firms on Thursday criticised the move, asking the agency to abandon its plans for a so-called "ghost protocol".

The signatories of the open letter argued that the proposal by the UK cyber security agency would require two major changes to their systems which would, in turn, compromise the users' privacy.

"First, it would require service providers to surreptitiously inject a new public key into a conversation in response to a government demand.

"This would turn a two-way conversation into a group chat where the government is the additional participant, or add a secret government participant to an existing group chat," read the open letter.

"Second, in order to ensure the government is added to the conversation in secret, GCHQ's proposal would require messaging apps, service providers, and operating systems to change their software so that it would 1) change the encryption schemes used, and/or 2) mislead users by suppressing the notifications that routinely appear when a new communicant joins a chat."

The proposal from GCHQ was first published last November as part of a series of essays, reports The Verge.

In the essay, two senior British intelligence officials argued that law enforcement should be added as a "ghost" participant in every encrypted messaging conversation, said the report.

In 2015, Apple had taken a tough stand against the FBI when asked to unlock an iPhone of a user involved in a terror attack in Bernardino, California. IANS
sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Washington, May 30

Special counsel Robert Muellers first  and possibly last  public statement on the Russia investigation is fueling fresh calls on Capitol Hill to begin impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, a step that Democratic leaders have so far resisted.

Surprising Washington with brief remarks on Wednesday, Mueller indicated its up to Congress to decide what to do with his findings. The special counsel reiterated that, bound by Justice Department policy, charging a sitting President with a crime was not an option.

But he also stressed he could not exonerate Trump. Instead, he cited that same policy to say, The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system. With Mueller closing his office and not expected to comment further, it all amounted, for some, to an open invitation for Congress to launch impeachment proceedings.

Hes asking us to do what he wasnt allowed to  hold the President accountable, said Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, the panel with impeachment power.

We have one remaining path to ensure justice is served, said Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, a Democratic presidential candidate.

But top Democrats, with almost no support from Republicans, are hesitant to go it alone on an impeachment inquiry that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned would be divisive for the nation.  AP

Sparking firestorm

In a rare public appearance, special counsel Robert Mueller on Wednesday said his two-year Russia probe had not exonerated Donald Trump, and not indicting him was not equivalent to clearing him

He said Justice Department guidelines prevented him from charging a sitting President, suggesting Congress has both the constitutional powers and the responsibility to pursue the case

Russia helped meoops!
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Seoul, May 31

North Korea executed its special envoy to the United States following the collapse of the second summit between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper reported on Friday.

The Chosun Ilbo said Kim Hyok Chol, who laid the groundwork for the Hanoi meeting and accompanied Kim on his private train, was executed by a firing squad for betraying the supreme leader after he was turned by the US.

Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport along with four senior foreign ministry officials following an investigation, the newspaper quoted an unidentified source as saying.

The other officials were not named.

Kim Hyok Chol was the Norths counterpart of US special representative Stephen Biegun in the run-up to the Hanoi summit in February.

South Koreas Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, declined to comment on the report.

The paper said Kim Jong Uns interpreter Shin Hye Yong was sent to a prison camp for a mistake at the summit.

She failed to translate Kims new proposal when Trump declared no deal and walked away from the table, Chosun reported, citing another unnamed diplomatic source.

Kim Jong Un and Trump left the Vietnamese capital without a deal after they failed to reach agreement on rolling back Pyongyangs nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

The North has since sought to raise the pressure and carried out two short-range missile tests in May. AFP
New Elections Called as Netanyahu Fails to Form Coalition

Stand for Israel | May 31, 2019

For the first time in the nations history, Israeli leaders are calling for new elections as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed in his efforts to form a governing coalition. Elections will be held on September 17.

Also this week, the U.S. continues to pressure Iran, this time in response to an attack on U.S.-bound oil tankers earlier this month.

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) launched air strikes this week against Syria after an IDF fighter jet encountered anti-aircraft fire during a routine flight.

Fires in southern Israel last week, some caused by incendiary balloons launched from Gaza, completely destroyed a village of 250 people. In response, The Fellowship has partnered with families to raise $325,000 to help rebuild the town.

A rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Germany has led to calls for caution among its Jewish citizens.

A group of teenage boys from a Jewish yeshiva high school in Boston aided in the rescue of a man who was drowning in a reservoir. The teens later discovered that the man had a tattoo of a swastika on his hand.

This weeks Israel in the News Perspective features Fellowship President Yael Eckstein on Jerusalem Day, which is Sunday, June 2.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Islamabad, May 31

Pakistan's army has sentenced a general to life imprisonment for spying and ordered the death penalty for a brigadier and a civilian officer convicted in the same case, a military statement said on Thursday.

Following a closed-door military trial, army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa endorsed the sentences on the three for "espionage (and) leaking sensitive information to foreign agencies in detriment to national security," the statement said.

Retired Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal was jailed for a life term, meaning he will serve 14 years in prison under Pakistani law. Retired Brigadier Raja Rizwan was sentenced to death alongside Wasim Akram, a civilian doctor employed by an army organisation.

The army did not give further details about the information that was allegedly leaked by the three men or say to whom it was disclosed. It was not clear if the two military officers had already retired from service before the case against them began.

Pakistan's army has its own laws and courts, and military officers accused of wrongdoing are always tried behind closed doors. Rulings can only be challenged or reviews in accordance with military procedures. Reuters
The son of a Covid-19 patient at the step-down facility at the University of Trinidad and To
Three local Harding University students are making waves in the Searcy, Arkansas, area.

Leah Johnson of Collinsville is one of more than 800 graduates who received a diploma at HUs commencement on May 11. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Electronic Media Production.

Johnson was also among more than 1,200 HU students included on the schools deans list for grades achieved during the spring 2019 semester.

She joins Owasson Kelsey Smith, a sophomore public administration and Bible and ministry major, and Owasson Cole Custer, a senior advertising major, on the prestigious list.

The deans list is published each semester by Dr. Marty Spears, university provost, honoring those who have achieved high scholarship. To be eligible, a student must be carrying 12 or more hours with a 3.65 or higher GPA and no incompletes.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the homicide of a 37-year-old man found in floodwaters near Mannford.

The Mannford Police Department received a report of the man, later identified as Sean Henderson, around Oklahoma 51 near Basin Road about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday.

The Creek County Sheriffs Office were called in to investigate, according to an OSBI report.

Henderson was last seen May 27 in Tulsa, the report states.

Anyone with information regarding Hendersons whereabouts or any information about his death, is asked to contact the Creek County Sheriffs Office or the OSBI at 1-800-522-8017 or tips@osbi.ok.gov.

Rachel Snyder 918-581-8315 rachel.snyder@sandspringsleader.com
Many agencies and businesses are offering help for storm and flood victims. Oklahoma residents seeking nonemergency disaster or health and human service information, please contact your local 2-1-1. Services are available 24 hours a day by dialing 2-1-1 from your home or cellular telephone. Please only call 911 for emergencies.

Free self storage from U-Haul

U-Haul Companies of Tulsa and Oklahoma City are making 18 facilities available for 30 days of free self-storage to Oklahomans affected by continued flooding across the state. People seeking additional information or needing to arrange 30 days free self-storage should contact the nearest participating U-Haul store location. Find locations at uhaul.com.

Tetanus shots

All Tulsa Health Department immunization clinics will offer tetanus shots at no cost to anyone affected by the weather events in Tulsa County. Visit tulsa-health.org/vaccines or call 918-582-9355 for hours and locations. Anyone who has sustained significant injuries is encouraged to seek medical attention from their primary care provider or urgent care. Many local pharmacies also offer tetanus shots.

Crisis cleanup
Cabin Boys Brewery, 1717 E seventh St. is partnering to help out Tulsa Area United Way, Tulsa Community Foundation, and Sand Springs Community Services to help provide relief from the recent historic flooding affecting their neighbors.

Cabin Boys Brewery will be donating 10% of their total sales from Saturday, June 8 to the TCF & TAUW Disaster Relief Fund for Eastern Oklahoma. Their goal is to provide assistance to nonprofit organizations which are providing services and support to residents of eastern Oklahoma affected by recent weather-related flooding and tornadic storms.

They are also giving customers 20% off your first beer if they bring supplies to support Sand Springs Community Services.

Donations being collected for SSCS:

gloves, cleaning supplies, sponges, paper towels, toilet paper, bottled water, trash bags.

More info on their facebook page

Tom Gilbert 918-581-8349 tom.gilbert@tulsaworld.com

Satisfy your cravings With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
With the levee that we have, which is primarily sand materials, with the river being up on it for as long as its been  the levee has been loaded, said City Engineer Paul Zachary. When those soils become wet, they become heavier, and the river is actually providing lateral support, or side support, to help contain that additional weight of the levee.

Remove that support too quickly, Zachary said, and the wet, heavy soil that is no longer supported by the flow of the river could begin to slough, or slip, down the face of the levees into the water below.

You want to allow the levee to drain as you lower the (river) water surface level elevation, he said. Because if you do a rapid draw-down, you will increase the chances of a slide of soils along the face of that levee, and that is not what we want.

After several days of releasing 275,000 cubic feet of water per second from Keystone Dam, the Corps announced late Wednesday that the outflow had been reduced to 265,000 cfs at 4 p.m. and that thereafter, it would be reduced by 10,000 cfs every six hours, or 40,000 cfs a day.

As of 6 p.m. Thursday, the outflow was 220,000 cfs, according to the Corps website.
She and her group have been reading about and examining these issues since September. They didnt begin talking about solutions until last month.

Because you cannot just talk the talk unless you go and walk the walk, and thats the way I was raised, Najuma said. ... At the end of the day, relationships are being developed where people are trying to work to create solutions to not only make Oklahoma better, but the world.

The panelists also talked about how engaging with those who think differently is necessary to effect change.

Gist spoke of the difficulty in trying to listen to someone whose beliefs reject or deny someones civil rights. She said it can be even harder when those beliefs stem from a lack of awareness or an obliviousness to systemic racism and historical trauma.

The superintendent recalled some of the opposition surrounding last years decision to rename Robert E. Lee Elementary. Gist said she still sometimes hears complaints about trying to erase history.
Paulus talked about Laureates ongoing work, using basic brain science to develop treatments for mental illness.

He gave an overview of the now 10-year-old institutions current projects and studies, including its participation in a national study that looks at screen media activitys relationship to youth mental health issues.

Findings are very preliminary, he said, but so far have been surprising, indicating that kids who use more social media perform better on cognitive tests and in other areas.

Paulus added that hes excited about another recent development at Laureate: We are now able to isolate little bubbles in the blood stream that are from the brain.

By looking at molecules from the bubbles, its the first time we can look into the brain without going into the brain. This is very exciting.

Participating as special guests at the event were Oklahomas first lady, Sarah Stitt, and Michael Brose, chief empowerment officer of Mental Health Association Oklahoma.

Stitt said she knew from the time her husband decided to run for governor that mental health would be her focus as first lady.
Many people have questioned Tim Weaver about why he built his farmhouse on top of a mound nearly 20 years ago west of Sand Springs.

Those queries were put to pasture as he turned donuts this week in a fishing boat over where his cattle grazed until recently. His home remained untouched by floodwaters, so he could enjoy a sliver of serendipity amid the tragedy.

It was fun driving around. Thats something I hope to only do once in my lifetime  be able to boat around out there in my pasture and my field, Weaver said.

Seated in a John Deere utility tractor with an old trailer hooked up behind, Tim took his wife and adult daughter splashing through a flooded roadway off Oklahoma 51 to return their pets home Thursday. Others unluckier than the Weavers in the adjacent Town and Country neighborhood were returning to see if they could peek into their homes as waters finally began receding.

The Weaver familys 40 acres were inundated in the flood. They had to transport nine horses and 35 head of cattle elsewhere. But Tim; his wife, Melissa; and 23-year-old daughter, Shelby, werent forced to evacuate from their homes perch.
Fundraisers have been set up to assist those affected by recent storms and flooding. Heres how to help.

Community Foundation/United Way Disaster Relief Fund

The Tulsa Community Foundation and the Tulsa Area United Way have established the Disaster Relief Fund for Eastern Oklahoma. Donations to the fund will assist with mid- and long-term recovery needs. Donations can be made securely at TulsaCF.org/2019storms. Checks should be made payable to Tulsa Community Foundation and should include Disaster Relief Fund for Eastern Oklahoma on the memo line. Mail checks to Tulsa Community Foundation, 7030 S. Yale Ave., Suite 600, Tulsa, OK 74136. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

American Red Cross

You can help by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Call, click or text to give. Call 1-800 RED CROSS, visit redcross.org or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Community Food Bank
A new documentary series on the disappearance of two Welch girls, "Hell in the Heartland," debuts this weekend.

Starting 8 p.m. Sunday on HLN network, cable 42, a four-part series will explore the murders of Kathy and Danny Freeman and the case of their missing daughter Ashley and her best friend Lauria Bible.

Lorene Bible, Lauria's mother, attended a preview of the series in New York earlier in May and told the Joplin Globe that outrage was the most prominent public reaction.

Hopefully, it will bring more people forward who know something because people are going to be outraged, said Bible, who thought the viewers were convinced that the initial investigation of the murders and the girls' abduction and presumed slayings was bungled.
One day before legislators adjourned for the year, they passed House Bill 1259, allowing Oklahoma voters to take voting booth selfies of their marked election ballots.

All those Facebook pics people were posting to show they did their part to support a favorite candidate or issue were, technically, illegal in Oklahoma.

Huh?!

The law was designed to prevent employers, union bosses and other authority figures from pressuring voters: We have a secret ballot and it should be secret.

But the Facebook posters werent trying to curry favor with their bosses. They were just having some fun and trying to get like-minded voters to show up. Were all in favor of more voting, less apathy.

Last year, legislators passed a similar measure, but Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed it in the name of protecting voters against intimidation and propaganda electioneering. She called for stronger provisions to prevent voter intimidation associated with picture posting.
Impeachment appropriate

The idea that impeachment is terribly wrong-headed is absurd.

President Trump has declared total noncooperation with the House regarding subpoenas or providing any information requested by Democrats.

Trumps behavior runs absolutely counter to the constitutional right of the House to check the president. Unfortunately, the Democrats now have all of their stakes misplaced in the slow moving courts, a process that will likely run out the clock in 2020.

Since Trump has completely stonewalled all information, the only logical path to digging out the truth lies in the impeachment process.

Its immaterial that conviction is out of the question given the highly partisan Republican Senate.

What matters most is that all the facts will be laid on the table for voters to digest while senators will be forced to show their hand.

Of course, the loyal 40% will side with Trump no matter the facts. Nevertheless, the honest-thinking segment of our voting population will recognize the folly of allowing this despot to retain the office.
Timeline: The 1921 Tulsa race massacre

One of the worst race riots in the nations history occurred in Tulsa over a 14-hour period on May 31-June 1, 1921. Dozens of people were killed, hundreds were injured and thousands were left homeless. Most of the segregated black district, known as Greenwood, was destroyed. Although the riot itself lasted only a few hours, its repercussions are still felt today. View the timeline here.

Tulsa Race Riot Centennial Commission announced

Tulsa may get an unusual amount of attention in 2021, the 100th anniversary of the citys deadly race riot. Its not exactly cause for celebration, but city leaders would like something constructive to show the rest of the world.

We cant rewrite the past, but we can build a brighter and more prosperous future, state Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, said at the formal announcement of a Tulsa Race Riot Centennial Commission. Read the full story here.

'Commemorate' but not 'celebrate': Race Riot Centennial Commission discusses plans for 2021 event

The Rev. Jamaal Dyer, the commissions project manager, said he knows many people wonder why the anniversary of the May 31-June 1, 1921, riot should be observed at all. It remains one of the deadliest and most destructive episodes of racial violence in U.S. history, with dozens killed, thousands left homeless, and the Greenwood business district and most of the surrounding neighborhoods burned to the ground.

Dyer said it is important to commemorate the riot but not celebrate it.

Its not just African-American history. Its American history, and we should all work towards making sure it doesnt happen again, he said. Read the full story here.

'One of our greatest gifts if we just tell the story': Fundraising campaign aims to expand, remodel Greenwood Cultural Center

Has Tulsa ever properly told the story of the 1921 race massacre?

State Sen. Kevin Matthews would argue no.

Its a shame to me that we have the Tulsa exhibit in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and in just two years, more than 5 million visitors have been there, Matthews said. And we are not telling the story effectively right here where it happened.

If Matthews and his colleagues on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission have anything to say about it, thats about to change. Read the full story here.

'Truth, balance and fairness telling the story': Hannibal Johnson helps keep legacy of 1921 race massacre alive in Tulsa

In a classroom tucked away on the second floor of the spacious Booker T. Washington High School, a large group of students were intently exploring a piece of American history that has been  for the better part of a century  unfamiliar to most.

Anthony Cherry, the schools African-American studies teacher, was discussing with his teenage students the events of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre as part of a class assignment.

When I was their age, I had no idea this history existed, Cherry said. I went to school in Tulsa and I never once got a lesson about it. Read the full story here.

1921 centennial commission to replace 'riot' with 'massacre' in official title

The 1921 Race Riot Centennial Commission is changing its name to the 1921 Race Massacre Centennial Commission.

Sen. Kevin Matthews acknowledged that there has been some controversy about what the event should be called. Historically, its been known mostly as a riot, race war or even uprising, but recently historians and others have been more inclined to describe it as a massacre. Read the full story here.

'The name is to heal wounds of people here now': Commission chairman says no link between name change, restitution efforts

In explaining why the former 1921 Race Riot Centennial Commission is now the 1921 Race Massacre Centennial Commission, Chairman Kevin Matthews said Thursday that the word riot prevented property owners at that time from collecting on insurance claims.

Later, Matthews said the change does not signal a renewed effort to recover restitution for the death and destruction rained on Tulsas African-American community almost a century ago.

The name is to heal the wounds of people here now, Matthews said, to turn that tragedy into triumph. Read the full story here.

Mike Strain: We changed how we refer to the 'Tulsa Race Riot.' Here's why.

The reader was angry, and part of that frustration was over the choice of a single word. It wasnt a surprise. Editors in our newsroom had debated this question just a few weeks earlier:

Should we call it the Tulsa Race Riot or the Tulsa Race Massacre?

That question, over one word, can lead to uncomfortable conversations in our city, the kind you see associated with changing the name of Lee Elementary. Read the full story here.

'Race riot is a euphemism': Teachers learn why Tulsa race massacre is more accurate term

As the centennial of the Tulsa Race Riot approaches, some are now calling it the Tulsa Race Massacre.

That new description for the two-day event in 1921, which left at least 37 Tulsans  most of whom were black  confirmed dead, and destroyed what was known as Black Wall Street, was on display at a four-day Tulsa Public Schools seminar for more than 50 teachers this week. The program is titled Tulsa Race Massacre Institute and is aimed at helping teachers learn about the citys darkest days and how to teach it. That name reflects the growing opinion that the nearly 100-year-old event has been incorrectly named.

So why the change? Read the full story here.

Community leaders praise Tulsa race massacre survivor Olivia Hooker who 'represented all that was the best of humanity'

A memorial service for Olivia Hooker did not mourn her life, but instead celebrated the many contributions she made to society and challenged others to continue her work of seeking justice.

As a 6-year-old girl in 1921, she survived the Tulsa race massacre.

During the massacre on May 31, 1921, the Hooker family home was ransacked by a white mob while she and her siblings hid. Her fathers successful clothing store, Samuel D. Hooker and Son, was destroyed, along with the rest of Tulsas thriving black Greenwood District. Read the full story here.

Olivia Hooker, Tulsa race massacre survivor and 'one of the drum majors for justice,' dies at 103

Olivia Hooker, among the last known survivors of the Tulsa race massacre, died at her New York home.

Hooker, 103, was 6 years old at the time of the 1921 massacre in Tulsas Greenwood District. In one of her last interviews, Hooker told how she and her siblings were covered with a large tablecloth. Her mother instructed them to remain silent while a white mob ransacked their home.

It was horrifying for a little girl who was only 6 years old trying to remember to keep quiet, Hooker said. Read the full story here.

Listen here: Tulsa race riot survivor, 103, shares her story for new NPR podcast series

Dr. Olivia Hooker, as a 6-year-old girl, remembers being covered with a large tablecloth along with her siblings and instructed by her mother to remain silent while a white mob ransacked their home.

"It was horrifying for a little girl who was only 6 years old trying to remember to keep quiet," Hooker said.

That was one of the stories the now 103-year-old survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot shared as part of an NPR and Radio Diaries podcast series called "Last Witness." Read the story and listen to the full segment here.

Tulsa race riot survivor remembers her mother asking militia 'Why are you shooting the victims?'

I traveled to the charming but unassuming neighborhood of Juniper Hill in White Plains to speak with a living legend too few people know about.

Her name is Olivia J. Hooker, and she is a sharp and glorious 103 years old. Not only was she the first African-American women to join the Coast Guard, not only was she a psychology professor and activist, but she is one of the last known survivors of the Tulsa race riot of 1921.

There was no news peg for my conversation with Dr. Hooker, no milestone, no major anniversary, but it is my philosophy that when life affords you the opportunity to sit at the elbow of a historical figure who has lived through things youve only read about, you take it. Read the full story here.

Tulsa Race Riot Commission looked for mass graves 20 years ago; here's what happened

Twenty years ago, Bob Brooks and others began a two-year search for mass burial sites connected to Tulsas 1921 race massacre that for most of its history has been known as the Tulsa Race Riot.

They didnt find anything, but they did locate a spot on the south side of Oaklawn Cemetery that Brooks thinks would be a good place to start if the investigation is reopened. Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum indicated an interest in reopening the search. Read the full story here.

Mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa race massacre? Mayor plans to re-examine the issue

Mayor G.T. Bynum made public his plan to re-examine whether there are any mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa race massacre.

But Bynum has been thinking about it for years. Six years. He and former City Councilor Jack Henderson met with former state archaeologist Bob Brooks in about 2012 to discuss his excavation work more than a decade earlier on behalf of the Tulsa Race Riot Commission.

I always thought, if I am ever mayor and in a position to have executive authority, that I would do something about it, Bynum said. Because I think if there are mass graves there, the citizens of Tulsa deserve to know and the victims and their families deserve to know it. Read the full story here.

Then and now: Scenes from the Tulsa race riot

Multimedia Producer Mike Simons took historic photos taken during the riot and found the locations. He photographed what each one looks like now. View the gallery here.

Mural near Greenwood Cultural Center honors Black Wall Street

Against a black backdrop, the north-facing wall of Interstate 244 in the Greenwood District says Black Wall St. in large, white-framed block letters, each of which depicts a part of Tulsas black history.

The K, which first attracts the eye, includes imagery of the burning of buildings on Black Wall Street during the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, with flames and smoke trailing up to the concrete barrier of the highway. The first L contains an eagle in a nod to The Oklahoma Eagle, Tulsas black-owned newspaper, while the T  which drew arguably the highest interest for photo-ops on Friday  shows off the hornet mascot associated with Booker T. Washington High School.

We know that black is beautiful, so we might as well have a mural that is also beautiful and that complements us, State Rep. Regina Goodwin told the audience at the Greenwood Cultural Center Friday afternoon, where community leaders publicly unveiled the display, simply named The Black Wall Street Mural, 97 years after the Tulsa Race Riot took place. Read the full story here.

Photo gallery: Marchers head from Black Wall Street to Reconciliation Park on 97th anniversary of Tulsa Race Massacre

Multiple organizations dedicated John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park as a national Literary Landmark in 2018.

The dedication coincided with the anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riot  referred to by several at the ceremony as a massacre.

Dr. (John Hope) Franklin reminded us that, in a historical sense, race matters, and it deserves more than subtextual treatment, Tulsa author Hannibal Johnson said.

Leading up to the parks dedication, dozens gathered at Greenwood Avenue and Archer Street to march through the revitalized area of northeast downtown Tulsa to the park. View the gallery here.

'She spoke the truth': After years of not talking about it, Tulsa race riot survivor Hazel Jones opened up, providing a public face for survivors

When Hazel Jones daughters were growing up, they never heard a word about the Tulsa Race Riot.

For safety, my mother had been told not to talk about it by her father. And she didnt for years, said Yolanda Mitchell, one of Jones two girls. We were nearly grown before we learned about it.

That all changed for Jones, though, later in her life. When riot survivors began organizing to raise awareness and push for reparations, Jones started to speak up with them. Read the full story here.

Tulsa Race Riot: 96 years ago, a volatile combination exploded outside the Tulsa County Courthouse

Accounts vary as to who or what actually ignited the riot that began outside the Tulsa County Courthouse 96 years ago. The one reported and apparently generally accepted at the time involved a law officer, a black man and a gun. Read the full story here.

Black History Month: Destruction and devastation brought by 1921 Tulsa Race Riot

On May 30, 1921, a black man named Dick Rowland entered an elevator operated by a young white woman and shortly afterward, a scream was heard and Rowland ran out. White Tulsans believed he had tried to assault the woman, although there was no conclusive evidence. What followed was the worst race riot in American history. Read the full story here.

Black History Month: Mabel B. Little survived Tulsa Race Riot and became matriarch

The granddaughter of former slaves, Mabel B. Little moved to Tulsa from Boley, eventually opening her own beauty shop business in 1917. Little and her husband were instrumental in helping to rebuild Mount Zion Baptist Church, which had been destroyed in the Tulsa Race Riot. Read the full story here.

Black History Month: B.C. Franklin, attorney who lost it all, helped victims regain strength after 1921 Race Riot

Franklin, a lawyer who disputed the Oklahoma Supreme Court, helped rebuild the Greenwood area after the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot. Read the full story here.
The Acting Top Cop says he is confident there will not be chaos and fallout in the police se
Former PrivatBank stockholder Ihor Kolomoisky is again trying to block through Ukrainian courts a lawsuit filed by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in Switzerland, the NBU's press service has reported.

"On May 31, 2019, the Economic Court of Kyiv will consider the case on a lawsuit filed by Ihor Valeriyovych Kolomoisky against the National Bank of Ukraine and JSC CB PrivatBank for the invalidation of five loan refinancing agreements and five agreements on Kolomoisky's personal guarantee under these loans agreements," the report reads.

The NBU draws attention to the fact that such a lawsuit and the specified claims are an attempt by Kolomojsky to stop and then make it impossible to consider the proceedings initiated by the NBU in Switzerland, which is a sign of Kolomoisky's reluctance to fulfill its obligations under guarantee agreements.

In December 2018, the NBU appealed to a court of the Republic and Canton of Geneva at the place of residence of Kolomoisky so as to recover arrears from him as a financial guarantor in favor of the NBU. In 2016, Kolomoisky, who at that time co-owned a significant stake at PrivatBank, concluded guarantee agreements with the NBU and personally undertook to fulfill the NBU's requirements for repayment of refinancing loans received by PrivatBank during 2008-2014. In fact and legally, Kolomoisky remains a debtor to the NBU under the specified PrivatBank loans, the debts on which currently stand at UAH 9.2 billion.

Similar claims from Kolomoisky were satisfied by the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv on April 20, 2019, in the presence of the opposite and unequivocal case law of the Supreme Court in such legal relations.

The NBU draws attention to the fact that if the loan agreements and guarantee agreements are recognized as invalid in violation of the principle of estoppel (widely used in the practice of the Supreme Court), the Economic Court of Kyiv will in fact enable Kolomoisky to avoid responsibility for fulfilling his obligations under personal guarantee agreements. In addition, this will complicate the protection of interests of both the NBU and the state in litigation in other jurisdictions so as to reimburse losses inflicted on the state by former PrivatBank owners.

op
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Senator Robert Portman have discussed the political situation in Ukraine, in particular, early parliamentary elections and the situation in Donbas.

The meeting between the two took place in Kyiv on May 30, the press service of the head of state reported.

Zelensky said that the dissolution of the parliament met the demands of society, and due to the holding of parliamentary elections in July, a new government may be formed already in September.

"If we continued with this disabled parliament, we would form the government in December. We cannot wait. We have two wars: the war against Russia and the war against corruption inside the country, which is a threat, first and foremost, to the Ukrainian economy," he said.

According to the report, another issue raised during the meeting concerned the situation in Donbas and steps necessary to achieve progress in peaceful settlement, especially in terms of ceasefire and exchange of hostages. Zelensky said that his first working visit had been to Luhansk region - to the military on the frontline.

He also separately noted the active position of the U.S. Senate in imposing sanctions against Russia and providing Ukraine with military assistance.

The parties emphasized the need for the further pressure on the Russian Federation aimed at ensuring proper implementation of the Minsk agreements.

Zelensky and Portman also discussed topical issues of implementing reforms that should bring Ukraine closer to the EU and NATO.

The head of state thanked the senator for the U.S. Senate's support for Ukraine and Portman's leadership as a co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus.

op
The Constitutional Court will determine at a meeting on June 4 the form of proceedings in the case concerning a presidential decree on the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada of the eighth convocation.

This is stated in the agenda published on the website of the court.

In particular, it notes that on June 4, at a sitting of the Grand Chamber of the Constitutional Court, judges will "consider the issue on determining the form of constitutional proceedings in the case on a constitutional motion filed by 62 people's deputies of Ukraine regarding the compliance with the Constitution of Ukraine (constitutionality) of a decree of the president of Ukraine 'On the early termination of powers of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the calling of snap elections'."

According to Ukrainian MP Maksym Burbak, the Constitutional Court of Ukraine registered the proceedings at the request of a group of people's deputies who demand that President Volodymyr Zelensky's decree on the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada be recognized as illegal.

Burbak published a letter by Judge Rapporteur Viktor Kryvenko, which reports on the opening of constitutional proceedings.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada in his inaugural speech on May 20. On May 21, he signed a decree on the early termination of parliamentary powers and the calling of snap elections on July 21.

The decree came into force on May 23 after its publication in the government's Uriadovy Kurier newspaper.

On May 24, People's Front MPs Andriy Teteruk and Ihor Alekseyev submitted a motion to the Constitutional Court regarding the unconstitutionality of the presidential decree on the early termination of the powers of the Verkhovna Rada. They asked the court to consider the motion within a month.

op
The session of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Seimas of Republic of Lithuania and Senate of the Republic of Poland will be held in Kyiv on June 7-8.

"We will be interested in the new situation in Ukraine. I will ask about the intentions of the actors of Ukrainian political scene in the parliament as there are different factions there," Deputy Marshal of the Polish Senate Bogdan Borusewicz said in a commentary an Ukrinform correspondent in Poland.

He added that other issues concerning cooperation in the field of transport infrastructure, energy, etc., would somewhat recede into the background in the light of the current political changes in Ukraine.

As the Polish politician stressed, Poland "has always supported and will continue to support Ukraine on the path of reform and rapprochement with the EU and NATO.

He expressed the hope that the newly elected president of Ukraine will continue to move along Ukraine's chosen path towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Borusewicz also expressed the hope that the delegations of the parliaments of Poland and Lithuania would have the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Presidential Administration.

ol
Ukraine and Costa Rica discussed the conclusion of an agreement on visa-free regime between the countries.

The Consular Service Department of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine reported this on Facebook following the results of the first consular consultations in the history of bilateral relations of the two states.

For the first time in the history of bilateral relations, two friendly countries held negotiations on consular issues. The delegations analyzed the state and prospects of cooperation in the migration and visa sectors, discussed the issue of protecting the rights and interests of citizens and legal entities of both countries, shared the main achievements of the consular services and discussed prospects for expanding the mutual consular presence, the report says.
Verkhovna Rada Chairman Andriy Parubiy has said he believes that Ukraine is facing a crisis associated with the actions of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He said this at a parliament meeting on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The country is going through difficult times and the country, unfortunately, is facing a crisis associated with the actions of the president. Yesterday's publication of a transcript [of the president's consultations with the heads of parliamentary factions on May 21] has confirmed this. Moreover, yesterday we heard representatives of the president, members of his team say that it is necessary to repeal the language law, abolish [language] quotas, abolish decommunization and, unfortunately, today it becomes a usual policy for them. So I want to say on behalf of the Verkhovna Rada and the government that the Ukrainian people will not let you do it," Parubiy said.

He stressed that he would not allow the abolition of the laws on language and decommunization since the Ukrainian people had been striving for that for decades.

Earlier, a representative of Zelensky's team, co-owner of the Studio Kvartal 95, Borys Shefir, said he expected the new president to abolish language quotas and the language law. Shefir also said that "agreement could be reached" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

op
Germany and the United States want to resolve the conflict in Donbas and are ready to support Ukraine in carrying out reforms.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stated this after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in Berlin on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The new government and the new president deserve our full support in order to continue the course of reforms in Ukraine. We are working (on this), in particular, within the framework of the Group of Seven, and this is an important step for further development of Ukraine, Maas said.

He stressed that many conflicts in the world could be resolved only by combined efforts of the United States and Europe. One of such conflicts is in eastern Ukraine. According to the German foreign minister, steps to implement the Minsk agreements are urgently needed in order to establish a real ceasefire regime. This issue will be soon discussed at different levels of the "Normandy format," the diplomat said.

ish
Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, meets with a group of international graduate students from China Women's University (CWU) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 30, 2019. The students are from CWU's International Master's Program of Social Work in "Women's Leadership and Social Development," established to implement initiatives announced by President Xi at the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. So far, 72 female students from 27 countries have studied under the program. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Thursday met with a group of international graduate students from China Women's University (CWU).

Peng and the students watched a short film on their study and life in China. She also watched poetry recital, chorus and dancing performed by the students.

As the students are about to finish the study and return to their home countries, Peng said she believes that studying in China had helped them deepen their understanding of the country.

She expressed her hope that the students will play a role as a bridge between China and their home countries, and contribute to the promotion of global women's development and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Peng briefed the students on her work as a special envoy for the Spring Bud Project to promote girls' education in China, and as a UNESCO Special Envoy for the Advancement of Girls' and Women's Education.

She said China attaches great importance to the cause of women, and stands ready to work with the international community to create favorable conditions for women's development, provide equal and high-quality education opportunities for women, and help women acquire knowledge and skills for greater achievements.

The students said they will make full use of the knowledge and skills learned in China to promote the development of women's cause in their own countries and the cooperation between their countries and China.

The students are from CWU's International Master's Program of Social Work in "Women's Leadership and Social Development," established to implement initiatives announced by President Xi at the 2015 Global Leaders' Meeting on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. So far, 72 female students from 27 countries have studied under the program.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Poland and Sweden for supporting Ukraine in the defense of sovereignty and territorial integrity and in the issue of the release of Ukrainian captives.

The president said this during a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallstrom and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Jacek Czaputowicz, who are now in Ukraine, the press service of the head of state reported.

"Thank you for supporting the policy of sanctions against Russia. I hope to continue it until the return of all Ukrainian territories, Zelensky stressed.

The president also stressed that the fight against corruption, poverty and economic stagnation was the second front for Ukraine. Gaining victory on both fronts will allow Ukrainians to build a state they dream of and deserve.

For their part, the Polish and Swedish foreign ministers reaffirmed consistent support for Ukraine's efforts aimed to protect the territorial integrity, return all Ukrainian captives illegally detained by Russia, as well as the efforts in the issues of Ukraine's integration into the European Union.

In the context of celebrating the 10th anniversary of the EU's Eastern Partnership this year, Zelensky noted that it was crucial for Ukraine to preserve the positive achievements of recent years and speed up the implementation of the Association Agreement and other systemic changes.

The president also assured the European partners that Ukraine would continue to move towards deepening its integration with the European Union and NATO.

ish
Sweden and Poland as the initiators of the Eastern Partnership value the intention of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to make his first international visit to Brussels to establish contacts with the European Union institutions.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallstrom said in response to questions from students after a joint open lecture with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Poland Jacek Czaputowicz at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent.

We appreciate that the first visit of the new President of Ukraine will be made to the EU in order to establish contacts with the European Union. We are pleased about it, Wallstrom said.

She noted that the purpose of the joint visit with her Polish colleague to Ukraine was to find out more about the new Ukrainian leadership and its intentions.

"I think it is still little known about this, but they are definitely moving forward, and we want to know their priorities," the Swedish Foreign Minister emphasized.

As Wallstrom noted, the EU countries praised the free and fair elections in Ukraine with an unpredictable result, therefore, it is important for the foreign ministries of Sweden and Poland to express support for democratic parliamentary elections, since many changes cannot happen in Ukraine before the parliament is formed.

"We will follow what will happen in Ukraine, which agenda will be formed, and our further cooperation will depend on whether it will include issues we value the most," the Swedish Foreign Minister noted.

In turn, Polish Foreign Minister Czaputowicz stressed that a joint visit to Ukraine with Wallstrom would demonstrate support for Ukrainian society and the country as a whole, not for political parties.

"We will support Ukraine and its goals in foreign policy for the restoration of territorial integrity. This is the basis on which relations between our countries are built today. Of course, its important for us that Ukraine continues to move along the path of reform. After all, the fight against corruption, the reform of the judicial system and respect for democracy should be the basis for the development of your state. This is a recommendation of the international institutions, and we share this opinion," Czaputowicz said.

ol


It all started in 2017 with a Facebook post. Moneera Yassien asked women in her online community in Sudan to voice their experiences with violence as part of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign. She woke up the next day to 15 anonymous messages.

Yassien began to post screenshots of the womens stories online. By the end of the campaign, she had received almost 300 messages.

It was a moment of realization for me because this was just my social circle on Facebook, says Yassien, who is 22 and based in Khartoum, Sudan. I realized there was this need.

While comprehensive data on violence against women in Sudan is not available, globally 35 percent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence.

In response, Yassien founded AMNA two years ago, a youth-led organization working to end all forms of violence against women in Sudan. The organization takes many approaches, including training young people on advocacy, organizing events, campaigns and awareness trainings, and creating and sharing online content on violence. Their work spans topics ranging from women and economic abuse, to child and forced marriage and, more recently, given the political situation in Sudan, womens political participation.

Running AMNA is just one of the many hats Yassien wears. She is also a social entrepreneur, economics graduate, researcher, a UNDP consultant on youth empowerment, and a womens rights activist. Yassien shared her experiences of doing this work at last months Tunis Forum on Gender Equality, a three-day conference co-organized by UNDP, UN Women and the Governments of Tunisia and Sweden. She was one of many young women in attendance. The forum focused on youth participation that could be inclusive of, and responsive to, the concerns of future generations of global leaders.

The Tunis Forum was one of the first to take stock of the progress made since the ground-breaking Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which aims at removing all obstacles to womens participation in public and private life and which approaches its 25th anniversary next year. The next major event to help take the agenda forward in the lead up to Beijing+25 is the Women Deliver 2019 Conference. Taking place in Vancouver, Canada, on 3-6 June, the conference on gender equality and the health, rights and well-being of girls and women is expected to draw more than 7,000 participants from around the world. Its focus is on the theme of power, how it can drive  or hinder  progress and change.

Yassien says ones of the things that empowered her to start AMNA, which now has four full-time employees, 12 volunteers and 500 community ambassadors, was her participation in UNDPs Youth Leadership Programme (YLP), which encourages young people to hone their leadership skills. She was part of the first cohort in 2015.

In addition to fueling her passion, the programme provided her with the necessary business skills and knowledge on development issues, as well as gender sensitivity and analysis, to set up her organization.

It was through doing research for AMNA on the issue of violence against women in Sudan, that Yassien first came across the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. While she says much progress has been made since then, such as changing laws and increasing womens political participation, it needs to be expanded.

For Beijing+25, we are going to be acquiring the problems and challenges we had 25 years ago in addition to women and STEM, women and innovation, women entrepreneurs, climate change, and all the modern challenges were dealing with, she says.

Yassien hopes the declarations next iteration will also highlight the intersectionality of womens challenges.

Intersectionality isnt just a buzzword or academic terminology that we use. Its our lives, its us, she says. Being black, African, Muslim, Arab, and also a young woman, all this affects me in different ways. This is what I hope to see in Beijing+25, that we are considering how the narrative has changed, and how all these identities reflect us.

While Yassien wont be attending Women Deliver next week, she says its essential that these large global events continue to include the voices and experiences of younger women, in the lead up to and during Beijing+25. Her generation brings new aspects of the challenges theyre facing to the conversation, as well as new ideas of how to tackle them.

We should be everywhere. I want to make sure that every challenge that I face now is brought to the conversation, is part of the conversation, is tackled through Beijing+25, says Yassien. Our role as young feminists is to ensure that were moving ahead, to make sure that the next generation will not have to have these same conversations.
Somali refugees prepare for the voyage home on a ferry from Aden, Yemen.  UNHCR

Almost 4,300 Somali refugees have now returned home from Yemen, since the roll-out in 2017 of an Assisted Spontaneous Return (ASR) programme, facilitated by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in cooperation with humanitarian partners and authorities in Yemen and Somalia.

In the latest departure, a boat carrying 125 Somali refugees departed Aden on Wednesday afternoon. The vessel arrived at the Port of Berbera in Somalia yesterday morning, bringing home men, women and children in time for the Islamic holiday of Eid next week, which is observed at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Those who returned home this week include Somalis who had been born in Yemen to refugee parents, and others who were born in Somalia and who fled to Yemen hoping to escape conflict and insecurity.

With Yemen being the worlds largest humanitarian crisis and civilians facing life-threatening conditions, the situation for refugees and asylum seekers and migrants has deteriorated significantly.

Somali refugees comprise 90 per cent of Yemens refugee and asylum seeker population, or some 250,000 people. Refugee movements from Somalia to Yemen have been taking place since the 1980s. They continued following the outbreak of civil war in Somalia, with many fleeing generalized violence and individualized fear of persecution in addition to the consequences of drought and a lack of livelihood opportunities.

As a long-standing refugee host nation and the only country in the Arabian Peninsula signatory to the Refugee Convention and its Additional Protocol, Yemen currently hosts the worlds third largest Somali refugee population.

But with the conflict becoming prolonged, UNHCR, Yemeni national authorities and humanitarian partners face significant challenges in ensuring safety, humanitarian assistance and access to essential life-saving services for refugees and asylum-seekers in the country.

Just this month, Somali refugees were among those injured when strikes hit Yemens capital, Sanaa. In addition to the dangers posed by conflict many refugees now face increased hardship, lack access to basic services and struggle to cover basic needs and sustain themselves given the limited work and economic opportunities.

As a result, an increasing number of refugees have been approaching UNHCR for help in returning home, citing safety and security concerns and limited access to services. Thirty-three organized departures have now taken place from Yemen to Somalia since the commencement of the ASR programme in 2017.

Those returning home are assisted by UNHCR and partners, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM). They are helped with documentation, transportation and financial support in Yemen to facilitate the journey, as well as return and reintegration assistance.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
Ukraine boosts poultry exports by 40% in Jan-April

10:55, 31.05.19 2590

Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, and Slovakia were major buyers of Ukrainian poultry.
Boryspil Airport may halt its work over possible strike

11:25, 31.05.19 10821

The move is caused by employers' reluctance to meet workers' demands.
Ukraine, Costa Rica in talks on visa-free deal

15:25, 31.05.19 613

Diplomats of the two countries held the first ever consular consultations.
China's CNBM asks Zelensky to protect its Ukrainian-based subsidiary from raiders

19:01, 31.05.19 2844

This refers to Voskhod Solar LLC, which owns a solar power plant in Ukraine's Mykolaiv region.
Today, the issues of energy sphere were discussed in the format of the meeting, while relevant decisions will be made in two weeks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said one of Ukraine's commitments to the European Union is the reform of the energy sector with the demonopolization of energy markets being the key issue.

During a meeting with members of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine concerning energy security, he said the next stage of the electricity market should start from July 1, according to the president's press service.

"However, in conditions of total monopolization, there may be risks for producers, for consumers and for the Ukrainian economy as a whole. The international partners warn us against that," Zelensky said.

Read alsoZelensky changes NSDC's composition (List)

The president reiterated he visited the Lisova mine in Lviv region yesterday, where two miners had been killed and expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims.

"Two years ago, eight miners were killed at the Stepova mine. Recently, 17 miners were killed at the Skhidkarbon mine near Luhansk. These are all our people. Problems in the coal industry have common roots wherever they arise," the president said.

Zelensky said that during the last week he had visited two places, where Ukrainians were killed.

"Bullets and shells kill on the frontline. And irresponsibility, mismanagement and corruption kill in the rear," Zelensky stressed.

Today, the issues of energy sphere were discussed in the format of the meeting, while relevant decisions will be made in two weeks.

"The stakes are extremely high  the safety and welfare of our people," the president said.

Zelensky said coal production by Ukraine's state enterprises had decreased by 47% during 2014-2018. The Ukrainian economy is critically dependent on the import of energy resources, and very little has been done to obtain them from different sources.

"Despite rosy statements, gas production does not increase. Tomorrow is summer, but winter is coming. And we should prepare for the heating season," the president said.
Dispute over cake packaging design between Roshen, KyivBKK considering in Ukraine's Supreme Court

22:55, 31.05.19 3346

The relevant Supreme Court's ruling of May 27 has been published in the Unified State Register of Judicial Decisions.
Russia's Culture Ministry issued more than 90 orders in 2014-2018 to green-light archaeological excavations in occupied Crimea.

Ukraine's Ministry for Temporary Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons has initiated sanctions against 28 legal entities, scientific and museum institutions whose representatives are engaged in illegal archaeological excavations in the Russia-occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

Read alsoRussia again delays commissioning of railway service via Kerch Strait bridge

"As part of the monitoring of compliance with the legal regime on the temporarily occupied territory, the ministry has identified a number of individuals who had received permission to conduct illegal archaeological excavations. Sanctions have already been introduced against fifteen individuals who are citizens of the Russian Federation, on the ministry's initiative and under Ukrainian President's Decree No. 82/2019 dated March 19, 2019," the ministry's press service said in a statement on May 30.

New sanctions will be introduced against 28 legal entities, scientific and museum institutions that have been involved in the excavations. Local Crimean scientific organizations that were illegally registered as Russian legal entities have also taken an active part in the archeological dig.

A large number of illegal archaeological excavations are being carried out under Russia-led large infrastructure projects: the construction of a transport crossing project through the Kerch Strait and the so-called "Tavrida highway," etc.

The Ukrainian ministry says a draft resolution to impose sanctions against the said individuals has been sent for approval to the respective Ukrainian authorities, after which it will be sent to Ukraine's government for consideration.

In 2014-2018, the Russian Culture Ministry issued more than 90 orders to green-light archaeological excavations in occupied Crimea.
Kristina Kvien met with the embassy's workers on Friday.

The United States has sent its new envoy to Ukraine, U.S. Charge d'Affaires ad interim Kristina Kvien.

"Today, U.S. Embassy Kyiv staff welcomed Charge d'Affaires a.i. Kristina Kvien at a Town Hall meeting. She arrived on May 28, 2019," the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said on Twitter on May 31.

Read alsoOutgoing U.S. Ambassador Yovanovitch hails Ukraine's progress in past five years (Video)

From 2013-April 2019, she served as Acting DCM/Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at U.S. Embassy Paris. Previously, Kvien served as Acting DCM and Economic Counselor at U.S. Embassy Bangkok, Thailand; Economic Counselor at U.S. Embassy London; and Director for European Union, Ukraine, and Belarus Affairs at the National Security Council in the Executive Office of the President. She has also served at U.S. Embassy Moscow, Russia; the U.S. Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium; and the U.S. Embassy Manila, Philippines.

At the Department of State in Washington, DC, Kvien worked on European Union issues and on bilateral relations with Slovenia.

She is a native of California, with a BA in Political Science from Occidental College and an MS in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said on May 7 that U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch would complete her mission by the end of May 2019, although her term was expiring in summer. On the same day, Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer issued a joint statement expressing the conviction that Yovanovitch's premature recall was politically motivated.

"Ambassador Yovanovitch is a dedicated public servant and a diplomat of the highest caliber who has represented the United States under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The White House's outrageous decision to recall her is a political hit job and the latest in this Administration's campaign against career State Department personnel. It's clear that this decision was politically motivated, as allies of President Trump had joined foreign actors in lobbying for the Ambassador's dismissal. By recalling Ambassador Yovanovitch just mere months before her tenure in Ukraine was set to end, the Administration is harming American interests and undermining American diplomacy. We call on the Administration to reverse this decision immediately. In this period of transition, Ukraine needs gifted professionals like Ambassador Yovanovitch more than ever," the statement said.
Respective presidential order No. 345/2019 of May 31 has been posted on the president's official website.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed head of the Ukrainian Border Guard Service Petro Tsyhykal.

Read alsoZelensky fires chief of SBU's main investigation department

Respective presidential order No. 345/2019 of May 31 has been posted on the president's official website.

"To dismiss Tsyhykal Petro Oleksandrovych from the office of the head of State Border Guard Service of Ukraine," the document says.

By another decree No. 346/2019 of May 31, the president dismissed Tsyhykal from military service in the reserve with the right to wear a military uniform.

As UNIAN reported, Tsyhykal has held the post since July 2017 after appointment by the then President Petro Poroshenko.
Pompeo expressed gratitude to Germany for cooperation in the issue of sanctions punishing Russia for its aggression in Ukraine and the use of chemical weapons in the United Kingdom.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas have discussed the interaction between their countries in connection with Russian armed aggression, including in Ukraine.

Read alsoU.S. sends new envoy to Ukraine to replace Marie Yovanovitch

During a press conference following the meeting in Berlin, Pompeo expressed gratitude to Germany for cooperation in the issue of sanctions punishing Russia for its aggression in Ukraine and the use of chemical weapons in the United Kingdom, according to the Voice of America's Ukrainian Service.

Maas, in turn, stressed the importance of cooperation between Germany and the United States, in particular, with regard to Ukraine, and spoke about the results of his visit to Kyiv.

Maas said that during his visit to Kyiv this week, he spoke very clearly and said the new president and the new government deserve the full support in continuing Ukraine's reform course.

Maas noted the need for Russia to immediately take constructive steps, not only with regard to Ukraine, but first and foremost on Ukraine.

In addition, Pompeo and Maas discussed international policy issues regarding such countries as China, Iran and Venezuela.
Zelensky thanked France for the consistent support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accepted the invitation from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to make a visit to Paris in the near future.

Following a meeting with Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France Jean-Yves Le Drian, which took place on May 31 in Kyiv, Zelensky thanked France for the consistent support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, according to the presidential press service.

Read alsoZelensky to visit Brussels next week  media

Zelensky also said the solidarity of France with Ukraine as a partner in the Normandy format and in various international groups and organizations was essential for maintaining security and defending the norms and principles of international law on the continent.

In addition, the parties paid considerable attention to the further enhancement of bilateral political dialogue and strengthening of cooperation between Ukraine and France, in particular in trade and economic sphere.

Zelensky noted many interesting joint projects that are being implemented in Ukraine, in particular, those aimed at socio-economic recovery of the eastern regions of the country (for example, the renovation of the water supply system in Mariupol).
The 64-year-old captain is suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly accident.

Police in Hungary have detained and questioned the Ukrainian captain of a cruise ship that smashed into a sightseeing boat on the Danube River, killing at least seven people and leaving 21 people missing with little hope of rescue.

Adrian Pal, a spokesman for the police, told a news conference on May 30 in Budapest that the tourist boat with 35 passengers and crew had sunk almost immediately after it collided with a large passenger vessel by one of the Danube's bridges, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said.

Police said that as part of the criminal investigation, the 64-year-old Ukrainian captain of the larger vessel, the 135-meter Viking Sigyn, had been detained.

Read alsoFour killed in Mi-8 military helicopter crash amid training flight in Ukraine's Rivne region

The authorities said the man, identified only as Yuriy C. of Odesa, is suspected of endangering water transport leading to a deadly accident. Police said the man is an experienced sailor.

Pal said it could take days to lift the boat from the riverbed. He could not confirm or deny whether there could still be bodies trapped inside the hull.

Seven people had been rescued and were hospitalized in stable condition following the accident, but Pal downplayed the chances of finding anyone else alive.

"I wouldn't say there is no hope, rather that there is a minimal chance [of finding survivors]," Pal told the M1 state broadcaster.

"This is not just because of the water temperature, but [also] the strong currents in the river, the vapor above the water surface, as well as the clothes worn by the people who fell in," he added.

The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said on May 30 that the South Korean tourists weren't wearing life jackets.
Russia-led forces used proscribed weapons in four attacks.

Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded in enemy attacks in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, on Thursday, May 30.

"Two members of the Joint Forces have been wounded in action. Every enemy attack has received an adequate response. According to intelligence reports, one invader was wounded on May 30," the press center of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters said on Facebook in a morning update on May 31.

Read alsoMissing Ukrainian serviceman found dead in Russia-occupied area in Luhansk region

On Thursday, May 30, Russia-led forces mounted eight attacks on Ukrainian positions, using proscribed weapons, namely 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, in four instances.

The enemy also opened fire from weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, as well as from grenade launchers of various systems, large-caliber machine guns, and small arms, the JFO HQ said.

Under attack were the town of Avdiyivka, and the villages of Vodiane, Pisky, Opytne, Pyshchevyk, Verkhniotoretske, Novolunaske, and Krymske.

Since Friday midnight, there have been four attacks on Ukrainian positions near the town of Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Vodiane and Maiske. No Ukrainian army casualties have reported since then.
The official OSCE farewell ceremony for Apakan took place on May 30.

Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan will be succeeded by Turkish diplomat, Ambassador Yasar Halit Cevik.

The official OSCE farewell ceremony for Apakan, the former Undersecretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Turkey, took place at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, Austria, on May 30, the OSCE press service said.

Read alsoTwo Ukrainian soldiers wounded in recent enemy attacks in Donbas

OSCE Secretary General Greminger presented outgoing Chief Monitor Apakan with the OSCE medal.

Apakan thanked the OSCE and the participating states for their continuous support. "I arrived in Ukraine when the streets around Maidan [Kyiv's Independence Square, a place of major events during the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine late in 2013  early in 2014] were still a testimony to recent events," he said. "I leave the country with the hope that a sustainable ceasefire will soon be a reality."
In particular, the invaders use 122mm and 152mm artillery systems, as well as 82mm and 120mm mortars.

Information Resistance, a Ukrainian non-governmental project on information security, has said Russian-led forces in Donbas resumed the use of artillery systems amid the shelling of the advanced positions of the Joint Forces, as well as settlements near the contact line.

Read alsoTwo Ukrainian soldiers wounded in recent enemy attacks in Donbas

In particular, the invaders use 122mm and 152mm artillery systems, as well as 82mm and 120mm mortars, the NGO said.

Moreover, the occupiers fire from automatic small arms, mounted and handheld grenade launchers, standard armament of combat armored vehicles, anti-aircraft guns such as ZU-23-2 towed 23mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannons, and anti-tank missile systems.
The head of the Malaysian government doesn't rule out that Ukraine could be to blame for the crime.

Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the Malaysian government wants strong evidence to show that Russia is responsible for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 tragedy in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in 2014.

"I don't think very highly disciplined party is responsible for launching the missile," he said, the MalayMail news portal reported on May 30.

He said Malaysia accepted the investigation report of Holland but only up to the point where the plane was brought down by a missile made by Russia.

Read alsoRussian Twitter "false flag" operation to blame Ukraine for MH17 broke all records  KHPG

According to him, his government cannot be certain that the missile was launched by Russia.

"They are accusing Russia but where is the evidence? We know the missile that brought down the plane is a Russian type missile, but it could also be made in Ukraine," he said.

"You need strong evidence to show it was fired by the Russians, it could be by the rebels in Ukraine, it could be Ukrainian government because they too have the same missile," he said during a dialogue and media conference with the Japanese Foreign Correspondent Club (FCCJ).

Mahathir said people of Russia are military people and they would know that MH17 is a passenger plane.

The prime minister said Malaysia should also be involved in the examining the black box as the plane belongs to Malaysia and there were Malaysians passengers.

"We may not have the expertise but we can buy the expertise. For some reasons, Malaysia was not allowed to check the black box to see what happened. We don't know why we are excluded from the examination but from the very beginning, we see too much politics in it and the idea was not to find out how this happened but seems to be concentrated on trying to pin it to the Russians. This is not a neutral kind of examination," Mahathir said.

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. No suspects have been named, though 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.
The Foreign Ministry's note on this move has been sent to the EU Delegation in Russia.

The Russian Federation has decided to expand its response list of the officials from EU member countries and European institutions that are banned from entering its territory.

Read alsoRussia says it will respond to new EU sanctions  media

"The European Union (EU) has recently adopted unilateral restrictive measures as regards several Russian citizens based on groundless and sometimes absurd accusations against our compatriots. The Russian Federation has repeatedly warned the EU against using the instrument of unilateral sanctions, which contradicts international law. Following the EU decisions, it openly declared that Russia reserved the right to respond in kind," the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a comment on May 31, 2019.

"In this context, Russia has decided to expand its response list of the officials from EU member countries and European institutions that are banned from entering its territory. The number of officials on the Russian list has been brought to parity with the EU list," reads the report.

"Relevant restrictions were imposed in line with Federal Law No.114-FZ of August 15, 1996 On the Procedure of Exiting and Entering the Russian Federation."

It is reported the Foreign Ministry's note on this move has been sent to the EU Delegation in Russia in accordance with the established procedure.
New research published today in the journal Antiquity reveals that ancient faeces from the prehistoric village of Catalhoyuk have provided the earliest archaeological evidence for intestinal parasite infection in the mainland Near East.

People first gave up hunting and gathering and turned to farming in the Near East, around 10,000 years ago. The settlement of Catalhoyuk is famous for being an incredibly well preserved early village founded around 7,100 BC. The population of Catalhoyuk were early farmers, growing crops such as wheat and barley, and herding sheep and goats.

"It has been suggested that this change in lifestyle resulted in a similar change in the types of diseases that affected them. As the village is one of the largest and most densely populated of its time, this study at Catalhoyuk helps us to understand that process better," says study lead Dr Piers Mitchell of Cambridge's Department of Archaeology.

The toilet was first invented in the 4th millennium BC in Mesopotamia, 3000 years later than when Catalhoyuk flourished. It is thought the people living at Catalhoyuk either went to the rubbish tip (midden) to open their bowels, or carried their faeces from their houses to the midden in a vessel or basket to dispose of them.

"We would expect this to have put the population at risk of diseases spread by contact with human faeces, and explains why they were vulnerable to contracting whipworm," says the study first author Marissa Ledger.

"As writing was only invented 3000 years after the time of Catalhoyuk, the people were unable to record what happened to them during their lives. This research enables us for the first time to imagine the symptoms felt by some of the prehistoric people living at Catalhoyuk who were infected by this parasite."

To look for the eggs of intestinal parasites, Cambridge researchers Mitchell, Ledger and Evilena Anastasiou used microscopy to study preserved pieces of human faeces (coprolites) from a rubbish tip, and soil formed from decomposed faeces recovered from the pelvic region of burials. The samples dated from 7,100-6150 BC.

To determine whether the coprolites excavated from the midden were from human or animal faeces, they were analysed for sterols and bile acids at the University of Bristol Mass Spectrometry Facility by Helen Mackay, Lisa Marie Shillito, and Ian Bull. This analysis demonstrated that the coprolites were of human origin.

Further microscopic analysis showed that eggs of whipworm were present in two of the coprolites, demonstrating that people from the prehistoric village were infected by this intestinal parasite.

"It was a special moment to identify parasite eggs over 8000 years old," said study co-author Evilena Anastasiou.

Whipworms are 3-5cm in length, and live on the lining of the intestines of the large bowel. Adult worms can live for 5 years. Male and female worms mate and their eggs are mixed in with the faeces. Whipworm is spread by the contamination of food or drink from human faeces that contain the worm eggs. A heavy infection with whipworm can lead to anaemia, diarrhoea, stunted growth and reduced intelligence in children.

"Now we need to find ancient faecal material from prehistoric hunter gathers in the Near East, to help us understand how this change in lifestyle affected their diseases." added Mitchell.
(@FahadShabbir)

Some 550 Venezuelan refugees and migrants who arrived in the Dominican Republic have received free medical services, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a press release on Friday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2019) Some 550 Venezuelan refugees and migrants who arrived in the Dominican Republic have received free medical services, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a press release on Friday.

"At the Social Integration Fair held at the facilities of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo - the first of its kind - 550 Venezuelan refugees and migrants recently arrived in the Dominican Republic received access to medical services and legal advice on migration issues. The cost to them: nothing," the release said.

During the one-day event, funded by the US State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, and organized by the IOM and the Colonia Foundation of Venezuelans in the Dominican Republic, Venezuelans were offered ophthalmology, dentistry and pediatrics services among others, according to the release.

In addition, many refugees were provided with legal advice on issues such as migration, taxes, housing and employment.

According to the IOM's latest data, approximately 3.7 million Venezuelans have left their country. Some 3 million of them arrived in Latin American and Caribbean countries, with 28,500 refugees currently living in neighboring countries.

Venezuela has been suffering from a severe political crisis since late January, when US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido illegally proclaimed himself interim leader in a bid to oust President Nicolas Maduro from power.

The United States and other countries have endorsed Guaido and called on Maduro to step down to allow for a new election to be organized. China, Bolivia, Russia, Turkey and numerous other countries have, in turn, voiced their support for Maduro as Venezuela's only legitimate president.
(@FahadShabbir)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2019) UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer has said it is unacceptable when democratic countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Ecuador "gang up" against a single investigative journalist and urged them to stop the "collective persecution" of Julian Assange, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said in a press release on Friday.

Assange is imputed criminal charges by simultaneously three states - Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom, where he currently serves a 50 week sentence for bail breach and asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, which cast him out in April. The next hearing on his case is scheduled to take place on June 12.

"In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution I have never seen a group of democratic States ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law. The collective persecution of Julian Assange must end here and now!" Melzer said as cited by the OHCHR.

In particular, Melzer points that the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Ecuador have led "a sustained and concerted" campaign of public mobbing intimidation and defamation against Assange since 2010, "when Wikileaks started publishing evidence of war crimes and torture committed by US forces.

" The criminalisation of investigative journalism in such manner raises serious concerns and violates both the US Constitution and international law, Melzer added.

This pressure, in addition to limited access to legal resources and poor health conditions, witnessed by Melzer as he visited Assange in prison, make it impossible for the WikiLeaks founder to adequately prepare his defense, the press release said.

The UN rapporteur concluded by condemning the collective abuse of Assange and urged all involved governments to ensure the protection of his human rights and dignity.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on Melzer's cause, saying she was looking forward to hearing what the UK authorities, who position themselves as champions of human rights, had to say about it.

The UK Metropolitan police arrested Assange on April 11, as soon as Ecuador revoked his asylum in the embassy building in London. Westminster Magistrates Court held two hearings on his case, on April 12 and May 30. It is to decide whether to extradite him to Sweden or the United States. Stockholm imputes to him sexual assault charges. In Washington, where he is wanted for espionage, he may face up to 175 years in prison.
A man's risk of prostate cancer has been linked to his prior reproductive history, with low sperm quality, low ejaculation frequency, and a low number of offspring being associated with increased prostate cancer risk. It is however highly controversial whether vasectomy, a common sterilization procedure for men, influences prostate cancer risk.

We established a cohort of all Danish men (born from 1937) and linked information on vasectomy, doctor visits, socioeconomic factors and cancer from nationwide registries using unique personal identification numbers. Incidence risk ratios for prostate cancer by time since vasectomy and age at vasectomy during the follow-up were estimated using log-linear Poisson regression.

Overall, 26,238 cases of prostate cancer occurred among 2,150,162 Danish men during 53.4 million person-years of follow-up. Overall, vasectomized men had an increased risk of prostate cancer compared with non-vasectomized men (relative risk 1.15; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.20). The increased risk of prostate cancer following vasectomy persisted for at least 30 years after the procedure and was observed regardless of age at vasectomy and cancer stage at diagnosis. Adjustment for the number of visits to doctor and socioeconomic factors did not explain the association.

Vasectomy is associated with a statistically significant increased long-term risk of prostate cancer. The absolute increased risk following vasectomy is nevertheless small, but our finding supports a relationship between reproductive factors and prostate cancer risk.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2019 May 23 [Epub ahead of print]

Anders Husby, Jan Wohlfahrt, Mads Melbye

Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, DK-2300 Copenhagen, Denmark.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31119294
In their pastoral message, the West African Bishops reaffirm their prophetic mandate, challenge pastors and religious leaders, in Africa, to live credible lives. They also speak of their pain at the sight of boats overloaded with young people that perish in the Mediterranean Sea.

Paul Samasumo  Vatican City

The Bishops of West Africa, under the auspices of RECOWA-CERAO have assured African Governments and politicians that they have no intention of usurping the powers of governments or replacing politicians. In a Pastoral Message at the end of the third Plenary Assembly held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, last week, the Bishops, however, said they have a prophetic responsibility to promote good governance, the rule of law and transparent elections.

RECOWA-CERAO is an association of West African Bishops from the 11 Episcopal Conferences who comprise 16 Countries: The Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote dIvoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gambia and Togo.

Politicians: Let not power dominate your hearts

With you and for you, we pray that the privileges and pleasant aspects of power do not dominate your hearts, but that you fulfil your responsibility in a spirit of service, in the manner of Jesus Christ, who came not to be served but to serve and give his life as ransom for the multitude. Without wishing to take your place, your mission being of a different nature, the Church, however, stands by your side. With you, she wants to work to promote peaceful nations and communities more united around the new values of the Kingdom that transcends ethnic and geographical barriers. With governments, she wants to work together to promote good governance, the rule of law, transparent elections, smooth conduct of the elections, respect for the national constitution and the election results, the Bishops say in a message signed by Nigerian Coadjutor Archbishop of Abuja and Apostolic Administrator of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama, who is also the President of RECOWA-CERAO.

The Bishops have urged their brother-Bishops, in Africa, priests and all religious leaders to cultivate credible lifestyles that will be a sign of hope for the faithful

To be a sign of hope, Church leaders need to be credible pastors, witnesses who proclaim the Gospel not only in words but also and above all in the witness of their own lives. The Church in Africa cannot be the sign of hope she wants to be if those who animate and represent her are not credible. We call for an awareness of what pastors are called to be, of the trust that Christ placed in them, as salt of the earth and light of the world, the Bishops said.

Terrorism and fundamentalism in the West African region

There has been an increased spate of terrorist attacks and intercommunal violence in Africas Sahel region, particularly in West Africa.

The paradox of our region with the development of new forms of fundamentalism, sources of blind violence, which sow terror and destabilise our nations call us to question. Can we still speak of holy war? In the name of which God and which religion can one still kill human beings and moreover innocent persons who are only asking to be alive? reads the message.

The Bishops want West African governments to do more in combatting terrorism; to work together and protect lives.

Our hearts suffer to see boats overloaded with young people

To the young people of Africa, the Bishops say, You represent the present and the future of Africa, which must struggle with all resources for the dignity and happiness of her sons and daughters. In this context, we cannot be silent about the phenomenon of migration of young Africans to Europe. Our hearts as pastors and fathers suffer at the sight of these boats overloaded with young people, women and children, which are destroyed in the waves of the Mediterranean. Certainly, we understand your thirst for happiness and well-being that your countries do not offer you. Unemployment, misery, poverty remain evils that humiliate and revolt. However, they are not enough for you to sacrifice yourselves by taking such dangerous paths and to destinations where happiness seems to escape those who live in these places that you so desire to reach. God did not strip Africa. On the contrary, He has provided her with so much human and natural resources that it can offer all her children what they need. That is why we call for a more just international order so that with the goods of the earth belonging to all, we arrive at a better distribution of the resources of the world, a more just remuneration of the efforts of each one, that the riches of our countries benefit everyone, said the Bishops.
Pope Francis attends an interreligious prayer meeting for peace in Sofia, the last event on his Apostolic Journey to Bulgaria. The Pope's prepared remarks are below:

Address of His Holiness Pope Francis

Following the Prayer for Peace

Sofia, Nezavisimost Square

Monday, 6 May 2019

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have prayed for peace in words inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi, who was so greatly in love with God the Creator and Father of all. A love that he showed with similar passion and deep respect for the beauty of creation and for all those whom he encountered on his pilgrim way. A love that changed his way of seeing things and helped him to realize that in everyone there is a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved (Evangelii Gaudium, 6).

That love also led Saint Francis to become a true peacemaker. Each of us is called to follow in his footsteps by becoming a peacemaker, an artisan of peace. Peace is both a gift and a task; it must be implored and worked for, received as a blessing and constantly sought as we strive daily to build a culture in which peace is respected as a fundamental right. An active peace, fortified against all those forms of selfishness and indifference that make us put the petty interests of a few before the inviolable dignity of each person.

Peace requires and demands that we adopt dialogue as our path, mutual understanding as our code of conduct, and reciprocal understanding as our method and standard (cf. Document on Human Fraternity, Abu Dhabi, 4 February 2019). In this way, we can focus on what unites us, show mutual respect for our differences, and encourage one another to look to a future of opportunity and dignity, especially for future generations.

This evening, we have gathered to pray before these lamps brought by our children. They symbolize the fire of love that burns within us and that is meant to become a beacon of mercy, love and peace wherever we find ourselves. A beacon that can cast light upon our entire world. With the fire of love, we can melt the icy chill of war and conflict. Our celebration of peace takes place on the ruins of ancient Serdika, here in Sofia, the heart of Bulgaria. From here, we can see the places of worship of the different Churches and religious Confessions: Saint Nedelya of our Orthodox brothers and sisters, Saint Joseph of us Catholics, the synagogue of our older brothers, the Jews, the mosque of our Muslim brothers and sisters and, closer to us, the Armenian church.



For many centuries, the Bulgarians of Sofia belonging to different cultural and religious groups gathered in this place for meetings and discussions. May this symbolic place become a witness to peace. Tonight our voices blend in expressing our ardent desire for peace. Let there be peace on earth: in our families, in our hearts, and above all in those places where so many voices have been silenced by war, stifled by indifference and ignored due to the powerful complicity of interest groups. May all work together to make this dream come true: religious, political and cultural leaders. May each of us, wherever we may be, in all that we do, be able to say: Make me an instrument of your peace.

It is a plea that the dream of Pope Saint John XXIII will come true: the dream of an earth where peace is always at home. Let us share in that aspiration and, by the witness of our lives, let us say: Pacem in terris! Let there be peace on earth to all those whom the Lord loves.
Pope Francis meets Priests, Religious and their families in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Skopje (Vatican Media)

Pope Francis greets the Catholic priests and religious men and women of North Macedonia, and invites them to rely on God as they take stock of their mission.

By Devin Watkins

The last public event of the Popes Apostolic Journey to North Macedonia was an encounter with the Churchs ministers and missionaries.

In his prepared remarks, Pope Francis thanked God for the presence of the Latin and Byzantine rites in the Balkan nation.

I can see the Church breathing fully with both her lungs  the Latin rite and the Byzantine rite  and taking in the ever new and renewing air of the Holy Spirit.

He said both lungs are necessary and complementary, since they help us better to taste the beauty of the Lord.

Taking stock

Pope Francis said the Churchs ministers often feel the need to take stock of their mission. He said the bottom line is usually in the red, with few priests and religious to serve so many houses and apostolates.

The risk, said the Pope, is that we can fall into the temptation of relying too heavily on ourselves, rather than on the Lord.

He said taking stock has the advantage of bringing priests and religious closer to the people they serve: families that fail to grow, the sick, elderly, young people frustrated without a future, and the poor.

These people, said Pope Francis, remind us that we are a Church of beggars in need of the Lords Mercy.

Secret of strength

All too often we let ourselves think that things might be different if we were strong, powerful and influential, he said.

The truth, said the Holy Father, is that the secret of our strength lies in something other than ourselves.

Let us not deprive ourselves of the best of our mission; let us not stifle the heartbeat of the Spirit.



Surprises among the pots and pans



Pope Francis told the priests and consecrated persons of North Macedonia that faith draws us more deeply into the world  not leading us to reject it  with trust in Gods unconditional love for us.

And he concluded with words of gratitude for their service and ministry.

Thank you for having shown the familiar face of the God with us, the God who never ceases to surprise us amid the pots and pans!
Pope Francis addresses the authorities, civil society, and diplomatic corps of Romania, the first engagement of his 3-day Apostolic Journey. The full text of his prepared remarks is below:

Address of His Holiness Pope Francis

Meeting with Authorities, Civil Society and the Diplomatic Corps

Bucharest, Presidential Palace

31 May 2019

Mr President

Madam Prime Minister,

Your Beatitude,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Distinguished Authorities,

Representatives of the different Religious Confessions and of Civil Society,

Dear Friends,

I offer a cordial greeting and express my gratitude to Their Excellencies the President and the Prime Minister for the invitation to visit Romania and for their kind words of welcome, extended also in the name of the other Authorities of the nation, and of this beloved people. I greet the members of the Diplomatic Corps and the representatives of civil society gathered here.

My respectful greeting goes likewise to His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel, and to the Metropolitans and Bishops of the Holy Synod, and to all the faithful of the Romanian Orthodox Church. With affection, I greet the Bishops and priests, men and women religious, and all the members of the Catholic Church, whom I have come to confirm in faith and to encourage on their journey of life and Christian witness.

I am happy to find myself in this, your tara frumoasa (beautiful land), twenty years after the visit of Saint John Paul II and in this semester when Romania, for the first time since its entrance into the European Union, holds the presidency of the Council of Europe.



This is a fitting time to think back on the thirty years that have passed since Romania was liberated from a regime that oppressed civil and religious liberty, isolated the nation from other European countries, and led to the stagnation of its economy and the exhaustion of its creative powers. In these years, Romania has been committed to building a sound democracy through the plurality of its political and social forces and their reciprocal dialogue, through the fundamental recognition of religious freedom and through the countrys full participation on the greater international stage. It is important to acknowledge the great strides made on this journey, despite significant difficulties and privations. The determination to advance in various areas of civil, social, cultural, and scientific life has released much energy and generated many projects; it has unleashed great creative forces that had previously been pent up, and has encouraged a number of new initiatives that have guided the country into the twenty-first century. I trust that you will carry forward these efforts to consolidate the structures and institutions needed to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the citizenry and to encourage the nations people to realize its full potential and native genius.

At the same time, it must be acknowledged that while the changes brought by the dawn of this new era have led to genuine achievements, they have also entailed inevitable hurdles to be overcome and problematic consequences for social stability and the governance of the territory itself. I think in the first place of the phenomenon of emigration and the several million people who have had to leave their homes and country in order to seek new opportunities for employment and a dignified existence. I think too of the depopulation of many villages, which have lost many of their inhabitants, the effects of this on the quality of life in those areas, and the weakening of the profound cultural and spiritual roots that have sustained you in times of trial. At the same time, I pay homage to the sacrifices endured by so many sons and daughters of Romania who, by their culture, their distinctive identity and their industriousness, have enriched those countries to which they have emigrated, and by the fruit of their hard work have helped their families who have remained at home.

Confronting the problems of this new chapter of history, identifying effective solutions, and finding the resolve to implement them, calls for greater cooperation on the part of the nations political, economic, social and spiritual forces. It is necessary to move forward together with conviction in following the highest calling to which every state must aspire: that of responsibility for the common good of its people. To move forward together, as a way of shaping the future, requires a noble willingness to sacrifice something of ones own vision or best interest for the sake of a greater project, and thus to create a harmony that makes it possible to advance securely towards shared goals.

This is the path to the building of an inclusive society, one in which everyone shares his or her own gifts and abilities, through quality education and creative, participatory and mutually supportive labour (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 192). In this way, all become protagonists of the common good, where the weak, the poor and the least are no longer seen as undesirables that keep the machine from functioning, but as citizens and brothers and sisters to be fully incorporated into the life of society. Indeed, how they are treated is the best indicator of the actual goodness of the social model that one is attempting to build. Only to the extent that a society is concerned for its most disadvantaged members, can it be considered truly civil.

This entire process needs to have a heart and soul, and a clear goal to achieve, one imposed not by extrinsic considerations or by the growing power of centres of high finance, but by an awareness of the centrality of the human person and of his or her inalienable rights (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 203). For a harmonious and sustainable development, the concrete practice of solidarity and charity, and the increased concern of social, civil and political forces for the pursuit of the common good, it is not enough to modernize economic theories, or professional techniques and abilities, however necessary these in themselves may be. It requires developing not just material conditions but the very soul of your people.

In this regard, the Christian Churches can help to rediscover and strengthen the beating heart that can be the source of a political and social action based on the dignity of the person and leading to commitment to work with fairness and generosity for the overall common good. At the same time, they themselves seek to become a credible reflection of Gods presence and an attractive witness to his works, as they grow in authentic mutual friendship and cooperation. This is the path that the Catholic Church wishes to follow. She desires to contribute to the building up of society. She desires to be a sign of harmony in the hope of unity and to be at the service of human dignity and the common good. She wishes to cooperate with the civil authorities, with the other Churches and with all men and women of good will, journeying together with them and placing her specific gifts at the service of the entire community. The Catholic Church is no stranger to this; she shares fully in the spirit of the nation, as is demonstrated by the participation of her faithful in the shaping of the countrys future and in the creation and development of the structures of integral education and forms of charitable assistance suited to a modern state. In this way, she desires to contribute to the building up of society and of civil and spiritual life in your beautiful land of Romania.

Mr President,

In offering my prayerful good wishes for Romanias prosperity and peace, I invoke upon you, your family, upon all those here present, and upon all the countrys people an outpouring of Gods blessings.

God bless Romania!
On the first day of his visit to Romania, Pope Francis recalls that the way to verify the actual goodness of any social model is to see how it cares for its most disadvantaged members.

By Andrea Tornielli

The speeches given by Pope Francis on his first day in Romania reveal a road map for the future of Europe and the world. Speaking to the President and Authorities of the country, the Pope explained that attention to the weak and the poor represents the best indicator of the actual goodness of the social model that one is attempting to build. The Pope continued, saying: Only to the extent that a society is concerned for its most disadvantaged members, can it be considered truly civil. To achieve this, we need a heart and soul that is free from the growing power of centres of high finance, and filled with an awareness of the centrality of the human person and of his or her inalienable rights.

This is certainly not the first time the Pope has pointed out one of the plagues of our time: an economic-financial system that idolizes the "god of money", instead of placing working women and men at the centre. These words of the Successor of Peter are transversal and uncomfortable, because they are cannot be easily confused. His words describe the malaise experienced by so many peoples against powers and structures they feel are increasingly intrusive and inhumane. They are a wake-up call for a Europe that sometimes forgets to care about people. A Europe that should be closer to the soul of the people the Pope speaks about.

Pope Francis expressed a similar intuition during the meeting with the Permanent Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Pope invited Christians to "listen together to the Lord", especially in these more recent years, when our world has experienced rapid social and cultural changes. Technological development and economic prosperity may have benefitted many, yet even more have remained hopelessly excluded, while a globalization that tends to level differences has contributed to uprooting traditional values and weakening ethics and social life, which more recently has witnessed a growing sense of fear that, often skilfully stoked, leads to attitudes of rejection and hate.

Pope Francis continued: We need to help one another not to yield to the seductions of an individualistic culture of hate that, perhaps no longer ideological as in the time of the atheist persecution, is nonetheless more persuasive and no less materialist. Often it takes on the appearance of a path to development that appears fast and easy, but in reality is indifferent and superficial.

In the new Orthodox Cathedral of Bucharest, Pope Francis paraphrased the Our Father. The prayer the Lord gives all Christians includes the bread of memory, the grace to nurture the shared roots of our Christian identity, so indispensable in an age when humanity, and the young in particular, tend to feel rootless amid the uncertainties of life, and incapable of building their lives on a solid foundation.

The rediscovery of common roots, values and the dreams of Europes Founding Fathers, do not represent an element of "identity" that creates separations and new walls. Instead, they are a hidden heritage to be unearthed in order to create new bonds, a new ability to welcome, and true integration.
Half a month back, the old Lady Gaga came out to play. Making an impressive catwalk show at the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the artist and on-screen character touched base for her co-facilitating obligations at the Met Gala in not one, however four distinct outfits layered on top of each other. There were props included as well. The last outfit was vintage Gaga: a glittery dark bra, sexy panties, sheer tights, and extreme high stage boots.

Photo: Courtesy of Haus of Gaga

When she initially started her role as popular musics lady provocateur, Gaga, nee Stefani Germanotta, stole the spotlight for her incredible, outrageous, and in every case imaginatively wardrobe choice. The bra, panties and fashioning mens jumpsuits were her mark, trailed by famous moments like the time she wore a dress made altogether of slight slice sirloin steaks to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. In the middle of this came originator celebrity red carpet outfits from houses like Versace and Valentino. While promoting A Star is Born, Gaga went full on Hollywood glitz, exchanging the Philip Treacy lobster headpieces and latex for voluminous ball outfits and exemplary hair and cosmetics. The Met Gala execution maybe foreshadowed an arrival to her wild kid long periods of spruce up. Today, shes going to praise an uncovering of her most famoussome may state crazieststyle decisions of her late red carpet moments.

Opening tomorrow in Las Vegas and corresponding with her residency at the Park MGM, going through November 8th of this year, the Haus of Gaga display exhibits around 40 pieces of dresses and jewelry that have never left Gagas own house. These incorporate the custom Versace bodysuits worn for her 2017 Superbowl, the blood-recolored dress she wore to play out her hit Paparazzi at the 2009 VMAs, and the shades made out of cigarettes that she wore in the music video for telephone.

Obviously, theres additionally the most famous meat dress, which has been preserved, as indicated by the innovative head of Haus of Gaga Nicola Formichetti, just like how you preserve a bit of jerky. Its been dried and saved, and now its the time for people to enjoy it, he says of the collection, on which he has teamed up with Lady Gaga since the start of her profession. Formichetti has been responsible for curating and organizing the showcase, which is open and complimentary to guests. He is additionally dealing with a line of selective items that will be available to be purchased in the space, just as a committed area for fans to give to Lady Gaga and her mothers charity Born This Way.

Outside of the most famous and super documented things, there are additionally wonderful dresses and shoes from Alexander McQueen, just as the infamous jeans and shirt worn on screen by Gagas character Allie in A Star is Born. Its astonishing to see these diverse style pieces alongside each other, Formichetti says. The magnificence of Lady Gaga is that she can be anything but always trye to herself. He additionally takes note of that in spite of the long stretches of work he and the Haus of Gaga group have put in, alongside the efforts oriented of runway designers, regardless of if its a celebrity outfit, a couple of pants, or a couple of shades made of smoking cigarette butts, the magic happens when she wears it.
Sergio Ramos has won four Champions Leagues with Real Madrid. (AFP/OSCAR DEL POZO)

Madrid captain Ramos called a press conference at Madrid's training ground in Valdebebas to "end as soon as possible any rumours that have arisen".

He continued: "I want to make my future clear, I'm a Madridista (Real Madrid fan), I want to retire here and what better way than to rebuild this team?

"The day I leave I'd like to say goodbye through the front door, by winning."

Ramos and Perez had a heated argument in March following Madrid's defeat by Ajax in the Champions League, and their relationship has been strained ever since.

Perez claimed in an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero on Monday that Ramos said he had an offer to move to China but the club were unable to afford the transfer. Perez said he replied Madrid would not allow their captain to leave for free.

"I have never wanted to go to China," said Ramos, who added he and Perez held a meeting for "reconciliation" on Wednesday.

"I want to stay in the place I feel loved. Yesterday we fixed everything and we want to build the future of Madrid together."

He added: "The president and I have a father-son relationship, we love each other very much. I do not want to leave, my dream is to retire here, in fact I would be willing to play for free here.

"Who has not argued with their father? But the best solution is to sit face-to-face talking, with nobody else interfering. It's been a long time since I spoke about my contract or money with Florentino."

Real Madrid are expected to complete a deal this summer for Eden Hazard, who said "I think it's goodbye" after Chelsea beat Arsenal to win the Europa League on Wednesday.

"Hazard seems to me a world-class player," Ramos said. "It would be very good for Real Madrid. I don't know, but I hope he can come."
Container ship MV Bavaria, hired by Canada to take its trash back, arrives at Subic Bay in the Philippines AFP/Noel CELIS

After a long campaign to urge Canada to take back the rotting waste, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at Ottawa last week and ordered the refuse returned immediately.

The 69 shipping containers of garbage were loaded onto a cargo vessel at Subic Bay, a former US naval base and shipping port northwest of Manila, and began the lengthy trip to Canada.

"Baaaaaaaaa bye, as we say it," Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin wrote on Twitter, along with images of the vessel leaving.

Canada's Environment Minister Catherine McKenna welcomed the news of the trash being returned, telling reporters on Thursday: "We committed with the Philippines and we're working closely with them."

Just days earlier Malaysia announced it was shipping 450 tonnes of imported plastic waste back to its sources, including Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

For years China had received the bulk of scrap plastic from around the world, but closed its doors to foreign refuse last year in an effort to clean up its environment.

Huge quantities of waste plastic have since been redirected to Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Indonesia and to a lesser degree the Philippines.

"We've seen pristine communities ... transformed into dumpsites because of a tsunami of waste shipments from the US, UK and Australia as a result of the China ban," said Von Hernandez, global coordinator from Break Free From Plastic advocacy group.

300 MILLION TONNES OF WASTE

The Philippine row centres on dozens of containers which a Canadian firm sent to the Southeast Asian nation in 2013 and 2014 - incorrectly labelled as recyclables.

The issue has polluted Manila-Ottawa ties for years, but it blew up when Duterte said in an April speech: "Let's fight Canada. I will declare war against them."

Since then Canada pledged to take back the waste, but after it missed a Manila-imposed May 15 deadline the Philippines recalled its envoys to Ottawa.

Duterte's spokesman, Salvador Panelo, ratcheted up the pressure by saying Manila would ship the trash back on its own "immediately" and threatened to dump the waste in Canadian waters.

From the Philippine side there were immediate signs the departure of the trash would stabilise Manila-Ottawa relations.

"To our recalled posts, get your flights back. Thanks and sorry for the trouble you went through to drive home a point." Foreign Secretary Locsin tweeted on Friday.

Global concern over plastic pollution has been spurred by shocking images of waste-clogged rivers in Southeast Asia and accounts of dead sea creatures found with kilos of refuse in their stomachs.

Around 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), with much of it ending up in landfills or polluting the seas, in what has become a growing international crisis.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and Governor of Yunnan province Ruan Chengfa (Photo: VNA)

During a reception for the Chinese governor in Hanoi on May 30, PM Phuc spoke highly of collaboration between Vietnamese ministries, agencies, localities with Yunnan over the years. Two-way trade between Vietnam and Yunnan hit 4.15 billion USD, up 13 percent from 2017, while bilateral visits and people-to-people exchanges has been promoted, he said.

The PM suggested the two sides thoroughly discuss ways to further boost two-way trade and develop the Kunming-Hanoi-Hai Phong economic corridor as a model for other localities of the two nations.

He noted that Yunnan has great advantages to partner with Vietnam thanks to its aviation, railway, and road connectivity, while Vietnam is developing transport infrastructure in border areas.

The PM asked Yunnan to actively push forward cross-border trade, facilitate customs clearance for cargo to minimise jams in border areas, and import more agro-forestry-aquatic products from Vietnam via mainstream channels, contributing to the balanced development of two-way trade.

He proposed Yunnan boost people-to-people exchange and expand cooperative ties between departments and agencies of Yunnan and Vietnam.

The Vietnamese leader urged the two nations border localities to continue well realise legal documents on the Vietnam-China land border, properly and promptly deal with rising issues towards turning the borderline between Yunnan and Vietnamese localities into a model in bilateral ties and making it a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development for the sake of people of both countries.

He described railway transportation as the main foundation for bilateral economic and trade ties, and proposed the opening of a Hai Phong-Yunnan direct flight to develop tourism and border trade.

Ruan, for his part, wished that both sides would reinforce economic and trade ties, especially via mainstream channels, as well as develop railway transportation and tourism.

Yunnan will work closely with Vietnamese ministries, agencies, and localities to realise agreements reached by the two nations senior leaders, he said, believing that the Kunming-Hanoi-Hai Phong economic corridor will thrive in the near future.
Samsung SDS issues strategic investment to CMC Corporation

According to the agreement, Samsung SDS will join CMC to develop in the fields of smart factory, cloud, and cybersecurity. In the future, the co-operation will exploit other fields such as blockchain and big data, promoting strong growth to expand to the Asia-Pacific and global markets.

CMC hopes the strategic co-operation with Samsung SDS will help the corporation take a step closer to the strategic goal of achieving $1 billion in revenue by 2023. Currently, CMC Corporation is focusing all resources on the three main areas of technology and solutiona, global business, and telecommunications. CMC's goal is to become a global corporation at the forefront of providing digital transformation services and digital services to the region and the world.

Samsung SDS and CMC started co-operating in 2016. In June 2018, Samsung SDS signed a strategic co-operation contract with CMC on deploying solutions to manage and operate MES (manufacturing execution system) for over 200 suppliers of Samsung in Vietnam.

On the momentum of this software co-operation, in November 2018, during the business trip of CMC delegation in South Korea, Samsung offered a comprehensive strategic co-operation in two very potential business lines, IT solutionsand telecoms services (data centre, cloud)  a sector that is growing with the average revenue of $2.2 billion.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Won-Pyo Hong  president and CEO of Samsung SDS, said, By selecting CMC, Samsung SDS made sure to have a strategic partner to expand the business in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The company will actively support the digital transformation of global customers based on the synergy created from the corporation between the two companies.

CMC is the second-largest ICT corporation in Vietnam with over 26 years of establishment and development.

In Vietnam, CMC is known as a partner for medium and major ICT projects in the areas of government, education, taxation, among others.

In the 2018 fiscal year, the accumulated revenue of the corporation reached nearly VND6 trillion ($260.8 million), and profit before tax reached more than VND300 billion ($13.04 million). Recently, CMC corporation has just launched C.OPE2N, an open infrastructure to help businesses and organisations be successful in the digital transformation and quickly catch up with the strongly growing digital economy.

In July, 2017, Samsung SDS established a joint venture with MP Logistics with the aim of expanding its logistics business in Vietnam. The co-operation with MP Logistics is expected to help Samsungs IT and logistics services access the Vietnamese cargo transportation industry.

Besides, in 2016, Samsung SDS established another joint venture with Aviation Logistics Corporation (ALS), one of the leading aviation logistics service providers in Vietnam.
Brazilian students demonstrate during a strike organised by the National Students Union against budget cuts in capital city Brasilia. (AFP/EVARISTO SA)

Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's government has provoked outrage among students and teachers over its proposal to freeze 30 per cent of discretionary spending for public universities in the second half of this year.

A suspension of post-graduate scholarships for students in science and the humanities has also fuelled anger.

Tens of thousands protested across Brazil on May 15, but Thursday's turnout could be lower after the government said it would free up 1.59 billion reais in funding (about US$400 million) for the sector.

Protests began in Brasilia ahead of demonstrations in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and other cities later in the day.

"I'm here for those who are poor and deserve the right to quality public education," social services student Kaio Duarte told AFP in the capital.

"I'm worried that the next generation won't have all of the rights to education that I have had.

"This protest makes clear that students will never be silenced."

Thursday's protests come after thousands of pro-Bolsonaro protesters marched in cities across Brazil on Sunday in a show of support for the embattled leader.

Among their demands was for Congress to speed up approval of the government's stalled pension overhaul, seen as key to unlocking other much-needed economic reforms.
US President Donald Trump acknowledged in a tweet that Russia helped him get elected, before backtracking in comments to White House reporters. (AFP/Jim WATSON)

"Russia, Russia, Russia! That's all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax," Trump tweeted, in an outburst against Special Counsel Mueller's suggestion that Congress impeach him for obstructing the two-year investigation.

"And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected," Trump said.

It appeared to be the first time that Trump accepted claims by US intelligence chiefs that Russian government meddling aided his stunning upset victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Although Trump did not remove the tweet, he shortly afterward sought to walk back the admission, telling reporters as he left on a trip to Colorado that Russia "if anything, helped the other side," or Clinton.

"Russia did not get me elected. You know who got me elected? I got me elected," he said.

"Russia didn't help me at all."

Trump has stridently rejected any suggestion his victory was illegitimate ever since US intelligence chiefs announced in January 2017 that Moscow interfered heavily in the election, hacking computers and manipulating social media largely to damage Clinton and boost Trump's campaign.

His outburst came a day after Mueller - in his first public comments on the investigation he was named to lead in May 2017 - said it had established there "were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election."

Special Counsel Robert Mueller speaks on the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election at the US Justice Department. (AFP/MANDEL NGAN)

"Russian intelligence officers who were part of the Russian military launched a concerted attack on our political system," he said, with their hacking "designed and timed ... to damage a presidential candidate."

TRUMP: MUELLER IS 'CONFLICTED'

Mueller also reiterated that the investigation found evidence of attempts to obstruct his investigation by Trump.

"If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said that," he said.

But he said he was blocked from charging the president by Justice Department regulations and indicated that it is up to Congress to launch impeachment proceedings to determine if Trump committed a crime.

"When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators, it strikes at the core of the government's effort to find the truth and hold wrongdoers accountable," Mueller said.

Trump in response slammed Mueller as conflicted and said the investigation had produced no evidence against him.

"Robert Mueller should have never been chosen," to lead the probe, he told reporters on Thursday.

"I think he is a total conflicted person. I think Mueller is a true never-Trumper."

"He is somebody that dislikes Donald Trump. He is somebody that didn't get a job that he requested."

Asked about a growing clamor in Democratic ranks for the launch of impeachment proceedings against him, Trump called it "presidential harassment."

"To me it's a dirty word , the word impeach, it's a dirty, filthy, disgusting word, and it had nothing to do with me," he said.

"There was no high crime and there was no misdemeanour," he said, referring to the grounds defined in the US constitution for removing a president.

"So how do you impeach based on that?"

Democratic leaders have remained cautious about taking the politically fraught step to remove the president, with elections less than 18 months away.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in Congress, said in a statement that Congress would step up investigations, while studiously avoiding the word impeachment.

US House Speaker and Democratic Congressional leader Nancy Pelosi is resisting pressure to launch impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. (AFP/MANDEL NGAN)

"The Congress holds sacred its constitutional responsibility to investigate and hold the President accountable for his abuse of power," she said.

"The American people must have the truth."

But several Democratic presidential hopefuls are pressing for Congress to start impeachment proceedings.

"If he were anyone other than president of the United States, he would be in handcuffs and indicted," said Senator Elizabeth Warren.

"What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral. Now it is up to Congress to hold this president accountable," Senator Kamala Harris said on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (C) witnesses the signing ceremony between the Government Office of Vietnam and the French Development Agency (AFD) in e-government development cooperation (Photo: VNA)

Attended the signing ceremony were Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and French Ambassador to Vietnam Bertrand Lortholary.

The MoU aims to build bilateral cooperative relations between the Government Office and the AFD in implementing e-government in Vietnam, thereby supporting the Governments digitalisation, administrative modernisation, and reform process.

It is the continuation of another MoU signed between the Vietnam Government Office and the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the MoU aims to concretise the cooperation agreement between the two governments after the visit to Vietnam by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe in November last year.

Accordingly, the two sides agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in the development of e-government and modernisation of state administrative management.

PM Phuc said according to the UN evaluation, France is one of the leading countries in e-government adoption, so it has a plenty of experience to share with Vietnam, especially as the Vietnamese Government is defining the building of e-government as an important strategy to serve its people.

He asked the French Embassy in Vietnam and relevant agencies of the Vietnamese Government to support necessary issues to implement the agreement effectively.

Lortholary said Vietnam and France have cooperated effectively in numerous fields over the past time, including the building of e-government.

The important thing is to provide services for people in an effective, convenient, and safe manner, he said.

In recent times, France has sent many experts to Vietnam to help with the building of e-government in the Southeast Asian country, he added.

According to the MoU, the Vietnam Government Office and the AFD will cooperate in such prioritised fields as building integrated solutions and data sharing between government agencies and data protection; a national portal for public services; and solutions to identify individuals and businesses.

In the long run, the two sides could partner in other spheres of mutual concern, such as support to change the information system, building an IT infrastructure system, ensuring cyber information safety, and building digital government and open data.
Promoting international religious freedom has been a key component of Americas foreign policy since 1998 when Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act. Host Carol Castiel sits down with Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, whose office monitors religious persecution and discrimination worldwide. Brownback talks about Countries of Particular Concern or CPC countries such as China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, which are egregious violators of religious freedom and/or which persecute religious minorities. He also lauds countries like Morocco and the UAE, and others like Nigeria and Mongolia, which are trying to promote greater religious tolerance and pluralism.
In his first visit to Germany as U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo met Friday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin for talks that focused on Iran and China.

Merkel said ahead of the meeting that the United States continues to be Germany's most important partner outside of Europe, but on the issue of Iran, she made clear that Germany stands by the Iran nuclear deal despite the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement.

WATCH: Pompeo Seeks Common Ground on Iran, Huawei in Europe

Pompeo highlighted common ground during his visit to Berlin, saying that Washington would not stand in the way of INSTEX  a system Europeans are developing to protect companies from American sanctions if they deal with Iran  as long as the focus is on providing humanitarian and other permitted goods.

INSTEX is not yet up and running, but Europeans hope to have it functioning by this summer.

Since the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement, the United States has been at odds with Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, which are trying to keep the deal alive.

Merkel said that despite the differences between the United States and Germany the two sides agree that Iran must be prevented from taking "aggressive actions" and said the international community must ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons.

During his visit to Berlin, Pompeo also cautioned Germany against engaging with China's telecommunications giant Huawei to help develop 5G networks.

"We've been pretty clear about how we view the risks connected to Huawei and 5G infrastructure. The internet of the future must have Western values embedded within it," the secretary of state said after meeting with his German counterpart Heiko Maas.

Pompeo's stop in Berlin makes up for a visit that he abruptly called off in early May to fly to Iraq. It is the first of his four-nation European trip, during which he also will visit Switzerland and the Netherlands before joining President Donald Trump on his state visit to Britain.
Police raids on the home and office of a San Francisco reporter have sparked a debate over press freedoms, and led to calls for the resignation of the citys police chief.



The raids, which occurred on May 10, were the result of a police report leaked to freelance journalist Bryan Carmody. The reporter was kept in handcuffs for more than five hours as police seized his cellphones, flash drives, cameras and computers.



The leaked report concerned the death in February of the city's public defender, Jeff Adachi, a frequent critic of the San Francisco Police Department. An autopsy found that Adachi's death at age 59 was caused by cocaine and alcohol, aggravating a heart condition. The report allegedly contained salacious details of Adachi's last hours.



Police Chief Bill Scott initially defended the raids, which were conducted under several warrants, and accused Carmody of involvement in a conspiracy to steal the report. But in a statement dated May 24, Scott apologized and questioned whether his departments investigators had appropriately considered Mr. Carmodys status as a member of the news media.



Scott called for an independent investigation into the raids and release of the report.



The San Francisco Police Officers Association has called for Scotts resignation, while two key officials on the police commission have backed the chief and praised his performance.

Reporters enjoy newsgathering protections under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Forty states, including California, provide additional safeguards through so-called shield laws, which allow reporters to protect their sources. All states except Wyoming offer some protections for journalists under state law.



At issue in this case is "reporters privilege"  the idea that a journalists communications with confidential sources should be protected to safeguard the free flow of information in a democracy.



Some reject the notion, and say reporters should be subject to subpoenas and search warrants like everyone else.



Free Speech vs. Protecting Sources



Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances - First Amendment, U.S. Constitution



The Constitution does not explicitly assert a special privilege for reporters to protect their sources. In fact, many reporters have been subpoenaed, and dozens have served jail time for violating court orders.

Former New York Times reporter Judith Miller spent 85 days in prison in 2005 for refusing to testify about a national security leak. James Risen, also formerly of the Times, waged a seven-year battle against the George W. Bush and Obama administrations for refusing to name a confidential source in a leak of national intelligence information. The government eventually dropped its efforts against him.



Reporters are really vulnerable being forced to disclose sources based on federal law, said Genevieve Lakier, a specialist in First Amendment law at the University of Chicago. Thats why there are so many state shield laws.



The search and seizure of the reporters property goes against the core protections for press freedom in this countrythat journalists need to be able to protect their sources and...do news gathering without fear that theyre going to be handcuffed, said Alexandra Ellerbeck of the Committee to Protect Journalists, an advocacy organization.



Courts Offer Some Protections



The U.S. Supreme Court created a template for the protection of news sources in Branzburg v. Hayes, the 1972 case involving Kentucky reporter Paul Branzburg, who refused to testify to a grand jury to protect his sources for stories on illicit drugs.



The court ruled 5-4 against special immunity or privilege for reporters, but a concurring opinion from Justice Lewis Powell left open the possibility of a press privilege in the future.



The asserted claim to privilege, Powell wrote, should be judged on its facts by the striking of a proper balance between freedom of the press and the obligation of all citizens to give relevant testimony with respect to criminal conduct. He called for a balancing of competing interests on a case-by-case basis, and lower courts have used his comments in affirming press privilege.



The federal Privacy Protection Act of 1980 provided further media protections, restricting the ability of authorities to seize materials from newsrooms.



Key Question: Who is a Journalist?



Jim Wheaton, founder and senior counsel at the First Amendment Project, a public interest law firm in Oakland, California, said Carmody was clearly covered by the California shield law, which says reporters cannot be adjudged in contemptfor refusing to disclose the source of any information.



Unlike many countries, government credentials are not required to work as a journalist in the United States.



Many First Amendment advocates say web-based bloggers and internet reporters are also covered, although the application of shield laws to online news sites has yet to be tested in court.



Then-Supreme Court Justice Byron White wrote in the majority opinion in the Branzburg case, saying if a privilege were recognized, sooner or later, it would be necessary to define those categories of newsmen who qualified for the privilege. That would be "a questionable procedure," he said.



In the decades since the ruling, the Supreme Court has avoided the issue, Lakier said.



Press advocates boast that the United States has the strongest protections for journalists in the world. But Lakier said, When it comes to national security interests, when it comes to the governments investigative powers, the court has been very unwilling to use the First Amendment shield. And so, reporters are very vulnerable.



Lakier noted that the record is more mixed in civil and criminal cases.



The press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders ranks the United States 48th on its index of press freedom, citing as problems the anti-press rhetoric of high-level U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, physical attacks on reporters, prosecution of whistleblowers under the Espionage Act; and searches of journalists files at border crossings.



Opponents of press privilege say the framers of the U.S. Constitution never intended to create a protected class of citizens, but others say the protection of reporters and their confidential sources is in the public interest.



Is a Federal Shield Law Needed?



Lakier says it may now be time for a federal shield law, something, she says, that has never found enough support in the past, but which could strengthen and clarify the patchwork of protections offered by the Constitution and state shield laws.



Wheaton agrees that a federal shield law could safeguard journalism, but worries that it might be ineffective if it leaves exceptions on issues of national security, as many proposals have done in the past.



That was not an issue in the Carmody case, but is a factor with many stories based on leaks in Washington, which is the focus of many First Amendment cases.
Crews from ABC News Australia are the latest journalists to report they faced intimidation and assault as they reported on the Jakarta protests after President Joko Widodo was confirmed the winner of last months general elections, increasing concern over press freedom in Indonesia.



The Jakarta Foreign Correspondent Club (JFCC), with members who are foreign journalists and correspondents in Indonesia made a similar appeal. We are deeply concerned to learn that journalists have been intimidated and even physically attacked during the recent protest rallies in Jakarta, said the JFCC in a statement. Some of our members have been targeted during rallies and also on social media in what needs to be addressed to prevent this becoming a threat to press freedom in Indonesia.



Eight people were killed and more than 900 hurt on May 21 and 22 in two nights of fighting between security forces and supporters of defeated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto. Security officials said they believe the violence was organized by several groups, including one linked to the Islamic State and another to a retired special forces general accused of smuggling weapons to Jakarta.



ABC correspondent for South East Asia David Lipson on May 26 tweeted a correction saying his crew was attacked by protestors, not police. Everyone is OK, thanks to a soldier to who stepped in.

Lipsons tweet corrected information released by Amnesty International Indonesia and the Indonesian Journalists Association (AJI). The two groups had said police intimidated the ABC journalists.



Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit that advocates for journalists and press freedom, said that in Indonesia, President Joko Jokowi Widodo did not keep campaign promises during his five-year term. His presidency was marked by serious media freedom violations, and the military is known to intimidate reporters and even use violence against those who cover their abuses, referring to AJI.



In the annual RSF World Press Freedom Index Indonesia was 124 of 180 countries surveyed, as it has been since 2017. In 2013, it was 139.



Two Associated Press journalists, Stephen Wright and Niniek Muji Karmini, reported they were intimidated on social media. People who claimed they were Prabowo supporters published personal information about the journalists, who then received threats such as We will take care of her.



Prabowo, a former general, represented Indonesias traditional elites, and now refuses to concede that he lost the April 17, 2019 vote.



More than 20 journalists have reported that they were intimidated, persecuted and assaulted during the street protests against the election count released on May 21 by Indonesias General Elections Commission, the Komisi Pemilihan Umum, which is popularly known as KPU.



AJI said that TV and radio journalists were physically assaulted, slapped, intimidated, persecuted and threatened, not only by police but also protesters. Some of them were forced to delete their documentation---photos, audio and video---and some equipment was seized. One journalist's motorcycle was set on fire.



AJI believes many attacks and cases of intimidation have gone unreported because journalists fear repercussion from the military or the police.



The journalists group called on authorities to investigate all of reported attacks and instances of intimidation against journalists. AJI also appealed to media owners and top editors to take responsibility for the safety of their journalists by providing appropriate training and covering the cost of injuries the journalists may have received while reporting.



The JFCC called on all parties, including those who oversee political campaigns and security forces, to respect the right of journalists to cover news. Given the current heated political tensions, we also urge all journalists to take sensible precautions if they are required to cover rallies such as ensuring they operate in teams, position themselves in a location where they limit the risk of being hit by projectiles or physically targeted, and have suitable protective gear and a clear exit strategy, said the JFCC in a statement.



Dedi Prasetyo, spokesman for Indonesias National Police on May 24 told VOA that the police have informed some editors in chief, the chairman of the Indonesian TV Journalist Association (IJTI), PWI (an Indonesian journalist association) and the Press Council that in order to avoid more violence, all journalists should be clearly identified, and examples of the identification shared with authorities Please communicate with us, he said. Once we know the ID, we can brief our personnel to recognize that it identifies somebody as a journalist. We need to see a clear press ID.



Niniek, who has reported from Jakarta for two decades, told VOA by phone that the AP has increased their security measures in the Jakarta office. AP also asked me not to take public transportation now, and not to cover protest or riots or terrorism issues for a while.



Niniek said that even though she was doxed through her personal Twitter account and the official AP account, this kind of threat will never discourage me to continue my journalistic work."

"During the Jakarta local election in 2017, I was also threatened, but I have to admit that what happened today is worse they posted, Stephens' photo, our office address, and urged people to take actions against me.


Editors note: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed gave his first interview in Amharic to a Western news organization when he spoke to the Voice of Americas Horn of Africa service reporter Eskinder Firew, Monday, May 27, in Addis Ababa. These highlights from their conversation have been edited for brevity and clarity.

For the past year, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has led Ethiopia through dramatic changes. Entrenched ethnic tensions and complex regional conflicts have posed ongoing challenges to the young leaders reform agenda, but he remains resolute in his desire to make the most of his time in office. Abiy spoke to VOAs Eskinder Firew about Ethiopias relationship with neighbor Eritrea, judicial reforms and the imprint he hopes to leave.

Eskinder Firew: On the occasion of your first anniversary as prime minister, you said, I am only planning to elevate Ethiopia to high standards, awaken the public and lift up a country that is hanging its head. I don't have any other ill intentions other than that. What did you mean by that?

Abiy Ahmed: I dont believe that its proper to stay in power for long periods of time. And as long as I have power, I believe that I should use that to change peoples lives. But within my efforts working to bring change, there may be errors  but all of my intention and action is aimed at elevating Ethiopia.

My agenda is not to use certain groups. To attack certain groups. Or to push specific groups or oppress people. What I am working on is work that elevates Ethiopians. Thats what I want, and that is what I do.

I can confidently say that I will not be involved in killing people or benefiting by illegal means by taking away from other peoples pockets as long as I am in a position of leadership.

Firew: In your message to the government and people of Eritrea on the occasion of Eritreas Independence Day, you expressed Ethiopias readiness to remain committed to jointly addressing all outstanding issues the countries face. What are these outstanding issues?

Abiy: If we take the problem between Somalia and Kenya, we want Eritrea and South Sudan, along with Ethiopia, to help one another and provide support to solve these issues. We know that any problem between Somalia and Kenya can spill over toward us. Because of this, we would like to work together to solve it.

There is a wide-ranging issue as it relates to South Sudan. We dont think that Ethiopia alone can solve the problem, and the same when it comes to the problem between us and Eritrea.

And there are also problems between Eritrea and other countries, too. So this is a region that has a lot of problems. But additionally, this is also a region that wants to move in the direction of integration.

Firew: The border closing between the two countries (Eritrea and Ethiopia) has continued until today, after it was initially reopened. What is the situation currently?

Abiy: When the peace process started between the two sides, we saw the borders were widely opened on both sides. We can say that people were moving to and from  not like foreign countries, but movement similar to what happens within a country. There weren't strict controls. And many people came from there to here, and from here to there. But that was not the only thing. Ethiopian opposition members who were based in Eritrea returned to Ethiopia, but Eritrean opposition members based in Ethiopia havent returned to Eritrea.

There needs to be a system where there is control and a custom-check system. And we need that capacity so that it would be possible to know what people are bringing in and out. There is a concern that if we leave the borders opened uncontrolled, that it would be difficult to prevent problems. We want to ensure that, if people are going from Ethiopia to Eritrea or from Eritrea to Ethiopia, it has to be for peace, development and tourism.

Firew: Regarding change in Ethiopia and legal reforms, some people say that, if the measures taken are enough, we would see the results. But because the measures taken aren't enough, we see continuation of some things. Whats your response?

Abiy: Everyone should get equal treatment in the face of the law. It should never be used as a tool for revenge. When we respect the rule of law, it should be in accordance to that. So, when a government takes action, there are some who say that this decision was made by someone from my ethnic group or my community. But unless this thinking is gone or is depleted, it threatens the possibility of protecting the rule of law.

Within just this past year, there are so many people that could be jailed or face detention. Thousands are in prison charged with national security, corruption and displacement, etc. There is no need to put so many people in such a situation, because we want to reduce crime and not add prisoners. But we still have people undergoing these legal processes through the federal and regional levels.

But this is not because we are not taking action, it is because we are in the process of focusing on clamping down on crimes that are serious. On the other hand, if we dont think that the law doesn't apply to all equally, we can't have a sustainable future.

VOAs Africa Division reporter Salem Solomon contributed to this story.
The African continental free trade agreement went into effect Thursday, with 24 of 54 countries ratifying it.

The plan was signed at the African Union summit in Kigali in 2016, after four years of negotiations, with Burkina Faso being the latest country to join.

The agreement aims to facilitate the free movement of goods and people across the continent.

Charles Kahuthu, head of the East African Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, says African countries trading among themselves will benefit the continent.

"Africa continental free trade area, if we use that framework to increase or boost intra-Africa trade, would mean value addition for our raw materials," he said. "Those natural resources we have an abundance of instead of exporting them in raw form, we shall use the demand in the continent to be able to process them in a manner that our own consumers within Africa can use."

With imported goods flooding the African market from Asia, some African countries are implementing mechanisms and laws to protect their farmers and industries.

"Our infrastructure is outward looking," said Fred Muhunza, who teaches economics at the University of Makerere in Kampala. "We do not have transport byways of roads, airport and air travel that link Africa with Africa for purposes of trade. A lot of trade is looking beyond Africa, outside Africa."

Also, African countries have been looking at measures to block other goods, he added.

"We have a number of local laws that are coming against foreign free trade which is going to be detailed. We also have standards, much of African countries don't have a common standard. So a country decides to use non-tariff measures may have to decide and say your standard is not good, so that is not going to go through," Muhunza said.

Thirty African countries have yet to sign the continent's trade agreement. Signatories have until July to find ways to make the deal work.


The U.N. refugee agency says it has evacuated 149 refugees and asylum-seekers from the strife-torn Libyan capital of Tripoli and brought them to safety in Italy.

UNHCR transported the evacuees to a site near Rome, it said Thursday. The evacuees  from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia  included 65 children. Thirteen were younger than a year old.

The evacuees had spent months in grave conditions in detention centers in Tripoli, UNHCR said. With the security situation worsening, the U.N. collaborated with Libyan and Italian authorities to move them.

Somalia's ambassador to Libya, Muhiyadin Mohamed Kalmoy, said that amid Tripoli's volatility, UNHCR was better able than foreign diplomats to locate African refugees and move them to safety.

"The Somalis who were among the evacuees were indirectly contacting us about their situation," Kalmoy told VOA's Somali Service on Friday, "but we had no official contact from UNHCR regarding those evacuated to Rome."

Kalmoy said his government was working "to secure and prove the identity of our Somali citizens" and to help UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) process cases so individuals could return "to Somalia or a third hosting country."

He said he did not know how many Somalis were among the evacuees.

Kalmoy said his government estimated some 5,000 to 6,000 Somalis overall have migrated to Libya, noting "nobody knows the exact number since it is open border." He said the government, working with IOM, has returned "more than 200 of them who wanted to go back home."



'Dire living conditions'

The ambassador said he worried about the safety of Somalis remaining in detention centers in southern and western parts of Tripoli.

"There still [are a] good number of African migrants stranded in southern and southwestern parts of Tripoli, including Somalis," Kalmoy said. "They always contact us and tell us that they are in dire living conditions and would like to be sent back to their home countries.

"There is still a ruthless network of smugglers holding a large number of African migrants they had kidnapped. We are always hearing very painful stories from them," he added.

Many of those evacuated Thursday suffer from malnourishment, according to Jean-Paul Cavalieri, UNHCR chief of mission in Libya. They were to receive food, clothing and medical care, then were to be transported to Norway with help from IOM.

Their evacuation followed another one earlier this week, in which 62 urban refugees from Syria, Sudan and Somalia were transferred from Tripoli to UNHCR's Emergency Transit Center in Timisoara, Romania, the agency reported.

Nearly 600 people have died in recent clashes in Libya, according to the World Health Organization. Last week, two ambulance drivers were killed in shelling attacks.
Cambodian children's rights continue to be infringed on despite improvements in recent years, new reports and experts say ahead of Children's Day in Cambodia on Saturday.

The KidsRights Index, published in May, ranks Cambodia 128 out of 181 countries on children's rights. The report, which looks at indicators that include health, education and children's protection, finds that economic growth does not lead to better implementation of children's rights.

The kingdom scored worse than neighboring Thailand, (ranked 14), Vietnam (ranked 57), and Laos (ranked 112), and scored only slightly better than Myanmar (ranked 133).

Huy Khy, Save the Children's senior policy advocacy adviser, said although significant progress had been made in the legal framework for the protection of children's rights, implementation remained fragile.

"Despite this remarkable progress, children in Cambodia are still experiencing a number of challenges and needs related to learning, protection, health, and participation," he said in an email to VOA.

For example, children with disabilities lacked opportunities and were twice as likely to be out of school compared to children without disabilities.

"Only 4% of adolescents with disabilities have completed a lower secondary education, compared to 41% of their peers without disabilities," Khy said.

Citing a 2014 UNICEF statistic, Khy said that more than 50 percent of children experienced physical violence, 25 percent of children were emotionally abused, and about 5 percent experienced sexual abuse.

And while the enrollment rate had improved over the years, Khy said that only a much smaller proportion of pupils received a secondary education.

"Often, parents and children choose work over education for children," he said.

Financial commitment

The low ranking in the KidsRights Index, which also took into account the efforts of countries and their available resources, was closely intertwined with the budget allocated for the protection of children, the advocate said.

"Cambodia, however, has not yet allocated sufficient budget to ensure the full realization of children's rights," Khy said. "For example, in 2019, the education budget is only 13.7% of the total national budget, which is still lower than the global benchmark of 20% of the total national budget."

This is also reflected in a new Save the Children document, titled "Childhood Report: Changing Lives in our Lifetime," which was released Tuesday. The report ranks Cambodia 120 out of 176 countries, and raises concerns over the 22.5% of children of elementary and secondary school age who don't attend school.

Overall, only 2 to 4 percent of the local budget was allocated for social services, Khy said.

Ministry of Social Affairs spokesman Yeap Malina was unavailable for comment. A Social Affairs official directed questions to the ministry's spokesman before hanging up on a reporter.

Lingering gaps

UNICEF Cambodia's communications specialist, Bunly Meas, highlighted "important steps" that the Cambodian government had taken to improve children's rights over the past 10 years, such as passing multiple laws and action plans designed to protect children, reducing of the poverty rate, and improving education. Yet, Bunly said, gaps remain.

"While the gains made in relation to child rights in Cambodia have been significant, there remain challenges in closing gaps in some areas," he said.

By way of example, he cited statistics showing that 32 percent of children in Cambodia were stunted, and that the mortality rate for children under 5 was 31 per 1,000 live births, despite having fallen.

"All issues are interrelated and we need to address them at the same time," Bunly said.
The Trump administration is committed to making fossil fuels cleaner rather than imposing ``draconian'' regulations on coal and oil, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Thursday at an energy conference in Salt Lake City.



Perry previously said the administration wants to spend $500 million next year on fossil fuel research and development as demand plummets for coal and surges for natural gas.



``Instead of punishing fuels that produce emissions through regulation, we're seeking to reduce those emissions by innovation,'' Perry said at the conference.



Fossil fuel emissions have been cited by scientists as a major source of global warming.



U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently said the world must change how it fuels factories, vehicles and homes to limit future global warming.



Perry said the Trump administration has proven it can make energy cleaner, but he provided no details involving coal and other fossil fuels, other than the closing of old, inefficient coal-burning power plants and exporting increasing volumes of natural gas, an alternative to coal.

Department of Energy spokesman Dirk Vande Beek didn't immediately return an email and voicemail seeking more details about Perry's claim.



Perry pointed to an overall drop in emissions as proof of progress.



Greenhouse gas emissions dropped 13 percent from 2005 to 2017, according to the most recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency.



Lindsay Beebe of the Sierra Club in Utah said trying to make fossil fuels cleaner is misspent energy.



``I don't know that it's possible right now, but what is ready right now are renewables. Wind, solar and geothermal are commercially viable and at scale,'' Beebe said.



The summit Thursday was briefly interrupted when 15 protesters took the stage to criticize the administration's fixation on fossil fuels.



They said the misguided approach ignores climate change. Police then escorted them out.

After they left, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, who sponsored the event, said he and other leaders appreciated the ``youthful enthusiasm'' but their call to immediately discard fossil fuels and shift entirely to renewable energy isn't realistic.



``They would like us to quit by Friday and not take anything out of the ground,'' Herbert said. ``That obviously doesn't work from a practical standpoint.''



Americans burned a record amount of energy in 2018, with a 10% jump in consumption from booming natural gas helping lead the way, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.



Fossil fuels in all accounted for 80% of Americans' energy use.
A U.S. congressional bill to sanction companies that help Chinas expansion in a disputed Asian sea is expected to spark retaliation, if passed, without stopping Chinese maritime activity.

China might impose its own sanctions on U.S. companies or individuals or make it harder for them to operate in China, analysts say. The bill pending in the Senate would not change Beijings course in the contested waterway, the South China Sea, they add.

Beijing claims about 90% of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam contest the Chinese claims, particularly in waters overlapping exclusive economic zones. Since 2010, China has angered the other governments by landfilling small sea islets for military use. Chinese officials cite historical usage records to back their sovereignty claims.

China would certainly be expected to retaliate. They could impose their own sanctions against U.S. companies and U.S. business as well, said Jay Batongbacal, international maritime affairs professor at University of the Philippines. Its like going back to 19th century diplomacy where reprisals, it was the norm before.

Scope of sanctions

The draft South China Sea and East China Sea Sanctions Act introduced in the Senate May 23 would sanction Chinese companies or individuals who contribute to projects in contested tracts of the two waterways. Projects would cover land reclamation, island-making and lighthouse construction, the draft says.

Sanctions would apply as well to people or companies linked to actions or policies that threaten the peace, security, or stability of sea tracts contested by other governments, the draft says. Washington does not claim the sea but says it should remain open to international use.

China disputes some zones of the East China Sea with Japan but has developed the South China Sea more aggressively.

Chinese companies and individuals in the energy, aerospace, telecommunications and dredging sectors would face sanctions, said Sean King, vice president of the Park Strategies political consultancy in New York. The draft bill calls for specific findings on 24 Chinese companies, including China Mobile and China Telecom.

Penalties can include revoking any U.S. visas, blocking property transfers in the United States and stopping individuals from entering the country.

Chinese reactions

China might ease off a little bit on its maritime expansion because of the sanctions but not reverse course, Batongbacal said. The Chinese government would also try to rally support from other Asian countries, especially those with which it has strong economic relations, he said.

Chinese officials already mute anger among the Southeast Asian maritime claimants by using their massive economy to offer them trade and investment benefits. All claimants prize the sea for its fisheries, fuel reserves and marine shipping lanes.

Companies that have helped the government with land reclamation or supplying its fleets will probably not change their activities if sanctioned and might be compensated by China if sanctions hurt business, said Oh Ei Sun, senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. Companies or people hit by sanctions in smaller countries, such as Iran, would have less recourse, he said.

China is unlike any other country because it has a huge domestic market, Oh said. So, if you are talking about sanctions and things like that, China has a huge domestic economy. Those companies and individuals can simply switch to doing domestic business.

The Communist government has a history of raising the stakes rather than backing down against the United States.

Beijing has resisted U.S. Navy ship movements in the South China Sea since 2017 by stepping up its own. It cut off military exchanges in 2010 after the U.S. government approved an arms package for Taiwan, which China calls its own rather than a sovereign state. Whenever Washington approves tariffs on made-in-China imports, China responds with its own.

Trade dispute tie-in

Congress will probably pass the sanctions bill, King said, but U.S. President Donald Trump may hold off signing it in case China and the United States first settle a trade dispute that broke out last year.

Its been introduced by serious senators, from both parties, and theres no love for Beijing on either side of the aisle, in either chamber, right now, King said. But whether Trump would ever sign it is another story, as Trump may prefer to just hold it in reserve as a threat against his supposed good friend, mainland Chinese President Xi Jinping.

After Trump accused China last year of unfair trade practices, his government approved tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods. Next month it will hold a hearing on new tariffs affecting more than $300 billion in additional imports from China. But over much of the year to date the two sides have been angling toward a trade deal.
Rescue crews in Budapest Friday are working to raise a sightseeing boat from the bottom of the Danube River, while searching for 21 people still missing after a cruise ship collided with the smaller tour boat late Wednesday.

Seven people are confirmed dead and seven have been rescued All but two people on the boat were South Korean tourists.

Hungary's state TV reported that all rescued people have been released from the hospital except one who is being treated for broken ribs.

Hungarian police arrested the Ukrainian captain of the Viking cruise ship, identifying him as Yuriy C.

Police say he is suspected of "endangering waterborne traffic resulting in multiple deaths."

Investigators say the Viking ship and the tour boat, Mermaid, were sailing side-by-side on the Danube in central Budapest when both vessels arrived at pillars under the Margit Bridge.

The Mermaid turned in front of the Viking ship which struck the boat and capsized it. Police say the Mermaid sank in just seven seconds, giving passengers and two Hungarian crew members almost no time to get to safety.

Hungarian rescuers say heavy rain and the Danube's strong currents are hampering their efforts. They have extended their search downriver into Serbia.

Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the boat accident was "shocking," and asked authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the accident.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has sent a delegation of Korean officials and experts to Budapest to help.
A Navy SEAL platoon leader court-martialed on war crimes charges was released by a military judge from base confinement in San Diego Thursday, 11 days before he is to stand trial in a case that has attracted the attention of President Donald Trump.

The Navy captain presiding over the case ordered Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher freed from custody at the end of a five-hour pretrial hearing on several defense motions stemming from his lawyers accusations of prosecutorial misconduct.

Gallaghers team contends that Navy prosecutors and their investigators illegally snooped on the defense and reporters in a transgression that merits dismissal of the charges or disqualification of the lead prosecutor from the case.

Back in court Friday

The judge, Captain Aaron Rugh, adjourned the hearing for the day without ruling on those requests. Instead, to the apparent surprise of everyone present, the judge said he was ordering Gallaghers release as a remedy for interference from the prosecution.

Gallagher, dressed in his Navy summer whites uniform, hugged his wife in tears as spectators gasped. The proceedings at Naval Base San Diego were set to resume on Friday.

Gallagher, 39, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, had been restricted to base at the Naval Medical Center San Diego since late March.

Trump ordered transfer

He was transferred there from a military brig at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California at the direction of U.S. President Trump, who ordered less-restrictive confinement while he awaited trial in honor of his past service to our country.

Trump has said he is considering pardons for a number of service members accused of war crimes, and media reports have cited U.S. officials as saying Gallaghers is one of the cases under review. One of Gallaghers civilian defense attorneys, Marc Mukasey, also serves as a personal lawyer for Trump.

Jury selection is set to begin June 10 in the court-martial accusing Gallagher of fatally stabbing a helpless, wounded Islamic State fighter in his custody and of shooting two unarmed civilians, a schoolgirl and an elderly man.

If convicted of all charges, including murder, attempted murder and obstructing justice, he could face life in prison.

Gallagher says he was wrongly accused and that fellow SEAL team members testifying against him, several under grants of immunity, are disgruntled subordinates who fabricated allegations to force him from command.

His defense team has argued the case should be dismissed altogether on grounds of alleged misconduct by the Navy prosecutor and agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
New Delhi, May 31 (UNI): Shortly after taking over as Prime Minister for the second consecutive term, Narendra Modi has started on the work mission and held first important diplomatic engagements with President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sooronbay Jeenbekov on Thursday evening.

"Held extensive deliberations with the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Sooronbay Jeenbekov. Our talks covered the full spectrum of bilateral ties between our nations and ways to deepen economic and social cooperation in the times to come," the Prime Minister tweeted.

The Kyrgyz President had attended the oath-taking ceremony as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Chair.

Modi will hold separate bilateral meetings on Friday with Bangladesh President Md. Abdul Hamid, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering are also in the capital and bilateral meetings are on cards.

Meanwhile, sources said the first meeting of the new Union Cabinet is likely to be held on Friday where the road map of the Modi 2.0 dispensation will be chalked out.

The Cabinet will have to decide about Parliament session and the date for Joint Session of Parliament that would be addressed by the President Ram Nath Kovind.

In the first session after the change of regime and general elections, the newly-elected Lok Sabha members have to be administered oath.

Sources said senior lawmaker and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, who did not find place in the cabinet that was sworn in on Thursday, may be appointed as Protem Speaker.

Image Credit: twitter.com/narendramodi
VOA News Center Associate Producer Jesusemen Oni contributed reporting from Washington.

WASHINGTON  Mexicos foreign minister says he has starting negotiating with U.S. officials after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican products related to the migrant surge at the border.

Marcelo Ebrard said on Twitter Friday that he had spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by phone and said face-to-face talks between the two would take place Wednesday in Washington.

The summit to resolve the U.S. dispute with our country will be on Wednesday in Washington, Ebrard said. We will be firm and defend the dignity of Mexico.

Earlier Friday, Mexicos president responded to the U.S. tariff threats with caution urging dialogue over coercive measures.

I want to reiterate that we are not going to fall into any provocation; but we are going to be prudent, and we are going to respect the authorities of the United States and President Donald Trump, said Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

His statement Friday morning followed a two-page letter to Trump made public late Thursday, similar in tone, responding to Trumps announcement on Twitter earlier in the day that the United States would begin imposing an escalating tax on imports from Mexico.

On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP, Trump tweeted. Until the illegal immigration problem is remedied tariffs will continue to rise monthly, going as high as 25% by October 1.

U.S. border agents have apprehended an increasing number of people, largely from Central America, who crossed the southern U.S. border without authorization in recent months.

In contrast to previous spikes in arrivals, recent groups have included a large number of children, prompting U.S. officials to scramble to support families and children traveling without parents, some of whom are seeking asylum.

In an indication of the pressing demands at the border, U.S. Customs and Border Protection solicited bids for the purchase of tens of thousands of baby diapers, wipes and bottles this past week, according to documents reviewed by VOA on a government contracting website.

Mexico has the absolute ability and authority to do a lot more than theyre doing, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Friday.

Reaction from Mexico

Lopez Obrador posted a letter to Twitter after Trumps announcement that said, Social problems are not resolved with taxes or coercive measures.

Trumps announcement of the new tariffs came on the same day Mexico began the formal process of ratifying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (US MCA) on trade.

Mexicos deputy foreign minister for North America, Jesus Seade, says such tariffs would be disastrous, expressing more alarm than the Mexican president.

If this threat is carried out, it would be extremely serious, he told reporters. If this is put in place, we must respond vigorously.

For one trade expert, who previously served as Mexicos ambassador to China, a top trading partner for that country and the U.S., the timing of Trumps tariff statement raises questions about the future of the US MCA.

By mixing two things  immigration and now just lately drug flow with trade  I think it confuses the issue, said Jorge Guajardo, a senior director at the Washington-based international trade consulting firm McLarty Associates.

The trade deal was a triumph for all three countries, and now of course, that all comes into doubt, Guajardo added.

Marking progress

Some Republican members of Congress but no Democrats were consulted about White House plan, according to acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.

Asked in a hastily arranged conference call with reporters about benchmarks Mexico would need to achieve to have the tariffs lifted, Mulvaney said there needs to be significant and substantial reductions in arrivals from Central America crossing into the United States.

Were going to take this and look at it on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis, Mulvaney said. We are interested in seeing the Mexican government act tonight, tomorrow.

Trump has repeatedly accused Mexico of not doing enough to stop Central American migrants from traveling through the country on their way to the United States.

The U.S. system, however, is not infallible. While the country has increased its apprehension rate at the border in recent years, U.S. border agents stop an estimated 65% to 80% of people crossing into the country without authorization, according to a 2018 DHS report.
A group of detained asylum-seekers sued the U.S. government Thursday claiming immigration officials in five Southern states are systematically denying them parole.

In the second lawsuit of its kind filed against the Trump administration, legal advocacy groups representing 12 plaintiffs are seeking class action status on behalf of hundreds of asylum seekers being held in detention centers in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. In addition to Central American migrants, the plaintiffs include a member of a Cameroonian opposition party and Cuban and Venezuelan political dissidents.

Migrants who arrive at U.S. ports of entry and ask for refuge in the United States are not eligible for bond hearings in front of a judge, but they can be released from detention on parole for humanitarian reasons under a 2009 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy.

Denying parole

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Southern Poverty Law Center, claims that in recent months there has been an unwritten policy and practice of categorically denying parole to asylum-seekers that violates the governments own directive and guidelines.

According to ICE data cited in the complaint, the New Orleans Field Office, which oversees the five states, granted parole in 76% of cases in 2016, but just 22% in 2017. In 2018, parole was granted in just two of the 130 cases in which ICE made a determination, or less than 2%, the complaint said.

The Justice Department declined to comment. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Administration centerpiece

President Donald Trump, who has made immigration a centerpiece of his administration, has said migrants are abusing the asylum system by making fraudulent claims to stay in the country for months or years as their cases work their way through a backlogged immigration court system.

He has pledged to end a practice of what he calls catch and release by detaining more asylum-seekers during their court proceedings.

U.S. officials say the system is overwhelmed by thousands of migrants, mostly from Central America, claiming fear of returning to their home countries. Families are often released to live in the United States because of limits placed on how long children can be held in detention, but adults can be locked up indefinitely during their court cases unless ICE decides to release them.

ICE expanded its detention capacity this year by 2,500 beds in three facilities in Louisiana, where many of the plaintiffs are being held.

First lawsuit in March 2018

One plaintiff in the lawsuit is a transgender woman who said she fled police repression in Cuba, sought asylum in El Paso, Texas, in January and has been detained since. During months in ICE custody, the suit alleges, she said she was periodically held in isolation and has yet to receive an interview to be considered for release.

A separate lawsuit filed in March 2018 made similar claims about ICE field offices in Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, El Paso, Texas, and Newark, New Jersey. Last July, a federal judge ordered ICE to follow its own policy and grant parole to asylum seekers who are not a flight risk or a danger to the community in those jurisdictions.
A boat with 125 Somali refugees fleeing insecurity in Yemen arrived in the Somali port of Berbera Thursday. The voyage was organized by the U.N. refugee agency and partners in cooperation with authorities in Yemen and Somalia.

This is the 33rd departure of Somali refugees from Yemen since the U.N. refugee agency and humanitarian partners began the so-called Assisted Spontaneous Return program in 2017. To date, nearly 4,300 Somali refugees have returned home.

Yemen is still hosting a quarter-million Somali refugees, who fled there to escape conflict and drought in their country. The security they once found in Yemen has vanished. Four years of civil war in Yemen has turned that country into what the United Nations calls the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

Refugees are feeling increasingly insecure and fearful for their lives as conditions in Yemen deteriorate.

U.N. refugee spokesman Babar Baloch says many refugees face hardship and lack access to basic services. He tells VOA they feel insecure and want to leave.

With the conflict going on in Yemen  refugees have been targeted," he said. "We just recently last week announced civilian casualties, including refugees. Life is becoming tough and as the situation inside Yemen is worsening, many of these refugees are coming forward to be helped to return home.

Inside Yemen, Baloch says the UNHCR and partners help Somali refugees gather the documents they need, and provide transportation and financial support to facilitate their journey home.

When they arrive in Somalia, he says the returnees receive assistance to re-integrate into their communities and to help them get started in their new lives.

Baloch says it is up to the returnees where they want to go. Some go to home villages. Others find it is too unsafe and go to Mogadishu to see if they can start a new life.

He acknowledges that Somalia still has its own problems with conflict, instability and drought  the factors that drove many Somalis to Yemen in the first place.
Muslims in the U.S. state of Alaska face nearly 20 hours of daylight during the fasting month of Ramadan. VOA Hausa reporter Yusuf Harande went to Alaska to see how some Muslims are adjusting to the long days.
U.S. President Donald Trump will be in Britain June 3 on a state visit by invitation of Queen Elizabeth II and participate in events commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

This will be the second time Trump has gone to Britain since taking office, after a working visit in July of last year.

A state visit involves more pomp and pageantry, and the host country pays the costs. An invitation was extended after Trump took office but was delayed for a number of reasons, including security.

There is an enormous controversy surrounding a state visit for Donald Trump, said Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. The biggest news of the visit is that its happening, he said. It was on again off again, on again off again.

Trump will take part in the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, in which 150,000 Allied troops pushed German forces from France. He will attend events in Portsmouth, and in Normandy, France, alongside French President Emanuel Macron.

The president will attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and cultural engagements with members of the Royal Family.

May resigns after Trump leaves

Trump is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May, who is resigning June 7, two days after Trump departs, over failure to reach a deal on Britains exit from the European Union.

Trump, a Brexit supporter, has in the past criticized Mays handling of the issue. He has in some ways reached out to the Brexiteers, Kupchan said, and told May at one point that shes not firm enough, shes not getting out quickly enough, and completely enough.

Still with May having recently announced her resignation, the expectation is that Trump would speak highly of her in his public appearances with her and wish her all the best, said Jacob Parakilas, an analyst at the Chatham House in London. But he added that theres not much depth to the relationship.

I dont think the two of them see eye-to-eye or have pretty strong personal bond, he said.

Meeting with Johnson or Farage?

On Thursday, days before his departure, Trump said he may meet with Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, pro-Brexit politicians seeking to replace May.

Its not my business to support people. But I have a lot of respect for both of those men, Trump said.

On a briefing call to reporters, a White House senior official would not confirm whether such a meeting would take place.

WATCH: Pomp and Protests in Store for Trump on State Visit to Britain

Trade, Brexit, Iran and China

Trump and May could still discuss major issues related to the current U.S.-U.K. relationship, including negotiations on a trade agreement.

The U.K. is keen to begin bilateral trade conversations with the U.S., said Kupchan, as it anticipates no longer being part of the EU.

Kupchan said the president will want an update on where things stand with Brexit. Although that may not be a very long conversation because the balls are still up in the air, he said.

Officials are also expected to discuss how to deal with Chinese investments and Huawei in particular, said Parakilas. He said the U.S. has taken a much more hard-line approach than the U.K. on this issue as well as on confronting Iran, which the U.S. under the Trump administration has much more appetite for, than either the U.K. or France.

Trump Baby to appear again

Last year more than a 100,000 people protested in London and elsewhere in Britain. This year organizers say they expect similar numbers, protesting against Trumps policies including immigration and climate change.

Trump Baby, the giant balloon depicting the president as an angry infant, is expected to make another appearance. Matt Bonner, the artist behind the giant inflatable said he would let it fly again if a crowdfunding campaign can raise $38,000 (30,000 pounds) for groups backing causes from climate action to womens rights.

Last year London Mayor Sadiq Khan gave permission for the 6-meter tall balloon to fly above Parliament Square in London during Trumps visit, provoking the presidents anger, who said it was an insult to the leader of Britains closest ally.

The senior administration official said that the White House is not concerned about the planned protests.

We havent talked about this at all, she said.
President Donald Trump will be in Britain June 3 on a state visit by invitation of the Queen of England, Elizabeth II. He will participate in events commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The White House says the trip will reaffirm the "steadfast and special relationship" between the two countries. But as White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports, the visit will not only be full of pomp, but also protests.
Iranians in the capital Tehran set fire to effigies of U.S. President Donald Trump, while in the Iraqi capital, Iran-backed militiamen marched over a large Israeli flag as part of rallies Friday marking Quds, or Jerusalem Day. The annual protests come as the Trump administration tries to market its long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, Iran has marked Quds Day since the start of its 1979 Islamic Revolution by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, and Iran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinians.

Israel views Iran as its archenemy in the Mideast. Iran does not recognize Israel and supports the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah.

This year's protests took place as the White House is promoting the June 25-26 meeting in the Gulf state of Bahrain as the first phase of its Mideast peace plan. That plan, whose specifics have yet to be released, supposedly includes large-scale investment and infrastructure work in the Palestinian territories, much of it funded by wealthy Arab countries.

The plan's political vision has not been outlined, but glimpses of the plan suggest it sidelines or ignores the longstanding goal of independence and has already been rejected by Palestinian leaders and much of the Arab world.

Palestinian leaders say they won't attend the summit in Bahrain. American officials say the Bahrain conference will not include the core political issues of the conflict: borders of a Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees or Israeli security demands.

As rallies began across the Iranian capital, demonstrators set fire to American and Israeli flags, as well as effigies of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The rallies all headed to Tehran University, where the ceremony ended at Friday's noon prayers. Similar rallies took place in 950 cities and towns across the country.

Many high-ranking Iranian officials attending the rally in Tehran, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Both men derided the Trump administration's so-called "Deal of the Century" peace plan, saying it would end in failure.

During the rally in Tehran, Zarif said: "It is unfortunate that some Arab leaders have this illusion that if they stand beside Netanyahu, they can reach their goals." The remarks were carried by a Telegram channel affiliated with Iran's state TV.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said police in the western province of Kordestan had blocked a terrorist operation ahead of the Quds Day rally in Sanandaj city. Three alleged militants were arrested, though the report did not specify where they were captured or their affiliation.

In Iraq, hundreds of Shiite militiamen held a military parade on Palestine Street in central Baghdad, some of them setting fire to Israeli and U.S. flags.

"The people in our region and the world are harassed by Trump's and the United States' polices, which are trying to dominate the will of the people. Today, there is a broad rejection of Trump's decision to annex Jerusalem and consider it the capital of Israel," said Moin al-Kazemi, leader of the Iranian-backed Badr movement.

The rally was organized by Iranian-backed militias collectively known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. Militiamen in uniform marched with yellow flags, escorted by Iraqi federal police cars. "We will pray in Quds," read some of the banners.

In the Syrian capital Damascus, a few hundred Syrians and Palestinians marked Quds Day by marching from the Hamidiyeh bazar in the old city to the landmark Umayyad Mosque, some of them shouting anti-Israel slogans and waving Syrian and Palestinian flags.

"No to the deal of the century," a banner read. "Our Palestinian people and the freemen of the Arab nation will thwart the deal of the century."
If there is one thing highlighted by Ramy, a Hulu show about an Arab American Muslim millennial, it is that there are generational differences between the more traditional Arab Muslims who immigrated to America and those who were born and grew up here.



"I was the first generation trying to marry the two worlds and see how people from my culture, who see this comedy, react to my interpretation of being an American Muslim and my dilemmas as a millennial," said comedian Ramy Youssef, who wrote and stars in the new comedy that is roughly based on his life.



The comedian describes his show as funny, darkly satirical and down to earth, aiming to dispel stereotypes about Muslims in America.

Ramy is a 10-episode series that follows a young Arab American Muslim as he tries to define his moral compass while juggling family relationships, romance and job security  or the lack thereof.



In the show, Ramy's parents are dedicated Muslim immigrants from Egypt. Set in their traditional ways, they often chide Ramy and his sister for their liberated ideas and secular way of life. But, Ramy shows that his parents' immigrant sensibilities run deep in him.



The show starts with the main character questioning his parents' old ways and evolves with him embracing Arab Muslim traditions that define him as an Arab American.

Youssef said he wanted to make his Arab Muslim immigrant characters relevant to American viewers regardless of culture, age or religion. "It's been kind of overwhelming, the amount of people who have said, 'Oh, man, this is so much like me' or 'This is so similar to what I went through,' " he said.



In an America where immigration right now is a hot-button issue, Youssef said he wanted to focus on an Arab Muslim family and show the real problems they have and show their humanity. His goal, he said, is to defy stereotypes about Arab Muslims in a funny but poignant way.



Ramadan



The holy month of Ramadan is featured in the series, where the main character, like his family, fasts from sunrise to sunset. As he is trying to find inner purification, he grapples with the reality that the rules of Ramadan run deeper than fasting.



At the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, a mosque in northern Virginia, many Muslims who come to pray echo the TV character's thoughts and experiences.



"We live in a very materialistic, capitalistic society," said Saif Rahman, of the center. "And trying to mesh your faith understanding of helping one another, of being at your neighbor's aid, and just trying to live a spiritual life, it's become somewhat difficult in a life that's motivated by social media and material and the rat race of jobs and work and everything like that."



For 16-year-old Maroa, a first-generation American of Arab descent, fasting is a way of purification.



"I think fasting has more to do with your mindset. If you are fasting because you have to, it's way harder. But if you are fasting because you know why, you have a more optimistic perspective of it and it's really, better and way easier. And the more you fast, the easier it gets," Maroa said.



For young Arab American Muslim women, like Fatima, a high school sophomore, practicing the faith is part of their identity.



"It is difficult sometimes," she said. "I have to dress modest and people might look at me and tell me that it's kind of hot outside. I don't take that personally because I'm used to it. So, I would say, that's really challenging, growing up and not looking like the other normal girls."

Defying stereotypes



Youssef said his comedy aims to bring up uncomfortable topics, such as the increasing mistrust of immigrants in America and particularly Arab Muslim immigrants, who may be viewed as potential terrorists. The comedian said practicing Islam is a personal choice and part of his American identity.



Rahman, of the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, echoed that sentiment.



"I'm actually getting tired of having to apologize for being Muslim, because there is no reason to," he said. "I'm an American, I'm a Muslim and there are no challenges, I feel, or the intersectionality of my religion as well as my Americanism don't contradict one another."
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet next month on the sidelines of a summit of world leaders in Japan.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday the two leaders agreed to discuss joint economic activities as a way to resolve a decades-long territorial dispute.

At issue is the sovereignty of four Russian-held western Pacific islands called the Northern Territories in Japan and Southern Kuriles in Russia.

The former Soviet Union seized the islands at the end of World War II, a move Tokyo claims was illegal. The seizure resulted in a long-running diplomatic dispute and created an obstacle to a peace treaty.

Lavrov, speaking to reporters after a meeting in Tokyo with Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, said progress had been made in talks with Japan on a handful of economic projects on the islands. He did not elaborate.

Abe had previously planned to negotiate the return of two of the smallest islands at the upcoming meeting, but decided instead to hold talks on joint economic activities on the islands as a trust-building exercise with hopes of eventually producing a peace treaty.

The two leaders will meet in Osaka on June 29, the last day of a two-day summit of the Group of 20 (G-20) nations, which represents "a mix of the world's largest advanced and emerging economies."
Saudi Arabia's King Salman opened an emergency summit of Gulf Arab leaders in the holy city of Mecca on Thursday with a call for the international community to use all means to confront Iran, but he also said the kingdom extends its hand for peace.

King Salman was speaking at the first of three high-level summits in Mecca that were hastily convened after a spike in tensions between Saudi Arabia and its rival Iran. That King Salman could bring regional leaders and heads of state to Mecca so rapidly reflects the kingdom's weight in the region and its desire to project a unified Muslim and Arab position on Iran.

Tensions have also spiked between Tehran and Washington in recent weeks, with the U.S. sending an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf. The crisis is rooted in last year's decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers.

Speaking at a gathering of the Gulf Cooperation Council, King Salman said the alleged sabotage of four oil tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and a drone attack on a key Saudi oil pipeline earlier this month requires serious efforts to protect the security and the gains of the six energy-rich Arab nations.

Iran denies being involved in the attacks.

The king called on the international community to thwart Iran's behaviors ``and using all means to stop the Iranian regime from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, harboring global and regional terrorist entities and threatening international waterways.''

He added that Saudi Arabia remains committed to extending its hand for peace and prosperity of the region.

Attending Thursday night's GCC summit were the leaders of Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as senior officials from the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar.

That meeting will be immediately followed with an emergency summit of the 22-nation Arab League, minus Syria whose membership remains suspended.

Putting forth a unified position on Iran, however, faces many obstacles. Within the once clubby GCC, there are major differences between countries regarding Iran. Oman, for example, has relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran and acts as a facilitator of talks.

Qatar, meanwhile, is facing a blockade by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt over its foreign policies. The diplomatic standoff has pushed Qatar closer to Iran.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani's attended the Mecca summits on Thursday, marking the highest-level visit to Saudi Arabia by a Qatari official since the 2017 rift erupted.

Cool start to gathering

As the Gulf leaders gathered to begin their meeting, Al Thani shook hands with his host, King Salman, but was not seen making any eye contact with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed or Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman very quickly shook the Qatari royal's hand, but they did not appear to exchange words.

Washington has tried unsuccessfully to mediate an end to the diplomatic standoff between its Gulf Arab allies. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said Thursday the U.S. welcomes Saudi efforts to discuss Iranian threats in the region.

Gulf unity is essential in confronting Iran, to confronting their influence, to countering terrorism writ large, and, of course, to ensuring a prosperous future for the Gulf, she said.

Another summit is expected on Friday, focusing largely on Palestinian statehood and independence. It will bring together leaders from the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which is headquartered in Saudi Arabia.

Leaders shown drone, missiles

Upon their arrival at the airport in Saudi Arabia, leaders were shown Yemeni rebel military items, such as a destroyed drone, missiles and mortar shells used in the conflict with the Saudis. They were given a brief explanation of the weapons on display by Col. Turki al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition at war in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia accuses Tehran of helping arm the rebel Houthis and being behind the Houthi drone attack on a key Saudi oil pipeline earlier this month.

Earlier on Thursday, Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf urged Muslim nations to confront with all means of force and firmness the recent attacks.

An Iranian official was at the preparatory OIC meeting where al-Assaf spoke Thursday, but Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif did not attend.

The summits coincide with the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a time of intense worship when Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago.

Saudi Arabia will seek to use to the optics of the Mecca gatherings to send a clear and powerful message to Iran, which itself is also a member of the OIC.

Sudan leader to attend

Among the heads of state gathered in Mecca are Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Sabah, and Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of Sudan's ruling military council.

It marks the first international conference for Burhan since the ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir from power in April.

Also participating is Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, whose country has uneasy ties with Saudi Arabia, particularly after the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last year.

Al-Assaf's comments on Iran appeared to mirror remarks made by President Donald Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, who warned Iran on Wednesday that any attacks in the Persian Gulf will draw a very strong response from the U.S.

Meanwhile, Trump said this week the U.S. wasn't looking to hurt Iran at all. During a visit to Tokyo this week, Trump appeared to welcome negotiations with Iran.

We're not looking for regime change  I just want to make that clear,Trump said. We're looking for no nuclear weapons.

U.S. troops headed to Qatar

Also on Wednesday, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said some 900 troops would be deployed to Qatar and Saudi Arabia to reinforce the tens of thousands already in the Middle East. Another 600 have had their deployment in the region extended.

It's unclear how many of those troops would be sent to Saudi Arabia. Sending a large number of troops to Saudi Arabia could potentially spark a backlash from Muslims around the world because the country is also home to Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina.

Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida launched the Sept. 11 attacks, in part over America's military presence in the kingdom.

The late King Abdullah refused to allow U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia for the Iraq invasion in 2003, though he permitted them during the first Gulf War in 1991.
Guwahati, May 31 (IBNS): Bangladesh had repatriated two Indian nationals, who were in Bangladesh jail, to India through Indo-Bangladesh border in Assams Karimganj district on Thursday.

The Bangladesh authority had handed over the Indian nationals to Indian authority at Sutarkandi check post in Karimganj district.

The two Indian nationals were identified as Iqbal Hussain Dilwar and Selim Uddin and they are hailing from Assams Hojai district.

They were arrested by the Bangladesh security personnel in 2018 and were lodged in jail in past a year.

On the other hand, the Indian authority had also deported one Bangladeshi national identified as Babul Roy Ghatowar, who had illegally entered into India.

We have deported one Bangladeshi national, who was apprehended by the Karimganj district police. We have also taken over repatriated two Indian nationals, who were lodged in Bangladesh jail for breaking passport laws. They are hailing from Hojai district, a police officer said.

(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)
South Sudan's government is reacting angrily to the United Nations Security Council's move to renew sanctions on that country for another year, including an arms embargo. A South Sudan official warned continuing sanctions would weaken the government and embolden holdout groups that refused to sign the revitalized peace deal.

After repeated failed attempts, the Security Council imposed sanctions on South Sudan last year following five years of fighting that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and massive displacement of civilians.

The council said the decision will pressure the government to implement the accord.

South Sudan Information Minister Michael Makuei said Friday that the 10 Council members who voted in favor of the sanctions oppose peace in the country.

"These are people who do not want peace for South Sudan. The rebels are there, we have agreed but still there are rebels who are fighting the government and if you apply the arms embargo on the government of South Sudan, it means that you are actually paving the way for the rebels who have not signed the agreement," Makuei told VOA's South Sudan in Focus.

"It is being used as a weapon against the government of South Sudan so that it is weakened. Then definitely that is not acceptable because after all, not all the opposition groups have signed the agreement. Any arms embargo at this time is an anti-peace movement so that people go back into crisis again," Makuei also said.

Makuei said the government of President Salva Kiir is implementing the agreement and has rights as a sovereign country to acquire its own arms.

"When you talk of arms embargo, you don't just apply the arms embargo because you are fighting someone whether outside or inside but for your own protection and self-defense, you have the right to acquire arms as the government," said Makuei.

Juba resident Bidal Peter said continuing the sanctions will save innocent lives.

"South Sudanese are killing themselves with the guns that are bought, especially the finances [funding given to South Sudan] which are supposed to help the people of South Sudan are going for weapons and people are dying," Peter told South Sudan in Focus.

Five countries abstained from the vote, including three from Africa.

Aly Verjee, a researcher at the Washington-based U.S. Institute of Peace, said there clearly is a signal coming from the region.

"No IGAD [Intergovernmental Authority on Development] country is publicly in favor of the arms embargo and the African members of the Security Council tend to follow the regional organization's lead. They all cite the ongoing progress in the peace process but I think they ignored the symbolic value and the practical value of the sanctions regime," Verjee told South Sudan in Focus.
Soe Moe Kyaw tried to keep his anxiety at bay as his malfunctioning plane burned off fuel to reduce weight for an emergency landing earlier this month.

Dont worry, dont worry, he had told a travel companion as the plane circled above Mandalay airport in Myanmar.

Then the pilot announced that his several attempts to lower the landing gear at the planes nose had failed; he was going to have to touch down without the front wheels.

As they descended towards the runway, the passengers adopted brace positions and waited for a rough landing. The planes nose scraped along the tarmac at high speed, but when the aircraft finally stopped everyone onboard was unharmed.

It was an amazing landing, smoother than a normal landing, Soe Moe Kyaw told VOA.

Myanmars fledgling aviation industry has seen a number of close calls recently. Just days before the 12 May Myanmar National Airlines accident, a Biman Bangladesh Airways flight came off the runway in bad weather at Yangon International Airport, injuring 20.

And a string of other accidents in recent years, including an Air Bagan crash in 2012 that killed two and injured 10, have threatened to damage passengers faith in the industrys safety standards.

Myanmars aviation industry expanded rapidly after the start of sweeping economic reforms in 2010, but experts say authorities must tackle a lack of adequate infrastructure and skilled staff to ensure growth doesnt come at the cost of safety.

There will have to be a commitment to finance the training of personnel such as pilots, air traffic controllers and aircraft engineers to meet the demands of a booming industry, said Professor Alan Khee-Jin Tan, an aviation law and policy expert at the National University of Singapore.

Despite the recent accidents, and the challenges posed by an underdeveloped economy, officials say it is unfair to brand Myanmar as unsafe for flying.

Ye Htut Aung, deputy director general at Myanmars Department for Civil Aviation, notes that the country scores just above the global average in a key safety ranking by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

And within the Asia Pacific region, our safety ranking is plotted right in the middle among 38 countries, he added. Myanmar has an effective implementation score of 65.92 percent, while the global average is 65.51.

The ranking, though, is only part of the picture. It does not directly reflect data on accidents, for example, but instead measures how closely civil aviation authorities comply with more than 12,000 safety measures.

While an influx of new visitors to Myanmar in recent years saw airlines scramble to expand, things have since cooled off drastically, with several domestic airlines folding amid intense competition, an oversupply of seats and high fuel prices.

Financial difficulties like this, says Tan, could lead to struggling airlines cutting corners on maintenance regimes in order to save on costs, thus leading to a race to the bottom in terms of safety standards.

But Ye Htut Aung insists the industrys recent woes have not impacted safety standards. Is business bad in the airline industry? Yes, no doubt for the time being, but safety standards are above average.

Soe Moe Kyaw said he doesnt expect anything in the way of compensation from Myanmar National Airlines after the accident as he knows theyre struggling.

For me, for most of us [on the flight], we dont care about that because we have our lives. And the airline is not a rich airline.

Myanmar National Airlines did not respond to emailed requests for comment. A Biman Bangladesh Airlines spokesperson told VOA he could not comment on the accident while an investigation was underway.

The string of recent accidents could, given the right conditions, serve as a wake up call for aviation authorities that helps improve standards in the long term, said Tan.

Often, in the aftermath of an accident, public pressure on airlines and regulators shine a spotlight on unsafe practices. This could have positive longer-term results, even though the remedial steps taken must not be short-term fixes, he said.

They need to make systemic improvements so that airlines can regain the trust of the flying public.
Protesters in Sudans capital, Khartoum, have been holding a sit-in since April 6, demanding the military hand power to civilians. The demonstrators have been sustained through lengthy negotiations and armed attacks by donations of food and drinks, many distributed by an extraordinary tea seller.

Awadeya Mahmoud begins her day at 5 in the morning next to Khartoum University, across from Sudans Defense Ministry, surrounded by thousands of protesters.

Wearing a colorful blue Toab, a traditional Sudanese robe with head covering, and sitting in the middle of a makeshift kitchen, the 61-year-old and four young, female aides cook up to 10,000 meals daily.

The women cook potatoes, vegetables, beans and waika, a traditional Sudanese dish made with dry meat.

Supported by donations from food makers, Mahmoud has been distributing the free meals for protesters since April 12, a day after the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir from three decades in power.

The protesters are demanding the Transitional Military Council hand power to civilians. The military has agreed  but only if it can hold the majority of seats on a ruling council, which protest leaders reject.

While the stand-off drags out, protesters at the sit-in depend on Mahmouds support.

She says the youth who are guarding the barricades need food and drinks so they can be strong enough to stay there the whole night.

The tea and other drinks from Mahmoud and her team are key for protesters to avoid dehydration. Most days, the temperature in Khartoum peaks above 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Protester Wail Mohamed Abdullah says Mahmoud is not just giving them sustenance but also inspiration.

"We regularly come to eat at the place of Aunt Awadia, the mother of our revolution," he says. "She makes everything - including food, tea, coffee and other drinks. She helps us a lot, says Abdullah, and is here until dinner and sometimes even late into the night. So, we really appreciate her spirit of camaraderie."

Mahmoud understands the hardship faced by those who take on the power of the Sudanese state from personal experience.

She was among hundreds of thousands displaced by conflict in Sudans South Kordofan region, on the border with South Sudan, and became a roadside tea seller to support her family.



It is not the first time Mahmoud has taken a lead role and been recognized as an inspiration.

Mahmoud founded the Womens Food and Tea Sellers Cooperative, which represents thousands of displaced and migrant women who depend on selling tea to survive.

The U.S. State Department in 2016 gave her the International Women of Courage Award for supporting women tea sellers and in other informal professions.

An assistant to Mahmoud, Muna Alamin, says she is optimistic that - with their help - Sudans revolution against tyranny can be achieved.

"We come to serve our nation," says Alamin, "and we ask God to help us achieve our goals of freedom, peace and justice for all the Sudanese people."

Despite Sudanese security forces attempts to clear the sit-in by force, Mahmoud and her team insist they will keep serving meals to protesters until they reach their shared goal  a return to democracy.

"We came here to help our sons and daughters in creating a new Sudan that we dream to make," says Mahmoud:" A new Sudan that treats all of us as equal citizens and gives us free healthcare and education."

She stressed that a new government should support Sudans poor people, end oppression, drop all laws against women, and increase its female representation.

Until those goals are achieved, says Mahmoud, theyll keep serving food and tea to protesters.
On June 4, 1989, a bloody crackdown by the Chinese government on a student-led pro-democracy movement in China shocked the world. Thirty years later, student leaders and activists of the movement attended a conference in a Washington suburb, where they talked about what happened in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and why. VOA's Xiao Yu and Hai Lun filed this report, narrated by Anna Kook.
Officials in Afghanistan say a suicide bomb attack Friday targeted a foreign military convoy in Kabul, killing at least four Afghan civilians and wounding four American soldiers.

The U.S. military confirmed the attack in the Afghan capital and said the service members received minor injuries. It did not give further details.

The Taliban took responsibility for the bombing on a busy road linking Kabul to the eastern city of Jalalabad, saying a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed car near the foreign military convoy.

Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said several passerby were also among those injured.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid citing initial information claimed the powerful explosion destroyed two military vehicles and killed ten invaders, a term insurgents use for U.S.-led NATO forces in the country. The insurgent groups claims are often inflated.

This was the second bomb attack in as many days in the Afghan capital.

On Thursday, an Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance gate of an Afghan military academy and training center in Kabul. That blast killed six security forces and wounded 12 others. Afghan officials said four civilians were also among those injured.

Meanwhile, fierce clashes were continuing in the northwestern province of Badghis where the Taliban fighters have taken control of the embattled strategic Bala Murghab district during overnight fighting with Afghan forces.

Azai Akazai, who represents the province in the Afghan parliament, confirmed the insurgent advances while talking to VOA and said overnight clashes killed around a dozen government forces.

The Taliban assault forced around 250 Afghan forces to retreat to a nearby Afghan military base, the lawmaker added.

The insurgent violence comes amid peace negations between U.S. and Taliban officials.

The dialogue has lately slowed down over Talibans insistence it will not cease hostilities and engage in peace talks with the Afghan government until all foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan.

The insurgent group dismisses the Kabul administration as a puppet installed by American invaders.

The Taliban, however, has engaged in informal discussions with Afghan opposition politicians and civil society groups. The latest round of such talks took place in Moscow this week.

A joint statement issued after the meeting on Thursday, however, offered no substantial outcome on issues such as a Taliban cease-fire during upcoming Muslim festival of Eid.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe held talks Friday in Singapore, as the secretary worked to build the U.S.-China military relationship while reprimanding Chinese "bad behavior."

The two spoke on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La defense forum, as relations have been strained between the two countries by increased tensions over trade and security.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Shanahan said he would point out China's "excessive" militarization of man-made islands in the South China Sea during a major speech Saturday.

"This part [of the speech] might be viewed as spicy," Shanahan said. "They argue that it's defensive; it looks like it's a bit overkill."

The Chinese have placed several surface-to-air missiles and built long runways for military planes to land on the controversial outposts.

During the 20-minute meeting Friday, the two leaders discussed ways to "reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation," according to Shanahan's spokesman.

The two specifically talked about how they could better cooperate to enforce U.N. Security Council Resolutions related to sanctions on North Korea, an area where Shanahan said the Chinese have been helpful.

This is the first time since 2011 that a Chinese defense minister has attended the conference.
This article originated in VOA's Persian Service. Cindy Saine contributed from the State Department.

The United States has reacted with concern to reports that a recently discovered pro-Iran social media network that deceptively targeted Americans is more sophisticated than a similar network identified last year.

In a report published Tuesday, California-based cybersecurity company FireEye said it recently uncovered a network of English-language social media accounts that engaged in "inauthentic behavior and misrepresentation" in support of "Iranian political interests." It said it made the determination about the network's support of Iranian political interests with "low confidence."

FireEye's report said some of the network's users adopted fake social media personas to pose as American journalists and activists espousing progressive and conservative political stances, while others "impersonated real American individuals, including a handful of Republican political candidates that ran for House of Representatives seats in 2018."

It said the account owners used the fake and impersonated personas to persuade U.S. and Israeli media outlets to publish news commentaries, lobby journalists to cover specific topics, and conduct audio and video interviews with U.S. and Britain-based individuals.

More sophisticated operation

In comments to The Washington Post published Wednesday, FireEye senior manager Lee Foster said the network's theft of real-world identities and attempts to engage with specific, highly influential individuals online represented a "more sophisticated" operation than what it called an "Iranian influence campaign" that it uncovered in August 2018.

It said the prior campaign involved inauthentic news sites and social media accounts that promoted pro-Iran political narratives and appeared to originate within Iran.

U.S. social media giants Facebook and Twitter responded to FireEye's disclosure of the more sophisticated pro-Iran network by issuing statements saying they had suspended the network's accounts, which they said originated in Iran. They did not identify the users of those accounts.

Responding to emailed questions from VOA Persian on Thursday, a State Department spokesperson said Washington is "deeply concerned" with the reports of "coordinated inauthentic behavior" that originated in Iran. "We have no further comment as to who was behind the accounts," the spokesperson wrote.

Facebook said it removed 51 personal accounts, 36 pages, seven groups and three Instagram accounts involved in the network Tuesday, after investigating "coordinated inauthentic behavior" based on a tip shared by FireEye.

FireEye criticized

A Twitter spokesperson told U.S. media that it removed 2,800 accounts that were part of the newly identified network in early May. But Twitter said its investigation into the accounts was ongoing and criticized FireEye for not sharing its findings with the company before publishing them.

It said FireEye's behavior was "outside standard, responsible industry norms" and "harms the credibility of the security research community, whose insights we support and appreciate."

A FireEye spokesperson declined to comment on Twitter's criticisms when contacted by VOA Persian on Wednesday.

In separate remarks to NBC News, Foster, who leads FireEye's intelligence team, said the newly uncovered pro-Iran social media network shows that "actors who engage in this type of influence activity leverage all manner of different tactics and techniques that stretch across a wide variety of media and platforms." American society must figure out a way to effectively tackle the issue, he added.

The FireEye spokesperson contacted by VOA Persian also declined to say what more the U.S. government and social media companies should do in response to its latest report, saying that was outside the scope of its findings.
U.S. officials are touting a "measurable decrease" in the number of U.S. troops in Syria, though they refuse to say just how many remain in the country to aid in the fight against remnants of the Islamic State terror group.

The director of the Pentagon's Defeat IS Task Force, Chris Maier, became the latest official to weigh in on troop levels, describing the withdrawal only in general terms.

"It's been a measurable decrease," he told reporters late Thursday. "The number of U.S. forces that are present now is quite a bit lower than when the drawdown began.

"U.S. force numbers will continue to draw down as conditions continue to, we hope, improve," he added.

Maier's comments come just over a week after the U.S. Special Representative for Syria, Ambassador James Jeffrey, told U.S. lawmakers the number of troops in Syria was "considerably fewer" than it was in December, when President Donald Trump first announced forces they would be coming home.

At the time, officials had said there were about 2,200 U.S. forces in Syria still actively engaged in helping the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in the fight to destroy the last vestiges of the terror group's self-declared caliphate.

The SDF declared victory over IS in late March and, since then, the number of U.S. troops leaving Syria has accelerated, even as top U.S. officials have assured allies that a residual force will remain.

Maier, on Thursday, said it was also increasingly likely that the residual U.S. force would soon be bolstered by an influx of troops and capabilities from other members of the coalition to defeat Islamic State.

"We've talked to close to 30 coalition partners about their role  somewhere over two dozen that we're actively engaged with," he said, declining to share additional specifics. "Very few have told us no at this point."

In the meantime, Pentagon officials say they continue to operate in Syria without any set timeline for pulling out remaining troops, saying the drawdown remains dependent on conditions on the ground.

Nor have they been given what Maier described as "a direct ceiling" on the number of troops that the U.S. will maintain in Syria for the time being.

"We are under no delusions that ISIS is some sort of rag-tag pickup organization," he said, using an acronym for the group. He noted the ongoing threat from IS's clandestine insurgency is "largely steady."

"The trajectory and the trend lines are good, but this is a hard fight and a very capable enemy," Maier said. "I would never put a timeline on it."
Americans are getting older and family size is shrinking, which means the nation will have fewer working-age adults going forward. I think it is a cause for concern if we are calibrating our expectations of having a strongly growing population, says David Kelly, chief global strategist for JP Morgan Asset Management. If you're investing in things like the housing industry or the auto industry and you need an ever-growing population, then you have to adjust to a world in which the U.S. population is growing more slowly. By 2030, one in five U.S. residents  20% will be older than 65, compared with 13% in 2010 and just under 10% in 1970. Various studies show that not only does an aging population cut into economic growth, but older workers who stay in the workforce tend to be less productive.

Meanwhile, as Americans age, the U.S. birth rate dropped to a 32-year low last year. Fewer than 3.8 million babies were born in 2018, down 2% from the previous year. Overall, the population grew 0.6% in 2018 compared to 1.2% growth in the mid-1990s. Thats not necessarily a negative in the long run, says Kelly, adding that if you look beyond economics, a growing world population will potentially do more damage to the planet. Instead, he says, policy makers should plan for the expectation of a reduced workforce. There's so many things in this world you can't see coming. Demographics you see coming from a mile off, he says. It should be something that we try to adapt policy to as opposed to a lot of the things that we're very unsure about, which we can more reasonably hesitate to act on. We really should adapt to a world of slow population growth because it's clearly happening to us. He expects the lack of workers to spur the growth of robotics and artificial intelligence to replace the missing human labor. And he says Americans need to get over our delusions and prepare for U.S. economic growth to slow a bit.
3 terrorists killed, cop injured in two separate J&K encounters | 7-day mandatory home quarantine for passengers arriving in Mumbai from UAE | Delhi witnesses massive Covid spike in last 24 hrs, records 923 cases | COVID tsunami will lead world health systems to collapse: WHO | Bengal reports massive spike in Covid infections, over 1000 cases in last 24 hrs
New Delhi, May 31 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Md. Abdul Hamid, President of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh at Hyderabad House on Thursday afternoon.

During the meeting, the leaders expressed great satisfaction at the excellent state of bilateral relations.

The visiting President conveyed felicitations of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was unable to travel in person because of a prior commitment.

He conveyed the invitation of the Government of Bangladesh to Prime Minister to visit that country, which was accepted with pleasure.

The leaders agreed that dates would be decided through diplomatic channels.

PM Modi noted that the bilateral relationship, forged in Bangladeshs War of Liberation, remained of the highest priority to India.

In the past five years, the two countries had demonstrated great maturity and patience in resolving a number of complex pending issues, such as the demarcation of the Land Boundary.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of India and Bangladesh raising ties to a new level, as part of a joint effort to suitably commemorate the centenary of the birth of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (in 2020) and the 50th anniversary of Bangladeshs Liberation, in 2021.

The President of Bangladesh was in India to attend the Swearing-in Ceremony of the new Government of India on May 30.




New Delhi, May 31 (IBNS): Prime Minister of Nepal K.P. Sharma Oli on Thursday attended the Swearing-in Ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Council of Ministers.

In the bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Friday, Prime Minister Oli congratulated Modi on the electoral victory of his party in the general elections.

PM Modi thanked him for the good wishes and reiterated his commitment to work with Nepal to further strengthen the traditionally close and multifaceted partnership between India and Nepal.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the progress that has been achieved in the implementation of bilateral projects and initiatives.
During breaks in the fighting, refugees scavenged outside for food. Lethimonnier says her father sliced meat for stew off the carcasses of farm animals that had been killed. She would sneak out, too, clambering up a narrow shaft from the quarry to see the destruction for herself. On one such escapade, chasing a rumor that spread among kids in her cave that soldiers outside were distributing chocolate, she was injured in the left leg by shrapnel from a shell-burst.

"The smells were horrific. There was a smell of burning. You could see a foot, an arm or a body in the ruins," Lethimonnier recalls. "The smoke lingered for I don't know how long."

The inevitable vanishing of witnesses from World War II makes the work of preserving the history only more urgent, a race against time. To help archeologists better understand how refugees organized themselves, with latrines in one corner, a makeshift kitchen by the quarry entrance, and families marking out spaces in the dirt, Lethimonnier agreed to go back into the dark, lowered into the quarry on a rope down the same narrow shaft she'd scaled as a girl.
Right now, there is a 5-4 conservative majority on the Supreme Court  a majority that will soon eviscerate abortion rights, is busily attacking collective bargaining and will validate every Republican effort to suppress votes and undermine democracy  all because in 2016, when Justice Antonin Scalia died, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to allow President Barack Obama to fill the vacant seat.

Democrats still need to decide what to do about it, and McConnell, R-Ky., is making it crystal clear that changing the size of the court the moment they have the chance is the only way to restore something faintly resembling democratic representation and majority rule.

Youll recall that when McConnell refused to allow Merrick Garlands nomination to the high court to receive even a hearing, let alone a vote, he and other Republicans pretended there was actually a principle involved, one they had just invented, that any Supreme Court seat that becomes vacant in the final year of a presidents term should remain open till after the following election. The voters, they insisted, must have a chance to weigh in, despite the fact voters obviously weighed in when they re-elected Obama in 2012.
Lorena High School graduate Mabry Strauch achieved a rare feat during her school years in Lorena. She never missed a day of classes since beginning kindergarten.

She attributes her healthy streak to taking her vitamins.

I have gone to school not feeling my best a time or two, she said. And I have been sick on a weekend or even during Christmas break once. My dad was the general manager at Connor Nutrition Center for most of my childhood.

I have to say, us kids have probably taken more vitamins and supplements than most kids and apparently it makes a difference.

Staying healthy appears to run in the family.

I think as a small child my mom used this tactic to trick my brother, sister and I into not playing sick to miss school, she said. Life with siblings is always a competition. My oldest sister McKenna made it through 13 years only missing one day of school. My younger brother Mason is a freshman in high school and he has missed two days of school so far.

So I guess I am the winner. I think the farther we got in school, it became a challenge to meet this goal.
Halvorsen said Crihstians Cause is named and operated in their name to help prevent lives being cut short in similar ways.

I had a 2 year old granddaughter, so I could relate. It really hit me, Halvorsen said.

She said the idea for the program came to her as she was trying to fall back asleep one morning.

It was one of those six oclock in the morning thoughts, Halvorsen said.

She thought about her own grandkids and eventually came to the conclusion that she would just do something. So, last summer she went to Pawnee Lake herself and just started handing out lifejackets.

As word spread of what she was trying to do, she said she accumulated nearly $800 in donations to buy more new lifejackets.

The effort went beyond Pawnee Lake and Halvorsen and volunteers managed to hand out life jackets at Branched Oak Lake and Lake Minatare.

Providing even more free lifejackets continues to be Halvorsens goal.

Halvorsen will tackling multiple locations across Nebraska this summer. These locations include Branched Oak Lake, Lake McConaughy, Lake Minatare and Pawnee Lake.
Ted Koppel, right, interviews Randy Collins, the president of the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce, for a piece on CBS Sunday Morning. (CBS Sunday Morning)

The veteran newsman and CBS Sunday Morning contributor explains how a seeming puff piece about The Andy Griffith Show turned into an unsettling snapshot of an angry America.
The Italianate element of the Rachmaninoff was Paganini, on whose work the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is based. Not Italian, despite his name, was the debuting pianist Francesco Piemontesi, a Swiss protege of Alfred Brendel, who is known for his Mozart and who brought a very unexpected clockwork, light-fingered approach to a piece that is generally the quintessence of romance. Another theme of the program, according to Noseda, was pieces that adapted much earlier music, and his conducting brought out an unfamiliar sense of the archaic, offering light and air and, of all things, restraint around the pianists tinkling, giving a distancing sense of unfamiliarity even to the pieces most cinematographic effusions. One might not want to hear it played often this way, and Rachmaninoff is not strictly in Piemontesis wheelhouse, but the audience was ecstatic, and the soloist thanked them with an encore, the second movement of Bachs Italian concerto.
Many Guatemalans say they have been told the ability to enter the United States with a child is part of an official U.S. policy that is due to expire in about a year; such rumors are often spread by smugglers trying to drum up business. Its something that they say is going to expire, said Anselmo Torres, 58, also from La Libertad, whose two daughters migrated earlier this year with children of their own.
A lot of things have changed in 20 years. Ive matured a lot, and I have accomplished a lot being the chairman of an ANC commission and working in the Mayors Office of Community Relations and Services, said Fanning, whose candidacy was first reported by the Washington City Paper. Im best prepared to move the ward forward, particularly when it comes to the business community.
He buried his fears under hard work. At Mountain View High School, writing became what he calls a way of belonging at both the school paper and a community paper. He ignored his grandfathers worries about Vargass name appearing in print. He also sang, debated, acted, directed and was elected to represent the schools interests at the school board. His senior year, he came out as gay. He formed a deep and lasting friendship with principal Pat Hyland when she approached him one night and asked, Dont you ever go home?
On Friday, a U-Md. spokeswoman reiterated a statement from Thursday: The university remains committed to transparency  and student safety above all  in the handling of mold and adenovirus on our campus. Transparency has been demonstrated through legislative testimony, briefings to our Board of Regents, and real-time publishing of all actions and communications on mold and adenovirus throughout the fall. In addition, the university has made public the external review by medical experts of our response to adenovirus, and the findings support the universitys approach.
The adversity rating is not the first systematic effort to give more context to SAT scores. In 1999, researchers at the nonprofit Educational Testing Service, which administers the test, proposed to quantify the difference between actual scores and expected scores based on analysis of family income, parental education and other factors. Those who scored 200 or more points higher than expected, under that proposal, were to have been labeled strivers. One version included race and ethnicity as a factor in the formula.
This isnt about a single person with celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity going into a restaurant and trying to use the restaurant as a covered picnic area. This is about a child who was part of a school trip to an educational venue who paid full price to be in the room and instead was escorted out back in the rain, his lawyer Mary Vargas said Friday.
Former Baltimore mayor Catherine E. Pugh (D) was appointed to the board as a representative of the advisory council in 2002, when she was a member of the Baltimore City Council. She stayed on through her stints as a state delegate and senator and kept the spot after becoming mayor. After revelations by the Baltimore Sun that the hospital system paid her $500,000 for her self-published Healthy Holly childrens books, Pugh resigned her board seat. She stepped down as mayor on May 2, a week after federal agents raided her two homes and office.
Authorities arrested Geoffrey Smallwood on two counts of aggravated sexual battery Wednesday after police investigated a claim that he assaulted a victim who suffered from mental incapacity or physical helplessness, officials said in a statement.
Riddick kept hold of her purse, and the two began a tug-of-war, each pulling a strap of her handbag. I bet Ill stab you, she recalled the man in the hooded jacket saying, though she didnt see a weapon in his hands. He got her purse and she retreated home, where her sister saw a stain on her shirt. It was blood; it was only then that Riddick realized she had been stabbed.
She is suffering physically and psychologically, and is at the time of this writing in the process of losing her home as a result of her present confinement, her lawyers wrote in a motion filed Friday in federal court. She has made clear she prefers to become homeless rather than betray her principles. Her intransigence, at this point, is not reasonably in question. What is in doubt, however, is the governments need for her testimony.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a D.C.-based organization, has released its list of endangered places since 1988 to raise awareness about the threats facing some of the nations greatest treasures, according to its website. In the past decade, the list has included the Annapolis City Dock and Richmonds Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, among other sites in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
Lenczycki, now 74 and living in suburban Chicago, admitted in the latest case to grabbing the genitals of one boy and trying to force the other to expose himself. The crimes occurred from 1991 to 1994. Lenczycki was charged in February, and he is scheduled to be sentenced in August.
U.N. calls for release of Chinese lawyer: A Chinese lawyer held for more than 16 months without trial is being unlawfully detained for his human rights work and should be released, a United Nations watchdog has said. The U.N. working group on arbitrary detention issued its opinion on Yu Wensheng, dated May 29, after examining his case at a closed-door meeting. There was no immediate comment by China. Yu was the defense attorney for jailed prominent rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang before being stripped of his license and arrested in 2018.
The push is part of an organized legislative effort  unabashedly coined Project Blitz  by the religious right to get states to enact pro-Christian bills that range from requiring public schools to display the national motto of In God We Trust to legalizing discrimination against LGBTQ people. Activists are upfront about wanting to protect the free exercise of traditional Judeo-Christian religious values and beliefs in the public square. So much for the guidelines  study of the Bible or religion . . . presented objectively as part of a secular program of education  that the Supreme Court framed as consistent with the First Amendment. Ms. Zauzmer depicted one classroom in Kentucky where a teacher had posted the blessings of the Beatitudes and asked students to reflect on what lessons could be learned; at another school in Kentucky, student drawings of crosses and Adam and Eve walking with dinosaurs adorned the walls.
Richard Cohen, in his May 28 Tuesday Opinion essay, Netanyahu was Trump before Trump, wrote that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a hypocrite for dealing with the ultra-Orthodox while being a confessed adulterer, twice divorced and thrice married. Evangelical Christians believe it is possible to be born again because Jesus forgives indiscretions. The hypocrisy comes when the behavior doesnt change. President Trump has never claimed to be born again and has never said he would change his behavior. He gained the evangelical vote by promising to allow them to pick the judges he appoints, a promise he kept.
Clearly, hes not coming to town to conduct any important business, to do any deals or negotiate any treaties: There isnt anybody to negotiate with. He might issue some threats  he reportedly plans to say he will cut off intelligence cooperation with Britain if it continues to do business with the Chinese company Huawei  but the British cabinet isnt in a position to coordinate a response, so it hardly matters. Nor will his presence enhance the fabled, albeit somewhat shopworn, Anglo-American relationship. His last visit to Britain was a PR catastrophe. He insulted the prime minister, he embarrassed Queen Elizabeth II, and he even managed to annoy the Sun newspaper, a Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid that attacked him as Fake Schmooze. At the time of his last visit, 77 percent of Britons disapproved of the U.S. president, and there is no reason to think those numbers have improved.
Most congressional Republicans today display a similar versatility of conviction. They were for free trade until Trump informed them that they were not. They were defenders of the U.S. intelligence community until Trump announced in Helsinki that he believed Vladimir Putin rather than this community regarding Russian support for his election. They excoriated wishful thinking regarding North Korea until Trump spent a few hours with Kim Jong Un and, smitten, tweeted, There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Republicans have moved from stressing presidential dignity to cowed silence when, to take only the most recent example, Trump endorsed a North Korean state media outlets ridicule of low IQ Joe Biden (a taunt Trump falsely ascribed to Kim). Republicans railed against President Barack Obamas executive overreaching but are eloquently mute when Obamas successor promiscuously declares emergencies in order to repurpose funds Congress appropriated for other purposes, and to truncate the process of congressional approval of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and its allies.
Most of the recent analysis of Bidens early advantage with African American voters attributes his support to high name identification and his role as President Barack Obamas vice president. There is uncertainty about whether this support is durable. But faith could be Bidens enduring connection to those voters. His personal loss and his faithful witness to it might be cynically dismissed by secular voters as a stunt; these things are not dismissed by people of faith. He has been to black churches all over the country, and if he is able to replicate, as he told Matt Malone in a 2015 interview that Jesus Christ is the example of what we are supposed to do, he will hear a chorus of Amens! in response. For other contenders, it might come off as a box to check. For Biden, it comes from the heart.
Exhibit A is, of course, Trump. While in Japan, he approvingly quoted North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un calling Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden a low IQ individual. It is bad enough that Trump derides his political opponents in such vulgar terms. Even worse is that Trump does so on foreign soil, where he is supposed to be representing the United States of America, not the Republican states of America. So much for the old adage that partisan politics should stop at the waters edge. Worse still, he sides with a murderous dictator over a former vice president of the United States. Any one of these offenses would have been unthinkable for any previous president. Trump does all three at once, and its a one-day story, because weve gotten so used to his outlandish behavior. Except its not actually so outlandish. This is the kind of name-calling that has been a mainstay of the conservative-media complex for years. Trump is just saying what Fox News viewers want to hear.
My experience in the private sector suggests this law will have a real impact. Bethesda-based Total Wine & More, of which I was president before joining Congress, was one of the first national businesses to ban the box on employment applications and has hired more than 100 returning citizens. It was a great decision for the company and the employees. Compared with other employees, returning citizens working at Total Wine proved very reliable and had 14 percent better retention rates. As the head of a national effort on returning citizens sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union, I heard similar stories from top executives whose companies stopped asking for criminal histories on job applications.
Rachel Carson was not born in Washington. She was born and raised on a farm outside the town of Springdale, Pa., on May 27, 1907. A zoologist by training, she outscored all other applicants on the civil service exam, and in 1936 she became only the second woman hired by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. She remained there for years, rising to become editor in chief of all publications for what is now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Her first two books, Under the Sea-Wind and The Sea Around Us, became award-winning bestsellers, as she was able to clearly and beautifully describe the oceans and the dangers of marine pollutants.
Some fact-checking is required. Rep. Seth Moultons (D-Mass.) imagined American hero who filled President Trumps empty seat in Vietnam is bogus hyperbole of the type we have come to expect from the man in the White House. Only 38 percent of Vietnam-era draftees served in Vietnam. Fewer than half of those saw combat. The odds are that a drafted Donald Trump would have served in the United States, Europe, Japan or Korea, creating no empty hero seat.
Ive said from the beginning  right from the beginning  that you probably cant go down two tracks, the president ranted after storming out of a May 22 meeting with congressional leaders that was ostensibly scheduled to discuss infrastructure. You can go down the investigation track, and you can go down the investment track or the track of lets get things done for the American people.
THE MASSIVE influx of Central American migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border is a real problem, to which President Trumps sudden threat of escalating tariffs against Mexico is a bizarre and wildly inappropriate response. Not only does it attribute, spuriously, all the blame for the migrant flow to Mexico, but it also takes that friendly countrys economy hostage  unless and until the illegal migration crisis is alleviated through effective actions taken by Mexico, to be determined in our sole discretion and judgment, as the president put it in a statement Thursday night. U.S. consumers and companies will suffer potentially major collateral damage, all for the sake of a dispute that has nothing to do with trade.
This is largely why the daily mayhem of the Trump presidency has no discernible effect on support for Trump: not the petty (the White House ordering John McCains name covered on a Navy ship); not the ludicrous (the Energy Department rebranding liquid natural gas molecules of freedom); not the insidious (Trump continuing to allege a Russian hoax and his own innocence after special counsel Robert Mueller demonstrated otherwise); not the ugly (Trump resisting disaster aid for Puerto Rico for months, and GOP lawmakers this week blocking the legislation); and not the inhuman (migrant children held illegally, and dying, at the border). All of this pales against the existential threat to traditional white America from what it perceives as nonwhite interlopers.
Mr. Gershman referenced the Ukrainian town of Rava-Ruska as an example of what happened. But it would be useful to note what a U.S. federal court found in 1981 in the case of U.S. v. Osidach, in which it upheld the Justice Departments stripping of the defendants U.S. citizenship. He had been charged with having served as police chief in Rava-Ruska, where he was responsible for rounding up the towns 18,000 Jews.
Mr. Franken, a former Democratic senator from Minnesota, was accused of inappropriate conduct with women. How about we treat him and his accusers lawfully and investigate the charges? The Senate passed on this opportunity. We are all the poorer for the failure to do so.
The proposed change in regulation to use plant employees instead of federal inspectors is outrageous. The USDA has bowed to pressure from the food industry for decades. Now there may be a possibility of death from gastrointestinal infections. This is completely unacceptable. We may have to refuse all pork products for public-health and personal reasons.
The desire to win is understandable, given the intensity of the distrust, if not outright antipathy, toward Trump among black voters. His hand-waving at white nationalists; his nominations of judges with a history of championing racially discriminatory policies; his support for restrictive voting measures; his efforts to undermine Obamacare, a program that remains popular with African Americans; his hypocritical approach to criminal justice  backing sentencing reform while remaining indifferent to police misconduct  are some of the reasons African Americans want the president gone. A Quinnipiac poll taken last August found that 87 percent of black respondents did not think that Trump treats people of color with the same amount of respect as he treats white people, compared to only 7 percent who did. In particular, the insults the president has directed at a number of high-profile black women  Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), journalists Abby Phillip, Yamiche Alcindor and April Ryan  are interpreted not merely as Trumps failure to govern in their interest but also as a mark of his personal hostility.
Last year, Laffer co-authored the book Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Revive Our Economy. Trump himself reviewed the tome on Twitter, calling it an incredible book on my Economic Policies, or, as they call it, TRUMPONOMICS. They have really done a great job in capturing my long-held views and ideas. This book is on sale nowa terrific read of a really interesting subject!
Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan (L) meets with Dutch King Willem-Alexander in The Hague, the Netherlands, May 29, 2019. Wang Qishan paid a visit to the Netherlands from Tuesday to Thursday. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

THE HAGUE, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan paid a visit to the Netherlands from Tuesday to Thursday, pledging to cement bilateral ties and achieve common development.

During his stay in the Hague, Wang met with Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Mark Rutte separately.

Wang conveyed best regards from Chinese President Xi Jinping to King Willem-Alexander, saying the China-Netherlands relations have seen a rapid growth in recent years in the spirit of mutual respect and seeking common ground while putting aside differences.

The facts prove that the two countries could achieve common development and prosperity despite their different social systems, cultures and development stages, said Wang.

China welcomes the Netherlands to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said Wang, hoping the Dutch side to create a fair, non-discriminatory and transparent business environment for the Chinese investors.

Stressing the historical trend of economic globalization, Wang said China has always insisted on mutual benefit and win-win cooperation based on consultations on equal footing in a bid to build a community with shared future for mankind.

Dutch King Willem-Alexander said the Netherlands values relations with China, and expressed his satisfaction with recent development of bilateral ties.

China's development is very important to world peace and prosperity, said King Willem-Alexander, calling on every country to strive to solve their own problems and join hands to tackle common challenges facing the world.

While meeting with Rutte on Wednesday, Wang said his visit to the Netherlands aims to enhance communication and mutual trust and implement consensus reached by leaders of the two countries during their mutual visits.

The two countries have taken on a path featuring win-win cooperation of a high level, which is demonstrated by frequent high-level exchanges, fruitful cooperation outcomes and rising people-to-people exchanges, said Wang.

Wang urged the two sides to enhance bilateral trade, facilitate investment and deepen cooperation in financial and innovative sectors.

China supports the European integration, said Wang, adding that China will work with the European side to safeguard and uphold the free trade principles and jointly build an open world economy.

Rutte, for his part, said the Netherlands and China are important cooperative partners, and the Belt and Road Initiative is highly consistent with the EU Strategy on Connecting Europe and Asia.

The Dutch side is ready to strengthen cooperation with China in such fields as technological innovation, green finance, climate change and clean energy,and jointly explore the third-party market, said Rutte.

The prime minister said the Netherlands appreciates China's stance on the climate change issue, expressing hope to jointly safeguard rules-based multilateral trade system.

The Netherlands is Wang's second stop of his Asia-Europe tour, which will also take him to Germany. Wang has visited Pakistan starting from May 26.
They see it as just more dysfunction in Washington, said Bustos of impeachment talk. The presidents going to be what the president is. And rather than just be critical of the president at every turn, what are we doing to make their lives better? What are we doing for this guy who makes $9 an hour and just got his health insurance yanked from him?
The division crystallizes a question that could dominate the Democratic contest and goes to the heart of what the party, and the country, will be in the current era: Do most voters want a president who can bring the nation together or one who will steamroll the other side in what many partisans see as a far-reaching war over culture, ideology and the very definition of American identity?
Prosecutors provided one item that Sullivan ordered be released: a transcript of a voice mail left by an attorney for Trump, much of which had already appeared in Muellers report. It is unclear how the judge will react to the governments noncompliance with other elements of his order. Late last year, Sullivan postponed Flynns sentencing after angrily lambasting the former national security adviser for his actions, saying, Arguably, you sold your country out.
The former Ohio governor, who ran for president in 2016, never embraced Trump like most of GOP did. For that reason, the bloc of anti-Trump Republicans have long pointed to Kasich as someone who could save the party by challenging the president for the 2020 nomination.
His handling of this issue is one more reason why he is so unpopular with the kinds of suburban swing voters that at one time supported Republicans, she said. Combine this with his support for more abortion restrictions and the administrations treatment and policy toward separating refugee children and families on the border, and you have a record that repels suburban women.
One, she said, would make clear that its the intent of Congress that the Justice Department can indict the president. Warren said she would also like to see obstruction of justice statutes amended to make it explicit that the president can be indicted on a charge of abusing the powers of the office.
Described as one of Americas most important composers as well as its most influential jazz musician in The Washington Posts May 1974 obituary, Ellington led one of the most popular orchestras of the Big Band era. He was an inventive and prolific composer. The New York Times obituary stated that he wrote more than 6,000 pieces, and The Post declared that he had 1,500 works to his credit. His official website claims he composed 3,000 songs, including It Dont Mean a Thing if It Aint Got That Swing, Sophisticated Lady and Mood Indigo.
The United States has poured about $5 million into this effort, which has squashed the number of trypanosomiasis cases down to nearly zero. Its part of a broader push to harness nuclear energy for good that has stayed on track even as the Trump administration has sought to slash foreign aid elsewhere.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for Fridays attack, which came after days of peace talks with its leaders in Moscow. Many Afghans hoped those talks would result in a cease-fire announcement for the end of the holy month of Ramadan early next week.
I think foreign and especially U.S. firms now have to worry that China is creating a new legal pretext to at least impose exit bans on foreign individuals who make this new list, if not worse, said Bill Bishop, editor of the Sinocism newsletter, referring to the Chinese practice of not allowing designated foreigners to leave China.
The government has an official strategy of trying to erase the public memory, he said. But as long as Im alive, I will try to tell my story and what I have witnessed. It might seem futile and many people dont want to know about it in the first place, but I will not give up. Im here and Im supposed to speak out and tell people the truth.
While the Islamic State has been weakened in the Middle East, analysts say its presence has grown in Southeast Asia. Three suspects were arrested in Malaysia on Thursday, one of whom was reported to be on the way to Syria through Egypt. Foreign and local Islamic State-affiliated militants were involved in the attempted occupation of the Philippine city of Marawi in 2017.
Unlike other elections where Turkish Cypriots living in the breakaway northern part of the island arent eligible to vote, the European parliament election is one single big vote for the countrys six seats. All citizens of the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus have the right to vote including some 80,000 Turkish Cypriots who hold Cyprus Republic passports but live in the north. Only about 5,600 of those voted, however, meaning that the larger proportion of the 25,000 votes Kizilyurek received came from Greek Cypriots.
Assange regularly complained about how Ecuador treated him while he took refuge in a corner room of its red-brick embassy. He unsuccessfully sued the Foreign Ministry last year over demands that he pay for his medical bills and clean up after his cat  among other conditions he said were intended to force him from the embassy. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights also dismissed his complaints.
The reality, as Mueller said in the same breath  making his first public comments Wednesday on his Russia investigation  is that the prohibition on charging presidents with federal crimes is long-standing department policy. It was formulated in two opinions during the administrations of Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton by the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel (OLC).
I write Senators and Congressmen several times a month telling them why we cant do a favor for this or that constituent  based on our team sticking to the established standards and process, wrote Burke, who was just confirmed by the Senate as the Navys next No. 2 officer. I recommend against bending the process in the other direction because of some incomplete or inaccurate press reporting.
He followed that with an interview with the Sun tabloid, in which he did not offer a full endorsement but was quoted as saying: I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent. . . . I dont know that he is going to be chosen, but I think he is a very good guy, a very talented person. He has been very positive about me and our country.
But tens of thousands of Central Americans, mostly from Guatemala and Honduras and mostly traveling with smugglers, still journey through Mexico each month. U.S. officials say Mexico is not doing enough to secure its southern border with Guatemala, or to crack down on the private bus companies that ferry migrants through the country, usually accompanied by their smugglers.
Some of the state's top International Baccalaureate students are set to receive lower ATARs under changes aimed at stopping high achievers getting an unfair advantage.

The overhaul follows criticism that IB students have an edge over their VCE counterparts when their results are converted into ATARs and they apply for university.

Around 40 per cent of IB students will be impacted by changes to the way their results are converted into ATARs Credit:Martin Hunter

For the first time in 2021, Australian admissions centres will draw on more detailed data about IB students performance before converting their scores into ATARs.

According to the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre, the ATARs of about 15 per cent of IB students, the majority of whom receive top marks, will go down.
Sheen is well-known for exhaustively researching his roles. But for this he had a head start: he's friends with Gaiman and had read the book when it came out, when he was still at drama school. "I remember loving that book, so it's funny to think that all these years later here we are," he says. "It was apocalyptic, a serious subject that would normally be treated in a doom-y, earnest way. But it was very funny. "I just thought it worked as a story [and] as a very British comedy." Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and Crowley (David Tennant) have spent too long away from the moral absolutes of their ethereal homes, and developed a taste for the good life. Credit:Amazon Prime Sheen  an extraordinarily versatile actor who has found success in arthouse dramas and big-screen vampire flicks  is glad that some of the "terrible snobbishness" over fantasy stories is disappearing, partly thanks to their success on what used to be called TV.

Michael Sheen and David Tennant Credit:Ramona Rosales/Amazon Prime "[Arts writers] were hardly able to sit down in a room with us, he says. "They were like, 'How can you lower yourself to this?' Nonsense. Some of the greatest writing in the 20th and 21st century has been in science fiction and fantasy." Sheen found his way into the Aziraphale character partly through clothes: hints about a bowtie and a love of plaid, an immortal who hangs on to old fashions too long. But mainly he got there through thinking, quite seriously, about what an angel would be like. "I always have an issue with people who say 'it's much more fun to play [someone] bad'," he says. "Is it? I think we've failed as a species if good is boring. If we made good boring then we are doing something wrong. Goodness is about sharing, joy and being generous and connecting, and that's the best thing we have in the world. That's what makes life living. So if you can't make that interesting or fun, you might as well pack up and go home."

He decided it was an angel's nature to love other characters  including his demon friend. "There's a lazy way of playing goodness and I didn't want to do that. I'm always trying to look for moments that will allow an audience to feel for what he's doing in a way that is authentic, that connects." It was "lovely" working with Tennant, he says. "He's a fantastic actor. I'm as much a fan as anyone else. You have to be careful in scenes, so you don't just go 'oh thats really good'." Tennant too admits to being a bit starstruck  but not by Sheen, by American actor Michael McKean (Spinal Tap, Better Call Saul) who plays the world's last witchfinder. "It's not very helpful being starstruck," he says. "I was very starstruck by Billy Connolly a few years ago and it takes you a couple of days to relax. Really, it's not helpful because you don't do your best work when you're slightly in awe of the people around you."

Tennant says he plays Crowley with "lots of camping around and lots of cackling", but his character, like Aziraphale, goes beyond the stereotype. "Its really good fun," he says, playing this louche, rock'n'roll demon who's in love with the material world just a bit too much to do his job properly. Jon Hamm (centre) in a scene from Good Omens. Credit:Amazon Prime He adds the whole production is fun because "it's quite extreme". "Every day on this has been bananas. Like, today we blew up a car and then [actors] Miranda Richardson and Michael McKean joined us. Jon Hamm is still to show up.

"Every day that sort of extraordinary people come in to play and we're in mad places. It never seems to be the same thing twice. "I guess it's the free association of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's brains, and luckily we seem to have the budget to exploit that. We're very much enjoying spending Amazon's money." Unlike Sheen, Tennant had never heard of the book, though hed heard of its authors. But he was aware how big its following was around the world. "That's why I'm delighted that Neil is so hands-on, because you know his fans are rightly passionate and feel a great ownership of his work, so at least if they don't agree with what we've done you can say 'well, Neil said it was fine'." Gaiman says that's why he demanded to be showrunner  to make sure his book's characters and themes survived in the final production.

"As a writer you're a long way down the hierarchy. The moment you hand it over the art department suddenly go 'we thought itd be a good idea if everybody was green' and somebody else goes 'oh that scene looks a bit expensive with the bathtub' and you get the thing back and everybody's green and the bathtub's gone and you're saying 'well it made sense when I gave it to you'. From left: Showrunner Neil Gaiman, Michael Sheen and David Tennant participate in the Amazon Good Omens panel at the Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour earlier this year Credit:CHRIS PIZZELLO "Theres nothing that hurts worse for a writer than turning around and watching perfectly legitimate criticisms of an episode that you had written and just wanting to post every single person grumbling on Twitter your original script." The biggest responsibility he feels, he says, is to Pratchett  who he still "misses as if it was a heart pang". "I actually wind up guarding his [bits of the book] much more than I guard mine."
I thought The Shop would be a good way to meet the opposite sex. After all, we sold PlayStations. You'd think there'd be no end to the teenage boys checking out Panasonic hi-fi systems, but this wasn't the case. All the nice boys were either in the library or at home; all the fun ones were on the court shooting hoops or in the alleyway shooting up. The remainder loitered at the Harvey Norman at Highpoint Shopping Centre, the biggest mall in the western suburbs. Still, I persevered: I wore lipstick, learnt the difference between a Philishave electric shaver and a Remington, understood the functions and special features of every mobile phone from the Nokia 3110 on. I dropped Samsung "builders' model" phones onto the cement floor to demonstrate how durable they were. But all I kept getting were the sweet old ladies who wanted to buy $12 hair crimpers for their granddaughters, or the racist ones who specifically asked for "an Australian salesperson". Still, barely any young men ventured in through the doors, not even when my aunt began openly displaying a blue, battery-operated "head massager", which I kept sequestering behind a glass cabinet when she wasn't looking. I stood at the front counter, trying to sell alarm clocks and batteries, feeling alarmed while imagining a life behind the till forever.

I wondered which company representative had duped her into ordering stock that made us look like a family of perverts. "Who keeps returning this to the cupboard?" my aunt demanded. "Customers want to turn it on." Loading She was not wrong there  one day, a Chinese grandma wanted to know whether it helped with migraines. My aunt demonstrated on her own temples. "It releases stress straight away," she said, "so soothing." I watched silently as she sold the old woman a vibrator for $14.95. I didn't think I'd ever leave my neighbourhood. Whatever success I achieved in my future life would be situated here, because I knew no other world. I secretly pitied some of my classmates at my private school. They already seemed surfeited and blase because their future narratives weren't so purposeful: they'd never be the first in their family to go to university, to become doctors, lawyers or accountants, or be the first to own and fill up bookshelves in their homes. My classmates also seemed clueless, even the ones who worked in retail jobs selling jeans or serving hamburgers. The Shop was not just a temporary teenage pastime for me to get extra pocket money  it was my ticket out, it paid for my school fees. But I also knew that if I wasn't diligent or careful enough, it could easily swallow me whole.

At The Shop, I saw how raw some people's lives were. Often, I'd be on the phone for half an hour with Telstra to verify a customer's ID, only to be told that their mobile phone could not be connected because they had no fixed address. Of course they didn't, I wanted to retort, they needed the phone because their husbands were bashing them and they were in hiding with the kids. I'd get the distraught woman a cup of instant coffee, and try again, suggesting they use the address of their sister, their friend. Then, in the 10 weeks before my final exams, like a faulty computer, I broke down. I stopped eating and sleeping and thinking, and sometimes forgot how to breathe. I woke up every morning in a blind choking panic and went to bed at night hoping not to wake up. "You're just too stressed about your exams," my parents reassured me, but I could tell by the looks in their eyes and the prescription pills that they tried to feed me that I was heading towards an abyss. My mother now had a new purpose  making sure I made it through. She delivered all meals to me as I sat on the floor, staring listlessly at my notes. She memorised my exam timetable and drove me to all of them even though I told her it was pointless because I'd just be writing gibberish anyway. Summers working at The Shop helped usher in Alice Pungs adult years. Credit:James Braund And then it was all over. Year 12 was done. All I had was the endless summer, and for the first time I wanted to hide at home. My mother wouldn't let me. "You can't mooch around all day!" she railed. "You're going straight to The Shop on Monday. Even if you fail all your exams, you can still read and write. You can still take over the family business."

Drained of all joy, I stood at the front counter, trying to sell alarm clocks and batteries, feeling alarmed while imagining a life behind the till forever. "She's so good," my parents' friends would tell my dad. "So helpful, so hardworking." Yet good meant nothing to me. What good had being good done for me except get me into this predicament, the same as all the other voiceless girls before me, who became too good and obedient to ever fully figure out what for their own good meant? I felt cornered. Stripped of self-esteem, I knew I'd never find gainful employment anywhere else. Loading When my year-12 results came in, everyone was surprised. It turned out I'd been a good investment. I'd done better than anyone expected. In fact, before the summer was over, I'd be off to law school. Slowly, the fog lifted. So long, suckers, I thought. Keep filming your lives on VHS and catching those grannies, keep haggling over the cost of $20 hair curlers. I'm out of here!
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, centre, speaks during a roundtable discussion with municipal leaders at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual conference, Friday, May 31, 2019 in Quebec City. From the left, Edmonton Mayor Don Iverson, FCM president and Magog Mayor Vicki-May Hamm, Justin Trudeau and Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
The relentless assaults resulted in her assuming some 2500 or so "alters" in what is now called dissociative identity disorder.

Jeni Haynes, who is using the voices of her different "alter" characters in evidence against her father, Richard Haynes. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Jeni Haynes wants her father, Richard Haynes, who is in the dock, to hear directly from them about the impact of what he did to her between the ages of four and 11.

A woman who developed multiple personality disorder after being sexually abused by her father, is to read out her 17-page victim-impact statement on Friday in court using the voices of several of the different "alter" characters.

Ms Haynes told the Herald: "Everyone is going to be popping in to do their bit. Tomorrow could be very entertaining to watch. There are parts that are owned by different people - even now I know that Linda will come in to read the statement about her lost political career as she sought justice."

Haynes, who was extradited from Britain in February 2017, decided at the last minute to plead guilty to the charges of rape, buggery and indecent assault against his daughter in Sydney in the 1970s and 1980s.

Jeni Haynes, an incest victim, leaving Downing Centre Court in March. Credit:Louise Kennerley

So extraordinary is the case that Ms Haynes is in negotiations with a Hollywood production company, which plans to make a movie about her life.

Ms Haynes went on: "Lots of alters that most people haven't met will be rocking up tomorrow to tell their stories through their victim-impact statements. It's the only way to do it. Dad needs to confront the enormity of what he did - and the enormity of what he did is 2500 alters. To just let Jeni or Linda read that statement is a cheat. He needs not just to hear it but to actually see it in front of him. This is what he did to me.
Bill Shorten has told allies he wants to return as Labor leader, but is preparing to be denied his preferred frontbench positions as health or foreign affairs spokesman when Anthony Albanese unveils the opposition's new-look frontbench this weekend.

The former opposition leader used an address to MPs in Canberra on Thursday to pledge loyalty to Labor's newly installed leadership team and launch a stinging attack on corporate Australia and sections of the media over the party's shock defeat at the May 18 election.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese and deputy Labor leader Richard Marles applaud Bill Shorten at a caucus meeting in Canberra on Thursday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"Rather than commentators' snap judgements, or hindsight masquerading as insight, it is important that we take our time to reflect," Mr Shorten said.

"But obviously we were up against corporate leviathans, a financial behemoth, spending an unprecedented hundreds of millions of dollars advertising, telling lies, spreading fear. They got what they wanted."
And the death toll could still rise. Recalls are notoriously ineffective at removing products from the market and fatality reports have come into the CPSC since the April 12 recall, according to a senior agency official. The roots of the recent recall and subsequent outcry over why it took regulators so long to act can be traced back to critical decisions Fisher-Price made a decade ago that first allowed the inclined sleeper into people's homes, illustrating how the nation's product safety system relies heavily on manufacturers - rather than regulators - to protect against dangers in new products. "People assume we bless a product before it comes to market," longtime CPSC commissioner Robert Adler said. "That isn't the case." Yet consumers trust that infant products, in particular, face scrutiny before hitting store shelves. "It never crossed our mind it could be dangerous," said Sara Thompson, a mother from Reading, Pennsylvania, whose 15-week-old son Alex died in a Rock 'n Play in 2011.

Fisher-Price's owner, Mattel, declined to respond to a detailed list of questions about the Rock 'n Play and its creation. The company said in a statement: "Safety is priority number 1 for Fisher-Price" and the company "has a long, proud tradition of prioritising safety as our mission. We at Fisher-Price want parents around the world to know that we have every intention of continuing that tradition." Kids II said its "first priority is the safety of babies and parents who use our products". Fisher-Price also pointed out that the Rock 'n Play met all applicable US regulations and safety standards. But those safety standards didn't prevent Fisher-Price from selling a product that - despite a lack of evaluation by medical experts - dealt with one of the riskiest situations in an infant's life. Unexpected sleep deaths are the leading cause of accidental fatalities for children younger than one in the United States, killing 3,600 infants annually. While the causes of these deaths often remain medical mysteries, experts say they do know how to make sleep safer. Yet the Rock 'n Play's design appeared to conflict with longtime American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on what constitutes safe infant sleep. These guidelines have recommended since the mid-1990s that babies sleep faceup in an empty crib or bassinet to avoid accidental suffocation. The Back to Sleep campaign - supported by US medical authorities - also says babies should not sleep for long periods in inclined devices such as car seats or infant swings for the same reasons. Studies credit this advice with slashing US infant sleep deaths in half over the past two decades.

"There was no reason for this thing to be out there," said Benjamin Hoffman, a paediatrician in Portland, Oregon, who chairs the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. "It never should've been." So how did it get there? The origins of Rock 'n Play The first sketch of an inclined sleeper came from a Fisher-Price industrial designer named Linda Chapman. Her story of dreaming up the product was used by Fisher-Price for years to market the Rock 'n Play. And Chapman retold that story in greater detail during a deposition last year in a lawsuit against Fisher-Price. The lawsuit had been filed by a Georgia couple whose seven-week-old son survived after being found blue and lifeless in the product in 2014. The boy's grandmother, attorney Jan Hinson, ended up being the driving force behind the legal case against Fisher-Price - which was dismissed late last year by a judge who found a lack of evidence to support a product liability claim.

Fisher-Price Auto Rock 'n Play Sleeper. But the case - plus a Texas court case involving a baby's death in a Rock 'n Play in 2013 - led to transcripts of Fisher-Price workers laying out, in their own words, how the company created the inclined sleeper. Chapman said the product's original design was based on what she remembered from her interactions with her son's doctor years earlier, when her newborn was suffering from reflux, a common issue that can cause spitting up and bouts of crying, according to a deposition transcript. "I was recalling what my paediatrician recommended when my son was little," she said. "And what did he recommend?" she was asked.

"To elevate his head when sleeping. He said you could put a pillow underneath the mattress, or he didn't really have a good way to do it." Many parents - and a few doctors - still contend an incline helps babies who have reflux, which often causes them to spit up. But medical studies have shown little support for this. In 2009, the same year the Rock 'n Play debuted, two leading groups of pediatric gastroenterologists, building on accumulating evidence, released international consensus guidelines on managing stomach problems in babies, finding that elevating an infant's head actually worsens gastric reflux. The American Academy of Pediatrics adopted the findings. Still, elevating a baby's head was one of the core beliefs behind the Rock 'n Play's development. The company used that claim in a 2010 letter to the CPSC as the agency first looked at regulating inclined sleepers. In its letter, Fisher-Price wrote, "Doctors often advise letting such colicky infants sleep in an inclined supine position, of as much as 30 degrees". Fisher-Price, which declined to comment on the letter, appeared to be using "colicky" - a term used by Paediatricians to describe a baby who cries excessively - to mean a baby who cries because of reflux. The company supported its claim by citing "a newsletter made available by the American Academy of Pediatrics" and quoting its suggestion for infants who regurgitate of "elevating the head of the crib and diaper changing table to 30 degrees so they never lay flat".

That argument aligned perfectly with the 30-degree Rock 'n Play. But that newsletter, written by the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, was based on the society's old treatment guidelines from 2001 - when inclining infants was still recommended. By 2010 - when Fisher-Price wrote its letter - that advice had been changed to say inclining babies was harmful. Loading "What changed? The data," said Benjamin Gold, a pediatric gastroenterologist and president-elect of the medical society that helped craft the guidelines. Inclined positioning "was no longer recommended for infants". But Chapman, who did not respond to a request for comment, said in her deposition she never checked her recollection of her doctor's suggestion against up-to-date medical advice on infant sleep safety.

"That's not my job," Chapman said. That was the job of the safety committee, she said, which was led by Kitty Pilarz, a Fisher-Price engineer working as a product safety manager. Today, she's vice president of product safety and regulatory compliance for Fisher-Price. She did not respond to a request for comment. In her deposition, Pilarz said Fisher-Price didn't have medical professionals on staff. "Once I saw the concept and we started working on the concept," Pilarz said, according to a transcript, "I did talk with our medical consultant about the concept." "Dr. Deegear?" she was asked.

"Yes." 'Not even aware of the theory' Gary Deegear of San Antonio, Texas, had been consulting on Fisher-Price products for years, according to depositions. Fisher-Price declined to talk about his work for the company. Deegear specialised in family medicine and treated patients for a few years after graduating from the medical school at the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1988, according to court records and his online resume. He then moved on to consulting, often in product liability lawsuits, where he was an expert witness focused on power tool injuries, according to records in other cases. He also testified as a defence expert in a 2004 federal lawsuit resulting from a police shooting in La Porte, Texas. The judge excluded Deegear's theory of what happened because it did not appear to be accepted by scientists: "In fact, the scientific community is not even aware of the theory," according to court records.

This was not the only time Deegear had his theories doubted. In 1998, another judge excluded Deegear's expert testimony in the case of a man who lost four fingers in a radial arm saw accident, court records show. The judge ruled that Deegear's work was untested and subjective. Deegear's medical license expired in 2015, according to Texas records. Last year, the Texas Medical Board filed a cease-and-desist order against him for allegedly practicing medicine without a license at a medical spa and for conducting unsafe practices. Deegear could not be located for comment for this story, despite multiple attempts to find him through family members and former employers. Attorneys looking to take his testimony about his role in the Rock 'n Play's development also have not been able to find him. But emails between Deegear and Fisher-Price workers detail his work on the Rock 'n Play. In a February 2009 email, Pilarz recounted a phone call she had with Deegear about his reaction to a baby sleeping all night at an angle, according to emails contained in court records.

Loading "Dr Deegear stated Paediatricians recommend babies with reflux sleep at 30 degrees, this is just fine, or sleep in a car seat overnight for months or even a year. The Back to sleep campaign places children on their backs, and elevated positions of the head is fine. He is Not aware of research on this. He will do a quick search. I explained that we are also researching this issue," she wrote. She also said in her email that she had called a local group of Paediatricians to get their opinion. But Pilarz later said in her 2018 deposition that she could not recall researching the issue. She said she never talked to local doctors or the American Academy of Pediatrics. "He's the only one I recall talking to," she said.

Deegear did send two pieces of research to Pilarz, according to court records. One was a link to a 1997 study abstract showing that preterm infants had fewer breathing problems during nursing when their heads were slightly elevated. The second was a two-page brochure titled "A Parent's Guide to Safe Sleep" from the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Always place babies to sleep on their backs during naps and at nighttime," it read, with an illustration of a baby sleeping in a flat, non-inclined crib. A non-existent prototype

The sleep guidelines sent to Fisher-Price by Deegear captured the basics of the Back to Sleep campaign: The best sleep position for infants is on their backs, rather than on their stomachs, in an empty crib to avoid suffocation. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends "flat and firm" sleep surfaces, said Rachel Moon, a paediatrician at Children's National Hospital, who studies factors in infant sleep deaths and is considered the academy's topic expert. "Inclined can cause a problem," Moon said, "because young infants have poor head control and can easily get into positions in which their airway is compromised." Parents sometimes let babies sleep in inclined devices - car seats, for example. But those are required to carry warnings against using them for prolonged sleep because of potential dangers. Sitting in an infant car seat - which usually holds a baby at a 40- to 50-degree incline - has been shown in studies to potentially inhibit a baby's ability to breathe. The risk of what's called positional asphyxia is so well-known that many hospitals require preterm infants to pass a "car seat test", sitting in a car seat for a period while their breathing is assessed, before being allowed to go home. Most car seats have a steeper incline than the Rock 'n Play's 30-degree angle.

Pilarz, in her deposition, argued the Rock 'n Play still allowed babies to sleep in the recommended "supine" position, despite being at an incline. But Pilarz also said she didn't research how different inclines affected a baby's ability to breathe. "I'm not aware that we did specific research at this time about incline angles," she said, according to a transcript, "other than talking with Dr Deegear." In June 2009, four months before the Rock 'n Play hit store shelves, Deegear suggested Fisher-Price bring a prototype to a physician's conference to show other doctors, according to an email in court records. That never occurred, according to Pilarz in her deposition.

Paediatricians' shock Paediatricians only learned about the Rock 'n Play after it was on the market - and by chance. Hoffman, the paediatrician in Portland, first saw it when a friend brought it over to his house. He said he was so worried by the inclined surface he refused to let his friend use it for his baby. Natasha Burgert, a paediatrician in Kansas City, Missouri, heard so many parents raving about the Rock 'n Play that she decided she needed to go to a store to see one herself. She was surprised to see a device that, in her view, went against "safe sleep" guidelines. In August 2012, she published an open letter to Fisher-Price on her doctor's blog urging the company to stop marketing it as a sleeper. She said she also printed out her letter to give to parents during office visits. "This is not something I'd recommend using," Burgert said. "But parents see that it's from Fisher-Price and think, 'They wouldn't be able to sell anything that isn't safe.' "

In 2013, Roy Benaroch, a paediatrician outside Atlanta, called and wrote an email to Fisher-Price's manager of risk management, warning that he thought the product was unsafe and providing links to various studies, according to documents shown to The Washington Post. Benaroch said he never heard back. In 2017, because of the Georgia product liability case, Fisher-Price hired two experts to assess the Rock 'n Play. William Fox is a neonatologist who directs the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Infant Breathing Disorder Centre. Thomas Shaffer, an expert in pediatric breathing problems, heads the Centre for Pediatric Research at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. The doctors did not reply to requests for comment. Working for Fisher-Price, the two doctors placed six infants in Rock 'n Plays for 45 minutes while the doctors measured blood oxygen concentrations for signs of breathing difficulties, according to court records. The test did not replicate overnight sleeping, the purpose for which the product was marketed. But, the doctors wrote in a report filed with the court, "there was no suggestion from our observation of the infants that such positioning could induce respiratory risk". The doctors also noted that newborns in the Philadelphia hospital's neonatal intensive care unit "are regularly placed on their backs on inclines up to 30 degrees". But many neonatal intensive care units have moved away from that practice, said Sunah Hwang, a neonatologist at the University of Colorado.

For example, all the units in Massachusetts began in 2015 to push "safe sleep practices" that include a flat crib or bassinet with no incline. "It really should be standard of care," said Hwang, who conducted a study of the practice. That's true even at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said David Munson, a neonatologist who is the medical director for the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. Inclines are used only with the most critically ill infants, such as a baby needing a mechanical ventilator or with facial deformities, Munson said. Babies sleep flat on their backs in the unit as soon as possible. It's the safest way for babies to sleep, he said.

The long wait for new standards Since 2008, when US Congress overhauled the nation's product safety laws, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has been required to write federal safety rules for durable infant products - things like cribs and highchairs. These rules must be at least as stringent as the voluntary safety standards set by ASTM International - formally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials - which is an organisation made up of manufacturers, consumer advocates and government officials. But each new standard and rule can take years to pass, and products can still be sold in the interim. So far, the commission has passed mandatory safety rules for 23 of 25 infant product categories. The only two left: baby gates and inclined sleepers.

Fisher-Price designed the Rock 'n Play in 2009 to fit under the ASTM standard for bassinets, according to court records. That standard was silent on angle. No one had made an inclined bassinet before. "Our product was tested to [the standard] and met all the requirements," said Mike Steinwachs during a deposition about his role as a Fisher-Price quality engineer who worked on the Rock 'n Play and served on the ASTM committee that wrote the bassinet standard. Steinwachs, who retired from Fisher-Price last year, did not respond to a request for comment. But Fisher-Price faced a problem shortly after the Rock 'n Play's launch. Federal regulators were drafting their safety rule for bassinets and wanted to limit inclines. The agency was worried about infant hammocks, another product covered by the bassinet standard, after some hammock models were recalled for suffocation hazards. But limiting the angle could have banned the Rock 'n Play. So Fisher-Price wrote its 2010 letter to regulators asking them to create a separate standard for inclined sleepers, arguing that a ban could have unintended consequences.

"The restriction could even increase children's risk of injury, as parents reach for substitutes," the letter said. The agency agreed to allow a separate standard. But the agency's leader at the time, chairwoman Inez Tenenbaum, didn't appear to think of inclined sleepers as a place where babies would sleep for long periods, according to deposition transcripts - despite Fisher-Price's marketing of the Rock 'n Play. Tenenbaum said she agreed with Paediatricians that babies should sleep in cribs with firm mattresses. But, she said, it was "not inconsistent" for a child to fall asleep in an inclined sleeper - like babies do in car seats - and then need "to be removed from the product and placed supine in a crib." Tenenbaum declined to comment.

Her view of how inclined sleepers should be used is similar to how the product is marketed in Canada, where the Rock 'n Play is not sold as a sleeping device. In Canada, it's a "soothing seat". And the Canadian version carries a warning: "This product is not intended to replace a crib or bassinet for prolonged periods of sleep," according to court records. No deaths or injuries involving the Rock 'n Play "soothing seat" have been reported since it was introduced in 2011, according to Health Canada. And the "soothing seat" was not included in the recent recall by the CPSC. But a small number of Rock 'n Plays sold and labelled as sleepers in Canada were recalled, adding to the confusion. In the United States, it took the ASTM five years to pass a voluntary standard for inclined sleepers, defined as having angles of 10 to 30 degrees. Consumer advocates and the American Academy of Pediatrics objected to the standard. But they were outnumbered by industry representatives, including Steinwachs of Fisher-Price, who made up more than half of the committee's membership. "We shout into the wind a lot," said Cowles of Kids in Danger, who sits on the committee. Cowles was back at it in 2017, as regulators started working on a federal rule based on the ASTM standard. The American Academy of Pediatrics joined in, writing to the agency that "we are concerned that a safety standard could give parents and caregivers the mistaken impression that these products have been proven safe".

The commission's work on the safety rule was continuing this year, just as problems with the Rock 'n Play exploded into view. That work has been put on hold, the agency said. The agency's long-term failure to address inclined sleepers has been criticised by safety consultants, including Sean Kane and Ellen Liberman at Safety Research & Strategies, who recently wrote a blog post, titled "Who Does the CPSC Protect?"questioning how regulators handled the product. But the complicated nature of infant sleep deaths creates unique challenges for regulators. Agency staff members had been worried about the Rock 'n Play for more than a year before the April 12 recall, according to two people who requested anonymity to discuss internal agency discussions. Last May, the CPSC issued a "consumer alert" about the hazard of not strapping an infant into inclined sleepers, although the Rock 'n Play was not named. The agency also took the unusual step of hiring an outside expert to study the issue. But several of the fatalities in the Rock 'n Play had confounding factors, such as added blankets or - in at least one case - a baby improperly placed face down in the product, according to data described to The Washington Post by one person and confirmed by another person. "It was hard to isolate the issue," said one senior agency official.

The mystery was deepened by the lack of safety testing before the Rock 'n Play hit the market in 2009, leaving investigators to evaluate potential hazards only in hindsight. Eliot Kaye, an agency commissioner, said he believes all inclined sleepers should be banned and that the agency made a mistake in allowing the ASTM to write a separate inclined sleeper standard in 2015. "I'm sympathetic to what parents want," Kaye said, "but it's not worth the risk." 'I couldn't believe it' The industry is not convinced that the recall has made infant sleep any safer.

Several companies still sell their versions of inclined sleepers. One of them, Summer Infant, said it has not received any reports of deaths or injuries, and the product meets ASTM standards. The future of inclined sleepers came up at a ASTM meeting earlier this month. Dozens of representatives from companies, regulators and consumer advocacy groups gathered outside Philadelphia. The recall of the Fisher-Price and Kids II products hung over the discussion. Cowles argued against the standard. So did Consumer Reports and the American Academy of Pediatrics. "We don't see any way to create a safe standard for the product," said Zach Laris, the pediatric group's director of federal advocacy. But Rick Locker, an attorney for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, which represents many of the biggest companies making products for children, urged the committee to slow down and wait until more data is gathered. That argument seemed to win over many in the room.

"I factor in what the AAP says, but I am also very data driven," said Carol Pollack-Nelson, a former regulator who works as a safety consultant, but not on inclined sleeping products. "I'm not sure the world is a safer place without them," Bob Coughlin, a former executive at Kids II, said of inclined sleepers. He added that he worried about parents improvising riskier solutions. The committee decided to talk about the topic again in October. The recalls, too, are not expected to stop people from using the Rock 'n Play. Some parents greeted last month's recall by vowing to keep the product.

"I couldn't believe it," said Sara Thompson, whose son died in the product in 2011. Alexis Dubief, a sleep consultant and author, said she's sympathetic to exhausted parents who are suddenly faced without any option except a crib. Cribs are the safest place for infants, Dubief said. Yet she struggles with how that advice plays out in the real world. The Rock 'n Play was so popular because it worked. "Parents," Dubief said, "don't have a good Plan B." Mattel, Fisher-Price's parent company, estimated the recall would cost it $US27 million, plus at least $US30 million more in lost sales for the rest of the year. But Mattel's chief financial officer Joseph Euteneuer downplayed the impact during an earning calls late last month, saying damage from the Rock 'n Play - considering Mattel is a $US1 billion business - "is roughly a couple low percentage points".
Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are more flexible than common specialized computer chips  and they used to be seen as particularly secure. (Photo: Gnad, KIT)

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are, so to say, a computer manufacturers Lego bricks: electronic components that can be employed in a more flexible way than other computer chips. Even large data centers that are dedicated to cloud services, such as those provided by some big technology companies, often resort to FPGAs. To date, the use of such services has been considered as relatively secure. Recently, however, scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) uncovered potential gateways for cyber criminals, as they explain in a report published in the IACR journal. (DOI: 10.13154)

While conventional computer chips mostly perform a very specific task that never changes, FPGAs are capable of assuming nearly every function of any other computer chip. This often makes them first choice for the development of new devices or systems. FPGAs are for example built into the first product batch of a new device because, unlike special chips whose development only pays off when produced in high volumes, FPGAs can still be modified later, says Dennis Gnad, a member of the Institute of Computer Engineering (ITEC) at KIT. The computer scientist compares this to a sculpture made from reusable Lego bricks instead of a modeling compound that can no longer be modified once it has hardened.

Therefore, the fields of application of these digital multi-talents span the most diverse sectors, such as smartphones, networks, the Internet, medical engineering, vehicle electronics, or aerospace. Having said that, FPGAs stand out by their comparatively low current consumption, which makes them ideally suited for the server farms run by cloud service providers. A further asset of these programmable chips is that they can be partitioned at will. The upper half of the FPGA can be allocated to one customer, the lower half to a second one, says Jonas Krautter, another ITEC member. Such a use scenario is highly desirable for cloud services, where tasks related e.g. to databases, AI applications, such as machine learning, or financial applications have to be performed.

Multiple-User Access Facilitates Attacks

Gnad describes the problem as follows: The concurrent use of an FPGA chip by multiple users opens a gateway for malicious attacks. Ironically, just the versatility of FPGAs enables clever hackers to carry out so-called side-channel attacks. In a side-channel attack, cyber criminals use the energy consumption of the chip to retrieve information allowing them to break its encryption. Gnad warns that such chip-internal measurements enable a malicious cloud service customer to spy on another. What is more, hackers are not only able to track down such telltale current consumption fluctuationsthey can even fake them. This way, it is possible to tamper with the calculations of other customers or even to crash the chip altogether, possibly resulting in data losses, Krautter explains. Gnad adds that similar hazards exist for other computer chips as well. This includes those used frequently for IoT applications, such as smart heating control or lighting systems.

To solve the problem, Gnad and Krautter adopted an approach that consists in restricting the immediate access of users to the FPGAs. The challenge is to reliably filter out malicious users without tying up the legitimate ones too much, says Gnad.

IACR publication:

Gnad, D., Krautter, J., & Tahoori, M. (2019). Leaky Noise: New Side-Channel Attack Vectors in Mixed-Signal IoT Devices. IACR Transactions on Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2019(3), 305-339. https://doi.org/10.13154/tches.v2019.i3.305-339

More information:

Podcast on FPGA side channels:

http://modellansatz.de/fpga-seitenkanaele (in German)

More about the KIT Information  Systems  Technologies Center: http://www.kcist.kit.edu

Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,600 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 23,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
Seared Tuna Salad & Sweet Chili Vinaigrette









Seared Tuna Salad & Sweet Chili Vinaigrette





Ingredients:

12 oz fresh tuna steak

1 tsp Kosher salt, more as needed

2 tsp lemon pepper blend*

1 tbsp Thai Chili Tequila Jam**

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp neutral cooking oil, plus more for the skillet (canola, grapeseed or safflower will work)

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos

2 cups watercress

1/2 cup steamed and cooled edamame soybeans

1/2 avocado

2 radishes, thin sliced

1/3 English seedless cucumber, thin sliced

1/4 cup roasted cashews, chopped

2 scallions, sliced





Ingredient Notes:

*Any cracked pepper blend can be used here, or use freshly ground black peppercorns

**If you don't have this particular jam, use a couple teaspoons of honey plus a dollop of your favorite hot chile sauce, such as a Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, Sriracha or Sambal Oelek.









Before you get started, season your tuna so that the salt has a little time to penetrate. Rub all sides with one teaspoon of Kosher salt and a generous coating of lemon pepper. Set aside while you gather your salad ingredients.







To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the Thai Chili Jam, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, cooking oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce. As with any dressing, you can adjust the sweetness and acidity to taste. Add a pinch of salt if necessary too. Set the dressing aside; you'll need to whisk again before using if the oil separates.



Make sure your remaining salad ingredients are completely prepped before cooking the tuna.



When you're ready, preheat your heavy skillet over high heat until it's just shy of smoking. Add a splash of oil to the skillet. When shimmering, place the tuna steak down in the center of the skillet. Sear for approximately 20 seconds and then flip to sear the other side. You should see the surface of the tuna change to opaque and gradually cook towards the center; the idea is just to sear the surface on all sides. Once the top and bottom are seared, use your tongs to hold the tuna up to sear remaining raw sides as well.

Transfer the tuna to a plate and place it in the freezer. This will stop the tuna from cooking further and help firm it up before slicing.



I plated my other salad ingredients first, while the tuna was cooling. Start with a handful of watercress on each plate and then divide the other veggies. Arrange the edamame around the edges of the plate and finish with a sprinkling of cashews. Drizzle with some of the vinaigrette.

Once the salads were plated, slice the tuna. Cut perpendicular to the grain, which are the ridges running across the tuna steak.



Divide the tuna slices between your salad plates, drizzle with more vinaigrette, and serve!





My body is craving lighter meals this week after overdosing on barbecued meats for the last couple weekends. It's tough finding fresh seafood around this area, but yesterday I finally had time to make the drive out to Wegmans. I can always trust the quality of the seafood counter there. After treating myself to a salmon poke salad bowl for lunch, I still had a taste for fish so I picked up a tuna steak. My five-year-old daughter Raven was almost as excited as I was, having tasted my poke bowl and declaring that she too, wanted a "sushi salad." So, a seared tuna salad was in order for both of us, inspired by the ingredients from yesterday's poke salad bowl at Wegmans.Before we even get to the tuna, what I liked about this salad was that it hit all the texture notes - crisp greens, cucumbers and radishes, soft edamame, creamy avocado, crunchy cashews. As I was editing photos, I realized I forgot to sprinkle with sesame seeds, but I didn't miss anything at all when I ate it! The dressing is sweet, tangy and a little spicy, made with The Essential Table's Thai Chili Tequila Jam . I love the versatility of this jam! As some of you may remember, I used it previously for a chicken stir fry sauce. I've included substitution notes with the ingredient list, but if you can, pick up a jar and support another woman-owned business here in Virginia.I used my lemon pepper blend to season the fish, because cracked pepper always works nicely for seared tuna. It's one of those dishes that looks much fancier than it is difficult to cook. It is definitely a splurge, because of the cost of fresh tuna, but it's not one that you'll have to worry about ruining. Always make sure you're buying fresh fish from a reputable source. If it looks funky, old, or otherwise unappealing, it's not going to get better by searing it for thirty seconds, so wait until you can find a tuna steak that is worth the money. (By the way, if you don't appreciate the texture of rare tuna, don't bother - you'd be better off buying some good imported canned tuna, which is still a bit of a splurge but obviously not nearly as much as fresh fish.)All in all, this was an easy lunch to pull off but tasted like something I'd order in a restaurant, so that's always a win in my book. Raven enjoyed her kid-sized salad as well!30 minutes30 minutesServes 2
BRIDGEPORT  A contract school bus driver was arraigned Friday on child porn charges.

Police said 76-year-old Kenneth Stone had more than a dozen videos on his computer of girls engaged in sexual conduct.

Stone, of California Street, Stratford, is charged with first-degree illegal possession of child pornography.

He did not enter a plea at the court hearing and the case was continued to June 11. Stone is free on $250,000 bond.

Police said Stone worked for Durham School Services driving children back and forth from Hope Academy in Orange.

School officials could not be reached for comment.

Police said in February they received a call from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an online address from Stratford had downloaded child pornography. Police said they later traced the online address to Stones home.

When they later confronted him, police said Stone admitted he had been viewing child pornography four to five times a week on his computer.

Police said when they searched Stones computer, they determined that Stone had frequently visited websites from Greece that were fronts for child pornography. They said they found 12 explicit videos on his computer.
Norwalk Community Chorale, in its 58th year, presents Mad About The Mouse: An Evening Of Disney Magic on June 1 at Norwalk Concert Hall, 125 East Ave. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the choral performance begins 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and there is open seating for all sections.

Choral selections include a lively medley from Aladdin, The Place Where Lost Things Go from Mary Poppins Returns, Love Is An Open Door from Frozen, The Spirit of Adventure from Up, How Far Ill Go from Moana, He Lives In You from The Lion King, and many more Disney songs.

Conductor and artistic director Brian Muller, pianist Will Duchon, and a trio will lead the 65-member mixed chorus in this magical, musical journey. Several soloists will perform as well.

Muller has served the Chorale as its leader since January 1998. He also serves as the technical theater director at Greens Farms Academy in Westport, and as technical director for all GFAs stage productions.

For information, visit www.norwalkcommunitychorale.org or call 203-853-9842.

Westport widower writes memoir

Just One More Song: Conversations with My Wife After Her Death is a poignant story about how author Herbert Appleman, of Westport, came to terms with the death of his wife, Dee. But what sets it apart from most memoirs that deal with loss and grief, is that, for the most part, its not about loss and grief; on the contrary, more than anything else, its about remaining in love for a lifetime.

The book takes the form of a diary that the author kept during his first 15 months of widowhood and the heart of the entries are his conversations with Dee  conversations that, as he says, were not mystical experiences, but as real as memory, imagination, and love are real.

The tone of the book is set in the dedication, which begins:

Nearly every night before going to sleep, Dee liked me to sing to her. The song shed pick would depend on her mood or the occasion, if the day was special, or simply on the time of year. On the first day of fall when the colors began to change, shed always pick Autumn Leaves. More often than not, after I finished, shed say, Just one more song  this time you pick it. 

The dedication ends: For Dee, in loving memory, just one more song.

Appleman is an author, playwright, lyricist, composer, writer and producer of documentaries, and lecturer on the American musical. For many years, he was also a professor of English. A Perfect Gentleman, his comedy about Lord Chesterfield, won the American Playwrights Theater Award and has been produced by the Kings Head Theatre in London and by major regional theaters on both sides of the Atlantic.

Over the years, he has lived in New York, London and Michigan, and now lives in Westport.

Staples presents Westport Pops at the Levitt Pavilion

The Westport Pops Concert at the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts returns this year on June 7.

The sell-out event features the nationally recognized Staples High School Symphonic Orchestra and Band, Jazz Band and Orphenians. This musical tradition is one of a handful of special pre-summer season presentations by the Levitt this June.

The lawn at the Levitt Pavilion opens for concert goers at 5:30 p.m. (BYO chair), with the concert beginning at 7 p.m. It promises to be a memorable event with great music, great fun and great food from Bodega Food Truck, JRs Food Truck and Jims Ice Cream Truck, all donating 10 percent of their proceeds to Staples Music.

Tickets are free and can be acquired at staplesmusic.org on a first-come, first-served basis. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be performed in the Staples High School auditorium at 70 North Ave., where tickets will be honored.

The concert, modeled on Bostons fabled Pops on the Esplanade Concert Series, is an annual gift from Westport Public School musicians to the community.

For information, contact staplesmusic@westportps.org.

Antique Appraisal day this weekend

The Westport Womans Club will offer the public an Antique Appraisal Day on June 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the WWC clubhouse.

Bring family heirlooms, jewelry and other antiques, and let a professional, experienced, and friendly specialist give you an on-site verbal appraisal. Event Chair Deb Fratino said the current market for certain items is highly desirable: mens vintage wristwatches, mid-century art and furniture, Chinese jades, porcelains, and collectibles of many varieties to name a few.

Larger items and furniture can be evaluated from photos. Numerous well-lit photos with approximate dimensions of the object, possibly a drawer, will allow the appraiser to be more precise. No postage stamps or stamp collections.

For $25, participants will receive a verbal appraisal for up to three items by the appropriate specialist for your item. If you have four or more items, these additional items may be appraised for an added fee of $10 each.

The profits from this event will help support the many community service projects of the Westport Womans Club: Scholarship and Community Services Grants, Food Gift Certificates, the Food Closet, and Holiday Meal Programs.

For information, visit www.westportwomansclub.org or contact Deborah Fratino atdebfratino@aol.com.

BOOKED for the evening honors Frederic Chiu

The Westport Library is pleased to announce world-renowned and award-winning virtuoso pianist, Frederic Chiu, as the 2019 BOOKED for the evening honoree. The librarys signature fundraising event will be held in the library on June 4, giving guests a glimpse of the newly transformed space ahead of the June 23 official opening.

Chiu has performed in major venues on five continents including Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., The Chatelet in Paris, and the Mozarteum in Buenos Aires.

As an esteemed educator, Chiu has presented master classes at prestigious institutions around the globe, including Juilliard School, The Manhattan School of Music, The New England Conservatory, the Banff Center and many of Chinas National Conservatories. His efforts to promote music coincide with his desire to foster peace and understanding, recently recognized by a Senatorial Commendation from the United States Congress.

Chiu is the co-founder and director of Beechwood Arts and Innovation, a nonprofit arts center that brings gallery-quality exhibits across genres and disciplines through Art Immersion Salons to the Westport community. The centers mission is to foster artistic collaboration across genres and generations through intimate, immersive and innovative events.

Each year the Library honors an individual whose work reflects the purpose of the library  to nurture the love of learning and to enhance our understanding of the world.

To learn more about tickets or sponsorship opportunities, visit the librarys website at westportlibrary.org

Westport schools to conduct preschool screening

Westport Public Schools will be conducting a screening to identify preschool children who are at risk for learning under the federal and local Title I eligibility criteria. The Title I screening looks at the childs development in the areas of concepts, language, and motor skills.

The current Title I program is incorporated into the Westport Public Schools, Stepping Stones Preschool Program. Screening for Title I will be held on June 7 from 9 a.m. to noon at Stepping Stones Preschool, located at Coleytown Elementary School, 65 Easton Road, Westport.

The screening will take approximately 45 minutes. For this Title I screening, you must be a resident of Westport, and your child must be 3 years of age by Sept. 1, 2019.

Those interested in having children screened are asked to contact Carolyn Dominici at 203-341-1712 to set up an appointment. Screenings are by appointment only.

For questions, contact Michele Pollock at 203-341-1765.

Open House Day set for June 8

Save the date for the popular one-day event in which destinations across Connecticut offer free or discounted admission or special offers to Connecticut residents.

Organized by the Connecticut Office of Tourism, Connecticut Open House Day is designed to showcase Connecticuts diverse mix of history, art, culture and tourism, and encourage residents to discover or rediscover the wealth of treasures in their own backyard.

The list of participants and special offers is available at: www.ctvisit.com/connecticut-open-house-day-june-8-2019.
China, Russia to take comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination to new level

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia from June 5 to 7 at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and attend the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. The important meeting of the two heads of state is expected to further deepen mutual trust, enhance cooperation and strengthen friendship, and take China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination to a new level.

China and Russia have worked steadily to elevate their relationship and now enjoy a firm basis for bilateral ties.

The two countries have upgraded their bilateral relations from "21st-century strategic partnership centered on equality and mutual trust" to "comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination based on equality, mutual trust, mutual support, common prosperity and lasting friendship". After then, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination entered a new stage.

As a result, the relations between the two countries that deliver high-quality performance have become a major highlight for international relations.

It is obvious to all that China-Russia relations, maintaining stable development, carry the common aspiration of the two peoples and conform to the common interests of the two countries. Besides, the bilateral relations also stand as an important strategic factor to safeguard the world peace.

The strategic guidance of and close exchanges between the Chinese and Russian Presidents are a powerful driving force propelling the in-depth development of bilateral relations.

Over the years, the two heads of state kept annual exchange of visits, and the two countries also enjoy a tradition to support each other on holding major international events.

This April, Putin visited China for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the invitation of Xi. The first meeting of the two heads of state in 2019 mapped out a blue print for future development of bilateral relations, and made a good start for the two countries to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Xi noted that the relations between China and Russia have become a major-country relationship featuring the highest degree of mutual trust, the highest level of coordination and the highest strategic value since the two countries established diplomatic ties 70 years ago.

Putin said currently China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has reached the highest level of history, becoming an example of how countries should interact with each other.

As the strategic guidance of the two heads of state has laid a solid foundation for the further development of China-Russia relations, Xis upcoming visit to Russia is widely anticipated.

Under the care of the two heads of state, China-Russia practical cooperation has embarked on a fast track of development, injecting new impetus for the sustained, healthy, and stable progress of bilateral relations.

In 2015, the two heads of state signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation in Aligning the Building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian Economic Union, making a new plan for bilateral relations from a strategic height.

Putin attended both the first and second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and new consensus was reached by the two countries on aligning their development strategies. It demonstrates the huge potential and bright prospects of bilateral cooperation.

Last year, the trade volume between the two countries grew by 27.1 percent to $107.06 billion, exceeding the $100 billion mark for the first time. The growth was the highest in Chinas trade with its top ten largest trading partners.

China and Russia have been actively nurturing new growth points in digital economy, small and medium enterprises, high technologies, Far East development, and Arctic development. The mutual support and assistance of the two countries will help them achieve common development.

Started in 1997, St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has grown into one of Russia's most important business events. When international community is faced with rising trade protectionism and louder voices against globalization, Xis first-ever attendance to the forum fully demonstrates China's will and responsibility to deepen win-win cooperation with the world, build an open world economy, and promote common development.

This year is a crucial historical juncture as it marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia.

At such a time, Xi's upcoming visit to Russia has triggered wide expectation from the world that the two heads of state can lead China-Russia relations to progress with time and stimulate new vitality for bilateral ties, so as to achieve better development of the relations and jointly create a better future of the world.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)
To the editor:

A few years ago, I realized that I knew very little about politics and virtually nothing about state issues. I decided to get a group of women together so we could ask questions, educate each other and bring in speakers to help us figure out truth from fiction and where to put our energy.

This group has led me to writing this letter. I moved from N.J. to Connecticut over 15 years ago and have truly fallen in love with this state. This is my home and I hope my children will go out and explore the world and eventually return home. I care now more than ever about the well-being of our state and that has led me to researching, questioning and pushing our state to readmit tolls to our roads.

What I have learned over the past few months from this amazing group of women is that the concept of bonding is irresponsible and tolls are a worthy solution. Bonding will just add to the debt of Connecticut taxpayers and that will leave my children paying for our poor choices.

I would rather ask out-of-state drivers to help share the cost of fixing our roads than leave it all to Connecticut residents. I am paying for every states infrastructure when I drive to N.J., N.Y. and when I drive to Maine in the summer. Our roads are in terrible shape and our bridges are structurally deficient.

I fear for my childrens safety every time they drive to and from New Haven. This issue needs to be addressed now and we need to approach the solution in a nonpartisan way.

The money from tolls will go into a lockbox for transportation only. Revenues from tolls will allow for a lower gas tax, which benefits all of us. The research is out there and I would argue it is time for our leaders to inform their constituents why tolls are a necessary step in helping solve Connecticuts financial issues. Its time to take bolds steps to work together to improve our state.

Melissa Shein

Westport

Open letter from the Westport DTC in support of tolls

To the editor:

At our May 13 meeting, the Westport Democratic Town Committee voted overwhelmingly in support of Gov. Ned Lamonts toll legislation and the position of our legislators, Rep. Jonathan Steinberg and state Sen. Will Haskell, for the following common sense reasons:

There is no dispute about the state of our infrastructure in Connecticut. Our old roads and bridges pose serious safety issues. Moreover, the state of our infrastructure deters businesses and families from moving here. We need to attract young families and businesses to grow our economy. Connecticut is the only state on the Eastern seaboard without tolls to fix these problems.

Forty percent of the revenue will be collected from people who are not Connecticut residents. Connecticut residents should not have to pay 100 percent of the costs when out-of-state drivers represent 40 percent of the traffic. After all, we pay their tolls when we drive on their roads. The revenue raised will be protected by the constitutional lockbox.

Bonding is not a sustainable source of revenue. The alternative Prioritize Debt plan using 30-year bonds would saddle us, our children, and our childrens children with repaying 100 percent of that cost plus interest. This is irresponsible and expensive.

Peak rates will be frozen for three years and set at 4.4 cents per mile, plus/minus 30 percent (roughly 1.3 cents) to allow CT DOT the flexibility to ensure ultimate approval by federal DOT.

Smart tolls need not be burdensome to Connecticut residents. We have the technology to provide discounts for Connecticut EZ Pass users, commuters and other frequents users, and low income residents. We can also place tolls in a manner that will discourage drivers from exiting the highway onto local roads to avoid tolls.

To help working families, the bill allows for a monthly credit loaded onto an EZ Pass, as well as ways to load cash onto passes at local convenience stores.

The bill creates a Connecticut Transportation Commission  a bipartisan group of legislators, commissioners and the treasurer, to review and approve DOTs plan.

Use of short-term borrowing to invest $100 million in rail and transit across the state will help provide: new rail cars; expanded service on Metro-North branch lines and Shoreline East; a new Mixmaster; simplification of the Route 15/Route 7 interchange; and easing of congestion at the I-91/I-691/Route 15 interchange and on I-95.

Additional benefits include $1 bus service, opening the highway welcome centers and tying revenues to an eventual decrease in the gas tax as revenues from tolls are achieved.

We believe that legislators must pass this bill and then work out details that everyone can live with in order to help Connecticut move forward without adding more long-term, economy strangling debt. We hope you will take a close look at the plan and consider supporting it as well.

Ellen Lautenberg

Chair, Westport DTC

Abortion rights protest in Westport

To the editor:

I got the most sickening and horrible feeling after reading the article on the protest in Westport May 17 on abortion rights.

How anyone can believe that the baby growing within them with its beating heart is not a human being and be protected, not destroyed, is beyond comprehension. Life born and unborn comes from God and is beautiful and sacred.

Marian McDermott
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 16F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 16F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
State and national congressional members continue to speak out in opposition of a bill that would allow South Carolinas Catawba Indian Nation to build a casino along I-85 in North Carolina. Senate Bill 790 is sponsored by Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Burr and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Today, U.S. Representative Mark Walker (R-N.C.) joined North Carolina state elected officials urging the U.S. Senates opposition to the bill. Despite strong bipartisan opposition from our state and local governments, this federal overreach would give preferential treatment to a tribe recognized by South Carolina to reap benefits at the expense of North Carolinians and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. I urge my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to oppose this legislation and ensure that North Carolinians dont have their voices stripped away," said Congressman Walker, who serves North Carolinas 6th District. Just last week, 38 members of the North Carolina Senate, including N.C. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, signed a letter to the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee. In 2013, North Carolinas General Assembly opposed the same attempt for an off-reservation casino when the Catawba tribe attempted to obtain the same plot of land for a casino. (Click here to read the letter) The legislation would be an unprecedented move, designating land for a tribe to build a casino outside of the Bureau of Indian Affairs process for the first time in U.S. history. The bill would circumvent regulatory processes  such as the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act requiring the Department of Interior to consult with tribal, local and state governments for economic, environmental and infrastructure impact assessments.
Monitoring & Evaluation/Information Management Specialist, Kabul

Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund

Country: Afghanistan

City: Kabul, Afghanistan

Office: UNICEF Kabul, Afghanistan

Grade: P-3

Closing date: Tuesday, 11 June 2019

Job no: 522651

Position type: Temporary Appointment

Location: Afghanistan

Division/Equivalent: Kathmandu(ROSA)

School/Unit: Afghanistan

Department/Office: Kabul, Afghanistan

Categories: Education, P-3

UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply. Our workplace policies promote flexible work arrangements, to support all staff in maintaining a healthy life balance, both in and out of the office.

We are the first United Nations agency to be awarded the EDGE certification - the leading global standard for gender equality in the workplace.

UNICEF prides itself on fostering a multicultural and harmonious work environment, guaranteed by a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse, and on any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

For every child, a fair chance

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does  in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to childrens rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life  in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions  her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a societys most disadvantaged citizens  addressing inequity  not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
Child Survival and Development (CSD) Consultants, Adamawa and Bauchi States, Nigeria

Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund

Country: Nigeria

Field location: Adamawa, Nigeria

Office: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund in Adamawa

Closing date: Tuesday, 4 June 2019

Job no: 522664

Position type: Consultancy

Location: Nigeria

Division/Equivalent: Dakar (WCAR), Senegal

School/Unit: Nigeria

Department/Office: Bauchi, Nigeria

Categories: Health

UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

Background: The maternal and new-born mortality and morbidity in Nigeria is one of the highest in the world with an estimated 576 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (NDHS 2013). Infant and under-5 mortality rates in the past five years are 69 and 128 deaths per 1,000 live births, respectively. Under-5 mortality rate is estimated at 108.8 per 1,000 live births for 2015 as per the interagency model on U5R [1]. Globally, undernutrition contributes to 45% of all under-five deaths in 2011(Black et al, 2013) and this probably holds same for Nigeria. Nigeria contributes about 10% of the global burden of maternal deaths and 10 % of burden of children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (NNHS 2015). An estimated 110 Nigerian women die each day with a greater proportion occurring in northern Nigeria where the health and nutrition indices are poorer. Due to combination of the high mortality rate and its large population size, Nigeria has the second largest number of under five deaths in the world and the 2nd highest number of stunted under five children next to India.

Health and Nutrition indices are particular very poor in the northern part of Nigeria. Maternal and infant mortality rates are 3-4 times the national average. In Adamawa State, 15% of adult women were underweight/thin while 11.6% were overweight/obese while in Kebbi 16.6% were underweight/thin and 23.8% overweight/obese.A Both conditions are associated with negative nutritional outcomes in childhood. Low birth weight, among other causes, is indicative of the poor nutritional status of the mother.A The prevalence of acute malnutrition stunting stood at 32.9 % among under five children (NNHS 2015) with the highest prevalence in the northern region
Security Officer, Yangon

Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund

Country: Myanmar

City: Yangon, Myanmar

Office: UNICEF Myanmar

Closing date: Tuesday, 11 June 2019

Job no: 521573

Position type: Fixed Term Appointment

Location: Myanmar

Division/Equivalent: Bangkok (EAPRO), Thailand

School/Unit: Myanmar

Department/Office: Yangon, Myanmar

Categories: Security

UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a good start and hope

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does  in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to childrens rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life  in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions  her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a societys most disadvantaged citizens  addressing inequity  not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

How can you make a difference?

The Security Officer reports to the Chief of Operations for close guidance and supervision. The Level 1 is an entry professional level and should therefore be normally used as a trainee level for the purpose of acquiring organizational knowledge of rules, regulations and processes to supplement academic and theoretical knowledge of the profession for upward mobility to higher responsibilities. Incumbents at this level are not expected to remain for an extended period of time in the post.
OK, a movie that involves a colossal moth and a humongous three-headed hydra trashing Fenway Park could be considered silly. Im fine with silly.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OK, a movie that involves a colossal moth and a humongous three-headed hydra trashing Fenway Park could be considered silly. Im fine with silly.

Unfortunately, the problem with this hapless monster movie is that its dull.

Really dull. So dull even a colossal moth and a humongous three-headed hydra trashing Fenway Park cant rev it up.

Despite some respectful nods to the Japanese kaiju tradition, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is mostly concerned with establishing a new extended MonsterVerse. A sequel to the 2014 Godzilla reboot, this outing makes several pointed references to Kong and Skull Island, prepping audiences for 2020s Godzilla Vs. Kong.

The digital special effects are well executed  quite a step up from the original man in a rubber suit  but nobody knows what to do with them. Technical wizardry is wasted in loud, dim, incomprehensible monster battle scenes.

Likewise, the A-list human cast, which includes Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn and Ziyi Zhang, is squandered on a clumsy, confused and inept script (co-written by director Michael Dougherty, the man behind Krampus, with Zach Shields and Max Borenstein).

The story starts with the common Hollywood trope that theres nothing like a vast global disaster to bring a fractured family together. The Russells havent recovered from the Godzilla-related destruction of 2014, which killed son Andrew and left his sister Madison (Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things) caught between her grieving parents, both scientists.

Mark Russell (Friday Night Lights Kyle Chandler) started drinking and disappeared into field work. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga of The Conjuring series) has gone on to ally herself with the mysterious crypto-zoological agency Monarch.

Daniel McFadden /Warner Bros. Pictures The talented Sally Hawkins and Ken Watanabe are wasted on a clumsy script.

Now Godzilla  or Gojira, as Watanabes Dr. Serizawa more accurately calls him  is on the move again, and other so-called Titans are busting out of their containment facilities worldwide. Their motives  to save or destroy humankind  remain unclear.

Its one thing to have enigmatic monsters. The humans are equally opaque. Presenting us with military officers, politicians, scientists and a renegade eco-terrorist (Charles Dance, whos basically doing Tywin Lannister in modern dress), the script waffles around trying to find a viable viewpoint.

The scripters never quite get to grips with their big questions, instead giving us a lot of vague talk about balance as the mega creatures annihilate major cities.

Are the Titan supporters envisioning a radical new environmentalism that could save Earth, or is this just typical human hubris in thinking these massive creatures can be controlled? The scripters never quite get to grips with their big questions, instead giving us a lot of vague talk about "balance" as the mega creatures annihilate major cities.

The massive monster action draws on the trappings of the sci-fi sublime  including vaguely religious choral music  but Rodan, Mothra and the three-headed King Ghidorah dont really register as anything other than really, really big.

Only Godzilla himself has some personality: he may be covered in scales, but he somehow has the face of a sad dog.

Technical wizardry is wasted in loud, dim, incomprehensible monster battle scenes. (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

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.

There is almost no sense of popcorn fun here. But the filmmakers dont get much from heading in the other direction.

The movies scale is vast, so vast that the monsters roaring, radioactive rampages feel remote and weirdly inconsequential. (Oh, there goes Washington. There goes London. There goes an entire Mexican island.)

We are supposedly watching the unfolding of "the greatest disaster in human history," as one cable news host solemnly intones, but the filmmakers are unable to convey any sense of loss or even fear.

Even with our little circle of named characters, its hard to muster up emotion. The writing is so flat and nonsensical that when one of the best actors gets killed early on, you might not feel sad. In fact, you might think shes well out of it.

Now, she can go back to doing movies that actually make sense.

alison.gillmor@freepress.mb.ca

If you value coverage of Manitobas arts scene, help us do more.

Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow the Free Press to deepen our reporting on theatre, dance, music and galleries while also ensuring the broadest possible audience can access our arts journalism. BECOME AN ARTS JOURNALISM SUPPORTER Click here to learn more about the project.
RENO, Nev. - With Burning Man three months away, organizers are still waiting for permits and decisions by U.S. land managers that could reshape the counterculture festival in northern Nevada.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2013 file photo, the "Man" burns on the Black Rock Desert at Burning Man near Gerlach, Nev. With Burning Man less than 100 days away, organizers are awaiting permits and decisions by federal land managers that could reshape the cost and conduct of the counter-culture festival in northern Nevada.(Andy Barron/The Reno Gazette-Journal via AP, File)

RENO, Nev. - With Burning Man three months away, organizers are still waiting for permits and decisions by U.S. land managers that could reshape the counterculture festival in northern Nevada.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is reviewing more than 2,000 public comments about a document released in April that assessed the risk of terror attack and included proposals to conduct drug searches and add trash bins and concrete barriers at the festival in the vast and remote Black Rock Desert.

The environmental impact statement aims to detail how the more than weeklong event affects the surrounding land and communities, from the playa surface to air quality and traffic flow. The festival, dubbed the largest outdoor arts festival in North America, culminates with the burning of a towering wooden effigy.

A final report is expected to say whether Burning Man can increase from 80,000 attendees to 100,000.

It is expected June 14, bureau spokesman Rudy Evenson told the Reno Gazette Journal this week, meaning that permits for this festival could come in late July after a public review and other steps. The event begins Aug. 25.

Burning Man is "moving forward with planning this year's event with the assurance (from the BLM) that there won't be any significant changes," CEO Marian Goodell told the newspaper.

"The BLM has to do their job," Goodell said, "but we're disappointed that we saw such extreme options, and the draft didn't recognize the 30 years of work, the 30 years of history we have."

Organizers say the bureau's proposed changes would add $10 million to annual costs, and supporters say that mandating trash containers would attract an accumulation of garbage at a place where most festivalgoers pack out their own trash and "leave no trace" is a mantra.

The federal proposals are part of the consideration of a new 10-year special use permit for the temporary community known as Black Rock City that emerges in the desert 100 miles (160 kilometres) north of Reno during the nine-day event.

The festival, which moved from San Francisco's Baker Beach in 1990, celebrates creativity and free expression, with drum circles, decorated art cars, guerrilla theatrics and colorful theme camps. Clothing is optional.

Measures detailed in the final environmental report may not go into effect immediately or might be phased in over time when certain conditions are met, such as when the population hits a certain figure, said Evenson, the Bureau of Land Management spokesman.

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.

The public and others could appeal the report to the Interior Department, where Evenson said there is currently a five-year backlog of cases. Appeals also can go to federal court.

Goodell, the CEO, said festivalgoers need to be diligent about properly disposing of trash during and after the event and said organizers hope the final report reflects the views of Burning Man's masses of followers.

She noted that she was involved in helping designate the Black Rock Desert as a national conservation area and that U.S. officials have a huge task in managing public land for many uses.

"I don't think they're trying to prevent us from happening," she said. "We're an anomaly; it takes courage and perspective to want to let us flourish."

___

Information from: Reno Gazette-Journal, http://www.rgj.com
China, the worlds largest soybean buyer, has put purchases of American supplies on hold after the trade war between Washington and Beijing escalated, according to people familiar with the matter.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

China, the worlds largest soybean buyer, has put purchases of American supplies on hold after the trade war between Washington and Beijing escalated, according to people familiar with the matter.

State-grain buyers havent received any further orders to continue with the so-called goodwill buying and dont expect that to happen given the lack of agreement in trade negotiations, said the people, who asked not to be named because the information is private. Still, China currently has no plans to cancel previous purchases of American soybeans, the people said.

U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his trade war with China earlier this month, ramping up tariffs on about US$200 billion of Chinese goods, prompting Beijing to retaliate with further duties of its own. Trump and his counterpart Xi Jinping are expected to meet again at the end of June for the G20 summit, when some analysts predict a potential resolution.

Soybean futures in Chicago slumped to a 10-year low earlier this month as the tensions peaked. Since then, prices have rebounded as a deluge of rain roils U.S. plantings.

Government data indicates China bought about 13 million metric tons of American soybeans after the countries agreed to a truce in December, in a move that showed goodwill toward getting the trade dispute resolved. While U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in February that China had pledged to buy an additional 10 million tons of American soy, purchases have now stopped.

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.

USDA data also showed that China is yet to take delivery of about seven million tons of U.S. soybeans that it has committed to buy in the current marketing year.

Spokesmen for state-run buyers COFCO and Sinograin had no immediate comment.

Clamping down on U.S. soybean purchases is a direct strike at Trumps political base. In the 2016 election, Trump carried eight of the 10 states with the largest soybean production, all of them in the Midwest. Iowa, the countrys second-largest soybean producer after Illinois, swung from Democrat to Republican in 2016 and could swing back again in 2020.

The trade war with China is compounding the strain of five years of falling commodity prices and losses from spring flooding across the Midwest. Overall, U.S. farm income dropped 16 per cent the past year to US$63 billion, about half the level it was as recently as 2013.

The president moved to shore up support in rural America immediately as he escalated the trade dispute earlier this month, announcing on the same day a new round of trade aid for farmers. The U.S. Agriculture Department said the aid package would total US$16 billion.

 Bloomberg News
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Enbridge Inc. said Thursday it could have a proposed oil pipeline tunnel built and operating beneath a crucial Great Lakes channel by early 2024, responding to demands from Michigan officials to expedite the shutdown of existing twin pipelines.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - This July 19, 2002, file photo, shows the Mackinac Bridge that spans the Straits of Mackinac from Mackinaw City, Mich. Enbridge Inc. says it's setting a firm deadline for completing a proposed oil pipeline tunnel beneath a key Great Lakes channel linking Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. The Canadian company says it has pledged to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that the tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac would be in service by early 2024. Enbridge spokesman Michael Barnes said Thursday, May 30, 2019, the company made a firm commitment to it in a recent letter to Whitmer. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. - Enbridge Inc. said Thursday it could have a proposed oil pipeline tunnel built and operating beneath a crucial Great Lakes channel by early 2024, responding to demands from Michigan officials to expedite the shutdown of existing twin pipelines.

The Canadian company said it had sent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer a revised timeline for drilling the $500 million tunnel through bedrock beneath the Straits of Mackinac, the 4-mile-wide (6.4-kilometre-wide) channel linking Lakes Huron and Michigan.

"Assuming we are able to move through the permitting process without delay, we believe the tunnel can be under construction in 2021 and in service as soon as early 2024," Enbridge said in a statement. "As previously committed, operation of the current Line 5 would cease immediately following the placement into service of the replacement pipeline in the tunnel."

Company and state officials previously have said it could take seven to 10 years to complete the project but described 2024 as a target date after a deal was reached last year with former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's administration.

The letter to Whitmer, a Democrat, represents a firm pledge to meet the shorter time frame, company spokesman Michael Barnes said.

Whitmer criticized Snyder's agreement with Enbridge during her successful election campaign last fall. Earlier this year, she ordered work on the project halted and requested an opinion on its legality from newly elected Attorney General Dana Nessel, who found that a law authorizing it violated the state Constitution.

Nessel said this week she would take steps in June to shut down the underwater pipelines if Whitmer and Enbridge could not agree on a new plan for decommissioning them.

The pipes are part of Enbridge's Line 5, which carries 23 million gallons (87 million litres) of crude oil and natural gas liquids between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario.

Environmentalists are demanding an immediate shutdown, saying a rupture in the 66-year-old underwater segment could contaminate hundreds of miles of open waters and shorelines. Enbridge describes it as safe infrastructure that supplies essential propane for northern Michigan residents.

Asked Thursday if the 2024 timeframe was acceptable, Whitmer told reporters at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference: "Well it certainly moved up, which tells me that perhaps we can make it ever better. We're working on it."

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.

Whitmer said without a fixed date for shutting down Line 5, Nessel was likely to take legal action.

"I think going to court creates a lot of uncertainty," Whitmer said. "We could be locked in litigation for a long time, and meanwhile the pipeline stays in the bottom of the water."

Under Enbridge's latest timeline, underwater rock and soil sampling would begin in June, followed by design work and construction of a custom tunnel boring machine in 2020.

Boring through bedrock and building the tunnel at an average of 40 feet (12 metres) per day would run from 2021 through 2023, with testing and commissioning in early 2024.

___

Eggert reported from Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Three Hollywood powerhouses have lined up against a restrictive abortion law in Georgia, signalling that its implementation could influence their willingness to continue filming in the state.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Three Hollywood powerhouses have lined up against a restrictive abortion law in Georgia, signalling that its implementation could influence their willingness to continue filming in the state.

On Thursday, WarnerMedia  the parent company of HBO and Warner Bros.  became the latest big studio to correlate its business interests in Georgia with the law.

The move comes one day after Walt Disneys chairman and chief executive, Bob Iger, took a similar stance and two days after Netflix announced it would actively work to challenge the law.

Several independent production companies also have threatened to cut ties with the state.

The backlash stems from legislation signed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp earlier this month. The measure prohibits abortion once the fetal heartbeat can be detected, which typically happens near the six-week mark, before many women know they are pregnant. Georgia is among more than a dozen states that have adopted or are moving toward similar restrictions on abortion.

If the Georgia law survives legal challenges, it would take effect Jan. 1.

"We operate and produce work in many states and within several countries at any given time and while that doesnt mean we agree with every position taken by a state or a country and their leaders, we do respect due process," WarnerMedia said in a statement. The company said it will "reconsider Georgia as the home to any new productions" if the new law holds.

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.

Iger took a similar stance Wednesday. When asked by Reuters whether Disney would keep filming in Georgia after the law takes effect, Iger said, "I rather doubt we will. I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard. Right now, we are watching it very carefully."

Georgias film industry has exploded in the past decade, thanks in part to the states generous tax breaks. Film production generated US$9.5 billion and created more than 90,000 jobs last year, according to a McKinsey study published earlier this month. The report cited the states ability to foster a commercial advantage for its success in this arena.

Several of Disneys highest-grossing movies were filmed in Georgia, including all-time box-office champ Avengers: Endgame and Black Panther. Netflix also has invested heavily in the state, filming such prominent shows as Stranger Things, Insatiable and Ozark there.

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said earlier this week that the streaming giant would partner with various groups to challenge the abortion law in court.

Though Netflix will continue filming in Georgia for the time being, the company said it will "rethink" its business there if the restrictions take effect.

 Washington Post
The Canadian Prairie dive bar chain Leopolds Tavern plans to open its second Winnipeg location on Academy Road this fall, building on its successful south Osborne joint that opened its doors in July 2018.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Canadian Prairie dive bar chain Leopolds Tavern plans to open its second Winnipeg location on Academy Road this fall, building on its successful south Osborne joint that opened its doors in July 2018.

The new location, which is slated to open for business in early October if all goes according to plan, will be at the former home of the now-closed J. Foxs Restaurant and Local at 414 Academy Rd. After J. Foxs closed, Infernos Bistro opened its second location, Infernos on Academy, which occupied the space for six years until it closed last summer.

Michael Ash, the vice-president and chief brand officer for Leos Group, which operates all nine Leopolds Taverns that are now spread across three provinces, said it wasnt long after the brand came to Winnipeg they realized one location wouldnt be enough.

"To be honest, we have absolutely fallen in love with Winnipeg. We have an amazing staff at our current south Osborne location and it wasnt long after Osborne opened we knew we wanted to open more Leos locations in Winnipeg," Ash said.

"We have met so many cool, like-minded people, from business owners to customers and Winnipeg feels right to us based on our brand values. We look for potential locations that are in amazing neighbourhoods where we can be a part of the community. Being community-minded is first and foremost on our list and the River Heights area is just that."

"To be honest, we have absolutely fallen in love with Winnipeg. We have an amazing staff at our current south Osborne location," Michael Ash said. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files)

Ash said Leos Group has been on the lookout for a second location for around eight months, but it wasnt until a month ago their new building on Academy Road was secured.

In 2009, when the property was still home to J. Foxs, there was pushback from Academy Road residents who said allowing a pub to operate a patio in the neighbourhood would be a noisy blight that would turn the area into a stretch rivaling the nightlife of Corydon Avenue. However, attempts by the residents to shut down the patio failed at city hall.

The new location was announced in a short social media post by Leopolds Tavern Wednesday.

Leos  #Winnipeg !



So much that store #2 in Winnipeg will be opening in the fall of 2019 in the absolutely amazing River Heights neighbourhood on Academy road! 



Were STOKED! 

#leosacademy #seeyouatleos #leostavern #manitoba pic.twitter.com/lv4cQLqeOd  Leopold's Tavern (@Leopoldstavern) May 29, 2019

"Were shooting for early October (for an opening) dependent on permitting, construction, etc. To note, there is a lot already in place in terms of washrooms and infrastructure that we will keep as we liked what was previously in place. Things like the wood floor," Ash said.

"Permitting, renovations and staffing will all have to happen before opening, obviously."

The second spot in Winnipeg will be the chains 10th location in total. There are seven locations in Saskatchewan and two in Alberta.

The first Leopolds Tavern, a 'classic juke box dive bar', opened in the spring of 2013 in downtown Regina by a group of friends with nothing to lose, according to the brands website. (Michael Bell / The Canadian Press files)

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 first Leopolds Tavern was opened in the spring of 2013 in downtown Regina "by a group of friends with nothing to lose," according to the brands website. They dedicated themselves to creating a space that could serve as a "classic juke box dive bar."

The chain is known for having "a bunch of junk on the walls" and allows customers to leave their mark by tacking things up.

"So what exactly is Leopolds Tavern you might ask? Its open to interpretation... Its whatever you want it to be. Its your local haunt, your clubhouse, a place to celebrate, your second home, your getaway, a part of your community, or even your place of work," the brands website reads.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe
Hemp foods producer Manitoba Harvest unveiled a new line of hemp-derived products containing cannabidiol (CBD) on Friday, but those products will only be available to consumers in the U.S. for now.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hemp foods producer Manitoba Harvest unveiled a new line of hemp-derived products containing cannabidiol (CBD) on Friday, but those products will only be available to consumers in the U.S. for now.

Dubbed "Broad Spectrum Hemp Extract," the new products include protein powders, flavoured and unflavoured oil drops, oral sprays and soft-gel capsules containing varying amounts of CBD, a non-intoxicating chemical compound that can be extracted from certain cannabis plants, including some types of hemp. The plant-derived compound has quickly gained worldwide attention in light of its possible therapeutic uses, especially in the treatment of certain seizure disorders. But CBD is quickly being added to a wide variety of trendy food products, especially in the U.S.

(On Thursday, Ben & Jerrys announced its intention to produce CBD-infused ice cream.)

The CBD products from Manitoba Harvest are in direct response to consumer demand and will be sold in natural-health stores across the U.S., Manitoba Harvest CEO Bill Chiasson said in an interview Thursday. He described the current U.S. market for CBD products as "a wild, wild west," but said Manitoba Harvest has unilaterally affirmed that its CBD products meet a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designation known as "GRAS," which stands for "Generally Recognized as Safe."

Achieving that standard involved extensive research and review by third-party toxicologists and others, Chiasson said, as well as preparing a formal dossier of research, testing and analysis performed on the new products. The products are being touted as almost completely free of THC, containing less than 0.01 per cent of the intoxicating chemical compound thats primarily responsible for getting cannabis users high.

(Hemp, a variety of cannabis grown for food and industrial purposes, is bred to contain low levels of THC.)

"For example, were going to be offering a bottle of soft-gel capsules  you could take the whole bottle, and theres no positive testing for THC and no risk of that at all," Chiasson said.

Getting the FDA to formally designate Manitoba Harvests CBD products as GRAS could take years, Chiasson said, but discussions have already started.

Last December, the U.S. regulator gave a thumbs-up to Manitoba Harvests core, non-CBD hemp food products  hulled hemp seeds, hemp seed protein powder and hemp seed oil  saying it didnt have any questions about the companys conclusion that the foods meet the GRAS standard.

Chiasson said the new line of CBD products for the U.S. market will be derived from hemp grown in Oregon.

The finished products will be targeted at the companys core customer demographic: health-focused consumers who want natural products.

But its not clear when Manitoba Harvest might offer CBD-infused products at home in Canada. Federal cannabis regulator Health Canada treats CBD "no different than a THC product," which are strictly controlled, Chiasson 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.

"Im hopeful that regulatory environment will start looking at the U.S. and say, Hey, wait a minute, these are good products, theyre natural products, theyre safe products and we need to find a way to make them widely available to our consumers," he said. "But Ive given up a long time ago predicting how governments behave."

Manitoba Harvest was acquired in February by Tilray, a British Columbia-based legal cannabis producer.

Tilray, which is publicly traded, is mostly owned by Privateer Holdings, a Seattle-based private equity firm with a variety of cannabis-industry assets.

"They have been investing very aggressively in us, to help us expand even more  not just in CBD, although CBD is a big piece of it, but also in our core food products and other new products that are being introduced as well," Chiasson said.

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sol_israel
OTTAWA - Canada's economic expansion remained sluggish in the first three months of the year, giving the country its weakest back-to-back quarters of growth since 2015.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Statistics Canada's offices at Tunny's Pasture in Ottawa are shown on Friday, March 8, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA - Canada's economic expansion remained sluggish in the first three months of the year, giving the country its weakest back-to-back quarters of growth since 2015.

But stronger data for March  the final month of the first quarter  suggests Canada's economy is in the process of bouncing back from its hibernation.

The economy expanded at an annualized pace of just 0.4 per cent in the first quarter, slightly above a revised reading of 0.3 per cent in the final months of 2018, Statistics Canada said Friday.

The numbers gave Canada its slowest two-quarter stretch of growth since an oil-price plunge caused the national economy to shrink over the first half of 2015.

First-quarter growth was held back by weak trade data. Imports increased 1.9 per cent and export volumes dropped one per cent for their first quarterly decrease since 2017, the report said.

Canada also saw a substantial contraction of 9.5 per cent in its exports of farm and fishing products as well as a 2.8 per cent drop in crude-oil shipments.

On the positive side, the strongest quarter of household spending in two years boosted growth. The increase included healthy numbers for purchases of vehicles and audio-visual equipment.

The economy also saw an 8.7 per cent lift in business investments on equipment and machinery. The category, fuelled in part by significant investments in aircraft and other transportation equipment, saw its biggest jolt in 23 years, the agency said.

"Don't let the headline fool you, this was a pretty decent GDP report," TD senior economist Brian DePratto wrote in a report.

Looking ahead, the report's month-to-month reading for March suggested strength headed into the second quarter. March posted a 0.5 per cent increase compared with a 0.2 per cent contraction in February.

The report said 16 of 20 industries posted growth in the month.

"That's a very favourable way to leave the first quarter behind," said Derek Holt, Scotiabank's head of capital markets economics.

"We know the economy went through a soft patch at the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019. But the evidence I'm reading here ... is suggesting that we're exiting all of that and rebounding quite nicely into the second quarter."

The first-quarter reading was better than the Bank of Canada's prediction of 0.3 per cent. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters Eikon had expected on average growth at an annualized rate of 0.7 per cent.

But bigger, widening concerns around global trade  including U.S. President Donald Trump's new threat to impose tariffs on all Mexican imports  could derail Canada's domestic progress.

Trump said he would slap a five per cent levy on Mexico by June 10, unless it does more to stop migrants from Central America attempting to cross the U.S. border. He warned the percentage will gradually rise "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

The president's threat could also spoil the ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

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.

On Thursday, Bank of Canada senior deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins said external trade risks are a "major preoccupation."

Wilkins, who raised the concern before news broke about Trump's threat against Mexico, warned the highly uncertain international trade environment  including the ongoing U.S.-China trade war  poses a threat for Canada.

She also listed trade disruptions such as Beijing's new restrictions on key Canadian agricultural products. A diplomatic conflict has intensified in recent months, leading China to reject shipments of some Canadian goods, including canola.

The central bank, she said, is also monitoring the possibility of a trade feud between the U.S. and the European Union. Trump has threatened to apply tariffs on autos from the EU.

The Bank of Canada has stressed the domestic economic slowdown was temporary  a "detour." It has predicted 1.3 per cent growth in the second quarter and for expansion to pick up its pace throughout the rest of the year.

 With a file from The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - In a surprise announcement that could derail a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is slapping a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

President Donald Trump speaks during the 2019 United States Air Force Academy Graduation Ceremony at Falcon Stadium, Thursday, May 30, 2019, at the United States Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

WASHINGTON - In a surprise announcement that could derail a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is slapping a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.

He said the percentage will gradually increase  up to 25%  "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

The decision showed the administration going to new lengths, and looking for new levers, to pressure Mexico to take action  even if those risk upending other policy priorities, like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal that is the cornerstone of Trump's legislative agenda and seen as beneficial to his reelection effort. It also risks further damaging the already strained relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, two countries whose economics are deeply intertwined.

Trump made the announcement by tweet after telling reporters earlier Thursday that he was planning "a major statement" that would be his "biggest" so far on the border.

"On June 10th, the United States will impose a 5% Tariff on all goods coming into our Country from Mexico, until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP," he wrote. "The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded in a public letter late Thursday, telling Trump that "social problems are not solved with duties or coercive measures" and alluded to the United States' history as a nation of immigrants. "The Statue of Liberty is not an empty symbol," he wrote. He also said he was dispatching his foreign relations secretary to Washington on Friday to try to negotiate a solution.

In his growing fury over an increase in border crossings that he has likened to an "invasion," Trump has blamed Mexico for failing to stop the flow of asylum seekers from countries like El Salvador and Honduras who pass through its territory. And he has been itching to take increasingly radical, headline-grabbing action on the issue, which he sees as critical to his 2020 campaign because it energizes his base.

But the sudden tariff threat comes at a peculiar time, given how hard the administration has been pushing for passage of the USMCA, which would update the North American Free Trade Agreement. It comes less than two weeks after Trump lifted import taxes on Mexican and Canadian steel and aluminum, a move that seemed to clear an obstacle to its passage, and the same day that both Trump and Lopez Obrador began the process of seeking ratification. The deal needs approval from lawmakers in all three countries before it takes effect.

The White House is shown soon after President Donald Trump's arrival from a trip to Colorado, Thursday, May 30, 2019, in Washington. In a surprise announcement that could compromise a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is slapping a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the border. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

"The tariffs certainly put the USMCA on ice," said Gary Hufbauer, an expert in trade law at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, who panned the move but said Trump does have the legal authority to impose the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by citing a national emergency.

"The drama is legal, but it's preposterous," he said.

Daniel Ujczo, a U.S.-based international trade lawyer, said the threat would likely slow the deal's progress in Mexico and put U.S. lawmakers who want to vote "yes" in a difficult position because companies in their districts will end up paying the tariffs.

Still, Ujczo and others wondered whether Trump  who has a habit of creating problems and then claiming credit when he rushes in to solve them  would go through with the threat.

"This seems more theatre and tactics than a strategy to solve the migration crisis and rebalance North American trade," Ujczo said.

It wouldn't be the first time Trump has punted on an immigration threat. In late March, Trump threatened to shut the entire U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico didn't immediately halt illegal immigration. Just a few days later, he backed off the threat, saying he was pleased with steps Mexico had taken in recent days. It was unclear, however, what Mexico had changed.

Indeed, on a briefing call with reporters Thursday evening, administration officials said Mexico could prevent the tariffs from kicking in by securing their southern border with Guatemala and entering into a "safe third country agreement" that would make it difficult for those who enter Mexico from other countries to claim asylum in the U.S.

"We're going to judge success here by the number of people crossing the border and that number needs to start coming down immediately, in a significant and substantial number," said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

He also insisted that tariffs were "completely" separate from the USMCA because one pertained to immigration and the other trade.

Still the threat drew a withering response from Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, a usual Trump ally, who slammed it as "a misuse of presidential tariff authority" that would burden American consumers and "seriously jeopardize passage of USMCA."

Mulvaney said the White House had briefed a number of Republicans on the plan and acknowledged that some  particularly in the Senate  had raised concerns about the president invoking such powers.

The threat comes at a time when Mexico has already been stepping up its efforts to crack down on migrants, carrying out raids and detaining thousands of people travelling through the country en route to the U.S.

The crumbling city of Tapachula, near the Guatemalan border, has become the epicenter of the crackdowns, with thousands of migrants stranded because the Mexican government isn't providing them visas to travel. In addition, the Mexican government has allowed the U.S. to send back hundreds of asylum seekers from Central America and other countries, forcing them to wait out their cases in Mexico.

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.

But that hasn't satisfied Trump, whose White House laid out an escalating schedule of tariff increases if his demands are not met: 10% on July 1, 15% on Aug. 1, 20% on Sept. 1 and 25% on Oct. 1.

After that, the White House said, "tariffs will permanently remain at the 25% level unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory."

___

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking and Paul Wiseman in Washington and Maria Verza in Mexico City contributed to this report.

___

Follow Colvin and Long on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj and https://twitter.com/ctlong1
NEW YORK - Uber is continuing to bleed money even as it posts dramatic revenue growth.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEW YORK - Uber is continuing to bleed money even as it posts dramatic revenue growth.

In its first financial report since its lacklustre debut on Wall Street, Uber said Thursday that its revenue rose to $3.1 billion in the first quarter of 2019, up 20% from the same time last year, beating expectations of analysts polled by FactSet. But the ride-hailing giant posted $1 billion in losses as it fights to maintain its share of the market.

San Francisco-based Uber, like its main U.S. competitor Lyft, has spent heavily on rider promotions and driver incentives to gain market share, one reason the companies have struggled to reach profitability. Both are dealing with intense competition, high costs to pay drivers, increased regulation by cites and a long, uncertain road to the development of autonomous vehicles.

"Our investments remain focused on global platform expansion and long-term product and technology differentiation, but we will not hesitate to invest to defend our market position globally," said Nelson Chai, Uber's chief financial officer, in a statement.

Chai added that Uber noticed less aggressive pricing by its competitors  meaning they're not competing as hard to offer the lowest price  and that trend has continued into the second quarter.

That means Uber and its competitors will be competing more on the basis of who has the stronger brand, including average wait times, vehicle quality, positive interactions between drivers and riders and consistent pricing, said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in a conference call with investors.

Uber has been aggressive about tying its various services together and is reaching new customers through its Uber Eats and new mobility products such as scooters. Those cross-platform referrals give Uber an advantage over competitors, Khosrowshahi said.

"The Uber brand is a brand that everyone knows all around the world, and we've already built two multibillion-dollar businesses on the brand and we think freight will be a third," Khosrowshahi 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.

Uber went public three weeks ago and its shares have been trading below its IPO price ever since. Its stock price closed at $39.80 Thursday, down 12% from its IPO price of $45. In Uber's first day of trading, the company's market value took a $617 million hit, the largest loss on the first day of trading by a U.S.-based company in recent history, according to Renaissance Capital.

"While I'm proud of what we've achieved with our IPO, I told our team that it is ultimately just one moment in a much longer journey," Khosrowshahi said. "We have an even greater duty to create long term value for investors, our customers, our employees and or many stakeholders. We'll do this by making Uber the platform ... a one-stop-shop for the movement of people and powering local commerce around the world at a massive scale."

Uber's food delivery business  Uber Eats  grew rapidly in the first quarter, with gross bookings, which represents all the money Uber collects on the platform except for tips, doubling over the course of the year. The service raked in $536 million in revenue, up 89% from the same time last year.

Asked about potential mergers in the food delivery business, Khosrowshahi said Uber will consider playing a role in industry consolidation if it makes sense for its shareholders.

"Sooner or later we will be the biggest player on a global basis," Khosrowshahi said.

For ride-hailing, Uber's core business, revenues grew 26% in the U.S. and Canada to $1.8 billion, and 26% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa to $487 million. Ride-hailing revenues grew 6% in Asia to $267 million, but fell 13% in Latin America to $450 million.
QUEBEC - Even with provinces and Ottawa not always seeing eye-to-eye these days, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged Friday that his federal Liberal government would keep working with municipalities to deal with the effects of extreme weather, housing shortages and climate change.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, centre, speaks during a roundtable discussion with municipal leaders at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual conference, Friday, May 31, 2019 in Quebec City. From the left, Edmonton Mayor Don Iverson, FCM president and Magog Mayor Vicki-May Hamm, Justin Trudeau and Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

QUEBEC - Even with provinces and Ottawa not always seeing eye-to-eye these days, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged Friday that his federal Liberal government would keep working with municipalities to deal with the effects of extreme weather, housing shortages and climate change.

In a speech to members of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities with an election-style tone, Trudeau also warned those gathered against Conservative policies.

"We are an election away from going back to the days when austerity was the federal government's only policy," Trudeau said. "We've seen conservative politicians do this before, so we can't act surprised when we see them do it again."

His speech came ahead of Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer's own address to the gathering of mayors and councillors later Friday.

Trudeau said the actions of provincial conservative governments show how far they're willing to go to pursue small-government ideology.

"Over the last year, we've seen Doug Ford's Conservative government withhold federal dollars from their citizens," Trudeau told the municipal politicians in Quebec City, saying that in some Ontario communities, federally funded public construction projects have slowed or stopped completely.

"Premier Ford is playing politics with money that belongs to your communities and your citizens are paying the price," Trudeau added.

This week, the Ford government cancelled retroactive funding cuts to municipalities, but Trudeau said he's not convinced the Ontario premier has really heard what local lawmakers are telling him.

In response, Ontario's Infrastructure Minister Monte McNaughton shot back that Trudeau was "dead wrong."

In a statement, McNaughton said 54 projects have been submitted to the federal government  critical work that includes $28.6 billion in road, bridge and transit projects that have yet to be approved by Ottawa.

"The federal government has said Ontario's priorities are their priorities," McNaughton wrote. "It's time Prime Minister Trudeau put his money where his mouth is."

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.

Trudeau said his government has pushed ahead on more projects than the previous Conservative government did. While he said he'd prefer to co-operate with provincial governments, Trudeau said he is committed find a way to get funding to municipalities if the provinces don't want to play ball.

He pointed to a one-time measure in the latest federal budget that doubles the federal gas-tax transfer to help municipalities with infrastructure work this year.

"We got elected on a very clear promise to collaborate, to work together, to believe in co-operative federalism," Trudeau said. "But if the provinces don't want to work with the federal government and municipalities on infrastructure, we'll figure out ways ... of working with you, getting shovels in the ground."

He says extreme weather events like flooding, forest fires and droughts are rapidly becoming the norm, worsening a housing shortage that's being felt across the country.

Trudeau repeated that home ownership should remain a realistic goal, not an unattainable dream.

He says his government has a plan to deal with climate change and that politicians of all stripes mustn't close their eyes to what is happening around them.
Health officials are hoping an advertising blitz and a direct mailout to homes in the northeast quadrant of the city will successfully get the word out that Concordia Hospital's emergency room is closing.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Health officials are hoping an advertising blitz and a direct mailout to homes in the northeast quadrant of the city will successfully get the word out that Concordia Hospital's emergency room is closing.

Scott Sime, regional director of communications, media and government affairs with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, said online and digital billboard advertising announcing the conversion of the ER to an urgent care centre began Wednesday.

He said print ads will begin to appear in local newspapers Saturday.

"Information is being shared across a wide array of social and digital media, Winnipeg and neighbourhood newspapers, billboards, bus shelter (ads) and convenience store posters," Sime said.

A direct-mail postcard advising of the change and where to get more information will be delivered to northeast Winnipeg residents around June 10, Sime said. About 100,000 cards are being printed.

The budget for the advertising campaign is $100,000. The campaign is expected to run until the end of July.

In a surprise announcement Wednesday, Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen said the conversion of Concordia's ER to an urgent care centre would occur June 3.

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 Pallister government had announced only a few weeks earlier that Concordia Hospital would receive an urgent care centre once its ER was closed. Previously, the plan was a walk-in clinic, open 12 hours a day, would replace the ER.

Initially, the ER was to be converted to an urgent care centre in late June. However, health officials decided to speed up the conversion, in part, because it was growing increasingly difficult to staff the emergency room.

The government said Concordia's intensive care unit would remain open until the end of June to assist in the transition.

The WRHA estimates 70 per cent of patients who now seek care at Concordia's ER could be treated at an urgent care centre, which is set up to deal with health issues that need immediate attention  such as a broken bone, a cut requiring stitches or severe flu symptoms  but are not life-threatening.

Sime said the urgent care centre at Concordia, like the one that operates at Victoria General Hospital, will have the expertise to stabilize patients who might unexpectedly arrive at the hospital with life-threatening conditions.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
Groups helping newcomers in Manitoba  from those trying to protect migrant workers to those rescuing and resettling people facing genocide  hailed new federal immigration rules announced Friday.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Groups helping newcomers in Manitoba  from those trying to protect migrant workers to those rescuing and resettling people facing genocide  hailed new federal immigration rules announced Friday.

At the first Canadian Bar Association immigration conference held in Winnipeg, the federal immigration minister outlined new policies to kick in over the next several months.

"The changes announced by Minister (Ahmed) Hussen today have been advocated for by the sector for a long time, and are positive first steps," said Vicki Sinclair, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations.

The association was involved in the consultation on the new rules, she said.

The first starts Tuesday, when migrant workers who have an employer-specific work permit and are in an abusive job situation in Canada will be allowed to apply for an open work permit. This will allow migrant workers (including care workers) to leave that employer immediately, maintain their status and find another job.

"We've been asking for these types of changes that would not restrict a worker to one employer," said Migrante Manitoba organizer Diwa Marcelino.

"A huge power imbalance exists when you are stuck with that one employer," said the workers' rights advocate. "That one employer has a lot of power over you. Your immigration status rests on your employment status and your health-care (coverage) rests on that."

Starting July 26, newcomers experiencing family violence will be able to apply for a fee-exempt temporary resident permit that will give them legal immigration status in Canada. and includes a work permit and health-care coverage, Hussen's announcement said.

Starting Sept. 9, a person who came to Canada as a refugee can now sponsor undeclared immediate family members under a two-year pilot project. Currently, when a person applies to immigrate to Canada, they are required to declare all of their family members. Failing to declare a family member has barred that person from being able to sponsor that family member in the future.

That's been a problem for members of Winnipeg's Yazidi community, several of whom failed to declare immediate family members for a number of reasons, said Michel Aziza, co-ordinator of Operation Ezra.

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 multi-faith coalition was formed by Winnipeg's Jewish community to help rescue members of the persecuted Yazidi ethnic minority facing genocide from the so-called Islamic State terror group in Iraq.

"In many cases, things were not translated properly," said Aziza, who said he could think of 15 cases off the top of his head in Winnipeg alone where a Yazidi family member wasn't declared.

Some believed loved ones who were taken by IS had been killed, but then find out later that they survived, he said. "Some families tell us they did declare that they were leaving family behind, but it was not noted on their application."

Volunteers trying to help reunite Yazidi families are meeting Sunday at the Asper Jewish Community Campus to work on applications to bring to Winnipeg 44 loved ones left behind.

"There are still a number of issues when it comes to family reunification that the government needs to address," said Aziza. "Sometimes, someone doesn't meet the criteria but there are extenuating circumstances."

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
The days of thieves walking into a Liquor Mart and brazenly bypassing the cashier as they walk out with bottles under their arms may be coming to an end.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The days of thieves walking into a Liquor Mart and brazenly bypassing the cashier as they walk out with bottles under their arms may be coming to an end.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries announced on Thursday that new security measures to stem the flow of liquor thefts have already seen positive results.

MLL reports a 55 per cent drop in product "shrinkage" -- which includes theft and damaged product -- since security was enhanced on March 21. There has also been a 23 per cent reduction in theft and robbery incidents and a 20 per cent increase in the number of arrests.

A bottle lock on certain products is one of the new theft-prevention measures. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files)

"While these are still early results, we are cautiously optimistic they are trending in the right direction," MLL president Peter Hak said in a statement.

There has always been theft at Liquor Marts, but the problem escalated last year when store employees and security guards were told by MLL's administration not to attempt to physically stop someone shoplifting bottles of liquor.

Before long, word got out that staff wouldn't intervene and each outlet began seeing people walk in and -- instead of running to quickly flee -- walk out with bottles of liquor.

It ended up with MLL reporting a loss of about $800,000 in shrinkage in 2018.

Wayne Harrison, MLL's director of corporate security, said there have been some early signs of success. (Danielle Da Silva / Sou'wester)

In March, MLL, with the help of the Winnipeg Police Service and the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union, put together a multi-pronged anti-theft plan which included measures like expanding the use of uniformed special-duty Winnipeg Police constables, increased customer identification checks, bottle locks, dummy bottles, a no-bag policy, and controlled entrances and exits.

"We have some early signs of success -- no question," said Wayne Harrison, MLL's director of corporate security. "We have to give credit to the media and public awareness. People are aware there are consequences now."

He wouldn't divulge a figure on what the new security plan is costing the Crown corporation.

"The costs are part of the 19/20 budget. The spending comes from the existing budget," he said. "But at some point customer safety and staff safety is the priority. How do you put a price on safety?"

Active alarm systems have been installed at the St. James Superstore Liquor Mart outlet. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Jean-Guy Bourgeois, MGEU's director internal operations, said the security results seen so far are "very encouraging.

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 plan is not fully implemented. We applaud the MLL for working with us to implement this plan."

Bourgeois said one part of the plan not in place yet is training loss-prevention teams. "That takes time," he said.

He said it doesn't matter what the cost of the new security is when you look at what is the true savings.

"While we think it is important to reduce losses, our foremost concern is safety of our members and safety of the public shopping," he said.

"Our members are continuing to be on edge because the thefts are continuing, but this gives us hope things will continue to get better."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
City hall will need to drum up $4.5 billion in funding to push forward on all the major capital projects proposed for Winnipeg in the next decade  a fact which would require astronomical debt, water and sewer rate spikes, and property tax hikes.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

City hall will need to drum up $4.5 billion in funding to push forward on all the major capital projects proposed for Winnipeg in the next decade  a fact which would require astronomical debt, water and sewer rate spikes, and property tax hikes.

List of unfunded capital projects: East of the Red Rec Plex South Winnipeg Recreation Campus (phases 1-3) Southeast Winnipeg Recreation & Library Facilities (phases 1-2) Arlington Bridge replacement click to read more East of the Red Rec Plex South Winnipeg Recreation Campus (phases 1-3) Southeast Winnipeg Recreation & Library Facilities (phases 1-2) Arlington Bridge replacement Chief Peguis Trail extension west Lagimodiere Twin Overpasses rehabilitation Louise Bridge replacement Marion transportation improvements Route 90 improvements St. Vital Bridge rehabilitation William Clement Parkway Electric Bus Pilot Project North Transit Garage replacement Rapid Transit Corridors (3 corridors) Airport Area West Water and Sewer Servicing North End Sewage Treatment Plant (phases 1-3) Southwest Interceptor (phase 2) Close

Thats the dire fiscal picture painted by a six-page report  obtained by the Free Press in advance of its release  that is slated to be posted to the City of Winnipegs website Friday morning.

The report highlights 22 major capital projects carrying a collective price tag of $4.9 billion and comprising 60 per cent of the citys infrastructure deficit. Ninety-one per cent of the costs remain unfunded at this time.

If the city moves forward on all of them  many of which are considered vital for economic development  during the next decade, it will require significant help from other levels of government, obliterating the municipal debt ceiling and steep tax increases.

For example, if the city were to finance the tax-supported projects by borrowing money, it would translate into a property tax increase of 30 per cent over the next ten years, on top of water and sewer rate hikes of 37 per cent.

Todd MacKay, Prairie Director of the Canadian Taxpayer Federation, said while he recognizes this is just a city report and not necessarily a policy proposal, the numbers are shocking.

"Its good to do long-term planning, but those kinds of tax increases would be absolutely unacceptable. Winnipeggers cant take that kind of bill hitting them hard in the wallet. The city has a lot more work to do, because thats not an option," MacKay said.

MARK TAYLOR / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Canadian Taxpayers Federation spokesperson Todd MacKay said the type of property tax increases needed to subsidize all of the city's planned capital projects would be "absolutely unacceptable."

Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), who chairs Winnipegs infrastructure renewal and public works committee, said the report  which he had not seen before the Free Press provided a summary  highlights the financial bind the city is facing.

"For a lot of people those kinds of property tax increases would mean the different between buying groceries and paying their mortgage. Were going to have to have conversations about revenue, but also about what capital projects do we really need to do," Allard said.

The report indicates Winnipeg could attempt to tap into combined funding of $1.2 billion from the provincial and federal governments. However, Allard said recent history shows the city cant rely on the province to keep its word.

"Its become increasingly obvious that in order to move forward on any major capital work that involves other levels of government, then we need to have a more reliable partner in the Province of Manitoba," Allard said.

"We had an existing agreement for road funding in place, then we built the roads and find out they wont be paying. That makes things difficult. I think the road story is one to consider."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg City Councillor Matt Allard, who chairs the city's infrastructure renewal and public works committee, said the report highlights the financial bind the city is facing.

The 22 unfunded projects are spread through four city departments: Community Services; Public Works; Winnipeg Transit; and Water & Waste.

At this time, the projects have not been prioritized. The report  which will be tabled to EPC and, if approved, go to council  recommends the public service develop a prioritization list by the end of 2019.

Preliminary design studies have been completed for only three of the projects in question: the Arlington Bridge replacement; the Chief Peguis Trail extension; and the North End Sewage Treatment Plant.

Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Loren Remillard said hes happy the city is casting its eye to the future in this way and hes hopeful the report can stir a community conversation on how to fund needed development.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Loren Remillard, President and CEO of The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.

However, under its current revenue model, he said Winnipegs hands are tied and it wont be able to generate the revenue needed to address its infrastructure deficit of $6.9 billion.

"The infrastructure deficit and the capital projects are symptoms of a much larger problem that we have with our cities and that is the fact the revenue model is antiquated and based on the notion of wealth tied to property. We need something different," Remillard said.

"The province and the federal government benefit most from the movement of goods and services within cities and thats because their revenue models are tried to economic growth, not property.

"Their tool boxes are much bigger and they have more tools in them. What we need to be talking about is changing the citys toolbox."

Since the municipal government is governed by the City of Winnipeg Charter  which is a piece of provincial legislation  any change to the municipal revenue model would have to come from the province.

Remillard said the Manitoba Government wouldnt have to reinvent the wheel to make changes, since other municipalities  in Europe, in particular  have already shifted away from a property-based revenue system.

"Across Canada, our cities dont have the revenue model they need to be as successful as they can be. I think thats quite troublesome. This is not just a Winnipeg issue, its a national issue. The time has come  actually, Id argue the time came a while back  where we need a change," Remillard said.

"If we care about our city, we need to say the current model is broken. We need a new model, one thats tied to economic growth."

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe

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 Manitoba NDP will introduce a private member's bill Monday, the last day of the spring legislative sitting, that would ensure the province maintains emission reduction targets in keeping with the 2016 Paris Agreement.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Manitoba NDP will introduce a private member's bill Monday, the last day of the spring legislative sitting, that would ensure the province maintains emission reduction targets in keeping with the 2016 Paris Agreement.

At an election campaign-style announcement on the legislative grounds Friday, NDP Leader Wab Kinew was surrounded by members of his caucus and future candidates. He acknowledged his bill won't become law, but is part of a broader party stance on climate policy, which he will unveil during the coming months.

"We are looking forward to making this an important ballot-box issue," he said. "And I think because the premier has made it very clear that we're in pre-election mode now, this is one of the markers that I want to put down in the leadup to the coming provincial election.

"We need to have science-based targets and we need to have a government that's committed to reaching those targets, and also a plan for how are we going to put people to work in Manitoba to achieve those targets."

The NDP laid out broad strokes of its action plan, such as keeping the province on track to do its part in the battle against global warming.

The party would put a price on pollution (as the federal government already has) and if elected, Kinew said he would work with Ottawa to make its carbon tax plan more fair to Manitobans.

If Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is elected prime minister in October and decides to scrap the federal carbon tax, the Kinew said he would consider other pricing options, which might include cap-and-trade policies.

Courtney Tosh, a Grade 11 student from Miles Macdonell collegiate and member of Manitoba Youth for Climate Action, urged politicians to take young peoples' climate concerns seriously.

The NDP would also look to electrify Manitoba's transportation networks and end subsidies to the oil and gas industries.

Asked about what enforcement policies the NDP would put in place for those who fail to meet targets, Kinew deferred to the next generation.

"The penalty, I think, is the accountability that comes from young people, that comes from family members. This is one of the reasons that I got into politics and so this is something that I'm very serious about fighting for and pushing forward," he said.

Courtney Tosh, a Grade 11 student at Miles Macdonell Collegiate and member of Manitoba Youth for Climate Action, delivered a speech to NDP caucus members before Kinew spoke. She thanked them for taking her generation's climate concerns seriously.

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.

"Lots of young people that I know, including me, have trouble sleeping at night because our futures are being taken from us right in front of our eyes. So I think I speak for our whole group when I say thank you for acknowledging our fear and thank you for hearing us and listening to us, too," Tosh said.

After the event, the teen said she hoped the NDP would follow through with its promises.

"You have to be careful a lot of the time in politics with believing what they're saying. What (Kinew is) saying, I really like it and I think it's great," she said.

"These are the actions that we need to take. And of course, it is possible that they're not going to follow through with all of them, but I'm optimistic. I think you have to be optimistic in this fight, otherwise we're not going to get anything done."

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbu
It's a good day for cats in Manitoba  no one's ever going to snip off their claws again.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It's a good day for cats in Manitoba  no one's ever going to snip off their claws again.

Declawing has been officially banned after a vote by the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association. Any association member found breaking the ban will be subject to a peer review and the likelihood of punitive action.

"Cats derive pleasure from scratching, it's part of their marking behaviour, it's a fundamental part of being cat," said Jonas Watson, a veterinarian at the Tuxedo Animal Hospital and chairman of the MVMA.

"Taking that away from them, all those endorphins, all that fun, exactly what a lion feels when it scratches the trunk of a tree  it's never been right."

"When you're declawed, you don't walk quite the way you did before and, as a result, cats may have an aversion to where they step, including on litter," veterinarian Jonas Watson said. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press files)

Declawing is about more than a cat's self-esteem, however.

"People don't understand what declawing is. They don't understand that it involves the removal of bone, not just the removal of a nail," Watson said, describing the act as the amputation of the third phalanx, or joint, in a cat's paw.

For years, it was made to seem a benign, even commonplace procedure. "Pet owners would have their cat neutered and at the same time get them declawed, and they never gave it any thought," he said.

'People don't understand what declawing is. They don't understand that it involves the removal of bone, not just the removal of a nail'



 Dr. Jonas Watson

However, recent research shows consequences to declawing, including orthopedic problems such as chronic back pain, and behavioural problems such as aggression and inappropriate voiding (i.e. defecating outside the litter box).

The latter develops because "When you're declawed, you don't walk quite the way you did before and, as a result, cats may have an aversion to where they step, including on litter," Watson said.

Declawing can also cause mechanical changes to a cat's gait.

The movement to an enforced ban gained momentum in 2017, when the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association deemed declawing as ethically unacceptable. (Monica Almeida / The New York Times files)

Many vets have already been declining requests to declaw cats, especially younger ones.

"In the past, everyone could do what was right according to their sense of ethics," Watson said, adding now they will be bound by the vote of their peers.

The movement to an enforced ban gained momentum in 2017, when the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association deemed declawing as "ethically unacceptable."

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.

Manitoba becomes the sixth province to adopt such a ban. British Columbia passed a ban last year; the two big holdouts are Ontario and Quebec.

Watson is confident the policy will continue to spread. "The house of cards will fall eventually."

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  Manitoba will unveil today a road map for future mining projects in the province aimed at avoiding clashes with First Nations communities, the Free Press has learned.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Manitoba will unveil today a road map for future mining projects in the province aimed at avoiding clashes with First Nations communities, the Free Press has learned.

The Pallister governments mineral development protocol attempts to clarify the rules around how prospectors can explore and take samples without trampling on treaty rights.

The news comes amid headaches raised by the planned Manitoba Hydro transmission line to Minnesota, as First Nations and Metis claims of botched consultation prompted Premier Brian Pallister to hold an urgent meeting Wednesday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The idea of the protocol is to put both First Nations and mining companies on solid ground at the start of possible projects, outlining the rules companies must follow and what initial exploration First Nations will permit.

A document obtained by the Free Press outlines a template that communities and companies can either use as provided or modify, spanning the phases of a project from initial exploration to mine development. It also touches on remediation and monitoring commitments.

The province is set to unveil funding intended to establish joint-management boards and help First Nations get the training and experts needed for representation in regulatory approvals.

In theory, the protocol should provide Indigenous communities with enough documentation to green-light exploration with a reduced risk of an environmentally disruptive project that would provide scant benefit to the community.

Similarly, companies would have a road map for what laws they need to follow, what adequate compensation and employment look like, what issues to anticipate and how to resolve disputes before they lead to lawsuits stalling or quashing projects.

Pallister launched this process in July 2017, appointing two PC politicians to get advice from dozens of First Nations: Filmon-era minister Jim Downey and Ron Evans, the former chief of Norway House Cree Nation who will run as Pallisters candidate in The Pas-Kameesak.

The government originally mentioned Indigenous groups at large, but the interim report in June 2018 focused only on First Nations, without mentioning Metis groups.

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.

That interim report floated ideas like having reserves appoint a single person as the point of contact for mining prospectors, and milestones of a project at which point the community and company touch base. It stressed that First Nations want companies to understand how past projects have hurt their environment and traditions, so firms can avoid repeating these mistakes.

Environmental groups have argued that the Indigenous grassroots deserves a stronger voice in the regulation and approval of these projects.

Hollow Water First Nations band council has officially endorsed a silica sand mine on its territory near Seymourville, though some locals have protested the fracking projects provincial review, saying it didnt properly consider evidence of possible health risks.

The federal Liberals Bill C-69 aims to clarify stable, predictable rules for major projects like pipelines, ports and mining projects large enough to exceed provincial jurisdiction. Yet critics complain the bill would instead introduce confusion.

Similarly, Public Services and Procurement Canada has refined its rules around divesting federally owned land to avoid years-long court sagas like the one surrounding the Kapyong Barracks.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Public health nurses in Winnipeg are sounding the alarm over skyrocketing rates of syphilis infections, saying they are fighting a losing battle.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Public health nurses in Winnipeg are sounding the alarm over skyrocketing rates of syphilis infections, saying they are fighting a losing battle.

In a letter Thursday to Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen, the nurses said there is insufficient staff to properly trace those who may be infected with sexually transmitted diseases.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Dr. Michael Isaac, acting chief provincial public health officer, at a press conference in February reporting an outbreak of syphilis in the province.

Syphilis rates are especially high, and staffing is not keeping up with rising demand for service, they wrote.

"Not since the 1950s have we seen babies being infected via congenital transmission and now the healthy sexuality and harm reduction (HSHR) team is managing these cases regularly," the nurses wrote. "The appearance of congenital infections is a sign of the severity of the outbreak and ineffective outbreak management."

Friesen acknowledged the province is "facing challenges" in rising infection rates, although he said Manitoba is not alone in that regard. The same trends are being seen across Canada and parts of the U.S. Midwest, he said.

He said part of the problem is due to the rise in illicit drug use through injection.

"We're seeing infection rates increasing that we haven't seen before," Friesen told reporters Thursday. "But remember people are injecting methamphetamines into their veins and sharing needles. And this should be a significant cause for concern for public health right across North America."

Friesen said Manitoba public health officials are responding to the situation and more funding will be provided to those on the front lines.

"I have accepted the advice of the acting chief public health officer (Dr. Michael Isaac) to increase resources at this time," the minister said, without offering a lot of specifics.

"There's a lot of creativity and innovation being used to be able to use resources in new ways to make contact with some difficult-to-reach sub-populations," he said. "I believe that work, which is ongoing, will have an effect."

Friesen said he is aware, in many cases, expectant mothers are not receiving pre-natal care: "That is a big, big challenge."

The provincial NDP released a copy of the nurses' letter to the media Thursday, and raised the issue in the legislature. The Opposition removed the names of the nurses who signed it.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said it is concerning nurses don't have enough time to trace all potentially infected persons in a timely way. He said a lack of government funding is to blame.

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.

"These nurses are warning that the outbreak is being made worse by the staffing challenges that they're facing," Kinew said.

In their letter, the nurses said with the "drastic" increase in sexually transmitted blood-borne infection rates, they cannot meet accepted standards of care and clinical practice guidelines.

"There have been insufficient resources and support in response to these ongoing issues resulting in a public health crisis and an unsafe work environment," said the letter, addressed to Friesen and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.

"We implore you to provide our team with the necessary resources, so we can work on our preventative, collaborative and upstream public health approaches in order to effectively manage this current outbreak."

Staffing numbers for the HSHR team have not increased since 2013, the nurses said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
Nurses made at least 256 injury claims to the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba between 2013 and 2018, with the rate of claims escalating by 311 per cent during the five-year period.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nurses made at least 256 injury claims to the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba between 2013 and 2018, with the rate of claims escalating by 311 per cent during the five-year period.

The Manitoba Nurses Union obtained the WCB data through a freedom of information request, which was shared with the Free Press. It showed the percentage increase in violent incident, assault and harassment claims by nurses peaked in 2016 -- between that year and the previous year, claims more than doubled, and they've continued to rise.

MNU president Darlene Jackson believes rates of violence against health-care workers are rising due to provincewide struggles with methamphetamine use and an ongoing Winnipeg hospital consolidation plan, causing undue stress.

"We're seeing increasing patient volumes in tertiary hospitals. We're seeing less beds available for admissions. So patients are laying for hours, and sometimes days, in an emergency department, waiting for a bed to be admitted into," she said, noting ER wait times remain longer than the national average, leaving patients and families more anxious.

"They want their loved ones to receive timely care and that often leads to sort of short tempers where people are stressed out," Jackson said. "It may become physical, but there's a lot of more verbal (abuse)."

MNU president Darlene Jackson believes rates of violence against health-care workers are rising due to provincewide struggles with methamphetamine use and an ongoing Winnipeg hospital consolidation plan, causing undue stress. (Mike Deal / Free Press files)

The union leader pointed out the WCB data likely only represents a snapshot of the larger picture when it comes to violence staff are experiencing. Many won't report verbal threats or being spit on to the WCB, since those incidents are more common and harder to prove.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological stress are also more difficult claims to make, since the WCB requires they have an incident to pinpoint, Jackson said, though both may be the result of cumulative problems. The union has known nurses to have more success filing psychological stress complaints than reports related to PTSD.

Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen said the government has taken steps to improve worker safety, but it must continue to be vigilant.

"We'd like to see those numbers come down. We believe some of the investments we've made will help. But clearly there is more work to do," he said.

Friesen said security measures have been enhanced at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre, including reducing the number of building entrances and exits.

Staff have also been provided with panic alarms, he said.

Manitoba Finance Minister Cameron Friesen said security measures have been enhanced at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre, including reducing the number of building entrances and exits. (David Lipnowski / Canadian Press files)

"These measures are effective, but clearly we are seeing  and the numbers continue to bear out  that there are mental health issues presenting in hospitals that are very significant," Friesen said.

He said hospitals are also getting busier, with ambulance offloads on the rise.

NDP Leader Wab Kinew said the methamphetamine crisis has led to a lot of unsafe situations for health workers, and the government must make greater efforts to deal with it.

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

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 world is currently experiencing its third major helium shortage in the past 14 years, putting science and industry at risk. Helium is a key gas used in industries like space exploration, health care and technology. While everyone is familiar with heliums use in party balloons, the lighter-than-air element has many more important uses in semiconductor manufacturing, medical imaging and other technological applications.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

The world is currently experiencing its third major helium shortage in the past 14 years, putting science and industry at risk. Helium is a key gas used in industries like space exploration, health care and technology. While everyone is familiar with heliums use in party balloons, the lighter-than-air element has many more important uses in semiconductor manufacturing, medical imaging and other technological applications.

Helium is generated deep underground by the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium over geological timescales. It gets trapped in non-porous rock formations. The only way to find helium is to drill exploration wells deep into the subsurface.

Scientists are facing a number of new challenges to get a reliable supply of helium for their research programs. The shortage has consistently raised helium prices; research applications like gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy take a backseat to helium needs in health care.

I am the principal investigator for a research group that has been involved with sampling and analysis of some of the recently drilled helium wells in Saskatchewan.

New helium sources

With no guarantee of a steady supply, the cost of helium used for research has increased over 15 per cent over the past four years when buying individual tanks of gas. At these prices, universities have been forced to ration due to a lack of supply, while wholesale prices have risento $500 or more for bulk supply.

Over the past few years, a number of start-up companies have been successful in new exploration and production efforts in Western Canada. An American company opened the first new helium production facility in Canada in 2016 since Canadian Helium stopped production from their plant near Swift Current, Sask., in the early 1970s.

Calgary-based North American Helium has also been active on the exploration front, with six successful wells completed as of last summer. That company has over one million acres of helium permits and leases and is preparing for the construction of its first production plant.

A number of companies have been bringing smaller-scale production online in the United States for the last few decades, but even with an existing discovery, it takes years to develop a well from concept to plant. With production and sales from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management helium reserve coming to an end, there is a need for new North American helium production.

The industry has relied on discoveries made by companies exploring for oil in the 1960s, including three fields in Saskatchewan. Only recently have companies started drilling exploration wells targeting helium.

The Saskatchewan advantage

What makes the helium resource in Western Canada so attractive is the gas composition itself, which differs from other helium resources in other parts of the world. These have high levels of carbon dioxide or methane, but the helium wells in Western Canada are associated with underground reservoirs of nitrogen gas. Because nitrogen is benign and already makes up 78 per cent of Earths atmosphere, these projects dont require large pipelines for methane recovery or carbon dioxide disposal. Extracting this resource will have a much smaller environmental footprint in Canada.

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.

Western Canada has another huge advantage over other areas with potential for helium exploration, like central Australia or Siberia. All of the major recent historical helium discoveries in Canada are in areas that have already seen significant oil and gas development. This means that the growing helium exploration industry can piggyback on decades of investment by oil and gas companies, such as existing seismic data and well control.

What is also likely contributing to higher levels of investment and activity is the proven nature of the opportunity for helium extraction and the maturity of the exploration industry. Western Canada also hosts a huge and capable oil-service sector, providing the skills, expertise and tools to get wells drilled and brought online in a timely fashion.

In other jurisdictions seeing interest for helium exploration, such as Tanzania in East Africa, whether due to financial constraints or the lack of an oil service sector, none of the companies targeting helium in East Africa have yet to successfully drill a helium production well.

With a nascent helium exploration and production industry reaching maturity, multiple companies active in the area, a small environmental footprint and attractive economics, Western Canada is now poised to become a leader in the future production of helium. These new explorers are well positioned to fill the supply gap.

Scott Mundle is an assistant professor at the University of Windsor.

This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.
This week, former Liberal renegade ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott tantalized Ottawa with where they would park their political allegiance following their dramatic ejection from Justin Trudeaus Liberal party back in April.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

This week, former Liberal renegade ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott tantalized Ottawa with where they would park their political allegiance following their dramatic ejection from Justin Trudeaus Liberal party back in April.

Wilson-Raybould and Philpott could have found enough common ground with the Tories or the NDP to have switched to either party. In the end, the scuttlebutt around Ottawa was that they would hitch their political wagons to the Green party. This would have represented a major breakthrough for the Greens.

It was not to be. In the end, Wilson-Raybould and Philpott announced they will sit as Independent MPs and run for re-election as Independent candidates. And both seemed to be in fighting spirits  Philpott, for example, explained her decision in part by wondering how her decision would be interpreted by young women: "What lesson would it be for those young girls if I was to walk away with my tail between my legs?"

Needless to say, it would have been far better for Trudeau and the Liberals if both Wilson-Raybould and Philpott had walked away with their tails between their legs. Their presence in the 2019 election campaign will serve to remind voters of the SNC-Lavalin scandal that bedevilled the Liberal government this year. It will also be tough for Trudeau to run a Sunny Ways 2.0 campaign when two of his former female cabinet ministers  one Indigenous  whom he booted out of his caucus are running against Liberal candidates.

Proponents of ejecting Wilson-Raybould and Philpott from caucus assured Trudeau that doing so would deprive them of media attention and, to use former Liberal minister Sheila Copps crass language, "lance the boil." Those predictions have now been proven dead wrong, and Trudeau will have to grapple with the fallout from SNC-Lavalin and his ejected ministers throughout the next election campaign.

Both Philpott and Wilson-Raybould have developed a sharp anti-partisan, pro-democracy message. "We are getting really tired of hyper-partisan politics," Philpott said at her announcement. "The system seems dysfunctional We dont feel like the people in Ottawa are connected to us, the people." This is an appealing message delivered by two MPs with impeccable credentials when it comes to flipping the bird at party discipline in Ottawa.

Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press files

The $10,000 question is: can they be re-elected? It will undoubtedly be tough. Parties have a stranglehold on politics in Canada, with the result that it is exceedingly rare for Independent candidates to win.

But these are not run-of-the-mill Independent candidates. Wilson-Raybould and Philpott have an extraordinary national profile given their history as ministers and their dramatic departures from Trudeaus cabinet. They can argue that, rather than defecting, they were booted out of their own party. And there is indication that both Wilson-Raybould and Philpott will attract money and support from Liberal activists and members in their constituencies who will choose the incumbents over the Trudeau-approved Liberal candidates who are dispatched to take out the renegades.

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.

There are also a small number of success stories that may provide the Independents with some guidance and inspiration.

My favourite is Vicki Huntington, the remarkable and admirable former Independent MLA for the riding of Delta South, B.C. A former longtime city councillor, Huntington challenged a powerful cabinet minister, Wally Oppal, for the seat in the 2009 provincial election. Running as an Independent, Huntington lashed Oppal for serving his party over his constituency, claiming that he ignored local hospital closures and the imposition of high-voltage power lines.

She won by a mere 35 votes, but Huntington cultivated her reputation as an Independent and, in her re-election campaign four years later, scored a landslide win. Her Independent streak appealed to local voters. As a Delta columnist wrote, "Huntington has been a breath of fresh air, free to vote with her conscience and with her constituents interests in mind, not restricted by ideology or party discipline."

Huntington, when appealing to voters in her riding, struck a similar anti-party, anti-discipline chord to that which Wilson-Raybould and Philpott employed during their press conferences. "Independents do not have the constraints forced upon partisan MLAs," she claimed. "I can speak openly about government policy. I can openly criticize government policy. In short, it if is good for Delta South, I will support the government. If it is bad, I will oppose it. My duty is to the people of Delta South: I will deliver their voice to Victoria  and will never be obliged to deliver Victorias voice to them."

This is a powerful message in a country in which voters are often alienated from politics, and feel MPs are too quick to forget about their ridings after being elected. If Wilson-Raybould and Philpott can succeed in harnessing the power of these anti-party sentiments, they might well be in Parliament for some time to come.

Royce Koop is an associate professor and head of the political studies department at the University of Manitoba.
When a government dishes out taxpayers money in a secretive way, alarm bells should ring. So it is with the federal Liberals hush-hush payments to Quebecers living near an entry point for irregular asylum claimants.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When a government dishes out taxpayers money in a secretive way, alarm bells should ring. So it is with the federal Liberals hush-hush payments to Quebecers living near an entry point for irregular asylum claimants.

Governments have large communication teams that usually herald spending with press releases and media conferences, an essential foundation of transparent governance and, not incidentally, a way for governments to solicit the support of citizens who are directly affected by the spending announcements.

So when details of payments to about 45 Quebec homeowners were contained in an internal document labelled "secret," it didnt take a forensic detective to deduce something suspicious was afoot. The document was only pried open by a freedom-of-information request by the Free Press.

Some Quebec homeowners living near the border received payments for being inconvenienced by asylum claimants being nuisances and making noise outside their doors. (Charles Krupa / The Canadian Press files)

The spending outlined in the document  Manitobans didnt get any, it all went to Quebecers  revealed why the federal Liberals were anxious to keep the $405,000 in payments under the table.

The background is that the southern borders of Quebec and Manitoba were the main crossing points where asylum claimants bypassed traditional immigration procedure and entered Canada from the United States. They can skirt formal crossing posts without being prosecuted if they immediately report to authorities and file an asylum claim.

Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

The Liberals decided to financially compensate Quebec homeowners who were "inconvenienced" because the asylum claimants caused more traffic and noise outside their doors. Homeowners in Emerson had similar experiences  some reported asylum claimants peeking in their windows or resting in their sheds  but the Manitobans shouldnt wait at their mailboxes for government cheques.

It would be understandable if Quebec got the bulk of the money; it was the crossing point for about 90 per cent of the 40,000 people who have entered Canada from the U.S. outside regular border points over the past two years. But to freeze Manitoba out completely? Its a reminder of an ugly Canadian tradition of federal parties stroking vote-rich Quebec and giving the figurative middle finger to less populous provinces like Manitoba.

Such an image is a crude but accurate way to depict the unease of many Manitobans who feel this provinces traditional insignificance in the federation was epitomized in 1986, when then-prime minister Brian Mulroneys government awarded a maintenance contract for CF-18 fighter planes to Quebec-based Bombardier despite a better and cheaper bid from Winnipegs Bristol Aerospace. The issue was so polarizing it helped spawn the Reform Party.

We long for Manitobas seven Liberal MPs to assure us things have changed since then, and that the Ottawa power brokers are now able to locate Manitoba on a map. But, so far, none of them have offered public comment on why the $405,000 payment to Quebecers was considered a secret, and why Manitoba was ignored.

Asking Manitoba's senior MP Jim Carr about financial equality on the issue of border crossers is fair. (Sasha Sefter / Winnipeg Free Press files)

There remains opportunity for Ottawa to do better. Asylum seekers have cost Manitoba $17 million for housing, welfare, education, Legal Aid, health and child welfare. Premier Brian Pallister has repeatedly asked the federal government to pay these costs out of a $100-million fund Ottawa earmarked "to support the increased volume of asylum seekers."

When will Manitoba get financial fairness on the issue of border crossers? During the campaign for the Oct. 21 federal election, its a fair question to ask Manitobas Liberal MPs: Jim Carr, Terry Duguid, Doug Eyolfson, Kevin Lamoureaux, MaryAnn Mihychuk, Robert-Falcon Ouellette and Dan Vandal.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/5/2019 (943 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Calling all former students of Transcona Collegiate and Murdoch MacKay Collegiate from the 1950s up to the 1990s!

If you havent heard, a Transcona high school reunion will be held on Fri., June 7, at 7 p.m. at Nashvilles in the Canad Inns Destination Centre at 826 Regent Ave. W.

Last year, a reunion for TCI alumni from the 1950s to the 1980s was held at the same venue and folks had such a good time they requested another one.

Committee members Bill Blaikie, Hank Haaksma, Sherrill Greenaway, Tom Thompson, Sharon Lamoureux and Dave Haack are responsible for organizing this years event, and were involved with last years as well.

As Transcona is a smaller community, the committee decided to invite all former Transcona high school students to the event, "since were all friends in friendly Transcona", as it says on the website.

The reunion will be a casual affair, in the style of a social. You can dress to impress or wear whatever suits you for a social environment. There will be social-style food (the usual rye bread and kielbasa, etc.), and great music from the era.

At last years reunion the music was very well received and people danced the night away on a full dance floor.

Yearbooks will be on display and some videos of past school functions will be played. It will be fun to spot yourself and your friends from "back in the day". There will also be some great door prizes, as well.

Any profits from this event will be donated to LArche Tova Cafe. The cafe provides employment to people with development disabilities and encourages the general public to interact with and get to know them, in addition to providing tasty food.

You can pick up tickets at the Canad Inn, Ball Insurance, or directly from Sherrill (Ball) Greenaway at rcgreen@mts.net; or Sharon (Lazaruk) Lamoureux at lamour@shaw.ca.

To purchase tickets online go www.transconareunion.com and follow the link to their Eventbrite page.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door, as long as pre-sold tickets do not reach their maximum. The venue holds 700 people.

The evening will be a rare chance to reconnect with old friends and classmates and some folks are coming from as far away as B.C, Ontario, and California. So come on out for a fun evening.

Suzanne Hunter is a community correspondent for Transcona.

Calling all former students of Transcona Collegiate and Murdoch MacKay Collegiate from the 1950s up to the 1990s!

If you havent heard, a Transcona high school reunion will be held on Fri., June 7, at 7 p.m. at Nashvilles in the Canad Inns Destination Centre at 826 Regent Ave. W.

Last year, a reunion for TCI alumni from the 1950s to the 1980s was held at the same venue and folks had such a good time they requested another one.

Committee members Bill Blaikie, Hank Haaksma, Sherrill Greenaway, Tom Thompson, Sharon Lamoureux and Dave Haack are responsible for organizing this years event, and were involved with last years as well.

SUZANNE HUNTER Graduates of Murdoch Mackay Collegiate and Transcona Collegiate (pictured here) are all invited to this years Transcona high school reunion at Nashvilles in the Canad Inns Destination Centre Transcona.

As Transcona is a smaller community, the committee decided to invite all former Transcona high school students to the event, "since were all friends in friendly Transcona", as it says on the website.

The reunion will be a casual affair, in the style of a social. You can dress to impress or wear whatever suits you for a social environment. There will be social-style food (the usual rye bread and kielbasa, etc.), and great music from the era.

At last years reunion the music was very well received and people danced the night away on a full dance floor. Yearbooks will be on display and some videos of past school functions will be played. It will be fun to spot yourself and your friends from "back in the day."

Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

There will also be some great door prizes, as well. Any profits from this event will be donated to LArche Tova Cafe. The cafe provides employment to people with development disabilities and encourages the general public to interact with and get to know them, in addition to providing tasty food.

You can pick up tickets at the Canad Inn, Ball Insurance, or directly from Sherrill (Ball) Greenaway at rcgreen@mts.net; or Sharon (Lazaruk) Lamoureux at lamour@shaw.ca

To purchase tickets online go www.transconareunion.com and follow the link to their Eventbrite page.

Tickets may also be purchased at the door, as long as pre-sold tickets do not reach their maximum. The venue holds 700 people.

The evening will be a rare chance to reconnect with old friends and classmates and some folks are coming from as far away as B.C, Ontario, and California. So come on out for a fun evening.

Suzanne Hunter is a community correspondent for Transcona.
BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana's Democratic governor signed a ban on abortion as early as six weeks of pregnancy Thursday, a move that puts him squarely in line with the leaders of other conservative Southern states while provoking anger from members of his own party.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/5/2019 (944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this Monday, April 8, 2019 file photo, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards holds his hand to his heart with his wife, Donna Edwards, and their daughter Sarah Ellen Edwards, right, during the pledge of allegiance at the opening of the annual state legislative session in Baton Rouge, La. Nearly three decades ago, when Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel EdwardsAo wife was 20 weeks pregnant with their first child, a doctor discovered their daughter had spina bifida and encouraged an abortion. The Edwardses refused. Edwards, who has repeatedly bucked national party leaders on abortion rights, is about to do it again. HeAos ready to sign legislation that would ban the procedure as early as six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant, when the bill reaches his desk. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, Pool, File)

BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana's Democratic governor signed a ban on abortion as early as six weeks of pregnancy Thursday, a move that puts him squarely in line with the leaders of other conservative Southern states while provoking anger from members of his own party.

With his signature, Gov. John Bel Edwards made Louisiana the fifth state to enact a law prohibiting abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected, joining Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio and Georgia. Alabama's gone further, outlawing virtually all abortions .

Louisiana's law doesn't contain exceptions for pregnancies from rape or incest.

The bill's signing, however, won't limit the state's three abortion clinics anytime soon. Louisiana's law takes effect only if the law in neighbouring Mississippi, which was recently blocked by a judge , is upheld by a federal appeals court.

Edwards, a Catholic running for reelection this year, didn't hold a public bill signing or issue a statement about it, instead announcing his action through his office. He had repeatedly said he intended to sign the measure, citing his faith and saying his views match those of the people in his conservative, religious state.

FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018 file photo, Gov. John Bel Edwards talks about an expected $300 million-plus surplus Louisiana will have from the last budget year in Baton Rouge, La. Nearly three decades ago, when Democratic Louisiana Gov. John Bel EdwardsAo wife was 20 weeks pregnant with their first child, a doctor discovered their daughter had spina bifida and encouraged an abortion. The Edwardses refused. Edwards, who has repeatedly bucked national party leaders on abortion rights, is about to do it again. HeAos ready to sign legislation that would ban the procedure as early as six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant, when the bill reaches his desk. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte, File)

"This is an issue I've been consistent on forever. I am pro-life," he said earlier this month on his radio show, when asked about the bill.

Louisiana legislators overwhelmingly supported the ban , with a 79-23 House vote and 31-5 Senate vote.

Lawmakers in conservative states across the nation are striking at the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationally. Abortion opponents are pushing new restrictions on the procedure in hopes that a case will make its way to the high court and two new conservative justices appointed by President Donald Trump could help overturn Roe.

None of the abortion bans enacted this year has taken effect, and all are expected to face legal challenges that will delay any enforcement of the prohibitions against the procedure.

Opponents of the so-called heartbeat bills said they would effectively eliminate abortion as an option before many women realize they are pregnant and would violate constitutional privacy protections. Several hundred pink-clad Planned Parenthood supporters filled the Louisiana Capitol to protest the ban ahead of Thursday's bill signing.

"The unprecedented and extreme attacks on abortion we're seeing across the country, including here in Louisiana, are dangerous to patient health and wellbeing," Petrice Sams-Abiodun, with Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, said in a statement.

Sen. John Milkovich, D-Shreveport, and Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, right, embrace after speaking to the media outside the State Capitol, Wednesday, May 29, 2019, in Baton Rouge, La., after the House passed Milkovich's 'fetal heartbeat' bill that would ban abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy, if upheld by the courts, sending it to the governor's desk without exceptions for victims of rape and incest. Hodges handled the bill on the House side for its passage there. (Travis Spradling/The Advocate via AP)

Louisiana's law includes an exception from the abortion ban to prevent the pregnant woman's death or "a serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function"  or if the pregnancy is deemed "medically futile." But it does not include an exception for a pregnancy caused by rape or incest, drawing criticism that the law forces continued trauma on women who have been victimized.

Under the bill, a doctor who violates the prohibition could face a prison sentence of up to two years, along with medical license revocation.

The abortion-rights debates that divide state Capitols across the nation cause fewer ripples in the Louisiana Legislature. It is one of the country's most staunchly anti-abortion states, with a law on the books that immediately outlaws abortion if Roe v. Wade is ever overturned.

Louisiana's latest abortion ban won support from many Democrats and was sponsored by Democratic Sen. John Milkovich. And the governor won some GOP praise for his position.

"While Gov. Edwards and I disagree on a lot of things, I'm proud that he stands for life," Republican Rep. Julie Emerson said.

Although Edwards is a rarity in the national Democratic Party, he ran as an anti-abortion candidate. In his 2015 campaign, Edwards had a prominent TV ad that showed his wife, Donna, describing being advised to have an abortion because of their daughter's spinal birth defect. The Edwardses refused, and the ad showed a grown-up Samantha.

The bill signing by Edwards, who faces two Republicans on the ballot this fall, is expected to help shore up his position with some voters at home, even if it puts him at odds with national Democratic Party leaders and donors.

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.

Still, the governor faced an outcry of anger on social media from Democrats who objected to his support for the abortion ban.

The chair of Louisiana's Democratic Party, Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, has been regularly slamming the bill. She's posted opposition messages on Twitter, including after the bill signing: "Embarrassing! Apologies to LA women, particularly for the disrespect to women victimized by rape or incest." But she hasn't directly criticized Edwards by name, and the party is supporting him for reelection.

___

Senate Bill 184: www.legis.la.gov

___

Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte
Causes begin as movements, become businesses, degenerate into rackets.  Eric Hoffer, paraphrased.

Michael Gersons column in the Winona Daily News on May 28, suggests replacing Andrew Jacksons visage with that of Araminta Ross-Tubman.

Political racism.Replacing Jacksons image with that of Tubman on the twenty has been delayed, disturbing some dodgers like Gerson.

Who knows? Trump lies!

Trumps delay is OK. Even forgetting Tubman is agreeable, for a number of reasons.

First, all is relative.

Secondly, racial politics insults Native Americana and every honest American. Not racist?

Americas first Congress compromised itself to gain a national identity  and funding.

Slaves were protected assets. Not so, Americas Natives.

Who slaughtered, dispersed American indigenous peoples, then took their land?

Wrongs never make rights.

The choice: slavery or conquest-based extermination. Both have existed for millenniums. Both are perverse rackets, hand-in-hand, with greed-fueled apathy.

Tubman replacing Jackson on the twenty is selfish, political PC-ness!

What does a Tubman as peer offer, besides twenty dollar  pieces of silver?

Is Native American (Wyandot) Eliza Conley lesser, as a woman Indian lawyer? Conley practiced law at the Supreme Court and also was a well-known suffragette (womens rights advocate).

Why not (Chief) Crazy Horse? Memorialized in Black Hills mountain stone, Tsunka Witko was an Oglala Lakota (Sioux) leader; murdered, after being enticed into peaceful surrender. Literally back-stabbed by racist U.S. soldiers.

Does Tubman compare to woman warrior Lozen? Apache Chief Victorios sister actually lived in harms way.

Lozen literally took up armed hostilities against greed-driven governments, business schemers and politicians who used deadly force to segregate and oppress the righteous, indignant Apache.

Was it okay for U.S. Buffalo Soldiers and priests to slaughter Native Americans, while black slaves (detestable as that is) were protected investments offering short-term political clout?

Governments ethnic extermination was directed toward Native Americans, not black slaves. Indigenous peoples bore the brunt of Americas past selfish, greed-fueled racist politics.

Brutalized indigenous America deserves commemoration, not Tubman. Shun the plainly narrow, racist based politics that drive racist rackets.

Even a Native American symbol (a peace pipe) is a more realistic choice. Not to mention, forthright Eisenhower, brave Cezar Chavez, an Ernie Pyle, and other stand-up heroes.

Nevertheless, neither statue, face nor symbol aggrandizes the immoral divisiveness of any minority  or majority.

Certainly, current times are not the past, and crabbing reparation-politics are strategically intolerable rackets!

If a Tubman-Twenty is acceptable, why not images of the murderous Buffalo Soldiers? Government Hotoa Notaxeo-o did Americas dirty work.

Which statues or memorials do we remove to expunge a wicked past and continues to undermine us today?

The soldiers who killed women and children at Sand Creek, Washita River, Wounded Knee, and the Mankato hangman worked for whom?

Defender or conqueror; slave or freemen; self-aggrandizing racism is evil.

The Tubman currency gambit is chicken-feed PC-politics that encourages the perverse racket that still infect us.

Were all racist. Superficiality (politics) conceals corruption. Heed victims. Not mobs.

The dead speak, but first honest Americans must lift the cloaks covering our past to hear what they tell us.

Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0
Oles Corner Ive been slacking off  I probably have had the time but just didnt take it although there isnt much new going on. Ive heard folks talking about the lights....

Julian B. Garrett Iowa economy grows Iowas economy continued to improve in November. Our unemployment rate was at 3.7%, compared to 3.9% in October. The national rate was 4.2%. The number of unemployed...

Joni Ernst In todays polarizing environment, building bipartisan consensus on legislation isnt easy. With one party in control of Washington, Democrats have spent most of the year focused on their reckless spending...
Someone needs to keep the court functioning on a daily basis and it is usually who has been here the longest, Pfitzinger said.

Pftizinger took over for former circuit court judge Daniel Klossner in 2008 and intends to seek re-election when his current term expires in 2020.

Bauer said Pfitzinger will keep good control over the courts, which also include judges Joseph Sciascia and Martin De Vries.

I dont expect significant change in the courts, Pfitzinger said. Everything has been running really well. We are really lucky that we have a good group of judges moving the cases along and not a lot of administration problems.

There are some new things going on in the courts that will need some attention. The video and audio system in the courthouse will be overhauled beginning Monday.

This is a big project and will take a lot of coordinating, Pfitzinger said. People really need to be invested in the process.

Pfitzingers courtroom will be moved to Branch 5, a smaller courtroom on the first floor, for a month. The court commissioner who is normally in that room will conduct court in the jury room during that time.

There are a lot of users in the courthouse, Pfitzinger said. And our job is to make sure the courts run as smoothly as possible.

Follow Terri Pederson on Twitter @tlp53916 or contact her at 920-356-6760.
According to the criminal complaint, Medina Espinosas mother told police Hollinshead felt that she had a moral obligation to allow the child to see her grandparents. Medina Espinosas mother and Hollinshead had exchanged text messages to set up the visit on March 23.

Hollinshead arrived at the home between 2:15-2:30 p.m.

Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

A short while later, Medina Espinosa arrived at the home with gifts for the girl, according to the complaint. The girl ran up to Medina Espinosa and his mother returned to the kitchen, where Hollinshead had remained. Medina Espinosas mother told police that she heard several gunshots coming from behind her and then saw Medina Espinosa toss a gun in the sink.

Medina Espinosas mother told police that she ran toward him and then saw Hollinshead lying on the ground. She told investigators that she grabbed her sons arm and screamed, What are you doing? The mother said he did not reply to her and had no expression on his face. He then went to his daughter, who had started crying, while his parents called 911.
1969

A total of 124 seniors graduated from Columbus High School with commencement exercises beginning with a baccalaureate service. Rev. Horace Graubner from the Columbus United Methodist Church delivered the baccalaureate sermon.

At a May meeting of the American Legion Columbia County, Gerald Salzwedel was elected the County Commander.

1979

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce decided that downtown stores will no longer be open on Monday nights. For the present, J.C. Penneys will remain open.

Mr. Roger Wessel was honored by Zion Lutheran Church after completing 25 years of service as a Lutheran school teacher. Eleven of those years were at Zion, where he taught fifth grade, was organist, and choir director. Wessel accepted a teaching position in Fond du Lac.

1989

The Columbus Jaycees recently filled 55-60 childrens sandboxes in Columbus as part of its annual project.
The contaminated sediment will be transported to a processing pad that will be set up on DNR property near the railroad, where it will be placed in specially made containers, shaped something like giant bathtubs, to dry before it can be sent to a landfill.

Powell said it typically takes 3-5 days to dry the sediment and during that time there may be an odor of decaying material. But the project includes measures to minimize the smell, she said.

After the dredging, capping material will be placed at the canals bottom to minimize future contamination.

Project in progress

Chris Blum, an engineer with the citys design consultant Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc., said the completion and approval of the required environmental report is expected to happen this year, in time to allow the dredging to start in 2020.

Inman said the dredging could take the better part of the warm-weather season in 2020  and what kind of equipment will be used for it will depend on which contractor the DNR hires.
 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]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.
CoreLogic, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property information, insight, analytics, and data-enabled solutions in North America, Western Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Property Intelligence & Risk Management Solutions (PIRM) and Underwriting & Workflow Solutions (UWS). The PIRM segment combines property information, mortgage information, and consumer information to deliver housing market and property-level insights, predictive analytics, and risk management capabilities. It also offers proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with decision-making and compliance tools in the real estate and insurance industries. This segment primarily serves commercial banks, mortgage lenders and brokers, investment banks, fixed-income investors, real estate agents, MLS companies, property and casualty insurance companies, title insurance companies, government agencies, and government-sponsored enterprises. The UWS segment combines property, mortgage, and consumer information to provide comprehensive mortgage origination and monitoring solutions, including underwriting-related solutions, and data-enabled valuations and appraisals. This segment also provides proprietary technology and software platforms to access, automate, or track the information and assist its clients with vetting and onboarding prospects, and meeting compliance regulations, as well as understanding, evaluating, monitoring property values. It primarily serves mortgage lenders and servicers, mortgage brokers, credit unions, commercial banks, fixed-income investors, government agencies, and property and casualty insurance companies. The company was formerly known as The First American Corporation and changed its name to CoreLogic, Inc. in June 2010. CoreLogic, Inc. was incorporated in 1894 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.

Read More
Stantec Inc. provides professional consulting services in the area of infrastructure and facilities in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company provides consulting services in engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics. It also offers water, transportation, and public works; transportation planning and traffic engineering; and resource assessment, mine development, reclamation, hydrology, and geotechnical and infrastructure engineering services, as well as urban planning, traffic assessments and optimization, environmental impact assessments, and public consultation services. In addition, the company provides structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and hydraulics engineering services. It serves urban regeneration, infrastructure, education, public and private sector, tourism and leisure, and waste and water sectors, as well as office and commercial, residential, and retail and town centers. The company was formerly known as Stanley Technology Group Inc. and changed its name to Stantec Inc. in October 1998. Stantec Inc. was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada.

Read More
Deutsche Telekom AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides integrated telecommunication services. The company operates through five segments: Germany, United States, Europe, Systems Solutions, and Group Development. It offers fixed-network services, including voice and data communication services based on fixed-network and broadband technology; and sells terminal equipment and other hardware products, as well as services to resellers. The company also provides mobile voice and data services to consumers and business customers; sells mobile devices and other hardware products; and sells mobile services to resellers and to companies that purchases and markets network services to third parties, such as mobile virtual network operators. In addition, it offers internet services; internet-based TV products and services; and information and communication technology systems for multinational corporations and public sector institutions with an infrastructure of data centers and networks under the T-Systems brand, as well as call center services. The company has 242 million mobile customers and 22 million broadband customers, as well as 27 million fixed-network lines. Deutsche Telekom AG has a collaboration with VMware, Inc. on cloud-based open and intelligent virtual RAN platform to bring agility to radio access networks for existing LTE and future 5G networks; and partnership with Microsoft to deliver high-performance cloud computing experiences. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.

Read More
Swings performs in "Show Me the Money" on Mnet. Screen capture from YouTube



By Ko Dong-hwan



Rapper Swings has been blasted for deliberately causing mayhem during a performance at a Seoul school that led to students being badly injured.



The musician, 33, was performing in a gymnasium at Jeonghwa Arts College in Seoul's Jung-gu on Wednesday. He was one of several artists invited there for a campus party, according to witnesses who posted information about the incident on the school's community website.



The online recount of the commotion said fences had been erected between the stage and the audience but Swings said "fxxx the fences," telling the crowd to come forward. This led to a stampede that injured several students and caused light stands near the stage to topple.



The party MC and event organizers came on stage to stop the rapper from inciting the crowd further. But the star ignored them, telling worried associates that he "will talk to whoever gets hurt and take care" of them.





Injured students are taken away from the campus party at Jeonghwa Arts College in Jung-gu, Seoul, May 29, after Swings incited the crowd to break fences that blocked them from the stage. Photos from Twitter
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF's stock was trading at $52.04 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWY shares have increased by 51.6% and is now trading at $78.88.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
The following companies are subsidiares of General Dynamics: 42SIX LLC, ARMA Global Corporation, Advanced Technical Products, Aeromil (Australia) Pty Ltd, Aeromil Aircraft Engineering Pty Ltd, Aeromil Aviation Services Pty Ltd, Aeromil IT Services Pty Ltd, Aeromil Marine Pty Ltd, Aeromil Pacific Pty Ltd, American Overseas Marine Company LLC, Anteon International Corporation, Applied Physical Sciences, Applied Physical Sciences Corp., Ascend Intelligence, Australian Avionics Pty Ltd, Autonomic Resources LLC, Avion Logistics Limited, Avjet Corporation, AxleTech International, Axsys, BATH IRON WORKS CORPORATION, BP-HP Pte Limited, Bath Iron Works, Bath Iron Works Australia Corporation, Bath Iron Works Canada LLC, Bluefin Robotics Corporation, Blueprint Technologies Inc., Braintree I Maritime Corp., Braintree II Maritime Corp., Braintree III Maritime Corp., Braintree IV Maritime Corp., Braintree V Maritime Corp., Buccaneer Computer Systems & Service Inc., CSC Computer Sciences Venezuela S.A., CSRA, CSRA (Costa Rica) S.A., CSRA (Guyana) Inc., CSRA (Middle East) LLC, CSRA Argentina S.R.L., CSRA BH d.o.o., CSRA Bahamas Limited, CSRA Bahrain S.P.C., CSRA Belgium SPRL, CSRA Bolivia S.R.L., CSRA Brazil Servicos de Tecnologia Ltda., CSRA Canada Inc., CSRA Caribbean Inc., CSRA Chile SpA, CSRA Colombia SAS, CSRA Commerce 2010 LLC, CSRA Consular Services Holding Company LLC, CSRA Consular Services Inc., CSRA France SARL, CSRA Guatemala Solutions Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Honduras Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Inc., CSRA Information Systems LLC, CSRA Information Technology Spain SL, CSRA Ireland Limited, CSRA Italy S.R.L, CSRA Kosovo L.L.C., CSRA LATAM LLC, CSRA LLC, CSRA Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., CSRA Netherlands B.V., CSRA Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CSRA Panama Inc., CSRA Peru S.R.L., CSRA Senegal SARL, CSRA South Africa (Pty) Ltd, CSRA State and Local Solutions LLC, CSRA Systems & Solutions LLC, CSRA Trinidad & Tobago Limited, CSRA Turkey Bilisim Teknolojileri Limited Sirketi, CSRA Uruguay S.R.L, CSRA Visa Services Israel Ltd., CSRAIT - Information Services Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Centauri Solutions LLC, Command System, Computing Devices International, Concord I Maritime Corporation, Concord II Maritime Corporation, Concord III Maritime Corporation, Concord IV Maritime Corporation, Concord V Maritime Corporation, Convair Aircraft Corporation, Convair Corporation, Creative Technology, Customer Services Ecuador CSRA S.A., Devcor, Diamond Fortress Technologies, DynPort Vaccine Company LLC, EB Groton Engineering Inc., EBV Explosives Environmental, ELCS-CZ s.r.o., Eagle Enterprise Inc., Earl Industries - Ship Repair and Coatings Division, Ebv Explosives Environmental Company, Electric Boat - Australia LLC, Electric Boat - UK LLC, Electric Boat Canada LLC, Electric Boat Corporation, Electric Boat France LLC, Electrocom Inc., Engineering Technology, Expro Finance Inc., FBD Fahrzeug und Bremsendienst GmbH, FC Business Systems, Fidelis Cybersecurity, Force Protection, Force Protection Europe Limited, Force Protection Inc., ForeSight Technology Services LLC, Freeman United Coal Mining Company LLC, GD Brazil Holdings LLC, GD European Land Systems - Steyr GmbH, GD European Land Systems Holding GmbH, GDOTS Services Corporation, GM GDLS Defense Group L.L.C., GPS Source Inc., GTE Government Systems, GWA-Datatrac FAST LLC, Galaxy Aerospace Company, Gayston Corporation - Defense Operations, General Dynamics - OTS (Global) Inc., General Dynamics AIS Australia Pty Ltd, General Dynamics Canadian Finance Inc., General Dynamics Canadian Holdings Inc., General Dynamics Commercial Cyber Services LLC, General Dynamics European Finance Limited, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Austria GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Bridge Systems GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Czech s.r.o., General Dynamics European Land Systems - Denmark ApS, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Deutschland GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - FWW GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems - Mowag GmbH, General Dynamics European Land Systems Romania S.R.L., General Dynamics European Land Systems S.L., General Dynamics Global Force LLC, General Dynamics Global Holdings Limited, General Dynamics Global Imaging Technologies Inc., General Dynamics Government Satellite Services LLC, General Dynamics Government Systems Corporation, General Dynamics Government Systems Overseas Corporation, General Dynamics Information Technology Canada Limited, General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., General Dynamics Information Technology Limited, General Dynamics Installation Services LLC, General Dynamics International Corporation, General Dynamics Itronix LLC, General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia Pty. Ltd., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Corporation, General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Services Inc., General Dynamics Land Systems - Canadian Services Limited, General Dynamics Land Systems - Force Protection Inc., General Dynamics Land Systems Customer Service & Support Company, General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., General Dynamics Limited, General Dynamics Marine Systems Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., General Dynamics Mission Systems International Limited, General Dynamics Mission Systems Overseas Company LLC, General Dynamics Motion Control LLC, General Dynamics OTS (Aerospace) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (California) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (DRI) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (Niceville) Inc., General Dynamics OTS (Pennsylvania) Inc., General Dynamics One Source LLC, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Canada Valleyfield Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Simunition Operations Inc., General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., General Dynamics Overseas Systems and Services Corporation, General Dynamics Properties Inc., General Dynamics Robotic Systems Inc., General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies Inc., General Dynamics Satcom Technologies Asia Private Limited, General Dynamics Satellite Communication Services LLC, General Dynamics Saudi Holdings S.L., General Dynamics Shared Resources LLC, General Dynamics Support Services Company, General Dynamics Swiss Financial Management Limited, General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited, General Dynamics Worldwide Holdings Inc., General Dynamics-OTS Inc., General Motors Defense, Gulfstream 100 Holdings LLC, Gulfstream Aerospace, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (CA), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (DE), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (GA), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (OK), Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation of Texas, Gulfstream Aerospace Hong Kong Limited, Gulfstream Aerospace LLC, Gulfstream Aerospace LP, Gulfstream Aerospace Ltd., Gulfstream Aerospace Services Corporation, Gulfstream Aerospace Sociedad de Responssabilidad Limitada de CapitalVariable (S. de R.L. de C.V.), Gulfstream Do Brasil Servicos De Suporte E Manutencao A Aeronaves Ltda., Gulfstream International Corporation, Gulfstream Leasing LLC, Gulfstream Product Support Corporation, Gulfstream Services Corporation, Gulfstream Tennessee Corporation, Gulfstream-California Inc., Hawker Pacific (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Hawker Pacific Aircraft Management Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Airservices Limited, Hawker Pacific Airservices Pvt Ltd, Hawker Pacific Asia Holdings Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Asia Pte Ltd, Hawker Pacific Australia Pty Ltd, Hawker Pacific Aviation Services Pty Ltd, Hawker Pacific NZ Limited, Hawker Pacific Pty Ltd, IPWireless, IPWireless PTE. Limited, Information Services Consulting Limited, Interiores Aereos S.A. de C.V., International Manufacturing Technologies Inc., Itronix, Janteq Australia PTY Limited, Janteq Corp., Jet Aviation, Jet Aviation (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd., Jet Aviation (Bermuda) Ltd., Jet Aviation (Hong Kong) Ltd., Jet Aviation (Malaysia) SDN BHD, Jet Aviation 125 Services LLC, Jet Aviation AG, Jet Aviation Brazil Holdings Inc., Jet Aviation Business Jets (Hong Kong) Limited, Jet Aviation Business Jets AG, Jet Aviation Business Jets FZCO, Jet Aviation California LLC, Jet Aviation Dulles LLC, Jet Aviation Flight Services Inc., Jet Aviation France SAS, Jet Aviation Holding GmbH, Jet Aviation Holdings USA Inc., Jet Aviation Houston Inc., Jet Aviation International Inc., Jet Aviation Malaga SA, Jet Aviation Management AG, Jet Aviation Netherlands B.V., Jet Aviation Savannah Holding LLC, Jet Aviation Services GmbH, Jet Aviation St. Louis Inc., Jet Aviation Teterboro LP, Jet Aviation Texas Inc., Jet Aviation of America Inc., Jet Aviation/Palm Beach Inc., Jet Professionals LLC, Kylmar, Longreach Energy LLC, MAYA Viz, Maricom Systems Incorporated, Material Service Resources Company LLC, Matthews Land Company, Mediaware International, Mediaware International Pty Ltd, Metro Machine, Metro Machine co, Midwest Properties Sales LLC, NASSCO, NASSCO Holdings Incorporated, NES Associates LLC, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, Network Connectivity Solutions Corp., Newberry Holdings LLC, OOO Jet Aviation Vnukovo, Open Kernel Labs, Page Europa Srl, Patriot I Shipping Corp., Patriot II Shipping Corp., Patriot IV Shipping Corp., Plane 79 LLC, Praxis Engineering Technologies LLC, PrimeX Technologies, Prodelin India Private Limited, Proyectos Prohumane Mexico S.A. de C.V., Quincy Maritime Corporation III, Raven Acquisitions LLC, SENTECH INC., SRA International Inc., Saco Defense, Santa Barbara Sistemas S.A., Savannah Air Center LLC, Signal Solutions LLC, Southern Illinois Recovery Inc., Spectrum Astro, St. Marks Powder Inc., Stabilo Pty Ltd, Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug AG & Co KG, Sydney Jet Charter Pty Ltd, Tadpole Computer, Tecnologias Internacionales de Manufactura S.A. de C.V., Tenacity Solutions Incorporated, The Depth of Ideas for General Trading LLC, TriPoint Global Communications, Vangent, Vangent Servicios de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Veridian, Vertex Antennentechnik GmbH, ViPS, Vulnerability Research Labs LLC, and Weco LLC.
Genus plc operates as an animal genetics company in North America, Latin America, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Middle East, Russia, Africa, and Asia. The company operates through three segments: Genus PIC, Genus ABS, and Research and Development. It sells sows, boars, and semen to breed pigs with various characteristics for pork production under the PIC brand. The company also sells bull semen and embryos to breed calves with various characteristics for milk and beef production under the ABS, Genus, and Bovec brands. In addition, it offers semen sexing, in vitro fertilization, reproductive, and other technical services to farmers. Genus plc has a strategic porcine collaboration with Beijing Capital Agribusiness Co. Ltd to research, develop, register, and market porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus resistant pigs. The company was incorporated in 1994 and is based in Basingstoke, the United Kingdom.

Read More
Financial Services Commission Chairman Choi Jong-ku, second from left, applauds at the opening of a joint innovation center for startups in telecommunications, healthcare, chemicals and new materials by the Korea Exchange (KRX) and the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) in Busan, Friday. From left are IBK CEO Kim Do-jin, Choi, Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don and KRX CEO Jung Ji-won. Yonhap
The Howard Hughes Corp. engages in the development and management of commercial, residential, and mixed-use real estate. It operates through the following segments: Operating Assets, Master Planned Communities; Seaport District; and Strategic Developments. The Operating Assets segment consists retail, office, hospitality, and multi-family properties along with other real estate investments. The Master Planned Communities segment focuses in the development and sale of land in large-scale, long-term community development projects in and around Las Vegas, Nevada; Houston, Texas; and Columbia, Maryland. The Seaport District operates an approximately 453,000 square feet of restaurant, retail, and entertainment properties situated in three primary locations in New York, New York: Pier 17, Historic Area/Uplands, and Tin Building. The Strategic Developments segment involves in the other real estate assets in the form of entitled and unentitled land and residential condominium developments. The company was founded on November 9, 2010 and is headquartered in Woodlands, TX.

Read More
iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF's stock was trading at $25.60 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWU stock has increased by 30.0% and is now trading at $33.29.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
iShares National Muni Bond ETF's stock was trading at $114.45 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, MUB stock has increased by 1.6% and is now trading at $116.32.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap ETF's stock was trading at $34.49 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, JHML shares have increased by 73.0% and is now trading at $59.68.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.


By Kim Bo-eun





From left, Kim Joo-hyun, Lim Yoo, Jeong Su-jin
The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Mining China LLC, Bucyrus UK Limited, Cat Rental Kyushu LLC, Caterpillar (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Machinery Components Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (HK) Limited, Caterpillar (Huainan) Machinery Service Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Langfang) Mining Equipment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.a r.l., Caterpillar (NI) Limited, Caterpillar (Newberry) LLC, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Logistics Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar (U.K.) Limited, Caterpillar (Wujiang) Ltd., Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Acquisition Holding Corp., Caterpillar Americas C.V., Caterpillar Americas Co., Caterpillar Americas Funding Inc., Caterpillar Americas Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Asia Limited, Caterpillar Asia Pacific L.P., Caterpillar Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Asset Intelligence LLC, Caterpillar Belgium S.A., Caterpillar Brasil Comercio de Maquinas e Pecas Ltda., Caterpillar Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Brazil LLC, Caterpillar Castings Kiel GmbH, Caterpillar Centro de Formacion S.L., Caterpillar China Limited, Caterpillar Commercial Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Commercial LLC, Caterpillar Commercial Northern Europe Limited, Caterpillar Commercial S.A., Caterpillar Commercial S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Commercial Services S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Communications LLC, Caterpillar Corporativo Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Cote DIvoire, Caterpillar Credito S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., Caterpillar DC Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Digital Services & Solutions SARL, Caterpillar Distribution International LLC, Caterpillar Distribution Services Europe B.V.B.A., Caterpillar East Real Estate Holding Ltd., Caterpillar Emissions Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Caterpillar Energy Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions S.A., Caterpillar Energy System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Engine Systems Inc., Caterpillar Equipos Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Eurasia LLC, Caterpillar FS (QFC) LLC, Caterpillar Finance France S.A., Caterpillar Finance Kabushiki Kaisha, Caterpillar Financial Acquisition Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Aftermarket Solutions Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Australia Leasing Pty Limited, Caterpillar Financial Australia Limited, Caterpillar Financial Commercial Account Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Corporacion Financiera S.A. E.F.C., Caterpillar Financial Dealer Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Funding Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Caterpillar Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial New Zealand Limited, Caterpillar Financial Nordic Services AB, Caterpillar Financial Nova Scotia Corporation, Caterpillar Financial OOO, Caterpillar Financial Receivables Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Renting S.A., Caterpillar Financial SARL, Caterpillar Financial Services (Dubai) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services (Ireland) plc, Caterpillar Financial Services (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Argentina S.A., Caterpillar Financial Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Financial Services CR s.r.o., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Services GmbH, Caterpillar Financial Services India Private Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Leasing ULC, Caterpillar Financial Services Limited Les Services Financiers Caterpillar Limitee, Caterpillar Financial Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Caterpillar Financial Services Netherlands B.V., Caterpillar Financial Services Norway AS, Caterpillar Financial Services Philippines Inc., Caterpillar Financial Services Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, Caterpillar Financial UK Acquisition Funding Partners, Caterpillar Financial Ukraine LLC, Caterpillar Fluid Systems S.r.l., Caterpillar Fomento Comercial Ltda., Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar France S.A.S., Caterpillar GB L.L.C., Caterpillar Global Investments S.a r.l., Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Equipamentos De Mineracao do Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Expanded Products Pty Ltd, Caterpillar Global Mining Germany Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining HMS GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong AFC Manufacturing Holding Co. Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Global Mining SARL, Caterpillar Global Mining U.S. Parts LLC, Caterpillar Global Services LLC, Caterpillar Group Services S.A., Caterpillar Holding (France) S.A.S., Caterpillar Holding Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Holdings Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Hungary Components Manufacturing Ltd., Caterpillar Hydraulics Italia S.r.l., Caterpillar IPX LLC, Caterpillar IRB LLC, Caterpillar Impact Products Limited, Caterpillar India Private Limited, Caterpillar Industrial Inc., Caterpillar Industrias Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Industries (Pty) Ltd, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Insurance Company, Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Finance Designated Activity Company, Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg I S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg II S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Product SARL, Caterpillar International Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Services del Peru S.A., Caterpillar Investment Limited, Caterpillar Investment One SARL, Caterpillar Investment Two SARL, Caterpillar Investments, Caterpillar Japan LLC, Caterpillar Latin America Services S.R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Panama S. de R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Servicios de Chile Limitada, Caterpillar Latin America Support Services S. DE R.L., Caterpillar Leasing (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar Leasing Chile S.A., Caterpillar Leasing GmbH (Leipzig), Caterpillar Leasing Operativo Limitada, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, Caterpillar Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Logistics (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., Caterpillar Logistics ML Services France S.A.S., Caterpillar Logistics Services China Limited, Caterpillar Luxembourg Group S.ar.l., Caterpillar Luxembourg LLC, Caterpillar Luxembourg S.a r.l., Caterpillar Machinery Nantong Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence, Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited, Caterpillar Marine Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Maroc SARL, Caterpillar Materiels Routiers SAS, Caterpillar Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Mining Canada ULC, Caterpillar Mining Chile Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Motoren (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd..
The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1031387 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1070715 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1st Avenue Pharmacy Inc., 310 Canyon Medical, 310 Canyon Medical LLC, 4C MSO LLC, 4C Medical Group PLC, 5995 Minnetonka LLC, ABCO International Holdings LLC, ACN Group IPA of New York, ACN Group IPA of New York Inc., ACN Group of California, ACN Group of California Inc., AHJV, AHJV MSO, AHN Accontable Care Organization LLC, AHN Central Services LLC, AHN Target Holdings LLC, AMIL International, AMIL International S.a.r.l., APS  Assistencia Personalizada a Saude Ltda., ARC Infusion, ASC Holdings of New Jersey LLC, ASC Network LLC, ASI Global, ASI Global LLC, Access Administrators Inc., Access HealthSource Administrators Inc., Access HealthSource Inc., Access I.V., Administradora Clinica La Colina S.A.S., Administradora Country S.A., Administradora Medica Centromed S.A., Advanced Care, Advanced Care Pharmacy, Advanced Pharma Inc., Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton LLC, Advanced Surgical Hospital LLC, Advantage Care Network Inc., Advocate Condell Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Sherman Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate-SCA Partners LLC, Alere Health, Alere Health Improvement Company, Alere Healthcare of Illinois, Alere Wellbeing, Alere Wellology, Alere of New York, Aliansalud Entidad Promotora de Salud S.A., All Savers Insurance Company, All Savers Life Insurance Company of California, Alliance Surgical Center LLC, Aloha Surgical Center LLC, Ambient Healthcare, Ambient Healthcare Inc., Ambient Healthcare of Central Florida, Ambient Healthcare of Georgia, Ambient Healthcare of Northeast Florida, Ambient Healthcare of S. Florida, Ambient Healthcare of West Florida, Ambient Holdings, Ambient Holdings Inc., Ambient Nursing Services, AmeriChoice, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriChoice Health Services, AmeriChoice of Connecticut, AmeriChoice of New Jersey, AmeriChoice of New Jersey Inc., American Health Network of Indiana Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Indiana II LLC, American Health Network of Indiana LLC, American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Ohio II LLC, American Health Network of Ohio LLC, Amico Saude Ltda., Amil, Amil Assistencia Medica Internacional S.A., Amil Lifesciences Participacoes Ltda., Antelope Valley Surgery Center L.P., Analisis Clinicos ML S.A.C., Apothecary Holdings Inc., Apothecary Shop of Phoenix Inc., AppleCare Medical Management, AppleCare Medical Management LLC, Aquitania Chilean Holding SpA, Arise Physician Group, Arizona Physicians IPA, Arizona Physicians IPA Inc., AssuranceRx, AssuranceRx LLC, Athens ASC Holdings LLC, Audax Health Solutions, Audax Health Solutions LLC, Austin Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Avella Patient Access Program Inc., Avella Specialty Pharmacy, Avella of Austin Inc., Avella of Columbus Inc., Avella of Deer Valley Inc., Avella of Denver Inc., Avella of Gilbert Inc., Avella of Las Vegas II Inc., Avella of Orlando Inc., Avella of Phoenix III Inc., Avella of Sacramento Inc., Avella of Scottsdale Inc., Avella of St. Louis Inc., Avella of Tampa LLC, Avella of Tucson II Inc., Avella of Tucson Inc., Aveta Arizona, Aveta Health Solutions Inc., Aveta Inc., Aveta Kansas City, Aveta Tennessee, AxelaCare Health Solutions, AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings, AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings LLC, AxelaCare LLC, B.R.A.S.S. Partnership in Commendam, Banmedica Colombia SpA, Banmedica Internacional SpA, Banmedica S.A., Beach Surgical Holdings III LLC, Behavioral Healthcare Options, Behavioral Healthcare Options Inc., Belleville Surgical Center Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, Benefit Administration for the Self Employed L.L.C., Benefitter Insurance Solutions Inc., Birmingham Outpatient Surgical Center LLC, Blackstone Valley Surgicare GP LLC, Blue Ridge GP LLC, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings I SRL, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings II SRL, Bordeaux (Barbados) Holdings III SRL, Bordeaux Holding SpA, Bordeaux International Holdings Inc., Bordeaux UK Holdings I Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings III Limited, Bosque Medical Center Ltda., Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center LC, BriovaRx, BriovaRx, BriovaRx Infusion Services, BriovaRx Infusion Services 102 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 200 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 204 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 209 Inc., BriovaRx Infusion Services 305 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 402 LLC, BriovaRx Infusion Services Inc., BriovaRx Specialty LLC, BriovaRx of California, BriovaRx of California Inc., BriovaRx of Florida, BriovaRx of Florida Inc., BriovaRx of Georgia, BriovaRx of Georgia LLC, BriovaRx of Hawaii, BriovaRx of Indiana, BriovaRx of Louisiana, BriovaRx of Louisiana L.L.C., BriovaRx of Maine, BriovaRx of Maine Inc., BriovaRx of Massachusetts, BriovaRx of Massachusetts LLC, BriovaRx of Nevada, BriovaRx of New York, BriovaRx of New York Inc., BriovaRx of Texas, BriovaRx of Texas Inc., CDC Holdings Colombia S.A.S., CLISA  Clinica de Santo Antonio S.A., CMO  Centro Medico de Oftalmologia S/S Ltda., CMS  Central de Manipulacao e Servicos Farmaceuticos S.A., CNIC Health Solutions Inc., COI Participacoes S.A., COI  Clinicas Oncologicas Integradas S.A., Cabin Enterprises LLC, Cabin Holdings LLC, California MedTrans Network IPA LLC, California MedTrans Network MSO LLC, California Medical Group Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, Camp Hill-SCA Centers LLC, Capital City Medical Group L.L.C., Cardio Management, Cardio Management Inc., Care Improvement Plus Group Management, Care Improvement Plus Group Management LLC, Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus of Texas Insurance Company, Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha Ltda., Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha S.A., Castle Rock SurgiCenter LLC, Catalyst360, Catalyst360 LLC, Catamaran Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Catamaran Health Solutions, Catamaran Holdings I, Catamaran IPA III, Catamaran Mail, Catamaran PBM of Illinois II, Catamaran PBM of Puerto Rico, Catamaran PD of Pennsylvania, Catamaran PD of Puerto Rico, Catamaran Rebate Management, Catamaran S.a.r.l., Catamaran Senior Services, Catamaran of Pennsylvania, Cedar Park Surgery Center LLC, Cemed Care - Empressa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Cemed Care  Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, Central de Compras SpA, CentriHealth Corporation, CentriHealth UK Limited, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Medico Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro Medico PJ Ltda., Centro de Entrenamiento en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada (CERP), Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica S.A., Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte-SC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, ChinaGate (Hong Kong) Limited, ChinaGate Company Limited, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Clinica Oftalmologica Danilo de Castro Sociedade Simples, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinica Alameda S.A., Clinica Bio Bio S.A., Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica San Borja (La Esperanza del Peru S.A.), Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare, Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition For Advanced Pharmacy Services, Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Coastal Physicians Management Inc., Collaborative Care Holdings, Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Care Solutions, Collaborative Realty, Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada, Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation, Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Commonwealth Administrators, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Connextions, Connextions HCI, Constructora e Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Country Scan Ltda., Crescent Drug Corp., Cypress Care, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA, DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., DaVita Magan Management Inc., Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company, Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California, Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois, Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Pharmacy, Distance Learning Network, Distance Learning Network Inc., Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duncan Printing Services, Duncan Printing Services LLC, E Street Endoscopy LLC, ELG FZE, EP Campus I, EP Campus I LLC, East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Electronic Network Systems, Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Empire Physician Management Company, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Employers Health Choice PPO Inc., Empremedica S. A., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho  Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Etho  Empresa de Tecnologia Hospitalar Ltda., Evercare Collaborative Solutions, Evercare Collaborative Solutions Inc., Everett MSO Inc., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos Ltda., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos S.A., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources, Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center LLC, Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., FMG Holdings, FMG Holdings LLC, FOR HEALTH OF ARIZONA, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice, Family Home Hospice Inc., First Rx Specialty & Mail Services, Florida MedTrans Network LLC, Florida MedTrans Network MSO LLC, For Health, For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fortified Provider Network Inc., Fortify Technologies Asia LLC, Fortify Technologies LLC, Foundation Financial Services Inc., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier MEDEX Limited, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX, FrontierMEDEX (RMS), FrontierMEDEX (RMS) Inc., FrontierMEDEX Government Services, FrontierMEDEX Government Services LLC, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center Ltd., Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa Healthcare LLC, Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology (Canada) Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Golden Outlook, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grapevine Finance LLC, Greater Hartford ASC LLC, Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., Guardian Health Systems Limited Partnership, H&W Indemnity (SPC), H&W Indemnity (SPC) Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCP ACO Nevada LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HMI NewCo LLC, Harken Health Insurance Company, Hayes-Strub LLC, Health Business Systems, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Net Insurance of New York, Health Net Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Health Plan of Nevada, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., Health Technology Analysts Pty Limited, HealthAllies, HealthAllies Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets NewCo Inc., HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Partners Plan of Nevada Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help S.A., Help Service S.A., Highlands Ranch Healthcare, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Care I.V. of Bend, Home Infusion With Heart, Home Medical S.A., Hospice Inspiris Holdings, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada de Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Maternidade Promater Ltda., Hospital Samaritano de Sao Paulo Ltda., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation (Canada), Hygeia Corporation (DE), Hygeia Corporation (Ontario), INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of New York IPA, INSPIRIS of New York Management, INSPIRIS of New York Management Inc., INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, IRX Financing I LLC, Illinois Independent Care Network, Imed Star  Servicos de Desempenho Organizacional Ltda., Impel Consulting Experts, Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., Indian River Surgery Center Ltd., Indian River Surgery Properties LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Infusource, Ingram & Associates, Ingram & Associates LLC, Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Inspiris Services Company, Inspiris of Tennessee, Instituto do Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, International Psychological Services Pty Limited, Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria S.A., Isapre Banmedica S.A., Isapre Vida Tres S.A., Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, LHI, Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., LifePrint Health, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeStyles Marketing Group Inc., LifeWell Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization, Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Lifeprint East, Lifeprint East Inc., Logistics Health Inc., Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., MAMSI Insurance Resources, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MD Ops, MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association, MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MEDEX Insurance Services, MEDEX Insurance Services Inc., MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, MXMD Centros De Cancer, Mamoeco  Mamografia e Ecografia Centro de Diagnostico, Managed Physical Network, Managed Physical Network Inc., March Holdings, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care, March Vision Care Inc., Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Maryland Ambulatory Centers, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, Mat-Rx Development, Mat-Rx Fort Worth GP, MedExpress Development, MedExpress Development LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach, MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, MedSynergies North Texas, Medalliance Net Ltda, Medalliance Net Ltda., Medica Health Plans of Florida, Medica Health Plans of Florida Inc., Medica HealthCare Plans, Medica HealthCare Plans Inc., Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Preparatory School of Allied Health, Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services, Medical Transportation Services LLC, Medication Management Systems Inc., Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memphis-SC LLC, Memphis-SP LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management, Metropolitan Medical Partners LLC, Metropolitan Medical Transportation IPA LLC, Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Surgery Holdings LLC, Mississippi Surgical Center Limited Partnership, Mobile Medical Professionals, Modern Medical Inc., Monarch Management Services, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Mountain View Medical Group LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings, NAMM Holdings Inc., NSC Fayetteville LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Nashville-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National MedTrans LLC, National Pacific Dental, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes, Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Medical Services LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., Newton Holdings LLC, North American Medical Management - Illinois, North American Medical Management California, North American Medical Management California Inc., North Puget Sound Center for Sleep Disorders LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd., Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care, Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care of Huntsville, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OSB  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Omesa S.A., OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., OneNet PPO, OneNet PPO LLC, Optimum Choice, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum, Optum Bank, Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics, Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Clinical Services, Optum Clinics Holdings, Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings, Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Solutions (India) Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions (Philippines), Optum Global Solutions (Philippines) Inc., Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Government Solutions, Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health & Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (India) Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology (UK) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (US), Optum Health & Technology (US) LLC, Optum Health & Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US), Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US) Inc., Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health Services (Canada) Ltd., Optum Health Solutions (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions (UK) Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services, Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio, Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs, Optum Labs Dimensions, Optum Labs Dimensions Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs International (UK) Ltd., Optum Life Sciences (Canada) Inc., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Nevada Accountable Care Organization LLC, Optum Operations (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 703 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Public Sector Solutions, Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket, Optum Rocket Inc., Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services, Optum Services (Ireland) Limited, Optum Services (Puerto Rico) LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Solutions do Brasil  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Optum Technology, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Women's and Children's Health, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360, Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO Florida LLC, OptumCare ACO Holdings LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Health Plan of California Inc., OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Holdings New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Financial Services, OptumHealth Financial Services Inc., OptumHealth Holdings, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight, OptumInsight Holdings, OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx, OptumRx Administrative Services, OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Illinois, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA, OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois, OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland, OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Puerto Rico LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Maryland, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada, OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings, OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet Services, OrthoNet Services Inc., OrthoNet West, OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the Mid-Atlantic, OrthoNet of the South, OrthoNet of the South Inc., Ovations, Ovations Inc., Oxford Benefit Management, Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance, Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans (CT), Oxford Health Plans (CT) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NJ), Oxford Health Plans (NJ) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NY), Oxford Health Plans (NY) Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, P2 Lower Acquisition, P2P Link LLC, PCCCV, PCCCV Inc., PCN DE Corp., PHC Subsidiary Holdings, PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYS Holding Corp., PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI, PMSI Holdco II, PMSI Holdings, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado, PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., PacifiCare of Nevada, PacifiCare of Nevada Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Paoli Ambulatory Surgery Center, Paoli Surgery Center L.P., Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Pasteur Plaza Surgery Center GP Inc., PatientsLikeMe, PatientsLikeMe LLC, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica - PANC., Payment Resolution Services, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Pharmaceutical Care Network, Pharmacy Review Services, Pharmacy Software Holdco Inc., PhyServe Holdings, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physician Care Partners, Physicians Health Choice of Texas, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians Plaza Holdings LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico, Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings, Plus One Holdings Inc., Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Precision Dialing Services Inc., Preferred Care Partners, Preferred Care Partners Holding, Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group, Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., Premier Choice ACO, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Prime Health, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network, PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley, PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona, PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley, PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley, PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley, PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands, PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside, PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino, PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City, PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula, PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success, ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success LLC, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Medical Management, ProHealth Physicians, ProHealth Physicians ACO, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management, ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, Procura Management, Procura Management Inc., Progressive Enterprises Holdings, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical, Progressive Medical LLC, Progressive Solutions, Promotora Country S.A., Pronetics Health Care Group, Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Management Services LLC, Pueblo-SCA Surgery Center LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., Quality Software Services, QuarterMaster Newco LLC, R&H Family Fitness Unlimited LLC, Rally Health, Rally Health Inc., Real Appeal Inc., Recaudacion y Cobranzas Honodav Ltda., Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management, Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rocky Mountain HealthCare Options Inc., SC Affiliates LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA California Surgical Holdings LLC, SCA Capital LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA EHSC Holdings LLC, SCA EWASC Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Nashville ASC LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA SSC Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Center of Cullman LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Partners LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Mokena Properties LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-ND VBP Inc., SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Shelby Development Corp., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Wilmington LLC, SCA-Wilson LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SPINETRACK 20/20 Inc., SRPS LLC, SXC Comet, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Savvysherpa Administrative Services LLC, Savvysherpa Asia Inc., Savvysherpa LLC, Scanner Centromed S.A., ScripNet, ScriptSwitch Limited, Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Senior Care Partners, Serquinox Holdings LLC, Serquinox LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Limitada, Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Limitada, Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., SharedClarity LLC, Shelby Surgery Properties Inc., Sierra Health Services, Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company, Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options, Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products, Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators, Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sirona Infusion, Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam  Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad Editorial para la Ciencia Limitada., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria S.A., Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Southwest Medical Associates, Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center of Bakersfield L.P., Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits, Specialty Benefits LLC, Spectera, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA, Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Spotlite, Spotlite Inc., St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, StoneRiver P2P Link, StoneRiver Pharmacy Solutions, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Streamlines Health LLC, Summit Home Infusion, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Clarksville L.P., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of Spokane LLC, Surgery Center of Summerlin LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Center of Vero Beach Inc., Surgery Center of Wilmington LLC, Surgery Center of Wilmington Properties LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Belleville LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings, Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, Symphonix Health Insurance, Symphonix Health Insurance Inc., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologias de Informacion en Salud S.A., The Advisory Board (Chile) SpA, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Lewin Group, The Lewin Group Inc., The Magan Medical Group, The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Thousand Oaks Endoscopy Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys, Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, TriMed LLC, Trinity Infusion, Trio Motion LLC, Tucson Arizona Surgical Center LLC, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UHC Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UHC Global Health Services BC Ltd., UHC International Services, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings (Ireland) Limited, UHCG Services (Ireland) Limited, UHCG  FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHIC Holdings, UHIC Holdings Inc., UICI Funding Corp. 2, UMR, UMR Inc., USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors L.L.C., USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD Administrative Services, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD CT (Mo), USMD Cancer Treatment Centers, USMD Cancer Treatment Centers GP, USMD Diagnostic Services, USMD Holdings, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Inc., USMD PPM, USMD PPM LLC, USMD of Arlington GP, Ultima Rx, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Administrative Services, Unison Health Plan of Delaware, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A., United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Management Services Inc., United Resource Networks IPA of New York, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., UnitedHealth Advisors, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Finance Inc., UnitedHealth Group Global Healthcare Services Limited, UnitedHealth Group Global Services, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group Information Services Private Limited, UnitedHealth Group International Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth Group International GP, UnitedHealth Group International L.P., UnitedHealth International, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services, UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealth UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Canada Limited, UnitedHealthcare Global Medical (UK) Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare India Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia, UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International I S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International V S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VI S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Services Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas, UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida, UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky, UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana, UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi, UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England, UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico, UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York, UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina, UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma, UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon, UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania, UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas, UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah, UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington, UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands, UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest, UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UpFront Insurance Agency LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings, Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO, Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network, Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vida Tres Internacional S.A., Vidaintegra S.A., Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., WebInsure Benefits LLC, WellMed Medical Management, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida, WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., WellMed Networks  DFW, West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, WillowB Labs LLC, Wilmington ASC LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, Your Health Options Insurance Services, Your Health Options Insurance Services Inc., Your Partner in Health Services, divvyDOSE, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative, inPharmative Inc., and ppoONE.
At Thursday's open town hall meeting, Congressman Anthony Brindisi addressed a variety of topics from legalization of marijuana in New York state, problems farmers are facing, to infrastructure and the opioid epidemic.

Brindisi says the goal of the town hall is to speak with the public, face to face, about the issues they want him to tackle.

"It's very important to me to hold town hall meetings because I want folks in this district to know I work for them and regardless of political party we're here to represent everybody in the community," said Brindisi. "This is an opportunity for me to hear first-hand from the people we represent, whatever issue it might be, and we can also update them on some of the things we're working on down in Washington."

Brindisi said he is currently working on a bi-partisan bill to address and prevent veteran suicide.
NEW YORK STATE -- Governor Cuomo has signed new legislation that ends the legal ban on gravity knives. They're folding knives with locking blades.

In approving it, Cuomo said "the legal landscape has changed." In March, a federal judge ruled the law as 'too vague and unconstitutional'.

The knives are often used by laborers, chefs and carpenters.

The ban was first put in place back in the 1950s for street gang usage.
UTICA, N.Y. -- The Oneida County Volunteer Firemen's Association is hosting the Fire and Life Safety Expo.

Close to 1,000 first through fourth grade students from around the area were able to learn about a number of safety issues.

The students were exposed to all the various tools used in firefighting, how to make a 911 call, there was a trauma demonstration, and they even learned about bike safety.

Around 40 local schools participated in Friday's activities.

We're hoping the kids will at least take home a little bit about the fire safety, and how to be safe at home. With the trauma presentation I'm sure they're teaching them accident prevention, injury prevention. The 911 Center teaching them to call 911. We're hoping they take home enough information to share with their families what they learned so that we can make everybody safer, said Rome Deputy Fire Chief Mark Kohlbrenner.

The expo is named after Mark Kohlbrenner's father, Robert Kohlbrenner. The expo has been around for over 25 years.
UTICA, N.Y. -- Retired Utica Fire Chief Russ Brook's lawsuit against the city of Utica has been dismissed.

Brooks, who retired last September, says his leukemia was a result of him being at ground zero on 9/11, while still a member of the Utica Fire Department.

He was suing for benefits he felt he was entitled to for being injured in the line of duty.

The city asked for a dismissal of the case and now a state Supreme Court judge did just that.

The city of Utica Corporation Counsel released a statement saying:

"Since former Chief Brooks was placed on involuntary administrative leave, he has commenced multiple administrative and legal proceedings challenging the city's actions. He has been unsuccessful in all his efforts. The city's actions have been held to be fully legal and proper in all respects. Former Chief Brooks has been provided with everything to which he is legally entitled. We hope this is the end of the matter and wish him well."

WKTV reached out to Brooks to see if he has any plans of possibly appealing this decision, but have not heard back as of yet.
Financial Services Commission Chairman Choi Jong-ku



By Kim Bo-eun



The government pledged Thursday to boost derivatives trading by relaxing some of its regulations governing futures and options investments within this year.



"Regulations are hindering the entry of individual investors into the market, as well as institutional investors," Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Choi Jong-ku said at the Korea Exchange in Busan.



"The aim is to stimulate the capital market by removing some regulations, improving the trading system and introducing new derivatives products."



The chief of the financial regulator unveiled these plans at a discussion held on developing derivatives, attended by key officials of the FSC, the Korea Exchange, the Korea Financial Investment Association and executives of securities companies.



A series of regulations have led to investors leaving the local market, resulting in a decline in derivatives trading.



Individuals are instead turning to cryptocurrencies and overseas derivatives due to high entry barriers in the domestic derivatives market, FSC Chairman Choi said.



The daily average trading value of individual investors fell from 17 trillion won in 2011 to 6.1 trillion won in 2018. The daily average trading value of institutional investors decreased from 32.2 trillion won in 2011 to 16.2 trillion won in 2018.



The scale of exchange-traded derivatives here is growing but still insignificant in comparison to the global market. Foreign investors have called for inconveniences in the current system to be improved.



Officials agreed unnecessary regulations and a concentration on certain products were some key areas in need of improvement.



Global derivatives exchanges manage risks through a margin deposit, but here individual investors are required to make a dual deposit worth tens of millions of won to be able to trade.



Current regulations require a retail investor to deposit a minimum of 30 million won to buy futures or options and 50 million won to sell options.



Choi said the government would ease the rules on deposits and allow brokerages to make the decision on whether investors would be able to trade, based on their credit and other factors.



Another barrier is the required training courses for investors to be able to trade. They are required to take 20 hours of courses as well experience 50 hours of mock trading.



The FSC chairman said the government plans to cut down unnecessary training courses by the end of the year.



Meanwhile, there is a heavy concentration of products tracking the KOSPI 200.



Choi stated the government would seek to facilitate the development of new products and improve the listing system.



As of the end of 2018, 40 derivatives products were traded on the exchange.


UTICA, N.Y. - A copy of the deposition written by the first New York state trooper on scene at Tuesday's fatal shooting in Deerfield has been released.

A homeowner, Ronald Stolarczyk, 64, shot and killed the two alleged intruders, Patricia Anne Talerico, 57, and Nicholas Talerico, 27. State police say the pair was attempting to burglarize the man's house.

Stolarczyk was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon because the gun he used in the shooting was his deceased father's. It was never re-registered to him.

State Trooper Michael Hennessy said in a statement the following:

"I arrived at the residence and observed a male subject with a beard, wearing a brown flannel shirt and dark colored pants at the edge of the driveway holding a gun in his right hand and he was on the phone. I asked the male subject to drop the gun and he placed the gun on a wooden post at the end of the driveway. I asked the male subject if he was the caller and he stated yes. I took possession of the gun which was a silver revolver and secured it in my vehicle. I then approached the subject who stated that he shot someone in the garage and the other one ran south on Walker Road. I then placed the subject in my vehicle and made my way to the residence. I looked in the garage door and observed what appeared to be a female lying on the floor just inside the entry door. She was wearing a neon yellow reflective jacket with black leggings. I checked the female and she was unresponsive, so I called for EMS to respond. An emergency medical technician from Deerfield Fire Department arrived and pronounced her deceased. I secured the scene until additional units arrived."

The homeowner is being held at the Oneida County Jail pending his court appearance in Deerfield Town Court.

The investigation into the incident is still ongoing.
ROME, N.Y. -- An Oswego County woman is under arrest for a DWI in Rome. It happened before 2:30 a.m. Friday, along Rome Taberg Road, in Rome.

Deona Presseau, 39, of Bernhards Bay is charged with a DWI after driving into a mailbox, and then went into a ditch and hit a fence.

She suffered some facial injuries and was taken to Rome Memorial Hospital.

Along with the DWI charge, Presseau was issued a number of traffic citations returnable to Rome City Court at a later date.
WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWNY) - A Watertown City School District teacher has been placed on administrative leave after being accused of making black students act as slaves in a mock auction as part of a lesson.

According to Nicole Dayes, the mother of one of the students, her fourth grade son told her the incident happened Tuesday at North Elementary School.

He and another African American child were put up in the middle of the class and told they were now slaves, the mother told us in an email. The teacher then started the bidding by assigning prices to the Caucasian students. After the winning bid was placed, my son was then told how slaves would take the slave owners last name and what he was to call the slave owner by. Then my son and the other slave were instructed to call the Caucasian child by master and the childs last name.

The school district said it has received complaints from parents that a fourth grade teacher exercised poor judgment in teaching a recent lesson. The teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending a full investigation into the matter.

The district, which did not identify the teacher, said it will have no further comment until the investigation has been completed.

We spoke to families of students at the school Thursday afternoon; they said they are sickened and surprised by the incident.

I was taken aback, shocked actually to think that a school would actually do something like that in todays day and age. If it actually happened, I think its absolutely ridiculous, said David Ackley, father of a 4th grade student.

I have a grandson thats black and if it was him that was sold as a slave, I wouldve been right to school. My feelings on it - I do believe that the teacher should be fired, said Dawn Finley, grandmother of students.

There have been reports of similar mock slave auctions in classes around the nation.

In March, CNN reports a teacher at a private school in Westchester County, New York, was accused of asking all of the African-American students in each class to raise their hands and then telling them to go stand in the hallway, where the teacher placed imaginary chains on their necks, wrists and ankles. Those students were then instructed to walk back into the classroom and line up against the wall, CNN reported.

According to the report, the teacher then conducted a simulated auction of the students in front of the rest of the class, in an attempt to depict the sale of enslaved Africans to white plantation owners that happened in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The teacher who conducted the lesson was fired, CNN reported.

An investigation by the New York Attorney Generals office found that the reenactment had a profoundly negative effect on all of the students present -- especially the African-American students.

Every young person -- regardless of race -- deserves the chance to attend school free of harassment, bias, and discrimination, Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. Lessons designed to separate children on the basis of race have no place in New York classrooms, or in classrooms throughout this country.

Copyright 2019 WWNY. All rights reserved.
Ronald Stolarczyk shot and killed two people who police say were attempting to burglarize his home. Pending an autopsy, it doesnt appear the District Attorney will be charging Stolarczyk with those deaths. He is however being charged with illegal possession of a firearm. The gun he inherited was still in the home after his father passed away. Mark Wolber is Stolarczyks Attorney.

"This is not an unusual situation in terms of having a person living in a home who dies, and theres a gun there, and the person who is living there doesnt do anything with the gun."

Dan Sullivan heads up the Pistol Permit Office for Oneida County. He tells us its actually pretty common for someone not to turn in a gun right away.

"Its rare that we get called within the 15 days of death. I mean its really not the 1st thing thats on peoples minds, so very often thats months later, sometimes years later that well get a call, and theyll say hey my dad died and we just found a gun."

Sullivan says the first thing that should be done is to make sure the gun is properly secured. You have 15 days from the time of death to take care of the gun. You can turn it over to the police who will hold the gun for one year, or turning it over to a gun dealer is another option, but must be done by the executor of the estate.

"The people that know what to do with the guns are the people that have licenses. Theres a segment of society thats never been in trouble, but they dont have a clue what to do with these guns."

What are the legal ramifications for someone who possesses a firearm illegally? Dan Sullivan says jailtime can range from 1-5 years in jail, but circumstances generally determine the sentence.

"Seldom does anybody, if theyre charged for the 1st time, get the maximum sentence. Seldom does anybody, if theyre charged for the 1st time, get the minimum sentence. Usually something else happens, and I can say that from somebody that sat on the bench for 7 years."

Mark Wolber weighed in on how he views the current law.

'In this case youre telling someone they can be charged with a felony for doing nothing. For not acting. For not doing something, and thats very rare in our legal system.'
Best-selling author Cho Nam-ju's "Sakha Mansion" published by Mininum Publishing Group / Courtesy of the publisher



'Sakha Mansion' depicts minorities gnashing their teeth at corporate greed



By Kang Hyun-kyung



Cho Nam-ju's new book "Sakha Mansion" is a report on minorities in the guise of fiction.



Released four years after Kim's international best-seller "Kim Ji-young Born in 1982," the author explores minorities gnashing their teeth at unbridled corporate greed and its fallout on their lives.



Tenants of the urban slum housing complex, Sakha Mansion, in the fictional city state are all social outcasts. Illegal immigrants, people with criminal records, sexual minorities and disabled people flock to the abandoned housing complex to live.



They are helpless and grappling with the dire reality which forces them to choose between fighting in vain for life with dignity, or accepting the reality that they have no option but to exist as second-class citizens as long as they live there.



"Sakha Mansion" begins with the journey of two siblings  Jin-kyung and her younger brother Do-kyung  to the southern city state owned by a global IT and semiconductor giant.



The siblings chose to escape from their homeland after Do-kyung killed the cold-blooded, greedy employer of a removal company who tried to cover up the cause of his mother's death. Do-kyung's mother, who was an employee of the company, died after she accidentally fell from the rooftop of a high-rise building during work.



Fearing the effect of her death on his business, the employer covered up the industrial accident and claimed she committed suicide.



Infuriated by the employer, Do-kyung killed him. To avoid arrest and prosecution, he and his sister secretly cross the border toward the city state and find home in Sakha Mansion. They live in flat #701 as undocumented immigrants.



Do-kyung's life takes a turn after he meets and falls in love with a female pediatrician, Soo, from an upper-class family. He finds his talent in painting and his girlfriend helps him make money by finding buyers for his works.



Soo and Do-kyung move in together in a flat in Sakha Mansion. After work, Soo treats sick children in the poor neighborhood with medication she brought from her hospital located in the wealthy district.



Soo is caught and loses both her medical license and her citizenship. Facing deportation, she is worried about how this will affect her family.



Feeling immense pressure, Soo and Do-kyung choose to commit suicide together. Parking her car in a park near the housing complex, Soo takes three poisonous pills mixed with another medication and encourages her boyfriend to follow suit. Do-kyung takes some pills but seeing his dying girlfriend, he feels scared and flees without taking the rest.



Their relationship is fabricated by the biased media. In the news, he is wrongfully accused of being a criminal. According to media reports, Do-kyung was a stalker and a sex offender who killed the pediatrician after a rape attempt. He is caught and reportedly executed.



His forbidden love with Soo is painted by the biased upper-class as a high-profile criminal case, sparking an uproar among the residents.



Worsening public opinion calls for the destruction of Sakha Mansion as the neighborhood is depicted as a haven for criminals. Such sweeping statements reflect the bias of the upper-class people. Although the Sakha Mansion neighborhood houses underprivileged people, it is not a dangerous place.



Those in power respond to the angry citizens by unveiling a set of measures to fight crime.



In the face of her brother's reported death, Jin-kyung becomes a warrior to right the wrong. She later learns her brother is still alive somewhere and tries to find him.



Jin-kyung arms herself and intrudes into the Prime Ministers' Office to learn about her brother's whereabouts.



She threatens an old man who claims to be the secretary-general of the prime ministers handling overall state affairs following guidelines from his unidentified bosses, demanding he tell the truth about her brother's whereabouts.



"Sahka Mansion" ends with the revelation that unlike what was thought by the public, there was no oligarchy and thus no seven prime ministers. The city state is run on the whims of a single hidden man whose identity is not revealed.



In "Sakha Mansion," the city state is the symbol of corporate greed.



In the past, the city was a fishing village and most of its residents earned their income through catching and selling fish.



The village underwent a drastic change after a conglomerate made a key business decision to invest into the creation of a small city, establish assembly lines and the headquarters of other affiliate companies.



Welcoming the massive corporate investment with open arms, local government officials provided the global giant with a lavish package of benefits, including a tax break. The local government's decision backfired.



The conglomerate's business thrived; but there were no trickle down benefits for the local economy. The local government went bankrupt and was "sold" to the conglomerate. After taking over the small city, the founder and business tycoon in his 80s declared its independence and ran it as a city state with its own sovereignty.



Like Cho's "Kim Ji-young" which alludes to women on career break and their struggles against gender inequality, her new work pushes readers to revisit issues of the recent past that rattled Korea.



The disappearance of a cargo ship with numerous passengers onboard near the city state is a reminder of the tragic sinking of the passenger ferry Sewol that took place off the southwestern island of Jindo in 2015.



In the story, there is no news about the ship. Unlike in the Sewol tragedy case where some of the dead bodies were retrieved, no missing people are found. The tragic event fueled the families of the missing people to take to the streets. The city state in the story, however, turned a deaf ear to their outcries.



In "Sakha Mansion," angry rallies against the "government" become a civic revolt, just as protesters gathered in Gwanghwamun to urge then President Park Geun-hye to step down to take responsibility for all the dysfunction her administration created following her swearing in as president in 2013.



"Sakha Mansion" articulates the frustration of ordinary people.



Unlike the impeachment that followed in real-life Korea after the uprising, there is no government change in the book. Korea is a democratic country where the head of state is elected every five years without a second term. But in the story, the city state is ruled by seven prime ministers who are in charge for life.



Author Cho stays impartial while delving into the deep-seated frustrations of minorities. She tries not to sympathize with those who are suffering, rather delineating apathy throughout the work, as if reminding her readers of the harsh reality all people are struggling with.


DELPHI, Ind. (WLFI)  Cadaver dogs and an Indiana State Police helicopter were called in Friday to help in the search for missing 4-year-old Owen Jones. With the dry weather Friday afternoon, investigators are doing a "big push" in the search for the boy, eight days since he was last seen.

"It's all with the hope of bringing closure to Owen's family," said Lt. Dan Dulin with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. He said that Friday is the last day to find anything on the surface.

"If we aren't successful today, it's really going to come down to the water level dropping to an area where we can get divers or people wading in the creek because," he said. "After today I feel like we have exhausted all of the search efforts on the surface."

The decision for this big push came after a dry stretch saw the Deer Creek water levels going down. However that hope was dampened after storms came through the area on Thursday, puting water levels back up.

"The water was really falling yesterday, we thought we were in a pretty good spot for today and then obviously yesterday we got a lot more rain," he said.

Despite this, no resource was spared in Friday's search. There were teams from Tippecanoe, Carroll and White Counties, DNR, as well as Lafayette Fire Department. Once cadaver dog searched on land while the other searched on water. Lt. Dulin said they had eight search boats. A drone team from LFD used the drone camer to zoom in on limbs in the water, as well as using thermal imaging, and the ISP helicopter searched for miles along the river from the air.

"We're hopeful that the extra resources that have stepped up today will let us see some areas that we haven't been able to focus on yet," he said. "We're checking all of the strainers or log jams on Deer Creek and the Wabash river for several miles."

After a successful recovery of a kayaker in the Tippecanoe River on Thursday, investigators wanted to keep the strong momentum going in Delphi.

"It's always our goal to bring quick resolution to the family," he said.

Heres a video of the ISP helicopter searching along the river from the air. @WLFI pic.twitter.com/DigRa1VNU2  Anna Darling (@AnnaDarlingTV) May 31, 2019

The DNR said Jones was swept downstream in the Deer Creek in Delphi around 6:00 p.m. Thursday, May 23. A witness on the Washington Street Bridge reported seeing the Monticello boy in the water and called 911. There has been no sign of Jones since.
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (WLFI)  Indiana State Police detectives are investigating another police-involved shooting in Montgomery County. It's the second shooting involving an officer in the past two weeks, and fourth in Montgomery County since December.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said it happened at 8:10 p.m. on 150 Banjo Drive. That's about a mile east of Crawfordsville on State Road 32. ISP was asked to investigate the shooting that involved one Crawfordsville police officer.

ISP said Crawfordsville police attempted to stop a Jeep Cherokee for a traffic violation in the 2000 block of Lebanon Road. A short chase ended on Banjo Drive.

The suspect was uncooperative with officers, ISP said. The person then waved a gun towards officers and in self-defense, one of the officers fired and hit the suspect at least once.

The suspect was taken to Franciscan Hospital in Crawfordsville with unknown injuries and later transported to St. Vincent hospital in Indianapolis.

No officers or other people were injured in the incident.

On May 22, 36-year-old Lucas Anderson was shot in the face by a Crawfordsville Police Department officer about 1 a.m. in the 300 block of Walnut Street. Indiana State Police said the officer shot Anderson in self-defense.

Anderson's injuries were not considered to be life-threatening. He was charged with domestic battery and strangulation. His trial is set for Aug. 20.

In April, 39-year-old Matthew Olsen was struck after he allegedly fired at deputies at a home near Lagoda. Police said the Montgomery County SWAT team was attempting to serve a warrant for a person inside the home.

On Dec. 28, Glenn Rightsell of Linden, died at the Franciscan Health Crawfordsville hospital after he was shot on U.S. 231 near North Montgomery High School, about 15 miles south of Lafayette.

In March, the Montgomery County prosecutor's office determined there wasn't evidence to prove Organ was not acting in self defense. No charges were filed.

Last week, Rightsell's wife filed a claim to sue Indiana State Police and other groups involved in the shooting.
By Kang Seung-woo



The Hilton brand, having first opened its doors to the public in 1919, is celebrating its 100th year of operation, and five Hilton properties in Korea are hosting a range of events, campaigns and community activities to join the centennial celebration and express appreciation to customers over the past 100 years.





They are the Millennium Seoul Hilton, the Grand Hilton, the Conrad Seoul, the Hilton Gyeongju and the Hilton Busan. The Millennium Seoul Hilton, located on Mount Nam, first opened in 1983, followed by the Gyeongju Hilton in 1991, the Grand Hilton Seoul in 2002, the Conrad Seoul in 2012 and the Hilton Busan in 2017. Plus, Korea will see the opening of Doubletree by Hilton, a business hotel brand in 2021.



To mark the centennial, they jointly held an Instagram event, in which guests with the most memorable experience at a Hilton hotel in Korea will win the "Hilton Korea Journey"  vouchers for a tour of all of Hilton's domestic hotels, with gifts prepared from each one. The winners will be announced on Friday.



On the occasion of the anniversary, all the Hilton-affiliated hotels are bringing back classic food and drinks that helped put Hilton on the map. Items such as the Waldorf Salad, brownies, Eggs Benedict, Pina Coladas, Thousand Island dressing, red velvet cake and martinis were all either invented or made famous on Hilton properties, and will be on the menu at every Hilton location worldwide.



On Friday, all the employees of the Millennium Seoul Hilton will have a cake-cutting ceremony and a commemorative photo to celebrate Hilton's centennial anniversary and launch the worldwide menu. The cake will be red velvet, which became a famous dessert at New York's Waldorf Astoria, which is a Hilton property. These special items will be available at Millennium Seoul Hilton's various restaurants, and the bar and deli until June 30.



The Grand Hilton Seoul restaurants also allow customers to enjoy the Hilton signature menus such as Waldorf salad and eggs benedict that have been loved for centuries until June 30.



The Hilton Gyeongju offers a birthday gift event.



For guests whose birthday is between May 27 and 31, a glass of wine will be offered as a gift when visiting its Lakeside Cafe. When dining at Silkroad, they will be provided a free dessert fruit set. At the modern western restaurant, Da Vinci, a special dessert, chocolate mousse in the shape of Silla era's astronomical observatory "Cheomseongdae," is presented to the birthday guests.



The Conrad Seoul will host the "100-hour Morning Coffee" event today. Customers can get a cup of coffee for just 1,000 won ($0.84) for 100 hours. This is an independent event by Conrad Seoul as a gesture of gratitude to all those celebrating the 100th anniversary of Hilton Group. All the proceeds will be donated to a local childcare center.



"With one of the industry's fastest-growing pipelines across 17 distinctive brands, Hilton is doubling down to expand to more than 20 additional countries by 2020," Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta said in a statement.






From left, Kim Hyok Chol, Kim Yong Chol and Kim Yo Jong.



North Korea executed Kim Hyok Chol, its special envoy to the United States, and foreign ministry officials who carried out working-level negotiations for the second U.S.-North Korea summit in February, holding them responsible for its collapse, a South Korean newspaper reported on Friday.



Kim Yong Chol, a senior official who had been U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's counterpart in the run-up to the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, is also said to have been subjected to forced labor and ideological education, the Chosun Ilbo reported.



The North Korean leader is believed to be carrying out a massive purge to divert attention away from internal turmoil and discontent, the newspaper said.



"Kim Hyok Chol was investigated and executed at Mirim Airport with four foreign ministry officials in March," an unnamed North Korea source said, according to the Chosun Ilbo, adding that they were charged with spying for the United States.






Roraima is the northernmost state in Brazil and shares international borders with Guyana and Venezuela. Roraima encompasses an area of 224,298 km2 and has an estimated population of 450,479, ranking as Brazil's 14th most extensive state and the least populous. The state is subdivided into 15 municipalities, which is the fewest in the country. The Amazon rainforest covers the southern part of the state, while the remainder is covered in grassland and savanna. Roraima experiences a tropical climate and is extremely rich in mineral deposits such as diamonds, gold, marble, and copper. Boa Vista is the state capital of Roraima.

Capital of Roraima

Boa Vista covers an area of 5,687.022 km2 and is situated at an average elevation of 90 m. Boa Vista is different from most other cities in the North Region of Brazil, as it is a planned city. Located in the Northern Hemisphere, just above the Equator, Boa Vista experiences a tropical savanna climate, which includes two distinct seasons. The wet season occurs from April until November, and the dry season begins in December and lasts until March.

Demographics of Boa Vista

Boa Vista has an estimated population of 375,374 and ranks as the most populous city in Roraima. In fact, the city contains nearly half of the state's total population. The area was primarily inhabited by indigenous populations until the 1970s, when it experienced significant population growth, both from within Brazil and externally, namely from Venezuela and Guyana. As a result, Boa Vista is a multicultural city and includes the following population groups: indigenous Brazilian, Venezuelan, Lebanese, African, German, and Portuguese.

History of Boa Vista

Boa Vista was the first urban area in Roraima. The founding of Sao Joaquim Fort in 1775, about 32 km from Boa Vista, increased the importance of the region, and Boa Vista do Rio Branco (the city's original name) was eventually established on July 9, 1890, by the Governor of Amazonas, Augusto Villeroy. During the Second World War, Boa Vista was named the capital of the newly created Federal Territory of Rio Branco, which was later upgraded to a state and renamed as Roraima.

Economy of Boa Vista

Boa Vista contributes significantly to the GDP of Roraima, as it is the largest city in the state. The location of Boa Vista, which is closely connected to two major cities across international borders, Lethem (Guyana) and Santa Elena de Uairen (Venezuala), results in significant economic opportunity and trade between the three cities. Substantial trade also occurs between Boa Vista and Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas. Given the city's location in the interior of Brazil, air travel connects Boa Vista with other parts of the country.
Rondonia is a state in northern Brazil. It encompasses an area of 237,576 km2 and has an estimated population of 1,590,011, ranking as the 13th most extensive state in Brazil and the 23rd most populous. Historically, large parts of Rondonia were occupied by the Amazon rainforest, however, widespread deforestation in recent decades has cleared most of its rainforest. In fact, Rondonia is considered to be one of the most deforested states in the Amazon region. Porto Velho is the state capital of Rondonia.

Capital of Rondonia: Porto Velho

Porto Velho encompasses an area of 34,082.37 km2, has an average elevation of 83 m above sea level, and is located in the upper Amazon River basin, along the eastern bank of the Madeira River, which is part of the Amazon River system. Additionally, Porto Velho is situated on the border between Rondonia and the neighboring state of Amazonas. The city experiences a tropical monsoon climate, with a short dry season between June and August. Most of the rainfall recorded in Porto Velho occurs from November until April.

Demographics of Porto Velho

Porto Velho has an estimated population of 519,531 and a population density of 15 persons per square kilometer. The culture of the city exhibits influences from Brazil's Northeastern Region, south-central parts of the country, as well as indigenous cultures. Additionally, the city's link to indigenous cultures is reflected in popular folklore and skilled handicrafts, which include clay, bamboo, rubber, and bamboo.

History of Porto Velho

Porto Velho was founded during the construction of the Madeira-Mamore railroad in 1907, but not officially declared a town until October 2, 1914. For the first 60 years of its existence, the citys development was almost completely reliant on the railway and later benefitted from the rubber boom. However, low-cost Malaysian rubber soon made Brazil's rubber from the Amazon less competitive, and the regions economy, which was dependent on the rubber trade, suffered. Nevertheless, Porto Velhos transportation network, including its easy access to the river, made it the first choice as the capital of the newly created Federal Territory of Guapore in 1943. During the Second World War, Allied forces relied on Brazilian rubber after losing access to the rubber from Malaysia. This resulted in a temporary boom in Porto Velhos economy, but only until the end of the war. In the 1950s, the discovery of gold and cassiterite on the banks of the Madeira River, as well as the establishment of large cattle ranches, encouraged significant migration to the city.

Economy of Porto Velho

Mining and cattle ranching are currently the most important sectors of Porto Velhos economy. In particular, the city's economy is primarily driven by cassiterite mining. Porto Velho is also a regional hub of communication and transportation.
Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world, covering an area of approximately 1.05 million square miles, making it the worlds 9th largest country. Given its population of approximately 18 million people, it is one of the least densely populated countries with less than 15 people per square mile. Kazakhstan was the last Soviet republic to declare independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Kazakhstan is an economic force in Central Asia, accounting for about 60% of the regions GDP. It has vast reserves of oil, natural gas, and minerals, as well as considerably large agricultural land. Although the collapse of the Soviet Union resulted in a sharp decline of the economy, several government reforms in 1995-1997 resulted in a period of positive growth. The economy grew to 9.6% in 2000, up from 1.7% the previous year. The growth resulted from the increased prices in the world market for the countrys leading export such as grain, metal, and oil. Kazakhstan was classified as an upper-middle-income economy in 2015 by the World Bank, having recorded a GDP per capita of almost $10,500. The countrys industrial sector is one of the major contributors to the economy, accounting for 34.1% of Kazakhstans GDP. Other industries include oil and gas, mining, agriculture, and the service industry.

Oil and Gas

Oil and gas is the leading and most important sector of the economy of Kazakhstan. The country has an estimated 30 billion barrels of oil reserves and 39 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, making it one of the top 15 countries by size of oil reserves. Kazakhstan generated about 700,000 barrels of oil per day in 2000, up from 600,000 barrel per the previous year. During the same year (2000), it exported about 28.8 million tons of oil. The production has since been growing since 2001 roughly 20% with the aim of meeting the governments target of 800,000 barrels per day. The majority of the oil and gas reserves are located in the regions of Tengiz, Kashagan, and Karachaganak. The Kashagan field, discovered in 2000, produces about 325,000 barrels of oil per day. Kazakhstan has the potential to be the leading oil exporter. However, for it to attain this, the country has to work to maintain a fine balance between the economic interest of China and Russia. The demand for Chinese energy continues to rise and will likely consume Kazakhstans robust oil and gas output for a foreseeable future.

Mining

Kazakhstan is rich in mineral resources such as copper, coal, gold, zinc, wolfram, and iron ore. The mining industry is one of the growing and most competitive sectors of the countrys economy. Kazakhstan is the second-largest country in the CIS in terms of the quantity of mineral production. The mineral resources are characterized by a large number of oil and gas fields and a variety of minerals. The country is one of the leading producers of zinc, lead, and silver. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has been perceived as a worlds leading supplier of uranium, oil, and nonferrous metals. Fuel and oil account for almost 70% of the export value. Kazakhstan also has a growing precious metal sector with production increasing in recent years, particularly in gold and silver. There are 23 gold producing regions in the country. The countrys export market include Russia, the United States, China, and Japan among others.

Agriculture

Agriculture in Kazakhstan is mainly a small scale sector of the countrys economy, accounting for only 6% of the GDP and employing 20% of the labor force. Interestingly, about 70% of the countrys total land area is occupied in crop and animal husbandry. The agricultural land is approximately 327,000 square miles of which only 79,000 square miles is arable land. The largest crop grown in the country is wheat, which is mainly for export. Other major crops include cotton, barley, sugar beets, flax, sunflower, and rice. Many people believe that apples originated from Kazakhstan. In 2011, the country achieved a grain harvest of 26.9 million tons, the highest in the countrys history. Animal husbandry includes the raising of animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, chicken, and horses. Despite the important role played by agriculture, the sector still faces a number of challenges including environmental problems resulting from the mismanagement during the Soviet Union era.

Service Industry

Kazakhstans service industry comprises of tourism, retail investment, and ICT. Innovation and technology are considered key to the countrys future development. Thus, the government in partnership with international organizations such as the World Bank have invested in the sector. In 2014, the World Bank approved a loan of $88 million to facilitate Kazakhstans socially and commercially viable innovation in technology.

Although Kazakhstan is a vast country with different terrains and geographical features such as mountains, desert landscape, and lakes, tourism is not one of the major components of the economy. The tourism industry accounts for less than 1% of the GDP. However, the government has put in place plans to increase its contribution to 3% by 2020. In 2012, Kazakhstan was the 51st most visited country, receiving 4.81 million visitors. Tourism is hampered by high prices, poor infrastructure, and poor services. To promote tourism, the government has started an initiative dubbed Tourism Industry Development Plan 2020. The aim of the initiative is to revive the industry and create 300,000 jobs in the industry by 2020.
Switzerland is a beautiful country situated at the confluence of Southern, Central, and Western Europe. The country is known for its mountainous topography due to the presence of the Swiss Alps and Jura Mountains in the south and northwest respectively. The population of Switzerland is 8.2 million while Bern is the de facto capital city. The country has one of the most advanced economies in the world with its GDP being 678.9 billion. The main industries in Switzerland are banking and finance. However, the countrys economy is also driven by agriculture and industry. In fact, Switzerland is famous in the world for its Swiss chocolates and watches. Just like most developed economies, Switzerlands workforce adopts an economic model whereby most workers are employed in the services sector while a minority work in the agricultural sector. Switerzland has one of the world's most complex economies.

Agriculture Industry

The agricultural sector contributed 0.7% of the GDP of Switzerland in 2017. Although the sector does not contribute much to the countrys economy, the Swiss government is very protective of it. There are many government subsidies for farmers as well as high tariffs to encourage domestic agricultural practices. Consequently, 60% of the food consumed in Switzerland is locally grown and produced. Examples of the food products are potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruits (apple and grapes), milk products, meat products (such as veal, pork, and beef), and vegetables. Since the Swiss agriculture meets approximately 65% of the countrys food demand, the government sets aside a large portion of its budget (about 5.5% of annual budget) for boosting production of food. Although the Swiss government has been trying to safeguard its agricultural sector, the European Union has been pressuring it to relax its strict policies to allow for foreign goods into its markets.

Manufacturing Industry

The economy of Switzerland is driven by the manufacturing industry which contributed 25.6% of its GDP in 2017. Switzerland is one of the world's largest exporters. The country contains one of the most competitive pharmaceutical industries in the world. Some of the popular pharmaceutical firms in Switzerland are Roche and Novartis, two of the world's largest biotech companies. The country is also involved in the manufacture of food products (like Nestle) and chemicals used in the construction sector such as roof coating chemicals. The largest construction materials company in the world is the LafargeHolcim Group. Switzerland is also famous for the manufacturing of high-end clocks and watches. Most of these clocks and watches are exported to Asia, the Americas, and Europe. However, Asia imports 55% of the Swiss watches and clocks making it the countrys largest watches and clocks export partner. In 2011, Switzerland was the largest exporter of watches in the world as its exports were valued at US$20 billion. Switzerland has a highly skilled labor force. As a result, most of its exports are high tech finished products which are sold at premium prices. Examples of these exports are precious jewelry, watches, vaccines, arms & ammunition, medicaments, and orthopedic appliances. The agricultural food products exports include chocolate, wine, and cheese.

Services Industry

The services industry in Switzerland is mainly driven by tourism and the banking sectors. It contributed 73.7% of the countrys GDP in 2017.

Banking Industry

The client confidentiality and banking secrecy practiced in Switzerland can be traced as far as the 1700s. Centuries later in 1934, the ratification of the federal known as the Federal Act on Banks and Savings Banks resulted in codifying of the Swiss banking secrets. The banking sector in Switzerland is known for its policies of protection of foreign accounts. It is a criminal offense to reveal client information just as it is in the case of doctors and priests. In 2018, the Swiss Bankers Association estimated that the value of the assets held by the Swiss Banks was about US$6.5 trillion. The three massive banks in Switzerland are the Credit Suisse, UBS, and Julius Bar. The banks regulation authorities in Switzerland are the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority and the Swiss National bank. In addition, Zurich Cantonal Bank is considered one of the world's most secure banks.

Tourism Industry

Regarding tourism, Switzerland enjoys revenues of up to CHF 16.8 billion every year. Some of the top-rated places for tourist visits in the country are Matterhorn (one of the highest mountains in the Alps), the Jungfraujoch (translated: Top of Europe) reached by the Jungfrau Railway, Rhine Falls (150 meters high), Lake Geneva, the Chillon Castle, Bern City, and Swiss National Park. Due to these many magnificent tourist destinations, many tourists are drawn to Switzerland annually.
The World Federation of the Deaf estimates that there are 72 million deaf people in the world of whom 80% live in developing countries. There are about 300 different sign languages. In addition, International Sign Language is used by the deaf outside geographic boundaries. It is a pidgin of the natural sign language that is not complex but has a limited lexicon. Currently, only 41 countries around the world have recognized sign language as an official language.

Movement for Official Recognition

Human right groups recognize and advocate the use of the sign language in equal status to spoken language and obligate countries to facilitate the use of the language to promote the linguistic identity of the deaf.

The United Nations proclaimed September 23 the International Day of Sign Language. The world body acknowledges that the knowledge of sign language is vital to the development and growth of the deaf community.

Of the 72 million deaf people in the world, only 2% have access to formal education, while less than 1% are in formal employment. The biggest challenge to the deaf community is stigmatization as people consider the disability a hindrance to one's ability to engage the duties and activities performed by ordinary people.

Countries That Recognize Sign Language as an Official Language

Of the 41 countries recognize sign language as an official language, 26 are in Europe. The European Parliament approved the resolution requiring all member states to adopt sign language in an official capacity on June 17, 1988. The parliament issued another declaration with similar resolutions in 1998.

Of the remaining countries, six are in South America, four are in Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe), two are in Oceania (Papua New Guinea and New Zealand), two are in Asia (South Korea and Japan), while Mexico is the only North American state. Sign language was approved to become South Africa's 12th official language.

Countries With Partial Recognition

Several other countries recognize the sign language but not in an official capacity.

The Canadian provinces of Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba recognize American Sign Language as a minority language while Section Fourteen of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms grants a deaf person the right to an interpreter.

Australia recognizes the Australian Sign Language as a community language, although it does not ensure the provision of services in the sign language.

Thailand recognizes the Thai Sign Language as "the national language of deaf people in Thailand." The country's Ministry of Education recognizes the same language as their first language of the deaf people in school.

The United States does not identify any language whether signed or spoken as the official language, but some states recognize American Sign Language as a foreign language while others recognize the sign language as a language of instruction in academic institutions. Some universities in the country accept the American Sign Language credit to fulfill the requirement of a foreign language.
William Shakespeare was a renowned author, poet, play writer, and theatre entrepreneur. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England and baptized on April 26, 1564, at the Holy Trinity Church. The exact date of his birth cannot be ascertained, but it is traditionally believed to be April 23, 1564, because it was customary for children to be baptized three days after birth. Shakespeare was the first surviving child and the first son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. Their two daughters, Margaret and Joan, had died before Shakespeare was born. Stratford-upon-Avon was a market town of about 2,000 residents 100 miles northwest of London. It was famous for the marketing, distribution, and sale of goats and sheep, hide and wool trading, as well as beer brewing.

Shakespeare's Birthplace

The house where Shakespeare was born and brought up as a young boy is located in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Warwickshire. It is a relatively simple house for the 21st century, but it was a substantial building back then. It is made of wattle and daub wood and blue-grey stone, typical of the structures of the 16th century. Shakespeare inherited the house after the death of his father, but by then he owned his own home and therefore leased it to Lewis Hiccox who converted the home to an inn. By the time Shakespeare died in 1616, his recently widowed sister Joan Hart had moved into the family home. It was passed over the lineage until 1790 when the local butcher Thomas Hornby leased the house. Hornby left the town in 1820, and the house fell into a state of despair until the 18th century. Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Isaac Watts, and Thomas Carlyle were among the people who ignited interest in the house by autographing the windows and the walls. Some of the signatures remain on the window panes, but those on the walls have long since been painted over. A signature book containing the signatures of William Thackeray, Lord Tennyson, Lord Byron, and John Keats was recovered in the house. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust then known as the Shakespeare Birthday Committee bought the house for 3000 and began restoring the house to a habitable state.

Present-day

Today, the small house serves as a museum and is open to the public on weekdays. Adjoining the museum is the Shakespeare Centre that serves as the headquarters of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. The museum recreates a picture of the family home during Shakespeare's time complete with domestic furnishings and his father's glove workshop. The town of Stratford-upon-Avon has grown to a mid-sized city of about 30,000 residents. Although it continues to serve as a market town, it also attracts thousands of tourists annually most of whom visit the birthplace and gravesite of the renowned poet. Although a popular tourist destination, the Shakespeare House is thought to be one of the United Kingdom's most overrated tourist sites.
South Korea's presidential office maintained a cautious stance Friday on news reports of a possible massive purge of top North Korean officials after the failed summit in Hanoi with the United States.



"I don't think that a hasty conclusion or comments on the issue are appropriate," Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung said at a press briefing.



She was responding to a local newspaper's report that North Korea had executed Kim Hyok-chol, its special envoy for the U.S., and some foreign ministry officials who were involved in preparations for the second summit between leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump in late February. Their two-day talks abruptly ended with no accord.













Kim Yong-chol, a top aide to the leader, was sent to a remote province for hard labor, the Chosun Ilbo said in a front-page story, citing an unnamed source.



"There's nothing we can confirm (for you)," Ko said. "We are monitoring all related situations (on North Korea). But I think it's important to figure out how much information in the article has been confirmed." (Yonhap)
The first image that comes to a persons mind when they hear the word "Vikings" may be a tall, muscular man with a braided beard and a helmet with horns leading a ship to a land which he will plunder. Though not necessarily far from reality, there is much more to Vikings than this enduring image. The Viking people and culture have had an impact around the world and stories associated with them are often full of myth and imagination.

Where Did the Vikings Come From?

The Vikings originated from the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Often represented as invaders, predators or barbarians, Vikings would go on raids for resources, with a few groups settling in other places. They are believed to have gotten their name from the Old Norse language, where the term implied a pirate raid. Though Vikings were not always the invaders they were portrayed to be, Vikings did make settlements in a few places. Historians consider the years between 800 and 1050 CE as the Age of the Vikings.

Viking Boats

Vikings made voyages as well military campaigns, spreading out from their geographic origins in the Scandinavian countries towards faraway lands. The homelands they moved away from were mostly rural, and most Vikings sustained themselves with agricultural activities or fishing. Vikings are remembered for their long-ship style boats, which were designed to navigate through waters on the coastal areas as well as inland waters, along with the land on beaches.

Why Did The Vikings Raid?

The Age of the Vikings was preceded by the Vikings raids in the late 790s, with the raiding parties spreading as far as Scotland in 794, Ireland in 795 and France in 799. Initially, these raids were small and insignificant. However, they grew over time. For example, in Ireland, after establishing a port, parts of England slowly turned under the control of the Viking invaders there. For a span of 80 years, England saw control by Vikings in the Midlands and northern part while kings of Wessex retained control in the south and south-west.

Historians note that the expeditions and explorations of the Vikings were not limited to the frontiers of Western Europe. Sailing on the sea and using water routes, the Vikings managed to travel to North America in the west and Russia in the east. On the northern and southern parts of the world, the Vikings went to Lapland in the north and in the southern parts, the Mediterranean World (Constantinople) as well as Iraq (Baghdad).

Ruthless Warriors?

Vikings are often portrayed as fierce and ruthless warriors, but that does not paint the whole story. Vikings also settled in a peaceful manner. One such settlement was in Iceland, a country Vikings are credited as having "discovered" and named. It is believed that contrary to the violent nature that Vikings are known for, the Viking age eventually turned Iceland into a place with a relatively developed legal system, with something similar to a parliament also existing. Beyond the political and economic engagements of the Vikings in Iceland, there was a cultural exchange. Even today, the mythology and folklore of Iceland speak of Norse people and Vikings.

There is no doubt that many feared Vikings and even despised them, as historical accounts of places where raids and settlements point out. However, the Vikings were not always scary invaders. The Vikings didnt leave much written evidence themselves, but poetry, archaeology, treaties, as well as writings by people in Europe and Asia whom they encountered give us a clearer picture about Vikings. As these sources suggest, Vikings were also traders and craftsmen besides being skilled boat builders. While some Vikings made metalwork and wooden carvings, some traded for silver, spices, silks, wine, glass jewellery and pottery which they would eventually take back to their homes.
Jan Kopecky and Kalle Rovanpera delivered a perfect WRC 2 Pro debut for Skodas new Fabia R5 Evo by holding first and second in the category after Fridays opening leg of Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

Reigning WRC 2 champion Kopecky, who became father to a baby boy last week, completed a hot and dusty opening leg with a 4.8sec advantage over teenager Rovanpera.

Rovanpera was quickest through the opening three dirt road speed tests to build a near-30sec lead. A puncture cost 40sec and relegated the Finn to second, but two more stage wins enabled him to close on his Czech colleague.

Lukasz Pieniazek was a distant third in a Ford Fiesta, 1min 53.6sec off the lead, while Mads stberg failed to complete the day in his Citroen C3.

Brake problems and damaged suspension delayed him this morning before three afternoon punctures eventually stopped him as the Norwegian had only two spares onboard. He will restart tomorrow.

Ole Christian Veiby led a pulsating WRC 2 contest in his Volkswagen Polo R5. The Norwegian completed the seven speed tests with a 25.2sec advantage over Nikolay Gryazins Fabia, with Pierre-Louis Loubet a further 5.8sec back in a similar car.

Ole Christian Veiby led WRC 2 in a Volkswagen Polo

Loubet led before Veiby moved to the front in the second stage. He claimed three fastest times and was never headed despite the best efforts of Takamoto Katsuta. The Japanese driver kept the pressure on, before a penultimate stage puncture relegated him from second to fifth.

Loubet remained within a handful of seconds of the lead before falling back in SS5 when he was delayed by a limping stberg.

Eerik Pietarinen was fourth in another Fabia, just 2.2sec behind Loubet. Katsuta and Emil Bergqvist completed the top six.

Rhys Yates retired with a double puncture and Jari Huttunen stopped with suspension damage. Locals Miguel Barbosa and Pedro Meireles also made early exits, the latters Polo catching fire in SS6.

Head to WRC+ to watch All Live from Vodafone Rally de Portugal, including every stage broadcast live, breaking service park news and expert studio analysis.

VIDEO

More News
Dani Sordo snatched the early lead of Vodafone Rally de Portugal on Friday morning after winning a hot and dusty opening speed test in Lousa.

Stage info: SS1 Lousa 1, 12.35km

A classic stage which has its own special place in Portuguese rallying history. Crews navigate their way through a dense forestry section before tackling a series of hairpins after the 8km point. After that, its an exciting dash to the finish on the outskirts of Lousa village. Where better to kick off the rally?

The Spaniard benefited from cleaner road conditions further down the start order in his Hyundai i20 to complete the 12.35km test 4.2sec clear of Ott Tanak.

It was difficult but I was happy with my driving and I enjoyed the car. I was scared about the dust but in the end it wasnt so bad, he explained.

Rally organisers decided on four-minute gaps between the leading cars to compensate for the hanging dust amid Lousas thick canopy of forest.

Tanaks time from second in the start order was remarkable. Aside from road opener Sebastien Ogier, the Estonian had the worst of the slippery gravel in his Toyota Yaris, but looked set for fastest time until he was eclipsed by Sordo.

Friday is so crucial for the rest of the weekend, he said. We have dust from Ogier and a loose surface. It will be a big challenge because the cleaning is massive today.

Teemu Suninen completed the top three in his Fiesta, only 0.2sec behind Tanak. Jari-Matti Latvala was next up in his Yaris, the Finn recognising he was assisted by his start position.

The road is cleaning and this is helping. The dust is quite bad, I didnt expect it to be that bad, so I was braking early. It will get better now, he said.

Latvala finished four-tenths behind his fellow countryman and 1.1sec up on Elfyn Evans. The Welshman finished with a warning light showing on the dashboard of his Fiesta but his M-Sport Ford team confirmed there were no concerns for the Welshman.

Ogier and Thierry Neuville, the first two cars in the running order, suffered most from the cleaning roads. Neuville was ninth in his i20, 14.6sec off team-mate Sordos pace, with Ogier a further 0.9sec behind in 10th.

Head to WRC+ to watch All Live from Vodafone Rally de Portugal, including every stage broadcast live, breaking service park news and expert studio analysis.

VIDEO

More News
Hungarian counter terror police divers and technical teams are seen on boats on the Danube river on May 30, 2019 in Budapest during the operations to pull out of the water the "Mermaid" sightseeing boat that sank overnight after colliding with a larger vessel in pouring rain. - Hungarian police launched a criminal investigation into one of the country's worst boat accidents that left at least seven South Korean tourists dead and 21 others missing. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)





A diver descends a ladder to sink to the wreckage as rescuers work to prepare the recovery of the capsized boat under Margaret Bridge in Budapest, Hungary, 30 May 2019. A sightseeing boat carrying 33 South Korean tourists collided with a large river cruise ship on River Danube near the bridge last night, killing at least seven tourists. Seven tourists have been rescued, 21 persons, including the two crew members, have disappeared. EPA



Hopes for survivors were fading on Thursday after one of the country's worst boat disasters that left seven South Korean tourists dead and 21 others missing.



The Mermaid sightseeing boat capsized and sank in just seconds after colliding with a huge passenger river cruise ship on the Danube in the heart of Budapest in driving rain on Wednesday evening.



Army boats were scouring the murky waters of the Danube as dozens of people looked on, more than 20 hours after the accident in the chilly and fast-moving river.



At the time of the collision, most passengers were sheltering from heavy rain in the boat's interior, Mihaly Toth, a spokesman for Mermaid owner Panorama Deck told weekly magazine HVG.



"It was not an easy place for so many people to escape from in a short space of time," Toth said.



Seven passengers survived but the chances of any of the other tourists or crew being found were now "very slim," Toth said.



Thirty-five people were on board the Mermaid, most of them South Korean tourists including a six-year-old girl who was travelling with her mother and grandparents and remains missing.



"The current was so fast and people were floating away but the rescue team did not come," a rescued 31-year-old woman identified only by her surname Jung told South Korea's Yonhap news agency.



The 26-metre Mermaid, which sank near Hungary's parliament building, was dwarfed by the vessel it collided with  the 135-metre four-storey Viking Sigyn "longship" which had about 180 passengers on board.



"We were on our balcony, and we saw people in the water, screaming for help," said Ginger Brinton, a 66-year-old American tourist on the Sigyn.



"We never felt any bump. We didn't realise. We just saw people in the water. It was just terrible."



Police said they have launched a probe into "criminal negligence" and were questioning the Sigyn's Ukrainian captain.



The tragedy comes five years after the Sewol disaster in South Korea in which more than 300 people, mostly children, perished when a ferry capsized in April 2014.



In Budapest, army divers joined police in the search operation, but it has been complicated by high river levels and a strong current after weeks of heavy rainfall.



Three bodies have been found several kilometres south of the disaster site, police said.








Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, on Thursday signed an abortion ban that would prohibit women from terminating a pregnancy once a fetal heartbeat has been detected. The state House of Representatives passed the ban on Wednesday in a bipartisan vote after the state Senate had approved the bill earlier this month.

Edwards said in a statement, I ran for governor as a pro-life legislator for eight years. As governor, I have been true to my word and my beliefs on this issue. In May 2018, he signed a bill banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Louisiana is the fifth state to pass bans on abortions based on detection of a fetal heartbeat, following Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio. The Louisiana bill will only take effect if legislation in neighboring Mississippi is upheld in the courts. On May 24, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that blocks the Mississippi law from taking effect in July.

On May 15, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed a near-total abortion ban into law that provides no exceptions for women or girls who become pregnant as the result of rape or incest.

In Missouri, protesters rallied Thursday against the threat to close the states last abortion provider, Planned Parenthoods St. Louis clinic. The state has a Friday deadline to renew the clinics license, with Republican Governor Michael Parson claiming that the health department had discovered numerous violations of state laws and regulations during an annual inspection of the facility in March.

Earlier this month, Parson signed the Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act, which bans abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy. With all of these measures, proponents who purport to protect life, in fact, are aiming to force women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term or to receive back-alley abortions, posing great risk to the life and health of millions of women.

Claiming a fetus a living person

These assaults on the right of women to obtain and have access to abortion services are anti-democratic and reactionary. Through passage of heartbeat and abortion bans in Louisiana and other states, and the legal challenges they will inevitably face in the federal courts, supporters of this legislation seek to assert the religious principle that an embryo or fetus is a living person from the moment of conception.

If upheld, these bans would open the door for not only criminal prosecution of abortion providers, but for prosecution of women for any conduct deemed potentially damaging to the fetus. If the fetus is considered a living person from conception, an abortion could be considered murder. In Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Ohio, homicide carries a potential death sentence.

In passing the Louisiana bill on a 79-33 vote, the states House rejected an amendment that would have provided an exception for the pregnant victims of rape or incest. This means that a young girl who has already been traumatized by violence or abuse could be forced to carry a pregnancy to term.

The only exception to Louisianas legislation would be for abortions necessary to prevent a pregnant womans death or the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, or if the pregnancy is medically futile and the fetus would not survive past birth.

The Louisiana state senate passed the abortion ban with amendments that include language to require an ultrasound in search of a heartbeat. In the very early stages of pregnancy the heartbeat cannot be detected with a traditional abdominal ultrasound.

In these cases, women seeking abortions would likely be forced to have an invasive transvaginal ultrasound, which can detect an embryonic heartbeat as early as six weeks, when most woman are not aware that they are pregnant. If the heartbeat were detected, a woman would be denied the right to an abortion. Doctors who violate the law could face up to two years in prison.

The raft of anti-abortion bills passed and put forward this year in states across the country, particularly in the Deep South, are being advanced in an effort to bring a case before the US Supreme Court that would challenge the high courts 1973 landmark decision Roe v. Wade, which nullified state laws criminalizing abortion.

Behind the anti-abortion threat

All of these laws are unconstitutional, not only because they criminalize abortion and contradict Roe v. Wade, but because they elevate religious doctrine to state policy in violation of the First Amendments ban on the establishment of religion. A brief review of some of the backers of the heartbeat legislation reveals that their anti-abortion stance coincides with equally reactionary far-right, evangelical and anti-scientific views.

One of the major players behind the heartbeat bills is Janet Porter, an anti-abortion activist and founder and president of Faith2Action. On its web site, the group describes its mission as combining our strengths and winning on the issues that matter most. Faith2Action is about being faithful where the battle is the hottestwhere our Bible-based beliefs and freedoms are most at risk and as providing pro-active, strategic, and unified ways to advance the cause of Christ and the kingdom of God.

Porter was a key backer of the federal Heartbeat Bill (HR490) introduced in the US House in January 2017. During a hearing on the legislation before the House Judiciary subcommittee, the bills sponsor, Rep. Steve King, Republican of Iowa, showed an ultrasound of an 18-week-old fetus and played audio of its heartbeat. Kings office boasted of the offensive spectacle. It is believed that Miller [how King refers to the fetus], aged 18 weeks, is the youngest person to ever offer testimony at a Congressional hearing.

King is known for his ultra-conservative, white supremacist and anti-Semitic views. He has met with far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders, a proponent of Islamophobia. He supported Marine Le Pen of the then National Front in the 2017 French presidential elections, and has hailed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a vicious opponent of refugees, freedom of the press and a falsifier of the crimes of Hitler and Nazism.

The Louisiana legislation was written by state Senator John Milkovich, a Democrat. As vice-chairman of the state senates Education Committee, he has advocated for teaching creationism in public schools. He has claimed that archeologists and scientists have verified the original story of the Christian Bible, and that a study of rocks has proven that the earth was created in a week.

Underlining the clearly religious motivations for the bill, Milkovich said earlier this month, God values human life, and so do the people of Louisiana. We believe this is an important step in dismantling the attack of the abortion cartel on our next generation.

An attack on access to abortion

If the license of the Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis is not renewed, Missouri would become the first state in the country with no abortion clinics. But five other states are now down to just one clinic: Kentucky, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota and West Virginia, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

In 1996, there were 452 clinics in the US, according to Guttmacher. By 2005, that number had dwindled to 381, and by 2014, to 272. The decline has come as a result of more restrictions on abortion rights, onerous regulations imposed on abortion providers, and threats against doctors and other health care workers.

The right to abortion, however, will not be defended by the Democratic Party, or by bringing more women into high political office, as seen by the roles of Governor Edwards in Louisiana and Governor Ivey in Alabama.

The defense of the right to abortion is the concern of the working class, and working-class women in particular, who have the greatest stakesboth personal and financialin defending abortion and reproductive rights. These and all democratic rights can only be defended through a struggle by the working class against the capitalist system and all its political representatives.

The author also recommends:

Alabama abortion ban: Back to barbarism

[16 May 2019]
The last polling stations in the European elections had barely closed when haggling broke out among the heads of government over the top jobs in the European Union. They gathered for a summit in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss the future leading personnel in the EU.

The meeting concluded without a decision being taken. The conflicting interests could not be reconciled in the short term. To avoid a conflict erupting in public, current EU Council President Donald Tusk was tasked with drafting a list of proposed names ahead of the next EU summit at the end of June.

A total of five top jobs are at stake: the European Commission President, the President of the European Central Bank, the EU Council President, The EU Foreign Policy Representative, and the President of the European Parliament. The first three in particular wield considerable power.

The EU Commission President controls a staff of 32,000 officials and employees, which is closely tied to the 25,000 lobbyists in Brussels who seek to influence the EU. Largely outside of any democratic control, this apparatus exercises substantial influence over all areas of European political and economic life.

The European Central Bank determines EU monetary policy. Unlike the EU Commission, the Central Bank is independent, meaning it is free from any controls or orders from elected committees. Monetary policy is determined within the closed circle of the financial aristocracy, from which the ECB President usually comes.

The EU Council President is responsible for organizing the meetings of the heads of government and the meetings of other departmental ministers, and therefore chiefly responsible for the EUs main executive and legislative periods, although the latter responsibility is shared with the European Parliament.

To date, the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, who always had a majority in parliament, divided the posts up among themselves. Of the current occupants, three are members of the conservative European Peoples Party, (Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Council President Tusk and EU Parliament President Antonio Tajani). Although ECB President Mario Dragghi is a non-party figure, he was helped into power in 2011 by the EPP members Silvio Berlusconi, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy. The EU Foreign Policy Representative, Federica Mogherini, is a social democrat.

The EPPs dominance of the top officials ensured the significant influence over the EU of Germany, where Angela Merkel of the EPP has held power for 14 years, for most of that time in a coalition with the SPD.

However, social democrats have been forced from power in France and Italy. In the newly-elected European Parliament, the conservatives and social democrats control just 332 of the 751 seats, or 44 percent. In the old parliament, they held 401 seats. To secure a majority, they are now dependent on support from the Liberals or Greens.

The political differences between all of these parties are minimal. They have all shifted sharply to the right over recent years, supporting the EUs austerity policies, its military rearmament, the construction of a police state apparatus and the enforcement of inhumane refugee policies, and they will continue to do so.

This shift to the right has intensified the national divisions within the EU and given them an increasingly aggressive character. This finds expression in the splintering of the European parliament into several competing factions.

French President Emmanuel Macron has made clear that he will not accept a German Commission President. By contrast, German Chancellor Merkel has insisted on supporting the EPPs Manfred Weber, who ran as the partys lead candidate in the election. The Commission President is proposed by the heads of government, but must receive the parliaments majority support.

In France, the EPP has virtually no representation. Its representative, Les Republicains, won a mere 8 percent of the vote. The Socialist Party did even worse, obtaining just 6.2 percent. Macrons own party, La Republique En Marche, came second with 22.4 percent, behind Marine Le Pens right-wing extremist Rassemblement National with 23.3 percent. Macrons party joined the liberal group in the European Parliament, which increased its representation to 105 seats as a result.

The disputes over influence and positions are being driven by more deep-going conflicts that have been developing over a longer period. Macron has repeatedly been met with opposition from Berlin in his attempt to further integrate the EUs finance policy. Frictions also exist over plans to establish a European army and a European arms industry independent of the United States, which both Berlin and Paris support. Paris was outraged when Germany temporarily halted weapons exports to Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. And while Macron advocated a hardline stance on Brexit, Merkel indicated her readiness to offer Britain concessions.

With the request for Tusk to propose a list of candidates, these conflicts will now continue to rage behind the scenes, and may be reconciled with a filthy compromise.

The public is being systematically lied to about the real issues that are at stake. For example, the German government justified its support for Weber by referring to the principle of lead candidates, which was introduced at the last European elections but has no legal basis. According to this, only a candidate who stood as the lead candidate for one of the European parties can be elected as Commission President. As a result, so the argument goes, they receive democratic legitimacy.

This argument is evidently absurd. Weber was chosen as the lead candidate by the inner circle of his party, which then won less than a quarter of the vote across Europe. Even in Germany, a survey found that only 32 percent of voters support Weber becoming Commission President, while 59 percent are opposed.

It remains unclear whether Merkel will insist on appointing Weber. There are suggestions that she may concede in order to secure the position of ECB President for current Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann, who is seen as an austerity hardliner.

Another possible candidate for Commission President is Margarete Vestager, who is currently commissioner for EU competition affairs. The Danish member of the liberal group would receive Macrons support and could be backed by the Greens as the first woman to lead the Commission.

Some observers believe that the haggling over the top jobs could drag on for months. However, one thing is clear: Whatever the makeup of the new Commission being worked out behind the scenes, it will continue the right-wing, anti-working class policies enforced by its predecessor.
Joseph A. Farrell is a WikiLeaks ambassador and a Centre for Investigative Journalism board member. He spoke to the World Socialist Web Site outside Westminster Magistrates Court.

Joseph A. Farrell

Asked about the deliberations in court, Farrell said, It was procedural, it was always going to be a procedural matter today. Julian was too unwell to attend. He should've attended by video-link. You have to remember that it was actually Belmarsh [prison authorities] who put him on the hospital ward. So that is an indication of how unwell he must be.

I don't know exactly the state of his health. He's undergoing an evaluation to determine that. You also have to remember that being in a super max prison is difficult for anyone, but Julian has spent seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy before that. There was seven years of non-adequate medical care. He wasn't allowed to receive hospital treatment, and the last year in the Ecuadorian Embassy was extremely taxing.

The Ecuadorian government under Moreno cut off all access to phones, communications, Internet. He couldn't have visitors. They put him in de facto solitary confinement, and there was a huge amount of spying on him. Ecuador was acting in a very sadistic manner, which will have an impact on someone's health. So, he's gone into Belmarsh in a worse state than someone who might have been sent to Belmarsh from on the streets.

Farrell visited Assange in Belmarsh a few weeks ago, along with Kristinn Hrafnsson, the WikiLeaks Editor-In-Chief, and Pamela Anderson.

He said, You know he's a strong person, psychologically strong, but it was obvious that he'd lost a lot of weight, and that has clearly deteriorated since he's been there for seven weeks now.

The process of going into a prison is a big, ominous, oppressive feeling. You have to go through various waiting rooms. You are searched completely. They look in your mouth, in your ears to see if you are taking anything in. You can't give the prisoner anything, you can't show him pieces of paper or anything. You can buy him coffee and sandwiches.

He met Assange in a room with other prisoners and visitors, but Pamela and Kristinn had a private room. He had seen Kristinn the day before, but he hadn't seen his lawyers much. He's been kept in his cell for about 23 hours a day.
The contract expires tonight at midnight for 1,400 workers at an auto parts plant in Saline, Michigan owned by French conglomerate Faurecia. Workers at the factory, located 45 miles west of Detroit, voted in early May by 97 percent to authorize strike action at the plant, which produces door panels, consoles, instrument panels and other internal plastic parts for Ford and other automakers.

The workers are determined to reverse a pattern of union-sanctioned cuts in pay and medical benefits, and the destruction of working conditions and safety dating back more than two decades. Many workers were forced to accept the sub-standard wages after losing jobs at Ford, GM and Fiat Chrysler, while younger workers had no choice due to the high rates of unemployment in Detroit and its environs.

The conditions are horrific: roof leaks cause untold hazards, falls and sprains. And workers report blood clots, respiratory disorders and other disabilities from chemical exposure in the plant, among other serious hazards.

The overwhelming strike vote May 5 represented a forceful repudiation of the United Auto Workers, which has stood by and done nothing as the workforce suffered through the spin off from Ford Motor Company, the bankruptcy of Visteon and the takeover by their current employer. Every step of the way has been marked by the conspiracy of the global auto giants in collusion with corrupt unions, as a means of forcing workers to pay for the spreading crisis of world capitalism through concessions, pay cuts, unsafe conditions and lost pensions.

Faurecia employs the same tactics against all layers of its global workforce of 100,000 in France, Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic, Brazil and China. The cuts have been the source of record profits in the sector for a number of years. At Faurecia, global sales of $1.9 billion last year were up 7 percent against those of 2017 and net income increased by a whopping 17 percent to $785 million.

This contract falls just three and a half months before contracts expire for 155,000 workers at the Big Three in mid-September. Many workers recognize the powerful opportunity this provides for united struggle.

But the last thing that the union wants is a challenge to the program of pay cuts and other concessions in the increasingly integrated global workforce on the eve of the Big Three contract expiration, which will occur in mid-September. The UAW is dead set against any struggle that might jeopardize their sweetheart arrangements with the companies.

The corruption scandal in federal court in which UAW vice presidents and head negotiators at Fiat Chrysler were convicted of taking more than $1 million in bribes to provide pro-company contracts is just the tip of the iceberg. During the massive restructuring under the Obama administration in 2009, UAW executives received control of more than a billion dollars in assets that were designated to cover medical insurance benefits for retirees.

The takeover of the plant in 2012 by the French multi-national gives the lie to the bankrupt nationalism of the UAW and its counterparts in every other country. Workers in France, Mexico, China, Brazil, Japan and South Korea, to name only a few, face the same attacks and manipulate the same technology every day that enables the company to function globally. Still the unions and bourgeois political parties in every country, like the Democrats and Republicans, spout nationalism and prepare trade war and world war.

Workers have the technical knowledge and resources to unite their struggles across national borders. But in order to do so, they must build independent organizations, rank and file committees in factories everywhere, in order to break the grip of the unions and the capitalist political parties they support and take the struggle into their own hands.

Faurecia workers have not forgotten that the UAW sabotaged the movement for strike action in 2015. As soon as the danger passed, the company, with union collusion, terminated Blue Cross/Blue Shield health insurance and forced workers into the substandard program at Aetna which they have been saddled with ever since.

The company operates facilities nearby in Auburn Hills, Fraser, Sterling Heights and Taylor, Michigan. Internet technology makes communication, cooperation and united action by workers everywhere, not only possible, but a necessity. The union seeks to divide workers between countries, between factories and even within factories by accepting different pay grades and benefit packages as well as other types of favoritism.

At Saline the union has co-opted a few workers onto the so-called bargaining committee to rubber-stamp an agreement which was prepared behind closed doors by the international union at Solidarity House.

Last winter, workers in Matamoros, Mexico shouted down their union executive and established rank-and-file committees to spread their struggle from factory to factory to regain lost wages and bonuses. They marched to the border of Brownsville, Texas, with banners and bull horns to call for support from coworkers on the US side. Gringos, wake up, they shouted a demand which still strikes fear into the hearts of those in corporate boardrooms and capitalist exploiters everywhere.

The media, the unions and political parties on both sides of the border, along with their pseudo-left cheerleaders did everything in their power to isolate that struggle. But despite that it still won important gains. The lesson is: we must lose no time in breaking out of the straitjacket imposed by the UAW.

Like a lot of workers we have spoken with, Joan who works full time for $15.00 per hour in a wage progression that tops out at $17.50 is very suspicious of the UAW. They have not told us anything, she said.

It is crazy, she continued. The contract is expiring. We should know something. They have not scheduled a vote or anything. I am not happy.

If they only offer us 3 percent, I would rather just shut them down and strike. They keep on cutting our hours. We need to hit them hard. The wages are so low that many workers cannot make ends meet without overtime. And the company has cut all overtime for the last three months in a move to prevent a strike. But the strategy may have back-fired.

We are scheduled for 12 hours, four days a week, and they keep cutting us back. We dont get any overtime. I am ready to strike, declared Joan. We have not worked a full 48 hours in the last two to three months.

Our union is in bed with the company. We should not be leaving early every day. The union is not for us. If they were, they would have never given up our Blue Cross insurance.

We pay $25 per week for Aetna insurance which is not worth a shit. They only fill certain prescriptions. And you have to call them to get permission to fill those.

There is a lot of corruption throughout the union. Every month they take their money out of our check and it is never the same amount.

A lot of workers have their backs messed up because of the work we do. They work you like a slave in there. And you have nothing to show for it. That is the crazy part.

When we discussed the struggle in Matamoros she became even more agitated. The union did not tell us that Flat Rock was shut down because of the strike in Mexico, she said. We should have joined with them and all gone on strike. All the companies should go on strike together!

She continued, putting her finger on the UAW strategy of isolating sections of workers that enter into struggle: That is the problem. We are not sticking together. And that does nothing but hurt us more.

David, who also works at the plant, added, The UAW won't tell us anything. They sent a letter to our local's Facebook page stating that they were still negotiating.'

We have constant turnover because the management treats the employees so badly.

We need to eliminate the points system. If you go to the hospital, you get a point. They count sick days and vacation days against us. I think we have the worst conditions in the industry. All the concessions weve taken: we want all that back pay.
The German government is preparing to provide military support for a US-planned safe zone in northern Syria. The zone is intended to protect the Kurdish militias, which fought against the Islamic State (IS) on the side of the US, from both Syrian and Turkish troops.

Appropriate plans are to be discussed in Berlin on Friday, when US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo makes his first official visit to Germanya visit which has been postponed several times.

Spiegel Online reported on Thursday that the German government signaled to the US in months of secret talks that it would be prepared to participate militarily in securing the safe zone. The Americans had in recent months repeatedly requested for German commitment behind the scenes, for the first time on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in mid-February.

Since then, the German government had sought a constructive dialogue with Washington. In order not to put off the US once again, the Chancellors office, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence largely agree that one should not alienate the US regarding the Syrian issue.

According to Spiegel Online, secret negotiations have taken place almost continuously since the Munich Security Conference. For example, in mid-March, the political heads of the German Ministry of Defence and the Pentagon, Geza Andreas von Geyr and John C. Rood, gathered together in Berlin in strict confidence all the other nations that had previously participated in the anti-IS coalition. In April, both the German Defence Minister, Ursula von der Leyen, and Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, travelled to Washington to discuss the issue at the highest level.

According to Spiegel Online it is still open how the German army will participate in the establishment of the safe zone. The dispatch of ground troops has been ruled out for political reasons, but the possibility of aerial support for a security force has been raised. To this end, Berlin made the offer to Washington of extending the German armys current mission in Jordan.

Since June 2017, the German army has maintained its own base at a Jordanian air force base under the name Camp Sonic. Specially equipped Tornado jets conduct air reconnaissance for the US-led anti-IS coalition from the base. The German Air Force also refuels coalition jets over Syria from the air. The mandate for this mission expires on October 31 and, according to a decision by the German parliament, is not to be extended.

Military officials, however, assume that the high-resolution images of Tornadoes and aerial refuelling would also be valuable for a future coalition, Spiegel Online reports. Politically, the mission would also be a symbol that Germany does not refuse to participate in more difficult international missions.

Military support of a safe zone in northern Syria would mean a massive escalation of Germanys participation in the Syrian war, which from the outset was aimed at ousting the regime of Bashar al-Assad and replacing it with a Western puppet regime.

The German foreign ministry has been intensively involved in the construction of the pro-imperialist Syrian opposition, which relied mainly on al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist militias. To this end it was supported not only by the SPD and the Greens, but also by the Left Party.

Following the failure of this operation, which has cost the lives of 400,000 civilians and reduced large parts of the country to ruins, the German government is now plunging into a military adventure that involves not only confrontation with the regime in Damascus, but also with its NATO partner Turkey, Iran and the nuclear power, Russia.

Damascus rejects such a safe zone because it would massively curtail the countrys sovereignty. Ankara is opposed because it wants to prevent at all costs the emergence of a Kurdish state on its border, which is under the control of a PKK-affiliated organisation. Tehran, which is being economically starved by the US and threatened with a devastating war, is closely allied with both Damascus and Ankara. And Moscow, which supports the Assad regime militarily and maintains close ties with Tehran and Ankara, quite rightly views the Western offensive in the Middle East as part of a containment strategy against Russia.

Should the German government accede to Pompeos request for military support for the establishment of a safe zone, then the official propaganda machinery will immediately begin to proclaim that such a mission is a humanitarian action aimed at protecting lives, or a fight against a dictatorial regime or something similar. This was already the pattern in the Afghanistan, Iraq and Libyan wars. The latter also began with the establishment of a safe zone, which then provided the pretext for bombing the country and overthrowing the Gaddafi regime.

No credence should be given to such lies. Washington and its European allies, including Berlin, are pursuing naked imperialist interests in their wars in the Middle Eastcontrol of oil, gas and markets, repression and weakening of their rivals, and strengthening their own position as a world power.

Five years ago the German government announcedin the words of then Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeierthat it is no longer prepared to comment on world politics from the sidelines and intends instead to engage in foreign and security policy earlier, more decisively and more substantially. Since then Berlin has been massively upgrading its military forces. In the powder keg of todays Middle East, the Germany elite sees another welcome opportunity to translate its goals into actioneven at the risk of a Third World War.
Family members of Korean victims prepare to leave for Hungary at Incheon International Airport, Thursday. Yonhap



The first group of families of South Korean victims of a boat accident in Hungary left for the eastern European country early Friday to receive updates on the situation.



Ten family members of the victims departed for Hungary, with officials from the tour agency that organized the group trip. They are among 50 people who will head to Budapest during the day.



"Some family members heard about the tragedy belatedly as they were at school or work. They are in a state of shock," said an official at the tour agency, Verygoodtour.



Seven South Koreans died and 19 others went missing after a tourist boat carrying them capsized in a river in Budapest late Wednesday (local time),









The accident occurred amid heavy rain when a larger cruise vessel collided with the boat carrying a total of 33 Koreans and two Hungarian crew members in the Danube River in downtown Budapest.



Rescue operations are under way for the second straight day. No additional survivors have yet been found.



Mourners expressed their condolences to the victims by putting flowers and candles on a riverside near a bridge near the accident scene. (Yonhap)




Emergency health care workers in the Penza oblast, Russia, several hundred kilometers southeast of Moscow, staged a work-to-rule strike in late May over wages and working conditions. The labor action in the region of 1.3 million people is an expression of the anger mounting across the country over the impact of the governments ongoing optimization of health care, which has led to the shuttering of facilities, pay cuts, and increased burdens on an already overstretched public system.

Medical assistants at Penzas emergency unit refused to work unless their teams were fully staffed, nurse-anesthetists refused to perform their duties unless accompanied by the appropriate doctor, and drivers refused to operate faulty vehicles. The 138 employees demanded a wage hike and an increase in the number of response teams to the federally mandated minimum such that units can reach the sick within 20 minutes of an emergency call.

Union leaders acted quickly to call off the action, announcing on Friday that they had reached an agreement with local officials to create a joint commission to address the economic and technical issues raised by the workers. Union representatives said they are prepared for dialogue. None of the workers demands have been met.

The protest by Penzas medical workers comes on the heels of similar actions elsewhere. At the end of April, nurses in Kemerovo oblast in Siberia announced a strike over massive cuts to the health care system due to a 1.7 billion ruble (US$26 million) budget shortfall. The governor responded by declaring the action impermissible and a shame on the honor of the region.

In early March, health care providers at an emergency unit in Moscow oblast staged a work-to-rule strike over low wages, low staffing, and the burdens created by the closing of medical facilities in neighboring areas. In mid-March, 500 demonstrators protested in Okulovka, a town of 10,000 midway between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, over similar issues.

Throughout the country, public doctors are leaving the profession due to abysmally low salaries and impossible working conditionsfacilities lack basic medicines and equipment, such that medical personnel cannot treat patients or are forced to rely on primitive techniques. As is common throughout the world, those with money increasingly turn to private practices for care, creating huge inequalities in the quality of medical services people receive and extraordinary burdens on families desperate for treatment.

The worsening state of Russias public health care system is bound up with the Putin governments optimization plan, which has taken advantage of the already deplorable state of medical services to mount further attacks. Particularly in the countrys regions where population is declining, the economy is stagnant, and job opportunities are few, the government has set about consolidating medical facilities, axing staff, eliminating clinics, liquidating specialty departments, and vastly increasing the demands on whatever and whoever remains.

All of this has been done in the name of making a more rational use of resources, which is simply a cover for cutting expenditures by ending access to care for millions of people. Like the changes to the health care system carried out under the Obama administration in the United States, the so-called reforms of the Putin government are overwhelmingly regressive.

In an interview with the press outlet IA Regnum on April 3, Yekaterina Negoda, a medical worker in Kaluga, south and slightly west of Moscow, noted that optimization is driving up the death rate. According to her, reforms carried out in Kaluga in 2018 caused mortality in the oblast to exceed the birth rate by 13 percent.

The assault on public health care comes alongside the raising of the retirement age, which is now at such a level that a significant portion of the population will die before it ever sees its pension. Widespread protests against the changes to the pension system unfolded throughout 2018, in yet another sign of the increasing unpopularity of the Putin government.

As occurred with the pension protests, right-wing forces in Russia are attempting to take advantage of the outrage within the population over health care. Alexei Navalny, the US-backed liberal opponent of President Putin, is a key figure behind the recently organized Alliance of Doctors, a supposedly independent trade union aimed at leading the demonstrations against the miserable state of the medical system.

Navalny is an ardent supporter of free-market policies and the total subordination of society to the profit interests of big business. While casting himself as a crusader against a corrupt Kremlin, his opposition to the Putin government is rooted in his support for American imperialism and that section of Russias oligarchy that wants to exploit the population as a junior partner of Washington. A Navalny government would continue and intensify all of the attacks against the working class in Russia that have unfolded over decades.

To carry out their struggle in defense of public health care, Russias medical workers must reject the effort of Navalny and all other political forces to channel social anger behind one or another form of capitalist right-wing politics. The genuine allies of Russias working class in its fight to defend public health are the workers around the worldin the United States, Great Britain, Honduras, Bolivia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Portugal and every other countryfighting for the same social rights.
WSWS reporters spoke to some of those protesting outside Westminster Magistrates Court against efforts to extradite Julian Assange to the United States.

Ezra, 28, a sonographer from New Zealand, said, I have come here today to show solidarity for Julian Assange, but its not just about Assange.

Its going to have a huge effect on journalism and the big one that affects all of us--democracy. We are told that we live in a democratic society, but this proves its not the case. I guess its one of the falling dominoes in a whole list of things that will come afterwards if hes sent to America.

Assange was being persecuted in particular because of the information that he revealed to do with the United States, war crimes, which is the issue that actually we should be talking about! We should be talking about those people that have committed those crimes and we are not.

It has been quite difficult to speak with friends and family. Its always, oh-hes a rapist and its stuff thats printed in the media. They dont hear a lot of the real stuff thats going on and theyve made these judgments about him that are completely incorrect because of the rhetoric thats been published in the press.

Thats why WikiLeaks is such a great organisation because they dont edit things, they dont redact things. They say, This is the information, and you decide your opinion on the issues.

Asked why the media were lying so blatantly about Assange, Ezra said, Because the people who run the big media organisations and the politicians are all working side by side and they all profit from these issues that Julian Assange has given evidence to. What he does is harming their self-interest and thats why everyone is against him.

Ezra explained that she had attempted to contact Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn about the witch-hunt of Assange. We were at the World Press Freedom Day, and they were having an event. Jeremy Corbyn was speaking via video link and it was a few days before Julian had his first hearing here at the courts and he didnt mention Assange at all. I wrote him a letter as hes my MP and I put it through his mailbox. He lives down the road from me, and I said to him, Its very sad that your position in the Labour Party now had rendered you redundant to all the things that you believed in and stood for your whole life--Palestine, against Trident [nuclear missiles], and Assange. Hes not effective anymore on any of these big topics.

Ezra (left) and Joe Brack

Joe Brack said his own family had faced persecution. If we want to end the refugee crisis, we need to end the wars. My grandfather, Morris, who came over from Poland in 1912 when he was 14, he slept in his uncles butchers shop and became a butcher in the end. He was fleeing persecution from the local Poles and from the Russians and it was a very unsafe warzone prior to the First World War. During the Second World War, every single member of his family that hadnt left Poland was killed.

Julian Assange has highlighted the issues about these wars, Hes highlighted that the UK, the US, the French, German and other governments are complicit in supplying ordinance and hardware to the Saudi and Emirate regimes. Theyve also assisted with personnel on the ground, with intelligence reports. They have the English and American spotters who send over the drones, so we [the British government] are very complicit in war crimes.

Julian Assange exposed these war crimes, and hes now in a deep dark cell in Belmarsh prison. He is not being treated like a person. He is denied his basic human rights, and the Americans today are making a case to extradite him on espionage charges, over 175-years of prison time, which is a living death sentence. Thats what that is.

I am here today, to support Julian and to see him a free man under UK jurisdiction, because in this country we do have a tradition of protecting our journalists and the freedom to express themselves and to publish their materials.

UK governments were so exposed by what Assange had made public that they want to extradite him either to Sweden or America to get him out of their hair.

The Guardianhas taken an editorial line very unsympathetic to Julian, and they have for many years now since the Swedes made their allegations. Obviously they dont have a case. If Julian was free from the threat of extradition, hed be free to face those allegations without hesitation and it would be proven if they had evidence.

Maxine Walker

Maxine from the Julian Assange Defence Committee said, We know what we're up against, and what Julian Assange is up against. They [the Obama and Trump administrations] have spent millions of dollars planning every step of this process, in cahoots with the British government and the Swedish government.

There is no doubt what they have been planning since 2010, is a speeding way of getting him to the US and burying him.

It shocks me that he's in solitary confinement 23 hours a day, that he has no access to his legal team, or ability to prepare his own defence. It is a disaster for him.

They have done this on purpose. A bail offence does not get you put in Belmarsh prison. It just doesn't. And the regime that is inflicted on him is the same regime that inflicted on terrorist detainees in Belmarsh in 2002, and it nearly broke them. It broke some of them. That's what they've designed for him.

We are here to stand for him. He's asked us, everyone to stand for him, and we're going to stand for him for as long as it takes. We have to picket every organisation that won't support him. We must be outside Amnesty. We must be outside the Guardian. Particularly the Guardian, who are liars, and frauds, and cheats, and not journalists.

They did an editorial [calling for Assange to be sent to Sweden] of 476 words last week. It contained a minimum of six lies. That's one every 80 words. That's their level of journalism.
The two principal architects of US imperialisms war buildup against Iran are carrying out a series of foreign visits aimed at bullying Europe into falling in line behind Washingtons campaign of aggression and whipping up the US-backed anti-Iranian axis comprised of the Persian Gulf Sunni oil sheikdoms, led by Saudi Arabia.

John Bolton, the US national security adviser, was in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, on Wednesday, leveling unsubstantiated allegations against Iran and threatening a very strong response by the US and its war machine.

It was Bolton who announced the military buildup against Iran earlier this month, with the dispatch of the naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln along with a bombing task force including nuclear-capable B-52s.

Since this initial buildup announced at the beginning of May, Washington has deployed an amphibious battle group carrying warplanes and US Marines, a Patriot missile battery and, at the end of last week, the deployment of another 1,500 troops to reinforce the nearly 50,000 already deployed in a string of bases encircling Iran. Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said that the latest deployment consists of another 900 troops being sent into Saudi Arabia and Qatar, along with 600 assigned to a Patriot missile battery that had scheduled to rotate out of the region but will be kept in place.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, drew up plans for the deployment of as many as 120,000 troops to the region, a similar number as was deployed before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Bolton, who prior to his appointment as national security adviser had frequently called for regime change in Tehran and penned an Op-ed for the New York Times titled To Stop Irans Bomb, Bomb Iran, made the improbable claim to reporters in Abu Dhabi that US policy under the Trump administration was not one of regime change.

The US national security adviser blamed Iran for an alleged sabotage attack on four vessels off the shores of the UAE, including two Saudi-owned tankers, together with a drone attack on pumping stations on the Saudi oil company Aramcos East-West pipelineclaimed by Houthi rebels as a retaliation for the near-genocidal war being waged by Riyadh on Yemen. He also claimed that there had been another attempted attackpreviously reported by neither the US nor Saudi Arabiaon the Saudi oil port of Yanbu.

Offering no evidence whatsoever, Bolton declared that the alleged sabotage of the Saudi tankers and the other two vessels was the result of naval mines almost certainly from Iran.

The same Bolton in 2002 and 2003 insisted with far greater than almost certainty that the government of Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction when, as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security affairs in the Bush administration, he was one of the leading advocates for a war of aggression against Iraq.

Irans foreign ministry denounced Bolton as a warmonger and dismissed his remarks as a ridiculous accusation.

Washingtons transparent aim is to present Iran as the aggressor. This is under conditions in which US imperialism is carrying out what it describes as a campaign of maximum pressure against the country of 83 million people, mounting an unrelenting military buildup, while imposing sweeping sanctions tantamount to a state of war with the principal aim of reducing Irans oil exports to zero and creating social upheaval by crashing the countrys economy.

The US reimposed and escalated sanctions one year ago after unilaterally abrogating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, reached in 2015 between Iran, the US, the European powers, Russia and China. Under the agreement, Tehran sharply limited its nuclear program while submitting to an intrusive inspections regime in return for the lifting of sanctions and normalization of economic relations.

Recently Tehran announced a 60-day suspension of its commitment to cap its production of enriched uranium and heavy water in an attempt to pressure the European powers to make good on their promises to launch an Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) to circumvent US sanctions by facilitating non-dollar trade with Iran.

While the reported quadrupling of its production rate of uranium to 3.67 percent would still leave Tehran in compliance with the JCPOA, the increase would soon cause it to exceed the cap of 300 kilograms of stockpiled low-enriched uranium. Under the JCPOA, Tehran is supposed to sell off any enriched uranium, which it did to Russia, but now cannot because of the US sanctions.

With unmitigated cynicism, Bolton said of Irans action, Theres no reason for them to do any of that unless thats part of an effort to reduce the breakout time to produce nuclear weapons. He added, Thats a very serious issue if they continue to do that.

He claimed that Tehrans actions had vindicated Washingtons ripping up of the agreement: This is just more graphic evidence that it hasnt constrained their continuing desire to have nuclear weapons. It certainly hasnt reduced their terrorist activities in the region that we just discussed or their other malign behavior in their use of conventional forces.

Tehran has consistently denied that it has ever sought to develop nuclear weapons.

Boltons trip to the Middle East came on the eve of a trio of conferences that were convened in Saudi Arabia on Thursdaythe Organization of Islamic Countries, the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Councilall brought to Mecca in a blatant attempt to exploit the Muslim holy city to line up member states behind the predatory interests of the House of Saud which are being pursued in alliance with Washington against Iran.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is conducting a tour of Europe aimed at bullying its governments into subordinating themselves to Washingtons war drive against Iran. It includes stops in Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, as well a visit to Montreux, Switzerland for the annual meeting of the secretive Bilderberg Group, to share Washingtons war plans with a group of billionaires and senior state officials who are sworn to secrecy about what he reveals.

Before Pompeos arrival, Washington issued a naked threat against any attempt by Europe to bypass the crushing US sanctions against Iran.

The Bloomberg news agency reported in a May 7 letter sent by Sigal Mandelker, the Treasury Departments undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, warning that anyone associated with Instex, the European vehicle created to sustain trade with Tehran by avoiding the US dollar and financial institutions, could be subjected to severe penalties and barred from the US financial system.

I urge you to carefully consider the potential sanctions exposure of Instex, Mandelker wrote in the letter to Instex president Per Fischer. Engaging in activities that run afoul of US sanctions can result in severe consequences, including a loss of access to the US financial system.

Meanwhile, the US sanctions regime against Iran has focused on a single Chinese super-tanker, the Pacific Bravo, which took on a load of crude at Irans Kharg Island and has headed back toward China.

Washington has issued a warning to Hong Kong that if it allows the ship to dock or services it, it could face severe sanctions for violating the US blockade against Iran.

Chinas Foreign Ministry issued a statement rejecting the threats. The normal energy dealings between Iran and the international community, including China, that is within the framework of international laws, are reasonable, lawful, and should be respected and protected, it said.

Hong Kongs Commerce and Economic Development Bureau similarly responded that it has been strictly implementing sanctions decided by the United Nations, which dont impose any restrictions on the export of petroleum from Iran.

This standoff exposes the real roots of the war drive against Iran. They lie not merely in the maniacal warmongering of Bolton or Pompeo, but in the drive by US imperialism to offset the decline of its economic hegemony by wrapping its fists around the oil pumps of the Middle East, Venezuela and the entire planet in order to dictate terms to its emerging rival, China.

Bound up with the great power rivalries that are the focus of the ever-escalating eruption of US militarism, a military confrontation with Iran could trigger a third world war fought with nuclear weapons. Such a global catastrophe can be averted only by means of the independent political mobilization of the working class against war and its source, the global capitalist system.
Late Wednesday night, an ashen-faced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated legislation to dissolve the shortest Knesset (parliament) in Israels history and hold fresh elections.

They will take place in three and a half months, the minimum period for an election campaign under law, on September 17. This is only two weeks before Netanyahus pre-indictment hearing on a raft of corruption charges on October 2 and 3.

Calling fresh elections is an expression of the crisis of bourgeois rule gripping Israel, provoked by the twin pressures of the decades-long military suppression of the Palestinian people and deepening social inequality within Israel itself, which ranks among the highest in the developed world. Political and social tensions are so great that the traditional mechanisms of bourgeois democracy are breaking downmirroring the political upheavals taking place throughout world.

Netanyahu has failed to form a governing coalition within the legal deadline with his former far-right nationalist and ultra-Orthodox partners, seven weeks after they and his Likud party collectively won 65 seats in the 120-seat Knesset in the April 9 elections.

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the right-wing, secular Yisrael Beytenu (Israel is our Home) that won five seats in the Knesset, refused to join his coalition. He had resigned his post as Defence Minister last year over Netanyahus softness on Gaza, leaving the government with a majority of one and precipitating an early election.

Lieberman insisted that the new government support a law forcing ultra-Orthodox Israelis to serve in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), a proposal anathema to Netanyahus religious party partners. Lieberman refused all attempts to modify the law, saying, I wont to be party to a Halachic government, referring to religious Jewish law.

Lieberman added, We will go to elections again, and the people will determine whether they want a right-wing government or a Haredi [religious] government. He claims that there are between 20 and 25 legislators who support a state run on the principles of Jewish law, including stricter laws for transport and store opening hours on the Sabbath and greater control over determining Jewish identity that would affect his own, largely Russian, supporters.

This has sparked a vicious furor, with Likud accusing him of trying to turn the conscription issue into a war over religion.

Netanyahu was equally incapable of reaching an agreement with his other right-wing partners, despite his attempt to buy support by introducing legislation to expand the number of ministers in his cabinet. They all sought to use his weakened position to extract the maximum concessions at the expense of their rivals.

According to a report by Channel 12, Netanyahu even approached the Labour party and offered chairman Avi Gabbay the Finance Ministry and three other portfolios, without success.

The final straw was the refusal of Moshe Kahlon, the finance minister and leader of the Kulanu party, which holds four seats, to support a coalition made up of just 60 Knesset members because it would be almost impossible for the government to function, particularly as the forthcoming budget would require further attacks on workers living conditions in the face of a ballooning national debt and fiscal deficit.

The crisis is engulfing Netanyahu at a time when he, his family and large sections of Israels political elite are in the grip of several major corruption scandals. His wife Sara has just agreed to a US$15,000 plea bargain to evade criminal prosecution over allegations she misused US$78,000 of state funds. Already weakened by Liebermans defection, Netanyahu called the election ahead of schedule in a desperate attempt to outmanoeuvre Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit over his expected indictment for multiple charges of corruption involving allegedly granting regulatory concessions to businessmen in return for lavish gifts or favourable news coverage.

Netanyahu viewed the elections as a means of derailing the attempt to prosecute him, calculating that victory would give him a personal mandate to rule. To strengthen his electoral position, he even forged an alliance with the fascist and anti-Arab terrorist Jewish Power, comprised of followers of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane. Kahane advocated the transfer of Palestinians to neighbouring Arab countries and a ban on intermarriage between Jews and Arabs. His Kach Party was banned as a terrorist organisation.

Netanyahu pledged before the election that he would not seek an immunity bill to prevent the indictment of a sitting prime minister and legislators, but but afterwards demanded immunity legislation. Now, irrespective of whether Likudas is expectedwins again in September, it will be too late to push through the immunity and override bills. Furthermore, the likelihood of any of his right-wing partners signing a coalition agreement with someone facing prosecution in what appears to be an open-and-shut case is all but zero. Netanyahu therefore faces the certainty of a challenge for the leadership from within Likud.

Netanyahu began the process of dissolving the Knesset on Monday to ensure that no one else became prime minister. It prevented President Reuven Rivlin from calling on Benny Gantz, the former IDF Chief of Staff who leads the main opposition bloc Blue and White, or his rival within the Likud Party, Gideon Saar, to form a government.

The elections are expected to cost US$131 million, whichaccording to the Ministry of Financeincludes US$58 million in subsidies for party campaign costs and US$73 million for the election itself, under conditions where the parties themselves are saddled with debts from the last elections.

In whatever way this conflict is resolved, it will produce an intensification of the drive toward war, the assault on living standards and the destruction of democratic rights.

Israeli workers and youth cannot afford to remain passive spectators as the ruling class works out its internal conflicts at the expense of their economic, social and democratic rights. The fight of the working class for its interestsan end to the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians and the growing threat of war against its neighbours and Iran, along with a vast redistribution of wealth and social equalityraises the urgent necessity for a mass political movement of Israeli and Palestinian workers, independent of and opposed to both the Israeli and Palestinian political parties, against the capitalist system and for socialism.
Around 100 people demonstrated outside Westminster Magistrates Court Thursday morning to oppose US extradition proceedings targeting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Yesterdays procedural hearing would have been the first since the US Department of Justice levelled 17 additional charges against Assange under the Espionage Act, carrying a prison term of 175 years. But the hearing was postponed, with Assanges lawyer Gareth Peirce confirming her client was too ill to attend.

Assange has been transferred by prison authorities to HM Prison Belmarsh hospital and was unable to appear even via video-link. Since he was illegally seized by police from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, Assange has been held virtually incommunicado in the maximum-security prison. He is serving a 50-week sentence sadistically imposed by the courts for a minor bail infringement in facilities normally reserved for terrorists and organised crime figures.

Protesters outside the court

In court, Gareth Peirce told judge Emma Arbuthnot that Assange was not very well. But nothing is to be allowed to stand in the way of the British judicial establishment, which is hellbent on facilitating Assanges extradition. Arbuthnot announced the next hearing would take place on June 12 or a day either side at Belmarsh Magistrates Court, or even in Belmarsh prison.

Outside the court, supporters of Julian Assange made their presence felt with a determined protest organised by the Julian Assange Defence Committee (JADC) and supported by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP). They chanted slogans including US, UK  Hands off Assange!, Theres only one decisionNo extradition! and Telling the truth is not a crimeFree Julian Assange.

Homemade placards included Free Assange, Jail War Criminals, Free Julian Assange, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and Free Press, Free Assange. Banners and placards from the SEP demanded freedom for Assange and jailed whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

Opening the rally, the JADCs Emmy Butlin told those assembled, The judge acknowledged that Julian Assange has not been well. Obviously, we are extremely concerned about reports in the press about his health and that he is currently at the hospital ward of Belmarsh prison. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.

Gordon Dimmack addresses the protest

Butlin appealed for maximum attendance at the next months hearing and introduced each of the other speakers.

Independent video blogger Gordon Dimmack read aloud the letter he had received from Julian Assange the previous week and received applause as he cited Assanges words, until I am free, everyone must take my place.

Chris Marsden demands freedom for Julian Assange

Chris Marsden, National Secretary of the Socialist Equality Party said, A legal abomination took place in this court today. An innocent man is being railroaded to the United States for extradition Julian Assange is desperately ill and is in a medical ward in Belmarsh prison. Nothing will stop the brutality of the British state in its efforts to collude with the United States to silence Julian Assange. We have to stop this. The way to stop it is to mobilise the massive power of the working class, to end this travesty, this crime against journalism, against truth, in the struggle against war.

Marsden concluded, We speak for millions all over the world who are defenders of Julian Assange, defenders of WikiLeaks and defenders of the truth Everything depends upon the mobilisation of workers, young people against the establishment, against the mainstream media, against the parties of big business and for a genuine mass movement against war, colonialism and oppression.

Maxine Walker speaks outside Westminster Magistrates Court

The JADCs Maxine Walker told demonstrators, We are here today to stand with Julian Assange. In standing with him we are standing for what? We are standing for truth, we are standing for freedom, and we are standing for democracy. And what are we standing against? We are standing against the imperialist war machine that has done everything in its power to demonise and destroy Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. The secrecy, the lies of the war machine of the imperialist countries. Their murder, their torture, their rendition, their coups and their wars. That is what WikiLeaks revealed to us.

We have chosen a side. We have chosen the side of justice. And the tyrants and the psychopaths who rule the world are doing everything in their power to destroy Julian Assange, physically and mentally to lock him up forever, to bury him and make an example to other people if you take that stand for truth, this is what will happen to you. That is why this struggle is so vital.

As the rally concluded, demonstrators lined the footpath facing Marylebone Road, holding their placards and banners high. With traffic flowing heavily in both directions, dozens of London bus drivers, truck drivers, cabbies and tradesman sounded their horns loudly, waving to demonstrators in a sustained show of support. This was the voice of the working classthe powerful social force that will win Assanges freedom.

Cars honking in support of Julian Assange demonstration

After rallying outside the court, a group of demonstrators decided to picket the offices of Amnesty International and the Guardian. They denounced Amnestys refusal to list Assange and Manning as prisoners of conscience and protested the Guardians relentless defamation, slander and character assassination of the WikiLeaks founder and journalist.
Investigative journalist, broadcaster and film maker John Pilger told the media outside the Westminster Magistrates Court that Julian Assanges crime here, is the crime of good journalism, and every journalist who practices their craft in a conscientious way, and in a truthful way, and who investigates the power that imposes itself on people, be it the government or their vested interests, should be deeply concerned about this. Because today its Julian Assange, tomorrow it could be you.

John Pilger speaking to the media outside the court

I am here to show support for a distinguished fellow journalist and someone whose one crime was free journalism. As a journalist myself of many years and actually as a friend of Julian Assange as well, I am here to support that. I think the level of public support for Julian Assange is very high, you should never judge public support by media. Thats a completely false reality, a false impression.

My understanding is in this country, in the United States, certainly in his home country of Australia, there is enormous public support for Julian Assange. People understand that he has been singled out as an example, of a concerted assault on freethinking, free speech and certainly on free-journalism.

He couldnt appear today because he was unwell, hes in the prison hospital. When I saw him a couple of weeks ago he wasnt very well then. But then hes been in an embassy, in a confined space, without natural light for almost seven years. He needs a great deal of diagnostic care and rehabilitation. Hes gone through an extraordinary physical and mental ordeal, and now he has to go through this.

This is so shameful, so shameful that we are even here today to consider the extradition of a journalist for trying to protect his sources. Or even the extradition of Julian Assange to Sweden to an entirely bogus case when much of it has been suppressed. Thats what is shameful. But thats what I think many people understand.

Asked if he had a message for readers of the World Socialist Web Site, Pilger said. Your website has done some of the best reporting, best analysis [on Assanges case].

This is one of the most serious attacks in a society that considers itself to be free. George Orwell says you can have totalitarianism in a free society; it doesnt have to be totalitarian. And thats what we are seeing with this kind of ordeal that Julian Assange is going through. It was a totalitarian act. All those who believe in freedom, it doesnt matter really what political affiliation they have, if they believe in true freedom, should be supporting Julian Assange.

Giving further details on Assanges extensive health problems, Pilger added, When I saw him, he was unwell; he was having difficulty keeping food down. But he was extraordinarily resilient at the same time. We spoke for a couple of hours. Now I think his conditioned has worsened.

He couldnt appear today because he is in the prison hospital. None of this ought to be surprising. He spent seven years in a confined space without natural light. For many years, he had a terrible cough. He hasnt been able to have the kind of diagnosis that all of us would take for granted, to have an x-ray or whatever, because he was denied free passage out of the embassy.
Late yesterday, Donald Trump announced the US would impose a 5 percent tariff on all Mexican imports beginning June 10. He tweeted that the tariff would last until such time as illegal migrants coming through Mexico, and into our Country, STOP, adding, The Tariff will gradually increase until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied at a rate of 5 percent per month for four months.

Stock futures declined dramatically on the news. Trump is responding to the political crisis embroiling the American ruling class by launching a renewed assault on immigrant workers.

Trumps announcement came just over a day after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller effectively appealed to Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against Trump. In his remarks delivered Wednesday morning, Mueller contradicted Trumps claim that the report into allegations of Russian interference in US elections and obstruction of justice exonerated the president. Mueller said, If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.

Trump accompanied his proposal to raise tariffs by pledging he would announce new anti-immigrant measures as early as today. Trump told the press he will make a big league statement having to do with the border and having to do with people illegally coming over the border and it will be my biggest statement so far on the border.

The White House issued a fascistic statement from Trump that was likely written by the fascist-minded White House political advisor Stephen Miller:

As everyone knows, the United States of America has been invaded by hundreds of thousands of people coming through Mexico and entering our country illegally. This sustained influx of illegal aliens has profound consequences on every aspect of our national lifeoverwhelming our schools, overcrowding our hospitals, draining our welfare system, and causing untold amounts of crime.

Gang members, smugglers, human traffickers, and illegal drugs and narcotics of all kinds are pouring across the Southern Border and directly into our communities. Thousands of innocent lives are taken every year as a result of this lawless chaos. It must end NOW!

Administration officials also leaked to Politico yesterday plans to choke off asylum to Central Americans. Trumps proposal would deny asylum to thousands of migrants waiting just south of the border, Politico wrote.

Last year, Trump and the Mexican government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador agreed that Mexico would block Central American asylum seekers from entering the US on Trumps behalf as part of the remain in Mexico program. Now that rotten deal has been exposed as a lie. Tens of thousands of Central Americans would become stranded far from home with no ability to exercise their right to asylum, which is guaranteed under international law.

New reports are also surfacing of massive amounts of immigrant children being illegally detained in jails along the US-Mexico border. According to a Washington Post report that broke yesterday, there are 2,000 unaccompanied children held in overcrowded US Border Patrol facilities beyond legally allowed time limits, including some who are 12 or younger.

The Trump administration is engaged in flagrant violations of federal law, which requires children be released from detention within 72 hours. Roughly 1,000 unaccompanied children are spending longer than a week in Border Patrol stations and processing centers, the Post wrote, while more than 250 children 12 or younger have been in custody for an average of six days. Children are suffering from chicken pox and respiratory diseases as a result of the deliberate government policy to make them suffer. Six childrenfive Guatemalans and a Salvadoranhave died in US custody since September.

The Post described conditions at one facility where toddler children were packed into concrete holding cells, many of them sleeping head-to-foot on the floor. Another cell held adolescent boys, many of whom stood in the small space, peering out through a glass wall. One stood urinating behind the low wall that obscured the toilet in back. In the adjacent cell, several boys who appeared to be of elementary school age slept curled up on concrete benches, a few clutching Mylar emergency blankets.

With these measures, Trump is making clear he will respond to threats of impeachment by whipping up fascistic sentiments and threatening extra-legal measures. Earlier this month, Trump threatened to cancel the 2020 elections and extend his term until 2022. He has also proposed turning traditional Washington DC independence day celebrations into a major rally of his supporters. His commencement address to the US Air Force Academy yesterday in Colorado Springs also had the air of a campaign rally, with the crowd of generals, officers and graduating cadets cheering his boasts about massive increases in military spending.

The Democratic Party opposition to Trump is not from the left and it blatantly ignores Trumps ruthless attack on the rights of immigrant workers. Instead, the Democrats have focused their fire almost entirely on baseless allegations of Russian interference in US elections.

Explicitly referencing allegations against Russia, Hillary Clinton told a crowd of graduating seniors at Hunter College in New York Wednesday that There may not be tanks in our streets, but make no mistake we are witnessing an assault on the rule of law and the foundation of our democracy. Clinton said the Trump administration showed a complete refusal to condemn a foreign power who attacked our democracy.

Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi went a step further, denouncing the social media platform Facebook as willing enablers of the Russian interference in our election because they refused to censor an edited video shared by Trump which appeared to showed Pelosi stammering while speaking. Trump posted the video in an effort to show Pelosi was mentally unfit.

Pelosi told KQED News in San Francisco, We have said all along, Poor Facebook, they were unwittingly exploited by the Russians. I think wittingly, because right now they are putting up something that they know is false. I think its wrong.

Clinton also referenced the Facebook video of Pelosi in her Hunter College speech, saying the video is sexist trash. As students in the background rolled their eyes and appeared visibly bored, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate denounced the big social media platforms who know their systems are being manipulated by foreign and domestic actors to sow division, promote extremism and spread misinformation.

As Trump prepares vicious and dangerous attacks on immigrant workers, the Democrats ignore these threats and instead make hysterical demands for censorship and a bellicose anti-Russian foreign policy based on false claims of foreign meddling.

The Democratic Party fears that an effort to impeach Trump could trigger tens of millions of workers to make their democratic, economic and social grievances known. As a result, they are determined to ensure the sole focus of any impeachment effort is based entirely on the neo-McCarthyite anti-Russia campaign. This is also the reason they are insisting that Mueller give public testimony before the Congress.

The working class has no ally in this faction fight between reactionary parties of US imperialism. Both Trump and the Democrats have competing strategies for establishing the geopolitical dominance of the American ruling class over the population of the world. Both plan to wage war, attack the democratic rights of the population and facilitate the super-exploitation of the working class by corporations at home and abroad.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporations Four Corners program earlier this month revealed that the Labor government in the northeastern state of Queensland is detaining children in adult watch houses, where they are subjected to abuse and violations of their basic rights.

Watch houses are facilities, often attached to police stations, where arrested people are temporarily detained. Those kept in the maximum-security watch house in Brisbane, the state capital, have been charged with serious crimes such as murder and armed robbery, as well as minor infringements, including public drunkenness.

This outrage came to public prominence earlier this year, after a three-year investigation by Amnesty International. According to the international rights organisation, as of May 10, there were 89 children in the Brisbane city watch house. Three of the children were just 10 years old. A 16-year-old boy had been held at the facility for 43 days.

The Four Corners report was based on 200 case notes obtained by Amnesty International from the Office of the Public Guardian under the Right to Information laws. Amnesty International said the notes documented 2,655 individual violations of human rights law and domestic legislation since March 2018.

The notes documented a litany of abuses, dangerous incidents and medical emergencies. In three separate incidents, children had all or part of one of their fingers cut off by cell doors.

One young man was held in an isolation cell for 23 days. Many others had been held for up to two weeks. Under international law, holding someone in solitary confinement for longer than 15 days is deemed torture.

In another case, a 17-year-old girl injected herself with the tranquiliser Xanax laced with Ice. It is unclear how she came to possess the drug. She was not provided with any medical treatment before she was released.

Children have been put in close proximity with dangerous and unstable adults. In one case, a teenage girl was placed in a same cell as two male sex offenders. In another, two children were kept in a cell in full view across from a convicted paedophile.

There have been multiple suicide attempts by teenagers inside the Brisbane watch house. Children with psychological issues have been subjected to degrading and inhumane treatment.

A young girl with a history of suicide attempts spent nine days in isolation in an observation cell wearing only a suicide gown. Another girl was forced to the ground, stripped of her clothing by several officers and forced into a suicide smock.

Police reportedly used the invasive squat and cough method of strip-searching children entering the facility.

A 12-year-old boy, who had been remanded in the Brisbane watch house on car-theft charges, told Four Corners the experience had been scary. He said: All the security guards, the staff, the other guys they were swearing at me, calling me little black things. I was the smallest in there, they put me in with a couple of other boys I didnt know, I couldnt fight, I would be bashed.

Natalie Siegel-Brown, Queenslands public guardian, reported that kids are in there for the most minor of crimes the vast majority of them have never been convicted if the kids are lucky they get 15 minutes of exercise in a small concrete pen, with mesh over the roof.

Of all children in Queensland prisons, approximately 86 percent are on remand. Most of those detained in Brisbane watch house are waiting for a court appearance.

Desperate to head off widespread anger over the revelations, Queensland Labors Child Safety Minister Di Farmer announced $300 million for the expansion of youth detention facilities across the state. In other words, Labors response is more prisons.

In office since 2015, Labor has sought to justify the abusive regime by blaming it on overcrowding in youth detention centres. The Australian Bureau of Statistics, however, has documented a decline in youth crime nationally since 2009. This suggests that police are arresting children and teenagers in greater numbers on suspicion of minor offenses.

Young people who are forced into the prison system frequently suffer mental health problems, fueled by unemployment, family breakdown and alcohol and drug addiction.

This is part of a deepening social crisis. Working class youth face high levels of unemployment and underemployment, astronomical housing costs, large debts and tuition fees and, more broadly, a future of war, austerity and further cuts to social conditions.

Aboriginal people, the most oppressed section of the working class, are heavily over-represented throughout the prison population. Half the children detained at the Brisbane watch house this month were of Aboriginal descent. Aborigines are frequently deprived of decent healthcare and education, face systematic discrimination and suffer poverty rates far higher than the broader population.

An Aboriginal grandmother whose grandson was forcibly taken from her home in the regional mining town of Mount Isa, told Four Corners her grandson and his friends cant walk from A to B without the police harassing them, Im worried about my grandson, they mistreat him all the time.

Labor and Liberal-National governments alike have responded to the misery and anger caused by their pro-business policies by boosting police numbers. In October 2017, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that an additional 400 police officers would be hired by 2021, on top of an extra 300 between 2015 and 2017. The total throughout the state is already 11,800.

The latest exposure points to worsening abuses of children in detention. It comes three years after millions of people in Australia and internationally were sickened by footage on another Four Corners program. It showed boys as young as 10 being assaulted, stripped naked, tear-gassed, held in solitary confinement for days on end, and shackled and hooded in restraint chairs in a juvenile detention centre in the Northern Territory (NT).

The federal Liberal-National government announced a royal commission in a bid to defuse international outrage over the incident. The royal commission called for Darwins Don Dale juvenile prison to be closed, finding that youth detention centres in the NT were not fit for accommodating, let alone rehabilitating, children and young people.

Like every other royal commission, it was a whitewash, which held nobody to account for the institutional abuse of young people, and did nothing to alter the conditions of those who remained imprisoned. The NT Labor government, in office since 2016, has kept the inhumane facility open.

Likewise, in the state of Victoria, after inmates damaged Melbournes Parkville youth prison during unrest in 2016, the state Labor government illegally moved some of the detainees to Barwon Prison, a maximum-security adult jail. There they were capsicum-sprayed and faced extended periods of solitary confinement.

In 2017, the Labor government announced it was constructing the the highest-security youth justice facility that Victoria has ever seen. This would have six-metre perimeter fencing and many of the same design features as a maximum-security adult prison.

These measures are a sharp expression of a broader turn to authoritarian forms of rule by the entire political establishment amid a deepening social and economic crisis, growing political discontent and the reemergence of major class struggles internationally.

The author also recommends:

Australia: Riot police tear-gas youth at Don Dale juvenile prison

[23 November 2018]

Systemic abuses in Australias juvenile prisons: The class issues

[4 August 2016]
A photograph taken of video footage that shows the two ships seconds before the collision on the River Danube during press briefing on the boat accident in the police headquarters in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, May 30, 2019. On the previous evening a hotelship and a smaller cruise ship collided, and the latter sank with thirty-three South Korean passengers and two Hungarian staff on board. (Noemi Bruzak/MTI via AP)







The captain of a vessel that collided with another boat on a river in Hungary, resulting in the death of at least seven South Korean tourists, has been detained, foreign news reports said Friday.



According to the AFP, Hungarian police said they had detained the Ukrainian captain of the cruise ship on suspicion of "endangering waterborne traffic resulting in multiple deaths."






Hong Soo-in, left, the nation's first female pilot, poses with her co-pilot inside the cockpit of a flight simulator at the Korean Air Simulator Training Center in Incheon. Courtesy of Korean Air



By Kim Hyun-bin



Coming in first in any category is a challenging affair, but to be the country's first female commercial pilot in a male dominated industry is a story of its own.



Despite the challenges, the storyline perfectly describes Hong Soo-in, a pilot for the country's flagship carrier Korean Air, whose wish to become the first female pilot came true in 1996, marking a new chapter in the country's aviation history.



Starting from a young age, she loved the skies and loved the thought of flying and wanted to pursue a career in aviation. But at the time, the industry was not ready to welcome her in.



"When I was younger, there were no opportunities for women to become pilots, and I started work in a different field at Samsung Electronics. But suddenly, in 1995, Korean Air was hiring pilots, including women for the first time. I applied and got the job, becoming the nation's first female co-pilot in the country's civil aviation history," Hong said.



Along with Hong, two other women shared the title by going through around a 10 to 1 competition at the time.



"It is not easy to become the first in any category and had to overcome prejudices and unfamiliar environments. I did overcome those obstacles, and was proud and honored to become the first female pilot in 2008," she said.



A pilot has its perks being able to travel to different countries day in and day out and learn to be open-minded from experiencing other cultures from abroad.



However, Hong believes one of the best benefits is being able to see the alluring horizon from the best seat on the plane.



"Watching over the horizon inside the cockpit is dazzling, seeing the sun rise and set, lightning among the clouds, the aurora in the polar regions, Alaska's glaciers and the endless ocean  there is not one sight that doesn't leave you breathless," Hong said.



The airline industry has drastically changed for the better since I first entered Korean Air, such as the advancement of technology and state-of-the-art aircrafts as well as changes in the overall work atmosphere, which has become more female-friendly.



"At first, I felt the pressure as all the attention was on me, but now I have many female subordinates. Not just in Korea, but worldwide airlines have employed not only female pilots but maintenance and air controllers, so the corporate culture has become more female-friendly," she said.



Even with over 23 years of experience and close to 10,000 accumulated flight hours, there is still an aspect Hong finds difficult.



"Flying is a continuous fight against fitness and jet leg, as a pilot needs to repeatedly fly over 10 hours and rest a little, then fly back again over 10 hours. I still have not gotten used to jet lag," she said.



"Another difficult aspect is being away from family. I have a 10-year-old daughter, but I am not able to be with her for a couple of days at a time, which is stressful."


Placards and banners are on display on Seoul Plaza during last year's Seoul Queer Culture Festival in this July 14 photo. Yonhap



By Kim Rahn



A parade celebrating self-acceptance and encouraging social acceptance of the LGBTQ community will take place in downtown Seoul, Saturday, as a part of the Seoul Queer Culture Festival.



In protest, anti-gay rights groups will also hold their own rally nearby.



According to the festival organizer, Friday, about 70,000 people  both part of the queer community and those showing support  are expected to participate in the parade, which is the highlight of the festival, running for its 20th year. The festival started May 21 and will continue until June 9, with other programs such as a film festival and lectures.



Today performances and concerts will be held at Seoul Plaza from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., then participants will march along a 4.5-kilometer course from the plaza past Euljiro and Jonggak stations to Gwanghwamun and then back to the plaza, taking about two hours.



The festival and parade have faced protests from conservative and Christian groups every year, and this year is no exception.



On May 22, several such anti-gay rights groups asked the Seoul Western District Court to ban the parade, claiming it would expose children to a "harmful environment."



But the court dismissed the request Friday, saying banning the event would infringe on the freedom of expression and assembly, which is guaranteed by the Constitution.



It also rejected the group's claim that children should be banned from joining the events, saying it couldn't be concluded that activities harmful to them would take place.



Regardless of the court's decision, the anti-gay rights groups, including the Anti-Homosexuality Christian Solidarity, will hold a rally opposing the festival near Seoul Plaza, the main venue.



Police will be watching for signs of a possible clash between the two groups. In 2014, such groups blocked the parade, and a confrontation lasted for four hours.



Earlier this week, the groups also held a demonstration in front of the U.S. Embassy to demand it take down a rainbow flag that was attached to the building to show support for the festival.


Families of victims of a boat accident in Hungary walk to the departure area at Incheon International Airport, Friday, to head for the country to meet surviving victims and grasp the exact situation of the rescue operation for those still missing. /Yonhap



By Bahk Eun-ji



The travel agency running the tour program on which dozens of Koreans were killed or are still missing when a boat capsized in Hungary, said Friday that it will take legal action against the owner of a second sightseeing vessel that is suspected of causing the accident.



Officials from Very Good Tour said they would begin legal action as soon as the exact reason for the accident is announced.



The move came a day after seven Korean tourists died and 19 others went missing after the large sightseeing vessel, Viking Sigyn, rear-ended the Hableany, a small boat carrying the Koreans, on the Danube River. The latter capsized immediately after the collision, and the larger vessel left the scene without taking any action, according to CCTV recordings and witnesses.



The agency said it would hold either the owner or operator of Viking Sigyn responsible.






By Clair McFarland

Riverton Ranger

Via Wyoming New Exchange

RIVERTON  The Wyoming Democratic Party has announced will seek further action on 2018 voting incidents that the Fremont County Attorneys Office determined to be legal.

State chairman Joe Barbuto said Tuesday that the investigation by Fremont County Attorney Patrick J. LeBrun is not the end of the issue. He also said The Wyoming Democratic Party will work to ensure that voting issues experienced by Fremont County residents  particularly tribal voters  in 2018 do not repeat themselves in future elections.

The May 15 request for investigation that the WDP sent to LeBruns office outlined two events, the latter of which occurred at a polling station in Ethete, where an election judge asked prospective voters to read the voters oath aloud upon registering. The plaint claimed that this practice was being used as a literacy test.

Conversely, in the wake of his interviews and research, LeBrun concluded that the oath reading was ...not in line with training, however it was not being used as a literacy test.

Even with the possibility of an illegal literacy test having been dismissed, the WDP stated its further concern that a voting process that exists because of the personal feelings of one election judge, outside of the official training provided, is an effective form of voter suppression a party statement reads.

WDP communications director Nina Hebert said the party is referring its next steps to its attorney.

We are reviewing what LeBrun sent over, with our attorney, said Hebert. Well formulate our next steps based on his recommendations, with of course input from the tribal people, which is who we consulted before all this.

Hebert said she does not have a timeline for the partys next steps, but that the Democrats will announce their course of action to the public soon.

Hebert also said Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanans response to the incidents was underwhelming.

When this news first broke, the Secretary of State came out and said this is politically motivated and the timing is suspicious, she said. The secretary had a conversation with Chair Barbuto at the time of the incidents. The secretary and the county attorney were both aware; they didnt take any steps. We gave them ample time before we decided to alert the public. So now were hoping theyll take this seriously.

Hebert referred to Buchanans recent media-borne statement, in which he said it is concerning that this complaint was never presented to this office or in a timely manner during the 2018 election cycle.
'They were held responsbile for Hanoi summit breakdown'



By Lee Min-hyung





Kim Yong-chol Kim Hyok-chol
Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Canadian political scientist and psychologist Jordan Peterson in Budapest to discuss current political issues, the prime ministers press chief said.

Peterson, who teaches clinical psychology at the University of Toronto, and Orban agreed that illegal migration was unnecessary and dangerous, and talked of political correctness, which they said made sensible public discussions impossible, Bertalan Havasi said.

Political correctness is the invention of a small, ideologically driven group, they said. Peterson and Orban also touched on a current tendency to minimise the crimes committed under Communist regimes.

They cited an infamous speech by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in which they said he defended Karl Marx, Havasi said.

Peterson is in Budapest as a guest of the Brain Bar Festival, organised to discuss the future of individuals, communities and humanity as a whole.

Last years Brain Bar festival drew over 10,000 visitors.



MTI Photo: Szecsodi Balazs
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha travelled to Budapest on Thursday, heading a government team to cooperate with Hungarian authorities and assist South Koreans involved in the collision.

Only one of the survivors of the Danube ship collision was still in hospital, receiving treatment for a broken rib, on Thursday afternoon, public television news channel M1 reported. The other six people rescued have been released.

President Janos Ader, Prime Minister Viktor Orban and House Speaker Laszlo Kover expressed condolences to their South Korean counterparts.

In a message to President Moon Jae-in, Ader said the Hungarian authorities will do everything possible to find the survivors and to ensure the speediest possible recovery of those hospitalised.

In his letter to Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, Orban said: Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and with the people of South Korea in these most difficult of moments.

In a phone call South Korean President Moon Jae-in asked Orban to ensure that the Hungarian authorities do their utmost to find the South Koreans reported missing. He also thanked the Hungarian authorities for their rescue efforts.

Earlier on Thursday, the president ordered an operative team to be set up in connection with the disaster. The 18-strong team, headed by the South Korean foreign minister was accompanied by a 13-strong rescue team mainly comprising divers.

Meanwhile, the Hungarian interior minister received South Koreas ambassador to Hungary in his office. Sandor Pinter has expressed his condolences to Choe Kyoo-Sik and briefed him on circumstances of the accident and steps taken in the rescue operations.

Hungarys political parties also expressed their condolences in statements.



MTI Photo: Mathe Zoltan
Across 24 previous 007 films, James Bond has tangled with women of every background imaginable: some every bit his equal (see Michelle Yeoh in Tomorrow Never Dies and Sophie Marceau in The World Is Not Enough), and some whove felt dropped into his spy adventures as little more than eye candy with next to nothing to do. That hit or miss record is almost certainly because the Bond film franchise has historically only ever had one female screenwriter: Johanna Harwood, who helped launch the series with writing credits on its first two films, Dr. No and From Russia With Love.

Until now that is: Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge has polished the script for Bond 25, currently shooting in Jamaica, after she helped bring a more contemporary edge to the spy genre by creating the acclaimed BBC America series Killing Eve.

Related stories

Boots Riley Strongly Objects to James Bond Being Played by Black Actor: 'Fuck That'

'Killing Eve': How Jodie Comer Found the Honesty in a Lying, Murderous Psychopath

So does Waller-Bridge want to address the 007 franchises historical wrongs against women? According to a new interview with Deadline, her answer is yes and no.

Theres been a lot of talk about whether or not [the Bond franchise] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women, she said. I think thats bollocks. I think hes absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesnt have to. He needs to be true to this character.

Bond himself has treated women poorly throughout its entire big screen history, from Connerys 007 dismissing a conquest in Goldfinger by slapping her derriere and saying she shouldnt be present for man talk to Daniel Craigs Bond coldly reacting to the death of a lover in Skyfall.

Waller-Bridge feels that that may indeed by who the character is, but that the film doesnt have to share Bonds point of view and can give its female characters much greater dimensionality, that they feel like real people.

Story continues

Lea Seydoux, who played the female lead in the last 007 entry Spectre is back for Bond 25, alongside new additions Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas. Waller-Bridge said, I just want to make sure that when they get those pages through, that Lashana, Lea and Ana open them and go, I cant wait to do that. As an actress, I very rarely had that feeling early in my career. That brings me much pleasure, knowing that Im giving that to an actress.

Waller-Bridge cautioned that its unfair to say shes writing the script, rather than just polishing the dialogue since the story was already set when she came onboard. The main thing that spoke to her about Daniel Craigs Bond was the voice of his particular version of the character: droll, deadpan, understated in a very British way.

When I saw his Bond for the first time, there was a wryness to his performance that I really loved, she said. So, I was really excited about writing dialogue for him. I mean, the script was there. Its already there. I think its unfair to say that Im writing the script.

The still-untitled Bond 25 will be released in April 2020.

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
A North Carolina family is mourning the death of a 10-month-old boy who died on Wednesday after choking on a pine cone at daycare.

Areon Ellingtons family is looking for answers after the boy died around 11 a.m., just hours after his doting grandmother, Helena Harris, dropped him off at A Hug A Day Care in Raleigh, WRAL reports.

The daycare lady called me and told me that I needed to get to the daycare because Areon was choking on something, Harris told the station.

Staff told Harris that Ellington found the pine cone while playing in the yard, and no charges have been filed, WRAL reported. Raleigh police said the boys death was an accident, but authorities are investigating the incident, according to WTVD.

Raleigh police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

He was about to have his 1-year-old birthday, Harris told WRAL. My grandbaby is gone  somebody needs to be responsible for what happened to him.

A Hug A Day Care | Google Maps

RELATED: Florida Baby Dies After Being Forgotten in Her Daycares Van for 5 Hours in 92-Degree Weather

Daycare staff did not immediately respond to PEOPLE, but neighbors said she is a good woman who runs a good daycare, WTVD reported.

Officials with the Department of Health and Human Services Division of Child Development and Early Education called the death a tragedy in a statement to PEOPLE and said that the agency has issued a summary suspension of the daycares license.

The investigation is on-going so by law, we cannot comment on it, the statement reads. The provider cannot operate while we continue the investigation  The Division issues a Summary Suspension when the Department determines that emergency action is required to protect the health, safety or welfare of the children in a child care facility licensed by the Department.

Online records show that the state made five unannounced visits to the daycare over the last three years and found three violations, with one as recent as January.

Story continues

An outraged relative enlisted the help of the public with a Facebook post, calling on the daycare to be held accountable.

My cousin just loss his 10 month old nephew due to this daycare not doing their job; this baby had a piece of pine cone in his mouth and it blocked his air passage, the post states. This baby life is gone yall due to negligence, no one was watching the baby outside!!!!!

As for Harris, she told WRAL that she is heartbroken and desperate for answers.

He was my heart, my heart, she said. He was, through our struggles, what was bonding us together.
Photo credit: Bill Clark - Getty Images

From Esquire

(Permanent Musical Accompaniment To The Last Post Of The Week From The Blog's Favourite Living Canadian)

Rep. Ro Khanna disappointed me the other night. He floated the idea of censuring the president* as opposed to opening an impeachment inquiry. This, of course, was the notion that the Republicans laughed at in 1998-MoveOn.org began in those days as "Censure and Move On"-because their goal was to overturn the 1992 and 1996 elections by any means necessary. This alternative is even more lame in our current circumstances.

This is a president* and an administration* that does not take congressional subpoenas seriously, and that respects the constitutional order even less than it understands it. A censure would do absolutely less than nothing. One of the ways you can tell it's a terrible idea is that Peggy Noonan has raised her glass to it. She believes that impeaching El Caudillo del Mar-a-Lago would be too "divisive." And this from someone who once pondered in print whether Fidel Castro had blackmailed Bill Clinton into sending Elian Gonzales back to live with his father in Cuba, memorably wandering off the trolley with the immortal phrase, "Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to."

Even in the best of circumstances, which this assuredly is not, congressional censure of a renegade president is next to worthless. The only president ever censured was Andrew Jackson and he ignored it and, later, had it expunged from the congressional record, and largely from history. You could get pretty good odds that this president* wouldn't even know it happened. If you believe, as I do, that this is the most perilous presidency* in American history, there is only one way to end it. Start the inquiry. Get the wheels in motion.

Photo credit: Win McNamee - Getty Images

Weekly WWOZ Pick To Click: "Tuition Blues" (Jimmy Smith): Yeah, I pretty much still love New Orleans.

Weekly Visit to the Pathe Archives: Here, for no particular reason, is the Sultan of Zanzibar as he visits the Manchester Ship Canal in 1929. Apparently, this chap was named Khalifa bin Harub, and he was a long-running sultan indeed, ruling his sultanate from 1911 until 1960. He seems happy to be among men who wear sillier hats than he does. History is so cool.

Story continues

If it's not one damn thing these days, it's another. From CNN:



Residents in Nottinghamshire, England, are being warned by police to be vigilant of the animals that dug out of their enclosure on Tuesday. The raccoon dogs are "potentially dangerous if approached as they are not domesticated," Nottinghamshire police said. A resident was able to capture a photo of one of the animals at a nearby farm shortly after they escaped. Raccoon dogs, also known as tanukis, are members of the canid family, which includes dogs and wolves. Although they look a lot like dogs, experts don't recommend adopting raccoon dogs. The mammals are are found mostly in East Asia and Western and Northern Europe.



I pride myself on my knowledge of funky animal species around the world but, I have to confess, the tanuki got by me. However, after extensive consultation with Blog Director of Research Dr. Google, I discover that tanuki fur is prized by bunco artists who use it to relieve wealthy suckers who buy fake furs of their money. In other words, you think you are a Friend of the Earth who buys manufactured fur and it turns out that you're really wearing raccoon dog to the opera.

Photo credit: Arterra - Getty Images

And then there's this, courtesy of the Mother Earth Network, which I did not necessarily need to know.

Believe it or not, the mythical tanuki's exaggerated scrotum has nothing to do with male virility or sexual over-indulgence. The origin of this defining characteristic dates back to 19th century, when metal workers wrapped gold in tanuki skin before hammering it into gold leaf. The strength of the tanuki's skin was so great that, according to legend, a tiny piece of gold could be hammered thin enough to stretch across eight tatami mats. Because the Japanese terms for a small ball of gold ("kin no tama") and testicles ("kintama") are so phonetically similar, the image of a tanuki with a gigantic testicular region is now associated with good fortune and stretching one's money.

That whole stretching-your-dough business baffles me, unless it is the entymological source for the slang phrase, "old moneybags."

Is it a good day for dinosaur news, Live Science? It's always a good day for dinosaur news!

The quadrupedal to bipedal switch made by this sauropodomorph - a type of herbivorous, long-necked and long-tailed dinosaur - appears to be unique among the animal kingdom. "We cannot find any living animals, besides humans, that do a transition like this at all," said study co-lead researcher Andrew Cuff, a post-doctoral researcher in biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the United Kingdom...M. patagonicus, the researchers found, likely walked on all fours as a baby because its center of mass (also known as its balancing point) was so far forward. If it had only walked on its two hind legs, the dinosaur would have face-planted.

It must have been quite an event around the Patagonicus household when baby P. took its first steps. Dinosaurs were adorable then to make us happy now.

The Committee is always happy when it is provided with evidence that the reach of the shebeen is growing, so hostile Top Commenter Scott Aiman won this week's Top Commenter of the Week when he reported that a certain Arkansas senator is trying to raise a little money off our account.

Got a fund raising letter from Senator Tom Cotton, raising money off Commie Charlie's hate filled spew ("bobble throated slap**** from Arkansas, etc). Will send a donation. Thank you, Furr Face.

Thank you for your prompt reply. The Committee is grateful for your efforts on its behalf and your Beckhams are in the mail. Don't hold your breath waiting for them.

I'll be back on Monday with whatever fresh hell awaits us this weekend. Be well and play nice, ya bastids. Stay above the snakeline, or the mythical tanuki may show up and leave you holding the bag, as it were.

Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page here.

('You Might Also Like',)
Claus von Bulow  a socialite who was convicted and later acquitted for attempting to murder his wealthy wife in a case that captured the nations attention in the 1980s  died on May 25. He was 92, and died at home in London.

The Danish-born Bulow was accused of arranging the murder of his wife Sunny in an effort to inherit her fortune and marry his mistress.

His two televised trials exposed a world of power and infidelity in tony Newport, R.I., where Bulow and his wife lived in a seaside mansion.

The first trial took place in 1982, where von Bulow was convicted of two counts of attempted murder by injecting his wife with insulin, leaving her comatose twice. Though she awoke from the first coma, the second one would be permanent.

Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

RELATED: Kidnapping, Drugs and Scandal: Inside the Billionaire Getty Familys Curse

In a stunning twist, von Bulow was acquitted in 1985 at a second trial after the jury rejected the insulin-injection theory. Von Bulows defense attorney contended that Sunnys comas were a result of her abuse of alcohol and prescription medications, as well as her regular consumption of sugary foods.

Sunny von Bulow had severe hypoglycemia, which affects blood sugar levels and can cause diabetic comas.

After almost 28 years in a coma, she died in a New York nursing home at the age of 76 in 2008.

The von Bulow trials, which produced several TV specials, a best-selling book and an award-winning film, featured dramatic tales of infidelity, a suspicious housemaid and a bag full of drug paraphernalia.

Patrick Lichfield/Conde Nast via Getty Images

RELATED: How the World Became Obsessed with a Socialites Mysterious Coma  and Her Suspect Husband Won His Innocence

Born Claus Cecil Borberg in Copenhagen back in 1926, von Bulows family had a dark past. While his mother was a descendant of a German-Danish noble family, his father, Svend Borberg, was a playwright whose work was promoted and enjoyed by the Nazi regime.

Von Bulows father would be convicted and eventually acquitted for collaborating with the Germans. Svend Borberg served just 18 months out of a four-year sentence after successfully appealing his conviction.

Story continues

Von Bulow met his wife in 1966, a recently divorced mother of two and heiress to the fortune of her utilities-tycoon father. The two would marry that same year, with Sunny giving birth to their one child a year later.

Eventually, von Bulow would stop working. He began living off his wifes vast fortune and eventually moved the family from their 14-room Manhattan apartment into an 11-acre Newport estate in 1970.

George Rizer/The Boston Globe via Getty

RELATED: The Life and Mysterious Death of Sunny von Bulow

As von Bulow and his wife grew more distant, he began an affair with Swedish-born actress Alexandra Isles, who testified that she had given him a deadline to formally divorce his wife just prior to Sunnys first coma. Von Bulow stood to gain his wifes nearly $100 million fortune.

Free on bond after a jury convicted him of two counts of attempted murder, von Bulow was looking at a 30-year prison sentence. But the Rhode Island Supreme Court voided the conviction in 1984, claiming evidence had been gathered without a search warrant and that his attorneys had been denied access to important notes.

However, von Bulow would never see a dime of his comatose wifes wealth, as a civil court case brought forth by his stepchildren was settled out of court upon von Bulow divorcing his wife and abandoning all claims to her money. Another stipulation was that he had to leave the country.

Moving to England was a very, very smart thing for him to do, his defense attorney Alan Dershowitz once told The Daily Telegraph. In Great Britain, Claus is regarded as a victim of a false accusation. In the U.S., opinion is certainly more divided.
CSM Events/YouTube

Up-and-coming designer Fredrik Tjaerandsen just sparked a viral fashion moment.

The Norwegian designer sent models down the runway at Central Saint Martinss annual BA Fashion show (where designers like Alexander McQueen and Riccardo Tisci also got their start) wearing huge colorful balloons that engulfed their entire bodies, which then magically deflated into structural dresses before bewildered guests at the show.

CSM Events/YouTube

My collection is inspired by an almost indefinable moment when a humans self-awareness becomes active and sentiment, Tjaerandsen told WWD. I have strived to develop a process of experimental practice and development through which I could react and create my own expression of this moment and experience of being in that moment.

The rubber I use is sourced from a company that has its rubber production in Sri Lanka where they support and buy their rubber from local rubber growers, he added. I have constructed these pieces with an air pressure system that lets the wearer control the air-flow. Whenever the wearer wants to deflate they open a latch inside to release the inverted bubble part and then dives out of the deflating bubble. The garment within and the bubble is all in one piece and I designed it to have as few seams as possible.

Within hours, videos from Tjaerandsens show were going viral on the Internet and garnered the attention of the fashion industry and celebrities.

Lindsay Lohan commented on Interview magazines Instagram video of the show writing, A bit weird but cool. 

Demi Moore also commented, That is some crazy sh!! While Billy Porter wrote, AWWWWW!!!

Story continues

Thank you so very much for all of your kind and heart-warming response to my collection shown yesterday, Tjaerandsen wrote in a heart-felt Instagram post. I would like to thank everyone that has helped me this year! I feel so incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such an amazingly talented group of friend, family and professionals.

He not only won the attention of the fashion industry, but he also took home the LOreal Professional Young Talent Award. I am so honored to receive the LOreal Professional Young Talent Award @lorealpro! This would not have been possible without support I received from the Les Visionnaire scholarship thank you so much Jeremy Till for believing in my work and giving me the opportunity to create my dream, he also wrote on Instagram.

The designer, who has worked at Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, Craig Green and J.W.Anderson according to WWD, teased the show yesterday sharing a selfie blowing up the balloons himself.  SHOW TOMORROW , he wrote.

While we wait to see where his career takes him next, odds are hes going to take it up, up and away.
Criticizing Trump on Immigration, Nancy Pelosi Points to Wife Melania's Family: 'I Dont Know If Merit Counted' Then

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reiterated her criticism of President Donald Trumps proposed immigration reforms on Wednesday  and pointed to First Lady Melania Trump to help make her case.

Pelosi, 79, was in San Francisco for a Commonwealth Club of California event when she commented on the presidents suggested reforms, which are unlikely to gain traction in Congress. As part of a sweeping set of proposals earlier this month, Trump called for limiting family-based immigrants in favor of merit-based admittance for highly educated or skilled workers.

Speaking Wednesday, Pelosi argued Trumps plan was merely a mask for racial prejudice  and she implied he was a hypocrite, given the first ladys background.

I dont know if merit counted for when his wifes family came into the country, she said of Mrs. Trump, who was born in Slovenia and who helped her parents immigrate to America.

I dont know. Maybe it did. God bless them if it did, Pelosi continued. But he calls that chain migration, which he wants to get rid of.

RELATED: Donald Trump Twice Kisses Strong Nancy Pelosi on the Cheek at the Capitol

Should we attach a green card to the diploma of so many scientists and engineers and all the rest and graduate students who train in the U.S. so that they can stay here? Of course. But thats not the point, she said. The point is that the president does not share the view of even Ronald Reagan and two Bushes in recent history.

Mrs. Trump, 49, became a permanent U.S. resident in 2001 and became a citizen after marrying the president in 2005.

Last year, her parents became citizens via family-based immigration  the same program the president is trying to stop, according to the New York Times. Mrs. Trump had sponsored her parents green cards, the Times reported.

Trump, 72, detailed his immigration policy last week, including the goal of curbing family-based migration, bringing in more money for border enforcement and increasing the amount of visas for skilled workers.

Story continues

We discriminate against genius, he said at the White House earlier this month. We discriminate against brilliance. We wont anymore, once we get this passed.

Speaking Wednesday, Pelosi described it differently.

When the president says merit, turn it upside down  that means make America white again, [and] have people leave, just go back, and well just let in who we like, she said.

From left: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump | Evan Vucci/Shutterstock

RELATED VIDEO: Trump Concedes to Democrats After Month-Long Government Shutdown

Pelosi and Trump have sparred repeatedly since before she was returned to power in the House in last years midterm elections.

Trump, however, has rarely attacked her in the kind of vulgar and personal terms he uses with other opponents.

RELATED: What Was She Really Thinking? The Scoop on Nancy Pelosis Viral Clapping at Trumps State of the Union

I think the president respects Nancy Pelosi and understands that she represents voters that would never vote for him but also that if shes serious about getting things done, hes willing to really negotiate in good faith with her, Rep. Mark Meadows told Politico in January.

Echoed former Trump aide Marc Short, who worked as a liaison with Congress: I think the president admires people he views as strong, and he does view her as strong. Shes not only the first woman speaker but she hung around and fought to get back to that place. Shes a historic figure, you cant deny that.
Nonprofit Ghetto Film School hosted its annual live table reading at NeueHouse Hollywood (where Ghetto Film School is based in Los Angeles) on May 29. The annual gathering provides in-person feedback to scripts going into production this summer, all written by its 14-17 year old students.

Participating talent gathered at NeueHouses rooftop restaurant in the heart of Hollywood to read two scripts that will be shot by a student-run production team in Rome, Italy and at The Frick Collection in New York.

Related stories

'The Fall Of The American Empire', 'Yomeddine' Among Weekend's Few Limited Releases - Specialty B.O. Preview

Following the reading, they provided detailed table notes and suggested revisions for the students to consider before heading into production. The films will premiere at a special screening next spring.

In line with NeueHouses mission to connect cultural innovators and act as a platform to ignite new ideas, Ghetto Film School focuses on creating a platform for the next generation of filmmakers. She school has campuses in Los Angeles, New York, and London.

Participants at this years reading included David O. Russell, Max Greenfield, Alfre Woodard, Ben Schwartz, Emily Gordon, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Lance Reddick, Edi Gathegi, Taika Waititi, Paul Eckstein, Allen Maldonado, Ghetto Film School CEO Stosh Mintek and VP of Development for National Geographic Hugh Fitzpatrick.

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
While she may not make the cover of Forbes, a North Carolina barbershop owner wanted to do her part to relieve the debts of students in her community after hearing a rousing commencement speech from a billionaire.

When Season Bennett heard that investor Robert F. Smith had pledged to pay off the debts of the 400 students graduating from Morehouse College this year, to the tune of $40 million, she immediately understood how much an impact the charitable act was going to have on these young people with dreams of changing the world.

I thought, Wow, that is just such a powerful thing for anybody, Bennett, who owns Headlines Barbershop in Charlotte, told CBS affiliate WBTV. So many students go into so much debt just trying to get an education.

It just seems like thats just the basic in our culture, Bennett said. You need to get at least your high school diploma.

Inspired by Smiths generosity, Bennett contacted East Mecklenburg High School and inquired about the debts of any seniors that could keep them from graduating. Thats when she found out 14 students owed money to the school and were not going to receive their diploma until it was paid in full, in accordance with the districts policy, the outlet said.

We called the school to find out if there were any graduating seniors that wouldnt be able to graduate because they owe fees, Bennett wrote in the description of a GoFundMe page she started to pay off the students debt, which totaled $4,500. We were told that there are 14 seniors at East Mecklenburg High School who cant walk at graduation or receive their diploma because they owe money.

RELATED: Billionaire Announces He Will Pay Off Class of 2019s Student Debt During Commencement Speech

Story continues

She added: We dont know these students and may never have a chance to meet them, but we know that everyone should be entitled to the high school diploma that they earned.

After posting the GoFundMe, Bennett helped to raise more than a $1,000, but she got the added boost she needed when the daughter of Carolina Panthers player Thomas Davis came across it.

He said, You know what, whatever need you have left over, were going to make sure these students graduate,  Bennett recalled.

Thomas donated $4,000, which helped Bennett surpass the goal she needed to help the students pay off their debts. The rest will be going to an anti-suicide program, she wrote on the donation page.

RELATED: New Game Show Will Pay Off Winners Student Debt: An Absurd Show to Match an Absurd Crisis

One girl fell to her knees, and she said, I have to call my mom,  Bennett told WBTV of the students reactions. She said her mom was working on getting a loan.

While she may not have the cash flow of a billionaire, Bennett managed to use her talents to help a group of students who felt the pressure mounting just as they should be celebrating a milestone.

I just think about that quote, Bennet explained, by Martin Luther King Jr., when he says, You dont have to see the whole staircase, you just have to take the first step. 
As long as she abides by the terms of her probation, Tommie Lee will escape jail time in her child abuse case.

PEOPLE can confirm that the Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta star, who was reportedly facing up to 54 years in prison, has received a 10-year sentence  but none of it to be spent behind bars. According to a spokesperson for the Cobb County District Attorney in Georgia, Lee, 34, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of cruelty to children in the first degree, three counts of simple battery, family violence, and one count of disrupting public school.

She was sentenced to 10 years, with two years to serve and the rest on probation, according to the spokesperson. The two years is suspended upon completion of a residential recovery program and 12 months of successful aftercare with a psychologist or psychiatrist.

RELATED: Inside Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta Star Tommie Lees Criminal History

TMZ was the first to report the news. According to the outlet, under her probation conditions, she cant have violent contact with a child, cant travel outside the state of Georgia without written approval, and cant attend work or promotional events where drugs or alcohol are present.

Lee was reportedly given an 11 p.m. curfew and must pay a $1,000 fine in addition to submitting to random drug and alcohol testing. She is already out of custody and in the recovery program, TMZ reports.

A rep for Lee did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

TMZ reported in January that Lee had been indicted on seven charges  three felonies and four misdemeanors. According to AJC.com, the charges included aggravated assault, child cruelty, battery, and aggravated stalking and disrupting a public school for allegedly shoving her childs head into a metal locker and dragging her by her hair.
Pierce Brosnan's Son Paris on His New Film and What Hes Learned From Family: 'They Inspire Me'

Paris Brosnan is many things. A high school senior; a model; a loving, and beloved, son and brother. And increasingly, hes also a passionate filmmaker dedicated to making a difference in the world.

With his latest project, a short film that documents his recent trip to Sri Lanka and highlights work being done there by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the 18-year-old son of Pierce and Keely Shaye Brosnan hopes to help raise awareness about childhood hunger.

When I got the opportunity to go to Sri Lanka, I had to do it  and it was amazing, Paris tells PEOPLE at an intimate dinner event at his parents Malibu home where the film was screened for friends and family on Tuesday.

This was an opportunity as a filmmaker to go out and see another part of the world, see how kids are living and shed some light on important issues that are going on there.

With crucial support from Clarins and FEED, a social impact-driven brand founded by Lauren Bush Lauren, WFP is delivering nutritious food to Sri Lankan children at their local schools. (Launched in 2011, the FEED and Clarins partnership has supported organizations like WFP, helping fund over 30 million school meals by the end of this year.)

(from left to right) Pierce Brosnan, Keely Shaye Brosnan, Paris Brosnan, Dylan Brosnan | Clarins

Drawn to their mission to help solve childhood hunger through in-school feeding, Paris visited schools and farms to see up close how WFP connects local farmers with its meals program and ultimately serves both undernourished students and the local economy.

Paris was deeply moved by the experience and his time spent with the locals.

RELATED: Pierce Brosnans Son Paris Creates Inspiring Short Film to Combat Childhood Hunger in Sri Lanka

They might have so little compared to us but theyre such genuine, happy people, he says. It was amazing to see how people who have so little are willing to share what they do have, and share the genuine connection of food, laughter, smiles and positivity.

Paris readily acknowledges his experience growing up in California bears little resemblance to what he witnessed in Sri Lanka. Going from Malibu, where you have an abundance of things and first-world problems to a place (like Sri Lanka) where people are actually suffering was (eye-opening), he says. I would go back any day.

Story continues

Paris Brosnan and Lauren Bush Lauren | Clarins

His mom, for one, recognized early on that Paris was a highly motivated, empathetic young man.

Hes always had a big heart, says Keely, a filmmaker and producer. Whatever he did, he did 100%.

Keely, a long-time environmentalist who Paris calls a perfect role model, says, Im very proud of Paris and I think its phenomenal hes making socially-relevant films.

Pierce shares his wifes pride. I am beyond words, flabbergasted really, Brosnan tells PEOPLE.

He adds, Im over the moon for both of our sons.

A close-knit family, Pariss older brother Dylan even jumped in to perform original tracks for the film. Im really supportive and I think (the film) is really impressive, says Dylan, 22, a filmmaker, songwriter and musician whose band, Raspberry Blonde, played tunes into the night at the event.

RELATED VIDEO: Pierce Brosnan Celebrates 25 Years with Wife Keely: Thank You for the Love My Love

Dylan is the one who really inspired me to make films, says Paris. He is my biggest role model and the coolest dude I know.

Finding such inspiration, as well as identifying mentors, is something deeply valued by the Brosnan family. An example of one such person is FEED founder Lauren Bush Lauren, says Keely.

Lauren Bush Lauren is a brilliant role model for Paris, and for all young adults, she says. Her mission to end childhood hunger through school feeding is truly noble and inspiring.

In fact, it was Laurens passion that helped spur Pariss interest in the issue of world hunger. FEED is such a home-grown brand and it was Lauren Bush Laurens story of being a young girl from a privileged family and saying, Ok, heres what Im going to do to take my resources and give back, he says. Her story inspired me [Making the film] was a learning experience for sure. And Ive appreciated everyone along the way who gave me the opportunity to create and be myself.

Paris Brosnan | Clarins

That appreciation certainly extends to his family. I got so inspired by my family and my brother and my friends who are all such creative, honest and authentic people, Paris says. My mom has such a passion for the environment (and) my dad has always been a philanthropist, [he advocated for] saving the whales and working with Jane Goodall, and my brother made short films and went to USC film school. They inspire me and are 100% supportive.

RELATED: Pierce Brosnan Gushes About His Wife Keely  and Their Romantic Marriage

Like any proud mom, Keely cant say enough about both Paris and Dylan and has enjoyed watching her sons respective journeys. Theyre the heartbeat of our family, she says. Its been a privilege to be their mother and to watch them grow into the artists that they are. Theyre just emerging. Its amazing to watch them flourish.

While Paris evolves as a filmmaker, a charitable advocate and as a young man determined to make a difference, he encourages others to do the same.

At the end of the day its important to get inspired, be creative and be passionate about what you love, he says. And no matter how young you are, you can have the vision (and) be a positive force.

And just maybe, adds Paris, You can change the world.
Producer Ada Solomon, whose credits include Calin Peter Netzers Berlin Golden Bear winner Childs Pose, Radu Judes Berlin Silver Bear winner Aferim! and Maren Ades Oscar-nominated Toni Erdmann, has announced new projects from Jude and Ivana Mladenovic, whose debut feature Soldiers. Story from Ferentari premiered in Toronto in 2017.

Judes Uppercase Print (pictured) is an adaptation of a documentary play by Gianina Carbunariu that interweaves two narrative strands. One is the true story of Mugur Calinescu, a Romanian teenager who wrote graffiti messages of protest against the regime of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and was subsequently apprehended, interrogated, and ultimately crushed by the secret police. The other story uses archival footage from the public broadcaster to depict everyday life in Romania in the 1980s.

Related stories

Transilvania Film Festival Beats Back Gray Skies for Upbeat Opener

Marius Olteanu on the Complex Ties That Bind in 'Monsters'

Solomon said the film will celebrate the unknown heroes of the Communist era, using a cinematic method to reveal the brutal mechanisms of repression by juxtaposing secret vs. public, personal vs. collective, small-scale heroism vs. general submissiveness.

She added: With the 30th anniversary of the fall of Communism, I think this is the right time to bring an homage to the heroes of the time, and a perfect occasion to reveal in a cinematic way the treasure of the Romanian Public Television archive.

The film is a microFILM production in co-production with Romanian public broadcaster Televiziunea Romana and HiFilm, in association with nomada.solo, and with the support of the Romanian CNC, the Creative Europe  Media Program, Dr. Oetker, Covalact, Mediacom, and Zenith Media Communications. The script is written by Carbunariu and Jude, with Marius Panduru attached as DoP. It stars Bogdan Zamfir, Serban Lazarovici, Serban Pavlu, and Ioana Iacob.

Story continues

Ivana the Terrible is the follow-up to Mladenovics critically acclaimed Soldiers. Its based on the true story of a crisis that took place in the summer of 2017 in the life of Mladenovic, a Serbian-born director living in Romania. The film started as an independent project in which the original protagonists, including the filmmakers friends and family, were invited to re-live the events of that summer as fictional characters on camera. They rehearsed for months, performing their actual selves in the form of on-screen roles, so that a creative process that began almost as a form of therapy became a film.

Ivana Mladenovic is one of the most interesting voices of the new-new Romanian cinema, her background in both Serbian and Romanian culture being only one of her strengths, said Solomon. In the same time this very personal film is showing the impossibility to choose between the two or to find the right balance. It is a film about longing and (non-)belonging, a film about enlightening and darkness, a film about thunderstorms.

The film is a co-production between Solomons microFILM and Serbias Dunav84, in association with nomada.solo and Mai Mult Verde, with the support of the Romanian CNC, Televiziunea Romana, Hollywood Multiplex, and United Romanian Breweries. Its co-written by Mladenovic and Adrian Schiop and stars Mladenovic, Gorana Mladenovic, Miodrag Mladenovic, Luka Gramic, Kosta Mladenovic, Zivka Sorejevic, Andrei Dinescu, and Anca Pop. Carmen Tofeni is attached as DoP.

Both films are currently in post-production, with an eye toward an early 2020 release. Solomon is in discussions for world sales rights for each film.

Solomons slate also includes Fools from Polish director Tomasz Wasilewski, winner of Berlins Silver Bear with United States of Love. Fools is lead produced by Ewa Puszczynska, whose credits include Pawel Pawlikowskis Oscar-winner Ida and his Oscar nominated Cold War.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
MADRID  To face up to global platforms, high-end series from Europe have to be different. Thats almost a truism these days. One way is for shows to drink deep at the well of their national culture.

So the question of what makes a show Spanish threaded many of the panel reflections and presentations this week at an upbeat RTVE Showcase, a enterprising launch pad for new shows and seasons from the public broadcaster which ran May 26-28 at the Hotel Puerta de America in Madrid.

Related stories

Spain's TV Production Boom Sends Ripples Through Industry

Spain's Box Office Dips Slightly in 2018

At a centerpiece panel, Creating Fiction for a Global Audience, answers were supplied by some of the finest minds and creators in Spains business: Showrunners Ramon Campos (Velvet, Farina) and Daniel Ecija (Locked Up, Im Alive), producers Jose Manuel Lorenzo at Banijays DLO/Magnolia and Tedy Villaba at Boomerang (Old Bridges Secret, The Time in Between) and screenwriter Joaquin Oristrell (Cuentame como paso).

The panel was moderated by Fernando Lopez Puig, TVE content & fiction production director, and a first port of call for companies looking to co-produce with RTVE.

Part of series Spanishness is simply their setting. RTVEs early spring hit crime thriller The Hunt. Monteperdido is a striking case in point. Set in Monteperdido, in real life Benasque, a largish mountain village in a dramatic valley carving its way through the Pyrenees, it was shot 100% on location there,the camera constantly framing characters in verdant valleys, or cutting away to the huge near inhuman mountain ramparts behind.

In Ep. 1, a pretty wood by day becomes a threatening forest at night for an investigating special crime unit officer. Rather than the setting becoming another character, Monteperdidos natural backdrop becomes a metaphor for the ambivalence of many of the dramas village characters_ At first glance welcoming, but capable of seeming far more sinister.

Story continues

The Hunt: Monteperdido could seem at its kick off to be classic Nordic Noir. Two girls disappear in the mountains. Five years later, one is found, here alive. Two cops  an odd professional couple, a senior officer who lives for his job, a junior woman cop scornful of the incompetence of the local officers  are sent in to find the other girl. Theyre fish out of water.

But just as theres Nordic Noir,, theres Spanish and Mediterranean Noir too, Agustin Martinez, Monteperdidos lead writer argued at its RTVE Showcase presentation.

Whats the difference? Its a question of social reality. The personality, sense of identity of Scandinavian characters bears little comparison to their Spanish counterparts.

Its a big difference, he argued. The idea of family, of a united community is very present in Monteperdido. Thats much harder to find in Nordic Noir, where characters are far more solitary and isolated.

Monteperdido has a perfect fusion between family drama, sustained episode after episode, and thriller elements as the police investigation closes in, said Lorenzo.

Many Spanish series genre blend. Another big TVE hit,Estoy Vivo, produced with Mediapros Globomedia, is an increasingly extraordinary mash-up of supernatural/sci-fi fantasy, cop crime thriller, dramedy, romance and family dynamics, as a reincarnated cop faces off with his serial killer.

That may reflects the traditional 70-minute length of Spanish drama episodes, Daniel Ecija, Estoy Vivo showrunner, argued at the RTVE Showcase presentation of its Season 3, with star Alejo Sauras in attendance.

From the 1990s, when Spains private-sector channels began to power up original production, it was impossible to write pure comedy or pure drama. We had to ring our options on different genres, because episodes length was so abnormal. Ecijas recalled. The mix is also part of a Mediterranean identity, he added. The South would also explain why we treat drama with a sense of humor, we can dare to treat death with a sense of humor.

Spanish series dropped their episode length from 2017. But the genre mashing habit continues, Ecija said.

Set at a Libya NGO, new RTVE series Promises of Sand, if a promo and presentation are anything to go by, fuses spy thriller, coming of age drama, said lead Andrea Duro, and social drama. Produced by Mediapros Globomedia and RTVE, like Estoy Vivo, Malaka, another Showcase highlight, is a cop drama, a cartel turf-war thriller, and a gender parity-laced story of a powerful woman police officer battling mafias in a sun-dazzled Malaga, according to Javier Pons, The Mediapro Studios co-head of TV.

Battling to keep audiences glued to the screen for 70 minutes, Spanish screenwriters have been schooled for 20 odd years in using every trick in the trade to surprise, connect, and compel audience to watch more, Ramon Campos, another panelist, always argues. It is that basic writing bootcamp which will explain the success of seasoned Spanish writers  Campos, Alex Pina and Esther Martinez Lobato  on Netflix worldwide.

I cant do Nordic Noir. I can only reflect my own culture and habits, what really moves me when I lie in bed at night,, Ecija said at the RTVE Showcase. That, however, can often be a plus.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
On May 26, an unusual text came in to Crisis Text Line, a non-profit that provides free text support and intervention in times of crisis.

The message in question was from a 14-year-old girl, who confessed that she was a runaway and she wanted to go home.

From the conversation, it was clear that she was being trafficked and they were dangerous people, Nancy Lublin, the Crisis Counselor who received the message, tells PEOPLE. And she wanted help.

In my mind it was very clear she was being held against her will, says Lublin, who is also the CEO and founder of Crisis Text Line. I knew what I was dealing with very quickly.

The girl gave her location  a Motel 6 in San Jose, California  and a supervisor with the hotline quickly alerted police.

As soon as we got the information, we dispatched officers, San Jose Police Department Sgt. Enrique Garcia tells PEOPLE.

The call came in that the survivor was being held against her will, he says.

Motel 6 | Google Maps

Police responded to the Motel 6 at 7:42 p.m. on May 26 and found the girl, as well as two other women being held captive.

Once officers got there, the case opened up and we realized how extensive the investigation would be, Garcia says.

At the motel, police arrested Christopher Lyon Johnson, 39; Antoine Williams, 43; and 59-year-old Curtis Lee Russell.

Johnson and Williams were booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of human trafficking, pimping and pandering and kidnapping. Russell was booked on suspicion of human trafficking and pimping.

All three are being held without bail.

Garcia says the teen was reported as a missing runaway from Flint, Michigan on Sept. 1, 2018. She went to Chicago where she was allegedly kidnapped and taken to Gary, Indiana before being transported to various cities in California, where she was allegedly forced to engage in prostitution, Garcia says.

It is amazing she took the initiative [to send the crisis hotline text], he notes. The sex traffickers will allow survivors to have cell phones, but they know they are closely monitoring and listening to them.

Story continues

Lublin says the girl was very resourceful.

She was so brave, she says. I am really impressed by this kid. She had the emojis and misspellings of a child and the intelligence and strategy of an adult.

Garcia says he hopes the teens story gives other survivors in the same situation the encouragement to reach out this way.

 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.

There are avenues for them to call for help, he says. I hope this sends a strong message to other survivors that there is hope.

Crisis Text Line, a 24/7 free service, helps connect people in crisis with counselors, and has received 110 million texts in the last five years. The top issues it encounters are depression, relationships, school, anxiety/stress and suicide.

The hotline has also received more than 2,000 conversations about trafficking or prostitution.

Anyone with information about this case should contact Detective Gurbaksh Sohal or Detective Sgt. Tony Ruelas at 408-277-4102 or email stopslavery@sanjoseca.gov.

If you are in crisis, text PEOPLEMAG to 741741 for confidential, free support from Crisis Text Line.
8 winners of 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee coin term for themselves: 'octochamps' originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com

The eight history-making winners of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee have coined a new term for themselves: octochamps.

"When this got announced, we weren't expecting anything that could happen like octochamps," Christopher Serrao, one of the eight champions crowned late Thursday night, said Friday on "Good Morning America." "When it was announced, we were just so excited."

The bee ended with ties in 2014, 2015 and 2016 -- but each time it was just two winners. After this year's competition, there were eight champions, all of whom lasted 20 rounds and were therefore named co-champions.

PHOTO: The eight co-champions of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee, from left, Sohum Sukhatankar, Abhijay Kodali, Rohan Raja, Saketh Sundar, Christopher Serrao, Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard and Shruthika Padhy, celebrate their win. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

"It's definitely much more special because it's an amazing experience and you're sharing it with seven other people who know exactly what you're going through," said another winner, Shruthika Padhy. "You're sharing this experience for the rest of your life."

"I was very happy when I realized that, yes, there was a chance that we could be octochamps," added Sohum Sukhatankar, describing the win as the "culmination of months and even years of hard work."

(MORE: Unprecedented 8 spellers tie for win in 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee)

There were two girls and six boys among the group of winners. Each winner gets the $50,000 prize. No word on how the trophy will be split.

When asked what they each planned to do with the $50,000 grand prize, the eight winners said nearly in unison that they planned to save it for college.

PHOTO: The eight winners of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee speak out on ABC's 'Good Morning America,' May 31, 2019, the morning after their historic win. (ABC News)

"I think that when you reach the top 10, at the end of the day it does depend on a little bit of luck with what word you get," said Christopher, from Allentown, Pennsylvania. "All of us together, we have like a camaraderie between each other."

Rishik Gandhasri, a 13-year-old from San Jose, California, spelled "auslaut" to claim the first co-champion spot.

Story continues

Erin Howard, a 14-year-old from Huntsville, Alabama, spelled "erysipelas" to be the second winner.

PHOTO: Erin Howard, a 14-year-old from Huntsville, Alabama, spelled 'erysipelas' to be the second winner in the 91st annual Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, May 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Saketh Sundar, 13, from Clarksville, Maryland, spelled "bougainvillea" to become the third to join the winning group.

(MORE: 5 tips for going far in the spelling bee)

Shruthika Padhy, a 13-year-old from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, spelled "aiguillette" in the final round.

Sohum Sukhatankar, from Dallas, quickly spelled "pendeloque" to join the winning group. He had finished 25th in last year's bee.

Abhijay Kodali, a sixth grader from Flower Mound, Texas, spelled "palama" to earn the sixth spot in the winning group.

Christopher Serrao, 13, from Allentown, Pennsylvania, spelled "cernuous."

(MORE: 'Jeopardy!' phenom scores 23rd victory)

Rohan Raja, 13, from Irving, Texas, spelled "odylic" to be the final winner.

PHOTO: Rohan Raja, 13, waits to compete in the finals of the 92nd annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, May 30, 2019. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

The competition was the 92nd in history.

The winning word in the first competition was the flower "gladiolus." The winning word spelled by Sundar in this year's competition was "bougainvillea," also a type of flower.
From left are Amb. Joseph DeTrani, former U.S. special envoy for the six-party talks with North Korea, Dr. Morton Halperin, former director of the policy planning staff at the U.S. Department of State and Prof. Moon Chung-in of Yonsei University who is also special adviser to President Moon Jae-in participating at a seminar titled "Making a Breakthrough for the North Korean Stalemate in the Post-Hanoi Era," held at the Four Seaons Hotel Seoul in central Seoul, Tuesday. The Seoul-based think tank East Asia Foundation organized the seminar. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-min



By Jung Da-min



The United States and North Korea should resume their denuclearization negotiations soon if they want to make a breakthrough that would save February's Hanoi summit from being another failure in the 25 years of negotiation history between the two countries, long-time North Korea watchers based in Washington said at a seminar held in Seoul, Tuesday.



"I don't think the Hanoi summit was a failure but it gave us the very clarity on the ongoing issues that have to be pursued," said Amb. Joseph DeTrani, former U.S. special envoy for the six-party talks with North Korea, at the seminar titled "Making a Breakthrough for the North Korean Stalemate in the Post-Hanoi Era," held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul.



"The point of this session here is, 'Don't walk away like we did in the past.'"



The Seoul-based East Asia Foundation think tank organized the seminar inviting DeTrani and Dr. Morton Halperin, former director of policy planning staff at the U.S. Department of State, for the debate moderated by Prof. Moon Chung-in of Yonsei University who is also special adviser to President Moon Jae-in.



DeTrani and Halperin both said the Hanoi summit was not a failure but rather a natural part of the dynamics and fluctuating situation on the Korean Peninsula that could again lead to another round of negotiations with enough willingness and preparation by the two sides.



"[The Hanoi summit results] should be the basis for the negotiations moving forward the United States and DPRK, that is the framework that should be within the hard case at the Singapore communication that the goal is the denuclearization [of the Korean Peninsula] and complete change of the relationship," Halperin said.






Armed with a new ordinance, a small town in Florida fights back against hate originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Gabriel Groisman knows that his town wasn't always welcoming to minorities.

Until 1968, deed restrictions kept Jews and blacks from owning property in the seaside village of Bal Harbour, about a 45-minute drive north of Miami. It took until 1982 for blacks and Jews to be admitted to the town's exclusive Bal Harbour Club, Groisman said.

But Groisman, Bal Harbour's mayor since 2016, is on a mission to reduce discrimination in his picturesque village of 3,000. His efforts could be a template for fighting hate crimes far beyond his tony beach town.

"As mayor, I want to take a step in the right direction," he told ABC News.

PHOTO: The coastal neighborhood of Bal Harbour, Fla., is shown in an undated drone photo. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)

Elected at age 35 after two years on the village council, Groisman, who is Jewish, spearheaded the passage of a local hate-crime ordinance in 2017 that took the U.S. State Department's 2010 guidelines on anti-Semitism and codified them into a section of the village code entitled "Consideration of Anti-Semitism in Enforcing Laws."

At its core, the ordinance defines anti-Semitism using real-world examples so village police can more easily determine if a hate crime has occurred against the village's flourishing Jewish community. Examples of anti-Semitism outlined in the ordinance include making "stereotypical allegations about Jews  especially, but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media (or) economy," as well as "accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel ... than to the interest of their own nations."

(MORE: Anti-Semitic attacks in the US have doubled: ADL)

Without such guidelines, Groisman said, police departments like his have had a difficult time identifying and investigating anti-Semitic acts.

"This gives law enforcement the tools to make a determination of intent," said Groisman, who believes it's the first local ordinance of its kind. While numerous municipalities have hate-crime regulations that supplement federal and state hate-crime laws, Groisman said his is the first local hate-crime ordinance to specifically define anti-Semitism for the purpose of law enforcement.

Story continues

He said the new ordinance was especially important after the FBI reported that hate crime incidents targeting Jews and Jewish institutions in the U.S. jumped about 37 percent between 2016 and 2017.

PHOTO: Bal Harbour, Fla., mayor Gabriel Groisman is pictured in an undated handout photo. (Lauren Koplowitz)

The ordinance, Groisman said, allows law enforcement to protect free speech -- yet when a crime like an assault occurs, it "can make a crime rise from a misdemeanor to a felony," Groisman said.

This month Bal Harbour police made their first arrest under the new ordinance, following a seven-week investigation into an alleged anti-Semitic attack.

On March 22, village police responded to a report of a man shouting anti-Semitic slurs at two elderly Jewish couples who were wearing religious garb on the day of the Jewish Sabbath. Police say Daniel Starikov, 33, rushed toward the group, shouting "You Jews, I'm going to get you," while banging his fists together as though preparing to fight.

A short time later, police say, Starikov encountered two more men in Jewish garb and he ran up and spit on them before running off.

Authorities reportedly used video from a nearby surveillance camera to help identify Starikov, whom they arrested on May 15 and charged with one misdemeanor count of assault on a person 65 or over, three misdemeanor counts of assault with religious prejudice and two felony counts of battery on a person 65 or over with prejudice.

Starikov's attorney, Aubrey Webb, told ABC TV affiliate WPLG that Starikov doesn't have an anti-Semitic background.

PHOTO: Daniel Starikov in a police handout photo. (Miami-Dade County Jail )

"He comes from a very nice family here," Webb said. "They are saddened, they are outraged by what happened to these people and the allegation, and they just want help for Mr. Starikov ... They are not anti-Semitic."

Starikov, nevertheless, faces hate-crime charges as a result of his alleged attack.

The allegations against Starikov suggest "a pretty clear-cut case of anti-Semitism," said Groisman, who explained that the village's ordinance will be more helpful in situations when the perpetrator's motivations aren't so obvious.

(MORE: Prosecutors mull death penalty for alleged Tree of Life synagogue shooter)

For example, "If someone is beating someone up while saying 'Free Palestine' on a college campus, the police officer has no immediate way of understanding, unless they're really knowledgeable about what's happening in the world, that this kid was just assaulted because he was Jewish, which makes it a hate crime," Groisman told Israel National News at the time the measure was adopted.

Ultimately, Groisman told ABC News, "Police officers just want clarity. When law enforcement is investigating a crime, this gives them a definition to refer to."

Other Florida municipalities have taken notice.

Last year the Miami-Dade County Chiefs of Police Association adopted Bal Harbour's ordinance for use by law enforcement in 34 cities in South Florida. Three months later, the South Carolina legislature passed a similar ordinance to help define anti-Semitic acts on college campuses statewide.

(MORE: Man who 'rushed' San Diego synagogue shooting suspect away tells his story)

"Gabe has moral clarity on this issue," Miami Mayor Francis Suarez told ABC News.

"It's a trend that's going to continue," Suarez said of the rise of local hate-crime regulations. "We want to use our power appropriately and respect the principles that make our country great."

"It's about doing something against the rise of anti-Semitism," Groisman said. "What's important is that even a small city can have an effect on the rest of the world."
This chai lounge wants you to leave hate at the door

This chai lounge wants you to leave hate at the door originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com

We're bringing you the most Instagrammable experiences around the country with GMA's On Trend.

Sometimes a cup of chai is all you need to bring people together.

For Khalida Brohi and David Barron, thats exactly how their life together started.

Barron is from an Italian-American family in Los Angeles. Brohi is from a small village in a tribal community in Balochistan, Pakistan, a place where she says love marriages are not something people hear about often.

When the two met and fell in love, they werent sure how their parents would respond, considering both families were from two completely different backgrounds. Brohi said her parents freaked out.

The fear that we saw in our parents -- it really scared us because it wasnt just about them. It was more of a global reaction that made sense to us finally, she said. People are afraid of people they dont know. And all they need to do is know them a little bit better.

A year later, both families agreed to meet. Because Brohis family couldnt travel to the states and Barrons mom couldnt travel to Pakistan, the two families eventually connected in Venice, Italy, where Brohi, an activist and social entrepreneur, was invited for a speaking event.

(MORE: All about ube: How one foodie is bringing the Filipino favorite to the main stage)

They met in a little living room in an Italian Airbnb and were shocked at finding each other human. The families connected, on the third day of the trip, Brohi and Barron got engaged.

But how did all of this happen? Its all thanks to Brohis mom who made many cups of chai that the families bonded over.

via GIPHY

It was then we realized the power of chai to connect people, Barron said.

Now they hope to bring that message to life with their tea lounge called The Chai Spot, where the couple hope people leave hate at the door. The couple opened the first location in Sedona, Arizona, in 2015 and the then a second location in New York City.

Story continues

Its amazing watching people come into The Chai Spot. A lot of people come in with prejudices or apprehensions about what theyre coming into and we have an opportunity to change peoples perspectives, Barron said, noting its been powerful to see someone's entire world vision change completely over a cup of tea.

via GIPHY

The Chai Spot Experience

Upon entering, the colorful shop smells like a blend of spices used in traditional forms of chai.

Venture to the back and guests will find a large and cozy room designed to look like a home where guests can lounge with their friends comfortably around vibrant pillows, rugs, and curtains.

via GIPHY

But dont forget to take your shoes off!

The Chai Spot's menu features hot and iced chais that are inspired by traditional chais from Pakistan and India.

The Chai Spots cardamom chai is brewed with cardamom, black tea leaves, milk and sugar. It also introduced its own version of pink Kashmiri chai called The Butter Chai, which has a buttery texture.

via GIPHY

The front of the colorful tea shop is filled with clothes, bowls, scarves and bags, some of which are made by Pakistani artisans. The proceeds from sale of products in the tea shop go back to the artisans who made them.

Moreover, 50% of the stores proceeds are donated to women and children in Pakistan. Even with very little money, the Chai Spot has built two schools in Pakistan, one in Balochistan and one in Sindh. Proceeds are also given to women through grants that they can use to build entrepreneurial skills and even start their own business.

via GIPHY

I grew up in a very small poor community in Pakistan. One thing I learned from poverty was how it took very little to make a huge difference in our day, Brohi said. Brohi is the founder of the Sughar Foundation USA, a nonprofit that helps tribal and rural women in Pakistan with leadership skills and opportunities. She is also dedicated to fighting honor killings in Pakistan and hopes to redefine the meaning of honor.

(MORE: You donut want to miss these Mickey-themed treats at Walt Disney World)

The couple said there are tons of cultures that are either not talked about or are made exotic in a stereotypical way. They hope The Chai Spot introduces a culture people can grow familiar with, something Barron likes to call a peace-building initiative.

When they are able to touch and feel the stories from that country, they feel like they are more connected to it, Brohi said. We had to find a way to bring Pakistan to America.
Chicago Police officers handcuffed 8-year-old, made him stand in the freezing rain during a police raid: Lawsuit originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

A Chicago mother is accusing Chicago police of using excessive force on her family, including her 8-year-old son, who officers allegedly handcuffed and left in the freezing rain for 40 minutes, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit filed against the Chicago Police Department.

On March 15, Alberta Wilson and her children, who live in Chicago's South Side neighborhood, were awoken by bullhorn at 6 a.m. by Chicago Police officers surrounding their home, according to the lawsuit. The officers were executing a search warrant for an assault rifle they thought was in the possession of one of Wilson's older sons, according to Chicago Police Sgt. Rocco Alioto.

(MORE: Chicago police fatally shot 24-year-old as he climbed a fence, bodycam video shows)

Officers in tactical gear allegedly pointed assault rifles at the family as they exited the home, even after Wilson requested that they lower the weapons due to the presence of children, the lawsuit states.

Once the family reached the street the officers handcuffed them, including Wilson's 8-year-old son Royal, according to the court documents, which say it was 32 degrees that morning.

"He stood in the street shaking from fear and cold and drenched in the freezing rain," the lawsuit alleges.

PHOTO: On March 15, Chicago Police officers raided the home of Alberta Wilson on Chicago's South Side to look for an assault rifle they thought was in the possession of one of her older sons, according to a lawsuit. (WLS)

During a press conference Wednesday, Wilson said Royal was crying and complaining that the handcuffs were too tight. His wrists were bruised from the handcuffs, according to the lawsuit. Wilson says her 9-year-old son Roy and 6-year-old daughter Royalty were not handcuffed.

"And I had to reassure him, God is not gonna let anything happen to us," she said.

Wilson and other adult family members were also handcuffed and kept standing in the cold for two hours while the officers searched the home, according to the lawsuit.

Story continues

(MORE: Chicago cops ripped off Muslim woman's hijab: Suit)

In addition, officers used a "loud explosive device to blow a large hole" in the second-floor ceiling of the home and then detained the adult family members inside the home for another two hours," the lawsuit states.

Officers also allegedly damaged or destroyed personal property and "shouted profanity and insults at the family" as well as "used abusive and contemptuous language, all within the sight and hearing of the children," according to the lawsuit.

Police finally left the home around 10 a.m., the lawsuit states.

PHOTO: Chicago resident Alberta Wilson has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department, alleging that officers used excessive force on her young children when executing a search warrant on her home. (WLS)

Wilson said the incident has traumatized her younger children, describing them as "very nervous and jumpy."

"They're afraid to go to the washroom," she said. "They're afraid to sleep by themselves."

Wilson's attorney, Al Holfield Jr., said during the news conference that "Chicago Police officers behave as if our children of color and their trauma is collateral damage."

(MORE: Nearly 75% of people shot by Chicago Police are black, report says)

In a statement to ABC News, Sgt. Alioto said the department "makes every effort to ensure the validity of all information used to apply for and execute search warrants."

"Due to the risk involved with a weapon that could penetrate body armor, the occupants of the residence followed verbal direction given over a public address system and exited the residence without needing to breach the door," Alioto said.

The target of the search warrant was on the scene, and there were no weapons located in the search, Alioto said. The location searched was the same as the one described on the search warrant, he added.

No one was arrested or charged, according to the lawsuit.

It is against Chicago Police protocol to handcuff children, ABC Chicago station WLS reported. Officers say they did not know Royal's age when they handcuffed him, according to the local station.

"Were not perfect, but we do try to ensure that those types of things do not occur," Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told WLS. "So, Ill look into it, and if someone has to be held accountable, then well do that."
Summertime is when we look forward to saying goodbye to the great indoorsand when great books get kicked into high gear. Some of this years crop take up New York as their point of entry, making the city as much of a player in family tensions, relationship drama, and self-discovery as the people who live in it. In others, protagonists find themselves far from homewhich means, for some, New York, too. Below, 10 of the best summer books for you to delve into:

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane (May 28)

In Mary Beth Keanes patient, powerful novel Ask Again, Yes (Scribner), two families live side by side in a leafy, middle-class bedroom community north of New York Citythe Gleesons and the Stanhopes, uneasy Irish-American neighbors whose two young children, Kate and Peter, are falling in love. A shocking tragedy turns what had been a portrait of domestic tension into a profound narrative of trauma and blame. Keanes gracefully restrained prose gives her characters dignity, even as they mistreat one another and let their lives fall apart. The novel spans decades and shows how difficult forgiveness can beand how it amounts to a kind of hard-won grace. Taylor Antrim, Executive Editor

The Plaza: The Secret Life of Americas Most Famous Hotel by Julie Satow (June 4)

A Midtown landmark gets its own biography in The Plaza: The Secret Life of Americas Most Famous Hotel, by Julie Satow, whos been covering New York City real estate for a decade. Along with the legends of Truman Capote and Eloise, Satows book tells of Betty Friedans all-female lunch in 1969 (an event that caused the flustered maitre d to order the table removed from the premises), and time-travels from the original Plaza to the opening of the existing version, in 1907, up to the present, showing its always been an establishment in flux. What began as a restaurant underneath the lobby was soon intentionally flooded and turned into a frozen ice-skating rink in the summer months; a few years after that, it became a racetrack for the owners nephew to race his miniature electric car. Corey Seymour, Senior Editor

Story continues

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (June 4)

Told through the eyes of Vassar dropout Vivian Morris, Elizabeth Gilberts latest, City of Girls, takes place in World War IIera New York, where Vivian is sent by her Waspy, no-nonsense parents. The 19-year-old lands at her estranged Aunt Pegs failing theater, a dizzying funhouse lacking rules and structure, where she finds her place making costumes for low-budget productions. The sociable showgirls quickly resume Vivians education, bringing her up to speed in all areas. Michaela Bechler, Features Associate

On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (June 4)

You have to find a way, the immigrant mother in Ocean Vuongs piercing debut On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous tells her son. You have to because I dont have the English to help you. The loosely constructed novel is the unfolding of this pathin its simplest outline, its the story of a mother and son who are struggling to find their way in an unfamiliar culture. But it is also a bildungsroman that vacillates between moments of piercing tenderness and savage brutality, set against quixotic hopes of the American dream and the devastation of the opioid crisis. Vuongs deeply felt work may just be the first great fiction of this modern, homegrown travesty, but its also a story that is enriched by both the beautiful and the ugly currents of American history. Chloe Schama, Senior Editor

[Fleishman Is in Trouble]https://www.amazon.com/Fleishman-Trouble-Novel-Taffy-Brodesser-Akner/dp/0525510877) by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (June 18)

Uptown and across the river, the titular Dr. Toby Fleishman in Taffy Brodesser-Akners Fleishman Is in Trouble is a renowned hepatologist, recently separated from his wife and suddenly caring for his 8-year-old son and tweenage daughter. Thanks to the wonders of dating apps, hes also (happily) drowning in offers of casual sex. For three weeks, Toby alternately celebrates his newfound autonomy and rages over the mess his spouse has left him. Brodesser-Akner is a master of zeitgeisty pith, and Toby, while occasionally too saintly for realisms sake, is a delightful mensch. But the real standout is Brodesser-Akners often hilarious grasp on what makes a certain kind of Manhattanite tick. Hillary Kelly, Vogue Contributor

Photo: Courtesy of Ecco

The Gone Dead by Chanelle Benz (June 25)

The Gone Dead, as someone described to me, is indeed like True Detective, if it were written by a woman and much, much better. Benzs debut novel follows a woman who returns to her late fathers home in Mississippi in the early 2000s to claim her inheritance, an investigation that quickly becomes metaphorical. While the novels crime plotting is not as exciting as it would be on prestige TV (and thank god for that), the voices of this small-town world are fascinating in Benzs hands. Her prose is lush, verging on rich, as she describes humid, stormy summer nights and family tensions. Her book arrives at a time when Americas Confederate past is disturbingly near, something shed have us all remember, even if it hurts. Bridget Read, Vogue.com Culture Writer

How Could She by Lauren Mechling (June 25)

The trio of sometimes-friends in Lauren Mechlings precise and of-the-moment How Could She are wandering their way through adulthood. Theres Rachel, a part-time editor at a feminist glossy who desperately wants to break through the YA novel scene; the congenitally lucky Sunny, who has married rich and is the kind of woman who simply deems herself a creative; and poor Geraldine, who is getting over a devastating breakup. As successes ebb and flow and alliances strain and stretch, Mechling zooms in on the constrictor knot of adult female friendships. How Could She is a witty, delightfully uncomfortable time capsule of our post-aughts selves and the honest struggles that lurk inside the hearts of women everywhere. Hillary Kelly, Vogue Contributor

Photo: Courtesy of Liveright

Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn (July 2)

Nicole Dennis-Benns Patsy starts with an incredible, uncomfortable act: a woman leaving her child. From there, in 1998, the novel hurtles forward, set in Jamaica and New York, as mother and daughter, Patsy and Tru, live out separate fates that are connected by blood, but also by huge, unseen forces of politics, class, and race. Patsy discovers that life as an undocumented worker in a city that is only becoming more stratified by wealth may not have been worth the price. Dennis-Benn is a prodigious world-straddler, and not just geographically; her characters are memorable and fully drawn, and the devastating meta-legacies they conjure are all too real. Bridget Read, Vogue.com Culture Writer

Photo: Courtesy of Grove Press

The Yellow House by Sarah Broom (August 13)

A house is a perfect metonymn for the promises and ills of the American dream; its shelter youre supposed to get, and keep, if things go right, but it can become a burden, a trap, if things dont. And things arent going right for most of us. The dream is rigged, for one thinganother is the creeping understanding that the places we thought were safe wont be for long, especially if you live near a body of water. Brooms memoir of poverty, striving, and justice in pre- and post-Katrinastricken New Orleans concerns rising tidesthe literal ones that took her childhood home, and the structural ones, too, that, instead of lifting all, are threatening to drown. Broom has a reporters eye but an essayists heart, blending urban history of her segregated home city and her familys attempt to survive in it. Bridget Read, Vogue.com Culture Writer

Photo: Courtesy of Viking

The Others Gold by Elizabeth Ames (August 27)

Elizabeth Amess addictive debut, The Others Gold, is in some ways a conventional book, a campus novel, centered on the friendship of four women who fall into categories that seem a bit too predictable (the pretty one, the sporty one, etc.). But, just as collegiate first impressions can mutate and evolve, the bookalong with its charactersgrows increasingly complex, charting the way that the bonds forged in those heady moments when people are permitted to reinvent themselves can become the defining ties of adult life. The book is structured around a series of misdeeds that cause tension and rifts amid the foursomethe last of which turns the book into something like a domestic thriller, inflected with the trauma of early motherhood. This novel will resonate with anyone who guards an inner circle forged in dorm rooms and dining halls, but it is also, in the end, more than that. Chloe Schama, Senior Editor

Originally Appeared on Vogue
From walking with kangaroos to swimming with giant cuttlefish, the animal experiences you can have in South Australia are worth planning a trip around. Here are some of the top experiences to cross off your bucket list.

Swim with thousands of giant color-changing cuttlefish

Carl Charter

Once a year, in the shallow waters where the Spencer Gulf meets Whyallas sandy shore, thousands of giant cuttlefish hover above the ocean floor. Its the only place in the world where you can experience the wild-looking creatures like this, which are actually swimming mollusks. (Their shell is internal.)

Between May and August, the males change color and flash brilliant shades akin to healthy coral to attract the females. While guided tours are offered, you can easily wade into the water for a snorkel on your own at Stony Point or Black Point, both of which have added platforms to make accessing the water easier. But come prepared to wear a thick wetsuit  its the middle of winter in the southern hemisphere, and water temperatures are frigid.

From $679 AUD per person for a cuttlefish package tour with pureSA.

Listen to the humpbacks song along the Great Australian Bight

Courtesy of Australian Wildlife Journeys

Winter brings out the best of South Australias beasts, including endangered Southern right and humpback whales, penguins, white-bellied sea eagles, and sweet puppy-eyed Australian sea lions.

Between June and September, spend five days on and near the water with Australian Coastal Safaris, a member of the exclusive Australian Wildlife Journeys portfolio, for an array of intimate experiences like hearing the humpbacks characteristic song, watching Australian seal pups learn to swim, and visiting the only wild koala colony on the Eyre Peninsula.

From $2,565 AUD per person for the five-day Eyre Peninsula Winter Whale Watching and Wildlife Encounter tour.

Walk among kangaroos, emus, and wallaroos on a luxury-studded multi-day trek

Courtesy of South Australian Tourism Commission

A former sheep station turned private wildlife conservancy, the Arkaba Conservancy and its luxury homestead are set on 60,000 acres of the ancient and dramatic Flinders Ranges, which have developed over the last 600 million years. Rewilding efforts have brought native marsupials back to the land, and you can hike with them and other creatures  kangaroos, wallaroos, emus, wedge-tailed eagles, parrots, and more  on the four-day Arkaba Walk (one of the Great Walks of Australia) with expert guides who provide not only fascinating insights but also top-end creature comforts.

Story continues

From $2,400 AUD per person for the Arkaba Walk four-day tour, MarchOctober

Fly with mallee ringneck parrots on a heli-hike

Courtesy of South Australian Tourism Commission

Start your hike on high in a helicopter as you fly over the Chace Range to land at Gregory Gap, where theres stunning views of the Flinders. The landscape, however, is in competition with the local mallee ringneck parrots, whose dazzling tropical hues are cause for frequent stops.

Make sure to keep your eyes on the ground for at least part of the time though: Most of the five-and-a-half-mile trek back to Rawnsley Park Station is a steep downhill, and theres red kangaroos and other critters to watch for along the way.

From $540 per person for the Heli-hike From Gregory Gap five-hour tour, MarchOctober

Cage dive with music-loving great white sharks

Courtesy of Adventure Bay Charters

Cage diving with sharks has become controversial in the last decade, with claims that the practice is neither sustainable nor authentic and further confirms stereotypes of bloodthirsty beasts thrashing around in the water as they devour flesh greedily. But it doesnt have to be that way. Rather than sprinkle the waters around the Eyre Peninsula with chum or other bait, Adventure Bay Charters uses music to attract great whites to the boat. The best performing artist? Australias own AC/DC, of course.

From $420 AUD for the Shark Cage Diving with Great White Sharks full-day (12-hour) tour

Ogle roos, sleepy sea lions, and fuzzy bottoms on Kangaroo Island

%image1

Kangaroo Island is exactly what it sounds like: A veritable sanctuary for Australias most famous marsupial, along with Australian sea lions, massive goannas, wallabies, and koalas  or fuzzy bottoms, as Kangaroo Island Odysseys guide Nikki Redman, who has an encyclopedic knowledge of the island and its creatures, calls them.

More than a third of the island is protected, but on the Highlights of Kangaroo Island tour, you can get within feet of rare Australian sea lions, take a private sunset safari through a nature reserve hopping with hundreds of kangaroos, and have tea on a rocky seaside cliff, looking for sharks in the turquoise waters below.

From $1,098 per person for the Highlights of Kangaroo Island two-day, one-night tour

Go behind the scenes with researchers to study the worlds oldest living animal

Courtesy of Australian Wildlife Journeys

Though it may at first glance look like a porcupine (or, more likely, a dry bush), the echidna is more closely related to a platypus. Its the oldest living animal on Earth, dating back 120 million years. Researchers believe that they may have been able to outlast dinosaurs due to their curious ability to sustain high levels of carbon dioxide.

Today, they can only be found in Australia and parts of Papua New Guinea, and with Exceptional Kangaroo Island, you can go behind the scenes with Dr. Peggy Rismiller, who studies the short-beaked echidna, to learn more about this fascinating animal.

Enquire with Exceptional Kangaroo Island for price for the Behind the Scenes with Researchers: Echidnas tour.
Scientists have discovered a new tickborne illness in China, a new report in the New England Journal of Medicine says.

The virus is called Alongshan virus (ALSV) and was discovered after officials surveilling for tickborne diseases in China came across the case of a woman who went to a hospital in Inner Mongolia, whose illness had an unknown cause. Alongshan is the name of the town where the patient lived.

The illness seemed similar to an infection from the tickborne encephalitis virus (TBEV), but after ruling out a TBEV infection, doctors initiated a heightened surveillance program in the same hospital to screen for other patients who presented with fever, headache, and a history of tick bites.

They eventually concluded came to the conclusion that the patients virus had been previously unknown. The initial patient studied was a 42-year-old farmer. Additionally, they confirmed that ALSV had infected 85 other patients, all from Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang. The patients presented with fever and a headache, and theyd all been bitten by ticks.

The patients were treated with a combination of benzylpenicillin sodium and ribavirin for 3 to 5 days, the new report says. The ribavirin was administered through an IV, and the benzylpenicillin sodium was given intramuscularly, which means it was injected into the muscle. Additional medicines were given to patients with severe headaches. The patients had to be hospitalized for about 10 to 14 days,but all made a complete clinical recovery. The virus caused neither permanent complications nor death.

RELATED: Lovebug Insect Season is Upon UsHeres What You Need to Know

The authors of the new report say they suspect that the virus is caused by the tick I. persulcatus. Common hosts of I. persulcatus include most mammals (e.g., sheep, cattle, horses, dogs, rabbits, humans) and occasionally some birds. I. persulcatus is widely distributed in Asia and eastern Europe, including China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, and Russia, the report says.

Its worth noting that the authors say mosquitos cant be eliminated as the hosts that transmit ASLV. Theyre calling for more research to be done to figure out where else people can pick up the virus.

RELATED: What Is Hantavirus? We Talked to an Expert About the Rare, Life-Threatening Virus Carried by Rodents
I've had the honor of serving as an Alabama State Senator for more than 20 years, and with every vote I've cast, I've remembered that my decisions have consequences that impact the lives of Alabamians. Right now, my Republican colleagues have their sights set on political gains  and they don't seem to care that our constituents have become collateral damage in their agenda to dismantle reproductive rights.

Two weeks ago, we saw the nations most restrictive and severe anti-choice legislation  Alabamas HB314  signed into law with the intention to criminalize abortion in our state and ultimately gut or overturn Roe v. Wade.

Alabamas anti-choice politicians, in their quest to bring a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, have shown their blatant disregard for the effects legislation like HB314 will have on Alabamians. Stripping away our reproductive freedom will send us back to a reality where abortion was illegal, creating nothing short of a healthcare crisis for women, especially low-income women.

Criminalizing abortion in Alabama is dangerous. This near-total abortion ban threatens the health and lives of women  and puts healthcare workers at risk of imprisonment for helping their patients. This policy will not end abortions, it will only end access to safe abortions, which is why I am committed to protecting the right to choose whether a pregnancy is taken to term. I praise God every day that I was never faced with that difficult choice, but I still believe that choice is solely mine to make.

We know that HB314 does not represent what the majority of Alabamians or Americans want. In fact, less than 20% of Alabamians support policies this restrictive, and 7 in 10 Americans support access to legal abortion.

Most Alabamians are firmly on the side of reproductive freedom, and they are not alone. In response to the systematic implementation of these draconian anti-choice laws in states across the nation, there is a groundswell of activism to fight this assault on safe abortion access. Last Tuesday, thousands of pro-choice advocates came together at statehouses, town squares, and courthouses throughout the country to combat these bans and to show those who want to take away reproductive rights that we are the majority. With protest signs hoisted high, activists called for accountability from the officials who are deliberately disregarding the will of their constituents. This is certainly true in my home state.

Story continues

HB314  signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey, but not yet in effect  was sent to her desk by our super-majority of Republican legislators, comprised of primarily white men. But my colleagues in the Alabama legislature are not the ones who will feel the full effects of this legislation. Most of them do not have the organs this law seeks to unconstitutionally regulate, and in some cases, do not understand their basic functioning. So why  on the day HB314 was passed in the Alabama Senate  was I just one of two women debating on the Alabama Senate floor?

Currently, Alabama ranks 47th among states in terms of female representation in elected offices. Women make up only 15% of the Alabama legislature, despite the fact that they represent more than half of Alabamas total population. I recognize that a woman introduced this bill, women voted in favor of this bill in the Alabama House of Representatives, and a woman signed this bill into law.

Let me be clear: Female legislators arent obligated to be progressive. But more women need to be in positions of power and contribute their voices to all legislative decisions  especially decisions related to reproductive rights.

The women who are fighting  and have been fighting  to protect this constitutional right should be acknowledged and centered in these conversations. Activists are making their voices heard. But we also need those voices at all levels of government. We need elected officials who represent the people affected by legislation and who will fight for policies with which the majority of Americans actually agree. With this in mind, on May 21 I filed a bill to repeal Alabamas extreme abortion ban. It was swiftly buried in the Senates Health Committee, which I expected, but I will continue to do all that I can to ensure women maintain bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom.

We are in the fight of our lives. It will take everything weve got to stand together, push back, and protect our rights. We need your voice. No matter your background, ethnicity, marital status, gender identity, or experience, your voice deserves to be heard. Thats why Im asking you to consider stepping up  beyond volunteering or donating, you can decide to run for office and represent your community. As women, we tend to talk ourselves out of running for a House or Senate seat. But it is legislators on the state level who are the first line of defense against these awful bills. If we want to create a world where policies benefit our communities instead of restricting them, we need our state and local government to more accurately reflect our communities.

As I build ways to uplift and put more women in positions of power, Im proud to be the Honorary Chair of Galvanize Alabama. This September, the United State of Women is bringing its Galvanize training program to Montgomery. Well be convening, connecting, and amplifying activists in Alabama to fight for gender equity  with training tracks like women in leadership, running for office, and community organizing 101.

If youre a fellow Alabamian, I hope to see you there! And if youre one of the amazing people who have taken a stand on reproductive rights and want to support these local efforts, please consider donating to our Galvanize Alabama scholarship fund. The United State of Women team is committed to leading the fight for gender equity  and that includes striving to keep the Galvanize Program low cost to attendees and provide scholarship opportunities. But the organization needs your support to make that happen. Make a donation today to help empower local organizers in Alabama with the training, tools, and resources they need to be successful in this fight.

Galvanize Alabama will be held on September 28 in Montgomery, AL. To register for this event, please visit the official USOW Eventbrite for tickets. To donate to this cause and help fund this work, please visit the Galvanize Scholarship Fundraiser.

Vivian Davis Figures is an Alabama State Senator. The views expressed here are her own.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

AOC Is Working With Ted Cruz On A Bill?

Trump Wants To Roll Back Your Rights? Not If Katie Hill Can Help It

Louisiana Governor Bans Abortion Once A Fetal Heartbeat Is Detected
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month always serves as a good time to reflect on the region's influence and cultural significance. A rather broad term, AAPIs include anyone descending from the Asian continent and the Pacific islands existing within Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. That's a lot of cultures wrapped up in such a tiny descriptor. Especially when Asian and Pacific American nations have proven to be such a powerhouse in affecting the tides of the fashion industry, and for far more than being the primary sources of garment factories. The region has birthed an army of brilliant designers, been responsible for the pop-culture phenomenon behind the real crazy rich asians (I guess we now know who's buying couture off the rack), and has had its long history act as the source material for many of the clothing trends we see today.

In honor of AAPI Month, we're taking the question, "Do you know where your clothes come from?" to heart. More than just the ethics behind how your clothing is produced, where your clothes come from is also about the origins of its design. In a political climate like the one we're in now, and in a fashion market that grows in international scope by the day, it's more important than ever to take stock of the heritage of our clothing. We could always use an extra primer for the purpose of understanding the difference between celebrating and referencing a cultures traditions (clothing include) to avoid the misstep of unintentionally appropriating.

We've shed some light on some of Asia's most well-known traditional dress-wear with a brief primer on how you can celebrate them yourself in a respectful way. Knowledge is power so arm yourself with some newfound history below.

India: Lehenga Choli

The Look: The idea of an Indian wedding sparks images of lavish ceremonies consisting of multi-day events and colorful sarees. But where saree's are often today's more common garment, it's a lehenga that marks a bride. The traditional lehenga choli is comprised of three pieces, a long skirt (lehenga), a well-fitted blouse (choli), and a dupatta, a sari pallu that can be draped in various fashions and often covers the mid-riff and head. Like most of India's formal attire, lehengas are typically rife with color and intricate embroidery.

Story continues

The History: A simplistic version of the lehenga choli is believed to have risen in popularity in North India during the 10th century, later evolving into a opulent style in the 16th century throughout the Mughal era. In states like Rajasthan and Gujarat, women of all ages and social classes adopted the garments.

When the Independence Movement that struck in the 1800s, Indian woman taking part in the freedom revolt against the British empire began opting instead for the saree, romanticizing it as their unofficial uniform. Lehengas took a back seat, left to rural areas that were secluded from the impact of the freedom struggle.

It wasn't until in the 1990s that lehengas experienced a reemergence in pop culture. Indian fashion designers began to reinvent the garment for Bollywood films, dressing celebrities in elaborate lehengas during wedding scenes the sparked a new enthusiasm for the style. Designers began experimenting with more modern skirt silhouettes.

By the 21st century, the age of fusion styles was ushered in resulting in a new era of the lehenga choli. You can now find lehengas-sarees mashups, western-inspired skirt shapes, anarkali-lehengas and a growing trend of swapping in crop tops for the traditional choli.

How To Wear It: Anita Dongre has been at the forefront of the Indian couture industry since the '90s. Among her many contemporary brands, she also runs an atelier for pret-a-porter and made-to-order lehengas. I had the chance to visit her at her New York flagship last year where she touched on the nuances of the modern lehenga. She's been embracing and revolutionizing fusion styles, taking to mind that the brides should have the freedom to wear what they feel best in. As more cultural crossover weddings occur, so do brides' desires for more unique ensembles. A common request is a lehenga in white, shirking traditional bold colors, to emulate Western wedding gowns. If you do find yourself wanting to wear a lehenga for an event, skip mass made products and research your designers. To celebratee rather than appropriate the Indian formalwear is to acknowledge the tradition of the fine craftsmanship behind it.

Philippines: Baro't Saya

The Look: If the name sounds familiar, that may be your high school Spanish kicking in. The Tagalog phrase Baro't saya translates literally to "blouse and skirt." The heavily Hispanic influenced ensemble is a feart in layering consisting of a blouse (camisa), shawl (panuelo), long skirt (saya) and an overskirt (tapis).

The History: Colonized by Spain in the early 1500s, the archipelagic country encountered a massive cultural shift thanks to the European power's Christian crusade. Due to be located in a tropical region, pre-colonial Filipino clothing was minimal reflecting the year-round hot climate. Under the Spaniards rule, Catholicism and conservatism began shaping a new cultural norms, one that heavily targeted Filipino womens clothing. Thus was born the baro't saya.

By the 1800s, the full integration of Hispanics and global trade evolved the baro't saya into the terno (also known as the Maria Clara). The new silhouette adopted a more complex and regal appearance with the introduction of cuffed bell sleeves, often referred to as 'angel wings,' and a more voluminous skirt.

While the terno never truly disappeared over throughout the 19th and 20th centure, it was "Queen" Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965-1985, that revived the terno, cementing it as the formal attire of choice for upper society.

How To Wear It: Today, the baro't saya and terno are still a common sight. They're worn by women of all ages for multiple occasions from dance performances to formal events and cultural celebrations. But there's also been a renaissance of modernizing the ensemble for the younger generation. Emerging Filipino designers are inventing fresh twists to revive the terno, a movement that continues to grow with funded design competitions. Filipino beauty pageant contestants can often be seen wearing traditional ternos on-screen and more modern versions during publicity events (as seen on Miss Universe Philippines 2018 Catriona Gray above). With puffy sleeve trends on the rise, you may already be adopting the terno into your everyday wardrobe without even knowing it.

China: Qipao

The Look: Glamorized in films from the late '50s and early '60s, the qipao, or cheongsam, quickly became an internationally recognized fashion symbol of Chinese women. A unique design, the dress is well-know by a Mandarin collar, silk or jacquard brocade fabrics, embroidered florals, and Chinese knotted buttons.

This History: The modern qipao we're familiar with today traces back to Shanghai circa the 1920s. In response to a growing revolt against traditional values and a desire to adapt Western standards, the dress was often worn with heels and Western fashion accessories. As an unprecedented amount of women were being allowed into the educational system around this time, both as students and teachers, women the qipao was adopted as a more practical approach to daily clothing, taking inspiration from the changpao, a popular garment for men. Eventually, the popularity of the dress spread to other thriving Chinese metropolis' like Beijing, Hong Kong, and even further towards Taiwan.

Heading into the mid-century, the qipao fashion continued to change with the emergence of Chinese women's independence and sexuality. The shaped became more fitted, the occasional side slit was introduced, and while the tentpoles of the style remained, women began to play with more gepmetric prints.

However, with the rise of Chinese Communism in the 1940s, the qipao began to disappear as the new government's egalitarian ideology spurned fashionable clothing and women began maintaining simpler dress. But just a ferry ride away, the qipao lived on in Hong Kong which remained under British rule. By the 1950s, the dress was internationally recognized as a Hong Kong affiliated staple, commonly featured in movies like The World Of Suzie Wong. But as trends rise and fall, come the end of the 1960s, Western-style fashion had taken over relegating the qipao to history.

How To Wear It: While older Chinese women will often reserve their qipaos for formal occasions, the dress, it's still a popular style today. Over the decades, the fashion world has routinely attempted to give the qipao a modern revival. Lest we forget how rampant the style was on every red carpet in the 2000s? Even now, a quick perusal through fast fashion sites will have a few takes on the column dress. True, the qipao originally served to echo the newfound independence of Chinese women and was an adaptive garment meant to keep up with the times, but that doesn't take away its deserving cultural respect. Designers often run a slippery slope between creating fun takes on the dress and reinforcing the over-sexualized, fetishization of the "oriental woman" Chinese women were once beholden to. Embrace the beautiful dress design, but be mindful of selecting over-the-top, cheap designs with hemlines that seem suspiciously short, the addition of kimono reminiscent sleeves, and any website that still has the audacity to refer to them as "oriental designs."

Up next: 21 Asian designers who have changed the fashion industry.

Read More from Who What Wear
An 86-year-old man in New Hampshire had to get rabies treatments after settling in to use his iPad last week.

The patient, Roy Syvertson, was bitten by a bat that had somehow wedged itself between his iPad and the iPad case.

It felt like a little bee sting. And I looked, and the bat was coming out of here, between the cover and the back of the pad, Syvertson told news outlet WMUR.

He squeezed the iPad cover to get the bat outside. When he went to check on it later, the bat was dead. Then I knew I might have a problem, Syvertson said. He became worried he might have been exposed to rabies.

Rabies is deadly if not addressed immediately after one has been exposed to it. Syvertson said he called the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and the officer he spoke to said, I would like you to go to the hospital right away. Waste no time.

Hes lucky he followed the officers advice because he had, in fact, been infected with rabies. He was immediately started on rabies treatments at a local hospital. The Fish and Game Department tested the bat that had infected him and found that it had been rabid.

Rabies is spread to humans via an infected animals saliva; its usually transmitted via a bite.

The animals that are most likely to transmit the virus in the US are coyotes, bats, foxes, skunks, and raccoons, Mayo Clinic says.

Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal. For this reason, anyone who may have a risk of contracting rabies should receive rabies vaccines for protection, Mayo Clinic explains.

Signs of rabies include headache, fever, nausea, agitation, confusion, anxiety, vomiting, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, hyperactivity, hallucinations, partial paralysis, insomnia, and fear of water (due to swallowing difficulties).

RELATED: What to Do If You Think You've Come In Contact With Rabies

Because rabies treatment is urgent, you should seek medical care if youve been bitten by an animal that could be rabid. Rabies is more common in some developing countries in Asia and Africa.

Fortunately, Syvertson received treatment in time and is now recovering. When addressing the question of how the bat got into his iPad case, he joked, He probably knew my password.

RELATED: Woman Dies from Rabies After She Was Misdiagnosed With Panic Attacks
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Big Little Lies Season 1.

Theres no doubt about it that Perry Wright (Alexander Skarsgard) is definitely dead. (Right? He is, right?) But it sounds like we havent seen the last of him just yet. During a recent event at The Wing ahead of the Big Little Lies Season 2 premiere in New York City, Nicole Kidman accidentally dropped a major bombshell. At the panel, which featured our five favorite Monterey moms and new addition Meryl Streep (!), Kidman confirmed that Skarsgard reprises his role in Season 2.

Speaking of her experience working with the True Blood star, who played the abusive husband of her character Celeste, Kidman said, He was the most incredible acting partner, and then he came back for season 2.

Once she realized her spoiler-filled statement, Kidman tried to backpedalwith encouragement from co-star and fellow producer Reese Witherspoon, Cosmopolitan reports.

undefined

While Kidman may have officially announced Skarsgards return to the series, the actor seemed to indicate as much during an appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this month. While he was coy about whether hed be in the upcoming season, he had nothing but praise for the HBO hit series and its Season 2 material.

undefined

Additionally, the actor appeared at the Big Little Lies Season 2 premiere earlier this week. While on the red carpet, he maintained that his character was very dead. Perry may not have survived being pushed down the stairs by Bonnie Carlson (Zoe Kravitz) during Season 1s climactic fight, but it certainly seems like well be seeing him once moremaybe just in flashback form. Well have to wait to find out.

Season 2 of Big Little Lies returns to HBO on June 9th.
U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk across the South Lawn as they return to the White House in Washington, DC on May 28. AFP-Yonhap



U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday deflected criticism that he insulted a fellow American over a dictator when he agreed with North Korea's harsh assessment of Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden.



Trump has come under fire since he made remarks on Twitter and during a press conference in Tokyo over the weekend that supported North Korea's statement last week on the former vice president.



In a commentary published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang slammed Biden as a "a fool of low IQ," apparently in response to the presidential candidate's labeling of Kim Jong-un as a tyrant and dictator.





U.S. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden runs up the steps onto the stage to begin the kickoff rally of his campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidental nomination in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., May 18. Reuters-Yonhap




Melvin Hanna, a.k.a. "Sweet Dale," was killed by a brutal tornado in Celina, Ohio. Those who love him will never forget him  including the workers at his daily breakfast spot, Bob Evans. (Photo: Courtesy of WBNS)

The workers at a restaurant in Celina, Ohio, have dedicated one of their tables to a beloved customer who was tragically killed on Monday when a powerful tornado propelled a car through his home.

Melvin "Sweet Dale" Hanna was always the first customer of the day at Bob Evans, a neighborhood establishment where hed have the same breakfast every morning, two of his servers told WBNS.

"He was here every morning at 7 oclock," said Marsha Houston. He was waiting in the parking lot for us every day to unlock the doors.

Every time that he walked into door, he had big grin on face, always smiling patiently and waiting, server and cook Jenna, who declined to provide her last name, told Yahoo Lifestyle. He was a fixture.

Houston and her colleague Elena Beougher say they didnt even have to ask Hanna for his order because they had memorized it: Country Biscuit Breakfast, eggs over hard, with home fries, plus coffee with creamer and a water.

Two of Hanna's friends and servers at Bob Evans memorialized his table with a sign reading, "In Loving Memory of Dale." (Photo: Courtesy of WBNS)

Hanna had visited Bob Evans for the last time on Monday morning; that night, as Dale was sleeping in bed, tragedy struck. A tornado with wind speeds up to 165 miles per hour touched down on Celina; it was one of several tornadoes to ravage Ohio  and one of about 300 to sweep through the nation in the past few weeks.

The tornado  which one Celina resident described as a freight train  caused a car to rip through Hannas bedroom and strike the bed he was sleeping in. His daughter, Diana, was almost speechless when asked to describe the devastating condition of Hannas house when they discovered him.

"The pictures dont show it," Diana told the news station. "I mean, theres just no, I mean, the house is, its unbelievable. Its unbelievable.

Were still trying to wrap our minds around the loss, said Hannas other daughter, Debra.

Hanna is remembered not only as a ray of sunshine in his neighborhood and a valued friend, but also as a construction worker who built several churches in his community and a devoted husband who treasured the memory of his late wife.

Story continues

He was a man that enjoyed life until he lost my mom, said Debra. And once mama was gone, Daddy was ready to go."

Jenna said her favorite customer was always happy, but really the only sad thing was that he kept missing his wife. We filled that void in his life. We were like his family.

Those who loved Hanna were understandably in shock when they learned of Hannas fate. Jenna said that even though shed heard the news, I came in the next day and kept looking at the table expecting him to be there.

So the restaurant employees decided to memorialize Hannas table by placing a coffee on it the next morning along with a sign that reads, In Loving Memory of Dale. They said his nickname was already Dale, but they added a little sugar on top.

He was the sweetest man you could ever meet, they said to WBNS. We called him Sweet Dale. Yeah, Sweet Dale. He always had a smile, even if he didnt feel well. Just everyone, everyone loved Dale."

I will never walk by this table and not think of him, they added.

Hannas daughters, who are in town to arrange his funeral, take comfort in the idea that hes now reunited with their mother. Diana told the news station, I think mom is saying, 'Dale, the pearly gates need adjustment and so, get your level out, its time to get to work.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
You could work in the fashion industry for decades without actually knowing how a garment is made. In fact, plenty of designers may not even know the granular details behind their own lines. They design a product, see the sample, and somewhere across town (or across the globe), its remade in multiples and shipped to stores. For a rising class of environmentally and socially conscious young minds, however, that lack of transparency is no longer okay; to them, improving the sketch-to-dress process is just as important as a great design, if not more so. Its no coincidence that shoppers are simultaneously beginning to prioritize sustainability, too; in todays day and age, pieces with a story have the greatest currency.

Maria Stanley was ahead of this curve when she launched her small collection of easy, ethereal dresses and jumpsuits out of her Silverlake, Los Angles bungalow back in 2015. At that time, her brand ethos was centered on words like quality and craftsmanship; her fabrics were buttery soft, her lifestyle was eclectic. Rarely did the terms sustainable or eco-friendly come up, despite the fact that those textiles were natural and her collection was locally produced in very small batches. But it wasnt common to apply those concepts to a fashion label four short years ago, and designers like Stanley didnt entirely know how to talk about sustainability, either. Nor did many shoppers understand what it actually meant, choosing to associate sustainable fashion with a crunchy or hippie-ish stigma and lackluster design.

Fast forward a few years and many collections later, and Stanley has a firmer grasp on both her labels feminine, artistic point of view and its impact. Of particular note, she changed direction for Spring 2019 and decided to do the opposite of what the L.A. fashion scene has unofficially mandated: She moved 90 percent of her production from the West Coast to a small family-run factory in Delhi, India. (Her knits are still handmade by artisans in Peru.) That put roughly 8,000 miles between her design and manufacturing processesshes quick to point out that she ships her collections on U.S.-bound cargo flights to reduce her carbon footprintbut the distance was worth it to find a factory that aligned with her vision for slow, hand-finished, low-impact clothes that are as natural as possible. Stanley has been familiar with Indias handcraft traditions for a while nowher Victorian-inspired blouses have been embroidered there from day oneand as the years have gone by, shes learned more about the countrys agricultural systems, natural resources, and all it has to offer in the way of sustainable fashion. Westerners are quick to make the assumption that producing domestically is the better choice, or that overseas factories are always large-scale, cheap, and inherently bad. Stanley confidently dispels that notion: You need to see [a factorys] practices with your own eyes to ensure they are likeminded when it comes to sustainability and share the same ethics, she says. In fact, she recently made the trip to Delhi to see for herself, and is sharing a few images here to give you a glimpse of what she discovered.

Story continues

After my trip to Delhi, I feel more comfortable producing my clothes there than in the States, she added. Just because something is made domestically doesnt mean its being made ethically or sustainably. (Western culture has demonized made in China, too, and perpetuates the stereotype that Asian factories are all unethical and poorly-run. In reality, China has some of the most advanced, high-tech factories in the business.)

Maria gallery 1 - India

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Even fashion insiders are prone to these misconceptions. A lot of designers are terrified to move their productions overseas due to minimums [for orders], the unknowns of working conditions, material sources, and waste management, Stanley explains. But it isnt cheaper to produce overseas if you do it the right way. Ive ensured that the people who make my collections are paid fair wages, given health benefits, are not overworked, and are properly trained. After adding in shipping, taxes and duties, the cost is about the same.

Her factory owner, Naresh Vij, and his team are photographed here. A few of them are seen working on Stanleys current-season polka-dot Gayle dress, which is cut from a super-soft cupro-viscose blend. Most of the workers in our factory have been there for over eight years, and some have been there for more than 20 years, including the production manager and pattern maker, Stanley says. Their passion is inspiring, its a stable work environment, and theres a sense of loyalty, which also confirms there will be consistency in my collections.

That said, Stanley is still keeping things very small: Of each style, she produces between 10 and 100 pieces to avoid creating excess stock. Im a firm believer that there doesnt need to be 5,000 of the same dress in the world, she says. Theres nothing sustainable about that, and it creates a lot of waste. [Id rather] you feel special and unique in one of my pieces, knowing there arent many more out there. As a result, she rarely has excess fabric lying around, either. Stanley works closely with textile mills to order the precise amount she needsalways a natural fiber like cotton (sourced locally within India), silk, or plant-based materials like cupro and viscose (i.e., no polyester or petroleum-based synthetics). Next season, shes exploring vegetable and spice dyes, and in the future, she hopes for her line to be 100 percent organic. Going fully organic raises your prices about 30 percent, and from my experience, the market isnt ready for that price jump yet, she explains. But I see organic textiles becoming the standard soon, and pesticides and chemicals being banned [in cotton and the production of other textiles]. Hopefully this happens sooner rather than later. Until then, my research and conversations will continue! We have to start somewhere.

In the past, designers often feared that showing too much of the process would ruin the mystery and fantasy around their clothesor they assumed that customers simply didnt care. Flipping through Stanleys behind-the-scenes photos, as shot by her partner Michael J. Spear, its clear that neither of those statements are true. In fact, seeing the hands that make her garments only makes her designs more compelling. Head to her website to shop her current collection now, and get a sneak peek at Fall 2019, below.

Maria S looks

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Photo: Michael J. Spear / Courtesy of Maria Stanley

Originally Appeared on Vogue
Photo credit: Youtube

From Good Housekeeping

MasterChef season 10 just kicked off on May 29, and already this year's batch of contestants are exceeding expectations.

Just like in past seasons of MasterChef, this year judges Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez, and Joe Bastianich are tasked with choosing which cooks they believe to be the absolute best. The selected finalists are then awarded a white apron and put in the top 20 for a chance to become season 10's champion. The winner this year will take home a $250,000 grand prize ... not to mention, some pretty epic bragging points.

Here are the contestants in the top 20 fighting for the title in this year's competition:



Wuta Onda

From: Bronx, New York



Occupation: English Teacher



Top 20 Dish: Teriyaki salmon with fried rice

"This is how you come out of the gate," Aaron told Wuta after the hopeful cook presented a perfectly cooked salmon dish.



Bri Baker

From: Dallas, Texas



Occupation: Cocktail Server



Deanna Colon

From: Simi Valley, California

Occupation: Vocal Coach

Eliminated: June 12

Deanna may have earned a white apron in the first round, but she was promptly eliminated after serving the judges scallops with rosemary mashed potatoes and a fennel salad. But before getting the boot, she did get a hilarious opportunity to jokingly hit on Gordon. "Where is me on that plate?" Gordon asked. Deanna responded,"I wanted to make something lean and sexy and refined." The Hell's Kitchen star then quipped back,

"Lean, sexy, and refined? I'm old enough to be your granddad."

Evan Tesiny

From: Brooklyn, New York

Occupation: Sales Coordinator



Top 20 Dish: New York strip with polenta and oyster mushrooms



Not only did Gordon tell Evan that his New York strip was seasoned well, but he also called his work "ambitious." Moments later, Evan walked out with an apron in hand.

Fred Chang

From: Redondo Beach, California



Occupation: Revenue Analyst



Top 20 Dish: Plated Chocolate Cake



Story continues

Gordon literally couldn't get enough of Fred's moist and rich cake - he even licked the plate. Needless to say, Fred's dish was a hit.



Kimberly White

From: New York, New York



Occupation: Shoe Designer

Michael Silverstein



From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania



Occupation: Real Estate Flipper

Micah Yaroch

From: Grand Rapids, Michigan



Occupation: Kitchen Porter



Top 20 Dish: Sea Bass dish



Although Micah's churros didn't impress the judges the first time around, Gordon gave him a second chance to show off his talent. And when he did by presenting a perfectly cooked fish in round two, Micah won the last apron.

Noah Sims



From: Epworth, Georgia



Occupation: Septic Systems Foreman



Top 20 Dish: Southern burger



Noah barely had enough time to plate his creation, but luckily he pulled it off in the end. Gordon and the others were anxious to give him a white apron after tasting his flavorful burger.



Renee Rice

From: Ada, Oklahoma



Occupation: Receptionist

Shari Mukherjee

From: Rochester, New York

Occupation: Stay-at-Home Mom

Top 20 Dish: Red snapper with green coconut curry



Shari explained during the second episode that her husband taught her how to cook Indian food really well. Before handing over an apron, Gordon told Shari that he could tell she really knew her stuff.



Liz Linn

From: Duran, Michigan

Occupation: Events Consultant

Top 20 Dish: Mediterranean red snapper

Liz explained on the first episode that she recently went through a bad divorce and is anxious to move on and pursue her cooking passion. After Liz nailed the preparation of her fish dish, she earned an apron and became one step closer to having her culinary dreams realized.

Dorian Hunter

From: Cartersville, Georgia

Occupation: Creeler

Top 20 Dish: Drunken chocolate cake with hazelnut toffee and vanilla bean anglaise

The 45-year-old cook took her family's favorite drunken cake recipe and brought it to the main stage in the premiere episode. Worth the risk? It appears so - the judges awarded her three "yes" votes. Gordon then said that Dorian is one of the "ones to watch" this year.

Keturah King

From: London, U.K.

Occupation: Freelance Writer

Top 20 Dish: Bibimbap with beef bulgogi

Joe said the dish was really smart thanks to its "African fusion." Moments later, the judges put Keturah through to the next round.

Nick DiGiovanni

From: Barrington, Rhode Island

Occupation: College Student



Top 20 Dish: Lamb ravioli with creme fraiche and mint oil

Even though Joe thought he wouldn't like the 22-year-old's ravioli dish, one bite changed his mind. The plate ended up impressing the judges and had them handing over the white apron.

Subha Ramiah

From: West Nyack, New York

Occupation: R&D Director

Top 20 Dish: Chicken and sausage jambalaya with raita

Subha's mother was in the audience and told Gordon that she believes her son deserves an apron. Turns out, he agreed.

Jamie Hough

From: Poly's Island, South Carolina

Occupation: Fisherman

Top 20 Dish: Red snapper with a crawfish cream sauce

Jamie's seafood knowledge came in handy during the premiere episode. His red snapper dish blew the judges away.

Sam Haaz

From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Occupation: Attorney

Top 20 Dish: Cold steak salad with herbs and fried shallots

Like Dorian, the judges told Sam that he was also "the one to watch," so putting Sam through was an easy decision.

Kenny Palazzolo



From: Boston, Massachusetts

Occupation: Carpenter

Top 20 Dish: New York strip braciole with vegetable risotto

Eliminated: June 12

Kenny presented a visually stunning steak dish in the first round. But his second-round plate? Not so much. Even though his pan-seared scallops with mushroom, roasted potatoes, and mushy peas were deemed tasty, Joe couldn't stand the presentation of the dish. As a result, the judges asked Kenny to turn in his white apron for good.

Sarah Faherty

From: San Diego, California

Occupation: Former Army Interrogator

Top 20 Dish: Herb-crusted rack of lamb with fondant potato and pea puree

Joe said the lamb was on the rare side for him, but Gordon found the dish to be wonderful. Even though Joe hesitated to give Sarah an apron at first, he eventually budged.

('You Might Also Like',)
The Photographer Behind One of T+Ls June 2019 Covers Reveals How She Got the Shot

There are some images that instantly evoke the fun, carefree days of summer. The photo we chose for our June cover  a beachscape picturing a group of surfers wading into the frothy waters of Portugals Praia do Amado is one such shot. We caught up with Tel Aviv-based photographer Sivan Askayo, who shared details behind her moment of inspiration  including what gear she used to capture the scene.

Sivan Askayo

T+L: Where did you take this photo?

Sivan Askayo: This photo was taken in the Algarve at Praia do Amado. Its a beautiful sandy beach thats popular among surfers. It was my first day on assignment, and that afternoon stands out as one of the highlights of the trip.

How long did you spend on the beach, photographing the surfers?

That day I had driven from Lisbon to the Algarve, passing through the South West Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, and by the time I arrived in Praia do Amado it was already midway through the afternoon. Knowing that Id probably have to come back early the next day to get the perfect shot, I decided to go down to the beach and do some scouting. I ended up staying there for almost two hours, photographing the surfers as they waded in and out of the water. Around 5 p.m. the light became soft and golden, bathing the sand and cliffs in this beautiful warm glow. Thats when I got the shot.

Portugal has a number of great surf spots. How would you characterize the scene in the Algarve?

The surf scene in the Algarve is centered on Sagres, a laid-back beach town on Portugals southwest tip. The vibe is quieter and more under-the-radar than the scene in more northern seaside towns like Peniche and Ericeira.

Are you a surfer?

Sadly, I am not, but I desperately wanted to be when I was at Praia do Amado. Being there, you couldnt help but be swept up in the sense of adventure and excitement.

What equipment did you use?

I used my Nikon D750 with a 24-70 lens.
Photo credit: Courtesy

From ELLE

You know that feeling when everything seems to be erupting around you at once? A volcano of chaos: a fight with your spouse mixed with an upcoming move, and to top it off, your anxiety at is at an all time peak. That was me before I hopped on a flight to Nayara Springs , a magical luxury wellness paradise amidst the floral and fauna in La Fortuna, Costa Rica.

A huge fan of all things me time, Ive run the gamut of "woo woo" wellness journeys, from past life psychic adventures in the Berkshires to Ayurvedic nutrition trips in the Finger Lakes, but now, I was looking for a different type of healing, one from Mother Earth.

If youve been to Costa Rica, you may be familiar with their philosophy of pura vida, quite literally meaning, pure life. During a nature walk of the property where there were natural wonders at every corner-sloths snoozing high up in the branches, monkeys swinging from tree to tree, and pink bananas-I asked my nature guide what Pura Vida meant to him, Pura Vida teaches us to take care of nature and take advantage of nature. You dont need to go to the store, you have everything around you to live a beautiful life. It was time to look up from my phone, and be reminded of the world around me. The chaos of life in New York City needed to be silenced, and I realized I was exactly where I was supposed to be to get the physical and emotional reset that I so needed.

Photo credit: Courtesy

Part of the reason Nayara Springs was so appealing to me, was their legendary healing spa treatment which uses real volcanic ash mud. Yes, the ash from an actual volcano that is a quick drive from the property. In tradition, Ticans believe there is nothing more detoxifying, soul-centering, and energy-shifting than the mineral-rich volcanic earth. They say the liquid-y mud is a purifying miracle for your face and body and mind. Not only was my mind anything but grounded, but my skin was a wreck too: a huge cherry red zit on the center of my forehead (oh, the wonders that air travel does for your skin), achy shoulders, and tech neck from frantically checking my phone an embarrassing amount.

Story continues

I booked my treatment and welcomed the possibility that it would shift me for the better internally and externally. Heres what happened.



The benefits of volcanic ash mud

While the thought of volcanic ash mud being poured over your precious skin may sound frightening, there is nothing to fret. The volcanic ash in this treatment is sourced from the nearby Arenal volcano, collected, cleaned, and deemed safe before use. Benefits of the liquid potion besides its believed magical powers include: clearing up your skin (the minerals are anti-bacterial), exfoliating, helping with inflammation, and packing a punch of natural healing minerals that get absorbed by your skin.

The prep

I entered the spa area, and walked across a bridge that led me to my own open-air private tree house/treatment room right smack in the middle of the rainforest. It was the epitome of enchanting. I sat down and my spa therapist/energy healer rinsed my feet with jasmine-scented warm water and we did a quick meditation, breathing and listening to the sounds around me, birds, a soft early evening rain. She led me to my spa table and we got started.

Photo credit: Courtesy - Twitter

The treatment

The best way to succinctly describe the treatment is a Pura Vida Rebirth. It is somewhere between a body treatment, a mind massage, energy-healing therapy, and a gentle body drainage experience. Once I was on the spa bed, my therapist dripped the warm liquid healing volcanic mud that smelled earthy and beautiful on a section of my body, and then I used gentle pressure for tight spots and more of a Swedish massage technique for the rest.

The exfoliating grit felt gentle, like sand almost, and was not harsh, but did get my body going with blood flow. I started to drift off into a meditative state as she massaged the ash deep into the back of my body, then the front, with a focus on my stomach to debloat, drain, and heal. After my body was doused in gray volcanic mud from chest to toes, I was wrapped in hot towels, and then my therapist applied the volcanic mud on my face in circular motions. I laid with the mud all over my body and felt like I was lifted above the rainforest, it was otherworldly to be cocooned by the nurturing volcanic ash and listen to the sounds of a rain falling and wildlife in the rainforest.



When the ash treatment was done, I took a warm shower and rinsed the mud off my body and face. I touched my skin once it was all off, and I felt like a newborn. My skin was glowing and the aches, pains, and worries of my mind all felt gentler, more manageable and in a more peaceful place.

Photo credit: Courtesy

The results

On my face:

One glance in the mirror, and my skin looked instantly resurfaced, like I had just had a session of microdermabrasion. The huge "recycled air travel zit" on my forehead magically went down, almost disappearing. I felt exfoliated and fresh and didnt even need moisturizer.

On my digestion:

There was a LOT of stomach massage with the volcanic mud which I really enjoyed. Circular motions and then a figure eight and pressure. Not to be TMI, but it instantly helped with my travel digestion (constipation) and bloat (as that is always a problem for me on flights).

On my emotional state:

There's something very primal and grounding about using something alive from the earth on your skin like this in a natural way. All of these natural nutrients and minerals that came from a volcano, this natural phenomenon of the earth soaking into your skin. It's hard not to feel like it's a jungle "baptism" of sorts. On top of that, Costa Rica's spa "music" does not disappoint. There's no Sharper Image sound machine needed, it's the real rainforest surrounding, and your ritual happens amongst singing birds and wildlife, lulling you into the deepest inner and outer calm.



Not ready to hop on a plane to Costa Rica to get experience a Volcanic Ash Mud Treatment? here are products with healing mud in their ingredients that you can use at home:

This luxurious Hungarian mask is like a mud facial in a jar. It smells like geranium and chamomile, dries in a flash, and has the same gentle exfoliation-like quality of the volcanic facial. After 4 minutes your skin looks rejuvenated, brighter, and if you have any blemishes, the redness looks far less pronounced.

The original mud cleansing bar, loved by Hollywood and beyond, Erno Laszlos Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar uses mud from the Jordan River to remove impurities, clean pores, and give you a smoother, cleaner complexion.

Theres nothing more gratifying than a peel-off nose strip, and these ones by Innisfree are made with the power of Jeju volcanic cluster. They deep clean and quickly rid your nose of impurities, pollution, and anything else blocking those gorgeous pores of yours.

Peter Thomas Roths Irish Moor Mud Mask is a classic for a reason, you can literally feel the mud pulling out the congestion from your pores. The mud, a mixture of 9,000 year-old black moor mud is harvested by hand from the Irish countryside and combined with hijiki seaweed, volcanic ash, and activated charcoal for an instant detoxifying effect while also giving a dose of hydration as well.

With minerals from Africas ancient volcanic lava formations, this body scrub does wonders in the shower. Apply it to dry spots on your body like your elbows or knees, or for a total deep body exfoliation, put it all over your body and rub in in circular motions.

('You Might Also Like',)
Rose Rodinelli, a 14-year-old who died by suicide last September, was omitted from her high school yearbook  and her family is upset about the oversight.

Roses mother, Beth Rondinelli, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that the Pennsylvania teen suffered from Lyme disease and an undiagnosed autoimmune disease called PANDAS, causing her to be anxious and depressed. And although she remained her upbeat and funny self in front of friends and family, she was quietly struggling.

We had tried different medications and they didnt help her. I feel like we kind of ran out of time, Beth says. I guess the struggle got too tough for her and she couldnt see that at some point it would pass with the right medicine. And she ended her life in September.

Since that time, the Rondinelli family, Roses 19-year-old sister Rachel included, have been trying to memorialize Rose in various ways.

Rachel has been an advocate for Rose and for mental health. Shes spoken to three of the high schools in Downingtown County. She has spoken at school board meetings and other events to discuss the fact that people need to be aware, Beth explains, adding that theres not enough awareness of mental health among students. [Rachel] gets it. Shes their age and they can talk to her, she can talk to them.

However, when both Rachel and her mom made an effort to bring more events to Downingtown High School East, where Rose attended, the administration allegedly said no. Beth says theyve attempted to hand out roses to the freshman class, run a fundraiser with the schools mental health club and put money toward a bench to commemorate Rose and the lives of other students who have lost their lives to suicide, but the school has been shutting us out completely.

The final straw came just last week when the yearbooks were handed out and Rachel  who already graduated from the same high school  came home crying after finding out from a friend that her sister hadnt been included in it.

Story continues

My family was very hurt, Beth says, and Rachel wanted to do something about it.

Rachel tells Yahoo Lifestyle that she got in touch with the schools student-run yearbook committee to ensure that her sisters omission wasnt a mistake.

The excuse that they gave me was that their advisor told me there was no room in the yearbook, Rachel says. 14 letters [spelling Roses name] couldve easily fit in the not pictured section.

Since that didnt happen, Rachel decided to find a way to make sure that Roses photo would make it into everyones yearbooks. So she and 16 friends created pages with Roses name and picture on them to be inserted onto page 59 where she wouldve been included, and handed them out to students as they exited the building.

This wasnt fair to Rose, shes not here to defend herself, Beth says. So her big sister, in the fashion that shes always exhibited throughout Roses life, shes got her back. Thats something that the school cant say. They dont have their backs.

The school hasnt directly contacted the Rondinelli family regarding the matter. A spokesperson for the Downingtown Area School District sent the following statement to Yahoo Lifestyle:

DHS East and the Downingtown Area School District continue to mourn the loss of Rose Rondinelli. She was a very special person and is deeply missed by her friends and staff members throughout the district. Rose died shortly before student photos of each class were taken on September 11, 2018. These school photos have traditionally been placed in the back of the Senior Class yearbook.

Rose will long be remembered, and we cherish the contributions she made to DASD in her short life. We regret any pain we inadvertently caused the Rondinelli family. Our tradition has always been to include all deceased students in the yearbook of what would have been their senior year. Roses photo will be included in the class yearbook of 2022.

Rachel, however, doesnt think reserving space for Rose in the 2022 yearbook is a solution.

Students dont forget another student who died during the year that you were there. I dont think that thats possible, Rachel says. There are students in that school that dont have anything from her. And the only thing that they couldve had was a picture in the yearbook that theyd be able to have with them for the rest of their lives.

She and her mother say that the lack of action on the schools behalf sends a poor message to students about mental health.

They say every student matters, but Rose didnt matter to them, Beth states. Its a horrible message to say if you have a mental illness, you dont matter. If you make the choice to end your life because youre in so much pain, you dont deserve to be recognized as a student.

However, thanks to Rachels efforts  as well as a number of Roses classmates who helped to hand out the page 59 insert  Beth says, Its so nice to know that Rose is in the yearbook with them now.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call 911, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
* Nuclear envoy charged with spying for U.S. - S.Korean paper

* Four foreign ministry officials also put to death - paper (Adds new headline)

By Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee

SEOUL, May 31 (Reuters) - North Korea executed its nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of officials who steered negotiations for a failed summit between leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper said on Friday.

Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang, along with four foreign ministry officials after they were charged with spying for the United States, the Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the situation.

"He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping U.S. intentions," the source was quoted as saying.

The February summit in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, the second between Kim and Trump, failed to reach a deal because of conflicts over U.S. calls for complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and North Korean demands for sanctions relief.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the report. Previously, some North Korean officials who were reported to have been executed or purged reappeared later with new titles.

A spokeswoman at South Korea's Unification Ministry declined to comment. An official at the presidential Blue House in Seoul said it was inappropriate to comment on an unverified report.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders declined to comment on the reports, saying, "I am not going to comment on intelligence one way or another."

"I can tell you we are monitoring the situation and continuing to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearisation," she told reporters in Washington.

The United States is attempting to check on the reports of the envoy's execution, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his visit to Berlin on Friday

Story continues

When asked about reports of a "shakeup" of Kim Jong Un's negotiating team in a May 5 interview with ABC News, Pompeo said it did appear that his future counterpart would be somebody else "but we don't know that for sure."

A diplomatic source told Reuters there were signs Kim Hyok Chol and other officials were punished, but there was no evidence they were executed and they may have been sent to a labor camp for re-education.

The newspaper reported that other officials had been punished, but not executed.

Kim Yong Chol, Kim Jong Un's right-hand man and the counterpart to Pompeo before the Hanoi summit, had been sent to a labor and reeducation camp in Jagang Province near the Chinese border, the Chosun Ilbo reported.

Officials who worked with Kim Yong Chol have been out of the public eye since the summit, while seasoned diplomats who appeared to have been sidelined, including vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui, were seen returning to the spotlight.

A South Korean lawmaker told Reuters in April that Kim Yong Chol had been removed from a key party post.

RISE AND FALL

Kim Hyok Chol was seen as a rising star when he was appointed to spearhead working-level talks with U.S. nuclear envoy Stephen Biegun weeks before the Hanoi summit.

However, little was known about his expertise or his role in the talks. The four executed alongside him included diplomats working on relations with Vietnam, the Chosun report said.

"This is a man who might provide some tactical advice to the leader but is otherwise a message bearer with little negotiating or policymaking latitude," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Washington-based Stimson Centre.

"Instead, they put in someone like Kim Hyok Chol to insulate Choe Son Hui and more substantive diplomatic personnel, to a certain degree he is expendable and his superiors are not."

The penalized members of Kim Yong Chol's team included Kim Song Hye, who led the preparations, and Sin Hye Yong, a newly elevated interpreter for the Hanoi summit. They were said to have been detained in a camp for political prisoners, the newspaper said.

The diplomatic source said Kim Song Hye's punishment seemed inevitable because she was a "prime author" of the North's plan to secure sanctions relief in return for dismantling the Yongbyon main nuclear complex.

The idea was rejected by the United States which demanded a comprehensive roadmap for denuclearisation.

Kim Song Hye had also worked closely with Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader's younger sister and a senior party official whom Kim Song Hye accompanied to South Korea for the Winter Olympics last year.

Kim Yo Jong was also lying low, the paper reported, citing an unidentified South Korean government official.

Madden, however, said Kim Yo Jong's status was unchanged as Kim Jong Un's top aide, citing her attendance at key party meetings in April and appearance in state media reports.

Sin Hye Yong was charged with making critical interpretation mistakes that included missing an unspecified "last-minute offer" the North Korean leader supposedly made as Trump was about to walk out, Chosun reported.

'TWO-FACED'

North Korea's official party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun warned on Thursday that "two-faced" officials would face the "stern judgment of the revolution."

"It is an anti-Party, anti-revolutionary act to pretend to be revering the leader in front of him when you actually dream of something else," it said in a commentary.

Hong Min, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said it was possible Kim Hyok Chol and other officials faced some penalty but further verification was needed.

"Executing or completely removing people like him would send a very bad signal to the United States because he was the public face of the talks and it could indicate they are negating all they have discussed," Hong said. (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in BERLIN and Hyunjoo Jin in SEOUL; Editing by Paul Tait, Lincoln Feast, Darren Schuettler and Marguerita Choy)
Bogota (AFP) - A former FARC guerrilla leader was freed Thursday on orders of the Colombian Supreme Court, drawing an expression of regret from the United States, which wanted him for alleged drug trafficking.

Jesus Santrich, who was arrested in April 2018, walked free from the attorney general's headquarters under a heavy escort, his lawyer Gustavo Gallado told reporters.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Santrich's immediate release on the grounds that he was protected by parliamentary immunity as a member of Congress.

Santrich, who helped negotiate a 2016 peace between FARC and the government, became a member of Congress under the terms of the peace agreement that saw the guerrilla group become a political party.

He was arrested on a US extradition request before he could take his seat.

The former FARC leader has declared himself innocent of the US charges, insisting they were part of a plot by Washington and Colombian prosecutors.

"It is more likely that cocaine has passed through the nostrils of those who would doubt me than that it has passed through my own hands," he said during a press conference.

A US State Department spokeswoman said Washington found the Supreme Court decision "regrettable."

The department later clarified that the spokeswoman was not referring to the court's Wednesday ruling, which "the United States respects" and which did not affect the American extradition request.

Santrich, 52, had previously been ordered released by a justice of the peace who is investigating major crimes committed during the FARC insurgency.

He was rearrested as he was leaving prison on new charges related to the US allegations of cocaine trafficking.

The case has provoked an uproar in Colombia, which is deeply divided over the 2016 peace pact to end a half century of armed conflict.

Under US pressure, President Ivan Duque, who came to power promising to modify the peace accord he sees as too lenient on the rebels, has reaffirmed his intention to extradite Santrich.
Andrew Kim speaks to Korean reporters at Stanford University on Feb. 22. Yonhap



By Park Si-soo



Andrew Kim, former head of the CIA's Korea Mission Center, said North Korea would test-fire "one or two more missiles" at times selected by its leader Kim Jong-un and then return to the negotiation table with the United States to discuss denuclearization.



Kim made the remark during a panel discussion on the sidelines of an annual intelligence meeting at Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday, hosted by the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), a think tank under the National Intelligence Service of Korea.



The Korean-American negotiated the agenda and other details with the North in the lead-up to the historic June 12 summit between Kim and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Singapore. He stepped down ahead of the two leaders' second meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.



Kim said the North's future test-firings, if any, would be to satisfy "internal needs," not for the widely speculative reason of "shaking up the negotiation framework" with the U.S.



"If the last test was successful, no more test-fires would happen," he said. "But if it failed, it would fire more during a certain period of time. In my view, one or two more test-firings are possible, and then (it) would return to the negotiation table."



He said "lack of trust" was the biggest obstacle stopping the talks moving forward. But another problem is that the North and U.S. have "different ideas of building trust."



"From the U.S. perspective, to become a new friend, they need to meet and talk frequently," Kim said. "North Korea engages in talks only when it needs it. When it doesn't need talks, the North avoids it. From heavy to light issues, the two sides need to communicate and deepen their understanding of each other in various ways and manners."



Kim said the denuclearization process "has come this far" thanks to Kim's commitment to denuclearization, Trump's corresponding commitment and that of South Korean President Moon Jae-in as a middleman.



Nevertheless, he said the established "top-down" negotiation process for pre-summit bilateral talks would see changes in terms of format because the two sides have found its limit.


The latest news about the surge of anti-Semitism in Europe may not surprise people who worry about the rise of European populist parties. The populists opposing European unity and globalism are easily identified with the old Right in many countries. Many of their supporters  whether the right-wing AfD in Germany, the National Front in France led by Marine Le Pen, or the conservative ruling parties in such countries as Poland and Hungary  are also identified with traditional anti-Semitic attitudes.

So when a German federal official recently advised Jews to avoid wearing a kippah or religious head covering in public so they wouldnt be targeted for violence, most foreign observers concluded that it was right-wing anti-Semites who have been attacking Jews, given that right-wingers have been making gains in elections, including in the recent European Parliament election.

The official, Felix Klein, Germanys first Commissioner for Jewish life in Germany and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism, was criticized by many, including Israeli president Reuven Rivlin, for surrendering to the forces of hate. The outrage inspired the newspaper Der Bild to publish a cutout version of a kipah for readers to wear in solidarity with Jews.

Earlier this month, a New York Times Magazine story titled The New German Anti-Semitism reported that police statistics attribute 89 percent of all anti-Semitic crimes to right-wing extremists. But the same article went on to question that statistic. According to the Times, when German authorities cant directly attribute a motive for an attack on a Jewish target (and they often cannot), they ascribe it to the Right. But a European Union survey of German Jews conducted last year showed that a plurality of Jews who say they experienced anti-Semitic harassment said the perpetrators were Muslim extremists. Yet, as the Times noted, the German government has been insisting that countrys anti-Semitism problem has not been imported from the Middle East.

Story continues

The German government, as Kleins controversial statement on kippahs made clear, is far from indifferent to anti-Semitism, whatever its source. The Bundestag recently voted to condemn the BDS (boycott, divest, sanction) movement against Israel. Yet the government seems far more focused on the threat from the right and the growth of what it describes as Islamophobia in response to the massive influx of Syrian refugees who arrived after Merkel opened up the borders to them.

As in many other European countries, the recent wave of immigrants from Muslim and Arab countries has created a vast new constituency for Jew-hatred. There is a long tradition of contempt for Jews in Islamic culture that has only been exacerbated by their resentment over the creation of Israel. Muslim expressions of hatred for Israel and Jews are now indistinguishable from the anti-Semitic invective of many Europeans. This has created a bizarre alliance among Muslims, leftist academics, and other elites who aim to delegitimize Israel, Zionism, and Jews.

Germany is not alone in this respect. As the New York Times reported last year in an article headlined They Spit When I Walk in the Street: The New Anti-Semitism in France, French Jews fear to be recognized as such when walking in parts of Paris. And some supporters of Marine Le Pens populist right-wing party engaged in anti-Semitic rhetoric during the Yellow Vest protests against President Emmanuel Macron. But the main source of violence against Jews is the Muslim-immigrant population.

Centrist and liberal opponents blame nationalist and populist parties in France and Germany for anti-Semitism. Ironically, Jews are far safer Eastern European countries such as Hungary and Poland  whose governments are controlled by right-wing populists  than they are in France and Germany.

Most Jews dont feel comfortable making common cause with parties such as AfD or Le Pens National Rally party, despite shared concerns about Muslim violence. But the notion that those parties, for all their troubling baggage, are responsible for the increasing anti-Semitism doesnt stand up to scrutiny. In the case of the AfD, the party has earned the enmity of the Jewish community for its resistance to Germanys culture of remembrance, in which Holocaust education is compulsory and memorials have proliferated. But AfD has also gone out of its way to state its support for Israel and made clear that it would like improved relations with Germanys Jews.

Both the French and German governments have said the right things about opposing anti-Semitism. But academic and other elites have helped delegitimize Israel and Jews in the name of anti-Zionism, and this has inevitably led to tolerating violence against Jews at the hands of Muslim immigrants.

It will be admirable if Germans don a cutout kippah for a day or two in solidarity with their embattled Jewish neighbors. But the problem isnt merely a matter of head coverings, and anti-hate educational programs have clearly failed. Its impossible to separate the routine delegitimization of Israel from the way Jews are treated. Whats happening in Europe is proving again that wherever anti-Zionism is legitimized, anti-Semitism grows and anti-Jewish violence follows.

More from National Review
By Matthew Green

LONDON (Reuters) - Climate activists from Extinction Rebellion have drawn up plans to use drones to shut London's Heathrow Airport this summer in a campaign to stop the construction of a third runway at Europe's busiest airport, the group said.

The internal proposal, seen by Reuters, emerged against a backdrop of renewed campaigning by environmental groups who argue that expanding Heathrow would be incompatible with Britain's targets to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

"On June 18, we plan to carry out nonviolent direct action to ensure Heathrow Authorities close the airport for the day, to create a 'pause' in recognition of the genocidal impact of high carbon activities, such as flying, upon the natural world," Extinction Rebellion said in a statement late on Thursday.

"This is not about targeting the public, but holding the Government to their duty to take leadership on the climate and ecological emergency," the group said.

Heathrow Airport said the use of drones would be a "reckless action".

"We agree with the need to act on climate change, but that requires us to work together constructively  not commit serious criminal offences just as hardworking people prepare to spend a well-earned holiday with their family and friends," an airport spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

The deployment of drones would mark a significant escalation by Extinction Rebellion, which mobilised thousands of people in a peaceful civil disobedience campaign that brought parts of central London to a standstill for 11 days in April.

The British parliament declared a symbolic 'climate emergency' in response to the protests, raising hopes among campaign groups that the government will cancel the third runway as part of more ambitious climate commitments.

British security forces have been on alert since December, when Gatwick Airport outside London was forced to cancel flights over several days due to drones near the perimeter. Extinction Rebellion was not involved in that incident, senior members of the movement said at the time.

Story continues

In the internal proposal written by volunteers, activists suggested using drones to force authorities to ground flights at Heathrow Airport while other protesters held picnics. The activists said they would avoid any risk to aircraft by informing the airport of their plans in advance.

If the government does not cede to their demands after disruption on June 18, the activists proposed shutting the airport for the first two weeks in July.

Extinction Rebellion's commitment to non-violent civil disobedience to press for faster cuts in greenhouse gas emissions has spurred offshoots in more than a dozen countries and pushed climate change up the political agenda.

Nevertheless, the planned Heathrow action has divided opinion within the movement. Some volunteers believe that governments will only treat the climate crisis with sufficient urgency if faced with large-scale disruption, including to transport networks such as underground railways and airports.

Others fear that disrupting air travel may alienate large numbers of people who might otherwise have been sympathetic to the movement's demands at a time when scientists are sounding increasingly urgent alarms about the risk of climate breakdown.

As a self-organising, highly decentralised movement, Extinction Rebellion volunteers have a lot of autonomy, making it hard to predict whether the drone proposal will win enough support to proceed.

Britain's parliament backed the plan to build an $18 billion third runway last year. Heathrow Airport is owned by Ferrovial, Qatar Investment Authority and China Investment Corporation, among others.

(Reporting by Matthew Green; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Ros Russell)
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) apprehended a group of more than 1,000 migrants traveling together through the El Paso sector of the U.S.Mexico border on Wednesday in the largest ever single-group bust in the agencys history. The group consisted of 1,036 migrants hailing from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, according to Fox News.

The historic apprehension comes two days after CBP announced the creation of a new administrative position intended to help address the recent influx of asylum-seekers that have overwhelmed federal resources at the southern border. The new Border Patrol processing-coordinator position, which will be implemented in 2020, is designed to allow Border Patrol agents, 40 percent of whom are now entirely consumed by administrative tasks, to return to law-enforcement operations.

I am committed to providing the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol the resources they need to accomplish their border-security mission, said Carla Provost, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol. Border Patrol Processing Coordinators will take on processing, transportation, and custody responsibilities, which will free up agents for critical law-enforcement operations.

Department of Homeland Security officials continue to urge Congress to provide increased resources, and craft policy to allow Border Patrol agents greater autonomy, in order to address the overwhelming number of family units arriving at the border each day seeking asylum. According to border patrol, 58,474 families were apprehended at the border last month alone.

More from National Review
By Maayan Lubell

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Three important players in U.S. President Donald Trumps long-delayed Middle East peace plan met in Jerusalem on Thursday, but gave no hint about whether its political component would be further postponed by tumultuous events in Israel.

Trumps adviser Jared Kushner and U.S. Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to the region to drum up support for an economic conference in Bahrain next month.

The Trump administration has said it expects to use that meeting to unveil the economic stage of his proposal, which he has dubbed the "deal of the century".

"(It) remains scheduled for June 25-26," an administration official said in Washington on Thursday, adding that the political plan would be released "when the timing is right".

Kushner and Greenblatt arrived just as Israel found itself heading for a snap national election on Sept. 17, after Netanyahu failed to put together a governing coalition and lawmakers voted to dissolve parliament on Thursday.

Netanyahu sought to play down the setback, referring only to "a little event last night" during brief joint remarks with Kushner. "That's not going to stop us - we're going to keep working together," he said.

"Im tremendously encouraged by how the United States, under President Trump, is working to bring allies together in this region against common challenges, but also to seize common opportunities."

Kushner also made no direct mention of the plan, saying Israel's security was critical to Washington and they were "very excited about the potential that lies ahead for Israel, for the relationship".

The plan's rollout was first expected in late 2018 or early 2019, but was postponed to give Netanyahu time to hold the election that took place in April and led to Thursday's inconclusive outcome. It is unclear if it will be postponed again until after the September ballot.

Story continues

The Bahrain conference aims to encourage investment in the Palestinian territories by Arab countries, before grappling with the difficult political issues at the heart of the conflict.

Israelis and Palestinians were quick to point out the potential disruption of a new election.

In Israels liberal daily Haaretz, under the headline "Kushner's Awful Timing" analyst Amir Tibon wrote that with another election campaign pending, "the Gulf workshop is no longer on top of anyones agenda".

The Palestinians' chief negotiator Saeb Erekat joked that the Trump plan, which they believe will be heavily weighted in Israel's favor, was now "the deal of the next century."

The Palestinian leadership has refused to deal with the Trump administration since the president recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"The American timetable is usually constructed on the basis of the Israeli schedule or the Israeli agenda," said Hanan Ashrawi, of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

"They are buying time for Israel, (while) on the other hand they are actually preventing any serious political initiative to deal with the issues."

(Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Stephen Farrell and John Stonestreet)
A judge in Missouri ruled on Friday that the states only abortion clinic can continue providing the procedure, blocking Missouri from becoming the first state without an abortion clinic in nearly 50 years.

Planned Parenthood said in a statement Friday that St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer issued a temporary restraining order against the State of Missouri, allowing the clinic to keep providing abortions, and that he scheduled another hearing for June 4. The clinic, a Planned Parenthood facility in St. Louis, had been set to lose its license to perform abortions at midnight on Friday.

Dr. Colleen McNicholas, an OB-GYN from Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, said that they will continue to provide patients with abortion care.

This is a huge sigh of relief for the many patients who need access to safe, legal abortion in Missouri, said McNicholas. The fight goes on. While temporary, we celebrate today, and tomorrow we go back to work to ensure access to abortion does not go dark at the last health center that provides abortion in Missouri.

Planned Parenthood said on Tuesday that Missouri looked unlikely to renew its license to provide abortion care at the health center. The group filed a lawsuit against Missouri and asked for a temporary restraining order that would allow the clinic to keep operating past May 31. MEvie Mead, director of policy and organizing of Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri, said at a Friday press conference that the temporary restraining order will remain in place until the judge rules on whether to put a longer-term restraining order, known as a preliminary injunction, on the state.

On Wednesday, Gov. Mike Parsonwho last week signed into law a bill that bans abortions starting in the eighth week of pregnancysaid Planned Parenthood had not met standards of care required for license renewal, and would not receive any special treatment for being the last abortion provider in the state. If the clinic corrected certain unspecified deficiencies uncovered by state inspectors before May 31, Parson said, its license would be valid for renewal. But without those adjustments, he said, it would be reckless for any judge to grant a temporary restraining order.

Story continues

In its lawsuit, however, Planned Parenthood argued that the license renewal process had been unlawfully intertwined with a state investigation into an unspecified patient complaint. Parson said Wednesday that the organization was aware of issues at its clinic, and mentioned that patients at the health center had reported failed surgical abortions and at least one complication that required emergency surgery.

Dr. David Eisenberg, the clinics medical director, said the Missouri Department of Health failed to explain to the clinic the complaints the state is investigating, adding that the state holds the clinic to a higher standard of care than any other healthcare provider.

Despite knowing that we provide the highest quality of healthcare in Missouri, the Department of Health has refused to be a fair partner and they are over-regulating abortion care to the point that it is nearly out of existence in the state of Missouri, said Eisenberg.

Eisenberg addressed accusations that several people reported receiving failed abortions, saying that while abortion is safe, sometimes patients need to go to the hospital to remove residual tissue. He also referred to accusations that many people were transported to the hospital from the clinic, explaining that people come to the clinic for many different medical needs, and that sometimes hospital transportations are medically necessary.

Were not perfect, but we do provide the highest quality of care, Eisenberg said.

The standoff also circled back to one issue raised by Planned Parenthood officials on a Tuesday call with reporters. Planned Parenthood President Dr. Leana Wen said state officials had requested inappropriate and suspicious interviews with seven of the clinics doctors, including medical residents and fellows not directly employed by Planned Parenthood, and threatened punitive action as a potential consequence of these interviews. Planned Parenthood officials said its two attending physicians in Missouri consented to interviews, but that it did not provide access to non-employee trainees.

Parson described the interview requests as routine, and said the states investigation could not be completed, nor the license renewed, without the remaining five interviews. Planned Parenthood said securing those interviews was beyond its control, since the remaining five doctors are not employees of the organization.

The controversy in Missouri follows several recent laws that have restricted abortion access in U.S. states. Alabama this month enacted a near-total ban on abortions at any stage of pregnancy, and lawmakers in states including Georgia and Louisiana have passed so-called heartbeat bills, which ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as the sixth week of pregnancy.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The ranks of Democratic White House hopefuls backing impeachment proceedings grew on Wednesday following a rare public statement from special counsel Robert Mueller that made clear his Russia report didn't exonerate President Donald Trump.

Two 2020 candidates who had previously declined to push for impeachment  Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York  did so after Mueller spoke. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, who has trodden carefully in her calls for impeachment, was more forceful during a campaign speech Wednesday afternoon.

Mueller's surprise appearance in the Justice Department briefing room deepened a divide in the Democratic presidential field over whether pursuing Trump's impeachment is worthwhile in the run-up to another election. Most candidates are still holding off from openly pressuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to seek the president's removal. But the rising number of pro-impeachment Democrats seeking the White House signaled that might not last as the imperatives of presidential politics overtake Pelosi's more cautious approach.

"We have one remaining path to ensure justice is served. It is our legal and moral obligation to hold those who have committed crimes accountable," Booker said in a statement. "It's clear that the House must begin impeachment proceedings."

Gillibrand later tweeted that "the White House has repeatedly stonewalled Congress' ability to take basic fact-finding steps." That, "combined with Mueller's clear message today, tells me that Republicans and Democrats should begin impeachment hearings."

Harris has previously backed impeachment proceedings but has also cast doubt on whether such pursuits would be successful, given Republican control of the Senate. Campaigning in Greenville, South Carolina, Harris was less measured.

"We need a new commander in chief," she said to a standing ovation. "And we need to begin impeachment proceedings."

Story continues

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was the first presidential candidate to call for Trump's impeachment. She reiterated her push for Congress to begin the process following Mueller's statement.

Notably, the two Democrats leading early 2020 polls declined on Wednesday to strengthen their previous comments on impeachment.

Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign said in a statement that "divisive impeachment process ... may be unavoidable if this administration continues on its path." He didn't mention Mueller during two campaign appearances in Dallas.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, said in a statement that if the House Judiciary Committee "deems it necessary, I will support their decision to open an impeachment inquiry." He reiterated, however, that he believes Congress must continue investigating Trump.

Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, also stopped short of directly pushing Congress to pursue impeachment proceedings. And Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, in a statement that did not include the word "impeachment," said that "while Congress exercises its oversight authority, it is important to remember what Americans are focused on."

Mueller said Wednesday that he believed he was restrained from indicting a sitting president because of an existing legal memo governing Justice Department policy. If she's elected president, Harris said Wednesday, she would ask her attorney general to look at "whether that memo is actually necessary and applicable when we have a situation such as this."

For his part, Trump tweeted later Wednesday: "How do you impeach a Republican President for a crime that was committed by the Democrats? WITCH-HUNT!"

___

Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont in Dallas and Meg Kinnard in Greenville, S.C., contributed to this report.
Washington (AFP) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Germany Thursday to make up a visit he canceled at the last minute in early May to the close US ally, which has rocky relations with President Donald Trump.

Germany will be the first stop in a four-nation tour of Europe in which Pompeo will also visit Switzerland and the Netherlands before joining Trump on his state visit to Britain.

In Berlin on Friday, Pompeo is scheduled to meet German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Chancellor Angela Merkel after he abruptly postponed talks with them on May 7.

Pompeo, on his previous tour of Europe, took a major detour to visit Iraq to discuss security as tensions rose sharply between the United States and Iran.

Trump has repeatedly clashed with Merkel, taking her to task for Germany's welcome of migrants, in open criticism that would have barely been imaginable from a US president before the real estate mogul's surprise 2016 election.

Merkel, in the United States on Thursday to deliver a commencement address at Harvard University, leveled thinly veiled criticism of Trump as she deplored "walls" and "lies described as truth."

She also called on the world to do all "humanly possible" to combat climate change -- an issue which Pompeo calls a low priority.

- Differences on Iran -- or cooperation? -

Germany, among other European allies of Washington, is skeptical of the hardline US approach to Iran and favors a 2015 agreement, from which Trump withdrawn, on curbing Tehran's nuclear program.

After weeks of escalating tensions in which the United States deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and nuclear-capable bombers to the region, Trump has moved away from his more hawkish advisers by saying he wants talks with Iran.

Pompeo has said that the United States has channels to communicate with Iran. While he has not revealed details, Switzerland -- his second stop on the trip -- handles US interests in Iran in the absence of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Washington.

Story continues

Speaking to reporters as he flew out, Pompeo said that the United States always had "lots of issues with Germany" and that "Iran will be just some part of that conversation."

Germany has been a key partner of the United States in Afghanistan, where Trump is seeking to withdraw US troops after nearly two decades of fighting.

But the allies also have major differences with Germany defying US warnings to build Nord Stream 2, a major new natural gas pipeline with Russia that would bypass Ukraine, where Moscow backs separatists.

Germany has also refused to follow the US lead on banning Chinese telecom company Huawei from developing fifth-generation technology amid Washington's concerns that the firm will jeopardize security and privacy due to its government ties.

"Everywhere I go, we talk about the opportunities and challenges that China presents not only to the United States and its security but to countries around the world," Pompeo said.

A US official said that Pompeo would address Huawei and say that allies' choices on telecom networks have "a direct bearing on our mutual national security."
A short-range missile is launched from Kusong, North Pyongan Province, in northwestern North Korea, May 9, in this photo released the following day by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korea fired two short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast five days after its launch of multiple "unidentified" projectiles on May 4. KCNA-Yonhap



By Jung Da-min



The United States and North Korea are at odds over whether North Korea's launch of short-range missiles earlier in the month was a violation of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions regulating North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear technologies.



The U.S. Department of State spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told reporters in Washington on Tuesday that the department's view is that North Korea's whole weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program is in conflict with the UNSC resolutions.



"I think that the entire North Korean WMD program, it's in conflict with the U.N. security resolutions," Ortagus said, adding that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is focused on supporting U.S. President Donald Trump in efforts to negotiate a peaceful end to North Korea's WMD program.



Although the spokeswoman did not mention the word "missile" directly, missile is one of the WMD categories along with chemical weapons, according to the U.S. interpretation.



Earlier this week, North Korea indirectly admitted it fired ballistic missiles by saying any object launched is "bound to fly in trajectory," in reference to the North's firing of "unidentified" projectiles and short-range missiles on May 4 and 9.



"What the U.S. is taking issue with is not about the range but the prohibition of the launch itself using ballistic technology," North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said in a statement carried on the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) website, Monday.






TOKYO (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold a summit meeting on June 29, when Putin visits Japan for a meeting of leaders of the Group of 20 nations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

Senior officials and political leaders from both countries have held talks frequently in recent months to discuss ways to put an end to an decades-old territorial dispute and conclude a peace treaty.

"With eyes on the Russia-Japan summit meeting at the time of the G20 summit in Osaka, we made checks on the state of progress in Russia-Japan relations," Lavrov told reporters after meeting his Japanese counterpart, Taro Kono.

Lavrov's comment, in Russian, was translated into Japanese at a joint news conference with Kono.

Japan claims a string of Russia-controlled western Pacific islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and Southern Kuriles in Russia.

The territorial row over the island chain, seized by Soviet troops at the end of World War Two, has upset diplomatic relations ever since, precluding a formal peace treaty between the two countries.

Lavrov also said talks with Japan on five joint economic activity projects on the disputed islands were proceeding at a good pace, without elaborating.

Abe and Putin in 2016 agreed to launch talks on joint economic activities on the islands as a step toward concluding a peace treaty.

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Chris Gallagher)
By Marwa Rashad and Aziz El Yaakoubi

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman told an emergency Arab summit on Friday that decisive action was needed to stop Iranian "escalations" following attacks on Gulf oil assets, as U.S. officials said a military deployment had deterred Tehran.

The right of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to defend their interests after the attacks on oil pumping stations in the kingdom and tankers off the UAE were supported in a Gulf Arab statement and a separate communique issued after the wider summit.

Tehran denies any involvement in the attacks and in a sign of regional tensions, Iraq, which has good ties with neighboring Iran and Washington, said it objected to the Arab communique, which stated that any cooperation with Tehran should be based on "non-interference in other countries".

"The absence of a firm deterrent stance against Iranian behavior is what led to the escalation we see today," King Salman told the two consecutive meetings late on Thursday.

The ruler of the world's top crude exporter said Shi'ite Iran's development of nuclear and missile capabilities and its threats on world oil supplies posed a risk to regional and global security.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that attacks on four vessels near a major bunkering hub, just outside the Strait of Hormuz, were "efforts by Iranians to raise the price of crude oil around the world."

Riyadh accused Tehran of ordering the drone strikes. The attacks were claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthi group which has been battling a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen for four years.

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said on Thursday that evidence of Iran being behind the tanker attacks would be presented to the U.N. Security Council as early as next week.

"The kingdom is keen to preserve the stability and security of the region, to spare it the scourge of war and to realize peace and stability," King Salman said.

Story continues

Iran, which is locked in several proxy wars with Saudi Arabia in the region, rejected what it called "baseless" accusations made at the summit, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.

"We see the Saudi effort to mobilize (regional) opinion as part of the hopeless process followed by America and the Zionist regime (Israel) against Iran," IRNA quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi as saying.

IRAQ PLEA

Iraqi President Barham Salih, asking the gathering to support Iraq's stability, said that rising tensions with Iran could spark a war if not managed well and voiced hope that Iran's security would not be targeted.

Pompeo has warned Iraqi leaders that if they failed to keep in check Iran-backed militias, which now form part of Baghdad's security apparatus, the United States would respond with force.

Tensions have risen between the United States and Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump a year ago withdrew Washington from a 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran, re-imposed sanctions and boosted its military presence in the Gulf.

Bolton has said that Iranian mines were "almost certainly" used in the tanker attacks. An Iranian official dismissed that as "a ludicrous claim."

The Islamic Republic has said it would defend itself against any aggression. Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri has said Tehran was not allowed to pursue development of nuclear weapons as it was banned by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The final communique said regional stability required the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along 1967 borders to include Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

MILITARY DEPLOYMENT

U.S. special envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, said on Thursday that a repositioning of U.S. military assets in the region had deterred Iran, but that the United States would respond with military force if its interests are targeted.

The United States has deployed 900 additional troops to the region and extended the stay of 600 other service members, after speeding up deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and sending bombers and additional Patriot missiles.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told the summit it was time to renew discussions on joint Arab defense mechanisms.

The United States and the UAE, which hosts a U.S. air base, on Wednesday activated a defense cooperation agreement signed earlier this year.

Gulf states have a joint defense force under the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), but the alliance has been fractured by a boycott imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and non-GCC Egypt since mid-2017.

The Gulf communique said the six nations had discussed the GCC defense mechanism during their meeting.

Qatari Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, whose country hosts the largest U.S. military base in the region, attended the summits, the most senior Qatari official to visit the kingdom since the embargo.

(Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington, Ali Abdelaty and Mohamed Elsherifin Cairo, Guy Faulconbridge in London, Lisa Barrington and Sylvia Westall in Dubai, Eric Knecht in Doha and Babak Dehghanpisheh in Geneva; Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Grant McCool and Jason Neely)
Brussels (AFP) - The European Parliament has suspended the accreditation of all newly elected Spanish members after Carles Puigdemont and another Catalan separatist MEP were denied access to the building, sources said Friday.

Puigdemont, who was president of Catalonia at the time of the failed independence bid, was refused access to the parliament building Wednesday evening, one of Puigdemont's lawyers, Paul Bekaert, told AFP. So too was fellow Catalan politician Toni Comin.

They were also denied temporary accreditation, despite the fact that other Spanish members had already received theirs, which Bekaert denounced as "arbitrary and discriminatory".

The reason given was that the Parliament did not yet have the official list of Spanish members, he said.

Puigdemont fled to Belgium shortly after Catalonia declared independence to avoid arrest.

Although he has been elected to the European Parliament it is not clear if he will be able to take his seat.

Under Spanish rules, all of those elected to the European Parliament first have to swear they will abide by Spain's constitution -- in person. If Puigdemont travelled to Spain he would immediately be arrested on a charge of rebellion.

President of the parliament Antonio Tajani decided to suspend access for all Spanish MEPs until the definitive results of the European elections in Spain are published.

"The Spanish theatre of the absurd has been imported into the European Parliament," said Bekaert.

"If the European Parliament lets itself be influenced by a member state into banning deputies from taking their seat, we will go to the European Court of Justice," he warned.

The Spanish authorities have to send the official results of the elections there in the 20 days following the elections, he added.
Washington (AFP) - US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Border Patrol agents had apprehended the largest single group ever of undocumented immigrants, as he prepared what he said would be tough new measures to halt border crossers.

"Yesterday, Border Patrol agents apprehended the largest group of illegal aliens ever: 1,036 people who illegally crossed the border in El Paso around 4 am," Trump said in a tweet.

Trump posted a Border Patrol video of scores of migrants crossing the Rio Grande riverbed from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico into El Paso, Texas.

They are only a small part of the 100,000-plus migrants, mostly Central Americans, who have crossed the Mexico frontier into the United States in recent months, frustrating officials tasked with halting illegal immigration.

Trump had said earlier Thursday that he was planning to make a "dramatic" statement on border policy to deal with what he called a "national emergency."

"This is a big-league statement. We are going to do something very dramatic on the border," he said.

Trump did not explain what he would do, but the Washington Post said he was considering slapping new trade tariffs on Mexico to force it to stop the northward flow of people fleeing poverty and violence in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

"It will be a statement having to do with the border and having to do with people illegally coming over the border," Trump said.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - A former US special representative to Somalia who also served as Washington's ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo was named Thursday to be the next United Nations envoy to Somalia, replacing an emissary who was expelled four months ago.

James Swan will replace Nicholas Haysom, who was declared persona non grata by Somalia's government in January after he raised human rights concerns.

Haysom, a South African lawyer and experienced diplomat, was told to leave Somalia after he questioned the government's decision to arrest an Al-Shabaab defector who was running for elected office.

He served in the post for three months.

UN spokesman Farhan Haq announced Swan's appointment, saying he was an "experienced diplomat with a long international career." Haq said he was expected to take up the post as soon as possible.

Swan was US ambassador to the DR Congo from 2013 to 2016, US envoy for Somalia from 2011 to 2013 and US ambassador to Djibouti from 2008 to 2011. He also served as US deputy assistant secretary of state for Africa.

The United Nations is seeking to shore up stability in Somalia, where al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab fighters have been fighting for a decade to topple the government.

Last week a former Somali foreign minister was among five people killed in a car bombing in the capital Mogadishu that was claimed by Shabaab.
The White House called for the U.S. Navy to move the warship USS John S. McCain out of sight before President Donald Trumps visit to Japan, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing an email reviewed by the newspaper.A U.S. Indo-Pacific Command official, in an email May 15 to U.S. Navy and Air Force officials, laid out proposals for Trumps arrival that he said had resulted from talks between the White House Military Office and the U.S. Navys Seventh Fleet, according to the WSJ. That included the directive: USS John McCain needs to be out of sight, according to the Journal. Please confirm #3 will be satisfied, the newspaper cited the official as writing.

The ship is currently under repair and difficult to move following a 2017 collision, the newspaper said. A tarp was hung over the ships name ahead of Trumps visit, according to the WSJ, citing photos it reviewed. Sailors were directed to remove any coverings from the ship that bore its name, the Journal said. It also reported that sailors on the ship who typically wear hats with the vessels name on it were given the day off.

The White House declined to respond to queries about the reason for the directive or where it came from, the WSJ said. Trump himself subsequently tweeted:

undefined

Meanwhile, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Thursday that he hadnt had knowledge of any such events.

I never authorized, I never approved any action around the movement or activity regarding that ship. Furthermore, I would never dishonor the memory of a great American patriot like Senator McCain, he told reporters while en route Singapore. I also think it is important, Id never disrespect the young men and women that crew that ship. Ive asked my chief of staff to look into the matter.Trump has repeatedly attacked John McCain, who died in August, saying the late senator wrongly supported the war in Iraq, failed to get the job done for veterans and badly hurt the Republican party and the nation by voting against repealing Obamacare.

Story continues

More must-read stories from Fortune:

Robert Mueller resigns, says charging Trump with crime was not an option

Why Mueller couldnt indict Trump

What would impeachment look like in Trumps America?

Rep. Rashida Tlaib is unapologetic about her expletive-filled call for Trumps impeachment

Trump tweets that Democrats want to impeach him for being too successful
A 2011 analysis of 4 possible routes for the East-West Corridor by Berger ABAM

East-West Corridor timeline

1999: Yakima County begins feasibility study of East-West Corridor and completes Terrace Heights traffic study.

2001: Terrace Heights Corridor Study final report by Hardy ESE, outlining two routes, submitted to Yakima County

2010: Open houses requesting public feedback held in June and November

2011: Final alignment alternative study by Berger ABAM, outlining four possible routes, submitted to Yakima County in August. A public hearing happened in October.

2012: Final route selected by county commissioners in June

2019: Construction of Phase 1 of the three-phase project scheduled to begin in the fall

Source: Yakima County Engineer
By Kang Seung-woo



In the wake of a sightseeing boat sinking in Hungary, Wednesday, there have been several claims from Koreans who have taken cruise tours there of insufficient safety measures for passengers.



A nighttime cruise on the Danube River is considered a must among Korean tourists visiting the scenic Hungarian capital of Budapest. In addition, they are often showcased on local TV programs, further boosting interest in the experience.





The "Hableany" sightseeing boat AP-Yonhap

However, according to some tourists, sightseeing boats were not equipped with lifejackets.



"I took a boat on the Danube at 10 p.m., but it had no safety devices. There were no lifeboats or lifejackets. I thought the vessel would not have been allowed to operate if it were in Korea," a tourist, who took the cruise earlier this month, posted in an online community.



Another, who also traveled to Budapest this month, said, "Some 80 percent to 90 percent of the passengers on the vessel were Korean, but there was not even any guidance as to what to do in case of an emergency, let alone a lifejacket."



The sightseeing ship carrying 33 Koreans on a package tour collided with a larger cruise boat and sank in the Danube at around 9 p.m. (local time), leaving seven dead and 21 missing, according to the foreign ministry. The remaining seven were rescued.






In northern Israel, in the serene spirituality of Safed, lives a man whose past was anything but serene or spiritual. Today he is 55-year-old ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Avraham Sinai, a father and grandfather living in a caravan on the outskirts of the city. But in another life not too long ago, he was an Israeli spy inside Hezbollah named Ibrahim Yassin.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter



Sinai's story began 36 years ago, when he was 19-year-old cattle farmer Ibrahim Yassin, who had a pregnant wife named Diba. Ibrahim was away from home taking his cattle to graze when Diba went into labor without him.

Avraham Sinai and his former IDF handler Tzahi Bareket (Photo: Aviahu Shapira)

With no midwife or hospital nearby, the Yassin family turned to the IDF forces who were occupying Southern Lebanon for help. Tzachi Bareket, an officer in IDF's Intelligence Unit and a farmer himself, led his forces into the village to help, breaking several army regulations.

Neither Tzachi nor Ibrahim imagined that this would be the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

Even now, Bareket remains careful not to reveal details of past operations. He delivered the baby on that day in 1983, and then arranged for mother and child to be taken to hospital in Israel.

"I came home," Sinai recalls, "and was told my wife had given birth. Two days later my brother who was in the Israeli-backed South Lebanese Army, brought her home."

Bareket and Sinai had not met at this point, but the IDF intelligence officer was always on the lookout for Lebanese people who could help the Israelis in their fight.

"One day I spotted a cattle farmer," Bareket says. "In this line of work, we learned how to spot people we may be able to work with. I knew that he could be a good fit. In the course of our conversation he realized that I was the Israeli who had delivered his son."

Sinai - who hated the Palestinian militants in south Lebanon - began working for the Israeli military.

"The Palestinians controlled the area and they terrified us," he says. "Once they lit a fire in someone's yard, burned him alive and ate him in front of my eyes. They would bring men into villages to torment women. They killed a girl by tying her to two cars and driving them in different directions."

Ibrahim Yassin, the young man who would become Avraham Sinai (Photo: Orot)

Sinai says his decision to work for Israel was in fact his way of helping himself.

"When I called Tzachi to tell him about terrorists, I knew that they would be chased from my village, and that suited me fine," he says.

"I considered Tzachi and I to be partners. I gave him valuable information and he gave me fuel for my car and a document so that I wouldn't be stopped at checkpoints. He gave me a rifle seized from the Palestinians. Any time anything bothered me, I had someone to turn to."

After two and a half years as Yassin's case officer, Bareket was reassigned to another unit, but Sinai's connection to Israel did not escape the attention of the terrorist groups in Lebanon, including Hezbollah.

In 1985, Sinai was abducted from his home by agents of the terror organizations. He was released months later, but not before his 8-month-old son was burnt to death in front of his eyes.

To this day he cannot forget the torturous interrogations at the hands of Imad Mughniyah, a senior member of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah assassinated - allegedly by the IDF - in 2008.

"The day my son was burnt alive, I had lost consciousness from the beatings I received, only to wake up and see the fire," Sinai says.

Notorious Hezbollah official Imad Mughniyah

He says his wife told him not to discuss the baby again. "'That door has closed,' she told me."

For months after, Sinai sank into a deep depression, and it was his father who slowly brought him back to life.

A desire for vengeance prompted Sinai to call Tzachi, his old IDF handler.

"My wife came to me," Bareket says, "and told me Sinai wanted to continue working with us. He could not contact me directly at the time."

Sinai: "Under the protection of the Israelis and with their knowledge I entered the ranks of Hezbollah. I lived in a town that was practically owned by Hezbollah (but) they didn't know of my connection to Israel. My handler at the time was Yoav 'Poli' Mordechai, who would later become the IDF spokesperson."

His relationship with Mordechai also extended beyond their mission. "Poli helped me a lot," Sinai says. "When my daughter died soon after birth, Poli sent my wife injections so that the next pregnancy would go well."

Sinai recalls being imprisoned in Syria in 1989, spending a year in prison for suspicious activity. "I was held in a state prison, so my parents could come and visit me," he says. "But the torture was just as bad."

After his release, Sinai continued to spy on Hezbollah for Israel for another seven more years. He claims to have provided information that led to the assassination of former Hezbollah leader Abbas Musawi.





Ibrahim Yassin, Israeli spy

With so many of its key figures being assassinated, Hezbollah began looking for spies, and in 1997, Sinai and his family were smuggled out of Lebanon.

Sinai's life experiences led him closer to religion. During his time in Hezbollah, he became interested in the Quran, and when he arrived in Israel he visited the synagogue close to his home. In 2001, he decided to convert to Judaism.

For the past two years, Sinai has lived apart from his wife, Ziva. She was named Diba when she followed him out of Lebanon, leaving her family behind, and changed it when she also chose to convert to Judaism.

Today, only his eldest son, Haim, and his youngest child, Sara, are ultra-Orthodox. Haim, born Mohammed, was 14 years old when they arrived in Israel. The rest of his seven children all live secular lives.

Sinai now lives off a pension from the IDF and gives lectures about his life as a Hezbollah spy working for Israeli Intelligence. He is a close friend of Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu and four years ago even ran (unsuccessfully) for a seat on the city council.

Avraham Sinai with his close friend Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu (Photo: Orot)

Sinai's life story caught the attention of Israeli director Itamar Chen, who convinced him to put his astonishing tale on camera. The documentary, "The Rabbi from Hezbollah," is being shown at Tel Aviv's DocAviv festival this week.

"Avraham has some Forrest Gump characteristics to him," says Chen. "He is a sensitive man who has been through unimaginable situations."

In the caravan he now calls home, Sinai says that there is more to his story than he previously revealed, some of which is in Chen's documentary.

"My children do not know everything about me," he says. "My sons look up to me because of my work with the army; they too served in the IDF. There are many things in the film they knew nothing about. Even my wife never knew the details of the things I had done."

Bareket agrees, as he stares at an old photo from their time together in Lebanon. "Sinai did things that fighters in elite military units do not do," he says.

The two men resumed their friendship not long after Sinai arrived in Israel in 1997.

"I was trying to contact him, but I only knew his name was Tzachi," Sinai says. "Then on an Muslim festival, he called to wish me a happy holiday."

Avraham Sinai today (Photo: Haim Sinai)

Bareket: "We are not friends, we are brothers. When he lectures all over the country I come to give a short introduction. Only then he walks in with his ultra-Orthodox garb and everyone is shocked. He lectures to the intelligence community and only when addressing a classified unit does he speak freely."

The former spy is an unusual character, full of contradiction. He is both very outgoing and at the same time enjoys wandering in the wilderness for solitude and prayer.

At the moment, he is building bee hives and a goat and chicken farm.
Jaffa's central artery, Jerusalem Boulevard, was blocked to traffic last last week for light rail construction works, severely harming local businesses, causing traffic and angering residents. And this is just the beginning.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter



Traffic has been diverted from the boulevard's southbound road, and the northbound one will close soon too. The construction is expected to take two and a half years, sending residents and business owners into despair.

Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa before renovations began (Photo: Amit Shaul)

Jaffa's residents protested and waged a legal battle against the expected closure of the boulevard, but were unable to stop it

Dozens of bus lines no travel along the boulevard and shops have been forsaken, as narrow sidewalks are lined with metal fences, which barely allow passage for foot traffic, let accommodate the overhang from massive vehicles.

Despite the free shuttle service that the municipality has launched, Jaffa's old and narrow streets are paralyzed with traffic, as key bus lines leading to Tel Aviv, Holon and Bat Yam were moved to the city's eastern arreas.

While Tel Aviv municipality promises a bright future for the boulevard and for local residents, the prospect of the avenue being closed on both directions angers and worries the Jaffa community.

Jaffa lit up for the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this month (Photo: OSRAM GmbH)

Some merchants say they are already thinking about closing down their businesses, and some residents are even considering moving to nearby cities to avoid the looming years of chaos.

Abed Isa has had a bicycle shop on Jerusalem Boulevard for the past 40 years.

"We've never seen such difficult times," he says. "There's no livelihood, nothing."

"If they don't reduce our municipal taxes accordingly, we'll have to close," says Isa's neighbor, also a shop owner.

Zichrini Ger, a fashion designer and boutique owner, says that women used to see her display windows from the bus window and become acquainted with her work.

"Now there are no buses and the number of customers has dropped sharply," she says. "I sell to shops in Tel Aviv, and trucks used to park on the boulevard to load boxes. Now it's impossible, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Karim has had a kiosk on the avenue for more than five years, and is feeling the impact already.

"This is the first time I had ever had to tell the cigarette supplier not to come," he says. "My inventory stayed as it was as there are no clients, and this used to be a place that was really successful. They've messed up our lives."

The free shuttle operated for Jaffa's residents (Photo: Tel Aviv Municipality)

Other businesses offer deals, sales, free delivery or simply put out posters thanking customers for remaining loyal.

It is not only shop owners feel under siege.

"Who is the evil person who planned this?" asks Oz Avrahami, who lives near the boulevard. "There's traffic everywhere, it's hard to even leave the house. No one can last much longer like this. Our neighbors have already said they are moving to Tel Aviv; this amazing place will be empty of people."

Lior Shahar, a mother of two, adds: "This is an attack on our daily lives. It now takes my girls an hour and a half to get to their school. Everybody is just sitting in traffic, and I can't even imagine what would happen if rescue services need to rush to the area in an emergency.

"This just goes to show the disrespect for Jaffa. No one would dream of closing down Rothschild Boulevard," Shahar says, referring to the high-end avenue that runs through the middle of Tel Aviv.

Works begins on Jerusalem Boulevard in Jaffa (Photo: Shaul Golan )

Neta, the municipal public transportation company that is building the Tel Aviv light rail, said in response that it is "in touch with local businesses and answers all queries. However, the changes to transportation routes is necessary for the building of the red tram line, which a million people are expected to use."

"The light rail will be launched in two and a half years, and will greatly improve the welfare of residents and merchants around Jerusalem Boulevard. For the duration of the works, the boulevard will be open to pedestrians and bicycles, and we have invested NIS 10 million in a free shuttle service to assist residents," the company said.
Unlike American media's limited interest in Israel's political circus, the White House was paying close attention to events unfolding in Jerusalem late Wednesday evening.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter



U.S. President Donald Trump has a personal interest in both Israel and its current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Reuters)

With his long awaited "Deal of the Century" Mideast peace plan soon to be rolled out, Israeli politics is of great importance. No less important is Trump's personal investment in Netanyahu, whom he openly admires.

And Netanyahu has taken full advantage of this admiration. There is no case in recent history of a foreign leader so successfully wrapping an American president around his little finger.

Netanyahu has managed to maneuver Trump out of the Iran nuclear deal and even articulated a Mideast peace plan for him that completely ignores Palestinian political aspirations.

Trump admires the prime minister, but the feeling is not entirely mutual.

Donald Trump campaigning in Pennsylvania (Photo: AFP)

Netanyahu sees Trump for what he is: ignorant and reliant on others for an understanding of historic context and processes. But still he remains one of the few leaders in the enlightened world willing to praise the American president at every turn.

It is not surprising, therefore, that in the midst of all the political chaos in Jerusalem this week, Trump posted his support for Netanyahu on Twitter, adding that they still have "a lot more to do" together.

Trump, who enjoys being a disrupter, has a thing or two to learn from his Israeli friend in that regard.

Hoping things will work out with Israel's coalition formation and Bibi and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever. A lot more to do!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2019

Netanyahu invented Trumpism long before Trump entered politics. His voters have been the disenfranchised, lower socioeconomic classes who idolize him, just like Trump in 2016. Both put themselves above country, and using subterfuge, they create a new world disorder.

Trump hopes to see Netanyahu continue to lead Israel. He has given the prime minister everything possible: recognition of Jerusalem as the capital, recognition of Israeli sovereignty of the Golan Heights, and support for annexation of parts of the West Bank.

Now was to be the time for Netanyahu to reciprocate.

The prime minister can help Trump's Mideast peace deal, perhaps delivering him the coveted Nobel Peace Prize won by his predecessor Barack Obama.

The economic workshop in Bahrain to be convened next month will unveil the first part of Trump's "Deal of the Century". The president wants Netanyahu at the helm of an Israeli government, ensuring he receives international recognition for his troubles.

Always the businessman, Trump expects his investments to now yield some dividends.
The decision to hold new elections will inevitably lead to stagnation in the functioning of the government and the security cabinet, but will also have immediate ramifications for the IDF. It will impact troop reinforcement efforts, not to mention delaying long-term decisions for several months as the government grids to a halt.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter



The army has already begun preparations for a new multi-year plan, which was supposed to arrive on the table of the new cabinet in the summer or fall at the latest. The current multi-year plan, dubbed "Gideon," is expected to be completed in about a year's time, and brought stability to the IDF in recent years.

Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi (Photo: Aviahu Shapira)

The plan led to major changes and far-reaching reforms in the army, among them the closure of extraneous reserve units and old Air Force squadrons, cutting thousands of career soldiers, establishing new units and revolutionizing the technological and intelligence frameworks.

Above all, the plan led to greater training for ground troops, making them more cost efficient, and allowing them to prepare for the next war without any external fuss and with a regular budget that puts an end to annual battles with the Finance Ministry.

It is therefore doubtful whether this is what Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi had in mind when he planned to spend his first year as chief of staff busy making the army more deadly. The fact that the defense minister is also a prime minister who is fighting his own war of political and legal survival is hardly beneficial for healthy relations between army and government.

An example of these troubled ties was in evidence during the last election season, when Netanyahu was frequently photographed with soldiers as part of his political campaign, despite criticism and even a ban.

Benjamin Netanyahu's Facebook cover photo featuring IDF soldiers in the run-up to the April 9 elections (Photo: Facebook)

The delay in the implementation of the next multi-year plan also means delaying the massive aid package from the U.S. brokered with former president Barack Obama, which was supposed to begin this year. Furthermore, purchase contracts worth billions of shekels have not yet been signed due to the recent elections and Kochavi's appointment as IDF chief.

The army does have plans, but these cannot be implemented without a functional cabinet. The list of delayed decisions also includes the purchase of new Saar helicopters to replace 50-year-old choppers, defining a new Air Force fighter squadron, deciding on quantities of both heavy aerial munitions and new weapons manufactured by the United States for the Israeli army.

The new Saar helicopter (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

Two other significant decisions are expected to be placed in deep freeze: reducing the length of national service by another two months and appointing a new IDF ombudsman. Major General (res.) Yitzhak Brick, who proved last year just how crucial is the role of an independent gatekeeper for the army, has not been in post since January.

For the time being, the ombudsman's office is being run by a deputy, and this may continue for at least another year due to the new elections.

Nevertheless, the September 17 elections will not have a major effect on the military's operational routines along Israel's borders or secret IDF operations in the Middle East. It will also have no impact on the response to a war - if, heaven forbid, one breaks out in the south or the north.

This was clear in the winter of 2008-9, when Israel was embroiled in its first Gaza war while then-prime minister Ehud Olmert was dealing with the fallout of his criminal activity and in the midst of an election campaign.

And if Olmert can do it, surely Netanyahu, who has been overseeing the running of both country and army for years, can do it.
JERUSALEM -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, calling the embattled Israeli prime minister a "strong leader" on the governor's final day of a trade mission to Israel.

The meeting came the day after Netanyahu failed to assemble a governing coalition , sending the country into a political crisis.

"I think Bibi has been a really strong leader. He gave a great speech when I was in Congress to a joint session," DeSantis said after the meeting, according to a pool report arranged through the Florida Society of News Editors. "I told him after that speech I had so many constituents who said, 'Heck, why don't we elect Netanyahu here?' So, if it doesn't work out for him, I think he probably could get elected in the United States if he wanted to."
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranians in the capital Tehran set fire to effigies of U.S. President Donald Trump, while in the Iraqi capital, Iran-backed militiamen marched over a large Israeli flag as part of rallies Friday marking Quds, or Jerusalem Day. The annual protests come as the Trump administration tries to market its long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Held each year on the last Friday of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, Iran has marked Quds Day since the start of its 1979 Islamic Revolution by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Al-Quds is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, and Iran says the day is an occasion to express support for the Palestinians.
Liberty Korea Party (LKP) lawmaker Chung Jin-suk, left, and former LKP lawmaker Cha Myung-jin. Korea Times file



By Jung Da-min



The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) has announced punitive measures against its two members who prompted public anger recently by making disparaging remarks against victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster and their family members.



The party's ethics committee decided on Wednesday to impose a three-month suspension of party membership on former lawmaker Cha Myung-jin. The incumbent four-term lawmaker Chung Jin-suk received only a "warning."



This contradicts its earlier pledge to punish them harshly in consideration of the public anger over their remarks. The other political parties have demanded the LKP expel them.



The decision came six weeks after the two used Facebook to accuse the bereaved family members of "taking advantage" of the people's sympathy over their children's deaths.



The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the minor opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Justice Party criticized the LKP over the measures.



"It is like a reward for such inhumane defamatory remarks, beyond issuing an indulgence," DPK spokeswoman Rep. Lee Jae-jung said. "The LKP has again hurt the victims and bereaved families of the Sewol ferry disaster."



The LKP has yet to implement an earlier decision made in February to hold a vote on whether to expel Rep. Lee Jong-myeong, one of three members who has come under fire for inviting a far-right figure to a public hearing, where defamatory remarks were made against participants of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement in 1980.



Implementation of the decision has been put on hold repeatedly, while the LKP cited its "difficult situation" at the National Assembly, which has been out of action for weeks due to recent conflicts over fast-tracking bills regarding electoral reform and establishing a new investigative body.



Two other LKP members who made similar disparaging remarks on the Gwangju uprising have been punished, with Rep. Kim Soon-rye being suspended from the party for three months and Rep. Kim Jin-tae receiving a warning.




Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nahala told Hezbollah's al-Manar TV that Palestinian factions in Gaza can launch a thousand rockets a day at Israel for a full month. He also revealed that they have half-ton warheads.
YORK  Victor Talavera, 29, of Redondo Beach, Calif., pleaded not guilty to eight charges during arraignment proceedings in York County Distric Court this week.

He was allegedly caught with an illegal firearm and controlled substances during an earlier traffic stop on Interstate 80.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, a deputy with the York County Sheriffs Department was in the process of finishing a separate traffic stop. The deputy said his emergency lights were activated and it was 12:48 a.m. The deputy says he saw a 2008 Infiniti pass his cruiser and the other vehicle without moving to the outside lane, as is required by law when passing stopped emergency vehicles.

The Infiniti was stopped and the driver was found to be Talavera.

The deputy said in his report that he could smell a strong odor of marijuana and he allegedly saw a grinder with marijuana sitting on the passenger seat.

During a subsequent search, the deputy said multiple bags of marijuana were found in a bag on the floorboard. He also alleges that two bags of marijuana were found in the center console.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is expected to send more letters addressed to Australians who need to explain questionable tax returnsin line with its commitment to ramping up crackdown on dodgy claims.

The government agency revealed that it would focus its scrutiny on the investment property deductions, among others.

The ATO is on the warpath  they are targeting investors or property owners who arent doing the right thing, Peter Locandro, partner, Chan & Naylor Wheelers Hills told Your Investment Property.

Over 2.2 million Aussies claimed more than $47 billion in deductions in the 2017-2018 financial year, led by work-related expenses and rental claims and ATO announced about two months ago that it would double the number of audits scrutinising rental deductions.

No penalties would apply for taxpayers who amend their returns due to genuine mistakes, but deliberate attempts to over-claim can attract penalties of up to 75% of the claim.

ATO will be looking at the incorrect apportionment of rental income and expenses between owners. For instance, deductions on a jointly-owned property are claimed by the owner with the higher taxable income rather than jointly.

In addition, the government agency will reassess holiday homes that are not genuinely available for rent. Rental property owners should only claim for the periods the property is rented out. Landlords should not claim for periods of personal use.

We expect to more than double the number of in-depth audits we conduct this year to 4500, with a specific focus on over-claimed interest, capital works claimed as repairs, incorrect apportionment of expenses for holiday homes let out to others and omitted income from accommodation sharing, Assistant Commissioner Gavin Siebert said in a statement. Once our auditors begin, they may search through even more data, including utilities, tolls, social media, and other online content to determine whether the taxpayer was entitled to claims theyve made.

Many property players, though, have inadequate knowledge on the matter, according to Locandro.

A lot of ordinary Australians have invested into the property market over the last 10 years, but dont understand the deductibility of certain expenses. They have been advised incorrectly or just dont understand the tax rules, he told Your Investment Property.

Chan & Naylor Wheelers Hills recommends property owners to seek the help of a property tax specialist while keeping track of their records.

You must keep all documents. This would include but is not be limited to, rental statements, invoices such as water and council rates, insurance, and the big one, repairs and maintenance. Bank and loan statements are also needed, Locandro told Your Investment Property. Its simple to stay ahead  keep good records, and only claim what you can legitimately claim. If you cant substantiate it, dont claim it. Surround yourself with a property tax specialist that does this everyday as the consequences for not doing so could spell trouble, and cost you a lot more.
Arizona News

Phoenix, Arizona - Anglers can fish Arizona waters for free on Saturday, June 1, making this an ideal time to take the family out for some fun and relaxing outdoor recreation.

Arizonas Free Fishing Day will be celebrated on June 1 this year as part of National Fishing and Boating Week, which runs June 1-9. During that Saturday only, no fishing licenses are required for persons fishing any public waters in Arizona.

Remember that bag limits and other fishing regulations are in full effect and must be observed during Free Fishing Days. Kids under the age of 10 can fish for free all year long in Arizona, so this special fishing license exemption day means that the older kids and parents get a free pass for the day.

Note that Saturday, June 8 is not a Free Fishing Day.

AZGFD will also sponsor some free fishing day clinics/events to give people the opportunity to try out this fun, family-oriented pastime. Loaner fishing rods, bait and instruction are provided for free at most of these venues.

Bait is provided and loaner rods are available for fishing events.

Times and locations of the scheduled events are:

Saturday, June 1

Lake Pleasant, 7-10 a.m., Lake Pleasant Access Rd., Peoria. See more information, including directions. A $7 parking fee will remain in place.

Goldwater Lake, Prescott, 8 a.m.-noon

Dead Horse Ranch State Park, 8 a.m.-noon Channel catfish will have been stocked just prior to the event. Entrance fees to the state park will be waived for participating fishermen (check in at the front gate).

Kaibab Lake, Williams, 9 a.m.-noon. Meet near group ramada.

Lees Ferry. 9 a.m.-noon. Meet at the boat launch. Please be mindful of special regulations in this area: the limit is 2 rainbow trout per day; artificial fly and lure only; barbless hooks only.

Saturday, June 8

(Not Free Fishing Day)

Parker Canyon Lake, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

For those who need a license, they can be purchased online, 24/7.

A General Fishing License is $37 for residents and $55 for non-residents, Combo Hunt & Fish Licenses are $57 and Youth Combo Hunt and Fish Licenses are $5. All are good for 365 days from the date of purchase and funds go toward wildlife conservation.
Arizona News

Phoenix, Arizona - Attention, procrastinators:

Theres not a better time than right now to apply online for 2019 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bison and sandhill crane.

All online applications must be received by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) no later than 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Tuesday, June 11.

To apply online, visit www.azgfd.gov/draw. As a reminder, applicants must possess a valid Arizona hunting license to apply online for a hunt permit-tag. That license must be valid on the last day of the online application period (June 11). Licenses are available online and at department offices and license dealers statewide.

A few helpful hints to keep in mind when filling out an online application:

An applicant is not required to have an AZGFD portal account, or be logged into that portal account, to apply online.

Be sure to check the three boxes under Draw Checklist and acknowledge the security feature on the first page of the draw site before continuing to the application.

Customer service representatives are available by phone from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays).

Applicants will find everything needed to apply for a hunt on the departments website:

The 2019-20 Arizona Hunting Regulations are posted at https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/draw/ (paper booklets are available at department offices and license dealers statewide).

A short video tutorial on how to apply online, as well as Q&As about applying online, also are posted at https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/draw/.

The draw odds information for all big game species is posted at https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/surveydata/.

AZGFD encourages applicants to consider adding PointGuard when applying online for a hunt permit-tag. PointGuard ensures if a successful applicant is unable to participate in a hunt for any reason, the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated.

All online applicants must sign up for a free AZGFD portal account to purchase PointGuard (visit https://accounts.azgfd.com/Account/Register). PointGuard is $5 per species, per applicant, purchased at the time of completing the online application or through June 27, which also is the deadline to update credit card or debit card information. For more information about PointGuard, visit https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/pointguard.

AZGFD encourages all hunters to open a free portal account. The portal allows customers to create a secure account where they can manage and view their contact information, as well as their license and draw results history and bonus points, in their personal My AZGFD Dashboard section. A portal account is a mobile-friendly, convenient way to access the online license purchase and hunt draw application systems.

For questions about opening a portal account, call the department at (602) 942-3000 and press 7.
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.
- Swazilands King Mswati III has denied widely circulated reports that he decreed that men of that country should marry at least 5 wives by June 2019

- He described the report as an insult to his personality and the country

- Mswati III reportedly had 15 wives and 25 children himself

King Mswati III of Swaziland has refuted reports that he warned that men who failed to marry at least 5 wives by June 2019 would be sanctioned.

Mswati III said such a report is an insult to his personality and Swaziland as a country.

This is contained in a report sighted by YEN.com.gh on Swaziland-based media Punch.com.

King Mswati III, King of Swaziland. Photo credit: IHarare.

Source: Getty Images

READ ALSO: Fans beg Wendy Shay to accept Shatta Wales marriage proposal (Photo)

The report had it that the king was not happy with the growing number of women against the men in the country.

He was, therefore, said to have made the order, warning that any man or woman who failed to obey would be thrown in jail.

READ ALSO: Akrobeto reveals desire to date Attorney General Gloria Akuffo but on one condition

However, Mswati III has released a powerful statement to debunk the report.

According to the statement, such an issue has never been raised by the king.

The statement also described the report as an assassination on the king's character.

READ ALSO: John Dumelo finally shows face of his son and Ghanaians are talking (Photo)

The statement by the King of Swaziland. Photo credit: Punch.com.gh

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Video of decorator heartlessly scattering beautiful wedding reception hits the internet

Star Gist: I started acting because i was told i look like Suzy Williams - Kisa Gbekle| #Yencomgh

READ ALSO: Fred Nuamahs 1- year marriage to his wife Martekor reportedly collapses

Have national and human interest issues to discuss?

Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition?

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page.

Source: YEN.com.gh
New Delhi: Top Bhojpuri actress turned television star Monalisa is breaking the internet with her sizzling looks in desi avatar. She has a solid fan base of over 1.9 million followers who eagerly wait for her posts on social media.

Monalisa's recent bunch of photos show her in a red hot look. Her crimped hair and bold red lips are striking in the picture. Check out her photos:

The actress had had the opportunity of working with almost all the Bhojpuri big shots in her movie career. She has succesfully moved from films to television in a short span of time with daily soap 'Nazar'.

The star plays an evil force named Mohana in the show.

The actress is a regular in sharing her pictures and videos on Instagram.

Monalisa became a household name after her stint on the popular reality show 'Bigg Boss 10'. In fact, she married her then-boyfriend Vikrant Singh Rajpoot inside the house, making it a highlight of that season.
In the 2019 election, the BJP has been accused of manipulating the Hindu vote for its astounding victory - almost as if there should be no Hindu vote which is routinely deemed anti-secular.

Yet the seeking of a Hindu vote in 2019 was hardly limited to the BJP. The election featured the largest number of politicians of different parties visiting Hindu temples, including politicians who rarely did so in the past, like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra. Even Mamata Banerjee of Bengal started boasting of her skills in chanting Hindu shlokas in Sanskrit.

This change has occurred largely in imitation of PM Narendra Modi, a dedicated Shiva bhakt throughout his long career. Yet, the new appeal to Hindus did not pay off electorally for the parties and leaders that suddenly adopted it as a political ploy without a personal history to accompany it.

Along with this new seeking of the Hindu vote, the usual charges of Hindutva extremism were also made, even more so after BJP won the election. In short, having failed to gain votes for their temple visits, the opposition returned to its old anti-Hindu and 'Hindu terror' agenda out of frustration.

From the Kumbha Mela to Kedarnath

Religion always plays a place in India's politics as Indians are religious and spiritually inclined overall. Yet, it has usually emphasized minority Islamic and Christian concerns. Under Modi, a Hindu voice has also become very vocal - not out of place, since India is 80% Hindu.

Most notably, the presence of Lord Shiva towered above the election. This was not rooted in politics, but in the magnificent Kumbha Mela held in Prayagraj from January to March, which by chance occurred just prior to the election. Over two hundred million people visited the sacred celebration on the Ganga, in which Shiva, as the Lord of the Yogis, was the central deity form. Both the BJP state government, led by Yogi Adityanath, and the national BJP government made sure the event was well-organized and inspirational, which message was well conveyed to the participants.

Meanwhile, Modi chose Varanasi, the famous City of Light of Lord Shiva on the Ganga, as his own constituency again in 2019, as he did in 2014. During his first term, Modi renovated the ghats at Varanasi, cleaned the Ganga and recently renovated the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, the famous Shiva jyotir linga, that is the most sacred site in the city, along with building it a corridor to the river.

At the end of the 2019 campaign, Modi travelled to Kedarnath, the main Shiva shrine in the Himalayas for solitary meditation a few days before election results were counted. The picture of the PM wrapped in orange in a cave at Kedarnath went throughout the entire country.

Some have criticized Modi for creating a Hindu media show for the election, but we should remember that Modi has honoured Hindu practices as an integral part of his life and shouldn't be required to abandon these because he is a head of state, notably of Hindu-majority India. Modi did not use the emotional Ram Mandir issue at a political level, as many had feared, preferring to highlight Varanasi as an example of his leadership, for both development and cultural issues.

Negative reactions from the media

We can contrast India voting from a new sense of national unity and purpose, including a renewed Hindu dignity, with responses from the Western media that express a fear of India's new strength and leadership. Such voices would paint gentle and pluralistic Hinduism as an intolerant and divisive faith, not understanding the nuances of Sanatana Dharma that embrace the whole of life and all of human society.

Why is the media, particularly of a leftist orientation, afraid of a strong India? India has given yoga to the world, not jihad or missionary conversion. It is not a threat economically like China, and has no history of aggression and invasions of other countries. India has the greatest cultural diversity of any country, and many religious groups have taken refuge in India to escape oppression elsewhere. Meanwhile, Indians worldwide are peaceful and prosperous and do not cause any problems in their countries of residence or travel. US and UK Hindus are among the most affluent and educated of communities and have produced no social problems at all, and in fact are among the cultural elite.

Such anti-India sentiments sound more like a colonial hangover than any objective analysis. They are part of a media disconnect with India that must be corrected, which highlighted the opinions of those who lost the election rather than honouring India for its tremendous democratic triumph. After all, India's 2019 election was the largest democratic election in the history of the world, with over six hundred million people voting, done in a region of the world that includes China and Pakistan in which countries democracy has little place.

The 2019 election shows that India is rising both in terms of development, which is for all, and in terms of culture, which must embrace the legacy of India's great Dharmic civilisation. India's economy is expanding and infrastructure is being transformed. Yet, pride in culture, religion and spirituality is also growing, extending to the new middle class. In terms of foreign policy, India is taking its place on the world stage as a global leader, as it has been throughout most of history, spreading knowledge, culture and prosperity, not seeking hegemony or control.

This new, resurgent India owes a great deal to PM Narendra Modi. He has become a conduit for the aspiration of the people of India, and can now boldly lead the nation forward.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)
New Delhi: Actress Kareena Kapoor was on Friday clicked at the Mumbai airport along with Saif Ali Khan and son Taimur as the trio head to London. According to reports, Kareena will shoot for a portion of her upcoming film 'Angrezi Medium' in London, while Saif will also shoot for the first schedule of his upcoming film 'Jawaani Janeman' there.

The actress was seen in a white top which she teamed up with boyfriend jeans and a long black shrug and looked every bit chic. Saif was dressed in semi-formals, in a pink shirt with a pair of denim. The little munchkin was in his night suit, sans his footwear.

Take a look at their pictures below:

(Photo courtesy: Yogen Shah)

Kareena had been busy of late as she had been promoting the next season of dance reality show, 'Dance India Dance: Battle of Champions' where she will be seen as one of the judges. Through this show, the actress is making her debut on television. Apart from 'Angrezi Medium', she has films like 'Takht' and 'Good News' in her kitty. Saif, on the other hand, has 'Laal Kaptaan', 'Dil Bechara', 'Taanaji: The Unsung Warrior' and 'Bhoot Police' with him.
Mumbai: International rating agency Fitch Ratings affirmed long-term issuer default ratings (IDRs) of six banks including State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank at 'BBB-', with stable outlook.

The agency also affirmed BBB- rating of Bank of Baroda (New Zealand), Canara Bank and Bank of India (BOI).

The rating of IDBI Bank's long-term IDR was affirmed at 'BB+'.

"The long-term IDRs of SBI, BOB, PNB, Canara and BOI are driven by expectation that the banks are likely to receive extraordinary government support, if required, due to their high systemic importance and majority government ownership," the rating agency said in a note.

It also affirmed the Viability Ratings (VR) of five banks,

BOB's VR is maintained at Rating Watch Negative (RWN), as it may take a few more months before the full impact of BOB's merger with Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank, is visible on BOB's combined financial position, the note said.

The rating agency has downgraded the VR of Canara Bank by one notch to 'bb-' from 'bb', reflecting the bank's persistently moderate core capital position which is not commensurate with its weak asset quality and earnings.

The rating actions come against the backdrop of a challenging operating environment, it said.

"We lowered our midpoint for the country's operating environment to 'bb+' from 'bbb-' following a review of the banking sector's performance, particularly in the last three years, and of its regulatory framework, as well as the outlook in the near-to-medium term," it said.

It said the performance of the country's banks should have largely bottomed out, but the sector is still struggling with poor asset quality and weak core capitalisation.

The rating agency estimates that the banks' impaired loans ratio has declined to 10.8 percent in the nine month of FY19 from 11.5 percent in the fiscal ended March 2018 (FY18), marking a reversal in trend.

It said the government's capital injection of over USD 14.5 billion in FY19 has lifted the capital position for many state banks from recent historical lows.

"The capital buffers are still moderate and do not leave much room for growth, while the impaired loans ratio is still very high at several state banks compared with the sector average," the note said.

Resolution of more non-performing loans (NPL) in FY20 will be positive for earnings and asset quality.

It believes most state-owned banks will require further equity injections to pursue meaningful credit growth.
Mumbai: IDBI Bank, majority owned by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), Thursday narrowed net loss to Rs 4,918 crore in the quarter ended March due to lower provision for bad loans.

The bank had reported a net loss of Rs 5,663 crore in the same period last year.

"Our losses have come down in the quarter as provisions for non-performing loans (NPAs) reduced," its managing director and chief executive Rakesh Sharma told reporters.

Provisions for non-performing loans declined to Rs 7,233 crore in the quarter from Rs 10,773 crore in the same period last year.

For the full year, lender reported a net loss of Rs 15,116 crore as against a net loss of Rs 8,238 crore in FY18.

In January 2019, LIC completed acquisition of 51 percent controlling stake in the bank. The state-run life insurer infused Rs 21,624 crore into the bank.

Net interest margin improved to 2.26 percent from 1.19 percent.

Gross non-performing assets ratio improved to 27.47 percent as against 27.95 percent, while net NPA was at 10.11 percent as against 16.69 percent.

The bank, which under the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) prompt corrective action (PCA), expects to bring down its net NPA ratio to below 9 percent by June-end and below 6 percent by September quarter.

"Our target is to come out of PCA and become profitable. We expect by September or maximum by December quarter we will be out of PCA," Sharma said.

Total provision stood at Rs 6,314 crore as against Rs 8,026 crore.

Provision Coverage Ratio improved to 82.88 percent as on March 31, 2019 from 63.40 percent as on March 31, 2018.

Fresh slippages reduced to Rs 1,781 crore from Rs 18,023 crore in the year-ago period.

Recovery in the quarter stood at Rs 927 crore.

The bank has set a recovery target of Rs 13,000 crore, including Rs 2,000 crore from sale to asset reconstruction companies in the current financial year.

Sharma said the bank is looking to raise Rs 1,500 crore through sale of non core assets- IDBI Federal Life Insurance and IDBI Mutual Fund.

The bank is also looking at raise Rs 2,500-3,000 crore through Tier 1 bonds and Rs 6,500 crore from markets.

Its CASA increased to Rs 96,730 crore as on March 31, 2019 as against Rs 92,102 crore as on March 31, 2018.

The lender's scrip ended at 2.57 percent to Rs 37.95 apiece on BSE which ended at 39,831.97 Thursday.
New Delhi: Popular sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik never fails to leave us awe-struck. The artist hails from Odisha and is known for crafting masterpieces out of sand on almost every occasion. He is an avid social media user and often shares his work on Twitter, creating ripples on social media.

Today is World No Tobacco Day and Pattnaik displayed his workmanship via sand yet again.

Check out his Twitter posts here:

Today is #WorldNoTobaccoDay. My SandArt at Puri beach in Odisha with message #NoTobacco Save life.

Say #NoTobacco! pic.twitter.com/f8NxgXHAEi  Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) May 31, 2019

World No Tobacco Day is observed on May 31 every year by the World Health Organization (WHO) and global partners. This annual campaign seeks to raise awareness on the harmful effects of usage of tobacco and also discourages its use in any form.

It is no secret that Tobacco is a primary cause of lung cancer and several other respiratory diseases. Various celebs from the film industry have also time and again discouraged the usage of tobacco and encourage their fans to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court hearing demand by CBI for early hearing in 2G case sought response from former Telecom Minister A Raja, Kanimozhi and others. The CBI had filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court for hearing on a delayed appeal in the ongoing 2G case.

In its plea, the CBI has said that this is a matter of national hence the the pending appeal of the CBI should be heard soon. The next hearing of the case will be held on July 30.

The Patiala House Court had acquitted all the 17 accused, including former telecom minister A Raja and Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, in connection with the 2G scam case filed by the CBI on December 21, 2017.

The CBI and ED had challenged the decision of the lower court in the High Court in March telling them that even after three months of the case in the 2G case.

The alleged 2G scam relates to the grant of 2G spectrum licence allocations in 2007-08, which caused, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the public exchequer.
New Delhi: In the first Cabinet meeting, the government on Friday decided to extend PM-KISAN scheme to all 14.5 crore farmers in the country costing Rs 87,000 crore a year and also announced over Rs 10,000 crore pension scheme for 5 crore farmers, thereby fulfilling the BJP's poll promise.

Announcing the two key decisions, new Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Modi 2.0 government has announced the landmark decisions for the farming community in the first Cabinet meeting.

"The Union Cabinet has approved to extend the ambit of the scheme by including all land holding eligible farmer families under the scheme, subject to the prevalent exclusion criteria," Tomar told reporters after the meeting.

The Rs 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) was announced in the interim Budget under which the government decided to provide Rs 6,000 per year (in three equal instalments) to an estimated 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares.

"Now, the revised scheme envisages to cover around 2 crore more farmers increasing the coverage of the PM-KISAN to around 14.5 crore beneficiaries," the minister said. He said the total burden on the exchequer will increase by Rs 12,000 crore to Rs 87,217.50 crore for the year 2019-20.

Live TV

So far, the first instalment has been given to only 3.11 crore beneficiaries and second to 2.66 crore beneficiaries, as many states did not provide the data of eligible farmers, Tomar said.

In another major decision, Tomar said the Cabinet also approved the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Pension Yojana under which small and marginal farmers will get a minimum fixed pension of Rs 3,000 per month on attaining the age of 60 years.

"In the initial phase, the government will cover minimum 5 crore small and marginal farmers in the first three years," he said, adding that this would cost Rs 10,774.5 crore per annum to the exchequer.

This scheme is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for small and marginal farmers across the country, with the entry age of 18-40 years, he said.

The Centre said it will match the contribution made by the eligible farmer in the pension fund. After the subscriber's death, while receiving pension, the spouse of the beneficiary will be entitled to receive 50 per cent of the pension amount, provided he/she is not already a beneficiary of the scheme.

Farmers can use benefits under PM-KISAN scheme for the making contribution under the pension scheme.


By Zainab Bangura



FREETOWN  As the protests that led to the ouster of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in April continue to rage, the large numbers of women taking to the streets of Khartoum are giving hope to female leaders across Africa.



Women, both young and old, have accounted for up to 70 percent of the protesters in Sudan despite reportedly being targeted with intimidation, harassment, and even rape. The world should recognize their bravery, and take concrete steps to help more African women become political leaders.



Sudan is not an isolated example. Women are playing an increasingly prominent political role in other African countries where they have traditionally been less visible, and often at similar risk of violence and abuse.



Female leaders, many of them Muslim like me, were at the forefront of movements to oust former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika earlier this year, and to demand change in Tunisia in 2018. They were also prominent during the "Arab Spring" protests that spread across the region in 2011.



Yet although women have played a crucial part in ending conflicts and energizing protests in Africa and elsewhere, they are often marginalized in the subsequent peace-building and political processes. When it comes to formal institutions, men simply take over.



This is part of a broader global problem. According to the United Nations, less than one-quarter of national parliamentarians are women. At the start of this year, there were only 11 female heads of state and 10 female heads of government in the world. And the leadership of the U.N. itself, along with that of many of its agencies and partners, is still male-dominated.



It is vital, therefore, that the women who have led the protests in Sudan are given an equal voice in shaping the country's political future. This is particularly important in view of the recent suspension of peace talks amid an upswing in violence and attacks on protesters.



Through my own experience in Sierra Leone, I learned that becoming a female political leader requires nurturing and tenacity, supported by mentoring and education. Only then can African women hope to overcome the many barriers they face.



As an African Muslim woman, for example, you suffer gender discrimination at home, within the family, and outside it, in the larger society. Moreover, the sort of leadership qualities that are applauded and celebrated in men  such as self-confidence, assertiveness, decisiveness, and strategic thinking  are seen as negative traits in a woman.



You are seen as arrogant, aggressive, manipulative, and controlling. It is very easy to become isolated, and to be criticized and condemned just for being good and successful at your job.



Moreover, African female leaders have been unable to build sufficient support networks. As a result, they have become overstressed and worn out trying to combine the roles of leader, mother, and wife.



Finally, in my work at the U.N. on sexual violence in conflict, I've seen how assaults on women's rights and autonomy through violent acts, including rape, can be used as a tactic to silence them. We need more effective national and global responses to such attacks, and we must help victims speak out and have their voices heard.



Many of the female protesters in Sudan were targeted by security forces and subjected to repressive norms and laws during al-Bashir's 30-year rule. Their continued defiance presents the international community with an important opportunity to respond quickly and flexibly to support home-grown and grassroots women's movements.



Women's voices need to be heard directly, rather than through convoluted, short-term, and slow-moving aid and development programs. Just as importantly, we must provide the support that women tell us they need, not (as often happens) what we imagine they need.



Although there are programs that provide innovative and flexible support for young women's leadership skills, such as CARE's new "Women Lead" initiative and Oxfam's "Roots Lab," very little funding for such initiatives is available.



A recent closed-door, round-table discussion at the United Kingdom's Overseas Development Institute involving experts across gender research, advocacy, and policymaking identified the need for more collaborative, flexible, and long-term financing to respond to the deep-rooted challenges that drive gender inequalities and limit women's opportunities to work, lead, and be heard.



To address this problem, the international community should establish a special fund to support and develop women's political leadership capacities, and to ensure their wellbeing and safety, as they work for change in countries such as Sudan.



The fund could finance leadership and media training, community dialogues, personal safety measures, legal and advocacy tools, childcare, and other priority areas.



Such support would enable women to maintain and expand their political involvement in both formal and informal institutions of power. By committing itself to such a funding mechanism, the international community would help to strengthen women's voices during crucial periods of political upheaval.



Recent events in Sudan and Algeria have shown how powerful African women can be when they have a collective voice. By taking meaningful steps today to support the continent's emerging female leaders, we can help to create a more just and equal future.





Zainab Bangura, an Overseas Development Institute distinguished fellow and former minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation for Sierra Leone, served as the special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).


Patna: The Bihar cabinet on Friday sanctioned Rs 384 crore for payment of pension under the Chief Minister Old Age Pension Scheme for the financial year 2019-20, an official said here.

The money was sanctioned from the Bihar Contingency Fund for payment to beneficiaries who are above 60 years and do not receive any salary, pension, family pension or social security pension either from central and state government.

The number of such beneficiaries is 36.50 lakh, Cabinet Secretariat department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar told reporters. Those who are in the age group of 60-79 will get Rs 400 per month while those above 80 will get Rs 500 per month as pension under the scheme.

The cabinet also enhanced the corpus of the Bihar Contingency Fund from Rs 350 crore to Rs 8020.04 crore till March 30, 2020, Kumar said. The move was made to withdraw funds in advance for carrying development work which had not got a budgetary allocation.

Live TV

It also approved a proposal of the finance department to provide ex-gratia payment to those who died while discharging their duties during general elections, assembly elections or by-polls, the principal secretary said.

As per the decision, if a person dies during the election, he/she will get Rs 15 lakh but the amount would be doubled to Rs 30 lakh, if he/she dies in violence, armed attack, blast, etc while performing election duty, he said.

A person on election duty will be given Rs 7 lakh if he/she suffers permanent disability, he said adding that the amount would be doubled to Rs 15 lakh if he/she has suffered permanent disability in an armed attack during elections.

The payment would be shared by both the Centre and the state government on a 50:50 basis, he said.

The cabinet also gave its nod for setting up one dispensary in each of the 38 district court premises, Kumar said adding that it also created five posts to run each dispensary. A total of 18 decisions were made at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
At least two terrorists were killed and a paratrooper injured in an encounter that broke out with a joint team of security forces early on Friday morning in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir. Several arms and ammunition were recovered. The exchange of fire took place during the cordon and search operation at Dragad village in Zainapora area of the district. The operation has ended but a search operation is going on. Clashes near the encounter spot have been reported.

Live TV

At least two-three terrorists were earlier believed to be trapped. The killed terrorist is yet to be identified.

On Thursday, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in a village in Sopore after getting inputs of the presence of terrorists in the area. Two terrorists are believed to be present in the Dangerpora village. Armys 22 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group (SOG) launched the search operation following the information about their presence.

As a precautionary measure, mobile internet service has been suspended in Sopore.
NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi Cabinet on Friday approved major changes in the Prime Ministers Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund.

It was the first file signed by PM Modi after assuming charge in his second term as PM. The decision aims to enhance the amount of scholarships under the National Defence Fund and to include State Police Personnel in its ambit.

The rates of scholarship have been increased by 25% for boys and 33% for girls. The ambit of the Scholarship Scheme is extended to the wards of State Police officials who were martyred during terror or Naxal attacks.

PM Modi also took to Twitter to inform about the very first decision taken by the Union Cabinet.

''Our Governments first decision dedicated to those who protect India! Major changes approved in PMs Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund including enhanced scholarships for wards of police personnel martyred in terror or Maoist attacks,'' PM tweeted.

Our Governments first decision dedicated to those who protect India! Major changes approved in PMs Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund including enhanced scholarships for wards of police personnel martyred in terror or Maoist attacks. https://t.co/Vm90BD77hm pic.twitter.com/iXhFNlBCIc  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 31, 2019

Live TV

Earlier, the children of martyrs like Tukaram Omble were not eligible for this scholarship. This will remove this anomaly and help families of all those deceased while fighting terror/Naxals in state police forces.

''In line with the Prime Ministers vision for Indias safety, security and the well-being of those who protect the nation, the very first decision of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on assuming his office is approval to a major change in the Prime Ministers Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund,'' a govt release said.

The Prime Minister has approved the following changes:

(i) The rates of scholarship have been increased from Rs. 2000 per month to Rs. 2500 per month for boys and from Rs. 2250 per month to Rs. 3000 per month for girls.

(ii) The ambit of the Scholarship Scheme is extended to the wards of State Police officials who are/were martyred during terror/naxal attacks. The quota of new scholarships for wards of state police officials will be 500 in a year. The Ministry of Home Affairs will be the nodal Ministry in this regard.

Background

The National Defence Fund (NDF) was set up in 1962 to take charge of the voluntary donations in cash and kind received for promotion of the national defence effort, and to decide on their utilisation.

Currently the fund is being used for the welfare of the members of the Armed Forces, Para Military forces and Railway Protection Force, and their dependents. The fund is administered by an Executive Committee with the Prime Minister as the Chairperson and the Defence, Finance and Home Ministers as Members.

Under National Defence Fund major scheme of Prime Ministers Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) is being implemented to encourage technical and post-graduate education for the widows and wards of the deceased/ex-service personnel of Armed Forces and Para Military Forces and Railway Protection Force. Scholarships are available for education at technical institutions (medical, dental, veterinary, engineering, MBA, MCA and other equivalent technical professions with suitable AICTE/UGC approval).

Under the PMSS, every year new scholarships are given for 5500 wards of armed forces controlled by Ministry of Defence, for 2000 wards of paramilitary forces controlled by Ministry of Home Affairs and for 150 wards of forces controlled by Ministry of Railways.

The National Defence Fund accepts online voluntary contributions through the website i.e. ndf.gov.in.

Supporting those who make our society more secure:

The Prime Minister has spoken at length about the monumental contribution of our police personnel. Come harsh summer, extreme winter or heavy monsoon, our police personnel are performing their duties with utmost diligence. Even during major festivals, our police personnel are on duty while the rest of the nation celebrates.

As a nation, it is our duty not only to express gratitude but also do things that improve the welfare of the police personnel and their families. It is in this spirit that the Prime Minister has taken the decision.. The availability of scholarship with enable more youngsters from police families to study and excel in different fields. It will have an empowering effect on several bright young minds.

It may be recalled that it was under the first tenure of PM Modi that a National Police Memorial was built and dedicated to the nation. This Memorial stands as a testimony to the courage and sacrifice of our policemen and will continue to inspire crores of Indians.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Sri Lanka on June 9, which would be his first foreign visit after assuming charge for the second term.

This has been confirmed by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.

PM Modi will be going to the Maldives and Sri Lanka during his 2-day visit.

Live TV

Maithripala Sirisena, who was in India for the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhawan said, "PM Modi will be coming to Sri Lanka as part of his visit to the Maldives. As for the information we have received so far, PM Modi will be coming to Sri Lanka on the 9th June."

During the first term of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Island country twice, first in 2015 and then in 2017 when he was the Chief Guest at the International Day of Vesak celebrations in Sri Lanka.

Reacting to a question on the recently concluded Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between, India, Sri Lanka and Japan to develop the East Container Terminal (ECT) in Colombo port, Sirisena, said it is not an agreement, ''it is a memorandum of understanding in order to start a discussion about getting into an agreement" and through the discussion "Sri Lanka intends to come to an agreement which is economically and trade wise favourable to the island nation."

The development comes even as China has been trying to increase its influence in south Asia especially with the development of ports like Gwadar in Pakistan & Hambantota port in Sri Lanka. In 2017, unable to pay its debts, SriLanka handed over the Hambantota to China for a 99 year period lease.

On the recent terror attack in Sri Lanka on April 21 that killed more than 250 people, he said his govt was able to bring the situation to normal within 3 weeks.

He dismissed, reports of any of the 9 suicide bombers of Easter Sunday attack visiting India.

He said, "I have not received any reports which say that they have travelled to India. My officers have not reported any connection to India up to now"

India had provided intelligence to Sri Lanka on 4th April but the country failed to act on information. The President later removed the defence secretary and inspector general of police for failing to "inform him" about the intelligence.

The Sri Lankan President had a bilateral meeting with PM Modi on Friday during which the "leaders noted that terrorism and extremism continue to pose threat to humanity", a readout from ministry of external affairs said.
New Delhi: Students' union president of a Delhi University's Ram Lal Anand College was found hanging at his home in Nanakpura area here on Thursday, said police, who suspect it to be a case of suicide.

However, no suicide note was recovered from the room where the body of 22-year-old Utkarsh Sharma, a third-year student of BA (Hons) Political Science at Ram Lal Anand College, was found, police said.

A senior police officer said Sharma lived with his parents at a government quarter. His family left for their hometown in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday morning. When they made calls to Sharma his phone went unanswered.

Worried, they called up his elder brother, who stays in Palam, and asked him to check on him, the officer said. When his brother reached his house, he found it to be locked from inside and he broke open the door. He found Utkarsh hanging. He cut the ligature and found Utkarsh dead. No injuries were found on the body, the officer added.

Police suspect it to be a case of suicide and are probing why he took the extreme step.

The principal of the college, Rakesh Kumar Gupta, recalled Sharma as a smiling student.

Live TV

"I came to know about it. He was a good student and I had spoken to him around May 21-22 and he had told me his exams went well. He always had a smiling face," Gupta told PTI.

Minali Gupta, vice-president of the students' union, said she got to know about the incident through fellow students and was saddened.

"We had a brief interaction on May 21, the last day of the exam. I do not know what forced him to take such an extreme step. It is saddening to hear this piece of news," she said.
BENGALURU: The Narendra Modi-powered BJPs emphatic victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha election appears to be having little impact on Karnatakas Urban Local Body (ULB) elections with Congress emerging as a major gainer in these local body polls in this southern state.

Congress managed to win 90 out of the total 217 seats after the final results of the seven Municipal Councils were declared on Friday.

The BJP came second with 56 seats, while JD(S) won 38. Mayawati's BSP won 2, while independents won 25 seats and others 6 seats.

As many as 63 ULBs - eight city municipal councils, 33 town municipal councils and 22 town panchayats - comprising 1,361 wards went to polls on May 29.

Counting of votes began on Friday morning under unprecedented security.

ULB elections are generally considered as an indicator of the government's popularity.

Last year, when 105 ULBs went to polls, the Congress won 982, the BJP 929 and the JD(S) 375. Independent candidates won in 329 wards.

Live TV

Here are the live updates: -

- BSP wins 2, Independents win 25 seats and others 6 seats.

- Results of 7 Municipal Council declared, Congress wins 90, BJP 56, JD(S) 38 out of 217 seats.

-Check District Wise Results of the ULB polls in Karnataka

-Chitradurga: Total seats (63), Results Declared (63), BJP 20, INC 22, JDS 3, Independents 18

-Bengaluru Urban: Total Seats (27), Results Declared (27), BJP 10, INC 17, JDS 0

-However, BSY is confident of saffron party's victory in 2019 assembly polls here.

-BJP president BS Yeddyurappa said that the saffron party has performed 'below expectation'.

-Results for two seats, Kalaburagi and Chamrajpet, are still awaited.

-We are happy with the way the coalition parties have performed. BJP keeps saying that the coalition won't last but people have proved them wrong. People have reflected their sentiments with these results. People have shown their faith in the coalition govt: Kumaraswamy

- Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy hails the Congress-JDS partnership, says people have rejected BJP's claims of the coalition govt falling apart.

-The JDS-Congress coalition is surging ahead, say reports

-Counting for elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULB) across Karnataka is still underway with the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) hoping to extend their alliance.

-The Congress and the JD(S) contested the polls separately despite being partners in the state government, but they have already declared that they would tie up post-election in urban bodies.
NEW DELHI: After a most successful stint as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Amit Shah, who is called as the "Chanakya" of modern day Indian politics, was on Thursday sworn in as a cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Council of Ministers.

Shah has been given one of the most important - Home portfolio, which was earlier held by Rajnath Singh  the official no. 2 in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, who has now been given the defence portfolio.

After PM Modi, Shah was the man who built the party's campaign systematically around the nationalism plank and the Prime Minister's popularity.

Live TV

Shah, who was in election mode since becoming the party president in 2014, has been rewarded by PM Modi after the BJP registered a spectacular win in the Lok Sabha elections bagging 303 seats on its own.

Though Shah entered national politics in 2013, his organisational training and extensive travel across the country helped him learn the finer points of cow belt politics.

In no time in Uttar Pradesh, Shah transformed the profile of the BJP, which for a long time was seen as a party of forward castes in the state.

Both in the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2017 Assembly elections, Shah first stitched together a strong intra-party caste alliance within BJP's broad political framework in the state.

He also strengthened the so-called rainbow coalition by striking a pre-poll alliance with smaller regional outfits.

As the result, the BJP won 71 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2014 and the party swept a two-third majority in 2017 Assembly polls.

He also led the BJP to victory in Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other states.

Formerly an MLA from Naranpura in his home state Gujarat, Shah had been elected four times from Sarkhej.

Shah became a loyalist of Modi as both were associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since their early age.

During his tenure as Minister in Gujarat, Shah held several portfolios including that of transport, police, housing, border security, civil defense, gram rakshak dal, Home Guards, prison, prohibition, excise, law and justice, parliamentary affairs and the coveted Home Ministry.

A science graduate, he was active in politics since his college days when he was with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.

Born on October 22, 1964 into a philanthropist family, he joined the RSS as a "Tarun Syawamsevak".

In 1982, as a student of bio-chemistry, he became the Secretary of RSS student wing ABVP in Ahmedabad. He then became the Secretary of BJP Ahmedabad city unit. There was no looking back since then.

He went on to hold many crucial posts to rise up in the ranks of the BJP in Gujarat. He became the national Treasurer of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in 1997 and later the Vice President of the Gujarat BJP.

Shah is also credited with turnaround of the co-operative sector in Gujarat. In 2000, when the Ahmedabad District Co-Operative bank was in totters and declared a weak bank due to lack of leadership, Shah was brought in as the Chairman of the Bank.

Only a year after he took over, the Bank cleared its debts and fell in line of other profit-making banks, with declaration of 10 per cent dividend. Today, Ahmedabad District Co-Operative Bank Ltd is a leading bank among the 367 co-operative banks in the country.
New Delhi: Amit Shah, the Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MP from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, is the new Home minister of India in the Narendra Modi government while Rajnath Singh becomes the Defence Minister. India's new Finance Minister is Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar new External Affairs Minister. Additionally, Ravi Shankar Prasad becomes Law Minister.

The 58-member Union Council of Ministers includes those holding the 25 Cabinet ranks, nine Ministers of State (Independent charge) and 24 Ministers of state.

Here is the Union Council of Ministers and their portfolios:

Union Council of Ministers Name Portfolios Cabinet Ministers 1. Narendra Modi Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space. All important policy issues and portfolios not allocated 2. Rajnath Singh Minister of Defence 3. Amit Shah Minister of Home Affairs 4. Nitin Jairam Gadkari Minister of Road Transport and Highways; and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises 5. DV Sadananda Gowda Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers 6. Nirmala Sitharaman Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs 7. Ramvilas Paswan Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution 8. Narendra Singh Tomar Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Minister of Rural Development; and Minister of Panchayati Raj 9. Ravi Shankar Prasad Minister of Law and Justice; Minister of Communications; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology 10. Harsimrat Kaur Badal Minister of Food Processing Industries 11. Thaawar Chand Gehlot Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment 12. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Minister of External Affairs 13. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank Minister of Human Resource Development 14. Arjun Munda Minister of Tribal Affairs 15. Smriti Zubin Irani Minister of Women and Child Development; and Minister of Textiles 16. Dr. Harsh Vardhan Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Minister of Science and Technology; and Minister of Earth Sciences. 17. Prakash Javadekar Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Information and Broadcasting 18. Piyush Goyal Minister of Railways; and Minister of Commerce and Indus 19. Dharmendra Pradhan Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Steel 20. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Minister of Minority Affairs 21. Pralhad Joshi Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines 22. Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 23. Arvind Ganpat Sawant Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise 24. Giriraj Singh Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries 25. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Minister of Jal Shakti Ministers of State (Independent Charge) 1. Santosh Kumar Gangwar Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment 2. Rao Inderjit Singh Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning 3. Shripad Yesso Naik Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH); and Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence 4. Dr. Jitendra Singh Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space 5. Kiren Rijiju Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs 6. Prahalad Singh Patel Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Tourism 7. Raj Kumar Singh Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Power; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 8. Hardeep Singh Puri Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry 9. Mansukh L Mandaviya Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Shipping; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministers of State 1. Faggansingh Kulaste Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel 2. Ashwini Kumar Choubey Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 3. Arjun Ram Meghwal Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises 4. General (Retd.) VK Singh Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways 5. Krishan Pal Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment 6. Danve Raosaheb Dadarao Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution 7. G Kishan Reddy Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs 8. Parshottam Rupala Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare 9. Ramdas Athawale Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment 10. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development 11. Babul Supriyo Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change 12. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries 13. Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development; Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 14. Anurag Singh Thakur Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs 15. Angadi Suresh Channabasappa Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways 16. Nityanand Rai Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs 17. Rattan Lal Kataria Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment 18. V Muraleedharan Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs 19. Renuka Singh Saruta Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs 20. Som Parkash Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry 21. Rameswar Teli Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries 22. Pratap Chandra Sarangi Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries 23. Kailash Choudhary Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare 24. Debasree Chaudhuri Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development

The Union Council of Ministers, which has representation from 21 states, will hold its first meeting on Friday around 5 pm. A day earlier, Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister for the second consecutive term. PM Modi, 68, and 57 other ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony at the forecourt of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Uttar Pradesh has the maximum representation with nine ministers led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Maharashtra has eight ministers, Bihar six followed by Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka with five and four respectively. Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana have three ministers each. Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab and West Bengal have two ministers each while Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana and Uttarakhand have one each.
NEW DELHI: The first meeting of the new Union Cabinet was held on Friday evening which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended by his Council of Ministers a day after they took the oath of office and secrecy in a glittering ceremony, attended by nearly 8000 guests, in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.

The 58-member ministry saw 20 first-time Union ministers including BJP chief Amit Shah, former Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and two former chief ministers Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Arjun Munda. The cabinet portfolios were declared on Friday afternoon.

THANKS FOR JOINING US ON ZEE NEWS FOR LIVE UPDATES. DO COME AGAIN AT 6 AM ON SATURDAY.

Here are the live updates on May 31 (Friday):

# Union Cabinet clears pension scheme for small farmers, traders.

# Narendra Modi govt to present Union Budget on July 5

# PM Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel and his office in South Block

Delhi: At the Prime Ministers Office in South Block, PM Narendra Modi pays tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. pic.twitter.com/kYpG8OM1mR  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

# Modi Cabinet's first decision - major changes approved in PM's Scholarship Scheme.

First decision of PM Narendra Modi on assuming his office is approval to a major change in the Prime Ministers Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund. #UnionCabinetMeeting pic.twitter.com/8arH0vziwY  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

# PM Modi chairs first meeting of the Union Cabinet.

#Visuals Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairs the first #UnionCabinet meeting of his second term. pic.twitter.com/J1iDcbIApX  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

# Piyush Goyal to take charge of office at 3:30, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at 4 pm.

# "This is a crucial ministry and I am happy with it," says DV Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers

# "Whatever responsibility I have been given I will work to take it forward in PM's road map. I have already managed this portfolio in Bihar then I will like working in this portfolio once again," says Giriraj Singh after being appointed as Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.

# Complete list:

Narendra Modi: Prime Minister and also in-charge of: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space; and all important policy issues;

Cabinet Ministers

1. Raj Nath Singh: Minister of Defence.

2. Amit Shah: Minister of Home Affairs

3. Nitin Jairam Gadkari: Minister of Road Transport and Highways; and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

4. DV Sadananda Gowda: Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers

5. Nirmala Sitharaman: Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs.

6. Ramvilas Paswan: Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

7. Narendra Singh Tomar: Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Minister of Rural Development; and Minister of Panchayati Raj

8. Ravi Shankar Prasad: Minister of Law and Justice; Minister of Communications; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology.

9. Harsimrat Kaur Badal: Minister of Food Processing Industries.

10. Thaawar Chand Gehlot: Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

11. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar: Minister of External Affairs.

12. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank: Minister of Human Resource Development

13. Arjun Munda: Minister of Tribal Affairs

14. Smriti Zubin Irani: Minister of Women and Child Development; and Minister of Textiles.

15. Dr. Harsh Vardhan: Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Minister of Science and Technology; and Minister of Earth Sciences.

16. Prakash Javadekar: Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

17. Piyush Goyal: Minister of Railways; and Minister of Commerce and Indus

18. Dharmendra Pradhan: Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Steel.

19. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: Minister of Minority Affairs.

20. Pralhad Joshi: Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines.

21. Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey: Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

22. Arvind Ganpat Sawant: Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise.

23. Giriraj Singh: Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.

24. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Minister of Jal Shakti.

Ministers of State (Independent Charge)

1. Santosh Kumar Gangwar: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

2. Rao Inderjit Singh: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning.

3. Shripad Yesso Naik: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH); and Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence.

4. Dr. Jitendra Singh: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space.

5. Kiren Rijiju: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

6. Prahalad Singh Patel: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Tourism.

7. Raj Kumar Singh: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Power; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

8. Hardeep Singh Puri: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

9. Mansukh L. Mandaviya: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Shipping; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Ministers of State

1. Faggansingh Kulaste: Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel.

2. Ashwini Kumar Choubey: Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

3. Arjun Ram Meghwal: Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

4. General (Retd.) V. K. Singh: Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

5. Krishan Pal: Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

6. Danve Raosaheb Dadarao: Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

7. G. Kishan Reddy: Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

8. Parshottam Rupala: Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

9. Ramdas Athawale: Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

10. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti: Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development.

11. Babul Supriyo: Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

12. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan: Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.

13. Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao: Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development; Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

14. Anurag Singh Thakur: Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

15. Angadi Suresh Channabasappa: Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways.

16. Nityanand Rai: Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

17. Rattan Lal Kataria: Minister of State in the Ministry of Jal Shakti; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

18. V. Muraleedharan: Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

19. Renuka Singh Saruta: Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

20. Som Parkash: Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

21. Rameswar Teli: Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

22. Pratap Chandra Sarangi: Minister of State in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.

23. Kailash Choudhary: Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

24. Sushri Debasree Chaudhuri: Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

# Ministers of State and Ministers of State (Independent charge):

Cabinet portfolio allocation LIVE updates: List of ministers out Minister of State #CabinetAnnoucement #Cabinet2019 pic.twitter.com/NNNW6oPnUS  PIB India (@PIB_India) May 31, 2019

Cabinet portfolio allocation LIVE updates: List of ministers out Minister of State (Independent Charge) #CabinetAnnoucement #Cabinet2019 pic.twitter.com/IxWWLStfP9  PIB India (@PIB_India) May 31, 2019

# Cabinet portfolios announced:

Allocation of portfolios among the members of the Union Council of Ministers as advised by PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/36Td16pDSX  PIB India (@PIB_India) May 31, 2019

Allocation of portfolios among the members of the Union Council of Ministers as advised by PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/zG7djXbphn  PIB India (@PIB_India) May 31, 2019

# "Never asked for two seats, as reported in media. The government gave us a symbolic representation. We informed them that it is ok we don't need it. It is not a big issue, we are fully in NDA and not upset at all. We are working together,no confusion," says JDU chief Nitish Kumar.

"There were talks about the Council of Ministers in the NDA meet. Later Parliamentary meeting party was held, after which we went to the Rashtrapati Bhavan where the BJP chief spoke about giving one seat to us,' he added. "After listening to them, felt like they wanted to give a symbolic representation to all NDA parties."

# Portfolios of Union ministers to be announced soon, sources tell Zee News. It will be declared before the new Union cabinet's first meet at 5:30 pm in the national capital.

# Piyush Goyal congratulates daughter Radhika Goyal for graduating from Harvard in a heartfelt post on Facebook: "My wife Seema wrote today, "30th May 2019, what a day for my family , DAUGHTER and FATHER, both graduate in their respective fields, one graduates from Harvard, one becomes a Cabinet Minister, 2nd time, one in Boston, one in New Delhi ...CANT THANK GOD ENOUGH... "

"Once again congratulations to Radhika for successfully starting another chapter in her life. I am blessed to have the support of my family in this journey and thank them from the bottom of my heart."

# Fifth suspect Wasim arrested in the murder case of Surendra Singh, a close aide of BJP MP Smriti Irani. The police arrested him following an encounter. Four other suspects named in the case have already been held by police.

# "I was stranded in the crazy rush post PM oath ceremony. No one offered to help me except @smritiirani who saw my plight & made sure I reached home safely. She cares & thats why she won," tweets legendary singer Asha Bhonsle.

I was stranded in the crazy rush post PM oath ceremony. No one offered to help me except @smritiirani who saw my plight & made sure I reached home safely. She cares & thats why she won. pic.twitter.com/vDV84PrIVp  ashabhosle (@ashabhosle) May 30, 2019

# "Yesterday's oath taking ceremony generated immense enthusiasm across the nation," tweets PM Modi.

Yesterday's oath taking ceremony generated immense enthusiasm across the nation. pic.twitter.com/Z8ObqPMsxl  PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 31, 2019

#Jagaddal Police detains one for sloganeering 'Jai Shree Ram' in front of CM Mamata Banerjee at Bhatpara Jute Mill of North 24 Parganas district on Friday. The man had shouted 'Jai Sri Ram' on Thursday while the Bengal CM's motorcade was passing through the area.

# Mamata Banerjee to hold Trinamool Congress' core committee meet at her Kalighat residence at 3 pm today. Several changes expected in the party structure.

# Traditional Indian wear with hues of saffron and use of Hindi language for oath-taking were the overriding themes at the glittering swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers of the new NDA government. Read here

# READ- The bicycle men: 2 ministers cycle to Rashtrapati Bhavan for oath-taking ceremony

# One-third of the total ministers in the Modi's 2.0 Cabinet are the first-timers, which includes BJP president Amit Shah and former foreign secretary S Jaishankar. Two former chief ministers -- Ramesh Pokhriyal (Uttarakhand) and Arjun Munda (Jharkhand) -- have taken oath as Union ministers for the first time. Read more

# The first Cabinet meeting of the newly inducted government will be held on Friday around 5 pm, a day after Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister for a second consecutive term. PM Modi, 68, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Nath Kovind at a glittering ceremony at the forecourt of majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan. Read more
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress' core committee meeting will be held at party chief Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence in Kolkata at 3 pm on Friday. A massive overhaul of the party structure is expected in this meet.

The meeting was earlier postponed to June 3, after Banerjee accepted the invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony. However, it was back on track after Banerjee announced her decision not to attend PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

On Thursday, Banerjee lost her cool over a group of people shouting 'Jai Sri Ram' in the Bhatpara area of North 24 Parganas district on Thursday. According to reports, the incident occurred when Bengal CM's motorcade was passing through the troubled Bhatpara area of North 24 Parganas district. The TMC supremo was heading to Naihati to participate in a sit-in against violence on her party workers after the Lok Sabha poll results when she was confronted by a group of men shouting 'Jai Sri Ram'.

In an emergency party meeting, called right after Trinamool's drubbing in the Lok Sabha election, Banerjee made some major changes in her cabinet. Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikary was entrusted with the departments of Irrigation and the Water Resources Investigation and Development (WRI&D) while Bratya Basu was given additional charge of the Forest Department along with his portfolio of the Science and Technology and Biotechnology Department, Banerjee said. Minister for Fire Department Sujit Bose was made the Minister of State of the Forest Department. Somen Mahapatra, who was the Minister for Water Resources Investigation & Development, was given the charges of Environment and Pollution and the Public Health Engineering Department (PHE) while Malay Ghatak will look after the Labour and Law department.

Banerjee also curtailed her nephew Abhishek's powers and stripped him of his charge of Purulia and other districts where the party suffered electoral losses. According to a decision taken by the TMC supremo, all the districts which were under Abhishek have been taken away from him and he will now be the in-charge of electoral rolls.


During a swing through Los Angeles on Sunday, California Sen. Kamala Harris touted a plan to force companies to close the wage gap between their male and female employees _ or pay a daily penalty equal to 1 percent of their profits for every 1 percent of pay gap. She estimated that companies would owe about $180 billion in fines over a decade (which would pay for family leave programs) before new pay policies kicked in and reduced the penalties.



We're not sure whether this particular proposal is the smartest way to close the frustratingly persistent gender pay gap. The reasons that women collectively earn less than men for the same work are myriad, and there are many proposals for how to solve the problem that deserve consideration.



But it is refreshing to see a concrete, tough proposal to address a so-called "women's issue" get more than passing attention in a presidential campaign. For too long, subjects like paid family leave, child care, sexual harassment, gender discrimination and equal pay have taken a back seat on the debate stage to other (also important) policy issues such as immigration, international trade and healthcare.



To be sure, Hillary Clinton was a supporter of equal pay for equal work and would have no doubt pushed for family leave and other policies that support working parents, and especially mothers, if she hadn't run up against the nation's highest glass ceiling. But those issues weren't a huge part of the campaign discussion or debate. Perhaps that will now change. The cultural climate of 2016 was fundamentally different from that of 2019.



Three years ago the most significant women's issue was the possibility that the nation might elect its first female president. In the three years since, a new era of activism has sparked the #MeToo movement and motivated women to engage politically. Perhaps it was inevitable that the 2020 Democratic primary race would include more than just a token woman or two among ranks.



Of the 23 Democrats hoping to win the party nomination, six are women. And two of them are considered serious contenders: Harris and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has been a staunch and vocal champion of equal pay policies. Another candidate, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), has made families and women the centerpiece of her campaign.

And the male Democratic candidates support equal pay and paid family leave as well.



Of course they do. Not only because it's the right position, but also because female voters _ 59 percent of whom voted Democratic in the midterm elections _ were pivotal in helping Democrats retake the House, and will be just as important to the party in the 2020 presidential race.



Politically, Democratic candidates would be fools not to support issues that women care about. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in particular has given women's rights an important place in his campaign platform. (He and all the other U.S. senators in the race are co-sponsors of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which is stalled in the Senate after passing the House).



Abortion is certain to have a central role in the campaign, given the recent laws passed by conservative legislators in some states to restrict and even outlaw a woman's ability to end a pregnancy. But national paid family leave, which all other developed countries provide, and the Equal Rights Amendment, which has roared back to life in recent years, also deserve a significant place.



Even President Trump realizes the importance of paid family leave and has supported providing six weeks of it.



When the Democratic presidential primary debates begin in June, equal pay, paid family leave and equal rights should be on the debate agenda. And no matter the gender of the eventual Democratic nominee, those issues should remain front and center because the reality is that "women's issues" affect everyone.





The above editorial appeared in the Los Angeles Times. It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


NEW DELHI: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had on Thursday said that his party will not be part of the Narendra Modi government, on Friday rejected media reports that he was upset with the BJP leadership for denying three Cabinet berths to his party in the newly-inducted Council of Ministers.

Speaking to reporters, Nitish said, '' When I was told one ministerial berth will be given to the JD(U), I said we don't need it but I'll ask my party. I asked everyone, they said it's not appropriate that we show only symbolic participation when we're together. We're together and not upset.''

The veteran Bihar politician went on to say, ''I am seeing reports in newspapers that we had asked for 3 berths, this is false. We had not asked for any berth.''

Bihar CM&JD(U) leader N Kumar: When I was told one ministerial berth will be given to JD(U), I said we don't need it but I'll ask my party. I asked everyone, they said it's not appropriate that we show only symbolic participation when we're together. We're together, not upset. pic.twitter.com/xTLnYyiDM5  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2019

Live TV

Kumar had on Thursday rejected PM Narendra Modi's offer of a single cabinet berth for his party ahead of the swearing-in ceremony at the forecourt of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The Bihar CM said that there was "no question" of joining the Modi government now.

On his return to Patna on Friday after attending PM Modi's oath ceremony, Nitish Kumar said, "No one should have any confusion that the victory which was registered by NDA in Bihar - it's the victory of the people of Bihar. If somebody is claiming that this is his personal victory, then they are delusional."

It was earlier reported that Nitish had asked for two cabinet berths for his party during his discussion with BJP chief Amit Shah on Wednesday.

However, he was told that each BJP ally would be given one spot for "symbolic representation".

The BJP, with 303 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, is well past the majority mark of 272 and doesn't really need its allies in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The Chief Minister said after consulting with his party leaders back in Bihar, he had told Amit Shah that the BJP's offer was unacceptable to his party and that allies should be given "proportional representation", not "symbolic representation".

Attempting to downplay the controversy, Nitish Kumar said that his party would remain firmly with the NDA.

The JDU won 16 of Bihar's 40 seats while the BJP won all 17 seats it contested.
Kolkata: Setting the stage for further escalation of the fight with the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday asked the party leaders to recapture TMC offices allegedly "occupied" by the saffron party as early as possible.

The TMC chief, who held an extended core committee meeting of the party, appointed her brother Kartik Banerjee and state minister Bratya Basu as the president and chairman respectively of the party's frontal 'Jai Hind Bahini'.

TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was appointed the chairman of 'Banga Janani Bahini', another frontal organisation.

Live TV

The two organisations, which she had launched on Thursday, will "counter the growth" of the RSS in the state.

The TMC supremo also hit out at a section of the party leaders who had "surrendered" to the lure of money given by the BJP and termed them as "traitors".

"We have been told to recapture the party offices which had been occupied by the BJP workers after the Lok Sabha polls as early as possible," a senior party leader said after the closed door meeting.

"She (Banerjee) said the people of Bengal will never forgive traitors. They will get a befitting reply," the TMC leader quoted her as saying.

Banerjee cracked the whip against internal strife and revamped the party by clipping the wings of several leaders and giving new responsibilities to several old timers.

She told party leaders to reach out to the masses and expressed confidence that the TMC will bounce back in the days to come.

"We have been asked to reach out to the masses and increase the connect with them. We have been told to bring back the old timers to the party fold," the leader said.

Banerjee also directed her partymen to organise small meetings and gatherings in areas where the party was defeated.

"We have been asked to prepare a complete report on grievances of the masses," the TMC leader said.

Senior party leader Suvendu Adhikari was given the responsibility of various districts.

The TMC chief had last week effected several changes in the party organisation in Jhargram, West Burdwan, Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidabad Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore and Nadia districts after the party's poll debacle.

The BJP has won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, only four less than the TMC's 22.

The remaining two seats were bagged by the Congress, while the Left Front drew a blank.

Meanwhile, TMC social media cell joint convenor Suparno Moitra resigned citing personal reasons.



He had played a key role in shaping the party's social media campaigns in the recent general elections.
New Delhi: Traditional Indian wear with hues of saffron and use of Hindi language for oath-taking were the overriding themes at the glittering swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers of the new NDA government.

The mega event took place in the sprawling forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan which was attended by heads of states of various countries and a galaxy of other high-profile guests.

Among the ministers who were sworn in, most of them chose to take oath in Hindi while the rest did it in English.

In a sartorial sense too, kurta-pyjama was the dominating theme as most of the MPs turned up in kurta-pyjama, colourful waistcoat or their traditional dresses, while a few chose to wear shirts and trousers.

The crowd cheered the most when Modi took his oath in Hindi and someone in the crowd shouted 'Bharat Mata Ki 'Jai' just before he was sworn-in.

Dressed in crisp pyjama-kurta and a grey waistcoat, Modi, who arrived at the venue at 7 PM, greeted the people at the event with folded hands and a gentle bow as the crowd cheered him.

Even after he had taken oath, people continued to cheer Modi and chanted 'Modi Modi', 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Har Har Mahadev'.

BJP chief Amit Shah and Smriti Irani, who will make the transition from being Rajya Sabha members to that of Lok Sabha, were also greeted enthusiastically by the crowd when they came to take oath in Hindi.

Hardeep Singh Puri was sworn in as a minister of state (independent charge), and was greeted with cheers of 'Jo bole so nihaal' as he took oath in English, wearing a light orange waistcoat over a kurta-pyjama accessorised with a mauve-colored turban.

A couple of MPs were corrected by President Ram Nath Kovind during the swearing-in for error of omission and mispronunciation of words.

MPs Mansukh Mandaviya (was Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat), G Kishan Reddy (Secunderabad, Telangana), Faggansingh Kulaste (former Minister of State for Health in previous Modi government), Angadi Suresh Channabasappa (Belagavi, Karnataka) and Nityanand Rai (Ujiyarpur, Bihar) were pointed by the President when they either forgot to utter a word or mispronounced it.

The ceremony also witnessed showbiz stars rubbing shoulders with political leaders and corporate honchos like Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, and wife Nita Ambani, as they watched President Kovind administer the oath of office to India's 58 new ministers.

The crowd had a lot of youth in the audience too and many of them were seen taking selfies with Olympian boxer Mary Kom, MP Tejasvi Surya from Bangalore South constituency and others. South Indian superstar Rajinikanth, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, Karan Johar, Asha Bhosle, Vivek Oberoi and Pallavi Joshi were also among the attendees.

Ex-servicemen wearing ceremonial hats were also seen in the audience.

The ceremony also saw many MPs donning their traditional wear for the event with white kurta-pyjama being sported by most of the newly-elected lawmakers, topped with a saffron waistcoat, while five of the women MPs who took oath -- Smriti Irani, Nirmala Sitharaman, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Debasree Chaudhuri, Renuka Singh Saruta -- wore sarees, while Harsimrat Kaur Badal wore a Punjabi salwar suit.

G Kishan Reddy came wearing a traditional Telangana dress and a headgear, Kiren Rijiju sported striped northeast waistcoat, Bikaner MP Arjun Ram Meghwal took oath in traditional Rajasthani dress and colourful Bikaneri headgear.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Navi Azad, BJP veteran L K Adavni, Sushma Swaraj, J P Nadda, Sumitra Mahajan, Shashi Tharoor, Vasundhara Raje, chief minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath also attended the event.
MUMBAI: A middle-aged man and his wife were attacked with acid in Vasai near Mumbai while they were on their way back home after having dinner on Monday.

According to police, the couple had gone to a restaurant on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway for dinner on Monday.

Avinash and his wife Seema Vishwakarma were returning home after having dinner and, on their way back home, they stopped at a petrol pump on the Versova Bridge when an unidentified person threw acid on him and his partner and escaped.

Live TV

Avinash, who was a marine engineer, died in the attack, while his wife is said to be in a critical condition.

Avinash was seriously injured in the acid attack. His face, chest and arms were burnt badly. While his wife, Seema, who was riding pillion, suffered burns, mainly on her arms.

The Vasai Police have registered a case against unidentified person and begun its investigation.

The police is yet to ascertain the motive behind the acid attack on the couple.
PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's elder son Tej Pratap suffered injuries after the vehicle he was traveling in collided with another car on Friday afternoon.

The accident took place in front of Patna's Eco Park.

Tej Pratap was traveling in a Maruti Brezza along with two aides. The vehicle faced a head-on collision with another car with four persons in it.

Both the vehicles were badly damaged in the incident. Tej Pratap received injuries on his leg while both his aides received head wounds.

All the four persons, including the driver, traveling in the other car are seriously injured.

On June 26, 2018, Tej Pratap fell from a cycle at Patna during a 'cycle yatra' to protest against the rising petrol and diesel prices across the country. His aides and security men rushed to help him but the embarrassed leader quickly got to his feet. Several people present at the spot recorded the video through their mobile cameras.

The injured have been rushed to the hospital.
As per the latest reports from the sources, we have been hearing that actress Anushka Shetty is part of Sye Raa, a biopic which is being made on Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, one of the first ever freedom fighters from the Telugu state.

Sye Raa is taking interesting turns each day when it comes to speculations. The latest was about Anushka being part of the film, while the actress hasn't confirmed anything about this role on her social media accounts. Reports claim that the role she is playing is going to be a pretty challenging one.

Director Surender Reddy is said to be showing Anushka in the role of a warrior. She wields sword and fights alongside Uyyalawada as they face the British forces on the battleground.

Currently, Anushka went to the USA to shoot for "Silence" and we hear that she has already wrapped her part on #SyeRaa. In the first week of May, the actor shot for a couple of sequences in Annapurna 7 Acre Studios at Hyderabad.

There were also some reports earlier that Anushka will also feature in a special song alongside Chiranjeevi, but that doesn't seem true if we have to go by inside reports. Let us wait for an official confirmation from the makers of the film. The film is being produced by Ram Charan Tej under Konidela Production Company and presented by Surekha Konidela.

Set for a release on October 2nd, Sye Raa is aiming a record release in the whole of India and create many records.
New Delhi: The teaser of Tamil actor Karthi's upcoming film 'Kaithi' has been unveiled and it is pretty much interesting. This short video gives us a glimpse of the film and it is all about a prisoner named 'Dilli', essayed by Karthi.

Karthi plays a prisoner who escapes from police while being transferred to another jail. Later, something unusual happens and things turn upside down for the actor.

'Kaithi' is a Tamil film. However, as per reports, the makers are releasing the film in Telugu too and a Telugu teaser of the film will be out soon. It is expected that the makers would retain the title 'Kaithi' for the Telugu version too.

The film is directed by talented filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj who earlier impressed us with 'Maanagaram'.

Watch Kaithi's teaser below:

With brilliant visuals and night effects, the teaser of 'Khaithi' looks intriguing. Karthi's amazing screen presence in the teaser is impressive. One has to appreciate the directors idea of making a film in the dark. The raw and rugged action sequences might impress the masses. Looking at the teaser, one can expect that the film does not feature any lead actress.
The much-awaited trailer of Taapsee Pannus upcoming horror thriller Game Over was released by actor Rana Daggubati on May 30 and it is going viral for its intriguing plot. The film will be released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Rana Daggubati, who released the trailer of the film took to Twitter to share the trailer and wrote, Here it is!! A pleasure to release the Telugu trailer of #GameOver starring my favorite @taapsee. Best wishes to @sash041075 and @StudiosYNot keep reeling these fun edgy stories!! #YouHaveSeenNothingLikeThis @Ashwin_saravana @chakdyn @venupro. (sic)

Actor Taapsee Pannu also shared the trailer and wrote, Heres the trailer of this game. Player 1 shall join you in theatres on 14th June #GameOver @Ashwin_saravana @anuragkashyap72 @StudiosYNot @RelianceEnt. (sic)

This two-minute-long video features Tapsee in the role of a game designer, who gets paranoid when it is dark. A maid named Kalama will be helping and living with Tapsee to cope with the situation. Anish Kuruvilla will be seen playing a psychiatrist in this film.

Taapsee plays the role of a survivor who has lived through past trauma and is now suffering its reaction on the anniversary of the incident. The trailer shows that maybe her fear is not completely unfounded because theres a brutal serial killer on the loose, murdering women.

The trailer of the film was today released in Tamil and Hindi too. Game Over is slated for release on June 14 with music composed by Ron Ethan Yohann.
Tamil crime thriller Ratsasan is being remade in Telugu with the title Rakshasan. The film has Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas and Anupama Parameswaran in the lead roles and expectations of the audiences are pretty high.

Well, we spoke to producer Abhishek Nama on what excited him to say yes to the remake. He said, For the first five minutes when I was watching the film, I did not understand what was happening and felt boring too. But as the story progresses, I found it interesting and later, gripping too. That powerful is the plot of the film. It is no way predictable and is pretty different from other crime thriller we watch. So I couldnt say no.

Bellamkonda Sreenivas will be seen playing a cop in this film while Anupama Parameswaran will be playing a teacher. The actress plays a key role in the twists and turns of the film.

Most of the shoot of the film has been finished and in a couple of weeks, the team is expecting to wrap it up. The makers are also releasing the film in Hindi by dubbing it and when asked why, the producer said, After Allu Arjuns films, which have more number of views than any other Telugu films, it is the Bellamkonda lad who has managed to attract the audiences from the north. Previous films of the actor have good views on YouTube. So we thought of a Hindi release too.

He further added that the film might be released in July.
The Tollywood remake of Bollywood film 2 States has completed almost 90 per cent of the shoot of the film and with just a little more of the shoot, the film will be wrapped. The film stars Adivi Sesh and Sivani Rajasekhar in the lead roles and is directed by Venkat Reddy, a protege of VV Vinayak. But yes, at the last minute, differences between director Venkat and hero Adivi Sesh have led to the film's abrupt stopping.

Sivani's parents, actors Jeevitha and Rajasekhar have tried to buy the whole film from the producer, such that they could finish the rest of the cinema and release it.

At a time when Sivani and Adivi Sesh are said to be discussing with director Prashant Varma who is currently directing Rajasekhar's Kalki to wrap the balance part, director Venkat Reddy has knocked the doors of the court. Until court gives its verdict, now it will be tough for them to go ahead with Varma.

This film went on floors almost a year ago and no updates have been given by the team till now. The only update they have given is about this issue. Rajasekhars younger daughter Sivathmika is also making her debut and the film is titled Dorasani. The first look is also unveiled. While everything is going fine with this project, which went on floors recently and is wrapped up too, 2 States remake is now in soup.

Director Prashant Varma who is currently directing Rajasekhar's Kalki to wrap the balance part, director Venkat Reddy has knocked the doors of the court. Until court gives its verdict, now it will be tough for them to go ahead with Varma.


Korea needs more elaborate export strategy, exchange rate management



The United States has sharply strengthened targets and standards in monitoring currency manipulation. A global trade war, which has focused on punitive tariffs and import controls, is increasingly likely to escalate into a currency war. The U.S. Treasury Department, in a semiannual report to Congress, Tuesday, increased the number of nations subject to monitoring for currency manipulation from the country's 12 largest trading partners to 21 countries with a two-way trading volume of $40 billion or more a year.



The report kept Korea on a list of countries to monitor currency practices, along with eight other countries. That means Washington will continue to watch closely whether or not Seoul manipulates its currency value. Korea has been listed as a country requiring monitoring seven consecutive times, but its U.S. trade surplus fell below $20 billion last year, and it "could be removed from the monitoring list if it remains so in the next six-month period," according to the report.



Earlier, the U.S. Department of Commerce said it would impose countervailing duties on countries that artificially devalue currencies, to offset their trade surplus with the U.S. It was declaring the start of a new trade offensive in the form of a "currency tariff" not just against China but Korea and Japan as well, which sustain sizeable surpluses in U.S. trade. It means the enhanced criteria in the recent report are highly likely to serve as a shackle that drags down Korea's exports.



The Korean currency has fallen to almost 1,200 won per dollar amid sluggish growth, a declining current-account surplus and weak corporate performances, so the government may not feel the need to devalue it artificially. That explains why the toughened U.S. standards do not come as an immediate threat. One thing has become inevitable, however; the U.S. has come up with a new import-restraining tool by stepping up its currency offensive to reduce its trade deficit. That stresses the need for Seoul to fine-tune its overall currency policy and export strategy, far more elaborately than now.


Rane told reporters that he had not received any call about his joining the government. Leaders of the LJP faction headed by Paras said he had received a call from Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday but claimed that it was related to the birth anniversary of party founder Ram Vilas Paswan.
Islamabad: Pakistan's Opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday accused the government of targeting everyone from judges to parliamentarians through "underhand tactics" after Parliament witnessed a raucous as two lawmakers were arrested for allegedly inciting an attack on a military check post.

Parliament witnessed unruly scenes lawmakers clashed with each other over the foul language used against Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar.

The trouble during the National Assembly session began after the minister of state for parliamentary affairs, Ali Muhammad Khan, labelled Wazir and Dawar as "agents of Afghan intelligence" and said they should be expelled from Parliament.

Wazir and Dawar are accused of inciting local people to attack the Kharqamar military check post in North Waziristan district on Sunday which resulted in the killing of at least three civilians.

Live TV

Bilawal, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), stood up to record protest against Khan's remarks. But several lawmakers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreeki-i-Insaf (PTI) went near his seat and raised slogans.

It brought rival members of the House face to face, creating a tense situation. The opposition also surrounded Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri who chaired the session and continued protest until the proceedings were adjourned.

The enraged Opposition later demanded a probe by Parliament into the Kharqamar incident. It also demanded that both Wazir and Dawar should be allowed to attend the session. "All Opposition parties are standing together today. What we saw in the Assembly a little while ago was anything but a display of democracy; the deputy speaker violated House rules by not letting Opposition members speak on these sensitive issues," said Bilawal.

"A few days ago, you all saw innocent Pakistanis and parliamentarians being targeted on the streets of Islamabad. Our unarmed supporters were tortured and arrested," he said.

Pakistani police on Wednesday arrested dozens of activists from Bilawal's party to prevent them from reaching the main office of an anti-graft body that was questioning him about alleged corruption.

"It is not democracy as from judges to parliamentarians, this government is targeting everyone through underhand tactics and we will not let this continue," Bilawal said, referring to media reports that that the government has ordered formal probe of misconduct against some judges of the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also demanded a probe into the incident.
SEOUL: North Korea executed its nuclear envoy to the United States as part of a purge of officials who steered negotiations for a failed summit between leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, a South Korean newspaper said on Friday. Kim Hyok Chol was executed in March at Mirim Airport in Pyongyang, along with four foreign ministry executives after they were all charged with spying for the United States, the Chosun Ilbo reported, citing an unidentified source with knowledge of the situation. "He was accused of spying for the United States for poorly reporting on the negotiations without properly grasping US intentions," the source was quoted as saying.

Live TV

The February summit in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, the second between Kim and Trump, failed to reach a deal because of conflicts over US calls for complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and North Korean demands for sanctions relief. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the report. Previously, some North Korean officials have reportedly been executed or purged only to reappear with a new title.

US State Department officials said they had no information to confirm the report. A spokeswoman at South Korea`s Unification Ministry declined to comment. An official at the presidential Blue House in Seoul said it was inappropriate to comment on an issue that should first be verified.

A diplomatic source told Reuters there were signs Kim Hyok Chol and other officials were punished for the breakdown of the summit, such as by being sent to a labour camp for reeducation, but there was no evidence they were executed. Kim Yong Chol, Kim Jong Un`s right-hand man and the counterpart of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo before the Hanoi summit, had also been sent to a labour and reeducation camp in Jagang Province near the Chinese border, the Chosun Ilbo reported.

Key officials who worked with Kim Yong Chol have been out of the public eye since the summit, while seasoned diplomats who previously appeared to have been sidelined, including vice foreign minister Choe Son Hui, were seen returning to the spotlight. A South Korean lawmaker told Reuters in April that Kim Yong Chol, a hawkish former spymaster, had been removed from a key party post.
Government needs manual on overseas accidents



Many people here have been startled by a sightseeing boat accident in Hungary that has caused Korean casualties. As of Friday afternoon, seven Koreans have died and 19 were still missing. Of the 35 people on board, 33 were reported to be Korean tourists



The accident has reminded many Koreans of the painful memories of the 2014 sinking of the ferry Sewol that led to the deaths of more than 300 passengers and crew. At the time, President Park Geun-hye was harshly criticized for not responding swiftly to the accident. She was continuously harassed by the media and political opponents for her mysterious whereabouts during the early hours of the accident. Park's response to the Sewol sinking aggravated public sentiment toward her administration prior to her impeachment amid a massive corruption scandal.



Some people have been comparing Moon's reaction to the river accident in Hungary to Park's response to the Sewol. Some criticized that it took a long time for Moon to be briefed about it after the accident took place. The accident should not be used politically to attack the Moon administration. Right now, the most important thing is to do everything possible to rescue those still unaccounted for.



So far, the Moon administration has moved quickly to deal with the accident. Moon was briefed by National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong and ordered a rescue team to be dispatched to Hungary. Moon also named Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to lead a central taskforce to oversee the entire operation. She arrived in Hungary Friday afternoon to meet with Hungarian authorities



Sending the foreign minister reflects Moon's resolve to do all he can to make sure the rescue operation is properly managed. However, his decision leaves some questions. First, it is not certain whether the foreign minister is the most effective choice to lead such a taskforce even though the accident has taken place in another country. Given the nature of operations, it is more effective to send an official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.



Because the number of Korean tourists headed overseas is constantly rising, accidents have also been increasing as well. What will happen next time something like this happens? The foreign minister has a myriad of diplomatic challenges, including the denuclearization talks with North Korea. The foreign minister cannot leave the country every time similar situations occur. The question of equity may be raised with future accidents.



As overseas accidents involving Koreans are on the rise, the government should prepare a manual to deal with them. It is also important for the government to check on travel agencies to find out whether they taking sufficient measures to protect their customers.














By Donald Kirk





WASHINGTON  President Trump's visit to Japan carries a message for South Korea as much as anywhere else. It's time to call a halt to outpourings of anti-Japanese sentiment.







That's not to say South Koreans should bury their bitterness over the decades of Japanese rule, the slaughter of Koreans after the revolution of March 1, 1919, or indeed the general sense of superiority that many Japanese still harbor over Koreans.







Nor should Koreans have to give up their vigils around statues of Korean comfort women, most visibly across the street from the former Japanese embassy in Seoul. Those images serve as enduring reminders of the suffering inflicted on Korean women in World War II. Activists have a right to remind the world of a legacy that Japanese people would prefer either to forget or deny.







And for sure Koreans should go on clinging to Dokdo, those rocky crags in the East Sea, a.k.a. "Sea of Japan" on international maps. The fact that the Japanese refuse to drop their claim to Dokdo, which they insist on calling Takeshima, is an irritating reminder of Japanese complexes about Korea, which they have been invading periodically for centuries.







Despite historical differences, however, Japan and South Korea have more reasons to get along with each other than to engage in destructive rhetoric and refuse to cooperate especially in defense against a potential foe. Just as the Americans go on working with their Korean ally despite Trump's cancellation of joint military exercises, so Japanese and South Koreans need to coordinate in this uncertain period.







The notion of Japan and South Korea engaging in small-scale joint exercises, in naval maneuvers, in intelligence-sharing and computerized war games, may seem absurd considering President Moon Jae-in's undying hopes for reconciliation and dialog with North Korea. Kim Jong-un, however, is an extremely unreliable interlocutor whose primary interest seems to be to undermine the U.S.-ROK alliance and maneuver the Americans into deserting the South.







No one is suggesting Japan and South Korea form their own alliance, which would be totally impossible in an atmosphere of recriminations going deep into history, but there are innumerable ways to bring the two countries closer together. Both, after all, are within easy missile range of North Korea, which shows no sign of giving up its arsenal regardless of whether they're only testing "projectiles," as Trump said in Tokyo, or honest-to-goodness missiles, as claimed by his security adviser, John Bolton, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.







South Korea and Japan might also share a common cause in the abduction of their citizens by North Korea. Several hundred South Korean fishermen, captured on or near North Korean waters, remain in North Korea as do South Koreans kidnapped off beaches and the pilot, co-pilot, two hostesses and seven passengers of a Korean Air plane hijacked on a domestic flight nearly half a century ago. Moon has remained silent on the fate of South Koreans held in North Korea while Japan has waged a crusade on behalf of several dozen Japanese people kidnapped and taken to North Korea, whose fate remains largely unknown.







Trump's visit to Japan may have produced little of substance but was laden with symbolic value reflecting the depth of the U.S.-Japan alliance. The visit that he and first lady Melania paid to the newly ensconced Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako was greeted with euphoria by the Japanese public even if it was just a photo-op in the American media. Trump will be back in Japan near the end of June when he joins other heads of state at the G20 summit in Osaka, which will provide a chance to haggle over economic differences.







The U.S. relationship with Japan is inseparable from that of the U.S. alliance with South Korea. It's against that background that Trump will be seeing Moon in Seoul after the G20. The top item on the agenda should be Moon's desire for Trump to strike a deal with Kim Jong-un, making up for the failure of the Trump-Kim summit at the end of February.







A Trump-Moon summit will go much more smoothly than would otherwise be possible if the Americans sensed that relations between Japan and South Korea were also improving. Why not a Moon-Abe summit? Such a show of highest-level diplomacy would definitely demonstrate the possibilities for trilateral cooperation.







Kim Jong-un might not like it, but unity among the U.S. and its two northeast Asian allies should show the utter futility of playing dangerous games with nukes and missiles. He might at least see the advantages of getting along better with Japan as well as South Korea and the U.S. even if he's never going to go through with denuclearization.







) has been covering crises and conflict in Asia for decades.



Donald Kirk ( www.donaldkirk.com
The streetcar garage in Seoul, circa 1899.



By Robert Neff





A streetcar passing through the East Gate, circa 1899.

On the morning of May 17, 1899, the streets of Seoul were filled with crowds of people who had gathered not only to celebrate Buddha's birthday but also to witness history being made  the introduction of streetcars to Korea.



The official inauguration wasn't for another week but out of prudence  and possibly the desire to advertise  the Seoul Electric Railroad Company (SERC) decided to test one or two of the cars and their crews (Japanese motormen and Korean conductors) to ensure smooth operations.



Along the tracks, "thousands upon thousands" of people jostled with one another as they attempted to get the best possible view of these strange mechanical monsters that they had been hearing about for months.



The weather was hot  in fact, unseasonably hot and rain was badly needed  and, as many of the spectators had been waiting for hours, tempers naturally flared. To maintain order, soldiers lined the streets but even they could not keep back the flow of curious and impatient spectators as the first streetcar left the station.



At some points, the crowd became too much and the car was forced to stop several times. To alleviate this problem, the company requested the aid of the Korean police. A member of SERC recalled:





Korean laborers working on the track for 15 cents a day, circa 1899.



"An average speed of 5 miles per hour was maintained, except in one instance, where the track was well guarded, and it was impossible to resist the temptation of discomfiting the police, a number of whom had been instructed to run ahead of the cars; a rate of 12 miles was made for a short distance, quickly leaving the worthy policemen in the rear, to their great consternation and the indignation of their chief, who was riding in the car."



It was a complete success  The Harper's Weekly, an American magazine, even declared it to be "the first step towards civilization in 'the Hermit Kingdom.'" But Korea's path to Western modernization was fraught with the stumbling blocks of its culture.



According to the SERC:

"For ages past, men in [Korea] have worn huge straw hats when in mourning for the loss of a relative. These hats are truly of enormous size  at least as large as a bushel basket  and the [Koreans] have drifted into the custom of wearing them as sunbonnets."





A streetcar filled with male passengers wearing hats, circa 1899.



This "ancient practice" would not be tolerated on the cars  wearers of the hat would be charged triple fares. Depending on the distance, the normal fare was from two to 15 cents and was considerably cheaper than being conveyed in a sedan chair carried on the shoulders of coolies (laborers or bearers).



Partially due to the streetcars, other traditions were abandoned. The closing of the city gates at night ceased, as did the curfew banning men from the streets at night. Women were welcomed as customers  something that would have been unheard of only a few years earlier.

There was also the problem of spatial awareness. One of the first accidents was "breaking the leg of a dog, who was rather indifferent about getting out of the way." It wasn't the last to fall victim to the wheels of modernization as we will see tomorrow.





A streetcar on the streets of Seoul, circa 1902.
A streetcar passing through the West Gate, circa 1900.



By Robert Neff



The introduction of streetcars to Seoul was declared "the first step towards civilization in 'the Hermit Kingdom,'" but many within the kingdom viewed it as an affront to their beliefs and a threat to their livelihood.



The Korean Repository  a staunch supporter of the streetcars  claimed that in everyone, "from His Majesty [Emperor Gojong] down to the coolie, excitement runs high" in anticipation of the Seoul Electric Railroad Company (SERC) beginning daily operations. All members of the public, nobles, laborers, men, women and children, were allowed to ride.



Of course, there was some separation in the seating, depending on the class of ticket one could afford. The five ordinary cars  used for regular traffic - were divided into closed and open compartments. The Korean Repository explained that the closed parts were for first-class passengers, while the open parts were for second-class passengers. Each car could seat eight first-class passengers and 25 second-class passengers.



There was also a closed car that could be "reserved for special occasions and 'trolley parties'" and was comparable to first-class cars in the United States, save that it was a little narrower.





Korean linemen, circa 1899



Finally, there was one car for the exclusive use of the emperor. It was "richly upholstered, with the windows emblazoned with the Korean ensign [and] large platforms at either end furnished ample room for the accompanying guard." It is unlikely Gojong ever utilized this decadent form of transportation but it surely must have pleased him to know that he had it at his disposal.



It was also quite lucrative to work for the SERC. The handful of Korean conductors were given Western-style uniforms and paid a princely sum of $7.50 a month for relatively light work.



The streetcar fares were comparably inexpensive: between two and 15 cents  depending on the distance. As noted by a member of the SERC, this was cheaper than hiring a sedan chair to convey one across the city on the shoulders of coolies  it was also more fashionable and cosmopolitan. By the end of 1899, the company averaged 2,068 passengers daily.



But the company's success was resented by the operators of an earlier modernization introduced into Korea  the jinricksha. Their resentment was motivated by their own economic status but others resented the SERC out of spiritual belief.





The destruction of a streetcar, circa May 26, 1899.



Throughout the spring of 1899, the country suffered a severe drought. Farmers were concerned that they would lose their crops and famine would plague the peninsula. Wild rumors circulated among the frightened and superstitious population. Some claimed that "the streetcars sucked away all the clouds." One rumor claimed that the company's power plant, near the East Gate, was built on hallowed ground and that the rain would not fall until it was removed.



Another rumor claimed that the power lines interfered with the spirits that governed the rain. Perhaps this accounted for one of the early setbacks the SERC experienced  a large amount of cable was stolen by five Korean thieves. The cable was quickly recovered and the thieves were beheaded.



Perhaps the most infamous of the rumors was that of the dragon. One early visitor, Constance J. D. Coulsin, wrote:



"The people of Seoul believe that underneath the city sleeps a great dragon, its patron and guardian [ and that the Korean ] people decided among themselves that the dragon was annoyed because the tram-lines recently laid down were pressing upon his tail, and so disturbing his sleep." In anger, it deprived the peninsula of the much-needed rain.



As each day passed without rain, the tension in the city grew. All it took was one spark to set off a volatile explosion of violence and destruction. That spark was the death of a small child.





Putting a streetcar back on its tracks, circa 1899.



According to The Korean Repository, on May 26, the SERC's president, along with a few invited guests  Korean and foreign  formally opened the streetcar system with a short excursion to the end of the line.



"[The] car was running along at the usual slow rate of speed. A child, between probably eight and 10 years of age, ran across the track some distance ahead of the car. He got safely over and the car continued to move on. The father on the other side of the track called the child to come back to him. The child became frightened, ran into the car, was caught under the wheels and killed almost instantly."



The editor claimed that the SERC was not at fault. He laid the blame on the father. However, the crowd of people who witnessed the accident and viewed the mangled body of the child could restrain themselves no longer and attacked the car. The passengers and crew fled.





A streetcar with foreigners, circa 1900. Note the cowcatcher placed on the front as a safety measure.




By Baek Byung-yeul







SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has urged his employees to have a sense of urgency in the rapidly changing 5G era, calling on them to push for "deep change."







He also urged them to take a more customer-centric approach, emphasizing the importance of building trust with customers.







SK Telecom said Friday that Chey held a townhall meeting on Thursday with about 300 employees at the firm's headquarters in Seoul. He discussed emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the fifth-generation (5G) network, big data and digitization for two hours.







"SK Telecom commercialized the code division multiple access (CDMA) service for the first time in the world," Chey said. "It was a big challenge for us because we had to change the way we transmit signals from analog to digital.







"As every company is facing new challenges in the era of AI and 5G, we have to keep working to meet our customers' needs."







Noting that it would be difficult to achieve success by staying loyal to old-fashioned business management methods in the 5G era, Chey urged SK Telecom employees to change their way of working.







"In AI technology-based personalized services, we have to take a more customer-centric approach," Chey said. "Releasing new products and developing technologies is important, but in the era of AI, we have to focus more on building trust with customers."







To become an industry leader, Chey said there must be efforts to form partnerships with different business partners. "It is essential to create an ecosystem that we can grow together with our partners," he said.


By Baek Byung-yeul





KAIST Prof. Ju Young-seok

A joint research team has succeeded in identifying one of the causes of lung cancer in non-smokers, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said Friday.



The researchers said they have found that fusion oncogenes which cause lung cancer are often acquired in the early decades of life in non-smokers and those later mutate into cancer-causing genes.



Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer, but the rates of lung cancer among lifelong non-smokers have been increasing.



As the study proved that non-smokers can develop lung cancer from their early years, the researchers said their study can be utilized for the development of measures for early diagnosis of lung cancer in non-smokers.



The joint research team is comprised of a KAIST team, led by Prof. Ju Young-seok; a team from the College of Medicine at Seoul National University, led by Prof. Kim Young-tae; and other researchers.





Seoul National University Prof. Kim Young-tae




Hyundai Heavy Industries CEO and President Han Young-seok, center, announces shareholders' approval of the company's split-up proposal in their meeting held in a gymnasium at the University of Ulsan, Friday. Courtesy of Hyundai Heavy Industries



Union vows to take legal action to nullify decision



By Kwak Yeon-soo



Shareholders of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) approved the company's split-up proposal to pave the way for the takeover of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) amid strong opposition from its union, the company said Friday.



With the shareholders' approval, Korea's largest shipbuilder will be divided into Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, a sub-holding company merging parts of HHI with DSME, which will carry out shipbuilding and offshore businesses, and a reorganized HHI.



The reorganization move came after HHI signed a formal deal with the state-run Korea Development Bank in March to buy DSME.



"The physical division is intended to enhance the competitiveness of HHI by taking over DSME. We will do our best to continue to lead the company's growth and maximize shareholder value," HHI CEO and President Han Young-seok said.



The shareholders' meeting was met with a fierce backlash from the HHI union. Union members confronted company officials and the police in Ulsan in front of the Hanmaum Center, the scheduled venue, to prevent shareholders from entering the building.



As a result, HHI changed the time and venue for the meeting to a gymnasium at the University of Ulsan.



The union members continued their sit-in protest, but later damaged doors and buildings at the University of Ulsan, as they tried to enter the meeting venue to prevent a vote.



"Today we've done everything we can, but we won't stop here. We will seek legal action to nullify the shareholders' decision," a Korean Metal Workers' Union official said.



The labor-management conflict at HHI has been escalating as the union intensified its opposition to the company's decision to take over DSME.



The HHI union has been staging walkouts in Seoul and its headquarters in Ulsan since mid-May and the protests have turned into violent clashes at times.



The union has been opposing the split-up plan, claiming the split will force the reorganized HHI to inherit massive debts that will lead to job cuts.



It also fears the possible moving of the headquarters of Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering may lead to transferring of facilities in Ulsan to other cities.





Union workers of Hyundai Heavy Industries, right, confront company officials in Ulsan, Friday, in front of the Hanmaum Center, the scheduled venue of the company's shareholders' meeting. Yonhap
Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, third from right, with government and shop officials during his visit to the country's first "on-arrival" duty free shops at Incheon International Airport, Friday. The government has allowed SM Duty Free and Entas Duty Free to run three arrival shops that sell 10 products, including liquor, perfume and cosmetics, to boost domestic consumption. / Yonhap
Model promote KT's smart factory systems powered by 5G networks. / Courtesy of KT



By Jun Ji-hye



KT will begin smart factory services, powered by its fifth-generation (5G) network and other information and communications technologies, to help the manufacturing industry increase business efficiency and competitiveness, the telecom company said Thursday.



The firm said in a news conference in Seoul that it plans to release smart factory-related products including collaborative robots, a machine vision system and smart factory control system FactoryMakers within the third quarter of the year.



The mobile carrier will also continue to cooperate with partners in research and development to advance the service.



"Domestic manufacturing companies have been insufficiently competitive with the exception of some conglomerates," said Lee Yong-gyoo, a senior vice president who heads KT's 5G platform development unit. "5G will be a steppingstone to improve the competitiveness of the nation's manufacturing industry."



According to a report by the KT Economic Management Research Institute, 5G will create value worth 15.6 trillion won ($13 billion) for the manufacturing business by 2030.



Based on the potential, KT included the smart factory system in its 5G business-to-business area in the second half of last year and has been developing related systems and services since then.



The telecom firm has formed various partnerships with companies specializing in smart factory systems, including Hyundai Robotics, Cognex, Telstar Hommel and Yudo Group.



KT said its smart factory products will be powered by a 5G network designed exclusively for enterprises, noting that corporate 5G will feature enhanced security to prevent cyberattacks.



The firm will also offer an edge cloud system designed exclusively for manufacturing companies, which will help them save and analyze data more conveniently, and recover system failures more easily.



FactoryMakers, a smart factory control system unveiled during the media event, connects factory equipment to online platforms, enabling remote monitoring of factory processes, the firms said.



Lee said his firm is currently developing services enabling companies to predict the timing for maintenance of equipment, utilizing its artificial intelligence (AI) technology.



"KT has been analyzing various data collected from three factories in which our smart factory system has been running on a trial basis," he said. "Based on the results, we will release smart factory products within the third quarter of the year."



Lee added his firm will continue to expand its cooperation with other partners.



Kim Dong-hyuk, a Hyundai Robotics official who was present at the media conference, said, "Once KT's technologies are integrated, we will be able to deploy mobile robots."


Song Dae-hyun, second from right, president of home appliance and air systems at LG Electronics, cuts a ribbon with Rep. Mark Green, left, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, center, while celebrating the opening of the firm's washing machine factory in Clarksville, Tenn., Wednesday (local time). / Courtesy of LG Electronics



By Baek Byung-yeul



LG Electronics has completed the construction of its U.S. washing machine manufacturing plant in Tennessee, the company said Thursday.



LG said the newly built plant has an annual production capacity of 1.2 million washing machines. It invested $360 million in the facility, which occupies 77,000 square meters. With around 600 employees, the plant has been in operation since December 2018 before it was officially opened.



This is the first time for LG to produce home appliances in the U.S. The company began construction of the facility in August 2017 when the Trump administration put pressure on LG and Samsung Electronics to pay a safeguard tariff-rate quota for three years.



In 2018, the U.S. started to impose safeguard tariffs over the next three years. It introduced a 20 percent tariff applied on the 1.2 million imported washing machines produced by the two firms in the first year. The U.S. also put a 50 percent tariff on excess quantities. LG and Samsung together have sold 3 million washers in the U.S. a year, which means the two had to switch production to the U.S. to avoid tariffs.



LG said the U.S. plant will help the firm minimize the impact of the tariffs.



"Thanks to the U.S. facility, we can boost price competitiveness of our washing machines in the U.S., which has a huge demand for premium home appliances," said Song Dae-hyun, president of LG's home appliance and air systems division.



The firm held an opening ceremony for the facility on Wednesday (local time), featuring LG executives including Song and William Cho, president and CEO of LG's North America division, and U.S. government officials such as Rep. Mark Green and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.



With the official opening of the washing machine plant, Korea's two home appliance giants both have home appliance manufacturing lines in the U.S. Samsung has been operating its home appliance factory in South Carolina since January 2018.





LG Electronics employees assemble washing machines at the firm's factory in Clarksville, Tenn., Thursday. / Courtesy of LG Electronics
Huawei Korea CEO Shawn Meng, right, poses for a photo with David Turkington, third from right, head of technology for GSMA Asia Pacific, and other officials during an opening ceremony for the firm's first 5G open lab in central Seoul, Thursday. Huawei kept the launch low-key and did not invite media due to its recent blacklisting by the United States, a major ally of Korea. / Courtesy of Huawei Korea
Lee Sung-youl, managing director of SAP Korea, speaks during a press conference at the Park Hyatt Hotel in southern Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of SAP Korea



By Baek Byung-yeul



SAP, a German-based software firm, wants to lead the digitization of Korean firms by providing its cloud computing and cutting-edge data analytics services, the firm's regional manager said Thursday.



"There has been a huge gap between companies and their customers as most firms believe they are offering the best goods or services while very few customers believe so. To become a leader in the business sector, companies have to provide the best experience to their customers and this can be achieved by improving data analytics capabilities," Lee Sung-youl, managing director of SAP Korea, said during a press conference at the Park Hyatt Hotel in southern Seoul.



"SAP Korea will help firms accelerate their digitization process and improve business performance by providing cloud computing services and data analytics services."



While many firms here are accelerating their migration process to cloud computing, Lee said such digitization efforts are unrelated to boosting business performance.



Lee said SAP will become the best partner for firms seeking to migrate their business operation systems to cloud computing by providing customized cloud services.



"In Korea where the majority of big business players are focusing on the manufacturing business, companies cannot see the benefit of adopting cloud computing. They cannot sell more vessels, or cut the purchasing cost of raw materials," he said.



"By combining various kinds of cloud computing services with our data analysis capabilities we will provide customized solutions for each industrial sector."



Emphasizing the importance of data utilization and analytics, Lee used the term "experience economy." First used in a 1998 book written by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore, he explained the experience economy is finding new ways for firms to secure customer loyalty.



"The concept of the experience economy is changing the entire business scope of the United States. It has been about four or five years since the term emerged there and now it has become incredibly important," Lee said.



"Walmart, Verizon and banks there are adopting the experience economy strategy to secure more consumers. To give the best experience of their goods and services they are trying to improve their data analyzing capabilities."



Lee added this is why SAP acquired the industry's leading data analytics firm Qualtrics for $8 billion in November 2018.



To share more about the firm's experience economy drive, Lee said SAP Korea will host an executive summit in Seoul on July 11.



The conference will feature prominent business figures from both Korea and overseas including head of SAP's cloud business group Jennifer Morgan, Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith, Hyundai Card and Hyundai Capital Vice Chairman Chung Tae-young and Samsung SDS CEO Hong Won-pyo.




Why have you decided to leave Baselworld in 2020?

As I have explained, we are very receptive to the actions undertaken by the new team and management of Baselworld, and their desire to imbue the fair with a renewed sense of dynamism. The overriding reason why Breitling will not be present at Baselworld in 2020 has to do with the timing, which doesnt meet our needs. We launch our new products in January, so the timetable of Baselworld, although it now aligns with the SIHH, falls too late in the year.

 Breitling

As far as the format is concerned, we have put in place what we call Summits, major presentations held all around the world, with hundreds of people. Our ultimate aim is to introduce them to the Breitling experience. This is the format we will be taking forward.

In due course, we will make a decision as to whether or not to return to Basel for 2021.

The booth might not be necessary, perhaps, but what about the human dimension?

Yes, of course, thats what were talking about: the human dimension, proximity and connections. Our Summits go to the heart of this human dimension. We might consider holding our European Summit in Basel, while keeping the other conferences elsewhere in the world, to stay close to people. Not all journalists travel to Basel, and the fact that we travel to their country also makes them feel that were interested in them, that were taking time for them, to be with them.

But you must admit that, for the 2019 fair, the big winner in terms of visibility, out of all the exhibitors, was Breitling!

Yes indeed, our booth was perfectly positioned, centrally at the back of the Halle. We enjoyed excellent visibility from the moment visitors arrived at the fair.

Breitlings visibility has also increased outside the fair.

Yes, its true that Breitling is enjoying incredible popularity. We have products that are in line with our identity, our values and our territories: Air, Land, Sea. The enthusiasm is palpable on social media. Our collaborations with Norton and Bentley, and our squad member Bertrand Piccard, with his Orbiter 3 mission, create an authentic story that works very well. Our limited editions referencing the history of civil aviation, and even the new Superocean, speak to different types of client while remaining in the Breitling spirit. Everything makes sense, everything has a connection, from our boutiques to the lounge atmosphere, our partnerships, our squads, and our watches. You can feel and experience what Breitling is.

Georges Kern, CEO of Breitling, and Bertrand Piccard  Breitling

But is this clear, straightforward formula capable of adapting quickly, if the company philosophy should change over time?

I think the framework is fixed, and our universe and elements are too. But there still has to be some flexibility and adaptability.

Our first element is Air/Land/Sea. We are reinvesting in areas where Breitling has always had a presence, such as our 1960s ads, which today are being redesigned with the same products, almost 60 years later.

The second is our relaxed approach. Its less formal, a little more rebellious, and that comes out in our partnerships with, for example, Kelly Slater, with surfing, and with motorbikes. They convey that youthful spirit.

Kelly Slater, member of the Surfers Squad  Breitling

The third is retro-modern. Our focus is on vintage thats not old-fashioned or dated, that respects the aesthetics of the piece while bringing it up to date. Its quite simple. Were having a lot of success with these pieces. We have also just launched a new concept, the Capsule Collection, which enables us to tell stories with Pan Am, Swissair and TWA. These instant collections tell one of the stories in the Breitling adventure. They are also a way of making sure we dont overload retailers with pieces that are part of the long-term collection.

Navitimer Chronographe TWA Edition  Breitling

What can you tell us about the next Capsule Collection?

This autumns capsule collection will be completely different. We have so many different themes and stories to tell that the possibilities are practically infinite. We also have the good fortune to work with the worlds most prolific Breitling collector, who guides us and helps us a great deal with these choices. His eclectic taste and the breadth of his collection are a continual source of inspiration.

Does he work for Breitling?

No, Fred Mandelbaum is an entrepreneur who collects watches, around 80% of which are Breitling. He also helped us with the reissue of the Navitimer 806. We need specialists if we are to rediscover the community of collectors that we lost. Everyone who loved the models from the 1940s, 50s and 60s  we lost them. Were now starting to win them back, and the feedback were getting is incredible.

 Breitling

Why did you lose them?

Because Breitling is not just about aviation and XXL watches. An entire chunk of Breitlings history  from the turn of the last century right up to the 1990s  was left dormant. We lost people because they had different dreams. Historically, we have this richness, this wealth and diversity that is the stuff of dreams. When we look at our history, our archives, the designs are superb.

Are you planning to take control of Breitlings second-hand market?

Its more complex than that. There are three completely different second-hand markets. And with todays digital technology, the pre-owned market has become completely transparent.

First, there is the parallel market fed by retailers who have accumulated stocks of unsold pieces. In order for the network to remain healthy we have to take back this stock, these unsold pieces, the out of collection watches. This is particularly important given the transformation that Breitling is currently undergoing.

Then there is certified pre-owned, which is a completely different category. This category represents people looking to either sell their watch, or trade it in for a different model. Here too, it has to be handled properly through partners who can certify the products. If theyre not certified, the buyer has no guarantees in terms of the authenticity of the piece. The idea is that Breitling can provide one-year guarantees on platforms that sell these kinds of watches, like Mercedes does.

When will you take these initiatives?

We already have!

Do you buy back unsold stock?

Yes, of course!

What about your website?

We dont do sales directly from our website. We work with physical stores and specialised websites. Thats not our role. Our job is to imagine, create and make watches. But we do support them. The American market is way ahead of the European market.

Has your publicised strategy of working with retail partners borne fruit? Do retailers feel confident enough to say, Yes, well stay with Breitling? Has it opened any doors for you?

Our strategy is in line with the way we see the market. Its about building relationships with our retailers over the long term. Overall, the quality of our retail network is very good. Indeed, 80% of our boutiques are managed by retailers.

Is there concrete demand? Are you being approached by other retailers?

Yes, because theyre watching whats going on. They see what were doing and they like it. So that obviously attracts attention.



You said previously that your market was driven by Asia, with a 50% share, and womens watches with 60%. Is that still the case?

Those figures still apply, yes. We are planning to strengthen the womens watch segment. At the end of the 1990s Breitling was very strong in this area. Thats what we intend to do next year. Were working on it, looking for a differentiating design. Thats the challenge.

How do you explain the success of vintage, or retro modern? Do you think its gaining a kind of staying power in the watch world? Is it plugging into the optimism of the post-WWII period?

Its a social phenomenon. I think people are fed up of digital. They want to go back to things they understand. Thats why, for example, we created the association with Norton motorbikes. Theres also a connection with the history of Pan Am, and the film Catch Me If You Can with Leonardo DiCaprio. Its about the possibility we used to see in the past, of a dream becoming reality. Retro-modern can be explained as a kind of balance between the past and the future, the cult of beautiful things that generate all kinds of emotions, anchored in a time not so very long ago, juxtaposed with the headlong rush for innovation, hi-tech and digital. Its all about balance. Thats when you create something that feels right.

 Breitling

Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Norton Edition  Breitling

Does this also apply to Asia? It seems to be a very Western concept.

What is the norm these days? The Japanese market is very different from the Chinese market, which is very different from the South-East Asian market.

Change is happening everywhere. In China, millennials no longer want to buy the watches their parents bought  three hands, extra-thin, very classic. Because of globalisation, social networks and the media, they are plugged into global trends, and they adapt very quickly The market is becoming global, and concepts and loyalties know no borders.

So we wont be seeing a womens collection featuring very small watches intended for Asia?

Watch size is a different issue  thats a matter of ergonomics. Whats important is the brand message. People buy the brand. They enter into the spirit of the brand and join a community: the world of explorers, the surfer lifestyle, etc. And at that point, they choose a product, not the other way around. People dont identify with a brand because of the size of the watch. Community first, then product.

It takes a lot of energy to sell watches these days, wouldnt you agree?

Yes, of course. The driver of any project is the passion and the energy you put into it.

The cool, laid-back image associated with surfing, and what we know as lifestyle, probably appeals more to young people.

Yes, and to anyone who is young at heart!

So which watch is aimed at young people?

Perhaps a retro modern Navitimer 806, or a colourful Superocean.

Superocean 44mm  Breitling

The perception of what makes a watch cool has nothing to do with age, or which time period the product represents. Its all about how it is perceived, through its history, its story, its communication. For example, Nortons first motorbike dates back to 1902. Today, people are inspired by Nortons neo-retro models. Its a product that has a history, its anchored. There are models from the past, and modern bikes. It has values, and a community has formed around that.

In terms of watchmaking, does an autonomous, independent watchmaker have the same opportunities for development as a big group? The groups have financial security and considerable clout.

Our greatest asset is our speed, and I believe Breitling has already shown that we can be much more responsive and effective as an independent brand, particularly when we have investors who believe in what were doing.
Renault Samsung Motors Corp. and its labor union said Saturday that they will meet this week to renegotiate wages and other working conditions following the union's rejection of a tentative agreement signed last week.



In a vote held Tuesday, unionized workers at Renault Samsung turned down the tentative wage and collective agreement.



"We have sent a letter to the company seeking a meeting to renegotiate the wage and working terms. We are scheduled to have a meeting early next week," union spokesman Nam Ki-tae said over the phone.



The company confirmed it has received a letter from the union.



In the botched deal, Renault Samsung offered about 12 million won ($10,000) per worker in bonuses for their contribution to the carmaker's performance in 2018 instead of raising the basic salary.



The company and the union began negotiations in June last year to sign a wage deal and collective agreement.



The company has wanted to maintain a certain output level at the plant by securing export models from its parent company, while the union is more focused on increasing wages and reducing labor intensity.



Renault Samsung workers staged 62 rounds of strikes from October through April 19, resulting in production losses of over 14,320 vehicles. Consequently, Renault Samsung's sales fell 40 percent to 52,930 vehicles in the January-April period from 87,996 units in the same period of last year.



Moreover, the company temporarily halted operations at its only plant in Busan, 450 kilometers south of Seoul, several times due to its low utilization rate. In latest suspension, the plant stopped operation on Friday and won't operate on May 31, the company said.



It is urgent for the company and the union to seal a wage and collective agreement deal in order to secure production volume for the SM3 and the XM3 for export to Europe, Renault Samsung CEO Dominique Signora said last month.



Renault Samsung produces the SM3 compact, the SM5 midsize sedan, the SM6 upper midsize sedan, the SM7 large sedan, the SM3 Z.E. all-electric car and the QM6 SUV. It also produces Nissan Motor Co.'s Rogue SUV on a manufacturing contract. The QM3 compact SUV is built in Spain and shipped to Korea.



Renault S.A. has an 80-percent stake in Renault Samsung. (Yonhap)








Renault Samsung's plant in Busan / Yonhap
Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Sung Yoon-mo, second from right, Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun, second from left, Hyundai Motor President Kong Young-woon, right, and other guests applaud at a groundbreaking ceremony for Hyundai Motor's hydrogen filling station next to the National Assembly building in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor



By Kwak Yeon-soo



Hyundai Motor will build a hydrogen filling station next to the National Assembly building to encourage the use of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), the company said Thursday.



This comes as the Moon Jae-in administration is stepping up efforts to protect the environment by promoting the use of cars running on sustainable power sources.



The commercial hydrogen filling station, taking up a total area of 1,236.3 square meters, will be the first to be built in Seoul or at a government building and is hoped to lead to more widespread use of FCEVs.



Construction of such a facility normally takes from eight to 10 months, but the automaker said it will complete it by the end of August. The company is being supported by the government, the National Assembly and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.



The hydrogen station will have a supply capacity of 25 kilograms of hydrogen per day, which can refuel five or more FCEVs per hour, or a total of 70 during its opening hours which will be from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.



"The government, the National Assembly and the trade ministry eased regulations to encourage the construction of the hydrogen station," a Hyundai Motor official said.



"Hyundai Motor is planning to expand the hydrogen infrastructure so that Korea will become a leader in the use of FCEVs, by constructing a city-center filling stations not just supplying more hydrogen-powered vehicles," the official said.



Some members of the National Assembly and two ministers participated in the groundbreaking ceremony to mark the shift toward an alternative fuel infrastructure.



"By installing a hydrogen filling station at the National Assembly, we hope to relieve public concerns over their safety," Industry Minister Sung Yun-mo said.



In January, the industry ministry unveiled its "hydrogen economy drive," aimed at using hydrogen as the main alternative fuel source for cars.



The government expects the number of hydrogen charging stations to grow gradually, from 14 last year to 310 by 2022.



Hyundai has sold 9,057 Nexo FCEVs since its launch in March 2018. The company also plans to produce 5,500 cars domestically this year and increase production next year in line with the government's roadmap.


Rescue workers and police officers operate at the site where sixteen people were injured in a suspected stabbing by a man in Kawasaki, Japan, May 28. Kyodo via Reuters



A man carrying a knife in each hand and screaming ''I will kill you!'' attacked a group of schoolgirls and adults near a bus stop just outside Tokyo on Tuesday, killing two and injuring 16 before killing himself, officials said.

Most of the victims were schoolgirls who were lined up at a bus stop near Noborito Park in the city of Kawasaki when a man in his 50s began slashing them with knives. City officials, quoting police, said that the suspect was captured but died from a self-inflicted cut to the neck.

Police wouldn't immediately confirm specifics about the attacker.

Masami Arai, an official at the Kawasaki city office, said 16 people, most of them schoolgirls at a local Catholic school, were injured and three others, including the attacker, were believed killed. Arai said three of the injuries were serious and 13 others were not life-threatening.

Kanagawa prefectural police only confirmed the death of sixth-grade schoolgirl Hanako Kuribayashi, 11, from Tokyo. Hospital officials at a televised news conference confirmed the 11-year-old's death as well as that of a man in his 30s, saying both of them had been slashed in the head, chest and face.

Separately, doctors at St. Marianna University School of Medicine, said a man in his 50s died at the hospital after being brought in from the crime scene with neck injuries. City officials and the media said the man is the suspect.

Most of the victims attended Caritas Gakuen, a well-known private school founded by Soeurs de la Charite de Quebec, an organization of Catholic nuns in Quebec City in Canada.

All but two adult victims are in elementary school, according to city and hospital officials, and their ages are believed to be from 6 to 12. The school runs from elementary through high school.

A witness told the Mainichi newspaper that he heard children shrieking after walking past a bus. He said that when he turned around, he saw a man wielding a knife in each hand, screaming ''I will kill you!'' and several children were on the ground.

NHK, citing police, said that a bus driver told officials that a man holding a knife in each hand walked toward the bus and started slashing children, then the attacker ran away when the driver yelled at him, ''What are you doing?'' then cut himself. NHK also interviewed a witness who said he saw the suspect trying to force his way onto a bus. A third witness said he saw a school boy with scratches on his face, hands and legs, sitting on the ground of a parking lot, looking frightened.

The attacker's identity and motive weren't immediately known.

Television footage showed emergency workers giving first aid to people inside an orange tent set up on the street, and police and other officials carrying the injured to ambulances.

Although Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world, it has had a series of high-profile killings, including in 2016 when a former employee at a home for the disabled allegedly killed 19 and injured more than 20 others.

In 2008, seven people were killed by a man who slammed a truck into a crowd of people in central Tokyo's Akihabara electronics district and then stabbed passers-by.

Also in 2016, a man stabbed four people at a library in northeastern Japan, allegedly over their mishandling of his questions. No one was killed. (AP)




By Jung Min-ho







A teenage girl has killed herself in Malaysia after her Instagram followers voted for death in a poll she posted to ask them whether she should live or die.





The girl, 16, whose identity is unknown, had

run a poll on the photo-sharing app with the question, "Really Important, Help Me Choose D/L (Death/Life)," before jumping off the top of a building in the east Malaysian state of Sarawak on Monday (local time).





A total of 69 percent of those took part in the poll chose "D." It is unclear whether the result affected her suicide decision.





Malaysian police are investigating the case, including whether those who voted for her to die should be held accountable for abetting suicide.





Under Malaysian law, a person found guilty of abetting the suicide of a minor could face the death penalty or up to 20 years in prison.





Padawan district police deputy chief DSP Merbin Lisa said investigators found that the girl had suffered depression.





"According to her mother, the victim was close to her stepfather but since the stepfather married a Vietnamese woman, he rarely returned to Kuching to meet the victim," Lisa

. "It caused the victim to feel sad."





On Tuesday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission issued a statement advising social media users to be more attentive and sensitive to suicidal postings. It urged them to report such messages to their family, friends and police.





In February, Instagram said it would adopt a "sensitivity screens" system to block images of self-harm. The decision came after the death of a British teenager, 14, whose parents believed that viewing such images on Instagram contributed to her suicide in 2017.






By Jung Min-ho







China has threatened to use its position as a leading exporter of rare earths  raw materials that are crucial for electronics  in the escalating trade war with the United States.





"If any country wants to use products made of China's rare earths exports to contain China's development, the Chinese people would not be happy with that,"

a spokesperson from the National Development and Reform Commission, China's state planner.





According to the Global Times, a tabloid owned by the Communist Party's main mouthpiece, the People's Daily, Tuesday, rare-earth analyst Wu Chenhui claimed scaling down the exports to the United States would be a "smart hit" because U.S. companies depend on China for the material.





"It could inflict substantial damage on the U.S. military and tech industry, as rare earths are a key material in manufacturing chips, radar, fiber optics, night-vision goggles, missile guiding systems and tank armor," the analyst said. "Just name a few big-name U.S. companies like Apple, Qualcomm and Raytheon  they could suffer a lot from the countermeasures."





Rare earths are a group of 17 elements used in producing various products including wind turbines, smartphones and even missiles.





They are found in many parts of the world, but few countries mine or produce them because of environmental reasons.



China accounted for 80 percent of the rare earths the United States imported from 2014 to 2017.





The U.S. and its key allies can develop their own systems to mine and produce rare earths, but it will take some time. If China decides to reduce or ban the exports, short-term damage to the U.S. economy is inevitable.





, Beijing banned the export of rare earths to Japan after it detained a Chinese fishing trawler captain.


Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage arrives at the party's HQ, prior to an event to mark the gains his party made in the European Elections, in London, May 27. In results announced for all regions of the U.K. except Northern Ireland, the party had won 29 of the 73 British EU seats up for grabs and almost a third of the votes. AP



British euroskeptic Nigel Farage said Monday that his new Brexit Party's victory in the European election should spur Britain to leave the European Union even without a divorce deal _ a call echoed by many senior Conservatives, stung by their party's humiliating defeat.



Farage's single-issue party and pro-EU forces combined to trounce Britain's two dominant political parties in the European Parliament election, as angry voters blamed the ruling Conservatives and the opposition Labour Party for the country's Brexit impasse.



With complete results announced Monday, the Brexit Party had won 29 of the 73 British EU seats up for grabs and almost a third of the votes. On the pro-EU side, the Liberal Democrats took 20% of the vote and 16 seats _ a dramatic increase from the single seat in won in the last EU election in 2014.



The opposition Labour Party came third with 14.1%, followed by the pro-European environmentalist Greens , who captured nearly 12.1%. The Conservatives _ apparently blamed by voters for failing to deliver Brexit in March as planned _ were in fifth with under 10% of the vote.



The election leaves Britain's EU exit more uncertain than ever, with both Brexiteers and pro-EU ''remainers'' able to claim strong support. The result raises the likelihood of a chaotic ''no deal'' exit from the EU _ but also the possibility of a new Brexit referendum that could reverse the decision to leave.



A triumphant Farage said he doubted the Conservatives, who are seeking a new leader, would be able to take Britain out of the 28-nation bloc on the currently scheduled date of Oct. 31.



''The Conservative Party are bitterly divided and I consider it to be extremely unlikely that they will pick a leader who is able to take us out on the 31st October,'' Farage said.



He said his party _ which currently has no members and no policies apart from leaving the EU _ would ''stun everybody'' in the next British general election if the country didn't leave the EU on time.



British Prime Minister Theresa May, who is stepping down as Conservative leader next month after failing to deliver Brexit, said the ''disappointing'' result of the European vote ''shows the importance of finding a Brexit deal, and I sincerely hope these results focus minds in Parliament.''



But the election instead is likely to harden the uncompromising stance of the candidates vying to succeed her. On Monday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid became the ninth Conservative lawmaker to enter the race for the top job.



''First and foremost, we must deliver Brexit,'' he said.



Boris Johnson, the current favorite to replace May, tweeted: ''The message from last night's results is clear. It is time for us to deliver Brexit.''



Most businesses and economists think leaving the EU with no agreement on departure terms and future relations would cause economic turmoil and plunge Britain into a recession. But many Conservatives think embracing a no-deal Brexit may be the only way to win back voters from Farage's party.



Labour paid for a fence-sitting Brexit policy in which it dithered over whether to support a new referendum that could halt Brexit. Some senior Labour figures said after the party's weak performance that it must now firmly back a new referendum on Britain's departure from the bloc.



Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has long resisted a new referendum, but Labour economy spokesman John McDonnell suggested that might change.



He said the best way of stopping a damaging no-deal Brexit was ''going back to the people in a referendum, and that's what I think our members want.'' (AP)